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ASE Wrestling was back at the Slingshot Social in Charlotte for "Close To Midnight", their penultimate show for 2025, with 4 titles matches, including a defense of the TNA X Division title.
Christopher Lea and Big Swole on commentary with "Martin" inspired Halloween costumes. Needed a light over there so we could see them. Nadiah Hunter looked great and sounded great as the ring announcer.
Bonner and Go79Man hosted the Pre-show--which always has something connected directly to the main show--saw Starrwear Fashions (a bundles-less Ashton Starr, Zamir Zuriel with "6 Foot Sexy" Isaiah Finley) defeat the team of the very serious Zuka King and terribly unserious Keith Mack with Starrwear then being rewarded with entry into the X Division Scramble match on the main show.
Leah Knight made her ASE debut in a win over the veteran "The Baltimore Baddie" Kaci Lennox. Lennox looked good but I was impressed by the intensity of Knight, who is very early in her career.
Congratulations to the lady dressed as the Godfather for winning the Costume contest.
"The Working Team Captain" Owen Knight--one of the best heels in the South--defeated the very promising second generation star, Chayce Coleman in the opener. Good match.
"The Cannibal" Savannah Evans got a win over "The It Girl" Maya World. Both women were in the Women's championship 4 Way match at the previous event so this should put Evans in the top contender spot. Evans was the hometown star, but World did a good job of gaining sympathy and getting the crowd behind her for a strong but failed rally. Evans' got a message from Alexis Littlefoot (got it right this time), still fuming from Evans costing her money by losing the Women's championship bout. She's going to get her money back out of Evans at the Dec 6 show. Hm.
Darian Bengston needed an opponent to debut a new match for ASE, the Hold 4 Hold Challenge: all grappling and submissions, no strikes.
Challenge answered by former Pan Afrikan champion and world traveled veteran Suge D. Thoroughly entertaining with a healthy dose of shenanigans in with the high-level grappling. The shenanigans decreased as the match went on, and the intensity ratcheted up with Bengston making the curious decision to target D's traditional wrestling shoes. It paid off as he had Suge worrying about the wrong thing and got a surprise roll up and a huge win.
Hug of Honor adhered and Suge retired those particular shoes after the match.
Leon Slater made his ASE return, this time as the TNA X Division title, marking this as the first time the X Division championship has been defended in ASE, in a successful and wild defense in a now 7 man Scramble match, outlasting Starr and Zuriel, Manny Lo (who he faces at Deadlock Pro the next night), "Fast as Hell" Ian Maxwell, and the brother team of Treehouse Lee and Saeive Al Sabah (the Audacity). Fans booing Lee but cheering Al Sabah amused me. I have no idea how that's a thing. Too much to describe but the interactions with Starr and Zuriel were the story. Unlike the brothers, who were working together, Starr was under the impression that it was him and Zuriel trying to win him the title, but Zuriel kept missing the point. That opened the door for Slater to take the win with the 450 Swanton splash. Starr is furious at Zuriel for losing the match and costing him his opportunity. Mack and Zuka come out and challenge the entire Starrwear Fashion team to a six-man match at the Dec 6 show with them teaming with---look around--Security Guard Dray, who has a violent history with Starrwear.
Great promo from ASE Founder Darius Lockhart, who promises to avenge his loss to Frontman Jah-C on the Dec 6 show. There was a staredown between Cedric Alexander and Cedric Alexander as Alexander came out early for his match before Lockhart had left the ringside area. Hm.
Big time match between NC icons as reigning Deadlock Pro National champion "The Ring Warrior" Labron Kozone faced former WWE World tag and Cruiserweight champion and current TNA star "Pryme" Cedric Alexander in a non-title match with the winner to be declared number one contender to the ASE Men's championship, getting a shot on Dec 6. Excellent match. I particularly loved Alexander taking advantage of the lower ring with those free fall suplexes on the ring apron on Kozone. It's not an uncommon move in pro wrestling but with the ring lower in Slingshot, he was able to get some real height on Kozone, who is a great bump for such a thickly muscled man (bruh must do Everything Everyday in the gym). They went the time limit with ASE Commissioner Caprice Coleman giving them 5 more minutes (looking out for DarkState). They fought the length of the overtime too. Coleman was going to book both for the ASE Men's title match on Dec 6 but instead Alexander ceded the match to Kozone as long he got the winner of that match at the February event. Agreed. Smart and avoided a very popular cliche.
