SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
ENJOY WRESTLING CANNED HEAT: EPISODE 4 OF 4
MARCH 18, 2021
PITTSBURGH, PA
AIRED ON YOUTUBE
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentary: Effy, Rich Bocchini
Enjoy Wrestling is a brand-new indie promotion out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Slated to begin life in the spring of 2020 but thwarted by the COVID-19 pandemic, their first tapings ever took place in January and that footage now sees the light of day as a four-episode YouTube series called Canned Heat. The first episode premiered three weeks ago. Canned Heat covers the entirety of an eight-person tournament with competitors vying to win the first Enjoy Cup.
-We opened with Ziggy Haim in a darkened locker room. She was unhappy about The Bird & The Bee challenging her to a tag team match (after Haim stole Edith Surreal’s mask on episode 2). They said she could find her own partner so she was going with someone she could trust. She zipped open a body bag laying next to her and Shawn Phoenix sat up. (He had been in there since Mr. Grim put him at the start of episode 1.) They agreed to reunite Keystone State Dudecore for one last time. (Keystone have teamed regularly for Pennsylvania indie Ryse Wrestling.)
-Opening theme.
-Our commentators checked in and discussed the journeys of MV Young and Lee Moriarty to get to the final of the Enjoy Cup.
-Ring announcer Meg Fair introduced the heels first for this bonus non-tournament match. Haim wore Surreal’s old mask to the ring and hung it on the ring post like a trophy. The faces danced out to “Under Pressure” by Queen.
(1) THE BIRD & THE BEE (Willow Nightingale & Solo Darling) vs. KEYSTONE STATE DUDECORE (Ziggy Haim & Shawn Phoenix)
Phoenix and Darling started. Darling immediately broke a nail but discarded it and kept going, refusing to tag out. Arm drag takedown from Phoenix. Back and forth mat work ended in a stalemate. Test of strength and Phoenix wound up back on the mat with Darling in control. Inverted figure four from Darling. Haim tagged herself in at 4:00. Nightingale decided to enter too. Haim flung herself at Nightingale but bounced off the larger woman. Headscissors attempt from Haim blocked and Nightingale tossed her. Haim scurried to the corner and tagged out. Drop toehold to Phoenix and Darling tagged back in. Signature rolling leg slam from TB&TB. Once more and a follow-up splash from Nightingale for the first pin attempt of the match.
Double-teaming from the women on Phoenix in the corner. Texas cloverleaf from Darling to Phoenix but Haim came in illegally to break it up. She dragged Phoenix back to her corner and tagged herself in. Haim choked Darling on the middle rope with her knee. Sliding clothesline to Darling in the corner for a two-count. Ground chinlock from Haim. Neckbreaker. Darling lunged for a tag but Haim was able to pull her back with a kneebar. Side headlock. Haim put Darling back into the corner and wore her down, Darling with a big spear at 10:00.
Tags on both sides. Nightingale was a house of fire on the phoenix. (How ironic.) Spinebuster. Haim jumped into the fray and got tossed for it. Russian leg sweep to Phoenix. Ground octopus but Haim broke it up. Tag to Darling. Powerslam from Nightingale to Phoenix. Nightingale took Haim to the floor and Darling made Phoenix tap to the cloverleaf.
WINNERS: The Bird & The Bee in 11:59.
-Nightingale tossed Haim into the ring. Edith Surreal came out with a pair of scissors as the babyfaces surrounded Haim. Surreal cut off Haim’s ponytail. Haim ran away with Surreal’s old mask, yelling that they aren’t done.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Very solid tag match and a nice bonus to the tournament taping. The Bird & The Bee might be the best women’s tag team in America right now, especially since Team Sea Stars haven’t been active in 2021. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where all five of these wrestlers go with Enjoy in the future.)
-A video package opened with a zoom in on the Enjoy Cup before going to Fair with Moriarty and Young backstage. Moriarty spoke about them paralleling each other in their journeys, leaving Pittsburgh to build their names. Young said Moriarty is like a shadow over him. Moriarty said he’ll be the face of Enjoy Wrestling. Young is fighting for pride and respect. They shook hands.
