Roy's Review: Beyond Wrestling Americanrana 2017

Here is my review of the Beyond Wrestling's Americanrana Matinee Show at The White Eagle in Worcester, Massachusetts on July 30, 2017.

Match 1: Brian Milonas defeated Ace Romero
Solid big man match but I enjoyed their match at Paying Paul back in January better. There were a few awkward spots and the Vader Bomb finish was very anticlimactic. Despite that, this was a solid match that saw the action spill to the floor early. Good match to open up the day of wrestling.
7/10

In Ring: Cam Zagami comes out and says that this is AmeriCAMrana. He then makes fun of the crowd and issues an open challenge. Good promo.

Match 2: Josh Briggs defeated Cam Zagami
This was pretty much a quick squash. Briggs got the win with an Inverted Crucifix Powerbomb.
4/10

Match 3: Tracy Williams defeated Mikey Webb
Good match. Mikey Webb had dreads which was really weird. People kept making fun of him and for good reason. I wasn't sure if Webb would be able to keep up with Williams' technical style but I was pleasantly surprised. They both fought hard but in the end Williams got the win with a brutal piledriver.
7.5/10

In Ring: Dan Barry, Ryan Galone, Mike Verna and Rex Lawless come out. Barry says that since Lawless is injured, Verna is his replacement. Barry then issues an open challenge to any serious 6 man team. Out comes The Secret City Soldiers: Da Hoodz and Anthony Stone. Barry then makes fun of them and says that Anthony Stone hasn't been relevant in Beyond Wrestling since 2012. Barry says that his guys don't need him to win so it will be a handicap match.

Match 4: Ryan Galone & Mike Verna w/Dan Barry and Rex Lawless defeated The Secret City Soldiers: Da Hoodz: Davey Cash & Kris Pyro and Anthony Stone in a 2 on 3 Handicap Match.
Solid match with Pyro taking a massive beating. When he finally tagged out they had a ton of fast paced offence including a double coast to coast from Pyro and Stone on Galone while Cash hit a running dropkick at the some time. This was pretty sick. The end came when Stone went to break up Verna trying to powerslam both Pyro and Cash but Lawless hit him with a crutch behind the referee's back allowing Galone to toss Stone on the pile and Verna powerslammed them all for the win.
6.75/10

Match 5: Jay Freddie defeated Rory Gulak
I wasn't really sure if this would be a good match or not. Jay Freddie has become on of my favorite guys to watch but Rory Gulak on the other hand hasn't really done much for me since he stopped doing deathmatches. I was impressed with this match though. Gulak showed that he could more than keep up with Freddie in a techincal battle. The match turned to a hard hitting battle towards the end with Gulak taking a very brutal suplex on the ring apron. Freddie got the win with a Fisherman's Suplex.
7.75/10

Match 6: Tom Lawlor w/His Corner Man defeated Bobby Fish
This match had way to much MMA type stuff for my liking but it did turn out to be a solid match. It looks like Lawlor could become another of the MMA guys to transition well into pro wrestling. Lawlor kept going for a rear naked choke throughout the match but Fish kept getting out until the end when he passed out to one and the referee stopped the match.
6.75/10

Match 7: Brandon Watts defeated AR Fox with Shynron as the special referee
This was an awesome match and by far the best on the matinee show. Tons of action all over the place with it spilling to the floor a bunch of times. Fox went to use a chair but referee Kevin Quinn came out and prevented it. Fox shoved Quinn who ripped off his referee shirt and punched Fox allowing Watts to almost get a win with a school boy. Lots more back and forth action followed until Watts his a frog splash elbow for the win. Check this match out its really good.
9/10

In Ring: Shynron congratulates Brandon Watts on his win and puts him over. He then challenges Watts to a match and Watts accepts.

Overall this show scored a 48.75 out of 70 for an overall score of 69.64%. This was solid show with a ton of good wrestling. The main event really stood out as being the best match and is worth the price of the DVD alone. I'm looking forward to the Brandon Watts vs. Shynron match. That should be awesome.

Here is my review of Beyond Wrestling's Americanrana on July 30, 2017 at The White Eagle in Worcester, Massachusetts

Match 1: Team PAWG: Lufisto & Jordynne Grace defeated Doom Patrol: Chris Dickinson & Jaka
Holy Shit, what a crazy match. Grace took a vicious beat down early with Dickinson hitting a brutal German Suplex on her. When Grace finally got the tag the crowd erupted. Many violent looking moves from both teams. In the end Team PAWG got the surprising win with their running double hip attack move on Jaka. The crowd was super into this match and it was an excellent choice for the opener. One of the best inter gender matches I have ever seen.
8.5/10

In Ring: Chris Dickinson says that without Beyond Wrestling he wouldn't be where he is in his career. He then puts over the fans. Then he makes a toast to Beyond Wrestling with Jaka.

