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Southern Fried Report from Monroe on January 5
From Larry Goodman:
2019 is the year for Southern Fried Wrestling. You can bank on that.
--SFCW owner David Manders
Southern Fried kicked of 2019 with Saturday Night Special in front a standing room only crowd of 400 that may have been their loudest crowd to date -- not occasionally loud, continuously loud.
Great shows have become the norm for Southern Fried. Saturday Night Special was another one of those. The first half was hotter than the latter half, which isn't ideal but I would hardly call it a problem.
Stories were advanced. Emotions were manipulated in the roller coaster manner that is part of the Southern Fried experience. The wrestling was fine but the magic isn’t in the “moves” or match quality. I defy any wrestling fan to be blasé about a Southern Fried show.
Moving forward in 2019, the areas of development for Southern Fried lie in the realm of production. Last night’s show was the first to be taped with multiple cameras. Sound will be a problem as long as Southern Fried runs the Boys and Girls Club because of the echoes. Better lighting would make a difference and enhance the dramatic effect of an already dramatic show.
JB Enterprises (Drew Blood, Brian Kane, Jagged Edge, Tetchi Makuji and Dr. Joseph Brock) sauntered to the ring wearing pajamas to “Sharp Dressed Man”. It should be noted that Makuji was NOT wearing PJ’s. Blood said their opponents must be dreaming if they thought they were going to beat JBE.
Jagged blamed his return to the dark side on Manders and claimed he was the face of Southern Fried, not Jacob Ashworth. Jagged said JBE could beat Ashworth and his buddies in their sleep.
Ashworth, Xander Ramon and Will Kaution attacked JBE. It was three against four though, and the forces of truth and justice were getting whipped until...
Stryknyn hit the ring to even the odds. The crowd was coming unglued as the babyfaces cleared the ring. Stryk ripped the head off of Brock’s teddy bear. Ashworth said he’d give JBE two guesses who their fourth was, so they better be ready for a fight.
This was a wildly successful segment that got the show off to rip-roaring start. Booker Todd Sexton has a knack for incorporating timeless tricks of the trade into a formula that works for modern-day fans, and Southern Fried has veteran talent like JBE capable of milking the material for all it’s worth.
(1)Billy Buck defeated Josey Quinn in 12:02. Battle of the cowboys. Quinn didn’t go dirty until the third time referee Donnie Howell called for a break. Buck got his offense in gear. His chops were loud and stiff. Quinn cheated his way to the advantage and went to punch and kick offense as he played to the crowd. When Quinn stomps somebody, he STOMPS somebody. Comeback time. As Buck tried for a bionic elbow off the ropes, Quinn caught him with a uranage backbreaker for a close near fall. He got even closer with a draping inverted DDT. Buck almost had Quinn pinned with a spinebuster and applied the figure four but Quinn made the ropes. Buck went back to the figure four and Quinn countered with an inside cradle. Moments later, Buck nailed Quinn with the Buckshot to pick up the win.
I liked this match a whole lot. It gradually hooked the crowd with a slow, simmering build. The near falls worked great because there was true suspense about the outcome. Buck had to “reload” the Buckshot to get it right but they covered it well. Buck and Quinn had good chemistry (is there an opponent Buck does not have good chemistry with?) and it was a loss that hurt Quinn not one iota.
(2) The Approved (Adrian Hawkins & Bobby Moore & Kenji Brea) defeated Bolo & Stevie Ray Frost & Dynamic Dexter in 12:50. Moore wanted no part of his Approved teammates. Hawkins reminded Moore that he was property of the Approved and his lack of obedience would be no more. My God, Hawkins is obnoxious and more importantly, he generates nuclear heat in Monroe. Moore was egging on the “Adriana” chants on the sly. This turn of events has given Moore an opportunity for growth in his character work and he’s making the most of it. Bolo looked believable bad ass. There’s a guy that has a come a long way. Frost looks like he’s wrestling in his underwear. Dexter is ridiculously small. He popped the crowd with a bronco buster on Brea. The underdogs were on offense until Brea broke Dexter’s fingers. Sexton came out to check on Dexter, who was unable to continue. Frost and Bolo were taking a beating when Sexton returned to take the hot tag. Sexton tried to superkick Hawkins. He skedaddled and the kick almost hit Moore. Sexton and Moore locked eyes. Brea hit Sexton from behind causing him to run into Moore. Brea nailed Sexton with the jumping knee strike that he beat him with at the Thanksgiving show and came within an eyelash of pinning Sexton for a second time. In the ensuing chaos, Hawkins pinned Frost with the codebreaker.
Hawkins and Brea held Sexton so Moore could hit him. Moore was torn. Hawkins got in Moore’s face. Alan Angels attacked Hawkins and confronted Moore. Brea clipped Angel’s knee (the one he dislocated at the last show). Hawkins and Brea continued to beat on Angel’s knee with Moore telling them to lay off. Sexton finally made the save. Angels was in agony with a title match in front of him.
What looked at first glance like a basic squash match developed into quite the story. There were oh so many opportunities for screw ups with all those moving parts. It was something of a miracle that the whole thing came off as well as it did, and it came off great.