(2) THE WRESTLERS LAB CHAMPION MV YOUNG vs. IWTV INDEPENDENT WRESTLING CHAMPION LEE MORIARTY – FINALS OF THE ENJOY CUP
Young turned down another handshake from Moriarty. Lock up. Moriarty into the corner. Clean break. Lock up with Young into the corner this time. Another break. Side headlock takeover from Young. Hammerlock reversals. Take down from Young but they were back and forth on the mat. Moriarty wound up with a cross armbreaker. Young got a two-count, which forced him to break the hold. Moriarty showed some early signs of arrogance, seemingly challenging Young to step to his level. They traded forearms. Moriarty bailed to ringside. Young pursued and hit him with some chops. Uppercut from Moriarty and strikes of his own. More hits from Moriarty but Young caught him with a dropkick out of the corner. Chinlock from Young. Springboard arm drag from Moriarty. Young sped things up before trapping Young on the mat with some joint work. Moriarty kicked off the apron. Young ran the apron for a punt kick. They fought on the apron. Young hit a German suplex.
They traded forearms again at 10:00. Young dropped Moriarty with a roundhouse kick. Suplex for a two-count. Moriarty unleashed with a series of kicks, targeting Young’s limbs. Double-stomp to Young’s left arm. Hammerlock DDT. Back into the cross armbreaker. Young with a kick to the back of the head and a double-stomp of his own. They traded kicks. Moriarty connected with a Saito suplex. Young hit a suplex of his own at 15:00.
Moriarty fell forward into the same pin that gave him the victory over Surreal in the previous round. Young kicked out. Lariat from Young. Handspring from Moriarty caught by Young but Moriarty still managed to hit a facebuster. Moriarty hit the Tiger Driver X for the win.
WINNER: Lee Moriarty in 16:51 to win the Enjoy Cup.
-Moriarty was handed the Enjoy Cup in the ring but he was blasted from behind with a clothesline from Mr. Grim. Grim grabbed the trophy and took off.
-Credits.
-“The Gavel” David Lawless, Esq. had one last pre-tape where he took credit for being the financier behind Mr. Grim. He held up “his” trophy and said it’s proof he’s the greatest human being this world has ever seen. He hopes everybody, especially Moriarty, enjoys what’s to come because it’s going to be a very grim outcome.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Very good main event. I really thought Young might win but Moriarty’s 2021 roll continues. Canned Heat, as a first taste of what Enjoy Wrestling is bringing to indie wrestling, was overall very promising. The production was top notch and the roster has some great personalities and performers. They also seem to have a mind for telling ongoing stories, as we saw with the Haim-Surreal mask situation and the Lawless reveal at the end, which is something a lot of promotions desperately need more of. I’d love to see Enjoy be able to do a longer series, akin to Limitless’ The Road or Beyond’s Uncharted Territory, where they could really dive into the character work and create some longer story arcs. Until we find out what’s next for Enjoy, congratulations(?) to the Enjoy Cup winner holder David Lawless. Good job?)
-Up next: MV Young runs his third PolyAm Cult Party on April 24 from the PolyAm Mansion in Pittsburgh.
Lee Moriarty will defend his IWTV Championship for the first time on April 8 at IWTV Family Reunion in Tampa, FL against the winner of March 28’s Cassandro Cup.
Speaking of, Cassandro Cup will be my next written report for the PWTorch.
And as for the next Enjoy Wrestling event? Nothing has been announced yet but perhaps Enjoy ring announcer and Glitterati member Meg Fair will be able to get a scoop as they talk to the Enjoy staff this coming Tuesday, the 23rd on the PWTorch DailyCast Grit & Glitter.
Find Harley on Twitter @yrechoheart and listen to he and Emily Fear discuss the power of women’s wrestling every Tuesday on the PWTorch Dailycast “Grit & Glitter.”
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