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New DawnNew Dawn is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event, broadcast annually in May by the professional wrestling promotion MECCA. It was conceived to replace the event Punked Out, which moved to June when MECCA changed its PPV schedule in 2007. The first event took place on May 26, 2007, from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri. The event derived its name from the fact that it's the first PPV after The MECCA Challenge, an event which settles many long standing scores. |
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HistoryIn early 2007, MECCA changed its monthly event schedule. Instead of airing pay-per-view events bi-monthly and broadcasting special television events on FSN on the off months, they decided to increase the PPV schedule to one per month. It was announced at The MECCA Challenge III in April that the May PPV event would be called New Dawn, replacing Punked Out, which was then moved to June. New Dawn 2007BackgroundNew Dawn was the first pay-per-view broadcast live in the month of May by MECCA. It took place at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri, on May 26, 2007. The event was released on DVD via the MECCA website several weeks later. Its theme song was "Our Truth" by Lacuna Coil. At The MECCA Challenge III, The House of Lords formed after the main event, in which Eddie Crowe defeated Ronin Fox with Eddie's MECCA World Heavyweight Championship on the line. Fox, Nykk, and Lisa Letty viciously attacked Eddie and much of the roster after the match, proclaiming themselves the House of Lords. They quickly added Cynric, Huh, and Joey Sprinklers to their ranks to make their group even stronger. With Nykk at the helm of MECCA, he was able to make decisions concerning the World Title and its challengers. He booked himself and Fox in a tag team match against Alan Mayse and Low Ki on the May 9 episode of Go Time, with the man who scored the fall becoming the number one contender. Both Fox and Nykk ended up scoring the pinfall, and there seemed to be dissension over who would get the title shot. Nykk decided he would take the shot himself, which upset Fox. At the MECCA Challenge III, Gail Kim won the finals of the Women's World Cup. She was presented with the cup on the next Go Time, where she was confronted by Nikki Chandler, who Gail had put out of the tournament in the lower brackets. Chandler attacked Kim and retrieved a sledgehammer from underneath the ring, using it to destroy the World Cup. This also drew in Chandler's group The UK Wrecking Crew, who helped Chandler beat Kim the next week. But that prompted Kim to be saved by Matt Sydal, Delirious, and The Human Tornado, who had also been having problems with the UKWC. A mixed eight-person tag team match was eventually booked for New Dawn. Results
New Dawn 2008BackgroundNew Dawn 2008 was broadcast live on pay-per-view on May 31, 2008. It emanated from the Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At The MECCA Challenge IV, Anubis won the MECCA World Heavyweight Championship. He would waste no time in getting his first challenger. On the next Go Time, he was confronted by The Consulate, who attacked Anubis when he shoved Prince Nana to the mat. Kevin Stone, who had been feuding with the Consulate's Necro Butcher, came to the champ's aid. Later in the night, the Consulate attacked Stone after his match with Necro. Anubis paid him back by making the save, only to be attacked by Stone. Stone cited the fact that he had won a shot at the World Title a few weeks prior, and let Anubis know he was going to be his first challenger. Going back to when Eddie Crowe held the World Title and Alan Mayse held the MECCA Toughman Championship back in 2006, Eddie and Alan had always had a competitive rivalry. But with Alan's attitude change in late 2007, he and Eddie began to clash and met for Eddie's Toughman Title at the MECCA Challenge IV. Eddie barely scraped by with a victory, turning Alan's crippling Anklebreaker move into a pinning predicament. They continued to battle over the next few weeks on Go Time, prompting MECCA executor Katie Piehl to book a rematch at New Dawn, this time in a Ladder Match. In May of 2008, Matt Sydal announced that he was leaving MECCA for WWE. This brought about a change in attitude in Sydal, as the signing went to his head and he became too good for the promotion that made him. He no longer had time for old friends, including his tag team partner Delirious. When Delirious wanted to back him up in a match, Sydal grew angry that Delirious was even still hanging around him and attacked. Delirious would retaliate later in the night, but Sydal made a run for it. Katie Piehl booked him in his last match at New Dawn, which would be against his old partner. Results
