By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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4th Rope Wrestling “Heels Have Eyes IV: Atlanta”
December 12, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia at
Released February 4, 2025 on YouTube.com
I previously reviewed 4th Rope Wrestling Episode III here.
This promotion is a celebration of hip-hop music and pro wrestling. Matt Rehwoldt and Kazeem Famuyide provided commentary. The lighting and production are stellar; as I noted in my Episode III review, this is on par with watching a TNA taping. Their red canvas with the logo in the center of the mat is really sharp.
* Commissioner MVP welcomed the crowd. He wore a suit but his short hair is more gray than we’re used to seeing.
* Backstage, Mustafa Ali talked about his three-way match.
1. Josh Alexander vs. Kevin Blackwood vs. Mustafa Ali in a three-way. Josh backed Blackwood into a corner and chopped him. Ali hit a head-scissors takedown on Alexander. I don’t know Famuyide but he’s knowledgeable on commentary. Kevin hit a doublestomp on Ali’s chest at 3:00. Blackwood hit a German Suplex on Alexander for a nearfall, but Ali hit a senton to break it up. Ali hit a tornado DDT on Josh, then a dive through the ropes onto Josh. In the ring, Josh got both men on his shoulders and hit a double Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 5:30.
Ali hit a top-rope superplex on Blackwood while standing on Josh’s shoulders, earning a “holy shit!” chant. Nice spot. They traded forearm strikes. Kevin nailed Alexander with some open-hand slaps to the face and a doublestomp. Ali hit a flying stunner for a nearfall. Ali hit a tornado DDT on Josh at 9:30, but he missed a 450 Splash. Kevin hit a Helluva Kick on Josh. Josh applied an anklelock on Kevin. The ref accidentally got in the way; Josh hit a low blow punt kick on Kevin, then the C4 Spike piledriver for the tainted pin. That was a really good match.
Josh Alexander defeated Mustafa Ali and Kevin Blackwood in a three-way at 10:28.
Backstage, Alexander said he doesn’t understand why the fans don’t like him anymore. He boasted that he’s the best wrestler in the world, and he proved it here tonight.
* We saw Jeff Hardy backstage, doing his face makeup.
2. Matt Cardona vs. Cha Cha Charlie. Carona had his phony Internet Champion belt, and he cut a heel promo, ripping on Atlanta, and he’s livid he’s not in the main event. Cardona invoked the name of Curt Hennig and reiterated that “rap is crap.” Charlie danced his way to the ring; he wrestled at Episode III as well. Charlie landed a punch so Cardona rolled to the floor to regroup. Back in the ring, they locked up, but Cha Cha backed off and danced. (He’s essentially No Way Jose in style, but the crowd was into it.) Charlie hit a dive through the ropes at 2:30.
Back in the ring, Cardona took control and he kept Charlie grounded. He whipped Charlie into a corner at 5:30 and celebrated. He put Charlie’s hat on, mockingly danced, and was booed. Charlie got a rollup for a nearfall. Charlie hit a sit-out powerbomb. Cardona hit a Broski Boot in the corner for a nearfall at 8:00. He grabbed his Internet belt, but Charlie hit a DDT, dropping Matt’s head on the belt, for a nearfall. Cardona hit a low blow uppercut and the Radio Silence flying leg drop for the cheap pin. Yes, they did essentially the same finish in two straight matches. Standard match.
Matt Cardona defeated Cha Cha Charlie at 9:38.
Backstage, Cardona was still livid. “You don’t book Matt Cardona against a joke like Cha Cha Charlie. You book Matt Cardona to be in the main event.” He vowed that if he’s not in the main event next time, he’s simply not coming.
* Backstage, a guy said he wants to see Masha Slamovich vs. Tiara James.
3. Masha Slamovich vs. Tiara James. Masha had her TNA Knockouts title belt on her shoulder. Basic standing switches to open, and Tiara rolled to the floor to regroup. In the ring, Masha hit a clothesline at 2:00 and she was fired up. She hit several snapmare takeovers and a stiff kick to the spine, then a running Penalty Kick. Tiara hit a running basement dropkick for a nearfall at 4:00, and she applied a sleeper. Tiara got a series of rollups. Masha hit a second-rope crossbody block at 6:30 and they were both down. Masha hit her Helluva Kick, then a rolling Koppo Kick for a nearfall.
