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Warrior Wrestling Stadium Series
September 19, 2020

by Samoa Rowe

From Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois. There are a couple hundred fans socially distanced around a large outdoor athletic center. The weather looks chilly, as some people have blankets. Our hosts are Nick Hausman, Rich Boccini, and Val Capone.

Sam Adonis complains about curtain jerking, because he's a Warrior Wrestling original and a main eventer in Japan.

Sam Adonis vs. Jake Something

Adonis appears to be overconfident as Something has a counter for every hold. Something builds some steam, hitting a hard Irish whip, power slam, and avalanche for a 2 count. Adonis walks the ropes for a blockbuster. The camera misses Adonis' somersault senton to the turf (fan footage from Twitter reveals that it was an extra spiffy hurricanrana). Something answers with a back suplex onto the ring frame. Something connects with a flying shoulder tackle to ringside. He then throws Adonis into a trash can and bows for the fans. Adonis defiantly spits in the face, prompting Something to hit a low lariat for 2. Adonis kicks out of a back suplex and trades forearm smashes. Just as it feels like they should be heading home, Something applies a chinlock. Adonis makes a heroic heel comeback with a DVD, but Something sprints into a superplex. Something hits a spike Falcon Arrow for a good nearfall and a spear for a cold nearfall. Something's sitout powerbomb also gets 2. Adonis lures Something into an STO and Brainbuster for 2. Adonis blocks superplex and nails a 450 splash for the win at 13:25. Match was a narrative mess, due to the heel delivering a great babyface performance, **.
Winner: Sam Adonis

Scramble Match:
Facade vs. Jack Griffin vs. Icon Lee vs. Dani Mo vs. Dan the Dad vs. Beast Man

Griffin is presented as an evil version of Jim from The Office and aggressively goes after Lee at the bell. Dan the Dad looks like a young Tony Shiavone (which the announcers validate right as I'm typing it) but gets removed by Facade. Dani outmaneuvers Facade, but he hesitates to kick her in the face. Dan tries to offer some fatherly advice, and Facade kisses Mo. The lovebirds team up against the large Beast Man, who stumbles around the ring and Facade has to work around him. Lee hits a guillotine leg drop and then Dan botches a suicide dive! Dan tries again on Beast Man, who throws him off. Griffin manages to properly hit a top rope moonsault to the ground. Facade's step up somersault senton looks cool. Facade nearly ends Griffin with a springboard cutter, and Dan the Dad ambushes with jabs. Facade misses a roundhouse kick and hits his girlfriend. Mo replays the kick and nails a springboard Canadian Destroyer! Dan breaks it up and hits Mo with a DDT. Beast Man ambushes with a uranage and corner cannonball. Beast Man no sells a bunch of blows from Lee and hits a sitout powerbomb. Facade assists Beast Man with an electric chair slam on Lee. Beast Man climbs the turnbuckles and blocks Facade's rana and hits a leaping seated senton for the win at 10:15. This was a hot mess with a slew of botches and a winner who could barely move, *½.
Winner: Beast Man

Tre Lamar vs. Lee Moriarty

They lock up and exchange monkey flips. Moriarty escapes into the ropes and looks amused. The pace quickens and Lamar uses a drop toe hold to set up dropkicks to the head. Moriarty counters by slamming Lamar's ankle into the mat and relentlessly goes after the arm. Lamar no sells the bad arm as he flips around until Moriarty botches an ambitious mid-air superkick counter. They trade stiff blows until Lamar hits a Pele Kick. Lamar follows with a springboard clothesline, but Moriarty attacks the allegedly bad arm. Lamar hits a driver anyway, and they've completely lost whatever story thread they'd been weaving. Moriarty hits a double underhook powerbomb for 2. Lamar comes back with a leaping double stomp to the chest, followed by a flying double stomp for 2. Lamar hits another slam and looks frustrated by the 2 count. Moriarty rolls into a novel pinning predicament by trapping the legs and steals the win at 10:38. These guys have a ton of raw potential and are going to be great with some more experience, but right now they're just hitting moves and kicking out at 2, **¼.
Winner: Lee Moriarty

Violence is Forever (Dominic Garrini and Kevin Ku) vs. Ace Austin and Madman Fulton

