Post by cavedweller73 on Aug 21, 2011 11:05:33 GMT -5
Last night was interesting, to say the least. IPW really had a stacked card lined up for this show. Here's what happened:
As I usually do when I go to IPW shows, my plan was to drive up to Indy as soon as I got off work. Usually, this is a good plan. However, I wasn't aware of the fact that nearly every single road into Indy is under construction (more like DIS-truction!). Add to that the fact that when I got to the show, I find that they've completely redesigned Shelby St. and now, you can't park on the street at all. So, since I was berely making it to the show on time anyway, I had to park about a mile away. When I got in, they were doing pre-show matches. These matches usually consist of students from Billy Roc's wrestling school. I think I totally missed one of the matches. When I entered the building, there was a six-person match going on. I didn't see much of it, but what I saw wasn't overly impressive. As I walked around the room, looking for my seat, I saw several people I recognized. Scotty Vortekz was hanging around. His hand was heavily bandaged. Last week, at a CZW show, he went through a pane of glass and cut two tendons in his hand and had to have surgery. Needless to say, he wasn't going to be working the show tonight. Also, Vince Jones and Kevin Adams (the other two new owners of IWA:MS) there.
Anyway, on to the main show:
Tripp Cassidy, "Big" Sue Jackson & Remi Wilkins vs. Reed Bentley, Overload & Matt Knicks
All of these guys are also Roc's students. Wilkins looks like a smaller version of Apollo Starr. Jackson is a large guy who was wearing dress pants, a white shirt and suspenders. He reminded me of Roadkill, the Amish guy in the ECW. Overload was a masked guy who apparently has watched a lot of Chikara. The match itself wasn't anything too special, but you can't blame guys who are just starting out. As far as that goes, they didn't do too bad. Tripp Cassidy was probably the stand-out of the match. He took a heck of a beating. At one point, everyone in the match (including Jackson) did dives to the outside. The whole spot looked like a mosh pit at a punk rock show. In the end, Cassidy, Jackson and Wilkins got the win.
DJ Hyde vs. Dave Davidson
DJ was suppose to be in a tag match with Drake Younger against Danny Havoc and Vortekz, but obviously, those plans got changed. DJ came out and cut a huge heel promo and basically set the stage for promoting the IPW/CZW double-header show that's happening in Indy in Nov. Davidson came out and the fight was on. There was nothing fancy going down in this match. Just two large guys beating the living crap out of each other. Both guys were moving really slow (as usual for DJ) and were hitting each other with some seriously stiff shots. Davidson's chest was almost bleeding for the chops. They both went to the outside and brawled around in the crowd. I heard that Davidson took a nasty back-drop onto the bleachers but I didn't see it. DJ also hit him with some wicked chairshots. Once they got back in the ring, DJ hit him with a spear and then the big lariat for the win. It was certainly not a great match, but for just the pure "watching two guys beat the snot out of each other" factor, it wasn't as bad as I would have expected....especially for a DJ Hyde match.
"Mr. 450" Hammett vs. James Avery
I've heard a lot about this Hammett guy. I know he works up around Chicago and has quite a buzz on the Internet. He looks almost exactly like Juventud Guerrera right after he lost his mask. Avery is the former Carlton Kaz. He looked to be in better shape then he was the last time I saw him in person. The match was really nothing special. Hammett looked decent, but not great. In the end, he tried a 450 off the top rope, but kind of botched it. He still got the pin though.
Neveah d. Ivelisse Velez
Velez was on "Tough Enough" and from what I've gathered about her, she also works around up in Chicago and calls herself Juliet "the Huntress". I hadn't seen Neveah in a while. She looked pretty much the same as always, but has jet black hair now. The match was decent, but again, nothing special. Velez looked pretty good and controlled most of the match. The thing was though that the two of them just never really seemed to click. Maybe that's because of the fact that I've never been all that impressed with Neveah. In the end, Neveah hit Valez with a German suplex out of nowhere and bridged up and got the pin. It was a decent match for what it was, I suppose.
