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| Photos by George Amos |
From Larry Goodman:
VPW closed out the most successful year in the company's nine years in existence with a top drawer show in front of another king-sized crowd at the Warren Community Center.
Drawing 500 as Viral did for Holiday Havoc is nothing special now. VPW has drawn two crowd estimated at 750 or more this year. The move from the Sweetwater Gym to this building as their base of operation has made all the difference in the world.
Timing may not be everything but it counts for a lot. Last year, VPW's booking of Joe Hendry coincided with the peak of the phenomenon. They've had Sean Legacy booked for their last five shows, although it appears their good fortune in that regard is coming to an end.
The professionalism of their overall presentation has always been one of VPW's strong suits. Promos and vignettes are displayed on a tri-screen video wall. Only SHW and 1FW have this level of production among Georgia promotions.
An added bonus at Warren is the crowd sounds louder here than at Sweetwater, which seemed to suck up sound.
VPW also has roster uniquness going for them. Talent from Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Florida are featured.
Holiday Havoc was headlined by a steel cage title match won by VPW Champion Drew Hood. After the match, former two-time VPW champion Darius Lockhart appeared on the jumbotron and made it clear he was coming to take back his title.
The real draw was the return of Buff N Fluff Connection (Sean Legacy & Cody Fluffman) making what was perhaps their final appearance as a tag team. Their match went on right before intermission and got by far the loudest crowd reactions of the night. People were still lined up at their match table when the second half got underway. The matches in the upper half of the crowd were as good or better than the first half but the crowd heat paled in comparison. Over 100 people had seen what they came to see and checked out.
Emcee "Young Professor" Matt Graifer welcomed the VPW fans noting that in 2019, Viral Pro gave him to first opportunity to announce and over the past year between Savannah Bananas and the NHL, he has performed before two million people.
(1) Axton Ray defeated Zuka King in 8:07. King refused to shake hands. He pulled hair and gouged Ray's eyeballs to where Ray was temporarily blinded. Ray hooked the ropes to block King's DDT. Ray moonsaulted to his feet and his spinkick actually cleared the top of King's head before a spinebuster yielded a long two count. King griped about Darry Hall's count after Ray kicked out of his sky high powerbomb. Ray then won with a doctor bomb.
A totally solid opener. Ray is a pleasure to watch, so polished and with deceiving aerial abilities for his body type. King is no slouch and knows how to get heat.
In a pretaped promo, Yahya claimed Jon Davis was ducking him and was going to get his ass beat.
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| Photo by George Amos |
(2) Jon Davis defeated Yahya 10:04. Davis' entrance received a nice pop. He took exception to Yahya's ass beating threats. Davis' strikes was making it a painful evening for Yahya. He gave Yahya three scoop slams. The crowd chanted "one more time" and "That Dude". Yahya landed a chop. Davis just glared at him. Yahya targeted Davis' back and hit a big stinky legdrop for two. They brought out the heavy artillery. Yahya got a close near fall with an air raid crash. They exchanged blows until Davis put Yahya away with a pop up powerbomb.
l love the way Davis handles his business with so much authenticity, always laying his stuff in, hitting people hard in safe places. Yahya displayed surprising agility for a 300 pounder.
Backstage, Supastarz Tommy Mars and Jimmy Wild were talking about how they almost won the tag team championship at the October show. Tonight, they were going their separate ways. Wild had a singles match, while Mars and returning Supastarz member Nikki Eight had a number one contender's match.
Outbreak Champion Hunter James addressed the VPW fans as advertised. They don't like him. James said he was greatest VPW Champion and issued an open challenge.
(3) Open Challenge: Hunter James defeated Jimmy Wild to retain the Outbreak Championship in 6:50. They went to the Cena tribute spots: James dusted off a five knuckle shuffle. Wild executed an Attitude Adjustment and locked in an STFU. Santa Claus rang the bell but James had not tapped. Santa was Pat Roach in disguise. James took advantage of the situation to pin Wild with the brainbuster.
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| Photo by George Amos |
Fine for what it was. The level of physicality was lightweight coming on the heels of the Davis match.
Afterward, James and Roach put the boots to Wild until the other Supastarz made the save.
A commercial for the VPW Outbreak show featured owner Joshua Hancock and Chris Mayne (airing on the WJBF6+ app Thursdays at 8pm).
(4) Buff 'n Fluff (Sean Legacy & Cody Fluffman) defeated Better Together (Ori Gold & Hadar Horvitz) in 10:35. The crowd energy kicked into high gear. Legacy made his pecs dance in synch with the "Le-ga-cy" chants. Fluff did his signature offensive manuever with the crowd eating up every second of it. Better Together briefly isolated Fluff. The chants for Fluff were louder than the ones Legacy received Legacy took the hot tag and had Gold pinned with a flapjack but Horvitz broke it up. It was Fluff rather than Legacy who went flying through the ropes with a tope. Legacy hit a Styles Clash for a near fall. Better Together had Fluff pinned with double superkicks and Legacy had rescue his partner. make a save. Gold broke out a Destroyer on Legacy. For the finish, Legacy hit an Attitude Adjustment on Horvitz and Fluff pinned him with a top rope splash.
The high point of the show, great action, wonderfully entertaining stuff. Buff 'N Fluff are Augusta's favorite sons. This was the Buff 'N Fluff show all the way but make no mistake, Better Together are an excellent tag team and played their role impeccably.
