Date: January 16, 2022
Venue: Kroc Center of Atlanta
967 Dewey Street SW
Atlanta, Georgia 30310
Tickets: Front Row VIP $75
Second Row $40
Third Row $30
General Admission $25
Parking: Kroc Center lot
Adjacent street parking
Promoters: Jonathan Gresham
Baron Black
Kickoff Show: Suge D
Faye Jackson
Commentary: Lenny Leonard
Dave Prazak
Social: facebook.com/TERMINUSpro/
twitter.com/TERMINUSpro
terminustickets.com
Streaming: fite.tv/watch/terminus-all-roads-lead-here
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The new Terminus promotion, founded by Ring of Honor Original World Champion Jonathan Gresham and Baron Black describes itself as modern age grappling. In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Gresham stated that “Our focus is to present wrestling the way we feel it should be presented.”
In that vein, Terminus released its unique set of rules, called “Terminus Directives” including: All matches must be won by pinfall, submission, disqualification or countout; fifteen minute time limit in all non-championship matches; twenty minute time limit in championship matches; 90 second overtime if there is no winner in regulation; competitors can get technical fouls for rules violations, two of which result in disqualification; technical fouls are assessed for throwing an opponent over the top rope, a 10 second top rope count, a 5 count on the ropes, intentional physical contact with the referee, intentional low blow, eye-gouge, fish hook, hair pulling spitting, or closed fist.
The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center Atlanta is a 53,500 square-foot worship, arts, education, and recreation facility located in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta, GA. The center serves as a beacon of hope and a place of refuge for the spiritually, creatively, and physically hungry members and community alike. The facility boasts, among other things, a chapel, theatre, meeting rooms, indoor gym and walking track, exercise rooms and a computer lab.
When I arrived at the Kroc Center, I waited in my car for the doors to open. With this being the first show, some fans were outside already and looked confused as to which door was the entrance into the arena. Jordynne Grace came outside to point us to the correct door, eventually. So, for those who plan to attend Terminus events in the future, if you’re on Dewey Street facing the building, you will see three sets of doors. The arena entrance is the set of doors on the far right.
Prior to the start of the show, some of the performers came out to sell merchandise and meet fans. There was no intermission at the show. This may have been due to the weather. Just in case, if you attend a Terminus show in the future, do not wait for an intermission to buy your merchandise or take photos with the wrestlers.
The kickoff show, hosted by Suge D and Faye Jackson, was playing on the video monitor prior to the start of the first match, but the audio was muted for nearly all of it. The only part the fans got to hear, for some reason, was Suge and Faye’s interaction with the “It’s Still Real to Me Dammit” guy, who was in attendance. After a twenty minute delay to allow fans to make it to the arena in the snowy weather, Terminus got under way.
MATCH #1
JOSH WOODS vs. LEE MORIARTY
Lee Moriarty entered the arena first for his match against former Ring of Honor Pure Champion, Josh “The Goods” Woods. The match got underway with the Code of Honor handshake as the fans let it be known they were solidly behind Moriarty. After an early feeling-out process and a rope break for Moriarty, the two competitors exchanged arm bars so furiously the crowd let out a “Whoa” each time one reversed the hold on the other.
Woods whipped Moriarty into the ropes, but when he tried to leapfrog Woods, Moriarty found himself locked back into an arm bar. From there, Woods converted it into a wristlock. Using his leg, Woods secured the other arm of Moriarty and rolled over into a pin combination, but managed only a two count.
In the corner, Woods connected with knee and elbow strikes, then kicked Lee’s hand as he continued to soften the arm. In an instant, though, Moriarty fought back and used a donkey-style kick to the arm of Woods to slow his opponent. From there, Lee went back to working Woods’ arm. Moriarty worked a kimura lock and a hammer lock then tried to wrap Woods arm with his leg for a pin combination.
Woods looked to fight back with a body slam, but Moriarty wiggled out of it and locked a crossface on Woods. Back on their feet, Woods and Moriarty stunned each other with simultaneous kicks to the face. Woods connected with a belly to back suplex from the middle rope, but managed only a two count. When Woods went for another belly to back suplex, Lee elbowed his way out, came off the ropes into a wheelbarrow then a European Clutch for the victory.
WINNER: LEE MORIARTY
MATCH #2
JDX vs. ADAM PRIEST vs. INVICTUS KHASH vs. DANIEL GARCIA
TERMINAL ELIMINATOR MATCH
The Terminal Elimination match is won by being the last competitor not to be pinned or submitted by another competitor. Wrestlers are eliminated until there is one person left standing. Two men start in the ring. The other two competitors are tagged in by the wrestlers in the ring.
