Another first for me last night as I continued to educate myself in the realm of independent pro wrestling as I attended the Wrestling Superstars Unleashed show in Deer Park, Long Island. I have to admit. My realm of knowledge of live independent wrestling, (not counting ROH), consists of two shows, and one of them was just plain God awful. So, my expectations as I walked in to the Deer Park Community Center were not very high.
I was blown away. I can't say it any more than that. The show was very entertaining. Even the ring announcer, party host, El Shoes, was very fun to listen to, although at times, a bit inaudible, (which is why I had to delay this review, I wanted to make sure I got all the names of the talents right.) Also, let's say this right off the bat. Any man that can wear what El Shoes wore all night for his ensemble, well, that's a man I am going to tip my cap to, because that takes an awful lot of guts.
Match #1 saw one man I am familiar with, Azriael face off with Monsta Mac. Azriael tried to play the heel in the match, and eventually succeeded. Monsta Mac, first time I saw him ever, he's a big boy. A real big boy. After some fan bantering, and there was a lot of fan interaction in the show, (I would say 200 people attended as a high estimate), a slap fest ensues with the big boy and Azriael. Azriael loses that in a big way with a sick one arm throw, and if memory serves, Mac grabbed Azriael by the throat when he threw him nearly across the ring. Azriael regained control and hit a sick sounding enziguiri in the corner to the back of Mac's head. There were a lot of sick sounding spots during the entire show. This was just the beginning.
Azriael showed his acrobatic ability with some nice combinations, including a chop, tumble to the other side of the ring, followed by a running drop kick to Mac while he was in the corner turnbuckles. Another very impressive combo by Azriael featured three spine kicks, all sounding sicker as they went down, then he rolled to the other side of the ring, and drop kicked Mac in the head. (There is a pattern here, I think.) Mac got some nice momentum back with a tremendous overhead throw of Azriael in to the turnbuckles. I thought he may have literally "broke" Azriael in half.
As Mac regained momentum, he hit a tremendous looking running powerslam for a two count. Mac tried to go for a last ride, but Azriael managed to counter the move in to a hurricanrana and a two count. The momentum was short lived as Mac used his power and hit a clothesline on Azriael that flipped him 360 degrees. That has to hurt, and hurt something awful.
The finish of the match was a senton bomb attempt from the ropes by Mac, which was missed, and then, in Low Ki fashion, Azriael hit a double stomp to the back of Mac's head from the top rope to obtain the victory. It was extremely fun to watch, and the crowd was pretty hot for the whole match.
Match #2 saw the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels take on the Christopher Street Connection. The DRS promoed putting down the CSC but their promo was short lived as the Connection's music interrupted them mid speech. The CSC drove the DRS nuts with their typical banter and antics, (I'm going to leave it at that, because anything further may not make this column website friendly.) It wasn't that bad, but I don't want to take it to "that" level. Both teams played to the crowd for a long time.
Small side note, that seemed to be one flaw with the show that I can mention, a lot of playing, almost too much playing to the crowd in the beginning of the matches. Another match saw that happen in a big big way, and I'll mention that later on down the line. A SMALL critique for an overall very pleasant show, but I thought it necessary to mention.
The CSC is a very experienced unit, and they showed it hitting a back drop on the DRS where one team member fell in to another. (Truth be told, as well, as I write this, I don't know the names of the members of both teams. I'm sorry, I'm just not knowledgable on the names of each member. Doesn't take away one thing from the match being fun to watch, but it will take a little bit away from this attempted review.)
CSC continued their early dominance of the Scoundrels by clotheslining both men over the top rope. Momentum did change with a very precise neckbreaker by the DRS, and then things got intense with a double team maneuver of a spine buster/neck breaker combo by the Scoundrels.
A Chris Benoit moment then took place as the DRS tried a top rope headbutt but missed. Then the antics of the CSC returned, and the poppers they used to fire confetti at the beginning of the match came in to play to the back of the head, but the ref was still distracted, and only a two count was the result. The Christopher Street Connection finally won the match as Buff-E pinned EC Negro with a cradle. The match was more comedy than sick spots, but the entire product was very enjoyable none the less.
The trio of Havoc, Bison Bravado, and Joe So Delicious hit the ring next and issued an open challenge after Havoc claimed he was being held back by the company. The MOB entered the ring to accept the challenge, and a pier six brawl ensued for a good portion of the beginning of the match. It was too much to try and call for this review, so let me say this. Two out of the three men during this match, especially Mac Daddy Flexxx, big, big, big boys. Very impressive condition.
