AAW Reign of Violence 2010 Review

It’s The Christian Able show… starring CHRISTIAN ABLE! YYYYYYYYYYYEAH!
-Taped from Berwyn, Illinois
-Your hosts are Phil Colvin and Derek St. Holmes
-Chris Hall vs. Kyle Haven
Because certain wrestlers couldn’t get themselves airborne for this show, I’m stuck watching a Chris Hall match again. Damn Irish. If you want to picture Chris Hall, picture Mantaur minus the facepaint and Jim Cornette. St. Holmes made the comparison, not me. I was also thinking a bigger CW Anderson. Kyle Haven is a random indy geek with a cowboy hat. Yee haw. Haven falls off the second rope. Sloppy backbreaker and a sloppy curtain call gets three. Phil Colvin: Mercifully, it’s over. Amen Phil.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Chris Hall/3:08/1/4*
-Valerie Malone brings out Ryan Boz to make the announcement he was planning on making before being rudely interrupted by Jeff Brooks at Scars and Stripes. Boz announces his retirement due to a series of setbacks involving a biceps injury that goes back to a January 2009 “I Quit” match with Jimmy Jacobs. His one regret is not winning the AAW title. I smell an angle. And indeed. Here comes AAW Heavyweight champion Silas Young.  They go back and forth as Young says Boz isn’t his league. Slap across the face. Whoops. Val Malone exits the ring. Spit in the face. Boz takes the champion down. Big old brawl. Beel. Young barely gets out of the Boz driver as he departs the ring. Boz blocks Young from leaving. Young goes underneath the ring. He comes back out with a hammer and lays Boz out. Boz bleeds. You might notice Silas Young’s associates were not helping. Not that they were needed anyway.
-Derek St. Holmes interviews P.J. Drummond, the lead referee. I’ve certainly seen worse. Drummond says the referees will not tolerate abuse and there will be clean and decisive finishes. Keep that in mind later.
-Larry Sweeney (ICW-ICWA Texarna Television Champion) vs. Dan Lawrence
AIN’T NO DOUBT ABOUT IT! This is Sweeney’s first time wrestling in 14 months. The good news he’s as entertaining and bombastic as ever. The bad news is he isn’t in the best shape. His pre-match promo where he turned heel on the crowd was fantastic. This is a non-title match because Berwyn surely doesn’t deserve to see a title of this caliber defended.  Lawrence and Sweeney take turns getting their props from the crowd. This is about as basic a match as you can possibly have, and that’s what makes it fantastic. Lawrence controls early, but Sweeney continues powdering outside as the announcers debate the merits of the Texarcana title. Lawrence sends Sweeney into the top turnbuckle multiple times. Strikes in the corner. Sweeney rips at the eyes. Elbow to the back of the head. Deposits Lawrence outside. Knocks Lawrence off the apron. He gets into it with PJ Drummond. Drummond shoves back. Sweeney attacks Lawrence outside the ring again. Sweeney sends Lawrence into the barricade. Lawrence with series of right hands. Sends Sweeney into the barricade twice. Sweeney kicks the middle rope and krotches Lawrence. Irish whip. Lawrence goes goes for a sunset flip. Sweeney drops down and gets a nearfall. Choke along the middle rope. Strikes along the ropes. Off the ropes. Another sunset flip and we get to see Larry Sweeney’s ass in all its glory. Back suplex by Sweeney. Must be a full moon in Berwyn tonight. Bearhug. Lawrence with fists. Sweeney with a leg lariat. Clothesline. To the top rope. Crossbody? No idea what happened. Gets a two count anyway.  Sweeney’s pants come up but he makes sure to put them back down. Backbreaker and DDT. Shoulder tackle. Running splash for two. Announcers blatantly ignore this match. Shot in the corner. Whip in the corner. Lawrence gets a boot up. Victory roll gets three. Phil Colvin: Lawrence mercifully ends it. Amen again brother.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Dan Lawrence/11:06/**3/4
-Christian Able is all alone. No Truth Martini or Josh Raymond. If he wins his four corner survival later on this evening, he’ll get a title match of his choice. Able announces he’ll be going for the tag team title with Raymond to go up against Age of the Fall.
-Louis Lyndon vs. Trik Davis
Basic to start. Crowd doesn’t know who to cheer for since both men are babyfaces. And really, I’m not sure how well the Trik Davis face turn is working. Just a tough match for the Berwyn faithful to get into. Lyndon sweeps the leg and hits a springboard dropkick. Bicycle kick, but Davis swings him down. Snap suplex into a bridge. Knees to the back. Modified waistlock. Lyndon elbows out of it. Davis hits a back elbow of his own. Stomp. Lyndon with shots to the midsection. Forearms. Into the corner. Davis follows and catches him. Hurancanrana. Reverse spin kick. Dragon suplex attempt. Davis with a judo throw. Dragon suplex finally hit by Lyndon. Charge into the corner. Jumping kick on the apron. Springboard. Davis hits a lungblower. 1-2-NO! Davis goes for a rocker dropper. Lyndon gets a backslide for three.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Louis Lyndon/5:33/*1/2
-Decent match. Didn’t really get a whole lot of time nor did they screw anything up. Good to see them pushing Lyndon though.
