From Jeff Richards: XPECTATIONS RUN HIGH, COMPANY DELIVERS STRONGLY HICKORY (NC) -- When announcers allude to an event before...
From Jeff Richards:
XPECTATIONS RUN HIGH, COMPANY DELIVERS STRONGLY
HICKORY (NC) -- When announcers allude to an event beforehand as a contender for "show of the year," that is a lot of pressure for groups to perform under! However, if that company is Premiere Wrestling Xperience (PWX), then rest assured even if it not this area's answer to WrestleMania, a precedent will be set. Self-described as the best wrestling in the Southeast, no matter where PWX shows up, its stars stand out. Coming or going, they produce on a level which can be duplicated but only by more prominent organizations (New Japan, ROH, WWE). For your money's worth, sit a few rows back and enjoy the future of wrestling.
"Xpect Everything" featured three announcers (Corky Franks, Brett Wolverton & debuting Jonathan Feltner). The event was staged at Hickory's National Guard Armory on Saturday, June 18th. It was tough for PWX to follow "Believe the Hype" from Gastonia, NC back in May, but this show produced eight matches ranging from 3/4 of a star to four stars in match quality. Cody Dalton, wearing a Ring of Honor t-shirt, had written a nice puff piece on the show coming to Hickory in The Observer-News-Enterprise. Dalton was introduced and referred to as someone else who was "chasing his dream." When you have this much talent on your roster, there is no need to label yourself as anything other than "THE" major league promotion.
There were a minimum of 265 chairs out, and it was hard to see a seat which no one was sitting in! Some fans may even have been standing in the back. A different set-up was used again on this, PWX' ninth official stop in Hickory. Those first three shows were held at the Convention Center, and one event was staged at Main City Cellar Club. PWX probably will return to Hickory in the cooler fall. The show ran slightly over three hours but only because of post-show back-and-forth blah blah blah. Hickory's shows, filled always with great action, for some reason end with a lot of yakking. If you were "xpecting" that to happen, your wish was granted.
1) Chip Day survived a Mason Maddox onslaught, capturing the opener in 8:52. Mitch Blalock was the official in charge. The Tommy Thomas was in Maddox' corner as usual. Day's "Penalty Kick" was followed by a flying body attack through the ropes. A flying bodypress from MM almost garnered the "3Count." Those kicks and well-placed knees from Day were weakening Maddox. Clemson's biggest supporter though managed to escape a "Northern Lights Bomb" that even fooled me. Day kicked out of a spiked DDT. The next time, Maddox missed his DDT, as Day superkicked Mason's face. Thomas got up on the ring apron, so here came Day to kick/whiff TTT. Then it was Day off the top with a double knee to down Maddox. RATING: 2 stars
2) Jaxson James submitted Big Japan Dojo's Kota Sekifuda in 11:22 of a never-ending match. Here were two more fan favorites wrestling. The grapplers exchanged lots of armdrags. JJ threw some blistering chops. A rana off the second buckle twisted James around. Sekifuda's butterfly suplex was a thing of beauty, but James' shoulders were not down. At the eight minute mark, a time call was announced, signifying what the decision "could" be. James covered up, so he would not feel any more Kobashi chops. A one minute call was made with only 45 seconds remaining. "Thirty seconds" was announced at 10:50 of ring action. Time never expired, as James caught Sekifuda with a half crab for the submission win. Maybe Sekifuda figured the last :30 might last five more minutes. A standing ovation was held for both men. RATING: 1 3/4 stars
3) Colby Corino, Rob Killjoy & Lance Lude (The Ugly Ducklings) defeated Jay Rios, Jon Cruz & Lince Dorado in 17:11. Antrone Brewer refereed. The Ducklings were accompanied by Coach Mikey. Lucha World Order's Cruz was identified by his Mohawk, and Rios sported a flat top. A chant of "Colby's packin'" broke out. Corino brought out an American Tiger mask and wore it initially. Cruz and Lude then put on masks. Rios applied a lucha mask, so Killjoy wrestled in a large paper bag. When the bag came off, Killjoy acted like he was shocked (purely comedy). Then all six kissed each other for a "holy s***" moment. A triple superkick from LWO scattered the Ducklings. Cruz tried to do a hurancanrana to the floor but went before Killjoy eventually did. Then the LWO wiped out the Ugly ones with stereo Asai moonsaults. Coach Mikey even got into the act with a splash from the apron. Rios absorbed mucho punishment from the somersaulting Ducklings. All six were doing their finishers. Lude had to save Killjoy from a backwards Dorado hurancanrana. With 15:30 gone, Killjoy saved a dead Lude after an LWO swanton. Los Ben Dejos delivered a "Dudley Death Drop" to Killjoy. Rios also connected on a 450 splash, and then Dorado amazed us all with a "Shooting Star Press." Killjoy was toast. However, Lude got the pinfall with a schoolboy w/ extra tights on Cruz. Post-match: Cruz put over the Ducklings as the best trios team he and his partners had faced. RATING: 4 stars
