January 6th, 2019
Aaron Orion vs. Warhorse
Aaron Orion impressed me a ton at Fear of the Dark, but this was a pretty average match that proved he isn’t quite ready. This one started off hot, and I thought we were in for a really great match. Sadly, Aaron Orion had a pretty weak heat segment, as his beatdown of Warhorse felt like forever. Things picked back up near the end, with Warhorse getting the expected win. I wish they would’ve chose a better finish instead of the two clotheslines, and I also believe this would’ve been better if it was shorter. Not a bad match, but I expected better.
Winner: Warhorse
Match Rating: **3/4
Aaron Solow vs. Mike Outlaw
Nothing really special here, however it was Mike Outlaw’s first singles outing in Glory Pro. Aaron Solow is such an underrated wrestler, and he’s done well in both of his Glory Pro matches so far. Sadly, the match started off slow and commentary focused on the TLC match later in the show instead of giving us some insight on what to expect from either guy. That said, things started to pick up but there was never a great closing stretch, rather Outlaw hitting a cool sling blade on the apron, and then a botchy curb stomp. Outlaw probably didn’t need the win, but it was his singles debut so it makes sense.
Winner: Mike Outlaw
Match Rating: **1/2
Craig Mitchell vs. Orion Creed vs. Mark Wheeler vs. Seishin
Tootie is under a new persona, as she’s now wearing a mask and going as “Seishin”. Tootie is still insanely over, and she did a great job in this match, as it was all about her. Craig Mitchell is a fun big guy, and was the only one to stand out from this match. Orion Creed sold really well, especially on the finish. It took Seishin quite a long time to get her balance on the back of Orion, and then she hit a code red off the top rope, which Orion made look like a million bucks, and then Seishin got the win. Nothing amazing here, but a fun match nonetheless.
Winner: Seishin
Match Rating: **3/4
Barackus vs. Kobe Durst
Very interesting match, as Durst got a ton in and picked up a HUGE upset win. Barackus has been unstoppable as of late, and I figured this would be a 5 or so minute match with Barackus dominating, only for Durst to get a big kickout and hope spot before taking the loss. That was totally the oppsoite, as Durst was on the offensive for quite some time, and hit two codebreakers to pick up the win. Barackus got a big ovation post match, but I wish the pop for Durst getting the win was better. Not a ton here, but the upset was huge and totally unexpected.
Winner: Kobe Durst
Match Rating: **3/4
Jake Something vs. AJ Gray
If I’m being honest, this was a very disappointing match. The crowd didn’t’ seem to care, and even after they hit some big moves there was little to no reaction. Really sad when there’s only a huge pop for them attacking the referee’s after the match. I had high hopes for this match, but in the end we got a no finish to likely set up a rematch for the Anniversary show. Double countout, which is fine because these two need to get back in there and have a great match. After the match they brawled some more, attacking the referee’s and then the locker room came out only for Gray to jump on everyone. I need a rematch because this was underwhelming to say the least.
Winner: Double Countout
Match Rating: **
Eddie Kingston vs. Paco
Dare I say this was the first GOOD match on this show so far. While not on the level of their previous match, I thought this was really solid and did a good job of showing Paco can hang with Kingston, but in the end set up the rubber match. There weren’t many great near falls, but I thought everything they did worked, but the match was a little long. Kingston got the win pretty much the same way Paco beat him the first time around, and now they’ll square off in a 2/3 falls match at the Anniversary show.
Winner: Eddie Kingston
Match Rating: ***1/4
Joey Lynch vs. Shane Sabre vs. Jake Lander
Very, very enjoyable match here, easily my favorite thing on the show so far. It was all action that made me a fan of all three, especially Lynch and Lander. I’ve seen Sabre before and know he’s pretty good, but Lynch and Lander stepped up big time here and this match ruled. There were a ton of awesome spots here, and Lander really stood out to me, and the crowd said “bring him back” after the match. Joey Lynch picked up the win and I can’t wait to see him back in action.
Winner: Joey Lynch
Match Rating: ***1/2
Vanessa Azure vs. Allie Kat
So the main focus of this match was Vanessa Azure and her water bottle… Interesting. Nothing special here, the women got some time to work but it wasn’t the cleanest, and the crowd didn’t care a ton either. Glory Pro says they’ll be focusing more on the women’s division in 2019, bringing in new talent and featuring them in bigger matches. Give us Tootie vs. Savanna Stone already, this was boring and I don’t need to see either back anytime soon. Also, Allie Kat’s finisher is the piledriver, but Azure practically landed on top of her and it didn’t look brutal at all. Let’s move onto the TLC match!
Winner: Allie Kat
Match Rating: **
United Glory Championships TLC Match: Stephen Wolf and Myron Reed (c) vs. #NNF vs. Besties in the World
While I’m never the biggest fan of TLC matches that end in pin or submission, this was a really awesome match that definitely delivered. Reed and Wolf tried to work with The Besties for a good part of the match to take down KLD and Danny Adams. The Besties had a table designated for KLD, but Stephen Wolf went through that one, thankfully KLD went through one a bit later! The finish was brutal, as Fitchett and Vega hit Brain Damage to Danny Adams on a chair, and got the win. Smart that Reed and Wolf didn’t get pinned, because I’m sure those two teams will kill it when they face off. Great match here, with an interesting post match attack.
Winners: Besties in the World
Match Rating: ***3/4
After the match, The Four Star Heroes came out and attacked The Besties! The crowd most likely didn’t know who they were by the reaction, but the Glory Pro tag division is so stacked right now it’s great.
Crown of Glory Championship: Curt Stallion (c) vs. Bandido
Good match here, but I felt it was missing the drama of a title change because we all knew Curt Stallion was going to retain. Bandido hit his huge German Suplex, but Stallion kicked out and the crowd barely reacted. They got a solid amount of time, and this was a really good match. There were a lot of awesome moves, and just seeing Bandido in Glory Pro was awesome. The finish took a bit long to set up, but Stallion got the win with a huge german off the top rope. I LOVE how Stallion came into this match not backing down and going face to face with Bandido, shows just how much confidence he has and he sure backed it up.
Winner: Curt Stallion
Match Rating: ***1/2
Final Thoughts:
I saw quite a few people who went to the show live called this “the best Glory Pro show ever”, but to me it was just another good outing for Glory Pro. The undercard was pretty weak, and the show really didn’t pick up until after Intermission. Something/Gray was a disappointment to me, and I really expected more from those two. I was really impressed by Lynch and Lander, also Tootie is killing it with her new persona. In the end, Kingston/Paco, the three way, TLC, and main event were all really solid and worth checking out. Let’s hope the Anniversary event knocks it out of the park!
Final Rating: 6.6/10