Total Non-Stop Networking

TNA is dying, albeit very slowly. It's been dying for a while now. Long enough for this not to be the first time I've started a post by talking about the promotion's fascinating spiral into history. Truth be told it's been dying for years. Easily since the time Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff were signed (to unwarranted fanfare in retrospect) to big money contracts. Likely since years before then.

EC3 wins lol.

But what if it's actually not dying? What if TNA has a future? The company is furiously recording TV content while it can and although all the rumours under the sun assert that Destination America is going to cut ties with the fed as soon as they're contractually able (next month, apparently) company management are unlikely to simply shrug their collective (or should that be metaphorical?) shoulders and meekly accept their fate. They will actively look for a new home for Impact Wrestling, the most underwhelming weekly wrestling show known to humankind.

Which brings me to my point. One option open to TNA, should they be prepared to negotiate (and let's face it, they need to be prepared to negotiate), is to take Impact to the Gabe Sapolsky-fronted World Wrestling Network. Yes, I'm brushing over a lot of wrestling politics and grudges with the "negotiating" term there but it's not impossible. Representatives from WWN and TNA could all sit down in a room together and work something out. On the surface it may sound a ridiculous suggestion but it's impossible. It could happen.

Both companies would benefit from a working relationship. WWN would get a regular stream of fresh content to add to their website each week. Despite its many faults TNA still seems to have a loyal group of fans who will stick with it no matter what. They'd sign up to WWN in order to keep up with their wrestling promotion of choice, netting WWN some dosh and giving them a larger audience to market their other shows at.

There was talk a while ago of WWN offering subscriber deals. The current trouble with this seems to be the irregular schedules of their various leagues. You can't charge people a flat rate every month without giving them assurances on a minimum amount of new content. TNA could help fix this with a weekly episode of Impact and monthly or bi-monthly specials. If at least one weekend of EVOLVE shows could be guaranteed each month (and that doesn't seem too much of a stretch given the recent increased output) then you'd have a fair basis for some sort of subscription deal. If TNA's back catalogue could somehow be utilised so much the better. There are some gems from the first few years of TNA in particular that could help a streaming service attract viewers.

Meanwhile TNA would find the thing it needs most: a home. It would also give them access to new talent, something they'll always be in need of but are particularly desperate for right now. They'd almost certainly have to reformat their presentation to fit in with the umbrella style of WWN but that wouldn't be that bad a thing: TNA's needed an overhaul for years. The prospect of Gabe Sapolsky taking over as the company's lead creative force is a nice one but too ridiculous to get excited about, even for an article as farfetched as this one.

I know it's unrealistic. TNA bosses likely wouldn't want to take a step away from being on an actual television channel because of the negative connotations of such a move. TV means you're a success, only having an internet presence is small time. WWN quite possibly wouldn't be able to handle a weekly two hour show, live or not. If they could take care of it from a technological standpoint and they could attract audiences surely they'd be doing it already.

Which raises the subject of the value of the TNA brand name. Personally I don't think there's much worth to the TNA name at all. I've acknowledged there's a dedicated group (sect is probably a more fun word to use here) that would follow TNA anywhere but they only account for a small portion of the promotion's TV viewership, and that's not a massive number these days as it is. There's also WWN's unofficial status as WWE's indy feeder group of choice. They wouldn't want to risk that, especially for a company as toxic as TNA.

EVOLVE and OTFG champion Timothy Thatcher
could be a good addition to the TNA roster.

Realistically, the closest we'll come to seeing this suggestion play out is TNA moving to some other US channel barely anybody's heard of after Destination America dumps them and striking some sort of deal with WWN to do lengthy monthly or bi-monthly streams to replace the pay-per-views they can no longer afford to produce. For all Eric Bischoff's talk of the PPV model being outdated for modern wrestling it helps instil a necessary sense of pacing to a wrestling product and, when done right, creates a reliable source of income. It is, in other words, something TNA needs to give itself structure and a sense of momentum. Because it's a company that's always followed that rhythm. It's ingrained in everyone that works there and the people that watch it.

TNA never got the whole making money from pay-per-views thing right. WWN seems to make enough to tick over and keep everyone involved getting paid. Gaining exposure via a TNA that has Impact on some low rent TV channel or other would be good for WWN in the long term and would provide TNA with the platform it requires to implement the structure it needs. It seems like a natural pairing to me, despite the obvious political problems of the scenario.

But I know it won't happen.

The Takeover is Over

AJ Lee wasn't the only person released by WWE on Friday 3 April. Joseph 'CJ Parker' Robinson officially got his walking papers too.

CJP apparently left on good terms. He was rated highly by trainers and his peers (Kevin Owens singled him out as an underrated guy in an interview on WWE's website shortly after his debut) and rquested his release, as opposed to finding himself fired. He's got his eye on a job with New Japan. Which is understandable but possibly a little lofty at this point.

That Parker wanted out is understandable. He'd been in the WWE system for four years and in that time had only managed to progress to the role of NXT's most notable jobber. I enjoyed his work there. I thought the modern day hippy shtick was uninspired at first but it came to life when the negative crowd reaction was embraced and he was turned into a preachy eco warrior. It was a rare example of WWE writers thinking on their feet and altering their plans to fit with audience reactions.

Phenomenal dress sense.

I also liked the way Parker had become the guy who debuting fellas defeated. His appearances started to signal to the crowd that they were going to get to see someone new or watch something noteworthy happen. For someone who lost pretty much all of his matches that was a good position to have. And there was potential for a long term story in which CJ acknowledged his losing streak and went on a quest to end it. That could have turned him into a bigger name within NXT had it been timed right.

But being the guy who loses to everyone who's going to get a big push can't have been fulfilling and while the heel hippy gimmick was enjoyable it clearly wasn't going to get him to the NXT championship, let alone a meaningful position on the main roster. He was best off doing what he did: politely asking for his release. He can use the notoriety he's gained on NXT to get work elsewhere.

The New Japan job he's said to want is, as already noted, probably out of reach at this point. It's not impossible though. Japanese wrestling promotions have an esoteric taste in which westerners they select for prominent roles (look no further than Karl Anderson). He could be just what they're after to spice up their junior scene. It doesn't seem particularly likely.

As far as Japan goes a stint in NOAH seems like Parker's best hope. The company's currently going through a restructuring with Jado implementing the New Japan booking style and attempting to elevate the entire roster with the invasion of Suzukigun. Parker could be brought in as a fresh face for the flagging junior division, which seems far less lively than New Japan's. It would be a low key role but it would be something. And it could lead him to New Japan thanks to the working relationship the promotions share.

A spot in ROH doesn't seem too farfetched right now. Tommaso Ciampa recently revealed he was leaving the company because he felt overlooked, much like CJP had in NXT. The loss of a mid-card guy like Ciampa and the rumours of WWE gunning for some of the company's leading names could make ROH keen to sign a reliable fresh face with decent name value. He couldn't be introduced in a featured spot after losing for so long in WWE, but he could be rehabilitated for something meaningful over time.

He'll definitely receive offers from the usual suspects: TNA and the World Wrestling Network. I'd like to see him in the WWN because I have a soft spot for Sapolsky's approach to booking, although I suspect they're going to start getting wary about using too many former WWE guys soon. I really don't want to see Parker lower himself to TNA. Until that company's back on its feet (which I'm convinced isn't possible with the current creative line-up) it's best of avoided.

