Event Report: PWX Wrestling presents THE LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN

When fans of independent professional wrestling talk about top tier indie promotions you usually hear about a handful of organizations that have rightfully earned their a position of prominence in the sports entertainment business. Companies like Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Ring of Honor, Chikara, Pro Wrestling Syndicate, and others. They began small then grew to be dominant entities within the industry thanks to hard work on the part of folks behind the scenes and, of course, the tremendously talented competitors in their employ. It takes time to build the sort of credentials those promotions have gained, and I feel as though it won't be much longer until another company gets put into that same realm - that company being Premiere Wrestling Xperience.

If you trace its lineage, the company that is now PWX began sometime around 2007-2008 as Carolina Wrestling Association, making it one of at least 3 companies running under the "CWA" acronym in the Carolinas at the time. It would later become Premiere Wrestling Showcase before eventually settling as PWX. All that said, I will be forthright in stating that I have been a longtime fan of PWX and its various permutations, having followed them since the CWA days when they commonly ran shows at a recreation center in York, South Carolina. Back then wrestlers such as Team Macktion (Kirby & TJ Mack), Jake Manning, KC McKnight (now known as Scott Dawson in World Wrestling Entertainment's NXT division), and others were mainstays on the roster. The name of the company may have changed over the years but one thing that has remained constant is the quality of the talent associated with it as PWX features a roster consisting of up & coming stars such as Cedric Alexander, Tessa Blanchard, Caleb Konley, "The Southern Savior" John Skyler, and a host of others.

I had the opportunity to travel to Charlotte, North Carolina to see PWX's April 19, 2015 event, a show they dubbed THE LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN. This was obviously not my first PWX show, however it was the first one I'd been to in quite some time as the last event of theirs I attended was PHENOMENAL DEBUT in January of 2014.

The big thing about this particular event was an appearance by "The Samoan Submission Machine" Samoa Joe. Joe has been a star in companies like ROH and Total Non-stop Action Wrestling (aka, Impact) for the longest time. Earlier this year it developed that he & TNA had part ways, making him free to travel as he pleased. There have been reports online (which naturally means they are 100%, guaranteed true) that Joe is not taking any more bookings with independent promotions after April 23. This has lead many to speculate that he will be signing with World Wrestling Entertainment, joining a lineup in NXT that is already loaded to the gills with talented athletes. Time will tell whether or not Joe signs with WWE, but if the April 23 date is accurate and Joe does get a WWE contract that would mean his appearance with PWX would have been one of his final dates on the independent scene.

Joining me for this trip was my friend Billy Morris who was kind enough to drive us from Columbia, South Carolina to the venue, that being Escapade VIP in Charlotte, NC. Neither of us had ever been to this particular venue previously but we were anxious to see the layout of it as it seemed like a rather inviting joint for wrestling fans seeing as how it is frequented by - according to a recent flyer, anyway - former WWE Divas champion Eve Torres (as seen near the bottom of the document).

Nope, I couldn't not throw that into this write-up...


Here are results from THE LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN as well as my thoughts on each match.

1) "Mr. Match of the Night" Anthony Henry def. Lance Lude

If you've never seen either of them before, Henry and Lude are two guys whose combined weight is probably less than my own by roughly 70-100 pounds. They're definitely cruiserweights but they are incredible athletes in that their cardiovascular conditioning allows them to compete at such a high pace that their stamina alone is enough to earn the respect of an observer such as myself.

There were a few blown spots in this match, mostly coming from Lude's high-flying offensive maneuvers. I hate to be critical of these guys seeing as how they're the ones doing back flips off wet ring ropes whereas I'm the schlub sitting in the second row but it is what it is. When you combine that with the fact that matches of this nature often come off as highly choreographed, the misses gain that much more attention when looking back at the entire thing.

Regardless, the real story here is a continuation of a plot line that developed several months back when Henry's girlfriend Amber Young left him after they both became involved in a feud with "The Southern Savior" John Skyler. As a result of those dealings Young turned on Henry and after this match she managed to persuade Henry into viciously attacking Lude. Henry now stands as a man who's lost his girl and now through his actions potentially the respect of his peers.
 
2) PWX Innovative TV Championship Match: Mason Maddox def. "The Thoroughbred" Jaxson James, "Son of the South" Billy Brash & "Mr. Elite" Drew Meyers
 
Brash came into this match having successfully defended the PWX ITV title against the likes of Lance Lude and Moose at recent previous PWX events. The combination of having to stave off not only one but three moving pieces in this scenario would prove to be too much for him and his rather unstable personality to handle.

Maddox, being the least experienced of these four competitors, would have appeared to be the least likely to emerge as champion. He defied the odds, though, and bested three of the better up & coming talents on PWX's roster in the process.

