Post by Ringside Junkie on Jan 17, 2005 0:34:52 GMT -5
Continental Championship Wrestling returned to the Farm Center in Dothan last night. It sucks to write this, but the sometimes remarkable nostalgia product that CCW has presented over the past year appears to be in critical condition. The nostalgia aspect of the show was virtually non-existent and if that trend continues, the crowds will spiral downward, because the young talent is neither good enough or over enough to generate any buzz on their own.
None of the older stars that played prominent roles as heels on the 11/27 show (Dennis Condrey, Bobby Eaton, Tom Pritchard and Jimmy Golden) appeared, nor was any mention made of them. The status of the heavyweight title and the tag titles remains a mystery.
There was considerable turmoil coming out of the much anticipated television taping and house show in November. A backstage argument lead to the departure of Tim “Pedro” thingyerson as booker. Tommy King, the money man and owner of Lower Alabama Wrestling, pulled out of the deal. The four weeks of television never aired in Dothan. Steve Armstrong took over as booker and arranged for the American Wrestling Federation (Chipley, Fl) to supply the ring and much of the talent.
The show drew 500 people, despite that the lack of an announced lineup or advanced ticket sales.
Upon hearing my Chicago accent, the teenage girl seated next to me asked, “Are you a yankee?” The Deep South lives.
(1) Damian Levaye beat Chris Impakt in 10:30. Levaye was the face after being heel his last time here. The crowd didn’t take to either one of them. Impakt’s offense was terrible. His striking was pathetic. Fortunately, Levaye bumps like a maniac. He took a flat back bump on the concrete off Impakt’s baseball slide. Impakt did a swanton bomb where only his pouffy hair made contact. Levaye used a tope suicida. Impakt did a diving head butt. Chris Benoit he’s not. Levaye used a superkick and guillotine legdrop for close two counts that got “get this over with” heat. A back and forth deal saw Levaye get the pin with a roll up. Impakt said he didn’t want to sound whiny (he did) when he accused Levaye used the tights. Impakt issued a challenge and they’re going to do it again on 2/5.
(2) McNasty beat Suicide in 8:26. Suicide is a tiny guy with a great look for this area. The nubile girls in the crowd were getting off on him. As the only experienced heel on the card, McNasty got great heat in the role of the big obnoxious bully. With the added table weight, he’s got a seedy Bobby Duncum Jr. thing going. He called Dothan “the sweat hog capital of Alabama.” McNasty overpowered Suicide and ran his mouth. McNasty took big bumps over the top for Suicide’s lariats. Suicide got a pop for his hit and run attack. McNasty grounded Suicide with a southern style cross armbreaker. Suicide decked McNasty with a enzuigiri. But McNasty rolled away from Suicide’s somersault legdrop off the top. McNasty won it with a three rep gorilla press dropped into a stunner. Match got Suicide over as an underdog babyface with heart.
Intermission and it was time for Polaroids with the Armstrongs.
(3) T-Bolt beat Stash in 10:25. Best match of the night. It’s not a hard crowd. Competent workers that look like real wrestlers and put together good matches like this one will have no trouble getting over. Stash and T-Bolt are Tampa-based workers trained by Jimmy Del Ray. They both appear regularly on the AWF shows. T-Bolt no sold Stash’s shoulder blocks and used a no look leapfrog to launch a flurry of offense. Finally, some decent chops. Stash got the worst of it. He announced that T-Bolt wasn’t worth his time and tried to leave. T-Bolt dragged Stash back to the ring by his hair. Stash seized the advantage with a double legdrop to the back. T-Bolt kicked out at one on Stash’s hangman’s neckbreaker. Stash went to the air, but T-Bolt caught him with a spiral slam. Stash got a foot over the ropes. T-Bolt hit a Michinoku driver for a near fall. Stash slowed things down with a sleeper. The crowd popped for the comeback, as T-Bolt hit a fireman’s carry flapjack for a near fall. Stash crotched T-Bolt on the top and spiked him with huracanrana. The finish saw Stash land a superkick to the chest and try for a suplex. T-Bolt blocked it and hit a brainbuster for the pin. Good pop for the finish.
