Photo courtesy of Alan Tucker From Larry Goodman: Southern Fried Championship Wrestling can breath a sigh of relief after The Ironme...
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| Photo courtesy of Alan Tucker |
Southern Fried Championship Wrestling can breath a sigh of relief after The Ironmen. The company emerged from the living nightmare of the last two week bent but by no means broken.
They didn't just get through it. Ironmen was a good show that advanced the new narrative.
200 in attendance at the Walton County Boys & Girls Club, right in line with their last show, which was arguably a stronger card on paper with the Street War main event. My though was the negativity about Southern Fried would play out as a bigger deal to outsiders than it would among their fans. We shall see.
The accent was on the inring sprinkled with just enough references to the backstage drama so it didn't come across like they were glossing over it.
Alan Angels retained the SFCW Classic Championship by defeating AC Mack in 30 minute Ironman match, It was a good match for an Ironman, not Mack and Angels' best. The Ironman was a stretch for SFCW fans, but it may pay dividends in the long run, as it differentiated the Classic Championship as the company's technical workrate title.
The new SFCW Champion to replace disgraced former champion Jacob Ashworth will be determined via a 10 man title tournament when Southern Fried returns to action on Thanksgiving night.
Ashworth, Southern Fried's man-of-the-people babyface champion (whose name was never mentioned) had relinquished the title after a vile, anti-gay public meltdown on Facebook.
All that heat had to go somewhere, and what better place to put it than squarely on the shoulders of Georgia's 2018 Wrestler of the Year, Logan Creed, who wrecked shop and ran roughshod all night long when he wasn't made champion on the spot.
Logan interrupted the introduction of the first match, calling for Sexton to bring him the championship. Sexton said we don’t just hand things out at Southern Fried and he had enough going on without Logan pitching a fit. Logan said if the last two weeks had shown anything, it was that Sexton didn’t know how to run a wrestling company. Logan said wve him the title so he could bring the company back to its glory days. By this point, the place was lit. Sexton said Logan would have to wait until later for a decision about the title.
Logan refused to leave and continued to throw a giant-sized tantrum. Cowboy music played. The crowd popped hard for the appearance of Josey Quinn, who made his way to the ring with the first of many steel chairs to be seen on this night. Logan bailed.
(1) Josey Quinn defeated Sal Rinauro in 9:25. Rinauro’s goofy act wasn’t paying off. Sal rolled out to regroup, then managed to hotshot Quinn’s neck. For a crazy man, Rinauro was really focused here as he zeroed in on Quinn’s neck for rest of the match. Quinn’s offense kicked into high gear in the closing minutes with a one-armed Samoan drop and a spinebuster slam. Quinn kicked out of one neckbreaker, and when Rinauro went back to the well, Quinn countered and hit a TKO for the win. Quinn is on a roll. The fans have his back and a win over a quality opponent like Rinauro was just what the doctor ordered to maintain the momentum.
(2) CT Keys & David Ali defeated Xander Ramon & his mystery partner Will Kaution in 13:29. Ali said he had always spoken the truth. He was the last person to beat the SFCW Champion (false) after busting him open (true) and he had defeated number one contender Creed (true but it was a DQ and he got his ass kicked) Ali said the fans were looking at the heavyweight killer and their next champion.
The reveal of Kaution as the mystery partner was no surprise. The crowd popped for Kaution anyway. Ali ran away from Ramon and tagged Keys in to take the punishment. Ali tripped Ramon to start the heat. It was double heat, first on Ramon, then on Kaution with the heels doing a fine job of cutting the ring in half. Suspension of disbelief went out the window when Kaution clearly could have made the hot tag and didn’t because he was expecting to get cut off. He had to get that top rope elbow drop in first. The match broke down after the tag. Kaution came off the top with a flying body press and Ali rolled through to score the pinfall.
Best thing about the match was Ali’s promo. I also liked the subtext of Ali making Keys his lackey. Keys impresses me every time I see him.
Logan entered the ring for some serious savagery. He killed Kaution dead with a high boot and waffled the living hell out of Ramon’s back with a steel chair. If one was good, four times was better. As Ramon was writhing in agony, Logan told him the next time his name came out of Ramon’s mouth because he was impressing his fiancée, remember this: she’s fantasizing about me.
Brooklyn said Manders had really messed up because even she couldn’t stop Logan. “Welcome to the extinction of Southern Fried, because he will destroy EVERYONE until you give him what he earned.”
(3) Tetchi Makuji defeated Billy Buck in 6:08. Makuji didn’t wait for the bell. Buck fired back and tried to set up the figure four leglock. Makuji wasn’t having it but Buck stayed on the attack until Makuji turned the tide with a karate thrust to the throat. Makuji took all the wind out of Buck’s sails and applied a camel clutch. The crowd got behind Buck here. Buck made the big comeback and was looking for the Buckshot. Makuji blocked it and locked in the Shirunagi, pinning Buck’s shoulders to the mat. Good match with crisp, fast-paced action. Makuji and JBE needed this one.
Makuji continued to beat on Buck after the match. Brooklyn came to the ring in an attempt to calm the monster down. Nice try. Quinn hit the ring with chair to save his fellow cowboy. Brooklyn convinced Makuji that was enough…for now.
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(4) SFCW tag team title number one contenders match: Master & Machine (Marcus Kross & Griff Garrison) vs. GB1C (Wolverton & Tyler Rivera) was ruled a no contest at 6:35 when Logan Creed interfered. Beaucoup combo moves from both teams. M & M looked every bit the part of potential ROH tag team title challengers. Logan came out for another round of annhilation. He planted Rivera on the ring frame, chokeslammed Wolverton and threw Kross over the top onto to GB1C.
