9/30/2024 - Golden Road

For the first time since 2022, Pollo Road promoted a "GOLDEN ROAD" event to celebrate the arrival of the Fall season.  The fans inside the venue in Cleveland, Ohio were very excited, hoping to see Kalidah gain some revenge on Roy Vezina after being blinded back in July.  There was also many youngsters wearing the masks of Kalidah's new allies, Red Tiger III and Mascara de Tigre Negro who would clash with Vezina's teammates in the Punch Line - the PMLL Tag Team Champions, Harv Norris and Rick Hull.  There was also two last minute addition matches - the debuting Espectro de la Verdad vs. Ultimo Pollo IV in a lightning match and a trios tag match, to be fought under best of three falls rules between the newly formed trio of Lynx, NEXUS and Orville Newton and SANGRE and two mystery partners.  Fans had been talking on social media all day, questioning which allies SANGRE could even have.  There was some chatter about Ultimo Pollo IV, but once his match was announced - that died down and other fans noted that while the two never had an official break-up as a team, their last interaction at FOOL'S GOLD on 4/1 was not pleasant.  Some even speculated if MEZA would return to team with SANGRE, but those fans were chastised saying the theory made zero sense. 

Here’s a detailed look at the key moments from the event:

The action in Cleveland kicked off with fan favourite Ultimo Pollo IV coming out to battle newcomer Espectro de la Verdad.  Dusty Strauss pointed out that Ultimo Pollo IV is the only remaining Pollo in pro-wrestling at this time and wonders aloud if this could be affecting him, as he's been struggling to gain traction since splitting his team with SANGRE earlier this year. 

From the opening bell, Espectro controlled the match with some calculating, methodical and precise offense.  Utilizing a combination of heavy strikes and holds, Ultimo Pollo IV was kept on the ground by the newcomer.  The fans tried to rally behind Ultimo, but each time he started to quicken the pace and break out his high-flying skills - Espectro shut him down! Such was the finish, Ultimo tried to hit a quebrada but Espectro caught him and rammed him into the corner! Stuck in a tree of woe, Ultimo was battered by strikes then lifted up and put into a Gory Special and carried to the centre of the ring.  He was then facebuster'd, laying him out on the canvas and allowing Espectro to secure the dominant victory with a three.

After the match, Espectro snatched the microphone from Mason Marvelle and placed a foot upon the downed Ultimo's chest.  “No matter how much you fight, how high you soar, your failures are inevitable. The truth... always brings you down.”

The tag team champions came to fight! Even though it was non title action, the bad blood between these two tandems has been boiling for months and the cup runneth over! The fans were all about it as the action got started before the bell, as the champions tried to utilize some stalling tactics to get under the skin of their opponents... but the Ambush dove out onto them! However, the slugfest on the floor benefited the Punch Line as they battered the masked men.  Red Tiger had his head slammed into the guardrail by Norris while Hull brawled with Tigre in the crowd.  Referee Tubby Thomas was out there trying to direct traffic, even calling upon referee Gideon Dube to back him up as the two pairs split apart. 

After laying out Red Tiger III, Harv Norris left to track down his partner and Mascara de Tigre Negro.  A two on one ensued as the crowd chirped the Punch Line, including one fan riling up Hull with some lines about his mother! Red Tiger III showed off some incredible athleticism as he ran into the ring, leapt onto the top rope and dove into the crowd - taking out his partner and the Punch Line! The audience lost their minds at the height and distance he covered, even popping for it again as the Pollovision screens showed replays while the four were recovering. 

As they all got back up, they continued fighting and referee Tubby Thomas made the difficult choice to throw out the match.  The fans erupted in boos, but cheered on as the brawling continued.  Security was called out to separate the teams as neither side was interested in backing down! For all the talk of the Punch Line being cowardly, there was nothing of that sort being shown tonight!

In trios action, the newly formed unit of Lynx, AI-enhanced NEXUS and "The Brains" Orville Newton faced off against SANGRE and a pair of mystery partners.  Fans were murmuring as SANGRE took his sweet time coming to ring, proposing that he just might face all three opponents by himself! Lynx cut a promo in half Spanish, half English - essentially calling him a pussy with no friends.  SANGRE grinned, then turned and brought out Pinguino - one of the recent graduates and someone trained by Lynx! SANGRE snarled back, saying not everyone Lynx has interacted with likes him... and there's plenty of people wanting to get their hands on him! Suddenly, "Dare" Devlin Masters attacked Lynx from behind as SANGRE and Pinguino crashed the ring.  However, both referees remained out here for this match and immediately forced the action to be one on one.  Masters battered Lynx around, but forgot about the automatic tag rules and threw Lynx out of the ring.  Orville Newton came in as Masters went out to continue beating on Lynx, but got sent to his corner by referee Gideon Dube.  The fast-paced exchanges between SANGRE and Newton intensified, leaving the Brains outmatched! SANGRE drilled Newton with his running knee and pinned him to take the first fall.

