AIW Review: Girls Night Out 4

Lakewood, OH – 7.29.2011

Commentary is provided by Pedro Deluca and Aaron Bauer.

We open Guys Night Out 2 with Flexor Industries arriving in a limousine, greeted by Aaron Bauer. Johnny Gargano runs out to attack them but is held back by a myriad of staff and security. Once Flexor Industries is inside the building, Flexor asks Aaron Bauer to ask Gargano a litany of humbling, embarrassing questions. Gargano has no time for Bauer and tells him that Flexor is dead tonight.

”Guys Night Out 2” Pre-Show

Kobald vs. Eric Ryan

Ryan puts on a fan’s (Winston!) Kobald mask. Kobald slaps it off Ryan’s face. Kobald takes him down to the mat and applies a side headlock. Ryan reverses and brings Kobald to the mat. Ryan escapes a headscissors. Kobald berates a fan and gets schoolboyed by Ryan. He lights up Ryan’s chest with strikes. Ryan comes back with a Death Valley Driver. Kobald rolls to the floor. Ryan follows out with a spear but goes face first into a guardrail! Kobald stalks Ryan as he limps around ringside. They trade strikes until Kobald suplexes Ryan onto the entrance ramp. They fight to the backstage area. Façade of all people throws Kobald out from the back. He insists on making this match a three way.

Kobald vs. Eric Ryan vs. Façade

Kobald chops Façade back in the ring. Some back and forth sees Façade O’Conner roll Kobald for two. He then hits a springboard dropkick to a seated Kobald. Façade backflips out of the corner and hits a matrix leg lariat. Ryan re-enters the match with a missile dropkick to Façade. Façade pitches Ryan to the floor. Façade hits a springboard splash. Back in the ring he walks the top rope but misses a crossbody. Ryan drops him with an inside out driver for two. Façade legdrops Ryan on the middle rope then springboards into a bulldog. He misses a split-legged moonsault and puts Façade in the Koji Clutch. Façade passes out at 8:18 (total). Ryan going over was the right call, but this was really disjointed. Façade’s offense looked reckless and there was never any interaction with all three opponents at once. *1/2

Rickey Shane Page vs. Mad Man Pondo

Pondo brought back Miss Natalie, the hot chick from the TPI. He of course asks Page for a No Disqualification match. He agrees in a roundabout way. Page does a little wrestling to screw with Pondo. Pondo trips him into a leg lock and Page grabs the bottom rope. Pondo grabs his SOTP sign and Page bails to the floor. Page comes back in and bails when Pondo grabs the sign again. In the ring, Page ducks a sign smash and goes for a sunset flip. Of course, Pondo throws the chair at Page’s face to stop his attempt. Pondo busts out the light tubes. He kicks a tube into Page’s groin and it explodes. Pondo throws him face first into a chair and smashes a beer can on his head. He then slides a chair into Page’s groin. Page throws Pondo into a scaffold and kicks him. He hits Pondo with a trashcan. Pondo uses a fan in a wheelchair and places his wheel on Page’s throat. Page responds by choking Pondo with an electric cable. Pondo suplexes Page on the floor. Pondo brings Page to the outside of the building and throws a cigarette disposal at him. Pondo then tosses Page into some bushes. Page uses the tree for a dropkick for two. Pondo snapmares Page in the road and hits a senton for two. Pondo brings Page back to the ringside area. Pondo puts a lighttube in Page’s mouth and shoves him into the ring post. The blow gets Pondo a two count. In the ring Page hits an enzuigiri. He puts a light tube down Pondo’s shirt and kicks it into the side of his head for two. Page misses a senton. Natalie hands Pondo a chair. He sets up Page for the Silencer. He hits it on the chair for two. Page ducks a STOP sign smash. Page sends the sign into Pondo’s face with a rolling forearm for the pin at 12:35. This was quite the brawl and showed once again just how crazy and tough Page is. I appreciate them doing more than the usual stuff you see in these matches. ***

Page thanks Pondo as a hardcore legend. They embrace, and then Pondo puts him over as well. He promises to bring back Miss Natalie every time if the fans ask the AIW brass to keep bringing him back.

Gregory Iron makes his way to the ring. He tells the crowd the tale of how this past Saturday, Colt Cabana and CM Punk gave him praise at AAW’s Scars & Stripes 2011 show. He sees things are supposed to be bigger and better than him from now on, so he’s curious to find out who his opponent is. CM Punk’s entrance music hit, only to be cut off by Bobby Beverly’s music. Beverly is dressed like CM Punk circa 2002 and is accompanied by Chest Flexor, “The Chad” Williams and Flexor Industries referee Dave Dawson. Beverly tells Iron that he makes him sick because he works harder than Iron and yet doesn’t get admiration from someone like CM Punk. He promises to end Iron’s career tonight. Dawson is the official for the match.

