Arena Report: TCW Ft. Smith, AR 4.09.11 & The Best Shows of the Last Five Years

----Arena Report from last Saturday night.

Look at that crowd!!

----This is not going to be a regular Arena Report.  This show was the best show that I have been to since the start of the site.  I did not write a lot of stuff down, because I was just enjoying the show.  The "fan" came out in me as the guys in the ring were doing their job.  So, I am going to give a few notes and the match rankings, then a list of things that it takes to have a good wrestling show - that TCW does first class. 

----Dustin Hertiage with Talon beat Jacob Kilgore.  I liked both guys - Talon was spot on in her spots also.  Kilgore has only been working for 2 years, but is very good.  He has a good look and future in this business if he continues.  I would have put a little more heat on him and a better comeback, but a good opener. [**1/2]

----Angel beat Chas Cardington.  This was sloppy in spots, but they did an angle with "Midnight Gold" [Greg Anthony/Bobby Eaton] with Brian Thompson at the end that saved it.  They came out and helped Cardington up and then beat him up.  Good stuff. [**]

----Jazz beat Malia Hosaka.  They both worked hard and this was a solid, flawless bout.  Both are so good and the crowd got into it pretty easy. [***]

----Rodney Mack by DQ over Bull Schmitt.  DQ for when Bull hit the ref.  Good big man match.  Both guys working hard and flawless.  [***1/4]

----Greg Anthony with Brian Thompson & Bobby Eaton beat Jimmy Youngblood.  The whole package here with managers outside the ring.  Good. Solid. [***]

----Jeff Jett beat Michael Barry with Brad Bradford in the best match on the show.  Bradford is really fun and did good bumps.  Both guys working real hard.  Jett is so over here.  Crowd into it all the way through.  [***1/2]

----Matt Riviera/Jerry Lawler beat "Dark Circle" [Apoc/Tim Storm]  to win the TCW Tag Team Titles.  Lawler coming right off Wrestlemania got a great reaction.  Apoc and Storm were perfect here.  Riviera is soooo over!!  Lawler actually bumped more here than I expected.   [***]

----So, what makes a wrestling show the "best" I have been to in the last 5 years??  Let me list what TCW does right.

-Gimmicks Table - All the guys had tables selling their t-shirts and photos.  The guys out there knew what they were doing also.  Bobby Eaton and Jazz were guests of the RRO table.

-Security - When we walked in, we were greeted and escorted to our table.  Security all around the ring and such.  First class!

-Ring announcer - Wil Riggs did an excellent job.  Wil actually appeared on CMT's The Singing Bee on Friday night, April 8th.

-Advertising - The posters were first class. 

-Attendance - Over 500 people in the building.  500!!  Loud crowd that just loved wrestling. 

-Talent - Not one guy on the roster that you couldn't do a story with.  Not one guy that doesn't know what he is doing.  Not one guy that has not been trained.  And they were all accessible to the fans.

-The referees - All the guys did a good job, but Tom Simon is the real deal.  He worked hard backstage also. 

-Photographer - Joshua Mashon - professional photographer - was backstage taking promo shots for everyone!! 

-Dressing room - Great guys.  From the top of the show to the bottom.  Greg Anthony was running the show backstage helping Riviera with the booking. 

----What shows were close to this show in match quality??

-TLCW "Mayhem" Ripley, TN 5.19.07 [CLICK HERE] for that report.  Good crowd - great main event - but a few poor matches.  

-TLCW "Super Summer Showdown" Ripley, TN 9.12.09 [CLICK HERE] for the report.  A few super matches, but then a few close to duds.  Show just went too long though.  

-NEW West Memphis, AR 5.08.09 [CLICK HERE] to read the report. Good matches leading up to the main event with a good Nikels vs TGB bout.  Main event of Ring vs Wayne was great with the big surprise finish.  Crowd was less than 40 people though.

-RCW - Trumann, AR 4.02.10 [CLICK HERE] to read the report.  This was a TV taping without a huge build up, but just a solid 5 match show.  Lee vs TGB stole the show.  Not a big crowd.

----RRO's Wrestler of the Year 2010 "The Golden Boy" Greg Anthony is the only guy that appeared on all five top shows in the last five years.  "Best of the best"??

FINAL NOTES

----Special thanks to everyone on the show.  I was treated first class along with Misty and Karly.  All the talent were super nice and really enjoyed myself.  It was good to be a wrestling fan that night, even though I had a 9.5 hour round trip...It is funny watching Rodney Mack go into "battle mode." He is just quiet and focused from the point the boots go on and right before he goes out of the curtain.  After his matches, he is like a different guy...Bull has worked Japan and had some funny stories.  All around fun guy..."Dark Circle" easily are THE tag team of this area.  These guys worked so well with Lawler - nothing at all called but the finish...Bobby Eaton was his usual funny self backstage - he had me cracking up busting on Thompson... Bradford does a cool gimmick.  It has to been seen to be understood!