New Dawn 2009BackgroundThe third annual New Dawn event was broadcast live on pay-per-view from the Gwinnett Center in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 30, 2009. The event theme was "Don't Wait Up for Me" by The Donnas. At The MECCA Challenge V, World Champion Anubis clashed with Eddie Crowe in the main event. Anubis barely managed to get by Crowe, thus retaining the title and breaking Eddie's record-setting reign of one year from when he held the title. Eddie asked MECCA executor Katie Piehl for a rematch at New Dawn, but Katie left it up to the champion. Anubis decided to test Eddie by telling him he could have another shot if he won a match of Anubis's choosing. After trying to screw him by forcing Eddie to face The Consulate in a Handicap Match, Katie Piehl told Anubis he could only choose one member to face Eddie. He wrestled Jamie Chan in the main event, but Anubis interfered and cost him the match. Katie intervened again, booking Eddie and The Briscoes against Anubis and Bloodlust in the next week's main event, and if Eddie scored the fall, he would face Anubis for the World Title at New Dawn. Eddie ended up submitting Torea during the match and getting his rematch. When The House of Lords was forced to break up due to being one of the losing teams in the Round Robin Faction War, Nykk & Ronin Fox wasted no time in staking their claim as the top team in MECCA by attacking their lifelong friends The Pyro Twins. The two teams faced off for the Pyro Twins' MECCA Tag Team Championship at the MECCA Challenge, which the Pyro Twins won. However, they also earned back the respect of Nykk and Fox. Though the two teams became involved in MECCA's feud with Ring of Honor over the next few weeks, Nykk and Fox wanted one more match with their old friends. They were granted a rematch against the Pyro Twins at New Dawn. By the time the MECCA Challenge ended, the ROH invasion was in full effect. Bryan Danielson and Delirious brought in Roderick Strong to help them to victory in a six-man tag match over MECCA at the event, and in the following weeks Davey Richards and former ROH World Champion Takeshi Morishima made their presence known. A number of wrestlers stepped up to defend MECCA, but Danielson reminded Nykk and Ronin Fox that they were unable to team with the Pyro Twins due to losing in the Round Robin Faction War. Since the Creation and the Pyro Twins already had business with each other, the winners of the Round Robin Faction War Epsilon Epsilon Epsilon stepped up to the plate and helped out against Team ROH. Another six-man tag was signed for New Dawn.
New Dawn 2010BackgroundThe fourth annual New Dawn event was broadcast live on pay-per-view from the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 29, 2010. At The MECCA Challenge VI, the World Champion Jamie Chan successfully defended his title, but also suffered damage to his ankle. This became apparent on the next episode of Go Time, when he rolled his ankle during a tag team match, leading to him taking a pin from Ryan Andrews. Andrews had been angling Katie Piehl to give him a title shot in a No DQ Mach ever since he was disqualified against the champion in his previous title match in March, using his win as proof he deserved one. Katie decided to give him the shot, but only if he got on the Contender Star. Andrews did so, but the very next week Chan revealed the extent of his ankle injury on the May 12 edition of Go Time. Andrews confronted him, and attacked him as he exited the ring, targeting his ankle with a chair. When Katie confronted him about this, Andrews proclaimed that if since he was the number one contender, Chan would have to forfeit the title to him if he couldn't compete at New Dawn. Katie agreed with this, but told him if he didn't win in his main event match against an opponent of her choosing he would be stripped of his contendership and not gain the title by forfeit. Andrews faced Ronin Fox at the end of the show and barely squeaked out a win to keep his spot at New Dawn. He was also confronted by an angered Alan Mayse, who was upset Ryan stole the victory from him back in the tag match where he initially pinned Chan, looking to use that to get a rematch for himself. To appease Alan, Andrews agreed to give him the first shot at the belt once he won it. Alan took that promise to heart, and right before the title match at New Dawn, attacked the champion in the locker room in an effort to injure him beyond the capability to compete. However, Chan turned the tables and rushed to the ring to face Ryan. After gaining a cheap victory over his former partner Jay Crowe at the MECCA Challenge, Dusty Schneble sought to put an end to his former best friend once and for all. A series of violent confrontations occurred, leading to Jay's brother Eddie Crowe stepping in to attempt to keep his brother and former friend Dusty from doing permanent damage to each other. In one confrontation, Jay accidentally hit his brother in the face with a fireball while he was trying to get to Dusty. Frustrated that he was making no headway, Eddie came back the very next week and attacked both men, saying that he got a Triangle Match between the three of them booked for New Dawn, and if he couldn't talk sense into them, he would beat it into them. On the April 21 edition of Go Time, Daizee Haze was brutally attacked by the Triumvirate with a kendo stick. She vowed revenge, and after Allison Danger lost the MECCA Ladies' World Championship at the MECCA Challenge, Daizee issued a challenge to her for New Dawn in a Falls Count Anywhere Match. Allison was originally reluctant, but Katie Piehl told her that if she accepted the challenge, she would get her rematch for the title. Allison agreed to the match, and Katie then revealed to Daizee that if she won, she would also get a title shot in the future.
