Hope you all enjoyed and was able to catch up with UWN Primetime Live Episodes 1-3 in the last report, because now is the time for Episode 4 as we go live to Thunder Studios in Long Beach, CA., and the show will be outlandish in every way.
Promos from Levi Shapiro, Bryan Idol, Lacy Ryan, Vipress, Dirty Daddy, The Bodega, and the Wolf Zaddies hype up the show, so let’s send it to the action in the ring. Ring commentators Todd Keneley, James Kincaid, and Blake “Bulletproof” Troop have the call this week.
First Match: Bryan Idol vs. Levi Shapiro (with Howdy Price)
Commentators make mention of Idol being a longtime favorite of Championship Wrestling From Hollywood. Match starts off with Idol showing dominance over Shapiro, with the highlight at the beginning showing Idol deliver a Sling Blade to Shapiro. Shapiro rolls out for a breather, but Idol suicide dives to Shapiro onto the floor, and throws him back in for a butterfly suplex which gets Idol a two count. Howdy gets in the face of Idol to distract him from Shapiro, and now Shapiro is in control. Shapiro sends Idol out to the ring, and throws Idol to the posts. Back in the ring and Shapiro goes for a flying bulldog on Idol, and a power slam only gets a two count. Shapiro calls for the Iron Claw, which the commentators mention is his main finisher and sometimes is loaded something else in it (foreshadowing much, commentators?).
Idol scouts the Claw and traps it, but get a thumb in the eye for his trouble. Soon, Idol takes back control and gives Shapiro a Flatliner from the outside, but only gets the two count. Now Idol goes for the big finish with a springboard moonsault, but Price distracts the referee by tossing one of his boots in ring so he can’t get the three count. Idol jaw jacks at the ref and at Price, and but in that time Shapiro loaded up the black glove to punch out Idol and gets the three count.
Winner via Pinfall: Levi Shapiro
We then go to the back, where Craig Robertson interviews The Pope. He’ll be teaming with Watts against “Outlandish” Zickey Dice. Simply put, Pope gonna do what he does and “be pimptacular” during the match. Back to the ring where the ladies have the next match.
Future Stars of Wrestling (FSW) Nevada Women’s Championship match: Lacey Ryan (Champion) vs. Vipress
Keneley mentions during the intros of a new partnership w/ FSW & UWN which will have more matches featured on PrimeTime in the days to come. (Author’s Note: I have a personal interest in this match, as I used to watch Ryan compete against quite a few local stars back in the day in my home state of Utah. Now that she’s the FSW Women’s champion, I was doubly invested into this match, but please be aware, good reader, that I will be a bit biased.)
Start of the match has both competitors feeling each other out, but the match highlights Lacey’s athleticism. Vipress does what she can to cheat by dragging Lacey to the middle ropes to deliver a drop kick, and gets a two count for her troubles. Vipress then started focusing on targeting Lacey’s back, but at this point, there was some issues with the video feed on Fite.TV, and then it goes out entirely, so I was stuck watching a test pattern for a minute or two before the feed resumed and we were back to the action, with Lacey resuming control.
Lacey went to the high offense maneuvers, first with a half nelson duplex, but can’t cover due to her back issues. High risk by Lacey for the 450 Splash, but Vipress escapes and then catches Lacey in a rear naked choke in the middle of the ring. Lacey stars to fade, with the ref raises arm for two, but before the arm drops a third time Lacey fights out and starts to Hulk up (errr…She-Hulk up, maybe? Need to look into that). End then has Lacey pick up Vipress and then deliver a flipping knee exploder to get the win and still retain the belt.
