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VIOLENCE IS FOREVER VS, JD DRAKE & ANTHONY HENRY, SUGE D, LOGAN CREED, ALAN ANGELS & MORE: 1/8 ACTION WRESTLING'S MATT THE MOUTH BIRTHDAY EXTRAVAGANZA ON IWTV REPORT

ACTION Wrestling “Matt the Mouth’s Mysteriously Meaty 29th* Birthday Bash Extravaganza”

1/8/2021 - Tyrone, GA
Now available at IWTV.live

WHAT A TITLE I CAN’T WAIT TO TYPE THAT AGAIN. Yes, it is indeed ACTION Wrestling owner Matt Griffin’s birthday and they are presented a SECRET CARD full of previously unannounced matches...well, for the live crowd. For us watching with the week delay on IWTV, we got the card on Twitter a couple days back and...

O_O

Yeah. So.....there’s a LOT to love here. I’m definitely curious how we get to that Suge D match after it was previously announced that he would NOT be participating in this  event (likely based on his in-fighting and Twitter sparring with Action management over the last few months). But more on THAT later....

WORKHORSEMEN VS VIOLENCE IS FOREVER! XD 

OK, I’ll calm down now...but seriously, go watch their 30-min war at Black Label Pro’s Slamilton 2 in 2019 (also on IWTV). This should be a very good way to kick of my first wrestling report of 2021. Matts Sells is out to hype up the crowd ahead of our first match before joining Johnny Mosley at the commentary desk. 

Adam Priest is out and upset that he doesn’t know who his opponent is. He says this match will be an exhibition match, not official, until he gets his rematch with Fred Yehi. Music hits, it’s ALAN ANGELS (Dark Order’s 5) making a return to ACTION! Big ol’ crowd pop for this surprise. 

Match 1: Alan Angels vs Adam Priest

Angels controls Priest early, frustrating his smaller opponent. Priest getting mad and getting caught over and over. Tilt-a-whirl side Russian leg sweep for two. Priest finally pops Angels in the throat during a springboard attempt and works him over on the floor. Priest focusing on the arm and back. Angels getting stomped out but a chop fires him up and he kicks his way out of danger. Double crossbody and they’re both down. Angels with a sliced bread in the center, a spinning kick and a moonsault for the close two. Priest counters a whip into a ddt and splashes Angels’ back for a near fall. Spanish Fly! Priest with a crucifix roll up but Angels escapes to hit the Wing Snapper for the pin!

Winner: Alan Angels

Opening matches are meant to hype the crowd up and this delivered in spades. Great contest here. Angels on the mic says he’s missed ACTION while he’s been in AEW for the last year....but there’s more to come. Hell yeah. Suge D comes through the crowd, clapping for the show and parks himself in a seat at ringside. Oh realllllllly now...

Adrian Alanis and Liam Gray out for their match. Liam Gray gets punked at ringside by a small child who challenges him to rip a poster in half. He can’t. I love it. Alanis says 2021 is a fresh start and his loss to Bobby Flaco last week definitely didn’t happen. But this month, he says he is facing the best of the best of the best from Mexico, King Garuda.

Match 2: Adrian Alanis vs King Garuda

Like Bobby Flaco, King Garuda is a student of AR Fox’s school. Alanis is dominating early against the much smaller Garuda, until the masked man is able to use his speed to rana Alanis down twice. Alanis with a snake eyes and a clothesline to the back of the head for two. More pummeling from Adrian, backbreaker for another two. Garuda hit with a sling blade backbreaker, shotgun dropkick and a fireman’s carry lungblower for the pin. 

Winner: Adrian Alanis

Good little squash here. Garuda has some moves but he needed to be fodder for Alanis. Alanis and Gray stomping out Garuda post-match until Rob Killjoy makes the save. Matt Sells grabs a mic and makes a match between Gray and Killjoy. 

Match 3: Rob Killjoy vs Liam Gray

Killjoy goes right to work, taking it to his opponent until Gray goes to the eyes and lands a bunch of shots. Killjoy is having none of it and chops Gray so hard he flies out of the ring. Gray caught in the ropes and getting chopped to death, screeching each time. Gray dropped onto the apron. Killjoy going for a springboard but Alanis trips him up, allowing Gray to get some splashes for a tw....errrr...one count. Knee to the back of the head and now it’s a two. Killjoy creates space with a rebound moonsault. A backbreaker, double stomp combo from Killjoy can’t put Gray down. Alanis running interference again, Gray with a springboard powerbomb off the second rope and a frog splash for another two count. Killjoy takes out Alanis again with a moonsault to the floor but Gray cuts off the follow up and dives after. Killjoy with a pump kick and a brain buster on the knee but Gray won’t die. Gray cuts off Killjoy trying a tope with a famouser, (whaaaaaaat) and hits a double armed ddt for the pin on the ugly duck.

