Simon Sermon throws Andy Anderson out of the ring. (Courtesy MGCW)

With all the live wrestling action going on in Atlanta this weekend, not many local wrestling fans are likely to be in front of a TV anytime soon. But that’s not stopping Mid Georgia Championship Wrestling from debuting its new Saturday night show on April 2.

MGCW, which typically runs monthly wrestling shows in Stockbridge and other southern Atlanta suburbs, recorded its debut show at the People TV studios in Atlanta on the afternoon of March 27, just a week before WrestleMania XXVII came to town. Admission was free and there was a studio audience of about 50 people.

The studio atmosphere was reminiscent of the old National Wrestling Alliance/World Championship Wrestling shows of the ’70s and ’80s, with between-match interview segments conducted by Dave Wills (still known to many as “the crying wrestling fan” of Internet fame). Wills, alongside Mark Danger, also provided commentary in a very old-fashioned, subdued manner. (Wills and Danger also host the Dave and Danger Show for Georgiawrestlinghistory.com.)

MGCW Champion Andy Anderson pounds Simon Sermon in the main event. (Courtesy MGCW)

The eight-match card was a bit hit-or-miss, with the opening match between Rick Michaels and Zach Daniels, and the main event in which Michaels’ Exotic Ones tag team partner Simon Sermon challenged Andy Anderson for the MGCW title, being the best contests on the card. Other matches, such as Tyson Dean (with “Screamin'” Marty Freeman) vs. “Hard Luck” Harrison (who played the never-catches-a-break jobber role pretty well), served their purpose in providing mid-card entertainment that showcased budding talents. A few of the tag team matches got confusing and ran a bit long, but assuming this show will be edited for its allotted TV time slot, that may not come across when the show airs.

MGCW is still a fairly young promotion as far as I can tell, and the inexperience of some of the wrestlers shows at times. But that didn’t prevent this TV taping from providing me and a handful of others with a Sunday afternoon of entertaining wrestling action.

Tyson Dean gets "Hard Luck" Harrison down on the mat. (Courtesy MGCW)

The show airs 8 p.m.-10 p.m. April 2 on SBN TV, which can be viewed on channels 17 and 22 for Charter cable subscribers south of Atlanta. MGCW will also have a live show at 7:30 p.m. April 16 at Forest Park High School, 5452 Phillips Dr., Forest Park, Ga.