Hot Nights was a story-driven show, all about building to bigger things and setting up matches for August 17. It was also a good show in its own right, not one of Southern Fried's best and not designed to be.
Five-time Southern Fried Champion Judais returned and was thrust into a situation by Todd Sexton. They will team up against Alexander Lev and Rosario Grillo on August 17 but Sexton's goal is one more match with his long time friend.
Jacob Ashworth vs. Neal Koloff had the best heat. There will be more to come there.
Xavier Reyes challenged Hunter James to meet him in a Dog Fight in August 17 - the ring ropes will be removed and fighting anywhere in the building is A-OK.
Happy Madness (Sal Rinauro & Sunny Daze) was on the winning side in a trios match against Approved and will get a title shot at Adrian Hawkins and Nick Halen on August 17.
Attendance at the Walton County Boys and Girls Club Gym was 150. That's troth level for Southern Fried, the lowest number in years. Was it going head up against Summerslam? Kids being back in school? The card itself? Could be all of the above or none. Who knows. The crowd was over 50% women. Southern Fried always draw a lot of women but not more than half the house.
Owner David Manders and matchmaker Bill Behrens opened the show. BB said an investigation had been launched into the assault on Southern Fried Champion CT Keys that took place after the July show. In addition, the championship belt was missing. There were no witnesses. Although he was unable to defend the title, Keys would not be stripped of the championship due to the circumstances.
Before the opening match, Rob Adonis said he would swear on a stack of bibles, Kenji Brea and the Sexton Alliance that Approved had nothing to do with the assault on Keys.
Adonis rarely if ever gets mic time at Southern Fried. He's a good talker and a pompous ass. I popped for the Kenji Brea reference.
(1) Xavier Reyes defeated Rob Adonis in 5:51. Chants of Viva Xavier! Reyes pulled the straps down and pinned Adonis clean the Tucaida (Rockbottom).
Perfectly OK for a match Adonis had no chance of winning. Reyes used a polish hammer during his comeback. Wonder how that translates in español.
Reyes called out Hunter James who was not in the building. Reyes said that was because his testiculos were in his girlfriend's purse. Reyes challenged James to a fight in a ring without ropes on August 17.
(2) Zac Buchanan defeated Will Kaution in 6:08. Buchanan wrestled sans footwear. Buchanan's aggressiveness on offense had Kaution on the run. Kaution caught Buchanan with a rising knee to the mush as Zac kicked off the top turnbuckle and took control. Buchanan slipped as he attempted to spring off the turnbuckle and appeared to tweak his ankle. Buchanan was favoring the ankle as tried to mount a comeback. Kaution hit a cutter for a close near fall and got on referee David Weakley for not counting three. Buchanan capitalized on Kaution's loss of focus with a Michinoku Driver.
Buchanan was made as a babyface in this building in one night. The women loved him. With his athleticism, look and fire, he's a can't miss prospect. He also had the natural instinct to incorporate a slip up into the match with some great selling.
(3) Deity defeated Crystal Rose to retain the Southern Fried Women's Championship in 4:30. Crystal came in hot. That worked for a minute. Deity choke bombed her to oblivion and gave Crystal a pair of release vertical suplexes. Deity locked in a ground full nelson. Crystal forced Deity to release the hold by pinning her shoulder to the mat. Crystal went up top for a flying crossbody. Deity caught Crystal and ended her with a fire thunder driver.
Deity gave Crystal a second fire thunder driver after the match. Crystal was unable to leave the ring under her own power and needed help getting to the dressing room.
A clear improvement over their match at Shindig. Deity is a monster. The matchmakers have their work cut of for them finding a credible challenger.
(4) Jacob Ashworth defeated "The Russian Wolf" Neal Koloff via DQ in 2:20. Koloff told ring announcer John Johnson to make the crowd stand while the Russian national anthem played. Ashworth's music hit and they never looked back. Koloff met Ashworth in the aisle. A fierce brawl ensued. Koloff said he was going to make Ashworh die in front of the trailer park Americans and invoked the name of Vladimir Putin. Once the match was officially underway, it was all Ashworth. Koloff was DQed for choking Ashworth with his Russian flag.
Ashworth and Koloff had to be pulled apart by Southern Fried security, complete with a "let them fight!" chant from the Southern Fried faithful.
Southern Fried got everything they could have hope for out of this segment. The heat was phenomenal. Koloff speaking with no accent made me laugh. A Russian sympathizer I guess.
