From the Crow’s Nest: October, 1977

Welcome to the second installment of From the Crow’s Nest, a series of articles looking back at Pacific Northwest Wrestling and the history of wrestling in Portland, Oregon.

In this week’s installment, we cover available footage from October of 1977. It’s a pretty good haul for this month, with at least some footage from three out of four episodes in the month from the Saturday night Portland TV show. Most of the footage is on YouTube and is embedded at the end of this article. The video quality on some of this is pretty poor, but the action holds up.

October 1, 1977

Gino Hernandez vs. John Anson

We pick up in the early stages of a match between Anson, who is one half of the tag champs with Sam Oliver Bass (you know him better as Outlaw Ron Bass), and a very young Gino. This is, to my knowledge, the earliest existing footage of Hernandez and seeing him as a plucky young babyface is quite the change of pace considering he’s best known from his years as an arrogant heel for various promotions in Texas.

Like the two out of three falls match between Buddy Rose and Jay Youngblood, a good bit of this match is based around the headlock — only there’s far less sizzle as this encounter lacks both the crowd engagement or the type of selling Rose does in the hold. I wouldn’t call this a good match, but it’s decent and gets significant time. It feels like desperation when Anson starts throwing headbutts, and at one point the two start trading fatigued punches from their knees. Gino comes close to scoring the win a few times, reminiscent of a modern-day New Japan match with a young lion going against a wrestler on the main roster. Hernandez and Anson go the distance, and in the aftermath, commentator Frank Bonnema waxes on how much wrestling in the territory has improved in the past decade.

2/3 Falls: Lonnie Mayne vs. Buddy Rose

This is, in my opinion, the first great match in this project. What makes it great? It encapsulates the entire style of the promotion, and, to a greater extent, wrestling in the 1970s. It’s gritty, brutal, and bloody. It also matches up the territory’s biggest fan favorite in Mayne against Rose, unquestionably the most hated man in Portland.

There’s a story here, and you don’t need to have a literature degree to understand it. Rose has kept hurting other wrestlers in the territory. Mayne, who was friends with many of those injured, wants revenge.

Mayne and Rose get right down to business, with Rose trying for a cheap shot while still wearing his entrance robe. Mayne cuts him off and Rose pays the price. Mere seconds later, Mayne launches off the top with a nasty-looking flying knee drop that catches Rose square in the stomach for the pin to end the first fall. Rose doubles over and vomits in the ring after the fact — which is either proof that knee was very snug or a supreme moment of selling by Rose to be able to vomit on cue. I don’t know which is true, and I actually enjoy the uncertainty.

The little touches elevate what happens between the ropes. In the introduction to this series, I wrote about the unique setting of the Portland Sports Arena, with many fans who come out every week for the TV shows. This creates a level of investment from the crowd that is hard to replicate and even harder to truly explain unless you see it for yourself. After the first fall, Mayne picks up some little girl on his way back to the locker room and no one bats an eye at it. Heading into the second fall, one of the several old ladies who sit in the front row starts chasing Rose around the ring with her cane. Then Mayne takes her cane and tries to use it on Rose. After Rose takes the second fall, bloodying Mayne in the process, fans flock to Mayne as he sits slumped in the corner waiting the third fall; encouraging pats on the back ensue and someone even offers Mayne their drink.

By now, blood (and vomit) have been spilled, creating a heat and hatred for the third fall that feels visceral. A mistake by Rose leads Mayne to attack his arm, looking to make good on last week’s vow to break the arm of the Playboy. Mayne is so relentless that he shoves and then punches referee Sandy Barr when he attempts to intercede, getting himself disqualified. The attack continues around the ringside area until Rose retreats to Bonnema’s crow’s nest broadcast position. I enjoyed this quite a bit, while the main purpose is to serve a street fight rematch between the two a few days later that, sadly, was not televised.

October 8, 1977

Buddy Rose vs. Cocoa Samoa

This is a rematch from their TV bout back in August. Rose does his best Gorgeous George impression in the pre-match, meticulously folding his T-shirt as part of an extended stall. Cocoa ensnares Rose in a headlock and wrenches on it, like Youngblood did last month. Once again, the way Rose sells this is everything. When Cocoa takes down Rose, the Playboy tries to reverse into a pin with a handful of tights but the granny at ringside is on the case, hollering at the referee. Rose attacks the arm of yet another opponent and hooks what looks like a modified kimura to get the submission. Neat.

Mayne is set to wrestle Ed Wiskowski, Rose’s partner, in the main event but that match is absent from the surviving footage. What we do get is a 10-man battle royal for $1,000. Considering that promoter Don Owen tended to maintain a tight crew, this is probably the entire active roster in Portland at that time. The highly invested crowd makes this a fun watch and Gino Hernandez gets a chance to shine as one of the final wrestlers left standing — and takes a pretty spectacular plummet to the concrete floor on his elimination.

October 22, 1977

Dutch Savage, Lonnie Mayne & Skip Young vs. Buddy Rose, Ed Wiskowski & Sam Oliver Bass

Frank Bonnema sets the scene, mentioning some issues between Bass and Rose when they teamed together at a recent event. The theme of dissension is established and plays out in what looks more like a comedic farce on stage than a wrestling match at times. Rose and Wiskowski leave Bass hanging to start the match and, on two occasions in the first fall, Bass gets drilled by mistake by one of his partners. Later, when Savage is working over Bass’ left arm, Rose and Wiskowski deliberately pull back as Bass reaches for the tag. The crowd hoots, hollers, and applauds with delight at each of these moments, and Bass’ facial expressions and body language project his increasing sense of frustration and fury. Despite all the issues within their team, the rulebreakers score the first fall when Wiskowski catches Skip Young with his diving headbutt, a strongly established finishing move in the territory.

After the usual round of live-to-tape commercials between falls (buy a Pinto for $1,000!), we’re back and the dissension between Bass and Rose and Wiskowski continues. Another miscue — this time Rose accidentally dropkicking Bass — leaves him prey to get pinned by Skip and even the match at one fall apiece. The heel team falls apart, with Rose and Wiskowski assaulting Bass. What had, to that point, been played often for laughs turns deadly serious as Bass gets turned into a bloody mess.

Make that a very bloody mess.

It’s an effective beatdown, showing there’s no honor among thieves for the heels in Portland — or, at least, when it comes to Rose and Wiskowski. The break between falls really gives this attack time to breathe. Bonnema interviews Mayne, whose disgust at what happened to Bass adds extra zest to a delicious bit of business. I also greatly enjoyed the little touch by Rose before the third fall, smearing Bass’ blood into the mat with his boots. The third fall is reduced to a straight two on two tag, with Savage and Skip the opposition, and time expires fairly quickly in the fall. That’s all precursor to the post match, when Rose and Wiskowski go to the crow’s nest for an interview and a blood-soaked, bandaged Bass attacks! The crowd is molten hot for this as Bass slams Rose on the wooden commentary desk. Bass is out for blood and vengeance and demands a match with Rose on next week’s episode. The footage of that is unavailable, but it makes you want to tune in next week regardless, and isn’t that the point of any wrestling show — or TV show, period?

Somewhat lost in the shuffle of this blood-soaked tale of dissension: this is the debut in the Portland footage of Skip Young. When you think about wrestlers from prior decades who would have succeeded in the current era, Young definitely classifies. I could see him being a great fit for any modern promotion. He gets a few months to shine here: most notably, in the short second fall, when he busts out an impressive high leapfrog, then a sweet standing dropkick, and kips up ready to keep bringing the fight. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of Skip Young in this territory, but some enjoyable matches lie ahead nonetheless…

From the Crow’s Nest: September, 1977

Welcome to the second installment of From the Crow’s Nest, a series of articles looking back at Pacific Northwest Wrestling and the history of wrestling in Portland, Oregon.

In this week’s installment, we will cover available footage from September of 1977. Most of it’s on YouTube and is embedded at the end of this article.

2/3 Falls,: Jay Youngblood vs. Buddy Rose, 9/10/77

The September footage is anchored by two matches between Rose, a Portland mainstay, and Youngblood. Jay is best known for his time in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling — especially teaming with Ricky Steamboat in The Final Conflict cage match that’s widely considered the predecessor to Starrcade. He’s still in the fairly early stages of his career here.

Both Rose and Youngblood are entertaining in the ring, and this matchup doesn’t disappoint. However, the special referee that’s “assigned” adds an extra level of enjoyment. That referee is Lord Jonathan Boyd, another Portland fixture. Boyd was in and out of the territory throughout the 1970s, primarily as a heel and often teaming with Norman Frederick Charles III in The Royal Kangaroos, a team that borrowed its gimmick and base name from The Fabulous Kangaroos, maybe the first great tag team in wrestling. Boyd also was part of an iteration of The Sheepherders, who begat The Bushwhackers in WWF.

But I digress … Boyd is a fan favorite in Portland by 1977, and when he’s revealed as the referee, the crowd loves it while Rose throws a fit.

