Uncharted Territory, Season 2 Episode 12
December 19, 2019
Live from the White Eagle in Worcester, MA
Streaming on IWTV.live
by Tiffany Rose
T’was the week before Christmas and all through Uncharted
The action was on before the show even started
A Spotlight Match between veteran and rookie
Eddie Kingston on commentary is the milk to my cookie
It’s a stacked card tonight and a huge match up first
We’ll see David Starr go to war with Leyla Hirsch
Enough with the poetry, I’ve got lots more to write.
Let’s get this show started and enjoy a good fight!
Tonight’s Commentary: Paul Crockett/Eddie Kingston, Paul Crockett/Sidney Bakabella, Paul Crockett/Christian Casanova
Can I just say here that I’m not opposed at all to having Eddie Kingston on commentary every week? This revolving commentary team is making me realize a lot of wrestlers out there are some of the best guys on “color” ever. I was happy to hear Christian Casanova on commentary too during the Cruz/Holliday match and finally get his thoughts on how it feels to be away from the influence of Club Cam. Then of course having Crockett and Bakabella together brings it all together in the best way.
Spotlight Match: Teddy Goodz vs. Channing Thomas
This week’s spotlight match was a strong showing between veteran and rookie with Goodz being the 15-year pro. Goodz has me a little biased towards him as he was trained by Spike Dudley, one of my ECW favorites. Both Goodz and Thomas are Massachusetts guys and this is an extra showing of New England talent in addition to what we’ll be seeing in tonight’s Tournament for Tomorrow matches. Channing Thomas is young and looked rather good in this match for someone going up against a much more experienced competitor. Goodz was the crowd favorite here and took the victory in a match that had energy going from beginning to end.
Match 1: Leyla Hirsch vs. David Starr
Hottest opening to an episode all season! It was easy to sympathize with the match that would follow this one up as whoever was next would have a tough act to follow. Hirsch and Starr was a 20 minute classic that, in my opinion, put Leyla that much closer to Kris Statlander and even Mercedes Martinez’s level. Starr brought his signature intensity to this match along with a lot of ferocity - he held nothing back at all on Hirsch and as expected, she not only withstanded a lot of his savage offense but demanded more of his best despite chops that looked like they’d split Hirsch’s chest open. Beyond Wrestling has set a huge standard in the business for its intergender matches, and this one should go on a list of matches to show anyone interested in how well Beyond books men and women to the point where it’s no longer looked at as merely an intergender match. On Uncharted Territory, this is a match on the very same level as any other classic battle or war. Starr gets the pinfall win here near the 20-minute mark and the crowd immediately chants “REMATCH” after the match is done.
Match 2: Alec Price vs Christian Casanova (Tournament for Tomorrow)
It was wonderfully refreshing to see Christian Casanova on his own for this tournament match with no Club Cam anchored to him this time. However, the least popular club in Worcester was not far from everyone’s minds as Casanova went to work here against the returning Alec Price - would we see interference from Cam and his cronies and if so, would it be for or against Casanova’s behalf? Thankfully we got to see a great match between Price and Casanova here with the Top Talent winning and advancing after hitting Dirty Diana on Price. Let’s have more Alec Price on Uncharted, please, the kid’s got a big mouth but he’s also got a big future in my opinion. In the meantime, Casanova moves forward and Club Cam appears directly after his victory, spoiling the celebration as Richard Holliday is immediately out next to steal the thunder and start his tournament match with CJ Cruz.
Match 3: CJ Cruz vs Richard Holliday (Tournament for Tomorrow)
Casanova stays with us despite Club Cam on the scene, joining Paul Crockett on commentary as Richard Holliday (and his airpods) go up against CJ Cruz in the next tournament match. Cam stays at ringside for this bout in his stupid pleather outfit but he doesn’t stay above reproach, as the biggest question in this match is when he’s going to interfere. Apparently there was no need to run any interference at all here as Holliday disgracefully took Cruz lightly for the majority of their time in the ring. I do love to hate Holliday but he is undoubtedly talented, as is CJ Cruz who will hopefully also see some more ring time in Beyond in the year ahead. Holliday gets the victory and advances in the tournament now to face his former co-club member Christian Casanova, and the two had a staredown at the conclusion of this match, knowing that they’ve got huge stakes ahead of them and bad blood between them.
