-Taped from Taylor, Michigan
-Your host is Lenny Leonard
-Chuck Taylor and Jake Manning make their way to the ring. Manning has now shaved down to a moustache, so the douchiness just oozes from him. Taylor says the Swamp Monster is missing. This is the breaking news coming from this show. Nothing more important than this can possibly happen on this show. Forget the title matches. Forget anything else. Taylor says since they’ll be going to the forest to search for the monster, they need to build a campfire. Manning begins showing everyone on worldwide iPPV how to make fire. Unfortunately, they’re in Michigan, a state that’s seen so many riots, they know how to build them quite easily. Rich Swann quickly breaks this whole deal up just as I was taking out my notebook. He specifically goes after Taylor and they brawl about ringside before going to the back. Jon Davis comes out. This is the opener I presume.
-Jon Davis vs. Jake Manning
Match in Five Words or Less: Perfunctory
Match Highlights: Manning gets the jump on Davis coming into the ring. Series of blows and stomps. Big bodyslam and he’s hurt. Davis with a bodyslam of his own. Manning takes to the outside. Boot from Manning. Vertical suplex no sold. Boot from Davis. Stalling vertical suplex goes about 47 seconds. Chinbreaker by Manning. Backbreaker into a flatliner by Manning. Double axehandle to the back. Forearm. Turns into an exchange. Manning rakes the eyes. Davis sent head first into the turnbuckle. Manning sends Davis into the middle turnbuckle. Elbow to the back of the neck. Forearm and a series of shoulder tackles in the corner. Chop to the back. Davis is not phased. Hard chop. They exchange. Spinebuster by Davis. Running knee strike only gets two. Manning out. Elbows from Davis. Running boot to the head. Three seconds around the world and Davis picks up the win.
Match Analysis: A basic squash to get Davis over and not much else. His big match comes in Chicago the next night against Yamato so it was a nice idea to have him go through something like this to get some momentum for the next night. While this was barely competitive, it at least served its purpose.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Jon Davis/4:45/*
-Just as Davis exits, Swann brings Taylor back to the ring. I guess this is leading to the second match of the night.
-Rich Swann vs. Chuck Taylor
Match in Five Words or Less: Doesn’t Make Sense
Match Highlights: Swann hits an immediate tope con helo on Taylor as the bell rings. Taylor with a boot on the floor. He tells the fans to move and sends Swann knee first into the chairs. Out comes a ladder. He tosses it at Swann before setting it up. Swann hits Taylor with a chair and strikes him hard in the back. I guess this is no disqualification. Swann continues the attack and sends Taylor head first into the apron. Then into a row of chairs. Taylor goes to the eyes. Taylor nails Swann with something, can’t quite make it out. Swann does an overhead throw of Taylor into the ladder. Uppercuts by Swann land Taylor in a chair. Taylor drops down and hits Swann with a chair. Taylor rams Swann’s left knee into the side of the ring. Kicks from Swann. Series of right hands. Taylor sends Swann head first into the post. DDT. Yeesh. Finally back in the ring and Taylor taunts him. Swann blocks a slap and manages a superkick. Uranagi and running kick from Taylor. Swinging powerbomb into the cover for two. Swann counters another powerbomb into a DDT. Handspring Laurinitis crusher and spinning enziguri by Swann lead to another nearfall. Taylor hits a charging Swann with a knee. To the top. Swann hits another enziguri. Rana blocked and Taylor locks the half crab. That was a sweet counter. Swann crawls and grabs the bottom rope. Taylor refuses to break the hold. The official calls for a disqualification in what is a terrible ending.
Johnny Gargano makes the save and clears the ring of Taylor. Christina von Eerie comes out to yak at Gargano. She says Akira Tozawa is going to win the belt later on. She spits in Gargano’s face, but he won’t strike her back. This wasn’t even close to the most annoying she would be on this weekend.
