Beyond continued their road to Americanrana as Uncharted Territory got a match straight off of the Network…
Yes, we’re watching this live this week. Powered by coffee and a love of wrestling… here’s us watching Uncharted Territory at 1am on a Thursday morning. Paul Crockett and Sidney Bakabella return to commentary…
John Silver vs. Leyla Hirsch
Hirsch has had something of a rocket strapped to her since debuting in the Discovery Gauntlet a few weeks back, while Silver’s been a little rudderless since the Beaver Boys split up.
An early scramble sees Silver take Hirsch down to the mat in a front facelock, but that’s quickly broken in the ropes. Hirsch takes advantage of an opening as Silver left himself vulnerable, but he too gets to the ropes as she went for a leg lock. A simple single-leg takedown sees Hirsch mock Silver, who responded with a big shoulder tackle before a waistlock takedown took us back to the amateur style that you’d think’d play into Hirsch’s wheelhouse. Indeed it did, as she switched places and rolled Silver into a near-fall, which prompted Silver to try and make a comeback… but his leapfrog’s countered into a powerbomb, sending him outside as a tope quickly awaited him. Back inside, Silver caught Hirsch’s moonsault and countered by lawn darting her nastily into the corner, which seemed to jar her back on the landing.
Hirsch refused to let the match get waved off though, as Silver began to unleash with a series of kicks. An arrogant cover just gets him a two-count, and opened the door for Hirsch to reply with a string of German suplexes, flipping him inside out before a clothesline almost got the win. A cross armbar gets broken as Hirsch is met with a buckle bomb, then a running boot and a brainbuster… but she still manages to get up before the three-count! More stinging kicks take Hirsch into the ropes, as does a bicycle knee, before she rolled Silver to the mat in a cross armbar… and Silver barely breaks it as he got his tippy toe onto the rope. Heading onto the apron perhaps wasn’t wise as Hirsch followed him, eventually landing a German suplex that also sent her flying to the floor. A second suplex followed from Hirsch, before she rolled him back inside for a moonsault, which still can’t finish things!
Silver begins one more fightback, but he’s swarmed by palm strikes before tripping Hirsch into the ropes. A kick to the back of the head and a swift rack bomb followed… but Leyla’s up at two! Silver tries to go up top next, but he’s crotched as Hirsch tries for an avalanche German suplex, and got it, only for Silver to land on his feet… then rush in with a knee trembler for the win. A hell of a showing from Hirsch, who’s getting over despite defeats as she’s proving herself in Beyond. ***½
Post-match, Alex Reynolds hit the ring to attack Silver. Hirsch makes the save and caught Reynolds with a German suplex, only for him to deck her with a superkick.
American Strong (Jay Freddie & Rory Gulak) vs. The Butcher & The Blade (Andy Williams & Pepper Parks)
American Strong came out like a Catch Point tribute act, complete with the shirts… but since the Butcher & the Blade face the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express in a little under two weeks, I’d expect this to be one-way traffic.
Gulak started by wrestling Parks to the mat with a waistlock, but they quickly end up in the ropes before Parks just charged Gulak into the corner… where a tag from Williams was waiting. Williams made no bones about hurling Gulak across the ring with a Beele, so Freddie could come back in and try his luck with chops. To his credit, Freddie stood up to Williams’ chops, but had little answer to the knees before he caught Williams off guard with a roll-up. A leaping ‘rana off the middle rope takes Williams down ahead of another armdrag as the pace looked to slow down somewhat. Gulak’s back in, but he’s quickly overwhelmed as he had to dive into roll ups to try and find a way back in… but when Parks went back to strikes, it was business as usual.
A nice pumphandle uranage drops Gulak as Williams took over, following in with a legdrop for a near-fall. Parks returns with a dropkick to help set off Williams’ gutwrench suplex as the pair tried to exchange frequent tags… but Gulak avoids a clothesline as Freddie returned to try and capitalise on that miscue. Diamond Dust and a Saito suplex keep Parks down, before Gulak nearly slipped as he stepped off of Parks into a plancha to the outside. Back in the ring, Gulak returns with a splash to Parks… but he’s not legal and that miscue was topped off when Williams’ Burning Hammer came a little late to break up a cover. Not to worry, the bodies continue to fly around with a Shining Wizard from Freddie, who then ate a Stunner and a lariat as Gulak was left alone to take a shoulder block powerbomb combo. From there, Freddie took Full Death – a suplex onto the knees – and that’s enough for the win. A strong outing from the Butcher and the Blade, despite a few miscues, and their outing at Americanrana ought to be something wacky. ***
Deana Rae’s backstage with Daniel Garcia… he’s facing Christian Casanova next.