Match 4: Team Pazuzu vs Whatever It Takes (Alex Reynolds/VSK/Mark Sterling)
The drama hit early in this one as Mark Sterling took it upon himself to rid the wrestling world of Chris Dickinson’s oh-so-dangerous dangling dick strings from his trunks. Yes, Sterling went legal with it, taking it all the way to the state of Massachusetts. Apparently the state of MA isn’t a fan of dick strings either as they ruled that Dickinson’s testicle tassels were a hazardous no-go, or at least that’s what we heard from Dickinson at the beginning of the match. Fans rebelled and threw their own pairs of strings in the ring at Reynolds, VSK, and Sterling in retaliation (and a really funny moment). Team Pazuzu didn’t show much trouble here handling a three-on-two handicap match, though, and Whatever It Takes surely took a beating here for a good part of the match. Dickinson even revealed during the fight that his announcement from the state of Massachusetts was bogus, then proudly dangled the dick strings in a livid Mark Sterling’s face to the joy of the audience. Whatever It Takes has their team name picked out for a reason, though, and as it turns out they certainly will pull out any stops in their favor. While the ref had his attention turned on Dickinson, VSK, and Reynolds, Sterling was able to roll up Pinkie Sanchez and catch the ref’s eye just in time for the victory three-count. At first it seemed that the rash of tag team dissention finally reached Team Pazuzu after this loss, but thankfully Dickinson and Sanchez seemed to bond and regroup at the end here; they’ve still got big scores to settle before they can even consider going their separate ways.
Match 5: Aaron Rourke vs. Nick Stapp (Discovery Gauntlet)
The Dimepiece returns again to the Discovery Gauntlet and it looks as if he’s got that Tony Deppen fire now; Aaron Rourke has hit his streak and seems unstoppable. Stapp, usually known on the indie scene as CPA, informed us prior to tonight’s Gauntlet match that CPA had returned to his home planet and here in his place we had the “human burner account”. Although I liked the idea of a human burner account I could do without the endless Creed references dropped by both Nick Stapp and Sidney Bakabella (who really seemed to have a great time with the whole Stapp/Creed thing here). This was a surprisingly quick bout; I expected Stapp to provide a bigger challenge for Rourke despite this one being a solid Gauntlet match that didn’t last as long as others. Rourke gets another victory in the Gauntlet after Dropping the Dime on Stapp, and this week the Dimepiece actually does have the right to gloat; he’s earned it. His opponent next week, however, may be the one who finally ends the glitter trail. Rourke will be taking on none other than Slade in the Discovery Gauntlet next week - the crowd loved this announcement, but Rourke didn’t seem as happy with it!
Match 6: Kris Statlander/Nick Gage/Wheeler Yuta vs Legit Legends (Chuck O’Neil, Dominic Garini, Kevin Ku) w/Larry Legend
How cool is it to see Kris Statlander twice in a week now? In addition to seeing the galaxy’s greatest alien on this week’s AEW Dynamite on TNT we’ve also got her in a trios match here, tagging with the king Nick Gage and, as we find out early in the match, Wheeler Yuta would be joining the team as well as he’s got some unfinished business with O’Neil. Larry Legend has amassed one hell of a team though in the Legit Legends. These are guys you don’t mess with and teaming them up is like packing dynamite in a keg. This one went from in-ring wrestling to out-and-outside brawling with all six members seeing action at some point. The end of the match came when chaos ensued, Gage and O’Neil took the fight from outside the ring to outside the front doors of the White Eagle, and Kevin Ku got the pin on Statlander after she got hit with Chasing the Dragon. The Legit Legends got the victory and a heated Chuck O’Neil took to the mic to then trash the crowd and rage at a fan who dared to step to him. Seriously, it’s a crazy thing to attack Chuck O’Neil (however satisfying it may seem)...I’d stay way the hell away from the man, especially now that the Legit Legends are stacking up wins.
