Georgia Wrestling History - the Home of Peach State Pandemonium: Show Reports

March 10, 2006

World-1 Wrestling ran the first night of their tag team tournament at the Rainwater Conference Center in Valdosta, Georgia last night. For name talent, Promoter Jody Peterman’s first show since merging AWA Spinebuster with World-1 had the most impressive lineup of indie talent South Georgia is likely to see this year. Unfortunately, the complexity of pro wrestling promotion being what it is, that doesn’t always translate to box office success (150), or a magical viewing experience. They used a smaller hall this time around. It was long and narrow, like a movie theater, which didn’t do much for the vibe.

I’ve come to the conclusion that Valdosta is a crappy wrestling town. Peterman presents a professional-looking product in a nice venue. The events are well publicized and by no means lacking in quality talent. But he can’t draw flies in Valdosta.

Ring announcer Michael Cade got the proceedings underway with the announcement that the winner of the two night tournament would receive a $15,000 cash prize.

(1) Dillon Eaton beat Michael Patrick in a short opener

Patrick got “Boys Gone Wild” shave your back heat. Patrick heeled until the time was ripe for Eaton to beat him clean with his daddy’s signature swinging neckbreaker.

(2) Ricky Landell & Christi Ricci beat Brad Thomas & “Exotic” Sweet Lips in 5:02

Without a doubt, Ricci versus Trish is my dream women’s match. Like they could actually go 15 minutes and keep it interesting. Ricci would have to go heel due to the size advantage. No problem there. She was trained by Leilani Kai. But I digress…Thomas said his scheduled partner for this mixed tag (Maria Lopez) wasn’t in the building. Sweet Lips has studied his Adrian Street tapes, but he is totally devoid of Street’s wrestling skills. Landell said, “Check him (pause) her (pause) whatever.” Lips was having a gay old time until Ricci went to work on him. The heels briefly got heat on Landell. I hadn’t seen Thomas (a Ricky Morton trainee) since last summer, and he’s improved a lot. A dropkick is such a naturally babyface move, but Thomas was able to put a heelish spin on it. Ricci took the hot tag. She went to give Lips and Thomas a meeting of the minds, but Lips seized on the opportunity to kiss Thomas. Ricci leapfrogged Lips and kicked him in his sweet ass. Meanwhile, Landell went for a sunset flip on Thomas, who was holding onto the ropes for dear life. Ricci kicked Thomas’ hands and Landell scored the pinfall.

(3) Heartbreak Xpress (Sean & Phil Davis with Gorgeous Gary) beat Jerrelle Clark & Bonez the Cutthroat in 9:28

Sean has the old school comic genius that is so sorely lacking in today’s pro wrestling. But I fear the homogenized atmosphere of WWE would ruin him. Cutthroat is a babyface pirate. Well, at least he’s from Florida. Xpress generated terrific heat before the opening bell. Sean was hilarious as usual. He took a face bump and started selling his nose. Sean was on the receiving end of a series of bulldogs, selling the nose bigger each time. The punchline was a bulldog by referee Spanky Emerson. Clark started to fly. Phil ate a dropkick from Clark and elbowed Sean in the mouth. Phil offered to shake hands with Bonez. “I’m a true sportsman.” Comedy gave way to heel heat at the seven minute mark when Phil hung Bonez out to dry on a dropkick. Xpress took command with double teams. Sean used a corner splash and an obscene butt attack. Xpress was the picture of overconfidence. Bonez hit a swinging neckbreaker and hot-tagged Clark. Clark hit an amazing handspring backflip splash and a double jump moonsault on Phil, but Sean made the save. Clark then had Phil pinned with a rolling reverse cradle. Sean distracted Emerson allowing Gary to clock Clark with a gimmick. Phil pinned Clark.

(4) Maction (Kirby “Krazy K” Mack & T. J. Mack) beat Chasyn Rance & Kevin Kantrell in 8:07

An entertaining match, both for story and action. Rance and Kantrell mixed like oil and water. Rance was the most over babyface with the kids in the crowd. Kantrell acted like an egotistical jerk. Rance and Kirby did a hot exchange of huracanranas and dropkicks that popped the crowd. Kantrell wanted T. J. Kantrell pounded on T. J., who responded with a slingshot around-the-world basement dropkick. Kantrell decided he wanted Kirby. That didn’t work out in Kantrell’s favor either, so he raked the eyes. Rance objected. Kantrell asked Rance if he wanted to win. It built to a spot where Rance had Kirby pinned with a superkick. Kantrell broke it up because he wanted the pin. They argued. Kirby rudely interrupted with a killer springboard double dropkick. Rance and Kantrell got on the same page with a double Alabama slam on Kirby. But Rance spoiled Kantrell’s sunset flip with a kick in the face. Maction hit a double 619 to pin Kantrell. Great looking finish. Rance raised Maction’s hands in the postmatch.

