Broadview Heights, OH – 8.20.2010
Commentary is provided by Matt Wadsworth. Agent Aaron Bauer joins him for the main event.
Cloudy vs. Dalton Castle
Castle kicks Cloudy, fed up with his shenanigans. Cloudy takes Castle down with an armdrag. Cloudy sends Castle to the floor with a headscissors and dropkick. Castle chases Cloudy around the bar in which the show is taking place. Back in the ring, Castle headbutts Cloudy in the mid-section. Castle hits a clothesline for two. Castle throws Cloudy overhead with a gut wrench powerbomb for two. Cloudy evades a clothesline in the corner and hits a missile dropkick. Castle slams Cloudy for two. Castle puts Cloudy in a modified STF, transitioning into a headlock. Cloudy escapes and drops Castle with an ace crusher. Castle reverses an Irish whip, but beefs it in the corner. Cloudy hits him with shotgun knees and sunset flips him off the top rope for two. Castle comes back with a Chaos Theory for the pin at 6:50. Cloudy and Castle did a good job breaking out of their tag team shell and putting on a fun opening contest. The fans responded to everything they did and the match flowed really well. **1/2
Marion Fontaine vs. Bobby Beverly
Beverly is accompanied by his partner Eric Ryan. Fontaine takes the early lead, getting the crowd behind him. Fontaine and Beverly trade waistlocks multiple times. Fontaine gives Beverly an airplane spin and an ace crusher. He follows up with a senton for two. Ryan distracts Fontaine, allowing Beverly to kick Fontaine’s legs out and dropkick him in the head. Beverly sends Fontaine to the floor so Ryan can get a few shots in. Beverly lights up Fontaine with chops in the corner. Fontaine turns him around and lays in some chops of his own. Beverly suplexes Fontaine for two. Beverly hits a second suplex for two. Fontaine tries a sunset flip but gets two. Fontaine ducks a bulldog lariat. He comes back with an Olympic Slam and standing moonsault for two. Eric Ryan shoves Fontaine off the rope and mocks him with a hip swivel. Beverly gets upset with Ryan because he feels Ryan stole the hip swivel from him. While they’re arguing, Fontaine kicks Beverly low and superkicks Ryan so that he gives Beverly a DDT. Fontaine picks up the pinfall at 8:03. Fun match, but the shenanigans took away from the overall experience at points. However, we continue to see the cracks in Ryan and Beverly’s relationship which is the real point of the bout. **1/4
TJ Dynamite vs. Chest Flexor
So I finally get the explanation for while Flexor is now rich in this match; he has two contracts with AIW after winning a second, and gets paid double for each match he wins. Dynamite sends Flexor to the floor with a dropkick. Flexor catches him back in the ring with a back suplex. Flexor backdrops Dynamite for two. Flexor chokes Dynamite in the corner. Flexor takes him over with a suplex and hits a side slam for two. Dynamite misses a knee strike in the corner. Dynamite comes off the second rope with a dropkick. Dynamite follows up with a gut buster. The gut buster was so severe, that Flexor cannot continue. The bell is called, giving the win to Dynamite at 7:37. However, Flexor gets up and schoolboys Dynamite to pin him at 8:11. Since he has two contracts, he was able to win a second fall. So aside from this match being boring, the finish was stupid, stupid, stupid. It made no sense to me. They should’ve have Flexor win a fall, get on the mic and say he was having a second match due to his second contract, and win that one as well. As it was, it came off really sloppy and contrived. DUD
)Lights Out (Ben Fruith & Corey Winters) & Alpha Beta Duke (The Duke & Nick Belushi) vs. Blackballed (Lamont Williams & “Kano” Josh Emanuel) & Da Latin Crime Syndicate (Luis Diamante & Joey The Snake)
Fruith and Kano start out. Fruith gets the advantage, and tags in Winters to help him out. Kano looked to have regained control, but in comes Duke to cut him off with a spinebuster. Belushi tags in and taunts Kano’s partners by beating Kano down right in front of them. Fruith tags in, and Kano takes him down with a cravate. Blackballed and DLCS corner get their revenge, trapping Fruith in their corner and taking turns beating him down. Fruith finally knocks down Williams with a lariat. The Duke tags in and scares Kano to the apron. Kano is brought back in, but heads to the floor to avoid a big boot. Things break down with Lights out and DLCS fighting in the ring, and Blackballed and Alpha Beta Duke fighting on the floor. Corey Winters is the victim of a powerbomb/back cracker combo at the hands of DLCS, allowing Diamante to pin Winters at 14:47. I love multi-man matches, and this was a lot of fun. Each team isolating a guy and beating him down was a good story to tell, but I wish they would’ve had the closing segment go a little longer. Still, this was good stuff. **3/4
Gregory Iron comes out with his partner Hobo Joe to fight “Aftermath” Justin Lee. Iron lets us know that Lee isn’t there tonight. Iron explains that Lee and Iron used to be friends and Lee had a hand in training Iron. Iron says he and Joe have a challenge tonight, and Joe hits Iron with a street sign. Joe says the reason Lee isn’t here tonight is because Lee sent Joe after him! We now have a match.
