SHW Rumblejack 7 -- Canton on August 8

Photos by Peter Sigmund Rumors of our demise are premature. SHW will continue, bigger, badder and more badass than ever. -- Gary Lamb   From...

Photos by Peter Sigmund

Rumors of our demise are premature. SHW will continue, bigger, badder and more badass than ever.

-- Gary Lamb 

From Larry Goodman:

The Rumblejack is a high bar for Southern Honor Wrestling. First presented in August 2019, Rumblejack instantly became SHW's signature event and the most highly anticipated SHW show of the year. 

This year's Rumblejack cleared the bar with ease. Booker Dylan Frymyer and the entire SHW roster outdid themselves. Beginning to end, this show was beautifully constructed and executed to near perfection. 

Alexander Lev won the Rumblejack to earn the title match of his choosing. Lev's win was the latest chapter in an epic, organically grown story. SHW caught lighting in a bottle with the way the SHW crowd took to Lev as a babyface. Since Lev's astonishing title match with Joe Black, it's been off to the races. 

The Southern Honor fan base outdid themselves as well. The Action Building was packed to the gills, standing room only for the final Rumblejack in this venue. They were pure fire and never wavered all night long. 

Paid attendance was 631. If anything, that number seemed on the low side. Best as I can tell, Rumblejack 7 drew was the second largest crowd in SHW history, exceeded only by the storied "SHW 1000" in May 2019. 

That the Action Building will soon be no more played a role in the turnout. I'd like to think hard work pays off. Southern Honor has been putting on top tier shows all year long.

(1) Grayson Pierce (with the Southern Belle) defeated Alexander Lev in 8:18. The chants for Lev came early and often. Pierce capitalized on Southern Belle's interference. He tried for the split legged moonsault but Lev made him miss. Lev went on the attack but Pierce fought off the Lev Clash. Unbeknownst to referee Paul Santa, Christian Taylor came out of nowhere to Lev off the ropes and Lev was a sitting duck for the Skullpiercer. 

Pierce stood over Lev's fallen body and bent Southern Belle over for a celebratory kiss. 

Volcanic heat. The hatred for Pierce's sly arrogance grows each time he appears. The SHW faithful went ballistic when Taylor got involved. 

(2) Paul Walter Hauser pinned Zicky Dice in a no DQ match to retain the PROGRESS Proteus Championship at 7:23. Zicky emptied the clip on Hauser with insults. Said in Hollywood, they called Hauser Fantastic Foreskin behind his back. Dice couldn't understand why Progress put their title on a doughfaced dipshit. Dice wanted a no Dq match. Hauser was down for it.   

Zicky immediately fired a chair at referee Daryl Hall to take him out and did the same to Hauser, who he covered for a visual fall in the first 15 seconds. Dice set a 4x8 sheet of plywood up in the corner. They battled onto the stage where they took one big bump apiece. Dice put Hauser through the sheet of plywood with a DVD. Hauser drove Zicky's head into a chair wedged in the corner and hit a diving headbutt off the ropes. Dice cut Hauser off with a low blow and gave him a piledriver onto a chair for a sick false finish. Hauser put Dice through a table with a senton atomico for the 1-2-3. 

This was pretty great for what it was. Certainly exceeded my expectations. That 4 X 8 plywood sheet made a fantastic crunching sound when Dice  went through it. Highly recommend. The stage at the Action Building always did make for great thudding sound effects.

Promo by SHW GM Gary Lamb - Lamb did the numbers: we're two months away from SHW's 7th anniversary. After SHW's first show, Matt Griffin went on somebody's podcast and said we'll see if their still around in six months. Two years ago, the city of Canton bought the property. Lamb knew they would eventually lose the building but the city assured him they would be given plenty of notice. Three weeks ago, the city gave them 10 weeks to vacate. Lamb requested assistance with a "fuck you" love letter video to the city of Canton. The crowd was happy to oblige. Lamb assured the crowd Still Here 7 would still happen and dropped the knowledge that SHW had their new venue secured with more to be revealed at the September 12 show. He wanted the crowd on their feet raising hell and finished with the quote at the top.

This was the Gary Lamb in his element in front of a packed house, passionate about SHW with a bit of well-deserved fire and brimstone for the city of Canton A++ promo.  

(3) Joe Black defeated CT Keys and Alex Kane in a triple threat match to retain the SHW Championship in 11:51. Two babyface and one heel but with the title on the line, it was every man for himself. Match had more serious tone in contrast to the raucous frivolity of the no DQ affair. Out of a triple down, Joe did a ropes walk springboard cutter on Keys, eliciting a this is awesome  chant. Keys delivered a pair of sky high uranages, then directed some trash talk at Joe, which was not the best idea. Joe gave Keys an avalanche german suplex onto Kane, who wa still down from the damage inflicted by Keys. Black speared CT to retain. 

Three brutes doing brutish things. Keys got major heel heat. Joe is beloved. Th SHW fans respect Kane's skills and his bad ass ways. The layout kept the challengers strong. The finishing sequence was the picture of devastation.

