On the heels of a new group debuting at Saturday’s AEW Dark tapings in Orlando, Dave Meltzer is reporting that The Trust Busters may be around to stay — either in AEW or Ring of Honor.
The new group is made up of Ariya Daivari (now going by Ari), former ROH wrestler Slim J, and former WWE NXT wrestler Parker Boudreaux.
Over several segments during the tapings, the new group began to form. Ari said he is the richest person in pro wrestling after his trust fund kicked in, followed by him recruiting Slim J into his group. The two then teamed up to pick up a win.
Later in the day, Boudreaux made his surprise debut and it was then revealed he was part of the group.
Meltzer said, “Right now no decision has been made regarding if this will be primarily for AEW or ROH, but Tony Khan was high on the idea.”
While AEW might not be an immediate option due to the amount of talent currently on the roster, ROH does return to pay-per-view this Saturday with Death Before Dishonor — their first event since early-April.
While no announcement has been made regarding ROH returning to TV, Khan has mentioned in the past that he is in talks with Warner Bros. Discovery.
Two new names reportedly started as WWE producers on a tryout basis starting with tonight’s SmackDown.
Fightful Select reported tonight that Joe Hennig, also known as Curtis Axel, and Ariya Daivari were both backstage working as producers. Hennig reportedly was involved in helping produce the Sasha Banks vs. Liv Morgan match under Tyson Kidd, while Daivari helped produce the Drew McIntyre vs. Sami Zayn match under Abyss.
Both are former WWE wrestlers that were released in the last two years. Hennig, son of Curt Hennig, is a former Intercontinental Champion that was cut back in April of 2020. He has not wrestled since being released from the company. Prior to being released, he was part of a tag team known as The B-Team with Bo Dallas.
Daivari, who signed with WWE in 2016 and mainly wrestled on NXT and 205 Live, was released back in July of last year. He has made appearances for AEW and New Japan Strong since being released.
A former WWE cruiserweight is set to make their AEW debut on Rampage tonight.
AEW has announced that Ariya Daivari will make his debut for the promotion as he faces Dante Martin on tonight’s Rampage. The show is taking place at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Both wrestlers are from the Minneapolis/Saint Paul region.
Daivari was released by WWE during a round of roster cuts this June. He regularly appeared on 205 Live as a member of the cruiserweight division in WWE.
Martin & Lio Rush defeated Matt Sydal & Lee Moriarty on this week’s Dynamite. Due to the death of his grandmother, Rush won’t be with Martin on Rampage tonight. Rush learned of his grandmother’s passing on Tuesday night and dedicated his match on Dynamite to her.
Tony Khan tweeted about Martin vs. Daivari: “On #AEWRampage: hometown heroes clash TONIGHT as @AriyaDaivari debuts in @AEW vs. @lucha_angel1 Dante Martin, a battle of 2 of the Twin Cities’ top high flyers! Dante is without partner/coach #LioRush (@TheLionelGreen), who is home tonight after the tragic loss of his grandmother”
Tonight’s Rampage is the go-home show for Full Gear.
Today, WWE cut eight members of the already thin 205 Live roster; given 205 Live is taped, and the left-hand seemingly doesn’t know what the right is doing, all of those cut still appeared on the show intro.
This is an entirely different show than it was this time last week.
Ikemen Jiro defeated Ariya Daivari
Ariya Daivari was among the released earlier today, so this seems to be his unofficial sendoff. It was a good match, but what unfortunate circumstances it was under.
The match opened with Daivari and Jiro going back and forth. Commentary mentioned Daivari fighting for “job security” after Jiro debuted; if only they knew. Jiro emerged from the opening skirmish with swagger-filled control.
Jiro connected with multiple forearms but was intercepted. As Daivari gained a lead, commentary again referenced Daivari’s pay. Daivari landed multiple strikes before a reverse suplex reset the match’s pace.
A quick sequence composed of a missed Ikeman slash and Asai moonsault left Jiro with a near fall. After Daivari climbed to the top rope and missed a dive, Jiro connected with the Ikemen slash; this time, the pin was successful.
Grayson Waller defeated August Grey
Talk about a boring match.
Waller and Grey toyed with each other in the opening moments by connecting with substantial moves that weren’t followed. The match slowed as Grey gained control of Waller’s arm. After holding Waller on the mat for a while, Grey was caught by a quick forearm, opening up the match once more.
