From Larry Goodman: Platinum Championship Wrestling returned to action in Porterdale Saturday night. It almost 3 years to day PCW ...
From Larry Goodman:
Platinum Championship Wrestling returned to action in Porterdale Saturday night. It almost 3 years to day PCW brought pro wrestling back to the historic mill town that was once a regular stop on Georgia Championship Wresting circuit.
Like many promotion around the state, PCW has been drawing better in recent months. They drew a full house at the last show, and attendance last night at The Main Event was 80 - plenty full enough in space that maxes out at 125.
There was a whole lot of smoke and mirrors on this show. Booker Matt Hankins got about as much as humanly possible out of the extremely shallow pool of talent at his disposal. The undercard successfully advanced the inter-promotional feud with DSCW, which PCW seems to be relying on for lack of better alternatives from within.
This paltry version of the PCW roster was several cuts below the top tier promotion around the state. PCW Champion Shane Marx, Brian Kane, Jagged Edge, Miss Rachael, Washington Bullets and Quasi Mandisco were all missing. I was thanking my lucky stars for the presence of Geter and Azrael, who stood head and shoulders above a sea of in-ring mediocrity.
The first ever Death Valley Scarecrow Match between Carpenter and Johnny Danger was the only match advertised, and it delivered a gripping main event that further elevated Carpenter’s status as a heel and did nothing to diminish Danger in the eyes of the PCW fans, not that anything could.
The match was smoke and mirrors in the extreme, as neither performer possesses much beyond a minimal level of competence in the ring. It was Carpenter's promos that got me to this show. Carpenter is lightning in a bottle as a heel. He is a distinctive, compelling character in an era of blandness. His evilness is believable, and the fans in Porterdale hate him with a passion. Like Billy Buck in Anarchy, Fry Daddy in NWA Atlanta, Dusty MacWilliams in PWA, Danger is a babyface that the local fans love unconditionally. Danger displays great heart and has a unique appeal based on ability to portray doubt and vulnerability. It doesn’t seem to matter how many times he loses.
The Main Event Arena is a continuous improvement project for owner Tim Savage. The concession area has been moved to the front lobby, which was created by walling off the wrestling room. The wrestling room has more of TV studio vibe. The wall provides better contrast for the lighting of the ring, as there’s no daylight interference, which was an issue with the 6pm start time. And it’s louder than before, if that’s even possible.
The Main Event Arena is a continuous improvement project for owner Tim Savage. The concession area has been moved to the front lobby, which was created by walling off the wrestling room. The wrestling room has more of TV studio vibe. The wall provides better contrast for the lighting of the ring, as there’s no daylight interference, which was an issue with the 6pm start time. And it’s louder than before, if that’s even possible.
(1) Devlin Valek defeated Velvet Jones via DQ in 7 minutes. Valek’s appearance is less bizarre and he’s better at involving the crowd - more character and less caricature. Still can’t execute a decent armdrag though. Valek’s aggressive attack had Velvet flummoxed. Velvet turned the tide with a screwy looking hotshot to the body. Valek wasn’t bad at all and showed fire. Valek was going for a crossface chickenwing when Carpenter interfered and laid him out with The Coffin (headlock driver).
Carpenter said sometimes a brother must pay for sins for brother, so it wasn’t Valek’s night. Carpenter said he would tie danger to the corner after beating him within in an inch of his life, because he ain’t never lost a Death Valley Scarecrow match.
(2) Meathook pinned Trevor Aeon in 6:18. Aeon’s “let us see” has caught on with the kids in the crowd. The crowd was silent as they sized up Meathook, a powerfully built black guy, who wrestled in yoga pants, sleevleess t-shirt and bare feet. Meathook was clueless in the ring. He didn’t know how to sell and lumbered around doing very little on offense. Meathook liked to have gotten his nose broken eating a back elbow the wrong way. There wasn’t much Aeon could do. A magician wouldn’t have been able to get a decent match out of this guy. Meathook evidently forgot the finish and pinned Aeon after an EYE RAKE. Why Meathook was booked to go over Aeon is beyond me. PCW has a strong candidate for worst match of 2015.
(3) DSCW’s Black Widow defeated Warhorse 1000 in 2:49. The Warhorses is PCW’s long running jobber gimmick with various performers under the mask. 1000’s dancing entrance was quite entertaining. It had a little bit of everything including The Swim. 1000 is tiny man. Widow no sold his offense, hit a sidewalk slam and stretched 1000 on the mat. For the finish, 1000 came off the ropes and Widow caught him with a choke bomb for the 1-2-3. Widow did just fine. The fans that didn’t recognize 1000 as Supernatural surely figured it out when he came out for his match later in the evening. Who else could it be?
Widow had one word to say – “Rachael”. Miss Rachael wasn’t in the building due to what happened at the last show when Quasi Mandisco handcuffed her tot to the ropes and hit her with brass knucks.
