NEW Lucha Mania 4/20/2018

Rey Fenix takes on Christian Casanova in singles action. NEW Heavyweight Champion Flip Gordon defends Penta El Zero M in the main event!

Northeast Wrestling presents LuchaMania
Date: 4/20/2018
From: Waterbury, CT

Tenille Dashwood makes her way out to the start the event and she’s not dressed to wrestle. NEW appears to have gotten a strong crowd for this show, which isn’t surprising at all. Dashwood says she has bad news and isn’t cleared to compete tonight. That brings out Kasey Catal to cut her off. Dashwood doesn’t know who she is, a typical insult. Catal says that Dashwood should have just stayed home. Tenille says she at least wanted to meet the awesome fans if she wasn’t able to compete. Dashwood notes she is on the next date for NEW and has a replacement tonight. Here comes Karen Q…

Opening Contest: Kasey Catal vs. Karen Q: They start off with basic wrestling with Q controlling Catal on the mat with a headlock. Q scoop slams Catal and hits a standing moonsault for a two count. Catal yanks Q down to the mat out of the corner. Catal delivers a double knee in the corner for a two count. Catal continues to work over Q with kicks against the ropes. Catal sends Q into the ropes and delivers a big boot for a two count. Catal hits an elevated neckbreaker over the top rope for a two count. Catal goes shoulder first into the corner hitting the post and Q comes firing back with strikes. Q delivers a handspring strike and an overhead suplex out of the corner for a near fall. Catal runs into a Samoan Drop but kicks out at two. Catal elbows Q in the corner and tries an awful rollup for a one count. Jesus, Catal wins with one of the worse rollups. (*. There’s probably no reason for Karen Q to do the job here. I get why Catal wins because she’ll likely wrestle Dashwood judging by their interaction earlier. She just needs to drastically improve.)

Second Contest: Chris Battle vs. Bull Dredd: They shake hands before the match begins showing respect for each other. Early on, they trade near falls. Dredd runs the ropes and then taunts Battle by doing a hip swivel but is nearly pinned by Battle. They trade arm drags before having a standoff. Dredd scoop slams Battle but can’t keep control due to Battle rolling to the floor to regroup. Dredd comes off the ropes looking for a dive but settles for a hip swivel. Battle drops Dredd over the top rope. Battle comes off the top with a double stomp for a two count. Battle keeps Dredd on the mat with a hammerlock. Dredd fights back with trikes. Battle works over Dredd with kicks in the corner but Dredd fights out of the corner. Battle yanks down on the injured arm of Dredd for a two count. Dredd clotheslines Battle a few times to get control of the match. Dredd backdrops Battle and comes off the ropes delivering a leg drop for a near fall. They trade strikes and Dredd goes for a Samoan Drop. Battle sends Dredd shoulder into the corner and hits the spear for the win. (*1/4. Mostly basic stuff and they didn’t do much of anything to keep my interest. The slow start to the show isn’t concerning since they weren’t reasons to check this out. Plus, they’ve been fairly short.)

Sam Adonis gets on the microphone to cut a promo before his next match. He messes up Northeast Wrestling’s name. Adonis doesn’t need a mask to cover his greatness. Adonis has grown an appreciation for the Mexican people and says the women are beautiful. Adonis proceeds to insult the crowd and their looks. He didn’t know that NEW accepted food stamps for ticket sales. He’s not afraid to punch a child in the face. It’s a better promo than I’ve seen from him.

