By Jon
PREMIERE DATE: March 3, 2020
COMMENTATORS: Joe Galli & Stu Bennett
This episode of Powerrr features two championship matches as Ricky Starks defends the TV Title against Zicky Dice and ROH’s The Bouncers challenge Eli Drake & James Storm for the World Tag Team Championship.
CHAMPIONS
- NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: “The National Treasure” Nick Aldis
- NWA WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPION: Thunder Rosa
- NWA TELEVISION CHAMPION: “Stroke Daddy” Ricky Starks
- NWA NATIONAL CHAMPION: Aron “Shooter” Stevens
- NWA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Eli Drake & “Cowboy” James Storm
LINEUP
- Ricky Starks [c] vs. Zicky Dice for the NWA TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
- LAST CHANCE MATCH:CW Anderson & Caleb Konley vs. The Dawsons
- Eli Drake & James Storm [c] vs. The Bouncers for the NWA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
*****
-PREVIOUSLY ON POWERRR: Melina walks out on her match with Thunder Rosa. Allysin Kay intervenes, Kamille shows up and spears the daylights out of Kay before staring down Rosa and silently making her challenge to the Women’s World Championship.
–Sean Mooney welcomes the home audience and reminds everyone to hit the “Subscribe” button. Two huge title matches signed for tonight: Eli Drake & James Storm will defend the Tag Team Titles against ROH’s The Bouncers and Ricky Starks defends the TV Title against Zicky Dice…which will be opening the show NOW.
“Stroke Daddy” Ricky Starks [c] vs. “Outlandish” Zicky Dice for the NWA TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
Lucky 7 rules are in effect, this is Starks’ third attempt at a successful defense. His first successful defense was against Dice, actually.
Dice shows off with some pushups, Starks joins him then poses to take the power away from the taunt. Starks lights Dice up with chops and a buckle shot. Dice reverses a whip, Starks flattens him with a flying forearm and a running shoulder to the breadbasket in the corner for a two-count. Dice bails to the floor to regroup, despite the fact that the 6:05 time limit is in effect. Dice pulls Starks out and throws him into the ring steps and bends him around the post. Dice dropkicks Starks into the post and takes too long posing to cover, resulting in a two-count. Chinlock time, “RICKY!” chants wake the champ up but he gets thrown to the mat for his troubles. Starks blocks a Northern Lights suplex by grabbing the rope. He tries a tornado DDT but doesn’t get the rotation, and hits a Falcon Arrow instead for the 1…2…Dice kicks out. Dice with a corner whip and clothesline. Starks misses a corner splash, Dice clubs him in the back with a lariat followed by the Snake, Rattle, & Roll for the 1…2…Starks’ foot is under the rope and Dice is FURIOUS. Outlandishly so, if you will. Dice grabs his fanny pack and throws it at Starks, saying he was going to hit him. Both Starks and the ref don’t believe him, Starks hits an atomic drop. Starks goes for the Stroke, Dice with a backdrop and he counters the sunset flip attempt with a roll-up for the 1…2…3! OH MY GOD!
Zicky Dice [c] defeated Ricky Starks via pinfall to win the NWA TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP (5:06 by my count)
- WHAT AN OUTLANDISH TURN OF EVENTS! I did not see this coming at all, I figured Dice would just do the “funny heel” thing and never actually win big matches but here we are. With all this Lucky 7 stuff and the fact that Starks has been one of the NWA’s brightest new faces I figured he was going to ride that into a World Title shot and be the man to finally dethrone Aldis. I’m all out of whack now. Match itself was good, Dice finally focusing long enough to squeak out the biggest victory in his NWA career. Whoa. I’m legitimately floored this happened.
Dice licks the belt and runs into the crowd to celebrate, who are 50/50 on him. Starks sits in the ring, gobsmacked at what just occurred. I don’t blame him.
