By Sean Radican, Torch columnist

RADICAN ALPHA-1 REVIEW SERIES
“INSANITY”
ONTARIO, CANADA
JUNE 29, 2013

(1) Zero Gravity Champion Josh Alexander vs. Alex Vega vs. Brent Banks in a Three-way match. Vega and Banks are former tag partners. The action was fast-paced during the early going. Banks nailed Vega with a dive over the top to the floor. Alexander took control putting a beating on both of his opponents on the outside. He then suplexed Vega into Banks. Banks and Vega fired back and worked together for the first time to take down Alexander with a combination of moves. They went to a big sequence between all three men that ended with Vega hitting Alexander with an enzuguri.

Alexander had Vega in position for an inverted piledriver, but Banks hit him with sliced bread and that caused Vega to get a sunset flip on Alexander. Banks quickly broke up the pin. Banks and Vega went at it and Vega hit a springboard kick for a near fall on Banks. Alexander hit a spinning tombstone a short time later on Banks, but Vega broke up the pin at the last second. The action continued at a rapid pace. The fans tried to rally behind Alexander after he took a DDT and an ace crushed from Vega. Banks and Alexander went back and forth with Vega on the outside. Banks eventually hit a falcon arrow variation for the win. The announcers sold if as a huge upset.

After the match, Vega shook hands with Banks, but then jumped him from behind and nailed him with the belt. The fans booed as Vega held up the belt.

Winner: Brent Banks to become the new Zero Gravity Champion.

Star rating: (**3/4) - This was a good match that had some hot action and had a solid storyline backing it with friction being teased between Banks and Vega. There were some spots that didn't come off smoothly, but overall this was an entertaining way to start the show.

(2) Steve Brown vs. Johnny Wave (w/Leah). The story is Wave could have chosen between Kings and Brown. He chose brown after Brown hit him with four spinning enzuguris at the last show. Wave ran wild early, but Brown cut him off with a clothesline. Brown began working over Wave's back. The crowd tried to rally behind Wave, but he ate a big elbow from Brown. Wave ended up snapping Brown's neck over the top rope before nailing him with a missile dropkick. The fans fired up and Wave went for a leg submission, but Brown shoved him off and hit a double choke slam for a 2 count.

Brown tossed Wave to the floor and drove him back-first into the ringpost. Wave fired back, but could not take Brown down with a pair of dives through the ropes. Brown tossed a chair at Wave as he went through the ropes for a third dive and the ref called for a DQ. Brown nailed Wave with a spinning uranagi. Leah tried to cover Wave and he set her up for a spinning uranagi, but Ethan Page ran down for the save.

Page raised Wave's hand and Leah nailed him with a low blow. She then hugged Page. The announcers said it was Page all along. Page told Wave it was him all along and he paid Leah to be with Wave. The fans booed as Page left with Von Dutch.

Winner: Johnny Wave via DQ - The action was good until the DQ. This seemed to be more of a setup for Page to turn heel and go after Wave after revealing that he had paid Leah to be with him all along. I got a little lost with the storyline, but it appears we're headed towards Page vs. Wave.

(3) Justin Sane vs. Pepper Parks. Sane dominated the action early until Parks caught him with an uppercut when he went for a splash in the corner. Parks kicked Sane's leg out from under him when he went for a springboard out of the corner. Parks then began working over Sane's leg. Park's ended up countering Sane and he applied a sleeper. Sane managed to fight out and he hit a dropkick that left both men down.

Both men got up and began trading shots. Sane got the upper hand, but was favoring his knee. He ended up eating a knee from Parks as be charged at him and Parks hit the Pepper shaker for a near fall. They battled up top. Sane blocked a sunset bomb, but Parks hit a kick to his leg. Parks went top, but Sane nailed him with a dropkick and followed up with a TKO for the win.

Winner: Justin Sane

Star rating: (**3/4) - This was a solid match with Parks working over Sane's leg. I would have liked to have Sane sell his leg a little better to get the story over, but other than that this was a good, albeit short encounter between these two.

(4) Eric Cairnie vs. Michael Elgin. The fans chanted for Elgin before the bell rang. The announcers said A1 was a place that gave wrestlers like Cairnie opportunities. Both men traded holds on the mat before coming to a stalemate. Both men exchanged a series of counters before Cairnie escaped a buckle bomb attempt and rolled away before going back at it with Elgin. Elgin tried to sit down on Cairnie out of a sunset flip attempt, but he got out of the way and nailed Elgin with a dropkick for a 2 count. Cairnie went for a charge in the corner a short time later, but Elgin caught him and slammed him to the mat.

Elgin lifted up Cairnie for a long delayed vertical suplex before dumping him down to the mat. Cairnie fired back and nailed Elgin with a dive through the ropes. They battled up top and Elgin blocked a sunset bomb. Cairnie tried to take Elgin down with a pair of clotheslines, but couldn't. He finally hit a DVD for a 2 count. Elgin fired back and connected with a black hole slam for a 2 count and the fans fired up.