IPW Mid-American title
Chrisjen Hayme (c) vs. Hy-zaya vs. Alex Colon vs. Dustin Rayz
Colon is a CZW guy. He's got all the great moves, but absolutely no charisma, so even though he's been busting his butt in Philly for years, most people still have no idea who he is. Anyway....what an awesome match!!! Everything about this match was exciting. All four guys are in great shape and were pulling off amazing moves. There were lots of high-flying spots and moves where they would all climb up on the top rope and do multiple moves at the same time. So much non-stop action that I can't even remember it all. In the end, Hayme tossed Hy-zaya and Rayz to the floor and hit Colon with a fireman's carry into a sick sit out pilerdriver move and got the pin. Awesome match!!!
No DQ Naptown Streetfight
Drake Younger vs. Danny Havoc
They brought out a bunch of plunder for the match too....a trash can, water jug bat, a door, chairs, carpet strips, a barbed-wire bat....you name it. I knew this match was going to be good and man, did it deliver! It was cool seeing Havoc in Indy. Say what you will about deathmatch wrestlers, but if there is such a thing as the best, Havoc and Younger are it. Both of them go so far beyond the typical "hit me, now I'll hit you" kind of stuff that so many people think hardcore matches are all about. As Younger was "heeling it up" around the ring, Havoc did a dive onto him and the streetfight was ON!!! They fought all around in the crowd. I ran around to get as close as possible and was standing behind Havoc when Drake threw a chair (Sabu style) at his head. Luckily, it bounced the other direction. I had a feeling they were going to take the action outside....and they did! I ran out right behind them and they made their way to Shelby Street. They were fighting in the middle of the street. The refs and security were pushing us all back onto the sidewalk. A van was coming down the street and drove by just as Drake hit Danny with an orange barrel. The look on the woman in the van's face was priceless! HA HA!!! They went back into the parking lot and Drake ran Danny's head into the trailer. They made their way back inside and continued the carnage. They got back into the ring and used every weapon there was. There were so many near-falls and sick spots. Drake was bleeding all over the place. He hit Havoc with the barbwire bat and it stuck in his back. At one point, they brought out a plastic table and Drake set it up as a platform in the corner. Havoc then set up two chairs and put the door on top of them and then a broken chair onto of that. Both guys climbed up and Drake hit a Northern Lights Bomb from the top, through the door....it was SICK!!! Danny STILL kicked out! Drake then started hitting him with the water jug bat....hitting him HARD. Havoc looked to be legit loopy from it. Drake then set up a chair and hit a Drake's Landing onto the chair and got the pin. Havoc wasn't moving and looked to be legit knocked out. I know some will roll their eyes at me for saying this, but that's how a hardcore/death match should be done and it was awesome! After the match, Drake got on the mic and put over Havoc. He then cut a promo about Scotty Vortekz. Scotty got in the ring and Drake challenged him to a fans bring the weapons cage match at the IPW/CZW show in Nov. The two shook hands and it looked as though Drake was doing a face turn until he hit Scotty with a cheap shot and left him laying in the ring.
Next was intermission. I milled around a bit and saw a bunch of people I've seen at shows before. Hy-zaya stopped me shook my hand because I was wearing my hat with my J.C. Bailey bandanna wrapped around it said, "Hey man, thanks for wearing that. I carry his spirit with me wherever I go!" Ivelisse Velez was sitting at one table and man, she's certainly not in the wrestling business for the money, considering the HUGE diamond bracelet she was wearing. Davey Richards, Tony Kozina and Kyle O'Reilly were at another title and Davey was taking pictures with fans and letting them hold the ROH title belt. After the long intermission, it was back to the action.
