Photo by Bob McAteer From Rob Brodhecker: SCI Night 1 2023 July 14th, 2023 TWE Arena, Red Bank TN Long ass trip for me, close to 800 miles...
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| Photo by Bob McAteer |
From Rob Brodhecker:
SCI Night 1 2023
July 14th, 2023
TWE Arena, Red Bank TN
Long ass trip for me, close to 800 miles, so I’m a bit loopy from driving and other shenanigans I was going through. Larry Goodman in the house as well, so double coverage tonight. My picks earlier in the week: Night 1 picks were Thatcher, Westbrook, Manders, Priest, Knight, Wreck, Suge D, and Flaco, with my final four being Thatcher, Priest, Flaco, and Wreck, and the winner will be Priest.
Packed house makes for an intimate SCI event over the shows at various school gyms SCI has run at Also, lots of people in compact area means higher temperature.
All competitors in the ring for photo op, cheers and boos accordingly. Hensley has all the refs in the ring for a remembrance moment for the late Ref SPO. ACTION CEO Griffin is visibly moved. This weekend is dedicated to SPO.
After show edit: This was/is a Freaking Awesome show. Go out of your way to watch it. Also, I went 6 out of 8 in my predictions, so go me!
Match 1: Bobby Flaco vs. Rico Gonzales. 20 minutes: Ref Gina
Flaco enters from the main doors riding his motorbike into the building, big pop. Rico is a sub for Alan Angles, who was pulled out of the tournament by forces beyond SCI’s control. Rico gets applause for his entrance as well. Battle of WWA4 alum. Shake of the hands, then hug, then Flaco and Rico try to trade off on sneak kicks. Up-tempo early, Rico getting the better of the exchange. Flaco’s Tempers start flaring, and he throwing strikes and then mouthing off. Massive chops by Flaco, Rico fires up and back and mouths off back to Flaco. Trading pin attempts, both proclaiming they want this.
Action to the floor, then fighting on the apron. Rico up top and stomps Flaco onto the apron. Flaco ducks Rico and leaps from the top rope, catching Rico with a cutter for the win at 7: 47.
Flaco puts over Rico and leads a Rico chant.
Match 2: As agreed to beforehand, this match will be contested under ICE NHB rules: John Wayne Murdoch vs. Sawyer Wreck. Ref Aaron Noyes.
Ring gets filled up with doors set up in corners, chairs, and other objects. Murdoch gets love from the crowd. Wreck spears Murdoch through a door in the opening seconds. Wreck head-butts a gusset plate into Murdoch’s head, color. Murdoch with skewers into the head of Wreck, color. Good flow by both. Skewers to the palm of Wreck. The crowd wants the bloodshed on all sides of the ring. Wreck plants JW on a chair for a near fall. Chair shots by Wreck, then a thumbtack cactus into the groin, then a chair shot onto the cactus, huge pop and near fall. JW with a staple gun and Wreck gets staples to the groin and chest. JW with a brain buster into the other door for a near fall. JW sets two chairs face to face, sets Wreck face down on them. He leaves and brings back a light tube bundle. The crowd shot their shot, but JW smashes the bundle as a FU to the crowd. Wreck catches him and chokeslams JW onto the chairs for the win at 5:52.
A brief pause to clear the ring of debris. Hensley plugs Futures showcase and Night 2.
Match 3: BK Westbrook vs. Michael Jackson. 20-minute time limit. Ref Kim.
BK won last year’s Futures which guaranteed him a spot in this year’s SCI and the crowd Despises him. New skewl vs. old School. Jackson says that BK is going to get butt whooping. BK controls the first several tie ups and slaps the chest of Jackson. A slap to the side of Jackson’s head and that sets Jackson off, with tosses and throws that send BK out of the ring. Jackson’s showing off moves that would be impressive for a 20 y/o and he’s in his 70’s. Jackson wants old school, but BK breaks it up before it starts. Arm drags by Jackson frustrates BK. Old School time; Jackson gets caught in a fireman’s carry and dumped throat first across the top rope. Sidewalk back breaker “He’s fallen and he can’t get up!” Only a two count. Crowd rallying to Jackson. BK wants to Old School and starts walking the ropes, but Jackson disrupts and BK crotches himself. Jackson can’t capitalize and eats a perfect drop kick to the face. Jackson almost school boys BK. Slam by BK but Jackson rolls away from a splash. BK on the floor and Jackson flies through the ropes for a cross body to the floor big pop. Old school time. Jackson gets through three sides and then clobbers BK to the head. 10 punches of doom by Jackson, BK stops it at 5, and maneuvers Jackson over and pins Jackson at 11:28 by grabbing the ropes.
