Photo courtesy of Tommy Polnaszek From Larry Goodman: Anarchy Wrestling celebrated their 10th anniversary in fine style. Att...
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| Photo courtesy of Tommy Polnaszek |
From Larry Goodman:
Anarchy Wrestling celebrated their 10th anniversary in fine style.
Attendance was around160. Th event drew the largest house since Charles Anschutz took ownership of the promotion. bettering Hardcore Hell by a good bit.
The anniversary celebration elements were highly entertaining and appeared to be well thought out. It was fun to see performers that played pivotal roles in Anarchy's history back in the building. Fans that came to the show with that purpose were probably well satisfied. To me, those segments were more successful than ones designed to advance the current storylines.
With close to double their usual TV taping crowd on hand, Anarchy presented a show that was geared more towards their hardcore fans than in the direction of enticing infrequent fliers to come back for more. For fans that weren't familiar with the stories, this show didn't give them much help. In this case, words may have spoken larger than actions.
The creative team once again turned up the heat on the main angle. Team Anarchy defeated Team PCW in main event, but as you can see above, PCW's twisted leader Stephen Platinum ended up with Jeff G. Bailey's scalp.
This was not one of Anarchy's better nights in the ring. There were some good matches and plenty of action. Overall match quality however fell short of Anarchy's high standards.
The broadcast team of John Johnson and Bret Wolverton opened by introducing three time Georgia announcer of the year, Greg Hunter as guest ring announcer for the evening.
Bill Behrens thanked the fans for their support and paid tribute to the promoters that kept the doors open and enabled Anarchy to maintain its unique learning environment -- Rick Michaels, Jerry Palmer, Franklin Dove and Anschutz.
Behrens introduced Al Getz, who went uber heel, stating that like Stephen Platinum, he wanted to make this the day Anarchy died. Getz introduced former Anarchy Heavyweight Champion and two-time TV Champion, “The Feature Presentation” Jeff Lewis - a very perfect pairing being that Lewis became Anarchy’s first TV Champion during Getz’s run as Anarchy’s head of creative.
(1) Jeff Lewis (with Al Getz) defeated Stryknyn and Logan Creed and Tommy Penireilli to win the first match of the second Ironman series in 6:20. Lewis played the role of the cunning opportunist. Stryk was setting up for a spear when Getz grabbing his leg. Lewis then posted Stryk’s shoulder and pinned Creed (making his Anarchy debut) with a spinning neckbreaker. Not the smooth of matches as might be expected owing to lack of familiarity between the competitors. A decent opener.
Postmatch, Penirelli hauled Getz into the ring where he was speared by Stryknyn. Penirelli and Stryk added insult to injury with double snot rockets.
(2) Jeremy Foster defeated Anarchy Young Lion’s Champion Trevor Aeon via DQ in 7:28. Aeon retained the title on the DQ. Foster immediately opened up a can of whoop ass on Aeon based on past issues (Aeon whacked Foster’s knee with the belt to get DQed in their previous match). Aeon worked on Foster’s back showing newfound animation in his facial expressions. A waterwheel nutshot turned things back in Foster’s favor. Foster tried for the chickenwing crossface but didn’t get it cinched in. A couple of shaky looking spots ensued before Foster connected with the flying knee. Aeon rolled to the floor. Foster pursued and Aeon hit him with a ladder for the DQ. Not bad but they have a better match in them than this.
Afterward, Aeon brought the ladder into the ring and put a nice lump on Foster’s head with a DDT onto the ladder. Aeon intimidated the hell out of referee Triston Michaels. Anarchy’s regular refs (Dee Byers and Ken Wallace) came out to deal with Aeon. The ladder deal lacked a sense of urgency and intensity, but Aeon sure had plenty of venom for the refs.
(3) Silent Kill Syndicate (Azrael & Supernatural) defeated Washington Bullets (Jon & Trey Williams) in 7:12 to become the number one contenders for the Anarchy Tag Team Championship and earn an instant title shot. Bullets wanted SKS to lay down for the cause, since both teams are part of Platinum’s gang. SKS pretended to go along before handing the Bullets their asses. Bullets got heat on Supernatural. After taking the tag, Azrael deposited Trey outside the ring and caught Jon with the Superman punch for a near fall. The Bullets rallied back with a series of double teams but that did not end well for them. Azrael broke up a double superplex, gave Jon the Ted Bundy and made him a sitting duck for a missile dropkick to the base of the skull from Supernatural. Good match. Better action and more heat than the first two.