Jesse Emerson (w/Greg Carey) vs. BJ Whitmer
It was awesome to see Whitmer. When I first started going to these indy shows, he had just gotten out of the business. So, this was actually my first time seeing him in person. He;s really been tearing it up since he's returned. He's in absolutely awesome shape and hasn't lost one step in the ring. The man is quite literally a machine! Why TNA or WWE never tried to use this guy is beyond me. Anyway, Emerson looked good as well. I hadn't seen him in a while, but he still looked to be in great shape and really, both of these guys matched up really well. The match was great too. At one point, they were both on the mat and literally mauling each other. They traded so many stiff chops and shots. In the end, Greg Carey took us all to Memphis and threw power into Whitmer's face and Emerson rolled him up for the win. Terrible finish to an otherwise awesome match.
IPW Jr. Title match
Billy Roc vs. Ricochet(c)
Before the match, all of Roc's students came out and were around the ring. Rico came out and is sporting a mohawk now. Getting a chance to see Rico in person is somewhat rare because he seems to spend so much time in Japan these days. The match was awesome. Roc usually tries to work a British style and to be honest, there are times when I'm not overly impressed by him. However, he was ON last night! His moves seemed really smooth. And of course, Rico was just amazing. It's almost unbelievable how good he's gotten. Rico pulled off several standing shooting start presses. The match went back and forth with both guys pulling off some awesome moves. At one point, Rico was on the outside and climbed over the barrier. Roc's students lined up and bent over. Roc then tried to run across their backs and jumped onto Rico. The spot was kind of botched, but it was still cool that they tried it. In the end, Rico went to the top and hit Roc with a PERFECT 630 (yes, a 630!!!) flip and got the pin.
Tony Kozina vs. Terek the Legend
This match was suppose to happen several times before, but every time it seemed like Terek wasn't able to make it. Before the match, Terek got on the mic and put over Kozina and said that he expect this match to be an honest fight. Both guys shook hands and the match was on. And what a great match it was....it was just too bad that the crowd seemed to be dead for it. I think a big part of that was the fact that they knew so little about both guys and that the show had been running pretty long at that point. Both guys seemed to be showing each other respect, but in the end, Kozina rolled up Terek and pinned him while pulling his tights. Terek had a "What the f*ck was THAT???" look on his face and Kozina "heeled it up" in his face. This is where the whole show took a strange turn......
As Kozina gloated, out came Davey Richards, Kyle O'Reilly and Adam Cole. Richards got on the mic and started putting himself over as the greatest thing in the entire world. He also put over ROH and cut a promo that basically made the whole thing ROH vs. IPW. The three of them then beatdown Terek and Sami Callihan and the Irish Airborne ran in to make the save. All eight of them brawled around some and then Richards got on the mic and put down Sami for working Dragon Gate shows. He even had some really harsh words for Dragon Gate. Then he said he didn't have to work tonight and that he was leaving. Mike Williams (owner of IPW) then came out and said he had a contract for Richards to work and that he was going to. It was kind of obvious where this was leading and someone in the crowd even yelled, "Don't make this a six-man!" Williams then announced that the main event was going to be an eight-man tag:
Sami Callihan, Terek the Legend and The Irish Airbourne (Jake and Dave Crist) vs. Davey Richards, Tony Kozina and Futureshock (Kyle O'Reilly and Adam Cole)
This whole thing was such a let-down because I was looking forward to the Sami vs. Richards and AI vs. Cole and O'Reilly matches. As a sidenote, Dave Crist looks to be in great shape now. There for a while, he was looking rather flabby. Anyway, the match was ALL over the place. Guys were fighting all around the ring, in the ring....everywhere. The whole thing was a total cluster-f*ck. Once it came down to a true tag match, nothing of real note even happened until everything broke down again. In the end, Sami and Richards were in the ring while everyone else fought outside. Richards locked Sami into an anklelock and Sami tried to get Richards into the "stretch muffler". They went back and forth and in the end, Sami locked his hold in and got Richards onto the mat.....AND RICHARDS TAPPED!!!!! It's amazing the guys that Sami's made tap out to that hold....Daisuke Sekimoto, Bad Bones (from wXw) and now Davey Richards....and those are just guys I've seen him do that to in person....unreal!!!
