The undefeated Tyler Owens makes his series debut as everyone’s race to bag a trio of medals continued.
Quick Results
Cerberus Medal: Maddy Morgan & Melissa Fierce pinned Claudia Bradstone & Hollie Barlow in 11:42 (***)
Chronos Medal: Tyler Owens pinned Oscar Prospero in 8:51 (**¾)
Cerberus Medal: Angel Hayze pinned Madison Marley & Charli Evans in 8:03 (***)
Once again we’re back in Digbeth at the Kamikaze Pro dojo with commentary from Conor Bailey, Lucy Simons and Jetta.
We open with Conor running through this week’s card, before we’re taken to ringside…
Maddy Morgan & Melissa Fierce vs. Claudia Bradstone & Hollie Barlow
Tillie Rose joins commentary – I guess to level the numbers since Nina Samuels is accompanying her “understudies” here. Rose has some barbs for Nina, who can literally hear her in this environment.
We got going with Nina directing traffic as Barlow grabbed a side headlock on Fierce, whose push-off just earned her a shoulder tackle. Second time was the charm for Fierce, who landed a crossbody en route to a diving knee strike for an early two-count. Barlow tries to fight back, but Fierce capitalised on Barlow’s hesitance to take directions before the pair traded roll-ups on the way to a stand-off.
Bradstone gets the tag in, eventually taking down Fierce with a clothesline and a front suplex before Fierce rolled out to tag in Maddy Morgan. Dropkicks from Maddy take Bradstone into the corner, only for the Portuguese to go for the hair to stop Morgan in her tracks.
Some boot choking and a bodyslam kept Bradstone ahead, before Barlow returned to hit a suplex for a two-count. Barlow stomps a mudhole in Morgan in the corner, but seemed hesitate to tag back out as Bradstone’s clothesline picked up another two-count. Another suplex from Bradstone keeps the momentum going as Barlow returned… and instantly was in a fight to stop Morgan from tagging out.
Bradstone’s back as Morgan remained in trouble, before Morgan finally hit a facebuster to get free as Fierce finally got back into the match. Barlow’s in, but can’t avoid a hanging back cracker out of the corner, forcing Bradstone in to break up the pin. Barlow’s able to catch a kick and counter with a release overhead suplex on Fierce… prompting Nina to bark at her to tag Bradstone back in since Hollie “can’t do it alone.”
Bradstone walks right into a superkick from Fierce – and with Barlow and Nina arguing over what to do, things fall apart for Nina’s crew as a Tiger Feint kick in the corner from Fierce and a Morgan moonsault got the win. It’s clear they’re telling the story of Hollie Barlow being the reluctant member of the group who’s only there to get a tongue lashing – but I’m surprised they went straight there… ***
Post-match, Nina threw Barlow into the side of the ring then ordered Bradstone to join her as Barlow got bullied. Tilly Rose throws down the headset and hits the ring before anything can happen – which is just as well since she’s not medically cleared…
We’re in a car park as Joseph Conners brags about having two of the medallions – but he feels he shouldn’t have had to play “the game” to get his title shot.
Tyler Owens vs. Oscar Prospero
This has a time limit attached so it’s for the Chronos medallion – and this is my first time seeing either Owens or Prospero. “The Bard” Prospero has a thing about singing his name operatically, and is apparently on his own for the first time after splitting from former tag partner/mentor Dave Breaks?
Prospero works a wristlock early on, but Owens works free and sent Prospero into the ropes before anything could be done. A waistlock takedown has Propsero reaching for his book of teachings – looking for a new gameplan, which came in the form of a side headlock and a shoulder tackle takedown.
Owens manages to return with a tijeras, taking Prospero into the corner ahead of a Finlay roll that could have gone so much worse. The follow-up moonsault out of the corner a la Kenny Omega only gets a two-count, before Prospero managed to fight back with an Exploder that sent Owens rolling to the outside for respite.
