Beyond pop up for WrestleMania weekend with a throwback to their past with a one-night tournament for a shot at the IWTV title.
Quick Results
Dave Cole submitted Facade in 8:28 (**¾)
Gary Jay pinned Herzog in 6:36 (**¼)
Dan Barry pinned Eric Corvis in 10:45 (***¼)
Anthony Stone pinned Jefferson Saint in 0:04 (NR)
Sean Maluta & Jaka pinned Nasty Russ & T-Money in 10:03 (***)
Darius Carter pinned Lou Gotti in 10:23 (***)
Allysin Kay submitted Suge D in 10:12 (***)
Vincent Nothing & Rickey Shane Page pinned Mat Fitchett & Davey Vega in 13:29 (***½)
Dave Cole won an elimination match over Gary Jay, Dan Barry & Anthony Stone in 9:34 (***)
It’s a pretty fluid card for Beyond today – with Daniel Makabe vs. Tony Deppen off the board due to injury, as Lou Gotti and Darius Carter get added to the mix. They’re also having to deal with the pressure of needing to finish in time for a deathmatch show to follow them, after ICW’s show in Port Richey was relocated back to 81Brew because of inclement weather.
Rolling with the punches, so it is… with just one referee after Kris Levin had to drop out after picking up a nasty cut last night. We’re also sans commentary…
Dave Cole vs. Facade
We’ve got a lot of names from the Beyond of old here… I got a kick out of “Denver, Colorado… the place, not the man” for Cole’s hometown.
We open up with a lock-up as Cole takes Facade into the corner, before a front facelock offered Facade a way out. An O’Connor roll gets Facade a two-count ahead of a springboard enziguiri that took Cole outside for some respite. He’s back with an armbar that ends in the ropes, before Facade did a headstand into the corner as we buffered…
The feed returns with Facade hitting a dropkick to take Cole outside, but Cole’s quickly back in to boot Facade off the apron and into the front row. Cole drags Facade back in with a draping DDT for a two-count in the ropes, before going back to that arm. My feed’s buffering badly for this opener, as we come back for Facade fighting from underneath, before a front kick leads to Cole returning with a German suplex for a near-fall. Cole tries a submission, but that ends in the ropes, before Cole charged Facade from the apron to the bar. Facade returns with another leap, then springboards back into the ring for a cutter, before a rope-walk senton to the floor keeps Facade ahead… only for Cole to punt Facade low behind the ref’s back as that led to a crossface that gets Cole the win. What I saw was good, with Cole taking a shortcut to make sure he got into that main event for a title shot. **¾
Herzog vs. Gary Jay
This one has the potential to be a bit crazy…
Poor Herzog must be MELTING in that fur. He chucks the fur off at the bell and charges at Jay with double chops in the corner, before Jay knocked him to the outside for a tope. Back inside, Herzog charges down Jay, only to get hauled up as Jay bounced Herzog out of the corner with a death valley driver. Clotheslines and chops follow in the corner from Jay, before a pop-up rana and a right hand almost got the win. Herzog heads outside, where he caught a tope and chokeslammed Jay onto the apron, before rolling him back inside for a two-count.
Herzog climbs the ropes, but Jay stops him with chops and headbutts ahead of a superplex… but instead Herzog brought them down with a chokeslam off the top for a delayed near-fall. A charge followed into the corner, but Herzog misses and gets taken down for a stomp to the back of the head from Jay… and that’s your lot. Brief, and it didn’t outstay its welcome – which is great given how some matches this weekend have felt like dragging. **¼
Dan Barry vs. Eric Corvis
It’s the Beyond return of Dan Barry, who’s not been around on their recent shows… while Corvis looked to have shaken off the knee injury he got a little earlier at Bier Haus.
Corvis got mad at Barry for not “honouring Beyond’s past,” but Dan noted he’s honouring “the only gimmick he ever made money with.” Touche. Dan’s baited into wearing his old gear, so he rips off his shirt and shorts to reveal his sweaty under-gear. We finally get underway with a lock-up, before Barry tripped Corvis and met him on the mat with a side headlock. Corvis escaped and crabs almost a camel clutch on Barry, who escaped and began targeting the arm, pulling back on it on the mat before he pulled Corvis into a neat stretch that I have no idea how to call.
