Post by Joe on Jun 28, 2023 12:36:40 GMT -5
UPW "Thursday Night RUSH" Results: 06/29/23 from Los Angeles, CA
This show was taped on Tuesday, June 27th at the Ukrainian Cultural Center to air on Paramount Network. Last week, we heard from Jay White, who explained his reasoning for attacking Buddy Matthews after the main event of Reign Supreme; tonight, we will get a response from the Premier Champion about that attack, as well as Jay White's response to TMDK's challenge from last week to find a tag team partner and face them at Extreme Heat. We also heard from X Division champion Shane "Swerve" Strickland last week, who said he is a level above everyone else, so we can assume someone might want to dispute that claim here tonight. Roderick Strong had strong words for his opponent at Extreme Heat, Josh Alexander, who he will be competing against for the Pure Championship, so we will see what unfolds regarding that situation.
Kevin Kelly and Caprice Coleman are at the commentary table ready to call all of the action here tonight. We head to the ring for our first segment of the show.
Josh Alexander and Roderick Strong Face Off; They Didn't Come Alone
Josh Alexander makes his way out to talk to Blake Howard about Roderick Strong and their upcoming Pure Title match. Alexander says that in this business you don't get participation trophies. He said that Roderick Strong may have worked hard to get where he is, but so has everybody else, and he has to earn his spot just like everybody else. Alexander said that it looks like Strong is ready to take some short cuts to make it to the top, and he doesn't blame him, because he says Strong probably doesn't have long left to try to make his mark on this business. Alexander said he's called "The Walking Weapon" for a reason, and he is going to destroy Strong's plans for glory at Extreme Heat.
Strong makes his way out and gets in Alexander's face. Strong says that Alexander isn't going to be so sure of himself when he steps into the ring with him, and then challenges him to a six man tag team match tonight for a little warm up. Alexander says he doesn't know if anybody will back him up, but it doesn't matter, because he'll show up to fight Strong anytime, anywhere. Strong repeated Alexander's words, "anytime, anywhere?" before into the ring slid the debuting KYLE O'REILLY AND BOBBY FISH! Blake Howard runs out of the way, and all three men attack Alexander in the center of the ring! Kevin Kelly yells on commentary that The Undisputed Era have arrived in UPW! Caprice Coleman says somebody had better get out here and help Alexander or he might not make it to Extreme Heat!
Out to the ring runs Tyson Kidd and "Speedball" Mike Bailey, along with officials and security. Alexander's fellow Canadians lay some shots on The Undisputed Era as the staff tries to break things up, and Kevin Kelly says it's looking like we have a great six man tag team main event slated for later tonight!
Notable Moments and Observations
Chris Bey vs. Nash Carter
High flying opening match to kick things off. Both men went back and forth, with Bey showing some arrogance and cockiness throughout to let the fans know who to cheer for. Carter had Wes Lee and Trey Miguel, the other two members of MSK, at ringside with him hyping the crowd, while Bey had his partner, Ace Austin, on the outside playing to the crowd to get him heat. Carter would get a little overzealous with the high flying and got caught in mid-air with a Cyclone Knee, which allows Bey to fold him up and pull his tights to get the three count.
Winner: Chris Bey
Notable Moments and Observations
Buddy Matthews Addresses Jay White
Premier Champion Buddy Matthews is at an off site location and cuts a pre-recorded promo on Jay White. Matthews reiterates what White said about Matthews, as White claimed that Matthews tried to end his career and possibly his life, and now White is ready to do the same to him en route to taking his championship. Matthews said that at Combat Evolved, he did what he had to do to get the win. He said he didn't stop the match, he didn't have any control over it, but he does know that if Chad Patton let that match continue, Jay White may not be among the living today, because Matthews was prepared to end him that night. He said that White got into his head and push him over the edge, and that he proved that White couldn't handle him at his most driven and dangerous. He says now White has drawn blood and put him out of action. It goes beyond words now. He's crossed the line. He says he appreciates his mates Shane and Mikey stepping up for him, as he's still not cleared for action, but he says he hopes they leave a little piece of "Switchblade" for him, because he wants to finish what he started and put Jay White out once and for all.
