11/29 NWA Anarchy Report

Larry Goodman:

NWA Anarchy ran their annual holiday fundraiser Saturday night in Cornelia. This year, the event doubled as a television taping.

Attendance at the NWA Arena was a very hot 150.

Suffice to say things are very much on track to produce a great show at Season’s Beating on December 20.

Prior to the show, the fans drew names to determine the order of entry for the Mega Rumble later in the show. The winner was to earn a title shot of his choosing. The 16th and final entrant was left as a mystery.

(1) Azrael defeated Bo Newsome in 3:50 to advance in the Young Lion’s Contender Tournament. Newsome got dumped and kicked by the Reverend. Newsome answered with a huracanrana for two. Azrael lit him up with a pair of his vaunted chops. Newsome’s chest was beet red. Newsome made a nice flying comeback, but Azrael busted out the Ted Bundy (same as Matt Morgan’s Hellevator, although Azrael was the originator of the move). Good opener.

We saw Jeremy Vain and Seth Delay on the big screen. Delay said they had always been buddies. He figured jealousy must have gotten the best of Vain at the last taping. Vain pawned his bad behavior off on his tag team partner, Rob Adonis being hot-headed. Vain said it was a fact that he and Adonis were going to win the Anarchy tag titles. Delay said it was fate that the Dynamic Duo (Delay & Chad Parham) would become champions. As Vain started to walk away, Delay pulled brass knucks out of his pocket (apparently, he never leave home without them), but Rob Adonis showed up to prevent Delay from doing the deed.

(2) In a non-title match, Talent & Money (JT Talent & Drew Pendleton III) beat the NWA Anarchy Tag Team Champions New Wave (Steven Walters & Derrick Driver) in 7:48. Vain & Adonis came out to do color commentary. Strong pop for New Wave. Interference by Talent set Walters up as the babyface-in-peril. Talent’s facial expressions made this segment of match quite entertaining. His offense wasn’t bad either. Walter used the momentum off a huracanrana to make the hot tag. It quickly broke down to four-way action. New Wave hit a great combo move - a pendulum (Walters)/guillotine leg drop (Driver). Vain & Adonis got on the apron and ate a double dropkick from New Wave. Talent capitalized on the interference with a suplex facebuster thingy on Driver for the pin. This was kind of solid match New Wave needs to have to maintain their status as rising young babyfaces.

As a result, Talent and Money were deemed to be the number one contenders for the tag titles. The booking here is doing a stellar job of making the tag team division super competitive.

(3) Kyle Mattews beat Andrew Alexander in 7:39 to advance in the Young Lion’s Contender Tournament. A match between babyface partners. A decent enough match, but the fans got impatient with the clean wrestling. They went back forth with each able to get no more than a one count. Alexander went to the floor and got the “chicken” chant. Then the near falls. Matthews used Jimmy Rave’s Dusk ‘Til Dawn to set up a pinning combination. Matthews thwarted a superplex attempt. Alexander took the usual back bump off the ropes, but climbed right back up and hit the superplex. It was different and the crowd responded to it. Finish saw Andrews roll through on Matthews’ huracanrana for a pin attempt. Matthews reversed it for the pin. Alexander showed disappointment but ended up hugging Matthews and raising his hand.

Attorney/Agent Jeff G. Bailey cut another outstanding promo. He said Kimo left referee Wes Grissom a bloody mess because of Ace Rockwell. He accused Rockwell of hiding behind NWA Anarchy owner Jerry Palmer’s “abuse of power” in suspending Kimo. Bailey was incensed that Shatter should have to prove himself worthy of inclusion in the heavyweight title match at Season’s Beatings (along with Shadow Jackson and Champion Iceberg). He said Judas had never beaten Shatter, while Shatter had multiple wins over Judas.

(4) Mikal Judas vs. Shatter (with Jeff G. Bailey) ended in a double count out at 3:37. This was awesome. It totally belonged in a major league ring. For intensity, drama, and skill level, this match was better than most of the stuff I see on TNA or WWE. Shatter attacked Judas before he made it into the ring and gave him an extended beating outside the ring, like 3 minutes worth. Shatter whipped Judas hard into the announcer’s booth, dug a chair into his throat, and gave him a suplex on the ramp. The crowd was chanting for Judas to do something. Inside the ring, Judas appeared to have nothing left. Shatter went for his PTSD powerbomb, and out of the blue, Judas hit a towering Alabama Slam. Judas took over. Shatter escaped from the choke slam and hit a spinebuster for a near fall. Judas suplexed Shatter into the turnbuckles for a near fall. They pounded each other at ringside and the ref calling for the bell didn’t slow them down. The fight continued until Judas clotheslined Shatter out of the ring.

Palmer came out. It got really heated between him and Bailey. Palmer said he didn’t want to get in Bailey’s business, but the business in this building was his business. Palmer threatened another suspension. Palmer said this wasn’t the BCS, and there were no computers. Judas and Shatter would settle it in a rematch on December 6. Palmer said there was only one man big and bad enough to officiate. The building erupted for the entrance of Shadow Jackson. Jackson said he didn’t care who won, because at Season’s Beatings, the people’s champion was going to become the NWA Anarchy Heavyweight Champion.

The Judas/Shatter rematch has the potential to be Anarchy's best singles match of the year.

