Sermon on the Mat (Nov. 2, 2017): Lucha Forever, CMLL, AAW, NJPW, & RevPro cards

Welcome back to the Sermon on the Mat, your weekly one-stop shop for news from the wider world of wrestling beyond the big cable TV monoliths that get all the coverage.

Coming soon...

Lucha Forever Card Subject to Change (November 2, 7PM GMT)

1. Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) vs. the 198 ("Flash" Morgan Webster & Wild Boar)
2. Chris Brookes vs. Mike Bird
3. Eddie Dennis vs. Keith Lee
4. Mark Haskins vs. Matt Riddle

Lucha Forever are back in Cardiff and I've got one word for you, Cagesiders-- HOSS! Dennis! Lee! Big lads doing big things! As for the rest of the card, there are three matches yet to be announced, but everything that HAS been announced is pretty darn good looking. Obviously I'm most stoked for the HOSS FIGHT, but Haskins/Riddle should be a hell of a hoot and the underrated Mike Bird taking on Chris Brookes should also be really enjoyable in particular.

Get your tickets here or check it out when it hits Lucha Forever On Demand, folks.

CMLL Super Viernes (November 3, 10:30PM Eastern)

1. Artillero & Espanto, Jr. vs. Astral & Robin
2. Drone, Esfinge, & Rey Cometa vs. Puma, Tiger, & Virus
3. Angel de Oro, Niebla Roja, & Stuka, Jr. vs. La Peste Negra (Barbaro Cavernario & Negro Casas) & Shocker
4. Dalys (c) vs. Marcela (CMLL World Women's Championship)
5. Cuatrero, Forastero, Hechicero, & Sanson vs. Diamante Azul, El Valiente, Mistico, & Soberano, Jr. (Rey del Inframundo Torneo Cibernetico)
6. Caristico, Rush, & Volador, Jr. vs. Los Guerreros Laguneros (Euforia, Gran Guerrero, & Ultimo Guerrero)

CMLL are back with your usual Friday night dose of lucha libre action, and it's time for Dia de Muertos! Yes, CMLL are in the holiday spirit and to prove it you need look no further than that cibernetico to crown a king of the underworld. This is one of those CMLL cards where there isn't really a bad match, but the main event in particular should be special, because nobody on the team opposite the Guerreros like each other very much, and they may very well explode part-way through.

Check it out, as always, free for nothin' on ClaroSports or CMLL's Facebook page, but do note that due to Mexico going back to standard time earlier than in the United States, it'll be an hour later than usual for Americans.

AAW Hell Hath No Fury / Rise of the Dragon (November 3-4)

—Hell Hath No Fury (November 3, 7:30PM Central)—

1. Connor Braxton vs. Paco (Fans Bring the Weapons Match)
2. Chuck Taylor & Colt Cabana vs. Hooligans (Devin & Mason Cutter)
3. OI4K (Dave & Jake Crist) vs. WRSTLING (David Starr & Jeff Cobb)
4. Eddie Kingston vs. Trevor Lee
5. Michael Elgin vs. Shane Strickland
6. Delilah Doom vs. Veda Scott (AAW Women's Championship Tournament First Round Match)
7. Kylie Rae vs. Su Yung (AAW Women's Championship Tournament First Round Match)
8. AR Fox vs. Austin Theory vs. Curt Stallion vs. Myron Reed vs. Stephen Wolf vs. Zema Ion (AAW Heritage Championship #1 Contender's Six Pack Challenge)
9. Besties in the World (Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett) vs. Scarlet and Graves (Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz) (c) (AAW Tag Team Championship)
10. Rey Fenix (c) vs. ??? (AAW Heavyweight Championship)

—Rise of the Dragon (November 4, 7PM Central)—

1. Bucky Collins & Connor Braxton vs. Mike Hartenbower & Kody Rice
2. Brubaker, Curt Stallion, & Jake Something vs. Chuck Taylor & Zero Gravity (Brett Gakiya & CJ Esparza)
3. Myron Reed vs. Zema Ion
4. AR Fox vs. Austin Theory
5. Ivelisse vs. winner of Scott/Doom (AAW Women's Championship Tournament Semifinal Match)
6. Rachael Ellering vs. winner of Yung/Rae (AAW Women's Championship Tournament Semifinal Match)
7. Stephen Wolf & Trey Miguel vs. ??? (c) (AAW Tag Team Championship Ladder Match)
8. Michael Elgin & Rey Fenix vs. Sami Callihan & Ultimo Dragon

AAW are back in Berwyn, Illinois and they have one huge double-shot lined up for the weekend. Ultimo Dragon? He's here, in a slightly weird but still very exciting dream tag team match! Women's tournament action? Advancing! Challenger for Penta el Zero M's AAW Heritage Championship? Crowned! Challenger for Rey Fenix’s AAW Heavyweight Championship? A mystery! Weapons? Brought by the fans!

