From Stephen Platinum: So I’m going to this show tonight, so it’s time to get this report up. Larry told me if I get it to him by 11 it’ll g...
So I’m going to this show tonight, so it’s time to get this
report up. Larry told me if I get it to him by 11 it’ll go up,
so I’m up at 6 a.m. I did something I haven’t done before – I
called out of work at my overnight job. The latent guilt I feel
about that is strange. When you work 100 hours a week and are
the diligent, good employee, calling out/taking sick leave, etc.
should be a part of the deal.
Hmm.
So I actually hung out with my kids (went to a restaurant for a
review – yet another money making side hustle – and watched
Drunken Master II aka Legend of the Drunken Master one of my
fave chop-socky flicks.)
I realize just now that Pro Wrestling Action in Florida is like
a good Jackie Chan movie. They do a lot with the little things,
they have a heavy dose of comedy and a comedic feel injected
into their shows, and their depiction of women is more frequent
and more nuanced than in other shows of the same genre.
I like this show and have rooted for it since their first. I
will miss the bar and grill where they had their shows, but this
spot is more comfortable and more…them. It’s a nice building,
and a nice time of day. Florida has its drawbacks, but dawn and
dusk are not two of them. It’s beautiful outside, and the mood
amongst their fans is one of comfortable excitement.
Doors open at 6…and actually opened. WTF. No Peace Underground
opens their doors and hour late. Last show (I’ll get that
report up sometime this year) I waited outside to get the
experience with the fans (won’t do THAT again for that show,
I’ll tell you THAT) and the hour delay being let in pissed them
off something fierce. And that fan base LOVES that show.) The
Pro Wrestling Action (let’s say PWA to spare me the typing)
crowd is in a long term comfortable marriage with PWA. That’s
the vibe. They remember anniversaries and do the occasional
thoughtful act for one another. There’s little to no heat, and
they never really fuck, but they might do some special one-time-
a-year sex act upon request on their birthday. You know what I
mean. Or you don’t. Whatever, go read someone else’s show
review and get your 6 hours plus sleep a night, normie.
Daniel Max Shaw looking resplendent and greeting folks inside.
Riddle Me This is the name of the show in honor of Simon Sez,
and DMS is decked out in green. I like that color. He runs the
show and is one nice man. And he knows what he’s doing. These
once-every-two-month shows are taking over things in Georgia and
Florida and there’s a lot of reasons for this. Their advantage
is promotion time and feeling compelled to make a big deal out
of each show.
Older crowd, family vibe. No Peace has the hotties, Local Pro
Wrestling has…hotties when they turn out for the one guy who is
now their champion. PWA? Not so much, although I spot Aysha in
the crowd, bless her. She returned to Australia and won a
promotion’s title her first match back. They get it. Will she
be back in the states soon? If she’s smart. And she’ll attain
a next level (or two) of wrestling success if wrestling is
smart.
Uh oh.
Selling shirts next to the place you check in. BRILLIANT so
obvious. I almost buy a shirt because I am impressed with this
simple and effective marketing tactic. People are pumped to get
in on time, they obvious have their money ready to go if they
just bought a ticket, you can take cards now as easily as
cash…put your shirts right there. Duh.
I see the lawyer sponsor guy who sometimes refs. I’ve talked to
him before. He can be annoying. He says he isn’t doing
anything in the show tonight. I see Cameron Stewart there. So
Aysha and Cameron (who has “it” and is on tonight’s PWA show
with Bunny Mila Moore, no complaints there) are there, and the
lawyer sponsor guy isn’t on the show? All I do is win, win, win
no matter what.
I have to flee by 830 at the latest. This is the disadvantage
of having three jobs, two of them full time. But tonight I
don’t work so I can stay and hang out. Glad for that. But on
this night I would literally wait by the door to see the finish
of the semi-main and two of my faves wrestle (Shalonce Royal and
Vicky Dreamboat) and have to watch the main event (Simon Sez and
Agony) and the subsequent shenanigans later. At least PWA lets
you in on time so I can talk to lots of people and get the vibe
(at No Peace I like to be in the back so I get something to put
my tablet and drinks on – at Local Pro Wrestling I like to be in
the front row to talk to the fanatics and interact. At PWA I
must be front row. You’ll see why during this report). So PWA
starts on time. Literally to the second, with a countdown and
everything so people know when to get to their seats. Literally
no other show has this level of professionalism and consciously
attempts to let people know they respect your time (and money).