I'll miss CJP on NXT. He was always entertaining. But if his departure from WWE leads to him getting a better role elsewhere then I'll be pleased. Plus it opens up a spot for someone new in NXT, even if it is only that of a featured jobber.

WWN Mercury Rising 2015 review

Mercury Rising 2015 was in every conceivable sense the WWN answer to WrestleMania. It played out in front of what will probably, outside of the China tour, be the biggest crowd the company attracts all year. It featured a variety of major matches, some of them grudge matches built up over months, and developments that changed the landscape of the company, impacting on its future. Most obviously it was held just one night before and a few miles away from WrestleMania 31.

But was it any good? Let's run through the show and then come back to that at the end. He'd been injured the night before at EVOLVE 40 but that didn't stop Rich Swann from opening the show with a several minutes long song and dance routine in which he called on several members of the audience to join in with his rendition of Lionel Richie's All Night Long over the microphone. The crowd as a whole, and most of the people Swann called on in particular, seemed self-conscious during this. I don't blame them. It's awkward.

Once the music cut Swann acknowledged his injury, as much to ensure the live crowd were up to speed as anything else, and challenged the Premier Athlete Brand to a tag title match at one of the April EVOLVE shows. The Brand came out and attacked Swann. Johnny Gargano and Ethan Page dashed out to make the save, which fed into the show's opening match of Page versus Caleb Konley.

They had a fun little match, the highlights of which were a Konley double stomp on the ring apron and Page using Gargano's lawn dart. Page survived a Lionsault, the One Night Stand fireman driver, and outside interference from the Brian Cage and Andrea to get the win with a schoolboy roll-up and a handful of tights. It's nice that Page got a win but it's a shame it had to come at the expense of Konley, a guy who went from the middle of the card to the top over the course of last year and who deserves to be treated more like a top guy.

After the match So Cal Val shouted that the loss wasn't part of her plan (well obviously not, Val) before Andrea swerve turned on Brian Cage with a low blow. He was to blame for Konley's loss apparently. This development was a pity. I thought Cage was a good fit with the Brand.

The traditional 'Mania weekend six man tag was on second, although this year it was a six woman tag presented by WWN affiliate Shine. Nicole Matthews (the SHIMMER champ), Portia Perez (collectively known as the Canadian Ninjas), and Nikki Storm were due to faced Shine champion Mia Yim and Shine tag team champions Cherry Bomb and Kimber Lee (collectively known as the Kimber Bombs). Before the match began Andrea and SCV returned to the ring. Andrea attacked Nikki Storm and replaced her in the match. Presumably Storm's two matches in the chick fight tournament which had preceded this show played a part in this decision. Mia Yim, who's also wrestled two matches, contributed less to this match than I'd expected for the same reason.

As a successor to some of the Dragon Gate scorchers that have taken the six man spot in previous years this match didn't hold up. But that's an almost impossibly high standard to meet. Judged at a more realistic level (without the comparison) this was a good match. Everyone got a chance to - ahem - shine, Andrea was presented as a powerhouse, and there was a nice, albeit brief, sequence pitting the two singles champions against one another (something that a match like this really has to do). Mia Yim got the pin for her team when she rolled Perez up following a back and forth exchange of forearms.

After the match the Ninjas argued with Val and Andrea, setting up the return of Nikki Storm. She declared herself the "white chocolate cheesecake of sports entertainment" and challenged Andrea to a match at Shine 26. It set up matches for a show that will be all too easy to overlook, awkwardly falling a few days after the WrestleMania Weekend festivities as it does.

In a surprise move Drew Galloway sauntered out after that. The reason for this early arrival was that he'd been offered a booking back in Scotland the next day and wanted to take it so that he could defend the EVOLVE championship and a newly won Open the Freedom Gate championship there. Not one to disappoint, Gargano accepted the early call and walked down to the ring with Ethan Page for the much hyped title versus title match.

The opening minutes were characterised by Gargano using his speed against Galloway's strength. The action would spill to the outside where Galloway would tilt-a-whirl Gargano onto the apron. Not to be outdone Gargano would toss the former 3MBer into the first row and dive over the barricade onto him. After a lengthy brawl around the arena the pair returned to the ring and Galloway ate a Gargano spear. He fired back with an inverted concrete slam. Gargano responded with a lawn dart.

Moments later Gargano would manoeuvre the EVOLVE champ out to the floor and attempt a suicide dive. Galloway blocked it but failed to block the super kick that followed. Gargano got his suicide dive on the second attempt but wiped out the referee in the process.

Back in the ring Galloway scored with an exploder into the corner. His cover didn't get him a win because there was nobody to count the pin. The Open the Freedom Gate champion escaped a double arm DDT and floored Galloway with an enziguri as Page got up onto the apron to offer him some wrist tape. This was a call-back to Gargano choking out SHINGO at Open the Ultimate Gate 2013 (the first ever DG USA show I reviewed, fact fans), an act which signalled a heel turn at the time. Gargano accepted the tape but, after a brief pause, threw it out of the ring. I thought this really added a lot to the match. It made it clear that Gargano is back to being an honourable lad and sowed about Page.

Gargano turned around into a double arm DDT from Galloway. A second referee ran to the ring to count the fall but Gargano kicked out. The second ref didn't last: he'd fall victim to a misplaced sick kick seconds later. Galloway got caught in the Gargano Escape. He countered into pin for two then took a super kick. Gargano tried to skin the cat but got caught by the EVOLVE champion, who went for a Tombstone piledriver. Gargano reversed into a Gargano Escape. Galloway muscled his way back to his feet and got the Tombstone.

Gargano kicked out but was clearly worn out. Galloway hoisted him onto his shoulders and clambered to the top rope, leaping off for an Emerald Flowsion but finding it reversed into a DDT in mid-air. 'The Whole Shebang' staggered to his feet and super kicked a kneeling Galloway twice. Galloway staggered to his feet and absorbed two more before falling to his feet. Gargano went for a fifth but Galloway sidestepped it and hit him with two double arm DDTs.

Gargano kicked out to a great crowd response then spat in Galloway's face. That caused Galloway to snap. He grabbed Gargano, yanked him to his feet, and drilled him with a jumping tombstone piledriver for the victory.

I thought it was a very good match. There were elements of the Attitude Era to it with the extended crowd fight and the bevy of finishing moves (and the kick outs from them) but used sparingly I think that match can be very effective. It helped to make the match feel more like the big fight it was meant to be. I don't think Gargano and Galloway could have had a better match. It's a shame they didn't get to close the show and the weekend (for the WWN).

After both men had lain about making it clear they were exhausted from their match Galloway took the microphone to cut a promo. He declared that 'Mania 26, where he wrestled in a Money in the Bank ladder match, wasn't his WrestleMania moment, this match was. He put over Gargano and pandered to the fans by saying the ring belonged to everyone. He asked for and received a handshake from the former champion, passed him the microphone, and left. All Gargano managed to say was "thank you" before Ethan Page lamped him and gave him a good stomping. 'All Ego' revealed that he was taking his cue from Ronin, going after Gargano's spot and ending his WWN career.

The turn was an interesting twist which I hadn't expected. They'd been laying the respect on so heavily that I'd expected Page to officially join Ronin and perhaps go after the tag titles with Gargano. This was probably a better option. It introduces a much needed fresh rivalry to EVOLVE.

