It almost goes without saying that SHW 57 was a very good show. The same holds true all of Georgia's tp top tier promotions at this point. When you consider at the quality of in-ring talent and the people helping out backstage and in production, it really can't be any other way.
What was most interesting about 57 was what it portended for 2024. GM Gary Lamb said SHW is going to get their edge back. They sure have lots of irons in the fire.
The pacing of last night's show was excellent. They got the running time down to 2:15, which helps huge on a Friday night, especially going without an intermission.
Attendance at the Action Building was 352 at last count.
Joe Black defeated Judais in the match of the night but did not leave Canton as the SHW Champion.
The war between Hierarchy and End Game escalate. Kenway joined End Game for all of 2 hours.
Exotic Youth quit SHW after losing to Infantry in a first-rate tag match. That's EY's story and their sticking to it.
For high match quality, Najasism vs. Nick Halen and Ashton Starr vs. Movie Myk also fit the bill.
Pretty Empowered (represented by NWA Women's World Champion Kenzie Piage and Tag Team Champion Kylie Alexa/Paige) lost two matches but neither one was pinned.
The most badass women in the history of SHW, Reka Tehaka made a surprise return to join forces with former rival Dani Jordyn.
Movie Myk has evidently joined Hunter James as part of Triston Michaels' stable. Jake Roberts Legacy Champion Chip Day returned seeking revenge for the devastation James inflicted on him as Still Here 5.
Ring announcer Diana Michel introduced Lamb to get the show off to a rip roaring start.
Lamb it this 'twas the end of year five for SHW, a time of reflection. Things change. The greats keep chasing. The good get stale. He owed the fans an apology. SHW had raised the bar in Georgia wrestling but they had resting on their laurels. While the promotion in Augusta mimicked them, SHW had become complacent. Lamb said SHW was the best in the state but they had allowed the debate as to who was the best There would be no debate in 2024. He was going back to stirring shit up. Enjoy your awards. It's time for us to get our edge back.
Some things do not change. Five years into this and the SHW fans are up as they ever were for a Gary Lamb promo and this was vintage Gary. Lamb with his mojo back could only be good for Georgia wrestling. That said, what rabbits can SHW pull out of their hat for a fanbase that has seen so much?
EY's Cornelius Pepperbottom out to chants of "please don't talk". Pepp talked.conspiracy. Lamb replied don't disrespect me by sending out the low man on the totem pole. There was no conspiracy. "We just don't fucking like you." Seems Jake Roberts had called because he didn't like three against two in EY's tag match. He had an opponent for Pepp....a boxer.
Enter Anthony Agogo to reintroduce himself. Agogo said he was on his way to becoming a world championship boxer until one punch changed things and he was now blind in his left eye. Agogo said pro wrestling was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life and he was back to earn to people's respect.
Nice surprise. Good promo by Agogo to shift into babyface mode.
(1) Anthony Agogo defeated Cornelius Pepperbottom in 5:12. Agogo gae Pepp a pair of deadlift germans. Pepp kept going after Agogo's eye. Agogo kicked out of Pepp's Famouser and KOed him with a pop up punch for the three count.
This worked. Pepp going after the blind guy's eye was right in his wheelhouse.
Najasism's open challenge was answered by Kenway but overruled by End Game (Todd Sexton, CT Keys and Nick Halen). Sexton said he appreciated Kenway's fortitude and invited him to watch from ringside and learn.
Sexton is an intensely disliked individual in this building. That point is driven home every time he gets on the mic.
(2) Nick Halen (with Todd Sexton & CT Keys & Kenway??) defeated Najasism in 9:52. Naja confounded Halen with his blinding speed in the early going. Halen cooled Naja's jets with an STO and went to work. The crowd wasted no time getting behind Naja. Halen took a nasty looking whiplash into the middle turnbuckle. Looked serious and got a reaction but Halen was OK. Naja with a couple of delicious moves during during his comeback -- a slingshot stunner and a springboard split-legged moonsault.Naja kicked out of Halen's Gotch piledriver. Naja stunned Halen big time with a spinning heel kick. While Kenway distracted the ref, Keys drew Naja's attention and planted him on the ring apron. Naja was easy picking for Halen's Gamebreaker.
A nicely constructed, totally solid match that had the crowd engaged and had the kicker of the intrigue about Kenway. It was interesting seeing Halen as the larger man on the heels of his match with Judais.