3 and 4-way matches are always difficult to plot out thanks to their being so many variables to control. This one was very well paced and arranged, I thought, as the action never slowed down and there was a consistently interesting combination of talent engaged at all times. The finish was particularly clever and executed perfectly so as to get the crowd behind an unlikely new champ while not making the old one look weaker.

3) Tessa Blanchard def. Candice LeRae
 
Tessa Blanchard is the daughter of Tully Blanchard - yes, that Tully Blanchard, as in original member of the Four Horsemen Tully Blanchard. Tessa has less than two years in the business; while that would make her "green" in the eyes of many, the fact of the matter is that you'd be hard pressed to find someone who has worked harder to have earned the admiration she's garnered thus far. Candice LeRae, on the other hand, is one of the most widely respected female professional wrestlers competing today. In other words, it was only a matter of time before they wound up in the ring together.

This wasn't one of the best women's matches I've seen - in truth it was one of the best matches I've seen in quite some time, period. From start to finish these two were clicking on everything that was involved. The exchanges and segments were set up in such a way that Blanchard and LeRae both seemed capable of winning the match, and that's a welcome piece of booking there as it often seems like drawn talent get a certain level of privilege.

4) Best-of-Five Series: Submission Match - Chip Day def. "The Black Cloud" Joe Black
 
This was my first experience in seeing Joe Black compete live, although I have seen a number of his matches online. He's making a name for himself in North Carolina as I've seen him pop up on posters for a number of different organizations. Chip Day has become something of a mainstay with certain local companies - his focus seems to be on promotions in his home state of Georgia but he gets around plenty.

If you watch what these two did here it was very much a representation of puroresu in that it was a combination of heavy strikes and holds (obviously). I was not particularly caught up in this match. The submission stipulation didn't really meld all that well with the style of wrestling typically employed by either of these men in my opinion. It became kind of tedious to sit through, which is as harsh a criticism as I'll levy. I hate that this was the match out of their series that I got to see because I feel like under different circumstances they could've stolen the show.

5) The Bravado Brothers (Harlem & Lancelot) def. Country Jacked (Corey Hollis & Adam Page)
 
I don't know that I can introduce the Bravado Brothers with the proper amount of appreciation necessary without sounding like a gushing fanboy, so we'll leave my opening comments about them as simply that. (Seriously, for my money, they are one of the best tag teams in the world right now.) Country Jacked are the current PWX tag team champions but the title was not on the line here, for whatever reason. Page is a current Ring of Honor talent and Hollis has appeared on an ROH card in the past year or so, which should give you an idea of their level of talent if you've never encountered them yourself.

I don't think you'll find many tag team matches that go off better than this one did. The Bravados were at the top of their game and the teased strife between the members of Country Jacked was played out perfectly by Hollis & Page. This was a great set up for another encounter between these teams in the future that will likely involve the PWX tag team championship being on the line. Fantastic work all around!

6) "The Southern Savior" John Skyler def. Johnny Gargano
 
John Skyler is one of many talents who would likely have a contract with WWE or some other larger organization if only he was a few inches taller. (He's had several matches with them where he was used as "enhancement talent", including one televised contest within the past year where he and another local competitor took on the Ascension.) It's sad that 2 or 3 inches in height can be all that keeps a person from being viewed as a legitimate prospect but that's the state of this business - as much as it is about ability it's also about presentation. Johnny Gargano (otherwise known as Johnny Wrestling) could be put into that same category of person, although he's at least enjoyed exposure on a grander stage thanks to his involvement with groups like Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Evolve. Skyler himself even made a point of this as he talked about Gargano being one of "his doppelgangers" prior to the match.

For a guy who has been criticized for only being able to have "good matches with his friends", Skyler made an excellent showing for himself here. He & Gargano are near mirror images of one another, meaning it was a very even match-up physically. Gargano looked to outdo Skyler on a number of occasions with his athleticism and advanced experience but Skyler was ultimately able to get the Duke.

7) The Revolt (Caleb Konley & Zane Riley) def. Worst Case Scenario (Ethan Case & Elijah Evans IV)
 
The Revolt is a group hellbent on standing up to "the man" behind the scenes at PWX, that being owner Brian Kanabroski and his minions, specifically "The" Tommy Thomas. Why do they feel the need to stand up to him? I'm not entirely certain seeing as how Konley has been at or near the main event of almost every PWX show and Riley is awesome regardless of where he's at on the card. Nevertheless, here on this night they found themselves facing Worst Case Scenario, a well-traveled tag team that has earned the adulation of their growing fan base by way of a combination of colorful personalities, classic tag team maneuvers, and a ton of talent.

The only criticism I have for this match is the fact that with WCS teasing strife in their team it made them the second unit to have expressed such sentiment in one show. It wound up having less of an impact than it should have, kind of like how by this point in the program there had been an excessive number of dives to the outside (resulting in a rather humorous number of broken chairs from where fans at ringside had been landed on) making them feel less meaningful.