(5) Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey & Bobby Eaton) beat Simon Sermon & Tommy Too Much in 6:08

The crowd was hot to see the Midnights kick ass on Simon on Tommy, and they obliged. When the heels finally got the advantage, Ricky Morton poked his head through the curtain and started yelling, “Go Dennis! Go!…Go Bobby! Go!” Dennis got the hot tag and cleaned house. Midnights hit a classic double flapjack for the finish. Postmatch, Dennis teased a stomp to Tommy’s nutsack, but decided it wasn’t worth the time and effort.

(6) Ricky Morton & The Nightmare beat Cru Jones & Chad “Big Bank” Barfield in 9:28

Nightmare and Morton figured to be another pareja increible, but there wasn’t a hint of dissension. Barfield always gets heat and never fails to makes me laugh. Tonight, his trunks read “2 Rich 4U.” Jones is at his best as a heel. Nightmare and Morton dominated early. Morton did the deal where he spread Barfield’s fingers and popped his knuckle. Morton used a kneelift on Barfield. It was a bit odd seeing Nightmare in the role of face-in-peril. Jones and Barfield switched without tagging. Jones carried the load on offense. The crowd cranked up a “Rock and Roll’ chant. Double down on a clothesline. Nightmare traded blows with Jones. Jones was staggered. Nightmare went through the legs and tried to do a Morton roll. Oh well. Four way action lead to a collision between Jones and Barfield. Morton and Nightmare used a double atomic drop followed by a double lariat to pin Barfield.

(7) A. J. Styles beat Jimmy Rave and Salvatore Rinauro in a triple threat match (14:08)

This was billed as Rave vs. Styles. Adding Rinauro into the mix made it two pure faces and one heel, the most difficult formula for a three way. No problem here because Rave generated enough heat for five heels with his stalling tactics. They didn’t lock up for the first four minutes. Lots of interesting sequences and once they got going though. Styles and Rinauro did away with Rave and started going at it. Rave picked his spot to jump into the fray with gouges and stomps. Styles spinebustered Rave for a near fall. Styles countered Rinauro’s spinning headscissors with a backbreaker. Rave and Rinauro gave each other unintentional crotch shots. Styles scored two counts on each of them. Rinauro kicked off Rave for a tornado DDT on Styles. Rave kicked a field goal with Styles’ stomach. Rinauro superkicked Rave and teased a dive, but Rave cut Rinauro off and laid him out with a hangman neckbreaker. Styles pulled Rave out. Rinauro did a pescado on both of them. Great spot. Rinauro hit a springboard lariat on Rave and Styles broke up the pin. Styles got a two count on Rinauro with a spiral backbreaker. Rave speared Styles for a two count. Styles did his vertical suplex dropped into a neckbreaker on Rave and Rinauro saved. Rinauro kicked off the buckles for a Pele on Styles. Styles kicked out on his own. Rave destroyed Rinauro with Ghanarea and the running knee, but Styles grabbed Rave and went for the Clash. Rave escaped it the first time. It was back and forth counters until Styles hit the Clash for the pin.

(8) Matt Kuma beat “Mr. Finesse” Dave Holiday (with Big Bank Barfield) to become the World-1 Southern Champion in 5:46

The defending champion, John Davis, parted ways with World-1 a week before the show. Holiday replaced Davis in what was billed as a 2 out of 3 falls match. Since they were bound and determined to put the title bout on last, at least someone had the good sense to leave it at one fall. Holiday introduced BBB as his insurance policy. Holiday used a sneak attack. When Kuma made the comeback, Holiday bailed. Kuma chased and Holiday cut him off as he came back through the ropes. Holiday used a rolling neck snap for a near fall. Barfield interfered on Holiday’s behalf. They traded. Holiday dumped Kuma and whipped him into the post. Kuma was busted wide open. Holiday totally overshot a top rope elbow drop. It was supposed to miss but this was ridiculous. Kuma fired back with leg kicks. Kuma’s superkick took out ref Billy Wade. Barfield went for a belt shot on Kuma and hit Holiday instead. 1..2..3 and Kuma was the new champ.

Cru Jones joined Holiday and Barfield for a postmatch beatdown on Kuma. Glacier and Styles cleared the ring. Jones said Glacier was washed up and Styles was a shrimp. Barfield said his guy got robbed and challenged Kuma to rematch on tonight’s show. Kuma accepted on two conditions: 1) Barfield and Jones would be barred from ringside and 2) it would be falls count anywhere in the Rainwater Center. Holiday told Kuma to take a good look in the mirror because the blood was going to be 50 times worse.

NOTES:

The World One tag tournament concludes tonight at the Rainwater Center in Valdosta. The second round pairings are: Midnight Express vs. Landell & C. W. Anderson, Nightmare & Morton vs. Steve Madison & Thomas, Heartbreak Xpress vs. Tully Blanchard & Glacier, and Maction vs. Jake Slater & ?…But TONIGHT! TONIGHT! TONIGHT! The final destination for my Spring Fling of Georgia Rasslin’ is the NWA Arena in Cornelia, where the 10th rendition of Hardcore Hell will take place in front of as many people as Jerry Palmer can possibly cram into that old Mud Creek School Gym…Bobby Eaton and Scott Hudson will be the featured guests on this week’s Wrestling Informer Weekly, which can be heard at www.wrestlingradionetwork.com every Wednesday night from 8-10pm.

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