PWA Mounties Mania (28/12/2024)

Just when you think you’re out, they pull you back in. I thought I was done with wrestling for the year. It was the holiday season, I filled in a week or so writing the 12 Days of Christmas series here on PWDownunder, and life was good.

But PWA announced a show at the Mounties club in Mt Pritchard, and their advertising for it didn’t lie- even though the shows at Mounties are family-friendly, the card was stacked to the point where it’s almost like their signature Black Label shows. High caliber matches, including the long-standing Big Fudge vs. Ricky South rivalry coming to a head in a Steel Cage match for the Mounties Cup, and Jessica Troy getting her hands on Charli Evans in a match for the first time since her shocking Colosseum betrayal and alignment with North Shore Wrestling.

The one that tipped me over the edge? The Soul of PWA Championship match. Robbie Eagles defends in a triple threat match against Paris De Silva and Jack J Bonza. Son of a bi- wait, this is family friendly. Son of a biscuit! I’m in!

Here’s a little rundown of the results and the live experience I had at Mounties last night.

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The opening video, featuring soundbites from popular stars like The Tuckman and PWA Champion Jessica Troy, basically encourages the audience to have fun, but don’t be a dick.

Nick Wray is our ring announcer, and I hope to be as handsome and dapper as he is when I grow up (I’m older than him). We also have an announce team, as Kris Gale and Kingsley are on the headsets! I’ve been told that this show will be uploaded to YouTube in the future. I’m glad a show of this magnitude is being broadcast in some fashion.

Match 1: Shay Kassidy vs. Shazza McKenzie

A big spotlight for Shay Kassidy, and a big welcome back for Shazza McKenzie, who looks phenomenal in her return to PWA. Shay has done a fantastic job in her role in the Backslide Girlz- she didn’t look totally comfortable at first to me and Kingsley was leading the way with her charisma, but Shay’s confidence has gone in leaps and bounds and she looks ready in this solo spotlight.

Shazza wastes little time in establishing herself as the heel, complaining about hair pulling on the lock-up and then pulling the hair herself on the second try. Through a mix of underhanded tactics and veteran experience, Shazza maintains control before Shay rallies. Part of the comeback sees Shay “dance” with Shazza using wrist control before booting her in the head. Lovely.

At one point, Shazza messes with Barnaby the bear, and look, some things you just don’t do. Shay fires off a snap German suplex. The backslide follows, and there’s no kicking out of that. Shay Kassidy gets the biggest singles win of her career!

Winner: Shay Kassidy

Thoughts: Extremely fun match. The time in the US has definitely served Shazza well, she looks in great shape and was on point here. And Shay had the crowd behind her, she was shining like a star, and in the middle of writing this, I checked Instagram to see that Shay has won the PWA Award for “Most Improved” in 2024. Well deserved!

After this match, Nick Wray reminds the crowd to keep their chants and reactions “PG”. I didn’t notice any off crowd behaviour during the opener- apparently it was just a general reminder.

North Shore Wrestling make their entrance to a chorus of boos. I thought they were out for the 6 person tag match, but it seems they’re just here to gloat. When Will Kiedis introduces the group as “NORTH- SHORE-” the crowd fills in the last word with “WANKER!” Is “wanker” PG? We’re rolling with it anyway.

Chevs tells us what the best thing about Mounties is… the road outta there! Oh ho ho. Before they can talk too much more trash, Jessica Troy and The Dropouts (Scott Green & The Tuckman) storm the ring, and the bad guys scatter. The tag match is set for later on.

Lil Tony Stellino and Ty Thayer of Third Eye make their entrances for their match. Thayer, of course, thinks conspiracys are afoot… as his sign says, “Lil” Tony isn’t even little! He even thinks that Stellino isn’t Italian! Them’s fighting words! Thayer challenges Stellino to no disqualification, falls count anywhere… a Sicilian Street Fight!

Match 2: Sicilian Street Fight- Ty Thayer vs. “Lil” Tony Stellino

Almost immediately, Stellino hits an off the shoulder powerbomb into a face first pancake- and Thayer’s out for the 3 count. That’s it!

Winner: “Lil” Tony Stellino

Thoughts: Damn, I was looking forward to a plunder-filled brawl where they tear Mounties apart. But this makes the towering Stellino look like a beast, and Thayer- while talented- is easy cannon fodder in this role, particularly with no back-up from his Third Eye comrades.

Match 3: Soul of PWA Championship- Paris De Silva vs. Jack J Bonza vs. Robbie Eagles (c)

Interestingly, Robbie Eagles goes babyface here after heeling it up on recent Black Label and Beer Shed shows, slapping hands and playing to the crowd. Bonza is irate- he believes Paris and Robbie will team up on him, and also takes issue with their size, saying “I’m sick of seeing this belt contested by people as small as those children!” The crowd playfully chants for a boy in the front row to join the match, and he looks terrified.

We end up getting a three way test of strength, which Bonza wins until Paris and Robbie unload with kicks. From there, when Bonza’s involved, we get hard hitting big man business, while Eagles and De Silva dazzle with flips, high flying and fast-paced technical wrestling. We get a few intricate three way sequences with the third man breaking up or adding to offensive flurries.

