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| Photos by Bob McAteer |
The NWA gave the people their money's worth in their return to Atlanta for Samhain 3. This was a marathon taping for their show on the Roku Channel Tuesday at 8pm -- 16 matches spanning close to four hours, eight title matches on the card.
Matt Cardona was unquestionably the number one star of the show. After Cardona won his advertised match, Cardona and owner Billy Corgan did an angle that led to Cardona inserting himself in the main event for the ten pounds of gold (replacing Thomas Latimer) vs. champion Silas Mason, who retained in a wild match involving multiple run ins. Cardona appeared to suffer a knee injury during the match.
There was one title change. Slade defeated Alex Taylor to capture the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship.
A casket match featuring 2023 GWH Rookie of the Year Alexander Lev in a starring role got over big.
The crowd at Centerstage but filled in a ton and they ended up with 550-600 in the house. This was a super hot crowd for most of the night. Just what NWA would want for their Roku show.
The announce team was Joe Galli, Tim Storm and Danny Dealz. Kyle Davis was emcee.
(1) "Hollyhood" Haley J defeated Sirena Veil in 6:01. Haley J recently won her Power Slap debut. Clara Carter interfered to help Veil. Warden came out as security to deal with Carter. That set up Serena getting tossed onto Carter. Haley pinned Veil after a stomp. The opener have been the best women's match of the night.
(2) Good Brothers (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) beat JV Team (Jack Vaughn & Dalton McKenzie with the Magic Killer in 6:41, Anderson pinning Vaughn. Good Brothers received a pop worthy of major league stars.
(3) Matt Cardona defeated Daisy Kill with a pair of Rough Ryders in 4 minutes. Cardona's entrance got the pop of the night. He was both the guy the crowd loved to love and loved to hate. Kill they just hated on.
Cardona said he deserved to be in a main event title match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, a title he lost without being pinned and called Corgan out. Corgan came onstage with Eric Smalls. Corgan said he was wrong about Cardona being a carny scumbag. They both played the game ruthlessly. Corgan apologized and said next time, Cordona would get his title shot. Cardona said this could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship. This was a hot segment.
(4) Kerry Morton defeated Fenrir in 8:35. Fenrir has the physique and is a hell of an athlete. He did some impressive stuff. Match was sloppy at points but they got a "this is awesome" chant near the finish. Go figure. Morton won with power drive elbow drop.
(5) El Dragon Nihan defeated Mims in 4:53. Nihan's sheer mass and height (listed at 6-8 and looked every bit of it) was too much for the big strong former NWA National Champion. Nihan pinned Mims with a jackknife powerbomb.
(6) The Lost (Alexander Lev & Alex Misery & Gaagz the Gimp with Father James Mitchell) defeated Carson Drake & Lockjaw Drake & Aron Stevens in a casket match (8:15). A king-sized casket was set up on the stage. The Lost had druids (played by Pat Roach, Chayn Male, Lucas DeSilva and Warden) with them. Mitchell said this was his favorite season, favorite event and favorite match. Stevens gave Mitchell one last to back out. The crowd was psyched for this and chanted "casket".
Drakes were getting their asses kicked while Stevens cowered. The druids attacked the Lost. Lev and Misery teamed up to fight off the entire lot of them. Misery did a dive off the entrance. Lev fought off Drake's chokehold. Lev fought off Drake's choke hold, knocked Stevens into the casket and shut the lid tight.
(7) Mike Mondo defeated Wrecking Ball Legursky to retain the NWA National Championship in 7:13. Legursky was one of the most over performers on the show. The crowd loved him. There was no way not to enjoy this match. Legursky almost had the title won with a power slam but posted his own shoulder on his next move. Legursky kicked ot Mondo's diving headbutt. Moments later, Mondo retained with a sunset power bomb.
(8) Slimeballz (Sage Chantz & Tommy Rant) defeated Team Exodus (Smooth & Christiano Argento with EC3 & Pastor C-Lo) in 5:20 to retain the NWA US Tag Team Championship. A matter of taste I guess. Slimeballz gimmick was too indytastic for mine. EC3 (using a cane and evidently nursing a knee injury) introduced Argento as a new member (and designated pin eater as things turned out). Smooth hit an impressive standing doomsday device lariat and destroyed Argento.
(9) Alexander Hammerstone defeated Trevor Murdoch (with Mike Knox) in 8:50. Murdoch went down with a knee injury early in the match. Referee Kevin Keenan threw up the X. Dealz came into the ring from his commentary position. Murdoch was unable to stand under his own power. The crowd got quiet. As Murdoch was being helped out of the ring, he lariated the hell out of Hammerstone and DDTed him for a false finish. Hammerstone's comeback was thwarted by Knox, using his left arm that was in the sling. Murdoch came off the ropes with a bulldog on the ref. With Hammerstone's situation looking hopeless, he nailed Murdoch with a sick kick and second referee Jarrod Fritz slid in to make the three count.
The above was one of the highlights of the night. The crowd bit on the injury angle. Hammerstone winning out of the blue against all odds played great.
(10) Country Gentleman (AJ Cazana & KC Cazana with Joe Cazana) defeated Pretty Empowered (Kenzie Paige & Kylie Page with Tommy Henry) in a no DQ match (9:07). Joe Cazana got nuclear heat with an anti-Atlanta promo channeling East Tennessee legend Ron Wright. He invoked a no DQ rule in order to protect his boys.
