By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Scenic City Invitational (night one)
Replay available via IndependentWrestling.TV
July 12, 2024 in Red Bank, Tennessee at TWE Arena
This tournament features 16 competitors in a single-elimination bracket. Eight first-round matches were held on Friday, with the quarterfinals, and a four-way finale taking place Saturday. Red Bank is suburban Chattanooga, so almost exactly the midway point between Nashville and Atlanta.
The TWE building is an awkward space, with fans seated opposite the hard camera and below the hard camera. From the hard camera’s viewpoint, there is a wall to the left of the ring, and not much space on the right side, either. The building is jam-packed with 250 fans. We have a bit of echo on commentary that I found distracting, and sound was uneven when we moved from one camera to another.
UPDATE: Saturday afternoon, TWE posted an update on Twitter/X and acknowledged the audio issues. They took full blame and said it was not the fault of IWTV. A very classy, professional response. They wrote that they were working on fixing the problem in the replay.
1. Rico Gonzalez defeated Rob Killjoy in a first-round match at 10:49. Killjoy is the 20-year veteran who reminds me of the ‘Duck Dynasty’ cast. Rico is shorter; he’s talented and I’ve seen him compete all over the South and Midwest. Rico hit a flip dive into a huracanrana on the floor at 2:00. Rob did a snake-eyes onto the top turnbuckle, then a German Suplex for a nearfall. He hit a slingshot slam on Rico for a nearfall at 4:30. He hit a second-rope superplex for a nearfall.
Rico fired back with a brainbuster for a nearfall at 6:00. He hit a basement dropkick into the corner, then some Yes Kicks to the chest. Rob hit a flipping stunner and a Buckle Bomb, then a running Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Rob hit a top-rope doublestomp to the chest for a nearfall, then a shoulder-breaker over his knee for a nearfall, but Rico got a foot on the ropes at 8:00. Rico hit a Poison Rana, then a Canadian Destroyer for a nearfall. Rob went for a Frankensteiner but Rico held onto the top rope to avoid it. Rico hit a top-rope doublestomp to the chest, then a modified sit-out piledriver for the pin. A hot opener.
2. Channing Thomas (w/Sidney Bakabella) defeated Rachel Armstrong in a first-round match at 8:21. Rachel is the only woman in this tournament and she also routinely competes from Chicago to Atlanta and everywhere in between; she has the same sort of babyface enthusiasm of Willow Nightingale. Sidney did his usual pre-match ring introductions for Channing but the echo is brutally bad; I hope it’s better in the building than how it’s coming through on the live feed. Channing has a SIGNIFICANT height and weight advantage; they locked up and he easily shoved her to the mat. He set up for a piledriver but she escaped. She got a Victory Roll for a nearfall at 3:00. Wow, this audio problem is bad. She hit a tilt-a-whirl head-scissors.
Rachel hit a tornado DDT. She went for a top-rope crossbody block but he caught her and hit a belly-to-belly suplex at 4:30. He hit a Guerrilla Press and did a cartwheel to show how easy this match is for him. She hit a Code Red for a nearfall; he hopped up and nailed a hard clothesline. She hit a huracanrana out of the corner and a shotgun dropkick. She nailed a top-rope 450 Splash for a nearfall, but Sidney pulled her to the floor at 7:30! She hit another huracanrana in the ring but he rolled through and hit a powerbomb, then his leaping piledriver for the pin. Decent action; Channing is such a good heel that people hate him for beating a woman, but I actually expected her to win this one.
3. 1 Called Manders defeated TJ Crawford in a first-round match at 7:34. Manders is the defending SCI winner, and the commentators said no one has ever repeated as tournament champion. (I expected this to be the final tournament match of the night.) TJ competed in Massachusetts 24 hours earlier. Manders hit a dropkick at the bell and a clothesline; TJ rolled to the floor to regroup. (I turned off audio HERE; I just can’t do this anymore as it is hurting my ears.) Back in the ring, TJ hit some punches. TJ hit a doublestomp on Manders’ left elbow at 2:00 and some chops, and he focused on tying up the left arm. Manders hit an enzuigiri and they were both down at 4:00.
Manders tossed TJ stomach-first on the top rope but he kept selling the elbow injury. He hit a clothesline for a nearfall. TJ hit a suplex for a nearfall. TJ hit an inverted DDT for a nearfall at 6:00. Manders hit a DDT for a nearfall. TJ hit a running knee to the chin for a nearfall, and he tied Manders in a modified Rings of Saturn. TJ hit a Buzzsaw Kick. Manders nailed a decapitating clothesline for the pin. I again am wrong; I thought TJ might be able to cheat his way into the second round.
4. Matt Makowski defeated Erron Wade in a first-round match at 9:42. Wade wore a white karate outfit and he had three guys dressed in identical robes. Matt is the shoot fighter who faced Charlie Dempsey earlier this year in the Bloodsport event over WrestleMania weekend. An intense lockup to open and Matt immediately went to work on the left arm. Matt appeared to be going for a Sharpshooter, but Wade rolled to the floor at 1:30 to regroup. Back in the ring, Matt hit some kicks and chops in the corner. Wade hit a gutbuster over his knee at 4:00; he mounted Matt and hit some punches. He kept Matt grounded.
Matt went for a kick, but Wade caught the leg and hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip at 5:30. Wade hit some blows in the corner and remained in charge. Wade hit a John Cena-style drop after running the ropes back and forth. Matt hit a double-underhook suplex at 8:00, then a running knee for a nearfall. Wade hit a Shotgun Dropkick and a Michinoku Driver. Matt applied a Triangle Choke! Wade tried to fight it but he eventually tapped out! That finish came out of nowhere. Good match.
