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7/15 SCENIC CITY INVITATIONAL NIGHT TWO LIVE REPORT FROM CHATTANOOGA, TN

Scenic City Invitational Night 2

7/15/23 - Chattanooga, TN

Heeeeeere we go! It’s Night 2 and Scott Hensley is your announcer. Dylan Hales and Mose are on commentary. We’re kicking off with the SCI Scramble! This is typically a six-way scramble but with Lobo Okami hurt at TWE “The Night Before” is this now a 5-way or are we getting a SURPRISE ENTRANT? There’s a LOT on the line here, with the winner being injected right into a second round contest with Bobby Flaco in the main SCI tournament later tonight. Can someone take this opportunity and go all the way with it in a true Cinderella story? The pop for Armstrong is DEAFENING. This room is LOUD tonight, yo. The sixth participant: FORMER TWE CHAMPION M*E*R*C!!! Current champ Darian Bengston has a huge smile on his face for this. 

Scenic City Scramble: Bojack vs Darian Bengston vs Diego Hill vs Rico Gonzalez vs Rachel Armstrong vs M*E*R*C

Right into a brawl until Merc is left with Bojack in the ring. It’s time to trade hard clubbing shots. Bojack with a corner splash and slam senton combo. The rest of the participants have realized Bojack is literally the biggest threat here and try to work together to take him down….except Diego Hill, who forgot he is not partnering with Bojack tonight. Ha. He tries a rana but gets caught in a bomb position. Diego ejects Bojack but is now contending with a very motivating Merc. Rico and Hill both eat shunning hangman’s dropkicks to the back of the head. Rachel in and taking it to Merc! Rico and Darian going at it, Rico with a rolling kick and lionsault for two. Twisting facebuster off the rope from Darian…but Bojack shoulder blocks the champ right out of the ring. Rico off the top but Bojack catches and yeets. Bojack serving up backbreakers and slams for everyone. Rachel in with a codebreaker! Everyone landing hard on Bojack…they want a 5-way bomb!!!! They get it off the corner…but may all be wiped out in the process. Diego swings a heavy kick at Rico but KO’s Rachel! Rico almost takes it but Rachel is back. Destroyer to Hill! Rico follows up with a double stomp! Rachel hits the sliced bread on Rico! Merc with a German to her. Darian confidently enters the ring to trade uppercuts with the Generalissimo. Chops back and forth… Darian dodging a PK to the back of the head…Merc has the finish ready. All Hail….Darian slips the yoshitonic and hits a flying forearm to the back of the head and the TWE champ has been entered into the SCI officially! All six participants raise their hands and take in the appreciation of the crowd. They are WELL DESERVED as this was a fantastic long form scramble.

Winner: Darian Bengston

Match 2: 1 Called Manders vs Sawyer Wreck (SCI Round 2)

What kind of match is this gonna be? Manders likes that cowboy s*** but Sawyer has some ultra violence in her soul. Heavy lockup and they struggle around the ring. Manders gives a clean break but Wreck slaps the taste out of his mouth, Manders goes for a walk and Sawyer cannonballs out to him. Harrrrrd Mongolian chops to Manders. These are LOUD. Manders tries a lariat but wraps his arm around the post. Sawyer trying for the chokeslam early but Manders throws the other arm hard and drops her to the apron. Sawyer is seething as Manders keeps coming. Huge kick to the lariat arm! Sawyer is giving this cowboy some pain. Trading headbutts on the ground. Trading chops and slaps and they are both laughing through this hoss s***. Wreck with a side kick to the face and a chokeslam! Kick out! Manders won’t stay down but he is on dream street. Sawyer tries to take him up but Manders fights back and hits a super powerslam for the…TWO! Manders hits the lariat. SAWYER KICKS OUT AT ONE!!!! She growls in his face as Manders hits another lairat and that keeps Wreck down for the count. This was awesome.