4) Elijah Evans IV cheated to beat Darius Lockhart in 7:07. This match began on the floor. It was what you might call a "comedown match," but folks still were fired up from the six-man tag match. A "Samoan Drop" merely fazed EE. Neither was a hammerlock suplex enough to down Evans. Lockhart was spun around on a "Blue Thunder Bomb," but that was not the winning move either. Lockhart attempted a clunky sunset flip, but Evans made up for it by sitting down on the youngster and grabbing some ropes. RATING: 3/4 of a star (Lockhart looks the babyface part but is struggling to put it all together)
5) Cedric Alexander pinned the "Technical Wizard" Zack Sabre Jr. (Lucas Eatwell) in 17:49 of an international dream match-up. The match had a 30 minute time limit. There were "This is awesome" chants two minutes in, but not yet it wasn't. Surfboards, arm strainers...Sabre's arsenal had it all. Alexander was able to reverse some moves, but Sabre seemed to counter anything thrown at him. Highspots trainees stood & cheered Alexander's prowess. A no look plancha by Alexander qualified him to join the LWO. Sabre was nailed by a concussion corner dropkick. The flying maneuver was just about Alexander's only chance to rally. "Kick to Kill" was being taken to school in front of his own students. If Alexander did not feel like a pretzel by the time this match was over, he should consider himself lucky. Sabre kicked out of a "Falcon Arrow." At the 17:00 mark, these two soon-to-be WWE cruiserweights just stared at each other. Then 49 seconds later, Sabre suffered a "Lumbar Check," and it was all over except for the bragging rights. RATING: 4 stars Post-match: "Match of the Year" chants were easily heard. The guy next to me simply said, "Humph, maybe match of the month." ANALYSIS: Not as good as Anthony Henry's win over Tommaso Ciampa @ "Believe the Hype." During intermission, Tracer X, not used on this evening, did the customary ring repairs. Intermission ended at 9:28.
6) The Bravados retained the PWX World Tag Team Titles over "The Product" David Starr & Shane Strickland AND "The Revolt" in 9:22. This was one fall to a finish (triple threat rules). Before this dream match started, Caleb Konley & Zane Riley ("The Revolt") decided to enter the Bravados' open challenge series. Riley claimed the Bravado Brothers (Harlem & Lancelot) had been dodging "The Revolt" for months. Harlem soared over the top rope before 15 seconds had elapsed. Referee Brewer had his hands full with the Texas Tornado-type thrills. Riley executed a piledriver on Lancelot, and then "The Revolt" took over on Harlem. It proved to be a good strategy to keep Starr & Strickland out of the ring. Starr & Strickland's double superkick on Riley was broken up by Konley. A double knee by Strickland took Konley down while he held both Bravados in DDT mode. Lancelot had a testicular claw on Starr until Riley joined the fray with his own attack to David's testicles. Strickland was taking out everybody with his kicks. Lancelot rocked Strickland's world with a lariat. He also held Starr for his brother's springboard ace crusher (David kicked out). The "King of Swerve" struck next with a twisting press onto Riley. Starr was stunned by a Riley cannonball into the corner. Konley was pinned after the Bravados' "Gentlemen's Agreement" finisher. RATING: 1 3/4 stars
7) "The New Age Enforcer" James Drake cleanly pinned Ethan Case in 9:34. Drake attacked pre-bell with a "Sick Kick." Case responded by taking Drake out to ringside, and the brawl was on! This was a rematch from NAWA's Drexel, NC show on April 2, 2016 (Drake won that contest too). Drake does these amazing running knife edge chops. Case fired up with a Superman punch. Both beat the 10 count back in but just barely. Drake dropkicked Case from behind but missed on a corner charge. He may have been trying a rana, but Case hung on and powerbombed his foe. An enzuigiri crumpled Case, but the lover of streamers escaped Drake's cover. Case pleaded for the three count after a suplex cutter. Drake retaliated with a double underhook suplex and went up top for the moonsault. He connected this time, but Case powered out. Case springboarded backwards into a cutter for another two count only. Drake used Scott Steiner's "SSD" (a vertical suplex piledriver) to secure the victory. This was a big shocker but well-deserved win. Post-match: Evans IV came out to gloat over Case's stunning defeat. "I won my match. Ethan Case lost again," Evans remarked. Case almost left but then returned to tackle Evans. Booker Patrick Price escorted Evans backstage. RATING: 1 3/4 stars
