Some bands are musicians’ musicians, but when it comes to wrestling Beyond Wrestling is a wrestler’s wrestling promotion. Based in Bridgewater, Mass., Beyond regularly records its events without an audience, aside from the wrestlers competing on that particular card. This atmosphere is often conducive to one-upmanship among the boys and although Double Trouble was filmed in front of a small group of regular fans, attempts by wrestlers to outdo one another are still the order of the day.
A joint production between Beyond Wrestling and St. Louis Anarchy Pro Wrestling, Double Trouble takes place June 16, 2012 at Turner’s Hall in Cleveland. Beyond’s already-stacked roster is only further enhanced by the Anarchy talent. The card is very much a who’s who and who-is-going-to-be of independent wrestlers from all across the country. Mainstays at promotions like Dragon Gate USA, Resistance Pro and Chikara all represent their home promotions on this show.
The night begins with an eight-man tag match involving the Hate Junkies (Stryknyn and dany only), Matthew Justice and the Pitboss taking on the team of Eric Corvis, Jonny Mangue, Chase Burnett and Zane Silver. The fans at ringside refer to the Junkies as “Team Hot Topic” due to the duo’s studded punk rock attire, but that’s by far the only comedy in the match. These eight men absolutely lay waste to one another, and there are several moves in the finishing sequence that could have easily ended in fatalities. The intensity of the match doesn’t end in the ring, either. At some point after the match, only attacked Corvis with a corkscrew backstage, which later resulted in the Hate Junkies being barred from Beyond (not to mention Corvis pressing charges against only). Footage of this attack is not included on the Double Trouble DVD, but you can see it here.
This opening match sets a brutal tone for the night, but this show is far from just a hardcore slugfest. Johnny Gargano and ACH turn in a near-half hour clinic of classic and current professional wrestling styles. Move for move and hold for hold, these two demonstrate exactly why their names seem to get bigger week by week. What sets this particular match apart from matches of similar styles is the pace. They eschew the temptation to move at breakneck speed to get in every move they know (or at least want to try). Rather, the match (while far from slow) is very deliberate and has very little wasted effort. It may not take your breath away, but it certainly holds up to multiple viewings.
Double Trouble includes most of the things that make independent wrestling great and none of the things that can make it an embarrassment. If this is your first exposure to Beyond or if you have traditionally been a fan of larger promotions, the lack of production and small crowd may take some getting used to. But the reward for getting past this difference is a very solid wrestling show.