A massive kick to Grey allowed Waller to take complete control. After positioning Grey in the tree of woe, Waller stomped his opponent into the corner. Waller then connected with a top rope elbow drop for a near fall.
Grey flipped Waller with a quick backdrop before sending him to the outside with a forearm. Grey hit a tope which he followed with a crossbody; Waller tied himself in the ropes to prevent any follow-up. After Waller freed himself, he connected with the curb stomp, pinning Grey soon after.
The rumored WWE releases coming Friday turned out to be accurate as the company continued their recent paredown of the roster, focusing on both NXT and 205 Live talents.
The final list as of Friday night: Fandango, Tyler Breeze, Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari, August Grey, Ever-Rise (Chase Parker and Matt Martel), Curt Stallion, the Bollywood Boyz (Sunil and Samir Singh), Arturo Ruas, Marina Shafir, Killian Dain, and Tino Sabbatelli.
The majority of the releases were first reported by Fightful or PWInsider.
The 39-year-old Fandango (Curtis Hussey) had been with the company since 2006 when he signed a developmental deal and started with Deep South Wrestling. Wrestling as Johnny Curtis, he won the fourth season of NXT with R-Truth as his mentor but was only up on the main roster for a short period of time.
He developed the Fandango character and was called up to the main roster in 2013, eventually forming Breezango with Tyler Breeze in 2016. They eventually found their way back to NXT in 2019 and won the Tag Team titles — his only gold in WWE over his 14-year run. He thanked Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon and Paul Levesque in a tweet.
Breeze had been in the system since 2010 and spent five years in FCW/NXT before being called up to the main roster, paired with Summer Rae in a feud with Dolph Ziggler. The 33-year-old had opened a Florida-based wrestling school with Shawn Spears in 2019.
The 35-year-old Nese started with WWE in 2016 as part of the cruiserweight division and held the Cruiserweight title in 2018-19. He was a 205 Live fixture with some NXT appearances sprinkled in. He did appear once on SmackDown in 2020, losing to Matt Riddle.
Similar to Nese, the 32-year-old Daivari was also a 205 Live and cruiserweight division fixture since starting in 2016. He never held a title during his five years. His brother, Shawn, was recently rehired in a producer role. He tweeted it was time to put sports entertainment behind him and get back to professional wrestling.
Parker and Martel (Jeff Parker and Matt Lee) signed in 2019. They had also been working in both NXT and 205 Live. After nearly two months off, they returned on this week’s NXT in a losing effort to Hit Row (Ashante Adonis and Top Dolla).
Grey (Anthony Greene) signed with WWE in August 2020 and also worked both 205 Live and NXT. In a bit of irony, he will be on Friday’s 205 Live in a match with Grayson Waller while the aforementioned Daivari will face Ikemen Jiro. Grey joked on Twitter that his match is now a loser-leaves-town affair.
Stallion was signed in October 2020 and also was featured on 205 Live. He had recently been cleared to return to action following a wrist injury.
The Singh brothers (Gurvinder Sihra and Harvinder Sihra) started in 2016 and were paired up with then-WWE Champion Jinder Mahal on the main roster in 2017. After nearly two years, they were back on 205 Live. They did each hold the 24/7 title in 2019.
A freestyle wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace, Ruas (Adrian Jaoude) signed in 2015 and was in NXT for nearly his entire run, save an appearance on Raw Underground last year. He has been on the sidelines with an injured bicep and hasn’t been in action since last November.
Shafir, a friend of Ronda Rousey and part of the Four Horsewomen group, signed in 2018 along with Jessamyn Duke. Similar to Ruas, she was in NXT for nearly the duration of her run but made her own Raw Underground appearance. She is married to current NXT roster member Roderick Strong.
Ther 36-year-old Dain (Damian Mackie) signed in 2016 and was part of the Sanity faction that started in NXT and eventually called up to the main roster. After the group was disbanded, he returned to NXT in 2019. He tweeted a lengthy thank you and “see you in 90 days.”
Sabbatelli (Sabatino Piscitelli) was the final name reported Friday, released in his second stint with WWE. Signed in 2014, he was best known for teaming with Riddick Moss in NXT. He was cut in April 2020, re-signed in October but didn’t actually wrestle after he returned. In the between time, he worked one match on AEW Dark.
