ProSouth Decent Club Reunion -- June 9

From Larry Goodman: With Spring Spectacular now in the rearview, ProSouth wasted no time reigniting the blood feud between Ace Haven and Don...

From Larry Goodman:

With Spring Spectacular now in the rearview, ProSouth wasted no time reigniting the blood feud between Ace Haven and Donnie Primetime. But it was Commissioner Amy Haven who found herself on the receiving end of Primetime's psychopathic bent. 

The episode was named for the return of a faction known as the  Decent Club, which turned out to be the least momentous aspect of the show. 

I was struck by how much ProSouth has upgraded the depth of their in-ring talent since I first starting covering the company. Former ProSouth Champion Ayden Andrews (his first ProSouth match in six years) vs. Chris Kamikaze and Dominic Stuckey vs. Christian Pierce were the cream of the crop on a show that also featured appearances by Shean Christopher, Donnie Primetime, Dameon Ceretone and Dawson Kimbrell. Note the increased Alabama flavor.

Another unfathomable clue was dropped in the whodunit caper of who ran Shean Christopher over in the parking lot. 

Ceretone continued to do his magic with certain select members of the roster.

My favorite quirky ProSouth character got fired.

Where was this crowd when ProSouth needed them at Spring Spectacular? They were loud and energized almost all night long but didn't quite make it to the finish line.  

Wicked Nemesis and Mathias Darkthorne provided the commentary. James Hardy and Amy Haven split the ring announcing. Commissioner Amy is a great ring announcer by the way.  The infamous "Cowboy" Troy and the unretired Slim were the referees. 

Opening with a video recap of Spring Spectacular, then to the ring where Hardy was immediately interrupted by "Hollywood" Donnie Primetime. Donnie said the fans didn't come to see him in the opening match especially when the main event was reserved for "goofball" Hardy.  Primetime claimed the main event slot for himself in a match with Aaron Dallas for the All-Out Championship.

(1) Amethyst defeated Dameon Ceretone in 7:38.  Amethyst flummoxed Ceretone with her mind games and had the offensive advantage in the early going. A trip to the top rope proved to be her undoing. Ceretone dished out another ferocious beating but Amethyst never quit fighting back. Ceretone kicked Amethyst in the head, beat her to death with forearms and had her hooked for Sleep The Deep when we heard the strains of Dorian's music. Dorian appeared on the ramp with the fans chanting his name. The camera cut back to the ring just as Amethyst was rolling Ceretone up for the three count.

After the match, Ceretone lost what little is left of his mind. He decked cameraman Bobcat for no reason at all. The camera went all cockeyed as Bobcat was laying on the concrete. 

This match was a natural outgrowth of Spring Spectacular. For the second week in a row, Amethyst pinned "the champion of champions" and Dorian had a lot to do with the fact it happened. Whatever Ceretone is up to is consistently one of the intriguing things about this show.

(2) Dominic Stuckey defeated Christian Pierce in 7:36. Stuckey attacked at the opening bell. Damn straight after last week.  He hit a running blockbuster in the opening minute and a Michinoku Driver shortly thereafter.  Pierce raked the eyes to escape Stuckey's Phantom Driver and dropped him with a back elbow. Pierce controlled the action for several minutes before running right into Struckey's black hole slam. The comeback was on. Stuckey got a near fall with a falcon arrow. Pierce necked the ropes and rebounded off with lariat but Stuckey kicked out. Pierce unwrapped the tape covering his steel-plated Bullhammer elbow.  As Pierce charged with the Bullhammer, Stuckey took him down into an STF, transitioned to a crossface and flipped Pierce into a crucifix pin. 

I really liked this match for intensity and aggressiveness. It got me into this feud. Stuckey's running blockbuster is a keeper. Pierce taking Stuckey down with a side headlock in the middle of the heat was an interesting choice. Pierce also has an effective cannonball for a smaller guy. That finish was sweet.

As Wicked aptly put it, the postmatch was deja vu all over again. Pierce nailed Stuckey from behind with the bullhammer and pounded the back of his head until he was nearly unconciousness, then scraped Stuckey up so he could give him another Bullhammer before departing. Hardy and Slim came to the ring to check on Stuckey while the announce team ripped referee Cowboy Troy for his incompetence. Stuckey insisted on leaving under his own power.

A few things: 1)They're going all out to get the Bullhammer over as a killer finisher and Pierce executes it well. 2) Stuckey did a nice balancing act between selling the damage and showing toughness. 3) Pierce is demented 4) Cowboy Troy is deep in the dog house for botching the finish of the WhatleyAmethyst match two weeks ago. 

(3) Youtube Champion Shean Christopher defeated Big Dave in a non-title match (8:18).  The commentators informed the viewers these two had met in other Alabama promotions. Christopher felt the power of Big Dave, just as Douglas Sutton had done the week before. But Dave was too obsessed with Ravenna and ate a penalty kick for his lack of focus. Christopher reeled off a series of moves and finally took Dave off his feet with a missile dropkick. Dave fought off Dirty Pretty and gave Christopher a jackknife powerbomb. Dave's eyes got big when Christopher kicked out. Moments later, Christopher hit a springboard cutter to pick up the win.

Dave was more serious this week. Christopher gave him a lot of offense. The gradual build to Dave being taken off his feet was nice. Great finish. Christopher hit  the springboard cutter perfectly and Dave sold it just right. 

A woman in a dominatrix get-up appeared on the video screen, her face disguised except for her eyes. She spoke with an English accent.

"You want to know who hit you with that car? Follow the coordinates he sent you."