After the match, Richards and his group left and the others were celebrating in the ring. Then, Adam Cole came back out and was yelling at Sami. Then, DJ Hyde ran in and attacked everyone. They all fought back and took out Cole and then DJ. DJ then got on the mic (say it ain't so) and him and Sami cut promos back and forth. This is EXACTLY what killed Tournament of Death this year too. So, I was getting to re-live THAT...OH JOY!!!!! Basically, Sami ended up challenging DJ to a no-rope barbed-wire match at the IPW/CZW shows in November. If Sami wins, he gets a shot at Adam Cole's CZW Jr. title....but there was one small catch that I think everyone missed. That match is going to happen....IN PHILLY! So, then why is this other match happening in Indy?? Who knows?? Anyway, DJ then said that if he wins, Sami is going to be his "b*tch"....OH MY GOD!!!! It's TOD all over again but without Greg Excellent! The good news that came out of all this though is that they're planning to do a no-rope barbed wire match in Nov. So, count me in!
In the end of it all, this show ended up being a bit of a disappointment.....and it certainly wasn't because of the fact that anything was horrible on the show. There wasn't at all (except for maybe the whole DJ/Sami thing at the end). It's just that the show that was planned was so much better then what happened with the whole impromptu eight-man tag thing. Just a little while ago, I was reading the IPW message board and I got more insight (from Mike Williams himself) on what really went down to cause the two main matches to be changed. Apparently, Davey Richards injured his shoulder on Friday night and at one point, wasn't going to be able to work the IPW show at all. So, they came up with the idea to do the eight-man so that he would still be in a match, but wouldn't be exposed to further injury. That makes sense and I can understand it but in the end, it did hurt the whole show. That's no one's fault at all it's just that everyone had such high expectations for this show. Williams himself is pretty p*ssed off about the whole situation, but also agrees that everyone on the entire show really busted their asses and still made the show as enjoyable as possible.....and it was. It's just still hard to not be a bit disappointed with how the two main matches ended up.
In the end, these are my picks for the best matches of the night:
Drake/ Havoc
The 4-way Mid-American title match
Roc/Rico
Whitmer/Emerson
As I usually do when I go to IPW shows, my plan was to drive up to Indy as soon as I got off work. Usually, this is a good plan. However, I wasn't aware of the fact that nearly every single road into Indy is under construction (more like DIS-truction!). Add to that the fact that when I got to the show, I find that they've completely redesigned Shelby St. and now, you can't park on the street at all. So, since I was berely making it to the show on time anyway, I had to park about a mile away. When I got in, they were doing pre-show matches. These matches usually consist of students from Billy Roc's wrestling school. I think I totally missed one of the matches. When I entered the building, there was a six-person match going on. I didn't see much of it, but what I saw wasn't overly impressive. As I walked around the room, looking for my seat, I saw several people I recognized. Scotty Vortekz was hanging around. His hand was heavily bandaged. Last week, at a CZW show, he went through a pane of glass and cut two tendons in his hand and had to have surgery. Needless to say, he wasn't going to be working the show tonight. Also, Vince Jones and Kevin Adams (the other two new owners of IWA:MS) there.
Anyway, on to the main show:
Tripp Cassidy, "Big" Sue Jackson & Remi Wilkins vs. Reed Bentley, Overload & Matt Knicks
All of these guys are also Roc's students. Wilkins looks like a smaller version of Apollo Starr. Jackson is a large guy who was wearing dress pants, a white shirt and suspenders. He reminded me of Roadkill, the Amish guy in the ECW. Overload was a masked guy who apparently has watched a lot of Chikara. The match itself wasn't anything too special, but you can't blame guys who are just starting out. As far as that goes, they didn't do too bad. Tripp Cassidy was probably the stand-out of the match. He took a heck of a beating. At one point, everyone in the match (including Jackson) did dives to the outside. The whole spot looked like a mosh pit at a punk rock show. In the end, Cassidy, Jackson and Wilkins got the win.
