Beyond Wrestling: King Of Arts Review

AR Fox & Shynron try to kill each other in an INSANE Ladder Match!

Beyond Wrestling: King Of Arts

Providence, Rhode Island 3/1/15

Before the show begins, AR Fox (along with Roxy) came out to confront the referee that attacked at Hit And Run, Kevin Quinn (who happens to look like Christopher Daniels). This brought out several others referees, and one of them (I believe it was Dan Yost) takes the mic. He says that the incident from last month was reported to the athletic commission, since AR Fox hadn’t been medically clearly to compete that night due to a concussion. Dan Yost suspends Kevin Quinn, and AR Fox forces him to take off his referee shirt. Quinn then leave as AR Fox waves his referee shirt like a flag. Don’t forget about Kevin Quinn, because this angle will come into play in the main event.

1.) Team Pazuzu (Chris Dickinson, Jaka, Pinkie Sanchez, & EYFBO) vs. New York’s Finest (Colin Delaney, Dick Justice, Jay Freddie, Pepper Parks, & Cherry Bomb): ***1/4

Back at Hit And Run, Team Pazuzu emerged victorious in a big Eight-Man Tag against Team Quebec. Now, they’re taking on an eclectic contingent from New York. I thought this was a pretty solid opening match. There was plenty of good action throughout, (along with some comedy), and everyone involved got a chance to shine. Bodies were flying everywhere, and this was exactly what I expected out of this match. In the end, Team Pazuzu would pick up the win.

2.) Ryan “Rush” Galeone (with Jimmy Preston) vs. John Silver: **1/2

This match was set up back at Hit And Run, when Jimmy Preston convinced Ryan Galeone to leave John Silver after they lost a tag team match to The Gentlemen’s Club. I thought this was a decent match, but it wasn’t much more than that. It picked up by the end, but for the most part, this was an average match. That actually surprised me a bit, as I figured this would’ve been a little better. Jimmy Preston tried to get involved, but Silver kicked him off the ring apron. This distraction allowed Galeone to take advantage, and he scored the victory.

After the match, Jimmy Preston was upset at Silver for kicking him towards the end of the match, and orders Galeone to beat up Silver some more. Preston then puts over how great Galeone is now that he’s with him.

3.) Brian Fury vs. Tracy Williams: ***1/2

I had a feeling that this was going to be solid, considering who was involved, but it ended up being a lot better than I was expecting. This was a really good match. There was great back & forth technical wrestling from start to finish, and they packed in a lot of fun action for a match that only went ten minutes or so. Both guys did a really good job, and this was easily one of the most entertaining matches on the show. Brian Fury managed to get the win in the end.

After the match ended, Donovan Dijak appeared on the stage next to the ring. He exchanged words with Brian Fury (who was Dijak’s trainer), but then went after a cameraman on the stage who apparently “insulted” him. Dijak gave this poor guy his finisher, Feast Your Eyes, on the stage. He then posed in the ring as Fury checked on the cameraman.

4.) Darius Carter (with TJ Marconi) vs. Matt Tremont: **1/2

This was a solid mid-card match. It’s weird seeing a guy like Matt Tremont in a non-hardcore setting like this. I honestly don’t have a whole lot to say about this match. It was just….average. Tremont eventually got the win with a powerbomb.

After the match was over, TJ Marconi started to attack Tremont, but Stockade made the save with a barbed wire baseball bat. He sent the Crusade For Change packing, and it seemed like the two rivals had become allies. However, Stockade then turned on Tremont, using the barbed wire baseball bat on him several times. Stockade explained that, despite the fact that he beat him on two separate occasions, Tremont is the one that keeps getting bookings & paydays with Beyond Wrestling. He says that they both bust their ass, but the fans barely care about him, and always react for Tremont. A very interesting way to continue this feud.