Winner: 1 Called Manders

Match 3: Landon Hale vs BK Westbrook (SCI Round 2)

Man, Landon has six stitches in the back of his head after last night. His head is completely bandaged up. Can he put on the performance of a lifetime and punch a ticket to the finals? BK seems to think he shouldn’t go through with this tonight. Landon is clearly working through pain but he’s got BK twisted up early. He might lose his head bandage early. Great rana kip up dropkick combo shows that Hale is more than ready for this fight. Landon eats a back elbow and the back of his head hits the mat. BK gets his chop back and throws in a shot to the back of the head for good measure. Let’s hope his head stays glued shut. Hard whip to the buckles. BK grinds Landon’s head into the mat. BK throws him headfirst into the buckles. Hale kicks out! Landon fighting back but BK knows what his target is and he’s hitting nothing but bullseyes. Landon fights off a piledriver….hard forearms to the face….BK traps and octopus hold……Landon fights out of it. Deep crab…Hale won’t quit! BK dropping stomps to the back of the head…Lion tamer! Landon grits his teeth and gets the ropes! Landon flips into the ring….tornado backbreaker! Snake eyes to the middle buckles! Double knee to the back! High cross body! Kick out!!!! Crowd is hot for both guys but I think it will come unglued if Landon wins. BK with a sitout bomb but he doesn’t hold it well and Hale kicks out again! BK misses the springboard moonsault….Hale goes for the finish but BK drops a bomb to the back of the head. BK runs it with an up and over cutter! It’s a slow cover and Hale is out at two! BK exposes the cut on the back of the head and starts attacking the stitched wound directly. He goes up top…Hale hits SPO Driver and gets the three! Oh my god Landon did it!!!! The crowd went nuts here. This is a VERY interesting final we have here. 

Winner:  Landon Hale

 Match 4: Timothy Thatcher vs Adam Priest (SCI Round 2)

It is 2023 and this is a match I get to see live. Priest is smiling and Tim is too. Timothy Thatcher is smiling. What. Thatcher runs Priest into the corner and gives the Action champion a Pat on the head before twisting his wrist into painful positions. Priest is pulling out his tricks but Thatcher is ready for ol’ Any Style. Priest runs him to the buckle and gives a disrespectful slap…Timmy is MAD now. Priest tries to hide in the outside but Thatcher is chasing him down…priest with a chop…it does NOTHING. Uppercuts drop Adam over and over. Horizontal surfboard to Priest. Adam finally starts biting the hand. He lands a few shots that stun Thatcher. Thatcher takes him to the post, stretches him on it and slams that taped up back over and over. Single leg crab is deeeeep, Priest bites free again. Thatcher with a corner spear. Straight jacket surfboard. Priest finally with an opening, sends Tim face first into the middle buckle. Thatcher’s arm is starting to become a liability and Priest is honing in on it. Kicks, slams, stretches, whatever he can do to make Thatcher hurt here. Thatcher with a push off and hits a hard forearm that crumbles Priest. Priest is like a limp noodle and Thatcher has to drag him up for a butterfly suplex. Tim can’t get the pin and his arm is clearly hurting him bad. Thatcher trying to drag him up which the crowd is chanting for both guys….Priest with an arm wringer slam to the mat and quick DDT puts the lights out on Timothy Thatcher for the win! This was fantastic. 

Winner: Adam Priest

  It’s time for the last match of the second round…but Suge D is here??? Scott Hensley looks VERY confused. Evil just refuses to die, he says. The crowd chanting for Jaden to arrive but Suge has the mic. He’s sad that he didn’t advance in the SCI but then again, neither did Jaden Newman. Suge claims that he’s the only man at SCI to never have been beaten. Jaden Newman runs out and unloads a beating on Suge. Noah Hossman and Erron Wade run down and it’s a 3-on-1 beatdown. Tank runs in to make the save! The rev says this is now a six man tag and their partner? Action Mike Jackson!

