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ACTION WRESTLING NEXT UP: EPISODE 3 REPORT

By Adam Cardoza on 2021-09-22 14:09:00

ACTION Wrestling “Next Up: Episode 3”

Taped on 6/25/21

Now Available on IWTV.live

ACTION’s “Who’s Next” series continues, this time taped in June before their “Game Over“ event. In a Venn diagram of “training show”, “tryout show’ and “thanks for helping out”, this series aims right in the center of all this, utilizing a lot of upcoming talent from AR Fox’s nearby wrestling school as well as other workers who were in town but not on the main show. Carmen Michael is your announcer. Scott Hensley is at the commentary table. This show is presented without a crowd but with the wrestlers surrounding the ring to give some ambience to the action. 

Match 1: Nick King vs “Spineshattering” Spectre

“I don’t think they like you” say King to Spectre as he gets booed in his intro. Spectre is clearly the stronger man and runs King into the corner. King switches tactics and drags Spectre to the ground for a series of stretches and pin attempts. Spectre frustrated at all this rolling he has to do and lays in some forearms and big clubs. Double leg drop for two. Spectre with a cool rebound shotgun dropkick off the corner and tries to wear down King’s legs. King firing back with lariats and a germen bridge for two. Spectre fights out of a sharpshooter, pop up into a more clubbing blows…King rebounds with a discus lariat! Kick out! Big side slam from Spectre, only two. King tries the sharpshooter again, almost gets rolled up. Spectre picks up King into a powerbomb across the knees and he’s down for the pin. Good clash of styles here and the energy from the guys at ringside kept the mood up and them jawing at each other through the contest. Liked this opener!

Winner: Spectre 

Match 2: Jack Kujo vs Isaac Fox vs Black Jack Mack vs Pete Youngblood vs “Defiant” Derek James vs “Deathwish” Bailey Blake

Big ol’ scramble is up next. Blake right into Derek James’ face as he enters the ring. This devolves right into a ruble of chaos. Mack dives to James on the outside, setting up the dive series. Fox concluded it with a moonsault double stomp to the outside crowd. YOWZA. Mack with some arm drags and a dropkick before hitting a cutter to James. Kujo with a good double axe handle to the stomach. “KU-JO-SHOW!” Is the chant right now. James with a good triangle shotgun dropkick before grabbing the wrist for lariats. Fox laying into James, misses off the second ropes but hits a standing moonsault for two. Blake with an atomic drop and a boot on Fox for two. Youngblood catches Blake with a rolling DVD and a seated lariat for a close call. Kujo firing up and clears Youngblood. Mack eats a lariat from James, a gutbuster and a side Russian leg sweep. Fox with a shooting star into both of them for two! Blake catches Fox with an Unprettier but Youngblood tosses Blake into the buckle and sends him to the post. Youngblood turns into a neckbreaker by way of an air raid crash from Kujo and that closes this wild scramble out. A few timing issues here and there but everyone just flowed through it and kept fighting and kept the energy up,  go go go. This was awesome. 

Winner: Jack Kujo

Match 3: Rico Gonzalez vs “Coach” Kody Manhorne vs “The AshHole” Ash Bennett

Manhorne takes immediately control and coaches his opponents through 20+ squats before Gonzalez collapses from exhaustion. Gonzalez challenges them to do handstands in the corner, Manhorne drops first and Gonzalez wins. Ash challenges them to a QUIZ. “What’s the shape of Italy?” Ash BOOTS Manhorne in the face and our match is actually happening now. All three guys are laying into each other. Ash with a dropkick and two on the coach. Gonzalez with a suplex to Ash and and Kody is firing up with back body drops and suplexes. Ash with flying uppercuts and face plants Manhorne before landing a running knee that almost ends the contest. Rico with a step up enziguri and running shooting star…until Manhorne headbutts, squats him into a stunner….Manhorne with a modified trailer hitch and Gonzalez is stuck in pain. Ash runs in with the dragon sleeper to Manhorne. Gonzalez is stuck in the leg hold but Manhorne is forced to tap. This was delightful. This started off nice and comedically dumb then went right into hard hitting action and I loved this finish. GOOD SH*T.

