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NWA Wrestling Showcase
by SamoaRowe

February 27th 2008

-David Marquez welcomes us to the program. We're going to see a lot of great action, including Rob Conway and TJ Perkins.

-Mark Thompson is standing by with Los Luchas. They are still upset that Nicho El Millionaro cost them the NWA Tag titles last week. Zokre has an idea, and issues a challenge for a eight man tag. It'll be Los Luchas and the Young Bucks vs. Adam Pearce, Nicho, and the Real American Heroes!

NWA National Championship:
Pepper Parks © vs. Sonny Samson

The official rules of the NWA are run down again. This is a classy touch. This is the first time I've seen Parks wrestle, even though I've employed him in countless EWR games. They lock up, and establish the mood with some posing. Parks works the arm, but Samson shoves him off. Chops by Parks and a drop-kick. Knee lift by Samson, who then runs into the boot of Pepper Parks. Crossbody by Parks for a cover for 2. Samson takes control, and has lifted up his own shirt for some reason (the announcers credit this to an attempt to play mind games in a Cassandro-esque fashion). Bear hug by Samson. Parks fights out, but runs into a flap jack. Cover attempts by Samson doesn't work. Samson argues with the ref and almost gets rolled up for a loss. Samson regains control and continues to show off his belly. Mindgames, I guess. Parks smashes Samson's head into the turnbuckle ten times, causing Samson to hit the mat Ric Flair-style. Parks goes high risk, but Samson catches him in mid-air. Lariat by Samson, who then does a strip tease instead of capitalizing. Samson misses an elbow drop. Parks hit's a series of strikes and chops, nails the power slam, and gains a near fall. Samson reverses a neck breaker into a butterfly suplex. Samson gains a near fall, the announcers sell the lack of hooking the leg as the reason why the match didn't end. Samson plants Parks on the top rope, but gets shoved off. Parks hits an off the top neck breaker and picks up the win at 7:59. The story of the match was that Samson had every opportunity to win, but kept showboating and making silly mistakes. Otherwise, this was pretty bland, *3/4.
Winner and still NWA National Champion: Pepper Parks

Brandon Gatson vs. Tristan Gallo
I don't know who either of these guys are, and the announcers are slow to introduce either of them. They exchange wrist-locks for a bit. This transitions into headlocks and more basic ring work. The guy in blue gets a deep arm drag. Gallo is finally introduced as the guy in the red (he's also the Utah Champion). Gatson hit's a cross body and gets a cover, but Gallo thumbs the eyes. Okay, we get it, Gallo is a heel. Clothesline and a cover by Gallo, and one of the announcers gets upset every time someone goes for a cover without hooking the leg. Power slam by Gallo and another close cover. Boot to the gut by Gallo. Gatson was apparently playing possum, as he hit's a flurry of shots and gets a close fall of his own. Gallo hit's a nice reversal on an Irish whip, but Gatson keeps control. Gatson goes high risk, but Gallo runs up and hit's the superplex. Gallo remembers to hook the leg on the cover, but Gatson still kicks out. After some reversals, Gallo hit's a fireman's carry neck breaker and wins at 5:56. This was a basic match with some big moves tossed in, *½. The announcers really need to get better at remembering that 99% of the viewing audience doesn't know who these guys are and to give them proper introductions.
Winner: Tristan Gallo.

Cassidy O'Brien vs. Alkatraz
O'Brien is the guy who did a quick job to Ricky Vega a few weeks ago. We saw Alkatraz last week, and he looked good then, so let's see how he does in a singles match. O'Brien hits some jobber offense on Alkatraz, who so far has been too slow to catch O'Brien. Alkatraz hit's a big boot and a suplex. Alkatraz takes a break to argue with fans in the front row. Alkatraz returns to the ring in time for O'Brien to hit a jobber comeback. It is short lived, as Alkatraz hit's a nasty choke slam and gets the win at 2:04. SQUASH! Too much of the match was Alkatraz vs. the fans, so DUD.
Winner: Alkatraz

-Mark Thompson is standing by with TJ Perkins. Perkins claims to be the youngest veteran in the business, and he wants to be the NWA Junior Champion. So that puts Mike Quackenbush on notice, he's on borrowed time. His opponent, Rob Conway interrupts and scoffs at Perkins thinking he has a chance against him. Perkins is upset and tries to shove him off, but they are broken up without any further incident.

Rob Conway vs. TJ Perkins
Conway shows off his physique, and seems to want to wrestle with his sunglasses on. Perkins is not intimidated, and they lock up. Conway shoves Perkins into the turnbuckles and poses some more. One of the announcers sings a wretched, off-key rendition of ?I wear my sunglasses at night.? Don't make me watch these shows on mute, man. They lock up again and Conway goes to work on the wrist. Conway goes for a press slam, but Perkins escapes. Conway shoves Perkins down again ruthlessly. Perkins applies a headlock and grounds Conway. Perkins uses his speed to repeat the spot and keeps working the head. Perkins blows a bubble (he's chewing gum!) which matches up with Conway's sunglasses. I like the personality clash we're seeing here. Conway tries to shove off Perkins, but he keeps the side headlock. Conway reverses into a head scissors. Perkins does a hand stand while trapped in the head scissors and keeps almost escaping, but Conway keeps shoving his head back into the hold. Perkins escapes and keeps hiding his head into Conway's legs to toy with him! That was fun and inventive. Conway does an awesome job acting annoyed with his opponent's antics. Conway fires things up with a boot to the guy and pummels Perkins. Perkins does a hand stand in the turnbuckles and kicks the oncoming Conway. They fight at ringside, and Conway tosses Perkins into the ring post. Match returns to the ring, where Conway attempts a cover and resorts to stomping. Conway tosses Perkins to the floor (which the announcers put over as being a hard concrete floor under the flowery carpet). Back in the ring, Conway poses before continuing his assault on the fallen TJ Perkins. Conway locks on a figure four leg scissors, and Perkins is trapped. The referee catches Conway using the ropes for leverage, which ends that. Chinlock by Conway. Perkins fights out and hits some stiff kicks. Conway thinks he's tosses Perkins out, but turns around and charges and flies through the ropes himself. Conway returns and runs into a drop toe hold, and Perkins is in control. Perkins goes high risk and hit's a missile drop kick. Michinoku Driver by Perkins for a cover for 2. Enziguri by Perkins and hit's a flying cross body. Conway rolls through the cross body and hit's a power slam, earning him the win at 10:44. This match had the potential to become awesome before it fell into a television match groove, but was still very enjoyable, ***.
Winner: Rob Conway