The debuting Waller was fine in this match. It was a semi-layered squash but not complex enough to accurately read the former Survivor competitor. What was delivered was ok, but the match was limited.
Before the match’s start, commentary made clear Samir Singh, the other half of the Bollywood Boyz, was filming a movie in Bollywood.
Waller gained an early advantage over Sunil. A triangle against the ropes left Sunil gasping for air. After controlling Sunil on the mat, Waller tried for a splash in the corner that Sunil avoided. Sunil capitalised, slamming Waller’s neck into the top rope before hitting two top rope axe handles. On the third, Waller caught Sunil with a superkick. A Seth Rollins style blackout/curb stomp from Waller left him with a pinfall victory.
Ariya Daivari and Tony Nese defeated Asher Hale and Ari Sterling
This was quite good. The odd couple dynamic provided some extra substance to an already exciting match.
Nese and Hale struggled for grappling control in the opening moments, proving to be on near equal footing. Hale refused to tag in a willing Sterling. Hale then gained control over Nese’s arm. Moments later, Hale tagged Sterling in by slapping his chest instead of his extended hand.
Sterling, now legal, gained an advantage over Daivari, which was interrupted when Sterling turned his attention to his estranged partner. Daivari and Nese then unloaded on Sterling in the corner in an attempt to steal momentum by any means. Sterling fought free before sending both of his opponents to the outside. In the team’s first tandem act, Hale lept from the apron to hit Daivari with a knee in the team’s first tandem act as Sterling delivered moonsauce to Nese; Hale refused to fist bump Sterling after the cooperative display.
Hale tagged into the match and took Nese to the mat. Nese fought his way into the ropes, prompting a pull apart, which Daivari took full advantage of, delivering a swift kick to the head of Hale. Nese then hit the prone Hale with a springboard moonsault. Daivari and Nese traded tags, tearing down Hale with significant offence for the first time.
A quick snap suplex allowed Hale to get the hot tag. Sterling connected with a flurry of strikes; a near fall followed after a kick. Hale then tagged himself in, kicking Nese into the ground. Hale forced Daivari to interfere to break up an armbar; this allowed Daivari and Nese to hit a double team uranage that Sterling was forced to break up.
Hale managed to emerge from the chaos that followed the double-teaming with advantage. Hale tried for a superplex that Daivari stuffed as Sterling sneakily tagged in. Sterling used his stealth to land a surprise super rana by gliding over the back of Daivari. Hale tagged back into the match just as the illegal Nese hit Sterling with a superkick. Nese and Daivari lifted Hale and hit a double team facebuster cutter for the win.
It’s becoming a pattern at this point — someone targets Sterling’s leg, Sterling doesn’t care. The consistent leg work in Sterling’s short 205 Live tenure has been a focal point of his opponent’s offense, yet it hasn’t made a lick of difference in Sterling’s offense. Why bother? It’s the same match every week; only it gets worse with every retelling.
Sterling opened the match by connecting with a strong knee strike that sent Sunil to the outside, allowing Samir to take his place while the referee wasn’t looking. The referee soon noticed, saying “you’re the wrong Bollywood Boy.” Sunil connected with a chop block from the chaos and turned his attention to Sterling’s left leg.
Sunil continually attacked the left leg of Sterling, slamming it into the turnbuckle post, dragging it across the ropes, and locking in the Bollywood lock; this didn’t last long as Sterling rallied, flipping as if his leg was fine. An enziguri and a facebuster finish left Sterling with another win.
August Grey defeated Ariya Daivari
This was a fine enough match with plenty of back and forth. Commentary heavily hinted at Grey accepting Kushida’s open challenge, so it’ll be interesting to see if 205 Live will play any role in the cruiserweight title’s future.
A decisive strike from Daivari knocked Grey to the mat, but Grey fought back with a quick neckbreaker. Grey connected with a tope but could not follow up as Daivari caught him as he exited the ring. After Daivari slammed Grey into the ring and into the announce table, the match returned to the ring.
Daivari and Grey struggled for control once they returned to the ring. Daivari hit a Persian splash to the back following a short opening before locking in the camel clutch, but a double clothesline left them back on even footing.
Grey connected with a clothesline and a backdrop that sent Daivari to the outside. Grey slammed Daivari into the cage surrounding the Capitol Wrestling Center attendees, returning the favour.
