Last AAW show of the year. Let’s roll.
-Taped from Berwyn, Illinois
-Your hosts are Phil Colvin and Kevin Harvey
-Krotch (w/Scarlet) vs. George Jamison
Match in Five Words or Less: MOHAWK!
Match Summary and Analysis: Jamison has a hell of a Mohawk. That’s about the most interesting aspect to this match. Perfectly fine work from both men. Jamison is new to AAW and doesn’t do anything to either distinguish himself, nor did he royally screw anything up. Krotch was smoother than usual too as he hits an acercrusher into a cover for three.
Winner/Time/Rating: Krotch/4:21/*
-Jimmy Jacobs talks about chasing the AAW title for a year and having to team up with a guy he doesn’t like (Ryan Boz) and someone he has no alliegance to (Dan Lawrence). Doesn’t matter because Jacobs wants his hand on the champion.
-The CLASH (Tommy Treznik and Cameron Skyy (w/Mena Libra) vs. Juice Robinson and Samuray Del Sol)
Match in Five Words or Less: CLASH Rebounds… Somewhat
Match Summary and Analysis: Originally scheduled to be Del Sol and Robinson, Skyy interrupts the proceedings. They talk about losing a member but still be being three strong. Skyy threatens to expose Del Sol’s face. Chris Jericho tried to do the same for Rey Mysterio, and I think we all know how that worked. I was worried about this match since Del Sol has had issues in the ring, and Treznik and Skyy have never wrestled in AAW. Del Sol and Robinson have communication issues since they’ve never teamed before. Treznik breaks out some impressive move combinations. As far as wrestling goes, Skyy doesn’t do anything nearly as impressive, but his entire personality is down pat. Robinson with a good babyface comeback after the hot tag. Things break down in Berwyn. Libra comes on the apron. Juice grabs at her. CLASH toss Robinson down on his back for three. I have no idea what to call the move. Both guys grab Robinson and sort of just slam him down. Good win for them. Their music also rocks.
Winner/Time/Rating: The CLASH/8:45/**1/2
-CLASH drop Del Sol in much the same way they did Robinson. Krotch comes in and again defends himself against the two men. Libra makes the save by groin punching Krotch. Krotch dropped down. Scarlet in. Eats a samoan drop. MsChif in. She screams in Libra’s face. CLASH walks away. There are about 15 different things wrong with this segment. In summary, CLASH once again didn’t come out looking great. If AAW wants us to take this group seriously, they need to obliterate some people lower on the card before having them get tested
-Johnny Gargano vs. Matt Cross
Match in Five Words or Less: Solid Battle Of Ohio
Match Summary and Analysis: This should be good. Both come out of the Ohio area and have been around the country wrestling for different companies. If you don’t think Gargano has gotten significantly better in the last year or so, you’re not paying attention. He’s still not as impressive as a Chuck Taylor, but he’s upped his game. Cross has adapted into a better all around wrestler. Good back and forth match that established both men as being regular roster members. I approve. Neither man can seem to out the other away until Gargano rolls Cross up for three. Gargano in AAW on his own? I approve. Let him be a part of tag teams and factions in other companies. I want to see him do some singles work here in AAW.
Winner/Time/Rating: Johnny Gargano/13:14/***1/4
-CLASH promo. Skyy does a good job explaining why they didn’t attack MsChif, but it still doesn’t look good that they backed away from a girl, tough as she may be.
-Larry Sweeney comes down to the ring and cuts an awesome promo before what is sure to be a bloody awful match against Chris Hall.
-Texarcana Television Championship: Larry Sweeney (champion) vs. Chris Hall
Match in Five Words or Less: Horrifying
Match Summary and Analysis: Larry Sweeney is a tremendous and bombastic personality who can cut a great promo and talk people into the ring. Chris Hall, with the right make-up, could do a great Mantaur impression. But putting these two in a wrestling ring was not a good idea. Crowd doesn’t even seem to want to cheer Hall, even after Sweeney heeled on the crowd. The scary part is I thought this was worse live. Phil Colvin drops a No Holds Barred reference. Sweeney uses brass knuckles to get the three count. Please don’t make me watch this again.
Winner/Time/Rating: STILL Texarcana Champion- Larry Sweeney3:06//1/2*
-Sweeney makes reference to MsChif again. She comes out and mists him. CLASH comes out beat MsChif down at last. Krotch brings a chair and clears the ring. CLASH cowers. Weak sauce.
-Zero Gravity promo. Generic babyface promo. Esparza has potential on the microphone, but Gakiya needs work.
