Views from the Hawke’s Nest: Beyond Wrestling All Killer Episodes 1 & 2

July 28-29, 2012
Bridgewater, Ma

Commentator: Denver Colorado

Episode 1

#KOA (Sugar Dunkerton & Aaron Epic) vs. Professional Revolution (JT Dunn & Mark Shurman with Jon Harder)
Epic and Dunn started the match. The story was that Epic was far more skilled. Shurman and Sugar tagged in. Sugar took him down with a series of strikes, and Dunn was forced to tag back in. #KOA were in complete control until Shurman attacked Epic from the ring apron. The Revolution started to work over Epic. Epic was eventually able to cause Dunn to accidentally kick Shurman. Sugar tagged in and hit Shurman with a sliding kick. Dunn took down Sugar with a running forearm. Dunn and Epic then traded a series of strikes. Epic managed to give Dunn a spike DDT on a turnbuckle. Sugar called for a lariat on Shurman, but Harder grabbed his foot from the outside. Sugar pulled Harder onto the ring apron, and then caused Shurman to accidentally knock Harder off the apron and into a wall. Sugar then sent Shurman to the outside. Shurman took an amazing bump to the floor. It legit made me laugh out loud. Mark Shurman = Greatness. Dunn set up for a kneeling superkick on Dunn, but Epic aught him with the Fastball Punch. Epic and Sugar then hit Dunn with a lariat/spinning back suplex combo: 1…2…3!

This was a solid match to start off this special. Shurman is one of my favorite performers in Beyond, just because his character is really enjoyable and not seen anywhere else right now. Epic has also really stepped up his game lately. He looked great here. Sugar seemed a little off in this match.
Match Rating: **3/4

Mr. Touchdown vs. Johnny Miyagi
Touchdown is undefeated in Beyond. I have never seen Miyagi before.

Touchdown had trouble taking off his shoulder pads, and without Dasher Hatfield is his corner, it took him much longer than usual to get them off. Touchdown just shoulder tackled Miyagi into the turnbuckle. That was awesome. Touchdown proceeded to squash Miyagi. Touchdown took eye black out of his crotch and put it on Miyagi’s face. Touchdown then called him a poser for wearing eye black. Touchdown bragged about giving him a swirly in high school. Touchdown killed him with a pop-up spinebuster. Touchdown had the match won, but he pulled Miyagi’s shoulders up. Touchdown then gave him with a wedgie, followed by a wedgie drag. Touchdown then threw his gloves on Miyagi’s face: 1…2…3. The referee almost screwed up the count, so Touchdown then gave him a wedgie. He actually broke the ref’s underwear.

Drew Gulak and Aaron Epic helped drag Miyagi out of the ring. This honestly got uncomfortable at the end.

This was just a squash match to get over Touchdown as undefeated and as a giant bully heel.
Match Rating: SQUASH

Biff Busick vs. Rory Mondo
I’m the driver of the Biff Busick Bandwagon. Mondo is known as a deathmatch guy, but he’s trying to show off his non-deathmatch skills here.

They start out the match trading holds. Busick took him down with a big lariat. Mondo sent him to the floor with a hurricanrana, Mondo then hit a diving cross-body to the floor. Back in the ring, Mondo hit an Arabian Press moonsault for a nearfall. Busick came back with a half-nelson suplex. Busick went for a super half-nelson suplex, but Mondo knocked him to the floor. Mondo then hit a Ghetto Stomp to Busick’s back: 1…2…3

That was a really fun five minute match. Busick should be the guy that Beyond builds around for a while. I had never seen Mondo before, but he clearly has something to offer in Beyond.
Match Rating: **1/2

Jaka vs. Brian Fury
Jaka is the former Jonny Mangue. Mangue has been one of the main players in Beyond since 2009. Mangue is wrestling as Jaka, a silent Samoan, in Wrestling is Fun! Jaka defeated Jigsaw at the fourth Wrestling is Fun! show. In Beyond, they’re saying that Mangue has taken a vow of silence until he is the Wins Leader.

Jaka hit a neckbreaker early. Fury fell to the floor, only for Jaka to hit a slingshot plancha onto Fury. Jaka overshot the dive a little and seemed to land head-first onto the floor. Back in the ring, Fury murdered Jaka with a huge Alabama Slam: 1…2…NO! Fury worked him over for a while after that. Jaka came back with strikes, including a headbutt. Fury avoided a Baldo Bomb and then hit Jaka with a huge pop-up powerbomb: 1…2…NO! Jaka came back with more strikes. Jaka then hit a diving cross-body for a nearfall. Fury hit an enzuigiri and then a superkick. Fury then locked in a Boston Crab. Jaka rolled through and managed to lock in the Jars of the Jaguar. Fury managed to reverse it into a Rampage Powerbomb. Jaka came back with some headbutts and locked in the Jars of the Jaguar again. Fury verbally submitted.

This was a good match, and it was a fine way to end the first ‘All Killer’ episode from Beyond. I definitely have some genuine concerns with the Jaka character. The idea that Mangue is voluntarily taking on all these Samoan stereotypes that wrestling has promoted over the years is very, very problematic. I’m hoping that his character’s reasons for doing so are at least explored if not outright explained in the near future.
Match Rating: ***

Episode 2

Anthony Stone vs. Bobby Ocean
Stone recently made it to the semi-finals of the Chikara Young Lions Cup, where he lost to the eventual tournament winner, Mr. Touchdown. This is Ocean’s debut in Beyond.

