Wrestling Review // Beyond Wrestling Uncharted Territory Season 3, Episode 9 12/2/21 @ White Eagle, Worcester, MA

 

As soon as it was announced the week before this show that EFFY and Allie Katch would be appearing, Jess knew we had to buy tickets and go.  What I love about Beyond Wrestling is that not only was the announcement of EFFY and Allie Katch enough of a reason for us to make the trip to this show on a school night, but the other announced matches made this a card that is perhaps than any other card- top to bottom- this year.

The show first started with Love, Doug vs Brian Johnson (not the guy from AC/DC) and when Love, Doug came out he gave me a flower which I put in my hair.  The way that I feel about Brian Johnson can basically be summed up like this: When Danhausen was signed to ROH (and when he was fighting for that contract) I remember him feuding with a wrestler named Brian Johnson, which I thought was funny because of AC/DC.  That's the only reason why I really know who Brian Johnson is and when he was introduced I asked Jess "I wonder if he's the same Brian Johnson who Danhausen feuded with".

I also am not a huge fan of AC/DC and only know that there was someone in AC/DC named Brian Johnson because there was (or is?) an AC/DC cover band called "Brian's Johnson".  When Brian Johnson (the wrestler) was leaving I told him "This is why Danhausen hates you!" and he told me to take the flower out of my hair because it wasn't manly.  That dude got go away heat and if I never see him again it will be too soon.

With the way this card was I wasn't sure what the match order would be because so many of the matches felt like they could be the main event and go on last.   To the surprise of no one, Rhett Titus came out first to take on Carlos Romo.  Jess and I have seen Rhett Titus a total of three times now in Beyond Wrestling and EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. he is in the opening match, like some sort of joke is being played on me.  I actually asked Rhett Titus why he was always the opening match when he was coming out and he acknowledged me and replied but I currently forgot what he said.

Rhett Titus, to his credit, put on a great match with Carlos Romo.   This was one of those matches where it came down to a lot of wrestling, holds and counter-holds and when I thought "Well, that move has to be it", it wasn't and that was coming from both sides.  Such a great back and forth, competitive match that almost made me kind of respect Rhett Titus a little bit.   It was also great to be able to see Carlos Romo on his first stop here in the United States and it kind of has me regretting not going to NJ tonight to see him again.

The second match was Kaia McKenna vs Megan Bayne and I did not like this match.  To no fault of either of these women, this match was too short and it felt like it was just a squash by Megan Bayne when Kaia McKenna clearly has had matches before and should've been able to get in more offense.  I also just feel like the idea of Megan Bayne being undefeated has run its course because where is it going?  Back when Megan Bayne first really had this dominance, she was the top heel in WWR+.  Trish Adora was also undefeated and the top face WWR+, so their match felt like it was going to be something special.

Still waiting around for that match has made it seem like the winning streak of Megan Bayne lacks purpose.  Okay, she's undefeated.  So what?  Does she get a shot at the Jerryweight Title?  Do we finally get to see her vs Trish Adora? (Who is no longer undefeated) It's not just about where it's going, but it's about how long it's been taking to get there and as such it just doesn't have that same momentum as it did several months back.  At this point, I wonder why I even watch Megan Bayne matches when it seems like she will win since she defeated Max The Impaler.

The third match saw the Brick City Boyz defend the Tag Team Discovery Gauntlet against The Air Show.  It really feels like we're running out of tag teams here and the most intriguing part of this gauntlet now is to see who will be up next.  I'm under the impression that the BCB will not be beaten going into Heavy Lies The Crown and then that will set up the rematch between them and Waves & Curls, but at least we're getting some great tag team wrestling out of this, I got to see a shiny birb and BCB are really great heels.

Ted Goodz vs Dak Draper was our fourth match on the main show, but the fifth match overall.  I find it odd that of these first five matches, three of them featured wrestlers from ROH.   I really started watching ROH again this past year because they brought back their women's division, I love Danhausen and I love wrestlers like Bandido, Rush and Tony Deppen.   But with names like Brian Johnson, Rhett Titus and Dak Draper (which is a terrible name for a wrestler) I just feel like Beyond is representing ROH backwards for my tastes.  I didn't watch ROH to see these guys so I obviously don't want to see them here either (Personal Note: I know, I know, no promotion books strictly on my tastes)

With three matches left, we got Trish Adora out next and I was not only excited to see her but excited to know that this meant the presence of Shockwave The Robot soon.  I said back at the beginning of all of this that we got tickets to this show to see Bussy- and we did- but if I had known that there was a Trish Adora vs Shockwave match and we didn't have tickets, hell yeah we would've come to Worcester just for that match.   This was just such a unique and special match that I am very glad to have experienced live.  I want to see more of Shockwave The Robot everywhere!

What could be considered the co-main event (but really a co-co-main event because of the previous match as well, I feel like it was a three-way tie) Alec Price and B3CCA took on EFFY and Allie Katch, which Rich Palladino announced as BUSSY!!  There's just something about these four together that created some magic and I know that on both sides this isn't the first time these teams have wrestled so I feel like they are established tag teams and this was just overall such an amazing match.  Even right up until the end, when EFFY got pinned Allie Katch was split seconds away from getting in there and making the save.  Anyone who is interested in making money in professional wrestling will run this one back.

During the main event, Masha Slamovich came out first and as I was cheering her Slade ran out from behind and blindsided her.  At one point, I heard Sidney Bakabella say on commentary that "those fans need to move" and he was referring to Jess, one other person and I who were all in the front row there.  If no one tells me to move though, I'm not moving.  If I get hit by a wrestler or weapon then it is what it is.  Part of the show and all that.  But by the end of what was just a brutal match no one was left in their seat on purpose.  I wasn't sure which match was going to close out this show- I thought possibly the tag match before this one- but having this as the final match was definitely the right call.

The aftermath of this show was rather interesting because EFFY already had merch out at a spot on the table and so fans began lining up to buy merch / take photos with Bussy.  The way that the line was, it backed up to the bar and then as it got a little bit shorter Jess and I went over and got into it.  While we were in the line, more fans showed up behind us, backing it up to the bar again, and it just felt like everyone in that place was in line to meet and greet Bussy.  Which was something that- at the White Eagle and in general- I had never seen before.  I've seen long lines at the merch table but not *this* long.

I attribute this to two things.  One is the simple fact that Bussy is amazing and that is why they have so many fans.   But another reason I think is because of how often Bussy is in this area.  Allie Katch was last in Beyond over the summer at the Masha show while EFFY might not have been in Beyond for years.   I realize that I'm a crazy wrestling fan who drives all over the place to see the wrestlers I enjoy, but not all wrestling fans are like that.  Some wrestling fans live in MA and only go to wrestling shows in MA.  I just feel like the length of this line just goes to show that Bussy is not in MA nearly enough and really needs to be more.  Maybe at least once a month.  And the matches are there, and they'll be great, so hopefully it happens in 2022.

Just the fact though that we are able to say that we saw the best professional wrestler in the world today (Trish Adora) wrestle a robot, a tag team called Bussy took on two of the fastest rising stars in wrestling, Carlos Romo came from Spain for this and we also got this incredibly insane hardcore match with Masha Slamovich and Slade and all on the same show just speaks volumes about the state of professional wrestling right now.  It is alive and well.   And I really believe it's going to take a lot to kill it.