Live Wrestling Review // Battle Club Pro May The Franchise Reign 5/29/21 @ Knights Of Columbus, Ridgefield, NJ

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This all started with Lee Moriarty.  I saw him retweet an image of the show, mapped out the location and then instantly went and bought tickets.  Now, as a point of reference, I was at this particular Knights Of Columbus in Ridgefield, NJ the week before for GSW "Catalyst" and then also two weeks before that for a Pro Wrestling Magic doubleheader.  But when I bought the tickets I just didn't put the connection together of all these shows being in the same place.  I just kind of follow the GPS.

When I clicked on the tweet about Lee Moriarty being in NJ, I saw faces that made my face light up.  "Oh shit Tasha Steelz is on this show.  Oh shit Trish Adora is on this show"  Top to bottom, there was not a bad wrestler on this entire show and any of these names certainly could have gotten me to make this drive but the fact that they all came together is what makes it so damn impressive.  If you take three or four of the names- like Pretty Proper, Davienne and MV Young- I would've gone to this show just for them.

The ticket options ranged from general admission to front row to VIP.  This was also two shows, so it wasn't just like you were buying one ticket for $20 to $40 or something.  I did the math (sort of) and basically realized we'd be getting two shows worth of wrestling with some of the best wrestlers in the world today, so that alone was worth at least $50 to sit front row, right, but it was $65 for VIP.  Now what does VIP get you?  They had comic books which came with the VIP bundle but you also got an in ring photo with Tasha Steelz and the Sea Stars.  I would've done this for me, sure, but thinking about that experience for Quentin I just knew that for $15 more to have that photo-- it was going to be priceless (and it is)

I felt like we literally spent all day at wrestling and that isn't a bad thing.  We woke up, spent a little while getting ready and everything but by 10 am we were on the road because we had to stop for gas/breakfast and I always like to be early rather than late.  Also, I wanted to hit the 7-Eleven near the Knights Of Columbus before so we could load up on snacks for the hours of wrestling we were about to watch but I was also pleasantly surprised to learn (as was Quentin) that the KOC had hot dogs on this day!

This whole day was pretty dark and rainy.  They said VIPs could come in at 1:30 but we waited a while and then it started raining.  Then someone- I'm not sure who but if they are reading this, thank you- said that sponsors could go in.  I was like "Hey, we're a sponsor let's get Quentin out of the cold rain".    So we were able to get in a little bit earlier than everyone else and it was just nice to be out of the rain/cold (especially for Quentin who refused to put his hoodie on) and see MV Young wandering around inside.

So, to go back in time on this, when I found out about this show I was just excited to see everyone on it from top to bottom- every name is a star.   Since Quentin and I have been going to wrestling shows again (the pandemic put a pause on it) we've seen Riley Shepard at nearly every show.   So, I wondered, with there being two shows, if there was room for Riley Shepard on the card, if we could sponsor her and get her on there.  I hadn't even said one word about it to Riley Shepard when I messaged Battle Club on Twitter and got the ball rolling.  I didn't know what to expect.  I could have been told no just flat out.  Riley Shepard might not even have been available.  But I don't think I ever thought what happened was going to happen.

I'm not going to give too many details but I will say that if you ever feel like you want to sponsor a wrestler for a show, just put the feelers out there.  Just send a message and get the ball rolling to see what it might take.  If you feel like the price is too high it's easy enough to say that and move on.   But you might find that the money is worth it because you can't really put a price on memories like these.  You can't put that price on happiness and a memory that you'll share with that wrestler and your family forever.

To make a long story short, I love Pro Wrestling Magic.  I do.  And I love Erica Leigh as well.  Erica Leigh is one of the best wrestlers in the world today.   She has proven that time and time again with her various matches (If you need examples, email me, I'd love to talk about it) If you told me that we could see the first ever title defense that's woman vs. woman of the Pro Wrestling Magic Title at a Magic show, I'd say let's go.  But to have it at a Battle Club show- to make HERstory- and for me to feel like I played a small part in it is just overwhelming and something I don't think I will ever not smile at the mere thought of.   This is what it's about.