(3) JB Enterprises (Drew Blood & Brian Kane & Tetch Makuji & Jagged Edge with Dr. Brock) defeated PHASE 1 Champion Jacob Ashworth & Stryknyn & Xander Ramon & Will Kaution in 17:02. The pop for Ashworth blew the roof off. Blood ran away from Stryk’s fireball spitting routine as if his eyeballs were singed. JBE played games about which one would start. Blood ended up starting and the babyfaces took turns getting a piece of him. Ditto for Kane. Total babyface domination for the first seven minutes. Jagged used an eye rake to get the advantage on Kaution. Jagged’s short clothesline looked great. Makuji’s shoulder block sent Kaution airborne. It was double heat as Ramon then took the punishment. Stryk got the hot tag and speared Jagged. Ashworth tagged in. Jagged made a beeline for his corner and found it empty, as Ramon and Kaution were beating up the rest of JB Enterprises on the outside. Jagged begged for mercy. Kaution tagged in and Ashworth tossed him over the top onto JBE. The babyfaces appeared to have the match in hand when Jagged clocked Kaution with the loaded glove for the 1-2-3.
This is the hottest storyline Southern Fried has going right now. The finish pissed the people off good. Jagged’s work with Kaution was impressive. Hard to believe the guy is 50 years old.
Bill Behrens opened the second half with a 10 bell for Gene Okerlund. Behrens brought the crowd up to speed on Southern Fried tag champs Master and Machine (Marcus Kross & Griff Garrison) and their victory over Anarchy tag champs GB1C at Anarchy’s Christmas Chaos event to become dual champions.
GB1C (Wolverton & Tyler Rivera) ran in from a side door and confronted Behrens. Said they were robbed by Behrens, Manders and Rick Michaels and demanded a rematch or else. Behrens said a) the champions weren’t there and b) GB1C didn’t deserve to be champions and needed to improve. “Step up or step back.”
The Uprizing (Johnny Nixx & David Ali) entered with some really cheesy looking titles and claimed to be true champions. Behrens said the belts looked like they came from Walmart. Be that as it may, Behrens said the winner of Uprizing vs. GB1C could have a shot at Master and Machine in two weeks and get their asses kicked.
(4) Johnny Nixx & David Ali defeated GB1C (Wolverton & Tyler Rivera) in 5:35 when Nixx pinned Wolverton. The crowd was not enthused about this match. It wasn’t bad but the Southern Fried fans had no rooting interest with two decidedly undercard heel team in the ring. Nixx had a heel persona that was really clicking when he got injured but hasn’t been able to recapture the magic. GB1C isolated Ali. Rivera crashed and burned on his Goodman Special frog splash. A Nixx superplex set up Ali’s top rope elbow, which inadvertently connected on Nixx. GB1C almost had the match won with a couple of nifty combo moves. A double superkick on Wolverton sealed the deal for Uprizing.
Manders ordered security to get the trash (GB1C) out of his ring. GB1C didn’t take the hint. Security and the babyface wrestlers surrounded them. Stryknyn speared Wolverton. Ashworth planted Rivera with his finisher and GB1C was carried out the side door. The crowd loved it. GB1C are such dislikeable little punks, this was a can’t miss idea.
Ashworth and Stryknyn cut promos to set up matches for January 19. Ashworth said a year ago he and Stryk had to give up the SFCW tag titles due to Stryk’s injury. He was honored Stryk was joining the fight.
Ashworth challenged Jagged Edge to a singles match with the PHASE 1 Trophy on the line.
Stryk challenged the rest of JB Enterprises to a six man street fight.
The crowd reaction told the tale – both are matches the people want to see.
(5) Corey Hollis defeated Alan Angels via submisison to retain the SFCW Championship in 14:56. Angels burst out of the gate, working on the champion’s arm and going for submissions. Hollis clipped Angel’s bad knee. Hollis was his usual merciless and sadistic self as he attacked the knee. Angels gamely fought back but couldn’t sustain any offense due to the knee. Hollis went for the killshot with a fireman’s carry slam off the top and Angels countered with a huracanrana. Hollis applied a leglock submission but Angels made the ropes. An Angels knee strike sent Hollis out of the ring. Angels gave Hollis a tour of the barricades. The knee was feeling a bit better. Angels hit a picture perfect flying bodypresss for a near fall. Angels had the crowd fully behind him as he had Hollis on the verge of submitting with an armbar. Hollis spit at Angels, who pounded the bejeezus out of him, then went back to the top rope.
Hawkins came to ringside and tossed an Approved shirt to Angels. Crowd was chanting “No!” and popped huge when Angels threw the shirt back at Hawkins. It was, however, a costly diversion. Hollis evaded Angels’ frogsplash, speared his knee and applied the leglock. Game over.
Postmatch -- Buck hit the ring and superkicked Hollis, knocking him out cold. Buck signaled he was coming for the title.
This was a perfectly solid match. The story was compelling and it got them where they wanted to go. Angels showed he was championship caliber and comes out of it with the meaningful feud he needed. Hollis will have his hands full with one of the best wrestlers in the state.
