From Larry Goodman: IWE started the new year with a new family-friendly venue in a different town – the Liberty Park Community Cente...
From Larry Goodman:
IWE started the new year with a new family-friendly venue in a different town – the Liberty Park Community Center in Grovetown, which is not just any suburb of Augusta. Grovetown has tripled in population over the last 20 years. Flatline Pro Wrestling, the kingpin of Augusta indy wrestling from 2012 to 2016, ran their shows in Grovetown at Patriot’s Park.
The move to a family friendly venue paid off right out of the box for promoters Tim Blackmon and Josh Fields. Zero Hour 2 drew IWE’s largest crowd ever at 203 (previous best was 187). The Community Center set up works fine for wrestling. IWE has a good sound system and a video screen. They had light towers on all four sides of the ring. Lighting directly over the ring would be the way to go but the towers beat house lights.
As for the wrestling, when it was good, it was very good, when it was bad, it was pretty awful. Fortunately, the majority of it was on the good side. Sugar Dunkerton vs. Ashton Starr was the most entertaining match of the night. Billy Brash and Sean Legacy had a kick ass main event. The show ran three hours. A couple matches would have been better served with short times.
The booking was fairly straightforward. IWE’s calling card lies in the realm of making unique matches fans can’t see anywhere else as opposed to the depth of their internal storylines.
Josh Magnum came to the ring to explain why he attacked Sean Legacy: Answer: “I could care less about that prick. I would beat him to within an inch of his life. I don’t care if he was standing here.” Wouldn’t you know it? Legacy came out and stood there and Magnum did no such thing. Legacy shoved Magnum on his ass. Magnum bailed and said “I don’t work for free. Connor McGregor is coming on soon and I ain’t missing that for you.”
David Ali told ring announcer Jeffrey Taylor he was his savior and would make a believer out of Montana Black.
(2) David Ali defeated Montana Black in 14:15. There’s a lot I could write about this match, very little of it would be positive. They shit the bed. Whoever booked it to go 15 minutes should be shot at sunrise. Ali kept trying to drill it into Black’s thick skull that he was his savior. Black’s sitout version of Logan Creed’s Scorched Earth looked great. Best moment of the match. Wished it was the finish. The longer they went, the more Black’s lack of mobility was exposed. Doing topes against a much large opponent tends to look woefully unimpressive. Ali did a pair of them and rolled Black back in for the pin. Black powered out at two. Ali hit a top rope elbow drop that Black immediately reversed with a sloppy crucifix. The finish was brutally bad. Ali tried for a sunset flip. Black sat down to squash him but Ali had vacated the spot a couple of beats earlier to the point it looked comical. Ali rolled Black up.
Postmatch – Ali continued to crow as he walked through the crowd. Black chased him to the back, which did him no favors.
(3) “The Wrestling Saint” Hunter Young defeated Fluffman to become the inaugural IWE New Age Champion in 8:25. Color this match green. Fluffman was slurping from a plastic cup and staggering as he came to the ring. No evidence of intoxication once the bell rang, just a guy that blew up after the first three minutes. Young has a lot of spring in his dropkicks. Fluffman did a clothesline from the apron to the floor that got a big reaction because it looked like he killed Young with it. Aaron Berry came to ringside on a crutch but wasn’t limping. Young used a shotgun dropkick to set up a splash off the top for the win.
Berry spoiled the postmatch show of mutual respect by attacking both competitors with the crutch. This looked weak beyond belief because it was obvious Berry was hitting the mat and barely making contact with their backs.
As bad as the above was, it had great heat because these guys are a local and a huge group of fans came specifically to see them.
(4) Dani Jordyn defeated Shalandra Royal to capture the vacated IWE Women’s Championship in 8:36. Amber Nova vacated the title due to other commitments. It's going to be tough sledding for IWE or any other promotion in Georgia to have a women’s championship because there aren’t enough quality women wrestlers to go around.
Jordyn has developed her mean girl persona a bunch. It’s more vivid and has more impact on crowds that aren’t familiar with her. Royal’s ringwork has gotten so much sharper over the last year. She’s laying her blows in and her cartwheel elbow now looks like it does damage. Jordyn hit a release german suplex. Royal kicked out of the pin at the last split second so Jordyn grabbed her Burn Book. Referee Shane Poteat took it away. Royal inadvertently decked Poteat with the cartwheel back elbow for a visual three count. As Royal check on Poteat, Jordyn planted Royal’s face on the book, except she missed the book by a mile. Good match otherwise.