Notable Moments and Observations
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Drew Gulak
CatchPoint is the hizzhouse. Drew Gulak was accompanied to the ring by his partners, Timothy Thatcher and Oney Lorcan, as Zack Sabre Jr. came out all on his own, but he brought his signature attitude with him. This was over 10 minutes of a mat wrestling clinic, as you would most certainly expect from these two. You did have your moments of European uppercuts and kicks. The only son of Zack Sabre Sr. would manage to use a roll up after a back and forth chain wrestling sequence to get the win over Gulak, who was pounding the mat with frustration at the end.
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr.
Notable Moments and Observations
Bandido vs. Santos Escobar
Bandido is making his debut for UPW against the leader of Legado de Fantasma, and this was a good way to introduce him to this crowd. Escobar was able to help rein in Bandido a bit and helped him work a more American style contest, while keeping a distinct lucha libre flavor throughout. Escobar's partners TJ Perkins and Joaquin Wilde were at ringside, and would distract Bandido in the end, allowing Escobar to deliver a low blow and then a Fantasma Driver to get the pinfall.
Winner: Santos Escobar
Notable Moments and Observations
VLNCE UNLMTD vs. Los Ingobernales
Chris Dickinson and Tony Deppen were representing VLNCE UNLMTD tonight, while the big man Brody King was menacing on the outside. Rush and Dragon Lee were representing their team, with their partner Dralistico outside cheering for them and getting the fans behind them. Rush seemed like he was trying to kill Deppen in their exchanges, but Deppen is a fireplug and tried to give it back, even though he was outsized. Dickinson, on the other hand, is a bit bigger than Rush and is known for being stiff and heavy handed in the ring, so those two really laid it into each other. Dragon Lee is just phenomenal, and really stood out in this match with his speed and grace, but also the impact he brought. Brody King would try to get involved in the match, but Dralistico would springboard and dropkick him off the apron to the delight of the crowd. Deppen would go after Dralistico, but fail, and then turned and was dropkicked hard into the buckles by Rush. Rush would get into the corner and taunt, looking for the Bull's Horns, but King would manage to grab him by the leg and distract him long enough for Deppen to recover. Dickinson would catch Dragon Lee on the top rope and hit an amazing Avalanche Death Valley Driver to get the win.
Winners: VLNCE UNLMTD
Notable Moments and Observations
Jay White Has A Partner And A Message For TMDK
"Switchblade" Jay White is backstage with Blake Howard. Blake asks if Jay White has anything to say about TMDK's challenge, but White cuts him off. White says he heard what Buddy had to say earlier and he can damn well bring it, as he would expect nothing less. It doesn't appear there's room enough for both of them, according to White, and that's fine by him, because he's going to be the last man standing when it's all said and done. He said he heard his little lackeys Thorne and Nicholls calling his name, trying to be relevant, and if they want a match at Extreme Heat, then it's their funeral. He's found a partner who would love to smash some Aussie trash, and his name is Chris Dijak! Dijak then steps into the shot, and says next week, prepare to feast your eyes, as he and Jay White are going to have a little warm up match to show the world what's in store for TMDK at Extreme Heat.
Notable Moments and Observations
Jay Lethal vs. Daniel Garcia
Jay Lethal has his partners in The Foundation at ringside with him. Josh Woods and Jonathan Gresham are wearing red track suits with "The Foundation" on the back of them, and are carrying towels and water bottles, and coach Lethal throughout the match like cornermen in a boxing or MMA match. Garcia is able to show his technical ability a bit in this contest, and Lethal looks to his team to help him figure out how to he should best proceed. Lethal manages to turn up the speed and aggression, and Garcia gets left in the dust from there. Lethal delivers the Lethal Injection after about 8 minutes of action to get a nice looking win.
