Southern Underground Pro has become my “home base” as a fan of professional wrestling. The shows and storylines deliver on all cylinders and interest in the promotion continues to grow. Here’s part one of the list of matches that I hope to see in SUP before the end of 2019.
SUP Bonestorm Championship: Brett Ison (c) vs. O’Shay Edwards
I’ll start this list off with the most obvious entry. This match WILL happen and I fully expect the title to be on the line when it inevitably goes down. Ison turned his back on Edwards immediately after defeating Marko Stunt for the Bonestorm championship in the main event of “All Eyez On Me” back in November and the longtime partners have been on a collision course ever since.
Ison has been defending the Bonestorm belt in various promotions, building the prestige of the championship and SUP brand with every successful title defense. In two very notable outings, Ison took down independent wrestling legend B-Boy at Revive Pro and followed up by defeating the first-ever CZW champion Nick Gage at SUP’s “I Am King”. I’ve referred to Ison in the past as the “perfect SUP champion” due to his loyalty to the company, (technically) undefeated climb to the top, in-ring style, and attitude. I also know that Ison takes great personal pride in being the “face” of Southern Underground Pro.
Edwards has skyrocketed up the ranks of SUP to become one of the biggest fan-favorites on the roster. He’s riding back-to-back wins, defeating Gary Jay in a hard fought battle at “All Eyez On Me” and then completely squashing Dr. Daniel C. Rockingham at “I Am King”. But more important than his win/loss record is the fact that the crowd goes nuts for “The Big Bad Kaiju” and they want to see him battle his former friend. I highly recommend that anybody reading this check out Edwards at “All Eyez On Me” because his entrance was electric and his entire appearance really made him come across as a major star.
After Ison pinned Nick Gage to retain the Bonestorm championship, Edwards confronted Ison which led to a massive brawl to close out the show. We know that they’ll be representing SUP on opposite sides of a 6-man tag match over WrestleMania weekend, so I imagine that this rivalry will continue to heat up over the next few months. I don’t expect the one-on-one title bout to happen right away, but I absolutely expect it to happen this year.
IWTV Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Mr. Brickster
Orange Cassidy is somebody that I’ve wanted to see in a SUP ring for a long time, and now it seems like a real possibility since Cassidy holds the IWTV championship. As a matter of fact, the IWTV belt was on the line at “Don’t Look In The Basement East” when “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams retained over Kevin Ku back in September.
For those that may be unaware, Orange Cassidy is what you’d consider a “comedy wrestler” but in reality he’s great at everything. He just does everything very differently… and it’s amazing. I’d be super interested to see how the SUP crowd reacts to “Freshly Squeezed” because there’s really nobody else doing the things he does. I’ve even seen instances where Cassidy came out to “crickets” because the crowd was unfamiliar, confused, and didn’t understand what he was all about. I’ve also watched those same audiences give him standing ovations after his matches. Cassidy knows how to use his unique style and character to be entertaining against any type of opponent. He’s a perfect example of somebody that I enjoy watching to suspend my disbelief as a professional wrestling fan.
Mr. Brickster has been a crowd favorite since the first time that he appeared at SUP and has quickly moved up the ranks. He’s coming off of a victory over Stokely Hathaway at “I Am King” which is very significant because Hathaway holds a recent win over Cassidy. Brickster is still very new to the independent wrestling scene but has shown tremendous growth in such a short amount of time. What Brickster does best is create a connection with the crowd, which is one of the most valuable traits that a wrestler can have.
He markets himself well with unique ring gear and an eye-catching LEGO bowtie. He spreads a positive message through his Brick Nation movement and loves to lead the crowd in chants of “brick by brick” at every opportunity. And, he also has great mentors like The Carnies, Kevin Ku, and “The Total Package” Lex Luger helping him navigate the waters of the wrestling world. I think that being in the ring with Cassidy for the IWTV title is just what Brickster needs to reach the “next level”. It’d be really fun to see the dynamic between Brickster and Cassidy from a character standpoint and I’m sure the match would deliver.
Jaden Newman and Josh Bishop vs. #NoNewFriends
This one might seem a little random but follow me here… I believe that Jaden Newman will become one of the biggest “babyfaces” in SUP once he takes care of business against Steve Manders in the near future. With Teddy King announcing his retirement from pro wrestling the other day, I have to assume that Newman will get his revenge on Manders and go on to start his climb up the ladder towards SUP title contention. I think that Newman will become beloved by the SUP crowd by the time that he overcomes “The Jocks” and disowns his JV moniker. After that, Newman and Josh Bishop will be in a similar positions because they’ll both want to shed their former images.
Bishop has a ton of upside from every perspective. He’s very talented at a young age and has the kind of athleticism and look that can get him far in the wrestling business. Plus, he’s good friends with MMA star and current MLW heavyweight champion “Filthy” Tom Lawlor, which adds more elements to his skillset. The uphill battle that Bishop is climbing though, is getting the SUP crowd to invest in JOSH BISHOP and not “Slutty Cat”. I feel like Bishop needs to put on memorable performances against some of the most hated wrestlers that SUP has to offer.
#NoNewFriends present a perfect foil to a team like Newman and Bishop. I’m going with the pairing of Danny Adams and Mike Outlaw here, as KLD is currently recovering from injury (get well soon, buddy). Danny Adams is one of my favorite villains in SUP. Whether it’s in singles or tag team competition, Adams consistently delivers on all levels as a pure “heel”. I’ve watched him grow over the last couple years as a performer and he’s done a fantastic job as part-owner of Glory Pro (along with KLD). Outlaw hasn’t been as active as Adams in SUP but has shown a lot of potential.
If this match were to happen towards the end of this year, KLD could possibly be involved as well which would add a whole new element. For my money, KLD is one of the best “big men” in all of independent wrestling and will return even better than when he was forced to take time off. If you want a reference on how great this trio can be, check out their match against the nWo (yes, the New World Order) at Glory Pro’s “Unsanctioned” from October. A tag team contest involving Newman, Bishop, and #NoNewFriends could potentially elevate everybody involved.
What do you think about the first three matches on my list? Part two will drop later this month!
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Danny Adams
O’Shay Edwards
Brett Ison
Jaden Newman
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