From Larry Goodman:
The countdown to Shindig 2026 is on. The date is June 20. Southern Fried has only one more show (May 16) between now and then. Booker Todd Sexton has so many stories going, it will be a challenge include them all in Southern Fried's signature show.
-- Nick Halen won the Battle Bowl to become the number one contender and will face Jacob Ashworth for the title at Shindig.
-- Ashworth and Billy Buck had an epic Bunkhouse match. Buck and his fiancee Georgeanne are the ones that have the heated issue with Ashworth and John Johnson, who now has a restraining order against Southern Fried owner David Manders.
-- Hunter James lost this round to Rosario Grillo with help from Christian Taylor. I'm thinking Hunter and his dad Jamey Dean will somehow be mixed up with Grillo and Christian Taylor at Shindig. We shall see.
May 16 will be headlined by an eight man tag. The Approved (Halen & Bobby Moore & Adrian Hawkins) & Buck vs. Ashworth & Xander Seabolt & Sal Rinauro & Michael Stevens; CT Keys vs. Alexander Lev and an in-ring summit between the devious Matt Hankins and Dominic Stuckey.
Here's the run down from Battle Bowl:
Crowd at the Walton County Boys & Girls Club Gym was up. Maybe Southern Fried's best this year.
Manders opened the show. John Johnson interrupted from the entrance way. JJ demanded reinstatement as an active competitor and admission to the Battle Bowl for Xander Seabolt. Manders said all the spots were taken. JJ said exceptions can always be made. Manders said he would find Seabolt an opponent, and if Seabolt could win the match, he was in Battle Bowl.
JJ wasn't done. He served Manders with a restraining order pursuant to Manders alleged unproved attack on him at the last show. JJ said he would allow Manders to be in the building out of the kindness of his heart (and to ensure that his guys got paid). BUT if Manders got within 25 feet of him, he would be taking a trip in the back of a police car.
Johnson's smugness was sickening. Punching him the face would almost make the arrest worth it.
Ring announcer Chianne Michaels explained the Lethal Lottery and Battle Bowl: Tag teams were drawn at random. The winners of four tag team matches would advance to the Battle Bowl. If a physical altercation occurred between members of a tag team, the team was disqualified but the victim of the aggression would advance. Battle Bowl would be a straight up over the top rope battle royal, the winner would become the number one contender for the Southern Fried Championship.
Teams drawn at random? Ha, ha, ha. Why screw up good stories by leaving things to chance?
(1) JT Paradox & Michael Walker defeated Seth Delay & JT Paradox in 5:59. Delay's missile dropkick sent Paradox out of the ring. Delay was ready to fly but got cut off and rolled up by Walker, who used a fistful of trunks for extra leverage.
Paradox was not happy with Walker after the match.
Match was fine. Walker pulled the tights on the plain sight of referee Darryl Hall.
(2) Bobby Moore & Jaden Vain defeated "Marvelous" Michael Stevens & Disturbed via DQ in 6:08. Stevens advanced to Battle Bowl along with the winning team. Vain put on the loaded glove and entered the ring. Referee Dee Byers was wise to the glove and cut Vain off. Moore hit Disturbed with Stevens tag title belt behind Byers' back and tossed the belt to Stevens. Byers caught Stevens red handed. Stevens hot-potatoed the belt to Disturbed and he clocked Stevens with it for the DQ.
Moore was not happy with Vain after the match.
A swervy fun finish.
(3) Christian Taylor & "The Sociopath" Brian Blaze (with Matt Hankins) defeated Adrian Hawklns & Dominic Stuckey in 8:38. Hankins tripped up Hawkins in plain sight of referee Hall. Kelly Sexton marched down to ringside to get in Hankins' face. Fast forward, Blaze sent Hawkins into the ring post. Stuckey had Taylor up for his finisher when Blaze made a blind tag nowhere close to the corner. Blaze dropped Stuckey on his head with the package piledriver for the three count.
Clearly, something was going on with Darryl Hall and it did not take Benoit Blanc to figure it out. Hall is not one of Southern Fried's regular refs but he is the longtime senior official and one of the trainers for Blaze and Hankins at PCW.