8) Samoa Joe vs. Cedric Alexander ruled a no contest after Skyler interfered

If you're a fan of professional wrestling and you don't know who Samoa Joe is, then you're way too far behind on matters of state for me to catch you up in these confines. Suffice to say the man's a legend, having dominated the likes of ROH, TNA, and the indies for many, many years. With the possible exception of AJ Styles, he's one of few American talents to have done all that he has without ever setting foot in a WWE ring. That may or may not be changing in the near future as he's allegedly either signed a contract with them or has at the very least had talks with them about doing as much. With that in mind, the possibility exists that this match would be one of if not his last independent bout, making the notion that it would be against PWX heavyweight champion Cedric Alexander all the more poignant.

I had the opportunity to see Joe wrestle "Big Poppa Pump" Scott Steiner at a TNA house show in Columbia, South Carolina back in August of 2006. That was almost a decade ago, and back then Joe was the young upstart whereas Steiner was the old veteran. Now it feels like the roles have changed in this setting as Alexander is the one with youth and Joe is the one with the mileage.

My preconceived thoughts on this match going into it were that it would be a fun thing to watch but it likely wouldn't end with any kind of definitive conclusion because it realistically couldn't. What happens if Joe wins? He's the PWX champ and he's got to either come back to defend the title or it winds up being stripped from him when he can't fulfill his obligations, neither of which would serve any real purpose moving forward. What happens if Alexander wins clean? Good luck convincing anyone in that audience from now on that Cedric is beatable because he just put down one of the best there is. The only real option was for the bout to end via interference of some variety and that came in the form of John Skyler taking a shot at referee Mitch Blalock first before setting his sights on Joe. This did feel like Joe (pardon my French) "getting his shit in" at times and it was a predictable finish but neither took away from my overall enjoyment of the match.

Final Thoughts

My nit-picking aside, this was a fantastic show top to bottom. It's more clear to me now than it ever has been that PWX wants to be the preeminent promotion here in the southeast. They have the production, they have the talent, and they certainly have the financing to pull it off. If they can maintain this kind of pace, I have no doubt in my mind that within 2 or 3 years time you're going to hear fans on a national level talking about PWX the same way they do PWG, Pro Wrestling Syndicate, Beyond Wrestling, and other more well known indies.

Rasslin' with Redbeard - Episode 15

You knew it was coming...

Quick Results & Match Videos from WrestleForce presents AGGRESSION

The allure of a professional wrestling event being held less than an hour's drive from my home was enough to get me out of the house on a Sunday evening for WrestleForce's February 2014 show, a card that was dubbed AGGRESSION.

[SIDE NOTE: I am a stickler about certain things when it comes to professional wrestling. If you know me in real life or have been reading this blog for any length of time, that should come as no surprise. One of the biggest problems I have with how small-time wrestling federations like WrestleForce do business is prominently displayed in the poster above. I'll give you a hint - it's not the excessive graphics and color choices that make it difficult to read. What else could it be? The championship belt. That belt should be the single biggest reason why every man on your shows is there, because they want to wear gold around their waist. The belt should be an iconic, unique trophy for which competitors have an insatiable lust. How then can you legitimately put that over to your fan base as being a valued piece of hardware when it is nothing more than a nondescript, mass-produced replica belt available online for less than $200? Yes, a custom made belt is expensive, but it's a worthwhile investment that I wish more indie companies would see as such. It adds a tremendous amount of production value to the presentation and it makes me, as an onlooker, respect the company that much more because I know they're taking what they're doing seriously.]

I'm not sure why promoters of independent pro wrestling feel the need to put a label on their shows like "AGGRESSION", "HOSTILE TAKEOVER", or "ASSAULT BY INVASION ". (For that matter, why is it always that you hear of a wrestling-based event as being invasive in nature? Do wrestlers never politely knock? If you've never noticed, pay attention to TV ads for wrestling in particular; you'll hear the word "invade" or a derivative thereof used to an offensive degree.) I guess it helps somewhat in getting the attention of fans because it looks good on a poster (<sarcasm> especially when the artist who made said poster has no fonts on their PC but those designed to resemble the text in nu-metal band logos </sarcasm>). It's also a knockoff of what bigger companies do with their pay-per-view events, like World Wrestling Entertainment's Elimination Chamber or Royal Rumble. Fans know what to expect from those shows because the title implies a theme or a style of match. In the case of this WrestleForce, the title was surprisingly applicable as there were a number of developments to progress their angles that involved aggressive maneuvers by the parties involved.

Match #1 - The Fortunate Sons (Jesse Windham & Billy Brash) vs. "cK1" Caleb Konley & Hexx

After the match, Konley became irate at his bodyguard Hexx. The two exchanged words in a heated confrontation but did not come to blows. Interim WrestleForce general manager Brett Wolverton took to the ring to ask Konley about the fact that he'd been sitting on a WrestleForce championship match opportunity for more than 8 months as "cK1" had earned the contract during an event held in 2013. Caleb assertively shook off the pries of Wolverton, saying only that he would use the chance when he saw fit.

