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| Photos by Bob McAteer |
ACTION Wrestling's debut show at the Line Creek Brewing Bus Barn was a success on every level.
The original plan was to run a smaller venue where seating would have been limited to 100. Things changed. The show drew SRO 200+ at the brewery.
Fast-paced, high energy, family-friendly, alcohol being served on a Friday night in downtown Fayetteville. How could they go wrong?
The run time was limited to an hour and 45 minutes of action plus and intermission. There was zero opportunity for a crowd that was not the ACTION hardcores to get tired or bored.
Watching the video made me feel like I missed something special by not being there live.
For you IWTV subscribers, I highly recommend the video. Dylan Hales and John Mosley rode the wave on commentary. Hales is alway good on play-by-play and I've become a big fan of Mose's work.
Manders defeated Rob Killjoy and Brayden Toon and Nick Iggy and Anakin Murphy and Bobby Flaco in a six person scramble match in 8:08. Mose -- multiple doses of ambien and wine, The truth about Nick Iggy -- fuckin' asshole. A ridiculous 6 way submission incorporated referee Anthony Rivera, who stunned the entire line. Toon tried an Alabaman version of hulking up against Manders. Flaco hit a Canadian Destroyer on Killjoy. Manders border tossed Flaco over the top rope and pinned Murphy with a lariat.
Manders being part of it elevated the match. Killjoy is always an asset in a scramble. Fun seeing Iggy again. I had a flashback to his early match in Nashville after being trained by Reno Riggins.
Inspired matchmaking. Surprising to see Daze go over but absolutely the right call IMO.
Daze had a dust up with Big Dave after the match.
A match I want to see. I was not a fan of either one of them first time I saw them. Love 'em both now.
(3) Kody Manhorn defeated the debuting Hunter Drake in 5:30. Manhorn hit a superplex to set up what looked like a running back elbow for the win.
ACTION CEO Matt Griffin honored Veteran's Day and toasted the birthday of the Marine Corp with fellow Marine Manhorn. As they knelt in the ring, Griffin thanked Manhorn and said he was proud of him.
A poignant interlude in an otherwise ultra rowdy night.
(4) Krule defeated Tyler Stevens (with Suge D) in 7:24. Suge introed Stevens as the biggest, the baddest and yes, the most beauitful man in ACTION. Krule was the past. Stevens is the present and the future.
They slugged it out with neither one giving ground. As the brawled outside the ring, Darry Hall threatened to count them out and they both reached up and collared him. Back inside, they popped right up after taking each other's power moves. Krule finally put Stevens down with a big boot and signaled for the choke slam. Suge got on the apron to provide a distraction. Stevens hit a Death Valley Driver for a close near fall. For he finish, Stevens went for his swinging side slam and Krule countered with Scorched Earth.
Two guys theirs size going at it was a spectacle. I hope they run this one back.
Suge D was poised to blindside Krule with a belt shot but the monster turned around and caught Suge red handed. Suge didn't realize Matt Sells was in the ring behind him waiting with a stunner. Sells gave Krule what was left of his beer.
(5) Rico Gonzalez defeated Adrian Alanis in 10:14. Several minutes of craziness outside the ring before the bell. Gonzalez refused to give an inch to the much larger Alanis. Gonzalez hit a missile tope. Rico kicked out of Alanis' Tiger Driver and slipped out his Closing Time finisher. In the end, Rico flattened Alanis on the apron with a top rope double stomp and rolled him into the ring for the 1-2-3. Crowd pounded the mat in approval.
Really good match. They worked their asses off and very effectively worked around the size difference.
(6) Brandon Kirk defeated ACTION World Champion Adam Priest by disqualification in 7:26. New Jersey hate from the crowd before the bell. Priest said Go Dawgs, anything is better than Jersey. First big spot was Kirk backdropping Priest on the apron and saving the chandelier at the same time. Kirk slid a door into the ring. As referee Hall was getting rid of the door, Kirk cracked Priest in the head with a chair shot. Moments later, Priest DDTed Kirk onto the chair. Hall did see that and DQed Priest.
Kirk tried to leave with the belt. ACTION CEO Matt Griffin intervened and ordered the match restarted with no DQ. This seemed to be playing right into the hands of the former ICW American Deathmatch Champion.
(7) Adam Priest defeated Brandon Kirk to retain the ACTION World Championship in a no DQ match (8:31). Kirk immediately brained Priest with a belt shot. The action spilled outside where a "fan" was inadvertently kicked in the face by Kirk. Back inside, Priest countered Kirk's Psycho Driver with a piledriver but Kirk kicked out. As Kirk was set to deliver a Psycho Driver through a steel coffin of chairs, he was stunned by the appearance of Krule on the apron. Priest tried blast Kirk with a chair and hit Krule by mistake. Kirk cracked Krule over the head with a second chairshot. Priest came off the top rope with a third chairshot and Krule went down on the apron. Kirk gave Priest a low blow and set two doors across the steel coffin of chairs. But this did not end well for Kirk, as Priest put Kirk through the doors with an avalanche DDT to retain the title.
I loved this -- the wild intensity of the action with crowd super close to the action and eating it all up. Great story for those in the know, circling back to Krule's past with both competitors. Priest's versatility as a pro wrestling is mind boggling.
Krule was attacked by Tyler Stevens and Suge D after the match. Priest dove out of the ring onto Stevens and Suge to break it up. Krule and Priest stared each other down from a distance to close out the show.