Tasked with the tough job of following that was a four-way match featuring TJ Perkins, Drew Gulak, Tommy End and Biff Busick. After overcoming some initial awkwardness they got into a good groove. The match didn't dazzle but it had its moments. I particularly liked the sequence where TJP trapped End in a deathlock and fought off Busick and Gulak with abdominal stretches and a northern lights suplex. Perkins got a flash win with the cross armbreaker on Gulak.

PJ Black versus AR Fox was good, though not as good as I'd expected. It was heavy on spots but they weren't quite flashy or bountiful enough to help the match live up to its heavy 'Darewolf' versus 'Daredevil' hype. Highlights included: Black avoiding an attack by moonsaulting from the apron to the floor; Black super kicking Fox in mid-air off a guardrail springboard; another Fox springboard being turned into a triangle choke; and a Death Valley driver from the top rope to the apron by Black, softening 'The Whole Foxin' Show' up for a springboard 450 splash.

The match likely would have benefited from being repositioned first or second on the card. Of course my lack of interest in Fox probably didn't help matters.

After some excessive plugging from some lad whose name I missed (he was the WWN "ambassador") we got Timothy Thatcher facing Chris Hero. The match took an age to begin as Hero spent what must have been a good three or four minutes milking duelling chants from the crowd in a storyline attempt to rattle Thatcher with his popularity. Thatcher simply stood stocky in the ring and looked unimpressed with the veteran's antics. It was good to see the crowd so hot so it made sense to make use of it.

Instead of going into a dynamic series of strikes and counter strikes they went with the Thatcher standard: mat wrestling and submission holds. This isn't a bad thing but it doesn't provide much variety and does run the risk of cooling audiences down. Thankfully that didn't happen here, although some fans did start singing, which may have been worse. I suspect a more unpredictable approach to the blending of styles would have been more warmly received. 

This match, more than any other I've seen him in, highlighted Thatcher's inability or unwillingness to change things up. He's very good at his style of match but doesn't seem interested in doing much else. Even against someone like Hero, who has plenty of experience and an ability to tap into plenty of different styles, we got the same sort of match we always get from Thatcher. This isn't the worst thing in the world as Thatcher's matches usually have something dynamic and engaging in them, especially in the closing stretches, but it would be nice if they weren't so predictable.

Hero blasted Thatcher with four rolling elbows (the last with the elbow pad removed) and left him limp on the mat. He went for a cover but Thatcher kicked out and slipped on a Fujiwara armbar for the tap out win. After the match Hero slapped Thatcher twice, getting one in return each time. This was a respect thing with no malice to it. They shook and Hero left Thatcher to bow to the crowd.

The main event was the much ballyhooed tag match pitting Uhaa Nation and Ricochet against Roderick Strong and Austin Aries, reuniting as Generation Next properly for the first time since 2011 in PWG (before that they hadn't been together since 2007 in the final match of their ROH run together). The match was notable for featuring representatives of ROH (Strong), TNA (Aries), Lucha Underground (Ricochet as Prince Puma) and soon-to-be WWE (Nation). It was quite the inter-promotional affair. The first half of the match was best described as serviceable, with nothing special happening and a safe pace being set.

Things picked up in the second half. Tags were surreptitiously abandoned and the four worked through some sick double team spots. Roddy and 'A Double' demonstrated that they coud, if given the opportunity, still be of benefit to a tag division. Strong won after avoiding a Ricochet Shooting Star Press before hitting him with a knee and an absolutely wild lumbar check. Ricochet managed a ridiculous number of rotations when he was thrown up to take the move.  

After the match Roddy took a mic and made some babyface comments about how Aries had made him the man and the wrestler he is. Then he swerve turned, cracking Aries and Uhaa with the microphone and grabbing the mic again to say that he'd destroyed Drew Galloway at EVOLVE 38 and was gunning for the newly won titles. Timothy Thatcher came out to run him off and end the show on a positive note by thanking the fans. On the subject of Roddy and the championships he said the road to them went through him.

Going back to the question I posed at the beginning of this review's second paragraph: yes, this show was good. The main event started off slowly but ended well, while Thatcher versus Hero and the title versus title match were good from start to finish and there were again no out-and-out bad matches on the card.

That said I don't think the show was the success that EVOLVE 39 was. On the reflection the first WWN offering of the weekend was the best. It was the most consistent and its big matchs were just as enjoyable as the big matches here. I think the level of spectacle was right for this Supershow but an injury and Black and Fox not clicking quite as well as might have been hoped hampered things just a bit.

Overall though it was a success. The Page turn on Gargano was set up well and should lead to interesting things over the next several shows. Galloway becoming a double champ was a mild surprise but deserved considering the passion and effort he's displayed in his time with the company so far. And the final turn from Roderick Strong reminded us that he's not meant to be likeable or trustworthy. He's been built up as a major challenge for Galloway. Now we get to sit back and watch Galloway overcome him.  

***

Results summary:

Ethan Page defeated Caleb Konley
Mia Yim, Kimber Lee and Cherry Bomb defeated Andrea, Nicole Matthews and Portia Perez
Drew Galloway defeated Johnny Gargano to retain the EVOLVE championship and win the Open the Freedom Gate championship
TJ Perkins defeated Biff Busick, Drew Gulak and Tommy End
PJ Black defeated AR Fox
Timothy Thatcher defeated Chris Hero
Generation Next defeated Uhaa Nation and Ricochet

The Darewolf

Justin Gabriel's out. 'Darewolf' PJ Black is in.

It's not exactly breaking news that the artist formerly known as Justin Gabriel has been released by WWE. Apparently frustrated with his lack of direction and the nonchalant way his TV appearances were being handled Gabriel left the January 19 RAW and informed the company he wanted to be released from his contract. His status as a free agent was confirmed on January 25 when WWE announced he'd been released.

Pointing to the sky shows you mean business.

It's hardly surprising the man born Paul Lloyd Jr wanted out of WWE. He rarely got to appear on the promotion's more important broadcasts. When he did it was usually in a short match which he lost. His appearances on NXT were more promising. He didn't win much but he did get to wrestle lengthier matches in a less restrictive environment. A regular slot on that show would have been a good fit for him, allowing him creative freedom while providing the show with a reliable performer who could guarantee a good outing while putting over the hot prospects. Unfortunately for him Tyson Kidd got the main roster veteran in residence spot. NXT only needs one.

It's hard to imagine many people being happy to work hard to get to WWE's main roster only to be content with an enhancement role. His request was and is understandable. The last time he verged on relevance was when he was a tag team champion with Heath Slater in 2011. That Slater has to be mentioned there should tell you all you need to know about how well Gabriel was truly doing.

I think WWE could have done more with 'The Werewolf of Cape Town'. From what we were shown he could have turned in some belters opposite the likes of Cesaro, Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler. His on-off team with Tyson Kidd had potential too, but the writers never seemed overly interested in it. An injury to Kidd didn't help matters either, to be fair. Given time to develop, and used as part of a proper, actual tag team division Gabriel and Kidd could have been great. Matches with the Usos, the Wyatt Family, and even The Shield could have been excellent.

