🌐 IRON GRIP PRO WRESTLING – SHOW 32: “CLUTCH CITY”
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Attendance: 17,280 (Sold Out)
Theme: “Grip the World” by Architects
Commentary Team: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Excalibur
🔥 PRE-SHOW HYPE PACKAGE
- Recap of Swerve vs Punk’s buildup, with Swerve taking verbal shots at Punk’s ego and Punk calling Swerve an “unworthy anarchist.”
- Omega/Page’s brutal first two matches are recapped.
- Hurt Business returns with Carmelo Hayes hinted as the “5th man” in cryptic fashion.
- Paragon warns DIY that the Undisputed Era may be dead, but Paragon is evolution reborn.
- Intercontinental division shown heating up as Okada leads a warpath with Owens fighting for pride.
📺 MATCH 1: Drew McIntyre vs Randy Orton – Money in the Bank Briefcase Match
Storyline Recap:
Drew McIntyre won the briefcase controversially. Orton, a veteran, has been calling out Drew for being unstable and undeserving. Drew, now slightly unhinged, accuses Orton of gatekeeping.
Match:
A brutal, slow-paced clinic. Orton targets the neck early. Drew uses suplexes and chops, absorbing punishment. After multiple near-finishes (RKO, Future Shock, Claymore), Drew goes for a top rope Claymore. Orton hits a MID-AIR RKO… but Drew rolls to the outside. After returning, Drew counters a Punt Kick with a Glasgow Kiss and hits two Claymores to win.
Winner: Drew McIntyre (wins Money in the Bank)
📺 MATCH 2: Finn Balor vs Karrion Kross
Storyline Recap:
A dark, psychological feud. Balor has mocked Kross for being a “manufactured monster.” Kross vows to break “The Prince.”
Match:
Stiff, psychological warfare. Kross no-sells Balor’s early offense. Balor uses quickness and focuses on Kross’ knee. Scarlett gets involved but Balor counters. Balor hits Coup de Grâce, but Kross kicks out. After a brutal Doomsday Saito on the apron, Kross locks in the Kross Jacket, choking Balor unconscious.
Winner: Karrion Kross (via submission/ref stoppage)
📺 MATCH 3: Rey Mysterio vs Ricochet – Street Fight
Storyline Recap:
Ricochet has been disrespecting legends, calling Rey “washed.” Rey fights for respect.
Match:
Insane spots. Kendo sticks, ladders, tables. Ricochet hits a 630 through a table for a near-fall. Rey hits a West Coast Pop from a ladder, and then a 619 wrapped in barbed wire. Rey removes his mask, fakes a handover, blinds Ricochet, and hits a Canadian Destroyer on a chair.
Winner: Rey Mysterio
📺 MATCH 4: Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs Sammy Guevara – Cruiserweight Title
Match:
Pace is frantic. Sammy plays the cocky heel, targeting Hiromu’s neck. Hiromu fights with reckless abandon. Spanish Fly off the apron by Sammy. Time Bomb countered into GTH, near-fall. Hiromu reverses a springboard into Time Bomb II for the win.
Winner: Hiromu Takahashi (Retains Cruiserweight Title)
📺 MATCH 5: LA Knight vs ELP vs Adam Cole vs Damian Priest vs Mustafa Ali vs Santos Escobar – #1 Contender IC Title
Storyline Recap:
Ali inserted himself and is pulling double duty. ELP has been mocking LA Knight’s charisma. Cole wants the belt for Paragon.
Match:
High chaos. Priest dominates early, Cole and ELP double-team him. LA Knight rallies with BFT on Escobar but gets taken out by Priest. Ali hits a 450 onto everyone outside. In the end, Cole sneaks in and low-blows Knight and pins ELP after Last Shot.
Winner: Adam Cole (New #1 Contender for IC Title)
📺 MATCH 6: Zack Sabre Jr. vs AJ Styles – Submission Match
Match:
Technical masterpiece. ZSJ frustrates Styles with grappling. AJ gets serious, targets the arm. ZSJ transitions out of Calf Crusher into a Japanese Leg Clutch and turns it into a Modified Triangle Armbar. AJ tries to counter into Styles Clash, but ZSJ reverses into a double wristlock w/ bridge for the submission.
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr.
📺 MATCH 7: Number 1 Contender Tag Team Tournament – 2 Matches
Match 7A: Reed & Fletcher vs War Raiders vs Speedball & Kevin Knight
Fast-paced opener. Reed and Fletcher dominate. Knight dives onto Hanson. Speedball kicks Ivar senseless, but Reed powerslams both Speedball and Knight. Fletcher tags in, hits Grimstone on Knight.
Winners: Bronson Reed & Kyle Fletcher
Match 7B: Andrade & Dragon Lee vs MCMG vs Young Bucks
Lucha-style vs Classic vs Superkicks. MCMG double team the Bucks. Dragon Lee dives through the ropes, Andrade hits a Hammerlock DDT on Alex Shelley. Bucks hit Meltzer Driver on Lee but Andrade steals the pin on Sabin.
Winners: Andrade & Dragon Lee
📺 MATCH 8: Paragon (Strong & O’Reilly) (c) vs DIY – Tag Titles
Match:
Classic tag team wrestling. Paragon isolates Gargano. Ciampa goes wild after hot tag. All four brawl. Gargano locks in Garga-No-Escape, but Strong breaks it with a knee. DIY goes for Meet in the Middle, but O’Reilly catches Ciampa in a Triangle. Strong hits a Sick Kick on Gargano for the pin.
Winners: Paragon (Retain Tag Titles)
Post-match: Adam Cole comes out to celebrate. Paragon stands tall.
