Photo courtesy of Alex Arias From Larry Goodman: Could there have been a better time for Platinum Championship Wrestling to make...
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| Photo courtesy of Alex Arias |
From Larry Goodman:
Promoter Tim
Savage said it seemed like a year since the last PCW event (fans quickly
pointed it out it had been longer). Savage said the new building was a labor of
love and he hoped the fans were satisfied.
Could there
have been a better time for Platinum Championship Wrestling to make its return
than during the Day of the Dead holiday? If there was ever a promotion that
appeared to be dead, it was PCW. The company lost their building at the end of
2017 and had shown zero signs of life since Sacred Ground 9 (September 2018).
Hints of a return
began to appear on PCW’s Facebook page a month ago, culminating in an official announcement
of PCW Remix a mere nine days before the event.
Was the
event a successful trial balloon? No doubt. Did it feel like PCW? Hell yes.
Fans turned
out in impressive numbers (100 standing room only, more than their building in
Porterdale could have held) to support the spiritual journey of this oddball
company at their new venue in Covington, formerly the What-A-Deal thrift store.
While
remaining true to the avant-garde underpinnings of originator Stephen Platinum,
the creative vision behind this incarnation of PCW belongs to Matt Hankins, who
was also responsible for booking the last three + years of the company’s
Porterdale run, which required him to become a master of booking on the fly or
to die trying.
The talent
lineup was a blend of PCW originals, familiar faces and promising newcomers. Former
PCW Champions Shane Marx and Bill the Butcher were conspicuous by their
absences.
At times,
the talent pool at PCW had been quite shallow. Match quality has varied wildly
over the years and from show-to-show. But PCW was never about that. PCW has always
been about stories well told. All indications from PCW Remix are that Hankins
hasn’t lost his touch.
The new venue
has the grunge factor reminiscent of PCW shows at the Academy and Eyedrum. PCW
was never about fancy aesthetics either. The venue is a work in progress. The
lighting sucked because they ran out of time and didn’t get the light hung over
the ring. The mics cut out repeatedly, which was maddening. Parking is an adventure. The ring is set up kitty-corner to deal with the
ceiling. That actually worked out fine. The room will seat 130 once the
bleachers are built out. Unlike Porterdale or the Academy, Alcoholic beverage are not available.
The plan is
to run shows on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month.
Enter
Hankins to a properly huge pop. Hankins said some of y’all had gone down the
road to see wrestling but you always knew where your bread was buttered, and
your bread was buttered by PCW. Hankins said he had been on a wrestling walkabout
and brought back the wrestlers he thought were pretty good. There would be also
be plenty the fans knew and stuff they saw before without his hands in the mixing
bowl.
ERC (aka
Mr. Eric) interrupted. Said he had been with PCW since 2009, was the first
Porterdale City Champion and where had that gotten him? Answer: in a lot of
trouble (a reference to ERC throwing the PCW title in the trash can at the infamous
Stranglehold show). Somebody else wanted
to talk to ERC and that somebody was Geter.
Geter beat
the hell out of ERC with chops and killed him dead with Fall of Man (Greetings
from Asbury Park).
Hankins
said with that piece of business taken care of, he was turning the show over to
ring announcer Richard Von Ravensberg, who introduced the announce team of
Johnny Danger, 24 oz Corona in hand, and newcomer Tofer.
The
play-by-play over the PA system is a PCW hallmark. I’ve never been a fan with
one major exception – the Academy era when Stephen Platinum did the
play-by-play himself. Platinum’s smart ass quick wit was an integral part or
the show and he could hit all the storyline points perfectly. It was his story
after all. Danger does it as well as anyone else who has been in the role. Tofer
was as useful as a screendoor on a submarine.
(1)Nina
Monet pinned Andey Ripley in 6:45 with a Michinoku Driver in an inauspicious
opening match. Crowd was deathly quiet. Ripley is game but very green. Her
forearm blows looked so weak. This match really didn’t do either one of them
any favors.
Monet said
PCW had always been her home and accepted her for who she was. While she liked
wrestling women, she loved tearing men apart so she would be taking on all
comers. The PCW fans like Monet and responded well to the promo. They will
gladly erase this match from their memories if Monet’s next thing is
compelling.
(2) Bryce
Cannon & Eddie Honcho squashed the Warhorses in 58 seconds. Honcho and
Cannon were super entertaining. The frat boy and the fat boy (thank you, Johnny
Danger) got over like crazy. Cannon hit a sweet spinning neckbreaker. Honcho pinned
one of the Warhorses, paddled his bum and gave him a stink face.
