In the main event, the current NWA World Heavyweight Champion Thom Latimer will defend the “The Ten Pounds of Gold” against his bitter rival, EC3. The Overman proclaimed in a recent interview that this was all going according to his plan and that he was invoking a rematch. Is EC3 going to be an overlord against Latimer in the National Wrestling Alliance or will the King of All Evil be triumphant?

We will find out later tonight in the main event but first, there is a tribute to Jax Dane, who passed away over the holidays if you didn’t get to read the obituary. Joe Galli narrates the life of Jeremy Laymon, the most decorated wrestler in the Lightning One Era of the NWA.

Then we get a promo leading up to the Main Event.  What was posted earlier on “X” is different than what was played, but it does tease something about what this match means to both men and how important the Ten Pounds of Gold is in the NWA.

We come to you at the end of 2024 at the WEDU PBS Studios in Tampa, FL. Joe Galli, Billy Corgan, and Danny Dealz have the call, and your First Match of the Night is for the…

Courtesy of the NWA.

NWA World Tag Team Championship: Trevor Murdoch and Mike Knox (with Eric Smalls)(c) vs. Blunt Force Trauma (Carnage and Damage, with Aron Stevens)

Before this match, Stevens demanded Knox and Murdoch’s close friend Eric Smalls be in a shark cage to prevent interference.  As Smalls goes into the cage (which for his size might as well be a dog kennel, but let’s play along for this bit), Knox and Murdoch stay focused as they deal with the real sharks in Blunt Force Trauma.  

Murdoch and Damage kick this off the match and they go tit for tat and hold for hold, while Stevens teases Smalls locked in the cage.  Then it’s Knox and Carnage who come into the squared circle and he and Murdoch isolate him in the corner and utilize their tag chemistry to produce their season beatings on the masked men.  Finally, Carnage shoves Knox into his corner and The big man tries to fight his way out until he gets a huge slam by Carnage.  As Knox becomes an Outlaw in Peril, Stevens continues his taunting of Smalls until…

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We come back and Knox is still isolated from Murdoch while Stevens splits time between directing his clients and taunting Smalls.  Carnage locks in with a nerve hold but Knox fights out and nails a running crossbody to create separation.  He crawls and manages the hot tag to Murdoch and he is a Captain Badass en Fuego.  From there, it becomes chaos as Knox connects with a pop-up powerbomb to Carnage only to be taken down by Damage.  As he admires his handiwork, Murdoch comes up the top rope and connects with his signature flying bulldog on the masked man, but before he can cover for the pin, Stevens gets on the apron and clocks him with his loaded glove.

Meanwhile, Rolando and Slade come out from the back and accost the ref standing guard at Small’s cage. That allows them to get the keys so that he can lay on some Spectacular revenge against the Half Pint Punk.  Rolando and Smalls come to blows (which is like watching two chihuahuas get into a row, but I digress), and things don’t look good until a big fella (and I do mean “Big” with a capital “B”) who Galli points out is called Sam Stackhouse breaks it up to save Smalls.  He tosses Rolando to the ring, and Smalls finishes things up as he gives him a medium-sized BME.  Stackhouse follows suit and faster than you can say “Bam Bam Bigelow” he treats Rolando with his own moonsault.   Knox comes back in the ring and proceeds to military press Rolando and tosses him out of the ring to Stevens, Slade, and Damage down below.  Back in the ring, Knox and Murdoch get back on the game plan and Carnage is waylaid by the high/low to get the pin and the win.

Your Winners, And Still NWA World Tag Team Champions:  Mike Knox and Trevor Murdoch

After the match, Knox grabs Stevens and Murdoch clocks him with a beautiful haymaker.  They proceed to stuff him into the mini shark cage, and (as Galli would say) the fans are treated to Stevens getting hoisted by his own petard.

May Valentine was backstage earlier with EC3 on facing Latimer for his rematch for the Ten Pounds of Gold, and here’s what the OverMan had to say…

EC3 (right) talks to May Valentine about how he inspired Thom Latimer. Courtesy of the NWA via “X”

“Thom Latimer proved himself right. Thom Latimer proved everybody who’s believed in him right. Thom Latimer proved me right. They say Rome wasn’t built in a day, but Thom Latimer was built by the OverMan, because if it was not for me, Thom, you would not become who you’re supposed to be.

