EPW Wrestling 5/30/2026 Episode #244

EPW Wrestling 5/30/2026 Episode #244

 

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2026/05/epw-wrestling-5232026-episode-243.html

We are in Booneville, MS. Joey Gross and Gene Jackson are on commentary.

The Initiative (Trace Hunt and Jason Genesis) and CJ Thomas vs The Blacklist (Cody James and Chris Styles) and Chuck Swann

Aryanne is with The Initiative. CJ wants in and tries to put his sunglasses on Hunt. Hunt gets mad. CJ waistlocks Chuck and Chuck dances out of it. Chuck wristlocks him. Cody takes over with the wristlock. Cody rope walks, tags out and clubs CJ's arm. Chris trips CJ into the ropes and Cody leg lariats CJ on the ropes. Chris final cut's CJ for 2.

Chuck euros CJ in the corner. Chuck armdrags CJ. The Initiative beat up The Blacklist outside. Aryanne eye rakes Chuck and CJ hits shots on Chuck. Chuck takes a suplex then a slingshot swanton. Chuck is back body dropped into a powerslam from The Initiative.

We go to break and return. Hunt chokes Chuck. Jason running lariats Chuck from behind. Jason chops Chuck in the corner then Hunt does as well. CJ eye pokes Chuck. CJ suplexes Chuck for 2. Jason corner splashes Chuck.

Chuck and CJ blow a spot and Chuck just runs him over. Chuck jumping ddt's him. Chris comes in and drops The Initiative with punches. The Initiative are thrown out. Chris half crab's CJ and Jason breaks it up with a superkick. 4 of the 6 fight outside. Chuck hits a bad bulldog variation on CJ and pins him.

Thoughts: Chuck and CJ weren't on the same page here and a couple of their spots got messed up. I think it needed a bit more time as there were a lot of people involved and not all of them got featured all that much. We also didn't get a big extended finishing sequence. It was acceptable.

Wonder Boy is interviewed, fresh off of his Crossroads Cup victory. WB gets a title shot anytime and anyplace due to winning. He says nature will call when it's time to cash in the cup. He says with great power comes great responsibility and says the cup is great power.  

Wonder Boy vs Disorderly #1

They do a double knuckle lock and Boy throws him off. Boy corner flying forearms him. Boy goes up and over then armdrags him. Boy crossbodies him for 2. Dis chokes him and rakes his face on the ropes. Dis hits corner spears. They punch each other. Dis hits a big punch then hits a big uppercut.

Dis double axe handles him. Dis hits more punches and Boy fights back with punches and chops. Dis' head is banged off the buckles. Boy flipping neckbreakers him. Boy claymore kicks him and pins him.

Thoughts: It was simple, but I liked it. Disorderly threw some nice punches here and he did a decent job of roughing Boy up before Boy came back and won.

Kale vs "The Bulldog" Enrico Sterdivant

Kale offers a handshake then slaps ES when he goes to take it. Kale ducks a charge and hits leg kicks. ES then knocks him down with a hard leg kick. ES running back elbows him, enzugiri's him and running facewash kicks him for 2. 

ES' throat is pulled down over the top. Kale clips him then basement dropkicks him for 2. ES lariats him down twice. ES pops him up and is hit with a knee. Kale hits leg kicks, chops and a spin kick. ES pop up knees him. ES german's him. ES does a grounded sleeper and submits him.

Thoughts: I liked it. They didn't do anything too wild but the strikes connected and they looked like they were actually having a fight here. They showed some nice spirit in this well. 

Ladder Match - Isiah Cone vs Zay Washington

There is a skateboard hanging from the air here. They hockey fight and trade punches. Zay knees him in the gut and chops him. Cone flying knees him then corner helluva kicks him. Cone baseball slides him. Cone flying lariats him off the apron. Zay sends Cone into the rails. A ladder is set up in the ring and Cone is thrown out when he goes to grab it. 

Cone lightning spiral's him in the ring. Cone dropkicks him off the ladder. Zay pulls him off the ladder and forearms him. A ladder is put in the corner and Zay is sent into it. Cone throws the ladder at Zay then Zay throws the ladder at him. 

A ladder is bridged from the rail to the ring. They fight on the apron. Cone facekicks him off the apron. Zay is flapjacked onto the bridged ladder. Cone is caught off the apron and is powerbombed on the bridged ladder.

We go to break and return. Zay and Cone both climb the ladder in the ring. They hit each other up there and they pull each other down. Cone hits some strikes. Zay spin kicks him in the face. Zay climbs the ladder and Cone top rope cutters him while he's on the ladder. 

Cone climbs the ladder. Jabari Young grabs Cone and hits a GTS on him. Zay nails Cone from behind. Enrico Sterdivant comes out. Zay begs off then Enrico sleepers Cone. Zay climbs the ladder while Cone is held and Zay unhooks the skateboard to win.

Thoughts: No one got hurt and they gave us a couple of spots here. What we got was fine for a match at this level and they set up a new heel faction at the end here. 

Zay throws the skateboard down into the floor after.

Overall thoughts:  We had 4 matches here and all of them were at least acceptable. The opener could have used more time. The 2nd and 3rd matches were shorter bouts where they did the basics well. The main event ladder match was fine. They didn't do anything too wild but it was relatively safe, no one got hurt and we got a a big highlight spot or two out of it plus the formation of a new heel group. I enjoyed the show and would give this a 6 out of 10 overall. It was good.