From Jeremy "The Impact" York:
Pre-Show Match: Loose Link Lucio Vs. DJ Bruder—A new wrinkle by 12 Gauge to their already impressive show is the Pre-Show Match with two up and comers looking to work their way on to the Main Card. Lucio and Bruder open up with some solid chain wrestling that moved to the ground. DJ with a headlock, but catches a shoulder tackle from Lucio. Bruder grabs another headlock then a takeover followed by a kip up and side kick. Lucio drapes on the second rope yet it’s Bruder with the running attack ultimately finishing on the outside after the slide through to the delight of the crowd! Back inside it’s a hanging neck breaker and snap mare to rear chin lock for the Loose Link. Bruder battle back and performs a big slam for the win! Winner: DJ Bruder via pinfall
Estimated attendance at Coosa Valley Fairgrounds was 130. Ring Announcer: Kyle Charisma
Main Show—Match 1: Skrilla The Great Vs. “Teflon” Jay “Alpha” Miller—Not every day you get a match of like this one! 2023 Georgia Wrestler of the Year and Feud of the Year (Skrilla versus the State of Georgia) Skrilla the Great versus the 2024 Georgia Rookie of the Year in Jay “Alpha” Miller! Jay rolls out to start the contest. After some stalling he gets back in the ring and they lock up. Miller with the arm drag, however it’s Skilla who drops him to the canvas, following up with a big elbow drop. He grabs a headlock on Jay then lays in a barrage of strikes in the corner. STG grabs Alpha by the back of his neck for a tour of the top turnbuckles, slamming his foe’s face into each buckle. He asks the crowd for their approval and they respond with a “One More Time” chant. Skrilla shrugs then proceeds to give Jay another tour of the turnbuckles! Alpha hits the ropes for a shoulder tackle but Skrilla goes for the rollup and gets a two count. Shotgun sling blade by Skrilla then he and Miller battle on the second rope. Jay uses a modified side slam from there that has both competitors on the canvas. Alpha with some sharp chops then a pair of clotheslines. Skrilla fights back, but Jay goes behind him to grab his head and fall back for a big slam. He gets a two count. Abdominal stretch from Miller, yet Skrilla counters with a hip toss then moves to the corner. He tries to double kick a charging Miller but Jay catches his feet and tosses them through the ropes. While prone on the second rope, Alpha executes a backstabber for a two count. Skrill finds his feet to land some powerful strikes to Miller then a running European uppercut. It’s Jay with the advantage though as he climbs to the top rope. Falling headbutt from him get another close call. Skrilla performs a Cradleshock for a near fall. Just as he is setting up for a Skrillride cutter, Miller low blows him ending the match in Skrilla’s favor. After the bell Alpha attacks Skrilla with a rolling leg slam then locks on a crossface until the referee is finally able to get him to break the hold.
Winner: Skrilla The Great via Disqualification
Match 2: Eden Monroe Vs Yonko Bailey—12 Gauge fan Matt Williams went for the “Superfan Package” for this show and got rewarded with being named the Special Referee for this match. We start with Eden trying to get through her pre-match speech, with a choice few fans at ringside making sure she does not complete it. Yonko (World’s Best Talking Mime) would have none of the Monroe’s shenanigans and threw an invisible lasso around her. Then he slowly pulled the rope until she was fully back in the ring, then he cut the rope loose. He then builds a see-through wall. Eden tries to punch through it but hurts her hand. Eden catches Yonko with some stomps then straight on kicks before dropping the talking Mime with a devastating DDT. She chokes him in the corner with her foot, then after a referee break continues to remove air from his body with help from the ropes. Big kick from Monroe followed by a big chop. Yonko fights it off but eats a superkick for the effort. Jumping codebreaker off the ropes from Eden garners a two count. Yonko fights back with a clothesline and crushing shoulder tackles before finishes the flurry with a towering choke slam on Monroe! He tells her “Good Night Eden” and jumps on her back to put on a rear naked choke trapping one of her arms as well. She falls back in an attempt to break the hold but Yonko tightens his grasp where Monroe only can use the other arm to tap!
