Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
Beyond Wrestling
“The Battle of Who Could Care Less”
Providence, Rhode Island
August 28, 2016
After their outstanding “Americanrana ’16” show from last month, Beyond is back in Providence for their first show to start off their version of the new year.
“BATTLE OF NEW ENGLAND” PRE-SHOW
MATCH ONE: Dave Cole v. Drew Gulak
Tale of the Tape: Over the last few months, Cole has been having issues with Anthony Stone, whole Gulak has been running wild throughout Beyond the the Cruiserweight Classic. Tonight, it’s a straight-up wrestling match in the name of competition.
The Match: The story of this match became clear very early on - could Cole keep up with the technical mastery of Gulak? The answer all became clear early on - yes he could. While Gulak spent a lot of the match with the advantage, Cole never seemed out of place, nor did he seem like he couldn’t hang. This was very technical, hard hitting and entertaining.
The Finish: Cole went for a leapfrog, but Gulak remained under him, caught him in a pinning combination for the pin. A really cool way to finish it.
WINNER: Drew Gulak
MATCH TWO: Ace Romero, Brick Mastone, Xavier Bell & Anthony Greene v. Team Pazuzu (Pinkie Sanchez, Jaka, Mike Drastik & Angel Ortiz)
Tale of the Tape: Brian Fury’s students from the New England Pro Wrestling Academy getting a huge opportunity to face off against one of the top stables in Beyond in Team Pazuzu.
The Match: There was lots of back and forth action, with all eight men involved getting in the ring and getting their “stuff” in as it’s called. At one point, Pinkie Sanchez, who weights all of 120 pounds, took BRUTAL chops from all four members from the NEPWA team. The students spent a lot of time with the advantage, but once Pazuzu regained the advantage, they went off with an impressive array of double, triple and quadruple team moves.
The Finish: A wild flurry of moves came to a close when Sanchez hit a bridged double stomp from the top rope onto Bell, followed by a top rope splash by Jaka for the pin.
WINNERS: Team Pazuzu
MATCH THREE: JT Dunn v. ???
Tale of the Tape: JT Dunn came out to wrestle a mystery opponent. He got on the mic and was upset with the fact that he’s on the pre-show since he’s not a big wrestling superstar. The referee, Brian Milonas, has been Dunn’s special referee for the last couple of months because Dunn has been attacking refs. Milonas, coming in at about 400 pounds, has also been having issues with Dunn and they have traded shots. Milonas, getting annoyed with Dunn, took his referee shirt off and announced himself as the mystery opponent.
The Match: Dunn, who had a chair that he was sitting in while he was cutting his promo, held onto it and hit Milonas with it before the bell. Despite the fact that he is the heel, Dunn spent a considerable amount of the match trying to overcome the size disadvantage and work from underneath. The way they did it, however, made sure not to confuse the crowd in regards to the heel-babyface dynamic, and the crowd was significantly pro-Milonas. Dunn was able to gain the advantage at certain points, but for the most part, “The Kingpin” was in charge.
The Finish: Milonas caught Dunn with a spinning sidewalk slam.
After The Match: A pre-match stipulation stated that if he lost, Dunn must leave Beyond Wrestling. As it was announced after the match, the crowd started to chant “Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Goodbye!” Dunn was emotional after the match. He got on the mic and said that Brian Milonas is a bad ass and all he’s ever wanted is for Beyond to prosper. He said thank you and he was off.
“THE BATTLE OF WHO COULD CARE LESS”
Match One: “The Product” David Starr v. Eddie Edwards
Tale of the Tape: Originally scheduled to face Chris Hero, David Starr comes off a huge win over Johnny Gargano at Americanrana to face current TNA superstar Eddie Edwards.
The Match: The match started calmly enough with mat work, but quickly degenerated into a series of chop battles. The best was when Starr kept pushing his groin into Edward’s face and screaming “Look At It!” It’s a trademark of his. In response, as he was getting up, Edwards chopped Starr’s groin really hard to send the crowd into a mixture of happiness and relatable cringing.
