Photo credit: @Beezzzzy
We’re back for our fourth installment of Match Exchange Monday. If you don’t know by now, very week Andrew Semkow and I exchange five matches from various independent wrestling promotions, give our thoughts and rate them. For those who didn’t read the first three articles, you can check them out HERE.
We suggest everyone go ahead and add these matches to your watchlist. Let us know what you think by responding to the PWPonderings Twitter and Facebook posts, or send us a tweet at @zerepwrestling or @andrewsemkow. You can also share your own match recommendations with us. Give us some feedback, we would love to hear from you. With all that said, thanks for reading, be safe and wash your hands.
Andrew’s Recommended Match #1
Lio Rush vs. John Silver – Beyond Wrestling
February 28, 2016
Providence, Rhode Island
Andrew:
As you can tell me a Luis have an appreciation for Lio Rush. Watching his matches on the indies it’s clear to see he’s a very talented individual. Rush and John Silver put on a show starting with some technical wrestling. From there we see some hard strikes and some impressive back and forth from both men including some flippy stuff from Lio.
Luis:
By now you can probably figure out that me and Andrew are big fans of Beyond Wrestling. They’ve been my favorite promotion for years. A lot of that had to do with being able to access a lot of their library for FREE on YouTube. As for the match, styles clash usually make for great match ups. You have the speed of Lio Rush versus the strength of John Silver. John Silver throws some nasty strikes in this match. The ending sequence is pretty crazy.
***¾
Andrew’s Recommended Match #2
Ultimo Dragon vs. Joey Janela – Wrestle Pro
June 8, 2018
Rahway, New Jersey
Andrew:
Joey Janela doesn’t get enough credit for his fluidity and this match is an example of that. We see a technical match with a bit of lucha libre thrown into it. It’s also impressive seeing Ultimo Dragon who’s in his 50’s still going at it in this match. A short match but still a good one.
Luis:
This is a short match that doesn’t quite hit another gear. It’s almost as if there’s a second part to this match missing. With that said, you should watch this match for the sole reason of Sonny Onoo receiving the stiffest superkick to the back of the head I’ve ever seen. It’s a laugh out loud moment. FUCK SONNY ONOO.
***
Andrew’s Recommended Match #3
Chris Hero vs. Samoa Joe – Smash Wrestling
June 6, 2015
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Andrew:
I was always surprised that these two never met in the WWE and only one other time in 2004. We get two of the best big men in wrestling exchanging strikes and jockeying for control with holds. I like this match and I wish there had been at least one more from them before.
Luis:
This has been the best Smash Wrestling match that Andrew has shared with me. It’s also my favorite match from this week’s exchange. The match is a hard hitting contest between two of the best to ever step in the ring. There’s a ton of brutal strikes between these two big men. You’ll definitely want to witness this one.
****
Andrew’s Recommended Match #4
Ace Romero vs. AR Fox – Limitless Wrestling
May 13, 2017
Westbrook, Maine
Andrew:
The best way to describe the weapons in this match is “Ace Romero and AR Fox went to a garage sale and got everything the could.” This match throws everything at you. Guitar Hero controllers, bottle caps, gummy bears, and of course light tubes. By the end both men have had some insane bumps and the ring is chaos. Gotta love hardcore matches like this.
Luis:
This Fans Bring The Weapons match had some crazy moments. From light tubes to Legos to even gummy bears. I thought their Anything Goes match was crazy but this definitely tops it. The aftermath left inside the ring is insane. I feel bad for the people that had to clean that up.
***½
Andrew’s Recommended Match #5
Darby Allin, Evil Uno and Holidead vs. Ophidian and The Serpent Society – Demand Lucha
June 10, 2018
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Andrew:
A big match for Demand Lucha featuring some notable names. Of course, the big part of this match is the parts featuring Darby Allin against Ophidian. But we get some moments from Holidead and Evil Uno as well.
