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Welcome to PWInsider.com's ongoing coverage of WrestlePro Alaska's Northern Expansion Tour Night One from Soldotna, Alaska at the All American Training Center!
Bryson Axl vs. Elia Baratz
Axl is a local talent from Alaska, a student at the 907 Wrestling Academy.
Baratz, who has worked in OVW and elsewhere, took the mic and asked what the difference between him and the audience is he doesn't need a gun to handle their business. He said people up here need a gun at their hip to handle their business. He doesn't. He questioned why Axl was in the ring with him and asked him if he thought he was going to make a difference tonight. He said that he's going to have to live with the beating he's going to give Axl tonight. Elia Baratz is a big-time heel in the promotion. He bullied Axl early but was rolled up several times. Axl nailed a series of forearms but was cut off with a hard knee to the mid-section. Axl got dumped with authority to the floor.
Baratz attacked him on the floor and drove him hard into the ring apron outside. He dumped Axl back in the ring and went for a suplex, lifting him and dropping him down on the mat. The storyline was Baratz was mad he came all the way to Alaska to face a rookie, so he was tormenting him. Baratz worked him over and whipped Axl hard into the turnbuckle sternum-first. Baratz went for a splash but Axl rolled out of the way. He nailed a jawjacker and tried to nail several shoulder tackles but Baratz didn't go down. Axl finally nailed a leaping tackle and that did the trick. Baratz ate a big clothesline and went to the ropes. Axl nailed an exploder and covered him for a two count.
Baratz made a comeback and went for a suplex but Axl reversed it into a small package and scored the pin.
Your winner, Bryson Axl!
They played this up as a major upset as it was his second ever match. This was a very simple but well put together story where the bully got his in the end.
YT Jones came to the ring and introduced his team, The Nasty Gentlemen.
The Nasty Gentlemen Jack Windsor & Brody Adam with YT Jones vs. World Famous Cheeseburger & “Ace of Space” LSG
Brody Adam and Burger started with Adam having all the momentum due to his girth and strength. Burger used his speed and finesse to try and keep Adam off guard. He and LSG tagged in and went back and forth with some double team maneuvers, working over Brody's arm. LSG ducked a clothesline and drilled Adam with a dropkick. Jack Windsor tagged in but he too was double teamed with some fast spots, including a LSG bulldog. Burger teased a press slam but Windsor was way too big for that and was drilled across the back. The Gentlemen tried to work him over in the corner but Burger fought his way out. YT distracted Burger, allowing him to be beaten down. The Gentlemen antagonized LSG, who tried to get in the ring. The referee admonished him, allowing the Gentlemen to work over Burger with a multitude of stomps.
Windor nailed a long delayed suplex, scoring a two count on Burger. Burger tried to fight his way out but Brody scored with a big boot and got a three count. He followed up with a big standing elbow. Burger finally fought his way out and made the hot tag to LSG. LSG nailed a series of rights and a big bionic elbow. He nailed a springboard crossbody block on Brody for a two count. He nailed a series of forearms and a knee strike before nailing a DDT for a two count. Windsor broke up the pinfall. Burger hit the ring and jumped atop him with a sleeper hold. Windsor fought him off but Burger nailed a superkick. Windsor wiped him out with a Black Hole Slam. YT Jones grabbed LSG's leg as he scaled the ropes, allowing him to be double teamed and pinned as Burger was too late to break up the pinfall.
Your winner, The Nasty Gentlemen!
Burger and LSG got their hands on YT and laid him out after to get a big and some of their heat back.
This was tag team wrestling 101 with arrogant heels getting heat on the babyfaces, who got to do some flashy moves. This felt like it was setting up rematches elsewhere on the tour.
“The Dominican Destroyer” Vargas vs. Zach Gowen
Vargas is a regular for WrestlePro in New Jersey. This was his first Alaska appearance.
Gowen came out on crutches and then entered the ring, wrestling on one leg. Vargas played an old school savage monster heel with facepaint and was obviously the larger of the two. Gowen avoided him early on as they played cat and mouse. Gowen has put on some muscle since I last saw him.
Gowen went on the offense with some punches but was tossed to the mat. He jumped on Vargas' back, beating him with punches but was tossed off. Gowens fired away with chops and went for a flying bodypress but was caught and slammed in mid-air. Vargas began biting Gowen and beat him with sledgehammer like strikes.
