ProSouth Fallout -- May 29

From Lawrence Goodman: It's back to the hoosegow for Steven Calozzi. KJ Valentine defeated Calozzi in a loser goes to jail match to reta...

From Lawrence Goodman:

It's back to the hoosegow for Steven Calozzi. KJ Valentine defeated Calozzi in a loser goes to jail match to retain the All-Out Championship. The ending to their  their short but memorable feud could not have been more apropos.

Two match were made for Matter of Pride on June 19. Joe Black will defend the ProSouth Championship against former three-time champion Caeden Ooten and non-wrestler Harley Haven has been thrust into match against Tragick by her diabolical mother Amy. 

It was one of those nights were ProSouth creative got the most out of what they had to work with. The undercard of ProSouth shows has been a weekly adventure and this one had its moments but new tag title challengers were manufactured in the process. 

Calozzi's departure is a significant loss for a roster in need of colorful characters. I look forward for what is next in store for Valentine, who has become a fascinating personality in his own right.

The crowd presence on the audio was hit and miss. The kids made themselves heard but that was about it.

Wicked Nemesis and Mathias Darkthorne was the broadcast team. Darkthorne served as master of ceremonies. Joseph Void was the ironman referee. Emma was the ringside videographer.

True Grit made their way to the ring for their open challenge match. Ryan Wyndell said he had learned many things under Christian Pierce's learning tree and asked Pierce for permission to defend the tag team championship. Wyndell promised not to let Pierce down. Pierce said OK but if Wyndell screwed up he was getting a Once Bitten. 

(1) The Draw (Wyn Brantley & Jasper Reid) defeated True Grit (Julian Balderas & Ryan Wyndell with Christian Pierce) but the match was restarted by referee Joseph Void based on video evidence presented by Bubba Cagle (4:12). Reid was rocking a new Alpaca ass hair coat and received a plea  from the crowd to put his shirt back on.

Wyndell picked up one of the title belts. Void grabbed the belt and removed it from the ring. Wyndell picked up the other belt. Brantley snatched that belt out of Wyndell's hand and tatooted his forehead with it. Void never saw a thing and made the three count. The Draw was announced as the new champions. 

Cagle was in the front row filming the match with his phone and showed Void the footage. Void took the belts away from The Draw and restarted the match. Pierce gave Wyndell Once Bitten as promised.

(2) True Grit (Christian Pierce & Julian Balderas) defeated The Draw to retain the ProSouth Tag Team Championship in 4:40. True Grit gave Reid a backstabber/fallaway slam onto his partner and pinned Brantley with a flapjack/Once Bitten combo. 

Pierce said the open challenge would continue. A Rebirth graphic appeared on screen. "Showtime" Damon Thomas came on stage to oppose True Grit. Pierce said Thomas would need a partner. Wyndell gave True Grit nut shots in stereo. Thomas and Wyndell beat True Grit down.

Wyndell called Pierce a prick for not letting him defend to the title that he helped Pierce win. Thomas said Rebirth was taking over.

They made something out of nothing with this cleverly designed segment. As previously stated, I like Wyndell better as a heel. Since True Grit dispatched with PopRock Connection at Spring Spectacular, a new adversary needed to found from a paper thin talent roster. Liked True Grit's new combination finisher a lot.

Ayden Andrews informed Oliver Green that Commissoner Amy Haven had a message The Process had hand-picked an extremely dangerous opponent for him. Referee Oscar blindsided Green with a shot to the back of the head.

(3) Oliver Green beat OJ Scar in 3 minutes.  Oscar beat Green up as he stripped down to his wrestling attire. Mathias informed the viewers of Oscar's actual ring name. Green had Scar rolled up for  visual fall as  Void slid in to ref the match. Darkthorne said Green was one of only two men to pin ProSouth Champion Joe Black this year. Green's finisher was a rising knee strike in the corner. 

Scar has the look and skills of an athlete. Green's finishing move came completely out of the blue and the crowd did not recognize it as the finish at all. 

I egregiously omitted the great postmatch promo Calozzi cut from the Spring Spectacular write up.  Calozzi challenged Valentine to one more match with the stipulation that the loser would leave strapped in the back of a police car.

(4) Loser Goes To Jail: "Crown Prince of Kaos" KJ Valentine defeated "Caesar of the South" Steven Calozzi to retain the All-Out Championship in a no DQ match in 13 minutes. Calozzi made a pit stop at commentary and gave this writer a much appreciated birthday shout out.

