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Welcome to PWInsider.com’s coverage of “Don’t Tell Bobby – A Night of Appreciation” for Midnight Express member Beautiful Bobby Eaton, which streamed live on FITE.TV from D1 in Knoxville, TN.
For those who haven’t been following this event was put together without Eaton being told and when he arrived, he thought he was booked for an autograph signing. The entire live gate and all proceeds from FITE.TV are being donated to Eaton, one of the nicest people and best performers in pro wrestling history. The show can be ordered at this link,
Before we dive into coverage, a big thank you to our old palBig Bubba Brian Smith for all his help.
The event opened with the national anthem sung by Chris Blue, a Knoxville native who won the 12th season of The Voice on NBC.
2019 Bobby Eaton Battle Royal
I have zero idea who more of these folks are and none were announced. Stay tuned. Everyone fought and was tossing each other over. There was a spot where someone who went over ended up on someone else's shoulders and was run around ringside looking for a way to get back in, only to be knocked off the guy's shoulders to the floor. There's no commentary so apparently the announcers don't know who anyone is either! it came down to two masked wrestlers hitting stereo superkicks on the third competitor left. They then turned on each other and started doing lucha spots oion each other. One of the masked wrestlers was taken out. The two final competitors ended up on the apron outside, trying to take the other out. Finally, the remaining masked talent was tossed out.
Your winner, Brad Logan!
It was exactly what you would think a battle royal on an independent event would be.
Logan was formerly known as Damien of the Disciples of Synn in Ohio Valley.Wrestling years back.
The Barbarian (with John Hawkins) vs. Jax Dane
I guess this is the Powers of Pain vs. The War Kings, unofficially. They locked up but neither could move the other. They muscled up again with Dane forcing him into the corner. The referee asked for a clean break and received it. They tied up again and this time The Barbarian got Dane trapped in the corner. He broke clean, then chopped Dane. Dane dared him to do it again. They battled back and forth. Barbarian took him down and dropped an elbow for a rwo count.
Barbarian locked on a chinlock. Dane fought back and muscled him up on his shoulders. He walked around the ring before hitting a Samoan Drop. Barbarian's manager John Hawkins got on the apron to distract Dane, who chased him to the floor. That allowed Barbarian to try and attack him from behind on the floor but Dane saw him coming and ducked. Barbarian hit the ring post. Dane held him for a fan to chop on the floor. Isn't that a DQ? He held him for other fans, including a woman who was beyond excited about this, to chop Barbarian.
Dane grabbed Hawkins and did a double noggin' knocker. The referee was counting them out during all this but Dane rolled into the ring at the nine count, so he won by countout.
Your winner, Jax Dane!
This was fine for the live house, giving them some interaction and some old school good guy vs. bad guy wrestling.
Barbarian entered the ring after the match and offered his hand. The crowd chanted, "Respect." They hugged in the middle of the ring and Barbarian raised Dax's hand in victory. The crowd gave this a standing ovation, as in every single person in the building got out of their seats.
Eight Man Tag Team Match: George South, Superstar Bill Dundee, Stan Lee, and Beau James vs. Ryan Dookie, Shane Williams, Bobby Fulton and Brad Thomas with Tracy Smothers
The audio levels on this show have the crowd blowing out the commentators and the ring announcer, so I couldn’t make out the other two members of Team Fulton. I'll add the names if and when we confirm them.
Thomas and James started out with James using his might to knock Thomas around the ring with shoulder tackles. Thomas grabbed an armwringer. BJ tagged in. Stan Lee tagged in and his arm was worked over. Fulton tagged in and locked on an armbar. South tagged in and circled around Fulton. They locked up and Fultoin grabbed an arm. South sent him into the corner but missed a charge. Fulton tagged out but his partner was quuckly thumbed in the eye. Bill Dundee tagged in and worked over Dookie. The heels all tagged in and out, working over Brad Thomas, who had tagged back in.
