By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Scenic City Invitational (Night One)
Replay available via IndependentWrestling.TV
July 18, 2025, in Red Bank, Tennessee, at TWE Arena
This is a two-day, 16-man tournament, and I’m a sucker for tournaments. We have Vinnie Massaro from the West Coast; we have Mortar and Channing Thomas from New England, and we have top-tier wrestlers from across the South. This was held in the TWE Arena, which looks like an underground fallout bunker. The ring is lit well while the fans are in the shadows. Attendance is probably 200, and I don’t doubt it’s a sellout.
1. 1 Called Manders and Jaden Newman vs. Adam Priest and Erron Wade. This is the only non-tournament match of the show. Priest and Manders opened, and Adam rolled to the floor. The commentators noted these two have fought across multiple promotions in the past year. Jaden and Wade got in. Wade bodyslammed Jaden on the floor. In the ring, Priest put Manders in a Figure Four at 5:30, and the heels worked over Manders. Manders dropped Wade gut-first across the top rope.
Jaden made a hot tag, and he hit a tornado DDT on Priest for a nearfall at 8:00, but Adam got a foot on the ropes. Manders hit a second-rope Bulldog Powerslam, and Jaden hit a flying elbow drop for a nearfall, but Wade made the save. Wade hit some roundhouse kicks on Manders. Manders hit a hard clothesline, then a second one, for a nearfall at 10:00, but Priest made the save. Priest hit a DDT on Jaden. However, Manders immediately hit a hard clothesline on Priest for the pin. Solid opener.
1 Called Manders and Jaden Newman defeated Adam Priest and Erron Wade at 11:40.
2. Channing Thomas (w/Sidney Bakabella) vs. Vinnie Massaro in a first-round match. Channing has turned babyface in multiple New England promotions, but he’s a heel here (and if Sidney is with him, he’s definitely a heel!) Sidney got on the mic and called Channing “the No. 1 seed” of the tournament. I always compare Massaro to Hugh Morrus, with his big gut under that singlet. (I noted this when this matchup was announced, but these guys are from opposite coasts and may have never even shared a locker room before. That’s what makes tournaments like this so cool.)
An intense lockup to open. Massaro hit a bodyslam at 2:00, and Channing rolled to the floor to regroup. In the ring, Vinnie twisted the left arm and was in control. Sidney grabbed Vinny’s ankle, and it allowed Channing to seize control. Channing hit a neckbreaker at 6:00. Channing avoided a Snoring Elbow (discus forearm) and hit a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall. Massaro hit a T-Bone Suplex for a nearfall at 8:30. Massaro went for a suplex, but Bakabella reached in and grabbed the ankle, and Channing collapsed on top of Vinnie for the pin. Solid opener.
Channing Thomas defeated Vinnie Massaro at 9:19 to advance.
* Massaro threatened to hit Bakabella, but instead yanked down his pants, slammed him and left.
3. “Divebomb” Diego Hill vs. Terry Yaki in a first-round match. I’m a big fan of both of these guys. Hill is from the Virginia/North Carolina indy scene, and Yaki is from Georgia, so I presumed they’ve locked up before; I’ll look that up later. A handshake at the bell. The commentators said it’s stunning that this is Yaki’s first appearance in this tournament. Quick reversals, they both missed dropkicks, and had a standoff. They are roughly the same height and weight, and the commentators noted how they were mirroring each other. I’m loving this. Diego hit a doublestomp to the back, and Yaki rolled to the floor to regroup. Diego dove onto him at 2:00; Yaki immediately hit his own dive.
Yaki hit a DDT onto the ring apron. They got up and traded punches and forearm strikes. Diego nailed a shotgun dropkick, then a flying kick into the corner, then a basement dropkick for a nearfall at 6:00. Yaki hooked both arms and hit a powerbomb for a nearfall. He hit a Canadian Destroyer-type move out of the ropes for a nearfall. Terry hit a pump kick. Diego hit a Lethal Injection at 8:00. Diego hit a spin kick to the head for the pin! While I wanted Diego to win, I actually expected Yaki to advance. Diego sold an ankle injury, and the commentators wondered if it would be an issue on Saturday.
