From Jeff Richards: AMERICA LOVES GOOD WRESTLING but NOT DQ'S WINSTON-SALEM (NC) -- AML Wrestling had a lot to celebrate th...
From Jeff Richards:
AMERICA LOVES GOOD WRESTLING but NOT DQ'S
WINSTON-SALEM (NC) -- AML Wrestling had a lot to celebrate this past Saturday January 30th. Having been spun off the wildly successful WrestleCade promotion, AML was honoring its one year in business with an anniversary show. The event felt more like a regular television taping would. There were not many mentions of the anniversary's significance nor were there any pre-taped congratulations, birthday cake or banners. However, there were a couple of cheap disqualifications, violence conducted against women, and other not-so-family oriented thrills.
A new venue was introduced for this show: the Neil Bolton Home & Garden Building at Winston-Salem's Fairgrounds property. Chairs were organized on three sides of the ring which was positioned toward the exhibit hall's back. All 192 chairs set out were utilized, and every available seat in the facility appeared and was dusted off. A show of hands indicated less than 20 people had not seen AML's 12:30 pm time slot show on Saturdays. A lighted entranceway was pretty close to the ring. Ring adjustments were being made up until six minutes prior to bell time. A countdown to the show let fans know the card would be starting in five minutes, two minutes, and then the 5-4-3-2-1 seconds.
1) Axton Ray & Brandon Scott defeated the Dixon Line (Joe Keys & Ken Dixon) in 11 minutes flat. The heels were introduced from Scuzzlebutt, MO. James Hunter was the referee. Ray flew over the top rope onto both bad guys. Then Ray held the ropes open for Scott to top his way onto the other team. Scott's slingshot suplex of the bald Dixon and then a Ray senton was good for a two count. The Dixon Line got Ray into a corner for heat. A codebreaker by Keys, who looks like Caleb Konley in another life, was an effective cut-off move. The other heel, Dixon, resembles Odinson-Lite. Scott did not appear excited nor was he holding the tag rope during the Ray beatdown. A nice fall away slam by Dixon was nearly the fall. Ray had enough in the tank for a backflip and driving forearm (shake your head with me). Scott dropkick ed his own partner to break up a double vertical suplex. Ouch! He kicked Ray in the back of his own head. Scott's sick kick of Dixon was broken up by the man-bob wearing Keys. I laughed out loud witnessing a double ace crusher by Scott. A Russian leg sweep combo was just the ticket for Scott to pin Dixon. RATING: 1 3/4 stars
2) The "One Man Riot" Zane Dawson (w/George South Sr.) was victorious over AIWF World Champ Damien Wayne in 13:43. Dawson jumped Wayne at the bell just like the heel team did in match #1. The two men bawled incessantly at ringside with no ring barrier, cordon, police tape, electrical tape, etc. Dawson looked for a piledriver but got back dropped half on the apron and half on the floor. Back in the ring, Wayne executed a fist drop from the top. The first headlock took place six minutes into this bout. Dawson threw Wayne over the top rope. Wayne beat the count back in despite South's protests. During a slide slam and cover by Dawson, the referee counted three, but it was just a two. A nice comeback by Wayne included a bodyslam and elbow drop. Dawson delivered a lariat which knocked Wayne from the ring. "Mr. Mid-Atlantic" was escorted back into the squared circle by his opponent. Dawson climbed up on the second turnbuckle, but Wayne cut him off with a ring-shaking suplex. Wayne wanted to cradle his foe, but Dawson held onto the ropes and mule-kicked Damien's groin area. Dawson used the ropes and South's hands for a leverage pin. RATING: 2 stars
3) #1 contenders Washington Bullets (Jon & Trey Williams) put away George South's Guys (Baron Bullard & Big Bad Bully Dee Mack) in 11:37. Being saddled with the team name "George South's Guys" could be similar to a movie listing credit (i.e. Guard #5, "Nurse with Pills). Trey was dabbing while proclaiming that the Heatseekers (AML Tag Team Champions) were ducking the Bullets. However, he then revealed they would not be around for the next show (2/27) anyway. It was like letting all the air out of a balloon. Mack is almost Geter-sized. Trey was just about too quick for the gargantuan grappler. After connecting with a "Shining Wizard," Williams was lifted off to the next zip code. It was interesting to see the Bullets work as babies. Their doubleteam maneuvers are just as crisp working this side of the fence. Bullard got a pop for breaking out an abdominal stretch against