Big Valley Wrestling: The Downtown SLAM! (4.15.26) review 

 

April 15, 2026 

 

Review from guest reviewers William Brown (@SuzukiIncident on Twitter/X) and Al Scoops (@AlScoops on Twitter/X)

 

We’re at the Las Vegas Civic Center. This show is being livestreamed on the City of Las Vegas’ official YouTube channel. Imagine someone put up a 2×2 ring in front of your city hall. That’s basically this. 

 

Promo Time: Nic Zander

Dino (who we’re supposed to know already) introduces the territory’s champion Nic Zander, and he slowly heelishly walks to the ring with his toy belt. This dude reeks of local indie. He has a grown-out Rob Van Dam undercut, and speedruns every cheap heel heat promo trope. “You kid, will never be a Las Vegas Champion” I mean yeah and tomorrow the sun will rise, not a big flex. 

 

Dino’s commentary partner Kaylee Underwood is putting on her best Miss Rachel to explain to the children in the audience how a Battle Royal works. As Miss Rachel tells us all that the three men about to make their entrance are specimen, “each and every one of them”, Dragonforce’s Through The Fire and the Flames echoes out across the Carolyn G. Goodman Plaza and three figures appear across the grassy knoll on the horizon. They are “A Cowboy”, “A Juggernaught“ and “A Coach, I think”. This is professional wrestling at its finest. 

 

 

I assume Kidd Bandit was told by the promoter “Sorry, you can’t use this music, it’s for our homegrown stars: a cowboy, a juggernaut and a coach, I think.” 

 

Promo Time: Jimmy Jack, Mikey O’Shea & Greatness Brandon Gee

Miss Rachel decides we need to interview everybody. This show has already gone on for 12 minutes. Mikey O’Shea is up first, and he just wants us all to know instead of walking the grassy knoll again he’s gonna sit in the crowd until his music hits. Brandon Gee has a big book of greatness. His mate Jimmy Jack is half Post Malone, half Festus. Gee gets booed and walks away, not answering a question. Festus Malone sends us off on a high by giving us all a nice headphone breaking promo. 

 

Promo Time: Kidd Bandit

The third member of the announcing team is out to interview another wrestler. We’re 17 minutes into this show. Not a single professional wrestling match. Bandit has to settle for The Hand That Feeds by Nine Inch Nails. Promo about retiring and the match yadda yadda. Some wrestling would be nice right now. We’ve just found out that we’re watching the preshow for the show but it’s too late now we’re in too deep. 

 

They do an open challenge. Guy with the hat ends every sentence with HAHA. They cut a promo that is perfectly serviceable for a “whatever time of day it is” show outside a city hall. The All Day Crew, two lads in letterman jackets, have come to play the heel and call out Lights Camera Faction. Appropriately named tag team since this show takes place during the day. 

 

Promo Time: Ricky Tenacious

Ricky Tenacious shows up having a boogie to I Will Survive. He schtick is being flamboyant and camp even though he’s dressed like Shelton Benjamin in 2003. Least convincing musical theatre kid ever. 

 

“Ok I think we heard enough talking” truer words. 

 

The mic sound levels are peaking crazy so that’ll be great to endure. 

 

Over the Top Rope Jackpot Gauntlet Match 

This match had more build than most of the matches on Wrestlemania thanks to the secret pre-show we sat through. Expecting big things. First entrant Sphinx comes out to a Bad Bunny song with an opening that sounds like the Best Friends theme song. We checked and the Best Friends theme song came first, so Mikey Ruckus I suggest you get your Benito bag. 

 

 

Robby Avion out second and I had to rewind to find this out because the name plate said his name was “OVER THE TOP ROPE JACKPOT GAUNTLET MATCH” Everyone in this promotion has banger theme music as Da Goosh arrives to Madonna’s Hung Up. His worker name is also great. It sounds like something I would change my Twitter name to. Andrew Delgado comes out to a remix of Can You Feel My Heart which I presume is a receipt for Pete Dunne larping as a luchador. 

 

Mr. Greatness smacks everyone with his book. Haven’t seen a man look less ready for TV than NXT on Tuesday nights. Can’t Stop Jamal’s entrance is hyped up as a really sick entrance but fuck if the cameramen are gonna get any of it. When they eventually cut to him hes weaving through every row and having a dance with his stop sign. Someone is DDT’d on said stop sign and sells it like death. 

 

A “you can’t read” chant starts up against Brandon Gee. If the crowd were really smart, they’d have started a “Let’s Go Brandon” chant. Bovi “The Bear Maximum” is out next and he comes out to Pink Pony Club. As I wait to see him on the feed, I imagine whether this is the other half of a potential Parrow dream match. I see him get his shit in. Honestly could be a slay. We now discover Kidd Bandit had to yield to Mikey O’Shea and given he just decided to sit in the crowd until it was his turn to get his shit in, I imagine he’s an effective negotiator. 

 

Two scrubs join in, nothing special, and then Festus Malone gets the coveted final entrant spot. Fast forward and the three guys who had the promo in the “preshow” were all involved in the finish as Brandon Gee eliminates Festus who eliminated Mike O’Shea and he will be back in the main event. Nobody really worked well together in this it was just an excuse to have a bunch of workers on a show. ½* 

 

Tag Team Championship 

Lights Camera Faction (c) vs. All Day Crew  

All Day Crew continue the hot streak of “good entrance music” by using Rev Theory’s Hell Yeah. Lights Camera Faction are billed from WAKANDA STUDIOS… seriously? In big 2026? The crowd know these lads enough and do their cut gesture as they head to the ring. All Day Crew spend the start of the match giving Lights Camera Faction sore legs. Frescomatic does not sell the sore legs when he’s getting his offense in. More working the leg.  