Winner: Yonko Bailey via Submission
Match 3: BK Bennett Vs Troy Carter Vs Christian Garrett Vs Severen—Two familiar faces to the 12 Gauge audience (Bennett & Carter) and two newcomers (Garrett & Severen) faced off to see who would come out on top. Melee early as all four battled for the early advantage. BK and Troy crash outside. Carter goes from the ring apron to inside the ring with a dropkick on a seated Severen in the corner. Garrett flattens him with a senton for a two count. Then he uses a knee drop and underhook suplex. BK with the big kick for a near fall. Then he catches the sunset flip on Severen for another close call. Lariat from Bennett gets a two and seventeen sixty-fourths count. All four converge for a double super-plex powerbomb! Carter catches him with a suplex for a two and two thirds count. BK leaps from the top for the leg drop to the back and head of his opponent, then Severen lifts him up only to slam him on his back! Troy gets a German suplex grip and has the first attempt at the move blocked, however he rolls through and springs back into the grip to execute the maneuver the second time! He makes the cover for the 1-2-3.
Winner: Troy Carter via pinfall Match
Chad Skywalker Vs Hakeem Young—Agent 003 Skywalker out first. He grabs the mic and says he is glad to be back in 12 Gauge. He adds that Hakeem did not make the trip, but he wants to thank the fans for welcoming him back anyways. Before he can say any more, music hits and out waltzes…EDWARD DRAVEN?! Draven grabs the mic and says he would just adore a match versus Skywalker. Chad responds by saying careful what you say and that his match with Hakeem was supposed to be a hardcore match, something he doubts Draven really wants. Draven says he’s still game for a fight and plans to beat Chad all over the arena!
Match 4: Chad Skywalker Vs Edward Draven (Hardcore Match)—They lock up, clean break. Chad poses. Draven with the go behind, countered by Chad, then Draven gets it back. Dropkick by Edward who grabs a chair. He throws it to Chad then slaps the chair. It pings into the bridge of Skywalker’s nose. Chad throws the chair to the ref who catches it. Then he slams Edward’s head into the chair. Skywalker with a deafening chop on Draven that echoed throughout the building. Draven goes hard into the turnbuckle. Kyle Charisma slides a small guitar to Draven. He gets to his feet and crushes Chad with it! On the outside now they battle back and forth then Skywalker hits a hurricanrana out of a blocked powerbomb attempt slinging Draven across the arena floor! Edward bites Chad’s leg and they spill back in the ring. Chad stomps Edward then sets a chair on him to stomp some more. Just as Skywalker goes for a suplex, it’s Draven with the counter into the cutter. Chad blocks a kick from Edward, Edward follows it with an enziguri. Draven seems to have been hurt during the last sequence. Chad takes advantage with a delayed pump kick for the victory. After the match, Draven is helped to the back by a couple officials.