Third Contest: Sam Adonis vs. Jake Manning: I believe Manning is still defeated in Northeast Wrestling and continues to get a good ovation. This should prove that a win/loss record means very little in pro wrestling if you have the talent to stay over. Manning hammers away on Adonis with right hands and knocks Adonis over the top to the floor. Adonis goes to the top but misses a double axe handle and is met with a strike to the midsection. Manning ties Adonis up in the ropes and gets his book for advice. Manning delivers a baseball slide dropkick to send Adonis to the floor. Adonis taunts the fans while at ringside. Manning slingshots Adonis back into the ring and continues to beat on Adonis by ramming him face first into the top turnbuckle. Adonis staggers out of the corner and drops to the mat leading to a near fall for Manning. Adonis boots Manning in the corner and hits a blockbuster off the middle rope for a two count. Manning comes back with a shoulder block and a rollup for a two count. Adonis stops Manning with a clothesline for a two count. They begin to trade chops and strikes in the ring.

Gerry Strauss, the commentator for the show, has a bad cold. He deserves credit for still providing commentary. Adonis gets out of a rollup and drops Manning with a big boot. Adonis keeps control by delivering strikes in the corner. Adonis comes off the ropes with a leg drop for a two count. Manning almost wins with a rollup and an inside cradle. They both go down following a double clothesline spot. Manning clotheslines Adonis a few times. Manning heads to the top rope hitting a top rope flying clothesline for a near fall. Manning plants Adonis with a snap powerslam. Manning comes off the ropes to deliver a falling chop and an AA. Adonis still kicks out at two. Manning spikes Adonis with a stunner for another near fall. Adonis avoids a piledriver and hits a Michinoku Driver for the win. (**. I thought it was an average match. The near falls for Manning were believable and Adonis seemingly got himself over with the crowd. It was good to have a decent undercard match.)

Fourth Contest: Christian Casanova vs. Rey Fenix: Early on, they trade rollups but neither man is able to get a three count. Fenix tangles himself into the ropes and hit a camera. Fenix takes Casanova over with a head scissors and dropkick to send him to the floor. Fenix comes off the ropes but is met with a knee lift. Casanova hits a Michinoku Driver for a two count. Fenix bails to the floor to regroup and Casanova follows to keep control of the match. Fenix is sent face first into the post. Casanova elbows Fenix to keep control of the match but Casanova plants Fenix with a DDT for a near fall. Casanova hits a springboard leg drop as Fenix was hanging over the middle rope. Casanova runs into a superkick in the corner and Fenix hits a springboard spin kick followed by a rolling cutter for a two count. Fenix takes Casanova out with a suicide dive. Fenix goes to the top rope and hits a springboard swanton for a two count. Fenix misses a kick and Casanova delivers a face crusher and a superkick! Casanova continues with a Codebreaker and a scissors kick for a two count.

Casanova knees his way free from a suplex and drops Fenix to the mat. Fenix drops Casanova with a chop. Casanova stops Fenix with a cheap shot and taunts the fans. They begin to trade strikes in the middle of the ring. Casanova boots Fenix, but Fenix comes back with a spin kick. They both go down after stereo kick attempts. They go back to trading shots in the ring until Casanova hits a sit down powerbomb for a two count. Casanova nearly wins following a Falcon Arrow. Fenix sends Casanova chest first into the ring and almost wins with a springboard moonsault. Fenix sits Casanova on the top turnbuckle before hitting a spinning Cradle Shock for the win. (***. A really solid match with good back and forth action. Casanova showed he can handle a big match with Fenix. I thought he worked very well in there and I’d be sold on seeing him in the main event picture for NEW. Of course, Fenix was enjoyable as he usually is.)

Fifth Contest: Adrenaline Rush (Daniel Evans & Keith Youngblood) & Ron Zombie vs. The Amazing Graysons (JP & Tommy) & “King” Brian Anthony: To his credit, Anthony is playing the king role 110% and is able to get great heel reaction with it. The Grayons and Anthony attack their opponents as they were posing on the middle rope. The heels get sent into each other in the middle of the ring. Anthony and the Graysons bail to the floor to regroup. Youngblood proceeds to dive over the top to the floor to take them out. Youngblood dropkicks JP and Evans enters to hit a double arm drag. Evans gets a two count after a splash by Youngblood. Evans tosses JP across the ring with a slam. Tommy gets tagged in but is met with a back elbow from Evans. Anthony drops Evans throat first over the top rope and allows JP to keep control by choking Evans. Anthony finally legally enters the match and comes off the middle rope to deliver a double axe handle. Anthony drives Evans down with a vertical suplex for a two count. Anthony continues to deliver strikes in the corner. Anthony comes off the middle rope with a dropkick for a two count.

