Beyond headed to an old stomping ground as they put on a monster show with some old friends (and not so friendly too!)
Quick Results
Aaron Rourke, Bobby Orlando & Bryce Donovan pinned Dan Champion, A Very Good Professional Wrestler & Lucky 13 in 7:33 (**¾)
Brody King pinned Ryan Galeone in 11:55 (***¾)
Alisha Edwards pinned Kaia McKenna in 6:32 (**½)
Damian Adams, Pedro Dones & Tina San Antonio pinned Mike Verna, Rex Muscarella & Willow Nightingale in 9:37 (***)
Becca submitted Jody Threat in 11:04 (***¼)
Jordan Blade & Eel O’Neal pinned Trish Adora & Suge D in 11:15 (***½)
Matt Cardona pinned Ted Goodz in 20:40 (***½)
Jeff Cobb pinned Wheeler Yuta in 13:20 (***¾)
Kennedi Copeland pinned Heidi Howitzer in 6:15 (**½)
Masha Slamovich defeats Manders by referee’s decision in 10:56 (***½)
Bear Bronson & Bear Boulder pinned Midas Black & Jay Lyon in 12:42 (***)
Megan Bayne submitted Max The Impaler in 7:17 (**¾)
Alec Price pinned Rickey Shane Page in 11:16 (***½)
We’re coming from the Arts at the Armory in Somerville, Massachusetts – Beyond’s first show there since 2017, a year where they worked in tandem with PROGRESS on their tour of the States (and, was my first sight of the promotion too…)
As usual, Sidney Bakabella and Paul Crockett are on commentary.
Club Cam (Aaron Rourke, Bobby Orlando & Bryce Donovan) vs. A Very Good Lehigh Valley Wrestling Trio (A Very Good Professional Wrestler, Dan Champion & Lucky 13)
We’ve got the Honky Tonk Ref for this pre-show match, which nearly ended quickly via a Gedo clutch from A Very Good Professional Wrestler.
Bobby Orlando kicked out, but found himself taking a back body drop before he headed over to tag in Bryce Donovan, who did the obligatory big man over-the-top-rope entrance. He’s shoved by Dan Champion, who followed up with a stalling suplex, before Donovan’s springboard clothesline got him back in it.
Rourke tags in for a split-legged moonsault for a near-fall, before Rourke’s crossbody was caught and turned into a slam by Champion. Lucky 13’s the last one in, landing a ‘rana for a two-count on Rourke, before a cartwheel off the top just led to 13 running into a head kick. Fighting out of the opposition corner, Lucky 13 lands a tornado DDT before tags got us back to A Very Good Professional Wrestler and Orlando, sparking a Parade of Moves featuring a wheelbarrow German suplex from Champion, a flying knee from Rourke, before Cam Zagami hit the ring to stop a dive.
He’s booted by Lucky 13, then bounced around with a noshigami into the buckles by A Very Good Professional Wrestler, ahead of a Vader Bomb from Champion… but Club Cam slip back into the ring to clear the field, leading to Champion being put away with a 450 Splash from Rourke after a Doomsday device. Pretty sprint, but good while it lasted. **¾
Ryan Galeone vs. Brody King
This is the (main show) opener?! Bloody hell…
If you’ve been watching Uncharted Territory, you’ll know Galeone’s caught the eye by being a big flier… and against Brody King, he’s got another chance to knock it out of the park. This was only Brody’s second match in Beyond – his prior being at Americanrana three years ago – and of course, we start with the pair of them slugging it out.
Forearms and clotheslines in the ropes are upgraded to boots, before Brody’s sidewalk slam drew just a one-count. Chops led to Brody going for a slam, but Galeone blocks and returned with a dropkick in the corner, before a trip up top was stopped by way of a superplex. Galeone’s up at two, so he gets BLISTERED in the corner with a gunshot chop.
