Match #1: Bryan Turner vs. AM Vision — 7/6/2005 USWO Late Night TV
Reason For Reviewing: This is the first time I’m reviewing something involving the man, the myth, and the legend Bryan Turner (the man behind the YT channel). I’ve been wanting to watch Turner’s tag team Booty Call, but I haven’t picked which ones yet to checkout, so I figured I’d start with a singles match. AM Vision was impressive in the street fight I watched previously and thus I’m watching some more of his matches.
Vision goes after Turner with stomps in the corner to kickoff the match. Vision continues with a series of strikes against the ropes. Turner stops Vision with a spin kick and knocks Vision to the floor. Turner backdrops Vision in the ring leading to a near fall. Turner chops Vision followed by a leaping elbow strike for a two count. Vision backdrops Turner to the apron, but Turner yanks Vision to the mat. Vision yanks Turner off the apron and Turner hits the apron face first. Vision steps on Turner before breaking the ten count. Vision delivers a boot to the head and they return to the ring where Vision gets a two count. Vision takes Turner over with a snap suplex for a near fall. Vision delivers a leg drop for a near fall. Vision continues with a knee drop. Turner comes off the ropes to hit a sunset flip for a two count, but Vision regains control with a quick clothesline and puts a sleeper on Turner. Turner elbows free and runs the ropes before being met with a standing dropkick. Vision taunts the fans before getting a two count. Vision chokes Turner over the middle rope and splashes onto Turner’s back for a near fall. Vision tries for a slam, but Turner counters with a reverse DDT.
Turner goes to the middle rope, but Vision dropkicks Turner off the ropes to the floor. Vision drops Turner over the top rope and delivers a leg drop on the apron. Vision returns to the ring seemingly fine with a count out victory, but Turner gets on the apron and is knocked to the floor with a knee lift. Vision clubs Turner over the back followed by an elbow drop for a two count. Vision tries for a slam, but Turner counters with a DDT. Turner and Vision trade right hands with Turner getting the advantage. Turner hits a tilt a whirl head scissors and a running forearm smash. Turner plants Vision with a flapjack, but runs into a boot in the corner. Vision sunset flips Turner and gets a rollup on Turner with his feet on the ropes to win the match. Turner isn’t happy with this and gets a microphone. Turner wants a rematch next week, and Turner decks Vision to the floor to conclude the segment. (***. An enjoyable match with both guys using fun offense. Turner’s babyface comeback was good and compelling. The crowd didn’t seem overly into the match, but context is probably important and who knows what had happened during the show before this point. It sure would have been awkward if Turner wasn’t good, but luckily he’s a solid in-ring worker. Vision is someone I’ll continue to checkout, as well.)
Match #2: USWO Heavyweight Champion Chase Stevens vs. Jerry Lynn vs. Rick Santel vs. Marc Anthony — 7/31/2009 USWO Late Night TV — 15 Minute Time Limit, Last Person To Earn A Pin Fall Or Submission Is Champion
Reason For Reviewing: Jerry Lynn is the best. Chase Stevens has put on some great singles performances with Chris Michaels. Rick Santel became running joke on the TNA Cross The Line Podcast and actually seeing him compete in matches has been a treat to witness it. I’m not familiar with Marc Anthony.
Stevens and Anthony start the match brawling on the floor while Lynn trades strikes with Santel inside the ring. Lynn gets the advantage until Santel cuts Lynn off. Santel pummels Lynn with strikes while Stevens is beating on Anthony around ringside. Lynn eye rakes Santel and stomps on Santel in the corner. Lynn forearms Santel before sending Santel across the ring, but misses a splash. Santel sends Lynn into the corner hard back first. Stevens continues to deck Anthony on the floor while avoiding strikes. Back from a commercial, Lynn pulls Santel to the floor and rams Santel onto the apron. In the ring, Stevens avoids strikes by Anthony. Stevens punches Anthony into the ropes and along with Lynn double dropkicks Anthony to the floor. Lynn gets a rollup on Stevens for a two count and they have a standoff. Stevens shoulder blocks Lynn and is met with a hip toss. Lynn shoulder blocks Stevens and runs the ropes, but Stevens hip tosses Lynn. Santel and Anthony collide and Santel is decked to the floor. Stevens almost rolls Lynn up. Lynn kicks Stevens and gets a rollup out of the corner to get a three count on Stevens. Lynn currently holds the championship in the fifteen minute time limit.
Stevens tries for a rollup on Lynn, but Lynn reaches the ropes. Lynn avoids a TKO, but Stevens avoids a cradle piledriver to hit the TKO and nearly wins, but Santel breaks the cover. Santel sends Stevens into Anthony in the corner. Santel works over Lynn while Anthony chokes Stevens in the corner. Santel gets a rollup on Lynn and manages to get a three count while holding the ropes. Santel is currently the champion.
