It was a banner week for wrestling in both the area indie scene and on the national stage.
In WWE, Kevin Owens in the new Universal Champion and Seth Rollins is no longer Triple H’s golden boy. AJ Styles takes on Dean Ambrose for the WWE title at Backlash, In TNA, We’re going to get a second coming of the final deletion and DJ Zema Ion is the new X Divison champion. Lucha Underground starts up again soon and one of our local guys in the area, Teddy King, announced that he’s going to be working for Global Force.
Speaking of local and area news, TSW ran a great show last weekend at the Blue Jeans Center in Monroe City. Terrance was crowned the new TSW Champion after JC Karnage turned on Johnnie Watts, costing him the match. A new character was introduced and before he was able to say a word to 10 Count Blog about his excitement was attacked by Sweet Daddy B and the new TSW Champion – click here to see how that worked out for him.
But it’s a new week and with it comes a new set of predictions. This week, TSW is at the Vincennes Eagles Club for proving grounds and this promises to be a continuation of the excitement from last weekend. Remember this is independent wrestling and the card is subject to (and probably will) change.
Match 1 – TSW Southern Title Match: Baron Darhk vs. A.J. Riley
This should be a good one. Baron recently burst onto the scene and has gained a lot of momentum ever since. It seems that Papa Baker has taken a special liking to the fallen priest as well and that can only help, right? But aside from the obvious favoritism he’s being shown from the ownership, Darhk is a quality wrestler and not a rookie that you’d be wise to sleep on. He’s a big, domineering presence but moves with the speed and agility of a much smaller man.
The current Southern Champion, A.J. Riley, will have to control this match from the get-go to gain any traction. He’s already got enough to worry about with the “less than honorable” tactics we’re likely to see from Papa, but pair that with the skill of Darhk, and it becomes an understatement to say that Riley will have to be on his toes.
A.J. has shown some growth since becoming southern champion. He’s carrying himself with a lot more confidence and has even debuted a couple of new maneuvers against Mike Blitz and Banshee recently. While the power moves worked against the smaller guys, he’s not going to have that option in this contest because he and Darhk are pretty even on that front.
There is an ace in the hole for A.J. His brother Nate will be in his corner along with TSW Hall of Famer Coach Ken Powers. With any luck, their presence at ringside will be enough to neutralize any attempts at cheating from Sweet Daddy. In an even match-up, I give the slight edge to A.J. because of his experience.
Prediction: A.J. Retains.
Match 2 – Michael Madrox vs. Luke Wilder
Luke Wilder will be a man on a mission this weekend. He and Matt Dawson fell to the Juggernauts last weekend at Monroe City and lost their tag titles. Wilder was obviously upset after the match and for good reason. Somehow, I think losing the tag titles may have lit a raging fire in the Southern Shiners and you can bet that every time these guys meet, there will be sparks.
Don’t count out Madrox though. He and Blitz have been gaining momentum, even if they haven’t been on the winning end of many matches recently. Maybe it’s whatever they’re putting in the Jugger-Aid, but they’re clicking as of late. Madrox has the height and reach advantage on Wilder in this match, but his size may hurt him in the later rounds. Wilder is extremely athletic and has a plethora of skills he can call to his aid if the need arises, particularly a background in MMA and Brazilian Ju-Jitsu.
If Madrox wants to win, he’ll have to control the tempo and keep Wilder from gaining a full head of steam. He’ll also have to find a way to use his size to his advantage. Wilder, likewise, will have to keep Madrox on his heels and get him reeling in the early going. If he can do that I look for him to be victorious – assuming there’s no outside interference.
Prediction: Luke Wilder
Match 3 – Proving Grounds Match: Matt Diamond vs. Alan Angel vs. Cole Adams
A quick explanation of the proving grounds match: This is an elimination style match in which three men enter the ring to compete for a full time spot on the TSW roster.
Matt Diamond is the odds on favorite to win this match. He’s the most experienced of the group and is on a hot streak as of late. Just a few weeks ago, he earned himself a spot in the finals of the TSW World Heavyweight Championship tournament and last week had a great match against Blaine Black before the Chaos Carnival did what they do best and just tried to beat him up.
In that match, Alan Angel came to make the save and while Diamond and Angel may have a new found friendship, it will create an interesting dynamic this weekend in Vincennes.
Angel is another one showing promise. He cut ties with Papa Baker last weekend in Monroe City when he came to Diamond’s aid. He’s had several solid matches since coming back to TSW and is due for a win. He said it on 10 Count Podcast a couple weeks ago, he’s looking to shatter the glass ceiling and this might be his opportunity to do so.
The wild card in all of this is the upstart Cole Adams. This young man is showing some serious potential. He owns a win over the current TSW World Heavyweight Champion, Terrance, and has steadily improved ever since. If he finds the right opportunity, he could shake things up and capitalize. Diamond and Angel will have to have mistake free showings if they want to keep the Skater at bay.
