By Daniel Bieko@BiekoDaniel
On Commentary – Ian Riccaboni, Joe Galli & Jim Cornette. First of all this PPV had a very ‘Old School’ feel to it from the canvas on the ring, the wrestler entrances (no entrance video, just music), even the new NWA Tag Team Titles were modelled on an old design (which looked great in my opinion). To kick off the action there was a 7 team Battle Royal to determine who would be the wild card team in the Crockett Cup tournament, the teams were The Boys (ROH) Will Ferrara & Rhett Titus (ROH) Royce Isaacs & Thomas Latimer (NWA) Kim Carver & LeBron Koto (NWA) Jay Bradley & Joe Sephus (NWA) Kevin Blue & Billy Buck (NWA) The Dawson Brothers (NWA) The bell rung to get the match underway and Titus thought it would be a good time to flex (the guy is obsessed , honestly) and is quickly dispatched by The Boys to a big pop from the crowd , the rest of the match was pretty standard Battle Royal stuff apart from Isaacs and Latimer being eliminated but re-entering the match ( a la stone cold in ’97) and winning the match to be the wild card team in the Crockett Cup , eliminating The Boys last to advance in 11:57.
A video package showing the injury Flip Gordon sustained in the same building as the event tonight and how Flip thinks that the fans didn’t get to see him at 100%, and in the Crockett Cup the ‘REAL’ Flip Gordon will be on show.
Crockett Cup 1st Round Match Flip Gordon & Bandido (ROH) VS Stuka Jr & Guerrero Maya Jr (CMLL) Both teams shook hands before the match started. This match was great in the respect that one team have been tagging together regularly (Stuka Jr & Guerrero Jr) and the other were put together for the tournament, props to Flip and Bandido after initial teething problems (Flip hitting Bandido with a Superkick) they did really well as a team, the 2 Luchadors from CMLL showed them how it was done with some very innovative team moves including a 2 Man Inverted Surfboard (or Romero Special if you prefer) and a 2 Man Snake Eyes. Flip and Bandido showed resilience and guts against the veteran team from Mexico, Flip even frustrated Guerrero Maya Jr when he kicked out of his finishing move- The Mayan Sacrifice (Double Underhook Brainbuster To the Knee), which shocked me as well, but the gutsy new team managed to advance when Flip hit the Flip5 (Similar to a TKO) for the 3 count in 12:35. The crowd really enjoyed this match as did I.
A short build-up video for the match between Nick Aldis & Marty Scurll was shown, giving a brief insight to where both men came from.
Next up Crockett Cup 1st Round Match Royce Isaacs & Thomas Latimer VS War Kings (Crimson & Jax Dane) In a match dominated by Crimson and Dane, it shouldn’t have been a problem as they were the fresh team and maybe over-confidence cost them when Isaacs rolled up Crimson and had his feet on the ropes for extra leverage for the victory, in just under 8 minutes, much to the crowd and the War Kings disbelief.
A promo video with ever colourful Briscoes was showed and I found this very amusing to how straight up and brilliant The Briscoes (especially Jay) are at coming across as bad asses. And how they used to watch The Rock N Roll Express when they were kids and how they have the opportunity to crush the Cinderella story and put Gibson and Morton out to pasture.
Crockett Cup 1st Round Match The Briscoes (Mark & Jay) VS The Rock N Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) Morton and Gibson got to the ring first and was shortly interviewed my Jim Cornette (these guys go way back) only to be interrupted by the impatient Briscoes who quickly recommend Cornette gets out of the ring before they make him (this is me being politically correct LOL). Morton and Gibson are in their 60’s but could still go , even if it was for a short time , Morton was busted open early on and from then on it was a massacre , the feel-good feeling left the arena as the crowd looked on at the beatdown was going on in the ring, The Briscoes did what they do best in my opinion and that’s beat somebody’s ass with Morton the sacrificial lamb so to speak , Mark and Jay ended the match and the Cinderella story when they dispatched Morton with a Death Valley Driver followed by Mark and his Froggy-Bow. In less than 7 minutes the dream was over for The Rock N Roll Express.
Moving on Crockett Cup 1st Round Match Yuji Nagata & Satoshi Kojima (NJPW) VS Villain Enterprises (Brody King & PCO) (ROH) This match was a hard-hitting affair that wouldn’t have been out of place in the Tokyo Dome , both teams well art home with the stiff striking (especially Knife Edge Chops, I must have counted at least 100 in this match alone). In the early going Kojima took a nasty blow to the back of his head following a Suicide Dive by PCO and I thought that was it for Kojima, but they guys From NJPW are tough as old boots especially grizzled veterans like Kojima and Nagata , with Kojima sticking to strikes and power moves such as the Brainbuster which he delivered on King and Nagata stuck to submissions such as the Shirome(Dis-Arm-Her) and a variety of Nagata Locks, but for all their endeavour they were to be on the losing end following a huge Samoan Driver to Kojima which got Villain Enterprises the victory in a little under 12 minutes. Another good match here which deserved more time, but being a tournament only 15 minutes were allowed in the First Round Matches.
