NWA Wrestling Showcase
by SamoaRowe
February 27th 2008
-David Marquez welcomes us to the program. We're going to see a lot of great action, including Rob Conway and TJ Perkins.
-Mark Thompson is standing by with Los Luchas. They are still upset that Nicho El Millionaro cost them the NWA Tag titles last week. Zokre has an idea, and issues a challenge for a eight man tag. It'll be Los Luchas and the Young Bucks vs. Adam Pearce, Nicho, and the Real American Heroes!
NWA National Championship:
Pepper Parks © vs. Sonny Samson
The official rules of the NWA are run down again. This
is a classy touch. This is the first time I've seen
Parks wrestle, even though I've employed him in
countless EWR games. They lock up, and establish the
mood with some posing. Parks works the arm, but Samson
shoves him off. Chops by Parks and a drop-kick. Knee
lift by Samson, who then runs into the boot of Pepper
Parks. Crossbody by Parks for a cover for 2. Samson
takes control, and has lifted up his own shirt for
some reason (the announcers credit this to an attempt
to play mind games in a Cassandro-esque fashion). Bear
hug by Samson. Parks fights out, but runs into a flap
jack. Cover attempts by Samson doesn't work. Samson
argues with the ref and almost gets rolled up for a
loss. Samson regains control and continues to show off
his belly. Mindgames, I guess. Parks smashes Samson's
head into the turnbuckle ten times, causing Samson to
hit the mat Ric Flair-style. Parks goes high risk, but
Samson catches him in mid-air. Lariat by Samson, who
then does a strip tease instead of capitalizing.
Samson misses an elbow drop. Parks hit's a series of
strikes and chops, nails the power slam, and gains a
near fall. Samson reverses a neck breaker into a
butterfly suplex. Samson gains a near fall, the
announcers sell the lack of hooking the leg as the
reason why the match didn't end. Samson plants Parks
on the top rope, but gets shoved off. Parks hits an
off the top neck breaker and picks up the win at 7:59.
The story of the match was that Samson had every
opportunity to win, but kept showboating and making
silly mistakes. Otherwise, this was pretty bland,
*3/4.
Winner and still NWA National Champion: Pepper Parks
Brandon Gatson vs. Tristan Gallo
I don't know who either of these guys are, and the
announcers are slow to introduce either of them. They
exchange wrist-locks for a bit. This transitions into
headlocks and more basic ring work. The guy in blue
gets a deep arm drag. Gallo is finally introduced as
the guy in the red (he's also the Utah Champion).
Gatson hit's a cross body and gets a cover, but Gallo
thumbs the eyes. Okay, we get it, Gallo is a heel.
Clothesline and a cover by Gallo, and one of the
announcers gets upset every time someone goes for a
cover without hooking the leg. Power slam by Gallo and
another close cover. Boot to the gut by Gallo. Gatson
was apparently playing possum, as he hit's a flurry of
shots and gets a close fall of his own. Gallo hit's a
nice reversal on an Irish whip, but Gatson keeps
control. Gatson goes high risk, but Gallo runs up and
hit's the superplex. Gallo remembers to hook the leg
on the cover, but Gatson still kicks out. After some
reversals, Gallo hit's a fireman's carry neck breaker
and wins at 5:56. This was a basic match with some big
moves tossed in, *½. The announcers really need to get
better at remembering that 99% of the viewing audience
doesn't know who these guys are and to give them
proper introductions.
Winner: Tristan Gallo.
Cassidy O'Brien vs. Alkatraz
O'Brien is the guy who did a quick job to Ricky Vega a
few weeks ago. We saw Alkatraz last week, and he
looked good then, so let's see how he does in a
singles match. O'Brien hits some jobber offense on
Alkatraz, who so far has been too slow to catch
O'Brien. Alkatraz hit's a big boot and a suplex.
Alkatraz takes a break to argue with fans in the front
row. Alkatraz returns to the ring in time for O'Brien
to hit a jobber comeback. It is short lived, as
Alkatraz hit's a nasty choke slam and gets the win at
2:04. SQUASH! Too much of the match was Alkatraz vs.
the fans, so DUD.
