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NEW Under The Stars 8/25/2017

Written by: Bob Colling

Northeast Wrestling presents Wrestling Under The Stars
From: Pittsfield, MA

Opening Contest: Jake Manning vs. Robbie E: Robbie reminds Manning who he is and suggests that Jake should just leave the ring. Manning offers the same to Robbie, but they both remain in the ring. Manning tosses his scout book into the air and nearly pins Robbie. Robbie gets control with a headlock followed by a shoulder block. Manning tries for a hip toss but settles for a butterfly suplex for a two count. Robbie works over Manning in the corner with strikes. Manning rams Robbie into the turnbuckle face first several times. Robbie continues to do the move despite Manning not being there. Robbie face plants as this turns into a comedy match. Manning ties Robbie up in a knot on the bottom rope. Manning baseball slide dropkicks Robbie to the floor. Robbie wants a timeout on the floor as he shakes his arm. Manning grabs Robbie onto the apron and goes for a suplex but Robbie blocks it and drops Manning throat first over the top rope. Robbie comes back into the ring stomping on Manning. Robbie sends Manning chest first into the corner and gets a near fall. Robbie sends Manning into the corner but misses a splash. Manning gets up and clotheslines Robbie a few times. Robbie runs into a boot in the corner and Manning comes off the top with a clothesline. Manning sunset flips Robbie into the corner and nearly wins the match. Manning attempts a TKO it looks like but an eye rake stops him. Robbie attempts the Boom Drop but Manning counters. Robbie blocks a sunset flip attempt by sitting down and holds the ropes for leverage to pin Manning. (*1/4. The comedy stuff got over with the crowd, but I didn’t like it. Comedy is very hard to be successful with in pro wrestling, at least for me. Manning has lost 56 matches now in NEW without a victory. The action wasn’t anything great and they didn’t do much to excite me for the remainder of the show.)

WWE Hall of Fame member Booker T comes down to ringside and gets the crowd pumped up for the remainder of the show. Booker puts over the owner of NEW. Booker wants to see his guys in Reality of Wrestling wrestle Northeast Wrestling. He plugs his show in Fite TV, too.

Second Contest: Karen Q vs. Deonna Purrazzo: As per usual with most women’s wrestling, I’m not going to give this an in-depth recap. Honestly, from what I’ve seen of these two ladies live, they aren’t all that enjoyable. As I was fast forwarding through the match it didn’t seem like they did much for high impact moves, anyway. They got about eight minutes worth of time and Deonna won the match with an inside cradle after countering a vertical suplex attempt.

Third Contest: Brian Anthony vs. Caleb Konley vs. JT Dunn: Konley kicks Anthony and knocks Dunn down with a left forearm at the start of the match. Konley continues to work over Dunn in the corner with a chop. Anthony and Dunn double team Konley hitting a double dropkick. Anthony comes out of the corner to dropkick Dunn to the floor. Konley trips Anthony from the floor and misses a cross body attempt to Dunn on the floor. Dunn takes Konley out with a suicide dive to the floor! Anthony is left in the ring and he goes to the top. Anthony dives off taking both men out with a cross body. Anthony rolls both men back into the ring to continue the match. Anthony goes to the top and dropkicks both men. Anthony knocks Dunn off the apron but misses a splash in the corner. Konley kicks Anthony over the middle rope and drops him to the mat. Dunn goes for a head scissors but Konley drops Dunn gut first over the top rope and JT crashes to the floor. Anthony hammers away on Konley with right hands. Konley stops Anthony sending him hard back first into the corner. Konley elbow drops Dunn and chokes him a few times. Konley catapults Dunn throat first into the bottom rope from the apron. Konley continues to work over Anthony with chops in the corner. Konley drops Dunn over the back of Anthony and clotheslines a seated Dunn before hitting a senton on Anthony for a two count.

