Sunday, March 29, 2015

NWA Atlanta 3/28/15----Stockbridge, GA

The show began with a loving tribute and a 10 bell salute honoring the memory of Wildchild Joey Kidman who passed away on March 23.

Match 1: Zach Daniels and Chad Silva vs. The Young Lions (Lex Lee and Kevin Coffman) for the NWA GA Tag Team Championship

Winners: The Young Lions

Match rating: 4 out of 5

There was a fan who thought it was clever to bring a megaphone to yell insults at the heels.  It was unpleasant and distracting. The wrestlers worked their asses off to get the show off the ground, and their hard work went largely unappreciated by a crowd who were distracted by the noise.  The Lions won it, and they received a post-match beatdown from Daniels and Silva.

Match 2: Nigel Sherrod vs. Shane Marx

Winner: Shane Marx

Match Rating: 5 out of 5

Sherrod began the match by acting like a coward. Every time Marx would move towards him, he'd exit the ring.  Marx dominated once the match truly began. Marx elbowed Sherrod in the corner, and Sherrod fell like a tree. Marx followed up with a scoop slam. . Sherrod countered Marx's advances with a powerbomb. Marx followed with a perfectplex. Marx won the match with Natural Selection. The match was absolutely brilliant, and it woke up the crowd.

Match 3: Iceberg vs. Odinson

Winner: Double Countout

Match Rating 3 out of 5

Odinson kept trying in vain to suplex Iceberg at various points throughout the match. It seemed silly to me because Iceberg looks twice his size. There was another point where Iceberg looked like he was showing his size and power, but Odinson hit him and knocked him out of the ring. Iceberg hit Odinson with a blatant dropkick to the crotch, which the referee probably should have caught, but it didn't result in a disqualification. The wrestlers took their fight into the bleachers and the match ended in a double countout. They fought all the way back into the locker room.


Match 4: Simon Sermon vs. Tommy Too Much for the NWA Atlanta Heavyweight Championship

Winner: Tommy Too Much (DQ win)

Match Rating 4 out of 5

Simon Sermon came out like a man possessed. He beat up Tommy Too Much's ringside companions upon entry, and went after Too Much himself who exited the ring several times to avoid Sermon's wrath. Sermon hit Too Much in the crotch with a metal rod forcing the match to end in disqualification. Sermon retained the championship, and they will face each other on April 11th in a no disqualification match.


Match 5: Kyle Matthews vs. Jimmy Rave vs. Fry Daddy for the NWA GA Junior Heavyweight Championship

Winner: Fry Daddy

Match Rating 5 out of 5

My pick for Match of the Night.

During the first portion of the match, Matthews and Rave kept Fry Daddy out of the ring.  Matthews had control. He worked the hell out of Rave, and Rave sold the hell out of his offense.  It was true beauty. Both Matthews and Rave deliver a higher caliber of in ring work than many independent wrestlers in the state, and it is a true pleasure to watch either of them work. Fry Daddy is a solid crowd favorite in NWA Atlanta, and he holds that audience in the palm of his hand.   Every time Fry Daddy tried to reenter the ring, one of his opponents kicked him back out.  Finally Rave pulled him back in and worked his neck.  Matthews put Rave in a boston crab, but Rave got the rope. Matthews locked Rave into a beautiful bridge submission, but Rave got the rope. Fry Daddy took down both Matthews and Rave. Fry Daddy then hit Matthews with a spinebuster, but only managed a two count. Rave countered Fry Daddy's offense into a crossface attempt. Fry Daddy won the match with a neckbreaker. Fry Daddy and Matthews shook hands after the match in sign of mutual respect.  All three men worked their hardest to deliver a match that made me happy I attend independent wrestling shows. It was a true work of art.

The Main Event: Bill the Butcher and Pain vs. Tyson Dean and Andy Anderson for the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship. (Steel Cage Match)

Rating 3 out of 5

Winners: Tyson Dean and Andy Anderson

The only way to win this match was by either pinfall or submission. I found it odd that escape wasn't an option, but that was made clear later in the match. I found myself slightly bored at the beginning of the match, but I think it was because I was still coming down from the greatness of the previous match. The match contained an interesting twist. Bill the Butcher went to hit his opponent, but instead hit Pain. Pain and Butcher got into a fight, and Black Widow opened the door to the cage allowing Bill The Butcher to abandon his partner to be curbstomped by Anderson and Dean. Anderson and Dean retained their belts.  Pain was so angered by the actions of his partner he attacked the referee postmatch.

Here's a link to the entire show. http://youtu.be/HYnVq2LFvMk

Though only about 100 fans attended this show, it was one of the best NWA Atlanta shows I've personally attended. NWA Atlanta will be back in Locust Grove, GA on April 11th.