Joe So Delicious got a double team back drop move hit on him by the MOB that looked sick and twisted. Havoc though tried to change the momentum with a nice looking F5. (Again, I wasn't familiar with the names of the MOB when I wrote my notes, so if they're not accurate, just know I tried.)
The action was all over the place for the majority of this match, and difficult to write down without losing something. Delicious took a very painful sounding suplex on the floor right in front of me, and the thud of JSD's body hitting the floor reminded me and my buddy of the thud Diablo Santiago took back in Feb, 2005 back in Bethpage, Long Island. But, I digress.
The win for the MOB was when Flexxx grabbed Delicious and hit a tremendous X Factor from the top rope. I thought the ring may have folded in two from the impact. Ball game.
El Shoes gets a phone call mid show. Like I said, anyone who can walk the walk like the Shoes, it's cool by me.
Women's division match, Alicia vs. Amber. First off, I am impressed by Alicia being here, because I remember reading she was involved in a pretty serious car accident. I saw pictures of her SUV. Ouch. Amber was very attractive, and Alicia was, impressive. Let's just leave it at that. (Wow.) I wish you guys could see my face as I type this.
A slap exchange ensued at the beginning of this match, with a clothesline by Amber being the end result. Alicia was very vocal during this match, and it was bordering on making my ears bleed. But more on that later. Amber hit a neckbreaker and a hair pull that Alicia suffered from pretty good as a result of the screams she was emitting. The momentum was not too long for Amber as Alicia regained it with an absolutely devastating snap mare, drop kick to the back of the head combination. Alicia tried three pin falls after that move, and none of them got the job done. Amber tried a sunset flip, and I honestly thought the match was over when Alicia just sat down. (If you've seen her live, then you understand why I thought the match was over here.)
It wasn't. Twp count. Amber got the momentum back with a nice enziguri, and a 2nd rope modified X Factor style move for a two count. Alicia managed to spring off a nice lariat for a two count as the momentum swung from combatant to combatant. A 2nd rope bulldog by Amber was very well done for a two count on Alicia. Alicia regained the upper hand with a big boot to the head in the corner on Amber.
Alicia got the win hitting what appeared to be a Michinoku Driver. She then took the mike and promoted her upcoming match on July 14th vs. Becky Bayless. Ms. Bayless is in trouble, me thinks. Her voice continued to make my buddy and my ears bleed. But she was fun to listen to, because she had a comeback for every fan's attempt verbal parry.
Alicia introduced the next team to come out, Notorious, Incorporated of Devon Moore and Dru Blood. Their opponents were Ruckus and Sabian from BLK OUT. Sabian got the early momentum advantage with a nice head scissors on Blood, and that move is double impressive because both Sabian and Ruckus aren't small fries by any sense of the word. A tremendous display of acrobatics by Moore and Ruckus got some well deserved respect from the crowd. Ruckus regained the momentum with a tremendous twisting plancha on Devon Moore, taking the action to the outside by the ramp.
That was topped, as Sabian hit an over the top rope plancha taking out everybody. The majority of this match saw a lot of double teams by BLK OUT, and Notorious, Inc. taking a beating. I wish I could say that I was able to write more spots down, but Alicia was distracting me with her antics at ringside. Moore got some momentum back later on during the match with a shot to the head in the corner for a two count, and a good looking moonsault for another two count.
Moore then did an RVD style split legged moonsault on Ruckus for another two count. Nice spots during this match. BLK OUT got the upper hand back with an absolutely amazing double team combo move. It was an elevated clothesline in to a giant swing, and when the timing was right, a drop kick to the head. Absolutely intense.
N.I. regained control and hit a very tough double piledriver for a two count. Alicia finally got involved in the match instead of bantering with the crowd and had Sabian distracted while Moore hit a shooting star press for the three count on Ruckus, giving Notorious, Inc. the win.
Intermission time, with Alicia, Amber, and BLK OUT out for autographs. I picked up a JAPW DVD and a TNA house show DVD. My library continues to grow.. Mwahahahahahahaha.
Next match for the show was Nick Noshus vs. Damian Dragon. Noshus pissed off the fans by spitting water in someone's face. Nice way to get some crowd heat, but I thought this guy was going to jump the rail. After some back and forth action to start the match, Noshus hit an enziguri on Dragon while Dragon's head was on the apron of the ring, and Noshus was on the floor. Very creative. A nice neckbreaker by Noshus on Dragon also was tough to endure for the competitors.
