Views from the Hawke’s Nest: Beyond Wrestling Gospel of the Boards 2011 Review

Taped February 12-13, 2011
Your host is Denver Colorado

Disc 1 (the iPPV)
Denver Colorado starts the show backstage. He thanks Darius Carter for lending him money to bring in Necro Butcher to take out the The Doom Patrol. Carter says he doesn’t care about the money, he just wants an opportunity to take on Chris Dickinson this weekend. Cue Opening Video Package! It’s actually a pretty nifty package.

Denver Colorado starts off the official show by going into the ring to welcome all the wrestlers to the show. Danny Danger interrupts him though. Danger says that he should be #1 in Beyond. Danger says he is going to solve the Chris Dickinson problem.

Corvis Fear vs. TJ Marconi
Marconi says he wanted an opportunity, and Corvis Fear answered the challenge. Marconi got a nearfall early with a big boot. Fear comes back with a neckbreaker. Marconi came right back with a sidewalk slam that got him another nearfall. Marconi got a little cocky, and that gave Fear an opening to take him down with a kick to the head. Fear went for a suicide dive, but Marconi caught him and gave him an ace crusher on the ring apron. Fear was able to come back with a snapmare driver: 1…2…NO! Fear hit a big German suplex, but Marconi kicked out again. Marconi came back with a TKO, but Fear was able to get a leg on the ropes. Fear hit a pair of ace crushers to finish Marconi.

This match was designed to make Marconi look good, but to establish that Fear was still better. I think this match accomplished it’s goal. Marconi has got size and personality (to spare); theoretically he would be a prospect that WWE should want (but he could probably use a little more seasoning). Along with Chris Dickinson, Corvis Fear continues to impress me a ton on these DVDs in terms of character and ring presence. It seems like he should have gotten a better chance somewhere before he retired.
Match Rating: ***

Danny Danger vs. Matt Marvel
Danger says that he brought Marvel, his trainee, to Beyond to lie down for him. Denver Colorado confronts him about it and calls him a bitch. Marvel agrees to actually fight, and he has the advantage early. Marvel got some token offense in, but Danger was mostly controlling things. Marvel hit 3 powerbombs in a row and then hit a Buckle Bomb. Danger cut him off though with a bulldog. They ended up on the apron, and Marvel gave him a Spanish Fly to the floor. Holy Fuck. Somehow, Danger crawled into the ring first, and Marvel got counted out.

My problem with this finish is that it makes it seem that hitting a high risk actually results in more pain for the high risk taker. In a more famous example, during the TLC match between Jeff Hardy and CM Punk at Summerslam 2009, Hardy hit a giant Swanton off a ladder through Punk, who was on the announce table. Hardy needed a stretcher, while Punk just crawled into the ring. This isn’t the biggest deal in the world, but it is a small detail that always bothers me when it happens.

Anyway, this was a really enjoyable match. Legit Teacher vs. Student matches usually work out because the wrestlers are comfortable with each other, and they have trained/worked together a lot. This match was no exception.
Match Rating: ***

Danger confronted Jonny Mangue and The Pitboss in the back. Danger said that the Doom Patrol is distracting everyone from him. Mangue and Pitboss dismiss him, so Danger decides he must confront Chris Dickinson.

Jarek 1:20 vs. KJ Crush
These two had a really fun match at Developmental Hell that Jarek won. Beyond booked a rare rematch here.

Jarek used hypnosis early to get the advantage, but Crush quickly cut him off with a double stomp. Crush worked him over after that. They started trading headbutts, which got Jarek back in the match. They did a big strike exchange that ended when they kicked each other in the face at the same time. Crush went to finish him with a senton, but Jarek threw his playing cards in his face to save himself. Jarek went for a springboard DDT, but Crush caught him and gave him an Orange Crush: 1…2…3!

This match was much more subdued than their first match, as if they were holding back a little bit. That’s not a bad thing, but it definitely made this match less enjoyable than their first one. This was still fun though.
Match Rating: **3/4

Danny Danger confronted Chris Dickinson backstage and Dickinson shoved him to the floor.

Zack Novak vs. The Pitboss
Novak is a friend of Corvis Fear, and Pitboss is obviously a part of the Doom Patrol.

Novak quickly wiped him out with a suicide dive. Pitboss cut him off though and hit a nice Jay Briscoe-style spinebuster. Novak came back with a standing star press for a nearfall. Pitboss hit a superplex to cut him off again. Novak hit Trouble in Paradise but Pitboss gave him a headbutt to the crotch. They then knocked each other out at the same time and went down for a 9 count. Pitboss then hit a sit-out Dominator: 1…2…3

Pitboss looked much better here than he did at Developmental Hell. Novak made for a good spunky babyface, but I’m glad The Doom Patrol was booked to look strong without always needing to cheat to win.
Match Rating: **1/2

Jonny Mangue vs. Chase Burnett
Burnett is a part of Team Beyond, but his partner, Zane Silver, was not able to make the tapings.

