Episode I is in the books. It was a competently executed independent pro wrestling show. the talent roster is first-rate. Match quality ranged from good to outstanding. Yet at the end of the night, Next Level's debut felt like just another show. It didn't make NLCW a distinctive brand or provide compelling enough reasons to come back.
The presentation was stunningly vanilla for an Ace Haven production. My mind was boggled. Was this the same person responsible for the Caged Warfare match at ProSouth the night before?
The brightest spots came via the Augusta debuts of Rico Gonzalez and Hakeem Young. They were gold. Almost complete unknowns in Augusta, they got over huge on the sheer strength of their performances.
NCLW had to difficult hand to play. The show was originally announced for January 25 at The Warehouse at King's Mill. The venue had been undergoing undergoing renovation. NCLW was informed it would not be ready in time. NCLW promoter/owner Josh Fields had to shift to American Legion Post 63 and settle for a later date.
Running the Legion building and using some of the usual suspects from IWE made comparisons inevitable. The seating set up was similar. I was never a fan of IWE's lighting. This lighting was worse. There was no video screen and this show needed one.
Attendance was a little over 100 in a building that seats over 400. Running the week after VPW had 300 a few miles away probably didn't help, nor did PWE drawing 200 last Thursday night in the same market.
Two title tournaments got underway: a tag team tournament and the Six Scrolls Tournament, which will eventually determine the inaugural NLCW Champion. The Six Scrolls concept called for more exposition. Winners of tournament matches are awarded scrolls but the scrolls can change hands by other means. The concept was clear as mud to the live audience.
There's work to be done before Next Level returns to Legion Post 63 on March 29.
A much slimmer Fields received a warm reception as he welcomed the fans to NCLW. Fields has lost about 70 pounds.
(1) Rob Killjoy defeated Duncan Mitchell Avecilla and Seth Delay in the Six Scrolls Tournament (11:39). Fast-paced three-way action with all kinds of clever spots. All three had their chances. The layout had Killjoy's fingerprints all over it. Delay and DMA worked together at points. Delay hit Overnite Sensation on Killjoy. DMA broke up the pin and shitcanned Seth. Killjoy powerbombed DMA and pinned him with the Ghostbuster.
Killjoy said he was honored to win the first-ever NCLW match. He was the Ace of Augusta and it was time to formally prove it by becoming the first NCLW Champion.
(2) Nawfside Heroes (Jose Manuel & Shoota Gabe) defeated Concealed Syndicate (Caeden Ooten & Cameron Keast with Harley Haven) in the NLCW Tag Team Tournament (6:30). Crowd was clearly unfamiliar with all of these people and didn't react much. Syndicate isolated Gabe. They did the deal where the ref fails to see a legitimate tag. A sequence of dropkicks in stereo by Nawfside built to a double team finisher, Gabe pinning Keast.
Penelope Pink and Sandy Shore had a talk moderated by ring announcer Bret Wolverton. Pink (aka Marina Tucker) said she was the best damn thing in WOW and Shore was coming from "Dirty Myrtle" to test her.
Pink's denigrating Myrtle Beach did not sit well with the people of Augusta or with Shore, who is veteran Carolinas wrestler Madi Maxx. Shore said this was her territory. Pink pie-faced Shore, knocked her down and took a powder. This was fine as a by-the-numbers introduction to their characters to build anticipation for their match later in the evening.
(3) Rico Gonzalez defeated Kelly Klark in the Six Scrolls Tournament (10:30). Business picked up thanks to one Rico Gonzalez. He wasted no time getting under the crowd's skin and got big time heat. Said he was the new face of NCLW and was going to be king of this bitch. Clark is a throwback white meat babyface out of Florida. Has a good look. Rico stalled. When Rico went on offense, his tactics were filthy. Rico necked Klark on the ropes and hit an inverted Tower of London for a near fall. Babyface fire from Klark on the comeback. Crowd got on Slim for being slow to count on Klark's enzuigir. Rico hit his finisher (top rope double stomp to flatten a standing victim on the apron). Now that was a debut.