Match #2 - 2-on-1 Handicap Match: Brady Pierce vs. Kevin Phoenix & Joey Rhymer

I knew when Kevin Phoenix (an African-American competitor who wears tights that resemble the paint scheme of the General Lee from The Dukes of Hazard - I point that out because, irony) and Joey Rhymer came out that the match wasn't going to be anything other than a squash (wrestling vernacular for a match where one combatant will get in almost no offense whatsoever, often ending with them losing in the most brutal way possible; it's an old tactic, which you don't see much anymore, that's meant to make the winner look like a monster), I just wasn't certain to whom they were being fed. Brady Pierce is a young guy with height and a physique that truly makes him resemble a young Randy Orton. Problem is, Pierce's body shows all the signs of that physique having been obtained mostly through the usage of a syringe. Some people have a problem with that, some don't - I could care less but I will say that all the pustules take away from his look. Brady won after forcing Phoenix to submit to a torture wrack.

Match #3 - 5-Star-5-Minute Challenge: "Mr. Match of the Night" Anthony Henry vs. Jaxson James

Match #4 - "Big League" Eric Bradford w/"Double-D" D'Arcy Dixon vs. "The Party Man-imal" Zane Riley

Is that a superlative wrestling match? No, but if you didn't laugh you're the real loser here. Bradford, Dixon, and Riley did a great job here and their ability to play off the reactions of the audience was great.

Match #5 - No Disqualifications Match: "The Fabulous Playboy" Bob Keller vs. BJ Hancock

There was a point in the not-too-distant past where BJ Hancock and another wrestler by the name of Michael Frehley were a tag team calling themselves The House of Style and being managed by Bob Keller. Those days are gone and now Keller is at odds with one of his former charges, that being Hancock, as the two have developed a feud here lately (despite the fact that Keller was forced into retirement a while back by another WrestleForce competitor, "The Southern Savior" John Skyler). This match was simply a good, old fashioned barroom brawl that saw Hancock and Keller go all over the building, including inside the mens restroom where BJ was the unfortunate recipient of a swirlie! Keller held his own for the most part but couldn't overcome the odds when Eric Bradford & D'Arcy Dixon interfered, allowing Hancock to get the win.

Match #6 - WrestleForce Tag Team Championship Match: The Love/Hate Machine (Steven Walters & John Skyler) (C) vs. The Bravado Brothers (Harlem & Lancelot)

Match #7 - WrestleForce Championship Match: Cedric Alexander (C) vs. Anthony Henry vs. "The Juggernaut" Jon Malus

The original main event of Cedric Alexander defending the WrestleForce championship against "The Natural" Chase Stevens had to be scrapped as a result of Stevens having difficulty getting to the show because of weather-related travel issues. Earlier in the evening, Alexander was called to the ring by Brett Wolverton for an interview alongside fellow contender "Juggernaut" Jon Malus only for the segment to be interrupted by "Mr. Match of the Night" Anthony Henry. Wolverton made the best move he could have in arranging for a replacement main event that would be a 3-way-dance pitting Alexander against Malus and Henry with the winner being crowned champion.

This was the best all-around match on the card and quite possibly the best match I've ever seen at a WrestleForce event. Cedric Alexander is money any way you look at him. Jon Malus is a capable hand and Anthony Henry continues to draw attention to himself, but they aren't in the same league as Alexander. Cedric won the match after hitting a brain-buster on Henry.

Match #8 - WrestleForce Championship Match: Cedric Alexander (C) vs. "cK1" Caleb Konley w/Hexx

Immediately after the 3-way-dance main event, Hexx attacked Cedric Alexander which prompted Caleb Konley to storm the ring and cash in the championship match contract. Try as he might to defend his title, Alexander was too beaten up from the combined assaults he'd faced during the previous match, eventually succumbing to a super-kick administered by Konley. With that, "cK1" is your new WrestleForce champion.

WrestleForce will be back in action in Cayce, SC on Sunday, March 30 as they present UNLEASHED.

For more information on WrestleForce, visit them on the web via Facebook and Twitter!

Facebook.com/WrestleForce
Twitter.com/WrestleForce

A Trip to Winston-Salem, NC for Premiere Wrestling Xperience's "Phenomenal Debut"

It's been several weeks since the events that I'm collecting in this entry to my blog and I feel as though I should apologize up front for it taking as long as it has for me to publish this; not necessarily because anything in it is especially time-sensitive or even all that superlative compared to the lump sum of material that is Redbeard's Rambling as a whole, rather because I had told myself going into 2014 that I wanted to add at least 3 entries a month. Wouldn't you know it, I only managed 2 for January. What's more, here it is the middle of February and I've only got this here entry to show for my efforts. This is why I don't make New Year's resolutions anymore - they sound like good ideas but these days they're mostly unattainable goals we make for ourselves because it looks good in a Facebook and/or Twitter post to say you're doing something with your life when in reality you have no clue where to even begin.

