From Larry Goodman: Peachstate Wrestling Alliance returned to the Fairgrounds in Carrollton for the second show of 2019. The tag...
Peachstate Wrestling Alliance returned to the Fairgrounds in Carrollton for the second show of 2019. The tag titles changed hands as Beauty and the Beast upset the Alliance. The other title matches produced compelling results. Double steel cage main events were put in place for February 2 along with two other bouts.
It was a successful show by all metrics except one.
Georgia’s promotion of the year for 2015 and 2016 can’t catch a break. The second half of 2018 was a triple whammy for PWA They lost many of their top draws to retirement and departures of key talent; they lost their regular Saturday night dates at the Fairgrounds for two crucial months, and they lost a percentage of their fan base as a result.
Two week ago, Peachstate appeared to be building momentum, drawing 225 for the shock and awe of Brad Cash becoming the Peachstate Heritage Champion in his unadvertised debut.
Then last night happened. The weather in West Georgia last night was miserable and attendance was down to 100, the lowest ever for a Peachstate Saturday night at the Fairgrounds. The excitement level suffered accordingly. That said, my view is that when a promotion is hot, fans will beat the doors down regardless of weather, competition, whatever. Case in point: the 500 plus in Monroe for Southern Fried last night.
Perhaps something lacking in the angles PWA is running, but it certainly didn't feel that way. The angles to set up the cage matches were strong. AC Mack and Ace Haven have been feuding for more than a year. Mack crookedly winning the services of Ace’s wife was the icing on the cake. Putting Cash in the cage with former Heritage Champion Sal Rinauro for their rematch would be screamingly too soon under normal circumstances, but there’s nothing remotely normal about Cash as champion.
Peachstate has been forced to build new stars, a tough task in the best of times and these times are not those in West Georgia. Pro wrestling in the area is in failing health. Once regarded as PWA”s main competition, Universal Independent Wrestling has given up the ghost (again) in favor of setting up shop in Roanoke, Alabama as United Wrestling.
Cash came to the ring sporting sunglasses, a stogie in his mouth and the PWA Heritage title around his neck. He called the fans unseasoned potato salad eating morons. Cash said he put an X on the title (with masking tape) because it was not his heritage but it was his belt. Cash claimed to be the most violent, vile, nasty, cruel wrestler to ever grace the Fairgrounds and said the title would be his for a long, long, long, long time.
Shane Noles confronted Cash. Mic problems abounded. Noles said Cash couldn’t beat Rinauro at full strength on his best day. He was a wrestling nomad, wandering from promotion to promotion like a stray dog and in Peachstate we put stray dogs down. Noles said Cash jumped Rinauro and got the title with a calculated cheap shot. Wrestlers the likes of Johnny Swinger, Cru Jones and Austin Theory had held the Heritage title. Cash as champion was a tainted stain on PWA’s history and the sooner the title was out of his possession the better it would be.
Cash said Noles wrestled Rinuaro for 30 minutes and lost, while he wrestled Rinauro for three minutes and won, and the past champions Noles named was not his heritage.
Noles said he lost to a better man that deserved the title. Rinauro wasn’t there but he was ready to beat Cash’s ass for the title. Cash said you got it, and you best get of my ring before something happens to you like what happened to Sal. Noles said Cash carrying the title in his mouth was a disgrace. Noles noted Cash was wearing a throwback Deon Sanders jersey and said he was going to throw him back on the road where he belonged.
This was tremendous segment, vintage Peachstate. Cash has a chilling way with words, and I love this new incarnation of his evilness. Noles is the man of these people. As much as I enjoyed his heel run, I wonder in hindsight if he ever should have turned.
Before departing, Cash forced ring announcer Jason Boyd to put the cigar back in his mouth.
(2) Michael Stevens defeated “The Lucha Samurai” Takuri in 10:02. Stevens used “U Can’t Touch This” for his intro music. Takuri got it across the he was not a nice guy. Stevens took control. using a flapjack and Mr. Wrestling II kneelift but Takuri ducked out of the way on his superkick. Takuri got the upper hand via shenanigans that involved taking his shoe off. He wrestled the remainder of the match wearing one shoe. Takuri got his big near fall with a forward roll into a flatliner that looked awkward as hell. Stevens won it with a pop up punch followed by a superkick. Match was OK. Suffice to say, Stevens did not have the chemistry with Takuri that CB Suave had with him at Combat last Sunday.
Posey came to ringside and said losing his Bestie had thrown Stevens into an identity crisis. He had become the world’s greatest MC Hammer fan. Hammer was a fake rapper and Stevens was a white boy that couldn’t dance and couldn’t rap, and he needed to learn from a pro.
Stevens admitted that he had been in an empty state since Zac Edwards retired, adding let’s not make this a white issue. Stevens noted the irony of Posey talking about a white guy that can’t rap. They were both good pro wrestlers so how about a match right now?
Posey said yes, however his actions said otherwise. Stevens said he would dance all over P Dog’s ass on February 2. Farfetched though it may be, the fans seemed to be on board with the battle of the white rappers, which should have a degree of entertainment value.
(3) Shane Marx (with Dewitt Dawson) defeated Josh Storm in 10:58. Marx and Dawson came out doing their arrogant heelish schtick. Though once the bell rang, Marx wrestled a squeaky clean match and Dawson provided no distraction or interference. Storm snapped off a flying headscissors early. Marx methodically worked over Storm’s back, well sold by Storm. They came up trading blows after a double down, then traded near falls. Storm got the best of another exchange, but Marx planted him with a spinebuster. Marx tried for the Natural Selection (DVD). Storm escaped and superkicked Marx for a close near fall. Marx ducked Storm’s tornado kick and finished him with a brainbuster. A 50/50 match and good one. The selling made all the difference. I kept waiting for Marx to cheat and it never happened.
