I still remember the day I watched the first Beyond Wrestling DVD. It was quite the scene. The camera work was decent, the garage/storage room gave it both a rinky dink and Fight Club like atmosphere all at the same time, and the overall package left something to be desired. There is something to be said though by the passion of those involved and the work the wrestlers and Beyond team put into the project. I enjoyed the DVD and was looking forward to see how the project would progress. I can safely say I never expected Beyond Wrestling to be where it is nearly four years later.
Beyond began running live shows in the Summer of 2011, and while they had some very big matches and they were by and large a critical success, “Americanrana” felt like a new beginning for the company. This show took risks, had an “all or nothing” approach, where Beyond decided to just go for it and invite some of the biggest names in all of independent wrestling. Guys like Kevin Steen, Colt Cabana, and MASADA would make their debuts while Eddie Edwards (who had just debuted the month prior) and Johnny Gargano would return. Those names alone opened some people’s eyes and had more people than ever talking about Beyond Wrestling, ready to shake the preconceived notions of the group already established in their mind.
You could tell the atmosphere for this show was going to be unique when the four wrestlers in the opening match were already in the ring as the fans were filing in. The match featured four guys closely associated with CZW: David Starr, Shane Strickland, Sozio, and Latin Dragon. This was my first look at Starr whose name I had only seen in results up until then. Never had I seen somebody pull off rolling Alabama Slams, but he did it flawlessly. Sozio didn’t last long, but long enough to make a slight impact and showcase some of his character. Strickland and Dragon brought the energy in the end and had the crowd rocking. While there really wasn’t any story to speak of, it was a very fun, high energy bout that got the crowd warmed up.
Drew Gulak and Chris Dickinson are two of the higher profile members of Beyond’s regular roster. It’s often said that the second match on the card is a tough spot to be in, and typically the most forgotten match on a show, but Gulak and Dickinson treated it as if it were a main event contest. Both guys are excellent when it comes to mat wrestling, and in addition to some great back and forth action on the mat, Dickinson of course dished out strikes heavily. Believe it or not, Gulak was able to match him and was more methodical in his striking game than his opponent. That is to say, Gulak targeted Dickinson’s arm both for the sake of wearing it down for a submission and to neutralize his strength advantage. It actually led to a great moment where despite being worked over, Dickinson was able to pick up Gulak and powerbomb his way out of an armbar that was reminiscent of a triangle choke. After that, he gave him a Nigeria Bomb, and Gulak was able to kick out of that as well. He also survived what seemed to be an accidental spill to the floor which got the already noisy crowd even more raucous, especially when he kicked out at one after a German suplex. After a very intense strike exchange, a rolling forearm from Gulak put Dickinson down and gave him the win. This was a great match. Although the story technically didn’t pay off, the played both sides well and Gulak was able to best Dickinson at his own game. The fans really got into it and this win felt really big for Drew.
The four way tag match was almost a tale of three bouts. Dan Barry and Bill Carr donned their TREMENDOUS Investigations gimmick for the show and with the EYFBO (Mike Draztik & Angel Ortiz) spent the opening minutes of the match with a lot of comedy. Once the M1nute Men and Da Hoodz came in, they picked up the pace and had a super fun exchange. Things got crazy when all four teams took dives to the floor. Things were even crazier when everyone pulled off some really crazy offense back in the ring. Things ended just how they started, with TREMENDOUS Investigations putting away one of EYFBO. Barry double stomped Ortiz as Carr held him in a wheelbarrow position, causing his face to smash into the mat. Pure insanity is the only way to describe this match. You had some great comedy, great action, and considering most of these faces will be new to most viewers, I think they all impressed. This is one of those matches that makes you feel as if you need a cigarette once it’s over.
Sugar Dunkerton was unable to make the show, forcing his #KOA tag team partner Aaron Epic to team with Dave Cole, his rival in Beyond. Epic actually made a go against Tabarnak de Team by himself but the odds were just too overwhelming for that plan to work out. Believe it or not, it took Epic no convincing to let this man team with him, because Tabarnak de Team are just that overwhelming. Given, they worked very well as a team whenever they were on offense. The fans decided to sing various songs about America while the TDT were on offense which was both amusing and annoying as a viewer. Epic made it work in his favor as he did the Hogan point shortly after “Real American” was sung. They had a good tag match given that the last minute replacement but just didn’t live up to the matches that preceeded it. TDT are fine but their offense was a little too sloppy at times. Epic and Cole worked really well, and if Dunkerton isn’t going to be back and they want Epic as part of a team, I vote for Cole as Dunkerton’s replacement.
Jaka was an interesting choice for Colt Cabana’s Beyond debut match. Jaka is easily one of my favorites in Beyond, and with him tearing it up in the Wrestling Is promotions, I was interested to see just how these guys’ styles would mesh. To no surprise comedy was heavily involved. Jaka’s bare feet was the subject of humor, with Cabana being very bothered by how gross they must be and Jaka having no issues licking his own toes. It also turns out that Cabana enjoys being spanked by Cabana. Amist the comedy Jaka put in a really good showing with Cabana, He of course used his feet when possible, but focused a lot on Cabana’s neck and chest. Cabana utilized a similar strategy, which makes sense considering his arsenal of offense also is predicated on those areas being weakened (Colt 45, Billy Goat’s Curse, etc.) However, Cabana took a page out of his friend CM Punk’s book and put away Jaka with the GTS for the win. I liked this match. Jaka got his chance to look strong even in a loss, and considering Cabana likely attracted some first time fans to attend the show, I’ve got no issue with him going over. Fun stuff.
