From Larry Goodman: Anarchy Wrestling’s Fright Night 2014 was a success by any metric. The 16th annual rendition drew 200 peop...
From Larry Goodman:
Anarchy Wrestling’s Fright Night 2014 was a success by any metric.
The 16th annual rendition drew 200 people, the largest, loudest crowd at the Anarchy Arena since Hardcore Hell in March 2013, the show that brought the Jerry Palmer story to a violent conclusion.
It’s no surprise that both shows were headlined by Anarchy’s signature match, the War Games. What made Fright Night 2014 unique was that for the first time ever, all of the matches were contested inside a steel cage and there wasn’t one singles match on the card.
Bill Behrens half-jokingly called it Anarchy’s tribute to TNA, a dubious distinction at best. Anarchy, however, made the concept work with a variety of stipulation matches that prevented the cage from becoming mundane. Fright Night 2014 was messy in a good way, and the crowd response spoke for itself. They loved this show.
The Anarchy roster came through with stellar performances throughout the evening. The heavyweight title match was my personal favorite highlighted by the work of Champion BJ Hancock and top challengers Billy Buck and Stryknyn. And the War Games lived up to the savage standards set by previous incarnations of Anarchy's signature match.
To me, the storytelling at Anarchy has been less than compelling of late. I feared the all cage, all multi-person stuff was smoke and mirrors to cover the lack of meaty stories. At first glance, that seemed to be the case last night, but in retrospect, the heavyweight and tag title matches both told terrific stories, and Anarchy came out of this show with some interesting new directions moving forward.
Ring announcer Jonathan Feltner opened the show with a surprise for play-by-play announcer Bret Wolverton, a one night only return to the announcer’s booth by former Georgia announcer of the year, John “The Body” Johnson, who entered to the strains of “I Gotta Be Me”.
Anarchy owner Franklin Dove called out Gunner and Corey Hollis sporting a cast on his right hand. Hollis said he broke his thumb in a match last Saturday (wrestling Chip Day at AWE) and would be unable to compete in the TV Title match and was giving his spot to Todd Sexton.
(1) Joey Rhymer retained the Young Lion’s Championship in an escape the cage match at 9:29. Miss Rachael waited until the other competitors were in the ring to make her grand entrance with Rhymer and the muscle, Lars Manderson. Rhymer went for the quick escape with Manderson as protection but got pulled down by a gang of wrestlers. On two occasions, Supernatural clearly could have escaped and chose to leap off the top of the cage instead. They were spectacular moves that got big pops, but it sure shot suspension of disbelief all to hell. Why care about who wins the title if the wrestlers don’t? Rhymer made it to the top of the cage only to get superplexed onto a pile of guys by Foster. Blue hit the Air Raid Crash on Joey and tried to climb out but Manderson planted him with the Falcon Arrow. The finish made total sense. Rhymer scrambled out of the cage while Manderson cut off escape attempts by the top challengers to his title, Foster and Blue. The crowd ate it up and overlooked the lapse in logic.
(2) Washington Bullets defeated Champions Todd Sexton & Bobby Moore and Urban Assault Squad (Shadow Jackson & Nemesis) and William Huckaby & Joe Black to win the Anarchy Tag Team Championship in four-way elimination match in 18:53. An added wrinkle was that eliminations could occur by both team members being handcuffed to the cage. Shadow felt the power of Huckaby early on. Black and Huckaby felt the wrath of Nemesis as he got revenge for the beating they gave him in the handicap match last month. Moore and Nemesis had a chopfest. The other three teams took turns beating on Nemesis. The hot tag was made. Huckaby inadvertently clotheslined Black was rolled up by Jackson at 9:20. Huckaby illegally handcuffed Nemesis to the cage before departing. Huckaby also gave Jackson a Samoan Drop. Trey swooped in for the quick pin but Jackson kicked out at two. With his partner on ice, Jackson put up a valiant fight against the numbers. Jackson was fixing to give Jon the stunner when Trey smoked him with a superkick at 13:38. Referee Dee Byers unlocked the handcuffs on Nemesis to get him out of the cage. Why didn’t he do that in the first place? Sexton managed to get the Bullets in a double crossface but ended up being handcuffed to the cage. Moore showed great babyface fire fighting 1 on 2 and had the crowd behind him. Moore was loading up the elbow pad when Jon blindsided him with an enzuirgi to back of the head. Moore rallied back with a bulldog/sick kick combo for a close near fall on Trey. But he was unaware that Jon was loading the elbow pad and it was lights out for Moore. This match worked like a charm.
The afterward was a shocker. Sexton kicked Moore in the groin and berated him for losing “his” tag titles. Sexton then blasted Moore with the handcuffs, busting him open big time. Sexton's sick mind was on display for all the world to see. Byers got legit pissed at security for standing around with thumbs up their asses instead of rushing to Moore’s aid.