Match Analysis: This should have been a big time grudge match after what happened at Wrestlemania weekend, and this just didn’t felt like anything significant. The placement on the card was only the first issue. The fact that these two brawled on the outside and used a million weapons, only for Taylor to be DQ’d after refusing to break the half crab, was the biggest problem. The ending came off so lame. Sadly, these two were on their way to a fun singles match. As is, this felt meaningless.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Rich Swann/7:48/**
-The Super Smash Brothers (Player Uno and Player Dos) vs. The Scene (Scott Reed and Kaleb Conley w/ Larry Dallas)
Match in Five Words or Less: An Obscene Finish
Match Highlights: Uno and Dos nearly knock the entrance down, so I guess they’re tearing down DG USA from the inside. No random women on this night. That’s what happens when you go to Michigan I guess. Exchange of shoulder blocks. Criss cross. Uno shoulder blocks him down. Another shoulder tackle sends Reed down. Middle finger and a tag to Conley. Dos joins the party as well. They also stay basic. Rana by Dos. Double team back elbows from SSB. Moonsault by Dos as Uno performs a fist drop. Uno claps his hands around Konley’s head. Bodyslam by Uno and they pose. Chop by Dos. Konley heads outside. Tope con helo from Dos and back in the ring they go. Reed charges and gets elbowed. Rolled back in the ring. Springboard but Reed punches him in the face. Heat segment on Dos. Low double dropkick by Dos. He ranas both Scene members over. Hot tag to Uno. Clotheslines for everyone. Double chops send Reed in the corner. Running knee strike. Back elbow. Dallas grabs his leg. Konley hits a discus elbow. Uno grabs the bottom rope. Series of forearms by Konley. Heat segment on Uno now. Uno catches Reed in a flatliner. Dos tags and hits a cross body. Dropkick sends Konley off the apron. Que brada but Reed catches him. DDT by Dos. Half nelson suplex on Konley. Cover on Reed gets two. Double stomp misses. Kick from Reed. Uno catches Dos. Reed charges and gets kicked. Another kick misses. Double team leg drop gets two. Uno sends Reed into the waiting boot of Dos in the corner. Chop by Uno. Dos misses charge in the corner. Back chop and splash mountain by Reed. Dos battles off both members the Scene. Spinebuster in the corner. Slingshot into a powerslam by Reed. Uno pitched to the outside. Dos takes Konley up and over. Uno comes in with a right hand on Reed. He pauses Konley as well, but Reed superkicks him. Double pele kicks by Dos. Dallas becomes involved but gets kicked off. Reed pushes Dos. OBSCENE hits. Dos breaks up the count? Dos superkicks Konley. Forearms. Konley hits Dos in the back. Knee strikes. Sloppy suplex takes Reed in the corner. FATALITY! SSB pick up a win in their first DG USA match.
Match Analysis: This match turned out to be a complete mess by the end. If the double heat segment on the part of the Scene wasn’t bad enough, you also had a botched near ending and SSB being dragged down to midcard level. I’ve seen a lot of incredible SSB matches in places like PWG. This was most definitely not one of them. I feared exactly what happened here would happen. The obsession with the Scene really needs to stop. It’d be one thing if they had any character whatsoever, but they’re one of the most generic tag teams in indy wrestling, and Larry Dallas does them no favors. Very disappointing debut.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: The Super Smash Brothers/12:43/**
-Ricochet is wrestling under protest on this night because he’s undefeated as the Open the United Gate tag team champions. He’s unhappy about having to win the belt a third time without having lost.
