NWA Powerrr Review - December 17, 2019

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Colt Cabana Interrupted NWA National Champion Aron Stevens and The Question Mark; NWA Women's Champion Alysin Kay and ODB Saved Ashley Vox from Melina and Thunder Rosa

I had my doubts regarding Stevens winning the National Championship at Into the Fire, but his reign is already off to a stellar start after the highly entertaining promo he cut here. He came out wearing a gi and claimed he is a third-degree black belt after training in karate for only three weeks. This was some of his best character work to date and it might mean something when he eventually loses the belt depending on how long he holds it for. Cabana basically said his title win was a fluke based off how it happened, meaning a rematch is inevitable. Afterward, Melina and Rosa attempted to put Vox on the shelf but were thwarted by Kay and ODB. Tension was then teased between Melina, Rosa and Marti Belle in a backstage segment with Melina calling out Belle for not helping them out. I'd be surprised if Belle was being booted from their stable already.

Zicky Dice def. Sal Rinuaro and C.W. Anderson to Qualify for the NWA Television Championship Tournament; The Wild Cards Interrupted The Dawsons

The commentary team announced that a tournament will take place over the next month, and at the NWA's next pay-per-view on January 24th, the finals will be held to determine the new NWA Television Champion. Every match in the tourney must be six minutes and five seconds long, and if it no one wins in that time, everyone involved will be eliminated. It's a unique stipulation that seems fitting for the show considering the matches are usually short, anyway. This matchup was fine while it lasted. Dice had the most charisma of the three and was therefore the best choice to quality. The brawl between The Wild Cards and The Dawsons that followed set them up to do battle later on in the show.

NWA world Tag Team Champions The Rock 'N' Roll Express def. Zach Mosley and Sean Sims (Non-Title)

There are going to be those who can't take The Rock 'N' Roll Express seriously as tag team champions in 2019, and honestly, it's hard to blame them. Personally, I find them to be fun and thought this was a solid showcase for them. Mosley and Sims were local losers anyway, so it didn't matter much that they lost so easily to them. They also addressed Nick Aldis during their post-match promo, which I could see playing into what happened at the end of the show.

The Wild Cards def. The Dawsons

The Dawsons claimed that there was a conspiracy afoot in the NWA that fans weren't aware of, but The Wild Cards kept cutting them off before they could reveal what it was. Their match was very physical and saw The Wild Cards systematically pick apart The Dawsons before winning. The Wild Cards demanded in a post-match promo that everyone stay out of their business, planting the seeds for what went down later on.

The NWA Television Championship Tournament Field Was Revealed; NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis Addressed Marty Scurll

The tournament will consist of 12 men, including Aldis. Speaking of whom, he had nothing to say about Scurll's appearance at Into the Fire, only saying that they're lifelong friends and downplayed the idea of them facing off for his championship. I'm looking forward to seeing that story develop. He also revealed that Kamille is no longer his "insurance policy" after what transpired during the main event at Into the Fire.

Stu Bennett Hosted a Sit-Down Interview with Marty Scurll

Scurll's reasoning for being in the NWA is that he wanted to keep the fans guessing. According to Scurll, they seem to be so certain about where he's headed next. He's just focused on letting his passion for pro wrestling shine through and becoming a world champion for the first time, something he has yet to accomplish in his career. This was an excellent interview with Scurll and Bennett that left me wanting more.

Eli Drake def. Ken Anderson in a No Disqualification Match; NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis, The Wild Cards and Kamille Attacked Tim Storm

Drake cut a promo before the bout with a hoarse voice as a result of the attack he endured at the hands of Ken Anderson at Into the Fire. I thoroughly enjoyed their encounter at Into the Fire and thought this was just as solid. I liked how they took their fight all around the arena, and despite Anderson showing more intensity and aggression than he did the last time they clashed, Drake still managed to emerge victorious for the second straight time. The crowd was wildly behind him here and made him feel like the biggest babyface in the promotion. Afterward, Aldis led The Wild Cards and Kamille (who he's been in cahoots with this entire time) in a brutal beatdown on Storm to cement the heel turn that was teased at Into the Fire. It was a well-done angle that paid off several storylines that have been building since the start of Powerrr.

Ovverall Show

The NWA Television Championship Tournament will officially kick off next week as Colt Cabana faces The Question Mark and Ricky Starks takes on Eddie Kingston in first-round action. As the first edition of Powerrr post-Into the Fire, this was a super strong show. Scurll's interview was newsworthy (albeit brief) and the angle that closed the show was a hell of a cliffhanger for next week. We also now know who will be partaking in the TV title tourney. This set the tone for Powerrr's second season nicely and got me excited for what we might be seeing in the buildup to the next pay-per-view on January 24th.