-AAW Heritage Championship: Shane Hollister (champion) vs. Arik Cannon (w/Dave Prazak)
Match in Five Words or Less: Underrated Wrestlers Collide
Match Summary and Analysis: Dave Prazak talks about the miscarriage of injustice that occurred two months ago, and how that’s about to be rectified. This is one of the longest running feuds in AAW history, and the only thing Hollister did was lose title match after title match. Hollister’s only singles victory took place when he came from out of nowhere to win the championship. Cannon dominates much of the contest as Hollister once again plays the underdog babyface role. Perfect booking to me. Cannon controls more than 75 percent of the match and also does a great job heeling it up. Something a lot of fans who’ve seen him in DG USA might not realize he’s pretty good at. A DDT appears to end things, but Cannon takes too long to follow up. Series of hard strikes. Hollister springboards with a tornado DDT. Cannon goes for a roll-up, but Hollister is better than Cross because he kicks out. Big right hand by Cannon. Slingshot neckbreaker by Cannon gets two. Glimmering warlock misses. Hollister goes crazy and ends his attack with a huge kick to the head to get the deuce. Nice victory and great work from both men.
Winner/Time/Rating: STILL AAW Heritage Champion- Shane Hollister/15:38/***1/2
-Mason Beck vs. Jordan McEntyre (w/Miss Eryn and Knight Wagner)
Match in Five Words or Less: Beck Squash
Match Summary and Analysis: I appreciate AAW rebuilding Beck and having him win a number of matches in recent months. I just wish Beck could start moving up the ladder and have some actual competitive contests. Interference from the Chan Clan does nothing. Beck kills McEntyre dead. Outside’s edge. Done. Hopefully, we can move Beck into something that actually matters in 2011.
Winner/Time/Rating: Mason Beck/4:41/1/2*
-Knight Wagner (w/Miss Eryn and Jordan McEntyre) vs. Derek St. Holmes
Match in Five Words or Less: Wagner Gains Credibility
Match Summary and Analysis: Wagner says the previous match doesn’t even matter. He wants his uncle to come out and face him now. St. Holmes comes out swinging with a belt. Battle starts outside the ring. After taking care of Wagner, St. Holmes stalks Miss Eryn. Back in the ring they go. Bell finally rings. It’s a lower card guy against the announcer. Hope you’re not expecting a classic match. St. Holmes at least knows the basics and can keep the crowd into the proceedings without pulling all kinds of moves out like a mad man. McEntyre and Miss Eryn’s constant intereference are the only things that prevent St. Holmes from coming out on top. McEntyre’s last bump after being taken out of the ring is disgusting. Wagner hits a scissors kick to get the three count. As per the stipulation, St. Holmes has to give respect to his nephew. St. Holmes squeezes his hand and departs quickly.
Winner/Time/Rating: Knight Wagner/3:59/*1/2
-Dan Lawrence talks about not caring about Jacobs and Boz, but he’ll have the backs of his partners. He also threatens Silas Young’s AAW title reign.
-AAW Tag Team Championship: Zero Gravity (CJ Esparza and Bret Gakiya)(champions) vs. The Northstar Express (Darrin Corbin and Ryan Cruz)
Match in Five Words or Less: Zero Gravity Gains Credibility
Match Summary and Analysis: So glad Ryan Cruz is back in AAW. The pressure is now on Gakiya and Esparza to perform since they’re the champs. I think they passed their first test by having a good solid match against NSE. Corbin and Cruz showed some signs of rust, but with no House of Truth, AAW needs more regular teams. Heat segment on Esparza before tagging in “Mini Bryan Alverez” Bret Gakiya. He explodes with some tremendous offense on both men. Gakiya is better at performing moves. Esparza definitely has more personality. Chaos ensues. Corbin is so good at comedy bumps. Referee has no idea who’s legal. Gakiya eats the knees of Cruz. Inverted atomic drop by Corbin leads to a roundhouse kick by Cruz. Long two count. Cruz control gets a two count. More back and forth with Esparza and Corbin. Double kick nearly out of nowhere on Cruz gets three. Solid match and I think a future match would turn out even better with more time to build and ZG growing into their roles as tag team champions. Corbin walks out on his partner after the match. Darrin Corbin’s life is pretty miserable.
Winner/Time/Rating: STILL AAW Tag Team Champions- Zero Gravity/11:09/***
-Silas Young talks about family values and putting his differences aside with Valerie Malone for the sake of their family and careers. Yes everyone. This makes Silas Young a heel. If you went to Berwyn, you’d see why this is the truth. Mason Beck confronts the champ.
