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7/12 SCENIC CITY INVITATION NIGHT ONE LIVE REPORT FROM RED BANK, TN

Scenic City Invitational 2024 - Night 1

7/12/24 - Red Bank, TN

 ROUND ONE. FIGHT! Apart from the main event, all of tonight’s match are first round elimination matches in the Scenic City Invitational Tournament. Second round eliminators happen tomorrow night, culminating in a 4-way elimination final. Of course, some curveballs could be thrown in depending how tonight goes….but this is the way. Capping the night off will be the final match of Daniel Makabe’s wrestling career against long time friend Kevin Ku. Scott Hensley is our master of ceremonies! Can we be loud all night long? Let’s goooo!

Rob Killjoy vs Rico Gonzalez

Starting with a banger! Rico and Killjoy had a bit of a rivalry going back on Uncharted Territory a couple seasons back so it’s cool to see this feud get reignited. They both lock their palms and have the grossest shake of sportsmanship I’ve seen. Then we kick right into high gear with alllllll the flippy s***. They guys are countering the hell out of each other. Killjoy lands a dropkick. Rico hits a rana to the floor! Standing switch, Rico fights off a powerbomb but gets snake eyed and Germaned! Crowd is hot to death through this whole thing. Killjoy’s leg gives out and Rico slams a kick to the skull. Killjoy hits a rebound sitout falcon arrow! Rico avoids the double stomp…superkick! Battle to the top, Killjoy hits a delay superplex for two! Rico with a reverse to his own suplex. High velocity hip attack! Rico unloading chest kicks until Killjoy fires back with a buckle bomb and dvd for a close two! Double stomp connects, Rico kicks out. Killjoy hits a vertical neckbreaker to the knee! Rico gets a foot on the rope! What’s left? Rico with a jump off the buckles to a poisonrana! Rebound destroyer! Crowd chants for both these guys! Rico blocks a frankensteiner! Double stomp off the top to the apron! Rico picks up a stunned Killjoy and hits a hammerlock driver to get the win in a RIDICULOUSLY good opener!

 

 World Class Channing Thomas (w/ Sidney Bakabella) vs Rachel Armstrong

This is the TWE arena introduction to the full World Class Experience. They already hate Channing here but Sidney just pushed them wayyyyy over the line with an introduction that could have been the length of a Saturday morning squash match. Truly, I’ve been waiting for this since they were announced. Chattanooga cannot wait for Rachel Armstrong to send them back to the northeast. Channing is having a hard time taking Armstrong seriously, as he easily overpowers her in the clinch. Armstrong managed to start evading Channing. “She’s fast!” Shouts an observant Bakabella. She almost sneaks the pin with a victory roll! Round and round she goes with a head scissors. Rachel comes running into a boot. Channing whiffs a corkscrew elbow! Rachel with a tornado ddt! He catches her out of the sky for a gut wrench suplex. Bakabella is running his mouth incredibly from ringside…and lands an illegal punch when ref shiny shoes has his back turned.she tries another victory roll…transition to a code red. Channing BLASTS a lariat! He wants a piledriver off the buckles…Rachel hits a rana! Shotgun dropkicks! Rachel heads to the top….Rachel hits the 450! She’s got it…Bakabella pulls her off the pin! The crowd is so mad at them. Rachel tries another top rope rana but Channing reverses to a powerbomb! He hits a vicious piledriver and the crowd loses their minds at how much they hate World Class Channing Thomas and Sidney Bakabella. “You’re welcome!” Screams Bakabella. This was as amazing as the opener in a completely different way. You have to hate them….but you really can’t. Not ENTIRELY. 

 1 Called Manders vs TJ Crawford

The ACTION champion comes out HOT and pummels TJ with corner lariats. TJ should focus on the task at hand and not worry about the crowd. They are going full hoss fight here. Manders may have a size advantage but the silver sniper is landing some wicked shots. Manders with an enziguri and TJ collapses. Manders guts him on the top rope and that looked f***ing gnarly. Ripcord lariat! TJ blocks the stampede…huge slam out of the corner and TJ nearly pins the cowboy. Manders with a Huuuuge chop that takes the soul from Crawford. The crowd is way behind Manders but they have to respect the fight TJ is bringing here.    Crawford blocks a lariat and hits a PK! Head and arm choke! TJ calls for the silver bullet…Manders  evades with a Lariat to the back! Huge running lariat clocks TJ up side the head for the kill. JEEEESUS, what a hit. Great effort from TJ but Manders was the 2023 winner for a REASON.