We’ve all seen matches with a special referee, but the lengths to which Boyd goes to chew the scenery — and officiate being entirely one-sided for Youngblood — truly go the extra mile. Every count that Boyd makes on Rose, be it for a pin or being outside the ring or even in the ropes, is rapid fire. Later, when Rose grabs a handful of Youngblood’s trunks, Boyd twists Playboy Buddy’s thumb to break the hold. The capacity crowd in the Portland Sports Arena cheers and laughs along throughout, creating the atmosphere more akin to a theater audience watching a farce on stage than a wrestling match. The fans are also red hot in their support of Youngblood, and their hatred for Rose. A “We Want Jay!” chant bellows through the building on a few occasions over the three falls.

There are certain sports and sequences that were pretty standard in wrestling years ago that have fallen by the wayside in 2025. The criss-cross is one of them, and Rose and Youngblood bust out a high-speed version of it here. Rose busts out a couple of nice leapfrogs during this, showing the athleticism that a lot of people might overlook from his frame and physique. Jay ensnares Rose in a sunset flip and scores the pin on a three count Boyd makes in less time than it took me to type these words (and I’m a fast typer).

Now we go to the content between falls, which is part of the retro charm of these episodes. It starts with commentator Frank Bonnema, whose outfit tonight is an epic example of late 1970s fashion.

Other highlights that a modern viewer might find fascinating:

A plug to get tickets to the next taping of Portland TV, either at the concession market or visiting the flea market stand run by Sandy Barr, a referee for the promotion. And today people wait in angst in a TicketMaster queue …
The sponsors then take their turn. On many Portland episodes, these were live-to-tape commercials, and we get one of those here from Friendly Chevrolet. Granted this was almost 50 years ago, but the prices are mind-boggling in this era of soaring costs. $5295 for a truck! $5695 for a truck with four-wheel drive and a V8 engine! A 77 El Camino for $5595!
Bonnema also shares the schedule for the next week of shows in the Pacific Northwest… and there literally are no days off.
We also get a delightful interview with fan favorites Lonnie Mayne and Dutch Savage (the latter was also a longtime booker for the promotion) where Bonnema reads a letter presumably from a 91-year-old widow who wants to help Mayne run out all the rulebreakers from the territory. Adorable.

A sample week of shows in Pacific Northwest Wrestling in September of 1977. Wrestlers, especially those still learning the business, sought out that territory for the busy schedule and better paydays.

Around all the schtick with Boyd, Youngblood and Rose work the bulk of this match around the side headlock, usually with Youngblood ensnaring Rose. The crowd is so loud and engaged that they buy right in when Jay goes right back to the headlock and he starts wrenching on the hold, as the crowd counts along! Rose, meanwhile, is paying homage to the Wrestling Gods with the way he sells the hold, slumped against Jay and hanging lifeless like a limp dishrag.

In the first fall, Rose shot Youngblood off into the ropes to counter the headlock and initiate the criss-cross that led to the pin. Rose tries again, but learns from his mistakes and counters with a fine-looking backdrop on Youngblood. Bonnema, who does a quality job as a TV host and brings a late-night DJ vibe to his commentary, calls this a “shoulder throw”, for reference.

Rose focuses in on the back, then finishes Youngblood using the same back suplex into a backbreaker that he used to beat Cocoa Samoa in the first installment of our series of articles. For the record, it still looks like something from the Roderick Strong arsenal of moves. Boyd is still in full schtick, making a very deliberate and slow three count. Rose demands his hand be raised, and Boyd ignores it … but he does make sure to stomp on Rose’s hand when the Playboy starts pounding the mat in frustration.

Another between-fall break with commercials and live-to-tape advertising, which includes a razor commercial that must be seen to be believed. There’s also some footage of Jimmy Snuka, who’s promoted as making appearances in the territory that coming week and shows up in surviving footage from the end of the year. The best part of these clips for me is that legendary wrestler Danny McShain is the referee for one of the matches.

Before the third fall begins, Bonnema interviews John Anson and Sam Oliver Bass (you probably know him better as Ron Bass), the current tag champs in the territory. Bass and Anson are set for a death match tag that same night that won’t make TV, and Bonnema urges fans to check their newspaper for the results. Weird, wild, and very different times …

The third fall is joined in progress and time is running out on the show. Rose takes control but every pin attempt is met by another glacial count by Boyd. The Playboy snaps and starts stomping Boyd, who comes up swinging off the mat to the unfiltered delight of the crowd. The opening salvo of blows ends with Rose getting sent flying in that style of bump I wrote about in the first installment of the series. The blood starts to flow from Rose’s head and Boyd continues to hammer him as the footage ends.

This is a Very Good match that you should go out of your way to watch. The final two falls are available on YouTube, but definitely track down the first, which also is available online if you know where to look, because of all the antics with Boyd’s biased officiating serving as a method to torment Rose. Yes, the third fall is rushed, but it also shows how Rose had just reached his tipping point. All told, the match weaves a compelling and entertaining story with several well-executed bits of humor. You just don’t see wrestling like it today.

Jay Youngblood vs. Buddy Rose, 9/24/77

This match is on the undercard of this TV broadcast, so it’s just one fall and what ensues is more of an angle than a match. To be fair, it’s a good angle, as Rose and his running buddy Ed Wiskowski injure Youngblood’s left arm. This is just the latest victim for Rose; on commentary early in this footage, Bonnema refers to Boyd getting taken out of the territory by the Playboy. There’s a nice bit of misdirection as the match begins with Rose distracting Sandy Barr while Wiskowski, who is seconding Rose, grabs Youngblood’s leg and wrenches it from the floor. Rose focuses a relentless assault on Youngblood’s left arm, to the point Mayne runs in for the save and removes his own boot to club at Rose. Sandy Barr eats shit to the floor during the chaos and, in one of my favorite bits of this, ringside fans go to help him up.

Jay really sells the attack and injury. He’s got a cut dripping down the injured left arm and is alternating between writhing in pain and screaming. The camera stays right with the scene and that hot capacity crowd in the Portland Sports Arena watches in a hush. Mayne and Jay’s older brother, Rick Youngblood, are out to help Jay to the back and he collapses while they’re in transit. Fantastic.

After another car commercial (all the vehicles for sale have AM radio, you guys!) Bonnema interviews Mayne from the Crow’s Nest. Moondog Lonnie vows vengeance and that he’ll break Rose’s arm next week the way Rose has done to so many. Mayne is wild and fiery here. He also lived hard; he’s 33 here and this footage is filmed less than a year before his death, but he looks 50. Given what I’ve read about Mayne’s life, when he drops his “There’s excitement in the air!” phrase, I can’t help but wonder if the excitement and whiskey have the same aroma.

As for the Mayne vs. Rose match? It will kick off the next article.

Check out the introduction to this series.

From the Crow’s Nest: Introduction, and a 1977 Exposition

Welcome to From the Crow’s Nest! This will be an ongoing series of reviews looking at the history of wrestling in Portland, Oregon … specifically Pacific Northwest Wrestling.

The history of Portland Wrestling goes as far back as 1925 (we won’t go that far back), but it’s best known for the multiple decade run under Don Owen, whose father, Herb, founded the promotion.

The Portland territory was unique, in a few ways.

It was small. Owen usually kept an active roster of just 10 to 12 wrestlers, and worked a busy loop of shows in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia in Canada. You’ll see this on some of the TV segments where they break down the upcoming calendar.
Because of the small roster, episodes of Portland’s TV program had a structure that was unique but also seems a perfect fit for a television show. The main event of most episodes was best two out of three falls. Between falls, wrestlers typically went back to the locker room, and during these brief intermissions, they would either hold interviews with wrestlers or cut to commercials with sponsors. It’s a hoot watching the latter, and seeing both the style of the time and some of the prices that seem insanely low, especially by 2025 standards.
Portland’s TV program was an institution in the region. Owen ran his TV every Saturday night out of the Portland Sports Arena — a renovated bowling alley that the promotion owned. Eddie Graham followed a similar tact in Florida, running his promotion out of a building he owned. The show aired live — and then, live to tape — on KPTV Channel 12 in Portland for decades, on nothing more than a handshake deal.
The crowds, at least on these initial episodes, were red hot. Owen offered “season passes” to the TV tapings, which, combined with the regular loop of towns, forced his wrestlers to shake up their routine and not work the same kind of match time after time. “The first several rows of ringside, you couldn’t buy a ticket, because they were all permanent reservations,” Dave Meltzer once said about Portland crowds to Slam Wrestling. “The first six rows had the same people sit in those chairs for 52 weeks a year for years on end. The only way to get a ringside ticket was if one of them died, you literally had to be in their will.”
The Portland product is, in some ways, a harbinger of what changed in wrestling in the 2000s. The promotion emphasized more smaller wrestlers and a fast-paced style. Owen also had a reputation for paying well, which left no shortage of individuals who wanted to make their way through the territory. Consequently, a who’s who of talent makes appearances in Portland over the years.

With that introduction out of the way, let’s dive right into the footage.

We pick up with what I believe is the oldest existing video from Portland’s TV show.

Lonnie Mayne vs. Jesse Ventura, 5/7/77

You may know the Moondogs more as the tag team that worked throughout different territories in the U.S., but Mayne was actually the original Moondog. He also would have a much larger legacy in wrestling if he hadn’t been lost too soon. He died in 1978 at the age of just 33 in a car accident en route to a booking in California. Mayne worked almost exclusively as a heel in the early 1970s, and challenged Pedro Morales for the WWWF Title at Madison Square Garden. By 1977, though, Mayne was a beloved fan favorite of the Portland Sports Arena crowd. There’s an excellent bio of Mayne at Pro Wrestling Stories if you’d like to know more about him.

