Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling Relaunch -- McDonough on February 8

From Larry Goodman: After more than two decades, TCW made a triumphant return to action with a  television taping at the Nightmare Factory. ...

From Larry Goodman:

After more than two decades, TCW made a triumphant return to action with a television taping at the Nightmare Factory.

The talent lineup was a blend of Nightmare Training School students and alumni, major league stars (Matt Cardona, Ricky Starks and Carlie Bravo) and wrestlers from the original TCW. 

The inaugural Nightmare Factory Men's and Women's Champions were crowned (Adrian Ward and Angelica Risk). 

The event was free but seats had to be reserved in advance. Virtually all of the 170 seats were spoken for before Thursday. TCW could not have asked for a more enthusiastic crowd. They loudly embraced every segment of the show.

The Nightmare Factory has been converted into a state-of-the-art television studio environment. A lot of money and hard work have been invested here. It would be unfair to compare the production values to any  Georgia indy building because what TCW has blows them all away. The lighting and sound was stellar: shot  with four broadcast quality television cameras, four-time GWH Commentators of the Year, Brandon Benefield and Gerard Bonner brought in as the broadcast team. The video packages presented for the Nightmare Factory competitors were uniformly outstanding. 

A return date was not announced. The show will be edited this coming week. Where it goes from there has not yet been determined.

This was a TV style presentation, much like the Deep South tapings that emanated from McDonough during DSW's run as WWE developmental territory (2005-2007) -- matches in the 4-8 minute range, running time of two hours.

Dark Match: KJ Impala & Dylan Lesynd defeated Jimmy Wild & Shawn Moore in 4:38. Lesynd pinned Moore with a diving clothesline.

The taping opened with a stand up with Benefield and Bonner at ringside.

Turnbuckle EVP Teil Rhodes (Cody's sister) addressed the crowd to open the show. Teel said it was an honor and privilege to reintroduce TCW in her home state.

An introductory/history video (by Dylan Frymyer) included a brief clip from episode one of the original TCW featuring Steven "The Truth" Prazak and footage of Dusty Rhodes. The original TCW taping was shot as a pilot for Turner South but never aired.

(1) Brady Booker defeated Elijah Drago (with Diamond Shiek) in 4:26. The match was preceded by video packages introducing both competitors. Drago is a Ukranian with an oiled up, cut physique right out of the 80s. Booker is the forrmer NXT Chase U guy. Booker won with a roll up after Drago missed a spinkick. 

Postmatch, Drago and Shiek put the boots to Booker. A surprise appearance of Ernest "The Cat" Miller got a big pop. Miller dumped Drago out of the ring and superkicked Shiek. The crowd ate it up. 

(2) Ricky Starks & Parker Li defeated Body Guy University (Jacked Jameson Ryan & Brandon Bullock) in 4:35. Jameson endeared himself to the crowd by calling hte morons and skinny idiots. Starks hit the RochambLi made a blind tag and pinned Bulloch with a quebrada.

(3) Carlie Bravo (with Shawn Dean) defeated Vary Morales in 4:43. Bravo also got the video package treatment. Best in ring of the show, faster paced, 50/50. Bravo looked and wrestled like a top level major league star.  His finishing sequence of four moves was excellence in execution.

Internet Champion Matt Cardona came to the ring in street clothes. Cardona said the worst time of his life was when he training in McDonough and he was only there because Cody flew him first class and paid him a lot of money. No way he was wrestling for the marks because nobody in the dressing room was on his level. By this point, Cardona was getting nuclear heat. 

Lesynd came to the ring. Cardona made fun of Lesynd's pajama pants and his hairy nipples.

Lesynd said Cardona had disrespected him, his people and his city and challenged him to a match. 

"NO!"  said Cardona.

Lesynd said Cardona was scared his wife was going to leave him and run back to the streets if he lost. Cardona told Lesynd he could have his match... 

(4) Dylan Lesynd defeated Internet Champion Matt Cardona in 8 seconds. Leysend surprised Cardona with a clothesline and pinned him clean. The place went nuts. A totally preposterous ending to an incredibly entertaining segment. 

(5) East Coast Outlaws  (Luke Sampson & Trevor Blackwell) defeated Supastarz (Tommy Mars & Nikki Eight) to win the Nightmare Tag Team Championship in 6:36. Mars took the hot tag and hit Ticket 2 Mars, an indescribably cool move. As Mars tried to suplex Blackwell into the ring, Sampson grabbed his leg and held on while Blackwell fell on top of Mars for the three count.

The video packages that preceded the women's title match were tremendously well done. They highlighted the friendship Hera and Risk formed doing the Nightmare camp together. Risk said she loved Hera but would beat her down to win the title.

(6) Anjelica Risk defeated Hyena Hera to become the inaugural Nightmare Women's Champion in 7:19. Hera has a great scowl. Risk has clearly been putting in the work over the last year. Risk pinned Hera with roll of the dice type move. 

The introductory video for Adrian Ward spotlighted his rough family background. which included his father stabbing his mother. Aaron  Solo was introduced via a video interview conducted by Lexi Nair and came across as a real asshole. Said Warden was adding a layer to his sob story. 

(7) Adrian Ward (aka Warden) defeated Aaron Solo to become the inaugural Nightmare Champion in 8:04. The videos did their job. Ward was over huge. Solo worked over the big man's leg. Ward won with a variation of a black hole slam. 

(8) QT Marshall and the TCW Originals (Glacier & Luther Biggs & Scotty Riggs) defeated Adam Priest & Owen Knight & Duncan Mitchell Avecilla & Sunny Daze (with Matt Griffin) in 12:20. ACTION CEO Griffin claimed to be repping the four brightest stars in wrestling today. The TCW Originals were given individual intros. Glacier got the special effects lighting. Marshall quipped the full Glacier entrance was not in the budget. Riggs entered to the old American Males music. Seeing Biggs smiling like a Cheshire cat blew my mind. 

Marshall is in the best shape of his career. QT in the ring with Priest was nice stuff. Riggs (age 52) showcased his athleticism with a dropkick. Glacier (age 59) broke out the martial arts chops. Daze kneed QT in the back to start the heat. DMA turned QT inside out with a clothesline.

 Biggs took the hot tag and the match quickly broke down with all eight men in the ring. Referee Santiago got knocked down. Griffin entered the fray with evil intent in mind. The lights went out...

Lights on and the Yetti, all 7-4 of him was in the ring. Yetti cleaned house and planted Griffin with a sky high choke slam for the pop of the night. Marshall gave Daze an RKO. Biggs dropped an elbow on Daze for the three count. 

Fun times. The TCW Originals were enjoying the hell out of it. The crowd showed nothing but love and appreciation for the Originals.

The loudest fan of the night received was presented with a king-sized TCW poster signed by all of the talents on the show.

NOTES: Paul Santa, Lewis Santiago and Austin were the referees...The ring announcer was Matt Gonzalvez, who did a fine job for his first time in the role...Multiple Cody Rhodes action figures were given away during the course of the evening...Rosario Grillo was helping out with the ticketing... Among those in the house: Buff Bagwell, Jen Holbrook, Chayn Male (who seems to be everywhere of late), Wrestling at Southern's Scott Barnett, former GPW promoter Darrell Morris, Southern Fried owner David Manders, and the Tapped Out Guys, Nick McDaniel and Myron Fancher