SHW Rumblejack 2024 -- Canton on August 9

Photos by Peter Sigmund From Larry Goodman:  The 6th edition of SHW's signature event was an exhilarating night at the Action Building. ...

Photos by Peter Sigmund

From Larry Goodman: 

The 6th edition of SHW's signature event was an exhilarating night at the Action Building. 

Emotions were evoked.

Rumblejack drew one of the largest crowds in company's history - 609, standing room only. SHW has had any number of houses exceeding the 500 mark. I believe the only time SHW  exceeded last night's crowd was the legendary SHW 1000, over 5 years ago. 

Carlie Bravo, the slyest dog in the house, returned to SHW to become the 6th Rumblejack winner. The field was expanded to forty competitors this year. 

Dylan Frymyer books a great Rumblejack. This was a 

Judais defeated Gunner Miller in an absolutely brutal last man standing match to retain the SHW Championship. 

We had a new JTS Legacy Champion in Kyle Matthews...until we didn't. 

(Pre-show) Rosario Grillo pinned JD (Nightmare Factory) after a stomp to qualify for the Rumblejack. 

SHW Owner Gary Lamb whipped the crowd into a frenzy as only he can do.

(1) Kyle Matthews defeated "Hollywood" Hunter James via submission to win the JTS Legacy Championship in 11:36. Exceptional heat with the crowd loving Matthews and James being driven up the wall by taunts from the crowd. James was being outwrestled by the five team GWH Technician of the Year. James created a diversion by tossing the title belt to Matthews. Muta lock by James. Matthews with a flying body press for a great near fall.  James got a near fall with a Chaos Theory suplex down the stretch. When Matthews kicked out of Hunter's 450, the handwriting was on the wall. Matthews locked in a crossface and James tapped.

Crowd was thrilled with Matthews winning the title. He blew kisses to them. 

An outstanding way to open the show that had tremendous heat. Match felt like a real contest. However, the decision was later reversed. "Guiding Light" Triston Michaels came on screen during the Rumblejack to announce that Jake Roberts had ruled James' foot was under the ropes when he tapped. We will see how this plays out but the reversal left a bad taste in my mouth. A title run for Matthews would have been fun. Who knows? Perhaps he will still get one. 

(2) Judais defeated Gunner Miller in a Last Man Standing Match to retain the SHW Championship in 17:30. Miller speared Judais before the bell. Judais was instantly in dire straights with Miller in hot pursuit. The SHW fans love their tables and the got 'em. Miller drove Judais through one for a count of eight. A belt shot garnered a seven count from referee Paul Santa who had his hands full. Judais shot Miller the bird. Miller beat on Judais with a prosthetic leg. Judais finally got untracked. He turned the tables, putting Miller through a table for a seven count. A superplex by Miller left both men down. They rolled out to a standing position on opposite sides of the ring just before the 10 count. The action moved to the stage area where only a small segment of the audience could see what was happening.

The combatants ended up in  a second ring behind the curtain (the regular 16 foot ring SHW uses, an 18 foot ring was provided by the Nightmare Factory for the Rumblejack).  The ring was conveniently set up with doors in two corners, a table in the middle and no mat or padding. Judais gave Miller a low blow to set up an astounding avalanche choke slam through the table. Judais got up at the count of six and piled the doors, table remnants and chairs on top of Miller to make sure he didn't get up. 

This was an excellent last man standing. The pacing was spot on. The finish was as devastating as it was inspired. Judias has now held the SHW Championship for a record 456 days.

(3) Carlie Bravo won the 40 person Rumblejack in 1:23:35. Participants in order of entrance: Zach Mosley, Cornelius Pepperbottom, Brandon Benefield, Tank (with the Rev), Darian Bengsten, Jackson Drake, The Kenway, Sal Rinauro, Scotty Riggs, Matthews, James, Chip Day, Zicky Dice, Zack Buchanan, Billy Buck, Nick Halen, Logan Creed, Hiroko Suzuki, Bravo, Ben Bishop, Rob Killjoy, QT Marshall, Less Faithful (Alexander Lev with Warden and Grayson Pierce), Robert Gibson, Grillo, Cody Fluffman, "The Wall" Tyler Stevens, Matt Griffin, Krule, Joe Black, Alex Kane, Ashton Starr, Jaden Newman, Nathan Mowery, Owen Knight, CT Keys, Murder One, Colby Corino, The Grapplers (Grapper #1 & Nathaniel Seabolt with four fake Grapplers and Todd Sexton. Duke Ingraham will have detailed breakdown of the Rumblejack.  

Day, Sexton, Keys and former SHW Champion Knight were the final four...or so it appeared. Keys eliminated Knight. Day eliminated Keys.  Out comes Judais with a choke slam to bail Todd out and leave Day for dead with El Crucifijo. Sexton celebrated. Bravo had outfoxed everybody. 

Demolition Ax was introduced as the special enforcer. Sexton tried to exit. Ax gave Todd a Mongolian chop and threw him back in the ring. Bravo hit the scissors kick and it was over.

A home run of a Rumblejack in almost every respect. I loved the stories within the story: Lamb vs. EY, ACTION Wrestling vs. SHW, James vs. Matthews, Day vs. the world. There were a few time whe then there were too many bodies lying around the ring and not enough action. Other than that, it was gold. Benefield channeling his inner Rock was perversely entertaining. Riggs as the American Male popped me. Logan/Krule was over huge as both characters. Absence made the SHW hearts grow fonder. There was a lot that in this match.  The returns by Bravo and Dice also received huge reactions. Ditto the Overkill reunion spots. Griffin was a complete ass hole. The fireworks explosion on his back was an astonishng visual that every red blooded SHW fan cherished.  The tender moment Hiroku shared with Creed was my favorite thing about the match. So many things worked - Mowery's introduction of the death match elements. Bishop squaring off with Creed was a sight to behold. CT Keys vs. Alex Kane is a match made in heaven. Seeing Kane in an SHW ring was wonderful. Fluff had the audacity to do the steamroller in a rumble. Joe Black as the joker. There was so much stuff. Bravo looked like a superstar. The crowd was pulling really hard for Day to win. I thought this was his night. The story 

NOTES: Of course Diana Michel was the ring announcer...Brandon Benefield resumed his commentary duties alongside Gerard Bonner once his tour of duty in the Rumblejack was completed...Paul Santa, David Weakley and Jeremie Prater were the referees...Eadie and Gibson were added to the Rumblejack on the day of the show...WWE Hall of Famer Thunderbolt Patterson was in the lobby signing autographs...Jimmy Yang, Terry Yaki and Dylan Hales was backstage...The infamous Donald Jaykes. Scott Barnett (TCW), Corey Tatum (former ringside photographer), Nick McDaniel, Myron Fancher and Heath Mullikin (Tapped Out Podcast) were among the notable wrestling personalities in the house...Lamb told the story of how his 7-year old son suggested the idea of battle royal with a lumberjack match at the end and pitched it to Dylan Frymyer, who immediately came up with the name Rumblejack and the rest is history.