Samhain is usually marked in the Gaelic tradition as the start of the darker half of winter. The National Wrestling Alliance marks this as a pay-per-view full of monsters, tricks, and treats in the form of title belts.
The big event will be Thom Latimer cashing in an opportunity to take on EC3 for the Ten Pounds of Gold, with his wife Kamille in his corner as an Insurance Policy. Can the King of All Evil take the NWA Heavyweight belt from The Overman?
We’ll find out later tonight, as the show starts with the…
Pre-Show
We come to you from TempleLive at the Cleveland Masonic in Cleveland, OH. Joe Galli, a returning Tim Storm, and Danny Dealz have the call as we start with…
Manbun Jesus Vs. Brandon Day (with Towel Boy Tommy)
Both men are part of the Exodus Pro roster that is under the NWA banner. Outside of the fact that there were “Pararanormal Pandas” by ringside, Day gets a short arm clothesline to end the match.
Your Winner via Pinfall: Brandon Day
After the match, Jay Bradley comes out and clotheslines the Towel Boy of the Unchained King, and puts on an Exodus Pro shirt to signal he wants to face him down the road
We get another video played before on Aron Stevens guiding Blunt Force Trauma to victory.
Now, Billy Corgan announced that Stevens apparently will not be at ringside during this match. We’ll see if that’s the case.
Kyle Davis is in the Ring with Zyon, the Outrunners, and Austin Idol. Idol says Davis sucks and everything sucks, including being on a preshow sucks. Oh, and YouTube sucks. So the next match is…
Jordan Clearwater and The Country Gentlemen (AJ Cazana and KC Cazana) (with Joe Cazana) vs. Zyon and The Outrunners (Truth Magnum and Turbo Floyd) (with Austin Idol)
Clearwater and the Cazanas have control until KC gets in trouble with Zyon and The Outrunners. Once he gets the hot tag to Clearwater, the Golden Boy comes out with a full head of steam. He gets a neckbreaker/DDT combo on The Outrunners, then a spinebuster by AJ on Magnum allows KC to end it with the pin.
Your Winners via Pinfall: Jordan Clearwater and The Country Gentlemen
Zyon attacks after the match and locks in a Z-Clutch to Clearwater, and Idol knocks out Papa Cazana. Yeah, things are far from settled.
May Valentine is back in the NWA and she is backstage with The Southern Six and Pretty Empowered. The girls wish us a pretty Halloween. As doer Morton and Taylor, they face The Headbangers and Mason will be successful against Chris Adonis and keep “The Natty.” ‘Cause and when you’re hot, you’re hot. And when you’re not…they leave Pretty empowered hanging. Heh.
Your Next match is between…
Samantha Starr vs. Missa Kate vs. Tiffany Nieves vs. Chelsea
This is a four-way match to determine the number one contender for the NWA World Women’s Championship. It looks like the former “Celeste” is going by her real name and the radio personality turned wrestler is getting love from Cleveland. Kate comes out in Joker makeup because it is the season. Starr and Nieves jaw jack but Chelsea goes straight at her for her chicanery at the last Exodus Pro show. Chelsea goes for a backflip but pulls up short as it looks like she rolled her ankle and Nieves clotheslines her from the back. The match is mostly Kate, Nieves, and Starr, and the third generational Starr ends it with the Starstruck DDT on Kate.
Your Winner via Pinfall: Samantha Starr
We get a Violent J promo on what to expect in a Riddlebox match with La Rebelion facing his Brothers of Funstruction tonight.
Valentine talks to Vampiro on Violent J, and he says their feud is gonna be done tonight and he’s coming for him
and the last match of the pre-show is a title match for the…
NWA United States Tag Team Championship: Daisy Kill and Talos (c) vs. The Immortals (Kratos and Odinson)
The Immortals just toy with Kill until Kratos suplexes him across the ring to tag Talos. The big man works over Kratos and he is an Immortal in Peril. As Kill comes in Kratos clotheslines him and gets the hot tag to Odinson and he is an Asgardian en Fuego. He goes for a corner splash but Talos pulls Kill out of the way. At one point Kratos gets back in and he knocks the giant down on the apron and suplexes him back in the ring. As they set up a double team, Talos comes to, and Odinson launches with an Asgardian uppercut to the floor and Kratos delivers the KTG (a swinging facebuster like the Sister Abigail finisher) to get the win, so therefore…
Your Winners, And New NWA US Tag Team Champions: The Immortals
Quite the upset win for the Pre-show
That leads to EC3 cutting a promo on how the Main Event will be a No Limits match.
