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SHOW REPORTS

2008 SHOW REPORTS

September 5, 2008

Prime Time Pro Wrestling ran their fifth weekly show since taking over the old GCW building in Columbus, Ga. Entitled "Collision Course," it was also PTPW's first attempt at doing a DVD taping.

Things appear to be moving in the right direction. The booking is more coherent. It was a smoother, better paced show than opening night, despite having to deal with a broken ring midway through. The crowd was enthusiastic about most everything presented. Most importantly, they did a fine job of setting up next week as an even bigger deal.

The show drew 185 to that wonderful warehouse on Burnham Blvd –the best they’ve done since opening night - and a much-needed positive sign with Jerry Lawler coming in next week.

Simon Sermon and Thomas Britain came out wearing the tag title belts belonging to Southside Trash. Promoter/ring announcer Billy Roper noted that he had to deal with a lot of big egos whining about nothing in this business. Sermon accused Commissioner Eddie Philips of corruption for bypassing them and naming those has been old men, the Rock ‘n Roll Express as the number one contenders. Sermon's mic work was strong. He demanded a title match with the Trash later in the show. Looking like the fat cats that swallowed the canaries, Roper and Phillips said OK, so long as the limeys (cough) handed over the title belts during the interim.

(1) Rob Adonis beat Frankie Valentine in 4:27.

Adonis claimed Valentine was nowhere to be found. Valentine came from the back door and found Adonis with a chairshot to the back of the head. The story was Valentine was going to live or die with the aerial game. He hit a moonsault to the floor and went for a dragonrana, but Adonis powerbombed the hell out of him. Valentine took a spinning bump off a lariat, and Adonis hit a spinebuster for two. Valentine came back with twisting springboard crossbody. Adonis did the loaded boot gimmick. Valentine ate it coming off the ropes. For solid technical execution, this was as good as anything I saw on this road trip. They worked the big man/little man spots really well.

(2) Chris Stevens beat Deathrow (with J. P. Money) in 8:24 to advance to a three-way for the PTPW Heavyweight Championship.

Stevens continues to be the most over babyface they have. Billed from “The Institute for the Homicidally Insane,” Deathrow looks the part. These two have well-established issue, so it was heated from the get go. They brawled back to the concession area with Stevens dishing out the punishment. Back inside the ring, Deathrow posted Stevens’ shoulder. Deathrow worked on Stevens’ shoulder. His brawling is fine, but when Deathrow tries to wrestle, the mystique disappears in a hurry. The kids in the crowd were really strong for Stevens as he was taking heat. Money (at one time known as Pat Patterson Jr.) hit Deathrow with his duffle bag when Stevens moved. Stevens gave Deathrow a stunner for the pin. Finish was not good. The crazy monster guy had to sell this lame shot Money gave him with the duffle bag. After the match, Deathrow got pissed and chased after Money.

(3) Jake Slater & Josh Stone beat Southside Trash (Rowdy & Raunchy) to win the PTWP Tag Team Titles in 6:50.

The concept of the swerve title switch was much better than the reality. Fans didn’t care a lick about Slater and Stone, and who could blame them? We’re talking negative babyface charisma. SST tried to jump them, and the faces answered with sunset flips and lariats in stereo. Should be an easy pop and there was nothing. SST worked on the inexperienced Stone. They were losing the crowd to where Roper shaved a full two minutes off the 5 minute call. It broke down to four way action. They did this awful looking double atomic drop spot and SST collided. Raunchy accidentally hit Rowdy with his elbow pad and Slater pinned Rowdy. I don’t know which was worse; the finish of this match or Diane Hewes wrestling with Quentin Michaels. Either way, it was some horrible looking crap. Roper’s mouth runneth over with shock and awe for the title change. Sermon, who was doing color commentary, left the announcer’s table in a snit.

Chick Donovan, sharp dressed man personified, cut an inring promo. The man can talk. Just don’t let him wrestle. Donovan said he had won 296, no make that 298 matches in a row, and he had unfinished business in PTPW, such as getting the heavyweight title. Donovan made like Forrest Gump – “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get, Mr. Roper.”

(4) Vordell Walker beat Bulldog Raines in a Dog Collar Match in 7:45.

