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KOBK 'SOULED OUT' ON IWTV.LIVE REPORT FROM RED BANK, TN

KOBK “Souled Out”

12/18/21 - Red Bank, TN

Now Available on IWTV.live

KOBK.

Kill or Be Killed.

A mindset. A moniker.

A family. (and now) A federation.

I asked announcer and booker Mose (Jumpin’ Johnny Mosely to you ACTION viewers) about what and who KOBK is. “KOBK is a family. You could say it all started from Bret Ison evolving from “The Pitbull” to “Kill or Be Killed” which in itself evolved into what it is now. It really started before any of us knew each other…we’ve all been though s*** and seen things that we think about every day. Labeling that pain as KOBK was just something that organically happened.” The official group consists of Bret Ison, AKIRA, Mose, Lutha X & Hardway Heeter but really Mose looks at everyone on and attending the show as having that familial KOBK solidarity with them. 

We are in the TWE arena in Red Bank, TN. Mose is your announcer. Hardway Heeter & Mose get us started on commentary. There’s no ring. There’s a blood-stained mat taped down to the floor. It’s a very fight club feel.

Most of KOBK are out here to start. Mose, Hardway Heeter, Akira & Brett Ison take in the crowd’s “KOBK” chants before welcoming everyone to the show. Mose gives us the real story on the ring. It broke. It almost derailed things but that isn’t stopping KOBK from running their show with a mat taped to the ground, the same mat that ICW conducted bloody war on several weeks prior. They give a shoutout to ICW, who ran their show here in the TWE arena in a similar fashion last month but gave their blessing to KOBK for using this setup because it was that or kill the show….and laying down to die ain’t the KOBK way. We give a 10-bell salute to the recently departed Jimmy Rave. Time for violence!

Match 1: THE YOUNG GUNS GAUNTLET MATCH

Round 1: “A SON of a SOB” Ron Bass Jr. vs “The Baby Dragon” Erron Wade

Erron comes in hard with head kicks and drives Bass into thee wall right away. Ron blasts him back. Wade is unloading on the big man but keeps getting staggered from big blows. Two big enziguri rock Bass. Erron goes for a third and the cowboy blasts him with a lariat that ends his night early. 

Round 2: Ron Bass Jr. vs CJ Lawler

Lawler throws a chair into Bass’s face and drops him. CJ stomping him out before even taking off his entrance coat. Bass standing up through the stomps. CJ escapes a fireman’s carry and sends him into the wall for a one count. Ron Bass Jr throwing big hands to the gut and face before returning the favor on that wall whip. He sets up the chair and CJ Lawler takes a piledriver ride through it. Count him out.

Round 3: Ron Bass Jr. vs “The Redneck Ruler” Kavron Kanyon

Kanyon dives off the stairs into Ronny. He throws the remnants of the chair into his back and gets to work. Stomps and clubs but Ron standing up through it and intros Kanyon to the wall. Kanyon reverses and sends Bass into the wall. Brett Ison throws in some chair with Kav creates a 4-chair structure out of. Big kick to the side of the head for two. He throws one more chair into the structure and tries to powerbomb RBJ. Bad idea. Ron knocks over the structure, punches Kav in his incoming chair and then pedigrees him onto it for the three. 

Round 4: Ron Bass Jr vs Derek James

James runs RBJ into the wall but he headbutts his way out of danger. James with a pair of enziguris and discus lariat finally drops the big man for thee three. The crowd booing this one. 

Round 5: Derek James vs Jeffery John

John comes in with a running kick, whiffs it and eats a punch. He gives a chop back and they get to trading chest impacts. Back and forth forearms. Jeffery with a spinning chop, headbutt and lariat off the wall. A vertical driver into this floor doesn’t end this. They both try lariats but James hits a snap DDT and Jeffery John goes limp for the pin.

Round 6: Derek James vs “Starboy” BK Westbrook

I love that BK steps through invisible ropes. Jeffery John is still there. Westbrook with a super kick. John hits a lariat, high fives Westbrook, who does a cocky one foot pin for the three.