Winner: Ash Bennett

Match 4: Trust the Process (Erron Wade & Carson Dilbeck) vs Nawfside Heroes (Jose Manuel & Shoota Gabe)

Erron Wade is trusting the process? That process seems to involve torturing him with several hard hitting beatdown on ACTION’s main shows. XD. Jose Manuel easily tossing Wade around in the early moments. Gabe clears both opponents and sets Jose for a suicide dive to the concrete. Wade taking a a bunch of tandem offense before Dilbeck just interferes and drags Wade to the corner to allow the tag. Wade recovers and turns on the tag moves. Dilbeck trying to taunt Gabe with a potential tag to his corner but gets overconfident and eats a short ddt. Jose gets the tag, scoop slam to Wade and a two count. Legdrop to the back of the head, Wade’s out’s. Wade with a flacon arrow. Senton to Gabe, Jose makes the save. Dilbeck cleared, Gabe with a spear to the baby dragon and Jose off the top with a frog splash for the win! Good contest!

Winners: Nawfside Heroes

Match 5: “Supertsra” Jay Lucas vs “ZZ” Zamir Zuriel vs “Starchild” Larry Lazard

Lazard gut kicked and sent to the floor immediately. ZZ and Lucas going at it, ZZ with a rolling heel kick for two. Lazard shotguns off the top and dragging ZZ around the ring. Standing corkscrew senton from Lazard! Lucas in with a pair of  lariats and a twisting suplex for a near fall. ZZ in with a bulldog off the ropes! Kick out! Lazard begging off and dodging offense from ZZ before flipping into a blockbuster. Lucas in and hits a airplane spin cutter to Lazard. Two! Lucas misses a double clothesline and eats dropkicks. ZZ andLazard squaring off. Lazard tries to escape a kick and almost gets folded up in a pin. ZZ off the ropes with a scissor kick and Lazard is down for the three! These three brought it here. All action, all energy, good chemistry. This felt great. 

Winner: Zamir Zuriel 

Match 6: Damion Turner vs Flash Thompson

Thompson is trying to turn this into a fight and Turner is controlling him on the ground early. Thompson powers into the corner and just decks him. Turner endures and cranks at the neck after a headlock takedown. Flags wants to throw him off but Turner is tenacious. Flash drops him out but Turner just starts pummeling him with dropkicks and a senton for two. Flash using his size advantage again to power Turner down and lands blows to the head. Thompson with a cravat takedown and a pair of kicks to the back and face. Turner with a jawjacker to escape…Flash catches the arm into a ripcord lariat for two! Thompson calls for a brain buster so Turner doesn’t let that happen, makes space and hits a cutter for…..2.99999. Turner trying to powerbomb Flash? Flash flapjacks Turner and hits a stiff running knee. Flash with a Rings of Saturn variation and Turner is forced to tap out. Big “please don’t tap energy here” at the end but Turner had no where to go. Liked this a lot. 

Winner: Flash Thompson

Main Event: “Big Hoss” Noah Hossman vs The Renegade Enforcer

YEAH HOSSSSSSSSSSSMAN! Renegade Enforcer makes his return after winning the main event of Episode 1 against that AshHole. Renegade is all business and walking Hossman down. They contest with power but go to a stalemate several times. Renegade realizes he’s not the only big man in this ring and finally resorts to a cheap knee to the gut. Hossman rebounds with a body splash-style Thez press. Renegade with a whip into a dropkick and stomps Hossman out in the corner. Renegade has words with ref Robert Martyr which let’s Hossman battle back. Renegade drops Hossman and hits a standing moonsault! Renegade choking Hossman out on the rope and hits a vertical suplex….He rips off Hossman’s headgear and whips him on the back with it. Hossman fires up but wipes himself out on a corner splash. Renegade sets him up on the buckle but Big Hoss with a flying lariat. More lariats and a back body drop for two! Hoss trying to get Renegade up..reversed into an Alabama Slam! Kick out! Hossman fights out of a slam into a Northern lights for another near fall! This is awesome. Renegade finally catches Hossman with a swinging suplex toss and gets the three count. Looooooved this. Renegade Enforcer has looked good both times I’ve seen him but I am loving to see Noah grow into his moniker. Good hoss fight from the hoss man. 

Winner: The Renegade Enforcer

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