Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
Crowd was 155. Attendance has been trending upwards of late. Definitely some new faces, and it seems like there are more kids. Crowd was hot at points, but there wasn’t a lot in the way of extended chants or sustained heat.
It was a show that was heavy on talking. The good news was that it all served a clear purpose towards building matches and progressing storylines. The great news was the talk segments also produced the bulk of the peak moments for the evening.
Things appear to be in good shape for the big show. It’s a good sign when three key matches are already being promoted a month in advance.
The show ran close to three hours long. What part that played in the spotty heat is open to question. It's not like the crowd was super hot early and faded.
Greg Hunter’s introduction of NWA Anarchy owner Jerry Palmer was rudely interrupted by a video on the WrestleVision. An evil hobo character speaking an over-the-top Desmond Wolfe accent said he was coming to Anarchy to create a “malevolent menagerieâ€. It was hard to judge because there was no audio for most of it.
Palmer talked about saying goodbye to Kimo at the last show after he came out on the short ened of a Loser Leaves Anarchy cage match with NWA National Champion Phil Shatter. Proud papa Palmer showed off Griffin, now 20 months old and doing well.
The announced plan was to get the dark match in the ring early. Well, it ain’t happening. Opening bell was 8:20.
(A) Lane Vasser beat Anthony Henry in 4:32. Vasser has the requisite size and physique, but his clunky mechanics are nowhere near ready for an Anarchy television. Henry deserved a better fate. It was getting ugly and the crowd was starting to check out. Whether it be proper training or innate instinct, Henry did a right thing, taking Vasser to the mat and keeping him there. Vasser tried for a Crackerjack. Henry countered with a triangle choke, and Vasser turned it into a side slam. The crowd popped a bit for Vasser’s gutbuster slam. Vasser’s finisher was a robotic pumphandle power slam.
The best that can be said of the dark match concept is that it’s a work in progress.
(1) Bo Newsome beat Skirra Corvis via DQ in 7:52. Bo opened up fast and hard, scoring near falls off a senton backsplash, a spinning back suplex and a reverse DDT on the apron. But Coruvs ducked a high crossbody and the momentum carried Newsome to the floor. Corvus hit a top rope dive to the outside that looked like a Thesz Press. With Newsome balanced across the middle rope, Corvus hit a springboard splash. He’s weird AND he has cool offense. The crowd chanted for Bo. It’s a very chant-friendly name. Bo’s flying elbow off the middle rope left both men down. Corvus applied his bat like choke submission (hanging his victim over the top rope in a reverse huracanrana position) and wouldn’t let up. Slim J made the save. Good match - brash, innovative, fast-paced action – stuff that sets the Young Lion’s Division apart.
Greg Hunter attempted to interview extreme narcissist, Truitt Fields as to the motivation for turning on Ace Rockwell. This was an incredibly entertaining segment. Fields came out flexing and looking at himself in the big screen. His thick, jet black hair is slicked back, like Fonzie without the sideburns. Fields ignored Hunter’s pleas for an explanation and continued to flex. Fields finally said he didn’t owe Hunter, the people or Ace any explanation and popped a flexed bicep in Hunter’s face. Fields is awesome as a heel. Turning him is the single best thing the new creative team has done.
(2) NWA Anarchy Tag Team Champions Wild Bunch (Billy Buck & Chris King) beat Aaron Lee & Chris Mayne in a non-title match (4 minutes). Lee was patting himself on the back ala Barry Horowitz. Mayne insisted that Hunter re-introduce them like the superstars they were. The new champions got a big pop. Wild Bunch cleaned the collective clocks of Mayne and Lee. Cruel crowd tonight. They chanted “midget†at Lee. The heels got a glimmer of heat on King, and it was quickly over with Buck pinning Mayne after the champions hit their Russian legsweep/superick combo.
(3) Brodie Ray Chase beat Anthony Henry in 6:18. It was no coincidence that Henry looked world’s better working with Chase, but so far as the fans were concerned, his ship sailed in that lousy dark match. Chase took umbrage to the upstart’s live wire attitude, and blasted him with a trio of back elbows on the break. Henry didn’t take the hint, and made Chase eat a spinkick. The match changer was a slingshot sunset flip that Chase countered with a high back drop. Chase broke out his signature power moves. Lots of style points here. Henry’s comeback was rock solid but the crowd wasn’t there for him. Finish saw Henry come up empty on the frogsplash, and Chase finished him with the Thunder Fire Powerbomb.
