NWA Showcase (3/26) Recap: New Tag Team Champs!
Our resident philosopher, Jay Shannon, takes a look at the newest nationally-televised wrestling program: NWA Showcase Challenge.
The show opened with David Marquez, running down the show. Our main event was Zokre and Phoenix Star challenging Karl Anderson and Joey Ryan for the NWA tag team straps. Also, Adam Pierce defended his NWA World title against T.J. Perkins. The show also featured Brent Albright, Rob Conway and U-Gene Dinsmore v Alkatraz.
Brent Albright d Dallas Murdock
Albright and Murdock exchanged a lot of Arm Drags and punches to start this one. Albright worked over the arm of Murdock. Murdock used the Irish Whip, but Albright held onto the ropes.Albright kicked Murdock in the chest. Albright hit a Bouncing Suplex.
Murdock caught Albright with some rough-housing tactics. Murdock locked in the Arm Bar. Albright fought back with punches. Albright stepped it up with a Double Underhook Reverse German Suplex. Albright then used the Lethal Injection Backbreaker. Albright sent Murdock to the ropes and hit the Snap Powerslam. Murdock was placed on the ropes. Albright then hit a weak 6-1-9 on Murdock. Albright took Murdock to the mat with a Side Russian Leg Sweep. Albright then locked in his Octopus Sleeper. Murdock had no choice but to tap out.
Grade: A-
Rob Conway was interviewed. Conway threw pops to Ric Flair by quoting his “To be the man” catchphrase. Conway then twisted it, slightly. In Conway’s words: “To be the man, you have to beat the Iron man.”
“Iron Man” Rob Conway d “Fast and Furious” Scott Lost
Conway moved Lost to the ropes. Lost and Conway switched Go Behinds. Conway grabbed a grinding Headlock. Conway spun around and tried to School Boy Lost. Conway shoved Lost to the ropes and dropped him with a big Shoulder Block.
During the match, the announce team made it official that the NWA is now working with New Japan. That should bring an influx of talent to the organization. Conway hit a Spin Kick and several Fore-Arms to weaken Scott Lost. Conway sent Lost into the corner with massive force. Lost fought back and then slid out of the ring. When Conway sent out of the ring, Lost slid in.
Lost played a cat an d mouse game of inside/outside. Lost nailed some good offensive moves. A Dropkick by Lost was followed by a Drop Toe Hold. Lost worked on the arm. Conway used the knee to get free. Conway Hot Shotted Lost on the top rope. Conway then ran the shoulder of Lost into the post. Lost fell to the floor. Conway exited the ring and nailed a Short-Arm Clothesline. Conway placed Lost on the apron and pounded on him. Conway climbed on the apron and dropped the elbow to the back of Lost’s head.
Conway pounded away on the face and head of Lost. Conway Irish Whipped Lost at warp speed to the corner. Conway slapped the face of Lost. Another Irish Whip folded Lost up in agony. Lost reversed an Irish Whip. Conway climbed the ropes and nailed a Guillotine Leg Lariat. Conway locked in a Sleeper, but Lost broke free. The two men traded fists. Lost hit a big Clothesline and a Dropsault. Lost hit his Superman Spear in the corner. Conway caught Lost with the Uranage Bomb. Conway nailed the Decapitation Clothesline. Conway finished things off with the Ego Trip (Spinner version of Kevin Thorn’s Original Sin).
Grade: A-
Alkatraz was interviewed. He screamed at the camera as “Special E” made faces behind Alkatraz’s back. Alkatraz was oblivious to “Special E”’s presence. The announcer was about to get beaten down as we faded to black.
“Special E” (Nick) Dinsmore d Alkatraz
Dinsmore had a midget at ringside to serve as his manager. Dinsmore goofed around with the ref with some “Groucho” glasses. Dinsmore offered a handshake, but Alkatraz slapped the hand away.
Alkatraz moved Dinsmore to the corner after the Collar and Elbow. Alkatraz beat on Dinsmore. Dinsmore fought back and bounced Alkatraz off the corner. Alkatraz used a big boot to stun Dinsmore. Alkatraz distracted the ref to throw Dinsmore over the top rope. In the NWA, it is illegal to throw someone over the top rope. The ref didn’t see it, so it didn’t count.
The two men fought on the floor. When they got back in the ring, Alkatraz stomped and kicked on Dinsmore. Alkatraz then locked in a Rear Chin Lock. Dinsmore used Elbow Smashes to get free. Alkatraz dropped Dinsmore with a Clothesline. Alkatraz tried to attack Dinsmore’s manager. Alkatraz turned back and fell victim to a Small Package from “Special E”.