The action spilled to the outside. Valentine tossed Calozzzi into the commentation station. They fought their way through the crowd. Each combatant brought a set of handcuffs into play as a weapon. Calozzi decapitated Valentine with clothesline. They fought up to their feet and stiffed shit out each other with punches. Valentine kicked out of Calozzi's running DVD. Valentine gave Calozzi a DVD into the turnbuckles and a double stomp off the top. Calozzi kicked out. Calozzi played possum to set up a sequence of pinning combinations. Calozzi planted Valentine with a uranage and they went to the finish. 

Calozzi brandished his brass knucks. Valentine begged for forgiveness. He kissed Calozzi's hand. Calozzi cast the knucks aside. They hugged, seeming to renew their MPR alliance. Valentine kneed Calozzi in the nuts and  donkey punched him with knucks. Valentine smiled and kissed the knucks while the ref made the count.

"Love you guys", Calozzi told the crowd. Calozzi left his shirt in the ring and said "now take me to jail. Head of (and only?) security guy Jamie placed Calozzi in handcuffs and frog marched him out of the ProSouth Palace.

Much as I hate to see a compelling character like Calozzi gone again so quickly, making this feud as short and nasty as possible was the way to go and they wrote a perfect final chapter. The match was everything it should gave been - crude, brutal, staying true to a story based on their willingness to cut each other's throats right to the bittersweet end. 

(5) Brother Azriel defeated William Huckaby via submission to retain the Gold Rush briefcase in 9:05. Before the bell, ProSouth Champion Joe Black informed Brother Azriel he would have to defend the Gold Rush briefcase like it was a championship belt. Az said he was the one that took Joe to the limit and Joe knew that championship belonged to him. Huck attacked  Az from behind and blasted him with the briefcase.

Huck was doing whatever he had to do to stay in control. Az tried to hoist Huck into position for a Samoan drop and could not get it done  Huck flattened Az with a northern lariat tried for his infamous 300+ pound moonsault. Az made sure he missed. Comeback time. Az hit a massive belly to belly suplex for two. Az is still barred from using the Wood Grain under threat of suspension. Like last week, he instinctively went for the move and Void intervened. They pounded away on each other. Huck connected with the Right Hand of God. Az used the ropes to stay upright. Az hit a pair of ripcord lariats and locked in a cobra clutch. Huck reached for the ropes in desperation and tapped.

Speaking of brutality, Good lord almighty these behemoths beat the crap out of each other. Match had a nice build to decisive finish as Az's ascent to the summit stayed on track.

(6) Caeden Ooten (with Harley Haven) defeated Ayden Andrews (with Amy Haven & Joe Black) via DQ in 10:52. Andrews attempted to lure Ooten into position for an early Nail In the Coffin. Ooten was wise to it. Ooten's early offense included a one-armed german suplex and a Cameron Keast Vampire Killer. Andrews answered with his old standby: the Ushigiroshi. Ooten was forced to fight up from the bottom. Ooten stunned Andrews with a pop up punch and went for Loaded Gun Complex. Andrews slipped away. Ooten tried for the spear and straight into a Pedigree from Andrews. Ooten muscled Andrews up for a buckle bomb. Andrews cut Ooten off with a flying knee. Ooten hit a GTS and nailed Andrews with his own finisher. Andrews kicked out be he was in bad shape. Ooten stayed on the attack with a superplex and hung on for variation of a Falcon Arrow. Black had seen enough and speared Oooten for the DQ.

Of course this match had the best techical wrestling and counter wrestling of the night. Andrews was in it and Ooten brought his A game.  Andrews' timing and precision are first rate and yet his stuff does not look choreographed. 

Black stood over Ooten and watched him struggle to his feet. Andrews knocked Ooten back down. Green tried to make the save got laid out by Andrews. Amy choked Harley out on the stage. Scott Adams came onstage with the Haven shield. Tragick subdued Adams with the bulldog choke.

The scene was one of serious babyface carnage. Ooten is does not have a personality that naturally garners sympathy but he looked so absolutely pathetic, it was difficult not to feel sorry for the guy.

Amy got on the mic with the babyfaces left in ruins. Amy said Joe was feeling generous and would defend his title against Ooten at Matter Of Pride and Harley would not be getting involved because she had a match of her own against Tragick.