NEXUS and Pinguino began the second fall, which rendered the recent graduate's biggest asset - his size - useless against the larger NEXUS.  With his inexperience and his only strength neutralized, NEXUS made short work of Pinguino - planting him with the Neural Spike, a brainbuster-style DDT to even things up at one fall apiece.

In the third fall, the fans roared in approval as Masters got caught trying to sneak attack Lynx again! The YouTube found himself getting smacked around the ring, his chest lit up a bright red from Lynx's overhand chops! SANGRE tried to intervene to save the day, but NEXUS came to confront his old rival.  Masters got a cheap shot in on Lynx and tried to reach for a tag from Pinguino, but he made his back to his corner too late (from trying to help SANGRE) and Lynx grabbed Masters and maneuvered him to the mat, slapping on Old Boy, his abdominal stretch/STF combination.  Pinguino attempted to make the save, but Newton used his own submission skills to lock him up in an abdominal stretch! Both men tapped out, but it was only Masters' that mattered!

As the tecnico team left, Devlin Masters began throwing a fit, kicking the ropes and pacing around the ring.  SANGRE returned to the ring and stared angrily at Masters and Pinguino, then... hugged Masters! Masters awkwardly accepted it, as SANGRE promised him victories would come "soon".  Masters didn't seem to want to hear it, but nodded uncomfortably anyway.  SANGRE left and Masters asked Pinguino what he was looking at and began berating him! However, the Dojo graduate stood up from himself and got in Masters' face.  The fans wanted to see him kick Masters' ass, but the two seemed to cool things down and left. 

The night's main event was highly anticipated and got a tremendous pop when Marvelle announced it was main event time! The challenger, Roy Vezina walked down the aisle with an undeterred confidence and swagger, even as the Cleveland fans yelled obscenities at him and predicted the different ways that Kalidah would devour him.  Vezina laughed off the comments and climbed into the ring.  The arena plunged into darkness and the fans somehow got louder as Lotte's voice shrilled out leading to a lone spotlight that accompanied her and her man, the PMLL Heavyweight Champion Kalidah to the ring.  Vezina paced back and forth, then decided to jump Kalidah as he climbed through the ropes!

The bell rang and Vezina pummelled Kalidah, knocking him to the mat.  Vezina stomped a mudhole into him as he made several unkind comments to Lotte, then grabbed hold of Kalidah's head and dug his fingers into his eyes! Kalidah hoisted Vezina up into a piggyback position and threw him over and down to the mat! Kalidah finished getting his entrance attire off and then charged like a force of nature, nailing a huge big boot that sent Vezina down and out to the floor! However, the fans roared in approval as Lotte cut off Vezina's exit and Kalidah grabbed him and sent him back inside the ring.  With a fury, Kalidah poured out the punishment with several strikes that knocked Vezina to the mat, then several slams when Vezina wouldn't get back up.  Referee Tubby Thomas attempted to warn Kalidah about the excessive punishment rule, but the reaction from Kalidah and Thomas' knowledge of the situation... he thought better of it!

Vezina tried to sucker Kalidah in by playing possum, but Kalidah thwarted him with a thunderous throat strike.  Vezina landed on the top rope, gasping for air as the Cleveland fans laughed at him and called for his end! Vezina reached into his trunks and pulled out an object, unseen by Kalidah and Thomas.  As Kalidah spun him around, Vezina clocked him with it! Kalidah staggered backwards and "Mr. Canada" tried to follow up but ran right into a mandible claw! Kalidah shocked the fans as he grabbed Vezina with his free hand and hoisted him up... and slammed him down! With the ring still rattling, Kalidah readjusted the mandible claw and Thomas stepped in to call the match! The bell sounded multiple times as Thomas pleaded with Kalidah to let him go, which he finally did.  Kalidah got up and stood over his fallen challenger, Lotte handed him the heavyweight title and Kalidah raised it with a single arm. 

Dusty Strauss and Brian Shelzi were both amazed, but not surprised by the level of ferocity that the champion showed.  As they closed the show on the image of Roy Vezina laying on the mat, looking up the aisle at Kalidah and Lotte - both commentators wondered how Vezina would respond to such a sound defeat.  Shelzi adding that Roy Vezina is a dangerous young man, but he's been taught an important lesson tonight.  Strauss closed out the show saying there would be a special Halloween event on 10/28, but told fans to stay tuned for more Pollo Road action before then!