Love conquers all: Laynie Luck, GPA reign at Zelo Pro’s Violent Valentines
By Mike Pankow
February 23, 2022
The First Couple of Chicago independent wrestling put its stamp on Zelo Pro during the Green brand’s “Violent Valentines” event.
Laynie Luck regained the Zelo Pro Women’s Championship by defeating rival Jordynne Grace in a no-disqualification main event brawl with the help of her fiancé and reigning Zelo Pro Champion GPA at Brauer House Live in West suburban Lombard in a matinee show on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 13).
GPA smacks Jordynne Grace in the back of the head with the championship belt as Grace was attempting to give the Muscle Buster to Laynie Luck during the main event of Zelo Pro’s “Violent Valentines” on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022 in Lombard, Ill. (Photo by Mike Pankow)
Luck and Grace’s history in Zelo goes back to the spring of 2020 when “Thick Mama Pump” ended Luck’s near two-year reign as champion. “The Too Turnt Party Unicorn” didn’t take the loss too kindly and started to show a more aggressive streak. During Zelo’s last Chicago-area show, Grace and her husband, current Ring of Honor Champion, Jonathan Gresham, defeated the dastardly duo in a mixed tag team main event at “Any Given Sunday” in Lisle.
That tag team war led to “Violent Valentines” where Luck and Grace brawled all over B-House Live. During her entrance, Luck set the tone by throwing chairs and a trash into the ring. After Grace entered the ring, the two combatants immediately attacked each other, not waiting for the formal ring introductions.
Luck and Grace even took the battle to the stage amongst the fans and Luck hit a stunner right into front of the fans. The intense physicality raged on when they returned to the ring. Grace thought she polished off the victory after a spinebuster, but Luck showed her resilience by kicking out at two.
Luck countered with a Death Valley Driver onto a chair, but Grace kicked out before three. Grace scored another nearfall after a Vader Bomb after Luck missed a flying maneuver and landed on the chair.
Grace then looked for the killshot as tried to set up Luck for a Muscle Buster, but GPA provided legal interference by running in and nailing Grace with her own championship belt. Then Luck delivered the Uni-cutter on Grace onto the belt and pinned Grace to end her over nine-month reign atop the Zelo women’s division.
Earlier in the evening, GPA retained his Zelo Pro Championship by defeating Davey Richards by nefarious means behind the referee’s back. The gritty and decorated Richards came very close to unseating the “Academic Standard.”
In the early part of his career, GPA idolized Richards from his time in Ring of Honor about a decade ago and even attended a seminar conducted by Richards, so it was bit of a dream match for GPA. After some early feeling out, Richards tried to wear down GPA with his technical prowess, meticulously working to neutralize the limbs of GPA with a variety of submission holds.
Davey Richards, left, tried to wear down GPA with submission holds, but GPA retained his Zelo Pro Championship. (Photo by Mike Pankow)
GPA even kicked out of a pin attempt following a Richards’ brainbuster. Moments later, GPA proved his cunning and intelligence as he occupied referee Andy Long’s attention for a few seconds while Luck intervened on his behalf, hitting Richards with a championship belt. Then, GPA stacked up Richards for a leverage pin.
In a primetime women’s match, “Afro Punk” Trish Adora, making her Zelo Pro debut, defeated Billie Starkz, who was a last-minute replacement for Kylie Rae, who suffered a concussion a few days before the event and was scratched from the show.
Adora, who served eight years in the US Army, got a stiff challenge from the 17-year-old Louisville native. Adora kicked out of pinfall attempts following a half-nelson suplex and a German suplex. As Starkz looked to hit a senton, but Adora countered into a choke. Starkz escaped the submission move, but Adora hit a vicious Lariat Tubman out of nowhere to score the 3-count.
Project M.O.N.I.X. looked to make an impact in his first match in over two years in Zelo Pro, where he previously had a storied rivalry with Simon Grimm/Gotch. M.O.N.I.X. faced veteran “Zombie Princess” Jimmy Jacobs in a bit of crazy brawl.
