By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Southern Honor Wrestling “Honor 68”
Replay available via IndependentWrestling.TV
November 9, 2024 in Canton, Georgia at Action Building
Canton is located north of Atlanta; it appears to be outside the metro/suburban area. This is a really dark room; lighting is merely okay over the ring. I literally only know three wrestlers on this show: Jackson Drake, Carlie Bravo and Shawn Dean. Jackson Drake was offered a WWE ID contract on Friday (Nov. 15), a week after this show. I’ve seen Drake several times, mostly in Deadlock Pro in North Carolina. I’ve always liked what I’ve seen of him and I wasn’t particularly surprised when I heard he was given an ID contract.
1. Joe Black vs. Jackson Drake for the SHW Title. Black is similar to MLW’s Alex Kane. Drake is a heel dubbed “The Carolina Reaper.” Standing switches to open and they appear to be the same height. Drake tied up Black’s ankle. A commentator said Black has been in the business for 16 years. They switched to chops at 4:30. Black hit a German Suplex. He dove through the ropes, caught Drake, and hit a tornado DDT, and they brawled at ringside. Drake hit an Exploder Suplex on a chair at 8:00 as they continued to fight on the floor. Black hit a spear on the ring apron.
They finally got back into the ring with Drake in charge. Black hit a second-rope missile dropkick at 11:30. Black hit a sit-out powerbomb and they were both down. They got up and traded forearm strkes. Black hit some rapid-fire chops. Drake locked in a cross-armbreaker but Black escaped and applied a crossface at 16:30. Drake escaped and hit a powerslam for a nearfall. Black hit a spear for a believable nearfall, and the commentators were incredulous that didnt’ get the pin. Drake hit a Lethal Injection for a nearfall. Drake hit a spear for a believable nearfall, and he went back to the cross-armbreaker at 20:00. Joe got a foot on the ropes. Joe finally hit another spear for the pin. A really good match.
Joe Black defeated Jackson Drake to retain the SHW Title at 21:12.
* Black got on the mic and said that we’ll be seeing Jackson Drake on TV sooner than later. (This is literally a week BEFORE Drake signed his WWE ID contract!) The commentators agreed and pointed out that Drake’s former tag partner is now known as Je’Von Evans.
2. Aaron Dallas vs. Nick Halen. At first glance, Halen looks like Eddie Edwards. Aaron Dallas is a semi-truck driver gimmick with long flowing blond hair. They shook hands and Halen is clearly quite short, and he stalled on the floor. In the ring, Dallas got a backslide for a nearfall at 5:00. Halen targeted the left knee and kept Aaron grounded. Dallas hit a spinebuster for a nearfall at 8:00. Someone distracted Dallas; it allowed Halen to hit a swinging neckbreaker for the pin. The crowd booed this outcome.
Nick Halen defeated Aaron Dallas at 9:03.
3. Kyle Matthews vs. CT Keys (w/Nick Halen) in an SHW Jake Roberts Legacy Championship match. Matthews is white with dark black hair that appears to be turning gray; he will get a Johnny Gargano comparison. CT Keys is bald and Black and made me think of New Jack. Matthews hit a dive through the ropes at 1:30. In the ring, Keys stomped on Kyle and kept him grounded. Matthews applied a crossface. CT Keys hit a Pounce. However, Halen was distracting the ref when his teammate could have won! Keys was livid and argued with Halen. Matthews hit a running kick in the corner and pinned Keys.
Kyle Matthews defeated CT Keys to retain the Jake Roberts Legacy Championship at 9:15.
* CT shoved Halen and their manager. Aaron Dallas ran back in to keep the heels from beating up Matthews more. Clearly, the heels are not on the same page!
* A commercial aired that Alex Kane is coming!
