Welcome back to Paradigm Pro Wrestling and the UWFI Contender’s Series. It’s week three and the company has more hard-hitting to enjoy today, also touting to have one of the most entertaining hours of wrestling. In this episode we’d see, AKIRA vs Yoya the Shooterweight, Hardway Heeter taking on Chase Holliday, Lord Crewe’s second fight of the series against Austin Connelly, and Big Beef Gnarls Garvin taking on Crash Jaxon. Let’s get into the action!

As always, let’s quickly recap the rules of the series. Victories can come from knock-out, TKO, submission, and by having more points than your opponents by the end. You won’t win by DQ, pinfall, or count-out. There’s no frills or pageantry, just knock your opponent down, try to tap them out, or Suplex them on their heads. If your opponent goes for the ropes or gets knocked down, then they lose points so try to drain those 15 points fast. You can only use open strikes to the head and neck, can’t use dirty tricks so keep your dick kicks at home and stay in the ring as you can’t intentionally leave at any time.

Big Beef Gnarls Garvin defeated Crash Jaxon via Doctor Bomb

First up was Big Beef’s shot at redemption after his episode one loss to Lord Crewe. He’d not have an easy fight though as he was fighting fellow big man and also fellow episode one loss sufferer, Crash Jaxon. The pair started with a cagey stand-off and tried for stiff kicks or head strikes. Jaxon landed more stiff kicks but Garvin fired back with a slew of hard strikes into some grounded crossfaces. Jaxon escaped by picking the leg and the pair stood off again. The stiff leg kicks continued to fly and Jaxon tried to hit some jumping knees but Garvin caught him into a belly to belly. Jaxon took until the count of seven to make it up, losing points for this. Jaxon got angrier and downed Beef with a single-leg and tried for an armbar but Beef was in the ropes. He’d sacrificed a point to avoid danger. They got to their feet one final time and Beef took the win with a German Suplex and Doctor Bomb. Jaxon couldn’t meet the ten-count and Beef was declared the winner. Big Beef was finally on the winner’s board. it wasn’t quite a nose break like he’d have wanted but he did put on an entertaining powerhouse fight while Jaxon made everyone wince with those leg kicks. Beef called out Lord Crewe for another match, this time wanting Crewe to knock him out or get knocked out.

Mid-West Championship Chain: Chase Holliday defeated Hardway Heeter via Seated Elbow Barrage

@HardwayHeeter vs @ChaseHollidayX @ParadigmProWres #UWFiContenders series, episode 3, available now! https://t.co/Yiv6PIoDAg pic.twitter.com/RbYx7d3BKs

— Joy Denham (@JoyDenham) January 8, 2021

The second fight of the night was a double series debut. Hardway Heeter and Chase Holliday were about to go to war in what was sure to be a hard-hitting affair. Holliday had come back from the dead and claimed the Mid-West Territory gold chain so he was more than capable of picking up big wins. Things started on the mat as Holliday took Heeter down and tried for a choke. The duo continued to fight over holds and submissions as Holliday tried to use his size advantage to keep Heeter grounded. He nearly locked on an arm breaker but Heeter sacrificed a point with a rope-break. Heeter got to his feet and peppered Holliday with strikes but got dumped on his head with a German and lost more points. The same thing happened again in reverse as Holliday lit up Heeter with strikes and Heeter dropped Holliday with a German. Holliday returned to his feet in a daze and was instantly knocked back down by a hard forearm from Heeter. The quick knockdowns came thick and fast as Holliday scored another count with a second German and Heeter did the same with a Vertical. Heeter thought it would be a good idea to trash talk so Holliday climbed to his feet and rocked Heeter with a flying knee into a Saito. He wouldn’t let the ref count and downed Heeter repeatedly with more Germans, then ended the match with a seated elbow barrage. The Beast King had been challenged and come out on top once again. Heeter found out the hard way that you shouldn’t trash talk until your opponent is fully out for the count. What a fight though, this one was nasty. Don’t come for Holliday’s chain or he will kill you.

Lord Crewe defeated Luke Connelly via Ground and Pound Ref Stoppage

@LordCreweKills vs @mdcon420 @ParadigmProWres #UWFiContenders series, episode 3, available now! https://t.co/Yiv6PIoDAg pic.twitter.com/4WXVWRsR6J

