OVW Rise 1295 emanated from the historic Davis Arena in Louisville, Kentucky in front of a packed and ever-enthusiastic house. The June 6th episode featured multiple championship matches, including a career versus title bout and Will Austin versus Buzz Backlund! With less than a month to go until Independence Rage on June 29th, this week’s high-stakes installment of Rise gave fans a little more insight into what the show might look like and who’s looking hot as we approach.

At a Glance

        ○    Tiffany Nieves and Dream Girl Ellie (w/ Gema) Vs. Sophia Rose and Haley J

        ○    Brandon Lee Vs Kal Herro

        ○    Will Austin Challenges Buzz Backlund

        ○    Troy Austin and Prime Vs. Tusk N Chains

        ○    Carson Drake Calls Out Tony Evans

        ○    Dustin Jackson and Jake Lawless Vs. Super-Z and Mahabali Shera

        ○    Buzz Backlund Vs. Will Austin: OVW Rush Division Championship

        ○    Shane Mercer Vs. Star Rider

        ○    Gema (w/ Bad Girls Club) Vs. Leila Grey: OVW Women’s Championship Vs. Career

        ○    Tony Gunn Addresses Crixus and the masked men

Match 1: Tiffany Nieves and Dream Girl Ellie (w/ Gemma) Vs. Sophia Rose and Haley J

One-half of America’s Sweethearts formed an intriguing team with former OVW Women’s Champion Haley J to take on two-thirds of the Bad Girls Club in the opening contest of the night.

Despite not normally teaming, Hollyhood and Rose showed off their teamwork and took control of the match early on, blasting Nieves with double Pump Kicks to the face. Haley J continued the momentum, hitting a Shining Wizard before blasting Ellie off the apron.

The numbers game eventually caught up to the new duo, allowing the Bad Girls to take control.

After taking punishment from Ellie and the number one contender for Grey’s Women’s Title, Haley was able to create enough space to tag in Rose. Rose blasted out of the corner like a cannon, but again, the numbers game was just too much to handle. A devastating Spinebuster from Nieves allowed her to lock in a Texas Cloverleaf, submitting Sophia Rose for the win.

Result: Tiffany Nieves and Dream Girl Ellie (w/ Gema) DEFEAT Sophia Rose and Haley J

Match 2: Kal Herro vs. Brandon Lee

Brandon Lee made his OVW debut against the current Media Champion, Kal Herro. Although the champion gained an upper hand early, he kept glancing at the side doors, clearly distracted and worried about the presence of the Masked Men. Lee took advantage, targeting Kal’s repaired shoulder with a methodical attack.

Lee continued his punishment, showing the OVW fans that he meant business with a showcase of strength and technical ability in his first match. Finally, Kal showcased his ability to flip a match on its head in seconds, hitting a pair of Clotheslines and a Bodyslam to slow his opponent to a grinding halt. Despite a valiant effort, Kal was able to hit the Fanny Pack Knee for the win.

Result: Kal Herro DEFEATS Brandon Lee

Segment: Will Austin Challenges Buzz Backlund

After a rough couple of weeks, the Rush Division Champion Will Austin stormed the ring, serenaded by fans chanting “You tapped out!”

He angrily told Buzz to come to the ring so he can finally avenge his pair of losses. Much to the delight of the OVW faithful, Buzz emerged and obliged, under the condition that their match would be for the Rush Division title.

Match 3: Troy Austin and Prime Vs. TW3 and Donovan Cecil (Tusk N Chains)

The current OVW Tag Team Champions reminded everyone exactly why they’re the champs, gaining control of their opponents early with frequent tags in and out. After suffering a dropkick at the hands of Cecil, the Boy Toy was eager to tag in his partner. Prime had similar bad luck, experiencing the technical prowess of TW3 before he was used as a battering ram by his larger partner.

Despite landing a few shots on TW3, Austin and Prime never really got out of the gate. Once tagged back in, Cecil absolutely steamrolled the pair before finishing off Prime with one of the most impactful Uranages the Davis Arena has ever felt.

Result: TW3 and Donovan Cecil (Tusk N Chains) DEFEAT Troy Austin and Prime

Segment: Carson Drake Investigating Foley’s Attack

Drake began by apologizing to the OVW fans for his behavior before saying that he is working with Al Snow to investigate who attacked Mick Foley backstage. He reveals his top three suspects as Crixus, Jack Vaughn, and the leading suspect, Tony Evans.

He offers up an explanation: Tony Evans lost the OVW Heavyweight Championship just 10 minutes before Foley was attacked. He promises to get to the bottom of the case, despite fan chants insinuating it was Drake himself who attacked the Hardcore Legend.

Match 4: Dustin Jackson and Jake Lawless Vs. Super-Z and Mahabali Shera

After a show of sportsmanship at the start of the match, it was Shera who used his strength to gain the upper hand, getting the better of both Lawless and Jackson early on. Super-Z continued the barrage of offense, hitting Jackson with a Super Head Scissors before Jackson scrambled to tag in Lawless.

Lawless met a similar fate, as Shera tagged himself in before hitting a ring-shaking Bodyslam. The duo never let up, as Shera and Super-Z dismantled their opponents, working like a well-oiled machine before the team of Jackson and Lawless reset on the outside. Despite a few short-lived moments of offense, Jackson and Lawless only prolonged the inevitable, as Shera effortlessly tossed the two around the ring before Gorilla-Press Slamming Super-Z onto the retreating duo outside.

