From Rob Brodhecker: Peachstate has had the damnedest time over the last year with the venues that they run in. The VFW Fairground s...
From Rob Brodhecker:
Peachstate has had the damnedest time over the last year with the venues that they run in. The VFW Fairground switched things upon them, with wanting to run more concerts, and now the Villa Rica Civic Center started renovations even though PWA had a contract for the date in place for several months. Sheesh! They were able to secure the Rec Center at the last minute, but with other factors, like the PWA owner's Facebook account being suspended similarly to what happened to Georgia Wrestling History, they were fortunate to run the show at all. Plus, the top rope broke when the ring was set up. The advertised bell time has been pushed back 30 minutes to accommodate late arrivals.
The attendance will suffer from that, we will see how much. There will be several new (to Peachstate anyway) faces in the ring tonight, Hold My Beer Hanson, Jay 2Strong, Austin Towers, Julius Prior and Maddux, among others.
My count for the crowd is 130. I spoke to several people about how they had first gone to the Civic Center before checking Facebook and seeing the change in venue. If PWA had run at the Civic Center, their crowd count would have been around 200, but with the venue change, the PWA management is very pleased with the 130.
"Fast" Eddie Layne and Jason Boyd are providing commentary, with Boyd also announcing. Darryl Hall and Cory Vaughn are your referees.
The National Anthem plays with Brian still in the ring, he takes a knee, and that upsets a bunch of the crowd. After the Anthem plays, Romeo comes out waving the American Flag. He cuts a promo on Brian and challenges Brian for the No Limits Championship. Hankins comes back out and says no. Hankins says that these are the hands that built America.
Jay 2Strong vs. Orion Bishop with (The Wicked Nemesis)
2S gets the crowd to hate him quickly. 2S claims he's stronger that Bishop, Bishop tosses him out of the ring. 2S wants a test of strength, Bishop sends him down. 2S is claiming that Bishop injured his hand and needs to be DQ'ed. 2S now wants to wrestle, that didn't go well either. 2S eye pokes the big man followed by several clips to send Bishop to the canvas. 2S tries some forearm smashes, and Bishop no sell them. Bishop spears 2S and then plants him for the win at 5:35. The crowd enjoyed the match, B-
Wicked cuts a promo on Tyson Dean, saying that he can bring whomever he wants. Bishop and Clyde Braddock will be ready for them.
PWA No Limits Championship: Gil Quest vs. Brian Blaze(c) (with Matt Hankins)
Hankins and Blaze hug each other before the bell, which causes some members of the crowd to go "aww." Quest uses his quickness to take down the larger Blaze for a near fall. Quest cannonballs Blaze from the ring apron onto the floor. Back in the ring, Quest goes up top, but Blaze punches Quest off the turnbuckle onto the floor below. Blaze and Quest are fighting ringside, Quest gets intimate with the barricade. Blaze is working over Quest but good. Quest trying to fight back, using the quickness to his advantage once again, he gets a near fall. Blaze catches Quest and plants him face-first for the pinfall at 7:03. Hankins and Blaze take a knee near the entranceway, shouting at Qil that "We ain't got to fight!" C+
Austin Towers vs. Hold My Beer Hanson
This is the PWA debut for both men, the crowd takes to Hanson almost immediately. The 7 foot tall Towers has the strength advantage. Hanson gets Towers in a headlock, but Towers' just lifts him up and shoves him away. Hanson's chops have no effect, but several elbows send Towers out of the ring. Towers grabs Hanson's legs and drag him out of the ring. Towers posts Hanson. Back in the ring. Towers smash Hanson's back with some double fists. Towers stretch out Hanson's arm. A sidewalk slam gets a near fall for Towers. Hanson's comeback falls short due to the work Towers has done on his back. Towers is mouthing off to Hanson, and that sparks Hanson's rally. He spinebusts Towers for a near fall. A big boot from Towers sends Hanson to the mat, and Towers covers for the win at 9:03. B-
Towers wants the mic. He cuts a promo calling out Geter.
Boyd starts to introduce the next match, but Bull Buchanan comes out. He's still steaming about how Marko snuck in and eliminated Bull from the Rumble at the last show. Bull says that he's not leaving the ring until Marco comes out. PWA Commisiner Tommy TooMuch comes out with Marko. The crowd is showering them with chicken shit chants. Tommy reminds everyone that if Bull puts his hands on Tommy, Bull will be arrested. Crowd interaction occurs. Tommy also reminds that Bull didn't win the rumble and so doesn't get a match with Tommy. Tommy says that no one wants to see Marko wrestle an Old Man Buchanan. Bull says that he's in the best shape of his life. Tommy says that if Bull signs a wavier disallowing Bull suing PWA, he will go ahead with the match. Bull agrees, and the match is made for later in the show.
Lights Cameron Action, James Hardy, and Roma Miller vs. Shane Noles, Romeo, and Ace Haven (with Amy Haven)
Hardy has the mic and says that he has much better partners than at the last show and guarantees a victory. Romeo and Hardy start off. Ace tag in, and he works over Hardy's arm. Shane now in, he tosses Hardy around like a rag doll. Hardy gains the upper hand on Romeo. His teammates take turns pump handling the arm of Romeo, but Romeo switches out for Hardy's arm. Hijinks ensue. All 6 men fight ringside. Hardy wants to do something fancy, it didn't go well. Action and Romeo have a good sequence going. Noles taking the heat now. Noles lays Hardy out with a lariat, and he makes the tag to Ace. Ace goes off on Action. Ace sets up and hits the coast to coast, Miller breaks up the pin attempt. Things break down with everyone coming in and doing a finisher on someone, only to have the next person do the same to them. Hardy takes off his belt, wanting to whip Ace with it. Amy pants him, and things really go south from there. Action gets a face full of Hardy, Action runs off with hardy chasing after him. Miller is left all alone, and he gets triple-teamed and pinned at 19:13. The weakest match of the night, several miscues throughout, C-. What happens next makes up for the match itself.
