Bryan Turner’s VHS Rehab YouTube channel has been uploading old Tennessee wrestling footage from various promotions that were previously thought of as lost footage. Thankfully, much footage has been donated to Bryan, and he’s been posting new matches and segments every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Complete shows are published on Saturdays.
Match #1: Kid Romeo vs. Air Paris – NWA Worldwide 2000
Reason For Reviewing: Romeo is a talent in WCW that I found to be underrated and a lot of fun to watch in the brief time he was there. Paris is an indie talent that had a lot of buzz back at this time and I’m still not overly familiar with his work. Paris was equally hyped as AJ Styles was during this time.
Romeo gets a side headlock on Paris to kickoff the match. Romeo shoulder blocks Paris into the corner before backing off. Paris shoves the referee and gets shoved down by the referee. Romeo goes back to a side headlock for control. Romeo shoulder blocks Paris to the mat a second time and Paris backs off in the corner. Paris gets a headlock on Romeo, but Romeo delivers a forearm to the ribs and a shoulder block to send Paris to the floor. Paris works over Romeo with an elbow and stomps. Prentice chokes Romeo over the middle rope while the referee is distracted. Paris chokes Romeo and misses a clothesline. Romeo dropkicks Paris and delivers a leaping forearm strike. Romeo hits a wheelbarrow bulldog for a near fall. Romeo controls Paris on the mat with a chin lock. Romeo dropkicks a seated Paris. Paris crotches Romeo over the top rope and delivers a right hand to knock Romeo to the floor. Paris takes Romeo out with a somersault dive to the floor. Prentice gets a cheap shot in on Romeo.
Paris rolls Romeo back into the ring leading to a near fall. Paris puts a sleeper on Romeo, but doesn’t get a submission. Romeo elbows free, but is met with a spin kick. Paris connects with a slam, but Romeo kicks out at two. After a commercial, Romeo gets a rollup for a two count, but Paris decks Romeo with a clothesline. Paris tosses Romeo through the ropes to the floor. Prentice continues with cheap shots on the floor. Paris runs into a boot in the corner and Romeo hits a tornado DDT. Romeo nails Paris with a kick to the head. Romeo plays to the crowd and delivers a few forearms. Romeo plants Paris with a forward dropping electric chair slam. Romeo leaps off the top hitting a frog splash. Prentice distracts the referee and Paris decks Romeo with a right hand with a chain. Paris takes his time and covers Romeo, but only gets a two count. Romeo hits a modified Snow Plow and pins Paris for the win! (**1/2. A solid match between these two that exceeded my expectations. There weren’t any slow parts that dragged the match, which was nice. Romeo is a guy that I feel should have done more in wrestling. Paris and Prentice is an enjoyable duo, too.)
Match #2: USA Heavyweight Champion Kasey James vs. Big Bully Douglas, Zbyszko special referee – USA Wrestling 2005
Reason For Reviewing: I’m not sure why, but every time I see Kasey James I’m curious about his work. His look is that of an 80s enhancement guy and I apparently love myself some 80s wrestlers. I didn’t realize it was a title match until the ring announcer stated it was.
James attacks Douglas from behind while Douglas was talking to Zbyszko. James snapmares Douglas and keeps a sleeper locked in for a few moments. Douglas elbows free and hits a back suplex. Douglas continues with a scoop slam and an arm drag. Douglas keeps James on the mat with a wrist lock. Douglas wrenches on the left wrist of James, but doesn’t get a submission. Douglas wrenches on the arm with his knee on James neck, but James doesn’t give in to the pain. Douglas shoulder blocks James and delivers an arm drag. Douglas is backed into the corner and James delivers a right hand. James stomps on Douglas to keep control of the contest. James eye rakes Douglas and gouges Douglas some more. James chokes Douglas over the middle rope, but is stopped by Zbyszko. James tries for a cover, but Douglas kicks out at two. Douglas delivers a few strikes, but runs into a knee lift. James snapmares Douglas and keeps control with another sleeper. James uses the ropes for leverage.
Douglas elbows free and hammers away on James. Douglas backdrops James coming off the ropes. Douglas continues with right hands and a big boot. Douglas rubs James face onto the mat to add insult to injury. James ducks a clothesline and runs into a powerslam. Douglas covers, but James got his foot on the ropes. James takes Douglas down with a belly to belly suplex. James decks Douglas with a few strikes. James misses a clothesline and they collide on stereo clotheslines. They both go down following right hand strikes. Zbyszko hands James something and James decks Douglas with it for the win. After the match, Bert Prentice gets in the ring to get the weapon, which was a roll of dimes. Douglas boots James and hits a backdrop. Douglas hits the Shakedown (TKO) to leave James laying. (**. It’s a mostly formula match, but they worked it well. James is a little over the top with his selling, but I live for it. Douglas left a good impression with me as he played the face well. I’d be interested in a rematch between these two considering Zbyszko’s involvement.)
Match #3: USA Heavyweight Champion Cassidy Riley vs. Chris Michaels – USA Championship Wrestling 12/8/2004
Reason For Reviewing: After reviewing the Michaels vs. Stevens trilogy, I’ve been interested in checking out more of Michaels in the Tennessee area. Riley is a young talent and tends to be a lot of fun in the ring with his energy. I’m thinking this will be a fun encounter between a veteran and younger wrestler.
