NWA Anarchy taped two hours of television at the NWA Arena in Cornelia, GA on September 8, featuring a reunion of TNA's Gunner making another return to the building from which his stardom was launched as Phil Shatter.
The show succeeded on the strength of the main events. The second hour main, featuring the reunion of Gunner and Murphy (Mikael Judas, hit a home run with the fans. It was the perfect way to balance the NWA Elite's shenanigans in the first hour main. Several other matches were OK enough in the ring, but nothing else really resonated that strongly. There were no vignettes due to technical problems. What else is new?
Attendance at the NWA Arena was 85 -- not as bad as it could have been given that they were running head to head with the TNA show in Gainesville just 20 miles away.
Heel color commentator, John Johnson introduced himself as the special guest ring announcer. Play by play man, Tim E. D said their was nothing special about Johnson and introduced an unnamed female (Lace) as the ring announcer for the evening. Lace had a rough night ahead of her.
(1) Joey Rhymer won a seven man mega rumble to become the number one contender for the Young Lion's Championship (11 minutes). Blake Wilder and Bu Ku Dao, two Luke Hawx trainees from NWA Wildkat, did two minutes of choreography. Tommy Penirelli and partner CB Suave. The New Orleans guys teamed up against Penirelli and Gibson. Brandon Parker made Dao the first to go. The three heels eliminated Wilder just as Rhymer entered. He took a beating but survived until Vandal and Najasism evened up the sides. They're going to need to put a skirt on Rhymer if he keeps throwing those sissy punches. Rhymer and Najasism eliminated Penirelli with a double dropkick. Vandal and Suave went out together. The final entrant, Andrew Pendleton III eliminated Najasism and it was down to Rhymer, Parker and AP3. Parker and AP3 rushed at Rhymer, who pulled the ropes down. Parker put on the brakes but AP3 shoved him over the top. The usually crafty AP3 charged again like a dimwit and Rhymer again pulled the ropes down to spill him out. The stealth push for the underdog teenager was cute for a while, but it has now jumped the shark.
Miss Rachael introduced her personal hero (and evil general manager) Jerry Palmer. Palmer said he was going to provide Rhymer with a top tier opponent and if he beat him, then Rhymer would be top tier. Leading to...
(2) Se7en (with Jeff G. Bailey) defeated Joey Rhymer in 2:30. Your child abuse special for the evening. Rhymer got in not one blow. Se7en crushed the kid with a powerslam but refused to allow the pin. Rhymer tried to claw his way out of the ring. Se7en would have none of that and put him away with a second powerslam.
The geek squad came out to tend to Rhymer, but AP3 pushed them out the way so he could add insult to injury...rather injury to injury...with the Stock Market Crash.
(3) Steven Walters defeated John Skyler in 9:32. Walters was fresh off a successful three month tour of Great Britain with All Star Wrestling. Skyler hasn't been around much, but the Anarchy fans still hate him. This was a solid back and forth match, but one that had no storyline implications. Walters hit an enzuirgiri followed by a dragon suplex for a good near fall. Skyler was in a state of disbelief when Walters kicked out of Sliced Bread #2, so he went for it again. Walters slipped out of it. Skyler tried for another of his pet moves, the slingshot spear, but Walters blocked it and gave him a piledriver for a potent finish.
(4) Jacoby Boykins defeated Bu Ku Dao in 3:13. Little Dao was bouncing off of Boykins. Dao avoided a splash and that just pissed JB off. Boykins put Dao in the paper shredder with power move upon power move, using a spinning powerslam for the win. Boykins was livid when Lace twice announced him as the winner and pronounced his name wrong both times.
(5) Bobby Moore defeated Seth Delay in 7:23. Moore used a sleeper to wear Delay down. Moore nutted himself on Delay's knees and it was comeback time. Delay's top rope elbow drop missed, and Moore loaded his elbow pad. Moore went for the kill, but Delay ducked and rolled him up for a near fall. Shortly thereafter, Moore managed to get referee Ken Wallace turned around so he could put Delay's lights out with the loaded elbow.
Postmatch - Moore sang the Barney song to Delay while stomping the crap out of him, then did the ugliest swivel hips spot in wrestling history.
(6) Urban Assault Squad (Shadow Jackson & Nemesis with Jerry Palmer) defeated Slim J & Stryknyn in 11:40. Slim came out as a solo. UAS had him cornered when the returning Styrknyn came to his rescue for a big pop. Slim and Stryk put Nemesis in the torture chamber. They busted out the Hate Junkies boot party on Jackson, whose facial expressions are off the charts. He did this great jelly legs sell of a jawjacker that was one for the ages. UAS had Slim in a world of hurt. He hit Screwdriver on the Rocks on Nemesis and made the tag, but referee Brent Wiley conveniently missed it. The Elite have Wiley in their hip pocket. As Wiley was admonishing Stryk for getting in the ring, Jackson gave Slim an illegal 1031. Nemesis covered and Wiley turned around to make the three count.
