By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Action Wrestling “Retaliation”
Replay available via Independentwrestling.tv
August 22, 2025, in Tyrone, Georgia at Roger Spencer Community Center
This is their usual pole barn venue with a high ceiling. Lighting is good and the crowd was maybe 300. John Mosely provided commentary. Heel manager Dylan Hales also provided commentary on some of the matches.
* The show opened with a highlight package from a prior event that led to a six-man tag on this show. Alabama’s New South Wrestling has been feuding with Georgia-based Action Wrestling for months. The commentators weren’t sure who would be showing up to represent New South.
* It appears we had a carload of four wrestlers (TJ Crawford, Little Mean Kathleen, Joseph “A-Game” Alexander, Channing Thomas, plus ref Gina!) that made an 18-hour trek from New England to be at this show!
1. TJ Crawford vs. Slim J. They had a handshake at the bell, even though no one trusts TJ. Standing switches to open. Slim J never really put on any size over the past 15+ years, but he’s talented. Slim J hit a headscissors takedown at 2:00 and a dropkick for a nearfall. TJ dropped him throat-first over the top rope and hit a running kick, and he took control. Crawford hit a hesitation dropkick in the corner, celebrated, and was booed. He hit a backbreaker over his knee at 3:30 and kept Slim J grounded. TJ tripped Slim J on the turnbuckle, causing him to fall and be crotched in the corner.
Slim J hit a huracanrana and a jawbreaker at 5:30, then a stunner for a nearfall, but TJ grabbed the ropes. They got up and traded punches, with the crowd solidly behind Slim J. TJ hit a spin kick that dropped Slim J, who immediately got up and peeled off his shirt, and fired up. They traded blows in the corner, and Slim J hit a top-rope crossbody block. However, TJ rolled through it, rolled him up with a handful of tights, and scored the tainted pin! Good opener.
TJ Crawford defeated Slim J at 8:20.
2. Kelsey Raegen vs. Little Mean Kathleen. Kelsey is tall, slender with long red hair, and she carried a mixed drink to the ring. This is LMK’s debut here. They locked up, and Kelsey has the height advantage. LMK bit Kelsey’s wrist but stopped at a four-count. She hit a running crossbody block for a one-count, then a huracanrana. She hit some punches in the corner as the crowd counted along. Kelsey shoved her into the corner, and her shoulder struck the ring post. Raegan took over, choking Kathleen in the ropes. Kelsey rubbed her butt in LMK’s face, then hit a fisherman’s twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall at 3:30.
LMK got a Victory Roll for a nearfall. Kelsey hit a running back elbow for a nearfall. The commentators noted that Kelsey has the longer arms and longer legs and was using that to her advantage. Kathleen hit a clothesline and fired up. She ran up Kelsey’s chest in the corner at 6:00, then hit a Vader Bomb for a nearfall. Kelsey hit a back suplex for a nearfall. LMK applied a front guillotine choke, then hit a second-rope tornado DDT for a nearfall at 7:30. Kathleen’s right knee buckled, and she collapsed. Kelsey jumped on top of her, but the ref pulled her off, leaned in, and talked to Kathleen. He made the ‘X’ sign and called for the bell, and this appears to be a legit injury. LMK was helped to the back. Very unfortunate here, and I didn’t see anything notable. (I’m watching live, so I can’t rewind it to see what happened.)
Kelsey Raegen defeated Little Mean Kathleen via ref stoppage due to injury at 8:28.
3. Darian Bengston vs. Joseph “A-Game” Alexander. I’m a huge fan of both of these guys. Standing switches to open. A-Game hit a hard clothesline for a nearfall at 2:30, then a back suplex. He hit a powerslam for a nearfall. He hit a jumping knee in the corner for a nearfall at 5:00, and he kept Bengston grounded. He applied an ankle lock, but Bengston got to the ropes. Bengston hit a spin kick to the jaw at 7:00, then a top-rope Whisper In The Wind twisting splash for a nearfall. A-Game hit a high back suplex. Bengston hit a Flatliner move, then his unique Cattle Mutilation, and A-Game submitted. That was sharp for the time given.
Darian Bengston defeated Joseph “A-Game” Alexander at 7:57.
