From Larry Goodman:
If All American Bash had not turned out to be a good show, it would not have been for lack of in ring talent.
The card was as stacked as any WrestleMerica show has ever been.
And the show produced. Every match had a clear heel/babyface dynamic and got the crowd involved. It delivered above and beyond what was advertised.
The Bash was designed to advance stories rather than pay them off and it worked beautifully on that level. The latter half of the card in particular was heat booking 101.
Attendance at the Academy Gym was 200, not too shabby, but not as good as WrestleMerica has done at some of their shows this year.
Matchmaker/ring announcer Ben Masters opened with a tribute to legendary referee Mac McMurray, who passed away on June 30 at the age of 78. McMurray was fixture at WrestleMerica serving as timekeeper. He would make the five hour drive from Tennessee for every show. A 10 bell salute followed with fellow legend Charlie Smith, age 91, ringing the bell. It was a touching moment.
Masters announced that the Koloff-Pain title match would be for the newly unified WrestleMerica/Continental Championship Wrestling title. WrestleMerica promoter Dennis Gale runs shows in Dothan under the CCW banner.
Ryan North came to the ring serenaded by a "weasel" chant. Masters wanted to know what was up with "Queen" Simon Sermon who was MIA. North said he hadn't been able reach Sermon either. A fan suggested maybe Sermon was in Villa Rica with Chic Donovan.
(1) J Rod defeated Brian Blaze (with Matt Hankins) in 8:38. Masters introduced Brian as Bobby Blaze (the name of the SMW wrestler from Hankins said he understood we all look alike to you. Hankins also had fun with a fan that was giving him crap, -- "WrestleMerica had a new sponsor, Fantastic Smiles that could do what good lord didn't in your raggedy mouth". My night was already made. The match was fine. J Rod looked in g great shape and got big babyface response from the crowd. Hankins interfered. In the end, J Rod chased Hankins who fell down and begged for mercy. Blaze tried to pin J Rod as he reentered the ring and J reversed it for the three count.
(2) Dani Jordyn defeated Dream Girl Ellie in 7:50. David Ali came out to introduce "The Real Mean Girl" as a member of Overkill and called Ellie a disgusting nightmare. They had a solid 50/50 match with Jordyn heeling when she had the upper hand. Jordyn planted Ellie on her face and applied an armbar but Ellie made it to the ropes. Overkill member Carley Bravo came out of the crowd to jump on the apron to complain. Jordyn grabbed her burn book out of the corner. Ellie kicked the book into Jordyn's face and confronted Bravo. Jordyn capitalized on the distraction with a spinning flatliner. It's a great looking finisher.
Jordyn celebrated with Ali and Bravo after the match. Look for Overkill coming to an arena near you.
(3) Blanco Loco defeated Spi-ral in 11:00. Strong technical match as it had to be with Spi-ral in the mix. On the level of pure skill in multiple areas-- striking, grappling, flying, judo -- Spi-ral is as good or better than ANYBODY in the state and he's in phenomenal condition. Blanco is also in great shape and hung right with him. Spi-ral wrestled clean but had a nastier attitude that made him the heel. They both did a lot a cool stuff although they were not always on the same page during the transitions. For the finish, Spi-ral did a spectacular crash and burn on a Spiral Tap. Blanco won it with an equally spectacular twisting springboard cutter.
The crowd applauded their show of sportsmanship after the match.
(4) Marv (fka Michael Stevens) defeated Sal Rinauro in an NWA Watts Rules match (9:44). Masters explained that he did not suspend Rinauro for striking Marv in the Lethal Lottery match last month (where they were partners and had been warned about hitting each other) because Marv spit on him. Rules were no punches, no kicks, no piledrivers and no throwing over the top rope. Marv tried to bait Sal into breaking the rules while he skirted the rules without breaking them. Marv's attack targeted Rinauro's gut, sold awesomely by Sal. Rinauro got untracked with a springboard huracanrana, an old style flying headscissors and a Lethal Injection. Marv spit on him then punched Rinauro in the face when referee Mason Pike wasn't looking. Marv pinned Sal in a rather wonky looking finish.
After a lengthy discussion with Rinauro, Masters said the referee's decision would stand but he would review the tape, whatever good that would do.
(5) Bonus Match: Jacob Johnson defeated Tommy Too Much in 9:33. Johnson is physically powerhouse but green in the ring. Tommy sold big for his offense. Too Much shoved referee Nathaniel Spivey into the ropes to crotch Johnson, then knocked Spivey down as he worked Johnson over. Simon Sermon entered the ring. Too Much had interfered in Sermon's matches at the last two shows with no response from Sermon..until now. Sermon kicked Too Much in the groin, bonked him in the head with his queenly scepter and piled Johnson on top of him. Spivey recovered to make the three count.
Postmatch, J-Rod hit the ring to even the odds. Fry said he had Marx beaten until "Buckwheat" showed up. Masters made a six man match for August 14 -- Fry & J Rod & Taylor vs. Undeniable with Hankins as the 6th man. The fans loved that idea. Hankins went nuts.
(7) Mikael Judas defeated David Ali via DQ in 8:32. Yes, it was physical (Judas got his nose busted by Ali) Yes, it had nuclear heat and yes, they incorporated their best wrestler in Georgia rivalry into the story. Judas said he was going to show who's the number one in the state. North came to ringside. Judas threatened to put him through the ring if he stepped inside. North said 18 months ago, Judas was champion because of him and now he was nothing. North introduced Ali and left. Ali set up special ringside seats for Jordyn and Bravo. Ali got on the mic to bury North, rip "George" for running a crap show and said nobody was #1 except him. Judas manhandled Ali and had him goozled for the choke slam on multiple occasions but Ali always managed to escape. The action spilled outside, Ali tossed a drink into Judas' face and posted him. Bravo put the boots to him. Judas fired up a relentless comeback. He was positioning for El Crucifijo when Jordyn handed Big Red (barbed wire baseball bat) to Ali. Ali used the bat on Judas for the DQ.
Postmatch - Bravo and Jordyn hit their finishers on Judas. It looked like Judas would be left laying but he reached up and goozled Jordyn and Ali. They got away. Bravo did not and took a choke slam that looked amazing.
Ali told Judas this would be continued at Southern Fried and Overkill exited out a side door. Hopefully this was also be continued at WrestleMerica.
(8) Neal Koloff (with Aleksandr Koloff) defeated Pain in a no DQ match to retain the unified WrestleMerica/CCW Championship in 4:25. Before the match got underway, Ali ran back to the ring to attack Pain with his barbed wire baseball bat. Masters threatened to suspend Ali. Pain was a bloody mess but told the ref he still wanted to do the match. Neal was all over Pain, opening up the cut with ruthless aggression. The Koloffs took flagrant advantage of the no DQ rules but that backfired when Neal accidentally decked Aleksandr. Pain had Neal pinned with the choke bomb but Aleksandr grabbed referee David Owens to stop the count. Neal clocked Pain with the chain to secure the victory and championship. Killer heat. The fans were hating on the Koloffs.
NOTES: WrestleMerica returns to Barnesville on August 14 with Reka Tehaka, Manny Lemons and Rose Gold on the card along with the aforementioned 6 man - Undeniable (Marx & Blaze & Hankins) vs. Fry Daddy & Taylor & J Rod)...As she always seems to do in Barnesville, Dream Girl Ellie was doing brisk business at the merch tables during intermission...Charlie Smith was selling the supply of masks he recently acquired, direct from Mexico.
