Joey flipped out, Rory got his birthday beats, but Mason was left laying and Black Lavender looks ready to continue Fighting Filthy!
But one has to ask… is Lionel Knight the TRUE Premier Champion?
LUCHAPALOOZA was one hell of a party and one of the most successful shows to date from Toronto’s Demand Lucha. Internet darling Joey Ryan came out on top as the winner of the 1st Annual “Dick Punch City, Bitch” Invitational Gauntlet, to the delight of many fans.
The show rolled out 8 Man Melees, Intergender Action and more, including the stars of Philadelphia’s CHIKARA. Demand Lucha’s resident rockstar Freddie Mercurio was on hand, who had one hell of a showing as he defended the Openweight Championship in a Birthday Bash Match against the birthday boy himself… “Amazing” Rory Gulak.
It was obvious from the beginning, though, the true story of the evening would be Carter Mason and Lionel Knight. Knight came out early with his brother, Terrell, and instigated the crowd, who booed him liberally throughout the night anytime his name was mentioned. At intermission, Mason and Knight ended up brawling from the back out onto the stage area, both men chomping at the bit to begin their no disqualification main event. When the time came, the match immediately went outside and only escalated from there.
The match rules were very clear… No Disqualification, Anything Goes.
Now in the opinion of this reporter, Lionel Knight took that stipulation a little too far. A LOT too far. Not only bringing in his little brother Terrell for an assist but also using Demand Lucha mainstay Jessie Mack in his twisted plan. Mack baited in Carter Mason when she appeared as a referee at a time of need before screwing him over with equally precise timing.
This led to devastating consequences for Mason as Black Lavender attacked him again and again with the championship belt. Then referee Sean Cassidy made a sudden call, taking it upon himself to end the match; ruling it a “no contest”. A bold move considering the match was No Disqualification and Anything Goes. Don’t get me wrong. This would be no way for a man to win the title, and I agree with Cassidy’s decision, but playing devil’s advocate is what a good reporter does… and the truth of the matter is that the referee calling the match off due to excessive damage to Mason, in the modern age where MMA is so prevalent, should be called a stoppage.
That’s exactly what it is. Stopping the bout because Lionel Knight was beating his opponent so mercilessly that they could not respond. Many wrestling matches in the past have been called off this way with the win going to the aggressor. Granted, those weren’t No DQ matches and often the damage was being done by hand. But this WAS a No DQ Match… Anything Goes specifically. A Blood Feud. Logic would dictate the match can’t be stopped under the guise of a no-contest… but it can be simply stopped, and Lionel Knight would be the Lucha Premier champion.
Many might say “but this is pro wrestling”. Even more so, Lucha Libre, which is even further from the mixed martial arts of today than pro wrestling. But Demand Lucha is no average Lucha company. This is Canadian Strong Style Lucha. This is the Demand Brand and we don’t shy away from MMA. Case in point, May 23rd Fighting Filthy w/ former MMA star Tom Lawlor.
Lawlor is taking on former champion Ophidian, who has claimed he is going to tap out The Filthy One. Surely, Lawlor has aims to either knock or tap out Ophidian himself. A stoppage if it were. Certainly, both men are going to wrestle closer to the MMA style then Lucha Libre, but Ophidian may be able to switch gears to a lucha technique on a dime. The man is a master, but he has said straight out he’s planning to tap Lawler. Either way, this is going to be an outstanding encounter.
Ophidian’s longtime minion Seraphis will also be in action, taking on the debuting Eli Everfly, who’s been making a hell of a name for himself on the California Indie scene. This, along with the return of ROH pioneers Special K, is enough for anyone to get tickets to Fighting Filthy. But the truth is I’m looking forward to the championship bout. Mason will take on Knight once again and will be billed as the Premier Champion coming in, but I think this has gone much much farther than championships for the King of the North. He’ll be taking on both Knight Brothers in a Last Man Standing affair. Whether it’s at the same time, one by one gauntlet style or some other interesting stipulation, one wonders if Jesse Mack will be involved and if the true current reigning Premier Champion is up to the task after the beating he incurred at Luchapalooza.
See that beating firsthand and ALL the crazy party action from Demand Lucha’s Luchapalooza by clicking HERE or checking out Demand Lucha on IWTV. Get your tickets for Fighting Filthy by clicking HERE and let’s all get down n’ dirty in Toronto’s dingiest underground club, Lee’s Palace on May 23rd.
