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| Photos by Peter Sigmund |
A month later than planned, SHW got their 2025 off to a rip-roaring start at SHW 70.
This show had high-caliber wrestling up and down the card and tremendous mic work including an epic impromptu promo the SHW champion cut on a naive fan who had no idea about the world he was stepping into.
What appeared to be a somewhat disjointed show on paper, had a lot more to it in the actual presentation and gelled beautifully.
Several matches were set up for SHW 71 on March 7.
-- Kyle Matthews (c) vs. Todd Sexton for the JTS Legacy Championship
-- Kenway vs. Austin Towers who made a surprise appearace after the main event.
-- Messiah vs. Savior -- Alexander Lev vs. the returning David Ali
The official paid attendance was 292. They were very into the show. The January show was canceled due to the snowstorm. I thought absence might have made the hearts of the SHW fans grow a little fonder than that number.
Murder One opened. He said the break killed the vibe and called for the crowd to get chaotic (he later got his wish). He reminded the fans how the Grappler caught the flames in December because the Hierarchy is all about that smoke and challenged Lev to pull his nuts up and take Joe Black on one-on-one in the main event.
Murder has a way with words. With no Gary Lamb to do the hype, Murder was the next best thing.
(1) Kyle Matthews defeated Nick Halen (with Todd Sexton) to retain the JTS Legacy Championship in 9:15. Matthews went after Halen's arm. Momentary distraction by Todd on the apron was the opening Halen needed. Matthews went aerial for his comeback. Matthews escaped from the Gamebreaker, evaded Halen's top rope elbow and won with a satellite headscissors transitioned to a Three Quarter Nelson.
After the match, Sexton looked disappointed in Halen and said "I guess I'll have to do it myself."
No way the match could not have really good wrestling and plot between Matthews and the Endgame thickened nicely.
Matt Griffin came to the ring in a black suit. Diana Michel handed Griffin the mic with disgust. Griffin welcomed the fans to his SHW and introduced his GM Gunner Miller, who strolled to the ring in Ken Griffey Jr. jersey drinking a Ghost Orange Cream. 18 months ago, he said ACTION had the best wrestling in Georgia and it was so delicious he was proven right.
Griffin approached Lamb, who was seated in the front row. He told Gary bringing in Gunner was the best decision Lamb ever made. "I took your best friend. I took your promotion. Next I'm going to take your super hot wife."
Lamb said nothing and walked towards the exit. From the same direction came Sunny Daze to confront Griffin. Miller blasted Daze from behind. He whipped the daylights out of Daze with his belt. Sick shots that had to suck. Then Miller wrapped the belt around his fist and pounded Daze until Daze's forehead was covered in blood. Griffin wiped the blood off of Miller's knuckles. A massive "you suck" chant ensued. Miller picked up the mic, said nothing and walked out like it was just another day at the office.
(2) Owen Knight defeated Grayson Pierce in 8:18. After what happened last time, Knight didn't wait for the bell. Pierce showed cowardice but all part of his craftiness. Knight was wise and kept cutting Pierce off. Pierce hit his springboard roundhouse kick to take control and tried to choke off Knight's air supply. Both were down after a wicked overhead suplex into the buckles by Knight. Pierce grabbed the rope to block Clock Out. Knight evaded the Skullpiercer (double stomp). Pierce ate a leg lariat and bailed. Jay Lucas was at ringside to toss Pierce back into Knight's waiting arms for the Clock Out.
Knight and Lucas had words after the match and did not become fast friends.
Good match. Stiff, fast paced action and story advancement at the end.
(3) Hunter James (with Triston Michaels) defeated the debuting Tristian Moody in 9:27. James entered solo. Michaels came to ringside with the match in progress. Major size difference here. James was overpowering Moody. "I'm the star here." Moody slipped out of the brainbuster. He fired up the pyrotechnics and had the crowd chanting his name. A series of counters built to James' backflip into a german suplex. Moody hit a Pele kick for two and went up top. Michaels provided just enough distraction to allow James to evade Moody's double stomp. James used a running Spanish fly to set up the brainbuster.
A nicely laid out match. James was dominant in line with his top guy status, power with a touch of flash. Moody made a good showing -- plenty of underdog determination and his flying offense looked crisp.
(4) Alex Kane defeated Joey Hyder in 8:29. Hyder wearing a "Hydermania" t-shirt and teased tearing it off Hogan style. They opened with an exchange of hammerlock right out of the 70s. Kane gave Hyder a tour of suplex island, finishing with an arm trap belly-to-belly. Kane tweaked his knee. Hyder immediately speared the knee and got on it with maniacal intensity. Kane was getting the better of the strike battle so Hyder clipped the knee. Kane resumed the suplex attack. He came within an eyelash of pinning Hyder with a release suplex. Hyder dropkicked the knee and applied a figure four. Kane reversed forcing Hyder to release the hold. Hyder went for broke with a twisting crossbody off the top. Nobody home and Kane picked up the win with Mark of Kane.
