A Night with 3 Count Pro Wrestling

What makes a great night of Indy Wrestling?  Last Saturday night I got to take in my third show put on by 3 Count Pro Wrestling and it had all the elements.  Any promotion’s number 1 goal is to put on a good enough show that you will pay to come back.

I had purchased a front row ticket that included a picture with “The Russian Nightmare” Nikita Koloff.  Any listener of The Double Dropkick Show knows that he has always been one of my favorites and I greatly admire his work and ministry today.  I had contacted him for an interview with our show and when he returned my call I was at the hospital.  My daughter was in a jet ski accident August 31 and we were there for her surgery to repair a broken left femur.  I cried and got goosebumps as Nikita prayed with me over the phone and I tried my best to thank him for that on Saturday night.  So, one thing a great Indy show needs is a name with a meet and greet.  Other performers who regularly appear for 3 Count and take pictures and sign autographs are Lodi, Scotty Matthews, BJ Hancock and Brett Wolverton.  What kid(and adult) doesn’t want to have their picture made with some of their favorite wrestlers?  The recent Ring of Honor show I attended in Atlanta included pictures and Autographs with AJ Styles which was awesome as well.

The second thing a great Indy show needs is hard work.  Listen, I am perfectly fine if there are no 5 star classics on the card.  I understand that these guys are learning their craft and sometimes mistakes are made.  If the roster busts their tails and gives me 100% then I will cheer and boo them on cue.  There was a good mix of high risk moves and mat wrestling.  Awesome to see young guys like Tracer X and Dirty flip and bump all over the place while Jay Batista showed the power moves.  Lots of style diversity which makes it all the more compelling.  BJ Hancock and Brett Wolverton are a great heel/manager combination.  The 3 count roster gave their best effort.  Can’t ask for much more than that.

A third thing that would definitely bring me back is a compelling angle.  One match featured Josh Oglesby and Jay Batista vs. Scotty Stallion.  Scotty Stallion had injured Josh Oglesby 15 months prior and as revenge he was placed in this handicap match.  Oglesby and Batista spent the match beating up Stallion until Josh decided to take matters into his own hands.  He exited the ring and grabbed two chairs.  Batista seemed bewildered as Oglesby put Stallions head in a chair on the mat and headed to the second rope to do the same thing to Stallion that had been done to him 15 months ago.  The ref pleaded for them to stop and Batista held Stallion down.  Oglesby comes down…and hit Batista with the Chair!  I popped for this unexpected heel turn!  Stallion and Oglesby then joined forces to beat down Batista until Ace Armstrong and Nikita Koloff made the save.  The main event included 3 ref bumps and interference from Stallion and Oglesby.  This angle hooked me enough and I will be attending their next show in June.

A fourth thing I appreciate about a good Indy show is community involvement.  Every 3 count show I have been to has benefitted a different group whether it was the Special Olympics or Christmas gifts for kids.

The final thing that makes a great Indy show is when you can enjoy it with old friends and new friends.  Wrestling is not meant to be enjoyed alone.  You’ve got to be with some friends that you can boo, cheer, and start chants with.  Thanks to Mike Worsham and his kids for letting me join their crew for this show.

So support good local Indy Wrestling in your community.  Thanks to Jim, Tim, and Dennis for making me feel welcome at this great show.

Here’s the complete card:

Ace Armstrong won a battle royal to win a spot in the #1 contender’s match in the main event.

Brice Anthony defeated Tracer X and Dirty in a 3 way match.

Scotty Mathews defeated Cruzer Lewis.

Josh Oglesby and Jay Batista fought Scotty Stallion to a no contest.

BJ Hancock with Brett Wolverton defeated Lodi.

Ken Magnum defeated Ace Armstrong to become the #1 contender to the 3 Count Championship.  This match included 3 refs, multiple ref bumps, and interference from Josh Oglesby and Scotty Stallion.  A hot finish to a great night of wrestling.