Daivari slipped free from the fireman’s carry but missed the hammerlock lariat; he instead connected with the hammerlock DDT. Grey ducked another hammerlock lariat and landed with a slam that transitioned into a single leg crab. Daivari barely escaped the submission, only to fall victim to the unprettier. Grey pinned Daivari to close the show.
I wasn’t a fan of this match. Nothing in it was terrible, but nothing in it was approaching substantive.
The match opened with a simple grappling exchange. A belly-to-back suplex from Nese stopped the back and forth.
The middle of the match had Nese gaining an advantage; Hale fought back with strikes. This happened multiple times.
After Nese interrupted a high-risk move, the pair fought into the ropes before tumbling to the outside. The two immediately re-entered the ring and began trading strikes. Hale won out, connecting with a snap German and a kick to the head of Nese, leading to a near fall.
After a rollup reset, Nese tried for a springboard moonsault and failed. Another kick to the head by Asher on Nese signalled the end, as Hale lifted Nese into a choke. Nese tapped out, leaving Hale with a significant win.
Ari Sterling defeated Ariya Daivari
This match was good, but Sterling’s spotty selling, or lack thereof, holds it back from being anything more. I don’t understand the motivation behind a limb work match if the use of said limb is not inhibited in the slightest.
Daivari’s goal became apparent as soon as the match started. He was going to slow the match down and keep Sterling grounded. Daivari took Sterling to the mat, targeting the leg. Daivari connected with a chop block, targeting the leg. Daivari tried for a single leg crab, targeting the leg.
Daivari slammed the leg of Sterling into the ring post before locking in the figure four; Sterling fought free but only after an extended period in the hold. Sterling connected with a jumping kick to the head end Daivari’s control.
Sterling then flipped, kicked, and jumped. He was doing almost everything he could with his leg before sprinkling in some limping.
Sterling connected with moonsauce but was caught by Daivari before he could get back into the ring. Daivari applied a single leg crab to the leg of choice, but Sterling found the rope. Daivari lifted Sterling to the top rope; a struggle followed. Sterling pushed Daivari to the ground before hitting a spiral tap à la AJ Styles. Sterling pinned Daivari to win the match.
Jake Atlas and August Grey defeated Sunil Singh and Samir Singh (The Bollywood Boyz)
This was a stereotypically forgettable 205 Live match; I’m not even sure why it exists.
Sunil started the match by taking Grey to the mat via headlock. After Grey escaped, both Samir and Atlas tagged in. Atlas kicked free from a rollup attempt so forcefully that Samir found himself outside the ring, leaving Atlas in control. Grey maintained this momentum following another tag.
A hot tag allowed Sunil to gain control—a spinning heel kick led to a Singh favored near fall, and a neck breaker followed by an elbow drop led to another.
Atlas stopped a double team maneuver, allowing Atlas to tag Grey into the match. Atlas hit his distracted opponent with a devastating superkick that Grey followed with a crossbody. Grey was successful in the pin that followed.
Chase Parker and Matt Martel (Ever-Rise) defeated Ariya Daivari and Tony Nese
This was a compelling match. formatively unique. Matt Martel played both a victim in need of rescue and conquering hoss in a convincing fashion. Nese and Daivari delivered as always.
The opening exchange saw Nese connect with a quick elbow which he used to take full advantage of the match; Nese and Daivari traded tags, picking apart Martel. After a minutes-long, utterly one-sided beatdown, Martel finally created some separation after a moment of distraction provided by Parker. Nese prevented the tag, restarting the destruction of Martel.
Parker broke up a tag following a Nese moonsault. Nese paid his attention to Parker, allowing Martel to tag into the match for the first time. Parker connected with a barrage of offense, punctuated by a Gory bomb. After Nese kicked out, Parker tried tagging out; Martel was understandably still regaining consciousness outside the ring. Martel tagged in once he could, only to fall victim to a Nese/Daivari double team once more.
Martel managed to sidestep Nese and tag in Parker again. Following an Ever-Rise double team maneuver, Martel tagged in once more, hitting a powerbomb before nearly submitting Nese with a crab; Daivari hit Martel with a superkick to break up the hold. Martel ducked the Daivari hammerlock lariat before hitting Nese with a double stun gun with help from Parker. Nese was pinned, leaving Ever-Rise with a win.