Burnett used his quickness to stay competitive early, but Mangue cut him off with an Argentinian Backbreaker. Mangue worked Burnett over after that. Mangue went to the top rope, but Burnett met him up there. Mangue tried for a super double handed chokeslam, but Burnett reversed it into a Frankensteiner! Burnett made a big comeback after that. Burnett hit a slingshot crucifix driver: 1…2…3! That looked sick. Mangue cut him off with a devastating powerbomb. DOUBLE HANDED CHOKESLAM: 1…2…NO! Good nearfall. These two have incredible chemistry. Both men went to the top rope and Burnett hit a double knees to the back-sunset flip powerbomb combo and then a Pele kick to the back of the head! WTF! 1…2…NO! Mangue went for another Argentinian Backbreaker, but Burnett reversed it into a crucifix pin: 1…2…3! AHH! What a match!

As I said in the recap, these two had tremendous chemistry and this was instantly one of my favorite Beyond matches that I have watched. Holy Shit.
Match Rating: ***3/4

Hey, I just found out that this match is available for FREE. Watch it. You’ll thank me.

Chris Dickinson vs. Darius Carter
Carter and his partner, TJ Marconi, lost to the Doom Patrol at the last show, Developmental Hell. Carter’s gimmick is that he is a millionaire who paid for Necro Butcher to wrestle Mangue at the last show. Getting a shot at Dickinson, is his reward.

Crowd is very behind Carter to start the show. They traded a lot of holds on the mat to start the match, with neither man able to get the clear advantage. Dickinson was able to trap Carter’s legs and lock in a Dragon Sleeper, but Carter somehow escaped. Carter hit a nice Regal-plex shortly thereafter for a nearfall. Dickinson came back though with a Tiger Suplex, Springboard Dropkick, and a Falcon Arrow (He’s Done the Deal!): 1…2…NO! Good combination there. Carter hit a nice German suplex: 1…2…NO! The crowd is IN TO THIS. Carter went for a Codebreaker, but Dickinson caught him and sent him into a turnbuckle. Dickinson went to the top rope, but Carter hit a pair of step-up enzugiris. Carter then hit a super Butterfly suplex. Carter slipped on the way down, but Dickinson was able to take the bump fine. Big strike exchange. They kicked each other a thousand times. Dickinson finally just killed him with a powerbomb, but Carter kicked out. Carter came back with a big suicide dive. Crowd is still into it, but they may lose them if they don’t go home soon. Carter then hit a German on the floor, but Dickinson no-sold it and hit a powerbomb on the floor. Dickinson followed that up with a Cactus Elbow. Both men are dead. Back in the ring, Dickinson hit a superplex, and then an abdominal stretch driver:1…2…3

This was so close to being a fantastic match, but the crowd was killed after the suicide dive. This was still really good, but if they just finished the match right before that, it easily could have been the best match I have ever seen from Beyond Wrestling.
Match Rating: ***3/4

Dickinson says he is going to break character and put over Carter, but Dickinson attacks him some more. Marconi makes the save, but The Doom Patrol chases them off.

Danny Danger talks with Corvis Fear. Fear says Dickinson has made it personal, and that Beyond is no longer just about wrestling. Danger says to the camera he has to think about all of this. I really enjoyed these backstage segments. Danger has got charisma to spare and he seems so confident in everything he does. At first, the segments seemed a little hokey, but really it’s just that the Danger character carries himself in such a phony way. And by phony, I mean he’s trying to present himself in a way that nobody buys. Very good subtle heel work.

Disc 2 (non-iPPV matches)

Corvis Fear, Chase Burnett, and Zack Novak vs. Leon Del Admon, Tim Hughes, and Mike Montez
Admon, Hughes, and Montez are all students of Corvis Fear. Admon is now known as Leon St. Giovanni, and he is currently involved in a major storyline.

The students were being schooled (see what I did there!) until Montez hit a low blow on Novak behind the referee’s back. The veterans got the advantage back though. Hughes came back and got a nearfall on Fear with a tornado DDT. Hughes then got a nearfall on Novak with a lariat, which Novak took a nasty bump on. Leon tagged in and hit a sloppy Lionsault (ropes were really loose) for a nearfall. Burnett tagged in and cut off Leon with his moonsault double knees. There was a big “everyone end up on the floor” sequence. It ended with Burnett doing a senton off the balcony onto everyone. Cool spot, but the setup left something to be desired. They did a big nearfall trading sequence after that. Eventually, Fear and Burnett place Montez on top of Leon and Hughes (who were bending over), and then Novak did a frogsplash through all of them: 1…2…3

The story of the match was well-told: the rookies acted competent but inexperienced and the veterans were able to take advantage of that to win. The execution of the story could have looked better, but hey, they are rookies. It’s pretty clear from this match why Leon is still heavily involved in Beyond.
Match Rating: **3/4

Novak is pissed that Burnett stole the pinfall, because it was his first win in Beyond and he wanted to make the cover. Novak walks out on them after the match.

KJ Crush vs. Darius Carter
Crush is coming off a big win over Jarek 1:20, while Carter is coming off a great effort against Dickinson.