Get your tickets here or check 'em out when the hit Smart Mark Video and Highspots, folks.

NJPW Power Struggle 2017 (November 5, 3AM Eastern)

1. David Finlay vs. Katsuya Kitamura
2. Dragon Lee & Titan vs. Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)
3. Hirai Kawato, Juice Robinson, Jushin Liger, KUSHIDA, & Tiger Mask IV vs. Suzuki-gun (El Desperado, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, & Zack Sabre, Jr.)
4. Bullet Club (Chase Owens, Cody Rhodes, & Yujiro Takahashi) vs. TenCozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) & Togi Makabe
5. Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) vs. Super 69 (ACH & Ryusuke Taguchi) (Super Jr. Tag Tournament 2017 Finals)
6. Chaos (Gedo, Hirooki Goto, Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, & YOSHI-HASHI) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, EVIL, Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA, & Tetsuya Naito)
7. Minoru Suzuki (c) vs. Toru Yano (NEVER Openweight Championship Bullrope Deathmatch)
8. Marty Scurll vs. Will Ospreay (c) (IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship)
9. Beretta vs. Kenny Omega (c) (IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship)
10. Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kota Ibushi (IWGP Intercontinental Championship)

New Japan's last major show of the year is upon us-- from here it's all Tag League and house shows until Wrestle Kingdom, folks! Anyway, this is shaping up to be a really good card, with Tanahashi/Ibushi on top, Beretta/Omega a solid co-main that has the potential to really turn into something blowaway if Trent comes ready to rock, a junior title match that doesn't exactly have me stoked but has pleased crowds around the world, and, I mean, Yano against Suzuki in a bullrope deathmatch. That's just exciting, right there.

Plus the finals of the Super Jr. Tag Tournament, another Chaos/LIJ ten-man that should deliver, the Young Bucks testing the best CMLL has to offer? Gonna be good, folks. Gonna be real good.

Check it out on NJPW World, either live at butt o'clock or on VOD at your leisure.

RPW Live at the Cockpit 22 (November 5, 5:30PM GMT)

1. Charlie Morgan vs. Jinny
2. #CCK (Chris Brookes & Travis Banks) vs. Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) vs. Contenders (Josh Wall & Kurtis Chapman) vs. Legion of Lords (Gideon Grey & No Fun Dunne)
3. Joey Janela vs. Ryan Smile
4. Dave Mastiff vs. Keith Lee

RevPro haven't announced all of the matches for their next show at the Cockpit in London, but the four they have are, per tradition, all pretty exciting. Cry HOSS, and let slip Lee and Mastiff, for one! Plus the bad boy in action, a four-way tag that we've been promised will be madness, and a top-flight women's match and it's shaping up pretty well, don't you think?

Get your tickets here or check it out on RPW On Demand, folks.

Free matches here!

Fred Yehi vs. WALTER

From the fine folks over at the World Wrestling Network, we have WALTER's Evolve debut for you this week. He put the Progress Atlas Division Championship on the line against Fred Yehi, and hard-hitting intense technical wrestling magic happened. Don't miss it!

Hallowicked vs. Rory Gulak

Speaking of technical wrestling! From the good people over at Chikara, we have Rory Gulak, every ounce the consummate mat grappler as his older brother Drew, headed head-to-head with Hallowicked, a man known for his flying acumen but, like all Chikara vets, at home on the mat as much as he is in the air. Enjoy!

Deonna Purrazzo vs. Penelope Ford

And some women's wrestling to round our freebies out this week, courtesy of Women's Wrestling Revolution. Two big names clash in sprinty fresh action, check it out!