Jeff G. Bailey entered the ring. He’s not a well liked man in Cornelia. Bailey said this was a requiem for a traitorous Korean. He said it didn’t have to happen that way, and Palmer was to blame. Bailey said Shatter had the night off to celebrate Kimo’s demise. Bailey said Shatter was the longest reigning NWA National Champion and soon to be the best in the world, and clearly the best wrestler on television.
The Anarchy TV Champion Caprice “Ice†Coleman took exception to that remark. Based on the pop, Coleman has slid past Shadow Jackson into the number one babyface slot. Coleman was itching for a match. Bailey acted like Shatter had nothing to prove. After all, Shatter had just ended Kimo’s career. “And you’re no Kimo.†Plus, Shatter had already pinned Coleman. Bailey wanted to know what was in it for them. Coleman said he had Shatter beaten until Bailey got involved. Coleman said he would put his title up against Shatter’s title. Bailey said he and Shatter would have to talk it over. Coleman said Bailey sounded scared without Shatter out there, and suggested that he didn’t even have the stroke to make the match. Bailey got flustered and accepted. “That was easier than I thought,†Coleman said. Crowd popped for that line.
This segment was gold. Bailey and Coleman were both terrific. It was perfectly believable that Coleman was able to trick Bailey into accepting the match. It isn’t often that Bailey has a babyface so verbally skilled to play off of. Coleman is a rare commodity – a smart, articulate, charismatic babyface that can talk the talk and walk the walk.
(4) Orion Bishop & Jeremy Vain beat Shadow Jackson & Marcus Howard in 13:47. No Shadowmania chants for the Anarchy Heavyweight Champion tonight. Vain said he was going to show the babyface team how it was done. You know how that goes. The babyfaces controlled the match for the 7:30 with Vain taking all kinds of bumps. Nobody makes Jackson’s offense look better than Vain. Howard was in most of the time, and it was more than the optimal level of exposure for him. Bishop wasn’t going to be anybody’s patsy. He smoked Howard with a belly to belly suplex, pounded him from the mount and hit a Vader Bomb for a near fall. Bishop later hit a senton backsplash dropping his full weight on Howard. That had to suck. Hot tag. Brief house cleaning by Jackson and then right to the finish. As ref Brent Wiley was distracted by Bishop dumping Howard out, Vain gave Jackson a low blow. Bishop speared Jackson for the pin. Bishop gave Howard a spear from hell after the match.
The heels were doubling up on Jackson when Mikal Judas hit the ring and blasted Bishop with a chairshot straight to the skull. Bishop recovered quickly and was seeing red, to where he shoved Vain down on the ramp. Adryan offered a terse explanation. “Now you have no excuses at Hardcore Hell when I kick your ass.†The pop swelled as Adryan made his exit through the front door.
Intermission.
(5) Tank pinned Andrew Pendleton III in 3:42. Pendleton went for a surprise attack. Worth a try I guess. He was getting his ass beat regardless. Tank dumped Pendleton out, gave him five consecutive headbutts, then a snap suplex on the hardwood floor. Back inside the ring, Pendleton clipped Tank’s knee and used a spinning toe hold. Pendleton, however, ended up hung in the tree of woe, and Tank jackhammered his nuts. Vile stuff. After another dose of sick punishment, Tank put Pendelton out of his misery with the chokebreaker. I enjoyed this match.
The Reverend’s voice cackled over the PA. The crowd reacted before Reverend revealed himself, entering from side door favored by Devil’s Rejects. Reverend cut a promo filled with rich imagery. The Rev was also channeling Michael Hayes tonight. Rev said it broke his heart to see what had transpired in his family during his absence. Rev claimed that Shaun Tempers, the man he left in charge when Tank “lost his smileâ€, was now at home stricken with grief. Rev said the thing that separated Tank from other Rejects that left the fold, was that he dared to return. “You disgust me. Pack it up.†The lights went out. When they came back on, Tank was laying in the ring holding his gut. A hammer was laying by his side. Tank pounded the hammer on the mat.