No Disqualification Match
Gregory Iron vs. Hobo Joe
Joe lays in some punches, but Iron comes back with a crossbody. On the floor, Joe throws Iron into a wall. Iron blocks a powerbomb and clotheslines Joe. Joe throws Iron back in the ring, along with some plunder. Joe boots Iron down. He hits Iron in the mid-section with the head of a golf club. Joe bulldogs Iron onto a steel chair for two. Joe places a chair on Iron’s back and slams the golf club against it. Joe chokes Iron and kicks at his mid-section. Joe looks to spear Iron into a chair, but Iron evades the attack and Joe goes head first into the chair. Iron hits a trifecta of clotheslines and an inverted DDT for two. Joe drops Iron with a TKO for two. Joe misses a chair shot in the corner. Joe blocks a shiranui and smacks Iron in the back with a chair. He spits in Iron’s face before hitting him in the head with the chair. That’s enough for Joe to pick up the victory at 7:14. The double cross was unexpected at the time, throwing a nice change into Lee and Iron’s feud while also freshening up Joe. The two had a good, short, intense fight for two partners and I look forward to see how the feud plays out in the future. Joe stomps on Iron’s hand after the match, and Iron gets up with applause from the fans. **1/2
Façade vs. Sterling James Keenan
This match comes as a result to what happened at Absolution V. Kennan spends the first few minutes of the match jaw jacking with the fans. Façade surprises Keenan with an armdrag. Keenan throws Façade to the mat by his hair, and Façade takes him back down with a deep armdrag. Façade sends Keenan to the corner with a headscissors. Keenan rakes Façade’s face. Keenan knocks him down with a lariat for two. Façade comes back with a leaping clothesline and a back elbow. He gives Keenan a Manhattan drop and spinwheel kick for two. Façade swings from the rafters of the ceiling into a hurricanrana. Façade rolls up Keenan for the pin at 11:33. Really solid singles match that showcased two of the best in the company. Façade’s ceilingrana was awesome, and really help elevate his overall value in AIW. Keenan was a great foil and easily got under the fans skin and allowed them to get behind the usually not-so-beloved Façade. Solid work from both guys. **3/4
AIW Tag Team Championship
Aeroform (Flip Kendrick & Louis Lyndon) (Champions) vs. The Olsen Twins (Colin & Jimmy Olsen)
Lyndon and Colin exchange wristlocks. Colin blocks an O’Conner Roll. Lyndon takes Colin down with an armdrag. Lyndon takes Colin over with a headscisors out of the corner and follows up with a spinwheel kick. Kendrick wrenches a side headlock on Jimmy. Kendrick takes him over with a pair of armdrags. Kendrick sends Jimmy to the floor with a rana. Kendrick gets cut off with a knee from Colin from the apron. Kendrick rolls out, tagging in Lyndon. Lyndon trips Jimmy and then hits a few palmstrikes. Jimmy gets accused of being racist by the crowd for confusing Kendrick and Lyndon. Aeroform take advantage of this, taking Jimmy down with a few double team moves. Colin comes in and also gets double teamed. The Olsens cut off Aeroform and decide to team up on Lyndon, preventing him from tagging out. Lyndon fights back against Jimmy, flipping him over in a bodyscissors and kicking him in the face. Kendrick tags in and attacks Colin. Jimmy looks to help out but gets dropped with a facebuster. Jimmy evades a standing moonsault senton. Colin hip tosses Kendrick into a knee strike. Lyndon snaps Colin neck first on the top rope. Jimmy nails Lyndon with his hard right hand on the apron. Kendrick hits Jimm with a sole butt, but The Olsens power him up into a powerbomb/neck breaker combo for two. Lyndon gives Colin a running palm strike and Jimmy a sick kick. Kendrick hits a twisting 450 splash on Jimmy to score the pin at 13:09. A great title defense against a really good team. Aeroform’s first title defense was a good time, giving them instant credibility by defeating one of the more beloved teams on the AIW roster. This was a really nice mix of comedy and action, with everyone on point. ***
AIW Women’s Championship
Angeldust (Champion) vs. Mickie Knuckles
Some dude named The Muscle accompanies Knuckles to the ring. She cuts a typical anti-Ohio promo before Angeldust comes out. Knuckles throws Angeldust down in the corner. Angeldust and Knuckles stall for a bit, riling up the crowd. Knuckles takes Angeldust down in a front facelock which Angeldust turns into a hammerlock. Knuckles grabs the ropes to break a waistlock. Knuckles throws Angeldust hair first across her back and then drops her with a side Russian leg sweep for two. Knuckles applies a Camel Clutch while grabbing at Angeldust’s mouth. Knuckles continues to bully the much smaller Angeldust. The Muscle interferes behind the referee’s back. Angeldust comes back with a hard dropkick to Knuckles’ face. Angeldust comes off the second rope with a back cracker. Kunckles drops Angeldust with an Electric Chair slam for two. Angeldust hits Knuckles with an enzuigiri. Angeldust rolls up Knuckles out of nowhere to secure the victory at 13:22. Knuckles was an AWESOME foil for Angeldust. She played the big bully for most of it, and the crowd got behind Angeldust because of it. Angeldust’s comeback was believable and her flash pinning Knuckles leads to a possible rematch down the line. I for one look forward to that happening, if it does indeed occur. **3/4
