From Larry Goodman: Sugar Dunkerton was left at the altar at night one of AWE’s double shot at the Southern- Fried Gaming Expo....
Sugar Dunkerton was left at the altar at night one of AWE’s double shot at the Southern- Fried Gaming Expo. The “Red Wedding” never happened because Dunkerton’s bride-to-be, “The Undead Bride” Su Yung was unable to make it to the ceremony.
Forced to make the best of a bad situation, the story was Yung had been kidnapped by The Hierarchy. Dunkerton was subjected to more pain, blues and agony at the hands of the Hierarchy (Blacklist Uno, the returning Kimber Lee and Slade Porter).
Anthony Henry and James Drake defeated Submission Squad (Gary Jay & Evan Gelistico) in a stiff title match. Drake cut a venomous promo on promoter Josh Wheeler regarding the fact the company had no physical tag team titles to give them.
GWC Champion Chip Day collapsed in the ring after defeated Tripp Cassidy. Day left under his own power, but the incident raised questions about his status for tonight’s title defense against the Hierarchy’s Joe Black.
Former IWA Mid-South Champion Calvin Tankman and Matt Kenway turned in outstanding performances that raised their stock immensely.
Attendance was 225, standing room only for most of the two hour event. The audience had a lot more SFGE attendees than AWE regulars.
The show got off to an electric start with a rowdy, hot crowd. Fan reactions faded during the latter half the off the show and Yung’s non-appearance resulted in a disappointing ending. They told some interesting stories but the show was hampered by AWE’s bad habit of presenting too many matches with similar styles and pacing.
(1) Matt Kenway upset Billy Brash in 8:20. This was a fine opener featuring the best technical wrestling of the night. Wheeler compared the 21 year old Kenway to Bryce Harper. I wouldn’t go that far but Kenway looked really good here. They worked a fast pace. Kenway used the post to damage Brash’s knee and applied the figure four. Brash was bleeding from the nose. Some nifty near falls both ways led into the finish. Kenway rolled Brash up using the ropes.
(2) Joe Black won Turbo Graphic 16 Battle Royal in 16:35. Tankman was the star. His exchange of chops with Sylar Cross put the fear of God into every other wrestler left in the match. Sylar’s chest was a hideous mass of bloody welts. Crowd was pissed when Tankman was eliminated by AWE Battle Royal King Chris Mayne. It came down to Black, Mayne and Suave. Mayne eliminated Suave after he was distracted by the presence of Chris Crunkk at ringside with his mirror. Black eliminated Mayne with a devastating german suplex on the ring frame. Other participants were Crunk, Jaden Newman, Bailey Blake (introed as the only male pro wrestler never to have been with a woman), Ashton Starr, Lamar Diggs, Alan Angels, Malaki, Adrian Armour, Porter and Somebody New (introduced as such). Crowd was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end.
(3) Aaron Epic (with Aspen) defeated William Huckaby in 7:43. Huckaby remains a favorite of the AWE fans despite recent lack of push. Epic capitalized on distraction by Aspen. Epic twice tried to piledrive Huckaby but could not convert. Huckaby did a bridging german and an exploder suplex that looked impressive. Huckaby had Epic racked when Aspen sprayed something in his eyes. Epic nailed Huckaby with a diving rabbit lariat to pick up the win.
Wheeler said the bride to be had not arrived at the building.
(4) Kimber Lee defeated Shotzi Blackheart and Savannah Evans in Blackheart’s open challenge in 5:48. The show lost momentum here and never fully recovered. Not a bad match at all but the crowd was definitely not into it. Blackheart has a unique look in a good way. Lee has put on weight since her last AWE appearance. Be that as it may, she still hits hard and moves well in the ring. They did a three way submission spot. Lee took a double stomp to the neck that looked like no fun whatsoever. Evans had Blackheart beaten after a full nelson slam when Lee tossed her out and stole the pin.
(5) The Workhorsemen (Anthony Henry & James Drake) defeated Submission Squad (Gary Jay & Evan Gelistico) to win the AWE Tag Team Championship in 8:52. A strong match with a traditional heel/face dynamic. New WWN signees Drake and Henry get legit heat. The two teams beat the hell out of each other and threw in a plethora of cool combo moves to boot. A Submission Squad is badly in need of new gear and that’s something that rarely jumps out at me. Workhorsemen dismantled Jay. Finish followed a sick collision of heads between Drake and Gelistico and Henry rolled Gelistico up using the tights.
Drake cut a great promo. He ripped Wheeler for not having any title belts. Said he was as useless as the 2010-2017 Braves, the Falcons in the Superbowl and the Hawks forever. Comedy highlight of the night was Drake calling AWE fan Justin Broderway (dressed in a karate outfit) a Dollar General Cobra Kai and telling him to sweep Wheeler’s leg.
Wheeler announced AWE’s next event, “Cease and Desist: The Musical” at the Opera Night Club on June 24 with a 7:30 bell time.
(6) Chip Day defeated Tripp Cassidy in 9:42. Match was billed a fight and it was definitely that. Day had his face painted to mimic Cassidy and attacked before the bell. Cassidy gave Day a tombstone piledriver on the carpeted floor. Day barely beat the 10 count. When Cassidy tried for a second tombstone piledriver in the ring, Day reversed in a way I’ve never seen before. Day was trying to cave Cassidy’s chest in with wicked kicks. Cassidy missed a running knee and Day rolled him up. Match was OK. It was fairly apparent that Cassidy wasn’t in Day’s league.
Day appeared to black out after the match. Cassidy showed concern for Chip despite their heated issues. Crowd was hushed as AWE personnel and wrestler rushed to Day’s aid. Day politely applauded as Day was helped from the ring. Day came to in a perturbed manner and insisted on walking to the back under his own power.
The Red Wedding – a minister with HP Lovecraft’s “Necronomicon” explained it was more apropos than the bible. Dunkerton entered with Mayne as his best man. Out came Blacklist Uno (wearing Yung’s scarf) to say Sugar’s honey bunny wasn’t going to make it. Did Sugar really think he was going to take the blatant disrespect (at Oh Lort!) without any repercussion? Sugar wanted to know where Uno got the scarf. Lee clubbed Sugar from behind. As Sugar got up to confront Lee, the minister wacked him from behind with the book. Uno kicked Sugar and decked referee Ryan Harmon (the designated AWE official/bump taker I guess). Lee jumped on Mayne. Dunkerton and Mayne made a comeback, laying Lee and Uno out with codebreakers. Uno’s henchmen blocked their exit. Dunkerton and Mayne again brawled with Uno and Lee. All four pulled out foreign objects. Boom! All four were down. The crowd popped for it. Uno had used some guy’s full can of beer as his object. It fell out of the ring and the guy managed to salvage half of it. Mayne caught Lee’s kick to the head and powerbombed her. Uno gave Mayne a piledriver. Dunkerton was going for a second flying knee on Uno when he was waylaid by Porter.
Dunkerton said he wasn’t going to eat or sleep until all of the Hierarchy pay. “They take an eye, I’m going to take an eye. They take my wife, I’m putting one of them in a body bag, you understand?”
The first candidate body bag is Slade Porter at SFGE part II tonight.
