Around the Ring: Project M.O.N.I.X., Cora Jade, Tony D’Angelo highlight NXT
CHICAGO CREW DOMINATES AIRWAVES
By Mike Pankow and High5Tom
July 13, 2022
This week’s NXT telecast on USA Network had a distinct Chicago flavor and a surprise cameo appearance.
Project M.O.N.I.X., left, was ringside at NXT and had his phone stolen by Giovanni Vinci during Tuesday night’s NXT program. (Screencap from WWE NXT on USA Network)
Project M.O.N.I.X., one of the highlights on the Chicagoland independent wrestling since his reemergence on the scene a little over a year, was a fan sitting in the front row for the opening match of Tuesday night’s NXT program at the Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando, Fla.
During the Apollo Crews-Giovanni Vinci match, Vinci rolled outside the ring and stole M.O.N.I.X.’s phone while he was attempting to photograph the Vinci. Color commentator Wade Barrett even commented, “What’s this idiot fan doing?”
Vinci (the former Fabian Aichner) dropped the phone in the ring, distracting the referee. That allowed Xyon Quinn, who was disguised as another fan, jump the guardrail to attack Crews. Vinci took advantage of the chaos, powerbombing Crews and pinning him.
M.O.N.I.X. stood perplexed about having his phone taken from him as Vinci left ringside as the victor.
The Master of “The Ultimate Swerve” was in Orlando to take in the show and visit friends on the NXT roster.
Speaking of swerves, Plainfield native Cora Jade made big headlines on the show for the second consecutive week. This time, Jade turned on her tag team partner Roxanne Perez during Perez’s main event match against NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose of Toxic Attraction, nailing Perez with the NXT Women’s Tag Team title belt. Rose swooped in and secured the 3 count to maintain her stranglehold on the top prize.
Cora Jade, left, smirks as she peers over the defeated Roxanne Perez after the main event of NXT television Tuesday night. (Screencap from WWE NXT on USA Network)
Perez was attacked in the parking lot before the show by a mystery person or people, but Toxic Attraction did not take credit for the assault. But Jade made it clear that it was her by her actions in the main event.
It will be interesting to see how this story unfolds in the coming weeks on NXT television as Jade and Perez are the reigning NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions despite this new divide between the former friends. Jade was presumably upset that Perez was getting a 1-on-1 shot against Rose when Jade wasn’t afforded the same opportunity, having to deal with additional opponents in multi-person matches for Rose’s championship.
Jade and Perez had just unseated Toxic Attraction’s Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne as NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions last week during NXT’s “Great American Bash” special. Jade, who had been babyface for her entire NXT run that began in Jan. 2021, was primarily a dark heel as Elayna Black on the Chicago scene.
Also on the program, former POWW Entertainment Tag Team Champion Tony D’Angelo and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo defeated Edris Enofe and Malik Blade in tag team action. The D’Angelo Family has been wreaking havoc on NXT since absorbing the members of Legado Del Fantasma a few weeks ago. Joaquin Wilde (former Chicago resident DJZ) and Cruz Del Toro proved their worth to the “Family” by further inflicting damage on Enofe and Blade following the match.
D’Angelo, who arrived on the NXT roster late last summer, is an Oak Park native and was POWW Entertainment Tag Team Champion with his uncle Joey “The Pitbull” Cece.
—Mike Pankow
AEW announces site for All Out: All Elite Wrestling just loves the Chicago area, and the 3½-year-old company is set to continue its tradition of presenting All Out from the NOW Arena (formerly Sears Centre) in Hoffman Estates. The pay-per-view event returns on Sunday night, Sept. 4.
AEW returns to the Chicago area for All Out during Labor Day weekend. (Photo courtesy All Elite Wrestling)
AEW also announced that live Dynamite (TBS) and Rampage (TNT) shows will take place at NOW Arena on Wednesday, Aug. 31 and Friday, Aug. 2, respectively.
It will be interesting to see if AEW Champion and Chicago native CM Punk will be ready to return from injury. Either way, one of AEW’s hottest shows of the year will emanate from the site where the seeds of the promotion were planted during All In in 2018.
Tickets for all three shows go on sale Friday, July 15 at 10 a.m. Central on AEWtix.com.
The first All Out occurred in 2019 when Chris Jericho was crowned the first-ever AEW World Champion by defeating Hangman Adam Page in the main event. The 2020 edition took place at Daily’s Place during the height of the COVID pandemic while the event returned NOW Arena last year when Punk wrestled Darby Allin in his AEW debut and AEW Champion Kenny Omega beat Christian Cage in the main event.
