NWA E.P.I.C.

[Pariah]

Another fine offering from NWA: Chikara...

The Wrecking Crew continue to look absolutely ferocious... Which comes as no surprise... And Osirian Portal are looking strong as well... The Batiri will have some competition from their own promotioncoming after the NWA World Tag Team Championship...

Would've liked to see Icarus pick up the win, but Orange Cassidy took it via DQ... The main event was stellar, even though I was rooting for The Colony...

Another excellent series of contests... Like the match summaries... Very detailed when they need to be, but never too long-winded... Great stuff!

[Deleted]

Thanks for your comments, Pariah.  Sorry I didn't have a chance to respond to them directly.  Now, on to the matches!

NWA:  Intensity
Cleveland, Ohio
July 28, 2015

Tim Donst vs. BJ Whitmer

Donst was on fire in this match, never giving Whitmer a chance to catch his breath.  He scored near falls with a Donstitution, an STO, and a neckbreaker before finally putting his away with the SDT.

WINNER:  Tim Donst via pinfall (4:59)

The Chosen (with So Cal Val) vs. AC/DC

So Cal Val had her team fired up for this match; they isolated Arik Cannon in their corner and never even gave Darin Corbin a chance to tag in.  Michael Kai Rayne worked over Cannon's back with a T-bone suplex and a Texas Cloverleaf, setting up for Mark Sterling's MARKSHOOTER, which Cannon was barely able to withstand.  Rayne and Sterling made a few more quick tags before Sterling held Cannon's arms while Rayne went for a jumping knee strike.  The move hit Cannon flush on the chin, knocking him senseless and leaving him easy prey for a pinfall.

WINNERS:  The Chosen via pinfall (4:41)

Jon Davis vs. Greg Excellent

Nothing to see here; move along.  Davis took Excellent off his feet with a Pounce, planted him with a spinning power bomb, then hit his 3 SECONDS AROUND THE WORLD for the 1-2-3.

WINNER:  Jon Davis via pinfall (1:50)

Eddie Kingston vs. Ethan Page (with Seleziya Sparx)

Kingston opened up the match with a These press, laying into Page with punches while he was down.  Kingston hit a nasty lariat, then a SLIDING D for a quick two-count.  Page fled to the floor, where he grabbed the timekeeper's bell and unloaded on Kingston's head, opening up a wicked cut.  Page rolled his opponent back into the ring and immediately went for a HEADSHOT CUTTER, though somehow, Kingston was able to kick out.  Page really poured on the offense after that, powering Kingston up for a deadlift suplex, nailing him with a pair of crescent kicks (one while he was on the mat, earning Page a two-count), and another HEADSHOT CUTTER, though Kingston managed to power out.  Blood was all over the mat by this point, and Page went for the kill with a Spinning Dwayne that earned him a long two-count.  Page started stomping Kingston in the head, going after his cut, but this only seemed to infuriate the War King!  Kingston powered his way to his feet, ducked under a clothesline, and immediately hit a back drop driver that knocked Page senseless, allowing Kingston to make the cover and get the win.

WINNER:  Eddie Kingston via pinfall (13:35)

NWA World Television Championship Match:  Silas Young (c) vs. Alex Colon

Young started out strong, at it appeared he was on his way to a dominant title defense, weakening Colon with a full nelson, then taking him down with a lariat that earned him a two-count.  He went into his corner handstand, setting up for the PEE GEE WAJA PLUNGE, but Colon kipped up to his feet and dropkicked Young off the turnbuckle, all the way to the floor.  Young was badly hurt by the fall, and Colon quickly shook off the cobwebs and went after the champion, joining him on the floor and unloading with a Mafia Kick.  Colon threw Young back into the ring and locked in a camel clutch, but Young refused to submit, even though he was screaming in pain.  Young eventually powered his way to the ropes, but Colon followed up with a DONE DEAL for a long two-count.  A Sliding D earned him another two-count, then another DONE DEAL nearly put Young away, until the champ draped his foot over the bottom rope.  Young attempted to pull himself up to his feet, only to eat a superkick that bloodied his nose and sent him crashing back to the mat.  With time running out in the match, Colon really stepped on the gas.  DONE DEAL for a two-count.  Spinning heel kick for two.  Another DONE DEAL for the 1-2...and Young managed to kick out just as the bell sounded, signifying that the time limit had expired.