DJ Hyde vs. Dave Davidson
DJ was suppose to be in a tag match with Drake Younger against Danny Havoc and Vortekz, but obviously, those plans got changed. DJ came out and cut a huge heel promo and basically set the stage for promoting the IPW/CZW double-header show that's happening in Indy in Nov. Davidson came out and the fight was on. There was nothing fancy going down in this match. Just two large guys beating the living crap out of each other. Both guys were moving really slow (as usual for DJ) and were hitting each other with some seriously stiff shots. Davidson's chest was almost bleeding for the chops. They both went to the outside and brawled around in the crowd. I heard that Davidson took a nasty back-drop onto the bleachers but I didn't see it. DJ also hit him with some wicked chairshots. Once they got back in the ring, DJ hit him with a spear and then the big lariat for the win. It was certainly not a great match, but for just the pure "watching two guys beat the snot out of each other" factor, it wasn't as bad as I would have expected....especially for a DJ Hyde match.
"Mr. 450" Hammett vs. James Avery
I've heard a lot about this Hammett guy. I know he works up around Chicago and has quite a buzz on the Internet. He looks almost exactly like Juventud Guerrera right after he lost his mask. Avery is the former Carlton Kaz. He looked to be in better shape then he was the last time I saw him in person. The match was really nothing special. Hammett looked decent, but not great. In the end, he tried a 450 off the top rope, but kind of botched it. He still got the pin though.
Neveah d. Ivelisse Velez
Velez was on "Tough Enough" and from what I've gathered about her, she also works around up in Chicago and calls herself Juliet "the Huntress". I hadn't seen Neveah in a while. She looked pretty much the same as always, but has jet black hair now. The match was decent, but again, nothing special. Velez looked pretty good and controlled most of the match. The thing was though that the two of them just never really seemed to click. Maybe that's because of the fact that I've never been all that impressed with Neveah. In the end, Neveah hit Valez with a German suplex out of nowhere and bridged up and got the pin. It was a decent match for what it was, I suppose.
IPW Mid-American title
Chrisjen Hayme (c) vs. Hy-zaya vs. Alex Colon vs. Dustin Rayz
Colon is a CZW guy. He's got all the great moves, but absolutely no charisma, so even though he's been busting his butt in Philly for years, most people still have no idea who he is. Anyway....what an awesome match!!! Everything about this match was exciting. All four guys are in great shape and were pulling off amazing moves. There were lots of high-flying spots and moves where they would all climb up on the top rope and do multiple moves at the same time. So much non-stop action that I can't even remember it all. In the end, Hayme tossed Hy-zaya and Rayz to the floor and hit Colon with a fireman's carry into a sick sit out pilerdriver move and got the pin. Awesome match!!!
No DQ Naptown Streetfight
Drake Younger vs. Danny Havoc
They brought out a bunch of plunder for the match too....a trash can, water jug bat, a door, chairs, carpet strips, a barbed-wire bat....you name it. I knew this match was going to be good and man, did it deliver! It was cool seeing Havoc in Indy. Say what you will about deathmatch wrestlers, but if there is such a thing as the best, Havoc and Younger are it. Both of them go so far beyond the typical "hit me, now I'll hit you" kind of stuff that so many people think hardcore matches are all about. As Younger was "heeling it up" around the ring, Havoc did a dive onto him and the streetfight was ON!!! They fought all around in the crowd. I ran around to get as close as possible and was standing behind Havoc when Drake threw a chair (Sabu style) at his head. Luckily, it bounced the other direction. I had a feeling they were going to take the action outside....and they did! I ran out right behind them and they made their way to Shelby Street. They were fighting in the middle of the street. The refs and security were pushing us all back onto the sidewalk. A van was coming down the street and drove by just as Drake hit Danny with an orange barrel. The look on the woman in the van's face was priceless! HA HA!!! They went back into the parking lot and Drake ran Danny's head into the trailer. They made their way back inside and continued the carnage. They got back into the ring and used every weapon there was. There were so many near-falls and sick spots. Drake was bleeding all over the place. He hit Havoc with the barbwire bat and it stuck in his back. At one point, they brought out a plastic table and Drake set it up as a platform in the corner. Havoc then set up two chairs and put the door on top of them and then a broken chair onto of that. Both guys climbed up and Drake hit a Northern Lights Bomb from the top, through the door....it was SICK!!! Danny STILL kicked out! Drake then started hitting him with the water jug bat....hitting him HARD. Havoc looked to be legit loopy from it. Drake then set up a chair and hit a Drake's Landing onto the chair and got the pin. Havoc wasn't moving and looked to be legit knocked out. I know some will roll their eyes at me for saying this, but that's how a hardcore/death match should be done and it was awesome! After the match, Drake got on the mic and put over Havoc. He then cut a promo about Scotty Vortekz. Scotty got in the ring and Drake challenged him to a fans bring the weapons cage match at the IPW/CZW show in Nov. The two shook hands and it looked as though Drake was doing a face turn until he hit Scotty with a cheap shot and left him laying in the ring.
