[The Commonwealth] Tango In Tonga - Night 2

17 September 2024

Teufaiva Sport Stadium, Nuku'alofa, Tonga

Attendance: 8,562

Feleti Polata is our commentator for the evening.

[1] Isa Vilimoni (204, Suva, Fiji) defeated Geo "Gun Slinger" Irslinger (209, Auckland, New Zealand) in an International Heavy-Middleweight Contest (Flying Elbow, 11:12, full match shown).

Isa Vilimoni kicked off the match with a surge of energy, feeding off the roaring Fijian crowd as he displayed his quick agility and confident style. Vilimoni immediately seized control, executing a smooth sequence of armdrags followed by a lightning-fast huricarana that sent Geo Irslinger stumbling. The "Flying Fijian" continued to dominate, soaking up the energy from the fans while delivering a powerful dropkick that sent Irslinger crashing to the outside.

Geo "Gun Slinger" Irslinger, determined to shift the momentum, relied on his strength advantage to turn the tide with a series of brutal right hand jabs. He slowed the pace with a series of punishing strikes, landing a sharp neckbreaker that floored Vilimoni. Irslinger followed up with a middle-rope legdrop, but the execution faltered, earning jeers from the crowd. Undeterred, Irslinger locked in a tight headlock, trying to wear down his opponent.

With the fans behind him, Vilimoni powered out and regained control, countering a suplex attempt from Irslinger and delivering a perfectly timed superkick. As Irslinger staggered, Vilimoni ascended the ropes and unleashed a devastating flying elbow drop that brought the arena to life, sealing his victory and igniting a celebration among the Fijian faithful.

[2] Johnny Doyle & Ricky Gallagher (The Black Country Boys, Wolverhampton, UK) beat Baloo & Bulldog Spirit (Cook Islands/Manchester, England) in an International Tag Match (Black Country Crush, 11:52, full match shown)

In a highly anticipated international clash, the rugged duo of Johnny Doyle and Ricky Gallagher—known as The Black Country Boys—proved too much for the unlikely pairing of powerhouse Baloo and the tenacious Bulldog Spirit. The crowd was treated to a clash of styles, with Baloo's sheer power and Bulldog Spirit’s technical wizardry going up against the rough-and-tumble brawling of Doyle and Gallagher.

The action kicked off with Bulldog Spirit locking up with Doyle, who immediately attempted to impose his technical grappling game. Bulldog Spirit responded with his signature rolling elbow strike, sending Doyle reeling, and quickly transitioned into a leg trap German suplex that had the crowd on their feet. Bulldog Spirit's energy was electric, and his relentless submission attacks had Doyle scrambling to find footing.
But a well-timed rake to the eyes by Doyle shifted the tide in favor of The Black Country Boys.

Gallagher tagged in and brought his brute strength to bear, battering Bulldog Spirit with stiff clotheslines and a roughhouse slam. The momentum swung fully when Baloo tagged in, immediately turning the tide with a thunderous Samoan drop on Gallagher. The Islander Bear then showcased his incredible power with a running hip attack that flattened Doyle, leaving the Wolverhampton native gasping for air.

The intensity escalated as Baloo went for his finisher, the Cook Islands Spike, but Gallagher smartly avoided it, countering with a spinning heel kick that staggered the massive Baloo. Bulldog Spirit re-entered the fray, taking out Doyle with a snap DDT, but "The Little General" Emmett Askey was quick to distract the referee. With the official's attention diverted, Doyle and Gallagher double-teamed Baloo, delivering a brutal double clothesline that set him up for their finisher, the Black Country Crush.

In the end, it was the cunning teamwork and unrelenting aggression of The Black Country Boys that sealed the win with Gallagher pinning Baloo for the three-count. Despite the valiant efforts of Bulldog Spirit, the experience and ruthless tactics of Doyle and Gallagher proved decisive in this hard-fought contest.

[3] Karly Ward (136, Los Angeles , USA) defeated Amelika Fifita (159, Neiafu, Tonga) in an International Ladies Contest (Cali Crush, 06:03, full match shown).

Amelika unleashed a quick series of high kicks, forcing Karly into the corner, much to her surprise. She capitalized with her athleticism, pulling Karly to her feet and hoisting her up for a vertical suplex. As Karly hit the mat hard, arching in pain, Amelika stayed on the offense, locking her into a waistlock for a German suplex. However, Karly countered with a sharp elbow to the face, forcing Amelika to release her grip. Karly shifted the momentum with dirty tactics.

Dazed, Amelika struggled to her feet, but Karly pulled her into an abdominal stretch, digging her finger into Amelika’s ribs. Though Amelika cried out in pain, she grabbed the ropes to force a break. Karly set up her finisher, the "Cali Crush." She whipped Amelika into the ropes and caught her with a headlock bulldog on the rebound, driving her into the mat. Karly quickly hooked the leg.

Terry Grudge & George Thompson Scuffle

British Heavyweight, Terry Grudge is interviewed by Feleti Polata at ringside. Grudge has spent the past two days scouting local wrestlers with the idea that the best would be invited to train at the Brixton Road Gym. As Grudge is talking about how impressed he has been by George Thompson appears. He says Grudge doesnt know talent and the two start pushing each other. Grudge says he’s happy to settle it in the ring when the two are back in England.