Stan Lee antagonized Team Fulton, who all tried to get in the ring. The referee admonished them, leading to Team Dundee working over Thomas behind the referees back. Thomas came back to lock South in an abdominal stretch but South reversed it. Beau James tagged back in and pummeled Thomas with punches. The referee was distracted, allowing Dundee to stomp him low. Thomas finally made the hot tag to Fulton. Fulton went for a sunset flip on Lee. All the heels grabbed his arms to keep him from going over. All the babyfaces attacked them and Fulton pulled him down and made the pin.
Your winners, Team Fulton!
This was a slow Southern style tag match with all the villains antagonizing the babyfaces and distracting the referee so they could beat up the babyfaces. This would never work on national TV today but as nostalgia and just pure fun, it was exactly what you'd want from this type of match. I can never be anything but happy for a match where George South is teaming with Bill Dundee.
Hey, we can hear the announcers now! Awesome.
Dr. Tom Prichard came to the ring and said that tonight is a graduation ceremony for four of the students from the Glenn Jacobs-Tom Prichard Wrestling Academy. He introduced all of the JPWA graduates for the class of 2019. It was a short, classy ceremony.
United States Champion Jordan Cage (with John Hawkins) vs. Gustavo Aguilar
Aguilar is the babyface challenger. Cage is the heel champion billed as "Mr. Perfect." Aguilar hit some hiptosses and used the ropes for a lucha style takedown. He had some nice energy. Hawkins distracted the referee, allowing Cage to cut him challenger off with a dropkick,. He nailed a big backdrop on Aguilar. Cage choked him with a boot to the throat. Cage controlled him with kicks and boots. He distractred the referee, allowing Hawkins to choke Aguilar against the ropes.
Aguilar finally backdropped Cage over and that turned the tide of battle. He worked over Cage and scored several two counts with some nice offense. Aguilar went to the top rope and nailed a flying bodypress for a two count. Cage shoved him into the buckles and nailed a back suplex. He kicked Aguilar in the face and went to the top. He dropped a flying elbow but Aguilar kicked up at the last second. Aguilar came back with a tornado DDT and took time making the cover because he was so beat down, only getting a two count. They went back and forth but Cage nailed a sideslam and scored the pin.
Your winner, Jordan Cage!
Very basic formula. Aguilar got a nice round of applause as he left.
They brought out legendary ring announcer Gary Michael Cappetta out for the next match. You have to love GMC. He said it was his pleasure to be here to celebrate the career of Bobby Eaton. It's only appropriate to bring some tag team action to the ring.
The Innovate Tag Team Champions Heatseekers (Matt Sigmon and Elliott Russel with Danny Ray & Dillon McQueen) vs. Brandon and Brent Tate
The Tates were formally known as The Boys in Ring of Honor. The Heat Seekers have held the NWA Tag Team titles in the pre-Billy Corgan NWA era.
Elliot and a Tate did some nice back and forth wrestling early on. Just good foundation building for a match. The crowd was behind The Thompsons early on, clapping for them. The Tates did some nice double team babyface moves, dazzling with a springboard off the ropes. Sigmon cut one of them off with right hands and kneelifts. He whipped one of the Tates hard into the buckles. The Tates came back with a flurry of offense, sending Sigmon back and forth around the ring, until he was snapped with a dropkicks. The Tates nailed stereo pescados to the floor.
Sigmon regains control in the ring, locking on a side headlock. The Heat Seekers cut the ring off and worked over Tate. Brandon Tate finally broke free and tagged out to Brent. He naiuled a springboard clothesline on Russel and went for sliced bread #2. He nailed a head scissor takedown. Russel reversed a whip into the corner. Tate used a forward roll for a two count but Sigmon broke the pinfall attempt. They grabbed Russel and nailed a double chokeslam. Danny Ray got on the apron but was knocked down. The Heat Seekers' other second, Dillon McQueen interfered, setting up The Heat Seekers to win.
Your winners, The Heat Seekers!
From an in-ring standpoint, this was the best wrestling thus far on the show. The Heat Seekers played a good heel team. The Tates have a BIG upside as a babyface team.
Coverage continues on Page 2!
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