Grade: C+
Alkatraz attacked both “Special E” Dinsmore and the midget. Brent Albright rushed to the ring to check on Dinsmore and the midget. Alkatraz came out of the audience to attack Brent Albright. The two men fought up the aisle and into the dressing room area.
“Scrap Iron” Adam Pierce (c) d T.J. Perkins
NWA World Heavyweight Championship Match
Nick Bockwinkel joined the announce team for this match. Pierce took forever to get ready for the match. The ref showed off the NWA belt before calling for the bell. Pierce told Perkins to hold on while he played up to the booing crowd. Pierce talked a lot of trash before the match started. Perkins jumped on the corner ropes to play up to the crowd. This gave Pierce the chance to Pearl Harbor the challenger. The match was off and running.
Pierce pounded on the ribs of Perkins. Perkins flipped out of a Back Suplex attempt and nailed a Dropkick. Perkins rolled underneath a Clothesline by Pierce and hit another Dropkick. Pierce reversed an Irish Whip and sent Perkins to the corner. Perkins did a Handstand in the corner. When Pierce came to investigate, Perkins locked the ankles around Pierce’s neck and spun around, sending the NWA champ flying. Perkins brought Pierce down with an Arm Drag. Perkins then locked in a wrenching Arm Bar.
Pierce got to his feet and sent Perkins to the ropes. Perkins dove over Pierce and then Arm Dragged him to the mat, again. Perkins applied a Wrist Breaker on Pierce. Pierce tried to Scoop Slam Perkins, but the challenger wouldn’t let go of the Arm Bar. Pierce was flipped to the mat. Perkins continued to work on the arm of Pierce. Perkins dropped a knee on the arm of Pierce. Pierce moved Perkins to the ropes. Pierce used the Irish Whip to send Perkins to the opposite ropes. Pierce dropped Perkins and then immediately picked him up and tried to toss him out of the ring. Perkins caught himself in the ropes and waited for Pierce to charge. Normally, Perkins would drop out of the way and the opponent would fall to the floor. It didn’t happen that way, this time, as Pierce kicked the ribs of Perkins. Perkins then fell to the floor.
Pierce exited the ring and beat down on Perkins. Pierce whipped Perkins into the guard rail, twice. Pierce didn’t seem to care about being counted out or disqualified. The ref yelled at the champ and his manager. Perkins tried to attack C. Edward Vanderpyle, the manager. Pierce then pounced on Perkins. Pierce pounded on the face of Perkins. Pierce set the head of Perkins against the steel post. He wanted to punch the challenger’s head into the post. What he ended up doing, thanks to Perkins moving out of the way, was punch the ring post.
Perkins used kicks to weaken the champion. Perkins also slammed the injured wrist and hand on the ring apron and guard rail. The ref was sent into the steel barricade. Pierce went to Suplex Perkins into the ring, but Perkins floated over and rolled up Pierce for a 10+ count. There was no ref, so the pin wasn’t legal. Perkins used all kinds of kicks and punches to attack Adam Pierce. Perkins used a Single Leg Take-down to drop the NWA champ. He then dropped an elbow to Pierce’s back. Perkins Irish Whipped Pierce to the corner. The ref took a glancing shot from Pierce. Perkins then hit a Dropkick in the corner. Perkins placed Pierce near the corner and nailed a 450 Splash. The ref counted the pin, even though the foot was on the rope. Nick Bockwinkel went to talk with the ref. It looked like T.J. Perkins was the new champion. The ref restarted the match. Pierce snuck up and caught Perkins with the Piledriver to retain his title.
Grade: A
Nick Bockwinkel caught Hell from the announce team for his interference. Bockwinkel left to chat with Adam Pierce. It looked like Bockwinkel and Pierce might have been working together on this one. The announcers lost a ton of respect for Bockwinkel for sticking his nose in.
David Marquez conducted a heated interview with the Real American Heroes, Karl Anderson and Joey Ryan. Ryan went off on Los Luchas. Ryan talked about sending Phoenix Star to the hospital. Ryan wanted to cripple Zokre, as well. Anderson threw out a bunch of disgusting racial slurs towards Los Luchas. We were fortunately taken to break.
Los Luchas d The Real American Heroes (c)
NWA World Tag Team Title Match
Zokre and Phoeniz Star, Los Luchas, tried to attack manager, C. Edward Vanderpyle, before the bell. Ryan and Anderson came to the aid of their manager. Ryan and Anderson sent Zokre to the floor and attacked Star. They used a Double Irish Whip to send the Mexican grappler to the ropes. Star rebounded with a Double Dropkick. Ryan was sent over the ropes by Star. Zokre flew off the ropes to drop Anderson.