Galeone returns the favour as they’re swinging for the fences, leading to a back senton from Brody, before Galeone returned with a clothesline. Not going for a pin, Galeone rolled up Brody for a slam, only for King to return with a corner splash and a cannonball, before a piledriver planted Galeone for a near-fall.
We go back to them swinging for the fences again, as Galeone thought he’d broken the streak with a spinebuster… but King’s up at two, then right back down after a ripcord head kick, as Galeone’s deadlift powerbomb should have ended it, but Brody got a shoulder up. More gunshot-like strikes ring around the room as Brody looked to inch ahead, landing a lariat before he stuffed Galeone on a Samoan driver.
Somehow, Galeone’s up at two, and slips out of a Ganso bomb before Galeone hit the springboard Molly Go Round for a near-fall. STILL! Galeone can’t follow up with a powerbomb, and ends up getting waffled by a clothesline before a Ganso bomb got Brody the win. A lovely sprint, but at some point Galeone needs to get a win… even if he’s putting on literal bangers. ***¾
One brief break to fix the ring later… we’re back.
Kaia McKenna vs. Alisha Edwards
Last time Alisha was in Beyond, she was in the midst of a losing streak… can she turn it around here?
She kicks McKenna’s broom out of the ring to start, then snapmared here down for a kick to the back in the opening moments. McKenna went for a full nelson, but ended up returning the snapmares and kicks for a two-count, before Edwards grabbed a side headlock. That’s broken with a side suplex, but McKenna couldn’t build from it, and gets thrown into the corner.
A running dropkick cracks a seated McKenna, who’s then stung with chops in the corner, before McKenna shrugged off kicks and began a fight back… only for Edwards to duck out of the way. McKenna followed up with a Samoan drop, then a bulldog out of the corner, but a boot in the ropes puts Alisha back in it, with a sliding Flatliner almost ending it… before a regular Flatliner did it. **½
Goodfellas (Mike Verna & Rex Muscarella) & Willow Nightingale vs. The Administration (Damian Adams, Pedro Dones & Tina San Antonio)
So… on the WWR+ portion of the Borscht at the Beach show that I’ve not gotten around to watching yet, “The Administration” debuted, coming off the back of the angle they shot at the last solo WWR+ show. San Antonio and Nightingale were added to this one before the bell – primarily to keep things even with San Antonio at ringside.
San Antonio threatened to start, but instantly tagged in Dones as Nightingale ended up getting bounced early on. Muscarella’s in to stare down Dones, then charge him down, before Damian Adams came in and ate a fallaway slam, taking him back towards Dones. Verna’s in next for a back body drop on Dones, before they played pass-the-parcel on Dones, leading to a missed Vader bomb from Muscarella.
Adams tags in as they double-team Muscarella on the mat, before Dones returned to try and roll Muscarella for a Boston crab. He cartwheels free of the counter, but gets BOOTED by Muscarella, who looked to hurt himself in the process as tags bring us to Willow and Tina. Nightingale lights up San Antonio, but gets thrown off the top rope by Adams behind the ref’s back as the Administration took over.
Dones comes close to the win with a bodyslam, before Adams dropped a knee onto her arms. San Antonio’s double sledge keeps Willow down, but Nightingale gets the hot tag out to Verna, who’s all elbows before a spinning powerslam drew a two-count on Adams. San Antonio breaks it up, then raked Verna’s eyes ahead of a DDT, sparking the Parade of Moves that quickly ended with a spear from Muscarella. We keep going as Willow took over… only to get distracted by Becca. Alec Price slips into the ring to superkick Willow, and with Muscarella still out from the missed spear, a couple of neckbreakers was all it was for Verna to be put away. ***
Becca vs. Jody Threat
Becca hung around, so we Heyman-special into the next match…
Becca’s taken into the corner to start, before she grabbed a side headlock. Threat countered with one of her own, before Becca’s clothesline dumped Threat down to the mat. Ground and pound followed, as did an X-Factor, but Threat’s not done so quickly, even if Becca tried to exacerbate things with choking and a running dropkick in the ropes.
