Event report: RPW’s Ruthless Consequences

Ruthless Pro Wrestling (RPW) held its Ruthless Consequences event May 29, 2021, in Erie, Michigan, and having attended the previous three live events, I wasn’t going to skip out on another chance to catch live pro wrestling about as close as it gets to me.

While I mostly write about video games on GemuBaka, pro wrestling is just about as important to me as those games. My late grandfather got me into pro wrestling in the early 1990s, and it was the really strong connection I had with him as he would still watch it well through the Attitude Era of WWF/WWE.

Also, if you haven’t noticed, a good number of my tweets and multiple features on this site revolve around pro wrestling video games. I started my events category just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, which means I started to focus on event coverage at the worst time possible! Video game events aren’t quite here yet, and this gives me a chance to use my events category for the time being.

RPW was supposed to launch in early 2020, but it was one of the many companies affected by the pandemic. Thankfully, it was able to eventually come through with sponsors and outdoor sites to later offer its shows in a safe way.

My itch to get back into independent wrestling began with the “trickle-down” after WWE released a large number of talent at the onset of the pandemic. I used to try to follow Ohio-based organizations such as Millennium Wrestling Federation and PRIME Wrestling (formerly Pro Wrestling Ohio), but those are sadly no longer in operation.

I’m glad I got back into the scene, because I’ve been able to watch a number of matches in RPW that show how great the area’s talent pool still is.

Ruthless Consequences had the tough act of following April’s Blood, Sweat and Beers event, which was quite possibly the most entertaining live indie show I’ve seen. Ruthless Consequences didn’t quite reach that level for me, but it was still a memorable night with intense matches and wrestlers I’d love to see in action again.

In the first two RPW shows we attended in September in October, the biggest letdown was completely outside of RPW’s control – from my perspective, the crowd really lacked in energy overall. In a way, it livened up a little as the show went on, but April’s Blood, Sweat and Beers really showed how higher crowd energy improves everyone’s experience.

It seemed most of that crowd energy carried over into Ruthless Consequences as the ambiance changed in the open air. The card had nine matches, and in RPW fashion, these were split between traditional and hardcore/death-style matches. As a bonus, there were three title defenses during the event – the heavyweight title, the deathmatch title and the Big Dabsky Invitational, in which the winner of a scramble match keeps a trophy.

Sage Philips v. Alex Weir
Blood, Sweat and Beers introduced me to Sage Philips, as he joined the company of Zach Thomas and Jason Page in a three-way match. I certainly learned who Sage Philips was in that match, which was probably the highlight of the night in regard to standard rules matches for the event.

Ruthless Consequences was my first chance to see Alex Weir in action, and both wrestlers delivered on a very technical match that was low-key one of my favorites of the night. A lot of the specialty matches brought the spectacle, but Philips v. Weir was pretty much everything you can ask for in an opening match that sets the pace for the evening. Weir defeated Philips after a brutal wind-up spin kick after an impressive back-and-forth bout. I would honestly pay to see these two in a rematch.

Big Dabsky Invitational
“Hoodfoot” Mo Atlas is an incredibly agile big man that came into Blood, Sweat and Beers and scooped up the trophy formerly held by crowd-favorite Schwartzy. Defending his title brought him to Ruthless Consequences to face off against a fresh field of opponents.

When the entrance music is playing, it’s incredibly difficult to hear the ring announcing of the great Don Giorgi (who once again was wearing a killer outfit), so I missed out on a few of the wrestler’s names. But thankfully cagematch.net has a results listing that states Alex Cluckey (with Mikey Mana), Dylan Derringer, Nate Wings, Nick King and Riley Rose participated in the event’s scramble match.

Mo Atlas again delivered as the no-nonsense prize fighter as the match was filled with comedy spots and dives to the outside. This scramble wasn’t quite as crisp as the one delivered to us last month, but, it did seem multiple wrestlers had issues with the ropes as this would later be remarked by Gary Jay and in between the first few matches someone would come out to tighten the ropes at the turnbuckle (especially on one of the corners near our seats). It’s not a big hangup for me, as I’d rather the wrestlers be safe.

Once the match took off, it kept going strong and offered some entertaining chaos. In the end, Mo Atlas kept a hold of his trophy. I thought Nate Wings and Riley Rose looked strong and wouldn’t mind being able to see what they can offer in a one-on-one matchup.

Tommy Vendetta v. Jake Crist
Tommy Vendetta put up a great fight against the “Deathmatch Samurai” Akira back in October, so it was nice to see him at this event showcasing his skills against the experienced Jake Crist.

