On the final episode from The Looks That Kill signature event, the National Wrestling Alliance has two steel cage matches. The first will be for the Ten Pounds of Gold between current champion Thom Latimer and EC3. The other will be to settle a grudge between Tiffany Nieves and Natalia Markova, the first-ever match between the women in the Lightning One Era.

We’ll see who comes out on top later tonight, as we come to you from the Dothan Civic Center in Dothan, AL. Joe Galli and Danny Dealz have the call and your First Match of the Night is between…

Tyler Franks vs. Max the Impaler

Max comes out sans The Sinister Minister, but they are still looking like heads are gonna roll.  Also, this is the first time we’ve seen Franks since the junior heavyweight scramble at the Back to the Territories event.

Max locks up and pushes Franks to the corner and they slug away.  The ref tries to give Franks a breather, and he takes advantage by sliding out and then back from the opposite corner of the ring and chop blocks.  He focuses on the leg and keeps the Non-Binary Nightmare grounded for most of the match, and then follows with a standing dropkick worthy of Bob Holly.  He goes for a springboard move and gets caught in midair by Max with a spear and they cover for a near fall.  Franks counters and hits a jumping knee followed by a spinning neckbreaker for a two count.  Franks nails a flying knee and runs the ropes.  Max swings and misses, but knocks it out of the park with a huge clothesline to end it decisively.

Your Winner via Pinfall:  Max The Impaler

Thanks for coming out, Franks.  See ya in the months it will take to heal from the offense from the Warrior of the Wasteland

Tiffany Nieves cuts a promo ahead of her match, and I’m gonna give La Princesa the spotlight:

“[The] Looks That Kill. A night, a moment everyone has been waiting for.  History in the making. First ever cage match in Alabama.  Women’s NWA making history.

Now, Natalia Markova, I’ve been waiting for this night. I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to get you one on one. I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to brutalize you. And it all comes to an end.  Right now we are seconds away to the end of your career; to a generation that will never know who Natalia Markova is ever again.

Get it. Got it. Bueno.”

Strong words heading to the Steel Cage match.

You probably head the announcement of the 2025 Crockett Cup being held in the 2300 Arena again in Philadelphia, PA.  But you should really check this other part out if ya missed it.

But next is the first ever…

Steel Cage Women’s Grudge Match: Tiffany Nieves vs. Natalia Markova

Nieves with a kendo stick and is all business as she enters the structure.  Markova runs out, gets in the ring and we’re off to the races before Kyle Davis can get the intros.  Markova chops and clobbers Nieves within an inch of her life, but La Princesa grabs the kendo and swings for the fences.  At one point, Nieves is in control and yanks the belt from the ref’s pants (not like that, ya perverts!) and whips away at The Russian Crush’s back.

Then she sets Markova in the Tree of Woe, backs up, and strikes hard with a kick to the chest.  We see shots of Markova with blood on her face and her eye is starting to swell shut as Nieves climbs over her to the top of the ropes and brags to the camera about her dominance.  At that point, she gets pulled off and Markova gets her payback with the kendo stick.  She locks her in a choke with the stick and connects with a Side Russian Legsweep for a two count.  Nieves comes back with her submission and locks in a rear naked choke and Markova struggles to escape.  She manages to break free of the hold but Nieves reapplies it again.  Markova climbs up to the top with Nieves on her back and then deals them both a crash landing on the canvas, and that leads to…

Ads (just when things were getting good).

We come back and Markova attempts the Beautiful Disaster kick.  It’s a swing and a miss and Nieves drills her with a spear for a near fall, and then she mounts her with punches and a choke but she still can’t put away the Russian Crush.  La Princesa has had enough and starts to climb out of the cage and Markova follows parallel to her.  She manages to shake Nieves off and come crashing to the ring so she can continue her escape.  Nieves kicks at the cage wall and then climbs back up where both women go back and forth balancing on the top rope with the cage as support.  Markova gets the upper hand and tosses Nieves off and Markova perches up the top of the cage, then decides to hit the super avalanche missile dropkick to secure the pin and the win.