Star worked on the arm of Anderson. Zokre tagged in and hit a Springboard Moonsault on Anderson. Star tagged back in the ring. Star used an Irish Whip to send Anderson to the ropes. He then dropped Anderson with a Back Elbow. Anderson reversed an Irish Whip and took Star down with a Power Clothesline. Anderson stomped on the injured arm of Star. Anderson tagged out to Ryan. Ryan stretched out the arm of Star and cranked backwards. Ryan Hammerlocked the arm of Star and dropped numerous knees on the arm.
Anderson tagged back in. Anderson dropped Star with a Leg Lariat. Anderson Key Locked the arm of Star. Anderson stomped on the injured left arm of Star. Ryan tagged back in and taunted Zokre. Ryan sent Star to the mat with the Hammerlock Slam. Star kicked out of the pin at two. Anderson tagged back in. Anderson taunted Star and slapped the masked head of Phoenix Star. Anderson then turned and knocked Zokre off the apron.
Anderson locked in an Arm Breaker. Vanderpyle screamed at Anderson to “Break It (the arm)”. Ryan tagged back in. Ryan and Anderson double teamed Star. Ryan used the Northern Lights Suplex to stun Star. Zokre rushed in the ring and kicked Ryan. Star was moved into the enemy corner. Star was Irish Whipped to the ropes, but he came back with what I can only describe as a Reverse Spinning T-Bone Suplex Star tried for a tag, but Anderson grabbed the ankle. Star kicked loose adn dove for a tag.
Zokre flew off the top rope with a Springboard High Crossbody. Anderson got to his feet and tried for a Splash on Zokre, who had moved to the corner. Zokre slid out of the way and Anderson crashed in the corner. Zokre snapped off a Flying Headscissors to send a dizzy Anderson crashing into the ropes. There was a momentary glitch in the video, but it stablized just in time to see Phoenix Star tag back in the ring.
Zokre launched his partner into a huge Double Dropkick on the champions. Los Luchas used the double team to set Ryan up for a version of the Canadian Destroyer (El Matador?) Amazingly, Ryan kicked out at two. Phoenix Star went to the top rope, but Anderson pulled him down. Star ended up crotched on the top rope. Zokre rushed to his partner, which allowed Anderson to Hot Shot the masked man on the ropes.
Anderson climbed the ropes and nailed Star with a Superplex. Somehow, Star managed to kick out at the last possible moment. Star moved to the outside apron. Anderson took his eyes off the prize to talk with his manager. When Anderson charged at Star, Star went for the Sunset Flip. Anderson tried to hang onto the ropes to prevent the roll-up. Zokre slapped the hands to make Anderson release. Zokre then hit a Blockbuster that sent Anderson crashing into Star’s knees. It was a similar move to the Miz/Morrison Blockbreaker combo. Los Luchas tried to Double Team Joey Ryan. Ryan sent Zokre into a (Karl) Anderson Spinerbuster. Zokre defied all the odds and kicked out! Anderson was totally shocked that his finisher had failed.
Anderson picked up Zokre. He tried to Irish Whip Zokre into the waiting Superkick of Ryan, but Zokre turned the tables. Anderson took the full Superkick to the face! Zokre tried to roll up a confused Ryan, but the tag champ shrugged off the contender. Ryan sent Zokre to the ropes. Zokre ducked a Clothesline and nailed a Reverse Hurancanrana than slammed Ryan’s skull into the mat. Phoneix Star climbed the ropes and nailed a Picture Perfect Springboard Senton Splash. The ref made the count and we have New NWA World Tag Team Champions.
Grade: A+
The crowd in Las Vegas erupted in joy at the crowning of new champions. We faded to black as the champions raised their belts in victory.
Final Grade: A-
Final Thoughts:
The NWA is really starting to get their act together. The announce team is starting to gel. The action is top-notch. The nice thing about the NWA is that you’re not stuck watching the same stale performers, week after week. These young kids are hungry for stardom and it shows.
Adam Pierce is the best champion that I’ve seen in years. He’s not some over-hyped wrestler that the crowds have bored with. He has earned the respect (and hatred) of the fans by his actions. The tag team scene is embraced, not seen as an after-thought. Both TNA and WWE seem bored with the tag team division. The NWA pushes the team division almost as hard as the singles titles.
If you haven’t caught an episode of NWA, you’ve really missed some excellent action. The interviews are still a bit weak, but the action is actually much better than both the WWE and TNA. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed.
–Jay Shannon
JayofPWD@SBCGlobal.net
(3/27/08)
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