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| Photos by Gina Jones |
From Larry Goodman:
Wicked Havoc falls on the same date as Halloween this year. Not so coincidentally, this year's event is shaping up to be one of company's best of 2025.
This episode was constructed around two outstanding title matches -- Joe Black's Southern Honor title defense v ProSouth All-Out Champion Justin McKenzie and ProSouth Champion Scott Spade vs. Christian Pierce. Both matches were levels above the norm and demonstrated that ProSouth can showcase great wrestling when they so choose.
ProSouth hardly took its foot of the gas for Wicked Havoc.
Ace Haven roasted Alexander Lev with a searing send up to promote their cage match.
The Calozzi effect returned to the ProSouth Palace. Great news for this writer, bad news for one Christian Pierce, who got screwed again.
Leon Ruff vs. sister-in-law Ravanna Xin was added to Wicked Havoc.
AJ Black is evidently going to duck and dodge Julius Pryor all the way to October 31.
(1) Brother Azriel defeated Caeden Ooten (with Harley Haven) in 8:12. Ooten was mocking Eric Silva. Harley made her presence known early and often. She got in Az's face, twisted his knee and put Ooten's hand around the rope right in front of referee Blackson and was somehow not ejected. With his knee in rough shape, Az kicked out the Harpoon and blocked Loaded Gun Complex, then bounced Ooten's head with the Wood Grain for the win.
An OK match. They didn't set the world on fire. Harley was more aggressive and physical with her interference than usual.
(2) Alexander Lincoln (with Joe Wood) defeated Trey Jordan in 5:17. Jordan jump started the match attacking Lincoln from behind and paid the price. Lincoln teased "The Move" that is still yet to be seen. Jordan cut Lincoln off with an F5 and controlled the middle portion of the match. He choked Lincoln with his jewelry. Jordan escaped the Lincoln Log leg drop. Lincoln won with a loose interpretation of a boss man slam.
Lincoln said Blood Born was coming for the tag team championship. The brothers celebrated victory with a pickle and a Dr. Pepper after the match.
Jordan brought it on offense. He was laying his shit in. After giving the majority of the offense, Lincoln needed a strong finish and didn't get it.
AJ Black video. AJ limped out his car. He had a hand written note from his doctor excusing him from wrestling tonight or next week AND when he returned on October 24th, he would have letter from the AOC stating Pryor couldn't touch him because of what Pryor did to his leg.
Such a spoiled, entitled brat. I loved it and how they figured a way to hold off on the match until Wicked Havoc.
Pryor came to the ring and said that boy was a coward and the smartest thing AJ could say was that he was afraid to face him. Enter "Hard Reset" Cameron Keast.
Cam wished Pryor on getting his match. The focus needed to be on the here and now, namely "that bald freak" Scott Adams. The Almighty interrupted and threatened to read a passage from The Word of Scott. Adams campaigned for an All-Out title shot for DRP, "mascot of Karmageddon". Pryor said DRP hadn't been there for a hiccup. Keast said he was the third longest reigning champion in ProSouth history and he did like to repeat himself. Cam stalled out the clock, hoping for a Haven to pop up and do something.
Keast was in the zone. He put this segment on his back and carried it.
Trace Haven proposed a game of musical chairs. Amy said there needed to be more participants. Trace rubbed his chin and called out T-Bird, Joe Wood and his sister Harley.
(3) Trace Haven's game of musical chairs was a no contest. Adams was first out but traded T-Bird a wad of money for his spot and kicked him in the ass. Wood was legit eliminated. Adams used a chloroform rag to eliminate Pryor. Adams pulled a chair out from under Harley. Keast ended the game by knocking Adams out of the ring. Trace said there must be a winner and ordered a match...
(4) Scott Adams defeated Cameron Keast in 1:07. Adams made the mistake of activating Psycho Cam with a slap in the face. Cam's knee slammed into a wedged chair as Adams skedaddled out of the way and Adams got pinned.
I hope the creative team entertained themselves with this segment. A game of musical chairs in the context of a pro wrestling show was an amusing concept. The reality of watching it turned my brain to mush.
(5) Scott Spade defeated Christian Pierce to retain the ProSouth Championship in 15:57. Early on, Spade kept Pierce at bay by peppering him with stinging right hands. Pierce's frustration mounted. Spade did a series of a move where he ducks under and backdrops his opponent while maintaining arm control. Spade connected with a top rope elbow but couldn't get more than a one count on Pierce. They battled for control while mounted on the ropes. Pierce sent Spade to the mat with a headbutt and got a near fall with a frog splash but banged up his knee. Pierce went for Once Bitten. Spade grabbed the ref's belt to help him block the move. Pierce T-bone suplexed Spade into the turnbuckles. Spade evaded Pierce's follow up cannonball and zeroed in on Pierce's vulnerable knee. Pierce's leg gave out as he tried to run. Spade used the post to do more damage to Pierce's knee. Pierce rocked Spade's world with a penalty kick that he somehow executed one leg. Spade played possum and attacked the knee again. Spade applied the Marijuana Patch (clover leaf). Pierce bit on his wrist tape to help him endure the pain. Pierce made it the ropes. Spade tuned up the band for the Copenhagen kick. Pierce caught Spade's leg and locked in a Boston crab.