Gabriel wasn't necessarily a natural headliner or even an upper mid-carder, but he was capable of more than we saw. Which is what I think we'll see from him in his matches for the WWN over WrestleMania weekend. Gabe Sapolsky was quick to sign him for the group's shows, which speaks of the faith an experienced booker and promoter has in him. As does Black's announced matches against EVOLVE champion Drew Galloway and former Open the Freedom Gate champion Ricochet. They're not just some of the best wrestlers Sapolsky has available to him, they're some of the top names of the WWN. Black wouldn't be wrestling them on such major shows if there was any doubt in his ability.

If only he'd only a better nickname than 'Darewolf' I could get really into his new found freedom.

Samoa Joe's Career Crossroads

Last week Samoa Joe announced that, after nine and a half years, he'd left TNA. He experienced both good and bad there. The good: the greatest match in company, a year and a half winning streak, and a significant amount of time spent as the company's hottest prospect. The bad: a lacklustre TNA world title reign, years of meaningless mid-card action, and stupid gimmick changes (like the time he became the Green Hornet or the time he painted his face and threatened people with a knife). He's leaving it all behind to work elsewhere. Considering most of the bad points have come after the good points, and that his relevance has been low for years, it's an understandable decision.

We're almost spoilt for choice when thinking about where Joe may go next. He could fashion himself a busy worldwide schedule cruising the variety of prominent indies that exist. He may have spoken to a Japanese promotion while negotiating with TNA. New Japan would be the most likely but NOAH and All Japan are just about plausible too. He could return to his old stomping ground of Ring of Honor. Or, of course, he could sign with WWE.

Seeing Joe in WWE has always seemed unlikely to me. He doesn't have than athletic body type and he's got a shining reputation outside of the company. These are things that have historically counted against prospective WWE signings. But the last few years have proven that's not necessarily the case anymore. Both CM Punk and Daniel Bryan were given multiple WWE championship reigns and joined the elite main event club. Perhaps even more noteworthy is that the men's division in NXT currently revolves around guys who joined WWE after being very successful elsewhere.  This includes Kevin Owens, another man who doesn't have the usual WWE look.

Something else in Joe's favour is that Mick Foley and Steve Austin have spoken up in favour of hiring him. Those are some significant endorsements. If we're to believe a story Foley relayed on his blog last week then Triple H is a fan of 'The Samoan Submission Machine' too. As the man in charge of hiring and firing he's the right name to impress. So, in short, I don't think Joe moving to WWE is that unlikely.

Although it would be more accurate to say I could see Joe in NXT. Vince McMahon remains in charge of WWE proper and Joe does not seem the sort of guy who'd impress him. But with Triple H having stated he wants to make NXT its own brand, even going so far as to say they'll be close to that vision come the end of the year, we could see him sign Joe without having any intention of ever seeing him progress to the main roster.

This would be beneficial to both parties. Joe would get to be one of the star attractions of NXT and have a long-term goal of proving his detractors wrong by earning a promotion to the main roster. WWE would have a guy who can draw fans on the scale NXT currently operates on (and will likely continue to operate on even if expansion occurs) and who can help less experienced performers learn. Viewers would benefit from seeing a bunch of fresh matches featuring everyone from Adrian Neville to Tyler Breeze. Joe would be a big deal for the NXT roster.

Future NXT champion?

For this to happen WWE would have to offer Joe enough cash to match what he could make travelling the world as a true independent contractor. Obviously they could afford to do this, but would they want to? As a highly regarded name Joe can demand and receive a fair chunk of change per appearance. By working for WWN, PWG, ROH, and various British and North American promotions Joe could easily bring in more than he was getting in TNA (which is likely why he left). It's tough to imagine WWE would be willing to pay a six figure sum to someone unlikely to progress beyond what is still technically their developmental division.

Personally I'll be happy watching Joe anywhere that's not TNA. He'd been stagnating there for years. He'd won everything and wrestled everyone. He was going nowhere as one of MVP's many lackeys. Wherever he ends up will be fresh surroundings with fresh challenges and fresh opponents. He could help ROH to solidify their grasp on the number two spot. He could become the latest guy to join up with WWN, adding to their momentum. Or he could go to WWE for a guaranteed top spot on NXT and the glimmer of a hint of a hope of a chance that one day, if Vince McMahon feels like it (or steps down as the man at the helm), he'll get promoted.

WWN Live in Beijing review

The reported attendance for the final night of the WWN’s tour of China was 10,500.Even if that was inflated (and this is wrestling so there’s a very good chance it was) that’s a far cry from the average turn out for an EVOLVE, Shine or FIP card. Even on WrestleMania weekends the company comes nowhere close to attracting even half of that number. So in terms of opening up a fresh market and getting a good attendance number the WWN tour’s final offering was a success.

Pleasingly it was also a success in the ring. The show kicked off with new FIP champion Rich Swann defending against his buddy AR Fox. Well, it kicked off with that after the ridiculously long entrances were done and dusted. Even Fox seemed to get a lengthier entrance than usual. The show had fifteen minutes on the clock before the two even locked up.

Swann got in the first major move when he turned Fox upside down with a drop kick. The challenger came back with a springboard drop kick to Swann and followed up with a nice tope and a split-legged senton. Swann fought out of a sleeper (hey, it was a pacey exchange and they needed a breather) only to be floored with a cross between a Flatliner and a DDT that Fox should think about introducing as a regular move. It was far more impressive than Low Mein Pain.

Fox leapt to the top rope to try something but ended up taking a hurricanrana from the champ. After a brief exchange of right hands Swann scored with an scissor kick and a rolling senton. Fox came back with the twirling brainbuster. Swann got a Lethal Injection and went for a frog splash. Fox rolled out of the way and clambered to the top rope to go for a Swanton bomb. That was also avoided and Swann took another stab at hitting his frog splash. It worked out better for him on the second attempt: he connected and got the three count for his first successful FIP title defence.

As Swann and Fox posed together they were attacked by the Bravado brothers. They gave Fox a Gentlemen's Agreement and did some posing of their own before Johnny Gargano turned up to chase them off. He shook hands with Fox and shared a little nod of respect with Swann before being thanked for his help by Lacey and the Chinese host. Gargano told them the Bravados were jerks (strong words, right?) and said that he’d “had” to help. More importantly he said he was focused on winning the Open the Freedom Gate title in the main event (as well as the infinitely less important Beijing Cup).

Match number two pitted Valkyrie teammates Su Yung and Allysin Kay against each other. Being the smaller, and therefore more sympathetic, of the pair Su Yung played the valiant underdog babyface while Kay played the bullying heel.

Yung ducked in and out of the ring at the start of the match but was caught soon enough. Kay then spent the majority of the match very convincingly pulverising her. In the closing moments Su began getting her act together but was haulted when Kay suffered an eye injury. That turned out to be a swerve when Kay got her in a schoolboy rollup to win.

Jody Kristofferson v Chuck Taylor came next. It was another loss for Kristofferson, again by count out. Despite the losses he suffered on every one of the supershows I enjoyed Kristofferson's work. And he was portrayed as someone who could handle some of EVOLVE's bigger names but who wasn't experienced enough get the win over them. I’d like to see more of him on EVOLVE cards. For the record Earl Cooter took another pasting after the match.

In an odd move Biff Busick and Timothy Thatcher faced off again. They'd last done so four nights earlier on the Chengdu show. In theory there's nothing wrong with the two facing off twice on the same tour but it did feel a little off. I think it’s because there were no other repeat matches.

As was the case in Chengdu they didn't get the length of time I'd expected. They did put on another very good match though. And it was notably different to their previous encounters, with the top rope being used and the two men swapping around the body parts they were concentrating on. Busick ended up tapping to Thatcher's armbar. They shook hands after the match.

