ROAR #2 -- Marietta on April 26

Photos by Peter Sigmund From Larry Goodman: Since their return, Atlanta Wrestling Entertainment is batting a thousand. As AWE fans said once...

Photos by Peter Sigmund

From Larry Goodman:

Since their return, Atlanta Wrestling Entertainment is batting a thousand. As AWE fans said once upon a time -- this was some of that good shit.

It's been years since the company ran four shows in a six week period. Definitely never in the same venue.  They have found a home El Palenque. 125 in the room.

Two shows in, ROAR has carved out a niche. Other than the quarterly SHINE events, is there an all women's wrestling promotion in the South that matters? 

The second edition of ROAR was every bit as good as the first. Two  matches were a cut above: Violent Romance vs. Palmetto Girls and Robyn Renegade vs. Kristin Blaze was intense high caliber stuff. No gaga,  those women wrestled.

The unrefined violence was left to Thunder and Crystal Rose in the main event. They're like twin sisters from different mothers and they made the most of it with a brawl as unhinged as promised. 

Kelsey Raegan arrived in AWE.

Raegan immediately established a blood bond with Ravenna Vein.  

(1) Ravenna Vein defeated Katalina Perez in 6:36. I'm a mark for Vein's 70's entrance music. This was a unexpectedly clean match. I figured Perez was trying to lull Vein into a false sense of security. Wrong. Perez wrestled and was laying in her strikes.  

Raegan appeared causing consternation for Perez. Katalina kicked into high gear. Vein bit Perez on the neck. Raegan blinded Vein with the blood mist.  Vein speared Perez for the three count

Raegan and Vein put the boots to Perez. Raegan said she was coming for Georgia and none of those bitches in the back could touch her. 

(2) Kelsey Raegan (with Ravenna Vein) defeated Taurain via submission in 3:42. Raegan toyed with the far less experienced Taurain, let her have her moments and a couple of near falls. Soon as Raegan locked in an exquisitely applied crossface and the match was over in a hurry. 

Crystal called Bobbi  out. The situation went off the rails. Murder One called  for decorum and clarified the communication. Murder One translating and instigating at the same time was supremely entertaining.

Bobbi wanted to stick her double wide boot in Crystal's single wide ass. Crystal wanted to whip Bobbi. Murder said act like we got some sense: let the anticipation build, then beat the dog shit outta each other. Murder was enjoying himself, which was great to see.

(3) Robyn Renegade (with Charlette Renegade) defeated Kristin Blaze in 13:51. Blaze was a collegiate pole vaulter (more on her story in the NOTES).  Robyn was clearly the fan favorite. Crowd chanted Robyn's gonna kill. you". Nothing could have been further from the truth.

Blaze was disrespectful. She pulled hair and wound up squaring off against both sisters on the outside. Charlette was inadertently on the receiving end of Robyn's superkick. Back inside, Charlette jumped up and ate a forearm from Blaze.  Robyn capitalized. She did a spinning armbar into a camel clutch. Blaze executed  an honest-to-God Mr. Wrestling #2 kneelift for a near fall and taunted Charlette. Robyn roared back with clothesline. They fought up out of a double down. Robyn hit a corkscrews suplex. Blaze countered Robyn's finisher with a backstabber. Blaze did a  Finaly roll and was looking to head up top when  Charlette jumped onto the apron.  Blaze took a swin at Charlette and got rolled up by Robyn. 

The fundamentals and athletic ability of both of these women was undeniable. Match quality trumped the psychology which was a little strange with the babyfaces have the numerical advantage. Blaze doing a thirteen minutes singles match with only a year and half in was impressive. Run this one back any time.

Blaze received a "Bring Her Back" chant from the discerning wrestling mind seated at the NAAW table. 100% agree.

(4) Violent Romance (Newell Nixon & Miranda Alize) defeated Palmetto Girls (Airica Demia & Joiya Blake) in 15:56.  Demia and Blaze, both out Ethan Case's Palmetto Wrestling Academy though they may be, made separate entrances and were clearly at odds.

Violent Romance's first AWE appearance as the headliners for ROAR' debut vent was a brawl. This was a wrestling match. Nixon Newell is an outstanding pro wrestler. Easy to see why she was WWE. Difficult to undertand why they let her go. First five minutes was Newell wrestling Demia. Like butter. Demia looked comfortable and confident in the ring like I'd not seen before, WWE ID written all over her.

Blake was not happy and made an unsolicted tag. Nice slingblade by Blake but she got kicked in the face by Newell and isolated by Violent Romance

Alize pulled Demia off the apron so the corner was empty when Blake got there. Violent Romance dismantled Blake with combo moves. A Blake enzuirgir lead to the hot tag. Demia was landing her stuff. Eat Defeat connected on Alize but Newell broke up the pin. Newell broke out a tiger suplex. 

Demia slugged Blake by mistake. Violent Romance rthen put Demia away with a cutter/flying knee combo.

The conflict between Palmetto Girls escalated into violence. They fought all the way through the curtain. If ROAR does a Blake/Demia singles match, which clearly seemed to be the direction, I'm hear for it.

3MP talked up Homegrown on May 17 with Carlie Bravo defending the Georgia Wrestling Crown against Joe Black.  3MP said he was tired of Ethan Case's bench players like Dick Pickle Jr.  3MP's nephew JT Paradox was challenging Case to a match at Homegrown.

Vougan has a special announcement. They would be the special referee for the main event. 

(5) Crystal Rose vs. Bobbi Thunder with Vougan as the special referee was a no contest (16 minutes). The action spilled to the floor in a heartbeat. Thunder put the cane of a ringside fan to good use. 

Everybody had to know this fight was going to end up in the bar.

Crystal ordered a round of shots with a beer chaser. She poured the shot down Thunder's throat. Thunder smashed the beer on Crystal's head and picked up some souvenir license plates from the merch table. Thunder smacked Crystal's behind with the plates until Crystal's single wide ass was on fire. They started swapping near falls. Both women hit stunners (foreshadowing the postmatch). Crystal gave Vougan a stunner and everybody was down.

Raegan and Vein attacked Thunder and Rose. Thunder and Rose fought them off  did the deal where they backed up into each other and decided to join forces.

Rose hugged Thunder.  Rose called for beer. They did a "helly yeah" Stone Cold toast...and Thunder laid Vougan out with a stunner to end the show. 

The crowd got the brawl they wanted to see. The finish was a risk that paid off and sent the fans home happy. They love Thunder and  appreciated Crystal for being the hellion that she is. 

Next up: AWE Homegrown on May 17. There will be women on the card.

NOTES: Blaze competed as a pole vaulter at Florida International University. Contacted by WWE to attend a tryout, Blaze was not butt signed. Bitten by the bug, Blaze started training at the CCW school under Gangrel...Chianne Michaels was the ring announcer...Carmen Michaels handled the commentary...Azrael, Shean Christopher, Joe Black and Leron were in the house...J-Rod, who wrestled on the ROAR debut show was hired by the Savannah Bananas.