Preview: Pro Wrestling GRIND presents "Come And Get It" (5/27)

While things are heating up for the title picture in Pro Wrestling GRIND, this is their sixth show and so a lot of the roster is really shaping up in their wins and losses.  If wins and losses are any indication of how a title tournament might go, then right now it might be expected that Logan Black and Rip Byson would meet in the finals and what a match that would be.   This also seems to be the show where wrestlers from two shows ago (except for BEEF :() come back and try to avenge their losses.    We have debuts, we have returns, we have the usual suspects, so come and get it!

Shook Crew vs Team All-Japan

The Shook Crew as a tag team- Bobby Orlando and Bryce Donovan- are 0-1 in GRIND, with a loss to The Mane Event.   Dante Drago is making his GRIND debut and though he usually tags with Jack Tomlinson as VBU, that can be to the advantage of the teamwork that this expanded Shook Crew will need to defeat Team All-Japan.   The Saito Brothers are 1-1 in GRIND.  Though they also suffered a loss to The Mane Event, they picked up a win last month over The Work Horsemen.  Jay Freddie, however, is 2-2 with losses to Rip Byson and most recently Perry Von Vicious, which will be a theme among this show.   

While Team All-Japan will likely look to utilize their power and teamwork, Shook Crew are no strangers to each other and can use their teamwork just as well as their speed and high-flying ability.   The fact that Dante Drago might not be on the same page as Bobby and Bryce might be the deciding factor in this match.   But this is the first ever trios match in GRIND history and it looks to be pure chaos.   Hopefully they enlist the power of two referees.

Travis Huckabee (3-1) vs Ryan Mooney (2-1)

At "Antisocial", I said to Ryan Mooney that I'd like to see him face either Travis Huckabee or Cabana Man Dan.   Someone must have overheard me because this match is going to be a classic and could quite possibly steal the entire show- which says a lot about it when you consider the card on a whole.    Travis Huckabee enters this match with only one loss- to Rip Byson- and Ryan Mooney also only has one loss- to Alec Price.   Both of these wrestlers started their journeys in GRIND with a loss and have since picked up wins and been unstoppable.

Travis Huckabee has wins over Myung Jae Lee, Perry Von Vicious (in a true Match of the Year candidate) and most recently Mike Skyros.   Ryan Mooney has picked up recent victories over Gary Jay and Channing Thomas.   I'm not sure either competitor really has an advantage at this point because as technically sound as Travis Huckabee is (and Huckabee ranks amongst the best), Ryan Mooney is just that scrappy and will do what needs to be done to win.  This is going to feel a lot like a match where both of these wrestlers are undefeated and someone will be handed their first loss.   This has that big fight feel for sure.  

Willow Nightingale (0-1) vs Brooke Valentine (NA)

Willow Nightingale made her debut for GRIND back at "Price Of A Mile" with a loss to Delmi Exo.   Brooke Valentine is making her GRIND debut here and this should be an interesting matchup as Thick and Juicy 2.0 explode!  The one thing that needs to be stated about GRIND is that they bring out this different side of wrestlers than any other promotion does.   What you might be used to seeing from Willow Nightingale in Beyond Wrestling, AEW, MLW, etc is not the same Willow Nightingale we saw take on Delmi Exo.   

During this match, Brooke Valentine will likely have that toughness brought out as well.   Wrestlers, by nature, are tough- I think it just takes getting into that GRIND ring and feeling like you're fighting for survival to really bring it out in a lot of ways.   This match also has those stakes of Willow Nightingale wanting to avenge the loss from her debut and not sink to 0-2, but yet Brooke Valentine also wants to debut with a win so it's going to be very tooth and nail here.  

Logan Black (4-0) vs Manders (0-1)

Logan Black is the only wrestler who is undefeated with four wins and the only wrestler higher in the rankings than him would be Rip Byson, who is 5-0.   The only show Logan Black was not on was "You Better Run", the second show, and you have to wonder if he was whether or not he'd also be 5-0.    Logan Black has really just been having some of the toughest matches of his career here in GRIND, with wins over Merc, Ryan Galeone (I miss him!), O'Shay Edwards and most recently Joseph Alexander.

The thing which all of those opponents that Logan Black has faced have in common is that they are all bring something different to the table.   Logan Black has survived the veteran Merc, who is tactical and brought a hardcore brawl to the first show.   But there is also that power and high-flying of Ryan Galeone, the strength and size of O'Shay Edwards and the youth and technical savvy of Joseph Alexander.    