Gregory Iron vs. Bobby Beverly

Iron attacks Beverly from behind. Beverly goes to the floor and Iron follows out with a suicide dive. Iron clotheslines Beverly from the ring apron and comes back with a springboard senton. Dawson slow counts him for two. Iron back elbows Beverly and Dawson of course slow counts again. Beverly kicks Iron to avoid a corner attack. Iron catches Beverly coming off the ropes. He hits the Gimp Slap and delivers ten punches in the corner. Iron crossbody’s Beverly and Dawson slow counts. Iron gets in Dawson’s face. Beverly nails him with a pump kick for two. Beverly suplexes him for two. Iron sunset flips him for one. Beverly hits a single leg dropkick and pitches Iron to the floor. Flexor and Williams attack Iron on the floor. Williams throws him into the guardrails twice. Beverly ducks a clothesline and hits an enzuigiri for two. Beverly applies a rear chinlock. Iron backs Beverly to the corner and comes out with a bulldog. Dawson purposefully distracts himself to avoid counting Iron’s pin. Iron drops him with a reverse DDT for slow two count. Williams grabs Iron to avoid him from going to the top rope. Beverly and Iron fight on the turnbuckles. Iron knocks him off and hits a flying elbow. Dawson slow counts two. Iron gets in Dawson’s face. Beverly low blows Iron and rolls him up for the pin at 8:15. This was a really solid encounter to solidify just how stacked Flexor has put the cards in his favor. I would like an explanation as to how Flexor is able to get Dawson to serve as the referee for matches involving his guys. I mean, AIW wouldn’t purposefully put him in there right? **3/4

Flexor Industries attacks Iron after the match. Johnny Gargano runs out to make the save. He dives onto Williams and Beverly, then chases Flexor around the building. Williams catches him with a boot. Gargano and Iron are beaten down and thrown into the guardrails. Williams throws Gargano back in the ring and Dawson quickly calls for the bell.

Johnny Gargano vs. Chest Flexor

Gargano kicks out at two. Flexor chokes Gargano on the middle rope. Beverly chokes Gargano behind Dawson’s back. Flexor gives him a gut buster for two, then slaps on a Camel Clutch. Flexor pushes Gargano to the floor where Williams gets in a couple more punches. Flexor drops him with a neckbreaker and puts his feet on the bottom rope for a two count. Gargano fights off Beverly and Williams as they try to interfere. Flexor throws powder into Gargano’s eyes and Dawson pretends not to see it. Williams and Beverly come in and take turns beating Gargano down. Tim Donst runs out with a 2×4 and takes out Beverly and Williams. He chases them (and Dawson) away, allowing Gargano to tackle and lay in a series of punches to Flexor. Gargano ties up Flexor in the ropes and batters him with superkicks. Gargano places a steel chair between the middle and top ropes in the corner. He lawn darts Flexor into the chair Gargano does it a second time. Gargano rams Flexor’s bloody head over and over in the steel guardrail. He continuously hurls chairs over and over onto Flexor. Gargano throws one last chair onto Flexor than heads backstage. Flexor, nearly dead, is helped to the back. This wasn’t really a match as it was an awesome segment to set-up the protagonists and antagonists in what I suspect will be the next long rivalry in AIW. I thought the way Gargano took out Flexor was perfect considering how he was screwed back at Absolution VI. This was an awesome next chapter in the Flexor Industries vs. AIW feud. Gargano officially won this match due to Flexor not being able to continue. N/R

Girls Night Out 4

K.C. vs. Mena Libra

Libra is wearing a medical boot, which she assures us is legal. Dave Dawson is the official for this match, which is interesting because Libra is an associate of Flexor Industries. Libra puts K.C. in a modified surfboard stretch. K.C. gets the ropes to break it. She applies a side headlock. Libra breaks it. K.C. counters a hip toss and delivers a pair of armdrags. K.C. drop toe holds her hurt foot, which Libra clutches right away. Libra throws K.C. face first into the corner after baiting her in (Libra was faking her injury). A Northern Lights suplex gets her a two count. Libra hits a Rude Awakening for two. Libra chops K.C. in the corner. She places K.C.in the ropes and comes at her with two flying hip attacks. Libra only manages a two count. K.C. rolls to avoid Libra’s stomp. K.C. delivers an atomic drop and a Manhattan drop. She splashes Libra in the corner and brings her out with a bulldog for two. Libra picks up K.C. for a Samoan Drop. K.C. fights off a schoolgirls Libra for two. Libra misses a corner splash. K.C. counters a kick and delivers a chinbreaker. Libra gets her boot up to avoid a double axe handle. It appears something bad may have happened to K.C., as Libra got the pin at 8:38. This was fine up until ending, which may have been due to a legitimate injury so there’s only so much complaining to be done. This started slow but got better once K.C. picked up on offense. **

