PWX Unsanctioned recap & review: Hollis prevails with the new & improved Country Jacked, Henry retains by crook, and more

PWX Unsanctioned went up on the Highspots Wrestling Network earlier in the week, so let's get cracking, shall we?

Darius Lockhart (c) vs. Drew Adler (PWX iTV Championship)

Feeling out, a bit of light grappling, Lockhart eventually showing his athleticism with chained front rolls and provoking Adler into attacking. Intensity escalates, dropkicks, a springboard back elbow, the champion rolling but unable to put his challenger away this early into the contest. Darius stomping away in the corner, they trade forearms with Drew on the apron, Lockhart gets him hung up but he's one step ahead and hits a forearm to the back of the neck!

Big tossing Blue Thunder Driver from Adler, laying strikes in, heavy knees to the back and jaw trying to wear Darius down. The cover's only good for two, follows it up with a delayed snap suplex (it makes sense in context folks, trust me!) and continues to press the attack but Lockhart is wily and lands a pinpoint kick with momentum from Adler trying to pull him away from the ropes!

Rallying, forearms connect, kick to the gut into a Pele kick, but Drew sidesteps a charge! No matter, Lockhart sets him up, corner knee... NOPE! Looking for the Assata Driver, Adler escapes it with elbows, kicks and punches but the champ ducks 'em and lands a big right hand! Off the ropes, Drew passes him to the floor, tope con... NOBODY HOME! On his feet but Darius is quick to capitalize with a suicide dive!

He climbs the turnbuckles, missile dropkick... only a nearfall! Off the ropes, Adler with a kick, fireman's carry, Lockhart ducks whatever he had in mind...

Darius Lockhart wins by pinfall with the Assata Driver, retaining the PWX iTV Championship.

Really fun opener, not like an all-time classic or anything but nothing you'll want to skip. Good sprinty action well-wrestled by two up-and-comers.

Coach Mikey vs. Tommy Thomas (Duxedo Match)

Tommy cuts a promo about how this is personal and orders Montana Black to escort the Ugly Ducklings to the back. The Ducks take their leave after Tommy says he refuses to get into the ring until they leave... Thomas with the sneak attack and the bell rings!

Putting boots to Mikey and choking him on the mat, ripping his bow tie and fanny pack off, but that just makes Coach mad and he shoots in for a double leg and grounded punches and slaps, just beating Tommy's face in! Big biel across the ring and Mikey claims Thomas' bow tie! From behind, yanking his blazer off, leaving the Syndicate man dazed, Stinger splash follows, setting him up, Mikey pulls his shorts down... TOMMY WITH THE LOW BLOW!

Headed outside for plunder, Thomas comes up with a sock full of quarters and whips Coach with it, sending quarters flying everywhere! Stomping away, pulling Mikey's blazer off and Tommy gets on the mic to call Coach an idiot for showing up without a shirt and explaining that's why the Ducks suck. Putting boots to him but Coach pulls a shoe off, same process with the other foot!

Big charging knee, Mikey is dazed and Thomas removes his shoes. Tommy throws a few more kicks and unhooks a bungie from around the ringpost... he lashes Coach Mikey's hand to the middle rope! Coach kicks him away as he tries to pull his socks off, so Thomas heads under the ring for plunder, coming up with the sledgehammer. Tommy calls his shot... BUT MIKEY IS FREE AND LAYS HIM OUT WITH A BOOT!

The biggest Duck listening to the crowd, he tells him he's dead and comes off the ropes with a big splash before yanking his vest off! Thomas desperate to use the "Quack!" playbook as a weapon but Coach blocks him and Tommy begs off, creaming to stop the meg and saying he quits. Mikey seemingly accepts but cracks the playbook across Thomas' back!

Beckoning the Syndicate man to get up, he does so but offers a defiant crotch chop! A playbook to the head takes care of him and Coach Mikey rips his shirt off, takes the pants...

Coach Mikey wins by stripping Tommy Thomas to his underwear, earning the Ugly Ducklings the right to pick the stipulation for their rematch against the Syndicate in January.

That was... a match. Absolutely perfect for what it was, two managers beating the crap out of and trying to humiliate each other. A classic pro wrestling trope, excellently executed. And, I mean, how are you gonna hate a match where a sock full of quarters is used as a weapon? You're not, that's how. Great stuff.

