Post by Joe on Jul 12, 2023 12:15:43 GMT -5
UPW "Thursday Night RUSH" Results: 07/13/23 from Los Angeles, CA
This was recorded at SCS Studios on July 11th for the Paramount Network. Kevin Kelly and Corey Graves are our commentary team for the evening. Last week we saw the debut of "Switchblade" Jay White and Chris Dijak as a tag team, as they warmed up for their match this weekend with TMDK at Extreme Heat. They looked to inflict some serious damage on their opponents after picking up the win, but TMDK ran them off with cricket bats before they could finish their dirty deeds. Kevin Kelly lets us know that Shane Thorne of TMDK will be facing off with Jay White in singles action tonight.
We also saw a vignette from Blair Davenport stating that she is gunning for IYO SKY at Extreme Heat, but tonight she will need to get through Mia Yim to get there. Pete Dunne also sent out a challenge to current UWA Universal Tag Team Champions FTR, as he's looking for a warm up "fight" before their match at Extreme Heat.
Speaking of which, Kevin and Corey stop mid conversation to abruptly throw things over to Blake Howard, who is in the parking lot.
The Top Guys Have Arrived in UPW
Blake Howard is in the parking lot and he is with the UWA Universal Tag Team Champions, FTR. They are bringing in their bags and still in street clothes. Blake points out that they have clearly accepted Pete Dunne's challenge, but which of them will be facing him tonight? Dax answers, saying FTR is here and they are all about fighting. He said they've been beating the best teams all over the world, week in and week out, day in and day out, because when you're the Universal Champions and the best tag team in the world, you get no days off. He said Dunne had better bring his best shot, cause he's personally coming to show him there's levels to this game and FTR are the Top Guys for a reason!
Notable Moments and Observations
• The Champs are here, and that's a good thing, as this title match at Extreme Heat has been needing something to build interest.
CatchPoint vs. AR Fox & Flip Gordon
Timothy Thatcher and Oney Lorcan both have matches at Extreme Heat and this served as a warm up of sorts for them. Fox and Gordon were here to do a job, and did so quickly, as Thatcher and Lorcan brutalized them before Thatcher caught Gordon in mid air by the arm and took him down into the Fujiwara Armbar to get the submission.
Winners: CatchPoint
Notable Moments and Observations
• Gordon and Fox are primarily known for their high flying, but didn't get to use much of that here. They were able to use their athleticism to really sell CatchPoint's offense and make them look good.
• Oney Lorcan got on the mic after the match and told Ilja Dragunov and Zack Sabre to take a good look at the tape and realize there's only two ways their matches are going to end: they will either pass out or tap out, but either way, it's CatchPoint victory!
Blair Davenport vs. Mia Yim
Blair was very cocky and sure of herself as the match started, and would showboat after every take down she managed on Yim. Yim is a very skilled and dangerous wrestler, however, and she would make Blair pay for her arrogance, hitting some big moves in a comeback that was punctuated with a Seoul Food for a near fall. Blair would rake her eyes and then take her down with a hair twist Neckbreaker, followed by a version of the Curb Stomp for a two count. Yim would fight back, but Blair would manage to reverse her offense into a roll up, followed by a Shining Enzuigiri, and then delivered a Raven Spike to get the three count.
Winner: Blair Davenport
Notable Moments and Observations
• It seemed inevitable that Blair would win this, but Yim made this an entertaining contest. One would have to think she will get her shot down the line.
• Blair would pantomime a belt around her waist in the buckles after the match and do some yelling off mic directed at IYO SKY before we cut to commercial.
TMDK Talk Over the Main Event
Shane Thorne and Mikey Nicholls are backstage and they are FaceTiming UPW Premier Champion Buddy Matthews on an iPad. Matthews asks Thorne and Nicholls if they are ready, because White and Dijak are capable of anything. Thorne and Nicholls show him their cricket bats and say they can handle 'em. Buddy says he wishes he was there, he is ready but they just won't clear him, but he knows they will go out there and give the bastards he'll. OI OI!
Notable Moments and Observations
• It's been a questionable decision to take the champion out of action right when the company got their TV deal, but given the work load Matthews took on in the month leading up to the TV debut, even if the concussion is a work he surely needed some rest.
• This was what it was, and while the segment itself wasn't all that great, the match should be good and we will see how things develop story wise.