Coven of the Goat video. The Rev was flanked by Tank and Nathan Mowery. Rev said Mowery was more than an innocent cameraman. Mowery had learned his craft as a deathmatch wrestler under Tank and was ready to be unleashed onto the world. SHW's tag team division would never be the same. Happy Madness had Coven's revenge in their future.
Another great promo from the Rev -- that voice, his meaning clear as a bell and no wasted words.
(3) Rob Killjoy defeated Alexander Lev in 6:52. Killjoy almost pinned Lev in the first 15 seconds. Lev got grief for his Messiah declaration. Fast forward -- Killjoy hit an Asai moonsault. Lev gave Killjoy a russian legsweep into the barricade and Cody Fluffman strolled up to the barricade with a plate full of food. Lev started jawing at Fluff who shoved the food in Lev's face. Killjoy then pinned Lev with a slingshot sunset flip.
Fluff said it looked like Lev needed some humble pie. It will be Fluff vs. Lev on January 5 and Fluff's gonnna do what he does best -- EAT!
Killjoy likes a fast pace with complex sequences. Lev got lost a couple of time but the match was fine because they kept it short. The angle with Fluffman was what mattered and that got over.
A video recapped the Movie Myk/Ashton Starr feud.
(4) Movie Myk defeated Ashton Starr in a Petty Party Rules Match (9:00). . A harcdcore match with a Christmas theme. Of course Paul Santa was the ref. Starr chased Myk around the ring brandishing a Christmas tree wrapped around a cardboard roll. That did not end well for Ashton. Myk set a seasonally-decorated piece of plywood across the top rope in the corner. He gave Starr a buckle bomb onto the plywood. They got into Star Wars light saber battle, Myk using a cardboard roll candy cane and Starr with his Christmas tree. Ain't nobody getting hurt by those weapons. Myk gave Starr a candy cane up the ying yang. Starr did a moonsault with the Christmas tree and dumped a Santa's gift bag full of Legos onto the mat but he never got to use them. As Starr ascended to the top rope, Michaels ran to ringside and dumped him off. Myk pinned Starr with a great looking finisher - starts like a flatliner and ends with a DDT.
This seasonal gimmick match hit all the right notes. More fun than violent and thoroughly entertaining.
Michaels had a present for Myk...his movie slate.
ACTION CEO Matt Griffin appeared on a live video feed from the ACTION show in Tyrone. The camera cut to a wrestler laid out on the floor (Tyler Stevens I believe) the cut to Krule standing behind Griffin. The feed cut off.
An interesting way integrate the ACTION storyline into the show but difficult to tell how well it's connecting in Canton.
(5) Dani Jordyn defeated Kylie Alexa/Paige via DQ in 2:24 when NWA Women's World Champion Kenzie Paige interfered. Back and forth pin attempts. Kenzie was on commentary prior to interfering.
The highlight here was Dani's Jingle Bells introduction complete with onstage dancing and Christmas inspired gear.
The Paige sisters were putting the boots to Dani when Reka Tehaka made her grand return. The people in my section were on their feet to see her.
Brandon Benefield received one of those miraculously time phone call from Commissioner Jake Roberts ordering a tag match.
(6) Dani Jordyn & Reka Tehaka defeated Kenzie Paige & Kylie Alexa/Paige via count out in 5:07. Tehaka woman handled the Paige sisters. Kenzie clipped Tehaka's knee and the heels got heat on her. Kylie kicked Tehaka right in the face. Out of all four women being down, the Paige sisters were in trouble so Pretty Security got in the ring while they bailed out. Jordyn and Tehaka played ping pong with security boy and laid him out with a pair of Samoan Drops while the Paige sisters took a powder.
A talent like Tehaka is a great get for SHW. It will be interesting to see where this goes with Jordyn and Tehaka both on the babyface side. Will it stay that way?? Booking Pretty Empowered is problematic. As NWA champions, they can't lose clean, so their value is limited unless the promotion believes the NWA holds some allure. God only knows what that could be at this point.
A Happy Madness video was shown the big screen.
This show was another reminder that no promotion in the state can touch SHW when it comes to video production and presentation.
(7) Hunter James defeated Hunter Drake in 7:47. Drake foiled James attempt for the brainbuster and hit some great moves, most notably a moonsault while standing on James' back, a springboard Code Red and tree of woe top rope double stomp. After James got a near fall with the PPS, a dueling chant erupted but all for James - "Let's go Hunter/Hunter sucks". In the end, James got his knees up on Drake's 450 and pinned him with the brainbuster.
