“Gee, but it’s great to be back
home”, sang Simon & Garfunkel in “Keep the Customer Satisfied”. And it’s true. SCP is my home promotion. But…I did feel a little like a stranger tonight. Several wrestlers had turned – good to bad and bad to good – and I didn’t know why or when. I was at the January show, but not the last two shows in Escondido, although I knew that the Tag Titles had changed hands. Oh, well…
Pre-card match (is that an oxymoron?) was “Rotten” Ronnie Thrash vs Anthony Idol in the “Battle of Las Vegas”. Really? I’ve known Ronnie for years and had no idea he was from Vegas. Could that be why he was pinned or am I just clueless about his origins? Either way, Idol won.
Probably to no one’s surprise, the event started late. Hey, it’s Pro Wrestling. It happens. So the next match started right after the pre-match. I hope I get the order of the matches correct, but I’m old. The results are correct at any rate.
Andre Machievski vs “The Psychotic Butcher” Tyler Bateman was a good opening match, but both seemed to rely on punching, so this may not have been the best pairing. None the less, they both put on a good show…but I’m not sure how Machievski became a face. Nevertheless, he got the better of Bateman with his knockout punch. Hopefully, Tyler will be back more as the crowd seemed to be not that familiar with him which made for a somewhat quiet match.
The Tag Team titles were next. I’d lay odds that nobody on this night knew each their partners and their opponents better than Anchors Away (David E Jones & Ryan Stone…guess they’re no longer Petty Officers) and champions Mega Crazy (SoCal Crazy & “The Mega Star” Tommy Wilson…first time I realized their team had a name). They put on a great show and this is my Match of the Night. Good story. With the help of Mr Everett Scott, Tommy Wilson was pinned by Ryan Stone to give Anchors their third Tag Team reign.
David Jones then got on the mike and complained about how everyone called them cheaters. So he made an open challenge to the back for anyone to come out and go for the belts. The challenge was answered by Arrogant Basterds (Ric Ellis & Devon Sparks). For some reason, the ref allowed all four men to be in the ring at one time throughout the bout. It was kind of like a schmozz at the end of a match for the whole time of the match which made for a more exciting event. And for a second time this evening we got new tag team champs!
Up next was a returning Jason Redondo, the fed’s first champ, vs Sgt Major Alexander Paul. Another back and forth contest with Paul coming out on top (literally). Redondo has the experience, but Paul is catching up in that category. The only gripe I have – and it’s a minor one – is that Paul is way too young to be a Sgt Major. And too cut. But I think this young man is a future headliner.
After intermission, it was “The Mirror Image” Ricky Mandel, champion, vs Mike “The Athlete” Camden, challenger, for the Golden State Championship. Mandel didn’t seem too excited about defending his belt against Camden, but came out of the ring as he went it – the Champion. And Camden, in my opinion, is another future headliner.
The Main Event was next. Two more workers who know each other very well. The former championship team of Damage Control. This was the current heavyweight champion, Big Duke, vs the previous heavyweight champion, Big Daddy Destro. And again, I don’t know how Destro become a good guy. But he was loudly cheered against Duke. All for naught, though he gave a valiant performance, as did Duke…at least for much of the contest. It seems both men somewhat retain their roots as the rules were bent on both sides. The deciding factor was…Andre Machievski, who knocked out Destro with brass knucks. Seems that Everett Scott now manages Andre. So Machievski is back to being a heel. And Duke is still the heavyweight champion.
An excellent show, if somewhat confusing. Good action throughout. Did you miss it? Your loss. Next shows are Feb 28th at their training facility in Escondido followed by two shows in Mar – the 22nd back in Oceanside at the Boys & Girls Club and in Chula Vista on the 29th.