Bryant's Championship Win Caps Off Chaotic Night

NOBE BRYANT rose to the occasion and cut through The Brand’s trickery to claim the Lions Pride Sports Championship.

For a few minutes, a sell-out crowd in Navasota thought Bryant would be an interim champion due to a legitimate eye injury sustained by MOONSHINE MANTELL. A lumberjack match between the two was the scheduled main event. Instead, with the roster surrounding the ring, Mantell gave an impassioned speech seemingly relinquishing the title and vowing to return from injury to reclaim it. But the champ ripped off an eye-patch and launched an assault on Bryant, starting the scheduled match.

As expected, Mantell’s cohorts in The Brand did their best to lessen Bryant’s chances by beating him up at ringside, but the rest of the lumberjacks intervened to keep the action in the ring. After a back-and-forth contest, Bryant unleashed a picture perfect scissor kick to get the 1-2-3.

Bryant is just the fourth man to hold the biggest prize in The Pride. He ends Mantell’s record-setting 259-day reign just two days shy of tying MIKE DELL for most total days as Lions Pride Sports Champion.

Also in Navasota, The Brand regained the Lions Pride Sports 360 Championship, but not because WILL ALLDAY regained the title from Dell. Instead, in an outstanding, evenly-contested match, Dell won his first defense of the title. The Brand’s CHASE PARADISE was banned from ringside, and Allday sent ANGEL BLUE away to go it alone.

Once Dell earned the win, Paradise and Blue berated Allday for his loss. Will eventually lifted Chase on his shoulders ready to bring the creative producer crashing down, but Angel low-blowed Allday and Paradise announced his once-prized Brand member was out. Just as Chase was about to hit Will with a sheet, Dell intervened. Just after raising Allday’s arm in a show of respect, Mike took the sheet and struck Will. The champion then unleashed a verbal assault on the audience for what he perceived as them turning their backs on him and supporting Allday more and more. Once an arch enemy, the 360 champ has seemingly, stunningly found validation and refuge in the ranks of The Brand.

Those ranks grew later in the night following a three-way match to decide the number one contender for that title. NATE JOLLY picked up the win over JORDAN LENNOX and ANTONIO SAN FRANCISCO, but was attacked by Lennox during a post-match interview in the ring. That piqued the interest of Paradise, who was at ringside for commentary and had gushed about Lennox’s performance throughout the match. The creative producer hit the ring and offered the recently-returned Lennox a place in The Brand. After more than a year out due to a shoulder injury, Jordan not only looks stronger than ever, but he now has the strength of the nefarious Brand behind him.

Two of The Lions Den Training Facility’s star students, CADE CARSON and THOMAS CARTER, went toe-to-toe in another outstanding match-up. Carter and his manager, MR. OSO, showed Carson tremendous respect before the match started, telling the Navasota crowd Cade had earned everything in wrestling and had been gifted nothing from his cousin and trainer, HOUSTON CARSON.

Cade showed a growing frustration as the very even contest went on and was forced to tap out to a Carter ankle lock. Houston hit the ring to try and cool the escalating tensions between his two students, but Cade shoved down his family member and mentor before storming backstage, where he went on to berate Houston in an interview. Cade claimed he was done living in what he perceived to be Houston’s shadow.