(4) Big F’N Deal (Geter & Brian Blaze) defeated Joey Sparkz & Brian Titus in 9:08. Geter said Big F’Deal wanted The Movement (who laid Blaze to waste at the February 7 show when Geter wasn’t there). Sparkz said Movement sent him in their place. Referee William Dabbs called for the bell with all four men in the ring. After all, why would the official pay attention to the rules in a fake sport? Big F’N Deal cleared the ring and in so doing, beat the bravado out of Sparkz. Geter decimated Sparkz, who foolishly trying to trade blows with big man. Geter pulled up Sparkz’ shirt and delivered a chop so vicious that referee Dabbs sold it. When Sparkz & Titus (Disciples of Christ Wrestling Ministries) isolated Blaze, the crowd erupted with a huge “Brian” chant. Geter had to do a seek and destroy mission with the hot tag as these guy didn’t know how to feed for him. Sparkz was pinned after being planted by Big F’N Deal’s patented flying elbow/sidewalk slam combo. This match got the job done. The PCW fans love Big F’N Deal. The heat for the hot tag was off the chain.
Postmatch, Geter stood on top of Sparkz and told him to deliver his message to The Movement. “We are waiting, we are ready, and we will kick their assess anywhere in Georgia.” Good stuff. Geter was more clear and confident on the mic than I’ve ever heard him be.
(5) Tag Team Seaon Match - Silent Kill Syndicate (Azrael & Supernatural) defeated The Young Gunz (Brad Lightning Titus & Hoss Michaels) in 13:21. Young Gunz are two green kids from Disciples of Christ Wrestling Ministries. SKS totally abused them. I don’t think BLT knew what he was getting himself into stepping into the ring with Azrael. Azrael lit BLT up with chop after chop until his chest was beet red and he was hanging on by a thread. Michaels was in for more the same. SKS are getting their double teams down pat. They crushed Michaels with a piggyback senton backsplash. Supernatural had to cue Young Gunz to do the heat spot and was that ever awkward. There wasn’t much to Young Gunz’ offense. BLT did a Pele kick that Supernatural had to lean into to get contact. Titus tried to go up top and got crotched by Azrael. Supernatural went for a superplex that BLT wasn’t sure how to take, and came dangerously close to being a brainbuster. SKS busted out the Lost Boys double teams. Young Gunz tried for an elevated RKO on Supernatural. Azrael broke it up and smoked Michaels with the Ted Bundy (Azrael originated this move that later became Matt Morgan’s finisher). SKS killed BLT dead with the stuff cutthroat piledriver. For me, thiis match was a guilty pleasure -- a chance to see Azrael keeping it real, dishing out an initiation to pro wrestling with his brutal offensive arsenal in all its glory.
(6) The Carpenter defeated Johnny Danger in a Death Valley Scarecrow Match in 15:52. The only way to win was to tie both of your opponents’ arms to ropes in the corner for a 10 count. This was a gutter brawl. They pulled out all the stops with gimmicks galore. Carpenter tried to run his mouth. Danger double-legged him and pounded away. The action spilled outside the ring. Danger El-Kabonged Carpenter with a pie pan and whacked him with the kendo stick. Carpenter was already in major agony. Carpenter cut Danger off and used the kendo stick on him. Danger crotched Carpenter on the guard rail. Carpenter grabbed a crutch out of the crowd and nailed Danger with it. Danger gave Carpenter a low blow, then kicked a field goal with his groin. Danger got one of Carpenter’s arms tied to the ropes, but Carpenter raked Danger’s eyes with his free hand. Carpenter clocked Danger with a chain. Danger used the chain on Carpenter and applied a lame spinning toehold. Carpenter blinded Danger with the powder to break the hold. Carpenter softened Danger up with a swinging neckbreaker and almost had him tied to the ropes but Danger broke free. Danger with a DDT! Danger with another low blow. Danger with a series of short-arm clothesines. They traded forearms from left field until both men collapsed. Carpenter stunned Danger with a pie pan to the head, then used two honest-to-God wresting moves, a snap suplex and the headlock driver. Carpenter tied Danger to ropes. Danger got loose at the count of eight. Carpenter climbed the ropes and was on the receiving end of a slam off the top. Danger speared Carpenter. Both men were down in a state of total exhaustion. Danger brought a chair into the ring, but Carpenter caught Danger with a hotshot and gave him the headlock driver onto the chair. Carpenter tied Danger to the ropes. When the count reached 7, Carpenter sealed Danger’s fate with a chairshot to the head. They put together a great brawl. Anyone expecting a great wrestling match was living in a delusional world. It was designed to be crude and ugly. They sold big, gave spots time to sink in and built the drama, and they had the finish right.
Valek hit the ring to untie his brother. Carpenter said he wasn’t done yet. He was going to burn Danger alive. Carpenter threw a fireball that singed Danger and Valek. They sold it but not like they were blinded for life, which was good thing because it didn’t look that serious.