Ivelisse Velez's Shine championship defence against Mia Yim followed that. After a feeling out process in which the two swapped the advantage and showed how evenly matched they were the challenger got the first big move with a top rope arm drag. Velez responded with a super kick, a top rope hurricanrana, a kick to the face from the apron and a tornado DDT.

Yim got in some kicks and applied a leg lock. Velez reversed into an Indian death lock and then a Haas of Pain (which was nice to see). She released that quickly, creating a moment that would have benefited from a commentator acknowledging how tough the hold is to keep applied.

After taking an Exploder suplex Yim German suplexed Velez into a turnbuckle and then applied a bow and arrow. That too was released fairly quickly, with Velez taking the opportunity to catch Yim in The Undertaker’s version of the gogoplata. Yim gradually worked her way up to her feet before ramming the champion into a buckle.

They exchanged chops and then got roundhouses at the same time. Back on their feet Velez bulldogged Yim before Yim recovered and knocked her down with kicks to the face and a drop kick. Velez managed to throw her out of the ring and hit a hurricanrana from the apron. When made it back into the ring she was immediately hit with a spinning instep kick for two.

When Velez went to the top Yim cut her off, back dropping her to the mat and scoring an iffy-looking 450 (which hit Velez’s knees and was sold as though it had been a lot more impactful) for a two count. Velez escaped the package piledriver and got in some slaps. An attempted top rope move from Velez backfired when Yim grabbed her and successfully hit the package piledriver to win the Shine championship.

Fittingly this was the best women's match of the tour. The audience seemed to enjoy it well enough but Velez and Yim still deserved more from them. After the match the two shook hands and hugged. A bit of bad grace surfaced in the former champ when she tried grabbing the title belt and leaving with it. Yim told Lacey and the Serious Chinese Host that it was special to be champion. She said she'd be back (presumably in China) to defend the gold.

The penultimate match of the night saw the Bravado brothers and The Colony challenging the Premier Athlete Brand for the Open the United Gate championships in a three-way elimination match. It was a natural tag match to end on as both challenging teams had had title shots on previous shows, but it did slightly devalue the belts to be defended against the same assortment of guys across four shows.

The first fall was fought between The Colony and the Bravado boys. Fire Ant hit a crisp tilt-a-whirl headscissors and a a tornado DDT on Harlem and both Ants got suicide dives but it wasn’t enough to get them the first pinfall. Harlem caught Fire Ant on the top rope and gave him a sit out power bomb. That was followed by Gentlemen's Agreement to send The Colony backstage.

As they had two nights earlier The Brand played the faces opposite the challengers. After an initial flurry Barreta was isolated and worked over with such villainous moves as back rakes, rope chokes, and the dreaded Bandwagon double elbow. He once again impressed with his ability to sell convincingly.

After a blown spot where the referee forgot he was meant to be distracted by Konley to allow the Bravados to drag Barreta back to their corner Konley tagged in. He got a solid reaction from the crowd as he fired through the heels. The four repeated their spot from a few nights earlier with the Bravados double suplexing Konley and Barreta slipping in at the last second to power bomb them. It got a bigger reaction here, but it was still a little cheeky of them to recycle a spot on back-to-back pay-per-views.

Once everyone was back on their feet Barreta went for the Murray knee but got clotheslined. Konley ate an enziguri and a German suplex and the Bravados signalled for the Gentlemen's Agreement. ‘The Obsession’ fought them off, back dropped Lancelot out of the ring, shoved Harlem into Barreta's Gobstopper, and then pinned him with the double jump moonsault. The closing moments really elevated the quality of the match. I’d like Konley and Barreta to get more chances to team.

The tour culminated with Ricochet defending the Open the Freedom Gate championship against Johnny Gargano in a rematch from April’s Open the Ultimate Gate. For the record Ricochet won there, capturing the gold and ending Gargano's twenty-eight-plus month title reign. Oh, this match was for the Beijing cup too. That's a real prize right there.

They took a while to get going, milking the crowd and going through some basic exchanges before Ricochet got a headscissors and a drop kick. They avoided one another’s moves outside the ring and on the apron before Gargano got his spear through the ropes. He followed up with a snapmare, something Ricochet would do back to him a few minutes later.

As Ricochet turned the tables it became clear he was playing the antagonist in the match, choking Gargano on the ropes and shouting at people in the audience. After performing a standing moonsault (and the snapmare receipt mentioned above) Ricochet started punching Gargano with closed fists and then dropped him with a springboard clothesline.

They did Gargano’s duelling suplex attempt spot (which I personally find boring, although the crowds in China seemed to adore them) before ‘The Whole Shebang’ ran through Ricochet with clotheslines and gave him a pop-up power bomb for two. Ricochet rolled to the apron to recover but got kicked off by Gargano, then hit with a suicide dive. A lad in the audience loved that, giving Gargano a cheery thumbs up as he celebrated.

Back in the ring Gargano got a DDT on Ricochet then went for the lawn dart. Ricochet slipped out that and performed a fantastic Pele kick followed by his float over northern lights suplex. When Gargano kicked out Ricochet gave him a loud slap to the face before heading out to the ring apron. The challenger tried to hit a super kick but Ricochet blocked it and gave Gargano a Death Valley driver instead, sending him slumping down to the ringside mats.

Gargano made his way back into the ring at nine. Presumably he forgot he had a twenty count. ‘The Future of Flight’ leathered him with kicks and spat in his face (which seemed a bit much after Swann and Barreta had done the same thing in the main event of the previous show). Gargano psyched himself up and smashed the champion with elbows and an enziguri. Ricochet managed to grab him for a Benadryller but Gargano escaped, only to be dropped with a Superman punch.

Ricochet went to the top and hit a Shooting Star press. Gargano kicked out. Ricochet hoisted Gargano onto his shoulders and went to the second rope. Gargano elbowed out and tried for a hurricanrana. Ricochet blocked it. When Gargano tried the move again he got it but nimble ol’ Ricochet landed on his feet.

Gargano scored with a super kick. Ricochet scored with his own. Ricochet went for a kick to the mid-section (that’s real wrestling lingo there, “mid-section”) but Gargano caught his foot and flipped him over on to his knees. There he gave him another super kick before pulling him back to his feet to finally hit the lawn dart, which surprisingly earned him the victory and the championship.

It was a very good match, topping off a very good event and a very good tour. The fact that WWN were able to put on four such enjoyable and worthwhile shows with a relatively small roster at their disposal is a testament to the hard-working nature of the talent and Gabe Sapolsky’s ability as a booker. The news that China tours will become an annual event for the league is very welcome.

***

Results summary:

Rich Swann def AR Fox
Allysin Kay def Su Yung
Chuck Taylor def Jody Kristofferson by count out
Timothy Thatcher def Biff Busick
Mia Yim def Ivelisse Velez to win the Shine championship
The Premier Athlete Brand def The Bravado Brothers and The Colony
Johnny Gargano def Ricochet to win the Open the Freedom Gate championship

WWN Live in Emeishan

WWN’s third Chinese supershow once again kicked off with Johnny Gargano. Opposite him was Chuck Taylor, who had headlined the previous two shows. Yep, a battle of former Ronin teammates was considered a good way to kick off this show. In fairness it was. Both men are experienced enough to work an exciting opening match and big enough names (in regular wrestling circles, at least) to draw the crowd into the show early on.  