Valentine is now speaking with Thom Latimer on Kamille being in his corner. He states the importance of her being an insurance policy and emphasizes that the person that can control her is Kamille.
With that, we head to…
The Show
Now that it’s Samhain, we gotta have a Wyytch to kick things off as Kyle Davis gives us the Master of Ceremonies, Father James Mitchell. He’s with his Sinnettes, and raises a toast to the Cleveland crowd and says let the carnage begin.
Father James Mitchell with his Sinnettes kicks offf NWA Samhain.
And the official First Match of the Samhain PPV is a…
Devil’s Last Dance Ultimate Hardcore War: Judais, Max the Impaler, Alex Misery, and Magic Inc. (Cody James and “Magic” Jake Dumas) (with CJ and Father James Mitchell) vs. Sal the Pal, Gaagz the Gymp, Koa Laxamana, and Magnum Muscle (Dak Draper and Mims) (with Kallies)
If Sal and Gaagz’s team loses, they will be forever indentured to Mitchell. There’s a lot to process, as this Team War matches must have a pin, submission, or an over-the-top-rope elimination. Also, there are costumes as CJ is in Poison Ivy gear and Laxamana and Kallies give out orange and black Halloween leis that light up to the fans at ringside.
As the bell rings, this is a good time to start an…
(Author’s Note: Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Frankenstein…they’re just a bunch of wimps. Max is a true monster.)
Draper manages to get Max sent out and then CJ comes in for a huracanrana and Misery takes over. The Mile High Magnum tosses him out, and James comes into the fray. He uses a cane on his back and pins Draper. Now Laxamana is in, he sends him out under the rope. James dives over the top but as Cleveland points out, he f’ed up and got himself eliminated. CJ and Dumas come in and they deliver stereo DDTs to Kallies and Laxamana and they’re both gone. As the Magic Bastard takes a swig from a flask, Mims comes in and Dumas spits the whiskey in his face. He puffs on a cigarette and goes to the Television champ, but Mims turns it around and burns it on his tongue. A Big Strong Slam later and he’s gone. Max is back in to distract and Mims dodges their attack but Judais comes in and powers through Television Champ. He attempts a jackknife powerbomb and Mims reverses to a rollup for a pin. Now Max is officially in the ring and they eliminate Mims, and then Gaagz comes at the Warrior of the Wasteland with plunder. He steps up an ironing board in the corner and uses a kendo stick on their back but Max tackles him into the ironing board and clotheslines to a pin. That leaves Sal and Max destroys him with a chain-wrapped arm for a clothesline and Gaagz is demolished with the Welcome to the Wasteland.
Your Winners of Team War: Judais, Max the Impaler, Alex Misery, and Magic Inc.
Sal and Gaagz are now back in Father James Mitchell’s Miserably Faithful group and let evil ensure, or something.
As things settle, Galli lets us know that the upcoming PPV, Hard Times, will take place in the new year of 2024. So, stay tuned for more details.
Next, we have a….
Loser Leaves NWA Match: Brady Pierce vs. Rush Freeman
Rolando is the special guest referee and he comes out in Shawn Michaels-inspired ref gear, but…y’know, smaller.
Rush takes it to his former tag partner but Rolando breaks it up as he promises to call it down the middle. Pierce ducks out and then gets Rush with a backbreaker on the ring apron edge and goes back in to cover for a two count. Things aren’t looking good for Rush, and then Rolando pulls Pierce aside and he calls it down the middle….of his crotch with a low blow. He gets Rush set for a cover and slaps on the mat for one, two…
The music hits and Matt Cardona is back. He gives a steel chair to Rush and Rolando. Pierce approves until Cardona kicks him in the crotch, drapes Rush’s arm over Pierce, and uses Rolando to make the three count.
I guess it’s official that…
Your Winner via Pinfall: Rush Freeman
So long, Pierce. We (literally) hardly knew ya.
