Lakewood, OH – 2.18.2011
Commentary is provided by Pedro Deluca and Aaron Bauer.
Pre-Show Match
Lights Out (Ben Fruith & Corey Winters), “Mr. RBI” Izaeh Bonds & The Kombat Kidd vs. Da Latin Crime Syndicate (Luis Diamante, Joey The Snake, K. Fernandez & Isaac Montana)
Fernandez and Winters exchange holds. Winters boots Fernandez into a lariat for two. Fruith tags in and dropkicks Fernandez as Winters holds him. Fruith delivers a few strikes in the corner, ending with an uppercut for two. Kidd tags in. Fernandez throws him shoulder first into DCLS corner. Montana and Joey beat him down while Fernandez distracts the referee. Diamante takes Kidd lightly, using his size to shrug him off. Kidd takes him down with a huracanrana. Diamante angrily throws a few punches before Kidd sends him to the floor with a headscissors. Diamante regains control and tags in Joey. DLCS beat down Kidd for a bit until Kidd sneaks in a tag to Bonds. Montana catches him immediately with a bodyscissors DDT. Bonds replaces Kidd as the whipping boy of DLCS. Bonds flips out of an attack from Diamante and tags in Fruith. All four members of DLCS jump Fruith, which brings in Winters, Kidd and Bonds to even up the sides. DLCS knocks all four of them down. All four men head up top. They end up being crotched by their opponents. One at a time, three of the four DLCS members get superplexed off the top. Kidd ends by giving Diamante a super huracanrana. Joey jumps off the top rope, and Fernandez powerbombs Fruith across his knees as he comes down. Joey pins Fruith at 12:57. It took awhile to get their, but the finish here was pretty cool. If DLCS had only had a lengthy beatdown with one member of the opposite team, this would have been a bit more effective. Nevertheless, DLCS came out looking like a big group of bullies that are not to be messed with. The awesome finish made it all worth it. **1/2
DLCS continues to beat down Lights Out, Kidd and Bonds. The Duke runs out to make the save. Duke says that he can’t keep coming out month after month to save them from DLCS’ beatdowns. Duke tells Dave The Potato (who was ringside this whole time) that it’s his job to make sure that things like this don’t happen anymore. Duke invites them all to sit ringside for his match coming up next. His opponent, Lamont Williams comes out. He makes fun of Duke’s age and says he’s going to make an example out of him tonight.
Pre-Show Match
The Duke vs. Lamont Williams
Duke knocks Williams down with a shoulder block. Duke catches him with a Manhattan drop and another clothesline. Duke side slams him. He hits a senton splash. Duke throws Williams out to the floor. Williams lights up Duke with a few chops. Duke avoids a dropkick. Duke rams his head in the corner multiple times for two. Williams catches Duke with an enzuigiri and a running forearm strike for two. Williams drives him elbow into both of Duke’s shoulder blades multiple times. Williams hits an enzuigiri for two. Williams delivers another one from the floor. He rolls up Duke and puts his feet on the ropes. Referee Jake Clemons catches him in the act. As Williams is arguing with Clemons, Duke rolls him up for the pin at 6:50. Williams is much more exciting on offense than Duke, so the fact that Duke took most of the match made this a less desirable situation. It was unoffensive but not terribly interesting. **
Williams throws Duke to the floor. Lights Out, Kidd, Bonds and Dave the Potato chase him to the back. Impressed, Duke asks for all of them to come back out. He got word that it was Bonds’ birthday today and has cake for him. The fans and wrestlers sing happy birthday to him.
