7/11/2024 - Traverse City, Michigan

7/11/2024 in Traverse City, Michigan
1. LBW Offer Match: The Dollartaker & Bargain Bruiser beat Sterling Sterling & Wilbur Sterling by pinfall (Bruiser on SS) in 8:18 with a running face kick. 
2. Jeremy Squire, Crazy Boy & NEXUS beat SANGRE, Harv Norris & Rick Hull by pinfall (Crazy on Hull) in 13:33 with a springboard 450 splash. 
3. Kalidah & Roy Vezina vs. AJ Knight & Orville Newton ended in 30:00 due to time limit expiration. 

The arena buzzed with anticipation as the Sterling Brothers, accompanied by their butler Jeeves, made their luxurious entrance. Tossing fake money into the crowd as they walked down a red carpet, the opulent display was met with a mix of cheers and boos from the audience, setting the tone for the match. When it was Family Dollar’s turn to enter, Dollartaker, Bargain Bruiser, and their manager Doll Faced Gremlin emerged, their eyes wide with greed as they scrambled to collect the fake money scattered around the ring. As they were distracted, the Sterling Brothers seized the opportunity and jumped them from behind, attacking with a flurry of punches and kicks. The sudden assault caught Family Dollar off guard, giving the Sterling Brothers an early advantage as the match officially began.

Sterling Sterling distracted the referee, allowing Wilbur to hit a low blow on Bargain Bruiser. The Sterlings executed a double-team move, but Doll Faced Gremlin's distraction allowed Dollartaker to strike Wilbur with a perfectly timed enzuigiri. Dollartaker and Bargain Bruiser set up their finisher: Dollartaker’s DDT followed by Bruiser’s running big boot, the "Street Sweep," on Sterling Sterling. The referee counted to three, giving Family Dollar a shocking victory. The crowd was left in awe as the defeated Sterling Brothers pondered their loss to the gritty and resilient Family Dollar.  Poor Jeeves would suffer some additional humiliation as the Family Dollar celebrated Traverse City's status as the Cherry Capital of the World by pieing the poor butler! The Doll Faced Gremlin cackled after her direct hit and left with her men, leaving the Sterlings furious!

If you thought adding an additional member of the Punch Line to a team with SANGRE would help things... you were close.  Certainly the proficient teamwork of Norris and Hull allowed the trio to gain some much better ground than the outing with SANGRE and Hull previous, but the brother and AI combo proved to be a little too much for them.  Despite the rapid tags and team moves, Dr. Victor Turing's NEXUS seemed to track just who the most worn down member of the opponent's team was and delivered this message to the brothers.  After a wild series of switches and attacks, SANGRE got Irish whipped by the Punch Line into a double dropkick from the WAG1 boys.  NEXUS then joined them to neutralize the Punch Line, tossing Norris out of the ring and isolating Rick Hull.  A body slam from NEXUS, then a moonsault from Squire and a springboard 450 from Crazy Boy would seal the deal! Crazy Boy picked up the microphone after the match and yelled at the Punch Line, telling them they haven't forgotten what happened in their title match in January... and if there's going to be a tournament to crown new champions - they want the Punch Line in round one! Norris tried to reply while helping Hull, but SANGRE snatched the microphone out of his hand and once again belittled the duo's skills at cooperating.  Norris yelled at him to "take off" and SANGRE acted as if he was going to strike, but smiled and patted Norris on the shoulder and left! Dr. Victor Turing was excited about his creation's ability to strategize in a trios bout, but quickly hurried him away as Squire produced a beer from the concession and offered it to their AI partner. 

The action-packed tag team main event saw former opponents just eleven days earlier, Kalidah and Roy Vezina squaring off against AJ Knight and Orville Newton.  Knight and Vezina picked up where they left off in 2023, Vezina's official debut vs. AJ Knight in the cruiserweight title bout.  Knight would gain the early advantage with some technical skills, but the cunning tactics of the Punch Line's captain allowed him to turn the tides.  Kalidah tagged himself in much to the chagrin of Vezina, and went to work on his eternal rival AJ Knight.  Orville Newton seized an opportunity to get in the match and despite an initial flurry of offense, the same fate befell him.  Despite the onslaught though, Newton fought back and had the Michigan crowd chanting "ORVILLE!" repeatedly.  The crowd's energy reached a fever pitch when Newton countered Kalidah and Vezina's only attempt at a double team move and sent them careening into each other head first.  Newton dove and tagged in AJ Knight. 

Knight exacerbated their issues, shoving Vezina into Kalidah and sending the King of Iron champion to the floor.  Knight tried to secure the win with a DDT, but Vezina slipped out and nailed him with his running 12-6 elbow.  Kalidah would tag himself back in but AJ Knight brought him to the mat with the Templar Stretch! Kalidah clawed inches from the ropes and Vezina rushed in to break it up, claiming the champion needed his help after all! Knight let them bicker before attempting to shove Vezina into Kalidah again, but this time the champion ducked and turned AJ Knight inside out with a lariat! Newton broke up the subsequent pin after a spear and got AJ Knight out of the ring to make himself the legal man.  The final minutes of the match ticked away with a whirlwind of near falls, counters and reversals and big moves.  AJ stuck gold with a Knightfall DDT on Kalidah, but Vezina's flying elbow found its mark on the back of AJ's head.  Newton caught Vezina with the Level 60 Wizard and went to cover but the time limit expired!

The Traverse City crowd erupted in appreciation for the incredible display of athleticism and heart, but chanted for five more minutes.  Kalidah and Roy Vezina got into it again, prompting Vezina to shove his finger in Kalidah's face and storm off.  Kalidah looked poised to attack Knight and Newton, but left the ring without incident.  Knight raised Newton's arm and the crowd responded by chanting both fighters names!