by SoCal Franchize
Just got back from the BiG Pro show in Newhall and let me tell you all something….I am here to ruin SoCal’s best kept secret….Battle Ground Pro puts on an amazingly entertaining show. Everyone from the workers, to Jason Bennett, to even the ring announcer (GOD I wish I could bag on him), all put a lot of work in to provide an awesome show, and they hit the mark. Newhall is a ways out from where I live in O.C., but after going tonight, I’ll be sure to try and work my schedule so that I can make it out from now on. I helped out at the first BiG Pro show at the Glass House, and it wasn’t spectacular, but it didn’t suck. Somewhere in between, but definately a fun time. They have come leaps and bounds since that first show.
Approx. draw 100 (and they were HOT, for everything.)
Match 1: Disco Machine’s Open Challenge
Disco Machine has been trying to become a regular roster member of Battle Ground Pro Wrestling for a couple of months now. Last month, he issued an open challenge whereby Commissioner Jason Bennett told him if he lost by pinfall or submission, he would be banished from BiG Pro. He lost his open challenge (to the New York Knockout Nikki, no less), but not by pinfall or submission. Bennett had decreed that this month, should Disco win his match, he would be issued a lifetime contract as a member of Battle Ground Pro.
Disco issues his open challenge, and it is answered by Marvelous Markus Riot. Ref: Preston Scott
Great storytelling in this match by all three men. Pre-match, Riot questioned Scott about a mistake made at last months show that cost Riot his match. Preston admitted he made a mistake, apologized, and he and the Marvelous One shook hands, mending the fence.
That is until in the middle of this back and forth match (whereby Riot showed that he has improved tremendously since his early Marketplace days, showing off some impressive maneuvers), Scott began giving Riot a slow count on his pinning attempts, and Disco fast ones. Crowd was all over Scott and Disco, and solidly behind Riot, as Scott even went so far as to place Disco’s foot on the ropes when Riot had him beaten, and to conveniently miss Riots foot on the ropes during the final pinfall. Riot eventually fell to the shenanigans, with Disco winning both the match and his lifetime contract.
Winner: Disco Machine
Post match, Preston Scott again aologized if he made a mistake, and then delivered a beat down to Riot, applying an old school, WCW-style liontamer while placing his foot on the back of Riot’s head. He then took off his referees short and cast it aside, telling Markus that he isn’t a referee, he’s a professional wrestler. He isn’t a “sports entertainer”, he’s a professional wrestler. And he was tired of being disrespected in BiG Pro, and that while Riot’s mom was making him milk and cookies, he was winning titles all up and down California. He finished with a “Welcome to the business, Kid”, before again applying the modified Liontamer. Crowd was all OVER Scott at this point.
Commissioner Jason Bennett then came to address the fans, and to let them know that he had brought someone into BiG Pro, not only to take the title away from, but also to destroy and hospitalize the hometown hero and Heavyweight Champ, Brawlin’ Bo Cooper. He promised the fans that Cooper would not walk out of the building, let alone with the title, because he had a guy who wrestled in Deathmatches, in barbed wire, thumbtacks, light tubes, tables, chairs, you name it. He then introduced Bo’s challenger for the night, former XPW and CZW Heavyweight Champ, The Messiah.
Messiah said that he and Bo had history, and that in their only match together several years ago, they stunk up the house. And that as a former XPW/CZW Champ, he was interested in attaining more gold, but that he was not here to “destroy” anyone, let alone Bo, and basically told Bennett where he could get off. Bennett told Messiah he was in charge, and Messiah was brought here to do a job, and he was going to do it. Messiah then grabbed Bennett up by his collar, and was seemingly getting ready to beat him down, when from out of the crowd came “The Rock Superstar” Kaos, who attacked Messiah from behind, targeting his ankle, and repeatedly doing the Pillman-chair spot to the ankle. Bennett told Messiah he knew he’d puss out, but Bennett always has a Plan B, and tonight, it would be Cooper/Kaos for the belt.