A handspring into the corner could have gone awry, but Becca recovers with a slap, but Threat hit back, only to get booted back into the corner. Stomps from Becca keep her down, before Threat’s boot took Becca into the ropes… only for running knees to miss as she gets caught in a backbreaker instead.
Threat kicks out at two, then gets grounded with a chinlock. A chinbreaker gets her free, but Threat’s clinging onto the ropes for balance before she charged down Becca with a series of clotheslines, leading to a full nelson facebuster. That took Becca outside as a baseball slide took Alec Price into the stage steps, while a cannonball off the apron had them both down.
After giving Alec Price a kicking, Threat returns to the ring to hit a clothesline, before a spinning rack bomb was rolled out of by Becca. A suplex from Threat’s countered into a rear naked choke that needed to be broken in the corner, before a superkick had Threat down… Becca goes up, but gets speared out of mid-air as Threat fought back with a German suplex, then a spinning rack bomb… but Price grabs the ref to stop the pin.
Threat goes back after Price, but Becca’s right back up to hit a Stunner, then a modified Dragons leeper for the submission. A good scrap, with Becca largely controlling the pace – and that’s a name to keep an eye on if her development continues at this pace. She’s come a long way since the start of the pandemic when she was “Basic”… ***¼
Kings Of The District (Eel O’Neal & Jordan Blade) vs. Suge D & Trish Adora
This was Suge’s first regular appearance in Beyond in over five years as the Kings of the District look for a win over Trish Adora.
We start with Suge and O’Neal trading holds before a neckbreaker left Eel in a heap. Suge’s back with a wristlock to take O’Neal down, but Eel stands up and countered into a side headlock, before the push-off ended with Suge taking a shoulder tackle. Suge responds with a monkey flip to take Eel into the ropes, only to get taken in the ropes for “the area code of the DC area”.
Suge returns with a snapmare, an uppercut and a kneedrop as O’Neal kicks out at one… Jordan Blade tags in and goes to the mat, following up with Muay Thai-like knees as she and Suge slugged it out. A backfist from Blade stuns Suge into tagging in Adora, who nails a backdrop suplex for a near-fall, before a Cattle Mutilation trapped O’Neal on the mat, with Suge coming in to throw in a Boston crab for extra insult. Blade’s not happy, eventually breaking up the hold before dragging O’Neal to the corner for a tag out.
Adora’s pushed out of the corner by Suge D, as the Kings found themselves in trouble… Adora seemed to want to go for the Lariat Tubman, but Suge talked her out of it… and Blade’s right back in with a Saito suplex instead. Suge comes in to help out, sparking a Parade of Movez, which then settled down to Blade and Adora knocking lumps out of each other. A Fisherman suplex from Blade gets a two-count, before Adora returned the favour with a snap suplex before a big knee strike from Blade just KO’d Adora for the pin. That was a pretty damn good tag – things aren’t over between Blade and Adora, and you have to think there’ll be a rematch between them down the line. ***½
Afterwards, Suge D took a look at Adora’s Pan-Afrikan World Diaspora Wrestling title… and I guess Trish is getting another challenger. Perhaps she ought to steer away from tag matches, since they seem to generate challengers!
Matt Cardona vs. Ted Goodz
Rescheduled from Americanrana, Cardona wasn’t exactly loved in Somerville, judging by the number of single fingers he was getting. Cardona and Mark Sterling cut promos on the crowd, mocking Beyond and the crowd, while Cardona also called himself the “death match king” and the “Ace of Beyond.” Cursed title.
Cardona heads outside at the bell to slow things down, which just wound up Cardona before he took Goodz into the corner. After dealing with the crowd, Cardona boots Goodz, then charged him down, before Goodz clothesline took Cardona outside, where Matt grabbed the mic and mockingly apologized as he looked to end the match quickly.