While that logic was sound it didn’t lead to action-packed opener it could have. They had their moments but for the most part Gargano and Taylor put on an average match with nothing especially memorable about it. Gargano won with the Gargano Escape.

After the match Gargano said he was 3-0 on the China tour and stated that he'd win his match with Ricochet on the final show of the tour. That match, for the record, would not only be for Ricochet’s Open the Freedom Gate title but also a cup. Fancy, no?

Jody Kristofferson was accompanied by Earl Cooter and Larry 'I'm Sporting a Topknot and No One's Gonna Stop Me' Dallas for his match against Biff Busick. It wasn't a fancy match. They punched, chopped and kicked a lot and left the ring several times. It didn't go for long. One of their ringside excursions resulted in Kristofferson getting counted out. He and Dallas chased the ref backstage. Cooter stayed to get thrown out of the ring by Busick. He clearly hadn’t learned from his mistakes in Grand Epoch City, where he stayed behind to give Timothy Thatcher a kicking.

Valkyrie members Allysin Kay and Su Yung teamed up to face Mia Yim and Shine champion Ivellise Velez in match number three. The heels isolated Yim after Yung kicked her from the apron, working her over before she made the inevitable tag out. Because all doubles matches have to follow this formula now. The same thing happened when Ivellise tagged in.

Allysin Kay stood out in this match. Firstly because she’s a very physical wrestler, which is a good thing. Secondly because of her comically bad verbal taunts. Surely she could do better than “Time to go night-night” over and over again? Yim and Velez were as good as they usually are. It was Su Yung who was the odd one out, being the least impressive in ring and barely trying to draw the crowd into the match.

The finish came when Kay accidentally kicked Yung, reversed out of package piledriver and hit a roaring lariat on Yim for the pin. After the match Kay and Yung had words, which led to Kay shoving Yung to the floor and Yung storming backstage. There was friction between Velez a Yim too, each blaming the other for the loss. After the match Kay said she'd dominate Shine. That could end up coming true but it probably won’t. Yim and Velez ended up going nose to nose with Velez telling Yim to try her best in their championship match.

Match four pitted Timothy Thatcher against Caleb Konley, a man being turned into an EVOLVE headliner. Konley had Baretta and quick change artist Su Yung with him. Thatcher had no one. But he did have his nice scarf with the skull motif.

There were an assortment of holds and counter holds to begin with Konley managing to best Thatcher several times. The first big move came from Thatcher, who gave Konley an uppercut as he came through the ropes with a suicide dive. The PAB member came back with a roundhouse kick and a sloppily applied camel clutch. Thatcher muscled out and slammed Konley into a corner, but Konley again managed to stay in the fight with kicks and elbows.

Thatcher hit a double underhook suplex. Konley applied an armbar. Thatcher stood up with it applied and connected with a modified power bomb. Konley got a standing senton for two before attempting his double jump moonsault. Thatcher rolled out of the way, hit a gut wrench and applied an armbar. Konley struggled across the ring and, with a assistance from Barreta grabbed the ropes to force a break. Thatcher went to grab Barreta, who shouted that he'd done nothing, before turning around into a small package from Konley, which was apparently such a surprise and so expertly applied that he was unable to kick out.

After the match Konley was asked if he'd have won the match without Barreta's help. He ignored the question and declared that the Premier Athlete Brand were the best athletes in all of China. Barreta followed that by saying he'd beat Rich Swann in the main event. Konley told us, off mic, that we love it. He didn't say what it is though. I suspect we don’t love it.

The Bravado brothers versus The Colony was a fun diversion but not essential viewing. It wasn’t as good as their match at EVOLVE 34. I think part of the reason I feel this way is that it stuck to the standard formula of the heels isolating a face and cheating for a bit before the face managed to tag back out. Seeing that in every tag match you watch gets tiresome. The Colony won after a superplex from Fire Ant to Harlem was followed up with a frog splash from Silver Ant.

AR Fox and his lack of crowd reaction came out next. Open the Freedom Gate champion Ricochet got a similar response when he entered. That made it odd when he claimed "they" loved him in China. Wrestlers really need to learn to judge the crowd noise people at home can here. If there’s silence it makes claims this depressing.

Highlights of the match included: Ricochet moonsaulting off the apron to avoid a Fox attack then following up with a tope; a Fox tope that was turned into a forward roll when Ricochet dodgedout of the way; an impressive twirling brainbuster from Fox; and Ricochet catching Fox as he came off the ropes and hitting him with a Regalplex.The finish saw Fox avoid a shooting star press and set up for Low Mein Pain (which, for the record, I think is one of the worst finishers in wrestling). Ricochet countered with elbows and got a second rope Regalplex before hitting a shooting star press of his own for the victory.

The match would have been improved had Lenny Leonard been available to help brush over the lax attitude to selling and match psychology. It was still very good though.

The Full Impact Pro "world" championship match went on last. Super popular rich Swann challenged The Premier Athlete Brand's Trent Barreta. The first five minutes consisted entirely of various stalling tactics, mostly from uber-heel Barreta. When he finally got his hands on the champ Swann started firing off chops on him. Barreta did some world class selling and made Swann look amazing.

A walk out routine by the Brand led to a shoving match between Swann and Konley, which saw the Brand being banished backstage by the referee. Swann threw Barreta back into the ring but found himself super kicked off the apron as he made his own way back in. When he did finally get back in ‘The King of Swerve’ took a running knee and a clothesline.

Swann took a Death Valley Driver on the apron and slumped down to the ringside mats. Naturally he made it back into the ring just before the referee’s count reached twenty. Barreta booted him and fish-hooked his mouth before putting him up on the top rope. Swann escaped a superplex and got a cross body on the champ before firing up with punches and a swinging neck breaker. That earned him a two count, as did a Lethal Injection seconds later.

Barreta rolled out of the way of a frog splash. Swann immediately went to the top rope again, presumedly to give the move another go, but he was cut off and hit with a belly-to-belly by the champion. Barreta gave Swann his Bill Murray knee finisher, which Swann kicked out of just before the three. Barreta trash talked Swann, telling him he was in the ring with a champ, then spat in his face. This isn’t something I usually appreciate in wrestling but in a match that had the result this one did it can work on occasion. Swann psyched himself up and floored FIP’s top boy with haymakers.

At this point Konley returned to distract the referee, allowing Barreta to hit a low blow and get a schoolboy. Swann kicked out. Back on his feet he blasted Barreta with a tornado spin kick and a frog splash to end the best match of the night (and one of the best of the tour) and capture the FIP strap.

The showed closed with a ceremony that was little more than the WWN champs being presented with their title belts and posing for pictures. It was... something. Sadly it deprived Swann of the moment in the spotlight he’d have received on a more traditional show. Overall though this was probably better. How many other FIP champions can say they won the belt in China? And in such a great match too.

***

Results summary:

Johnny Gargano def Chuck Taylor
Biff Busick def Jody Kristofferson by count out
Valkyrie def Ivelisse Velez and Mia Yim
Caleb Konley def Timothy Thatcher
The Colony def The Bravado Brothers
Ricochet def AR Fox
Rich Swann def Trent Barreta to win the FIP championship

WWN Live in Chengdu review

WWN’s second Chinese supershow kicked off with the ring announcer introducing Johnny Gargano to the ring with a series of yips. More wrestling shows should start in this way. For that matter more EVOLVE shows should feature the talents of Jody Kristofferson, Gargano’s opening match opponent on this show. His Stan Hansen tribute act is just the right level of bad to be entertaining.