Round 7: BK Westbrook vs Pete Youngblood

This is the final round of the Gauntlet. The crowd throws rolls of toilet paper at Youngblood as he comes in. Westbrook gets in his face and attacks him from behind as the crowd tells Youngblood how much they hate him. BK with a headbutt to the gut and a chop. Pete with a chop back, trading waist control. BK with a back elbow that almost KO’s Youngblood. Stiff punch to the face from Pete. He goes for a chair. BK ducks the high shot. He jumps the low shot. Superkick! Pete looks to try a ddt onto a chair but BK goes low. BK tries to throw him into a support post but Pete rebound off with a spear! BK with a drop toe hold to the chair. Moonsault off the stairs! He tries the standing one foot pin again but Pete throws the double birds. Stomp to the face by BK,he sets up the chair again but Pete goes low. Youngblood with a curbstomp into the chair. Pete flips into a Muta lock and forces BK to tap out. The crowd hates him and he crotch chops at the crowd as they throw more TP at him.

Winner: Pete Youngblood

Great way to kick this off and quickly showcase a lot of names without going the overused chaotic scramble route. I honestly wish more shows would do these.

Match 2: “The Death Samurai” AKIRA vs “The Mat Scientist” Damyan Tangra

Dylan Hales has joined the commentary booth. Heeter informs him that this is an uncensored show so Hales can swear if he wants. Hales calls him the “Mother Fornicating Death Samurai”. LOL. Meanwhile, Tangra comes out in Green Power Ranger attire as “The Bulgarian Ranger”. Love it! Akira takes Tangra right down and tries to outwork him on the mat. Tangra is caught off guard initially since the mat game is supposed to be HIS. Tangra gets the back and goes for choke but Akira flips out into a sleeper. Tangra breaks it but Akira with a PK and slaps on an arm bar to drop shots to the back and abs. Tangra rolls out and goes for the head. Hales reminds us that there are no ropes….so no rope breaks. Akira gets a kimura but Tangra forces a pin attempt to break it. DDT to the leg from Tangra. Tangra stalking with strikes but Akira is fighting back effectively from the bottom. Akira back up to trade shots but eats a gut buster. Tangra throwing more shot but Akira gets a choke on. Tangra out and brings Akira down with a guillotine choke. Akira out and they trade strikes. Akira drops his elbow pad and BLASTS Tangra. Damyan firing back hard still though. Pump kick returned with a pele kick and they’re both down. They stagger back up, Akira comes running but Tangra drops him face first into the stairs. Akira stuck in an STF but Akira has it scouted and turns it into a twister choke. Tangra fighting out, eats a roaring elbow and a german! Rolling capo kick and Akira slaps on a cattle mutilation…..but he can’t hold it! Akira transitions to butterfly both arms with his arm and leg and throws unprotected punches to the head until the ref is forced to stop the violence. 

Winner: AKIRA

I expected this to be fun and got it. Great showing from Tangra but AKIRA wasn’t going to be denied, working as both a member of KOBK AND on a mat that he decorated with his own crimson previously. Dylan Hales vacates the booth and is replaced by Bobby Documents as the back wall is loaded with doors, chairs and a garbage can lid. Time for some f***ery. 

Match 3: “The Bloodbath Behemoth” TANK (w/ the Reverend) vs M*E*R*C

Yessssss. The TWE champ raises his belt high but TANK just walks over and blasts him in the head with that garbage can lid. TANK mauling early but MERC escapes and blasts a door to splinters over TANK’s head. TANK walks through garbages can shots and throws Bell through the remnant of that door. Merc grinds a wooden beam into TANK’s forehead and dodges a charge and lets TANK go through another door himself. He tries to follow up but Tank lets him just crash into the wall. Tank’s got a gusset and smacks it right into his chest. YEOW. MERC avoiding another one, blasts TANK with a chair and grabs a ladder. TANK takes the ladder shot and gets to stabbing MERC in the head with a form. Reverend throws TANK a knife and MERC’s forehead gets carved up. Merc ain’t dead. He takes out TANK with a chair to the knee and lays TANK on some chairs. MERC up the ladder but misses an elbow drop and eats all that steel himself. Both guys trading hands, TANK with a backfist and tries the saito. Merc reverses the position into a kickoff crossbody into a pile of chairs and rolls up TANK quickly for the three!

Winner: M*E*R*C

Tank matches are car crashes and I love watching car crashes apparently. It was fun to see MERC work in this element and have to really gut out some painful looking bumps (really every bump on this Mat look hellacious due to its lack of distance from actual concrete).

