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NWA CHARLOTTE LIVE REPORT: LODI, RICHIE STEAMBOAT, TEAM BLONDAGE, CW ANDERSON AND MORE

NWA Charlotte emerged from the edge of extinction with a highly successful comeback event last night at their new home, the Metrolina Expo Center. Jam packed with content, it was their best show since their debut event, “Homecoming.”

There’s been turmoil aplenty of late. The April 25 event was shut down by after an anonymous complaint to the Charlotte Fire Department. The fire department inspection resulted in an initial decision to cease operations because of prohibitive costs of bringing the NWA Coliseum up to code. Promoters J.D. Costello and Jay Joyce quickly reversed that decision, citing overwhelming fans support coupled with the desire of city officials to see them stay in operation. But staying at the Coliseum was not an option, so they’ve moved into new digs. Need more drama? There’s always the ongoing battle with Greg Price (see notes below).

The Metrolina is your basic fairgrounds exposition building. The lights, sound and big screen from the old building were in place, so it didn’t come across low rent at all. No shortage of bathroom capacity. Beer on sale (Don’t get too excited. I believe it was limited to Miller Lite out of a can). I think the place is going to work out fine once they get it fixed up a bit.

“Total Compliance” drew a crowd of approximately 500 fans. The company had to be pleased with the turnout, which was in the range of what they were doing at the NWA Coliseum.

For a company attempting to follow in the footsteps of Crockett era NWA Mid-Atlantic, NWA Charlotte has some unconventional methods to their madness. Traditional concepts like heels and faces and consistent storylines are a secondary concern. Fans are into seeing stars, and the wrestlers in NWA Charlotte are presented as such. They pay to see royal ass kickings and spectacular moves, and NWA Chalotte gives them their money’s worth.

An emotional J.D. Costello opened the show. He got the “welcome back” chant. Costello said NWA Charlotte was back because of the fans. Noting that they didn’t have the façade up, Costello said the Metrolina was either going allow them to build out the existing arena or build them a new one. Costello admitted he was sore at the Charlotte Fire Department for shutting them down, but he went on to thank police and fire personnel for stepping up to help NWA Charlotte get back in business. Costello vowed to do the right things going forward to provide the fans with a safe environment.

NWA Mid-Atlantic Heritage Champion Jeff Lewis came out with C.W. Anderson in tow. Lewis got into it with Costello and his talking was big league. Costello brought up how Lewis spit in Anderson’s face. Lewis said all was forgiven. Costello said he was going to force Lewis to defend the title on every show. Starting tonight.. with C.W. ANDERSON. Anderson punched Lewis and it was on.

(1) C.W. Anderson beat NWA Mid-Atlantic Heritage Champion Jeff Lewis in 10:20, but failed to win the title on a technicality. C.W. had his working shoes on. Damn, this was stiff. It was Anderson dishing out punishment, until Lewis caught him with a superkick. Lewis worked on Anderson’s shoulder. Anderson came back with a monster lariat. They traded wicked strikes. Anderson dropped Lewis with a straight right hand for a near fall. Lewis got two with a hotshot. Lewis set up for sweet chin music, but Anderson was first to pull the trigger. Great spot. Lewis blocked the spinebuster and hit a spinning neckbreaker, but Anderson kicked out. Spinebuster by Anderson for the three count. Best work I’ve seen from Anderson in a long time. An outstanding opening match.

Costello congratulated Anderson on winning the title. Lewis said not so fast. The fine print said the title was only on the line for the first 10 minutes. Costello checked with announcer Tim Dixon, who said it went 12:32. Costello made a rematch for June 12 (their first Friday night show).

They ran a video for the Queen City Classic Tag Team Tournament on May 30 featuring the return of The Naturals and the debut of the NWA World Tag Team Champions, The Skullcrushers.

(2) Xsiris beat Dylan Kage in 7:28. My first time seeing Xsiris. He’s got a great long, lean, athletic look. This was a good match, but I got the feeling Xsiris is capable of much better. Lots of big moves. Kage opened up a can on Xriris and hit a suplex trio. Xrisis got near falls with a series of swank moves – a springboard missile dropkick, a butterfly suplex slam and a grapevine double underhook facebuster that was the bomb. Kage answered with a sitout facebuster of his own. Xsiris ducked Kage’s Kevork Kick and finished him with the DUI (spinning inverted bulldog).