[4] Half-Nelson McGrath (260, Wonglepong Australia) and Bert Eagle (169, Bolton, England) wrestle to a no contest (Referee lost control, 8:12 shown)

Bert Eagle had offered a handshake from his knees, but Half-Nelson McGrath responded with a swift kick to the ribs, followed by a hard clothesline that sent Eagle crashing to the mat. Eagle had tried to climb to the top rope but had gotten crotched on the ropes instead. While the referee checked on Eagle, McGrath had headed to the floor and picked up a steel chair. Eagle’s attempt to use the chair was easily thwarted by the referee, giving Eagle the chance to jump McGrath with a dropkick.

We returned to the match with Eagle getting some offense in, putting McGrath in a short arm scissors. Eagle, now sporting a bloody nose, hammered away on McGrath. However, McGrath came back with a low blow. Surprisingly, it didn’t seem to slow Eagle down much, as he slapped on a sleeper hold. The local referee was starting to get frustrated. McGrath countered quickly with a jawbreaker, tired of the back-and-forth, and swept Eagle's legs out from under him to focus on hammering Eagle’s bloody nose.

The referee took exception to McGrath's aggression and was rewarded with a push to the corner. Eagle took advantage of McGrath’s attention being diverted and hit his own low blow. Eagle then retrieved the steel chair from earlier, but before he had a chance to use it, the referee called for the bell.

[5] Akira "Dark Wolf" Tanaka (245, Kashiwazaki, Japan) vs. Hiroshi "The Titan" Suzuki (260, Osaka, Japan) in a Heavyweight Contest (20:00, time-limit draw, full match shown).

In a match that had the crowd on the edge of their seats, Akira Tanaka and Hiroshi Suzuki, both members of the feared Kashiwazaki BLOOD stable, engaged in a clean but fiercely competitive bout.

Akira "Dark Wolf" Tanaka started strong, using his brawler style to control the early exchanges. A series of stiff knee strikes and a devastating German Suplex kept Hiroshi on the defensive, with Tanaka showcasing his aggression while still maintaining respect for his stablemate.

Hiroshi "The Titan" Suzuki soon fought back, relying on his powerhouse style to shift the momentum. His size and strength became a major factor as he floored Tanaka with a thunderous belly-to-belly suplex followed by a brutal running powerslam that shook the ring. As the match progressed, Suzuki slowed the pace with a powerful big boot, while Tanaka countered with his quick strikes and relentless resilience, landing a beautiful running knee that sent Suzuki into the ropes.

The crowd, fully invested, watched as both wrestlers exchanged high-impact moves. Tanaka nailed a picture-perfect powerbomb, only for Suzuki to counter with his signature "Titan's Wrath" sit-out powerbomb, but neither man could secure the victory. In the closing moments, Tanaka attempted his Jumping DDT, while Suzuki sought another powerbomb, but the clock hit 20:00, resulting in a hard-fought draw.

Both men stood in the center of the ring after the bell, showing mutual respect as the crowd applauded the incredible display of skill and endurance. A clean contest that showcased the strength of their bond as teammates, leaving the audience eager for a potential rematch.

Birthday Celebration

The Ministry of Sport and Culture of the Kingdom of Tongo, The Ministry of Sport and Culture of the Kingdom of Tongo was in the ring with a large picture of Crown Prince Tupouto'a-'Ulukala. He congratulated His Royal Highness on his birthday celebrations as the crowd applauded.

[6] Manu & Tevita Maʻafu (The Tongan Warriors, Tonga) beat Barry Bridges (251, Kent, England) and William Payable (248 lbs, Los Angeles,USA) in an International Tag Match (Tongan Splash, 12:01)

In what was an intense and hard-hitting International Tag Team contest, the Maʻafu brothers—Manu and Tevita, known as The Tongan Warriors—stood tall over the duo of Battling Barry Bridges and William The Taxman Payable. From the outset, the Maʻafu brothers used their size and power to dominate, with Manu hitting devastating headbutts and a belly-to-belly suplex that grounded Payable early on. The Warriors’ traditional Tongan attire and their fearsome demeanor had the crowd firmly behind them.

Bridges, the seasoned veteran, managed to shift momentum with his signature technical style, nailing Tevita with a series of German suplexes and a precision flying knee drop that brought the crowd to its feet. Payable, never shy to break the rules, took advantage with underhanded tactics, landing a low blow and following it up with a spinebuster on Tevita.

However, the tide shifted once more when Manu received the hot tag. He barreled through both Payable and Bridges with a Samoan Drop on the former and a superkick to the latter. With Payable down and Bridges struggling, the Maʻafu brothers delivered their devastating Tongan Splash—a top-rope diving splash from both Manu and Tevita—on Payable for the victory after 12 minutes of grueling action.

The Tongan Warriors' strength and cohesion proved too much for their opponents, marking another triumph for the feared duo from Tonga.