Note: David E Houston II attended the live ASÉ Wrestling event at Slingshot Social Game Club near Uptown Charlotte, NC, on June 28, 2025.
ASÉ Wrestling was back in their home city, Charlotte, for the first time since crowning their first Men’s Champion in December at the First Anniversary event and their first show since ASÉ Vegas on WrestleMania weekend in April. That gave them a lot of ground to cover and a lot of pent-up tension among the many rivals who’ve had to wait to settle scores. This was their longest event to date. Also, a debut in a new venue, the Slingshot Social Game Club near Uptown Charlotte.
Not as well-lit as usual, but that’s a minor issue for the next show in July. Chris Lea and Big Swole on commentary. Lea is great at calling action and a colorful personality in his own right with Swole being a punch line machine. A different chemistry than Lea and Gerard Bonner, who was the emcee of the event, but still good on their own merit. There were some pre-show matches, but I arrived late and missed them. Hopefully, they will release them on their website or YouTube channel.
Ashton Starr w/ Zamir Zuriel vs. Keith Mac
Bonner opened the show with ASÉ Wrestling Commissioner Caprice Coleman and Keith Mac, dressed in his “A-Keith” guise. Ashton Starr, with his assistant Zamir Zuriel and some luscious hair, came out, wanting a match (Starr might have missed his cue, and Caprice called him out on it, which was funny). Coleman gave him one…with A-Keith, who happened to have his gear on. Quick match with some good action that saw Starr get the win with some help from Zuriel and a picture-perfect split-legged moonsault. Starr and Zuriel got in some kicks before the massive security guy, Dre, came in and gave Zuriel a devastating German Suplex. The first time I can recall security ever getting involved and not getting beat up. That’s new.
Bishop Kaun vs. Diego Hill
“Dive Bomb” Diego Hill, coming off his MLW debut on Thursday (which got him signed by them), made his ASÉ debut. He was scheduled to face “Frontman” Jah-C, but Jah couldn’t make it. He was replaced by AEW’s Bishop Kaun, making his ASÉ return. Very good match. Hill had a great week, but Kaun had too much power, putting Hill down with a Pedigree. He makes it plain he’s targeting the Pan Afrikan World Championship in a disrespectful promo with Bonner after the match.
Savannah Evans vs. Joseline Navarro
ASÉ Women’s Championship Tournament First Round Match
In a match in the ASÉ Women’s tournament match up, “The Gold Standard” Joseline Navarro had to face a substitute as her original opponent, Kiera Hogan, was also unable to attend. “The Spark” Jada Stone, recent TNA Knockout signing, wanted to fill the spot, feeling that if she beat Navarro, it would square things between her and Hogan, who’ve had ongoing misunderstandings since Stone filled in for Hogan in a tag match and lost. Coleman already has a substitute: “The Cannibal” Savannah Evans, very recently a Knockout herself.
Evans and Navarro have a solid match. Both are power-based wrestlers, but Navarro is noticeably smaller. Evans counters a top rope crossbody with a kick to Navarro’s midsection, finishing her with a full nelson slam. Where this leaves Hogan, they’ll figure out.
Owen Knight vs Darian Bengston
Grudge Match
Photo credit: ASÉ Wrestling
“The Working Team Captain,” Owen Knight, may have settled his longtime feud with Darian Bengston in a very good and physical Grudge match. Knight is one of the best heat-seeking heels in the South for the last 5-8 years. Bengston being one of the many promising stars on the rise. Knight almost cost himself the bout, choosing to get a mic to taunt Bengston, but the veteran heel did veteran heel things, getting the ref looking one way so he could hit a low blow on Bengston, then hitting a variation of the F5 off the top rope. Good finish to a strong match.
DMNTME vs. Uglee Gang
Trevor Aeon, Knull, and Joe Black vs Rehyan Inteus, Jordan Holt, and Zay Vega
6 Man No DQ Match
Photo credit: ASÉ Wrestling
The Uglee Gang got one of the biggest wins of their young careers as hometown guys Jordan Holt and Zay Vega teamed with veteran big man “Creampie Papi” Reyhen Inteus to beat DMNTME, the badass dark veteran team consisting of Joe Black, Trevor Aeon and the young giant, Knull, a unit that devastated Uglee Gang and Inteus at the Anniversary show. This was the wildest brawl in ASE’s short history. With the ref losing control quickly and just letting them go at it. They had several ongoing plunder-filled brawls all over the very humid venue. Way too much to ever describe in a single review. The Gang and Inteus finally isolate Aeon, beating him after a series of finishers, ending with a Holt Frog Splash.
Incredible show-stealing bout. The Uglees and Inteus get a short time to celebrate when the brother team of Treehouse Lee and Saieve Al Sabah, also known as The Audacity, make their return. No violence, but they put the Uglee Gang on notice. The promo was long and hard to hear live, but it was one of those things that works better on TV than in person. The tag scene in ASÉ should be looking for tag gold after they crown a Women’s champion.