(4) Alexander Lev defeated (in order on entrance) Hunter James, "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal, "Number 25" Rosario Grillo, "Teflon" Jay Alpha Miller, "Action" Mike Jackson, Chayn Male, Matt Lynch (with Joey Lynch), Rob Adonis, Aaron Dallas, Ashton Starr, AJ Black, Anthony Agogo, Shoot Taylor, Bryce Cannon, Kyle Matthews, Byron Young, Spectre, Nathan Mowery, Smallest Spark, Sunny Daze, Ethan Dallas, Liam Gray, Adrian Alanis, Sal Rinauro , Jeremy Prater, Zicky Dice, Shawn Dean, Billy Gunn, Paul Walter Hauser, Carlie Bravo, Krule, Zack Buchanan, Grayson Pierce (with Christian Taylor), David Ali, OXP, Leon Ruff, Gunner Miller (with Matt Griffin) , Austin Towers and Crazy Train (Faye Voyles) in a 40 person Rumblejack in 1:21:19.

Krule's entrance at number 31 got one of loudest pops of the night. He eliminated Gunn and double choke slammed Infantry, and eliminated three more competitors. Lev was supposed the enter at 33 but was jumped in the aisle by Pierce and Taylor, who unleashed a chair swinging fury in the ring. Ali's entrance received a huge "welcome back" chant. Lev finally made it into the ring. He hit the Lev Clash on Pierce and popped the crowd again by eliminating him. Miller speared Krule. Entering at 39, Towers dominated until Miller put him down with a spear. Lamb appeared onstage as the apparent 40th entrant. Griffin confronted Gary and slapped his face. Lamb punched Griffin in the mouth and kicked him in the ass. Meanwhile, Faye Vroyles had entered the ring. Miller had Vroyles in his sights. Krule speared Miller and Lev tossed him out. Krule picked Faye up and gently deposited her outside the ring. Towers' elimination of Krule got a big reaction - disappointment was followed by booing and a "thank you, Krule" chant. Skulk got back at Bravo and Dean by running back into the ring to eliminate them. Towers booted Ali over the top rope.

Towers and Lev squared off in the Lumberjack match to determine the winner, greeted by a. massive "We are faithful" chant at the opening bell.  Lev kicked out of Towers' choke slam. Pierce and Taylor attacked Lev. Joe Black hit the ring to take them out. Black and Lev briefly locked eyes. As Towers and Lev battled on the ropes, Lev maneuvered underneath Towers for a sunset powerbomb. 

Joe returned to the ring. He bumped fists with Towers and hugged Lev's neck, before leaving the ring to the Rumblejack winner.

The surprises, the stories told within, big moments, great pacing, this Rumblejack had it all, including the right winner at the right time. The atmosphere was incredible. The fact that none of the earlier matche ran long had to help the crowd energy. The ring never got cluttered with an overabundance of bodies, The pace simmered in the mid portion and came to a boil for all star power and the fireworks -- the Ali return, Krule, Bravo, Lamb/Griffin et al in the late innings. Towers and Lev had a hell of singles match that demonstrated how much both of them have improved. Black coming out to give Lev a hug was seductive way to close the show. A title rematch is only a question of when not if. But Lev has other dragons to slay in the form of Pierce and Taylor. He may have an allie in Ali. 

Other Rumblejack highlights/thoughts:

-- I can't say enough good about Krule's presence in this match. He received a superstar reaction. His work was stellar and the Bride of Frankenstein moment with Fay Voyles was unforgettable. 

-- With all that has gone down between Lamb and Griffin, it's mind boggling that their confrontation on stage was the first time they've gotten physical. Griffin is one of the most photogenic personalities in Georgia wrestling.

-- I marked out for Black Machismo, one of my all-time favorite gimmicks. Turned out that was also true of Gary Lamb and a number of the talents I talked with backstage. 

-- Zachary Law had a yeoman's taks on his hands with all that gear.

-- Conspicuous by his absence was Chip Day, advertised by video promo at the last show.

-- The tit for tat between Infantry and Skulk told the crowd all they needed to know about that feud still having juice. 

-- Joey Lynch onstage in a wheelchair as brother Matt entered the match was a huge emotional moment. Lynch Brothers were a cornerstone of SHW's early years.

-- Bryce Cannon's schtick with TikTok sensation Smallest Spark was as entertaining as it was preposterous.

-- Gunn did the "scissor me" with Smallest Spark. Hauser wanted Gunn to do the "two words for ya" but that got spoiled.

-- After almost eight years of SHW, Rob Adonis finally made his debut. 

-- James continually teased elimination by escaping predicaments.  

-- Agogo eliminated three competitors and then basically stood outside the ring doing nothing. I'm not sure why  he was even in the match. 

-- Yes, at age 75, Mike Jackson did the old school ropes walk around the ring with James as his accomplice. 

--- Mowery brought the death match element into play. He gave Spectre a brainbuster on a chair and got a gusset plate pounded into his head by Daze.

NOTES: Paul Santa, Clark DeBenedetto and the aforementioned Darryl Hall were the referees. Hall stepped in last minute to replace an ailing David Weakley...Brandon Benefield and Gerard Bonner were on commentary...Diana Michel was the ring announcer...Tapped Out podcasters Nick McDaniel & Myron Fancher, Eddie Hindrixx, DJ Tonnek and Pastor Jaykes were among those in the house.