Winner: Liam Gray

Liam Gray may not have been able to rip a poster but he WAS able to pin a duck. Surprisingly competitive and hard-hitting matchup. Good stuff. Matt Sells really loves making Alanis Morissette jokes all night long. 

Kevin Ryan is out here for his monthly beating but who will do the honors? Cabana Man Dan’s music hits! ....but where’s Dan? Uh oh...  

OK, let’s recap something:

So when last we left Suge D in his crusade for a better spot in ACTION Wrestling, Suge took on Anthony Henry in the main event of last month’s Friday Night Fights 3 (yes yes, he lost but that was definitely Cabana Man Dan’s fault so uh.....where’s Dan?). But then...crickets from Action.

After this promo went up, ACTION announced Suge would definitely not be participating in this show. And so yeah...here we are. Suge buys a ticket and is hanging at ringside.

So.....while the ring announcer is trying to figure out where CMD is, Suge D enters the ring and grabs the mic. Suge wants to talk to Kevin Ryan about his win/loss record in ACTION. He should be a star but he’s getting used as a stepping stone everywhere he goes. He tells Kevin no one thinks he’s worthy enough to show up for their matches with him. I mean, where’s DAN? But Suge? He’ll take this match. He won’t even take off his vest.

Match 4: Kevin Ryan vs Suge D

Suge opens this controlling Ryan with his catch style wrestling. Ryan reverses and starts dropping slaps to Suge’s head...the kid is mad and keeping pace with Suge’s grappling skill. Face to face, jaw jacking and shoving. Suge throwing shots and chops that ring Ryan’s bell over and over. Suge rolls up his sleeve and goes to work. Ryan fires back with some kicks and knees for two. Suge’s in trouble but he dodges a Swanton bomb. Suge unbuttons the vest and sings a creepy happy birthday to Matt Griffin while he chops Ryan more. Ryan firing back but a huge lariat drops him again. Swinging neckbreaker and Suge sinks in a bridging choke to put Kevin Ryan to sleep. 

Winner: Suge D

Suge gets the mic again to show Kevin how this is how he always winds up: beaten, despite his best effort. Suge says he’s going to do something different for Kevin though. He clearly sees something of himself in Kevin Ryan. Guys like them need to stick together, against the guys who are developmental bound or kissing the butts of local promoters. This wasn’t a beating. It was tough love. Suge wants to teach Kevin Ryan how to make things better. Suge offers his hand. “burn bright with me or fade away”. Kevin Ryan struggles with the choice but ultimately joins up with Suge. They hug in the ring as the crowd and commentary boos this new alliance. Great story here. I love  how this is building. Also, good match. I loved seeing Ryan keep pace with Suge’s technical wrestling in the early going. 

Match 5: Alex Kane vs Logan Creed

I see it’s hoss fight o’clock? Creed flattens Kane during the pre-bell face-off. Kane fights back and doing what he can to work the ankle but Creed is SO DAMN BIG. Creed uses a chair to hit an apron splash after cutting off a dive. Trio of german suplexes and Creed out at two. Kane with a deep ankle lock. Creed tosses into the buckles. Creed tries a big boot but caught caught with a neckbreaker for two. Kane finally hit with a choke breaker and a curb stomp....but he catches the ankle of Logan Creed again! Creed tries a rainmaker but eats a pair of Olympic slams. Kane wants a third but Creed lands a straight right to face and a full Nelson facebuster for the flash pin.

WInner: Logan Creed

WELL NOW. Alex Kane dominated that match in a way I don’t think anyone expected. He had an answer for everything Logan Creed was throwing....but again, Creed is so damn big that Kane wore himself out trying to put him down...and Creed capitalized. Huge upside to both these guys.  

We go to intermission but Angelus Layne is out to rip ACTION owner Matt Griffin a new a**hole for not using her on shows for the last few months. She’s stolen a framed award Action received for “Georgia promotion of the year”, which she stomps through Matt’s chest after hitting a shining wizard on him when he entered the ring to talk her down. Layne might need to text Suge and talk about some stuff. <.< 

Graham Bell is out to officially reveal that the letter he got last month was a definitely a contract for AC Mack’s head, leading to his attack after Mack’s match with Arik Royal. But Graham Bell needs Mack in the ring now so he can finish the job. Mack is out to face down. He wants to know WHO paid Bell off....but they must be fools for picking Bell for the task. Mack is taking him on, non-title. 

