PWX Season’s DELETE-ings recap & review: Manning, Starr, and Drake retain, the Revolt! defeat the Bravados in their final encounter, and Hollis continues to walk alone

Fair warning (the best Van Halen album, but I digress), whether it's my internet being a bit shaky or just growing pains from this being Highspots' first foray into iPPV on Pivotshare, the stream is kind of iffy (totally watchable, but prone to a bit of lag here and there) and thus my recap is going to be a little lighter in spots than usual on PWX shows, folks.

I came in a minute or two late but Coach Mikey lets us know that Colby Corino is watching from home, so we're down a duck, but he asks if we believe in Christmas miracles and wants everybody out of their seats and quacking to help the miracle along. Colby's here after all!

OI4K (Dave Crist, Jake Crist, & Sami Callihan) vs. Ugly Ducklings (Colby Corino, Lance Lude & Rob Killjoy)

Callihan and Killjoy start, going hard and both teams keep cycling members. A series of dives from the Ducklings but Dave cuts the third off and throws one of his own! Colby does the whole "I'm afraid to fly" gimmick but finally wipes Dave Crist out with a suicide dive! Tower of Doom sees Jake catch Lance Lude in a powerbomb for a nearfall!

Coach Mikey and JT Davidson get into it, JT taking Mikey's elf hat off and stomping it... SPEAR! Mikey's beating the crap out of JT! All six men square off and soon Callihan and Killjoy are getting into a gross-off, spitting and one-upping each other and eventually kissing each other! Jake comes in, assisted piledriver... DUCKS BREAK IT UP! Dave connects with the Magdalene but it's not enough...

Ugly Ducklings win by pinfall with a Ducksday Device on Dave Crist.

Fun pyrotechnic trios match to kick things off.

Anthony Henry vs. Darius Lockhart

Grappling to start, with Henry having an advantage but Darius makes an opening with chops. He heads outside and hides behind Amber Young, forcing Henry to hesitate and taking full advantage of it. Stomping a mudhole now, then a stiff running knee against the ropes, which Tommy Thomas helpfully points out you cannot do to a baby, for a nearfall.

Anthony mounts a bit of a comeback but Lockhart hangs him up on the ropes and throws a diving knee. But Henry's a hard man to keep down and he catches Darius with a strike rush and a snap scoop powerslam that makes the Revolt!sman head outside for a breather and grab Amber again, but Anthony's fellow Lethal Lover turns him around this time and lets her man nail him with a kick and a dive.

Nearfall off a double stomp, Henry throws charging kicks until Lockhart makes an opening again and they trade quick pins. Darius with a nearfall off blocking a suplex, and then he gets one of his own off an incredible flipping back suplex piledriver thing, like a Blue Thunder Driver over-rotated to land stomach-first. Dragon sleeper is in, Lockhart flips out, Henry to the second, Darius knocks him down with a kick and throws a tope con giro!

He soon makes a mistake and Henry is on him with an armbar, Lockhart rolls him up for two, capture DDT... no good! Henry sends him to the apron for a catapult into a stiff up-kick to the face, Lockhart throws a superplex and holds on for suplex on the mat, Henry blocks... SLINGSHOT SUPLEX INTO A CROSS ARMBAR!

Lockhart rolls with it, Henry shifts...

Anthony Henry wins by submission with a Fujiwara Armbar.

Very good match with an even better finishing sequence.

Dezmond Xavier vs. Jason Cade vs. Joseph A'gau vs. Timmy Lou Retton

Superkicks! Cade and Xavier square off and make Vader angry for a minute, Retton in with a handspring Stinger splash and a crazy anti-gravity turning inverted DDT! A'gau knocks him down and goes at it with Xavier, they tease a four-way German suplex but it gets broken up. Cade leapfrogs A'gau, who ends up hitting a suicide dive tornado DDT on Retton! Cade diving on everybody now, Fly Cade Fly! Xavier nearly whiffs a Space Flying Tiger Drop bad but clears the apron by about half an inch.

Back in the ring everybody kneels and trades chops, wiped out. They get to their feet and Cade runs wild on the other three only to get CRACKED by an enzuigiri from Timmy Lou! A'gau takes it to Retton in the corner but eats an STO from Dezmond before he can finish. Standing corkscrew moonsault gets the Scarlet and Graves man a nearfall and Jason spikes him with a flip piledriver, All Hail Pedigree but Timmy comes off the top...

Timmy Lou Retton wins by pinfall with a diving maneuver on Dezmond Xavier.

Really fun match, enjoyed the hell out of that one. A'gau looked pretty impressive in my first time seeing him, he hung with the other three no problem.

Ethan Case vs. Martin Stone

A bit of shenanigans before the match with both men crotch-chopping at Tommy Thomas on commentary.

