TASW May 3rd Card

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

Tonight I decided to actually go check out the local indy fed Texas All-Star Wrestling. It's based in Humble, TX out of the bingo hall. I was pleasantly surprised by it. It's made up mostly of cruiserweight sized wrestles and they seem to have been trained well. They don't stall much and I saw maybe two rest holds the whole night and they didn't last long...however they weren't Spot Monkeys either. Good basic wrestling.

 

Now this was a small bingo hall and I was one of maybe 3 non-redneck fans there. Everyone else was some of the craziest hicks I've ever seen.

 

Now let me introduce the players:

 

TASW Champion "The Kansas City Killer" Michael Strider:

This guy's mannerisms had be rollin with laughter. Very over the top at times. His promo skills were okay-ish, not too offensive, but not great. He has a good look. Almost a smaller, younger looking Tommy Dreamer as far as look. Decent wrestling skills.

 

Zenzen:

Strange name. His look reminds me of Reno and Justin Credible mixed together. He never spoke so I can't judge his promo skills. He was tagging with Strider tonight to go for the Tag Titles. He has decent skills as far as I saw. Nothing flashy.

 

Bobby 2-Badd & Seth Shai:

These guys are the tag champs. Seth is a decent wrestler who reminds me of Raven and looks like the late lead singer of Drowning Pool. His partner Bobby was referred to as sort of the top babyface in the fed by Strider and the Promoter, but he didn't get much face heat so I doubt that claim. Bobby's problem is he can't throw a decent punch. He has this high arching almost chop of a punch. They worked fairly well as a team.

 

Leif Ericson:

Think Ultimate Warrior without the face paint and if he was a redneck as far as his look goes. Big guy. Not really Hoss big, but big. I really can't judge his ring skills since he spent most of his match being beat up. The one time he did speak it came out pure Hick so I doubt he does many promos. I have a feeling he's a DUD.

 

"Top Gun" Jag:

I see where he get's his name. He looks like the guy from Jag...if he were in his 40's. Good heel heat for this guy and he worked the crowd well. He didn't do much wrestling in his match though. Mostly heel tactics and using a foreign object. As far as I can tell he's not that good in the ring.

 

"All American" Chris Allen:

Let's just say this kid is Kurt Angle Jr. He came out in a red Angle-like singlet and even used the Anklelock. The rest of his moveset was different than Kurt's. He showed signs of going heel during his match even though he got face pops. Very good skills so far that I've seen. Good timing and a good look.

 

Bret Basics:

Your typical high flying babyface good ol boy. Great skills. Reminds me a lot of AJ Styles. Nearly stole the show.

 

General Agony:

Don't let the stupid name fool you. This kid showed some skills. He pulled off a pretty swank Falcon Arrow in his match along with a couple of Urinage...errr Urinagai? Whatever the plural of Urinage is. He played the heel well. Reacted with the crowd well too. Of course it's not hard to get a crowd full of white trash riled up though.

 

Voodoo X-Ecutioner:

Now before you start getting visions of Papa Shango think again. There's no witch doctoring here. Just a young black kid with some great skills and a good look. Think a smaller leaner Ice T with a cool hairstyle of patterned braids. I said Basics nearly stole the show because this guy DID steal the show not to mention got the biggest pop of the night.

 

Rocco Carmanooch & Tony Montana:

Besides Voodoo these guys are probably the only non-hick wrestlers on the roster. Not that everyone on the roster is full on redneck, but the all show signs of being from the south. These guys look to be an Italian/Hispanic mix and they've blended the style of both well for their gimmick. They're also the best dressers in this fed it seems. Both did well. Rocco's style is kind of a mix of Rey Mysterio from the Filthy Animal days and Johnny the Bull. Tony's style I can't really describe. Pretty much a basic wrestling style.

 

"Wildcat" Scoby Gober:

A pot bellied cowboy who went to Humble High School where I went. He's kind of made himself a mascot for the school as a wrestler. He adopted the school's mascot as his nickname and wears the colors. This guy surprised me for a porky little fella. He threw some pretty stiff clotheslines. However his gimmick is pretty lame and his look get's a little disgusting after awhile.

 

Well on to the matches now. I've introduced all the wrestlers who were on the card.

 

The show started off with Strider and Zenzen coming out to some major heel heat to hype their main event match for the night. Strider being from Missouri says he hates it down here to get some heat and of course the rednecks eat it up. Strider makes a pretty funny joke to a couple behind me that was a sickly skinny hick and his fat girlfriend. Strider told the guy to get a few beers cause he definitely needed some beer goggles for that chick. They say they'll be champs tonight but the fans have to wait to see it till the end.