Discovery Gauntlet: Daniel Garcia vs. Christian Casanova
Cam Zagami’s back with his red velvet rope and those tinted sunglasses… but it’s also telling how he’s slowly trying to make sure the spotlight’s on him.
The bell rings as Garcia killed Zagami with a shotgun dropkick… Casanova’s not too worried though as he retaliated with a superkick and a lungblower… only for Garcia to get right back up. Garcia takes a clothesline, but quickly spikes Casanova with a piledriver for a near-fall… then went for a Sharpshooter as Cam Zagami popped up on the apron to provide a distraction. Garcia told the referee to not fall for the distraction… as he wrenched back on the hold for the submission. That’s a win in under 90 seconds, and Daniel Garcia is my new favourite wrestler! I’m living for good guys who don’t fall for distractions! A swift squash, and a hell of a way to debut a new face in “Red Death”.
Post-match, Zagami tries to get involved, but he’s dumped with a death valley driver into the corner… so Deana Rae can interview him over Cam’s lifeless body.
Chris Dickinson vs. Fred Yehi
After a week off to wrestle and do a wedding, Chris Dickinson’s hoss parade continues against… a different kind of hoss in his former Catch Point buddy Fred Yehi.
That one guy at ringside got it. Yehi started by slapping Dickinson, which was a mistake… because Dickinson returned the favour, as Yehi tried to make this technical. Instead, he had to go to shoulder tackles, before he again tried to be technical, only for his waistlock takedown to open it up for Dickinson. Yehi goes back with chops as Dickinson was more than willing to go to the striking game, switching it up with kicks that Yehi openly asked for. Chop! Kick! Chop! Kick! Yehi was more than eager to have his spine realigned, but it eventually wore him down as he collapsed to the mat. Dickinson tries to club his way ahead, but Yehi goes to his stomping game, then shocked Dickinson with a Canadian Destroyer for a near-fall. Picking up Dickinson by his ear perhaps wasn’t wise, as Yehi unleashed with chops again, then a cannonball, before a crossface looked to trap Dickinson… who ends up rolling into the ropes for the break.
Bodyscissors follow as Yehi kept looking for the submission, but Dickinson again gets free and returned to the strikes, before a back suplex took Yehi into the corner. Dickinson keeps up with running clotheslines, before he ran into a full nelson as Yehi’d done some damage to his former stablemate. Not to worry, a clothesline and a death valley driver from Dickinson stopped him for a two-count. Yehi tries to snatch it with a wheelbarrow roll-up, before dropping Dickinson into a Koji clutch… but it ends in the ropes once more. The pair keep going back and forth as Yehi unleashes more chops in the corner, before a back cracker from Yehi led to Dickinson coming back with a suplex and a diving enziguiri for a near-fall. A piledriver’s good for just a one-count on Yehi, but he couldn’t avoid an enziguiri nor a Pazuzu Bomb as the Dirty Daddy left this slobberknocker with the W. Fantastically violent – and another match to throw in as a reason why people ask “why is Fred Yehi not booked more often?” ***¾
After the match, Dickinson offered a Catch Point handshake… but Yehi just punts him low!
Apparently Thomas Santell hasn’t chosen his partner to face the Chop ‘n’ Roll Express… has Bryan Alvarez flipped out too soon?
Richard Holliday & Kenn Doane vs. Nick Gage & Thomas Santell
Sidney Bakabella did a good job on commentary in trying to make Kenn Doane a little like a modern day Bruiser Brody… meanwhile, Thomas Santell marking out for Metallica is a wondrous sight.
Gage and Santell double-leg their opponents during the introductions, and they instantly put the boots to Doane and Holliday. There’s a wacky ref bump as Doane ends up in a Sugar Free Hold, which he furiously taps to, as Holliday came in to break the hold up. We’ve no ref as Santell’s double-teamed,… Eventually Kevin Quinn’s thrown back into the ring as he’s hobbling badly while trying to call for a rope break. Santell’s kept isolated in the wrong corner as Holliday returned to stomp on Santell’s ankle, before a tiltawhirl slam nearly got the win… and this crowd’s not really feeling that Holliday/Doane pairing it seems.
