Terminus 2 Results: Winners, Grades Reaction and Highlights
Welcome to Bleacher Report's coverage and recap of the second Terminus Pro Wrestling pay-per-view.
The first Terminus event was held on January 16 and featured talents from all over the wrestling world coming together. We saw people from AEW, Impact, GCW and Ring of Honor.
With Shane "Swerve" Strickland appearing for the second event, Terminus was looking to make this show even bigger than the first.
We also saw Jonathan Gresham defend the ROH World Championship against Mike Santana of Proud and Powerful among the many other matches on Thursday.
Let's look at everything that went down at the second live Terminus special.
Chris Sabin vs. Leon Ruff vs. Kenny Alfonso vs. Tre Lamar
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The first match of the night was a Fatal 4-Way Terminal Eliminator match featuring Chris Sabin, Tre Lamar, Kenny Alfonso and former NXT North American champion, Leon Ruff. The bout had a 15-minute time limit.
The rules for this match were unique. It almost started off like a tag team match with Sabin and Lamar against Ruff and Alfonso. Sabin and Alfonso started off with a nice exchange of counters. Ruff tagged in after Alfonso took Sabin down with a textbook dropkick.
Ruff used his unique agility to springboard in and hit a headscissor takedown. Lamar came in and traded takedown attempts until Lamar drilled him with a dropkick.
Alfonso and Sabin ended up back in the ring together. The former Impact star took several kicks to the body before eating a modified stunner and a running knee to the face to give Alfonso a two-count.
We saw some high-flying antics from all four men as the match hit the 10-minute mark. Lamar hit Alfonso with a flying elbow drop to eliminate him from the match. This turned it into a more traditional thiple threat situation. Sabin almost took Ruff out of the match with a fisherman's suplex.
Ruff pinned Lamar with just over a minute left on the clock. After a few close calls, Sabin planted Ruff on his head to score the pin with just seconds left on the timer.
Grade: B
Analysis
A lot of fans will know Ruff from NXT and Sabin from his work with Ring of Honor and Impact over the years, but this was probably the first time a lot of people had a chance to see Lamar and Alfonso in action.
New promotions always want to establish signature matches and stipulations. While the rules for this were a little convoluted, it was easy to follow the action. The announcers did a decent job making sure things were explained as the match went along.
All four guys looked great in the ring and worked together to put on a fun display if fast-paced action. If there was any major critique, it would be that nobody took the time to sell anything for more than a second or two.
Matches like this, especially with time limits, make it difficult to sell, but it would have been nice to see a bit more of it. Other than that, this was a fun opening contest that showcased two well-known talents alongside two up-and-coming wrestlers.
Killa Kate vs. Queen Aminata
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Queen Aminata and Killa Kate fought in the first of two women's matches on the card. They shook hands but Aminata tried to intimidate her opponent a bit.
Kate was able to take her down and lock in a few submissions early on. She offered another handshake when they reset, but Aminata just pushed her in the face.
Kate took her down again and tried to get her to tap out with a few different combinations, but Aminata's size and power advantage allowed her to break free every time.
Aminata took control for a few moments and almost won with a small package. She tried to hit a German suplex but she didn't get Kate over far enough and it ended up hurting her more than it did Kate.
They ended up trading near-falls a few times before Aminata was able to keep Kate down for the three-count.
Grade: C+
Analysis
Terminus is attempting to establish strict rules. Things like pulling hair will get somebody one warning before a disqualification. The referee sticking to this and the announcers explaining it as the match went along helped the rules make more sense.
Other than the misstep with the German suplex, both women looked great. Kate had some solid technical skills with her use of submissions, and Aminata's strikes looked stiff and believable.
You could almost see their chemistry improve as the match went along. It wasn't perfect but they likely impressed some people who were unfamiliar with them before this show.
Daniel Garcia and Kevin Blackwood vs. Joe Keys and Dante Caballero
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On Wednesday, Daniel Garcia faced Bryan Danielson in a great match. On Thursday, the 23-year old was teaming with Kevin Blackwood to take on Dante Caballero and Joe Keys.
