From Larry Goodman: Stephen Platinum’s career as a pro wrestler ended in a blaze of glory Saturday night in Porterdale, GA losing ...
From Larry Goodman:
Stephen Platinum’s career as a pro wrestler ended in a blaze of glory Saturday night in Porterdale, GA losing a wacky and wild streetfight to former two-time PCW Heavyweight Champion Shane Marx.
It wasn’t a great wrestling match, although it certainly wasn’t anything to be ashamed of. No PCW fan in their right mind (is there such a thing?) was expecting a mat classic. That was never the point.
This was epic storytelling, a riveting spectacle, as poetic as a violent pro wrestling match can be.
Platinum made good on his promise to hurt Marx, to make him suffer. Platinum pulled out every underhanded tactic imaginable, had outside assistance galore and still couldn’t beat his star pupil. The match may read like an overbooked mess. Rest assured, that’s not the way it played out live. It was a beautiful thing to see. The moving parts meshed. The entire cast of characters was more than up to the challenge.
The other matches were plenty OK enough. The main event was THE SHOW, so in my mind, the primary objective of the undercard was to avoid doing anything that might besmirch its impact.
Attendance at the Main Event was 85. The full house I expected did not materialize. Southern Fried Championship Wrestling was running about 20 miles away in Monroe. How much effect that had on PCW’s attendance, one can only speculate.
Platinum opened the show with a 10 bell for Jack Zaler, who wrestled for PCW as Jack Mecidol.
(1) De La Vega defeated Bobby Moore (with Miss Rachael) in 7 minutes. Heel vs. heel. It a nice energy about it and plenty of action. DLV asked why they were wrestling each other, then answered his own question “They’re trying to break the Grown Ass Man.” DLV offered a handshake and immediately tried to roll Moore up from behind. The crowd was favoring DLV. With Miss Rachael in his corner, Moore was bound to get the hate. When DLV kicked out of Moore’s sick kick, Rachael got upon the apron to bitch at referee Chuck Porterfield. She tossed the loaded elbow pad in but DLV scooped it up and KOed Moore.
Postmatch, Moore was livid about Rachael's screw up.
(2) Brian Blaze vs. the debuting Velvet Jones was ruled a double count out at 11:13. Jones was in control until a missed senton backsplash. Blaze zeroed in on Velvet’s arm, working up to a cross armbreaker submission. Jones rallied, hitting a variation of the Double Shot for a near fall and pounding lumps on Blaze until he rolled out of the ring. They brawled at ringside until referee Wes “Knife” Evans counted them out. Good match. The crowd was unfamiliar with Jones but they warmed up to him nicely.
Afterward, Jones brought Blaze back into the ring and left him laying with a uranage.
(3) Adrian Armour (with Sylar Cross) defeated Marko Polo in 8:12. Polo received the first babyface pop and chant of the night. Cross trip up Polo to give Armour the edge. Armour looked more confident and deliberate on offense, giving the impact of his moves a chance to register. The added experience is paying off. Ditto Polo. This might have been the best overall match I’ve seen him have. After connecting with a leaping leg drop, Polo was ready to end it with the clothesline. But Cross interfered again, and it was Armour with a discus clothesline for the 1-2-3.
(4) The Washington Bullets (Jon & Trey Williams) defeated PCW Heavyweight Champion Chip Day & Sylar Cross (with Jeff G. Bailey) in 15:35. Before the match, Armour put his two cents in on the mic. He said the most gifted, charismatic tag team in the company was in the ring…and then there was the Bullets. The teams went back and forth trying to isolate one man. Bullets stomping mudholes on a stacked up Cross and Day got a big pop, as did a high double backdrop on Day. The heels eventually succeeded in getting big time pressure on Jon. The hot tag was fun stuff. Trey busted out the Captain Morgan. Bullets planted Day’s face in the mat with a wheelbarrow/leapfrog legdrop but Cross made the save. Jon kicked out of Day of the Dead for a great false finish. It still looked like curtains for Jon, but Day inadvertently kicked Cross in the face, and Bullets smoked Day with the Marion Barry. Bullets never fail to get the crowd going. Best match of the undercard. Jon scored the pinfall on the champion which made perfect sense since he’s getting a title shot on March 1.
(5) MAIM (Deandre Jackson & Sugar Shane with Kwasi Mandisco) defeated Josh Powers & Eric Walker in 13:45. Walker is pretty over with the fans in Porterdale these days. Powers was on fire early. He’s a PCW newcomer from South Carolina and turned in an impressive debut performance. He’s built like a wrestler and his stuff looked really solid. Walker missed on a cannonball into the corner and the heat was on. Kwasi choked Walker with his scarf. Powers cleaned house leading full cirle train of big moves. When it came back around to Powers, he kicked Jackson in the face and made a move for Mandisco. Jackson capitalized on Powers’ lapse in judgment with a sitout front slam.