Next was intermission. I milled around a bit and saw a bunch of people I've seen at shows before. Hy-zaya stopped me shook my hand because I was wearing my hat with my J.C. Bailey bandanna wrapped around it said, "Hey man, thanks for wearing that. I carry his spirit with me wherever I go!" Ivelisse Velez was sitting at one table and man, she's certainly not in the wrestling business for the money, considering the HUGE diamond bracelet she was wearing. Davey Richards, Tony Kozina and Kyle O'Reilly were at another title and Davey was taking pictures with fans and letting them hold the ROH title belt. After the long intermission, it was back to the action.
Jesse Emerson (w/Greg Carey) vs. BJ Whitmer
It was awesome to see Whitmer. When I first started going to these indy shows, he had just gotten out of the business. So, this was actually my first time seeing him in person. He;s really been tearing it up since he's returned. He's in absolutely awesome shape and hasn't lost one step in the ring. The man is quite literally a machine! Why TNA or WWE never tried to use this guy is beyond me. Anyway, Emerson looked good as well. I hadn't seen him in a while, but he still looked to be in great shape and really, both of these guys matched up really well. The match was great too. At one point, they were both on the mat and literally mauling each other. They traded so many stiff chops and shots. In the end, Greg Carey took us all to Memphis and threw power into Whitmer's face and Emerson rolled him up for the win. Terrible finish to an otherwise awesome match.
IPW Jr. Title match
Billy Roc vs. Ricochet(c)
Before the match, all of Roc's students came out and were around the ring. Rico came out and is sporting a mohawk now. Getting a chance to see Rico in person is somewhat rare because he seems to spend so much time in Japan these days. The match was awesome. Roc usually tries to work a British style and to be honest, there are times when I'm not overly impressed by him. However, he was ON last night! His moves seemed really smooth. And of course, Rico was just amazing. It's almost unbelievable how good he's gotten. Rico pulled off several standing shooting start presses. The match went back and forth with both guys pulling off some awesome moves. At one point, Rico was on the outside and climbed over the barrier. Roc's students lined up and bent over. Roc then tried to run across their backs and jumped onto Rico. The spot was kind of botched, but it was still cool that they tried it. In the end, Rico went to the top and hit Roc with a PERFECT 630 (yes, a 630!!!) flip and got the pin.
Tony Kozina vs. Terek the Legend
This match was suppose to happen several times before, but every time it seemed like Terek wasn't able to make it. Before the match, Terek got on the mic and put over Kozina and said that he expect this match to be an honest fight. Both guys shook hands and the match was on. And what a great match it was....it was just too bad that the crowd seemed to be dead for it. I think a big part of that was the fact that they knew so little about both guys and that the show had been running pretty long at that point. Both guys seemed to be showing each other respect, but in the end, Kozina rolled up Terek and pinned him while pulling his tights. Terek had a "What the f*ck was THAT???" look on his face and Kozina "heeled it up" in his face. This is where the whole show took a strange turn......
