Biff Busick made his bloody return to the indies last weekend on Beyond’s first big show of 2022 – taking on Slade in a no-DQ scrap!
Quick Results
VSK & Mark Sterling pinned Romantic Touch & Love Doug in 10:23 (**¾)
Matt Makowski submitted Anthony Greene in 9:04 (***¼)
Willow Nightingale & Rex Lawless pinned Bobby Orlando & Bryce Donovan in 11:05 (***)
Alec Price defeats Marcus Mathers in 16:42 (***½)
Vincent, Bateman & Dutch pinned Teddy Goodz, Jaylen Brandyn & Traevon Jordan in 11:28 (***¼)
Matt Cardona pinned Rickey Shane Page in 10:15 to retain the Impact Digital Media Championship (***½)
Dustin Waller & Kylon King defeat Mach10 & Razerwyng, Bear Boulder & Bear Bronson and Gabriel Skye & Tristen Thai in 13:04 (***½)
Wheeler Yuta, Rhett Titus & Tracy Williams pinned Eel O’Neal, Jordan Blade & Trish Adora in 11:48 (***½)
Masha Slamovich pinned LuFisto in 14:17 (***¾)
No Disqualification – Biff Busick pinned Slade in 11:54 (***¾)
It’s a very snowy Providence, RI – and since we’re a little behind on this, so I’ll not be going in-depth on a lot of the undercard as Rich Palladino’s caught off guard by them going live early. Paul Crockett and Sidney Bakabella are on commentary from Fete Music. We’ve got some card changes too as Kimber Lee’s out with non-covid illness, while Alex Shelley had a car accident…
Love Doug & The Romantic Touch vs. Whatever It Takes (Mark Sterling & VSK)
Love Doug comes out first as they’re looking for time. He’s looking for a date, and hey, the Thrust is a Must again as the Romantic Touch answered Doug’s prayers. This feels utterly surreal, and it’s interrupted by VSK and Mark Sterling… so we have a match.
The Touch goes after Sterling’s “broken neck” with a side headlock to start, before he was all suggestive on an armbar to VSK. Doug threw rose petals at Sterling, then whipped off the neck brace for a neckbreaker for a near-fall before VSK came in to help isolate Doug in their corner. A miscommunication sees VSK charge into his own corner as Doug looked to make a comeback, but it’s snuffed out to start.
A suplex from Doug bought him time to take in Romantic Touch for some rose punches, then a back body drop, before a monkey flip face-planted VSK for a near-fall. Behind the ref’s back, VSK grabs some brass knuckles, but ends up taking a reverse pedigree as Love Doug planted a kiss to Sterling on the apron… who responded by pulling Doug into a support beam as VSK ends up hitting the brass knuckles for the pin. **¾
Matt Makowski vs. Anthony Greene
This was an open challenge after Alex Shelly’s prang… while Matt Makowski switching to Andrew WK for his music is quite a choice. Anthony Greene answered the call as he’s been around Beyond surprisingly little since he returned to the scene. The alternative, not the replacement…
Makowski jumped Greene before the bell, but missed a spinning heel into the corner as Greene looked to take his shot. A rear naked choke from Makowski looks for an early finish, but Green countered, only for Makowski to go back to the arm. Every time Greene thought he’d made an opening, Makowski shut pulled the door to, including when he shrugged off a superkick and rolled Greene down for a cross armbar.
Greene rolled his way out, but the kick-out seemed to have Makowski catch the referee. Makowski tries to catch Greene on the top rope, but gets knocked down before he recovered with a spinning back kick, before a roll-up into a cross armbar gets the tap as Makowski’s unbeaten streak stretched on. ***¼
Shook Crew (Bobby Orlando & Bryce Donovan) vs. Rex Lawless & Willow Nightingale
Willow was Lawless’ mystery partner here, sporting matching gear…
Lawless explodes out of the gate, splashing and chopping Orlando in the corner before a grounded Octopus from Willow had Donovan in trouble. A Tree of Woe manages to do the trick for the Shook Crew as they turned the match on its head, before some see-saw sunset flips led to Donovan blind-tagging himself back in as the Shook Crew isolated Willow in their corner.
Eventually Willow broke free with a double-team Codebreaker, before Lawless came in and hit a swinging Flatliner to Orlando. Except Bobby’s not legal, so Bryce Donovan ate a pop-up punch as things looked to stall. Donovan stops a superplex by pulling Lawless away from the corner as Orlando hit a Doomsday device for a near-fall.
