By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
We are looking for reports on all WWE, AEW, NXT, TNA, GCW, MLW, and other notable live events or television tapings. If you attend a show, you are encouraged to send a report or even basic results to dotnetjason@gmail.com
Blood Sweat Tears Wrestling “Star Spangled Bash”
July 5, 2025, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, at Foolproof Brewing
Available via IndependentWrestling.TV
The venue is a large, open brewery building with brick walls. It was daylight out, and the ring was well lit. The crowd was small, at maybe 80-120. I’m fairly familiar with all the faces in the lineup, with a lot of good talent having me tune in.
1. Dustin Waller vs. Mantequilla for the BST Territory Title. Mante is a regular in New York-based HOG; I don’t think I’ve seen him here before. He’s masked and gives off El Generico vibes. Standing switches to open as the commentators ran down the backgrounds of each competitor. Mante knocked him down with a shoulder tackle at 1:30. More reversals and a standoff, and Waller hit a plancha to the floor at 4:30. He hit a springboard flying elbow into the ring for a nearfall.
Waller hit a guillotine leg drop at 6:30 and remained in control. Mantequilla hit a Code Red out of nowhere for a nearfall, and the commentators reiterated that Mante was trained by Amazing Red at HOG. He avoided Waller’s Lethal Injection. Mante hit a Lethal Injection for a nearfall at 9:30, then a Canadian Destroyer for a nearfall! Waller nailed his Lethal Injection for the clean pin. Good opener.
Dustin Waller defeated Mantequilla to retain the BST Territory Title at 10:27.
2. Ashley Vox vs. Liviyah. Ashley has had a nice resurgence on the indy scene in recent months. It’s still weird to see Liviyah with brown hair after being a blonde for the past year. They are 1-1 in two prior meetings. Standing switches to open, and Liviyah hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 2:00. Liviyah is taller and has a power advantage. Vox hit a rolling cannonball for a nearfall. Liviyah targeted the left arm and tied up Ashley. She hit a Russian Leg Sweep for a nearfall at 4:30, then a shotgun dropkick for a nearfall. Vox hit a missile dropkick, and they were both down.
Vox hit a running knee to the chest and a discus clothesline for a nearfall at 7:00. Liviyah hit a spear for a nearfall, but Vox got a hand on the ropes. Vox hit an Air Raid Crash for a believable nearfall. They fought on the ropes, and Liviyah hit a second-rope superplex, and they were both down. The bell rang and we were told the time limit had expired… even though my clock said it was only 9:19! The ref ordered them to continue! (I never stopped my stopwatch.) They hit stereo clotheslines, both fell, and each had an arm on their opponent’s stomach. The ref counted all four shoulders down, so we have a draw! Good action, but a bit convoluted.
Liviyah vs. Ashley Vox ended in a double pin at 10:43.
* Both women are now getting title shots! It is unclear if they will get separate matches or if it will be a three-way dance.
3. Richard Holliday and “Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes vs. Wrecking Ball Legursky and “Brick City” Julio Cruz and Victor Chase. I think Swipe Right have new identical blue trunks. I haven’t watched NWA in a year now, so I don’t know if Legursky is still active there; I have only seen him once in the past year. He got a nice babyface pop. Baylor and Chase opened; I really don’t know if they’ve interacted much, as both teams have typically been heels. Chase caught him and hit a powerslam at 1:30.
Smokes and Cruz tagged in, with Julio hitting a series of jab punches and a Dusty Rhodes sequence of punches and bionic elbow. Legursky hit his running body block to drop Ricky. WBL bodyslammed Baylor. SR began working over Julio in their corner while Holliday distracted the ref. Ricky hit a knee drop to the forehead for a nearfall at 6:30. Legursky got a hot tag and he hit double clotheslines, then running splashes and running buttbumps in opposite corners on Swipe Right. Holliday tagged in for the first time at 8:00! WBL hit a Black Hole Slam on him for a nearfall.