(6) Shane Marx (with Miss Rachael) defeated Stephen Platinum in a streetfight at 16:58. The Williams brothers set up a table at ringside. In one of his stellar Youtube promos, Platinum had vowed to put Marx through a table. Just a few days past his 42nd birthday, Platinum entered looking confident and in better shape than his last PCW appearance. Most of the lockerroom came out to observe. At the opening bell, Platinum blinded Marx with powder and starting jabbing a stick into his ear. Platinum’s big athletic move of the match was a baseball slide into a headscissors that put Marx down on the floor. It was good for a stout “PCW” chant. Back inside, Marx cut Platinum off and knocked the wind out of him with a spear. They were taking their time and selling big. Marx measured Platinum with punches to the head, and an elbow to the base of the skull. Marx stalked his prey. Marx hit his signature Death Valley Driver. Platinum was toast, but booker/announcer Shane Mackey came to ringside and put Platinum’s foot over the ropes. “Platinum is still in the match!” At that point, Rachael physically attacked Mackey. Platinum gave Marx a low blow and choked him with a rope to set up a Russian leg sweep with the rope around Marx’s throat. Platinum went after the ear again and called for a chair. Platinum jabbed Marx’s gut with the chair edge and waffled his back. Marx staggered Platinum with right hand. Platinum came back with a DDT but was very slow to rise. Marx caught Platinum with a spinebuster and set up for another spear. Ricky Nugent (aka Oscar Worthy) who was there as a spectator, jumped in and shoved Platinum out of harm’s way. Marx speared Nugent halfway to Conyers for his troubles. Platinum whacked Marx with his shoe and applied a sleeper. Platinum got Marx on the table and went for a piledriver. The table leg gave out, so Marx didn’t actually go through it, but it looked more dangerous that way. They somehow made it back inside the ring. The Platinum Crusader (Johnny Danger as a masked superhero) threw a bag to Platinum. The bag contained lighter fluid, a gas lighter and Platinum’s green jacket. Platinum put the jacket on, soaked the arm in fluid and lit it up for a blazing lariat. Platinum relit the jacket and delivered a flaming forearm to the Marx’s back. But Marx somehow mustered up the resources for another Death Valley Driver and Platinum’s wrestling career was over.
From his knee, Marx addressed the fallen Platinum on the mic. He said 10 years ago, Platinum took a 23 year old kid and introduced him to pro wrestling. Platinum was his trainer and his mentor and shaped him into the man he was today. Marx said Platinum was the toughest man he ever met, and he had earned his respect.
Jeff G. Bailey brought this feel good moment to a crushing halt. This was Bailey at his vile best. He said Christmas had come early. Bailey buried Platinum under the EMPIRE banner. Bailey said Platinum was laid out like a sacrifice on the altar and nothing could be sweeter. He was truly the winner and had proven that he was better than Platinum.
I have descended as Porterdale’s Lord and Savior, Jeff G. Christ!
It was Rachael’s turn. She uncovered Platinum’s face and was immediately knocked down by a wicked slap across the face from Bailey. Bailey said Rachael was a stupid girl that was nothing without him. He was a God looking down on the people. Marx was standing in the corner doing a fabulous slow burn. Bailey told Marx not to lose his cool. Rachael made a mistake by touching his banner and Marx had already lowered himself by uttering those words about Platinum. Bailey continued to berate Rachael. Marx got halfway to the back before charging back to the ring and knocking Bailey on his ass.
Bailey completely lost it on his way out and decked referee Chuck Porterfield. Marx hugged Rachael. Platinum finally got back to his feet with the crowd chanting his name and accepted a handshake from Marx.
Platinum addressed the crowd. As champion, Day had challenged any ex-champion and had beaten all that he had face, but he had not wrestled the greatest PCW Champion of all-time, Shane Marx. Marx was crowned as the first PCW Champion on March 26, 2010, held the title for over a year and later won it back. Platinum implored Marx to reclaim Porterdale for PCW. Marx motioned that he wanted the belt around his waist. The crowd responded with a massive “Yes!” chant. Platinum said Marx was coming for Day and Rachael was coming for Bailey. “In two weeks, PCW will be back and PCW will never, never leave Porterdale!”
Just one more zany thing…Platinum said he had two dreams about this night: that his final match wouldn’t be an embarrassment and that since nobody would go to the prom with him, he could dance in a PCW ring. A granny in the crowd named Lucy volunteered and was helped into the ring to dance with Platinum. Rachael followed suit and graciously invited some old guy into the ring to dance with her.