Tommy Thomas wakes up and suddenly realizes how naked he is and scurries to the back!

Ethan Case vs. Tracer X (X16 Qualifying Match)

Fun and games early as Case begs off, promising no chops because it's X's mother's birthday. Feeling out in a collar and elbow, to the corner and Tracer gives into his worst instinct with a chop on the break! Ethan isn't bothered by the pain, he's just disappointed, and X realizes he's not actually his dad, to which Case says with that attitude he never will be.

That sets the action off, Ethan ducking a roundhouse kick Tracer slipping out of a full nelson, ducking Eat It, Case to the floor and X rolls into him with an uppercut! Hammering strikes, Ethan Gallon Throws him over the barricade but fires back with a pump kick and a springboard chop! Back in the ring, Case ahead again with a running suplex, two count, following it up with a slam and another big suplex but to no avail.

Pressing the attack, Ethan breaks the chop pact himself with a big one! He apologizes to Tracer's mom before going back at it, back drop, lands on his feet and X hits a Frakensteiner! Shotgun dropkick, Case sets him up in the corner and tries Iconoclasm but Tracer reverses with kind of a rolling slam, slingshots in, Ethan reverses into a headlock elbow drop and gets a nearfall!

Scooping X up, going for Iconoclasm again but Tracer boxes his ears! Steadying himself, Case bumps into the ropes and crotches him! Back to Iconoclasm but X has no intent of letting it through, countering with a Frankensteiner! Tracer with uppercuts, Ethan catches one kick but takes the followup, X gives it to him with Fairytale Ending but Case rolls to the floor.

Back in the ring, chest kicks, Ethan catches one and reverses to a Boston crab but Tracer's able to get the ropes. Springboard, Case goes low, X with a backslide, not enough! Ethan hits the Ace Crusher out of the corner, follows it up with the Crash Landing, but Tracer hits the floor to get some breathing room! Case gets him back inside and grabs a cover... NOPE!

X to the apron, connects with the gamengiri, up top, he sees the Ace Crusher coming...

Tracer X wins by pinfall with a 450 splash, qualifying for the X16 Tournament.

Really good match, from the good-natured fun at the beginning through to Case's increasing desperation, knowing that this is his last chance to qualify.

Effy cuts a promo about how he was the victim of an assault two months ago. In the middle of Alabama he risked his life and career and got nothing out of it. But he's moved on, and what really perturbs him is that after he and White Mike talked about #WhippedCreamGate, where was he left? He was left with a boy who would not return his texts or communicate with him.

So, step in a ring one on one with him and he'll let it go, or otherwise he'll expose the truth about Mike. White comes down and says he came out not intending to fight but Ethan Case lit a fire under him. Effy's calling him out like he's a victim, but at the end of the day it's all about that milk and honey. Who stood up for him when he was getting called out on all the websites? Not Effy!

Anyway, he's not gonna wrestle, fight, or grease Effy up with Vaseline, he's just gonna leave him in Alabama where he belongs. This brings "Manscout" Jake Manning out to point out that this is North Carolina, his back yard. Mike tells Jake the details of the whipped cream incident and Manning says he's defiled the man and has two options. He can ball up those fists, walk in that ring, look him in the face and fight him toe-to-toe or he can tuck his tail between his legs and let it fester the rest of his life.

White Mike goes to leave but Jake throws him in the ring and rings the bell!

Effy vs. White Mike

Effy in hot with forearms in the corner, a boot, a charging forearm and a wicked knee lift with the pad down! Taking a moment to strut and Mike makes him pay for it with a superkick into mounted punches! Trading chops, Effy pulls ahead in the exchange and snaps him down with a DDT before following it up with mounted punches of his own! Back suplex follows, off the ropes with a knee drop, clubbing blows to the back of the head and a full nelson camel clutch follows it up.

Transitioning to a deathlock with both wrists clutched, into the curb stomp but Mike is able to recover and start slinging forearms. A dropkick follows, bellowing at him to let it go, clocking him with a right hand and choking him over the bottom rope! Chops in the corner, a whip reversed, Effy catches him in a fireman's carry and stumbles but recovers and hits the standing fireman's carry slam for a nearfall!