 Erron Wade vs Matt Makowski

Wade won the SCI Rumble and got to call his shot against Makowski tonight. Makowski is the sensei and he comes out to the ring flanked by a bunch of white belt students. Weapon X is here in Wade’s dojo now. If Wade is a sensei (the crowd believes he is very much not), he is getting schooled in the early goings with Makowski. Wade realizes he’s out of his depth and needs a breather to regroup. It doesn’t really help. Makowski just smashing Erron in the corner to the point the ref has to admonish him first his aggression. Wade uses that brief window to sneak in a shot to the eyes…and here is where the sensei takes over. Erron stays on him, not letting Matt get a moment to breathe. Erron finally takes too long to drop an elbow and Weapon X is right back in this fight. Wade dodging and Makowski clotheslines the buckles. Big slam for two but Makowski slaps on a triangle choke! Wade fighting in the hold but has to tap out or go out. Makowski wins! The crowd jeering Wade for tapping out. 

 

Landon Hale vs Paul London

This is Hale’s chance at redemption. He came in second in last year’s tournament with a broken skull. This year, he’s fresh and on a pretty hot run of matches heading into a VERY high profile contest. London is out here singing the entirety of Thunderball. Landon gets a ringside chair to wait this entrance out. London does NOT like that. Some part of the crowd wants London to keep singing…he almost does. London offers a handshake of sportsmanship…and they shake for a LONG TIME. Crowd is hushed at the first engagement. London works Landon to the corner and struts off in the break. London with an arm drag and he starts clowning. “I came here to fight Paul London!” Landon is not thrilled with this cavalier opponent. Landon coming back with his own arm drags but London is quick to transition to a pinning attempt. Landon with a rebound arm drag and dropkick that sends Paul running to the floor for a timeout. Hale chases him out to the sound booth with clubbing blows. London catches him at the post but Landon hits a very hard chop. Back in the ring…London rolls right out. He looks at the trash can but Scott Hensley begs him to leave the garbage alone. Hale recovers with more punches and chops. London cant use the trash can and throw it at Landon….but he can throw Landon at the trash can. Big slam into the trash. Slingshot rollup for two. London with a hard whip to the buckles! London gets and abdominal stretch but is clearly using the ropes to cheat. Hale tries the ol ten punch but Paul is right out of there. Toss to the buckles! Hale with a knee starches London, who rolls to the outside. Hale catches London with a flurry when he tries to slingshot back in. Crucifix facebuster! Backbreaker! Moonsault! London kicks out! Hale eats a Samoan drop. London with a double stomp to the bAck for two! Landon gets caught up on the top rope. Hale lands on his feet after a frankensteiner! High velocity running attacks in the corner! Handspring stunner as we hit the 15 minute mark. Hale goes for the SPO driver but London rakes the eyes and rolls up Hale. London grabs the ropes, the ref misses it entirely and Hale’s dream of going all the way again has been crushed. Fantastic match.

Tank (w/ The Rev) vs Mad Dog Connolly 

Connolly has some absolute Brusier Brody energy. This promises to be VIOLENT. The Rev isn’t even done with his introduction before Connolly comes flying across the ring to blast Tank with a chain. And this goes right to the floor. Connolly quickly opens up Tank’s forehead. Tank tries to reverse the beatdown but end up punch the unforgiving steel of the TWE support post. Tank with a suplex to the concrete! If there was a match that could end in a double KO, it might be this one. Connolly with rapid headbutts….Tank stumbles as he tries to get back into the ring. Connolly right back with the headbutts but Tank is firing back as the crowd fires up in the exchange! Connolly hits a corner dropkick. Tank is becoming a bloody mess! Mad dog trying to chop him down with clotheslines but he gets grabbed and dumped in the back of his head! Tank caught up in the ropes again, Connolly hits a drive by headbutt! Tank dodges a falling headbutt! Spinning backfist! Chokebreaker! Tank latches on a cobra clutch and the Mad Dog is put to sleep. Crowd loved this.

 Channing Thomas and Sidney Bakabella are out here…last night, Channing took out Jaden Newman. Tomorrow night? THEY ARE COMING FOR TANK!!!! Y’all. This is THE matchup I wanted to see this year and I’m getting it. Tomorrow is going to go wild!

