At the moment I’m sat on the couch and wanting to watch some wrestling, I turn on the WWE Network and it doesn’t appeal to me as much, not that it’s bad, it’s just I’ve seen it and I’ve rewatched my favourite matches. I look on the Fite TV app, and yeah I’ve seen the latest AEW events but I want something different. Wrestling with… I can’t place it but I feel both promotions aren’t grabbing me as much as it did before.
So, I go looking for promotions I’ve heard of, but being from Scotland, the chances of seeing them live, very slim. I look on the Independent Wrestling TV app, there is a barrage of Promotions and some I have wanted to see for a while, among them Freelance Wrestling. Freelance Wrestling is based in Chicago, I’ve heard they host excellent wrestling and their fans create an awesome atmosphere within their events. I check if the app has an up to date event and straight away Freelance 2020: A Freelance Odyssey from January. That’s me convinced and I pay the subscription fee, $9.99 per month and let it begin.
Scramble Match: Kobe Durst vs Acid Jaz vs Atticus Cogar vs Danhausen vs Gregory Iron vs Kody Lane vs Mark Wheeler vs Project MONIX
The main show kicked off with a scramble match, the winner would receive a Freelance World Championship shot against Kylie Rae at the conclusion of the night. Now this match, if I ever needed an introduction in Freelance Wrestling and this goes for fans old and new, this is one to watch. The action was fast and also furious, I’ll substitute Vin Diesel diving out of a car for Danhausen kicking his opponents to the theme of Tequila in the middle of a match anytime, every time.
Every member of this match had their chance to shine, from Acid Jaz demonstrating fantastic agility throughout the bout, to Danhausen combining flawless comedy (no swearing thank you) with ruthless aggression. Also, Wheeler proved his intent by making high impact moves, Iron was brutal with his strikes and looked to have the match won on more than one occasion. However, as the match drew to an epic conclusion, MONIX strung a series of moves together, connecting with a facebuster, bulldog, spear, to everyone else in the match and then a second from the second turnbuckle to Cogar, whom he looked to pin until, Durst who also looked excellent throughout the bout, flew from the top turnbuckle to strike both men with a splash and covered Cogar to get the surprise win.
Frank The Clown & Robert Anthony vs The Yardy Boyz (Alex Ohlson & Rickey Shane Page)
Oh, the Freelance faithful really hate Frank the Clown, “Fuck You Clown! Fuck Frank!” Yup the fans here will tell you how it is, that’s amazing. What’s more amazing? Seeing Rickey Shane Page come to the ring with The Hardy Boyz theme. Within seconds of the match starting Frank was tagged in and just as he was about to lock up with Page, instead he extended two middle fingers, shouted “fuck you” and tagged back out to a chorus of boos from the crowd.
That set the tone of the match as Frank continued to scream abuse at The Yardy Boyz but as their name implies, The Yardy Boyz are a version of The Hardy Boyz and both Ohlson & Page worked in tandem much like their WWE counterparts. I mean from the duel double elbows to the springboard leaping splash onto their opponent in the corner you really wouldn’t have noticed the difference…kinda.
As the match progressed it was Anthony who was demonstrating his power display torturing the smaller Ohlson, executing a camel clutch and a military press slam with ONE hand. Ricky managed to get the hot tag and powered on by the fans channelled his inner Jeff Hardy even connecting a Swanton from the top turnbuckle.
The Yardy Boyz looked to have the win in their hands as Page hit a chokeslam on Frank while Ohlson hit him with a backstabber, but suddenly Anthony struck Ohlson with cyclone suplex leaving him motionless as he then battled Page allowing Frank to get the pin and the venom poured from the fans reached new levels.
Laynie Luck vs Elayna Black
The Sorceress of Sin, Black, faced a woman who has won her last three matches, Luck. Both women have developed a rivalry since Freelance’s show back in September, “I Want to Believe” and now both were finally going to settle things.
The match was fast-paced right from the start as Black went on the attack but Luck countered her ground offence by using a series of aerial attacks such as suicide dive to outside the ring, cross body splash from the second turnbuckle and a Swanton. The match descended into chaos as both women fought brutally on the outside, fighting around the ring it was Black getting the advantage.
She focused her attack on Luck’s lower back with a series of vicious kicks and suplexes. And then used a move that had me grabbing my own mouth, using her Tarot Death card to the mouth of Luck and swiping causing a paper cut. Just damn right? But Luck who has demonstrated just how resourceful she is in her previous matches managed to get the win by placing the card of Death in Black’s mouth and hitting a cutter from the second turnbuckle to the delight of the fans.
Freelance Legacy Title: Effy vs Dan The Dad
Billed as Dad vs Daddy. No really, this is ludicrously brilliant. The fans reached fever pitch early on as Dan the Dad, ‘Your Dad’s favourite wrestler’ stood in shock as Effy announced that the Winner keeps the Title but the Loser gets a spanking. “That way if my night ends poorly I still get spanked by my dad”.
A superb fun match that began with both demonstrating amateur wrestling grappling style, that developed into a full-on wrestling bout. The Dad, who was focused on trying to get the hold up on trying to keep that match to strict wrestling couldn’t really handle the fact that Effy, who was a subtle as a sledgehammer, kept trying to get him to either spank him or place his ass near his face.
As the match continued the fans were loving every moment of it. Both men didn’t hold anything back as Effy has made it clear since winning the Title on social media that he wants to carve out his own Legacy with his recent captured Championship, and the Dad wanted to prove why he’s your Dad’s favourite wrestler. As the match came to an ending, as Dan went to strike Effy with his belt, he fell victim to a rollup to get the win. True to his word, Dan found himself getting spanked by the belt and as for the Legacy Champion? He couldn’t leave the night without having his ass spanked too.
