I wanted something new to watch and what I discovered is Powerr
r is something new, that it is also something very old. While the video quality is pretty good and the show has a modern energy vibe to it, the format and set looks very retro. It's made up of the announcer desk (with commentators Jim Cornette and David Marquez), the interview podium, and the ring itself.
The first episode included 5 matches and interviews in between. This seemed like a packed show for an hour episode, but honestly it had a nice flow and nothing seemed rushed. I knew none of the talent except for Cornette (whom I'm not a fan of), but the show was entertaining.
It opened with Nick Aldis, NWA World Heavy Weight Champion, talking about what NWA and Powerrr were all about. They were wrestling for men, not boys.
The first match featured Dave and Zane Dawson, a couple of southern hosses, against the bright spandex wearing Sal Rinauro and Billy Buck. The match was over quickly and was essentially a squash match. The Dawsons flattened their opponents with some devastating looking moves. I love watching big guys smash little guys. I might be a bit biased...
The second match was Eli Drake vs Caleb Konley (who you might know as the most recent Suicide from TNA/Impact). This was a solid match with some great spots.
The third match was the Wild Cards (featuring a former member of the NXT's The Ascension) vs Danny White and Matthew Mims. This was another squash match. The commentary team did a good job building the Wild Cards up as hot new no-nonsense tag team. They proved themselves to be badasses.
Jocephus (who kind of looks like a hoss version of Zach Galifianakis), a comedic loud mouth character who kept shouting he wanted a match with (Tim) Storm. However James Storm (an unrelated character who'd be a great tag team partner with Hangman Page) came out to take care of Jocephus. The two had a comedic quick match that ended Jocephus getting knocked out, laid in the middle of the ring with his thumb in his mouth.
The final match was between Nick Aldis (with valet Kamille), and former champion, Tim Storm for the NWA World Heavy Weight Championship. The match had a last chance stipulation. If Storm lost, he could never challenge for the title again. The build-up was great and it really painted Storm as an aging hero in his wrestling and personal life. The match was enjoyable and Storm did a great job portraying the desperation of his situation. His low blow against Aldis seemed out of place, because he appeared as a face, but maybe that's just an old school thing I'm not used to. Ultimately, no matter how hard he fought, Storm was pinned. Not only was he pinned, but it was with the most dangerous move in modern wrestling.... the small package roll-up! The show ended with Aldis being interviewed and some "clickbait" story being mentioned because his valet doesn't speak.
Overall I had fun watching the first episode. The wrestling and characters were enjoyable. I like the retro feel of the show. The production is a bit amateurish at times and that actually adds to the charm. Plus they're using Dokken - Into The Fire as the theme, which is cheesy af. There are things I have issues with too. First of all, Jim Cornette is an absolute jerk. I know part of it is a character, but as candid videos show, he's also just an asshole. I also think you can build a product without attacking other promotions. Apparently, because they feel wrestling should be a bunch of guys arguing over who is better endowed, NWA has to tear down others. As Cornette said, "You got little kids. You got a lot of cosplayers, but there are real men in the NWA and they want to fight." I love those "kids and cosplayers" and I think there is room in wrestling for them to exist alongside the "real men" of NWA.
I plan on watching episode to and reviewing it soon.
Check out NWA Powerrr Episode 1 for yourself:
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