Jordan Kross and Salem Crane win SSW Tag Team Championship
COUSINS FIGHT, THEN TEAM UP AT SHOW FEATURING AEW’S SKYE BLUE, MAX CASTER
By Mike Pankow
October 19, 2022
In what started out as a main event match between cousins Jordan Kross and Salem Crane evolved into something even bigger – and the change brought the cousins together to win some gold.
Kross and Crane won the SSW Tag Team Championship in an impromptu final match of SSW/Sports N’ Signings’ “They’re Here” on Saturday, Oct. 8 in front of a packed crowd of around 600 at the Brat Stop in Kenosha, Wis. The cousins defeated The Express, Ryan Kross and Dr. Jeff Luxon after they interrupted the match between Jordan Kross and Crane.
Dr. Jeff Luxon catches the foot of Jordan Kross during the tag-team main event at SSW’s “They’re Here on Oct. 8, 2022, in Kenosha, Wis. (Photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam Podcast)
Jordan Kross and Crane’s match was billed as a “Family Feud Main Event.” After the cousins shook hands, they match quickly turned intense with Jordan showing a level of fire rarely seen. After several minutes, “The Grand Wizard” Mad Mark and The Express came out and attacked both Jordan Kross and Crane.
Ryan Kross was offended by his son Jordan Kross being called “Kenosha’s only pro wrestler.” Jordan Kross’ manager, Billy Whack, said that the cousins could team up and face The Express with the championships on the line. Mad Mark agreed and sent his charges into battle.
Ryan Kross and Luxon took turns beating up on Jordan Kross before Jordan was able to tag in Crane, who took care of business. Jordan Kross worked his way back into the match and hit a springboard cutter on Luxon to get the pinfall victory.
Jordan Kross, Crane, Whack and Crane’s fiancée Brooke Tanner celebrated in the ring with their championship belts. Tanner had defeated Stacy Shadows earlier in the evening to become the first-ever SNS Women’s Champion.
That main event capped an action-packed show that also featured AEW stars Skye Blue and “Platinum” Max Caster as well WWE legend Fred Ottman (known as Tugboat, Typhoon, The Shockmaster and Big Steel Man over the course of his long career). Skye Blue wrestled in a mixed tag team match, Caster met fans for meet and greets and interjected himself in the mixed tag bout, and Ottman had a meet and greet as well and held court for fans long after the event ended, telling stories from his in-ring career.
A year earlier, The Express had lost the SSW Tag Team Championship to the Faces of Fear (the legendary Meng/Haku and The Barbarian), but Mad Mark somehow was able to get the titles back to SSW and The Express claimed that they were the champions.
In the opening match of “They’re Here,” Ryan Kross and Luxon retained those titles against the veteran team of Hardcore Impact (Pauly Thomaselli and Hardcore Craig). Craig took the place of “The Ice Pick” Vic Capri, who had to back out because of injuries suffered when he was powerbombed by Wardlow during AEW Dynamite a couple of months ago.
As expected, it was an intense physical battle between the two veteran teams with Luxon showing off his arsenal of old-school maneuvers, borrowing from the likes of Mr. Perfect, and Kross using his brute strength and power.
Just when it appeared that Craig had Luxon in peril, Mad Mark jumped onto the ring apron. Luxon used a foreign object behind the referee’s back to gain the pinfall on Craig.
Next up was the six-man elimination match where wily veteran Mikey Wild took home the victory in the final match of his career, outlasting TW3, Mason Conrad, Adam Grace, Trip Jordy and Dr. X.
The first several minutes featured exchanges among all six participants. There were even some high-flying spots with Jordy, a Black and Brave and Nightmare Factory trainee, hitting a moonsault on Wild and Conrad outside the ring. Grace was next to jump into the pile of humanity, then TW3 added to the wreck with a Somersault Plancha. Then in a hilarious moment, Dr. X teased doing a dive, but ended up hitting the group with a simple jumping double axe handle from the ring apron.
Grace was the first to be eliminated when TW3 caught him for a pin. After taking extensive abuse from Conrad, TW3 was finally taken out by Wild. Jordy nailed Conrad with a flying elbow drop and subsequently pinned Conrad to send the veteran to the proverbial showers, leaving Jordy, Dr. X and Wild as the final three competitors.
Brooke Tanner, right, looks to land a kick against Stacy Shadows during the SNS Women’s Championship match. (Photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Jordy thought he had Wild eliminated after hitting an Enziguri and a Canadian Destroyer, but Wild persevered and caught the young grappler in a rollup for the pin. Moments later, Wild closed out the victory by gaining a leverage pin on Dr. X.