4. Jay Lucas vs. Owen Knight. Lucas is a Black man with dreadlocks that reach his shoulders, and he’s a babyface, and this is his debut here. Knigh is bald and appears a bit older and thicker. Standing switches and a feeling-out process early on. Lucas hit a flip dive to the floor at 2:30. In the ring, Lucas hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. The commentators played up how the fans are familiar with the youngster Lucas because of his growing reputation. Knight grounded Lucas on the mat. Lucas hit a brainbuster for a nearfall at 6:30. Knight hit a flying forearm in the corner and a back suplex for a believable nearfall. They traded rollups, and Knight escaped with a pin. Good match.
Owen Knight defeated Jay Lucas at 8:25.
5. Xander Seabolt vs. The Kenway. I’ll compare heel Seabolt to Ricky Shane Page, who just had a short run in MLW; he’s bigger in a black singlet. Kenway is young, white, with a good physique. Seabolt stalled on the floor. Kenway hit some punches and was in charge. Kenway set up for a piledriver at 3:30 but a masked man hopped in the ring. The masked man slapped Seabolt, and the ref called for the bell. This was all a setup by the heels.
Xander Seabolt defeated The Kenway via DQ at 3:51.
6) “The Infantry” Shawn Dean and Carlie Bravo vs. “The Lost Brothers” Alexander Lev and The Warden. Lev is white and has a similar look to heel Lexis King. The Warden is Black, tall and thick. The Infantry came out second, ran into the ring, and all four brawled. It immediately spilled to the floor. In the ring, the Infantry hit a team suplex on Lev for a nearfall. The commentators talked about seeing the Infantry grow and develop, as this is their home promotion before joining AEW. The massive Warden entered and worked over Bravo, and the heels kept Carlie in their corner.
Dean got the hot tag at 8:00 and beat up the heels. He hit a Lungblower to Lev’s back. The heels worked over Dean until Carlie got back in at 11:30. He hit a Flatliner on Warden and a Michinoku Driver on Lev for a nearfall. Carlie hit a Shellshock. Warden hit a massive uranage on Carlie. Dean hit a DDT on Warden, and all four were down. The Infantry hit stereo discus forearms. Lev hit a Flatliner for a neafall on Bravo; Bravo’s head got trapped awkwardly on that move. The Infantry hit a Magic Killer team slam, then the Boot Camp running boot-and-Russian leg sweep combo and scored the pin. Good match but I jumped when Bravo landed awkwardly on that Styles Clash; right on cue, the commentators said the same thing.
Shawn Dean and Carlie Bravo defeated Alexander Lev and The Warden at 16:30.
7. “Exotic Youth” Cornelius Pepperbottom and Zach Mosley vs. Gunner Miller and Gary Lamb in a Canton street fight. The EY guys wore black T-shirts and are dressed for a fight. Cornelius has blond hair and light-up glasses that make me think of El Phantasmo. Lamb is older and wore a loose baseball jersey, and based on what they are saying, I think he’s the promoter. Gunner is thick and muscular; he passes ‘the airport test.’ All four brawled at the bell. Miller hit Mosely with a kendo stick several times. He repeatedly struck both heels with a trash can lid. The EY whipped Miller into a ring post.
In the ring, the EY beat up Lamb two-on-one, as Gunner was down in the crowd. Miller got into the ring but the heels beat him up, too. Pretty standard brawl; not bad but not much to describe. The lights suddenly went out at 12:00. “Sabu?” a commentator said. Bryce Cannon was in the ring nd he hit Miller. He pulled Mosley onto the prone Miller for the tainted pin. The commentators said Bryce has been out of action with an injury the bulk of the year. After the bell, Gunner speared Lamb, ripped off his shirt, and stood over him. Some fans began throwing debris at Miller.
Cornelius Pepperbottom and Zach Mosley defeated Gunner Miller and Gary Lamb at 12:33.
Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed the opener and that’s why I tuned in, to see another match with the latest WWE ID signee. The Infantry’s match was good, too, but I can’t stress enough how ugly that landing Bravo took on that Styles Clash. Of the faces new to me, I liked what I saw of Alexander Lev and Jay Lucas.
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