By: Mitchell Frantz
PPW stormed back into the Holy Family Academy, and some shocking and major developments came out of the final show before PPW Super Show II.
Mercedes Martinez was added mere days before the big event as a replacement to former WWE Diva’s Champion Kaitlyn, who could not attend due to injury. Mercedes was given an opportunity to leave as the PPW Women’s Champion, and she certainly made the most of her chance. The Latina Sensation defeated long time champion Christina Marie, which left the crowd in utter silence out of shock. Christina, the courageous champion, had dispatched of all comers leading into the night’s main event, but could not overcome the woman who was once a WWE Mae Young Classic semifinalist.
Sean Carr is disgusted with being in Hazleton, but nobody can seem to defeat him for the PPW Heavyweight Championship, leaving Carr to hold the gold hostage. This month, Sam Adams attempted to wrestle the championship away from him, only to be unceremoniously greeted by the champ and his bodyguard, Lamar Hawkins. Carr was able to use some underhanded tactics to defeat the challenger, which led to a post match assault on "Mr. Good Luck". That was until Evander James of all people saved Adams from any further punishment.
“The Man you can Trust” Evander James has not always lived up to his nickname. James has been seen since the beginning as a deceitful man who does whatever he needs to and burns whatever bridge necessary to get what he wants. That all changed at Throwdown on 5th Street, when a heartfelt message detailing how he realizes now how bad his intentions truly were, and explaining that he was apologetic for acting in such a way. The heartfelt message paid off, as James used the crowd to his advantage for once and scored a massive victory of Adam Chandler The Great, who is now being managed by TJ Masters. The match, which was a number one contender’s match to the PPW Heavyweight Championship, sets James up for a major opportunity at PPW Super Show II. Do these actions suggest that Evander may be somebody PPW can trust after all?
The match of the night though went to the triple threat match between Rich Swann, KC Navarro and Desean Pratt, who was added to the match late. Pratt was originally scheduled to face Mecha Wolf, but was instead added to the Swann vs Navarro match because of the major issues Navarro and Pratt have seem to of had recently. After a dizzying display of athleticism, technical prowess and unbelievable endurance, Navarro picked up a pinfall victory over Rich Swann with a reverse frankensteiner. Swann after the match talked to the crowd about how unbelievable Navarro is and even called KC a future X-Division Champion. The crowd could not help but agree with current X-Division Champ Swann, as Navarro has been tearing it up each and every month in Hazleton. That might be part of the reason as to why Pratt has such issues with Navarro, and why Pratt attacked "The Skyreaper" from behind after Swann left the ring before being chased of by the X-Division Champion.
Another fantastic match was a singles contest between Richard Holliday and Brian Pillman Jr. Pillman, the son of the Loose Cannon, seemed to be in control for most of the match but a well-timed low blow by Holliday was enough to score the major victory. Consumers were certainly buzzing after this contest, as Holliday’s personal stock in PPW continued to trend upwards.
Jason King and the debuting Dave Doll teamed up to take on Team Undeniable. Doll, a late addition to the contest, seemed to be overly ecstatic to get the chance to wrestle a match, and the excitement showed at times, as did the displeasure on King’s face. That displeasure was nothing compared to the betrayal King felt when his manager, Penny Lane, gave "The Devil’s Favorite Reject" a low blow and aligned herself with Andy Header and Pat Sawyer in a move that shocked everybody.
Charles Mason retained the No Limits Championship in a fatal four way match that also featured Laszlo Arpad, Trajan Horn and John Wes. Well, John Wes was in the match for a little until an angry Jason King decided to take his frustration out on Wes due to his association with Undeniable and his need to get even with the group. The match continued as a triple threat until Mason pinned Horn in order to retain his championship. The battle scars were obvious though, as some wicked chops to Mason’s chest courtesy of Laszlo left the Billionaire Playboy looking bright red and in plenty of pain.
Foxx Vinyer also defeated Mantequilla in a fun contest of Mante’s speed versus F2V’s power. The two were involved in a six man tag team contest at Juiced, but the two finally settled their differences one on one, which led to the victory for F2V. Mantequilla fought valiantly, but the power displayed by Vinyer, as well as the surprising athleticism, was too much for the "Lucha Hero" to overcome.
Lastly, the night opened up with a triangle tag match to determine the number one contenders to the PPW Tag Team Championships. Three of the hottest teams in independent wrestling, South Philly’s Finest, the Mane Event, and the Punk Rock All Stars, met in the ring with the intention of going to Super Show II as number one contenders. In the end, SPF proved why they are indeed the measuring stick for tag team wrestling in Hazleton, as Luca Brazzi and Jimmy Konway picked up a victory and earned the chance to get their hands on the Arrogance of Excellence one more time at the Super Show in April.
Speaking of Super Show II, tickets can be ordered now at www.ppwwrestling.com/shop or can be bought on the day of the show.