Costello played the alleged tape of the 911 call that stooged NWA Charlotte off to the fire department. The “concerned citizen” had his voice electronically disguised. Costello said the caller had informed the promotion that he would be in attendance. Out came NWA Charlotte Champion Truitt Fields in a suit coat. Fields said that as champion, it was his duty to find out and he knew the identity of the caller. Fields told Costello it wasn’t American Gangstas or III or Jeff Lewis. “I did it. You can’t spell Truitt without true.” The crowd played along with an outraged chant of “you suck.” Fields said he was the longest reigning NWA Anarchy television champion ever and he got the respect he deserved in Georgia. He said the Charlotte fans liked to cheer has beens like that bald piece of crap, Lodi. Lodi jumped up from the announcer’s table and into the ring. Fields said his career was 10x what Lodi’s ever was. He was going places. NWA Charlotte was just a rung on the ladder. Lodi started to lose it. Fields took a powder and taunted Lodi, as security held him back. “That vein in your head looks pretty nasty,” said Fields. Costello said it would be Lodi vs. Fields in the main event. Fields was terrific as heel. Tons better than he is as a babyface. His mic work was a revelation.

(3) Cameron Valentine & Michael Youngblood beat Team Ego (Will Snapp & Abel Adams with Joey Nuggs) in 8:55. Nuggs got heat for his lizard green suit. Valentine busted out the elbows. Youngblood and Valentine doubled on Adams. Adams hit a trapped arms belly to belly suplex to start heat on Youngblood. Nuggs used his cane on him. Youngblood spiked Snapp with a DDT. It broke down four ways after the hot tag. Adams speared Youngblood, but the ref correctly ruled Youngblood wasn’t legal. Valentine then rolled Adams up for the three. An OK match.

Nuggs got all red-faced. He said if Greg Valentine was dead, he would be rolling over in his grave. Nuggs said Team Ego would be back for revenge on May 30.

(4) Vordell Walker pinned Ricky Steamboat Jr. in 9:53 after interference by Phil Shatter. Steamboat is miles ahead of Reid Flair at this point. A crisp trade of arm drags early. Steamboat skinned the cat and waited (and waited) for Walker to turn around and charge so he could pull the ropes down. Steamboat did a wild looking pescado. They swapped stinging chops. Back inside the ring, Walker attacked Steamboat’s ribs. Walker applied a bearhug, which drew a mild Steamboat chant. Overall, the match has surprisingly little heat. Steamboat came off the top with a tomahawk chop and dropkick for two. Then a springboard crossbody. Walker almost got the pin using the tights. Steamboat nailed Walker with an enzuirgiri and went up top. That’s when Shatter dumped him. Walker capitalized with a spinning uranage for the pin. Good match.

III (Shatter & Ryan O”Reilly & Mikael Judas) all started beating on Steamboat. Timber and Team Macktion hit the ring for the save. Shatter challenged them to a six-man later in the show. I thought the babyface side was supposed to issue the challenge in this spot.

Steamboat said Walker made him mad and he wanted a rematch. His ringwork was much better than his mic work.

(5) Iceberg beat The Sheik (with Joey Eastman) in 5:22. Eastman is a lily-white-fast-talking northerner in Arab headgear. He cut a comical promo that reminded me of being at an IWA Mid-South show. Sheik did the prayer rug deal like the Detroit original. They brawled. Iceberg gave him way too much. Sheik made repeated use of the loaded boot before Iceberg scored the pinfall with the Ground Zero splash.

Postmatch, Sheik bloodied Berg with a spike. Sheik was almost back to the dressing room when he charged the ring and spiked Berg for a second time. They were attempting to conjure up the spirit of the edgy, wild, uncontrollable Sheik from a bygone era, but it was hard to take it seriously with a manager that looked like he fell out of a box of Cracker Jack.

Team Blondage, Steamboat Jr., Youngblood, Josh Magnum, III and Lewis were at the gimmick tables during intermission. To me, it always feels weird when heels are out doing autographs. They even had a III t-shirt on sale.

(6) British Lions (Chris Gray & Thomas Taylor) beat American Gangstas (Nicky & Frank with Anamosity) in 6:30. Gangstas actually sold some. Nicky took a double backdrop into the lights. Taylor was the more impressive of the Lions on this night. Gangstas beat on Gray something fierce. Frank could have pinned Taylor after this devastating double team, but Gangstas paused to taunt the crowd and got pinned via stereo roll ups. Gangstas were all irate after the match. Their verbal ugliness with the marks generated a lot of heat.

