Deep South Wrestling TV Report for March 18, 2007

Deep South Wrestling TV Report
Airing March 18, 2007 on CSS
Taped on March 8, 2007 at the Deep South Arena in McDonough, Ga

Nigel Sherrod opened with the usual recap of last week’s matches. His broadcast partner for the evening was the former DSW Heavyweight Champion, Vito. For the second week in a row, we had a new heavyweight champion, as Ryan O’Reilly defeated Bradley Jay for the title. Sherrod said the rematch was scheduled for tonight’s main event. Vito put O’Reilly over strong.

Cut to the ring where the general manager of DSW, Krissy Vaine wanted an answer from her “special, special friend” Angel Williams on her proposal for the two of them to share the role of GM. Williams called Vaine’s actions underhanded and disgusting and said it was an awful idea. But, alas, it was all a swerve. Williams decided it was awfully ingenious. Vaine went on to say there was a new Diva in town, Nattie Neidhart, and she was going to give her a wrestling lesson later in the show.

A backstage promo by the returning Kofi Nahaje Kingston aired. Kingston said he had been in Jamaica running miles in the soft sands and climbing the mountains. Kingston said now it was time to climb the mountain to become the DSW Heavyweight Champion, and with the spirit of Jamaica inside him and the people behind him, nothing would stand in his way. “Bo! Bo! Bo!”

(1) Kofi Nahaje Kingston pinned Brian Cage at 3:54. They exchanged armbar reversals in the opening minutes with Kingston getting the better of it. Kingston scored a two count and did his shoulder shaking dance. Vito said Kingston had been a member of the Jamaican national wrestling team. Kingston leapfrogged Cage and nailed a picture perfect dropkick. Cage caught Kingston with a forearm over the top on the break. Cage brawled his way into a top wristlock, and used knees to the gut to keep Kingston on one knee. Kingston threw Cage to the canvas, sold the arm, and started his comeback with a spinwheel kick. Kingston did a dropkick, a flying forearm, a back suplex and his high elevation leg drop. Kingston then went up top for a flying bodypress to get the three count.

Brooke Adams was backstage with Robert Anthony and Johnny Curtis. She said they made an impressive team. Anthony agreed. “You can’t have peanut butter without jelly. You can’t have Tango without Cash. And now you can’t have Johnny Curtis without Robert Anthony,” said Anthony. Curtis said they were going to make it two-for-two against Bolen and Osborne.

(2) Robert Anthony & Johnny Curtis beat Jon Bolen & Shawn Osborne in 6:01. The babyface duo controlled the heels with side headlocks. Anthony kicked off the turnbuckles for a side headlock takeover on Bolen. Bolen legit headed into the wrong corner for a tag and had to reverse fields. He tried to play it off like he was woozy from the headlock. Curtis decked Osborne with a series of shoulder blocks, but he fell victim to ye olde knee in the back from Bolen. Osborne then sent Curtis flying through the ropes with a blindside forearm. Bolen and Osborne worked on Curtis’ back. Curtis almost landed on his head taking a double hiptoss. The crowd rallied behind Curtis. A midair collision of high crossbodys lead to crawling double tags. Anthony ran wild on Osborne. He landed a series of jabs and put Osborne down with a haymaker. Bolen interfered. Curtis took Bolen over the top with a clothesline. Anthony pulled of a spectacular leapfrog-backflip-standing dropkick sequence on Osborne. Curtis and Anthony ascended to the top rope in opposite corners for the big finish. Curtis connected with a guillotine leg drop. Off camera, Anthony slipped and fell short of the mark. Anthony got the pin on Osborne. “Tag team wrestling at its best. Always covering up for your partner,” said Vito.

Rebecca DiPietro tried to interview Vaine. Williams told DiPietro to get lost and asked Vaine to elaborate on the lesson she was going to give Neidhart. Vaine said Neidhart might be from one of the most prestigious wrestling families ever, but she was no more special or talented than she was. Vaine said she was going to show Neidhart who was the boss. “Sweet!” said Angel.

Brooke Adam asked Neidhart to respond to Vaine’s comments. Neidhart said Vaine was an example of the old saying. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Neidhart said she was the first 3rd generation Diva, and she was going take a little of Vaine’s power. Neidhart channeled father Anvil. “When you mess with the best, you go down with the rest. Ha, ha ha. Yeah, baby! ”

(3) Krissy Vaine pinned Nattie Neidhart in 4:32 with help from Angel Williams. Neidhart got a strong pop as she entered for her first DSW match. Vaine used a hiptoss and a shoulder tackle. Each time, Neidhart kicked out at one. Neidhart answered with a pair of armdrags and a hiptoss for a two count. Vaine stifled Niedhart with a knee to the gut and a clubbing forearm to the back. Vaine paused to toss her bling to Angel. Vaine displayed a fine assortment of chokes, kicks and punches. Neidhart was unable to mount a sustained comeback in the face of Krissy’s ruthless aggression. Vaine finally got a two count with a snap suplex. Vaine ate the turnbuckle on a reckless charge and Neidhart got rolled her up for two. Neidhart rocked Vaine with a series of strikes. Neidhart then leveled Vaine with two manly looking lariats. Niedhart hit a sitout slam for a near fall. Williams tripped up Neidhart. Vaine capitalized on the distraction with a reverse roll up and clasped hands with Angel for the 1-2-3.

Adams appeared to be traumatized by her attempt to interview Team Elite about their title match against Majors Brothers. “Did you forget, BOY? Did you forget?” said Knox (in reference to putting Brett out by driving him through a table). “Tonight is the night, tag team championship gold, finally around Team Elite.” Neikirk called it the final chapter of their saga. Knox laughed like a crazy man.