Dumping Mike outside and following after, he gets a few licks in but White catches him with a drop toehold into the barricade! Stepping on Effy's chest for a second, he asks the front row to clear... ARABIAN PRESS MOONSAULT OFF THE BARRICADE! Back in the ring for a cover... NO GOOD! Effy catches him with a few knees, heads up top, but Mike catches him with the counter Codebreaker!

Both men down and out but they beat the standing ten count, Mike hits a Manhattan Drop and a jumping neckbreaker before heading up top, a tactic that's never worked very well for him in PWX but he did just do a moonsault on the floor... THE DIVING ELBOW DROP CONNECTS! Spinning Falcon Arrow but Effy heads for the floor and White decides he'll settle for the countout.

Manning on the apron to interrupt the count, he wants Mike to finish the job right! Effy clocks him in the face with a can of whipped cream! Laid out on the apron, he goes to fill Mike's mouth and Jake pulls him away...

Effy wins by disqualification.

That was surprisingly intense for being a followup to a weirdly sexual comedy match in Alabama where one of the participants was a blowup doll! White Mike continues to be a gift (that Arabian Press moonsault on the floor!) and Effy is, well, Effy is Effy. Words do not quite do that man justice.

After the bell, Manscout keeps beating Effy down, getting a chair and running the referee off. He directs Mike to attack with the chair but Effy ducks and White beans himself in the face when the chair bounces off the ropes!

Anthony Henry gets on the mic to kick off the Lethal Lovers Open Challenge. In case you've been living under a rock, he'll tell you why they're doing an open challenge, and it's quite simple. You're looking at the most dominant force, the best professional wrestler to ever set foot in a PWX ring. He's beaten everybody there is to beat, you can name 'em all.

Sami Callihan, Tomasso Ciampa (twice), Roderick Strong, Zack Sabre, Jr., Ethan Case, John Skyler, Martin Stone, James Drake (twice!), he's beaten everybody. He doesn't know what brave soul is going to accept this challenge, but god help them...

HE'S IN BIG TROUBLE!

Anthony Henry (c) vs. Fred Yehi (PWX World Heavyweight Championship)

Henry to the outside almost immediately, not willing to give Yehi the chance to take control of the action. Back inside, into some tight mat exchanges, looking to end it early with pinning predicaments when they stalemate. Back to the mat, Anthony looks to take it physical but Fred ducks his chop and has one ducked in return! Yehi looking for the stop, it's dodged but he's able to take control with targeted strikes all the same.

Anthony sends Fred to the floor with a headscissors takeover, dive dodged, champion slingshots in... YEHI COUNTERS INTO THE KOJI CLUTCH! But Henry's feet are in the ropes! Outside, challenger throwing hard chops now, back in and the stomps connect, alternating arms to try and utterly destroy the wrists, one to the knee for good measure and the nuke lands fair and square but only gets a one count on the cover.

The champion bails again, Yehi thinking about a powerbomb on the floor but Henry gets to the apron for a double stomp and a penalty kick! Pressing the attack, putting him into the barricade, booting him in the head, Anthony takes a minute to pose with the title in the ring, encouraging referee Kevin Pierce to count, but Fred beats the count easily. Going forearm for forearm in the middle of the ring, Henry pulls ahead, boot and a double stomp, and the champion decides to grind him down with a bodyscissors for the time being.

Letting go with a few parting gifts in the form of knees and kicks, chops once Yehi is to his feet, jawing and shoving but Fred pushes him right back away, blocks a chop, stomps the foot, Henry throws a kick, Yehi catches it and trips him, Koji Clutch applied... Amber Young tries to save Henry and Yehi breaks to stomp her hand! Anthony fired up, he clocks Fred with an elbow to the back of the neck!

Pierce throws Young out, Yehi with a nearfall off a schoolboy! Back suplex, Henry lands on his feet but Fred catches him right into a German suplex! Charging in, champion gets the boot up , Yehi with a flapjack into a double stomp to the back into a lungblower but the sequence is only good for a nearfall! Fisherman buster denied, elbow connects, up and over, Fred lands another lungblower and gets the fisherman buster off... NOPE!