(3) BJ Hancock (with Miss Rachael) retained the Anarchy Heavyweight Championship in a 7 man turmoil match over Brodie Chase and Mike Posey and Slim J and CB Suave and Billy Buck and Stryknyn in 37:22. Rules were five minute time limits with both men eliminated if the time limit expired. The first and last entrants were determined by the outcome of a match at the October 11 show. Mike Posey started vs. Brodie Chase. They were inserted into the mix based on being former champions I guess although neither has been in the title hunt of late. Chase gave Posey a pounding, but his knee gave out on a powerbomb attempt. Posey pounced on the injury. Chase fought back but the bum knee betrayed him and he was pinned. Slim J dominated “New Face of Old School” Posey and submitted him with the inverted STF. CB Suave squared off with Slim. The justification for their presence in the title match remains a mystery except the bookers needed a way to advance their feud. Good stuff. Suave is worthy of the elevation. The highlight was a rolling cradle spot that left both men dizzy. Suave pinned Slim with his feet on the ropes. Buck made short work of Suave submitting him with the figure four. Styknyn made his fire breathing entrance. The intensity ramped up with the top contenders going at it. They traded submission, Stryk with the Tourniquet and Buck with the figure four. Buck gave Stryk a super german suplex with Stryk taking a full rotation face bump as the 5 minute time limit expired. Rachael came out with Hancock and proceeded to crow about her champion retaining the title. But Behrens restarted the match, stating that the time limit did not apply to the final elimination because Hancock had to face somebody. Buck kicked out of the FFD. Buck speared Stryk for a near fall. Stryk superkicked Buck for a near fall and coiled for a second spear attempt. Buck used Stryk’s momentum to propel him into the cage and nailed him with the superkick for the pin. Hancock hit the ring and immediately superkicked Buck for a close near fall. Buck was knocked for a loop. The crowd sensed Buck was in trouble and got behind him huge. Hancock squelched multiple comebacks with mounting exasperation as he couldn’t put Buck away. Hancock took too much time on the Bombs Away knee, and Buck brought him off the top with a Samoan Drop. Both down. Hancock hit the piledriver and Buck kicked out! Hancock was losing his mind. He went back to the well and Buck countered with a jackknife. Buck spinebustered Hancock. Hancock was cut around the eye. Heat off the charts. Buck tried to finish with the superkick, but Hancock caught him with a low blow and crushed him (and the hopes of the Anarchy fans) with the piledriver. The swervy and dramatic closing minutes was the high point of the night. Not the time to pull the trigger on the switch. Buck’s quest to regain the title continues much to Anarchy’s betterment.
Manderson and Rhymer joined Rachael and Hancock for the postmatch celebration. Big round of applause for Buck as he was helped from the ring.
(4) Todd Sexton defeated Champion Tommy Penirelli and Gunner and Anthony Henry in a fatal four way to win the Anarchy TV Championship in 10:56. The action as fine. Quiet crowd though as the fans evidently used it as an opportunity to catch their breath before the War Games. The other issue was Gunner’s physical dominance – a world class superstar in the ring with three mortal indy guys. By all rights Gunner should win and everyone knows that’s not happening. Gunner speared loudmouth Sexton right off the bat. Henry hit a top rope double stomp on Gunner. With Gunner and Sexton both down, Penirelli and Henry went at it. Gunner recovered to score a slew of near falls on Henry. Henry came back with a Zig Zag off the ropes to take out Gunner. Penirelli brought Henry off the top rope with an overhead suplex and all four were down. Gunner got clipped by Penirelli who put him in the ankle lock. Penirelli reversed Sexton’s crossface with another ankle lock. Gunner broke it up and got speared by Sexton. Gunner clunked Penirelli with a headbutt and hit the F5 on Henry. Gunner had Henry in the Gun Rack and didn’t see slimeball Sexton cover Penirelli for the 1-2-3. This match worked about as well as it could have. Putting the title on Sexton was an inspired piece of booking on the fly. Henry got a chance to shine with Gunner. Penirelli looked strong on his way out and the finish was a plausible way for Gunner to lose.
Postmatch, Gunner and Hollis consoled Penirelli.
(5) Team Anarchy (Mikael Judas & Geter & Azrael) defeated Team Elite (Iceberg & Jagged Edge & Se7en with Jeff G. Bailey) in the War Games in 23:11. The cage had been reinforced since Fright Night 2013 when Geter and Judas came close to bringing that sucker down. Team Elite earned the man advantage by winning a six man match at the October 11 show after Bailey blinded Judas with the powder. Judas and Berg worked the opening five minutes. They pounded each other silly. Berg bled after a taking a shot into the cage. One of the problems of the all cage format was the cage only really came into play as a weapon in the War Games when it was readily available all night long. Jagged Edge entered with a metal trash can and wrench. Judas was the first to use the can and use it he did. Jagged whipped Judas into the wedged can and beat him with the wrench. Iceberg then did a top rope elbow job. Oh my God. Azrael entered like a house of fire, landing the most explosive, hellacious chops of the night on Jagged, followed by a cannonball into the can on Iceberg. Se7en entered with the White Trash stop sign, a vestige of the NWA Wildside era. Team Elite dominated with the 3 on 2 advantage. Geter’s entrance got an unexpectedly impressive pop. The Match Beyond was underway. Se7en staggered Geter with a trash can to the head and put him down with a perfectly placed bicycle kick. Se7en was bleeding. Jagged tried to submit Judas by choking him out with electric tape but couldn’t get the job done. Judas sent Jagged flying into the cage. Geter chucked Se7en into the cage like a 275 pound lawn dart. Judas gave Iceberg El Crucifijo (crucifix powerbomb). It was simply amazing and generated the loudest pop of the match. Judas and Azrael put Jagged in a double Boston crab but Berg broke it up. Judas launched Jagged into the cage with El Crucifijo. Azrael followed with a frogsplash elbow, followed by an ungodly 400 pound top rope splash from Geter. Jagged definitely got the worst of it from Team Anarchy. Bailey tried to use the powder on Azrael. It backfired blinding Se7en. Azrael nailed Se7en with the superman punch and dug the wrench into his bloody forehead forcing him to tap out. The story behind the match – former enemies coming to the aid of fellow monster Judas in his fight against Bailey’s monsters – didn’t do much for me, but the match itself was a brutal spectacle, unlike anything else on the show. The heat built just the way you would want, and it lived up to the standards of extreme violence set by all the great War Games through the years.
Out of nowhere, ousted Elite member Shaun Tempers jumped Bailey for one of the biggest pops of the night. Tempers beat Bailey’s ass until Jagged chased him off.