They traded forearm strikes, and Tiara nailed a Lungblower to the back for a nearfall. She put Masha on her back and did some deep squats! They traded rollups. Masha hit a running knee to the side of the head for a nearfall at 9:00. Tiara got a rollup for a nearfall, but the ref saw her feet on the ropes. Masha immediately hit the White Knight Driver (piledriver) for the pin. (Matt called it “Requiem;” is that what TNA calls it?) A really good match; Tiara stepped up here.
Masha Slamovich defeated Tiara James at 10:23.
* Footage aired of the Joe Alonzo-John Wayne Murdoch steel cage match from Episode III, where Alonzo slapped a rap artist. Backstage, Alonzo approached him and told him to keep his hands to himself tonight.
4. Joe Alonzo vs. Joe Hendry. Alonzo came out first; the crowd popped for Hendry. Hendry went to speak, but Alonzo snatched the mic from him. Alonzo said the fans are here to see him, not Hendry; which of course, got plenty of boos. We finally had a bell and a lockup, with Hendry getting a moment to pose, and Alonzo rolled to the floor to regroup. In the ring, Hendry hit a delayed vertical suplex at 2:30. Alonzo choked him in the ropes, and he sang the “I believe in Joe Hendry” song. He hit a snap suplex and he kept Hendry grounded.
Hendry hit some clotheslines at 6:30 and a fallaway slam so he could kip up and pose. Alonzo snapped the throat over the top rope. Hendry hit a pop-up powerbomb for a nearfall. Alonzo hit a Lungblower to the back for a nearfall at 8:30. Hendry set up for the Standing Ovation, but Alonzo avoided it. Hendry caught him and hit a Death Valley Driver. Hendry then hit the Standing Ovation (palm-to-the-sternum slam to the mat) for the pin. Decent match.
Joe Hendry defeated Joe Alonzo at 9:55.
* Backstage, Hendry noted he’s won two straight here, and he wants some gold.
5. Zilla Fatu vs. Real1 (f/k/a Enzo Amore) for the 4th Rope Title. Enzo came out first and did his usual schtick on the mic. (For typing/spellcheck purposes, I will refer to him as ‘Enzo’.) “I’m about to take on the youngest member of the “Bitch Line,” he said. Zilla came out with the title belt around his waist; he beat Moose a month earlier to become the inaugural champion. They locked up and Zilla easily shoved Enzo to the mat. Zilla set up for the Samoan Spike, so Enzo rolled to the floor to stall. In the ring. Enzo tried an Old School tightrope walk, but Zilla grabbed him and powerbombed him at 5:00. Zilla tossed him HIGH in the air and nailed the pop-up Samoan Drop for a nearfall. Wow!
Zilla hit a top-rope superplex for a nearfall and they were both down at 6:30. He hit a frogsplash for a nearfall. They went onto the entrance ramp, and Enzo tossed Zilla face-first onto the ring post at 8:30. Enzo dropped Zilla crotch-first on the guardrail, then he hit a Razor’s Edge onto the thin mat at ringside! In an impressive spot, Enzo dove off the stage and clotheslined Zilla at 11:30. A close-up of Zilla showed he was bleeding from the nose or mouth. We got a “this is awesome!” chant as Enzo waited in the ring; he got a one-count as Zilla crawled back into the ring. Enzo nailed a top-rope flying DDT for a nearfall. Enzo again leapt off the stage, but this time, Zilla caught him with the Samoan Spike to the throat! Zilla rolled him into the ring and got the pin. That match had no right being that entertaining.
Zilla Fatu defeated Real1 to retain the 4th Rope Title at 13:42.
Backstage, we saw Zilla get treated for what I presume was a broken nose.
6. Mike Santana vs. Moose (w/Alisha Edwards). They immediately traded chops and forearm strikes. Santana nailed a flip dive to the floor on Moose that popped the crowd. Moose whipped him into the guardrail. Santana hit a back suplex onto the ring apron at 3:00. They got into the ring, but Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers ran down the ramp, jumped in the ring, and attacked Santana, causing a DQ.
Mike Santana defeated Moose via DQ at 3:22.
* It was a three-on-one beatdown until the unlikely appearance of Kenny King! A beatdown continued until Powerhouse Hobbs ran in and cleared the ring! Commissioner MVP came out and made this now a six-man tag.
