From Larry Goodman:
A big thumbs up for Animal House 5. It was intense. It was violent. It was entertaining. Everything I loved PCW for in the first place.
The lineup was packed with feuds that had been built to a peak up and down the card. They ran straight through (a little over 2 hours) and the energy level rarely let up.
I'd been to multiple shows at the venue (both Changes shows and the truncated SSP Savage 16), This was my first PCW live event since the promotion left Covington. I picked a great night to go.
PCW has much the same roster as they did in Covington. Their talent has matured and improved significantly since then, The work ethic on this show was beyond reproach. I was relieved there were no serious injuries given some of the things that happened.
Stephen Platinum and Matt Hankins should be proud of the way Brian Blaze, Najasism, Bill the Butcher, Darry Hall and company are carrying their legacy forth.
PCW has built a loyal audience in Conyers. The fans knew the stories and characters and were passionately engaged in the show. They had a full house of around 80.
The announce team of Jeff Jobs, DJ Tonnek and Ref Mike did a stand up in the aisle to open the show.
(1) Duncan Mitchell Avecilla defeated Trey Shaw via referee stoppage in a no ropes, dog collar, no DQ Dog Fight Match (9:45). Stablemates turned bitter enemies and this insanity was the only way they could settle it. Shaw put the chain around DMA's neck and delivered a Gonzo Bomb. That got a reaction. He tried for it again. DMA slipped out the back door, hit a series of knee strikes finished with a flying knee for a near fall. On the floor, Shaw went for a lariat and got the post. DMA put the chain around Shaw's neck and used the post to crank on it. Shaw grabbed the ref before lapsing into unconsciousness.
Shaw refused assistance after the match and weaved his way to the curtain under his own power.
The finish had drama. Unexpectedly for a gimmick match, this might have been the best match of the show for in ring technique. Goin any longer would have made no sense given the sheer brutality involved. Shaw is one of the more underrated talents around.
(2) Chad Skywalker defeated DJ Smoke (with JJ) by DQ in 10:44. Skywalker had allegedly kidnapped ENT members KJ and Nate Mansions. He came to the ring with KJ under a hood and tied him to one of the ring posts. Skywalker said he was tired of getting screwed so he took matters into his own hands. He didn't have who he wanted (Najasism) but he did have Smoke. The had the upper hand called leverage. He got to name the stipulation. If Smoke won by DQ, he still won.
Crowd was totally behind Skywalker. Smoke capitalized on JJ's distraction. Skywalker had things going his way with a shotgun dropkick, cannonball and moonsault for a near fall. JJ ran interference. Smoke pulled the hood off of KJ and grabbed the title belt. He wanted to use but actually did not. Referee Hall saw Smoke holding the belt and DQed him.
Afterward, JJ untied KJ. Skywalker used a chair KJ and brawled with JJ.
Beside being a really good match, this had the most elaborate and interesting story. The growth in Skywalker's character work here and at CEW has been really fun to watch. He's fighting overwhelming odd against Naja's ENT. Extreme times call for extreme measures. I can barely recognize H-Town Hittas as the green than grass version they were in Covington.
 |
(3) Hyena Hera defeated Rose Gold to retain the PCW Women's Championship in in 4:16. Gold's one-one-one rematch after losing the title to Hera in a multi-women match at Queen's Gambit. Hera is a triple champion and had the TCW and APW Women's Championship belts with her. Rose had Hera in trouble when Jazmyn J came to ringside to distract her allowing catch her off guard with a crucifix pin.
Good while it lasted. Story continuation. In recent months, Gold has picked up her work rate and added new offense. I hope Hera keeps getting booked in more places.
(4) William Huckaby defeated Lamar Diggs via submission in an I Quit Match (13:24). Diggs had a chair. Huck had giant-size metal hook. They dropped weapons and commenced with a spudfest. Huck gave Diggs a wicked judo throw and tried to rip Lamar's shoulder out of the socket. Huck whipped Diggs with referee Darryl Hall's belt. Diggs wrapped the belt around Huck's throat. The crowd chanted "choke him out" so I guess Diggs was the babyface. Diggs was screaming his lungs out after Huck sent his shoulder into the post. Huck kept looking under the ring for something he never did find. He improvised.