AIW Women’s Championship
Angeldust (Champion) vs. Jessicka Havok
Chest Flexor is in Havok’s corner. He says before the night is over, Flexor Industries will be a much more powerful entity. Havok attacks Angeldust before the bell. Angeldust drops her with a bulldog for two. Havok delivers a big boot. Havok gives her a double-handed chokeslam for two. Havok suplexes her for two. Havok whips her to the corner and hits a spinning side slam for two. Havok twists up Angeldust on the mat. Flexor chokes her on the ropes behind the referee’s back. Havok puts Angeldust in a Romero Surfboard. She turns Angeldust over and slams her face first multiple times into the mat. Havok stretches Angeldust back first over her knee. Outside the ring, Havok throws Angeldust face first into the ring post. Angeldust has been busted open. Havok punches Angeldust repeatedly into the open wound. Angeldust bites and digs her nails into Angeldust’s wound as well. Havok lifts her into a full nelson submission. Havok slams Angeldust across her knee and clotheslines her down for two. Angeldust tires a crossbody form the second rope. Havok catches her, but Angeldust turns out into an STO. As both women recover, Flexor distracts the referee. Havok nails her with a foreign object for the pin and title at 11:12. Havok destroyed Angeldust, immediately establishing herself as a dominant force in AIW. Angeldust had a good reign while it lasted but it definitely felt like it was the right time to pump new life into the title. Sure, Havok hasn’t defended it since, but hopefully that will change soon. **1/2
Flecor and Havok beat down Angeldust until Chad Williams run out to her rescue. It turns out to be a ruse, as Williams drops Angeldust with the Mercy Kill! Flexor introduces Williams as the bodyguard for Flexor Industries. Chandler Biggins is upset with both Flexor and Williams, but they take a seat ringside anyways to watch the next match.
Gregory Iron comes out to the ring. He says he’s feeling like an “absolutely intense wrestler” tonight. He says because Matt Cross couldn’t make it to the show, he has a mystery opponent. He asks for that opponent to come out. Josh Prohibition, Ohio wrestling legend comes to the ring in street clothes. Prohibition tells Iron that he’s not out here to wrestle. Prohibition says wrestling provided him tons of opportunities over the past ten years and he is thankful for it. He says that many wrestlers took him under his wing and he would like to do the same for Gregory Iron. Iron says while he appreciates Prohibition’s offer, he’s doing fine on his own and would like to stay on that path. Prohibition reminds Iron that he took Matt Cross and Johnny Gargano under his wing at one time and helped make them bigger names in wrestling. Iron again tells Prohibition how much he respects him, but still would rather do his own thing. Prohibition angrily says he’s a winning lottery ticket and Iron would be stupid to refuse it. Iron tells Prohibition no once more. Prohibition says that Iron spit on him and his career and embarrassed him in front of all the fans. Prohibition puts out his hand for Iron to shake. Prohibitiion kicks Iron and drops him with the Drunken Driver. Prohibition says turning Iron down was the biggest mistake of his life. With Iron knocked out, Flexor hurriedly gets Shiima Xion to the ring for a match. Xion is still in his jeans for cripes sake!
Gregory Iron vs. Shiima Xion
Xion throws Iron into the ring and pins him for two. Amazed, Xion pins him again for two. Xion drops him with a brainbuster for two. Xion drops him with a Finlay Roll. He goes for a moonsault, but Iron gets his knees up to counter. He hits a senton splash for two. Xion goes for From Lust To Dust. Iron counters into a backslide for two. Iron nails a backspring elbow and an inverted DDT for two. Xion side swipes a second rope dropkick attempt. He superkicks Iron. Iron catches him with Handicap Parking for two. Xion gives him the Hostile Makeover. Iron reverses his pin into a crucifix for the pin at 5:01. Between the pre-match beatdown and Xion’s desire to get a cheap win, this match told a really strong story. The fans were loud from bell to bell and loved when Iron picked up the victory. Iron looks stronger with every show. It sounds crazy to give a match **3/4, but that’s how good I though the entire package from pre-match promo to the closing bell was.