Results

NOVA Pumpkin Spice Lariats (October 27)

1. Ace Perry over Breaux Keller and Donovan Danhausen
2. Sage Phillips over Ken Dixon
3. "Progressive Liberal" Daniel Richards over Ethan Alexander Sharpe
4. Beau Crockett over Chip Day, Isaiah Frazier, and Sugar Dunkerton
5. Laynie Luck over Faye Jackson
6. Gunner Miller (c) over Tim Donst to retain the Anarchy Triple Crown Championship
7. Logan Easton LaRoux (c) vs. Sage Philips is retroactively declared a no contest
8. Angelus Layne & Dominic Garrini over Brittany Blake & John Kermon
9. Bobby Shields over Tripp Cassidy
10. Ugly Ducklings (Lance Lude & Rob Killjoy) over Arik Royal & Chet Sterling
11. Fred Yehi over Jordynne Grace
12. Sonjay Dutt over DJ Z

Another NOVA Pro show is in the books and as always my main Mid-Atlantic man Duke (follow him on Twitter!) was on the scene, so why not just check out his recap? All the action broken down smooth and easy, it sure beats me sitting here and regurgitating factoids for y’all. Get on it!

And if that sounds good to you, you can check it out when it hits Smart Mark Video. And in the meantime, check out NOVA Project 3 on Powerbomb.tv, because it's a hell of a show.

PCW UK Fright Night (October 27)

1. Soner Dursun over CJ Banks
2. Kings of Leon (Lionheart & Sha Samuels) over Jake Long & Philip Michael
3. Chris Ridgeway over Dean Allmark
4. Joe Coffey over Dave Mastiff and Keith Lee
5. Big T, Dave Birch, Sheikh el Shaam, & Tel Banham over 3 Mates Pissing About (Danny Hope, Joey Hayes, & Martin Kirby) & Matthew Brooks (Halloween House of Horrors Match)
6. Lucy Cole & Nightshade over Lauren & Veda Scott
7. Ashton Smith over "Speedball" Mike Bailey
8. Tyson T-Bone over Iestyn Rees (c) to win the PCW Heavyweight Championship

Yes, folks, it turns out that the Grim Reaper is, at least this year, a pair of big, big lads in Joe Coffey and Dave Mastiff. They had a hell of a hoss fight with Keith Lee, Ridgeway and Allmark had a really good non-title grudge match, the Halloween House of Horrors was every bit as wacky as a match with Ghostbusters and a Frankenstein in it should be, and the main event saw T-Bone win the title for a third time in short, dominant fashion with a couple of piledrivers after Rees attitude finally got bodyguard Rhio to leave him hanging.

Altogether it made for a pleasant afternoon of graps, and you can check out the VOD on Powerbomb.tv if you like.

Beyond Apocalypse Dudes (October 29)

1. Josh Briggs over Brian Milonas
2. Amityville Project (Mike Verna & Ryan Galeone) over American Gaijin (Jay Freddie & Rory Gulak)
3. Sage Phillips over Dante Caballero
4. Hot Wheelz ("Hot Sauce" Tracy Williams & Wheeler Yuta) over Brandon Watts & Zenshi
5. Ace Romero over John Silver
6. Team PAWG (Jordynne Grace & LuFisto) over Hooligans (Devin & Mason Cutter)
7. "Supercop" Dick Justice vs. Orange Cassidy went to a no contest
8. Alexxis, Anthony Stone, & Da Hoodz (Davey Cash & Kris Pyro) over Anthony Green, Brick Mastone, Davienne, & Mikey Webb
9. Matt Riddle over JT Dunn
10. Doom Patrol (Chris Dickinson & Jaka) over Viking War Party (Alexander Rudolph & Jake Parnell) (Valhalla Rules Match)
11. Jonathan Gresham (c) over Flip Gordon to retain the Powerbomb.tv Independent Wrestling Championship
12. Zack Sabre, Jr. over Martin Stone
13. Unbreakable F'n Machines (Brian Cage & Michael Elgin) over EYFBO (Angel Ortiz & Mike Draztik)

If you'll excuse me, folks, no sleight on Denim Recruits, but I could not source results for it at the time I sat down to write this, so I'm going to go ahead and focus on Apocalypse Dudes here, seeing as that one was live on Powerbomb.tv and you can check out full in-depth results right here.

Anyway, AD was a really good show with the excellent Sabre/Stone as the absolute high point of the show but also PAWG/Hooligans, Justice/Cassidy (the ending for which was prompted by Dick shooting the cameraman "dead" trying to arrest Orange), Riddle/Dunn, DP/VWP (which featured a chainsaw!), Gresham/Gordon, and the main event tag were all varying flavors of good to great themselves.