Cherry Bomb v

s. Veda Scott

Bomb takes Scott to the mat in a side headlock. Scott reverses into a headscissors. Bomb escapes and reapplies the side headlock. Scott transitions into a hammerlock. Bomb mares her into a pin for two. Scott leans back in order to bring Bomb down in an armdrag. Bomb kicks Scott to break an armhold. She kicks Scott to the mat and then chops her in the corner. Bomb evades a corner attack. She delivers a head kick from the apron then nails a missile dropkick for two. Scott drop toe holds Bomb to send her face first into the second rope. Scott chokes her on the middle rope. Scott puts Bomb in an abdominal stretch. Scott then brings her down in a vice hold. She crucifixes Bomb for a two count. Bomb does the same. Scott rams her shoulder into Bomb’s mid-section. She clothesline Bomb and delivers a bulldog for two. Bomb comes back with a diving forearm. She puts Scott in the Cattle Mutilation. Scott escapes and pitches Bomb to the floor. Bomb comes back in but quickly gets thrown out again. Bomb hits a running dropkick to Scott in the middle rope from the floor for two. Bomb lands a series of strike before dropkicking Scott from behind into the ring post. That’s enough to get Bomb the pin at 8:36. I was really impressed with both women here. This was a great back and forth match that got over Bomb huge with the Cleveland crowd while also showing off Scott’s competent in ring prowess. I’m happy knowing Bomb made a return, but I really hope Scott comes back as well. ***

Mickie Knuckles vs. Allysin Kay

Dave Dawson is the referee, because Allysin Kay is of course a member of Flexor Industries. Knuckles brings out an insanely tall women named Andrea to help counteract Jessicka Havok who is in Kay’s corner. An aggressive lock-up goes all around the ring. It spills to the mat and sends Kay to the ring apron. Kay ducks a clothesline and puts on a side headlock. Knuckles takes Kay down to the mat. They fight for control, leading up to their feet where Kay reapplies the headlock. Knuckles sends her to the floor with a hard forearm. Havok lies to Dawson and tells him that Andrea has brass knuckles, so Dawson ejects her from ringside. Meanwhile, Knuckles bodyscissors Kay and rolls her around the mat. Kay retreats to the floor to talk to Havok. Knuckles injures her knee as she goes through the ropes. This allows Kay to reapply the headlock and forearm Knuckles’ chest on the ring apron. Knuckles whips her into the guardrail. She charges after her but Kay moves just in time, causing Knuckles to hit the guardrail herself. In the ring Kay peppers Knuckles with knees to the face while wrenching on a side headlock. Kay distracts referee so Havok can get in some strikes from the floor. Kay applies a chinlock. Knuckles escapes with a chin breaker and Saito suplex. Knuckles delivers a backfist and a rolling forearm. Kay blocks a running attack but takes a belly-to-belly suplex anyways. Knuckles goes for a wristclutch suplex. Havok trips Knuckles and holds the leg, allowing Kay to get a fast count victory at 13:24. The amount of stalling from Kay got frustrating, and not in a good way. The finish didn’t do a lot for me either, but there’s a chance it could come back in the main event when Havok defends her title so I’m not opposed to it at the moment. **

Sara Del Rey vs. Sassy Stephie

Sara destroys Stephie with kicks at the start. She traps her in the ropes and kicks her in the chest for two. Sara brings her up for a leg-assisted suplex. Sara delivers an uppercut and DDT. A gutwrench suplex and a legdrop gets her a two count. Sara gives her a backbreaker for two. Sara applies a straightjacket choke and stretches Stephie back first across her knees. Stephie goes to Sara eyes to knock her down and finally deliver some strikes of her own. Stephie chokes Sara on the top rope. Stephie kicks Sara in the spine and skullf*cks her for two. Stephie puts Sara in the Last Chancery. Sara escapes and kicks Stephie in the chest. She axe kicks the back of Stephie’s head for two. Stephie applies a bodyscissors headlock. Sara rams her into the corner to break the hold. Stephie clotheslines her for two. Sara drops her with the Koppu Kick. She follows up with the Royal Butterfly for the pin at 10:40. Sara looked like a total monster against Stephie. She killed her for almost the entirety of the match and only was thwarted when Stephie cheated by raking her eyes. I feel bad for Stephie as the fans were BRUTAL towards her, and unjustly so. I don't know what that was about. This was a great match to push Sara towards a future title shot. **3/4

Portia Perez and Roxie Cotton come out for their match. Cotton tells the live crowd that tonight is Roxie Cotton’s final match and asked for Perez because “she’s awesome”.