Goodz saw Cardona’s cheapshot coming as we resume, with a back body drop that sent Cardona powdering outside again. Goodz chases him this time, then grabbed a box of toys, emptyinmg them on the floor as Cardona got slammed onto the pile of dolls. I bet that sucked. Checking the top rope, Goodz heads up there… but got crotched by Cardona, before a neckbreaker drew a one-count.
Goodz rolls outside and eats a dropkick through the ropes, before a neckbreaker on the stage left Goodz laying again. Some t-shirt choking followed after Goodz returned to the ring. Cardona misses a Broski Boot in the corner, crotching himself in the process, before he shrugged it off and threw shots from above at Goodz.
A Manhattan drop and a clothesline puts Goodz back in it as he cornered Cardona with running elbows, leading to chops and a backpack stunner for a near-fall. Cardona retaliated with a Codebreaker for a near-fall, before the Radio Silence leg lariat ends with Cardona getting met with a sitout powerbomb for a near-fall.
Goodz runs into some boots in the corner as an Unprettier from Cardona keeps him close. Sterling suggests Cardona use the Internet title belt… but Goodz caught him with a cutter instead before he teased a belt shot of his own. The ref removes the belt, as Cardona capitalised with a low blow for a near-fall… more belt shot teases lead to Cardona cracking the ref, before Goodz hit a Radio Silence for a long visual pin. Another ref’s out, but Sterling pulls him out before Little Mean Kathleen came out to stop Sterling in his tracks.
LMK hits a Dudley Dog on Sterling, only for Cardona to lariat Goodz and Kathleen… LMK low blows him in return, before VSK snuck in to drop her like a stone with a superkick. Goodz tries to make the save, but eats a belt shot from Cardona for a near-fall, before Goodz ended up having to take care of VSK and Sterling, as a Radio Silence – and a handful of tights – helps Cardona get the win. This got a little busy by the end, but the Somerville crowd were invested throughout, which is always the sign of a good story. ***½
One intermission later, and we’re back with an announcement for December 5’s Fete Forever show… with Ruby Soho booked to face… IWTV champion Alex Shelley?! Bet you’re not shocked to hear that got a pop.
Wheeler Yuta vs. Jeff Cobb
Jeff Cobb’s last appearance in Beyond was… their last appearance here in Somerville, and he’s coming back on the back of a red-hot run in this year’s G1 Climax. Yuta’s getting cheered here, as it looks like everything to do with RALY has been thrown away…
Cobb’s easily shoving Yuta away early on, as the former IWTV champion bounced off of the “Imperial Unit” before opting to throw strikes. Forearms didn’t faze Cobb, who swung clotheslines at first before he was rolled down with an armdrag. An overhead belly-to-belly flings Yuta across the ring, as Cobb began to dominate proceedings, showing off with a squatting suplex on Yuta for good measure.
Yuta tries for a sunset flip, but had to roll away from a legdrop instead as he looked to force an opening, but Cobb ragdolls him and chops again for fun. A standing moonsault misses as Cobb perhaps got a little too flashy too soon, allowing Yuta back in as he built up for a missile dropkick. Cobb rolls outside but eats a tope, before a swinging DDT back inside nearly got the upset.
Cobb recovers, charging Yuta into the corners before the Spin Cycle dumped Yuta for a near-fall. The gachi-muchi sault gets another two-count, before Cobb deadlifts Yuta off the apron for a superplex… it’s blocked in the ropes as Cobb’s knocked down for a big splash, but Yuta can only get a two-count out of it.
The pair trade more strikes, with Yuta hauling Cobb up for an Olympic slam that gets a near-fall, only for Cobb to hit back with a headbutt… Yuta sunset flips out of a Tour of the Islands as he hung in, before a Cobbi-goye and a ripcord Tour of the Islands gets the win. A good sprint, with Yuta not exactly being blown out, but this was a big ol’ showcase for Cobb. ***¾
Heidi Howitzer vs. Kennedi Copeland
It’s a Beyond debut for Howitzer, while Copeland’s here looking for her second win… and comes in all bruised up from H2O’s deathmatch tournament last week.
