NWA Texoma – October 20, 2017: Tiger King Does Pro Wrestling (Yes THAT Tiger King)

NWA Texoma Wrestling
Date: October 20, 2017
Location: Sherman Elks Lodge, Sherman, Texas
Commentators: Joe Exotic, Richard Pendleton

So odds are by now you have heard of Joe Exotic and Tiger King. If you know anything about the show, you know that Exotic is seen as one of the most insane and over the top people in pop culture these days and you could feel the wrestling levels of insanity in his show. Well as it turns out, he promoted some events as part of a small NWA territory, which is where we’re looking today. I’m almost terrified of where this is going so let’s get to it.

After a Joe Exotic music video (about long time rival Carole Baskin feeding her dead husband to tigers, because of course), we’re ready to go.

Exotic is on commentary and my goodness that voice is going to get old in a hurry. He says our first match is called a dark match, meaning it features younger wrestlers just getting into the sport.

Gray vs. Blue

There are no introductions or graphics and the announcers don’t know their names either so I’m going to have to figure out what is going on. For now, we’ll go with the color of their shirts because it’s about all there is out there. Given that Pendleton doesn’t seem to have done commentary before, we’re relying on Exotic the entire time. Since he calls an armdrag an armbar in the first minute and a half, it’s going to be a long, long night.

The one in gray grabs a rollup (and perhaps tights) for two and then throws on the armbar again. As the one in blue is knocked into the corner, Exotic goes on about how he is having a political event in Oklahoma in December. A shoulder to the ribs is called an elbow to the ribs as you can add anatomy to things Exotic doesn’t understand. Blue headscissors Gray outside, with Exotic saying it’s a ten count to get back in or it’s DQ.

A slingshot dive takes Gray down as Joe is talking about all the people watching, including several in Saudi Arabia. Gray drops him back first onto the apron for two and it’s a knee into Blue’s back with a pull of the leg. The rope is grabbed so Gray hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker (Exotic: “Oh s***! God d***!”). Blue is whipped hard into the corner and it’s another backbreaker into a chinlock. Back up and Blue rolls away (Exotic: “What was that called?”) before hitting double knees to the arm.

A cross armbreaker sends Gray to the rope as commentary goes out. It’s right back and Blue grabs the Rings of Saturn, which is rolled into the ropes again. Blue misses a top rope backsplash and sits on the mat. That lets Gray look like he is loading up a Code Red but he leans backwards to bend Blue over and lift up both arms (that’s a new one and either looks awesome or very stupid) to make Blue tap at 10:59.

Rating: C-. The match was perfectly watchable with a crazy unique finisher that looked all kinds of painful. The problem here is that the show feels like total amateur hour with commentary swearing every few seconds and not knowing the difference between a countout and a DQ. Also, you can’t get a piece of paper saying WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE??? Come on already people. At least try.

Commentary complains about the sound issues again as Nigel Rabbit (Maybe? You try understanding Exotic.), a heel manager, comes out. Nigel has a big paddle and two guys with him and asks some wrestlers to come to ringside. Apparently this is a tribute to Bobby Heenan, so after the ten bell salute, Exotic is annoyed at not knowing he was supposed to go to the ring.

One of the guys who came to the ring with Nigel says what I think is something about the Las Vegas mass shooting and asks for a moment of silence. With that out of the way, it’s time to present an award to Exotic for everything he has done for NWA Texoma. Thankfully he doesn’t say anything.

Thankfully we now have a ring announcer who seems to know what she is talking about.

Exotic wants to know where the National Anthem is.

NAWA Heavyweight Title: Bryson Scott vs. Jerome Daniels

Daniels is defending (the North American Wrestling Allegiance, which he won earlier in the month) and has a lot of charisma. At the same time, we don’t have a lot of sound but that is just something to get used to here. Daniels has a few guys with him and Exotic says Daniels was in WWE for a long time. If that’s true, I can’t find any evidence of it anywhere and Daniels looks to be a rather young guy.

