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7/13 TWE THE NIGHT BEFORE LIVE REPORT FROM CHATTANOOGA, TN

TWE “The Night Before”

7/13/23 - Chattanooga, TN

The night before what? The night before the 2023 Scenic City Invitational, that’s what! I’m here in Chattanooga, forgoing my normal Worcester-based Thursdays to hang in the Southeast for this yearly multi-show clash of all things good in indie wrestling. Wrestling Open Champion Ichiban is in the house tonight, along with Fancy Ryan Clancy so I’m getting to see my locals come and represent us this weekend...but the main event tonight is gonna be a dream match for this building, Jaden Newman vs Timothy Thatcher. Daniel Simmons is your announcer. MOSE is on commentary (with some guests in and out through the night)

Suge D is out here and talking about how he was suspended (for beating Jaden Newman with a crutch) until SCI weekend….and that time is officially NOW! He's off suspension! Suge doesn’t want Jaden to have an excuse for losing against him tomorrow so he makes an open challenge to ANYONE in the tournament who doesn’t have a match tonight…CUE THE HEARTBEAT! Shazza McKenzie is here! Suge says this is a mismatch….Shazza isn’t on his level. There is an INCREDIBLE line here: “Oh did you think I was gonna say we shouldn’t fight because you’re a girl? I’m a terrible person but I’m not a mysogynist”  lol. Shazza agrees…she isn’t on his level…she’s ABOVE it. Let’s goooooo!

Match 1: Suge D vs Shazza McKenzie

Shazza takes Suge right down and almost snatched the pin. Suge almost getting choked out. He thinks it’s cute and decides to take the fight seriously…and Shazza keep lighting him up.  Suge missing clotheslines and Shazza blasts a dropkick for two. Suge takes a walk on the floor, Shazza tries a dive but gets caught. Big slams to the apron. Suge should be laying it in but he can’t stop talking smack. He goes for a Shattered Dreams but McKenzie doesn’t let that fly. Suge runs her into the middle rope, big hit to the lower back for two. Suge tries a leg lariat to the ropes but ends up ceo thing himself. Shazza laying in the kicks while he’s trapped. Split legged cutter…it’s a CLOSE TWO! The crowd is behind Shazza but Suge pops her up for a powerbomb. Transition to a single leg crab, Shazza crawls for the rope but Suge transitions to a rear choke with come extra pressure on that knee and gets the submission victory. Solid opener.

Winner: Suge D

Match 2: Kody Manhorn vs Kasey Owens vs Josh Locke

Locke flies in and boots Owens right off the turnbuckles. Kody with a quick rollup and these two trading some good early graps. The crowd digging their exchanges while Owens just kinda hangs out on the floor. Owens pulls Locke’s hair and sends him out so he can beat down Kody. This is a whole different vibe in the crowd now as clearly no one wants Owens to be on top here. Locke and Owens clearly have beef cause they cannot stop messing with each other. Locke with a blue Thunder to Owens for two. Owens is hopping on one leg as Kody coming in with the chops. Triple German, Locke tries to get both pins but it’s not enough. Locke going for a deep kimura on Kody but Owens blasts him with a running knee. Locke is out like a light…Kody flies in with a capo kick and Owens is turns to a sleeping pile of meat as Kody rolls him over for the three!

Winner: Kody Manhorn 

 

Match 3: Fancy Ryan Clancy vs Adam Priest

The crowd was happy to see Clancy but there was a decided pop for ol’ Any Style coming out here. Priest quickly derides him for being a Northeast kid so we gotta talk slowly for him. Clancy grabs the wrist and arm, he rolls that tide, baby. Clancy using those great fundamentals and latches on a headlock and does NOT let go. Great sequence on the ropes, Clancy with a high cross body and gets his Fancy pose in before he whips Priest to the floor. Adam needs a break to recover. He didn’t expect it to go like this. So of course, he goes for the eye. Priest showing that Southern hospitality as he slaps the taste out of Ryan’s mouth. Clancy has a receipt for that and slams Priest to the mat. The crowd starting to chant for Clancy and maybe that is the moment Priest needed…he chop blocks the knee and that limb becomes an instant liability. Clancy fights off the knee bar…sunset flip out of the corner, big slam! Dropkick for two. Priest goes for the ddt, Clancy reverses to the side Russian, reversals back and forth, Clancy is pushing the pace and trying to stay ahead of the finish but Priest ultimately hits the ddt for the three count. This was good stuff. Both guys looked great here and it was awesome to see Clancy getting over with the Chattanooga crowd.

