ACTION Wrestling & Segunda Caida: DEAN~!!
April 4, 2024
H2O Wrestling Middle
Williamstown, New Jersey
Watch: IWTV
Considered one of WrestleMania Weekend 2024’s most intriguing reveals is ACTION Wrestling & Segunda Caida’s DEAN~!!! befell on April 4 on the H20 Wrestling Middle in Williamstown, New Jersey.
ACTION Wrestling Championship
Alex Kane ( C ) def. Colby Corino
For all of these individuals who declare you can’t inform tales inside wrestling matches, I might first inform them that they’re wildly mistaken, after which I might level them to look at the good eight-minute package deal that these males put collectively.
In the course of the in-ring introductions, Colby Corino informed the ring announcer that he was drained, having labored a bunch of matches already throughout the week, and that set the stage for him wrestling out of desperation all through.
Corino’s fundamental technique of assault was a easy headlock, a reference to a gimmick he’d used earlier within the week for H20. Dylan Hales and John Mosley, on commentary, made nice reference to that, dwelling as much as what ACTION promoter Matt Griffin had informed me earlier within the week—“every part is canon.”
Corino regarded for the headlock at each alternative, getting the group onside and infrequently utilizing Alex Kane’s momentum towards him. He went for it one too many occasions although, with Kane reversing one right into a leg seize suplex that simply beat Corino. The work was stable, however as a complete package deal, I liked this. ***1/2
Amboss (Robert Dreissker & Laurance Roman) & O’Shay Edwards def. The Good Hand (Suge D, Kevin Ryan & Tyler Stevens)
The Good Hand is a faction of cowardly heels, and so they established that early on for the stay crowd and IWTV viewers by speaking smack however actively avoiding O’Shay Edwards.
Edwards wouldn’t have a lot enter for the remainder of the match, with a lot of the match seeing latest 16 Carat Gold winner Roman getting labored over by The Good Hand. Roman may need acquired knocked crazy in some unspecified time in the future, however he finally made the recent tag to Dreissker, who ran wild earlier than bringing Edwards again in for a match-winning Moonsault. **3/4
Violence is Without end (Kevin Ku & Dominic Garrini) def. The Ugly Sucklings (White Mike & Rob Killjoy)
A late addition to the present, this was most likely essentially the most I’ve loved a Dominic Garrini match in a very long time. Sometimes, his look, tendency to gasoline and awkward, faux-MMA fashion irritate me however with this match being saved to only shy of seven minutes, the main focus was all on the motion.
However, Kevin Ku is somebody I all the time love watching and he regarded good right here, laying in some stiff strikes and mixing nicely with Garrini within the end. **3/4
The Coven of the Goat (Jaden Newman & Tank) (w/Reverend Dan Wilson) def. Manders & Tom Lawlor
I can’t specific how a lot I liked Tom Lawlor’s search for this match. As a substitute of his regular gear, he got here out sporting a polo shirt, gown pants, and a pair of trainers. What a person.
Earlier than the opening bell, The Coven’s supervisor, Dan Wilson, introduced that this match was being contested beneath Gypsy Joe Rule and was, subsequently, successfully, a hardcore bout. A smart resolution given Tank’s involvement, this ended up being a wild, chaotic brawl that was enjoyable from begin to end and made me see Jaden Newman in a far much less jaggy mild than I’ve beforehand.
The perfect spots concerned Tank and Manders utilizing ‘The Dean Chair’—the metal chair reserved for the late Dean Rasmussen, whom this present was honoring. At first, they shared a beer, after which, later, they engaged in a headbutt alternate.
They solely hit the ring for the end, which noticed Manders inadvertently wipe our Lawler earlier than being pinned by Newman. ***
Bobby Flaco, Rico Gonzalez & Brayden Toon def. Hoodfoot, Danny Demanto & Isaiah Broner
This was the present’s weakest factor relating to the in-ring work.