As Kozina gloated, out came Davey Richards, Kyle O'Reilly and Adam Cole. Richards got on the mic and started putting himself over as the greatest thing in the entire world. He also put over ROH and cut a promo that basically made the whole thing ROH vs. IPW. The three of them then beatdown Terek and Sami Callihan and the Irish Airborne ran in to make the save. All eight of them brawled around some and then Richards got on the mic and put down Sami for working Dragon Gate shows. He even had some really harsh words for Dragon Gate. Then he said he didn't have to work tonight and that he was leaving. Mike Williams (owner of IPW) then came out and said he had a contract for Richards to work and that he was going to. It was kind of obvious where this was leading and someone in the crowd even yelled, "Don't make this a six-man!" Williams then announced that the main event was going to be an eight-man tag:
Sami Callihan, Terek the Legend and The Irish Airbourne (Jake and Dave Crist) vs. Davey Richards, Tony Kozina and Futureshock (Kyle O'Reilly and Adam Cole)
This whole thing was such a let-down because I was looking forward to the Sami vs. Richards and AI vs. Cole and O'Reilly matches. As a sidenote, Dave Crist looks to be in great shape now. There for a while, he was looking rather flabby. Anyway, the match was ALL over the place. Guys were fighting all around the ring, in the ring....everywhere. The whole thing was a total cluster-f*ck. Once it came down to a true tag match, nothing of real note even happened until everything broke down again. In the end, Sami and Richards were in the ring while everyone else fought outside. Richards locked Sami into an anklelock and Sami tried to get Richards into the "stretch muffler". They went back and forth and in the end, Sami locked his hold in and got Richards onto the mat.....AND RICHARDS TAPPED!!!!! It's amazing the guys that Sami's made tap out to that hold....Daisuke Sekimoto, Bad Bones (from wXw) and now Davey Richards....and those are just guys I've seen him do that to in person....unreal!!!
After the match, Richards and his group left and the others were celebrating in the ring. Then, Adam Cole came back out and was yelling at Sami. Then, DJ Hyde ran in and attacked everyone. They all fought back and took out Cole and then DJ. DJ then got on the mic (say it ain't so) and him and Sami cut promos back and forth. This is EXACTLY what killed Tournament of Death this year too. So, I was getting to re-live THAT...OH JOY!!!!! Basically, Sami ended up challenging DJ to a no-rope barbed-wire match at the IPW/CZW shows in November. If Sami wins, he gets a shot at Adam Cole's CZW Jr. title....but there was one small catch that I think everyone missed. That match is going to happen....IN PHILLY! So, then why is this other match happening in Indy?? Who knows?? Anyway, DJ then said that if he wins, Sami is going to be his "b*tch"....OH MY GOD!!!! It's TOD all over again but without Greg Excellent! The good news that came out of all this though is that they're planning to do a no-rope barbed wire match in Nov. So, count me in!
In the end of it all, this show ended up being a bit of a disappointment.....and it certainly wasn't because of the fact that anything was horrible on the show. There wasn't at all (except for maybe the whole DJ/Sami thing at the end). It's just that the show that was planned was so much better then what happened with the whole impromptu eight-man tag thing. Just a little while ago, I was reading the IPW message board and I got more insight (from Mike Williams himself) on what really went down to cause the two main matches to be changed. Apparently, Davey Richards injured his shoulder on Friday night and at one point, wasn't going to be able to work the IPW show at all. So, they came up with the idea to do the eight-man so that he would still be in a match, but wouldn't be exposed to further injury. That makes sense and I can understand it but in the end, it did hurt the whole show. That's no one's fault at all it's just that everyone had such high expectations for this show. Williams himself is pretty p*ssed off about the whole situation, but also agrees that everyone on the entire show really busted their asses and still made the show as enjoyable as possible.....and it was. It's just still hard to not be a bit disappointed with how the two main matches ended up.
In the end, these are my picks for the best matches of the night:
Drake/ Havoc
The 4-way Mid-American title match
Roc/Rico
Whitmer/Emerson