Your Winner via Pinfall, And Still FSW Women’s Champion: Lacey Ryan
Tag Team Match: 4 Minutes of Heat (Ricky Gibson & Eddie Pearl) vs. Beef Candy (Richie Slade and Ricky Mandell with Flex McCallion)
Keneley mentions during 4 Minutes’ intro of Eddie Van Halen passing away during the broadcast, and that 4 Minutes are dedicating this match to him. Start has Pearl in control against Slade, even at one point taking both Slade and Mandell down with a headlock/head scissors takedown. Then its double team action with 4 Minutes delivering their signature move Back Stabbeth (sunset flip into a Russian leg sweep/backstabber combo) on to Slade for the two count. Gibson get back in but then Beef Candy’s Flex throws actually candy to distract, which is enough for Slade to take control and Gibson is stuck in their corner, making him the proverbial “face in peril.”
Beef Candy double team on Gibson, cutting off the ring make sure Gibson doesn’t tag in. Best move by Beef Candy has them do a double team backslide/guillotine leg drop combo, but gets a two count. Front face lock by Slade on Gibson, but Gibson powers up and rolls to Eddie Pearl for the hot tag, and Pearl now is a house o’ fire. End had 4 Minutes clearing the ring of Beef Candy except for Slade, and they hit the Power Ballad finisher (power slam/swinging neckbreaker) that gets them over Beef Candy for the win.
Your Winners via Pinfall: 4 Minutes of Heat
Platinum Max Caster vs. “Dirty Daddy” Chris Dickinson.
During the intros for Caster, we get a split-screen showing Caster dissing Dickinson to a hip-hop beat. (Me: Caster’s got good chops and his rhymes flow, but it’s no John Cena. *ahem*). Match had both wrestlers sending forearms to start the match. It looks like Caster can finally take down the “Dirty Daddy” by tossing him out, and then when Dickinson comes back to the ring, he drop kicks Dickinson. But Dickinson catches Caster with a belly to back suplex that only gets him a two count. Dickinson then gets Caster in a Boston Crab in the middle of the ring to put the hurt on Caster, but he lets go after the referee admonishes him.
Match goes back and forth, with Dickinson putting Caster on the top rope, but Caster fights out and tosses the Dirty Daddy to the to the ring. Caster delivers his signature Mic Drop big elbow for a two count. Dickinson, gets back controls and sends up Caster on the top rope for a superplex. Quick kicks plus an enziguri by Dickinson, and a DVD end the match for Caster, and that’s all she wrote.
Winner by Pinfall: “Dirty Daddy” Chris Dickinson
Tag team Match: The Bodega (Danny Limelight & “the King Fat Boy” Papo Esco) vs. Wolf Zaddies (Che Cabrera & Bad Dude Tito).
Keneley brings up the last time the Zaddies went to a time limit draw with The Tribe on episode 1 of PrimeTime Live, and they want a win tonight. Match starts with “Fat Boy and Tito to start, but “Fat Boy” is too much for Tito….literally, as he gives Tito a big splash in the ring corner. He goes for another splash, but misses Tito. Tito attempts a kick/enziguri, but no sale from Papo Esco. Tag to Che and Limelight, respectively, and Limelight uses his speed and a guillotine choke to Cabrera, but to no avail. The Bodega get Che into their corner, which I guess makes him your “wolf in peril.” Limelight kicks Tito off the mat and The Bodega goes for a double team maneuver (pop up/power slam combo) that only gets them a two count. The Zaddies finally have had enough of this nonsense and take control with Limelight, who gets lit up with chops to the chest in the Zaddies corner, then Tito has Limelight up for a Bad Dude Driver (Blue Thunder Bomb), but “Fat Boy” breaks up the pin.
Che send Limelight in the corner, who then manages to escape by using his middle rope, balance act to drop kick out of the predicament hot tag The “King Fat Boy” who kindly slams everyone in sight. Bodega go for a slam/kick combo but Tito rolls out of the ring. Limelight goes up for a high flying crossbody, but it’s the Zaddies for Satisfaction Guaranteed (facebuster/cutter combo) finisher gets them the win.
Winner via Pinfall: The Wolf Zaddies
Plugs by commentary for next week’s episode with matches featuring Chris Masters and Heather Monroe among others, but now it’s time for….
