Photo courtesy of ProSouth |
From Larry Goodman:
Never known to shy away from controversy, ProSouth Wrestling found themselves embroiled in it with the booking of Mike Quackenbush.
Quackenbush, 48, has been semi-retired as an in-ring competitor since the 2020 Speaking Out movement when allegations of inappropriate conduct and language emerged regarding Quackenbush's behavior at his training school.
Quack's role as one of Ace Haven's mentors was the driving force behind the main event of this episode -- Team Quackenbush vs. Team Ace Haven.
The livestream set the company record for YouTube viewership. A power outage messed up the early part of the stream but all was well by the time the main event got into the ring.
The World Is Ours, billed as the first all LGBTQ show in the state of Alabama, scheduled for the ProSouth Palace tonight, was postoned on Wednesday. No reason for the postponement by promoter Bobcat (Jason Kalil Biles) but the timing was inescapable, as it coincided with negative comments on social media regarding Quackenbush's appearance for ProSouth.
Bobcat's return to ProSouth after a period of absence was featured on ProSouth's show last week.. He has not responded to GWH's request for comment on cancelation of The World Is Ours.
The Tipping Point interview with Mike Quackenbush conducted by Stephen Platinum and Ace Haven
But what really caused ProSouth's earth to quake last night was the astonishing departure of "Champion of Champions" Dameon Ceretone, a stalwart of ProSouth Wrestling throughout his 17 year career. Out of the blue, Ceretone put his career on the line in a match with Kay Jay Impala and lost.
Quack pinned Ace to win the match for his team due to outside interference by Ace's son, Trace who has fallen under the evil spell of Shean Christopher. After the match, Ace announced his epic feud with Christopher would end once and for all with a Hell in Cell match on August 30 at Uprising.
ProSouth is going for broke at Uprising, which is setting up as ProSouth's show of the year and an extravaganza of violence. The Hell in the Cell will be the first match of that type done on an independent level anywhere in the Southeast. A House of 10,000 Thumbtacks match was also announced last night, along with the previously announced casket match and a no ropes kumite match.
In other news, ProSouth has new tag team champions regular viewers knew nothing about until last night and still has two ProSouth Champions.
The nearly award winning Wicked Nemesis and Mathias Darkthorne were in the commentation station. Ft. Worth and Joe Wood were the referees. Joseph Void was the ring announcer. Katie Lindsey is becoming an excellent videographer.
YouTube Champion Caeden Ooten and Harley Haven entered the ring to open the show. Ooten apologized to Harley for not trusting her. He admitted she was right the entire time. Her plan was working. They were on top and they were going to stay there. Ooten handed the mic to Harley but before she could utter a word...
I'm a big fan of Ooten's uniquely Alabamian promo style. He let's it flow.
Cameron Keast appeared. Keast revealed Ooten's secret meeting with Amy Haven to request a specific match -- Keast for the YouTube Championship with the stipulation that if Ooten wins, Cam is permanently expelled from House of Harley. Keast evidently gets to name his own stipulation -- House of 10,000 Thumbtacks.
Keast noted the complication: if he won the match, he would be YouTube Champion AND still be stuck in House of Harley with Ooten. Keast also pointed out the irony that he was only able to accept the match due to his one night of freedom from Harley.
Keast is usually gold on the mic. This was that.
(1) Aaron Dallas defeated All-Out Champion Ayden Andrews to retain the ProSouth Championship (6 minutes aired). Andrews mule kicked Dallas in the groin behind the ref's back and delivered Stamp of Atonement. Andrews covered but Dallas got a foot over the ropes. The appearance of All-Out number one contender Brother Azriel in the entrance way distracted Andrews and he ate a Steel Toe from Dallas.
Perfectly fine for a the Cliff notes version of a title match.
Ceretone put his career on the line during a section of the show that did not air on the livestream.
(2) Kay Jay Impala defeated Dameon Ceretone to retain "The Real" ProSouth Championship (time unknown). Only the last three minutes aired due to streaming issues. Ceretone was looking for Sleep the Deep. Impala reversed Ceretone's finisher with a sitout choke slam and pinned him clean.
After the match, Ceretone snatched the belt out of referee Ft. Worth's hands and postured like he was going to clock Impala with it. Instead, Ceretone handed the title to Impala and raised his hand in a show of sportsmanship.
Please tell me Ceretone's "retirement" is storyline fantasy. It is absolutely preposterous that Ceretone's 17 year career would be over with no build or fanfare. Impala's work was crisp and Ceretone put him over clean as a whistle.
(3) Julius Pryor defeated ProSouth Tag Team Champions the DRIP Addicts (Roma Miller & Douglas Sanders) in a triple threat match (7:30). Miller offered Pryor a handicap match. Sanders made it a triple threat. Miller and Sanders could not get along. Sanders tried to spring off the ropes to hit Pryor with his megaphone while Miller had Pryor in a full nelson. Pryor slipped away. Sanders clocked Roma with the megaphone. Pryor rolled Sanders up.
Pryor picked up the title belts and started to leave with them but thought better of it. Sanders walked out and left Miller behind.
Pryor looked great and came across as a total babyface. DRIP Addicts defeated Serpent Ninja Academy to capture the championship in a members only match two weeks ago. The title switch was never mentioned last week.
(4) Christian Pierce pinned Jasper Reid with The Gallows in 6:50.
Pierce blew a snot rocket on Reid and menacingly picked up his noose.
As good a match as Pierce could possibly make it. It's too soon to say how Reid (who wrestled as the masked Genesis last week) will fare as pro wrestler. At this stage, he's facially blank, his offense looks crude and he's fairly clueless about what to do when. Wouldn't have blamed Pierce for lynching him.
(5) Mike Quackenbush & Brandon Whatley & Caeden Ooten (with Harley Haven) defeated Ace Haven & Cameron Keast & Donnie Primetime when Quackenbush pinned Ace at 26:32. They went right to the heat. Quack put Keast in La Tapatia (Mexican surfboard). Quack's team worked over Keast's back to soften him up for the match, then they got on Primetime with Quack doing vile things do Donnie's arm. Quack's team heels was relentless with their double and triple teams. It was past 15 minutes into the match before Ace got in some offense for his team. Ace was soon isolated as well. Ace caused the heels to screw up. Primetime finally made the hot tag and cleaned house for real. He went coast-to-coast with a dropkick on all three heels. Primetime frogsplashed Whatley but Quack broke up the pin. Keast almost pinned Whatley with Keast Infection. Donnie and Ace teamed up for a double cutter on Whatley. They did an insane 6 person tower of doom that left everyone down.
Ace laid Quack out with a backcracker. Christopher's music played to distract Ace while while Trace Haven sneaked into the ring with a low blow for his father. Quackenbush gave Ace a cutter and pinned him.
This was a top drawer trios match. Quack can still go and he was maniacal as a heel. The teamwork by his team was seamless. The match was structured for max heat with the heels dominating for 20 minutes and the crowd was deep into it. When the babyfaces got their stuff in at the it looked good. Whatley subbing for Christopher may have been an advantage. It kept Ace and Shean apart and Whatley fit the story: He's also an Ace trainee and has something going with Primetime.
Post match -- Quackenbush scurried to the ramp for a brief pose of triumph and disappeared. Ace's team looked like they did not know what just hit them.
Ace was furious. He said Shean Christopher sent Trace to do to the dirty work he was too afraid to do. Shean could hide from him next week but on August 30, he would see Shean in Hell in the Cell.