Intense Division Championship
Marion Fontaine (Champion) vs. Facade
Both men exchange wristlocks. Fontaine cartwheels into an armdrag. Fontaine snapmares Façade and presents his mustache. Fontaine escapes a headlock and gives his mustache credit. After trading a few maneuvers, Fontaine rolls Façade to the corner. Façade cartwheels out of a monkey flip attempt. Fontaine blocks Façade’s series of kicks. As Fontaine is celebrating, Façade forearms him in the neck. Façade kicks Fontaine to the floor. Fontaine trips Façade on the ring apron. Back in the ring Façade hits a dropkick for two. Façade stretches out Fontaine’s arms while digging his knee into Fontaine’s back. Fontaine gets the ropes to break. A back elbow gets him two. Façade fails with a crucifix pin so he applies a front chancery. Façade drops him with a Falcon Arrow for two. He applies a standing Cattle Mutilation. Fontaine O’Conner rolls Façade for two. He then hits a moonsault press. Fontaine splashes Façade in the corner and hits a flying forearm for two. Façade walks the ropes but falls into a Manhattan drop. Façade comes back with a Saito suplex for two. Fontaine knocks Façade down and hits a frogsplash for two. Façade lights him up with kicks. Fontaine side-steps a moonsault from Façade. Fontaine hits a moonsault of his own to pick up the win at 15:14. This took way too long to get into another gear. Façade didn’t look nearly as crisp or exciting as usual and I think Fontaine’s gaga has a tendency to hurt his matches. Quite frankly I’d like to see someone else as Intense champion. **1/4
Aeroform (Flip Kendrick & Louis Lyndon) vs. Irish Airborne (Jake & Dave Crist) vs. A Call 2 Arms (Shane Hollister & Trik Davis)
Jake catches Hollister with a leg lariat for two. Dave tags in. The Airborne give him a pair of kicks and Dave hits a lionsault for two. Lyndon blind tags in and crossbody’s onto Hollister. Hollister knees him in the gut and tags in Davis. AC2A give Lyndon a double backdrop for two. Davis rolls Lyndon into a crucifix for two. Lyndon hops from the apron into an armdrag. He dropkicks Davis to the floor. Hollister cuts off Lyndon’s dive. Lyndon headscissors Davis into Hollister so that Hollister falls to the floor. Lyndon pins Davis for two. Kendrick tags in and hits stereo slingshot dropkicks to Davis. Dave and Kendrick go back and forth until they throw dropkicks simultaneously. They each miss standing moonsaults. Kendrick hits an enzuigiri and a standing shooting star press for two. Lyndon tags in and snapmares Dave. Dave gets up and hits a moonsault for two. Jake tags in. The Airborne knock Lyndon with stereo kicks and knee strikes. Hollister comes in and delivers uppercuts to Jake. AC2A take turns wearing down Jake in their corner. Jake comes back with a jumping reverse neck breaker to Hollister. Kendrick comes in and dumps him on his face with a suplex for two. Aeroform double team Jake but fail to get a pin. Dave suplexes Kendrick and then rolls into a Tiger Driver. Hollister gives Dave a tornado DDT while Davis dives onto Kendrick on the floor. Lyndon knee strikes Hollister. He gives Hollister a fallaway slam. Jake breaks the pin with a swanton bomb. Davis gives Jake a Michinoku Driver for two. The Airborne go for Irish Air Raid, but Davis pushes Jake to crotch Dave on the top rope. Davis goes for a super huracanrana on Dave. Jake stops him and the Airborne hit Irish Air Raid. Kendrick breaks the pin. Jake accidentally dives onto his brother. Kendrick Asai moonsaults onto both of them. In the ring Hollister rolls Lyndon into a kick to the head. Lyndon hits a missile dropkick for two. Chest Flexor distracts the referee so that AC2A can hit Lyndon in the stomach with a chair. They nail Lyndon with stereo superkicks for the pin at 13:00. AC2A have joined Flexor Industries, and after their performance it makes sense. The Irish Airborne were the clear stand out team here, though AC2A have made their mark as the hot new team to deal with in the company. This fell a bit short of the three way from Nightmare Before X-Mas 4, but was still pretty damn good. ***1/4
Tim Donst vs. Colt Cabana