NO WINNER:  Time limit draw (15:00)


Match of the Night:  Silas Young vs. Alex Colon
Wrestling Observer Rating:  5 stars

[Pariah]

Happy to see Donst get the victory over Whitmer... And watching Jon Davis absolutely ROCK Greg Excellent was cool...

And that main event was absolutely stellar! Thought Colon was going to take the title from Wrestling's Last Real Man... Luckily for Young, the time limit expired... But, an amazing contest nonetheless... Very nice work!

[Deleted]

Thanks, Pariah! I'm glad you enjoyed the last NWA: Intensity show of the month!

Tim Donst is well on his way to a major comeback after his medical issues, and that main event was off the hook, as the kids say. I really thought Colon was going to take the title, but the dice had other plans. We'll see how that affects the champ tomorrow, when he defends the title against Brodie Lee in NWA: Purity!

Again, thanks for taking the time to comment. It reassures me to know I'm not just talking to myself out here.

[Deleted]

NWA:  Purity
Orlando, Florida
July 29, 2015

NWA World Television Championship Match: Silas Young (c) vs. Brodie Lee (with Sinn Bodhi)

Despite being beaten up yesterday in a match against Alex Colon and jet-lagged after a late night flight from Cleveland to Orlando, the champion started out looking very strong against “the Big Rig.” He started out by chopping the challenger down with a series of knife-edge chops, then working him over with dropkicks and a picture-perfect suplex. He made a huge mistake in taking the fight to the floor, however; Lee wound up whipping him into the ring post, then into the steel stairs, leaving the champ hurting. Lee tossed him back into the ring and hit a BIG BOOT, but Young powered out of the pin. Another BIG BOOT earned Lee another two-count, then Lee nailed Young with a huge lariat. The challenger hit another BIG BOOT, but did not go for the cover, instead clamping on a figure four leg lock! Young refused to submit and even managed to turn onto his stomach, putting the pressure on Lee’s knees until Sinn Bodhi reached through the ropes and raked the champion’s eyes. Young broke free from Lee and pulled himself to his feet, but turned around right into another BIG BOOT, which finally put him away.

WINNER and NEW NWA WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPION: Brodie Lee via pinfall (8:41)

Shaun Ricker (with Ric Flair) vs. Rhino

Ricker showed that he’s been taking lessons from the “dirtiest player in the game,” as he attacked Rhino while the two men were shaking hands to begin the match, pulling him into a short-arm clothesline. The cagey Horseman immediately picked Rhino up and planted him with the GRAVY TRAIN for the 1-2-3.

WINNER: Shaun Ricker via pinfall (0:40)

Jay Lethal vs. Sami Callihan

After a handshake to start the match, Lethal went right on the attack, peppering Callihan with stinging right hands and planting him with the Lethal Combination. Callihan was clearly rocked by the move, and as referee Todd Sinclair was checking on him, Lethal pulled a chain out of his tights, wrapping it around his fist. Pushing Sinclair out of the way, Lethal unloaded on Callihan with a chain-wrapped fist and made the cover: 1, 2, no! Callihan got a shoulder up. Incensed, Lethal turned up the heat, hitting another Lethal Combination to put Callihan on the mat, then climbing to the top rope and knocking him for a loop with a swan dive head butt. Lethal went up top one more time and went for a flying elbow, but Callihan rolled out of the way and Lethal crashed and burned! Callihan rolled on top of him and Sinclair counted to three.

WINNER: Sami Callihan via pinfall (6:19)

Post-Match Drama

After the match, Callihan attempted to follow the Code of Honor and offered his hand to Lethal. Not only did Lethal slap Callihan’s hand away, he spat at him, then when Callihan charged, Lethal kicked him between the legs and left the ring, drawing boos from the crowd.

The Briscoe Brothers vs. The Playa’s Club (with Maria Kanellis)

The Briscoes dominated the early part of this match, isolating Matt Taven in their corner and working him over with quick tags and double-team moves. Jay Briscoe planted Taven with his JAY DRILLER, but Michael Bennett quickly dove into the ring to break up Todd Sinclair’s count. With Jay momentarily stunned, Bennett dragged his partner back to his corner so he could tag in. He went on to turn the match around, stunning Jay with a Hot Shot, then locking in his ANACONDA VISE, which might have spelled the end of the match if Mark hadn’t made the save. Bennett tagged Taven back into the ring, and he hit Jay with a CLIMAX for a near fall, followed up by a tag and a HAIL MARY that brought Mark back in for another save. Taven tackled Mark and the two men spilled out to the floor while Bennett hoisted Jay up and dropped him on his head with a PILEDRIVER that gave the Playa’s Club the upset victory.