(4) The Bullet beat Assassin #1 in 8:40. Bullet’s entrance got a great pop as always. It was a different guy under the mask as #1 but his build was more than vaguely familiar. Assassin teased the phantom foreign object in his kneepad. Bullet brought Assassin to his knees in the test of strength. Assassin escaped from a finger stomp but not Bullet’s deadly karate chop. Bullet interrupted the Assassin’s time out with a barrage of chops. Back inside, Assassin resorted to a groin shot. Assassin heeled. Bullet pulled the straps down and stomped his ass. Bullet applied the sleeper hold. Assassin #1 was headed for dreamland when Assassin #2 tried to interfere. Bullet cut him off. Assassin #2 tripped Bullet up and held his leg while #1 made the pin. Referee Larry Brock smelled rat and called for a restart. Steve Armstrong ran in to take care of #2 and Bullet pinned #1 with a stunner.
Bullet said every time he came to Dothan one of those jackasses was jumping in. Bullet reminded them that jackasses can’t run with racehorses and challenged Assassin to a mask vs. mask match on 2/5. Assassin #2 responded. He’s a great talker. Bullet took his answer as a yes. Armstrongs beat back the Assassins’ attempt to take control of the ring. Good angle.
(5) The Armstrongs (“Roaddogg” Jesse Jammes & Steve) beat The Daultons (Steve & Jesse with Dandy Jack) in 8:12. This was sad for a main event. CCW fans will accept mediocre undercard matches but the top of the card has to deliver. Daultons are so not what these people come to see, green looking fat guys in t-shirts. Steve turned face on the November show. Jammes got a strong pop but not as good as his daddy’s. Jammes did the “Welcome to the Dogg house” routine. He said nothing could be more fitting than Daultons vs. James gang. At first, Daultons wanted no part of Armstrongs, but Jack told them he had a plan. Armstrongs were in control early with the highlight being a shake, rattle and roll kneedrop by Jammes. Daultons used outside interference set up heat on Jammes. Daultons wore Jammes down with a bear hug. Jammes broke the hold with an ear clap and ducked a double team to get the tag. It broke down to a four way. Jack grabbed Jammes and Daultons tried to double on Steve. But Steve foiled Jack’s dastardly plan and cradled Jessie for the three count.
A dude under a white hood ran down and gave Steve a DDT. The masked man’s sweatshirt read “Mr. Wrestling III.” Daultons were fixing to choke Steve out with their bullrope when Jammes made the save. Steve issued a challenge for 2/5.
NOTES: Continental returns on 2/5 presumably with Bullet vs. Assassin(s), Armstrongs vs. Daultons & Mr. Wrestling III, and Levaye vs. Impakt…Former Continental announcer Charlie Platt was in the crowd.
None of the older stars that played prominent roles as heels on the 11/27 show (Dennis Condrey, Bobby Eaton, Tom Pritchard and Jimmy Golden) appeared, nor was any mention made of them. The status of the heavyweight title and the tag titles remains a mystery.
There was considerable turmoil coming out of the much anticipated television taping and house show in November. A backstage argument lead to the departure of Tim “Pedro” thingyerson as booker. Tommy King, the money man and owner of Lower Alabama Wrestling, pulled out of the deal. The four weeks of television never aired in Dothan. Steve Armstrong took over as booker and arranged for the American Wrestling Federation (Chipley, Fl) to supply the ring and much of the talent.
The show drew 500 people, despite that the lack of an announced lineup or advanced ticket sales.
Upon hearing my Chicago accent, the teenage girl seated next to me asked, “Are you a yankee?” The Deep South lives.
(1) Damian Levaye beat Chris Impakt in 10:30. Levaye was the face after being heel his last time here. The crowd didn’t take to either one of them. Impakt’s offense was terrible. His striking was pathetic. Fortunately, Levaye bumps like a maniac. He took a flat back bump on the concrete off Impakt’s baseball slide. Impakt did a swanton bomb where only his pouffy hair made contact. Levaye used a tope suicida. Impakt did a diving head butt. Chris Benoit he’s not. Levaye used a superkick and guillotine legdrop for close two counts that got “get this over with” heat. A back and forth deal saw Levaye get the pin with a roll up. Impakt said he didn’t want to sound whiny (he did) when he accused Levaye used the tights. Impakt issued a challenge and they’re going to do it again on 2/5.
