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Warrior Wrestling Stadium Series
July 17, 2021

by Samoa Rowe

Written in August 2021, because there's been too much interesting wrestling to digest this summer. This event didn't produce any headlines but these outdoor stadium events make the COVID era more bearable.

Live from Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois.

Dante Martin vs. KC Navarro

They shake hands and exchange friendly holds. Dante unleashes some armdrags, Navarro blocks a suplex, but takes a spill onto the turf. Dante sets KC's foot on the apron to kick the hamstring. Navarro punches around the ring post and soon hits a double stomp for 2. Navarro hits a suplex but then misses a springboard leg drop. Dante comes back with a springboard moonsault for 2. Enziguri, Destroyer, and Fireman's Carry Slam by Navarro only gets a 2 count. Martin hits a delayed power slam off of his shoulders for a good nearfall. Leaping cutter by Dante gets the pinfall at 7:23. Not bad, just a basic opener with some cool spots sprinkled in here and there, **.
Winner: Dante Martin

Aramis cuts a promo from home about how much being the Lucha Championship means to him. He has to defend against his mentor, Daga, and he can't think of a better way to pay respect to his trainer than to beat him.

Lee Moriarty vs. Danhausen

Danhausen is quickly becoming a cult favorite due to his outlandish gimmick as a friendly demon. He grabs a wristlock, Moriarty counters into a grapevine. Danhausen tries to negotiate his way out of the hold but is able to reverse the leglock anyway. Moriarty is enjoying this and mocks the demon like an 8 year old, which inspires Danhausen to toss him for a dive. Moriarty comes back with a step up armdrag. Moriarty goes on offense, Danhausen fails to cast a spell to stop him. Danhausen has better luck with a desperation German suplex. He floats over to hit another German, but Lee surprises with a roll-up for 2. Moriarty's power slam gets 2, as does a Gory Bomb. Fisherman suplex by Danhausen, and he empties a jar of teeth onto Moriarty. Go To Sleep by Danhausen ends it at 8:54. Decent match that might have been a little too cute for its own good, **¼.
Winner: Danhausen

Calvin Tankman vs. Jordan Oliver

Tankman shakes off a waistlock, so Jordan lunges into a headlock. Tankman tosses Oliver aside and hits a shoulder block. They bump fists and trade chops. Oliver focuses his attacks towards the knees. Tankman attempts a chop to the head, but Oliver retreats. Oliver dropkicks Tankman through the ropes and hits a pair of dives. Tankman blocks a third dive and rams Oliver into the ring post before a fallaway slam. He places Oliver into fans' laps for chops. Tankman hits a tackle through a chair. Back to the ring, Tankman hits a backbreaker and lariat for 2. Oliver's hamstring kicks have little effect, and Tankman powerbombs him for 2. Tankman relentlessly goes after the lower back and throws Oliver out. Oliver avoids a countout loss and asks Tankman to keep it coming. Tankman hits a brutal scoop slam, but then misses a splash. Oliver superkicks the head, Tankman blocks a cutter. Tankman clotheslines the back of the head and finishes with the Tankman Driver at 13:47. Decent story-driven match about Oliver surviving but ultimately coming up short, **¾.
Winner: Calvin Tankman

Davey Richards vs. Jonathan Gresham

They begin with a staredown and tense handshake. They feel each other out with friendly chain wrestling until Davey wraps an arm in the ropes for a cheap shot. They resume chain wrestling until Davey is forced into a timeout. They lock up again, Davey scores a knee lift and follows with a stiff back suplex. Davey goes to work on the leg while the commentators talk about how great ROH is these days. Davey cuts off Gresham's comeback with a spin heel kick to the throat. Davey hits about two dozen head butts on the top rope and then nails an avalanche brainbuster! Gresham answers with a dragon screw legsweep. Gresham drops Richards off the apron with a low shotgun dropkick. Gresham swan dives through the ropes and then hits a sick springboard powerbomb. Gresham locks on the Octopus, Richards reverses into a Tombstone Piledriver for 2. They slug it out in dramatic fashion until Davey counters into an ankle lock. Gresham hits an enziguri and German suplex for 2, so he reapplies the Octopus for the submission at 13:44! This was a total treat, ***¾.
Winner: Jonathan Gresham

Richard Holliday and Victor Benjamin (with Lady Frost) vs. The Varsity Blondes (Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison, with Julia Hart)

Benjamin is the “Butterfinger Champion” and I'd love to hear the story behind this championship, commentary speculates he won the gold in Rio de Janeiro. Holliday needs Lady Frost to hold his earpods while he wrestles. Holliday gets outwrestled by Pillman in the opening exchange. Holliday challenges Garrison to a test of strength, but cheap shots instead. Garrison shakes it off and Holliday makes a reluctant tag after Benjamin complains. The Varsity Blondes plow through Benjamin like a well oiled machine. Lady Frost provides a distraction, allowing Benjamin and Holliday to isolate Pillman Jr. Pillman withstands the beating and hits a double crossbody in order to make the hot tag. Garrison runs wild to a nice pop from the fans. Benjamin cuts him off with a popup spin kick. Holliday hits Garrison with a backbreaker and spinebuster, but Pillman saves the match. Pillman kicks Benjamin to the ground, Garrison hits Holliday with a lariat, setting up Pillman's pinfall at 13:22. Decent match that stuck mostly to tried and true basics, **¾.
Winners: The Varsity Blondes

Lady Frost ruins the Blondes' celebration by thrust kicking Julia.

Daga cuts a promo on Zoom from home about his history with Aramis. He recognized the passion and fire in Aramis at a young age, so he took him under his wing. Daga is proud of the luchadore that Aramis has become, but now he must make orphans of his children (I might have added that last part).