-Ricochet vs. Yamato
Match in Five Words or Less: Too Short
Match Highlights: Feeling out process between the two men. Yamato wants Ricochet to come off the ropes. Boot by Ricochet. Ricochet rolls over. Nice rana and dropkick send Yamato out. Ricochet bounces off the ropes. Yamato crawls under the ring but attacks from behind on the other side. Dropkick. Stomps in the face. Into a half crab. Stomps take Ricochet into the corner and he chokes away. Low dropkick into the right leg of Ricochet. Pair of chops in different corners and Ricochet isn’t doing so hot. Open hand chop. Yamato comes back with one of his own. Back elbow in the corner. Whip out of the corner but Ricochet collapses. Boot out of the corner by Ricochet. Blind charge misses. Shoulder block. Enziguri. Springboard lariat. Forearms by Ricochet. Spinning enziguri and zig zag by Ricochet. Standing shooting star process leads to a two count. Dragon screw legwhip by Yamato. Pele kick caught by Yamato and he grabs an ankle lock. Ricochet grabs the bottom rope. Back to the stomps go Yamato. Solid right hand. Ricochet with a forearm. Forearm exchange. Kicks from Ricochet. Flurry of offense ends with a Laurinitis crusher. Corkscrew press but again only two. Phoenix splash but Yamato kicks out at two. Pele by Yamato misses. Roll-up exchange. Boot from Yamato. Spear hits. 1-2-3! That was literally out of nowhere.
Jon Davis comes out to hype his match with Yamato the next night. Davis says it’s all about respect. Yamato responds with a low blow and a sleeper. Guess he doesn’t respect Davis. Yamato won’t let go of the sleeper.
Match Analysis: For the 11 minutes or so this went, this match was very good. Unfortunately, it only went 11 minutes. I am appalled the Scene got more time than Ricochet and Yamato. Also, just as the match was really getting into high gear, Yamato simply wins with a spear. Has he ever won a match with a spear…anywhere? If he did, please let me know and I’ll retract my statement. Otherwise, yeesh. Good match and worth checking out though. Hope there’s rematch down the road too
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Yamato/11:35/***1/2
-N8 Mattson and Derrick Ryze vs. D.U.F (Arik Cannon and Pinkie Sanchez)
Match in Five Words or Less: Dirty And Ugly Indeed
Match Highlights: Mattson is a Michigan local while Ryze was someone who participated in the seminar earlier in the day. Cannon and Sanchez have a match with SSB the next night, so I’m assuming they’re merely being put over here to establish them somewhat for the next night. Sanchez and Mattson start. They take turns working over the arm. Matteson armdrags Sanchez into the corner. Hip tosses by Mattson. Dropkick and Sanchez again counters into the corner. Tag to Ryze. Double hip toss. Dropkick. Mattson off the top with a shot to the back. Sanchez sends him in the corner and hits flying hip attack. Cannon tosses him away. Cannon takes him down and ties Mattson’s legs up. Cannon downs a beer and gives Ryze a golden mist. Can in the face for Ryze. Ouch. Cannon takes him in the corner. Elbow. Snapmare and punch to the face. Heat segment continues. Swinging neckbreaker by Matteson gets a nearfall. DUF recover. Lungblower off the middle rope for Mattson. Hot tag to Ryze. Leg lariats. Cannon catches and drops him down for two. Series of forearms. Ryze hits a forearm. Clothesline by Cannon. Mattson breaks the count. Kick blocked. Cannon sends him up and over. Kick to the side of the head by Ryze. Cannon with a right hand. Wheelbarrow. Sanchez hits a double stomp. Superkick by Cannon. Total Anarchy ends it.
Match Analysis: This was just a match to come out of intermission and not much else. Cannon and Sanchez are okay as individuals but they’ve never been all that impressive in DG USA for whatever reason. Ryze and Matteson were acceptable in their roles, but this match didn’t do much for me either.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Arik Cannon and Pinkie Sanchez/9:12/*
-Masada comes out after the match since he was invited by Sami Calihan to join the D.U.F a couple weeks earlier at a CZW show. Masada says he’s not joining D.U.F and swears a lot. Cannon tells Sanchez he’ll have to stand up for the D.U.F. Sanchez obliges and calls Masada boy.