Cardona gets on the mic and gets Cleveland to hail Deathmatch King, but he rhetorically asks how can you have a hardcore match without him. He claims he should be in the main event, even though he respects EC3 and Latimer…kind of. He calls Latimer the “biggest bitch in the NWA,” and EC3 and Cleveland sucks, according to him. Cardona states he is not the real champ…he is. Then he calls out the boss, and NWA Owner William Patrick Corgan comes out. He is heated and mulls over Cardona’s suggestion about being in the main event with both men. Corgan realizes its what he wants, and the people want it, and he says to Cardona…go to hell. Cardona grabs the chair, and Corgan backs off until Kamille appears and spears him and is laid out with a chair.
NWA Owner William Patrick Corgan has words with Matt Cardona at NWA Samhain.
May Valentine is with EC3 on his thoughts on being in the main event in front of his home crowd. So, let’s have The Overman talk a bit:
“I feel great. Cleveland, Ohio. The city I was born and bred. The city I became well-read. Cleveland, Ohio; a city with prestige, honor, and dignity. Cleveland, Ohio where great wrestlers heralded from. Cleveland, Ohio; where champions are made put me in that pantheon. Put me next to Jim Brown, put me next to LeBron, put me next to Craig Ehlo and Mark Price. Put me next to Sandy Alomar, Albert Belle, Carlos Vallerta; put me next to each and every legend that has hailed from this city because I stand here and I am not Cavalier about it.
That Dog Pound is in me. I am Cleveland’s Guardian as the NWA heavyweight champion. I will guard this title. I will guard this city against a great intruder [and] that name is Thom Latimer. Thom Latimer, people wouldn’t once call Cleveland a mistake on the lake. The only mistake is the one you’ve made for one year. I have dragged and drawn the demons out of you and the best you have is your wife. Women weaken knees. You’ve chosen your love. I have chosen mine and with the inclusion of Matt Cardona, now I feel there will be a mistake made. One thing remains certain. I, EC3, I put the C-L-E in EC3. [I] will stand here, retain as The Overman and the NWA world’s champion.”
So let’s head to the ring for another title match and it is for the…
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship: Colby Corino (c) vs. Joe Alonzo
This is a “Pillar to Post” match, which is another way of saying a No Holds Barred match. At one point, Alonoz gets Davis to call out that he is the “King of Old School” referencing Corino’s dad. Right away Corino brawls with Alonzo and it is a heated, ugly match, as he nails the Corino Crush. He dives over the ropes and Alonzo connects with a dropkick to knock the wind out of the champ, and he follows by giving him a slam on the apron edge. Alonzo attempts a piledriver, but Corino reverses into a backdrop on the apron edge. Back in the ring, Alonzo sends him face first into the ring post. Corino is showing crimson and he follows with double axe handles from the top to the floor. They fight up to the stage and Corino tosses him off to the floor and he follows with a somersault press on Alonzo. Now they brawl in the Cleveland crowd and Alonzo goes to the next tier level and attempts a suplex that gets blocked, but Corino reverses and he is thrown to the waiting hands of security. Corino does a stage dive but Alonzo gets out of the way. He covers for a two count and then takes a minute to sit in the Samhain throne but Corino comes back with a trash can and then chokes Alonzo with a plastic bag.
Joe Alonzo relaxes during his NWA Junior Heavyweight match with Colby Corino at the Samhain PPV.
Corino delivers the DDT that ends it, so therefore…
Your Winner, and Still NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion: Colby Corino
Now for some good old-fashioned rock and roll as the next match is…
The Southern Six (Kerry Morton and Alex Taylor) vs. The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher)
So this is billed as a “Rock ‘n’ Roll” tag team match, whereby if you don’t get the three count, you have to take a shot. All sorts of bartenders are at ringside with shots aplenty. This leads me to an…
(Author’s Rant: Look, NWA. If I inspired this match, I thank you. But please give me some credit next time, eh?)
Fans love The Headbangers and faster than you can say, “Attitude Era” they start the drinking. Morton refuses as a good Christian boy (sigh) and Headbangers pour it down his throat. I mean, how else is he gonna learn?