Adam Pearce, The Real American Heroes, and Nicho El Millionaro (with C. Edward Vanderpyle) vs. The Young Bucks and Los Luchas
All eight men are in the ring brawling as the bell rings. Nick Bockwinkle is on commentary! Los Luchas and the Young Bucks seem to get the advantage in the early going. Matt Jackson squares off with Pearce, as they become the established legal men. Jackson does well keeping up with the NWA Champion, hitting a head scissors take down and a slap across the face. Nicho tags and squares off with Matt Jackson, and the pace quickens. Running leg drop by Nicho, but Jackson comes back with a back elbow shot. Jackson hit's a head scissors takedown, and another one on the floor off the apron! Anderson jumps Jackson at ringside, but Jackson fights him off and reenters the ring. Nick Jackson is tagged in, and the Bucks double team Nicho. Cover by Nick Jackson only gets 2, and Zokre tags in. Anderson gets a tag and pummels Zokre. Zokre hit's a springboard moonsault, but gets planted on the top rope by Anderson. Zokre hit's an off the top head scissors. Phoenix Star tags, and squares off against the fresh Joey Ryan. Phoenix Star is quickly shoved into the heel corner by Ryan, and becomes isolated. Anderson makes a phantom tag and dominates. The heels start making quick tags to keep Star isolated. Pearce tags and hit's a Superfly splash, but can't seem to pin Star. Ryan and Anderson take turns in the ring, with Anderson slowing things down with a chinlock. Phoenix Star breaks out, but gets dropped with a hard kick and a near fall from Anderson. Nicho tags in and applies a modified dragon sleeper. Pearce tags in, hit's a power slam, and cheap shots the Young Bucks and Zokre. Anderson makes another phantom tag and tries to unmask Phoenix Star. Zokre won't tolerate this and tries to make the save. Joey Ryan tags and continues the attempts to unmask the proud Luchadore. Pearce tags and applies an abdominal stretch. Ryan tags in, but Phoenix Star shows signs of life with a flurry of shots. Ryan nails a drop-kick and Nicho tags in. The frequent heel tags continues, as a fresh man keeps coming in to abuse Phoenix Star and tag out. Phoenix Star hit's a desperate DDT on Pearce and tags in one of the Jacksons. Both Young Bucks storm the ring and clean house. Zokre attacks Anderson at ringside. In the ring, the Bucks double team Joey Ryan and set up a pinning predicament, but Anderson makes the save. Chaos takes over as all eight men are doing battle and the referee can't seem to do anything about it. The action spills to ringside and the referee starts counting to 10. The heels are using the steel barricade to destroy their enemies. Pearce and Matt Jackson are back in the ring as legal men. Gutbuster by Pearce, and a tag to Ryan. Jackson is the new isolated baby face, as the heels resume making quick tags. Why is it that only heel teams are ever any good at this concept? And we head to a commercial.

After the break, Ryan is still working over Matt Jackson with an abdominal stretch. It's exactly what was going on before the break, so we didn't miss anything. Jackson breaks out and attempts a cover instead of going for a tag. He pays for this, as Ryan regains himself and keeps isolating him. Pearce tags and applies a camel clutch. Pearce impressively spits halfway across the ring onto Zokre and the Bucks, which almost causes a riot. Nicho tags and chokes with his boot. Matt Jackson mounts a comeback against Joey Ryan, and drives him into the mat. Los Luchas storm the ring and double team Joey Ryan with a springboard leg drop. Phoenix Star botches a springboard, but Zokre hit's a nice moonsault. Nick Jackson tags while Los Luchas are double teaming Adam Pearce. Chaos has returned, as all eight men are battling again. The baby faces all hit cross bodies off the top to the floor. That was kind of neat. Nick Jackson and Adam Pearce are back in the ring, and Jackson nearly pins the World champion. Vanderpyle breaks up ?More Bang for your Buck? from the Young Bucks, and Adam Pearce hit's a piledriver on Nick. That's enough for Pearce to score the win at 21:32. The match didn't need to go as long as it did, as the Matt Jackson ?face in peril? sequence wasn't need, but this was an entertaining chapter in the feud, ***¼.
Winners: Adam Pearce, Joey Ryan, Karl Anderson, and Nicho El Millionaro

-After the match, Pearce and his minions celebrate. Nick Jackson is selling the piledriver like it was death. Los Luchas have been robbed of their revenge yet again!

Final Thoughts: The first few matches were disappointing, but things really picked up with Conway/Perkins. The show also found a better groove this week, in that they didn't devote an entire segment to shilling NWA live events, and instead of having more convention footage, they kept things old school by having Nick Bockwinkle on commentary (which was a real delight, by the way). The main storyline is still Pearce and his minions taking over the NWA, with Los Luchas chasing the NWA tag titles, and it continues to be a thrilling story to watch unfold. I really hope they can keep this positive momentum going!

Thumbs up.

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