Jimmy Jacobs, left, and Project M.O.N.I.X. battle in the corner during their brawl at Zelo Pro’s “Violent Valentines.” (Photo by Mike Pankow)
M.O.N.I.X. displayed the aggression that has defined his “Final Phase” return over the past few months, including launching Jacobs into the support beam just outside the ring. M.O.N.I.X. threw everything he could at Jacobs, but he couldn’t put away the former ROH and IMPACT star.
After failing to score a pinfall on numerous occasions, M.O.N.I.X. nearly succumbed to a dragon sleeper. M.O.N.I.X. rallied to hit a double stomp, but again got a 2-count. He secured the Nagata Lock, but Jacobs was able to reach the ropes, further frustrating MONIX.
M.O.N.I.X. then grabbed a chair and Jacobs grabbed a railroad spike, which was supposedly passed down by Kevin Sullivan. M.O.N.I.X. wildly swung the chair and missed Jacobs, who turned tried to jab MONIX with the spike. Jacobs missed and the spike got stuck in the top turnbuckle pad. M.O.N.I.X. then grabbed the spike and buried it in Jacobs’ groin area, forcing referee Dan Perch to call for the disqualification, giving Jacobs the painful victory.
In the opener, two of the hottest wrestlers in the Midwest went toe-to-toe in a hard-hitting affair before Storm Grayson, currently the Freelance Underground Independent Champion, pinned Joey “Jet” Avalon, the current Chicago Style Wrestling Champion, after a knee trigger. The shovel-swinging Avalon, from Green Bay, looked to use his power to subdue to Grayson, who was performing just a few miles from his hometown of Naperville. Grayson was able to avoid taking too many blows from the burly Avalon and earned the victory.
Blair Onyx continued her rise on the Chicago scene with a submission victory over Sierra. The Milwaukee native seemed preoccupied with stomping out the arachnid-like Onyx. Sierra kept trying to use aggressive tactics, but Onyx eventually locked in the Spider Lock for the win.
Big Jon Crowley staggers backward after getting punched by WARHORSE, but Crowley rallied to win the match due to his brute power. (Photo by Mike Pankow)
Speaking of ascension, Big Jon Crowley kept up his winning ways in Zelo Pro, knocking off popular Midwest indie darling WARHORSE. The St. Louis native tried riding a bar stool equipped with a saddle to the ring for part of his entrance before resorting to his high-energy headbanging.
WARHORSE appeared close to securing the victory, but Crowley smartly countered his flying elbow, but WARHORSE was thinking two steps ahead and locked in the Sharpshooter. However, Crowley was able to induce a rope break before muscling up WARHORSE and a powerbomb and a 3-count.
In a preliminary match, Joey Marx returned from an extended absence to earn a victory over Rahim de la Suede.
Zelo Pro returns to action this weekend in Milwaukee with “Level Up” downtown at Turner Hall Ballroom for a matinee show on Sunday, Feb. 27. Luck defends her newly-won Zelo Pro Women’s title against Kylie Rae. Project M.O.N.I.X. takes on “All Heart” Blake Christian. In a “four-player battle,” Grayson takes on Marx, JJ Garrett and Ethan Everheart. Zelo Champion GPA, Swoggle, Deonna Purrazzo and Rachael Ellering are among the others advertised.
Gallery of over 150 photos from “Violent Valentines:” https://bit.ly/3seIJrl.
Check out Zelo Pro’s “Violent Valentines” on IWTV. For $10 per month, you get live and on-demand independent wrestling.
Also, catch coverage of Warrior Wrestling and Zelo Pro events from the weekend of Feb. 12-13 on Episode 106 of Windy City Slam Podcast: https://bit.ly/3LABBx4.
Catch Windy City Slam editor Mike Pankow talking local and national pro wrestling every week with Chicago-area wrestling guests on Windy City Slam Podcast, part of the Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network. Episodes drop early Tuesday morning wherever you download podcasts or at https://windycityslam.podbean.com/.
We are looking for guests to appear on future episodes of the Windy City Slam Podcast! Please contact Mike at mikepankow@windycityslam.com, message him on Facebook or DM him on Twitter.
