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3/29 FOCUS PRO WRESTLING 'KICKSTART MY HEART' IN BRAINTREE, MA LIVE REPORT

Focus Pro Wrestling “Kickstart my Heart”

3/39/24 - Widowmaker Brewery - Braintree, MA

Live on IWTV

Yes, we are in the city of BRAIN TREE. Y'all, I live in this state and I still can’t entirely believe this city is a real place I go to.

This is a tight room near the ring. My brain immediately calls back to the Beyond @ Electric Haze shows before the White Eagle became World Famous. For me personally, Widowmaker Brewery is MUCH closer to home for me than most show (and has at least one bartender from my favorite former brewery). I’m told the show is sold out and the crowd is definitely packing in and getting excited. 

Match 1: Mike Graca (w/ Katey) vs “Guapo Suave” Diego Alvarez (w/ Big Lex) 

Alvarez has to apologize for his “insensitive remarks about his opponent’s financee” but he turns it around into a shot in all the women in the audience. Ah, it’s been a while since I heard this brand of blatant misogyny but the “gross” signs in the audience suggest people were ready to let him know that very fact. Alvarez is hated and they are ready for Graca to f*** him up. He’s got some LOUD chops for sure. Alvarez tries to hit the floor for safety but Graca chases him down with more chops. Guano gets the crowd out of his head and hits a suplex for two. Running European to the back of the head for two. Graca throwing big hands back, Alvarez with a rude awakening…is this it??? Kick out! Very loud crowd in this small space. Graca with a clothesline and big boot! If the crowd can keep this energy all night, we’re in for some fun. Hangman’s cannonball. If he dies, he dies basement dropkick for two! Alvarez tries to steal it with a rollup and basement codebreaker for a close two. Alvarez trying for a kill switch. Graca has him up in a powerbomb. Big Lex tries to interfere, Katey slaps him stupid. Graca with a dive…Alvarez kicks the rope on the way back on, Graca eats a knee driver but kicks out! Alvare tries to pick up Graca…reversal into a tombstone for the win!!! Real good opener, crowd was on fire throughout this. 

Winner: Mike Graca

Match 2: Allin Bayno vs Kwesi

Bayno has the size advantage but Kwesi is throwing some hard kicks. Bayno’s got some “earthquake meets bruiser Brody” energy going and keeps the pressure on. Big senton from the second but Kwesi with the dodge and recovery. Great enziguri onto the top! Standing Moonsault for two! Bayno’s thug gets involved and suddenly there’s a door in this house. Kwesi tossed into the ref and then through the door. That’s the ballgame, Bayno gets the three and the crowd is mad about that.

Winner: Allin Bayno

Match 3: Gabby Forza vs Kennedi Hardcastle 

I’m not emotionally ready for Gnome Castle to explode but I’m here FOR it! Gnomie’s doing some CPA magic with gnome hats! Kennedi has a gnome hat now! They can’t just be friends, they have to fight. Kennedi takes off her hat and the crowd doesn’t like it. Gnomie is the powerhouse and keeps apologizing to Kennedi for her strength. Kennedi tries to calm down and hits a crossbody…that is immediately caught, spun and slammed down for two. Gabby’s still having fun but Kennedi is already looking desperate…they have a handshake, Kennedi won’t release it. Whip to the corner, Kennedi with a trip. She’s doing what she can but the crowd says friend DONT do that. Kennedi tries to distract Gabby with the promise of (actual puppies) - they aren’t real. It’s a rollup. Gabby is a freight train rolling through Ocean Ave. gabby with the press slam. Running Vader bomb misses! Kennedi throwing some clotheslines and finally takes the Gnomie down. She twists up Gabby’s arms in the ropes, it weakens what her opponent can do but the crowd is starting to turn on Hardcastle. Clubbing shots into the back  of the head. Kennedi wraps her up but Gabby muscles her up and slams up down! Powerslam for two! Running Vader bomb! Kennedi slips a suplex, Gabby charges into the buckles, cross body off the top from Hardcastle! Spinning rana! Gabby won’t stay down! Gabby with the slam…she sets up….and spears the corner!!!! Kennedi rolls her up and catches her…she’s got the ropes…she gets the three! Are they still friends? They hug it out. Kennedi did what she had to. The crowd was hot and these two friends were clearly having a comical blast.

Winner: Kennedi Hardcastle

 Match 4: Stache Club Wrestling (John Taylor & Dante Turo) vs Creamy World Order (Stan Stylez & ABBS)

Ok, Stylez has his shake weight. And whipped cream. But why does SCW have a golden shake weight. That’s TWO too many shake weights in this match. This being my first go at FPW, I believe that SCW are podcasters of some kind. Both of them together are one ABBS. And this is their first match??? They get a bunch of Stylez posing but he tags right out and lets ABBS do the work. Smart move. It’s going great but Stache club gets a double suplex on the big lad and Stylez just LETS IT HAPPEN. Of course, it doesn’t last. Big man doing big man things. Tag to Stan, Styles just whips Turo with his shirt. That shirt touched Stan Stylez, I can imagine how painful it would be to touch that shirt. The crowd is VERY much behind Stache Club. I get it. Finally we get a tag to Taylor, tons of punches to Stylez! Styles gives him a double purple nurple. Stylez has the whipped cream but it won’t fire. It happens to everyone STAN. Taylor   Gets the can and fills his mouth with cream, Stylez is wiped out for the three! Wild.