Lockup gives way to grappling, Stone firmly in charge but Case game to try and bring his strength to bear. He celebrates escaping a wristlock by throwing a streamer! Stone throws one of his own and Case gives him some pointers... but it was subterfuge! Stone rolls up in a ball and offers a hand but Ethan shoves him around instead. The hand is finally taken but Case is ready with a cartwheel escape.

Case tries the ball and Martin just pins him for a two-count! Handshake, Ethan throws a kick and Stone catches, Case begging off and trying to trip Stone up when he runs the ropes. He fails and Case is sad so Martin consoles him with a hug and offers a hammerlock, World of Sport style. Case demands that Stone be penalized five yards for a false start. Amazingly, the referee acquiesces and Stone offers the arm up again, quickly escaping and leveling Case with a headbutt!

Looking for a German suplex off the apron, Case blocks with a back elbow but Stone stays on him, looking for a powerbomb but Case blocks and throws a wipeout dive! Tornado suplex gets two back in the ring but Stone throws a missile dropkick and re-establishes control. Lariat to a snapmare, looking for the cutter, blocked, Case looking for his own, blocked, awesome tight counter-dodging and they clobber each other with simultaneous forearms!

Huge powerbomb, Case reverses a knee into a cradle, follows up with a pop-up forearm but it's not enough to put Stone away! The Englishman applies a crossface but Case makes the ropes. Cutters traded, both men out on the mat! Slugging it out punch for punch now, Case takes a moment too long to celebrate and eats a headbutt, Stone takes him down into the crossface again but he rolls into a pin to break.

Springboard cutter, knee strike, looking for the Crash Landing but Stone reverses to a small package, Case reverses...

Ethan Case wins by pinfall with a small package.

The comedy stuff means it's not a slam dunk recommendation, but I really enjoyed this one, with all the World of Sport nods before the heat turned up. Good times.

Bravado Brothers (Harlem & Lancelot Bravado) vs. the Revolt! (Caleb Konley & Zane Riley) (THE FINAL CONFRONTATION)

Bravados really taking it to Konley from the bell but Riley saves his partner and they decide to take a walk.

Bravado Brothers win by countout.

Huh.

Harlem Bravado gets on the mic and says that Matt Hardy must have deleted the Revolt's balls and demands that it be restarted as a no disqualification match.

Bravado Brothers (Harlem & Lancelot Bravado) vs. the Revolt! (Caleb Konley & Zane Riley) (THE FINAL CONFRONTATION II: NO DISQUALIFICATION)

Lotta stuff happening here folks, a real pier six brawl with the Revolt! ending up in charge. Bravados back in with a little help from their friends the chair family, Lancelot and Zane fight nearly the doorway as Harlem and Konley brawl in the seats. Riley brings a trash can to ringside but it doesn't come into the action just yet. The Bravados lay the Revolt! out and head backstage for a table!

Lancelot and Konley struggle on the apron and Harlem comes over to set up the suicide dive Doomsday Device but Riley makes the save and throws the trash can into the ring. The can is full of plunder and Riley starts beating Lancelot with a chain. He tries to use the chain to mount a comeback but both Revolt!smen are on top of him and secure the dog collar to his neck! Caleb has a kendo stick and uses it to stop Lancelot from fighting back as Riley sets Harlem up on the table and chokes him with what may have been a stuffed toy snake.

Zane asks Caleb if he's ready to get real hardcore and he answers in the affirmative, which leads to gummy bears entering the picture! Lancelot catches Riley by the groin with the chain and frees himself, beating on Riley in the bears. Huge dive from Harlem, Lancelot suplexes Zane into the chain! The collar is on the big man now and Lancelot hangs him off the ropes!

Riley gets separation by hanging Lancelot on the guardrail but when he heads back in the ring the Bravados take him two on one with the ol' White Russian legsweep for a nearfall when Konley breaks it up. Konley with a Blue Thunder Driver for two, then the Best Moonsault Ever with the trash can... THE POOL IS EMPTY! GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT ON THE TRASH CAN... NO GOOD!

Bravados set their table up in the ring and add a ladder to the proceedings! Riley gets hold of the ladder and just chucks it at a Bravado's face! Zane Riley ties Lancelot to the turnbuckle with the chain! No, he's locked in! Harlem suplexes the ladder onto Riley to crack an opening and Lancelot keeps Riley occupied.

The ladder is set up next to the table and Harlem waffles the Revolt! with the trash can lid. He climbs the ladder and Zane hits him low. Konley climbs, fireman's carry...

The Revolt! win by pinfall with a fireman's carry Michinoku Driver off a ladder through a table!

Holy crap. That was awesome. All the chain stuff especially.

We take a short intermission and we're right back into it!