Main Event: Da Pope/Watts vs. Outlandish Zickey Dice and a Mystery Partner
Dice has a mic, and tells Watts and Pope that he is reigning 271 days as NWA Television Champion, and he is still outlandish. However, he needs a partner tonight that is just as outlandish as he is, and this partner tonight is…Effy. Okay, makes sense. Commentary takes the time to mention Dice and Effy’s Twitch channel, as well as his involvement in the past w/ UWN. Match has Watts and Dice to start, and Dice is playing mind games. Watts goes back to his corner to Da Pope, and Pope tags in to take on Dice. Dice is ready, but then pulls a fast tag to Effy. Now Effy wants Watts, and Pope obliges. Move of the night had Effy go for a Purple Nurple on Watts (no, really!), but Watts is having none of that. Effy tries to maneuver Watts to his corner, and tags in Dice for some double team action, which has Watts going to the ropes and delivering a double clothesline to the both of them. Watts goes for Dice, who throat chops him and send him into the corner and tags in Effy. Effy is grinding against Watts, who then pushes off Effy, but Dice chokes Watts in corner. Tag back in for Dice who tries to pick up Watts, but Watts reverses to his own body slam. Watts tags in Pope, who then grabs Effy and drops him on the top rope by throat. Dice back in the ring, and gets in control by fish hooking Pope, then using the middle rope to choke Da Pope. Dice does everything he can and almost gets Pope down with the Snake Rattle N’ Roll finisher, but Pope gets out and a hot tag to Watts has him stomping Effy/Dice.
Nice tribute move by Watts/Pope deliver the Doomsday Device (RIP Road Warrior Animal), and Pope goes for the pin but he’s not the legal man. Dice distracts Watts from the outside, where Effy is back in to leg chops Watts. Now Effy with a leg submission and Watts tries to claw out, Dice gets tagged in to attempt for Snake Rattle N’ Roll variation, but gets a two count for his trouble. Watts gets a leg up to knock Dice out, crawls to his corner for another hot tag to Da Pope, and Pope gets fired up and is delivering bionic elbows, if you will (apologies to Dusty Rhodes) to Dice and Effy. End had all four in a pier four brawl, where Effy low blows Watts, and Dice/Effy go for a double team, but Effy knocks out Dice by accident. Dice exits, and now Effy is in the corner for Da Pope, who lowers his knee pads for the Elijah Express finisher for the win.
Winners via Pinfall: Watts/Da Pope
After the match, Dice is a sore loser and start whaling on Pope, even going so far as spitting on him (that can’t be good these days). Watts hobbles in for the save, and Dice slinks away. Now Pope is on the mic, and talks to Dice about your fellow wrestler, and that respect is what’s needed to “make that money in 2020!” But Dice spat on tradition, and that has Pope pissed off and wants to take what’s important away from Dice, and that means taking the NWA Television title! Pope ends by saying to “put it in the blender, and mix it up, because Pope is a pimpin’!”
Commentators announce next batch of matches and we get the highlight reel of all the action to end the show.
Final Thoughts:
Strong opening match by Shapiro/Idol really set the table for this match and the rest of the show, and Idol really made the most of this match. The women’s matches to date have been my favorite, and Lacey/Vipress put together a match that was almost the equal of Episode 2’s Thunder Rosa/Priscilla Kelly women’s title match. Lot of emphasis this week on tag matches from the technical (4 Minutes/Beef Candy) to the hard hitting (Zaddies/Bodega). As always though, a strong Main Event is the secret sauce of Primetime Live, and the Watts/Pope match against Effy/Dice that lived up to the hype and was as outlandish as advertised (pun intended). But it was the mic work at the beginning (Dice) and at the end (Pope) teasing a Television title match that makes this episode worth the $7.99.
Episodes 5-8 are now available to purchase on Fite.TV (or as a bundle for $24.99), so we’ll see you next Tuesday!