Match 4: Tyler Matrix vs “The ACEGAWD” Arik Royal

Dylan Hales is back at the table with Heeter but his mic seems to be out? They both admit that Matrix has his work cut out for him tonight against the ACEGAWD, especially since there are any ropes to climb for effective aerial moves. Royal locks up and twists his wrist down into a forced bridge. Matrix spins out of it but Royal with a cradle choke takedown and rolls this kid. Matrix keeps fighting though and hip tosses his way out of trouble. Royal tries a suplex but Matrix cradles him. Royal just rakes the eyes at this point and throws Matrix to the heavens and lets physics take care of the rest. Running tackle to the side sends Matrix into the crowd and Royal tries to count him out (he can’t really).Matrix with a middle finger and eats a boot to the face. Royal with a rear choke but the kid wont go to sleep. Royal has a body scissor and dropping shots to the back of the head. Camel clutch variant but Matrix wont tap. Royal comes running for an Ace Gawd’s curse but Matrix with a kick to the head! They trade forearms and the crowd firing up as these hands are flying. Royal with a series of short uppercuts has Matrix on dream street but he fires back with a elbow and running kick. Royal escapes a fireman’s carry and twists into a figure four. Matrix has no where to go…he flips it! Royal out but Matrix off the pole with a rana and tilt a whirl ddt for two. Matrix with a head and arm choke but Royal spikes him into the mat to get free. Matrix is staggering to his feet, Royal comes running and hits the Kobe to put Matrix away.

Winner: Arik Royal

YOUR Action champion took this kid apart methodically. Matrix gutted this out but when Royal gets the time to setup and call that match-ending Kobe? It’s time to bow to the ACEGAWD. 

Match 5: “Wildheart” Cole Radrick vs Nick Iggy

Mose and Heeter at the table now. Iggy, back after a two year hiatus, grabs a pair of chairs so we can start this out with a bar fight spot. Throwing hands right away, both guys staggered in their seats. Radrick springs out and dumps Iggy out of his chair. He throws the chair and enziguris it. Radrick with a flurry for two but Iggy back with a stiff knee and swarms with punches. Cole getting spiked into the mat repeatedly and Iggy with a running knee to the face. Cole caught with a forearm to the back of the head for two. Iggy grabs a piece of lumber and choking Cole with it. Spin kick to the face from Cole drops Iggy for two. Cole grabs a rolling dolly and flies down the ramp for a seated clothesline. Fun spot. A pair of stiff knees from Iggy and a running basement cutter for two! Iggy getting into it with fans at ringside and security is keeping the fan back. Cole with a rana and a stunner to Iggy off the distraction! Kick out! Iggy with a DVD into the VERY stiff wooden chairs of the TWE arena. Cole eats the pole repeatedly before Iggy heads up the stairs. He catches a boot to the face….he staggers long which baits Cole into his range and he hits a piledriver to put Wildheart down.

Winner: Nick Iggy

Liked this a lot. It’s been a hot second since I’ve seen Nick Iggy but it didn’t seem like there was any rust on him and he kicked the everlonging hell out of Radrick tonight. Nick Iggy gets into Hardway Heeter’s face on his exit because he was the original opponent. That fan is out of her seat and security is holding her back hard as Nick Iggy gets out of there. He’s definitely done a great job of making the crowd HATE him.

Match 6: Hoodfoot vs “The Suplex Assassin” Alex Kane (Three Round Match)

Hales & Mose at the table for this three 5-minute rounds match.

Round 1: They struggle in the lockup before Kane hits his first suplex. Hoodfoot gets up slowly and goes back into the struggle. Kane takes the foot and gets top position to drop elbows. German from Kane! Kane raining blow to the back of the head but Hoodfoot gets the arm and throwing uppercuts into that shoulder. Hoodfoot with a suplex puts Kane on his back. Trading strikes, Kane pushing Hoodfoot back into the wall. Kane comes in and Hoodfoot throws a chair into his face. Basement forearm and Kane out at two. Hoodfoot trying a head and arm choke but Kane fights out….until he starts taking shots to the side of the head. Hoodfoot cranking the arm over his shoulder and trying to break that wing off Kane. The bell rings but Hoodfoot lands one headbutt for good measure before we go to our first 60 second break.

