We’re going back to the Pacific North West for another Daniel Makabe match – this time, a rematch from a contest that originally happened in Sheffield.
This one’s from Without A Cause’s show, #Verified Banger… it’s up for free on their YouTube page as we come from the VFW Post #2100 in Everett, WA…
Carlos Romo vs. Daniel Makabe
As we’ve already hinted, these two met once before in September 2019, with Makabe beating Romo at a Breed Pro Wrestling show in Sheffield. Weeks later, Romo went on his first wrestling trip to America… and it’s trip from last winter that led to them both being in the same place at the same time for a rematch.
It’s a Dortmund Day for Makabe as we start with him defending an armbar, before a floatover in the corner from Romo led to Makabe kicking him away as we reached a stand-off. Romo easily breaks a wristlock, earning an applause from the Everett crowd, then returned with one of his own as Makabe ends up spinning him to the mat ahead of a surprise Cattle Mutilation attempt when everyone was expecting a kick to the back. Break those tropes!
Romo gets to the ropes to force a break, as Makabe stayed on him with some knuckle locks, trying for pin attempts as Romo had to bridge up out of it, only to get swept into a STF. Romo escapes with a crossface as they went back-and-forth on the mat, before a rear naked choke was rolled out of as they continued to scramble for an advantage.
A backslide gets Romo a two-count, before he changed things up, sending Makabe into the ropes for a leg lariat. Going back to the arm allows Romo to roll Makabe down into a butterfly hold, which Makabe tried to break by rolling it to the mat for a pin… it kinda worked too, as Makabe’s able to stand up and roll back in for a STF.
Makabe’s rolled up, but he rolls back into a Border City Stretch as Romo’s forced to the ropes. He’s shot back into the ropes as Makabe came in with a Cobra Twist, before a counter saw Makabe drop to the mat to block… with Romo going for almost a Banana Split. That in turn is countered into a Calf Slicer by Makabe as they continue to grab loose limbs, eventually going back to a rear naked choke, which Romo broke as he rolled in for a seated surfboard a la Liger.
Romo tries for a pin, but Makabe kicks away and back into Cattle Mutilation, then a Skayde Special for a near-fall. Back to his feet, Romo’s quickly met with a trapped-leg German suplex, before Makabe arguing with the ref bought Romo time to run in with a leaping knee for another two-count.
Makabe gets back to his feet first, but Romo’s not too far behind him as the pair trade strikes… leading to a blocked Cutter Without the E as Makabe ends up going for the Cattle Mutilation again. That’s rolled up on by Romo as we see-saw two-counts for a spell, until a swift swinging neckbreaker from Romo stopped Makabe in his tracks. In the corner, Makabe’s getting a mudhole stomped through him as Romo then rolled him into a deathlock, throwing in a butterfly hold too as he looked for the submission… but the ropes save Makabe once more.
Romo’s right back in with a PK, then went up top for a moonsault, but he crashes and burns, allowing Makabe to try again for Cattle Mutilation. A headbutt quickly stops that, before Makabe was caught with a knee through the ropes, then a Goomba stomp to the back of the head as Romo then went for a piledriver… but his shoulder gives out, allowing Makabe to snatch a win with a mouse trap pin! The early arm work from Makabe paid dividends in the end as his match-long plan of a Cattle Mutilation was stifled – I’d put this a hair below the Sheffield match just because of crowd familiarity, but I’d bet if this were run back in front of the same crowd, it wouldn’t take as long for them to get into it.
Result: Daniel Makabe pinned Carlos Romo in 13:43 (***¾)