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| Photos by Tami Rebledo |
From Larry Goodman:
This was another top drawer show from Southern Fried. Not a bad match on the card, well-paced and jam-packed with stories.
Like their previous show, Last Stand did not attract the audience it deserved. Attendance at the Walton County Boys & Girls Club gym was the lowest I can recall for a Southern Fried event in Monroe. It was a loud and enthusiastic group of 130 of the company's most ardent supporters.
Drawing a good crowd in Monroe running against a college football Saturday is like trying to catch smoke in your bare hands.
Southern Fried does have an ace in the hole for Crossroads on October 17 -- Avery Styles will make his Southern Fried debut against Corey Hollis, who will become the first to have wrestled both AJ and Avery.
Getting back to the task at hand, I enjoyed the ride..............................
John Johnson berated birthday girl Chianne Michaels and commandeered the introduction of Jacob Ashworth. Hunter James attacked Ashworth in the aisle. Posted Ashworth's shoulder before referee Bryan Waites could get him out of there. The ruckus brought out owner David Manders, who installed himself as the special referee for our main event of the evening - James vs. Xander Seabolt in a fan participation strap match.
Picked up right where they left off last time to jump start the night. Manders has had more than enough of Ashworth and Johnson's shit and his bum ass boy Seabolt was going to pay the price.
(1) Jacob Ashworth (with John Johnson) defeated CJ Gallows in 7:45. The shot to the post had done a number on Ashworth's shoulder. Gallows' arm drag and arm bar routine had Ashworth in agony. Ashworth used referee Waites as a shield to get the upper hand. Johnson boldly called for Ashworth to finish Gallows off. Johnson jumped on the apron to cause a distraction and Ashworth hit Crossroad to pick up the win.
Gallows has size and exceptional athletic ability. He played four sports at Strong Rock Christian and was a GIAA state championship wrestler at 215 pounds. He looks a lot more experienced in the ring than he actually is. Ashworth's selling of the shoulder was something else, like his arm was about to fall off. Ashworth gets the license to oversell as a heel.
(2) AJ Black defeated Tayo and Pat Roach in 3 minutes. Two babyfaces and one heel (Roach). Tayo and Roach had a pre-existing issue from their past as fellow members of Crusade. They tried to keep Black out of it and AJ wasn't having it. The action was one-on-one round robin style. They were just starting to cook when Black scored a flash pin on Tayo.
Good while it lasted. There was some kind of miscommunication on the time cue.
(3) Forever Faithful (Alexander Lev & Ashton Martin) defeated Washington Bullets (Jon & Trey Williams) in 9:27. Lev did his tag line. Bonus point for his gear. Jon Wiliams is jacked like never before. Bullet did a number on the left arms of Forever Faithful. Lev cheated. Forever Faithful isolated Trey, the offensive highlight being a devastating springboard european uppercut/flatliner combo. Hot tag made. Bullets hit one of their classic double teams on Martin, forcing Lev to make a save. Jon had Lev pinned but Dee Byers didn't see him tag in. Lev's running shiranui and Martin's frog splash was a winning combination.
No way this match was not going to be very good. Bringing the Bullets in was somebody's stellar idea. Forever Faithful can go places as a team if they so choose. Approved will have their hands full on October 3. Over the past year or so, Jon dedicated himself in the gym and the results are stunning.
(4) Billy Buck defeated RC Daniels in 6:49. Daniels' attitude was opaque until he elbowed Buck in the face on the break and stomped a mudhole in him. Buck wasn't going to stand for that. Daniels paid the price, then hotshotted Buck to regain the advantage. Buck made his signature comeback. Daniels fought off the figure four and went for a crucifix bomb (same move Seth Stephens beat him with two weeks ago). Buck kicked out and immediately put Daniels' lights out with the Buckshot.
After suffering a shocking defeat to Stephens, Buck was going to make sure lighting did not strike twice. Daniels feels like a natural babyface without Hankins in his corner (as he is in Royston). His actions were heelish, aura not so much.
(5) Nick Halen defeated Jaden Vain to retain the Southern Fried Championship in 6:05. Halen aggressively went after Vain, who did whatever was necessary to get Halen off him. They were trading European uppercuts when the lights went out and Judas' music hit.