A neck twist sees Barry wrench back on Corvis, before a behind-the-back chinlock was broken so Dan could hit a low dropkick. Corvis recovers by throwing Barry into the ring post, stretching him around the post, then his knee for a two-count. Barry hits back as my feed drops, but he’s just swung into the mat with a seated swinging STO from Corvis, before Barry tripped him down into a Muta lock. Corvis gets to the ropes, then tried to fight back by heading up top… only for Barry to catch him… Dan’s shoved through the ropes as Corvis boot chokes him instead, before they headed outside, where Barry dives onto Corvis. Back inside Corvis avoids Barry’s leap before getting caught with a brainbuster for the win. Only knowing the “meme” Dan Barry, this was a pleasant surprise – I think I might need to dig up some old Dan Barry tapes, eh? ***¼
Anthony Stone vs. Jefferson Saint
Our final qualifier then… and we continue the blasts from the past theme going. Saint introduces himself as the original Ace of Beyond… and loses in four seconds to a roll-up. Thanks for coming!
Jollyville Fuck-Its (Nasty Russ & T-Money) vs. Island Kings (Jaka & Sean Maluta)
A throwback here, and yes, that is their name. They don’t get a lower third, sadly…
Russ and Jaka start us off, locking up into the corner before Jaka took Russ to the mat in a side headlock. What a glorious mane on Jaka here. Unfortunately it gives Russ something to grab onto before he shot Jaka into the ropes for a shoulder tackle. Nasty Russ comes back though, only to get caught with a crossbody for a two-count, as Maluta tagged in to take over. Chops sting Nasty Russ, before Jaka came in for his part on a headbutt/big splash combo that nearly ends it. T-Money breaks up the cover, but Russ can’t get free as he’s thrown back into the Kings’ corner… Russ escapes a slam, but eats a chop or two before he ran into a Samoan drop for a near-fall.
In comes T-Money to change the scene, headbutting Maluta before bouncing him with a slam and a leg drop. A standing sidewalk slam is next, with Russ then tagging back in to throw some punches as Maluta was put in an airplane spin. It leads to a two-count, as T-Money returned to hit a Beverly Brothers-like back splash for a two-count. Maluta returns fire with a Codebreaker before he made the tag out to Jaka, who went wild on Russ before a spinning heel kick and a Yakuza kick cracked T-Money ahead of a near-fall. T-Money chucks Jaka off the top rope ahead of a missile double dropkick to the Kings as the Fuck-Its begin to build a head of steam… heading up top as T-Money’s superplex led to him being crashed onto by Russ, before Maluta frog splashed the pair of them for the win. I enjoyed that – a little car-crashy at the finish, but it felt totally different to the rest of the show. ***
Lou Gotti vs. Darius Carter
Our late addition to the card, and we’re still dealing with Beyond throwbacks despite the short notice.
Carter trips Gotti early on, as my feed drops… it’s back with Carter slapping Gotti by the ropes, before they head to the mat. A backbreaker gets Gotti a two-count, before Carter powdered to the outside… he suckers Gotti in with a hotshot across the top rope, before hitting a sit-down splash back inside. A boot rake follows from Carter, then a knee drop, but Gotti wouldn’t stay down and kicked out at one. He fires back with chops before Carter went to the face, then took Gotti up top as Carter took his time going for a superplex… which Gotti escaped as he takes Carter in for pair of backbreakers, then a forearm before Carter stomped on the foot.
A cross-chop from Carter leads to him running into a pumphandle over-the-knee neckbreaker for a very close near-fall, before a backbreaker gets another two-count on Carter. Gotti runs into a shoulder charge, but counters with an X-Plex on Carter, before a leaping kick from the floor and a flying leg lariat from Gotti gets another near-fall. Gotti goes for a butterfly something or other, but Carter floats out and returns with an enziguiri, before a big boot gets a two-count. The pair continue to go back and forth, before Gotti’s overhead suplex chucks Carter into the buckles, as a butterfly backbreaker gets just a one-count. Egads. Carter pops up for a big clothesline, before a Million Dollar Dream Stroke gets Carter the win. Like Reed/Brown on the earlier show, this had the nasty habit of just doing moves and kick-outs for the hell of it – with Gotti’s finish seemingly having little lasting impact as Carter popped up to finish off the match. ***
Suge D vs. Allysin Kay
Suge’s prided himself on his versatility across this weekend – so here’s another role for him to excel in…
Suge drops to his knees to get the crowd going… as we then start with he and Kay trading holds. A trip has Kay on the mat, but she pushes Suge away before he returned the favour, trapping her in a Cornish Hipe. Things go to the mat as a wristlock has Kay in some bother, before Suge turned some simple holds into what seemed to mock Kay with dance. Kay looks pissed and throws down Suge for an armbar attempt, but he gets back up as the pair continue to grapple… leading to Kay catching him with a kick as Suge tried to go for a takedown. More kicks await Suge, who caught Kay with a right hand before taking her to the corner.