Mosh covers for two and takes a shot, then Thrasher tries for two and he downs a shot. Taylor comes in and covers for a one count and takes two shots and spits it in Thrasher’s face. Soon The Southern Six make Thrasher a Headbanger in Peril, until he escapes and gets the hot tag to Mosh and he goes like it’s a mosh pit at a Metallica concert. Taylor goes up top and Thrasher pushes him off into the ring crew, and then he stage dives on them all. Mosh sets up in the corner, and Morton trips him up and covers as he gets his feet on the ropes for the three count.
Your Winners via Pinfall: Kerry Morton and Alex Taylor
Taylor is in the ring with Mosh and offers a drink with Headbangers. They slam their shots and Mosh beats him down and The Headbangers give Taylor the Stage Dive to Cleveland’s delight. As Galli pointed out, “They lost the match but won the bar fight.”
The Sinister Minister is checking in and having lots of fun. He’s tipsy, but having fun.
The people who aren’t having fun for the next match is…
Jax Dane vs. Blake “Bulletproof” Troop (with Chris Silvio, Esq.)
The stipulation here is this is a submission match, and that is the only way to win. Dane has his Trapped City, but Troop is skilled in various MMA submissions.
Blake “Bulletproof” troop and Chris Silvio, Esq.
Right away this match, to quote Todd Keneley, is going to the land of the big uglies with a German suplex by Troop, but The Dane Event keeps coming back. He launches the Bulletproof one with his own suplexes and tackles in the corner, but Troop comes back with a guillotine choke. Dane picks him up and nails a Samoan drop and attempts for Trapped City, and Troop heads out of the ring. He comes back in and Dane slams him hard to the mat. Troop switches for a triangle choke but Dane rolls out of the ring. Troop is in control throughout and Silvio interjects as well. Troop goes for a sleeper and brings him back to the mat. Dane is fading as the ref drops his hand twice. On the third attempt, Dane comes back and deadlifts Troop on his shoulders to land the electric chair for a nasty drop. He goes for Trapped City and Troop reverses to his Figure Four variation. Silvio tries to interfere but Dane pulls him in and then reverses the hold so Troop can break it off. He pops the trunk and now Dane locks in Trapped City as Troop taps out
Your Winner via Submission: Jax Dane
Valentine is backstage with Ruthie Jay on facing Kenzie Paige for The Burke. She is prepared for the opportunity and everyone will see tonight why she is the Five Star Athlete of the NWA.
Speaking of Pretty things, here’s your next match…
NWA World Women’s Tag Team Championship: Pretty Empowered (Ella Envy and Kylie Paige) (c) vs. Natalia Markova and Taylor Rising
Markova and Rising go in costume as Harley Quinn and The Joker, respectively. Envy and Kylie have that Hocus Pocus witch look which, let’s face it, is a bit on the nose for them. There is a little pose-off between the teams until Markova knocks Envy off. Rising tags in and she and Kylie tussle until she and Markova get a double suplex, but a distraction by Envy and Kylie allows Pretty Empowered to attack Markova from behind and she is in peril. Markova gets a cutter on Envy and a hot tag to Rising and she is putting a smile on Cleveland’s face with her offense on Envy and Kylie. They land stereo missile dropkick on Kylie and Envy to cover and Envy breaks the count. There is some miscommunication that sends Markova out and Kylie delivers Code Kylie to Rising for the pin and the win.
Your Winners via Pinfall: Pretty Empowered
But there’s more title action and this match is for the…
NWA National Heavyweight Championship: “Thrillbilly” Silas Mason (c)(with Ricky Morton) vs. Chris Adonis
This is billed as a “Burning Lake Brawl”, which is a fancy way of saying “street fight” that must end in the ring by pinfall or submission. Mason starts strong on ‘Sexy Jesus’ and he tries to lock his Masterlock submission right away, but Big Daddy Thrill escapes the ring and Adonis dropkicks him into the guardrails. Mason returns in kind and then crotches Adonis on said guardrails and goes for a suplex on the bare wooden floor. Adonis reverses the move on Mason, and then they go back in the ring as he nails the National Champion with a pop-up powerbomb for a two count. He signals for the Masterlock but Mason counters with a high back body drop into a powerbomb for a two. Mason is bleeding from the nose and mouth but finally delivers Adonis a Thrillride for the three count.