A switch of pace now as the Ladies showcase their talent
NWA Women’s Championship Allysin Kay VS Santana Garrett This match should have been Kay verses Jazz, but Jazz was injured and had to vacate the title so Santana was drafted in as a last minute opponent. Medusa (Alundra Blayze) was at ringside to crown the new champion and present the title to the lady that was victorious. Once the match began it was a very even contest with both ladies emptying their respective arsenals on one another (Kay with a Wheelbarrow Facebuster and a combination of a Neckbreaker and Big Boot to Santana to which Santana replied with Eat Defeat, a Handspring Back Elbow and Muta Lock to Kay) Santana went for it all after taking Kay down with a Handstand Headscissors from the Top Rope but she missed her finisher the SSP- Shining Star Press(Handspring Moonsault), Kay capitalised with the Big D (Discus Lariat) for the victory and to be crowned and the NEW NWA Women’s Champion, in just over 8 and a half minutes. After the match a handshake was offered by Santana but was ignored by Kay (Not Cool), the crowd were up and down in this match, I thought it was a good outing for both ladies and in the end the better lady won.
Another promo video further building up the match between Aldis & Scurll was shown.
At ringside was another blast from the past, NWA legendary stable The Midnight Express (‘Beautiful’ Bobby Eaton,’Sweet’ Stan Lane & Dennis Condrey) and they had a heartfelt interview with Caprice Coleman, the biggest surprise was that Dennis Condrey got on the mic – Considering he won a battle with Throat Cancer and doesn’t have a Voicebox he was still able to say a few words, which was amazing.
Crockett Cup Semi Final Match Royce Isaacs & Thomas Latimer VS Flip Gordon & Bandido This was a classic case of Power Vs Speed in this match with the boys from ROH getting the crowds favour. After a brief exchange Flip and Bandido really got the crowd going when they started to ‘Floss’ in the ring (I was shaking my head in disgust at this point). As the match continued both teams grew in confidence and continuity with Flip and Bandido using double team moves such as an Arm Drag into a Corner Cannonball. Flip even used new offence in this match notably the Underdog (inverted Kamikaze) , he went for his signature 450 Splash only to re-injure his surgically repaired knee on impact, from then Isaacs and Latimer smelled blood and attacked Flip’s damaged knee , Flip nearly got the hot tag to Bandido multiple times but was foiled by the bigger opponents. Flip looked like he was about to make the tag only for Isaacs to pull Bandido off the apron. Which enabled Latimer to Roll up Flip and he also had a handful of tights in the cover for the victory. Winners Latimer & Isaacs in 08:05, they are in the finals.
Crockett Cup Semi Final Match The Briscoes VS Villain Enterprises This match would normally be a main attraction anywhere, let alone a semi-final of a tournament (no disrespect intended) and would not be for the weak of heart, and to be honest it wasn’t, if you were looking for a technical masterclass then skip this one, this was a fight plain and simple, both teams just beat the hell out of each other, from a huge Chop exchange from Mark Briscoe & Brody King to Cannonballs both inside and outside of the ring courtesy of Villain enterprises. The big moment came when PCO attempted a Top Rope Senton Bomb to a prone Mark Briscoe, only for him to crash and burn when he missed and smashed into the ring apron spine first , it was a horrible landing for PCO ( I go cold each time I see it ), from then it broke down with all 4 men grabbing chairs , and then the BIG controversy the ref did not see the chair shots from Villain Enterprises but saw the retaliation by The Briscoes , which left the ref no choice to award a DQ victory to PCO and Brody King. The Briscoes were incensed destroying Brody king on the outside of the ring and Mark doing his best PCO impression by performing a Senton Bomb onto PCO who was prone underneath 2 chairs, which left the French-Canadian Frankenstein writhing in agony , Jay Briscoe obliterated the ref with a nasty Jay Driller (no doubt , fines and suspensions coming their way) and then they both sprayed the ring mat with snot (stay classy boys) and Jay grabbed a mic a told the crowd , NWA and the Crockett family what he thought about them (use your imagination for this one), which left the commentary team in shock ( I was loving it ).
Up Next NWA National Championship Match Colt Cabana VS Willie Mack This match was a joy to watch as I believe these 2 men are probably the most underrated wrestlers in America if not the world, Mack is an athletic freak given his body type and size and Cabana has started to be more serious about his matches whilst putting on a show for the fans. The match started and got straight into the catch-as-catch-can style of things which I love watching and Mack finishes the opening sequence with a Swinging Body Slam (a la Norman Smiley), he tries to follow up with a Dropkick in the corner but in a bizarre incident Mack went through the ropes and hit the floor hard, which it looked like he was knocked goofy in the landing. Colt got Mack back in the ring but he didn’t look in the match and he needed to clear the cobwebs and quickly. And that he did and he got back on the offensive, hitting Colt with a Meteora, to which he nipped up and continued his assault on Colt with a Samoan Drop/Standing Moonsault combo, the fans are well into the match at this point. Colt tried to fend off Mack but ate and Inverted Cannonball in the corner for his trouble. Colt soon got back into the match when he played to the crowd and delivered the famed Bionic Elbow (reminiscent of the late, great Dusty Rhodes) and followed that up with a picture perfect Quebrada, Mack replied with a Reverse Hook Kick which dropped Colt but the following Frog Splash was missed by Mack, Colt then missed a Top Rope Moonsault. Mack delivered a Pop-Up Forearm Smash to Colt who stumbled into the corner, Mack charged and got 2 boots to the chest for his trouble, Colt then thought quickly and stacked up Mack with the Superman Press to score a surprise victory in 08:46, even Mack looked shocked at the outcome. Both men shared a handshake to show mutual respect, which was nice to see.