Garrini attempts a leglock takedown on the much bigger Fulton, but gets unceremoniously slammed on his face. Garrini slithers into a front hammerlock but Fulton counters into a power slam. Austin tags in and aggressively pummels Garrini into the buckles and prepares to slice the finger with a playing card, but Garrini counters into an armbar. Ku tags and grapevines Austin's legs for a Dragon Sleeper! Violence is the Answer swarm Austin with a shoulder block/suplex combo. Fulton blocks Garrini's dive and chokeslams him onto the apron, which allows Austin to properly isolate Ku. Garrini gets the inevitable hot tag and runs wild with a German on Austin and leaping enziguri on Fulton. Tandem dropkicks allow a good nearfall on Fulton. Austin perches on Fulton's shoulders to chokeslam Garrini off the buckles, and then hits a splash for 2. Garrini recovers to put Austin in a leglock while Ku puts Fulton in a guillotine headlock. Austin pulls Fulton over to break the holds! Fulton attempts a double chokeslam but instead gets caught in double armbars! Austin makes the save, and Fulton then eats a kidney kick/suplex combo. Violence is the Answer put Austin through a Dragon Suplex, but Fulton breaks the cover with a vicious chokeslam. Fulton slams Garrini into place for Austin's running knee for the win at 11:44. They aimed high and while a few spots were more awkward than the PBP probably conveyed, this was cooking down the stretch, ***.
Winners: Ace Austin and Madman Fulton

Kimber Lee vs. Jordynne Grace

Bell rings and they immediately feel each other out with some chain wrestling. Grace slams Lee into a split and smashes her face. Lee comes back with a rana and bicycle kick. Awkward low lariat by Lee, and Grace bats her around before hitting a shoulder tackle. Vertical suplex by Grace gets a standard 2 count. Lee answers with a German suplex, but Grace pops up for a spinebuster. Lee's chops are met by Grace's power slams. Michinoku Driver by Grace gets 2. Lee desperately climbs the buckles but Grace meets her for a Muscle Buster! Lee manages a Swanton Bomb for the abrupt victory at 9:22! This was fine, as Grace continues to blossom into something special, but this was mostly a bunch of kick-outs at 2 until it was suddenly over, **½.
Winner: Kimber Lee

A couple of masked figures with kendo sticks arrive to cause some trouble. They reveal themselves to be Robert Anthony and Frank the Clown. They take exception to Joey Janela's status as king of the indies. They are badder than Janela, so they want the Bad Boy at the next Stadium Series event in a street fight. They're not booked for tonight, but want to fight. Jordan Kross, a wrestler who lost on the preshow, steps up and manages some kendo shots on Anthony. Frank shoots a confetti cannon into the jobber's face and they drag him into the ring for a proper ass kicking. Anthony and Frank get carried away when they bridge a door onto some chairs and powerbomb Kross through it. I liked this TV-style segment quite a bit.

Alex Shelley vs. Jonathan Gresham

They feel each other out with some good family friendly grappling. They trade head scissors in a way I wish more wrestlers would do more often. They continue showing off their technical wrestling prowess until reaching a stalemate. Fans applaud as they resume with Gresham targeting the leg with a death lock, but answers with arm drags. Gresham double stomps the arm, turning it into a target. The pace quickens and they snap each other's elbows and both go down. They lock arms and trade vicious forearms. They trade pinning combos until both guys think they've scored a pinfall at 12:25. The referee rules it a double pinfall and draw. The ref acts like he's helpless to do anything about it and leaves the guys behind to shake hands and hug it out. Great technical wrestling match between two artists, ***½.
No Contest

Ray Lyn and Chris Bey vs. Tay Conti and Luchasaurus

Conti looks like Jungle Girl as she rides in on Luchasaurus' shoulders. Bey runs the ropes against the dinosaur and hits a springboard rana, but backs off when Luchasaurus teases a tail whip. Conti and Lyn tag in, and Conti shows off her Judo skills. Lyn hits some arm drags and kicks out of a roll-up for a stalemate. The women's frenzied exchange leads to a standoff. Luchasaurus and Conti hit stereo suplexes. Lyn and Bey answer with stereo missile dropkicks. Bey and Lyn hit a wheelbarrow slam and standing moonsault. Luchasaurus misses a Tail Spin on Bey and knocks down Lyn. They swarm Bey with stiff shots to regain control. Conti lights Bey's chest with kicks and goes for a triangle choke, but Bey smashes her into the bucles. Conti recovers and tags Luchasaurus to chop Bey down. Bey reverses a wheelbarrow slam into a bulldog. Hot tag to Lyn, who overwhelms Conti to hit running double knees to the chest. Lyn hits a rana on Luchasaurus, followed by a tornado DDT! Conti leaps on Bey's back and takes a cutter while Lyn takes down Luchasaurus with a dive. Match breaks down until everyone goes down with stereo knee lifts! Luchasaurus and Conti hit a Tombstone Cutter on Bey, and Conti's modified (botched?) Go to Sleep finishes Lyn at 11:29. Likable match, with everyone just enjoying themselves, **¾.
Winners: Tay Conti and Luchasaurus