I hated this not because the work was bad. Drake's stuff was crisp and innovative and he worked his ass off trying to get the crowd behind him no way the SHW fans could buy he was beating James. The size difference was ridiculous. Drake got 2/3 of the offense which made James look weak and James is the guy programmed with the Legacy Champion.
A Chip Day video played. Triston Michaels came onstage laughing, then started pointing in a panic but it was too late. Day attacked from behind. He nailed James with a tornado kick and tried for the brainsbuster but Movie Myk pulled James out of the ring.
Movie Myk and Hollywood Hunter, makes sense I guess.
(8) ROH's The Infantry (Carlie Bravo & Shawn Dean) defeated Exotic Youth (Zach Mosley & Bryce Cannon) in 12:55. They didn't wait for the bell to start brawling. Infantry was wearing EY out. Dean messed with Cannon's Tip. EY hotshooted Dean to start the heat. Dean. Bravo cleaned house. Cannon kicked out of stomps in stereo from Infantry. Pepp came to ringside with a fraternity paddle to cause distraction. Meanwhile, Cannon wacked Dean with a second paddle for a major false finish. Bravo hit the scissors kick on Cannon and Dean absolutely wasted Bryce with a The Deal (tiger driver into a backbreaker) but Mosley made the save. Pepp tried to help out and superkicked Mosley by mistake. Infantry hit their boot the face/russian leg sweep combo and Dean pinned Cannon.
Really good. Two well-oiled tag team machines going at it. The match quality bolstered EY's conspiracy theory. Unsurprisingly, Bravo came across with major league star presence.
Mosley went off on the mic, airing EY's grievances and spouting his conspiracy claim. He said Roberts was a puppet. The real bitch was Lamb, who had it in for them because they embarrassed his ass long ago. EY produced instant classics and should be wrestling for the tag team championship but Gary's ego was in the way.
"Exotic Youth doesn't need Gary or the fans. "F*** SHW! We quit!"
A fiery, shooty diatribe from Mosley no doubt. Me thinks he doth protest too much.
(9) Joe Black (with Murder One) defeated SHW Champion Judias (with Todd Sexton & CT Keys & Nick Halen) via DQ in 11:15. The Hierarchy's snow blown entrance was a cool visual. The match opened with a series of intense lock ups. The crowd was chanting for Joe. Black popped up after taking a big boot. Judais went for a choke slam and Black countered with a crossface. That looked great. The actions spilled outside where Judais wore Black with the barricade. Murder was holding a chair to fend off Sexton and Keys. Back inside, Black apppeared to be out of ammunition. Black evaded Judais' mad charge into the corner and fired up with stiff chops building to a chop that put Judais down. Judais took another shot at the choke slam. Black again countered into the crossface. Halen and Keys took out Murder One. Referee David Weakley got knocked down. Black speared Judais with no ref to make the count. End Game was all over Black. Halen missed with a top rope elbow. Black speared him and clotheslined Sexton over the top rope. Black applied the crossface using Judais' chain. Referee Paul Santa hit the ring and called for the bell and Michel announced Black as the new champion.
Pandemonium ensued as Sexton argued that Judais' foot was under the ropes. Weakley was waving off the decision. The match was restarted. Judais clocked Black with the chain right in front of the ref for the DQ.
This match had heat and the best heel/babyface dynamic of the night. Like the Halen/Judais match at SFCW Thanksgiving, the size difference did not pose a credibility problem due to superior skill level of the competitors. All the moving parts meshed. End Game menacing Murder and his reactions to them added another level of intensity.
End Game had Black right where they wanted him when Kenway hit the ring with a steel chair. He waffled Halen's back with a chair shot. Black clotheslined Judais out of the ring. The show ended with Hierarchy (Black, Murder and Kenway) standing tall while End Game backed down and the crowd chanting "Joe! Joe! Joe!"
The night ended where it should have -- the top feud front and center. End Game with the numbers but Kenway back where he belongs with Hierarchy.
NOTES: David Weakley, Paul Santa and Jeremie Prater were the referees...Zander Seabolt and Kat Spencer worked production...Brandon Benefield and Gerard Bonner was the intrepid announce team...Rick Michaels was helping out backstage.
