May 7, 2006 airing on Comcast Sports South
Nigel Sherod did a solo introduction for this week’s episode of Deep South Wrestling, as the whereabouts of his broadcast partner, Bill DeMott were unknown. Sherod narrated a highlight clip that showed Freakin Deacon sending Antonio Mestre into la la land with the Arachnilock/Willow’s Web (cobra clutch), then cutting to a shot of The Giant (Great Kahli) coming out to point a colossal finger at Deacon. Last week’s main event was the “brother vs. brother” DSW heavyweight title confrontation between champion Derrick Neikirk and his Team Elite partner, Mike Knox. Excellent match. The clips spotlighted the impressive athleticism of Knox. It ended in a draw that cast doubt on Team Elite’s status in the upcoming tag team tournament.
Matt Striker, the designated color commentator for the evening, was with the Gymini, who said they had been steamrolling everyone on Smackdown since they started using the Simon System. Enter “the man that whipped Buddy Rose into shape” Simon Dean. Dean demonstrated how lightly he was taking their upcoming six man match with some brutally bad puns. Gymini flexed for the cameras while Dean carried on. Dean said he knew two of their opponents and he couldn’t care less about the third one, because Gymini “had shoulders in both zip codes” and he was a former state javelin throwing champion.
Dean lead Gymini into the ring. Terry Ray Gordy and Damian Steel were introduced as their opponents. Dean said the two numbskulls better come up with a plan. DeMott appeared on the ramp and lead the babyface charge into the ring. The heels bailed out in fear. “Call him Bill DeMott. Call him Hugh Morrus. Call him Crash the Terminator. But Bill DeMott is here in the Deep South Arena”, screamed Striker.
(1) Bill DeMott & Terry Ray Gordy & Damian Steel defeated Gymini (Jesse & Jake) & Simon Dean in 5:54. Sherod said this was DeMott’s first match in 2 years. Striker said DeMott didn’t make friend, he made superstars. Steel took over on Jesse’s arm. Sherod brought up Steel’s credentials as a US Army and national level amateur wrestler. DeMott took over where Steel left off. DeMott and Jake collided on a pair of shoulder tackles with neither man giving an inch. They went nose to nose. DeMott ducked a clothesline and leveled Jesse with one of his own. Jesse maneuvered DeMott into his corner and made the tag. Dean tried to come off middle rope, but DeMott caught him with a fist to the gut. DeMott squashed Dean with two freight train corner splashes. Dean managed to check his pulse before collapsing face first on the mat. DeMott signaled for his trademark moonsault, but before he could execute, Jesse clipped his knee to send him crashing to the canvas. Jake tagged in with a series of elbow drops on DeMott. When DeMott kicked out of Jake’s pin attempt, Striker said that an unconscious DeMott was tougher than most men. The heels made quick tags as they continued to beat on DeMott in their corner. Gymini used a double hiptoss on DeMott. Steel jumped in to break up the pin. The crowd DeMott ducked out of the way resulting in a collision between the Gymini. DeMott made a falling tag to Gordy. Gordy was on fire. Gordy took Jake out with a enzuigiri. Gordy hit an exploder suplex on Dean and Jesse made the save. Dean went for his bag, but Gordy caught him with a rolling reverse. Dean kicked out and got an inside cradle, but Gordy rolled through for the pin. Striker said that seeing DeMott back in action gave him goose bumps.
Kristal Marshall was with Montel Vontavious Porter and “the Puerto Rican Nightmare” Eric Perez. Marshall complimented MVP on his jewelry. Porter said he had so much ice that he was about to catch hypothermia. MVP said that he and his “business partner” were the future tag team champions. Perez had some blingage of his own. Perez said they were in it for the power and the gold. They got into a dispute en español about which one would be el capitán. MVP said they would settle it later. “You don’t have to like us, but you do have to respect us.”
(2) Montel Vontavious Porter pinned Onyx at 2:47 with the Playmaker. MVP needed an attendant to collect all the bling bling. Onyx entered the ring with his right thigh heavily wrapped. MVP wrestled with a towel hanging out his trunks. Striker said MVP was a multi-sport star in Miami prior to entering pro wrestling. MVP took Onyx off his feet with a shoulder block and signaled for a first down. Onyx blocked a hiptoss, but MVP leveled him with a lariat and struck a Heisman pose. Sherod explained that the MVP/Perez partnership stemmed from earlier in MVP’s career when he wrestled in Puerto Rico. Onyx called for a test of strength. MVP stomped his foot and landed a sucker punch. Onyx responded with a flying shoulder block. Onyx signaled for a first down. MVP was seeing red. Onyx dumped MVP on his ass with a hiptoss. MVP wanted a TO. MVP used the trunks to send Onyx face first into the middle turnbuckle. Onyx was woozy. MVP applied a facelock. Striker said MVP was softening Onyx up for his finisher. Onyx launched a comeback. Onyx used a back elbow to the jaw for a near fall. Moments later, Onyx telegraphed a backdrop. Porter clubbed Onyx on the back of the neck and hit his finisher, which bore a striking resemblance to Elix Skipper’s Play of the Day.
