From Larry Goodman: Another Saturday night in Monroe, another great show with superb storytelling and a superheated crowd from S...
From Larry Goodman:
Another Saturday night in Monroe, another great show with superb storytelling and a superheated crowd from Southern Fried Championship Wrestling. No promotion in Georgia does a better job of presenting their wrestlers as stars. Matchmaker Todd Sexton has his finger on the pulse of the Southern Fried fanbase.
Master and The Machine capped off a solid opening half in exciting fashion by defeated JB Enterprises to capture the SFCW tag titles. That was as good as it was going to get for the babyfaces and the SFCW fans.
The second half was heat booking at its finest. Nothing went the babyfaces way sending the fans home in a dark mood.
Corey Hollis is the new SFCW Heavyweight Champion and he wasn’t even scheduled to wrestle. Champion Ike Cross had just barely survived a match with Tetchi Makuji when the master manipulator strolled to ringside to cash in the title opportunity Hollis earned by putting Jacob Ashworth out of action. Hollis’ hired monster, Mikael Judas had earlier given Billy Buck such a sadistic beating that the towel was thrown in. Everyone and their brother thought surely this was the night The Approved would get what was coming to them from an irresistible force, the reuniting of Bobby Moore and Todd Sexton. It was not to be as The Appproved blindsided them at every turn.
Paid attendance at the Boys and Girls Club gym was 318 with prices for the first two rows increased to $20 and $15. I do believe it is the naturally loudest wrestling venue I’ve ever been in, and the Southern Fried fans rarely let up from the opening bell to the bitter end.
(1) Xander Ramon & Will Kaution defeated The Uprising (Johnny Nixx & David Ali) in 8:14 when Kaution pinned Ali after a top rope elbow drop. Referee David Weakley was booed for no apparent reason except the SFCW fans don’t like him. The pop for Ramon’s entrance was amazing. Kaution got off to an impressive start and was then isolated by Uprising. Ramon was never in until the hot tag was made. Kaution hit the exploder powerslam to finally get to Ramon, who cleaned house and tagged Kaution back in, which didn’t make a lot of sense. Kaution promptly ate a superkick from Nixx as he came off the top. Superhero Ramon kicked out of double high knees followed by double superkicks from Uprising and and planted Ali with a rockbotom to set up the coup de grace. The Southern Fried loves nothing more than a Ramon victory. He’s been properly protected here. Keeping him out until the hot tag was an effective device.
(2) Azrael (with Crystal Rose) defeated Kevin Blue in 7:20. Nice when you can book two guys of this caliber in an unadvertised undercard match and great to see Azrael back in the ring. Rose’s was a thorn in Blue’s side via copious interference. On the comeback, Blue had Azrael pinned with a Yakuza kick but Rose’s distraction prevent referee Harold Martin from making the count. Blue tossed got a measure of payback, tossing Rose on top of Azrael, then got a close near fall with a uranage. Rose raked Blue’s eyes and he was a sitting duck for Azrael’s superman punch.
(3) Sugar Dunkerton defeated Stryknyn to retain the UK Tidal Championship in 10:21. Sugar and Stryk know each well from Dunkerton returned from the UK in the best shape of his career and a brand new bag in the ring. The influence of the British style was evident with a lucha arm drag to boot. Stryk was not amused by Dunkerton’s attempts to throw him off his game and brutalized Sugar whenever he got the opportunity. Dunkerton speared Stryk’s knee and worked it over with a variety of leglocks. Stryk’s high impact comeback built to a spear but Dunkerton grabbed the ropes to save himself. Stryk had Dunkerton in deep trouble with a grounded double wristlock. Dunkerton used tights and feet on the ropes to pin Stryk’s shoulders while still locked in the hold. They went for something different. The early part of the match didn’t speak to the Southern Fried crowd but they were into it by the end.
Stryk accepted handshake but refused to let go. Stryknyn then laid Dunkerton out with his version of the F5 and added insult to injury with a snot rocket.
JB Enterprises came to the ring with two hairy men dressed as “ladies”. It was “Southern Fried drag” per SFCW’s Scottie Harvey. Not sure what that was about but it was hilarious. Blood said they were more woman than Bill Behrens’ cabana boys could ever handle.
(4) Master and The Machine (Marcus Kross & Griff Garrison with Bill Behrens) defeated JB Enterprises (Drew Blood & Brian Kane with Dr. Joseph Brock III) to win the SFCW tag titles in 10:20. Match was off to an OK start when Blood spit on Garrison. That amped up Garrison and the energy was on fire the rest of the way. Kross and Garrison went to town on the champions until Enterprises trapped Kross in their corner. Enterprises worked Kross over with their gutter garbage offense. Kross used a crisp springboard rana for a hope spot. Blood got Kross in the electric chair position and Kane came off the top hitting Kross with Brock’s shoe. Kross took a back bump the likes of which shortens careers. Kane decked Behrens while Blood got a near fall on Kross. They did a great job of building to the tag so that it was blazing hot when it finally happened. Garrison ran wild on Enterprises. Garrison hit his finisher on Kane and Kross followed with a top rope elbow as Behrens recovered just in time to prevent Brock from interfering. Master and Machine are way over so the crowd popped huge for the title change.
Very LOOOONG intermission featuring in-ring photo op for the fans with the new tag team champions.