Match 2: Jonathan Gresham defeated Brian Cage
I wasn't to sure about this match. Mainly because I'm getting sick of seeing Gresham in the underdog roll against a guy twice his size, but I was pleasantly surprised. Gresham took a beating until he was able to get a hold of Cage's leg. At that point he did a great job of working the leg. This match was solid throughout until the ending. It was very abrupt with Gresham rolling through a submission attempt into a small package for the win.
7.75/10

Match 3: Jon Silver defeated JT Dunn
What an awesome match. I was really looking forward to this one and it blew away my expectations. Many sick spots and Dunn played a excellent hell. Check this match out, you won't be disappointed.
10/10

Match 4: Chuck Taylor w/Orange Cassidy defeated Swoggle in a TLC Match
This match was crazy right from the get to with Swoggle eating chair in the face right as the bell sounded. Now I'm not really into comedy wrestling but I really enjoyed this one. It saw Massage NV, Johnny Cockstrong, The Swamp Monster, Stan Stylez and Dick Justice get involved. Even Trent Barreta came to photo the chaos. Then end came when Taylor hit a piledriver into a bunch of tacks then he rolled up Swoggle for the win. Check this out its some great comedy wrestling.
7/10

Match 5: EYFBO: Angel Ortiz & Mike Draztik defeated The Lucha Bros: Rey Fenix & Pentagon Jr
Awesome match. Tons of high flying from both teams. Draztik and Penta had some vicious chop exchanges. Check this match out it's excellent. You won't be disappointed!
9.75/10

Match 6: David Starr defeated Donovan Dijak
Very good match here. Great leg work by Starr with some great selling by Dijak. Great back and forth action with a bunch of near falls. Near the end Starr took he microphone and dragged Dijak through the mud calling him a sell out. Dijak then came back with a Feast Your Eyes but only got 2. Starr then hit a brainbuster on his knee then an arm clenched german suplex for the win.
8.5/10

In Ring: David Starr puts over Dijak huge, saying that when Biff Busick left Dijak stepped up and filled the void. He went on to say that he was honored to wrestle Dijak and that Dijak is his favorite wrestler. He then gave him well wishes. Dijak took the microphone and said that his last match for Beyond Wrestling will be on August 13th and it will be against Walter.

Match 7: RPG Vice: Trent Barreta & Rocky Romero defeated Da Hit Squad: Dan Maff & Monsta Mack
This was good very heated battle, especially between Monsta Mack and Trent Barreta. For some reason they hate each other. These guys battled hard and all over place with the fight spilling to the floor. The end came when RPG Vice hit a Dudebuster/Double Stomp for the win.
8.25/10

In Ring: Trent Barreta wanted to shake hands with Monsta Mack but when Mack went to shake hands he spit in Trent's face instead.

Match 8: Joey Janela w/Penelope Ford defeated Matt Riddle
Good main event and much better than I expected. I wasn't really sure how the 2 totally different styles would work together but they did. I don't care for Riddle at all but he impressed me in this one. Janela hit some sick spots, a moonsault to the outside, and he even attempted a somersault onto the apron but Riddle moved and Janela smashed his ass. How he didn't break his tailbone is beyond me. Surprisingly Janela got the win with a Crippler Crossface making Riddle tap out.
8.25/10

This show scored a 68 out of 80 for an overall score of 85% What an awesome show. One of the best I have ever seen live. Everyone fought very hard and put forth their best efforts. Silver vs. Dunn was unbelievable and the intergender tag match was completely insane. When this comes out on DVD do yourself a favor and buy it. You won't be disappointed.

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Shared Gimmicks

Sometimes in wrestling one person is given a persona or gimmick and for whatever reason they either can't or don't want to continue as the character so it is given to another wrestler.  Here is a few of those gimmicks.

Max Moon

Konnan as Max Moon

Konnan was the first wrestler to don the Max Moon costume however the character was initially called The Comet Kid for his first two in ring appearances on September 1st & 2nd 1992.  It was September 21, 1992 in Winnipeg, Manitoba that Max Moon made his first tv appearance defeating Jerry Fox at a WWE Superstars taping.  By that time though Paul Diamond was wearing the Max Moon outfit.

Paul Diamond as Max Moon

The character Max Moon only last for a few months and disappeared when Paul Diamond was released from the company in February 1993.  Moon appeared on the debut episode of Monday Night Raw losing to Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels.  His only PPV appearance was in the 1993 Royal Rumble Match.

Leatherface

The character was created by the former Corporal Kirchner in the W*ING promotion based on the lead character from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies.  He debuted in December 1992 and for the next several months competed in  many death matches mostly in tag team matches with Freddie Krueger, Jason the Terrible, and others.  In mid 1993 Kirchner was arrested and served time in jail for assaulting a fan.