“Merciless†Don Matthews was interviewed by Greg Hunter. Matthew was about to reveal his true goals in Anarchy, when he was interrupted by The Entourage. Andrew Alexander said they were scheduled to face New Wave, but Derrick Driver wasn’t there, so it was going to be two against one. Alexander told Matthews he could leave on his own or his giant bodyguard, Mr. Black would see to it that he did. Matthews didn’t budge. Steven Walters came out and took Matthews as his partner.
(6) Entourage (Andrew Alexander & Mr. Black) beat Steven Walters & Don Matthews in 10:25. It opened with Walters and Black working David and Goliath spots. Matthews tagged in. Black tagged out. Matthews was merciless on Alexander. Entourage got heat on Walters. Black knocked Matthews off the apron to prevent a tag, then hiptossed Walters halfway across the ring. Walter hit a jawbreaker and a lefty lariat on Alexander to set up the hot tag. Matthews dispatched Alexander with a fallaway slam. Finally, the monsters squared off. Matthews hit the BFK. Matthews clotheslined Black, spilling both men over the top rope, and they continued to batter each other at ringside. Inside the ring, Walters tried for a victory roll, and Alexander sat down on him and used the ropes to get the pin. Match built nicely to the confrontation between Black and Matthews. Stevens and Matthews was an offbeat pairing that worked. That was some clunky timing hurt the finish.
(7) Slim J beat Stryknyn in 4:57. J was laying them in, so Stryknyn spit in his face to get the advantage. I like Stryknyn’s no frills, nasty brawling offense. J snapped off a huracanrana to start his comeback. The mysterious manager (Enoch Tsarion) came out to observe. Slim hit a wicked Alabama Slam and won it with the flying reverse DDT.
Postmatch, J confronted Tsarion. Corvus nailed J from behind and they beat him down. Corvus brought a 10 foot ladder into the ring, and whacked J with it. Corvus set the ladder up, placed J underneath, and gave him the curbstomp. Tsarion asked J, who was unconscious at the time, to accept a ladder match for the Young Lion’s Four-Way Title Match at Hardcore Hell. “I’ll take you silence as a yes,†Tsarion said. Newsome made the save for J. With Tsarion, the return of The Rev, and whoever that guy was in the show opening video, Anarchy is now overpopulated with managers.
(8) Caprice Coleman beat Seth Delay (with Brodie Chase) to retain the NWA Anarchy Television Championship in 13:59. Really good match. The hardest I’ve seen Delay work in years. Too bad the crowd wasn’t more fired up. Bailey and Coleman did such a stellar job of setting up the title vs. title for Hardcore Hell, the outcome was a forgone conclusion. Fans didn’t believe Delay had a chance. Early in the match, Coleman tossed Delay over the top, and he took a tumbling bump into the camera stand. Ref Brent Wiley ran over and got the mic for Coleman. Stooped the match cold. A little poetic license there. Coleman said he wanted to see the Seth Delay of old and warned him not to bring that clown stuff in there, or he would put his lights out. If it wasn’t a shoot, it sure came across like one. Wiley banished Chase from ringside. They did chain wrestling, and Coleman was giving Delay a run for his money. Coleman nailed him right on the button with a dropkick for a one count only. Delay took over with a twisting flying forearm. Coleman’s comebacks were limited to an occasional shot, but he made each one count. Coleman fed off the crowd with a flying leg drop for a near fall. They went back and forth with pin attempts, ending with a cool scissors cradle by Coleman. They traded near falls. The work was fine, but the crowd wasn’t feeling it much. Finish saw Coleman drop Delay with That’s Life out of a crucifix powerbomb position. Beatiful. Delay refused to shake Coleman’s hand.
NOTES: Being that Anarchy’s next television taping falls on Easter weekend (April 2), Palmer promised to have a kids event before the show, perhaps an Easter egg hunt…NWA Anarchy’s facebook page can be found here…NWA in Charlotte returns to action on April 24 at the Metrolina Expo building with Judas vs. Kimo, Team Macktion vs. New Wave and more…Driver missed last night’s taping due to a non-wrestling schedule conflict…Former Anarchy/APW talent, Taco Delgado is a licensed professional boxer as well as an MMA fighter. He has a bantamweight fight in St. Petersburg on April 10.