Match 2: Stepfather and Robbie Phoenix v. “Sexy” Sonny Sampson and Diablo
First off, if you guys haven’t seen Sampson, the guy is freaking hillarious. He came through the curtain with his water bottle tucked in his tights. He and Diablo have good looks about them, and have a lot of talent. They dubbed themselves “Devilishly Sexy.” Stepfather and Phoenix came out to “Don’t Fear The Reaper,” complete with a manager wearing a confederate flag cape and playing a cowbell. They were OVER like crazy with this crowd.
Decent match, highlighted by maybe the funniest spot I have ever seen live. At one point during Father and Phoenix’s power up towards the end, Diablo was on all fours, and a beaten Sampson fell into a mount position. Father and Phoenix took turns kicking Sampson, who would lurch forward “into” Diablo, with Diablo arching his back with each blow. After a series of kicks, Sampson and Diablo were lurching on their own with no prompting. Ah, gay humor. Good times.
Winners: Devilishly Sexy
Match 3: Bobby Joe Marshall v. Mikey Nichols
Jesus Mother F’N Christ!!! These guys are straight out of the Inoki Dojo, and man does it show. Nice, crisp, tight moves, well told story. These two guys chopped the crap out of each other, and neither one is lighthanded. Nichols may have the rudest looking and devestating sounding chops I’ve heard live since Samoa Joe. Marshall’s chest was beet red. After some AMAZING work by both guys, in what wrestling-wise I consider far and away MOTN, Nichols mercifully picks up the pin.
Winner: Mikey Nichols
Next up was a new segment called “Dancin’ with Sexy Chino.”
Chino dances his way to the ring, only to be interrupted by Commissioner Bennett with The Awesome Plague. Bennett (mic work, supurb BTW) tells Chino he only brought him in to BiG Pro to show everyone what a joke he is, and to feed him to Plague, and starts the match.
Match 4: Sexy Chino v. The Awesome Plague
This one wasn’t even nice. Chino had nothing, as Plague just descimated Chino. Bennett began taunting Foob Dogg, who last month was beaten by Plague severely, and was carried/thrown out after Bennett fired him. Foob showed he had bought a ticket, and soon thereafter, Plague and Foob began brawling outside of the ring. While te two were fighting, Plague was counted out.
Winner: Sexy Chino
Security had to pull the two men apart, and Bennett again threw Foob Dogg out of the building.
Match 5: The Young Bucks v. Midnight Dynamite (Tag Team Strap Match)
Midnight Dynamite, for the uninitiated, are comprised of Charles Mercury and Johnny Paradise. I didn’t used to be that big of a fan of Paradise’s work, but not only has he gotten a lot better since last I saw him, but he and Mercury have got old school tag team wrestling down pat. Young Bucks look like what would happen if you had a miniature version of Matt Hardy and teamed him with a shorter version of Stevie Richards. Both look great though (although they come out to “MMBOP” by Hanson, which automatically made me want Dynamite to kill them) and have a lot of talent and athleticism. Match went back and forth and spilled to the outside. Was a very good start to a very good tag team match when Buck #1 planchad Mercury to the outside, while Paradise and Buck #2 brawled inside. Paradise and Buck #2 were unable to answer referee Mike Knox’s 10 count, and thus the match ended a No-Contest (which I HATED. If these guys had another 5-10 minutes, it looked like they would have been able to get in some great work, as well as come up with a nifty finish, as both teams were making good and creative use of the straps. Just my personal opinion, but I hate when a big time match like a strap match, ladder match, cage match, etc. ends with no decision. I hated it at ECW: ONS when Sabu and Rey busted their asses, and we didn’t get a finish. Especially when the match was a good one, like this one was, it’s just a little disspointing to me, as a fan. I know it was done to further the feud, which BiG Pro is doing a masterful job with, but I personally just felt let down by the No Contest.)
Next up we went to intermission. During which, Commissioner Bennett brought out Plague to take a picture with a fan. Foob Dogg comes out through the locker room and attacks Plague from behind, and the two brawl all over the first row of people. REALLY well done. Huge pull apart, with Bennett AGAIN throwing Foob out of the building.
