Review: Uncharted Territory Season 1, Episode 11

byThatRoseTattoo •
0

Uncharted Territory, Season 1 Episode 11
Original Air Date: June 12, 2019 (Re-aired May 11, 2020)
Episode Venue: Electric Haze in Worcester, MA
Streaming on IWTV.live
If you’re wondering exactly which episode is the true peak and climax of Season 1, it’s this one. Episode 11 of Uncharted Territory is a turning point in more than a few ways. For one, this show would be the last one to take place at the Electric Haze as it was time to find bigger digs for this party. This would be the episode that introduced us to a permanent commentary team with instant chemistry. Also, this is the episode where the main event had independent wrestling fans everywhere take a closer look and pay much-deserved attention to Beyond Wrestling.
On Commentary: Paul Crockett and Sidney Bakabella
So far in Season 1 we’ve seen an entertaining revolving door of talent next to Paul Crockett. Here we now have what I believe is the most underrated commentary pairing in all of professional wrestling. Crockett and Bakabella almost immediately meshed as a team this episode and you wouldn’t be alone if you felt some Bobby Heenan/Gorilla Monsoon energy from the commentary during these matches. The best thing about it? These two are here to stay.
Match 1: Bear Country (Bear Bronson & Bear Beefcake) vs. David Starr & Eddie Kingston (aka “ACH”)
Tonight’s show begins with Bear Bronson & Bear Beefcake out in the ring and issuing an open challenge which David Starr doesn’t hesitate to interrupt. Starr’s pretty ballsy towards the Bears for a reason, he’s got himself one hell of a partner. Eddie Kingston (who wanted to be introduced as ‘ACH’ for this) made his show debut, tagging with Starr against Bear Country. The hot run of stellar openings continues with these guys putting everything into this tag match, especially Starr who wasn’t even in his ring gear and still managed to deliver as a solid partner to Kingston. 


It almost seemed unrealistic to think that Starr and Kingston could just step up to the powerful and undefeated Bear Country and accept their open challenge with success, but damn it they pulled it off. The Bears were on a fantastic streak in Season 1, but Starr and Kingston proved themselves a very effective team and got their win.
Match 2: Richard Holliday vs. Anthony Greene (w/the Platinum Hunnies)
Everything about this match appeals to me. The characters involved especially hold my attention. You can’t help but love Retrosexual AG and the Hunnies, they’re just so damn cool together. Plus, I may be in the minority of consumers but I kinda like Holliday’s whole ‘financial domination and doom’ moveset. Using names like the 2008 (year of the crash, get it?) and the Black Monday; that’s a nice touch. 


This was a good grudge match that seemed to settle the score when AG got the roll up on Holliday for the pinfall victory, but Holliday was the terribly sore loser who went for the attack on Greene after the match. To make things worse, Kenn Doane decided to involve himself in the post-match assault as well, going as far as to punch Angel Sinclair in the face and prompting Josh Briggs to come to the ring to defend his friends. It’s one thing to punch Cam Zagami, but you don’t fuck with the Platinum Hunnies.
Match 3: Kenn Doane vs. Josh Briggs
Finally Doane gets the ass kicking he deserves in this monumental episode! He had it all coming his way, too - Josh Briggs was only too happy to deliver the beating that Doane earned himself. This was also a great way for the audience to see that Briggs is indeed back if there were any doubts about his losses on previous episodes. Briggs gets a huge win over Doane (with the help of the Avataker Ava Everett!) and we’re all happy that an asshole got served the shit he’s been giving everyone lately.



Match 4: Youthanazia (Matt Cross & Josh Prohibition) vs. Ortiz & Santana
Chris Dickinson does the ring introductions for this match and the Dirty Daddy is on another level of hype this episode. If the first tag match of the show was great, then this one was fantastic. There’s nothing like seeing two very well established tag teams going toe to toe. I like how this match had just enough time to let everybody involved stand out on an already stacked card, too. Ortiz and Santana got the hard-earned victory in this match, declaring (and proving) themselves THE BEST among tag teams.


