EPW Wrestling 1/17/2026 Episode #225

EPW Wrestling 1/17/2026 Episode #225

Gene Jackson and Joey Gross are on commentary. They run down the card.

CJ Blaine vs CJ Thomas

Thomas does a workout/personal fitness type of gimmick. Blaine running dropkicks his opponent and clubs on him. Blaine backrolls into a headscissors on him. Blaine dropkicks him off the apron. Thomas catches his slingshot plancha then pop-up drops him on the apron. 

Thomas punches him down in the ring and chokes him while doing push-up's. Thomas hits a world's strongest slam on him then sleepers him. Thomas side headlock takeovers him. We go to break and return. Blaine headscissors him. Thomas does push up's on Blaine's back. Thomas bearhugs him. 

Thomas boots him in the gut. Blaine goes up and over then hits flying lariats. Blaine hits kicks on him then codebreakers him. Thomas hits a hard running lariat. Thomas tries to use a belt on Blaine but the ref takes it. Thomas grabs chalk or protein powder and kind of throws it at Blaine's back. Thomas torture racks him and submits him.

Thoughts: They messed up the finish a bit as Thomas threw powder at Blaine's back and not his eyes. It could have been a little cleaner. Thomas' torture rack looked good. There was a significant size difference between the two.

Madi the American Badi is interviewed. She says she was cheated out of her title and kicked out. She says this is the biggest conspiracy since covid. Maddie says EPW as a whole is in on it. She brings up Corinne Joy, who then comes out.

Cor asks why her name is in Madi's mouth. She says Madi blew her shot by cheating. Cor says she's not worried about her or the conspiracy. She says she's worried about the EPW Title. Madi tells her to watch her back and leaves.

Two of the wrestlers talk in the back. They say The Order things they run roughshot around here. Mr. Swiss, the commissioner, comes in. He says they have a tag match tonight. He says if they don't win tonight, they are blacklisted. He says they won't work for EPW and he will call every promoter so they don't get booked back up north.

Elijah Owens vs Big John Dalton

They lock up. Big side headlocks him then shoulders him over. Eli kicks him the neckbreakers him for 2. ELi misses a corner charge and takes shots in the corner. Big backdrops him for 1. Eli back elbows him then Big hits a big german. Big is pushed into the buckles. 

Eli clubs and stomps on Big. Eli chokes him on the 2nd rope. Eli spinning enzugiri's him then Big lariats him. Both go down. They trade shots on their knees then get up and trade shots. They chop each other. Big double chops him down. 

Big corner splashes him. Eli boots him out of the corner then 2nd rope crossbodies him for 2. Eli grabs a chain and the ref takes it. Eli swings a chair at him but hits the rope and it rebounds in his face. The ref sees Big with the chair and the ref DQ's Big as he thinks he chaired Eli.

Thoughts: What we got of this wasn't bad and it's shame we had a goofy ending here. It's hard to figure out Big's size but he moves well for a heavier guy. 

The Order come out for an interview. Eli Knox gets mad at the interviewer saying he won last week due to questionable circumstances. He says it's a good day to be in The Order as they have the champ Dorian Vane, the tag champs and him as the Apex champ. Eli says he defended his title fair and square. He says there's nobody that can step up. He says there's nobody left.

Diana Taylor comes out. Diana says Eli said there is nobody else and says Eli has an intergender title. Diana says she will be his first challenger. The Order's manager says she must be kidding him. He says, "A woman vs a man?" then he laughs. Diana asks if he calls Eli a man? The interview says they should do this now.

EPW Apex Title - Eli Knox (c) vs Diana Taylor

DT hits chops. She snapmares him then pulls his neck forward. DT gyrates and leg lariats him for 2. Eli goes out to stall. Eli throws him down off the lock up and poses. DT drops him with a forearm and Japanese armdrags him twice. DT side slams him. 

Eli goes out and DT nails him from behind. DT forearms him and sends him back in. DT hits some big forearms. Eli backdrops her. Eli stands on her throat and poses. Eli gyrates on the 2nd rope and is crotched. DT kicks the buckle into his nuts. DT hits a back elbow then samoan drops him. 