Diego Hill defeated Terry Yaki at 8:24 to advance.
4. Hunter Drake vs. Bojack in a first-round match. Hunter is like a scrawny Matt Riddle; he might be half the weight of the massive Bojack. Hunter’s a heel here, and he stalled on the floor. (Hey, I wouldn’t want to lock up with the 350-pound monster, either!) Bojack finally went to the floor at 2:30 and hit some chops, then more in the ring. Bojack hit a running splash into the corner, a bodyslam, then a massive senton at 4:00; a commentator said it was like a bug hitting a windshield. Bojack got knocked down on the floor; he rolled back in but Drake immediately stomped on him. Drake hit a standing moonsault at 5:30.
Bojack caught him coming in and slammed him. He hit a backbreaker over his knee and a swinging Flatliner, then a German Suplex. Bojack hit an Alabama Slam, a buckle bomb, and a suplex for a nearfall at 8:00. Drake hit a low blow. He did his “Purple Haze” finisher where he stood on Bojack’s back, dropped down, and hit a Code Red for the tainted pin. Disappointing that Bojack is out in the first round. (I was hoping for another Diego-Bojack classic!)
Hunter Drake defeated Bojack at 8:33 to advance.
5. Kody Manhorn vs. Colby Corino in a first-round match. Kody is really short but a scrappy fighter; I don’t think I’ve seen him wrestle this calendar year, but I have in the past. I’ll compare him to long-haired Cody Deaner. Colby is still just 28; as the commentators noted, he had his first matches when he was 12! (And for those who know their history, he slugged Masato Tanaka when he was maybe 8!) They shook hands at the bell, and as expected, Corino has the height and a visible muscle mass advantage. They tied up on the mat early on. Kody targeted the left arm. Colby hit his inverted senton for a nearfall at 4:00. Kody went back to twisting the left arm.
Colby hit a spike DDT/brainbuster move. Kody hit a Poison Rana; Colby popped up and immediately hit a running knee to the back of the head and they were both down at 7:00. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees, then while standing. Colby hit a standing powerbomb and a piledriver for a believable nearfall. Colby hit his version of a One-Winged Angel but Kody popped up at the one count! Colby nailed a spin kick to the ear. Kody hit a second-rope Frankensteiner, then a German Suplex for a nearfall at 9:30. Kody hit a running thudding headbutt, then a second one! Colby hit a superkick, and a second One-Winged Angel move for the pin. Good action.
Colby Corino defeated Kody Manhorn at 10:38 to advance.
* Colby got on the mic and talked about how he had drug problems in the past, and Kody saved him. A deeply personal story. They hugged afterwards.
* To my surprise, intermission wasn’t edited out.
6. Brett Ison vs. Kasey Owens in a first-round match. I know Ison has been around for a while, but I’m sure I’ve seen fewer of his matches than anyone else in this field; he’s big, thick, and bald and gives off Lesnar vibes. Kasey is a mix of Joey Janela and Jimmy Lloyd. They stood across from each other, and Ison is much taller and heavier. They traded forearm strikes early on. Brett hit a clothesline in the corner and a running Facewash kick. They brawled to the floor, and Brett accidentally punched a pillar at 2:30.
In the ring, Kasey tied up the left arm and targeted it and keeping Brett grounded. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees at 7:00 and Ison hit some headbutts. Brett hit a sliding forearm strike, and they were both down. Kasey hit two running headbutts and a running knee for a nearfall at 8:30. Kasey tied him in a submission hold on the mat, and Ison passed out! The commentators were shocked by this outcome.
Kasey Owens defeated Brett Ison at 9:23 to advance.
