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Do not count this company out of anything.
An inexorable build is underway to the next peak.
300 or so at 405 Community Court.
Judais retained the Southern Fried Championship clean as clean can be over former champion Adrian Hawkins.
Nick Halen and David Manders have a thing for each other.
JBE is rife with dissension.
The future of Xavier Reyes as a pro wrestler appeared to be in doubt.
CT Keys was conspicuous by his absence.
Kelly Sexton is back in the mix and Southern Fried is better for it.
Happy Madness will be shooting for their third tag team championship on May 4.
Adam Vance and John Johnson on commentary. Rick Richards was the ring announcer. I could have sworn I saw Rick Page on the rover camera.
(1) Happy Madness (Sal Rinauro & Sunny Daze) defeated JBE (Hunter James & Tetchi Makuji with "Guiding Light" Triston Michaels & Dr. Joseph Brock) in 14:36 to become the number one contenders for the Southern Fried Tag Team Championship. Majuki and Daze uncharacteristically opened the match with hammerlocks and arm drags. Rinauro and James had a hoss fight. JBE isolated Daze. Rinauro took the tag and discombobulated JBE. James and Makuji collided. Makuji collapsed and headbutted James in the nuggets. Michaels and Brock argued. Michaels shook the ropes to crotch Rinauro. James brought Rinauro off the top with a brainbuster but Sal kicked out and Makuji inadvertenly elbow dropped James. Dr. Brock tried to throw his shoe to James and overshot the ring altogether. Rinauro retrieved the shoe. Referee Dee Byers conveniently kept his back turned while Rinauro clocked James with the shoe. Rinauro went on to pin James with the Jacob Time (basement flatliner).
JBE was in total disarray after the match.
A fun, well-worked opener. The against type role reversal sequence was refreshing and unexpected. I predict Happy Madness will become three time champions on May 4.
(2) Nick Halen (with Rob Adonis) defeated Jacob Ashworth via DQ in 8:08. While Halen kept referee Gavin occupied, Adonis shoved Ashworth into the post and rolled him back inside the ring. Halen went to the top rope for the elbow drop. Southern Fried owner David Manders sent Adonis into the post. Manders entered the ring. Halen bailed but Ashworth threw Halen back in. Manders caught Halen with two right jabs for the DQ. Manders was about to deliver the knockout blow when Adonis pulled Halen out of the ring.
Manders got a measure of revenge for the humiliating beating Halen gave him last month. Just wait, the best is yet to come in this feud for the annals of Southern Fried.
(3) Alexander Lev & Joey Hyder defeated ERC & Kyle Phillips in 6:06. Phillips and ERC showcased some nice teamwork until Lev and Hyder executed a double team hotshot on Phillips. Best move of heat was slingshot spear/russian leg sweep combo. ERC cleaned house with a vengeance. Lev took advantage of a blind tag. Hyder hit a reverse russian leg sweep on ERC and Lev pinned him.
Solid as a rock, short and sweet. All involved did themselves proud.
(4) Billy Buck defeated Aaron Dallas to retain the Classics Championship in 11:28. Lev took over from JJ on color commentary. Buck was laser focused. Dallas was hanging with the champion but showing frustration. Buck worked on the small of AD's back. Dallas cranked up his striking game. Buck answered in kind. Dallas with a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. Dallas with a top rope superplex but only able to drape an arm for a two count. Buck with a spinebuster for a near fall. Edge-o-matic by Dallas for a near fall. Dallas missed a high knee in the corner. Buck looked for the figure four but Dallas grabbed the ropes. Dallas got a near fall with a rising knee. Both men showed the effects of a punishing match. Dallas missed flying off the top and ate a Buckshot on the button from Buck.
Dallas gave Buck a run for his money in this back and forth match. What's not to love? Buck was on point. If you think Dallas winning most improved for 2023 was a fluke, look at his body of work in 2024 and think again.
From the announcer's table, "The faithful one" Lev challenged Buck to a title match on May 4. Meanwhile, The Wall" Tyler Stevens hit the ring to lay Buck out with a big boot. Stevens picked up the title belt and dropped it on Buck's body.
They're coming from all sides for Buck and the Classics Championship or was this an orchestrated attack as Vance suggested?
Xavier Reyes promo. Reyes was full on heart on his sleeve, true blue babyface. He and wife are expecting their second child but due to troubling symptoms, Reyes said cast doubt on his pro wrestling future pending a doctor's appointment this coming week.
Hunter James (with Triston glommed onto him) called Javi out for telling a sob story. Tetchi and Brock entered into the situation. It was clear all was not well in JBE. Reyes told James to get his balls out of Triston's purse and step in like real man. James teased and tantalized but ultimately would not get in the ring with Reyes,
A heat angle for sure. I have no knowledge regarding the realities of Javi's injury. The element of doubt felt real. I love quality ensemble work and this was that. Charismatic as he is, James is giving the fans no choice but to hate him.
(5) Southern Fried Women's Champion Crystal Rose (and 2022 Female Performer of the Year) & Matt Sells defeated 2023 GWH Female Performer of the Year Rose Gold & Nathaniel Vanderbilt in 7:21. Nice pop for Crystal's entrance. Crowd with nothing but grief for Vanderbilt and Gold. Sells and Crystal challenged them to a chicken fight but Vanderbilt was unable to lift Gold onto his shoulders. Gold was not happy with her man. Rat traps in stereo for the heels ensued. Crystal took heat. Fast forward, Sells hit the double shot on Vanderbilt and was looking for the palm strike. Gold booted Sells right in the face. Vanderbilt inadvertently superkicked his woman. Crystal with a stunner on Vanderbilt followed by a palm strike from Sells for the win.
Character driven entertainment. Southern Fried is making the best of a difficult proposition with the women's division.
JJ read a message from Rosario Grillo. It ended advising JJ to point towards the curtain where we found Kat choking out Kelly Sexton. Kelly was in sad shape. Southern Fried personnel were on the scene in no time flat. Todd was fuming. He went off on JJ at the announce desk and flipped Vance's hat off his head. JJ claimed innocence.
Great angle. I pooped for Todd flipping Vance's hat off his head.
(6) Judais defeated Adrian Hawkins in 13:42 to retain the Southern Fried Championship. Manders and Ashworth with steel chairs chase Approved out the side door. Lights out for Judais entrance. Judais pulled Hawkins out for an up close personal tour of the barricades.Anarchy head of security Rodney Hix took a chair away from Judais. What?? Hawkins with a belt shot. Hawkins on top early. Shout out to Seth Delay. The action spilled outside. Hawkins sent Judais into the ring post. Back inside, Hawkins tried for a top rope splash. Judais goozled him. Hawkins with two inside cradle near falls and into a crossface. Judais countered with one arm. Hawkins brought CT Keys' chain into the ring. How did that happen? Judais choke slammed Hawkins but Byers was too addled to count. Codebreaker by Hawkins but Judais rolled a shoulder at 2 and 7/8. The action spilled the apron, Judais speared Hawkins then give him another spear on the floor. A third spear in the ring for a big pop and it was over. Judais retains.
Wonderful to see two total pros going at it. Decisive win for Judais. And he still holds the tag team championship with Keys. Something has to give and something nefarious is going on.
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