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GRESHAM VS. ALEXANDER, GRACE, MOOSE, BANDIDO, OGK & MORE: 1/16 TERMINUS DEBUT REPORT FROM ATLANTA, GA

Terminus “All. Roads. Lead. Here.”

1/16/22 - Atlanta, GA

Streaming on FITE.TV

Suge D & Faye Jackson join us for the pre-show at about 5:15 to run down the card. They bring in guests Zicky Dice, Mr Hughes, Matt Taven, Dave Wills (The It’s Still Real To Me Dammit Guy), Janai Kai & Lee Moriarty. There’s some technical mic issues happening through this whole pre-show so it’s hard to keep up with what’s happening on the stream. I blame the weather. “This show was so hot, god called in a snow storm to cool things down” says Taven. We go to a count down screen with about 23 minutes to go. Hopefully they get the microphone issues under control. After a few changes to the countdown, we hit a start time of around 6:25. Dave Prazak & Lenny Leonard are on commentary.

Match 1: Lee Moriarty vs Josh Woods 

Right into the graps, Josh snaps the ankle up but Lee turns it into a pin attempt, and Josh gives one right back. Lee with the arm drag but Woods ties him up again and  Lee has to go to the rope. Woods ties up neck but Lee gets the double underhook for a pin. Woods out and grabs the shoulder, Lee with a slide out into a pin attempt. Lee working the shoulder, trading the position back and forth. Lee tries an update and over, Woods drops his face to the buckle. Twist the wrist and Lee is grounded down. Woods traps the arm and locks up a painful pin attempt, Lee’s out but he’s hurting. Woods boots the elbow wrapped up in the ropes. Lee fires back, kick to the elbow, elbow snap down to the mat, traps the arms, uses the leg to pull Woods over for another two count. Lee with a rollup, transition to a crossface! Lee isn’t deep and Woods is to his feet. Double boot! Double down! Lee gets draped on the second, backbreaker into a German for two! Quick whip flurry, Woods tries the rollup but Lee uses his legs to trap Woods and holds the clutch for the three count!

Winner: Lee Moriarty

Match 2: JDX vs Daniel Garcia vs Invictus Khash vs Adam Priest (Terminal Eliminator Match)

4 men enter, 1 survives. We start with a 4-way, 1on1 with tagging. Then a full triple threat. Then a 1on1 for the final round.

1st Fall: Khash & JDX kick it off and we cycle through a few tags until Khash and Priest finally lock up. Khash with a fast rollup and near fall gives Priest pause. Khash might have Priest’s number but Garcia wants the kill. Priest weathers the initial storm, hits a big German and Garcia gets JDX in there. JDX with a STO and Priest has to kick out again. Khash in with a rolling elbow that almost ends JDX’s night. JDX with a big slam and Khash gets a tag to Garcia. Garcia with a kneedrop to the spine and a real cocky cover. Suplex two count. We’re racing against the clock here since all three eliminations are required within the 15 min time…and we have 8min left. Garcia working the arm of JDX and chops Khash back into the contest. Tempers rise as Garcia and Khash chop each other repeatedly. JDX tries to roll up Garcia. He hits a sto, ddt combo and almost ends it again. Spine buster to Garcia! JDX unintentionally low blows himself trying to work Garcia’s leg. Garcia quickly rolls him up. It looks real close but the ref calls it an elimination. 

2nd Fall: Full triple threat rules in play as Priest makes his presence know. Alabama slam to Garcia for two. Khash and Priest get into a chop fight, Khash firing up with a double head scissor. Priest with a huge German out of the corner to Khash. Garcia runs in with the jackknife pin on Priest for the elimination!

Final Fall: We have about 3:30 on the clock. Hard aggressive fighting from this point. Khash with a pop up German! Kick out! Garcia tries an armbar! Pin for two. Trading huge shots, Garcia with a palm strike and KHASH CRUMBLES HARD. Garcia comes in but the ref intercepts him and calls the win for Garcia by KO! Garcia shakes the hand of a KO’d Invictus Khash. 

Winner: Daniel Garcia 

Matt Taven joins the commentary table for this next contest.

Match 3: Moose vs Mike Bennett

This is not for the Impact Heavyweight Championship but Moose wears that belt to the ring. This is their first match in almost five years…though Bennett has a mostly losing record against this particular opponent. Mike wants a handshake, Moose gives the double birds and uses his shoulder to drop Bennett. Bennett can’t move the big man and goes for the drop toe hold to get a couple of shots in. Bennett keeps dodging Moose but eats a big shoulder block. Bennett and Moose trade chops in the corner and Moose throws him over the top rope. This draws his first technical foul for Moose. He can’t draw another. Moose with a big slam and Bennett is hurting. Hard whips to the corner drops Mikey in pain. Moose with some big chops but Bennett is raging up and firing back. Moose stepping back, eats a superkick and Bennet hits a cutter (Moose is off his feet for the first time) for two! Crowd seems pretty split for the two guys. Bennett with a sunset flip for two. Another rollup! Bennett dodges a chokeslam with a rollup for two! Bennett comes running, throwing forearms. He tries a 4th, Moose dodges and throws Bennett over the top again. It was a reflex but it’s also another technical foul and Moose gets immediately DQ’s for the action. The Impact champ is stunned that he let this happen. I love it when rules matter.