Luscious was with the Majors. Brett said Team Elite had been trying to derail the Long Island Express for the last four weeks, and hadn’t gotten the job done. Bryan gave props to the Elite, but said one thing they hadn’t accomplished was to hold the Deep South tag team gold. Bryan said Majors knew what it was like to have the titles and to lose them, and they were bringing everything they had.

(4) Team Elite (Derrick Neikirk & Mike Knox) beat Majors Brothers (Brian & Brett) to win the DSW Tag Team Titles in 7:49. Early on, Majors hit a beautifully-timed double leapfrog into a double Japanese armdrag on Knox. But Brian missed on a twisting springboard crossbody and the heat was on. Elite isolated Brian and laid the smack down. The kids got vocal for Brian. Neikirk cut off a comeback with a sweet standing dropkick that temporarily deflated the crowd. Brian made Knox pay for a telegraphed backdrop, but Knox decked Brett to prevent a tag. Knox annhilated Brian with a lariat, the kind JBL only did in his dreams. Brett had to make the save. Brian knocked Neikirk loopy with a enzuigiri. Hot tag. Brett ducked the Knox bicycle kick and cleaned house. Hart Attack on Knox and Neikirk saved. Ref Wes Adams got bumped. Brett hit a Russian legsweep and climbed, but Knox crotched him on the top. Neikirk did a sunset powerbomb on Knox, as Knox superplexed Brett. Neikirk picked Brian off the top with a climbing overhead suplex. All four men down and destroyed with the crowd going nuts. Knox went for the Whippit, but Brett countered with a reverse roll up. No ref to count. Niekirk kicked Brett in the head. Knox sat back on Brett, as Adams recovered to make the three count. Team Elite did a lengthy postmatch celebration. And so it should be.

DiPietro asked Jay for his comments on his rivalry with O’Reilly. Jay congratulated O’Reilly on achieving a dream that would quickly become a nightmare.

You are now the hunted, where I am the hunter. What you are looking at is Bradley Jay, the most vicious, tenacious predator in the Deep South. So O’Reilly, live the dream while you can, because it’s going to end rather abruptly.

Luscious told O’Reilly that the fans were happy to see him with the title. O’Reilly said he was happy to have it, but he was even happier to walk. “Last week, I was dumped on my neck, a career ending injury, and I walked away from that.” He said regardless of the outcome, Jay was going to be on the receiving end of the best of O’Reilly.

(5) Bradley Jay beat Ryan O’Reilly to become the first three-time heavyweight champion in DSW history (7:58). Appearing for the first time since winning the title, O’Reilly got a great pop. It was all escapes for the first two minutes, until Jay pounced on an opening and worked over the head and neck of O’Reilly. The O-RI-LEE chants erupted. O’Reilly charged into Jay’s boot and went down face first. Jay covered for a two count. Jay used driving elbows to the sternum for another near fall. Jay kept it on the mat with snug rear chinlock. At the 6 minute mark, O’Reilly blocked a kick and put Jay on the deck with a back elbow. O’Reilly hit a pair of lariats. Vito said it looked like O’Reilly had pepper in his step. O’Reilly did a Mike Taylor style leg lariat for a near fall. Double clothesline and both men down. Jay went to the apron. O’Reilly’s punches from inside the ring had Jay hanging on by a thread. They locked into a suplex stalemate. Jay lowered a shoulder into O’Reilly’s midsection. Jay tried it again, and O’Reilly dropped him in his tracks with a stiff kneelift to the jaw. O’Reilly picked Jay up for a slam. Jay escaped and rolled O’Reilly up from behind. Jay waited until the count of two to use the ropes for extra leverage and had Scrappy McGowan’s view completely shielded. Sherrod said Jay stole the title.

The Inside Pulse
A definite thumbs up show if for no other reason the pleasure of seeing Team Elite finally win the titles. They had an excellent match with Majors and the heat was terrific. The heavyweight title has now changed hands three consecutive weeks. Vito was a very popular champion, but that didn’t figure to last long. And it was no big shock to see Jay get it as a transition to O’Reilly. But switching the title back to Jay on O’Reilly’s first defense was a major surprise. The match was similar to their previous bouts. The psychology was sound with Jay working on the neck he injured a week earlier. I didn’t care for the finish live, but the camera angle showed the perfection of Jay’s timing and positioning to “steal” the title. I thought the television was one of Neal Pruitt’s best jobs of editing. With having to squeeze in 30 minutes of bell-to-bell action plus eight promos, all but the best of the ring entrances were cut, which improved the pacing of the show. The finishes of the first two matches were also much improved by the choice of camera angle. Vaine’s had gotten a lot more aggressive in the ring. The brawling style is definitely her strong suit. Niedhart’s size and energy are somewhat like Victoria, which makes her much better suited for the heel role, but they need her as a babyface in DSW. Everything Kingston did in the ring looked good and he’s strong on promos. He’s certainly getting a lot of looks at the RAW and Smackdown shows. As noted previously, he’s lacking in the size department per the usual WWE standards. Curtis and Anthony are getting over with the DSW fans. They had a decent match until the finish. I don’t know what was up with Curtis running the ropes at half speed though. Vito seems like nice guy, but he didn’t add much color on color commentary. Sherrod has clearly raised his game since losing Bill DeMott as his broadcast partner. He’s been working with a new guest commentator just about every week, some of whom have had very limited experience behind the mic ( MVP was by far the best). Sherrod gets the storylines across, albeit in a more low key way than DeMott. Only three dark matches this week: Ray Gordy beat Ace Steel, Afa Jr. beat Heath Miller and Freakin Deacon defeated Bobby Hoskins.