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NWA Anarchy ran their second television taping of 2009 Saturday night drawing a crowd of 160 to the NWA Arena in Cornelia.
While the size of the crowd had to be encouraging, the reaction of the crowd was not. They’re drawing about the same as a year ago, but the typical Anarchy crowd has a lot more zip to it than they did last night. Maybe it was the miserably cold weather putting a damper on things. It felt like something more. People were attentive, like they were waiting for something to move them, and only the big stuff did.
True, it was a story development show. There’s a long way to go before Hardcore Hell –five television tapings – not the time to be giving people too much. Problem was this show ran the risk of giving them too little.
The thing it lacked was star power in the ring. Shatter and Creed have graduated to the major leagues. Sal Rinauro is working elsewhere these days. Iceberg had the night off. Mikal Judas, Truitt Fields and Slim J were there but in non-wrestling capacities.
The tradition in Cornelia has been building new stars from the ground up, and that’s never easy. The wrestlers Anarchy is trying to elevate are not at the level of the stars whose shoes they’re trying to fill, and it’s not realistic to think that they would be. They have people that are capable of getting there - New Wave, JT Talent and Hayden Young all come to mind - along with the guy that took matters into his own hands, Kyle Matthews.
It really helps somebody steps into the picture with star aura. Kimo was a prime example of that. Obviously, this is way easier said than done. The problem with too much of the Anarchy talent is that the fans have witnessed all of their growing pains. Kimo level guys are almost impossible to find without running counter to the business model of Cornelia wrestling.
Announcer Greg Hunter directed attention to the WrestleVision for clips of the horrific and humiliating beating New Wave received at the hands of Talent & Money two weeks ago. Steven Walters and Derrick Driver were both busted open with Driver getting major blood flow. They cut to footage of Driver in the locker room afterwards. This was Driver like he’s never seen him before –crazy mad about being split open and thirsting for revenge. They cut to the parking lot where Talent & Money were pulling up in their limo. New Wave attacked and they brawled their way into the building and on into the ring. New Wave had big ass bandages on their foreheads. Anarchy personnel jumped in to break it up. NWA Anarchy owner Jerry Palmer laid down the law. He ordered New Wave to act more champion like and threatened T & M with suspension. Palmer said they would settle it in the ring. This was all very well done.
(1) Don Matthews & Chip Day & Bo Newsome beat Jeff Lewis & Jay Clinton & Mike Mosley in 7 minutes. It came across like Lewis was a class above the other guys in this match. A sneaky knee from Lewis started the heat on Newsome. Matthews, whose gear is looking pretty shabby these days, cleaned house with the hot tag. Lewis ran away from Matthews, then tripped him up from the outside. As always, it boiled down to Matthews and Clinton. Clinton locked knuckles with Matthews and did a strut along the top rope. Matthews cut off that nonsense by nutting Clinton on the top rope and picked him off with The Lariat. They’ve done that spot seven ways from Sunday. I think its run its course.
Todd Sexton appeared on the WrestleVision in a pre-taped segment. Sexton said he was going to take a shift as Anarchy trainer replacing the injured Slim J. The designated Anarchy trainees were Taco Delgado (APW) and a guy they call Dizzy, because of what happens when he takes bumps. Sexton totally abused them. “You see Slim J, there are no bad students, just bad teachers.†This angle works for me.
(2) Hayden Young beat Alan Funk in 8:30. They got off to fast start. Very little heat though. Funk is in great shape and his work is sharp. But the crowd isn’t sure what to make of him, and at this point, they’re not sure they really care. Melissa Coates came out to observe from the ramp. Funk did the Hogan leg drop to zero reaction. Young rallied and tried for a spinning headscissors, but Funk planted him with a facebuster for a near fall. Young hit a springboard enzuirgiri and pinned Funk with the Flying Squirrel. Young went over clean with his finisher and it still felt like a match that didn’t do much for him.
Postmatch, Coates shoved Young away and helped Funk to the back. She’s one fickle woman. She left Chase, turned babyface for all of six weeks before deserting Palmer, and now this guy?
(3) “Sugar†Shaun Tempers beat Tyler Smith (with Bobby Moore) via DQ in 7:56. Tempers proved to be the better wrestler, so Smith dumped him out to Moore, who rammed Sugar’s back into the apron. Smith worked the body part. Tempers blocked a German suplex to start his comeback. He got a long two count with a bridging Northern lights suplex. Smith rolled through on an O’Connor roll, but Tempers kicked out of it. Tempers hit a major league spinning hangman neckbreaker and Moore jumped him for the DQ. The NWA Anarchy Television Champion Truitt Fields made the save, thus returning the favor he received from Tempers two weeks ago. Match was fine for the purposes of continuing a good story.
