From Jeff Richards: Queen for the Day Is Crowned WINSTON-SALEM (NC) -- Queens of Combat 7 was a really good show show Sunday...
Queen for the Day Is Crowned
WINSTON-SALEM (NC) -- Queens of Combat 7 was a really good show show Sunday afternoon (11/29). It may even have surpassed PWX' "Battlefield X" which immediately followed the women's event; comparatively, a title match which ends in a cheap DQ versus a bout that determines an organization's initial titleholder. The match between Tessa Blanchard and Taeler Hendrix, was an emotionally wrought, climatic change of what women's wrestling in NC could be/now is.
Ziggy's in downtown Winston is a unique venue to watch a professional wrestling show. It is much bigger in person than on television. No extra lighting has to be provided by the wrestling company. The giant projection screen is impressive and is on every organization's wish list for Xmas. The stage can be used as a walk-way complete with added entrance beams and normal curtain. The ring was transformed post-show by PWX, removing the Queens turnbucke pads and aprons. No ring barrier or floor padding was provided. Upstairs, there is seating. There are no bad sight lines in the facility. One bar area (out of three) was turned into a hard camera/commentary/sound booth.
Music attempted to begin playing moments after the 1 pm start time. Front row was not sold out. There were approximately 50 paid persons sitting/straggling downstairs. At 1:05, all the chairs on the huge stag were removed. Brett Wolverton (and referee Scott Grady) entered the ring at 1:10. His first bad news was Santana Garrett would be missing the show with an illness. So, the winner of a four corners match for a future title shot would go straight into the semi-finals of today's concluding tournament.
1) Candice LeRae won the opener over Heidi Lovelace, Barbi Hayden and Deanna Purrazzo in 7:03. Hayden, a former NWA Women's World Champion, is much more polished than you might expect. Announced as a fatal four-way, there was only one elimination counted. Lovelace & LeRae worked as faces; Hayden & Purrazzo served as villains. Hayden lariated LeRae off the apron onto the unforgiving floor. She also posted 1/2 of the World's Cutest Tag Team. Therefore, LeRae spent a lot of time selling on the outside. Purrazzo pulled off a trio of vertical suplexes, but her ally, Hayden, broke it up. Both Lovelace & Purrazzo took a tumble outside where LeRae landed on a ringside couple. Bouncing right back up, LeRae connected with a springboard spear for a two count on Hayden. A crotch clutch suplex off the ropes (called a Balls-plex) put away Lovelace. LeRae advances to the tourney's semi-finals. Rating: 1.75 stars
2) Brandi Wine pinned Amanda Rodriguez, billed as from Lima, Peru and not Lima, OH, in 8:15. The former SHINE gold co-holder (w/Malia Hosaka) was debuting for Queens of Combat. Kevin Pierce reffed. Rodriguez' dropkick to the stomach received some nice applause. She stunned fans with a death-defying tope onto the floor. After kicking out with a knee across her throat, Rodriguez surprised Wine with a sitting headscissors. Following a trio of suplexes with a floatover, Rodriguez was looking better than ever. Jake Manning was handling the roving camera right in front of us (note to self: sit on the other side next time). The finish was a roll-over on a flying bodypress. Wine kept searching for the ropes but could not find them in time. Rodriguez' shoulder came up, but Pierce kept on counting. Rating: 1/4 of a star
3) Aerial Monroe & Savannah Evans stunned Miss Diss-lexia & the soon to be "She-Hulk of the Rising Sun" Roni Nicole in 9:33 Representing the Handsome Boy Modeling Agency, Zane Riley marched out initially in leopard-print leggings. Riley started, "I'm going to keep it short and sweet," and receiving a rousing round of applause. Nicole patted down ref Grady. Aerial pulled off a nice cross armbreaker that the heftier Nicole maneuvered out of. Evans (Rachel Freeman) smiles a lot, especially when she is absorbing punishment. Nicole squashed Evans in the corner and hulked up. Diss-lexia (Lexia Avery) and Evans were reunited in ring battle, a rematch of sorts from Aggression Wrestling's 9/11 debut show. Evans' chops were much weaker than Diss-lexia's. Riley got into the act by pulling on Evans' locks. "No comeback clap," sneered Riley at the fans in attendance. Sturdy zavate kicks by Aerial took Nicole (and a wide-receiving Riley) out of action. Evans scored with a perfectplex to pin Avery. Rating: 1.75 stars
4) In a semi-final for the inaugural Queens title, "She's Destined for Greatness" Blanchard (w/ WWE Hall of Famer Tully) pinned Jessica Havok in 7:08. Wearing a Joker face, Havok emanated from an anonymous compound in OH. Maybe she met Rodriguez there. Havok received one streamer for her entrance. The Tommy Thomas was rooting for his FB buddy, Tessa, and she needed all the help she could get. Blanchard's only chance was to hit and run. Gloating was not advised. Havok's foot washes in my corner were a breath of fresh air. A "Chin Checker" coming out of a chinlock was one way that Havok had to escape. A dragon sleeper with elbows to the boob was reversed by the taller Havok. Her scream, "It's over," was followed by a miss in the corner. Blanchard soon was taking another beating. Dueling "Let's go Tessa" and vice versa were deafening. Tully returned to cheer on his daughter. Miss Blanchard seemed to gain new strength by dad's appearance at the ropes. While at the ropes, Tessa cradled her foe into her father and climbed on top for the clunky pinfall. Rating: 3/4 of a star
