As these Hard Times continue in the National Wrestling Alliance on The CW app, some grudges will be settled in the squared circle. One match involves AJ Cazana coming to blows with his cousin Anthony Andrews, and whoever wins will ensure the loser’s team leaves the NWA for good. The other will have Mike Knox and Trevor Murdoch facing The Southern Six in a steel cage match in the main event and you know that’ll be smash-mouth style wrestling.

There is a recap of the Southern Six talking smack ahead of the cage match.

We’ll see later on if their actions can back up their words.

We come to you from the Dothan Civic Center in Dothan, Alabama. Joe Galli and Danny Dealz have the call, and your First Match of the Night is…

Courtesy of the NWA. Credit: Hiban Huerta

The Kidz (Jackson Drake and Lev) vs. The Slimeballz (Sage Chantz and Tommy Rant)

This is a rubber match and the Slimeballz want to avenge their recent loss.  I have to admit, Cahntz and Rant exude a Public Enemy vibe.  They’re just a table and an APA beating away from completing the image.  Drake and Lev are just as good, but The Kidz is just generic.  They’re missing that catchy tag team moniker that will make them stand out, and adding a “Z” does not make one edgy.  In short, that’s so 1990s.

Chantz and Drake start and the Slimeball wants a handshake.  The Carolina Reaper slaps him hard across the mouth, and Chantz responds with a kick to the gut, spits in his hand, and now gets his handshake.  Drake hits a knee strike in the corner, and now The Kidz show off their tag team chemistry with a legsweep/Side Russian Legsweep combo for a two count.  This is a one-sided affair as Drake and Lev don’t let up on Chantz, who is a Slimeball in Peril, and to illustrate that point Drake connects with a springboard moonsault on Chantz for another near fall.  He fights out of the corner and almost gets a tornado DDT on Lev.  He pushes Chantz away to the opposite side, and Rant tags in and he is a Slimeball A’ Blazing.  He catches Drake midair and he shows his power kicking Lev down to the mat and nailing Drake with the Michinoku driver onto his partner. He climbs up the top turnbuckle for a superplex but Drake fights out. Lev comes from behind and lands a sunset flip powerbomb and Drake finishes with a swanton variation, allowing Lev to drape his body to get the pin.

Your Winners via Pinfall:  Lev and Jackson Drake.

Kyle Davis is backstage with Austin Idol on who will leave the NWA in tonight’s Last Call Match.  Davis infers that he could be sent packing, and Idol protests because he never made that agreement, even though Davis says that’s what he signed up for when making the match between Cazana and Andrews tonight.  Idol goes on a rant saying he’s filled arenas and everyone comes to see him.  Yadda yadda yadda, Idol summarizes that the NWA can’t afford to lose him.

Davis now has Chris Silvio, Esq with his client, Blake “Bulletproof” Troop.  Silvio states Troop is getting psyched up for next week’s four-way match for the vacant NWA National title, and he points out the harshest penalties go to the most violent men, and Troop is entering his wheelhouse. All Troop has to say is, “Bang Bang!  Lights Out!”

Short and to the point.

We head back to the ring because it’s time for the…

Courtesy of the NWA. Credit: Hiban Huerta

Last Call Match: Anthony Andrews (with Austin Idol and Zyon) vs. AJ Cazana (with Joe and KC Cazana)

Galli goes over the stipulations of the match:  Whoever wins will decide on the losing team who leaves the NWA for good, and he also mentions that one of the things Idol negotiated was that KC is to be handcuffed to the ring post for his “protection.”  No such issue for Zyon who can move about as he pleases, and KC gets secured despite his protests.

Once that matter with KC is concluded, the bell rings and AJ throws bombs at his traitorous cousin.  Andrews goes out and takes a breather, and that leads to…

Ads (Ahh, my favorite pet peeve.  There’s a time and a place for such ads, and preferably NOT WHEN IT’s AT THE START OF A WRESTLING MATCH.  Oh well, it could be worse.)

We come back and Andrews sends AJ to the steel steps, as Idol directs traffic, and things do not look good for The Country Gentleman.  Andrews sends him back in the ring, and AJ knocks him down with a clothesline and covers for a two count. Andrews goes back on the attack and Zyon cheap shots KC on the outside, and he can’t retaliate while still handcuffed to the post.  AJ is beside himself, and then the action spills out to the floor.  AJ slams The Thoroughbred onto the steel ramp and then throws him back in the ring.  He gets in a three-point stance and rushes, but Andrews blocks and lands The Dead Eye (a codebreaker variant) and covers but gets a count of two.  AJ musters the strength and delivers a running powerslam that gets the decisive three count.