Winner: Stache Club

 Match 5: Mani Ariez vs Alec Price 

Ariez was supposed to face Ichiban tonight but he couldn’t be here. They try to give Mani the win for forfeit but hellllll no. The NORTHEAST BEAST is here for a fight!!! On one hand, I could play by play this but I’m having a great time just watching this hard hitting back-and-forth contest. The crowd is hot for both these guys, the local Ariez and former IWTV champ Price. Seriously, this is a blast to watch. Price going through his price stuff. One more time cause he’s “trash”. He’s definitely not. Emergency leg drop! Price with a dive into the crowd. Suprize kick for the three!!!! Price puts Ariez way over. He says he didn’t know what to expect since he was subbing in for Ichiban on short notice (like 9am that morning)…and Mani BROUGHT THAT S***. Yes indeed Mr. Price, this was good f***ing s***. Imma watch this back on IWTV. I wanna see the angles. 

Winner: Alec Price

 

Match 6: Mike Montero vs Marcus Mathers 

This might be my first go at FPW but I DO know that Montero was their champ before Tyree cut that short. This match is a low key mirror match. Marcus is so talented and so damn smooth but Montero is hanging right with the young prodigy. Battle to the floor and they are trading some WICKED chops. Montero makes the mistake of tossing Marcusnto the apron and eats a PK. Great basement back kick to the face. Northern lights! If you were here, you would absolutely the understand the Fight Forever cause this is ALSO a blast. Marcus hits a wicked superplex. He goes for the pin but the ten minute time limit expires. The crowd is MAD. They demand more! We got five more minutes. BOTH GUYS GOING FOR IT! They feel the time limit and don’t wanna waste a moment. Montero with a poisonrana, Marcus blasts a lariat and hits the Bozo Buster for the win! Give the people what they want. Hell yeah. 

Winner: Marcus Mathers

Match 7: Hardwork Heroes (Aaron Cademia & Barnaby Combs) vs Shook Crew (Bryce Donovan & Bobby Orlando) (first round of the EVAN ZALIOS TAG TEAM CLASSIC)

I can’t believe I have to go to Braintree to see Shook Crew now. IYKYK. This is a good clash of little/big tandems but Bryce inevitably winds up with Cademia and the crowd starts going hard for hard work. But they want MOM. I get it. This is bad for Cademia as Shook crew starts to pummel him through several tags. Combs is helpless as he watches his partner getting pummeled. Cademia takes so much heat before he escapes and tags Combs. Big man rolling through shook crew! Shook try to come back but they hit each other. cademia off The top with a double clothesline! Bryce with a champion’s chokeslam! Cademia turns a second chokeslam into a stunner! Bobby tries to end things but Cademia flips to a jack knife pin for the three! Hardwork advances!

Winners: Hard Work Heroes

Bruce gets in the ref’s face over the loss and eats a stunner for his trouble. Bobby tries to weasel out of his turn but there’s a yellow striped stunner for mom too! 

Main Event: Tyree Taylor(c) vs Shannon LaVangie (for the Focus Pro Championship)

Tyree takes one look at his challenger and thinks he’s having an easy night. The crowd is 99% in Shannon’s corner tonight. I might be the 1%. sorry. All that support and Shannon gets absolutely overpowered in the lock up. The trouble maker resorts to biting at the hand of Taylor. He eats a head kick at the rope. That…doesn’t amount to much as Tyree just starts pounding on his challenger. Shannon starts firing back with forearms and the crowd fires right up. Tyree cuts that s*** right off. Huuuuuuge pounce cuts the trouble maker in half. This is some classic David and Goliath stuff. Shannon with a brief moment of hope as she staggers Tyree on the top and hits a powerbomb. She goes for the twisted bliss. Tyree’s Prolific corner man gets involved but Marcus Mathers is here to break it up! Shannon lays out Tyree! Twisted Bliss! Kick out! That is all the hope she has as the champ drops her for two. Shannon. Throwing fingers and slaps Tyree before he hits a powerbomb, buckle bomb, powerbomb, Brooklyn zoo sequence. Tyree is ready to do more but Mathers is yelling at the ref, he throws in the towel! This is a stoppage! The ref has to yell at Tyree until he vacates the ring and leaves Shannon to recovery from the beating she just took. 

Winner: Tyree Taylor 

 Mathers is in the ring to help Shannon recover. He may have saved her from additional damage but she is none too thrilled about having that choice taken from her. She pie faces him as she leaves the ring. Marcus is left in the ring as the show closes, alone. 

The Good: The Crowd was hot as hell through the night. From the personal contest between Graca and Alvarez in the opener, right through to Tyree Taylor absolutely destroying Shannon Lavangie. The card was structured flawlessly. A fire opener, a few fun matches and a hot close to the first half….and then a second half of straight bangers. My kinda s***. The Ariez/Price match is absolutely worth a watch back. Price was in full form tonight but the (for me) relatively unknown Ariez absolutely held up his end of the match. I am really hoping that the added exposure of the IWTV livestream might help put this guy into the conversation and maybe we’ll get to see him around.

The Meh: This is more a logistics thing: I do have some worry about sight lines for the live crowd. I was at the bar right by the ring and any time the action hit the mat, I was basically blind. They had to have the ring a bit lower (because ceilings exist). For future shows, FPW might benefit from utilizing the venues’s TVs as monitors for the in ring action? They definitely shouldn’t have the hockey game on while the show is going (unsure if it was obvious on IWTV but the hockey game absolutely was on in the background for a good chunk of the show lol)….and if THAT is really my only complaint…then yeah, this was a fun time. Would do again.

Widowmaker said they plan to have wrestling every couple of months going forward so I look forward to seeing Focus Pro make their return in May/June. Also, the Tequila Leaf sour beer was really good. Much thanks to Evan Zalios Home Loan Specialist for trying to “murder” me with liquid kindness. It was quite tasty. 

 

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