NWA-VA - August 14, 2003

[DVDVR mini-ROAD REPORT] NWA-VA- Richmond, VA, 8/14/2003- Blackwell Community Center

I took two days off work because I have all this vacation time that I keep putting off so i'm taking it in two day chunks so I don't go to the liquor store then the gun

store and then work- in that order! HAHA! I kid.... Anyhoos, the City Of Richmond Recreational Department wisely figured out that old school pro wrestling, when done in an old school way, is something you should get kids to watch because it makes them better Americans. All I can tell you is that I know Dick Murdock and Killer Karl Kox and Wahoo McDaniel taught me more about life than 15 years of sunday school ever did. Plus older wrestling fans are fat hogs so concession sales for the community center is shredding whatever old record they had. I did my part- mmmmm hot dogs..... This show here was fucking GREAT. It started at 2:00 on a Thursday and, of course, there where like 250-300 kids, I'm guessing. They had a dance contest before the matches started and I now am hip to what the kids are doing- kinda like a 1979 Soultrain line thing- I'm gonna grow my hair out and shake it in a circle like the Chinese woman on old Soul Train episodes of yore. The heat was MOUNTAINOUS in an Angry Children Hating Evil kind of way. I took my two daughters and we all met up with young Zhixel and tried to find a seat. Fat Ass Dave was pulling up as we arrived and he later e-mailed me THIS picture of the greatest lariat in Virginia wrestling history from the Sean Lei/Preston Quinn match last month.

Anyhoos, here's some truncated thoughts- as I realize now that having your kids at a wrestling match involves trying to keep track of where they are wandering off to and mainly taking them to the potty just as the heel beatdown begins in the ring. Pee waits for no man. I am stealing results from Steve Maiaiaiaiataiaaico since there were a buncha new guys and I didn't catch their names.

Brandon Day vs Trey Owens
This was an okay opener. Day yelled at the crowd and it scared my oldest daughter so I now feel better about standing next to Day's mom at the GWA match. Trey Owen looked better here than at the last show though his punches still suck. Day workin Owens is 1/10th as stiff as Day working Preston Quinn so this wasn't transcendent or anything. Day took the bumps and cheats to win and there you go.

"Fighting Irishman" Mike Thomas vs Prince Malik
Malik was a questionable wrestler but for a Black man with bumpin entrance music, he was AWESOME at instantly getting himself over as a heel. He ignored the first group of kids and the rest of the kids turned on him in one second flat. It was so effective that- GOD, I CANNOT MAKE THIS UP- 300 Black children from the roughest parts of Richmond were chanting "IRE-LAND! IRE-LAND!" for Mike Thomas. It was amazing. The match was pretty secondary at that point except for the part where Malik crushes his hinder doing a faceplant and me n Zhix cringe in terror. Thomas is sooo over with the younguns. They all bought little Irish hats from him afterwards. I am NOT KIDDING. They were also WAAAAAAY into his River Dancing. Kids are great. They know more about having a good time at a wrestling match than you do.

Chris Escobar vs Marty Reed
I didn't catch Marty Reeds moniker when Travis announced it and neither did the younguns because they all shouted "Red sucks!" at him and I don't even think they get MLW here. I think it had to do with his red pants. Escobar was the most over face of the afternoon. I'm guessing that Marty Reed is a VCW trainee because he's on their results page and he also punches like Preston Quinn taught him how to punch, which means- no matter what- he will always have a job wrestling in the South. Escobar takes two NASTY bumps to the floor and me n Zhix CRINGE in terror. Reed goes face first to the floor after Escobar ducks the Piscado and Escobar does the fabulous Asai Moonsault to the delight of the children. They missed a couple things where it looked like Reed pulled back to soon, showing some daylight- as they say- but the punches brought it back to the forefront- as Escobar is a great puncher and Reed was holding his own. I think Escobar hit a Tommykazi for the win. Chris Escobar is adored by children.

Mike Booth/Damian Wayne vs Biggie Biggs/Dirty Money
Old School Empire are the best tagteam in the indies. They are so good that Biggie Biggs was fired up and didn't annoy me. This looked like it was going to go 58 minutes because the first half of the match was Damien Wayne getting the holy fudge beaten out of him. Dirty Money and Biggs have a contest to see who can turn Wayne's chest into hamburger and I'm assuming that it was purple still when he woke up this morning. When the evil kicks in, it was AWESOME. Think of the twin bastard sons of Arn Anderson beating the shit out of Dirty Money. I can't remember if it was this match or the last match where Wayne hit the Springboard Fistdrop but I wept at the brilliance whereever it occured. Wayne takes a chair into the ring and smacks it with his hand behind the ref's back and then throws the chair to Biggs- who was quite the 300-children- beloved house afire at the time. Shenanigans and hijinx ensue and OSE win. Damien Wayne is EEEEEVIL! EVIL!

Preston Quinn vs Magic
Magic is waaaaaay over with the younguns. They chant something along with his theme song but I'm not hip enough to know. I'm sure Zhix will fill you in. Magic dances with the dance contest winner in the ring and it was good time had by all. PQ gets a MOUNTAIN of heat and milks it like a Southern Wrestling Master. He does the four sided stall and every child in the building calls him words they don't even know the meaning to yet, but heard they dads yell at the tv screen when Stephen Davis fumbled the ball into the hands of the Cowboys that last time. After finally locking up, Magic hits two armdrags and Quinn flees the ring. I was hoping for the full Lawler feigned leave, but instead he goes into the weight room and brings out some barbells and gets pumped up before running to the ring and eating two more armdrags. The match itself was stiff as you would imagine- as Quinn is the stiffest worker in the South and Magic is in the fucking Shaolin Wrecking Crew. Nobody throws better punches or makes it look more real than Preston Quinn. This is the second Magic match in a row where Magic takes a suplex directly on his head- this one was that Wrist-clutch suplex that Quinn does. Me n Zhix were going, "no...no way... he isn't... HOLY FUUUUCK!!" It was awesome. DEVON STURGIS! DEVON STURGIS! DEVON STURGIS! grabs Magic's leg under the rope and Quinn gets the pin. As Magic is arguing with the ref and the entire Old School Empire start beating the crap out of Magic. Biggie Biggs and Dirty Money make the save and Rick O'Brien says that if they don't have a 6 man to settle the score after all the screwy endings, Quinn will be stripped of the belt. The 6 man was fun and I tried to watch as my oldest was in line to go to ladies room. It was a triple pinning combination that put the faces over- so everybody keeps their HEAT~! i liked it becuase I really can't see enough matches with Damian Wayne and Mike Booth.

It was fun. No real amazing matches or anything, but it was nice to see a Virginia wrestling show where you actually had to search the arena for an empty seat. Postmatch, I suggest to Rick O'Brien that they should start all of their shows at 11:00 AM- the point being that it seems that the earlier he starts his shows, the more people show up. Richmond is weird. I am stoked about the King Of Virginia tournament next month.

DEAN.