📺 MATCH 9: Wardlow vs Jack Perry (w/ Sammy)
Jack cheats all match. Wardlow dominates, but Sammy distracts. Suddenly, Luchasaurus returns, masked and monstrous. He choke slams Wardlow onto steel steps. Jack hits Killswitch for the win.
Winner: Jack Perry
Post-match: Luchasaurus unites with Sammy and Jack, forming “Jurassic Evolution.”
📺 MATCH 10: Hangman Page vs Kenny Omega – Match 1 of Best of 5 (Loser Leaves NLPW After Series)
Series:
Match:
Emotional. Slow burn. Both men bleed. Hangman hits Deadeye on the floor. Omega hits V-Trigger after V-Trigger. Hangman kicks out of One-Winged Angel, shocking the crowd. Omega gets desperate. Tries a Phoenix Splash—misses. Hangman hits Buckshot Lariat x2.
Winner: Hangman Page (Leads series 1-0
Post-match: Omega nods in respect, limps away.
📺 MATCH 11: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Kevin Owens – Intercontinental Title
Match:
Owens is on fire, trying to prove he can hang. Cannonballs, frog splash, Stunner. Okada is calm. Hits Rainmaker early but only 2. Owens fights back with Pop-Up Powerbomb, near fall. In the end, Okada escapes a top-rope Stunner and hits Spinning Tombstone + Rainmaker.
Winner: Kazuchika Okada (Retains Intercontinental Title)
📺 MATCH 12: Hurt Business (Lashley, Cedric, Shelton, Ali & Carmelo Hayes) vs Cody Rhodes, Will Ospreay, Malakai Black, Brody King & Buddy Matthews
Story:
This 5v5 war has been building for weeks. Hurt Business sees themselves as elite. Carmelo is revealed officially in a custom gold/black gear.
Match:
Chaos. Lashley and Brody slug it out. Ospreay and Hayes have unreal sequences. Black hits Black Mass on Shelton, but Cedric breaks it up. Cody fights Ali with fire. Hayes pins Matthews with Nothing But Net.
Winners: Hurt Business
Post-match: Carmelo grabs the mic—“This ain’t just business. This is the takeover.”
📺 MAIN EVENT: Swerve Strickland (c) vs CM Punk – World Title Match
Storyline Recap:
CM Punk returned to Iron Grip with a vengeance, calling himself the “real world champion” and criticizing the chaos Swerve represents. He accused Swerve of leading a “movement without a message,” while Swerve branded Punk a relic clinging to the past. Tensions have risen in recent weeks, with Punk choking Swerve out with a chain on the go-home show, while Swerve mocked Punk with pipe bombs of his own—raw, personal promos referencing past failures, lawsuits, and broken friendships.
🎙️ Ring Introductions:
- Justin Roberts gives a full big-match intro.
- Crowd is white hot. Half cheering Punk, half booing him loudly.
- Swerve enters in full regalia, wearing a jacket that reads: “You Can’t Kill a Vibe.”
- Punk wears classic black tights, with white boots—serious demeanor. No nonsense.
🥊 Match Detail:
Round One – Control & Psychology:
- Punk starts with old-school chain wrestling, grounding Swerve with headlocks and shoulder tackles.
- Swerve stays composed, slithering out of holds and taunting Punk with little shimmies and slaps.
- Punk hits his knee strike/bulldog combo and yells “I’m the best in the world!” Crowd explodes in mixed reaction.
- Swerve escapes a GTS early, kicks Punk in the ribs mid-setup, and starts targeting his injured triceps (from his previous UFC stint—mentioned on commentary).
Round Two – Shift in Momentum:
- Swerve goes full hybrid—kicks, springboard uppercuts, and a House Call kick for a close 2.
- Punk rolls out and grabs the title. Ref yells at him, he tosses it down and flips off the crowd.
- Swerve dives over the ropes and hits Swerve Stomp off the apron onto the ramp.
- Back in the ring, Punk begs off—then pulls Swerve into a tight small package for 2.9!
- Punk plays mind games now, mocking Swerve’s dancing, then spits in his face.
- Swerve unleashes a flurry of strikes and hits JML Driver, but Punk gets a foot on the rope!
Final Sequence – High Drama:
- Punk hits a GTS, but Swerve kicks out at 2.5! Crowd can’t believe it.
- Punk pulls out the chain from his boot (call-back to last week), wraps it around his knee, but the ref catches him.
- While distracted, Swerve low-blows Punk (crowd goes wild), kicks the chain away, and hits a second JML Driver.
- Instead of pinning, Swerve climbs to the top rope and nails the Swerve Stomp, crushing Punk’s chest.
✅ Winner: Swerve Strickland (Retains the IGW World Championship)
🎉 Post-Match:
- Crowd is roaring. Swerve kneels over Punk, whispers something into his ear—camera doesn’t catch it.
- Punk rolls out, holding his ribs, disappointed, but nodding begrudgingly.
- Swerve celebrates on the ropes, title held high as pyro rains down.
Suddenly…
⚠️ DREW MCINTYRE’S MUSIC HITS!
- Drew storms down with the Money in the Bank briefcase.
- He stands on the ramp, staring Swerve down. The crowd thinks he’s cashing in—but he stops.
He holds up the briefcase… and drops it at the top of the ramp, pointing at the next PPV logo: “RECKONING.”
🏁 SHOW 32: FINAL MOMENTS
- The screen fades on Swerve and McIntyre staring each other down.
- Mauro yells, “We are headed for an earthquake in this company!”
- Roll credits with a montage of the night’s biggest moments:
- Carmelo Hayes standing tall.
- Jack Perry forming Jurassic Evolution.
- Adam Cole earning an IC title shot.
- Okada holding the belt in the rain of confetti.
- And Swerve, breathing heavy, gripping the World Title… still king.