Santell manages to get free and eventually tags in Gage… cue horror from Holliday and Doane as Gage cleans house. A tag brings Santell back in for a bicycle kick that nearly put the MLW tag champion Holliday away. Doane trips Santell on the top rope, before he returned to double-team Santell… a spiking DDT from Gage gets rid of Doane, before Santell’s wheelbarrow roll-up put Holliday away. Commentary seemed a little confused at the end, but this was a nice match that continued to establish “Nerd-er, Death Kill”. ***
After the match, Santell took the mic to confirm he was picking Gage as his partner for Americanrana. I wonder who’d get Figure Four Weekly handed down to them in Bryan’s will? We also find out next week that Santell and Gage have one more match… against Cam Zagami and Christian Casanova. Oh hell yeah!
Brandon Thurston vs. Wheeler YUTA
Thurston’s back on the show that gave him a lot of hype earlier in the run – and against Wheeler YUTA, I’m fully expecting this to be a bit of a masterclass… with the threat of Chuck O’Neil on the side.
YUTA looked for Thurston’s arm early on, and took it down to the mat, only for Thurston to get free as the pair continued to focus on the others’ left arm… as we headed to a stalemate. Forearms from YUTA catch Thurston unawares, but Brandon’s back with an engizuiri in the corner only to find himself back in the corner courtesy of a dropkick. Thurston finally gets hold of that left arm, working a pair of wristlocks that forced YUTA to bridge up out of a pin… and into some bodyscissors… only for Thurston to counter back with a seated surfboard a la Liger. All of that compromised YUTA’s arm, which meant that duelling clotheslines weren’t quite as effective for YUTA, who had to come up with a plan B to take Thurston down.
A Miz-like clothesline through the ropes traps Thurston, as YUTA heads up top… and aborts a leap as Thurston instead caught him with a wrist-clutch Exploder for a near-fall. YUTA replies with a superkick, but he struggled to get off an Irish whip… he was able to land an Angle slam though, almost ending the match right there. Thurston responds with a snap brainbuster for a near-fall, before some running enziguiri eventually were predicted, as YUTA caught one and trued to turn it into a Yuta-gatame. Thurston torques the wrist to get free, eventually coming back with a La Mistica into a Rings of Saturn, stomping on the bad hand as YUTA had to cling on… a German suplex helps him after he got free, but a shoulder charge eats nothing but steel as Thurston again goes back to that left arm ahead of a release Tiger suplex. YUTA’s still able to kick out, then rushed in with a European clutch to catch Thurston off guard for the win. A hell of a technical contest, with Thurston’s game plan being sound – but ultimately not enough for the win. ****
Chuck O’Neil rushes out to capitalise on YUTA’s injury – a German suplex sent YUTA flying. O’Neil manages to land a Michinoku driver into a cross armbar as security comes out to break it up… and get killed with a myriad of knees and German suplexes. Ah well! Referee Kevin Quinn’s decked by O’Neil, who leaves before wiping out any more refs.
Solo Darling vs. Kris Statlander
Solo demanded this match after feeling overshadowed by Statlander’s challenge to Kimber Lee for Americanrana. I mean, she has a point – despite having a stake for the “Ace of Beyond” label, Solo doesn’t have a match…
Solo instantly went for Statlander’s legs at the start of the match, looking for a grapevine as she tried to eliminate Kris’ vertical base. Statlander returns the favour with a Trailer Hitch, but she rolled too close to the ropes as Solo dragged her way to that bottom strand to get herself free. Solo tries again, catching kicks before Statlander fought her way free… then swept the leg ahead of a cartwheel legdrop as the tide turned in a heartbeat. A sit-out front suplex nearly puts Solo away, but instead the pair have to exchange back-and-forth strikes until Statlander’s fireman’s carry got countered into a sunset flip to spark a bunch of near-falls.
Solo fakes out a punch and suckers Statlander into a DDT, following that up with a bunch of mid kicks ahead of a Honey Steamer tornado DDT attempt. Statlander blocks and counters with a suplex into the corner, following back in with a spinning Ki Krusher for a near-fall. Darling tries to nick it with a Sharp Stinger, before she just slapped Statlander… that’s a cue for a hattrick of Honey Steamers that left Statlander down and out. A Sharp Stinger’s next, but Statlander got to the rope, then made a comeback with an electric chair facebuster… leaving Solo prone for an axe kick that she barely kicked out of. Kris goes back to the electric chair, but Solo slips out and nails a Destroyer, as another Sharp Stinger ends in the ropes. Solo pulls her away and tries to tie her up with a CHIKARA Special… but Kris breaks it up and ended up with a Big Bang Theory package tombstone getting countered into a roll-up for another near-fall.