Copeland charges at Howitzer at the bell, but her chops had little effect, nor did a Mistica attempt, so they end up trading wristlocks. Because wrestling! A chinlock keeps Copeland down, but Copeland counters with an overhead wristlock that’s easily broken up ahead of a clothesline.
Howitzer picks up Copeland for a slam, then followed with a neck crank as Copeland was having trouble even getting into first gear. Copeland’s thrown into the corner for hip attacks, but she’s persistent… kicking out from a clothesline before she found form with a crossbody and a bulldog, before a running knee nearly put Heidi away.
Howitzer thought she was about to get the win as she countered headscissors into a tombstone, but Copeland rolls through and snatches the win with a roll-up. A bit of a banana peel loss for Howitzer, who looked good until the finishing stretch. **½
Manders vs. Masha Slamovich
Manders was last in Beyond a month ago, losing to Chris Dickinson on Uncharted Territory…
Slamovich took some early shots, but popped up to hit an arm whip as the cowboy Manders then came up and caught a senton off the top, turning it into a gutwrench suplex as he went. A cross-chop has Slamovich down, as did some forearms as Manders looked to take control, only for Slamovich to fire away on him in the corner.
Manders boots Slamovich away ahead of a DDT for a near-fall, while a strait jacket choke kept Slamovich on the deck. She bites her way free, but Manders comes right back with forearms and chops, only for Masha to return with a flurry of palm strikes, ahead of a swivelling lariat from Manders that earned him a near-fall. Particularly because he pulled her off the mat…
Manders’ gets caught with clotheslines, then a step-up knee into the corner as Slamovich built anew, leaving to a spinning heel kick for a near-fall. A rear naked choke’s escape by Manders, who replied with a pop-up Oklahoma Stampede for a near-fall. From there, Manders goes up top, but Slamovich headbutts her way free, then flew in with a missile dropkick before a cross armbar was broken up as Manders buckle-bomb’d his way free.
Another lariat almost puts Slamovich away, before Masha again went for a rear naked choke. Manders flips her free and applied one of his own, only for Masha to roll back for a pinning attempt, then apply a rear naked choke of her own. This time, Manders bit free, but he looked to be waning as Masha whaled away on him with more strikes, before one more sleeperhold ended with Masha getting the stoppage. A lot of this was Slamovich holding on against Manders, but the win here shows more durability as she looks to push on in Beyond. ***½
The Mane Event (Jay Lyon & Midas Black) vs. Bear Country (Bear Boulder & Bear Bronson)
The Mane Event were the first winners of the tag team Discovery Gauntlet – but up against Bear Country, they’ve got a big ask here.
Midas managed to dropkick Boulder onto the apron ahead of a double-team assisted hanging facebuster that got just a one-count. Lyon tries a slam, which is a real bad idea, as was the armdrag, eventually scoring with a lucha armdrag before Boulder shook his hand. Tags bring in Bronson and Lyon, with the latter hitting a step-up dropkick as Bear Country looked to be struggling to get into gear.
Bear Country are taken outside as Lyon does his tope-con-giro through the circus hoop… landing in the stage steps too. Back inside, Lyon’s kick to Bronson leads to him blocking a sunset flip… then sitting a sitout tombstone on Black onto Lyon at the same time. Black’s taken to the corner as Bear Country build up steam, leading to a big chop from Boulder, then some Irish whips as the ringleader Midas was getting bounced from pillar to post.
Black tries to fight free, rolling past the Bears before bringing the Lyon in. A slam from Lyon’s nearly lost, but he recovers with a double-team that went awry, leading to Boulder picking up both halves of the Mane Event. A spear eventually knocks Boulder down for a near-fall, before Boulder tried for a double-team powerbomb… but Black counters it into a cutter on Bronson as the Mane Event continued.
