Calvin Tankman wins battle of behemoths, retains Freelance Underground title
‘HEAVYWEIGHT HUSTLE’ OUTLASTS SHANE MERCER, JOE ALONZO ON DECK
By Mike Pankow
July 8, 2022
Calvin Tankman’s battle with Shane Mercer lived up to expectations as the two powerful beasts took each other to the limit, but “Heavyweight Hustle” had just enough to retain his Freelance Underground Championship in the main event of “Blaze of Glory” last Saturday night (July 2) at Cantigny VFW in Joliet.
Shane Mercer hoists up Calvin Tankman for a vertical suplex. Tankman retained his Freelance Underground Championship in the main of “Blaze of Glory” on July 2, 2022 in Joliet. (Photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Mercer, a 5-11, 220-pound freak of a nature, unloaded the heavy artillery on the 350-pound Tankman and even lived up to his promise of “making Tankman fly” when he was a guest on Windy City Slam Podcast leading up to the show. But Mercer, who cashed his “check for the championship” which he won late last year, fell just short of dethroning Tankman, whose reign is now approaching nine months.
Mercer, who had experienced his share of success against Tankman in other promotions on the independent scene, entered the match with some war wounds from a recent deathmatch at Game Changer Wrestling with his back and arm taped up with bandages and visible lacerations all over his body.
After a brief feeling out process, the two gladiators shook hands and then things escalated. Tankman floored Mercer with head-scissors take down and followed up with a Pounce. The combatants took the action to floor after Tankman hit a suicide dive through the ropes.
Mercer demonstrated his extreme power by hitting an incredible vertical suplex that guest analyst Frank the Clown said gave him visions of “Goldberg against The Giant,” but Tankman kicked out of a pin attempt at 2. Tankman rallied after being worn down for several minutes and nailed Mercer in the face with a popup spinning back elbow.
Continuing his display of strength, Mercer hit Tankman with a Samoan Drop and later he wanted to try the Moonsault and Battery from the top rope, but Tankman shoved him off. Tankman went to dive onto Mercer, but “The Iron Demon” hit a table-top suplex on Tankman for a long 2-count.
Mercer had one last chance for victory with a rollup, but Tankman escaped, followed up with a back elbow and nailed his Tankman Driver to salt away the victory and extend his championship reign in this brutal encounter.
After Tankman and Mercer exchanged a glance of respect following the match, Joe Alonzo came out with a microphone and challenged Tankman for a shot at his Freelance Underground Championship.
“I’ve been all over the world,” said Alonzo, an Oak Lawn native. “Whether it’s AEW, NWA or WWE, I’ve been making a name from myself. Even though I’ve been blackballed from this company for the past three years, Freelance Underground creative has recognized that Joe Alonzo is money.”
Tankman accepted the match, which was set Oct. 22 back in Joliet, while listing some of his accomplishments and spewed out some salty language toward Alonzo when referring to his close friend, AEW’s Sammy Guevara.
“I’ve become one of the best unsigned talents in the f***ing world,” Tankman exclaimed. “On Oct. 22, you better make sure you’ve got your life insurance plan, your health insurance plan. After our match, get checked for CTE, because I’m f***ing you up.”
Freelance Underground Champion Storm Grayson hits the Blue Thunder Bomb on GPA. (Photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
In the opening match, Freelance Underground Independent Champion Storm Grayson continued his winning ways by winning a classic matchup with GPA in a non-title affair. Grayson’s reign as Independent Champion also is approaching nine months while GPA’s slump was extended as “The Academic Standard” has failed to win a singles match in FU since seeing his 2½-year reign as Freelance Underground Champion end at the hands of Tankman in a virtual squash at “The Final Phase” last October.
GPA, the consummate professional wrestler, tried to weaken Grayson early in the bout by working on his left arm. Despite GPA’s best efforts, Grayson was still able to hit a Falcon Arrow and a Blue Thunder Bomb, two of his signature maneuvers. GPA again regained the upper hand by hitting his Cram Session combo, but he could not get a 3-count. Grayson turned the tables and nailed GPA with his own version of the Cram Session and polished off the veteran grappler with his V-Trigger knee strike to gain the pinfall victory.
