From Rob Brodhecker: It's been five months since I've been to an APCW show here in my adopted home town of Douglasville Ga. ...
From Rob Brodhecker:
It's been five months since I've been to an APCW show here in my adopted home town of Douglasville Ga. I've seen some active social media posts from APCW concerning several of the wrestlers, including a stolen championship title, someone who was supposed to have been "retired" but might be wrestling under a mask, a friend trying to avenge an injury to his buddy, and a battle to see who is the bigger badass. Five matches on tap tonight. About 220-230 a few minutes before bell time.
They hold a ten bell salute for Harley Race.
Michael McKinney brings out APCW commissioner and WWE HOF'er Teddy Long. Teddy tells a quick story about him and Race.
Alister Crowe (with Angel) vs. Zero Brandon Shane (with Rude Boy Rodney Wayne)
Crowe is one of the three creepiest looking wrestlers in Ga. Angel's Army had injured the ribs of Rude Boy at a previous show, and Zero is looking for revenge. This battle of cruiserweights starts with the noted feeling out process. Angel interjects herself into the match. Crowe applies a submission after a couple of alligator rolls, but break it off after a rake to the eyes. A Zero chant starts his comeback, and he gets a near fall. Not a lot of flying or flips, but mostly ground-based action. Zero rolls over the top of Crowe and sunsets flips him for the pin at 7:56. B-.
Sean "Tank" Sims (with Angel) vs. Trever Aeon in a grudge match
A lot more striking in this match. Aeon nails Sims with a running backflip from the ring apron. Angel loves choking the men her Army is facing. Sims' working over Aeon's arm. Aeon fighting back with forearms and a double stomp to Sims' gut, but Sims' cuts him off. Aeon's ringing his arm, trying to get feeling back to it. Aeon hits Sims' with an elbow to the back of the head, but Angel distracts the ref to prevent the pinfall. Sims catches Aeon as Aeon lept off the top rope and Sims plants Aeon with a sit-up sidewalk slam at 11:06. A good hard-hitting match. B+
Intermission. Next show is September 14.
Career vs. Mask match: Eric Adamz vs. The Georgia Avenger
Adamz grabs the mic and cuts a promo on the crowd, calling them despicable for cheering for his career to be over, and saying that he'll finally end Landon Hale. The Avenger is the same height as Adamz, but Adamz has a few more pounds on him. Adamz keeps shouting out "who's the man!", and he gets upset when the crowd responds with something slightly negative. Adamz is trying to get the mask off and doesn't notice another person dressed as the Avenger comes ringside and slip under the ring. Adamz mouths off to the crowd and the Avengers swap places. New Avenger is pounding away on Adams and gets a couple of near falls. Nice gut wrench suplex by the Avenger. Adamz is fighting back and scores a near fall. The Avenger posts himself and falls out of the ring, and they swap out again. The #1 Avenger is going to town on Adamz and almost gets the pin. #1 Avenger is smaller and is a high flyer, #2 is taller and is more of a hitter. Adamz and Avenger are trading pin attempts. Avenger goes up top, but Adamz hits the ropes and knocks Avenger onto the turnbuckle. Adamz hits a superplex, but Avenger kicks out. Adamz kicks Avenger in the gut, and he falls out of the ring, and the swap is made again. #2 Avenger tries for a quick pin attempt. He then sets Adamz up on the top turnbuckle, but Adamz knocks him off. Adamz showboats a bit and hits a middle rope flying elbow for a near fall. Adamz gets the Avenger in an STFU and then flips over to cinch it in, but used the ropes, so the hold is broken. Adamz locks in another submission and Avenger makes the ropes. Adamz is calling for a forearm but #2 Avenger ducks in and nails Adams. Both men are down and are slow to get up. Avenger tries for a move off the turnbuckle, but Adamz catches him with double knees to the face for the win at 18:43. A solid B from me. Mad props to Adamz on this match.