Bandido vs. Dragon Lee
Bandido teamed with Dragon Lee and his brother Dralistico last week, but was frustrated when Lee lost the fall for their team. This match was really intense and mesmerizing, as two of the best modern lucha pracitioners put on a clinic for these fans, with Bandido really trying to punish Dragon Lee through out. Lee looked to be building momentum towards a win when Tony Deppen of VLNCE UNLTD ran out onto the apron. Lee, the referee, and Lee's brothers Dralistico and Rush on the outside all went towards Deppen, but it was Chris Dickinson who came in from the crowd and hit Lee from behind with a chair. Referee Chris Sharpe would call for the bell as Dickinson got a few more stomps in and then ran off.
Winner (by DQ): Dragon Lee
Notable Moments and Observations
• Rush would get a bigger pop than either Dragon Lee or Bandido on the entrances, grabbing a camera and yelling, "This is my show!" into the lens.
• The actual meat of this match was a hard hitting brand of lucha that didn't overstay its welcome at all, and won the crowd over for both masked superstars. Hopefully we see these two tangle again.
• Big brawl and pull apart. Brody King, leader of VLNCE UNLTD, would make his way down the ramp to join the fray. He challenges Los Ingobernales to a six man match at Extreme Heat and Rush accepts for his brothers.
Dax Harwood vs. Pete Dunne
UWA Tag Team Champion Harwood and UPW Tag Team Champion Dunne went hard. Dax would take a barrage of hard shots from Dunne before "The Bruiserweight" would attempt a Straight Jacket Suplex, but Harwood would land a mule kick low blow to break it up. Referee Adrian Butler missed the shot, but picked up on what had happened and warned Dax. Dax showed no respect to the ref or his opponent, blatantly choking Dunne and yelling. "You wanted a ught, you got it!" Dunne would fight back and hit the X Plex, but Cash would get on the apron to distract the referee. Tyler Bate would breakbitnup and they'd brawl on the outside. Dax would school boy Dunne with a handful of tights, but Butler was distracted by Wheeler and Bate and didn't immediately go for the count, leading to Dunne escaping. Bate would now hop on the apron, allowing Dunne to kick Dax low from behind and then hit the Bitter End, and that's all she wrote.
Winner: Pete Dunne
Notable Moments and Observations
• Corey Graves points out that their match Extreme Heat looks like it is going to be a low down and dirty fight, and he loves it!
• This was a nice change of pace the previous lucha libre match.
• The fans got a taste of the smash mouth match they are in store for at Extreme Heat and they seem excited for it.
The Undisputed Era Are Unimpressed With Josh Alexander and Mike Bailey
Roderick Strong, Kyle O'Reilly, and Bobby Fish are backstage with Blake Howard. Strong said he felt Josh Alexander's best shots last week and he's got nothing! He said he'd better bring it harder than that at Extreme Heat for the Pure Title, because he wants to feel like he earned that belt on Saturday. Fish said theybhad no problem taking them out last week, and they are going to gladly do it again tonight! O'Reilly finishes by saying he's the only Canadian that matters in UPW, and that he's going to enjoy kicking the crap out of Mike Bailey again tonight!
Notable Moments and Observations
• Simple, arrogant promo from The Undisputed Era. Fish is easily the best on the mic, but this really isn't their strong suit as a whole. Luckily they are good in the ring and they go on next!
Josh Alexander & "Speedball" Mike Bailey vs. The Undisputed Era
We got a good exchange early from Bailey and O'Reilly, who show off their speed and martial arts prowess to the delight of the crowd. Things would break down from there, with Referee Dan Engler calling for Mike Rome to announce the match was over as he couldn't call for the bell; Roderick Strong was too busy using the ring bell to hit Alexander on the back while he was on the floor.
Winners (by DQ): Josh Alexander & Mike Bailey
Notable Moments and Observations
• This was a short one, but the action that Bailey and O'Reilly put on made this one worth it.
• Getting another Disqualification finish on this show isn't ideal, but this does add some drama to the Alexander/Strong match at Extreme Heat.
• Strong looks satisfied with his work heading to the back as medical staff attend to Alexander on the floor and the show breaks to commercial.
Mike Bailey Wants Kyle O'Reilly at Extreme Heat
We come back from commercial with Blake Howard pursuing the situation unfolding backstage, as Josh Alexander is shoving away doctors and yelling for Roderick Strong. Blake tries to get a word with Alexander, but Mike Bailey pulls him aside and says he wants Kyle O'Reilly at Extreme Heat, one-on-one.
Notable Moments and Observations
• Short, frantic, chaos, loud noises. This was gripping TV.
• We get O'Reilly and Bailey at Extreme Heat, which is a great development.
