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| Photo by Paxton Jones |
Anarchy Wrestling made their long awaited debut at the Royston Dome with the 26th rendition of this storied event.
The official paid attendance was 292 in a building that was like an oven on a 95 degree day. The crowd reacted positively to many things but there was no sustained heat ...until they caught fire in response to the explosive angle that closed the show.
Shane Marx defeated Nick Halen in a steel cage match to win the Anarchy Heavyweight Championship, thanks to Matt Hankins. But that was just the beginning. A bloody, battered Halen was chained to the cage and unmercifully abused by Undeniable. Panic set in as the babyfaces tried to rescue Halen but could not get inside the cage until bolt cutters were used. It was the kind of angle that sticks with people and brings them back for more.
The dog collar match between Five Star MVP Champion Alexander Lev and Colby Corino was everything it needed to be, a violent, double juice fight that literally ended with fireworks.
Everyone on the roster worked hard under difficult conditions. The crowd hung in to the end despite the heat and were richly rewarded and/or pissed off.
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| Photo by Kale Steed |
The Hardcore Hell show was by no means a one shot deal. A return date for July 27 was announced with more appearances by NWA talent. The current plan is for Anarchy to run the Royston Dome on the fourth Saturday of every month.
Major improvements have been made to the old Pops Horton Gym, the home for APW for . Anarchy Wrestling's entrance way and barricades have been added. The Royston Dome now has live streaming capability, which was tested out at the SCA show Friday night.
Anarchy owner Adrian Locklear, matchmaker John Johnson and Royston Dome business manager Jonathan Feltner opened the show with Landmark Heritage Champion Jacob Ashworth. With Landmark Arena sadly a thing of the past, the Landmark title was retired and replaced by the Georgia Heritage Championship.
The show opened with a video package set to "Halfway to Hell", highlighting the cage match and the dog collar match.
(1) Stevie Ray Frost won the Georgia Heritage Battle Royal in 8:18. Kenway, Pat Roach, Kyle Phillips, Lucas DeSilva, Chop Top, Caleb Crocker, Jerry Nelms and Joey Hyder were in there. Five of the participants were unfamiliar to me. Adrian Hawkins and James Boulevard received special introductions. A bunch of wrestlers ganged up on Roach to get him out. Kenway, Hawkins and Hyder were the final four in the in the ring while Frost lurked on the floor. After a half and half suplex from Kenway, Hyder was history. Frost pulled Kenway off the apron to eliminate him. Boulevard sent Frost over the top but he landed on the ring steps. Boulevard pulled the ropes down and spilled Hawkins to the floor for the apparent win. Frost sneaked up behind Boulevard and tossed him out.
Your typical battle royal, nothing more, nothing less.
(2) Scott Mayson defeated The Warden in 7:30. Mayson is a deceivingly large man, every bit as big as Warden, maybe a little taller. They brawled to a double count out at 1:20. Crowd booed. Matchmaker JJ said no way and made it a no DQ, no count out, falls count anywhere match. Crowd cheered. Mayson powerbombed Warden through a table and pinned him on the floor.
Fine for what it was. Mayson figures to be in for push on the babyface side.
A video opened with Nick Halen and Billy Buck talking in the ring before the show. Matt Hankins and Shane Marx entered the scene. This segued into Marx cutting a great promo on Halen. Halen was being called the best but he hadn't wrestled the best, namely Shane Marx. Halen said the what ifs were over, he was all in for the cage match.
The audio was problematic. Marx was so phenomenal with his facial expressions and building intensity that it was great without knowing all the verbiage.
(3) Billy Buck's Open Challenge: Geter defeated Buck in 8:20. Buck got off to a fast start. Geter's belly to belly suplex took all the wind out his sails. Geter turned the crowd against him with his tactics and attitude. Buck hit the Buckshot (superkick). Geter would not go down but did fall through the ropes. Buck somehow managed to get the 400+ pound Geter back into the ring for a second Buckshot attempt. That failed to connect and Geter pinned Buck with a jumping splash.
Geter's surprise appearance received the first big pop of the night. The former Anarchy Champion figures to be a force to be reckoned with going forward.
(4) Hunter James defeated Chip Day in 12:46 Day outwrestled James in the early going. James got a"crybaby" chant. It was James who used the Rave STO on the apron. Day kicked out of Hunter's hammerlock lariat and got a "let's go Chip" chant. A see battle unfolded. James did the AJ Styles moonsault into the inverted DDT. Day hit a tornado DDT but James got his feet into the ropes. Day went to the top rope. James pulled ref on top of him to prevent Day from stomping him to death, then upended Day and beat him with a brainbuster.