INTERVIEW PODIUM
Dice stops by the interview podium with David Marquez. Dice has people to thank but he’s quickly scared away by Thom Latimer who asks for Galli to come to the podium because he has some words. Galli nervously joins them, Latimer has a gift: next week his missus Kamille will finally SPEAK. Galli thanks him for the update, Latimer fakes him out and Galli goes running.
-Mooney talks about the Crockett Cup 2020, boasting that the first four rows have sold out and plugging where you can still get the remaining tickets. Mooney confirms that the next TV taping at GPB will take place on April 20th/21st which go on sale this Thursday (COVID NOTE: this didn’t end up happening, and The Crockett Cup has been postponed so this is all very awkward to recap right now).
CROCKETT CUP 2020 “PRESS CONFERENCE” @ GATEWAY CENTER ARENA
Kyle Davis stands at a podium hyping Aldis/Scurll for the World Title at the Crockett Cup. Marty Scurll says pro wrestling has been his entire life and needs to become the World Heavyweight Champion. What he gives up in weight he makes up for in extensive knowledge and experience. Scurll guarantees he will become champ at the Crockett Cup.
Nick Aldis takes the podium next. Today is the 493rd day of his World Championship reign, and is filled with pride to be headlining a show in a major market in a brand-new arena. Aldis says that being in the ring with him Scurll will have a chance to live forever, and by the end everyone will know that the NWA has overdelivered once again.
- Not much of a press conference if you’re doing it in front of a green screen with no actual press present. To be honest maybe I’m wrong about the former and it was just the way it was shot, but that looked real fake to me.
-VIDEO: The Question Mark sits on the couch with a dude and his ventriloquist dummy Lil’ Question. They talk about various animals they’ve found on the Mongrovian Wikipedia. Get your Mongrovian flag now on the NWA shop! They spelled the URL wrong in the graphic.
-LAST WEEK: Trevor Murdoch defeats The Question Mark, Aron Stevens sneaks attacks him after the bell.
INTERVIEW PODIUM
Marquez is standing by with Aron “Shooter” Stevens and his sensei The Question Mark. Stevens says he and Mark are after the tag team BELTS but have been denied a chance at the BELTS. Lots of BELTS talk, they want more gold. Stevens says he’s a very nice guy despite what people think but business is business and he kindly asks if someone could “wake” up The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express to bring them out here to propose something. Out come Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson, which Stevens and Mark are excited to see. “ROCK & ROLL” chants from the GPB crowd. Stevens congratulates RNR for finally making it after decades in the business by sharing the screen with him. Stevens asks RNR for a match against them so they can get a shot at the tag team BELTS, and sweetens the deal by saying he’ll put them in one of his movies.
Morton says he doesn’t know anything about red carpets as he’s a southern rock and roller, Gibson asks if it’s a fight he wants. Stevens talks about introducing them to fight coordinators, Morton clears it up and says they want to face them on next week’s show where they can do some business.
-LAST WEEK: Allysin Kay attacks Melina and rolls her into the ring. Melina begs off into the corner, in runs Kamille who runs right through her with a spear. Melina bails, Kamille smirks then turns her attention to Thunder Rosa.
-Galli and Bennett talk about the “weirdness” that just happened between Stevens/Mark/RNR. I mean it didn’t seem THAT weird. Next up is a Last Chance match, tornado rules. Both teams have their contracts expiring, the winning team gets to stay.