(4) Dark City Violence Connection (Murder One & Joe Black) defeated All-Star Special (William Huckaby & Jay 2Strong) in the NLCW Tag Team Tournament (10:50). All-Stars got one of if not the best entrance pop of the night as these two teams renewed their feud from IWE. Seeing Huck and Joe on opposite sides of the ring again was fun. Black took his shirt off and invited Huck to chop him. Huck poked Black in the eyes. Murder mocked Huck in the midst of DCVC getting heat on 2Strong. Huck got payback with anexploder suplex on Black and a power slam for Murder. Murder foiled an All-Star double team and Black pinned 2Strong with a Falcon Arrow.
(5) Hakeem Young lost to Chase Emery via DQ after choking him out (9:30) and made off with the scroll. Young made his presence felt from the moment he walked through the curtain until he left with the scroll. His intensity blew everyone else on the show off the map. His mouth never stopped running. Emery has a great physique and solid technique. Not great in the charisma department. Young took a major bump over the top rope to the floor. Emery hit a flying shoulder block to set up a a bridging german suplex for his big near fall. Young transitioned from a flatliner to a neck crank submission and choked Emery out. Then Young got himself disqualified for reapplying the hold to an unconscious man and still took home the scroll.
Young told pissy old Augusta they just had the pleasure of seeing the Hakeem Young Show and a real five-star prospect. "Line 'em up. Snatch 'em up."
(6) Justin McKenzie defeated Zach Mosley in 8:12. Mosley said he was the real ace of Augusta. I wouldn't go that far. I would say Mosley did a fantastic job carrying McKenzie through in the rookie's seventh pro match. The kids were into McKenzie. I don't think it was just the face paint. Mosley bumped and sold big. McKenzie kicked out of Mosley's stomp. and refused to submit to Mosley's armbar. Mosley got McKenzie in an elevated full nelson. The end was near but not for McKenzie, who pinned Zach with a forward rolling cradle.
Mosley threw a fit and had to be dragged to the back by the officials. Disgraceful behavior.
(7) Penelope Pink defeated Sandy Shore in the WOW Showcase match (4:37). Shore aggressively tried for pins. Pink went to the rough stuff. Shore ate it on Pink's Gori bomb into the top turnbuckle. That got a reaction. Shore's big near fall came off a Jeff Jarrett style Stroke. Pink pinned Shore clean with the Prettiest Pink (from an inverted DDT position Pink does a forward roll to face plant her victim). The finish was flat due to confusion about whether or not Shore kicked out. They had the skills. Fine for a five minute match.
Amy Haven promo. There was an awkward pause after Wolverton announced her name and Amy's music never played. She looked like a star. Being introduced as the 2023 GWH Manager of the Year which meant nothing to these fans. Amy said there could only be one female face of Augusta and that would be "The Queen of the South". Amy said she had been in the shadow or her husband but that ends now. "Behind every man, stands a greater women". The women in the crowd loved that line. Amy said she was scouting talent and pulled up a chair to watch the main event and that's all Amy did. She watched. I could not understand...
(8) Skrilla the Great defeated Kenway and Trever Aeon in the Six Scrolls Tournament (21:20). This match had tremendous action. They all worked hard and did cool stuff. I longed for a richer story.
The crowd supported Skrilla, a bonafide star at IWE. Skrilla hit a double blockbuster and the crowd chanted his name. Aeon pulled off a double release german. He had Skrilla pinned with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang but Kenway broke it up. Kenway destroyed Aeon with an Alabama Slam and Fire Thunder Driver, lost his damn mind and got physical with ref. A for sure DQ if not for that God awful triple threat rule. Skrilla hit the Skrillride on Kenway for the three count.
DCVC attacked Skrilla. All-Stars came to Skrilla's aid and did battle with DCVC on the floor while Concealed Syndicate attacked Aeon in the ring. Keast threw a fireball in Aeon's general direction. NLCW personnel rushed to ringside and the incident was played up as a serious injury. Plain as day, the fireball missed Aeon by a wide margin.
NOTES: Next Level returns to Legion Post 63 on March 29...Bret Wolverton was the ring announcer...Darryl Hall, Lewis Santiago and Slim were the referees...Bob Keller was on production...Danny Meade was helping out in various capacities...A.C. Mack and GWH's Charles Felder were on hand.
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