Joining Owens on the floor, Prospero lights him up with chops before shoulder charges back inside took Owens into the corner. Prospero goes for a Cloverleaf, which he’s got a fancy name for, but Owens kicks it away before a grounded monkey flip took his opponent to the mat. A Thesz Press-like takedown has Oscar in trouble (the wrestler, not the ref) ahead of a Flatliner for a near-fall.
Heading up top, Owens looks for a Meteora, but it’s caught and turned into a slam before Tiger Driver nearly put an end to Owens. In more ways than one. Prospero goes for it again, but Owens slips out before hitting the Angel’s Wings. It’s not enough, but Owens’ springboard got caught and turned into a half-nelson spin-out facebuster for a near-fall. That’s the kind of move that needs a branded name, not a Cloverleaf!
Prospero keeps going, but he calls a finish with a headlock driver – Poor Yorrick – which Owens escaped as he returned with the Angel’s Wings again, then a Samoan Driver for the win. They were coming close to the time limit here, but Owens eked out a win to remain undefeated – I got more than a whiff of early 00s Britwres with Owens big moves, but if they work, they work, I guess. **¾
By the way, is it only me or does anyone else hear Conor Bailey and half expect him to be speaking to Colin from Portsmouth? It’s been a while since I busted out niche references…
Next Week: Leon Cage vs. Adam Bolt… and a Rumble for a Cerberus medal. Hey, it is Rumble season after all…
They recap Joey Slade and Sha Samuels from a few weeks ago… which led to Joey approaching Sha with an idea. He wants Sha to mentor him, but Sha isn’t here to be a babysitter or part of a tag team… and instead, he’ll provide Joey some feedback after next week’s Rumble.
Tyler Owens’s got a promo, as he vows to continue his unbeaten run to complete his medal collection… and win the title.
Angel Hayze vs. Madison Marley vs. Charli Evans
They’ve made a slight tweak to the rules here it seems, as you only need to be beaten to lose a medal in a multi-person match… as opposed to last week where just being on the losing tag team was enough to wipe you out. Anyway, Angel Hayze and Charli Evans come in with a medal apiece, and a win here will put them one step closer to a title shot.
Hayze faked out a Test of Strength, opting to roll up Evans as the trio traded roll-ups – including one in the ropes – before Hayze tried to calm things down by… attacking Marley. A double shoulder tackle sent the Scotswoman outside as Evans and Marley took over, trading armdrags and headscissors as the Dane Marley almost won things in short order with a dropkick.
Evans gets tripped up in the ropes as she tried to fight back… Hayze at least puts her on that comfortable-looking sofa for a breather before taking over on Marley, rolling her down to the mat for a diving forearm for a near-fall. Hayze boots Charli off the apron as she tried to make it back inside, as the Scot continued to focus on Marley with an Irish whip into the corner.
Some blatant hair-pulling from Hayze can’t even get a warning out of the referee since three-ways are no-DQ, but Marley’s able to respond with a knee strike before a springboard facebuster was pushed away. Evans finally returned to the ring as she looked to boot both women’s faces off their face, leading to a Fisherman suplex on Marley for a near-fall.
A turnaround sees Marley roll down Hayze and Evans ahead of a crossbody off the top to the pair of them for a single two-count. Evans responds with an Indian deathlock to Marley, then with a Fisherman suplex to Hayze at the same time – but it doesn’t lead to the finish. All three trade blows for a spell, but Marley breaks out with a springboard facebuster to Hayze for a near-fall, with Evans breaking up the pin before chucking Hayze outside.
Charli keeps going, but Marley rolls out of a Fireman’s carry and almost snatched the win, before Hayze returned to break up a cover following Evans’ lariat… and steal the win for herself. That’s Angel Hayze two-thirds of the way there, and thanks to the rule clarification Evans doesn’t get sent back to square one. This was pretty much what you’d expect from a three-way match – complete with the stolen finish at the end. ***
Five weeks in, the Underground format remains a nice easy watch, as long as the closed set environment isn’t a deal-breaker for you.