(5) Happy Madness (Sal Rinauro & Sunny Daze) & Tayo defeated Approved (Nick Halen & Adrian Hawkins & Bobby Moore) in 15:56. "Money" Mason Andrews was stellar as the guest ring announcer. Before the match, Approved thought they outsmarted Rinauro by pulling him out from his hiding place under the ring. Not exactly. Tayo took them all down with a dive over the ropes. The babyfaces took turns working over Halen, then did a number on Hawkins' arm. The shine culminated in Rinauro sitting on Hawkins' back clapping like a little kid before DDTing Halen. Approved got false heat on Daze. Tayo got destroyed. Rinauro took the hot tag and made Approved look foolish. For the finish, Rinauro gave Approved a triple tiger feint kick, superkicked Halen and pinned him after a Happy Madness double team. Rinauro was making the belt motion after the match.
A fun match to set up a tag team title match for the next show. Happy Madness are two time Southern Fried Tag Team Champions and will have an opportunity to make it three against Halen and Hawkins on August 17.
Todd Sexton called Judais out. He got Alexander Lev instead. Lev accused Sexton of being addicted to the spotlight. Todd could cure that addiction by retiring again. Grillo appeared in the aisle. He told Lev they had a stunad enemy in common. Grillo said he didn't see Kelly Sexton. Todd told Grillo he didn't need any help to him out again. Grillo attacked Todd. Lev jumped in to make two against one. Enter Judais. The crowd popped huge. Judais cleaned house on Lev and Grillo. Lev escaped. Todd made sure Grillo was not so fortunate and he took a massive choke slam from Judais.
Todd told Judais he needed one more match before he retired and it needed to be with him. Judais whispered something in JJ's ear and walked to the back. JJ announced Judais would be back in two weeks...to tag with Todd against Lev and Grillo. Todd said well played but he still wanted an answer.
I loved pretty much everything about this: Lev coming out instead of Judais, Grillo teaming up with Lev and Judais whispering his answer in JJ's ear. The tag match against the buffoons is the first stepping stone toward the ultimate end game.
John Johnson announced that an unidentified individual had just texted Manders taking responsibiity for the assault on Keys. That person planned to be in Monroe for the August 17 show.
(6) Classics title match: Champion Billy Buck and Najasism (with Nate Mansions) wrestled to 30 minute draw and a 5 minute overtime period draw. Naja tried to get Buck to shake hands. Buck wasn't about to fall for that and started working on Naja's hand. Buck was doing a slow burn as he tired of Naja's shenanigans and finally slapped him across face. Naja was so stupefied Mansion had get him oriented. As Naja tried for a spingboard move, a punch from Buck sent him to the floor. They brawled in the ringside area. Mansions pulled Buck out of harm's way and Naja started in on Buck's thigh and knee. Naja's lengthy dissection of Buck's leg included multiple submissions. The crowd came alive when Naja missed a lionsault. Buck made a comeback with one good leg. JJ gave a four minutes to go call right to the second. Naja got a near fall with a german suplex. With two minutes to go, Buck gave Naja a superplex. Mansions interfered. The crowd was calling for Mansions to be ejected. Naja locked Buck in a sharpshooter with a 60 seconds to go. Naja applied the torque but Buck refused to quit and time limit expired.
Naja said it was not going down like this. He demanded five more minutes and Manders made it happen. Naja speared Buck for close near fall. Buck connected with the Buckshot (superkick). Mansions jumped on the apron to draw Weakley'd attention while Naja blasted Buck with the title belt. Weakley counted two, saw the belt in the ring and stopped his count. Mansion got in the ring and started poking Weakley in the chest. Weakley ejected Mansion for the biggest pop of the match. Buck applied a figure four leg lock. Naja was in agony but held on until the bell rang.
Buck pleaded for another overtime period to teach that SOB a lesson. Manders was down with it but Naja retreated up the aisle.
I wanted to like this match. Buck was awesome with his selling and fighting up from underneath. Naja was an obnoxious dick of epic proportions. JJ was great with the time calls to generate excitement and they had the crowd going in the final minutes. To me, there wasn't enough chemistry or meat on the bone to make it compelling at 35 minute in length. Time will tell, but I left feeling like Buck not winning after Mansions was ejected cooled off a hot babyface.
NOTES: Adam Vance and Xander Seabolt were on commentary for the video...The officials were David Weakley and Bryan Waites...Bull Buchanan was backstage...Darryl Hall was backstage and made a cameo as a member of Southern Fried security during the pull apart...The Approved are four time tag team champions with three different combinations of partners: Hawkins & Moore (twice), Brea & Moore and current champions Hawkins & Halen.
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