The match was relatively short. Gargano was a gent and gave Kristofferson plenty of offence before he got the inevitable victory with a small package. Kristofferson was left looking strong in defeat thanks to Gargano’s generosity and a finish that made it clear that he was getting desperate against the modern day Stan Hansen.

Match two saw newcomer Tracy Williams face Earl Cooter, Larry Dallas’s other client. Williams took it to Cooter straight away, drop kicking him into a corner before striking him with elbows and slapping on a cravat. Luckily for Cooter he had Dallas at ringside to cause a distraction that allowed him to take control. Because that’s what heel managers do.

Colter made the villainous decision to lower his knee pad, exposing his bare knee for extra damage on knee drops. Then he went one further and pulled a chain from his trunks and used it to choke Williams as Dallas did more distracting. Williams made a comeback from nowhere with an elevated DDT and then applied a crossface for the victory.

After the match Cooter attacked Williams from behind and gave him a pair of piledrivers. It was an odd development. Williams seems like the sort of wrestler Gabe Sapolsky wants to feature prominently in EVOLVE and Cooter’s look and ability scream lower card jobber heel. The post-match assault protected the wrong guy.

Match three was Su Yung v Mia Yim. They shook hands at the start but Su, being a massive heel, turned it into a sneaky attack. That put her in control and she stayed there for most of the match. The early going saw her using such tried and tested tactics as pulling hair, taking cheap shots, standing on Yim’s hands, and doing the one foot on the chest pin attempt. More substantially she hit a drop kick to Yim as she was hung in a tree of woe, used the Billy Goat’s Curse, and struck Yim with a solid-looking palm strike.

Towards the end of the match Yim made her winning comeback. After some drop kicks she floored Yung with a stalling suplexi and got a match-winning 450 splash. After the match Yim declared that she was one step closer to the SHINE championship. Her title shot against Velez was rumbling closer.

The Biff Busick v Timothy Thatcher match was surprisingly short, considering the standing of both men within EVOLVE and the fact that it was a grudge match from the Style Battle tournament. Busick won a gritty, mat-based match via tapout with a side headlock. After the match the ring announcer chanted “Strong!” at Busick. It was a bit odd. Busick was asked for a comment. He said his rivalry had come to China and he'd win. It was an entirely accurate statement.

Beverly Hills Cop hit the speakers, signalling the arrival of the Bravado brothers. They were getting a tag title shot at Caleb Konley and Trent Barreta, who did an Impact Players pose in the entranceway because that's totes their deal now. That and wearing a knee pad with Bill Murray on it. Just deal with it, you square.

Being an all heels affair one of the teams had to switch things up and play face for the night. Barreta and Konley did the honours. That was a smart considering Barreta had the experience edge, was the most over, and was the most confident working as a face and playing to the crowd. After a slow start things picked up when the Bravados did the classic "we're taking the belts that aren't even ours and leaving" routine, igniting a brief ringside skirmish and a lengthy stretch where the brothers worked over Barreta in the ring.

When Konley eventually tagged in he steamed through both Bravados. Harlem took a Death Valley bomb. An attempted top rope move went wrong when the brothers grabbed hold of him and gave him a double suplex (although it wasn’t all bad for Team PAB, Barreta snuck in and power bombed the Bravados as they hit the suplex). Harlem connected with a lariat on Barreta and then got a near fall off a German suplex on Konley. The finish came from nowhere, Konley hitting the double jump moonsault on Harlem to retain.

The match was good but it wasn't the spectacle it would have been with a little more work. After the match the Bravados again jumped champs and Konley again took a Gentlemen's Agreement. Because heels, am I right?

Allysin Kay v Ivellise Velez for the Shine championship took the semi-main event spot. Kay attacked Velez before the bell. It didn't help her though. Velez ducked a big boot and hit a drop kick then reversed a double handed choke bomb into a hurricanrana. A super kick from the corner staggered Kay but she fired back with a choke bomb, some mounted punches and a lariat. She was then trapped in a strait jacket sleeper, impressively escaping by working her way to a crouching position and hitting a Pele kick.

The pair exchanged chops before Kay put the champ down with a lariat. Kay continued her onslaught with a running Samoan drop and a Gory Special into a Dominator type move. Velez got a tornado DDT and an enziguri on the challenger. Her attempt at a wheel kick was less successful, Kay side-stepping it and flooring her with a bicycle kick.

Kay tried her Gory Special again but Velez rolled through and got a three count to win. It was a good match, no more and no less.

In the evening's main event utility player Chuck Taylor teamed with Silver Ant and Fire Ant to face Rich Swann, AR Fox and Open the Freedom Gate champion Ricochet. Swann again received his extra-long entrance. This crowd seemed more into it than the crowd in Grand Epoch had two nights prior.

Taylor again went heel. The Colony joined in. It was weird to see them playing the antagonists as they’re such natural, and perennial, faces. There was plenty of comedy at the start, mostly from Taylor and the supremely over Swann. Things got more serious once Fire Ant and Ricochet tagged in and had a good fast exchange based around counters and counters to counters.

This was a far more satisfying main event than Ricochet versus Taylor had been for the first show. It went a lot longer and was structured and treated more like a main event by everyone involved. That said it still wasn’t the best thing on the card. That honour went to Busick v Thatcher. Fox and The Inner City Machine Guns won after the Guns both got enziguris on Fire Ant and Fox polished him off with a Lo Mein Pain. After the match Fox and Ricochet made belt motions at one another to remind everyone that they had a title match coming two days later.

This show wasn’t as good as the first had been. The main event and both title matches felt like they could have been better than they were had just a little more effort gone into their planning. Busick v Thatcher and Gargano v Kristofferson were well both very good bits of wrestling, but that wasn’t quite enough. Thankfully things would get back on track with the tour’s third show…

Results summary

Johnny Gargano def Jody Kristofferson
Tracy Williams def Earl Cooter
Mia Yim def Su Yung
Biff Busick def Timothy Thatcher
The Premier Athlete Brand def The Bravado Brothers
Ivelisse Velez def Allysin Kay
The Inner City Machine Guns and AR Fox def The Colony and Chuck Taylor

WWN Live in Grand Epoch City review

I don’t think it would be unfair to say that the WWN venture struggled to remain relevant in 2014. Visa issues brought an end to Dragon Gate USA, which had initially been the streaming service’s jewel in the crown, and while EVOLVE never failed to produce a show that was good it was also a promotion that spent much of the year looking noticeably smaller than other companies operating on a similar level (most obviously ROH and CZW). Meanwhile FIP and Shine, the other major new content providers, remained regional promotions running shows once every few months. Things just didn’t come together for them.

Until, that is, November came around. In partnership with Great Wall International Sports Media a tour of China was organised, smartly marketed under the WWN name as opposed to EVOLVE, DG USA or something else entirely. Doing so gave the shows a natural reason to feature a variety of different titles and talents without overly worrying about rosters or promotion specifics. It was a good way for WWN to fill the void left by the Dragon Gate shows, pooling their resources for a string of supershows in front of larger than average crowds. Most importantly it put the World Wrestling Network name at the forefront of things. That will be a smart move in the long term as the service is continuing to expand.

