Last week, the championship match between Thunder Rosa and Melina ended in bizarre fashion as Melina took a count out loss without ever locking up and then having to flee former champ, Allysin Kay. Even more shocking was Kamille showing up out of nowhere and spearing Allysin Kay off her feet!
“Outlandish” Zickey Dice vs Ricky Starks(c) for the NWA Television Championship
NWA Powerrr Episode 20, ‘Stand and Defend’ starts with a match this week with 6:05 on the clock. Zickey Dice pinned Ricky last week in a non-title triple threat to earn this shot. He’s doing his best to make it a “Zickey Dice match,” brawling dirty outside the ring when he’s outclassed inside the ring. It works pretty well and Ricky has to get his foot under the bottom rope at the last second to avoid a pin after Zickey hits the Snake, Rattle, and Roll. The Outlandish One’s attempted use of his extravagant fanny pack as a weapon gets sidetracked and the champion has a bit too much fun at his expense after hitting an Atomic Drop. Ricky Starks goes for The Stroke but gets backdropped off. Zickey Dice sits down on Starks’ Sunset Flip. It’s enough! Brian Hebner counts to three and we have a new champ!
Winner… and new NWA Television Champion: Zickey Dice!
Zickey is still celebrating all over GPB Studios when Thom Latimer comes out to David Marquez’s podium and calls out… Joe Galli?! He’s going to give Galli just what he’s been asking for since NWA Powerrr first aired: Next week, Kamille speaks!
Gateway Center Arena will be host to The 2020 Crockett Cup and Marty Scurll is confident going into his match against NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, Nick Aldis. He says that he’s giving up size but makes up for it in skill, claiming to be a master of the game rather than a student. Nick says this second reign is the pinnacle of his career and bringing it to a new, modern arena is part of his ongoing history. He says that marty has a chance to live forever and that their match and the NWA will overdeliver once again.
It’s time for… Little… Question? Through the miracle of ventriloquism, we get a little multiculturalism and details on how we can order our very own Mongrovian flag!
Coincidentally, we’re immediately reminded that Trevor Murdoch defeated The Question Mark last week but was then brutally attacked by NWA National Champion, Aron Stevens, and Question Mark afterwards. David Marquez is with them now. They have black belts in Mongrovian karate, the National Championship belt, but they want more belts. Stevens brings out The Rock n’ Roll Express and suggests that they “coordinate” a match to do “good business” and increase Stevens’ and Question Mark’s standings in the tag team division. Morton and Gibson say they’re good for a match next week but that they’ll decide what’s best for business.
The Dawsons vs Caleb Konley & CW Anderson
Joe Galli and Stu Bennett let us know that the contract status of all four men may hang in the balance here tonight. Therefore, it should be no surprise that The Dawsons rush at the bell and start in immediately. (They also clarify that Dave Dawson is the bald one.) Tag rules seem to have gone out the window as The Dawsons double team the hell out of each opponent. Caleb Konley has spurts of offense only to be tossed out of the ring repeatedly. Anderson holds up his end of the deal by kicking out of brutal high impact maneuver after brutal high impact maneuver and making the save whenever Konley is covered. When the tide is turned and Zane Dawson is alone against two, a family heirloom spinebuster and a springboard moonsault get the impromptu team a win, CW Anderson a contract, and the Dawsons worrying about their future.
Winners: Caleb Konley & CW Anderson
May Valentine and her injured BFF, Sal Rinauro, are with Joe Galli. They all hype The Diary of May and her upcoming lingerie line (thus garnering a “Thank you, Sal” chant from the male audience.) Sal tells Joe Galli that he has another month to heal but, without getting hurt, he wouldn’t have made friends with May. Keeping it positive, he says that it wasn’t a bad break but rather his “lucky break.” May’s vlog is about to go live with the NWA audience when a jealous Royce Isaacs appears. It seems he’s threatened by the closeness that May and Sal have developed so he, in turn, threatens Sal’s good arm! He berates May while standing on Sal’s hand atop the steel ring steps. Other foot poised to stomp on the wrist, Isaacs vents his frustrations until May pulls Rinauro loose and they leave to chants of “BFFs!”
David Marquez asks The Pope what is going on with him taking on The Bouncers and if there is any loyalty. Beer City Bruiser takes the cigar out of his mouth and says that they’re loyal to money.
The Bouncers vs Eli Drake & “Cowboy” James Storm(c) for the NWA Tag team Championship
Eddie Kingston comes out with Drake & Storm to keep Pope in check. Eli Drake fails to adjust his strategy against the truly massive Brian Milonas. He tags out but Cowboy has similar difficulty against Milonas and Bruiser thanks to frequent tags and Pope’s distracting presence. Eli gives him an opening by sneaking in a clothesline on Bruiser and the hot tag is made. Eli drake becomes a dropkick machine and assists James Storm into a plancha on both Bouncers to the outside. Bouncers battle back by sandwiching Eli between their nearly 800lbs and a planting Storm with a Bossman Slam. They look to give Cowboy the Power & Glory finish but Drake saves him by holding onto his leg and knocking Bruiser’s out from under him. Cowboy hits a sunset flip powerbomb on Milonas and then assists Eli Drake in a HUGE double bodyslam. Last Call and an elbow drop win the day.
Winners… and still NWA Tag Team Champions: “Cowboy” James Storm & Eli Drake
After the match, Eddie Kingston climbs into the ring and beckons Pope forthwith. He takes off the shades and opens his vest but then thinks better of it and escorts his defeated clients off to the back.
Five Takeaways from NWA Powerrr Episode 20, ‘Stand and Defend’
- The Diary of May can be a tough watch but the angle they’re doing is a masterful take on the classic Randy/Liz with Sal Rinauro doing a fantastic job of playing a more eloquent George “the Animal” Steele.
- Zickey Dice as TV champ is the right move for now. Ricky Starks is spectacular but I don’t want to see him get his seven wins quickly and then fed to Nick Aldis even quicker. There are bigger things in his future. The best TV champs, in my opinion, are the ones that stall and scheme to take advantage of the time limit draw. That’s Zickey’s time to shine.
- I’m curious to see what happens with Question Mark and Aron Stevens vs Rock n’ Roll. I don’t see the black belts being contenders for the tag titles but it doesn’t do anything for either team if RnR go over. As long as Aron Stevens gets his time at the podium, it will all work out regardless.
- I never cease to be impressed with the way Eli Drake commands a crowd each and every time that he’s in front of one.
- The Crockett Cup is a showcase for teams and the tournament format makes for heightened drama. That said, I don’t see Nick Aldis or Marty Scurll giving any match on the card the ability to steal the show from them. Not at all.
NWA Powerrr Episode 20 ‘Stand and Defend’ and the rest of the NWA Power on the National Wrestling Alliance YouTube page.
https://youtu.be/kT2kCUgbL8I