Postmatch - Granny got in Palmer's face. Palmer baited Granny until she slapped him. Palmer ran to the ramp with a look of shock on his face and his hat all cockeyed. The fans chanted "Granny" while the old lady stood on her chair with his arms raised. Fun stuff.
So ended a very lengthy first hour of television.
(7) Anthony Henry defeated Jacob Ashworth in 6:54. The big man was giving Henry a ferocious beating early on. But Henry out chopped Ashworth, landed a top rope double to the back and then hit a springboard tornado DDT for a two count. Ashworth went for the elevated full nelson face plant. Henry nicely reversed out of it and tried for his cloverleaf submission, but Ashworth fought it off. Ashworth hit the elevated full nelson but Henry kicked out. Henry ducked Ashworth's latest finisher, the short arm clothesline, and rolled him up. The finish would have been more impactful if fans recognized that Ashworth was going for his finisher, but he's on his third finishing move in as many months.
Johnson claimed Henry used tights and Ashworth was the real winner. Johnson said as Director of Talent Relations, he was extending an invitation to Ashworth to join his family. Bad timing if you ask me. Adding a guy that just lost does not bode well for Johnson's stable. Ashworth accepted. Johnson brought out his future tag team champions, Penirelli and Suave, two of the losers in the jobber rumble. Johnson said Suave was a Hollywood star and would make his prime time television debut in "Steel Magnolias" on October 7 (Suave was an extra in the film). Johnson then brought out his crown jewel, Young Lion's Champion Adrian Hawkins for a match that could only be won by submission.
(8) Adrian Hawkins (with Johnson & Ashworth & Penterelli & Suave) defeated Sergeant Socorro in a submission match at 7:30 to retain the Young Lion's Championship. Socorro is another of Hawx's guys from NWA Wildkat. Hawkins bailed out at the first hint of pressure. Hawkins then tossed Sarge out so Johnson's dog pack could do their dirty work. Hawkins worked on Sarge's leg to set up the sharpshooter. Sarge came back with a Samoan drop and locked in a crossface chickenwing, but Hawkins hooked the ropes with his foot. Moments later, Hawkins applied the sharpshooter and Sarge tapped. Yet another bad sign for Johnson's stable -- he picks the stipulation and his crown jewel still has a tough time beating a nobody.
Luke Hawx came out to help Socorro to the back.
(9) Mikael Adryan & Brodie Chase & Billy Buck & Gunner defeated Jagged Edge & Bo Newsom & Shaun Tempers & Jacoby Boykins (with Jeff G. Bailey) in 18:26. This was slated as a 6 man tag. Judas noted that Bailey had brought 4 men and said he had asked a friend of his to hang around for a few hours....out came Gunner to a response befitting a conquering hero. Buck capitalized on his opportunity to shine. Anarchy Heavyweight Champion Tempers wanted no part of number one contender Chase. Newsom took the beating in his place. Judas dared Jagged Edge to tag in. Judas gave Newsom the corner clothesline from hell. Poor Bo. Newsom was fortunate enough to see Buck's superkick coming and scrambled for a tag. Edge and Judas squared off. A stalemate more or less. More will come of this in due time. Buck was the babyface in peril. Nobody on the Anarchy roster does it better. Gunner took the hot tag and cleaned house on Tempers, Newsom and Boykins. Jagged Edge stunned Gunner with a blow from behind, but got cut off by a high boot from Judas. Gunner and Judas sent Jagged Edge over the top rope with a hellacious double clothesline. It looked like Jagged cracked his jaw on the ring apron on the way down. Judas gave Tempers a wicked corner clothesline. Gunner then speared Tempers out of his boots. The champion was destroyed. Chase was summoned into the ring to apply the finishing touch - a butterfly DDT. Under penalty of death, Judas forced referee Wiley to make the three count.
Postmatch, the winners shared a serving of the dreaded NWA Arena nachos in the ring. Gunner made a slow circuit around the ringside area to hobnob with the fans. He appeared to be enjoying every moment of it.
NOTES: The date for Fright Night 2012 at the NWA Arena in Cornelia, GA is October 27...Slim J faced off with Patrick Bentley in the gut check match at the TNA show in Gainesville. Bentley went over with the Canadian Destroyer...Walters was wrestling as many as 10 matches per week on his tour of Great Britain. The shows were part of the entertainment provided at summer getaway destinations and the houses were routinely packed...Walters said the single most impressive wrestler was Rampage Brown...The September 10 edition of [url=www.blogtalkradio.co/psp]Georgia Wrestling Now[/url] will feature an interview with Pat Kenney regarding the TNA Gut Check seminars and a panel of Georgia's top in ring officials including Dee Byers, Dustin Robinson, Duke Korey and Ken Wallace, discussing all things related to being a pro wrestling referee.
