Live from Thunder Studios in Long Beach, CA. and we get the full introduction of the show this time. No weird glitches like the last episode on Fite.tv where the picture was cut for minutes on end (however, as I discovered interestingly enough over the weekend, the Spanish broadcast of that same show was not affected the same way. Go figure, huh?). Anyhoo, we get promos by “Platinum” Max Caster, Jesse James, Christi Jaynes, Miranda Alize, JR Kratos, Mike Bennett, and puppet Zickey Dice. I am not making that last part up. At first, I thought I chugged my beer the wrong way where my medulla oblongata was channeling my inner Muppet Show. That was not the case as the camera pulls back to reveal Zickey is pulling the strings on his own puppet. Before I wander down this “Outlandish” rabbit hole, whaddya say we get to the match?
Once again, your ring commentators this evening are Todd Keneley, James Kincaid, and Blake “Bulletproof” Troop, and they have the call.
First Match: Jesse James vs. “Platinum” Max Caster
This was originally supposed to be Manders in this matchup, but for whatever reason was replaced by James. Test of strength to start the match looks to favor The Western Roughneck Jesse James, but pretty soon it’s all Caster. During the match, James evoked memories in me of a younger James Bradshaw Layfield before becoming JBL, but I digress. Caster’s offense has him targeting James’ arm to take away his lariat finisher. At one point, Caster goes for the Mic Drop, but James stops him. This is where the Layfield comparisons really hit home, as James methodically breaks down Caster; focuses on his neck/back. James with a half Camel Clutch hold, but unable to sink it in to Caster, who manages to get out with a quick cutter to the Roughneck. As Bulletproof says during the match that Caster has the “skills to pay the bills” and lands the Mic Drop, but gets a two count. Caster back to James’ arm, and tries to trap it in a submission, but James manages to crawl to the ropes to break the hold. James gets back in control, and lights up “Platinum” Caster in the corner with chops. End has James land the lariat on Caster, but instead Caster escapes and gets a roll up on James and that’s enough for a pin.
Your Winner Via Pinfall: “Platinum” Max Caster
Next we get your participants for the UWN World Championship tournament, and boy these were deserving picks. Among the names were Peter Avalon, Mike Bennett, “Dirty Daddy” Chris Dickinson, Karl Fredericks, Erick Redbeard ( The Artist Formerly Known As Erik Rowan, erstwhile of the Wyatt Family), Fred Rosser, Davey Boy Smith, Jr., and Watts. Next episode will have Avalon vs. Dickinson to start the tournament, and I’m curious if this will finally be enough competition for Dickinson to handle (the author asked himself, with tongue firmly in cheek)? For now, let’s head back to the ring where the women have the next match.
Miranda Alize vs. Christi Jaynes
Jaynes recently has been on AEW Dark matches on YouTube, and the Brazilian Wonder Woman has a big test against her in Alize. Match starts with both women trading move for move. Neither one gets the advantage, but tons of attitude from both. Move of the match has Jaynes go for a rope-assisted arm drag to Alize that looked like the timing was off and nearly slipped. Alize is dazed, and Jaynes then goes for a sunset flip, followed then a capoeira kick, but get a two count. Jaynes again tries for high risk moves up top on the ropes, but Alize trips up Jaynes in the ropes and then slam her down to the mat. Now Alize has got momentum on her side and tries a drop kick, but gets a two count as well. Jaynes tries for her signature Boa Noite (which means “good night” in Portuguese. Thank the Gods for Google Translate) fireman’s carry to a knee neckbreaker, but Alize escapes and hits a high knee lift, and it still gets her a two count. Alize then send Jaynes to the corner, hits a nasty looking facewash, and then traps Jaynes’ fingers in the turnbuckle hooks and smashes them with her foot. Jaynes writhes in pain, and Alize capitalizes with a running knee. Still not enough to knock out Jaynes, who reverses in to a double stomp in the corner to send Alize to the middle of the ring. Jaynes attempts (and again, nearly slips) a quebrada/Lionsault to Alize, but only gets the two count. Jaynes finally hits the Boa Noite, and then goes up top for La Estrella moonsault, but misses Alize. Alize then delivers her Drive By (Shining Wizard) finisher to Jaynes, and that’s all she wrote.
