Tossing Salt Presents:
C.A.G.E. Wrestling Unleashed:
Carolina Bash: Thoughts & Predictions
May 19, 2023
DougMaynard.com

Coming up tomorrow night at the National Guard Armory in Laurinburg, NC, is a joint promotion between C.A.G.E. and Atlantic Coast Wrestling, it’s the Carolina Bash. It’s a stacked card to be sure and to make things even better, in attendance will be NWA Legend and Perfect 10, the one and only Baby Doll. Can it get any better? It’s going to be a great night of wrestling action to be sure.

And guess what that means? It’s Prediction Time. Seven matches have been announced, plus I’m thinking we might see a little surprise for those who are about to rock. More on that in a moment, but let’s cover the matches first. I’ve got the Crystal Ball ready and I’m channeling my inner Miss Cleo. Let’s do this.

ACW Tag Team Championship
New Breed (c) versus Mid-Atlantic Outlaws

The Mid-Atlantic Outlaws, Louis Moore & Matt Houston, are a veteran team that has been around for a while, tough as nails and ready to pound some heads to establish their tag team legacy. The New Breed, Trey Walker & Tripp Cautious, the current ACW Tag Team Champions, are young, fast, and exciting, with a hit-fast and fly-high attitude and excellent teamwork that run circles around almost anyone. This match should be a great contrast in styles as the old school meets the modern day and neither side will give an inch. I’m looking forward to this one to see how the two different philosophies collide, especially with the gold belts on the line. It’ll be a good fight and my money is on the New Breed. Look for the champions to retain.

Winners and STILL ACW Tag Team Champions: The New Breed

Deion (BlkCat) Johnson versus Angel Angels

Another great rivalry with the wily veteran versus the up-and-coming new generation and this one should be a doozy. I admittingly don’t know much about Johnson, but I’ve heard stories about the legendary Blk Cat and he’s as tough as they come. Angels has impressed me every time I’ve seen him work and this young man is going to be a huge star of professional wrestling in the years to come. He is that good! This should be another interesting clash of styles as both men give it their all and go to the limit, plus beyond. My gut says that Angels will walk out with the victory.

Winner: Angel Angels

ACW Heavyweight Champion Sammy Love versus ACW Jr. Heavyweight Champion Nathan Cross

This is the match that everyone is coming to see as these two rivals have torn it up with every encounter thus far and I don’t expect this one to be any different. Both titles are on the line and the two men will be pulling out all the stops. I’ve often spoken about how impressed I’ve been watching the growth of Sammy Love over the past few years, but I can’t say enough about Nathan Cross as well.

These two men could easily be headlining AEW Dynamite or Impact Wrestling as they are The Carolina Bash this Saturday night. They are that damn good. And it’s hard to pick a winner. Sammy has won the last couple of encounters, but that just makes Cross more determined and capable of anything, and I do mean anything. He’s been called the New Age Villain on occasion and that’s a nickname that he wasn’t just given. He earned it every step of the way. This one can go either way and it wouldn’t be an upset, but just another battle in a never-ending war. I think Cross might get one.

Winner and NEW ACW Champion & ACW Junior Heavyweight Champion: Nathan Cross

CAGE Television Championship
Phil DeCarlo (c) versus Cruze Bittle

When I see The Mob Boss Phil DeCarlo, he always reminds me of the legendary Gene Anderson, one half of the infamous Anderson Brothers, aka The Minnesota Wrecking Crew. Ole is the one that everyone thinks of because he was the talker of the team, but in the matches I saw, Gene was the quiet, yet dangerous one. He was the one who was sly as a fox and would take his opponents apart. That’s why he made such a good manager when his in-ring days were over and I look at Phil DeCarlo and I see the same dangerous qualities and characteristics. He’s easy to underestimate, but do so and you’ll end up looking up at the lights, writhing in pain, and wondering what happened.

