Southern Fried No Risk No Reward Video Review

From Larry Goodman: To say No Risk No Reward was  the best go home show Todd Sexton has ever booked covers many years of ground. I think Tod...

From Larry Goodman:

To say No Risk No Reward was  the best go home show Todd Sexton has ever booked covers many years of ground. I think Todd and Southern Fried pulled that feat off. 

Matt Griffin and David Manders pulled off the near impossible. A retired wrestler and a non-wrestler poured their hearts and souls  into a 20+ minute street fight,  and royally paid off of a story that had its beginnings last year.

Griffin gave a career-defining performance for his run as a manager. He did everything humanly possible, and some inhuman things, to get the match over. 

Manders never he  had any designs on being a wrestler. He was Charles Anschutz hand-picked successor as the owner/promoter of Southern Fried. For his part, all things considered, Manders was amazing in the match.

In an epic angle for the ages, Hunter James revealed what has been eating at him all this time and the stipulation for Sexton Alliance vs. The Crusade at Shindig. The entire ringside area will be encased in barbed wire for a Penitentiary match.  Before it was over, Kelly Sexton was in tears and Adyran Hawkins made his return. 

Out of the blue, Southern Fried has new tag team champions. Michael Walker and Seth Delay won the title in a match that was not part of the advertised line up.

Beginning to end, this show cooked. 

Mark June 7 on your calendar. Shindig XII is shaping up as a show of the year candidate. 

The commentary team of Adam Vance and Blake Blackwell was more than up to the task. They did a great job of getting across the excitement level. This show was rich with compelling  imagery and the camera crew did a great job of capturing that on tape.

(1) CT Keys pinned Spiral DeSilva with an F5 at 4:42. DeSilva impressed with his suplexes. 

Postmatch, Keys cut a promo on Southern Fried Champion Sal Rinauro for their title match at Shindig. "Keys keeps it locked."

(2) Bryce Cannon  defeated Xander Seabolt in 4:56. Cannon sold big for Seabolt, who got a near fall with the Double Shot. Cannon slid his frat paddle towards Seabolt. Xander handed the paddle to referee Matthew Daniel. Cannon poked Seabolt in the eyes and beat him with the Keg Stand.

Cannon and Chip Day go toe-to-toe on the mic.  Cannon was offering to to give somebody the "Bryce Cannon rub" at Shindig but nobody was worthy. Out came an unadvertised Chip Day, Chip was amused. Said it seemed like Cannon got validation from their  2023 match of the year. Cannon paid to watch him wrestle at RPW as a kid. Cannon called Day an old man trying to get relevant again. Day wondered if Cannon's knee would hold up. Day said they could go out and steal the show  but Cannon might wish he was still paying to watch him wrestle.

This was great work. Unscripted and spontaneously (or so it seemed), Day and Cannon used their past history to make a compelling case for a match in the present.

(3) Michael Walker defeated Classics Champion Hunter James (with Dom Stuckey) via DQ in 12:13. Blackwell factoid: Walker and James first met for the NCW Junior Championship in 2022. James heeling relentlessly. His Prettiest Powerslam was a thing of beauty. Walker did a flip flop and fly for a hope spot. James uses a snake eyes to set up the Pepsi twist for two. Walker survived Hunter's flip into a deadlift german. Stuckey laid hands on Fro. Disturbed confronted Stuckey and was undisturbed by Stuckey's blows. Dom abandoned ship with Disturbed in hot pursuit. 

Walker pulled off a tornado Canadian destroyer, death defying and they hit it perfectly. Check it out.  

Walker kicked out of Hunter's brainbuster. Vance said Walker was the first to do so in Southern Fried. Walker did a toornado DDT reversal on the floor for a "Fro" chant. Walker hit the frogsplash elbow and Rosario Grillo spoiled the pin for the DQ. 

Southern Fried couldn't go wrong with this match. James and Walker have great chemistry. Disturbed is still a wild card. His brain may have rotted.

Grillo and Pat Roach did a number on Fro. Refs out waving their arms to no avail. Delay came to Walker's defense wielding a steel chair. Delay congratulated Hunter on being the biggest weasel on the planet and challenged Crusade to their tag belts on the line. The arrogant fools accepted 

(4) Seth Delay & Michael Walker defeated The Crusade  (Rosario Grillo & Pat Roach with Hunter James) to win the Southern Fried Tag Team Championship in 7:13. Crazy finish. Walker twice had Grillo pinned. Roach saved him by grabbing a handful of Fro's hair and dropping a Harley Race diving headbutt (thank you Blake Blackwell). Referee Matthew Daniel got knocked down. Walker and Delay gave Grillo a double brainbuster but Daniel was in no shape to count. James blasted Walker with the belt. Still no ref.  Nick Halen came down the aisle, drawing the attention of James and Roach. Todd Sexton entered from the side door with a superkick for Grillo.  Delay landed the Flying Squirrel on Grillo.  Walker followed with the frog splash elbow to take home the championship.

Bravo. Comeuppance for Crusade and their constant screwing of everybody. Delay and Walker an inspired combination for babyface tag team champions.

(5) Will Kaution pinned Jay Shaw with the Kaution Cutter at 2:05. Kaution had Shaw pinned with a top rope elbow but wanted to rub it in on you know who.

Jacob Ashworth made his way to the ring. Said Kaution told him he was hurt, he was old and it was time to quit. He challenged Kaution to put the Georgia Heritage title on the line at Shindig in an I Quit Match. Ashworth ducked a belt shot. Kaution dipped out proudly holding his title.