In this match, a best-two-out-of-three fall affair as was the custom on Portland TV, Mayne wrestles Ventura, who was at this point a fixture in the territory before going on to bigger stages in the AWA and WWF. The surviving footage starts with the first fall in progress, then jumps ahead to the third fall, with no finish. Mayne had a reputation for being wild in and out of the ring; at one point, he heads to ringside and throws a drink in Ventura’s face. One punch later and Ventura goes sprawling to the floor.

Between the ropes, Mayne was rather fearless. In the third fall, he takes a variation of what I know best as the Harley Race bump to the floor: hooking his feet on the ropes then dropping down on his head. As if the beverage wasn’t enough, Jimmy Snuka — another wrestler who became a regular in Portland in the 1970s before moving to bigger stages — comes to ringside and tosses Mayne a cowbell to start laying waste to Ventura. Somehow, this isn’t a DQ.

This one falls in the Worth Watching category for me. There’s nothing earth-shattering here but the crowd is hot, the action is entertaining, and there’s some significant historic value here.

Cocoa Samoa vs. Buddy Rose , 8/13/77

This is the earliest footage in Portland of Buddy Rose. If there’s an all-time MVP of the territory, it’s probably him. I also think Rose is one of the most underrated wrestlers of all time and, if you follow me through this journey, don’t be surprised if you end up agreeing. Rose can chain wrestle, brawl, and fly. He takes these fantastic heedless-looking bumps, and gives enteraining interviews as a villain who is either talking trash or extremely aggrieved at some perceived injustice. Meanwhile, he has a willingness to bleed buckets that I found endearing. This match with Cocoa is just the tip of the iceberg on the footage of Rose, who personally is responsible for most of the surviving footage from Portland in this era, because he had a habit of recording episodes of Portland’s TV program so he could go back and review his matches.

The video quality is not the best and Portland commentator Frank Bonnema — whose broadcast position is referred to as The Crow’s Nest (get it?) — pooh-poohs what he perceives as a light crowd. Adding greatly to the atmosphere, there’s a granny in the front row who’s vigilant as Rose repeatedly pulls on Cocoa’s trunks while ensnared in a headlock. At one point in the match, Cocoa delivers his leaping headbutt and Rose takes what I consider his signature bump: an explosion of movement where he pushes off with his legs and sends himself flying back to the mat. The landing is more reminiscent of a cartoon character who slipped on a banana peel. It’s ridiculous taken as a snapshot, but it works because it’s so over the top. It’s a regular part of Rose’s matches and it often serves the purpose of making the opposing wrestler’s offense look devastating, which, really, is one of the major points of a wrestling match, isn’t it? Rose wins the match clean with a modified backbreaker that looks like something out of the Roderick Strong arsenal, but the decision gets overturned when he keeps attacking Cocoa, ultimately shoving referee Sandy Barr.

This is honestly Skippable, but if you’ve never seen Buddy Rose in action, it’s a fine introduction with a low investment of time.

Up Next: We continue the journey in 1977.

Family, Wrestling and What to Expect Here in 2026

You would not be reading these words right now if it wasn’t for my dad.

When I was but a wee lad, my mom didn’t want me exposed to such scurrilous things as pro wrestling. This created quite the conundrum for dear old dad, who had been watching since his childhood himself. Apparently, I had a habit of waking up from my nap on Saturday afternoons right in the middle of the main event for World Wide Wrestling. Ric Flair or Greg Valentine or both would be in some mortal peril when my father would hear a meek, “Daddy?” as I stumbled sleepily from the bedroom.

*click*

Keep in mind this was well before streaming and back when even VCRs were not a fixture in every household.

When I was nine, around the time that my grandmother died, I stumbled upon an episode of All American Wrestling. I vaguely remember Hillbilly Jim was involved in the match I was seeing. The details are sketchy nearly 40 years later, but I was quickly hooked… I don’t remember how Dad reacted at the time but he must have been delighted. At long last he had the opportunity to share the wacky wild world of wrestling with me. Since this was 1987, there was a good bit of variety in the available footage in east Tennessee.

The weekends were full of options. WWF had Superstars, Wrestling Challenge, and All American Wrestling. The NWA (which was Jim Crockett Promotions but, to 9- and 10-year-old me, was just “the NWA”) had World Championship Wrestling on TBS at 6:05 every Saturday night. You could catch World Wide Wrestling and Pro on the weekends in syndication. ESPN aired AWA on weekday afternoons (much better than game shows or soaps) and soon added World Class, including past episodes of the latter, which introduced me to the fantastic Von Erichs-Freebirds feud.

Mom tolerated the hobby but mostly didn’t care for it, although in the latter years of her life she became a fan. I always wondered if the only reason that she only got sucked into watching wrestling because, as her mobility declined, it was more difficult to just get up and leave the room whenever Dad turned the channel to something she did not want to watch… and he watched a lot of wrestling. Bianca Belair (a fellow Vol alum like my parents) was a favorite of hers. She was a big fan of Roman Reigns and Damian Priest as well. She literally shed tears when Reigns returned to WWE in the summer of 2024. I guess it was still real to her.

Mom passed away that November, about a week before Thanksgiving. On July 30, Dad joined her. I can’t really express to you the shock that happens, the void that suddenly forms, when you lose both of your parents in a span of about eight months. I recognize that not all families are the same, and not all children are close with their parents, but we were. Normal routines are no longer normal.

In daily and weekly chores, in plans for holidays, and yes, in watching wrestling.

Even as my dad became bed bound, and it was clear that he did not have much longer left, he wanted to watch All In. And so, on a sweltering July afternoon in Tennessee, I made shrimp and scallops sauteed in lemon butter with Red Lobster cheddar biscuits and 10-year-old Bushmills to wash it down. Dad’s awareness ebbed and flowed and he fell asleep long before the show ended, but he enjoyed it.

It’s strange watching wrestling now with the both of them gone. There’s still good stuff out there to be had — past and present.

Going forward into 2026, I’d like to write more here, and said good stuff will be explored in a variety of ways.

Here’s the plan:

Mat Quest is back, baby! My plan to chronicle everything on Peacock before it eventually left the streaming service (which is happening in a matter of days now) got scuttled by my dad’s health issues. I’ve decided to resume my chronological journey through the world of wrestling, first by taking a step back to June of 1973 where I started and catch the good stuff that wasn’t part of the content drop on Peacock.

That means more stuff from Jim Crockett Promotions, the territories, and overseas. You won’t see any Portland stuff included, however, because…

Portland Wrestling gets its own special series! I find this to be one of the most overlooked territories out there in terms of reviews and general coverage, and it’s high time that changes. Might it devolve into a continuing series of articles praising the greatness of Buddy Rose? Entirely possible! Look for the first installment to drop on January 2.

But wait! There’s more!

We also will continue to Review the Kraken as I keep recapping episodes of Kraken Pro Wrestling’s YouTube show … maybe I’ll get caught up to real time by the summer!

And, an occasional What I’m Watching piece, with thoughts on whatever I end up watching that doesn’t fall into one of the above categories.

I’m hopeful for a fun and busy year in 2026. I hope you’ll join me.

Review the Kraken: Multiple Multi-Man Matches, Man

Kraken Pro Wrestling celebrated its one-year anniversary with the Kraken Classic. The event also represents the climax of stories that have been cultivated since Kraken first started running. Whereas usual installments of this series focus on an entire set of episodes from a single taping, while watching these matches, I decided that breaking up the Kraken Classic into two parts made more sense.

Episode 48

The original Kraken Classic was an eight-man tournament that played out over the first several episodes of Kraken’s show on YouTube. The format’s been changed; the first round now consists of a pair of four-way matches, with the two winners advancing to a one-on-one match for the finals and a guaranteed shot at the Kraken Title.

The first four-way involves Lamar Diggs of The Business, Ehren Black, Joey Hyder, and Jayy Wells. Black is the biggest man in Kraken and Diggs is not far behind him. To no surprise, the story revolves around the two monsters. Hyder and Wells try to join forces against them, then get pummeled by them, only to see the inevitable breakdown and battle between the two behemoths. This is a fun match that is sloppy in places but it’s one of those where the flaws in execution go to serve the inherent chaos of a four-way match that is one fall to the finish.

This is a good match and it is laid out well, giving everyone a chance to shine. Hyder shows his toughness, taking some chops early that leave his chest a gruesome shade of purple. He hits his “Razzle Dazzle” combo (a Finlay roll into a standing moonsault) on Diggs in an impressive athletic display. Later, he throws a knee trembler that I’d like to see become part of his usual arsenal.

I wrote about Wells and his steady progression in Kraken as part of the last review. He’s a hometown guy with a ton of crowd support at these shows in Tifton and he strings together some big offensive moves down the stretch that made me buy that he was going to win even though I already knew the outcome of this match. It’s always a slick feat when a match draws you in to that extent. Wells hits Hyder with a cutter and I adored what comes next: Wells, feeling the effects of the beating he’s taken thus far, uses his head to slowly roll Hyder onto his back for the pin because he’s too fatigued to use his strength and put Hyder’s shoulders on the mat.