Thinking about that powerbomb, Henry escapes, victory roll into a double stomp and kind of an inverted monkey flip! Basement kicks, Fred up and at 'em, kick to the leg, jockeying for position, double stomp to the back! Back to the powerbomb clutch, Anthony fighting like mad to block and eventually countering with a Frankensteiner! Champion snaps off a piledriver... NOT ENOUGH!

Henry up top, Yehi cuts him off, they struggle over a superplex but Fred opts to hang back for the Liu Kang bicycle kicks! Anthony recovers and gets him hung up... swinging reverse STO out of the corner! Only two, double stomp off the top... still just a nearfall! Kudo Driver attempt, Yehi slips out, reverse STO of his own, the Koji Clutch is locked on! Henry crawling for the ropes, Fred rolls him back into the middle of the ring...

Fred Yehi wins by submission with the Koji Clutch, winning the PWX World Heavyweight Championship!

...except Henry maneuvered his foot under the ropes before tapping and Amber Young comes down with another referee to look at the replay with a cameraman! Shown the evidence, Kevin Pierce tells Brett Wolverton and the reversed decision is announced!

Yehi ducks a belt shot, O'Connor roll, Henry reverses...

Anthony Henry wins by pinfall with an O'Connor roll and a handful of tights, retaining the PWX World Heavyweight Championship.

Great match. Yehi and Henry deliver every time out, and this was no different from either of their Style Battle matches this year. Two equals, countering and recountering, and then the finish! Not the most satisfying thing from a pure match quality standpoint, but from the story being told here in PWX of Henry increasingly buying his own nonsense and being more and more willing to cut corner after corner, the "get your foot on the ropes and tap knowing it will be overturned" move is a fanastic piece of work.

James Drake is on the mic, talking about how there's been a cancer brewing in PWX for close to the last year. Every time he's been in the ring and left everything in there, the cancer reared its ugly head. That cancer is the Syndicate, lead by the coward Eli Evans, the serpent Tommy Thomas (who lost tonight), and he's sick and tired of them being here and sticking their nose where it doesn't belong.

Drake doesn't hide behind a camera, so he calls Evans out and says he accepts his challenge and he'll run the gauntlet if it means getting a chance to beat the piss out of him!

This brings the Syndicate out. Evans angrily corrects him on his full, proper name of Elijah Evans IV and Drake responds by grabbing a sign that reads "Syndi-[poop emoji]" from a fan and holding it high. Evans says nobody cares and they already decided this is a gauntlet match, and his first representative is Timmy Lou Retton! But before he takes that whipping, Evans points out he's in his street clothes and he doesn't think James will even get all the way to him.

James Drake vs. the Syndicate (Elijah Evans IV, Montana Black, Timmy Lou Retton, & TJ Boss) (Gauntlet Match)

Drake with a thrust spinebuster, underhooks applied...

James Drake wins by pinfall with Drill Bit!

TJ Boss is the next guy in, James sidesteps a charge, flurry of punches into forearms and chops but Boss fends him off and they trade chops in the center of the ring. Drake switches to lariats, alternating shots to the front with northern lariats, he gets TJ to one knee, off the ropes... POUNCE! Choking the New Age Enforcer now, short-arm lariat, clawing his face over the middle rope, just trying to punish him.

Drake fighting back, the Syndicate man clubbing away, a straight right connects, James staggered but he fights back and ends up running right into a tilt-a-whirl slam! Cover nearly does it, Boss angrily declaring that he's the big man around here, Drake again fights back but a rake of the eyes keeps him on the back foot as TJ remains throwing hands. New Age Enforcer ducks a chop, gets some licks in, whip reversed... SICK KICK!

TJ BOSS KICKS OUT AT ONE! Charging uppercut into a snapmare, Drake off the ropes with a sliding lariat, only a nearfall! Fired up, thinking about Drill Bit but Boss blocks, reversing into a short-arm belly-to-belly suplex for a nearfall! Looking for a way to end it, TJ climbs up top but James cuts him off with a press slam, cannonball follows, big Saito suplex but Timmy Lou breaks the count!

Big right, Retton yanks him outside and gives a beating...

James Drake wins by disqualification.

