Riot City Wrestling – Powertrip 2012 [Nov 10]

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For the second month running we are treated on the big screen to highlights of shows from 2011, but this time intermingled with adverts for the merchandise stand and other things. Although, to be fair, the highlights were there to sell DVDs.

 

The show starts with a brilliant highlights package of Ascension last month. That’s more like it. And then Voodoo appears on the screen and runs down RCW. Our commentators come to the ring – Todd Eastman, Josh Armour and Luke Santamaria (Tony, Mike and Larry Zybysko… Luke’s more a Larry than a Mongo). They run down the three main events and the crowd is into it already. Not a full house, but almost 300 in attendance, and they are loud.

 

Match 1: Josh Shooter v Nick Armstrong (with Jett Armstrong)

Shooter with Kylie Minogue’s gold lame pants and a green thong… No. This was supposed to be a tag match, but Shooter’s partner isn’t here. Jett Armstrong calls Shooter on it with a short, sharp and shiny promo. The crowd is freakin’ loud! Armstrong in control to start.  Shooter back, but Armstrong cartwheels out of a monkey flip, then hits one of his own, then Shooter hits a snake eyes in the corner and a forearm, putting Shooter in control. Shooter with some weak kicks. It seems interstate guys really need to work on their strikes. But he redeems it with a nice German suplex. This is a surprisingly long heel beatdown. Double clothesline has them both down. Armstrong back. Now Armstrong in control for a while. Armstrong up top but Shooter dropkicks him, then slams him down. Armstrong turns a GTS attempt into an Ace Cutter for the three-count and the win.

Winner: Nick Armstrong (pinfall)

 

Match 2: Ryan Rollins v Chris ‘Mimic’ Basso

Mimic in control from the word go, for a long time, until Rollins uses the ref to stop a Mimic attack. Rollins sells well when being beaten, but his attacks lack intensity, and selling is forgotten when he’s on attack. Rollins slow in attack. Mimic is selling well. And then Rollins slows it down with a Tongan nerve grip. Still, crowd is hot and when Mimic chops Rollins (loudly) they explode. Nice short dropkick from Rollins. Back to the nerve grip. Rollins misses two elbows, doesn’t sell, doesn’t sell a jawbreaker, hits a nice dropkick which Mimic sells brilliantly. Rollins moons the crowd. Crowd is really hot for this. Rollins up top, misses the lowest senton ever. Mimic with a springboard European uppercut for 2. Mimic clothesline turns Rollins inside out. Enziguri into bridged German suplex gets 2 for Mimic. Rollins back on the attack. Mimic hits a release F5. Goes for the mega-driver, but Voodoo comes out and distracts him long enough (by looking at him from the ramp?) for Rollins to hit a superkick for the win.

Winner: Ryan Rollins (pinfall)

 

Video package – Damo Damo is told that if he doesn’t get a win by the time his contract expires at the end of March (5 months time) his contract won’t be renewed.

 

Match 3: Damo Damo v Brad Smyth v Del Taurino

Brad dumped early and Taurino and Damo have a face v face matchup. Damo with the upper hand briefly. Japanese arm drag on Smyth by Taurino. This is a fast match. Crowd is hot for Damo; I think he might be the most over guy on the roster. Taurino throws Damo onto Smyth on the outside. Smyth and Taurino in and Smyth in control. Somehow the crowd is louder than they’ve been all night. Damo and Brad in and Damo gets the upper hand! But Brad comes back. Match is straddling the line between comedy and serious awkwardly. Taurino in and hits a huge springboard back elbow on Smyth. Taurino in control. He throws Damo out. Taurino up, Smyth with him, Smyth down, Taurino hits the flying elbow, Damo breaks up the count. Damo goes for a pin, Smyth breaks up the count. Damo plants Smyth with a DDT, and then dumps Taurino. Crowd is so loud we can’t hear the commentators. Damo signals he’s going to fly. Goes to the top rope. Crossbody on Smyth for… 2! Low blow by Smyth, then a superkick. Smyth and Taurino bacxk and forth, until Taurino hits a torture rack Samoan drop (almost an Olympic slam) on Smyth for the win.

