From Larry Goodman: Superstars of Wrestling Fan Fest returned to the Forum River Center in Rome, GA after a three year hiatus with a...
From Larry Goodman:
Superstars of Wrestling Fan Fest returned to the Forum River Center in Rome, GA after a three year hiatus with a bigger fanfest than ever before, featuring the hottest act in pro wrestling, the Young Bucks.
Stars at the fanfest included Jeff and Karen Jarrett, Booker T, Jillian Hall, Sandman, Francine, Abdullah the Butcher, Robert Gibson, James Storm, Nikita Koloff, Demolition, Scott Steiner, Ron Garvin, “Mean” Gene Okerlund, Marty Jannetty, Daffney, Duke “The Dumpster” Droese, Rosemary, Samuel Shaw, Tim Horner, Tom Prichard, Mo from Men on a Mission and Jimmy Powell. All of the advertised stars were present with the exception of Chris Harris.
The wrestling show was a success. It gave the crowd, mostly casual fans from the local area, what they wanted to see – appearances by the major stars that put them in the best light. Air Paris did a great job of putting the show together, and had to make some last minute adjustments due to legends bowing out on planned spots.
The show closed with a Young Bucks’ superkick party that tore the house down. The Bucks said they would be back and maybe next time they would be able to wrestle.
The event was co-promoted by the River Center and Almost Famous restaurant, owned by Phil Hefner and Chris Ganz. Original Superstars promoter Shawn Holcomb was involved but did not have a financial stake in the show. Total ticket sales approached 1000. Attendance at the wrestling show was around 600 as some fans attended only the fanfest and the event’s major sponsor, Synovus Bank of Rome, purchased a block of tickets that were not all used.
The promoters had hoped to do better but reportedly still turned a small profit. Walk up sales were far less than what they anticipated. The cost of a great majority of the stars was picked up by vendors.
Emcees Scott Hudson and Steven Prazak opened the show asking fans who they came to see. Hudson made an arcane reference to Mid-South valet Dark Journey. Prazak brought up Dillard’s Music Park, the venue that was home to wrestling in Rome for many years.
Hefner and Terry Lawler interrupted with a surprise induction into the Rome Classic Hall of Fame for Paris, “The one man that made this all possible with our pocketbook and his brain”, Hefner said. Paris came into the ring with his daughter Perry. Bill Behrens came out with a special message from Paris’ former partner, WWE Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles.
“Sorry I couldn’t be in Rome to hone my favorite NWA Wildside opponent and WCW tag partner. It’s amazing to think it’s been 17 years since that all happened and we’re both happily married men with great kids. I know Frank has worked very hard to make the event a phenomenal one.”
Lawler said he met Paris over 20 years ago and formed Team Extreme and gave Paris credit for a lot of wrestling magic in Rome. Hefner said the only person more deserving than Paris was him.
Paris was humbly saying his thanks and talking about the hottest act in wrestling being in Rome when Behrens turned heel. BB said he didn’t believe a damn word he had said and told Paris to keep his daughter out of his way. Out came Bad Attitude (Rick Michaels & David Young). Michaels said Paris was about to get a bad attitude all over him. All three started putting the boots to Paris.
The appearance of Booker T on stage brought the attack to a halt. Booker said as guest GM, he was making the main event Bad Attitude vs. Air Paris and a partner of his choosing, teasing that he would be the partner if Paris couldn’t find one.
(1) Thunder & Lightning (Chris Ganz & Chris Lightning) defeated Beautiful Bald Besties (Michael Stevens & Zac Edwards with Anthony Andrews) in 8:08. Simon Sermon, who rose to stardom at Dillard’s back in the day, was the referee. Thunder and Lightning have outgrown the cruiserweight division. They were off to a fast start before Lightning took a crazy flip bump off the apron that got a we thought he died” reaction. Besties isolated Lightning, leading to a flying comeback by Ganz. Andrews tied Ganz’s hand behind his back with duct tape. Ganz then did a coffin drop to the outside onto Besties with his hand tied behind his back. Finish was sunset flips off the top in stereo. Match was rough in spots but it worked.
Postmatch – Sermon laid Harley out with a Manchester Driver that may have gotten a bigger pop than the finish.
(2) Mark Anthony & Tyson Dean defeated Dr. Tom Prichard & John Skyler (with Brian Logan) in 13:55. Anthony was actually David, the WFS Television Champion out of the Knoxville area, not the Marc Anthony that obtained a level of notoriety on the Nashville wrestling scene. This was old school comedy schtick with Prichard and Skyler as the befuddled heels. Logan tripped up Dean to start the heat. Skyler missed a repeat attempt on an elbow off the ropes. Anthony cleaned house with some horrible European uppercuts. Finish saw the heels locks arms to block Anthony’s sunset flip but Dean kicked them apart and Skyler was pinned.
Postmatch, Prichard took his ire out on the bell and timekeeper.
(3) P-Dog” Mike Posey defeated Matt Lynch in 7:00. Posey’s rap was fresh to the Romans and got the people agitated. P-Dog worked over Lynch’s knee for most of the match, using leg locks and dragon screws. Lynch sold the knee while making his comeback. Posey shoved referee David Weakley into the ropes to crotch Lynch and hit the Alabama Jam to pick up the win. Match was a backdrop for what was to come…
Scott Preston and Barry Blevins from Synovus Bank were introduced. P-Dog snatched the mic and said nobody cared about them. He was probably right about that. P-Dog went on to say Demolition were Road Warrior impersonators, Sandman was a hardcore punk and a stupid drunk and Jeff Jarrett was older and slower and needed to thank Conrad and Bruce for getting him over.