Round 2: Kane comes in and trying to get the takedown…..he gets a pump handle and is able to toss Hoodfoot down for a pin attempt. His arm is clearly hurting. He tries Mark of Kane but Hoodfoot powers out and tosses him across the mat with a suplex of his own. Trading strikes in the pocket. Great flurries and they gets to testing those chest chops…Kane with a sudden double leg takedown and dropping bombs into Hoodfoot’s face! Kane takes a shot to that injured shoulder to get him freed. Hoodfoot with a bulldog and going for a Fujiwara armbar….Kane with a crucifix rollup for two! Another running double leg takedown but kane can’t follow upon it. Hoodfoot with. Standing kimura…and Hoodfoot drops Kane down with it. Kane kicks out at two and he is hurting BAD. Hoodfoot daresKane to get back up as the second round closes.

Round 3: They throw fast hands right at the bell! Alex tries mark of kane again. Hoodfoot’s out. Kane tries again, Hoodfoot with a palm strike escape. Saito suplex! Hoodfoot with a falling KO punch! Kane is out cold for the three count!

Winner: Hoodfoot

I love watching the UFWI stuff at Paradigm Pro so it was fun to see a different flavor of that make it onto this show. These guys could have just punched and slammed each other for 12 minutes but there was something about those 60 second breaks that added a little extra drama to the fight. And yeah, Kane may be the Suplex Assassin but you can’t count out the Hoodfoot.

Match 7: “The Russian Dynamite” Masha Slamovich vs Sean Campbell (w/ Wasted Generation) 

Slamovich replaces Kerry Awful in this clash and good god this is gonna get wild. Plenty of plunder on the back wall still. This goes right to the scramble, Masha with an early guillotine. Campbell getting out but Masha works the arm and lands some hellacious knees and kicks. Campbell give a kick back but Masha makes him pay for that. Snap suplex and Masha is just tearing at his face. Sean coming back to trade chops and rakes the eyes to finally take the advantage. He gets the leg for the takedown and uses a chair to mess up her knee. Masha is nowhere near dead and sabu’s that chair into his face and blasts him. Sean gives her a door and looks to trade but he just gets smashed over the head for two. Masha doesn’t give up and chokes him with her wrist tape. Sean back up with a trio of door hits that Masha rages through and folds him in half with a back suplex. A high angle powerbomb follows this up that made me pause and rewatch because HOLY S*** that looked like it suuuuuuucked to take. Masha wraps on a deep crossface but Sean gives her a middle finger. Masha gives him a kick and a driver to mercilessly end this kid’s night. Wow.

Winner: Masha Slamovich 

Some UNGODLY slams at the end here. Masha continues her absolutely wild and violent 2021. Brett Ison and AKIRA come out with the mic and put over his KOBK spirit and offer Sean an official spot in the group if he wants it. He gives Masha a hug because he was looking forward to this whipping he took. He accepts his induction into KOBK and hugs all around. Mose said to me later “Sean Campbell wear the badges that come with being KOBK proudly. Always overlooked but never over worked.” Masha grabs the mic and says that Sean wasn’t her dinner…and she gets right in AKIRA’s face. They go head to head, shove and get right into the fight before they get broken up. AKIRA says anytime anywhere. THAT will get crazy. 

Match 8: “Sir Knight” Merrick Donovan vs “Number One” Jaden Newman

Hales & Heeter at the table. Pretty hype for this contest. They go right into the graps, Donovan able to flip Newman to his back and punk him with a kill shot. Gutwrench takedown from Sir Knight but Newman grabs the neck and a rollup. Jaden trying to get freed but Merrick is pummeling him with shots. Donovan trying a knee bar but Newman kicks free. Newman comes running and Donovan starches him with an elbow for two. PK to Newman’s chest but he;s right back up with a series of chest kicks to Sir Knight. Newman starts running his mouth and Merrick dries up and wraps Ichiban back up. Jaden escapes an atomic block, chop block into an octopus hold…Donovan powers out and hits a gut buster for two! Newman fighting back but Donovan landing some hellacious forearms. Newman with a backfist but Merrick doesn’t fall. Newman off the post but Merrick catches a german….Newman rolls through, hits a pump kick…..Newman with a suplex….reverse into a stunner! Donovan goes for a choke…Newman out and tries a straight jacket hold but Donovan into a cross arm breaker. Snap Dragon suplex from Sir Knight. BRUTAL. Kick out because Donovan couldn’t get to the cover quick enough. Merrick has him up…Jaden with a standing guillotine! Merrick out but Newman gets a standing guillotine. Merrick counters but Newman drops into a hangman’s clutch and Merrick has to tap out!