Your Winner via Pinfall:  Natalia Markova

Oh and for everyone that misses the aftermath, check out this X post from The Crush After the match:

So the next time I hear “Wrestling is fake” from someone outside of my wrestling circle, I will point to this as Exhibit “A” of why it’s not before I emotionally and verbally cripple them.

Kyle Davis was backstage with Thom Latimer earlier in the day, and the NWA Heavyweight Champion has some words as well ahead of his title defense:

“The steel cage match; the most barbaric, brutal match there is. This is a match that separates the men from the boys. This is the type of match that not only shortens careers, but it ends them.

But after it’s all said and done, there’s no more what-ifs. There are no more flukes. There’s no more what-could-have-beens. The second that cage door shuts, the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship-MY NWA World Heavyweight championship-gets decided.

In a land far, far away and in another promotion EC3, I used to be the maniacal nutcase; The King of all Evil. Deep down inside, you realize that scares you and so it should. You will know my name, and you will fear it.”

We get to Around the Territories and of course, this was recently mentioned:

Welcome to the fold, Duke City Championship Wrestling.

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

Steel Cage Match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship: Thom Latimer (c) vs. EC3

There’s new music for EC3, along with a new look as he sports a goatee and yellow shades, along with a phalanx of his masked “Exodus goons,” to quote Galli.  Now comes Latimer with Sweet Charlotte and Kyle Davis gives the boxing style promos.

The bell rings and they stare each other down. EC3 points and Latimer grabs his wrist, and now the champ goes to town on the Overlord of the NWA.  There are chops and punches by both men but EC3 gets the upper hand with a flatliner.  He starts to climb the structure but Latimer heads him off at the pass.  They’re up top blocking the other’s attempt at ramming their opponent’s head in the steel cage.  EC3 drops, and Latimer balances on the top rope and measures the mark before nailing a moonsault!

He rushes at him and EC3 ducks as Latimer goes face-first into the steel wall.  The Overlord attempts to climb out again but Latimer knocks him off balance and hits an avalanche belly-to-back suplex.  The champ tries to escape but one of the Exodus acolytes staves him off with a steel chair.  That distraction allows EC3 to come from behind and connect with an avalanche backdrop suplex.  He gets the chair from his masked acolyte and EC3 comes down with it to the face of the champ. Then…

Ads (Again, why do it in the middle of a match like this!)

We back and EC3 is dominant swinging the chair on Latimer’s back.  Things look bleak for the champ as EC3 talks smack and throws the chair again at his face, and ever sets up a chair in the corner, and goes to whip him into the weapon.  Finally, Latimer reverses his offense and sends the Overlord to the cage in all four corners, and then follows with the Confusion Bay.  Latimer signals for a powerbomb but gets backdropped for his trouble, and EC3 hits a Thesz press and uses the champ’s pop-up powerbomb.  He starts to signal to the ref outside to open the door to the cage, but then he turns and rushes at Latimer, who ducks away and hits the referee instead. Latimer comes back with a spear and covers but the ref is still out.  He changes gears, climbs out, and drops to the floor, but one of the Exodus acolytes slams the outside ref into the cage.  They all gang up on Latimer and proceed to slam the door into the champ’s torso.  They throw his body back in the cage, and EC3 is recovered.  He gives an underhook piledriver to Latimer and shakes the ref awake.  He covers as the ref slaps his hand on the mat to count for one, two…kick out by the champ.  EC3 calls for the One Percenter, and Latimer shoves him into the propped chair in the corner.  Stunned, Latimer delivers a Piledriver and pins the Overlord for the one, two, and three.

Your Winner, and Still NWA World Heavyweight Champion:  Thom Latimer

Latimer still holds sweet Charlotte and as EC3 turns to the door, he looks at the Champ before he collapses into the arms of his followers who carry him to the back as the show goes to the credits.

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Final Thoughts:

 

Those were two great steel cage matches that left you invested in the psychological and the physical drama.  Markova has proven time and again to be a worthy successor to Kamille in the NWA, and she gave her all against Nieves.  Latimer and EC3 also delivered the goods, and one can’t help that there is more to this rivalry, but it’s good that this match closes their chapter…for now.

Until then, see ya next Tuesday!