Good hype video for the incoming “The Urban Playboy” PB Smooth (who was there in the venue). Another good big man.
ASÉ Men’s champion “The Allfather” Darius Carter spoke with new backstage interviewer Dancy. Mainly about his main event with ASÉ founder and longtime heated rival, Darius Lockhart. Ryan Rembrandt politely interrupts and wants to work for Mr. Carter. We’ll see.
Suge D vs. Isaiah Broner
Pan-Afrikan World Diaspora Championship Match
Photo credit: ASÉ Wrestling
Suge D and “The Problem” Isaiah Broner (with Joseline Navarro) had a tough, competitive bout for Suge’s Pan Afrikan championship. It was Suge’s tenacity and technical prowess vs Broner’s sheer power, which was impressive. Broner had a decisive advantage late when Bishop Kaun interfered, attacking both men, forcing the match to be thrown out. To have an indecisive finish for a match that went a good distance was a little flat, but not due to the match’s quality. It was just hot as hell, and it was a long card. Suge decides to give Kaun what he wants and agrees to put the title on the line on the July return. I hope Broner gets another shot because that was a good match and should have had a winner. Kaun is a very good heel.
Cedric Alexander vs. Yahya
Photo credit: ASÉ Wrestling
The wrestler the event was named after made his hometown return, his first independent match in Charlotte in 8 years as “Pryme” Cedric Alexander, who made his debut on TNA iMPACT! that Thursday night, defeated ASÉ fan favorite “The Gifted One” Yahya in a feature bout. Great match. Respectful battle between beloved babyfaces. They went at it. Awesome false finish with Yahya taking two Concussion on Demand dropkicks in the corner, followed by a brainbuster and still kicking out at a close 2. Alexander quickly clamps on an ankle lock and then a heel hook while grapevining the leg, forcing a submission.
Alexander then shocks everyone by burying Yahya and the entire NC independent scene for their complacency. Seeing that he’s the “only one” to make it out (not remotely true, but good heel work). So, thank God he’s back to save it. Jeez. The mic work was as stiff as the chops thrown by Inteus and Knull earlier.
Faye Jackson vs. Karen “BamBam” Renee
Special Guest Referee WWE Legend Jazz
ASÉ Women’s Championship Tournament First Round Match
Photo credit: ASÉ Wrestling
Former NWA and WWF/E World Women’s Champion Jazz served as a special guest referee in the ASÉ Women’s tournament match between Faye Jackson and Karen “Bam Bam” Renee, a rematch of their first bout last September, which Jackson won. A Lady Hoss Fight with Renee picking up the win. Jackson might have been in too celebratory a mood, with it being her birthday and having already beaten Renee once while Renee came to fight. Renee popped Jackson with a foreign object and took the match with a Squish-a-Bish (Banzai Drop). The spot where Jackson twerked on Renee while she was seated on Swole was good comedy.
Renee was not happy with just the win and hit another SaB. She went for a third with Jazz stopping her until Savannah Evans came out (big pop from her hometown crowd). Renee chose to leave at that point. A lot of shenanigans, but Renee continues to look good.
Darius Carter vs. Darius Lockhart
ASÉ Men’s Championship
Photo credit: ASÉ Wrestling
“The Allfather” Darius Carter successfully retained the ASÉ Men’s championship against “The Revolutionary” Darius Lockhart in the main event. Darius is definitely the anti-Verne/Fritz/Vince by not putting his own title on himself. I thought he knew his wrestling history. Very good match. Since his in-ring return after a 2-year layoff in February 2024, Lockhart has looked great, while Carter has been one of the hottest and most decorated heels on the independent scene over the last 10 years. Some great technical wrestling and intense brawling, something that would have fit right in in Mid-Atlantic Wrestling in 1979.
Ryan Rembrandt made good on wanting to prove himself to Carter, hitting Lockhart with a metal briefcase behind the back of the referee, setting up Carter’s Cobra Clutch face plant finish for the win. Rembrandt almost waited too late as referee Nick Shin almost caught him. Fans started throwing ice and trash in the ring. That’s a sign it’s time for the champ to leave, but he doesn’t. He and Rembrandt go to double-team Lockhart, but Billy Dixon makes a surprise return (he was last seen in ASÉ on the receiving end of a sneak attack by Carter) and saves.
A thankful Lockhart says he thinks Dixon should get a title shot, seeing how he was knocked out of the Men’s tournament unfairly. He has to clear it with Commissioner Coleman. Sounds like we have a main event for the July return.
A long show but a good one with some good to great matches, a pair of tournament matches, an insane brawl, and the heels eating like they were at a buffet. That’s as Southern a show as you can get.
The Real Uncle Dave grade: A (94 out of 100)
Follow me @therealuncdave.bsky.social
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