PWInsider - WWE News, Wrestling News, WWE

If you wish to watch the show directly on the Fite.tv website, click here.

The show will also stream on The Fite App, which you can download to your cell phone, tablet and other mobile devices for free by clicking here. The App can also stream to Rokus and Samsung Smart TVs.

Pre-show Notes

The promotion has announced that both Pentagon Jr. and Tessa Blanchard are off today's event....Jim Ross and Matt Striker will be handling commentary....The promotion held a press conference earlier today to announce a 64 man tournament, the 2017 Pro Wrestling World Cup, featuring brackets from different countries.    Canada's Smash Wrestling, Scotland's Scottish Wrestling Alliance and Germany's WXW will be hosting their own brackets as part of the tournament. WCPW will be presenting their own bracket for UK talents on  3/21.

True Destiny opened with a nice video feature on the show before WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross and Matt Striker welcomed us officially to the show.

Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet

They each came out at the bell with leaping leg lariats and nailed each other in stereo and each crashed down to the mat and were almost counted out.  They fought to their feet and exchanged forearms.  Ospreay shoulderblocked Ricochet down and they went back and forth with a series of reversals that were awesome cultimating with Ospreay going for a handspring elbow which snapped the top rope.  Undaunted, they went for a move and wiped each other out.  The crowd chanted "Botchamania!"

Ospreay dropkicked Ricochet to the floor and hit a tope suicida to the floor.  They battled on the floor as Ricochet nailed several chops to the chest.  Ospreay fired back.   Ospreay went for another but Ricochet ducked and he ended up hitting his hand on the ring post.  Ricochet had several fans hold Opsreay's arms against the guard rail so he could charge around the ring and nail another chop.  They are obviously trying to give the ring crew time to fix the ring and it's been pretty damn entertainment.    The crowd chanted, "Come on ring crew."

Ospreay slammed Ricochet down on the apron.   He had words with the ring crew, allowing Ricochet to return to the ring.  He was nailed and Ricochet nailed a standing moonsault press (which standing on the top rope, which was laying in the ring) for a two count.  Ospreay nailed a drop toehold, snapping Ricochet's nec across the middle rope.  He hit a springboard off the second rope into a chop to the head.

Ospreay snapmared Ricochet over and locked in a side headlock.    Ricochet fought back and nailed a German suplex with a bridge for a two count.  The top rope was removed by this point.  Ospreay went for a Fireman's Carry but Ricochet slipped off.  He was caught with a roundhouse kick.     Ospreay peppered him with forearms, beating him down in the corner and followed up with a nice leaping dropkick in the corner. 

Ospreay slapped Ricochet.  He went for his cutter but Ricochet caught him and they battled back and forth with kicks, leading to Ricochet nailing a standing C4.  They fought back and forth with chops and punches.   They went back and forth with some imaginative reversals and big moves.  Ricochet nailed a standing shooting star press for a close two count.

Ricochet went for a 450 splasn off the ropes but landed on his feet, catching a charging Ospreay with a big backbrealer.  Ricochet finally scored the pin with a sitdown Michinoku Driver.

Your winner, Ricochet!

A very good opener with a super hot crowd. I was really, really impressed with their abilty to go and rework everything on the fly once the top rope broke as they are obviously aerial-based talents and that was going to mitigate a lot of their arsenal.  Really fun stuff.

Rampage (2) vs Primate (2) – I Quit Match, Best Of 7 Series

This was a fun brawl.  I missed the first few minutes due my computer crashing (and taking my coverage with it) but the finish was manager James R. Kennedy toss in the towel for Primate when he was trapped in the corner with his arms taped to the ropes and unable to defend himself.  Rampage's ribs were worked over for a long time.  He came back to nail a piledriver in the ring and on the floor.  Lots of stiff shots here including Primate smashing him through a table in the ring. 

Your winner, Rampage!

Drago vs.El Hijo de Dos Caras

Caras was a last minute substitute.

Caras is a replacement for Pentagon OM, who the promotion announced was off the show today. He was already in the UK, so the promotion lucked out.

They went back and forth. Caras came off the ropes with a big shoulderblock. Drago slipped away from a kick and nailed a sit-down legdrop for a two count. Caras caught Dragon coming and slammed him onto the bottom rope. He nailed a suplex for a two count. He was sent to the floor, where Drago nailed a tope suicida to the floor.

Back in the ring, Drago sunk in a head scissors on the mat, trying to wear Caras down. Drago went for a Lucha move but was rebuffed and caught with a big lariat. He nailed a spinning neckbreaker for a two count. Caras caught him with a running knee strike for a two count. Drago was sent into the corner but kicked off Cara. Cara still nailed him and covered a two count.

Drago sent Cara to the floor and nailed a flip dive over the ropes to the floor. Cara was tossed into the ring for a two count. Drago nailed several kicks and went for a tiltowhirl but was shoved off. Caras nailed a knee strike for a two count. Drago manuevered him into a Whip of the Dragon's Tail but Caras got his shoulder up. That looked to be the finish but something went wonky. Dragon snapmareed him over and came across the ring with a big splash off the ropes for the pin.

Your winner, Drago!

It was OK but it was obvious Drago was slowing down for Cara, who was sluggish at times.

They announced Rey Mysterio and Alberto El Patron would be part of the Mexican bracket of the promotion's World Cup Tournament.

 

Zack Sabre Jr vs. Travis Banks.

Some nice back and forth wrestling here, so if you like matwork, this is for you. Jim Ross even whipped out a Billy Robinson reference. They went into a test of strength with Sabre using his unique skills to tie up Travis and hold him down to the mat. Banks used a Northern Lights suplex and held onto Banks' arm and grabbed the leg to tie up Banks upside down. Ross noted this was the first ZSJ match he's called.

Banks sent Sabre off to the rope but was caught with a takedown as Sabre rebounded. Zack for bow and arrow but Banks escaped and they exchanged headbutts. Sabre began drilling Banks and worked him over with a hammerlock on the mat. Banks fought back and nailed punches, forearms and elbows with aggression. Sabre slipped around him and locked in an Octopus. Banks drilled ZSJ with forearms and a cannonball in the corner So far, so good with this one.

They battled back and forth with clothesline and strikes. Sabre leapt onto Bank's body, scissored him and locked in a double Kimura. Banks was able to turn it into a suplex variation. Sabre cinched in a triangle choke. Banks tried to dump him over the ropes but it didn't work and instead they slipped under the ropes to the floor. They returned to the ring where they exchanged chops and kicks. Sabre nailed a nasty half nelson suplex for a two count. Sabre came off the ropes with a kick. They went back and forth until Sabre forced a submission. Your winner, Zack Sabre Jr.!

Very good back and forth match. Lots of really good and innovative mat wrestling and combinations as you would expect.

Coverage continues on Page 2!

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!

• Tweet