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Welcome to my ongoing blog for tonight's Wrestlecon Mark Hitchock MemorialSupershow from The Sugar Mill in New Orleans. Grant Fletcher will be handling Play by Play tonight and I'll be providing some thoughts on the show over the course of the evening!
PWG’s Excalibur came out and addressed the crowd to begin the show. He told of Mark Hitchcock’s passing and said he was more passionate about pro wrestling than anyone else in the room. He announced that Hitchcock’s final work for Wrestlecon were the logos and shirts. To recognize his passion and to recognize what he did for Highspots, this will forever be known as the Mark Hitchcock Memorial Show. The crowd applauded and chanted, “Thank you Mark!” It was a really nice moment. Excalibur said that if you’ve been to a Wrestlecon Supershow tonight, you’ve never been to a Mark Hitchcock Memorial Supershow. He said they have a stacked locker room tonight and said he wanted everyone to be as passionate as Mark Hitchcock tonight.
Joey Janella was out first, accompanied by Penelope Ford. Big reaction for the Bad Boy. His opponent, Penta OM! This is a damn cool opening match.
Penta took it to Joey early with some kicks. Janela fired back and was funny with his comments. I really appreciate how hard he’s worked to differentiate himself and do old school character stuff in a modern way. Janela went for a dive, but Penta nailed him. Janela came back with some running kicks on the floor. The crowd popped for everything and began chanting for Penta. Really fun, electric crowd so far.
They did a good job teasing piledrivers on each other, since they are illegal here. Lots of fun near falls. Janela hit a great dive to the floor. Penta finally snapped Janela’s wrist and hit a Falcon Arrow.
Damn fun opener!
Joey Ryan came out for an Andy Kaufman challenge. He did a pitch-perfect Kaufman bit ripping on women and was even dressed like Andy. My old pal Kevin Gil shot a great photo:
“Soap. All you have to do is add water to it, and rub it on the dirt.” -@JoeyRyanOnline #PhotoByKG @wrestlecon #SuperShow @HighspotsWN pic.twitter.com/vsxBGGvO3p
— Kevin Gill (@OGkevingill) April 6, 2018
His opponent came out and I kid you not, was Jerry freaking Lawler. Holy crap, I love this. The place went ballistic. Lawler thanked everyone for the reaction and said 35 years ago today, he dropped the real Andy on his head in the Mid-South Coliseum (the building’s mention got a pop, which warmed my heart) and sent him to the hospital. He told Ryan he knew Andy and “You are no Andy Kaufman.” He said he knew there were lots of women here who could take Ryan but still invited him to come in and experience what the real Andy experienced.
Ryan reminded Lawler that Kaufman was afraid of Lawler because he tried to break his neck with a piledriver but he can’t piledrive Ryan because it’s illegal in Louisiana. So, he’s not scared of him. He told Lawler to touch his d***. Yeah, we aren’t in WWE anymore, King!
Things you can’t unsee!@JerryLawler Vs the modern day Andy Kaufman @JoeyRyanOnline at @wrestlecon #SuperShow
— Kevin Gill (@OGkevingill) April 6, 2018
See the whole show @HighspotsWN @Highspots #PhotoByKG live coverage my @MikePWInsider pic.twitter.com/UimiDv8vpN
Lawler teased hitting it and then THREW A FIREBALL AT IT. WOW. Ryan ran from the ring but was announced as the winner via disqualification. This was all sorts of ridiculous for all the right reasons.
Next up was 5 women vs. 5 men intergender match. MJF led the men and he claimed that he had spoken to Scott D’Amore before the match and if the men won, they would all get Impact contracts. Pretty funny way to do comedy and get heat at the same time.
It was MJF & Zane Riley & Caleb Konley & Jake Manning & Trevor Lee vs. Tessa Blanchard & Tenille Dashwood & Nicole Savoy & Shazza McKensie & Penelope Ford.
I am not a fan of watching men and women exchange blows, but the crowd loved this for the spectacle it was. There was a fun dive sequence where Jake Manning did a fall backwards while giving the Scout salute.
This all built to a massive Tower of Doom spot. Savoy hit a big back suplex on Konley but the men all jumped in the ring from every side to break it up. It ended up with the women all tapping the men at the same time.
What a wonderfully weird match that would explode the head of every purist ever.
Next up is Jeff Cobb vs. New Japan’s Tomohiro Ishii. Big reaction for each, with Ishii getting the larger one. Lots of back and forth power spots and they pummeled each other with forearms. They basically had a full blown New Japan match exchanging big moves and near falls, each looking like a beast.