James Drake (c) vs. Tracer X (PWX iTV Championship)

Tracer X playing hit and run early, using his speed to balance the 80-pound weight advantage the champion has but he gets caught with a hug lariat and laid out. Drake dominates for a bit but Tracer comes back at him with a dive and a slingshot arm drag but he takes a moment to ask the crowd to throw their X up and Drake absolutely demolishes him! Drake catches a dive, looks for that pop-up haymaker but X blocks and snaps off a headscissors takeover on the outside! Tracer with a dive... DRAKE CHOPS HIM OUT OF THE AIR!

X going for a pumphandle, champion blocks, tilt-a-whirl, Drake catches him and looks for a Tombstone but Tracer reverses the reversal... FLIP PILEDRIVER! X throwing all he can into chops but they don't make a dent in James Drake's chest and he throws a single in return that makes X's life flash before his eyes. Poison Frankensteiner reversed into a wheelbarrow suplex, pop-up powerbomb countered, headscissors reversed, Styles Clash... TRACER X LIVES!

Snap senton atomico, James goes for the Swanton but Tracer dodges, enzuigiri on the charge, springboard reverse STO for a tight nearfall! X heads up top but the champion wakes and levels him with a slap, heading up after him looking for a superplex but X blocks and goes for a sunset flip but he just can't get the big man over. Dropkick to the back of the head, Poison Frankensteiner, he's climbing the turnbuckles, 450 splash comes up empty and Drake FLATTENS him with a pop-up spinebuster...

James Drake wins by pinfall with the Drill Bit, retaining the PWX Innovative Television Championship.

That was really good. Tracer plays so well against bigger dudes, and Drake has a real brutal edge to him that I enjoy a lot.

Two masked men make their way to the ring after the match and square off against James Drake when a third comes in behind him to yank the belt away and crack him in the face with it! The biggest hits a spinebuster on the champion to punctuate and he takes the mask off. Commentary doesn't recognize him and neither do I. The smallest reveals that he's Tommy Thomas and the third man is Elijah Evans IV!

Chip Day vs. David Starr (c) (wXw Shotgun Championship)

Right to business, both guys looking to win out the gate with pinning predicaments. Starr takes the lead in a lockup but Day fights him off and they go shoulder blockin', over and over, neither man taking a lead until David takes a left turn and switches angles, strutting away and flexing in celebration of knocking Chip down. Snapmare, dick bump, but Day snaps off a 540 roundhouse that lays Starr out.

Outside with a dive, Day back in with a forearm and a dive of his own, champion catches the boot, spinning backfist, dive, Chip dodged, tope con giro... Chip Day lands on his feet! Slugging it out on the apron, Day has the lead, thinking about a suplex but David blocks him with chops, Chip back in for a dive or something and Starr catches him with a DDT on the apron! Starr winds up, Day ducks the lariat on the first pass but the champion clobbers him on the second.

Front chancery, Chip blocks, floats over but Starr takes his leg out from under him and snaps off a tilt-a-whirl slam to boot. Arms trapped, Day slips out, charge in the corner, chops beat David unholy in the corner, whip across, Chip with a slick guillotine leg drop over the second rope! Missile dropkick, corner double knees get two. Kick for chop, Chip asks for another and they tee off on each other with chops!

Starr wins the exchange and just pummels Day in the corner but Chip has a few kicks left and gets off a tornado DDT, holding on to the facelock but Starr reverses to a brainbuster on the knee. Superkick gets a close nearfall, looks for a suplex, doesn't get it, back body drops Day into the turnbuckles, rolling elbow to the back of the head...

David Starr wins by pinfall with an arm-trap German suplex, retaining the wXw Shotgun Championship.

Really good match. Obviously whenever you have a guest title shot the conclusion is kinda forgone but they still managed to generate some suspense here and there.

Starr sticks around to shake Day's hand and all that good sportsmanship stuff.

John Skyler makes his entrance but Corey Hollis is nowhere to be seen and an interview rolls up on him. He says Corey is like a brother to him and he made calls to Sal Rinauro & Jimmy Rave to try and talk sense into him, but it clearly didn't work since he's not here.

Rave and Rinauro come out, and Sal gets on the mic to give his appreciation for the call to get Corey back in line, but if he's not here, they'll just have to make an impression some other way. Jimmy blindsides Rave and Sal joins in on the beatdown! He mounts a comeback but Rinauro chokes him with his t-shirt and they keep beating Skyler. John gets some separation and Finlay Rolls Rave onto Rinauro! Hollis comes out and tags in, the match is on!

Bruiserweights (Corey Hollis & John Skyler) vs. Jimmy Rave & Sal Rinauro

Corey takes it to Rinauro but Sal is able to turn it around a little and Rave plants him with an STO on the apron! Jimmy and Sal keep him isolated and work quick tags. Eventually Rave takes Hollis to the woodshed on the outside as the referee is more concerned with Skyler staying in his corner than what the two decade-plus veterans are doing to work poor Corey over.