“The Voodoo King” Mojo McQueen returned to Freelance Underground for the first time since Oct. 2019 and emerged victorious over up-and-coming Alfonso Gonzalez. McQueen came out with his voodoo doll in a haze of purple smoke and did his best to intimidate the Master of Team Alfonzo Dojo. Alfonzo attempted to finish off McQueen with his Karate Kid-inspired crane kick, but McQueen caught him and nailed him with Hurricane Katrina to get the pin.
Despite the loss, Alonzo keeps turning heads in Freelance and Freelance Underground with competitive matches against several high-profile local stars.
In the first women’s match of the evening, 17-year-old phenom Billie Starkz used the Tombstone piledriver to fend off “The Queenpin” Katalina Perez, who was making her debut in Freelance Underground. Starkz got the early upper hand by giving her big boot to knock her off the apron and then hit a suicide dive through the ropes to push Perez into the ringside barricade. Perez was able to turn things around and took control for a while and scored a nearfall after a Russian leg sweep. Perez used a series of knee lifts and a neckbreaker to gain another nearfall.
Starkz turned the tide with a big clothesline that floored Perez and drove her down to the mat with Gory Bomb. Then he she executed a nasty Swanton Bomb on Perez on the ring apron, but she couldn’t get a pin. Perez had one last burst of energy, hitting a rolling elbow, but when she attempted more offense, Starkz countered and executed the Tombstone to score the pin.
The Brothers of Funstruction retained their Freelance Underground Tag Team Championship in a scintillating three-way match as Yabo and Ruffo staved off Pick n’ Pop (Darius Latrell & Koda Hernandez) and the team of Mason Conrad and Joey Marx. Frank the Clown came out alongside his charges and said it didn’t matter if the Brothers had to go through two teams.
“One Man Dynasty” Darius Latrell hits a 360 lariat on Ruffo in the corner. However, Ruffo and his partner, Yabo, would have the last laugh as the Brothers of Funstruction retained their Freelance Underground Tag Team Championships in a three-way match. (Photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Pick n’ Pop looked it had momentum early when Latrell took it to Ruffo with power moves, a corner splash and a 360 lariat, but Marx blind-tagged in to turn the tide. Yabo was tagged in and regained the advantage for the BOF by smacking Marx with a rubber chicken while Frank the Clown distracted referee Derek Martha.
Hernandez was able to get a tag from Marx, but after popping Yabo’s balloon with a shank, Yabo squired Hernandez in the face with a water from his trick flower and the BOF took over again. Hernandez was finally able to tag in Latrell, and “One Man Dynasty” started clearing house of all four of his opponents. He hit the “Sky High” spinebuster and delivered a Ballin’ Elbow to Ruffo, but Yabo made the save.
The finish came after the Brothers of Funstruction used a bullrope to tie Latrell and Hernandez to the ring ropes on the outside. The clowns then used a double-team to isolate Marx and Yabo delivered a double stomp to Marx from the top rope to get the 3-count.
Project M.O.N.I.X. continued his strong run of success in Freelance Underground since his return to the ring a year ago by defeating one-half of the Bang Bros, Davey Bang, in the first match after intermission.
M.O.N.I.X. came to the ring with FU principal owner James Russo, making M.O.N.I.X. even more dangerous with the added elements of power and influence in his corner. Russo said M.O.N.I.X. is “the uncrowned Freelance Underground Champion,” and added that regardless of who won between Tankman and Mercer, M.O.N.I.X. is the No. 1 contender. Bang encouraged the crowd after they started chanting “Davey’s going to Bang you” toward M.O.N.I.X.
The wrestling cyborg was knocked off balance early on by Bang’s quickness and aggression, but a double shot by M.O.N.I.X. to the throat changed the momentum. M.O.N.I.X. established control for several minutes, but he could not finish off Bang. Out of frustration, M.O.N.I.X. pushed referee Allison Leigh, who took exception and shoved him right back and knocked him over.
Bang recovered from his early beating to hit a Spanish Fly and some rapid-fire strikes. He hit a flying lariat on M.O.N.I.X. but only could score a 2-count. After another nearfall, Bang went for a submission when he locked an ankle lock on M.O.N.I.X., but M.O.N.I.X. nudged the referee into Bang to break the hold. Bang hit a 450 splash, but M.O.N.I.X. kicked out just before 3.