Winner: Del Taurino (pinfall on Brad Smyth)

 

Match 4: Eliza Sway v Savannah Summers © – Women’s Title

Sway overpowers to start, but Summers uses her speed to get in control. Sway back in control. Some real heel tactics from Sway and the crowd is growing livid. Summers comes back until a huge spine buster turns the tide back. Sway really in control. Summers back with a wheelbarrow bulldog. This match is quite intense. Summers up top with a crossbody for 2. Sway comes back with a big boot, but both are down. Sway manages to cover for 2. Sway hits a sort of high impact atomic drop (she held Summers in a bear hug, then dropped her to the base of her spine on the mat) for 2. Ouch! Sway to the second rope, but meets Pure Arrogance (Meet De Feet) for 2. Sway is selling her throat as though she cannot breathe. Voodoo runs out while the referee is checking on Sway and hits Summers in the back of the head with the key. Sway rolls Summers over. And gets the 3! The crowd is livid!! Great match.

Winner: Eliza Sway (new champion) (pinfall)

 

Sway and Voodoo celebrate in the ring together. I have a feeling this gives away another result later on tonight…

 

A Brooks video complaining about not getting title shots, a Marvel right of reply video, and we’re on.

 

Match 5: Adam Brooks v Marvel (with El Presidente) © – RCW Title

The second main event. It is now announced that next month, to end it all, a 4-on-4 tag team match RCW v MCW will be the main event. Not sure what that means for this show, though. Fast start, back and forth, with Marvel getting the upper hand. Back and forth punches until Brooks takes over with a weak jawbreaker. He misses a charge and Marvel in control. Brooks manages to send him to the outside. Outside Brooks takes out El Presidente. Back in the ring and Brooks gets a 2 count. Match slows down. Brooks in control. Match’s flow is odd. Brooks slows it down even more with a chin lock. Crowd wants to get into it, but are struggling. Marvel comes back with a reverse DDT for 2. Marvel selling well. Marvel to the second rope, a kick by Brooks, Brooks up with him, they fight it out, Marvel hits a second rope Michinoku driver for 2. Back body drops by Marvel. Sit out power slam for 2 by Marvel. Jaw-jacker by Brooks gets 2. Marvel hits an emerald frosion for 2. Low blow by Brooks turns the tide. Match has definitely improved as it’s gone along. Spinning clothesline by Marvel gets 2. Spinning neckbreaker by Brooks and he goes to the top and hits his senton. He goes for the pin but Marvel locks in the dragon sleeper and Brooks taps. Off match.

Winner: Marvel (submission) (still champ)

 

Match 5b: Voodoo comes out to cash in the Key to the City.

Marvel kicks out of an immediate Voodoo stalling elbow, cannibal destroyer combo. The bell rings, but Marvel kicked out. Methinks someone messed up. A second destroyer and… holy crap! Voodoo is the new champ! Mind you, I thought it was going to happen after Sway’s win. Still, what a surprise to see it. Wow!

Winner: Voodoo (new RCW champion) (pinfall)

 

Match 6: Fuzion v Big Brodie Marshall

Fuzion jump starts the match, but Marshall comes back with clotheslines and a slam. Fuzion outside to get his breath back, Marshall follows, but Fuzion gets on top of him. In the ring, Fuzion maintains control. Spear to Marshall’s lower back from behind twice looked damn painful. Fuzion stays in control. Marshall tries to comeback, but Fuzion cuts it off with a backbreaker. Fuzion uses the 5-count to its fullest. Marshall blocks two suplex attempts and reverses to his own. But Marshall’s back is still sore and he’s slow to capitalise. Punching. Brodie reverses a punch to a slam, and goes for his Marshall Law finisher, but the back gives out. Fuzion hits a spinebuster for 2. Marshall manages to block a punch and hits the Marshall Law for the win. And Fuzion’s losing streak continues. The selling was actually quite good until the last Marshall Law.

Winner: Big Brodie Marshall (pinfall)

 

And Marshall continues to sell the back to the backstage area.

