The LAB Experiment 05: Review

The show opened with a change to the usual pattern. Jonathan Johnson normally starts the card, but this time the first match was Dewdy, the SETUP 24/7 Champion, against Shivam. Dewdy came out in a striking all white outfit that stood out well against the bar setting.

The two men started with tie ups before Dewdy began to outpace Shivam with quicker, flashier offence. This clearly annoyed the champion, who slowed things down with a sleeper hold. From there the match turned into a proper bar brawl. A bar stool was put on Dewdy's head and Shivam dropkicked it into him, which looked painful. Dewdy then tried to use the bar itself for leverage and was dropped hard onto it instead. Shivam locked in a cloverleaf, but Dewdy kept fighting back with real fire. The action spilled close to the cameraman as Shivam pounded Dewdy into the bar, leaving a mess that will need clearing up before the next show. A big move got a near fall before Shivam finished things with a piledriver, using an object wrapped around Dewdy's face that this reviewer would rather not describe in detail. This was a strong opener and the first time the bar itself has been used as a proper weapon rather than just scenery.

Semi Main: Anont Alonzo vs Matcha

This was the hardest hitting match of the night. Matcha has become genuinely frightening to watch lately, slamming Alonzo down with real force, but the SETUP Openweight Champion gave as good as he got, firing punches straight back. Backbreakers and a body drop from Alonzo got a near fall, and he also used the room itself, slamming Matcha's hand into the wall in another good piece of location specific offence. A chop battle followed, and Matcha may have had the edge there, getting a close two with a running splash on two separate occasions. The Women's Champion then used a bar stool for another near fall before hitting a brutal German suplex that spilled into the crowd. Alonzo answered with a hard kick to the face, then finished her off with a sidewalk slam followed by a choke out. A genuinely brutal contest between two of the promotion's champions and one that will stick in the memory for some time.

Main Event: Jonathan Johnson vs P-Nutz

The main event opened as a pure technical contest before bigger moves came into play, with P-Nutz taking early control. A splash off the chairs missed for Johnson, allowing P-Nutz to roll him up. The veteran then took over again, throwing Johnson around and going for a choke out. A chop exchange followed, and it was Johnson who surprisingly went harder. A leg drop from P-Nutz missed, as did a clothesline attempt, and a missile dropkick from Johnson levelled things up. More chops followed before Johnson tried an aerial move and was met with a razor's edge for his trouble. Johnson answered with a hard belly to belly, then rolled P-Nutz up for the win in a tussle. Afterwards Johnson thanked his first sensei and acknowledged the lineage from their teacher, a nice touch given the pure wrestling style both men showed.

The Fallout

Shivam then came out for a promo addressing the fact that most of the SETUP roster still won't show up at the Lab. This led into the announcement of a Loser Leaves SETUP match set for August 28th. The next Lab show was also confirmed for that date, at Siam Mall.

Overall this was a solid outing, and with this being show five, it feels fair to now talk about the Lab as a promotion in its own right rather than a side project. It has quickly become a strong addition to Thai wrestling, connecting storylines from across the scene in a way that feels genuinely different. Full details on the August 28th show at Siam Mall to follow.