(2) McNasty beat Suicide in 8:26. Suicide is a tiny guy with a great look for this area. The nubile girls in the crowd were getting off on him. As the only experienced heel on the card, McNasty got great heat in the role of the big obnoxious bully. With the added table weight, he’s got a seedy Bobby Duncum Jr. thing going. He called Dothan “the sweat hog capital of Alabama.” McNasty overpowered Suicide and ran his mouth. McNasty took big bumps over the top for Suicide’s lariats. Suicide got a pop for his hit and run attack. McNasty grounded Suicide with a southern style cross armbreaker. Suicide decked McNasty with a enzuigiri. But McNasty rolled away from Suicide’s somersault legdrop off the top. McNasty won it with a three rep gorilla press dropped into a stunner. Match got Suicide over as an underdog babyface with heart.
Intermission and it was time for Polaroids with the Armstrongs.
(3) T-Bolt beat Stash in 10:25. Best match of the night. It’s not a hard crowd. Competent workers that look like real wrestlers and put together good matches like this one will have no trouble getting over. Stash and T-Bolt are Tampa-based workers trained by Jimmy Del Ray. They both appear regularly on the AWF shows. T-Bolt no sold Stash’s shoulder blocks and used a no look leapfrog to launch a flurry of offense. Finally, some decent chops. Stash got the worst of it. He announced that T-Bolt wasn’t worth his time and tried to leave. T-Bolt dragged Stash back to the ring by his hair. Stash seized the advantage with a double legdrop to the back. T-Bolt kicked out at one on Stash’s hangman’s neckbreaker. Stash went to the air, but T-Bolt caught him with a spiral slam. Stash got a foot over the ropes. T-Bolt hit a Michinoku driver for a near fall. Stash slowed things down with a sleeper. The crowd popped for the comeback, as T-Bolt hit a fireman’s carry flapjack for a near fall. Stash crotched T-Bolt on the top and spiked him with huracanrana. The finish saw Stash land a superkick to the chest and try for a suplex. T-Bolt blocked it and hit a brainbuster for the pin. Good pop for the finish.
(4) The Bullet beat Assassin #1 in 8:40. Bullet’s entrance got a great pop as always. It was a different guy under the mask as #1 but his build was more than vaguely familiar. Assassin teased the phantom foreign object in his kneepad. Bullet brought Assassin to his knees in the test of strength. Assassin escaped from a finger stomp but not Bullet’s deadly karate chop. Bullet interrupted the Assassin’s time out with a barrage of chops. Back inside, Assassin resorted to a groin shot. Assassin heeled. Bullet pulled the straps down and stomped his ass. Bullet applied the sleeper hold. Assassin #1 was headed for dreamland when Assassin #2 tried to interfere. Bullet cut him off. Assassin #2 tripped Bullet up and held his leg while #1 made the pin. Referee Larry Brock smelled rat and called for a restart. Steve Armstrong ran in to take care of #2 and Bullet pinned #1 with a stunner.
Bullet said every time he came to Dothan one of those jackasses was jumping in. Bullet reminded them that jackasses can’t run with racehorses and challenged Assassin to a mask vs. mask match on 2/5. Assassin #2 responded. He’s a great talker. Bullet took his answer as a yes. Armstrongs beat back the Assassins’ attempt to take control of the ring. Good angle.
(5) The Armstrongs (“Roaddogg” Jesse Jammes & Steve) beat The Daultons (Steve & Jesse with Dandy Jack) in 8:12. This was sad for a main event. CCW fans will accept mediocre undercard matches but the top of the card has to deliver. Daultons are so not what these people come to see, green looking fat guys in t-shirts. Steve turned face on the November show. Jammes got a strong pop but not as good as his daddy’s. Jammes did the “Welcome to the Dogg house” routine. He said nothing could be more fitting than Daultons vs. James gang. At first, Daultons wanted no part of Armstrongs, but Jack told them he had a plan. Armstrongs were in control early with the highlight being a shake, rattle and roll kneedrop by Jammes. Daultons used outside interference set up heat on Jammes. Daultons wore Jammes down with a bear hug. Jammes broke the hold with an ear clap and ducked a double team to get the tag. It broke down to a four way. Jack grabbed Jammes and Daultons tried to double on Steve. But Steve foiled Jack’s dastardly plan and cradled Jessie for the three count.
A dude under a white hood ran down and gave Steve a DDT. The masked man’s sweatshirt read “Mr. Wrestling III.” Daultons were fixing to choke Steve out with their bullrope when Jammes made the save. Steve issued a challenge for 2/5.
NOTES: Continental returns on 2/5 presumably with Bullet vs. Assassin(s), Armstrongs vs. Daultons & Mr. Wrestling III, and Levaye vs. Impakt…Former Continental announcer Charlie Platt was in the crowd.