This Saturday Ryse returns to the Uniontown Mall after a successful trip to Baldwin just two weeks ago, and many pundits consider this June 11th event a key piece of the puzzle for the status of Ryse in the second half of 2022.
I'm scheduled to be on commentary for the event for our friends at indywrestling.us so if for some reason you can't make it there live this weekend, be sure to watch the broadcast online, which is available on a variety of platforms.
When you check out the line-up on any of Ryse's social media pages, you will see that there are several matches on the card that might steal the show, an aspect of this event that is a credit to both Ryse management and the athletes themselves. One such match is Edric Everhart vs. Chase Oliver. Edric came up short in his attempt to wrestle away the Grand Championship from PB Smooth a few months ago, but he proved he can hang in the championship conversation with the best that the promotion has to offer. As we know, Edric spent years as a tag team specialist, including a reign as the first-ever Ryse Tag Team champions with the now-retired wrestler, and my current broadcast pal, Tyler Cross. We heard chirps around the local scene for years that Edric had the potential to breakout on his own, and he's proving that notion right so far this year. Ty Cross spent a decade as a pure tag team specialist and chalked up a very accomplished in-ring career for himself. That being said, it appears that Edric has seamlessly made the transition to a career outside of the System Elite team and has the chance to even surpass their success.
We've talked in this column several times about how Ryse, particularly in 2022, looked to give fresh athletes a chance to make a name for themselves. There maybe nobody on the roster ready to do that more than Chase Oliver. Oliver, who has a tremendous amount of athleticism, is a guy that really only needs the opportunity to shine. How he flew under the radar earlier in his career is anyone's guess, but a win against Edric could move Chase further up the Ryse rankings.
Back in March, I called Cowpoke Paul's first victory the "Uniontown miracle" after he scored an upset win over Dalton Throttle, with a small assist from Brandon K. Cowpoke is talented, energetic, and entertaining. He continued to gallop around Ryse and picked up a few more wins in the process, solidifying himself as a member of the organization. That being said, if I was a betting man, I'd have to put the chips on Colby Redd this weekend. As I've said before, Colby has all the physical tools, but needed the guidance, which he receives as a member of Steele Corp. How far Colby progresses remains to be seen, but I sincerely believe that with direction from BC Steele, Redd will be able to maximize his potential, which is why I see Steele Corp racking up the wins on Saturday.
Geddy Cahoon vs. Matt Conard will be violence personified. As this story unfolded, we learned more about Carl Martin's intentions, as he planned to attempt to recruit Conard, but when that was rejected, the unstable Cahoon emerged on the scene. The shocking segment we saw in the ring a few months ago and then the confrontation last month leads me to believe that this match-up will be a battle in a war that won't be settled until one of these athletes sustains a tremendous amount of punishment. That said, you have to wonder, what will Dr. Carl have up his sleeve this weekend?
The Ryse tag team gauntlet is a wild card. Even those of us that work for the company aren't being told the full story with this one, as management is keeping the cards close to their vest. How many teams and which teams are signed for this will make for a fun and unpredictable bout. However, it does put the new champions, Primal Fear at a disadvantage. That downside is the odds are against them, but if Omen and Hodder retain the belts throughout a gauntlet scenario, they can quickly put themselves in the discussion for the most dominate tag team in Pittsburgh.
Noir cost Tony Johnson a match-up last month and while we don't know the motivation behind it yet, we will see "The Iceman" get a chance at revenge against one of the most dangerous competitors in the promotion. Noir, who spent some time of the sidelines in recent years to heal from some injuries, can be as good as anyone in Pittsburgh. The same can be said for Johnson so I'd expect a very competitive contest between this two athletes at the event.
Adrien Soriano was signed to compete against The Great Alexander, who recently took over The Great Success stable. The arrogant Alexander will have to put up or shut up. If he wants to prove how talented he is, this is he chance. Soriano and his Primal Fear stablemates have the repuation as a talented trio for a reason so this will be a true test for Alexander.
Scarlett and Laura Loveless are a very dangerous combination and the rivalry with Layna Lennox and The Honey Badger escalated quickly over the course of just a few months. I'd expect this contest to be another wild confrontation where anything can happen.
The main event is PB Smooth defending the title against Jackson Stone. As we know, a schedule conflict prevented Lee Moriarty from challenging for the championship, but that allowed Jackson Stone, winner of the Impact Wrestling Gut Check competition, to get a chance to make his name in Pittsburgh in just one night. In many ways, Stone is playing with house money because the pressure is truly on PB Smooth to be the caliber of a champion that can successfully defend against the top-tier competition. I would wager a few dollars on PB Smooth to retain, but keep in mind, the landscape of Ryse could change completely if Jackson Stone is able to capture the title, which is why you have to be in attendance this weekend.
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