This was one of my favorite 205 Live matches to date. It flew by despite its long runtime. There were highs and lows, all of which worked well.
Grey controlled Mansoor’s head and neck moments into the match. Mansoor tried for some pins but continually fell into Grey’s headlock. A rollup attempt from Mansoor finally provided him with a moment to capitalize; a moonsault left Mansoor ahead for the first time.
A clothesline resulted in a near fall for Mansoor. His offense continued, both on the ground with some basic holds and standing with some nice strikes.
While standing, Mansoor tried for multiple haymakers that Grey ducked. In fact, Mansoor’s strikes were so out of his control that he went flying to the outside. Grey connected with a dive and a crossbody in quick succession.
A fast scramble for control broke out. A German suplex from Mansoor ended the exchange. However, Mansoor was too slow in his follow-up as Grey connected with a boot and a springboard Russian leg sweep.
Mansoor landed on his feet following a toss. He then failed a moonsault overshooting Grey but landing on his feet. Grey caught Mansoor with a superkick and a devastating slam for a convincing near fall. Grey was quick to follow up with an unprettier, but Mansoor rolled outside the ring before Grey could pin him.
The referee’s count climbed to 9, with Mansoor lifeless and Mansoor’s winning streak all but over, but the ever honorable Grey rolled to the outside, breaking the count. For some reason, the fans booed. Grey rolled Mansoor into the ring and was immediately caught in an inside cradle, leaving Mansoor with a win and his streak intact.
Chase Parker and Sunil Singh [Bolly-Rise] (with Matt Martel and Samir Singh) defeated Ariya Daivari and Tony Nese
Other than this being Bolly-Rise’s first victory, there’s nothing special about this one. It had its fun moments and wasn’t bad by any means, but this was mediocre compared to the match that took place prior.
Nese gained an early lead over Sunil, but a quick arm drag left Sunil in control. Parker and Sunil then traded tags, working the arms of Nese. Bolly-Rise seemingly had Nese’s number until a distraction from Daivari allowed Nese to catch Sunil with a clubbing blow.
Daivari tagged in and reasserted his team’s dominance. Nese and Daivari traded tags, slowly picking apart Sunil. After some time, Sunil escaped from a choke and succeeded in a hot tag. Parker took out both Daivari and Nese before hitting the latter with a Gory Bomb. Sunil tagged in and hit an elbow drop; Daivari broke up the pin.
After some chicanery, Nese was left alone in the ring with a distracted Sunil. Nese hit a running hotshot and moonsault before tagging in Daivari, who then hit the Persian splash; Parker broke up the pin.
More trickery ensued, allowing Samir Singh to slide a chain to Daivari. The referee got onto Daivari, providing the perfect distraction for Sunil. Sunil rolled Daivari up for the upset victory that finally got Bolly-Rise into the win column.
The first round of the men’s Dusty Classic will conclude with Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher facing Tony Nese & Ariya Daivari on Friday’s 205 Live episode. Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell will also face Gigi Dolin (Priscilla Kelly) & Cora Jade (Elayna Black) in a women’s Dusty Classic first round match on the show.
Ciampa & Thatcher teaming together in the men’s Dusty Classic was set up after Thatcher defeated Ciampa in their Fight Pit match in the main event of this week’s NXT. Ciampa & Thatcher are replacing Ashante “Thee” Adonis & Desmond Troy in the tournament. There was an angle where Adonis & Troy were taken out of the Dusty Classic after Adonis lost to Karrion Kross on NXT. Kross also put Troy in the Kross Jacket after the match.
The Ciampa & Thatcher vs Nese & Daivari match will decide who advances to face Undisputed Era’s Adam Cole & Roderick Strong in the men’s Dusty Classic quarterfinals.
Cole & Strong, Kushida & Leon Ruff, and The Grizzled Young Veterans have advanced to the quarterfinals from the left side of the men’s Dusty Classic bracket. MSK, Drake Maverick & Killian Dain, Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado, and Legado Del Fantasma’s Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde have advanced from the right side of the bracket.
Along with Zoey Stark (Lacey Ryan), Dolin & Jade are both new WWE signees. Stark is teaming with Marina Shafir against Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon in the first round of the women’s Dusty Classic. The team that wins that match will advance to face either LeRae & Hartwell or Dolin & Jade in the semifinals of the tournament.