5. Paul London defeated Landon Hale in a first-round tournament match at 14:38. London sang his way to the ring; now I’m glad I have the audio off. He wore his white lounge singer outfit. I will reiterate that he’s nowhere near the London of 2004 but he has slimmed down in the past year and has looked better in the ring of late. They shook hands and it became aggressive until they finally broke apart. Standing switches and a feeling-out process early on. Hale hit some deep armdrags, and Paul rolled to the floor to regroup at 4:00. Hale rolled to the floor and hit some chops as they fought in front of the fans; the room is a bit deeper than I realized on the hard camera sign.
They each took turns rolling into the ring to break the count but kept fighting on the floor. In the ring, Paul got a rollup for a nearfall at 8:30. He dropped Hale face-first on the top turnbuckle. Hale hit a backbreaker over his knee, and a second-rope moonsault for a nearfall at 12:00. Paul hit a Death Valley Driver and they were both down. Paul hit a doublestomp for a nearfall. London hit a Frankensteiner but Hale rolled through and hopped to his feet, and Hale hit a series of clotheslines, then a Lethal Injection at 14:00. Paul rolled up Hale, grabbed the ropes for leverage, and scored the tainted pin! This is definitely a big upset.
6. Tank defeated Mad Dog Connelly in a first-round match at 7:15. Tank is in his mid-50s and rotund, bald with a long beard. Connelly is similar to Trevor Lee (Cameron Grimes) before he lost his weight. Connelly attacked and they immediately brawled to the floor. They got back in the ring and traded blows. Tank hit a back suplex at 5:00, sending Connelly rolling to the floor. Connelly hit a flying headbutt in the ring. Tank was bleeding from his forehead; he hit a backbreaker over his knee and tied Connelly up on the mat, and Connelly passed out! I’m surprised by this outcome, too. Okay match.
* Intermission was edited out. (I watched this live until intermission, then I switched to Smackdown. So, the rest of the show I watched Saturday.) The sound was marginally better for these matches that I watched in the replay.
7. Darian Bengston defeated Suge D in a first-round match at 13:46. Darian carried two belts with him to ringside. Suge D is still best known for his “Pineapple Pete” feud & match against Chris Jericho during the pandemic. Basic reversals early on. Suge D applied a Boston Crab at 2:00. Suge D tied him in the Paradise Lock at 5:00; I always feel this move is too cartoonish. Lots of stalling and they kept this in first gear. Bengston tied him up on the mat. They missed simultaneous dropkick attempts and were both down at 9:30. They got up and Darian hit some chops. Suge D hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 12:30. Bengston hit a top-rope corkscrew press, and they traded rollups for nearfalls, and Bengston got the pin. Just okay; the right guy won.
8. Adam Priest defeated Jaden Newman (w/The Reverend) in a first-round match at 4:47. Newman also reminds me a bit of Trevor Lee/Cameron Grimes, and he’s taller than Priest, who I compare in-ring style to Jaime Noble. Newman hit some chops in the corner and was in charge early on. He hit a twisting neckbreaker. Priest hit a spinebuster, then a DDT for the pin. What? That came out of absolutely nowhere. I’m shocked.
9. Daniel Makabe defeated Kevin Ku at 17:22. Makabe has been on his retirement tour all year and this is his final, final match. I have always compared him to a puffier Alex Shelley; not fat but a bit heavy, and a decent mat-based wrestler. A feeling-out process early on with standing switches. Makabe applied a leg lock around the head but Ku escaped at 2:30. Kevin began working the fingers, but Makabe applied a heel hook. They stood up and Daniel punched Ku. Ku tied up Makabe on the mat. Ku hit some chops. Makabe hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 7:30. He switched to a Cattle Mutilation submission hold.
They fought to the floor and suddenly both men were busted open and bleeding heavily; this was gross and unwarranted. They got back in the ring and traded forearm strikes. Ku nailed a small package driver for a nearfall at 12:00. Ku nailed a Gotch-style Piledriver for a believable nearfall; the mat is really getting messy with all of Makabe’s blood. Makabe fired back with a Death Valley Driver for a believable nearfall. Ku hit a brainbuster for a nearfall, but Makabe got a foot on the ropes. Makabe hit a German Suplex at 15:30. Makabe repeatedly stomped on Ku’s left elbow, then on the right knee. He hit a straight punch to Ku’s jaw, collapsed on Kevin, and scored the pin. Good match, but I am a bit stunned Makabe didn’t follow the time-honored tradition of losing in his final match.
* Makabe spoke on the mic, but with the audio problems, I gave up and turned it back down; I couldn’t understand a word. He took his boots off and left them in the ring, and the camera zeroed in on his boots as the show went off the air.
Final Thoughts: I have mixed feelings on the winners of night 1. I feel like a tournament is the time to put over the young, rising talent. Paul London beating rising star Landon Hale makes no set. Tank, in his mid-50s and quite heavyset, beating Connolly makes no sense, either. I liked that show-opening Rico-Killjoy for best match, with Makowski-Wade for second, then the main event for third. I am sure those who have followed Makabe’s career will have that final match higher; I really thought the level of blood loss was unnecessary. Manders-Crawford was really good for the time given and worthy of honorable mention.
The tournament continued Saturday. As I noted, there are four second-round matches with a four-way finale.
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