TME (Ganon Jones Jr, Duke Davis) made their triumphant return to ASE, becoming the first ever ASE Men's Tag champions, beating the very popular Uglee Gang, represented by "Creme Pie Papi" Reyhen Inteus and Jordan Holt (with Zay Vega and Chayce Coleman ringside). Holt was on his Ricky Morton with the beating he took from the two monsters in TME. Inteus being able to match them for size was able to lead a comeback for his team. Good match with strong basic tag psychology. The Gang had TME on the ropes when the Audacity attacked Coleman and Vega on the floor, opening the door for TME to hit Holt with a spectacular double team suplex where Davis just launched him into Jones arms. Jeez, man!! That kid has a family!! New champions. As they celebrated, they got a note from a masked man that read "Kaun Has Spoken". Kaun not only won the Pan Afrikan Diaspora title at the last show, but he also reunited with his Shane Taylor Promotions tag partner Moses so we could either be looking at an alliance or the biggest baddest kaiju fight in years. We'll see. Before they leave, they beat down Vega as well. Rough night for the Uglees.
"The Gifted One" Yahya had an interview with Bonner, talking about his recent struggles in his quest for the ASE Men's title. He was doing well, promising to get back on track and show up and show out. "Heavyweight Hustle" Calvin Tankman made his surprise return, disrespectfully blowing off Yahya's interview, looking to challenge Kaun. Tense faceoff between the two big men. I'm here for that one.
"The Powerhouse" Charity King was successful in her (the) first defense of the ASE Women's title, beating the game challenge of Aleah James.
It's been fun to watch a wrestling promotion where the bigger, stronger wrestler wins just being bigger and stronger. How revolutionary. Another good match on a show of good matches. James made the error of making a professional match a personal one, infuriating the champ who lays her out with some brutal ground and pound and finally the King's Kiss short powerslam. Devastating.
In the main event, "The Business" Billy Dixon (who I still say gives me Bad Leroy Brown vibes) challenged his longtime nemesis and reigning ASE Men's champion "The All Father" Darius Carter (with Ryan Rembrandt, looking like he got dropped from a Young Republican chat last week), trying to get that decisive win that's eluded him for 5 yrs. As rough and physical as expected and usual with both guys going at it. They brawled all over Slingshot, even into the men's restroom. Dixon begged the referee, Miss Yolanda, to give them a lot of latitude in the bout and she did (in her words, "He said "Please""). But it was not a No Disqualification match. That was key. Miss Yolanda took an errant boot from Dixon, so she missed Carter having a pin on Dixon.
While the new ref was running Rembrandt from ringside after his continued interference, Dixon got control of the title belt from Carter and hit him in the face before hitting his middle rope Bodega Press for the pin and the win. With many of his comrades in the ring to congratulate him, Dixon was awarded the title belt by Coleman. NOT SO FAST!! Miss Yolanda called a ref conference ringside and being the referee of record, she witnessed Dixon using the title belt as a weapon, calling for his disqualification and keeping Carter as champion! Big "BS" chant. But not from me. A Dusty Finish in Charlotte. I almost cried. Dixon was crestfallen and fell to his knees, really bringing the emotion to the moment. Also great in the moment was Lockhart, who needed to be restrained and Coleman, who had to do his job and hand the belt back to the champion, who was awesomely terrible at his enemy's grief.
ASE Wrestling continues giving a modern but old school, Southern style wrestling promotion and it works for me. Everyone got to showcase their strengths from the power wrestlers like Evans, TME and King to the technicians like James, Bengston, Suge and both Alexander and Kozone. 3 hours fly by. It was good enough I was there live and still ordered and watched the link through their website.
The Real Uncle Dave grade: A (93 out of 100)
Follow me at @therealuncdave.bsky.social and DDTDivas.com.
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