The match took a bit to get going, but this was due to Crist having some words with the ringside fans. He embraced being the full-on heel in this match, which did get the crowd heated up and begging for Vendetta to get his hands on Crist. The match started out with some grappling before Crist eventually went for the shortcuts and dirty tactics as a heel should.

This was another match that kept rolling once it got flowing, and Crist would hit big moves such as countering a top-rope dive from Vendetta into a cutter. Vendetta would eventually get the comeuppance, though, using a running slam into the turnbuckle and rolling up Crist for the pin.

Crist was a heel’s heel for the night and Vendetta got the shine from that coming up with the big win. It wasn’t fancy, but it’s just that simple formula that makes pro wrestling work.

Dread King Logan v. Zach Thomas in a street fight
I’m a big fan of both Dread King Logan and Zach Thomas, so seeing them go toe-to-toe with no limits was quite a treat. The match wasn’t billed as a deathmatch, but it still featured plenty of blood and high-impact spots.

Chairs, doors and thumbtacks got introduced throughout the course of the match, and both wrestlers got in some pretty intense offense. This was a match of really tough wrestlers hitting each other with everything they have, and a lot of it spilled outside of the ring and up close to the fans.

Dread King Logan got driven into the tops of two chairs and splashed on top of thumbtacks, but, in the end, Dread King Logan was able to hit a top-rope belly-to-belly suplex to put Zach Thomas through a door propped over thumbtacks for the pin.

This was unapologetically a street fight in every sense, and, for me, I’m always amped to see where both Dread King Logan and Zach Thomas are on the RPW cards. They’ve been two of the best heels of the night in the events I’ve been able to see.

Jason Page v. Gary Jay
Jason Page has been impressive in his run through RPW, and Gary Jay proved to be a surprise standout in the Blood, Sweat and Beers event, so I was looking forward to what would happen when these two locked up.

Gary Jay has a unique look and really feeds off the crowd, and plus he’s delivered one of the loudest chops I’ve ever heard at a live event. Jason Page may be one of the best pure wrestlers I’ve seen in this area for some time, and it’s great to see this is being acknowledged with his recent booking on AEW Dark.

Gary Jay got the crowd going with his socks that feature luchadore cats, and Jason Page got to show some of his subtle heel chops in the early moments. He began the match wearing a shirt, but, in an ensuing chop battle, the shirt was removed. This led to him later complaining he was going to be itchy after doing a dive to the outside of the ring, using the ring post to scratch his back.

The ring post also came into play as Gary Jay attempted a chop to Jason Page on the outside, but Page moved, resulting in a brutal-sounding “clang” against the post. Page then got the psychology going in the match by attacking the injured hand.

The match featured a lot of quick strikes and reversals, but Gary Jay was able to pick up a win by hitting a stiff running forearm shot during a roll through by Page.

Gary Jay ran solo at Ruthless Consequences, but he is part of the Unsigned, Don’t Care team with Aaron Williams. Both wrestlers have a very unique look and seem solid in the ring, so I’d like a chance to see more from them in the future. And Page always delivers when he shows up at RPW, so I hope he’s able to keep getting more opportunities in the spotlight moving forward.

RPW Title Match
(C) Sam Beale v. Justin Kyle
Since October, I’ve see Justin Kyle be presented in RPW as a force to be reckoned with. He had a brutal street fight last month against the titanic Paxton Calloway, and this earned Justin Kyle a shot at the RPW Title at Ruthless Consequences.

Justin Kyle is absolutely the most intense wrestler to come through RPW, and this intensity brought him the RPW Title following a quick and convincing win.

“The Natural” Sam Beale is starting to hit the national scene with his appearances on IMPACT Wrestling, but he was crowned the inaugural RPW champion during a tournament held in September. After multiple impressive title defenses, Sam Beale played up a heel persona at Ruthless Consequences, repeatedly taunting Justin Kyle into anger. This gave Sam Beale an early edge in the matchup.

However, Justin Kyle countered Sam Beale’s dive to the outside with a spear, and this led to a pin and a new champion moments later.

It was a quick match, but it was designed to pass the torch to the monstrous Justin Kyle and make him look like a huge threat to anyone who would dare challenge him. I see some very hard-hitting title matches in the future, and we’ll see what the future holds for Sam Beale in RPW moving forward.

Homerun Derby Deathmatch
Randi West v. Chuck Stein
The very first deathmatch I ever saw live featured Chuck Stein, so I’ve established him as the bar to which I measure RPW’s deathmatches. Carrying his signature barbed wire-covered baseball bat, he took on the challenge of Randi West in a Home Run Derby Deathmatch. And she was able to stand toe-to-toe with him every step of the way.