Winner: Mike Bennett (by DQ)

Moose and Alex Couglin have a small interaction at the entryway. Couglin was supposed to be on this show but had to pull out…so this little trade of words is interesting for the future. 

Match 4: Diamante vs Janai Kai

Kai and Diamante trading holds early. Kai escapes a front chancery, takes mount and drops bombs. Diamante fighting back, throwing shots from her back. Kai kicks her into the corner and lands a stiff one to the spine. Diamante switches the position, drops a few big forearms to the face. Kai lets her ankle get picked, Diamante gets a hammerlock but Kai stuffs it into a bully choke. Kai misses a big kick, Diamante tries a roll up. Kai back up and her knee connects to the chin. Diamante kicked and dropped for two. Diamante’s ribs look cut open a bit from Kai’s strikes. Kai getting choked but escapes and kicking Diamante to bits. Elbow drop to the chest, two count. Kai with more spine kicks…Diamante catches a PK and sinks way back with a half crab. Kai gets the rope. Diamante wants her back in the center, but Kai stuns her with a back kick to the face. Diamante with a body scissor takes Kai down and. She gets a head and arm choke from that position to tap out Kai!

Winner: Diamante 

Match 5: Jordynne Grace(c) vs Kiera Hogan (Impact Digital Media Championship Match)

Grace tries to keep it slow but Hogan in fast and whiffs a huge kick. Grace trying to throw a bomb but Hogan out quick and drops Grace’s face to the mat with a leg drop. Running dropkick into the corner. Grace with a big shoulder block and Hogan hits the mat hard. Delay vertical suplex! Hogan fights out of a powerbomb. Grace eats a missile dropkick, backslide and Hogan lands a superkick for two. Hogan with a boot to ribs. Grace muscles her up for a powerbomb! Kickout! Grace with a muscle buster! Kick out! Grace pops up on the ropes but Hogan kicks the leg out and hits a neckbreaker. Dropkick in the low tree for two! Hogan throws a lariat but Grace doesn’t go down. Grace has a lariat for her and crunches her into the corner. Deadlift rag doll German for two! Hogan wit a small package but that can’t do it. Series of superkicks and a lariat drops the champ! Grace kicks out! Hogan throwing kicks but comes running and Grace catches her to hit Fall from Grace for the successful title defense!

Winner: Jordynne Grace

Match 6: Bandido(c) vs Baron Black (ROH World Championship Match)

Bandido is holding one of two ROH World Championships, the title he never lost after winning it at Best in the World. Bandido is coming in hot but Baron has a lot of this offense scouted. Baron is definitely READY for this opportunity. Bandido lures Black in with a handshake to hit a knee to the gut. Three Amigos connects for a two. The champ with a gory special and stretches Baron. Black sits up out of a squat stretch, what power!!! Bandido springboards, lands on Baron’s knee! Black drops the straps, it’s time to take Bandido’s legs away. Legs trapped, Black yanks back on the chin. Bandido escapes and they trade hard shots, DVD for two! Twisting down with a deathlock, Baron is struggling to the rope. Black out and hits a doctor bomb for two! Texas cloverleaf and Bandido pulls himself to safety. Bandido with a springboard into a rough rana and a pin attempt that is immediately waved off. Another rana but Black kicks out in time. Black with a butterfly superplex! Bandido slips out of another Texas cloverleaf, drills a knee to the face off a torture rack! Black stunned on the rope for Bandido hits the 21 plex for the pin!

Winner: Bandido

Match 7: Dante Cabellero & Joe Keys vs Tracy Williams & Fred Yehi

Time for a Catch Point reunion in this tag contest. Keys and Cabellero go right to tried and true distraction techniques to keep the ref occupied in the first truly overt cheating of the show. This works on Williams until Yehi tags in and wrecks s***. Keys able to get in and slams Yehi’s face into the mat, everyone is swinging for that KO. Yehi with an overhead toss and tags to Tracy. Dante dropped off the apron, Keys clubbed with a discus clothesline! Dante back in to eat a back suplex but Keys is able to use the moment to blast Hit Sauce with a spear! Suplex, float over, pin. Kick out! The ref is trying to get better control of this and these teams back off before the double DQ. Keys takes a beating from Williams but hits a gory bomb and gets the tag! Dante fighting off both opponents. Williams turned inside out with a kick! Yehi in but Dante clotheslines him over the top and Dante draws a technical foul! Williams with a near fall on the rollup from the distraction. Dante with a Michanoku driver, Keys with a gutwrench backbreaker! Keys tries the gory bomb again, Williams out! Yehi gets the tag, flurry of destruction from Catch Point! Yehi has a Koji clutch! Dante in but Tracy grabs an ankle lock! Dante throws Williams off to break both holds! Keys to the top, Tracy with a ddt to the buckle! Keys ain’t dead! Yehi thrown to the floor but through the second rope so it’s within good taste. Tracy fighting off both opponents as we hit the final minute of the time limit! Dante with a torture rack slam and Keys with a diving headbutt to WIlliams for the pin with less than a minute to go!