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| Photo by Julie Puckett |
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| Photo by Julie Puckett |
Legacy was clearly moved by the moment. Farewell speeches don't get much better than this.
(5) Nick Halen defeated John Skyler via DQ to retain the Dragon Con US Championship in 9:55. Skyler picked up where left off backstage. He tossed Halen out of the ring and tried to make it so he wasn't going to be in any shape to get back in -- "This is too easy." Halen beat the 10 count in the nick of time. Skyler continued to taunt him. Halen fired back but the battle was an uphill climb. Halen got near falls with a picture perfect Rave STO and a twisting flatliner off the ropes. Halen kicked out of Skyler's slingshot spear and almost had him pinned with the Gamebreaker. Skyler resorted to low blow in plain view of referee Darry Hall for the DQ.
Skyler continued his attack on Halen after the match. Hall tried to intervene. Skyler knocked him down and grabbed Halen's title belt. Halen ducked Skyler's belt shot and it was Halen standing tall after clotheslining Skyler out of the ring.
Halen showed grit and determination in the face of Skyler's onslaught. It feels like their story is just starting to cook. Skyler has deceiving explosiveness. What he lacks in height he makes up for breadth. Skyler got as much heat as any heel was able generate during the second half of this show.
In a video vignette, Karl Hager interrupted Rich Wise who was entertaining two young ladies. Hager said they needed a name for their tag team. Wise rejected Hager's ideas and consulted with the women. In their collective wisdom, they came up with Beaver Fever.
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| Photo by George Amos |
(6) Monster Squad (Billy Brash & Josh Cutshall) defeated Supastarz (Tommy Mars & Nikki Eight) and Beaver Fever (Karl Hager & Rich Wise) to become the number one contenders for the Viral Tag Team Championship in 7:47. No way Beaver Fever was going to outwrestle the other teams so they went with subterfuge. Hager introduced his dancing magical hat that imbued the wearer with an uncontrollable urge to dance. Monster Squad's headwear was also brought into the act. In the end, Hager got his ass kicked and Monster Squad planted Mars with a devastating double team for the win.
Beaver Fever's whimsical comedy approach was something different. The crowd didn't seem to be feeling this match that much but that was an issue throughout the second half. Monster Squad are a formidable team that will give Country Gentleman a run for their money.
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| Photo by George Amos |
(7) WWE ID Champion Cappuccino Jones defeated Najasism in 10:53. Right off the bat, the fans chanted "Cappuccino". Jones wasted no time displaying his prodigious aerial skills. Naja zeroed in on Cappuccino's ribs and introduced a new combo (corner tiger feint kick into a hanging double stomp). Naja got near falls with running spanish fly and a Gori Bomb. Both men were down after Jones' springboard back elbow. Jones pulled out an absolutely nasty spinning Michinoku Driver. They were just warming up -- Jones with a half and half suplex, Naja with a corkscrew spear, Naja got two with a tornillo splash and locked in the Sharpest Shooter. Naja took a rough looking neck bump into the turnbuckle. Jones countered a spear and pinned Naja with frog splash elbow from the heavens.
We got a heaping helping of creative, athletic wrestling here. They won the crowd over with their work. You'd never know Naja was working through an ankle injury from watching this. Jones gets great ups on his aerial moves. He has an unassuming charisma and a chiseled physique but is on the small side for a WWE prospect. Reminded me of Carmelo Hayes and Hayes made the main roster so there's that.
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| Photo by George Amos |
(8) Drew Hood defeated Josh Magnum in a steel cage match to retain the VPW Championship (14 minutes). Victory by pinfall, submission or escape. They opened with clean wrestling for God's sake. Magnum tried to scale the cage at three minutes in but didn't get far. Hood crawled for the door. Magnum cut him off. The crowd got behind Magnum, who took the first head shot into the cage and a fallaway slam into the fence. Hood tried to escape through the door and had to hold up for a beat so Magnum could kick the ropes into his nuggets. Referee Daylon Kingsley was inadvertently mowed down by Magnum.
Photo by Julie Puckett
Three men dressed in black wearing devil masks came to ringside. One of the devil masks guys hoisted Hood's belt in to him. But Magnum crotched Hood on the top turnbuckle. Magnum got a visual three count with a 450. Magnum went for the open cage door and of course, one of the devil mask slammed the door on his head. Hook blasted Magnum with the title belt. Magnum was bleeding now. Magnum took a trio of headfirst shots into the cage and kicked out at 2.9.
Magnum and Hood both scaled the cage. It was race to see who could drop to the floor first. Magnum was caught by Hood's devil-masked accomplices, allowing Hood's feet to hit the floor first.
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| Photo by Julie Puckett |
A video promo from Lockhart was shown on the jumbotron. Lockhart said he was only two-time champion in VPW history with over 600 days as champion. He'd taken piss breaks longer than Hood's reign. Time was ticking for Hood.
Great promo. Lockhart has been gone from VPW since losing the title to Legacy over four years ago. Getting Lockhart back is great move by VPW.
NOTES: VPW first show of new year will be on February 21...Pat Roach pinned Draco Nyx with a Saito suplex in the pre-show match...Drew Dickinson and Tyreke were the commentary team...Coach Mikey was in the crowd in support of fellow Savannah Banana people Fluffman and Young Professor...Bob Keller and his crew erected the cage in record time.
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