Starr recovered and had control for the majority of the match from that point forward, though there were points where it went back and forth. Given that it’s Eddie, there were a LOT of chops thrown on his end.
The Finish: The match ended with a really intense showdown. This included them trading really sick headbutts that were very scary and way too real. Starr pushed Edwards off the ropes and hit him with a Roaring Elbow to the back of the head, then finished it with a a Bridging Straight Jacket German Suplex with a bridge.
WINNER: “The Product” David Starr
After The Match: Starr got on the mic and told Eddie that he’s really hard to kill. He thanked Eddie for the fight because he's one of the best professional wrestlers in the world. He then said that he deserves to be seen as the Ace of Beyond, and he is one of the best wrestlers in the world. After he dropped the mic, a crazed female fan jumped in the ring and tried to hug Starr. Officials came into the ring and dragged her away. As Starr was looking at the woman being dragged away, the returning Joey Janela jumped him from behind. He got on the mic and said he came back to continue his streak of viral videos. So he pulled out a plastic bag, but it over Starr’s head and went to “watch his last breath.” Luckily, Gresham hit the ring and saved Starr. Gresham got on the mic and told Janela to go back to the backyard promotions and leave this ring to the professionals.
MATCH TWO: Anthony Stone & Da Hoodz (Davey Kash & Kris Pyro) v. “The Firebrand” Brian Fury & Da Hit Squad (Monsta Mack & Danny Maff)
Tale of the Tape: After a long feud against Da Hoodz, Stone ended up joining up with them and is now teaming with them going forward. Fury and Da Hit Squad have a history as a team after they decided to join forces after Brian Fury won the Tournament For Tomorrow 4 singles tournament and Da Hit Squad won the Tournament For Tomorrow 4 tag team tournament.
The Match: Things got off to a slow start. It seemed as though there was some trouble getting on the same page by Da Hoodz to put it nicely. All 6 men spent time in the ring trying to establish a rhythm, a pace and to get in some big moves, but it wasn’t clicking on all cylinders. Da Hit Squad was able to get in and pick up the slack, with Monsta Mack grabbing both Stone and Pyro over his shoulders and perform a running somersault into the corner on Kash that got the crowd up again.
From that point forward, Fury and Da Hit Squad did their best to make it work with their opponents, but between the lack of cardio conditioning of Da Hoodz and their inability to stay on the same page as the Tournament For Tomorrow winners, even they couldn’t make the match work. It should be noted, however, that Kash suffered broken ribs during the match, so he should be given a lot of credit for finishing the match.
The Finish: As Fury had Pyro in a Boston Crab, Alexxis interfered on behalf of Da Hoodz, which allowed them to score the upset win.
WINNERS: Anthony Stone & Da Hoody
After The Match: LuFisto hit the ring and cleared house, which lead to the next match…
MATCH THREE: LuFisto v. Alexxis v. Veda Scott v. Jordynne Grace
Tale of the Tape: This is a showcase for Beyond’s all-women’s promotion Women’s Wrestling Revolution.
The Match: The match started with a frenetic pace and continued throughout most of it, with a lot of one-on-one action while the other two would be selling on the apron or the floor. LuFisto was the aggressor for most of the match, using a lot of hard hitting chops and kicks to keep the advantage. Jordynne continued to use a lot of power spots during her time on top, with Alexxis opting for more chops and Veda using all sorts of styles when it was her turn on offense. There were also double team spots during certain moments of the match when it was convenient.
The Finish: LuFisto hit the Burning Hammer on Alexxis for the win.
WINNER: LuFisto
Afterthoughts: This was a fun match with a lot of really cool action with all four women looking solid in the process.
MATCH FOUR: Shynron, Peter Kaasa, Fred Yehi, Prince Apollo & Black Baron v. The Crusade For Change (Darius Carter, Anthony Gangone, TJ Marconi, Tommy Trainwreck, Devin Blaze)
Tale of the Tape: The Crusade For Change have been on a roll, beating every team they have faced for most of the last year. This included a win last month at Americanrana in a wild brawl over Homicide, B-Boy, Danny Maff & Eddie Kingston.
