Wrestling Preview //
Pro Wrestling GRIND
Sinister Urge
December 2nd, 2022
Easthampton, MA
Pro Wrestling GRIND closes out 2022 at the Pulaski Club with a bang! There will be a show at the end of December as well, as part of The Wrestival, but before that members of the GRIND roster have some loose ends to tie up... they have a SINISTER URGE.
Myung-Jae Lee vs Ryan Clancy
Myung-Jae Lee has appeared in Pro Wrestling GRIND twice before. After a loss to Travis Huckabee at You Better Run over a year ago, Myung-Jae Lee bounced back with a hard earned victory over Cabana Man Dan at Antisocial in April. This is that 1-1 match up for Myung-Jae Lee, as a win here would mean going over .500 and a loss going under it. This really feels like a defining fight for Myung-Jae Lee in GRIND.
Then we have "Fancy" Ryan Clancy who has been in Wrestling Open, among other promotions, and impressed GRIND officials enough during a tryout match back when Limitless vs Blitzkrieg! Pro 2 held a try out show. To say that Clancy has never been in a situation like this inside of the ring feels like an understatement. This feels like a real sink or swim moment for Clancy, as no amount of posing can save him from the lethal kicks of Myung-Jae Lee.
Interestingly enough, there is also this sort of losing streak that newcomers to Pro Wrestling GRIND seem to have. Aside from the first few shows when no one had any losses, it seems like every time someone makes their debut for GRIND- whether it be BEEF, Manders, Willow Nightingale, Nolo Kitano, Jordan Blade, Robert Martyr, JD Drake, Jody Threat or even Myung-Jae Lee, it just feels like perhaps they are not quite prepared for all the is within store for that GRIND ring.
MSP vs Miracle Generation
Back in March at the beginning of this year, MSP took on Miracle Generation at Let's Wrestle Volume 16. In June, just mere months later, these two teams met at Blitzkrieg! Pro (for the Tag Team Titles) at The 4th Annual Luau. They would meet a third and final time during the year, at The Ashley Vox Beer Bash, back in August as part of Blitzkrieg! Pro.
Though their third meeting was declared a no contest, the first two encounters were both won by MSP. Needless to say, Miracle Generation has yet to score that coveted win over MSP. While MSP has had their share of wins and losses in GRIND- most recently defeating the debuting Brick City Boyz- this will only be the second match in GRIND for MirGen, who lost their debut back at Doctor, Doctor (July) to The Mane Event.
With rumors of Tag Team Titles potentially coming to GRIND, this could be an important match for both teams to prove they should be GRIND Tag Team Champions. MSP are the current Blitzkrieg! Pro Tag Team Champions, while Miracle Generation dropped some of their gold this year. This match might feel like MirGen is coming in as the underdogs, but between the quickness and combination style moves, both of these teams feel evenly matched and right before this year ends, GRIND could have a Tag Team Match of the Year.
Manders vs Joseph Alexander
Joseph Alexander made his debut in Pro Wrestling GRIND back in April, at Antisocial, losing to Logan Black. A Game picked up his first win in GRIND at Doctor, Doctor (July) against Mike Skyros. Though A Game would then go on to lose twice in the Emerald 12, he would bounce back at Celebration Day with a win over Nolo Kitano in a match which everyone should really go out of their way to see.
Manders made his debut for GRIND back in March at Price Of A Mile, losing to Jay Freddie. Manders also squared off with Logan Black at Come And Get It (May), which was the cowboy's second loss. Manders will definitely be looking for his first win inside of a GRIND ring, but Manders is also not the same Manders he was six or so months ago when we last saw him here. For one thing, Manders is (as I type this) the H2O Champion.
This match has such a clash of styles because Joseph Alexander has this explosive offense that is technical and submission based. Manders can get just as technical, but also relies on his size for power moves. I often think of A Game as being that technical wrestler like Bret Hart or Kurt Angle. Back in 1997, Terry Funk held an event called "Terry Funk's Wrestlefest". I got the VHS through ECW and wore it out. Terry Funk took on Bret Hart in that main event. I imagine a prime of his career Funker vs Hart being what this match somewhat resembles.
Team T2T vs Travis Huckabee/Mike Skyros
This all started back at Electric Crown in September. Down to the Final Four, in a Semi Final match to crown the first ever GRIND Grand Champion, Travis Huckabee took on Logan Black. This was a back and forth match, which felt like either wrestler could have won. But as Travis Huckabee got a chair while the ref was down, Mike Skyros jumped into the ring looking to stop Huckabee from using it. Skyros instead used it on Logan Black, costing Black the match and potentially the GRIND Grand Championship.
But it didn't stop there. Mike Skyros managed to get a win over Covey Christ last month at Celebration Day, since he has lined up with Travis Huckabee, but this was could have potentially helped crown Travis Huckabee as the first ever GRIND Grand Champion. Oh, and they also cost Logan Black his shot at the title on this show because Huckabee and Skyros are squares who really hate punks!
The Money Dragon Angelo Carter will have only his second match in GRIND now, as he teams with Logan Black to take on Huckabee and Skyros. The interesting and telling thing about this match is that it was said in a promo leading up to Celebration Day that Mike Skyros does not like Travis Huckabee- this is just a business arrangement and a means to an end. That might make their teaming together somewhat questionable.