Match 6: Triple Threat–Joey Harder v. Hook Bomberry v. “The Russian Hooligan” Alex Koslov
Overall decent match. Harder and Koslov double teamed Bomberry most of the way through, until miscommunication caused them to fight each other. I have been a fan of Bomberry’s work for a long time now (and incidentally, his new entrance music featuring a woman’s moans of passion is the best). It was my first time seeing Harder and Koslov (yes, I know, I’m the very last person in Socal). Harder displayed a lot of talent, and I could clearly see why Koslov is blowing up. Crowd was all OVER Koslov the whole way through. Finally, the number game catches up with Bomberry, as he falls to Koslov.
Winner: Alex Koslov
Post match, Koslov attempts to reconcile with Harder, who accepts Koslov’s hand, only to receive a beat down. Koslov them makes the same gesture to Bomberry, who turns it away at first, but then accepts his hand. This time, the Hooligan shows some sportsmanship, and both men leave the ring.
IT IS NOW TIME FOR YOUR MAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN EVENT OF THE EVENING!! Match 7: “Brawlin'” Bo Cooper v. “The Rock Superstar” Kaos w/Jezebel for the Battle Ground Pro Heavyweight Title
Bo is the rockstar in Newhall, his hometown, as the fans came unglued for his entrance. Kaos looks like a million bucks. Bo overpowers Kaos to begin the match, much to the crowd’s delight. Soon, and with some referee distraction from Jezebal (who could blame him, I was distracted by her), Kaos takes over, using a series of moves, mostly chokes, to keep Bo grounded. Bo would fight back valiantly, but would keep getting his legs kicked out from underneath him by Kaos. After a series of back and forths, Kaos sends Bo into referee Knox, taking him out. Jezebel uses to opportunity to slide a chair into her man, who clocks Bo with it, taking him out. Kaos and Jezebel bring a table into the ring, and as Kaos lays Bo out onto it, Jezebel starts pushing Knox back in the ring. Out comes Messiah with a crutch, who clocks Kaos with it several times, as Jezebel tries to retreat, and pull Knox back out of the ring. Bo hits a Spicoli Driver off the top rope, through the table, and Knox recovers in time to count the 1-2-3.
Winner, and still BiG Pro Heavyweight Champ, “Brawlin'” Bo Cooper.
As Cooper and Messiah cleaned house, Bennett comes out again telling Cooper that it isn’t over, and that eventually he will get Bo, as well as the Messiah. Bo spit on Bennett, and Messiah swung a crutch at him. Cooper then takes the mic and thanks the crowd for their fervant support, and that it’s them that makes BiG Pro possible.
Overall, amazing effort. Highly entertaining, a lot of gold, and not one weak match on the card. All these guys busted their ass and came to work. I cannot stress enough how rabid and hot the Big Pro fans are, and with good reason. Everyone in SoCal who has not or is not attending these shows needs to correct that mistake real quick.
Lil’ Cholo/Junior v. Silver Tyger/Infernal did not happen. Don’t know why.
The match announced at the end of the week of B-Boy and Scorpio Sky did not happen as B-Boy had a family emergency and Sky is nursing a hurt shoulder. While that match would have been excellent, this show did not suffer on bit by not having it on the card. When it was announced the match would not take place, no one in the audience seemed concerned, as it seemed no one really knew who they were. They were more than happy with their guys that they got.
Already announced for July 29th: Lil’ Cholo defending his Big Pro Lucha Libre Title against Infernal in a title vs. mask match, and The Awesome Plague vs. Foob Dogg, in a match Commissioner Bennett promises to be the end of Foob’s career. I’m telling all of you right now, get out and support this fed. I had a friend of mine with me who is a casual wrestling fan just getting back into it, and he had an absolute blast, and is talking about making the trek again next month. Big Pro Wrestling has arrived, and is set to stake its rightful claim here on the SoCal scene. Doubt it? Go to the next show and see for yourselves.
www.myspace.com/battlegroundpro
