POWW celebrates Pride Month with Effy, Mateo Valentine
DREAM MAIN EVENT TURNS INTO DREAM TAG TEAM
By Mike Pankow
June 30, 2023
For Mateo Valentine, dreams do come true.
After almost three years since he decided to pursue professional wrestling, the one-time drama student was the center of attention at POWW Entertainment’s first-ever Pride show, entitled “You Better Work” at Brauer House in West suburban Lombard on Sunday, June 4.
In what started as a main-event match between two of the best LGBTQ+ wrestlers in the United States, Valentine, sometimes called “The Fat, Fem, Asian Sensation,” and the “Gayfather” Effy ended up as a tag team after their 1-on-1 match was interrupted. After POWW Entertainment owner Jimmy Blaze granted Valentine and Effy’s request to team up, the LGBTQ+ dream team defeated the wily veterans of Acid Jaz and Stylin’ Shane Eaton to send the crowd home happy.
The idea of POWW putting on a Pride show was conceived late last year and when Valentine and Blaze had a conversation. Once the show was a go, Valentine worked hard to make the event the best it could be as a producer and an in-ring performer.
Effy controls Mateo Valentine with a headlock during their match at POWW Entertainment’s “You Better Work” Pride show at Brauer House in Lombard, Ill. on Sunday, June 4, 2023 (Photo: Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Several well-known LGBTQ+ performers were booked for the show, including Moondog Greg Murray, who is a regular in POWW along with Valentine. Longtime friend and rival of Valentine’s, Joey Mayberry, was also brought in, as well as Effy, Hayley Shadows, ring announcer Germ T. Ripper and broadcaster Val Capone. The legendary Awesome Kong also made a surprise appearance at the show.
The advertised main event of Effy against Valentine was a fun match with the two competitors blending traditional pro wrestling with some histrionics that had the fans eating up the action. Valentine hit his Widow’s Peak finisher, made famous by former Chicago resident and ex-WWE and IMPACT Wrestling star Lisa Marie Varon, and it appeared that he might have an opportunity to score the biggest win of his short career by pinning Effy.
However, Acid Jaz and Eaton came walking down the aisle with Jaz on the microphone, wanting to get in on the action. Jaz and Eaton attacked Valentine and Effy, resulting in a no-contest. Valentine and Effy begged Blaze for a tag team match, even getting down on their knees to do so.
Blaze said the tag match was a go and it spun out of control quickly as all four wrestlers brawled outside the ring for a few minutes. Once the action got back into the ring, Effy and Valentine put submission holds on their opponents and Effy got Eaton to tap out to a Figure Four leglock to get the victory for himself and Valentine.
Chicago-area wrestler Mateo Valentine gives an impassioned speech following POWW Entertainment's first-ever Pride show, "You Better Work," at Brauer House in Lombard, Ill., on Sunday, June 4, 2023.
An emotional Valentine took the mic and thanked everyone for their support and was happy to announce that POWW will host another pride show next June back at Brauer House.
“Thank you to every one of you who bought a ticket, who pubbed the show,” Valentine said. “We wouldn’t do this without you guys. To Jimmy Blaze and POWW Entertainment, thank you for giving people like me, Moondog Murray, Joey Mayberry a chance to shine.”
In a brilliant opening match, newly-crowned POWW Midwest Champion “It’s Ya Boi” Mason Percs retained the title in a four-way match over former Chicago Style Wrestling Champion Axel Rico, former Rocket Pro and current Frontline Pro Champion Quinn Whittock and up-and-coming Axel Abrayo when Percs pinned Abrayo. There was a five-way suplex spot where even referee Brian Allen got involved. It was an athletic, entertaining contest with four great competitors with a high pedigree.
Percs had won the title the night before at “Summer Xplosion” by defeating bitter rival Kzyzle in a last-man-standing match after months of feuding with each other. Percs proved he was a worthy champion by defending the belt less than 24 hours later.
Moondog Murray waves a Pride flag during his entrance before his match against Scott Spade. (Photo: Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Next up was supposed to be a POWW Entertainment Heavyweight Championship match as Scott Spade had mentioned on a previous episode of Windy City Slam Podcast that if he had defeated Hunter Paine on June 3 for the title, which he did, then he would defend against Moondog Murray at “You Better Work.”
Spade came down to the ring, new title in hand, along with Mistress Misery and told ring announcer Germ T. Ripper that he had changed his mind and that Murray was no longer getting a title shot.
Murray came down the aisle with a Pride flag and walked through the crowd and the bar, proudly waving it. Murray came in fired up, but the veteran Spade turned the tide. After what seemed to be several minutes of domination by Spade, Murray pulled a rabbit out of the hat and scored a pinfall on a rollup to raucous cheers.
Blaze came out and said that there will be no ducking Murray next time, declaring that Spade will put up the POWW Championship against Moondog at POWW’s next show on July 15 at T’Wood Bar and Grill in Wood Dale.
The glamorous “Dad Bod Demi-God” Joey Mayberry (accompanied to ring by Jillian) defeated Meathooks O’Bannon by pinfall after Mayberry used a handbag to cold-cock one-half of Irish Pub Army.
IPA had just won the POWW Tag Team Championships the night before at “Summer Xplosion,” so O’Bannon appeared to have the momentum. However, Mayberry kept the burly brawler off balance. When Jillian distracted Ref Allen, Mayberry took advantage of the situation and stole the victory.
Next up was a battle royal to crown “The Queen of POWW” with almost everybody on the show taking part in the match. Valentine outlasted the field, last eliminating Tommy Macabre, to win the match. Chux D. Lux and Trainwrecker were also part of the final four in the battle royal.
After Valentine’s victory, former IMPACT Knockouts Champion Awesome Kong came out to present Valentine with a crown and scepter. Kong was a great, unadvertised surprise to the fans in attendance, and she stuck around for meet and greets after the event concluded.
During intermission, POWW hosted a drag show with three performers and Chux D. Lux even joined in on the fun. Former POWW Tag Team Champions, The Bad Hombre Cartel crashed the party and attacked Chux, incurring Blaze’s wrath. Blaze came out and handed down a five-month suspension to Ruthless Ramon for his role in the attack. Ramon and Xavier DeFaust were enraged and had to be held back by security.
Shelly “The Bombshell” Benson hugs Hayley Shadows following their match (Photo: Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
In a women’s match, local favorite Shelly the Bombshell, known best for her work and training with CSW, defeated Hayley Shadows. Shadows did everything she could to wear down Shelly, but the upstart scored a leverage pin to take the victory.
Shadows, despondent after the loss, asked for the microphone and addressed the crowd. Shadows said that she normally “doesn’t do this,” and thanked the crowd and POWW for the opportunity to be a part of this Pride show. After standing outside the ring to listen to Shadows’ speech, Shelly went back into the ring and gave Shadows a hug, to the slight dismay of the heel Shadows.
That all led to the main event matches with Valentine and Effy. Valentine came out with his newly-won crown and scepter while Effy, who is known for his work with Game Changer Wrestling and Chicago’s Freelance Wrestling, entered to Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”
The event, which was an excellent showcase for LGBTQ+ talent and other standout local wrestlers, drew a great crowd and was a wonderful capper to an action-packed POWW Entertainment weekend at Brauer House. The sequel to “You Better Work” is scheduled for June 2, 2024.
Check out a gallery of over 300 photos from “You Better Work”: https://www.windycityslam.com/poww-entertainment-you-better-work.
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.