Anthony shoves Santel and is decked several times by Santel. Anthony hits a Samoan Drop, but Stevens tosses Anthony to the floor and covers Santel to get a three count. Stevens is the champion once again. Lynn tries for a rollup, but Stevens holds the ropes and sends Lynn to the floor. Stevens baseball slides Santel off the apron to the floor. Stevens grabs Anthony, but Anthony drops Stevens over the top rope throat first. Lynn tries to sneak a cover, but Anthony stops Lynn and chokes Stevens on the mat. Santel chokes Lynn on the apron. Anthony headbutts and clotheslines Stevens for a two count. Santel works over Lynn on the floor with a few kicks to the ribs. Santel chokes Stevens on the mat while Anthony works over Lynn in the corner. Stevens mule kicks Anthony into the corner, but Anthony conitnues to work over Lynn. Santel delivers a standing fist drop to Stevens and puts a sleeper on Stevens. Stevens plants Santel with a back suplex to break free from the sleeper. There is five minutes remaining in the match.
Anthony tries to cover Stevens, but Santel breaks the cover. Santel stomps Stevens on the mat several times. Anthony kicks Santel followed by a strike to the back. Santel tries to cover Stevens, but Anthony breaks the cover. Anthony tries to cover Stevens, but Santel stops it. Anthony and Santel shove each other as Lynn tries to sneak a pin, but they stop the cover as the show goes to another commercial.
Lynn fights back with strikes, but Anthony decks Lynn and delivers an eye rake. Santel strikes Anthony from behind and Stevens backdrops Anthony over the top to the floor. Stevens strikes Santel over the back and clotheslines Lynn when Santel ducks. Santel strikes Stevens and hits an exploder suplex. Stevens kicks Santel followed by a running boot. Santel plants Stevens with a TKO for a two count. Lynn gets a rollup on Santel for a near fall. Lynn spikes Santel with the cradle piledriver, but Anthony tosses Lynn to the floor. Anthony covers and pins Santel. Anthony is currently the champion.
Anthony plants Stevens with a DDT. Lynn heads to the top rope and hits a crossbody for a three count. Lynn is currently the champion once again. Lynn and Stevens trade strikes from their knees as there’s one minute left in the match. Lynn kicks Stevens and tries for a sunset flip, but Stevens counters. They trade a few pin attempts. Stevens backslides Lynn for a two count. Lynn nails Stevens with a clothesline. Stevens hits a TKO on Lynn, but can’t make the cover and the time runs out. Jerry Lynn has won the USWO Heavyweight Championship. (**1/2. I don’t hate the stipulation and it added a level of drama that it probably wouldn’t have without it. Stevens and Lynn were the main focus in the match and I think this logically sets up a singles match between the two of them. Anthony didn’t seem to get much shine. I thought Santel might have stolen the match when he was laying on the apron for an extended period of time, but he just sold the cradle piledriver as a lethal finisher, as he should. A fun TV match and it’s always great when Jerry Lynn wins the top title for a promotion.)
Match #3: Tracy Smothers vs. Ron Killings vs. Doug Gilbert — SCW 4/16/2005
Reason For Reviewing: I love Tracy Smothers and this triple threat match came across as a unique bout to put together. Ron Killings is still a fixture in TNA, as well. Gilbert was the surprise third man for the match and it’s for the Southern Championship, which I think is vacant.
Gilbert and Killings deck Smothers to start the match and deliver a double back elbow. Smothers is double clotheslined over the top to the floor. Killings and Gilbert trade strikes with Gilbert ramming Killings into the corner. Killings hip tosses Gilbert, but Smothers returns to deck Killings from behind and knocks Gilbert to the floor. Smothers forearms Killings followed by strikes to the body. Smothers kicks Gilbert on the floor. Killings hits a flying forearm smash, but Smothers eye rakes Killings followed by a knee lift. Killings hits a flatliner on Smothers for a two count. Gilbert nails Killings with the timekeepers hammer over the back. Gilbert strikes Killings on the throat and nails Smothers to the floor. Gilbert presses the hammer into Killing’s eye. Smothers chokes Gilbert with a chain and tosses Gilbert to the floor. Smothers chokes Killings with the chain before going to the floor. Gilbert sends Smothers shoulder first into the post. Gilbert chokes Smothers with the chain. Smothers eye rakes Gilbert and grabs the chain. Smothers sends Gilbert into the ring post. Killings takes both men out with a dive to the floor!
