3/4 ENJOY WRESTLING CANNED HEAT report: Lee Moriarty vs. Solo Darling and Still Life With Apricots & Pears vs. Ziggy Haim in the Enjoy Cup

ENJOY WRESTLING CANNED HEAT: EPISODE 2 OF 4
MARCH 4, 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 last week with the remaining two dropping the next two Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. EST. Canned Heat covers the entirety of an eight-person tournament with competitors vying to win the first Enjoy Cup.

Last week’s premiere registered 411 live viewers but that number has climbed to 1740 views in the week since.  Enjoy also made the decision to move the start time up half an hour for the remainder of the series so as not to run head to head with Beyond’s Signature Series on IWTV.  We’ll see if that boosts tonight’s live count.

We opened with a shot of the trophy as the commentators checked in.  A video package recapped Mr. Grim defeating Shawn Phoenix and MV Young defeating Willow Nightingale last week to advance in our first opening round matches.

-Backstage, interviewer Meg Fair was with Ziggy Haim.  Haim said she has something to prove.  People discount her because of her size but she is going out with the trophy.

In the arena “Deceptacon” by Le Tigre played and Haim made her entrance.

(1) STILL LIFE WITH APRICOTS & PEARS vs. “THE GIRL FROM ANOTHER PLACE” ZIGGY HAIM – ENJOY CUP, OPENING ROUND

Lock up.  Ground stretch to Haim, into a pin.  Leglock submission with a bridge.  Basement dropkick.  A cravat kept Still Life fully in control.  Haim created some space and caught a tarantula on the ropes, pulling on Still Life’s mask.  Chinlock and Haim pulled on the mask again.  Haim with some strikes to the chest and a forearm.  Running uppercut.  Haim appeared to go after the mask again.  Body slam for a two-count.  Still Life caught her with a kneebar as she got mouthy.  Forearms traded.  Still Life with a Fruit Roll-Up for the pin!

WINNER:  Still Life With Apricots & Pears in 6:54.

-Haim attacked after the bell and ripped at the mask.  She got the mask-off as Still Life’s best friends, Willow Nightingale and Solo Darling, ran out for the save.  They helped cover up Still Life and took her to the back.  Haim grabbed a house mic and held up the mask like a prize, telling Still Life she knew where she could find it.

(Pageot’s Perspective:  A nice little match, putting Still Life’s technical work against Haim’s “chihuahua energy” as they put it.  I like that Enjoy has found easy quick ways to establish some heels in this tournament when they could have simply had every match be “may the best person win” with no defined heroes or villains.  Bocchini acting confused by some of the presentation, like he had never heard Still Life’s name before, bothered me at first before I realized that it’s purposefully putting him as the spokesperson for any first-time viewers unfamiliar with the wrestlers in this tournament.  Treating your roster like they’re household names everybody must already be familiar is a form of gatekeeping that can turn off potential recruits.

For those keeping track, as this tournament was taped back in January, this was the fourth iteration of Still Life with the mask that covered the hair but exposed the eyes.  She has since debuted the fifth iteration, with hair unfurled, at Camp Leapfrog’s Camp Lovefrog event on Valentine’s Day.  Based on her new nickname, this was clearly also around the time Haim was binge-watching Twin Peaks.  Let’s see if that gum she likes comes back in style.)

-In the locker room an unmasked Still Life stood with her back to the camera.  She and Nightingale were distressed.  Still Life didn’t know what to do without a mask for her second round match.  The fifth iteration was in progress at this point but not ready to unveil yet.  Nightingale said she’d figure something out.

-A paid advertisement aired from “The Gavel” David Lawless, Esq.

-Backstage Lee Moriarty pulled up to Meg Fair on a tricycle.  They put over the hype around him.  He said he’s been called the best wrestler in North America but he hasn’t won a championship or a tournament in over a year.  That changes tonight.

“Your Woman” by White Town played to bring out The Bird & The Bee’s Solo Darling.  Her partner, Nightingale, was eliminated in the first round last week.

(2) “TAIGASTYLE” LEE MORIARTY vs. “THE LIMB REAPER” SOLO DARLING – ENJOY CUP, OPENING ROUND

Darling took him down quickly and got an early pin attempt.  They went for a test of strength but she swept the leg and put him back down.  Indian deathlock but Moriarty rolled it over into a heel hook.  They both broke and reset.  Moriarty quickly wound up on his back again.  The commentators wondered if he underestimated her coming in.  Another submission from Darling but Moriarty made it to the rope break.  A split-leg dropkick sent Darling to the apron.  He pulled her back to center ring but she rolled back under the ropes.  Draping DDT to Moriarty on the apron.  Nightingale could be seen on a bench at ringside, cheering.

Darling met Moriarty on the apron and they traded chops.  Death valley driver to Moriarty on the apron!  He kicked out at one and it seemingly invigorated him as he threw things into second gear.  Enziguiri.  Knee strike.  Double-stomp.  Tornado suplex from Darling.  Knee strike.  Joint Custody blocked by Moriarty.  Pumphandle slam from Darling!  Moriarty kicked out at two.  Texas cloverleaf blocked by Moriarty.  He set up for a Russian leg sweep but rolled forward instead and got her shoulders trapped.

WINNER: Lee Moriarty in 9:03.

-Handshake exchanged.

(Pageot’s Perspective:  Good match that really picked up in the second half.  Our four semifinalists are set and Still Life is the only woman left.  Can she pull a Trish Adora and overcome all the men to walk away the tournament victor?  There’s also the hook of what Still Life will do for her mask next week.  Nothing has been confirmed for our finale in two weeks and it might end up being just the one match for the finals but there’s also enough set up here that we could see The Bird & The Bee take on Haim & a partner in a bonus match.  Or, if Young and Moriarty make it to the finals as I suspect, possibly The Bird, The Bee, & The Apricots vs. Haim, Grim, & Phoenix?)

-Next week:  it’s Mr. Grim vs. MV Young and Still Life With Apricots & Pears vs. Lee Moriarty in the semifinals.

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.”