Winner: Jay Lethal
Notable Moments and Observations
Ilja Dragunov Is Coming to RUSH Next Week!
We get a hype video for Ilja Dragunov showing his highlight reel thus far in UPW. Ilja says The Czar of Wrestling is coming to conquer next week!
Notable Moments and Observations
The Undisputed Era vs. Josh Alexander, "Speedball" Mike Bailey, and Tyson Kidd
The fans were excited to see The Undisputed Era back together, even though they were most certainly the heels in this contest. It took a few minutes for that excitement to die down and for them to start getting behind Team Canada, but Strong and the boys made sure it happened. Tyson Kidd was the workhorse for most of this match, allowing "Speedball" to flash and keeping the anticipation of Strong and Alexander locking up heavy in the air. Strong seemed to be trying to avoid tangling with "The Walking Weapon", but once he did, he needed to use the ropes and an eye poke to get the technical savvy Alexander off of him. Kevin Kelly would point out that Strong will have limited access to rope breaks at Extreme Heat in their Pure Rules match, so that might be a bad sign for Roddy. The absolute best exchange of the match came when Kyle O'Reilly and Mike Bailey got in their together. These two martial arts experts had a dazzling exchange of fast paced strikes and counters that left the fans wanting to see more from them. Alexander would have Strong locked into an Ankle Lock that looked like he might tap out, but Bobby Fish broke it up with a slingshot kneedrop. O'Reilly and Fish would hit Chasing the Dragon on Tyson Kidd to get the pinfall.
Winner: The Undisputed Era
Notable Moments and Observations
This show was taped on Tuesday, June 27th at the Ukrainian Cultural Center to air on Paramount Network. Last week, we heard from Jay White, who explained his reasoning for attacking Buddy Matthews after the main event of Reign Supreme; tonight, we will get a response from the Premier Champion about that attack, as well as Jay White's response to TMDK's challenge from last week to find a tag team partner and face them at Extreme Heat. We also heard from X Division champion Shane "Swerve" Strickland last week, who said he is a level above everyone else, so we can assume someone might want to dispute that claim here tonight. Roderick Strong had strong words for his opponent at Extreme Heat, Josh Alexander, who he will be competing against for the Pure Championship, so we will see what unfolds regarding that situation.
Kevin Kelly and Caprice Coleman are at the commentary table ready to call all of the action here tonight. We head to the ring for our first segment of the show.
Josh Alexander and Roderick Strong Face Off; They Didn't Come Alone
Josh Alexander makes his way out to talk to Blake Howard about Roderick Strong and their upcoming Pure Title match. Alexander says that in this business you don't get participation trophies. He said that Roderick Strong may have worked hard to get where he is, but so has everybody else, and he has to earn his spot just like everybody else. Alexander said that it looks like Strong is ready to take some short cuts to make it to the top, and he doesn't blame him, because he says Strong probably doesn't have long left to try to make his mark on this business. Alexander said he's called "The Walking Weapon" for a reason, and he is going to destroy Strong's plans for glory at Extreme Heat.
Strong makes his way out and gets in Alexander's face. Strong says that Alexander isn't going to be so sure of himself when he steps into the ring with him, and then challenges him to a six man tag team match tonight for a little warm up. Alexander says he doesn't know if anybody will back him up, but it doesn't matter, because he'll show up to fight Strong anytime, anywhere. Strong repeated Alexander's words, "anytime, anywhere?" before into the ring slid the debuting KYLE O'REILLY AND BOBBY FISH! Blake Howard runs out of the way, and all three men attack Alexander in the center of the ring! Kevin Kelly yells on commentary that The Undisputed Era have arrived in UPW! Caprice Coleman says somebody had better get out here and help Alexander or he might not make it to Extreme Heat!