WINNERS: The Playa’s Club via pinfall (10:11)

NWA World Heavyweight Championship Match: Colt Cabana (c) vs. AJ Styles (with Ric Flair)

This match got off to a fast start, and nearly ended in the opening seconds when Cabana went for a suplex, Styles reversed out of it, and rolled Cabana up for a two-count. Cabana popped up and leveled Styles with a clothesline, then hit his COLT .45 for his own quick near fall. He tried wearing Styles down with the Billy Goat’s Curse, but Styles was able to quickly reach the ropes and counter with a Pelé kick, then a discus lariat that earned him a long two-count. Styles whipped Cabana into the ropes, but the two combatants took each other down with simultaneous clotheslines. Styles recovered first and rolled Cabana into a Calf Killer, giving himself some breathing room while he bore down on the champion’s leg. Cabana struggled to reach the ropes, but Styles dragged him back to the center of the ring, then released the hold to hit his STYLES CLASH for the 1-2-3.

WINNER and NEW NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: AJ Styles via pinfall (8:09)

Match of the Night: AJ Styles d. Colt Cabana

Wrestling Observer Rating: 4.5 stars

[Pariah]

Truly enjoyed the win by The Callihan Death Machine... Lethal's actions after the match lead me to believe he may not be all that happy with his current standing in NWA:Purity...

Colossal cheers for both Brodie Lee and AJ Styles on their respective title victories... Something tells me that both men will have healthy runs with the gold...

Excellent stuff!

[Deleted]

Thanks everyone for reading, and thank you Pariah for taking the time to comment.

Lethal's frustration stems from the roster split; he went from being a part of a successful stable with AR Fox and Jon Davis, the Black Dawn, to being on his own. The fluke loss to Callihan was just fuel on the fire--though realistically, there's no shame in getting beaten by Sami Callihan, who has put on more five-star matches than anyone else in my iteration of the game, ing back to 2012.

The title matches were great fun, and I was excited when AJ finally put Cabana away. The former champ will get his rematch, of course, but now that there's another belt in the Horseman camp, I reckon they'll have to pry it from Styles' cold, dead fingers.

Thanks again!

[Deleted]

NWA:  Evoluttion

Hollywood, California

July 31, 2015

Caleb Konley vs. Cedric the Hitman (with Stu Stone)

This match started with an exchange of knife edge chops, in which Konley quickly took the advantage. After one particularly hard chop, Konley scooped Cedric up for a Michinoku Driver, dropping him right on his head. Before Konley could even attempt the cover, Stu Stone slid into the ring and waffled Konley with Cedric’s briefcase, bringing the match to a premature end.

WINNER: Caleb Konley via disqualification (1:44)

The Inner City Machine Guns vs. The Rock NES Monsters

The team representing Vermin never stood a chance in this match. Rich Swann and Ricochet isolated Johnny Yuma in the corner and worked him over with high-flying offense. Ricochet scored a near fall after a slingshot clothesline, then tagged in Swann who hit his CHICKEN FRIED DRIVER for a two-count of his own. Johnny Goodtime tried to charge into the ring to save his partner, but he was intercepted by Swann while Ricochet hit a beautiful double-rotation moonsault on Yuma. With Goodtime tossed out to the floor, Swann hit another CHICKEN FRIED DRIVER to put Yuma away.

WINNERS: The Inner City Machine Guns via pinfall (4:26)