Michaels attacks Riley before the bell with strikes and stomps on the mat. Michaels rams Riley into the corner face first and continues with right hands. Riley decks Michaels with right hands in the corner and chops. Michaels is dumped to the apron and Riley delivers a right hand. Riley connects with a springboard dropkick to send Michaels to the floor. Michaels avoids a baseball slide and punches Riley. Michaels continues to beat on Riley with right hands around ringside. Michaels chokes Riley over the railing. Riley sends Michaels into the apron and delivers a kick. Riley hits a moonsault to the floor to take Michales out! Riley rolls Michaels back into the ring and Michaels wants to shake hands. Riley works over Michaels with strikes, but Michaels stops Riley with a low blow in the corner. Michaels chop blocks Riley and continues with stomps on the mat. Michaels splashes down onto Riley’s knee to keep the advantage. Michaels stomps on Riley’s knee a few times on the mat. Michaels focuses his attack on the knee, but misses a running splash in the corner.
Riley fights back with a few kicks and atomic drops Michaels. Riley clotheslines Michaels a few times. Riley kicks Michaels a few times in the corner and hits a handspring back elbow in the corner. Riley misses a splash in the corner and Michaels connects with a superkick for a near fall. Michaels tries for a reverse DDT, but Riley counters with a dragon sleeper. The Naturals slide into the ring and attack Riley to cause a disqualification. Johnny Devine makes the save with a steel chair. (*1/2. Well, that was clearly an angle advancement for a tag match. Regardless, I thought Riley looked great in there as a top babyface. Riley’s offense was a lot of fun and kept me invested in the action. Michaels was fine, too, but the main takeaway here was Riley’s performance as the champion.)
Match #4: AM Vision vs. USWO Heavyweight Champion Arrick Andrews – Street Fight – USWO Wrestling – 12/9/2005
Reason For Reviewing: Honestly, seeing the screen grab of a piece of guard railing in the ring and bloody wrestlers caught my interest. Street fights tend to be a lot of fun and fly by. This one looks to be a violent one. I am not familiar with either wrestler.
Vision sends Andrews into the ring post face first to quickly start the fight. Vision chokes Andrews with his jacket. Vision scoop slams Andrews on the floor. Vision chokes Andrews with his shirt. Vision knee drops Andrews in the ring and pummels Andrews with right hands. Vision shoulder rams Andrews in the corner and uses a weight belt to whip Andrews a few times. Vision continues with strapping Andrews in the corner over the back with the belt. Vision hits a snap suplex for a near fall. Vision tries for another cover, but Andrews kicks out again. Andrews atomic drops Vision, but Vision takes off his pants and kicks Andrews. Vision grabs a steel chair from under the ring and jabs Andrews in the gut. Vision whacks Andrews over the back for a near fall. Vision works over Andrews with strikes and tries for a piledriver, but Andrews counters and Vision hits the chair. Andrews catapults Vision into the corner and whacks Vision with a chair shot! Vision has been busted wide open.
Andrews delivers several right hands in the corner and connects with a DDT. Andrews brings a section of fencing into the ring from outside. Andrews tosses the fencing onto Vision. Andrews lays the fencing against the ropes and drop toe holds Vision into the fence. Andrews rubs Vision’s face into the fencing. Andrews runs the fencing into Vision’s face in the corner. Andrews hits a snap suplex onto the fence. Andrews covers managing a two count. Vision decks Andrews and hits a sit out powerslam. Vision goes to the apron and climbs to the top rope. Andrews stops Vision with a right hand. Andrews hooks Vision hitting a superplex in the middle of the ring. Andrews wedges the fence under the bottom rope and crotches Vision onto the fencing. Andrews whacks Vision with a chair shot. Andrews pummels Vision with right hands on the mat. Andrews sets the fencing up in the corner as Vision struggles in the corner. Andrews has Vision over the shoulder, but Vision hits a back suplex.
Vision lays the fencing against the apron. Vision knee lifts Andrews, but Andrews hip tosses Vision over the top onto the fencing on the floor! Andrews leg drops the fencing to catapult the fencing into Vision’s face. Andrews drops Vision over the top rope on the apron. Andrews tosses Vision back into the ring. Vision begs off and low blows Andrews. Vision knee drops Andrews on the groin. Vision goes to the floor and grabs a trash can lid and trash can. Vision whacks Andrews over the head with a trash can. Vision accidentally hits the referee with the trash can. Andrews puts the trash can over Vision’s head and hits a spinning kick. Andrews covers Vision, but there’s no referee. Vision tosses salt into Andrews face and delivers a chair shot. Vision splashes Andrews in the corner and hits a DDT onto the chair for the three count and wins the championship. (***1/2. That was a good street fight. It wasn’t a bloody bout as Vision’s blood didn’t overwhelm his bald head or anything, but the fight was brutal with good usage of weapons. They didn’t overuse weapons either. This felt like a fight and I appreciate that in a street fight.)
That wraps up this edition. Thanks for reading.