Winner: Adam Priest

Match 4: Mad Dog Connolly vs Tank (w/ the Rev)

I see that it’s time for violence. I also see Matt Griffin is on commentary. Nice, that’ll be worth watching back. Back in the ring, the Rev is such a force of personality. Connolly is very much a Bruiser Brody type and Tank is here to show he’s not ready to be put out to pasture just yet. They get right into a slugging match and test their chests, chins and foreheads. Tank likes getting blasted into the buckles….he stuns Mad Dog, who just starts swinging wild at nothing. Tank taking him apart, even biting his bare foot! Connolly levels the Bloodbath Behemoth and tries to wear him down…but Tank wants to brawl. Connolly hits a flurry of headbutts…and almost KO’s himself on Tank’s dome. Tank landing his own, Connolly with a flying headbutt drops both men. I’m watching the entire ring sway and shift as Tank and Connolly hit the corners. Big lariat for two. Connolly firing up, big corner dropkick for two. Tanks got a turnbuckle hook! Connolly gets it and goes for the Rev? Tank makes the save but get clocked in the process. Ref Gina is trying to stow the hook away as Connolly grabs his big chain and goes after Tank with it…Rev comes from behind with a low blow by pulling the chain hard and Tank puts the mad dog down with a saito suplex for the three. 

Winner: Tank

Match 5: Anakin Murphy vs Sean Campbell (No DQ match)

NOW it’s violence. We got a chair shot early as Sean tries to fly out of the ring and they battle right into the merch area. Murphy blasts Campbell into the support post! He grabs a child at ringside and uses him as a weapon! He goes for a cactus elbow but Campbell sabu’s him. Big slam to the wooden entrance ramp. Pair of chairs set up back in the ring…Campbell HAD a plan but gets dropped through them. Shining wizard to the back of the head for two! More chairs set up…Campbell gets it back with a Street Justice (and homage to KOBK king Brett Ison) and the pin is realllllly close. Murphy with the enziguri! He wraps a chair around Campbells neck and hits a basement dropkick. That was disgusting. Campbell refuses to stay down. KOBK indeed, sir. Murphy throwing chairs again. Campbell rolls away and Murphy swantons the steel! Huge elbow drop from the top into the chair and Campbell picks up the W!

Winner: Sean Campbell 

Match 6: Noah Hossman (w/ Erron Wade) vs Lobo Okami

Jesus, let’s break stuff. Let’s goooo. Hossman has turned into a GREAT crowd antagonist since I last saw him. This is really a battle to prove who is the real big hoss around here is. The crowd thinks it’s Lobo. They are both each others’ face, just trading bombs right away. Hossman goes for an early lariat but Lobo hits a body splash. Lobo lands bad and he is looking hobbled. This slows him down immensely but he’s got plenty of fight in him. Okapi with a blatant thumb to the eye to get some space as Hossman as grinding him out. Okapi with hops out of the corner and hits a big lariat. Lobo is trying his comeback but Hoissman kicks out the OTHER knee and drops Lobo with a big lariat for the win.

Winner: Noah Hossman

Hossman says this is how the weekend is gonna go and Hossman will win the SCI. He dares anyone who thinks they are better than him to come out…cue tomorrow night’s first round opponent, Manders, to arrive for his match with Erron Wade. 