New Dawn 2011BackgroundThe fifth annual New Dawn event was broadcast live on pay-per-view from the Agganis Arena in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 28, 2011. At The MECCA Challenge VII, Jamie Chan overcame all odds to defeat Jimmy Jacobs and wrest the MECCA World Championship from the grasp of The Absence of Light. Jacobs wanted his rematch, but did not count on his hired gun Jimmy Rave also wanting the same thing. Also at the MECCA Challenge, The Wild Wolf defeated and retired Nykk. Based on the strength of that win, a Four Corners match was booked for the main event of New Dawn, with Chan defending his newly won belt against Jacobs, Rave, and Wolf. For months, Icarus had been watching with envy as his tag partner Gran Akuma found singles success that he lacked. It came to a head when Icarus turned on his partner during the spring. Despite this, Akuma and his team made it to the finals of the Trios Tag League at the MECCA Challenge VII, with guaranteed title shots on the line. Not content just to betray his partner, Icarus interfered and attacked Akuma, causing him to lose the match for his team. Akuma wanted revenge, and a match against his former partner was made for New Dawn. For months, The Invincible Outlaws dominated the tag team division, but things started to fall apart during the winter months of 2011. Austin Lee and Anubis were at odds more frequently and beginning to lose their grip on domination, but found success by making it to the semi-finals of the Trios Tag League at Kick Start, along with their partner Ryan Andrews. But when they lost, Lee blamed Anubis for the match and slapped him, causing Anubis to lay him out. They met one another at the MECCA Challenge, with Austin getting the win after hiring Jimmy Rave to interfere. Anubis got the win back on the next episode of Go Time, but they weren't finished with one another yet. A rubber match was made for New Dawn on May 28.
New Dawn 2012BackgroundThe sixth annual New Dawn event was broadcast live on pay-per-view from the Odeum Expo Center in Chicago, Illinois, on May 26, 2012. At The MECCA Challenge VIII, Austin Lee finally achieved his goal of winning the MECCA World Championship when he defeated Eddie Crowe. However, there was controversy as the ref was taken down part way through the match, during which time Eddie had Austin down for a three count. Eddie's manager Nykk wasted no time in getting Eddie a rematch against Austin at New Dawn. On the May 9 episode of Go Time, Eddie cost Austin and his brother Tristan Lee a match against The Pyro Twins in their hometown of London, after which Eddie knocked Austin out once again with the title belt. Austin retaliated the next week by costing Eddie his singles match against Tristan, and returning the favor by knocking him out with the title. In response, MECCA's new authority Cynric made the title match at New Dawn into a Last Man Standing Match. At the MECCA Challenge, The Near Future won the Trios Tag League when their leader Marcus Kavian, who wasn't even in the match, attacked Anubis in the aisle, and along with Terrence Bolton rendered him unable to aid his teammates. As a result, Anubis blamed Kavian for the loss and sought a match with him. Having already beaten two former World Champions recently, Kavian said he had nothing to prove by beating Anubis and refused the challenge. However, he continued to antagonize Anubis as he faced his stablemate Bolton in singles action. On the May 23 episode of Go Time, Anubis confronted the Near Future and told Kavian that he would face him and Bolton in a handicap match at New Dawn if that would get him in the ring. Kavian eagerly accepted. Later in the night, Anubis attempted to save several men who were being beaten down by the Near Future after their six-man tag team main event, but Kavian and Bolton got the better of him, leaving the big man laying once again. At New Dawn, Anubis announced as he came out that his offer had been a ruse and he had a tag team partner in mind all along. He introduced his partner for the night, fellow Detroit native Alex Shelley. During the winter, Nykk had been attempting to court Gary Kopp and get him to join his friends and family in The Circle of Trust. This didn't sit well with Kopp or his tag team partner Jack Evans, and it seemed Kopp adamantly refused when he and Evans cost the Pyro Twins their match at Kick Start. This ignited a feud between