Lakewood, OH – 11.26.2010
Commentary is provided by Pedro Deluca and Agent Aaron Bauer.
Disc One
The Duke vs. AERO!
AERO slaps Duke as Duke takes him to the corner. Duke responds with a back drop and slam for two. AERO bails to the floor. AERO pokes Duke in the eyes behind the referee’s back. This barely phases Duke, as he quickly takes control of AERO once again. Chest Flexor is shown watching the match ringside. He would remain ringside for the entirety of the show. Duke applies a full nelson on the mat. AERO side steps an attack, crotching Duke on the top rope. AERO sends Duke to the floor with a springboard dropkick. AERO follows out with a tope con hilo. AERO side steps an attack from Duke, causing Duke to accidentally slam his shoulder into the steel guardrail. AERO takes Duke back in the ring where he targets his attack on Duke’s hurt shoulder. AERO hits a step-up kick in the corner. He follows up with a top rope double stomp to Duke’s neck. Duke somehow kicks out at two. Duke rams AERO into the corner to break a sleeper hold. Duke drops him with a spinebuster. Duke applies a sleeper of his own, but AERO drops down with a chin breaker. Duke takes him over with a German suplex. AERO gets his knees up to block a Vader Bomb. AERO hits a missile dropkick for two. Duke muscles AERO up into sit-out gut buster across his shoulder for the win at 11:25. I am actually really pleased with the performance these guys had. This may be the best I’ve seen The Duke, and it’s easily the best singles match I have seen him have. AERO did a really good job being Duke’s foil. The story they told was simple, yet effective, and the execution came off very well. **3/4
AIW Women’s Championship
Angeldust (Champion) vs. Mena Libra
Libra throws Angeldust down to the mat. Isn’t this how every Angeldust match begins? Angeldust tries a variety of pinning combinations, but only manages to get a two count every time. Libra throws Angeldust face first into the corner. Angeldust responds in kind. Angeldust comes off the top rope, but Libra evades her attack and chokes her on the second rope. Libra applies a grapevine surfboard. She releases and pins Angeldust for two. Libra throws Angeldust out of a firewoman’s carry into the corner. Angeldust escapes from a side headlock. Libra catches her in a crossbody and drops her with a side slam across the knee for two. Angeldust dropkicks Libra down. She catches her with a sunset flip for the pin at 7:36. Really average stuff, and not nearly as good as we’ve seen Angeldust do in other bouts. Still, her beating another credible talent from the area certainly helps her stock rise as champion. *
Tim Donst vs. Samuray Del Sol
Donst throws Sol to the floor when Sol asks for a handshake. Sol flies back in and hits a wheelbarrow armdrag and a springboard headbutt. He sends Donst to the floor. Sol fakes him out with a dive, then comes off the middle rope and to the floor with an armdrag. In the ring, Sol walks the ropes while holding Donst’s arms. He walks all four corners of the ring before Donst shoves the referee into the ropes, crotching Sol. Donst knocks Sol off the top rope with a polish hammer. He takes Sol over with a suplex for two. He then takes him over with a belly-to-belly suplex for two. Donst gives Sol a backbreaker from the apron to the floor. In the ring, Donst drops him with an STO for two. Sol takes Donst down with a drop toe hold and rolls him up with La Magistral for two. Sol hits a springboard huracanrana and then pops right up. Donst knees Sol in the gut, and Sol responds with a superkick. Donst hits a bulldog and blows his snot on Sol. Sol hits a spinwheel kick and a standing shiranui for two. Donst hits a German suplex for two. Sol springboards into a wheelbarrow, transitioning into a sunset flip for two. Donst counters Sol’s springboard with a Gator Roll. Donst applies the Inverted CHIKARA Special, causing Sol to tap out at 7:24. I loved this match. Sol went a mile a minute, and because Donst has dealt with so many luchadores over his career he was able to keep up and blend his style with Sol’s flawlessly. They kept a fast, yet fluid pace that kept the crowd’s energy up for the entire bout. These are two of the top outsiders AIW has and I truly hope we see more of them in the future. ***
Irish Airborne (Jake & Dave Crist) vs. Blackballed (Lamont Williams & “Kano” Josh Emanuel)
