Written by: Bob Colling
Northeast Wrestling presents Spring Slam Tour: Newburgh
Date: 5/26/2017
From: Newburgh NY
Opening Contest: NEW Tag Team Champions The Battle Brothers (Anthony & Chris) vs. The NOW (Hale Collins & Vik Dalishus): All four men will be in the ring at the same time, which I prefer in tag team cage matches. Collins and Vik get a few right hands to start the match and try to send the champs into the cage and do so on a second attempt. Vik delivers a running dropkick in the corner and Collins does as well in the opposite corner. Battle’s are sent face first into the cage a few times. Vik and Collins continue to dominate the match with leg drops and get near falls. Vik tries to catapult Chris into the cage, but Chris blocks it. Chris slams Collins off the top and onto Vik. Chris tosses Vik into the cage face first a few times. Anthony sends Collins face first into the cage and the champs have control of the cage match. Anthony has a zip tie and ties Vik to the cage! Collins is in the corner and is splashed by the Battle’s. Vik is trying to break free and referees are trying to help but are failing. Collins is met with a backbreaker/running knee strike by the champs. Collins blocks a double suplex attempt and kicks Anthony. Hale nails Chris with a kick to the head and tries to untie Vik, but is stopped by Anthony. Collins is worked over by rolling senton splashes but kicks out at two. Anthony comes off the ropes to knee lift Collins.
Battle’s lift Collins into the air and drive him back first into the cage. Chris goes to the top rope but misses a moonsault! Collins backdrops Anthony into the cage in the corner! A referee has pliers and eventually breaks Vik free. Vik cleans house with clotheslines and a power slam on Anthony. Vik plants Chris with a spine buster. Anthony nearly pins Vik with a rollup from behind. Anthony drops Vik with a bicycle kick to the face. Collins misses a super kick and Chris hits a cross body. Vik punches Anthony on the top rope and they trade strikes. Vik takes Anthony off the top with an incredible hurricanrana! Collins slams Chris off the top to the mat. Vik hits a twisting senton onto Chris. Collins is on the top of the cage and delivers a picture perfect elbow on Chris for the win! (***1/2. This was a great cage match and they did a great job with high spots. What a great way to start the show and both teams looked great. This is by far the best match I’ve seen the Now done. Collins hitting that elbow was great and Vik performed moves I was expecting him to deliver. Great start.)
Second Contest: JT Dunn vs. Vinny Marseglia: Dunn goes for a quick rollup managing only a one count. Vinny backs Dunn into a corner and is forced to break away by the referee. Dunn shoulder blocks Vinny and runs the ropes avoiding a leapfrog. Vinny delivers a boot to the midsection to stop Dunn. Dunn attempts an ace crusher and sends Vinny to the floor. Dunn goes to the apron and goes for a kick but Vinny blocks it and trips Dunn sending him face first onto the apron. Vinny has Dunn on his shoulders and walks onto the ring steps but Dunn breaks free. Vinny leaps off the steps and lands onto the guard railing as Dunn avoids Vinny. Dunn works over Vinny with chops on the floor. Dunn misses a spinning heel kick and hits the guard railing back first. Vinny nails Dunn with a running forearm against the railing. Dunn stops Vinny with a forearm shot of his own. Dunn goes to the top rope but Vinny rolls off a table at ringside. Dunn super kicks Vinny from the apron and Vinny lays over the guard railing. Dunn leaps off the apron to leg drop Vinny over the railing! Dunn goes for a cover back in the ring but Vinny kicks out at two. Dunn continues to work over Vinny with chops in the corner. Vinny drops Dunn face first onto the ring steps and back first into the guard railing to get control of the match. Vinny delivers a few running forearms in the corner. Vinny slams Dunn to the canvas.
Vinny crawls on the canvas as Dunn struggles to get to his feet. Dunn goes for a rolling ace crusher but Vinny blocks it. Vinny connects with a tilt a whirl side Russian leg sweep for a two count. Vinny rolls to the floor and tosses the timekeeper down. Vinny has a chair and slides it into the ring. Vinny grabs the chair as Dunn staggers to his feet. The referee grabs the chair and Dunn nearly wins following a rolling ace crusher! Dunn heads to the top rope but Vinny shoves the referee into the ropes to crotch Dunn on the top rope. Vinny has Dunn for a superplex but Dunn crotches Vinny and now Vinny is upside down. Dunn connects with a double stomp but Vinny kicks out at two. Dunn gets the crowd behind him and attempts an elbow strike but is met with a boot to the face. Vinny hits a top rope swanton and wins the match. (**1/2. A decent match that was going to have a tough time following the cage match. The more I watch Dunn the more I become a fan of his work.)