Winner Via Pinfall: Miranda Alize
We head backstage, where Dave Marquez in back with Da Pope, and Pope has a lot to say. He doesn’t trust Zickey like “60 year olds don’t trust their farts”, which, let’s face it, he’s not wrong. But as far as Dice is concerned he’s like a tree planted by the water, and “by God I will not be moved!” Nice that Pope evoked a little Captain America in that promo there.
Next, it’s John Roberts interviewing Mike Bennett, who’s a little more than pissed off that he didn’t get the Ten Pounds of Gold when he faced Nick Aldis, but he keeps getting better. Now with the UWN tournament, he finds himself facing Davey Boy Smith, Jr., and he’s looking to get better by facing the best, and wants to be perceived as the best. While he admits he might not be ready for Davey Boy now, but he will be better after he faces Kratos
We get another look at the UWN World Title Brackets, which in the upcoming weeks will have the aforementioned Avalon vs. Dickinson match next week, then it shows Watts vs. Redbeard, Fredericks vs. Rosser, and then Bennett vs. Smith. I’m really curious to see how far each of the competitors will advance during this tournament. But that is a subject for another time, because now we have…
UWN Tag Team Championship: SoCal Distancing (C) (Adrian Quest & Andy Brown) vs. Friendship Farm (Gentleman Jervis & Sweet Robin Shaw)
Commentators note that Sweet Robin is wearing singlet and long pants to show he and Jervis are more focused on this match than ever since the belts are on the line. SoCal tries to jump the Friendship Farm, but they aren’t having any of that nonsense. Sweet Robin takes it to Quest, uses his size to keep him grounded and not use his high-flying offense. Tag to Jervis, and Friendship Farm deliver a double elbow, but just a two count. It looks like SoCal is going to buy the Farm (pun intended) but a blind tag to Brown and then SoCal hit the short superkick to a prone Jervis, and that gets SoCal a Two Count. With Brown in control and isolating Jervis in the corner, it looks the Friendship is doomed. A quick tag brings back Sweet Robin, and move of this match had SoCal attempt a double suplex, but Robin reverses them and sends each man to a corner. Sweet Robin Then corner splashes each man in their respective corner, who drop to a heap in the middle, followed by a big splash to both men, but just a two count for all that trouble. End has all four men in the ring, but SoCal finally gets Sweet Robin out of the ring, where Adrian Quest hits a 450 splash onto Robin on the ramp outside. With Jervis isolated from his partner, Brown catches him with the C.O.D> (rolling cutter) followed by a flying forearm, and Jervis is out for one, two, three.
Your Winners and Still Tag Team Champions: SoCal Distancing
Next up, we have….
Mike Bennet vs. JR Kratos
Before anyone can ask “What in the name of God of War?”, this match is just Kratos in the driver’s seat, delivering one power move after another, and Bennett is just bumping around the ring like a pinball machine. Kratos is just a powerhouse, at one point launching Bennett from one end of the ring to the other via suplex. This should lay out any other man, but not Mike Bennett. No, sir, he has something still to prove, as the commentators kept pointing out. Bennett with a slaps to the big man’s face, but Kratos just swats him down. Bennett tries everything, but the veteran manages to hit the behemoth on the outside ramp with a DVD. Bennett rolls back in the ring, followed by Kratos. Bennett goes for the pin, but comes up with a two count. Both tried to outdo the other (Kratos with a clothesline, Bennett with a suplex/brainbuster), but each get the two count. End has Bennett finally getting the upper hand with a superkick, followed by a spear, and then gets Kratos into his Hail Mary (Full of Pain) piledriver, and that takes out Kratos finally!
Your Winner Via Pinfall: Mike Bennett
Keneley hypes up next week’s show which will have Thunder Rosa defending the NWA Women’s Title against Serena Deeb, along with the UWN World Championship tournament match, and we’ll have more Tag Team action in The Bodega vs Money Bro$. That’s something to look forward to, but right now, let’s head back to the ring for….
