By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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New South Pro Wrestling “2024 Hoss Night One”
March 1, 2024 in Florence, Alabama at Singin’ River Brewery
Available for streaming via Independentwrestling.tv
This show was released on Monday (March 18) on IWTV. This event is the first night of a two-day tournament, plus a handful of non-tournament matches. I know just a handful of these wrestlers. This is a dark, small room and it appears the crowd is maybe 100, and that’s being generous. A title belt hung above the ring the enitrety of the show. Rob Weathers and Carmen Michael provided commentary; Michael has done a lot of shows in GCW and he’s doing some really good work.
1. Big Dave defeated Negative Lee in a first-round match at 4:33. I don’t know these two. Everything about Lee screams hillbilly redeck with his mullet and goatee, and his checkered Sparky Plugg-style pants. Big Dave could be a stunt double for Hangman Page, with his curly blondish hair and cowboy look. Dave hit a clothesline for a nearfall but he picked Lee up before the three-count. He hit antoher clothesline for the pin. Okay opener; neither man did much to impress me.
2. Rico Gonzalez defeated Bobby Flaco in a first-round match at 8:08. I’m familiar with both of these guys. Flaco is the short, bald dork. Rico is a high-flyer and he frequently competes in Illinois/Indiana/Ohio. They are roughly the same size; probably 5’4″ or so. Flaco hit a missile dropkick and celebrated. Gonzalez hit a top-rope corkscrew senton and some standing neckbreakers. Flaco hit a top-rope crossbody block and a top-rope flying stunner for a nearfall at 5:00. On the floor, Flaco rode on his mini-bike and kicked Rico has he drove past him. Rico hit a top-rope doublestomp to the chest on the ring apron; he rolled Flaco in the ring and pinned him. The right guy went over.
3. Donnie Primetime defeated Zicky Dice in a first-round match at 7:48. Both of these guys are typically heels. I’ve seen Donnie on a few GCW shows that occurred in the Atlanta area; he looks like Joey Janela (which is funny because he used to be billed as Donnie Janela.) Zicky, of course, had a decent run in TNA as Brian Myers’ lackey. They locked up and Zicky’s thickness and size advantage is quite clear. Donnie hit a dive through the ropes to the floor. In the ring, Zicky hit a Northern Lights Suplex at 3:30. Donnie hit a modified Blockbuster and he was fired up. Donnie hit a frogsplash for a nearfall at 6:30. Zicky choked Donnie on the mat and he jawed at the female referee; he shoved her, so she shoved him, and Donnie got a rollup with a handful of tights for the cheap pin.
4. Marcus Dylan defeated Jameson Shook via ref stoppage in a first-round match at 1:22. I’ve seen their names but don’t know them. Dylan came out first and he jawed at the fans. He has short black hair. Shook has crazy curly reddish hair and a thick beard and he got a nice babyface pop. Shook hit a Clout Cutter/fadeaway stunner just seconds into the match, and Dylan rolled to the mat to regroup. Shook hit a corkscrew dive to the floor on him. Shook landed awkwardly on his back and may have legitimately knocked himself out. The ref checked on Jameson, who did not get up, and called for the bell as people rushed to check on him. Really disappointing, as I’ve heard good things about Shook and no one wants to see this happen.
5. Cabana Man Dan defeated Rolando Perez via DQ at 8:14. Ugh you can sense how the room was deflated after that injury. Rolando Perez is the 5’2″ dork who wrestles as Rolando Freeman in NWA. He came out first but Dan attacked him. Dan is the short, muscular Pacific islander who wrestles barefoot; think a smaller, less muscular Jimmy Snuka. They brawled on the floor. In the ring, Perez took control. Dan applied a leglock around Perez neck and it appeared Rolando was going to tap out. However, Negative Lee and Marcus Dylan hit the ring and attacked Dan, causing the DQ. This was just so-so.
6. Kerry Awful defeated Kaitlyn Marie in a first-round match at 9:31. I’ve noted that Kaitlyn has lost a remarkable amount of weight in the past year or so and she’s decent in the ring. My first time seeing Kerry, who is covered in tattoos and wore a scary mask. He wore all black and just seems slimy and reminds me a lot of Sami Callihan. They are of similar size but I just don’t buy she could hold her own in a fight. Standing switches early on. She hit her running buttbumps in the corner at 4:30. She missed a Vader Bomb. Kerry nailed a Cop Killah/backslide driver for a believable nearfall. He hit a powerbomb that dropped her high on her neck and shoulders, then a piledriver or a nearfall. She hit a clothesline for a believable nearfall at 9:00. Kerry rolled her up, put his feet on the ropes, and scored the cheap pin. Not as smooth as I would hope; he dropped her in dangerous bumps a couple of times.
7. Tyler Franks defeated Storm Grayson in a first-round match at 8:02. Storm is a top-tier Chicago-area talent, so he made the trek south for this one. (I will assume he could go deep into this tournament.) I don’t know Franks; he’s a really young fresh-faced kid and wore a shiny gold vest. Storm jawed at fans who held up Franks signs, so he’s a heel here. Franks hit a twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall at 1:30. Grayson hit some rolling suplexes and was in charge. Franks hit some European Uppercuts in the corner at 5:00.
