[2000-10-14-APW-Westside Country] Robert Thompson & Boyce LeGrande vs Shane & Shannon Ballard

[soup23]

A shockingly great match. The Ballard Brothers stuff we have seen so far had been pretty sloppy and disjointed. This was a great tag match with a spot on structure of Legrande and Thompson killing these heelish clowns at the start of the match. A ton of great double team power moves that look impressive even in 2017 eyes. In addition, the Ballards would tag out at any opening but couldn’t string together much of a run at all until they get the blind tag and take over. Once on top, the Ballards utilize their heel act integrating Melissa and it is entertaining based on the groundwork that was laid down in the shine sequence to begin the match. The Ballards have good work within each other, cut off the ring and make Thompson work to make the hot tag. Finishing run is a lot of fun with the super duper plex and the Ballards still hanging in there but again reeling. Eventually, the Playaz get the Drive By to pick up the win. Probably the most shocking great match of 2000 so far as nothing I have seen previously led me to believe that these teams were capable of this well executed, state of the art but ingrained in tag psychology contest. **** (7.9)

[Matt D]

A shockingly great match. The Ballard Brothers stuff we have seen so far had been pretty sloppy and disjointed. This was a great tag match with a spot on structure of Legrande and Thompson killing these heelish clowns at the start of the match. A ton of great double team power moves that look impressive even in 2017 eyes. In addition, the Ballards would tag out at any opening but couldn’t string together much of a run at all until they get the blind tag and take over. Once on top, the Ballards utilize their heel act integrating Melissa and it is entertaining based on the groundwork that was laid down in the shine sequence to begin the match. The Ballards have good work within each other, cut off the ring and make Thompson work to make the hot tag. Finishing run is a lot of fun with the super duper plex and the Ballards still hanging in there but again reeling. Eventually, the Playaz get the Drive By to pick up the win. Probably the most shocking great match of 2000 so far as nothing I have seen previously led me to believe that these teams were capable of this well executed, state of the art but ingrained in tag psychology contest. **** (7.9)

 

I think Chad's got some 2000 goggles on here. The high praise made me want to check this out and the fact that no one's around today let me. I wonder if this is the sloppiest match that he ever gave 4 snowflakes to. To begin, it's a good match. It's controlled chaos. I imagine it would have been an absolute blast to watch live. It's also proof positive that you can insert almost any tools into the traditional southern tag structure and so long as they're used in a consistent and relative (see: balanced) way, it'll work. For instance, instead of the RnRs and the Rockers leaping over the top rope to continue to work on the arm for a shine, Legrande and Thompson just obliterated the Ballards with double teams. The kick outs were appropriate though, because the damage was just starting to be done. In 2000, with the size differential, you bought it and it worked within the match. I liked how different the Ballard's double teams felt relative to the Playas, more finesse and set up and about increasing the impact on a strike as opposed to the power double teams. It's an obvious distinction but one you don't see within a single match in practice all that much. I liked how the hot tag was still earned (with one more rotation after the power bomb hope spot) even though it didn't have to be and even though it probably wouldn't have been on the indies a few years later. That matters. I would have liked to see just a little bit more heat, with a little bit more Melissa and a little more subtly in the distractions. The finish felt earned and a lot of that was the Ballard's selling actually, though you didn't see a ton of it. They were absolutely portraying being on the wrong side of a war in the last third.

 

So well-executed in layout? Sure, absolute. But well-executed in general? That's a tough one. They hit ALMOST everything (more on what they didn't hit later). None of it was what I'd call clean. Some things stood out especially, like the blind tag, out of nowhere, poetry in motion kick transition, one of the most important spots of the match since it was where the shine ended and the heat began. The blind tag worked. The rope running worked. The kick didn't. Overall, though, the transition did because the set up was so visually effective and the IDEA of it was so effective. There were a bunch of Playas double teams that just barely hit. In the finishing stretch, there was a sort of quizzical spot where Legrande (I think) seems willing to let his partner eat a super duper plex in order to capitalize, which you can buy but it does seem a little wonky (it was blocked by his partner to set up a spot, but my suspension of disbelief was stretched for that). The dives were nice. Great job catching by the Ballards. Pretty obvious that the Playas totally mistimed a double team afterwards, however, causing one Ballard to brutally get spiked. It set up the finish but man it looked nasty.

 

Anyway, I thought this was just more evidence of what we already knew, that it's real hard to screw up a southern tag if you get the flow of it right. I think this is a match that's very good, a little bit because of itself (the smart and effective implementation of modernity, color by number with much brighter colors than usual) and a little bit despite itself. That's an accomplishment in and of itself, but maybe more of one for the form than the specifics.

