The NWA’s search for fresh faces takes us into another reality show – and we open with an audition for two tag teams!
Well, we seem to be accidentally covering these shows – even if it’s almost a week old by this point! The Circle Squared is a new format from the NWA, looking to give exposure to more wrestlers by following a “casting” process, not unlike what we’ve seen with the GWF’s Who’s Next.
We open with Billy Corgan (using his full name) introducing the concept, as NWA contracts are up for grabs with the viewers calling the shots. Then, it’s Sean Mooney in the Event Center… sorry, the NWA equivalent, as he teases information about the Crockett Cup before we see a parade of vloggers reacting to the show. Sean’s back to reiterate the concept, and asks fans to provide watchalong/reaction videos. I have a feeling that may become grating to some.
We cross over to Kyle Davis in the GPB Studios in Atlanta to tell us a bit more. They’ve hammered the concept home enough so far! Out first is the father and son pairing of Luke and PJ Hawx. Their introductory promo tells us their names, and continues in the 80s-inspired NWA style that’s made Powerrr a hit so far. Luke tells us they’re the ABCs and the XYZs – because they start and finish things.
We get clips of that with some reactions – and yes, that was the Meanie – along with that viral clip of PJ Hawx leaping from a balcony in a shopping mall at a show.
Their opponents introduced by Nikita Koloff, who recaps history, before telling us he’s here to coach. Jeff Lewis Neal and Tyson Dean are his cohorts, and they have matching gear. They don’t seem to be a regular team per Cagematch, but Neal looks to have good promo… and crazy eyes too. Dean does the James Drake role of being the strong and silent type. Cue more reactions, then some ads, some sitdown interviews from both teams, and now… the match.
Luke Hawx & PJ Hawx vs. Jeff Lewis Neal & Tyson Dean
Neal and Dean attack the Hawx from behind – handily, their names are on their singlets.
Neal works over PJ, but the younger Hawx rolls him to the mat for some pinning attempts before Dean distracted from the apron. A spinebuster and a knee drop gets Tyson a near-fall, before he laid into PJ with some right hands. That’s added to with a belly-to-belly for a near-fall, with Luke breaking up the pin as Neal continued to club away.
PJ hits back with a suplex before he made the tag out as Luke cleared house with elbows and front kicks. A big back body drop dumps Neal, before PJ was back to pop up Dean into a powerslam as the Hawx win. A short match, barely going three minutes, but they squashed a LOT into there. A fun TV match, which couldn’t have gone much more than three minutes.
Cue more vloggers. This part of the gimmick is overdone, isn’t it? Both in terms of how fake some of these come across and how much of the show they get.
Both teams head to the interview stage afterwards, as we’re then booted back to Sean Mooney, who asks us to vote for our favourite team… before telling us that the Crockett Cup will be on April 19 in Atlanta at the Gateway Center Arena. That’ll be the show with the Aldis vs. Scurll title match…
Given that less than five minutes of this 22-minute show was actual wrestling, The Circle Squared is a solid format that could do with a LOT of tightening up. While more people have already watched this than the GWF’s Who’s Next, I prefer the GWF’s version of this – and not just because the entrance-promo-match structure seems more relevant than celebrity fans.
I’m not about to go back and specifically time it, but when the vloggers get more focus on them than the actual wrestlers, then you’re telling me that the focus really isn’t on the wrestlers. Leave the reactions to a separate video (as you already do, albeit one that’s over FOUR HOURS LONG) if you have to do it.