Match 6: AC Mack vs Graham Bell

Mack drags Bell right outside and throws him into the wall and ring posts. Bell gets space and backdrops Mack to the apron. Big kicks but Mack baits him into spearing a ringside chair. Back in the ring, Mack with a leg lariat, running double knees and a dropkick for two. Mack gets kicked in the knee and Bell goes to work on the target. Bell taunting at Mack struggles to put weight on his leg. Bell goes for the Heart Grenade but Mack rolls him up for two. Mack rages through the pain and hits a wild Lou Thez press. Both guys throwing hands in a lockup. The ref is trying to break it up as it’s getting out of control but they won’t stop. Ref calls for the bell. Noooooo.

Winner: NO CONTEST

ACK! Let them fight! This was going really well until the finish. Crowd boos this. AC Mack demands his music get played as he exits. I’m feeling very “wait and see” on this. ACTION doesn’t do a ton of screwy non-finishes so this is certain to play out further when Mack defends against Arik Royal again next month. Mack and Bell are both really over with this crowd.  This ain’t over. 

We get a backstage Suge D promo. Suge is tired of his dream getting used up. He thought Action was different and he’s sick of being treated like he doesn’t belong there. Suge promises to make sure Kevin Ryan doesn’t walk the same road as he did. Love it. 

Main Event: The Workhorsemen (JD Drake & Anthony Henry) vs Violence is Forever (Kevin Ku & Dominic Garrini)

The small crowd popped pretty hard when they realized what this main event was going to be. Henry in the grapple pocket with Dom early on until Drake tags in with the LOUD CHOPS for Ku. ViF landing tandem chest kicks on Drake and chop the big tree down. Both teams on even footing as Ku and Henry trade hands. Henry with a trio of dragon screws, tearing at Ku’s leg. Drake in to work the leg of Ku more. Henry blows a kiss to Garrini before covering Ku for a near fall. Ku just eating soooooo much damage right now. Drake with a Vader bomb for two. Henry slips up and Ku gets the tag to Dom. ViF going ham on Drake, high-low for two. ViF wants the finish but Henry cuts it off and lays back into Ku. Henry with a ankle lock on Ku. Dom cuts it off with a guillotine. Drake chops Dom down. Dom wants this hoss fight and they go chop for chop. Owwwwwww. Henry and Ku fly in and everyone is down. Back up and both teams are throwing bombs. Drake staggered and ViF tries to finish off Henry. Dom locks in an armbar to Henry while Ku slaps a guillotine on Drake. Drake slams Ku into the others to break both holds. Boss Man slam from Drake to Ku. ViF with a head kick piledriver to Drake. Drake with a corner cannonball to Ku. Moonsaulfrom Drake while Henry ties up Dom. 1! 2! KICK OUT! Henry off the top with a double stomp to Ku as he eats a sit out tombstone from Drake. Oh godddddddd. That’s the ballgame!

Winners: The Workhorsemen

To borrow the parlance of my home region Beyond Wrestling fans, this match f***ed hard. This was so good. This might have been the loudest I’ve heard the ACTION crowd be during these Covid-era shows. Ku and Dom thank the Workhorsemen post-match for all the in-ring teaching they’ve gotten from these two over the years. Henry says this is the last Workhorsemen match ever and he’s glad they got to do it against Violence is Forever, a team they have so much history with. Drake talks about how their relationship with ViF is almost exactly how they learned from Doom Patrol (Dickinson & Jaka). And maybe this isn’t their last match as a team EVER...ever is a long time. 

Anthony Henry back on the mic to call out Nolan Edward. Edward beat Drake a few months back and Henry wants to face the best on his way out...but apparently Nolan Edward has been backing out of these matches as they’ve been set up. But supposedly, Nolan Edward is coming back to ACTION in February to face Anthony Henry in his final match for the promotion. I am here for THAT. 

And that’s it for the wild and chaotic “MATT THE MOUTH’S MYSTERIOUSLY MEATY 29TH* BIRTHDAY BASH EXTRAVAGANZA”. This was a strong show right along and then that main event blew doors off. This is already on demand on IWTV so I invite you to go check it out. Clocking in a little over 2 hours, it’s solid wrestling through and through with a hefty dose of storytelling. Also, Suge D has 3 fire promos on this show and it’s awesome to see Angelus Layne back. Action’s next show is in February with the title rematch of Arik Royal and AC Mack as well as the just announced Anthony Henry/Nolan Edward matchup. I’m definitely tuning in. Until then!

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