From Scott Hensley: The wife and I took a trip out to West Tennessee a couple of weeks ago and we were able to check out NWA Midsout...
The wife and I took a trip out to West Tennessee a couple of weeks ago and we were able to check out NWA Midsouth. The venue is very intimate and the show ran efficiently. Several guys are works in progress but I saw a lot of great basics to build off of and strengths being played to. They told simple and effective stories and sent the fans home happy. Their referees did what they needed to do. The sound system worked well and their ring announcer spoke clearly. I wished the crowd was louder but they did react when the guys really worked them. I believe attendance was around 35.
1) “The Enforcer” Jimmy D d. Matt Taylor by pinfall in 6:16
D is ½ of the tag team The Posse with Simon Reed. They're bigger bodied veteran guys that wear facepaint and the crowd gets behind them. Taylor was a smaller and younger guy. D was in control for most of this match. Taylor took D down, worked him over, and went up top. The other half of the Posse, Simon Reed, came out and distracted the cocky Taylor just long enough for D to recover and nail Taylor with a big spinebuster as he came off the top rope. Not your typical fan favorite move by Reed but maybe there's some history there that I'm not familiar with.
The Freedom Cup winner Jakob Edwin came out and talked about his Freedom Cup win. He said this was his crowning ceremony and he was going to be presented the trophy by the only person worthy of presenting it to him... himself. Good simple cocky heel heat. Fan favorite Kee Awesome interrupted the “ceremony” to save the fans from Edwin and his ego.
2) Jakob Edwin d. Kee Awesome by pinfall in 4:48
Awesome came out with a lot of energy and athleticism but Edwin broke it down with a more technical arsenal. Edwin worked the crowd well and continued to taunt them with his arrogance. Awesome isn't awesome yet but there's some potential there. This one got off the rails and Edwin put it away with a bicycle knee.
3) Beer:30 d. EMT #1 & Vic Vicious w/ Rotten Randy by pinfall in 7:49
Beer:30 are two burly bearded guys who I figured would get a hero's welcome by the crowd but I'm not sure the crowd knew them yet. They did win the crowd over against the likes of Vic Vicious - who was also a big bearded guy, EMT #1 - a slim masked guy, and their manager Rotten Randy - an older biker looking guy. Beer:30 stayed in control on EMT but Vicious got in and took back over. Vicious and EMT used some questionable tactics to stay in control. Both men went down and Beer:30 were able to make their hot tag and clean house. They dumped Vic and finished off EMT with a facing atomic drop/clothesline doubleteam. Randy did a pretty rotten job here of helping his men win. He didn't figure in during this match. Vicious did a great job riling up the crowd and EMT took a good beating.
4) Idol Bane w/ Rotten Randy d. Simon Reed by pinfall in 7:44
Bane has some good size to him. He worked in a very hatable long skirt looking thing. The heavyweights battled back and forth until Randy tripped up Reed and Bane was able to take over. Reed's reactions to Bane's offense made the fans really get invested. Reed made a big comeback and was about to get the win when Matt Taylor appeared and distracted him. Bane applied a claw to the head and lifted him up for a clawbreaker across his knee to put him away.
5) Greg Anthony d. Brandon Espinosa in a last man standing match in 18:33
These guys have feuded for years and are really equally matched. I was told Espinosa attacked Anthony with a chair at the previous event and this match was made as a result. They brought the intensity right away as Espinosa attacked Anthony before the bell could even ring. They brawled and Anthony laid out Espinosa with a big knockout punch. Espinosa got to his feet after 3. Espinosa answered back and laid out Anthony for 3. Anthony hit a slingshot suplex. Espinosa battled back and took Anthony out for a 6 then 7 count. Anthony gained the advantage and made Espinosa tap to a sharpshooter. Anthony wasn't going to win the match with it or let up so Espinosa pulled himself to the outside to break the hold. Espinosa went into desperation mode and kicked Anthony low, which kept him down for 7. Anthony slingshotted Espinosa and splashed him to keep him down for 6. Espinosa hit an enziguri for 7. Anthony with a sitout powerbomb for 7. Anthony charged in the corner and Espinosa lifted him up and over to the outside. Anthony hit the apron hard and stayed down for 8. Espinosa hit a rock bottom for 7, a frog splash for 7, a roll thru superkick for 8, and DDT for 9, a chairshot for 9, and finally two more chairshots for 9. Espinosa missed a chairshot into the ropes and had the chair bounce off into his head. Anthony twisted up the arm of Espinosa and pulled him down for a stunner, putting Espinosa away for the required 10 count. This was my first time seeing Anthony. I was really impressed with his cardio because he and Espinosa worked hard for almost 20 minutes and I'm not sure he broke a sweat. Heck of a match.
Anthony gave a passionate speech after the match about representing their area everywhere he goes but also bringing good professional wrestling back. He urged the fans to invite their friends.