Suge misses a charge and gets stomped on by Kay, who goes to a Kimura on the mat before a sunset flip led to both wrestlers being laid out, and almost getting pinned at the same time. After the kick outs, Suge’s in with a bearhug, but Kay escapes and goes back to the Kimura, only for Suge to counter his way into an ankle lock that ends in the ropes. Another jab from Suge leads to Kay kicking back, targeting Suge’s shoulder before she rolled Suge back to the mat in the search for a Kimura… eventually getting it as Suge’s forced to tap out. I sensed Suge took Kay a little lightly to begin with, what with the dancing spots, but Kay stuck to her game and seemingly won some respect along with the match. ***
Can we throw out that moron in the crowd?
Besties In The World (Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett) vs. Faith In Nothing (Rickey Shane Page & Vincent Nothing)
A blast from the past, yet remarkably current?
Rickey Shane Page has his ear heavily taped up from his earlier exploits this weekend, as Vega and Nothing get us going. They head to the mat, where Vega grabs an armbar, then a wristlock as Nothing traps the arm to break free. Vega goes back in with a takedown, before a waistlock from Nothing was escaped, with Vega going back to a side headlock… which leads to a takedown.
A kneedrop to the arm keeps Nothing down briefly as Mat Fitchett tagged in to hit a low dropkick as the Besties pick up a two-count. RSP tags in and takes Fitchett to the corner, before Nothing returned for a double-team Japanese armdrag that leads to another two-count. Page is back in as Fitchett’s cornered, leading to a no-bump suplex that Fitchett slips out of as Vega returned to try and turn things around… and he’s dropped with a big boot.
Nothing tags back in as they double-team Vega… with Nothing throwing him into a RSP kick for a two-count. An elbow drop gets a two-count ahead of a suplex throw as Page just launches Vega into the corner. More double teaming leads to a Beele throw as Vega’s just getting worn on ahead of a STF from Nothing as my feed again wavered. Page tags back in as Vega’s thrown back into the corner, before Fitchett finally made the tag in. He ran wild, dropping Nothing off the apron before a crossbody caught Page… who staggered into a diving kick for a near-fall. A running kick and cannonball combo from the Besties nearly puts Page away, but Nothing broke it up before Vega again got wore down with repeated knees in the corner for a near-fall.
A double chokeslam from Page is escapes as the Besties land superkicks, before an X-Plex into a cutter almost got Vega the win. Fitchett tags back in but gets Vega suplex-thrown into him, before a hiptoss into a neckbreaker/powerbomb combo got Faith in Nothing the win. An enjoyable scrap of a tag team match, with the Besties looking good, but in the end they were undone by a final flurry. ***½
Elimination: Dave Cole vs. Gary Jay vs. Dan Barry vs. Anthony Stone
The winner of this gets a shot at the IWTV title – presumably after Wheeler Yuta vs. Lee Moriarty next month. In a nice touch, other wrestlers from earlier in the show gathered around ringside for the final.
We start with a clearout as we settle down to Gary Jay and Dan Barry leathering each other with forearms, before Dave Cole took over, getting a one-count with a suplex on Stone. Cole heads outside, but gets stung with a chop from Jay… before Stone took another as Jay picked up a two-count back inside. Barry takes Cole into the ropes, but blocks a sunset flip and twists the neck before a hammerlock DDT dropped Jay. Stone rushes in but gets caught with an aerial Dragon screw from Barry, before a Northern Lights in a Deathlock almost got Barry the first elimination. The ring clears out as Stone, Cole and Jay brawl on the floor, which was the cue for Dan Barry’s tope con giro!
Stone’s thrown back inside to take a Northern Lights Bomb from Barry… and there’s our first elimination at 6:35. Dave Cole pounces on Barry with a Gargano Escape 15 seconds later for the next submission… that leaves us with Cole and Jay, with the latter almost winning with a roll-up. A Blue Thunder Bomb from Cole gets a two-count, before Jay’s swinging DDT leads to… buffering! We’re back as an inside cradle from Cole gets a two-count, before a butterfly powerbomb sends Jay to the outside. Back inside, Cole’s caught in the ropes as Jay hits a forearm… then a draping DDT for a near-fall, before Cole steals the win with a roll-up and a handful of tights! They kept this brief, but they told the story well of Cole making a comeback – and making damn sure it wasn’t a wash-out. ***
The idea of a “retro” Beyond show may be exceedingly niche, especially given the audience this show had, but it worked on several levels. Sure, you’re not getting any match of the year contenders here, but Time Capsule was a fine throwback to the olden days of Beyond – with some nice surprises along the way.