All that having been said, I went somewhere in January that I'd never been before, that being Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The occasion? The final event of what was a trio of shows over the course of as many days for Premiere Wrestling Xperience, this one having been dubbed "Phenomenal Debut" by virtue of the fact that it would be PWX's first show of 2014 in Winston-Salem and the debut for the promotion of "The Phenomenal One" himself, AJ Styles, who would be facing off against Cedric Alexander, one of the best professional wrestlers on the independent scene today. Theirs was but one match on the card, though, as PWX clearly spared no expense in gathering talent from far & wide in order to put together an evening of action that included the likes of Kevin Steen, Davey Richards, Michael Elgin, "Hurricane" Shane Helms, and many more.

I set out on the morning of January 19, 2014, the same day the show was to be held. I wouldn't have been able to attend the event if not for the fact hat I had the next day off from work; Martin Luther King Day, one of quite a few holidays I appreciatively get as part of my schedule as an employee of county government in the state of South Carolina. Generally speaking, my wife would've joined me for a trip like this but she did me a favor by agreeing to stay home with the children - those being "children" of the furry, 4-legged kind as we were watching her parent's dog for the weekend. She's a trooper, that wife of mine, but I figure she owes me some time to myself for all the nights she goes off for a meeting with her covens (otherwise known as one of the local civics groups in which she participates).

When I plotted my route I'd planned to take a scenic tour by way of back roads, mostly avoiding the interstate. I tend to prefer this kind of travel for leisurely trips like this one as highways just don't provide the same kind of experience that a good, old two-lane road through rural America can give you. I wound up sticking to my original course about as far as the town of Kershaw, SC, at which point I diverted (somewhat by mistake; I thought I knew where I was going and kept driving even though my GPS was telling me otherwise) onto a different path that would eventually put me onto I-77 then I-40. This wasn't a bad move, though, as it took my through my hometown of Lancaster, SC.

I grew up in Lancaster. In actuality, I did more than that as I spent my first 20 years of life there before moving to Florence, SC for college after which I moved back to Lancaster and stayed there for the better part of another 7 years until such time that I relocated to Orangeburg, SC for work and what would eventually become the life I now have in Saint Matthews, SC. I highlight the length of time I was in Lancaster because a lot has changed about it since the time I lived there, and by "a lot" I mean "A LOT". There are a plethora of new buildings along the stretch of highway 9 bypass, some commercial and some governmental, but the biggest changes exist in the northernmost tip of the county. This part of Lancaster appears to have become a bedroom community for people who work in nearby Charlotte, North Carolina but who enjoy the lower cost of living that exists across the state line. While it's great to see economic growth in what is apparently a prosperous part of town, I can't help but say that it looks absolutely awful. Almost every piece of land along highway 521 seems to be taken up by a strip mall, shopping center, or housing development. Urban sprawl has come to Lancaster, something I never thought would happen. It's great for the tax-base but it's all one big, gaudy eye-sore at this point.

Be that as it may, as I drove through one town after another I was pleasantly reminded of memories from pro wrestling events I've attended in the past which took place in those same locales. Kershaw, SC: It boggles my mind that I saw Jake Manning and Steve Corino wrestle to a 60-minute time limit draw in front of a crowd of probably less than 20 people. Lancaster, SC: I will never forget watching Mr. BBB (which stood for Big Buddy Bigham) and Manslaughter (who's also known as Manchild, Cracker, and about half a dozen other names) break a ring that was made partially from wood, on a hip toss of all things, then finish the match in an environment that was incredibly unsafe. Indian Land, SC: Jeff Hardy, fresh out of the World Wrestling Federation and wrestling as Willow the Wisp character to avoid non-compete issues, had a match against Kirby Mack (in another scary ring, this one being a metal frame but with garden hoses for ropes). Charlotte, NC: Taking my then-girlfriend, now-wife to our first independent wrestling event together as a couple, getting to meet Ric Flair, and watching Hulk Hogan order a hot dog alongside fans at the concession stand. It goes without saying that I've seen a lot in my days of traveling around in the name of being a fan of pro wrestling, and quite frankly I hope to add many more stories to my catalog before I'm done.

Bell time for the show was set at 5 PM and I conceivably could have driven to & from the event without spending the night in Winston-Salem, however because I don't quite like the idea of being a liability to myself or other motorists I felt it best to seek shelter for the evening. Even though I'd never stayed at one of their hotels before I chose an area La Quinta Inn as it wasn't too expensive, wasn't too far from the venue, and was easy to find as it's located right off I-40. I was pleased with the hotel overall as it was everything I needed and then some although what I remember most about the room was the fact that (I kid you not) one of the soaps smelled exactly like an Orange Julius. That's how you know you're too in tune with food, by the way, when you begin associating the scent of non-food items with food items.

