Welcome to 2022, and it’s time to step Into The Fire with some great wrestling with the National Wrestling Alliance.  It’s a new year and it has some new violence, and what a way to start the year, that isn’t exercise or a diet regime.  Oh, and don’t get me started with a Peloton.


The show starts with a cold open with May Valentine with Big Strong Mims over his loss to Mike Know Last weeks, and…well, let’s have him explain:

“You know, it feels bad because it’s a loss. I take a lot of losses hard, but typically I bounce back.  But this one’s a little bit special. Because I didn’t just lose; I had an emotional victory. Because what happened that match was I came to defend the honor of not just Da Pope, and get well soon Pope, but also Trevor Murdoch, because I was there [at] By Any Means Necessary. I saw exactly what Mike Knox did, and it put a sour taste in my mouth and I couldn’t let that stand. And then after that pay per view at Hard Times 2, I definitely couldn’t let that stand. That was the last straw for me.

“So I have the emotional victory of saying “Hey, I’m not just gonna defend Trevor. I’m not just going to defend Pope I’m going to also defend the NWA. I’m gonna defend this locker room full of my brothers and sisters here that stand for all types of things of professional wrestling!”  The one thing we don’t stand for, especially me… I do not stand for this disrespect. Matt Cardona, Mike Knox; they came in here, and they disrespected the NWA. They disrespected all of us, and whether anybody else stepped up. It didn’t matter. I was gonna be the first one there. Big Strong Mims was gonna be the first person there to step up and say, “Hey, we don’t take that here!” And I’ll be damned…I’ll be absolutely damned if I let that ride! So, yeah, I came in there with a plan. And unfortunately, the end result was a loss. But next time it might not be the same. For anybody else thinking the exact same thing. I guarantee you we won’t just be me stepping up. It’ll be my brothers and sisters stepping up to knock you back down. So whether it’s Mike Knox, Fort Knox, Megabloks; whatever it is!   Matt Cardona, sipping Corona… whatever it is. Just know that we here at the end of the day, we’re a family we defend ourselves. And that’s exactly what we’ll do every time.”

Ladies and Gentlemen.  Big Strong Mims has arrived, and I expect big things in the new year from him.


And we are at the GPB Studios in Atlanta, GA.  Joe Galli, Tim Storm, and Velvet Sky have the call, and the fans are ready for action

We head first to Kyle Davis at The Podium with the Rude Dudes, El Rudo and Jamie Stanley.. Rudo claims we will be chanting, “Rude Dudes!”, and Stanley notes (not the first not the last time) that Davis is a nerd, and they will be bashing nerds going forward. So let’s start with your First Match of the night as a…


Courtesy of the NWA

NWA Junior Heavyweight Title Tournament: Miguel Robles vs. Jeremiah Plunkett vs. “That Dude” Jamie Stanley vs. Alex Taylor


There are plugs aplenty for the new NWA USA show coming up this week on YouTube to highlight the Junior Heavyweights, and this is the just another appetizer for the main course.  The match has Stanley preening like a peacock, and pie faces Plunkett, and it devolves to a Pier Eight brawl.  Plunkett cracks The Jawline of Stanley, but Robles and Taylor send Stanley out of the ring.  Plunkett goes back and forth with Taylor, and then he sends Plunkett to the outside.  To quote the movie Black Widow, Stanley is such a poser during the match, but the fans respond by chanting “That Dude Sucks,” as he bows out of the ring to be tended by El Rudo.  The end has Taylor nail a Superkick to Robles, but a fireman’s carry by Taylor to Plunkett turns to a claw in the face, and that gets transitioned to a DDT by Plunkett for a two count.  Back in, Robles tries to go up top with Plunkett, but he reverses it to spinebuster, but Stanley pushes him off to pin with one foot.