Jordyn got on the mic to put herself over and bury everyone else. She clubbed Royal with the book, prompting the arrival of Brooklyn Creed.
Blackmon announced Brooklyn vs. Jordyn and Logan Creed vs. AEW signee Brian Cage for March 21. Brooklyn pointed out Logan vs. Cage would also be MLW vs. AEW. The Logan/Cage announcement didn't get much of a response from the crowd, which was mainly casual fans who probably didn't know Cage.
Blackmon went on to announce Madison Rayne for March 21 and put 20 ringside tickets on sale for the reduced price of $15 for tonight only.
The Fluffman/Young/Berry fans left during the intermission, at least 30 people.
(5) Sugar Dunkerton defeated Ashton Starr via submission in 17:57. This match was loaded with fun and games, Suge D style and Ashton (as a heel) was up for all of them. Dunkerton busted out his British styles stuff with some extremely vocal selling by Starr, who threw a hissy fit in frustration. Dunkerton said enough of the silly stuff. He tied Starr in a knot that left him totally helpless, then kicked him the ass. They went back and forth pulling hair until they each had a handful of the other guy’s big hair. This was way funnier than it reads. Dunkerton said it was a terrible idea and called for a truce. Dunkerton said let’s settle it with a dance off. Sugar coaxed referee Danny Meade into the act. Starr ended the comedy with a ground and pound on Sugar. They got down to business in the closing minutes. Starr was in shock when Dunkerton kicked of the Glam Slam. Dunkerton hit a spinning back elbow off the ropes and made Starr tap to bridging chokehold.
(6) Metro Brothers (JC & Chris) defeated Ugly Ducklings (Rob Killjoy & Mikey Gulino) to retain the IWE tag titles in 20:35. Story was Mikey has to summon the courage to wrestle because Lance Lude wasn’t there. Chris grabbed the mic and said Gulino showed up fat and unprepared to wrestle. The heat segment on Killjoy was really well done. Gulino went into Hulk Hogan mode with the hot tag. Killjoy used Gulino’s back as a platform for a double stomp from the top on JC but Chris broke up the pin. Killjoy crashed and burned on a flip dive to the outside. While JC distracted the ref, Chris kicked Mikey in the nuts. JC then leveled Mikey with a clothesline and JC applied the crossface.
Crowd was into this match, which was a 12 minute story bloated to 20 minutes. There’s something about Metros that makes them delectably hateable. Ducklings were very over but nowhere near as entertaining without Lude (see notes below).
(7) Cody Vance defeated AC Mack in 9:58. No love lost between Mack and this crowd. It started during his intro and continued throughout the match. Vance looked like a million bucks. Nothing new about that. What was new was his confidence, poise and much better use of facial expressions. Vance’s power dominated early. Mack blinded Vance with an eye poke and punched him in the throat. Mack’s signature offensive ensued. Comeback time with a impressive show of fire from Vance. They traded close near falls. Mack’s flying stomp to the face looked sick. Mack 10 coming up. Vance countered with a backdrop, followed with a pop up RKO and finished Mack with high boot. Good match with a super duper finishing sequence.
(8) Sean Legacy vs. Billy Brash to determine the #1 contender for the Southern States Championship was ruled a draw at 10:15. Balls to the wall right from the opening bell and they never let up. It was right way to go for the finish they were doing. Crowd was split, a shade more in favor of Legacy. This was all good - lightning fast exchanges, nifty counter wrestling and stiff strikes. Highlights: a Puroresu fighting spirit sequence, Legacy’s standing Spanish fly, Brash’s fireman’s carry neckbreaker, Legacy’s falcon arrow, Brash slingshot RKO. For the finish, Legacy hit a springboard RKO that left both men’s shoulders on the mat in exhaustion. Referee Poteat counted three and declared the match a draw.
Blackmon said he found himself in a conundrum and ordered a three way title match for March 21 – Legacy vs. Brash vs. defending champion Slim J.
NOTES: Wrestling luminaries in the house included Ryan Rembrandt, Ravenna Vein, Kameron Kade, Dan Parris and Chris Hamrick…Royal sang the national anthem and nailed it as usual…Lance Lude is recovering from a concussion and was not medically cleared in time to do the show.