The women’s Dusty Classic kicked off with Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter upsetting Toni Storm & Mercedes Martinez on this week’s NXT. Catanzaro & Carter will face either Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez or Aliyah & Jessi Kamea in the semifinals.
Next Friday’s edition of 205 Live will feature matches in both the men’s and women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournaments.
WWE has announced that Ashante “Thee” Adonis & Desmond Troy will face Tony Nese & Ariya Daivari in a men’s Dusty Classic first round match on 205 Live next Friday. There will also be women’s Dusty Classic action on 205 Live next Friday, though the match that will be taking place on the show has yet to be revealed.
Toni Storm & Mercedes Martinez, Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter, Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell, and Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon are the first four teams announced for the women’s Dusty Classic. It was stated on 205 Live tonight that the women’s Dusty Classic will begin on 205 Live next week, but a first round match between Storm & Martinez and Catanzaro & Carter has already been announced for next Wednesday’s NXT.
Undisputed Era’s Adam Cole & Roderick Strong, MSK, The Grizzled Young Veterans, Killian Dain & Drake Maverick, and Legado Del Fantasma’s Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde have advanced to the second round of the men’s Dusty Classic thus far.
Two men’s Dusty Classic first round matches have been announced for next Wednesday’s NXT. Kushida & Leon Ruff will face NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano & Austin Theory, while Imperium’s Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner will face Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado.
The full bracket for the men’s Dusty Classic was revealed earlier this week. It’s a 16-team tournament where the winning team will receive the Dusty Cup and a shot at Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch’s NXT Tag Team titles.
After an opening lockup, Daivari gained the advantage. He taunted Adonis, immediately reversing control in Adonis’s favor. A spinebuster followed by a dropkick sent Daivari to the floor. A missed tackle into the corner left Adonis prone. Daivari slammed Adonis’s leg into the post, creating a target for the rest of the match.
Following a prolonged leg-targeting segment, Adonis finally pushed Daivari away. Adonis took advantage of this separation, connecting with some quick offense before hobbling to the top rope. A massive crossbody and a kip-up left Adonis ahead.
Adonis set up for a superkick to end the match, but failed in execution due to his injured leg. Daivari gained a quick takedown before locking in the figure-four leglock. Adonis struggled in the hold before flipping to apply the pressure to Daivari. Daivari freed himself and landed a uranage. Adonis ducked the hammerlock lariat attempt that followed and connected with the superkick. Adonis hooked the leg and pinned Daivari.
This was a decent match, most notable for its semi-consistent leg injury narrative.
Curt Stallion and August Grey defeated Sunil Singh and Samir Singh (The Bollywood Boyz)
Samir and Grey struggled for control in the opening moments of the match. Following tags from both teams, a double foot stomp left Sunil in deep water. Grey and Stallion then traded tags to further their control.
Grey found himself on the outside of the ring as he tried to follow Sunil. A massive lariat from Samir blindsided the distracted Grey. The Singhs then traded tags of their own, tearing down Grey in the process. This beatdown lasted forever. A Bollywood blast marked the end of the prolonged Grey beatdown, a pin breakup and a hot tag followed.
Stallion hit the ring with fury. A big boot, dropkick, and a DDT left a legal Grey in perfect position for a crossbody. Stallion hit a tope to Sunil and tagged back into the match, only for Samir to block the dive attempt that followed. Sunil pulled Grey to the outside as Samir tried for a quick pin. The match quickly fell out of the Singh’s favor as Stallion landed a pair of headbutts and Grey an unprettier. Grey then pinned Samir to pick up the win.
Playing into a crowd-based match so heavily without an audience to back you up is hard to pull off, to say the least. This match missed the mark in that way
Atlas and Mansoor grappled as the match opened. Mansoor secured a single-leg crab. Atlas kicked Mansoor away, causing an awkward crash into the turnbuckles. A neckbreaker to a prone Mansoor and a forearm left Atlas with a pair of near falls.
Mansoor fought his way free from a headlock and landed a chop block. Mansoor landed two dragon screws and a spinebuster before locking in the scorpion deathlock. Atlas crawled into the bottom rope to break the hold. A surprise neckbreaker from Atlas gave him control.
Atlas tried for a suplex, but his leg gave way, allowing a quick pin attempt from Mansoor. Atlas powered through and landed a brainbuster before climbing to the top rope. Mansoor met Atlas with a dragon screw from the top rope to the mat. Mansoor maintained control of the leg and pinned Atlas.