-Winner gets a title shot of their choice: Christian Able vs. Bret Gakiya vs. CJ Esparza vs. Flip Kendrick
Very interesting match here as you’ve got an entire team out there while Kendrick and Able are representing their own teams. Raymond wasn’t able to come to the show due to some injury issues. This is the second time Able has been seen on the show. Wouldn’t be the last. Hence my introduction. Feeling out process before Zero Gravity is tagged in to wrestle each other. Nothing too major happens because they’re partners, and why would they fight. Able comes from behind and clotheslines both men. Gravity with a double elbow. Alley oop into a rana by Gakiya. Double team kick. Able shoves Gakiya and tags Kendrick. Flippy stuff as you might expect. Big dropkick by Kendrick. Irish whip. Gakiya ducks. Flapjack by Kendrick. Able breaks up the count, drags Gakiya into his corner, and tags in. Chop. Forearm in the corner. Big fist to the face. Kendrick out of the lawn dart. Headscissors. Kick to the leg. Standing senton for two. Able hits a neckbreaker. Knee drops. Off the ropes with one more short knee drop. Snapmare. Kick to the face. Chop in the corner. Another misses. Kendrick delivers some of his own. Able with a kick. Twisting fisherman buster. Gravity breaks the count. Japanese stranglehold by Able. Kendrick with a kick. Elbow by Able. Press slam into the corner. YEAH! Esparza with a tag. Springboard dropkick. Back elbow. Clothesline. Leg lariat. Forearms. Able grabs him and gets a European uppercut to the back of the head. Facebuster by Esparza. Twisting splash for two. Flip back in the ring. Esparza with a kick. Kendrick goes for an O’Connor roll. Dive by Gakiya. Esparza dropkicks Kendrick out of the ring. Esparza with a dive. Able in the ring. Catches Esparza in a powerbomb. Lawn dart. Off the ropes with a clothesline. Kendrick with a blind tag. Facebuster as Able had him in a wheelbarrow. Gakiya with a sunset bomb. 1-2-NO! Flippy cup on Kendrick. Deadlift release German suplex sends Zero Gravity into each other. Running lariat on Kendrick gets three.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Christian Able/11:07/**
-Dan Lawrence talks about being on a roll after having defeated Sweeney. He also hasn’t forgotten about AAW champion Silas Young and getting another title match down the road.
-Mason Beck (w/Val Malone) vs. Juice Robinson
JUICE IS BACK! Finally. Let the rebuilding of Mason Beck as a legitimate singles competitor begin once again. Crowd actually gets behind Beck. I was interested to see how Robinson would develop in AAW, and it’s unfortunate he hasn’t been around much the last year. This is an extended squash for Beck. He gets a huge powerbomb that puts Juice Robinson out of his misery in just under five minutes.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating:  Mason Beck/4:58/*
-Time for the return of former AAW manager Joey Eastman. He is the former manager of such tag teams as the Northstar Express and Phoenix Twins. He guided both teams to tag team title gold before being taken out some 18 months ago. While he was a heel manager before, he’s now back as a babyface and wants to manage a new tag team to championship gold. Christian Able comes out to inform Eastman of the team that is now considered the best in AAW, that being the House of Truth. Great promo and delivery. Then  things turn physical. Able punches Eastman in the face. Eastman is busted wide open as Able delivers even more punches to the forehead. One final punch before the usual band of idiots stop the madness. Good to see the bombastic Eastman back. Interactions with Truth Martini should prove fruitful.
-Tyler Black promo. Tonight is likely his last opportunity to become the heavyweight champion of AAW before heading to Florida for WWE developmental.  Gah, his talking in backstage promos is weak. If he fixed that aspect of his game, he’d be one of the top stars in any company within a couple years.