The match started with Invictus Khash and fan favorite JDX. As the two men looked to lock up, Khash got too close to the corner which allowed Garcia to tag himself in. However, when Khash tried to lock up, Garcia ran to the other corner and tagged in Adam Pierce. As Invictus lifted Priest into a back breaker, Garcia tagged himself in again. A nasty enziguri from Pierce immediately caused Garcia to tag back out to JDX.
Later, Daniel Garcia and Invictus Khash began tagging each other into the match harder and harder. As it became clear the animosity was building, the hard tags turned into chop tags and the two men ended up nose to nose. From behind, JDX pushed Garcia into Khash and tried to roll him up unsuccessfully. Back on their feet, JDX grabbed Garcia and Khash for an STO/DDT combo you would have to see to believe. With Garcia on the mat, a standing JDX tried to grab his leg. Garcia’s leg flew upward and connected with the groin of JDX incidentally. The opportunistic Garcia seized the moment and rolled up JDX for the first elimination.
With JDX out, the match became a conventional triple threat match with all three competitors in the ring. Khash and Priest exchanged blows as Garcia sat in the corner. Khash picked Priest up for a suplex but dropped him on his face instead. Khash looked to powerbomb Priest, but, just as he was getting Adam in position, Garcia hit Khash with a running knee strike from the corner. Priest rose to his feet, slammed Garcia and turned his attention to Khash.
Khash and Priest exchanged blows in the center of the ring until Khash grabbed Priest in a headlock. Garcia charged, but Khash evaded him without relinquishing the headlock. Garcia gathered himself and charged again. This time, Khash, still holding the headlock on Priest, jumped up for a head scissors to Garcia and sent both men crashing to the mat. In the corner, Priest looked for a belly to back suplex, but Garcia rolled up Priest for the jackknife pin and the second elimination.
With the time limit set to expire soon, Khash and Garcia furiously attacked each other. Garcia whipped Khash into the corner, but came up empty with the attempted splash. Khash connected with a German suplex, but managed only a two count. On their feet, Khash and Garcia exchanged slaps and chops angrily until one shot from Garcia knocked Khash out completely.
WINNER: DANIEL GARCIA
MATCH #3
MOOSE vs. MIKE BENNETT
IMPACT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
This match started with what appeared to be a clean handshake. However, as a wary Mike Bennet extended his hand, Moose flipped him off instead. A Moose shoulder tackle dropped Mike Bennett so easily that Moose offered him a free shot to try it again. The second time, Moose did not budge. In response, Bennett told Moose to try one of his own. When Moose came off the ropes, Bennett tripped him onto his face and hit rapid slaps to the back of Moose’s head.
Bennett tried to use his quickness to confuse Moose with little success early. Bennett came off the ropes, saw Moose waiting for him in the center of the ring, and changed directions. Bennett turned ninety degrees and came off those ropes. He stopped and changed direction each time until he hit all sides of the ring, at which point Moose dropped him with a shoulder block anyway.
Undaunted, Bennett got up and furiously chopped the chest of Moose. A frustrated Moose threw Bennett over the top rope to receive his first technical foul. Bennett charged back in, as Moose argued with the referee, and attempted a spinning forearm. Moose was ready, though. He picked Bennett up and choke slammed him to the mat. From there, Moose flirted with disqualification as he stepped on Bennett’s face, then on Bennett’s hands using the ropes for leverage.
Moose picked Mike Bennett up and whipped him so hard into the corner that Mike fell hard. In the corner, Moose landed several loud chops to the chest of Bennett only to find Bennett begging for more. Bennett connected with several consecutive chops, flipped Moose off, and tried for a cutter. Moose blocked the cutter and stunned Bennett with a headbutt. Bennett charged again and attempted a sunset flip, but garnered only a two count. On his feet, Bennett nailed Moose with a superkick and three running forearms. The fourth time, Moose moved out of the way and threw Bennett over the top rope for his second technical foul.
WINNER BY DISQUALIFICATION: MIKE BENNETT
MATCH #4
DIAMANTE vs. JANAI KAI
Liiza Hall was Janai Kai’s scheduled opponent for this event, but she was unable to appear. In her place, former LAX member and IMPACT star, and current AEW star Diamante would battle Kai for the fans in Atlanta. These two experienced technicians started with mat grappling which saw neither competitor gain an advantage.
After a reset, Kai managed to keep Diamante on the mat with a front face lock for several seconds. At one point, Kai let both her hands off the facelock to show the crowd how easy it was. A second time, Kai released her hands to get the crowd clapping and Diamante escaped into an arm bar. Kai rolled through, kicked Diamante’s leg, and hit a leg sweep but managed only a two count.