 

 

We’re cut to an aerial shot just at the hot tag. What a view. Cool flip off the top rope from other Lights Camera Faction guy. This match was fine. I for some reason am really annoyed that yer man didn’t sell the leg, but it’s pretty standard tag team fare. ** 

 

Mondo Avion vs. American Pegasus  

The hits just keep coming! Mondo Avion with the Danger Zone theme tune we are eating so good. American Pegasus is wearing a Tiger Mask style mask rather than anything equine which is a choice. He also starts with cat-related moves? Is this guy okay? They keep it short thankfully, and our catboy horse with wings wins a completely whatever match. *½ 

 

Promo Time: Kid Isaac  

This guy uses All Star. Genuinely, you will not find a better roster of theme songs than this show. It is non-stop bangers. I’m starting to realise that Big Valley Wrestling is a “bring your kids to our shows” kind of promotion based on their champion being what I can only describe as the male Bayley. They have the same gear save for the obvious Pee Wee Herman influences. Brandon Gee Pearl Harbours Kid Isaac from the side. Isaac says we can do the championship match right now and better yet let’s make it a street fight. 

 

BVW Championship 

Kid Isaac (c) vs. Brandon Gee  

“When the action looks like it’s coming your way, it is, please move out of the way and do not touch the athletes they are dangerous” Something about that announcement to an audience with a decent amount of kids in it is not lost on me. Kid Isaac is the first worker on this show to actually involve the crowd in the match. The crowd gets to watch this match in 3D as the Mania night 1 preshow suggested. We actually get to see that a decent crowd turned up for this show. About three kids try their luck and get as close to the wrestlers as they possibly can. 

 

Kid Isaac decides to run the entirety of the grassy knoll but ends up getting a big boot to the face and gets bodyslammed into some real grass (cry me a river). The commentary team even posit whether the grass is real. There’s some good stuff with the weapons here. Drew Mac and Jacob Fatu could have taken some notes on how to do a family friendly match with gimmicks cause this is a lot of fun. It does take a while for them to decide to go home they could have easily shaved off seven minutes, but the good guy wins. **¼ 

 

Ricky Tenacious vs. Santana Jackson  

Ricky Tenacious sings along to his theme music. That’s sick as hell. The bit is surely that he can’t really sing. So at least he’s a self aware musical theatre guy. He tries to get the crowd to sing along, no takers. A child is also following him around as he does this entrance. I am amused. Former GCW appearer Santana Jackson has sold Big Valley Wrestling on the value proposition of having him on a show so close to the release of the Michael Jackson biopic.  Eight kids stand in awe as he does his moonwalk, and various Jackson moves. Michael would be so proud. 

 

The commentary team react way too hard for the ref taking a chop from Tenacious, but it’s chill cause the referee chops Tenacious back. They unfortunately attempt to work a match, at one point Jackson goes out of sight (it’s dark now) in order to put on a wolf mask and do some Thriller on Ricky’s ass. Moonwalk DDT and it’s over. The kids were loving this one. ½* 

 

BVW Fighting Championship 

Taniya (c) vs. Kidd Bandit  

This match is effectively Bloodsport rules but with ropes: you can only win via knockout or submission. No word from commentary about whether there is a limit on rope breaks. Given we’re on Kidd Bandit’s farewell tour, it’s pretty clear how this is gonna go. Taniya arrives with a big bubble shooter and the kids pop huge. I can’t believe these youngins are witnessing their first step down the rabbit hole of shoot style. 

 

Commentary can’t stop calling Kidd Bandit “Kid Isaac” which fair enough we’ve been doing this 2 hours and 20 minutes at this point. Match has a slow start, but it gets going eventually. Credit to them for doing something a bit different with the Strong type rules. *½ We have 30 minutes left on this stream for the main event. 

 

Las Vegas Championship 

Nic Zander (c) vs. Bodhi Young Prodigy vs. Jack Cartwheel 

A looooot of people have fucked off since earlier in the day as you can see from the aerial shot. Jack Cartwheel allegedly cartwheels to the ring, but you can’t see any of it even though commentary is saying it. We start this match with a cartwheel off to get the kids to chant. The referee has been goaded into doing a cartwheel, and it’s the biggest pop of the night. The lights even flash for it. Thankfully, they remember they have a wrestling match to do. Cartwheel and BYP get a lot of fun spots in, with Zander playing the not very fun heel. He is a boilerplate heel, but these kids don’t know better, so they are eating it up.  

 

It’s a shame that Jack Cartwheel has been ID’d because one day he could possibly work for WWE, and then no kids will see him cartwheel because they can’t afford to go to WWE shows. This match knew exactly who was in that crowd, and they worked a match exactly for them, stuff to charge up already amped up kids. They were all over this. There’s about three sequences here where I thought it would be the finish, but it kept going. This is cinema (derogatory). After some interference from Can’t Stop Jamal, Nic Zander manages to get his finisher and retain. Phew. We did it. **¼ 

 

The 411: 

The kids in the crowd were absolutely loving so much of this, so for BVW this was a success. For me, I wish this was a show with an alcohol license, because the amount of banger entrance themes on this show, you’d have had some epic singalongs and probably quite a hot crowd for the main event. One particularly stinky match, the rest acceptable. 

 4.3