Out to the ring runs Tyson Kidd and "Speedball" Mike Bailey, along with officials and security. Alexander's fellow Canadians lay some shots on The Undisputed Era as the staff tries to break things up, and Kevin Kelly says it's looking like we have a great six man tag team main event slated for later tonight!
Notable Moments and Observations
- Alexander tried to fire up for this promo, but the fans haven't fully gotten behind him yet. They want to, but he needs to win them over.
- Strong isn't a virtuoso promo talent, but this was short and sweet, and he had conviction in what he was saying. The crowd went nuts for O'Reilly and Fish debuting, which makes him look like an even bigger deal now.
- Mike Bailey is in a similar spot to Alexander, as he hasn't gotten over quite yet, but Tyson Kidd lends this team some needed veteran credibility and makes this match worthy of a main event spot. Seeing a guy as talented and well renowned as Kidd tangle with any three of The Undisputed Era is a very interesting prospect.
Chris Bey vs. Nash Carter
High flying opening match to kick things off. Both men went back and forth, with Bey showing some arrogance and cockiness throughout to let the fans know who to cheer for. Carter had Wes Lee and Trey Miguel, the other two members of MSK, at ringside with him hyping the crowd, while Bey had his partner, Ace Austin, on the outside playing to the crowd to get him heat. Carter would get a little overzealous with the high flying and got caught in mid-air with a Cyclone Knee, which allows Bey to fold him up and pull his tights to get the three count.
Winner: Chris Bey
Notable Moments and Observations
- Bey and Carter were both trying to take a little time to pull the fans in, but overall the pace didn't allow for much digestion by the audience. If they were given a little more time and could show more restraint, they could have a very good match.
- MSK and The ABC faced off before in the Tag Team title tournament, and I would expect to see combinations of these teams face off for some time, as their styles mesh very well together.
Buddy Matthews Addresses Jay White
Premier Champion Buddy Matthews is at an off site location and cuts a pre-recorded promo on Jay White. Matthews reiterates what White said about Matthews, as White claimed that Matthews tried to end his career and possibly his life, and now White is ready to do the same to him en route to taking his championship. Matthews said that at Combat Evolved, he did what he had to do to get the win. He said he didn't stop the match, he didn't have any control over it, but he does know that if Chad Patton let that match continue, Jay White may not be among the living today, because Matthews was prepared to end him that night. He said that White got into his head and push him over the edge, and that he proved that White couldn't handle him at his most driven and dangerous. He says now White has drawn blood and put him out of action. It goes beyond words now. He's crossed the line. He says he appreciates his mates Shane and Mikey stepping up for him, as he's still not cleared for action, but he says he hopes they leave a little piece of "Switchblade" for him, because he wants to finish what he started and put Jay White out once and for all.
Notable Moments and Observations
- The melodrama was on high here, as Matthews is really selling how badly Jay White injured him, but also how badly he wants injure White.
- Buddy came off top notch, as this felt very real and genuine, and Kevin Kelly and Caprice Coleman put over how driven and serious he seemed over this matter. We will be hearing from Jay White later tonight, so we will see if he addresses this promo at all.
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Drew Gulak
CatchPoint is the hizzhouse. Drew Gulak was accompanied to the ring by his partners, Timothy Thatcher and Oney Lorcan, as Zack Sabre Jr. came out all on his own, but he brought his signature attitude with him. This was over 10 minutes of a mat wrestling clinic, as you would most certainly expect from these two. You did have your moments of European uppercuts and kicks. The only son of Zack Sabre Sr. would manage to use a roll up after a back and forth chain wrestling sequence to get the win over Gulak, who was pounding the mat with frustration at the end.
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr.
Notable Moments and Observations
- Compared to the opening match, this looked physical as hell. Everything these two did was stiff and snug, and felt like a real struggle.
- These two are cardio monsters and could have went all night. Gulak seemed to be getting the better reactions throughout and his style translates better for the American audience, but Sabre is as breathtaking as it gets on the mat and seeing him against any and all of the members of CatchPoint is a treat.