-Masada vs. Pinkie Sanchez
Match in Five Words or Less: Pinkie Is Dead
Match Highlights: Right hand no sold. Masada with a series of chops in the corner. Another whip in the corner. Sanchez gets his boot up. High back drop. Sanchez sent to the outside. He grabs a chair. Masada gives chase. Sliding dropkick between the ropes and he follows up with a dive. Masada tosses a chair at Sanchez. When did DG USA adapt CZW rules? Masada tosses Sanchez into the row of chairs. They take a tour of the building. Sanchez kicks the middle rope and catches Masada low. Pair of dragon screw leg whips. Masada boots him away. Bodyslam and elbow drops. Third one misses. Flying hip attack blocked. Clubbering blow to the back on Sanchez. Big right hand to the face of Sanchez. Suplex countered. Low dropkick by Sanchez. Shining wizard. Back elbow out of the corner by Masada. Chops from Masada. Powerslam. Springboard caught in a sloppy powerbomb. Masada hits another one and applies a submission hold to get the victory in his DG USA debut.
Match Analysis: A guy who mumbles and swears his way through his first promo is not going to impress me. Neither is beating Pinkie Sanchez. I’ve not seen a lot of his CZW work, so I cannot speak to how good of a talent he actually is, but I can’t say I’m chomping at the bit to see what this guy is all about after tonight. This was just another match to establish a guy rather than a real quality competitive contest.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Masada/5:59/*
-Cima and AR Fox vs. El Generico and Samuray Del Sol
Match in Five Words or Less: Saving The Show
Match Highlights: Generico and Del Sol have had two incredible matches in Evolve while Cima seems to believe Fox is the next great high flyer in the world. “Everybody!” chant to begin. Code of honor is followed between the four men. Generico and Cima start. They stay basic to begin. Pace picks up with a series of counters. They stand off. Del Sol and Fox come in next. They also keep things on the mat. Fox ranas Del Sol over. Hammerlock. Back elbows by Del Sol. Off the ropes and an armdrag. Leapfrog by Del Sol. Springboard but Fox lands on his feet. Dropkicks go awry. Crowd gives them a nice ovation. Generico tags back in and works over Fox’s arm. Shoulder tackle by Fox. Armdrags by Generico. Chop. Fox takes Generico in the corner. Cima in with a boot. Snapmare and a snap double stomp. Cima stretches Generico out. Roll-up by Generico. Stomp and a tag to Del Sol. Series of kicks in the corner. Snapmare and one more kick. Springboard splash across the chest for two. Headlock. Cima brings him down with a back suplex. Running leg drop by Fox. 1-2-NO! Del Sol with a chinbreaker and step-up enziguri. Generico right hands Cima in the midsection. Right hand by Generico. A series of kicks. Fox sent head first into the turnbuckle. Snapmare into a chinlock. Whip and spear into the corner by Del Sol. Cross armbreaker. Fox choked by Del Sol. Generico hits a double axehandle off the top rope. Fox slowly comes back. Forearm exchange. Generico kicks him down. Del Sol with an elbow to the back. Fox hits a stunner. Del Sol to the apron. Springboard blocked as Cima sends him off the apron. Generico goes after his partner. Fox hits a reverse 450 splash to the outside! Cima covers Del Sol for two back in the ring. Snap suplex. Cima twists Del Sol as Generico has apparently gone to the back with an undisclosed injury. Fox hits a twisting suplex. Modified camel clutch by Fox as Generico comes out with a heavily taped right shoulder. Double stomp by Fox. Series of elbows and a double team suplex. Generico grabs Cima, but Cima hits him right in the injured shoulder. Cima ties Del Sol’s legs. Del Sol reaches the bottom rope. Dropkick in the bum as Fox holds him. Slingshot splash gets two. Slam by Fox. Split legged splash. Double flapjack and dropkick. Del Sol sent head first into the turnbuckle. Fox applies an abdominal stretch. Del Sol fights out and grabs a headlock. Elbows. Standing sliced bread and Fox sells it tremendously. Generico in with clotheslines for everyone. Chop on Cima. DDT. Fox attacks him. Del Sol with a side kick. Huge dive to the floor. Generico hits a blue thunder powerbomb on Cima back in the ring for two. Generico sends Cima into Del Sol’s boot. Generico slam. Assisted 450 splash sends Del Sol on top of Cima. That was awesome. Double whip. Del Sol up and over. Generico misses. Cima with a slap. Venus. Iconoclasm. Swanton by Fox. 1-2-NO! Fox whips Generico. Running forearm. Generico has a yakuza blocked. Back elbow by Fox. Springboard Laurinitis crusher. 