Winner: Alkatraz
-Mark Thompson is standing by with TJ Perkins. Perkins claims to be the youngest veteran in the business, and he wants to be the NWA Junior Champion. So that puts Mike Quackenbush on notice, he's on borrowed time. His opponent, Rob Conway interrupts and scoffs at Perkins thinking he has a chance against him. Perkins is upset and tries to shove him off, but they are broken up without any further incident.
Rob Conway vs. TJ Perkins
Conway shows off his physique, and seems to want to
wrestle with his sunglasses on. Perkins is not
intimidated, and they lock up. Conway shoves Perkins
into the turnbuckles and poses some more. One of the
announcers sings a wretched, off-key rendition of ?I
wear my sunglasses at night.? Don't make me watch
these shows on mute, man. They lock up again and
Conway goes to work on the wrist. Conway goes for a
press slam, but Perkins escapes. Conway shoves Perkins
down again ruthlessly. Perkins applies a headlock and
grounds Conway. Perkins uses his speed to repeat the
spot and keeps working the head. Perkins blows a
bubble (he's chewing gum!) which matches up with
Conway's sunglasses. I like the personality clash
we're seeing here. Conway tries to shove off Perkins,
but he keeps the side headlock. Conway reverses into a
head scissors. Perkins does a hand stand while trapped
in the head scissors and keeps almost escaping, but
Conway keeps shoving his head back into the hold.
Perkins escapes and keeps hiding his head into
Conway's legs to toy with him! That was fun and
inventive. Conway does an awesome job acting annoyed
with his opponent's antics. Conway fires things up
with a boot to the guy and pummels Perkins. Perkins
does a hand stand in the turnbuckles and kicks the
oncoming Conway. They fight at ringside, and Conway
tosses Perkins into the ring post. Match returns to
the ring, where Conway attempts a cover and resorts to
stomping. Conway tosses Perkins to the floor (which
the announcers put over as being a hard concrete floor
under the flowery carpet). Back in the ring, Conway
poses before continuing his assault on the fallen TJ
Perkins. Conway locks on a figure four leg scissors,
and Perkins is trapped. The referee catches Conway
using the ropes for leverage, which ends that.
Chinlock by Conway. Perkins fights out and hits some
stiff kicks. Conway thinks he's tosses Perkins out,
but turns around and charges and flies through the
ropes himself. Conway returns and runs into a drop toe
hold, and Perkins is in control. Perkins goes high
risk and hit's a missile drop kick. Michinoku Driver
by Perkins for a cover for 2. Enziguri by Perkins and
hit's a flying cross body. Conway rolls through the
cross body and hit's a power slam, earning him the win
at 10:44. This match had the potential to become
awesome before it fell into a television match groove,
but was still very enjoyable, ***.
Winner: Rob Conway
Adam Pearce, The Real American Heroes, and Nicho El
Millionaro (with C. Edward Vanderpyle) vs. The Young
Bucks and Los Luchas
All eight men are in the ring brawling as the bell
rings. Nick Bockwinkle is on commentary! Los Luchas
and the Young Bucks seem to get the advantage in the
early going. Matt Jackson squares off with Pearce, as
they become the established legal men. Jackson does
well keeping up with the NWA Champion, hitting a head
scissors take down and a slap across the face. Nicho
tags and squares off with Matt Jackson, and the pace
quickens. Running leg drop by Nicho, but Jackson comes
back with a back elbow shot. Jackson hit's a head
scissors takedown, and another one on the floor off
the apron! Anderson jumps Jackson at ringside, but
Jackson fights him off and reenters the ring. Nick
Jackson is tagged in, and the Bucks double team Nicho.
Cover by Nick Jackson only gets 2, and Zokre tags in.
