From Larry Goodman: Anarchy Wrestling did all they could do build up Fright Night 2017 at their go home show last night at Landmar...
From Larry Goodman:
Anarchy Wrestling did all they could do build up Fright Night 2017 at their go home show last night at Landmark Arena.
Triple Crown Champion Gunner Miller collides with former champion Jacob Ashworth inside a steel cage in the Fright Night main event. Champion and the challenger both scored impressive wins at the final stop before they meet in what Jeff G. Bailey has vowed will be Ashworth's last chance to regain the title. Are Miller and Bailey taking Ashworth too lightly given Miller's focus on Matt Riddle?
Rave Approved violently made the case that they are Anarchy's best tag team and announced they are putting the tag titles on the line in a four-way ladder match.
A Cornelia legend will return as the special referee for the unsanctioned fight between Billy Buck and Gladiator Jeremiah.
No doubt the 100 in attendance at Landmark Arena last night were treated to a very good show. In two weeks, the tale will be told as to whether it was enough to fill the building. Fright Night doesn't occupy the ideal spot on the schedule this year coming on the heels of the Wildside Reunion.
(1) AJ Gray defeated Jeremy Foster and Torque in a three-way dance at 9:23. Started as a singles bout. Torque interjected himself into the match whining about how he had been cheated after cheated after cheated. He got a well-deserved punch in the mouth. Gray has clearly become a darling of the Anarchy fans. He hit a tope con hilo and got bigtime altitude on it. Gray and Foster chopped the bejeezus out each other. Foster locked in a grounded submission. Torque broke it up and gave Foster sliced bread #2. Gray no sold Torque’s chops , laid him out with a DVD and pinned him with a corkscrew senton bomb. This was a strong opener. Torque spiced things up. All three looked good.
Teaser video for debut of “Light It Up” on December 23.
(2) Jacob Ashworth pinned The Black Knight with the elevated full nelson faceplant in 6:43. Knight was a masked guy that has evidently been watching a lot of Aleister Black matches. Ashworth gave Knight just enough offense. Ashworth dominated with an impressive display of power moves. The fans called for Ashworth to unmask the Knight but it wasn’t worth his time. Ashworth set up his finisher with a snake eyes followed by three Vader Bombs that left Knight writhing in agony. Ashworth looked every bit the worthy challenger.
Ashworth acknowledged the obvious in fiery postmatch promo – Gunner was looking past him to Riddle. He wasn’t guaranteeing a championship but he was going to walk away with a piece of Miller’s ass.
(3) “The Nightmare” Kyle Matthews defeated Corey Hollis via submission to retain the Landmark Arena Heritage Championship in 16:20. The perfect contrast to the rest of the show. It was a pleasure to see a match with a good bit of time spent on the mat. Early on, they pulled off a nicely done series of submission reversals. The key spot saw Hollis backdrop Matthews over the top rope. Matthews appeared to injure his wrist on the landing and Hollis was all over it. Crowd wasn’t against Hollis but they were definitely pulling hard for Matthews with the injury adding a sympathy factor. Matthews rallied with a tope suicida that sent his back hard into the rail. Matthews used a flying bodypress for a near fall and tried for the Hidaka Lock. Hollis countered. Hollis hit the diving headbutt and was in shock when Matthews kicked out. Hollis tried to pin Matthews with his feet on the ropes but referee Dee Byers caught the cheating. Matthews nailed Hollis with the Slurpee Kick and applied the Hidaka Lock to pick up the win. Goes without saying this was the best match of the night for technique.
Mutual respect and sportsmanship after the match. The fans chanted Hollis’s name in appreciation.
NCW matchmaker Nigel Sherrod introduced returning Landmark Arena legend Shadow Jackson to a huge ovation. Jackson is so humble that he was legitimately surprised by the reaction. Jackson said that I a world of Sports Entertainment, he was glad to in the home of true pro wrestling with true pro wrestling fans. Jackson said was born and raised on the Friday night shows and came into his wresting adulthood in that very ring.