Huck used a second ref and a camera guy as projectiles to pile on top of Diggs. Lamar audibly konked Huck on his coconut of a head with a Coke can. Diggs caught Huck right in the nuts with the edge of a plastic trash can lid. Huck gave Diggs a monster Samoan drop, FIVE consecutive chair shots and stuck that giant hook in Lamar's face until he quit.
A guilty pleasure 100%. These beasts beat the fuck out of each other. This did no good at all for Diggs separated shoulder (see NOTES below). I loved the spontaneity of the feeling anything could and did happen.
Deon Summerz came to the ring to check on Cabezas after the match.
Platinum would call this a palate cleanser between major matches. A decisive clean win for the heel. Sleepy Rassla (the former De La Vega) flew in from California to do the show.
(6) Dominic Stuckey defeated Skrilla the Great in 16:21. Skrilla made a surprise return at Changes 2 in February to attack Stuckey and deprive him of the PCW Championship. Skrilla did a creative counter to Stuckey's finisher Both were down Dom's superplex. A slugfest broke out. Stuckey went down. Skrilla told Dom "you don't have it". Stuckey got a close near fall with a black hole slam. Stuckey blocked the Skrillride and had Skrilla up for Absolution (Attitude Adjusment of the highest order). Naja's music hit. Stuckey got confused and Skrilla rolled him up. Stuckey kicked out Skrilla tried to go low. Stuckey blocked it and hit Absolution. He could have pinned Skrilla right there but wasn't satisfied and beat him with a double underhook cutter.
Skrilla attacked from behind and laid Stuckey out with the Skrillride. Skrilla picked Dom up and kicked him in the balls.
This match differentiated itself from the rest with the pacing and how they let the drama sink in. They never hit the accelerator enough to make it great. Stuckey won clean in the middle to set up a title match with Naja. The postmatch left me thinking there's more to go between Dom and Skrilla. Stuckey sold like he'd been neutered.
(7) Najasism defeated Hunter James and Nathaniel Vanderbilt and Deon Summerz to retain the PCW Championship in 16:07. Summerz and James were the babyfaces. Vanderbilt and Naja were the heels. Naja got a "heel mama" chant. He kicked ring announcer Salem Alexander to the curb and summoned Jobs to the ring to do his intro. Blaze made it an Animal House rules match. Jay Shaw wheeled a cart of plunder down the aisle. Naja said hell no and we got the 10th (no exaggeration) "Jay Shaw" chant of the night as Shaw tossed Naja into the ring. Way too much went on in this match to delve into all the details. See it when it debuts on PCW's YouTube channel Summerz got the best of a Tower of Doom but couldn't secure the pin. Naja used a trash can lid. James gave Vanderbilt a party popper to the face. Summerz took a cookie sheet to Naja. Naja tried to suffocate James with a plastic bag and brainbuster him as he did at Turn the Page. James gave Naja the brainbuster instead. Vanderbilt crashed and burned on a Phoenix Splash. James gave Vanderbilt the brainbuster. Summerz shitcanned James and tried to steal the pin. Naja stopped him. Naja reversed Summerz pin attempt with a bridging pin of his own to retain.
A wild and crazy match with a great finishing sequence. There was a lot of athleticism on display and they didn't overdo it with the gimmicks. Of course, Naja and James are two of the best in the state. Summerz and Vanderbilt are among the talents that have greatly improved and hung right with them.
Postmatch, Hollywood and Summertime bonded. Crowd was heaven until James dropped Summerz on his head with a brainbuster. James wanted to give Summerz another one but PCW officials intervened.
James was not to be denied. He burst into the ring and gave Summerz a brainbuster from the ring apron to the God damn floor. PCW official rushed to ringside to check on Summerz.
One of the scariest things I've seen in a long time. A brainbuster on the floor was not the plan. James' foot slipped off the apron as he was executing the move. He somehow protected Summerz and miraculously nobody was injured.
NOTES: PCW returns to action in Conyers on April 25...The omnipresent Bill The Butcher assisted in multiple capacities...Blaze was in production along with everything else he was doing...Darryl Hall, Mekhi Comey and Nathaniel Spivey were the referees. Diggs suffered a separated shouIder the day before his match with at Moose at NTW. He did that match and the match last night with injury but will now be taking time off...I didn't catch the name of the unwitting photographer Huckaby tossed just because.
