On Friday, night June 5, Bryan Kennison put out a declaration on Facebook that every chair at Logan Street Market would be filled with a butt.
On Saturday the 6th, 20 minutes before show time, Kennison was nervous. “I know we sold the seats,” he said. “I just want to see them filled before the show starts.”
He had no reason to worry. None at all.
By bell time – promptly at 2 pm – every seat was full, with nearly 40 people thrilled to have standing room only access in the back. The first Powerbomb Wrestling show, produced by Kennison and his best friend/ partner-in-crime “Dancing Stevie J” Johnson, was already a smash.
This is a moment the two dreamed about, even while working as the TV announce team at OVW. This was their first opportunity to see how well the lessons taught at Davis Arena were learned.
Oh yeah. They certainly did.
The show kicked off with a women’s contest between Dream Girl Ellie and Lady Leigh. The fans greeted both with a babyface ovation, but when they started chanting for Ellie, Leigh took her cue to play heel. Ellie worked for both OVW and Bullpen Wrestling previously in Louisville, but as solid as she was during her OVW days, she’s a much stronger wrestler now. Leigh’s a terrific wrestler as well, and the ladies delivered an absolute banger, setting the bar high for the rest of the afternoon. Ellie got the win to kick the show off on a high note.
The biggest pop of the night happened prior to the second contest right ring announcer Michael Moeller introduced Orion. The pop wasn’t for Orion, and he was definitely okay witah that.
Referee Dallas Edwards, now cleared to work after his recent injury, was clearly moved by the standing ovation from the crowd. Fans erupted into a “Dallas!” chant, and Orion, smiling, gave Dallas a tap on the shoulder in acknowledgement.
Sam Beale drew the assignment of wrestling Orion and quickly swayed the crowd in his favor. After hearing an “Orion!” chant break out, Beale countered with one the fans embraced wholeheartedly: “Beer! Beer! Beer!”
Beale is the answer to the question, “What would you get it Danny McBride and the Duff Beer Man from The Simpsons had a child?” He’s funny, charismatic, and a fantastic wrestler, more than up to the challenge of a skilled wrestler like Orion.
The fans booed when Orion knocked Beale out for a three count, leaving the beer man flat on his back. Dallas Edwards called for help and Bryan Kennison came to the rescue, delivering a beer (courtesy of sponsor Atrium Brewing) to the ring. Dallas poured the liquid down Beale’s throat, and he rose to his feet.
Beale’s a star. What a debut.
The first half of the show ended with an indie dream match – and a personal mile-marker for Ethan Heyre as he faced Mance Warner. Warner’s no stranger to the area, cutting his teeth at IWA Mid-South and other promotions in Southern Indiana before becoming a TV star. After a babyface promo, he hit Heyre with a cheap shot, diving into an instant classic.
Mancer was Mancer: the Southern redneck brawler and bully. Heyre was Heyre: the classic underdog, selling like Ricky Morton but never, ever giving up. Heyre had several chances to win, and it took some dirty play by Mancer to seal the victory.
After stepping out of the ring and behind the curtain, Warner returned, babyfacing once again and raising Heyre’s hand. No cheap shots this time. No dirty heel tricks. The veteran put over the kid, and everyone was happy.
My friend Jeremy Spalding, sitting nearby, leaned over as the contest began and noted, “How many wrestlers have a Venn diagram showing they wrestled Tommy Rich, Bob Orton, Jr., and Ethan Heyre?”
The lone tag contest of the afternoon kicked off the second part of the show as Bigg Pound and Dick Myers faced off with the Exo Bros, Connor Knox and Johnny Mahalo. The Bros were in no mood to let the fans decide who was playing heel. Johnny Mahalo ran down a number of fans directly, calling people fat, bald, stupid, and other childish playground insults.
Make no mistake, the Bros can wrestle. So can Myers and Pound, who used his great girth with great responsibility. Myers and Pound looked like the odd couple, but their teamwork was enough to send the Bros to the back with their heads hung low.
The second women’s contest featured Cameron Avery of Indianapolis against the hometown girl Billie Starkz, who entered with her classic Grindhouse Pro Wrestling theme “Aliens Exist.” Despite being in the business close to a decade and calling Louisville home, you can count on one hand the number of times Billie’s actually wrestled in Louisville. She was actually a last minute replacement for former OVW sweetheart Sophia Rose. Starkz and Avery delivered a banger, with multiple false finishes and high-flying.
And of course, Billie Starkz was your winner.
For the main event, Powerbomb delivered a second indie dream contest: Lord Crewe vs. EC3. Crewe is part of the pressure cooker in Southern Ohio that produced the lines of Aaron Williams and Jack Vaughn. He’s big and strong, with more than enough size and personality to pose a legitimate threat to EC3.
After trading blows with the big man, EC3 sought the easy way out, using a low blow to get himself disqualified and end the contest. But Crewe would not let the show end that way. He demanded EC3 come back for a no-DQ street fight.
EC3 obliged him, delivering more low blows and then chair shots to Crewe. The big men went to war, and it wasn’t until the Exo Bros intervened that EC3 was finally able to vanquish Crewe.
But the drama didn’t end there. EC3 asked Crewe to join him and the Bros, to be friends. After sweetening the offer with money. EC3 declared his new faction would invade and take over Powerbomb.
Bryan Kennison and Stevie J raced out to the arena, begging EC3 not to go there. “This is only our first show!” said Stevie J. “Maybe the third show. We can put it on the posters, you know?”
When EC3 refused to play ball, the Powerbomb locker room raced to the ring.
EC3, Crewe, and Johnny Mahalo managed to escape, leaving “poor” Connor Knox to take shots from Mance Warner, Ethan Heyre, Dick Myers, Bigg Pound, and Billie Starkz.
It’s hard to be objective when friends are involved. I’ve known Bryan, Stevie J, Ethan, and Billie a long time. I went into this show with more anticipation than any event I’ve attended since ALL IN. Powerbomb delivered in every conceivable way. The venue was perfect – though they’re going to need a bigger one soon. The match ups were stellar. The storytelling was on point, and the show felt less like a presentation than the community Powerbomb seeks to build.
This was a fantastic debut.
Will it last? Can they really make a run in a town long dominated by their former employer?
If anyone’s got the chops, and the will, it might be Bryan and Stevie J.