Back on their feet, Kai went for a big kick but missed. Diamante rolled her up for a two count. Kai rose again with repeated leg strikes until one floored Diamante. When Kai missed another big kick, Diamante landed multiple slaps and palm strikes to Kai. A Diamante suplex into a bridge resulted in another near fall. Diamante looked for a choke submission, but Kai escaped following a roll up.
Kai landed three nasty kicks to Diamante’s back. However, when she tried a fourth, Diamante caught Kai’s foot and converted it into a single leg Boston Crab. Kai reached the ropes and forced a break, but found herself right back in the Diamante choke submission. This time, there would be no escape.
WINNER: DIAMANTE
MATCH #5
JORDYNNE GRACE vs. KIERA HOGAN
IMPACT DIGITAL MEDIA CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
IMPACT Digital Media Champion Jordynne Grace, who I had seen the night before at The BellaDonna Division Coronation, was a bit disturbed when the ring announcer mistakenly called her Thicc Pump Mama (Instead of Thicc Mama Pump). Grace smirked and shook her head briefly, but soon turned her attention to her title defense against former IMPACT and current AEW and NWA star, Kiera Hogan.
Hogan looked to end the match early with several roll ups and pin attempts, but was unsuccessful. Hogan kicked Grace’s knee, which left Jordynne’s neck on the ropes. Grace finally collapsed backward onto the mat only to be greeted with a leg drop and a running boot from Hogan. Grace countered with strikes of her own and lifted Hogan high into suplex position for several seconds before dropping her to the mat.
Grace went for a power bomb, but Hogan punched her way out and grabbed a head scissors on the champ. Hogan attempted an Irish Whip, but Grace sand bagged her twice. Finally Grace released her hold, but reversed the Irish Whip. Hogan came off with a forearm shot to the face. Another Irish Whip, this time by Grace, was reversed by Hogan. Jordynne attempted a sunset flip into a pin, then powered Hogan up from the mat into power bomb position. Grace slammed Hogan into the mat once, and lifted her for a second power bomb. This time, Grace set Hogan on the top turnbuckle and converted the move into a muscle buster.
The crowd energy rose dramatically after the muscle buster as Jordynne hit a back elbow on Hogan in the corner. When Grace jumped to the second rope for more offense, Hogan kicked her legs out from under her, dropped Grace with a neck breaker, and slapped the mat to get the crowd even more pumped up. As the fans clapped along with Hogan, Kiera hit a running drop kick with Grace’s legs still caught in the ropes.
As the match wound down, Hogan tried for a clothesline, but Grace was not moved. Hogan tried again with a running start, but Grace was ready and stunned her with a big clothesline of her own. Grace whipped Hogan into the corner and hit a German suplex. Grace attempted another suplex, but Hogan reversed into a small package. Back up, Hogan tried an enziguri and two superkicks, but a clothesline from Hogan ultimately took Grace off of her feet. Feeling the moment, Hogan signaled the end of Jordynne Grace. Unfortunately, Kiera missed a kick which allowed Grace to land a spinning back fist. Hogan rebounded off the ropes with a superkick, but a Hogan attempt at a wheelbarrow was reversed into Fall From Grace.
WINNER: JORDYNNE GRACE
MATCH #6
BANDIDO vs. BARON BLACK
RING OF HONOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
A Baron Black video package played on the big screen in which Black explained that he is at a crossroads. Does he choose the elite path? The honorable path? No, Black says he will choose the path where he bets on himself and people put respect on his name. As such, Black said it would be a privilege to engage in modern age grappling with the Ring of Honor Champion, Bandido.
In the ring, things started off less cordial. The two men were face to face in a heated exchange until Bandido shoved Black and the competitors locked up. Black went to shake hands with Bandido. When Bandido reached out, Black put him in a headlock. This led to a flurry of back and forth action. At one point, Bandido did a back handspring off the ropes, but Black moved out of the way. Bandido tried a 21-plex, but Black blocked it. Bandido picked Black up in the torture rack. Black escaped, tried for a Boston Crab, but Bandido rolled away.
Back to the center of the ring for another verbal battle. This time, Bandido offered his hand. Black reached out but got a knee strike to the gut for it. As the fans chanted his name, Bandido paid tribute to the late Eddie Guerrero with a Three Amigos and a shoulder shimmy. A Gory Special led to an unsuccessful pin attempt. Bandido used his hands to hold down Black’s shoulders. However, each of Bandido’s pin attempts ended with one shoulder coming off the mat. The third time, Black bridged both shoulders off the mat to avoid the pinfall.