-Loser Leaves AAW Match: Colt Cabana vs. Chandler McClure Special Enforcer: Eric Priest
Match in Five Words or Less: Too Long
Match Summary and Analysis: This is one of the oddest matches of 2010 for so many reasons. McClure is one of the most hated men in AAW, and this is his last match. Since he’s a heel, he of course tries to weasel out of the match by using a dead pet as an excuse. Eric Priest makes sure McClure isn’t able to duck out of the stipulation. Comedy hijinks with Knight Wagner and Jordan McEntyre ensue. McClure’s boys are handcuffed to the steel rails. Cabana and McClure have a scuffle before McClure appears to get injury. Keep in mind McClure is a heel as I continue discussing what happened. McClure fakes the injury and goes back to work on Cabana. He and the rest of the Chan Clan beat down Cabana. Priest is handcuffed to the corner. So Cabana makes his comeback on everyone. Flying asshole on everyone. McClure applies a sleeper. Wagner teases Priest with the key like a bleepin moron. Zero Gravity come from out of the back and unlock Priest. Billy Goat’s Curse and McClure’s AAW is now over. Cabana keeps the humiliation up with a promo. Eric Priest delivers his finishing move. Then the Chan Clan turn on their manager/partner/associate. I know McClure is a heel, but Priest and Cabana came off like giant douchebags in this particular segment. Not to mention the length. This ate about 15 minutes, somehwre between 5-8 minutes too long. I can’t give this a dud based on nothing too major being screwed up (and the crowd not completely turning on it), please avoid this match like the plague.
Winner/Time/Rating: Colt Cabana/12:04/1/2*
-Berwyn Street Fight: Silas Young (AAW Heavyweight Champion) and Irish Airborne (Jake and Dave Crist)(w/Val Malone) vs. Jimmy Jacobs, Ryan Boz, and Dan Lawrence
Match in Five Words or Less: Odd Finish
Match Summary and Analysis: Guess what happens? A big brawl to start. I know you’re all stunned. They pair off after delivering triple dives. All over the crowd and throughout the Berwyn Eagles they go. Fans disperse. Cameras have no chance covering everything that’s going on. Too much action to call. Val Malone hangs out at ringside looking pretty for lack of anything else to do. The best part is all six men are wearing blue jeans because it’s a street fight. I appreciate the hard work. Boz and Young actually end up back in the ring. Boz brings a waffle barbed wire bat, but the tables are turned in a shocking revelation. Battle continues in the ring as the heels control much of the action. Jimmy Jacobs is nearly nowhere to be found until he comes in with a cookie sheet. Heels just obliterate Jacobs, Boz, and Lawrence. This wouldn’t be so strange if not for the finish. You might expect one of the babyfaces to win the match and set up a title match for the first show of 2011. We do get a fun spot with Boz using Lawrence’s head as a battering ram. Lawrence charges at Young with a hard hat on his head. Someone from Dragon Gate needs to wear a hard hat when in the ring with Gamma. Lawrence introduces a sickle into the match. Poor Jake Crist gets his flesh torn. The three faces have a staredown before coming together by using plastic bags. Such comradeship. Babyfaces continue their uneasy alliance and work over their opponents. Young fights everyone off nearly by himself and hog ties Jacobs. He goes for the sickle. Jacobs breaks out the same End Time spot he did against Jon Moxley at the first DG USA show. Val Malone uses hair spray on Jacobs. Mason Beck carries Malone to the back. Jacobs accidentally low blows Lawrence. Young takes advantage. Finlay roll and a springboard moonsault get the win for the heels? Very weird finish. Would seem to me like you put the babyfaces over in this match and end 2010 on a high note.
Winner/Time/Rating: Silas Young and Irish Airborne/18:53/***1/4
-Boz clears the ring afterward and drops Young on his head. He simulates what should have been the finish (Boz pinning the champion) by covering the man.
-Larry Sweeney with another one of his psychotic and dark promos about MsChif.
-Ryan Boz talks about becoming the new AAW champion.
-Johnny Gargano has a headache every time he comes to Berwyn. Then he beats Matt Cross and everything gets better. Hell, a kid in a wheelchair stood up.
-Silas Young says there is no competition in AAW. Hard to argue with that assessment. Jake Crist swears a lot and says they’re professional wrestlers.
Line of the Night: Jimmy Jacobs, “I don’t mind dancing with the devil as long as I can fight you in hell.”
MVP: Extremely tough decision because no one stood out. I’ll go with Shane Hollister as the default winner since he was in the best match and came off the best by virtue of his victory.
The Verdict: My thumb is firmly in the middle, perhaps leading a little bit down. Nothing extraordinary about this show but a couple good matches take show above something I’d give a straight thumbs down. The semi main was the low point of the show, but it won’t play into the future very much. AAW is in a bit of a rebuilding phase, and show quality might not be as high as in the past until guys like Shane Hollister and Zero Gravity become consistent higher level guys.
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Sweeney needs to spend some time in the gym before he gets back in the ring, really. He’s really out of shape right now.