The date was December 26, 2009. It was a cold, blizzard filled night in Berwyn, Illinois. Despisite the weather outside, AAW presented Twisted Christmas, a 4 ½ show that featured a 60 minute draw and fans turning on the main event. Wait. That was a horrible dream I had. All jokes aside, the blizzard sucked for anyone who would have had to drive in it, and I can’t blame anyone for saying to hell with it. Still, there was a show to put on, and one of the best parts about the independent wrestling business is it doesn’t revolve around guy.
–Taped from Berwyn Illinois
-Your hosts are Phil Colvin and Derek St. Holmes
-Open with a Silas Young and Irish Airborne promo. They’ll be facing Tyler Black, Jimmy Jacobs, and Shane Hollister in the main event. Young says the joke is on those three because the wrestling business isn’t about respect. No shit.
Chandler McClure gives a present to Jordan McEntyre, Knight Wagner, and Johnny Wisdom. All the Chan Clan has to do is win their matches. This could be a challenge.
-Jay Bradley vs. Krotch vs. Shiima Xion vs. Knight Wagner
The action is far too fast to even try and call in this match. Just know this match consists of Jay Bradley beating the bajesus out of three other guys, and believe me when I say there is nothing wrong with this. When Bradley isn’t in, none of the other three can maintain a solid advantage. The other three men smarten up and team up ever so briefly to take Bradley out of the match. Xion gets a crucifix bomb for two before getting a crossface on Krotch. Crossface on Wagner before Bradley comes back in and clears the ring. Not good for anyone involved. Superkick from Xion puts the big man down with a superkick. The other three men fight amongst themselves again. Xion hits a nice facecrusher before eating a LARIAT. That ends everyone’s night.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Jay Bradley/6:43/*1/2
-Nothing all that special here. Just a way to remind everyone Jay Bradley is still alive and like to clothesline people into oblivion.
-House of Truth promo from earlier in the day. Able and Raymond gave their manager, Truth Martini, the night off. They attack one of the Phoenix Twins outside the Eagles club. Actual quote from Christian Able: “Santa Claus isn’t real, but The House of Truth is.” Sorry you had to find that out this way Kevin.
Faith in Nothing (Christian Faith and Vincent Nothing) vs. Zero Gravity (Brett Gakiya and C.J. Esparza)
These are two pretty good midwest tag teams. This one gets started right away. Faith tries a wheelbarrow by both members, but he gets armdragged by both men. The tag rule goes completely out the window, even early on in the match. Faith in Nothing then start double-teaming Gakiya. Faith in Nothing breaks out some of their cool-looking offense. If this team doesn’t start receiving bigger opportunities in independent wrestling, then there is something wrong. Esparza finally tags in and missile dropkicks Faith. Rally doesn’t last long as he eats an exploder from Nothing. Now Esparza plays face in peril. Gravity has had roughly no sustained offense in this match. Interesting to see that the team that’s been around AAW is getting dominated. Gravity finally gets back into it and does a series of fake-outs before Esparza dives on top of both men. All four men end up in the ring and Gakiysa hits a reverse rana on Faith. Just as the match is getting really good, Silas Young and Irish Airborne run in to put an end the festivities. Least this makes sense since Airborne lost to Gravity the previous month.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: None/10:00 (never heard an ending bell)/*3/4
-Silas Young at least cuts a good bitter promo about the tag match cutting I nto his interview time. He rips the fans and says he beat all three of their opponents at the last show.
-Jimmy Jacobs promo with Shane Hollister and Tyler Black in the background. Least the guy who should be talking is talking. This has been a depressing month for Jacobs. He must have watched Final Battle 2009 and wondered what the hell happened too. Actually, he’s depressed about what happened the previous month and how lost the title. He says he’s going to wreck Young. Shit’s going down in the main event methinks.
-The Chan Clan (Jordan McEntyre and Johnny Wisdom)(w/Chandler McClure) vs. Tweek Phoenix
You know the Chan Clan are jobbers because they lose this handicap match in short order. Tweek barely breaks a sweat in this contest. Chan Clan = FAIL.
-Winner(s)/Time/Rating: Tweek Phoenix/3:23/1/2*
-Colt Cabana promo. He talks about being proud of the Heritage championship and breaks kayfabe by announcing the interview took place hours before the show.