That brought Jarrett out with his guitar to the biggest pop thus far. “Gimme some skin, slim,” said P-Dog. “You like country. I like rap. It’s all the same, bro.” P-Dog asked Double J if he could audition for the NWA Anniversary show. Jarrett gave him 60 seconds. P-Dog did his deal and Jarrett rewarded him by busting his guitar over P-Dog’s head. The spot looked and sounded great. P-Dog was pretty great all around here. One of the bankers gave P-Dog a brief airplane spin and they bankers did the Memphis strut with Jarrett. Double J called a developmentally disabled kid named Mike into the ring to join him in a rendition of “With My Baby Tonight”. Karen Jarrett came to the ring to do the drawing for the winner of Jarrett’s guitar. The winner: banker Blevins with a roll of 50 tickets in hand.
(4) Master and The Machine (Marcus Kross & Griff Garrison) defeated The Dirty Blondes (Michael Patrick & Leo Brien with Phil Hefner) in 9:56. Kross and Garrison may not be the greatest tag team but they have the best hair. They worked over the collective arms of the Blondes. Kross’ strikes looked good and Blondes were stellar selling for a much smaller opponent. Brien caught Kross’ dive and planted him on the ring frame. Elbow drops on parade by the Blondes for one near fall. Kross went through the legs to make the tag. Kross saved Garrison from being pinned by a Blondes combo move. Garrison then pinned Brien with a pumphandle Attitude Adjustment called the MFS. Good match.
Postmatch -- Dissension between the Blondes. Hefner tried to make peace by offering them a sucker. They hugged it out, much to the fans’ disappointment.
(5) Kevin Ryan defeated Sunny Daze in 7:15 with Ron Garvin as the special enforcer. Hardly any pop at all for Garvin’s special introduction, as if people didn’t know who he was. Made me sad. This was your typical fast-paced modern style match. I enjoyed Daze’s psycho character. He came out to The Phantoms warped version of “You Are My Sunshine”. Daze attacked Ryan at the bell and shrugged off Ryan’s early offense. Ryan took control with aerial maneuvers until Daze dropped him face first on the apron. Daze was killing Ryan with high impact moves but making nonchalant covers as if he was toying with him. Ryan’s selling needs work. Ryan hit a coast-to-coast dropkick with Daze in the tree of woe. Daze missed a cannonball and Ryan rolled him up.
Postmatch – Daze was about to give Ryan his finisher on the floor when Garvin intervened and decked Daze.
(6) Shannon Moore (with Lindsay Snow) defeated Chip Day in 14:37. The grappling that opened the match made it clear the work was going to be on a much higher plane than the rest of the show. Day’s dickish attitude was getting heat. Moore’s chops were hard and loud and his flying moves looked great. Moore did a springboard into a huracanrana for near fall. Day hit a missile dropkick for a near fall. Day kicked Moore squarely in the face and menaced Snow. Back inside, Day used a twist of fate to set up a swanton bomb but Moore got his knees up. Moore got close near fall with a moonsault block. A high knee spilled Day through the ropes. Moore followed with an Asai moonsault, crashing into the guardrail. Day’s ear got split open on the ropes and he was bleeding profusely. Moore evaded Day’s top rope double stomp and pinned him with springboard corkscrew neckbreaker. The quality of the work drew the crowd into the match. Heel or not, they applauded Day as he exited.
Main event time – Michaels gave Paris more crap. Young insulted the crowd. Paris said they were really pushing their luck…sorry about yo’ damn luck…out came James Storm to a huge pop and looking like a major league star.
(7) Air Paris & James Storm defeated Bad Attitude (David Young & Rick Michaels with Bill Behrens) in 16:43. Not a great match, not even a good match, but very entertaining. Storm brought the starpower to the inring that had been lacking heretofore. Lots of history in the ring -- Michaels and Storm had a memorable feud at the Nashville Fairgrounds in 2002. Young and Paris date back to North Georgia wrestling in the late 90s. Match was mostly comedy. Young and Michaels couldn’t get their act together. Trouble in paradise was brewing. Fans chanted from them to fight and booed when they didn’t. Storm forced Young and Michaels to kiss. The building was in a uproar. Young found Rick’s gum in his mouth and started choking Rick. Young was put in the tree of woe. Paris and Storm pulled Michaels by the legs so Young’s face was buried in Rick’s groin. Bad Attitude got heat on Paris with Behrens using his tennis racket. DDT by Paris. Behrens on the apron. Paris clocked Behrens and hit Rick with the racket. Hot tag made. Storm “made” Young DDT Rick, then pinned Young after a superkick.
Bad Attitude were sore losers. Demolition came to ringside to put them in their place. Behrens got in a shoving match with referee Triston Michaels and did not see Young Buck making their way to the ring. How Behrens remained oblivious to the pop that blew the roof off stretched believability to the breaking point.
The superkick party started with Behrens and moved to Rick and then David. It was the moment the crowd had been waiting for and they ate it up. Nick put Perry Paris on his shoulders and she did the “too sweet” gesture.
The Bucks thanked the fans, legends Demolition and James Storm (Storm told them they made him feel old) and Paris. Bucks said they would be back and maybe next time they would be able to wrestle.