Trey Miguel vs. Zachary Wentz vs. Dezmond Xavier

The Rascalz implode as a shot at the Warrior Wrestling championship is at stake. Crowd chants “All these guys” before the bell, and a dueling “It is cold” chant break out. Trey and Wentz go after Xavier until butting heads while going for the cover, so now they must fight. Wentz flapjacks Miguel into position for a Dragon Suplex. Xavier scores a slick dropkick on Wentz. Miguel and Xavier turn the speed up to 11, but Wentz interrupts. Miguel settles for a corkscrew plancha onto the turf. All three guys go for a comical triple sleeper and even pull in the referee, who breaks it with a stunner. That's adorable. If the goal was to get the referee over as a bad-ass, mission accomplished. The Rascalz stumble to their feet for a circle chopfest. Miguel's cutter would have ended Xavier, except for a rope break. Wentz surprises Miguel with a Destroyer and puts Xavier down with a big time springboard cutter for 2! Crowd chants “This is awesome!” Miguel and Xavier make Wentz pay with a double 619. Xavier hits Miguel with a top rope rana and pops up for a dive onto Wentz. Xavier's twisting senton on Miguel only gets 2! Wentz recovers with a super German on Xavier, and Miguel hits a Meteora onto both guys and gains a double pinfall at 12:45! Elite athleticism on display in this marvelous spotfest, ***¾.
Winner: Trey Miguel

The Rascalz hug it out. Look for them to continue being awesome in Impact Wrestling.

Warrior Wrestling Championship:
Brian Pillman Jr. © vs. WARHORSE

WARHORSE slaps away a handshake. They aggressively lock up and WARHORSE breaks it in the buckles with a patronizing pat on the chest. Pillman gets a side headlock but WARHORSE counters into a head scissors. They run the ropes and reach a stalemate. WARHORSE traps the arms for brutal head butts and an overhead suplex. Pillman fakes a basement dropkick and slaps the head. Dropkick by Pillman and then a power slam onto the turf! WARHORSE answers by snapping Pillman's arm onto the turf, and they trade chops into the ring. Warhorse hits double knees into a hammerlock and then relentlessly works over the arm. Pillman sells the arm while making an old school babyface comeback. Warhorse tries to skin the cat but gets dropkicked onto the turf. Springboard clothesline by Pillman gets 2. Sick superkick by Pillman but WARHORSE answers with an Alabama Slam and Sharpshooter! Pillman's flying sunset flip gets 2. Warhorse hits a neckbreaker onto his knee, but Pillman pops up for a superplex! They trade chops, including Pillman hitting the back of the skull and drilling WARHORSE with a Package Driver for a great nearfall. Warhorse snaps Pillman's bad arm into the ropes in sickening fashion and nails a double stomp off the apron. Another double stomp by Warhorse gets a tremendous 2 count. Big elbow drop by WARHORSE, but Pillman kicks out! This match rocks. Pillman blocks another dive and hits a crafty neckbreaker. Running knee by Pillman and Jackhammer sends WARHORSE to the glue factory at 20:09! Sneaky awesome match here, as Pillman put in a brilliantly straightforward performance based on the quality of his selling and the timing of his hopeful offense. Impressive outing from two future stars, ****.
Winner and still Warrior Wrestling Champion: Brian Pillman Jr.

Trey Miguel shows up for the photo opp standoff with Pillman.

Final Thoughts: This was a cool supercard, featuring top indie names, as well as AEW and Impact Wrestling talent. I'm walking away looking at both Pillman Jr. and WARHORSE with new eyes. I also continue to enjoy the novelty of these pandemic indie shows in outdoor venues. Thumb's Up for the strong finale.

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