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Unsurprisingly, OVW hit it out of the park once again with another thrilling episode of Rise (1297) emanating from Louisville, Kentucky’s historic Davis Arena. Episode 1297 was heavily focused on the build to Independence Rage on June 29th, featuring singles matches between both the OVW Women’s Champion Leila Grey and Tiffany Nieves respectively, what OVW executives should do about Crixus and the Masked Men, as well as multiple other champions in action including Kal Herro, the red-hot Buzz Backlund, and Tusk N Chains!
As always, Rise 1297 was another must-see for OVW fans and those excited for Independence Rage. Tensions are reaching a boiling point, title pictures are getting crowded, and fans should be foaming at the mouth for June 29th!
At a Glance
Tusk N Chains (C) Vs. Tony Evans and Jay Dinero
Leila Grey (C) Vs. Freya The Slaya
OVW Board Addresses Crixus and the Masked Men
Carson Drake, Super-Z, and Mahabali Shera Vs. Beaches and Cream and Will Austin
Dream Girl Ellie Vs. Tiffany Nieves
Buzz Backlund (C) Vs. Maximo Suave
Adam Revolver (W/ Shannon The Dude) Vs. Jason Hendrix
Kal Herro (C) Vs. Luke Kurtis
Match 1: Tusk N Chains (C) Vs. Tony Evans and Jay Dinero
With Jackson and Lawless as special guests on commentary, the tag team champions looked to continue their hot streak in a rematch of last week’s meeting against Tony Evans and Jay Dinero. As expected, the champs started off strong, highlighted by Cecil hitting a picture-perfect dropkick on Evans. The assault didn’t stop there as double team moves and impressive offensive maneuvers including a suicide dive and a very delayed vertical Suplex respectively.
Besides a couple of minutes where Dinero and Evans gained a brief upper hand via shorthanded tactics, Tusk N Chains reminded everyone why they have been dominant as OVW Tag Team Champions. In the end, Evans tried knocking out TW3 with a stiff right hand, accidentally hitting his partner Dinero. The miscommunication allowed the champs to hit an Avalanche Gorilla Press Slam onto Dinero for the pinfall victory.
Result: Tusk N Chains (C) DEFEAT Tony Evans and Jay Dinero
Match 2: Leila Grey (C) Vs. Freya The Slaya
As soon as the bell rang, Freya used her size and strength to dominate Grey with a ground-and-pound attack that the champ was lucky to survive. It quickly became obvious that the theme of the match would be Grey finding a way to deal with the larger and stronger opponent, as Freya seemed to shrug off the Baddie’s offense, seemingly having an answer for everything.
It wasn’t until the Grey hit a Blockbuster that she had a moment to breathe and formulate a game plan. The two women exchanged blows before Grey hit a retreating Freya with a diving Hurricanrana off the apron to the outside. Just as it looked like the champion had Freya right where she wanted, Tiffany Nieves emerged from the back, distracting Grey which allowed Freya to hit a Pop-up Powerbomb for a near-fall.
Freya The Slaya, a former champion in her own right, hoisted the current champion onto the top rope. Suddenly, Grey sprang to her feet, hitting a Sunset Flip Powerbomb for a pinfall victory out of nowhere.
Result: Leila Grey (C) DEFEATS Freya The Slaya
Segment: OVW Executive Board Addresses Crixus
Doug Basham joined Al Snow in the ring, but only got a few words in before Crixus and company emerged from the notorious Davis Arena side door. Commentator Josh Ashcraft tried his best to reason with the group, scolding them for turning their back on everything they love before asking them why they were doing this.
The group’s response? “Suck it up, buttercup. This is pro wrestling.”
Snow and the Masked Men argued before the rest of the OVW locker room emerged from the back to restore order to the situation. Once the dust settled, Tony Gunn talked his way into a title match at Independence Rage against an emotional Kal Herro who was betrayed last week.
Snow made the match official before turning everyone’s attention to the video board where OVW executives and Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Commission oversight informed the Revolution that, given the fact that Crixus is the OVW Heavyweight Champion, they are officially part of the OVW roster, therefor contractually obligated to wrestle and held to the same rules and standards as the rest of the roster.
This decision comes as a double-edged sword for OVW, as the group becomes part of the official roster, but Snow reiterated that any deviant behavior will result in their immediate firing.
Match 3: Carson Drake, Super-Z, and Mahabali Shera Vs. Beaches and Cream and Will Austin
The punishment of Beaches and Cream and Carson Drake’s investigation of Mick Foley’s attacker crossed paths as the third match of the night brought together six of OVW’s brightest young stars. From the start, Super-Z used his high-flying offense to gain the upper hand on Luscious Lawrence before tagging in Shera.
The former Heavyweight champ delivered a series of thunderous Bodyslams to each member of the opposing team as they rushed into the ring before Gorilla Press Slamming Super-Z onto Beaches and Cream and Austin as they retreated to the outside.
A misstep from Super-Z allowed Austin and company to take control for a bit, showcasing their tag team skills with a double delayed vertical Suplex and a methodical beatdown of the high-flyer. As things began looking grim for Super-Z, he managed to tag in a hyped-up Carson Drake who cleared house.
