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West Coast Pro Wrestling is presenting "Situation Critical" tonight on IWTV from San Francisco, CA at the State Room. They have been running since 2018 for those unaware.
Undercard results courtesy Billy Krotchsen:
*Viento & Mr. Iguana & Midas Kreed defeated El Cucuny & D-Rogue & Adrien Noctis in a lucha tag when Iguana pinned Noctis. This was a lot of fun with Iguana being the central figure.
*Vinnie Massaro pinned Bryan Keith. This was Keith's debut and he was said to have looked really strong against Massaro, who has been wrestling in the Bay area forever.
*Titus Alexander pinned Kenny King to win a four way also involving Alpha Zo and TJP. Goood.
*Nicole Savoy pinned Masha Slamovich. This was a hell of a match and the best thing on the undercard thus far with lots of cool suplexes and offense from Savoy, who looked great. Slamovich comes off really well.
Thoughts and results from Mike:
I tuned in just as Homicide vs. Jacob Fatu was starting and man, that was great luck on my part as this was a lot of fun. Homide wiped him out with a big tope con hilo to the floor. They battled back and forth in the ring. Fatu hit a big moonsault for a close two count. Homicide went for the Ace Crusher but Fatu used his hands to pop back up and nailed a big superkick. They fought back and forth until Homicide went for a lariat but was smashed by Fatu just headbutting his lariat arm, then smashed him with another superkick for a three count. Homicide got a big chant after the match with the fans asking him to come back. This was very much a war. This was the right finish as Fatu is the regular here and Homicide probably got more over bringing a big-time fight to him before losing, so he gets the respect of the local fans, as opposed to turning them off by showing up and beating one of the top homegrown talents.
The State Room, where the show is being held, is a banquet hall with the background all painted up as if its a castle in the woods. It's a cool little venue.
Kevin Blackwood vs. Davey Richards was next. Blackwood was a regular in the Northeast before migrating to California. Some nice back and forth wrestling early before they faced off. Richards had to fight out of several holds and charged but backed off to avoid eating a spinning kick. Richards took Blackwood to the mat and began manipulating him to control his arm, wrist and fingers. Blackwood tried to fight back but was suplexed down right on his bad arm. Blackwood tried to defend himself but Richards zeroed in on the arm, snatching it and drilling Blackwood with a kneedrop across the elbow. Richards continued to attack the arm. Richards dissected the arm for a long, long time. Blackwood fired back, somehow psyching himself up to get through the hurt. They fired back and forth with kicks to the legs, MMA style. Blackwood finally snatched Richards with a Dragon Screw legwhip, which they treated like the turning point of the battle. He followed up with a double stomp and a backbreaker out of a big uranage but Richards kicked up. Richards fired back with strikes and they clashed, with Blackwood nailing a DVDR. Blackwood, with one arm, covered him for a two count. Richards came back to scissors Blackwood and take him down into an anklelock and drilled him in the face as he released it. They slugged it out and thenm exchanged kicks. Richards killed Blackwood with a kick to the head as he rebounded off the ropes and mauled him with a German suplex but Blackwood kicked up. Richards nailed a brainbuster but Blackwood got his shoulder up at the last second. Richards scissored his leg with an anklelock and Blackwood, with nowhere to go, finally tapped. Excellent bout that made Blackwood look like a heroic warrior who fought all the way to the end.
Richards took the mic and paid tribute to Blackwood after for giving him such a great fight. He said he was born in Seattle and will always be a West Coaster but it isn't about him. He praised Blackwood for packing his things and coming here from Buffalo, NY to chase his dreams. Richards said Blackwood is a tough SOB. He said he is still the king of "this mountain" and if you want to be the best pure wrestler, you have to go through him. He challenged Blackwood to wrestle him again in February when he returns. Blackwood said he got him tonight, but he'll be more than ready to kick Richards' ass in February at "Art of Drowning" event.