Adams calls for Teddy to come to the ring to unmask the Avenger. Adams is calling for Hale to remove the mask. The Avenger unmask, and it's not Landon Hale but Jesse McKinney. Adamz is in disbelief. The #1 Avenger comes out from under the ring, and he unmasks, and that's Landon Hale. Adamz claims that Landon was retired and should not be here. A crybaby chant starts on Adamz. Adamz wants Landon reinstated and wants a match at the next show, and if Landon wins, he gets his career back, but if Landon loses, there will be no more masked wrestlers and Hale is gone for good. Adamz also says that if he loses, he will kiss Teddy's foot, but Teddy will kiss Adamz feet if Adamz wins. Teddy reinstates Landon and agrees to the stips.
Tag Team Title Match: Damien Bennett and Makita vs. Zach Mosley and Travis "Recon" Sanders
Bennett makes his return to APCW after several months away. This will be my first time seeing Makita in action. Makita lights up Recon off the bell and Recon has to beat a retreat and tags in Mosley. Makita tags in Bennett. Bennett takes Mosley's head off with a lariat and gets a near fall. Makita's a ball of fire. Makita's getting worked over now. Makita's legs get wishboned, haven't seen that in a while. Hot tag to Bennett and he's all over Mosley and Recon. Bennett splashes Recon from the top rope, but Mosley breaks up the pin. Sean Sims comes out ringside with a chair. Bennett dives through the ropes onto Mosley, and the ref goes to check on them. Sims slides into the ring and nails Makita with the chair, and rolls Recon on top of him. The ref turns around and counts to three. Time: 15:12. Good action even if you could see the ending coming from a mile away, C+
Bennett's on the mic and reminds everyone that he and Trever Aeon were the first APCW tag champs, and wants Teddy to make a match with him and Aeon against Mosley and Recon for the Sept show. Teddy agrees and makes the match.
Second Intermission.
APCW Heavyweight Championship match: Elrod Cambell (with Amy) vs. Jordan Kingsley
Elrod comes out with Oliver Steele's strongman hammer which Elrod took when he injured Steele. The title was stolen from Kingsley at the previous show after he defeated Damien Wayne. The match was supposed to be a non-title, but Elrod was able to get it switched to a title match earlier in the night. Elrod has several inches in height and several more pound on Kingsley, plus loads more years of in-ring action. Kingsley starts hot and chases Elrod out of the ring. King handsprings jump over the top rope onto Elrod on the floor below. Elrod catches Kingsley on the top rope and sends him crashing to the canvas. Elrod is setting a steady pace of hard strikes on Kingsley. Amy gets a kick in while Kingsley is laying on the floor after Elrod dumps him over the top rope. Elrod is punishing Kingsley with some old fashioned moves. Kinglsey tries to roll up Elrod but only got a one count. Kingsley trying to use his quickness to mount a comeback but Elrod is able to move out of the way of a corner cannonball. Elrod is punishing Kingsley but is also showboating with the crowd. Kingsley is able to get a quick strike in and mounts a brief offensive. Elrod plants him with a chokeslam but takes too long in covering Kingsley. Kingsley gets a DDT from out of nowhere in on Elrod and goes up top for a moonsault, gets the pin at 13:15. The big guy dominated for most of the match, with Jordan getting the win suddenly. C.
Amy brings out Crowe and Dorian to attack Kingsley. Dorian really doesn't want any part of this but attacks anyway. Zero and Rudeboy come out to make the save and that brings out Sims to regain the advantage for Angel's Army. Oliver Steele comes out and makes the save for the faces. Jordan's on the mic and says that Steele will get his hammer back at the next show and the Crowe brothers will face Zero and Rudeboy. Jordan wants Damien Wayne to get the title back.
Most of the matches were solidly mat-based action with an emphasis on storytelling. Even the high flying moves (Hale, Kingsley) were made to advance the individual stories. The matches themselves were very much of a formulaic style, but with enough done to help distinguish the various methods of the participants. The Adamz promo was a bit discombobulated, rambling, and somewhat hard to follow, it seemed that there were a ton of stipulations being thrown around. With only five matches, the match time was stretched out a bit, that worked out for the Avenger/Adamz match with the switching out of the Avengers, but could have been tightened up in tag match and main by a minute or two. I thought that with the stuff that happened after the main, it might set up for an eight-man tag for the next show, but they used it to set up separate matches at the next show.
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