Empire Wrestling ran their major show for the fall season, "Chasing the
Grail", Saturday night in Rossville, GA.
For a professional quality presentation of an independent wrestling product,
Empire is the best thing going in the state of Georgia. The venue is a warehouse
space similar to what NWA Charlotte used except smaller and presumably without
the code violations. The sound, lighting and video screen are top notch.
One of things that makes Empire unique is their talent roster. Being in close
proximity to Chattanooga allows them to attract talent from a tri-state region.
It's a far cry from Anarchy for overall depth but serviceable enough because the
presentation, concept and stories have such power.
An Empire show plays like a movie. It paints a compelling picture as well as any
show around. For me, one of the critical factors in judging a pro wrestling
event is how it impacts me the next day. Does it grow or diminish in my mind? In
this case, the answer was clear.
Empire starts on time and religiously limit their shows to 2 hours in length
with no intermissions and no dead time matches. The show moves seamlessly
between matches, video segments and in-ring talk. The pace and flow keep the
crowd involved and limits chances to lose momentum.
For last night at least, the talk and videos were stronger than the matches. Not
that there's anything wrong with that, so long as the wrestling is good enough
to suspend disbelief. Based on fan reaction, the stories are working, and the
talk segments are key.
Attendance was around 13. That number was somewhat of a disappointment. Empire
drew 400 in August for their War Games show, equivalent to their Wrestlemania.
Grail was more like their SummerSlam.
The show opened with a stellar hype video (produced by Empire owner Dru
Delight).
(1) Banks defeated Chris Ganz in 6:35. Banks no longer has a first name. But
he's still "Yummy" according to his tights. Ganz has added bulk since I saw him
last. His O'Connor roll was well done as was the springboard crossbody, but a
gingerly executed tope could have been disasterous. For Ganz, it was live by the
sword, die by the sword with high risk manuevers. Banks clubbed him good on a
second springboard crossbody and ended it with ropes-assisted reverse suplex.
(2) Johnny Viper (with Se7en) defeated Ryan Vega to retain the Empire Junior
Championship in 7:00. Viper is an Empire trainee. Vega is billed as "punk rock's
last hope" and does play in bands in the local area. Loads of flying moves in
this match. Viper has great spring on his aerial stuff and hits it crisply. If
only he had a semblance of a physique. Vega with a springboard codebreaker into
Alex Shelley's Border City Stretch but Viper hooked the ropes with his foot.
Se7en jumped up to distract and got off by Vega’s springboard kick, but Viper
capitalized with a flatliner for the pin.
Ace Rockwell entered the ring to make his big announcement. Rockwell said he
recently turned 30. He had enjoyed his 13 years in the ring. Pro wrestling was
the one thing that had never turned it's back on him, and that's why this was
such a difficult moment. Rockwell said the injuries and concussions had taken a
toll. He had watched the video of his head hitting the chair (german suplex
through a chair courtesy of Matt Fortune resulting in a ref stoppage). Rockwell
said when pro wrestlers are in the ring, they are giving all the fans all the
can, and it was giving all he could that brought him to this position.
Fortune interrupted with a sickening smile on his face. Fortune said he had to
be there for this -- Rockwell was wasted because of "The Freakin' Star" Matt
Fortune. Fortune told Rockwell to admit his career was over. The fans chanted
"no". Rockwell said 13 years of wrestling would be the cause of his retirement
not Fortune. Rockwell said he knew Fortune's ego would prevent him from staying
away because he had to make himself more important than he really was. Rockwell
said he had to make Fortune believe he was retiring. With that, Rockwell wasted
Fortune with Aces High. A "Yes" chant erupted. Rockwell said he wasn't retiring
any time soon, and Fortune had a problem. "A dangerous man with more motivation
than you could ever imagine is coming to kick your ass." Rockwell and Fortune
absolutely hit it out the park with this segment.
(3) Joey Lynch defeated Jason Hampton (with Banks) in 9:10. Lynch is Fortune's
brother and a solid talent in the ring. If Viper had Lynch's physique he could
go places. Hampton was described to me as North Georgia's Shane Marx. Hampton
isn't on the elite level that Marx occupies, but his pudgy physique belies a
talented wrestler. Hampton clipped Lynch's knee and worked the body part.
Lynch's leg was giving out on him. Lynch hit a leg lariat out of nowhere to
spark a series of pinning combinations, then nailed Hampton with a rabbit leg
lariat. Lynch was positioned for a moonsault when Banks blatantly interfered to
crotch him on the turnbuckle. The ref ejected Banks from ringside. Lynch fought
off Hampton's super backdrop suplex and connected with a moonsault block for the
win. This was good match that would not have been the least bit out of place on
an Anarchy show. Lynch sold the leg bigtime after it was over.
On the video screen, Empire owner Dru Delight was on the phone asking someone
where he was and what about his interview? (Empire regulars knew that someone
was Corey Coxx, the host of the "Gettin' Wyld" interview segments)
Shaun Tempers and his utterly obnoxious manager Steve Dave appeared on the big
screen. Tempers gloated about taking out Tank's fellow Reject member Andrew
Alexander, and said it didn't matter that Tank was bigger, stronger and more
psycho than he was. The video cut off due to technical problems.
(4) Se7en defeated Chrisjen Hayme in 7:47. THE surreal moment of the night was
watching two guys with Down's Syndrome spotlighte by strobe lights as they
danced to Hayme's entrance music. It was also a prime example of a match up that
can't be seen anywhere else in Georgia. Hayme tried to use his speed to
bamboozle the monster. That tactic worked until it didn't. Se7en caught Hayme's
moonsault and turned into a nasty Snake Eyes. Se7en destroyed Hayme with power
moves until Hayme rolled out from under Se7en's leaping elbow drop. Hayme made a
valiant high-flying comeback but in the end, Se7en smoked him with the choke
bomb. That's how monsters are built. Se7en was never taken off his feet.