the Pyro Twins and High Def, and they met at the MECCA Challenge. The Pyro Twins came out with the win, but High Def confronted them on the next episode of Go Time. Kopp made a show of wanting to fight right now, which distracted Evans long enough to get beaten down by the Circle of Trust while Kopp watched. Kopp shook hands with Nykk and then clocked Evans with the microphone himself before leaving with the Circle of Trust. The next week, Kopp revealed that he had beend disenchanted teaming with the reckless Evans for a while now, and the feud with the Pyro Twins really made him realize that. He felt he could be much more than part of a flippy tag team, so he got rid of Evans and went somewhere he belonged. Evans attacked Kopp the next week in retaliation, and despite being admonished by Cynric, a match was made between them for New Dawn. At the MECCA Challenge, Amazing Red made his return in the Battlebrawl match. He came to the aid of Ronin Fox on the following episode of Go Time in his feud against Marcus Kavian, and they beat Kavian and Terrence Bolton in tag team action. They received another win the next week, and Fox made the offer to Red to become a regular team and go after the tag belts. They were confronted by the Pyro Twins and The Dark City Fight Club, who both felt they deserved the next title shot. Cynric intervened, and made a Triangle tag match for the number one contendership on the May 16 episode of Go Time. Fox and Red won that match as well, and were slotted in to face The Peacemakers for the titles at New Dawn. The DCFC and the Pyro Twins blamed one another for their loss, and after a brawl erupted, the two teams were booked in a match against one another at the pay-per-view.
New Dawn 2013BackgroundThe seventh annual New Dawn event was broadcast live on pay-per-view from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri, on May 25, 2013. Marcus Kavian came out of The MECCA Challenge IX with the MECCA World Championship, but he had a new challenger to contend with. As per the stipulation, due to his victory in the MECCA Challenge Match, Brian Kendrick was set to face him at New Dawn for the title. But Eddie Crowe was unhappy about losing to Kavian at the MECCA Challenge without ever giving up, and his manager Nykk goaded Kendrick into putting his spot in the main event of New Dawn on the line against Eddie and Kavian in a Triangle Match. But Kendrick won the match, and opened a few eyes by beating the World Champion to do so. Though they shared a mutual respect, things quickly broke down between them. What was business became personal when they teamed against The Pyro Twins on the May 22 episode of Go Time. Kendrick accidentally cost Kavian the match, and Kavian confronted him about it backstage. Kendrick told him it was an accident, but he would show him what a real cheapshot felt like. A brawl broke out, and the two had to be separated by officials. For Eddie Crowe, he not only felt foolish losing the Triangle Match on May 1, but the next week he was pinned in a tag team match by Marcus Kavian's Near Future stablemate Brandon Blade. Eddie was embarrassed at losing to someone he felt was so far beneath him, and challenged Blade to another match on the spot, but more chaos broke out between the Circle of Trust and the Near Future, preventing the challenge from being accepted. A one on one encounter was quickly signed for New Dawn, and the feud between the two factions heated up over the next couple of weeks. Blade stated that he was going to make an impact by beating a former World Champion, while Eddie stated that he was going to wash away his embarrassment and rectify what he felt was a fluke pinfall. The Lee Brothers held the MECCA World Tag Team Championship up until Six-Man Melee, where they lost it to the Pyro Twins. The Lees had to go on a long journey to get their rematch, and suffered their share of setbacks. But when they won the tag team battle royale at the MECCA Challenge IX, MECCA Authority Cynric named them number one contenders to the Pyro Twins and set their title rematch for New Dawn. The Circle of Trust wasted no time in striking, attacking the Lees backstage on the May 8 episode of Go Time. The Lees responded by coming out to help Brandon Blade at the end of the show, attacking the Pyro Twins and touching off another brawl. As a result, Cynric made their title match at New Dawn into a Texas Tornado Match.
