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Pops & Botches: Black Label Pro’s Erick Stevens Presents: Professional Wrestling – 8.22.2020

Indies Pops & Botches

 

I’m back and I’ve got the first of FIVE shows I’ll be covering from this weekend. First one up is Black Label Pro’s Erick Stevens Presents: Professional Wrestling! Black Label Pro is a Midwest Indie that started in 2017. Erick Stevens is a professional wrestler who debuted in 2003, and had a stint in Ring Of Honor. He is also currently the Black Label Pro Heavyweight Champion. Its been awhile since BLP has run a show, so why not return with two in the same day! Okay, enough of the introductions. let’s get this show on the road!

POP: Tag teams, back again!

We start off hot with Blake Christian and Alex Zayne, two of my favs, facing off against the stout tag team of Violence Is Forever. Violence Is Forever consists of Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini. VIF are a mainstay in the tag scene at Black Label Pro and they are very good. The stylistic clash of the high flying Christian and Zanye meshed really well with the hard hitting, mat based technicians that Ku and Garrini are.

Surprisingly, with Christian and Zayne involved, this match never really went outside. Possibly a critical mistake as, Violence Is Forever got the win with a headkick into a brainbuster. Very good opener, very good match overall.

POP: Hoss fight!!!

The second match on the card was a hoss fight between Arik Royal and AJ Gray. My love for AJ Gray is well documented on here, as I love me some Rich Homie Juice! Arik Royal, on the other hand, is new to me even though he’s been wrestling for 14 years!

That one’s on me, my bad.

These two beat the crap out of each other and, it was beautiful! Gray got the win in a very hard fought match with a Pumphandle Emerald Flowsion!

POP: TNT CHAMPION IN OUR HEARTS

THE FOLLOWING POP WILL BE IN ALL CAPS!!! WE HAVE OURSELVES AN INDEPENDENT WRESTLING TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH! WARHORSE PUTS HIS TITLE ON THE LINE AGAINST A VERY GOOD PRO WRESTLER. YES, THAT’S HIS OPPONENT’S ACTUAL NAME. ALTHOUGH, SOME MAY REMEMBER HIM BY ANOTHER NAME, DASHER HATFIELD. IF YOU KNOW WHO DASHER HATFIELD IS, THEN YOU KNOW THE NEW NAME IS VERY FITTING, POSSIBLY EVEN UNDERSELLING HIS TALENT A BIT. THESE TWO HAD PROBABLY THE BEST MATCH ON THE SHOW! IN THE END, WARHORSE WON WITH HIS TOP ROPE ELBOW DROP. ALL CAPS END!!!

Post match saw a grumpy Erick Stevens attack a victorious WARHORSE but, again, WARHORSE got the better of his foe. Stevens, don’t be a fun hater like Rickey Shane Page. That’s a good way to get on the shit list.

POP: Youth gets served

Fuck, yes! A Benjamin Carter match! Just like AJ Gray, my love for Carter is know, as I love watching him wrestle. Here, he takes on 15 year veteran, Anthony Henry, in another match with clashing styles. Carter loves to fly, Henry loves to beat people up any way he can. The two worked each other over and even had a chop off, which left Carter’s chest looking like hamburger meat. Henry ended it by submitting Carter with an Ankle Lock after working his leg over during the match. I hope these two lock up again, soon.

POP: The Motor City vs The Windy City

In this contest, we have one half of the IMPACT Tag Team Champion, and former Time Splitter, Alex Shelley facing off against Chicago based wrestler, Isaias Velazquez. Velazquez was last seen in these parts as part of the scramble match at the last GCW show. The commentary team of “Big Perc” Percy Davis and Sarah Shockey mentioned that this was the second time these two have faced one another, win Shelley defeating Velazquez. These two have great chemistry, putting on a very technical, high flying match that really showed why Shelley is one of the best, and that Velazquez is one to continue to watch out for. Velazquez scored the victory, when he reversed a submission attempt by Shelley, into a pin. We’re all tied up.

Oh, and thanks for the heads up, Alex Shelley!

Hey! A segway!

Not that long forgotten riding contraption but, a smooth transition from one conversation to the next. Lee Moriarty, another familiar name here in my indie write ups, battles one half of the former Impact Tag Team champs, The North’s Josh Alexander. This match started off fast and hot, and only slightly let its foot of the gas for the duration. Moriarty is ready for prime time and, if he does in up in Impact for more than just a cup of coffee, he’ll be a star sooner rather than later. Alexander is a workhorse, and is one of those guys we will talk about more once everyone realizes how good he is. I love these guys and this match!

This was a technical beauty of a match in a different way from the previous ones. Alexander won by pinfall after a spinning tombstone piledriver.

POP: Tobias Funke: professional wrestler

Filthy Tom Lawlor in his Daisy Dukes?! 👀🤣 from njpw

Folks, I think Tom Lawlor is a never nude.

Seriously, Lawlor came out in denim daisy dukes, and then removed them to reveal a smaller pair of denim daisy dukes. Anyway, Lawlor brought his MMA fighting style against a fresh faced, rookie named Bstrd Cassidy. This was my first time seeing Cassidy, and I was impressed. He held his own against “Filthy” Tom Lawlor, before succumbing to a knee bar submission. Lawlor is is a bad ass, and a joy to watch. Cassidy is well on his way, I mean, check this out!

Oh wait, that was more about the daisy dukes. Here we go.

POP: The host with the most!

The main event was the title match featuring our host, Erick Stevens, against Calvin Tankman. This was Tankman’s BLP debut and what better way to make a splash, than to challenge for the title. I’ll get right to it, these guys put together a great match that built to a satisfy crescendo. The crowd was hot for this match and, it really shows how a good one can help aid in the greatness of a match. Stevens is a very good pro wrestler, Tankman is a phenom. Some company is going to make a very good decision, one day, and strap a rocket to Tankman and ride him to riches! It seems Black Label Pro may be that company, as Tankman won with the Get Fucked Driver!

Yep. What a debut! New champ! The Tankman-era has begun!

Something, something, or so I thought.

This ain’t WWE but, we do have a cash in! Jake Something, know as Jake Deaner in Impact, arrived to congratulate Tankman after he dethroned Stevens but, it was all a ruse. Something hit Tankman with a low blow, and told the ref he was taking the opportunity he earned, by winning The Greatest BLP Rumble back in January, to challenge for the title. The result after Something hit a battered and bruised Tankman with a Blackhole Slam. . .

Not sure I totally agree with it but, let’s see where the story goes before shitting on it.

Well, there you have it! The first P&B for Black Label Pro, and the first of five coming this week. I will follow up with a P&B for GCW’s Tournament Of Survival 5 and Black Label Pro’s second show, We’re Back! If you want to check out BLP’s Erick Stevens Presents: Professional Wrestling, it is currently available, on demand, on IWTV. The show only ran about two hours, so it is definitely worth your time, especially if you hit up their Twitter and find yourself a free trial code.

Alright, I’ll see you all later! As always, thanks for reading, be safe, and take care.

Wear a mask.

     

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