By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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AAW “Take No Prisoners”
August 9, 2025, in Berwyn, Illinois, at Berwyn Eagles Club
Released August 13, 2025, via YouTube.com
This show was posted on YouTube on Tuesday. I’ve attended live wrestling shows at this venue in suburban Chicago in the past, and it’s a nice little room; a crowd of 250 makes it feel packed. It’s an older space and looks dated, but it’s well lit.
* I’ve noted this before, but they opt to mute out the entrance music. I totally understand why they do it, to avoid any issues with music licenses. But it does throw off my enjoyment of the show, as the commentators and all sound are simply muted out. The commentary track isn’t as loud as I would prefer and it sounds a bit tinny.
1) A 20-person battle royal, with the winner getting an AAW Heavyweight Title shot in the main event later in the show. Participants included Joey Avalon, Rafael Quintero, Shane Boucher, Blair Onyx, Solomon Tupu, Victor Iniestra, Zeeko, Isaiah Moore, Aaron Roberts, Ace Perry, Darren Fly, Nate Kobain, Jack Valor. I didn’t know everyone. It appears Onyx was the only woman in this match, unless I missed someone else who flipped out early on. Ace and Blair had a good exchange, and he eliminated her at 5:00. It came down to just Quintero vs. Ace Perry. Quintero hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly. They fought on the ring apron and teased German Suplexes to the floor that could have killed them, but they held onto the ropes. Quintero finally hit a Death Valley Driver, with Perry falling to the floor to end the match.
Rafael Quintero won a 20-person battle royal to become No. 1 contender at 10:44.
* Backstage, Isaiah Moore vowed to win his match tonight against JDX, and he also has his eyes set on a title in September.
2. Zeeko vs. Solomon Tupu. Zeeko, formerly known as Karam, has a big, massive, muscular frame. Battle royals are hard to see the action when it’s packed early on, but these two eliminated each other almost immediately. They immediately traded forearm strikes. They brawled to the floor. They got back into the ring at 3:30 and traded more chops. Zeeko hit a Vader Bomb for the pin, as Tupu kicked out a quarter-second too late!
Zeeko defeated Solomon Tupu at 4:51.
* Backstage, John E. Bravo boasted about his man, Bruss Hamilton. Bruss was confident he would beat Hartenbower tonight.
3. JDX vs. Isaiah Moore. Moore had a TNA match in May and an ROH match in July. The bald JDX attacked Moore from behind, and we’re underway! He pulled Moore groin-first into the ring post at 1:30 and stayed in charge. Moore hit a jumping knee to the chin. JDX kept him grounded. Moore hit some clotheslines. He hit a rolling Death Valley Driver and a step-up mule kick for the pin. Solid match.
Isaiah Moore defeated JDX at 6:04.
* Moore got on the mic and vowed to win a title on the Sept. 13 show.
* Backstage, Hartenbower was focused on getting five minutes in the ring with John E. Bravo.
4. Stallion Rogers and Jake Something vs. “The Hellhounds” Schaff and Russ Jones. Some big guys in this one! Again, Rogers wrestled as Curt Stallion in a brief NXT run; he’s not small, but he’s the smallest in this one. Jake and Schaff opened, but Jake tagged out before locking up. Russ repeatedly stomped on Rogers’ chest. Schaff hit a powerslam for a nearfall at 2:30. Jake got in, and he tied up Schaff on the mat. Jake and Schaff traded punches at 7:00. Rogers and Jake kept Schaff in their corner. Rogers hit a dropkick. Jake hit a bodyslam at 9:00 and taunted Jones. It allowed Schaff to hit a back suplex.
Jones got the hot tag and hit a bicycle kick on Stallion and a pop-up powerbomb for a nearfall, but Jake pulled the ref from the ring. (Seriously, why isn’t that a DQ?) Schaff and Russ hit stereo clotheslines in the corners. Schaff hit a big leg lariat on Stallion at 11:30, and he put Rogers on his shoulders for a Doomsday Device, but Jake made the save. Jake and Stallion headed to the back! Russ and Schaff grabbed them and dragged them back to ringside. They all got back into the ring and brawled. Ref Dan Perch tried to break it up, but he was shoved to the mat twice; he called for the bell after the second shove. The four guys brawled to the back.
Stallion Rogers and Jake Something vs. “The Hellhounds” Schaff and Russ Jones went to a double-DQ (no contest) at 13:12.