This is a real battle that felt like it had stakes and some surprises. Donnie Harris on commentary at one point proclaims the match “is lasting longer than some marriages” (a weird remark when we were about 10 minutes in), but I thought this one breezed by, especially compared to another match on this card. Diggs and Black have a few scraps, and their interactions just provide a tantalizing tease of what a singles match between them would look like. Diggs ultimately scores the win over Hyder, with manager Justin Kayse (who also happens to be Kraken Champion) helping out his charge by taking his briefcase and blasting Black in the head with it outside the ring. Credit to Diamond Duke for pointing out this bit of interference after the fall, noting the “smart move” by Kayse. I actually missed it watching live and caught it on a rewind. It happened fast, and in the background, so calling it out like that was welcome. That’s good commentary.

The second Kraken Classic first-round match involves Sam Hanson, Charlie Kills, Hitta K of the H-Town Hittas, and Brandon Whatley. These four had a tough act to follow after a hot, action-packed opener and this match definitely felt a step or two below the first one as a result. I tend to run cold on multi-man matches because I feel like they fall into the trap of a couple guys in the ring doing something while everyone else is selling or just waiting outside the ring. This match delved into that dicey territory at times. My single top highlight was when Hanson ensnares Hitta K in a bulldog choke, and the amazing expression on Hanson’s face as he exhorts his opponent to tap. Kudos to the camera operator for being in the perfect spot to capture this, too. Charlie gets the duke and Hitta K takes the fall, which pleasantly surprised me given the Hittas entered this match undefeated as a team in Kraken.

In between the two four-ways, we get a short interview segment involving the debuting Joe Black, who is set to face Kevin Kantrell later on the card. I first met Joe more than a decade ago and I’ve been a fan of his work ever since, so I’ve enjoyed getting to see him receive the plaudits he deserves as of late on the Southeastern scene. Joe is smooth and succinct on his comments, which serve as a perfect introduction for him in Kraken. Kantrell steps in, words get exchanged, and Joe departs without shaking Kantrell’s hand, which is a nice callback to the Kantrell-Will Huckaby match that ultimately caused so many problems at the end of 2024.

Episode 49

This episode revolves entirely around the latest Kraken Championship, the Cash In Hand Title. If you’ve been reading these reviews, you know about the Cash In, Cash Out Scramble concept. This is the extrapolation of that: an actual title that the winner then will defend in future scrambles. Defend successfully three times and you get a shot at the Kraken Title. This is billed as the “ultimate” Cash In, Cash Out Scramble. It’s more of a mix between a scramble and a rumble. Five wrestlers start out, and as participants get pinned or submit, a new competitor joins the fray.

There are 13 (!) wrestlers in this match at some point or another, so I feel it would be counterproductive — and a slog to read, for that matter — to do a straight recap. Instead, I wanted to share my major takeaways from this scramble.

Nick Quick is one of the first participants and also the first elimination. He continues to win me over as a small underdog and he takes a beating well, which elevates whomever is going against him.
Kraken’s core fan favorites are all very over. The Saturday Night Temptations get good reactions for each of their entrances and, when Jak Myles joins as the final entrant, he quickly gets the crowd chanting, “Sweep!” In a time when many crowds sit on their hands just waiting to react to the next big move, it’s endearing to see several Kraken wrestlers connecting with their audiences to such a degree.
If you haven’t seen this yet, or you already have, go back and watch and pay attention to what C.J. Shine does. Shine comes in early in the order and is there for most of the match, doing a fine job directing traffic and keeping the match flowing. Shine gets pinned late in the match by ERC, which is probably the best moment yet for ERC in Kraken.
Each wrestling promotion has to build its own narrative or, if you’ll indulge my nerdy Dungeons & Dragons side, lore. Establishing certain moves as all-but-unbeatable adds to that lore, and the Woodgrain jumping piledriver by Brother Azriel certainly qualifies. Azriel uses the Woodgrain to defeat Hitta J, who gets pinned for the first time in Kraken. A tough night for the identical twin Hittas …
Jay 2 Strong puts on a tour de force performance in this match. One of the first five entrants, Jay goes the duration. Not only that, he bumps and sells for just about every other participant when they join the fray. I was really impressed with his work here.
Once everyone has entered, the match switches to a “one fall to a finish” format. The participants at that time are Sweeper, Jay, Huck, and Don Haylo. Myles, appropriately, gets the win after hitting each of the other three with his Russian legsweep finisher. It’s a great story moment as well as the first real signature win for Myles, who was a lovable hard-luck loser on the early Kraken shows, had one of his Cash In Cash out Scramble payouts stolen by The Business, and gets some revenge here by pinning Jay from The Business — even though Jay is somewhat on the outs from the rest of the group heading into the scramble.

I think there’s enough in this scramble to appeal to most wrestling fans but for maximum enjoyment, you’d need to be pretty familiar with Kraken’s product. Fortunately, getting familiar is made easier with my full set of Kraken reviews.

Here are both episodes:

Review the Kraken: Counting Down to the Kraken Classic

My journey through the Kraken Pro Wrestling TV timeline has reached the second Kraken Classic, which also marked the one-year anniversary of Kraken opening. If you’ve been following along throughout this run, you’ve joined me in seeing what I would consider a rare degree of long-term storytelling for an independent wrestling company. You’ve also seen this narrative grow, coalesce, and adapt to the always unpredictable twists and turns that happen with trying to maintain a roster.

This review covers the “go-home” taping for Kraken before the Kraken Classic and finalizes the eight-man field for the tournament. The central story of the taping, however, involves Will Huckaby and Kevin Kantrell as GM Donnie Harris does his best to deus ex machina Kantrell’s predicament. There’s no single match in these four episodes that rises above the level of “good” but some solid build throughout just the same.

I tend to focus in on the commentary on these reviews, since I’ve been in that role previously for other promotions. I try nitpick too much, really I do, but the commentary was pretty rough on this taping at times, between Donnie misidentifying some moves and trying to make several awkward verbal segues. Meanwhile, Diamond Duke’s heel commentator schtick has devolved to either complaining about the referee’s count being too fast or slow, or babyface tag teams double teaming illegally. I’m not sure how either of these is supposed to generate heat, unless being annoying through repetition counts as heat.

Enough blabbin’! On with the review!

Episode 44

One of Kraken’s biggest positives is that the promotion has a very diverse roster without being overt about it or pausing to praise themselves for how diverse they are. Edward Draven, who wrestles Joey Hyder in the main event of this episode, is an excellent example. It’s pretty obvious that Draven exists somewhere on the LGBT spectrum but that’s not his entire identity within the Kraken realm. He can be who he is, without it being made a major issue in and of itself.

Draven had a Kraken coin, then lost it to Jak Myles, who lost it to Hyder, and now tries to win back said coin. Draven’s early antics against Hyder are an homage to Adrian Street and Goldust matches: kissing Hyder’s hand and spanking him among, er, other things. Hyder gets frustrated but refrains from really pummeling Draven, eventually winning clean with his “Razzle Dazzler” finisher — a Finlay roll into a standing moonsault. This is pretty good, and easily the best match in Kraken for Draven, whose selling after the fact with an aggrieved series of “Ow” exclamations got me. I like Hyder quite a bit but he needs some sort of hook to really reach the next level.

This episode also includes a forgettable Tsu Nami vs. Alicia Love match that sets up an in-ring talking segment with Donnie to schedule a strap match showdown with Rose Gold at the Kraken Classic, which didn’t even end up happening on that card. To get the match with Tsu, Rose had to relinquish her Kraken coin. Moving on…

Episode 45

Donnie’s back in the ring and brings out Huckaby, who beat up a referee at the last taping after a bad call by the official cost Huck and Hanson in a tag match against the H-Town Hittas. Again, Donnie makes Huck go stand in the corner, after he did this with Tsu Nami on the previous episode. I realize I’m seven months behind real time on my Kraken viewing, but I really hope this doesn’t become a recurring bit for in-ring talking segments involving Donnie … unless the goal is to make Donnie look like a petty and childish authority figure, in which case, mission accomplished. Anyhow Donnie then brings out Kantrell, who was fired and had to receive 10 lashes from The Business at the last taping in an excellent piece of work. Donnie, who was absent at that taping, makes a tag gauntlet and forces Huckaby and Kantrell to team together. Win the gauntlet and they keep their jobs. This is a nice callback to the singles match between these two where Huckaby’s current grumpy grizzled character shift first manifested after Kantrell tapped. I like the long-term storytelling and the continuity, but not so much the segment that gets us here.

Jayy Wells was the standout of the episode for me. His slow progression in Kraken reminds me of the way New Japan brings along its young lion trainees. Throughout his time as a Kraken regular, Wells gets stronger and hits harder with every outing. Seeing Wells get his first win in this scramble, and earn a Kraken coin in the process, was clearly by design and nicely done from a booking perspective. The scramble also includes Don Haylo, an economy-sized hoss who I’d like to see more of in Kraken.