Your Winner via Pinfall (with one foot):  Jamie Stanley


We go back to The Podium with Kyle Davis, and he’s with Kratos and Aron Stevens.  Stevens says that if you want to see failure to the audience, you should look in a mirror.  All of a sudden, we get JTG and Dirty Dango to come out, and Dango shushes Stevens. JTG states that they want gold, and they wants the challenge. Dango (in a creepy whisper voice) notes that The Dirty Sexy Boys wants to fight.  While Galli and Storm are trying to figure out what happened, Sky needs a moment to compose herself.


That’s a good a time as any to focus on a small vignette on Hawx Aerie, as Luke Hawx faces his son, P.J, next week for NWA USA in the Junior Heavyweight tournament.


Austin Idol is now at commentary, and Velvet Sky asks what some body in the audience was thinking:  Why did we go from Dirty Sexy Boys to this?  All that is explained in the ring as we get a…


Handicap Match:  Cyon vs.  Jordan Clearwater and Marshe Rockett (with BLK Jeez )


Looks like this is a challenge that Idol set up for the masked man to challenge again for the NWA Television title.  Cyon starts to takes both men out, but the numbers game takes effect by Rockett and Clearwater.  No more is this match evident, as Rockett and Clearwater do a Bro Hug headlock, but Cyon fires back and gets Clearwater with a neckbreaker for a two count.  Cyon then gets Clearwater with a powerbomb to a Boston Leg Crab (or a Walls of Cyon ™, if you will), but Rockett breaks the hold.  Cyon nails Clearwater with a DVD, but Rockett nails with the Rockett Kick to get the Pin and the win.

Your Winners via Pinfall:  Marshe Rockett and Jordan Clearwater

During the match, Idol and Sky were bickering constantly about the action at commentary.  But the reason I am not annoyed by it?  It made sense for that context and that’s how it should have been done from the start of the hate/hate exchange at commentary.  But, for now, it works, and I’m a happy camper.

After the match, Tyrus is with Kyle Davis at The Podium, and says no one makes a deal with Austin Idol. ‘Nuff Said!


May Valentine is backstage with Austin Idol and Tyrus asking what the hell?  Tyrus simply says Cyon made a bad deal, and he lost. He’s back to bottom of mountain, and he’ll be on top. Idol says this was a learning experience, and he learned a hard lesion.


Joining at The Podium is Missa Kate, with Kamille.  Kamille tells Kyle Davis that she is a star and doesn’t share the spotlight…except with Thom Latimer. Missa says she will win, and would love for a chance at The Burke (shocking) but she wants to face another Chicagoan in Kylie Rae.  She wants fans to cheer…as she knocks her Chiclets down her throat.  Okay, so no respect in this match, as we get…


Courtesy of the NWA

Missa Kate and Kamille vs. Kylie Rae and Tootie Lynn


Kate and Rae start, and it’s a nice back and forth, but Smiley Kylie is on top and outwrestles Kate.  No Chiclets missed there.  But pretty soon, it’s some nice tag team chemistry by Rae and the Little Blue Dragon, but Kate puts a stop to that.  Rae goes for a tag, but…nah, Kamille ain’t having it.  From there, it’s Kamille versus Tootie Lynn, and as the Brickhouse walks away, Lynn goes to a sleeper hold, and then she takes the match seriously.  Kylie tags in, but soon she is a Smiley in Peril.  Kate and Kamille get some tag team action going on Kylie, but a jawbreaker to Kamille breaks up the action, along with body shots, and she gets the Brickhouse in a crossface, but Kamille powers up to a back drop.  Finally Rae gets the Hot Tag to Tootie Lynn, and she becomes a Little Blue Dragon en Fuego.  She gets a head scissors to Kate to an armbar, and Kamille breaks up the submission.  Then, Lynn hits with a super kick, and Rae gets Kate to a crossface to tap out, and it’s a win for Smiley Dragons.

