It was this year when I discovered the style of fighting that is the Union of Wrestling Forces International (UFWi). I had found out about UWFi through Paradigm Pro Wrestling running their Grand Prix and had enjoyed watching so much that I decided to go down the rabbit hole of YouTube to watch any match from the original company that I could. I find that these rules encapsulated what I enjoyed about mixed martial arts in middle school (the decisive nature of a fight) and added in the faces that I know and love from independent professional wrestling.
When Paradigm announced that they were looking to add some new blood by way of starting this Contenders Series, I was absolutely stoked. Getting more of this content without it being tied to a tournament all the while finding new and familiar faces dipping their toes in the style was more than enough for me to hop aboard the train. While I was unfortunately unable to watch this inaugural episode live due to the holidays, I got to unwind from Christmas with this gift of a show.
Match #1: Gnarls Garvin vs Lord Crewe
These two men fought differing styles; Lord Crewe looking to bullrush and strike and Garvin using his mass to have his way with slams. Garvin, to his credit, managed to slam Crewe to the mat with a German Suplex that caused the referee count the ten, though unsuccessfully. Ultimately, Lord Crewe would take Garvin’s back and successfully lock in a Rear-Naked-Choke for the submission victory. Post-fight, J-Rose quoted AJ Gray calling Lord Crewe the future, to which Crewe proclaims that its his time and that he’s in Paradigm to fight.
This was a fight where I wasn’t exactly sure how it would go, but man did I enjoy it! I honestly thought Lord Crewe’s plan of rushing Garvin with strikes would’ve backfired and been met with brute strength but the results say different. These are definitely two guys I want to see continue to fight this style because they really fit it well. Garvin in particular seems like he could get that Super Vader level of dominance if he continues to develop his game-plan under these rules.
Match #2: Janai Kai vs Jordan Blade
This match was absolutely incredible showing for Jordan Blade as she completely dominated the pace of combat. Blade attacking Kai’s lower back, using knees to pound and grind into Kai and hitting a Gutwrench Suplex for the ref’s count looked absolutely brutal. Things would continue to get interesting as Jordan let Kai take mount while standing. However, Blade shuffled perfectly into a leg lock for the submission victory. Post-fight Jordan Blade made her next target clear: Chase Holiday and his Midwest Territory Championship Chain.
Again I cannot overstate how impressed I was with seeing Jordan Blade for the first time. However, to give credit where it’s due, Janai did fight like she really wanted this win; throwing some great strikes early and landing a few strong ones while standing over Blade. I would love to see more from her in this Contenders Series to truly see what she is capable of under this ruleset.
Match #3: Isaiah Broner vs Crash Jaxon
Two big men going at it is the story of this one as both Broner and Crash Jaxon make their debuts here. This was a strike heavy bout to boot with Broner trying to make Jaxon retreat into the corner and possibly burn a point on a rope break. Things would slow down a little bit as Jaxon used his weight, and a couple well placed knees to anchor Broner to the mat. Though the ref would return Broner and Jaxon to their feet after the action slipped under the ropes. After failing to gain a count-out off of an Exploder Suplex, Jaxon would sprint head first into a back elbow by Broner for a knockout. Post-fight, Broner would send J-Rose to the back and claim that he runs Paradigm now.
I admittedly was unsure of what to expect in this battle of two big men but that flash knockout absolutely took me off my feet. This felt a little brief in regard to getting a feel for both of these guys, but Broner did leave an impression with that sick knockout. I am looking forward to seeing just what he can do as this series progresses and more talent rolls in.
Segment: Don’t Die Miles Calls Out Bobby Beverly
Before the next contest commenced, Don’t Die Miles hit the ring looking for a fight, naming Bobby Beverly. Then out came the man himself and a small scrum would begin. The brief scrap would end in Beverly tackling Miles to the mat and shoving him out of the ring. Bobby would leave and Miles would be left to peel himself off of the mat, still spoiling for a fight against Bobby.
Match 4: Tommy Kyle Dean vs Lexus Montez
There were kicks aplenty from the early onset, though Montez was able to take advantage to sweep Tommy onto the ground. The fight would continue on the ground soon after with Montez keeping high mount position. Tommy would need to use a rope break after Lexus successfully gained his back and delivered some heavy elbows to his head. TKD wouldn’t take this lying down and landed a heavy high kick to call for a ref’s count, which Lexus answered. The kicking game would bite Tommy once again as he was put on his back and nearly submitted with a leg lock.
After a failed standing transition and rope break, Tommy managed to stumble Lexus with a Jump Kick to his side. Seeing red, Montez cornered TKD, but had to break the hold on him due to a rope break. In the end, much like the last fight, Montez sends Tommy to the floor with a knockout by way of a back elbow to the side of the head. Post-fight, Montez grabs the mic from J-Rose and proclaims that he will be thought of with the best of the best and that respect is earned.
These two really brought the fight in this one and delivered an excellent bout. Tommy going to the well repeatedly with kicks didn’t fare too well (as the results show) but he had a good showing. He got two well placed kicks in that stumbled Montez and thats nothing to scoff at. Had he kept his hands up I believe he could’ve lasted a couple more minutes. “What ifs” aside, Montez walked away with a statement victory and definitely raised his stock in Paradigm.
Main Event: Heavy Hitters Championship: Hoodfoot © vs Flash Thompson
Defending his title for the first time, “Hoodfoot” Mo Atlas would have a tall order in the form of Flash Thompson. Early on in this fight, Atlas took the center of the ring, forcing Flash to circle him. Flash would soon be taken to the mat with a slam from a clinch by Atlas. Thompson would once again find himself a victim of positioning, but not for long as he rolled Atlas’ back position into a leg lock, but just as quickly was stopped by rope break. At this point, both men seemed to be slowing down, but that was before Hoodfoot put Flash on the mat once again with another slam. In the end, after Flash seemingly had Mo on the ropes via a couple Uppercuts, Mo would end things with a sickening Overhand Forearm for the knockout victory.
The retaining champion took it right to ringside with J-Rose post-fight, calling himself a monster, as well as telling the people in the back to line up. Things would really take a turn once Isaiah Broner emerged from the curtain and snatch the title off of Mo’s shoulder. The two would get in a big brawl only to be broken up by the locker room with Broner claiming “I run this sh*t now!”
What a way to end the inaugural episode of this show! Hoodfoot stands victorious only for a newcomer to come and disrespect the champion. This is surely a match I’ll be looking forward to further down the road. As far as the match itself is concerned, I thought Mo looked like a beast here in his first defense. He took nothing from Flash and firmly planted him on the mat; proving why he’s the man with the belt.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this was an excellent hour of combat! I enjoyed the way that storylines were incorporated into the mix without feeling shoehorned into the main action. The introduction of the show was another great part, talking about underdogs and presenting this as a true to life fight. While the night’s fights were short (ranging from three to four minutes), it wasn’t disappointingly “short” since you never know if a fight will go ten minutes or ten seconds. As an added bonus to this series about fighting, I felt it apt to pull a page out of the UFC playbook and give my own superlatives for each episode. Here are my picks for this week:
Fight of the Night: Tommy Kyle Dean vs Lexus Montez
Performance of the Night: Jordan Blade
Knockout of the Night: Isaiah Broner
Submission of the Night: Jordan Blade