Winner: Chad Skywalker via pinfall Match
5: Najasism Vs Chris Crunkk (w/ Roxxie)—Early on it’s Crunkk with the leg lock, Naja counters with an eye poke. Naja with the arm drag, Chris uses a modified all body lock to twist up his foe. The Greatest, the Baddest, the Best counters however with a standing tarantula forcing Crunkk to transition into a front face lock with accompanying leg lock. Naja employs the surfboard and rolls to his side for a more effective variation. Chris hip tosses Naja followed by a jumping knee that gets an early two count. They battle outside where Chris drops a charging Najasism on an empty chair causing him to settle seated on another chair. Crunkk does not need to be told what to do next as he races around the ring ultimately landing his patented kick knocking Naja into the floor. Back in the ring Crunkk settles in for mounted punches in the corner. He only gets to eight though as Najasism rolls through for a suplex in the corner. Now he gets in some mounted punches on the ground on Chris, adding a running kick. Chris slips him into a backslide that catches the multi-company champion by surprise. He barely kicks out before the three count. The Hoochie Daddy lands a huge kick near the corner to set up his split-legged moonsault for a two and three quarters count. Standing Spanish fly from Naja then he slaps Crunkk. Chris responds with a forearm, Naja responds with a spinning back elbow, splash, enziguri and urinagi combo. Crunkk recovers just enough to respond with a superkick as he rests on the ropes. Naja runs up for the German suplex, Chris holds on, Naja flops back then kips up to land the German suplex! Close fall and kickout by Crunkk. Najasism gets the double kick to the back, then it’s the tornado spear! The referee counts 1…2…kickout Crunkk! Naja finds himself holding on to the ropes in the corner. Crunkk jumps from the top with the double stomp followed by another superkick for another two count. 404 Destroyer by Najasism and a leg crank drop for another near fall. Naja takes the tape off his hands then pounds the top of Chris’s head. Crunkk to his feat for a pump-handle front slam. Naja rolls out. As Crunkk pursues him, Naja grabs Roxxi and pushes her aside. As Crunkk checks on her Naja drops him with a crazy kick. Troy Carter comes out to check on all parties as Crunkk gets back in the ring. Just as he re-enters Naja grabs him in a fireman’s carry for a rolling Death Valley Driver as he springs to the top rope for the tornado splash for the 1- 2-3! After the match, Crunkk is thanking Carter for coming down to help. Troy responds with a low kick to the nether region and a package piledriver on Crunkk! The crowd and Roxxi are stunned as Naja looks on and laughs before sauntering to the back.
Winner: Najasism via pinfall
Match 6: Warden Vs Mystery Opponent—The Warden comes out to much fanfare. As he is acknowledging the crowd, Jay “Alpha” Miller runs down with a chair to lay out the big man. Once both are inside the ring the bell rings and we find out the mystery opponent IS Miller! Jay with the low dropkick and some tremendous leg work to keep the big man grounded. He misses a leg drop though and the Warden responds with some cinder block punches and a big slam! Miller tries to choke Warden who lifts him up on his shoulders then slams him down with the Samoan drop for a two count. Alpha hit a spinning leg drop then retreats to the outside to grab a chair. Just as he has it high above his head to use on the Warden, Chad Skywalker runs down to take it from him! As Miller turns back to his opponent, the Warden grabs him in a spinning slam for the victory!
Winner: Warden via pinfall
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Match 7: Main Event—“Casket Match”: “The Devil” Ryan Marx Vs “The Memphis Made Monster” Walker XIII (C-12 Gauge Heavyweight Championship)—The long anticipated showdown finally comes to a head…in a Casket Match! Earlier in the week these two traded words via interview shows they appeared on (Strong Style) with Marx even going so far to say if he failed to win the match, he would be gone from 12 Gauge. Marx to the ring first. He evil eyes a few choice media members at ringside with one being a young man he frequently rips the signs of. We then hear rock music playing and the hearse is backing into the building! The workers pull the casket from the vehicle and display it just askew of the ring. The passenger door flings open and Walker XIII emerges grinning big at Marx. After the introductions, the war is on! They trade blows back and forth, then Walker drops Marx to the canvas. They roll out to the floor. Walker pulls the arms back of Marx and tells Karson from the Father Son Podcast (the aforementioned young man) to chop Ryan. Without hesitation he smacks the chest of the Devil, sending him sprawling and howling in pain. Walker snatches Ryan back up only to hurl him into several rows of chairs just after fans flee to clear the way! He drags him towards the casket, but Ryan fights away from the grip. They trade strikes all around the arena, each time with fans fleeing to