As Walker did his prematch testing of the ropes, a cable gave way underneath. He was fortunate to avoid a nasty spill to the floor. The ring crew tried to do a quick fix but it popped as soon as Walker hit the ropes, so they plowed ahead and had a hot brawl. Credit Walker and Raines with doing a fine job of working around the problem. Raines hung Walker over the top with the chain and then lit him up with chops. Walker came back with a pair of sweet kicks and a senton backsplash for a near fall. The action spilled into the ringside seats. Walker took a backdrop into the chairs. Ref Dr. Steve Miller made a two count on the floor. Falls count anywhere, too? Raines sent Walker sliding through a whole mess of chairs. Back inside, Miller got bumped. Raines hit the Blue Thunder Bomb, but no ref to count. Low blow and a charging TKO by Walker to pin Raines. The finish caught fans by surprise. This was really good stuff.

Roper suggested a rematch with no DQ and falls count anywhere. Raines barked. Roper took that as a yes. Walker said he was all about appeasing the fans. He said he and Raines had been fighting all over for a year, and next week would be their last match, and probably the last of Bulldog’s career.

(5) Rock ‘n Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) beat Simon Sermon & Thomas Britain in 9:57.

Express had a significantly better match here than the last time I saw them vs. Midnight Express on the NWA show at Philips. Gibson was on. Sermon and Britain did a great job as the bumbling heels. Excellent heat. It was mind boggling the way the kids in the crowd were chanting for R ‘n R. They couldn’t possibly know who they were. R ’n R embarrassed the Brits and brought out the old combo moves, using variations of the double rolling leglock/punch the other guy in the corner to great effect. It really got over with kids who had never seen it before. Britain gave Morton a low blow behind the ref’s back to start the heat. They worked on Ricky’s leg. The heels tried to duplicate the rolling leglock spot, but Gibson was waiting for them. They wheeled around to walk into a double lariat from Morton. Hot tag, heels whipped into a midring collision, and the double dropkick for the pin.

While they were changing tapes, Roper thanked the fans for their support. He said they had gotten nothing but trouble from the folks across the river (Great Championship Wrestling in Phenix City, Al). He said they couldn’t compete with the Hewes’ money, but there was plenty of talent in the PTPW locker room. Nothing like a little promotional war to spice things up.

(6) Colt Derringer beat Elix Skipper and Chris Stevens in an elimination match to retain the PTPW Heavyweight Title in 13:14.

Derringer said they had sent two (babyfaces) against him, but he was leaving with the title. Early on, it was mostly Stevens vs. Skipper with Derringer selling. More of that wold have been fine by me. Stevens ducked and Skipper sailed over the top to hit a plancha on Derringer. Skipper teased a sunset powerbomb to the floor on Derringer, but Stevens broke it up. Back inside, Stevens hit a pair of spinebusters on Skipper and had Derringer pinned after a top rope elbow drop. Money came out to distract the ref, while Deathrow clocked Stevens with a roll of quarters. Stevens was counted out at 5:55. Skipper hit the Overdrive for a near fall. And it wouldn’t be a Skipper match without a stiff kick to the kidneys. Derringer took over with a bigtime overhead belly to belly suplex. Dude has got some brute strength. Derringer beat up Skipper on the outside. He used a huge legdrop on the floor. Back inside, Derringer hit a pumphandle slam, but he busted his ass when Skipper escaped from his ropes walk legdrop. Skipper dropkicked Derringer’s knee, and it legit looked like no fun at all. Skipper hit the missile dropkick, but Derringer was in the ropes. Derrringer escaped Play of Day, ducked a spinkick and pinned Skipper clean in the middle with his finisher, a spinning suplex. Good match. Derringer is making a believer out of me, and it sure helps that he is being booked with conviction as the genuine top guy.

Stevens came back out and did some excellent mic work to close the show. Money came out and Stevens busted out the line of the night on baldy’s bulbous head – “I didn’t ask for onions on this sandwich, brother.” Stevens said he was bringing in his cousin Zeke from Mississippi, all 7 feet and 400 pounds of him – “We call him Tiny” - to put the psycho nutbag out of his misery.

NOTES: The 9/12 show has Jerry Lawler vs. Derringer for the heavyweight title, Cousin Zeke vs. Deathrow, Walker vs. Raines - No DQ Falls Count Anywhere, Southside Trash vs. Sermon & Britain, and Bad Company (Stevens & Young) will be in action…They did a raffle for two to have lunch with Lawler next Friday…Lawler will also be signing autographs from at Bill Heard Chevrolet in Columbus for 2-4pm Friday afternoon…NWA Anarchy announcer Greg Hunter did the play-by-play for the DVD with Sermon, Donovan and Adonis all having a hand in the color commentary...The original plan for last night’s main was a return engagement by Marty Jannetty challenging for the heavyweight title, but he had another booking. Roper said he hopes to bring Jannetty back at a later date.