After a year-and-a-half hiatus from live events, Pure Pro Wrestling returned to independent wrestling in grandiose fashion. The sellout crowd at the Holland VFW were treated to a breathtaking night of classic professional wrestling courtesy of the Heroes & Villains of PPW. The Holland VFW raised around three grand & PPW made its triumphant return to professional wrestling. Here are your results for the evening’s festivities.
Hannah Henderson def “The Gold Rush” Solomon Stone
“All Star” Adam Drake VS “Spaceman” Danny Astro ended in a “No Contest”
The Nomads def “All Star” Adam Drake & “Spaceman” Danny Astro
Junior Grappler Showcase: Alexis Royale def Noah Raditz
Lucha Midget Madness: Mascarita Divina def Danika Della Rouge
AIWF Continental Title Bout: “Hard to Kill” Dylan Derringer def “Nasty” Nick Xero via Disqualification | Nick Xero Retains
Junior Grappler Showcase: “Revved Up” Raleigh Townsend def “The Celtic Beast” Tank
Michigan State Tag Team Title Bout: The Warriors Way – Tenshi & Malice def Team VIP – Dylan Night & Mr. One Night Only via Disqualification | Team VIP retains
Joe “El Tejano” Ortega def Jimmy Jacobs
Tiny, But Mighty: Hannah Hendeson Gets the Job Done in Holland
Hannah Henderson returned to Pure Pro Wrestling in a big way by winning an intergender match against “The Gold Rush” Solomon Stone. Henderson is only a shade over five feet tall, however she didn’t back down against all 6’2 235lbs of Stone. It was clear going into the match that The “Gold Rush” didn’t take Henderson seriously as a competitor. He felt a woman had no place in the ring with a man. Henderson made Stone pay the hard way for the disrespect and disparaging remarks. In the end Henderson picked up a pinfall after a snap Neakbreaker that caught Stone by surprise. Henderson looks to a full Summer of PPW events to continue to climb the ranks. Catch her schedule at pureprowrestling.net.
PPW Blue Chippers Adam Drake & Danny Astro Have Fans Talking
Camp Justice, PPW’s Official Training Center is the premiere pro wrestling program in the state of Michigan. Over the past 15+ years, PPW’s passionate coaching staff has produced some of the finest independent pro wrestlers in the nation. At PPW’s return event this past June 26 in Holland, PPW trainees Adam Drake & Danny Astro got a chance to show fans a little preview of what’s to come.
It takes hard work, dedication, and drive to make it into a PPW ring at a live event. Especially in front of a crowd with as much energy as the fans in Holland. After hundreds of hours of training “The All Star” Adam Drake & “Spaceman” Danny Astro got a chance to show the PPW fans what they were made of. With the lights glaring in their eyes and the fans buzzing in their ears both Astro & Drake went all out against one another in what was shaping up to be a great match. That was until the Nomads stepped in.
Ace Evans and Road Rash of the Nomads decided that they didn’t want any spotlight on the rookies and the best way to find out if they belonged in PPW was to go through the them. Astro & Drake rose to the occasion and stepped up man-to-man against the most decorated Tag Team in PPW History. The two teams banged each other around for ten minutes until finally it looked like the rookies might have the advantage. However the sinister Nomads had a backup plan involving Road Rash’s hammer and a ref distraction. The next thing we knew Astro was kissing the carpet and Drake was out cold on the canvas.
Although Drake and Astro were taught a hard lesson by the Nomads, their efforts, attitudes, and actions didn’t go unnoticed by the fans at ringside. Fans were impressed by Drake’s grit and Astro’s charisma. And the ladies didn’t seem to mind their good looks either. You can catch Astro & Drake in action this Summer on PPW live events. For more information about our next stop visit www.pureprowrestling.net.
