House of Glory Beware The Fury 5/19/2023 Results and Review

Thanks to Jason Solomon I was able to hear about the House of Glory show. In my ventures into reviewing pro wrestling, I want to check out all I can, and this was an independent that I heard had a good following and some great matches. So here we go, my thoughts and results from House of Glory Beware the Fury from 5/19, streamed on FITE Plus.

Nolo Kitano defeated Jodi Aura

Two smaller guys here, and I don’t mean just height. Overall, small guys, which meant fast paced good wrestling. These two put on a show with some high flying, fast paced reversals, and good overall back and forth. In the end Nolo Kitano would get the pinfall, in a solid opener, but nothing too crazy stood out to me. Good stuff, don’t get me wrong.

Blackmon defeated Evander James

I had to double check on who these people were, but the match wasn’t half bad again. A little back and forth here, some good moments, and nothing to write home about. A standard modern wrestling match.

Cashflow Inc. defeated The Brick City Boyz

Not a long match here, and a fast one. The two battled nicely, back and forth tag action, but in the end, it was too short for me, and really was blink and you’ll miss it. It was under 7 minutes, to be exact, and well, not much to write home about again. Still a good effort, I liked it fair enough.

Charles Mason defeated Jake Something in the HOG Crown Jewel Title Match

Now this went a good amount of time, and it was fun to see the two work together. I haven’t heard of these two before, so it was interesting to see them grapple. Lots of back and forth action, with some solid power moves, and nice offense from each. Mason would get the upper hand in the end, and boom, the 1,2,3.

Joey Silver wins a HOG Cruiserweight Title Gauntlet Match

HOG doesn’t have the names of their talent on screen, so you have to pay attention to who is coming out. I couldn’t make out everyone that came out, but I know that joey Silver won this matchup, and it was really cool. There was a lot to offer here with a great deal of kicks, high flying maneuvers, and action that spilled outside of the ring at times.

The Ultra Violette defeated Miyu Yamashita in the Hog women’s title match

The women’s match for HOG featured a great deal of back and forth, some good fighting and awesome moments. I loved it to be honest. Yamashita’s style meshed ok with Violette and the two put on a back and forth option that was fun to watch, and simply a good call.

The Mane Event defeated the Motor city Machine Guns

This wasn’t for a title or anything, but it was one of the main advertised matches. I thought that this was a lot of fun, and featured a great deal of back and forth. I loved the tandem moves, and the fact that both teams worked together. I was impressed by The Mane Event at times, and definitely have seen the Machine Guns wrestle beforehand. Great tag match, but I though the Machine Guns had it, nope, they lost but what a match.

Matt Cardona defeated Jacob Fatu for the HOG Heavyweight Title

This match was quite good overall. I loved the back and forth here, with Fatu picking up Cardona with relative ease at times. Cardona was fast, and showcased his stellar offense at times, and proved why he is currently being called the king of the indies. I liked the match, and see Fatu joining the Bloodline eventually. I would have him join, anyways. As for Cardona, he is so smooth at times, it’s tremendous, and I’m a fan now.

Overall Thoughts

Overall, I thought that this night of wrestling was good. Not great, but really good. I loved the action, and didn’t need any storyline like in WWE or other federations. I liked the back and forth of the wrestlers, and really appreciated the effort of everyone involved. I really liked that main event, and recommend that everyone check it out.

WWE Smackdown 5/29/23 Results and Review

 

Copyright WWE 2023

The WWE put on another decent showing, although they didn’t include the whole roster. What show does though? Not even AEW can do that. This show was heavy on plot, and some wrestling, but mostly plot as the night went on. I was working, so I missed the first ten or so minutes of the event, and cannot comment too much on that. However, let’s dive into what happened with this night of pro-wrestling.

Pretty Deadly defeated The Brawling Brutes

I was previously unaware of Pretty Deadly, and honestly can’t tell you one time that I’ve seen them wrestle. Overall, they were a nice team, with some good offense against Butch and Holland. I liked the Brawling Brutes, but they weren’t able to get the upper hand in the end, in what was a nice opening match for the Friday event. I liked it, not bad.

Asuka defeated Zelina Vega

Vega is so small, which isn’t a bad thing, but I noticed that immediately when she was up against Asuka. Her stature gives her some speed though, and she was quickly hitting Asuka with some moves, and getting the upper hand. However, it was Asuka whom got the last laugh with a submission that she wouldn’t let go of until Bianca Belair came chasing her down. It was interesting to see that exchange, as Asuka tried to mist her, but it didn’t work this time. Asuka is pretty good here, albeit in a short match.

The Grayson Waller Effect

I don’t understand the Waller Effect show, and don’t know the character. He antagonized AJ Styles a little, and that was really it. I didn’t really like this, and thought it was kind of boring. I guess it’s something to break up the action?

The Street Profits defeated LA Knight and Rick Boogs

 LA Knight is very over with the crowd, and it’s surprising to me that he is being wasted by the WWE, in my opinion. The Street Profits didn’t just roll over here, they put up quite the battle against Knight and Boogs, as did the unlikely duo with their move sets. It was the Profits that would get the best of the other duo, and would win. Boogs would get turned on by Knight, and that probably will setup a match for them in the near future.

Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn defeated Valentina Feroz and Yulisa Leon

A burial. I love a good burial. This one was quick, and easy. The NXT Women’s Champions got the upper hand fast, and won in a short match that did nothing for me. Did it do anything for you? Meh.

Austin Theory gets a Brogue Kick

I still want to call it a BRO KICK but I can’t. Theory called out Sheamus and the Irishman came down to deliver a Brogue Kick and that was it, the segment was done. They’ll battle sooner than later.

The LWO defeated The USOS

The main event was hopping, with some great back and forth action. The LWO had Escobar and Rey Mysterio Jr. fighting against the USOS and they were flying around the ring in a modern day match. This was fun to watch and each team had their own set of moves to throw at one another. It was the LWO that would win though, with the help of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, which makes no sense to me. They came down and messed with the match, causing the USOS to lose in grand fashion.

Overall Thoughts

Well, this was a show alright. It was a tight 2 hours of wrestling and commentary, and honestly it wasn’t my favorite. I thought dynamite had better matches this week, but I appreciated the matches we did get on Smackdown. My favorite is between the women’s match and the main event. I liked both a great deal, and while the rest was ok, I didn’t find it as entertaining. So there you go, my thoughts on Smackdown. I’ll be back with more reviews and views as time allows.

ECW Barely Legal 1997 Review

The year was 1997 and only a the hardcore were aware of ECW. I was only 14 years old when this came out, and I bootlegged a copy of it. I go back all of these years and attempt to relive the glory days, review the show, and see what my thoughts are for 2023. If you haven’t seen ECW Barely Legal 1997, then you can see it on Peacock Network. However, I recommend that you get it through DVD as it is uncensored. This review is based on that, the uncensored edition of Barely Legal from ECW from 1997!

The Eliminators defeated The Dudley Boyz for the ECW Tag Team Championship

John Kronus and Perry Saturn make up the Eliminators and they put on a showcase of high flying, fast paced wrestling. This match was to show them off more than anything, and that’s all I really recall from watching this again. The Dudley Boyz have a few moments, but it’s Saturn and Kronus jumping, diving, and throwing down the gauntlet that makes this a great match overall. It’s fast, to the point and while it’s not long one but it’s entertaining overall.

Rob Van Dam defeated Lance Storm

You have to put on your thinking cap folks, because these two are educated grapplers. They are high flyers, with a knack for awe inspiring moves. Lance Storm and Rob Van Dam put on a very back and forth match, with each one exchanging high flying moves, and reversals, the likes you would see now in every day matches. However, for 1997 this was a showcase of what the future modern style would be like. Storm and Van Dam put on a great 10 minute contest and really do well with one another. It’s smooth, it’s back and forth, and Van Dam gets the win, which is not half bad. Good second match, even though Van Dam was mad that he had to play second fiddle to Chris Candido’s injury.

The Great Sasuke, Gran Hamada, and Masato Yakushiji defeated BWO Japan (Taka Michinoku, Terry Boy, and Dick Togo) in a Six Man Tag Match

People are spoiled today. The style of wrestling that you see with this match is the standard amidst most all middleweight to lightweight superstars. There’s a mix of Japanese strong style, and lucha libre here, and it is back and forth a great deal. This is a modern match but it was done in 1997. Taka would go to the WWF at the time, and you’d also see Great Sasuke there for Canadian Stampede, if I recall correctly. This was very much back and forth, with a lot of double and even triple team moves, with an overall winner of Sasuke, Hamada, and Yakushiji, but it could’ve gone either way. One of the best matches on the card, and something a little different for the 1997 fan that was witnessing this for the first time.

Shane Douglas defeated Pitbull 2 in the ECW TV Championship Match

Maybe it was the fatigue of working 10 hour days, or maybe it was just that this match wasn’t that great, but something was off. Shane Douglas has been in some barn burners, but this was not it. This went 20 minutes and it was definitely not a great one. Pitbull is adequate, but it appeared he was blown up after a while, and Douglas slowed the pace down a bit. There were some insane moments, don’t get me wrong, but this was a much slower, and meandering match compared to what we had seen thus far. For 1997, this wasn’t bad, but for 2023 it just seemed a little much, and a bit boring at times. I had a hard time getting into it, even though I’m a Shane Douglas fan.

Taz defeated Sabu

Taz was wasted in WWE if you ask me. He was amazing in ECW and he did a lot of great work to make himself look like a monster. Hats off to him and Sabu for this one. Both men fought back and for about 17 minutes they put on a show of hardcore wrestling and it wasn’t half bad. Taz was the one that was doing more technical while Sabu was throwing himself at Taz, making for an interesting match indeed. Sabu would lose this one, but not without fighting hard to get a chance against Taz.

Terry Funk defeated The Sandman and Stevie Richards

This was a brawl, a 19 minutes slug fest with these three wrestlers. Stevie Richards is the most athletic overall, as Sandman and Terry Funk weren’t that great at this stage in their careers. Sandman and Funk were more hardcore wrestling archetypes in this match, meanwhile Richards was trying to include some semblance of wrestling. A good match, with lots of brawling, but it went a little long for my liking. Introducing a ladder, a trash can, and Terry Funk nearly eating it on a moonsault is something to see for yourself. A great affair this is not, but it was definitely a nice brawl.