Matt Hankins and Brian Blaze make their way ringside, taking the mic and shoving Boyd down. Hankins talks French to Romeo, Hankins warns Romeo off about challenging Blaze for the No Limits Title. Shane Noles tells Hankins to give a message to William Huckaby to say that if Huck comes back to PWA, Noles will beat the piss out of him. Hankins says that he will gladly give that message to Huck. Hankins address Ace and wants Ace to say that he was wrong. Ace says that he could let everyone down and wonders where Shane Marx is at. He calls out everyone, including members of a particular website for all the politics and BS. He tells Hankins, "Hell no." Hankins mentions Ace's family and, in particular, his daughter, who is in the crowd. Hankins and Blaze leave with Ace storming out after them.
-- Intermission --
Julius Maximum Pryor vs. Shane Marx (with Matt Hankins and Brian Blaze)
Hankins comes out and tells "Fast" Eddie Layne that Hankins and Blaze won't work under the conditions that Boyd is in the ring handling ring announcing duties. Hankins wants Boyd tossed from ring announcing their matches because Boyd entered himself in the Rumble at the last show. Boyd is hot in the ring. Eddie walks to the ring, speaking softly, trying to calm the upset Boyd down. Boyd is steaming mad but will go over to the broadcast table and do his commentary job. Hankins allows the show to continue, and Shane Marx makes his entrance.
The match starts with Marx beating down on Pryor. Pryor explodes on Marx with some high flying moves, but Marx slams him down with a brainbuster for the win at 1:54. C+. Hankins announces Marx as the winner, and he asks Marx if he has another match in him for the new #1 fan, waving at Ace's daughter.
Maddux comes out (formerly know as Jaxxon Cassel). Marx shoves Maddux, Maddux shoves Marx down. Maddux blocks a punch and rocks Marx's world with a set of punches and a shoulder tackle has Marx reeling. A huge delaying verticle suplex by Manix. Marx regroups on the outside, Manix tosses him back in. Marx lures Maddux in and trips him into the turnbuckle. Marx has one of the most systematic attacking styles in the state. Maddux delivers a spear outta nowhere to give himself some life. Maddux gets a near fall after an exploder suplex. A power slam gets another near fall. Marx starts back on Maddux and gets several close calls. A bridging suplex nets a near fall on Marx. Hankins is up on the apron voicing his disapproval to the ref. Marx hot shots Maddux and slams him down for the win at 10:04. Solid B.
Hankins announces Marx as the winner. Boyd chimes him from the broadcast booth, "Still not better than me, punk!" A "We want Ace" chant starts. They leave and take another knee at the entranceway.
Boyd gets back into the ring with a big pop from the crowd.
Marko Wicker vs. Bull Buchanan
Marko enters the ring with some hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes. The crowd is up on their feet and clapping for Bull's entrance. Marko puts some sanitizer on Hall's hands for the check and the wipes to wipe down the ropes. A show of strength from Bull sends Marco out of the ring, Bull follows, and they fight ringside. Bull is taking his frustrations out on Marco. Back in the ring, Bull is just pounding away on Marco. Tommy TooMuch makes his way ringside. Bull sees him and tells Tommy to get into the ring. Marko clips the leg of Bull. Marko is targeting the leg of Bull, slamming it down on the ring apron and on the ring post. Tommy gets a couple of shots in on Bull while Hall is distracted by Marko. Bull trying to punch his way back into the match, Marco dropkicks the knee. Tommy up on the ring apron, Marko chokes Bull while Hall is dealing with Tommy. Marko goes for the figure four, but Bull small packages him for the victory at 9:52. B+.
Tommy and Marko pound on Bull, but Bull comes back with a double lariat. Tommy's begging for his life, and Marko drags Tommy out of the ring. The crowd is really on Marko's case as they leave the area, almost getting physical.
Final Thoughts:
1. The saying that you have to play the hand that you're dealt with really applies to PWA. They got some lemonade made tonight, maybe with not much sugar in it, but they made it.
2. Several crowd members went out of their way to tell me that they liked the 2Stron/Orion match and were impressed with 2Strong.
3. Hold My Beer Hanson went out of his way to introduce himself to the crowd, and they fed into it.
4. Hankins and his fellow Reconstruction members are really pushing the envelope here at Peachstate. It makes a good contrast with the heelwork of PWA Commish Tommy TooMuch and Marko Wicker.
5. PWA might take into some consideration of having some sort of medical personnel present at the shows if some crowd members continue to attend. They ain't spring chickens, and at least one of them already had a medical issue at a show several years ago.
7. Fuck #6.
8. No North Carolina guys tonight, but the crowd is responding to the new talent being brought in.
9. PWA has secured the Bremen Rec Center for shows over the next 3 months. If they can get a consistent venue worked out, the crowds will respond.
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