A sunset-bomb assisted moonsault gets Lyon a near-fall, before a leaping knee stunned Bronson… who then ate a pair of superkicks as the Mane Event pushed on… only for Bronson to cut them off ahead of a backpack cannonball as Bear Country just squished them in the corner. From there, the Elevator Drop awaits Midas, complete with Bronson swinging the hoop on the way down for the win. This took a while to get going, with both teams looking good on offence – but I’m surprised it was the Mane Event in this spot given what’s going on on Uncharted Territory. ***
Max The Impaler vs. Megan Bayne
Max is making their debut in Beyond here, and is looking to end the imperious run of Bayne here.
Max charges at Bayne to start, taking her into the corner… but Bayne held her own and broke the lock-up. Bayne tries for a waistlock, but couldn’t get them much up off their feet as Max ends up takings things to the corner for a splash. A game of keepaway gives Bayne an opening, as she jumped Max in the ropes, only for Max to corner Bayne again with some swinging lariats.
Bayne’s rocked with more clotheslines, then threw in some of her own as the pair trade lariats, until Bayne hit a Samoan drop. A back senton keeps Max down, as did knees in the ropes, before Max blocked a slam attempt. They’re kept in the corner with some kicks, before a slam dropped Max with ease.
Max recovers with a shoulder charge that nearly put Bayne through the buckles, as a suplex followed… but they hit the post with a second shoulder charge as Bayne sidesteps. A German suplex followed, only for Max to return with a spear… then a powerbomb attempt, as Bayne ends up stunning Max with a swinging sidewalk slam, as a triangle armbar forced the stoppage. A new wrinkle in Bayne’s arsenal as she managed to overcome the challenge of Max the Impaler in some style here as commentary threw the term “Ace of Beyond” in her direction. Those words haven’t been used for a while… **¾
Alec Price vs. Rickey Shane Page
RSP was brought up as “one of the co-founders of Beyond,” as he made his first appearance in Beyond since July’s Masterclass.
RSP heads outside to stare down Becca early on, guessing she’ll be a factor… then got punched as he’d backed Price into the corner. Price tries again, but RSP fakes out a second punch before he went after Price with eye rakes and headlock punches. Feigning out a knee injury, RSP “recovers” to launch Price with a back body drop – throwing in a kick on the way down – as the upstart Price was couldn’t get going.
A suplex throw CHUCKS Price into the corner, as RSP was making this look easy. Price goes to the hair, then nailed a springboard DDT for a surprise near-fall, before some strikes left RSP open for an Alabama Jam-ish legdrop for another two-count. Becca gets involved, choking RSP in the ropes before Price leapt on him, but RSP’s able to recover with a back suplex, while a trip up top led to a springboard frog splash for a near-fall.
Price floats out of another suplex throw, but couldn’t avoid a cutter as RSP before recovering with a nice step-up Blockbuster out of the corner. The satellite DDT and a splash gets Price another two-count, before a standing F5 just spun Price back to the mat. A chokeslam with a kick on the way down ends with Becca popping up on the apron to distract the Honky Tonk Ref, so RSP drags her into the ring. Price goes for a low blow, scoring it on the second go, before a Scorpion kick scored the upset. It took shenanigans and some very questionable refereeing for Price to get the win, but he continues to pick up scalps in Beyond and close out the show to boot. ***½
After the match, RSP took the mic and declared that the indies were at their best – and worst – point, largely because of folks who “try to retweet their way to a contract” or “politic their way to a higher PWI number.” RSP then said that he was “here for everyone,” speaking about a bunch of released wrestlers, before he called out the “death match king” Matt Cardona… who wasn’t around, so Mark Sterling answered “Richard’s” call.
Except Cardona was here, cheapshotting RSP from behind as Cardona, Sterling and VSK stood tall to end things…
At nearly four hours long on-demand, Reverse the Curse was a real long show – but with twelve matches on the card, there’s a lot packed in here. Nothing felt overly long, and just about everything here served a purpose as far as Beyond’s storylines went. If you’ve not been keeping up with Uncharted Territory, this is a good show to jump back in for as Beyond increase their schedule through the end of 2021…