An added and unexpected benefit to this particular hotel was the fact that there happened to be a Moe's Southwest Grill literally next door. I am a huge fan of Moe's as I love their steak burritos and all the fresh ingredients you can add to them. Their guacamole and the fact that I can get a cherry Sprite from the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine are just icing on top of an already delicious cake. I would eat there more frequently than I do if not for the fact that I have to drive at least a half hour in any direction to get to one. The convenience of this location made it ripe pickings for a late lunch/early supper.

While I was gathering napkins and other supplies for my meal, a young man (I would say in his late teens or early twenties) approached me with a Bible tract. I realized what he was giving me as soon as I saw his hand; rather than try to explain to him that he & I are already on the same team, I simply accepted the pamphlet, thanked him for the gesture and went about my business. I couldn't help but wonder after the fact about whether or not I look like a Christian because I have been handed more than just a few tracts during my adult life. Is there something about me that gives off the impression I'm not a believer? This weighed on me for a while as I agree with the old adage that we, as Christians, are the only Bible that some people will ever read.

The show would be taking place at a venue called Ziggy's, which is typically a concert venue but is large enough inside to accommodate for a wrestling ring and still have plenty of space for fan seating. Like I said, I'd never been to Winston-Salem before so of course I'd never been to Ziggy's but I had heard of it as it seems to be a regular tour stop for a number of bands that I follow. When I arrived at the building I was immediately impressed with its size and that there appeared to be plenty of parking available nearby. It was clear to me before I ever set foot inside this was a well-maintained venue and one that is professionally operated - as a fan who's grown somewhat sick of going to indie pro wrestling events held in musty VFW halls and ratty bars, it was a welcome change to be able to come to a joint like Ziggy's (which, admittedly, has a bar but at least it's a nice bar). It really reminded me of one of my favorite, albeit now defunct, concert venues, that being Headliners in Columbia, SC as the two clubs share many similar features (balcony seating being prime among them).

Standing in line with your fellow fans prior to an event like this is always fun, or at least it is to me. You wind up inevitably meeting interesting people who are, if nothing else, good for conversation. I got in line about 30-45 minutes prior to the doors opening as the queue had already begun to grow to a decent length by that time. I'd say that it was within 20 minutes of doors opening that the line was split into sections with fans being directed to one lane or another depending on what sort of ticket they'd purchased, that being either general admission or VIP. I had a VIP second row floor seat; VIP in this instance granted access to a pre-show meet & greet with the talent, but in all honesty I was only interested in getting inside early so as to hopefully get a better seat than I would have otherwise. I overheard one man who arrived fairly late expressing some displeasure over the fact that the VIP line was as long as it was. I think his interpretation of "VIP" was that it is something which offers a level of exclusivity limited to only a handful of patrons, and rightfully so. I can only assume he wasn't aware of the fact that VIP, in wrestling terms, is a money grab of a gimmick because people (like myself) will pay extra if it means their experience will be that much more idealistic.

I wound up being deep enough in the VIP line that I didn't get as great of a seat as I'd hoped. I tend to try and get a seat on the end of a row as I have fairly long legs and any amount of extra knee space I can get is awesome. I did get a seat on the end of a row, but it was a chair that was butted up directly against a gigantic sub-woofer. I was hesitant to take the seat at first because I didn't want to risk losing my hearing by sitting there but it had several tactical advantages that made it the best option out of what few seats were left by that point. I was able to spread out comfortably and use part of the concert stage as a shelf for stowing my gear (i.e., my camera bag and coat). The sub-woofer wound up not being an issue as I gather Ziggy's realized they shouldn't be used what with people sitting so close to them.

The show was broken down into three 3-match segments. Here's a recap of the matches featured on "Phenomenal Debut" and a brief commentary on each.

Match #1 - Andrew Everett vs. Lodi

Opening matches can be a blessing or a curse for those involved as you wind up being responsible for setting a tone for the remainder of an event. In the case of this bout, you had the grizzled veteran Lodi (yes, that Lodi - as in the one from World Championship Wrestling, best known for his involvement in Raven's Flock) taking on Andrew Everett, one of the hottest high flyers going right now. There was an obvious contrast of styles and it wasn't the smoothest of matches but it got the crowd going which is about as much as you can ask for. Lodi won with a spike DDT after Everett missed a maneuver off the top rope.