This was a new side of Mansoor. This had some awkward moments but was well-executed.
Curt Stallion, Chase Parker, and Matt Martel defeated Sunil Singh, Samir Singh, and Ariya Daivari
Daivari gained the advantage for his team in the early going. He then taunted his tag partners, allowing Stallion to create some separation. Sunil stole a tag from Daivari. Stallion, with aid from Ever-Rise, maintained control.
Martel tried his hand at taking on all three of his competitors but fell short. After being overwhelmed by the numbers, Martel found himself on the receiving end of a double suplex. Martel then began his role as the punching bag.
A forced tag from Daivari stopped the Bollywood domination. Daivari immediately lost control of the match, allowing Stallion to tag in. Stallion unloaded on the now legal Samir; a gargantuan DDT left Stallion with a near fall. Stallion and Ever-Rise traded tags, taking out all three members of the opposition.
Daivari tagged back into the match, connecting with multiple strikes on Stallion. Daivari set Stallion up for a Samir dive, but Stallion missed, hitting Daivari instead. An enraged Daivari then announced he was leaving; the Singhs tried to console him. Stallion, not missing a beat, landed a beautiful dive, connecting with all three opponents. Stallion threw Samir back into the ring in time for Ever-Rise to connect with a double flapjack. On the rebound, Stallion connected with a leaping headbutt. Parker pinned Samir for the win.
This was fine enough, considering no one on Earth wants more Bollywood/Ever-Rise matches. Stallion has star potential.
Chase Parker and Matt Martel (Ever-Rise) defeated Sunil Singh & Samir Singh (The Bollywood Boyz)
This rematch started with both members of Ever-Rise jumping the Singh brothers as the opening bell sounded. A brawl spilled the action to the outside. Back inside the ring, Chase Parker and Matt Martel traded tags to pick apart Sunil.
Sunil created an opening by shoving Parker into his corner. Samir tagged in before landing some big fists from the mount. The Singhs traded tags of their own, landing a two-man suplex after stomping a hole in Parker’s chest. Sunil locked in a choke that left Parker desperate for a tag. After Parker broke the hold, Sunil stopped the tag attempt with a spinning heel kick.
Samir tagged in and tried for an assisted diving elbow. Instead of hitting Parker, Samir leveled his brother, leaving Parker open to secure the hot tag. Martel planted both Bollywood Boyz before trading tags with Parker to further their new lead. Ever-Rise lifted Samir and hit him with a double snake eye, a move called “The French Connection” by the commentary team. Martel then hooked the leg and pinned Sunil for the win.
I assume that this match was better than their last. This might be because I forgot this was a rematch until tonight’s bout was nearly over. Ever-Rise’s new intensity should make this match more memorable compared to their leadoff from two weeks prior.
Curt Stallion defeated Ariya Daivari
Ariya Daivari and Curt Stallion traded a wrist lock in the opening moments.The two traded the advantage before Daivari left the ring. On the outside, Stallion landed a headbutt before slamming Daivari into every hard surface surrounding the ring. Stallion went for a dive, but Daivari, like a matador with a muleta, sidestepped Stallion, sending him crashing into the barricade. At the count of nine, Stallion re-entered the ring.
Daivari took full control back inside the ropes. Stallion, try as he might, was unable to string together anything meaningful for some time. Stallion fought free from the camel clutch and initiated a strike exchange, which allowed Stallion to regain some footing; a standing crossbody allowed Stallion to regain the lead. A dropkick to a seated Daivari and a DDT from the corner yielded Stallion the near fall.
Stallion climbed to the top, but Daivari sent him crashing back to the mat. Daivari tried for the hammerlock lariat, but Stallion ducked. Daivari hit a uranage for a near fall of his own. Daivari hit a superkick, which Stallion answered with an air raid crash neckbreaker. Stallion climbed to the top rope and landed a splash for another near fall.
A dropkick from Daivari sent Stallion crashing to the outside. Daivari tried for a splash of his own, but Stallion avoided the move. Stallion then jumped towards Daivari, landing a nasty leaping headbutt. Stallion then pinned Daivari.
This match was fun. Stallion has a real charisma about him, and Daivari’s work was strong. All in all, a good watch.