Tommy tags in and stomps away on Evans in the corner. JP gets a few stomps in as well on Evans as the referee is distracted in the opposite corner. JP enters to hit a rolling neck snap and the heels hit three elbow drops off the ropes. Anthony goes for the cover but Zombie breaks up the cover attempt. Anthony hammers away on Evans in the corner with right hands. Evans drives Anthony back first into the corner. Youngblood gets the tag and cleans house with clotheslines and a spine buster on Tommy. Anthony drops Youngblood for a two count. Anthony hits a back suplex on Youngblood to keep control of the bout. Youngblood gets met with a knee lift to the gut by JP. Youngblood gets nailed with three kicks to the head in the corner. Youngblood goes for a cover but kicks out at two. Anthony stops Youngblood with a Codebreaker for a two count. Tommy gets tagged in and continues to work over Youngblood.

Youngblood drops both Graysons with a neckbreaker. Youngblood avoids a strike in the corner and Anthony gets knocked down. Zombie gets the hot tag and cleans house with a big boot and jabs. Zombie doesn’t even come close with a wild right, but Tommy still sells it. Zombie is playing to the crowd and the fans are eating it up. JP dives to the floor to avoid Zombie and Tommy gets clotheslined to the floor, too. Youngblood goes to the top rope and takes a group out with a crossbody to the floor. Zombie is distracted as Anthony gets in and Anthony gets backdropped over the top onto everyone. Zombie gets distracted by Kasey Catal, from the first match. Here comes Hale Collins and he misses a superkick, but Zombie sells that too. Anthony hits a top rope leg drop for the win. (*1/2. A rather sloppy match between these six guys and the involvement of Collins had a badly missed superkick. The victory for Anthony and his guys isn’t a shock by any means.) After the match, Zombie calls Kasey Catal a tramp.

Sixth Contest: Brian Milonas & Wrecking Ball Legursky vs. Brad Hollister & Josh Briggs: They remain in the ring and trade right hands. Milonas and Legursky send Briggs and Hollister to the floor by driving their bodies into them. All four men proceed to brawl on the floor for a few minutes. Hollister is working over Milonas while Briggs and Legursky brawl. Milonas tries to use a chair but Hollister stops him. Briggs continues to forearm Legursky on the floor. Hollister and Milonas enter the ring and we finally get the bell to start the match officially. Milonas hangs onto the ropes to avoid a suplex but Legursky splashes Hollister from behind. Legursky beats on Hollister with right hands on the mat. Legursky knee lifts Hollister and keeps him in his corner with Milonas. Hollister tries to fight out of the corner but is met with several strikes. Milonas sits on Hollister several times to keep control of the bout. Legursky enters and picks Hollister up with a bear hug. Hollister fights back with headbutts and tries to tag in Briggs. Hollister kicks Milonas away and here comes Briggs with strikes. Briggs runs the ropes avoiding clotheslines a few times. Briggs decides to hit a leaping clothesline to drop Milonas.