— Joy Denham (@JoyDenham) January 8, 2021

After that was the bare-knuckle berserker Lord Crewe in his second UWFI rules fight. He’d won his first one in pretty quick fashion, was he going to do the same again? He was fighting someone with less experience but more insanity, which given some of Crewe’s matches is hard to believe. Connelly instantly charged Crewe and assailed him with strikes in the corner, then slammed him to the floor for another barrage of strikes. Crewe was able to control the maniac on the floor and gave him a pummeling series of shots to the kidneys and head but made the mistake of going for some kind of Suplex and got caught into a guillotine. Crewe slammed him against a turnbuckle to break free and kicked Connelly in the head but once again Connelly seemed unaffected. He charged again and tanked yet more shots to the head to throw Crewe with a Gutwrench Suplex. Crewe took his time to get up and went back after Connelly’s head, nailing him with a German. A cyclone boot followed but Connelly made it to his feet again and tried to charge but Crewe was ready. One final sickening stretch of strikes played out until Crewe grounded Connelly with a sliding forearm and ended him with a barrage of ground and pound strikes. The ref stopped the match and Crewe had finally been able to put down this nigh on the unstoppable monster. There was nothing pretty here but Connelly could take a beating and Crewe was more than happy to dish one out. If you were complaining these matches aren’t violent enough for you, then you were just given the best present of all. Crewe also responded to Beef’s challenge, offering to fight him anytime and promising to knock his ass out.

AKIRA defeated Yoya via Kimura-Plex to Kimura Lock

Last but not least, the big main event. It would be the Death Samurai AKIRA showing off his catch as catch can side against the experienced MMA fighter and wrestler, Yoya AKA the Shooterweight. AKIRA had a size advantage but Yoya had the experience factor. I’d say going in this was a pretty open fight. No respect was shown as Yoya gave AKIRA the finger and the pair grappled to the mat. AKIRA tried for a kneebar and arm breaker but Yoya had counters and eventually, AKIRA was backed into a corner and trash-talked again. Yoya told him he needed to try harder so when he ran at AKIRA, AKIRA knocked him down with a knee strike. Back on his feet, Yoya had to tank hard kicks and tried to work around AKIRA but AKIRA was persistent and took Yoya over with a belly to belly. Yoya used this to his advantage though and transitioned to a full mount and struck AKIRA in the face. He tried for an armbar but AKIRA took him over and locked up his arm forcing Yoya to lose more points to a rope break. AKIRA was taken to the mat again so Yoya caved his chest in with a double-stomp. Yoya tried to pick a leg but AKIRA did the same and we got a leg submission stand-off (okay lie off.) Both sat up, still clutching the other’s leg, and traded palm strikes. That was yielding few results so AKIRA stunned Yoya with a headbutt and locked in an inverted Indian Deathlock. Yoya made the ropes again and the pair rose for another array of strikes and kicks. AKIRA cost Yoya more points with an overhead belly to belly and Yoya nearly did the same with a jumping knee into a Saito. AKIRA was straight back up and took out Yoya with a running back elbow and after getting into another super-heated exchange with Yoya, knocked him down with a Kappu Kick. Yoya tried for another armbar and triangle but AKIRA muscled him up and shook him off for a lethal head kick. He then dropped Yoya on his head with a German and snapped up an arm for a Kimura-Plex and submitted Yoya seconds later with a Kimura Lock. Yoya had given AKIRA hell but the UWFI Samurai had persevered and won in nasty fashion. Both guys here got the showing of the century. I now get why the fight was being hyped to the moon because it honestly was that good.

Incredible!!#UWFiContenders @ParadigmProWres pic.twitter.com/ZBtVdmfGPu

— Joy Denham (@JoyDenham) January 7, 2021

Yoya showed respect after the fight and AKIRA was denied a post-match interview by the White Trash Messiah, Ron Mathis. DDTrash weren’t too pleased about the loss of their tag titles and wanted to send a message to The Rejects through him by smashing him in the dick multiple times. I doubt this is the last we’ve seen of Mathis and AKIRA this series. What a bitter end to one hell of an episode. Two of my favourite fights of the series took place here as Crewe straight-up murdered a psycho and AKIRA took Yoya to the limit in an absolute masterclass. Next week we’ll see Isaiah Broner will get his shot at the Hoodfoot Mo Atlas for the Heavy Hitters title, Don’t Die Miles fights Yoya, Janai Kai and Tommy Kyle Dean have a battle of the black belts and Robert Martyr gets to prove himself again in a match against Jeffery John. See you then for more UWFI action.

This WEDNESDAY on #UWFiContenders on @indiewrestling:

Heavy Hitters Title@IsaiahBroner v @HoodFoot418 (C)

Featherweight Showcase@theonlyoya v @DontDieMiles

Battle of the Black Belts@Janai_Kai v @TomKwonDo_

Providing Grounds Fight@TheStretcherRM v @IamJeffreyJohn pic.twitter.com/SLzXiAcL8R

— Paradigm Pro Wrestling (@ParadigmProWres) January 8, 2021

All images courtesy of Paradigm Pro Twitter, Joy Denham