4/7 NWA 312 PPV REPORT: Tyrus vs. Adonis, Ray vs. Latimer, more

NWA 312 PPV REPORT
APRIL 7, 2023
AIRED ON FITE TV
REPORT BY JUSTIN MCCLELLAND, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

NWA Announcers: Tim Storm, Danny Deals, and Joe Galli

(1) NATALIA MARKOVA VS LABRAVA ESCOBAR

Markova pinned Escobar with the Beautiful Destruction (roundhouse kick in the corner) in 6:10.

(McClelland’s Thoughts: This was a good intense brawl with the story being that Marvoka had knocked out Escobar’s tooth in a previous match so Escobar was seeking revenge. She gave Markova almost more than she could handle, dishing as much as she took. The match was only slightly marred by the inclusion of CJ, Jake Dumas’ clueless presenter who stood around and gestured like she was showcasing the climax of a magic trick for no reason.)

(2) US TAG TITLES: THE COUNTRY GENTLEMEN (AJ CAZANAN AND ANTHONY ANDREWS) VS SVGS (JAX DANE AND BULLETT PROOF BLAKE TROOP) (w/ CHRIS SILVIO)

Silvio tried to interfere by throwing a boot in the ring but overthrew Troop. As the ref was ejecting Silvio from ringside, a distracted Troop was school-boyed by Andrews and pinned at 6:28

(McClelland’s Thoughts: Another energetic pre-show match. SVGS controlled most of the way after jumping the Country Gentlemen before the bell. NWA continues to have too many incompetent, geeky managers and Silvio botching his interference was something of a groaner given how often it happens in this promotion.)

May Valentine talked to Kenzie Paige who promised to “clean up the Wasteland” (Max the Impaler’s home) and win the television title.

(3) HAIR VS MASK STRAP MATCH: SAL THE PAL vs GAGZ THE GYMP

Gagz pinned Sal with a tornado cutter at 10:51. Judais was at ringside as James Mitchell’s proxy to ensure there was a winner. Sal did shave a portion of his head but after Judais ordered both men to kiss his booth, they left the ring together without him.

(McClelland’s Thoughts: This was a match that makes you embarrassed to be a wrestling fan. The gimmicks are beyond terrible and the match was also a boring slog.)

May Valentine talked to Bully Ray. Ray noted he was undefeated in the NWA and questioned why his upcoming match with Thom Latimer wasn’t for the Television title. He then put over Latimer as a good wrestler but someone who fails to live up to his potential. Bully Ray said he knows Latimer’s number one weakness – himself. This was a very good promo.

Joe Galli announced the NWA’s next PPV will be the Crockett Cup on June 3 and 4.

(4) TREVOR MURDOCH and MIKE KNOX vs DAISY KILLS and TALOS

Murdoch pinned Talos after a high low in 7:05

(McClelland’s Thoughts: Given Murdoch’s usual positioning on the card and that this storyline has been prominently featured on the weekly shows, I thought it was strange to put it on the pre-show. Also I do not understand the Daisy Kills gimmick/name at all. That said this was a very good hoss fight with a lot of energy from Murdoch and Knox. They positioned Knox and Murdoch as a new tag team ahead of the Crockett Cup.)

(5) NWA NATIONAL TITLE: THE GREAT CYON (c) (w/ AUSTIN IDOL) vs EC3

EC3 faked a knee injury, suckering Cyon in and sending him into the turnbuckle before making him tap to the Purpose at 9:36 to win the National Title.

(McClelland’s Thoughts: Very basic match. The competitors held a headlock for two and a half minutes and the match never moved at a much faster pace. At least EC3 didn’t spend the match preaching or doing most of his weird schtick. It was strange that Blck Jeez, EC3’s collaborator and focal point of his impending feud with Tyrus was not at ringside.)

May Valentine talked to Father James Mitchell. He was disgusted by Gagz and Sal the Pal’s insurgence so he announced he was washing his hands of them.

(6) NWA WORLD WOMEN’S TAG TEM CHAMPIONSHIP: M95( MISSA KATE and MADI) (c) vs PRETTY EMPOWERED (ELLA ENVY and ROXY(

Kate pinned Roxy with Kick-Filet (roundhouse kick to the head) to retain the titles at 9:00.

(McClelland’s Thoughts: A fun tag match, that was a little sloppy in spots, especially when Pretty Empowered were in control. Kate was announced as being from Chicago and positioned strong as a hometown hero. NWA is good at using certain wrestlers’ hometowns to their advantage when they wrestle in those places.)

(7) YABO THE CLOWN vs KRATOS

Kratos pinned Yabo in 6:56 with the K2G (a sister Abigail like move except Kratos starts his opponent in a double underhook).

(McClelland’s Thoughts: Just a lengthy squash by Kratos. Yabo struck me as another bargain-basement gimmick, this one a degenerate clown, but he seemed to get over with the crowd. The match was 90% Kratos beating on Yabo. I would have put this on the pre-show and moved the Murdoch match to the PPV.)

(8) BOB LUCE MEMORIAL BATTLE ROYAL

Thrillbilly Silas won in 18:53, last eliminating Odinson to win a shot at the National Heavyweight Championship at the Crockett Cup

(McClelland’s Thoughts: This was too long and there were too many people in the ring for most of the match to follow anything or for any kind of good wrestling to occur. Because of the set-up of the arena everyone had to be thrown out on the same side which looked very convoluted. The end came about because Odinson sprayed his Chrome spray paint in Pollo Del Mar’s eyes. Odinson threw Silas out of the ring and in theory Silas was supposed to use the crouching Pollo as a step to flip back in the ring. It didn’t exactly work out that way as Silas pretty well missed Pollo. The positive is Silas’s win plays into a long term storyline of him petitioning for a shot at the NWA National title and now he will finally receive it.)