Garrison said he was sick and tired of the bullying. Logan needed to go through him to get to the SFCW Championship leading to…
(5) Griff Garrison defeated Logan Creed by DQ in 6:45. Garrison speared Logan for a huge pop and started pounding him. Logan was stunned but regained his equilibrium. The action spilled to Logan’s playground, the ringside area, where he brutalized Garrison. Back inside, Garrison was out of it. Had to use the ropes to pull himself up. Logan went for Scorched Earth and Garrison reversed it for a near fall. Logan dropped Garrison on his head. Garrison kicked out and exploded with another spear, garnering another huge pop. Brooklyn came to ringside. As Garrison had Logan racked for his finisher, Brooklyn interfered with a low blow.
Kross attacked Logan and took a chokebreaker for his troubles. It got worse. Logan blasted Kross with a chairshot and had the chair hung around his neck. Garrison forearmed Logan and clotheslined him over the top rope, leaving the monster in shock.
This was quite the appetizer for a future encounter. Garrison is coming on strong and is one of a select few opponents in Georgia that can believably match Logan’s physicality.
-- Intermission --
Adrian Hawkins addressed the crowd for the first time since losing the casket match to Mikal Judas. They cheered when Hawkins reminded them he was stuffed into a dark, nasty casket last time. Hawkins said his legacy as the now and forever Southern Fried Champion was on hold because he had something more personal to handle. He had Judas beaten when that piece-of-crap Corey Hollis showed his face, and after all Hawkins had done for the fans, they had the audacity to cheer Hollis. Hawkins was going to make it his legacy to end Hollis on Thanksgiving Night.
Hawkins knocked it out the park on the mic. The Southern Fried fans despised Hollis until he popped out of that damn casket. If there was any question about Hollis being embraced as a babyface, there was none after this promo. I didn’t see the casket match and Hawkins absolutely made me want to see the match with Hollis.
(6) Alan Angels defeated AC Mack in a 30 minutes Ironman Match 3-2 to retain the SFCW Classic Championship. Jen Holbrook was introduced as the timekeeper. Angels won the first fall at 5:36 by reversing the Mack 10 and submitting Mack with an inverted single leg crab. Mack tapped right away to limit the damage. In the midst of a ringside brawl, Angels accidentally superkicked a security guard. That looked pretty great. As referee David Weakley was checking on the security guy, Mack hit Angels in the head with a chair, and ran him into the post with the chair around his neck. Angels was counted out at 9:48. Angels barely beat the 10 count to avoid a second count out. Mack was feeling it and talking trash until Angels smacked him across his smart mouth. They traded fast and furious. Mack tried for the Mack 10 but Angels dumped him over to the top rope. Angels was wearing Mack out with kick after kick. Mack signaled for the Wingsnapper. Mack rolled out and grabbed the title. The chase was on. Angels threw Mack back inside the ring and pinned him with the Wingsnapper at 17:44 to knot it up at two falls apiece. Angels tried for the inverted single leg crab again. Mack escaped and hit the Mack 10, but Mack clutched his knee and couldn’t muster much of a cover. Mack got a close near fall with the Wingsnapper. Angels almost had Mack pinned with the Mack 10. Angels with a pair of tope suicidas. Five minutes to go. Mack used a Meteora and tried to shake off the knee problem. Mack went for a superplex. Angels dropped him with a headbutt. Mack showed resiliency with a spinaroonie and a spider enzuigiri. Angels was in a bad way but managed to drop Mack on the ring frame with an STO. Angels gave Mack a frogsplash. Mack kicked out at 2.9. Angels gave Mack two more frogsplashes and Mack kicked out again. As the final minute wound down, Angels hit a fourth frogsplash to Mack’s knee and applied a stretch muffler with lots of torque. Mack tapped with one second to go.
This was a very good match within the limitations of the Ironman format, which lacks the suspense that it can end at any moment. I really liked the psychology around Mack’s knee injury leading to his demise. I didn’t like Mack tapping with one measly second to go.
Angels offered to shake hands. Mack hesitated and slid out when he saw Logan approaching the ring. Angels didn’t see Logan coming and took a chokeslam. Logan said it was time for Sexton to do the right thing. Sexton came out carrying the title as if he was hands going to hand it to Logan. Fans were pleading with Sexton not to do it. Ali came out with Keys, again claiming that he had beaten everyone. Ali made sure to put Keys between himself and Logan. Mack said he had just put on a match of the year and pinned the Classic Champion twice. Master & Machine, Quinn, Ramon and Kaution all came out there. Sexton halted the bickering by announcing a 10 man tournament for Thanksgiving night. The babyfaces took turns nailing Logan, ending with a Wingsnapper by Angels. Creed rolled out wincing in pain as they all waved bye-bye. It was just enough comeuppance.
Sexton told the fans it had been a rough week and thanked them for coming out. The crowd applauded. Sexton then gave Angels props for a hell of a performance.
NOTES: Among the curious onlookers were SHW owner Gary Lamb, Tapped Out’s intrepid GWH reported Rob/Rod Brodhecker- read his report here, referee Darryl Hall on a Saturday night off, Papa Angels (thanks for the photo) and Andrew Alexander having an off night with the gimmick sales…The ring announcer was Rick Richards…Referees Weakley and Radar Martin were both soundly booed as usual…I have a soft spot in my heart for a company that has Absolute Stump Removal as one of their sponsors.
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