Colt’s celebration was cut short when ‘Cowboy’ James Storm hit the ring, grabbed a mic and gave props to Colt but also explained why the NWA want a Champ that looks like Nick Aldis and not a Moonshine- sipping Cowboy which is fair enough, he then respectfully challenged Colt to a title match in the future which the newly-crowned champion accepted, this will be a good match.
Before the final of the Crockett Cup got underway 2 very special guests were introduced they were Nikita Koloff & Magnum TA. And they both shared stories about the cup and Magnum shared the story of his ill-fated car accident which left him needing assistance to get around, (he was in a wheeled device – not exactly a wheelchair) on the night and they were going to be at ringside to Present the Crockett Cup and new NWA Tag Team Titles to the winners.
Crockett Cup Final Match Royce Isaacs & Thomas Latimer VS Villain Enterprises Both PCO and Brody King both walk out to the ring nursing arm injuries, no doubt as a result of the beat down The Briscoes put on them earlier, Latimer and Isaacs looked much the fresher team. The match started and it seemed King was doing it alone so he could protect PCO, but after a couple of minutes of relentless assault by Isaacs and Latimer King begrudgingly made the tag to PCO, he then asked King to ‘fix’ his damaged arm, King delivered a Hot-Shot to the Right Arm of PCO and that seemingly gave PCO a rush of adrenaline, he blasted both Isaacs and Latimer with hard Clotheslines, King got back in the ring and dropped Isaacs with a Samoan Driver before planting Latimer with a Boss Man Slam, PCO got the Victory following the PCOSault in 06:42
Massive props go out to Latimer and Isaacs who wrestled 4 times in one night even thought their victories were highly dubious, they both should be happy with their performance.
It was either going to be either The Briscoes or Villain Enterprises for me in this tournament so I’m happy with the outcome.
And now it’s Main Event Time
NWA World Heavyweight Championship Match ‘The National Treasure’ Nick Aldis (C) Vs ‘The Villain’ Marty Scurll The Battle of Britain I’ve called it A battle of 2 best friends, mentor vs student -Interesting note when Scurll challenged for the ROH TV Title 1st time – He won it and the same for the NJPW Jr Heavyweight Title, fate or destiny maybe………
NWA legendary referee Tommy Young will served as a second official on the outside of the ring , he also gave pre-match instructions to both men (Young officiated more NWA title matches than any other ref in history).
Match begins and goes straight into the ‘world of sport’ style of wrestling, lots of holds and counter holds by both men ( I love watching technical wrestling) , Aldis then shoots Scurll into the ropes who then trips himself up and blames it on Kamille who is at ringside(shades of a certain Guerrero here) , the ref believes Scurll and ejects Kamille from the ringside area, Kamille obviously frustrated is escorted by Tommy Young to the backstage area, this obviously upset the champions game plan. From then on it’s a war of attrition between the 2 Brits, with Aldis being busted open following a Suicide Dive by Scurll, Aldis being the bigger of the 2 men uses his superior strength to his advantage by Chokeslamming Scurll through a table on the outside of the ring. (I give the referee Brian Hebner props for not disqualifying Aldis or counting both men out), Aldis dominates Scurll and tells his best friend to ‘give up’ Scurll defiant as ever spits in the face of the champion which just angers him but his angers opens him up to get planted with a Tornado DDT by Scurll. The match goes on and the blood loss had some effect on Aldis not that you would notice given that he did not miss a step through out, he did have close calls to lose his title when Scurll hit him with Cross Rhodes and the Black Plague (Spinning Butterfly Slam), but the champion showed his intestinal fortitude when locked in the dreaded Crossface Chickenwing he even managed to shift his weight to make a pinning situation out of the hold. In the end the King’s Lynn Native Aldis finally applied the Kings Lynn Clover Leaf to Scurll who tapped out following Aldis sitting really deep in the hold. What a match, a real classic, the best match of the night and rightfully it was for a major championship.
Both men shared a heart-felt embrace and a handshake and then both men said a few words about each other in show of respect. I guess all is fair in love and war.
Summary – On the whole, not the worst event I’ve watched but a lot of positives can be taken by the company after this event.
Is the NWA having a rebirth …………..after watching this I’d say DEFINITELY
Next up for me is War of the Worlds May 8th 2019 Where the stars of NJPW & ROH mix it up again cannot wait. Happy reading everyone.
Danny @BiekoDaniel
