We’re up to the final part of Nae Mercy at The Empire Zone in Perth, a solid over show so far in the first two parts as we head into a double header of championship matches to close this particular arc of episodes of Empire.
The edition opened with a couple backstage promos, Sami Sparx and Jay Robin reaching an understanding to a possible union, followed by Euan G Mackie comforting a beaten Chris Dior after Gordo’s House Party.
FCW Tag Team Championships – Red Gate (Valek & SAMUEL) defeated Chris Dior & Euan G Mackie by pinfall to retain.
Dior and Mackie tried to get the jump on Red Gate that didn’t go quite to plan with Chris Dior bundled out after a scrap and SAMUEL and Valek turning their attention on isolating Euan G Mackie. Mackie dodged his way out of harms way to tangle up Valek in an elevated Rings of Saturn with an added bit of tickling from Dior. A more-unhappy-than usual Valek broke free to tag SAMUEL but Mackie again got the better of Red Gate. Mackie and Dior got a flurry of offense together under a wheelbarrow bulldog was put to a quick halt by SAMUEL to slam Euan face first to the mat.
Mackie scratch, clawed, and bit his way out of trouble as Valek and SAMUEL scrambled to keep Euan in their half of the ring. A double Sliced Bread carved Mackie his opening to unleash a rested Chris Dior who barrelled into Red Gate. Dior ducked a red mist from SAMUEL that went into the eyes of Valek. as referee Lex Loomis tried to get some order, SAMUEL rushed back in to spray another dose of red mist to Dior. A Sister Abigail later from Valek and Red Gate retained.
As SAMUEL and Valek celebrated, the lights went out as Moonshine was introduced as the newest inclusion to Red Gate and with Tommy Cross watching on, Moonshine drove his thumb into the throat of Euan G Mackie and Chris Dior respectively.
As much as Valek has stepped forward in recent matches, the leap that SAMUEL has had is very noticeable. There’s a ruthless demeanour with his attacking and it looks very calculated but natural to this feral state he put into his movements. Going in with Euan G Mackie further highlighted that as Mackie is very good(!) at showcasing his adversaries. Dior is still coming along, the crowd are loving the “gay volcano” so I’ve got confidence that levelling up will come. It was a chaotic ending, and the addition of Moonshine as a big brute force is an interesting twist.
FCW Heavyweight Championship – Last Man Standing Match – Retro Randy defeated ADM to retain.
It didn’t take long for referee Chris Quinn to start his first count, a strike exchange lead to ADM rebounding out of the corner for a Claymore Kick to send Retro Randy crashing onto his back. Randy crawled his way up, to immediately receive a Tombstone Piledriver. Randy got up at six to earn himself a forearm to the back of the head. Retro Randy powered up as the fig he went to the outside of the ring. The pair chopped back and forth until Randy introduced a Singapore Cane. Retro Randy wrapped it off the back of ADM around the Tulloch Institute. ADM got a hold of the stick but his attempts at lashing the champion were met with another power up as Randy delivered a big boot and big leg drop (of doooooom).
Randy headed up top for an Elbow Drop of Doom only for ADM to meet him for a superplex off the second turnbuckle to reset the balance. ADM rolled to the outside to break his ten count and retrieved handcuffs from under the ring. MacAllan eventually cuffed Randy to the second rope which left Retro Randy at the mercy of The Clyde River Killer. ADM emerged with a ladder as Randy fought off as much as he could until he was bludgeoned by the metal over and over. MacAllan released Randy from the cuffs to move them to the bottom rope. Randy slid to the outside to stop the count, suckering ADM in to uncuff him again for Retro Randy to start flying with fists. Randy wedged ADM’s head in a chair and rammed him against the ring post. While MacAllan recovered he grabbed the FCW Heavyweight Championship to dunt it off the head of Randy and send him through the commentary desk via a ruddy Razor’s Edge.
ADM made his exit thinking it was a job well done but Retro Randy got up at nine to bring MacAllan back to the ring. Randy blocked another title shot to the dome to return the favour. A table was set up in the ring, ADM stopped the first attempt to send him through it was a nasty brainbuster, the wood still called his name as Randy pushed MacAllan off the second turnbuckle to send ADM through the table. ADM started to stir and felt an Elbow Drop of Doom to keep him down for the ten count. Randy popped to his feet at nine to keep the FCW Heavyweight Championship in his possession.
A frantic main event, as Retro Randy’s reign goes on there’s a stubborn fight from him in each defense. He refuses to give in and finds a way to outsmart opponents if good ol’ fashioned fisticuffs aren’t doing the things he’d like them to. It had plenty of fake outs to keep the investment from the crowd strong, with that Razor’s Edge through the announce table being a great hook into the finishing stretch. I enjoyed the callbacks to their previous meeting with ADM using the handcuffs and using a ladder while Randy was at his most prone. Good stuff.
It was another fun episode of FCW Empire. Two solid matches with the main event being different from everything else to separate it from the rest of the night, using the stipulation to make the match mean more and ramp up the jeopardy to Retro Randy’s reign. As I mentioned in recent Empire reviews, the team have certainly got a handle on how the overall show flows with the match placements and dynamics which has made the in-ring quality, along with the audience atmosphere, better as a result.
The show is available on YouTube: