From Larry Goodman:
I loved the concept: back-to-back shows at two different beltline brewery locations, partnering with NAMI Georgia for Day Two. Unfortunately, Day One left much to be desired.
Best hope is like Wrestlemania, Day Two at Monday Night Garage is a lot better.
Austin Towers scored one of the biggest wins of his career by pinning AEW/ROH star Carlie Bravo in the main event. Their match was the highlight of a show that had all the good stuff in the latter half. My sense was by then, the verdict had already been decided by much of the crowd.
Beltomania at New Realm Brewing was the truest to pro wrestling's carnival origins as any show this writer has attended in a long time. The percentage of fans seeing an indy show for one of, if not the first time in their lives was unusually high. DSW has traditionally run New Realm on Sundays and has a following of regulars for those shows.
The Saturday show was different a different beast. DSW got the marks into the tent. My sense was they presented a product that failed to hook them into coming back for more.
Miss Elizabeth laid down the ground rules: The ring is dangerous place. Do not even think about getting in there. It is a dangerous place. New Realm shows are taped for YouTube so no foull language please. Cheer the good guys and boo the bad guys.
Drew Dickinson and Nathan Hamilton received individual intros as the drunkest announce team in pro wrestling. Drewski hyped the show and was already feeling no pain. Drewski was cited by referee Paul Santa for a language violation of Miss Elizabeth's ground rules. Drewski did double duty as the ring announcer.
(1) "The International Draw" FIP Champion August Artois defeated Cuatro Cabezas in 7:55. Artois needs new and better material for insulting the crowd. "Your father and mother are brother and sister" does not wear well. This was a passable match for experienced marks. For making a first impression on newbies, not the match you want to give them. It screamed fake wrestling. Artois pulled Cabezas mask off. Cabezas had another mask on underneath. Artois pinned Cabezas after a neckbreaker across the knee.
(2) Deon Summerz defeated Dre the GOAT and "Big Brolic Cowboy" Tyson Maddux to become the number one contender for the New Realm Championship in 7:48. The returning Maddux came to ringside with a mic in his hand and inserted himself into the match. Summerz and Dre played games with Maddux. Tyson's leapfrog and double shoulder block popped the crowd. It was the first impressive athletic feat of the show. Summerz used Super Soaker Sally to impair the vision of his opponents. Summerz pulled the ropes down to spill Maddux and speared Dre for the win.
Maddux raised the hands of Summerz and Dre, then punched Summerz in the dick and laid them both out. "Everybody has a plan until they get hit with the BBC."
C-Dub joined Drewsk in in the ring. C-Dub was carrying his chicken stick and wanted to sell merch. Gemma Jewels, her man servant Jesse Morales and Nathaniel Vanderbilt barged into the ring and kicked Drewski and C-Dub out.
Gemma talked about how she was going to beat Rose Gold tomorrow to become a two-time DSW Women's Champion (the title is currently held up and in the hands of head honcho Marty Buccafusco).
That brought Gold to the ring. She referred to Vanderbilt as her "leftover" and said she would beat Jewels again at Monday Night Garage to become the rightful champion. Jewels said since Gold did not have a partner, they were going to have a handicap match. C-Dub to the rescue...
(3) Rose Gold & C-Dub defeated "The Six Foot Bombshell" Gemma Jewels & Nathaniel Vanderbilt (with Jesse Morales) in 9:14. C-Dub has some training but is not a wrestler. Vanderbilt took a backdrop from C-Dub. Rose let her "leftover" have it. C-Dub tried to kiss Jewels. She was justifiably horrifed. Vanderbilt intervened and tossed C-Dub by his beard. C-Dub got beaten up by Jewels. C-Dub collapsed trying to do a Samoan Drop but he was able to give Vanderbilt an airplane spin and make the hot tag. Rose gave Vanderbilt a legit Samoan drop. Jewels jumped in to make the save. C-Dub knocked Morales off the apron and gave Vanderbilt a butt butt. Jewels and Vanderbilt put on the brakes to avoid a collision and got rolled up in stereo by Gold and C-Dub.
Postmatch, Jewels and Morales grabbed the title belt from Buccasfusco and ran away with it.
