From Larry Goodman: Atlanta Wrestling Entertainment took a major step forward at Homegrown 2019 . The mat-pounding magic of AWE’...
Atlanta Wrestling Entertainment took a major step forward at Homegrown 2019.
The mat-pounding magic of AWE’s best stuff was back, like I never thought would happen again. There’s a certain, special feeling to a good AWE show and this show had it. Was it AWE at its best? Not yet at least.
Paid attendance at District Atlanta was 100. A core of tried and true AWE fanatics were there. What’s more encouraging, though, is that AWE appears to be cultivated a new fan base. There were kids in the crowd, not that the foul language was curbed due to their presence.
To me, the best development is the emergence of a sustainable business model. The company has an affordable venue that is pretty much a perfect fit, and they’ve got their talent budget under control.
They’re pushing new and/or undervalued talent vs. breaking the bank on high-priced indy darlings.
Josh Wheeler was there in all his glory as the emcee. It is difficult for me to image AWE without him. Murder One's booking was on the money.
I missed the preshow match won by DeAndre Jackson over Chance Rizer and Ricky somebody.
Wheeler opened with a passionate 10 bell for Harley Race.
I saw Race live for the first time more than 50 years ago at the Chicago Amphitheater when Race was teamed with Larry “The Axe” Hennig as the AWA World Tag Team Champions. Fast forward to 1975 – Race had an ownership stake in NWA Central States and wrestled “Bulldog” Bob Brown in Waterloo, Iowa for their heavyweight title, two out of three falls. It was a stormy night. A crack of thunder that sounded like a gun blast happened and both men went down. I will always wonder if they thought somebody was shooting at Brown. He had that much heat in Central States. Brown was a salty SOB that made a living in pro wrestling based on extreme hatred from the fans in the territory. There are no comparable characters in modern wrestling and I miss that.
Onto the show…
(2) Hunter Law defeated Talon in 9:39. Talon is a classic AWE underdog character – scrawny as heel, his eyes bug out when taking punishment, but he’s got moxy and springs for legs. This was a surprisingly compelling match. Law threw a chop that sounded like a gun going off. Talon got the fans behind him and was close to making Law tap with before Law decapitated him with a kick.
AJ Gray’s open challenge was accepted by Takuri (since Gray’s scheduled opponent, Matt Justice missed due to trans issue)
(3) Black Label Pro Midwest Champion AJ Gray defeated Takuri in 9:19. This was a strange and awkward match. Looked like they were in different zip codes at times. Takuri was running the rope so deliberately that it looked like he was in slow motion. Gray won the match with a sitout brainbuster.
(4) Savannah Evans defeated Aria Blake and Sawyer Wrecks in 6:44. At 6’3, Wreck is an amazon. No two ways about it, Evans is a beast. Blake did the wise thing by staying the hell out of their way. Wrecks hit a chokeslam on Evans. Blake made the save, spread the ropes to spill Wrecks and tried in vain for a cross armbreaker on Evans, who DDTed Blake for the win.
Fab Fitness did their schtick. Kiki Roberts said Kahuna Khan’s goal was to be a cruiserweight and coaxed the fans into doing five Hindu squats to model the proper behavior. Roberts caught Khan with a candy bar. The punchline was insert candy bar into JC’s mouth and superkick him.
(5) Metro Brothers (Chris & JC) defeated Fabulous Fitness (Kiki Roberts & Kahuna Khan) in 10:46. Good match. Roberts could be Simon Sermon’s younger brother. Metro Brothers aren’t small (by today’s standards). They’ve got a classic greaser look and carry themselves like much larger men AND they know how to get heat. Metros isolated Roberts. Codebreaker to get the hot tag. Finish saw JC low blow Roberts when referee Stan Robinson wasn’t looking.
Metros were fixin’ to whip Fitness (same treatment Gymnasty Boys got last time). Low and behold, Gymnastys made the save. Gymnastys got a hold of the straps. Metro Bros ran like hell and escaped unscathed. Gymnasty’s said it was good to see tag team competition in AWE. They were gunning for Metros but Fab Fitness were next in line. Well played by all.
