From Duke Ingraham: “I was walking among the fires of Hell, delighted with the enjoyments of Genius; which to Angels look like torment and i...
From Duke Ingraham:
“I was walking among the fires of Hell, delighted with the enjoyments of Genius; which to Angels look like torment and insanity.”
-William Blake
*This will be a 2 part report with the second part coming in the next few days. This part is a summary of the show. Part 2 will be much more impressionistic, where I will dive into the events that took place and what they mean for the future. (Part 2 will also feature many more pictures.)
For 24 years Hardcore Hell stood as the pinnacle show in Georgia. Stories of legends, folklore, violence, humility and triumph echoed inside that old school house in Cornelia known as The Landmark Arena. It was the stage everyone desired to perform on. It was the event that made careers and shortened others. But for everyone involved, in some way or another, Hardcore Hell was a rite of passage.
However in January of this year it appeared that the flames of Hell would finally be extinguished. Anarchy Wrestling had lost the Landmark arena. As Anarchy celebrated winning “Show of the Year” for Hardcore Hell 24 at The Georgia Wrestling History Awards, it was announced that there would be no Hardcore Hell 25. It was a somber announcement for sure, but one that only made the “Show of the Year” award that much more meaningful.
Then for months, radio silence for Anarchy. Rumors would begin to pop up of a new building, or a reunion show, but nothing could ever be confirmed. Little did we know that the powers that be at Anarchy were busy behind the scene. As the wrestling community waited, they were at work. The team knew there needed to be at least one more Hardcore Hell. They needed it, the roster needed it, and most importantly the Anarchy fans needed it as many were still looking for a sense of closure from the Landmark Arena shutting its doors. After a potential location fell through it was Gary Lamb and the people of The Action Building in Canton that opened their doors so that the flames of hell could burn again.
It might not have been Cornelia, It might not have been The Landmark Arena, but make no mistakes about it Hardcore Hell 25 was EVERYTHING one could desire. And for many involved this may have just been their biggest rite of passage of their career.
For the slightly over 300 fans in attendance it was more than just a wrestling show. It was a celebration, it was a party, but most of all it was a reunion. Fans who had not seen each other in 9 months were all of a sudden reunited as it was as if no time had passed it all. The atmosphere preceding the show was unlike anything I have ever been around at an independent wrestling show. It is honestly hard to put into words. People were just flat out HAPPY. Folks smiling, people dancing, everyone anticipating the return of Anarchy. The only other atmosphere that I have been around recently that even comes close to this is Classic City, and that atmosphere involves alcohol.
-Jacob Ashwoth claimed the Landmark Heritage Championship when he stood victorious after a chaotic, bloody and viciously violent main event inside the steel cage featuring Azrael, Hunter James, Billy Buck, Scott Mayson, Alexander Lev, Warden, and Curtis Coleman.
-Nick Halen pulled off the upset of the night, defeating Geter and winning his first Anarchy Heavyweight Championship.
-Judais and Nick Aldis brawled in a match I can only describe as “stiff”. In the end however it was Judais channeling his inner “Eddie Guerrero''to pick up the victory by DQ.
-Najasism retained the Five Star MVP Championship over Chip Day in an exciting back and forth match that had the fans begging for more.
-Matt Hankins returned to the ring and teamed with The Undeniable to win the Anarchy Tag Team Championships of The Grappers and Xander Seabolt in a perverse and bloody no disqualification match.
-Sal Rinauro defeated Todd Sexton in a great technical matchup with Sunny Daze as the special guest referee. With the win Sal is now the official co Southern Fried Tag Team Champion with Sunny.
-Kenzie Paige successfully retained her NWA Women’s Champion in one of the better women’s matches you will see in Georgia.
-Adrian Hawkins won the Hardcore Hell Battle Royal. The participants were Hawkins, David Ali, Mr. Delicious, Marcus Adams, Will Kaution, David Manders, Sean Nelson, Jazar (Brother Azrael), Benni Bacardi, Chris Nelms, Jerry Nelms, Pat Roach, Hunter Drake, Kyle Phillips, Jaxon Carter, and Jay Shaw.
-After the battle royal David Ali issued a challenge to Hawkins which was accepted and was quickly won by Ali.
-The highlight of the rumble was Dr. Delicious reading off a list of Hardcore Hell facts during the match. I will be including a full list of the facts in part 2 of the report.
-Hunter James opened the show and successfully defended the Heritage Championship over the returning Seth Delay in what some people are calling the show stealer. After the match James was informed he would have to defend the title again, this time in the main event “Azrael’s Steel Cage of Violence Gauntlet Match.”
The referees for the event were Dee Byers, Darryl Hall, David Weakly and Matthew Daniel. Kevin Hensley was the ring announcer with John “The Body” Johnson and Michael Gentry and commentary. The show featured several video tributes to Hardcore Hell from wrestling superstars including: A.J. Styles, Matt Cardona, Kenny Omega, Matt Hardy, and MJF. The show also featured appearances from commissioner Michael O’Rourk, and new Anarchy owner Andrian Locklear.
Hardcore Hell will be available from steaming on demand soon. Stay tuned to Anarchy’s Facebook for the exact date. It was announced that Anarchy will make their full return in December.
Hardcore Hell 25 was something special. It was a crowd that aligned under the perfect circumstances, it was a roster exploding to perform on that stage, and an Anarchy team overcoming the odds to present something that means more to some people that words can describe.
TO BE CONTINUED.......
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