To the surprise of no one, they had the best wrestling match of the night.
(5) Alexander Lev (with Joey Hyder) defeated Colby Corino in a Dog Collar match to retain the 5 Star MVP Championship (14:37). Lev told Corino he would have to go through Joey to get a match with him. Lev screwed up and clotheslined Hyder. Corino hit a flip dive on both of them. So much for Hyder. Lev took a piledriver in the opening minute and barely kicked out before the three count. Corino took a chain shot to head and came up bleeding. Lev pounded the cut and smeared the blood on his chest. Corino fired up and wanted Lev to hit him harder. Lev obliged. Corino gave Lev a piledriver on the ring steps. Lev bled after getting punched with the chain. Corino wrapped the chain around his elbow for a top rope elbow drop. Lev kicked out. Hyder's attempt to interfere and Lev capitalized with a Liger bomb. Corino hit the Colby Clash. The violence culminated in Corino whacking Lev on the back with a bat lined with fireworks. Crowd loved that. Lev low-blowed Corino and pinned him with a pedigree.
Big round of applause for Corino after the match.
These guys worked their asses off and On a night with a more normal temperature in the building, I think the crowd would have been going nuts for this match.
(6) Dark City Violence Connection (Murder One & Joe Black) defeated G-Rated (Sal Rinauro & Seth Delay) to win the Anarchy Tag Team Championship in 10:39. Sal befuddled Murder One with his unorthodox offense. Delays' Code Red got a reaction. G-Rated, however, suffered two costly collisions. Sal took punishment. When Sal was finally able to get to his corner, Delay walked out on him. Black pinned Rinauro after the DCVC assisted senton.
Delay's walk out and the ensuing title switch came as a surprise. A feud between Delay and Sal would be a natural.
(7) Jacob Ashworth defeated Stevie Ray Frost to retain the Georgia Heritage Championship in 5:38. Ashworth went to work on Frost's shoulder. Frost cheated his way to the advantage, cut off Ashworth's comeback and splashed him off the top rope. Ashworth kicked out and pinned Frost with Ashes to Ashes.
Not much to it. Ashworth is a popular champion. He lives in Royston and started his career in this building 19 years ago.
The debut of Pastor Donald Jaykes. Jaykes, tambourine and all, said the light from the lord was shining down on Frost. He had backslid into inequity and his salvation depended on becoming Jaykes' disciple. There was no way Frost could resist.
The fans in Royston didn't seem to know what to make of Jaykes. It will be interesting to see how the Pastor's ministry progresses.
Intermission to set up the cage.
(8) Shane Marx (with Matt Hankins) defeated Nick Halen in a steel cage match to become a two-time Anarchy Heavyweight Champion in 19:22. Halen bled heavily after getting catapulted into the cage. Marx dominated. Halen got almost no sustained offense. Dee Byers got knocked down. Halen's missile dropkick drove Marx into the fence and his Gamebreaker was good for a visual fall as Anarchy owner Locklear and second referee Nicky Hyde entered the cage and get Byers out of there. Halen went to cage door to call the Hyde back to the ring. Hankins slammed the cage door on Halen's head. Marx draped one arm over Halen and Nicky made the three count.
This was really good match that built into something special. I'm so used to seeing Halen as a heel nowadays, I had lost sight of how awesome he is as a babyface. Marx excels getting the most out of everything he does.
Postmatch, Halen went after Hankin inside the cage. Brian Blaze hit the ring and blasted Halen with a chain. Halen took a belt shot. He was leaking worse now. The cage door was locked. Undeniable had Halen chained to the fence.
The crowd was freaking out. Ashworth, Mayson and Buck ran down to the cage but couldn't get inside. Buck got bolt cutter and cut the lock off. The babyface poured in into the cage to unchain Halen. Halen collapsed to the mat. The crowd was pissed, especially at Hankins. Halen was eventually able to leave under his own power.
This was a wild, frrenzied scene that had big time heat.
NOTES: Anarchy returns to the Royston Dome on July 27 with NWA stars Aaron Stevens and Thom Latimer announced...Jason Boyd was the ring annouoncer...Michael Gentry and Blake Blackwell were the broadcast team... Amarillo area sports reporter Kale Steed attended his first Georgia wrestling show and had a blast...I had the pleasure of sitting with with Tapped Out Podcast guy Myron Fancher who kept me entertained...Georgia Outlaw Wrestling promoter Billy Bell was in the house.
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