Anthony Greene Wins Garden State Invitational
Synergy’s inaugural tournament drew huge crowd.
It’s the summer of retro.
Toy Story, Lion King and Aladdin are all in theaters, Spice Girls and Jonas Brothers have reunited and OJ Simpson has joined Twitter. If that’s not enough, TNT is bringing back pro wrestling and Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff are back in positions of authority. And then there’s Anthony Greene.
The “Retrosexual” has been heating up the independent scene, having recently appeared on the WWE Network for EVOLVE’s 10th Anniversary show and working with ZERO1USA to expand its territory to the Northeast, holding its official debut on August 18 in Gardner, MA. This Friday he challenges Bobby Dempsey for the PWE Championship in Philadelphia.
As for this past weekend, Greene scorched through the inaugural Garden State Invitational, hosted by Synergy Pro Wrestling. A spiritual successor to The Jersey J-Cup, the one-night tournament featured eight renowned competitors who have international experience, all vying for the title of best in New Jersey. Over 150 people (the largest crowd in Synergy history, according to Synergy owner Colin West) sought refuge from the week-long heatwave, packing the Polish Falcon’s Nest in Hillsborough, New Jersey. As a matter of fact, “air conditioning” received one of the biggest pops of the night.
In the first round, Greene went hold for hold with Jimmy Rave, a veteran of prestigious wrestling tournaments. The grappling was so intense that both men exited the ring at different times to regain their composure and stretch out their limbs. Then, they jockeyed for position on the ring apron, Rave chopping Greene’s furry chest only to eat a superkick. Greene went for more damage, but got caught in a Rock Bottom that sent him crashing onto the apron (the hardest part of the ring, you know). Just before the referee finished his 10 count, Greene leapt back into the ring, only to receive more punishment. After a series of pinning combinations, Greene managed to get the three count, albeit in controversial fashion as it appeared Rave’s shoulder was off the mat. Nonetheless, the referee’s decision was final and Greene advanced to the semifinals.
As fate would have it, the “Retrosexual” had a chance to avenge his loss from the EVOLVE 10th Anniversary show just one week prior. He’d be stepping back into the ring with Josh Briggs, a former division one college football player from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Towering over everyone else in the tournament, Briggs stands anywhere from 6’6″ to 6’8”, depending on which profile you read. He made quite an impression at EVOLVE, and did so again at Synergy, defeating Joe Gacy in a brutal, yet thrilling battle in the first round.
Briggs wasn’t wasting any time with Greene, either, booting him as soon as he tore off his Zubaz. The powerhouse attempted the chokeslam several times, but Greene always found a way out. Even on the outside, Briggs caught Greene by the neck in mid-air, but somehow the scrappy showman hung onto the ropes, superkicking Briggs to break free. Greene finally took the big man down with a second suicide dive to the delight of the crowd. Back in the ring, Greene landed a moonsault, but Briggs rolled through and splashed him. He went for the chokeslam again, but Greene spun himself 360 degrees and dropped the giant with an Unprettier off the turnbuckle (picture Brian Kendrick’s Sliced Bread #2). Unfortunately, Briggs’ long legs were near the ropes, preventing the pinfall. Greene ascended the turnbuckle yet again, only to be caught by his goozle for yet another chokeslam attempt. However, Greene reversed it into a victory roll and surprised everyone with a three count.
Perhaps his toughest challenge came in the finals: Homicide. The Notorious 187 was slated to face Jonathan Gresham in the first round, but Synergy owner Colin West announced that Ring of Honor pulled Gresham from the event just hours beforehand due to him being scheduled for Manhattan Mayhem. As a result, Steve “Monsta” Mack filled in as a last-minute substitute, eager to face one of his mentors. They brawled inside and outside the ring until Homicide unleashed a flurry of offense, including a DDT, ace crusher and ace crusher off the top rope before forcing Mack to tap out to the STF.
The 25-year veteran had an easier task in the semifinals, taking on Midwest sensation Warhorse, whose neck was visibly injured after Brandon Kirk spiked him with a piledriver after their first round match. As soon as he entered the ring, Homicide pounced Warhorse in the corner, pushing the referee away. The former ROH World Champion brought Warhorse to the outside, dragging him to the front row and pounding away. The assault was only beginning as Homicide lifted Warhorse high above the bar countertop and then sent him crashing down. The resilient Warhorse managed to make it back to the ring before the 10 count, only for Homicide to drop him with a neckbreaker.
Enjoying the dissection, Homicide went for a piledriver to possibly paralyze his opponent, but Warhorse summoned the strength to back drop him. A couple of German suplexes and a beautiful Northern Lights suplex followed up. Warhorse then went for his signature double stomp off the top rope, but Homicide pushed ref Ryan T into the ropes, knocking Warhorse down. A Gringo Killer followed, as well as another STF, in which Warhorse was unable to continue.
The main event was a dirty brawl as Homicide ambushed Greene from behind during his entrance. Despite his happy-go-lucky demeanor, Greene is no pushover, dishing the fight right back to the grizzled veteran. They pummeled each other all over the building, ripping each other’s fingers apart and bashing each other’s heads into the merchandise tables. Greene even made Homicide sit in a chair as he ran into him with a huge boot. The LAX pioneer returned the favor, tossing Greene into a guardrail and smashing him with a chair. The crowd was split with “Let’s Go AG” / “187” chants echoing amongst the carnage. Eventually, Homicide tried to end it with a Gringo Killer, but Greene slipped off and hit him with the Unprettier. Homicide kicked out, so Greene went to the well again, this time for the victory.
Despite his vicious antics throughout the evening, and even teasing smashing the trophy, Homicide presented Greene with his award and put him over to the crowd as the future of pro wrestling. It’s a well-deserved honor for Synergy’s MVP over the past nearly two years, who was voted Most Entertaining Athlete of 2018 by Synergy fans a few months before signing with WWN and EVOLVE Wrestling.
Whether Greene’s increasingly busy schedule permits him to return to Synergy remains to be seen, but the “Retrosexual” has certainly left the promotion in a better place.
Full results
Anthony Greene def. Homicide in finals
Logan Black won battle royal to become number-one contender to Synergy Championship
Synergy Champion Matt Macintosh and Frightmare battled to a double count out
Anthony Greene def. Josh Briggs in semifinals
Homicide def. Warhorse in semifinals
Eric Corvis def. BLK Jeez, Jordan Oliver & Mike Del
Josh Briggs def. Joe Gacy in quarterfinals
Anthony Greene def. Jimmy Rave in quarterfinals
Homicide def. Monsta Mack in quarterfinals
Warhorse def. Brandon Kirk in quarterfinals
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