(4) CT Keys & Nick Halen defeated Sal Rinauro & Alexander Lev in 11:20. The luck of the draw: three former Southern Fried champions and the man (Lev) who claims he will be the next champion in the same match and it was a good one. Lev wanted no part of Keyand was content to pick his spots and allow Rinauro to take the punishment. Keys' frustration with Lev boiled over to where he chased Lev out of the building. Rinauro tried to come off the top rope and Halen cradled him on the landing for the three count.
Good match. Keys vs. Lev promises to be a banger.
(5) Rosario Grillo defeated Hunter James in 10:47. Grillo kept looking for the stomp but could not connect. James hit a 450 and let up on the pin attempt, wanting to finish Grillo with the brainbuster. James saw Taylor heading full speed towards the ring and cut him off with tope, then took Taylor and Grillo down with a second tope. James threw Grillo back in the ring but Taylor grabbed James by the leg to slow his roll. Grillo stomped James as he came through the ropes and stomped his head again for the win.
A really good, hard fought wrestling match and less angle-driven than I expected.
(6) Xander Seabolt (with John Johnson) defeated Judas via count out in 2:22. Judas was licking his chops and really enjoying his entrance. Seabolt tried to jump the gun. Judas gave him 10 corner clotheslines, then took his jacket off and gave him 10 more. JJ grabbed Judas by the leg. While Seabolt held the ref's attention, Jaden Vain ran down and clocked Judas with the loaded glove. Judas spilled out of the ring and was counted out.
Sooner or later, Judas was going to murder Vain. Sooner rather than later as it played out.
John Johnson used his restraining order to force Manders to leave the ringside area for Ashworth's match.
(7) Bunkhouse Match: Jacob Ashworth (with John Johnson) defeated Billy Buck in 16:37. Buck came dressed for a bar fight, carrying a trash can and bullrope. Buck was wearing Ashworth out. Trash can lid shots to the head and ass of Ashworth got the loudest pops of the match. Johnson blinded Buck with powder in the eyes. Ashworth whipped and choked Buck with the bullrope. Ashworth used the bullrope to tie Buck to the ringpost and beat on his midsection with a kendo stick. Buck stuck the trash can over Ashworth's head and splashed the can with a leap off a ladder. JJ got involved again. He posted Buck on the outside and pulled out a tape measure to mock Manders.
Next thing you knew, Georgeanne Hardin was at ringside slapping JJ across the face. Seabolt ran in to clock Buck with the cowbell. Hardin was injured in the maelstrom. Seabolt threw Buck back the ring and Ashworth pinned Buck with feet on the ropes. Hardin was face down on the floor. Buck came to her aid. Security had to assist Hardin back to the dressing room.
This was a wild one. The match lived up to its billing. I'm sure he has but I don't remember seeing Buck jump off a ladder before. The impact split the metal trash can. Hardin's slap was fierce. She should consider trying out for Power Slap.
(8) Nick Halen won Battle Bowl in 11:21. Stuckey hit the ring running and clotheslined Blaze out the other side for elimination numero uno. Paradox suplexed Walker out of the match. Taylor dumped Paradox out. Keys F5ed Taylor over the top rope. Moore won an apron battle with Stevens but Stevens took Moore with him. Rinauro and Hawkins ran to ringside. Approved and Consanity fought to the back. Keys and Halen rid the ring of Vain but the refs didn't see it. Vain got back in and did a number on them with a steel chair. Vain was mocking Judas and getting all kinds of heat when the lights went out...Lights on. Judas was behind Vain and chokeslammed him. Lights off and on again. Halen and Keys sat up in unison Judas-style and shared a laugh. Goodbye Jaden. It was down to two...except...Buck literally dog-walked Seabolt to the ring using his bullrope as a leash. Keys pounced Seabolt. Halen had the honor of tossing Seabolt over the top rope. Keys and Halen brought out their greatest hits. Keys locked in the cobra clutch. Halen ran towards the rope and used the momentum to spill Keys over the top rope.
Halen and Keys showed mutual respect after the match.
On the battle royal scale, this was a close to a 10. Creative had built in a lot of fun moments and everyone executed.
Stuckey and Blaze were brawling the parking lot as fans exited the building. It ended with Stuckey standing on a table with the fans chanting his name.
