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8/6 ACTION FUTURES TOURNAMENT REPORT FROM CHATTANOOGA, TN

ACTION Futures Tournament 2022 

8/6/22 - Chattanooga, TN

Streaming on IWTV.live

If you’ve been paying attention to this season of Uncharted Territory (or ACTION’s Next Up series), you’ll recognize many of today’s tournament participants! The first round matches are all triple threat matches, leading to a triple threat final later in the show! The winner? They get a shot for the IWTV title against AC Mack tonight at SCI Night 2! Dylan Hales & Jumpin’ Johnny Mosely are on commentary! Let’s goooooo!

Match 1: “Starboy” BK Westbrook vs “Babushka Baron” Jeffrey John vs “Tennessee Sunshine” Billy Tipton (Futures First Round)

BK and JJ fight over who is going to take shots at Tipton. Billy runs through both of them. BL monkey flipped into ddt on JJ! JJ with a sunset flip on Tipton for two. Good blockbuster…hangs on for suplexes! Kick out! BK posts JJ but turns into a back suplex. BK bombs Tipton off the ropes, letting JJ hit a moonsault! Tipton eats a double superkick. BK thrown out and Jeff dives out and sends BK wiping out into the front rows. BK recovers and Tipton rana’s Jeff into him! BK with a moonsault back into the ring and wipes out both opponents! Everyone trading pin attempts, super close! Tipton with a Lion tamer on John with a step to the head. Starboy flies into to break it up! Tipton blasts a tiger suplex! JJ with a flying forearm! Springboard neckbreaker! BK out of nowhere, ejects Jeffery and hits a sliced bread on Tipton to get the win!

Winner: BK Westbrook

Match 2: Lobo Okami vs Proc “The Croc” Johnston vs Noah Hossman (Futures First Round)

It’s a big boy battle for this second first round match! Okami is the biggest dude in this fight, prompting Proc and Noah to have to work together at first. It doesn’t work and Lobo is having his way. Hoss with an apron cannonball while Lobo is preoccupied with Proc on the floor. Proc with a big slam to Hoss for two. He’s definitely in this fight as gets trading With Okami. Okami trying a suplex and Noah flies in with a forearm to take them both down! Hossman with a corner splash abut Okami pancakes them both, shaking the ring! Hossman  picks up Okami and drops him hard! Proc with a spine buster to Lobo for two! Hoss with a German! He wants the Doctor bomb but Okami cuts it off with a huge lariat. Hoss escapes Okami, Proc levels Lobo with a lariat…Hoss rebounds and cleans Croc’s brains out with a huge lariat of his own to get the win!

Winner: Noah Hossman

Match 3: “The Million Dollar Mullet” Zach Mosley vs “Mr Machismo” Rico Gonzalez vs Brogan Finlay (w/ Pete Youngblood & Damion Turner) (Futures First Round) 

Brogan needs to have his BOYS on hand for this. I don’t like the prospect of that. Rico’s the smallest here and is an immediate target for Mosley and Brogan. The marriage doesn’t last long, Mosley quickly tries to toss Brogan and Rico comes alive! Zach taunting the crowd for liking Rico, who sends Zach flying to the floor. Brogan catches Rico on the apron with a DVD! Fireman’s carry ram from Zach into the post and  DVD’d into the chairs. Rico comes running but meets the same fate! Rico thrown in but he’s up and stomping. Someone’s bleeding. Rico popped up to a powerbomb! Zach hits Wheel of Fortune on Brogan. Rico flies in and wipes Mosley out! Rico covers Brogan and gets the three!

Winner: Rico Gonzalez

We have our finals set for later! BUT FIRST, we have some (mostly) surprise matches for the afternoon while the finalists get some rest before they have to go again. We’re doing a TWE tag match?!?

Match 4: Squatting Dragons (Erron Wade & Coach Kody Manhorn) vs Fundamental Violence (Pete Youngblood & Damion Turner) 

FV is without Brogan for this defense. Can they retain with the numbers game even, especially against former champs who really want their belts back? They attack the Dragons as soon as they get in the ring! Turner wiped out on the ropes and eats some 2 on 1. Squatting double suplex! Wade with a Suicide dive into the champs and chairs! The bell finally rings and Wade kicking the life out of Youngblood’s chest. Turner pulls Wade out and posts him while Youngblood feigns injury. Wade runs Pete into the far gymnasium wall! Coach chopping up Turner on the floor! Turner back in with a backbreaker on Erron. Dropkick for two! Wade fighting back, knee to Youngblood’s head. Double cross body! Manhorn tags in! Wade and Youngblood wiped out with an apron Michanoku. The ref is checking on them! Turner tries to use the belt, Manhorn ducks and goes behind…low blow back kick from Turner… Manhorn dropped with a fireman carry neckbreaker and fundamental violence defend their belts.