A number of themed baseball bats were used in the matchup, with some covered in thumbtacks and others with light tubes attached. Randi West also made use of a glass plate, which needed a couple of swings before it could be convinced to shatter over Chuck Stein’s head.

It was a bloody matchup for both wrestlers, but, in the end, Randi West was able to use the barb wire bat leveraged into a submission hold to come up with the victory.

Both looked great in the matchup – Chuck Stein proved yet again he’s a reliable deathmatch wrestler on the RPW cards, and Randi West has looked impressive in two straight outings.

Four Corners of Pain Death Match
Schwartzy v. Satu Jinn
Fan-favorite Schwartzy got down and dirty at Ruthless Consequences, and participated in a deathmatch this time around. His opponent was the ominous Satu Jinn, and both gave the crowd quite a spectacle, pulling out everything but the kitchen sink in a brutal match.

The match was constantly back and forth, with both wrestlers leveraging every tool at their disposal. Every time Satu Jinn would gain an edge with his strikes and power, Schwartzy would make a comeback with a quick and impactful counter move.

Just when Schwartzy thought he had the match put away, Jinn delivered a huge move that gave him the victory. Schwartzy was able to pop the crowd by lighting starter fluid covering a flat-screen television propped between two chairs. But, in his showboating, Jinn was able to surprise Schwarzty with a chokeslam onto the television.

This was probably the most “flashy” deathmatch I’ve seen at an RPW event, and it definitely got the crowd going. Schwartzy is by far the most charismatic member of the RPW roster, and I’d say he deserves a spot on any of the organization’s cards. It was great to see him branch out a little bit and put his unique spin on the deathmatches. Satu Jinn was able to hang with Schwartzy the entire way, and, if he can hang with other deathmatch wrestlers just the same, he’s a welcome addition to RPW.

RPW Death Match Title
(C) Dale Patricks v. Reed Bentley
Dale Patricks captured the RPW Death Match Title at Blood, Sweat and Beers, delivering the goods in glass match that gave fans the most intense deathmatch I’ve seen so far in RPW. The inaugural champion faced Reed Bentley at Ruthless Consequences, and these wrestlers were thankfully able to give fans a similarly violent main event.

While the previous deathmatch gave fans a little more charisma and style, this match was unapologetically violence, with both wrestlers utilizing glass panes and glass tubes to inflict their damage. The wrestlers also got creative with chairs as the match constantly spilled outside the ring and got up close and personal with the fans.

Bentley was able to hit big moves like a tiger driver off the top rope, but, in the end, Patricks delivered a pile driver through a glass pane to retain his championship.

I’d never seen Dale Patricks before Blood, Sweat and Beers, but, after two matches I’ll say there is probably no better person RPW could have as its deathmatch champion at the moment. He’s a tough as nails wrestler who keeps finding unique ways to put his opponent through glass, and the fans are responding well to his matches.

Reed Bentley was able to return the violence throughout the match, and looked impressive even in the defeat.

RPW keeps getting better with each show, and I think Ruthless Consequences is my second-favorite event in the lineup thus far. The venue and hot crowd at Blood, Sweat and Beers and being able to see a few of the wrestlers for the first time is largely what carries that experience for me. But, I mean, if Blood, Sweat and Beers was a five-star event, Ruthless Consequences easily follows as a four-star event (maybe four and a half if I did that for reviews).

I appreciated the straight-forward brutality of the street fight, and, since Dread King Logan and Zach Thomas are favorites of mine, this may be my personal match of the night. Schwartzy surprised me with how sadistic he can be compared to the previous two events, and the opener of Sage Philips versus Alex Weir is an absolute sleeper hit.
The organization now has two very intense champions that reflect the “Ruthless” in RPW, so it will be exciting to see who can measure up to Justin Kyle and Dale Patricks – especially after Justin Kyle and Paxton Calloway put on an absolute banger of a street fight at Blood, Sweat and Beers.

But, from top to bottom, Ruthless Consequences was enjoyable. We were able to bring a new person along with us, and they are now also on the RPW bandwagon. Our group found Ruthless Consequences to be a worthy follow-up to Blood, Sweat and Beers, so hopefully RPW can continue this momentum going into the summer season and the lifting of some of the COVID regulations.

You can support RPW through viewing its events in full on IWTV and purchasing its DVDs (check the Ruthless Pro Wrestling Facebook page for more information). You can also view a full RPW match for free on the organization’s YouTube page.