Briggs gets distracted by Jared, the manager of the heels, and shoves him off into the railing. Milonas takes advantage with a side slam for a two count. Legursky enters the match and beats on Briggs with a kick to the back. Milonas and Legursky deliver splashes in the corner to drop Briggs to the mat. Briggs fights back with forearms but runs into a big boot from Milonas. Milonas leg drops Briggs for a two count. Briggs gets knocked into the corner and tries to fight out with right hands. Briggs headbutts Milonas and tags in Hollister. Hollister comes out firing away and knocks Milonas down with a leaping clothesline after splashing Legursky in the corner. Hollister takes Milonas over with a German suplex and tries the same with Legursky. Legursky blocks the move with an elbow strikes. Briggs hits a top rope crossbody for a two count on Legursky after Hollister was sent to the floor. Legursky decks Briggs with a left hand but can’t hit a press slam. Briggs chokeslams Legursky but Milonas breaks up the cover. Briggs avoids a double splash in the corner. Hollister and Milonas crash to the floor. Briggs gets distracted by Jared, again. Briggs tosses his own powder into his eyes. Legursky is able to hit a swinging side slam for the win. (**1/4. I don’t mind the decision to have Legursky and Milonas go over, but they should just go over cleanly. It seems like NEW is investing heavily in both men and having one of them pin Briggs cleanly wouldn’t hurt anyone. Finishes shouldn’t be this hard. Hollister was impressive with his suplex offense on the big guys, too.)

Main Event: NEW Heavyweight Champion Flip Gordon vs. Penta El Zero M: They play to the crowd for a bit before Penta delivers a boot to the midsection. Penta avoids a handstand by kicking Gordon right on the ribs. Penta backs Gordon against the ropes and delivers a right hand to the face. Gordon avoids a kick while doing a handstand and head scissors Penta, but he lands on his feet. Penta tries a head scissors and Gordon lands on his feet, too. They begin to trade chops and strikes. Gordon forearms Penta after being kicked and sells his left leg. Penta stops Gordon with a superkick but Gordon superkicks Penta. Gordon dumps Penta to the floor and comes off the ropes hitting a suicide dive. Gordon continues to work over Penta with chops against the railing. Penta stops Gordon with a chop, but the champ comes back with strikes. Gordon rolls Penta into the ring and Gordon attempts a springboard but is met with a superkick in the ring. Penta comes off the ropes looking for a baseball slide. Gordon avoids it and plants Penta with a tornado DDT on the floor.

Gordon goes for the cover but only manages a two count. Gordon heads to the top rope trying for a moonsault but is met with a double boot to the face. Penta hits a Slingblade for a two count. Penta grabs the referee in the corner but cools off. Flip kicks free of Penta and attempts a stunner for settles for a springboard spear for a near fall. Gordon and Penta trade chops in the middle of the ring with neither man backing down. Penta stops a handspring attempt with a dropkick for a two count. Penta attempts a Package Pilediver but Gordon counters with a Samoan Pop and a standing shooting star press for a two count. Gordon goes to the top rope but Penta gets up and has Gordon on the apron. Penta staggers Flip with an overhand chop. They begin to trade chops on the apron. Penta attempts a Package Piledriver on the apron and hits the move!

Penta takes time to play to the crowd as Gordon is laid out on the floor. Penta goes under the ring and grabs a table. Penta sets up the table on the floor and kicks Gordon right in the face. Penta lays Gordon onto the table and Penta goes to the top rope. Gordon gets up and stops Penta with a right hand. Gordon kicks Penta off the top, on his second try, and Penta just happens to lay on the table. Gordon hits a 450 splash off the top onto Penta through the table!

Gordon is nearly rolled up by Penta with an inside cradle but kicks out at two. Penta tries for a Package Piledriver but Gordon breaks free and superkicks Penta. Gordon hits a springboard stunner for the win. (***1/2. Well, that was a great main event and the ideal way to end the show. Gordon gets a clean win over one of the biggest stars on the independents. I really enjoyed this match and they pulled off some good spots. Gordon might want to avoid doing that springboard kick off the top because he almost always falls off the first try. I’d pay to see these guys go at it again.)

Final Thoughts:
The main event delivered and the Casanova/Fenix match was good on the undercard. This was actually a show I wanted to attend live, but couldn’t make it. The event runs just over two hours and it might be considered a two match show, but I don’t feel like I wasted my time.

Thanks for reading.