Before the match, Daniels gets the mic and hypes up the crowd, though Exotic talks to production over his speech. Apparently the NWA Texoma Champion isn’t defending his title so Scott is getting a shot instead. Daniels gets a rather lengthy introduction and, again, Exotic won’t shut up while anyone else is talking. Daniels’ guys are sent to the back and we’re ready to go.

A kick to the leg sends Scott to the apron and they go to the mat for some rapid fire near falls. Back up and Scott flips out of a backdrop and hits a headscissors. Daniels is right there with a dropkick and it’s Scott bailing out to the floor. Daniels follows and gets dropped back first onto the apron. Back in and a swinging neckbreaker gives Scott two but Daniels is back with a hard clothesline.

We look at the commentators for a good while before coming back to the ring with Scott stomping away. We hit the chinlock until Daniels fights up, only to get leg lariated in the face. Scott’s middle rope moonsault hits knees and he goes to the middle rope to dive into Daniels’ powerslam.

With Exotic dropping an F bomb over the near fall, it’s time to slug it out from their knees. Daniels kicks him in the head for two and they both have to pull themselves to their feet. Daniels’ powerbomb is countered into a hurricanrana for two but Daniels rolls into a sunset flip for the same. Scott charges at him again but this t me Daniels pulls him into a triangle choke for the tap at 12:36.

Rating: C. Daniels shows some potential and looks like someone who could get a job after a few more years on the indies. Scott was just a heel but it was a fine enough match from both sides. Just find a way to mute commentary entirely and we could have been seeing the match of the night here.

The ring announcer says that the company is going to be part of the Unified Wrestling Alliance. She hands the mic off to a man, who might be from that organization but it’s not clear.

Tim Storm vs. Aaron Size

Storm’s NWA World Title isn’t on the line. Storm takes his time getting to the ring and presents his manager (an unnamed woman who commentary can only describe as “not his wife”). I think that’s what Aaron’s last name is and commentary is as helpful as usual. We do at least get his manager’s name as Miss Tiffany. They take their time with the staredown until the much bigger Storm launches him into the corner.

Size’s rollup gets one and we get a quick handshake. Storm drops him with a shoulder and a boot to the face into a backbreaker gets two on Size. There’s a gorilla press drop (Exotic: “Oh s*** fire!”) into a claw to send Size bailing into the corner. Size kicks away and hits an enziguri, followed by a tornado DDT (which Pendleton calls a neckbreaker). The moonsault misses though and the Perfect Storm (swinging Boss Man Slam) gives Storm the pin at 5:57.

Rating: D+. Storm is someone who has grown on me tremendously over the last year or so and a lot of that is due to how solid he is in the ring. He isn’t going to do anything flashy or anything you haven’t seen before, but he does things well enough that you can buy what you’re seeing. This was just a step ahead of a squash and it made Storm look like the biggest star on the show so far. Not too bad actually, at least from a presentation standpoint.

Post match Size hits on Tiffany and gets slapped. Size leaves and the ring announcer gets in the ring to talk about how great Storm is. A kid presents Storm with a portrait of Storm with the NWA World Title in a nice moment. Storm thanks the fans for coming out and says this is his home. They go to leave but here’s some unnamed heel to break the picture over Storm’s head. Classic angle that will always work, but SAYING THE GUY’S NAME might be a nice addition.

Simply Luscious vs. Brynne

I’m not sure if it’s Brynne or Brie, as the amateur hour continues. Commentary makes jokes about Luscious “taking male pills”, her claiming to be straight, and needing to shave under her arms. Luscious jumps her from behind for some face first rams into the buckle. Brynne comes back as Pendleton talks about how scary “the girl in the purple” (Luscious) is.

A double clothesline puts both of them down and they slug it out from their knees. Brynne hits some running splashes in the corner (Pendleton: “That was a sandwich. That was so big I’m going to call it a Subway.”) but a missed charge lets Luscious get a rollup with feet on the ropes for the pin at 3:15. Pendleton: “The nasty woman won. Please go shave your armpits.”