* Outside, someone has beat up Rafael Quintero. Trevor Lee was nearby and laughed and said, “I guess card is subject to change!”
5. Bruss Hamilton (w/John E. Bravo and Sean Logan and a woman) vs. Hartenbower. I don’t know if I’ve seen the woman in the heel entourage, but she’s dressed to wrestle. Again, these are two BIG men. I’ve said Hartenbower is like Josh Alexander but taller and thicker, while Bruss is wide and thick, like a heavily-tattooed version of WWE’s Otis. The woman hopped on the apron. (The commentary track is so quiet I’m not catching her name.)
They traded punches, and Bruss hit a belly-to-belly suplex for a nearfall at 2:30. The woman choked Hartenbower in the ropes. They brawled to the floor, where Bruss shoved Hartenbower face-first into the ring post at 5:00, and he slammed Hartenbower back-first on the apron. In the ring, Bruss accidentally ran into Bravo, who was on the apron. Hartenbower threw a chair at Hamilton’s head, hit a discus clothesline, and scored the pin!
Hartenbower defeated Bruss Hamilton at 7:25.
5b. Hartenbower vs. John E. Bravo. Because Hartenbower won, he gets five minutes in the ring with Bravo! Furthermore, all of Bravo’s myrmidons were sent to the back! The bell rang, but Bravo rolled to the floor to stall. Can he stall for five full minutes? Hartenbower dragged him into the ring. The heel faction returned, and the refs tried to push them to the back. Hartenbower went under the ring and got a wood bat. A person in a hoodie hopped in the ring and hit a low blow on Hartenbower. He jabbed Hartenbower with one end of the wood bat! Bravo climbed on top of Hartenbower and got the cheap pin.
John E. Bravo defeated Hartenbower at 2:27.
* The attacker got back into the ring and pulled down the hoodie and mask and was revealed as Davey Vega. He celebrated with Bruss, Bravo, Logan and the woman.
* Backstage, Joey “Jet” Avalon was livid that he was eliminated in the battle royal by the scrawny Twist and Flip. Aaron Roberts told him they will get a match with the kids later tonight to get their revenge!
6. Maggie Lee (a/k/a M By Elegance) vs. Heather Reckless (a/k/a Heather By Elegance) for the AAW Women’s Title. Again, Maggie is about 5’11” and Heather is about 4’10”. The commentators said there is a “well-documented friendship” between these two. They shook hands at the bell. Standing switches to open. They traded quick reversals with each ducking or blocking the other’s signature moves. Maggie hit a pump kick at 1:30. Heather hit a huracanrana on the apron, flipping Maggie to the floor at 3:00.
In the ring, Maggie hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. She hit a Buckle Bomb and a Helluva Kick for a nearfall. Heather hit a Frankensteiner, then a piledriver for a nearfall at 5:30. She hit some Yes Kicks. Maggie fired back with a superkick. Heather hit a German Suplex, slamming Maggie into the turnbuckles. Maggie hit a Cradle Shock for a nearfall. They traded rollups. Maggie nailed her Tombstone Piledriver for the pin. That was really good; these two clearly know each other quite well, and that was a really fluid, smooth match.
Maggie Lee defeated Heather Reckless to retain the AAW Women’s Title at 8:25.
* Backstage, interviewer Tyler Volz told us that Ren Jones will defend the title tonight against Trevor Lee. Joe Alonzo jumped into the interview. He wore a T-shirt that read “I shaved Stevie’s head.” (Yes, last month, he shaved a six-year-old kid bald!)
* We saw Ren Jones backstage; he doesn’t care who he faces tonight because he’s confident he will win and retain his title.
7. Aaron Roberts and Joey “Jet” Avalon vs. “Twist and Flip” Nate Kobain and Darren Fly for the AAW Tag Team Titles. I am pretty sure I saw the Twist and Flip guys fighting each other in a different promotion recently but they are on the same page here. These kids are both maybe 5’7″ and 160 pounds. This should be an all-out squash. (I am fairly confident in writing that One Man Gang-lookalike Roberts weighs more than them combined!) Avalon shoved one of them in the face, and we’re underway.
Roberts got in and kept Fly grounded. (With the commentary track so hard to hear, I really don’t know which kid is which. You have to see their names on the back of their trunks.) Kobain got a hot tag at 4:30 and hit a jumping knee. TandF hit some team kicks on Robert. One of the kids hit a top-rope doublestomp for a nearfall. Roberts hit a running crossbody block on both kids. Avalon hit an assisted Falcon Arrow to get the pin. I wouldn’t have minded if that had been even shorter. Roberts hit a post-match splash to the mat on one of the kids.