Jay Lethal Goes Home
We see Jay Lethal walking the streets of New York carrying a gym bag, a parallel to Shabe Strickland's promo from the streets of LA last week. Lethal says it's good to be home. He says the streets make him feel alive, and it reminds him of the hunger of being a young man trying to make it in this business. He said he may have more years behind him than in front of him left in this business, but he's far from done. He said "Swerve" acts like he's the only black man in this business and that he's all that matters, but if it wasn't for Jay Lethal paving the way, there'd be no Shane Strickland. He said at Extreme Heat, the world will see a hungry, driven, reborn Jay Lethal, and Shane Strickland is going to learn to put respect on his name as he takes his championship.
Notable Moments and Observations
• Corey Graves said he hasn't seen Jay Lethal look this focused in a long time, and that could be trouble for Shane Strickland.
• This was by far the best promo of the night and what Jay Lethal needed to do to make him seem like a threat to Strickland's Reign.
• Where Strickland presented himself like a larger than life superstar last week, Lethal came off almost like a "Rocky" character. We will see if the hungry dog can beat the top dog on Saturday.
"Switchblade" Jay White vs. Shane Thorne
This was a solid back and forth contest, where both men showed a lot of aggression. White would jump start things, attacking Thorne from behind, and then sent him to the floor. Mikey Nicholls and Chris Dijak were both at ringside, and proceeded to try to get involved from there. Back in the ring, Thorne would take the momentum over and White began to cower a bit. Dijak and Nicholls would brawl on the outside and Dijak would get the better of it, and he grabbed one of the cricket bats. Dijak would get on the apron and attempt to whack Thorne with it, but Thorne used both hands to grab the bat and then kicked Dijak off the apron, sending him flying to the floor! White would take advantage of the distraction and knee Thorne from behind and then deliver the Blade Runner to get the pinfall!
Winner: Jay White
Notable Moments and Observations
• "Switchblade" manages to navigate the chaos to keep the heat building for Saturday's tag team main event.
• After the match, Nicholls tries to get into the ring and check on Thorne, but Dijak pulls him down to the floor and Chokeslams him on the apron.
• Jay White grabs the cricket bat that is laying in the ring. Thorne gets to his knees and White blasts him over the head with it. Referee Chad Patton throws himself on top of Thorne, trying to stop White from inflicting any more damage. White looks down on Thorne's lifeless body with a smile on his face.
•Kevin Kelly yells out that Thorne may not make it to Extreme Heat as the shows comes to an end.
This was recorded at SCS Studios on July 11th for the Paramount Network. Kevin Kelly and Corey Graves are our commentary team for the evening. Last week we saw the debut of "Switchblade" Jay White and Chris Dijak as a tag team, as they warmed up for their match this weekend with TMDK at Extreme Heat. They looked to inflict some serious damage on their opponents after picking up the win, but TMDK ran them off with cricket bats before they could finish their dirty deeds. Kevin Kelly lets us know that Shane Thorne of TMDK will be facing off with Jay White in singles action tonight.
We also saw a vignette from Blair Davenport stating that she is gunning for IYO SKY at Extreme Heat, but tonight she will need to get through Mia Yim to get there. Pete Dunne also sent out a challenge to current UWA Universal Tag Team Champions FTR, as he's looking for a warm up "fight" before their match at Extreme Heat.
Speaking of which, Kevin and Corey stop mid conversation to abruptly throw things over to Blake Howard, who is in the parking lot.
The Top Guys Have Arrived in UPW
Blake Howard is in the parking lot and he is with the UWA Universal Tag Team Champions, FTR. They are bringing in their bags and still in street clothes. Blake points out that they have clearly accepted Pete Dunne's challenge, but which of them will be facing him tonight? Dax answers, saying FTR is here and they are all about fighting. He said they've been beating the best teams all over the world, week in and week out, day in and day out, because when you're the Universal Champions and the best tag team in the world, you get no days off. He said Dunne had better bring his best shot, cause he's personally coming to show him there's levels to this game and FTR are the Top Guys for a reason!
Notable Moments and Observations
• The Champs are here, and that's a good thing, as this title match at Extreme Heat has been needing something to build interest.
CatchPoint vs. AR Fox & Flip Gordon
Timothy Thatcher and Oney Lorcan both have matches at Extreme Heat and this served as a warm up of sorts for them. Fox and Gordon were here to do a job, and did so quickly, as Thatcher and Lorcan brutalized them before Thatcher caught Gordon in mid air by the arm and took him down into the Fujiwara Armbar to get the submission.
Winners: CatchPoint
Notable Moments and Observations
• Gordon and Fox are primarily known for their high flying, but didn't get to use much of that here. They were able to use their athleticism to really sell CatchPoint's offense and make them look good.