Third Contest: Wrecking Ball Legursky vs. Keith Youngblood: Youngblood uses his speed to avoid Legursky early on and delivers a kick to the legs a few times. Legursky gets stopped with a jaw breaker but nails Youngblood with a clothesline. Legursky works over Youngblood with strikes in the corner. Legursky sends Youngblood hard back first into the corner and Youngblood struggles to get to his feet. Legursky hip tosses Youngblood after Youngblood tried to fight back with strikes to the midsection. Legursky is getting a positive reaction despite being a heel. Legursky misses a splash in the corner but hits his press slam turned into a power slam for the win. (DUD. It’s not that it was bad, but rather that it was just a squash match. It serves its purpose to get Legursky over and I’m inclined to think Legursky has bigger things ahead for himself.) After the match, Legursky drives Youngblood down to the mat with another slam. The Graysons come out and try to help but they get destroyed with a clothesline. Legursky tosses them around the ring. Legursky splashes both Graysons in the corner. He picks both men up and hits a double power slam. Legursky is getting over similar to how Braun is in WWE. Another man, who is a similar size comes out, but Legursky takes him out too. Wait a minute, here comes Booker T. Booker has a microphone, which doesn’t want to work at first. Booker tells a story about dealing with a bully. Booker says a bully is nothing more than a coward and if you hit them once they will runaway. Booker is going to hit the bully in the mouth. Booker gives his Hall of Fame ring to a kid in the front row and gives the kid his cellphone and watch. Booker gives the kid the microphone and puts a larger ring on his punching hand. Legursky is ready for Booker and Booker enters the ring causing Legursky to bail to the floor.
Fourth Contest: Mandy Leon vs. Deonna Purrazzo: As I usually do, this won’t get a full recap. Deonna is considered a hot prospect for women’s wrestling. Mandy Leon is someone I’m not really aware of. All I know is that Leon is always on the ROH meet and greets and there’s hardly anyone ever interaction with her. It’s a rather awkward sighting. Of course, the announcer feels the need to hype her up as having long lines during meet and greets. They got five minutes of in-ring time, maybe even less than that. Deonna avoids a clothesline and pins Leon following a neck breaker. After the match, they embrace to show respect.
Fifth Contest: Donovan Dijak vs. Jack Swagger: Dijak decides to stall on the apron after Swagger did his “We The People” taunt. Dijak kicks Swagger while against the ropes and gets the cheap advantage. Dijak comes off the ropes with a shoulder block and taunts the fans. Swagger attempts a hip toss but Dijak counters. Swagger comes off the ropes and shoulder blocks Dijak sending him to the floor. Swagger continues to play to the crowd. Swagger follows to the floor and hammers away on Dijak some more. Dijak drops Swagger throat first over the top rope and works over Swagger with stomps. Swagger comes back with a belly to belly suplex. Dijak backdrops Swagger over the top to the floor and Swagger seems to have literally smashed his elbow on the floor. Dijak stomps Swagger and kicks him to the floor. Swagger returns to the ring and hammers away on Dijak. Swagger nails Dijak with a chop block to knock Dijak to the canvas. Dijak super kicks Swagger and gets a two count. Dijak pummels Swagger with right hands and manages a two count on the cover. Swagger works over Dijak with several back elbow strikes. Dijack sends Swagger chest first into the corner but misses a splash. Swagger comes back with a few clotheslines in the corner followed by a power slam. Swagger runs the ropes and eventually turns Dijak inside out with a clothesline. Swagger plays to the crowd and looks for the Swagger Bomb. Dijak gets up and counters with a sit out power bomb for a near fall. Dijak attempts a choke slam but Swagger counters and puts the ankle lock on. Dijak reaches for the ropes and breaks the hold. Swagger hits the Swagger Bomb on a second attempt and nearly gets a three count. Swagger works over Dijak in the corner with right hands but runs into a big boot. Dijak delivers a forearm strike and a spinning kick. Swagger powers out of the cover attempt at two. Dijak misses a top rope moonsault and Swagger gets the ankle lock on him. Dijak taps out. (**. I don’t know, this was okay but not overly great. Dijak didn’t come across like a viable opponent to Swagger. I know Swagger is a recently released WWE talent, but I find myself annoyed with him going over independent wrestlers who are far better and far more successful than him.)