Lord William Regal received a warm welcome from the fans at the DSW Arena. They cut to a previously recorded segment with Ron Niemi interviewing Regal. Niemi wanted to know about Regal’s game plan for Rough House O’Reilly. “I was expecting that delectable little Kristal. You’re no good to look at from behind. Horrendous.” Regal called O’Reilly a ” half-baked bloody Irishman from Boston.” Regal gave Niemi a quick history lesson on how the English had dominated the Irish for 800 years. Regal said it was beyond him why he had to come all the way to Deep South to prove it. Regal admitted that one thing the Irish can do well is fight. “That boy can fight. But so can I. Don’t forget who I am. I can hurt you quickly. And very, very badly.”
O’Reilly was with Striker. O’Reilly said he grew up watching Fit Finley, a man that Regal disrespected because of his Irish heritage. O’Reilly said this wasn’t about the English and the Irish. It was about respect for O’Reilly. “William Regal, win lose or draw, tonight, you will respect me, because you are in my house, the Rough House.”
(3) Rough House O’Reilly pinned William Regal in 6:05 with the Roughshot. O’Reilly’s side headlock took a toll on Regal in the early going. Regal reacted like the intense pressure was causing his cauliflower ear to act up. Sherod said it was a trick. Striker disagreed. O’Reilly hit a big shoulder block and a high dropkick and Regal bailed. Regal’s facial expression said it all. Regal scored with a slick takedown for a near fall. O’Reilly dominated a test of strength, but Regal was able to kip up from a back bridge and reverse it into a strangle hold. Regal brought O’Reilly to his knees. O’Reilly powered out and caught Regal with a monkey flip. O’Reilly connected beautifully with a dropkick. Regal cut O’Reilly off, draped his gut on the top rope, and kicked a field goal. O’Reilly tumbled to the floor. Regal was waiting on the inside with a series of boots to the head. Regal shot O’Reilly into the ropes and decked him with a back elbow. Regal dropped a knee. Striker raised the question of a loaded kneepad. O’Reilly fired back and put Regal on the canvas. O’Reilly scrambled over to cover for a two count. O’Reilly reversed a whip. Regal tried to spring off the buckles and O’Reilly nailed him with a dropkick. Both men down were slow to rise. O’Reilly was first up with fire in his eyes. O’Reilly hit a full nelson slam to score the pinfall. That got a big pop and the announce team made a huge deal out of O’Reilly’s win.
(4) Tony Santarelli beat Kid Kash in 6:20 with the Satellite Enzuigiri. Insane pop for Santarelli. The iridescent green Mohawk is a trip. Sherod mentioned that Kash was the former World Cruiserweight Champion. Sherid also said that Kash held Santarelli responsible for ending his title reign by breaking his arm in a Deep South match. Santarelli and Kash went hold for hold. Kash broke a knuckle lock with a knee to the gut and used a leg trip. Santarelli kicked Kash off and nipped up for a sunset flip. Kash kicked out at one. Santarelli ducked a soccer kick and schoolboyed Kash. They went back and forth with lightning quick pin attempts. Great sequence of moves there. The crowd showed their appreciation when they squared off. Santarelli displayed newfound confidence. Kash feigned a lock up, brought a boot into Santarelli’s gut and poked him in the eyes. A stinging chop sent Santarelli to the mat. Santarelli managed to reverse a whip. Kash went up and over in the corner. Santarelli went up and over for a reverse roll up. Kash blocked it and kicked Santarelli in the lower abs. Kash yanked Santarelli down and drove the point of the knee into his spine. Santarelli kicked out at two. Kash kicked the crap out of Santarelli’s back. Santarelli writhed in agony and told Kash to bring it. Kash laid one into Santarelli’s chest and hooked the leg, but Santarelli rolled a shoulder at 2 and ½. As Santarelli struggled to his feet, Kash slapped him across the face. They traded stiff kicks to the thigh. Santarelli took over. Santarelli stunned Kash with a jawbreaker. A follow up basement dropkick was good for a two count. Santarelli got up clutching at his back. Santarelli hit a spinning heel kick. Kash rolled a shoulder just before the three count. Santarelli was feeling it and so was the crowd. Santarelli whipped Kash towards the corner, but Kash moonsaulted over the top of a charging Santarelli and pulled him down from behind with a backbreaker. Kash covered. Ref Johnny Boone’s count almost reached three. Kash relieved his frustration with a stiff kick to the chest. Kash took Santarelli up for a vertical suplex. Santarelli floated over and hooked Kash in a backslide. Kash was out at two to deliver another kick to the chest. Kash whipped Santarelli into the turnbuckles and charged. Santarelli stepped through the ropes to the apron and caught Kash flush with an enzuigiri. 1-2-3. The DSW Arena exploded. Santarelli circled the ring celebrating with the fans.