Keys and Garcia started for their teams, but it didn't take long for either man to tag out once the action started. Garcia and Blackwood kept Keys isolated while the ref held Caballero back. This allowed them to corner Keys and double-team him at every opportunity.
Once Caballero was able to tag back into the match, he pounded Blackwood into the mat. Garcia tagged in and took it to him with a flurry of hard strikes. He but Caballero's fingers as he kept him grounded in a submission just to add insult to injury.
Blackwood tagged in and hit a pair of German suplexes before Garcia assisted him with a third by hitting a clothesline. Kays had some time to recover, so he came in fresh and cleaned up against Garcia and Blackwood.
Keys was busted open as Blackwood and Garcia hit him with a series of big moves in an attempt to get the pin. He kicked out a few times before Caballero had to save him. He and Keys hit Blackwood with a double-team finisher for the win.
Grade: B-
Analysis
There was a little more selling in this than there was in the Fatal 4-Way, but it still felt like they could have benefitted from slowing down here and there to make sure they made the big spots look painful.
It's funny to think that Garcia is the youngest man in the match and may also be the most well-known due to his time with AEW. While he definitely stood out, the other three guys had just as much offense.
Terminus has some different rules like a five-count when someone is out of the ring instead of 10 and no strikes with a closed fist. The announcers did a much better job of explaining these differences than they did during the first show, which helped more of this match make sense.
There was some good chemistry on display in this one, but it often felt like they were going from spot to spot without taking the time to interact with the crowd or tell a story. Matches like that are fine, but mainstream wrestling fans may not connect to it the way a live crowd will.
Serena Deeb vs. Liiza Hall
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AEW's Serena Deeb was in action in the second women's match on the card against Liiza Hall. The PRofessor got a great reaction as she made her entrance.
While Deeb had the experience advantage, Hall had a height and slight power advantage, so the technician had to work a little harder to control her opponent than she has in some of her recent five-minute challenges in AEW.
They kept things technical in the early minutes of the match by going back and forth with various submissions. Every time it looked like Hall's strength would put her in control, Deeb found a way to counter her offense.
She kept most of her offense focused on Hall's left arm. Hall was able to apply a seated sleeper hold, but Deeb twisted her ankle and hung her up on the top rope to break free. Deeb hit a neckbreaker across the middle rope for a quick two-count.
Deeb yanked Hall's leg under the bottom rope and hit it against the ring post a few times to soften her up. Hall was able to get the upper hand and hit a Death Valley Driver for a near-fall. She put Deeb in a half crab, but Deeb clawed her way to the bottom rope to force a break.
Deeb was able to apply her finisher, but Hall didn't tap out before the clock ran out. The announcer said they would have 90 seconds for overtime. Deeb was able to get the pin after a few moments to score the win. Deeb showed her opponent some respect after the bell.
Grade: B+
Analysis
From a pacing and technical standpoint, this was the best match of the night up to this point. Both competitors worked hard to make this both fundamentally sound and competitive at the same time.
Deeb's technical prowess is well-documented, but Hall kept up with her at every turn. If she wasn't on people's radar before this match, she is now.
They sold each other's offense and took their time without dragging their feet. This was just a good all-around match between two tough pro wrestlers. You can't ask for much more than that.
Shane "Swerve" Strickland vs. Davey Richards
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Richards vs. Strickland was up next. Swerve took his time getting to the ring during his entrance as he took the time to go around the ring and interact with fans.
Swerve taunted Richards with his height advantage before they locked up and began trying to gain control with different holds. Richards avoided a crucifix pin by bridging up with his neck.
Swerve had to grab the bottom rope to get out of an ankle lock. They showed a little sportsmanship with a quick fist bump before locking fingers for a test of strength.
Richards countered a suicide dive with a double stomp that sent Swerve to the apron to recover. The former ROH champion brought him back in and locked him in a seated abdominal stretch.
He hit a stiff kick to the chest that floored Strickland immediately. Swerve hit a hard right hand and received a warning from the ref. He followed up with a backbreaker and a couple of clotheslines.
