[2000-10-07-APW-Changing of the Guard] West Side Playaz 2000 (Robert Thompson & Boyce LeGrande) vs Tony Jones & Dalip Singh

[GSR]

Dalip Singh is introduced as a mystery partner after the mouthpiece manager had promised to unleash “the biggest monster in APW”.  Jones questions the Playaz as to whether they’re scared and that they should be if they’re not.  Well Singh is starting this off for his team which wasn’t what I was expecting in the slightest, thinking that Jones would do the bulk of the work and he would be in for just a few spots.  Thompson shows initial caution and after Singh powers him backwards to the mat on the opening lock up suggests LeGrande try his luck.  Same outcome so they decide to work together.  The future Great Khali was supposed to power them both backwards on the double top wrist lock but screws up, only getting it half right.  He looks a bit lost, the fact that it has gone wrong having completely thrown him, before repeating with Thompson.   The Playaz continue to show caution but everything that they try, be it shoulder tackles, punches to the stomach, dropkicks, has no effect as he easily manhandles the pair.  He tags in ‘the Shooter’ who’s immediately levelled by a LeGrande spinning heel kick as things start to take a more traditional route.  Double ‘Sicilian Slice’ from the WSP.  Jones snatches the superkick and launches Boyce overhead.  Spinning side slam and he goes over and nails Thompson on the apron for good measure.  He throws LeGrande to the floor where their abundance of seconds and managers put the boots in, someone even making use of a Kendo stick to clobber him with.  Singh makes his second foray in to the match, dropping LeGrande across his knee with a gentle backbreaker before press slamming him.  To be fair that was impressive.  A high double underhook suplex by ‘the Shooter’.  This is more what I was expecting from ‘the Giant’, selected spots, as he’s in for a bear hug where he runs Boyce into the turnbuckles and then he’s back out on the apron.  Jones whips LeGrande into the corner, but as he follows him in, Boyce runs up the turnbuckles, back flips over him and drops him with a thrust kick.  Hot tag to Thompson who wipes Jones out with a snug clothesline.  Nice deep powerslam.  Jones blocks the suplex and takes Thompson down with a Fujiwara arm bar.  Singh was supposed to wait for LeGrande to enter the ring to save his partner and then cut him off, but he was a bit too eager and Boyce has to move sharpish to get in position.  High chokeslam by ‘the Giant’ to LeGrande and the official must say something pretty derogatory to him, or Singh doesn’t like authority, as he plants him with a pretty painful looking chokeslam.  The ref subsequently calls for the bell and as Jones celebrates thinking that Thompson submitted, the official decision is that they’ve been disqualified for Singh’s attack.

I watched his purely as it was the pro debut of Dalip Singh/Great Khali and he was as bad as you would expect.  The opening portion was all about getting him over as this monster, demonstrating his power and strength, but he was lumbering, lost at times, and seems to have a perpetual look on his face as if his mind is elsewhere.  I’ll throw a few positives in there in that he’s much better coming in for spots and is clearly strong as shown by that press slam, although the chokeslam on the ref for the finish was careless.  Things were obviously better when Jones was in however that was hardly surprising.  Ever the glutton it’s Singh’s singles debut next on the docket against Miyaki Frantz from the 10/14 show.