Rating: D. I feel sorry for the women here as they seem to have been put on there more for the sake of having a women’s match on the card. Fair enough for them to get a payday and it’s FAR better than some disasters you’ll see on a show of this level, but my goodness commentary is actually getting worse. This was the kind of stuff that felt like warmed over Jerry Lawler material and I mean that in the worst possible way. This is getting worse and worse all night and I didn’t think that was possible.

Post match Luscious jumps her again and yells at commentary as Brynne takes off her boot. She leaves one in the ring and bows to the crowd, as this was apparently her last match.

It’s a ten minute intermission, but since this is on Joe Exotic TV, that means a Joe Exotic music video. In other words, music over video of him playing with tigers at his zoo.

After that video (which somehow required five camera operators and two directors), it’s the same video that opened the show.

And now, a third music video featuring Exotic and company feeding birds at the zoo. This goes so far beyond a vanity project that it’s hard to believe. In a nice moment, it is billed as a tribute to his father, who has Alzheimer’s. Also of note: the audio on these videos are terrible, as I haven’t changed it a bit and can barely make out the lyrics. Audio on the commentary is fine, but this might as well be whispered.

Back in the arena and the original ring announcer is back to introduce a Hall of Famer of some sort. He seems to be the referee.

Gino vs. Lance Hoyt

Well there’s your future star power, as Hoyt is AEW’s Lance Archer and Gino would go on to minor fame in MLW as Gino Medina. Believe it or not, Exotic’s format is off as he thinks this is a tag match featuring Charlie Haas. Hoyt bails to the floor as commentary talks about how horrible the bell is. They take turns rolling around to start and Gino grabs a waistlock to little avail. Some right hands and chops in the corner have Hoyt staggered and Gino knocks him to the floor.

Gino posts him (with Exotic not knowing what to call the post) and more chops have Hoyt in trouble. Back in and Gino’s springboard is broken up and Hoyt sends him face first into the announcers’ table. Now it’s Gino being posted but he slugs right back as commentary is freaking out about how close they’re getting to their table. Back in again and Hoyt runs him over with a shoulder as Pendleton keeps referring to Gino as Zorro.

Gino’s comeback is cut off by a running elbow to the face and we hit the neck crank. Hoyt gets two off a splash and the running splash in the corner keeps Gino in trouble. The yet to be named Blackout is escaped and Gino strikes away again, setting up a seated clothesline (Exotic: “I don’t know what that was called.”). A chokeslam gives Hoyt two and he catches Gino on top with the Blackout for the pin at 13:13.

Rating: C-. Watchable enough power vs. speed match here, even though Gino is a little bigger than most speed guys. You can see that Hoyt has come a long way in a few years here as he doesn’t quite have the same spark and fire here. Gino is someone who seems to have a lot of the tools but I’ve yet to see him put them all together. He’s far from bad, but I don’t know if I see the whole package.

Exotic: “You want a Coke?” He then goes on about trying to get a Coke, which is the most normal thing he’s said in at least an hour.

Charlie Haas/Randy White vs. Ty Wilson/Dante Smiley

Haas has a wooden paddle and Nigel as his manager. He also takes the mic from the ring announcer and shouts at everyone around, showing more charisma and energy than anyone else on the show so far. Jerome Daniels, a friend/stablemate of Wilson and Smiley sits in on commentary and is roughly 3857201749572475057x better than the two we’ve had so far. Like, he knows the wrestlers’ names!

Haas and Dante start as Davis talks about a successful trip the team made to Colorado recently. Haas stalls over and over, with nothing significant taking place in the first three minutes. Well granted something might be taking place in the ring but the camera is on commentary. Wayne comes in and immediately heads outside to yell at a fan. No, they aren’t doing anything physical, but it makes sense in this situation as the fans want to see them fight. It’s an art you don’t see enough of these days.

