Benedict Auslander was the first man out for our main event, to a chorus of boos from the Southampton crowd. The Guildhall played host to a challenge last month as August Joyce challenged Auslander to a match. Auslander refused and the crowd have been on his back for it since.
Kevin Hardaway got a good reception. He looked excited to be here and the crowd fed off that. Next Jenni Starr got on the mic and went over the rules for this match. It’s to be contested over 6 rounds of five minutes duration, with one minute’s time between rounds. You win by pin, submission, KO or DQ.
Round one saw Hardaway take the early upper hand after getting the best of a test of strength. He whips Auslander into the ropes and nails a spinebuster. Auslander writhes in pain for a brief moment. Seems like K-Hard did his homework. I’d heard rumours of Auslander’s fall from a roof earlier in the week, I’m guessing from his reaction that it was true. Hardaway tries to make the most of it with a pin, hooking the leg. Auslander kicks out at two.
Auslander uses the ropes to help himself get back to his feet, the pain still evident on his face but he’s determined to get himself back into this match. And he does pretty well on that front after taking Hardaway down with a trapped arm suplex. He locks in a Texas cloverleaf but there’s no sign of K-Hard tapping out. In fact Auslander is forced to release the hold as the bell sounds to end the first round.
Both men take to their corners for the 60 second rest period before round 2. Auslander takes offence to something a fan says while Hardaway smiles across at his opponent.
The second round started the same as the first, a test of strength that Hardaway wins. This time he goes for a whip and a decapitation lariat, but Auslander ducks and takes his opponent down with a reverse DDT. Instead of following up the move Auslander starts arguing with the fan at ringside again, allowing Hardaway time to get back up.
Hardaway grabs Auslander. Swinging neckbreaker. Elbow drop connects. Hook of the leg for a one count only. The two get into each others face before Auslander nails a big right hand. The referee calls out, warning him about opening his fist. If he does that again he’ll be disqualified. Auslander argues with the referee which allows Hardaway another change to take him down. Double arm DDT this time gets him a two count.
Hardaway continued to punish Auslander as he takes him down with another DDT, then another elbow drop. Then a backbreaker to continue the assault on his spine. He drags Auslander up, pushes him face first into the corner before tossing him back with a German suplex. Hardaway doesn’t bridge, he releases, letting his opponent land hard again on that injured back.
Hardaway steps back, letting Benedict get himself back to his feet as the bell signals the end of round two. Auslander is looking in real trouble here.
Round three and Auslander seems to get a second wind, charging for Hardaway and taking him down with a clothesline. Then another, and a third. Hardaway pops up and charges for Auslander, who sees him coming and grabs him, throwing him over with a release belly-to-belly suplex. Auslander headed to the top rope and connects with a Tornado DDT for a two count!
Auslander is fighting on through considerable pain here and manages to remain on top for the rest of the third round, keeping K-Hard grounded after a Gut-Wrench Powerbomb into Cloverleaf combo. Hardaway was trying to reach the ropes as the bell sounded to end the round.
But Auslander didn’t let go, leaning backwards as far as he could to put as much strain on Hardaway as possible. Finally the referee got Auslander to release the hold. But Auslander had accomplished his goal, he wasted the 60 seconds recovery time and round four started with Hardaway still on the canvas!
Auslander pulled Hardaway to his feet only to take him down with a Russian Legsweep. Then a leg drop. He got only a one count from the resulting pin. But he continued his assault with a series of boots to the midsection. He backed off, taunting the crowd and pointing to the downed Kevin Hardaway.
He went back to Hardaway as he was on one knee, K-Hard getting a punch to the sternum that rocks Auslander. But Benedict stops the comeback in its tracks with an elbow to the back of the head. He shoves Hardaway into the corner and takes him to the top rope. He lifts Hardaway into the air for what he calls the Soulscream, a top rope brainbuster!
Hardaway hits the canvas with a thud. Auslander sits and smiles, clapping his hands and taunting the crowd, wasting prescious time. He makes a cocky cover but Hardaway kicks out at what must have been 2.9! Before Auslander could follow up the bell sounded and round four was over.
Hardaway rolled into his corner, pulling himself up to his feet while Auslander argued with the referee about a slow count.
The bell sounded again and round five was off with a bang. Auslander still arguing with the ref and the crowd didn’t see Hardaway coming. Clothesline from behind lead to a two count. Auslander got up quickly, Hardaway was still suffering the effects of the Soulscream.
Auslander grabbed Hardaway and whipped him into the ropes. K-Hard put on the brakes as he grabbed the ropes. Auslander charges in with a clothesline but Hardaway sends him over the rope with a back body drop that sends Auslander crashing to the Guildhall floor. Hardaway spots a change, bouncing off the opposite ropes, building up speed and flying through the ropes right at Auslander.
But Auslander had the move scouted, grabbing Hardaway in mid air and nailing a belly-to-belly suplex that sent K-Hard into the front row! I cannot believe Auslander reversed a GTFO~! Neither can the crowd, a “Holy Shit” chant coming from every corner of the Guildhall.
The move took a lot out of Auslander, who rolled back into the ring as the referee began the mandatory twenty count. At seventeen a fan helps Hardaway back over the guardrail. At nineteen Hardaway collapses to a knee just outside the ring. But just before twenty he manages to slide under the bottom rope. Auslander took advantage, grabbing Hardaway and nailing the Call to Power!
Auslander covers for the 1..2.. The bell sounds to end round five! Hardaway gets saved by the bell! And boy is Auslander pissed!
The sixth and final round began as Auslander and Hardaway hooked up once more. Auslander easily overpowers Hardaway and looks set to nail an Inverted double underhook facebuster. But Hardaway manages to reverse the hold, standing up and lifting Auslander into a torture rack position!
Auslander screams out in pain as Hardaway keeps the torture rack locked in. After what must seem like an eternity to Benedict, Hardaway spins him out and takes him down hard with the Angelina’s Crossing. He makes a cover and picks up the victory!
Winner: Kevin Hardaway
After the match Hardaway, still reeling from some big moves, leant over the downed Benedict Auslander and was heard to say “You should have taken Joyce up on his challenge.”
The crowd were on their feet chanting “That was awesome”. Hardaway had a huge smile on his face as he walked out of the building with his head held high. He joined in with the crowd as they chanted “Thank you FRONTIER”. Truly an awesome end to our debut show, I can’t wait to see what we have in store when FRONTIER rides into Oxford next month!