Lariato Pro Wrestling Guild kicked off their Sizzlin' Summer Tour in Rome at the KLT Arena. It was the first of three Impact Plus tapings weekend for Doc Gallows' company in Georgia this weekend.
The show drew a little over 300. This was a return engagement for LPWG in Rome. Their Ace and Eights reunion show in May which drew 450.
The Sizzlin' Summer event followed the same formula as the Ace and Eights show -- Impact stars headlining and a mix of LPWG regulars and local stars from Rome's KLT promotion filling out the card.
The event peaked with the streetfight between Gallows and Simon Sermon that concluded the first half of the show. Their was little substance to the second half. The main event - Rich Swann vs. Karl Anderson went 3 minutes. Su Yung made an appearance but her match never happened. Nothing went long except the intermission.
The Gallows/Simon Sermon streetfight was the most entertaining match of the evening, with the prematch of Zack Mosley/Levy Valenz and the postmatch of the main being the other entertainment highlights.
The crowd was hot for almost every match and was excited to see the name performers, although my sense was the crowd reactions weren't quite what they were for the Aces and Eights show. The show ran 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Preshow -- Michael Steele pinned Delray in 4 minutes with a TKO.
(1) Reality Check (Zero & Rude Boy) defeated Francisco Ciatso & Brooklyn Outlaw Donovan and Air Paris & Lazer to retain the KLT tag titles in 9:08. Reality Check is way over with KLT fans. Zero in particular got a huge response. George North missed the show due to a death in the family and was replaced by Donovan. Ciatso drew heat with a promo on the babyfaces. Paris and Lazer were babyfaces but were more or less the odd men out. Rude Boy pinned Donovan with a double arm DDT.
(2) Mr. Atlanta 2 and Johnny Kaos in a no DQ match was ruled a no contest by special referee Shawn Ambrose at 8:30. These two have a hot feud at KLT. Atlanta 2's Peachtree Mafia crew were banned from ringside. I was digging Atlanta 2's throwback look and style, reminiscent of Bill Eadie as Masked Superstar. Kaos crashed and burned on a 300 pound + moonsault. Todd Zane (brother of the original Mr. Atlanta) of the Mafia came to ringside. Ambrose went to eject Zane and got nailed by a chairshot from Mafia member Bobby Hayes. Peachtree Mafia attacked Kaos with the chair and put the boots to him. Exotic Youth (Zach Mosley & Cornelius Pepperbottom) hit the ring with chairs to rescue Kaos.
(3) John Skyler defeated Joeasa in 7:20. Skyler is the number one contender for the LPWG title that Eric Young vacated due to injury. Skyler knows how to get heat. Joeasa is one half of the AAW tag team champions. He has athletic ability and a physique but looked green. The veteran Skyler led Joeasa through the match and pinned him with avalanche Finlay Roll.
(4) Zicky Dice defeated Lariato Man in 7:13. One part whimsy, one part wrestling. Lariato Man wears a full body suit and does a comedic martial arts gimmick. It took him two attempts to break a piece of press board. Dice did the magic trick where he spits up confetti. He gave Lariato confetti clothesline for a near fall. Lariato missed a top rope splash. Dice capitalized with a spinning neckbreaker to pick up the win.
Referee Brandon Tolle received a "you still got it" chant as he swept the debris from the ring.
(5) Doc Gallows (with Karl Anderson) defeated "The Queen of Pro Wrestling" Simon Sermon in a Rome Streetfight (9:28). Crowd was on their feet going nuts for Good Brothers. They had a kendo stick. Sermon was wearing a flak jacket. Gallows wasn't having that. Sermon tried to run. Gallows got the flak jacket off of Sermon and stuck the kendo stick in his anus. Gallows sent Sermon flying through a section of chairs. Sermon got color. They brawled into the cage stored at the back of the building. Sermon took a backdrop on the concrete floor. Back inside the ring, Sermon blinded Gallows with aerosol spray. Sermon went up top and took his signature body slam ala Ric Flair. Gallows connected with the big boot for the win.
Post-match, a masked guy attacked Gallows with a baseball bat (a masked assailant had assaulted Gallows with a bat in video promoting the show). Anderson beat the masked guy up with the kendo stick.
Gallows thanks the fans, said they always had a great time in Rome...and invited fans to see him at merchandise area.
Intermission- the Good Brothers' gimmick table was hopping. Gallows is in his element interacting with fans. Zero was also hugely popular.
WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long came to the ring to start the second half. Long engaged the crowd in the "holla, holla, holla!" thing.
(6) Su Yung (with Jazzy Yang) vs. Stormie Lee (with Francisco Ciatso) never happened. Long introduced former WCW star Jimmy Yang, accompanied by daughter Jazzy and Yung (not Suzie). Ciatso and Lee interrupted. Ciatso called Yang a fossil and a has been. Yang led the crowd in a "you suck" chant. Lee gave Jimmy a low blow. Yung punched Lee in the face. Jazzy dispatched with Lee and gave Ciatso a flying headscissors. That was it.
(7) Zach Mosley (with Candy Cannoli) defeated Levy Valenz FKA No Way Jose to retain the KLT Championship in 4:50. The crowd was on fire for this and torn in their allegiance. Mosley generates mixed feelings at KLT. Valenz was ready for a dance party. Mosley was pissed and wanted no part of it. The crowd was all in. Referee Brad Barnes and Candy started to get into it. Mosley threw a fit. Cannoli danced with Valenz but it was ruse so Mosley could jump Valenz from behind. Valenz gave Mosley a 10 revolution airplane spin. In the end, Cannoli interfered, allowing Mosley connected with a rising knee strike and pin Valenz with feet on the ropes.
(8) Rich Swann vs. Karl Anderson (with Doc Gallows) - winner gets the slot in the LPWG title match -- was a 3:30 no decision. Swann got an OK reaction from the crowd. Anderson got a great reaction. Long danced with Swann. The crowd ate that up and chanted "Teddy". Swann accepted Anderson's handshake so the code of honor was observed. Skyler attacked both men causing Tolle to call for the bell.
Sermon, Steele and Sermon's masked henchmen got involved. The masked guy tried to use a baseball bat on Gallows.
Justice was served. Gallows got the bat. Anderson laid Steele out with a spinebuster. Swann laid Sermon out with a handspring cutter.
Scott D'Amore came to ringside and said he got a call from Don Callis stating Good Brothers had to be at AEW show tomorrow night so it would be Swann vs. Skyler for the LPWG title tomorrow night in Dublin and Anderson would be waiting in the wings to face the winner.
The masked guy got his. Gallows hit him with the bat. Good Brothers gave him a Magic Killer. Anderson and Swann teamed up for second Magic Killer. Good Brothers put Swann and Rome, Georgia over to close the show.
NOTES: D'Amore and Gallows hosted a Talent Evaluation and Seminar prior to the show for $75... Tonight's show in Dublin at the West Laurens 6th Grade Academy also features a Ladder Match for the LPWG Lionheart Championship.The tour finishes up Sunday in Lyons at the Toombs County Middle School with Tommy Dreamer, Gallows, Valenz and Dice on the card...The ring announcer was Bret Wolverton with emcee assistance by Bob Keller. The other referees were Brad Barnes, DL Norris and Jeremie Prater. Photographer extraordinaire TJ Burks taped the show for Impact Plus...Georgia wrestling notables in the house included "Crying Wrestling Fan" Dave Wills, Stunt Marshall, Chris Ganz and Manny Lemons, Scotty Beach, Vernon Love and Viva Las Amish with their live chicken in tow.