Manders brings something different to this match than any of Logan Black's previous opponents as well, but Logan Black just seems like he can adapt so well that this could be an uphill battle for Manders.   Manders is 0-1 in GRIND though and will likely be looking to avenge that loss to Jay Freddie and not go 0-2.   This is going to be that pure battle of will power and who is going to be able to stay down for the three count first because that just doesn't seem like something either competitor is capable of doing.

Delmi Exo (2-0) vs Jody Threat (NA)

It's always interesting how many wrestlers debut for GRIND and seem to have their first match as a loss because perhaps they are not fully prepared for what awaits them.  Delmi Exo is now 2-0 with wins over Willow Nightingale and Anthony Greene.    That experience inside of a GRIND ring should help Delmi Exo, though Jody Threat is making her GRIND debut and no one ever wants to lose in their debut.

While Delmi Exo really seems to be perfecting this power-based style of technical wrestling, the fact that Jody Threat can just hit you from any angle at any time and use her own body as a weapon is what makes her so dangerous.   This match very much feels like Delmi Exo is going to come in with a game plan and try to win by going by the book, while Jody Threat just offers up this unpredictability that very well might be the key to victory.

Perry Von Vicious (4-1) vs O'Shay Edwards (0-1)

When you consider two wrestlers who seem equal in size and strength, it's difficult to get a better match up than Perry Von Vicious vs O'Shay Edwards.  The idea behind Perry Von Vicious is that he is a Monster Truck and yet O'Shay Edwards is The Big Bad Kaiju, which is also a form of a monster.    If this makes you wonder whether monster trucks and kaiju have ever crossed over before the answer is yes (and it's quite fun to look into should you feel so inclined)

Perry Von Vicious has torn through the GRIND roster, both defeating names like Brandon Watts and Nolo Kitano while also defeating the mainstay Jay Freddie and perhaps toughest challenge in BEEF.   The only loss Perry Von Vicious right now is at the hands of Travis Huckabee in what was just a brutal Match of the Year contender.   O'Shay Edwards has only appeared in GRIND once and it was a loss to Logan Black, but Black is undefeated so there really is no shame in that.

I've always been a fan of wrestling through the 1980's and 1990's when it felt simpler in many ways.   It felt like someone out there didn't know what to do with Dan Spivey and Sid Vicious, so the two got teamed up as The Skyscrapers and even based on that name you have to assume that a lot of the reason why they were paired together was someone saying "You're both really tall".   Though I feel like a lot more thought went into this match and there is a lot more behind it (and at stake), I still like to just look at this match graphic and think "They're both so tall".

There was also that same time though when you had someone like Sid Vicious taking on The Undertaker you knew it was going to be a lot of chokeslams and powerbombs- power moves- because they were both such big guys.  I think that, as wrestling has evolved, this match is going to be a nice throwback to those days but also a bit more technical as both PVV and Edwards are known to leave their feet. 

Derek Neal (NA) vs Rip Byson (5-0)

There is, undoubtedly, a lot of great wrestlers coming out of the South and with Uncharted Territory taking place down there now it has given them a brighter spotlight to showcase just that.  If you're like me though, you enjoy and appreciate good wrestling regardless of the location and in GRIND Derek Neal will not be booed for being from the South but rather respected for his in ring abilities.   

While different names can come to mind when you think of the South, to me Derek Neal is the face of that scene in many ways.  Even in defeat, Neal has had high profile matches against Dominic Garrini and BEEF, but also has recent victories over Manders and Ashton Starr.   This can be said about a lot of the wrestlers from the South, but Derek Neal just has that look: Derek Neal is just built like a professional wrestler.

Unfortunately for Derek Neal, he is coming to GRIND to take on the only roster member who is 5-0 in Rip Byson.   People may not know enough about either of these wrestlers, but even if you feel comfortable with your knowledge of Rip Byson and Derek Neal matches, I don't think anything can quite prepare fans for the carnage which will take over the Pulaski Club.  As Rip Byson has wins over Travis Huckabee, Jay Freddie, WARHORSE, Brandon Williams and Kevin Ku, it certainly feels like if anyone is coming to make a statement and end the winning streak of Rip Byson that man would be named Derek Neal.