Your Winners via Pinfall:  Tootie Lynn and Kylie Rae

After the match, Kamille is giving the bad mouth to Kate, so, you know that will end well down the road…


Backstage again with May Valentine, and this time she has Nick Aldis, IMPACT Knockouts Champion Mickie James and the former “Crimson”, Anthony Mayweather. Aldis notes that the USA is the land of opportunity, and he’ll be coming by as an ambassador of the NWA USA show on YouTube.  James is looking forward to teaming with Kiera Hogan and the opportunity they have to get the Women’s tags team belts, and she likes two belts.  As for Mayweather, he is an extended member of the Aldis family and the focus is on the new NWA USA show.


We go back to The Podium, and Colby Corino is with The Fixers who have him on their shoulders, giving the bad mouth to The OGK. Taven on the mic says he loves Corino’s dad, and wants to know why aligned with ugliest Melvins ever (kids, you can Google “Melvins” as an insult to see why that’s so bad). Taven wants a match with “Wreck Balls” so…well…


Matt Taven vs. “Wrecking Ball” Legurtsky


Match is a nice back and forth, with Taven’s speed versus Legurtsky’s bulk.  Taven goes for a neck breaker to a Lionsault for a two count.  Taven gets The Climax signature move, and goes up top for a frog splash that misses. Legurtsky gets a slam for a close two count, and gets the OGK to the top turnbuckle, but Taven reverses it for a sunset powerbomb for the three count.

Your Winner via Pinfall:  Matt Taven


May Valentine is now with Jennacide, and she is done with Paola Blaze. She states she is Taryn Terrell’s problem now. So yeah, good luck to her.


Kyle Davis is at The Podium with Mike Knox and Matt Cardona. Cardona says he’s here to help and save the NWA. He wants to call it the MATT CARDONA WRESTLING ALLIANCE. Cardona reminisces on watching back in the days, and noting it was boring… and it hasn’t changed since. It’s time for a change, and he wants intro music for everyone (which he has a point.  It doesn’t happen except for the PPV’s), and Cardona is here to save everyone…including Trevor Murdoch. He wants to bring relevancy to title… so don’t boo him. Thank him.  Yeah.  Good Luck with that.

And for something different, here’s…


Courtesy of the NWA

Natalya Markova vs. Paola Blaze (with Taryn Terrell)


Markova is just straight pummeling Blaze, and…what does my nose detect?  Oh, right!  This is a squash match, so enjoy this Russian Squash spread for your next meal.

The match ends with a Beautiful Disaster (roundhouse kick to the corner) to end the match.

Your Winner via Pinfall:  Natalya Markova


Backstage again with May Valentine, who’s with Chris Adonis and Thom Latimer.  They talk NWA USA, and Adonis mentions there will be a focus on the NWA National title on the show. Well, that checks off a New Year’s resolution for 2022 for me.

But let’s get ready for the Main Event, which has…


Courtesy of the NWA

The End (Parrow and OdinSon) and Jax Dane vs. La Rebelión (Bestia 666 and MechaWolf)


This is a straight up pier six brawl, but the bell hasn’t ring, but The End and Dane manage a triple super collider to start.  Homicide gets isolated, and there is a splash in the corner by Parrow as OdinSon and Dane hold him in place, and *now* the bell rings   For the majority of the match, this is a Homicide En Peril, and The End try to finish things with a fireman’s carry to a senton but La Rebellion breaks the count.  Homicide gets the hot tag to MechaWolf and he is a Rebelión en Fuego.  From there, it’s simply lucha-rific tag team action, but Dane puts a stop to that, and he double stacks La Rebelión for a Samoan Drop but Homicide breaks the count.  La Rebelión hits stereo tope suicidas outside the ring.  Then it’s Homicide and Parrow in the ring, and Homicide can’t do the Cop Killer finisher, but gets a cutter for Parrow to cover for one, two, and three.

Your Winner via Pinfall:  La Rebelión and Homicide

 

 

3.5

Final Thoughts:

Just straight bell-to-bell action.  Nothing more or less.  Lot of emphasis on the NWA USA show this January 8th, which I’ll be covering this Saturday.  But as an amuse bouche of violence, not a bad way t start the new year.

So expect more, and see you in seven days!