Speaking of hosses, I had high hopes for this episode’s main event between Lamar Diggs and Brother Azriel both ranked among my top candidates for Kraken MVP from 2024 but they didn’t get to turn loose as I would have liked. I did appreciate how the match was structured, with neither man leaving their feet much, until Diggs uncorks a standing dropkick (!) to take control. Azriel busts out a fallaway slam later in a nice feat of strength. Business manager Justin Kayse pulls Diggs’ foot into the ropes to break up a pin, gets caught by the referee, and ejected. Diggs proceeds to win the match cleanly anyway, strongly suggesting that Diggs doesn’t even need Kayse in his corner in the first place. They’ve been teasing dissension with Jay 2 Strong being on the outs in The Business but I’ll go on record now that Kayse eventually getting wrecked by Diggs needs to happen.

Episode 46

Three matches on this episode, which is a rarity when most have one or two bouts.

The Hittas win again and this week’s victims are Josh Breezzyy and Kassius King. It’s more of an even match than I expected, but the Hittas prevail. One of them has a Kraken coin, but no one knows which because identical twins. Donnie relishes the way he hits the inflection on “Hittas” throughout.

Aeon wrestles Jay 2 Strong in the episode main event. Kraken could use a continuity editor because the commentators call this a rematch, although this is the first time they’ve wrestled here in singles. Jay is also solo for the match, after a backstage segment in The Business locker room straight out of an old Three Stooges short in which Diggs gives Jay a chop (for good luck?) and Jay drops Justin Kayse’s briefcase on Diggs’ foot. Aeon and Jay are two of the top hands on the Kraken roster, and combine for just a good, solid match that feels effortless. Jay busts out the big-match offense (a Spanish Fly!) but Aeon won’t be denied and comes back for the victory. Afterward, Donnie awards Aeon a match against Dominic Stuckey, the “ace” of The Business who is absent from this taping, at the Kraken Classic. If Aeon wins, he gets a three-minute match with Kayse for the Kraken Title.

Next, Charlie Kills returns to face Nathaniel Vanderbilt for the final Kraken coin. This is a good solid match and easily the best Kraken work yet from Vanderbilt, who appears to be a wrestling footage nerd like me. He nearly wins the match with his version of the cross-legged Michinoku Driver — or, as he calls it, the Tax Exemption. Because he’s a rich guy, get it? Vanderbilt kicks out of a piledriver along the way before an avalanche choke bomb finishes it for Kills to the crowd’s delight. It still amuses me greatly that there’s a small independent wrestling promotion running in the buckle of the Bible Belt in southern Georgia and arguably its two most popular wrestlers are a serial killer gimmick (Kills) and pretty much Satan himself (Aeon). Speaking of gimmicks, Vanderbilt’s rich-kid persona seems better suited for the heel side of things.

Episode 47

The main focus of this episode is the tag gauntlet, with Huckaby and Kantrell’s jobs on the line. As such, they’re the first team in and have to run the entire gamut. There’s a lot of “can they coexist?” talk surrounding this, which would mean more if three of the four teams Huck and Kantrell face weren’t also teaming together for the first time. Travis Ray and Nick Quick are up first, and this doesn’t last long. I know every wrestler aspires to be a headliner these days, but Quick does some good work as an enhancement guy in Kraken and that continues here. Brandon Whatley and ERC are next and last a little bit longer before Huck smashes ERC with a spinebuster. This segment of the gauntlet did make me hanker for a Kantrell-Whatley singles match, though.

Noir is the third team up in what represents the bulk of the match and the best part of this gauntlet. I found Noir pretty bland in their first several matches in Kraken, but they’ve really found their groove as vicious rule breakers. Noir goes right for the heat with Mrs. Wright spraying Huck in the eyes upon Noir’s entrance. Referee Clark struggles to take control of things as Kantrell gets put through a door propped up in the corner. Donnie points out, relentlessly, that the bell never rang so all this is legal. Fair point, but it makes me wonder why everyone in Kraken doesn’t just bushwhack their opponent with every weapon they can? After several minutes of beat down on Kantrell, a half-blinded, punch-drunk Huck staggers to his feet in the corner with fists clenched. He didn’t hear no bell! Mr. Wright dips deep into the heel playbook of dastardly tactics, and I’m here for all of it. Huck does his part, selling like he’s being tortured in an Inquisition dungeon. When Ehren Black tags in and eventually goes for a cover, Huck screams as he kicks out — in pain? Frustration? Maybe both? Noir get a little too confident, and a flash pin by Huck sends them packing, and provokes another beat down after the bell.

Sam Hanson and Jak Myles are out as the final foes. Hanson and Huck of course team together in All-Star Special. In character, Donnie is kind of a jerk by forcing these two partners to face off. Then again, that never happens, as Kantrell scores a pin on The Sweeper in seconds. That’s… it? Huck and Kantrell win the gauntlet and keep their jobs, but the muted response from the crowd tells me they don’t know how to take the sudden result. Join the club.

After a smiley happy good guy interview from Jayy Wells about making the Kraken Classic, Donnie gets in the ring for yet another talking segment — his fourth of the taping if you’re keeping score. Donnie brings out the entire field for the Kraken Classic: Hyder, Wells, Diggs, Charlie, Hanson, Ehren Black, Whatley, and one of the Hittas although both comes out. Once everyone is in the ring, a brawl breaks out within seconds and that ends up pretty enjoyable and culminates with Hanson the last man standing.

I’ll be driving into the Kraken Classic next week, and already knowing some of what happens there, I think multiple reviews will be in order to give everything due diligence.

For other entries in the Review The Kraken series, here is a master index.

Check out all four of these episodes, in the below playlist:

Review the Kraken: Whipping Post

Welcome back to my continuing series of reviews of Kraken Pro Wrestling’s TV show on YouTube.

This piece technically covers the entire taping that generated Episodes 39-43. However, I’m deviating from the usual format for these reviews to focus entirely on the story that plays out in the final two episodes between The Business and Kevin Kantrell here, because the tag match and ensuing post-match stand out as the best thing Kraken has done yet. And I’ve seen it all to this point.

A simmering story with Kantrell and his son, Referee Clark, going against Justin Kayse and his faction reaches a boiling point here. Clark had established himself as a quality referee in Kraken even before getting involved in this angle, which all started with the young official flooring Kayse with a punch when he tried to interfere in a match. This was also the first time anyone on Kraken had inflicted any sort of violence on Kayse, who remains Kraken champion but never defends the title.

A couple of noteworthy firsts for Kraken emerge as part of this story. Episode 42 is “headlined” by an extended interview segment with all parties involved, something that is rare for Kraken and also the first time a promo has taken such a prominent spot on one of the relatively short, fast-paced YouTube episodes. Kayse has threatened all sorts of litigious consequences on Kraken after what Kantrell did at the last taping. And with GM Donnie Harris absent from these episodes, Kayse is running amok and makes a match where Kantrell and a partner of his choice face The Business’ Dominic Stuckey and Lamar Diggs. If The Business win, Kantrell is fired and Clark must take 10 lashes. Oh, and the match is happening right away.

Trever Aeon comes out to team with Kantrell — a solid but pretty obvious choice, considering Aeon’s ongoing issues with The Business and the fact he had yet to wrestle on this taping. There’s a weird cut where Episode 42 ends in the middle of the match introductions, but that’s a minor quibble. With all the pieces in place, Episode 43 tells a compelling self-contained narrative, while also priming the pump for several future matches and setting up a fine cliff-hangar. The whole thing came off to me as a love letter to the days of territory wrestling in TV studios.

Let’s start with the match itself, which flips the traditional American tag team structure with very little heat on the fan favorites and an extended opening period where Stuckey gets knocked around by Aeon and Kantrell. Stuckey takes a fantastic beating here and solidifies his status as one of the best bell-to-bell wrestlers on the roster. He sells like he’s being bludgeoned, murdered, and tortured all at once. Kantrell and Aeon appear to take special relish in their chance to really bring the thunder in their beat down of Stuckey, and it’s one of the few occasions yet where The Business truly seems to be on their heels. The pummeling continues until Stuckey blatantly rakes Aeon’s eyes to change the momentum of the match.

With the eye rake, Diggs takes center stage. There are several big men who wrestle in Kraken but none of them come off more intimidating or hard-hitting than Diggs. Everything Diggs does in the ring has an intentional malevolent brutality to it. This isn’t just mindless smashing by a monster heel, either; Diggs shows fine ring awareness when he counters Aeon’s attempt at his finisher with a gnarly looking Samoan Drop. Even when Aeon counters Diggs with a DDT, Diggs sells mostly to his knees, since it’s the only significant offense he’s taken the entire match. As an aside to this portion, Kody Madden, who’s back on commentary for this set of episodes, refers to Diggs as “The Big Decision” while he’s walloping Aeon. That’s a new one to me, but I like it.

As happens often in Business matches, the numbers game proves overwhelming. Jay 2 Strong, who’s been ringside with Kayse, smashes Aeon with Kayse’s briefcase while the lawyer/manager/leader has Referee Clark distracted. Aeon shows his mettle by not succumbing right away, countering Diggs’ first attempt at his sit-out powerbomb with a back drop. Diggs holds on, rolls through, and drops the boom on Aeon to win the match and Trever’s “Pieces of 8” coin. The coin changing hands gets lost in the shuffle, and rightfully so, during a brutal — in a complimentary way! — post match.