Kirchner as Leatherface

While he was in jail Rick Patterson was given the Leatherface gimmick and continued Kirchner's ongoing storylines.  By December 1994 when Kirchner returned to wrestling, Patterson had jumped to the IWA taking the character with him.  Kirchner joined him there and the two wrestled three matches together both as Leatherface.  On December 13, 1994 The Leatherfaces lost to Hiroshi Ono & Shoji Nakamaki in a Double Hell Death Match.

After the match Kirchner broke off a piece of a bed of nails board placed it on Ono's throat leg dropping he and Patterson then double powerbombed Ono onto a bed of nails.  They then placed a barbed wire board ontop of Ono and then began jumping on the board onto him while he was lying on a bed of nails!  I remember watching this match years ago, it was and is insane!

Patterson as Leatherface

Rumor is, is that it was a shoot and the Leatherfaces weren't supposed to do what they did.  Other's say it was part of the match.  I can't imagine Ono going along with all of what happened.  After this incident Kirchner left the IWA while Patterson continued to wrestle as Leatherface there until January 1998 he then toured Canada and Mexico limiting the number of matches he wrestled until his Last Match August 8, 2013 against Akira in Kumamoto, Japan.

Kirchner turned up in FMW after leaving IWA wrestling as Super Leather until he left FMN in September of 1999.  Over the next decade he wrestled a dozen matches as Leatherface or Super Leather with his last match being December 12, 2009 defeated Joey Vengeance in Erie, Pennsylvania.

The Demon 

On the August 23, 1999 episode of Monday Nitro from Las Vegas the band KISS played their song God of Thunder and near the end Brian Adams, the former Crush, appeared from a raised sarcophagus wearing face paint the same as Gene Simmon's also using the same moniker of The Demon.  This segment was cut out of the episode on the WWE Network.

Brian Adams as The Demon

On the August 30th episode of Nitro Adams as the The Demon made an appearance confronting Vampiro saying "Hey Vamipro, not here, not now, (long pause) not this time," he then yelled and opened his cape as lasers and fire effects lit up behind him.  Yep, that's all he did.  This is also Adam's last appearance as The Demon.

Dale Torborg as The Demon

The gimmick was passed to Dale Torborg and his first appearance was at a WCW Saturday Night taping January 19, 2000 in Cape Girardeau, MO.  Torborg wrestled as the Demon regularly, mostly on the losing end until September.  He had two matches in February and March 2001 at house shows before WCW folded.

Sin Cara

During a press conference in Mexico City on February 24, 2011 the WWE announced signing CMLL superstar Luis Urive (Mistico) to a contract, a major coup for the WWE.  The very popular and innovated high flyer has been with CMLL since 2004 and singing with the WWE was a surprise for many.  He announced that his new name would be Sin Cara.

Urive as Sin Cara

He debuted March 25, 2011 at a house show in Champaign, Illinois defeating Primo Colon.  His television debut took place April 4th in Atlanta when he ran in saving Daniel Bryan from an post match attack by Sheamus,  On July 18th, the day after competing in the Money in the Bank Ladder match at the pay-per-view Urive was suspended for 30 days for failing the wellness policy.

Urive on the left and Arias on the right

However Sin Cara returned to television on August 12th, however Urive was not in the costume.  Jorge Arias (Hunico) was wearing the mask.  Eventually Urive returned to television and feuded with Arias as Sin Cara Azule vs. Sin Cara Negro.  The had a mask vs mask match at the October 16, 2011 Smackdown television taping in Mexico City that saw Urive's Azule defeated and unmasked Arias Negro.

Arias as Sin Cara

Urive continued as Sin Cara until late 2013 wrestling his last match as the character on October 19, 2013, he was released from the WWE March 26, 2014.  Arias returned as Sin Cara on December 2, 2013 and continues to wrestle as the character to this day.

There are a others that have done the same like Doink the Clown and The Black Scorpion, and other gimmicks that have been used over the years by different wrestlers at different times like Yellow Dog and the Conquistadors.  Perhaps someday I'll explore those other gimmicks on another post.

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KroniK's Two Week 2001 Run in the WWE

The WCW tag team KroniK was comprised of two veteran competitors in Brian Adams and Bryan Clark.  They were partnered together debuting at Spring Stampede 2000 as hired henchmen of Vince Russo aiding his New Blood stable.  They would go on to hold the WCW Tag Team Championships two times totaling 50 days.  They were compared to the APA as they too offered protection for a price.

They were in WCW when the promotion was bought by WWE, however they did not immediately join the WWE in the initial influx of WCW talent. They would debut six months later as free agents before eventually joining the WCW/ECW Alliance.

