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In their 3rd show in roughly a month (a pretty good pace), House of Glory held their annual Salvation event, live on Youtube in the NYC Arena in New York City. Only one title match but with a lot of stars from AEW alongside the HoG mainstays.
Crown Jewel champion Amazing Red successfully defended the title in a win over rising star Marcus Mathers, who just recently announced he was departing the WWE ID program. Good match. My first time seeing Mathers work in an aggressive heel fashion and he wore it well.
The well-traveled Miracle Generation (Dustin Flash Waller, Kylon King) had a good introductory in ring promo. I liked them telling us their names and showing us they were not interested in making new friends, they just wanted a fight. The call was answered by former TNA, ROH and WWE World tag champions the Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley). Damn, boys. My first time seeing the Generation and I liked them. High energy guys who work with a lot of intensity. Still not enough to beat the Guns but they looked good against an all time great team.
"The Infamous" Darren Richardson got back on the winning side since losing the Cruiserweight title, beating longtime HoG favorite and former HoG champion Smiley. Fans threw a LOT of trash at Richardson on his ringwalk and while it was a compelling visual, I knew it would age poorly and by the main event, it already had.
The Mane Event (Jay Lyon, Midas Black), in their first HoG match since turning heel, defeated the new team of the Skywalkers (Jodi Aura, Raheem Royal). Very good match. Lyon was working like a big guy for a change and it suited him well. There was a second there when something went awry but they found the rhythm again and closed strong with The Mane Event pinning Royal with the Grand Finale face buster finish.
In his first HoG match in nearly a year, former Cruiserweight and Crown Jewel champion Mantequilla made a triumphant return, winning a 6 Way Scramble over Legacy Pro Wrestling (HoG's developmental promotion) champion Angel Jacquez, JJ Doze, Onyx Amagi, Tiny Giant and Vic Vendetta. A lot of young guys working hard to impress. Unfortunately, Vendetta got hurt on an attempted shooting star press off the top rope. Mante immediately went with a light cover to end the match. Vendetta was stretchered out. Good luck to the young man. He was having a really good bout.
Tommy End and Xelina defeated AEW star and Cruiserweight champion "The Blackheart" Lio Rush and Women's champion Shotzi Blackheart (two of the three "Blackhearts" on this show as Midas Black also likes the name "The Blackheart"). Entertaining match. With all the stuff going on the thing that got the biggest reaction was End hitting a spinning backfist on Blackheart (Shotzi). Turned the very pro-End/Xelina crowd against them (finally).
That left Shotzi open to Xelina's new leg choke finish. I like that move for her. Funny miscue where the ring announcer thought the show was ready to proceed but, presumably the ambulance had to take Vendetta to a medical facility and wasn't back yet, so they had an unplanned intermission.
In the main event, AEW star "The Psycho Killer" Tommaso Ciampa, in his first independent match in a decade, defeated HoG's number one villain, "The Root of All Evil" Charles Mason in a wild main event. Physical encounter with both guys trying to out-unhinge the other. Mason went to smother Ciampa with a plastic bag. Ciampa overwhelmed him and took it, giving the bad a lungblower and demanding referee Nick Shin to count, which had Mason pull him from the ring to break up the pin. WHAT?? They exchanged kisses (not a typo) and strikes with Ciampa landing a running kneestrike to Mason's face with a running start from the ramp to finish him off.
A very good overall show with everyone bringing a lot of aggression and energy to every bout.
The Real Uncle Dave grade: B (90 out of 100).
Follow me @therealuncdave.bsky.social, DDTDivas.com, and the Real Uncle Dave's Rasslin Business on Facebook.
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