They traded shots in the middle of the ring a shirt time later. Elgin no sold a German and connected with huge lariat and the fans fired up again. Cairnie blocked a dead-lift vertical suplex attempt on the apron and shoved Elgin to the mat, but ended up missing a frog splash. Elgin hit a dead-lift suplex into a flat liner for a near fall. Cairnie no-sold a buckle bomb and eventually connected with a superkick. Cairnie then hit a frog splash for a near fall. He followed up with the border city stretch, but Elgin got Cairnie up on his shoulders and drive him into the turnbuckles several times in different corners of the ring. Elgin then hit a sick spinning backfist for a near fall. Elgin hit a buckle bomb, but Cairnie staggered forward and rolled through on another powerbomb attempt for the win.

Elgin got on the mic after the match and says Ontario keeps dragging him back. He put over Cairnie and said guys like him are the best in the world. Elgin said fans like the ones here in Ontario makes it feel like home.

Winner: Eric Cairnie

Star rating: (***1/4) - This was a good match. It took a long time for me to believe Elgin was in any danger, but the action picked up late with Cairnie refusing to stay down. Cairnie's win was surprising to say the least, but I wouldn't mind seeing these two wrestle again in the future.

The ring announcer said Colin Delaney had chosen not to be at the show and had sent his tag partner instead. Timothy Krane, a former Zero Gravity Champion came out to face Alpha Male Champion Mike Rollins.

(5) Alpha Male Champion Mike Rollins vs. Timothy Krane. Krane jumped Rollins, but Rollins fired back and hit a modified fisherman's buster for the win.

Winner: Mike Rollins to retain the Alpha Male Championship.

The Alpha 1 commissioner Emanuel Melo left the commentary booth and went to the ring. He told Rollins to wait a minute. He said he was going to make a new match against R.J. City, Ethan Page, and Cheech in an Elimination Four-way match.

R.J. City got on the mic before the tile match. He said the fans needed some quality musical entertainment. He began singing, but then hit Page with the mic.

(6) Alpha Male Champion Mike Rollins vs. R.J. City vs. Cheech vs. Ethan Page (w/Leah). They did a four-way submission spot during the early stages of the match. Rollins got a double border city stretch on City and Page, but Cheech broke it up for some reason. The action was hot and heavy during the early going. Cheech hit a twisting dive over the top to the floor to wipe out everyone. City teased a dive and told the ref to count everyone out. His strategy didn't end up working. City hit a low blow on Cheech that the ref didn't see before eliminating him with a small package. Rollins then eliminated City with a fisherman's buster.

The match came down to Page and Rollins. The fans fired up as Rollins took control and went up top, but page crotched him and hit a cross-arm powerbomb for a 2 count. Rollins countered the spinning Dwayne and hit the fisherman's buster for a near fall. Page fought Rollins off up top a short time later as caught him with an enzuguri off the second rope for a 2 count. Page went for a slingshot ace crusher, but Rollins countered it into a back breaker followed by kryptonite crunch for a 2 count. They ended up battling up top and Rollins hit a superplex, but Leah dragged the ref out of the ring. Rollins went after Leah and nailed her with a fisherman's buster. Page then ran up from behind Rollins and pinned him with a crucifix pinning combination for the win.

Rollins yelled at the ring announced after the match and tried to pin a groggy Page. Rollins claimed it was a 2 count and got a chair. Several ref's held back Rollins, but Wave ran into the ring with a chair as Page posed with the belt. Page dropped the belt, but Wave tossed it to Leah.

Winner: Ethan Page

Star rating: (***1/4) - The match had some good four-way action early and the crowd was into the action. I would have liked to have seen this match get more time, but as it was, it was good and I'm looking forward to seeing where the Page-Wave feud goes.

(7) Scotty O'Shea vs. Allesandro Del Bruno in a TLC match. The winner of this match must climb the ladder and grabs the contract that will guarantees a spot in the King of Hearts Tournament and an Alpha Male Title shot at Final Act. This is the match I was looking forward to most after watching the last A1 show. O'Shea went after Del Bruno with a keyboard during the early going, but Del Bruno kicked it out of his hands. They exchanged counters around the ladder until Del Bruno did the deal onto Del Bruno onto the ladder. Del Bruno shoved the ladder into O'Shea and then nailed him in the mid-section with it several times. O'Shea dumped Del Bruno to the floor and went for a dive, but Del Bruno nailed him with a chair as he came through the ropes.

The fans fired up with Del Bruno in control. O'Shea fired back an hit a buckle bomb into the ladder. O'Shea set up for a running knee into the corner, but Del Bruno dropped down and shoved the ladder into O'Shea. They ended up brawling on the apron and Del Bruno shoved O'Shea away and he ended up seated in a chair. Del Bruno nailed a seated O'Shea with a dive through the ropes. He set up the ladder and began climbing it, by O'Shea lifted him into his shoulders before dropping him head-first into the turnbuckles. He threw the ladder on top of Del Bruno a short time later. O'Shea tossed a table and a chair into the ring and the plunder began piling up. The fans seemed split as some booed and some chanted for O'Shea. O'Shea set up a table in the corner and went for a powerbomb, but Del Bruno blocked it. A short time later, O'Shea jumped off two chairs and sent Del Bruno through a table in the corner with a cannonball.