-The Chan Clan (Chandler McClure, Knight Wagner, and Jordan McEntyre)(w/Ms. Eryn) vs. Samuray Del Sol, MsChif, and Krotch (w/Scarlett)
McEntyre starts quickly on Del Sol. Headscissors and a dropkick by Del Sol. Double snapmare as Krotch comes in. He sits down on McEntyre. McEntyre comes back. McClure tags in and accidentally smacks McEntyre in the face. Headscissors by MsChif, who tagged in behind the heels back. She turns McClure inside out and applies a modified Indian deathlock. A human centipede develops as five people lock in submissions. Babyfaces all hold the top rope down so the heels end up outside. Del Sol teases a dive, but the heels put Ms. Eryn in front of them. Scarlett walks over. Yeah, I’d put my life savings on Ms. Eryn kicking Scarlett’s ass. Heat segment on Del Sol.  Wagner says he’s going to drop a leg drop. Kick to the face and a headscissors. Hot tag to Krotch. Series of right hands on Wagner. Wagner takes him over. Krotch with a sit down for two. McClure breaks the count and hits a spinning bulldog. Rings of Saturn. MsChif distracts the referee. Code Red for two. McEntyre goes for a tiger driver. Settles for a superkick right in the face. Del Sol attacks and hits a spinning enziguri on McEntyre. Huge dive takes them both out. Wagner in the ring. Kick to the midsection. Knee lift off the ropes. He yells at St. Holmes. Wagner with a spinning kick to the face. Miss Eryn goes into her dress for a chain. Wagner takes the chain and prepares to use it. St. Holmes from behind with a shot to the face.  Mist to the face by MsChif. Sliced bread number two by Krotch. All three members of the babyface team cover Wagner for the three count.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Samuray Del Sol, MsChif, and Krotch/8:31/*1/2
-Mediocore match. Not much to say.

–Advertisement for Bryan Danielson’s return to AAW. The next day (literally) Danielson returned to WWE at Summerslam, and his appearance with AAW was cancelled shortly thereafter. Really unfortunate because I wanted to see a rematch with Silas Young for the AAW title. Would have been nice. Oh wait. He’s still gotta get through tonight. Let’s pretend Tyler isn’t leaving for WWE for a second and say he has chance of winning the main event.
-AAW Heavyweight Championship: Silas Young (champion) vs. Tyler Black (AAW Tag Team Champion)
Hard lock-up to start the match. Into the corner. Young breaks clean. Another lock-up and Black breaks clean this time. Extended feeling our sequence as they exchange various holds. Young hits a shoulder tackle. Black goes for a hip toss, but Young ends up right on his feet. Black shoulder tackle off the ropes. Leapfrogs by Young. Black steps on his face but misses the big stomp. Each man applies a wristlock. Series of pinfalls by both men. Black goes for a figure four leglock. Chop by Black. Back to the arm. Young rolls through, but Black keeps the pressure on. Young with a strike to the leg. Forearm in the corner. Irish whip. Black ducks and hits a dropkick. Again grabbing the arm. Young takes Black in the corner by the hair. Shoulder tackle. Elbow to the back of the head. Forearm. Whip in the corner. Black goes up and over. Snapmare and a stomp to the face. Kick to the midsection. Young quickly gets out of the bucklebomb. Black goes for a dive. Young hits Black upside the head. He goes for a running knee. Black knocks him down. Dive misses. Young send Black hard into the guard rail. Young sends Black into the ring for two count. Young gets a knee to the back. Stomps in the corner. More shots to the back. Vertical suplex blocked. Into the corner for more shoulder tackles. Black gets his boot up. Full nelson bomb. Headbutts to the back of the skull. 1-2-no. Black uses elbows. He charges and nails his shoulder against the post. Young with a roll-up for two. Shots to the back by Young. Black counters a third strike to the back with an elbow. He fires way, but the champion tosses him outside. Black is injured on the floor. Young chokes the challenger. Young jaws with some members of the crowd. Black tries to defend himself. Young with a sitting clothesline. Into the turnbuckle goes Black. More trash talking by the champion before sending Black into the turnbuckle some more. Charge misses. Black with a pair of clotheslines. Irish whip and a back drop. Springboard moonsault but Black lands on the back of his neck. Young covers for two. That botch seemed purposefully done. Back suplex attempt by Young. Black out into one of his own. Lionsault hits this time. 1-2-no. Black gets himself all fired up. Charging forearm. Neckbreaker.   1-2-no. Shot to the face. Irish whip. Black flips over. Big running boot. To the top rope. Young pushes the referee into the ropes. Black nails Black off the apron. Into the stairs goes Black. Choke with the tape. Clubbering blow. He drives Black into the ring apron. Chop. Black fires with one of his own. Young with a kick to the midsection. Into the ring for a two count. Drive of Black’s face into the champion’s knee. Another one.  Black counters a third one into a back suplex. Black goes for a kick. Young flips up and hits a lariat. Two count. Chinlock. Right hand exchange. Into the fireman’s carry. Black gets an O’Connor roll. Rolls through and just deposits the champion to the floor. Dive hits this time. Young sent back in the ring. Two count. Into the corner. Young takes him over. Black hits an enziguri. Springboard lariat for two. Black tries to lift him. Young powerslam. 