The workforce of huge dudes, which included two hardcore specialists in Hoodfoot and Danny Demanto, solely used one weapon throughout the match. That weapon was a door, and Bobby Flaco went by that courtesy of a spear from Isaiah Broner.
Broner impressed me essentially the most within the match, and he, unsurprisingly subsequently, took the pin, consuming a double stomp from Rico Gonzalez on the apron earlier than receiving a Springboard Cutter from Flaco. **
Dr Cerebro def. Gringo Loco
For the needs of this evaluation, I’m grouping this match into one package deal, though we technically acquired two matches between these two, with Gringo Loco successful the primary by way of DQ after which Dr. Cerebro successful the second.
Designed to move followers again to their battles in Area Nacualpan in IWRG again in 2009 and 2010, there was a job reversal early on as Gringo Loco took on the mantle of the tecnico and Cerebro refused his two makes an attempt at a handshake.
From there the work was entertaining with a pleasant mixture of llave fashion grappling and brawling on the surface. Dr Cerebro had already snapped Loco’s arm when he determined to assault him with a chair, and that prompted this to restart as a No DQ bout that was… not that violent? Each males hit a few chair pictures, however in any other case, it was Gringo Loco hitting two large high rope spots earlier than Dr Cerebro superkicked him and finally tapped him out.
The DQ end to the primary a part of the match made some sense within the context of their feud, which the comms did a very good job of placing over, however in the long run it felt extra like a approach to make sure neither man ‘misplaced’. I can’t assist however wonder if it may need labored higher in the event that they’d gone down the two-out-of-three-falls method. ***1/4
IWTV World Championship
Krule (C) def. Warhorse
For a very long time, I couldn’t abide Warhorse. I assumed his gimmick was very low hire and his work was sub-standard. He wasn’t for me when he was over, and his schtick unsurprisingly bombed when he acquired a shot in AEW. I’d seen him wrestle a grand sum of as soon as since that AEW shot, so this match was finally a litmus take a look at to see if he’d matured past the irony, meme bullshit of some years prior.
Fortunately for me, he had. He regarded like a correct wrestler right here and performed his half in a logically constructed match. He labored in bursts, making an attempt to put in a sequence of pictures on the massive man earlier than invariably getting lower off with one little bit of energy offense.
Much less fortunately for me was the truth that this ended with an overbooked authority angle. The IWTV Commissioner Avery Good and Adam Priest attacked Krule with a chair, resulting in Warhorse getting a visible pin. Warhorse wouldn’t get entangled within the angle, although, and that price him, as Krule threw a fireball in his face and pinned him. *
Publish-match, Jonathan Gresham appeared to arrange a future title problem towards Krule.
Matt Makowski def. Arez
This was one among my most anticipated matches on all the card, principally due to the distinctive mixing of kinds between the 2.
It finally ended up feeling like an afterthought, although, largely as a result of the present was a bit quick on time. There have been some cool spots that performed to each males’s strengths, however there have been additionally some chemistry points there that stopped me from getting too invested. **1/2
Slim J def. Adam Priest
Having seen his tweets earlier within the week after his AEW launch, I used to be tremendous intrigued to see the form of exhibiting that Slim J would have right here. Properly, within the store window towards among the finest and most polished guys on the indies, he gave a fantastic account of himself.
The primary factor I really like about watching Adam Priest’s matches is the small issues – there’s all the time some wrinkle in one among his matches that pops me. Right here, he was maneuvering a guillotine choke from Slim J beneath the ropes earlier than snapping again, utilizing the whiplash to interrupt the maintain, and instantly placing Slim J on the again foot. A neat, cool spot on a weekend the place you see lots of the similar issues goes a great distance.
These two had a bunch of excellent nearfalls down the stretch earlier than Slim J finally put him away with the Standing Sliced Bread variation. Based mostly on this exhibiting, he ought to decide up extra bookings because the 12 months progresses. ***1/2
Wasted Youth (Austin Luke & Marcus Mathers) def. Sinner & Saint (Judas Icarus & Travis Williams)
Whereas I feel individuals are sleeping on Adam Priest, two guys which have seemingly caught extra main consideration are the workforce of Sinner & Saint, who, as per the commentators on Thursday’s DEFY present, at the moment are TNA-contracted expertise.