Smothers sends Killings into the guard railing and rolls Gilbert into the ring. Smothers works over Gilbert in the corner with several strikes. Smothers runs into a superkick in the corner. Gilbert tries for a cover, but Smothers kicks out at two. Gilbert chokes Smothers with wrist tape, but Smothers low blows Gilbert. Smothers taunts the crowd. Killings strikes Smothers a few times and nails Smothers with a heel kick. Gilbert covers Smothers for a two count. Smothers eye rakes Killings and is met with an atomic drop and clothesline by Gilbert for a near fall. Smothers backs Killings into a corner and strikes Gilbert into the corner. Killings nails Smothers with another heel kick and Gilbert tries to steal the cover, but Killings breaks the cover. Gilbert strikes Smothers and Killings scissors kick Smothers. Gilbert covers Smothers and wins the title. (*. Certainly not all that good. The flow of the match felt slow and plodding in several spots. I shouldn’t be surprised, though. This is around the time that Smothers had been having a good indie run with younger talent in various Northeast promotions. Smothers worked the more Southern style here and it didn’t connect all that much with me. Killings looked fine, but wasn’t a main focus of the match. There was a lengthy segment after the match where Smothers cut a heel promo and it set a tag match where Smothers is teaming with Terry Funk, which is probably the point of this to begin with.)
Match #4: Air Paris vs. Chris Michaels — NWA Wrestling 10/30/1999
Reason For Reviewing: Air Paris is a ridiculously underrated and under appreciated wrestler that never seemed to get that big break once WCW folded. Chris Michaels is a veteran of the area and is more than capable of putting together a strong match.
Michaels kicks Paris and follows up with a few strikes. Michaels rams Paris head first into the corner and misses a clothesline. Paris kicks Michaels and tries for a leapfrog, but doesn’t get over. Paris blocks a suplex to hit a snap suplex and dropkicks Michaels. Paris clotheslines Michaels over the top to the floor. Paris waits in the ring as Michaels complains on the floor. Michaels returns to the ring and Paris gets the crowd behind him. Paris backs Michaels into a corner and delivers a shoulder ram a few times. Paris pummels Michaels with right hands, but Michaels plants Paris with a sit down powerbomb. Michaels chokes Paris on the mat. Michaels catapults Paris into the bottom rope throat first. Michaels stomps Paris on the mat several times. Michaels sends Paris upside down into the corner and delivers a dropkick to Paris, who was stuck in a tree of woe. Michaels hits a jackhammer and taunts the crowd before choking Paris. Michaels covers Paris, but only manages a two count. Michaels misses a clothesline and Paris hits a crossbody off the ropes for a near fall. Michaels decks Paris with a clothesline. Michaels delivers a leg drop out of the corner and covers for a two count. Michaels keeps Paris on the mat with a sleeper hold. Paris isn’t going to give up, though. Paris gets to his feet and punches free from Michaels. Michaels yanks Paris down to the mat by his hair. Michaels goes to the top rope, but is crotched by Paris. Paris hits a top rope superplex and both men are down in the middle of the ring.
Michaels ducks a crossbody attempt and Paris dives over the top to the floor. Michaels strikes Paris on the floor and chokes Paris briefly. Michaels rolls Paris into the ring to continue the match. Michaels scoop slams Paris and heads to the top rope. Michaels leaps off, but is met with a boot to the face. Paris slowly makes the cover, but Michaels kicks out at two. Paris snapmares Michaels and goes to the top rope again. Paris leaps off the top to splash Michaels for a two count. Paris sends Michaels into the corner and runs into a boot. Michaels hooks Paris for a suplex, but Paris counters with an inside cradle for a near fall. Michaels stomps Paris on the mat. Michaels powerslams Paris coming off the ropes for a two count. Michaels puts a chin lock on Paris, but Paris doesn’t submit. Michaels splashes onto Paris back to keep control of the match. Michaels misses a clothesline and Paris plants Michaels with a DDT. Paris superkicks Michaels and covers for a two count. Paris strikes Michaels a few times, but Michaels cuts Paris off with a strike. Michaels sends Paris into the corner and hits a flying forearm smash. Michaels chokes Paris on the mat and goes to the floor to grab a steel chair. Michaels misses a chair shot and Paris almost wins with a rollup. Michaels plants Paris with a back suplex. Michaels proceeds to smash Paris over the head with a chair shot. Michaels delivers another chair shot over the head. Michaels hits Paris a third time and has obviously been disqualified. (**. A decent match, but I expected a little more from these two. The action wasn’t boring by any means, and Paris looked good in his moments of shine. The chair shots were vicious looking, but Paris didn’t seem to sell the first two for whatever reason.)
That wraps up volume eight. Go checkout Bryan’s YT channel and if you have any suggestions or requests let me know!
Thanks for reading.