Winners: Keys & Cabellero

Main Event: Jonathan Gresham(c) vs Josh Alexander (ROH Original Championship Pure Rules Match)

Speaking of two ROH champions, Gresham is out with the ROH Original belt and this match is given a lot of pomp and circumstance around this belt. Code of Honor. Alexander and Gresham with some hold for hold feeling out as they try to get some early positions worked. They are quite evenly matched and Gresham backs off to revaluate. Gresham tries to pull Josh in and arm drags him down. Gresham with some great counter anticipations and drops Alexander with a dropkick. Alexander picks the ankle out and sits right back onto it. Gresham turns him over but Alexander get the ankle lock and Gresham uses his first rope break. Alexander with a half crab and Gresham uses his second rope break! He has one left and only 8 minutes into the card. Gresham fires back, trading chops with Walking Weapon, basement dropkick and Alexander into a figure four! Rope break! Gresham with a springboard head scissors, kicks out the arm, Alexander decks Gresham with a closed fist to stop a second figure four! Both men are backs to the wall on a technical loss.Alexander with a German bridge! Kick out! Double underhook, Gresham powers free and backdrops into a pin attempt. Dragon screw! Gresham tries a springboard moonsault…Alexander catches and hits a tombstone for two! Trading hard shots back and forth! Gresham kips up on a big shot, Alexander dodges a shot and grabs the ankle lock. Gresham frees himself. Josh almost gets himself DQ’d with another closed fist. Gresham tries to capitalize but Alexander drills him with a piledriver. Gresham gets the rope and uses his final rope break! Josh back to the ropes, which are now in play for him. Gresham flips him out, stomps On the calf,  figure four! Alexander counters back to the ankle! Gresham climbs over the ref to get the  rope but it doesn’t matter. Gresham uses the rope to slingshot Josh into the top rope to break free! Alexander with a deadlift superplex back into the ring! Gresham hooks the leg and the ref counts a double pin! Oh noooooooooo!

Winner: DRAW

The ref rules it a draw. Both men are disappointed.

The crowd boos and chants for overtime!

They shake hands and the crowd applauds with respect as the challenger vacated the ring for the still Original Champion….as Bandido brings his version of the ROH World Championship to the ring. They are about to shake hands, maybe in some kind of agreement over settling this dispute but music hits….it’s SANTANA!!!

He circles the ring like a vulture, gets the mic. Atlanta is happy to see him! He puts over Terminus and how much he misses this DIY atmosphere. Santana has business here though…he has some stuff to put in his past and work forward from…and he has a lot of history with Jonathan Gresham. Gresham is one of the best wrestlers in the world…and ROH champion…and since he’s about challenging himself this year.

Feb 24th? The next Terminus show? He challenges Gresham…who immediately accepts. Poor Bandido is third wheel in this and KNOWS IT. Gresham gets the mic to put over the crowd, and says that Bandido’s time to showdown with him WILL come. “But for now, spread the word. Pro Wrestling is back in Atlanta.” Bandido and Gresham shake hands and hold their belts up as we face to black.

And that’s it for the debut of Terminus!

To be honest, I have some mixed feelings here. The work in the ring was generally good throughout the show (though with a few really awkward pin scenarios) but it was plagued with production issues throughout the broadcast, ranging from audio mix to incorrect timers that Lenny/Dave had to talk around, to even announcing the wrong match at one point. With the snow storm in Atlanta, I know that forced a lot of unexpected changes on this show, between last minute talent switches, a pushed back start time, to the need to open up tickets at the door for this previously fully sold out show.

Bumps in the road for this new promotion’s debut for sure but I suspect it will be lessons learned for next time. So what are the must watches? My faves were easily the 4-way, Grace/Hogan, the tag and everything until the final three seconds of the main. I am baffled at the main event of the first show of a new promotion ending on a double pin. I was absolutely into this match right up until that part. The crowd really wanted it to go to overtime for a definitive end but when Alexander walked away, they seemed kind of deflated…rules ARE rules, I guess…so the Santana pop was really good to counteract the situation…but that brings me to Bandido…it was super weird that after coming down to the ring to confront Gresham, the man who claims to hold the title he never lost…he just lets Santana come out and treat him like a 3rd wheel and seems totally cool with it?

A quick shoutout to the Moose/Bennett match which was fun and I loved Moose forgetting the rules of the room and getting himself DQ and knowing he messed up. Again, rules are rules.

I liked the drama of Gresham/Alexander running into the wall of technical fouls and rope breaks. I liked the tag nearly running out of time. Rules create the right drama when you communicate them and properly enforce them. At the end of the day, it was a rocky debut but despite the odds, they got the show on the books and done. A promotion is not one show, it’s what you build over time. Terminus has its starting point and now we build to making the next one even better.

Terminus returns on Feb 24th with what seems to be a promised main event of Jonathan Gresham vs Santana for the ROH Original World Championship. Until then!

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