7. Kenny King, Mike Santana, and Powerhouse Hobbs vs. “The System” Moose, Brian Myers, and Eddie Edwards (w/Alisha Edwards) in a six-man tag. The heels took time, jawing at the fans. We finally got a bell with Edwards and former faction teammate King locking up, with Edwards knocking him down with a shoulder tackle and jawing at the fans. Santana entered at 2:00 and hit a basement dropkick, and he worked over Myers. Hobbs got a tag and a massive pop, as he stood across from Moose at 4:00! The commentators noted this is the only place you’d see this matchup, as they traded shoulder blocks, and Hobbs eventually knocked Moose down.
Hobbs hit a delayed vertical suplex on Moose. King re-entered and chopped Moose. The heels began working over King and kept him in their corner. Moose raked the back at 8:00 and showed off his fingernails to the crowd. Hobbs finally got a hot tag at 10:00 and he traded punches with Moose and slammed him. They hit simultaneous clotheslines and were both down. Santana and Myers tagged in, and Santana nailed his kip-up stunner for a nearfall at 11:30. Edwards hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on King. King hit a corkscrew plancha to the floor. In the ring, Hobbs fought Myers. Santana hit the Spin The Block clothesline and pinned Myers. That was fun and it was so surreal… just seeing Hobbs locking up with the TNA stars.
Kenny King, Mike Santana, and Powerhouse Hobbs defeated Moose, Brian Myers, and Eddie Edwards at 12:08.
* Backstage, Santana said he always has allies nearby. We then saw the Infantry interviewed. Carlie Bravo said the Infantry doesn’t lose in Georgia. Matt and Jeff Hardy also spoke backstage about the main event.
8. Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy vs. “The Infantry” Carlie Bravo and Shawn Dean (w/Trish Adora) vs. “Violence is Forever” Dominic Garrini and Kevin Ku in a ladder match for the inaugural 4th Rope Tag Team Titles. All six brawled at the bell. Jeff hit Poetry in Motion on Garrini. It was suddenly just the Hardys vs. the Infantry. The Infantry hit a team superplex on the Hardys at 4:00. ViF jumped in the ring with a ladder and stomped on the other four. They both tried climbing the ladder but the Infantry pulled them down and they brawled. The Hardys climbed the ladder at 8:00 but it was tipped over and they fell to the mat.
Adora helped push more ladders in the ring as the Infantry set up a taller ladder at 11:30. Bravo put the ladder over his head and spun it to knock down opponents. Trish hopped in the ring and hit a suplex. Jeff leapt off the top of the ladder onto several guys below at 14:00, and that got a huge pop. He hit a Twist of Fate on Garrini, then one on Dean. Ku tried setting up something with the ladder but it buckled, so the fans taunted him with a “you f—ed up!” chant. The Infantry climbed the ladder; they sure got a lot of babyface hometown hero pops. They powerbombed Ku onto a horizontal ladder at 18:00.
The Infantry again climbed the ladder but ViF knocked Dean off. Garrini and Bravo fought near the top of the ladder, and Carlie got a hand on the belts, but he was yanked down and was slammed onto a horizontal ladder. We got a “This is awesome!” chant. Bravo splashed onto Garrini on a horizontal ladder that was placed between the ring and the guardrail, but it didn’t buckle. Dean crashed onto that ladder! “He’s going to feel that tomorrow,” Kazeem said. Jeff hit a Swanton Bomb. Matt hit a Twist of Fate on Kevin as a chair was around Ku’s neck. The Hardys then climbed the ladder and both pulled down the belts to win the match!
Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy defeated “The Infantry” Shawn Dean and Carlie Bravo and “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini to win the vacant 4th Rope Tag Team Titles at 21:27.
* Backstage, the Hardys celebrated and showed off the new belts, as well as the TNA Tag belts. Matt vowed it was going to be “the year of the Hardys.” Back in the ring, there were some rap artists who sang for the crowd to conclude the show.
Final Thoughts: What an entertaining show. I’ve made the comparison to TNA and that’s definitely accurate… it’s not just Rehwoldt on commentary, or the sheer number of TNA wrestlers on the show. It’s in the quality of the production; how it is lit, the way the ring area looks. It ‘feels’ like a TNA show. The main event was a good ladder match; it felt like they were having a fairly safe, low-key match early on, but we had some big bumps near the end that raised the level of the match. The six-man tag takes second, largely because it felt so surreal to see Hobbs in the middle of that. That three-way opener was really good, Zilla-Enzo topped all reasonable expectations, and Tiara James may have had her best-ever match here against Masha. Rehwoldt is a pro on commentary, and I liked what I heard from Kazeem. Again, this show is free on YouTube. If you watch and like TNA, you need to check this out.
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