[2000-08-26-MCW-TV] Tracy Smothers & Lance Cade vs Rodney & Pete Gas

[soup23]

Another good episode of MCW. This was a solid tag with Smothers working as a face and bouncing around the MSP heels. The posse is getting some good experience and polish in MCW and looks like they could have been valuable if given another chance in WWE. Perhaps the Invasion stunted them coming back. Cade as well looks green but has the size and some charisma to be beneficial. I was happy to see Smothers get the pin as he is the unique babyface that can always make you smile as the viewer. **

[GSR]

Non-title match for the Southern tag team belts currently held by the Mean Street Posse. Tracey says how they’ve been running their mouths for several months now, and tells them that if they don’t like Memphis, MCW or the South, then they can take their asses back to Greenwich, CT cause they’re fixing to kick them right now! Really nice escape from the wristlock by Rodney, before taking Cade down with a leg scissors back heel trip (he’s clearly been watching and learning from Regal). He plays to the crowd instead of following up though, and when he turns around Cade takes his head off with a lariat. Tag to Tracey and a double arm wringer, a double knife edhe chop, and when Pete comes to try and help his partner, it’s a double dropkick for him. Another week, another reference to the ‘Mason-Dixon Connection’! Rodney shoots Smothers off to escape the side headlock and Gas pulls down the top rope sending him careering over it to the outside. With Rodney distracting the official, Pete does a number on Tracey down on the floor. Double underhook suplex by Rodney for a two. Drop toe hold/elbow to the back of the head double team from the Posse. They continue to work over Tracey but aren’t able to put him away. Double shoulder tackle and Rodney with a slingshot leg drop. Smothers avoids a charging Rodney and hits a belly to back suplex. Great hot tag and Cade nails Rodney with a clothesline off the top. Dropkick to Pete Gas, but the MSP then block the ‘noggin knocker’. They whip Lance into the ropes, however he ducks under the double clothesline and, as Tracey trips Rodney from the outside, catches Pete with a flying crossbody for the win. Post-match ‘Gas Mask’ on Tracey and a ‘High Society’ (Buff Blockbuster)’ on Cade as the Posse leave them lying.

 

I would never have imagined before watching the matches from this week that Rodney and Pete Gas would look better prospects than Joey Abs. Rodney has improved a ton and you can clearly see Steven Regal’s influence on him (that back heel trip, double underhook suplex). The Posse actually make a decent old fashioned team; Rodney carries the load, but they isolate an opponent, cut off the ring, work distraction spots, have got a few double team manoeuvres etc. I’m not sold on Smothers like seemingly every one else is, but I really enjoyed him here as the Posse got the heat on him. Only slight knock on the match was before the slingshot leg drop it looked like Tracey forgot the spot, so Rodney had to step in the ring to reset it up before stepping out again.

[AstroBoy]

Rodney's heel trip was fantastic, he really had some slick stuff early on. Lance Cade just doesn't do much for me. He doesn't work to his size at all and he's not sympathetic enough to fire up and fly around on the heels here. Rodney is preferable to Gas here but what makes this tick is Smothers going all in as the face in peril. He commits big-time, convulsing in the corner on the defensive, stumbling to the wrong corner when going for the big tag, etc. Cade hits the cross body and then after the match the Posse get their heat back.

 

*3/4