The crowd gives Jackson the love as he leaves the ring.
Match 4: Adam Priest vs. Shazza McKenzie. 20 minutes Ref Kevin
Priest
is my over-all pick to win the SCI. Priest is playing nice and offering his hand, Shazza kicks it away. Priest gets in her face and we have some shoves. Priest sneaks in a headlock, Shazza trips him up and punishes Priest in the ropes and gets a 2-count. Priest doing heel things to Shazza’s face, then throws her out of the ring. 2-count by Shazza on a school boy, Priest takes her head off with a lariat. Slap at the face of Priest and Shazza start throwing strikes and sends Priest out of the ring. Shazza reverses a piledriver and back body drops Priest onto the floor. Priest gets pinned but he was in the ropes, so match continues. Priest takes a bump and lands hugely on the floor. Priest catches Shazza in the ropes and DDT’s her for the win at 8:29. The crowd was not happy with that.
Match 5: Suge D with MLW World Heavyweight Champion, Alex Kane vs. Jaden Newman. 20-minute, Ref Kim.
This match has a lot of TWE backstory, video promos were playing for the IWTV crowd. A pop for Kane when he came out with the title, but the crowd explodes for the 2022 SCI Champion, Newman. Suge tells Kane he has to do this by himself and asks Kane to leave. Suge starts throwing punches and kicks on Newman like Newman owed him money, Newman fires back with chops, then stomps. Belly to back by Suge and the action is on the floor. Suge targets the arm of Newman, ramming it into a support pole. Newman rams Suge’s head into the ring post. Looks like a head but by Newman and they are both knocked down. Suge slams Newman on the floor and grabs a ringside chair. Sets Newman in it, teasing a run at Newman but he eats the boot of Newman. Newman with a running dropkick from the apron on Suge. Teasing the 10-count here.
Back in the ring, Newman’s all over Suge, but Suge traps the arm in the ropes and puts in in a figure for type move. Suge rips the brace off of Newman and whips him with it. Arm submission on Newman, Suge gives it up to throw some strikes. Crowd urging on Newman, who lands some blows, but not effective. Another submission by Suge, Newman rolls him over. Both men throwing strikes, 10 minutes have passed. Trading chops at a furious pace. Knockout blows then Newman knocks Suge down, but can’t do anything.
Both men on knees, throwing strikes, getting to their feet. Buckle bombs by Suge and gets a near fall. Newman surprised Suge with a submission but couldn’t hold it with the arm. Suge pulls a knife from under the ring and starts cutting away the ring apron, canvas, and padding. Bad intentions are being planned for the final minutes of the match. The baseboard is exposed, Suge wants a piledrive but Newman send him over backwards. Newman up top but gets caught. 3 minutes remain. Fighting up top, Suge looking for a superplex, but Newman fights out. Suge again with the superplex and this time he gets Newman over and they both land on the plywood. Kim with the 10-count with the crowd calling for Newman. Kim gets to the 10-count and thus the match ends at 18:56. Both men are eliminated so the winner of the Night 2 Scramble will be entered. The air was sucked out of the room with that decision. Kim looked very upset that this happened. Literally, no winners in this match. Jaden still wants Suge, but is held back. We go to intermission with the crowd chanting Number 1
Intermission. The Skulk come out thinking they were entered into something. They parade around the ring, almost getting into fights with some crowd members. Scott asks if he announces that they win by forfeit, will they leave. The Skulk agree, so Scott says they win by forfeit. Great shit.
Match 6: The Good Doctor Landon Hale vs. ½ ACTION tag champ and representing Culture Inc. Eli Knight. Ref Kevin.