Terry Funk defeated Raven for the ECW Championship

Terry Funk was already half dead at the start of this match. He just went through two others, and by the time Raven stormed the ring, he was definitely out. Raven would seem to have an easy opponent, only to find himself struggling to put away Funk. Funk would stick his ground, and box Raven even though Raven was the fresh man. This was a short brawl, under 10 minutes, and a roll up would get the pinfall and the crowd would go nuts! A Good brawl to send the fans home happy.

Final Thoughts:

Once again we visit 1997 and it isn’t bad. This first outing had a good deal of wrestling, and the guys put on a good showcase overall. For the most part, I liked it, even the dull parts. I liked the brawling, lucha style, and the overall offering. I liked the Japanese match the most, as it was most modern, but I dug the offering overall, and recommend this one. I give it a 3 out of 5.

You can see ECW Barely Legally 1997 on the peacock network, or you could track down the DVD for uncensored action.

AEW Dynamite 5/17/23 Results and Review

AEW Dynamite 5/17/2023

Here we go, the first review of this alternative to WWE, and you’re going to get my thoughts We have Wardlow coming out first and he wants to talk. I wasn’t sure what to expect with AEW or how their shows were, so it was interesting to see that they started things with talking. Not my favorite way to start a show, but I guess it is what it is. Christian and Luchasaurus came out to address Wardlow. This broke down into a brawl, and Christian brought out a ladder!

Cool opening, with a good beatdown, and a nice chokeslam through a ladder, Wardlow took some hits here, and the champion definitely has his hands full with Christian and Luchasaurus.

Orange Cassidy and Darby Allin defeated Lee Moriarty and Big Bill

An overall fast paced match was on hand here, with a showcase for Orange and Darby. They really put on a show back and forth with Lee and Bill. While I wasn’t sure what to expect, I was surprised to see the interactions and smoothness of the two teams. There were great tags and an overall good match with some nice action. Nice option.

Backstage we get a brawl with the Young Bucks and the Blackpool Fight Club, in which they beat down the Bucks and then walking away. Not bad.

Sammy Guevara defeated Exodus Prime

All this time I was under the impression that WWE was the only one doing burials. Well, nope, Exodus Prime just got buried on AEW tv. Not much of a match, kind of a waste of time. Sammy gets on the mic, I tuned out a bit.

FTR brawled with Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett. Read that again…wow Double J with a payday, dude really is still in the game! Don’t piss him off! Slap Nuts! Oh man. FTR got the better of the duo, and it got wild overall. I liked it, nice brawl to push the tag team title match for Double or Nothing. Double J and a large Indian guy came through and put FTR down, Karen Jarrett showed up too, and well there were FTR guitars in place, and boom! Double guitar break!

Toni Storm and Ruby Soho defeated Hikaru Shida and Dr. Britt Baker

A solid back and forth wrestling match, with all women getting some time to lay in their best work. Shida is awesome, Baker threw down some good moments but it was Storm and Soho that got the win after cheating. They used spray paint on their opponents eyes, and boom, scored the pinfall victory. Overall a good showing, and entertaining women’s match, with some solid action.

Roderick Strong defeated Chris Jericho in a Falls Count Anywhere Match

I’m a big fan of these type of things. Seeing this go down was good, with a lot of brawling back and forth. Jericho and Strong spilled to the outside, and even went into the arena floor and outside of the building. However after the two went outside, there was Adam Cole! Cole beat up Jericho, and Strong jumped in to get the pinfall victory outside of the arena. A good overall brawl, and a match that was like the hardcore title matches of WWE, without the plunder.

Jungle Boy defeated Rush

I wasn’t familiar with these two, so I can’t comment on their past. However, I did find this match to be interesting with Rush taking over a great deal of the match with Lucha style. Jungle Boy would eventually get a pinfall with a handful of tights, but overall, it was a nice back and forth match up. I was tired and falling asleep for it though.

Jay White defeated Ricky Starks via DQ

I was admittedly very tired during this match. SO much so that I couldn’t concentrate a great deal during it. However, I managed to bounce back and fight the yawning a bit. I fought it long enough to see the ending, which featured White getting a beatdown from Starks and company. White would win after Starks and company would introduce a steel chair, and continue their feud. I think that a major development will come through in the future, but for now, this match was a DQ finish.

Don Callis was supposed to say a great deal, but instead we got a Blackpool Combat Club beat down on the Elite and that was enough to get us through the end, including the return of Hangman Adam Page joining the Elite and declaring his allegiance. This is going to lead to something down the line I’m sure.

Overall Thoughts

For my first review, I can only say that the action was solid. That’s right, solid, or rather good. I am impressed with the amount of wrestling that was placed in a short span of time, and there was a good amount of detail given to the matches. I liked them, they were fresh, and we got a little continuation of the future. Overall, a good overall show that is a breath of fresh air this week compared to WWE Raw this week.