PWO – Season 4 – Episode 1
I’m going to try and keep up with this season of Pro Wrestling Ohio better than I have in the past. Episode 2 aired this past Sunday, 31 October 2010. We’ll see what happens as the season goes along. Jeremy might also be joining me for reviews. Hell, PWO might even get more than an audio around Wrestlelution time. I have an interview scheduled with Marion Fontaine that will be coming as the season gets rolling. On to the review of the first episode.
Joe Dombrowski introduced the new season, Aaron Maguire and Mr. Brinks. With new and better graphics Dombrowski said the opening match would be Aeroform (Louis Linden & Flip Kendrick) against Sex Appeal (Bobby Beverly & Nicky Valentino) with new valet Frisky, who didn’t fit in because of her tattoos. Linden started off with the offense. Aeroform got the better of the four man action. Aeroform flipped and DDTed Sex Appeal on the outside. Valentino got a leg lariat on Linden. Kendrick came in off a minor hot tag. Beverly got a good two count. A super kick and northern lights suplex on Beverly got a count. Frisky accidentally tripped Beverly which allowed Linden to hit a moonsault on a standing Beverly for the three count.
Analysis: Pretty sloppy match. Aeroform missed some spots and there was no ebb or flow in the match. The hot tag was luke warm. Score: -1.
The graphics and replays were much better than in the past. Too bad the venue was piss poorly lit. It looks like a better venue than normal. Score: 0.
Marion Fontaine came into the ring before they broke for commercial. He said that Wrestlelution 3 was supposed to be his shining moment. Fontaine said that he had Duggan right where he wanted him. He then said the referee interfered in his match and continued the long running conspiracy theory to hold him down. Fontaine said he could sit down and entertain the crowd better than anyone in the back. He repeated his story about how he followed management for years but it got him nowhere. Fontaine only got respect when he did things his way. He then brought up crowd favorite Johnny Gargano. Fontaine said that Gargano follows the company line and looks good for PWO. He said Gargano is hurt physically and mentally. Fontaine finished by challenging him to a PWO Heavyweight Title match.
Analysis: That segment was too long at 7 minutes. Fontaine is great on the mic but he didn’t have enough new material and the pacing just was off. The long pauses didn’t rile anyone up as much as they did lull people to sleep. Score: -1.
Vic Travgliante asked Corey Winters about Wrestlelution 3. Winters said that he was going to do things his way after slapping Earnie Ballz in the face. Vic asked whether Winters had heard from Eric Ryan (his tag team partner) who had been taken out of Wrestlelution 3 by Krimson. Winters said he hasn’t heard from him at all. Winters said that if anything happened to Ryan, Krimson’s blood would be on his hands. Vic then asked about his match up next against Krimson. Winters said he’s gong to beat Krimson into the ground and find Eric Ryan. Dombrowski then re-summed up the situation with a graphic on the screen.
Analysis: The interview was OK but Winters needs to show more emotion, especially if he’s that concerned about his tag team partner. It drove me nuts to have the sum up by Dombrowski after the sum up interview. The WWE & TNA do it and it bugs me then too. Score: 0.
Winters laid into Krimson to start the match. Winters finished off a flurry with a boot to the face and a clothesline. Winters caught Krimson charging in. Krimson stomped Winters off the second rope. Krimson choked Winters on the middle rope. Krimson gave Winters a running low forearm. Winters turned things around with an enziguri. Eric Ryan came out wearing a black hood over his head. He entered the ring. Winters took the hood off to reveal a new look Ryan with face paint and a short spiked hairdo. Krimson gave Winters a Roll of the Dice for the victory.
Analysis: Poor Joe Dombrowski had to do the match by himself while Maguire’s equipment malfunctioned and even Dombrowski thought he was off the air for a bit during this match. They gave Winters more offense than I expected. Most people just got trashed by Krimson last year. Krimson also looked smaller, especially in the arms than last year. The match up was well executed and there’s still more to come with Eric Ryan’s new gimmick so things are looking bright on this storyline. Score: +1.
Benjamin Boone was berating Ben Fruth because the Sons of Michigan went 0-2 at Wrestlelution 3. Boone said that he embarrassed them by losing to a girl (Portia Perez). Boone said he was giving Fruth one more chance by having them wrestle against the Homeless & Handicapped Connection for the PWO Tag Team Titles. Boone told Fruth they better come back with gold or else there will be consequences.
Analysis: Another solid round up of last year’s events and why they’re on a mission to start this season off strong. Boone also said that N8 Mattson will be coming back soon. Score: +1.
Vic Travgliante interviewed Johnny Gargano. Gargano said that he doesn’t remember the match from Wrestlelution 3 match because it was the old Johnny Gargano beating Matt Cross. He said he doesn’t like the old Gargano but he got the job done that night. Vic then asked about the rumors of his lingering injuries. Gargano responded that it was professional wrestling and not ballet. He said that everyone wrestles in pain. Gargano said that Fontaine has diarrhea of the mouth. Gargano said he’d solve that problem by beating him in a match.
Analysis: These interviews have been a little weird since they’re both sit down interviews. Always seems like people are standing these days even though they provide chairs to anyone’s set. Anyway, even if Fontaine doesn’t beat Gargano because of his injuries, it seems like another storyline ready to roll for at least part of the season. Score: +1.
Michael “The Bomber” Facade came to the ring to take on Matthew Justice in a match for the #1 Contender status against the TV Title Champion, “Omega” Aaron Draven. Pedro De Luca had formal introductions for the main event which gave it a good feel. Dombrowski hyped Draven by mentioning that Draven beat Benjamin Boone, which halted Boone’s two year winning streak. Maguire piped up about Draven being on injured reserve again (Draven does seem to be hurt a lot. Wish I had a better joke up my sleeve than a Fred Taylor joke.) Dombrowski said that the tag team title will be on the line next week between the Sons of Michigan and the Homeless & Handicapped Connection. Basic moves were being exchanged in the ring. Justice got the upper hand early with forearms. Facade got a quick pair of two counts. Facade ducked a clothesline, then hopped up and Pele kicked Justice. Justice missed a dive to the outside but Facade hit a helio over the top rope. Justice gave Facade a high knee. Gawd damn it. I just tried to save this review and the program booted me out. I had erased the episode so I can’t re-review the end of the match. The match ended with Facade giving Justice a huracanrana into a post (it looked legitimate to me, like a column for the building structure) just outside the one side of the ring. Facade then gave Justice a Driver for the victory.
Analysis: It was a good match when I matched it even if I can’t bring you the back up. Facade is a good opponent for Draven except for the fact that both of them are faces. Justice has an excuse for the lose so if he sticks around he’s got an out and can be used at this level later or even as a Gargano fodder match. Score: +1.
Final Score: 2/8. Final Analysis: Lots of glitches came with the new toys that Pro Wrestling Ohio got for the new season. Even though the score was bad, they did their best to remind everyone what happened at the conclusion of last season (They actually have seasons unlike the made up ones in the WWE) and trying to set up new storylines for just about everyone that was on the program. Having to do a recap hindered the show but was good for any new viewers. PWO had been advertising the new season while airing reruns of Wrestlelution 3 and the events leading up to it so they have good reason to put recaps in the show. I would expect PWO to do a similar show for this coming week.
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