1-2-NO! Young goes for a back suplex. Black headlocks out. Young gets a kick to the face. Black follows him. Peroxism. 1-2-NO! Black goes to the top. Black nails him. They battle. Black headbutts him down. Frog splash met with knees. Boot to the face. Black no sells. Backbreaker/clothesline combo. 1-2-NOOO! Fireman’s carry. Finlay roll. Springboard moonsault misses. Black slides into a schoolboy cover. Kick to the head. Incredible. Off the ropes. Young locks a sleeper.  Black’s hand drops twice. After getting his arm up, Black with a pele. Young gets caught between the top and middle rope. Back in he comes. F-5. 1-2-NO! Bucklebomb attempt. Young ranas Black into the middle turnbuckle. Finlay roll. Springboard moonsault. 1-2-NOOOO! Young puts Black on the top rope. Blow to the face. Young with a chop. He joins Black on the top rope. Superplex attempt. Black sunsets out. Bucklebomb! Superkick turned into an O’Connor roll. Young holds the middle rope. Referee sees it and breaks the count. Black sends the champion outside. Heads to the top rope. They battle. Superplex. They small package each other, and P.J. Drummond has no choice but to count all four shoulders down.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: No-contest (Silas Young retains)/30:01/****1/4
-I almost wish AAW could put all of their main events on one DVD because they’ve had an incredible run. This is one of the best pure wrestling matches AAW has had all year. This didn’t have a breakneck pace, nor did it involve two guys kicking out of each other’s finishers. This was just a great professional wrestling match. Did the ending suck? Kind of. But AAW literally had no alternative. There’s no way Black could possibly win the title because he’s on the way out. Not to mention Black still can’t lose because he was the Ring of Honor world champion. My feelings about the finish are neutralized by just how amazing this match turned out to be. I liked how every time Black seemed to gain the advantage, Young would do something to counter. Amazing to think only one of these guys is getting a shot at the big time. Young has had a tremendous run with the AAW championship, and it’s a damn shame he hasn’t got more credit than he has for putting on a series of excellent wrestling matches. Props to both guys for saving this show and taking it up to a minor thumbs up all by itself.
-Black didn’t come for a 30 minute draw, but Able comes out to lay in a beatdown on Black. Young goes outside to celebrate his retaining of the championship. Able just wants the tag titles back, and he makes it official. House of Truth vs. Age of the Fall on September 24. Able takes his belt out to choke Black out. Black hits a bucklebomb and superkick to send the fans home happy.
-Larry Sweeney cuts a strong, scary promo about losing to Dan Lawrence. A little creepy but he showed why he’s one of the best promos in professional wrestling. The goofiness wasn’t there, but what an amazing bit of business here.
-Louis Lyndon calls out Arik Cannon. No way he’s topping what Sweeney did.
-Christian Able, who doesn’t much of a voice after all the talking he’s done tonight, talks about September 24. That’s the night when House of Truth will wrestle for the AAW tag team championships against Age of the Fall.
-Before the last promo, let’s talk about Christian Able for a second. This should be sent as a memo to the national companies for how to make a star in one night. Granted, Martini and Raymond weren’t in the building, but instead of hiding the one member of H.o.T who was there, they showcased him five different times. He cut multiple promos that were all excellent. He dominated three smaller men to earn a title shot. He beat up Joey Eastmen, went after Tyler Black, and even set up the next show by announcing when he was cashing in his title match. AAW did a great job showcasing someone who I think will be in WWE sooner rather than later. Able did a great job taking the ball and running with it.
-Tyler Black is a bit depressed about losing his heavyweight title match, but he’s now ready to defend the AAW tag team titles one more time with long-time friend and foe Jimmy Jacobs.
Final Thoughts: Let’s not kid ourselves. Other than Christian Able’s presence, Larry Sweeney’s promos, and the main event, this was not an A show by any stretch of the imagination. For the second time this year, AAW was extremely fortunate to have a main event that made the entire DVD worth 15 dollars. Black and Young had one of the best matches of the year, and I seriously doubt anyone has seen it. I’d recommend checking this out as soon as you can. It’s such a great wrestling match and very different than what you’ll see main eventing a lot of other indy (or WWE or TNA) shows. You can also see how to build a star in one night with Christian Able popping in everywhere. And Larry Sweeney? He might be messed up but damn if he still can’t cut a great promo.
For more information on AAW and their upcoming shows (including the return of Austin Aries in October!), check out AAW’s Website. To buy this and many otherAAW DVDs, check out Smart Mark Video. To read past AAW reviews, check out my AAW blog. Below is a list of contact information for both the website and me.
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