(4) Slim J defeated SKS to retain the Anarchy Tag Team Championship in 8:10. J said partner Fred Yehi blew out his knee, but being that this was the 10 year anniversary, he was going to defend the titles. Slim also referenced his storied history with Azrael and rightfully so. They’ve had some of the most brutal matches the building has ever seen. SKS raised Slim’s hand…then kicked his face in and the beatdown was on. First Wade Adam and later Antrone Brewer ran down to take the tag from Slim, only to get hauled to the back by the Bullets. Azrael gave Slim a nasty looking giant swing out of a front facelock. SKS hit the piggyback senton, but Slim kicked out and mounted a ferocious comeback. He had Azrael pinned with Screwdriver on the Rocks but Supernatural made the save. Slim kicked out of the Ted Bundy and had Supernatual pinned but he was not the legal man. Not to be denied, Slim took Supernatural out with a package piledriver on the apron, evaded Azrael’s Superman punch, and pinned him with the flying reverse DDT. Tough to sell the underdog winning a handicap match unless he’s a monster, but J’s tenacity made it believable.
(5) Dementia D’Rose defeated Nina Monet and Krystal in a triple threat match in 5:05. Monet and Krystal (representing SKS) jumped the bell and doubled up on D’Rose. Krystal’s huracanrana from the top on D’Rose fell apart and they landed in a heap. Monet spoiled Krystal’s pin attempt and they got into it. D’Rose regrouped for a 1 against 2 comeback. It built to a double Samoan drop that was an ugly mess. D’Rose pinned Krystal with a Vader Bomb sitting splash. They did themselves no favors with this match. D’Rose had the crowd behind her coming out of the gate and left with no momentum.
JJ introduced Anarchy/Wildside triple crown champion Jeremy Vain as the guest color analyst for the next match.
(6) Seth Delay & Sal Rinauro & Todd Sexton (with John Johnson) defeated Jimmy Rave & CB Suave & P Dog in 13:53. P Dog did his “Straight Out of Trussville” rap. Rinauro said he liked P Dog’s swagger but not his style. Rinauro had a rap of his own and called for someone to drop him a beat. Delay’s beat sucked. Sexton declined. John Johnson raced into the ring to do the honors. I had no clue JJ could move that fast. Rinauro’s rap ridiculed Dog and was good for laughs as was the match. The babyfaces dominated early. P Dog and Suave wound up in a series of compromising homosexual positions. Sal looked disgusted. P Dog and Sauve almost came to blows before hugging it out. They broke out the Three Stooges nose grab and eye poke spots. Monet came to ringside to distract Delay, and they got down to business with the heels getting heat on him. The hot tag was made. Sal busted out the move where he kicks off the turnbuckle into a Pele kick. Didn’t know he still had it in him. Sexton did a round of sleeper holds. A train of big moves ensued including the stellar missile dropick by Delay shown below. For the finish, Sal gave Rave a top rope bulldog followed by a superkick from Sexton. This match was a home run with the crowd.
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| Photo courtesy of Tommy Polnaszek |
P Dog and Suave tried to attack Rave, who laid Dog out with The Move that Rocks the World. Delay, Rinauro and Sexton joined Rave for a round of high fives and group hug of the Anarchy/Wildside alumni. Johnson scampered into the ring to take advantage of the photo opportunity. See below.
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| Photo courtesy of John Johnson |
Just as Delay was about to commence with the Sexy Party, the lights went out….Lights on and former two-time Anarchy Heavyweight Champion Chad Parham was in the ring. Parham gave P Dog his signature senton backsplash and grabbed the mic. Parham said it was only fitting at an Anarchy anniversary show to do a lights off, lights on deal to bring out a superstar, but they couldn’t get a superstar, so they got him instead. Delay spied Anschutz seated in the front row, and cajoled him into doing the Sexy Party Dance to start the next 10 years of Anarchy. I won’t attempt to describe it. You had to be there. The entire segment was a tremendously funny and entertaining tribute to Anarchy’s past. Evidently, some fans came specifically to see this match because a couple of groups left right afterward.