With a four-on-two advantage, The Business grab hold of Clark and Kantrell to set up for the lashes. There’s a fantastic moment where Kantrell, restrained in the corner, screams out “Let me take them!” repeatedly until Kayse and his cronies agree. Once more, the father steps up to protect his son, but with direct consequences on Kantrell. This is an incredibly relatable event, with Clark pleading with his father as Kantrell grabs hold of the top rope and turns his back to his enemies as the lashes begin.

Everyone plays their part perfectly in this. You have Kantrell, stoic and defiant throughout. He completely shrugs off the initial lashes by Kayse (more on him later), and fights through the ensuing whipping by Diggs, defiantly screaming his “Kantrell Rules!” catch phrase even when Diggs starts laying in some much nastier shots with the belt. As the last few lashes drive Kantrell to his knees, he stands each time and resists crying out. Only when it’s over, and Aeon places a hand of comfort on the shoulder of his partner, does Kantrell scream in pain.

Then you’ve got Clark, forced to stand by and watch his father make this sacrifice for him. Once the lashing is complete, seeing Clark tearfully repeat “I’m sorry” to his dad provides a palpable emotional twist of the knife that punctuates the entire affair. Aeon also sells the unfairness of the beating well. At times, he’s physically restraining — or maybe shielding? — Clark in the corner. Trever also goes nose to nose with Diggs (a singles match that Kraken has yet to do at this point, but would be high on my list) and Stuckey as the emotions of all come to a boil and even threatens to put hands on Kayse, a brief moment but one that delights the Tifton crowd.

Then you’ve got the various members of The Business. Seeing Diggs flog Kantrell with the leather strap only adds to his aura as the dominant heavy hitter of The Business. Jay is on the periphery of all this, but his heckling of Kantrell during the lashes (captured in the image that accompanies this piece) underscores the dastardly deed happening in the ring. It’s also worth noting that Jay, who’s increasingly coming off as the “weak link” of this group and loses his own “Pieces of 8” coin earlier in the taping, is the individual responsible for Diggs and Stuckey winning the match and setting all of this into motion. Stuckey alternates between physically restraining Clark and verbally sparring with Aeon.

And then there’s Justin Kayse, who is relishing being the ringleader of all this chaos and misery. Kayse has improved by leaps and bounds since first appearing as a manager in the very first few episodes of Kraken TV. He’s more confident on the microphone and just with his general presence in front of the crowd. He’s also found ways to compound his status as the undeserving champion; the lashes he delivers to Kantrell have no effect, once again underscoring how poorly Kayse will fare if someone on the roster is able to get him in a straight-up match for the title.

The final image (which, in hindsight, should have been allowed to stand on its own with the commentators laying out) is of a fired, beaten but unbowed Kantrell getting helped out of the ring by Aeon and Clark. His fate, and awaiting the long-overdue comeuppance for The Business, provide fuel leading into whatever comes next in Kraken.

I feel like this piece is already too long, but when looking at this entire set of episodes, I did want to point out one more thing. I’ve been writing these reviews for more than a year now. Maybe you’ve been following along this whole time (which, if so, you’re a very patient person), or you’re reading one of these Kraken articles for the first time. If you fall into the latter category, I strongly recommend that you check out the five episodes covered in this review, because they represent a perfect “jumping on” point to follow this small but growing promotion in South Georgia.

You can check out all of these episodes below:

For other entries in the Review The Kraken series, here is a master index.

Review the Kraken: Episodes 35-38

Kraken Pro Wrestling keeps rolling on and so do we, looking at the second Kraken taping of 2025. Once more, the Pieces of 8 take center stage, as the final open coins are won and a previously allocated coin changes hands.

The anchor of these four episodes, however, is an angle involving Kevin Kantrell and The Business. The last taping concluded with Justin Kayse, the manager of The Business and reigning Kraken Champion, taking a punch, and a bump, for the first time at the hands (literally) of an unlikely source… Referee Clark. Episode 35 kicks off with The Business demanding retribution on the young official, only to have Kantrell enter the discussion and reveal that Clark is his son. Kayse proposes a match between Kantrell and Business “ace” Dominic Stuckey. If Kantrell wins, he gets five minutes — not the standard three — against Kayse with the title on the line. If Stuckey wins, Referee Clark has to take two punches to the face. I know that old Memphis wrestling is a major influence on Will Huckaby, who books Kraken, and this entire stipulation would fit in great in the heyday of that territory. All that was missing was Lance Russell and Dave Brown.

The Kantrell-Stuckey match headlines the final episode from the taping, and it’s a good one. With most episodes of Kraken TV lasting 20 to 30 minutes, matches range to be on the short side. These two set a methodical pace that fits the mat-based skills of both. The grappling exhibitions are good but the real flavor comes from little moments where Stuckey begs off or shows cowardice. These enhance the match greatly, not to mention his own heel persona.

And then the finish comes. Kantrell has Stuckey ensnared in the cross face, and Kayse climbs through the ropes and grabs Stuckey’s hand, right in front of the ref, to prevent his ace from tapping. I included a screenshot of this in the featured image of this review.

I have a few pet peeves when it comes to wrestling, and cheating right in front of the referee is one of them. How in the world was this not a DQ? The actual finish occurs when Jay 2 Strong drags Clark through the curtain, leaving a distracted Kantrell ripe to get pinned by Stuckey. It feels like there’s lots of meat left on the bone between Kantrell and Stuckey, and I have to assume there was some kind of cross-up on the interference by Kayse.

The post-match, to be fair, is pretty strong. Kantrell apologizes repeatedly to his son, who steps through the ropes ready to take the punches. Kayse’s first blow, hilariously, doesn’t even faze Clark. We get an extra layer here to the story of Kayse being an unjust and unworthy champion, as he can’t even do damage to a non-wrestler. Kayse then opts for Stuckey to deliver the second punch, and Kantrell pulls his son out of the ring instead. I’ve already been watching the next set of episodes, and this story is just getting started …

Some other notes from this set of episodes ensue.

Episode 35

Jay 2 Strong, who won one of the Pieces of 8 at the last taping, puts the coin on the line against ERC. Jay is a consistent, steady hand for Kraken. ERC has shown some flashes as a sneaky heel, but he’s positioned as a fan favorite here and shows plenty of fight. He kicks out of Jay’s Strong Valley Driver, and The Business member needs a distraction and the help of the ropes to get the pin. There’s a spectacular sell by ERC earlier, when he appears to enter the astral plane after taking a superkick.

The episode is headlined by a tag match pitting All Star Special against Jayy Wells and Gabe Norton and sees Huckaby progress from recently being a grumpy veteran wrestler to a nasty, grumpy vet. The crowd doesn’t really buy into the two youngsters here, even during a solid offensive display early in the match, but they become more engaged when Huck starts wrecking the both of them. There’s a good story to be told here, with Huckaby wanting to push the aggression at all points and his partner, Sam Hanson, frequently trying to be the brakes. The finish comes with Huck applying a deep submission hold, while Hanson is outside the ring telling their young foe, “It’s OK to tap.” Good stuff.

Kay Casiano, who’s been a nice addition to the product as a ring announcer and backstage interviewer, gets a few pre-recorded words from Trever Aeon in advance of him facing Joey Hyder later on this set of episodes. Kraken has done a good job positioning Aeon as its top hero, which I also find endlessly amusing given Kraken runs shows in south Georgia, smack-dab in the Bible Belt.

Trever: I’m the Devil …

Kraken fans: Yaaaay!

Episode 36

One of the weaker episodes of Kraken TV, especially compared to recent installments.

Jak Myles pins Edward Draven in the latest edition of the Cash In, Cash Out Scramble to claim Draven’s Kraken coin. The scramble itself advances a story or two but is mighty disjointed. Tsu Nami makes a tepid run-in to take Rose Gold out of the match, the latest miss in a rivalry between the two that got off to a promising start but since has floundered. Participants include Chad Skywalker, who receives another “special assignment” to win Draven’s coin and keep Myles from seizing it. Skywalker fails on both fronts and doesn’t interact enough with Myles to drive home that plot point.

In the main event, Brandon Whatley beats Nathaniel Vanderbilt to capture a Kraken coin in a match that failed to connect for me.

Episode 37

Aeon vs. Hyder opens the episode? Hot damn! These two are among the top talents in Kraken and put on a good TV match, making the most of their time. Aeon gives Hyder, a relative newcomer, plenty of time to shine before executing a believable flash pin to get the win and the final unclaimed Kraken coin. During this match, Kraken lead broadcaster and general manager Donnie Harris says he wants to promote good, clean, sportsmanlike wrestling. Sounds boring.

Noir faces the Saturday Night Temptations in the main event, a rematch of a bout from a previous taping. I’ve been pretty cool on Noir as a team so far but this is their best Kraken match yet. Mr. Wright in particular shows more fire and intensity. The other half of Noir, Ehren Black, is a force of nature in Kraken. He’s huge, and knows it, and wrestles accordingly as it usually takes something extra to knock him off his feet. The Temptations score the win, so I guess we need a rubber match now.