Bryan Clark debuted in 1989 in the AWA as the Nightstalker joining WCW after the AWA folded.  At Starrcade he replaced The Diamond Stud teaming with Rick Steiner losing to Big Van Vader & Mr. Hughes.  In 1993 he joined the WWE for a two year run as Adam Bomb where he was initially managed by Harvey Wippleman until he turned face.

He left the WWE in 1995 and from what I can see find he didn't return to the ring until he rejoined WCW in 1997 as Wrath in the Blood Runs Cold gimmick.  He debuted as a heel joining Mortis feuding with Glacier and Ernest "The Cat" Miller.  He tore his ACL in a match with Jerry Flynn that put him on the shelf for a year where he returned with Brian Adams as KroniK.

Clarke as Wrath

Brian Adams debuted for New Japan Pro Wrestling 1986 competing there on and off until 1988.  In 1987 he went to the Pacific Northwest territory teaming with The Grappler as The American Ninja. In 1989 he wrestled in the All Japan New Year's Giant Tag Team Series.  In the month long series he would team with Mike Miller, Leo Burke, and Danny Spivey.

Demolition: Ax, Crush, & Smash

In 1990 he debuted in the WWF with an immediate huge push becoming a tag team champion as Crush the third member of Demolition.  After Demolition was disbanded in 1991 he returned as Kona Crush a Hawaiian surfer baby face.  He would turn heel being managed by Mr. Fuji and had a feud with Randy Savage that brought the Macho Man out of retirement for a falls count anywhere match at WrestleMania X.

In 1996 he would change his appearance to that of a biker, still going by Crush he became a member of the Nation of Domination and later the Disciples of Apocalypse.  He left the WWE in 1997 and turned up in the WCW as a member of the nWo in 1998 under the name Bryan Adams.  In 1998 he was given the gimmick as the KISS Demon making two appearances in the makeup before giving it up to Dale Torborg before ever competing in a match under the gimmick.  He finished 1998 competing under his real name before taking a hiatus until the spring of 2000 when he returned as one half of KroniK.

September 10, 2001 Monday Night Raw San Antonio, Texas
KroniK: Brian Adams & Bryan Clark debuts attacking the Undertaker putting him through the announce table.  They are manged by Steven Richards.

Undertaker was in a match with Booker T when Steven Richards ran in to attack the Undertaker.  Taker knocked Richards to the mat and when he bent over to pick up him Booker T nailed and ax-kick getting the pin.  Taker then when for the last ride powerbomb on Richards when KroniK hit the ring.

September 17, 2001 Monday Night Raw Nashville, Tennessee
KroniK: Brian Adams & Bryan Clark with Steven Richards attacked Kane & The Undertaker

WWE & WCW Tag Team Champions: Kane & The Undertaker were wrestling The Dudley Boys: Bubba Ray & D-Von for the WWE Tag Team Championships.  The ref was bumped and Kane was about to chokeslam Bubba Ray through a table on the floor when KroniK ran in and double chokeslammed Kane through the table.  They then went after the Undertaker causing a distraction that lead to a 3D on the deadman and the three count crowning new WWE Tag Team Champions.

When Shane arrived at the building KroniK & Steven Richard approached Kane offering their services to the Alliance, which Shane accepted and then booked them in a match at Unforgiven for the WCW Tag Team Titles.

September 18, 2001 Smackdown Memphis, Tennessee
KroniK: Brian Adams & Bryan Clark with Steven Richards defeat Kientai: Taka Michinoku & Sho Funaki

In their in ring debut the easily defeated the Japanese tag team and win with a double chokeslam on Taka.  In WCW the finish was called High Times but in WWE they just called it a double chokeslam.

September 22, 2001 House Show, Reading, Pennsylvania
Kane & Albert defeated Kronik: Brian Adams & Bryan Clark

Albert substituted for The Undertaker in this match.  Kane pinned Bryan Clark after a chokeslam.  This would be KroniK's only house show appearance.

September 23, 2001 Unforgiven, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
WCW Tag Team Champions: Kane & The Undertaker defeated KroniK: Brian Adams & Bryan Clark with Steven Richards

This was an ok back and forth match, I wouldn't call either tag team dominate.  The finish came after a chokeslam on Clark by The Undertaker.

This was the last appearance for KroniK in the WWE.  I'm not sure why they left the WWE it seems like everything ended just as it got started.  The would wrestle for the Heartland Wrestling Association in Ohio in October and November 2001.

In February 2002 they appeared on the WWA Pay-Per-View in Las Vegas defeated Ghostwalker and Navajo Warrior.  That July they debuted for All Japan Pro Wrestling and defeated Keiji Muto & Taiyo Kea for the AJPW Tag Team Championships. They were stripped of the titles for failing to defend them.  Their last match together as a tag team came on January 19, 2003 in Tokyo, Japan for Wrestle-1 losing to Keiji Muto & Bill Goldberg.

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