Billy Buck came out to spoil the moment by offering a history lesson. It was June 4, 2016 when he became the man that gave Jackson a heart attack and ended his career. Jackson told Buck his ass still got beat. Buck told Jackson to calm down because he didn’t want to give him another one. Buck said he wasn’t sorry. Buck claimed Jackson kept him down when Jackson was his teacher and he was busting his ass and he eventually proved Jackson wrong. Jackson said, “The only thing you’re proving to me is you’re an asshole, son”. Jackson revealed that he would be the special referee for Buck’s anything goes match with Gladiator Jeremiah at Fright Night. Buck said he was glad because he was going to end Jeremiah’s career just like Jackson’s.
Jeremiah joined the party. He thanked Buck for turning his back on him at Fright Night 2016 because he killed Slim J but he also created a monster. Buck was now a stepping stone on Jeremiah’s path to immortality. “At Fright Night, you are done, chapter closed.”
Thumbs up. The segment had a lot of heat and built up the anticipation for the Fright Night match.
Shadow was the special guest for fan interaction during intermission.
(4) Harlow O’Hara (with Crystal Rose) defeated Rock C via submission to win the Anarchy Women’s Championship in 7:59. Rock C was beating O’Hara’s ass right off the bat, garnering near fall after near fall. O’Hara cut Rock C off and delivered three consecutive short arm clotheslines. Rock C had no answers for O’Hara’s brawling tactics until her Edge-O-Matic off the ropes left both women down. Rock C had O’Hara in trouble so Rose got on the apron and tried to burn her with a cigarette. Rock C stuffed the cigarette back into Rose’s face but the distraction worked. O’Hara applied a choke leglock combo called the Harlock and Rock C tapped. It worked for me. The heel/face dynamic was in full effect as the fans hate Rose. The pairing of O’Hara’s gothic character with Rose as the evil mastermind is a match made in hell.
(5) Team TAG (Kevin Blue & Chris Spectra) vs. Hate Junkies (Stryknyn & Dany Only) was a no contest at 11:55.
Blue cut a promo before the match that was stiff stuff. He talked about Only being the weak link with his brittle bones and broken life.
This gritty, nasty match was right in the Junkies wheelhouse. Both TAG members were subjected to rude treatment in the early going. I don’t ever want one of Only’s wristband stuffed in my mouth. Only informed Spectra that his new name was my bitch. Spectra kicked it into overdrive and Team TAG isolated Only. The crowd got behind the Junkies in a big way. Only hit a straitjacket neckbreaker on Spectra but Blue pulled Stryk off the apron to prevent the tag. Moments later, Only gave Spectra the RKO and tags were made. Strynyn had Blue set up for the spear but Spectra blindsided him with a knee. Junkies then had Blue pinned with after an F5/top rope elbow drop combo when The Approved hit the ring.
Approved were laying guys out right and left with belt shots and hauled two ladders into the ring. Total carnage ensued. Hawkins addressed the crowd from the top of a ladder stating they were tired of the number one contender crap. Approved were going to show Team TAG, the Junkies and those coward the Lynch Mob why they were the champs at Fright Night in a ladder match.
(6) Gunner Miller (with Jeff G. Bailey) defeated Cyrus the Destroyer in a No DQ no count out match to retain the Anarchy Triple Crown Championship in 6:56. The action immediately spilled outside the ring with Cyrus as the aggressor. Cyrus was waffling Miller’s back unmercifully with chairshots. Bailey grabbed the chair. Miller seized on the opening before Cyrus had a chance to kill Bailey. Miller gave Cyrus two low blows and suplexed him on the hardwood floor. Miller slid multiple chairs into the ring. That did not end well for Miller. Cyrus superkicked a chair into Miller’s head. Cyrus stacked three chairs on top of Miller and delivered a Vader bomb. Both men were suffering after that piece of insanity. Miller escaped a second Vader bomb and went for the CTE but Cyrus was waiting with a black hole slam. Bailey jumped in the ring to revive Miller. Bailey was begging for mercy when Miller saved him with a CTE on Cyrus. Miller then Jackhammered the 350 pound Cyrus with the move of the night. It was just the short and brutal encounter the situation called for. Miller chalked up another impressive win going into Fright Night, while Cyrus gave the champion all he could handle in ruthless fashion.
Ashworth appeared on the ramp and said he wasn’t waiting for Fright Night. He was going to kick Miller’s ass now and that’s exactly what happened, inside and outside the ring. Anarchy officials, like 8 or 10 of them, tried to stop Ashworth but he kept breaking free.
Miller retreated to the dressing room with Bailey clutching the title and telling Ashworth “this will never be yours”.
