From Larry Goodman: Best NCW show since August for sure. Austin Theory is the new NCW Heavyweight Champion, winning a tourname...
From Larry Goodman:
Best NCW show since August for sure.
Austin Theory is the new NCW Heavyweight Champion, winning a tournament he appeared to be eliminated from the previous week.
The tournament story played out in in less than thirty minutes ring time. They matches made the case for less is more. The semifinals and tournament finale were NCW at its best.
The other remarkable thing about this show was the angle involving OSWA’s Bobby Popham and NCW promoter Rick Michaels. There was bad blood when OSWA emerged as Anarchy's crosstown rival during the Franklin Dove years.
The segment ran almost 15 minutes so clearly the match is going to happen despite Pophams' words to the contrary. I hope they raise a lot of money for a good cause. It got off to a painfully slow start, partly mic problems and partly Popham’s low energy delivery. Business picked up once Rick came out and Popham stepped up his game.
If that wasn’t enough, the tag titles also changed hands, thus bringing things to head between NCW's odd couple, AC Mack and Jaxon Vile.
Triston Michael and original NCW owner Steve Martin were on commentary. They’re developing a comfortable rhythm.
Opening with matchmaker Nigel Sherrod and Martin in the ring. Martin announced Matt Riddle vs. Austin Theory for NCW’s next major show on December 22.
One guy after another came out to complain about the tournament. O’Shay Edwards, Kurt Kyle, The Rising (Andrew Duckworth, Kenji Brea and Bolo), newcomer Luke Grimes and Ike Cross all had their say. Duckworth and Brea were the only ones that had actually qualified for the tournament. Sherrod said in the interest of fairness, he and Martin had decided that a battle royal would determine the final four for the tournament.
The crowd popped hard when Sherrod announced the battle royal. It’s a sign of the times that nobody seemed to care about trivialities like the qualifying matches. It played out better this way. The tournament structure was clear as mud from the start and only got murkier Given the nature of NCW, the logistics must have been a nightmare.
AC Mack showed up acting like he was The Chosen One and totally disrespected Martin’s authority. Mack said this was his show and thanks to the decision Martin made last week, he now had all the titles in NCW except the heavyweight championship.
Martin admitted Mack got over on him and agreed he would get a title match this week -- a tag title rematch against The Misfits.
(1)Former champion Andrew Duckworth and Kenji Brea and Austin Theory and Odinson advanced to the semifinals of the NCW Heavyweight Championship Tournament in 8:09. It passed the acid test for a battle royal - does it look like a fight or are they going through the motions? Match had the pandemonium feeling that a good battle royal has to have. Austin Towers commanded ring center. I couldn’t help thinking of Ernie Ladd. If only he could talk that well. A skinny black guy in a mask was throwing fireballs. Towers looked coordinated on the elimination bump -- no easy feat for a guy that tall. It boiled down to the right people at the end. Cross tossed Bolo with ease. Reckoning members Duckworth & Brea took care of Cross and we had our final four.
Jimmy Rave is coming to NCW next week. I loved the idea and I loved the video. Rave made his first Landmark Arena appearance in 2000 for NWA Wildside.
(2) The Misfits (Alan Angels & Tommy Maserati) defeated AC Mack & Jaxon Vile to regain the NCW Tag Team Championship in 10:28. Martin grudgingly put the heels over (Mack and Misfits) for their skills. Misfits got heat on Mack. Angels pulled Vile off the apron to prevent a tag. Mack fought for it like a tried and true babyface. Vile’s house cleaning was halted by superkicks in stereo. Mack pulled Maserati out. Vile speared Angels but didn’t get the three count. Mack brought the NCW junior title into the ring with bad intentions. A tug of war with Vile ensued and wouldn’t know it? Vile got hit with the belt. Mack walked out. Misfits kneed Vile in the faced and Angels pinned him.
Vile and Mack in a ladder match for the NCW Junior Championship is next week's main event.
Popham was sulking at ringside. Sherrod gave Popham the OK to address the crowd. Popham said he got carried away at OSWA show last week and hit Triston so he asked Rick if he could come to apologize. He was wrong for hitting Triston and it would never happen again but he was NOT apologizing for hitting Rick. Out came you know who. Popham retreated. Rick gave Popham the ring a second time. Popham said he had discussed the top three wrestlers outside OSWA that were at the top of his list with David Garrison. Slim J was on the top. Popham didn’t think a match with Slim would happen because of then Anarchy owner Franklin Dove but Slim said yes. Popham said he not only wrestled Slim at Garrison’s Caring Hands charity event but they put on 25 minute clinic without a winner. Rick was number 2. Garrison tried to contact Rick but Rick wouldn’t return his call and neither would the unnamed number 3.
Michaels brought Garrison out and told him to scratch Popham’s match on November 17 because he was coming for him.
Popham said he didn’t want THAT Rick Michaels. He wanted the Rick Michaels that brought AJ Styles into the business and there was no point in facing this Rick Michaels. People in the business had called him a lot worse than a chicken and he had preserved to make OSWA work.
Popham headed out the front door. Rick promised Garrison he would wipe that punk off the map.
The segment ran almost 15 minutes and so clearly it’s going to happen and I hope they raise a lot of money for a good cause. It got off to a painfully slow start, partly mic problems and partly Popham’s low energy delivery. Business picked up once Rick came out and Popham stepped up his game.
(3) Austin Theory defeated Kenji Brea to advance to the tournament final in 7:25. Duckworth told Brea he could handle this and headed to the back with Bolo. Brea caught Theory off guard with a superkick before and almost got a three count. Theory was reeling. Brea again close with a sick kick before Theory got untracked. Theory hit a standing moonsault and a spinning sitout powerbomb. Both looked great. Referee Darryl Hall got knocked down. Brea low-blowed Theory and connected on a top rope double stomp. Theory rolled to the floor clutching his ribs. It looked like his night was over but he beat the 10 count and immediately hit the TKO to secure victory.
(4) Odinson defeated Andrew Duckworth (with Bolo) to advance to the tournament final in 7:20. Duckworth gets body language and facial expressions like a seasoned old school guy. It’s scary. Odinson’s rare combination of power and agility was on parade. Bolo interfered and got tossed out by referee David Weakley. Odinson’s shoulder was injured. Duckworth attacked nothing else. Odinson kicked out of the DDD, blocked the second attempt and hit the F10 to advance. Best match of the tournament. They both sold big.
Mr. Skins, Hoax and Manson came out to do a birthday celebration for a kid sitting at ringside. Enter Kurt with uppity demands for Manson face him like a man. Hoax stepped in. Kyle said Hoax couldn’t touch him or he was suspended. Hoax said OK but somebody else could. Skins stunned Kyle and he bumped like he had been paralyzed.
These guys are over and the short skits maximize their strengths.
(5) Austin Theory defeated Odinson to win the NCW Heavyweight Championship in 6:32. Both were taped up from injuries suffered in the semifinals. Got to love that attention to detail.. They didn’t rush and let things register. Odinson went down first on a Theory clothesline. Theory landed his standing moonsault on Odinson’s back. Odinson blasted Theory with European uppercuts and a swinging neckbreaker for a near fall. Theory with the rolling thunder dropkick and Odinson back at him with a clothesline. Both men on the canvas when The Rising attacked. Martin ordered security to remove them from the building. Odinson went for the F10 but Theory had it scouted and cradled him to win the title.
.png)
.png)
