The matches of the first and second rounds of the NWA Crockett Cup went the way most in attendance thought they would go with no major upsets taking place, leaving night two of the tournament with two heavy hitting semi-final matches to come. In addition to the semi-finals and finals of the prestigious tag team tournament, every championship in the NWA was set to be defended, culminating in the main event of Matt Cardona defending the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship against former champion Nick Aldis with WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett serving as special guest referee.
The evening kicked off with an hour long pre-show consisting of three competitive matches featuring some of the competitors from night one who came up a little short in their quest for the Cup. Big Strong Mims defeated AJ Cazana after hitting him with a backdrop suplex. The second match of the pre-show was a wild NWA Team Wat Match. I have never witnessed a match with such a stipulation. There were three teams of three and one competitor from two of the teams started the match off in essentially a singles match and battled until one was defeated. At that point a member of the third team entered the match to take on the survivor of the first matchup. Once a wrestler was defeated, he was replaced by another and this continued until only one team was left standing. In the end, Matt Taven was the only survivor thus securing the victory for The Masked Cyon and OGK over Gold Rushhh, Magic Jake Dumas, and the Fixers.
The final match before the PPV commenced saw PJ Hawx submit Alex Taylor of The Ill Begotten with a cloverleaf. After the match, Taylor and fellow Ill Begotten member Captain YUMA argued which led to Taylor attacking YUMA, leaving him lying in the ring.
The main show kicks off with the two Crockett Cup semi-final matches. The odds-on favorites
The Briscoes entered the ring to take on The Cardonas. VSK and Mike Knox, who make up the team of the Cardonas, was surely to have their hands full with this clash. The Briscoes had their way with the smaller VSK early in the match until the much larger Knox was able to tag in. After some back and forth, VSK missed a frog splash that allowed the 12-time ROH tag team champions to hit the Red Neck Boogie and a Doomsday Device and secure the 1-2-3 to advance to the final.
The second semi-final found Doug Williams and Harry Smith take on the current NWA Tag Team Champions, La Rebelión. Mecha Wolf and Bestia 666 started the match attacking the leg of Smith while mainly focusing on the knee. After a few rough spots worthy of space on Botchamania, Smith was able to execute a top rope powerslam giving himself and Williams an upset win over the tag champs and placing themselves against the Briscoes in the Crockett Cup final.
The first of six title matches were next with a grudge match against former tag partners and best friends for the NWA National Championship. The champion Anthony Mayweather defended his title against Jax Dayne. These two brutes threw everything they had at each other. Dayne felt the heat from the crowd and the pressure of trying to show his former partner that he wasn’t the weakest link of the team that he constantly would cut off Mayweather’s offense with some dirty tactics. Notwithstanding Dayne’s cheating ways, Mayweather was able to get the upper hand and make his opponent tap out while using an MMA style armbar.
Members of the NWA security staff came out to assist the reigning National Champion to the back after suffering a knee injury during the match only to be attacked by an irate Jax. Jax fought with Mayweather out in the crowd before carrying him back to ringside only to attack the injured knee of his opponent with a turnbuckle he pulled from under the ring. Dayne then insisted that the referee ring the bell as he was cashing in his Champions Series opportunity and getting his rematch right then and there. Once both competitors were in the ring, the bell rang and Dayne hit Mayweather with a massive lariat to secure his victory and claim as the new NWA National Champion.
Up next was The Hex defending their NWA Women’s Tag Team Championships against Pretty Empowered. Allysin Kay and Marti Belle put on a clinic in this match, quickly showing their tight grip on the tag team title is not coming undone any time soon. This was my first time seeing both teams in action but was most familiar with Kenzie Page of Pretty Empowered. Page and her partner Ella Envy have good chemistry and will be a more formidable opponent as they get more reps in the ring together. In my days of doing commentary down in Alabama for New South Pro Wrestling, I called a number of matches of Page’s and I am blown away by how far she has come in the last few years. I am very excited to see not only where she goes, but the women’s tag division as well. The experience that Kay and Belle have together was just too much for Pretty Empowered to overpower.
The return of the NWA Junior Heavyweight Championship was next in a four way match featuring Colby Corino, Darius Lockheart, Homicide, and Austin Aries to declare the new champion. This match started fast and furious with Aries and Homicide isolating their younger counterparts in opposite corners and engaging in a game of who can chop the hardest. The two exchanged chops evenly so Homicide decided to bite Corino with intentions of Aries to do the same to Lockheart only to see Austin refuse to do so and scream “I’m a vegan.” This was just another reminder that you never have to ask someone if they are vegan because they will always tell you they are.