Calozzi came to ringside ringing the bell. Pierce locked eyes with his arch nemesis and when he turned around, Spade was waiting for him with the Copenhagen kick.
Brother Azriel came on stage. The number one contender showed no emotion as Spade stood in the ring taunting him with title belts.
Another notch in Spade's hall of fame run. Pierce's selling was phenomenal. This was a fight. Their use of punches (not forearms) took me back to the old time Southern rasslin style of the region. I loved the little things they threw in like Spade grabbing the ref's belt and Pierce stuffing wrist tape in his mouth. No better way to reintroduce Calozzi than for him to cost Pierce the ProSouth Championship.
INTERMISSION
"Caesar of the South" Steven Calozzi told Wicked he was going straight to the top of Caesar's Palace. Commissioner Trace said he saw Calozzi get involved in the title match and if needed a match so bad...
(6) Ayden Andrews defeated Steven Calozzi in 6:26. Calozzi did the smart thing and tried to run away. Andrews caught up with him with a ushigiroshi. Calozzi rolled out to escape Nail In The Coffin. Fast forward, Calozzi brought the bell into the ring. Referee T-Bird objected. Calozzi tossed the bell to the floor and ordered T-Bird to return it to its rightful place. Like a complete fool, T-Bird did as he was told. Calozzi pulled brass knucks out of his corner. Pierce ran in and disarmed him and Andrews delivered Nail In the Coffin for the three count.
Would have been in a shocking for Pierce not to get involved. Pierce and Calozzi were deprived of their match at Uprising due to Calozzi's concussion. I'm all in for seeing them finish the story they started.
Ace Haven promo. Ace was introduced as NWA Superstar (does such a thing exist?) Alexander Lev and came out wearing a blue wig and rocking a pair of Lev's tights. He mocked Lev's pose and "sitting in the corner because I'm edgy". As Lev, Ace revisited the bullet point from last week's promo characterizing Lev as an NWA pre-show guy who had a wheelbarrow full of meaningless titles in Georgia like the "Southern Heritage Extra Heritage Southern Stereotype Championship" but was now coming to Alabama to kiss the ring of the King of the South. Ace said all joking aside, it was apparent Lev was living rent free in his head but on October 31 at Wicked Havoc, "Rent is due, bitch."
In his unrepeatable style, Ace skewered all things Alexander Lev. I anxiously await Lev's reply.
(7) Joe Black defeated Justin McKenzie to retain the Southern Honor Championship with Amy Haven as the special referee (17:46). Amy claimed she received a call from SHW's Sal Rinauro and Jake "The Snake" Roberts asking her to be the special referee because Joe would not cross the line with her. Amy hugged McKenzie before the bell.
Joe had the psychological edge. Early on, he could have messed up McKenzie's arm and passed on the opportunity. The commentary was putting Joe over like a deity. McKenzie got on the scoreboard with a top rope double stomp to Joe's back. Joe responded with a TKO hotshot. Joe went to work. He was chewing McKenzie up and spitting him out.
McKenzie got his air game in gear with a pair of senton bombs. Joe kicked out at 2 and 3/4. Joe kicked out of sliced bread 69. McKenzie speared Joe. Joe reversed the pin attempt for a two count of his own. Joe was showing frustration. Joe decapitated McKenzie with a discus lariat. McKenzie kicked out at one. Joe was incredulous. McKenzie's discus forearm nailed Joe on the button. Joe kicked out at one. They traded blows. McKenzie was running out of steam. Joe hit the kill shot to the base of the brain. Joe was going to do it again. Amy grabbed Joe's arm. Joes said "count him". McKenzie was on his feet at eight but he was done. He slapped Joe across the face. Joe finished him with a spear.
Post-match, Joe was offended that McKenzie got to his feet and knocked him down again. As Joe headed to the curtain, McKenzie shouted 'you haven't killed me yet". Black went back to the ring and raised McKenzie's hand.
A classic Joe Black match. Add McKenzie to the long list of wrestlers Joe has helped elevate. He tested the rookie's mettle. McKenzie is incredible for his experience level. His debut was less than 10 months ago. Amy Haven as the special referee was the perfect spice. She watched her adopted son take a beating at the hands of Joe Black and didn't let her emotions get in the way of calling it right down the middle. Doing a call back to the finish of Four Stages of Hell was an unexpected piece of brilliance.
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