Then there was the idea presented to me of Quentin coming out during Riley Shepard's entrance.  One of my stipulations for sponsoring Riley Shepard was that I didn't want to do it while promoting a brand or something, I wanted it to appear as if Quentin was sponsoring her because Riley Shepard is Quentin's favorite wrestler.  So when I was asked how I felt about Quentin doing the entrance I said I thought they'd both like that very much.   And I was right.  And the way it all just fell into place was like a movie or dream.  I couldn't have written a better story-- the greatest writer couldn't have either.

The show itself- both shows were just crazy.  There were eight matches on each show and none of them were bad matches because they all had wrestlers in them that I wanted to cheer and sometimes wrestlers that I wanted to boo.  To me, I watch a lot of wrestling and I've been to a lot of live shows recently, so that all kind of came together with this show.  You have someone like Lee Moriarty who I've seen all over IWTV taking on Trish Adora who I've seen wrestle live the past two weekends.  O'Shay Edwards is all over television right now so I was excited to see him live.  Same with Pretty Proper.  I haven't seen Tasha Steelz or Savannah Evans live for a while but it was great seeing them again.  

Every wrestler just had that feeling of it was exciting to either see them again or for the first time live and that even applies to someone like Darius Carter, who I booed the hell out of and he smacked my hand for it.   I also got Charles Mason to make like he was going to punch Quentin.  The heels were just out in full force but you love to boo them.   I think wrestling on a whole right now is in such a weird place because there aren't always clear cut "good guys" and "bad guys".  So when there are clear cut "bad guys" (meaning someone you always want to boo) I appreciate them a little bit more.

This all actually came to a head in the Lee Moriarty-Trisha Adora match because there were chants for both wrestlers.  How do you choose?  Neither is really a "heel".  I love them both.  But you know what?  I picked a side and chanted for Trish Adora.  Then this one guy started a "Lee and Trish" chant by himself so I chanted "Pick a side" back at him and Lee Moriarty also told him "Pick a side" which made me smile.  It's not always easy, but I think that's one of the things you need to do during a match- pick a side- and then after the match, yeah, clap for them both and buy all their merch.

I feel like so much happened on this show that I can't even begin to remember it all.  When a show opens with a match that breaks the internet you know you're in trouble.  So I was trying to guess for quite some time who would answer the MV Young Open Challenge and I was happy to see that it was Harlow O'Hara.  I didn't find out until after I was home that there was a GIF just blowing up all over the interwebs.  All these so-called fans who won't even pay $10 to watch the replay are calling it unsafe and yet as I was there as a paid ticket holder I just loved it.   Do we value more the opinion of someone who buys a ticket and goes to the theater to see a movie or someone who just forms a negative opinion of it by watching the trailer for free?

There may not be a real order to how everything happened during this show, but during the Charles Mason match when the other competitors were outside of the ring Janai Kai was standing near me and I told her to kick his creepy head off and she said she would.  I also told Lady Frost I love her memes and she smiled at first not fully hearing what I said but then when it sunk in she made a disgusted face and it was so perfect.   Sometimes the wrestlers just ignore you but one of the great things about going to live shows, front row, is being able to interact with them when they're in the ring because sometimes they yell back at you.

Wrestling is in such a great place right now because you could watch any match from this show and it could be a main event somewhere else.  The Mane Event vs Sea Stars, for example, had that way about it but also it told such a different story than Tasha Steelz vs KC Navarro or Mik Drake vs Rob Killjoy.   As time passes, this will be remembered as one of those shows filled with bright stars that are only going to get better with time and the entertainment factor- the wrestling- will be there and talked about for years to come.

On a personal level though, I think this show will mean a lot more to those of us who were there.  We can always look back now and say "Remember when...? I was there"  There were just so many of those moments.   It's something that- there are so many specific ones that Quentin and I will just never forget.