James J. Dillon, Teddy Long, Arn, Tony Hunter From Larry Goodman: Georgia Premier Wrestling presented the Arn Anderson Homecomin...
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| James J. Dillon, Teddy Long, Arn, Tony Hunter |
Georgia Premier Wrestling presented the Arn Anderson Homecoming Show at the Coosa Valley Fairgrounds in Rome.
It was not one of GPW’s better shows, much less the special event that GPW so wanted it to be.
At 175 (paying $25 for ringside $15 for general admission), the attendance was huge a disappointment for promoters Darrell Morris and Woody Hullender. GPW does better than that for their regular events in Canton. It was not a particularly lively crowd, and frankly, for much of the night there wasn’t much to get excited about.
They say timing is everything, and GPW’s timing was lousy. The Superstars of Wrestling show beat them to the punch by three weeks and sucked a lot of wrestling attendance dollars out of the Rome area. To make matters worse, the annual Wings Over North Georgia Air Show was held in Rome this weekend. The 2017 air show attracted over 80,000 people.
The highlight of the night came early in the form of tremendous speeches by Anderson and James J. Dillon. The meet and greet before the show included Anderson, Dillon, Teddy Long, Glacier, Bob Armstrong, Ernest “The Cat” Miller and Cortez Castro. Magnum TA was scheduled but missed due to illness.
The wrestling wasn’t bad, but with few exceptions, it was pretty average. The finishes weren’t particularly compelling or imaginative. Chip Hazard and Johnny Rokk had a good match. I liked the opener (Torque vs. Vary Morales). I wished Castro Cortez vs. QT Marshall had been given more time and substance.
(A) Talon Williams won a pre-show battle royal. Other participants were Jaxson Cassel, Brandon Whatley, Ray Ray, Lamar Philips, JD Jenkins, Joey Idol, Frankie Swamptower, Tyler Knight, Oblivion, Casey Owens, William Cage and Eric Havok. Cassel’s physique and athletic ability separated him from the pack. It came down to Williams and Cassel. Williams pulled the ropes down to dump Cassell, who skinned the cat and charged again. Williams again pulled the ropes down and this time, Cassel spilled to the floor.
Teddy Long was introduced at the guest general manager and announced a gauntlet tag match for the main event. Long recalled refereeing Arn Anderson matches when he got his start as a referee in 1982 and introduced Dillon.
Dillon talked about giving Long his start as a referee in WCW and knowing he had done something positive for the business. Dillon said he was blessed to have two hall of fame rings. He was never the biggest or the best, but nobody loved wrestling more than he did or was willing to work harder, and he was surrounded by some of the greatest talent ever. Dillon told the story of Anderson coining the “Four Horsemen” name during an interview on TBS and them having no idea at the time what it would mean, and how big it would become. Dillon talked about the originality of Anderson’s interviews. “Things come full circle. I wouldn’t have missed being here. He’s become a dear close friend, someone who was finally appreciated for his ring talent and the uniqueness of his interviews and being a special person.”
Anderson got a standing ovation. Anderson referred to Dillon as a national treasure. Anderson said he went to East Rome High School and outgrew Rome because he showed his backside more than a few times. He ended up in front of a judge who told him he was too big to be running around town fighting, and if he came back in front of him again, he better bring a toothbrush. Anderson talked about meeting Ted Allen at Barron Stadium and asking Allen about how to get into the wrestling business. Allen agreed to train him. A friend named Terry Hicks offered to buy a ring and set it up in the back of his furniture store so Arn could train. He went to Atlanta television where he wrestled Bob and Brad Armstrong. He’d had only three or four matches. Bob asked him to come to the Pensacola territory but only for three weeks. Arn quit his job cutting steaks at Warehouse Groceries and went to Pensacola. Bob got him booked with Bill Watts for five months, and from there he came back to Atlanta where he was managed by Paul Ellering and teamed with Matt Borne. He went back to Pensacola for 14 months where he met his wife, Erin. “What patience.” Then to Crockett. “Man, what a ride”. From there to WWF and then to WCW. Andersons said how much it meant to him that former WCW producer Neal Pruitt came down to see him tonight. “They say you can never go home again. I don’t know about that. You may know too much about your neighbors but there’s a feeling to that that makes you belong.” Arn thanked the fans for honoring him and said he wanted to turn it around and honor them. Arn closed by thanking promoter Morris.
Dillon said Anderson started from the bottom and paid his dues. Dillon showed the scar on the back of Anderson’s neck and talked about Anderson’s left hand beginning to atrophy and how he tried to hide it. “You see the glory side on TV. They don’t just give it you. You have to want it. This man paid the price.” Dillon said Anderson was able to rebound from surgery and never displayed the pain he was in. Dillon called Arn an encyclopedia of wrestling and how the young wrestlers need him to impart the knowledge he has.
(1)Torque pinned Vary Morales with a 450 to retain the GPW Cruiserweight Championship in 8:52. Morales did some heelish stuff early on. From there it was a straight up modern US style match and a pretty good on at that. Torque got a near fall with a tornado DDT. Morales answered with Eat Defeat for a near fall. Morales countered a second tornado DDT with a northern light suplex. Torque did a trio of side Russian legsweeps. Morales missed a swanton and got laid out with a brainbuster to set up the finish.