O'Shea climbed the ladder, but Del Bruno grabbed his ankle. Del Bruno ended up tripping O'Shea as he charged at him while he was carrying a ladder and O’Shea fell into the corner. Del Bruno hung O'Shea upside down and he was stuck in-between the ladder. He then nailed O'Shea with a coast-to-coast dropkick and the fans fired up. Del Bruno went after a much bigger ladder on the outside and O'Shea recovered and nailed him with a chair to the back. O'Shea tossed a table into the ring. Del Bruno fired up and nailed O'Shea work a series of kicks. He set up O'Shea on the table and went back to the big ladder on the outside. O'Shea grabbed Del Bruno as he went to climb the ladder. Del Bruno grabbed a back and took out a keyboard and nailed Del Bruno with it across the head. Del Bruno then went for a double knee strike off the middle of the ladder and the table didn’t break. Ouch.

Del Bruno brought the big ladder into the ring. O'Shea climbed the ladder and they began trading blows. Del Bruno ended up tying up O'Shea in the middle of the ladder and he grabbed the contract.

The fans chanted for Del Bruno as O'Shea tried to free himself from the ladder. The announcers said the ultimate underdog had won the match. Del Bruno celebrated with the fans on the outside.

Winner: Alessandro Del Bruno

Star rating: (***3/4) - This was a very good TLC match. They did a good job of incorporating the weapons into the match and building to the big spot before the finish. I liked the finish with O'Shea getting stuck inside the ladder, which allowed Del Bruno to win.

Overall thoughts: (6.5) – This was a good show. The undercard didn’t deliver any must-see matches, but there was nothing bad on the card and overall, the action was solid from top to bottom with the Del Bruno-O’Shea TLC match being the best match on the show by a good margin.

One thing I like about Alpha-1 is that they future short shows that run a shade over an hour and a half, but the promotion packs a lot of storytelling into each show. They run a limited amount of shows per year, and from what I’ve seen so far, A1 does a good job of making each show fit like another chapter in an ongoing story. I highly suggest watching the preview video included with this release before watching the main show, as it does a great job of setting the stage for the event.

I liked the introduction of the Johnny Wave vs. Ethan Page feud on this show. Page and Leah turned on Wave after initially making the save for him when Brown got DQ’d. I got a little lost in the storyline, but it was nice to see Wave come back out later after Page won the Alpha Male Title in an impromptu Four-Way match to get his revenge to set up a match down the line. It’s things like this that make A1 worth watching.

The impromptu Four-way elimination match for the Alpha Male Title was good, but I wished the match had been given a little more time. Cheech and R.J. City were eliminated quickly before it came down to Rollins and Page. They had some good exchanges and the finish made sense to set Page up as a top heel, but I would have liked to have seen a match like this go longer than it did given the stipulations and the fact that the title was on the line.

The other highlight on the card was the Elgin-Cairnie match. It took me a long time to believe Cairnie had any chance to beat Elgin, but as the match went on, he showed a lot of heart and they incorporated some good fighting spirit spots before Cairnie got the flash pin for the victory. Elgin put over Cairnie in his post-match promo, but I would have liked to have seen him sell a little frustration with losing.

I was looking forward to seeing the O’Shea-Del Bruno TLC match after watching the previous A1 show and they didn’t disappoint. The match had a good storyline going in and they delivered in the ring. The crowd wasn’t super into the match at times and it was hard to gage the crowd’s reaction to the match the way the venue was lit, but the fans were hot for the finish. I liked the way the match built up to a big spot at the end with Del Bruno coming off a big ladder with a double knee strike on O’Shea in an attempt to put him through a table. I thought the finish of the match was creative as well and was a nice cap to the feud.

This was a solid show overall and I give it a mild recommendation. If you’re looking to see a really good TLC match with a good storyline built in behind it, look no further than this show. I didn’t like it as much as the previous show, “Rehab,” but I do like A1 because of the way it is presented. The shows aren’t overly long. The matches don’t overstay their welcome, but they have a good mix of veterans and local talent. I came out of this show wanting to see more out of guys like Del Bruno, O’Shea, Cairnie, and Johnny Wave in the future. One thing I would like to see is the company get into a better venue where they are able to utilize better lighting. The show doesn’t look awful and the in-ring action can be seen, but the venue they use feels very tight for a wrestling show.

You can purchase A1 “Insanity” by clicking HERE or by visiting SmartMarkVideo.com, which also has this show available on MP4. You can also visit SMVod.com to purchase this show on VOD. For more information on A1 visit Alpha-1Wrestling.com

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