DT run the ropes and Eli's manager trips her. Eli fameassers DT and pins her.

Thoughts: I don't like intergender wrestling but they did a good job with this. Diana was likeable and hit some good looking shots. Eli was a total jerk and made you want to see him lose, then he won via cheating. I liked this and was entertained by him. 

Makkari Kandy tries to shake hands with Raven Black in the back. She says she won't shake her hand. Kandy hits her hat and the girl spits. Kandy says she doesn't have time for this as she has a title match.

EPW Women's title - Lil Bit (c) vs Makkari Kandy

MK blocks a hiptoss then armdrags her twice. MK blocks a double boot in the corner. MK lays her on the 2nd rope and double chops her down for 2. Bit throws her down backwards then pump kicks her. Bit sentons her for 2.

MK hits forearms in the corner then misses a splash. Bit hits kicks to the gut then foot chokes her. We go to break and return. Bit snapmares her and low crossbodies her for 2. Bit chokes her on the ropes then armbars her over the 2nd rope.

MK blocks a bulldog then lariats her. MK hits forearms then corner splashes her. MK snapmares her, walks on her neck then low crossbodies her for 2. Bit forearms her in the corner. MK superkicks her. MK lifts her up and Raven Black gets on the apron. MK is distracted and Bit rolls up MK with the tights and pins her.

Thoughts: It was acceptable. There was nothing wrong with this and they furthered the issues between Raven and Kandy which should lead to something. Kandy is an okay face.

Grayson Pierce and Marko Harris come through the entrance and are fighting each other hard. Mr. Swiss, the commissioner, tries to stop them. He says they are ruining his show. He asks if they wanna fight each other. He says he has a surprise - that's not what they are going to do. He says they will do it his way and they will team up together against opponents of his choice.

Marko Harris and Grayson Pierce vs Shawn Aries and The Maestro

 

Nope, this is not the WCW Maestro. GP and Marko do rock, paper, scissors to decide who gets in. GP then tries to slap him. SA and Maestro then attack them.

Maestro pounds on Marko. The other two fight outside. Marko dropkicks Maestro. GP tags himself in. Maestro lariats Marko hard over the top in a big bump. GP pulls Maestro's throat over then top. Maestro misses a corner charge and is high kicked. SA springboard lariats GP. 

SA corner lariats GP, enzugiri's him then hits a hard PK. SA pumping knees him then death valley drivers him for 2. GP slaps Marko, which tags him in. Marko then chops GP down as GP yells at him on the apron. Marko and SA stare down. They shake hands. GP forearms SA over.GP and Marko shove each other. Maestro double lariats then. He backbreakers GP and throws him into Marko. Masetro facekicks Marko which forces a ddt on GP. We go to break and return. 

Maestro gets a 2 count on Marko. Marko jumping knees Maestro. GP high kicks Maestro. Maestro takes a double lariat over the top. SA then is hit with a double superkick. GP wants to dive with Marko. They run the ropes and GP trips Marko.

GP's tope is caught outside. Marko then topes GP. Marko talks trash to him. Marko is spinning forearmed outside. GP goes in and Maestro spinning side slams him. SA top rope 450's GP for 2. Maestro pop-up euros Marko. GP pushes Maestro into SA. GP superkicks Maestro then Marko. Marko codebreakers SA while he's on the 2nd rope. GP top rope M. Bison stomps Maestro. Marko os cutters GP onto Maestro and GP picks up the pin.

Thoughts: This was a good bout. I liked the story of Marko and GP hating each other and not being able to work together. Everyone was moving so fast here and I was rather impressed with the athleticism on display here. These guys also took some big bumps over the top. 

Overall thoughts: This was a good show. It was easy to get through and had some highlights here with a rare entertaining intergender bout and a good main event with a lot of athleticism. They did a nice job building up some stuff for future shows and I feel like you could basically go into this without knowing anyone and still be able to enjoy it. I'd give this an easy 6 out of 10 and thought it was fun.