Kenny Sutra vs Darin Corbin
Next, it was Sutra versus Corbin in what was billed as a grudge match. Sutra was once part of Corbin’s faction, the ‘Take It Homewreckers’ until Corbin kicked him out and since last year, Sutra has wanted revenge.
This match was a stark contrast to the previous matches, while the others were fast-paced, both men in this bout slowed things down and delved more into the emotion and the hatred both had for each other. Corbin was vicious throughout and used his size to overpower Sutra. He punished Sutra over and over again gaining a near fall after near fall after using a ginger spear.
It wasn’t completely one-sided as Sutra got back into the match, he connected with a double stomp, a sliced bread but the match came to an end when he reached to the top turnbuckle to hit his finisher and then a ‘fan photographer’ who had appeared at ringside, who made his presence throughout the match, climbed to the ring post and pushed Sutra off causing a DQ.
To the shock and rage of the fans, the ‘photographer’ was Corbin’s ‘Take it Homewreckers’ fellow member Bucky Collins and they both attacked a vulnerable Sutra. As it looked like the two men would destroy their former colleague, The Four Star Heroes appeared with chair and kendo stick in hand to make the save. Save to say, this isn’t over.
Freelance World Tag Team Title Match: The Space Pirates (Shane Sabre & Space Monkey) © vs GPA & Jesus Bryce (w/Elayna Black).
Now I love tag team wrestling and this was a fine example of a story told by five people. Bryce is a two-time Freelance Tag team Champion, GPA is Freelance Underground Champion, The Space Pirates have successfully defended their Titles since August and Black is devious as she is a skilled wrestler.
Straight up, the fans were loving Space Monkey and to be honest what’s not to love, from his costume to using his tail as a weapon (it’s not a DQ as it’s his tail), checking GPA’s hair for bugs and an amazing array of high flying moves. This didn’t overshadow Sabre who used his size and strength to compliment Monkey’s fast-paced style throughout the match.
But the makeshift team of GPA and Bryce may have had some communication problems throughout the match, they both proved to be an incredible threat to the Champions. From Bryce hitting a Crucifix powerbomb into a turnbuckle, GPA using low blow, and Black pulling the referee out of the ring just as The Pirates looked to capture the win.
This match was chaotic in an excellent way and concluded with a run in from Acid Jazz who blew mist into GPA’s face to allow Monkey to hit him with his tail and Zabre taking him out with a spear to get another win.
Isaias Velazquez vs Arik Cannon
This match was quick compared to the others on the card, very quick. However, what I’ve learned from this is: If I’m hosting a party, I’m inviting Arik Cannon and making sure there’s a lot of beer, I will not invite Velazquez as he demonstrated he likes to destroy cans of beer. Should also be noted that during this match the crowd chanted, “You sick Fuck” as Velazquez destroyed that beer can.
The match certainly had its highlights though, Cannon’s love for his can of beer is so high that he ran the ropes and ducked a clothesline while holding an open can of beer much to the amusement of the fans. The fun had to end as Velazquez managed to get the pin by a rollup with the assistance of the second rope. As the commentator said, “We’ve seen him do nefarious ways to win”. Both men I feel could have gone much longer in this match and I’d want to see more of that.
Freelance World Title Match: Kylie Rae (c) vs Kobe Durst
Last year Kylie Rae managed to capture the World Championship from Ethan Page receiving celebrations from within the Wrestling Community and on this night would mark her first Title defence. Durst managed to be triumphant in an excellent match from earlier but it took its toll as he injured his left knee.
I have to say The Pokemon Theme has never been more suited than being sung by wrestling fans, as Rae made her way to the ring. This certainly had a big match feel and the Freelance Wrestling fans had a big part of that. The Freelance Faithful set duelling chants of “Lets Go Kobe! Let’s Go Kylie!” and it was consistent throughout.
Now, I’m used to seeing Rae all smiles but as this match developed, the fans got to see a completely different side of her. Right from the start, she went for a handshake and as Durst extended his hand she struck with a dragon screw to his injured leg. This was a sign of things to come for the match as Rae had tunnel vision for his leg and targeted it continuously.
Rae grounded Durst, using leg locks, single leg Boston Crabs and even resorting to wrapping his left leg around the ring post and grape-vining it. The more Durst would attempt to fight back, the more Rae would become more aggressive with even brutal kicks to the leg.
Durst has earned his way to this match and wasn’t ready to give up, he would strike with chops so hard you could see some fans in attendance lose a part of their souls, and even connecting with a hurricanrana from the top turnbuckle. Rae would again target the left leg, striking with a Russian leg sweep, into the Charity case (crossface) and from there the match got taken outside as Rae connected with a back body cross onto the ring apron and then ruthlessly hitting Durst’s leg with the guard rail. The exciting Championship match would come to an end as Durst missed his Ram Jam (splash from the top turnbuckle) and Rae capitalised by using the STFU and getting the win.
It wasn’t over though, as she stood victorious yet exhausted she was then attacked by two men wearing yellow masks. One took the microphone and the other locked her in a chokehold. As she lay there vulnerable they took their masks off, it was Frank the Clown and Robert Anthony.
As the show concluded, they left her motionless in the ring with Frank the Clown leaving these parting words, “You embarrassed me, nobody embarrasses Frank the Clown… you’re staring in the eyes of two hungry sharks bitch!”, then to the crowd, “February 7th will be the last time you see Kylie Rae”.
On February 7th, all eyes will be in Chicago for Send in the Clowns and based on this event, I would highly recommend you do as well, I know I will.
Screencaps courtesy of Freelance Wrestling