What it took was for me to get inside your head.  What it took was for me to beat you down. What it took was for me to defeat you time and time and time again; to suffer so you can overcome and here you are standing the NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, the most prestigious championship in wrestling lore. But as you have that championship, know this: the balance of power remains the same, because though you are the champion, are you a leader?

No.

Leaders inspire courage. Leaders fight the odds. Leaders stand tall and declare in one voice that if you do fight EC3, you’re going to fight an army.”

Again, the cryptic speech suggests some doings are a’transpiring.

So let’s get to The Main Event, and it is for the…

Courtesy of the NWA.

NWA World Heavyweight Championship: Thom Latimer(c) vs. EC3

EC3 enters and there is a look in his eye that suggests something is amiss in the mind of the Overman.  Latimer comes out to new music and a mesh vest with the dual flags of England and America emblazoned.  Kyle Davis is in the ring to deliver the boxing-style intros to both men.  Once Latimer displays the belt over his head, EC3 spears him to knock the champ down.

The ref asked Latimer if he’s okay to continue, and the Derbyshire native was fired up at EC3’s shenanigans.  The bell rings and EC3 goes to town with a series of German suplexes and then the One Percenter to end it in one, two…no dice.  Latimer is rocked and EC3 now connects with a TKOverman but still can’t put The King of All Evil away.  He sends the Overman out of the ring and finally gets the vest off.  As EC3 gets back in the squared circle, Latimer gets a boot to his midsection and drills him with the DDT.  He then proceeds to whip his to the various corner posts and mounts with punches.  On the last set of punches, he goes for a powerbomb but EC3 dumps him unceremoniously outside the ring, which leads to…

Ads (again, I ask why in the middle of a match?!)

We come back as EC3 punishes the champ with clubbing forearms to his chest, and then he pulls Latimer into the top rope to his trachea to make it even harder for the champ to breathe.  EC3 locks in a cravat to his head, and then transitions to a sleeper and Latimer is fading away.  The ref checks by lifting his arm, but Latimer is still in the fight.  He manages to get to a vertical base and creates space with an inverted atomic drop, followed by a clothesline to drop the Overman.  He whips him into the corner and gives EC3 a running back elbow and then a corner splash, and he follows with a spinning sidewalk slam.  He comes back to shoot Latimer to the ropes and then is countered with a flapjack and the champ follows with a spinning heel kick.  Ec3 still has a few tricks up his sleeve as he gives him a knee to the bridge of his nose and then nails Latimer with a clothesline from behind in the corner.  Now Latimer is going high-risk with a moonsault but misses the mark, and EC3 counters with a flipping neckbreaker to cover for a close two count.  He proceeds to slam the champ’s head to the mat, and then he shoots him to the ropes for a Thesz Press but Latimer counters with a spear.

Both get to a vertical base and the fans get into it as they land “Yay/Boo” punches until EC3 nails Latimer with an inverted STO, and tries to capitalize but runs into a pop-up powerbomb.  Latimer could not make the pin and EC3 rolls out but they continue to battle on the outside where he nails the Overman with a Piledriver on the steel steps.  He rolls him back in and Latimer signals the end but is blindsided by masked men that Galli identifies as part of the Exodus Pro group.  EC3 gives the signals and they all gang up and stomp down on the champ.  Once the dust settles, all six men kneel beside the lifeless body of Latimer as EC3 looks on.

EC3 (center) with his Exodus Pro army stands tall over the lifeless body of the NWA World Champion, Thom Latimer. Courtesy of the NWA via “X.”

Before you can say “Sopranos Season Finale,” EC3 makes a gesture with his hand across the throat and the screen goes black for a few seconds before going to the credits.

3.5

Final Thoughts:

While I knew Latimer retained the title, I just didn’t know how.  I have to say it was nice that I didn’t spoil this for myself, and as EC3 has proven tonight this rivalry between them is far from over…man.

The tag match was also fun, and good gods almighty is Stackhouse a Big Gulp of water!  Great that Knox and Murdoch retained, but what are Blunt Force Trauma’s prospects going forward?  We shall have to wait and see.

Until then, See ya on Tuesday next year!