[ohtani's jacket]

This was okay. I'm not familiar with these workers so I wasn't surprised one way or the other. I thought it was a bit move heavy for a Southern Style tag. Where was the heat? And the selling and the FIP in stuff? There was a lot of double teaming and innovative tag wrestling but it didn't seem to matter that Thompson was worked over. The commentators were trying to add a bunch of psychology to the match but it didn't mesh with the in-ring action. I'm sure Southern style tag with an indy twist has been done better n other matches. This imitated a Southern tag but I don't think it got the details right. But I guess what Chad is saying is that it was miles better than what they usually did. 

[Tim Evans]

I thought this was perfectly fine indie wrestling for the time. Ballards played good heels although Melissa didn't do much. She did more than the guy that was with the playaz who was just useless. Not sure about Thompson as a FIP but I thought Boyce looked the best of all.  I'd say this was more southern that what was happening in Memphis around this time.

[GSR]

I’ve always wondered why Cheerleader Melissa was called that.  Was she actually a cheerleader?  Turns out she was.  She is in the Ballard Brother’s corner here doing a cheerleading gimmick complete with outfit and pom poms.  Ice Box is in the West Side Playaz’s corner, the commentators noting how Melissa has been readily interfering in the Ballard’s matches recently and the 400lb Ice Box isn’t going to be beaten up by anybody, there to counteract her.  They also point out that Shane has the number ‘1’ on his hockey jersey, while Shannon has number ‘23’.  That helps a ton because I was fearing I’d have no idea how I was going to be able to identify who is who.  The Playaz start out demonstrating their double team offense before focusing their attack on Shane’s left arm.  Flying double axe handle by LeGrande, but Shane goes to his eyes and is able to tag out to his brother.  Shannon immediately runs into a sit down powerbomb and fairs equally as bad.  Nice suplex by Thompson.  Vertical suplex/flying crossbody combo and Shane is in to break up the cover.  Thompson misses seeing the blind tag and gets caught by a shoddy one footed dropkick.  Cool little double underhook swinging neckbreaker.  Shane plays to the crowd though before making the cover and the added few seconds allows Thompson to kick out.  Referee Jimmy Ripp then makes a right balls up of things as he stands there and watches Melissa get in the ring for the next spot.  He doesn’t even attempt to go over and usher her out of there, just stands on by.   LeGrande is in, at which point Shannon pushes Ripp towards him and ‘behind the official’s’ back’ (although not really) Shannon assists Melissa with a quesadora legdrop onto Thompson.  That looked great, but would have looked better if Ripp was doing his job better.  Thompson gets a series of flash near falls only for Shane to knee him in the back as he hits the ropes.  Baseball slide dropkick to the groin, out of the view of the official who is again over in the champion’s corner dealing with LeGrande.  The Ballard’s telegraph the double backdrop, up kick on Shane and a big powerbomb on Shannon.  That took plenty out of Thompson and he can’t muster the energy to make the tag.  Shane goes over and knocks LeGrande off the apron, Thompson who has now recovered heads to his corner but there’s no-one there.  Smart thinking from the Brothers.  Thompson ducks a double clothesline and comes back with one of his own, the Ballard’s taking great flip bumps.  Hot tag to LeGrande who runs wild with clotheslines, suplexes and finally a ‘Swanton bomb’.  The champs hit a stacked up superplex or a ‘super-duper-plex’ as they call it with Boyce sat on Thompson’s shoulders.  Shannon breaks up the pinfall as the match starts to break down with all four men in the ring.  The Ballard’s go for a double superplex of their own, but Thompson comes up from behind and picks the brothers up, one sat on each shoulder.  LeGrande sets himself, presumably for a double blockbuster, when he’s crotched by Melissa.  Double Russian legsweep from the Ballard’s who then look to imitate that ‘Super-duper-plex’.  Boyce blocks, hits a blockbuster and from the opposite corner comes Thompson with a frog splash.  The WSP toss the Ballard’s to the outside and Thompson then backdrops LeGrande over the top rope and onto both.  Cannonball by Thompson from the top turnbuckle to the floor.  Back inside he loses Shane, practically spiking him on his head.  Combination powerbomb/blockbuster, known as ‘the Drive By’ and the West Side Playaz retain.

I can’t see what caused Chad to go the four stars on this as I found it pretty scrappy in places.  Lots of double team moves, like in most WSP matches, and while the Ballard’s are fine foils with decent psychology, it jumped around.  There was some structure to proceedings but I’m not a fan of when things like the arm work of the early portion is just blown off or forgotten about.  Melissa looked good and I would’ve liked to have seen more from her, her counterpart on the other hand was non-existent.  The ref was bad, totally ruining that one spot and was a bit all over the place.  There was also a reliance on returning to certain things.  Don’t get me wrong this isn’t bad, it just never stood out as anything special to me.