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Welcome to PWInsider.com's live, ongoing coverage of the sixth episode of The United Wrestling Network's Primetime Live PPV!
We open with the now-traditional SNME style series of interviews with all of the talents previewing their matches tonight.
Jesse James vs. Platinum Max Castor
Jesse James is an old school cowboy. Castor is a hp hop rapper. Castor controlled the ring early with some armdrags and dropkicks, James drilled him with a big right hand in the corner and followed up with a series of others. He went for a lariat but Castor ducked and nailed a dropkick. James regained control and nailed a series of elbows. Castor fired back. He made his way to the top for a flying elbow but James got out of the way. James was taken down and this time, Castor scored the flying elbow for a near fall. Castor continued to work over James, nailing a series of kicks. They battled back and forth, until Max, who had been working over his arm, used a jackrabbit rollup for the pin.
Your winner, Max Castor!
They announced the following competitors for the United Wrestling Network Title Tournament:
*Peter Avalon from AEW.
*Mike Bennett.
*Chris Dickinson
*Karl Fredericks.
*Erick Redbeard aka the former Rowan.
*Fred Rosser aka the former Darren Young.
*Davey Boy Smith Jr.
*Watts.
The bracket:
*Erick Redbeard vs. Watts.
*Chris Dickinson vs. Peter Avalon.
*Karl Fredericks vs. Fred Rosser.
*Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Mike Bennett.
Christy James vs. Miranda Alize
James is a babyface who plays up her Brazilian heritage. Alize is a heel who talks a lot of trash.
Some nice back and forth grappling early on. Alize used a side headlock takedown but James escaped. Alize used a test of strength to take her down but James fought back and used a leg takedown to bring Aliza down. James used the ropes to set up a lucha armdrag. James nailed a sunset flip off the top for a two count and followed up with a kick to the head. Some hesitation during some of the transitions but they are working hard.
Alize blocked a kick and sent James into the ropes before slamming her down to the mat, Alize grabbed an arm and worked over James. She rebounded off the ropes with a short dropkick for a two count. Alize nailed a big knee strike and worked over James, showing some good heel tendencies. James was selling that she hurt her hand. She fired away with some chops, trying to fight Alize off. They continued battling until Alize nailed a rana, then hit a big boot that she called the drive-by, nailing her in the jaw for the pin.
Your winner, Miranda Alize!
They both worked super hard here. You could see there were some timing issues, but nothing that really hurt the effort. Both have a lot of potential. Alize cut a good promo during the opener and James showed some fire verbally when she finished her promo up in Portugese.
Dave Marquez interviewed The Pope, D'Angelo Dinero. He's challenging Zicky Dice for the NWA TV title. He said tonight is about him going out and doing what the people want him to do, winning the title. He has been tried and tested and has been through the flood and the rain. He has never forgotten who he is and he's going to win tonight.
Mike Bennett was interviewed about tonight and competing in the UWN title tournament. He said you go in knowing you are going to get hit and hurt fighting the best, but each time you deal with something you can't prepare for, it makes you better for next time. Losing to Nick Aldis makes him better. What happens tonight we will see, but after tonight, Mike Bennett will be ready to face Davey Boy Smith Jr. He knows he's going to get hit hard but he's going to hit him hard back. He said he wants the best but he plans on leaving the winner.
UWN Tag Team Champions So Cal Distancing vs. Friendship Farm
Some silliness with Jervis early. So Cal cut him off and worked him over, tagging in and out. Jervis fired back but the numbers game caught up to him. Jervis tried to fire back but was taken down. Jervis' neck was worked over. Jervis escaped a suplex attempt and tagged in. His new costuming is a big improvement. Distancing tried to double team Shaw but he reversed a double suplex attempt and took them both down instead. He nailed a big splash on both but they kicked up. Jervis tagged back in but AJ took him out. They nailed Shaw and knocked him to the floor. Adrian Quest nailed a moonsault to the floor on him. SCD double-teamed Jervis with a double stomp off the top/DVDR combination for a near fall. Shaw nailed Quest, who recovered and hit a spinkick on Cottonbelly. AJ nailed Robin with a running knee strike. The Friendship Farm doubleteamed AJ for a two count. Quest and Shaw battled onto the ramp to the ring. Cottonbelly and AJ battled in the ring. AJ nailed a diving Superman punch and scored the pin.
Your winners and still UWN Tag Team Champions, So Cal Distancing!
This was OK.
Mike Bennett vs. JR Kratos
Kratos is a long-time California powerhouse. Kratos has his shoulder taped up. They locked up and Bennett was backed up into the corner. They broke clean. Kratos used his power to take down Bennett and cinched in a big side chinlock. Bennett fought to his feet and was sent into the ropes. He nailed a shoulderblock but Kratos couldn't be moved. Bennett tried to chip away at Kratos with hard chops. Kratos fired him back into the corner and scored with a big right hand.