Sixth Contest: Brad Hollister vs. Bill Carr: Carr shoves Hollister into a corner and plays to the crowd. Carr gets out of a go-behind by using his backside to send Hollister to the floor. Hollister tries to shoulder block Carr, but can’t make Carr budge. Carr comes off the ropes with a shoulder block and tells Hollister that it never works. Hollister runs the ropes and slaps Carr. Carr tosses Hollister into the corner and delivers several strikes. Carr scoop slams Hollister and goes to the apron to hit a slingshot senton back into the ring. Hollister goes to the floor but Carr brings him back into the ring. Hollister kicks the middle rope to stop Carr and follows up with a German suplex. Hollister delivers a sliding uppercut in the corner and a running uppercut to drop Carr while in the seated position. Carr throat thrusts Hollister but is met with a knee strike. Hollister tosses Carr with another German suplex. Hollister continues to work over Carr with a standing senton for a two count. Carr rams Hollister into the corner to break free from a headlock but misses a splash. Hollister misses a middle rope senton splash. Carr drops Hollister with a few shoulder blocks and a spinning head scissors sending Hollister to the floor. Carr goes for a dive to the floor but Hollister moves and Carr has to stop. Hollister sends Carr into the ring post face first and hits a suplex on the floor. Hollister rolls Carr into the ring and gets a two count. Hollister nails Carr with an uppercut but Carr plants Hollister with a spinning side slam for a near fall. Carr nearly collides with the referee but is met with a low blow and Hollister nearly wins with a rollup. Hollister argues with the referee but goes back to on Carr. Carr hits the Canadian Destroyer on Hollister and wins the match. (*1/2. I like Bill Carr but this match fell flat for me. There wasn’t much substance here.)
Main Event: NEW Heavyweight Champion Cody Rhodes vs. Adam Cole: Early on, they both position for control countering each other and having a standoff. They continue to quickly counter each other and it leads to another standoff. Rhodes wants to do a too sweet but Cole slaps the hand away. Rhodes uppercuts Cole and sends Cole into the ropes but Cole bails to the floor to regroup. Cole clears off a table at ringside and just slams his hands on it out of frustration. Cole shoulder blocks Rhodes and blows snot onto Rhodes. Cole arm drags Rhodes after avoiding a clothesline. Rhodes avoids a super kick and makes it to the ropes. Cole wants to do a too sweet this time and does it with the referee. Rhodes puts his hand in the air and they do a too sweet. Cole suckers Rhodes in and delivers a low blow. Cole stomps away on Rhodes in the corner and plays to the crowd. Rhodes fights his way out of the corner with right hands but Cole delivers a knee lift. Cole backdrops Rhodes to the apron but Cody delivers a strike and goes to the top rope. Cole knocks Cody off the top to the floor and Cody lands on the plastic table, which doesn’t break. Cody is able to get back in the ring but rolls right into a shining wizard, which gets Cole a two count. Cole connects with a snap suplex for a two count.
Cole runs the ropes and settles for putting a sleeper hold on Cody. Cole sends Rhodes hard back first into the corner to keep control of the match. Cole sends Cody chest first into the corner and plays to the crowd. Cody avoids Cole in the corner but Cole nails Rhodes with a kick. Cody comes off the ropes with a Disaster Kick and both men are laid out. Rhodes nails Cole with running forearms and a snap power slam. Cody holds Cole’s legs in the air and kicks him in the groin leading to a near fall. Rhodes attempts a double leg slam but Cole counters with a rollup. Cole kicks Rhodes to the mat and nearly wins with a shining wizard. Cole drops Rhodes across his knee neck first and nearly wins the match. Cole waits in the corner and looks to deliver a super kick but Rhodes blocks it. Cody kicks Cole away and avoids a shining wizard. Rhodes locks in a figure four right in the middle of the ring. Rhodes gets slapped by Cole to break the hold. Cole goes for a super kick and accidentally hits the referee. Cody hits a double leg slam and has the cover but the referee has been knocked out. Cole rolls to the floor while Cody tries to wake up the referee. Cole has the championship and waits for Rhodes to turnaround. Cole nails Rhodes with the title and drops Rhodes over his knee again. Cole has the cover but Cody pops his shoulder up at the count of two. Cole grabs the championship again and sats he’s better than Cody. The referee prevents Cole from using the championship. Cody delivers a low blow and hits Cross Rhodes for a near fall!
They are both on their knees trading forearm strikes. They get to their feet and continue to trade right hands. Cody kicks Cole and goes for a Disaster Kick but is met with a super kick. Cole delivers another shining wizard and hits Rhodes with Cross Rhodes, but Cody kicks out at two! Cole goes to the middle rope and attempts a Canadian Destroyer but Rhodes rolls through. Cole nails Rhodes with a kick to the chest. Cole misses a super kick and Rhodes plants Cole with the Cross Rhodes for the win. (***. I thought it was an entertaining match even if they did the usual false finishes after finishing moves constantly. They told a story around the shining wizard and Cody cheating to combat Cole’s efforts to cheat in order to retain the championship. The crowd ate it up and I liked it.)
Final Thoughts:
The run-time is less than two hours and I felt like this was a good show overall. Starts off with a really good cage match, has decent action in the middle, and finishes with a solid main event. Recommended show.
Thanks for reading.