The Match: The match started off in the traditional sense, with frequent tags and a lot of action from everyone involved. After Kaasa showed off his freak athleticism with a standing spinning moonsault, it broke down. The entire C4C went to the floor, which allowed Shynron to hit a somersault plancha to the floor on all members. Kaasa followed it up with a somersault cannonball plancha that got the crowd fired up.
C4C regained the advantage and was able to cut off Shynron before he got the hot tag and everything broke down again, leading to a lot of organized chaos that I won’t even attempt to break down.
The Finish: C4C hit the Public Execution on Shynron for the pin
Afterthoughts: This match was in place to showcase the high flying of Shynron and the freak athleticism of Kaasa. It also was in place to highlight the Crusade For Change as a team you know will deliver a fun, entertaining match.
MATCH FIVE: Keith Lee v. AR Fox
Tale of the Tape: After debuting in this building for Beyond a few months ago, Keith Lee has ling abeen blowing away these audiences with tremendous performances. This includes a blow away opening match against Brian Cage at Americanrana last month. Fox has been a regular for Beyond for a while, and is coming off a win over Matt Tremont after a wild Swanton off the balcony at Fete Music last month.
The Match: Given the size discrepancy, you might think this would be a traditional big man v. little man contest. Nope. This was freak athlete against freak athlete. Despite the fact that there is a small ceiling at this venue, it didn't matter. Both men were able to show off their agility, leaping ability, and overall talent as professional wrestlers.
The match started with an athletic back and forth straight out of the Rob Van Dam-Jerry Lynn playbook from ECW. From there, AR Fox went to the sky to try and take Lee out, but Lee didn't mind flying, either. Fox hit two straight dives to the floor, and in an unbelievable show of skill, Lee caught Fox on a somersault plancha and power bombed him on the apron.
The Finish: Fox hit an absurd reverse rana followed by a Code Red that prompted a “Beyond Wrestling” chant from the audience. Lee followed that up with a HUGE tackle that put Fox out on the ground. Lee ended up sitting on the top rope. Fox went for a springboard hurricanrana, but Lee caught him for a big top rope power bomb for the win.
WINNER: Keith Lee
Afterthoughts: Lee once against shows why he is the most underutilized talent on the independent scene today. The fact that he is not in the PWG BOLA tournament, nor is he a giant singles star in Ring of Honor, EVOLVE or New Japan is a crime. Fox also showed why he is one of the better performers out there as well.
INTERMISSION
MATCH SIX: Detective Dan Barry v. “Cold Steel” Chuck O’Neil
Tale of the Tape: O’Neil returns to Beyond Wresting after a successful victory over Roy Jones in the CES MMA promotion a couple of weeks ago. He’s also coming off of two straight losses to Matthew Riddle in Beyond and looking for a strong return.
The Match: O’Neil got on the mic and ran down Barry, calling him out of shape and making fun of his shirts. He also made fun of the fact that he's on Holy Foley. He is annoyed that he was wrestling Matthew Riddle and winning fights on national TV and now has to wrestle him.
This was a squash. Barry did get some offense in, however, it didn’t last long.
The Finish: O’Neil submitted Barry with a Rear Naked Choke.
WINNER: Chuck O’Neil
MATCH SEVEN: “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams v. Jonathan Gresham
Tale of the Tape: Gresham is coming off a huge win over Zack Sabre, Jr. in a Best 2 out of 3 Falls Match in the Main Event of Americanrana last month, while Williams returns to singles competition for the promotion.
The Match: As you might expect with these two, this was an incredibly technical game of Chess. Lots of dueling wristlocks on top of some really clever reversals. There were certain points throughout the match when it seemed like it might get more aggressive or more hard hitting, but it stayed on a sporting level.
Gresham spent most of the match breaking down the left arm of Williams before switching over to the left leg.