Back in and they lock up with Haas getting in a cheap shot, leaving White to start slapping. He accidentally slaps the referee so Haas comes over and gets yelled at as well. Smiley sends him into the corner for a dropkick but Wilson misses a charge. Haas comes in and stomps Smiley down in the corner, followed by some kicks to put him on the floor. The video feed starts glitching and Wayne works on the leg a bit more. Charlie hits a shinbreaker (Exotic: “Aw s***!”) and the rotating stomps continue.

Smiley slips out and makes the hot tag to Wilson, who is quickly low bridged to the floor (Exotic: “OH S***!”) to put them in trouble again. Back in and Haas hits a right hand to the jaw, followed by an overhead belly to belly for the flying crash. Dante gets knocked off the apron and White hits a t-bone suplex for two more. The reverse chinlock doesn’t last long so Haas goes with choking in the corner instead.

White’s chinlock keeps Wilson down but he fights up for a running knee to the face. That’s enough to bring Smiley back in and a Pele drops White. Everything breaks down and Dante’s leg gives out. Ty dives onto Haas….and I’m not sure if it connected or not due to the camera angle. Nigel offers a distraction though and Haas hits Smiley with a belt shot for the cheap pin at 22:45.

Rating: B-. Easily the best match of the night and a lot of that is due to having the commentary being competent for a change. The wrestling was good enough though as they set up a story and built it up over the match. You don’t see that on a show like this very often and Haas’ star power was shining strong here. Good match, partially because things were feeling a little more serious for a change.

Post match Daniels glares at Rabbit.

NWA Texoma Pro Heavyweight Title: Adam Asher vs. Ryan Davis

Davis is challenging and Daniels is still on commentary. Asher bails to the floor to start and then hides in the ropes as well. Davis sends him into some buckles, adds an uppercut, and then sends him into another buckle. They fight to the floor with Davis winning a slugout and sending Asher inside. Asher gets in a kick to the leg though and it’s time to work over said leg in the corner. The leg is wrenched down and a whip into the ropes sees Davis collapse in pain.

Davis holds up well enough to his a neckbreaker so Asher pulls out a chain to knock his way out of a belly to back suplex for two. The comeback is on with clotheslines and right hands in the corner as the fans are starting to get into this. The ref gets bumped and Asher goes low for a delayed near fall. Back up and the ref gets bumped a second time, allowing Asher to throw powder in Davis’ face to retain at 12:58. Exotic: S***!”

Rating: C-. This could have been worse as we had two big guys who were hitting each other fairly hard, but the tag match was better and they were going to have trouble following that. Also the ending got a little too messy and they could have gone with one of the three finishes instead of the whole trilogy. Not bad or anything, but just kind of there.

Post match Asher leaves but comes back out to Pillmanize Davis’ leg. Exotic and Pendleton (who hasn’t been heard in the last two matches) tell Daniels to get in there for the save and, after a test pattern, we see Daniels and a few other wrestlers helping Davis.

Overall Rating: D+. I’m really not sure what to think on this one, but it wasn’t exactly thrilling. We’ll get to the big part at the end but there’s nothing on this show that you need to see. It’s a pretty standard indy show with a few names you might recognize and little more. Jerome Daniels stood out both in the ring and on commentary and I wouldn’t mind seeing more of him.

But then there’s the commentary and e pluribus gads it might beat Heroes of Wrestling for the worst I have ever heard. Exotic being on there….fine. Yes he has one of the most annoying voices in recent memory and he swears far too much for what looks to be a family wrestling show, but is it too much to ask to KNOW THE NAMES OF THE WRESTLERS??? He seems to be the promoter and there are times where he doesn’t know who is wrestling in front of him. How is that something that slipped by you? Just…..write them down or something. It’s not that hard.

Then there was Pendleton, who really did seem like he had never been to a wrestling show before and was just there to fill in a seat. Get one of the wrestlers (maybe the NWA WORLD CHAMPION perhaps) to do it as they could at least know the names of moves. It was as much of an amateur hour clown show as I’ve ever heard and I was wondering if they swapped Daniels in for Pendleton just for how useless the latter was. Anyway, the show itself is fine enough, but save yourself an aspirin addiction and watch it with the sound off.

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