At one point, Paris drops Bonza with a satellite DDT and goes up top, but Bonza rolls to ringside. Paris adjusts and nails a top rope cross body to the floor, followed by Robbie joining proceedings with a tope through the ropes! Back in the ring, Robbie nails Bonza with the 450 Splash, followed by the Ron Miller Special… and still!

Winner: Robbie Eagles

Thoughts: This was truly a fantastic match that wouldn’t look out of place on a Black Label show. It was the reason I bought a ticket after being on the fence, and on the day of the show, I had a bad pain/fatigue flare up, but pushed through to make the drive to Mounties for this. Worth it!

We get an intermission. I head next door to get a doner kebab combo. Absolutely excellent food!

Match 4: North Shore Wrestling (Charli Evans, Sam Osborne & Will Kiedis) vs. Jessica Troy & The Dropouts (Scott Green & The Tuckman)

We get some great team synergy between the Dropouts and Jessica Troy, with frequent tags and triple team moves. Clear chemistry there. After their debut as an official trio at Kick-Ons though, NSW are a well-oiled machine, and Osborne and Kiedis are especially good after a long time together as a duo, cutting the ring off and preventing hot tags.

The fight spills to ringside and Jessica Troy gets launched into a ringside table. It was on the opposite side of the ring to me, but Jess landed badly apparently and the X was thrown up. After a significant time checking on her at ringside with officials, Jess was carried out. Seems to be an ankle injury, nothing but love and well wishes for the champ.

From there, the match goes on at a 2-on-3 disadvantage for the Dropouts, and they fire up accordingly. Tuckman hits a suicide dive, Green hits the rolling stunner into the ring, and the double team ends things with the pendulum cutter. Tune in and drop out.

Winners: The Dropouts and Jessica Troy

Thoughts: Good action, but the injury to Jessica Troy was absolutely a dark cloud on this match. Everyone involved were absolute pros in engaging the crowd and making sure that the show went on, but Jess is one of my favourites and it took me a while to fully switch back into fun mode here.

Match 5: Hair vs. Hair- Digby vs. Skater Boy Pidgey

Pidgey stormed the ring and went to work immediately on Digby of the band Big Red Fire Truck. What started as a cameo spot in a Rumble has evolved to the point where Digby can be considered an actual pro wrestler now. Great stuff.

Pidgey flew around the place and kept the pace high, but Digby was able to make the fight rough and it spilled to ringside. Digby revels in being the bad guy, getting in the face of some young fans while beating down Pidgey. Pidgey gets back to the ring and is met with a Rocker Dropper- but Pidgey gets his feet on the ropes! Pidgey comes back with a top rope cross body for a great near fall, when all of a sudden- Bonza’s music hits! The distraction allows Digby to use Pidgey’s skateboard as a weapon, followed by another Rocker Dropper for the 3 count!

Winner: Digby

Thoughts: Good action. I was still in a bit of a funk from the previous match, but the guys worked well and a potential Bonza/Digby alliance is interesting, even if it’s only Mounties canon.

Post-match, Bonza and Digby roughly shave a few chunks out of Pidgey’s head while the ring crew set up the cage for the main event.

Main Event: Mounties Cup- Steel Cage- Ricky South vs. Big Fudge

Pre-match, Ricky does a promo and guarantees that he’s going to win, and also says that he doesn’t stink, so, of course, “Stinky Ricky” chants follow.

Aromas aside, the cage match quickly gets serious given the history between this two. An early Butt Punch is thwarted, then there’s lots of using the cage on both sides. Throwing them face first into it, grinding faces on the steel, lawn darting heads into the cage wall… at one point, Ricky looks for his patented piledriver, only for Fudge to counter and hit a slingshot into the side of the cage.

More high impact moves follow, with Ricky hitting a lariat, followed by Emerald Flowsion (shout out Misawa) for a great near fall. We also get some big suplex bumps. It finally ends when Fudge goes high risk- and leaps off the top of the cage with a cross body! It connects- and gets the 3 count!

Winner: Big Fudge

Thoughts: Just like people talked about where they were when Snuka jumped off the cage at the Garden, so too may people talk about the sight of Fudge taking to the skies at Mounties. A great main event with two greats who knew their roles and played them perfectly.

Post-match, Fudge takes the Mounties Cup and thanks the fans in a brief speech.

Overall Thoughts

A great show, and leaves me keen for the next one! April 19, I believe, where there will be a 20-person battle royal. Both the Soul of PWA title match and the cage match would be worthy Black Label main events. Before Jess’ injury, the six person tag might have been heading to the same territory. I’ve seen her getting around today in a walking boot, fingers crossed it’s not too severe.

The atmosphere was excellent, the production was top-notch as always, and the matches impressed and wowed, especially some of the younger members of the audience! I guess I look at it the same way I look at Christmas these days- most of the joy I get from Christmas isn’t actually the presents I get. It’s seeing how happy the kids in the family are when they get gifts. That’s the real joy, and this show is much the same way. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m a big kid and absolutely love wrestling, and PWA in particular, as much as anyone else in the room!

Keen for the next Mounties show, the next Black Label, and outside of PWA, before that, we’ve got Rock N Roll Wrestling’s Rock N’ Rumble on Jan 11! More on that in the coming weeks!

Until next time, take care.