An uncomplicated story as well executed as any match on the show, maybe better. Kane changes speeds and doesn't rush anything. The exchange of hammerlocks took me back to my childhood.
Postmatch, Kane said he was a black world champion in this industry, at the top everywhere he went and belonged at the top in SHW.
No argument there. Kane has won the SHW crowd over and they see him as the legit top level pro wrestler he is.
(5) The Skulk (Adrian Alanis & Liam Gray) defeated Top Team (Jay Lucas & Terry Yaki in 10:15. I was catching up with YJ Thomason on Jimmie Oxendine (see notes) and some other stuff and only got the broad strokes. Skulk were heels by default. Yaki took the heat. Lucas ran wild with the the hot tag. Top Team had Alanis pinned after a double team powerbomb. Gray made the save. Top Team shitcanned Gray and Lucas had Alanis set up for the Jay Driller when Pierce showed his face at ringside. Lucas lost his focus and got obliterated by Skulk's backcracker/lariat combo. Skulk pinned Yaki with a stalling suplex/diving crossbody combo.
Bell-to-bell frenetic action. Crowd a little quiet at first because they were unfamiliar with Skulk they picked as the match progressed. The win should earn Skulk a shot at The Infantry for the tag titles.
(6) Todd Sexton (with Nick Halen) defeated Aaron Dallas in 9:13. The Dallas army was out in force. The incessant "A A-Ron" chanted morphed into "A A-Ron! Yeet!" A sign in the crowd read "Sexton eats bananas for the shape not the taste." Dallas reversed everything Sexton attempted until Todd got a near fall with a northern lights suplex four minutes in. Dallas rocked Sexton with a forearm from left field. The crowd chanted for the Steel Toe. Sexton stuffed it with a dropkick and connected with flying knee. Dallas kicked out and hit the Steel Toe. Halen put Sexton's foot on the rope. Moments later Halen hooked Sexton's hands for extra leverage on a pin. The crowd got on referee David Weakley. In the chaos of the moment, Sexton superkicked Dallas and pinned him with a flying knee transitioned into a three quarter nelson.
Postmatch, Endgame laid a beating on Dallas until Kyle Matthews confronted Sexton. Matthews said Halen and Keys couldn't get the job done, let's see if you can on March 7. Sexton said he would stretch Kyle's ass like he did country boy's.
This was fun. Dallas was ridiculously over with the crowd. Sexton's been a part of SHW for almost two years now and this was the first time the fans got to see him real singles wrestling match so they had little first hand knowledge of his technical skills. Sexton using the same pinning move that Matthews used to win his match was a nice touch straight out of Todd's playbook.
Video promo from David Ali. The Savior is returning home to SHW. Ali said he and Lev had followed similar paths, the difference being he took the ball and ran with it. Lev could never be on his level and would say Ali-lujah.
Crowd popped for Ali's appearance on the big screen and he talked a great game to set up The Savior vs. The Messiah for March 7.
(7) Joe Black defeated Alexander Lev by referee stoppage in 25:20. The crowd was unexpectedly split. A small minority of fans, mostly female, were rooting hard for Lev. Early on, Lev appeared to be no competition for Black. Lev's chops were weak. Joe was eating him alive. At the five minute mark, Lev's russian legsweep into the barricade got a reaction. So did the apron STO by Black that followed. Joe missed a diving Benoit headbutt.
Black is a master of telling stories in the ring. I thought that had a lot do with this being a more compelling match than the one Lev had with NWA World Champion Thom Latimer two weeks ago. The split crowd added a whole 'nother element. There was a sliver of a chance Lev was actually going to beat Black for the title, and Joe sold so convincingly he had the Lev supporters believing it was going to happen. Lev more than hung with Black for 25 minutes. He lost but he also sent a message to David Ali.
Cue up the music of Austin Towers. The Chief made his way to the ring. He choke slammed Kenway on the apron and laid Black out with a Kobeya Kick that found its mark. Murder drove Towers from the ring brandishing a kendo stick.
Well played. Towers was an stunning surprise that got over with the crowd. Black clearly has a formidable challenger on his hands.
NOTES: David Weakley and Paul Santa were the referees...As always, the commentary team was Brandon Benefield and Gerard Bonner with Sal Rinauro sitting in during the latter half of the show and Diana Michel was the ring announcer...Among those backstage: Jay Alpha Miller and Hakeem Young...Jimmie Oxendine is in a better place than when he was prior to Christmas. Ox has moved to a rehabilitation skilled care nursing facility where he needs are being better cared for.
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