A pair of jumping tree slams nearly get the win as the ref was hanging onto control by a thread, almost counting the pin as Orlando held down a roll-up before he got POUNCED into the ropes by Willow. Orlando low bridges Lawless to the outside, but his “sick trick” ends up with him powerbombed into the support beam, before a moonsault off the top from Willow got the win. A good tag match, but you know my feelings about tag matches that descend into tornadoes… ***
Marcus Mathers vs. Alec Price
I’ve not been paying as close attention to the Wrestling Open shows as I should, but this was a rematch from the show 24 hours earlier as Price won in questionable circumstances – with the show’s 10-minute time limit apparently having expired.
Mathers shot out of the blocks as we built up to the double-dropkick standoff, before an offered handshake from Price led to a cheapshot. Fingers crossed, and all that. Mathers came back with a high crossbody that took Price outside for a dive, before Mathers’ attempt at an apron PK saw him get face-planted instead.
A stomp to the back of a sitting Mathers gets Price a two-count back inside, only for Price to get his fingers snapped in response. Price quickly returned with a big boot, but had to kick out of a German suplex as Mathers got back in it, only for a springboard enziguiri to put the Prize back on top for a two-count.
Price’s knee strike has Mathers in a heap, but the Su-Prize kick is rolled through into some stomps, then a Boston crab. Mathers pulled Price away from the ropes, but Price rolled him up for some pinning attempts ahead of a springboard Blockbuster for a near-fall. A Gotch-style powerbomb’s escaped as Mathers came back in with a lariat, following up with a cutter before Price raked the eyes and hit his Gotch Powerbomb… then an Okada-ish neckbreaker slam for another near-fall.
Composing himself, Price waffles Mathers with a step-up knee into the corner, before he was shoved off of a superplex effort. Mathers took too long to follow up as he ate an enziguiri ahead of the superplex, before he planted Price into the corner with a death valley driver. After an exchange of strikes, Mathers took to the turnbuckles and leapt in for a flip cutter on Price, then hit a snap spinning Flatliner that nearly got the win, before Price held on in a Rings of Saturn until he rolled his way free.
A ripcord enziguiri got Price back in it, before the Grand Prize – Will Ospreay’s old Essex Destroyer DDT – got him agonisingly close to the win… before a Su-Prize kick got the win. A cracker of the match, as Price continues to build his resume in Beyond – and while this threatening to get a little rough, this was an enjoyable little scrape that I hope they get to run back years ahead. ***½
Post-match, Matt Makowski runs out and attacks Mathers – stealing Mathers’ IWTV briefcase as Makowski was hell bent on getting an IWTV title shot.
The Righteous (Bateman, Dutch & Vincent) vs. Waves And Curls (Jaylen Brandyn & Traevon Jordan) & Teddy Goodz
Up until now, the Righteous had been locked around Dan Barry in Beyond – but that whole thing looks to be firmly in the past now…
With the ROH trios titles not on the line here, the Righteous were on the defensive from the off, at least until Bateman elbowed Goodz to the mat. Waves and Curls tried to isolate Vincent, keeping things moving as Jaylen Brandyn hit a springboard clothesline for a two-count. There’s scuffles on the outside as Little Mean Kathleen and Vita Von Starr went at it, but LMK’s posted as the Righteous looked to pull ahead.
A Saito suplex from Vincent, then a sliding Flatliner draws a two-count, before Bateman came in to rip at Brandyn’s ear. Dutch keeps it going, with an assisted spike Exploder that nearly won it for Bateman. Eventually Brandyn gets free with an enziguiri as Traevon Jordan got the hot tag, leading to Waves and Curls turning the tables.
Von Starr gets involved, but LMK deals with her this time, before a crossbody and a cutter from Goodz almost got the win on Bateman… but the Righteous turn it back around amid a full ring… only for Bateman to land an errant rolling elbow, before Vincent blocked a backpack stunner and put Goodz away with the Orange Sunshine. This was pretty good for the time they had, with the Righteous working really well as a trios – as you should expect! ***¼
Impact Digital Media Championship: Matt Cardona (c) vs. Rickey Shane Page
Cardona put his newly-won Impact Digital Media title on the line here, and was winding up the crowd by calling himself the “King of the Indies” and the “Johnny Ace of Beyond.” So many jokes you could make there…
RSP charges out of the gate with a chokeslam for an early two-count, but Cardona kicks the ropes into RSP as things headed outside, with a double arm DDT spiking Page on the floor. Back inside, RSP’s bounced into the corners, then found himself choked with Cardona’s t-shirt as RSP was kept on the defensive.
Cardona pulls out a pizza cutter, but opted for a chinlock instead before RSP launches Cardona out of the ring as he blocked the Broski boot. Back inside, RSP pushed on and hit a Twist of Fate, then went up top for a senton bomb for a near-fall, before Cardona’s attempt to get back in with a Codebreaker just earned him a clothesline to the back of the head.