Baylor snapped Legursky throat-first over the top rope. Julio hit a German Suplex. Baylor hit a powerslam on Julio. Chase hit an Air Raid Crash on Baylor. The ref got bumped in the corner! Holliday immediately hit a low blow uppercut, then the 2008 swinging suplex on Chase for the tainted pin. Good action; having a big man like Legursky in a six-man tag is a good idea as it means he doesn’t have to take any bumps; he didn’t here, anyway.
Richard Holliday, Brad Baylor, and Ricky Smokes defeated Wrecking Ball Legursky, Julio Cruz, and Victor Chase at 9:24.
4. Sammy Diaz vs. Mortar for the BST Title. I feel like I just saw this match, too? Diaz has two title belts, showing off the Blitzkrieg Title he just won. I’ve often compared Mortar to Rhino; he’s short, thick with long black hair. They locked up, and Mortar easily knocked down his smaller opponent. Sammy sped it up and hit some dropkicks, then a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 2:30. He hit a somersault splash off the apron onto a standing Mortar on the floor. Back in the ring, Mortar hit his own dive through the ropes onto Diaz, and they fought at ringside.
Back in the ring, Mortar was in charge, and he bit Diaz’s forehead. He hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 7:00, and the crowd began rallying for Diaz. Sammy hit a huracanrana, and he clotheslined Mortar over the top rope to the floor then, he dove through the ropes onto Mortar at 9:00. In the ring, Mortar hit a splash but missed a senton. Sammy hit a springboard stunner, then a frogsplash for a nearfall. Mortar applied a Boston Crab. Sammy hit a powerslam. He went for a moonsault, but Mortar got his knees up. Mortar hit a Lionsault at 11:30, and they were both down.
They got up and traded forearm strikes. Sammy hit an enzuigiri in the corner. Mortar hit a second-rope twisting superplex, then a discus clothesline for a believable nearfall at 13:00. This has been really sharp, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Mortar hit a uranage out of the corner, but he missed a moonsault. Sammy hit a running knee and the Sabin-style Cradle Shock for the pin. That was really good.
Sammy Diaz defeated Mortar to retain the BST Heavyweight Title at 14:21.
Steven Stetson’s open challenge was up next. Stetson was slated to face Andy Brown, who wasn’t there. Stetson came out and was loudly booed. “I feel like Steven watches too much Yellowstone,” a commentator said. Funny. “Handyman” Jake Gray answered the call.
5. Steven Stetson vs. “Handyman” Jake Gray. Basic action early; Stetson has a huge height, weight, and experience advantage. Gray’s feet got caught on the top rope doing a plancha at 2:30, but luckily, Stetson caught him. (A commentator joked he was wearing heavy work boots.) Steven rammed him back-first into the ring post. Gray dove back into the ring at the nine-count.
Gray tried some punches, and he got a flash rollup. Stetson popped to his feet and hit a Mafia Kick for a nearfall at 5:00. Jake hit a leaping clothesline, and they were both down. Gray hit a shotgun dropkick into the corner, and this time, he hit a clean plancha at 6:30. In the ring, Gray hit a top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall. Gray hit a Sliced Bread out of nowhere for a nearfall, but Stetson got a foot on the ropes. Gray went for a top-rope Trust Fall, but Stetson hit him with a clothesline to the back of the neck for the pin! Nice finishing sequence.
Steven Stetson defeated Jake Gray at 8:27.
6. Airica Demia vs. Amity LaVey. I’ve seen a lot of Amity in the past month; she’s the spooky, scary Harley Quinn character. Demia is 20 and a second-generation wrestler; she has green hair, and I’ve compared her to Billie Starkz. This is apparently Airica’s debut here, too. Airica gave LaVey a helium-filled balloon, but Amity, of course, popped it. A commentator noted Airica was trained by her dad. She hit a clothesline. LaVey choked her in the ropes and took control. LaVey hit a handspring-back-elbow at 3:00, then a running Blockbuster for a nearfall.