Warrior Wrestling Lucha Championship:
Aramis © vs. Daga

They aggressively lock up and Daga pats the chest in a clean break. Aramis doesn't like that and they aggressively lock up again, this time breaking with a friendly handshake. They trade quick pinning predicaments and reach a stalemate. Aramis slips out of an electric chair, but Daga catches him with a dropkick and tope suicida. Daga plays the role of subtle heel while taking his student back to school with legwork. Aramis attempts a comeback, but Daga hits a spinning powerslam, through the ropes, onto the apron. Aramis finally rallies but Daga rolls away from a top rope move, so Aramis improvises with a diving senton to ringside! 450 splash by Aramis only gets 2. They trade forearm shots, Aramis hits multiple kicks, Daga delivers a desperation lariat to give them a breather. They pop up and Daga hits a German suplex and crucifix variation for good nearfalls. Aramis answers with a grapevine ankle lock but Daga gets the ropes. They both go for head butts and collapse into a near double pinfall. Aramis hits an avalanche rana and spinning Blue Thunder Bomb, but Daga kicks out! Aramis hits one more spinning Blue Thunder Bomb to win at 15:38! Good back and forth spotfest, elevated by the well told student vs. teacher narrative, ***½.
Winner and still Lucha Champion: Aramis

Ninja Mack vs. Brian Cage

Cage has an obvious size advantage, so Mack has to slip and slide all over him to jockey for position, but Cage muscles him into the buckles. Mack flips over Mack for a flurry of offense, slips out of a press slam, but Cage then throws him to ringside. Mack cartwheels over a low clothesline, but stumbles climbing the buckles, and flies into Cage's fallaway slam. Cage chop Mack in a fan's lap and then slams him onto the apron for 2. Mack scrapes out a dropkick, but Cage cuts him down with a superkick. Mack survives for a spinning head butt, and cartwheels to the point of making himself dizzy, but he still manages to deliver a back hand spring corkscrew plancha for 2. Cage comes back with a facebuster powerbomb for 2. Mack responds with a phenomenal forearm for 2. Cage hits a series of powerbombs, but Mack kicks out! Mack hits a series of kicks, most of which are total whiffs, but then lands a 450 splash. Mack chooses not to make a cover, instead hitting a Shooting Star Press for a cold nearfall. Mack misses a 630 splash and eats a discus clothesline. Cage hits a top rope Drill Claw to win at 13:49. I liked the David vs. Goliath dynamics here, but Mack still needs some fine tuning, and Cage was kind of coasting, **½.
Winner: Brian Cage

Robert Anthony (with Frank the Clown) vs. Lance Archer

Archer doesn't like clowns, so Anthony and Frank are in big trouble. Archer pummels Anthony at the opening bell. Frank shoots confetti into Archer's eyes, allowing Anthony to tackle the back of his knee and briefly take control. Archer breaks a back over Anthony's back, but turns to chase Frank, and Anthony makes him pay with a chair shot. They brawl their way over to a tractor, and I'm disappointed when no one uses it to chase the other guy. Archer holds Anthony so fans can take cheap shots, and I'm totally uncomfortable with this tactic. If only the guy who attacked MJF and Chris Jericho at the Miami Dynamite was here. They brawl into the steel bleacher seating, and tease bumps over the fencing. Archer loses track of Anthony, so he wisely pauses to put on some hand sanitizer. Frank ambushes Archer and helps Anthony put him into a rear naked choke in the middle of the crowd. Anthony sends Archer into the ring post and has the upper hand as they return to the ring. Archer counters with a big boot, fans chant “Murderhawk”, and Archer nails a Full Nelson slam for 2. Anthony answers with a rolling DVD for 2. Archer hits a chokeslam for a silly nearfall. Archer blocks Frank's confetti cannon and hits Anthony with Blackout to win at 14:04! I got a little bored during the standing brawl around the field, but I always enjoy seeing a bad-ass babyface outsmart the heels, **½.
Winner: Lance Archer

Archer blocks Frank's chloroform attack and hauls him over to the bleacher seats. Archer back drops Frank over the fence, potentially killing him off once and for all. Well, he isn't called the "Attempted Murderhawk."

Warrior Wrestling Women's Championship:
Kylie Rae © vs. Lady Frost (with Victor Benjamin)

Cagematch.net has just informed me that Lady Frost and Victor Benjamin were previously Red Queen and One-Eyed Jack in CHIKARA, which is absolutely delightful news. My interest level in this pairing just went up several notches. Frost dodges a lockup and talks some smack to buy time. They trade waistlocks, Kylie reverses into a side headlock. Frost reverses, but Kylie recovers with a wristlock. Frost cartwheels to spin Kylie into the buckles. Frost curtsies, but then gets caught in a Kylie flurry. Frost dumps Kylie into Benjamin's arms, and he throws her into the ring post. Frost goes to work on Kylie's freshly injured midsection. Kylie comes back with a superkick for 2. They both miss wild kicks, Frost delivers a back handspring cannonball for 2. Kylie traps Frost in the buckles for a series of kicks to the spine, and then a running cannonball. Kylie works a crossface, Frost gets the ropes. Benjamin cheap shots Kylie with a punch to the face, and helps Frost climb the ropes for a slick moonsault, but KYLIE KICKS OUT! Kylie's desperation inside cradle wins it at 10:20! Good match thanks to the strong face/heel dynamics, ***.
Winner and still Warrior Wrestling Women's Champion: Kylie Rae

Benjamin and Frost attempt a revenge beatdown, but Varsity Blondes and Julia Hart make the timely save to send them running.

Final Thoughts: Just a fun summer show. If you happen to catch it, good on you. If you missed it, no harm, no foul.

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