South Side St. Clair is in Cabana’s corner. Cabana backs Donst to the corner and breaks the lock-up cleanly. Donst forearms Cabana, so Cabana knocks Donst down with one of his own. Cabana dodges a few attacks from Donst and victory rolls him for two. Cabana chops Donst in a couple corners. He hits a wind up palm strike for two. Donst throws Cabana out of a front chancery into an ankle pick. Cabana rolls out and shoulder blocks Donst for two. He does it a second time and again gets two. Cabana reverses Donst hip toss into one of his own for two. Donst pulls on Cabana’s ears while pressing his knees on Cabana’s legs. Cabana escapes and delivers a pair of clotheslines. Donst rolls to the floor and brings Cabana from the apron down into a backbreaker. Donst throws Cabana shoulder first into the ring post. In the ring he delivers a gut-wrench suplex for two. Cabana evades a drope toe hold. Donst sends Cabana crotch first into the corner to avoid a Flying Asshole. Donst hits the Donst Cap for two. Donst twists Cabana’s nipples before suplexing him for two. Cabana escapes a floored abdominal stretch. He hits a flying clothesline. Cabana delivers the Flip, Flop & Fly along with some overhand chops. Cabana springboards into a crossbody for two. Cabana is ableto to land the Flying Asshole. Donst however drops him with a bulldog. Cabana turns a flying hip attack into a pin for two. Donst hits an STO for two. Donst then delivers the Gator Roll for two. Donst misses a top rope senton, only for Cabana to miss a moonsault. Donst locks Cabana in the Inverted CHIKARA Special. Cabana taps out at 13:27. Cabana had no gaga to speak of, which is amazing with St. Clair around ringside. This was two guys who know mat wrestling putting on a good mat and strike based contest. I think in the ring, Cabana is at his best when he’s all business. This match helped proved that point. ***
Tim Donst gets on the mic, mentioning how in the past few months he’s beaten some of the best in the business (Jimmy Jacobs, Sonjay Dutt, and now Colt Cabana). Tim Donst says he has eyes set on Mad Man Pondo in May, but for next month decides to call out Kevin Steen. That match ended up being scheduled, but Steen had to drop out. El Generico ended up replacing him, and Donst beat Generico as well.
Absolute Championship
Johnny Gargano (Champion) vs. Bobby Beverly
Beverly was a mystery opponent for Flexor Industries, but Chest Flexor teases it is him at first. Beverly attacks Gargano from behind, but Gargano quickly turns the tide and sends him to the floor. Beverly comes back and Gargano takes him to the mat in an arm submission. He transitions into a hammerlock before stomping on Beverly’s hand. Beverly does a hip swivel after shoulder blocking Gargano. Gargano trips him into a half crab. He then puts Beverly in a Muta Lock. Once Beverly breaks the hold, Gargano slams Beverly’s face repeated times into the mat. Beverly dropkicks Gargano’s leg out and dropkicks him in the head for one. Flexor and Chad Williams stomp on Gargano behind the referee’s back. Beverly rams his knees into Gargano’s neck on the second rope for two. A butterfly suplex gets Beverly another two count. Gargano floats over Beverly’s suplex attempt for two. Gargano hits him with the sligshot spear, a bicycle kick and a clothesline. Gargano delivers an enzuigiri while Beverly dangles on the second ropes. He follows up with a top rope senton for two. Gargano rolls Beverly into a face kick. Beverly catches Gargano with a backbreaker for two. Gargano rolls back into an enzuigiri for two. Beverly catches Gargano with a dangling DDT. He drops him with a modified powerslam for two. Gargano victory rolls Beverly for two. Gargano and Beverly trade kicks to one another. Gargano drops Beverly face first. Beverly responds with a superkick for two. Beverly heads up the ropes only for Gargao to kick him to the floor. Gargano follows out with a suicide dive and a cannonball senton from the apron. Beverly blocks the Hurts Donut. Gargano however rolls through a crucifix. He superkicks Beverly and again goes for the Hurts Donut. Gargano ends up delivering a Dragon suplex and then hitting the Hurts Donut. He transitions into the Gargano Escape, and Beverly taps out at 15:02. Gargano’s dislike of Flexor Industries was palpable from the moment the match began. This made for a better story, as Gargano was not only fighting to retain his title but to make sure Flexor did not have it in his possession. Beverly was a great choice for Gargano, as they ended up having great chemistry. ***1/4
2011 Gauntlet for the Gold
This match has thirty competitors total. After the first two are introduced, a new wrestler enters every 90 seconds. You eliminate your opponent by throwing them over the top rope and to the floor. The last man standing will get a shot at the Absolute Champion at “Absolutiong VI” in June.