Vargas walked across Gowen's chest, then began chopping away at him with overhead chops. He choked Gowen in the ropes and drilled him with a running knee to the back. Gowen was sent to the floor. Vargas followed and bit him again before tossing Gowen back into the ring. Vargas kept beating him across the back. He missed a splash, setting up the Gowen comeback as Gowen ducked and sent him to the floor. Gowen kicked him in the face as he charged and nailed a tornado DDT off the ropes. Vargas kicked up at two and Gowen went flying in the air to sell Vargas' strength. Gowen ate a clothesline but Vargas pulled up Gowen at the two count because he wanted to inflict more punishment. Vargas missed a splash off the top. Gowen nailed a moonsault and scored the pin.
Your winner, Zack Gowen!
Another simple but well worked bout with Gowen making Vargas look strong as the monster heel before scoring a meaningful win.
Micah Taylor & Trixie vs. Freya The Slaya & “Modern Day Classic” Jerry Bishop
Taylor is a former WWE developmental talent from the Deep South days. Trixie is his daughter. Freya and Bishop are locals here. Bishop trained in HWA in Ohio. Freya plays a likable babyface.
Bishop and Taylor start out. Micah backed him in the corner and shoved him. Bishop slapped him. Trixie tagged in and slapped Bishop several times. He tagged in Freya but Trixie ran out and tagged her father back in.
They locked up and Taylor backed her into the corner. He broke free but trash talked her. Freya dared him to lock up again. He worked over her arm but she reversed it and they went back and forth. She took him down to the mat and controlled Taylor to the point he retreated to the floor. Bishop tagged in. Micah played Larry Zbyszko, stalling and playing to the crowd. He was sent into the ropes and shoulder tackled Bishop down. They locked up and Taylor grabbed him in a side headlock. Taylor was sent into the ropes and they went into a series of hiptoss attempt reversals until Taylor ate one and was hit with a sideslam. Bishop charged him in the corner but Micah moved and Bishop hit the ring post shoulder first, crashing to the floor. He took some time to get back to the ring. Micah locked in a deep armbar, trying to force a submission. Bishop was biting his own hand to keep himself from tapping.
Micah and Trixie took turns tagging in and out. She nailed a pump kick and a basement dropkick on Bishop. She nailed a series of punches. Father and daughter continued working over Bishop. Taylor snapped his shoulder in the ropes. Bishop tried to fight out of the armbar but was controlled on the mat. Just as it looked he was going to escape, Taylor snatched him in a front facelock. Bishop was about to finally tag out but Trixie distracted the referee and he missed Freya tagging in, allowing Bishop to be forced into taking a bigger beating.
Freya finally made the hot tag. She sent Micah and Trixie into the corner, then nailed a cannonball on both. She slammed Micah and nailed the Atomic Legdrop on Micah, which got a huge pop. He rolled out of the ring. Freya choppped down Trixie. She went for the legdrop but Micah tripped her as she rebounded off the ropes. Bishop nailed Micah. Trixie nailed a superkick and scored the pin.
Your winners, Micah Taylor and Trixie!
Trixie was very young and early in her career, so Taylor did the lion's share of the work here. Bishop did really well at selling the shoulder. Freya has a very likable personality and works hard. She was super over here.
"The Pineapple King" Aleki vs. Chris Wilde
Aleki was billed as from the Samoan Wrestling family. Wilde is a regular in Hawaii on the indy scene there and played up to the crowd as a babyface. They faced off and Aleki nearly murdered him with a STIFF slap. It was brutal.
Wilde grabbed a side headlock and tried to work Aleki over. He took him to the mat and they really worked to out-wrestle the other with some nice grappling. Wilde shoulderblocked him down with authority for a two count.
Aleki cut off Wilde and nailed a big backdrop for a two count. He grabbed on a nerve hold but Wilde nailed a sit-out jawbreaker. Aleki drilled him but Wilde began psyching himself up. They chopped each other hard back and forth until Wilde faked him out and superkicked him in the chin. Wilde played to the crowd and nailed a series of knee strikes and kicks. He had a nice flurry of offense. Wilde was sent into the corner but snapped out with a kick to the head for a two count. Aleki cut him off with a clothesline and a headbutt for a two count.
Aleki missed a pumphandle while going for a move and was caught with a T-Bone Tazplex for the pin.
Your winner, Chris Wilde!
Another good story told. Wilde has some nice charisma. Aleki was great as the bruiser here, giving Wilde someone to overcome.
The first half of the show was very 1980s based in terms of the presentation and stories.
Coverage continues on Page 2!
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