----The first leg of the “Thanksgiving Throwdown” tour kicked off in Dyersburg, TN last night. It was not a great show, but nothing really horrible about it either. Everyone seems to have enjoyed the matches and the show flowed pretty well. The show started out with a 10-Bell Salute to NBW ref Barry Harber and then kicked off to three matches before the first intermission that seem to keep the crowds interest.
----Tim Alfonzo beat The Grappler with a roll up. Not a lot of time given to the match and that was probably good. Alfonzo still needs work and Grappler is a rookie from the Kevin White school. Grappler is still green as grass and a bit clumsy. They did follow psychology though. [*1/2]
----“Black Label Society” [Void/Robbie Douglas] beat “Asylum” [Arnez/Psycho] & Dell Tucker/Cody Melton in a triple threat. This was as good as it could be with three teams. They did get smart though and only have two guys in the ring at the same time. Douglas and Melton both are rookies and impressive. Psycho actually took Melton down doing some wrestling holds. LOL Melton did good coming out of them and did good just taking a beating. BLS were over with the crowd and they liked the Asylum also. Nothing great about the bout, but nothing wrong either as the match went to a clusterfuck [and I was told that was how it was SUPPOSE to be] with BLS finishing off Melton with their finisher for a win. [**1/2]
----Reggie B Fine beat Precious by reversal. I am always hard on Fine when it comes to his announcing and he is not a great worker, but he does have charisma. He came out with a big fur coat on walking around shaking everyone’s hand. Precious then came out and got a good pop from Fine’s reaction. Match was not much with just gay comedy. Precious started the heat when Fine went nut first into the middle turnbuckle. [a move he does in every match he has EVER had] Precious hit him with a chain for the win and the ref caught him with it and changed the decision. [*1/2]
----Intermission ended with Richard Marx interviewing MAW’s KC Gold. Gold was putting over “Thanksgiving Throwdown” and then saying the MAW show in Memphis was going to be the top show. Derrick King came out to defend TLCW and said that no promotion – Memphis Wrestling, LAW or MAW – was better than TLCW. I think that was a shoot. DK ended the interview with giving Gold a superkick.
----Seth Knight beat Gladiator & Shannon Lee in a triple threat. Can you say CLUSTERFUCK?? Very little psychology and some real weird stuff too. Gladiator would get the pin, but the ref would not be there?? Isn’t that supposed to be the babyface getting the pin with no ref there?? Strange. Crowd popped big for Lee and Knight and was into the match a bit. By the end the crowd was dead. Knight pinned Gladiator after Gladiator had used his shield to hurt Lee. BTW, all three guys looked good in execution of their moves and such. This was probably the best I have seen Gladiator. Knight seems to be going thru the motions though. [*]
----Kevin White with Garry White & Sue Young beat Bill Dundee with special ref – Derrick King. Good solid old school match. Heat started when White hit Dundee with a phantom chain and Dundee sold good for White. Dundee does more selling for White than he would do for anyone else. White took him outside the ring and smashed his head on a chair. White would get the ref’s attention and then Sue Young and Mr. White would get their shots in. DK played the perfect ref not taking anything from the match. Finish had a ref bump with Mr. White getting up on the ring apron on one side of the ring. DK got up and hit with a superkick and Mr. White bumped [ala Coach BT fashion LOL] to the floor. Young threw White a chain while DK was on the other side of the ring and White used it to hit Dundee for the win. [**1/2]
----“Survivor Series Rules Match” “TGB” Greg Anthony/Rude/Tommy Redneck/Rockin Randy beat Flash Flanagan/Jon Michael/Tatt2/Stan Lee. Best match on the show, but what can expect with the guys that were in this match?? Who is the worst worker of this crew?? Match went about 35 minutes and the boys [and even some involved] in the back seem to complain it went too long, but the crowd was into it to the very end. TGB eliminated Michael first. Randy took some real hard Flash chops. DAMN!! Rude & Redneck [who were on the same team] ended up pushing each other and then fought to the back to be counted out. Randy pinned Tatt2 leaving it as a regular tag team match. Flash did a tilt-a-whirl spinebuster during part of this that looked awesome. Randy was positioned on Flash as if it was going to be a Tornado DDT, but Flash kept spinning him over and over and hit him with a spinebuster. Randy held Flash’s feet on the outside of the ring so he got counted out. Lee pinned Randy after an awesome Dragon Suplex that he released at the last moment before impact. This left TGB vs Lee and they turned it on for the last 5 to 7 minutes including Stan doing a dive outside the ring and a standing moonsault. Match ended with a ref bump and TGB using the TLCW title hitting Lee for the pin and win. Some botched spots, but nothing major. My big problem with this bout was that people should be eliminated by being pinned, not counted out. It also in reality is a tag team match, but very little psychology that way until it was only 4 left. [***]
NOTES
----50 to 60 people in the crowd with a gate probably close to $400. TLCW will now run this building in Dyersburg bi-weekly. I have also heard talk of TLCW running two shows on Saturday nights. If that is true, then look for them to pluck some of the better talent from area promotions…Chris Rocker no showed and was scheduled for the main event. Apparently he was unreachable…Some NBW brass seem to be worried about NBW Ron Bryson being at the show. Hey guys – TLCW did a 10 Bell Salute to his father-in-law!!... Gladiator gimmick really looks better live than on TV – sword is a little too much, because if you had sword why would you fight someone?? Why not just kill them?…The trio of Kevin/Young/Mr. White are really good live. Good heat as White serves the manager getting heat outside the ring and Young does a good job as a cheerleader. Good facial expressions from Young. Young is also much prettier live than on TV…Apparently Melton had some dressing room etiquette problems and got some sense slapped into him. Kid has potential, but has to get his head on straight…TGB got a busted nose from Lee’s standing moonsault…TGB/Flash/Lee/Michael all four are not on TV and are four of the best in this area. Lee, if he got out of this area and went up to the northeast would be a superstar…Fun time was had by all. Thanks to cast and crew for their hospitality. Next stop – Rector, AR tonight!!