Carter makes one of the wrestler’s (perhaps his?) girlfriend take off his suit before the match starts. Carter was very cocky here. Crush was having a hard time keeping up with Carter in the early minutes of the match, up until he caught him with a hard lariat to the back. Crush worked over Carter after that. Carter avoided a corner body splash and hit a dropkick to take Crush down. Crush cut him right off with a middle-rope dropkick. Carter rolled to the floor; Crush went for a senton off the apron, but Carter moved…Crush went SPLAT. That wasn’t the smartest thing I have ever seen, but it was just essentially a flip back bump on a (somewhat) padded floor. They ended up back in the ring, and Crush gave Carter a DVD. Carter went for a Codebreaker, but Crush caught him and went for an Orange Crush—Carter countered it into a codebreaker: 1…2…3!

This match was quite good with clearly defined strengths for each wrestler. Crush’s strength was his biggest weapon, but Carter’s quickness was able to keep him a step ahead of Crush, including on the finish.
Match Rating: ***

The Pitboss vs. TJ Marconi
Pitboss’s partner, Dickinson, beat Marconi’s partner, Carter, the night before.

Marconi had the advantage early, but Pitboss dove at the big man’s injured knee to get the advantage. Pitboss mostly had the advantage after that, but Marconi fought through the pain, and he was even able to hit a sit-out chokeslam at one point. They started trading some bombs until Marconi hit a big boot. Pitboss went back to attacking Marconi’s injured knee, using a submission. Carter chased Dickinson to the back to prevent him from interfering. Marconi locked in a body scissors. Pitboss escaped and went back to work on the injured knee. Marconi locked in the Boston Crab out of nowhere and Pitboss tapped out!

This was a good effort from both guys, who have strong characters, but who need to be sharper in their in-ring execution.
Match Rating: **1/2

Zack Novak vs. Jonny Mangue
Novak is coming off his first Beyond win, and Mangue is coming off a loss to Burnett in a great match.

Novak kicked Mangue off the apron early and hit a nice somersault plancha. Novak brought Mangue back into the ring and hit a springboard dropkick to the back of the head. Mangue came back with a some forearms, but Nozak hit a nice enzugiri for a nearfall. Mangue cut him off with a belly-to-belly into the corner. Novak came back again and hit a standing shooting star press: 1…2…NO! Novak then hit a frog splash, but he injured his own ribs on impact. Mangue gave him a forearm, and he then hit a springboard dropkick and a Baldo Bomb: 1…2…NO! Novak went for another top rope move, but Mangue powerbombed him on the way down—Mangue immediately transitioned into a cloverleaf, and Novak tapped!

This was a good match. The match was structured so that Novak looked really credible, but he was not as good as Mangue yet. Good match to close out the DVD.
Match Rating: ***1/4

Backstage, Corvis Fear tries to cheer up Novak. Novak is still down and Mangue shows up to tell him that no one is just going to give him respect. Mangue tells him he has to take their respect. Novak, the perpetual loser in Beyond, says that makes some sense.

You can buy this show and other Beyond shows at Smart Mark Video for $15

or

You can buy this show and other Beyond shows at the Beyond store for $9 or $12. The $9 version is w/o disc art or cover art.

For more info on Beyond Wrestling, check out their:
Website
Updated Wrestlers’ Win-Loss Standings
Facebook
Twitter
Youtube Page with Weekly Free Matches
Information for Beyond Wrestling’s next event, Off the Grid, is here.

Thanks everybody for reading! You can send feedback to Twitter or at my email address: [email protected]. If you are a wrestling personality who would like to be interviewed by 411mania, you can also contact me in either of those ways.

PLUGS!

I am now the editor of a brand new wrestling website, FreeProWrestling.com . What is this site, you ask? It’s a website that posts a free wrestling match every single weekday. All matches are legally provided by the promotions that originally put them on. If you like wrestling and you hate spending money, I think you will enjoy it! (The first match will be posted on February 13th 2012)

Be sure to check out some of my past 411 Interviews

Kevin Steen Part 1 & Part 2
Eddie Edwards
Johnny Gargano
Mike Quackenbush
Nigel McGuinness
Lance Hoyt/Vance Archer/Lance Archer
Adam Cole
Gran Akuma

Be sure to follow 411mania on Twitter!
411mania
411 Wrestling
411 Movies/TV
411 MMA
411 Music
411 Games

For all of my interviews (like TJ Perkins , Steve Corino , Davey Richards , Jimmy Rave , Joey Ryan , Kyle O’Reilly , AR Fox , etc.) before 411mania, check out my Road to Mania Blog (where I still do stuff like Wrestlemania Build coverage, Wrestling DVD reviews, movie/TV reviews and more).

Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can’t Lose.

The 411: The iPPV portion of this show is one of the strongest wrestling cards that Beyond has produced. Chase Burnett/Jonny Mangue and Chris Dickinson/Darius Carter are two of the best matches in company history and they perfectly exemplify the spirit of Beyond. I've been saying this on most DVD reviews for Beyond, but if you want to get a feel for Beyond, this is an excellent place to start. If you are not ready to commit to purchasing Beyond, then you should definitely check out the Burnett/Mangue match as provided by Beyond.

Final Score:  7.3   [ Good ]