| December 10, 2005
David Young defeated Eric Watts to win the Great Championship Wrestling heavyweight title last night in Columbus, thus ending Watts’ second title reign at four months. Young joined Watts as a two-time GCW heavyweight champion. The promotion billed this show as “Title Night.” The crowd of 215 at the GCW Arena was in store for a night of title turmoil that saw the TV title change hands and the status of the tag titles left unresolved. While the crowd was down from the steady 300-400 per week that GCW was drawing from May to October, they’re doing roughly the same as they were in December 2004. The naysayers among the followers of GCW cite the departure of booker Bo Oates (son of promoter and current booker Jerry Oates), and the subsequent string of main events featuring Watts as prime reasons for the drop-off in attendance. Whether the current situation represents a true erosion in GCW’s fan base or cyclical/seasonal factors, only time will tell. Ring announcer Steve Owen said it was ramp time. (1) Shawn Banks beat Frankie Valentine in 5:58 An impressive performance by Banks. Bring this guy back. The change in Banks’ physique and ring presence was downright scary, as in barely recognizable, visa vie his October debut. But it was his work that made the match. Valentine is utterly hopeless as a baby. Unless you’re the reincarnation of Johnny B. Badd, hot pink would be a shade to avoid, especially a guy that resembles The 40 Year-Old Virgin. Banks hit a neckbreaker at 1:30 to take control. Banks stayed on the neck and maneuvered into a camel clutch. Banks took a major league bump on a monkey flip. Valentine got a near fall out of it. Banks answered with a bow and arrow. Banks began to bleed from a hardway gash on the forehead. I didn’t catch how it happened. In any case, Banks looked pissed. Enough was enough. Banks hit a top rope splash to score the pinfall. (2) Jaki beat Heath Miller via DQ in 6:44 Jaki circled the ring speaking Spanish to the 100% gringo crowd. This was a return engagement for the masked luchador. Jaki’s got the physique, but once the bell rang, it was painfully obvious that he’s no threat to Mysterio. Miller capitalized on his opportunity as a replacement for Johnny Slaughter. Miller has the makings of a good heel. He’s another guy whose wrestling has come a long way in a short time period. Miller beat on Jaki. Jaki rallied with a moonsault block for a near fall. Jaki botched a climb to the top, and Miller made a nice recovery with a back suplex. Jaki rolled through on Miller’s top rope sunset flip and landed a basement dropkick to the chops. Miller came back with a fisherman suplex. Miller went after the mask. Miller said fans didn’t want to see that ugly face anyway. Miller polished off an exchange of chops with a running bulldog for a near fall. Jaki nailed a senton bomb for a near fall. Miller applied the sharpshooter but Jaki made the ropes. Miller tossed Jaki over the top, prompting referee Dr. Steve Miller’s call for the bell. Strange timing for that finish. It wasn’t like Miller was in any serious trouble. Jaki got a smattering of polite applause. It felt like fans wanted to like Jaki, but it’s tough when the other guy is clearly the better worker. (3) John Bogie beat Ben Thrasher in 5:30 Bad match. Thrasher displayed his power advantage with a sidewalk slam. It was Air Bogie with a headscissors and then into the dreaded Bogie bar. Thrasher regained the advantage with a Russian legsweep. Thrasher used a high boot for a near fall. Thrasher threw the weakest, girliest, fakest looking punches and forearms in the history of Columbus wrestling. Bogie launched THE BIG COMEBACK with a poorly-executed crucifix pin. Bogie won it with a quebrada. Bogie can rise to the occasion with a talented opponent. Asking him to carry a bad worker is inviting trouble. In fairness to Bogey, Flair in his prime wouldn’t have been able to work that miracle with Thrasher. (4) Ted Oates & The Wrestler beat Greg Brown & Cru Jones to retain the GCW tag titles in 11:17 (Oates then relinquished his share of the title) The back story was that Wrestler (Ted Allen) had suffered through a losing streak since being unmasked by Oates in August. Oates returned the mask to Wrestler in the ring at the 11/19 show, and they went on to win the tag titles. Wrestler and Oates outclassed the heels with pure wrestling in the early going. Oates got some nice torque on Brown’s elbow with the top wristlock. The rudos beat on Wrestler. Brown still throws a good worked punch and drops a pretty elbow. He’s also smart about staying within the limitations of advancing age. The same could be said for Oates. Jones worked on Wrestler’s arm with a variation of the Fujiwara armbar. Jones taunted Oates by