Noshus hit an absolutely perfect looking tilt o whirl backbreaker on Dragon for a two count, and a powerbomb for another two. Dragon got a crucifix pinning combination on Noshus for a two count, but he went to the well once too often, as the 2nd attempt was converted in to a black hole slam type move by Noshus for another two count. Dragon reveresed a super plex and hit an amazing looking top rope elbow for a two count. My buddy thought Dragon's elevation hit nearly 10 feet in the air.
A fisherman's suplex by Dragon got another two count. Dragon then tried sliced bread #2 and it was countered by a low blow. A cradle with the feet on the ropes got a three count for Nick Noshus and the victory. Noshus decided to try and take some more out of Dragon after the match, but Dragon got the better of him, finally hitting the sliced bread #2, and leaving Noshus laying as he left the ring, to the utter dismay of the ladies in front of my buddy and I.
Next up was a battle between All Star Lou and Juan Myles. The beginning saw some very skilled acrobatic exchanges by both men exchanging arm drags. Lou hit a suplex to the ropes on Myles, and a plancha to the outside when Myles fell out side the ring. Another sick thump, as it appeared Lou missed the plancha. (According to the crowd.)
Myles hit a spinning kick to the head on Lou. Next thing I know, the former WSU Champion Xavier comes in, and bluntly, destroys both men. He turned Lou into a pile of goo in the middle of the ring, and takes Myles, and throws him around the ring for a good five minutes. He then promotes about July 14th, and his desire to get the WSU title back from the Human Tornado. He challenges anyone from TNA, WSU, WWE, anyone, to prove why he is the all around best. I would've liked to see him compete, but his work destroying these two cruisers was just plain devastating.
How intense? I couldn't write it down. It was too intense not to watch.
Next match got a lot of crowd response as Vito and Sal Thomaselli of the Iron Saints met Jose and Joel Maximo of the SAT's. The fan banter was excessive during this match, but the Saints did zip to make themselves fan favorites, as they ripped up a fan's sign during the introductions. I felt a little bad for those fans, because they had the sign autographed earlier in the show. After the fan banter finally ceased, the Saints took the beginning punishment suffering a double team submission maneuver that was so unique to me, I couldn't call it. It was a boston crab camel clutch move on both Thomasellis by both members of the SAT. The Saints then got drop kicked to the outside, and the mandatory plancha over the top was well done by Joel Maximo.
Jose then began to take an awful lot of punishment during the match, as he was the target of the Saints offense. A high low manevuer took Joel down, and then a senton bomb in the corner by Vito was very well done. A leg sweep in to the barrier on the outside of the ring looked very painful on Jose by Vito Thomaselli. A nasty sounding chop festival ensued on Jose for a two count.
The SATs finally got some momentum back, but it was short lived as Sal put his knees up to block a moonsault attempt by Joel. A double bulldog was next up for Vito by both members of the SAT. The tide of this match turned back and forth as the Saints hit a stunner, boot, leg drop combination on Joel for a two count. The SATs hit a double superplex on Sal Thomaselli for an attempted pin fall, but the referee determined that Vito was the legal man, so no pinfall was attempted.
The SATs won the match when they reversed a cradle attempt by the Saints.
After the match, the SATs put over the Iron Saints, and the Saints return the favor by putting down the Long Island fans. The SATs run the Saints out of the ring, and issue challenges for July 14th. They tease a potential five more minutes, the Saints run like they're going to comply, but then turn around and split.
The main event was a six way match for the WSU Championship. Bandido, Jr. vs. Deranged vs. B-Boy vs. Danny Demanto vs. the Grim Reefer vs. the champion Human Tornado. I was intrigued by the match before the title was brought in to the mix, but now, it's double cool.
First off, B-Boy, my first time seeing him, and damn, was he scary. Both my buddy and I looked at each other, and collectively were very happy we were three rows back. Tornado came out, and immediately at the beginning of the match, the crowd called for a dance off. All the other participants were very respectful of the men in the ring, and it seemed to be a match not based on hatred, but based on the title. It was very refreshing to see.
Tornado got the ref, Danny Demanto, his opponent and the time, and himself to begin a Too Cool dance, even to the music. The referee tried to do the worm, which was absolutely hysterical to watch. Demanto then turned the tables on Tornado with a sick, sick, sick clothesline that the champion got turned inside out from. The rest of the wrestlers then took advantage of Demanto, hitting four successive shots to the head while Danny was in the corner on the mat. B-Boy, as big as he is, hit two full boots to the front of Demanto's head that looked just plain incredible. My buddy demanded I write that one down. No question, I replied.