Black turned the tide in his favor with a reverse atomic bomb followed by a suplex. On the mat, Black went to work on the leg. With Bandido on his face, Black sat on Bandido’s back with his knees and slowly moved him into surfboard position. Instead of pulling him into the air, Black stopped halfway and forced his knees into the back of Bandido. Eventually, Black released Bandido and dropped a hard knee into his back.
Once again, the two men started arguing. This confrontation led to an exchange of chops. Rapidly, the intensity of the chops grew until Bandido came off the ropes with a spin kick. Bandido lifted Black into a fireman’s carry and dropped him with a Death Valley driver. On the mat, Bandido put Black in a Canadian Deathlock causing Black to scream in agony until he crawled to the ropes to force the break.
Baron rose slowly in the corner as Bandido looked to pump up the crowd. Black took the chance to land several chops and a European uppercut. A snap German suplex, followed by an elevation power bomb, and Bandido found himself locked in a Texas Cloverleaf until he could reach the ropes. This time, Black returned the favor and allowed Bandido to stand up in the corner on his own. Once Bandido was up, though, Black charged. Bandido countered with a kick. Black charged again. Bandido moved out of the way, jumped to the apron, kicked Baron from outside, the hit a springboard hurricanrana.
Bandido took to the top rope, but Black managed to hit the top rope and knock the champion down. Black leapt to the top and connected with double underhook superplex, but could only manage a two count. Black went back to the Texas Cloverleaf, but Bandido reversed it into a small package which resulted in a near fall. From there Bandido hit a GTS, followed by a 21 plex and Baron Black’s night was over.
WINNER: BANDIDO
MATCH #7
DANTE CABALLERO & JOE KEYS vs. FRED YEHI & TRACY WILLIAMS
Former MCW Pro Wrestling Champion and Ring of Honor star, Dante Caballero teamed up with fellow MCW and Ring of Honor star, Joe Keys in this lone tag team match of the evening. Their opponents were former EVOLVE tag team champions, “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams and Fred Yehi.
The trash talk started immediately, as Tracy Williams told Joe Keys “Nice new ring gear. Maybe you’re not a young boy any more.” Of course, Williams would call Keys “young boy” several times during the match just to get in his head.
The big controversy came after the initial lock up. Williams and Keys stayed in the collar and elbow tie up as they circled around the ring, touching the ring ropes on each side. Eventually, they found themselves in Caballero’s corner and Joe Keys made the tag…or so he thought. For some reason, the referee was a stickler for use of the tag rope. He deemed the Keys/Caballero tag as invalid because Dante allegedly let go before the tag. The fans and competitors were perplexed by this ruling. Naturally, a chant of “Use the tag rope!” broke out.
With that out of the way, Tracy caught Caballero in an arm bar and tagged Fred Yehi. The impressive Yehi hit the ring with several forearms to Dante in the center of the ring, followed by loud, hard chops to Dante’s chest in the corner, and kicks to his face when he collapsed. This sent the fans into a frenzy.
Yehi would continue to dominate Dante with mat grappling. Dante made it to his feet and lifted Yehi into a fireman’s carry and tagged Joe Keys. Keys dropped Yehi onto the ropes on his neck. Yehi was still on his feet until Caballero came off the other side of the ring with a lariat that leveled him.
Keys whipped Yehi into the corner and looked for a combination move off the ropes. Yehi rebounded off the turnbuckles and hit an exploder suplex on Keys which left both men on the mat looking for a tag. Yehi made it first. Hot Sauce rushed in to knock Caballero off the apron to prevent Keys’ tag. This gave Keys the chance to pick Williams up in a Razor’s Edge. Williams managed to kick out, but Dante Caballero entered and hit a belly to back suplex. When Williams attempted a clothesline, Keys came off the ropes with a huge spear.
All four men entered the ring at this point. Yehi threw Dante out and went back to the apron for the legal tag. With both men in the ring and Keys on the mat, Williams and Yehi alternated stomping on one of Keys legs. Dante re-entered and rushed at them, but Williams and Yehi floored Dante with a double chop. Williams worked on Keys’ leg until he made it to the ropes for the clean break.
Out of the break, Keys found the strength to hit a Gory Special Bomb on Williams and crawled to make the hot tag. Dante entered the ring like a house of fire and destroyed Williams and Yehi. Williams tried climbing to the top rope, but Dante caught him with a super arm drag from the top rope and nailed him with a running knee strike. Yehi entered, but Dante clotheslined him out onto the floor, which resulted in Dante and Joe’s first technical foul.