Looking to end things, Drake tagged in Shera who looked ready to destroy, only for Crystal White to hop up on the apron, distracting the big man. This allowed Beaches and Cream to sneak up from behind, hitting a double Uranage for a huge pinfall victory.
Result: Will Austin and Beaches and Cream DEFEAT Super-Z and Luscious Lawrence, Carson Drake, and Mahabali Shera
Match 4: Dream Girl Ellie Vs. Tiffany Nieves
Before the match began, Nieves pleaded with Ellie, claiming she knew neither of them wanted to do this and were loyal to each other. She invited Ellie backstage to talk about it, but her invite was met with a slap to the face from the Dream Girl. Pleading with Ellie to stop, Nieves asked again to go to the back but was predictably met again with a slap.
Now on her knees, she again begged Ellie to stop before one final definitive slap started the match. As the Bad Girls Club continued falling apart before our very eyes, a fired-up Ellie beat down Nieves with a frenetic attack including two impactful Clotheslines to the seated number one contender.
Ellie continued beating her former friend, reminding everyone just how good she really is as she punished Nieves on the outside, clearly having fun while doing it. The beatdown continued, near fall after near fall. Out of nowhere, Nieves hit a massive Spinebuster, giving her the first advantage she’s had all match. Staying on the attack, Nieves grabbed a microphone, berating Ellie while stomping on her before locking in a Texas Cloverleaf submission.
To the delight of the crowd, Ellie made it to the ropes, breaking the hold. The break only lasted for a moment, as Nieves dragged Ellie back to the middle before locking it in again. Once again, however, Ellie fought back to the ropes. Going to the well one too many times, the number one contender tried locking in the Cloverleaf for a third time before Ellie rolled her up for a shocking victory, ending a fantastic match.
Result: Dream Girl Ellie DEFEATS Tiffany Nieves
Match 5: Buzz Backlund (C) Vs. Maximo Suave
With an angry Will Austin on commentary to watch the man who beat him for the OVW Rush Division Championship two weeks ago, Buzz Backlund looked to continue his meteoric rise by defeating Maximo Suave. Like last week, Backlund used his amateur wrestling skills to gain control early, showing off his effortless takedown ability along with his technical prowess to dominate Suave early.
Despite a few strikes, Suave was never able to get out of the gate. An Angle Slam and Crossface Chicken Wing put Suave away quickly to remain undefeated in OVW. After the match, Austin delivered a forearm to the unexpecting Rush Division Champion before locking in a Figure-4 on the entrance ramp just to send a statement.
Result: Buzz Backlund (C) DEFEATS Maximo Suave
Match 6: Adam Revolver (W/ Shannon The Dude) Vs. Jason Hendrix
Looking to make a statement early in his OVW career, Jason Hendrix squared off against Adam Revolver who before the match, emphasized his intentions to wrestle fairly in classic wrestling matches.
Despite that proclamation, Revolver made it less than five minutes before attacking Hendrix with a steel chair as Shannon The Dude distracted the referee. Valiantly, Hendrix managed to fight back, even grabbing the chair to give Revolver a taste of his own medicine. Doing his job, the referee grabbed the chair out of Hendrix’s hand, inadvertently giving Revolver the chance to hit Hendrix from behind with Shannon’s title belt for a cheap victory.
Result: Adam Revolver (W/ Shannon The Dude) DEFEATS Jason Hendrix
Match 7: Kal Herro (C) Vs. Luke Kurtis
OVW Media Champion Kal Herro declined to shake the hand of Luke Kurtis prior to the match, giving us a glimpse of what the bout would be like before it even began.
For most of the match, both men traded holds and strikes with neither one really gaining a definitive upper hand. They seemed to have answers for everything each other tried to hit, not allowing either to string together more than a few moves at a time. These two men clearly knew each other well. It wasn’t until the end of the match that Herro was able to hit a Death Valley Driver, followed up by a Flying Crossbody for a near fall.
As Kal hit the ropes for his next attack, Kurtis hit the Certifier knee strike out of nowhere for a monumental victory over the champion. To the delight of the OVW fans, Kurtis and Herro ended the night by hugging it out.
Result: Luke Kurtis DEFEATS Kal Herro (C) (Non-Title Match)
Overall
Rise 1297 showcased a great mix of in-ring action and masterful writing, reminding fans why OVW has remained a top destination for professional wrestling for multiple decades now. As we approach Independence Rage, it’s safe to say that Leila Grey currently has the psychological advantage against Tiffany Nieves, especially following their respective victories and losses on this week’s broadcast. Additionally, Buzz Backlund’s momentum is reaching legendary status as he remains undefeated in OVW after a dominant win over Maximo Suave. Will Austin, however, reminded fans that he’s hot on Backlund’s tail.
Perhaps the biggest development of the night, The Revolution was granted full OVW roster status, meaning they are now being held to the same standards as the rest of the roster. That’s not all that happened on Rise 1297, as Adam Revolver with Shannon The Dude put himself back on the map with a victory over OWV newcomer, Jason Hendrix, as well as huge victories for Beaches and Cream and Luke Kurtis over Kal Herro respectively.
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