Luis:
Time for some trios action. This reminds me of a match you might see on Chikara’s King of Trios tournament. Decent match between these six wrestlers. Quite a shame we never got a Darby Allin vs. Ophidian singles match.
***¼
Luis’ Recommended Match #1
British Strong Style vs. The Carnies – Battle Club Pro
August 11, 2017
Brooklyn, New York
Luis:
This was a rare US indie appearance from Moustache Mountain. It took place at a packed school gym in Brooklyn, New York on a hot summer night. The match had a huge fight feel. Once you get past the goofiness in the beginning of the video, there’s a really good match between two really good tag teams. I happened to be a part of the standing room only crowd.
Andrew:
I never thought I’d see a match start with a game of cornhole. This match takes a little bit and seems disoriented at first because of the camera. Tyler Bate is the star of the match. When he gets in the ring he’s full of energy and strength. This match also features a great segment with all four men in the ring going back and forth. The ending was so close I wasn’t sure who was gonna get the win.
***¾
Luis’ Recommended Match #2
The Rascalz vs. Will Ospreay, Rocky Romero and Amazing Red – Warrior Wrestling
December 13, 2019
Chicago, Illinois
Luis:
On December 13th, Warrior Wrestling held their 7th event, Warrior Seven. The main event to the show had The Rascalz take on CHAOS members Amazing Red, Rocky Romero and Will Ospreay. The match was pretty insane. I’m not sure if this match got the praise it deserves but there’s some really crazy high flying spots. Hope Andrew and everyone else enjoys.
Andrew:
I’m a sucker for Will Ospreay so this match was up my alley. This is everything I want from a match from the Aerial Assasin. It’s high energy and acrobatic. There’s a tension built up every time they go back and forth. I also shouldn’t forget the great double and triple team moves both teams perform. If you enjoy acrobatic pro wrestling, this is for you.
****
Luis’ Recommended Match #3
Curt Stallion vs. Bobby Flaco – Action Wrestling
January 11, 2020
Tyrone, Georgia
Luis:
Curt Stallion was having a great start of 2020, having great matches at promotions such as SUP, New South and St. Louis Anarchy. This match from Action Wrestling’s Streets of Rage is no exception. Stallion takes on WW4A student Bobby Flaco. This is a hard hitting match between the two wrestlers. Great match with some great commentary from PWPonderings Newscast host Dylan Hales.
Andrew:
Curt Stallion is a striker offering some brutal hits while Bobby Flaco offers more from the top rope. A solid match with some crazy air from Bobby Flaco and hopefully a sign of what’s to come for these two wrestlers.
***½
Luis’ Recommended Match #4
Allie Kat vs. Mance Warner – Black Label Pro
August 18, 2018
Crown Point, Indiana
Luis:
This match has it all. There’s some comedy mixed with some hardcore spots. This was one of the first times I had seen Allie Kat doing this style of a match and I completely loved this. The Mancer Rules stipulation might’ve backfired on Mance Warner in this one.
Andrew:
A comedic match with tones of hardcore. The match starts off with Mance and Allie trying to psyche each other out and Mance and Allie start to evolve into cartoon characters. A nice change of pace for Mance Warner whose probably best known for his work in CZW. A decent match with a nice ending.
***
Luis’ Recommended Match #5
Masato Yoshino and PAC vs. Naruki Doi and Ricochet – Dragon Gate USA
January 29, 2011
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Luis:
United: Philly was the first Dragon Gate USA DVD I purchased. This match has two of the best high flyers in the world along with two Dragon Gate legends. This is a fantastic match in front of a fantastic Philadelphia crowd. I’m not sure if Dragon Gate USA gets the credit they deserve for being a great promotion in the early 2010s.
Andrew:
It’s always fun watching older matches and seeing familiar faces before they were stars. I’m sad I didn’t know there was a match featuring PAC and Ricochet against each other. If you liked the Rascalz vs. Will Ospreay, Rocky Romero, and Amazing Red match then you’ll love this match. This is probably the best match of the week for me.
*****