Blackballed are accompanied by Shawn Blaze. They try to jump the Airborne early, but they retaliate and take down both Williams and Kano with some excellent double team offense. Blackballed bail to the floor, and Dave follows out with a tope suicida. Dave then comes out with a Fozberry Flop. In the ring, Jake hits Williams with a leg lariat for two. Jake gets thrown head first into the turnbuckle, and Kano dropkicks him from the apron and to the floor. Blackballed reverse the momentum by taking turns wearing down Jake in their corner. Dave makes a comeback, nailing Kano with an enzuigiri. Williams attacks Jake from behind and puts him in a triangle choke. Dave picks up Williams and powerbombs him. Jake hits a knee strike from the apron, and Dave jumps in with a springboard moonsault. Dave hits an enzuigiri. Williams pokes him in the eyes and nails him with a running elbow strike. Kano tags in and applies a tarantula. Dave dropkicks Williams to the floor and splashes Kano in the corner. The Airborne assault Kano with a flurry of offense. Williams pulls the referee out of the ring and argues with him. This allows Blaze to attack the Airborne illegally. Williams comes in with a top rope leg drop to Dave. Kano follows up with a top rope double knee strike for the pin at 11:48. This was a really excellent tag team match, and probably the best I’ve seen either team do. The Airborne have improved tremendously over the years and Blackballed continue to be one of the top acts in the company. The Airborne made a fast, exciting comeback that whipped the crowd into a frenzy and Blackballed served as great antagonists. Really strong stuff. ***1/4
Loser Leaves AIW
Eric Ryan vs. Bobby Beverly
Ryan and Beverly start off with an exchanging of strikes. Beverly hits a flying clothesline for two. Ryan hits a running yakuza kick, and Beverly responds with one of his own. Ryan trips Beverly off the apron and double stomps him in the head on the floor. Beverly and Ryan fight on the ring apron. Beverly drops Ryan on the apron with a Death Valley Driver. Ryan and Beverly trade fists on the floor. Ryan whips Beverly into the guardrails. Beverly throws Ryan face first into the guardrails. In the ring, Beverly hits a top rope legdrop for two. Ryan drops Beverly with a 2k1 Bomb for two. Ryan misses a frogsplash, and Beverly takes him over with a suplex for two. Beverly kicks Ryan while he’s on the mat. Ryan catches Beverly with a gut buster. Ryan dropkicks Beverly as he goes up top. Ryan double stomps Beverly while he’s in a tree of woe position. Ryan follows up with an impressive coast-to-coast dropkick for two. Beverly gives Ryan a back breaker and two superkicks. He sends Ryan into the corner with an exploder suplex. Beverly nails Ryan with superkicks as Ryan reels on his knees. Beverly instructs him to stay down, but Ryan kicks out at two anyway. Ryan blocks a superkick and hits a package piledriver. He hits a superkick and a second package piledriver. He then drops Beverly with a Vertebreaker to score the pin at 12:36. Now THIS was Intense wrestling. As soon as the match started you got the vibe that these two hated each other. The action was stiff and brutal throughout, but you couldn’t keep your eyes off it. These two put their all into the match and put on a great, memorable outng. ***1/2
Gregory Iron comes out alone and gets beaten down by his opponents for the night, Hobo Joe and Justin Lee. Lee continuously asks Iron where “his boy” is. Finally, Masada comes out and Joe and Lee bail to the floor. Iron reveals that their upcoming match is a street fight.
Street Fight
Gregory Iron & Masada vs. Hobo Joe & Justin Lee
Masada and Iron go to the floor and immediately start fighting with their opponents. Masada gives Lee a suplex on the entrance ramp. Iron pounds on Joe in one of the corners of the ringside area. Masada throws Lee head first into the guardrail as Iron and Joe get back into the ring. Iron pounces on him with a Thesz Press and lays in some punches. Iron hits a running boot and takes Joe down with a clothesline. Masada slams Lee face first into the ring apron. Joe takes himself and Iron to the floor with a Cactus clothesline. Masada brings Lee into the ring. Lee throws some punches which have no effect. Masada shoulder blocks him down and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Masada sets up a chair in the corner. Lee moves, and Masada hits the chair with his elbow. Masada takes Lee down with a clothesline for two. Masada drops him with a brainbuster for two. Joe hits Masada with a whimpy chairshot as he tries to superplex Lee. Joe drops Masada with an electric chair slam, and Lee follows down with a crossbody. Joe attacks Iron in the corner. Lee baseball slides Masada into the guardrail. Masada pulls Lee out and chops him while Joe gives Iron a bulldog. Lee crotches Masada on the steel guardrail and kicks him into the crowd. Iron boots Joe in the ring. Joe drops him with a TKO for two. Joe and Lee try a wheelbarrow spear, but Iron cuts them off. Iron hits a running forearm strike to Joe. Lee hits a single stomp to Iron while Joe holds him. Masada breaks the pin. Masada pulls out some sharp wooden spikes and digs them into Joe’s skull! Lee nails Iron in the chest with a sick kick as Masada digs the spikes deeper into Joe’s skull. Masada throws a chair at Joe’s head. Iron drops him with an inverted DDT to score the pin. Well, that was quite the brawl, but a very fitting end to Iron and Joe/Lee’s feud. Masada was an excellent addition to the match, and with Iron put on a very good hardcore brawl. They used the weapons effectively, and the match got progressively more violent (as all good hardcore matches should). Joe and Lee let something to be desired, but there’s no denying how good Masada and Iron did. ***1/4