letting Wrestler get close to a tag. Wrestler finally made the tag. Oates immediately hit the Wrestling II high kneelift to pin Jones out of the blue. Things got interesting in the postmatch. Brown punished Jones for losing with a blindside attack. Oates made the save. Jones shook hands with Oates and departed. Oates said he came back to GCW to prove that he could become a champion again. Oates announced that he was giving up his half of the titles. Wrestler agreed that Oates was still the man, but wanted to know where did that leave him? Oates told Wrestler that was his problem. With Brown egging him on, Wrestler blasted Oates with the belt. Wrestler and Brown were giving Oates a beating when Jerry hit the ring. The brothers Oates cleared the ring. The people were into this bigtime. Wrestler said Ted gave up the title because he couldn’t hack it. (5) Mike Foxx beat Disco Inferno to win the GCW Television Title in 13:11 GCW became the second Georgia wrestling company (NWA Anarchy being the other) with a TV title and no TV. Hopefully, that problem will be rectified in 2006 (see below). Foxx has gotten over well since he debuted for GCW in October. With his look and in-ring ability, he’s a ray of hope on the babyface side. Disco was said to be returning from an International tour. His ring entrance, while still entertaining, wasn’t quite full effect. Disco, who has been a tweener here at times, was pure heel tonight. Foxx opened up an aggressive attack on the champion. Disco resorted to his bag of tricks, but Foxx hit a sweet Samoan drop for a near fall. Disco tossed Foxx over the top right in front of referee Miller. He contemplated DQing Disco, but checked with Foxx and allowed the match to continue. Nice idea to play off the earlier DQ finish, but it felt like they missed an opportunity to do more with it. Foxx should have been pleading his case for the match to continue. It was his title shot for chrissake. The fact that Miller is about as animated as a ringpost didn’t help matters any. Disco posted Foxx’s shoulder. Disco hit a divorce court and danced, while Foxx was face down on the mat. Foxx surprised Disco with a schoolboy pin attempt. Foxx fired up at the 10 minute mark, but Disco shut him down with a DDT. Disco did his ridiculous Disco (Village People’s) Elbow. Foxx made a full-blown comeback that built to a top rope elbow for a near fall. Foxx went for his version of the RKO, but Disco blocked it and hit the Chartbuster. When Foxx kicked out, you could smell the title change coming. Foxx blocked a second Chartbuster and hit the RKO to for the pin. The title change got a major pop. (6) David Young (with Greg Brown) pinned Erick Watts to win the GCW Heavyweight Title in 13:07 Can’t say it was a good match from a technical standpoint. After all, it was a Watts match. But the crowd was molten hot for the swervy closing minutes. Watts still gets the best entrance pop in GCW, but as noted in a previous report, it’s all women and children. Watts dominated the opening minutes of the match. He used the move that starts like rocker dropper and ends as a huracanrana of sorts. The momentum shifted when Watts ate a boot charging into the corner. Young sent Watts’ headfirst into the middle turnbuckle. Young grounded Watts with a headscissors. Watts wiffed on a lariat. Young sold it anyway. Watts took a spinning bump off a lariat that barely touched him. There was no water in the pool for Young’s moonsault. A high pitched “Eric” chant broke out. Watts hit a massive powerbomb, but Young managed to roll a shoulder to beat the three count. Watts chokeslammed Young, but the Miller got bumped in the process. With the ref out of commission, Brown hit the ring and crowned Watts with a chairshot. Watts bled. Young made the cover and Watts kicked out. Watts hit a downward spiral, but Brown put Young’s foot over the ropes. Watts went after Brown at ringside. Young went after Watts and decked Brown by accident. While Watts was busy with Brown, Young rolled back in the ring and wrapped a chain around his fist. Young put Watts’ lights out for the 1-2-3. New champion. Young intimidated Miller into raising his hand. That lasted only a split second before Watts drove Young out of the ring. NOTES: GCW returns on 12/17 with Young vs. Foxx, Jones vs. Wrestler, Watts vs. Derrick Neikirk (Deep South), Chris Stevens vs. Bogie, Damien Steele (returning from Deep South) vs. Heath Miller and Bambi vs. Amy Young...Due to the fact that Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve fall on Saturday, GCW will ring in the new year with their first Sunday show on 1/1…GCW is negotiating with several stations regarding a return to Columbus television in early 2006. |
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