 

First Match: Scoby Gober vs. Tony Montana

Before the match starts Montana tells Scoby to wrestle he needs the right equipment. So he pulls out a bra and tosses it to Gober to cover his man tits. Great stuff! (I'm not gonna give you play by play cause I can't remember it all) An okay match. Scoby had the habit of slapping on his fat after each move. No blown spots here and the moves looked crisp. It didn't quite click enough to be a great match though. Montana wins through cheating.

I give it: *3/4

 

Next up: Leif Ericson vs. Jag

Nice "Jag is a fag" chant starts up...even a little girl next to me was saying it. This match was the only match of the night that sucked. Most of the match was Jag using a foreign object and then trying to hide it from the ref. Jag threw in some nice leg work...that went nowhere. Leif eventually grabs the foreign object (some plastic thing) away from Jag and hits him with it and get's a three count. Jag complains that he was robbed so the promoter says next time they're in Humble there will be a Lumberjack match between the two. Oh yay a rematch of the match that sucked.

I give it: DUD

 

They have their first 15 minute intermission and some of the wrestlers come out to give autographs.

 

Next match: Voodoo X-Ecutioner vs. Rocco Carmanooch

Great great match. Good back and forth action with some pretty good timing. The match starts with Voodoo perched on the top turnbuckle being all ominous when Rocco bounces off the ropes causing him to be crotched on the top rope. Montana was on the outside playing up the crowd. If this match had just been given more time it would have been match of the night, but that honor goes to the next match. Match ended in DQ when Scoby came out for revenge on Montana and Carmanooch. Great stuff after the match with stereo backbody drops from Scoby and Voodoo to Montana and Carmanooch. The DQ ending took away from a great match though.

I give it: **3/4

 

Next match: Three Way Dance for the TASW Cruiserweight Title: Chris Allen vs. Bret Basics vs. General Agony

This was the match of the night. Great fast paced action without a lot of hight spots and also without a lot of rest holds. WWE needs to use that model of how to do shorter matches and still have them look good. Bret Basics retains his title with a sweet looking Ace Crusher. This match was made even better by Agony's heel tactics. Cocky covers and all. One cool spot saw Agony do a one foot cocky cover, but when the ref went to count he leaped into a legdrop.

I give it: *** (if it were only longer I'd give it a lot more)

 

They took another 15 minute intermission and I got Voodoo's autograph. I really could see this guy moving on to ROH or TNA someday.

 

Main Event: Strider & Zenzen vs. Bobby 2Badd & Seth Shai

This match was pretty decent, but was brought down by Bobby's silly punches. The hot tag was played well, but since it was made to Bobby the crowd didn't really pop that much for it. Seth played the face in peril pretty well. The match ended in DQ when Bobby snagged a chair that Strider brought in and laid some vicious chair shots to Strider and Zenzen.

I give it: **

 

All in all I give the show a thumbs up. I wish there were more matches, but the 4 out 5 matches being good for a pretty small Indy fed is pretty good.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

Oh I forgot to throw in the coolest part. They did a 10 bell salute to Miss Elizabeth at the beginning and she was never in the fed.

[Guest Galactic Gigolo]

Yeah, indy shows traditionally do that for anyone who dies. I wouldn't be surprised if the same federation (if it was around) did a salute for the Renegade when he shot himself.

[Chunk 0]

I went to a TASW show last month, when I was over on holiday.

 

I thought it was OK, but the crowd was what suck out in my mind. They were all into it in a markish kind of way, but they were also some of the most hospitable people I have ever met.

 

We got talking to a women and a group outside of people before the show. When we told them that we were from England, that just treated us like VIP's the whole night. The women turned out to be the grand mother of bobby 2 badd and she got me photos with all of the workers. The ring announcer even gave us a shout out during the show.

 

It was pretty awesome. And, as an aside, Voddoo was the most over guy that night as well. They pulled apretty decent crowd despite it (apparently) being prom night, and a whole gorup of young girls guys went mental when vodoo came out. I would recommend the promotion to anyone in the area.

 

Oh, they also did a ten bell salute that night too. It was for the troops in Iraq.

 

ChUnK!

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

The funniest thing I saw that night was a little woman in a blue moomoo dancing to all the wrestler's theme songs. She never danced on beat though. And when I say dance I mean she had the arms flailing and was swaying around.

 

She walked up beside me and did that and I just about had a heart attack cause I didn't know she was there.

[Guest PowerPB13]

I've seen Strider in action a couple of times in St. Louis-based Gateway Championship Wrestling...he's awesome, that is all.

 

-Patrick

 

Strider vs. Johnny Greenpeace from last May