Aaron Roberts and Joey “Jet” Avalon defeated Nate Kobain and Darren Fly to retain the AAW Tag Team Titles at 7:05.
* Backstage, Trevor Lee was laughing under his breath, saying he is now No. 1 contender.
8. Colt Cabana vs. Joe Alonzo. Again, Alonzo and his lackey wore identical shirts, boasting they shaved the six-year-old kid last month. They locked up, but Joe was quickly hiding behind the ref and refusing to lock up. Colt hit a clothesline; Joe rolled to the floor to stall. Cabana dragged Joe into the ring and beat him up, and the lackey, too. Cabana made his Superman Cover, but the lackey broke it up at 4:00, and it allowed Alonzo to seize control. Joe hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 6:30.
Colt fired up and hit some punches and a Bionic Elbow, then a flying buttbump in the corner and a splash to the mat for a nearfall at 8:30. Cabana tied him in the Billy Goat’s Curse (inverted Boston Crab), but the lackey pulled Alonzo to the ropes. The lackey handed Joe a weapon! He struck Cabana in the head with it and hit a springboard ax handle off the ropes for the tainted pin. Joe hid the weapon in his trunks before the ref saw it.
Joe Alonzo defeated Colt Cabana at 10:11.
* Chuck Smooth came to the ring and issued a challenge to Joe Alonzo for a rematch.
9. Ren Jones vs. Trevor Lee vs. Rafael Quintero for the AAW Heavyweight Title. Trevor came out first, confident this would be a singles match. The champ, Ren, came out second; he’s also had a lot of AEW matches. Quintero came to the ring; his ribs were wrapped, but he insisted he would compete, so we’re having a three-way! Ren clotheslined Lee over the top rope to the floor. Ren hit a shoulder tackle that dropped Quintero. They brawled to the floor. Lee dragged Ren into the ring at 4:30, and they traded chops.
Quintero hit a Forward Finlay Roll on Ren and a moonsault for a nearfall at 7:00, and the crowd was definitely behind Rafael. Ren hit a double clothesline. Ren hit a Helluva Kick on Lee, then a crossbody block into the corner on him. They did a Tower of Doom spot out of the corner at 9:30, and all three were down. Quintero hit a series of dives, one after another, to opposite sides of the ring, on each opponent! He hit a Death Valley Driver on Jones on the apron. Quinetero went for a moonsault but Lee got his knees up and pinned Rafael at 12:24! Quintero has been eliminated, but the match continues!
This crowd was hot and split. Ren hit a forearm strike, and he blocked a low blow attempt. He hit a Gory Bomb for a nearfall at 14:30, but Lee got a foot on the ropes. Jake Something suddenly appeared on the apron and distracted the ref! Stallion Rogers jumped in and hit a flying headbutt on Ren! Lee then hit his Cave-In Stomp to the chest and pinned Ren Jones! New champion! Jake Something, Stallion Rogers, and Trevor Lee celebrated together. The commentators said Lee is now the ninth triple crown winner in AAW history.
Trevor Lee defeated Rafael Quintero and Ren Jones to win the AAW Heavyweight Title at 15:53.
Final thoughts: I’m really glad that AAW has aired their shows on YouTube this year, as I’ve caught nearly all of them. The crowds are always big and hot here, and that really helps. (I remember not too long ago, Black Label Pro barely drew enough people to fill two rows here, and it was really sad and hard to watch.) That was a really good main event, and it takes first. I’ve noted in another recent review how good Quintero is in the ring, but he doesn’t seem to quite have the charisma to move up to the next level. But yeah, his matches are awesome. Maggie Lee vs. Heather Reckless was pretty perfect for the time given, and I’ll give them second place. Even with no clear winner, the Jake Something/Curt Stallion tag match takes third.
I’ve not had a problem hearing past AAW shows, so this was disappointing… the in-ring action and sounds from the crowd just drowned out the commentary team, so it was really hard to hear them call the action. Again, no real point in complaining about the music being muted during entrances, etc., but it is distracting. I love that they work so many backstage segments in between matches; there is a lot of thought going into stories — they aren’t just sending ‘Wrestler A’ out there to fight ‘Wrestler B.’ This is a case where the sum of the show is better than its parts, meaning that many of the matches didn’t stand out as must-see bouts, but they worked as part of the overall show.
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