LAST CHANCE MATCH
CW Anderson & Caleb Konley vs. The Dawsons
Dawsons immediately attack. Konley and Zane in the ring, Dave and Anderson fight on the outside. Konley connects with a series of a corner dropkicks on Zane followed by a running boot and Zane falls to the floor. Dave tosses Konley out, Anderson rolls in and belts him with a left hook but runs right into a back elbow. Anderson dodges an elbowdrop and hits a basement clothesline but only gets a one-count. Dave misses a corner splash, Zane drops Anderson from the apron with a lariat. Dawsons with a double suplex throw, Dave covers for the 1…2…Anderson bridges out. Konley flips over Zane and into a right hand from Dave. Dawsons with a sidewalk slam/splash combo on Konley for the 1…2…KICKOUT. Dawsons run into each other, Konley drops both with a split-legged dropkick from the middle buckle. Dawsons catch Konley, double power bomb for the 1…2…Anderson makes the save. Dawsons with avalanche splashes to Anderson followed by a urinage from Zane for the 1…2…Anderson kicks out! Zane bodies Anderson, Anderson pulls the top rope down and sends Dave to the floor. Konley hits a tope suicida to Dave, backfist to Zane followed by a spinebuster by Anderson and a springboard moonsault from Konley, Anderson covers for the 1…2…3!
CW Anderson & Caleb Konley defeated The Dawsons via pinfall (4:38)
- I mean The Dawsons kind of deserve to have their contracts expire; they got punked out by a makeshift team of guys who have lost most (if not all) of their matches in the NWA. Another surprising finish tonight though; Dawsons have been around since the beginning of the Powerrr Era and I figured they’d be lifers. Solid match here, tornado rules made it chaotic but fun and I appreciated the sprint-like nature of it; these four guys were supposed to be fighting to keep their jobs and it certainly felt like that. But also maybe bad timing for a match like this in these Covid times when people are getting laid off left and right.
“GOODBYE DAWSONS” chant from the GPB crowd as Zane & Dave stare in disbelief at what just happened.
-LAST WEEK: The Bouncers turn on Eddie Kingston, having taken the money of Kingston’s arch nemesis The Pope.
-NWA POWERRR UPDATE: Mooney shares the proposed broadcast schedule heading into The Crockett Cup. Obviously Covid changed all of this but here’s what it was supposed to be:
- MARCH 10th: Episodes 2 & 3 of The Circle Squared (their version of a Gut Check)
- MARCH 17th: Super Powerrr, which will feature Tim Storm vs. Jax Dane, RNR vs. Stevens/Question Mark, in-ring/speaking debut of Kamille, Scurll/Brody King vs. Aldis/Latimer
- MARCH 24TH – THE CROCKETT CUP: Powerrr Surge, Crockett Cup Selection Show, Ten Pounds of Gold
INTERVIEW PODIUM
Galli welcomes May Valentine and her “BFF forever” Sal Rinauro, right arm still in a sling. Galli follows Valentine’s vlog religiously, Valentine says her boyfriend Royce Isaacs is very supportive of it and Rinauro has been helping out with both the vlog and her new lingerie line. “WAY TO GO SAL” chant from the GPB audience. Rinauro says he’s about a month out from his broken arm being healed but if this didn’t happen he would’ve never gotten to work on Valentine’s vlog and lingerie line. Rinauro sees his injury not as a bad break but a lucky break. Galli asks Valentine for insight on Kamille, Valentine says the world is not ready for Kamille because she means business. Galli asks Valentine if she can do a vlog recording right now in the GPB Studios.
Valentine selfie videos with the crowd and Rinauro, out walks Hawaiian-shirted Royce Isaacs to interrupt and inaudibly get in his girlfriend’s face. Rinauro tries to intervene, Isaacs grabs his good arm and threatens to stomp it, Valentine yelling at him to stop. Isaacs steps off Rinauro, Valentine yells as Isaacs saying she’s allowed to have friends and walks off with Rinauro, leaving a jealous Isaacs stewing.
INTERVIEW PODIUM
Marquez is standing by with The Pope and The Bouncers (Brian Milonas & The Beer City Bruiser). Pope says he has two of the biggest, baddest man in pro wrestling and they are taking advantage of the change he is bringing to the NWA. Marquez asks about loyalty, Bruiser says the only thing anyone is loyal to in pro wrestling is money; they came to the NWA to prove they are the top tag team in the UNIVERSE and because of Pope’s money they are going to win the World Tag Team Championships. Pope says when opportunity is presented by him, you take it and run across the finish line with it. Bouncers & Pope head to the ring. Out comes Eddie Kingston to back Eli Drake & James Storm for this one.