Disc Two
Intense Division Championship
Shiima Xion (Champion) vs. Marion Fontaine
Fontaine does a little hip swivel based offense to start. Xion fights back but gets hit with a spinwheel kick for two. Xion grabs a waistlock and Fontaine elbows his way free. Xion pops up Fontaine into a mule kick for two. Xion hits a hard back elbow for two. Fontaine misses a quebrada, and Xion follows up with a powerbomb for two. Fontaine hits Xion with a Pele kick. Fontaine drops Xion with a Graveyard Smash. Xion misses a spear in the corner. Fontaine comes off the top with a crossbody for two. Fontaine drops Xion with a Fameasser for two. Xion pops v into the corner and hits him with a double knee strike. Xion drops him with a facebuster across his knee for two. Xion transitions into an STF. Fontaine hits an Angle slam, which Xion turns into a crucifix pin for two. Xion goes back to the STF. Fontaine escapes and applies an ankle lock. Xion escapes, and Fontaine lands a Samoan Drop. He follows up with a quebrada for two. Xion drops Fontaine with a crucifix bomb for two, and reapplies the STF. Fontaine rolls Xion into a three count, winning the match and the title at 10:24. Good match while it lasted, but the finish certainly was anti-climatic. I like Fontaine and Xion, but together they just didn’t put together the kind of encounter I expected. Even the fans who loved Fontaine seemed underwhelmed by the surprise finish. Could’ve been better, but was fine as it was. **1/2
The Olsen Twins (Colin & Jimmy Olsen) vs. A Call 2 Arms (Shane Hollister & Trik Davis)
Colin takes a sip of Four Loko as Davis gets him in a waistlock. Colin does it a second time and spits the beverage into Davis’ face. Colin and Davis trade pin attempts on the mat. Hollister tags in and locks up with Colin. Colin wrenches his arm and tags in Jimmy, who comes off the top with a double axe handle to his arm. Jimmy takes Hollister to the mat and keeps on the arm. Hollister pokes Jimmy in the eyes. Colin flies in with a missile dropkick to set him straight, and Jimmy follows with one of his own. Jimmy slides to the floor and trips Davis on the apron. Hollister sends Jimmy from the apron to the floor, where Davis rams him back first on the guardrail and chokes him on the guardrail. Hollister spits Four Loko into Jimmy’s face. A Call 2 Arms wear down Jimmy in a somewhat condescending manner. Jimmy escapes their grasp by kicking Hollister away and tagging in Colin. He comes in with rapid fire strikes to both Hollister and Davis. He knocks down Davis with a leg lariat, but Hollister breaks the pin attempt. A Call 2 Arms hit an enzuigiri/clothesline combo in the corner. Hollister drops Colin with a twisting neckbreaker for two. The Olsens take Hollister out, and Davis shoves Jimmy into Colin to break the pin. Hollister superkicks Jimmy and drops him with a facebuster. A Call 2 Arms hit stereo superkicks for two. Colin drops Davis with modified Gory Gallows and Jimmy gives Hollister a hard right hand punch. Jimmy takes Davis over with a low huracanrana for the pin at 12:27. I am really happy to see Hollister in AIW. He’s one of the most underrated guys on the scene. He and Davis make a formidable team and showed a lot in their AIW debut against The Olsens. The Olsens have really polished their act and rank amongst the top teams in the company. Very good tag match overall. ***
Casket Match
Tommy Mercer vs. Sterling James Keenan
Keenan stalls for a long time. Mercer knocks him down with a shoulder block, and Keenan rolls to the ropes for a time out. Mercer lays in some forearms and punches before throwing Keenan to the floor. Mercer continues his attack around the ringside area. He suplexes Keenan on the floor. Keenan evades getting put into the casket. Keenan brings Mercer back in the ring and works over his leg. Keenan chokes Mercer on the top rope. Keenan throws Mercer to the floor next to the casket. Keenan slams Mercer’s chest into the steel guardrail. Mercer escapes from the casket before Keenan can close the lid. He throws Keenan into the ringside announcer’s table. Mercer gets hurled into the barricades. Mercer comes back by back dropping Keenan through the announcer’s table. In the ring, Keenan is able to hit a crossbody. He transitions into a cross arm breaker. Mercer escapes and drops Keenan with a spin-out slam. Mercer brings the casket into the ring. He picks up Keenan, but Keenan drops down and re-applies the arm breaker. Keenan gets in the referee’s face since Mercer tapping out is not a legal way to win in this match. Mercer finally picks up Keenan and puts him in the casket. He closes the lid to score the pin at 18:48. I really have no idea why this match was that long. It was really just two guys doing stuff for 19 minutes. No real rhyme or reason to it. Compared to the other brawls on this show, this felt really empty and anti-climatic. The right guy won, which is good I guess, but really this was shockingly average for what these guys have done before. **1/2
