Vic Capri vs. Ricky Reyes steals show at All Heel Wrestling
By Mike Pankow
May 6, 2022
Vic Capri will turn 50 years old next year, but he shows no signs of slowing down as he continues to wrestle at the top of his game.
The latest effort from the man known as “The Ice Pick” was a classic match with veteran Ricky Reyes, who has history with New Japan Pro Wrestling, Ring of Honor and Lucha Underground, during All Heel Wrestling’s third show, entitled “Spring Wreckoning” last Sunday at Paris Banquet Hall in North Chicago.
Ricky Reyes controls Vic Capri during their All Heel Wrestling Midwestern Championship match at AHW 3: Spring Wreckoning in North Chicago on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Capri, a 23-year veteran of the sport, put on a clinic with Reyes with influences rooted in Japanese strong style, technical wrestling and great ring psychology. The two warriors exchanged brutal strikes and wear-down and submission maneuvers in a co-main-event match that had the fans roaring with approval.
Reyes came close numerous times to becoming the new AHW Midwestern Champion, but “Underground Assassin” couldn’t quite keep the gritty Capri down for the count. Capri hit one of his signatures, the Sliced Bread, before hitting a STO and pinning Reyes for the 3-count and the successful title defense.
After the match, the 6-foot-4, 270-pound Cody James, who had earlier won a four-way match to become the new No. 1 contender for the Midwestern Championship, confronted Capri in the ring. Reyes, as a sign of respect, helped Capri to keep James at bay. Capri and Reyes then shook hands.
In the other main event, Percy Drews pulled off the upset of longtime Milwaukee wrestler and promoter Dysfunction to win the AHW Deathmatch Championship. The cocksure Drews took everything from Dysfunction, including being slammed on Legos, thrown through wooden doors and whipped by Kendo sticks. Drews even got some Legos as souvenirs as the veteran bruiser threw a few into his trunks.
Percy Drews crashes through a table during his deathmatch against Dysfunction. (Photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
When Dysfunction went for the kill and looked to powerbomb Drews through a door straddled across two chairs, Drews countered with a hurricanrana taking Dysfunction through the wood and gaining the pinfall.
After struggling to his feet, Drews took the mic and rechristened the Deathmatch title into the Hybrid Championship, leading to an enraged Dysfunction laying in some more damage to his not-so-victorious-looking foe.
The Sunday matinee show began with an exciting tag team affair as the Next Level Soldiers of Jax Johnson and Kota Holliday defeated Hot Rod Daddy Andy and Moondog Murray. Johnson and Holliday immediately made it clear that they were the heels, flipping off the crowd during their entrance. Holliday took it one step further as she donned a Las Vegas Outlaws jersey of “He Hate Me” from the 2001 version of the XFL.
Hot Rod Daddy Andy played the Ricky Morton role as Holliday and Johnson took turns on beating him up. Murray eventually got the hot tag and cleaned house for a bit, but NLS rallied with some dirty and double team move to subdue Moondog and score a 3-count.
James then won the four-way match which also included CJ Cole, Demented Chucky Bates and “Big Steppa” Armando Alvarez. James towered over the other three competitors in the bout, but every wrestler had an equal opportunity to score the victory. James hit a power move to finish off Bates and move on a title match against Capri at the next AHW show in July.
Next up was the match to determine the new AHW Tag Team Champions. The Foley Brothers (Ryan aka Pitstain and Mo) had to forfeit the belts due to injury and the scheduled match of The Foleys against The Haters had to be altered.
The Haters, better known in most local circles as veteran badasses Pauly Thomaselli and Hardcore Craig, defeated Caribbean Arrogance (Chuco and Jay Manny) to win the vacant AHW Tag Team Championships in a no-disqualification match. The Haters displayed their brutality and power during the thorough beatdown. Caribbean Arrogance was a last-minute replacement for The Foleys, but Chuco and Jay Manny took the punishment and nearly pulled off the victory a couple of times.
“Vape God” Fletch Malone defeated Mateo Valentine to retain the AHW Change of Fortune Championship, which entitles the bearer to cash in for any title he chooses. Malone came to the ring with his vaping device, blowing smoke as he did so. Valentine then strutted down to the ring on a ring ramp that looked perfectly like a fashion-show runway.
The two had a heated match which had a nice crescendo as both competitors threw some bombs late in the match, but Malone held onto his beloved Persephone, the name in which he calls the purple belt, by pinning Valentine while holding his trunks.
AHW management, including promoter King Torch and Commissioner Heathen, came out to the address the situation of the underhanded pin. They awarded Valentine the No. 1 contender’s spot for the AHW Championship, enraging Malone, whose reward is a match against suplex machine Alex Kane of MLW at the next AHW event.
After the intermission, “One Man Riot Squad” Gunner Wixx, a fixture in the Milwaukee area, defeated Baxter Belafonte to retain the AHW Championship in a 2-out-3 tables and doors match, in which the first wrestler to put his opponent through two tables and/or doors would be declared the winner.
AHW Champion Gunner Wixx flies onto Baxter Belafonte during their tables and doors match. (Photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Belafonte, the White Claw connoisseur, took an early 1-0 lead as he dropkicked Wixx off the ring apron and through a door that was set up on the outside of the ring. Wixx tied the score by spearing Belafone through a door that was leaning against the corner of the ring.
Belafonte went for the kill, but he missed a Swanton Bomb as Wixx rolled out of the way. Moments later, Wixx set Belafonte on a door straddled across to two chairs and executed a top-rope splash onto Belafonte through the door to win the match and retain the title. After the match, Malone appeared to be leaning toward cashing in his Change of Fortune Championship before Valentine thwarted his effort.
In the AHW Women’s Championship match, Rayvin Raddix retained the title by outlasted young Chicagoland prospect Leslie LaMuneca and Kenzi James in a 3-way elimination match. Missa Kate was originally booked as part of a four-way match, but she was not at the show.
After a three-way lockup sequence and a revolving train of waistlock attempts, LaMuneca and James looked like they were forming a bit of a union to eliminate Raddix, but James rolled up LaMuneca from behind to remove her from the match. Raddix then finished off James with a Michinoku driver for the 3-count.
Ring girl Amber Lynne came into to award Raddix to a new version of the Women’s Championship, but James stole the belt and knocked down Raddix, perhaps teasing a future 1-on-1 match for the title.
AHW looked like a company that’s growing bit by bit with a good variety of match types with pretty much every match having some sort of stakes. The blend of Chicago-area and Milwaukee-area talent is a refreshing mix as well and gives Lake County wrestling fans a regular option for independent wrestling.
AHW 4 is scheduled for Sunday, July 17 back at Paris Banquet Hall with tentative matches included Capri vs. James for the AHW Midwestern Championship, The Haters vs. The Foleys in a no-DQ match for the AHW Tag Team Championships (provided The Foleys are cleared by then) and Malone vs. Kane.
For a gallery of over 300 photos, check out our gallery: https://bit.ly/39CvTMx.
Listen to Ep. 117 of Windy City Slam Podcast with a recap of “Spring Wreckoning” and special guest Counselor Eric Schultz: https://bit.ly/3s8gE4m.
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.