-Aeroform (Louis Lyndon and Flip Kendrickvs. The House of Truth (Josh Raymond and Christian Able)
31:32
Lyndon and Able exchange armdrags before Able uses his power to take control of the match. Lyndon counters with some speed moves, including a series of roll-ups that only get two. Monkey flip attemptbut Able puts him the corner. Lyndon screams at him and Able gets scared. These two have been going a long time with no tag. Snapmare followed by a rake of the eyes by Able. Lyndon counters a slingshot into one of his own. Tarantula leads to Kendrick dropkicking Raymond and following that up with a headscissors Kendrick finally tags in and hits a standing shooting star press. Kendrick allowed Raymond to tag in at last. Both men try… something. That’s a screw-up. Kendrick DDTs his neck on the top rope and hits a rana. Dropkick. Kendrick flips way too much. All four men inside briefly. Able is sent outside and Aeroform hit a double dropkick. Aeroform remain in control Lyndon takes too much time on the top rope. Able backdrops Lyndon in the corner. Now it’s the House of Truth’s turn. Josh Raymond, to garner heat, teases but doesn’t do “YEAH!” Tweek Phoenix comes out and wants at HoT, but members of the AAW staff are out with him. Raymond goes after him and Able becomes distracted. Kendrick almost steals a roll-up out of it. It quickly goes back to HoT beating Lyndon up. Hot tag made and Kendrick comes oh so close to getting the win with a spiral tap. Mason Beck puts the foot on the ropes, and Lyndon repays him by diving on him. Kendrick goes up again, but Able catches him into a Death Valley Driver. Blind tag to Lyndon and he also goes wild on HoT. A dragon suplex gets two. Able counters a dive, and a Tower of Truth ends Aeroform’s evening.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: House of Truth/18:55/**3/4
-One of the weaker defenses for this group. Much of the blame should be placed on Aeroform’s sloppiness and also for going nearly 20 minutes. Yeesh. I know the card ended up being short enough, but in no way are Aeroform ready to go this long.
-Dan Lawrence vs. Mason Beck
Lawrence has been around for quite a long time in this company, but he seems to be stuck in the midcard, while Mason Beck is in the HoT as their token singles wrestler. Neither has exactly impressed me… until this match. These two had a fun intense brawl. Lawrence was about as crisp as I’ve ever seen him, and Beck provided a great base for the high-flying stuff. Beck also does a tremendous fallaway slam a few minutes into the match that would make Scott Hall blush. Finally, Lawrence introduces a steel chair and works over Beck’s surgically repaired ankle. The rest of the HoT run in and Able throws a chair into Lawencce’s face. Splash mountain gets three.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Mason Beck/8:13/**3/4
-HoT continue beating Lawrence up. Tweek Phoenix runs out to make the save and challenges the HoT to a six man tag. Able turns down the challenge until they can talk with Truth Martini about it. I see nothing wrong with this.
-Gotta watch what I say for the next segment. A girl dressed as “Santa’s Little Helper” distributes presents to the audience. Danny Daniels is quite angry that there is room for this girl passing out presents but not for him. He piledrives the girl. That’s about all I have to say about that segment.
-AAW Heritage Championship: Colt Cabana (champion) vs. Arik Cannon
Speaking of segments I don’t want to talk about… it’s time for another Colt Cabana match. Cannon tries to take a cheap shot, but he punches Colt in the stomach while forgetting Cabana is still wearing the belt. Cabana uses the towel once again to gain an early advantage. Things settle into a normal wrestling match. Heaven forbid we get a serious match from Colt Cabana, especially in the semi-main event. Series of roll-ups only get two. Thumb to the eye delivered by Cannon. He chokes and chops his way through the next couple minutes. Cabana with chops to the midsection. Cannon quickly comes back with an elbow to the back. Outside briefly before Cannon brings Colt inside and chokes him with his wrist tape. Stiff right into a standing Indian deathlock. More work on the left leg by Cannon. Cannon comes off the second rope at one point and gets two boots to the face. Cabana with rights, and the last couple minutes of leg work are down the drain. Big elbow and a karate like thrust. Series of them broken by Cannon. Standing flying asshole gets two for Cabana. Back and forth until Cannon gets a near three with his neckbreaker off the ropes. Cannon gets kicked in the face, and Cabana introduces the towel once again. Cabana gets another roll-up with the towel. I’m so glad this 14 month title reign of Cannon’s has now led to Cannon losing twice because of a towel. I’m just glad Cannon is ready to EVOLVE!
–Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Colt Cabana/13:59/**
-Crowd likes Cabana. I keep having to tell myself that, so his Heritage title reign doesn’t end up angering me too much.
Silas Young and Irish Airborne (Jake and Dave Crist) vs. Shane Hollister, Jimmy Jacobs, and Tyler Black
After a night of decent action, these two teams put on a really good six man tag team match to end the night. It was actually perfect because AAW got to send the fans home happy by having the babyfaces win, and they easily set up a match for the next show. It started out hot with the six men brawling before settling down into a traditional tag team match. The pacing and intensity showed by both sides was tremendous as they shifted away from any semblance of tagging in and out with each other and going into the sort of ending sequence that you would see in Dragon Gate or Ring of Honor. Jacobs ends the match by using a contra code on Young, and it was announced shortly thereafter that they would battle for the championship one month later.
–Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Jimmy Jacobs, Shane Hollister, and Tyler Black/24:33/***3/4
-Really dug this match, and I hope if AAW does some sort of sampler or “Best of 2009” that this gets included on that disc.
-No ending series of promos cause it’s fucking snowing and everyone (especially the wrestlers) wants to go home.
Final Thoughts: Six matches on the show were okay to pretty good. The main event elevated the show tremendously, and I’d definitely recommend seeing that match for sure. The rest of show? Not so much. I wouldn’t recommend this show as a whole, but it’s at least a fast two hours and there is a main event worth watching.
