We are going to go straight into this one, this is another company I’ve heard about through social media and once again thanks to the Independent Wrestling TV app, I now have finally got a chance to see one of Paradigm’s events, this one being, So Far Gone.
IWTV Independent Wrestling Championship: WARHORSE vs Bradley Prescott IV
Before the match, it was easy to see the atmosphere was played for laughs as the number of nicknames that Prescott came up for himself that almost rivalled that of David Starr, and WARHORSE not to be outdone, stated that he is “the master of rolling ass”, and that this was his twenty-ninth defence of his IWTV Wrestling Championship.
The match turned serious just before the bell sounded as the Ace of Paradigm, Prescott, threw an Eight Pack of Beers at the Champion and hit a dropkick. Overcoming this early onslaught as the bell sounded, WARHORSE went on the attack and both men battled on the outside.
Both matched each other evenly and treaded chops. From WARHORSE connecting with a dropkick through the ropes to Prescott launching himself with a plancha over the ropes, as said it was pretty even.
As stated the tone throughout the match was serious, but WARHORSE found a way to interject comedy into it, as Prescott rammed WARHORSE’s head into the turnbuckle to no effect, commentary stated this illustrious fact, “You don’t bang someone’s head who is a headbanger”, and true to form the Champion showed no ill effects and instead rammed his own head into the turnbuckle while giving the Heavy Metal sign and then threw his opponent’s head into the turnbuckle.
From there the match cranked up to eleven, (Spinal Tap reference people) and the two traded offence’s as Prescott attached WARHORSE’s legs to the turnbuckle, Prescott climbed to the parallel turnbuckle to hit a coast to coast…but after teasing it and looking at the height of the ring and the ceiling (it’s a low ceiling) jumped down and hit a running dropkick to the sign of relief from everyone (but not Warhorse, he just got hit by a dropkick). But the Champion wasn’t done yet and fought on to striking with a Liger Bomb and a low running lariat to get a hard-fought win and a deserved win.
Shawn Kemp vs Brett Ison
Straight up this was a titanic effort by Kemp, as Ison right from the get-go displayed that on this night he was on another level. As soon as the bell rang, Ison connected with one forearm that looked to knock Kemp out, and then a second that had Kemp rolling to the outside.
It was a methodical display by Ison who slowly and patiently dissected his opponent, with a decapitating clothesline, brutal knife edge chops, a stinging head butt and combination of running knee, then running dropkick to the face that left Kemp almost completely knocked out…
Almost that is, the crowd cheered to Kemp who appeared to find some energy connecting with a stunner, a suicide dive threw the ropes and a Swanton off the turnbuckle but it was when he leapt off the second turnbuckle again, he fell straight into a fist connecting to his face. Ison was brutal and ended the bout victorious with the kill-shot (holding him opponents arm while they are on their knees and striking with a running knee to the face).
PPW Tag Team Title Match: DD Trash (Bruce Grey & Ron Mathis) vs Awesome Odyssey (Chris Copeland & Jack Andrews)
No matter what happened in this match, there would be NEW PPW Tag Team Champions. DD Trash knew they had to do everything to make sure they got every advantage in this match and even by making sure they had their entrances first, why? So they could sneak attack the Awesome Odyssey before the bell had rung.
It was a clever plan and would pay dividends for them throughout the bout as during their attack, they dropped Andrews on his head on the concrete floor. This would eliminate Andrews for the time being but Copeland displaying exactly why he is the fans favourite launched into a series of dropkicks on DD Trash and demanded the bell ring.
But despite having the heart to fight, the numbers game would take its toll. Every time he would gain an advantage, he would be outnumbered, every time he looked to gain momentum, he would be shut down. The only saving grace he would have would be that the arrogance of DD Trash began to overshadow their judgement by focusing on taunting the crowd and using lazy covers for the pin.
However, amazingly Andrews made it to his corner (still nursing his neck) and was tagged in, he was relentless in his assault, to help his tag team partner and then united, they stuck with running kicks, duelling roundhouse kicks, Andrews even hit a moonsault off Copelands back, a cutter from the top turnbuckle, and Copeland hit a frog splash from top turnbuckle. But the pain Andrews displayed from his neck took its toll and immediately once Mathis saw his chance. When Gray fought with Copeland outside the ring, he struck with a blind tag to hit a savage DDT on Andrews, get the win and then the DD Trash became the NEW PPW Tag Team Champions.
Billie Starkz vs The Kenway
The fans were solidly behind Starkz as she entered this match, in contract to Kenway, flanked by Camaro Jackson who both were mercilessly booed by the fans. The match started off in Kenway’s favour who had shown no respect in the direction of his opponent, as he used grappling techniques to gain the upper hand leading into a scorpion deathlock and then punishing the back of Starkz neck.
The disrespect continued as Starkz lay on the canvas, Kenway decided to do press up’s in front of her that received an immediate response, a punch to the face. From there Starkz continued to mount a comeback but every time she tried, from out of nowhere Jackson would strike and it started to seem that this was a handicapped match.
However, despite the overwhelming odds, Starkz has proved that she wasn’t afraid to fight against anyone and with encouragement from the crowd staged that comeback, hitting a Meteora, a snap suplex into the turnbuckle and just when it seemed she would get the win, Jackson again would be the difference maker by pulling the referee out as she went for the pin.