 

Match 7: Hammer (with Brad Smyth) v GD Grimm (last man standing match, match 3 in the Key To The City series)

Series stands at 0-0 after two matches so far, so this is winner take all, and there must be a winner. The third part of the main event for tonight. Yeah, it didn’t make sense at the time either. Hammer and Brad try some shenanigans to start, but Grimm outsmarts them. Grimm goes for the pin, but no pinfalls. So it looks like no DQ, no pinfalls, so to win one’s opponent has to boit be able to answer the 10 count. Okay. That’s set up in the first 2 minutes of the match and that’s good. Hammer takes over. Brad gives Hammer a chair. Hammer misses, but the chair (a metal one) breaks when it hits the mat. Now Grimm throws in plunder. Including a beer keg. Wow. That’s new. Chair shots miss, then one hits Hammer’s back and breaks in half. Hammer is bleeding hardway. Outside they still fight, Hammer in control until a Grimm chop turns the tide. Hammer chokes Grimm with an electrical extension cord. Grimm up at 6. Hammer uses his elbow brace to choke Grimm. They exchange punches. Hammer clotheslines Grimm to the outside. Hammer works Grimm over outside. Back in and Hammer lays into Grimm. He wedges the beer keg into the corner between the ropes. Grimm runs into it knee first and Hammer kills him with a clothesline. Brad tells Hammer to work the injured leg of Grimm. Good use of the mentor. Hammer now in control. Grimm up at 5, and he chops at Hammer. Hammer goes to punch Grimm but Grimm holds up a trash can and Hammer hits it. Grimm throws the keg at Hammer and knocks him out of the ring. Hammer up at 7. Grimm goes after Hammer, but Brad hits the knee with a chair. Hammer now works the knee over. Hammer presses the keg against the knee. Hammer misses some punches but lands kicks to the knee. A chair to Grimm’s head drops him. Grimm up at 7. Hammer tripped over and lands face first on a garbage can. Brad gets him to stay down and take a count to get a breather. Hammer up at 8. Trash can lid to the head of Hammer and Grimm sets up a table in the corner. Hammer tries to suplex Grimm through the table. Grimm now tries the same thing. Hammer goes after the knee to break it. Grimm back with a half a chair to the head. Grimm in control until a hard low blow by Hammer. Brad then finds a hammer for Hammer. But Grimm gets a low blow of his own to stop that. Brad tries to give the hammer to Hammer, but Grimm gets it and Brad cops it in the gut. He goes after Hammer, but Hammer blocks it and kicks Grimm’s leg until he lets go and he then hits Grimm in the temple with the hammer. Grimm kips up at 8! He is hulking up. Literally. The crowd loves it. Grimm all over Hammer. Grimm with a springboard shoulderblock and both men are down. Grimm up at 6. Hammer up at 9. Grimm resets the table, but Hammer goes after the knee again. Grimm tries for an electric chair drop but Hammer powers out. Grimm blocks a punch and hits the powerbomb through the table! Grimm up at 6, still limping. Brad stops the count at 9 so Grimm kicks him into the middle of next week. Grimm hits the curb stomp on Hammer (they *still* do the lights thing when he hits that!). The crowd counts along all the way to 10! Grimm wins the Key to the City! Match of the night.

Winner: GD Grimm (Hammer could not answer the 10-count)

 

Shooter, Rollins and Brooks all run out and attack Grimm, tearing him apart. Brooks with a microphone and he gives a declaration of war. They go after the knee and Brooks runs down RCW and South Australia. The Armstrongs and Mimic hit the ring to make the save. So I guess it’s the Bassos and the Armstrongs – the 2 sets of brothers – against Rollins, Brooks, Shooter and a mystery fourth man next month. Jett Armstrong confirms the fight next month and the crowd explodes. “R-C-Dub” chants echo everywhere. The Victorians high-tail it back to the locker room and the South Australians stand tall in the ring while “R-C-Dub” resounds strongly and loudly.

 

Australian. Father. Perpetual student. Started watching wrestling before Wrestlemania 1. Has delusions of grandeur and was known to regularly get the snot beaten out of him in a wrestling ring. Also writes occasionally in other Pulse sections.Thinks Iron Mike Sharpe is underrated. http://stevengepp.wordpress.com