Hunter announced Tempers & Fields vs. Technicians for February 7.
(4) Kimo (with Jeff G. Bailey) beat Chris King via submission. It didn’t take Bailey’s vicious psychopath very long either. Crowd was quiet. They knew King was a dead man walking. Kimo blocked everything King could throw at him, then leveled him with a single thrust to the throat. Devastation ensued. The finish saw King try to mount the ropes. Kimo dumped him off his back like a sack of potatoes before applying the Information Extractor.
Kimo was about to give King the Six Finger Punch of Death when the lights went out…The lights came on to find Mikal Judas standing in the ring. Kimo was on the ramp ready to pounce on anyone coming from the back. Guess again. Judas gave Kimo and Bailey the evil eye.
(5) Malachi pinned Adryan Hawkins in around 6 minutes. Another match that got very little reaction. Nothing wrong with the work. Crowd just wasn’t feeling it. Hawkins busted out a koppo kick. Hawkins applied a variation of the Gori Especial and Malachi reversed it with a sunset flip for the three count.
They showed a WrestleVision vignette in which Lewis fired Clinton from his entourage in favor of the more refined Mosley. Mosley was reading aloud from some fine piece of literature. Lewis complimented Mosley on his class and knowledge. Of Clinton, Lewis said, “You disappoint me,†and fired his ass.
(6) Azrael (with The Reverend & Skirra Corvus) beat Kyle Matthews to retain the Young Lion’s Title in 6:03. Match of the night easy. Best pure action I saw all weekend. Corvus (from APW) popped up out of nowhere –a beanpole of a guy in a spiked leather jack and a burlap hood with nails sticking out. The Reverend was ecstatic about his new minion. The last few minutes were explosive. Frighteningly stiff and spot on timing. It started with a blistering exchange of chops and slaps. Matthews was giving as good as he got, and with Azrael, that’s saying something. Matthews hit a picture perfect missile dropkick. Azrael finished with the Ted Bundy. I think this match left the fans with a new level or respect for Matthews. He might be underrated by the fans, but never by the other wrestlers. Matthews paid a physical price for it. He was still loopy after the show. Thankfully, no concussion, just a badly busted lip that required stitches.
Slim J got the big pop as he interrupted Greg Hunter’s introduction of the next match. J ripped Sexton for what he did to the trainees. J said Sexton knew who would win a fight between the two of them. However, J said he didn’t yet have the doctor’s clearance to wrestle. J said Sexton and bleacher fans that cheered for him had something in common – jealousy.
(7) TK Cross beat Seth Delay via DQ. Crowd was dead. There was no way they could follow the undeniable realism of Azrael and Matthews. Cross used a catapult early. Delay controlled the body of the match. Delay tried to catapult Cross, but he countered with a springboard crossbody. Cross hit a running power slam for his big near fall. Delay pinned Cross with the Overnite Sensation (cradle DDT). Delay made a huge production pulling the brass knucks out of his tights. He clocked Cross. Ref Ken Wallace DQ him on the spot. Delay then accosted Wallace.
Shadow Jackson & Ace Rockwell beat Jeremy Vain & Rob Adonis in 13:58. Big pop for Rockwell as Jackson’s mystery partner. Alternating chants of “Ace†and “Shadowmania." Not like usual though. Vain cowered from Jackson. Adonis was overpowering Rockwell, so he poked him in the eyes and stomped his foot – as a really over babyface, Rockwell could get away with it. In a classic “be careful what you ask for†moment, Vain ended up in the ring with Jackson. After getting bounced around for a while, Vain scampered for a tag. Jackson wouldn’t sell Adonis’ chops. Good thing. Those suckers looked weak. Jackson made a rudo sandwich with a flying butt bump. Rockwell used Jackson’s back as a springboard for a Stinger splash. Sweet combo. Rockwell tried for a bulldog and got shot off into a brick wall named Mr. Adonis. Vain and Adonis destroyed Rockwell’s back with high impact moves. Hot tag. Adonis cut Jackson off with a spinebuster and put Vain on top. Jackson kicked out. The crowd went nuts for Shadow. Blind tag to Rockwell. Aces High. Vain never knew what hit him. An entertaining main event.
NOTES: Phil Shatter beat Crusher Hansen to win the NWA National Heavyweight Championship last night in McKeesport, Pa…Hardcore Hell ’09 is set for April 18 in Cornelia…Shatter, Judas, Kimo & Lewis (with Bailey), Fields and New Wave are all booked for the inaugural NWA Charlotte show on January 24 in Charlotte at the NWA Coliseum. New Wave takes on the Naturals. Fields faces former Deep South Wrestling Champion Ryan O’Reilly…Anarchy affiliate, Alternative Pro Wrestling, has announced the date for their next super show will be February 13 in Royston, Ga.