Absolute Championship
Johnny Gargano (Champion) vs. Facade
Gargano takes an early advantage. Gargano blocks some strikes from Façade. They slap each other down to the mat. Gargano hits a running back elbow. Façade avoids a clothesline and nails Gargano with a spinwheel kick. From the apron, Gargano puts Façade in an abdominal stretch. Gargano comes back in and tries a few roll-ups, but only gets two. Gargano applies an armscissor. Façade applies a front chancery. Façade goes to the apron and comes in with a headscissors takedown. Gargano pushes Façade from the top rope to the floor. Gargano goes out to the floor. Façade pushes a chair into his mid-section. In the ring, Façade hits a slingshot elbow drop for two. Gargano looks to escape a chinlock, but Façade knees him in the back. Façade hits a modified Michinoku Driver for two. Gargano rolls to the apron. Façade runs to attack but gets caught with a slingshot spear. Gargano hits a Samoan Drop for two. Façade hits an enzuigiri and a leg drop while Gargano’s neck is draped on the second rope. Façade follows up with a springboard bulldog for two. Gargano retaliates with an ace crusher. Façade drops Gargano with a springboard enzuigiri. He then hits a standing shooting star press for two. Façade tries an Arabian Press, but Gargano catches him with a German suplex instead. Gargano and Façade hit each other with big boots. Gargano sends him to the apron with a clothesline. Façade comes in with a springboard spinwheel kick. Gargano fires up and hits a superkick. Both men lay on the mat in fatigue. Back on their feet, Façade drops Gargano with an STO for two. Façade brings a ladder into the ring. Gargano block a ladder shot, and accidentally sends the ladder into the referee’s face. The referee calls for a double DQ at 20:41. Up until the finish this match was great. Lots of good action with an unpredictable winner. But then the finish for sure knocked this down a notch. I understand this was used to build to a ladder match the next month, and in that sense it was effective, I just hate when a match is so long and you’re left with nothing but a finish like this. Still, I don’t want to bad mouth the match too much, because even with the finish it was very good. ***1/4
Gargano and Façade continue their fight after the match and it takes many AIW officials and wrestlers to pull them apart. A ladder match is set up for “Night Before X-Mas 4” next month.
Bonus Match
Lights Out (Ben Fruith & Corey Winters) vs. Da Latin Crime Syndicate (Joey The Snake & K. Fernandez)
DLCS attack Lights Out as they pose on the ropes. Joey pounds on Winters. Winters comes back with a few forearms and tags in Fruith. Lights Out double team Joey in their corner. Fruith has difficulty knocking Joey down, so he finally hits him with a dropkick. Joey rakes Fruith eyes to regain control. DLCS isolate Fruith in their corner. Fruith comes back with a running knee strike to Joey for a two count. Fruith and Joey knock each other down with stereo clotheslines. Winters and Fernandez tag in. Fernandez gives him a big boot in the corner. He follows up with a Death Valley Driver into the corner. Fruith breaks the pinfall. Winters drops him with a snapmare driver, and Joey breaks that pin. Winters wheelbarrows Fruith into a senton on Joey. Fernandez throws Winter to the floor and into a guardrail. DLCS drop Fruith with a double team neckbreaker to pick up the win at 9:51. This was kept very basic, and didn’t really percolate into anything really interesting or worth watching. Then again, it is a bonus match. *
DLCS look to do further damage to Lights Out, but Mr. RBI and the Kombat Kidd run out to save them from further damage.
Overall: I’ve said more than a few times that the shows AIW produced after Absolution V seemed like transitional shows. While they were good, it seemed like they were predecessors to a new era of AIW; this is the beginning of that new era. So many of the guys on the roster have improved, and it shows on “Hell On Earth 6”. Many of the tag team matches really came through and entertained. The opening match, Donst vs. Sol, and Gargano vs. Facade all over delivered and added something unique to the overall show. The Greg Iron/Justin Lee feud was also blown off in a very satisfying manner. This show is the beginning for what looks like a streak of great shows from AIW. Don’t miss out and buy this DVD. You can pick up “Hell On Earth 6” at either AIW’s official store or Smart Mark Video.
