“Stardom” Night One Recap from The Hallkeeper’s POV.

Mazra Baxton (victorious) vs. Samantha Foxy vs. Luka Cross.

This Triple-Threat Eliminator turned out to be how I had envisioned it. Before the bell had even rung, Mazra gave a piece of her mind to everyone and anyone, including the Referee, Foxy. Not to be confused with first name Samantha, last name Foxy, who was one of her opponents, and the other being Luka Cross. I think Mazra went into this match with a chip on her shoulder, but instead of that chip being full confidence, in my opinion, it seemed to lean more towards pressure from within. Pressure that she probably placed on herself to deliver after all that she had said before the match. To her credit, she did. Samantha and Luka brought the fight to her, but after Luka was eliminated by Samantha, Mazra saw an opening and immediately took advantage of it, rolling Samantha up for the win. I would
like to see Luka come back to the Rogue Hall one day for a normal one-on-one
match against someone, because I’ve seen her work before, and I don’t think that
was the best example of it. Emotions took over for the most part, I’d say. As for Samantha, she doesn’t have anything to prove. That’s the first-ever, and former Rogue Hall Women’s World Champion. I’ve seen her come back from matches that haven’t gone her way multiple times, and I’m sure she will be back too. Good match out of all three competitors, nonetheless, and congratulations to Mazra.

★

The Curt Bombastic (victorious) Open Challenge against Temujin.

When Curt’s Open Challenge was announced, the words “more than a promo” were strategically placed in the promotion because it’s true. Curt is much more than just a singular moment in time. He has been a constant presence in this community for a very long time now, and he continues to do it purely out of his love for the game. There are a handful of people who will take the time to promote as much as he did, and still does. Everything that Curt has endured inside the ring and out, partnered with the positivity that he carries for SL Wrestling, should be what he’s known for. That being said, once you step into the ring… None of that matters. In most cases, the person standing in front of you doesn’t care about
your history. Enter, Temujin. This was only Temujin’s second appearance outside
of his home company, and that proves how unpredictable these Rogue Hall Open Challenges are. The field ranges from one side of the grid to the other, and not a single one has disappointed. This match was great. It showcased both Temujin’s unpredictability and Curt’s sick love of strong style. In the end, Curt managed to earn a close victory over Temujin after a truly hard-fought match between the two.

★

“Mad” Mike (victorious) vs. Denise Konosso vs. Richy Rich.

Whenever a wrestler steps foot into the Rogue Hall, what they do in their home company is absolutely taken into consideration. “Mad” Mike walked into this match against two current World Champions and managed to escape with the win. Although he didn’t come into this match with gold, he has been to the top of the mountain before, and that experience, along with his knack for taking anything under the ring and creating some of the deadliest contraptions we have ever seen… Led to that same win. Cinderblocks. Blood. This match had everything that you would imagine a “Mad” Mike match would have. I was a big fan of this match because it reminded me of some of the positions that I’ve been in as a wrestler. I watched as two smaller competitors tried to take down a massive block, and Denise and Richy came close many times to accomplishing this, too. Although Mike is the veteran in this one, the way that he wrestles so freely and has a singular focus of inflicting pain can sometimes backfire on him. It’s a rare occurrence, but there were a few times when his eyes were locked in on taped cinderblocks, and Denise caught him by the knees, with Richy following up from the top-rope. These are three wrestlers who have figured themselves out, and know exactly how they need to adjust to their opponents. I like the fact that after the match, Richy took to Bluesky to talk about how he was still proud of what he did at Rogue Hall, and reflected on how far he’s come. You don’t see that too often. Neither he nor Denise had any time for pouting, and were already locked in on what’s next for their respective journeys. Respect. Congratulations to “Mad” Mike.

★

James Gray (c) (victorious) vs. Nyle Nightfire in The Last Communion.

James Gray and Nyle Nightfire are, without a doubt, two of the most solid wrestlers that our industry has, who could be the main-event match in any company, and steal the show. I promise. Going into this match, I didn’t know what to expect besides the fact that blood had to be offered, something had to be broken, and they would ascend to capture the Rogue Hall Men’s World Championship. They delivered on that, and then some. There are no wasted motions whenever these two are in the ring. None. Technically sound is an understatement. This was another first-time-ever match that took place here at the Rogue Hall, and it didn’t disappoint. The bloodshed, the ladder placement that changed throughout the match as if they were both professional chess players, and the climbing that had everyone on the edge of their seats as they
looked as though they would slip on the edge of each rung… It was a masterful performance. Great work to both of them. I have a feeling that Nyle isn’t fully content at the moment, but on this night, he just wasn’t the better man. That’s all. Congratulations to James Gray on another historic bout and for retaining the Rogue Hall Men’s World Championship in The Last Communion match. Bravo.