A rope-walk frog splash from RSP followed for a two-count, but a missed back senton off the top puts Cardona right back in it, as Broski boots left RSP in a heap. From there, Cardona tries a belt shot, but RSP countered it into the GTF chokeslam for the three-count… but Cardona had his foot on the rope at two. In the confusion, Cardona pokes RSP in the eye, then hit the Radio Silence for a near-fall… but the bell went as everyone’s a little too eager!
The Radio Silence off the middle rope misses, but Cardona manages to snatch the win with a roll-up and a handful of tights – drawing a rare swear from Paul Crockett on commentary. Cardona’s right up there in terms of hated (in the right way) guys on the scene, and even an iffy finishing stretch with the kicks outs and rope breaks couldn’t quell this crowd. ***½
Post-match, Cardona cut a disingenuous promo on RSP, “putting him over,” calling Page “the best I’ve ever been in the ring with.” They shake hands and hug it out, before Cardona tried a cheapshot… only to get met with a chokebreaker as Mark Sterling and VSK hit the ring to resume the beatdown.
After intermission, Sidney Bakabella shows off his Hall of Fame ring and introduced Channing Thomas to ringside. Complete with the Tina Turner soundalike theme, as Bakabella announces Thomas will make his in-ring debut at Wrestling Open on Thursday against Teddy Goodz.
Bear Country (Bear Boulder & Bear Bronson) vs. Above The Rest (Gabriel Skye & Tristen Thai) vs. Miracle Generation (Dustin Waller & Kylon King) vs. The.Air.Show (Mach10 & Razerwyng)
Beyond brought back the Fete tradition of “car crash” four-way tags here… with the Miracle Generation returning after Dustin Waller was out for a few weeks with injury.
The early story here looked to be around Bear Country waiting on the apron as they watched the other six fly around. A blind tag has Brar Bronson coming in to hit a back senton as Kylon King thought he was making a pin. Bronson followed down with a sit-down splash as the crowd booed the big lads, while Bear Boulder just dumped King from a sidewalk slam as Tristen Thai tagged in.
Thai and Skye try to suplex King, but he rolled out to Mach.10, who leaps in with a seated senton to Thai before an assisted Asai DDT to Bear Bronson saw The.Air.Show pull ahead. A back cracker and quebrada combo crushes Skye, before Tristen Thai stopped King’s dive… by pushing him into that support beam! That was brutal, and innovative at the same time…
Back in the ring, Skye rope talks ahead of a moonsault to the pile on the floor, with Bear Boulder adding a somersault plancha to the mix. Returning again, Boulder gyrates as he hits a THREE MAN FALLAWAY SLAM/SAMOAN DROP. ‘king hell man. The Elevator Drop looked to follow, but Razerwyng and Thai stop it with low dropkicks before Kylon King nailed Bronson with an Exploder.
The.Air.Show live up to their name with dualling 450s for a near-fall as we’ve lost all control on who’s legal. Mach10’s monkey flipped into a thrust kick, landing him on his head in the process, before a handspring cutter/wheelbarrow German put the Miracle Generation ahead. A big ol’ Doomsday Destroyer lays out Skye from there, before a PowerPlex got the Miracle Generation the W. This was wild – with plenty of GIF-able moments – as the Miracle Generation get a huge win here. ***½
The Foundation (Rhett Titus & Tracy Williams) & Wheeler Yuta vs. The Kings Of The District (Eel O’Neal & Jordan Blade) & Trish Adora
This might not be the first time Rhett’s been under a mask tonight, as the Foundation were without Jonathan Gresham, who was over in Europe…
Yuta and O’Neal start us off, but it’s Yuta who’s on the defensive early as the Kings of the District took the upper hand. Rhett Titus manages to tag in and take control against Jordan Blade, with Tracy Williams throwing Blade down ahead of a standing frog splash from Titus. Blade got free, but had to superkick Titus away before tagging out to Adora, who tried her luck with roll-ups and Judo throws on Yuta.
Williams tags in and lit-up O’Neal ahead of a teardrop suplex, following with a sit-out gutwrench powerbomb for a near-fall, before Titus came in to combine with Williams on a double-team suplex. Yuta added a big splash for a near-fall, but the Foundation trio misses charges in the corner as the Kings and Queen of the District take advantage with all hell breaking loose.
An elevated Fisherman DDT spiked Yuta ahead of a Kimura from O’Neal, but it leads to nought as O’Neal then went for a superplex on Williams… only to get DDT’d onto the top buckle. Williams followed with a clothesline, only to get met with an Exploder from Blade as a Parade of Moves broke out, ending with a Black Hole Backbreaker from Adora to Titus.