Montana Black on deck now, they roll Drake inside, lateral press... JAMES DRAKE DOESN'T GO DOWN THAT EASY! Big overhand chops in the corner bring the New Age Enforcer back to his senses, forearms and chops, Black cuts him off with a knee and hits a pair of body avalanches. Birds up, Drake dodges another charge, Sick Kick, up top, he hits the moonsault... and Timmy Lou rolls in the rings to put boots to him.

James Drake wins by disqualification.

Retton and Boss carry the beatdown on as Evans climbs the turnbuckles and punctuates the entire exchange with a diving elbow drop! A second diving elbow drop, looking for a third... UGLY DUCKLINGS MAKE THE SAVE WITH A LADDER!

They run the Syndicate off, finishing off with a couple dives because ducks fly together... AND A DRAKE IS A FULL-GROWN DUCK THAT CAN DO A TOPE CON GIRO! Lance Lude gets on the mic and says there's only one stipulation that can end their feud with the Syndicate, and tosses to Rob Killjoy, who says their rematch will be a DLC Match-- Ducks, Ladders, & Chairs! Oh my!

Wasn't quite sure where to put my review blurb on this one since the last segment of the gauntlet never really happened! Anwyay, this was a boatload of fun-- Boss and Black got a nice chance to shine with one of the best big men the American indies has to offer (and his prematch promo stands as a nice reminder that not only is Drake a hell of a wrestler in the ring, he can cut a damn good promo, too), Ducks got to make their stipulation known in dramatic fashion, good stuff all around.

Kamilla Kaine vs. Lacey Lane

Feeling out, Lane just a bit faster, rolling past her but Kaine is able to catch her foot and snap off a kick to the face! Lacey stomps the insteap to get some separation, tries for an arm drag but doesn't get all of it, triple jump Frankensteiner she DOES get all of and Kamilla spills to the floor! Tripping Lane up on the apron, trading strikes before heading back inside.

Kaine with a back elbow, tries a lariat, some close reversals until Kamilla levels her with a lariat for a nearfall! Jockeying for position in the corner, Lacey gets a kick off, slides away and charges in but Kaine catches the foot and again trips her up. Lane sidesteps a charge, running knee, facewash, but Kamilla is barely able to kick out.

Lacey with a bodyscissors, trying to grind her down, adding a sleeper hold but Kaine gets out of it. Lane trying a springboard, Kamilla has her goozled, escaped, Lacey ducks some punches, throwing kicks, and she takes a spinebuster for her trouble! Clotheslines, big crossbody, Lane kicks right out but Kaine lies in wait, whipping her across, she takes a kick but keeps it together and hits a powerslam for a nearfall.

Charging in, Lacey bails but Kamilla tries to stop her short on the apron and gets kicked for it. Thinking about a Frankensteiner, she gets caught, falling powerslam... NOPE! Lane throwing kicks, a superkick really hits home... NOT ENOUGH! Trading forearms, Lacey handsprings into nobody, Kamilla takes advantage...

Kamilla Kaine wins by pinfall with the Kaine Train.

Bit sloppy around the edges but a really solid match for two women that, according to commentary, have less than two years of experience between them. Built up a good head of steam in the finishing stretch, too.

Corey Hollis vs. John Skyler (Unsanctioned Match)

In hot at the bell, trading wild punches and Skyler pulls ahead! Hollis sends him to the apron but he just hits the slingshot spear and removes his belt. Whipping Corey, forcing him to the floor and following after him. They brawl on the floor, John with a back body drop over the barricade before hitting a diving lariat off the barricade! Hollis cracking a cookie sheet over his head, slamming his face into a merch table!

They fight into the lobby and then into the bathrooms, Skyler throwing Corey through a bathroom door before giving him a swirly in a urinal! A cover made for one, they leave the bathroom and back into the arena proper, where an atomic drop puts Hollis onto the barricade. Corey whipping the Southern Savior with his own belt, he gets him on the apron, underhooks applied but John fights out, big boot... APRON SPEAR!

Back in the ring we got some plunder, Skyler wallops Hollis with a trash can! Slingshotting to the floor and Corey cuts him off with the lid of the can! Following it up by putting him into the barricade and catapulting him into the ringpost, which busts John wide open, blood pouring down his forehead! Back insdie again, Hollis wastes no time clawing at the open wound!