Check 'em out on Beyondemand (for Denim Recruits) and Powerbomb.tv (for Apocalypse Dudes), folks.

Chikara Deep Breath / A Good Man Goes to War (October 28)

—Deep Breath—

1. Travis Huckabee over Everett Connors
2. Cornelius Crummels & Sonny Defarge over Carnies (Kerry Awful & Nick Iggy)
3. Jeremy Leary over Space Monkey
4. Merlok over Missile Assault Man
5. Osirian Portal (Amasis & Ophidian) over Kobald & Oleg the Usurper
6. Dasher Hatfield over Moose

—A Good Man Goes to War—

1. Proletariat Boar of Moldova over "Mr. Touchdown" Mark Angelosetti
2. Hallowicked over Solo Darling
3. Hype Rockwell over Race Jaxon by disqualification
4. Icarus over Rory Gulak
5. Cajun Crawdad & Hermit Crab over Xyberhawx 2000 (Razerhawk & Sylverhawk)
6. Juan Francisco de Coronado (c) over Fire Ant to retain the Chikara Grand Championship
7. Los Ice Creams (El Hijo del Ice Cream & Ice Cream, Jr.) over Dez Peloton (Donald Kluger & Jasper Tippins)

Yes, the Osirian Portal is indeed back... sort of. That's the new Ophidian, the former Whisper, but as far as who his Funky Pharaoh is, well, it ain't the Amasis of old who lost his mask at the end of last year. In other news from the show, Race Jaxon just couldn't help himself from going low against old partner Hype Rockwell and paid the price for it, an "L" forever etched in his record book, and the Boar has earned his third point, so he'll have a title shot coming up soon.

Check 'em out on Chikaratopia, folks.

wXw London Calling II (October 28)

1. Chris Brookes over Lucky Kid
2. Marius Al-Ani over Emil Sitoci
3. Avalanche over Michael Dante
4. WALTER over David Starr
5. Toni Storm over Nina Samuels
6. Ilja Dragunov over Mark Haskins
7. Timothy Thatcher over Mark Davis
8. John "Bad Bones" Klinger (c) over Travis Banks to retain the wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship

wXw's second London stop partnered with Progress underwent one last last-minute change, as Jurn Simmons was sick and couldn't make the show. So, rather than changing the Ringkampf tag match another time, they broke it up, giving us another chapter in the saga of Starr vs. WALTER and debuting Mark Davis against an eyepatched Timothy Thatcher. Not bad! And the main event was quite eventful in its own right, with Banks seemingly putting Bad Bones away almost instantly with a lariat and Kiwi Krusher only to have the decision reversed when it was realized that Klinger had his foot under the ropes.

Check it out on wXwNOW!, folks.

Progress Chapter 56: La Danse Macabre (October 29)

1. Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) & Omari over Connor Mills & Never Say Die (Alex Cupid & Dillon D'Angelo)
2. Strangler Davis over Timothy Thatcher
3. Grizzled Young Vets (James Drake & Zack Gibson) over Chris Brookes & Jimmy Havoc
4. WALTER (c) over Wolfgang to retain the Progress Atlas Division Championship
5. British Strong Style (Trent Seven & Tyler Bate) over Sexy Starr (David Starr & Jack Sexsmith)
6. Toni Storm (c) over Charli Evans to retain the Progress Women's Championship
7. Travis Banks (c) over Keith Lee to retain the Progress World Championship

As always with shows I'm going to recap I'll keep it brief here in Sermon, but a quick look at the big news from this show and we have a hell of a new alliance formed. Jimmy Havoc and Mark Haskins have put aside their differences and, with the assistance of Vicky Haskins and a very big stick, made a statement by tearing Sexy Starr apart after their defeat. Cannot WAIT to see where that one's going!

Check it out when it hits Demand Progress, folks.

As always...

Remember folks, no matter what type of wrestling you like, no matter how down you feel about the state of WWE, Impact, ROH, or any other "big-time" pro wrestling, there's something out there for you. There's a pro wrestling product that can hit you in the right spot and make you love wrestling like you thought you'd never be able to love it again. It's there, I promise. You just gotta reach out and find it, and that, my friends, is what the Sermon on the Mat is all about.