wrestling / Video Reviews
Views from the Hawke’s Nest: Scenic City Invitational 2016 – Night 2
Image Credit: WWE, EVOLVE
Loading...
August 5, 2016
Watch the Scenic City Invitational here.
Chase Jordan, Kyle Matthews & Mikael Judas vs. Cyrus The Destroyer, Ray Fury & Torque (w/Logan Chase III)
This was a dull and uninspired effort overall. The closing sequence came off quite hot at least, but the journey there failed to deliver. It was also downright bizarre to see Judas get most of the big spots and the pinfall given just how BAD he was the night before. (**)
Scenic City Invitational Tournament 2016 Semi Final Match
Gunner Miller (w/Jeff G. Bailey) vs. Joey Lynch
YES! Just six minutes of insanity and two guys trying to finish each other as quickly as possible because they are in a fucking tournament. WATCH THIS MATCH! I love the graps! Gunner Miller won via POUNCE! (***½)
You can and SHOULD watch this match right here.
Scenic City Invitational Tournament 2016 Semi Final Match
Anthony Henry vs. Billy Buck
Wow, was this ever the Anthony Henry showcase. Henry has clearly proven multiple times recently that he is a great talent. This match though felt like the coming out party for him as an elite worker. He controlled 95% of this fifteen minute match, and it never felt boring. He worked with a sense of purpose all the way through. He was a heel but not in a cartoonish way. He was simply determined and willing to bend the rules to achieve his goal. He also managed to make a limited performer like Buck seem like someone with a world of potential. They timed all of Buck’s mini comebacks exceptionally well, and they managed to make Buck seem GREAT despite essentially getting completely outclassed here. That is world class ability. If you’re not booking Anthony Henry, you’re fucking up. Henry won here after a knee trembler. (***½)
Scenic City Invitational Tournament 2016 Semi Final Match
Chip Day vs. Chris Hero
Well, this was quite good. While the broad strokes were similar to the Kyle Matthews match from night one, they changed it up by having Chip Day fight back by trying to go strike for strike with Hero. That was obviously a foolish strategy. However, Hero gave Chip enough offense to really put Chip over in defeat. Chip left this match looking like a fiery babyface who could hang with the best of them. Despite a few awkward moments, this was very good pro wrestling. Hero won with the DEATH BLOW.) (***½)
Scenic City Invitational Tournament 2016 Semi Final Match
Jimmy Rave vs. Matt Riddle
This was a solid match, but it was by far the most underwhelming match of the second round which was unexpected to say this least. The biggest problem that the match had was that it removed a lot of the elements of Matt Riddle matches that make him truly stand out. The sense of urgency was not there. The furious pacing was missing. There was some physicality but not enough. Instead, it felt like a Jimmy Rave match but without the right piece on the other side. Rave’s initial tactics in the first half of the match (stalling, stomping on the bare foot) were smart. However, the payoff in the second half was not nearly exciting nor dramatic enough to justify those earlier decisions. This was fine; it just did not live up the potential. Rave won by leveraging Riddle’s submission finisher into a pinfall. (**¾)
Drew Delight & Rush vs. The Devil’s Rejects (Iceberg & Tank) (w/Dan Wilson) vs. The Bruiserweights (Corey Hollis & John Skyler)
This was really amusing for five minutes as Tank and Iceberg just messed with everyone. It was good clean fun. Fifteen minutes later the match finally finished. It was a bleak affair. Don’t watch this one. (½*)
Scenic City Invitational Tournament 2016 Final Four Way Elimination Match
Anthony Henry vs. Chris Hero vs. Gunner Miller (w/Jeff G. Bailey) vs. Jimmy Rave
This was a fantastic finish to the tournament and a great match in its own right. You had a ton of different stuff going on in this one on a storyline/character which made it satisfying. You also had a ton of great action which made it just flat-out fun to watch in general.
Chris Hero embraced the fight in this match. He took on all comers and presented himself like the best in the world. That may have actually cost him the match in the sense that he was so active for so long that he actually may have been in a considerably weakened state.
Jimmy Rave won this this tournament final last year by stepping back from his dishonorable ways and genuinely putting forth just his best effort. In the final this year though, Rave tried to just hang back and rely his usual heel tactics to win. That backfired, and he ended up getting eliminated before anyone else.
Anthony Henry and Gunner Miller were both trying to redeem themselves after both men lost last year to Jimmy Rave and failed to reach the final. Henry was working a murderous pace all tournament long, and it probably backfired in the end. In comparison, Gunner worked a really slow match on Night 1 and won a super quick semifinal match. He was the most rested of anyone in the final. Not only did that set Gunner up to win, he also got to eliminate Jimmy Rave. He definitively won this tournament and came off very well overall. It’s hard to say what Gunner’s future will be exactly, but he seems to have the talent and drive to make it. (****)
Watch these matches for free.
Kyle Matthews vs. Davey Richards
Anthony Henry vs. Cedric Alexander
