There are 2 big singles matches this week on the season finale of Enjoy Wrestling’s “Striking Distance.” The first match is Evil Uno, a member of AEW’s Dark Order, making his Enjoy debut against a mainstay of Enjoy, Edith Surreal. Edith was finally able to vanquish Ziggy Haim at “Night Moves”, in a hair vs mask match. She is looking to put her name in the title conversation, but first needs to get past this monster of a man. Before the match both wrestlers state that they are very confident that they are going to come out on top. Uno says that he is very familiar with Edith and Edith says that the TV wrestlers have gotten soft.
Both wrestlers are crowd favorites. Early in the match Uno looks to use his size and experience advantage and Edith looks to use her technical skills, which are as good as just about anyone. They lock in for a test of strength and Edith uses her technique advantage to lock Uno in a submission and leave him clutching the ropes. Edith takes Uno down with a Lucha Armdrag, then ends up on Uno’s shoulders after coming out of the corner. She spins out, takes him down with another armdrag, then takes him over with a rana.
At this point Uno looks very frustrated and is trying to figure out a way to combat Edith’s unique offense. Edith helps Uno up and he kisses her hand, but immediately follows that up with a vicious chop. Once Edith is down Uno is able to use his power to slow down the match and lay into Edith. Edith tries to fight back and lays a chop of her own into Uno, but he answers with a poke to the eye. Uno then hits a clothesline in the corner and a neckbreaker for a near fall. Edith tries to fight back, but Uno hits her with a backbreaker and poses for the crowd.
Uno puts Edith up on his shoulders but Edith fights back and rolls Uno up for a near fall, which seems to anger Uno. Uno takes off his wrist tape and chokes Edith with it behind the referee’s back. Edith lays some forearms into Uno, but Uno is able to get the advantage back quickly with a kick to the gut. Uno stomps on Edith and poses for the crowd. It appears that Uno thinks he can put Edith away at any point, but she keeps fighting back. Edith catches Uno’s kick, tosses Uno’s leg to the ref and hits a neckbreaker. She fires away with a series of high-speed moves commencing with a bulldog for a near fall.
Edith can’t get Uno up for a DVD but does hit a dropkick on Uno as he is prone on the ropes. Edith then picks him up and is able to hit the DVD. She locks in a figure four leg lock and turns it into a Venus Fly Trap, but Uno is able to get to the ropes. Uno rolls to the outside but gets met with a flying Edith as she sling shots herself on him. She then goes to the top rope, but Uno hides behind referee Nick Shin. Uno gets the advantage with a punch to Edith’s face and hits a senton for a near fall. He picks her up for a neckbreaker over his knee but is still only able to get a 2 count.
Uno goes under the ring and gets a table that he brings into the ring. Uno picks Edith up, but Edith is able to get away and hits Uno with a dropkick. Edith slams Uno’s head on the table and lays him on it. Edith goes to the top, but Uno rolls off the table and choke slams Edith through the table. He then hits Edith with a spinning neckbreaker for the win.
In the main event the Enjoy Championship is on the line as Mr. Grim challenges the champion MV Young. MV won the title by winning the Enjoy Odyssey at the conclusion of Canned Heat season two. He has since defended it against Max the Impaler and Effy. Mr. Grim, the hired gun of David Lawless Esq., and MV have met before in the Semi Finals of the Enjoy Cup in a PolyAm Street Fight. MV won that match, but this match will be very different as it is a casket match. This is right up Grim’s alley as he seems to enjoy putting people in body bags and has been even more focused as of late. Grim attacked MV after MV’s very physical match with Max at the behest of Lawless leading to the challenge for this match.
Before the match we hear from David Lawless, who is joined by Grim and The Runway. He says that Grim will win the title for him, so that he will be the champion in his city. This brings in MV who says that himself and Grim will take care of this themselves and Grim pushes Lawless to the side, seeming to agree with him.
Hooded figures bring out the casket, then Mr. Grim comes to the ring in face paint accompanied by a young man and little girl also in face paint. MV Young comes out to the applause of the home crowd and as his graphic says he is banned on Twitter. After the introductions MV slams down the belt and goes right after Grim.
MV gets the upper hand early but Grim is able to come back with a spinning bodyslam, which flattens MV. They exchange strikes and Grim lays in a series of knees and throws MV into the corner. He then ties up MV in the ropes and lays punches into MV’s side, but MV is able to get away and hit Grim with a flying dropkick off the top. MV takes his turn tying Grim in the ropes and laying in some punches. They exchange strikes on the apron and MV picks Grim up and hits a piledriver on the apron.
MV is able to maintain the advantage on the outside and rolls Grim in the ring. However, Grim stops MV from coming in the ring and dives over the top rope onto him on the outside sending the crowd into a frenzy. Back in the ring Grim lays MV out with a forearm. MV hits Grim with a suplex, but Grim gets right back up and drops MV with a boot. MV hits another suplex followed by a running flying elbow. He goes to the top but mostly misses Grim.
The fight goes back to the outside and Grim brings MV to the stage where the casket is. Grim picks MV up and hits him with a DVD on the casket followed by a senton on it. Grim opens the casket and puts MV in the casket with a boot. He goes to close the lid, but MV kicks the lid open. They fight inside the casket and MV tries to close the lid, but Grim stops it and climbs out.
They exchange forearms on the stage and MV gets the advantage resulting in a suplex on the stage. The hooded figures attack MV and take off the robes to show themselves as The Runway and David Lawless. They drag MV to the ring and set up doors in the corners. Lawless grabs the belt and says that he is the champ, but gets disposed of by MV, who then drives both members of The Runway through doors.
This gives Grim enough time to recuperate and drop MV on his head. Grim drags MV back to the stage and locks him in a chokehold. Lawless attempts to hit MV with the belt, but MV moves, and he hits Grim instead. Lawless gets hit with a superkick from MV. MV then hits Grim with a running knee, throws Mr. Grim into the casket and closes the lid for the win.
The next live event will be April 9th at Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh. If you have not been to an Enjoy taping and are able to get to Pittsburgh, I would highly recommend it. The tapings are extremely fun with a very lively and welcoming crowd. At the “Striking Distance” taping they even had a drag performance by the incredible Washington Heights.
