Sometimes all that’s needed for quality wrestling are great in-ring stories, boisterous personas and a hell of a lot of heart.
This can easily be found at Family Wrestling Entertainment, FWE for short.
FWE thrives to deliver that familiar flavor of pro wrestling loved by many, just more “toned down†in terms of violence regularly found on television.
As they proved at “No Limits†at The Hall of St. Paul in Manhattan, NY on Saturday, February 25th, “toned down†doesn’t equate to “bad,†that lots of fun can be had.
By the reactions of the rambunctious crowd, it was especially evident much fun was had that night.
Matches:
Winter vs. Brooke Tessmacher (FWE Women’s Championship Tournament Round One): Tessmacher strutted around while Winter was on her game and wasn’t afraid to bend the rules to destroy Tessmacher. Lots of rest holds and Tessmacher even pulled out a Stink Face for fun. Winter won with her Spinning Backbreaker finisher to advance to the finals.
The Midnight Sensations vs. Azrieal/Bandido: In an athletic contest packed with non-stop high-end offense, both teams shined with multiple double-team maneuvers in attempts to top one another. In the end, it was the cocky Midnight Sensations duo which came out victorious.
Mr. Pec-Tacular†Jessie Godderz vs. Jay Santana: Godderz was an instant heat magnet as he insulted the Ring Announcer and crowd and gave himself a “proper†introduction. Santana spawned some late offense but was simply outmatched by Godderz, who scored the pin with his feet on the ropes.
Tara vs. Maria Kanellis (FWE Women’s Championship Tournament Round One): In Kanellis’ first match in roughly two years since WWE, Tara happily welcomed her back and said she was honored Maria challenged her and led the crowd to sing “Happy Birthday†for Maria before she attacked Maria and turned on the fans. Tara tried to put Maria away, but quickly grew frustrated with Maria’s resilience. Winter came into the picture and helped Maria out, which also screwed Tara over as Maria got the win.
“The Prodigy†Mike Bennett vs. Wes Draven vs. Matt Taven (w/Casey Ray) vs. “Firebird†Jorge Santi: All four men gave it their all but it was the Boston-based Bennett who emerged the winner of this spot-fest and wasn’t afraid to rub it in the faces of the Manhattan crowd as he gloated and with reason; “The Prodigy†put on quite the performance.
Big Daddy V vs. Malta The Damager: On paper, this tables match was anybody’s game, but Big Daddy V gained the upper hand early, threw Malta around and never looked back. He put Malta through the table with a Fall Away Slam to win.
Jay Lethal vs. Damien Darling (w/Rick Silver) (FWE Tri-Borough Championship): Darling had the early advantage, but that was quickly subdued when Rick Silver, his manager, was ejected from ringside by the Referee for a huge pop from the crowd. Silver provided great heat and had shades of Former ECW Manager Joel Gertner in him, from his dress style to his obnoxious mannerisms. Lethal’s moveset paid tribute to past wrestling legends like “Macho Man†Randy Savage and Ric Flair and the crowd ate it up. After a couple of close near-falls, Lethal hit the Elbow Drop from the top rope to become new FWE Tri-Borough Champion.
Adrenaline Express vs. Diamond Inc.: Adrenaline Express impressed with numerous high-flying maneuvers and earned themselves a well-deserved win.
Maria Kanellis vs. Winter (FWE Women’s Championship Finals): After Winter screwed Tara out of the finals earlier in the show, Tara and Tessmacher took to the ring for retaliation. Tessmacher distracted the Referee while Tara hit the Widow’s Peak on Winter. Maria pinned Winter to win the FWE Women’s Champion and celebrated.
Tommy Dreamer vs. Charlie Haas: In the main event, it was the ECW Original facing the cocky FWE Champion Charlie Haas. The crowd was on their feet the whole match and chanted for Dreamer while Haas spit on fans several times and garnered great heat. Not even the ring could hold the action as it spilled outside as they brawled throughout the venue. The match finished when Dreamer hit a Fireman’s Carry on Haas through a table set up in the corner and got the pin. Post-match, Dreamer cut a promo on how he appreciated the fans’ support and it didn’t matter that the match didn’t take place in front of “70,000 screaming fans at Wrestlemania†and Haas extended his hand out to Dreamer. Dreamer was hesitant, but the two shook hands. Haas raised Dreamer’s hand in the air and then attacked him.
Final Thoughts: Overall, a solid show with a few great matches like Dreamer/Haas and Midnight Sensations/Azrieal-Bandido. The crowd played a major factor as they were restless the whole show and enjoyed themselves. With shows like these that mix rising stars like “The Prodigy†Mike Bennett, Azrieal, Bandido, Damien Darling and Jesse Godderz with established veterans like Tara, Tommy Dreamer, Charlie Haas and Big Daddy V, FWE has the recipe to cook up even better shows in the future.
Photos by Susan Greenblatt
Leave a Reply