Ring announcer Gabe Walters welcomed "Butcher" Bobby Hayes to the ring. Walters
wanted to know why Hayes attacked Logan Alvey. Hayes said he gave Alvey some
pointers when he asked for help, and Alvey repaid him by costing him his number
one contendership. Hayes said he had wrestled all over the country for 22 years
and Empire should have been begging him to wrestle for the title instead of
forcing him to go through a tournament. This got huge heat and a chant of "stop
your whining". Debuting ref John Davis came out and gave Hayes the "wrap it up'
signal. Hayes stomped his ass and left Davis laying with a classic piledriver.
The fans chanted for Alvey but he wasn't there. Delight came to ringside with
his security crew, but they didn't make a move on Hayes, who made good on his
promise not to leave until he was damn well ready to. This segment worked like a
charm.
(5) Best of the Best (Dyron Flynn & Lamar Phillips) defeated Double Dragons
(Keith & KT Hamill) and Wyld Stallyns (Chris Ganz & Corey Coxx) and Hot
Commodity (CB Suave & Tommy Penirelli) in a gauntlet match to win the Empire
Wrestling Tag Team Championship (total time 30:13). Stallyns weren't on the
advertised card. Their addition wasn't spelled out. I assume it was based on
their status as former champions. Lots of action, ragged in spots but it didn't
lack for wild intensity and the fans were entertained. I'm sketchy on the
details as I was too busy being entertained by David Pierce and Scott Hensley..
Hot Commodity started against Stallyns. Suave was impressive as HC got heat on
Coxx. Ganz pinned Suave at 10:34 and Stallions moved on to face Best of the
Best. It must be said that Flynn has improved tremendously from his awful NWA
Main Event days. Ganz took most of the punishment this time.Coxx finally got the
tag and had the match won, but Flynn nailed him coming off the ropes and he was
pinned at 5:15. Dragons entered to great fanfare. Keith is known as the "Chunky
Dragon" and with the face paint, he looks like Muta after too many trips to the
buffet. Looks can be deceiving, as Keith's tope on Phillips was balls to the
wall. Flynn's dive nailed his partner for a trouble in paradise moment. KT was
laying in the blows like B of B owed him money. Down the stretch, it was a
sequence of big moves and saves. The finish saw Flynn reverse Chunky's O'Connor
roll to win the titles.
The remainder of Tempers promo played. Tempers said he was groomed to be a
champion from day one. He was faster, better prepared and had a much better
manager. He was going to break Tank's neck and walk out as champ.
Two more video clips followed -- an ominous techno deal announcing the coming of
The Cabal and a quick clip of Best of The Best gloating and celebrating that was
quite amusing.
The Rev and Tank appeared on screen. Rev cut an inspired promo, as good as
anything I've heard him do in quite a while. I can't do his imagery justice in
this recap. Rev said he wasn't surprised about Tempers turn against the Rejects
because he had always been treacherous, and he had his "cannon fodder" to take
the blows he wasn't willing to take. Rev said Dave's day would come for spraying
him in the face, but tonight was about the championship. The spirit of Bacchus
was usually invoked at The Compound at Halloween. This year was different.
Visitors were barred. To get in the proper state for the match, Tank asked Rev
to bury him alive for solitude. Two hours later, the hole was empty and Tank was
nowhere to be found. Rev came upon the carcass of a mountain lion torn asunder.
Tank was knee deep in its blood, and that's what was in store for Tempers.
Steve Dave (I don't trust anybody with two first names and no last name) said
standing before them were two of the best looking men they had ever seen. Dave
said Rev might be in league with Satan, but Tempers was the one true living God
and the longest reigning NWA North American Champion in history. Empire was
entering a new era -- The Era of the Temptation. I love this guy.
(6) Shaun Tempers (with Steve Dave) defeated Tank (with The Rev) to win the
Empire Wrestling Heavyweight Championship in 14:30. Tempers was getting nowhere
fast. He took TO's and while swith chants of "Tank is gonna kill you" ringing in
his ears. Dave ran distraction to set up the sneak attempt by the challenger. A
dropkick to the knee put Tank down and Tempers tried to keep him there. Tempers
countered Tank's first Chokebreaker, but not the second. Dave stopped the ref's
count. How is that not a DQ? Rev slugged Dave for a big pop. Tank went to the
spinning backfist but Tempers ducked. Tank inadvertently splashed the ref
(Delight's son) in the corner. Tank's backfist was on the money. Wouldn't you
know it? No ref to count. Fortune hit the ring. Tank sent him flying out the
opposite side, then cut Johnny Viper off at the pass. Meanwhile, Se7en was
posting Rev. Tank succumbed to the odds, speared out of his boots by 7. Tempers
gave Tank two chairshots to the back, a chair edge to the throat and a hangman
neckbreaker driving the edge into Tank's windpipe. Sonny boy was brought to life
to make the count.
Dave tried to put the belt around the waist of the new champion but couldn't get
the job done due to his CP. The show ended with Tempers, Se7en, Viper and
Fortune celebrating while standing over Tank's motionless carcass.
NOTES: Empire runs shows the 1st, 3rd and 5th Saturdays of the month at 22
Austin Ave. in Rossville, GA…WDEF-TV, the CBS affiliate in Chattanooga ran an
outstanding feature on Empire that can be viewed at
http://chattanooga.tennesseenewstv.com/2013/10/10/through-irish-eyes-pro-wrestling
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