By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Glory Pro Wrestling “Ascend” (Episode 96-97)
Taped December 21, 2025, in St. Louis, Missouri, at South Broadway Athletic Club
Premiered December 28, 2025, and January 4, 2026, via YouTube.com
These episodes are from a new taping; the last episode of Ascend streamed on December 14, so they only skipped one week. The lights were on here and it’s easy to see. This is the club that has a low ceiling; a wrestler could easily hit the ceiling on a superplex.
Episode 96
1. Shazza McKenzie vs. Blair Onyx. Onyx was in spooky white with her Edward Scissorhands fingers; the commentators immediately noted it was “a different look” for her. These two have fought multiple times now. The crowd was behind Shazza. Before they locked up, Blair went under the ring and got a present. It was a mannequin head that looked very much like Shazza! Blair kicked her in the jaw, and they were underway! Shazza got some quick rollups and an armdrag, then a basement dropkick for a nearfall at 2:30.
Blair bit Shazza’s thigh! They traded blows while on the apron. Blair hit a DDT in the ring for a nearfall, and she kept Shazza grounded. Blair hit a suplex for a nearfall at 5:30. Shazza hit a series of roundhouse kicks as Blair was tied in the ropes, then a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 7:30. Blair hit her Sister Abigail swinging faceplant for a nearfall. Blair grabbed the mannequin head but the ref confiscated it. Shazza hit a back suplex and a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall. Shazza blocked a piledriver attempt. Seconds later, Blair hit the Gotch-style piledriver for the pin! Good action.
Blair Onyx defeated Shazza McKenzie at 9:24.
2. Davey Bang and August Matthews vs. “PME” Philly Collins and Marino Tenaglia for the Glory Pro Tag Team Titles. Marino and Matthews opened, with August getting some quick nearfalls and a dropkick. Philly got in and helped work over Matthews. Davey got in, and they hit some quick team moves on Tenaglia. Bang hit a Lionsault for a nearfall at 2:30. Tenaglia hit a DDT on Matthews on the apron, while Collins threw Bang into the ring post. In the ring, PME worked over Matthews.
Collins hit a senton, and Tenaglia hit a guillotine leg drop for a nearfall at 5:00. August hit his Cave-In stomp to the chest and tagged in Bang at 7:00. Davey hit some quick kicks and a leg lariat in the corner on Collins. Bang tied Philly in an Octopus Stretch! Matthews cut off Tenaglia and also put him in an Octopus Stretch. The heels escaped, and suddenly everyone was down. PME hit a clothesline-and-German Suplex combo on Bang, then Collins hit a piledriver, and Tenaglia hit a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall at 9:30, but Matthews made the save.
Bang nailed a superkick on Tenaglia, then they hit team superkicks on Collins. Tenaglia hit a leaping Flatliner on Bang for a believable nearfall! Bang low-bridged the top rope to send Collins to the floor. Bang hit a moonsault on Collins, while August hit a dive to the floor on Tenaglia. The champs hit their team top-rope doublestomp on Philly’s back, then Bang nailed the Spears Tower on Collins, then a 450 Splash for the pin! That was a pretty wild finish.
Davey Bang and August Matthews defeated Philly Collins and Marino Tenaglia to retain the Glory Pro Tag Team Titles at 11:43.
Episode 97
1. Dan the Dad, Ethan Price, and Myung-Jae Lee vs. Bruss Hamilton, Devin O’Neal, and Steven O’Neal. Bruss has a wide frame, and he’s become a regular in AAW in Chicago. I admittedly have not warmed up to the O’Neal brothers yet. Lee opened against Steven, the older (and better) wrestler of the brothers. Price battled the younger, chubbier Devin. Steven hit a sideslam on Dan the Dad. Bruss got in and applied a massive bearhug on Dan at 4:30. The heels took turns working over Dan the Dad, each stepping on Dan’s lower back.
Lee got a hot tag and tried some forearm strikes on Bruss, but Bruss popped up Lee and hit a World’s Strongest Slam for a nearfall at 6:30, and that popped the crowd. Dan the Dad was helped to the back, making this a handicap match! Price hit a German Suplex, then a rolling somersault from the apron to the floor on Devin. He hit a top-rope missile dropkick on Steven and Bruss. The O’Neals hit a team slam on Lee for a nearfall. Price tagged back in and hit a leg lariat in the corner on Steven. Price hit a Death Valley Driver to pin Steven. Okay action.
Dan the Dad, Ethan Price, and Myung-Jae Lee defeated Bruss Hamilton, Devin O’Neal, and Steven O’Neal at 9:53.
2. Laynie Luck vs. Vert Vixen for the Glory Pro Women’s Title. Two of my favorite women on the U.S. indy scene today. Luck carried both her WWE ID Women’s Title and her Glory Pro Women’s Title belts. They shook hands before locking up. Standing switches early on. They sped it up and traded some reversals and armdrags. They rolled through the ropes to the floor at 3:00 and fought at ringside.
They got back into the ring and traded forearm strikes. Vert tied her in the Tree of Woe at 5:00, hit some spin kicks to her unprotected ribs, then a baseball slide dropkick to the face, and got a nearfall. Vert applied a Sharpshooter, but Laynie immediately reached the ropes. Laynie hit a spin kick to the head. Vert hit a stunner at 6:30 for a nearfall. Laynie got under her in the corner and hit a powerbomb, and they were both down at 8:30, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant.
Laynie fired up and hit some clotheslines, then a spear and a German Suplex for a nearfall. Vert hit a springboard spin kick, then her Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 10:00. Layne got a rollup and went to a crossface on the mat, but Vert rolled her over to escape. They traded rollups. Laynie nailed an enzuigiri, then a Death Valley Driver for the pin. A sharp match. The commentators noted that Laynie won that belt in October 2024.
Laynie Luck defeated Vert Vixen to retain the Glory Pro Women’s Title at 11:50.
Final Thoughts: Some really good action across these shows. Luck vs. Vert was predictably good. I really like the Bang and Matthews team, and they just won the vacant IWTV Tag Team Titles. The six-man tag wasn’t bad, but it was fine; the crowd is really into Ethan Price’s “Big strong boy!” gimmick. The episodes each clocked in at about 30 minutes.
Be the first to comment