This was easily the most athletic match of the night as the four were able to showcase their high flying abilities in front of a packed crowd at the Nashville Fairgrounds. Eventually, Homicide was able to hit the Cop Killa on Corino and get the pin making him the new NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion.
The triple-threat to determine the NWA Women’s World Champion was easily the match of the night. Current champion Kamille faced Kylie Rae and Chelsea Green. It has to be said that Kamille has improved by leaps and bounds over the past year or so, and the time and dedication she has put into her craft has to be commended. Chelsea and Kylie when left one on one displayed great chemistry, wanting me to see more of them in a singles match down the line. Chelsea hit a tower of doom powerbomb on her opponents and cover Rae only to have her kick out at two. Rae and Kamille doubled teamed Green and when Kamille went to comply with Rae’s request of a high five she was met by one of the most beautiful super kicks ever landed from Kylie. After a few moments of back and forth between the three, Rae was met by a nasty spear from Kamille, leading her to successfully defending her championship.
The NWA Television Title defense was next and this match had no reason to ever been seen on tv. The matched completely sucked the life out of the crowd and probably everyone at home watching relieved their bowels during it. The title was defended and did not change hands. Next match.
The final of the Crockett Cup was next featuring a first time matchup. The vastly experienced Briscoes faced off against Doug Williams, a former TNA and IWGP Tag Team Champion, and Harry Smith, a former 2x WWE Tag Team Champion. Smith and Williams displayed great chemistry throughout the tournament despite this being their first time pairing up.
The match started off with some technical moves by both Williams and Mark Briscoe surprising the crowd a bit, but it wasn’t long before the match turned into a Briscoes style slugfest. It was apparent that wrestling for the fourth time in two nights was beginning to take a hold on the 49-year old Williams as Smith took control of a large portion of the match for his team. After a nearly 15 minute battle, Jay Briscoe hit a Jay Diller on Smith setting up his brother to hit a froggy bow and three seconds later, the brothers were hoisting the Crocket Cup on the shoulders.
It’s main event time! It took a large portion of the Crockett Cup final to get the crowd back after sitting through the Television Title match, but they were ready to go for the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship match. Champion Matt Cardona defended against Nick Aldis with special guest referee Jeff Jarrett in what could have been match of the night if it was not for some lazy booking at the end of the match.
Jarrett was perfect in the role of the special enforcer and even though he said he wanted to see a classic NWA championship match during his instructions to the two competitors one could not help but wonder if he would call things down the middle or double cross one of the two wrestlers. Cardona, the former Zack Ryder, has perfected his heel character during his time working since his departure from WWE. He draws eyes to every show he is on and sells just as many tickets too, proving he is single handedly the best thing in wrestling today.
After some hijinks from Cardona, things settled down and the crowd was gifted with a good wrestling match before all hell broke loose again. Aldis at one point had the upper hand on Cardona, which eventually led to the tag team that shares his name to come out to his defense. As Jarrett is struggling to keep control of the match, Doug Williams and Harry Smith come out to help out their fellow countrymen. As the two teams battle to the back, Jarrett is in the ring yelling at the four men to leave ringside. Cardona’s wife Chelsea Green enters the ring from behind and low blows Jarrett between the legs dropping him to the ground. As Double J withers in pain, Aldis’ wife Mickie James attacks Green and tosses her out of the ring. Aldis blocked Radio Silence from Cardona and locked on the Kingsland Cloverleaf for the submission win, but once Jarrett reached his feet, he saw James ringside and thought she was the one who hit him and instantly called for the bell, disqualifying her husband.
I’m not a fan of pay per view main events ending with a Dusty finish, but I understand where the NWA wants to go with this, so I am able to overlook a very lazy finish. My overall thoughts of the two night event are extremely positive. The return of the Junior Heavyweight championship will bring a new vibe to the NWA, as they produce more of a traditional style of wrestling and do not offer a lot of high flying action. Kylie Rae is a star and really should get a solid push in the women’s division. I hope this is not the last we see of the Briscoes in the NWA, as a future match up between them and La Rebelión would be amazing. At 54 years old, Jeff Jarrett looks to be in fantastic shape and deserves one more run wherever that may be. Lastly, the future of the NWA looks really bright and continuing to have Matt Cardona as champion is great business by Billy Corgan.
Steven McCash is the Lead Music Writer and Utility Man for SoBros Network. Steven is the host of the ‘Drinking With…’ podcast, and the pioneer of New Music Friday, highlighting each week’s new releases in the world of music in addition to the occasional live show review. He also pitches in as a Nashville lifestyle writer and football analyst (hence the ‘Utility Man’ title). Follow on Twitter: @MC_Cash75
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