Just then, Beaches N Cream emerged with a pair of steel chairs, unloading on Lawless and Jackson, effectively ending the match in a Disqualification. Shera charged Beaches N Cream on the entrance ramp, forcing them to retreat.

Result: Dustin Jackson and Jake Lawless DEFEAT Super-Z and Mahabali Shera via

Disqualification

Match 5: OVW Rush Division Championship: Buzz Backlund vs Will Austin

Looking to avenge his previous two losses, the current Rush Division Champion attacked Backlund from behind during his entrance, launching him into the ring post and knocking him completely unconscious. Austin wrestled Backlund’s lifeless body back into the ring, and despite the referee trying to stall as long as he could, the match began.

Austin covered the lifeless Backlund, but he suddenly kicked out at two. After arguing with the referee about a slow count, Backlund was able to recover, giving Austin a taste of his own medicine by sending him into the ring post. In the blink of an eye, Backlund rolled Austin up for a shocking three count to crown a new champion.

Result: Buzz Backlund DEFEATS Will Austin to become the new OVW Rush Division Champion

Match 6: Shane Mercer Vs. Star Rider

In a match all about speed versus power, Star Rider shot out of the corner as soon as the bell rang with two back-to-back Shotgun Dropkicks, stunning the Iron Demon in the corner. After coming out on top the last time they met, Star Rider looked to bring the attack to Mercer, wasting little time out of the gate.

The flurry of offense seemed to work until Mercer caught Star Rider on the outside of the ring, swinging him into the barricade. This began Mercer’s reign of terror, as he dominated Star Rider for the next few minutes. A tornado DDT from Rider evened the odds as the competitive battle continued. Both men hit each other with the best shots they had including a thunderous Superkick from Star Rider and a cataclysmic Powerbomb from Mercer.

In the end, Star Rider attempted an Avalanche Poisoned Hurricanrana, only for Mercer to land on his feet, allowing him to recover and hit the Moonsault Battery for the win.

Result: Shane Mercer DEFEATS Star Rider

Match 7: OVW Women’s Championship Vs. Career: Gema (w/ Bad Girls Club) Vs. Leila Grey

Within the first 10 seconds of the match, it was apparent that the numbers game would play a huge role in the outcome of this high-stakes matchup as Ellie’s momentary distraction was enough for Gema to take advantage. There’s nothing bigger than putting your career or your title on the line, and the Bad Girls Club made it clear they would do everything in their power to try crowning a new champion.

Grey was able to fend off the early attack, sending Gema to the outside to regroup with her team. After a few minutes of stalling, the champion took the fight to Gema as they made their way around the ring. After recovering from an Avalanche Powerbomb, Gemma took advantage of the ever-present numbers game with a brutal kick to the face. It was all Gemma from there, as constant distractions from the Bad Girls Club allowed her to hit everything from a Superplex to a Reverse DDT on the champion.

OVW fans already knew Grey was a resilient champion, but this match cemented her legacy of toughness as she withstood brutal punishment and distraction from Gemma and the rest of the Bad Girls club for more than 15 minutes.

As Gema bounced off the rope to continue her onslaught, it was none other than Tiffany Nieves who got involved, tripping her own teammate. With cracks in the Bad Girls Club forming right in front of her eyes, the verbal altercation between Ellie and Nieves turned physical as Nieves shoved her fellow club member to the ground.

Through the chaos, Gema hit a lethal-looking slam on Grey, but it was once again Nieves who got involved, breaking up the pin. “Who’s mad at who? Who wants who to win?”, said commentator Bryan Kennison, as the situation only grew more chaotic from there. Grey turned Gema around, hitting her with a Baddie Bomb for the victory, simultaneously retaining her title and sending Gema into early retirement.

Result: Leila Grey DEFEATS Gemma (w/ Bad Girls Club) to retain the OVW Women’s

Championship and retire Gemma

Segment: Tony Gunn Addresses Crixus

A fired-up Tony Gunn invited Crixus to the ring to explain his actions over the last two weeks, claiming he turned his back on everyone he used to be friends with. From the back, Crixus responded via video, but ringside, multiple masked men appeared, surrounding the ring.

Just then, Kal Herro, Super-Z, Luke Curtis, Jack Vaughn, and Mahabali Shera all emerged to make the save, inviting the rest of the OVW roster out with them for backup. Suddenly, it was the masked men who found themselves surrounded.

The roster beat down the masked men before lining them up and removing their masks, revealing the men underneath. Just as Dalton McKenzie and Beef were revealed to be the first two men, Crixus emerged with a bloodied coach Doug Basham, allowing a momentary distraction for the masked men to escape.

Backstage, Crixus and the masked men were nowhere to be found as the rest of the roster tended to Basham.

The Wrap-Up

OVW fans were treated to an incredible mix of high-stakes in-ring action and unforeseen story advancements that kept fans on the edge of their seats for the entirety of Rise 1295. Between two championship matches, one being a career versus title match, and learning the identities of two of the masked men, this week’s episode of Rise may have been one of the most important in OVW’s recent history.

In addition to crowning a new OVW Rush Division Champion in Buzz Backlund, The Bad Girls Club continues to crumble before our very eyes as Tiffany Nieves looks to build momentum toward her championship match. With Independence Rage just a few short weeks away, this episode of Rise only crowded the picture with more talent worthy of a spot