Konley bites the forehead of Anthony to keep him down on the mat while Dunn recovers in the corner. Dunn misses a kick on Konley but hits a super kick and takes Anthony out with a suicide dive. Dunn comes back into the ring and plants Konley with an ace crusher for a two count. Anthony dumps Dunn to the apron and Konley has a rollup but Anthony kicks out and Dunn spears Konley from the apron! Anthony plants Dunn with the TKO! Dunn elbows Anthony several times and now all three men are trading strikes in the middle of the ring. Anthony comes off the ropes and is met with a double super kick. Dunn kicks Konley into a corner and puts Konley on the top turnbuckle. Dunn gets kicked by Anthony on the apron and Anthony has Konley on the middle rope hitting a power slam! Dunn is able to pull Anthony out of the ring on the cover attempt. Dunn decks Anthony with a spinning forearm shot. Dunn avoids Konley in the corner and attempts an ace crusher but Konley avoids it. Konley hits a bridging back suplex for a two count. Konley goes for a top rope moonsault but Dunn gets his knees up. Anthony comes off the top and finishes Dunn off with an elbow drop! (***1/2. A really good triple threat match with constant action and they avoided having a guy constantly on the mat or out of the mix. This match flew by and I thought everyone looked great in the match. Nicely done match.)

Jared Silverkleit comes out and rips on Ricky Steamboat for being the special referee for the upcoming tag match and puts over his guys of Brad Hollister and Wrecking Ball Legursky. He thinks that Steamboat is going to be bias against his guys and can’t believe Steamboat would agree to such a match.

Fourth Contest: Brad Hollister & Wrecking Ball Legursky vs. The Kingdom (TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia): Ricky Steamboat is the special referee for this match. TK and Hollister kick off the tag match with TK taking Hollister down with a headlock. TK gets out of a head scissors and goes back to a headlock on Hollister. TK shoulder blocks Hollister but Hollister goes to the ropes to prevent any further punishment. Hollister sends TK to the floor and TK punches Legursky sending Hollister into the big man. Vinny takes both men out with a suicide dive to the floor! TK and Hollister trade strikes until Vinny gets a tag and comes off the top with a cross body for a two count. Vinny leg drops the left arm of Hollister to keep control of the match. Hollister uppercuts Vinny but misses him in the corner. Vinny kicks Hollister in the corner and takes Hollister down with a side Russian leg sweep. TK comes off the apron to hit a slingshot elbow drop. TK drives Hollister down with a suplex for a near fall. Legursky cheap shots TK from the apron and Hollister hammers away on TK in the corner. Legursky gets tagged in but TK is able to send Hollister off the middle rope into Legursky. Vinny gets tagged in and they double team Legursky. Legursky clotheslines both Kingdom members but he gets kicked to the canvas moments later. TK helps Vinny with a senton splash on Legursky. Hollister yanks TK down by his hair on the apron and Legursky splashes TK in the corner.

Hollister forearms TK in the corner and keeps TK on the canvas. Legursky sends TK to the apron where Hollister flips TK back intot he ring. TK avoids a back suplex and tags in Vinny. Vinny cleans house hitting both men with a forearm strike in the corner. Vinny plants Hollister with a back suplex and dumps Legursky to the floor. Vinny kicks Hollister in the corner and slams Hollister to the mat. Hollister goes for a power bomb on Vinny but Vinny counters, but Legursky pulls Vinny to the floor. Legursky slams Vinny back first onto the apron allowing Hollister to get a near fall. Legursky delivers a falling headbutt to keep Vinny on the canvas for a few moments. Vinny tries to fight out of the corner but Legursky stops Vinny with a forearm shot to the back. Legursky headbutts Vinny and tags in Hollister. Hollister sends Vinny into the corner and tags in Legursky. Legursky splashes Vinny and taunts the fans as TK tries to motivate his partner. Vinny fights out of a front face lock but Legursky punches TK off the apron. Legursky gets punched by TK on the apron and VInny tags out to TK. TK jumps off the back of Legursky to take down Hollister with right hands. TK hits a double ace crusher on Legursky and Hollister for a two count on Legursky. Vinny gets crotched on the top rope by Legursky. TK is left alone in the ring and Hollister hits an elevated German suplex. Hollister has the cover but Steamboat takes his time on the cover for a two count. Hollister grabs Ricky Steamboat, but Steamboat attacks Hollister and Silverkleit. Steamboat stands with the Kingdom as Vinny finishes off Hollister with a top rope swanton. (**. The involvement of Steamboat was predictable, but it was an average match. It dragged a little while and could have been cut a few minutes. The crowd ate it all up, though.)