(4) Ayden Andrews defeated Chris Kamikaze (with Saul Wright) in 13:18.  The commentators enlightened the viewers about the devastating injury Andrews suffered in the match with current ProSouth Champion Whatley six years ago. He blew out all the ligaments in his knee, tore a tendon, and finished the match. 

Andrews was on a roll when he was disturbed by the sight of Whatley coming out to observe the match. Kamikaze capitalized by blatantly choking Andrews with his wrist tape. I thought about how way back when, it was a big deal for the heel to hide that stuff from the referee. Kamikaze softened up Andrews's midsection and then choked off his air supply with a dragon sleeper and Cattle Mutilation. Andrews countered a second Cattle Mutilation with a snap dragon suplex. Andrews with a buckle bomb followed by a Ushi Giroshi for a near fall. Kamikaze did the deal -- the superplex into the falcon arrow but good for a two count only. Kamikaze tried for a half nelson suplex. Andrews reversed the move with a  forward rolling cradle. Andrews hit a high elevation frog splash. Kamikaze got a shoulder up at the last split second. Andrews was setting up for the Stamp of Approval (curbstomp). Saul tried to interfere and got stomped in the head. Kamikaze went for desperation feet-on-the ropes roll up. Andrews kicked out and won with Stamp of Approval. 

Andrews looks the part and carries himself like champion. His first ProSouth match in six years was a critical test for him as top contender and he passed with flying colors. They were given time and had the best match of the show.  The powers that be couldn't have picked a better opponent for him than Kamikaze, who excels at picking a body part and dissecting it. 

Whatley was applauding Andrews as he entered the ring. They had another staredown and exchanged pleasantries off mic. Whatley was first to leave the ring. The camera tracked Andrews as he headed toward the ramp. I got the feeling something was about to happen but nothing did. 

I love the way this has gone so far -- Two confrontations between champion and challenger and they've yet to touch and there's a compelling back story to go with it.

Amy introduced the returning Bucky. Wicked was cackling uncontrollably as Bucky made his way to the ring to list off Decent Club's current and past title achievements. 

(5) Kids of Keast (Cameron Keast & Caeden Ooten & Christian Garrett with Harley Haven and Lynn Farley) defeated Decent Club (James Hardy & New Era Openweight Champion Dawson Kimbrell & 2 Fly Ty with Bucky) to retain the Trinity Challenge Cup in 14:25. Decent Club got a big reaction coming to the ring. Hardy chants abounded with Bucky cheerleading at ringside. The shine included a Hoganesque leg drop by Hardy and a Magic Killer by Kimbrell and Ty. Hardy got Keast in a sharpshooter. Keast propelled Hardy into the heel corner, simultaneously and inadvertently sending referee Slim to the mat. Kids isolated Hardy for a long time.  Farley tripped Keast which allowed Hardy to make the hot tag. A train of big moves led to the Hardy Eviscerator.  Harley pulled Slim out of the ring just before the three count. Slim acted like he hurt his knee. Keast brought a chair into the ring. Bucky slid in and knocked the chair out of Keast's hands. Bucky gave Keast a ripcord lariat. Harley whacked Bucky with the chair. Hardy chased after Harley if you can call that a chase. Kids hit Hug the Sun to pin Kimbrell.

Decent Club is an acquired taste I have not acquired. There were some decent parts to the match. Some of it was a mess. Not a match I  want to see again but the crowd was into it because of Hardy. The segment of the match from Hardy's Eviscerator to the finish was comically bad. Harley doesn't need to be swinging chairs. 

The firing of Lynn Farley.  Keast said Farley was never invited into his kingdom. He tried to father her like the others but all she had done was screw up. That's why she was associated with idiots like JMO and Cowboy Troy, so he was sending her back to the flea market in Boaz where she belonged FOREVER. And if she thought this was part where she looked back sad and he started to have a conscience, he didn't care about her or any of the 40 mile trash where she came from. 

Keast is one cold-hearted mofo. He mercilessly reamed Farley out and not a peep out of her. Surely this match made in heaven can't end like this.

(6) Aaron Dallas defeated Donnie Primetime by DQ to retain the All-Out Championship in 18:12.  Primetime worked over Dallas' arm and previously injured shoulder for almost the entire match. Dallas used up the one rope break allowed under All-Out rules at the eight-minute mark.  Dallas tried to make a one-armed comeback. Primetime landed a tornado kick to the arm and applied a cross armbreaker. Going to the ropes was no use. Dallas powerbombed his way out of the hold. Primetime tried for the Diehard Driver.  Dallas escaped by flipping Donnie over the top rope. Dallas hit the Steel Toe. Primetime managed to hook the ropes with his feet to halt Cowboy Troy's count. Dallas ducked Donnie's palm strike and spinebustered him. Donnie was in trouble so he punched Troy in the face. Dallas hit another Steel Toe as Troy waved off the match. 

The action was OK but the crowd was spent so the match lacked for dramatic atmosphere. They probably would have been better with a shorter match for that finish anyway. What mattered was the postmatch...

Primetime gave Dallas a low blow and left him laying with two Diehard Drivers (package piledrivers). Commissioner Amy came into the ring. Donnie told her to move the title belt out the way because it was dangerous. Donnie started touching Amy on the face. Donnie told her "don't back up., you need to calm down". Donnie grabbed Amy by the hair and gave her the package piledriver. 

Ace hit the ring and attacked Primetime. Christopher led a slew of wrestlers out of the dressing room to separate them and hold Ace back. Meanwhile, Donnie was sitting serenely in the opposite corner smiling. Fade to black.  

After moving away from this story since Redemption, the fire was rekindled. It's a bonfire now. On a show filled with creepy characters and sick minds, Primetime out creeped all of them. The way he talked to Amy and touched her face sent a chill down my spine. The package piledriver looked devastating.