5.) Biff Busick & Drew Gulak vs. Team Tremendous: ***

After the victory over Chris Hero & JT Dunn at Hit And Run, Biff Busick & Drew Gulak called out Team Tremendous. This was essentially the winners of Tournament For Tomorrow 3 (Team Tremendous) vs. the winners of Tournament For Tomorrow 3:1 (Busick & Gulak). I think many people were expecting this to be one of the better matches on the show, but it turned out to be a disappointment. I’m not saying the match was bad, because it wasn’t. It was still good, but it never felt like they kicked things up to that next level. It didn’t exactly feel like a big match. The match was fine for its spot on the card, but I don’t think it lived up to its full potential, especially considering who was involved. What really took the match down a bit was the finish. Dan Barry caught Drew Gulak in small package, and the referee seemed to count three, and the bell rang, but Gulak and the fans signaled for two. They continued for another thirty seconds or so, and Barry pinned Gulak again. This pin looked more like a two count than the first one, but the referee still called for the bell and awarded the match to Team Tremendous. I have no idea what the finish was supposed to be, but the only thing I know for sure is that something went wrong there.

After the match, Dan Barry talks about the weird finish, and offers a rematch to Busick & Gulak. The two teams shake hands, and then hug it out.

6.) 16-Man Tag Team Elimination Match - The Garden State Gods (Eric Corvis & Myke Quest), Da Hoodz (Davey Cash & Kris Pyro), Milk Chocolate (Brandon Watts & Randy Summers), Qefka The Quiet, & Silver Ant vs. Devin Blaze & Soldier Ant, The Devastation Corporation (Max Smashmaster & Flex Rumblecrunch), Flawless And Lawless (Blake Morris & Rex Lawless), & JÖNTAR (Nøkken & Tursas): ***

This is called a “Feeding Frenzy Match”. Essentially, it’s a Survivor Series Elimination Match, but with tag teams. If one member of a particular tag team gets eliminated, then the entire team is eliminated from the match as well. There was a weird situation with some of the teams involved. Firstly, Qefka The Queit replaced Fire Ant, who missed the show (apparently) due to travel issues. Additionally, Devin Blaze didn’t have his usual partner (Tommy Trainwreck) with him, so he teamed with Soldier Ant. To quickly go over the eliminations (in order), Milk Chocolate eliminated Flawless And Lawless, JÖNTAR eliminated Da Hoodz, Devin Blaze & Soldier Ant eliminated Milk Chocolate, Qefka The Quiet & Silver Ant eliminated JÖNTAR & The Devastation Corporation, Devin Blaze & Soldier Ant eliminated Qefka The Quiet & Silver Ant, and finally, The Garden State Gods eliminated Devin Blaze & Soldier Ant to win the match. This was about as good as it was going to be, considering the amount of bodies involved. Nothing much else to say other than that.

7.) Chris Hero & JT Dunn vs. Eddie Kingston & David Starr: ****

I really like what they did here with this match. Essentially, they have David Starr (who’s been feuding with his former partner JT Dunn) teaming up with one of Chris Hero’s biggest rivals in Eddie Kingston. Speaking of Chris Hero & JT Dunn, they make a great team, but they haven’t exactly seen much success, as they went 0-2 on the last two shows. Fortunately for them, they were able to rectify that here, as they managed to pick up the hard-fought victory. I thought this was a great match!! Chris Hero & JT Dunn work so well together as a team, and to their credit, the David Starr/Eddie Kingston team did a good job here as well (even though that team ended up being short-lived). The match featured some incredible action throughout, and as a whole, this was an awesome tag team match that served as an excellent continuation of the two singles feuds involved.

After the match, Chris Hero took the mic, and says he has something that belongs to David Starr. He then pulls Starr’s headband out of his trunks, and puts it on Starr’s head (that was gross). Hero then says that you just saw Death By Elbow, which I guess is the origin of that tag team name! Shortly thereafter, both Eddie Kingston & David Starr get back up to their feet. Starr flips Kingston off, and Kingston responds by giving him a backfist.