Fifth Contest: NEW Tag Team Champions The NOW (Hale Collins & Vik Delicious) vs. Adrenaline Rush (Daniel Evans & Keith Youngblood) vs. Foxx Vinyer & Shane Alden: I probably won’t do a full recap of this match blow by blow since I’m not very familiar with these guys and I really dislike multiple tag team matches involving unknowns. I mean, I’ve seen the NOW wrestle a few times and Shane Alden is a unique looking guy, but that’s about it. I’m still going to watch the entire match. Oh, and Foxx Vinyer is unique looking, too.

Vinyer and Delicious started the match and they just did basic moves, but Vinyer did do a top rope cross body, which was impressive for a big guy. Alden entered and delivered a neck breaker on Delicious before getting tagged out. Youngblood got a few moments to shine on Collins with a spinning heel kick in the corner and a spinning slam for a two count. It’s odd that a tag title match feels like a filler match and the crowd is chanting “boring” despite the action being a good pace and they are clearly trying. Collins gets double teamed in the corner by Adrenaline Rush. Vic drops Youngblood with a right hand on the floor to help his teammate. Collins elbow drops Youngblood over the knees of Delicious for a two count. Collins nicely takes Younblood over with two vertical suplexs. Foxx and Alden get into the match cleaning house with splashes. Evans stops them with strikes and has Alden over his shoulder to deliver a power ram into the corner and a power slam. Youngblood hits a frog splash off the top onto Alden but Collins tosses Youngblood to the floor and pins Alden. (*1/4. For sure a filler match, but it sets up for a rematch between the NOW and Adrenaline Rush since they stole the victory. I’m not sure why Alden and Foxx were in this one other than to eat the pin.)

Before the next match, Cody Rhodes cuts a promo on Jerry Lawler noting that Lawler is well past his prime and is making the match about Lawler’s age. Rhodes even mentioned that five years ago Lawler had a heart atack.

Sixth Contest: NEW Heavyweight Champion Cody Rhodes vs. Jerry Lawler: Rhodes starts the match shoving Lawler down to the mat from a lockup position. Cody takes Lawler down with a scoop slam and holds the ropes open to invite Lawler to just leave the match. Lawler doesn’t take the offer and the match continues. Lawler misses a right hand in the corner and Rhodes hammers away on Lawler. Cody backs Lawler against the ropes and delivers a knee strike. Cody backdrops Lawler and taunts the challenger by dropping to his knees. Cody again offers to let Lawler leave the ring, but Lawler remains in the match. Cody works over Lawler in the corner with strikes and knee lifts. Cody sends Lawler hard back first into the corner. They don’t do anything and proceed to stand there as the crowd chants. Lawler knee lifts Rhodes against the ropes but Rhodes blocks a backdrop by kicking Lawler. Rhodes stomps away on Lawler in the corner followed by a right hand. Cody continues to work over Lawler with strikes and does a cartwheel to taunt the fans. Cody grabs a microphone and wants Lawler to say he quits, but he refuses. Cody kicks the left knee of Lawler several times over the middle rope. Cody decides to do some pushups. Cody uppercuts Lawler after dropping to the mat. Rhodes elbow strikes Lawler in the corner several times. Cody gets the crown and wears it to taunt Lawler, which gets some good heat. Rhodes continues to work over Lawler and kicks the crown to the floor. Cody wants Lawler to say he quits, but Lawler tells Cody to go to hell. Cody hammers away on Lawler some more. Cody hammers away on Lawler with right hands in corner and Lawler holds himself up by grabbing Rhodes.