Match 5: Thomas Santell vs. Travis Huckabee (Discovery Gauntlet match)
Give any kind of style of wrestling to Thomas Santell and you’ll see the Ovaltine Dream can work with it. The Discovery Gauntlet proves exactly how versatile of a competitor he is. This episode’s match with Travis Huckabee, though, shows you how exciting a grapple fest can be when it’s done by the experts. Santell and Huckabee pulled off an intense wrestling match here that’s very enjoyable if you’re a fan of grappling, catch wrestling, and close calls. The longer Santell goes in his undefeated streak the tougher his opponents get, and just as it seems the Gauntlet will have a new competitor the Ovaltine Dream goes beast mode and pulls out yet another victory. Santell wins via Rings of Saturn and will return to the Gauntlet in Episode 12!


All in attendance at the Electric Haze celebrated Santell’s latest Gauntlet win...that is, except, for Cam Zagami. You can tell Cam severely regretted taking Santell’s advice in Episode 10 as it didn’t work out well at all for him, and instead of holding the mic Cam’s now holding a grudge.


Match 6: Filthy Tom Lawlor vs. Chuck O’Neil
It’s the battle of the MMA badasses! Surely if anyone could put Chuck in his place it’d be Filthy Tom. After all, they’ve got that same killer instinct and ruthless style; Chuck’s just gone to a bad place with it all. If anything, we were expecting to see a war here and we got one. Hell of a fight, Lawlor and O’Neil were both clearly out to dominate and win here and despite Chuck being a monster I’d say it took him longer than he thought it would to get Tom in a position where Cold Steel could overpower him into a submission. In fact I thought it would take a pinfall win to end this match for either competitor; I couldn’t see either submitting. That’s what happened in the end, surprisingly - O’Neil managed to get a fairly unexpected submission victory on Lawlor, shocking all who watched on and establishing Cold Steel as an even more assertive force in the Beyond ring.


Match 7: Kris Statlander vs. Joey Janela
If you or anyone you know remains on the fence about watching intergender wrestling matches, it may be time for you to check out Janela/Statlander from Episode 11 of Uncharted Territory. I’m telling you, this match in particular sets a huge standard. In commentary, Bakabella referred to Statlander as the closest thing he’s seen to Sara Del Rey. High praise indeed, and it’s not unwarranted. There are a growing number of must-see Statlander matches that show that she’s on a whole ‘nother level from what you see in most top women’s wrestlers today. Her match with Joey Janela tops that list.


And how great is Janela himself in this match? His whole driving force in this match, other than to put Statlander to the test, is to prove to David Starr that Janela is one who can go. I think that Joey not only made this point clear to Starr but to anyone who has doubts about the Bad Boy’s skills in the ring. Janela is terrifically ruthless in this match and you love to see it, he’s not holding back anything based on gender. He sends Statlander through doors, sends her slamming directly into the ring apron from the top rope, spins her into a piledriver, and delivers astounding superkicks. But none of this, mind you, will put Statlander down for good. It takes Janela a resounding kick to the face to finally get Statlander down for the win...and this all happened in a dramatic half hour. Amazing, amazing match.


After the win, Janela challenges David Starr at close of the show to a match at Americanrana. Starr comes back out to the ring and declares he doesn’t feel that Joey is on his level and refuses. Janela says nobody wants him anyway, provoking Starr to finally accept the challenge. Starr goes one better, proposing a 60-minute Iron Man match at Americanrana ‘19. Suddenly things have gone monumental...all in one turning point episode.


Post-Show Thoughts
Wow, wow, wow. The buzz from Episode 11 was big last year; it was so big that it got my attention as a lapsed fan who only gave passing attention to the indie wrestling scene. People were really talking about Janela vs. Statlander, which was a great thing on many levels considering both competitors were becoming better known thanks to being signed by AEW. Now by this episode Uncharted Territory has quickly become the must-watch wrestling show of the summer.
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