8.) CLL International All-Star Title - Ladder Match - Shynron vs. AR Fox: ****1/2

This match was originally scheduled to take place at Hit And Run, but it had to be postponed due to AR Fox having a concussion. To put it simply, this match was absolutely insane!!! These two guys went out there, and essentially tried to kill each other with some of the craziest things you could imagine. Shynron is a crazy high-flyer, and we all know that AR Fox has a complete disregard for his own well-being. Words can’t do this match justice. You need to see it for yourself, just so you can understand how insane it actually was. What’s even nuttier is that, in the end, Shynron didn’t even need a ladder! He simply jumped off the top rope and managed to pull the title down (ripping it in the process) in a moment that perfectly capped off a match that was so unbelievable. It needs to be seen to believed.

As soon as the match ends, Team Pazuzu runs out and attacks Shynron. Dickinson took the mic, and apparently, he’s upset with the reaction that Team Pazuzu got in the opener. The group was soon interrupted by Kimber Lee, who called out Dickinson for turning his back on Beyond Wrestling. She then challenges Dickinson to a No DQ Match right now, and it looks like we have an impromptu main event! 

9.) No DQ Match - Chris Dickinson vs. Kimber Lee: ***1/4

Both competitors are wrestling this match in their street clothes. Kimber Lee immediately takes out the rest of Team Pazuzu with some Stone Cold Stunners, before getting attacked by Dickinson. The match itself was relatively good, though I could see people being uncomfortable with a guy like Chris Dickinson beating up Kimber Lee, even through she’s an incredibly talented performer. While this technically was a No DQ Match, it didn’t necessarily live up to that stipulation (in the sense that no foreign objects were used), but in an impromptu situation like this, I don’t think it matters that much. Kimber Lee definitely put up a good fight against Dickinson, but the leader of Team Pazuzu would end up getting the win in a very controversial manner. He gave Kimber Lee a chair shot to the head, and then hit her with the Pazuzu Bomb, which send her flying into the bottom turnbuckle in one of the corners. I’m not sure if she hit her head on the turnbuckle or the ring bell, but it was a very nasty ending to this match. This finish, and the match in general, were very controversial at the time this show took place. It was definitely excessive, but I won’t say anything more beyond that.

JT Dunn and a number of referees tended to Kimber Lee as the show came to a close.

Overall: 8.0/10

As a whole, this was a pretty good show from Beyond Wrestling. The Ladder Match between AR Fox & Shynron was easily the standout match on the show, and is definitely worth checking out. Chris Hero & JT Dunn vs. Eddie Kingston & David Starr was also a great match. The rest of the undercard was a bit of a mixed bag. You did have some really good stuff (like Brian Fury vs. Tracy Williams, which is a hidden gem on this show, in my opinion), but you also had stuff that either didn’t live up to their full potential, or were just average. Then, of course, there’s the whole controversy surrounding the Chris Dickinson/Kimber Lee No DQ Match, which does give this show a little bit more notoriety (though not in the positive sense). Despite a few low points, Beyond Wrestling delivered another very good show.

AAW The Art Of War 2015 Review

Eddie Kingston defends the AAW Heavyweight Title against Davey Richards, while The Hooligans & Zero Gravity go to war in a TLC Match!!

AAW The Art Of War 2015

Merrionette Park, Illinois 2/28/15

1.) AAW Tag Team Titles - The Wet Bandits (Dan Lawrence & Markus Crane) vs. OI4K (Dave Crist & Jake Crist): **3/4

The Wet Bandits had issued an Open Challenge Match, and O4IK (the former Irish Airborne) answered the call. They were former AAW Tag Team Champions, but hadn’t appeared in AAW for quite some time. I thought this was a fine opener. Honestly, this was probably one of the best title matches we’ve from The Wet Bandits during this title run. There were very few shenanigans, and that was greatly appreciated. In the end, OI4K scored the victory to capture the AAW Tag Team Titles. The only thing I didn’t like about the match is that OI4K didn’t look quite as dominant as he should have, but other than that, this was a solid opening match.

2.) Allysin Kay vs. Nevaeh: **1/2

This is the AAW debut for Allysin Kay. I thought this was a fine women’s match. Nevaeh looked solid, but this was mainly a showcase for Allysin Kay, who ultimately won the match. Nothing much else to say other than that.