I am WITH THIS AND EVERYONE SHOULD DO A VARIATION OF IT.
Zippos pizza after party at a sponsor. Man these folks have
this stuff down. The pizza from the concession is actually
good. People seem a tad tentative about my outgoing
personality. At first. Then the lady at the concession stand
starts joking with me and we all have a good time in line.
Riddle Me This so ropes are green DMS in green jacket people
clapped for pretaped promos as Simon put some gravitas on this
being his last match if he can’t dethrone the monster champ,
green lights on rail. They feel like they went all out with
very small, simple touches. I likes.
It's the kind of show where there’s a punk pop (heavy on the
pop) version of Blinded By The Light playing if that helps.
Saw Aysha and Cameron Stewart like I said and chatted them up.
Aysha is smart and listens, asks questions and seems thrilled at
her run in the states and the training she received at
Flatbacks. Cameron tells me he’s on the next show and how Mila
is going to accompany him on shows. It’s smart. She’s a former
NXT person and a looker. Their skits to promote shows (his
gimmick in one of an influencer, and he’s good at it and has the
look that fits) are bizarre, amusing and…effective? We’ll see
about the last one. I sense with the monster last second push
that ticket sales for tonight’s PWA are slow. But at this one I
am reviewing the seats are filled. I hope I did a count
somewhere in my notes.
St. Laurent sighting. In Florida, guys who actually have sway
on bigger shows come to Florida shows. It’s a marked difference
between Florida and Georgia. Of course you can WATCH certain
shows on IWTV or somesuch. But there’s nothing like people with
some stroke coming to the shows. When William Regal was a big
NXT guy, he’d pop up at Florida shows. So when AEW, WWE/NXT,
MLW etc. folks actually show up, that matters and changes
things. Don’t buy it? I wonder if NXT people and Tony Khan
popping into PWG all the time ever got anyone signed? Um, yeah
dipshits.
Simon Sez cuts a promo and it’s a good one. Apparently his
beloved pop died Jan 5th. He takes this information and uses it
well.
Baby face promo to the max and he then talks about Agony. Agony
manager Dr. Eric Christopher brings up Simon's kids. Simon beats
his ass crowd loves it. Me, less so. One, Dr. Eric is clearly
dumb. Go out there and say that face to face without your
monster champ there to protect you? Two, why not have this
moment with the diss and then save the Dr. Eric ass beating for
the main?
1. Ernesto Romano Alejandro ERA vs. Bellamy Thatcher who gets
cheered and does duck-themed stuff. I know, I know. Jackie
Chan, remember? Sweet armdrag. Basics are done well at
PWA in general. Leaping elbow strike I loved. Good opener.
They stick to people doing solid gimmick work and nobody
taking away from the main. I suspect Simon and Agony are
going to have blood and mayhem in their match, a stark
contrast to most of the night. Jackie Chan had the MOST
physical and crazily intense poignant moments in his
movies. Almost to the point of forcing them. But you
allowed it because you loved him. Wrestling take note.
2. Blake Banks vs. Joey Mayberry “Dadbod Demigod” security
ready to take ring gear away immediately, I notice. Pro
stuff and helps with the presentation a million percent. If
You're Going to Choke Me Do It Right says Joey Mayberry and
the crowd pops huge for the risqué humor. I myself try and
resist laughing…and fail. Joey Mayberry in spite of the
light gimmick (is he gay? Is he just flamboyantly
wrestling? Who knows. He’s got indy charisma for days,
the valedictorian in summer school maybe, but being good is
being good). RKO for double down works well. PWA always
has a variety of ways to get to wrestling tropes, and
people appear to pay attention to not do each other’s
stuff. Noted. Clunky finishing sequence. Death drop wowed.
Wrangler Nick Turner cuts a weak promo about how he’s been
losing. The crowd starts letting him have it to my surprise.
Out of desperation, he says how he understands them reacting
this way and we’ll just have to see if he can live up to his
word and start his comeback on the next show…which is what he
should have led with, and it actually resonates with the crowd.
I love that this show will actually throw guys out there to sink
or swim with important promos.