Jon. Mack could have been Emmanuel Yarbrough's lovechild. Trey broke his tag rope and was running around with it. The big man was hunkered down in his corner huffing and puffing, reminding me of the TV commercial fox with COPD. Trey received the hot tag and worked with Bullard. He superkicked the Baron for a two count. Mack lifted Trey high for Bullard's Superman punch. Trey barely escaped that pinfall attempt. Jon got rid of Bullard, and the Bullets soared into action against BBB. They tried to "Marion Barry" Mack out of the ring a couple of times before he eventually just fell out. South reached into his sweatpants but slugged Bullard instead. A codebreaker by Jon and an immediate ace crusher from Trey did Bullard in. Post-match: Bullard had words for his trainer, South. Dawson even came out to try and play peacemaker. "This is a simple misunderstanding," asserted South, who named Ballard his "third favorite guy." Bullard turned his back and departed. Then Mack chose to leave South's army as well. Dawson told his former stablemates they had just signed their own "death warrant." Set up for the next show (2/27 in High Point, NC) was South & Dawson vs. George South's former Guys. Dawson also stated that he would put his AML career on the line if South and his minion lost. RATING: 2 1/4 stars
4) "Everybody Knows" Shawn Shultz pinned "The Exclamation Point" Steve Anthony in 13:52. Shultz works as a babyface here. There was good chain wrestling and an unusual place on the card to put this match. Younger fans were wanting to clap but just not sure whom to get behind. Anthony was a little more impressive with his pinning attempts. He delivered a butterfly suplex but paused to swivel his hips before going for a cover. Anthony pulled out a stretch on the mat but grapevined his leg around Shultz' neck. He also countered a sunset flip by stepping over and wrapping Shultz in a "Camel Clutch." Shultz rallied with a "Northern Lights" suplex for a near fall. Three lariats in a corner and the neckbreaker netted Shultz a two count. Anthony went up top for a moonsault but was met by a pair of knees. Then all Shultz had to do was small-package his man for the win. RATING: 1 3/4 stars A 15-minute intermission was announced.
5) Cedric Alexander pinned surprise opponent Caleb Konley in an open challenge contest (17:01//20 minute time limit). The Tommy Thomas accompanies Alexander in AML and states he looks nothing like "Steve Urkel." Thomas told AML's Tracy Myers his client "next month" will destroy the entire locker room "except for Cedric." Konley kept Alexander grounded early with headlock takeovers. Alexander's former tag team partner in PWX accused Thomas of setting up this open challenge contest. While brawling on the ring apron, Alexander took Konley down with a STO. Alexander was even more animated than previously seen. You can tell he has worked closely with South Sr. to emulate more of this heel persona. Alexander copied John Skyler with a springboard spear. "Kick to Kill" used the apron once more to punish Konley's back. Alexander amused fans with a headstand in the corner before Konley superkicked Cedric up & over. A springboard DDT earned Konley a two count. Konley was attempting the "O-Ring" but got small-packaged for a two count. A "Michinoku Driver" by Alexander was flashy but not the three count. Nice routine with an unsuccessful "Tornado DDT" whereby Alexander nailed an enzuigiri and a brainbuster, but CK kicked out at "2." "This is awesome" was being chanted by kids! Alexander raced in for two dropkicks in the corner. On the third attempt, Konley responded with a "Falcon Arrow." Surprisingly, Alexander powered out. Again Konley tried for a leglock submission, but Thomas threw a water bottle at the ref. Thomas slunk away before being given a piledriver. Here came Alexander once again with a flying dropkick and the coup de grace, "Lumbar Check," for the victory. RATING: 3 1/4 stars Best Match