Palmer explained that this year’s event was in support of “Joey’s Toybox,” a charity started by 9-year old cancer patient Joey Doolittle to make toys available to children receiving treatment at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta-Scottish Rite and Egelston. They showed the story that Atlanta Fox 5 aired on Doolittle and "Joey's Toy Box" on the big screen. Palmer mentioned that Doolittle, who died on July 4 of this year, was the grand nephew of Jimmy Valiant. “The Church of Southern Wrestling” came through with over $500 and 5 large bags of toys.

(5) Austin Creed won a 16 man Mega Rumble to win a future shot at the title of his choosing (total time of 35:22). Due to the random drawing for order of entrance, Bill Behrens had to book this one on the fly, and he did a hell of a job. The heat held up amazingly well for such a long match. Slim J started with Bobby Moore. Moore rolled out to the floor as #3 TK Cross entered to do battle with J. Dueling chants with the Bleacher Bums for Cross and the rest of the crowd for J. Cross was the first one out as #4 Billy Buck entered and made a beeline for his arch enemy Moore. #5 was Hayden Young. Great pop. Moore took his lumps and bailed again. The faces did a three way submission spot – J put the Roach Clip on Young and Buck put J in a Boston crab. #6 was Tyler Smith and he was an animal. Moore got bold with his partner out to join him. Smith eliminated Buck. #7 was Caleb Konley. The babyfaces used the numbers advantage to do a number on Smith. #8 was Seth Delay. He paired off with J. #9 was Rockwell he cleaned house on the heels. Adrian Hawkins was #10, and with 8 guys in there, it was getting clusterish. #11 was Alan Funk make his Anarchy inring debut. He looked to be in phenomenal shape. Funk had something for everyone - an equal opportunity ass kicker. He turned Funkster complete with a Hogan leg drop on Delay. The heels ganged up on Funk to eliminate him. #12 Mike Moseley entered. Nice Mohawk. #13 was Chip Day. He came out flying. There was a comical sequence where Day whiffed on one kick and unintentionally kicked Moseley in the man region. They did an 8-way tower of doom spot with Day taking the superplex. It was a spectacle and the crowd ate it up. #14 Jay Clinton entered with all 8 men down and selling. He tossed Day out and got “sissy” heat. #15 naturally had to be Don Matthews. Clinton’s eyes got big. He tried to eliminate himself, but Young grabbed his leg. Matthews gave Clinton the obligatory Clothesline from Hell and tossed him out. Clinton’s back took a shot on the edge of the ring apron that had to suck. Matthews eliminated Moseley with the BFK. The Technicians teamed up to eliminate Matthews.

The mystery final entrant was Austin Creed. The pop was as big as any babyface in Anarchy has ever gotten. He’s thicker and more muscular than when he left for TNA. Creed teamed with Hayden Young for some Awesome Attraction reunion action. They ran through some of their signature spots. Great stuff that the crowd was going nuts for. Bailey came out to distract Rockwell, who got dumped by Moore. Hawkins and Young went out together. The Techs tried to toss Creed and J, but they did skin-the-cats in stereo, and eliminated both of the Technicians. That left J and Creed as the last two men. It started as a stand off. Creed overpowered J with a shoulder block, the knocked him silly with a lariat, then hit the somersault lariat. They ended up battling on the apron. Both fell to the floor with ref Brent Wiley ruling that J’s feet touched first.

Truitt Fields was introduced as the longest reigning television champion in Arena history. To quote Jerry Lawler, Fields has muscles in places most people don’t even have places. Fields challenged Anarchy Heavyweight Champion, Iceberg to a title match. Fields said he would sweeten the deal by putting hit title up against Iceberg’s title.

The Reverend came out with Azrael. He said Fields was a dumb jock, but not as dumb as he looked. The Rev claimed Iceberg was on vacation because he hadn’t finished his Thanksgiving dinner yet. He offered up Azrael for TV title match. Fields accepted.

There was the inevitable crowd deflation factor with not producing the Iceberg match. It strikes me as smart booking for the long run.

(6) Truitt Fields pinned Azrael (with the Reverend) to retain the NWA Anarchy Television Championship in 8:34. Fields brought Azrael in the hard way. The champion’s advantage was short-lived, however, as Azrael side stepped his spear attempt and Fields tumbled out to the floor. This was goods stuff. As per usual, Izzy’s offense looked wicked stiff, and Fields’ comebacks showed real fire. Azrael hit a superplex and lit Fields up with chops, but Fields treated them as a wake up call. Fields roared back with a barrage of high impact offense. Seeing his “Son of Satan” in deep trouble, the Rev tossed The Staff of Righteousness into the ring and distracted ref Ken Wallace. But the Rev's best laid plans failed to materialize. Fields pinned Azrael clean with the Killing Fields.

NOTES: Besides Judas vs. Shatter with Jackson as special referee, the December 6 taping will have Melissa Coates vs. Crystal Rose, and the semifinals of the Young Lion’s Contender Tournament with Azrael, Matthews, Young and Hawkins…Patrick Bentley and Adams Roberts were in the house…Kareem Abdul Jamar, Chris King, Anthony Henry, Chris Mayne, Skirra Corvus and Dustin Michaels were all invited back for future bookings after their appearances last night on the IWA Mid-South show in Joliet, Il…Bailey and Kimo worked the 11/21 CWA television taping in Columbia, the one that had the problem with the booking of Samoa Joe.