ROAR 3 -- Marietta on August 30

Photos by Peter Sigmund From Larry Goodman: Kiera Hogan had quite the week. After being out of the ring for 16 months, Hogan returned as a T...

Photos by Peter Sigmund

From Larry Goodman:

Kiera Hogan had quite the week. After being out of the ring for 16 months, Hogan returned as a TNA Knockout Tag Team Champion at Lockdown. In her fourth match in eight days, Hogan returned home to AWE and knocked it out the park in the main even with Ruthie Jay.  

ROAR 3 was  a nice  little show from Atlanta Wrestling Entertainment - six matches with a run time of two hours. Paid attendance at El Palenque was around 60.

Set some things up on the men's side. Alexander Lev cut a hell of a promo for his match with Eddie Kingston on September 13  Dueling basketball gimmick rivals Suge D and Germaine Marbury teamed up  and will be gunning for the Georgia Wrestling Crown tag title. 

(1) Robyn Renegade defeated Last Call Kelsey in 8:17. Kelsey stepped into the spot vacated by Bobbi Thunder. Good match. Kelsey came in hot. Renegade took her breath away with chest stomps. Kelsey made a valiant underdog babyface comeback and had  the match won with a tornado DDT but Renegade's  foot was on the ropes. Renegade clocked Kelsey with a foreign object in plain view of the ref and pinned her. 

Ring announcer Arianna Tysinger asked Renegade how the match went. "Fucking fantastic", she said.  A fan kvetched about the foreign object. Tysinger said the magic words -- in ROAR, there are no rules.

(2) Ezebella Wilder & Brooklyn Barrett defeated Mila Johnson & Kennedy Ryan in 7:32. Match was structured for Wilder to shine. Mission accomplished. She had the least experience and the most ring presence. 

Barrett is based in the Gulf Coast. J is a product of the Palmetto Wrestling Academy. Kennedy trained at OVW. Johnson and Kennedy heeled and got heat on Barrett. Match got a little disjointed toward the end. Wilder submitted Ryan with a cross armbreaker.

(3) Alexander Lev defeated Chad Sky Walker in 10:43. I believe this was their first in-ring encounter. The match was off the beaten path as Sky Walker matches tend to be. He it on pause to take a phone call.

Lev continually adds to his offensive repetoire -- a Chip Day style missile dropkick and this...

Sky Walker did a samoan drop into a double stomp into a moonsault. Lev kicked out and delivered the Jimmy Rave apron STO. Sky Walker hit sliced bread but Lev kicked out again and reversed the Reboot. Sky Walker was looking for another sliced bread. Rave turned into a tombstone for the win.

Lev let it rip on the mic like he never has before. He was pouring his heart and soul into pro wrestling yet Murder One didn't see the fire anymore. Lev admitted sometime he was afraid everything he had done would amount to nothing. The match with "Mad King" Eddie Kingston on September 13 was his and it was vital. He was making a legacy. He was not just be some random indy guy.  He was hungry. Ask Joe Black, Murder One or Homicide who Alexander Lev is.  He was a fighter out to prove he belonged on top. "To be a king, you've got to beat a king."

(4) Kelsey Raegan defeated Crystal Rose and Alexis Littlefoot to retain to the SHINE Championship in 8:30. Advertised as a singles match. Rose inserted herself in the match and  made it clear no fucks would given, she was going beat Raegan's ass. But it was Littlefoot that jumped on Reagan and did the ass meeting. Rose was iced.  As Raegan and Littlefoot battled outside the ring, Rose took matters into her own hands by bashing Raegan in the head with a can of beer. Raegan grabbed Rose by the hair and violently slung her into the post. Raegan ruled the roost until the taking the big bump on a tower or doom Littlefoot was on fire. She had Rose pinned with a step up leg drop but Reagan broke up the pin and put Littlefoot away.

Suge D was interviewed by Luscious LaRon.  

Suge did some knowledge dropping about his match with basketball-player-turned-wwrestler Germaine Marbury, who was infringing on the territory Suge carved out f15 years ago.  A lot of guys from Suge's  era were getting out of the game. He was still standing but asking himself the question: was he a VHS tape in a streaming era? He believed physical media still mattered (that line got a pop or mabye that was just me).  Suge said history still mattered. He was not done making history and there were a few lessons Marbury had not learned yet.

(5) Sugar Dunkerton defeated Germaine Marbury (with Benny the Basketball)  in 10:32. Suge brought his Sugar Dunkerton gear out of mothballs for the occasion. Marbury nut punched Dunkerton on the jump ball that started the match. The ref called a foul on Dunkerton. Marbury's free throw attempt bounced of Dunkerton's nose. 

Marbury came up empty on a high crossbody and got an "Air Ball" chant. While Dunkerton was on offense, Benny the Basketball led a "Defense" chant. Marbury posterized Dunkerton and froce Dunkerton down with a flying bodypress. Dunkerton called time out. Tysinger's interview with Dunkerton during the TO was chock full of NBA interview cliches. 

Dunkerton could not get the job done with a death valley driver. Marbury got a near fall with Oklahoma Roll before Dunkerton pinned him with a backslide.

Postmatch, Dunkerton said Marbury was a rare breed. Dunkerton respected Marbury's knowledge of indy wrestling from a generation ago like NWA Wildside and early ROH. Dunkerton said he been involved in every iteration of AWE and had never held a championship. Marbury just needed seasoning and Dunkerton's middle name was Lawry's. They could build a dynasty and go to the finals. Marbury teased blowing off the idea before getting on board.

(6) Kiera Hogan defeated Ruthie Jay in 8:33. Hogan was carrying her newly won TNA Tag Team Championship and accompanied by rapper Kariah.

The crowd was chanting for Hogan. They traded running hip attacks.  Jay was heeling it up and tied Hogan's hair around the ring post. Jay's big near fall came with an airplane spin dropped into an Attitude Adjustment. Hogan won with Face the Music.

This was an excellent match. I only wish there had been more of it. They had chemistry. Hogan is back at 100% after shoulder surgery. Jay is a talent to be reckoned with. She's appeared for NWA, TNA and AEW. Currently, Jay is feuding with Kristin Blaze in Florida and making regular appearances on IWTV's Wrestling Open.

Hogan cut a brief promo after the match. She's clearly elated about being back in the ring after almost a year and half away due to the injury. 

NOTES: The September 16 AWE event will feature a mix of men's and women's matches...Avery Styles makes his AWE debut on October 4...Carmen Michael an 3MP did commentary for the video...The ring announcer was Arianna Tysinger based in Sanford, North Carolina, Tysinger is an actress, burlesque and side show performer who is trying her hand at ring announcing...Dee Munny was on the rover camera...The referees were Darryl Hall, Mason Pike, Bryan Waites and Cody Clonts...Joe Black, Sal Rinauro, Dani Jordyn were visiting backstage...Azrael and son Azare were in the house in support of Crystal Rose.