Match 5: Suge D, Erron Wade & Suge D vs Tank, Action Mike Jackson & Jaden Newman

Erron Wade isn’t afraid of Tank but he WANTS TO FIGHT ACTION MIKE! Wade thinks he’s got an easy night but he clearly didn’t pay attention to what BK Westbrook went through last night. Hossman tries to get involved but Mike launches them both! Suge tags in and has to fight the Behemoth. Suge suggests they WRESTLE. It goes well for a moment…then Tank drops him. Hossman and Jaden going at it. Huge suicide dives! Jaden hits one! Jackson hits one!?? Tank goes for it but opts to poke some eyes instead. Jaden is still the legal man though and Suge’s Team start to isolate him in the corner and pummel the Southeast’s Number One. Action Mike tags in to make the save. We have a double old school?!? Jaden and Mike take out Wade & Hossman. Suge is left to the wolves. Tank is going old school?!? From the bottom rope. Lol. Hossman back in but he is sent flying. Tank backfists Erron and he stumbles into an Action Mike rollup for the three. This was just a stupid fun match. Like an old WWE house show main event. 

Winners: Tank, Action Mike & Jaden Newman

 

 

Match 6: Bobby Flaco vs Darian Bengston (SCI Round 2)

I like the story we have here with Flaco being the guy who is taking on all the surprise/replacement opponents this tournament. and they are all friends. They share a quick hug and cheer for each other a bit before they get to business. Quick trips before Bobby is sent to the floor and Darian launches himself like a bullet to the floor. Trading forearms and chops. Bobby drops Darian on the back of his head. Darian trying a powerslam…Bobby reverses to a tornado ddt for two! Bobby is getting frustrated (and drops a F-bomb!) since he’s apparently never gotten a TWE title shot and here he is in the ring with the “luckiest son of a b**** here”. The crowd gets right behind  Bengston as he fires up on Flaco. Bobby with a X factor! He goes for an AYO Driver but Darian reverses out of it….powerbomb! He could tell Bobby still has a juice left so he hits the ropes and blasts Bob with a sliding forearm to the back of the head for the win!

Winner: Darian Bengston

 Match 7: Ichiban & Fancy Ryan Clancy vs Jay Malachi & Kris Brady vs Devlyn Macabre & Wheezy T vs The Skulk (Adrian Alanis & Liam Gray) (lucha rules 4-way tag)

Well THIS might rule. It’s most of the Futures tournament vs the team that DEFINITELY won a match last night. YOU’VE NEVER BEEN IN THE RING WITH THE SKULK yells Adrian before Malachi and Brady give him and Gray a true pummeling. Big sequence of kick dodges between Team Devlyn and Team Brady. The Skulk is owning the ring though. Also it just occured to me that this might have been the shortest Skulk entrance in recent memory. Ichiban and Alanis going at it. Devlyn blasts Adrian with a shining wizard. Brady and Liam at it and Gray gets stuffed with a ddt. Wheezy with a satellite ddt! Big Fancy slam! Malachi with a hard kick to Clancy’s face. Ichiban with a superkick and destroyer!!! The crowd is back with Ichiban now! The Fancy Ones fake a double dive and pummel the Skulk but there are a ton of dives to be had on these teams. Devlyn to the top and corkscrews down on everyone! Malachi with a dive over the corner post!!!! That looks especially nuts with this ceiling setup! Crowd going full This is Awesome. And it is. The skull trying to take out Malachi and Brady but eat double cutters! Fancy Ones but an atomic heart attack on brady! We’ve gotten to the kill shot waterfall and the Skulk is left standing after a crossbody suplex to Wheezy T for the pin. This owned.

Winners: The Skulk

Shazza McKenzie is out here and she’s looking to save some face. She’s had two wrestling matches this weekend and lost both. Maybe she will have better luck in a straight up fight…against the DUKE.

Match 8: Shazza McKenzie vs John Wayne Murdoch

Shazza flies right out and takes it to JWM. Murdoch clunks her with a stiff headbutt. Owwww. Shazza got a crutch and blasts the Duke with it over and over! JWM catches Shazza and blasts away a section of chairs with her body. Shazza with more crutch shots but can’t get the pin with a crutch assisted kick to the head. We got a door! It takes Shazza too long to get the lumber, Murdoch is up…and Shazza goes through the wood via piledriver. We got more door. This one seems…sturdy. JWM with a stupidly hard chair shot and chokes her out with the chair. He pulls her shirt over her face and hits a hard chop. He starts slapping her, daring Shazza to fight back. She responds by putting him face first through a chair. Murdoch gets powerbombed through the other door but he kicks out. We still have some upright chairs though and Murdoch suplexes Shazza into them and scores the pin. Shazza may be 0-3 this weekend but Murdoch makes sure the crowd respects her efforts. 