From there, Statlander rolls Solo into a grounded Octopus hold… and that’s all she wrote as Darling was forced to tap. Another good match here as Statlander continues to build steam ahead of her outing with Kimber Lee in a little under a fortnight’s time. ***½
Statlander gets the mic afterwards as they have to cut short next week’s announcements… she wants to finish what she started last week. It’s gonna be Statlander vs. Lee in a cage match. Oh good God, that’s got the potential to get violent!
Next week: Chris Dickinson vs. Timothy Thatcher and his old match graphic… Nick Gage and Thomas Santell vs. Cam Zagami and Christian Casanova… Alex Reynolds vs. Leyla Hirsch… LAX and Bear Country will have separate tag team matches… David Starr vs. Wheeler Yuta… and Joey Janela gets a live mic ahead of his iron man match at Americanrana.
Josh Briggs vs. Anthony Greene
This jerked the curtain for that EVOLVE special on the WWE Network on Saturday… but they’re going to look to top that in the main event here.
Josh Briggs snaps before the bell, booting Angel Sinclair through the ropes before choke-bombing Ava Everett… and that lit a fire under Greene’s arse as the bell rang on this fight. Greene has to avoid a backbreaker as Briggs kept the aggression high. He avoids a diving knee from Greene, but couldn’t escape a ‘rana as Green sent him outside, before he landed a tope at the second attempt. Except Briggs got right back up and hit his apron chokeslam anyway. The Worcester crowd clearly got behind Greene as Briggs continued to dominate, throwing Greene to the apron. A Calaway clothesline’s next as Briggs keeps up the pressure, before he ran into a superkick as Greene began to muster a response, taking Briggs down with a bulldog… only to get caught in the turnbuckles as he eventually landed a cutter off the top rope.
Briggs kicked out at two though, then proceeded to deck Greene with a big boot. A chokeslam’s good for a near-fall too, but Greene lands a desperation enziguiri as he tried to stem the tide. The tornado suplex lands out of the corner, before Briggs countered with an X-Plex… then a Go to Hell knee that sent Greene into the ropes for a rebound lariat as both men were pulling out all the stops. From there though, Briggs catches Greene with a pair of backbreakers that were barely kicked out of. We get a ref bump as an errant elbow caught Steven Dumeng, allowing Greene to try and use Ava Everett as a human battering ram… it doesn’t work, but Angel Sinclair’s tornado DDT does, then a Destroyer from Everett as Greene continued to use his Platinum Hunnies as human weapons. After kicking out, Briggs went for another chokebomb, only to see it countered with a roll-up, then a backflip, as Greene hits the move himself for a one-count?!
A piledriver follows from Greene… but Briggs kicks out at two. Both men were on fumes as Briggs caught Greene on the top rope with an avalanche Michinoku driver… which also gets a one-count, before another chokebomb finally put Green away. This was a war, with Briggs showing perhaps a touch too much aggression at the start, but it keeps up the anger his character’s shown as far as “big names” being flown in for shows. ***½
After the match, Briggs tells us that he picked a match with Greene for a reason: it’s because Briggs reckons he’s one of the best wrestlers around. The pair hug it out, as Briggs told us how Greene helped him during his recovery from the dislocated hip. There’s one thing Briggs wants: a tag match with Greene before Uncharted Territory ends, but they don’t tell us against whom as the show wrapped up for another week.
Maybe it’s the live viewing bias, but this was perhaps the best episode of Uncharted Territory – as we expected with Americanrana quickly on the horizon. Storylines are starting to tie up and flesh out – with the only sad point here being that we’re also quickly approaching the end of this run. I really hope Uncharted Territory gets a second series, because this has become my favourite weekly TV show since wXw Shotgun disappeared last autumn… Also, any promotion that has any good guy ignore interference – and insist the referee does the same – gets a massive thumbs up from me any day of the week.
- Catch Uncharted Territory as part of a subscription to IWTV.live – sign up today and get a 20-day free trial with the code UNCHARTED – that code’ll get you Americanrana too for free if you sign up today!