Intense Division Championship
Shiima Xion (Champion) vs. Samuray Del Sol
Xion pulls Sol off the ropes as he poses for the crowd. Sol ducks a clothesline and comes back with a double springboard headscissors, sending Xion to the floor. Xion runs back in with an axe handle to Sol’s head. Xion delivers double knees to Sol’s back for two. Xion flips Sol into a facebuster on his knee. Sol sunset flips Xion for two. Xion drops him with a DDT. Sol dropkicks Xion as he comes out of the corner. Xion kicks Sol while he’s down and chokes him with his shin. Sol comes back with a back cracker. Xion looks for a clothesline but gets hit with a spinwheel kick. Sol looks for a lungblower out of the corner, but Xion holds onto the ropes. Sol snaps him over with a Japanese armdrag and hits a great twisting neckbreaker for two. Sol takes him over with a rana. Xion sends Sol into the corner and follows up with a crucifix bomb. Xion transitions into an STF. Sol roll sup into a fireman’s carry gut buster for two. Sol springboards off the ropes, and Xion catches him another STF. Sol fails to escape and taps out at 10:05. I had never seen Sol before this match, but I liked what I saw. He provided a unique style and gelled with Xion really well. The back and forth these two had in the ring was really fun to watch. Xion couldn’t have asked for a better first defense. ***1/4
We actually jump to a different venue where Trik Davis has a microphone. He has a cassette tape, which he says is the only copy of their match from August 20th that exists. He destroys it and asks for another match with Gargano right now. Gargano comes out and says since he’s already in his gear, he’ll give Davis his rematch.
Absolute Championship
Johnny Gargano (Champion) vs. Trik Davis
After trading holds, Gargano dropkicks Davis to the floor. In the ring, Gargano works over Davis’ left arm. Davis dips to the floor before Gargano can stomp on his hand. Gargano knocks Davis down with a back elbow and an armdrag. Gargano stomps on Davis’ hand and gets a two count with a La Magistral cradle. Davis stalls on the floor. He tries using the referee to make a comeback, but Gargano thwarts Davis’ attack. He slams Davis’ face into all four corners of the ring. Gargano hits a double axe handle a clothesline. Davis knocks Gargano off the middle rope and to the floor. Davis gets in a few shots before throwing Gargano back into the ring. Davis whips Gargano into the corner and stomps on his back. Davis headbutts Gargano and grabs his face. Davis’ attack gets cut off by Gargano’s signature slingshot spear. Gargano gives Davis a sole butt. Gargano catches him coming off the ropes with a Samoan drop for two. Gargano superkicks Davis to the floor. Davis comes back in and catches Gargano’s second slingshot spear. He drops him with a Falcon Arrow for two. Davis transitions into a modified Koji Clutch. Gargano puts his foot on the rope to break. Gargano blocks the Play of the Day and hits another sole butt. Gargano puts Davis in his leg-cross cloverleaf, which Davis escapes by grabbing the bottom rope. Gargano goes for the Hurts Donut. Davis escapes, rakes Gargano’s eyes, and drops him with an ace crusher for two. Gargano drops Davis with another Samoan Drop and lawn darts Davis into the corner. Gargano hits the Hurts Donut for the pin at 15:14. Really good storytelling from both guys. Gargano seemed to easily have the edge on Davis, but he turned the tide and made you believe he had a chance to take the belt. In the end, Gargano had to resort to his old standby, the Hurts Donut, to win the match since Davis so easily escaped his new submission hold. I like simple stories lke this, and I’m glad we got to see this match in some capacity. ***
Overall: I was actually surprised to see this show come out, considering it was skipped over originally. However, I am pleased to see AIW released it because there are some nice gems are here. For starters, all the title matches definitely paid off. The execution of Hobo Joe’s turn on Gregory Iron was also something I was happy to see, as well as guys like Dalton Castle step up their game. The eight man tag team match and Facade vs. SJK also were really fun matches as well. While it’s somewhat of a transitional show, “The World Is Not Enough” offers a solid show with some good action and storyline progression. Pick it up over at AIW’s Store.
