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7/15 ACTION FUTURE 2023 REPORT FROM CHATTANOOGA, TN

ACTION Future 2023

7/15/23 - Chattanooga, TN

Pre-Show Match: “The Ripper” Trey Shaw vs Dex Royal vs Jameson Shook

Timothy Thatcher ran a seminar earlier today and this is a clash of the three standouts from that session. This is a fast paced triple threat. The Ripper grips Royal tight and hits a sister Abigail that just rag dolls him to the apron. James just yeeted around. This is rippers fight to lose clearly. James with a superkick and shoves Riipper through the ropes! Royal with a jump back kip up cutter. James returns the favor but Trey hits a regal plex for the win. This was a sprint but that last minute or so was just fire. 

Winner: Trey Shaw

And we’re live on IWTV! Daniel Simmons in on announcer detail tonight. Dylan Hales is on commentary. Action Futures is considered a staging ground for SCI, showcasing talent with less than five years in the ring. Three triple threat matches culminate in a final triple threat match to crowd this year’s Futures winner. In the middle of all this will be a number of featured matches that will highlight a lot of newer talent on the scene. 

Match 1: Fancy Ryan Clancy vs Kris Brady vs Big Dave (Futures Tournament Round 1)

I kinda love this triple threat as a concept. Clancy is our fancy lad from the northeast. Kris Brady is your favorite homeboy. Big Dave is a big mullet man in a NASCAR jacket. Big Dave wants to show he’s the biggest and strongest so we get a pose off. Clancy with a gut kick. Brady challenges Dave to a dance-off. Dave is bad at both these things but the crowd loves him and Brady/Clancy partner up to send Dave packing and start working. Brady grabs the crowds attention with his flashy style. Clancy with a monkey flip. Through this Dave keeps getting back in and getting sent right back to the floor. Third times a charm and Dave unloads some wicked chops on Clancy. Brady with a cross body! He goes for a BME…Clancy shoves him to the floor…Clancy turns into a huge lariat. Close two count! Clancy is a punching bag as the ring shifts with every corner whip. Brady back in but Dave is handling them easily. Positive-Lee s here but he’s just a distraction to Big Dave and he gets sent to the back. But he just wanted to help! Clancy ejects Dave….Brady eats slams and dropkicks! Clancy slams big Dave! Brady with a BME to break up the pin! Clancy is stunned! Brady hits another BME on Dave and this one hits clean! Clancy can’t make it in time and Kris Brady advances in the opening! This was damn fun. 

Winner: Kris Brady

Match 2: Devlyn Macabre vs Ichiban vs Wheezy T (Futures Tournament Round 1)

Devlyn is back from her tour of Germany representing Action, just in time for the tournament. Wheezy T needs his inhaler. It’s just a distraction for…Macabre is double throat chop Ichiban??? Wheezy is surprised by this but he’ll take a friend where he can find one. Ichiban out of the corner and taking them both in. Devlyn has some kind of makeup case and blows something into Ichiban’s eyes??? The double team continues, Devlyn directing traffic in this beatdown. Hip attack and Running boot to Ichiban! Ichiban with a double suplex…that almost goes bad….but he cannot maintain the rally. Wheezy stops Devlyn from making the pin and it looks like the partnership is over. Huuuuuuuge uppercut to T! Ichiban tries to rally back…handspring back elbow in the corner! Devlyn rocketed down off the apron. Ichiban crashes Blu-ray into Devlyn in the corner…wheezy rips Ichiban into the corner post by his legs…while Devlyn is in a tree of woe. Whaaaaa- wheezy with a short ddt but Devlyn pulls him up into a sleeper. She d Alger him from the corner….Wheezy hits a powerslam…Ichiban still down on the floor. Wheezy and Devlyn scrambling fast, Macabre hits a German! Ichiban launches into the ring and takes out Devlyn. Ichiban sets up for the flatliner…Wheezy has a weapon of some kind??? Ichiban blocks it and gets a crucifix rollup for the win! Devlyn Macabre is NOT happy with this turn of events…I wonder if she ever is? 

Winner: Ichiban

 Match 3: Jay Malachi vs Kody Manhorn vs Rachel Armstrong (Futures Tournament Round 1)

Kody gets the BIG pop. This is a crowd that likes SQUATS. Malachi is just being a jerk to everyone, even Ref Gina! Malachi just kicks Armstrong’s head off. Kody comes at him but gets blasted into the corner. Rachel forearms his lights out and Kody hits a hangman’s splash ti send Jay packing. Armstrong and Kody having some good back and forth graps…Malachi grabs her legs and smashes her into the wall. PK off the apron to Kody. This is some hard hitting s***. Good Corino fakeout on a toss to the chair. Malachi is dominating but the crowd WANTS Kody. Armstrong runs in with a cutter on Manhorn! Rachel suicide dives to Malachi! Meteora to Kody! Manhorn blocks a sliced bread! German! DVD! Malachi runs in and blocks Ref Gina! That was a great spot. Kody eats a high cross body but kicks out! Hard forearms back and forth. Where’s Rachel??? She staggers in and joins the fray! Malachi landing hard spin kicks! Everyone’s just getting dropped. This owns. Jay can’t get the rollup. Capo kick from Kody! Rachel hits the sliced bread on Kody! 459 to Malachi! Armstrong gets the three in a F***ING AWESOME contest. This might have been the best Futures Tournament match I’ve seen?