Kevin Steen vs. MASADA on paper is a brawling dream match. I’m actually pretty surprised it had never been done before. MASADA’s injured right knee became an easy target for Mr. Wrestling. He even went as far as to mock the Kickstarter a fan started for MASADA’s knee surgery, and did a snow angel mid-ring while MASADA was recovering out on the floor. They did something very creative with MASADA’s skewers, as he stuck them in Steen’s head as a measure of avoiding the Package PIledriver. He then gave Steen his own piledriver with the skewers in his head! I don’t know if he’s ever done it before, but Steen giving MASADA’s knee the cannonball senton, then shoving a skewer into his knee was really creative. That got Steen to tap MASADA out and give him a big win. I’m quite surprised at how this match went but it was refreshing to see them wrestle this style of match. It’s not often you don’t get to see this type of match from these competitors, but they both did a good job and told a great story.
While Beyond could have taken the easy way out and loaded up the card with “dream matches” given the talent they brought in, but decided to give three of their “homegrown” talent the opportunities to wrestle these top names instead. The first of the “Best in New England” series of matches saw JT Dunn take on Johnny Gargano. This was Dunn’s coming out party. Most people (including Steen on commentary) I don’t feel had much familiarity with him, but the fact that was he able to go toe-to-toe with the top guy in DGUSA shows that he does in fact have the goods. The crowd was pretty solidly behind Gargano in the early going but some dastardly tactics and his cocky demeanor turned them to Dunn’s corner. There was awesome back and forth wrestling from start to finish and again the crowd reaction was very strong. In a lot of ways Dunn reminds me of Gargano, making them a very good match for one another. Dunn has been wrestling consistently in CZW lately, but I fully suspect him to extend his reach even further in a short time.
Anthony Stone got to challenge AR Fox, who out of the stars of the New England Challenge matches has the most Beyond Wrestling experience. While Fox is generally beloved, the role he played as the brash opponent for Stone made for a good story. There was almost a sense of “can you top this?” as we saw lots of evading moves and your usual aerial offense. It was a whole mess of fun and the crowd really dug it. Best of all, Stone looked really smart by outsmarting Fox multiple times, including when he got the upset win which caused a big pop from the crowd. It may have fallen slightly short of expectations, but it’s AR Fox; you can’t help but have a good time watching that guy wrestle. Nicholas Kaye made his way to the ring after the match and puts Stone down with chloroform. He says the date “September 15th” and carries him out of the building.
Eddie Edwards and Biff Busick went about 30 minutes in Beyond last month where Busick got the win. Having this match main event the biggest Beyond show only made sense after such an impressive performance at that show. Guess what? They delivered. Apron bumps, fighting in the crowd, chops and strike exchanges; this match had it all. The fans were losing their minds for clotheslines and suplexes. It was one of the hottest crowds I’ve seen in a while. We’re talking Reseda levels here. Since Biff won the first encounter, it only made sense for Edwards to take this match, stomping on Busick’s head while applying the Achilles Lock. The crowd was practically begging for a rematch by the end. Who can blame them? These two are an awesome pair and completely stole the show in the main event.
Overall: You can tell I did a lot of gushing over this show, but I’m honestly still not certain if this was the best Beyond show of all time or not. It’s the beginning of a new era for the company and there is no better time to jump on board then now. Given the atomsphere, roster, and quality of matches, we’re looking at a company that has potential to transform into the East Coast equivalent of PWG. I know that’s a bold statement to make, but just you see. Americanrana is a definitive thumbs up and worth every penny.
You can pick up this show on DVD from Beyond’s store or Smart Mark Video. For a reduced price, you can also download the show as an mp4 from Smart Mark Video or watch it On Demand from SMVOD.
For more information, visit Beyond Wrestling’s official website. For a bunch of free matches, clips, and other fun stuff, check out Beyond’s YouTube page. You can also follow them on Twitter and through their Facebook page.
Quick Results/Match Times/Star Ratings
1. Elimination Match: Latin Dragon (0) wins a four way elimination match also featuring David Starr, Sozio (0), and Shane Strickland (0) **½
– Sozio is eliminated by Dragon with a Magistral cradle in 3:34.
– Starr is eliminated by Strickland via top rope double stomp in 6:11.
– Strickland is eliminated by Dragon via a torture rack into an X-Factor in 8:31. Dragon is now (+2)
2. Drew Gulak (+11) defeats Chris Dickinson (+10) with a rolling forearm in 14:58. ***¼
3. Tag Team Scramble: Team TREMENDOUS (Dan Barry (+7) & Bill Carr (-2)) defeated Da Hoodz (Davey Cash (0) & Kris Pyro (0)), EYFBO (Mike Draztik (-1) Angel Ortiz (-1)), and The M1nute Men (Devin Blaze (+2) & Tommy Trainwreck (+2)) with a double stop out of a wheelbarrow position to Ortiz. ***¼
4. Tabarnak de Team (Mathieu St. Jacques (0) & Thomas Dubois (0)) bested Aaron Epic (+8) & Dave Cole (-8) in 10:01 with a double waterwheel slam onto Cole. **½
5. Colt Cabana (0) puts away Jaka (+8) with the GTS in 10:33. **¾
6. Kevin Steen (0) submits MASADA (0) to the Sharpshooter in 13:07. ***
7. Johnny Gargano (-2) makes JT Dunn (+3) tap out to the Garga-No Escape in 15:22. ***½
8. Anthony Stone (+4) scores an upset victory over AR Fox (-5), sitting down on a sunset flip at 15:26. ***¼
9. Eddie Edwards (-1) beat Biff Busick (-8) in 20:21 when he had the Achilles Lock applied and was kicking Busick in the head. ****