Match 7: John Silver vs. Eddie Kingston
John Silver’s back in the main event! Just like with Statlander, it’s also great to see Silver working twice a week now with AEW and Beyond. This week, Silver’s got the chance to get revenge on Eddie Kingston for last week’s post-match attack that split up their tag team and possibly their friendship. It’s very cool how Beyond is quick to further the storylines on a week-to-week basis and we have very little downtime for resolution to happen; that’s something I haven’t seen for a while in a lot of wrestling promotions...actual progress in a story arc and things actually advance to a gratifying conclusion. Silver and Kingston told a great story here that started at the beginning of Season 2 with Kingston’s fire-igniting speech that led Silver to so many victories, then the loss last week when they finally came together as a tag team, the inevitable turning of the partner, and now the revenge and redemption comes as Silver goes on to defeat Kingston at the end of the match here as Season 2 comes to a close. This was a satisfying end to a well-told story that carried our hero John Silver all the way into the main event, where he now has an earned spot. Tonight’s show ends with Silver calling out fellow AEW talent Kris Statlander - it’s time for them to go to war now, and Statlander responds to Silver’s challenge with a mutual boop on the nose. That means, of course, it’s on!
Post-Show Thoughts
I’m in a giving mood now that it’s just a few days away from Christmas! Here’s a gift list I’ve put together for some of the Beyond Wrestling talent I’ve enjoyed this year:
Tony Deppen: A “Best of Tony Deppen 2019” DVD; I’ll make it myself complete with all of the best facial expressions during his entrances.
John Silver: A bottle of Corona with lime included. After his win last night against Kingston he got a well-earned Corona, but it just didn’t sit right with me that they didn’t give him a lime with it. I’ve got your Corona, John. With lime.
Christian Casanova: A credit card (I’d put it in Cam’s name, assuming Cam has decent credit) with unlimited frequent flyer miles. The Top Talent’s going to be in demand and traveling a lot in 2020.
Team Pazuzu: The stolen Pazuzuhausen kneepad. I really want to see them get it back.
Kris Statlander: A bag of Reese’s Pieces. Not only because it’s one of my favorite candies in the world but also because Reese’s Pieces unites all living beings in the universe (ET is proof of this).
Josh Briggs: American Crew hair care products. Briggs has got to keep that mane glorious in 2020.
Anthony Greene: A brand new fanny pack full of multiple cassette tapes of my recorded voice begging him to reconsider breaking up the Briggs/Greene/Hunnies friendship. PLEASE, AG.
Platinum Hunnies: Two “Best Friends” half-piece necklaces. When I was in middle school, this was the symbol of an unbreakable bond, easily obtained from a gumball machine for a quarter but the depth of the meaning was unmistakable. Ava Everett and Angel Sinclair are gonna need something to remember their bond if Briggs and Greene are at war...
Cam Zagami: I was going to get him some Dollar General Brut, but after a thorough (minute and a half) search of the DG website I decided he was more of a BOD guy. Maybe someday he’ll work his way up to AXE.
Paul Crockett: An all-expenses paid trip to St. Lucia for gracefully putting up with Bakabella while simultaneously being the voice (and voice of reason) for Beyond Wrestling for two seasons.
Sidney Bakabella: Bakabella gets the Brut.
Alex Reynolds: Matching pajama bottoms to go with that damn robe.
Mark Sterling: A nice, reliable pair of Buster Brown loafers to go with his stupid dad-style turtleneck.
Solo Darling: A one-on-one rematch with Mark Sterling with all interference banned from ringside. I really want to see her kick his ass from pillar to post uninterrupted.
Officer Magnum: A new doggie bed for the hardest working and goodest boi in wrestling!
Chuck O’Neil: Not a damn thing, LOL. Fuck Chuck.
Nick Gage: Bail money. I have a feeling the King may need it in 2020.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays, y’all! :)