Winner: Rachel Armstrong

Match 4: Kasey Owens (w/ Suge D) vs Dave Stage

This looks like a mismatch. This Dave is freakin’ jacked. Kasey is just getting leveled with shoulder blocks and whips. Dave goes for a sleeper but Owens chokes him into the top rope. Owens trying to get some stuff in but Stage is a monster and just tosses him over his head like a bag of trash. Owens gets the stun in as Dave brings him back in…he’s doing what he can toy keep the big man winded. Up and over…Stage with a one arm toss to the floor. Apron lariat. Delay outside in suplex! Stage is calling for the finish but Owens pushes the ref in the way and pokes the eye. That just annoys Stage… he catches a crossbody but Owens feigns a knee injury…Dave looks away and that’s the chance a Owens needs. He chop blocks the knee and lands a series of knees to Stage’s head to pick up the win as Suge celebrates! I loved Dave Stage’s energy but this was definitely a “bigger they are, the harder they fall” scenario.

Winner: Kasey Owen

 Match 5: Hit & Never Quit (Nikki Eight & Tom Marcianoe w/ Cherry Pie) vs Top Team (Jay Lucas & Kelin Cole)

I’m sorry, there’s wrestling happening and my brain has stopped because one of these hair metal ding dongs just did an air drum solo (because they are an 80’s hair metal team) and my SOUL hurts. It HURTS. ANYWAYS, Top Team is getting the bulk of the damage in and I’m starting to feel better about the world until a distraction allows the Marciano to attack Cole with the drum sticks. Nikki Eight taking the advantage but Top Team is pretty slick. Nikki with a quick shot and Marciano is set up to hit a frog splash. He goes for a top rope cutter and eats nothing but mat. Eight with a driver but it’s not enough either. Gory bomb heart attack for two! Cole into make the save and Marciano takes a corkscrew facebuster for the win! For two teams I have heard nothing about until this very moment, this was a VERY enjoyable match.

Winners: Top Team

Match 6: Erron Wade (w/ Noah Hossman) vs Josh Locke

Wade fears Locke, chants the crowd as Wade definitely seems like he wants no part of this fight. Wade is having a bad time until he rakes the eyes and hits a spring back back kick to the jaw. Wade starting to focus on the leg as he realizes he’s winning this fight now. Locke trying to get it back with a rollup but Erron just blasts a lariat to take him down again. Locke with a quick forearm to the back of the head…dragon suplex! High knee and a belly to belly! Erron kicks out but the tide just turned HARD. Wade catches him running with a Michanoku driver! Karate Kid kick is scooped up to a cradle bomb! Noah Hossman creates a distraction, Wade winds up and hits a KO kick on Locke to get the win.

Winner: Erron Wade

 

Match 7: Merrik Donovan, The Wall Tyler Stevens & Leroy Shogun vs Coven of the Goat. (Tank, Nathan Mowery & CJ Lawler w/ The Rev)

Rev says that the Coven is Tank’s attempt at leaving behind a legacy and creating a future for it. Shogun trying his hands against the Bloodbath Behemoth and it’s not going well for him. Mowery in with Merrik and this is going way better for the coven. Triple team ramming tank through the Ser Knight. Tag to the Wall…CJ is ready to rana. Shogun catches him slipping and Wall hits a huge corner boot. Delay vertical suplex as the Rev tries to will Lawler back to life. Donovan with the tag in. Powerslam to Lawler for two. Tornado stunner from CJ! He’s making the crawl! It’s murder time! Shogun takes the unholiest of beatings and Mowery hits a splash for the final shot of the match. I like this Coven of the Goat team/stable for Tank’s longevity in the game.

Winners: Coven of the Goat

Main Event: Ichiban vs Kris Brady vs Rachel Armstrong (Futures Tournament Final)

Brady and Ichiban with a quick shot to Armstrong before getting into some quick sequences. Our favorite homeboy is actually out pacing Ichiban here and gives him a little dance too. Rachel sent flying but hits a suicide dive to Ichiban! Ichiban uses Rachel as a weapon to hit Brady as he tries his own dive! High crossbody body for two! Ichiban keeps punting Rachel off the apron every time she tries to get back in, the crowd does NOT like this out of him. Ichiban takes Brady’s suspenders down and tries a hard chop, brady reverses and lands hard! Rachel finally back to the apron and Ichiban suplexes her in! Brady asking for more as the crowd has fully turned on Ichiban. Rachel with a double boot back into the ring! It’s her time to unload on Ichiban and Brady! Armstrong going corner to corner over and over with forearms! Ddt/cutter combo spikes both dudes! Rachel goes for the sliced bread…Ichiban catches it and slams her to the top rope! Brady hits a powerbomb on Ichiban for two! Ichiban drops Brady, heads up top! Rachel shoved him off and hits a 450! Ichiban cuts it off! Spinning Michanoku driver to Armstrong! Brady breaks it up! Trading shots from their knees! Ichiban is stunned but hits a Reverse shotgun into the ropes! Handspring back elbow…..Rachel Armstrong pops back in and hits a rebound sliced bread off the ropes to get the pin on Ichiban! We have our Futures winner and the first-ever female tournament winner of SCI weekend!

Tournament Winner: Rachel Armstrong

2022 Winner BK Westbrook is here to present the winner’s medal to Armstrong. She will be inserted into the SCI Scramble later tonight for a spot in the main tournament! Rachel Armstrong has a long night ahead of her if she’s going all the way tonight. I’m always a fan of live shows over watching via stream/VOD….but this might be my favorite Futures show so far. Just the Malachi/Armstrong/Manhorn triple threat alone was worth this show alone. All the tournament matches allowed everyone to showcase, nothing felt rushed and everyone was clearly here to show off. Action Futures SHOULD be like looking forward through a Time Machine….just look at past year’s lineups. I have high hopes for this year’s pack after today’s showing! SCI weekend wraps up tonight at 7:30. Let’s see how they land this plane!

 

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