Your Winner, and Still NWA National Champion: “Thrillbilly” Silas Mason
Now for more tricks this Halloween weekend, it’s…
Violent J and The Brothers of Funstruction (Yabo and Ruffo the Clown) vs. Vampiro and La Rebelión (Bestia 666 and Mecha Wolf, with Jerry Other)
You’re probably asking, “What in the name of The Misfits” is Other doing in the ring? My answer is: Who knows and who cares? This is a “RiddleBox” six-man tag team match, which will be under Texas Tornado-style rules.
As the match is underway Ruffo opens a box that comes with a slingshot, but it’s defective. The second box contains lightsabers, and La Rebelion uses them to beat down Ruffo. They go to a big box that they feel has more hardware only to find it’s full of balloons. Whoops.
The Brothers get ahold of a box with rubber chickens and they beat La Rebelion with it, which prompts Storm to say, “They’re choking the chicken.” I cannot unhear that. Next box has tee shirts and toys that they toss to the Cleveland crowd. Violent J gets in the mix as he connects Vamp with a clothesline to a pin, but LaRebelion breaks the count. The next box La Rebelion opens is a snare drum with drumsticks and a drum solo by Mecha on Yabo and Ruffo’s face is better than anything by Keith Moon (tell me when I’m telling lies). Now Jerry Other nails a trashcan lid on the clowns and La Rebelion for the Mark of the Beast but Ruffo throws Bestia off the top rope.
Yabo and Ruffo come back with a sidewalk slam/leg drop combo and get another big box with a jack-o-lantern. Before it gets used, Yabo gets misted and Mecha and Bestia place the pumpkin on Ruffo’s head. They nail stereo knees to smash the pumpkin (get it? Eh? Smashing Pumpkins. Huh?) Now they get a pie and Mecha preps it while Other holds Yabo in place. The clown dodges and Mecha hits it in Other’s face, and Yabo explodes a ballon in Bestia’s face. Yabo looks in the next box that’s full of popcorn, but Mecha knees him in the face and finds another bag in the popcorn full of thumbtacks. He shoves a handful of tacks and popcorn in his mouth as Vamp shoves off Yabo and he and Violent J face each other, but the Insane Clown Posse member gets the upper hand with the Nail in the Coffin on the tacks and popcorn for the win.
Your Winners via Pinfall: Violent J and The Brothers of Funstruction
As we check back with the Master of Ceremonies, Father James Mitchell is having more fun now that some powder has been introduced, and let’s say Sal is feeling those effects as well. One thing’s for certain, you won’t see that on WWE.
The next match is another title bout, and it is for the…
NWA World Women’s Championship: Kenzie Paige (c) vs. Ruthie Jay
The match goes back and forth between the combatants. Paige pie faces the challenger and Jay comes back with a suplex into a front facebuster. That leads to double knees but a pump kick by Paige slows the pace. Jay attempts some near falls but Paige stays on top. They both battle it out until roundhouse kicks from both women at the same time drop them to the mat. Jay nails Chaos Theory to cover for a count of one, then Paige fires back with the sling blade for a two count. A Michinoku driver by Jay gives her another two count, and she goes up the top turnbuckle for a high-risk maneuver and a diving stomp misses the mark. Paige comes back with a superkick on Jay for a close two count and her Kenzie Cutter gets blocked for Jay to hit the Stardust move. She goes up top for a frog splash that misses and Paige delivers the Kenzie Cutter to retain.
Your Winner, and Still NWA Women’s World Champion: Kenzie Paige
As we get set up for the next match, the NWA goes all out with the medieval theme with a wizard, two Templar knights, a little person named Eric Smalls as the court jester, and May Valentine comes out as “May Marion.”
May Valentine enjoying the medieval times at NWA Samhain PPV
This leads up to the next match for the…
NWA World Tag Team Championship: Blunt Force Trauma (Carnage and Damage) (c) vs. Mike Knox and Trevor Murdoch
This is a “Knights of the Round Table” match, whereby to get the win the team must put their opponent through a round table. Also, before this match, Corgan announced on social media that Aron Stevens was to be banned from ringside, so Blunt Force Trauma is without their ace.