3.) “Money” Matt Cage vs. Silas Young: ***1/4

Silas Young made his return to AAW back at The Chaos Theory 2015 when he attacked Eddie Kingston. Young had been on the shelf for a number of months with a knee injury. Here, he’s making his in-ring return against Matt Cage. This was a pretty solid match. There was some solid back & forth action throughout, and both guys looked good. The match wasn’t spectacular, but it was perfect for its spot on the card. Silas Young would get the victory in the end.

Some guy tries to interview Silas Young after the match, but Young sends him away. He takes the mic and said he’d lying if he didn’t say that it was an amazing feeling to come back to AAW. He’d only been away from AAW for a few months, but it felt like bizarro world to him. Young called out the fans for cheering Eddie Kingston after Kingston attacked his wife during the feud he had with Kingston in 2013/2014. He said all of the fans have crapped on him, despite his hard work. He tried being the good guy, but the fans were all selfish assholes. He says that if Kingston wants to run his mouth, he’ll come right up to him and punch him in the face. Interesting that they’re reviving this feud, but with the roles seemingly reversed.

4.) AAW Heritage Title - Six-Way Elimination Match - Christian Faith (with Gregory Iron & Mr. Bernard) vs. Benjamin Boone vs. Davey Vega vs. Marion Fontaine vs.  Mat Fitchett vs. Tony Kozina: ***1/2

This was originally scheduled to be a Five-Way Elimination Match, but Gregory Iron took the mic before the match, and claimed that AAW was bullying Christian Faith (and The Iron Curtain in general) by having him defend the title in this situation. After negotiating with AAW management, Iron announced that Benjamin Boone would be added to the match, making it Six-Way Elimination Match, so he could make sure Christian Faith retains his title. As a whole, I thought this match was really good. You always want matches like this to be packed with action, and that’s pretty much what we got here. There were plenty of cool spots throughout this match. At one point, Fontaine hit a huge elbow drop from the top rope to the floor onto everyone else (except Davey Vega), and then, Vega hits and insane hurricanrana on Fontaine from the top all the way to the floor onto everyone else! That was crazy. As far as the eliminations go, Fitchett eliminated Boone and then Kozina in quick (and emphatic) succession. Vega then eliminated Fontaine, and then Fitchett eliminated Vega. Finally, Christian Faith eliminates Fitchett to retain his AAW Heritage Title. This match was exactly what it needed to be. There was plenty of action, and all six guys got a chance to shine. In particular, Matt Fitchett came out of this looking very good, scoring three eliminations and being the last one left against Christian Faith. 

5.) #1 Contender’s TLC Match - The Hooligans (with Buck Nasty) vs. Zero Gravity: ****

Here we have the culmination of a long feud between these two teams. They’re wrestled against each other in all sorts of matches, but this #1 Contender’s Match would finally put an end to the rivalry. In this particular TLC Match, you can only win via pinfall or submission (similar to the Ryback & Team Hell No vs. The Shield TLC Match from WWE TLC 2012). I thought this was a fantastic TLC Match!! It was easily the best match in the feud between these two teams. They both utilized tables, ladders, and chairs in an attempt to destroy each other, and there was plenty of insane stuff throughout this match. At one point, Zero Gravity pushed Buck Nasty off a ladder, sending him through a table on the stage! Eventually, Zero Gravity won the match, and became the #1 Contender’s to the AAW Tag Team Titles in the process, after putting one of The Hooligans through a table after jumping off two ladders. Again, this was a crazy match filled with a number of great moments.

6.) “All Ego” Ethan Page vs. Jimmy Jacobs: ***1/2

These two started having issues towards the end of the year, and now they’re having their first singles match. This was another really good match. There was plenty of action from start to finish, and I thought these two worked very well together. It’s nice to see Ethan Page getting some singles outings after a few disappointing efforts with Josh Alexander in tag team matches on some of the previous shows. Towards the end of the match, Page puts the referee between himself and Jimmy Jacobs. He uses this distraction to hit Jacobs with a low blow, and picks up the win. The match was pretty entertaining, but way this ended clearly set up a rematch.