Roxie Cotton’s Retirement Match
Roxie Cotton vs. Portia Perez

Perez powers Cotton to the corner and breaks cleanly. Cotton does the same. Cotton fails to knock her down with a shoulder block. Cotton convinces Perez to give it a try. Cotton trips Perez as she tries to hit the ropes. Perez has a hissy fit on the floor. Perez lays in a series of forearms in the corner. Cotton and her criss-cross off the ropes. Cotton stops Perez and slaps her in the face. Perez evades a corner splash and drops Cotton’s arm across the top rope. Perez drops her with a neckbreaker for two. Perez digs her nails into Cotton’s eyes. Perez knocks her down with a back elbow for two. Cotton comes back with a boot to the side of her head. Cotton blocks an Irish whip with a slap to the face. She hits a running back elbow, a hip attack and a sliding forearm in the corner. Perez brings her out of the corner with a bulldog. A low DDT gets her two. Cotton avoids a headlock and applies a crossface. Perez gets her foot on the rope to break. Portia gets two with a jackknife pin. Cotton hits a Northern Lights suplex and goes to the middle rope. She misses a senton splash. Perez superkicks her for the pin at 10:56. I was never overly impressed with either woman and they didn’t do much here to change my mind. This was all pretty slow and basic, but I will say they played their characters very well. **

Perez raises Cotton’s arm as a sign of respect. Cotton cuts a promo I can’t understand due to the mic quality and the fans who won’t shut up, but she essentially attacks Perez after a faux retirement speech. She says she’s done being Roxie Cotton and will now go under the name Gabby Gilbert. She trash talks Perez and beats her down some more.

AIW Women’s Championship; First Blood Match
Jessicka Havok (Champion) vs. Angeldust

Dave Dawson is the referee for this match since Havok is a Flexor Industries member. Angeldust attacks Havok as Havok tries to enter the ring. Angeldust lays in kicks and strikes around ringside. Angeldust brings her back in the ring. Havok gets in a forearm and kick. Havok tree slams her in the corner. She knocks Angeldust down and chokes her. Havok pulls her out of the corner into a Boston Crab. Havok angrily rams her face into the mat multiple times. Havok pulls Angeldust up into a full body stretch. She punches Angeldust out of it. She picks up Angeldust in a modified full nelson. Angeldust ducks a clothesline and hits one of her own. Angeldust hits a lung blower. Angeldust delivers some more strikes on the floor. Havok responds with a kick to the chest. She throws her onto the entrance ramp and literally rubs the women’s championship in her face. Havok misses a back splash against the guardrail. Angeldust chokes Havok in the crowd. Havok responds by throwing a trashcan at her. Havok chokes her against the wall. They brawl back to the gimmick tables where Havok hits her elbow against a table. Angeldust pummels her on the ground and chokes Havok with her boot. Havok hurls Angeldust into a group of chairs. She goes to hit Angeldust with a chair, but Angeldust kicks it into her. Angeldust then throws the chair into Havok’s face. Havok rakes her eyes and spits beer into Angeldust’s face. Havok slams her on the steel chair back in the ring. Havok stomps the chair into Angeldust’s face repeatedly. Angeldust drop toe holds Havok into the chair and dropkicks it into her face. Angeldust drops her with an STO on the chair. Allysin Kay runs out and rubs something on Angeldust’s face. We see that Kay had rubbed blood on her face, causing her to lose at 15:23. That kind of hackneyed finish was totally expected and the action was real good up until that point. ***

Angeldust chases Kay to the back. Mickie Knuckles comes out to remind us that she had a title match with Jessicka Havok at Girls Night Out 3 scheduled, but Havok didn’t make it. Knuckles pulled out her contract from that show and it turns out she is eligible for a rematch whenever she wanted. She decides to take her rematch know, and referee Dave Dawson is replaced by Jake Clemons. Tim Donst and Johnny Gargano chase Dawson away to make sure the match is fair.

AIW Women’s Championship
Jessicka Havok (Champion) vs. Mickie Knuckles

Knuckles knocks Havok down with a clothesline and spear. She drops Havok with a pump-handle driver for the pin at 0:27. That was the great satisfying ending that all the BS earlier in the show was leading up to. That was a great way to take the sour taste out of the fans’ mouths and make it a nice, heartwarming ending. I love how Flexor Industries got screwed the same way they screwed Johnny Gargano at Absolution VI. Tim Donst and Johnny Gargano place the belt around Knuckles’ waist. N/R

Overall: It's probably best to look at this show overall rather than match by match. This was essentially a show to set-up the main players in the AIW vs. Flexor Industries feud that will certainly encompass the majority of AIW's cards for the distant future. In that way, they did a terrific job setting the groups apart and making their goals clear. The overall match quality suffered because of it, especially on the main card when some matches had no true backstory to the them, but I think it was a worthwhile gamble in order to set up for much bigger and better things down the road. I'd say if you're completely focused on the in ring work to pick up the TPI or Absolution VI instead. But, if you really want to understand the fundamental storylines of a company, missing this show will lead you to missing a crucial piece in the overall puzzle.