NYWC Trust No One 2017

Milk Chocolate (Brandon Watts & Randy Summers) vs High Society (Blake Morris & King Mega)

This was a fun little tag match. I’ve enjoyed three of these guys previously, whilst being unconvinced by Mega, and for the most part this was good stuff. Mega still looks awkward taking offence, but he earns bonus points by how nice his falling slam is after catching a Watts crossbody. High Society work heat on Watts, loved the spot where Morris grabs Watts by the trunks and pulls him back into a big diving lariat to the back of the head. Morris does more shit-talking here than I’d seen previously, which was a nice addition to his presentation. Watts pulls out a few little touches here that were really nice, really struggling to escape as Morris held him in place for a Mega splash, and using the turnbuckle to elevate himself into a tornado DDT for the hot tag. A double pump kick by Milk Chocolate on Mega looks pretty weak, but the end of the match is well done, as Morris ducks a rolling elbow attempt by Summers, and he turns into a Mega chokeslam for the win.

Alex Reynolds vs Robbie E

On the other hand, this was a bit disappointing. Just too much clunky comedy which took away from the match. Reynolds does a really goofy sell after getting his head rammed into the buckles, where he keeps ramming his own head into the buckle, stumbles then falls face first. There’s a brief bit of actual Reynolds control that actually works nicely, like him standing on Robbie’s throat whilst doing an arrogant muscle pose. Robbie bits Reynolds’ arm to escape a crossface, before we get more clunking comedy as Robbie keeps rolling away from a Reynolds attempt at a top rope moonsault, whilst Reynolds keeps climbing different turnbuckles like a goof. To add to the terrible nature, when Reynolds does try the move, he half lands on Robbie’s back despite the fact he’s supposed to miss. Reynolds picks up the win with a crossface, where he knees Robbie in the head whilst holding it, but on the whole this wasn’t great.

The Big O vs Maxwell Jacob Friedman

This is for the Big O’s Fusion title. Friedman tries to cheapshot the Big O after claiming he wants out of the match, but it doesn’t go too well as O hits him with a big overhead throw, a pounce and a huge powerslam for the win.

Born & Bred (Jesse Vane & Anthony LaCerra) vs the Benson Brothers vs Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen) vs J-Redd & G.I.T.

Four way match for Born & Bred’s tag titles. This only goes 8 minutes before being ruled a no contest, but this feels like a teaser trailer for 4 or 5 different tag matches you leave the bout wanting to see. J-Redd and G.I.T. feel like the weakest links, but all the other teams make the most of their chances to shine, and there’s some really fun spots in the match. Loved CJ Benson backdropping his partner into Born & Bred, loved Private Party’s manager holding up Brad Benson from the ring apron which allowed Quen to hit a brutal looking double stomp to the floor and CJ takes a huge bump as he dives to the outside, whacking his legs on the metal barricades. Born & Bred soon follow him out with a wicked looking stereo flip dive/top rope crossbody, which soon leads to a double countout. Really fun taster of the tag division.

Willow Nightingale vs Karen Q

Really getting to enjoy Nightingale now, this was the second solid performance I’ve seen from her and though she’s still a bit green in places, she’s obviously improving. This was worked as face vs face, and had a slight exhibition-y feel. Liked the early grappling where they exchange throws whilst still maintaining a lock-up, and when they do up the pace, the offence from both looks good. There’s great timing on a missed Nightingale senton followed by an impressive exploder suplex by Q. Really liked Q’s standing moonsault, really whipping herself over on the move, before Nightingale picks up the win with a vicious looking DVD. Dug this.

Stockade & Joe Gacy vs Aidan Baal & Bam Sullivan

This is for Stockade and Gacy’s Tier 1 tag titles. Stockade seems to be working face here, and looks to be having fun with it. It suits him, impressive for someone who came across as a career heel. The face team are two big, hairy guys and they look really good on offence, moving really well. There’s something quite endearing about two burly looking guys exchanging high fives whilst bulldogging their opponents. Gacy becomes face-in-peril after Sullivan grabs him by the waist as he’s running the ropes, and the heat section is pretty fun. I was particularly impressed by Baal, who doesn’t have a very impressive look, but has a great high takedown on Gacy and sells his comebacks nicely. Bam always struck me as the better Sullivan in the Hounds of Hatred, and I dug his rolling cannonball into the corner. Stockade is on fire as the hot tag, he’s really good at putting his weight behind his moves, so a flying clothesline looks devastating. Loved him hitting a double DVD on Sullivan and an interfering Mouse. Sadly, we get a terrible spot where the heel valet tries a crossbody on Stockade, gets caught and then reverses a powerbomb into a rana. Aside from the unlikely physics of this tiny woman being able to move the massive Stockade, it’s stupid because she’s a heel and shouldn’t be outpowering massive face wrestlers. The valet ends up giving Stockade a low blow for an underwhelming DQ finish, but the meat of this was really good