This segment was loaded with perverse wrestling entertainment. It would have been fun and gotten over better in a different context. If only it had been preceded by at least one credible pro wrestling match.
(4) Lamar Diggs defeated Cosmo Martinez in 7:52. As David vs. Goliath matches go, this was pretty decent. It got the crowd more engaged. The crowd was feeling sympathy for Cosmo as he was being scattered, smothered and squashed by a monster. Martinez got a 2.76 near fall (Hamilton on the call) with a crossbody off the top. It looked like Diggs was about to break Cosmo's neck with a gonzo bomb off the ropes. Cosmo countered with a huracanrana and got a very close near fall with a top rope splash. Enough was enough. Diggs put Martinez away with a spinning sitout powerbomb.
(5) "Remarkable" Ryan Rembrandt defeated Aaron Dallas to retain the New Realm Championship in 11:12. This match would have made a good opener for this New Realm crowd -- wrestlers that look like athletes doing athletic things. They Dallas and Rembrandt had a solid professional wrestling match. These guys continue to hone their craft.
Rembrandt didn't have his Narcissus mirror. He did give Drewski crap for forgetting to introduce him as remarkable Rembrandt was being outwrestled. He pulled hair and targeted AD's shoulder. Dallas used a slingshot sunset flip for a hope spot. Rembrandt cut Dallas off with a divorce court. AD's spinebuster got a reaction. He peppered Rembrandt with right hands and clotheslined him but his shoulder was too messed up to make a good cover. Rembrandt applied a crossface. Dallas hooked the ropes with his foot. In frustration, Rembrant brought his title belt into the ring. AD ducked the belt shot. Referee Anthony Rivera got knocked down. A masked man ran in and necked Dallas. Rembrandt then schoolboyed Dallas with a handful of tights.
Dallas said Rembrandt could not get the job done on his own and challenged Rembrandt to bring his friends for a six-man tag at Monday Night Garage.
Drewski conducted a sitdown inring interview with former DSW Champion Jacob Johnson. Drewski wanted to know why Johnson left Deep South after losing the title. Johnson was obviously pissed about being pressed for an explanation. Drewski questioned if Johnson was violent enough for the streetfight with Chad Sky Walker at Monday Night Garage. Drewski was skating on thin ice. Johnson beat the shit out of Drewski. A bunch of security people ran in to stop Johnson. As they tried to get Drewski out of the ring, Johnson ran back in and planted Drewski with the New Jersey Throwdown aka World's Strongest Slam. Drewski was bleeding from the mouth as he was hauled out of the ring.
This was a serious well done angle. Johnson was menacing. Drewski took a beating.
A shaken Nathan Hamilton introduced the main event.
(6) Austin Towers defeated Carlie Bravo in 10:30. It's not new but it never gets old. Few in the crowd were familiar with Bravo but they knew a star when the saw one. Towers was deep his usual extremely sour Deep South persona. Bravo felt the power of Towers in the opening minutes. His chops had no effect and he was showing vulnerability. Bravo kept chipping away at the giant's knee. A series of blows and a zig zag finally got Towers on the mat but Towers evaded the scissors kick. Bravo applied a single leg crab. Towers powered out sending Bravo crashing into referee Paul Santa. Bravo kicked Towers in the balls and hit the scissors kick but Santa was in no shape to make the count. Bravo went to revive Santa. That gave Towers time to recover. Towers went for a choke slam but Bravo countered with a DDT. Not to be denied, Towers caught Bravo with the choke slam the second time around and pinned him clean in the middle.
This was really good and would have been hell on wheels with a typical Sunday New Realm audience. They made the best out of a less than ideal situation.
Postmatch, Bravo went back to the ring to do talk to the crowd.
NOTES: Day Two kicks off at 2pm at Monday Night Garage in West End with Najasism vs. Alex Kane, Jacob Johnson vs. Chad Sky Walker i a beltline streetfight, Jewels vs. Gold for the vacated DSW Women's Championship, Aaron Dallas & Nawfside Heroes vs. Strength In Numbers, Big Strong Mims vs. Artois and DRP vs. JT Paradox vs. Troy Carter. Jeremy York will have a full report on the show, which will also be livestreamed...Shawn Dean and Trever Aeon were backstage.