The Nomads Teach a Hard Lesson to the Rookies
Love them or hate them, there’s no denying that the Nomads are the most decorated tag team in PPW history. When Ace Evans and Road Rash rolled into Holland this past June 26th they had only two things in mind. Finding a fight and finding a beer. And in no particular order. It didn’t take them long to find both. The former tag team champs took exception to rookies Adam Drake & Danny Astro taking up time in the ring and they took it upon themselves to go out and interrupt their match and challenge them to a fight. The naive rookies were hungry to impress the fans and as a result took a beating from Evans and Road Rash. After picking up the win the Nomads took a seat at the bar and joined fellow bikers in attendance. You can catch PPW’s resident baddies this Summer on tour. Dates available at pureprowrestling.net
Junior Grappler Makes Holland Debut: Is Alexis Royale a Star in the Making?
The PPW Junior Grapplers program is the only pro wrestling training and competition for kids in America. Over the past few years the program has helped to guide several youth into the sport through training and performance. One of the hardest working wrestlers of the Junior Grappler group is Alexis Royale, a Lansing area teenage girl.
Alexis stands nearly 6 feet tall supported by an athlete’s frame. Alexis has all the raw elements needed to create a star. Her passion and dedication help fuel the energy she needs to handle the challenges of a rigorous training schedule. She balances school, a job, and her training because her dream is to be in the big leagues challenging for the World Women’s Championship. Alexis is gritty, eager to learn, and is tough enough to keep getting back up no matter how hard it hurts. This past June 26 in Holland, Alexis picked up a huge win over Noah Raditz, another promising young athlete working his way up the Junior Grappler ranks. After her victory fans began to take notice. With a Summer full of events coming up, time will tell how far Alexis can go. Check out dates for upcoming PPW events at pureprowrestling.net.
Junior Grappler Recap: Raditz Loses a Close One in Holland
PPW’s Junior Grappler Program is the only pro wrestling training & competition in America for kids of all ages. Noah Raditz is a man-sized teenage student in the program with aspirations of becoming a huge star in the industry. Raditz is full of raw talent just waiting to be developed. That talent was on display this past June 26 in Holland when he stepped into the ring with Alexis Royale. After a close contest Raditz lost his match, however he did show fans what he’s capable of doing. The future of pro wrestling is bright with young athletes like Noah Raditz coming up. To check out future Junior Grappler matches show up to any of our dates on our Summer Tour. Info available at pureprowrestling.net.
Mascarita Davina & Danika Della Rouge Wow Holland Crowd
PPW’s “Lucha Midget Madness’ ‘ was a special attraction at PPW’s last event at the Holland VFW on June 26th. The sellout crowd was treated to a tremendous display of genuine “Lucha Libre” courtesy of world class performers Mascarita Davina & Danika Della Rouge. Both athletes dazzled the crowd as they went back and forth exchanging holds and moves. Fans in attendance couldn’t believe their eyes as Mascarita pulled off a stunning pinfall victory over Della Rouge. PPW officials were so impressed with the match that they are planning to have them return in the future.
Jack Kelly Wins the Night
Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that Jack Kelly has an uncanny ability to attract championship wrestlers to add to his client list. Mr. Kelly claims to be pro wrestling’s only officially licensed manager and as a result of his official certifications he’s able to attract “the best of the best” in Pure Pro Wrestling. While he may be pompous in nature, he also appears to be correct. Under his guidance both Tenshi & Gidion Malice enjoyed championship tenures. And after that relationship ended, Kelly took The Destroyers to the promised land with multiple tag team title reigns. And once that relationship dried up, Kelly moved on to represent Nick Xero, a relationship that is still very much intact and is still bearing fruits as Xero grasps the AIWF Continental Championship.
Kelly led his client Nick Xero to the Holland VFW this past June 26 for PPW’s return to wrestling. It was there that Xero took on Dylan Derringer, a fearless young wrestler who damn near killed himself trying to take the title. And just when Xero looked to be in dire straights, Kelly saved the day by unveiling his newest acquisitions, Dylan Night and Mr. One Night Only. Two men who just happened to be the reigning Tag Team Champions. Two men who made three. Three men who make up Team VIP.