6) Caprice Coleman was awarded a reversed decision verdict over Vordell Walker in what originally was announced as a #1 contenders match. Time of the fall was 17:02 with a 30 minute time limit. Jeff Burton was the referee. Coleman was billed at 213 lbs. Caprice had trust issues with the ring girl taking his jacket. Everybody in the ring (including Burton) was wearing black. AML fans yell out phrases or words, and the wrestlers just stop and listen. If he was green, Walker would look just like Shrek. Coleman is the true "Captain Charisma" and is adored by AML's fans. Walker's tilt-a-whirl backbreaker was a nice two count move. Vordell will stretch you: his combination of amateur and Greco-Roman techniques is refreshing. Walker caught a high-diving Coleman on the floor but paid for it, eating a 619 around a ringpost. Vordell drove his adversary hard to the mat with vertical suplex. Coleman escaped the surfboard by backing Walker into a corner and kicking him while flipping over. Walker wanted the piledriver, but Coleman mustered out. CC's STO was a definite two count experience. Two straight "Northern Lights" suplexes hurt Walker, but he cut Coleman off with a butterfly suplex of his own. Coleman took a hard-charging Walker and belly-to-belly suplexed him into the turnbuckles. A no-hands hurancanrana flipped Walker for a loop. Walker reached into his trunks for brass knucks and stunned the former AML champ. After counting to three, Burton found the illegal object and rewarded Coleman the DQ duke. Post-match: Walker located a table and braced it in a corner. Vordell then drove Coleman back first through the table while children chanted "cheater." Coleman was helped to the back after Myers flashed the "X" signal. RATING: 3 stars
7) The "Greek God" Papadon retained his AML Wrestling Championship via a second straight disqualification booking decision over "King" Shane Williams in 20:33. Queen Taylor was in Williams' corner. AML's main belt might be bigger than Flair's old World Championship. Papadon declared he was the greatest AML Champion of all time. It was hilarious since there have only been two titleholders. Williams referred to the champion as "Papa John," and ticket holders responded, "We want pizza." "King" Shane kept going for the piledriver early, but Papadon would figure out how to evade Williams' finisher. Papadon repeatedly attempted a sleeperhold, but Williams would back the champion up. Williams crotched Papadon and delivered a superplex. Both men started slugging it out after a seven count on the mat. Williams nailed a fist drop for a two count at the 15 minute mark. He tried again for the piledriver but got backed into a corner. Papadon came off the second turnbuckle with a flying uppercut for two counts. The crowd was growing restless, wanting resolution of this title bout. Meanwhile, the competitors were spitting at each other. Papadon seemed to grow more & more annoyed with each two count instead of three. He left the ring to go grab his huge belt. Referee Hunter intervened. Williams took the opportunity to execute a tornado DDT with 20 minutes gone. The King finally got Papadon in position for a piledriver, but Walker raced in to end this otherwise climatic contest. RATING went down to 1 1/4 stars. Post-match: Walker wrist-taped Taylor to the ropes, as he whacked Williams with a plastic chair. Myers and hapless referees pleaded with Walker not to piledrive Williams on a chair, but they had no pull. Myers might have gotten the biggest pop all night by exclaiming "Walker, you're fired," but I would not have paid for that.
NOTES: South's trainees were out in force. Savanah Evans (Rachel Freeman) was marveling over her recent tag experience w/ODB in Louisiana. Evans mentioned how helpful the former TNA Knockouts Champion was and that ODB provided lots of good ideas....Wayne is staying busy as AIWF's traveling champion. In fact, he has a triple-shot lined up for this coming weekend (2/5-7).
ANALYSIS: With so many of our future wrestling fans in attendance, children on this night were subjected to some violent images. Sure there is going to be violence in professional wrestling. However, some of the hot-shotting acts perpetrated on January 30th can get a wrestling organization kicked off local TV. Then you have to rely on Internet-based strategies to reach back out and maintain that fan base. A promoter told me recently he has never had a parent come up to him after a show and say, "I will not be bringing my child back." It is conceivable that a few parents might have said that to Myers after Saturday's show if they could have found him.
Promoters need to reign in their bookers. We cannot rely on hardcore marks to sustain attendance with so many other "promotions" in the entertainment world demanding our discretionary income. Send your fans home happy after you have debilitated the top babyface in a semi-final.
Also shocking that AML's two top heels are coming in from such long distances (Walker-Louisiana and Papadon-Northeast). There are plenty of great villains right here in the Piedmont area that could step up and lead an organization like AML. But hey, it's your money to throw away as you see fit. Just make sure you continue to make $$$ by not ostracizing your younger fans.