Match #2 - Kyle O'Reilly vs. Michael Elgin

Two Ring of Honor regulars doing battle here, and that's exactly the kind of match they had - a pure, physical, and protracted battle with Kyle O'Reilly relying on his speed & agility to try and overcome the power & aggressiveness of Michael Elgin. These two exchanged many near falls and they did a great job of never allowing the match to be at a point where Kyle's chances of winning were ever in doubt, which is always tricky when putting together a contest where one athlete has such a size advantage over another. Elgin ultimately prevailed with a powerbomb.

Match #3 - Davey Richards vs. Rich Swann

Davey Richards has been involved in a ton of online chatter as of late stemming from his split with Ring of Honor, spending a brief length of time with World Wrestling Entertainment's NXT developmental program, then signing a deal with TNA Wrestling (along with Eddie Edwards, his tag team partner in the American Wolves). He's clearly on the rise but he's still taking bookings like this one against Rich Swann, a wrestler I'd never seen compete in person but of whom I had knowledge. Their match was a good come-down from the brutality displayed by Elgin & O'Reilly as it featured a lot of entertaining moments; these two don't hate each other, they just wanted to put on a good show and that's exactly what they did. Richards won via a reversal when Swann attempted a splash.

Match #4 - Jake Manning & Hurricane Helms vs. John Skyler & Kevin Steen

This was an oddball combination of players but the result of it was a fantastic match. Manning & Skyler have gone back and forth with one another for some time now after having won the PWX tag team championship (which they've since lost) as a result of a fluke pairing a while back. This most recent development in their feud had them set to pick their own partners, with Manning opting for North Carolina's own "Hurricane" Shane Helms and Skyler selecting another ROH regular in the form of Kevin Steen. Manning, Steen & Helms are on a different level than Skyler; the charisma of those three simply overshadowed the former "Box Boy", and perhaps it was fitting then that Steen turned on him (not that they were ever on the same page) after they'd lost, delivering not one but two package piledrivers to Skyler.

Match #5 - Amanda Rodriguez vs. Amber O'Neal

The dynamic of this match has to have some explanation. Rodriguez is an up & coming women's wrestler and O'Neal is one of the most talented female competitors in all of North America. The two of them have been at odds forever, and things are getting worse now that their real-life significant others - Caleb Konley for Rodriquez; Luke "DOC" Gallows for O'Neal - are being brought into the mix. O'Neal won the match as a result of interference from Gallows who nailed Amanda with a big boot while Amber distracted the referee. Caleb Konley was in late to gather up what was left of Rodriguez, carrying her to the back afterwards.

Match #6 - PWX Tag Team Championship Match: Worst Case Scenario (Ethan Case & Elijah Evans w/manager The Tommy Thomas) (C) vs. Los Ben Dejos (Rios & Cruz)

Two things I'll say I loved about this match right off the top: 1) The Tommy Thomas (yes, there's a "The" in front of his name) is an annoying, conceited, boisterous manager and he's brilliant at it, and 2) PWX made the match have a big-fight feel immediately with how the combatants were introduced. Little touches like that go a long way in adding to presentation and PWX gets it right here. The match itself was a bit of a spot-fest with both teams relying on high impact/high risk maneuvers from bell to bell. That's not a bad thing, though, because it hadn't been done yet on this card. (That's another tribute to PWX's skillful booking, plenty of variety and something for every kind of wrestling fan.) Worst Case Scenario retained the championship after hitting a double-team jackhammer on Rios.

Match #7 - PWX Championship Match: Luke Gallows vs. Caleb Konley (C)

I talked about how Ziggy's is a music venue earlier in this piece but there's also a number of bars there. Fittingly enough, with this match Gallows and Konley had what could best be described as a knockdown, drag-out bar fight. The two of them brawled into the crowd, making their way through a majority of the fan seating, and at one point Gallows began to mercilessly pummel Konley with folding chairs. Caleb mounted a comeback, though, and got an ounce of revenge for his love interest by outsmarting Gallows when he got the "Suntan Biker Man" into a roll-up out of a reversal on a chokeslam.

Match #8 - 4-Way Tag Team Match: Country Jacked (Corey Hollis & Adam Page) vs. "Mr. Elite Drew Myers & Shaun Tempers vs. Lance Lude & Zane Riley vs. Chase Brown & Kyle Matthews

A match like this will typically go one of two ways - either it will be an entertaining mess or a horrifically sloppy mess. It's like an overly complicated piece of machinery, with all the moving parts it can't really help itself but be anything other than one of those. Fortunately it was more of the former than the latter! Country Jacked outlasted their opponents and after the match they issued a challenge to Roderick Strong & Eddie Edwards for PWX's February events, saying that they're time as a team is over if can't take out Strong & Edwards.