Ashworth cut a great promo. Kaution is sleazy but talented. Their feud has been built to a peak.

Hunter James and Todd Sexton.  With a smirk on his face, Todd admitted he just cost Crusade the tag team titles. James recalled beating Todd in the unofficial retirement match (of Todd's umpteenth retirement). He had finally beaten his mentor. But then Todd came back and had to have the spotlight for himself.  James accused Todd of failing the company and failing him. Todd lied to him. "Why the hell won't you just go away?"

James said they'd been stuck in a prison of their own making and finally sent each other over the edge, so it was time to lock them in to the Southern Fried Penitentiary at Shindig. A cage of barbed wire would be attached to the guard rails. They would all be locked in. He would end Todd's career once and for all and end what's left of Sexton Alliance.

Todd had a different take. Billy Buck would be cleared in three weeks. Bobby Moore was getting his vision back and would be ready for Shindig. Hawkins was still undergoing testing but he hoped he would also be good to go. "Every crusade comes to and end, but the Sexton Alliance is forever."

The other member of Crusade surrounded the ring. Nick Halen slid in and stood back-to-back with Todd. Crusade beat Todd and Nick down six against two. Rosario Grillo stomped Halen's head. Pat Roach choked Todd out. James was directing traffic. He ordered Tayo to grab the piece of rebar he used on Moore's eye. Kelly Sexton came to ringside. James invited "darling" into the ring. Kelly forearmed James in the face. Kat held Kelly down and James made her choose whether her best friend or husband's eye got taken out.

Kelly told James to go to hell. James said pick or Grillo would kick her head off. Kelly told James to kiss her ass. James told Grillo to do it but Stuckey stepped in Grillo's way. Crusade got in Dom's face. 

James told Dom was about as relevant as his trainer until James brought him in to Crusade. "Sit your ass in the corner and be a good soldier. Test me again and I'll end your career." James gave Kelly one last chance to choose.

Kelly said James forgot she was Approved. Before Grillo could take Kelly's head off. Hawkins came down the aisle wielding a baseball bat and toting a bat bag. Hawkins took out Grillo and Roach and had bats for his teammates. The rest of Crusade were trapped like rats as Approved surrounded the ring, ready to swing for the fences. Approved stormed the ring and Crusade scattered.

This was a marathon segment with a ton of moving parts. Great ensemble work was required and everyone delivered. James sold the premise for the stipulation, which was no small task. Hawkins' return and growing dissension in the camp of the Crusade unexpectedly shifted the momentum in favor of the babyface team going into Shindig, even to the point of teasing a turn by Stuckey. 

(6) David Manders defeated Matt Griffin in a streetfight (21:07). Shindig XI will be presented by Manders' Southern Fried Championship Wrestling not  Griffin's ACTION Wrestling. Griffin was accompanied to  by ring his son Brontz wearing  a suitcoat to match dad's. Griffin had a taped ring intro by ACTION ring announcer Scott Hensley. Manders was accompanied by Ashworth. The crowd was already chanting "David". This crowd was hyped.

Griffin stalled. He tried to quiet the crowd which of course built the heat. Griffin slapped Manders across the face. Manders slapped him back. Griffin ate punches, took an Irish whip and bumped for Manders' clothesline. Griffin called for a timeout. Manders continued to pummel Griffin and whip him into the barricades. Manders crumbled after taking a kick in the balls. Griffin threw himself over the barricade on one of Manders' whips. Blackwell said Mr. D wasn't feeling so delicious.

Griffin was suffering. 

The battle moved outside the building and to the inside of the ring trailer. Manders tried to pin Griffin inside the trailer. Back inside the building, Griffin was getting the better of the fight. He shattered a container lid on Manders' head. 

One of Manders' punches connected with the ringpost. Griffin worked over Manders' punching hand. Brontz brought a book bag filled with plunder to the ring. Griffin snatched a barbecue skewer out of the bag and jabbed it into Manders' palm. Vance wanted to know what kind of school Brontz was going to in Tyrone. Griffin went after Manders with plunger. Before Griffin could put the plunger to use, Manders gave him a shot to the yam bags. They had trouble getting the plunger to stick to Griffin's bald head. Vance said even Griffin's plunger was shitty. A trickle of blood was running from the top of Manders' head. Manders literally drilled Griffin's skull.

Griffin was bleeding. Manders picked up the staple gun Griffin had pulled out of the bag. Manders proceeded to staple dollar bills into Griffin's head. The crowd was more than happy to ante them up. Head of security Rodney Hix stapled one in. Griffin's head was covered with greenbacks. Griffin was starting to weep.

Griffin got on offense and brought a door into the ring. Manders tossed Griffin through the door.

Griffin tried to get to the front door but his escape path was blocked by Southern Fried babyfaces. Griffin tried another door with the same result. Griffin headed for the lockerroom but was met by Ryan Anschutz, son of Southern Fried's original owner. 

Griffin was begging for his life. He gave Manders a shot to the groin and pulled out a bag of powder. Manders knocked the powder into Griffin's face, threw another bag of powder in his face and KOed him with fistful of quarters.

The building exploder at the count of three. Manders daughter Dakota hugged her dad.

Southern Fried had to be thrilled with how well this match came off. Griffin sold  his ass off, like his life depended on it. He's one treacherous coward. His recent death match experience paid dividends. Thrust into the spotlight as a physical performer, There was nothing pretty about Manders but he was a girtty, gutsy competitor. I loved call backs -- to Rodney Hix's fundraiser, to the roll of quarters, and to original Southern Fried owner Charles Anschutz through his son. The elation in the room after the match was real.