It was one ago year today,
Memphis Wrestling came back to stay
It was going in and out of style
But it never ceased to raise a smile
Let Dustin introduce to you
His wrestling entertainment creeeeeew…
With apologies to the Fab Four and ‘Sgt. Peppers…’, it needs marking, this anniversary. And the last 3 weeks have done just that. Check out the last week’s review on this very site…
They’ve has guests, simmering feuds boiling over and this week?
The Big One. The Heritage Championship match.
The champ, Brett ‘Every Rose Has It’s Thorn’ Michaels.
The challenger, ‘Best Of The Best Austin Lane.
There’s respect. But that threatens to run into open animosity. That’s so well done because it’s the competition that’s driving it all.
And so this promised to be tasty. And it was. But extremely well turned too.
Again, there wasn’t too much stuff to overshadow anything this week; the less stuff, the more important.
Austin and Brett Rudely Interrupted
Lovely the way Memphis Wrestling did this. Austin Lane out first, telling us how much he missed to be Wrestling, how his 24 years have bought him to this; simple, heartfelt.
But Brett Michaels wasn’t having any of it. After all, he reminded Austin, he’s been doing this for 22 years.
It’s going to be close. And as they squared up?
Big Swole Dustin Cole arrived right between them and swigged his drink; he’s not going to let his time be eaten into. Rude?
Nope, Memphis Wrestling has a lot going on and we need to get to it, particularly when it’s…
Big Swole v David Ali
This will be a matchup of power v speed, won’t it?
It was more than that, short but sweet and even though they seemed to forget what they were doing for a second, it didn’t affect :
A. The advert for a Sonic bacon on bacon ¼ pounder cheeseburger
B. An Ali springboard high cross body which Swole effortlessly held, Ali dropkick on the outside and Swole replying with a slam on the ring steps
C. The move of the match, Ali going for a superplex, muscled up by Swole who then delivered a Super Death Valley Driver. And only got a long 2 count!
Throw in an Ali suplex to a jackhammer and Swole getting the pin by turning a kick out to his special slam and this was a spiffy opener.
The Entertainer: Elements Of Wrestling v Danny B Good & Derrick (The) King
Derrick happily showed no ill effects from his recent double piledriver – that’s some fast healing right there – whilst the Elements were happy to remind their opponents of their recent Trios win over them.
Pains me to say it, but the Elements Of Wrestling work so well together, manager/mate/co-wrestler Ryan Pyles tripping from the outside and that naughty Cage protesting a bad leg so Van Viciousssssss could choke Danny.
Derrick certainly had fistfuls of pain for everyone when he got the hot tag and let’s not forget VV’s lovely running g power slam, but the end came with a…
Opinion Alert! The Skimahorns attacked Pyles and Good & Derrick used the distraction to hit a superkick/blockbuster combo for the pin.
Now then; we’re waiting for the Skimahorns to turn to the good side and Memphis Wrestling have teased it, but this is the biggest clue, a bad guy, interfered with by a current tweener team?
My word Holmes, you’ve done it again!
The Grudge Match: Uncle Mikey v K-Toomer
In a recent interview on my podcast, Steve Swift’s Rambling Reviews, the Posse said they would like to shave Mikey’s head and mustache; they’re in the minority, he is loved by the fans and this is a natural attraction.
Mikey got a chance of revenge here. But it wasn’t going to be easy, the king of Fatjitsu is an opponent you remember with regret when trying to move around the day after.
Not that Mikey didn’t go for it early, a spinning kick and dive which sent Toomer right to The Desk.
After a brutal Toomer arm drag takeover, Mikey hit his Gator Feet and made to wind things up.
Until his Skimahorn cousin, Brad tried to help in his way, offering Mikey a chain. And not to wear around his wrist. Mikey isn’t this kind of person these days to use one and as he reasoned with his cuz, he lost the impetus and the match when he walked into a Big Bang.
The sooner those Skims accept the fans in their hearts the better.
That was a good excitement raiser, well-modulated, no barn burners, just a nice simmer.
For this.
Heritage Title Match: Brett Michaels v Austin Idol
It was good. It told a story. It was a wrestling entertainment match. And a bloody good one.
This was power v precision. And the main plotline was Brett Michaels’ shoulder. It came early on after Lane had shown great shock from a spinning spine buster; Brett missed the lariat and arm connected with steel.
If he can’t use the arm, can the Gunshow unload the Gunshow? Lariat, that is…
Things got worse for the champ when he did the same thing with the ring post on the outside, even after planting Austin onto the concrete with a belly-to-belly suplex.
Austin is too much of a wily veteran to let the shoulder meets steel shenanigans pass, he cranked on the joint with a nasty looking armbar, and even when Brett lifted him and powerbombed him, Austin held on, showing just how much he wanted this, he had to taste another bigger powerbomb to let go.
Of course, Brett showed his power by lifting his challenger from the apron to the top buckle for a superplex – and Austin is not a small guy.
The ending came with a low lariat – a sort of Bullet Show – which Austin nonetheless sold real discombobulation from and then a real Gunshow lariat which landed on the side of the head and sent Lane to la-la land.
After, the challenger presented the And Still…champ with the belt. A very classy touch.
Memphis Wrestling Did It Right
And a very classy show. Dustin and the team handled it calmly, with grace and a sense of special.
What will happen next? Whatever it is, that will probably be special too.