Cody grabs the microphone again and tells Lawler that he made him do this. Cody backs Lawler against the ropes and delivers a heart punch to drop Lawler to the canvas. Cody has the cover but Lawler barely gets his foot on the bottom rope. Cody shoves the referee away. Cody stomps away on Lawler right on the chest. Cody is determined to get Lawler to quit. Lawler tells Cody it is his turn and blocks a right hand. Lawler starts his comeback with right hands, which the crowd pops for big time. Lawler connects with a dropkick. Lawler jabs Cody several times and drops Rhodes with a right hand. Lawler signals for the end. Lawler goes for a piledriver and spikes Cody! Lawler has the cover but Cody gets his boot on the bottom rope. Lawler thinks he has won the title but the referee has to tell him that Cody got to the ropes. Lawler shoves the referee into the corner and that allows Cody to low blow Lawler and win with a rollup. (*1/2. It’s not an entertaining match as the beatdown from Cody in the corner took forever. I can appreciate the story they were telling because the crowd popped for Lawler’s comeback. However, if you like fast pace matches and moves, you’re not going to like this. I really don’t know what I expected from this.)

Main Event: Flip Gordon vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.: Gordon controls the arm of Rey with a wrist lock at the start. Rey snap mares Gordon to get out of the hold and they have a standoff. Rey takes Gordon down to the canvas and controls the left leg for a few moments. Gordon counters the head scissors with an arm lock. Gordon leg sweeps Rey but Rey gets a sunset flip. Rey comes off the ropes with a head scissors takedown. Rey arm drags Gordon to avoid a wheelbarrow. Gordon tries to kip up, but Rey keeps on cutting him off and Flip eventually gets up and plays to the crowd. Rey dropkicks Flip over the middle rope and misses the 619. They proceed to have another standoff. Gordon kicks Rey after shaking hands. Rey elbows Gordon in the corner and head scissors Gordon shoulder first into the ring post. Rey leaps off the apron to splash onto Gordon on the outside. Mysterio gets met with a dropkick and a kick off the apron by Gordon. Flip takes Rey out with a moonsault off the top to the floor. Gordon goes for the cover in the ring for a two count. Gordon continues to work over Rey with kicks in the corner. Gordon delivers a handspring back elbow strike to Mysterio for a near fall. Gordon slams Mysterio and goes to the apron missing a springboard 450. Mysterio attempts a springboard but is met with a dropkick in midair! Gordon has the cover but Rey kicks out at two. Gordon kicks Rey in the chest and hits a standing moonsault for a two count. Gordon slows the match down with a sleeper hold.

Rey kicks his way out of the hold but Gordon hits a springboard spinning neck breaker. Rey fights back with a tornado DDT. They both struggle to get to their feet with Rey on the apron and hits a springboard splash. Rey botches a springboard attempt barely hitting a cross body. Gordon tries a sunset flip but gets kicked in the head for a two count. Gordon misses a few kicks but nails Rey with a pele kick. Rey sits on the top turnbuckle and Gordon slips on a springboard attempt but kicks Rey anyway managing to get a near fall. Rey blocks a backdrop with a boot but is met with a back elbow. Gordon springboards off the middle rope and hits a fallaway Samoan Drop and a springboard moonsault for a two count. Gordon goes to the top rope and Rey avoids a 450 splash. Rey boots Gordon in the corner and sets Flip up for the 619. Gordon is able to block the 619. Gordon gets head scissors by Mysterio and Rey hits the 619 followed by a springboard frog splash for the win. (***. A solid main event and it was nice to see Mysterio motivated in the match with a young star like Flip. I will forever confused as to how Gordon losing here helps him in NEW. I probably have an old school mindset of wanting to put over the younger talent to make them draws since they’ll likely be on every show while Rey makes one or two shots a year. Regardless, it was an enjoyable main event.)

Final Thoughts:
The triple threat match and the main event were the best matches on the show. Cody/Lawler wasn’t great, but I can appreciate what they tried doing and the live crowd bought into it, it seemed like. The comes in at just under 2 and half hours. There were two standout matches and the bad stuff wasn’t around for long. I don’t regret watching it so that must be a good thing. Mild thumbs up.

Thanks for reading.

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