And Bittle? The guy is a powerhouse and country boy strong with a determination that can and will take anyone to the limit. The local hero to be sure, he’s capable with a never-say-die attitude and the power to back it up. This is going to be a good fight for sure. Since winning that TV title, DeCarlo has been like a man possessed, determined to hold on to that gold belt by any means necessary. And Cruze, he’s just as determined to get in there, fight the good fight, and walk out with that belt around his waist. Either way, the fans are winners with this one. And the winner? I’m smelling a title change.

Winner and NEW ACW Television Champion: Cruze Bittle

Chief Red Thunder & The Renegade Outlaw versus Chief Jay Eagle & A Mystery Partner

When you talk of great rivalries in professional wrestling, several come to mind. Flair and Dusty. The Von Erichs versus The Freebirds. The Midnight Express versus The Rock & Roll Express. Austin versus McMahon. And you may as well add Red Thunder versus Jay Eagle to the mix. For almost as long as I can remember, these two men have gone at it and have been tearing it up all up and down the East Coast and there are no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Two native warriors with a taste for blood. And now they’ve added The Renegade Outlaw to the battle, plus Eagle is bringing in a mystery partner. The war continues and there are no signs of it ending anytime soon. As Dusty Rhodes once said to Ole Anderson, “This will never be over!”. Thunder and Eagle both heard that and have taken it to heart.

Who the mystery partner is, I have no idea, but if they’re getting involved in this rivalry, they had better be tough and ready to fight. I know that The Renegade Outlaw knew what he was getting into when he signed to be Thunder’s partner and the mystery partner for Eagle, he’ll quickly learn. Without knowing who the fourth man is, it’s hard to pick a winner, so I’ll just go with the gut. The fans will be there for Thunder and The Outlaw. I think they’ll walk out with a big win.

Winners: Chief Red Thunder and The Renegade Outlaw.

CAGE Championship
Eric Gibson (c) versus HangTyme

In a match that’s a long time in the making, Eric Gibson defends the CAGE Championship against the always-dangerous HangTyme. Eric is the muscle guy, but he’s proven time and time again that he’s got the brains to go with that brawn and is the total package when it comes to professional wrestling. And HangTyme? What can you say about this man that hasn’t already been said? On the mic, he’ll layeth the verbal smackdown, and then, once the match begins, he’ll come at you in a hundred ways and give the fight of a lifetime that you can’t help but respect even though you’re wanting to punch him in the face at the same time. Two very accomplished wrestlers who steal the show every time they step into that ring. Eric should win here, but my belly is getting that strange rumbling. The gut says HangTyme so let’s go with that.

Winner and NEW CAGE Champion: HangTyme

The Atlantic Coast Destruction Crew, aka AC/DC, also known as Ethan Storm & Tazz Jackson were also scheduled for a match, but that’s kind of up in the air right now so we’ll have to see if anyone is willing to step up to the plate and take on the former multiple-time tag team champions, but if they do end up with a match, my money is on the two big men. It’s all about breaking necks and cashing checks. It’s all about AC/DC. ‘Nuff said!

And there you go with my predictions for the CAGE Wrestling Unleashed Carolina Bash. The doors open at 6:00 pm and the show starts at 7:00 pm tomorrow, May 20th, at the National Guard Armory in Laurinburg, NC. It’s going to be a kickass show from start to finish and as Freddie Miller used to say back in the days of wrestling at 6:05 pm on the Super Station, “Be there!”.

As for my predictions for the matches of the night, I might be right or I might be wrong, but regardless, I know the event is going to be good and great action from start to finish. I’ll be there taking notes and doing a recap of the night so if you see me, stop and say hello. Don’t forget, Baby Doll will be in the house. Come see her, take some pics, and say hello. Thanks for reading. And I guess it’s time now to wrap this up. It’s Saturday night at the Armory in Laurinburg. I’ll see you then. BE THERE.

Ubuntu!