Aramis vs. Rey Horus vs. Mike Bailey is next. Now that Bailey can actually, well, get into the country, he's going to be all over the independents. Lots of fast paced action here. Horus dove into a rana to the floor on Aramis. Bailey lit up Aramis with a series of kicks. He and Aramis went back and forth when Aramis hit a big dive out of nowhere on Horus. Bailey then hit a big dive of his own. Lots of big dives, so if you aren't into the lucha style, this wouldn't be for you but its a fast paced, breathless bunch of sequences mixed in with some mat work and submissions from Bailey. All of them started chopping each other. Aramis was really killing people out there. They allowed each other to chop each other across the back, which was ridiculous. Who turns their back on someone to let them strike them in a fight?!?
Aramis, athletically, looked awesome during this bout. Just incredibly fluid and fast. He was finally taken out with a double superkick. Bailey and Horus then took the fight to each other. They all went into a series of big aerial moves to prevent the others from scoring pinfalls. Aramis was able to knock them to the floor and hit a springboard flip off the top, almost overshooting his opponents. Horus and Aramis battled in the ring, Bailey returned to the fray. Aramis nailed an airplane spin before slamming Bailey with a sit-out powerbomb for a close two count before Horus broke up the pinfall. Horus nailed an awesome springboard DDT for a two count. Bailey nailed a backflip into a double knee strike. Bailey went to the top but was kicked off the ropes to the apron. Horus locked up Aramis in a submission but Bailey came off the top with a moonsault, rocking them both and pinning Aramis. This was the best Horus performance I have seen in a long time and Aramis was absolutely incredible here.
Fans tossed money into the ring out of appreciation for the bout. They chanted for all three to come back. This was absolutely excellent from an athletic and spectacle perspective.
The main event of the show features West Coast Pro Wrestling Champion AJ Gray vs Juicy Finau. Gray is the promotion's second champion, having defeated Alexander Hammerstone in September 2021. The Tonga Prince, Finau has become of the most beloved talents in Cali in recent years. The story is that Gray has attacked Finau and gone after his knee in the past, hurting him. Finau was wearing a knee brace. Gray carried himself with a nice heel swagger. Finau attacked Gray before the bell with an Avalanche in the corner and a big suplex. Gray went to the floor. Finau followed and nailed some big right hands. Finau told the crowd to evacuate and placed Gray in the first row. Gray tried to escape but ate some more big punches. Finau caught him with a Big Bossman slam for a close two count. Gray cut him off and began attacking the bad knee, mocking him as he did so.
Finau caught him with a big open palm strike to make a comeback but was cut off with a kick to the knee that made the big man crumple down to the mat. Gray worked him over but Finau sucked it up to fight back. They ripped their shirts off and unleashed chops on each other. Gray regained control and turned Finau over with a one-legged Boston Crab on the injured knee. Finau rolled to the outside, almost being counted out before returning to the ring. Gray measured and walloped Finau with stiff kicks to the chest and the head. Gray ascended to the top but missed a flying headbutt. Finau worked over Gray but was nailed with a trio of lariats. He kicked up, which they treated like a big deal because Gray beats everyone with one lariat. Finau missed a Vader Bomb off the ropes and was hit with a big lariat as Gray rebounded off the ropes for the pin. Gray retains the title. The story was Gray had to beat down the big man but even with attacking the knee, he found a challenger who wouldn't bend to him. Gray had to fight to beat him, even after injury. This was one of the better bouts, bell to bell, I've seen out of Finau and you can see the potential Gray has as a star as he continues to evolve. He's one to keep an eye on for sure and I can see why so many have gotten behind him.
Gray took the mic after and said he had another victory. He said he runs the West Coast. He said everyone wants him to fight Fatu but he won't do it in a singles match. He said he's calling his shot - it will be himself and EFFY against Fatu and a partner of his choice. He said Fatu's partner of choice is laying on the floor unable to walk. Fatu came out and said he's got someone who's close like family. Out came Homicide. Homicide took the mic and said let's do it. Gray said he put the challenge out there and let's go. They all agreed to go next month.
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