Winners: Fundamental Violence

Match 5: Hardway Heeter vs “Sir Knight” Merrik Donovan 

Heeter was supposed to be in the 2021 Futures tournament but got injured and was on the shelf for a year. Merrik replaced him that year. This year, Heeter is back and would like to fight the man who replaced him. They aren’t mad at each other per say…they just need to fight it out. KOBK. They test their chests with hard chops. Merrik looks a little concerned about hitting Heeter’s neck. Worlds strongest slam and a senton from Donovan! Heeter wakes up and unloads forearms. Ref Kim tries to break it up but they just go right back into brawling when she restarts them. Heeter eats a body shot and crumbles. He ducks the axe handle to the back of the head! Merrik comes running, Heeter guts him and hits a Tiger Driver to put Donovan away!

Winner: Hardway Heeter 

Match 6: Landon Hale vs Eli Knight (w/ Nick J Holiday)

Eli won their first encounter at Southeast First, which was so good that Knight stamped his ticket into the SCI this year on it. Landon wants his win back. Hale grabs the handshake and they go right into a high velocity sequence. Kip up stalemate and the crowd pops hard. Hale is right in Knight’s face and eats a big boot. Hale keeps coming but Eli is picking him apart with high kicks and high cross bodies. Trading forearms, Hale with an up and over backcracker! Handspring stunner! Moonsault! Kick out! 619 to the gut! Ropewalk triangle cutter! Heavy chops and Eli is getting fired up! Shotgun to the face! High angle moonsault from the heavens! Hale rolls out. Eli dives to the outside and more chairs are sent flying. Eli with a sunset flip powerbomb for two! Hale with an enziguri cuts off a slingshot! Hale overshoots a flip legdrop but gets a two off it. Eli catches a superkick, jumping knee! Hale goes for Light it Up…Eli reverses to a Poisonrana! Eli tries a shooting star! Hale pops up and blasts him with a knee! Omg! Hale hits Light It Up and gets the win!!! This was awesome.

Winner: Landon Hale

Match 7: Violence is Forever (Kevin Ku & Dominic Garrini) vs “The Locksmith” Brandon Williams & Daniel Makabe

VIF has their wagon full of belts. This is a great gimmick. But WHY is Kevin Ku taking this match when he has work to do later?!? But what a match this is setting up to be. These guys all like each other but that’s going to stop them from taking the match seriously when the bell rings. Dom and Williams trade in the graps early to a stalemate. Makabe and Ku give their ground games a warm up but can’t get an advantage. Ku offers a chop war and Makabe is just landing bombs. Makabe tries for an octopus but Ku runs him into the wrong corner. Williams tags in but gets isolated by VIF. Ku is taking too much damage for someone who has 1-2 more matches to fight. Makabe back in, Ku pulls him to the floor. Makabe tries to wrap up Dom but Ku is right there after wiping out WIlliams on the chairs. Ku trying to take out everyone…Makabe puts on Cattle Mutilation. Williams with a guillotine Dom but he gets slammed into the other submission. VIf with total Elimination! Brandon kicks out! Williams escapes chasing the dragon! Double dropkick! Double ankle lock to VIF! Ku out and wrecks the ankle with a dragon screw. Double ankle lock TO Williams! Makabe in, fastball punch to Ku! He dives into Dom’s guard…Dom has a deep triangle and Makabe has to tap out!

Winners: Violence is Forever

Main Event: Noah Hossman vs BK Westbrook vs Rico Gonzalez (ACTION Futures Finals)

Rico and Hoss are having a hoss fight?!? Rico popped up to a flying clothesline! They take it to the floor and BK flies out to the chairs. Those poor chairs are having a DAY. Rico with a moonsault to the floor! Rico with a slingshot back to a rollup. BK with a slingshot moonsault! Hossman back in but BK stunning him….Hoss with a northern lights but Rico breaks it up! BK with a reverse ddt setup but Hoss comes in with a huge lariat. BK kicks out but that was close! Rico drops Hossman, BK Westbrook steps up over Hossman, catches Rico with a sliced bread! Rico is down for the count! That was a little out of nowhere but BK is your Futures winner! 

Winner: BK Westbrook

Robert Martyr in to present Westbrook with the 2022 Futures medal. AC Mack makes his way down to look his challenger in the eye. BK Westbrook says everyone expected Rico or Hossman or Tipton to walk out with the win. Tonight, BK is taking Iris home with him. Mack says he feels bad that Westbrook had to go through all he did today just to get his a** whipped tonight. Can Westbrook turn this golden opportunity into a win for the Starboy? See you at 7:30pm!

 

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