The Finish: Gresham was finally able to get a modified Boston Crab with for the victory.
After the Match: Gresham said he was offended that Joey Janela came back to Beyond, so he was calling him out for the next show in October.
Afterthoughts: This was an absolute clinic in technical wrestling. Both men are masters in the craft, and this is a must-see for fans of the technical style.
MATCH EIGHT: Chris Dickinson v. Matt Riddle
Tale of the Tape: Last month at Americanrana in the Team Pazuzu v. Catch Point six-man match, Riddle hit the ring and started in on a post-match attack on Pazuzu. This brought out Dickinson for the save. Riddle and Dickinson got in each others faces and the challenge was on.
The Match: This was intense from the get-go. Dickinson brought his straight-forward style right at Riddle, who didn't have an answer to start. This included Dickinson yelling “break your back, make you humble!” and transitioning into a Camel Clutch to the delight of the crowd. He also hit a big wheel-barrel German Suplex for a two count.
Riddle showed a lot of fire in a comeback, which given his laid back nature, is always fun to see when he pulls it off. From that point, it went from intense to absolutely wild. They were trading kicks when Dickinson asked for the mic. He screamed that if Riddle was going to kick him, he would have to kill him. Everything amped up in intensity from that point, with Dickinson’s kicks in particular amping up to another level.
This was a vicious battle that was highly entertaining and worth the price of admission alone.
The Finish: Chuck O’Neil popped up on the apron and started jawing with Riddle. Dickinson ran to jump Riddle, but O’Neil pushed him out of the way and took the hit. Riddle hit Dickinson with a kick to the back of the head for the pin.
After The Match: Jaka hit the ring to look out for his Pazuzu teammate Dickinson. He and O’Neil got into it, and much to everyone’s surprise, O’Neil and Riddle teamed up to jump Jaka. That brought in the entire Team Pazuzu crew and a brief fight was on before it was broken up. It looks like Riddle and O’Neil may have joined forces.
MAIN EVENT: Tommy End v. Donovan Dijak
Tale of the Tape: The Ace of Beyond in Dijak takes on the debuting international star Tommy End. This will be End’s only appearance for Beyond as he looks to be heading to WWE shortly.
The Match: The physicality in this one was key. End was utilizing his kickboxing prowess to throw sharp kicks to try and break down the bigger, taller Dijak. Meanwhile, Dijak was throwing every hard strike he could think of to try and mark his territory. At one point, while they were outside of the ring, Dijak was yelling “you want come into MY house and disrespect me?” This gave the match, which previously had no backstory or purpose, a simple but effective one to draw in the audience.
The match took a crazy turn when Dijak hit a somersault backflip plancha to the floor on End. If that wasn’t crazy enough, End followed it up with the exact same dive to the floor that was frightening and exhilarating all at the same time.
The Finish: Tremendous ending. End was getting the better of all of the exchanges, including some of the hardest kicks I’ve ever heard live. He hit a flurry of kicks followed with a running knee for a nearfall. He went for another one, but Dijak reversed and hit the Feast Your Eyes for the win.
WINNER: Donovan Dijak
After The Match: Dijak got on the mic and said his match with Biff Busick in Beyond last year was the tape that got him booked in wXw in Germany. He said Tommy End was the one guy who sat with him, spoke English and made him feel at home. He said Tommy is one of the best wrestlers and human beings in the world. They hugged and sent End off with a standing ovation.
Dijak was about to give another speech when JT Dunn hit the ring and dropped him with an elbow from behind. He took the mic and said that what they had going on isn’t over. He said he plans on taking Beyond over and shutting it down.
SHOW THOUGHTS: Nothing could have followed Americanrana from last month. This show, however, had some strong matches and some interesting teases for storylines going forward. The last three matches in particular were excellent and are worthy of going out of your way to see if you can’t watch the entire show. Beyond returns on October 2 in Somerville, MA with the return of War Machine and Ricochet. Check them out @beyondwrestling and at www.lookmanofans.com!
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