 Suge D vs Darien Bengston

Suge never really LOST last year so that makes Suge the only undefeated competitor in SCI history. I believe that is the logic. Anyways, he’s turned over a new leaf with this crowd but that may not be enough to take down the TWE champion and heavy crowd favorite, Darian Bengston. But don’t forget, Suge himself is the reigning Pan-Afrikan World Diaspora Wrestling Champion. Bengston is in his comfort zone right now, going grap for grap with Suge, who is having a good time reverting to his Wrestling Artiste ways. Darian is trying to showboat a little and Suge is all business. He screams that this is his year! Darian with a dismissive smooch on his forehead. Suge is just taking this kid down over and over. Suge asks if he’s ready to take this seriously. Darian has clearly learned what Suge is about and he’s backpedaling to the ropes. Darian almost seems like he’s trying to bait Suge into being a heel but The Artiste is unwavering. Bengston with a few stiff rights. He kicks the knees out from Suge. Who is the heel here??? Bengston working that limb and Suge is in trouble. Crowd pretty split here. Darian trying to punk Suge and that just fires him up. “Whose house do you think this is?” Says the TWE champ. Suge unloading some emotional shots. He almost throws a closed fist but he WON’T. Discus clothesline for a close two! Bengston dodges a leg lariat….flying kick over the top! Corkscrew leg drop! Trading quick pin attempts….this is going like last night with Makabe…They scramble back and forth but Bengston traps the leg and gets the three. Just like that. My heart breaks. I really wanted Suge to win this. Suge is clearly devastated but the crowd cheers for his effort tonight.

That said, there WAS an incident during this match of a fan making offensive remarks towards one of the competitors, doubling down on it when they were called out and then had to be removed from the venue. I feel like in 2024, it should be easy to recognize the line between healthy ribbing and whatever the f*** that was. Anyways, the person was removed from the venue and hopefully that is the end of it.  Props to the SCI staff and TWE venue for handling the situation with incredible promptness and addressing it right after with a reminder of “NO HATE SPEECH”. You are ruining the show and the experience of everyone around you, plain and simple. Don’t be that person.

Jaden Newman (w/ The Rev) vs Adam Priest

What condition is Jaden Newman in tonight for the final first round match? Jaden drops the entrance gear at the ramp, showing a heavily taped up back. Jaden looks serious as a heart attack as he stares a hole through Priest. You can see Priest wanting to hit that stiff ddt as soon as possible. Hard lockup, right into the corner…Priest with a shot to the back of the head and just like that, the facade is broken and we see EXACTLY how hurt Jaden is. Priest is merciless and pounces all over him. Shots to the head. Big slam. Lariats. Bump after bump. The crowd is trying to rally Jaden but Priest might be having an easy night. Jaden escapes a piledriver and starts to fire up. Flipping Cravat takeover! Priest with a spine buster out of the corner and stacks him for two. Jaden back up and comes running…right into a gut kick and ddt. One. Two. Three. This was a five minute slaughter. Jaden is holding his neck again in the ring as the Rev tries to will him back to life. At least tonight, we don’t have the entire locker room empty to help check on him. The crowd applauds for Jaden, who doesn’t even walk up the ramp…he heads right out the back. 

 Scott Hensley is out here to announce the second round matchups!

Rico Gonzalez vs Paul London

Matt Makowski vs Darian Bengston

Channing Thomas vs Tank

Manders vs Adam Priest

WOW. Tomorrow is gonna bang.

 MAIN EVENT: Daniel Makabe vs Kevin Ku

This is gonna be an emotional one. Daniel Makabe has chosen to have his last match here at Night 1 of the SCI against longtime friend Kevin Ku. The friends hug and this goes into a few minutes of friendly grappling. This civility can only last so long and suddenly they start shoving and slapping each other. MAKABE HITS THE FAST BALL PUNCH! Kick out! The gloves are off and Ku starts unloading some vicious kicks, stomps to the arms and uppercuts right into the shoulder. Makabe weathers it and manages to drag Ku into a deep STF. But his shoulder is already a problem…and Ku knows it. Chops and kicks right into that limb. Makabe with an enziguri to the bAck of the head! Saito suplex!  He wraps up Ku in a butterfly lock, Ku curses and has to apologize to Scott Hensley quick. Cute slip of the tongue. Ku rolls out and Makabe suicide dives right into the chairs along the wall. Oh god, Makabe is busted WIDE OPEN from that. This is NOT GOOD. Makabe is POURING blood from his head. This is worse than his 2019 SCI victory. He’s still fighting tho…standing switch, back roll…right into a head kick. Ku with a piledriver for two! Makabe back with a running dvd! Ku with a rollup, kick out! Brain buster! Kick out! Ku throwing more kicks but Makabe grabs the leg and drops an elbow into the joint. He stomps out all of Ku’s limbs. He’s getting his receipt. Ku back on his feet. Makabe hits a second fastball punch and Ku crumbles for the three. Wow. Emotional was the expectation but that word is not enough to do the feeling in this room justice. Thank you Daniel Makabe.

 

Makabe gets the mic, assures his wife that while he looks really bad right now, this is OK. He goes through and thanks as many people that he can get through, talking through 20 years of wrestling experience. He takes his shoes off and leaves them in the ring and says they aren’t going back on…..with the SOLE CAVEAT that if Bryan Danielson actually does want that match with him before the year is out….they can come back on for one more time. HUGE pop for that. 

 

Excellent night. A rollercoaster of emotions all the way through. Night Two is shaping up to be incredible!

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