Later that night Kelly led his newly signed tag team champs into war against Tenshi & Malice; two Michigan legends. Although Dylan Night and Mr. One Night Only are accomplished wrestlers in their own right, the raw power of Malice was on full display which meant once again, Jack Kelly would have to save the day.
Tenshi attempted to utilize her “mysterious mist” to even out the cheating that Team VIP was guilty of. Her plan backfired and referee Chris Templeton got blasted in the face. Another ref came to the ring and counted a three in favor of Tenshi and Malice. The belts were handed over. Team VIP looked to be a short lived faction. But it was then that Kelly’s genius shined through. Kelly helped Ref Chris Templeton to his feet, got him water, cleaned his eyes, and while doing so pleaded his case and convinced Chris into ruling the match a disqualification which meant his team would keep their belts!
The brilliance of Jack Kelly is unmeasurable. Despite the fans and critics roasting him online and at live events, Kelly continues to prove himself a success in the wrestling industry by keeping a small but impressive list of clients that seem to be attracted to championship belts like a magnet to a fridge. Kelly’s actions in Holland ensured that both Nick Xero & Night & Mr. ONO left the town with their belts in their bags. What will Kelly and his clan do next? Come see for yourself live at an upcoming PPW event near you. For more information on dates visit pureprowrestling.net.
-Article Written by an “Antonyms Jack Kelly Supporter”
Junior Grappler Spotlight: Revved Up Raleigh Returns
One Child’s Journey From a Coma to the Squared Circle
The Junior Grappler Program is America’s only pro wrestling training and competition program in America. For the past 3+ years, PPW Head Coach Xavier Justice has been working with youth from all ages to help them achieve their dreams of stepping into the ring. One of the first success stories was a young man by the name of Raleigh Townsend. “Revved Up” was an average kid who started shaping up to be an above average wrestler. And then disaster struck.
Raleigh had a massive seizure caused by a rare brain illness. The illness put him in a coma for two months, caused major neurological issues, and made it so that Raleigh had to learn how to do everything most of us take for granted all over again.
Raleigh battled for nearly two years through hundreds of hours of rehab and therapy. Pro wrestling training helped speed up his recovery by giving him extra motivation and a source of joy. Raleigh’s story came full circle this past June 26 in Holland. This was the night Raleigh made his triumphant return.
Raleigh took a win over Tank, one of the most popular Junior Grapplers, and in doing so dazzled the fans in attendance. With his proud father Jon looking on and his Coach at ringside basking in the accomplishment, Raleigh stood tall with his hand held high in victory. A victory not just in a wrestling ring, but a victory in life. “Revved Up” Raleigh Townsend is proof positive that miracles do happen and by the grace of God anything is possible. You can catch Raleigh this Summer at multiple PPW events. Check out our tour dates at pureprowrestling.net.
Joe “El Tejano” Ortega Goes Out in a Blaze of Glory Against Jimmy Jacobs in Holland
After 30+ years in the business Joe “El Tejano” Ortega has finally hung up his boots. This accomplished wrestler, coach, promoter, and mentor has given his all to complete the journey that was his career. Most wrestlers retire and fade into relative obscurity, but not El Tejano. On June 26 in front of a sellout hometown Holland crowd, El Tejano laced up his boots one last time and went toe-to-toe with the man he helped break into the business…Jimmy Jacobs.
After a hard fought battle, El Tejano overcame insurmountable odds and defeated his apt pupil with a Frog Splash from the top rope. As his family and friends surrounded him in the ring, El Tejano went down in a true blaze of glory. After the match PPW Founder & Head Coach Xavier Justice thanked El Tejano for his service to the business, the community of Holland, and to the fans of PPW. As a result of his hard work, sacrifices, and dedication to the squared circle, Justice announced that Tejano would be inducted into the PPW Hall of Fame on October 23 2021 at PPW’s return to Holland VFW. Tickets are on sale now at pureprowrestling.net