It was important that World-1 South produced a good follow-up to their last Savannah outing. The reviews from last time were mixed, with most being skeptical of the product due to World-1 running in the same venue as its predecessors, the workrate-based Combat Fusion. This time around, I believe everyone went home happy campers.
I arrived there late and missed the first match, which saw Simon Sermon get the duke over Caleb Konway. I came in at the midpoint of the second match, pitting Leon Scott against Dave Holliday, so I didn't get to completely grasp any storytelling factors of the match. The little that I did see wound up being decent. Scott gets the W here.
Dagon Briggs vs. Jon Davis
Briggs got a great reception upon arrival. Davis got a good one as well, but not on the level of Briggs. Every once in a while a match comes out of nowhere and surprises me. This was that match. Both were billed as being fac- I mean, fan favorites and wrestled as such. There were several mat and chain sequences at the onset. Later, the match evolved into both men busting out stiff strikes, kicks and suplexes. My kind of match! Briggs got the victory.
AWA World-1 Light Heavyweight Championship
Chasyn Rance (w/Mister Saint Laurente) vs. Jerelle Clark vs. Naphtali vs. Jack Manley
Naphtali got made fun of for looking like a biblical figure, with one fan singing out loud, "Jesus loves me, yes I know..." Funny stuff. Jack Manley comes off as a face that doesn't really get the reception he's looking for. On the opposite end of the spectrum was Clark, who got one of the loudest ovations of the night. Rance would've gotten the same, but the sight of the girthy, obnoxious Laurente put a damper on the fans' enthusiasm.
This was more cerebral of a match than I think anyone was anticipating, but still a great encounter. Naphtali was eliminated first by Clark. Clark was eliminated by Rance when Manley gave him a missile dropkick, sending him sprawling into the waiting clutches of Rance, who got a handful of tights for the rollup. The crowd was very unhappy with Manley for this and let him know it for the remainder of the contest. The match spilled to the outside, where Laurente, while the ref was distracted, took those kitchen mitts of his and gave Manley a series of neck chops that would make Kenta Kobashi blush. Rance gets the victory to retain his title.
The Heartbreak Express vs. Black Market
I saw these four battle in Full Impact Pro as a DVD bonus on ROH Glory By Honor Night One, and it was a wild affair, so I had a few expectations going into this one.
HBX came out to a thunderous ovation! Wow, you'd never guess that these guys were heels. Sean gets on the mike and says that the Black Market doesn't get a title shot as advertised because they've never wrestled in World-1 South. Well, he has a point. The Black Market comes out and the fight is on. This was a war! A broom, a Kendo stick, a wet floor sign and a couple of cookie sheets made for some nice mayhem. Sean got busted open hardway and bled like the proverbial stuck pig. I was impressed with his mean streak in this match. Black Market gets the victory here. Afterwards, there was a war of words between these two teams, in in-result being that these two will wage war for the World-1 South tag team titles in a match where anything goes. I believe the words "barbed-wire" were brought up.
At this point the show could've used an intermission. It never came, and I believe that the lack of an intermission made it drag a bit, similar to a UXW event.
Tommy Vandal vs. Francisco Ciatso w/Ron Niemi and Amy Vitale
Vandal was a bit of an unknown when the introductions were made. Ciatso went back to his Frankie Capone roots, complete with black leather jacket, hat and open-fingered gloves. In the ring, however, he had all the nuances that he displays as Frankie Coverdale in Deep South Wrestling, playing the cowardly heel. speaking of DSW, this match would've fit in perfectly on that program. Lots of playing to the crowd and mat work. Ciatso got the win in this one.
Scotty Riggs vs. Steve Madison
Madison came out a pleasant surprise en tow- Daffney! She looks incredible! She brought her signature primal howls to this match. Riggs was well-received here, complete with American Males overhand claps. Of course the smart mark community gave him a bit of guff, but that's to be expected. Madison was wearing furry boots and toting a tattered rope ala Brody, which garnered chants of "HUSS" from the crowd. Riggs looked a hell of a lot better than last month against Glacier. He seemed to be more comfortable here. Madison looked sharp as well. I'm hoping he'll make another appearance here in Savannah. Riggs got the W and secured another shot at Glacier's Southern Heavyweight title.
Vordell Walker vs. Erich Stevens
Stevens came out first and got major heat. This was the good kind of heat. What followed was one of the funniest things to ever happen in Georgia wrestling. Stevens got into a jaw-jacking contest with Savannah's resident Cena groupie C Gangsta, clad in replica title belts (ugh!), sunglasses that would make Lucille Ball turn in her grave, and a ridiculous looking wig that he should be stabbed for wearing. One thing led to another, and Stevens was taking off like a bank robber with one of those belts. C Gangsta took off after him, screaming like a banshee with a higher-pitched voice than a 25-year-old black man should be allowed to have. Seriously, the dude sounds like a character from Fat Albert & the Cosby Kids. The crowd was chanting "Vordell Walker" LOUDLY before he even made his entrance. He made his entrance and the roof came off the place! To say that this man is extremely over in the Alee Temple would be a vast understatement.
The Walker-Strong match was hard-hitting and scintillating, but not nearly as violent as this one. They tore into each other from the opening bell. The difference in the two matches was that this was less Southern-style and more 90's All-Japan/current-day NOAH. There were several parts of the match where Stevens looked to be finished off, such as when Walker hit a bone-jarring STO, but willed himself to continue fighting, even with a sickening welt on his forehead from brawling on the outside. THAT'S what strong style is all about! Walker eventually won this cacophony of violence with a spinning uranage. Afterwards, Stevens was cheered for his fighting spirit. It was almost a moment straight out of Ring Of Honor, and I'm certain that Roderick Strong, who trained him, would be proud.
Overall, this was a much better show than January. I sincerely hope that AWA World-1 South will have a presence in Savannah for a long time. The next event is scheduled for March 24, right back at the Alee Temple Arena. I am so there!
Subject: World-1 South results 
Sun Feb 18, 2007 9:49 pm
Vordell Walker defeated Erich Stevens 