There was a point as the intros were being made that my Internet feed started to lag (I blame Xfinity and everything else but me for that). When the feed returns, Knox and Murdoch are in control until Knox is isolated by Blunt Force Trauma as they place him in Peril. However, Murdoch and Knox double choke slam Carnage through a table but the match continues since it’s a rectangular table, not a round table. There are table spots aplenty as BFT does an assisted powerbomb through a table but still continues since, again, shapes matter. Even the crowd gets in on the act chanting, “That’s Not Round! That’s Not Round!” At one point, Eric Smalls comes down from the stage and low blows Murdoch and pulls out a mini square table. Murdoch gives the little guy a big boot and obliterates him on the small structure. Then, Knox and Murdoch nail the high/low to Damage on the ring apron through a table but the match still continues because…yup. It’s not round. Carnage and Murdoch battle up the stage and Knox soon joins the fray. They finally spy a round table down at the bottom of the stage, but one of the knights attack and BFT get Knox with a double choke slam to a round table and that means…
Your Winners, and Still NWA World Tag Team Champions: Blunt Force Trauma
The Knight takes off his visor and we soon see it’s Aron Stevens in disguise.
Aron Stevens in a knight costume with Blunt Force Trauma.
Valentine sees this and gets in her ex-fiancee’s face as he runs away from her.
We finally come to the Main Event and this is for the…
NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship: EC3 (c) vs. Thom Latimer (with Kamille)
This is a No Limits match for the Ten Pounds of Gold, and we see Latimer in “Macho Man” Randy Savage gear with Kamille as Elizabeth. So, that makes him the Macho King of all Evil.
Once the bell rings, they do a staredown, and then EC3 and Latimer slug away. The Overman nails a Thesz press to Latimer and he scampers away to Kamille to rethink his strategy. He gets back in the ring and goes for a piledriver and EC3 heads out and lays the badmouth on Kamille. Back in the ring, EC3 lights him up with chops until Latimer connects with a clothesline to the back of his neck and then measures his beatings on The Overman focusing on the neck of the champ. EC3 comes back with an STO and throws him out of the ring. Kamille has a steel chair and slams it into EC3 as he goes for a dive. Latimer takes full advantage and he feels victory is close at hand. He grabs another chair and gives it to Kamille. She runs down The Overman as Latimer talks to commentary for a second when they ask the King of All Evil why she is fighting his battle. Latimer simply responds, “Happy wife, happy life, mate.”
He goes back in with a neckbreaker, but EC3 comes back with the hat trick of German suplexes. Latimer fights back and continues to work on the neck of the champ, and then he channels his inner “Macho Man” as he climbs the top turnbuckle but EC3 cuts him off and connects with a superplex. He attempts the One Percenter and Latimer throws him into the middle turnbuckles to stun the champ. He props him up on the top turnbuckle and Latimer nails him with an avalanche backdrop suplex. EC3 dumps him outside and then follows with a dive. Once again, both men battle it out and they hit double clotheslines on each other as they fall on the wooden floor. Latimer attempts a piledriver on the champ, but EC3 backdrops him. Now Latimer gets another chair with “CLE” written on it and drives it on his back and neck. Then EC3 pushes Latimer to Kamille and throws the chair in his face. All of a sudden Cardona gets in the ring and attempts the Reboot to Kamille in the corner, but Latimer dives and shields his wife from the attack. As he’s stunned, EC# delivers a double underhook piledriver and covers for one, two, and three.
Your Winner, and Still NWA Heavyweight Champion: EC3
After the match, Cardona talks to EC3, claiming he never lost the belt and he owes him a match.
Matt Cardona talks to EC3 about the Ten Pounds of Gold.
As Latimer and Kamille leave the ring dejected by the loss, EC Sits at the Sanhain throne content with his title defense as the show closes.
COVER PHOTO: EC3 sits on the Samhain throne after his title defense at NWA Samhain.
Final Thoughts:
This was a great PPV, and the Cleveland energy fed into the matches. EC3/Latimer was great and Cardona inserting himself into the title picture will hopefully lead to more big matches down the road. BFT/Knox and Murdoch also added another layer to the tag team picture, and Stevens proved he would find a way for his team to win.
Until then, see ya this Tuesday for NWA POWERRR.