Anderson gets a tag and pummels Zokre. Zokre hit's a
springboard moonsault, but gets planted on the top
rope by Anderson. Zokre hit's an off the top head
scissors. Phoenix Star tags, and squares off against
the fresh Joey Ryan. Phoenix Star is quickly shoved
into the heel corner by Ryan, and becomes isolated.
Anderson makes a phantom tag and dominates. The heels
start making quick tags to keep Star isolated. Pearce
tags and hit's a Superfly splash, but can't seem to
pin Star. Ryan and Anderson take turns in the ring,
with Anderson slowing things down with a chinlock.
Phoenix Star breaks out, but gets dropped with a hard
kick and a near fall from Anderson. Nicho tags in and
applies a modified dragon sleeper. Pearce tags in,
hit's a power slam, and cheap shots the Young Bucks
and Zokre. Anderson makes another phantom tag and
tries to unmask Phoenix Star. Zokre won't tolerate
this and tries to make the save. Joey Ryan tags and
continues the attempts to unmask the proud Luchadore.
Pearce tags and applies an abdominal stretch. Ryan
tags in, but Phoenix Star shows signs of life with a
flurry of shots. Ryan nails a drop-kick and Nicho tags
in. The frequent heel tags continues, as a fresh man
keeps coming in to abuse Phoenix Star and tag out.
Phoenix Star hit's a desperate DDT on Pearce and tags
in one of the Jacksons. Both Young Bucks storm the
ring and clean house. Zokre attacks Anderson at
ringside. In the ring, the Bucks double team Joey Ryan
and set up a pinning predicament, but Anderson makes
the save. Chaos takes over as all eight men are doing
battle and the referee can't seem to do anything about
it. The action spills to ringside and the referee
starts counting to 10. The heels are using the steel
barricade to destroy their enemies. Pearce and Matt
Jackson are back in the ring as legal men. Gutbuster
by Pearce, and a tag to Ryan. Jackson is the new
isolated baby face, as the heels resume making quick
tags. Why is it that only heel teams are ever any good
at this concept? And we head to a commercial.
After the break, Ryan is still working over Matt
Jackson with an abdominal stretch. It's exactly what
was going on before the break, so we didn't miss
anything. Jackson breaks out and attempts a cover
instead of going for a tag. He pays for this, as Ryan
regains himself and keeps isolating him. Pearce tags
and applies a camel clutch. Pearce impressively spits
halfway across the ring onto Zokre and the Bucks,
which almost causes a riot. Nicho tags and chokes with
his boot. Matt Jackson mounts a comeback against Joey
Ryan, and drives him into the mat. Los Luchas storm
the ring and double team Joey Ryan with a springboard
leg drop. Phoenix Star botches a springboard, but
Zokre hit's a nice moonsault. Nick Jackson tags while
Los Luchas are double teaming Adam Pearce. Chaos has
returned, as all eight men are battling again. The
baby faces all hit cross bodies off the top to the
floor. That was kind of neat. Nick Jackson and Adam
Pearce are back in the ring, and Jackson nearly pins
the World champion. Vanderpyle breaks up ?More Bang
for your Buck? from the Young Bucks, and Adam Pearce
hit's a piledriver on Nick. That's enough for Pearce
to score the win at 21:32. The match didn't need to go
as long as it did, as the Matt Jackson ?face in peril?
sequence wasn't need, but this was an entertaining
chapter in the feud, ***¼.
Winners: Adam Pearce, Joey Ryan, Karl Anderson, and
Nicho El Millionaro
-After the match, Pearce and his minions celebrate. Nick Jackson is selling the piledriver like it was death. Los Luchas have been robbed of their revenge yet again!
Final Thoughts: The first few matches were disappointing, but things really picked up with Conway/Perkins. The show also found a better groove this week, in that they didn't devote an entire segment to shilling NWA live events, and instead of having more convention footage, they kept things old school by having Nick Bockwinkle on commentary (which was a real delight, by the way). The main storyline is still Pearce and his minions taking over the NWA, with Los Luchas chasing the NWA tag titles, and it continues to be a thrilling story to watch unfold. I really hope they can keep this positive momentum going!
Thumbs up.
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