1-2-NO! Exchange of forearms in the ring as Cima and Del Sol battle outside. Generico hits a boot. A second one. Matrix and an enziguri. Generico catches Fox and hits an exploder into the corner. Yakuza kick. Half nelson suplex. Del Sol hits a reverse rana. Double cover. 1-2-NO! Cima breaks the count. Cima shoves Del Sol out of the ring with his feet and they go back outside. Generico places Fox on the top rope for a brainbuster. Fox blocks him. Cima hits a stranglehold backcracker. 450 by Fox. Del Sol breaks the count now. Stomps. Blows to Fox and a punt to the arm. Whip to the corner. Charge misses. Double knees from Cima. Springboard dropkick by Fox. Double knees from Cima. Cannonball in the corner. Lo Mein Pain. METEORA! 1-2-3!
Match Analysis: What a wild and crazy tag team match this was. My favorite part may have been the spectacular ending as Fox and Cima hit everything under the sun to finally win. Aside from issues with Del Sol’s no-selling, this is exactly what I want out of a Dragon Gate style tag team match, and boy did they deliver. Between the two singles matches and now this tag, I have to believe Del Sol owes Generico his career at this point. Just a wonderful match all around. This really saved the show from the doldrums of mediocrity. For all the criticisms of DG USA that are levied out (most of them deserved), they allow their athletes to put up or shut up on a consistent basis better than any company in the world.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Cima and AR Fox/26:33/****1/4
-All four men show respect for each other and Cima puts over AR Fox as the next great high flyer.
-Open the Freedom Gate Championship: Johnny Gargano (champion) vs. Akira Tozawa (w/Christina Von Eerie)
Match in Five Words or Less: Gargano Is Staying
Match Highlights: This is a rematch from an unbelievably physical match they had at Untouchable 2011. Tozawa also pinned Gargano at Heat, the still unseen DG USA show from March of this year. Exchange of armdrags. Senton by Tozawa. GargaNo Escape locked in. Superkick misses and we have a stalemate. Chop and forearm in the corner by Gargano. Gargano wins with an exchange. Running boot. Clothesline sends Tozawa over the top. Tozawa holds Gargano’s leg. One tope suicida. Gargano follows him inside and hits a tope suicida of his own. Elbow by Tozawa. He manages a tope suicida. Gargano catches him. Boot by Tozawa. Spear back in the ring. Gargano with a bodyslam. Dropkick to the side of the head. Punt to the back. Gargano works the left arm of Tozawa. Tozawa reverses a whip. Boots from Gargano. Tozawa catches Gargano in a gutbuster. Stomp to the back of the head. Choking in the corner. Stomp and a double axehandle. Bodyslam. Senton. Von Eerie brings a chair up. She distracts the official while Tozawa hits a senton splash onto the chair. Boots and choking from Tozawa. Into the corner for a series of chops. Straight right hand sends Gargano down. Whip across. Tozawa catches his boot. Enziguri by Gargano. Low bridge. Dive misses. Shoulder tackle. Slingshot DDT. Gargano with a series of chops in the corner. Whip reversed. Gargano ducks. Leaping knee strike and a clothesline. Running boot to the face. Tozawa gets a boot out of the corner. Duck of the clothesline. Suplex battled over. Gargano finally connects and suplexes him into the corner. Double axehandle. Reverse of the whip and a running boot. Back suplex gets two. To the apron they go. Forearm by Tozawa. Then he catches Gargano with a knee to the face on another superman spear attempt. Tozawa goes for a superplex. Gargano knocks him down. Bicycle kick. Superplex hits. Forearm exchange. Gargano with a flurry. Bicycle kick by Tozawa. Superkick by Gargano. Incredible exchange of offense. Tozawa climaxes it with a shining wizard. Ridiculous. Back to the forearms as both men are kneeling down. They slowly rise. Tozawa goes for the Everest German suplex. Elbows by Gargano. Tozawa with a forearm. Dropkick in the corner by Gargano. Back superplex. Lawn dart into the bottom turnbuckle. Superkick connects. 