Deranged, who said during the match that nobody had guns like him, and I yelled, "and then you woke up", hit a nice tornado DDT on Reefer, spilling the action outside. Deranged then hit a sick hurrancanrana on B Boy. Demanto teases a plancha outside the ring, but everybody runs away. Demanto then walks in to a top rope drop kick by Deranged. A lot of amazing spots during this entire match.
Deranged continued the acrobatics with a top rope hurrancanrana on Demanto. Then a spot occurred that could possibly be a first. All six men attempted a suplex, together. It looked like Reefer, Bandido, Jr., and Human Tornado took the brunt of the spot from the other three wrestlers. It was a sight to see, to say the least.
A spinning powerbomb by Bandido, Jr on Demanto is impressive as hell, since Danny has a lot of size on Bandido.
Bandido continued the big spots with a sick drop kick to the head on the Reefer. B-Boy then took out the champion with an intense cradle suplex. B-Boy then takes Deranged and Bandido together, and drops both of them at the same time on their heads. A terrific move by an intimidating figure. It was so damn sick to watch, even Tornado cringed from the apron of the ring.
With most of the action on the outside, the champion tried old school on B-Boy, but was crotched. However, a no sell, for obvious reasons if you're a fan of the champion, and a plancha was the result on the other combatants by the Tornado that was a thing of beauty to witness.
The pinfalls started coming as B-Boy hit a devastating DVD on Bandido, Jr. for a two count. Deranged then hit B-Boy with a hurrancanrana for a two count. A slingshot Tully Blanchard style suplex by the Reefer on Deranged got a two count. Reefer then got Demanto in to the cross face by countering a tilt o whirl backbreaker attempt, but Demanto gets out of it, and throws Reefer outside. Tornado then hits a pounce on Demanto, and walks in to a stunner by Bandido, Jr.
B-Boy gets a backcracker by Bandido, Jr., which looked damn sure painful for a two count. Reefer then grabs Bandido's head, slams it in to the turnbuckle, and hits a powerbomb for a three count. The Grim Reefer defeated Bandido, Jr.
Human Tornado hit a back suplex that twisted Reefer 360 degrees and the Grim one got more grim when he landed on his face. Three slaps of the mat later and the Reefer was done for the evening. Human Tornado defeated the Grim Reefer.
Deranged gets B-Boy and hits a 619, and a top rope double stomp. B-Boy gets the momentum back and hits two big boots to the head in the corner on Deranged and gets the three count. B-Boy defeated Deranged.
A flip suplex by the Tornado on B-Boy defeated the thug, and sent him home for the evening. Human Tornado defeated B-Boy.
Last two are Danny Demanto and the WSU Champion. Demanto back dropped the champion to the outside, and sets up a table. He tells the fans who are chanting tables, that they're gonna get it.
Demanto tries an absolutely insane plancha over the top on Tornado, who's on the table, but Tornado moves. Demanto crashes through the table. It looked like Danny was dead. He wasn't moving for a good two to three minutes. Two refs and Tornado had a hard time getting him back to the ring. It was amazing to watch.
Believe it or not, Demanto kicked out at two after that sick bump when the champion got him back in the ring. Tornado tried a swanton bomb that missed, and I thought here that the title was going to change hands as Demanto hit an OUT OF THIS WORLD frog splash but the champ kicked out at two.
The finish saw Tornado get Demanto on the top rope, and hit a brainbuster for the three count, and a successful intense title defense.
Demanto grabs the mike after the match, holding his shoulder in considerable pain, and puts over WSU, saying that not every company would put him in a match like this with five of the best wrestlers in the world. He then puts over the champion in a big way, and says, although he thought his shoulder was dislocated, he was going to shake the champion's hand, because tonight, "he was the better man." Demanto's exact quote. Tornado then put over Demanto's effort, and the show ended with Tornado and Demanto dancing to send the crowd home very happy.
Again, I want to publicly say I was INCREDIBLY impressed with the talent, the show, and the whole production put on by WSU. It is a show that, if you're in the area, I would highly recommend. I am happy I had the chance to attend, and I will definitely, return to in the future. From a casual indy wrestling fan, this is how it's done. Plain and simple.
Congratulations on a terrific show, WSU. Here's to many more.
Thanks for reading.
Comments are welcome at Klac1102@aol.com.