Wild showed some emotion following the pinfall as he thanked the crowd and took a bow before leaving the ring.
The SNS Women’s Championship match was next where Tanner outfoxed the veteran Stacy Shadows of The Maidens of Iron to become the inaugural champion. Linda Kay of Great Lakes Championship Wrestling was the special referee for the bout.
Tanner had to overcome a size disadvantage against Shadows. Shadows used power moves, including a rib-rattling spear, and choked the younger competitor on the ropes. Tanner rallied back using her agility and quickness, nailing Shadows with a series of kicks to knock her off balance, then rolling her for the pin.
Kay handed Tanner the title belt and Tanner took a victory lap around the ringside area to celebrate with the fans.
In one of the main attractions of the evening, Skye Blue and Doug Simmons defeated the duo of Shelly the Bombshell and Dave Rydell in a mixed tag team match.
AEW star Max Caster belts out some freestyle. (Photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Skye Blue, the former Chicago Style Wrestling and AAW Pro Women’s Champion and current AEW competitor, teamed up her “uncle” for the first time in what was dream scenario for both Skye Blue and Simmons. Skye credits Simmons for much of what she has accomplished in her short career.
After a short burst of offense by Skye, Shelly gained control and tagged in Rydell, who called out Simmons. Skye obliged and tagged in Simmons, but Rydell didn’t like the consequences as Simmons came in a powerslammed him, then hit a Stinger Splash in the corner.
Rydell turned things around for his team with a backstabber and then drove an elbow and numerous clubbing shots to Simmons’ back. Rydell taunted Skye as he delivered more offense to Simmons.
Simmons finally switched momentum with a side Russian leg sweep before getting a tag to Skye, who briefly had control following a forearm strike. Then Rydell and Shelly took turns wearing down Skye.
Skye countered an Unprettier attempt by Shelly and worked her to the corner for a hot tag to Simmons, who decked Rydell with a clothesline and neckbreaker. Rydell wasn’t finished as he kicked out a pin attempt, but the entrance music of The Acclaimed blared out over the loudspeaker and Caster appeared on the stage.
Skye Blue attempts to escape from Shelly the Bombshell’s Unprettier during their mixed tag team match. (Photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Caster took turns berating Rydell and Shelly with some unsavory freestyle lyrics, flustering the pair enough to let Simmons and Skye get the victory. Skye nailed Rydell with a superkick, leading to Simmons landing a flapjack on Rydell as Simmons got the 3-count.
Skye and Simmons celebrated together as Simmons hilariously put on Skye’s airbrushed baseball cap and Skye grabbed Shelly’s hat and paraded around ringside.
In the semi-main event, 30-year Chicago veteran and current CSW Metra Division Champion Superstar Steve Boz knocked off Wisconsin fan favorite Kal Herro by pinfall with his feet on the ropes for leverage.
Usually beloved at his home base of CSW, The B-O-Z played the heel, jawed with fans around the ringside area and relied on underhanded tactics. Meanwhile, Herro, affectionately known as “The Fanny Pack Kid,” has been on the rise over the last few years in places such as GLCW and Ohio Valley Wrestling and recently appeared on The Wrestling Showcase pay-per-view in the Chicago area on AEW All Out weekend.
It was arguably the best in-ring work of the night with the seasoned Boz and rock-solid babyface Herro going at each other. There was old-school psychology with great storytelling. Boz pulled out some throwback maneuvers from his playbook, even hitting the Hulk Hogan combination of the big boot and leg drop on Herro.
Herro, the Milwaukee area’s irresistible force, gave Boz everything he could handle before Boz pulled out the victory with his little dirty trick.
Before the show, SSW promoter Ryan Kross presented a trophy to a Kenosha hometown military hero Noah Rosales. Rosales and his wife were honored in the ring.
The show was worth the one-year wait as SSW delivered again with a blend of veterans and young wrestlers with big-time superstars and a legend in attendance. SSW proved once again that it is a hotbed from wrestling in Southeast Wisconsin. Hopefully we won’t need to wait another whole year for SSW’s next show.
For a gallery of over 300 photos from the event: https://www.windycityslam.com/ssw-theyre-here-1082022.
New SSW Tag Team Champion Jordan Kross reflects on his and Salem Crane's victory at SSW/Sports N' Signings "They're Here" at the Brat Stop in Kenosha, Wis. on Saturday night, Oct. 8, 2022. Kross also discusses EC3 and Warrior Wrestling.
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/.
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