Postmatch- Marx still had an aching jaw from the superkick. He showed respect for Storm. Marx and Dawson left as babyfaces…but me thinks there’s something fishy going on.
(4) PWA No Limits Champion AC Mack (with Amy Haven) vs. Adam Priest was a no contest. Mack used Amy’s as his ring steps. If that wasn’t humiliation enough, Mack did his self-aggrandizing introduction while standing on poor Amy’s back. Amy was in tears before it was over. Priest came out guns blazing Mack retreated to the floor and pulled Amy in front of him, forcing Priest to put on the brakes. Mack capitalized. It was see-saw until Mack’s spinning sidewalk slam decidedly turned the momentum. Mack focused his attack on Priest’s back, using a heelish high angle back suplex. Mack started talking trash invoking the name of Ace Haven. The highlight of Priest’s comeback was a Liger bomb. Mack saw Priest going to the top rope and pulled referee Mason on top of him. Priest splashed both of them and covered but Mason was in no condition to count. Priest tried to use Mack’s finisher. Mack countered. Mack KOed Priest with the title for a sure victory, but Amy put Priest’s foot on the ropes. Mack was furious. He ordered Amy to get her ass into his ring. The mic was screwing up so badly Mack gave up on it. Mack said fans were saying he needed a hanging. Mack threatened to hang Amy. Ace hit the ring and speared Mack.
Ace was beating Mack’s ass when Commissioner Tommy Too Much came to ringside and ordered them to stop or be fired. Ace said he wanted Mack one more time with the title and his wife on the line inside a steel cage and if he couldn’t win, he would leave Peachstate. Commissioner Tommy asked Ace if he was sure since he had never beaten Mack. Ace said damn right and the match was made for February 2.
Mack wasn’t done. Mack said the fact that he had beaten Ace on every occasion must make Amy so mad she wants to get her hands on a certain person. Mack said on February 2, Amy could find a tag partner and take on the Alliance (Romeo & CB Suave) for the tag titles.
Mack vs. Priest was really good. Priest’s fire reminds me of Benoit and he’s technically very sound. Mack’s wrestling is almost as good as his talking. Amy Haven has gotten a role she can really sink her teeth in (about time) and she's been been terrific. Ace’s Mack attack had serious heat. The rationale for the cage match made total sense. The tag match should be fun but the set up was preposterous. The Commissioner had just been out to sanction the cage match. What gave Mack the right to make a tag match on his own?
(5) Beauty and the Beast (Nate Wilde & Ethan Cage with Simon Sermon) defeated The Alliance (Romeo & CB Suave) to win the PWA Tag Team Championship in 13:29. Alliance jumped the bell but B & B quickly cleared them out of the ring. Alliance wanted out but Sermon blocked their exit brandishing a steel chair. The combatants brawled all over the building with the crowd as hot as 100 people can be. Meanwhile, Sermon took referee Darryl Hall to the concession stand and bought him a Coke. When order was somewhat restored, the Alliance isolated Wilde. Suave pulled Cage off the apron to prevent a tag and Romeo distracted the ref so he didn’t see a legit tag. Meanwhile, Wilde was taking a great beating and selling it like Ricky Morton. Tag was made after evasion by Wilde left both heels down. Cage leveled Alliance with the Killian Dane running crossbody. Nice teamwork by B & B here leading to Wilde’s quebrada on Suave but Romeo broke up the pin. Suave had Wilde beaten with a suplex dropped into neckbreaker but Cage saved his partner. Wilde somehow kicked out of an Alliance combo move and the champions were beside themselves. Romeo went to use the French flag. As the ref was dealing with Romeo, Sermon waffled Suave’s back with a chair and put Wilde on top for the 1-2-3. Best heat of the night by far. They had the crowd all the way. B & B do not look like championship material, one too scrawny and the other too big in the wrong places, but they’re such a cohesive, high-energy unit that the Peachstate fans had no problem buying into them.
Romeo was almost weeping as Sermon announced Beauty and the Beast as the new champions.
(6) Brad Cash defeated Shane Noles via referee stoppage to retain the PWA Heritage Championship in 9:03. Cash repeatedly jabbed a wrench into Shane’s ribs as the Mason was securing the title. Noles was already in dire straits as the bell sounded. Cash continued his attack on Shane’s ribs. Noles was spitting up blood. Cash dipped his fingers into Shane’s mouth and showed the blood to the crowd. Shane’s blows had no effect on Cash. Cash lit up his cigar and blew the smoke in Shane’s eyes. Cash applied a bear hug. Noles finally put Cash down with a rabbit lariat. Cash kicked out at one and applied a triangle choke. Shane fought it for a long time before passing out. Not a great match by any means, but a very effective one for the story they are telling with Cash.
Postmatch – Cash knocked referee Mason out cold. Rinauro hit the ring in street clothes. Hockey fight. The brawl spilled outside the ring and up onto to the stage. Cash no sold a chair shot from Rinauro then decided discretion was the better part of valor. Rinauro went bananas tossing chairs into the ring. He challenged Cash to come get him.
Rinauro said Cash punched the referee so he could get fired and not have to face him. Sal wasn’t going to let that happen. Rinauro said 2/2 was significant because there were going to be two cage matches, two men fighting over the Heritage title and at the end of the night, he would be a two-time PWA Heritage Champion.
Cash said Rinauro was going to have to explain to his son why his daddy would no longer be able to provide for him. “I’m not locked in there with you. You’re locked in there with me.”
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