• Oney Lorcan got on the mic after the match and told Ilja Dragunov and Zack Sabre to take a good look at the tape and realize there's only two ways their matches are going to end: they will either pass out or tap out, but either way, it's CatchPoint victory!
Blair Davenport vs. Mia Yim
Blair was very cocky and sure of herself as the match started, and would showboat after every take down she managed on Yim. Yim is a very skilled and dangerous wrestler, however, and she would make Blair pay for her arrogance, hitting some big moves in a comeback that was punctuated with a Seoul Food for a near fall. Blair would rake her eyes and then take her down with a hair twist Neckbreaker, followed by a version of the Curb Stomp for a two count. Yim would fight back, but Blair would manage to reverse her offense into a roll up, followed by a Shining Enzuigiri, and then delivered a Raven Spike to get the three count.
Winner: Blair Davenport
Notable Moments and Observations
• It seemed inevitable that Blair would win this, but Yim made this an entertaining contest. One would have to think she will get her shot down the line.
• Blair would pantomime a belt around her waist in the buckles after the match and do some yelling off mic directed at IYO SKY before we cut to commercial.
TMDK Talk Over the Main Event
Shane Thorne and Mikey Nicholls are backstage and they are FaceTiming UPW Premier Champion Buddy Matthews on an iPad. Matthews asks Thorne and Nicholls if they are ready, because White and Dijak are capable of anything. Thorne and Nicholls show him their cricket bats and say they can handle 'em. Buddy says he wishes he was there, he is ready but they just won't clear him, but he knows they will go out there and give the bastards he'll. OI OI!
Notable Moments and Observations
• It's been a questionable decision to take the champion out of action right when the company got their TV deal, but given the work load Matthews took on in the month leading up to the TV debut, even if the concussion is a work he surely needed some rest.
• This was what it was, and while the segment itself wasn't all that great, the match should be good and we will see how things develop story wise.
Bandido vs. Dragon Lee
Bandido teamed with Dragon Lee and his brother Dralistico last week, but was frustrated when Lee lost the fall for their team. This match was really intense and mesmerizing, as two of the best modern lucha pracitioners put on a clinic for these fans, with Bandido really trying to punish Dragon Lee through out. Lee looked to be building momentum towards a win when Tony Deppen of VLNCE UNLTD ran out onto the apron. Lee, the referee, and Lee's brothers Dralistico and Rush on the outside all went towards Deppen, but it was Chris Dickinson who came in from the crowd and hit Lee from behind with a chair. Referee Chris Sharpe would call for the bell as Dickinson got a few more stomps in and then ran off.
Winner (by DQ): Dragon Lee
Notable Moments and Observations
• Rush would get a bigger pop than either Dragon Lee or Bandido on the entrances, grabbing a camera and yelling, "This is my show!" into the lens.
• The actual meat of this match was a hard hitting brand of lucha that didn't overstay its welcome at all, and won the crowd over for both masked superstars. Hopefully we see these two tangle again.
• Big brawl and pull apart. Brody King, leader of VLNCE UNLTD, would make his way down the ramp to join the fray. He challenges Los Ingobernales to a six man match at Extreme Heat and Rush accepts for his brothers.
Dax Harwood vs. Pete Dunne
UWA Tag Team Champion Harwood and UPW Tag Team Champion Dunne went hard. Dax would take a barrage of hard shots from Dunne before "The Bruiserweight" would attempt a Straight Jacket Suplex, but Harwood would land a mule kick low blow to break it up. Referee Adrian Butler missed the shot, but picked up on what had happened and warned Dax. Dax showed no respect to the ref or his opponent, blatantly choking Dunne and yelling. "You wanted a ught, you got it!" Dunne would fight back and hit the X Plex, but Cash would get on the apron to distract the referee. Tyler Bate would breakbitnup and they'd brawl on the outside. Dax would school boy Dunne with a handful of tights, but Butler was distracted by Wheeler and Bate and didn't immediately go for the count, leading to Dunne escaping. Bate would now hop on the apron, allowing Dunne to kick Dax low from behind and then hit the Bitter End, and that's all she wrote.
Winner: Pete Dunne
Notable Moments and Observations
• Corey Graves points out that their match Extreme Heat looks like it is going to be a low down and dirty fight, and he loves it!
• This was a nice change of pace the previous lucha libre match.
• The fans got a taste of the smash mouth match they are in store for at Extreme Heat and they seem excited for it.
