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| Photos by Peter Sigmund |
From Larry Goodman:
AWE's return show lived up to the legacy of Atlanta Wrestling Entertainment with an excellent in-ring product. Their roster is loaded and the talent delivered.
Chip Day and Brayden Toon were crowned as the new GWC Tag Team Champions as the result of an insane tornado tag team gauntlet match.
Ethan Case and his Palmetto Boys wreaked havoc all over the show.
75 in the house at El Palenque Event Center, maybe half as well at the box office as AWE did for ROAR. If show quality counts for anything, AWE should do better on April 12.
Time management was not their friend. The show clocked in at 2:45.
AWE will return to El Palenque with GWC Champion Carlie Bravo facing former 1FW Champion Elijah Drago and Heath Miller vs. "Big" Ben Bishop announced.
Heres what went down:
Ethan Case and 3MP had to vamp due to technical issues. 3MP's entrant in the tag team gauntlet, Wild Boys were not there.to Case's guy Dick Pickle Jr an his partner would face JT Paradox for a slot in the gauntlet.
This forced improvisation proved to be surprisingly informative and entertaining. Dick Pickle Junior got over.
(1) Joe Black vs. Martin Stone was a no contest in when the Palmetto Boys attacked both competitors at 9:24. I popped for Black addressing Stone as "Guvnor" before he chopped him. Just when things were starting to heat up Ethan Case came to ringside derisively applauding. His trainees ran in, the entire lot of them -- Tristan & Moody, Jake Parker, Alvey and JDP. Alexander Lev (WTF?) and JT Paradox made the save.
Stone said Joe had his respect and he would be delighted to wrestle him again, any time, any place.
Total pros. How could this match not be good. Right? Would be a shame if it was not building to something spicy down the line. Just like that, Lev is a babyface.
(2) Carlie Bravo (with Shawn Dean) defeated August Artois to retain the Georgia Wrestling Crown in 12:52. Artois cut a promo the crowd. He liked to bring the kids into his act. As he predicted in his video promo, Bravo won with the scissors kick.
Bravo brought the aura of a star. Bravo's title was never seriously threatened. Bravo was a star. His offense was stellar. He took a Ray Stevens flip bump into the buckles. Artois was fine. I've seen the movie multiple times and had no special desire to see it again. The intrigue was in the postmatch.
Bravo was panicking about which asshole would accept his open challenge. That would be Heath Slater/Miller. 3MP wanted to do business. He would protect Bravo by bringing in Ben Bishop to face Heath. In return, he got to choose Bravo's next title challenger, later revealed to be Drago.
Love the switch away from Miller as Bravo's opponent. In Drago, we're talking about a serious challenge for Bravo.
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(3) Ravenna Vein defeated Ezebella Wilder in 7:40. Vein is the best shape of her career. Wilder got bitchy with the ref when her second splits leg drop did not get the job done. Vein got the three with a crucifix pin.
Wilder gave Vein a beating after the match.
Crowd was quite as hyped to see women as they were at the ROAR show. The match was OK. Wilder has the athletic ability and mentality of a pro wrestler. Her look is too special for in ring to be her main thing in the wrestling business.
(4) DPJ aka Dick Pickle Jr (with Ethan Case) defeated JT Paradox in 6:16. Paradox unleashed the running european uppercuts. Dick Pickle caught Paradoz right on the button with a high boot. Paradox had DJP beaten with a deadlift german into an ankle lock. Nicely countered by DPJ. Case interfered. Jonathon Moody jumped in behind the ref's back with an F5 on Paradox to hand DPJ the match on a silver platter.
Both competitors came out of the match in a better place than they went into it. What more could you ask? Paradox got over as a babyface. Who knew Dick Pickle Jr would become a thing?
(5) Sal Rinauro defeated Hunter Drake via submission to retain the GWC Junior Championship in 12:15. Sal flustrated Drake with his mind games. They did a nifty running the ropes sequence. Drake shamelessly heeled. He also got near falls with a standing moonsault and a pump kick. Sal got a two count with a flying body press. They did see saw pin attempts. Drake hit a running SSP. Drake pulled out a death defying reversal of Rinauro's avalanche crucifix bomb but Sal had his finisher scouted. Rinauro used a tiger driver to set up a neck crank submission.
These guys worked really hard. Patrick Ellerich (Xavier Wood's tag team partner in NWA Anarchy was seated with Lillian Garcia in the front row. Sal and Drake gave them a show. Drake's work spoke for itself. He has my respect as a pro wrestler.
(6) Tristan Moody (with Ethan Case) defeated Alexander Lev in 12:50. Tristan stalled and was being a real sourpuss. Lev started eating Tristan alive with chops. Case interfered. Tristan capitalized with a brainbuster suplex and was all over Lev. Great babyface fire from Lev on his comeback. Strike exchange here with both men laying them in. Lev got a two count with a Liger Bomb. Tristan answered with a phenomenal forearm. Case interfered again and ate a tope from his protege thanks to Lev's fast thinking. In the end, Case clocked Lev when the ref wasn't looking and Tristan rolled him up with a handful of tights.
They had one of the best matches of the show but their character work was equally impressive. Tristan is a natural babyface but was impressive as a heel. His past history at AWE notwithstanding, Lev was instantly embraced as a babyface.
(7) Brayden Toon & Chip Day defeated Kohnor Martin & Leron (with Pastor Donald Jaykes) and Jonathon Moody & DPJ (with Ethan Case) and Raylen Albey & Jake Parker (with Ethan Case) and Ace Haven & Justin McKenzie (with Amy Haven) and Stevie Ray Frost & Grappler (Xander Seabolt under a mask) in a tornado tag team gauntlet to win the GWC Tag Team Championship in 23:10.
True to the spirit of AWE, this match was as chaos and pandemonium of the highest order. Day and Toon as the new champions was an inspired choice. Case was left with serious egg on his face.
NOTES: Wrestling personalities abounded at this show. AJ Styles was backstage as he was the night before at Premier All-Star and the ROAR show two weeks ago. Also in the house: Elijah Drago (in support of Wilder), DRP, Shean Christopher, Brother Azriel, former AWE and current GCW referee Max Recon, Premier's Billy Knight and NAAW's Jabari McIntyre...Young has recently done in-ring training at PCW and 1FW...Carmen Michael did double duty as ring announcer and play-by-play commentator. 3MP was on color...The officiating corps consisted of Darryl Hall, Stan Robinson, New Bryan (Waites) and Mason Pike.