NYWC April Reign 2017

Devon Moore vs Blake Morris

Just a swift little opener, goes barely 5 minutes. Wasn’t a great Morris performance, he seemed a bit less willing to lay it in than usual. I did like him stopping a Moore suicide dive with a swift elbow to the face. The end looks pretty good too, as Moore dives from the top into a Morris superkick for the win.

Willow Nightingale vs Sumie Sukai

I’ll be honest, I was slightly apprehensive about this match when I realised it was 17 minutes long. After all, I’d not been massively impressed by Nightingale in her match with J-Redd on the last show and, whilst I used to think Sukai was really good, it had been about 11 years since I’d last seen her in action and I wasn’t sure if she’d still be any good. As it turns out, I needn’t have worried. Sukai puts in a terrific performance, attacking Nightingale before the bell and heeling it up from that moment on. Sukai doesn’t give Willow a chance to rest with her heeling, making the most of every referee count and only breaking at 4, then immediately staying on the attack. Sukai is pretty nasty, fish-hooking Willow on a Camel Clutch, then grinding her wrist tape into the eyes. Loved her telling the referee to check for a submission, then using the distraction to bite Willow’s fingers. There is a notable size difference, with Sukai being tiny and Nightingale being well-built, so it’s impressive that Sukai makes Willow feel like an underdog. When Nightingale goes on offence, I like that she utilises her size advantage, putting on a Boston crab that looks like it’s breaking Sukai in half. Her offence is a bit weak in places, but her spinebuster looks great and her cannonball in the corner feels like it’d crush Sukai. The end is a bit weak, as we get a time limit draw, but it comes at a time where neither is really in control. It leaves it feeling pretty unresolved.

Milk Chocolate (Brandon Watts/Randy Summers) vs Private Party (Isiah Kassidy/Marq Quen)

Really like the Private Party gimmick, two VIP party boys, who take a pre-match shot and have a large bodyguard. Quen also has enjoyably ludicrous hair, and they’re very convincing in the role, posing cockily over the ropes. The bodyguard provides a distraction to give Private Party control, with Summers the face-in-peril. This is worked solidly to formula, with Milk Chocolate getting a few near tags before Watts tags in. Loved his STO on the apron to Kassidy. Great spot as Summers tries to send Kassidy over the top rope, only for Quen to block him on the apron and backdrop his partner back into the ring for a tornado DDT. Milk Chocolate win with a top rope stomp onto a draping DDT, which looks like it should finish a match.

BLK Jeez vs Rex Lawless

Perfectly decent little midcard match. Liked Jeez’s tactic of working over Lawless’s leg, trying to neutralise the size advantage. Lawless has some soft looking offence for such a big guy, though I did like his slingshot senton and his Finlay roll, so maybe he’s just good at forward flips. Jeez hits a killer looking top rope stomp that should end it, but Lawless hits a Baldo Bomb from nowhere to win.

Born & Bred (Anthony LaCerra & Jessie Vane) vs the Benson Brothers

Enjoyed what I’d seen from both teams previously, so was looking forward to this one. Born & Bred feel like a really good team, really like the double-team offence from both that felt like it flowed naturally. LaCerra hits some great rolling suplexes, they flowed nicely and looked to have real snap to them. They work heat on Brad Benson, and I really liked CJ’s work on the apron, working the crowd and motivating Brad by reminding him this was for the tag titles. CJ is a lot of fun as a hot tag, an energetic brawler. I’ve compared him to a surfer Jim Duggan previously, and I think it holds true. Loved his double chokeslam on Born and Bred. Crappy ending sees Private Party hit splashes on both teams to cause a double DQ, but the meat of this was good.

Bull James vs Scott Norton

Very short bout, quite curiously worked. Not sure if James has turned heel since winning the title, or if this was a one-time thing, but he cheapshotted Norton during a pre-match arm wrestle, then hit a top rope seated splash, before picking up Norton on the two count. Norton is obviously past his prime, but due to his size and demeanour, he still carries himself as a threat, and his offence looks nice and stiff. James also sells the damage of each blow to keep Norton looking good. That said, it’s probably for the best that this is kept short, as James hits a low blow and another top rope splash to win.