From Larry Goodman: “First Battle of New Atlanta” was almost everything Atlanta Wrestling Entertainment could have hoped for. ...
From Larry Goodman:
“First Battle of New Atlanta” was almost everything Atlanta Wrestling Entertainment could have hoped for.
In Martin Stone vs. Zack Sabre Jr, AWE might very well have provided the state’s best technical match of a generation. If the company does nothing else, AWE gave Georgia wrestling this magnificent match.
They also drew their largest crowd ever in a killer venue. The product has never, ever presented this well. Check out the giant LED display above. Attendance at Opera Nightclub was 175 with including papering and “newbie” tickets offering a significant discount from the $25 regular price.
The show had a running time 3 hours and 45 minutes not counting the pre-show. The crowd hung there as AWE crowds always do. I am still of the opinion that going so long has a potential downside and no upside.
Preshow: Chris Mayne won the 11 man inaugural Shawty Lo Battle Royal. Mayne has been part of the AWE crew for a while now. Many of the participants drove in from Indiana.
(1) Aaron Epic won a Lucky 7 Scramble defeating Anthony Henry and Colby Corino (with Coach Mkey) and Owen Knight and Ethan Case and Ken Lee and Chris Crunk in 33:07. Lucha tag rules until three men were eliminated followed by a fatal four way. Lee, Crunk and Case got pinned. Epic picked up the win with a piledriver on Henry. I believe it was his third of the match including one on the ring frame. This match was loaded with fun ideas. It also epitomized the maddening excesses of AWE. With so much yet to come, going so long and doing so many finishing moves in an opening match diluted the overall effect.
(2) Team IOU (Kerry Awful & Nick Iggy with Tripp Cassidy & Priscilla Kelly) defeated The Insiders (Slade Porter & Ace Perry) via ref stoppage at 10:30 . President Stan Robinson ordered fellow Carnie Cassidy to the back. This match got the most out of the Insiders. I wished they hadn’t worked the same breakneck pace and style of the opener. Match was stopped as Porter was helplessly trapped in Awful’s Boston Crab with Iggy putting the boots to him.
Awful shoved Porter’s head inside his tights and gave him a piledriver after the match.
(3) Martin Stone defeated Zack Sabre Jr via pinfall. I didn’t get the time. Match was in the 30-35 minutes according to announce and production guy Eddie Layne. For pure technique in the British style, this match is a must see when the show becomes available as a download through Highspots or on DVD. They didn’t need a back story. They told the fans all they needed to know in the ring. Stone pinned Sabre with hanging DDT.
The postmatch was as compelling as the match. The mutual love and respect displayed between these men was something to behold. Fans chanted “5 stars”. Stone is something special. AWE is the best thing the could have happened to him and vice versa.
(4) Josh Woods defeated Jason Cade via submission in 6 minutes. They did well in the absolute death position on the show. Woods is a beast. Cade was game. Woods forced Cade to tap with a kneebar.
(5) Adrian Armour defeated Tripp Cassidy (with Priscilla Kelly) in 13:36. Cassidy inserted Armour’s mouth guard into Kelly’s mouth, then put it back in Armour’s mouth. Kelly said that made it taste better.
(6) The Kraken (Murder One & Chip Day) defeated Sound & Fury (William Huckaby & Joe Black) to retain the AWE Tag Team Championship and end S & F’s partnership in 11L05. Black walked out leaving Huckaby high and dry. Huckaby passed out when Day had him a submission with an assist from Murder. Finish was eerily similar to IOU’s win over Insiders.
Team IOU attacked Kraken but Iceberg cleared the ring leading to…
(7) Darby Allin pinned Iceberg with a psychotic Nestea Plunge off the top turnbuckle onto Berg’s back at 7:10. This was compelling. It was different and engaged fans on a different level. Allin has skills to go with the manic intensity and he worked well with Berg.
Postmatch, Iceberg showed uber respect for Allin and said he was about to blow up, really put him over huge.
(8) Pricilla Kelly defeated Ashton Starr and Kiera Hogan and Angel Blackwell in ROAR for War 3 at 9:40. A totally engaging match. Kelly rolled Starr up using the tights. Starr is flamboyant in the extreme and is amazingly talented at wrestling female wrestlers. Kelly has become quite the dark character. She and Hogan have come incredibly far over the last year.
The Carnies cut a promo from balcony to set up AWE’s first ever cage match at Show of the Year 3, date and venue TBA.
(9) Jimmy Rave defeated Sami Callihan to retain the Georgia Wrestling Crown in 16:46 with a cradle reversal. The great match you would expect from these two. Unfortunately, the crowd had past its peak.
