Southern Fried Crossroads -- Monroe on October 19

From Larry Goodman: Southern Fried's traditional number two event of they year (behind Shindig) may very well turn out to be their best ...

From Larry Goodman:

Southern Fried's traditional number two event of they year (behind Shindig) may very well turn out to be their best show of 2024.

The show took a shocking turn during the Street War main event, a match that lived up to its billing in spades. With Hunter James and Triston Michaels in the lead, Southern Fried's disgruntled upstarts attacked the veterans James has been complaining about. Judais, Todd Sexton, Billy Buck and the Approved were all left laying. 

Crossroads most certainly had one of Southern Fried's best matches of the year. The rubber match for the Classics Championship between Champion Billy Buck and Najasism was incredibly great. Southern Fried Champion CT Keys survived a monstrous threat to his title in the form of the 475 pound Geter.

This was a well-crafted show from Todd Sexton and company with exquisite attention paid to the details. 

The crowd was larger and louder than any of the shows leading into Crossroads. The electricity was back on. 

The video opened with a dedication to Joe Kopf. 

John Johnson introduced Southern Fried owner David Manders.

Rosario Grillo was introduced as the returning color commentator. He had a strange effusive love for lead commentator Adam Vance.

(1) Zack Buchanan defeated Bobby Moore in 9:40. Buchanan wrestled barefooted. Both men had their moments early on. Six minutes in, Moore landed badly  on a shoulder block off the ropes and suffered a knee injury. There was little he could do from that point on. He tried for the discus forearm but was too severely damaged and Buchanan pinned him with a Michinoku Driver.

Good match. Buchanan replaced Sal Rinauro who is out of action due to injury. Buchanan has athletic ability to burn. He has a bright future as a pro wrestler if he wants it. Moore's selling of the knee made a believer out of me. Absolutely flawless.

(2) Hunter James defeated Seth Delay (with Triston Michaels) in 9:41. Delay got rolling with the Kool Krusher and a northern missile dropkick for near falls. Triston interfered. James capitalized with a superplex. Dee Byers counted both men's shoulders down. They both rolled a shoulder at 2.9. Delay tried for an inside cradle and James beat him clean as a whistle with the brainbuster. 

A really good match. Nice chemistry. 

James said there's a change comin' real soon. 

Prophetic words. 

(3) Jacob Ashworth defeated Rob Adonis and Will Kaution in a triple threat to retain the Georgia Heritage Championship in 7:15. First half was essentially a handicap match with Adonis and Kaution teaming up against the champion. After Adonis booted Kaution in the face, it was every man for himself. Kaution hit a pair of dives and stayed aerial with a flying body press on Ashworth for a near fall. Adonis spinebustered Kaution for a near fall.  Ashworth's knee was giving him fits as he planted both opponents with sidewalk slams. Kaution laid Adonis out with the Kaution Cutter. Ashworth broke up the pin and deposited Kaution on top of Adonis with Ashes to Ashes, then pinned both opponents at the same time.

The finish was nothing if not decisive. I don't know this for a fact, but it didn't look like Ashworth's knee problem was selling. Kaution's offense has been moving in a more athletic, babyface direction the last two shows. Something to keep an eye on.

(4) Billy Buck defeated Najasism (with Nate Mansions) via submission to win the deciding match of their best-of-three series for the Classics Championship in 20:41. Bill Behrens was under the weather so Manders replaced him as the special referee. A little early Halloween for Buck's intro as Buck's better half Georgeanne Hardin preceded Buck through the curtain wearing Buck's Shindig gear.

Naja didn't wait for the bell. He had the champion in trouble enough that Buck had to fight off Disrespect. Buck fired up and launched Naja with a superplex. Both were down less than two minutes into the match. Buck had Naja in a world of hurt. Mansion had to fan Naja off. Naja turned the tide. He got the first near fall of the match with a slingshot draping DDT and feet on the ropes. He worked over Buck's neck and back. Naja used an avalanche russian legsweep and a classic Eddie Gilbert hotshot. Naja's showboating in between moves was repulsive. Vance said the crowd would rather have a trick than that treat. 

Buck hit a buckle bomb. Naja cut Buck off with a spinning heel kick and  innovated a move that defied the announce team's ability to call it. Buck kicked out. Naja's mounting frustration was visible. Naja tortured Buck with a sadistic variation on the Rings of Saturn.  

