It’s become East Nashville’s greatest diamond in the rough, and Southern Underground Pro returned to The Basement East on Sunday for Streets of Hate. Some last minute cancellations caused a major shakeup on the card, but that team has shown an uncanny ability to adapt on the fly. Also, SUP has done a masterful job at branding their product so that people come for the overall experience just as much as the individual talent. Bravo on that front.
We saw some debuts and familiar faces alike, along with raw, physical, and emotional professional fucking wrestling. So, let’s take a look around the landscape of SUP and see where Sunday’s show left its wrestlers.
Honorable Mentions
Conspicuous by his absence on this list is the former Bonestorm Champion, Curt Stallion. That’ll happen when you lose two matches in a row, and have to bow out of competition in your third. Still, you can’t deny Stallion’s ability, nor can you deny his fanny pack game. Cabana Man Dan is always a barrel of fun, but on Sunday, he showed just how much heart he has when he answered the O’Shay Edwards Open Invitation and went toe to toe with Edwards and the gargantuan Calvin Tankman. Finally, I have to mention Mr. Brickster here. New to the game, but the guy obviously has “it” and picked up an important win on Sunday.
SUP Power Rankings
10. Tripp Cassidy – Cassidy got the win over Allie Kat in his return to SUP, and boy – was that an emotionally draining match or what? The Blue Eyed Boogeyman turned up the intensity and physicality in this contest, and reminded us all just what he is capable of on Sunday.
9. Kerry Awful – It’s hard to shake the sight of that beatdown at the hands of Brett Ison, but Awful bounced back in a big way against a game Teddy King on Sunday. He’s back in the win column, and was rewarded with one of the coveted slots in this year’s Scenic City Invitational for it.
8. Joey Lynch – No word on whether or not the King of the Moonsault will return to SUP, but he had one hell of a debut. Lynch starts his SUP career 1-0, after defeating Tyler Matrix. I thought Matrix did an excellent job of keeping Lynch off the top rope, and he hung around in the match because of it. Lynch was 1/2 on moonsault attempts, but unfortunately for Matrix, that one connection was the knockout shot. Definitely hope to see much more of Lynch at SUP in the future.
7. O’Shay Edwards – Edwards beat not one, but TWO competitors in Calvin Tankman and Cabana Man Dan at Sunday’s show. Making matters more impressive for Edwards, the match was an open challenge. He didn’t even have time to come up with a game plan to counter Tankman’s brute force or Cabana Man Dan’s heart. He won this by sheer badassery alone.
6. Allie Kat – She’s the only wrestler in the top ten coming off a loss, but her effort against Cassidy was awe-inspiring. Some have called her the heart and soul of SUP and it’s easy to see why (I’d cite sources but I was fucking drunk, okay? I don’t remember). You won’t find many with her combination of spirit, charisma, and ability. After starting the year 1-0 at SUP, and the emotional match against Cassidy, Allie Kat is due for a win – it’s only a matter of time.
5. Marko Stunt – He didn’t walk away unscathed, but Stunt gets yet another win at SUP. The guy is emerging as a fan favorite, has the greatest entrance in SUP, and his position on the card is strengthening with each show. You can’t argue with results.
4. A.J. Gray – Gray now boasts a record of 3-0 in SUP in 2018. Things are pretty heated right now between Rich Homie Juice and Curt Stallion. But, once that beef is squashed, don’t be surprised if Gray finds himself in contention for the Bonestorm Championship.
3. Kevin Ku – Ku has quietly put together an impressive string of matches and continues to win in gritty performances. He’s had quite the 2018 – exorcising the demon of Angelus Layne, and tallying wins over Donovan Danhausen and Eddy Only since.
2. Brett Ison – After an impressive win over Nick Iggy following an impressive win over Kerry Awful, you can’t ignore the year that Ison is having any longer. He’s proven himself as one of the most ruthless and dangerous competitors in SUP. If he keeps stringing together victories like this, it’ll be hard to ignore his case for a championship opportunity.
1. Dominic Garrini – Garrini got a huge win over Jeff Cobb in the hard-hitting Bonestorm Championship match. That’s two shows in a row that we’ve seen exactly why he’s championship material and the figurehead of SUP. But, he may be able to keep the championship as long as he wants to.
For John Mosley’s full recap on Streets of Hate, click here. See y’all August 5th.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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