I would like to point out two individuals involved in the contest because they're worth highlighting but for very different reasons. "Mr. Elite" Drew Myers has arguably the biggest up-side of any pro wrestler in the region, and that includes a whole bunch of well-known talent. His size and physique put him into a class of athlete that's above the rest and the fact that he can actually wrestle makes him even more of a hot commodity. "The Party Man-imal"/"I AM WRESTLING"/"50 Shades of Wrestling" Zane Riley is one of my absolute favorite wrestlers right now and it's because he is one of very few wrestlers out there (at least in our part of the world) who truly gets what it is to do comedy in wrestling. If you watch a Zane Riley match and don't laugh, you're probably a jerk and a tight-wad who doesn't know how to have a good time. I would pay money to watch either of these guys, so it's great that they're usually on PWX cards.

Match #9 - PWX Dream Match Series: AJ Styles vs. Cedric Alexander

Plenty of folks have weighed in on this match with commentary of their own and at this late of a juncture I don't know that I could add anything unique to its discussion other than to state that this was all it was hyped up to be and then some. Every once in a while you see two guys create magic inside a wrestling ring and that's what happened here.

Cedric Alexander is one of the most consistent and talented wrestlers to not have gotten a bigger opportunity than he has as of yet (hard to say a Ring of Honor contract isn't a "big" opportunity but it's the truth). AJ Styles is a one-of-a-kind athlete who unfortunately got lost in a mix of bad ideas towards the end of his run with TNA Wrestling and he was terribly disrespected by them in their not doing more to keep him around. The two of them created a marvelous main event that would've been fit to headline any show in the world. I can't say that I've seen many 5-star matches in my life but this definitely was one. Styles delivered all of his signature moves but Alexander hit him with what had to be the sickest looking back-breaker I've ever seen. AJ came out on top by catching Cedric with a Styles clash, and after the match he showed tremendous respect to his opponent as well as his own legacy in the sport by taking the high road in avoiding the opportunity to run down TNA as a whole and its owner Dixie Carter in front of a live audience. Cedric left the ring quietly, allowing the fans to do the talking by chanting "NEXT WORLD CHAMP!" as he made his exit.

 The show was over just shy of 9 PM, making it a nearly 4-hour event. Needless to say, by the time it was over I was worn out and in need of sustenance. Few things that time of night sound better than a greasy cheeseburger and fries which is why I did my best to locate a Wendy's only to discover that there apparently is no Wendy's in Winston-Salem. If there is, I couldn't find it. I begrudgingly settled for Taco Bell as it was either that or McDonald's - believe me when I tell you that when you've already had Moe's eating at Taco Bell is like going to Western Sizzler after having been to Ruth's Chris. Sure, it's food and you can eat it, but you don't really want to. All I'll say about the quality of that particular meal is that whatever Taco Bell is attempting to pass off as guacamole is far from legitimate, which I guess isn't surprising since they don't use 100% beef in their dishes anyway.

I would like to say that the decision to eat food from Taco Bell was the last culinary mistake I made on this trip. Sadly, it wasn't. The next morning I went down to the lobby of the La Quinta for what I anticipated as being a lovely continental breakfast, and it appeared that I would get as much seeing as how the spread looked to be top notch - cereal, fruits, bagels, coffee. The whole 9 yards, as it were. Also there were a couple waffle irons and a batter dispenser.

I'm always a little weary of these waffle irons because they're never secure, and by that I mean there's nothing in the way of a little hand finding its way onto their blazing-hot surface than the air that separates one from the other - they seem like a liability more than anything, but what do I know? I've never had to pay for a skin graft operation as part of a personal injury lawsuit stemming from burns incurred as a result of a hotel not doing their due diligence to protect its patrons.

I obtained a disposable cup to get some batter, going by the graphical instructions on the dispenser. I don't know exactly what went wrong but the extruding nozzle on the batter dispenser popped off in my hand. I stood there in horror for a few moments as chilled, gooey waffle batter began to dump out of the thing, seemingly by the gallon, going everywhere and anywhere. I tried to alert a member of their staff but no one was within earshot of my calls, and to make matters worse I apparently decided to have breakfast when most everyone else staying in the hotel did as I found myself struggling in front of an audience of what seemed to be 10-15 people (none of whom made any attempt to assist me, I might add). I finally did get the attention of someone who worked at the hotel and she did what she could to help but by then the damage was done, both to the breakfast nook and to my ego. Suffice to say I didn't hang around that scene long - I went back to my room, cleaned off my hands, grabbed my stuff and exited out one of the side doors as I wasn't going to show my face in the lobby again after that fiasco. I wound up having breakfast at a nearby Golden Corral.

The drive home was uneventful; I opted for the interstate coming back through South Carolina as I was ready to get to my sleepy little adopted hometown of Saint Matthews, our dog, and my wife. I'm often caught off guard by how good it feels to come home. I look forward to trips like this, sometimes for weeks or months, and yet it always winds up that coming home is one of the most welcome parts of the whole experience. (With the exception of Walt Disney World, that is - I think my wife & I both would stay there forever if we could.) I guess this proves that no matter where you may go, there's just no place like home.