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Csonka’s Beyond Wrestling: Flesh Review 7.17.16
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Csonka’s Beyond Wrestling: Flesh Review 7.17.16
OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Jonathan Gresham defeated Zack Sabre Jr. @ 22:55 via submission [****¼]
– Women’s Wrestling Revolution Showcase: LuFisto defeated Veda Scott @ 10:30 via pin [***]
– Team Pazuzu defeated TFT4 @ 18:22 via pin [**½]
– For A Spot In Team Pazuzu: Chris Dickinson defeated Pinkie Sanchez @ 14:15 via pin [***]
– Grudge Match: Kimber Lee defeated JT Dunn @ 17:00 via pin [***]
– There Must Be A Winner: Matt Riddle defeated Tommaso Ciampa @ 15:38 via submission [****]
The Rematch: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Jonathan Gresham: Jonathan Gresham gets looks from everyone (CHIKARA, FIP, ROH, TNA, Evolve) but for some reason has not caught on. It’s a shame, because he’s put in some great work and would be an asset to any roster. Gresham won the first match in the best of three series. The first several minutes were filled with back and forth grappling and counter wrestling. It was clean and well done, the crowd was into it and it was mostly an even open, with ZSJ ending with the advantage and constantly frustrating Gresham. Gresham finally was able to use his speed, hitting a RANA and dropkicks after out countering ZSJ. They continued with the heavy grappling, which I can see people hating because of the lack of a lot of near falls and high spots, but they did a great job of counter wrestling here, keeping the crowd involved and making sure that they peaked at various times. The important thing is that this match will be completely different from every other match on the show. It’s more than the complete contrast in style that I appreciate; it’s the way that both guys work, the counters to the most basic of moves, or the way that they counter a leapfrog into a leg pick and possible submission. I appreciate these things. They went into a striking exchange down the stretch, with Gresham focusing his strikes onto the arm he had been working on during the second half of the match. They then slapped the shit out of each other and then went into a series of pinning combos. Gresham got a great near fall after hitting an enziguri, stunner and then a German suplex with a bridge, the crowd bit on that. Some of the near falls down the stretch were extremely well done, and a few counters and reversals that felt completely new. ZSJ hit the soccer kick, which I expected to be the finish, but Gresham somehow survived. But they then went into a series of submissions and counters into opining combos, which was very well done as both kept selling the arm. They then pulled themselves mid-ring and slapped the hell out of each other from their knees before working to their feet and delivering forearms and uppercuts. It started to feel too long and as if they got too cute down the final stretch. Gresham locked in a modified octopus hold and ZSJ had to tap. This was an overall excellent match, with both guys coming off well in this style of work. I think they needed to cut 3-5 minutes from this; the end felt like it went past the expiration date, and meant less and took away a bit for me; had they cut it off a bit early, it would have been truly great stuff, instead I felt it was just excellent. Gresham continues to show that he needs to get booked more places, and ZSJ is awesome. They will rematch at Americanrana in a best 2-out-of-3 falls match.
Women’s Wrestling Revolution Showcase: LuFisto vs. Veda Scott: Veda made the mistake of badmouthing LuFisto, which led to LuFisto slapping her and the match beginning. LuFisto easily dominate the first few minutes, using her power advantage and then attacking the knee of Scott. LuFisto was really working monster style here, tossing Scott around and bending Scott in directions she really should not go. Scott finally made a comeback with a cradle suplex, dropping LuFisto on her head, and went heavy heel working the counts all the way until 5 and connecting with kicks. They went to the apron and Scott was going to do old school on the barricade, but LuFisto cut her off with a powerbomb to the apron. Back in the ring, LuFisto hit the cannonball and a face wash, but Scott made the comeback and then hit a shining wizard for a near fall. LuFisto spiked Scott with a cradle DDT, which got the near fall. They both landed good near falls down the stretch, and LuFisto finally hit quick burning hammer (folding Scott in half) and picked up the win. Overall this was a good match with solid work from both, and they had a lot of great ideas, but I felt they had a few too many little hiccups (lack of smoothness) that held it back. Had this been a bit cleaner, it would have come off way better.
Team TFT4 (Da Hit Squad [Danny “Mafia” Maff & Steve “Monsta” Mack] & Brian Fury) vs. Team Pazuzu (EYFBO [Mike Draztik & Angel Ortiz] & Jaka): I haven’t seen Da Hit Squad in FOREVER, Fury I recently saw his ROH stuff in the prospect tournament and I have never seen Team Pazuzu (maybe Jaka 1 or 2 times). Nice opening segment from Fury and Jaka, leading to Maff running wild with several running sentons. Team Pazuzu relied on a lot of double teams and short cuts to overcome the size advantage of TFT4. Team Pazuzu worked a long heat on Mack, and they eventually hurt themselves with miscommunication and Mack suplexing two dues at once. Maff finally got the hot tag, ran wild for a bit and scored a few near falls. TFT4 then used some quick tags, but Ortiz hit the Squad with a double cutter. It broke down with the Squad no selling chops as everyone was in Team Pazuzu hit a triple team, elevated cutter on Mack for a near fall. We got some dives, including one from Mack. Mack was slammed off the top rope, Fury was lawn darted into Maff and then Fury ate a triple team double stomp combo (which was cool) and Team Pazuzu scored the win. I have a feeling that I would have enjoyed this more if I had known the angle going into this. Commentary didn’t do enough, for me, to make me care about what was happening. It felt like six guys just doing things for a really long time, some of it good, some of it rough; for every cool move or bump, there was an equally rough or off spot. A great match can overcome not having a back-story, and while I did not find this bad in any way, this was not a great match.
– The Crusade for Change then hit the ring and attacked Da Hit Squad. This was done to hype a big five on five match at Americanrana show. Team Pazuzu then ran off the Crusade.