Franks hit a running knee to the forehead for a nearfall. Grayson raked the eyes and hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall, then an enzuigiri. Franks trapped Storm’s head in the corner and kicked his face. Tyler hit a powerbomb move for the pin! Definitely a surprise, as I just didn’t think you’d bring Grayson down here to lose in the first round.
8. Richard Holliday defeated Fuego Del Sol in a first-round match at 13:41. These are two of the more well-known wrestlers on this show. Fuego is from Alabama, so no surprise that Holliday is the arrogant heel as he walked through the curtain, and he’s much taller than Fuego. Holliday dropped him with a shoulder tackle at 1:30. Fuego hit a leg lariat and a second-rope huracanrana, then a second-rope crossbody block. Holliday suplexed him into the corner at 3:00 and took over on offense. Fuego hit a superkick. Holliday clotheslined him to the floor. He hit a guillotine legdrop on the apron; he rolled FDS into the ring and got a nearfall at 7:00.
Fuego fired up and hit a series of kicks and a leaping neckbreaker, then a Lionsault for a nearfall. Holliday hit a backbreaker over his knee and a powerbomb for a nearfall at 9:00, and he applied a Figure Four Leglock. Fuego hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly for a nearfall, then a step-up doublestomp on Holliday’s back. Fuego hit an Asai Moonsault to the floor, with his feet catching some lights on the ceiling and yanking them down at 12:00. Fuego nailed the Tornado DDT (his finisher!) for a nearfall, but Holliday got a foot on the ropes. Holliday hit a chopblock, then the 2008 twisting suplex for the pin. Good match. Just because Fuego is from here, I expected him to win.
9. Davey Bang vs. August Matthews went to a draw/double count-out in a first-round match at 11:40. These two Chicago-area talents usually team up; I just watched them face each other in a different show that took place since this event. They shook hands and made clear this was going to be a friendly competition. Bang got an O’Connor Roll for a nearfall at 2:00. He hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall. August hit a hard clothesline for a nearfall at 5:00, and he tied Bang in an Octopus. Bang hit a handspring-back-elbow and a dropkick in the corner for a nearfall at 7:00. Matthews hit a German Suplex, then a Dragon Suplex, then a cannonball in the corner for a nearfall. Bang hit a second-rope superplex, then a spear through the ropes.
Bang hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 9:00. Matthews hit a Poison Rana and a Cave-in stomp, then a mid-ring Sliced Bread for a nearfall. He hit a 450 Splash. Bang dove through the ropes onto Matthews. August dove off tthe top rope onto Bang, and they were both down at 11:00. Both tried to dive back into the ring, but the ref ruled they were both counted out! The commentators said both men are out of the tournament, and they said it means Richard Holliday will get a bye right into the finals of the tournament. I can’t say I like that at all, especially being as Bang beat Matthews at the show I just watched from the Chicago area.
10. Brayden Toon defeated Hunter Drake in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match to win the New South Heavyweight Title at 22:21. I always compare Toon to a young Kevin Steen; he’s quite athletic and agile for being a bit heavyset. Drake is athletic but really slender; think a mini-version of Matt Riddle or Jordan Oliver. They brawled to the floor early and away from the ring. Brayden flipped Hunter onto some open, empty chairs at 4:30. Toon set up for a dive but Hunter hit him with an unprotected chair shot on the head; I hate that. Drake then hit a piledriver on the cement floor. In the ring, Drake climbed a ladder and reached for the title at 8:00, but Toon knocked it over.
Toon hit a second-rope superplex onto a folded chair. Drake got a stapler, but Toon took it and used it on Hunter. Toon started to climb the ladder, but Drake grabbed him and slammed him to the mat at 12:00. Hunter climbed the ladder but Toon hit a missile dropkick to knock him off the ladder, and they were both down. They traded forearm strikes while on the mat. Toon hit a back suplex at 14:30, then a running Shooting Star Press. (He’s fairly big to do that move!) Toon hit a Swanton Bomb onto Drake, who was lying on a ladder, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Drake knocked Toon off the ladder at 16:00. Drake hit another unprotected chair shot to the head; these really must stop.
Drake tried to put Toon on one of the cheap doors but it buckled and busted under Toon’s weight. So, Drake hit a brainbuster onto the (bent) door bridge at 18:30. Hunter climbed the ladder but Toon knocked him off. Toon hit a release Razor’s Edge, tossing Drake onto a pile of debris. Toon started to climb the ladder but two guys hopped in the ring and attacked Toon! Toon climbed the ladder but Drake hit a low blow uppercut. Drake tossed a chair at Toon’s unprotected head; that’s the third blow this match. Drake hit a Concerto chair strike. Toon hit an Air Raid Crash onto a door bridge. He climbed the ladder and pulled down the title to win the match. Good brawl, but we just don’t need those damaging blows to the head. Drake’s 209-day title reign is over.
Final Thoughts: A good brawl of a main event, and despite my objection to the chairshots to the head, this didn’t otherwise get too violent, gross, or bloody. I’ll go with Holliday-Fuego for second-best. Even with the disappointing finish, Bang-Mathews is third place. The second night of this tournament is slated to be posted Tuesday night.
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