Kratos took the fight to the floor and worked over Bennett, who began selling that his leg was injured. Bennett was brought back to the ring but lifted into a suplex and shot across the ring. Kratos continued working over Bennett. They battled to the entrance ramp, where Bennett nailed a DVDR, which was presented like it took a suoper human effort. Bennett brought him back to the ring, covering him for a two count. Kratos fired back and nailed a big clothesline. Bennett regained control and nailed a big kick to the head. He went for a suplex but Kratos was too big and thick to be lifted. Bennett kept trying but it wasn't working. Kratos tried to reverse but wasn't able to score with the suplex, either. Bennett finally nailed the move but Kratos kicked out.
Kratos powered up but Bennett nailed a pair of superkicks. Kratos grabbed him for an over the shoulder powerslam for another two count. Bennett was rolled up for a two count. Bennett escaped a powerbomb attempt and nailed a spear but grabbed his shoulder from the force of the move. They battled back and forth with strikes and punches. Kratos nailed a hard slap but was caught with a high-level Sidewinder. Bennett went to the top rope but Kratos leapt up with a knee strike. Bennett avoided a charge and nailed another spear. Bennett scored the pin,
Your winner, Mike Bennett!
Solid match. I thought this was the best Kratos bout I've ever seen. He was presented to be a monstrous and tough strongman and he played that well. The story was Bennett really had to fight to earn this one and it was a good story bell to bell.
Next week:
*NWA Women's Champion Thunder Rosa vs. Serena Deeb.
*UWN Title Tournament: Chris Dickinson vs. Peter Avalon.
*The Bodega vs. Real Money Brothers.
NWA TV Champion Zicky Dice vs. Pope Dinero
The NWA rules are that the TV title bout is a 6:05 time limit.
Dice attacked Dinero as he came to the ring from behind, hitting him with a bag that I guess had the NWA TV title in it, since the title was nowhere to be seen. He smashed Pope through a table and said the blood was on Billy Corgan's hands. He tossed the remnants of the table on Pope and worked him over as officials ran out to assist Pope.
Dice grabbed a ring mic and attacked Billy Corgan, knocking him for a crappy music video and writing the "worst" Smashing Pumpkins record ever. He kept beating on Pope and said there would be no match tonight. He said the rest of the PPV is sponsored by him. He said his NWA deal is up on New Year's Eve so maybe he'll leave and take the title elsewhere. He kept trash-talking Pope as he did this, saying the PPV is over. He kept ranting and ranting and told Pope (who was dressed in yellow) that he looked like a corn on the cobb. Ugh.
Pope pulled himself into the ring and declared he could still fight, using the ropes to get to his feet. Dice said if he wanted the fight, he could have it. He attacked Pope and they rang the bell. Now we have the 6:05 time limit with the time running on a counter in the corner.
Dice worked over Pope, who didn't even get his jacket off. Pope fired back and went for a splash but Dice pulled his knees up. He nailed a back suplex with about 4 minutes left. He scored a two count. Dice kept going for elbowdrops but Pope rolled out of the way. Pope was sent into the ropes and nailed with a clothesline. Pope fired back with punches but was trapped in a sleeper. I had Adrian Adonis-Roddy Piper flashbacks.
Pope was able to fight his way out and nailed a powerslam but was too spent to make an immediate attempt at a pinfall with about 2:15 left. Pope nailed a series of back suplexes. Pope came off the top with an elbow for a two count with a little over a minute left. They battled . With 30 second left, Pope escaped a hangman's neckbreaker and sent Pope into the buckles. He nailed the Elijah Express and scored the pin.
Your winner and new NWA TV Champion, Pope Elijah Burke!
Pope was presented with the belt and said he wanted to thank everyone who kept NWA relevant during this time of uncertainty. He said we are living in a time when a pandemic has a stronghold on this country and we don't know what will come next. Men and women are struggling to provide for their families. He said that's uncertainty. He said uncertainty was Dice holding onto the title but it's uncertain no longer. He said it's in the hands of someone who believes in the history of the title. He named a few former champions, including some who never held the NWA version but did hold the WCW TV title. He promised he was going to be the most charismatic champion there can be and he can dig that. There were certainly echoes of Dusty Rhodes' "Hard Times" promo here but it was a damn good promo to close the show on.
They told a nice, come from behind story for the Pope here. Dice played a good scummy heel and while the finish was obvious based on how they set things up, that doesn't mean it wasn't the right thing to do for the story. It was.
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