Winner: John Wayne Murdoch

Main Event: 1 Called Manders vs Landon Hale vs Adam Priest vs Darian Bengston (4-way Elimination Match - Tournament Final)

This is announced as a No-DQ match but also that tag rules are in play. Adam Priest immediately tags Manders in to fight Landon. Landon does a good job holding the big cowboy down. Manders tags Priest back in…who immediately runs over to tag Darian in. Hale working over the knee if Bengston and tries to twist him up something fierce. Hale tags out and Manders threatens to tag Priest in. Darian wraps up the arm, Manders clubs free. Darian tags in ol’ any style to face down the cowboy. Manders with some dusty punches and he tags Landon in to help out. Darian with the blind tag and ties up Landon. Hale tries to escape but gets dropped on his dome. Manders in to test his chest with Bengston as Hale rolls out. Priest seems to be looking for something. As Darian is punching out Manders, Priest has a cattle prod and crotches Darian with it. He hits the ddt and Darian Bengston is eliminated.

Priest blasts Hale in the back of the head with the prod. He drops the big cowboy. Priest is ripping off Hale’s head bandage and trying to rip out the staples with a pair of pliers…..WTAF ADAM PRIEST! Ref Shiny shoes trying to talk him out of more of this and Manders BLASTS a clothesline! The cowboy is bloody! Priest has spurs and is taking the eyes of Manders. This is PURE disrespect. Manders wakes up and starts unloading chops and strikes! He goes for the stampede…Priest is out…and Mander rebounds with another huge clothesline! Hale is on the apron for the tag! Hale hits the SPO Driver and Priest is eliminated!!!

It’s down to Manders and Hale! This crowd is fired up! Manders says he’s going to EARN his respect. Trade those chops. This is intense! Landon hits a high knee! Manders hits the big lariat. LANDON KICKS OUT. Manders hits another! Hale out at ONE!!!! Manders out to the floor…handspring dive from Hale. This is ridiculously hot right now. Landon has Manders up for the SPO Driver but his back gives out. Mander hits a northern lariat on the ropes and then rebounds with one more huge lariat that finally puts Hale to sleep. This was nuts. Freakin nuts. 

SCI 2023 Winner: 1 Called Manders

Manders gives the respect to Hale. He EARNED IT. Hale gives the ring to Manders as former winners Jaden Newman and AC Mack are here to present the SCI trophy to Manders. Jaden definitely looks full of regret since he failed in his quest for a repeat win. Crowd chanting you deserve it. Manders giving the victor’s speech. It’s very much a “when life knocks you down, you get back up” speech because that one time it matters, it matters a LOT. 

Fantastic show to cap a fantastic weekend of professional wrestling. I did have to go back and check a couple of the spots and it was clear that this was a “YOU HAD TO BE THERE” kind of show. The VOD did justice to the pure action in the ring but the vibe in the room was hard to carry across. I would say that the streaming setup at TWE is due for an upgrade BUT as a live experience goes, I had a blast. Everyone was super welcoming and just generally nice to be around. The TWE arena is (as I’ve stated before) just a really NEAT F***ING VENUE that is worth checking out. Manders winning here makes a lot of sense, as he is now the first Actions Futures winner (2019) to also win the main SCI Tournament as well. Having Adam Priest and Darian Bengston (the Action and TWE champs, respectively) was a good nod for those promotions. LANDON HALE not only making the Finals but getting in the Final Two….that was a STORY told through 3 matches and a lot of blood, the crowd was ready for him to take the whole thing but ultimately, he earned the respect of the Boss of the Plains and of everyone in the TWE arena….and maybe even some folks further away…IYKYK. But that’s a story for a hopefully future Thursday in a world famous place. As for this show, that’s wrap. What a weekend….I’mma go home now. 

 

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