Metroplex Wrestling Delivers On The Hype
Purple Reign 4 was “one of the best shows MPX has ever put on.”
On a balmy Saturday night in Bedford, TX, more than 200 fans from across three states piled into the MPX Auditorium to see Metroplex Wrestling’s equivalent to WrestleMania: “Purple Reign 4.” With a turn away crowd and storylines culminating from over a year of preparation, the men and women of MPX gave a show that those of us who were lucky enough to see it won’t soon forget.
The first title defense of the night came in the form of the MPX Tag Team Titles, as the champions The Lost Boys faced off against the Impact Players. The match was a hard-hitting clinic of tag team wrestling, in which both teams put together impressive efforts before Dave Sagan of the Impact Players was able to pick up the pin to win the gold.
The second and third title defenses of the night came in the form of a Title vs. Title match, when the MPX Prospect Champion Frankie Fisher took on MPX Addicts Champion Steven Kirby in an impressive technical contest. These two have clashed before, but not since taking ownership of the two lower belts in the promotion. Their familiarity with one another was clear as both men were countering moves before the other had finished executing them. The match was won by Steven Kirby with a quick roll up to become the first MPX Grand Slam Champion.
The final title defense came in the main event, when the undefeated champion “Mr. Match of The Night” Ryan Remington took on the “Demon of Devastation” Hardarkus. The match suffered a bit from following what was undoubtedly the match of the night on a night full of contenders, but was a phenomenal contest nonetheless when Hardarkus unseated the undefeated Remington to become the new MPX Heavyweight Champion.
There were two matches that could be considered match of the night and will likely be considered in the conversation for match of the year for the promotion. The first was the main event of the first half of the show when Richter, Wesley Crane and The Magnificent Malico met in a hardcore match, which culminated in a horrific spot where Malico had Crane tied up in the ropes and poured tacks into his mouth before pouring them on the ground beneath his head and DDTing him into the mat before securing the pinfall.
The second match up for consideration and my personal match of the night saw four competitors and known indy commodities “Dirty” Andy Dalton, “Moonshine” Mantell, “The Young Gun” Chandler Hopkins and Jaxson Stone meet for an intense, high-flying fatal four way. This match caused the MPX Auditorium to come completely unglued as the four put together what might be the single best match I have ever seen live. (I was in Dallas for KENTA vs. Kota Ibushi if that gives you any indication of the work rate of these four gentlemen.)
Between their high-impact maneuvers and insane aerial antics, the four men put on a clinic of in-ring storytelling and how to engage a room full of fans who have been sitting more than a little uncomfortably in 90+ degree heat for several hours, making them feel privileged that they were given the opportunity to see what had been prepared for them.
MPX has over the last week or so taken to promoting the VOD of the event as “One of the best shows MPX has ever put on.” I would have to agree with that assessment. Over the last eight years, the promotion has put on some phenomenal cards, a handful of which cause you to say “Holy Shit!” and kick yourself for not yet inventing time travel so that you can go back and see them. This is one of those few.
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