December 5th, 2018
I’ve been meaning to check out Bar Wrestling for awhile. I’ve seen a few matches here and there, but never was able to sit through an entire show. All of Bar Wrestling’s shows are available on powerslam.tv!
Ray Rosas w/Peter Avalon vs. Willie Mack
This was a pretty fun match to kick off the show, as Rosas got to shine in singles competition and Mack is over as always. Rosas used Avalon quite a bit, but mostly when Rosas had the figure four locked in, which dominated a good portion of this match. Mack sold the leg well for awhile, but eventually stopped selling it, which is my only gripe about this match. Otherwise, they mentioned some lighting issues in the arena which resulted in the venue being pretty dark, but I like the look. Rosas hit a BEAUTIFUL Code Red, but Mack kicked out and later hit a stunner and Chocolate Thunder Driver (which Rosas sold perfectly) to pick up the win.
Winner: Willie Mack
Match Rating: ***1/4
Heather Monroe vs. Rebel Kel
I’ve never seen (or even heard) of these two before, and it seems like they’re just locals because both need a lot of work in the ring. This certainly wasn’t a bad match, but it started out quite sloppy, and there’s wasn’t much drama down the stretch, and nothing big for the crowd to get into. Kel was a pretty good heel, and Moroe just came off as a generic babyface. In the end, she did the deal (hit a Falcon Arrow) and picked up the win.
Winner: Heather Monroe
Match Rating: **1/4
Doomfly (Delilah Doom and Eli Everfly) vs. Wakanda Vice (Eric Watts and Scorpio Sky)
This was a really fun match, easily the best thing on the show so far. Delilah did a great job of mixing it up with the guys, and Watts was in for most of this match. Eli Everfly is awesome, and hopefully he becomes the next breakout star in 2019. Everfly hit the typical Triple H spot in this one, as he spit out water and hit a pedigree on Watts, but it wasn’t enough to put Watts away. The closing stretch was phenomenal, as Sky and Everfly had a few great reversals, and then Everfly stole the pin from out of nowhere! Huge win for Doomfly, and Scorpio will be bringing his SCU partners (Kaz and Daniels) to Bar Wrestling in January!
Winners: Doomfly
Match Rating: ***1/2
PJ Black vs. Eli Drake
I’ve been a fan of Eli Drake for years now, but PJ Black hasn’t impressed me a ton since leaving WWE a few years ago. The first portion of this match took place outside the ring, as they brawled all around the bar. Here in Bar Wrestling, there are no countouts, and I’d also assume there aren’t any disqualifications either. They got things back inside, but it didn’t last long. Drake pulled out his inner Hulk Hogan, but PJ Black got out of the way of the leg drop, and Black became The Ultimate Warrior and hit a big splash to pick up the win. Nothing memorable, but quite a lot of fun down the stretch.
Winner: PJ Black
Match Rating: **3/4
Before our next match, Brian Cage purposes to Melissa Santos!
RockNES Monsters (Johnny Yuma and Kevin Martenson) vs. Brian Cage and Luchasaurus
Originally, Cage was supposed to face PCO and Willie Mack in a three way, but due to PCO’s signing to ROH, he had to pull out. The card changed quite a bit, so this is what we got! It was practically a tornado tag, but that worked out well because these four delivered! Easily on par with the other tag match before, if not better. Luchasaurus is so great, and he always works well with the smaller guys. Seeing him tag with Cage was a ton of fun, and this was all action, great near falls, and had an invested crowd. Great for a last minute replacement.
Winners: Brian Cage and Luchasaurus
Match Rating: ***1/2
Thumb Wrestling: Peter Avalon vs. Joey Ryan
This wasn’t much, just some entertainment for the live crowd as Joey is out with an injury. Joey did one of these in Australia against Cody, and lost. He was looking for redemption, but ended up losing yet again! Peter Avalon used his heel tactics to pick up the win, but Joey got his revenge on Ray Rosas afterward.
Winner: Peter Avalon
Match Rating: NR
LAX (Santana and Ortiz) vs. Violence Unlimited (Brody King and Tyler Bateman)
Just like the other tag matches, this one delivered! I’d say it was the best out of the three, but they all were great in their own way. Brody and Bateman are a pretty unknown team, but they got quite a few bookings in PWG this year, along with here in Bar Wrestling. LAX was one of the best teams here in 2018, and it’s matches like these to prove that. They never disappoint, and bring new things into each match they have. Much like the last tag, it had a very invested crowd, and there were a few great near falls down the stretch. LAX picked up the win in a near 15 minute match, which was the perfect length.
Winners: LAX
Match Rating: ***1/2
Final Thoughts:
One of the main things that always intrigued me about Bar Wrestling was the show lengths. Each show is around an hour and a half, which I think is the PERFECT length for a show. Once you go over that 2 hour mark, some of the matches begin to feel the same, and the crowd begins to lose interest. There’s no reason indy shows need to be 3+ hours. I had no problem sitting through this show, as there was a ton of good action, and the Thumb Wrestling Match also fit. Besides the women’s match (which wasn’t even that bad), there wasn’t a single bad thing on this show. It flew by, had three great tag matches, and I can’t wait to watch more.
Final Rating: 7.0/10
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