Episode 38

The Kantrell-Stuckey match takes center stage on this episode. Elsewhere, the H-Town Hittas record another very one-sided victory,. Meanwhile “The Diamond Den” brings in Aeon as his guest. The tone is weird as Diamond Duke engages in a friendly chat with Trever, which doesn’t really ring true after Duke spent the past months slagging Aeon on commentary at almost every opportunity.

That’s all for now, folks!

For other entries in the Review The Kraken series, here is a master index.

You can watch all four episodes here:

Review the Kraken: Episodes 31-34

I started doing these Kraken Pro Wrestling reviews last fall, a few months after this promotion first debuted in South Georgia. Work and life and family responsibilities have made it difficult to keep pace or post reviews regularly, but we’re finally into 2025 with this taping.

These four episodes remain consistently watchable, thanks to a new overarching plot device, the Pieces of 8. As explained in one of the final episodes of 2024, the Pieces of 8 are eight coins, each of which guarantee the holder a spot in the Kraken Classic tournament to take place in May. The coins are awarded randomly to match winners; however, the coin holders become targets from there. If someone with one of the Pieces of 8 is pinned or submitted in any type of match, that wrestler gains possession of the coin — and then has to defend it.

The question of “who gets a coin” is the dominant story of this taping and it makes matches that are otherwise skippable at least worth catching the finish. Six of the eight coins get doled out in these four episodes, and I’m interested to see where this goes.

Episode 31

Hey, we’ve got a new opening video! Meanwhile, Donnie Harris, Jr., remains the lead commentator but is now the official general manager (no more “acting” tag after he assumed that role after the predecessor just vanished from Kraken).

We get right to the action, and assigning the coins, with Ehren Black capturing the first Piece of 8 by scoring the pin in a short tag match pitting Noir against Gabe Norton and Jayy Wells. Once tagged in by Mr. Wright, Black makes quick work of Jayy and Gabe. They’re hitting the ground running with the unpredictable, and quite creative, concept of allocating these coins.

Will Huckaby takes on ERC in the episode main event, which fell in the “fun while it lasted” category for me. I’ve been enjoying ERC’s antics as a crafty, undersized heel. Huckaby has been foul tempered ever since he was submitted by Kevin Kantrell at the last taping and then refused Kantrell’s following the match. That saltiness leads to Huck ultimately getting himself disqualified here.

Episode 32

The highlight of this episode is the singles match between Sam Hanson and Travis Ray. I like what I’ve seen out of Ray, who with the right moves could make his way to the top of the card in Kraken down the road. Ray gets a good showing here in defeat. I particularly liked him yanking on Hanson’s beard to pull him into grasp for a uranage and a pair of avalanches in the corner provoke a full-fledged “daggum” from Donnie on commentary. Hanson gets the win, and a coin, with a backslide pin out of nowhere.

The main event of the taping sees Trever Aeon and Jak Myles join forces against The Business duo of Jay 2 Strong and Diggs, This match was just OK — though it did feature a nice hot tag by Aeon — and had another sudden conclusion, this time with Jay, who’s been portrayed as more of the “weak link” in The Business recently, pinning Aeon on a rope-assisted schoolboy and earning himself a coin.

This episode also includes a Diamond Den segment featuring Jayy Wells, the introduction of Joey Hyder, and another chapter — albeit a very rough one — of the Rose Gold-Tsu Nami feud.

Episode 33

Liked the different opening to this one, as the camera follows Chad Skywalker to retrieve an envelope that contains his “assignment” to defeat Brandon Whatley. I just hope someone remembers to check that oven before they try to use it!

Skywalker and Whatley headline the episode. It’s a good, solid match, but one that struggles from the absence of a clear fan favorite. Who’s the crowd supposed to root for: the hired gun in Skywalker, or Whatley, who jumps Chad from behind to start the match? There’s a cool visual down the stretch where Skywalker kicks Whatley’s glove off his hand. Skywalker scores the win and, fitting the theme of this taping, a coin.

The Cash In, Cash Out Scramble returns and Edward Draven gets the somewhat surprising result in a taping with several surprising winners. Draven also gets a coin and, at this point, has to be considered the most vulnerable of the coin holders. Joey Hyder is also in the field, making his Kraken debut, and he’s easily the standout of the match.

A segment outside the building sets up a future tag match between All Star Special and Wells and Norton fueled in large part by Huckaby’s hatred of … ketchup? Since tapping out to Kantrell, Huckaby has become the bitter, salty veteran who gets mad over nothing and I’m here for it. It’s the type of thing you probably have encountered in the workplace and definitely have encountered if you spent any time in wrestling. I realize I am several months behind but maybe a future segment will have Huck getting mad at someone for not shaking his hand while purposely avoiding that person so they can’t ever shake his hand. Not that I am speaking from experience…

Episode 34

Apparently there can be only one as Kassius King (not to be confused with Cassius King) is now the lone wrestler with that homonym name now on the Kraken roster. King teams with Don Haylo against the H-Town Hittas, who win in less time than it took me to write and format this paragraph. The twin that scores the pin gets a coin. How will his brother react? The idea of both Hittas getting coins is intriguing.

We get another Diamond Den segment (now with theme music!) and it might be the best of the bunch overall. Karl Hager is the guest and has the schtick turned all the way to 11. I laughed out loud several times, not just at his answers to some of Diamond Duke’s questions but his mannerisms and fidgets.

Once again, the main event of the taping is the best match of this set of episodes. Dominic Stuckey takes on Charlie Kills and, if Charlie wins, he gets a three-minute match against Justin Kayse for the Kraken Title. Stuckey is a very good wrestler who has a knack for doing different things in each of his matches. That trend continues against Charlie in an old-school match with some wrinkles I did not expect: stomps to the foot and hand, and at one point manipulating the ankle joint to reverse a hold. The finish is hot. Kayse yanks young referee Clark out of the ring to break up a three count, and Clark decks Kayse with a punch! This is the first time that anyone in Kraken has struck Kayse and it’s a very interesting choice to give that spot to a referee. Stuckey ends up scoring another tainted win, but this was a nice addition to the ongoing story.

For other entries in the Review The Kraken series, here is a master index.

Looking for something more retro? I’m also working on Mat Quest, a chronological viewing guide to the WWE archive on Peacock.

You can watch all four episodes here:

Review the Kraken: Episodes 27-30 & 2024 Wrap

Kraken Pro Wrestling made its debut in the summer of 2024. I learned about the promotion not long after that and, back in the fall, I started watching and reviewing episodes of Kraken TV on YouTube, writing up my thoughts and posting them here. Life got in the way several times since, but I reached the end of 2024 with the episodes contained in this taping.

By this point, Kraken has established a core roster and is building some long-term storylines. The most significant plot point is the introduction of the Pieces of 8, a novel concept to determine participants in the Kraken Classic. The Pieces of 8 are coins, each of which gain the holder entry in the tournament. Whomever receives the coins then have to maintain possession until the Kraken Classic. If any coin holder gets pinned or submitted, in a singles or a tag match, whomever gets the duke claims that coin.

Kraken booker Will Huckaby shared with me that Donnie Harris, the lead commentator and on-screen authority figure, first came up with the idea as the premise for a secondary title. Using the coins to secure spots in the Kraken Classic evolved from that. Donnie mentions the new concept at the start of Episode 27, then explains it in greater detail to start Episode 29.

Wrestling tends to be all about recycling ideas — whether that means capitalizing on a hot trend or digging into something from a past era that has fallen out of favor and can seem like an innovation today. However, this is a very creative concept I do not recall seeing yet. It’s an idea I could see a major company stealing and using, and I mean that as a compliment to the creative team at Kraken.

This is also the first Kraken event at a venue the promotion still uses, a senior center in Tifton, Georgia. The entire vibe reminded me of some of those early CHIKARA shows from small public spaces in Pennsylvania. I’m not saying it means Kraken should put on a Cibernetico match, but I’m not not saying that, either.

Let’s dig into these four episodes.

Episode 27

A full menu of tag wrestling on this episode. After heavily teasing dissension between themselves at the last taping, Lamar Diggs and Jay 2 Strong of The Business face Jayy Wells and Gabe Norton in a fun little sprint. I don’t think Wells or Norton have won a match yet in Kraken but they bust out some nifty combo offense and I certainly didn’t have “Norton hitting an ushigaroshi” on my bingo card. Diggs and Jay throw in some small beats to keep their disagreement simmering; I especially liked Diggs chopping Jay across the chest to tag into the match.

The main event on this episode pits Noir against the Saturday Night Temptations. Thus far, I prefer Ehren Black as a singles act. This match rated as skippable for me but give Black, the other half of Noir Mr. Wright, and one of the Temptations, CJ Shine, props for thinking on their feet to keep the match moving and everyone safe when Karl Hager has a medical issue that basically takes him out of the contest.

This taping includes multiple installments of the Diamond Den interview series, hosted by Kraken commentator Diamond Duke. However, the one here featuring “The Sweeper” Jak Myles should have been left on the metaphorical cutting room floor. Duke just tosses out a bunch of bad jokes about trash, garbage, and janitors, and Jak doesn’t really seem to know how to respond. Jak has been getting built as a “man of the people” type of fan favorite but this segment did nothing to help him.