Justin Gabriel vs. AR Fox

The fans were buzzing about this match between two high flyers, but it seemed that they were going to be disappointed, as Gabriel sought to ground his opponent and keep him down with some excellent mat-based wrestling. Gabriel rode his opponent for a good five minutes until Fox reached the ropes and hauled himself to his feet, only to walk right into an STO for a two-count. Gabriel finally went to the top rope for his 450 SPLASH; Fox rolled out of the way, but Gabriel managed to make an adjustment in mid air, land on his feet, and hit a Buzzsaw Kick for a two-count. He went to the top rope once more, and this time hit his 450 SPLASH, but Fox incredibly managed to kick out. Gabriel launched Fox into the ropes, but both men went for a cross body block and the collided in the center of the ring, each rolling out to the arena floor. They remained on opposite sides of the ring for an eight-count, then came together and started brawling until the referee had reached sixteen, at which point Fox ducked under a karate kick by Gabriel and nailed him with a dropkick that sent him sailing into the ring post, cutting open his forehead. Fox rolled Gabriel into the ring then hopped up onto the apron, hitting a springboard 450 splash for a long two-count. He planted Gabriel with the LO MEIN PAIN for two. KRUNCH for another two. Death Valley Driver for a long two. He tossed Gabriel into the turnbuckle, but Gabriel reversed the whip and followed Fox in with a thunderous clothesline. Gabriel went up top and hit another 450 SPLASH, but Fox found the strength to kick out. Both men were exhausted at this point, and laid on the mat for an eight count before Gabriel climbed to his feet and went to the top rope. Fox kipped up, raced to the top rope and hit his LO MEIN PAIN, then followed it up immediately with a KRUNCH for the 1-2-3.

WINNER: AR Fox via pinfall (28:14)

Roderick Strong (with Truth Martini) vs. Joey Ryan

This match was not advertised for the show, but was thrown together because Ryan’s scheduled opponent (Brian Cage) was suspended and Strong’s scheduled opponent (Cedric Alexander) was injured. Many fans expected Strong to take the win easily, but apparently, Ryan didn’t get that memo. He took the fight to Strong, working him over with knees and punches, then planting him with a Pedigree for a two-count. With Strong on the mat, Ryan clamped on a Fujiwara arm bar, wrenching at Strong’s shoulder and leaving him in horrible pain by the time he released the hold and hit another Pedigree. Ryan followed up with a MUSTACHE RIDE, and before Ryan could make the cover, Truth Martini jumped up to the apron, tying up referee Brad Maddox. Unfortunately, while the referee was occupied, Strong managed to power Ryan up for an Argentine backbreaker, then clamped on his STRONG HOLD. Ryan quickly tapped out, but there was no referee to see it! Strong released the hold and ran over to the referee, spinning him around…just as Ryan came up from behind and rolled him up with a schoolboy, using his tights for leverage. Maddox didn’t see the illegal activity, and made the three count.

WINNER: Joey Ryan via pinfall (6:28)

Post-Match Drama

After the match was over, both Truth Martini and Roderick Strong argued with Brad Maddox, while Joey Ryan celebrated his upset victory. All at once, the crowd began booing loudly as Johnny Yuma, Johnny Goodtime, and Ryan Taylor made their way down the aisle. The three men surrounded the ring, promising to unleash some violence on the men in “their” ring. Faced with a common enemy, Strong, Ryan, and even Truth Martini put their backs together and prepared to fend off the attack as Taylor, Yuma, and Goodtime climbed onto the ring apron. Suddenly, Ryan and Martini turned and attacked Roderick Strong! The two men quickly took him down to the mat and began laying into him with stomps as the other three men climbed into the ring to join the mugging. Ryan and Martini hauled Strong to his feet, and the five men went on the attack. FINAL CIRCLE. EXPLOSIVE AMNESIA. MUSTACHE RIDE. Strong was left crumpled in the ring as Martini’s new House of Truth stood over him, victorious and ducking the garbage thrown into the ring by the fans.

Drew Gulak & Timothy Thatcher vs. PPRay

After the phenomenal Fox-Gabriel contest and the drama of the last match and its aftermath, this rematch from last week was something of a letdown. Gulak and Thatcher obliterated Peter Avalon with amateur wrestling moves and submission holds, finally securing a submission victory with Gulak’s UNIVERSITY STRETCH.

WINNERS: Drew Gulak & Timothy Thatcher via submission (4:56)


Match of the Night: AR Fox d. Justin Gabriel
Wrestling Observer Rating: 4 stars

[guiltyparty]

I see a hell of a lot of backbreakers in Yuma, Taylor, and Goodtime's collective future.

[Pariah]

Was hoping for Gabriel to win his match against Fox... But what an explosive encounter! Those two definitely deserve the chance to square of again!

And the reveal of the House of Truth was superbly executed... Has Martini made the right choice? Not sure if a wise man would want Roddy Strong on their bad side... Time will tell...

Gotta feel bad for Gulak & Thatcher... Sure they have a solid performance in the main event... But, how could they compete with the action and drama that had already taken place?

This is a wild ride!