The Wrestling Society Xperience - WSXtra Episode Ten, Bonus Stuff, and Conclusion
One more match and some bonus materials wraps up The Wrestling Society Xperience.
WSXtra - Episode TEN!
Good day!
Welp, here it is. The last episode of anything Wrestling Society X and the final installment of The Wrestling Society Xperience. The TV broadcast ended with an amazingly stupid and ludicrously entertaining season finale, but we have one more episode of WSXtra to go. I’ll also dig into some deleted scenes and discuss some of the extras on the DVD set before putting this series to bed.
Lacey and Fabian Kaelin welcome us to the last edition of WSXtra and throw it to highlights of the Piranha Tank Deathmatch.
We then look at Vampiro’s earlier path of rage, in which we’re made to rewatch everything from Vamp interrupting a Scorpio Sky interview to the brawl with Ricky Banderas. We then relive the awesome Exploding Cage Timebomb Deathmatch main event. In a departure from last week’s relatively streamlined webisode, this one is chock full of filler for the first ten minutes.
FOUR WAY FRENZY: That 70’s Team vs. Luke Hawx & Alkatrazz vs. D.I.F.H. vs. Trailer Park Boyz
Our FINAL WSX match is set to determine the first team entered into the non-happening WSX tag title tournament, and the time limit’s been bumped up to 15 minutes. The announcers say that it’s one fall, but it’s actually an elimination match. Continuity, guys!
That 70’s Team and D.I.F.H. get into a four-way brawl to start, resulting in Jimmy Jacobs getting double-teamed by Joey Ryan and Disco Machine. Tyler Black comes in with a sunset flip on Ryan, giving us (thankfully the last instance of) JOEY RYAN BARE ASS. He’s literally done that stupid spot in every match. Jacobs drop-toeholds Disco into Ryan’s exposed buttocks, giving us some lovely Human Centipede action.
Ryan nails Jacobs with the Super 70’s Superkick, then Black falls to more double-teaming. Ryan does the baby oil shtick again while Disco hits a twisting senton onto Black. Alkatrazz tags in and stands behind Ryan as he’s doing his bullshit, then hits him with a Big Ending when he turns around. Alktrazz covers to (mercifully) eliminate That 70’s Team. GOOD RIDDANCE.
Nate Webb soars in with a springboard cannonball, then the Trailer Park Boyz hit some really awkward double-teams on Trazz. Definitely some timing issues there from all parties. Keepin’ It Gangsta, none too happy with the Trailer Park Boyz and being left out of the match in general, run out and attack Nate and Johnny Webb!
Josh Raymond hits a tope con hilo onto K.I.G. and continues brawling with them to the back. That seems to eliminate the Boyz, leaving Black and Jacobs vs. Hawxatrazz. Alkatrazz catches a Jacobs crossbody, but Jimmy wriggles free…only to run into a Trazz lariat. After some double-teaming, AstraZeneca (the last silly name I’ll give to Alkatrazz) gets Jacobs into a quasi-Boston crab, allowing Hawx to kick him in the little Jimmies.
Hawx and Alkatrazz continue to pummel Jacobs, including a very nice Hawx dropkick for two. Jacobs attempts a sunset flip, but Trazz blocks and tries a chokeslam. This turns into a wheelbarrow bulldog from Jacobs, and it’s HOT FREAKIN’ TAG TYLER BLACK! He runs wild on Hawx, catching a hurricanrana with the deadly buckle bomb. Black then intercepts an Alkatrazz shoulderblock with a dropkick, and Jacobs tags in for a senton onto Hawx for two! Black bumps out of the ring on an atomic drop from Alkatrazz, then it’s more double-teams on Jacobs from the baddies.
Jacobs kicks out of a pin attempt as Black low-bridges Alkatrazz. Black hits an apron moonsault to take out Alkatrazz, but a Hawx powerslam to the future Vampire Princess gets a close near-fall. Jacobs catches Hawx with a front roll-up out of nowhere for three! D.I.F.H. gets the win!
In a rather funny moment, Jacob gets a running, jumping hug on Black to celebrate, but Tyler just drops him seconds later to do his own posturing. Ha!
The Take: I was ready to completely write this one off due to the shitty comedy at the beginning and the surprisingly sloppy action before the Keepin’ It Gangsta interference. However, the segment with the last two teams was fairly good formula tag action that had a bit more time to breathe than your typical WSX fare. Hawx and Alkatrazz did a fine job being bullies, and Jacobs being the Face in Peril, with Black being the Hot Tag Guy, is a money combination.
The Vibes: Strong, thanks entirely to D.I.F.H. and Hawxatrazz.
Now it’s time for a few DELETED SCENES!
Matt Classic: Computer - Being from the old school, Classic is bewildered by a laptop computer.
Matt Classic: Movies - Matthew stars in a film noir named “The Doomsday Drug Cannibals of Nazi Vampire Island”, where MYSTERY IS HIS WANTON STRUMPET.