The returning Hale gets a bunch of love from the crowd and looks to be in great shape. Rivalry between these guys going over the years at SCI and ACTION. Things get chippy even before the bell rings and when it does the action is at 100% immediately. Hale’s bleeding from the back of the head after hitting the chair when Knight lands on him, heavy flow. Knight targets the back of Hale’s head and neck. Hale’s neck is coated in blood. The ref is checking on him. Hale’s fighting back and hits a back breaker for a 2-count. The crowd’s evenly split. Enziguri by Knight, knee by Hale. Hale pops up, Knight sends him back down with a reverse destroyer and Spanish fly. The ringside crowd is pounding on the ring apron. War of attrition now. And leverage, trying to get each other over. They land on the ring apron and knight suplexes hale onto the apron. Knight up top and moonsault lands for a 2-count. Knight sets up Hale again, but Hale meets him up top. Fireman’s carry by Hale, Knight fights out and lands a missile drop kick.
Hale catches Knight flying through the ropes and powerbombs him on the entrance ramp. Hale in the ring, the ref starts the count. Knight just makes it into the ring. Hale measures Knight and lands the SPO Driver for the win at 13:03.
Everyone’s pounding the ring apron for this match and these guys. Well deserved. Hale with a SPO armband. Hale’s promo needs to be watched. Hale offers his hand; Knight knocks it away and hugs him instead. Beautiful moment.
Hensley recaps the night 2 scramble.
Match 7: Noah Hossman vs. 1 Called Manders. Ref Gina.
Hoss fight, need I say more? The TWE home crowd HATES Hossman, giving him a Texas sucks chant. Manders gets the hero’s welcome. Bull of the woods battling it out: some people were yelling out big meaty men, slapping meat. Gunshot chop by Manders, that echoed. This leads to a chop fest. Hossman chops the back of Manders neck by mistake. He knows he messed up and takes the receipt. We now have a neck chop fest, but Hossman rakes the back instead. Ham hocks and other body parts are flying around the ring now, with Baby Hossy delivering as much punishment as he can to Manders, but can’t put him away. Manders wants all the smoke from Hossman, and Hossman obliges. Gut wrench attempts by both men, Manders getting the best of that. Stampede by Manders for a 2-count. Manders sets Hossman on the top turnbuckle, wants to do something but Hoss shoves him down and lands a splash for a 2 count. Slap fest turns into a lariat fest and both men get knocked down. 10-minute mark. Hoss traps the arms of Manders and starts head-butting him, ends up getting a 2-count. Hossman gets upset by that and turns around into the lariat from hell from Manders for the win at 12:00.
Manders offers his hand, Hossman shakes and raises the hand. Hossman gets some respect from the crowd tonight, but he still hates all of them.
Match 8: Timothy Thatcher vs. Tank with The Rev.
Thatcher specifically asked to face Tank in the first round and got what he wanted. Thatcher is also recovering from a concussion, I’ve been told. The Rev gets the crowd to scream with him. Rev launches into his legendary intro for Tank with the crowd yelling along. The match starts with Tank throwing hands and rocking Thatcher. Thatcher with euro uppercuts in response. Body shots by Tank, sending Thatcher down to the canvas. Tank with a single leg, Thatcher rubs the sole of the other foot into Tank’s forehead and this allows Thatcher to get some shots in. Tank bites Thatcher and chokes him on the ropes.
Tanks send Thatcher out of the ring and then Thatcher dodges Tank and tank hits the support pole. Thatcher bounces Tank’s head off the pole again and then wants Noyes to count Tank out. Tank’s bleeding; Thatcher starts dissecting Tank’s body parts, ending up trying to squeeze Tank’s brains out.
Tank gains his feet and wants everything from Thatcher. Tank weathers that and locks in a submission on Thatcher’s head, thatcher has to use his legs to reach the ropes. Tank with a Saito suplex and Thatcher just gets the shoulder up. Thatcher grabs the arm and trying to get an arm bar, but changes it up and traps one arm while pulling back on the other. Ref Noyes stops the match as Tank couldn’t get out, so Thatcher wins via ref stoppage at 9:15.
The crowd gives Tank the hometown love.
Second round matches are: BK vs Hale. Wreck vs. Manders. Night 2 scramble winner vs Flaco. Priest vs Thatcher.
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