Yuta recovers and pulls up Blade for the Yu-Tap, but Blade rolled through for a two-count as O’Neal returned to hit a crucifix… it’s kicked out of as Yuta hit the ropes, then caught out O’Neal with a Skayde special for the win. The camera work on that finishing stretch was a little weird, but a suitable flash pin to win for the Foundation (and Yuta) as they seemed to click more than their opponents. ***½
LuFisto vs. Masha Slamovich
This was LuFisto’s return to Beyond for the first time since September 2018… and this promises to be a real show-stealer, no matter how late it is on the card.
We’ve a tentative start here, as LuFisto started to work on Slamovich’s left arm and hand. Slamovich finds a similar target, but LuFisto took her down for a Trailer Hitch-like submission that ended in the ropes. Masha returns with a lariat for just a one-count, before her legs were swept on the apron as a boot through the ropes left Masha in a heap.
LuFisto takes things to the outside as she booted Slamovich on the apron, before a double underhook suplex back inside drew a near-fall. Some choking in the ropes follows, then a splash to Masha’s back, before LuFisto shot down a crowd’s request for a chicken wing. A crossface punch keeps her away from Bob Backlund territory, before see-saw pins drew near-falls… until Slamovich was thrown into the bottom turnbuckle.
A hip attack followed to keep her there, then a sliding forearm, as the match descended into a slugfest. Masha’s flurry earned her an uppercut before a clash of heads and a pair of spinning backfists left both women down. It’s Slamovich who gets the upper hand from there, battering LuFisto with mounted punches in the ropes, before an elevated Fisherman buster almost won it for LuFisto out of nowhere.
Slamovich gets free and hits a snap takedown for a near-fall, before an Alabama Slam and a Tiger Driver took LuFisto close to victory. Masha slips out of a Burning Hammer to hit a back suplex… then an axe kick… before a snap piledriver gave Slamovich a very-near-fall…
LuFisto kicks the referee as she avoided a second piledriver, then kicked Slamovich low ahead of a Burning Hammer… which was escaped as Slamovich hits her take on the Gotch piledriver for the win. Run this one back anyplace, anytime folks, because this was a hell of a scrap with LuFisto hitting the ground running despite the defeat. ***¾
No Disqualification: Slade vs. Biff Busick
This was Biff’s first match in Beyond since September 2015 when he won the Greatest Rivals Round Robin on his last night in. He got the Pennywise Bro Hymn return, and the heroes welcome as you’d expect. Altogether now – woah, oh oh oh…
Slade and Biff went nose-to-nose before the bell, as commentary promised “unfiltered chaos.” If only they knew.
An aggressive start features shoulder tackles before Biff was thrown to the outside, where the pair trade chops and clotheslines before Biff got run into that support beam. Slade uses that support again as Biff came up red, while Slade looked to exacerbate the blood by pulling out some plunder.
Of course there’s a door, which Biff got thrown through with an Exploder, before one of the remnants was thrown over his head for a solid two-count. Chairs follow, but Biff grabbed that door and smashed it over Slade’s head. It’s pushed off as Slade monstered up, stomping through Biff before he went wild with chairs.
An uppercut from Biff takes Slade outside, as a thrown chair keeps him there, and now Slade’s coming up with his attempt to hit the Muta Scale. Biff tries for a dive, but he’s stopped with a trash can shot as Slade grabbed a second door and slide it into the ring while Biff tried to pull himself up.
Slade’s dripping in blood as he set up a door/chair bridge as the crowd murmured… but Busick stopped Slade with chops before he was caught with a sleeperhold. Biff’s almost put out by it as Slade continued to bleed, bouncing up from a half and half suplex before he clotheslined Biff back down. A running dropkick sticks Slade in the corner, before he hiptossed Biff back to the buckles, ahead of a chokeslam through the door for a near-fall.
Busick and Slade go nose-to-nose again, trading strikes, but it’s Biff’s uppercuts that finally seemed to have some effect, as did a swift bin shot to the head… Slade begs for more, and gets it… before Biff put it over the head and hit an uppercut for the win. The double blood made this a spectacle, and just added to Slade’s mystique (despite the loss) as he still picked himself up, covered in blood, and shook hands after the match. ***¾
With weather and illness taking a hammer blow to the undercard, Day 91 still managed to deliver on some of their stacked card – with the top two matches seeing welcome returns. In spite of the challenges, this was still a good Beyond show – if not a little long (and late, judging by commentary!), and one that you should really dip into.