It’s been a couple of weeks, but the National Wrestling Alliance is back and ready to make a splash on Wrestling Central, the dedicated Roku Channel for all things professional wrestling. It is also time for The Crockett Cup, the signature event where twelve teams will vie for a chance at the vaunted Cup and a title shot for the tag team championships. Plus, Carson Drake faces Bryan Idol to reclaim the vacated NWA World Television championship.
Which team will advance, and who will take the Television title?
We’ll find out as we come to you from the legendary 2300 Arena in downtown Philadelphia, PA. Joe Galli, Billy Corgan, and Danny Dealz have the call, as your First Match of the Night is a…
David Crockett Invitational Tournament
So, nine tag teams enter an elimination tournament to secure the Number 12 seed in The Cup. Whoever wins has the dubious honor of going up against the number 5-seeded tag team, and former winners of The Crockett Cup, Blunt Force Trauma.
At this time, I need to drop an…
(Author’s Note: I had experienced technical issues at the beginning of this show. Nothing to do with Roku, but how I was connected at the time. Luckily, renowned photographer George Tahinos was at the ECW Arena and managed to capture some incredible shots from this signature event. So, this is exactly what you wanted, folks: less of my rambling and more pretty photos. To quote Aron Stevens, “You’re Welcome.”)
I didn’t get a chance to hear all the tag team names, but did catch a few like fan favorites The Temple of Duum (who were eliminated first), and Size Matters. See if you can spot your favorites.
The end comes as The Slimeballz by eliminating the team of The JV Squad (Jack Vaughn and Dalton Mackenzie), and thus…
Your Winners and the Number 12-seed in the Crockett Cup: The Slimeballz
Before they can enjoy the moment, the music hits, and it’s time for…
Blunt Force Trauma (Carnage and Damage, with Aron Stevens)(#5) vs. The Slimeballz (#12)
The masked men waste no time in putting the beatdown on Chantz and Rant, and there is every indication the larger Trauma members will be advancing into the Cup once again.
All seems lost, until Chantz manages to roll up Damage, and the ref is in position to count his shoulders down for three.
Your Winners, and Advancing in The Crockett Cup: The Slimeballz
As in March Madness, so in The Crockett Cup; there’s always an upset with a number 12-seed faces a number 5-seed.
Stevens is beside himself and gets in the ref’s face about the decision. Little does he know that Baron von Storm comes out, gets behind Stevens, and slaps on The Iron Claw.
The refs beg, plead, and try to make him release the submission to no avail. It’s only when Sodapop Hendrix, now with NWA Texas, comes out with the globe that the Claw is removed from Stevens’ temples.
The action doesn’t let up as your next match in The Crockett Cup is between…
The Holy Grail (EC3 and Pretty Boy Smooth, with Pastor C-Lo)(#6) vs. The Lost (Alex Misery and Crazzy Steve, with Lev, Gaagz the Gymp, and Father James Mitchell)(#11)
Steve and Misery will be the team to start against The Holy Grail, and early on, The Overlord has trouble countering the unorthodox offense of The Lost. Once he tags in Smooth, the tempo changes as The Urban Playboy has his way and overpowers Misery and Steve. EC3 tags back in, and The Lost gets their headwind back. But it isn’t long until Smooth gets back in the mix, and at one point, he tosses Misery to The Lost huddled outside the ring. A slam later, and he and EC3 advance.
Your Winners, and Advancing in The Crockett Cup: The Holy Grail
Now for the Main Event, and it is for the…
NWA World Television Championship: Bryan Idol vs. Carson Drake
Quick little backstory: At Hard Time V, Drake cashed in the title after defending it seven times for a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Thom Latimer. Needless to say, his aspirations at the Ten Pounds of Gold fell short, and the self-proclaimed “Most Successful Man in Professional Wrestling” thinks he’ll be able to get it back. As for Idol, he’s yet to hold gold in NWA, and this would be his first opportunity.
Idol is more than equal to the task as he manhandles the young upstart, and at one point gives Drake an inverted atomic drop to send him flying out of the ring, crashing down on the concrete floor.
We take a break, and as he comes back, Drake is trepidatious in returning to the squared circle. He stalls, but Idol has had enough, and he slides out to take the fight to him. He throws him back in, and as Idol steps between the ropes, Drake cheap shots him in his…errr, little Idol’s. Drake is in the driver’s seat for the majority of the match. Idol fights back, but Drake grinds that to a halt as he whips him hard into the turnbuckles. Idol manages to tackle and covers for a two count, but it’s not enough. Idol goes for a high-risk maneuver and leaps to the top turnbuckle. Drake has it scouted, and he clubs him on his back, and then nails a stomp to his chest for a two count.
They go back and forth, and then Drake attempts a slingshot suplex using the top ropes. Idol reverses and then delivers a Killswitch, and he covers Drake for the one, two, and three.
Your Winner, and New NWA Television Champion: Bryan Idol
Idol celebrates his hard-fought win with the Philadelphia crowd as the show fades to black on The Roku Channel.
Top Photo: Carson Drake (left) takes it to Bryan Idol in The Crockett Cup on May 17, 2025. Photo Credit: George Tahinos.