Buck hit an explosive Samoan drop to spark his comeback. He had the crowd 100% behind him as he signaled for the Buckshot. Buck evaded it and slipped out of Buck's figure four attempt. Naja thought he had Buck with a sunset flip powerbomb but no! They rocked each other with strikes. When Buck kicked out of Naja's corkscrew spear, Mansions slid the belt into the ring right in front of Manders. Manders grabbed the belt away from Naja. Mansions got in the ring and Manders dropped Mansions with a right jab for a major pop. Naja shoved Manders. He shoved Naja back and into a spinebuster from Buck for a count of 2.99. Vance said the building came unglued. Buck went for the Buckshot. Naja ducked. Buck tried again and accidentally nailed Manders. Naja tried for a belt shot. Naja got the belt and blasted Naja with it but Manders was still down. Manders finally started a count but Mansion pulled Buck out of the ring. Buck KOed Mansions but was driven into the barriade by Naja's tope. Naja, Buck and Manders were all in bad shape. Back inside, Buck kicked out of Naja's 450. Naja missed a Lionsault. Buck locked in a figure four leglock in the center of the ring and Naja tapped like mad.

Great match, beautifully put together. Naja's overblown Hoochie Daddy ego may have cost him the title  The build was exquisite. The false finishes  were awesome. Naja broke out some new wrinkles on offense.. Buck had extra zip on his offense and his selling was stellar as per usual. Manders was so good as the special referee that he made the match even better. 

Intermission. Thank God nobody had to follow the above.

(5) CT Keys defeated Geter to retain the Southern Fried Championship in 12:41. For his entrance, Geter deliberately advanced toward the ring with Keys' chain around his neck and a cold stare into the camera. Keys was a man on a mission. He went right at Geter. Keys' tried for the Cutting Edge (Pounce) and literally bounced off Geter.  Keys delivered five consecutive running European uppercuts. Geter slumped to a seated position in the corner and rolled to a standing position on the floor. Keys pursued. Geter planted Keys on the ring apron with a uranage X 2. Geter dished out relentless punishment. Keys was hanging on by a thread. As soon as Keys showed life, Geter flattened him with a soul-crushing body block. Keys dug deep and connected with blow after blow. Geter wobbled and goozled Keys for a choke slam. Keys fought it off but Geter hit a massive belly to belly suplex. Keys barely kicked out. Keys hit a Cutting Edge. Down went Geter. A second Cutting Edge dropped Geter again.  Geter slowly rose to his feet but he was in la la land as he goozled Keys, who broke the grip and Pounced Geter for the third time to retain the title.  

Post-match, Geter stopped Keys from leaving the ring so he could raise his hand and put the belt around his waist. 

This match had drama. Their selling was spot on and they didn't rush anything. Geter not taking a bump until Keys hit his move in the last minute of the match was a master touch. Keys is at the peak of his powers. Geter had never challenged for the Southern Fried Championship. They manner in which Geter put Keys over elevated Keys' championship reign and added to the prestige of the championship. 

(1) Street War for the Southern Fried Tag Team Championship: Technical Destruction (Judais &  Todd Sexton) vs. The Approved (Nick Halen & Adrian Hawkins) devolved in a chaotic no contest. Approved tried to ambush TD and  got totally outsmarted. Technical Destructed obliterated Approved for almost the entire match. TD made creative use of the timekeeper's table. This table was thick, not one of those pressed wood tables made for breaking. Judais gave his best shot with fallaway slams on both Approved members and came damn close. The fought into the dressing room with fans peering in through the windows. Vance called it a wrestling aquarium. Then they fought all over the building. Halen momentarily slowed Judais down by burying him under a pile of chairs. Judais launched Todd onto Approved with El Crucifijo while standing on the bleachers. Back inside, Halen took a superplex from Todd who was sitting on Judais' shoulders.

Chairs brought into play and all four men were toast. They came to their feet in dual hockey fights. Approved hit stereo codebreakers on TD followed by a Shatter Machine for Judais but Todd broke up the pin. Todd had Halen ready to tap in an STF when Adonis punched out referee Dee Byers. Judais drove Adonis to the back. Todd was left one against two but was able to fight off a Shatter Machine by Approved. Todd stood alone. 

This was a great brawl built around memorable spots. They went 20 minutes with the crowd on their feet. Loved the call back to the finish of Todd vs. Henry at the last show.

Michaels and James came to the ring accompanied by Tayo. Grillo left his announce position and jumped the rail to join them. Pat Roach entered through a side door. Todd was surrounded and beaten to a pulp. Buck tried to rescue Todd and got destroyed. 

Kelly Sexton came down to check on Todd and was being menaced by Michaels' crew. Halen and Hawkins decided to enough was enough. They were also beaten down. Moore limped down to the ring and was also turned away.  Judais returned to the ring. All four men attacked him in unison. Judais was put down for good by a James brainbuster. Michaels and company celebrated standing over the carnage they had wrought before departing in triumph.

After the video concluded...

Buck, Todd and Judais argued with Approved with Kelly in the middle of them trying in vain to make peace. Approved left the ring with nothing resolved. Kelly looked disgusted with the whole thing.

An epic development that nobody saw coming. Hints had been dropped along the way, nothing to suggest the scope and depth of what took place here. The upstarts had the advantage of a worn out group of vets. Divided, the veterans will fall. If they do unite, Michaels' side is going to need way more firepower. They had the element of surprise and vets worn to the nub by a grueling match going for them.