(2) Ashton Starr & Jessica Leigh defeated Matt Sells & Dani Jordan in 7:42. Announced as a mixed tag but worked as an intergender match, not that it mattered, least of all to referee Jonathan Chastain. Starr and Leigh were subjected to a stereo version of Matt Sells’ signature Rat Trap. The heels isolated and humiliated Sells. He hit the Christopher Jack Daniels STO and tags were made. A train of big moves led to Jordan hitting an impressive black hole slam on Starr. Leigh then caught Jordan off guard with a sloppy roll up using the tights. Didn’t look like both of Jordan’s shoulders were on the mat, not that it mattered. I enjoyed the individual performances, Sells especially, but neither side had much chemistry as a team.
(3) Chip Hazard (with Gabe Walters) defeated Johnny Rokk in 9:26. These guys brought their A games. Rokk’s high impact offense looked good. Hazard’s work as a heel was one best things about the show. He did despicable things and amplified his selling without being cartoonish. Hazard used tights to dump Rokk out where Walters sent Rokk into the post. A slugfest ensued. Hazard used a ripcord back elbow to set up a belly to belly suplex for a near fall. Rokk had the pin with a DDT but Hazard got a foot on the ropes. Rokk hit a great top rope elbow for a visual fall as Walters’ antics kept referee Tyler Thomas occupied. Hazard kicked Rokk in the groin for the 1-2-3.
(4) Glacier & Ernest Miller & Bullet Bob Armstrong defeated GPW Tag Team Champions Beautiful Bald Besties (Michael Stevens & Zac Edwards & Mike Reed in 7:47. The introduction of Bullet Bob as the surprise third member of the legends’ team got one of the biggest pops of the night and a standing ovation. Glacier cleared the ring with an array of martial arts chops. Miller was having the time of his life and looked like he could still go. His job here was to take the heat. Match broke down with all the heels selling for Bullet’s 79 year old chops. Finish saw Stevens take superkicks from Miller and Glacier and another Armstrong chop. Stevens had the honor of being pinned by Bullet Bob for another big pop.
(5) Chip Day defeated Suge D via submission in 10:30. I don’t recall ever hearing a “this is boring” chant during a Chip Day or Suge D match but it happened here. The wrestling wasn’t bad but it didn’t speak to these fans. Lots of trash talk between Day and Suge and Day and the audience. A comedy dance spot prompted Suge to tell Day he was a terrible dancer and an ever worse wrestler. Day worked on Suge’s knee. He was kicking the hell out it. Suge said Day kicked like a girl, then said sorry, that was in insult to girls. The action and crowd energy picked up leading into the finish. Suge’s big near fall came off a springboard twisting European uppercut. Day locked in a heel hook that forced Suge to tap.
(6) Cortez Castro defeated QT Marshall (with Logan Chase III) in 8:20. Castro was eating Marshall alive with chops. Chase had to fan Marshall’s chest with his tennis racket. Chase interfered allowing Marshall to take control. Castro’s comeback offense looked strong. Chase jumped on the apron to distract as Castro prepared to his finisher. Marshall then pinned Castro with feet on the ropes and an assist from Chase. Promoter Morris said not on his watch. He called for a restart and ejected Chase. Castro pinned Marshall with La Magistral cradle in no time flat. No surprise the wrestling and striking in this match were a cut above the rest of the show.
(7) Good Ole Boys (Cuzin Cletus & Cuzin Shaggy) defeated Jungle Kings (Lex Lee & Kevin Coffman) and Syndicate (Elijah Evans & TJ Boss) and Brother Fusion (Jason Collins & Brandon Collins) in 13:27. It was four way rather than a gauntlet match as Teddy Long announced. Cletus wiped his ass with one of the Kings’ furs. They did a seven way sleeper spot. A domino sequence of bionic elbows by Cletus culminated in a double bionic elbow on Lex by Good Ole Boys. The heel teams (Syndicate and Jungle Kings) took turns beating on Brandon and Shaggy. Cletus took the hot tag. The heel/babyface alliances broke down. Dives ensued. Hoss fight moment between Moss and Cletus. Moss climbed the ropes and chose to dive on the guys outside the ring rather than on Cletus inside the ring. It looked like Cletus wanted to join the dive party but Evans cut him off. Shaggy then pinned Evans with a top rope splash. Match was kind of zany and disjointed but not bad.
(8) Cody Vance defeated “Nature Boy” Paul Lee to retain the GPW Southern States Championship in 7:47. GPW did their championship no favors here. Vance has a great look but is too bland and doesn’t carry himself like a champion. He was totally overshadowed by Paul’s obnoxious personality. Paul did his bargain basement Flair act – the chops, the face first bump, taking the slam off the top, baiting the ref until the ref shoved him down, etc. I would have liked to have watched Anderson and Dillon’s reactions but they were long gone. A missed middle rope elbow drop by Lee set the stage for Vance’s comeback. Paul tried to pin Vance with feet on the ropes but the ref caught the cheating. Vance then speared Paul for the win.
Postmatch – Paul repeatedly insisted that was “two, two, two”. Morris told him if number two was a problem, there was a bathroom in the back. End of show.
NOTES: GPW returns to Old Buffington School Gym in Canton on September 20 with Besties defending vs. GA Heat, and Williams vs. Hazard – last man standing…The Anderson seminar was attended by about 20 trainees...Scott Hensley was the emcee…The ring announcer was Miss Brittany…Shalandra Royal sang the national anthem…The referees not mentioned in the report were Chris Emerson and Nathaniel Spivey…John Arden was at the show.