Matt Classic & Lizzy Valentine: Security Camera - Leaked security footage captures Classic and Valentine getting amorous backstage.
This was actually shot as a potential piece of the Lizzy Valentine/Matt Sydal infidelity angle, with Colt Cabana disguising himself as Matt Classic so he and Lizzy can sneak around behind Sydal’s back. With plans to bring Cabana in as Sydal’s fraternity brother in Season 2, this would definitely be an interesting route to take.
Youth Suicide Challenges Banderas - The Suicide of Youth, as you might guess, challenges his tormenter, Ricky Banderas.
The ensuing match was meant to open Season 2, and it was going to be a WSX Championship scaffold match (though the disclaimer says it was to be non-title). Youth wants revenge for Banderas tossing him off of a very high place weeks ago.
Mickie Knuckles Attacks Nic Grimes - Knuckles, an IWA: Mid-South fixture, forearms the crap out of Nic Grimes backstage.
Per the disclaimer, Knuckles was earmarked as Arik Cannon’s unstable girlfriend who was displeased with Nic making moves on her man. They likely would have had WSX’s first women’s matches in Season 2.
Trailer Park Boyz: Pep Talk - As advertised, the Boyz talk themselves up and renew their focus. Johnny Webb prevents Nate Webb from drinking before wrestling, but a pre-match dart is fine.
The fourth disc of the DVD set has a slew of other extras, such as music videos, swimsuit footage of Lacey and Lizzy Valentine, a script gallery, and several pre-WSX matches featuring some of the talents. I won’t review the matches here as I mainly wanted to focus on the Wrestling Society X content, but for those curious, we get:
BLK OUT (Jack Evans, Ruckus, Sabian, and Eddie Kingston) vs. Team Ca$h (Chri$ Ca$h, Nate Webb, SeXXXy Eddy, and JC Bailey) from CZW Cage of Death VI.
This was the one where Jack Evans nearly dies a couple of times. It’s an incredibly fun, excessive stunt show.
(Kid) Kaos vs. Supreme in a Beds of Barbed Wire and Nails Deathmatch from XPW King of the Deathmatch, with Kris Kloss on commentary.
Mickie Knuckles vs. Rachael Putski in a Taipei Deathmatch from IWA: MS Queen of the Death Match.
Lizzy Valentine (known as Valentina) vs. Morgan, but I’m not sure from what company or what show.
Sara Del Rey (Nic Grimes) vs. Lacey vs. Daizee Haze vs. Mercedes Martinez from SHIMMER Volume 2, which I remember being pretty good.
There’s some interesting variety there, I’ll say that much.
The last bonus feature I’ll mention is “The Transformation of Fabian Kaelin” which is Fabian saying weird, angry, Raven-like stuff for nearly ten minutes. This was likely to set up a more fleshed-out heel character for Season 2. He rages against the “smart marks” who made fun of him, and it ends with him brandishing a knife and CUTTING OUT HIS OWN TONGUE. Jesus, dude.
And that, my friends, is a wrap on The Wrestling Society Xperience. Despite my complaining about some of the company’s flaws, I truly had a blast (pun intended) reliving this absolutely ridiculous take on the art form. It was big, stupid, loud, and absolutely incredible. I’d recommend watching this as long as you’re able to check your ‘wrestling brain’ at the door, but I can absolutely see this not being everyone's cup of tea.
There was some interesting stuff lined up for Season 2, with new titles (tag titles, an X-Division-style title, and a women’s championship), and some new talent. Per Kevin Kleinrock, a team of Fergal Devitt (Finn Balor) and Nigel McGuiness, managed by Prince Nana, would likely have been brought in for Season 2. We also likely would have gotten some wrestlers from the NJPW Los Angeles Dojo, BJPW guys, Pac, El Generico (Sami Zayn), and others.
Would I love to have seen a second season, given what they potentially had on deck? Sure, but probably not much more than that. The car-crash half-hour format of the first season would have gotten pretty old and tiring if it lasted much longer. Something that burned this vividly was not meant to burn for very long.
Years later, this formula was perfected with Lucha Underground, as the episodes were the customary hour in length. That allowed the matches and segments to breathe, providing more narrative depth without forsaking the over-the-top absurdity.
So I salute you, Wrestling Society X, the Red Bull-addled, Quiznos-eating, Good Charlotte-listening, pyromaniacal cousin of the wrestling landscape. May you never leave the memories of us fans who didn’t mind a little bit of combustion and electricity in their wrestling.
All I can say now is so long, and thanks for all the fish…
…and explosions.
Now that the Wrestling Society Xperience has reached its conclusion, keep your eyes peeled for my next series, RYAN NAVIGATES ‘90, where I take a deep dive into the entire world of wrestling in the year 1990. First issue should hopefully come out soon!
I’m not too familiar with WSX wrestling, but I’m more than looped into WWE and its divisions of brands. WSX seemed like it would’ve been a hit. I wonder why it didn’t take off.