New Dawn 2014BackgroundThe eighth annual New Dawn event was broadcast live on pay-per-view from the Gersten Pavilion in Los Angeles, California, on May 31, 2014. At The MECCA Challenge X, Torea retained MECCA World Championship in one of the toughest matches of his life. On the following episode of Go Time he was immediately confronted by The Wild Wolf and Jack Evans in a two on one situation. Torea's friend Drake Younger made the save, and a tag team match was set up for the main event. After Torea and Younger won the match, however, Younger suddenly turned on his friend and left him laying. Younger's new attitude was on full display the next week when he reinjured Brandon Blade's knee and made his challenge to Torea for the World Title at New Dawn. Torea acknowledged that this was personal and he may be playing into Younger's hands, but didn't hesitate in accepting the challenge anyway. Back at Six-Man Melee, Nykk and The Circle of Trust turned on The Pyro Twins, kicking them out of the group and putting them out of action after a brutal beatdown. The Pyro Twins responded by facing the Circle of Trust at the MECCA Challenge X and winning the MECCA World Tag Team Championship. But it was clear that both teams were not finished with one another, as the Pyro Twins wanted Nykk's head on a platter and the Circle of Trust wanted their rematch for the belts. But in return, Jay Crowe and Dusty Schneble wanted five minutes alone with Nykk in the ring if they won. After an ambush that saw Dusty put through a table backstage, the Pyro Twins requested that their rematch at New Dawn be a Tables Match. Nykk eagerly agreed, saying that the Circle of Trust just proved there was no way the Pyro Twins could get one up on them again. Prior to Aaron Glover getting a shot at the MECCA Legacy Championship against Jack Evans on May 7, Marcus Kavian warned Evans's running buddy the Wild Wolf to stay out of it or suffer the consequences. Wolf interfered in the match anyway, and had to be chased off by Kavian. They met the next week in the main event, and Wolf scored the victory and took Kavian's spot on the Contender Star after interference from Drake Younger. Kavian wasted no time in requesting a rematch, and received one at New Dawn. Kavian was on a mission to get his spot back, while Wolf aimed to do whatever he could to keep it and go on to challenge for the World Title down the line.
New Dawn 2015BackgroundThe ninth annual New Dawn event was broadcast live on pay-per-view from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 30, 2015. Though he lost his MECCA Legacy Championship at The MECCA Challenge XI, Terrence Bolton was not going to let that stop his upward trajectory. On the May 6 episode of Go Time, he won a Supernova Spectacle to make earn himself a shot at the MECCA World Championship at New Dawn. He would be up against the man who had just won the title for the second time at the MECCA Challenge, Torea. They met in tag team action on May 19, with Torea teaming with Brian Kendrick to take on Bolton and his frequent tag partner Marcus Kavian. Torea would come out on top, but Bolton gained his revenge the next week. He ambushed Torea after his match and locked in the Serpentine, forcing Torea to tap out and proving that he could very well defeat him when they met for the title. In April, Brandon Blade looked to raise his stock and take a spot at the top of the card by challenging MECCA icon Fenris. Fenris seemed to take the challenge as a personal insult, and when it came time for their match, Fenris ambushed Blade, injuring him and forcing officials to cancel the match. They would eventually meet at the MECCA Challenge XI, where Blade scored a huge upset by pinning Fenris in the middle of the ring. Fenris didn't take kindly to this, however, and once again took out Blade following the match. They got into it again on the following episode of Go Time, prompting a rematch to be booked for New Dawn. They would meet in tag team action on May 26, but neither man was able to get the win over one another, as Blade's partner Chris Peake would pin Fenris's partner Alex Shelley, leading to a match between those two being added to New Dawn as well. At Kick Start, Ryan Andrews was betrayed by his former friend and tag team partner Jimmy Rave, who seemingly cost Andrews his Legacy Title match against Terrence Bolton by accident, but then attacked him afterwards. Andrews was angry and heartbroken, and wanted his payback on Rave as well as the title. He got his chance at the MECCA Challenge in a Triangle Match, but in the end Rave was able to pin Andrews in dubious fashion to win the match and walk out with the title. Andrews was not finished with Rave yet, however, and wanted his shot at Rave one on one. He won a petition match on the May 12 episode of Go Time, giving him the right to a shot at the Legacy Championship. The match was then made for New Dawn, live on pay-per-view.
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