5) Hendrix pinned LeRae (Candice Dawson) in 8:50 of the other tournament semi-final event. "Finger-licking delicious" is one way Hendrix may describe herself. Her approach to the referee, Grady, makes me wish I had postponed retirement indefinitely. Hendrix flirted relentlessly with Grady. LeRae gave no quarter early, even though she was not the fresher competitor. Concerning LeRae's highspots, Hendrix declared, "I don't do this stuff," and helped her opponent to the floor. This was a contest of two good strikers. A modified abdominal stretch did not hold LeRae for long. When Hendrix is competing, it is like watching a comic book Harley Quinn wrestling. A shoda and a scissor kick almost spelled the end for LeRae. The "Canadian Goddess" crashed on a flying bodypress attempt. Hendrix immediately kissed her, kicked her and then pinned her. Afterward, Hendrix appeared to be choking her and definitely dissed her. Rating: 3/4 of a star
6) Coming out to Rob Zombie's "Living Dead Girl" and wearing a goalie mask, Crazy Mary Dobson pinned Chelsea Green in 6:13. Green preferred Warrant's "Cherry Pie" entrance theme. Dobson got no offense in early while being monkey-flipped around. Dobson finally got things going against her lankier opponent. Kudos to Dobson's handstand into a legdrop. A Russian leg sweep by Green would have won, but Dobson rolled up a shoulder. A bulldog by Green was not going to defeat Dobson. Next was a missile dropkick, but Mary managed to snag the ropes. A split-legged moonsault made Green a loser. Rating: 1 star
7) The flask-carrying ODB (Jesica Kresa) pinned rapper Leva Bates in 6:13. Bates was reppin' East Connection and got a single streamer in appreciation. She also carried a plastic-wrapped bottle. Bates did not want the populace cheering for ODB. She has got some decent dance moves for a white girl. ODB's lariat put an end to that nonsense quickly. A schoolgirl, Oklahoma side roll and a crucifix was not enough to pin ODB. The former TNA Knockout's first titty rush was a miss instead of a hit. A Thesz press breast-first was good for a two count for ODB. A fall-away slam by ODB stunted Bates' momentum. The battle of the misting sprays had both lady grapplers dazed and confused. ODB got Bates out of the corner with a standing fireman's carry and delivered "Bam" for the victory. Rating: 1 star
8) Lufisto submitted Andrea, whose ring entrance could terrify small children. Now with blonde hair, Lufisto is short in stature and wide in back. She is a fireplug though. Lufisto produced a fast-opening, all leg strikes, and Andrea was covering up. However, there would be no tope, as Andrea cut her off with a punch. Andrea gave one fan the thrill of a lifetime, as a reeling Lufisto landed in his lap. Manning blocked my entire view of Andrea's hip attack in the corner. Andrea urged her adversary to "die," but Lufisto was too quick, sending Andrea to the floor. Andrea made a whole front row move, but it backfired as Lufisto put Andrea in the same guy's lap and kicked them. Andrea was placed in a chair, and Lufisto bum-rushed her, demolishing the chair in effect. Back inside, an Andrea Vader bomb missed. Lufisto scored with a cannonball. The second time she tried, Lufisto received a face-full of turnbuckle. In the end, Andrea surprisingly submitted to Lufisto's figure-four leglock variation. Rating: 2 stars
9) Hendrix upended Blanchard (w/Tully) in the finals to crown an inaugural Combat champion in 20:52. Pierce told Mr. Blanchard he had to leave based on what happened earlier in the afternoon. "Bye, daddy" is how Hendrix responded to the news. Once again, the size differential was not in Tessa's favor. A collar & elbow lock-up was worked for over two minutes (that is refreshing). Hendrix kicked out of Blanchard's DDT with arm hammerlocked early in the match. Here came the dueling chants again. A slapfest ensued, followed by both women throwing each other outside just for the hell of it. Hendrix ushered a chair into the ring that Pierce would not let an intercepting Blanchard utilize. Hendrix used Blanchard's own move, a DDT with her feet clinging to the ropes, against her, but Tessa powered out. Intense brawling was a highlight of this championship bout. Blanchard executed an ace crusher, but Hendrix was watching the ref's count all the way. Hendrix subdued the "Four Horsewoman" in a Koji clutch, but Blanchard invoked her way to her feet and countered with a backslide. Blanchard was waiting for Hendrix' second handstand into a forearm. They were going a long time and having to pace themselves rather obviously. Hendrix' figure-four was met by "no's" from the audience. Blanchard rocked her opponent silly with forearms and a clothesline. Tessa blocked Taeler's kiss of death spot and delivered a vertical suplex for a two count. Blanchard was trying to smooch her foe unsuccessfully, and you could tell she'd rather deliver a forearm instead. The Trans-South Wrestling alum snapped off a springboard back suplex, but Hendrix rolled out in time. Hendrix finally presented her kissing spot and a zavate kick, but Taeler kept picking her beaten prey up. A schoolgirl hope spot by Blanchard was not successful. A small package by Hendrix was not the finish either. Hendrix ultimately connected with a front side slam, and the count went one, two, long pause, three. Tearing up quickly, Blanchard had been defeated in her "home" territory. Hendrix was not through though. She left her future challenger laying with a reverse mule kick and low kick and gloated with four fingers. Post-match: Sojo Bolt (aka Josie) came out to present the championship belt. First she had to pull Hendrix off her defeated foe by her long red hair. Josie congratulated both ladies, and the locker room emptied to applaud the new Queen and a great match. Rating: 2.25 stars