8) John Skyler (John Brumbaugh) reclaimed the PWX World Heavyweight Title in a four-way elimination match which lasted a total of 20 minutes and three seconds. Defending the championship was Sami Callihan for the first and only time. Other challengers included Skyler's tag team partner Corey Hollis and Anthony Henry, both victorious in match on PWX' last show. Hollis even waited on Skyler to enter so he could walk up with him. Callihan had captured the championship 5/21 in Gastonia from Skyler in a one-on-one contest. The bell rang at 10:15 pm. Callihan dropkicked the "Bruiserweights" immediately out to ringside. That left Henry to clean up with a powerslam on the still relatively new champ. Skyler's superkick sent Henry to the apron. Callihan took out Hollis on the floor with his patented tope through the first & second rope strands. Skyler struck with a superkick to keep Callihan from racing around the squared circle. Henry dove off the top to torment his three opponents standing around at ringside. It was now time to destroy some armory furniture. Referee Blalock was not doing any counting, just crowd control. As Callihan was superplexing the "Bruiserweights," Henry prepared to fly with an RVD-inspired dropkick to Skyler's corner. Once recovered, Skyler took Henry on a ride with his "Finlay Roll." Hollis abruptly connected with a flying headbutt, but Henry kicked out. We were 10 minutes in but no eliminations yet. Skyler grabbed the other "Lethal Lover," Amber Young, but Callihan came over and flung her to safety. Sadly, that was pretty much her only involvement. Callihan and Henry decided to exchange forearms. Hollis took out Callihan with a tope, while Skyler speared Henry for a near fall. Henry took turns kicking the "Bruiserweights." He hit these moves on Hollis in succession: an exploder suplex, a back suplex, a chancery suplex and a vertebreaker. Suddenly, Skyler saved his partner with a schoolboy and tights. Where had we seen that finish before? Henry, the "next World Champ," was eliminated in 14:53, and loud "Bulls***" chants rang out. Back to action, a doubleteam maneuver on Callihan did not net the desired result. Essentially, Callihan was fighting both NXT visitors. Hollis was trapped in Callihan's crossface, and surprisingly Skyler sat idly by watching his partner submit at the 18:05 mark. This title bout had come down to the last two champions. Callihan called on his "Stretch Muffler" again this month to elicit a tap-out, but Skyler inched to the ropes. Hollis was back out again to distract Blalock. Meanwhile, Skyler was tapping to the STF. After a pedigree, Skyler had recaptured the belt by pinfall. The show was over by 10:35 pm....or so I thought. Post-match: Jake Manning drove into the armory and slung chairs far & wide. He challenged Skyler yet again for the championship. Skyler wanted to know what Manning was willing to put up for another shot at the gold. "ManScout" Manning agreed to risk his 18-year career against Skyler on 7/24 @ Club Escapade in Charlotte, NC, Not exactly where I would want my last wrestling match to be viewed. This feud began in 2014 when Skyler & Manning were unlikely tag team champions and later fought each other in an "I Quit" match. Maybe it finally will end next month. RATING: 2 1/4 stars
NOTES: Not much advertising was done locally this time around with the exception of Dalton's eastern Catawba County publicity. There was not even a banner outside the armory announcing wrestling on the 18th. However, there was a poster on the armory's front door that could have been seen by guardsmen....PWX CEO Brian Kanabroski was surprised that Alexander-Sabre Jr. went on before intermission. The explanation he received was so as to not tire the audience out. That strategy worked like a charm. PWX actually has booked two of its biggest bouts this way on consecutive shows. Henry-Ciampa (5 stars) went over 30 minutes combined on 5/21/16 and was staged before a break intervened....Gunner was not advertised nor present. On the 5/21 Gastonia show, he was reduced to seconding other members of the Xperience. It makes sense to limit his appearances budget-wise, whether a titleholder or not....Kanabroski thought he had worked out a parking agreement with the Stamford Park Recreation Center next door. However, Hickory's Parks & Recreation Department Director Mac McLeod told me Sunday morning he would not have let anyone park there after 9 pm. That restriction could be enforced on PWX' next visit to Hickory, limiting its space availability at the armory....Ethan Case's brother Super Law arrived fashionably late wearing a Terry "F'N" Houston t-shirt.....PWX' principal photographer John Moses skipped CWF Mid-Atlantic's "Absolute Justice" to appear here.
ANALYSIS: PWX continually serves up fan-pleasing action. Its followers are coming in from SC, GA and possibly even more states to witness the brutality, athleticism, etc. There was a large contingency wanting the World Heavyweight Title switched over to Henry. Those fans had to be disappointed with "The Five-Star King" being ousted firstly. They let PWX' management hear it too. All in good time, I suppose. Price had to know a certain percentage of the crowd would be upset that prediction did not come true ("next World Champ"). However, these fans keep coming back to spend money on tickets, traveling expenses, and DVD purchases. With super groups such as WWE, ROH, etc. only coming/visiting 1-2 times a year, PWX is the best alternative to see superstars on the way up and out. You cannot always anticipate "everything."