(7) Amber O’Neil (with Krissy Vaine) beat Jayme Jameson to win the NWA Charlotte Women’s Title when Vaine pinned Jameson with the old switcheroo at 8:50. This was advertised as a four way with Team Blondage, Daffney and Allison Danger. No mention of Daffney or Danger. Team Blondage’s heavenly new look works for me. O’Neill did what she could, but Jameson is so green, particularly on offense. It started babyface vs. babyface. O’Neill gradually turned. The best action of the match was the beating Vaine gave Jameson outside the ring. O’Neill put Jameson’s back through the ringer. O’Neill rode Jameson’s face in the corner. Not a spot for the kiddies. The men popped and she took a bow. O’Neill bailed after taking some weak blows from Jameson. Vaine switched in when the ref wasn’t looking and rolled Jameson up. Not good.

(8) Josh Magnum beat Malachi to retain the NWA Charlotte Cruiserweight Title in a First Blood Match (8:02). On the surface, first blood seemed an odd stip for two aerial risk takers. No worries. It morphed into a TLC of sorts. The first potential head buster came when Malachi winged a chair into Magnum’s face. Malachi undid the turnbuckle pad, and they went back and forth teasing shots into the exposed metal. Malachi laid Magnum out on the announcer’s table and dove off the apron with chair. Malachi set up a 12 foot ladder at ringside. There was a clash of chairshots. Malachi got the worst of it. Magnum did a totally psychotic skytwister dive from about 8 feet up on the ladder. Malachi tried to the flesh off of Magnum’s forehead with his boot. Inside the ring, Malachi planted Magnum on steel chair with a DDT, but still no blood. Magnum reversed a catapult shot into the exposed turnbuckle and Malachi bled. Quite a bit. His forehead was covered in blood as he was led from the ring. A wild match typical of the crazy stuff fans have come to expect from the NWA Charlotte cruiserweights.

(9) III (NWA National Champion Phil Shatter & Mikael Judas & Ryan O’Reilly) beat Timber & Team Macktion (Kirby & T.J. Mack) in 11:10. III is way over as the cool NWO type heel faction. Their pop equaled Timber’s and was much louder than the one for Macktion. The faces cleared the ring and Macktion hit dives onto III with the assist of Timber, who got zero offense in this match. Macktion used their speed for an early advantage. The execution of their offense was fine, but the size difference was so huge, it was hard to believe Macktion could actually do any damage. The key spot saw Kirby balanced on the top turnbuckle with a headstand. Judas nailed him with a Mafia kick to the face and Kirby took a spectacular bump to the floor. Kirby came up selling his knee. III destroyed the injured body part. Shatter pulled Timber off the apron to prevent a tag and beat the hell out of him. T.J. took the hot tag. He had O’Reilly pinned with the Code Red (leg trap sunsef flip powerbomb), but Judas made the save. O’Reilly pinned Macktion with a devastating double Death Valley Driver.

The show was over three hours long at this point but nobody was leaving without seeing their man, Lodi. He’s so over it’s ridiculous. But with Fields turning, they’re hurting for main eventers on the babyface side. Timber appears to be a distant number two, and the build for Steamboat is just getting started.

(10) Truitt Fields pinned Lodi in a no DQ match to retain the NWA Charlotte Heavyweight Title in 7 minutes. Out from under Raven’s thumb at long last, Lodi came to fight. He attacked Fields in the aisle. They brawled through the crowd. Lodi ran Fields into the garage door. Lodi bled. III came to ringside. Lodi made the comeback and hit a swinging neckbreaker. Shatter got up on the apron to distract the ref. Lodi hit the Evenflo DDT on Fields and was attacked by Shatter and O’Reilly. Lodi tried a double lariat. It bounced off of them. Lodi caught Shatter with the Evenflo, but Fields stepped in with the Killing Fields (rockbottom) for the pin.

Fields joined III for a four-on-one beatdown on Lodi. Fields gave Lodi a shot with the title belt. Shattter gave left referee Ace Armstrong in a crumpled heap with the PTSD. Timber (with barbed wire bat) and Steamboat made the save.

Fields thanked III for their help and tried to buddy up to them. O’Reilly squashed that idea. He informed Fields that he was coming for his title.

Costello announced III vs. Timber & Steamboat & Iceberg for May 30.

NOTES: They ran a video promoting an event titled “08.08.09” running opposite the matches at the NWA Legends Fanfest. The message was there’s room for only one NWA in Charlotte. I’m sure this thrills Greg Price no end…During his opening comments, Costello said it was actually the Fire Department that turned them on to the Metrolina as a possible venue…After May 30 and the Friday show in June 12, they go back to doing shows on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month…Team Blondage is booked for the “Farewell 2 Legends” event in Dothan, Al on May 29…New Wave returns on May 30 for the tag team tournament…Episode 12 of NWA Unleashed from NWA Charlotte can be viewed by clicking here.