As the action was going on outside the ring, Kenway seized his opportunity and attacked a distracted Starkz and ruthlessly struck with a devastating lariat, and went for the pin for the one, two…and then he pulled her up and maliciously hit her with a piledriver to get the three count.
Calvin Tankman vs Thomas Shire joined with Kenway
Before the match, it looked like Kenway alongside Camaro Jackson had recruited Shire, however, they decided that Shire could handle Tankman on his own…mistake.
The match itself was just chaos, both men delivering chops, forearms and just letting it all go before Tankman ‘yeeted’ Shire out the ring (for yourself and myself ‘yeeted’ is when you shoulder tackle someone out the ring). But that was when the match descended into a fight as Tankman destroyed Shire with blistering chops and threw him all over the first four rows. He continued to destroy his opponent with a running splash while Shire he was perched on the seats.
Shire attempted to get back into the match or at least survive it by dodging another running strike attempt by Tankman who hit the corner post. As both men entered the ring, Tankman once again regained the advantage and hitting a spinebuster and a driver to get the win.
Reed Bentley vs Freddie Hudson
This match never looked to stay in the ring from the beginning as both men fought around ringside, but at this point, the fight looked even, that was until Bentley hit a suplex on the outside, not mat, just concrete, and then he awkwardly grabbed Hudson, driving him to the concrete floor again afterwards.
As the crowd cheered to spur Hudson on he managed a fightback connecting with a twisting corkscrew splash and a cutter from outside the ring to drive Bentley to the canvas. Hudson continued his onslaught by tripping Bentley into the turnbuckle and then hitting several running kicks to the face, at several points, it looks as Hudson would get the win but as he lowered his knee pad to hit his finisher, Bentley extended his middle finger salute before throwing Hudson and striking with a devastating forearm for the pinfall.
Zay Washington vs Tre Lamar
This match was a completely different style of the smash-mouth wrestling the fans had witnessed earlier, this was fast-paced action and filled with quick agility and must-see action. Newcomer to Paradigm, Washington was quick to make a name for himself as he hit out with a running dropkick and suicide dive on Lamar.
On the back foot, Lamar showed exactly why he is well respected within this promotion as he fought back with forearms, a corkscrew suplex into the falcon arrow, and even a slingshot from outside to the ring to into the ring.
As both men looked to have this match even, Washington hooked in a waist lock until Lamar ever the opportunist hit a low blow without the referee witnessing it and then spiked him with a drive to the canvas. After that, it was the one, two and three.
But both excelled in this bout and I personally look forward to seeing more from them.
PPW Title Match: Cole Radrick vs Dominic Garrini
This PPW Title Match was a demolition for the most part as Champion Radrick was overpowered and simply beaten down throughout most of it by a relentless Garrini. Throughout this match Garrini punished the Champion, every time Radrick attacked, Garrini had an answer to combat him and that answer was accompanied with extremely painful manoeuvres.
Garrini looked to have the match won on more than one occasion and was just devastating in his assault of the Champion. Every time Radrick looked to gain a slim advantage, you had a feeling it was short-lived and as long as the match went, that is exactly what happened until the end…
As Garrini who remained dominant locked in a triangle choke hold it would be Radrick who would step over him and lock him in a cradle to get an unbelievable three count, to shock this viewer and the audience too. Garrini was pissed and so was some of the fans but that is why Radrick is still PPW Champion.
However it wasn’t over, as Radrick walked to the back, he was attacked by Bobby Beverly. A devastating assault that saw Radrick’s friend Billie Starkz come to his aid only to be flattened by Beverly using the Championship belt. And then Beverly continued to assault officials to leave fans in the building to stunned silence. A statement made to the Champion and the fans.
Hardcore Match: John Wayne Murdoch vs Nolan Edwards
Within the ring, four tables, on the outside, kendo sticks and steel chairs. Paradigm was going hardcore and if anyone was in any doubt of that, the first move Murdoch made was putting Edwards through a table with a death valley driver.
That set the tone and it continued throughout as both men fell outside the ring everything came into play with Hardcore specialist Murdoch being the conductor for the madness. The kendo sticks were used, the chairs were used, hell even the front row of people were used to inflict chaps on a defenceless Edwards.
The insanity continued as Edwards found himself driven through another table on the outside of the ring and even suplexed onto a steel chair. Easy to say, Edwards was having a punishing night especially after Murdoch inflicted a brainbuster on him through a third table.
Edwards attempted to fight back, after hitting a spear on Murdoch with the table behind him, but the table didn’t break (cue the I AM THE TABLE chants). One spear clearly wasn’t enough, the second spear was though. The two gladiators continued to fight for near 25 minutes but it was Edwards who would get the upset win after executing a spinning neck breaker off the ropes and then a second spinning neck breaker to drive the point home.
A hell of a show, but this event it would have been better if more fans were in attendance to see it live. I’ve stated before that fans at an event can make any event a lot better with the atmosphere and judging from these bouts, Paradigm has the talent and has the storylines if more fans went to see it live (I can’t, I live in Scotland) I know they wouldn’t be disappointed.
Screencaps courtesy of Paradigm Pro Wrestling