Paradigm Pro Wrestling Terminal Combat 5/21/21
PAS: I am in the bad for the PPW UWFI series, and they put together a great looking card here. Unfortunately I am really weary of the Frankensteining of the rules for Terminal Combat, with the first five minutes being UWFI rules before it becomes a street fight. Feels like if this was a straight UWFI rules show it would be amazing, we will see how this goes.
Akira vs. Dominic Garrini
PAS: This match was kind of what I was worrying about. I really liked the five minute UWFI section. The dueling leglocks were cool, and I liked how aggressively Akira went after the Kimura. It was pretty clever how Dom used the rules shift to break the Kimura attempt with a big low blow. I didn't love the street fight section, it was stiff, but there were these silly Akira spots like putting a pop tart into Garrini's mouth. Really came off discordant. Dom using a bunch of low blows to set up a bulldog choke was cool, but this really was neither fish nor fowl and I would have enjoyed either a UWFI match or a street fight way more.
Dustin Leonard vs. Flash Thompson
PAS: This doesn't go five and thus was just a UWFI rules match. Love Leonard who is a Ju-Jitsu black belt who looks like Don Kernodle. He is one of my favorite guys to watch in this fed, even though he is pretty limited. The stand up parts of this fight didn't look great with Leonard looking a little flinchy and overearly dropping from a Thompson hook. Flash brought his nice movement, but not much else. Finish was bonkers though, with Leonard from his back pressing Thompson off of him with his knees and spinning him into a cross armbreaker. Totally sick shit, and stuff like that will keep me searching out all Dustin Leonard.
Lord Crewe vs. Derrick Neal
PAS: Crewe has been one of the in-ring standouts of this project, really mastering these kind of swing for the fences brawls and this was another corker of fight. Neal hasn't done anything for me previously, but fit nicely into the Lord Crewe formula. Lots of wild shots some, which land big. Loved the finish, as we are into the count down to switch rules, and Crewe hits a nasty knee right to the chin and a sick sounding diving elbow for the KO. Really popped me by avoiding the awkward switch into street fight.
Alex Kane vs. Isiah Broner
PAS: This was my most anticipated fight of the show, and it delivered (and thankfully in under five minutes). Both these guys come off like total killers, and it was quick and hard hitting. Broner throws bodyshots to the kidneys and is able to slip and hit a suplelx of his own. Kane fires back with a German chained into a Saito suplex but as he is setting up the Mark of Kane Broner slips out and puts him to sleep with a spinning back elbow. Intense short and violent, exactly what I have loved about this series.
Ron Mathis vs. Josh Crane
PAS: Crane is a Big Japan guy, and although there was an interesting moment or two during the UWFI series - Mathis has some fun takedowns - they were basically killing time until the chairs and doors part of the match. That was OK I guess, it is a style I am pretty much over, there were some nice bumps, but unless these matches have outstanding individual performances or something, they just tend to to blur to me. I thought the finish was clever with Mathis making a Backlund face after getting driven through a door and locking in a choke, but otherwise this wasn't much.
Austin Connelly vs. Brayden Lee
PAS: This was supposed to be Connelly vs. Max the Impaler which I hope we get to see one day. This was a banger though on it's own. Lee was in a singlet and introed with his collegiate wrestling background referenced, and was really great working amateur style stuff into this match. He stuffs Connelly's aggressive attack and hits gator rolls, and is constantly and impressively riding and taking down Connelly, wet blanketing his intensity. Connelly is able to take control a bit when he lands a bunch of strikes to the temple on a banana split attempt, and is able to ragdoll him with a throw. Finish was really great with Connelly figure fouring Lee's leg while Lee was on his back and then stomping him right on the head. I thought Lee ruled in this, would love to see him back, and Connelly is one of the most entertaining wrestlers in the world right now.
ER: Brayden Lee gets his college credentials listed in his intro but this man looks like someone who walked straight out of a collegiate wrestling program and showed up in Paradigm. Connelly is a crazed Connor O'Malley character who had no real chance of competing with Lee's wrestling skills, but had his own advantage with every part of the striking game. It's impossible to prevent Lee's takedowns, but Lee never expects to be open hand slapped across the ear immediately after a takedown, so it's this cool battle of amateur wrestler brain vs. UWFI brain. Connelly rushes in (as he'll do) and repeatedly gets trapped in front chanceries and constantly has his force deadened by Lee pushing on his shoulders, but again: Lee knows wrestling, Connelly knows how to hit, and Lee does not know how to take someone down while avoiding the hits that come after. I loved when Lee locked on a banana split and you're thinking "well Connelly is toast" before you, too, realize that Connelly can throw hard palm strikes right to Lee's head and neck and suddenly the banana split is neutralized. Connelly's gutwrench powerbomb looked sick, and then he outdoes himself by almost getting a shoot Texas Cloverleaf before deciding it's easier to just stomp Lee in the head and neck a bunch instead of rolling through with the Cloverleaf. We've seen Connelly work great 2 minute, 3 minute, and now 4 minute matches, and this pairing is something I'd love to see several more times with all new stips each time. Connelly is just so good on these shows.
John Wayne Murdoch vs. Reed Bentley
PAS: These guys are a brawling tag team, and Murdoch kept bailing out and trying to grab weapons, only to get called back into the ring, at one point he even sat down in the chair to try to run out the clock to Terminal Combat. Still when Murdoch comes back into the ring, Bentley hits him with a nasty barfight headbutt and lands a knee on the ground to KO him before they ever got to the garbage wrestling. I liked the last flurry from Bentley, although this was more of a troll then a match.
Bradley Prescott IV vs. Jody the Wrestler
PAS: This was one of those meta comedy matches where guys make fun of the idea of pro-wrestling. I pretty much hate those universally, and Jody and Bradley aren't exactly UCB all-stars when it comes to sketch comedy. Keep it moving
Janai Kai vs. Sandra Moore
PAS: This did the best job so far of bridging the two concepts in this match. Kai is a UWFI rules veteran and wrestled Bloodsport, while this was Moore's first UWFI rules match. Kai dominated the first section using TKD and some nice snap takedowns. Moore is bigger and used her size to keep Kai off of her and land some bodyshots. Moore is basically able to survive until Terminal Combat where after Kai works her over a bit with Nunchucks, she is able to land a sick chair shot to the side of Kai's head and take control, finishing her off with a big powerbomb. Liked the story of the brawler surviving the shoot style specialist until it was her turn.
Jollyville Fuck-Its (Nasty Russ and T-Money) vs. Creature Feature (Adriel Noctis/Lazarus)Labels: Alex Kane, Austin Connelly, Bobby Beverly, Brayden Lee, Dominic Garrini, Dustin Leonard, Hoodfoot, Isaiah Broner, Jollyville Fuck-Its, Matt Justice, Matt Makowski, Paradigm Pro
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