Winner: Jaden Newman

Jaden sets up a pair of chairs and sits down next to Merrick. He puts over Sir Knight hard for that brute he is and deserves everyone’s respect. 100% concur. Merrick Donovan rules. (But Newman is also really good) Mose & Heeter take the commentary duties for our main event.

Main Event: “Kill or Be Killed” Bret Ison (w/ KOBK) vs “The Thug Life Samurai” Joe Black

Joe Black steps in for Jon Davis tonight in potentially the last match of Bret Ison’s career, as he steps away from wrestling for an indefinite period of time. The crowd chanting for the Pitbull hard tonight as he makes this final appearance, flanked by all of KOBK’s members. Big heavy shots back and forth to start this off. Bret with a flurry of punches and kicks brings Black to the post. Black staggers Ison with a punch and a snap suplex and senton. Joe waits for Ison to get up, whiffs a lariat and eats a larait and knee drop. Ison rolls over and wrenching the arm of Joe Black. Joe Black reverses into a crossface and it’s DEEP. Ison rolls free and Black unloads with a deep chest chop. Ison standing up through it and is here to give back in kind. Joe feels that shot but firing back. Joe standing in the center trading with the Pitbull. Knee to the body and a punch to the side of the head drops Ison for two. Ison back up and throwing shots, Joe Black fires back but walks into a choke breaker! Black kicks out! Trading headbutts from their knees, they’re wobbling as they go back and forth. Ison landing forearms and hits a german! Black rolls through and hits his own. They trade germans and roll throughs. Ison finally blocks a german, but Black goes for Kawada kicks that crumbles Ison. Is he out? The crowd chanting for Bret, who refuses to give up. Black drops his elbow pad and turns Ison inside out with a clothesline. Ison kicks out at the last possible moment! Roaring Elbow from Ison! Ripcord backfist! Ison with a knee to the jaw and Joe Black is down for the pinfall!

Winner: Bret Ison

This was a Kaiju match, big heavy shots and flurries of destruction and seeing if either monster would stay down. Black calls Ison as G******ED WARRIOR and gives Ison his beads…with the promise that Ison will fight him again in a ring someday and give Joe the chance to win those back. Fantastic moment. Ison gets the mic. He gets VERY personal about his struggles with mental health and how wrestling keeps him grounded. He promises Joe that he WILL be back. We close with a lot of love from the Pitbull to the crowd and from the crowd right back to him. Thank you, Bret. We’ll see you when you’re back. 

And that’s it for “KOBK: Souled Out”. As a live show, this was clearly a labor of love, almost a violent party with a bunch of friends who loved each other…and loved the thrill of the fight. The fact that it was on the razor’s edge of going off the rails due to replacements and the actual ring breaking just hours before made just the fact they pulled of a show at all victory. The one elephant I do need to discuss is the video production itself. It would not shock me if the AV setup at TWE was suffering a similar series of issues that prevented a cleaner recording as the VOD was ROUGH. The sound was inconsistent and sometimes out of sync/phase, commentary mics seemed to come  in and out and there were sections of the shots that were blurry/pixelated or just almost entirely off frame. This makes it sound bad, and at times, it IS hard to watch. But again, it sort of works when you think of this show as on the brink of disaster from before it ever started.

As a first production, this was more for the people in the room than the viewing audience at home. We are merely flies on the wall to what was clearly some GOOD ENERGY in the room. And that’s the thing, the production was rough but I didn’t want to stop watching. I just rode that volume button and kept watching a roster of KOBK minded folk go to war. Future videos will definitely have lessons learned going forward. As for the no ring swerve, it wasn’t the intent but Mose confirmed that it went over so well that any future December KOBK show will be contested in a similar environment. 

To close, Mose says “I’ve had the goal of putting a show on for the past two-three years. I’ve took everything I’ve learned (good and bad) from working with promotions all over the place in that time and put it to work. With the crew and Dylan Hales giving me the push to just do it…we did it….To answer the question “what exactly is KOBK?“ I’d have to say it’s a crew, a motto, a promotion…a family. This was one of those moments that showed me how much our want and grind was appreciated in the wrestling world as a whole. Through everything we ended up having a show that is all it’s own and really has something for everyone. Everyone that was in that building I have more love for than I can put into words.” 

 

KOBK returns to the TWE Arena on 5/7/21 with “Blood on my Jeans” featuring Sean Campbell, AKIRA, B-Boy & Jon Davis…and likely a ring! ;) Until then!

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