- Thatcher challenged Sabre to a match next week, and the fans responded well to that. That is going to be a banger for sure.
Bandido vs. Santos Escobar
Bandido is making his debut for UPW against the leader of Legado de Fantasma, and this was a good way to introduce him to this crowd. Escobar was able to help rein in Bandido a bit and helped him work a more American style contest, while keeping a distinct lucha libre flavor throughout. Escobar's partners TJ Perkins and Joaquin Wilde were at ringside, and would distract Bandido in the end, allowing Escobar to deliver a low blow and then a Fantasma Driver to get the pinfall.
Winner: Santos Escobar
Notable Moments and Observations
- Even though Santos was able to lead this match and keep it coherent, they spent a little too much time on the outside in the beginning, somewhat burying referee Chris Sharpe, who's ten count had to push to almost 60 seconds.
- Legado del Fantasma are working on getting over and Santos does have the tools to be a star, but he's not quite standing out just yet. This win did help, as he looked good and credible.
- Bandido would motion for Mike Rome to get in the ring after the match and would cut a short promo in Spanish. Rome would translate and say that Bandido wants a six man tag team match with Legado del Fantasma next week, and Santos got on the microphone and accepted in Spanish. This is a Southern California audience, so this exchange went over well live.
VLNCE UNLMTD vs. Los Ingobernales
Chris Dickinson and Tony Deppen were representing VLNCE UNLMTD tonight, while the big man Brody King was menacing on the outside. Rush and Dragon Lee were representing their team, with their partner Dralistico outside cheering for them and getting the fans behind them. Rush seemed like he was trying to kill Deppen in their exchanges, but Deppen is a fireplug and tried to give it back, even though he was outsized. Dickinson, on the other hand, is a bit bigger than Rush and is known for being stiff and heavy handed in the ring, so those two really laid it into each other. Dragon Lee is just phenomenal, and really stood out in this match with his speed and grace, but also the impact he brought. Brody King would try to get involved in the match, but Dralistico would springboard and dropkick him off the apron to the delight of the crowd. Deppen would go after Dralistico, but fail, and then turned and was dropkicked hard into the buckles by Rush. Rush would get into the corner and taunt, looking for the Bull's Horns, but King would manage to grab him by the leg and distract him long enough for Deppen to recover. Dickinson would catch Dragon Lee on the top rope and hit an amazing Avalanche Death Valley Driver to get the win.
Winners: VLNCE UNLMTD
Notable Moments and Observations
- Caprice Coleman quipped early that you can't have "Thursday Night RUSH" without "ROOOSH!" and I can smell a merchandising campaign for that on the horizon.
- Rush and Dickinson seemed to be having a lot of fun beating the crap out of each other, and both men sported bright red chests at the end of the match.
- The crowd were very hot behind Los Ingobernales, and were heated when they took the L.
- Rush would get on the mic and say, "YOU AND ME, BRODY! NEXT WEEK!" and Brody would accept his challenge. Caprice would put this over by saying there might not be a ring left with those two big hitters going at it, and Kelly furthers it, saying he hopes the arena can hold those two!
Jay White Has A Partner And A Message For TMDK
"Switchblade" Jay White is backstage with Blake Howard. Blake asks if Jay White has anything to say about TMDK's challenge, but White cuts him off. White says he heard what Buddy had to say earlier and he can damn well bring it, as he would expect nothing less. It doesn't appear there's room enough for both of them, according to White, and that's fine by him, because he's going to be the last man standing when it's all said and done. He said he heard his little lackeys Thorne and Nicholls calling his name, trying to be relevant, and if they want a match at Extreme Heat, then it's their funeral. He's found a partner who would love to smash some Aussie trash, and his name is Chris Dijak! Dijak then steps into the shot, and says next week, prepare to feast your eyes, as he and Jay White are going to have a little warm up match to show the world what's in store for TMDK at Extreme Heat.
