(1) Austin Towers defeated Cameron Keast in 4:05. After getting over on Towers several time with cheap, underhanded tactics. Keast tried to kick Towers in the nuts. Towers caught Keast's foot and chokeslammed into oblivion for the 1-2-3.
Towers sat down the ring with the Gold Rush briefcase in front of him. Towers said he wasn't going after Tyler Cullprett and the ProSouth Championship. He had already climbed that mountain and deserved to be the champion. Towers challenged Keast to put the Gold Rush briefcase on the line. Towers said Keast hadn't worked for the briefcase so he was giving him an opportunity to earn something for once. Keast did not accept. He didn't decline either. He grabbed the briefcase and left.
Towers' challenger was intriguing. Champion or not, booking him as a babyface at ProSouth remains a formidable challenge. They have no monster heel for him to go up against. What could possibly motivate an shrewd, unscrupulous villain like Keast to put the briefcase at risk against a guy that just kicked his ass with ease?
(2) Ben Buchanan defeated Marcus Eriks to become the number one contender for the YouTube Championship in 7:49. YouTube Champion Victor Cortez was on color commentary. It was tough to hear what Cortez was saying. I guess James Hardy hadn't taught him how to eat a ProSouth microphone. Brandon Whatley came onto the ramp to distract Eriks (stemming from their issues in last week's Draw To Brawl). Buchanan capitalized with a draping cutter to pin Eriks.
Decent match. Eriks gave a good account of himself considering the pronounced size difference. Buchanan changed things up with his moveset. Those elbow drops need work.
Cortez got in the ring and to shake Buchanan' hand. Buchanan attacked Cortez, laid him out with the draping cutter and left with the YouTube title.
The match was OK. The size difference
(3) All Star Special (Mr. Huckaby & Hold My Beer Hanson) defeated James Hardy & "Ban Hammer 2.0" Chris Mason in 9:11 when the All Stars submitted Hardy and Mason with sleepers in stereo. All-Star Special used "Sweet Home Alabama" as their entrance music. The crowd chanted "Hardy has hemorrhoids" furthering an unsubstantiated claim that has persisted for years. Huck ended Hardy's ridiculous run of offense with the Right Hand of God. Hanson's corner splash was the best one he's done. Hardy evaded Hanson's dreaded beer nuts. The heels got heat on Hanson. Huck took the hot tag but was unable to budge Mason. Huck shockingly busted out a tope suicida. They went to the finish from there.
Postmatch-- All Star Special slapped Hardy and Mason on their backs to wake them from their slumber. Hardy was so addled that he announced his team as the winners.
This match had an abundance of nice touches - Hanson's corner splash, Mason not overselling Huck's offense, Huck's insane tope and the postmatch was classic old school schtick.
(4) Rob Killjoy defeated Brother Azriel in 9:15. Killjoy frustrated Azriel with his quickness in the opening minutes. Azriel used his considerable bulk to slow things down and grounded Killjoy's aerial attack for the body of the match. Killjoy began to build momentum with his striking, then got the aerial game going with a springboard dropkick and top rope double stomp to the big man's back. Azriel's fireman's carry sitout powerbomb was a beauty but Killjoy was able to roll a shoulder at the count of two. Azriel confidently looked to his piledriver finisher. Killjoy slipped out of it and went for a sunset flip. Azriel fought it off and tried for a sit down splash. Killjoy got out from under it to score the three count with a crucifix pin.
This match felt right and made sense. Killjoy's work is always a pleasure. I was put off by Azriel's physique at first and didn't get how good he was as a worker. I get it now.
As Hardy was introducing the next match, Eric Silva blew threw security and grabbed the mic out of Hardy's hand. Silva said he wanted Reynolds face-to-face next week.
(5) Dameon Ceretone defeated Tony Midas via submission in 8:32. Midas took offense to Ceretone interrupting his "dynamic" ring entrance, which involved referee Santiago shooting fountains of coconut hairspray over his glorious retro bush of hair. Once the bell rang, Ceretone showed no mercy in the beating he dished out. Midas played possum so he could chop block Ceretone's knee. Midas softened up the leg and applied an authentic Indian Deathlock. Midas almost pinned Ceetone with a pumphandle drive before Ceretone used the brainbuster to set up the cutthroat crossface.
Ceretone did a super job of selling the leg and gave Midas a generous amount of offense, too much for a number one contender. I like Ceretone' choice of the crossface submission because size isn't a factor. "Dynamic" entrance aside, Midas toned down the comedy and was presented as a more serious competitor.
Noles gave a shout out to Terry Funk for his 77th birthday.
(6) Southern Strong Style (Proc Johnston & Jay 2Strong) defeated Ace Haven (with Amy Haven) & ProSouth Champion Tyler Cullprett (with Harley Haven) to retain the ProSouth tag titles in 14:28. Hardy announced that Commissioner Amy had added a stipulation - if either Ace or Cullprett initiated physical contact with the other, both would be suspended. 2 Strong was in the ring the entire way for Southern Strong Style except the last two minutes. Ace and Cullprett controlled the match. They weren't working as a cohesive unit but at least they weren't sabotaging each other. Eventually, they started doing double teams which blew the minds of the announcer. Johnson took the hot tag and cleaned their clocks. Johnson almost pinned Ace with a great looking powerbomb. SSS had Cullprett beaten with the Southern Blitz but Ace broke up the pin. Harley cracked dear old dad in the head with the umbrella behind the ref's back. Didn't hold back on it either. SSS hit Southern Domination to pin Ace.
Cullprett called for the mic. Said he wanted to give the thing with Ace a fair shot but he did what any caring, loving father would do. He listened to Harley. Cullprett said Harley wanted nothing to do with Ace and as her father, it was his duty to make sure it went down that way. On July 30 at Mad City Mayhem, he and Ace would write the final chapter.
The lights went out...lights on and Ceretone appeared on the ramp. He said Ace had already received plenty of shots, so the next title shot was his. Amy said Ceretone could have his Mad City Mayhem but he would defend the title against both Ace and Ceretone.
The lights went out again...lights on and a mysterious masked figure in a full body suit and flak jacket was in the ring. He attacked Ace with baton type weapons and left him laying.
The match was good and I liked the swervy story it told. I was not a fan of the stuff after the match. The verbiage felt stilted, almost WWEish. Ace did a truly awesome job of selling for the dude in in the weird get up but that was some hokey looking shit.
Members Only Bonus:
As Noles was in the ring closing the show, Buchanan returned and cut a heel promo. Couldn't really hear what he was saying on the livestream but the fans responded with a "you suck" chant. Ben then attacked Noles and laid him out with a belt shot.
The braggadocios Buchanan started to issue a challenge that was answered by Whatley before Ben could finish getting the words out of his mouth. Whatley said Buchanan had been ducking him about their unfinished business. Whatley challenged Buchanan to a bullrope match on the spot.
Howell excels at outrage, and he was outraged about what just happened to his broadcast partner. Howell enlightened us about the bullrope gimmick -- Buchanan and Whatley had a bullrope match at Wicked Havoc 2019 that was a no decision due to outside interference.
Ben Buchanan defeated Brandon Whatley in a bullrope match (7:10). Whatley whipped and choked Buchanan with his nunchucks. Buchanan was busted open bigtime after the nunchucks caught him in the the head. Buchanan was out of it as Whatley touched three corners. Eriks jumped on the apron and poked Whatley with a crutch. That was not good. Buchanan clotheslined Whatley and touched all four corners to win.
This match accomplished a hell of a lot -- it gave closure to Buchanan/Whatley, advanced a storyline and provided a better ending to the show than the livestream.