Stone actually hit a 619 early. Stone then hit a springboard double stomp. Stone was in control after that. Stone hit a gourd buster for a nearfall. Ocean managed to send Stone into a ring post. Ocean worked Stone over after that. Stone came back with a springboard back elbow. Ocean managed to cut him off again though, and he worked Stone over some more. They ended up on the top rope, and Stone managed to give Ocean a gourd buster to the mat. Stone made a comeback. He got a nearfall with a leg lariat. Ocean briefly fought back, but Stone ended up hitting a diving double knee press: 1…2…3

Stone goes to +1 in Beyond Wrestling. This match was solid, but it was kind of flat as nothing really exciting or memorable happened. Stone is a really solid worker. Ocean seems like a good athlete, but he didn’t convey any charisma here. He seemed to be going for some subtle heel spots, but I honestly couldn’t be sure.
Match Rating: **1/2

Team TREMENDOUS (Dan Barry & Ken Scampi) vs. Scotty Wild & Johnny Miyagi
Miyagi is a jobber in Beyond. Wild is new to Beyond.

TREMENDOUS were in complete control in the early goings. Miyagi and Wild were able to cut off Scampi, and they worked him over for a bit. Wild hit a fist drop to Scampi’s ass. Eventually Scampi managed to hit Wild with a release Northern Lights suplex. Barry tagged in and ran wild with hip tosses. Barry went to hip toss the referee, but he thought better of it. The referee then hip tossed Wild. Barry then killed Miyagi with a Butterfly Brainbuster. That was sick. TREMENDOUS then hit Wild with the Doomsday Sliced Bread: 1…2…3

Much like the opener, this match wasn’t memorable or exciting in any way. It was remarkably average.
Match Rating: **1/4

Drew Gulak vs. Nick Talent (w/Mark Angel)
Talent actually immediately sent Angel to the back. Drew Gulak does not like Mark Angel and Nick Talent. He almost broke Talent’s neck in June.

Talent actually managed to trip up Gulak early, and he quickly gained control of the match. Gulak came back with a series of strikes. Gulak went after Talent’s left arm. Talent managed to come back with a suplex, and then Talent went after Gulak’s left arm. Gulak managed to send Talent to the floor. Gulak then hit a jackhammer on the (padded) floor. Gulak then placed Talent into Dan Barry’s lap. Gulak pulled out Barry’s chair, and Barry accidentally piledrived Talent onto the floor. That was funny. Back in the ring, Gulak suplexed Talent into the corner: 1…2…Talent got his foot on the ropes. Talent came back with an elbow to the neck of Gulak. Talent then locked in the Gu-Lock submission. Gulak escaped and locked in a single leg crab. Gulak transitioned into an ankle lock. Gulak then kicked Talent in the shoulders. Gulak released the hold and tried for a pin, but Talent kicked out. Gulak hit a diving lariat: 1…2…NO! Talent came back with a pair of neckbreakers for a nearfall. Talent locked in a neck submission, but Gulak escaped. Gulak then locked in the Gu-Lock with a body scissors. Talent tapped out! The wrestlers at ringside gave it a standing ovation.

I haven’t been a big fan of Nick Talent since I started watching Beyond Wrestling, but this was easily the best match from him that I’ve seen. It’s no surprise that it happened with Drew Gulak, who has really become the “ace” of Beyond. There was a lot of interesting subtle stuff going on in this match. Talent having Angel sent to the back was not so much overconfidence, but had more to do with proving something to himself. Gulak’s reaction to winning was also interesting to me, because he’s still so concerned with defeating Mark Angel, that he can’t even take much satisfaction in defeating anyone else.
Match Rating: ***1/4

Aaron Epic (w/ Sugar Dunkerton) vs. Darius Carter
Carter talks a big game, but his record is still below .500. Aaron Epic has one of the best records in Beyond right now.

Epic was in complete control early. He was working over the left wrist of Carter. Epic ended up on the apron, and Carter dropkicked him to the floor. Carter connected on a couple of kicks to the head. Back in the ring, Carter was in control for a bit, but Epic managed to come back with a nice STO. Epic hit a series of strikes to Carter’s head, which got a nearfall. Carter came back with a brutal Regal-plex: 1…2…NO! Carter tried to hit a Codebreaker, but Epic reversed it into a STO. Epic called for the Fastball Punch, but Carter avoided and hit an enzuigiri. Epic hip tossed Carter onto his knee, but Carter kicked out. Carter caught Epic with a schoolboy, and he got his feet on the ropes: 1…2…3!

Much like the Jaka/Fury match, this was a fine way to close out an All Killer episode. The match was missing a spark, but I enjoyed the entire match for sure. I like Epic a lot, but I agree with the decision to have Carter go over. He’s really got all the tools to become one of the best wrestlers in Beyond, and I think it’s time that his push reflect his talent.
Match Rating: ***

Thanks everybody for reading! You can send feedback to my Twitter or to my email address: [email protected]. Also, feel free to check out my own wrestling website, FreeProWrestling.com.

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The 411: It's hard to go wrong with a bunch of free matches, and if you are at all interested in Beyond Wrestling, you should definitely check out these specials (or at least the more interesting matches on the specials). I understand why Beyond is giving away groups of matches in single packages, but personally, I think it's more fan friendly to do individual matches. That being said, I would obviously watch future editions of All Killer.

Final Score:  6.0   [ Average ]