Prediction: Alan Angel
Match 4: JC Karnage vs. Johnnie Watts
Make no mistake about it, this is a blood feud. Karnage was a hand picked special ref for the World Title match at Monroe City last weekend. Karnage cost Johnnie Watts his TSW World Heavyweight Championship when he “accidentally” hit Johnnie, allowing Terrance to capitalize. Accidentally is in quotations because after the match was over, Karnage betrayed everyone’s favorite clown and showed his true colors.
While scripture says to turn the other cheek, Johnnie is obviously confused and looking for some answers. I’m sure he’ll want to get Karnage back for the attack that cost him the title and show him that just because he’s a Christian, doesn’t mean that he’s going to stand for that type of injustice.
Karnage may have opened up a can of worms here too. He’s making his grand return to the ring this weekend against a man who he’s on the wrong side of and who’s been putting on some stellar matches as of late. It’s as if Johnnie’s love for wrestling has been rekindled and this feud may be just what he needs to turn the embers into a raging inferno.
Prediction: Johnnie Watts
Match 5 – Rough Rider Roy vs. Yusev Bey Merrick
We’re going to level with you. We don’t know what to think about this match here at 10 Count Blog. Rough Rider Roy has been MIA for a couple of shows now and that’s left his tag team partner D.O.C. in a bit of a pickle on a couple of occasions. When he shows up though, he’s a tough opponent for whoever he’s facing. He brings a brawling style to the ring and a relentless tolerance for punishment.
Yusev Bey Merrick is another person we’ve seen on the card, but then failed to see at the show as of late. Whether he’s with his dad Abdul – doing whatever he’s doing – or just avoiding tough situations altogether, we don’t know. But we do know this, when he’s in the ring, he’s not above using less than honorable means to achieve his end. He’s going to use every ounce of deceitful and downright dirty tactics to win.
I guess we’ll see if they show up.
Prediction: Roy.
Match 6 – Terrance vs. D.O.C.
Terrance won the TSW World Heavyweight title at Monroe City last weekend – view above to see how it all went down. But even though he’s the new champion, he didn’t come out of last weekend’s show smelling like a rose. He and Papa Baker chose to interrupt the introduction of the Pitbull Patriot Randy Rushmore last weekend and the last time we saw him he was feeling the effects of the Radio Silence he was given by Jason Tiller.
D.O.C. on the other hand is coming off a big win last weekend in a mixed gender tag match with Miss B Haven. It was a match in which the 381 family showed Baker and Baron Darhk that you can’t always win, even if you cheat.
D.O.C. is also riding a wave of momentum. In the last two shows he’s put Michael Madrox in a box with a python and lasted until the final three in finals of the TSW World Heavyweight Championship tournament. He’s got a lot of positive momentum going for him right now.
Terrance on their other hand, despite being made to look like a fool at Monroe City is still a skilled wrestler and will push D.O.C. to his limit. The key here is that he’ll have to find a way to use D.O.C.’s size against him and try not to get caught in the turnbuckle while he delivers those devastating chops. Look for Miss B to neutralize the threat of interference from Papa Baker at ringside, so this match will likely end up being a clean contest.
Prediction: D.O.C.
Main Event – AWA Memorial Title Match: Benny Bray vs. XCalibur.
We haven’t seen Xcalibur for a couple of shows, but if anyone is deserving of a title shot, he is. Xcalibur consistently puts on quality matches and has won more than he’s lost. This weekend, he gets his shot against the current AWA Memorial Champion, Benny Bray.
Benny has been a solid champion for TSW. He successfully defended his title last weekend at Monroe City in what was a contender for Match of the Night against Alan Angel. He also made a strong case that this title has become one of the most prestigious in the company.
Bray may not be flashy, but he brings with him a pedigree from OVW and an uncanny knack for coming out on top in pressure situations. He’s a dangerous competitor who will control the pace of this match, and he’ll need to in order to retain his title. It’s been said many times on this blog, Bray is a frustratingly brilliant competitor. He’ll slow your momentum down the second you get going and capitalize on the first mistake you make.
Xcalibur is going to need to take the fight to Bray if he wants to walk away with the gold. He’s going to need to use every ounce of the high flying, athletic and high energy style he’s got. He has to control the pace of the match, keep Bray in the ring, and keep him from having time to react. If he can do those things, we may see him walk away as the new AWA Memorial Champion.
Bray on the other hand will need to keep this match slow. He’ll need to use his power and his mental capacity to keep Xcalibur from getting into a rhythm. If he can frustrate Xcalibur and force him to make a mistake, he’ll be able to take advantage and retain.
Prediction: Benny Bray.
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