The first show was held in the Golden Sport Hall in Yichang, Hebei. A cheerleader routine kicked off the show. Because cheerleaders and wrestling are such a natural pairing, obvs. They were followed by a Chinese event host hitting the ring and talking for several minutes. This would be a running theme across the shows. I assume it’s because Chinese audiences are more patient than western audiences, who generally just want a wrestler in the ring doing something as soon as a show begins. Either that or a poor editing choice.

The waiting continued when it was revealed that Rich Swann and AR Fox would be the first men out to the ring. Swann spent several minutes singing Lionel Richie’s All Night Long in its entirety and feverishly trying to work the audience up. They got into the song eventually but it took some doing, and it clearly wasn’t what Swann had wanted. It was a textbook example of Swann being far too happy to try tiring out an audience for his own gratification. The Bravado brothers had a shorter and more traditional ring entrance. It was appreciated.

They had a match probably best described as fun. Fox and Swann encouraged the crowd to be more vocal and peppered the match with aerial moves, designed to elicit oohs and ahhs. They also concentrated on playing to the audience, presumably to get them into the habit of making noise. Meanwhile the Bravados concentrated on running through their finest cheap heat spots and isolating Swann. It all worked nicely.

The finish saw Swann accidentally wipe out Fox with a spinning instep kick, allowing the Bravados to hit the Gentlemen's Agreement on Fox for the victory. After the match the host (with Lacey drafted in to act as an interpreter) asked the Bravados something. Lancelot said something about the Open the United Gate championship. Presumably the former champs wanted the gold back.

That was followed by Jody Kristofferson  versus Timothy Thatcher. Kristofferson is the artist formerly known as Garrett Dylan in NXT. These shows were easily the biggest gig he’d had since leaving WWE in May of 2013, even though he’s been paired with Larry Dallas and Earl Cooter. For anyone familiar with Kristofferson’s work as Dylan it’s worth noting that he’s altered his look since then. He’s now very clearly channelling Stan Hansen in both look and wrestling style.

Kristofferson jumped Thatcher before he was in the ring and they fought around the ring. When they got into the ring Thatcher took charge and the match settled down into something more closely resembling his usual efforts as he began working over Kristofferson's arm for a submission. Kristofferson was interesting to watch. He’s going for a rough and ready style that isn’t seen all that often on the US indies these days, what with every major name (understandably) being in such good shape and all. It was a nice change of pace to see a big lad hammering away at someone.

They had a good strong style match but the ending was unsatisfying: Kristofferson was disqualified after he wouldn't stop stomping Thatcher in a corner. Sadly these sorts of finishes would become a theme in Kristofferson matches across the tour. Post-match Kristofferson took a swing at the ref who ducked and ran off with Kristofferson and Dallas in pursuit. Cooter stayed behind to kick away at Thatcher but wound up taking an uppercut and a gut wrench suplex. That'll teach 'im.

Shine action followed that with Mia Yim taking on Allysin Kay. Yim controlled the early going with arm drags and hurricanranas before Kay turned the tide with a power bomb. Yim survived a double handed choke bomb, a running Samoan drop, and a modified Dominator before firing back with a tornado DDT and a German suplex for a two count. A series of kicks wobbled Kay before she lamped Yim with a big boot. A second rope suplex failed when Yim managed to shove her off and double stomp her from the top for the win.

After the match Yim was asked about her upcoming Shine championship match with Ivelisse Velez. She said she was friends with Ivelisse but that friendship didn’t stop stop her wanting the title and wouldn’t make her hold back in the match. As promos go it did its job.

Johnny Gargano was up next, doing his best to energise the audience as he strode to the ring. He didn't do a bad job, to be fair. His opponent was 'Mr Hairy Chest' Biff Busick. It was an energetic encounter. They started off with lots of chops before Gargano channelled 90s Shawn Michaels for some jabs and an upside down bump off a whip into the corner.

Unimpressed with ‘The Whole Shebang’s’ wild bumps Busick hit an impressive leaping neck breaker for a two count. A duelling suplex spot, won by Gargano, followed that. To be honest I could have done without it: it’s a spot that’s very hard to make convincing. Busick ran into Gargano's spear through the ropes and then took a suicide dive outside the ring. Gargano celebrated his success by hugging some middle-aged men at ringside.  

Back in the ring Busick turned a Hurts Donut attempt into a reverse Exploder suplex. Gargano came back with a super kick, a lawn dart, and a successful Hurts Donut before applying the Gargano Escape to earn a submission victory and end an enjoyable match.

Gargano's post-match comments were about being honoured to compete in China for the World Wrestling Network. Good for him. Good for Johnny.

The second offering from Shine was a title match. Su Yung, in her role as a wrestler as opposed to a villainous secretary, challenged the league's singles champion Ivelisse Velez. They constructed a solid, well-paced match, never getting ahead of themselves and making the most of the time they had. Su Yung took charge of the action, grounding Velez with submission attempts and wear down holds. Ivelisse retained the title after rolling Su Yung up with sunset flip from the corner.

The show's penultimate offering was an Open the United Gate title match, The Colony challenging Trent Barreta and Caleb Konley of the Premier Athlete Brand. The Brand were without Anthony Nese, Su Yung and Mr A but they did have Barreta's FIP title belt with them. I think that was a decent enough replacement for the proven to be ineffective Mr A.

There were stereo suicide dives from the ants towards the beginning of the match, indicating that the match might turn into something special or noticeably energetic. It didn’t. For the most part it was just the PAB working over Silver Ant. He eventually hit the tag to Fire Ant, who wiped out both PAB lads and set up Barreta for a Silver Ant frog splash. That wasn't enough to get the win and the Brand turned the tables, Baretta stopping a double team top rope move, pulling Fire Ant and leaving Silver Ant to take Konley’s Double Jump moonsault. The match was good but it didn't have the most coherent story. It was the only occasion on the opening show when I missed having commentary to help the flow of a match.

As Barreta and Konley celebrated the Bravados reappeared. They attacked everyone and hit Konley with the Gentlemen's Agreement. Then they posed with the belts as the crowd half-heartedly booed them.

In the main event slot were Ricochet and Chuck Taylor, wrestling for Ricochet's Open the Freedom Gate championship. While the match wasn’t bad I don’t think it was a suitable main event offering. It was short in comparison to many of the night's other matches and as a result it felt incomplete and one-sided in favour of the champion, not something you usually get in the WWN leagues. I suspect this was due to the rest of the show running long or something along those lines as opposed to being a conscious decision. Ricochet won after a Superman punch, a roundhouse kick and a 630 splash.

Johnny Gargano showed up after the match and vowed to relieve Ricochet of the Open the Freedom Gate strap in Beijing. Ricochet didn’t respond verbally. He just held up his title then rolled out of the ring pretending he'd been exhausted by a sub ten minute match. Hey, he does his talking in the ring!

Overall the show was a good start to the tour. The right people won, generally in the right way, and there wasn’t a single match that was actually bad. As far as first impressions go, I think this must have been a good one.

***

Results summary

The Bravado Brothers def AR Fox and Rich Swann
Timothy Thatcher def Jody Kristofferson via DQ
Mia Yim def Allysin Kim
Johnny Gargano def Biff Busick
Ivalisse Velez def Su Yung
The Premier Athlete Brand def The Colony
Ricochet def Chuck Taylor