Other shows have been scheduled in the area for that weekend, including Black Wrestlers Matters on Friday (Sept. 2) at Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago, Top Rope Entertainment’s “The Wrestling Showcase” at the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 3) and Warrior Wrestling’s final Stadium Series show at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights on Saturday night (Sept. 3).
—Mike Pankow
Maidens of Iron win Golden Jackets at 4th Wall: The Maidens of Iron captured the Golden Jackets in the main event of Milwaukee-based 4th Wall Wrestling in an awesome “Marman: Top Guy” card, emanating from Buenavista Banquet Hall on last Friday (July 8).
The duo of Stacy Shadows and former AEW roster member Melanie Cruise defeated the Milwaukee Stretching Crew Shooter (Shooter Marciano & Drake Daniels) to win the Golden Jackets, the 4th Wall Tag Team Championship.
The MSC did what they do best, taking it to the Maidens. In the end with Ref Joe out of position Daniels grabbed Shadows for a cane shot from Marciano, who instead walloped Daniels in the chest. Cruise came in with the big boot, leading the pinfall and the victory.
In the opener, Mr. Havens defeated Teabag Trevor Gordon with a big splash from the second rope in the opener.
Next up, we had an action-packed five-way match as “The Prince of Lucha” Juan Hernandez outlasted “Vape God” Fletch Malone, “Marvelous” Ethan Matthews, Buck Nasty, and the debuting Acrobat Adair. In a fast-paced high-flying contest that went (deep breath …) Hernandez first eliminated Adair, Matthews pinned Buck Nasty, then tapped out Malone. In a great back-and-forth battle, Hernandez hit a cutter on Ethan for the 1-2-3.
With a new attitude, Jarrod Jaxx defeated 4th Wall original Christian Rose, who also reigns as champion at Rocket Pro Wrestling in Joliet, Ill. Ref Jerry Gummo came out to a huge pop. Jax survived a whoopin’ from Rose, including taking a chop that could be heard all the way to downtown Milwaukee.
Val Malone is the new 4th Wall Wrestling Women’s Champion, defeating Rayvin Raddix at “Top Guy Marman” in Milwaukee on Friday, July 8. (File photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
In the end, Rose gets Jaxx in a Boston Crab. Rose broke the hold, then Jaxx grabs Gummo to avert the referee’s attention and low blows Rose for the pin.
In another debut, AAW and ZOWA star Hartenbower took on what many call the wiliest of veterans, Aesop Mitchell, who 4th Wallers should remember won an unlimited immunity match with Marman a few months back. And with that immunity after taking an all-out assault by Hartenbower with Ref Joe distracted, Mitchell pulled the old Eddie Guerrero acting like Hartenbower had knocked him out with a cane, earning the victory by disqualification.
In a shocking development, Val Malone turned on Rayvin Raddix and ended up winning the 4th Wall Women Championship. Raddix and Malone entered together, awaiting Raddix’s mystery opponent. In an act of betrayal, Malone cracked Raddix with a vicious Singapore cane shot and pinned her to take the championship.
In another Top Guy challenge, Marman took on the returning Connor Hopkins. Marman came dressed in full Top Gun regalia. Connor gave Marman all he could handle, but in the end, Midcard Mario (his new nickname) got the roll up with a whole bunch of tights for the tainted pin.
4th Wall Wrestling returns to Buenavista Banquets with “The Maidens of Iron” on Friday night, Aug. 5 with Silas Young, Gunner Wixx and the new Golden Jacket holders Shadows and Cruise among those advertised.
—High5Tom of the Midwest Wrestling Roundup Podcast
Ringside chatter: Among new matches announced for Freelance Wrestling’s “Cheap Pop” on Aug. 5 are GPA and Laynie challenging The Bang Bros for the Freelance Tag Team Championships and Project M.O.N.I.X. will face Dan the Dad. The main event will be new Freelance World Champion Storm Grayson squaring off with former champ Robert “Ego” Anthony (with Frank the Clown) with WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley as special guest referee. … Northland Pro Champion Cody James defeated “The Ice Pick” Vic Capri to become the new All Heel Wrestling Midwestern Champion in a winner take all match in the main event of Northland’s “And Justice For None” last Saturday (July 9) in Woodstock. … The menacing B.O.W. became the new ARW Pro Indiana State Champion by making Ivan Manson tap out for the first time in 29 years in a dog collar submission match.
Listen to Ep. 127 of Windy City Slam Podcast, with special guest Storm Grayson and previews of AAW Pro, Chicago Style Wrestling and POWW Entertainment shows: https://bit.ly/3yC0UZL.
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.