The order of entry is:
1. Ben Fruith
2. Super Oprah
3. Isaac Montana
4. South Side St. Clair
5. The Kombat Kidd
6. Tim Donst
7. Matt Classic
8. Dave The Potato
9. The Duke
10. Luis Diamante
11. “Mr. RBI” Izaeh Bonds
12. Dave Crist
13. Josh Emanuel
14. Joey The Snake
15. Corey Winters
16. Lamont Williams
17. Hobo Joe
18. Marion Fontaine
19. Justin Lee
20. Gregory Iron
21. Louis Lyndon
22. K. Fernandez
23. Shawn Blaze
24. Jake Crist
25. Facade
26. Flip Kendrick
27. Shane Hollister
28. Trik Davis
29. Bobby Beverly
30. Shiima Xion
31. Chest Flexor
32. Chad Williams
Order of Elimination
1. South Side St. Clair by Tim Donst
2. Ben Fruith by Tim Donst
3. Isaac Montan by Tim Donst
4. Super Oprah by Tim Donst
5. The Kombat Kidd by Tim Donst
6. Dave The Potato by Matt Classic
7. Matt Classic by Tim Donst
8. Luis Diamante by ???
9. Josh Emanuel by Izaeh Bonds
10. Joey The Snake by Marion Fontaine
11. Lamont Williams by The Duke
12. Corey Winters by Justin Lee
13. Hobo Joe by Gregory Iron
14. Justin Lee by Gregory Iron
15. K. Fernandez by Dave Crist
16. Shawn Blaze by Façade and Marion Fontaine
17. Jake Crist by Shane Hollister (with an accidental assist from Dave Crist)
18. Flip Kendrick by Trik Davis
19. Louis Lyndon by Shane Hollister
20. Dave Crist by Izaeh Bonds
21. Trik Davis by Façade
22. Shane Hollister by Façade and Marion Fontaine
23. The Duke by Shiima Xion
24. Izaeh Bonds by Chest Flexor and Chad Williams
25. Chad Williams sacrificed himself to try and save Flexor.
26. Chest Flexor by Façade and Marion Fontaine
27. Marion Fontaine by Bobby Beverly
28. Façade by Shiima Xion
29. Shiima Xion by Tim Donst
30. Bobby Beverly by Gregory Iron
31. Gregory Iron by Tim Donst
So you may notice that there were 32 entrants when there were only supposed to be 30. Once Xion entered, Chest Flexor and Chad Williams strong armed the ring announcer into making them official entrants. Once they came in, the ring stood off with the six members of Flexor Industries (Chest Flexor, Chad Williams, Shane Hollister, Trik Davis, Shiima Xion & Bobby Beverly) standing off with the AIW crew. When all was said and done, Gregory Iron eliminated Bobby Beverly thinking he had won. Donst had not hit the floor when he eliminated Xion (as it looked like he did from the hard camera), so he ran in and dumped Iron from behind. Donst officially won the match at 53:59. There were tertiary stories at the get go with mini allegiances being formed, but the big AIW vs Flexor Industries story was the crux of the situation. The fans loved that Donst won in the end and it will be great to see the crowd for his match with Johnny Gargano in June. ***1/2
Overall: This was a big step-up from last year’s Gauntlet for the Gold. While the gauntlets themselves were equally good, the rest of this card was much more solid. Between Cabana vs Donst, the three way tag bout and the Absolute Title match, you’ll find a really solid and well put together card here. I think this is a crucial show to have for storyline purposes, making “Gauntlet for the Gold VI” an easy recommendation.