Your Winner via Pinfall:  AJ Cazana

Kyle Davis gets in the ring as The Cazanas gather on who will leave the NWA.  Joe is relishing this moment, as he sticks the mic in Zyon’s, Idol’s, and Andrews’ faces on why they should stay, but he doesn’t give them much time to talk, especially Idol to the delight of my ears and the crowd.  Joe then calls Idol, “a yellow-bellied dog,” and decides to fire Andrews. The Thoroughbred is beside himself as he pleads his case, but Joe Cazana makes his choice and Andrews is sent packing.

We get a video montage of BLK Jeez at Hard Times speaking to the Dothan crowd.  He chronicled his struggles with being diagnosed with multiple myeloma and becoming cancer-free. He was supposed to make an appearance at NWA’s Paranoia but was involved in a carjacking where he got shot.  He tells everyone he fought back to be in the ring once again, and states he has returned to the NWA roster and The Church’s Money is back.

I gotta say, it’s great to see him back and on his feet.  I just wish we got more, but I understand that without a pay-per-view, content for The CW needs to take some precedent.

Now it’s time for the Main Event and it’s a…

Courtesy of the NWA. Credit: Hiban Huerta

Steel Cage Match: Mike Knox and Trevor Murdoch vs. The Southern Six (Alex Taylor and Kerry Morton, with Ricky Morton)

Galli lets the fans know the match can only be won by escaping the cage and despite all the rage, I won’t be singing that song because it’s a little too on the nose.

  You know the song I’m talking about.

Anyway, the door closes and the bell rings and Kerry and Taylor stand their ground…for five seconds before they decide to turn tail and scramble up the chain link.  Knox and Murdoch bring them back down and they have their way with The Southern Six.  They go to opposite corners and whip The Six into each other, but they pull a doe-see-doh back to Knox and Murdoch to a double slam.  They bounce Kerry and Taylor off the steel, and Taylor tries to escape again.  Murdoch battles up top and sends him down hard to the mat and nails an impressive crossbody.  Knox follows suit with a crossbody of his own to match his tag team partner.

Knox and Murdoch go after Kerry, and Ricky throws a powder from the outside to blind both men. Now The Southern Six are in control for the first time and they give a double Russian Legsweep to Murdoch. Taylor connects with a tornado DDT to Knox, and he comes up limping.  There is another attempt to climb out of the cage, and Knox grabs both men.  He sets up for a double superplex, but Taylor wriggles out to do a powerbomb on the big man.  Murdoch spinebusters Kerry and starts to head out the door, but Ricky slams it into his face.  Murdoch is holding his face, and then Ricky slips in a belt to use on Knox and Murdoch, who is busted open (as evidenced by The CW going to black-and-white instead of, y’know, actually seeing blood.  Thus, we get to my second pet peeve.  *Sigh!*). 

Kerry and Taylor use the belt to choke out Murdoch, but then Eric Smalls makes a beeline to the ring and he lands a low…er, lower blow to Ricky right in his Rock n’ Roll Express.  Smalls climbs up top of the cage and dives onto the Six and the fans are hot for the action. Now Rolando runs out and slams Smalls into the cage to settle the score from the Spectacular loss a few weeks ago. Murdoch is battered and bloodied and the Six attempt to use their high/low finisher.  Murdoch ducks, and then he and Knox show how the finisher is done with precision on Taylor.  Knox adds the cherry on top with a spinning side slam. Ricky tries to block the door again but Murdoch powers through and he gets out of the cage.

Your Winners:  Trevor Murdoch and Mike Knox

Knox and Murdoch celebrate alongside Smalls as The Southern Six lay in a heap in the steel cage as the show goes to the credits.

NWA POWERRR: 04/30/2024
4

Final Thoughts:

 

All quibbles aside from the black-and-white, the steel cage match was the best part of the main event.  This is the second time the NWA has utilized this type of match in the Lightning One era, and it is good that they use it so sparingly to highlight the action inside the cage.

Anthony Andrews, we hardly knew ye, but I got a feeling Idol and company won’t let that slide with the Cazanas.  I almost wanted The Slimeballz to win…almost.  Maybe there can be a contest down the road where they and The Kidz decide who keeps the “Z.”

I kid, of course.  But we’ll see you next Tuesday for the Hard Times finale from The CW.