From Larry Goodman: Universal Independent Wrestling returned to the VFW Fairgrounds for round two featuring the retirement match of U...
Universal Independent Wrestling returned to the VFW Fairgrounds for round two featuring the retirement match of UIW promoter Billy Knight.
Knight and Steve “The Brawler” Lawler teamed up one last time to defeat Left Hand Path in a lumberjack match to close out the show and Knight’s in-ring career.
We have a new UIW Heavyweight Champion in the form of Johnny Swinger. He ended Adrian Armour’s record championship reign at 601 days on a controversial decision with poetic justice being served.
As per usual, the show had a strong AWE flavor with multiple nods to AWE storylines.
Attendance was 150. It was not wildly enthusiastic crowd I have come to expect in West Georgia. They were downright subdued for much of the evening.
Hall of Fame inductions hosted by Damon Taz:
Terry Lawler was inducted by Chip Day.
Awesome TC and Cody Gunn inducted by UIW Commissioner Mark Grason.
Stupid inducted by Josh Storm.
(1) Chris Crunkk defeated Tyler Matrix in 8:42. Matrix was trained at OVW and works a lot of Freedom Pro shows, blonde with a man bun. Size advantage to Crunkk. They did a good job of establishing a clear heel/face dynamic early on. Crunkk nefariously seized the advantage and went to work on Tyler’s back. Crunkk messed up and the comeback was on. Matrix with a blockbuster for a near fall. Crunkk through he had the three count after a springboard kick. Matrix hit a powerbomb out of an electric chair. Crunkk narrowly escaped with the victory via roll up with a hand on the ropes. Match was decent but got a decidedly lukewarm response from the crowd. Fairgrounds can be a tough audience for an unknown babyface and Matrix did not capture their imagination the first time out.
Matrix wanted a rematch. Grason said he would make it happen.
(2) Jessie Belle defeated Ayzali in 10:48. Belle took a few slugs from a flask she had stashed in her gear before the match. Ayzali is a big girl and she used her size to good advantage. Belle was hurting all over from the abuse. Belle took Ayzali’s leg out and worked it over. A reversal into DDT left both women down. A headbutt from Azyali put Belle down for a two count. Azyali missed charged into the corner and Belle rolled her up with feet on the ropes. A laborious match with no chemistry or heat.
(3) Sylar Cross & William Huckaby (with Mathias Darkthorne) defeated The Hierarchy (Murder One & Joe Black) via DQ to retain the UIW Tag Team Championship in 19:56. This match had heat. Cross was getting over on Murder in the early going. Highlight of the match was the showdown between former partners Huckaby and Black. They got into a wicked striking contest. Hierarchy worked over Sylar’s knee with a vengeance. Sylar was selling it like he was crippled. Black got Huckaby all pissed off to set up a no tag switch. Running crossbody ala Killian Dain by Sylar. Tags made. Black cleaning house when Left Hand Path (Trevor Aeon & Eric Silva) hit the ring along with Lamar Diggs and Getz Bhundelz. Chaos ensued as Knight, Bull Buchanan, Terry Lawler, TC and Gunn made the shave. Easily the best match of the night so far.
Postmatch - Darkthorne turned on Cross stating that he built Sylar up for his own amusement. Strong promo work by Darthorne here. Intensely evil.
A guy named Freddie proposed to her girlfriend in the ring after the intermission.
(4) AWE Georgia Wrestling Crown and PWX iPPV Champion Chip Day defeated Sage Phillips via submission in 12:50. I counted seven monikers in Day’s intro. Like Matrix, Philips is based in Louisville. He’s very small and Day wasted no time making light of his size. Day came away mildly impressed with Phillips’ grappling skills. Phillips made the ropes on Day’s heel hook attempt. Philips used the ref a shield to get the upper hand. Philips used a Tomikaze. A nifty sequence saw Phillips counter the Northern Lights Bomb with an octopus. Day absolutely leveled Philips with a tornado kick. They did the fighting spirit strike exchange. Philips spit in Day’s face. Day went wild. He had Philips pinned after a field goal kick to the head before switching to the heel hook. Match was a good as Day could make it. Phillips wrestles a similar style to Day but isn’t in the same universe as a wrestler or striker. Outcome was a forgone conclusion and the crowd reacted accordingly.
Postmatch – Day advised Philips to text Tripp Cassidy (Day's scheduled opponent today at Oh Lort! who was forced to cancel due to an injury suffered last night)
(5) Johnny Swinger defeated Adrian Armour to win the UIW Heavyweight Championship in 9:20. The Hiearchy were barred from ringside. The back story – Swinger beat Armour clean last month at the Fairgrounds but the referee reversed the decision when he wrongly ruled that Swinger hit him on purpose. Swinger got screwed out of the title again in the rematch at TC Rose’s due to interference by the Hierarchy.
Armour took a TO to rethink his strategy. Swinger brought Armour in the hardway and took over. Armour bailed again. Swinger after him with a chair. Armour outpaced Swinger getting back inside and cut him off with an elbow drop. Double axe off the top by Armour. Swinger rolled out. They skirmished on the outside. Swinger back in first this time and firing away. Armour took a great Flair body slam off the top. Armour tried to pin Swinger with feet on the ropes but referee Ben Buchanan caught the cheating. Swinger locked in a crossface. Black came out with bad intentions but the referee stopped him in the aisle. Meanwhile, Armour was tapping. Swinger broke the hold to call the ref back. Armour clubbed him from behind but could not capitalize. Swinger hit the Long Island Legsweep and covered. Armour clearly had a foot on the ropes as Buchanan made the three count. Good match. It was more about getting the personalities and story across than the action.
Armour said he got screwed. Swinger offered to restart the match. Commissioner Grason said he could not overrule the referee’s decision. Armour said Swinger could have his Cinderella moment. For fans unfamiliar with the back story, Swinger looked like a weak champion.
(6) Billy Knight & Steve Lawler defeated Left Hand Path (Trevor Aeon & Eric Silva with Mathias Darkthorne) in a Lumberjack match at 14:19. Bull Buchanan, Lamar Philips and Bailey Blake were among the lumberjacks. Fast forward - the babyfaces beat on Aeon. I marveled at the way Steve got so much mileage from doing the little things well. Steve decked Aeon with a great right hand. Aeon raked the eyes and Left Hand Path got heat on Steve. Knight ran wild with the hot tag. Match broke down with all four in. Darkthorne slid a chair into the ring. Aeon tried to hit Knight with the chair and it rebounded off the ropes into his face. Knight covered Aeon for the 1-2-3 and a big pop.
Knight said Steve was the best partner he ever had. He said his body had been breaking down over the last few months and he couldn’t go any longer. Knight thanked the fans for supporting him throughout his 32 year career and said he could not have done what he did without them. Knight assured the fans that he would still be part of UIW in a non-wrestling capacity.
