Welcome back to Paradigm and to another round of UWFI action. We have another five fights to delve into as the gloves come off and we get to embrace some UWFI craziness amongst the disciplined technical warfare. On the cards tonight we’d see, Trever Aeon vs Jackson Stone in a Suplex showcase, Sage Philips showing off some more mat wizardry against Weber Hatfield, Orion Starlight taking on Zeke Mercer, Dimitri Alexandrov battling the closest Paradigm has to a bear in Tanner Keeler and lastly in the main event, a six-man car crash as DDT collide with the Ben Shearin Brand. Once again, we find ourselves enjoying another spectacle of hard-hitting, high-impact action so let’s waste no more time and get into the action… after this recap of the rules.

As it’s UWFI, we’re not just wrestling. There’s a specific set of rules to follow. Matches can be won by submission, knockout, ref stoppage, or, by draining your opponent of points. How do you do that exactly? Well, rope breaks, suplexes with intent to KO, and knockdowns will all drain various amounts of points. You run out of your 15 allotted points; you lose. Points can also be lost for intentionally breaking the code of conduct so fight clean or pay the price. Fights are meant to be short, sweet, and as deadly as possible. Let’s see who benefitted today, shall we?

Jackson Stone defeated Trever Aeon via Arm-Capture German Suplex

Up first tonight was a battle between two of the strongest competitors and strongest characters in the division. The Suplex Shogun, Jackson Stone was taking on the Devil himself, Trever Aeon. Both guys have a creative repertoire of Suplexes and strikes so this was going to get interesting. It was a pretty fast affair but definitely as impactful as expected. Aeon struck fast and first with a Suplex on Stone but that was all he really got as Stone proceeded to unleash a furious storm of varied Suplexes on the Hell King Supreme. It was definitely an intimidating display from Stone that left Aeon too broken to beat the 10-count. The Devil had come to Indiana looking for a soul to steal but he was left in more of a bind as Stone wiped him out. I hope this ain’t the last we see of Aeon. As I said the last time we saw him in action, I love his character and I look forward to seeing more of what his unique mix of training can provide. Post-match, after praising his competition, Stone spelt out his intentions to give Alex Kane all those Suplexes after Kane gave him a foot in the balls at their last meeting. Don’t piss off a Shogun because he will hunt you down.

Orion Starlight defeated Zeke Mercer via Kneed to Death

Up next was the return of two newcomers to the division. Both Orion Starlight and Zeke Mercer have had one fight this season and now, they were getting a second fight against each other. Both have great amateur skills but Mercer was looking to show no mercy in this one now they had an opponent that was closer to their size. What a grappling masterclass. Mercer got to show more of their rapid technicality but never really got to unleash their martial-arts expertise as Starlight continuously kept up the pressure, matching the technicality on show. It all made for a competitive mix of scrambling and striking that saw Starlight come out on top. Both fighters are great at what they do and it made for another fast and furious fight. Mercer got knocked out by knee strikes but had held on as long as possible. It made for a compelling watch and an excellent example of what the two are capable of. I feel both punched their tickets to the next season with this performance. Once he’d got his breath back, Starlight promised to keep bringing soul to the ring as light always shines brightest in the dark.

Tanner Keeler defeated Dimitri Alexandrov via Forearm Rampage

Hell yeah. Vladimir Putin’s least-favourite wrestler, Dimitri Alexandrov, and the Wildcard Tanner Keeler were back in action for another shot at UWFI glory. Alexandrov had survived the UWFI curse by beating his first opponent but now he was going to have to bring his bear-fighting skills to task against one of the rising stars of the division, Tanner Keeler. It would be scraggy style vs Amateur Style excellence. Only one could win here and neither man was going to go down easy. Keeler had the upper hand going into this one as he took Alexandrov down and kept him smothered under multiple different amateur holds. He was in his element and looked relaxed as he tactically trapped Alexandrov to the mat. The complexion of the match changed once Alexandrov landed a monster knee to the face, leading to an intense strike-fest and Keeler started throwing bodies. In the end, Keeler got the win with another takedown and a flurry of well-placed forearms, ending things fast. Alexandrov once again showed an excellent scrappiness and opportunistic striking approach but this time he couldn’t beat the bear and Keeler ended up forcing a stoppage. It was very entertaining and a great fight for both. Keeler had just beaten a bear fighter and as such, he was calling his shot. He wanted another one with the Mad Dog, Austin Connelly. He was going to be Paradigm’s animal control.

Sage Philips defeated Weber Hatfield via Anaconda Vice

It was time for something a bit more technical as the Ring Wizard Sage Philips looked to get into it with the Groundout Grappler, Weber Hatfield. Both have managed to have impressive showings this season and were looking to keep the trend going by taking each other to the limit. There was going to be a lot of skill shown throughout this one. Well, this took the top spot of the show so far. It started with Philips kicking away a handshake and instantly trying to get to work. A methodical start showed the pair feeling each other out and trying to get their hooks in before Hatfield exploded to life and picked up the pace with explosives strikes, kicks and Suplexes. Philips matched the intensity and we got a fast-paced, vicious encounter with the pair trying to KO each other with their strikes and Suplexes. Hatfield gave it his all again, rising and fighting back after being blasted by a Shining Wizard but Philips just changed tact and tapped him out instead after some of the nastiest forearms of the season. It was all really damn good and another high-quality fight from both fighters. Philips has his first win and he wants a shot at an all too familiar foe, Cole Radrick.

DDTrash (Ron Mathis, Bruce Grey & Tyler Voxx) vs The Ben Shearin Brand (Dustin Leonard, Lobo Okami & Brutus Dylan) ends in no contest

Last but not least, the main event. We were in for a bit of anarchy as two of the biggest factions in the division collided for supremacy. DDTrash and The Brand have constantly been circling the Brass Knuckles scene and after Mathis bested Brutus Dylan to win the belt, tensions have only risen. Now we had the full might of DDTrash clashing with some of the heaviest hitters the Brand had to offer. As expected, it couldn’t last for long. Bruce “Lee” Grey started by demonstrating his Kung-fu to Lobo Okami and earning a smack in the face for his troubles. Voxx brought the technical out alongside Dustin Leonard and Brutus Dylan got the match thrown out by wanting to kill Mathis. It erupted into chaos with The Brand taking every bit of anger they had out on the trashiest trio in wrestling. Dylan got his revenge on Mathis and left the building by stealing the Brass Knuckles title. It was a bad day to be a member of DDTrash as the Brand beat the hell out of them and ended the show on a sour note. DDTrash gave chase but it seemed too late to get the title back. Next week is the finale so we’ll see what conflicts get resolved and what will be left of the combatants.

NEXT WEEK! Don't miss the SUPER STACKED SEASON FINALE of #UWFiContenders on @indiewrestling!

HEAVY HITTERS TITLE
Connelly vs Kane (C)

MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE
Kidd vs Blade (C)

TITLE ELIMINATOR
Leonard vs Swinger

SIDNEY vs Zero

West vs Ripley

Next Wednesday at 10PM ET / 7PM PT pic.twitter.com/stY7FoQxOh

— Paradigm Pro Wrestling (@ParadigmProWres) June 16, 2022

All images courtesy of Paradigm