Cobb was whipping out sick suplexes, including one that sent Ishii going insanely rough into the buckles off a release German suplex. Ishii finally had enough and made it clear with his face that sh** was on. He began firing back in Cobb and muscled him to the ropes. Cobb tried to battle him off with punches, but Ishii held strong. He drilled Cobb with his lethal headbutts and nailed a bug superplex. The crowd chanted, “New Japan!”
Ishii missed his enziguiri and was caught with a back suplex. He popped up and they began wacking each other with headbutts until they both went down. The crowd chanted, “Fight forever!”
The battle continued with Cobb hitting a sick overhead belly to belly suplex for a close two count. Ishii came back with a nutty headbutt for a two count. Cobb grabbed Ishii by the neck and just manhandled him into the corner. Ishii scored with an enziguiri.
Ishii finally drilled him and scored the pin.
What a hell of a match!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Next up is lucha tag action with Rey Fenix and Rey Horus vs. Flamita and Bandido.
It was all batsh** crazy. Seriously, they were doing all sorts of insane spots and springboards that I couldn’t even fathom what the hell I was watching. It was the most ridiculous match ever. It was as if they had teleported a legitimate Arena Mexico main event match to New Orleans with so many nutty dives, springboards, twists, double teams, etc. This was all mind-melting insanity and it was easily the best lucha match I have ever seen, which includes a AAA show back in 1994. I am just blows away and exhausted from all the insanity I just witnessed. Fenix and Horus won but the real winner here was New Orleans.
I am so sincerely in love with this show. I know Highspots intends to rush it up on the Highspots Wrestling Network. Go order it now and wait for the show to be uploaded. You will be happy
Jason Cade & Matt Classic & Teddy Hart vs. The Mexicools’ Super Crazy & Psicosis & Chico El Luchador
Lots of silly spots with Chico, the Youtube Luchador and Classic. Some really nice spots with Crazy and Hart. Hart powerbombed Luchador roughly. In the end, Crazy, Pscisosis and Luchador won a match that was really good with some nice character stuff.
Shane Strickland vs. Will Ospreay vs. Sammy Guervara vs. Adam Brooks
I know I am sounding like a broken record here but right out of the gate, it was all insane stuff with synchronized spots. Ospreay was over to a ridiculous degree. Brooks tossed him into the ropes and Ospreay bounced back with a kick to the head in a fluid motion that was so perfect, it looked like a CGI special effect. Car crash spots galore. Strickland just killed it with kicks. Everyone nailed big dives, setting up Ospreay for the final one. Seriously, this show is the type of show ECW put on in its prime with one great match following and trying to top the other. I can’t tell you how in love with this show I am. They just keep going and going. This is a really special, one of a kind show. Guervara nailed a shooting star press off the top but Ospreay hit a crazy spinning kick and followed up with a flippy kick of his own for the pin. So much fun.
Juice Robinson & Hiroshi Tanahashi & Sami Callihan vs. Brian Cage & David Starr & Minoru Suzuki
Wrestlecon delivered Tanhashi UNADVERTISED. The roof just blew off of the place. Seriously, if anyone complains about this show, just kick them hard. This show has completely over-over-over delivered…..AND NOW they just brought Suzuki out as well. What Twilight Zone fever dream of a show am I watching? I am equal parts exhilarated and exhaAll Inusted from this show. All sorts of brawling and great wrestling. It is wild for me to see David Starr working with the New Japan guys, in a good way. It’s crazy to see him taking a flip legdrop off the ropes from Tanahashi. Suzuki finally forced Callihan to tap. Another fun match.
*The Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) vs. Chuck Taylor & TBD (Trent Baretta injured)
Chuck played up all these partners, including the Swamp Monster, Dan Barry, Orange Cassldy and even Baretta. It turned out to be Flip Gordon, There were some boos for this. He came out and said he didn't come to wrestle but to talk to Kenny about being booked for All In. Taylor tried to say he spoke to Cody Rhodes and if Flip helped him win he would be booked for All In. Crowd wasn't in love with it being Flip, but he was there to take the loss. The match was very good with lots of good back and forth wrestling here. Fans were there to see Omega and Ibushi and loved it. After the match, Omega paid tribute to the fans and asked them to all have fun this weekend and to travel safely. Trent Bretta returned and Chuck Taylor said when he's healthy they will make plans to finally have the match.
In my mind, this was the best ever Wrestlecon Supershow.
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