(9) NWA WOMEN’S TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT FINAL: KENZIE PAIGE VS MAX THE IMPALER (w/ FATHER JAMES MITCHELL)

Max beat and beat and beat on Kenzie. Samantha Star and Kylie Paige came out to essentially beg for mercy for Paige but Max took them out as well. In all the ensuing distraction, Paige hit a cutter out of nowhere and pinned Max. Paige pinned Max to become the first champion at 8:07.

(McClelland’s Thoughts: A very disappointing match. I had been excited about Kenzie’s development to this point, but the booking of this match took me out of it. Max at one point had Paige pinned but pulled her up to deliver more punishment which makes no sense in any competitive match but especially if a title is on the line. Also the ref had full view of the chair, which he had taken away from Kenzie minutes prior to the finish and just left laying on the mat for her to eventually use.)

La Rosa Negra gave a delightful interview about her upcoming title match. She promised she was prepared for the match and that Puerto Rico would celebrate her victory tonight.

(10) NWA JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPSIONSHIP: KERRY MORTON (c) (w/ RICKY MORTON) vs JOE ALONZO (w/ JAIMIE STANLEY)

Morton retained his title by pinning Alonzo with the Kiss it Goodbye (high knee strike) and the Showstopper at 14:35. After the match Ricky chided Kerry for showboating and told Kerry to shake Alonzo’s hand but Alonso stormed off.

(McClelland’s Thoughts: An excellent match, probably my second favorite of the show. Both guys worked in a crisp and fast manner, ahead of everything we’d seen on the show to this point. Both guys kicked out of each other’s big moves. Kerry showed new levels of aggressiveness and cockiness at times, potentially teasing an upcoming heel turn. I liked the subtlety of how it was done and even the announcer’s questioning if some of Kerry’s actions were justified.)

(11) BULLY RAY vs THOM LATIMER

Bully Ray defeated Latimer via DQ in 10:47 when Latimer refused to back off Bully while beating him down in the corner. The match started as a face-face match with Bully and Latimer doing headlocks and arm wringers with clean breaks on the ropes. Bully got increasingly frustrated, and finally grabbed Latimer’s TV title and noted if the title had been on the line, Bully would have already won. Bully then starting insulting Latimer. Unfortunately the feed cut in and out during the climatic moments of the match so exactly what Bully said and most of Latimer’s response was lost.

(McClelland’s Thoughts: This was like the first nine minutes of what could been a very good 20 minute match but then got completely derailed. Bully has been nothing but a face to this point, so I don’t understand this sudden venture into heel territory especially when the story has seemingly been building to a match with Tyrus. Also this is the second time in three PPV’s that Latimer looks like a moron by letting his temper cost him a match.)

(12) NWA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: LA REBELLION (MECHA-WOLFE and BESTIA 666) (c) vs MAGNUM MUSCLE (BIG STRONG MIMS AND DAK DRAPER)

Aron Stevens and Blunt Force Trauma attacked both teams but the referee opted to keep the match going. La Rebellion retained the titles shortly after the interference when they gave Mims the Mark of the Beast (Powerbomb/Backstabber combo) for the pin at 10:22

(McClelland’s Thoughts: Other than the unnecessary interference spot, this was a good tag team match. Both teams showed a lot of fire and had unique double teams. Poor Mims always jobs even though he consistently gets over with crowds.)

May Valentine talked to Chris Adonis about his World Title Match. Adonis noted Tyrus has everything going for him except the ability to break out of Master Lock.

(13) NWA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP: KAMILLE (c) vs LA ROSA NEGRA

Rosa tried for a frog splash but Kamille caught her in mid air with a cutter, then hit a spear for the pin at 13:01.

(McClelland’s Thoughts: Kamille’s streak of great PPV matches continues. She and Rosa did a great face-face match and this was my favorite bout on the show. I don’t think anyone really gave La Rosa a chance of winning but she took enough of the match to sow doubt. La Rosa Negra hasn’t done much in the NWA to this point but I hope she opened eyes with this performance.)

(14) NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: TYRUS vs CHRIS ADONIS

Adonis got the Master Lock on Tyrus from a seated position. Tyrus was fading but fell back and pinned Adonis at 12:37.

(McClelland’s Thoughts: This match was surprisingly decent. They were able to work around Tyrus’s limitations with a good story about Tyrus being to overpower Adonis but the looming threat of the Master Lock hanging over him at all times. Tyrus did not look tired by the end and both guys sold the drama of the match very well.)

OVERALL THOUGHTS: This was a disappointing show with very few good matches, a lot of questionable and/or nonsensical booking choices and little angle advancement. The main event had practically zero build since it was announced with Tyrus’s storyline mostly being about his associate Black Jeeze’s new association with EC3 and whether or not Tyrus could trust him, but Black Jeeze was not on the show, hardly mentioned and EC3 had nothing to do with Tyrus, nor did Bully Ray, the other contender set up at the last PPV. NWA is way bogged down with faces turning heel or just being jerks for no reason and turning Kerry Morton in particular would be a mistake right now, in my opinion. As always, these PPVs offer way too much, squeezing 10 matches into 3 hours, plus four more matches on the pre-show. Even if the match length stayed the same cutting out a couple matches (like the Battle Royal) and having a few video packages would better connect storyline dots and give important matches and developments a chance to breathe.

---

CATCH-UP: 2/11 NWA NUFF SAID PPV REPORT: Matt Cardona vs. Tyrus, Kamille vs. Love, more