Richards hit a brainbuster for a close two-count. The crowd chants "This is awesome" as we approached three minutes left on the clock. Swerve hit a double stomp on the apron that took both men down to the floor. Swerve made it back in, but Richards was counted out.
Swerve seemed upset by the way he won, but Richards held his hand up and gave him a hug anyway.
Grade: A-
Analysis
For two guys who can go just about as fast as they want to in the ring, they showed a lot of restraint by making the first five minutes of this match a technical showcase.
They took their time to establish their styles and feel each other out before they picked up the pace, but once they did, they barely slowed down for a second.
The only thing some people will find to complain about is the match ending in a countout, but if Terminus is building a brand and wants this to be a marquee feud in the future, it made sense to give Swerve the win without pinning or submitting Richards.
Baron Black vs. Jay Lethal
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Baron Black and Jay Lethal fought the next match. They circled each other before trading wristlocks several times. They maintained a slow pace as they continued to test each other out with different holds. The first time they ran the ropes, Lethal hit a shoulder tackle.
Black was sent out to the apron and hit with a dropkick to knock him down to the floor. The ref warned Lethal for throwing his opponents over the top rope, which is against the Pure Rules stipulation.
Every time it looked like Black would turn things around, Lethal found a way to keep control and take him down. He signaled for the Lethal Injection, but Black was able to hit him with a snap German suplex first.
You could see a sense of urgency creep in as they hit five minutes left on the timer. Black countered a few suplexes before Lethal finally planted him with two in a row.
Lethal put him in the Figure Four and Black was forced to use one of his rope breaks. Black countered the Lethal Injection into a rear-naked choke with 30 seconds left on the clock. Lethal used one of his rope breaks as the timer ran out, so the 90-second overtime was put in motion.
Black put up a good fight but he eventually fell to the Lethal Injection to give Lethal the victory.
Grade: B+
Analysis
Both men looked good. They didn't make any big mistakes and appeared to know each other's style like the back of their own hand. It may have been a little slower than expected in places, but that allowed them to sell for each other a little more.
The second half was definitely more action-packed than the first. The graphic shown before the match listed this as a Pure Rules bout, but it was actually fought under normal Terminus rules.
Jonathan Gresham vs. Santana (ROH Championship)
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The main event of the evening saw Gresham put the ROH Championship on the line against AEW's Santana of Proud and Powerful. Like the previous bout, this was contested under Pure Rules. Santana grabbed a mic before the match began and put over his opponent before asking if they wanted to wrestle or fight.
Gresham nodded and shook his hand as the ref called for the bell. They locked up and Santana tried to take the fight out to the floor. Gresham rolled right back in. Santana hit a back elbow and tried to do the same thing again, but the ROH champion was not having it.
Santana was finally able to send him out of the rope and hit a suicide dive that sent him into the first row. He hit Gresham with a massive chop that visibly knocked a bunch of sweat off of his chest.
The champ brought the fight back in the ring and started wrestling Santana down to the mat instead of allowing it to turn into a brawl as Santana wanted. He kept the New York native grounded with several different submissions.
Santana was issued a warning for using a closed fist as we reached the 15-minute mark. Over the next five minutes, both men came close to pinning the other several times.
As Gresham had Santana down for the pin, the ref screwed up the timing and allowed him to kick out. They reset and Gresham got the win. Gresham and Santana had some fun in the ring before shaking hands and hugging to end the show.
Grade: B+
Analysis
Every other bout on the card had a 15-minute time limit, but this one was given a full hour since it was the lone title match of the night. Of course, the only used about 20 minutes.
Unlike some of the other contests that just felt like competitive fights, this match had a story to it. Santana wanted to fight with his fists, but Gresham made him work the ROH style. It was simple but effective.
It was nice to see Santana presented as a big singles star after spending so much time in AEW as a tag team specialist.
The finish being botched by the referee kind of killed the flow at the end, but it was a couple of seconds out of 20 minutes of great wrestling, so it's hard to be too upset about it.
Terminus has now put on two good shows in a row. Let's hope this promotion thrives so we can have more companies that can give wrestlers a decent way to make a living.
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