4. Kasey Owens (w/Suge D, The Wall) vs. Alex Kane. I’ve only seen Kane maybe once since his MLW deal expired; he has clearly dropped weight around the middle and looks good. He hit some clotheslines in the corner. I’ve described Kasey as the perfect love-child of Joey Janela and Jimmy Lloyd. Kane hit a suplex into the corner, and Owens rolled to the floor. Kane dove onto Owens at 1:00. He splashed onto Owens on the ring apron. They got into the ring, where Kane hit some snap suplexes, then a Falcon Arrow at 2:30. Suge D distracted the ref, allowing The Wall to hit Kane from behind. Kasey hit some chops in the corner, but Kane was livid. Kasey went for a cross-face chickenwing, and he jumped on Kane’s back, but Alex fell backward at 4:00 to escape.
Kane hit a top-rope flying clothesline, and they were both down. He nailed a spinebuster, and he peeled down the straps of his singlet, then hit the “Blackhammer” (Jackhammer), but the heels reached in and broke it up. The crowd and the commentators were livid that the ref didn’t eject them. Kasey hit a flying headbutt for a nearfall at 6:30. Kane hit a leg-capture suplex and a back suplex, then a belly-to-belly suplex for a nearfall. Kane went for a delayed vertical suplex, but one of the heels reached in and tripped him. Kasey fell on top of Kane and got the cheap pin. The crowd was not happy about the outcome.
Kasey Owens defeated Alex Kane at 7:33.
5. Tyson Malrick vs. Joe Black. I don’t think I’ve seen Tyson before. He jawed at the crowd on the way to the ring. He has dark hair and darker features. The commentators said Tyson has been wrestling for six years, but Black (think Jonathan Gresham!) has 17 years of experience. Tyson went to a headlock early on. He hit a jumping knee at 2:00. Black nailed a pop-up forearm strike. Black slammed him to the mat and got a nearfall at 3:30, then a release suplex out of the corner for a nearfall. Malrick hit a leaping Flatliner out of the ropes for a nearfall. He slammed Black for a nearfall. Black hit a springboard stunner and got a pin.
Joe Black defeated Tyson Malrick at 6:03.
* Matt Sells, who had joined commentary for the match, got in the ring, and struck Black with a chairshot to the back, then a DDT. Matt got on the mic and he shouted that the crowd “made me do this.” He shouted he’s been wrestling for 23 years and he’s watched “young kids leapfrog over me.” He’s tired of “vets like Joe Black getting the respect I deserve.” He said the fans are to blame because “they didn’t ask where I was” while he was out with an arm injury.
6. Bobby Flaco vs. Adrian Alanis in a Tyrone Street Fight. Flaco is the short, bald dork who I enjoy watching get beaten up; he’s inexplicably over with the crowd. Alanis was in Evolve before WWE bought it a few years ago, and he’s had multiple AEW matches, particularly during the pandemic. The cameras found them fighting in the hallway, and they went outside and were fighting on the grass and over by a picnic table. Fans poured outside to watch them fight on the lawn. Flaco climbed a tree and leapt off the limbs onto Alanis. I can’t say I’ve written that sentence before! They went back inside at 2:00.
Flaco let a kid in the front row chop Alanis. Liam Gray (who has teamed with Alanis for years, including in this afore-mentioned Evolve and AEW matches) jumped in and helped beat up Flaco. They finally got in the ring, and Alanis hit Flaco over the head with a cookie sheet. Alanis hit a bodyslam onto a chair for a nearfall. He hit a half-nelson uranage for a nearfall at 7:30. He wrapped a chain around Bobby’s throat. He went to the floor and yelled at the fans. Bobby hit a top-rope flying cannonball to the floor on Alanis. Bobby shoved Adrian into the ring post at 9:00. Bobby pushed a wheelchair-bound fan into Adrian; the crowd loved seeing him get involved.
They got back into the ring, and Flaco hit a superkick. Gray again tried to get involved. Alanis picked up Bobby and powerbombed him through a door set up in the corner, then he hit a Burning Hammer for the pin. That’s my idea of a street fight! Flaco jumped out of a tree! Fans got involved. They had weapons and violence, but no bloodshed or gross weapons. That’s a thumbs up and it topped all my expectations.
Adrian Alanis defeated Bobby Flaco at 10:51.
* Intermission was kept to 12-15 minutes. I don’t know why you go to an intermission after the sixth match of a nine-match show…
7. “The Good Hands” Suge D and The Wall (w/Kasey Owens) vs. “Top Team” Jay Lucas and Terry Yaki for the Action Wrestling Tag Team Titles. The crowd taunted The Good Hands with a “new champs!” chant. All four brawled. I’ll remind people that Suge D was “Pineapple Pete” in his feud with Chris Jericho during the pandemic. Terry hit a Crucifix Driver. Top Team hit a team back suplex. Yaki was powerbombed onto the ring apron. On the other side of the ring, Wall caught Lucas and slammed him back-first on the apron, too. They rolled Yaki into the ring and worked him over, as Jay was down on the floor. The Wall slammed Yaki into the corner and tied him in a Tree of Woe; Suge D hit a dropkick as Yaki was still tied upside down and got a nearfall at 4:30.