1-2-NO! GargaNo Escape. Tozawa puts his foot on the rope. Tozawa rolls under the ropes. Forearms on the apron by Gargano. Superkick. Tozawa responds. German suplex on the apron! Back in the ring. Tozawa screams before going for the Everest German suplex. O’Connor roll blocked. Bicycle kick to the back of the head. Tozawa blocked a reverse rana. Series of roll-ups. Everest German suplex by Tozawa. 1-2-NO! GargaNo Escape! Tozawa crawls to the rope and reaches it. Kicks to the arm. Kick to the midsection by Tozawa. Another misses. German suplex. Straight Jacket German suplex! 1-2-NOOOOO! Hurts Doughnut but Tozawa kicks out. A second hits. GargaNo Escape for a third time and Tozawa finally taps.
Match Analysis: I’m not sure if this was better than the Untouchable match, but this was a fantastic performance by both men. These two men have grown so much in their respective careers since DG USA started. These two alone have justified the existence of this promotion show in and show out. Great flurries of offense from both men. A perfect way to cap off the night. This show needed the last two matches to deliver, and boy did they.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Johnny Gargano/25:42/****
-Time for the big speech as Gargano thanks everyone and cites a young man in the audience. He relates this to his first show, which was an independent wrestling show. Gargano says he wants to main event Wrestlemania some day but talks about his goal, which was to become an independent professional wrestler. He’s upset about people who only use the indies to forward their own career. He talks about giving everyone their money’s worth. Gargano says he’s pained by the situation with independent wrestling. He talks about guys going to Florida to forward their careers. He says he’s going to steer the ship of professional wrestling in the right direction. He says this is a good-bye of sort, and now he’s a man on a mission, to make DG USA the best organization in North America. He won’t leave until the mission is complete. Indy wrestling in his blood. Gargano says as long as he’s here, people will get their money’s worth. Chuck Taylor and Jake Manning take their chance to attack Gargano. Manning works him over in the ring. Here comes Swamp Monster, but it’s Taylor. Omega Driver hit. Cima finally comes in to make the save and thank everyone for coming in his own way.
Here are my thoughts on the speech. I will always admire Gargano’s passion and sincerity. No one seems to want it more than him. He’s worked extremely hard to better himself as a man and as a professional wrestling. When we talk about people “growing up,” this is what we mean. That being said, one man can only do so much. Indy wrestling may indeed be dying, but it is going to take the efforts of everyone involved to make it better. Gargano is under no obligation to wait it out. If he gets offered a deal he can’t refuse, Gargano should take it and run far away. He’s given enough of himself and his body to where he deserves every opportunity he gets. We can chant “This is awesome” all we wants, but it doesn’t pay bills and doesn’t feed families. Wrestling in Florida just might.
The Verdict: If not for the last two matches, I’d have given this show a thumbs down. Thankfully, these last matches do exist and they make Untouchable a thumbs up show. This was show was more like a set-up for Chicago and the future moreso than anything else. DG USA is trying to establish some new American talent, and if they’re going to only bring in three Japanese talents, then they won’t have much of a choice to bring in a bunch of new wrestlers.
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Champing at the bit, not chomping. N8 Mattson, not Matteson.