Synergy Reaches Double Digits
Matt Macintosh challenges Frightmare at Synergy X.
Instead of one bad apple spoiling the bunch, it was the fans of Synergy Pro Wrestling who forced one man to embrace his dark side.
After months of speculation, Matt Tremont accused Matt Macintosh of being the mystery assailant who cost him the Synergy Championship in January. Macintosh gladly faced Tremont at Synergy 9 in March, and even managed to beat him after the true attacker – Mike Del – revealed himself.
Macintosh’s night wasn’t over, though. If people already expected the worst of him, he would give them something concrete to base their beliefs on. Thus, he interfered in the main event between Stand Alone Champion Joe Gacy and Synergy Champion Frightmare, assaulting the latter, ripping his mask off and demanding a title shot.
That brings us to Synergy X this Saturday in Hillsborough, New Jersey.
“The fact that we made it to 10 shows means we’re doing something right,” says Colin West, creative director at Synergy. “I had no expectations when we started. I just had goals. You can’t look too far ahead because if you do, you start phoning in shows. I’m sure there are companies out there that are slapping shows together, but that’s not who we wanted to be. Fans, especially in this area, have become far more demanding in the quality of product they need to see. I appreciate them giving us a shot.”
In addition to Frightmare defending the gold against Macintosh, the champion’s arch-rival Drake Chambers will meet Aaron Bradley in what West describes as putting two sticks of dynamite in the same barrel and lighting them both. “This has show-stealer potential,” he says. “They are the two most intense guys on the roster.”
At Synergy 9, TJ Crawford defeated Bradley and JP Grayson in a triple threat to receive a match at Synergy X against any opponent of his choosing. In perhaps a classic case of more guts than brains, Crawford chose KTB, who has suffered only one loss in his Synergy career. “You buy low on the stock of TJ Crawford because it’s only going up, but this might be too soon for him,” West says. “Maybe this match looks different in a year or six months from now. But if Crawford wins or really shows me something in this match, I’m talking about him as a major player here.”
The roster is constantly evolving at Synergy, as evidenced by the latest departure: “Retrosexual” Anthony Greene. A staple of the company’s shows, Greene was voted Most Entertaining Athlete of 2018 by fans. His recent signing with WWN and EVOLVE Wrestling is a massive blow to the promotion, but West claims we haven’t seen the last of the “Uncle Jesse of Professional Wrestling.”
“He’s not available for our next couple of dates, but we do tentatively have an agreement for at least one date over the summer,” West says. “He’ll be here when he can be here, as of right now. I just have more fun when AG is in the house. Outside the business, I love the guy.”
With so many companies on the scene in 2019, it’s challenging for promoters like West to maintain a fully stocked roster. Eventually, a company with more money behind it will scoop up a promising talent, forcing promoters to find other hungry performers or develop their own star from scratch all over again.
“The only reason you’re going to have this issue is if you’re booking good talent to begin with,” West says. “I would rather continue to book the guys that could make it to the next level and be happy for them when they go. If we keep working hard, we become one of the players on that next level. I want to be one of these promotions where guys feel like they ‘have to go’ to us when they get the call.”
Of course, Greene’s departure creates an opportunity for somebody else. Four men will compete this Saturday for a full-time spot on the roster: MV Young, who has appeared in previous Synergy events; Killian McMurphy, known as the “Shamrock Shooter;” BLK Jeez, a member of CZW Hall of Fame group BLKOUT and the last Jersey All Pro Heavyweight Champion; and Ace Austin of Impact Wrestling.
Also announced for Synergy X is the return of Terra Calaway and Jeff Cannonball. The real-life couple was successful at Gold Standard last July, defeating Willow Nightingale and Rex Lawless in the first match in company history to feature women. This Saturday Calaway and Cannonball will take on the unique combination of Faye Jackson and Francis Kip Stevens. “Faye Jackson is a long-time frenemy of Terra Calaway, and I wanted an excuse to get Francis Kip Stevens back on the show,” West says. “I like him a lot. Jackson is none too thrilled that she’s teaming with Stevens, but we will see if there’s an odd-couple level of success for the two of them.”
Synergy X takes place Saturday, April 27, at the Polish Falcon’s Nest in Hillsborough, NJ.
For tickets and more information, visit www.synergywrestling.com
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