Notable Moments and Observations
- Jay White came off well spoken and motivated, and seems ready to go not just blow for blow, but word for word with Buddy Matthews as they continue to build their rematch.
- The team may be a little random, but this keeps Dijak in the main event stratosphere and it's old school "heels sticking together" booking, so whatever. We will have to see how they mesh together next week in this so-called "warm up".
Jay Lethal vs. Daniel Garcia
Jay Lethal has his partners in The Foundation at ringside with him. Josh Woods and Jonathan Gresham are wearing red track suits with "The Foundation" on the back of them, and are carrying towels and water bottles, and coach Lethal throughout the match like cornermen in a boxing or MMA match. Garcia is able to show his technical ability a bit in this contest, and Lethal looks to his team to help him figure out how to he should best proceed. Lethal manages to turn up the speed and aggression, and Garcia gets left in the dust from there. Lethal delivers the Lethal Injection after about 8 minutes of action to get a nice looking win.
Winner: Jay Lethal
Notable Moments and Observations
- Daniel did what he was supposed to do here. He got in some offense early to prove he was a competent opponent, and then Lethal took over and shined.
- The ancillary work Woods and Gresham were doing on the outside really made this feel like a competition and a real struggle. And matching sweat suits always look tidy.
- Lethal got the mic after the match and cut a promo on Shane Strickland, and saying he wants a one-on-one match with the X Division champion for the belt. They did have some great exchanges in the four-way ladder match at Reign Supreme, so that would certainly be a good contest. We will have to see what "Swerve" thinks about that.
Ilja Dragunov Is Coming to RUSH Next Week!
We get a hype video for Ilja Dragunov showing his highlight reel thus far in UPW. Ilja says The Czar of Wrestling is coming to conquer next week!
Notable Moments and Observations
- Short hype video to put over Ilja, who looks like a big deal in his black suit and with the orchestra music in the background. He's going to be trying to bounce back from a tough loss to Buddy Matthews in the Premier Title match at Reign Supreme, but there's really no shame in that. Anybody who saw that match is eagerly anticipating a rematch, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards for some time, so we will have to see what is next for the "Mad Dragon" in the mean time.
The Undisputed Era vs. Josh Alexander, "Speedball" Mike Bailey, and Tyson Kidd
The fans were excited to see The Undisputed Era back together, even though they were most certainly the heels in this contest. It took a few minutes for that excitement to die down and for them to start getting behind Team Canada, but Strong and the boys made sure it happened. Tyson Kidd was the workhorse for most of this match, allowing "Speedball" to flash and keeping the anticipation of Strong and Alexander locking up heavy in the air. Strong seemed to be trying to avoid tangling with "The Walking Weapon", but once he did, he needed to use the ropes and an eye poke to get the technical savvy Alexander off of him. Kevin Kelly would point out that Strong will have limited access to rope breaks at Extreme Heat in their Pure Rules match, so that might be a bad sign for Roddy. The absolute best exchange of the match came when Kyle O'Reilly and Mike Bailey got in their together. These two martial arts experts had a dazzling exchange of fast paced strikes and counters that left the fans wanting to see more from them. Alexander would have Strong locked into an Ankle Lock that looked like he might tap out, but Bobby Fish broke it up with a slingshot kneedrop. O'Reilly and Fish would hit Chasing the Dragon on Tyson Kidd to get the pinfall.
Winner: The Undisputed Era
Notable Moments and Observations
- Big debut win for The Undisputed Era, as they looked and felt like a big deal tonight.
- We need more Kyle O'Reilly and Mike Bailey as soon as possible.
- Anybody who was thinking Roderick Strong might have an easy path to the Pure Championship just got a wake up call, courtesy of "The Walking Weapon". Josh Alexander looked like a beast in this match. Despite the loss, Alexander was standing tall on the buckles, pointing at Strong as Roddy and the boys were retreating, and he looks ready for Extreme Heat.