--Intermission—
(6) Thomas Shire defeated CB Suave in 12 minutes to retain his position as the number one contender for the Georgia Wrestling Crown. Sauve attacked Shire from behind. He barely avoided a crash and burn on a tornillo pescado, then made good use of a post outside the ring for a tornado DDT. Shire caught Suave flush with a European uppercut as he came off the top. Shire learned from the master, Dory Funk. Shire tossed Suave with a deadlift gutwrench suplex for a near fall. Suave nailed Shire with a superkick while standing on the bar and launched a crossbody from the bar back into the ring for near fall. Shire polished off a sequence of moves with a spinning torture rack drop for the pin.
AWE could not have asked most out the above match. Both guys looked great. Shire reinforced his positon as the number one contender. Suave helped his cause In a losing effort.
Canvas from MTV’s Siesta Key joined Wheeler in the ring for shots of Tito’s Vodka before the next match. There’s nothing like a hot girl to spice up a bar show.
(7) The Hierarchy (Murder One & Jimmy Rave & Adrian Armour & Suge D with Joe Black & Aria Blake) defeated Young Dumb N Broke (Jordan Oliver & Charlie Tiger & Ellis Taylor & Jae Fre) in 26:50. The make- up of the Hierarchy team was a mystery treat. Suge D, Rave and Black all got great reactions from the crowd. Wheeler’s intro for Rave was special. Wheeler threw his weight around and made it an anything goes match. Referee “Grandpa Booker-T” Darryl Hall ejected Black from ringside before the bell. Bodies were flying everywhere. The crowd was amped to the max. Match got “this is awesome” and “holy shit” chants. It was more of the latter based on the level of excitement. Hierarchy were pretty awesome for their part. Suge D has dropped weight and was moving great. He’s now integrated the British influences in a way that is more natural for his character. Murder looked spry for an old guy. Rave makes everything look easy. Armour is really good and has never tapped his full potential. Young Dumb N Broke aren’t there yet. Oliver is a star in the making. He did a psychotic dive off the second level VIP area. Tiger also looked pretty good. Ellis was in the least. Fre is the newest member. He’s a battle rapper and he’s really green. Rave decked Hall. Oliver got a visual fall on Rave. Fre hit a frogplash and Stan Robinson slid into the ring to make the two count but Rave kicked out. A billion near falls and saves ensued. Oliver superkicked Robinson. Joe Black returned to take Oliver’s head off with a lariat. Rave caught Oliver with the smallest package in pro wrestling, as senior official Max Recon hit the ring to count the 1-2-3.
Suge D said he wasn’t coming home and not coming to AWE. Rave said he didn’t put AWE on his back for two years to watch this bitch die. Murder said he purposely didn’t die his beard to show that some old dude just beat their asses. Black said he could outclass 99.5% of indy wrestlers on one leg, and the other 0.5% were in AWE.
(8) Chip Day defeated Gary Jay via submission in 21:10 to retain the Georgia Wrestling Crown Championship. They did the GWC proud. Match was a sick war between two gluttons for punishment. They beat on each other, and beat on each other, and when they got tired of beating on each other, they beat on each other some more. It was more physical than any of the SCI matches, including Bret Ison vs. B-Boy. Jay kicked out of the Nothern Lights Bomb. Day kicked out of a top rope double stomp. Jay caught Day with an inside cradle after taking a tornado DDT and Day reversed into a heel hook for the tap out victory. Great match.
The show ended in pandemonium. Canvas came into the ring to put the title around Day’s waist. Instead, she gave him a low blow. Kenway gave Day the beatdown. Fans were enraged. Kenway and Canvas took refuge in the upper deck VIP area with the fans chanting "no one knows you" and taunted the crowd from there. Kenway said it wasn’t the first time woman screwed Day over for another guy.
Atlanta Wrestling Entertainment returns to District Atlanta on September 8 with the return of Eddie Kingston announced.
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