Eli Drake & “Cowboy” James Storm [c] [w/ Eddie Kingston] vs. The Bouncers (Brian Milonas & The Beer City Bruiser) for the NWA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Drake and Milonas talk trash, Drake ducks a clothesline and grabs a side headlock. Milonas throws Drake in the corner, Drake escapes and hits a series of rights and a running forearm to the chest. Drake tries to slam him but he’s too big, Milonas sends Drake to the apron. Drake tries a slingshot shoulderblock but it only staggers Milonas and he drops Drake with a shoulderblock of his own. Bruiser tags in, Storm tags in as well and hits a kneedrop and legdrop to the back of Bruiser’s head. Storm escapes a slam attempt and gets distracted by Pope, allowing Bruiser to hit a Samoan drop. Milonas tags in and pulls the straps down. Storm chops him but can’t pick Milonas up and gets countered with a forearm and a chop. Bruiser tags in and bites Storm with what teeth he has left, while Kingston stares DAGGERS at Pope at ringside. Kingston has one of the scariest stares I have ever seen in a human being, JESUS.
Bouncers continue working Storm over, Milonas squashing him in the corner and Bruiser hitting him with a running knee. Ref gets too distracted getting Drake out of the ring and Bruiser’s long pin only gets a two-count, angering Pope. Milonas drops Storm from the apron so Drake clotheslines Bruiser in retaliation. Drake gets the hot tag, running clothesline to Bruiser. Bruiser blocks the side Russian legsweep, Drake sends him to the mat with a missile dropkick and drops Milonas off the apron. Storm runs in, Drake backdrops his own partner on The Bouncers, Bruiser gets rolled in. Drake with an O’Connor Roll for the 1…2…kickout. Milonas trips Storm, Bruiser powers out of Drake’s grasp. Milonas tags in, Bouncers squash Storm between one another, Milonas with a Black Hole Slam for the 1…2…Storm gets his shoulder up in the nick of time. Milonas splashes Storm and goes for a superplex but Drake hangs onto the boot to prevent it. Drake knocks Bruiser off the buckles, Storm hits a sunset bomb on Milonas, all 400+ pounds landing on his knee. DAMN. Drake & Storm with a double slam on Milonas, Drake goes for his People’s Elbow-like thing. Bruiser runs in, eats a Last Call, and Drake drops the elbow for the 1…2…3!
Eli Drake & James Storm [c] defeated The Bouncers via pinfall to retain the NWA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (8:10)
- Great match here, hard-fought win by the World Tag Team Champions. Drake and Storm having to circumnavigate the size of their challengers and rework their game plan was fun to watch, and Kingston focusing ENTIRELY on Pope the entire time was…unnerving but a great way to sell the hatred. Great stuff all around, one of the better matches I’ve seen on Powerrr.
Kingston rolls in and draws an imaginary line in the sand for The Pope. Pope teases getting involved but walks off instead, once again refusing to engage as the episode concludes.
*****
FINAL THOUGHTS: All around fun episode of Powerr this week, matches and segments both hitting with me in a way they haven’t in awhile. Show started with a truly surprising TV Title win by Zicky Dice, a surprising exit for The Dawsons, and one helluva tag team main event. I’m still not super into the whole Isaacs/Valentine/Rinauro thing but I’m warming up or at least tolerating it for the time being. I thought I was done with the NWA after being less than enthused by the last few episodes but this one brought me back in.
- MATCH OF THE NIGHT: Eli Drake & James Storm vs. The Bouncers
- MOMENT OF THE NIGHT: Eddie Kingston spends the entire main event staring a hole right through The Pope’s soul. Seriously I hope I never make this man angry in person.