(5) Mikael Judas (with Corey Hollis) defeated Billy Buck in 14:04 when Kevin Blue threw in the towel. Buck was a man possessed. He took it to Judas before bell and had the big man reeling as they brawled at ringside. Buck had a superkick in store for Hollis as well. The match turned on a dime when Judas leveled Buck with a lariat as he tried to enter the ring. Buck was in a world of hurt in no time flat. Judas choke slammed Buck onto a speaker injuring his ribs. Juda destroyed Buck’s ribs. The heat was insane. The crowd was chanting for Buck but there were also Judas supporters in the crowd. Judas connected on three consecutive running Yakuza kicks. Buck went down in a heap. Judas pulled Buck up and gave him another, then another. Judas let Buck’s lifeless arm drop to the mat three times, then slapped Buck in the face to bring him around so he could continue the beating. Hollis jumped up with a grin on his face and high fived Judas. Referee Harold Martin was about to stop the match but Buck grabbed his leg and said no. Buck rose from near death and summoned up superkick after superkick. It took five to put Judas down. Hollis tried to interfere and Buck put him in the figure four leglock. Judas goozled Buck for a chokeslam. Buck escaped and almost pinned Judas with a spinebuster. The fans went nuts thinking that was it. Judas turned Buck’s last hurrah superkick into a choke slam. The Judas fans chanted “one more time”. Judas obliged. Judas sent Buck halfway across the ring with El Crucifijo (crucifix powerbomb). Buck was dead meat. Hollis called for more. Judas gave Buck a sick butterfly suplex into turnbuckles. At that point, Blue jumped in and called it quits. This match was compelling in its excess. Judas’ sadism seemingly knows no bounds. He was dishing out cruel and unusual punishment of the highest order and nobody sells that better than Buck. By the same token, Judas sold so well for Buck that the people believed he had a chance…until he didn’t.
Judas and Hollis still weren’t done. Hollis kicked Blue in the nuts and Judas sent Blue into orbit with El Crucifijo.
(6) The Approved (Adrian Hawkins & Kenji Bea) defeated Reunited (Bobby Moore & Todd Sexton) in 20:03. The emotionally charged atmosphere was a credit to way this feud has been constructed. Kelly Sexton came out with Todd and Moore. Reunited dominated the early going. They cleared the ring and did the classic Steiner Brothers pose. Brea nailed Todd with a wicked double stomp off the top rope as Todd had Hawkins in a guillotine choke. Approved cut the ring in half. Brea smiled at Kelly as he worked Todd over. Both down after Todd clotheslined Brea. Tags made. Hawkins wanted no part of Moore. Approved took turns blindsiding Moore. He was not to be denied and drilled Approved with a crazy ass tope. A see-saw sequence left all four down in the ring. Moore and Hawkins slugged it out. Hawkins hit a codebeaker. Moore answered with a roaring elbow. Crowd going nuts now. Reunited got both members of Approved in crossface submissions but Approved helped each other break the holds. Sexton started kicking the shit out of Brea. Hawkins blindsided Todd and hit the Unpretter but Todd kicked out. Brea evaded Todd’s superkick, Hawkins caught Todd with a codebreaker and Brea pinned Todd with a knee strike to the back of the head. What a roller coaster ride this was. Todd got his bell rung on the double stomp. Dirty as it was, the superior teamwork of the Approved prevailed.
Postmatch -- Hawkins announced Approved as the winners. Crowd showered Reunited with appreciation despite the losing effort.
(7) Ike Cross defeated Tetchi Makuji (with Dr. Joseph Brock III) via DQ to retain the SFCW Heavyweight Championship in 11:41. Massive pop for Ike’s intro. Makuji clubbed Cross before the bell. Cross was quick on the comeback but his blows weren’t having much effect until he speared Makuji out of the ring. Thudding chops from Makuji but Cross was making a dent, so Makuji fired Cross into the guardrail. Back inside, it was all Cross using the “Ike” chants for fuel. Makuji balied with Ike in hot pursuit. Cross injured his shoulder on a failed attempt to Stinger splash Makuji against the post. Hell of a spot. Crowd grew quiet as Makuji dissected the champion’s shoulder. Cross was a one-armed man. His lefty punches weren’t having much effect. Cross popped the crowd huge with a stunner out of left field but couldn’t hold Makuji down for the pin. Cross set up for the spear. Brock grabbed Cross’ leg to throw off his timing and Makuji was able to put his shoulders to the mat with the Tongan Death Grip. Cross kicked out. Makuji went for a powerbomb. Cross escaped and hit the spear. Cross was in agony as he crawled to make the cover. Just before the three count, Brock hit Cross with his shoe for the DQ. Really good match. Cross' offense always looks good. What made the differenc here was this was the best selling I’ve seen from him. Makuji’s standing as a fearsome monster remained intact.
Postmatch -- Cross decked Brock for a big pop. Makuji applied the Tongan Death Grip and refused to release the hold. Cross was out cold as Mikael Judas made his way toward the ring. His intentions were unclear until the moment he clocked Makuji. They brawled to the back. The refs hit the ring to tend to Cross.
Out came Hollis to goad Cross into putting the title up. He was going to give the people a true heavyweight championship match if Cross accepted the chance to punch him in the face or spear him out of his boots and not be another flash-in-the-pan transitional champion. Cross could not resist.
(8) Corey Hollis (with Mikael Judas) defeated Ike Cross to win the SFCW Heavyweight Championship in 2:28. Cross immediately speared Hollis, who rolled out of the ring. Cross saw Judas approaching the ring and met him with an insane flip dive. That gave Hollis time to recover. Hollis posted Cross’ injured shoulder, gave him a DDT on the floor, rolled him back inside and speared him to win the title.
Judas put Hollis on his shoulders and paraded him around the ring. The Southern Fried fans looked on, some with furious anger and some in despair.
The return date in Monroe is October 20.