Episode 28

The Cash In, Cash Out Scramble returns. Myles gets his second straight win in the match but, this time, The Business doesn’t show up to attack him for the envelope of money. Myles wins with an STO, which I actually think looks better than his Russian legsweep. Kassius King, Don Haylo, Travis Ray, and ERC round out the field and everyone gets at least one moment to shine even in a short match. King not to be confused with Cassius King, who has a similar look to Kassius. Did I mention they also both wear white gear? Forget what I said about not being confused…

The main event on this episode is one of the better matches yet in Kraken, a rematch between Hold My Beer Hanson (now being billed as “Sam Hanson”) and Brother Azriel from the previous taping. Both wrestlers do a good job building off of what they did in the first match, and doing so without repeating many moves and spots from that initial meeting. The context of the first match adds to the quality of the second, and this incredibly hard-hitting rematch actually stands out as one of my favorite Kraken matches yet — as you’ll see in the lower section. Little touches helped elevate this one. I loved the facial reaction from Azriel when Hanson’s arm failed to drop the third time on a submission hold, and Hanson’s struggle to roll over Azriel for a pin attempt later in the match. I also caught for the first time that Azriel’s jumping piledriver — one of the more established finishers in Kraken — is called The Woodgrain. I can dig it.

Before Hanson’s match, he and Huck are backstage and bump into Kevin Kantrell. Words are exchanged and Huck and Kantrell agree to a match. This is the third or fourth time Huckaby has ended up in a match after bumping into someone in the back. I would suggest Kraken wrestlers just avoid hallways and doorways with Huck altogether at this point.

Episode 29

The centerpiece of this episode is the Kraken return (in some snazzy gold gear, no less) of Trever Aeon, who was suspended from the prior taping by Harris. Aeon faces the debuting Chad Skywalker. At first I found it distracting that Skywalker wrestled in a vest but after seeing some of those leaping stomps to the face, I think he can wear whatever he wants. Skywalker’s use of misdirection and hitting seemingly standard moves from unique angles helped him stand out here. The match goes to the time limit, but Donnie gives them a few more minutes. Diamond Duke is really lobbying Donnie to make that move; as mentioned in an earlier review, I like moments where, even with face/heel commentators, something happens to provoke a genuine human reaction. Once Donnie restarts the match, things heat up quickly. Skywalker looks like he went to the astral plane after eating a nasty-looking snap back suplex. He responds with a nice combo punctuated by an elbow drop out of a springboard moonsault from the second rope. Aeon wins with a second or two remaining in a finish that is executed very well. The only thing I didn’t like about this match was Skywalker using the cross face during the overtime; at this point that hold should be the sole property of Kantrell.

Elsewhere in this one… Donnie Harris explains the Pieces of 8 in greater detail to open this episode. It’s a segment of considerable length and he nails it in one continuous take and is pretty smooth in the process.

There’s another Diamond Den on this episode, this time with Kantrell as the guest. This continues to establish Kantrell, his credibility, and his undefeated streak, while creating the question of what he still has to do to get a shot at the Kraken title. It makes for an effective piece of storytelling, and shows the capability of segments like this.

Charlie Kills scores another win in the opening match, besting Josh Breezzyy. I can summarize Charlie best as Kraken’s lovable murder clown. It can be tough to convey emotion during a match with your entire face covered, but Charlie does a good job of this, especially when he sells. The work here is solid but the match did not connect for me.

Episode 30

The beginning of this episode is different from anything Kraken has done to date. Things open with a seemingly silly backstage segment with Rose Gold and the Temptations, until the debuting Tsu Nami attacks Rose, a brawl that goes all the way into and around the ring. One of the Temptations screaming out “Mama no!” as the brawl leads away from them got a genuine chortle out of me. A scheduled match between them gets called off because of the attack. I liked this as something fresh for Kraken but it ran on a bit too long for me.

Sandwiched between this and the taping main is a brief segment between Diggs and 2 Strong where they agree to, well, stop disagreeing. Jay makes the segment when, after the two have a rather intense handshake, he quietly asks Diggs to please let go.

After their aforementioned hallway escalation, Kantrell takes on Huckaby in a contrast of styles and sizes that mostly sees them beat, as I wrote when making notes in the moment, the everloving piss out of one another. Kantrell is rugged and ruthless attacking the arm and hand of Huckaby. Kantrell wins by submission, but not with the Crossface. Instead, he takes a spinebuster, rolls through a pin attempt by Huckaby and hooks him in a Muta Lock. After Huck refuses an offered handshake, Kantrell speaks on the house mic in a promo that sounds like it was recorded from the bottom of a well. Poor sound quality notwithstanding, the message is there: he’s coming for the title, which really should be the goal of every wrestler on a given roster, right?

2024 Review

With this the end of Kraken’s offerings for 2024, and fully realizing we are nearly halfway through 2025, I thought it’d be worthwhile to try and identify the best matches and top performers for this still-new promotion.

Best Matches of 2024

#1, Kevin Kantrell vs. Jay 2 Strong, Episode 26

Kantrell works as a full-fledged fan favorite for the first time in Kraken in a highly entertaining, back-and-forth contest. Read my thoughts on this match here.

#2, Trever Aeon vs. Dominic Stuckey, Episode 18

Stuckey makes his Kraken debut in a very good match against the top babyface in Kraken. Read my thoughts on this match here.

#3, For 3 Minutes vs. Justin Kayse: Trey Shaw vs. Dominic Stuckey, Episode 22

Now part of The Business, Stuckey faces Shaw in another top-notch match. Unfortunately, this marked Shaw’s final Kraken appearance to date. Read my thoughts on the match here.

#4, Hold My Beer Hanson vs. Brother Azriel rematch, Episode 28

This match got covered in this installment and really jumped out as something unique and compelling.

#5, Will Huckaby vs. Lamar Diggs, Episode 14

A hoss fight that saw both men push the boundaries with some high-risk moves down the stretch. At the time it aired, it was the best match in Kraken at the time and also the longest — two hurdles that have been surpassed several times by the end of 2024. Read my thoughts on the match here.

2024 MVP: This isn’t necessarily about the best wrestler on the roster or the top draw, but about who brings the most consistent value as compared to their time on screen.

Honorable Mention: Jay 2 Strong is one of the more consistent wrestlers on the roster and one of the best if he’s slated for a big match. CJ Shine maximizes his time on camera whether that’s a main event tag match or a 20-second cameo in a backstage segment.

Fifth place: Lamar Diggs — The heavy hitter of The Business, Diggs speaks softly or hardly at all but hits like a truck. He projects an imposing figure of menace any time he is on camera, whether in a match or just looming at ringside or in the background of a segment.

Fourth place: Dominic Stuckey — I sang Stuckey’s praises when he showed up in the fall of 2024 and had he compiled a longer run in Kraken, he likely would have finished higher. He did produce two of the top Kraken matches in 2024.

Third place: Kevin Kantrell — Kraken has some intriguing long-term stories simmering and the build of Kantrell has been one of the more consistent and well-done elements of their TV show. No matter the opponent or how big the size discrepancy, Kantrell has tapped them all out. That has also allowed Kantrell to showcase his talents against a variety of different wrestlers and styles.

Runner-up: Brother Azriel — I did not expect to see Azriel finish this highly when I started looking back at Kraken in 2024 and, to be honest, I did not think much of Azriel when I first saw him in Kraken. The big man is actually an incredibly consistent presence — the wrestling equivalent of the guy in a baseball lineup who rarely strikes out and often gets on base. He’s surprisingly nimble for his frame, hits hard when he wants to, projects a generally formidable aura, and has shown great versatility along the way: a pair of hoss fights against Hanson, a very good clash of styles with Kantrell, a classic Southern style main event with 2 Strong, and playing along with the shenanigans of the Saturday Night Temptations in their debut tag. I understand Azriel finished 2024 with some health problems but does make his Kraken return at some point in 2025, so I’ll be interested to see if he can keep it up after the time away.

MVP: Trever Aeon — If Stuckey is the ace of the heels and Kantrell is the workhorse on the roster, then Aeon is the top guy among the fan favorites. Since getting robbed in the Semifinals of the Kraken Classic, Aeon has been on a mission to bring down The Business and champion Justin Kayse and the fans appear to be fully bought into the chase. His only bad match in Kraken was on the debut episode and was more an indictment of his opponent than anything. Since then, Aeon has had an assortment of good to great matches under the Kraken banner, with the match against Stuckey as the high point. His bout with Skywalker on this taping nearly cracked my top five for 2024. As booker, Huckaby closed the year by using Aeon to introduce new talent like Brandon Whatley and Skywalker — two unique and talented wrestlers. Meanwhile, Aeon keeps meeting and beating every challenge in front of him like a heroic figure should in any fictional or dramatic work. Factor in the crowd reactions and Aeon is clearly the man whose won the hearts and minds of Kraken fans.

For other entries in the Review The Kraken series, here is a master index.

Looking for something more retro? I’m also working on Mat Quest, a chronological viewing guide to the WWE archive on Peacock.

In Moore House Wrestling

Musings, reviews, and rants about the sublime art of costumed murder gymnastics that is pro wrestling

Author: John Moorehouse

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Review the Kraken: Whipping Post

Review the Kraken: Episodes 35-38

Review the Kraken: Episodes 31-34

Review the Kraken: Episodes 27-30 & 2024 Wrap

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