Country Gentleman are big men. The match was about as good as it could be given the ridiculous size difference between the teams. CG manhandled the women until Kenzie brought a kendo stick and chairs into play. The crowd wanted tables and got their wish. The Page sisters put AJ through a table with powerbomb. Henry whacked Joe with the kendo stick. But Pretty Empowered's double team maneuver was foiled by KC and AJ pinned Kinzie.
(11) Slade (with Aron Stevens) defeated Alex Taylor via submission to win the NWA Junior Heavyweight Championship in 8:20. Slade is doing a Kurt Angle technical wrestler wearing the amateur head gear and he's talented.. He's also an awfully big boy for a junior heavyweight. After being taken to suplex city, Taylor resorted to a low blow and donned Slade's headgear. That did not end well for the champion as Slade made him tap with an ankle lock.
Mondo came to the ring to celebrate with Slade after the match.
(12) TVMA (Tracy Nieves & Valentine Rossi with Ms. Starr & giant female) defeated The Hex (Allysin Kaye & Marti Belle) to retain the NWA Women's World Tag Team Championship in 8:15. TVMA's sassy attitudes got heat. The match was kind of a mess. The 1FW Summerstage four way women's match significantly better. Referee Ashley Stout counted three for a move by Kaye that was not the finish. The timing of the actual finish was almost as bad. Starr distracted Kaye and Nieves rolled her up.
The giant woman got in the ring and choke slammed Kaye and Belle after the match.
Colby Corino, wearing a neckbrace, was interviewed by Davis regarding the status of his injury. Corino said he was in for a long recovery. Morton came to ring acting like the worst person in the world. He made fun of Corino's injury and said the people didn't give a shit about him. Furthermore, the Mortons were superior to the Corinos. Corino ripped the neckbrace off. Morton hightailed it out of there. Corino promised to beat Morton's ass. His return wasn't an if and when was a lot sooner than Morton thought. Great angle.
(13) Bryan Idol defeated Rich Swann to retain the NWA TV Title in 8:05. Swann is in fantastic shape and everything he did on offense looked crisp. Idol was fine. Swann is in a different league. After Swann came up empty on a 450, Idol pinned with him an Unprettier.
Swann and Idol displayed sportsmanship after the match. Swann raised Idol's hand.
(14) The Immortals (Kratos & Odinson) defeated Blunt Force Trauma (Carnage & Damage) to retain the NWA World Tag Team Championship in 6:15. Total domination by Immortals as it should have been. BFT consists of Rodney Mack and Marshe Rockett. The crowd was not kind to Mack, who does need to be in the ring at age 55. Immortals won with a flapjack/top rope European uppercut to the brain on Rockett.
(15) Natalia Markova defeated Shotzi Blackheart to retain the NWA Women's World Championship in 6:26. The debuting Blackheart received a warm welcome. Crowd was pulling for her all the way. Markova looks like a million bucks. Good match most of the way. Markova took a thudding bump on the stage. Markova unfortunately did not get all of her finishing sequence, winning with the Bonnie Factor.
(16) Silas Mason defeated Matt Cardona via submission to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in a no DQ streetfight (11:55). This was a wildly booked match. Cardona waylaid Latimer before the former world champion got in the ring. A pissed off Corgan came onstage.
He put Cardona in the match and made it a no DQ streetfight. Mason was busted open. Alex Taylor tried to get involved and Mason wasted him with a chair shot. Cardona was going to crown Mason with a chairshot but Eric Smalls stopped him. Cardona punched Smalls in the dick. Small returned the favor. They both went down holding their nuts. Mason had Cardona pinned with a running bulldog when Murdoch ran in and pulled the ref out. Cardona DDTed Mason but Murdoch laid Cardona out and left. Cardona appeared to tweak his knee on an awkward landing. Latimer returned with his head bandaged to cut off a chair shot by Cardona. Mason hit the Thrillride and choked Cardona out.
Postmatch, Latimer attacked Mason and waffled him but good with the chair.
NOTES Bryce Cannon vs. Nick Halen vs. Hunter James and Rich Wise & Zuka King vs. Joe Black & CT Keys were taped in afternoon dark matches. Frank (Judas) had a dark match after the show. Viral Pro provided the ring, which is an old WCW ring that was used at Centerstage. Viral has been building a relationship with the NWA and booking a lot of their talent over the last year...The officiating was handled by the NWA crew of Kevin Keenan, Scott Wheeler, Jarrd Fritz and Ashley Stout...Sal Rinauro was backstage in his executive producer role....Wrestling luminaries helping out backstage and/or taking in the show included Tom Prichard, Austin Idol, Jay Bradley, Joshua Hancock, Justin Hancock, Carlie Bravo, Bull Buchanan, Zack Buchanan, Stunt Marshall, Tyler Stevens, Audrey Allen, Chris Gibson, Thomas Hancock, Nawfside Heroes, Daylon Kingsley, Michael Mack, Josh Magnum, Brian Brock, C-Dub, Najasism, Demariae Roberson-Nettles, Tapped Out's Myron Fancher, Dave Wills, GWH's Jeremy York and Carmen Michaels.
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