Logan Black is currently training Angelo Carter and the two ride together to a lot of shows. There is no doubt in my mind that Black and Carter will be on the same page and have that same goal of revenge on their mind. Whether or not Huckabee and Skyros can get along might be a factor in this match, but it's also going to look to just be an all out brawl.
Ryan Mooney vs Kevin Blackwood
If you looked at the history of GRIND over the last year and were to say "Who is one wrestler you feel like was built for GRIND but hasn't been in a GRIND ring yet?" I would almost 100% answer that question with the name Kevin Blackwood. There are a few names out there for sure (possible spoilers for a forthcoming article naming names?) but Kevin Blackwood, based on his track record alone, should be at the very top of many of the lists.
And then you bring Blackwood into the fire against Ryan Mooney who has just had quite the first year in GRIND. Aside from Jay Freddie, who went out and won the GRIND Grand Championship, who has had a better first year in GRIND than Ryan Mooney? Possibly no one. Ryan Mooney debuted for GRIND back in January at Overkill where he lost in an impressive effort to Alec Price. As they say in wrestling: He might've lost the match, but he might've also gained some fans along the way.
Ryan Mooney would then go on to have a career defining match- and win- against Gary Jay at Price Of A Mile. Mooney would go on to defeat Channing Thomas, take a loss to Huckabee, avenge the loss to Alec Price in the first round of the Emerald 12 and then upset one of the biggest picks to win the whole thing Rip Byson at Electric Crown. Mooney would lose in the Semi Finals to eventual Champ Jay Freddie and it really felt like Mooney could be in line for an eventual title shot.
This is a fresh Kevin Blackwood facing a fresh Ryan Mooney. There is no way to predict what will happen here, but Ryan Mooney will certainly have the GRIND fans on his side as he has become one the biggest fan favorites over the last year. Ryan Mooney started this year with a loss to Alec Price, but you have to imagine he wants to close it out with a win here. Blackwood will also want to make a statement in his debut. This is going to be a war.
Perry Von Vicious vs Andy Brown
Perry Von Vicious has had quite the first year in GRIND. Even in defeat, PVV has has some of those matches that are still talked about, months after they've happened. Perry Von Vicious faced off against Jay Freddie back in April againsy Jay Freddie. If PVV can get a win here and build some momentum with numerous wins, perhaps next April could see a rematch with the GRIND Grand Championship on the line and PVV trying to avenge that loss to Jay Freddie.
Andy Brown has only appeared in one GRIND match thus far and it was a loss to Jay Freddie (who is the Champ now) back at Fear Of The Dark in non-tournament action. As much as it feels like PVV could get that win here and move right back into a title shot, Andy Brown has to be thinking the same way. A win here for Andy Brown and then going on a winning streak could certainly have Andy Brown in line to avenge that loss to Jay Freddie and this time for the GRIND Grand Championship!
These two wrestlers seem to match up fairly even in terms of size and power. But both of them also feel like they have that way about them where in a month or two they could be in line for a title shot and it would be well deserved. Andy Brown is currently the number contender to the Bedlam Championship over in Blitzkrieg! Pro, so just going for all of that gold in this general area seems like something Andy Brown could be after.
While this match would put Andy Brown at 1-1, this will likely also have implications in terms of whoever wins it could be on their way to a title shot next year. This might not be an official "number one contenders match", but the winner could quite possibly make their way into a title match in the near future.
Jay Freddie (Champion) vs Rip Byson (GRIND Grand Championship Match)
When it comes to title matches, there might not be a bigger one than this one right here. In his first title defense, Jay Freddie takes on Rip Byson. While Ryan Mooney lost in the Semi Finals to Jay Freddie, I wondered if Mooney hadn't already had a match with Rip Byson earlier in the night, could Mooney have beaten Jay Freddie. The same can be said for Rip Byson. If Rip Byson wasn't matched up with Ryan Mooney maybe he would've made it past a different opponent. Most importantly: Rip Byson and Jay Freddie did not meet in the Emerald 12.
As wrestling tends to tell stories (as it should) this match feels like a lot of things in GRIND coming full circle as well. Jay Freddie's first match in GRIND was back in November of 2021- a little over a year ago- at You Better Run. This debut of Jay Freddie and only second match in GRIND for Rip Byson ended up being a loss for Jay Freddie, the current GRIND Grand Champion.
Jay Freddie might be the current GRIND Grand Champion (and he is) but one thing he has not done in GRIND is beat Rip Byson. Against Byson, Jay Freddie is 0-1. This makes this match feel that much more important. Sure, the Emerald 12 was set up that by Jay Freddie defeating Ryan Mooney (who defeated Rip Byson) by proxy Freddie defeated Byson. But Jay Freddie not having that pinfall or submission win over Rip Byson has to be what drives him in this match.
And let's not forget that not only does Rip Byson hold that victory over Jay Freddie a little over a year ago, but Rip Byson also only has one loss in all of his matches in GRIND (in the Emerald 12 against Ryan Mooney) along with a draw against Derek Neal. So not only is Jay Freddie looking to avenge that loss from You Better Run, but Jay Freddie is looking to make Rip Byson's shoulders stay down for a count of three for only the second time in GRIND history or that first time submission. Tense is a bit of an understatement.
Comments
Post a Comment