That’s nice information as a result of I feel they’re a enjoyable, younger workforce with a ton of room for enchancment. One of many speedy enhancements that must be made is getting Judas Icarus to cease doing these goofy, inorganic comeback lariat spots. Identical to springboard and diving cutters, they’re a spot that needs to be banned with the utmost prejudice.
Icarus hit one among them on this match however that apart, I assumed this was good. This was essentially the most ‘fashionable indie’ match on the present, successfully serving as a showcase for 4 younger guys with excessive ceilings busting out a bunch of excessive spots. Certain, there have been some timing points, however this was numerous enjoyable. ***
Canine Collar Match
Mad Canine Connelly def. Demus el Demonio
THIS IS PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING, FOLKS. LET’S GET AFTER IT!
It’s onerous for me to precise how a lot I liked this match. About as deep a lower as you can get, this was excellent for this present but additionally simply a wonderful bit {of professional} wrestling from two guys of their absolute factor.
From Connelly whipping Demus within the face with the chain simply after they’d been strapped up proper by to Connelly tapping him with a modified triangle choke, this was stiff, intense, and each bit as bloody and gnarly because the suggestion ought to counsel.
You had Demus careering into the followers, MMA-style clinches, over-the-back hangman spots, and vicious-looking throws into the ring posts.
Simply an insane brawl for the ten minutes this lasted, this had power like nothing else on this present and through all the Mania Weekend. Each bit pretty much as good as Connelly’s bout with Manders in January, this needs to be appointment viewing. ****1/4
Daniel Makabe def. Timothy Thatcher
Simply as he did of their first assembly virtually seven years in the past, Daniel Makabe acquired one of the best of Timothy Thatcher to retake the lead of their sequence 3-2 heading into his retirement.
Though the grapple-heavy fashion that each of those guys implement isn’t for everybody, I have a tendency to love each of them and I assumed they have been nice right here.
What all the time impresses me about Makabe is that he’s all the time doing one thing. Whether or not he’s on high or preventing from the underside, he’s chucking out small strikes or probing for openings somewhat than simply accepting the place. Thatcher, to his credit score, did numerous the identical stuff right here.
There have been numerous limb submission makes an attempt, which meant that the strikes that these two threw have been sparse. That made them extra impactful as a viewer and so they have been all stiff, not simply once they headbutted one another because of promoting their arms, however when Makabe threw three straight punches to Thatcher to select up a sudden however definitive victory. ****
Publish-match, Makabe tried to offer Thatcher his scarf which was a name again to their first assembly again in 2017. Thatcher refused and left Makabe, who’d hit a really becoming Demise Valley Driver in the direction of the tip of the match, to chop a really emotional promo in regards to the affect of Dean Rasmussen on his profession. He was upset, on the verge on tears, and to be truthful he acquired me going as nicely.
Ultimate Ideas
From a piece standpoint, DEAN~!!! was a bit too bloated a present with 12 matches and a runtime of three-and-a-half hours.
Nevertheless, from a imaginative and prescient and pleasure standpoint, this was one of the best present from WrestleMania Weekend. There have been no two matches the identical and that implies that there was one thing for everybody, whether or not you’re a grappling fanatic, a fan of thrilling younger expertise doing spotfests or somebody like me who was pacing for Mad Canine Connelly and Demus knocking 12 bells out of one another. The highest two matches are must-see however I feel the entire present is a blast and price your time.
Once I spoke to ACTION promoted Matt Griffin earlier than the present, he mentioned: “I hope that we do a very good job of tipping our hat to influential wrestling followers like Dean, who evangelized and unfold the phrase of promotions or wrestlers who didn’t have publicity, and honoring that a part of the wrestling fandom.”
Matt, you and the workforce completely smashed it out of the park. Wrestling, bloody hell.