The heels continued to keep Yaki grounded, but Jay was finally back up on the ring apron and waiting for a tag. Yaki hit an enzuigiri, and he made the hot tag to Lucas at 6:00. Jay hit an enzuigiri on The Wall (think Big Bill, but not as tall). Jay hit a top-rope Blockbuster for a nearfall. Yaki hit a top-rope missile dropkick. He hit a second-rope superplex, and Jay hit a top-rope elbow drop for a visual pin, but the ref was pulled from the ring by Kasey Owens. Alex Kane came out of nowhere and attacked Owens. Meanwhile, Lucas hit a superkick on Suge D. They hit a stuffed Jay Driller-style piledriver and scored the pin! New champions! This crowd erupted for the title change! Kane got in the ring and celebrated with them.
“Top Team” Jay Lucas and Terry Yaki defeated “The Good Hands” Suge D and The Wall to win the Action Wrestling Tag Team Titles at 8:53.
8. Adam Priest vs. Channing Thomas. Both men are traditionally heels, but Priest is a babyface here. An intense lockup to open. Priest knocked him down with a shoulder tackle. Channing applied a leg lock around the neck. Priest hit a snap suplex for a nearfall at 1:30. Channing hit a knee drop to the forehead and some European Uppercuts. Priest hit a DDT for a nearfall, but Channing got a foot on the ropes. Channing threw Priest face-first into the middle turnbuckle at 4:00, and he kept Priest grounded. He repeatedly punched Adam on the forehead. Priest fired up and hit a clothesline. Priest tied him in a Figure Four at 8:00; Channing eventually got to the ropes. They traded rollups. Priest applied a half crab. Priest got an inside cradle for the flash pin out of nowhere! I didn’t expect that to wrap up so quickly.
Adam Priest defeated Channing Thomas at 10:02.
9. “Team Action Wrestling” Krule and Jameson Shook and Jaden Newman vs. “Team New South” Cabana Man Dan and Shean Christopher and Big Dave in a lucha tag rules match. It was clarified that the rules meant rolling to the floor was equivalent to a tag. They all started brawling on the floor; they got in the ring, and we had a bell at 00:50 to officially begin. Cabana Man Dan (think Tony Nese!) hit Krule with some flip-flops, but Krule completely no-sold them. Big Dave (who is maybe 6’4″) brawled with the taller Krule. Shean Christopher and Shook (think a young Sami Zayn) brawled.
TNS worked over Jaden in their corner. Dan ran up Jaden’s chest. Jameson finally got a hot tag at 9:00, and he battled Christopher, and he hit a suplex for a nearfall. Jaden tagged right back in at 10:30 and hit a missile dropkick, then a Snapmare Driver. Shean hit a second-rope flying forearm. Krule finally got back in and hit a second-rope fallaway slam on Christopher. This crowd was now hot for this action. Krule got to his feet, and he hit a splash in the corner on Shean and Dan. He hit a chokeslam. Dave got up at 12:30 and brawled with Krule. They hit stereo clotheslines and were both down. Dan went for a Sliced Bread out of the corner, but it was blocked. Jaden hit a top-rope Blockbuster, and Shook covered Dan for the pin.
Krule and Jameson Shook and Jaden Newman defeated Big Dave and Shean Christopher and Cabana Man Dan at 13:25 (official time of 12:35).
Final thoughts: A fun show and none of the matches overstayed their welcome. I’ll go with the tag title match for best of the night, as the crowd loved the title change. Yaki and Lucas are definitely a top-tier indy tag team, and it’s nice to see them get some belts. Priest-Channing ended way too quickly but takes second. I’ll narrowly go with Bengston vs. A-Game for third. A lot to like here. The Flaco-Alanis street fight worked without getting too violent or too corny, either. The main event was fine, but I wouldn’t say it was in the top half of the matches, either. The only downside was the injury to Kathleen that cut the women’s match short.
I point out the trek of four wrestlers and a ref who went from New England to this show because I admire their passion and dedication. Again, I highly doubt they flew to the show, so it means a drive of about 18 hours. Many of them are wrestling on Saturday in Tennessee as well. Hopefully, Kathleen’s knee injury is minor. I watched this live; check it out on IWTV when it gets posted shortly.
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