3. Jason Sensation is the ref. Beast (Looks legit – a very
good look) vs. Steve Michaels. Ad for next show on their
screen. The code actually worked. Impressive. Ref bump
huge reaction. This match was NOT good. But the fight and
pull apart was SO well done at the end. Wish the match was
worthy of the hullabaloo. But if you are going to smoke
and mirrors, do it well and they did. Beast and Steve
Michaels need to up their intensity and get their in ring
to the point where they set expectations and surpass them.
Intermission talked to Aysha, Cameron and Joey Mayberry.
Joey comes from Chicago. His gimmick is closely related to
who he is which is why it works so well. That’s obvious.
4. The Adonis Richard King vs. The Lifeguard Izzy Baden.
Richard King was part of one of my fave tag teams The Rapture.
He looks like a freaking STAR here. He’s been working out like
a madman, and totally fits the Adonis thing. That’s another
thing that is slightly different about Florida and Georgia in
general. In Florida, people’s gimmicks tend to drape on them
like a custom made suit. In Georgia, at times, people seem to
be wearing their parent’s clothes and makeup. Ricard gets
outsted from the ring, looks up at me and says, “I know you.” I
laugh hard. Chops are impressive. Expressions are big and bold
and made for TV. Star looks abound, especially with Richard.
Izzy’s sells on point step above in ring wise to what we’ve seen
so far. The slog of the last match is washed away as these guys
take us on our first journey of the night through their match.
chop fight hard hitting at the right time headlock driver by RK.
The crowd went from joking around and belittling the guys, and
just wanting the lifeguard to do lifeguard stuff to investment.
That’s powerful, especially on a show like this. Jackie Chan.
5. Shalonce Royal vs. Vicky Dreamboat for women's Marvelz
championship. Weird to have this suddenly be for a title, but I
get in looking at tonight’s show. Tonight’s show has two
women’s matches NOT involving the champ, has the champ
appearing, and a former NXT woman at ringside. That’s 6 women
actively involved in the show and advertised as such who will
actually be there. Want me to tell you another difference
between Florida and Georgia?
Vicky looks like new money. Once she looks more…hard to say.
But she’s just about right there as far as her look but not
quite there, you feel me? That statement will get me in trouble
but those who know, know. Their brawling and heat and ire are
the best of the night so far. This feels like the fight the big
dudes should have had. SR counter felt like a natural result of
their match structure and not forced. SR is clearly leading
parts of this match and it’s good. Vicky seems greenish with a
huge upside and SR is taking full advantage of that. Blotchy
takedown. That Atlanta Slam of Royal’s is KILLER. Shalonce
wants the Mic. Could be terrible but it’s so well done people
go with it. SR primed us for the finish. Up and over tweaks
ankle they set us a “legit” injury to SR. I hate this spot.
Why stop a match for an injury at all that’s not real when in
wrestling we go after injuries? Weird. But the payoff of a
wicked pump kick makes it worth is as does SR’s running around
the ring holding a singing note in triumph. Crowd is legit
annoyed/angry. The finish is a bit shocking as Vicky Dreamboat
seems done but rolls SR up and pins her at the darkest hour. It
feels earned and totally works as a finish.
For the main, Agony wrestles Simon. Thumbtacks, emotions and
some stiff work happen. Agony wins, a great move. Simon gets
demolished. It all feels like a bit of a shock, it’s effective.
James Mitchell comes out (WHA?) and fireballs Agony for his
friend Simon.
Okay. What did I hate about all this? One, Agony spoke and it
removed all the cool from him in an instant. Dr. Eric, who is
effective, once again was the buffoon. Agony gets a HUGE win
with blood and such, and has his balls cut off at the end.
Instead of ending in tragedy and setting the stage for some kind
of “who can challenge this monster?” we get the air completely
taken out of the balloon tension wise and Agony has been bested
already and nobody’s a threat.
What did I like? They saved the mayhem for the end, and Simon
went out in a big way where they payoff really felt effective.
Having Simon’s family there sold it. PWA has a flair for the
big finish, they just did too much and without noting what
exactly they were trying to accomplish.
However, two women’s matches, Cameron Stewart with a hottie at
ringside, a multi-person match for a the new contender for the
title, and more. I am with it. And you’ll hear about it.
Eventually.
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