Vain turned towards the entranceway in a panic. Judas entered through the front door with a mic in his hand. Vain had been asking all year -- "Who's the man?" Judas said Vain was soft, weak and had no heart. "I'm going to show you why I'm the man", Judas said and advised Vain to turn around. Halen hit the Gamebreaker for the win.
A Halen title defense was not on the advertised card and why Vain would get a shot with so many worthy contenders in the hunt is anybody's guess. Be that as it may, they were having a good match when Judas showed up.
Afterward, Vain threw a kicking, screaming fit, then ran his mouth about his dubious achievements -- singlehandedly winning the tag team championship, beating Todd twice in one night, knocking out Halen, Hawkins and Judas himself.
"You do understand no one is coming to save you?" Judas said. "And Todd is not here to talk me down from killing you." Vain was quaking in his boots. "Look at me. Who's the man?" Vain cowered and curled up in a ball. Judas never laid a hand on him.
Judas and Vain turned in remarkable performances in a scene that was a spectacularly unexpected twist in their story. Judas was larger than life. Vain's life was in his hands. He could have physically destroyed Vain and chose to dismantle him psychologically instead.
(6) Mother Frost (with Michael Stevens) defeated Adrian Hawkins in 6:26. Frost seemed to experience no pain and his unorthodox offense threw Hawkins completely off his game. The crowd got behind Hawkins as he tried to work his way back into the match. Frost ducked Hawkins' springboard back elbow and pinned him clean with a Sister Abigail.
I was digging the uniqueness of Mother Frost. Beating an established Southern Fried star without any shenanigans was the perfect way to get him over. I'm on a Gary Hart kick lately so I thought of Great Kabuki. Like Kabuki, it isn't that Frost is physically intimidating, it's how strange and weird he is that's scary.
The ensuing explosion of violence from the new number one contender was beyond unhinged. He wailed on Halen with kendo stick, throttled him with a chair and tried to unscrew the turnbuckle. Halen was bleeding after a chairshot to the cranium. Disturbed gave Halen Down With The Sickness onto the chair, then a belt shot to his battered head. Disturbed attacked again as Halen was being helped up the aisle. Halen was defenseless. Disturbed ran him into the wall and pulled the barricade apart so he could use one of the metal link as a weapon.
Halen endured an excessive and relentless beatdown. Never has Disturbed been this demented. He's obsessessed with Halen. His savagery made a believer out of me.
Corey Hollis received a warm welcome from the Southern Fried faithful. Hollis said AJ Styles was one of his mentors. Wrestling AJ in his final indy match after AJ signed with WWE was the highlight of his career and he would have the privilege of wrestling AJ's son at Crossroads.
Delay cut one hell of a jealous heel promo. No need for Matt Hankins to do the talking for him.
(7) Corey Hollis defeated Seth Delay via count out in 10 minutes. The mic shot crossed Corey's running light. Delay beat Hollis up with the crowd chanting "Seth Sucks". The crowd started chanting Corey's name. Hollis made his comeback. Delay connected with all of his greatest hits but could not put Hollis away. Hollis blocked the cradle DDT. Delay tried for a Phenomenal Forearm. Hollis countered with a Styles Clash attempt but Delay got away. Delay took a powder and walked out on the match. "I've got a title match with Stuckey. Screw you."
Hollis said Delay was a coward but he was looking forward to his match with Avery Styles on October 17.
Mission accomplished. The phenomenal forearm/Style Clash exchange got a big reaction. Six to eight minutes would have sufficed IMO.
(8) Hunter James defeated Xander Seabolt (with John Johnson) in a Fan Participation Strap Match (10:08). Seabolt was wearing a heavy jacket. Johnson headed to color commentary, hate pouring down upon them.
They went with a a tried and true formula that never fails and it worked like a charm here.
NOTES: Southern Fried returns to the Walton County Boys & Girls Club Gym on October 3, which will be the go home show for Crossroads on October 17...Johnson claimes he lost 60 pounds in the last four month...Referees were Dee Byers, David Weakley and Bryan Waites...Adam Vance and Blake Blackwell was the commentary team...Chianne Michaels was the ring announcer...Zack King was backstage.
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