Five million companies can open or reopen, we can be arguing back and forth about whether the Georgia Wrestling awards matter or they don't. The fact remains when you want to test what the wave is or who the wave is, it starts, it spreads, it's blended up and it smokes so good in Atlanta."
-- Suge D
Atlanta Wrestling Entertainment delivered the goods at Show of the Year 8. It was indeed AWE's best show of 2024 and top tier for the state of Georgia this year.
Show of the Year 8 simultaneously enhanced and paid tribute to AWE's rich history. AWE alumni returned. Current major league stars showed out. The list of major league talent that has graced an AWE ring at one time or another boggles the mind.
Attendance at Meta Multimedia was 100+. I believe that to be AWE's largest crowd of the year.
Show of the Year streamed on Twitch with Carmen Michael and the incendiary Rob Weathers on commentary.
(1) Chip Day won the Shawty Lo Memorial Battle Royal to become the number contender for the Georgia Wrestling Crown in 20:40. Jackie Thad and Nathaniel Seaboltstarted at #1 and #2, scheduled to lock horns for the first two minutes. Seabolt lasted a matter of seconds. Thad went the distance to the final four. A new competitor entered every 20 seconds with the final four competitors squaring off in a fatal four way. Order on entrance: Chip Day, Luscious Leron, BK Bennett, Grappler #87, Brandon Whatley, Tristian Moody, AJ Black, Jonathan Moody, Eric Walker, Hakeem Young, Frankie Valentine, Larry Lazard, Vraylan Albey, Matt Mercer (with 3MP), Jake Parker, Sylar Cross, Lamar Diggs, Florida Man, Trever Aeon, D Munny, Vougan, Dre the GOAT, Ennis Glass, Ethan Case and Joiya Blake. I enjoyed the return of OG AWE roster members like Cross and Case and never expected to see Valentine in an AWE ring at this stage of the game.
Day, Aeon, Case and Thad were the final four. Crowd loudly backing Chip. Thad and Day fell victim to Aeon's deadly Gothplex. Case superkicked Aeon in the temple. Case and Day double teamed Aeon. They were going to do the same to Thad. Case tried to double cross Day. He kicked Case in the head and pinned him with a small package. The crowd was ecstatic about Day winning and having a GWC titles shot in the bank.
Najasism, in full bloom Hoochie Daddy mode said Noah Veil -- "him, her, they...all them bitches ain't here." Suge D stepped up to take the spot against "short on stature, big on mouth" Naja because Veil was like a child to him. Naja wanted Suge's Pan-Afrikan title on the line. Suge said if that's what it takes...
(2) Suge D defeated Najasism two out of three falls to retain the Pan-Afrikan Diaspora Championship in 15:24. Loads of back and forth near falls. Naja pulled a slingshot springboard stomp out his expansive arsenal of offense. Suge came with an eyelash of pinning Naja with a death valley driver. Suge caught Naja's kick and rolled him up at 8:54. Naja nailed Suge with a cheap shot to the base of the skull in the break between falls. Suge was in bad shape. Naja gave Suge a wicked piledriver on the apron. Suge beat the 10 count by a hair's breadth. Naja immediately hit Lights Out to take the second fall in 1:54. Naja tried to end it with the Sharpest Shooter but could not. Naja was getting desperate. Suge got his knees up on Naja's swanton attempt. Naja got a foot on the ropes after taking a death valley driver into the buckles. Suge won it with a sick running headbutt. Loved it. At a minimum, Classic City needs to run this match back.
Suge D called for the mic for an artfully stated love letter to AWE. Some of that good shit. His mention of the PWE shows at the Canton Armory brought back vivid memories...Chip Day wrestling as a teenager...Xavier Woods in the audience when he was just getting started.
(3) Ashton Starr defeated Caleb Konley in 10:45. The match was scheduled as a Juggalo Champion Wrestling title match but 2 Tuff Tony had beaten Konley for the JCW title a week earlier. Konley targeted Starr's leg and had way the lion's share of the offense. Konley tried for the figure four and Starr countered with an inside cradle (Flair-Steamboat 1989 NWA title switch). The crowd ate it up and chanted "Happy birthday" (a day early) to Starr after the match.
Weathers lost his shit. He blocked Jaykes escape route forcing him to run the other way, then smashed the tambourine against the wall. There's an air of danger about Weathers when he gets like this.