Match 7: 1 Called Manders vs Erron Wade

Wade saying he’s not ready for this. Wade with a chop and Manders calls it ADORABLE. Lol. The big cowboy levels the baby dragon with a trio of huge loud chest chops. The crowd letting Hossman know that this is his future…Manders walking around and pummeling Wade. Manders steals his sensei headband as Hossman screams that the cowboy is NOT a karate man. Manders finally distracted enough and Wade takes control. Hard chops and kicks. Focus on the back and not let Manders have one anymore. Wade cutting Manders up with kicks….and then a Karate Kid Karate Chop. Wade escapes the Oklahoma stampede! Erron keeping the heat on as Manders wants the finish. Head kick and Manders crumbles…Erron waits too long for the pin and only gets two. Manders back up, catches a kick and LEVELS Wade with a lariat for the win. Hossman instantly reacts to this and is right up on the ropes to stare into the cowboy’s eyes. Tomorrow is going to be a f***ing fight.

Winner: Manders

 

Match 8: Darian Bengston(c) vs Ichiban (for the TWE Undisputed Championship)

I wish this crowd chanted more but they are INTO this contest right away. Darian trying to keep Ichiban grounded early…Ichiban trying to fire up but Darian has an answer for all of this. Ichiban eats a suicide dive and big chops….big trade in the corner, Ichiban with a high crossbody for two! Or one, depending on who you talk to. Ichiban starting to walk down the champ with hard shots and corner whips. Corkscrew elbow drop doesn’t end it. Ichiban goes for an uncharacteristic one foot pin??? This is a more aggressive side to Number One than I’m used to seeing. Bengston fires back with a loud chop but Ichiban catches a backbreaker and jumping knee drop! Darian trapped in the ropes and Ichiban is starting to unleash some vicious shots. Darian dodges a knee drop and starts to fire back! Huge pop up flapjack! Twisting neckbreaker! He goes for a suplex…Ichiban rolls it up! Kick out! Handspring back elbow! Top rope dropkick! Poisonrana! Great sequence of reversals…Ichiban hits a tornado ddt for two as the crowd starts up on a Fight Forever. Ichiban tries a sunset flip bomb but Darian stuns him….twisting neckbreaker off the top! Ichiban kicks out! Double down as Ref Gina gets to eight…slow punch trading from the knees. Slowly getting back to their feet…Bengston getting better for the exchange…a Ichiban shotguns him. Darian goes for a package piledriver…Ichiban out and hits a destroyer! Ichiban setting up for the flatliner…Bengston reverses to a powerbomb…kick out! This is awesome. Ichiban tries the flatliner again but Bengston out again, Ichiban misses a jump into the corner, Bengston with a flying forearm to the back of the head and Ichiban is downed for the three. Bengston and Ichiban hug this one out after. What a perfectly built match. We have our first match of the weekend candidate right here. 

Winner: Darian Bengston

Main Event: Jaden Newman vs Timothy Thatcher

When I heard this match was happening, I decided to come down to TN a day earlier to see it in person. Newman is hungry to defend the honor of his TWE school against Timmy McMurderface. Thatcher..is here to twist this guy the f*** up. Newman finally starts to get some ground…and Thatcher slips out of the ring. Newman preens for his hometown audience but Thatcher in with a renewed focus on breaking his parts apart. Newman weathering the storm and gets a crucifix onto the grappling master…Thatcher takes another walk, and getting derided by the crowd for it, before reentering the ring to lay the beating on Newman. Jaden just getting DRAGGED by Thatcher. Arm snap off the bottom rope owwww. Jaden trying to fire up as the crowd is getting a full back and forth split chant going. It’s maybe 70/30 for Jaden but it’s LOUD. Jaden with a dropkick to the knee! Trading hard slaps! Jaden with an arm trap back suplex. Jaden clubs him…German for two! Thatcher applies an armlock! Jaden escapes to the rope but he’s just getting stomped out. Snap powerslam out of nowhere for two! Jaden tries for a piledriver but Thatcher reverses to a submission…Jaden escapes the submission but Thatcher traps the arm and gets the roll up for the win! This was one of those “everyone won” kind of matches. Jaden got caught, for sure but he absolutely pushed Thatcher tonight. 

Winner: Timothy Thatcher

Suge D is out here to stomp Jaden out and twists his arm into a second pinfall. Suge forces the ref to make the count and raise his hand in a preview of what he expects to happen tomorrow night! Suge screams “TOMORROW” at everyone. Jaden gathers his wits and says whatever happens tomorrow is on his hands now…because Jaden will be the first two time SCI winner.

 

 

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