Debut of
the Carpenter’s Bench with Brian Blaze as his first guest. Blaze said to him,
this this wasn’t a reboot, he was picking up where he left off. Blaze claimed
he got screwed out of the title at Sacred Ground 9 and had to endure Brian Kane
walking around as the Eternal PCW Champion for over a year.
(3) Brian
Blaze defeated Tyson Dean in an OK match at 6:52. Dean dominated the early
going with his wrestling. Blaze got frustrated when Dean kicked out his blazing
lariat and wedged a chair in the corner. Dean ended up taking a bump into the
chair. As referee Darryl Hall was disposing of the chair, Dean mule kicked Dean
in the nuts and pinned him with The Burn (flatliner).
(4) Geter
vs. Shane Daniels was a double count out at 5:30. Geter squaring off against a
man of equal size was a sight to behold. It was quite the hoss fight filled
with stiff chops. Daniels got a lot of offense but couldn’t get more than a one
count. The action spilled to ringside
where they traded forearms until referee “Squeaky” Nathaniel Spivey counted
them out.
Just when
it appeared things were settling down, the two behemoths started going at it
again. Ain’t no way nobody was going to pull them apart. They brawled their way
through the curtain. The crowd chanted
for more and I suspect they are going to get their wish.
-- Intermission
--
Jonathan
Malick came to the ring with Marko Polo and cut a long, pretentious promo. Malick
said ERC was a confused young man spiraling into darkness and he would forgive
him when he stepped into the light. Marx had turned his back on him and he
would never forgive him for his treachery. His message to Brian Kane – nobody is
eternal, nothing lasts forever and he suggested Kane learn to face his demons. A
“boring” chant started up. Malick invoking the old PCW slogan, stating they would
“save wrestling one match at a time.”
(5)
Washington Bullets (Jon & Trey Williams) defeated Beauty & The Beast
(Nate Wilde & Deon Mercer) in 10:31. Wilde’s no beauty and Freeze is no
beast. Go figure. Good match. Jon took
the heat. Trey handled the house cleaning. B & B messed up a double team
but it was all good from there with the crowd firmly behind the Bullets. Trey
pinned Wilde after the Marion Barry (backcracker/cutter combo). Wilde bumped
for the Bullets’ finisher like he was shot out of a cannon.
(6) In the
best match of the night, Eternal PCW Champion Brian Kane defeated Stunt
Marshall (with Rico Rodriguez) in a non-title bout at 10:42. Marshall is a really good worker who doesn’t
get his just due because he lives in the wrong part of the state. Last
split-second kick outs by both men down the stretch. Marshall tried for an avalanche back suplex.
Kane fought it off. Marshall
took the big bump. Kane went for the moonsault. Marshall rolled out of the way and tried to
swoop in for the pin but Kane surprised him with a roll up.
Hankins had
to have a conversation with Kane. Hankins said Kane was the embodiment of PCW,
a guy that made the most of the chances he was given. Hankins was disappointed
Kane never got to defend the PCW title, but if Kane wanted to put the title on
the shelf, that was his right. It was his choice. Fans instantly chanted “Defend!”.
Kane put
the fans over for supporting PCW. The new building was a gift to them. Kane Damn right he was going to defend the
title.
Hankins had
a feeling Kane would say that and he had a plan. Hankins put a bucket filled
with “Bergy bucks” in the middle of the ring. Whoever brought him the most
bills with Iceberg’ photo on it received the title shot. I had to get me one.
A made
scramble ensued with wrestlers coming from every direction and attempting to
stuff their pockets full of bills. Gil Quest and Danger joined the fray along
with every wrestler in the locker room as the fans chanted “PCW”. It was an
appropriately zany ending to a PCW show.
But wait, there’s
more!...more abuse for ERC that is. Brad Cash made a cameo with a flatliner for
ERC. Blaze wacked ERC with a chair. Geter gave ERC another Fall of Man, put a
trash barrel over his head a splashed him.
NOTES: The return date to Covington
is November 15…The Warhorses were played by Irving West and JP Kelly...Wrestling notable in the crowd included Iceberg, Lamar Diggs,
Tommy Too Much, PWC promoter Rick Chagnon and former wrestling report writer
Alicia Stockton…Alex Arias handled the soon-to-be released video production of
the show…The gorilla position has been renamed in Iceberg’s honor…Honcho is the
son of retired middle Georgia wrestler Pitbull, one half of the Slaughter Pit
tag team…ERC manned up and is back in PCW’s good graces.