Hollis fights out of a rear chinlock and builds up a bit of separation, throwing Rave into Rinauro to make the tag! John running the uppercut train, ducks Rave, Tiger Driver on Rinauro for a nearfall! Big senton on Jimmy, Hollis has disappeared but Skyler keeps fighting, throwing hands on Sal until he eats a stunner and a knee from Rave. Corey slips back in and goes chop for forearm with Jimmy until he eats From Dusk 'Til Dawn but Hollis isn't legal!

Skyler makes the save, Jimmy puts the submission back on,Sal tries to run interference but Corey dumps him and breaks up the crossface with a kick. Fireman's carry spinebuster on Rave, Rinauro slips on a moonsault but still nails Hollis with the kick! Skyler positions Rave and heads up top but Jimmy is on him and goes for the superplex. It connects, Sal made the tag, diving elbow, Hollis breaks it up!

Skyler and Rinauro struggle on the apron, Skyler with the spear! Tandem spears from the Bruiserweights, slingshot and suicide! Hollis and Skyler get into a bit of a fight but before they can get into it Sal runs over and Corey gets on him...

Bruiserweights win by pinfall with a gutbuster from Corey Hollis on Sal Rinauro.

Good match, weaving the Corey Hollis story in without making the match itself suffer from long patches of inactivity or confusion.

Skyler gets on the mic and says that's the Corey Hollis he wanted to see and that the people pay their money to see. He asks Hollis to be a man, shake his hand, and reaffirm their partnership, but Corey walks away.

"Manscout" Jake Manning (c) vs. "Broken" Matt Hardy (PWX World Heavyweight Championship)

Broken Matt gets on the mic before the bell rings to tell the North Carolinians he knew they'd come. He's here to delete the scout that is like a man!

Lockup goes in the corner, on the break Manning salutes and turns it into the "Delete!" sign. Matt vows to eat Manning and I'm pretty sure Jake is indicating that he doesn't taste very good. Wristlock exchanges, Manning shoots Hardy off and gets knocked down, Matt with a side headlock to ground him, Manning tries a counter but Hardy hangs on but soon the Manscout has an armbar in but Matt forces a break in the corner and deletes him in the corner, sending him outside.

Looking for a Twist of Fate on the floor and Manning sends him into the ringpost and throws hands after. Jake ties Hardy up in a knot on the bottom rope! A baseball slide frees his Broken Brilliance and the champion pummels him in the ring. Sleeper hold applied, Hardy slips out, off the ropes, sleeper of his own! Jake turns it into a back suplex and escapes, leaving both men out on the mat for the standing ten-count.

Slugging it out on their feet, Hardy charges in and eats a boot, Manning up top for a diving clothesline but it's not enough to put Matt away. The straps come down and the Manscout calls for the piledriver but Hardy counters with a back body drop. Looking for a bulldog but the champion turns it into his backbreaker / STO combo! To the second, Matt catches him with a boot, Twist of Fate clutch, backslide counter, Hardy tries to block, Jake gets him over but can't get the shoulders down and has to break.

Trading right hands now... SIDE EFFECT! NO GOOD! Twist of Fate countered again into a schoolboy, Hardy kicks out, another try sees Manning shoot him into referee Kevin Pierce. Deadlift piledriver connects but there's no ref to count the pin! Twist of Fate connects, now Hardy has the pin but Pierce is still out! The Revolt! run down with the title belt and offer their assistance to Broken Matt, Riley dragging Manning to his feet. Hardy ain't having it!

He beats the Revolt! down, Twist of Fate connects but the ref is still out and Caleb Konley clobbers Matt with the title! He collapses into a pin on Manning, but his shoulders are on the mat as well! Kevin Pierce stirs to life...

The match goes to a draw as a result of a double pin.

Good match, and I'm not nearly sick of the Hardy schtick yet. Kinda bummed by the double pin because I got excited for the prospect of Anthony Henry winning the title from Broken Matt, but I get it. Big star comes to town, whatcha gonna do?

The Revolt! hit the ring again to beat both men up but of course get beaten up themselves. Broken Matt even eats Zane Riley's ear! Twist of Fate, Manning heads up top... Swanton Bomb! Matt asks if Brother Nero's soul has gone into Jake Manning's vessel and the champion begs off.

Hardy demands that "Brother Nero" sing the song that he sings and leads the crowd in a singalong before declaring it wonderful. He had a premonition that Manning would be deleted, but now the Seven Deities have told him that Manning is a loyal soldier in the great war and he shakes the champion's hand.

Overall

PWX capped their year off on a pretty high note here, folks. The Corey Hollis story remains intriguing, Anthony Henry's rise to the title rolls on, and you get a brace of good matches featuring young hungry talent. Plus, despite a bit of a shaky start, Highspots did well streaming the show, and after intermission I had zero issues. With a bit of Broken Brilliance on top, what's not to like?