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It was a family-friendly show that drew 250 with tickets scaled from $15 for general admission to $45 for a VIP Superpass (front row & backstage pass). The show was advertised on Atlanta television and radio. It was the perfect crowd for TV. The wrestlers got the appropriate star treatment, and they were hot for the matches all night long.
The 10 matches will be pared down to a one hour pilot TV episode. Backstage promos were shot for insertion into the pilot as well. The January Norcross show and the Marietta show last week were also taped, but were not suitable for television due to various production issues. The lighting was better this time and it was shot in HD with a minimum of four cameras. The matches were good with few exceptions. Every match had clearly defined babyfaces and heels. There was one simple angle to set up a rematch for next month.
(1) Chris Jacobs & Scotty Matthews defeated Spi-Ral & Koonce in 10 minutes. All Micah Taylor trainees except Matthews, who was in from the Carolinas. Jacobs and Matthews were billed as representing the US military and got a huge “USA†chant. They abused Koonce until Spi- Ral pulled the ropes down to spill Jacobs out. The crowd took a strong dislike to Spi-Ral’s cocky posturing. Matthews cleaned house as best he could because the heels didn’t feed well at all. Matthews pinned Spi-Ral with a backpack stunner.
(2) Lance Hoyt defeated Micah Taylor in 7:42. I didn’t get the sense that fans remembered Hoyt from Impact, but his attitude screamed bad guy. The time in Japan has paid off for him. Hoyt was messing with him, and Micah didn’t care for it. Hoyt used a butt bomb. Taylor answered with a lariat. When Taylor climbed to the top rope, Hoyt dropped him with a high boot. Hoyt tried for chokeslam, but Taylor fought it off and hit a german suplex for a near fall. Hoyt won it with a reverse DDT.
(3) Reby Sky beat Melissa Coates in 5:15. Crowd was relatively quiet for this one. Coates has just started wrestling again after being shelved by knee surgery. Coates dominated the much smaller Sky, taking time outs to do muscle poses. Sky is attractive but she’s not much of a wrestler. Her offense looked pathetic against a monster female like Coates. Sky pinned Coates with a bulldog.
(4) Chase Stevens defeated Chris Hamrick in 7 minutes. Stevens has the tanned, chiseled look befitting a pro wrestling superstar, and the fans responded accordingly. Hamrick threatened to walk out on the match for some easy heat. Hamrick got some old man cat calls, but his age doesn’t show much in his work. He still takes great bumps and his superkick is still hot stuff. Unfortunately, the finish looked like crap. Stevens used the DFA, a variation on the Attitude Adjustment, and it looked like Hamrick mistimed the bump.
(5) “King†Shane Williams defeated Steven Walters in 9:40. The crowd was hating on Williams. He’s so great at getting heat. It was a good deal for Walter because the biker crowd last month rooted for his opponent, big bad Brodie Chase. Walters blew his nose into the King’s regal towel. Williams pulled his strap up to show he meant business. That earned him a “Burger Queen†chant. Walter was knocking the spit out of Williams, who cut off his comeback with a donkey kick to the nuts. The finish was the Lawler fist drop followed by a piledriver.
(6) Hot Like Lava (Cru Jones & Shaun Banks with Johnny Fairplay) beat Rock & Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) in 6:57. This was rematch from last month and it was amazing. The heat was off the hook. I’ve seen the R & R on numerous indie shows in recent years, and I’ve never heard a “Rock & Roll†chant as loud the one they got in Norcross. Fairplay’s obnoxiousness is a perfect fit with Lava’s overblown musclehead egos. He was more entertaining than I expected. Lava was screwing up right and left, and the crowd was going nuts for every miscue. Jones wanted to get his hands on “captain mullet, you old foolâ€. Lava finally got a bit of heat on Morton. Morton roll, hot tag, you know the drill. Lava fed Gibson beautifully. Gibson hit an enzuigiri on Jones, but Banks was there to break up the pin. Fairplay whacked Morton with his kendo stick and he was pinned by Banks. A most surprising match of the night.
The intermission featured in ring photos with Buff Bagwell and Scott Steiner for 20 bucks.
(7) Lodi beat Antonio Garza in 5:40. Lodi was a heel this time after being a babyface last month. This was a completely different crowd, and Lodi brought heelish signs, so there was no problem with the switch. Garza is based in Alabama but is legitimately of Mexican heritage and a solid worker. Match was fast-paced back and forth. Garza missed a cannonball senton and Lodi pinned him with a DDT.
(8) El Veterano defeated John Skyler in 9:34. Veterano is Georgia independent wrestler Adrian Hawkins doing his masked luchador gimmick. Skyler got strong heat and took some truly funny bumps. Hawkins got a pop with a springboard plancha. It may have been the only dive to the outside all night long. The crowd got into Hawkins teasing a 619, but Skyler cut him off. Veterano blocked Skyler’s shiranui, fought off a superplex and got the pin with a frogsplash. A very entertaining match that should make the cut for TV.
(9) Brodie Chase & Mike Knox (with Johnny Fairplay) defeated Buff Bagwell & Scott Steiner in 13:01. Big pop for Poppa Pump and Bagwell. All four were in good cosmetic shape and worked hard. Knox was less muscular than in his WWE days. The heels got heat on Bagwell. Steiner took the hot tag and hit a belly to belly suplex on Knox. Buff and Steiner teamed up for an electric chair/flying bodypress on Chase. I was surprised to see Buff going airborne like that. It broke down with all four in the ring. Fairplay got in the ring with his kendo stick thingy, but Bagwell cut him off with a DDT. While Nick Patrick was busy with the other guys, Knox used the gimmick on Bagwell.
Bagwell said he and Steiner wanted a rematch and next time (March 24), they would have a manger in their corner.
(10) Matt Hardy beat Luke Gallows (with Betty Rocker) in 11:34. Gallows cut a straight edge promo without directly addressing Hardy’s issues. He said the outcome would be just like the last time they met on Smackdown – Gallows Pole for the 1-2-3. Hardy got a good pop coming out, although it paled in comparison to response to Rock & Roll Express. The match was OK. Hardy looked and worked about the same as he did when last seen on Impact. Gallows blocked an early Twist of Fate attempt and leveled Hardy with a high boot to take over. Rocker, a hot blonde who also happens to be Gallows’ girlfriend, tried to choke the life out of Hardy. They swapped sleeper holds. Gallows reversed it. Gallows with a freight train splash for a near fall. Hardy tried for high crossbody that Gallows turned into a fallaway slam. Hardy made Gallows miss with a running splash to start his comeback. Hardy used the Side Effect and a middle rope elbow for near falls. Gallows hit the running splash, but Hardy kicked out and pinned Gallows with the Twist of Fate.
NOTES: UCW’s on February 18 at Sprayberry High School in Marietta, GA drew a similar sized crowd with a crew that included Bagwell, Steiner, Gallows, Lodi, Johnny Swinger and The Barbarian, …â€Assassin†Jody Hamilton is formatting the tapings…The ring announcer was Ralph Harkey (NWA Charlotte)…Among the referees were Nick Patrick and Ken Timbs son, Wolfgang…The announce team was “Mad Dog†Dan Sawyer from GCW in Alabama and former Deep South ring announcer Ted Guinness…The UCW website lists Budweiser, Boost Mobile and Shane’s Rib Shack as major sponsors.
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