Strike was backstage with Knox. Striker told Knox that underlying sarcasm aside, his attempt to sever Mike Taylor’s body was not funny. Knox laughed heartily, as if the thought of Taylor’s mangled body brought back fond memories. “You get caught up in passion and you know what happens? I don’t either,” said Knox. It dawned on Knox that Taylor had been out for a month a more. Knox wondered aloud if he was still the number one contender, or if he was just going backwards for some crybaby? Knox suspected that Assassin was trying to screw him over.
Marshall interviewed an enraged Taylor. Taylor said that Team Elite almost cut him in half two months ago and took away his chance to be a champion. Taylor vowed that tonight, he was going to explode through Knox, and Derrick Neikirk would be next.
(5) Mike Taylor beat Mike Knox in 4:23 with the Wipeout. Taylor escaped from the Whippit and hit the Wipeout (double knee to the jaw as Taylor dropped to the mat). Taylor was all over Knox as soon as he rolled into the ring. Knox bailed out holding his aching head. The twisted smile was replaced by a stone cold glare. Back inside, Knox wasted no time going after Taylor’s midsection. When Taylor crashed and burned on a twisting flying bodypress, Knox was in full control. Knox stomped away a midsection and dropped an elbow to the gut. Knox hooked the leg and Taylor kicked out at two. Taylor fired back, but Knox cut him off with a kneelift to the jaw. As Knox continued to dish out punishment, Striker gave the viewers an anatomy lesson to explain the vile things that could be happening to Taylor’s innards. Taylor blocked a vertical suplex and surprised Knox with a small package. More shots to the gut spelled more agony for Taylor, who managed to kick out of another pin attempt. Striker claimed that Taylor’s desire for revenge was such that he tried got out of bed on his second night in the hospital, forcing the nurses and orderlies (orderlies?) to restrain him. Knox applied an abdominal stretch. Taylor escaped. Knox swung for the fences with a lariat. Taylor ducked and got a reverse roll up. Taylor ducked another lariat and repeatedly clubbed Knox’s back. Taylor sent Knox down with a kneelift. Taylor’s comeback built to a sitout leg lariat. Taylor played to the fans. But when Taylor missed on a charge into the corner, Knox decapitated him with a lariat. Taylor kicked out just before the three count. Knox set up for the Whipit. Taylor escaped and hit the Wipeout (falling double knee to the jaw) to score the pinfall. Out of nowhere, Neikirk started pounding lumps on Taylor. Santarelli cleared the ring before more serious damage could be done. Sherod said the feud between Team Elite and High Impact (which goes all the back to the first DSW show last September) was far from over.
THOUGHTS: Another good show. Every match served a purpose. They established finishers, as four of the five matches ended with the winner hitting his finishing move for a clean victory. Santarelli/Kash was the best of the hour. Santarelli showed that he could hang with a top guy in a fast-paced cruiserweight style bout. Regal cut the best promo. No surprise there. Knox cut another strong promo. His crazed outlaw persona stands out on the first two episodes to air on CSS. Taylor’s surprisingly quick and clean win over Knox should put him right in line for a shot at Neikirk. O’Reilly’s match with Regal needed more time to have the desired impact. The out-of-the-blue finish took it down several notches, although the announce team went all out to get across the significance of O’Reilly’s victory. I liked the chemistry of the Perez/MVP alliance. MVP is one thickly built dude to look so much larger than Onyx. DeMott’s return made for a nice segment. Gymini are a smooth operating honest-to-God tag team. The presence of Dean added to the fun, but Striker’s hyping of DeMott was over the top. Overall, Striker got off some good lines on color commentary, and stayed true to his obnoxious character.