Keys and Williams exchanged chops until Williams tagged Yehi. They double teamed Keys momentarily, until Fred Yehi locked Keys in a Koji Clutch. Dante came in to break it up, but Tracy Williams intercepted Caballero and locked him in a crossface. Williams converted into a single leg crab which gave Dante the ability to use his leg to send Williams crashing into Yehi.
When order was restored, Yehi attacked Keys with stomps and forearms. This merely angered Keys, who countered with a flurry of slaps. Yehi connected with a backfist to stun Keys, then locked him in a sleeper. Yehi tagged Williams who went to the top rope for a DDT onto the turnbuckle. Yehi followed immediately with a German suplex. Suddenly, Keys tagged Dante who landed a back breaker. Keys came off the top rope with a flying headbutt to secure the victory. Afterward, the victors celebrated by holding up the controversial ring attachment as the fans chanted, “Tag Rope! Tag Rope!”
WINNERS: DANTE CABALLERO & JOE KEYS
MATCH #8
JONATHAN GRESHAM vs. JOSH ALEXANDER
RING OF HONOR ORIGINAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
This match for the Original Ring of Honor World Championship would be contested under Pure Rules (as many of you know them from Ring of Honor). Gresham, the former Ring of Honor Pure Rules Champion and Josh Alexander, the former IMPACT World Champion adhered to the Code of Honor as the epic clash got underway.
The first five full minutes of this match consisted of some incredible chain wrestling and mat grappling. I like to think I know the names of many wrestling holds, but these two men were so proficient I could not keep track of all the moves, reverses, holds, and counters during this feeling out process. I highly recommend you buy the pay per view and watch the match yourself.
The intensity increased when, seated on the mat, Jonathan Gresham sand bagged Josh Alexander who was attempting to pull Gresham up by his hand. Alexander attempted the same with both hands, but Gresham reversed into an arm drag. Coming off the ropes with an intended drop kick, Gresham found Alexander in the middle of the ring blocking his face. In response, Gresham kicked Alexander in the foot and connected with the drop kick when Alexander dropped his guard.
Alexander would take back the momentum with a big boot from the corner which gave Josh time to put Gresham in an ankle lock. Gresham struggled, but was able to make it to the ropes to force his first of three rope breaks. Alexander went right back to the ankle lock after the break, which caused Gresham to use his second rope break of the match.
Alexander continued to work the leg of Gresham with stomps to his ankle until Gresham returned fire with several hard chops. The champ came off the ropes with a basement drop kick. With Alexander down, Gresham put him in a figure four leg lock. Alexander eventually reached the ropes for his first rope break of the evening. Another basement drop kick and a hurricanrana resulted in Alexander back in the figure four. Alexander punched his way out, this time, but received a closed fist warning from the referee.
Alexander connected with three German suplexes to Gresham. The third suplex ended in a bridge and a near fall for the challenger. When Alexander attempted a double underhook power bomb, Gresham landed on his feet and slowed Josh with a dragon screw leg whip. Gresham hit a springboard moonsault from the middle ropes and went for a second. This time, Alexander caught Gresham in a tombstone piledriver for another near fall.
As the time limit wound down, the two combatants rose and exchanged forearms shots for so long the crowd gasped with each one. Finally, a forearm knocked the champ off his feet momentarily. Gresham attempted an enziguri but missed, which allowed Alexander to go back to the ankle lock. Alexander thought he had the match won after a double underhook piledriver, but the champ used his final rope break when he put his foot on the ropes as the referee counted the pinfall.
Once more, Alexander went back to the ankle lock. When Gresham did not submit, Alexander stomped on his back. Gresham managed to roll over which sent Josh into the turnbuckles and broke the hold. This opened the door for Gresham to lock in the figure four on Alexander once more. Alexander reversed into an ankle lock which sent Gresham reaching for the ropes.
When he made it there, the referee reminded him that he was out of rope breaks. Since that was not an option, Gresham used the ropes to his advantage. He pulled the ropes hard enough to propel Alexander into the ropes to break the hold. Alexander climbed to the top rope and Gresham met him. Alexander landed the superplex, but the competitors rolled into a pseudo-small package and the referee counted both men’s shoulders down.
WINNER: DRAW
After the main event ended, Bandido came back out to the ring. What appeared to be a confrontation that would lead to a title unification match was interrupted by AEW’s Santana. The fans were salivating when they realized what Santana’s arrival might mean. Santana grabbed the microphone, thanked the fans in Atlanta, and challenged Gresham for the Ring of Honor Original World Championship at the next Terminus event on February 24. Gresham turned to Bandido, said their battle would have to wait, and accepted Santana’s challenge as the show came to an end.
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