Airica fired up and hit some kicks. She hit an Eat D’Feat move to the chest. They had a few exchanges where they weren’t quite on the same page, and LaVey rolled to the floor to regroup. In the ring, Amity hit a Lungblower to the chest, then a flipping neckbreaker for a nearfall at 6:00. Demia trapped LaVey’s head in the corner, and she punched Amity in the face! Amity avoided Demia’s videogame-style fireball blow. LaVey tied her around her back and hit the Rigor Mortis (a Widow’s Peak neckbreaker) for the pin. I liked that; it was choppy at times, and they weren’t always on the same page, but I liked the effort, and we had a very forgiving crowd. Looking forward to a rematch.
Amity LaVey defeated Airica Demia at 8:52.
7) “DiaSpora” Angelo Carter and Kwesi Asante vs. “Melodies From Heaven” Brother Greatness and Stan Michael for the BST Tag Team Titles. Stan was the only name on this lineup I didn’t know; he and BG came out in church choir robes and they sang a song of praise on their way to the ring. (DiaSpora is a new term to me, so I looked it up — it essentially means to travel and spread your culture.) Angelo came out solo; Kwesi ran in the ring from behind the challengers and attacked, and we’re underway! All four brawled; Stan is really slender, and Kwesi stomped on him. Carter hit a delayed vertical suplex and the champs kept Stan on the mat.
Stan caught Kwesi with a superkick. Kwesi hit a powerslam. BG got a hot tag at 4:00, and he battled Carter. He dove through the ropes. Kwesi dropped BG snake-eyes in the corner. Stan hit a leaping axe kick for a nearfall. All four brawled in the ring. Stan hit an enzuigiri. Carter cut Stan in half with a spear at 8:00. BG hit a double missile dropkick on the champs. Carter and Kwesi hit high-low blows on Brother Greatness, and both pinned him. Merely okay.
Angelo Carter and Kwesi Asante defeated Brother Greatness and Stan Michael to retain the BST Tag Team Titles at 8:34.
8. Donovan Dijak vs. Joseph “A-Game” Alexander. As per usual, Dijak has a significant height and weight advantage, as A-Game is probably 5’11” and 190 pounds. Dijak just won a title shot at last month’s show — he will face Sammy Diaz at an upcoming show — so there is a zero percent chance he’s losing here. The commentators noted that Dijak also just won the MLW Tag Team Titles with Bishop Dyer (f/k/a Baron Corbin.) They immediately went to the mat, and Dijak got a quick rollup for a nearfall. A-Game hit a leg lariat; Dijak hit a clothesline. A-Game hit some gut punches.
Dijak hit a backbreaker over his knee at 2:00 and a splash to the mat for a nearfall. A-Game stomped on Dijak in the corner and took control. Dijak hit a back suplex at 5:30, and they were both down. Dijak hit a release suplex, tossing Alexander across the ring. Dijak hit a running DVD move for a nearfall at 7:30. A-Game hit a back suplex for a nearfall. A-Game hit an impressive German Suplex with a high bridge for a nearfall at 9:00, and that popped the crowd.
Dijak hit a superkick; A-Game hit a jumping knee to the chin. Dijak nailed his discus Mafia Kick for a believable nearfall. A-Game hit a running knee for a nearfall. Dijak again tossed A-Game across the ring, and he hit a chokeslam, but A-Game kicked out at one! Dijak was baffled! Dijak caught him coming off the ropes and nailed Feast Your Eyes (pop-up knee strike) for the pin. A highly entertaining match, but again, I never once thought that Alexander was winning here.
Donovan Dijak defeated Joseph “A-Game” Alexander at 11:24.
Final Thoughts: Diaz-Mortar was a show-stealer; a really good showing by both men. Dijak’s match takes second, and the show-opener Waller-Mantequilla takes third. The six-man tag earns honorable mention. Again, Legursky is just so big, putting him in a match where he doesn’t have to do much is just a really good idea. I think so highly of both Demia and LaVey, and I know they’ll have a much smoother rematch in the near future.
I didn’t catch the names of the commentators, but they were really good and knew these wrestlers well. A lot of little trivia about who trained them, where they’ve wrestled before, etc. Point being, they really did their homework. This show is available on IWTV.
Be the first to comment