7. Mortar vs. Mad Dog Conelly in a first-round match. This should be a war! Mortar has competed in a lot of main events recently in the Northeast, and Connelly has been fighting dog collar matches across the country, too. Ref Gina is back in the ring (she was ref in the Channing match too, and I’m presuming she drove here with Channing, Sidney, and Mortar.) They immediately brawled and traded chops. (The ring did move when Mortar hit the ropes.) Mortar hit a flying splash for a nearfall. Mortar dove through the ropes, and he did a slingshot to send Connelly into a pillar at 3:30, and they kept brawling at ringside.
They got on the ring apron and traded chops. Connelly hit a Gotch-style Piledriver on the apron at 5:00! In the ring, Connelly hit a top-rope flying headbutt for a nearfall. Mortar hit a second-rope twisting suplex, then a Lionsault for a nearfall at 7:00. He hit a short-arm clothesline but he missed a moonsault. Connelly immediately did his finisher submission hold, where he hangs his opponent along his back, and Mortar frantically tapped out. Good brawl. Connelly shook his hand, but then hit a spinning back fist.
Mad Dog Connelly defeated Mortar at 8:47 to advance.
8. Gary Jay vs. Jamesen Shook in a first-round match. Redheads collide! I always describe Gary as a red-headed version of Brodie Lee, while Shook looks like a young Sami Zayn. A lockup and a feeling-out process early on. They traded chops. They went to the floor, where Shook hit a Death Valley Driver onto chairs at 3:00!! (These are hard chairs, not metal, folding chairs!) He rolled Gary into the ring and got a nearfall.
Jay hit a top-rope doublestomp to the head at 5:00. Gary hit a dive through the ropes. In the ring, Shook went for a springboard move, but Jay hit a forearm to the back for a nearfall at 6:30. Shook hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. They got up and traded chops and forearm strikes, and Shook went down. Shook hit a third Death Valley Driver for the pin! A really good brawl for the time given. The commentators thought it was an upset, but I figured Jamesen would win.
Jamesen Shook defeated Gary Jay at 8:49.
9. Krule vs. Tim Bosby (w/Dylan Hales) in a first-round match. Mat-based Bosby is another guy on my list of guys to watch, and he wore his amateur-style singlet. He stalled in the ropes, then went to the floor. In the ring, Krule threw a kick to the back. Krule set up for a dive to the floor, but Bosby cut him off with a forearm strike, then he hit a DDT to the floor at 3:00. Krule repeatedly shoved Bosby’s head into a pillar near the ring. In the ring, Krule hit some running clotheslines into the corner. Bosby hit a spear into the corner, then a belly-to-belly suplex at 7:00, and he switched to an ankle lock.
Back on the floor, Bosby hit an F5 into the pillar. Krule climbed back into the ring at 9:30 to avoid the count-out. Bosby peppered him with jab punches. Tim again went to the ankle lock, but Krule got to the ropes Krule grabbed Dylan Hales and yanked him into the ring, too! Krule lunged at Hales but accidentally struck the ref at 12:00! Bosby immediately hit some punches. He struck Krule in the back of the head with a loaded backpack. He hit an F5 Slam for a believable nearfall.
Bosby hit a second F5 faceplant slam. Krule applied a Triangle Choke, but Hales yanked the ref to the floor. The ref didn’t see Bosby tapping out! The ref slapped Hales. Krule dove to the floor on Bosby, Hales, and the ref! Bosby hit a third F5! Ref Gina ran into the ring at 14:30 and began counting down both men. They got up, and Bosby hit a series of chops. Krule avoided a fourth F5, and he hit a chokeslam and a faceplant move for the pin!
Krule defeated Tim Bosby at 16:04 to advance.
Final Thoughts: A really entertaining night one. I really liked Diego-Yaki for best, Jay-Shook for second, and the main event for third. Colby-Kody topped my expectations for honorable mention. I didn’t like seeing the small, slender Hunter Drake beat Bojack, but I loved just about everything else here.
The tournament continues Saturday night. If I heard correctly, there will be four second-round matches, then a four-way elimination match. The second-round matches will be: Hunter Drake vs. Diego Hill, Kasey Owens vs. Colby Corino, Channing Thomas vs. Mad Dog Connelly, and Krule vs. Jamesen Shook.
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