The crowd popped for the announcement that Foster will get another shot at Aeon on June 13 in a Ladder Match.
(7) The TV Title match between Champion Kevin Blue and Jacob Ashworth was a 10 minute draw. Blue has ramped up his obnoxiousness and he’s generating genuine hate. As soon as the bell rang, Blue jumped out of the ring for a TO. Back inside, Ashworth use his strength advantage to block every wrestling move Blue attempted. When Ashworth tried for a Vader Bomb, Blue spilled him over the top rope and drove him into hard into the rail with a baseball slide. Blue grounded Ashworth to take some time off the clock. Ashworth started to get his offense back in gear at the 6 minute mark. Blue answered with a palm strike, a snapmare driver and a swinging neckbreaker but couldn’t put Ashworth away. Ashworth hit Roll of the Dice, and Miss Rachael appeared out of nowhere to put Blue’s foot on the ropes. Ashworth lost his focus and started after Rachael before realizing that time was running out. Ashworth jumped back in the ring and Blue ran away until the time limit expired. Ashworth came through with a strong performance in a key match for him. Blue is growing as a heel. They made me want to see the rematch.
The rematch on June 13 was announced as a Fan Participation Strap Match. That should fix Blue’s wagon.
(8) Billy Buck & Iceberg & Se7en & Bobby Moore & Shadow Jackson (with Jeff G. Bailey & Jerry Palmer) defeated Jagged Edge & Geter & Brian Blaze & Lars Manderson & BJ Hancock (with Miss Rachael) in an 10 elimination tag match that lasted 40 minutes. Team Anarchy were in complete control for the first 10 minutes of the match. In the midst of a chaotic battle involving all 10 men, Jagged Edge clocked Se7en with his title belt to score the first elimination at 12:05. Jackson pinned Blaze with a stunner at 17:15. Manderson immediately pinned Jackson with a double ax that missed by a country mile. Moore pinned Anarchy Champion Jagged Edge with a Death Valley Driver at 24:30. Iceberg pinned Manderson after a cannonball into the corner at 27:35. That led to the first showdown of the match between Iceberg and Geter. Berg was able to deck Geter with a clothesline. Moore's clotheslines failed to have the same effect. Moore had Hancock up for the Death Valley Driver when Jagged Edge ran back to ringside to distract him, enabling Hancock to roll Moore up at 31:05. Iceberg had Hancock pinned with a belly to belly suplex, but was unaware of a blind tag by Geter, who pinned Berg with a splash at 35:15. Buck pinned Hancock with a superkick at 37 minutes and it was down to Buck and Geter. Referee Dee Byers got sandwiched by one of Geter's freight train corner splashes. Buck superkicked Geter, but was distracted by Hancock nailing Bailey with Rachael's ax handle. Palmer and Hancock fought to the back and during the confusion, Buck felled Geter with the ax handle to win the match.
The last thing this show needed was a 40 minute main event, particularly with no intermission. The action was fine, However, they could have accomplished the same thing with greater impact in half the time, since the postmatch was what really mattered. They got the crowd back for the closing minutes which were compelling. Still, it was like watching a movie that has unnecessary scenes and needs more editing.
Rachael tried to brain Buck with the ax handle and missed. Rachael begged Buck to let it go.Not happening. Buck smoked her with a superkick for the pop of the night. Bailey got in the ring brandishing Iceberg's veggie peeler. Bailey said since Platinum didn't have the guts to show up, he was going to make Rachael bleed. Before Bailey could do the deed, Platinum sprinted into the ring from the back entrance and clubbed him from behind. The crowd chanted for Palmer. Platinum used the veggie peeler on Bailey's forehead. Bailey bled like a stuck pig. Platinum was looking like a crazy man painting on his t-shirt with Bailey's blood when Palmer finally led the Anarchy troops back to the ring. Platinum and Rachael escaped out the back door unscathed.
This was sick stuff on multiple levels. Setting the depravity aside, as this is pro wrestling we're taking about, the troubling flaw was the time lapse before anyone came to Bailey's aid. How are the fans supposed to buy that, when various people had been running to ringside all night long?