The Undisputed Era Are Unimpressed With Josh Alexander and Mike Bailey
Roderick Strong, Kyle O'Reilly, and Bobby Fish are backstage with Blake Howard. Strong said he felt Josh Alexander's best shots last week and he's got nothing! He said he'd better bring it harder than that at Extreme Heat for the Pure Title, because he wants to feel like he earned that belt on Saturday. Fish said theybhad no problem taking them out last week, and they are going to gladly do it again tonight! O'Reilly finishes by saying he's the only Canadian that matters in UPW, and that he's going to enjoy kicking the crap out of Mike Bailey again tonight!
Notable Moments and Observations
• Simple, arrogant promo from The Undisputed Era. Fish is easily the best on the mic, but this really isn't their strong suit as a whole. Luckily they are good in the ring and they go on next!
Josh Alexander & "Speedball" Mike Bailey vs. The Undisputed Era
We got a good exchange early from Bailey and O'Reilly, who show off their speed and martial arts prowess to the delight of the crowd. Things would break down from there, with Referee Dan Engler calling for Mike Rome to announce the match was over as he couldn't call for the bell; Roderick Strong was too busy using the ring bell to hit Alexander on the back while he was on the floor.
Winners (by DQ): Josh Alexander & Mike Bailey
Notable Moments and Observations
• This was a short one, but the action that Bailey and O'Reilly put on made this one worth it.
• Getting another Disqualification finish on this show isn't ideal, but this does add some drama to the Alexander/Strong match at Extreme Heat.
• Strong looks satisfied with his work heading to the back as medical staff attend to Alexander on the floor and the show breaks to commercial.
Mike Bailey Wants Kyle O'Reilly at Extreme Heat
We come back from commercial with Blake Howard pursuing the situation unfolding backstage, as Josh Alexander is shoving away doctors and yelling for Roderick Strong. Blake tries to get a word with Alexander, but Mike Bailey pulls him aside and says he wants Kyle O'Reilly at Extreme Heat, one-on-one.
Notable Moments and Observations
• Short, frantic, chaos, loud noises. This was gripping TV.
• We get O'Reilly and Bailey at Extreme Heat, which is a great development.
Jay Lethal Goes Home
We see Jay Lethal walking the streets of New York carrying a gym bag, a parallel to Shabe Strickland's promo from the streets of LA last week. Lethal says it's good to be home. He says the streets make him feel alive, and it reminds him of the hunger of being a young man trying to make it in this business. He said he may have more years behind him than in front of him left in this business, but he's far from done. He said "Swerve" acts like he's the only black man in this business and that he's all that matters, but if it wasn't for Jay Lethal paving the way, there'd be no Shane Strickland. He said at Extreme Heat, the world will see a hungry, driven, reborn Jay Lethal, and Shane Strickland is going to learn to put respect on his name as he takes his championship.
Notable Moments and Observations
• Corey Graves said he hasn't seen Jay Lethal look this focused in a long time, and that could be trouble for Shane Strickland.
• This was by far the best promo of the night and what Jay Lethal needed to do to make him seem like a threat to Strickland's Reign.
• Where Strickland presented himself like a larger than life superstar last week, Lethal came off almost like a "Rocky" character. We will see if the hungry dog can beat the top dog on Saturday.
"Switchblade" Jay White vs. Shane Thorne
This was a solid back and forth contest, where both men showed a lot of aggression. White would jump start things, attacking Thorne from behind, and then sent him to the floor. Mikey Nicholls and Chris Dijak were both at ringside, and proceeded to try to get involved from there. Back in the ring, Thorne would take the momentum over and White began to cower a bit. Dijak and Nicholls would brawl on the outside and Dijak would get the better of it, and he grabbed one of the cricket bats. Dijak would get on the apron and attempt to whack Thorne with it, but Thorne used both hands to grab the bat and then kicked Dijak off the apron, sending him flying to the floor! White would take advantage of the distraction and knee Thorne from behind and then deliver the Blade Runner to get the pinfall!
Winner: Jay White
Notable Moments and Observations
• "Switchblade" manages to navigate the chaos to keep the heat building for Saturday's tag team main event.
• After the match, Nicholls tries to get into the ring and check on Thorne, but Dijak pulls him down to the floor and Chokeslams him on the apron.
• Jay White grabs the cricket bat that is laying in the ring. Thorne gets to his knees and White blasts him over the head with it. Referee Chad Patton throws himself on top of Thorne, trying to stop White from inflicting any more damage. White looks down on Thorne's lifeless body with a smile on his face.
•Kevin Kelly yells out that Thorne may not make it to Extreme Heat as the shows comes to an end.