For A Spot In Team Pazuzu: Chris Dickinson vs. Pinkie Sanchez: Sanchez was actually in Pazuzu, and was then ousted according to commentary. They wasted no time as in the first three minutes they brawled, we got a dove from Sanchez and Dickinson got a near fall off of a jumping piledriver. Dickinson then just brutalized Sanchez with chops and kicks. Sanchez managed to comeback with a title a whirl into a DDT, and then hit what I guess was either a missile dropkick or an odd double stomp, it did not look good. Dickinson challenged Sanchez to keep attacking, we got a sloppy exchange into a figure four by Sanchez. You can see the story that they are going for but a lot of the execution has felt off. They traded strikes and then Dickinson caught Sanchez on the high cross and took him up top. Dickinson then hit the top rope falcon arrow (HE DID THE DEAL) but it only got a near fall. After another striking exchange, Dickinson used a head and arm choke for a near submission. Dickinson hit a sick suplex and spin kick for another near fall. They again battled up top and Sanchez slipped out and got the spike burning hammer, but Dickinson kicked out at 1. Sanchez hit a moonsault for a near fall, hit another and got another near fall. Dickinson then killed Sanchez with a border toss for the win. Seriously, Sanchez landed about as badly as possible there. Again, this is a match that if I was more familiar with the background going in, I would have been more invested in. It was entertaining, but sloppy at times.
Fuuuuuuuuck, PAZUZU BOMB!! #BeyondFlesh @DirtyDickinson pic.twitter.com/fTnWmeqXyK
— LARIATOOOOO!!! (@SenorLARIATO) July 17, 2016
– Post match, Jaka got in the rang and they all embraced.
Grudge Match: Kimber Lee vs. JT Dunn: So this was billed as a grudge match (they dated is part of the angle) and commentary spoke about the bad blood, so of course they locked and did back and forth mat work. Ok. After some awkward back and forth, Dunn scored with an elbow strike for a near fall. Lee fought back with chops and forearm strikes, but Dunn cut that off with a pair of superkicks for a near fall. Dunn targeted the knee, slowing Lee and allowing Dunn to score with a cutter for a neat fall. Dunn kept arguing with the ref, which would allow Lee to get back to her feet and fight back. Lee ran wild with a set of release German suplexes, like 10 of them and not selling the leg anymore. The crowd even chanted “Suplex Kimmy” for her. Lee delivered more suplexes, getting to 20, and finally covered for a near fall. Lee set Dunn in the tree of WHOA, but Dunn pulled her off the top and then missed the double stomp. Lee then hit a tornado DDT, and that got another near fall. They both sold exhaustion at about 13-minutes in as they traded strikes, Dunn lit her up with kicks and then a tiger driver for a near fall. They again traded strikes, Dunn hit a superkick and then kissed Lee before delivering an elbow strike for a near fall. Dunn again argued with the ref and Lee then hit a powerbomb and picked up the win. This was another good match but one that felt too long at the end of the day. Lee was presented well as an equal, but I felt that commentary needed to give me more background to help me get invested into the story.
There Must Be A Winner: Tommaso Ciampa vs. Matthew Riddle: Ciampa made the ring announcer introduce him as, “Tommy Entertainment, The Ultimate Fighter, the only real fighter in the ring and a professional wrestler with wresting boots.” Ciampa looked to grapple early, but got frustrated and that led to Riddle hitting a springboard knee strike. They went to the floor, where Ciampa cut him off and slammed him to the apron. Ciampa took things back to the ring, but Riddle got a hanging kimura; Ciampa actually attacked the toes of Riddle to help him escape. I actually love Ciampa using the exposed feet of Riddle to his benefit. It’s such a little thing, but makes a ton of sense. Ciampa got pissed off when Riddle kicked him, and then allowed Riddle free shots and too a bunch of kicks and then got pissed off. He avoided a flying knee and stomped on the foot of Riddle, and then went to work on the leg. Ciampa did a nice job of manipulating the toes (and the sick fuck even bit his foot on a few occasions) on Riddle as he applied a series of leg locks. Zack Sabre Jr. was on commentary and did a great job of explaining why Ciampa was doing that and why it helps in breaking down the leg. Ciampa slammed Riddle shoulder first onto the apron, which allowed Ciampa to then work the arm of Riddle, and scoring with an arm bar for a near submission. Ciampa hit an air raid crash off the second rope, but Riddle held on and worked for the arm bar, and then transitioned to the triangle choke. Ciampa pulled him up and connected with project Ciampa, bending Riddle in half. They traded strike, with Ciampa doing a sweet escape of a tombstone into an arm bar. After a wild striking exchange, Riddle tried for am arm bar, Ciampa used the toes manipulation to escape for a second, but Riddle pulled him back to the mat and forced Ciampa to tap. Not quite as good as the opener, but this was am excellent main event. Riddle keeps growing as a performer, and Ciampa is another guy that ROH missed on who left, bet on himself and has been delivering everywhere he goes.
– Post match, Catch Point arrived and celebrated with Riddle. They promised that they are in Beyond to stay. Team Pazuzu attacked for the show closing brawl.
* End scene.
* Thanks for reading.
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”
Now with that being said, Beyond Wrestling: Flesh was a good show and a nice debut on iPPV. There were no iPPV issues, the feed looked good, and the only think I felt was off was that they needed to cover the windows to kill some of the natural light coming in. The wrestling was good, with two excellent matches, and noting bad on the show. Based off of this first try on iPPV, I would easily give them another shot in the future. I wouldn’t say that they need to run iPPV a lot, due to having their own subscription service, but pairing with Evolve occasionally looks like a good idea.
Thumbs up for Beyond Wrestling: Flesh, if you’re curious about the product, I would check them out.