avoid being caught in the crossfire. Back in the ring, Marx actually takes control thanks to the help of a chair. Then his trademark splashes in the corner accompanied by a choke of Walker with assistance from the ring ropes. He kicks Walker hard then quickly hops out of the ring to grab a reporter! He jerks him up by the collar and shoves him towards the ring while yelling “REPORT THAT” before sliding back in to do more damage to the champ. The reporter, somewhat shaken and shocked by the event, makes his way to his seat while keeping a bigger eye on Marx in case he returns. Marx hits Walker with a chair in the corner, then into his ribs as he has the Monster close to the end. He wedges the chair in the corner then heads for Walker. Just as he is about to send the champ into the chair, Walker reverses. This sends Marx head first into the chair causing him to spill to the outside and the chair to fall on him in a bonus blow! Walker pursues Marx and they fight towards the entryway. Ryan sees another person he has bullied recently in Kyle Charisma and marches towards him. Walker intercedes just at the right time and Kyle gets in some forearms to the back as well! They battle back towards the casket. Once again neither can get the other inside. In the ring, Walker splashes Marx in the corner then rolls outside. He retrieves multiple chairs that he piles up in the middle of the ring. The champ goes for his Black Hole Slam but Ryan reverses it to a Divine Judgement (Sister Abigail) on the chairs! They battle across the arena again, edging closer to the casket. Ryan low blows Walker who recovers to hit a spinning back elbow. Marx bounces off the ropes towards Walker who catches him in the Black Hole Slam on the chairs! Then he picks him up and Black Hole Slams him again on the chairs! The crowd is going crazy! The Monster drags the Devil towards the casket….pushes him inside and the lid closes! The exhausted crowd is going even more bananas as the hearse pulls out of the arena and out of the lot! The Monster has defeated the Devil!
Winner: (and STILL 12 Gauge Heavyweight Champion) Walker XIII via casket closing
Takeaways:
-If you’re not coming to 12 Gauge shows, that’s on you. Every match delivered something different and the crowd was as much into the long-storied rivalries as they were the newcomers and match ups.
-Bruden and Lucio may be early in their careers yet had a pretty banger of an opening contest.
-The return of the “King of Controversy” Skrilla The Great to Rome got a big pop. Whether they remember him from before or realized who he was during his entrance, the people stand behind Skrilla.
-Jay “Alpha” Miller got a workout tonight. Long battle with Skrilla then went toe to toe with The Warden. Looked great in both. He is not the 2024 Rookie of the Year for nothing as he has built onto last year’s debut with more great performances. Lookout for him across the state.
-Yonko and Eden were such a change of pace for a normal 12 Gauge show that it was just bell to bell entertainment. The antics of Eden along with the shenanigans of Yonko had the crowd popping big.
-Troy Carter is still #1 Contender and has not always had the entire crowd behind him. The heel turn tonight turned every head in the room and could be the boost he needed to make a charge at the title.
-BK Bennett, Christian Garrett and Severen can work. Given the chance to showcase their craft, each bring a unique repertoire to every match. Hope to see more of them in 12 Gauge and other promotions soon.
-Skywalker versus Hakeem could have been good. The surprise of Edward Draven though put this match into a different realm. The chemistry these two have is incredible. More incredible is the fact this is the first time they’ve ever square off.
-Draven’s injury that ended the match a little early is legit. It’s shoulder related and by last account was not separated but was being further tested. Stay tuned for more.
-Najasism gave Crunkk all he could handle and vice versa. They were both wore slap out by the end. Naja’s abilities wowed the crown and Crunkk held his own with quite possibly one of the best and fastest wrestlers around. I’d like to see a round two later down the road, as would many others.
-The Warden continues to mow down the competition and is positioning himself as a top contender. How long til he gets that shot? Keep watching to find out.
-The story of the Main Event is not just a one week or month tale. It goes back a lot further than that. To see it play out how it did in the past few months is a real work of art. Two competitors that took it to the absolute limits to make sure it could only be told the way it needed to be told. Every player in the story helped make it great, Walker and Marx’s abilities made it exceptional.
-Burning questions moving forward: 1) Is Marx really gone? If so, how long? 2) Who is the next opponent for Walker: Crunkk, Warden, Carter, other? Whoever it is, they better bring all they got because the “Memphis Made Monster” has proven how far he will go to keep that championship.
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