Your Main Event for the NWA Television Title: Zickey Dice (C) vs. Da Pope
One thing to mention regarding the rules to the Television title match is that the contest will be fought under a 6:05 time limit, so Pope has to win before the timer counts down. I like that they still kept that rule, and I’m curious if they’ll continue with other rules for the belt like defending it seven times successfully will grant you a shot at the Ten Pounds of Gold? Guess we will wait and see, I suppose. The other thought I had was there was still 22 minutes left into a show that had that time limit. I began to think they were really going to milk the boxing-style intros just to cover the time. In any case, Da Pope comes out to his intro music, but faster than you can say “Pope is Pimpin'”, he gets Pearl Harbored by Dice from behind. I should be more upset by this, but hey….no boxing-style ring intros by Adnan Kureishy this time. Meanwhile, Dice is laying it into Pope, even throwing him on a table that doesn’t break. Pope is just crumpled up, and refs are now coming out to see to Da Pope and keep Dice at bay. Dice is just happy as a clam as his handiwork, and gets on the mic. He calls out “the Pumpkin King” Billy Corgan himself, but he figures that he is doing one of two things, “either on IG LIVE talking to middle aged women no one cares about. Or two, writing the worst Smashing Pumpkins record of all time!” (Author’s Note: I have to agree with Zickey on this one. The Smashing Pumpkins’ last best record was “Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness”, and I dare anybody to say otherwise. You can email me if you think I’m wrong….but we all know that’s not the case. Anyway, enough ranting from me).
Back to the ring, Dice is still on the mic just talking up a storm, with Pope is still being tending to by refs and personnel from the back. Dice says they’ll be no TV Title Match, his contract ends on New Year’s Eve (all the while calling out the “dirt sheets” for getting the facts wrong about him being fired), jaw jacking with the commentators, saying he was 230 days into his reign and might take the title elsewhere. Yes, Virginia, this was “douchenozzlery” at its finest by the Outlandish One. Pope managed to finally crawl back into the ring, but he is just wobbling about. Dice is all cocky and says let’s start the match if that’s what Pope wants. Bell rings, and the time counts down in the corner, and the match is all Zickey Dice, with Pope without no hope of winning. Three minutes tick by, and Dice catches Pope in a sleeper hold to take more time of the clock. Pope escapes but Dice gets Pope in a slam, but can’t put Pope away. Pope begins to Hulk up (errr….Pimp up, maybe?), and then catches Dice in three German suplexes, followed by a Big Elbow from the top, but no Dice…literally. Dice gets to a corner, and gets the ref in front of him. Dice then shoves the ref in front of Dice, who gets turned around allowing Dice to hit Da Pope below the belt in Da Popes (so to speak). Dice ready to put away Pope with the Snake Rattle & Roll, but Pope wiggles out of the finisher, and send Dice to the corner. Pope lowers the Kneepads to drives the Elijah Express to Dice, and then it’s one, two, and three with twelve seconds left on the clock!
Your Winner and New NWA World Television Champion: Da Pope
After the match an emotional Pope thanks the men and women in wrestling, the NWA, and those fighting during the pandemic. He cuts a promo about living in Uncertainty, which echoes Dusty Rhodes’ “Hard Times” promo of yesteryear, but Pope said he would go on to honor those who have carried the belt like Rhodes, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and “Stunning” Steve Austin before him.
Final Thoughts on Episode 6:
The beginning Match with James/Caster was a hard sell me, more for James than for Caster. Caster is really starting to grow on me each time he’s in the ring. As for the Women’s match, it was solid but what took me out of it was the unbalanced rope moves by Jaynes that could have had bigger consequences were she not so careful. The tag team title match was ok, and had the steak, but I didn’t feel any of the sizzle that Friendship Farm were the one to take the straps away from SoCal Distancing. But what did keep me entertained was the UWN World Title bracket and the wrestlers who will be competing for the belt, as well as The Bennett/Kratos match that makes Bennett look like a man ready to give it his all for a chance at the top. The NWA Television Title match, definitely had the sizzle, and Zickey Dice just proves every time in the ring or on the mic that he is a magnificent “douchenozzle” of a man who gave Pope a run for his money. As for Da Pope, well…Da Pope is always pimpin’, as the kids say. Overall, this was a solid effort, but the last two matches make the show worth the $7.99 price tag.
