F1rst Wrestling (Minneapolis, Minn. at First Avenue)
Report by David Salchow and ProWrestling.net
If you’re not familiar with 1st Ave, it was made famous in the Prince movie “Purple Rain” and is a very unique venue for a wrestling show. The stage serves as the backstage area and locker room with the ring set up about 20 feet in front of the stage in the middle of the floor section. A rampway connects the two. The drinks flow liberally with bars and servers everywhere.
The balcony wraps three quarters of the way around the main floor offering plenty of unique views. Because 1st Ave is primarily a music club, the sound system is first rate. The announced attendance was about 400, but that seemed rounded up. On the downside, there’s seating for maybe 150 fans tops, so most fans stand behind the seating areas.
1. The North Star Express beat Kentucky Buffet. The North Star Express are Darin Corbin and Ryan Cruz. The NSE have good local appeal as they wear vintage Minnesota North Stars jerseys. The NSE were victorious.
“Six Percent Body Fat” Rob James then cut a promo. It was his birthday and he gave himself the night off. He received a dildo wrapped in a gift box. The gist of the promo was that all the fans in attendance were fat and ugly. I couldn’t disagree with him.
2. Davey Vegas over Gary James. Vegas won with a version of the muscle buster onto the top turnbuckle.
3. Matt Fricket beat Arya Daivari, Johnny Gargano, and ‘The Anarchist’ Arik Cannon in a freestyle match. It was a fatal four-way using luchadore tag rules. This match featured the best workers of the night. Matt Fricket won with a perfect shooting star press off the top onto Daivari who had just received a Canadian Destroyer from Gargano. Afterward, Cannon put over Fricket as a rising young star with very little time in the business.
4. Submission Squad beat Udo and Venom. Submission Squad pinned Udo after significant ref distraction and double team.
Horace the Psychopath came out for a promo calling for the blood of Rob James. Pete Huge interrupted followed by Rob James for the double team and beat down. Arik Cannon made the save and booked an “Ararchy Rules” tag team main event for this evening.
Intermission
5. “Old School All Star” Mason Conrad over “The Unpredictable” Calypso with a pin assisted by feet on the ropes. Calypso has a gimmick similar to Delirious with bizarre make-up, gibberish screaming throughout, and random shit taped to himself.
6. Midwest Ground and Air beat The Misfits. The Misfits have a Highlanders gimmick and were defeated by the babyface team with a swinging neckbreaker followed by a 450 splash.
7. Arik Cannon and Horace the Psychopath defeated “Six Percent Body Fat” Rob James and Pete Huge. The main event was a wild brawl all over the building. The juice was flowing and chairs, trash cans and tables were destroyed. Cannon and James fought into and around the balcony. (Rob James saw my camera and started talking into it. I think he briefly thought I was with the promotion!) The finish came after Horace put James through a table in the corner and an Arik Cannon inverted Death Valley Driver, sending everyone home happy.
All and all, a good night of wrestling.