(5) ROAR Match: Robyn Renegade (with Charlette Renegade) defeated Alexis Littlefoot in 8:43. Renegade's performance was the quintessential demonstration of why she has a major league contract --- tough, athletic, aggressive, good looking and driven -- Littlefoot was fine but this was Robyn's stage. Littlefoot was able to fend off Charlette's attempts to interfere until finally the distraction worked. It may has well have been a handicap match after that. There are no DQs under ROAR rules except for using a child as a weapon. Littlefoot rallied huge. Charlette clocked Littlefoot in the face and got in the ring for a Renegade sister stalling suplex. Joiya Blake hit the ring to take care of Charlette. But Robyn went on to pin Littlefoot fair and square with a killer pumphandle flatliner. I'd like to see more of Blake, perhaps a tag match if miracle of miracles, AWE can get these four women booked again.
(6) Carlie Bravo defeated Trevor Lee to retain the Georgia Wrestling Crown in 11:00. Lee making his first AWE appearance in nine years. Along with noting his WWE accolades, Wheeler introduced Lee as being the best wrestler in the Carolinas ever. Wheeler said Bravo might be the best wrestler in the the history of Atlanta. They got the streamer treatment.
Bravo had his work cut out for him. Lee had his work shoes on. They went hard the for the duration. Lee clearly getting the better of it until Bravo blocked his penalty kick and dropped him face first on the apron. Bravo with chops on outside and a rolling flatliner for his reentry to the ring. Bravo was feeling it, a little to much though. Lee tore Bravo up with chops and roundhouse kicks. Bravo used a sneaky shot to the throat to regain control. Bravo grounded Lee. He threw a variation of a crossface in the mix. Lee worked back to his feet and got his offense in gear. Shining wizard for two. Lee connected with the penalty kick. He rolled Bravo back inside and came off the top with a flying body press but Bravo kicked out.
Bravo went to the eyes to create the opening for a slingshot cutter. Lee hit Gangsta's Paradise DDT but Lee kicked out. Lee dodged the scissors kick. Bravo was frustrated no end. Lee pulled out an amazing midair spinning powerslam for a great false finish.
Lee tried to send Bravo to the moon with the Cave In. Bravo pulled Darryl Hall in the way and went to the tried-and-true donkey kick to the jewels to set up the scissors kick for the win.
As good as this match was, I have the feeling Bravo's best GWC title matches lie ahead of him.
Black gave Bravo a bead necklace after the match, letting the world know where Bravo stood in his eyes.
(7) Alexander Lev (with Donald Jaykes) defeated The Kenway in a First Blood Match (12:30). Lev had the nerve to use "House of the Rising Sun" for his entrance and call Atlanta his city. Guy knows how to get heat. Jaykes shoved his tambourine into Kenway's face. Kenway smashed Jaykes in the head with the tambourine. Jaykes was busted open and bled on his pure white suit. Kenway was all over Lev. He tried to pull Lev's head into the post but Jaykes got involved to stop that from happening. Lev gave Kenway a running STO on the floor. They went after each other's foreheads with no blood drawn. Lev hit Greetings from Great Poland. Kenway gave Lev a trapped arms curbstomp. Brutal stuff.
Jaykes gave Lev handcuffs (used at the last show when Kenway bled like a stuck pig) but Kenway wasn't having it. He tried to clothesline Lev and took out referee Stan Robinson by mistake. Jaykes slid a chair into the ring (used for the bloodletting last time). Kenway got the chair but decided to use his bare knuckles instead. Lev was bleeding but Robinson was face down on the mat. Lev blasted Kenway with the cuffs. Kenway bled. Jaykes wiped the blood off of Lev's forehead. Robinson saw the blood on Kenway and called for the bell.
Right out of the Dusty Rhodes/Tully Blanchard first blood match from Starrcade 86. You won't hear any complaints outta me about that.
Lost Family hit the ring. Black and Murder were right behind them. Hierarchy cleared Lost Family out and had Jaykes trapped. Weather got in the ring and splashed Jaykes in the corner. Hierarchy decimated Jaykes with an assisted senton powerbomb combo.
Murder dared Lev to save his man or they were going to stomp Jaykes' ass. He threatened to line up the fans and let them stomp Jaykes. Lost Family wouldn't lift a finger to help. Lev said he loved Jaykes like a brother but tonight he was a sacrificial lamb. No amount of "bitch" and "pussy" chants were going to get Lev back in the ring. Hierarchy gloried in kicking the shit out of the Pastor's lifeless carcass.
The party was on. AWE was back like it has not been in a long, long time.
NOTES: AWE makes its return to Meta Multimedia on February 23 a wrestling and hip hop collaborative with AJ Francis announced...Trey Shaw, Ehren Black, Nathaniel Vanderbilt, Rose Gold, Kraken's William Huckaby, former AEW commentator Mika Villas, Premier's Billy Knight and Nick, Heath & Myron from the Tapped Out Podcasts were in attendance. Darryl Hall, New Bryan (Waites), Adam Hunter and Stan Robinson were the referees...Michael had his sum totals for the year -- 169 shows worked and over 50,000 miles driven in the line of duty.
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