Southern Savior fighting back, right hands, a shoulder thrust in the ropes, fireman's carry but Corey slips out and decks him before snapping off a running neckbreaker... NOPE! Headed outside, Hollis retrieves a ladder... SKYLER BASEBALL SLIDES IT RIGHT BACK OUT OF THE RING TO WIPE HIM OUT! Bringing the ladder around and leaning it against the post, Corey cuts him off and puts him into apron and barricade alike before he can use it.

Back inside, headed up top and he grabs the ladder and superplexes it onto John! Mounted punches, choking him with the ladder as the blood continues to flow from his forehead! Leaning the ladder in the corner, Hollis goes back to the trash can and deforms it over Skyler! A shot with the lid follows, leaving the Southern Savior stumbling around the ring.

Up top, diving headbutt... SKYLER GETS THE CAN LID UP! Skyler gets a pair of kendo sticks and throws one to Corey, he's aiming to have a proper fight here. Whipping each other with the sticks without remorse or refrain, Hollis loses his and John takes full advantage, White Russian legsweep into a running senton, duck the trash can lid shot, superkick connects... NOPE!

Putting the intact trash can over Corey's head and trapping his arms, Skyler hauls off with fist and kendo stick alike! Up top but Hollis wakes up first and cuts him off trash can in hand, climbing after and struggling, fireman's carry... AVALANCHE FINLAY ROLL INTO THE TRASH CAN! COREY HOLLIS WILL NOT GO DOWN! John calling his shot on the ladder, whip reversed and Sklyer takes the opposite corner hard.

Charging in, Hollis with a fireman's carry... INVERTED DEATH VALLEY DRIVER INTO THE LADDER! YOU CAN'T PUT JOHN SKYLER AWAY! To the apron, the former tag partners slugging it out with punches, holding onto the ropes to stay upright, boot to the face to set up the spear but Corey clobbers him with a knee and dropkicks him to the floor after! Hollis gets a length of chain and wraps it around his fist before cracking it across Skyler's forehead repeatedly.

Choking him with the chain, demanding that he die, they struggle to the announce table and Skyler grabs the timekeeper's bell and uses it to lay Hollis out! The Southern Savior climbs... DIVING SPLASH THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE! Officials check on both men, helping Hollis to his feet first... BUT SKYLER ISN'T DONE WITH HIM YET! Punches on punches, he throws Corey back in the ring and brings a chair over, smashing his face into it repeatedly!

Telling him this is what he wanted, John picks up the other chair... but Gunner Miller appears from behind and takes it from him! Brady Pierce is with him and they lay Skyler out and help Hollis up, underhooks, Pedigree... JOHN SKYLER WILL NOT FAIL! Corey's goons put boots to him and Hollis waves them outside to take the mat off the ring! Frankie Gastineau gets up from his position at commentary to try and stop them but to no avail!

Hollis picks a man who once considered him a brother up, underhooks... back body drop counter! Skyler fighting one-on-two but Corey kicks him right in the gentleman's area! ROPE-HUNG DDT INTO THE BOARDS! The goons hold him down...

Corey Hollis wins by pinfall with a rope-hung DDT into the boards and the weight of Miller and Pierce guaranteeing that Skyler would not get up.

What a match! Brutal, intense, all over the arena, plunder, deconstruction of the ring, this was every bit as great as I hoped it would be based on the excellence of the feud leading into it. AND! The brand-new Country Jacked are super exciting. I'll admit I'm not familiar with Brady, but Gunner Miller is great and I'm very much looking forward to seeing what he can bring to PWX as a regular going forward.

Corey gets on the mic and says if you're wondering what this is, this is Corey Hollis' improved Country Jacked.

Overall

A really good show from PWX. Not exactly slam-bang incredible wrestling start to finish, but the main event and the world title match were both excellent, the Duxedo Match was a... let's go with "work of art", and nothing else sucked by any means.

But story-wise, this show shines, setting the stage for a blockbuster X16 in January. Hollis and Skyler head into phase two with the introduction of the new Country Jacked, Drake/Ducks vs. Syndicate is getting ready to reach a fever pitch with the DLC rematch, Henry falls further down the hole of the title corrupting him, and Manning's attempts to shape White Mike up have to pay off somehow in the tourney, you'd think.

Check it out on Highspots Wrestling Network, folks.