Bang still appeared to be on the verge of stealing a victory with another 450, but he was distracted just enough by Russo from the outside, giving M.O.N.I.X. time to recover and crush Bang with a Project Plunge to get the win.
After the match, M.O.N.I.X. clamped in the Nagata Lock on Bang until M.O.N.I.X.’s former buddy, Chico Suave, dashed out from behind the curtain to make the save. Suave then took the microphone and challenged M.O.N.I.X. to a match at FU’s next show at Thornton Distilling Co. in Thornton on Aug. 13. Russo and M.O.N.I.X. accepted and then M.O.N.I.X. desecrated the name of the late Discovery, who helped train Suave.
In a high-energy triple-threat match, Alonzo prepped his upcoming title match against Tankman by defeating Joliet native Gunner Brave and birthday boy August Matthews. It was Alonzo’s first appearance in FU since Oct. 2019 when he challenged M.O.N.I.X. for the Independent Championship.
Gunner Brave, from left, August Matthews and Joe Alonzo, all products of Chicago’s Southwest suburbs, face off in a three-way match that Alonzo won. (Photo by MIke Pankow/Windy City Slam)
The match started out with several lightning-quick pinfall attempts. August Matthews flew over the top rope with a tope to take out Alonzo, then not to be outdone, Brave hit a backflip dive that took out both Alonzo and Matthews.
Brave, who is also the Rocket Pro Outer Limits Champion, went for a Boston Crab on Alonzo. Before Brave could get a submission, Matthews slid in and put Brave in a crossface. Alonzo somehow did escape. With Alonzo temporarily out of commission, Brave hit a standing Spanish Fly on Matthews but only got a nearfall.
Matthews hit a Blockbuster on Brave, but Alonzo returned to the ring and hit a Skull Crushing Finale to take out Brave. Alonzo, the current Berwyn Championship Wrestling Champion, then hit a Cross Rhodes on Matthews and pinned him with his feet on the ropes for leverage.
Next up, Laynie kept up her winning ways since adopting a new attitude and mind-set with a victory over Las Vegas native Sandra Moone, who was making her debut in the Chicagoland area. Moone came out with a positive, bubbly personality, kind of reminiscent of how Laynie used to act.
“The Wild Unicorn,” the former FU Independent Champion, refused a gesture of sportsmanship at the start of the bout, slapping away Moone’s hand. Moone surprised Laynie with a quick crucifix rollup, but she only got a 1-count. She kept on the attack with a crossbody into Laynie in the corner and a stiff forearm to the back of the head before getting a nearfall. Laynie countered with an eye rake to regain control and went on the offensive.
Laynie wore down Moone with the STF and it took about a half-minute for the trainee of D-Lo Brown to reach the ropes for a break. “The Wild Unicorn” then got aggressive with three shoulder blocks into Moone in the corner, choked Moone with her knee and followed with three suplexes (ala Eddie Guerrero). Laynie then hit double knees on Moone, but she only managed to get a 2-count.
Moone rallied with some offensive of her own, including a back suplex, but Laynie kicked out of a couple of pin attempts. A backslide attempt by Moone also netted just a 2-count. She then hit Moone’s Landing (a gut-wrench powerbomb), but again Laynie kicked out. Laynie pulled out the victory with a rollup, leading to the main event.
In a pre-show match, Ezio Orlandi powered his way to a victory over Sean Galway.
Freelance Underground once again produced an action-packed show from start to finish and is starting to gain traction in Joliet, one of Underground’s original stomping grounds.
For a gallery of nearly 300 photos from this event, click here: https://bit.ly/3AIRTRD.
Listen to Ep. 126 of Windy City Slam Podcast, with recaps from Freelance, Freelance Underground and WWE Money In The Bank, plus special guest Chazz Moretti talks about the Midwest Wrestling Reunion: https://bit.ly/3OJxXSG.
Storm Grayson joins Windy City Slam Podcast for Ep. 127. Episode drops on Tuesday, July 12 wherever you get your podcasts and at windycityslam.com
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.