7.) Justice Jones (with Angelus Layne & Knight Wagner) vs. Paco Gonzalez: **

At The Chaos Theory 2015, Justice Jones (along with Angelus Layne & Knight Wagner) cost Paco Gonzalez the AAW Tag Team Titles. This was a relatively short match, but for what it was, I thought it worked pretty well. Paco Gonzalez got the early jump on Justice Jones, and actually took the fight to him on the outside, but Jones managed to retake control. Paco then fought back, and actually took out Angelus Layne & Knight Wagner, but Jones ultimately won in the end. Jones looked dominant once again, but Paco Gonzalez looked good here as well, despite coming up short.

8.) Josh Alexander vs. Ricochet: ****1/4

Out of all of the matches on this card, I was probably looking forward to this one the most, and it certainly delivered. I thought this match was awesome!! In my view, it just barely edges out the TLC Match as the best match on the show. It did start off a little slow, but for the most part, this was packed with incredible action from start to finish. Ricochet does so many amazing things, and Alexander is great in his own right. This was so much fun to watch, and these two seemed to work very well together. Ultimately, Josh Alexander managed to get the victory after catching Ricochet with a spinning tombstone piledriver. This meant that both members of The Monster Mafia got victories in singles action.

9.) AAW Heavyweight Title - Eddie Kingston vs. Davey Richards: ***3/4

This match actually has some backstory to it, as after he became the first CHIKARA Grand Champion, Eddie Kingston called out Davey Richards (who was the ROH World Champion at the time). It wasn’t my most anticipated match on this show, but I was definitely curious to see it. When the dust settled, it wasn’t a great match, but it was still very good. The match seemed to get off to a slow start, but the place gradually picked up, to the point where the second part of the match was very good. It was a relatively long match, but they didn’t go overly long, so that was another positive. I know both guys aren’t exactly the most popular guys on the independents, but this was a singles match that I wanted to see, and I think that, for the most part, they delivered a pretty satisfying match. It was very good, but it never reached the levels of being great. Eventually, Eddie Kingston finally put Richards away to retain his AAW Heavyweight Title.

As soon as the match ended, Silas Young came out and attacked Eddie Kingston. He locks him in an armbar, and it takes nearly half the locker room (including some referees) to pull Young off. After Young and the people that had pulled him off went to the back, Kingston took the mic. He called out Silas Young for attacking him from behind again, and says that next time they meet, he wants an anything goes, falls count anywhere match. Kingston tells Young to drag his “whore” wife out of bed to see it. Richards then took the mic, and called out a fan in the front row who had apparently been heckling him during the match. He then said that no matter where he wrestles, he always remembers that he came from independent wrestling. Richards said it might be his final match in AAW for the time being, but he was grateful to wrestle for such a great company, and was privileged to wrestle a guy like Eddie Kingston. He then handed the AAW Heavyweight Title to Kingston as the show came to a close.

Overall: 8.25/10

As a whole, this was a pretty strong show from AAW. Josh Alexander/Ricochet and The Hooligans/Zero Gravity TLC Match were both fantastic, and are definitely the two matches to check out from this show. You also had a pretty good main event between Eddie Kingston & Davey Richards for the AAW Heavyweight Title, and a number of very solid matches on the undercard, such as Ethan Page vs. Jimmy Jacobs and the Six-Way Match for the AAW Heritage Title. Even the matches on this show that weren’t exactly the best were still entertaining. If you’re looking for shows from AAW in 2015 to check out, this was definitely one of them.

AIW I Choo-Choo-Choose You! Review

A new AIW Absolute Champion is crowned!

AIW I Choo-Choo-Choose You!

Cleveland, Ohio 2/20/15

1.) Six-Woman Tag - Team Barely Legal (Alexia Nicole & Jasmin) & Veda Scott vs. Marti Belle, Mary Elizabeth Monroe, & Taeler Hendrix: **

Team Barely Legal partnered up with Veda Scott back at Charge It To The Underhills in a match that was pretty bad. Fortunately, they had a slightly better outing as they took on the pairing of Marti Belle, Mary Elizabeth Monroe (better known as Kelly Klein in ROH), & Taeler Hendrix. The action was slightly better in this one, making it a mostly passable match. The stories here, however, were more important that the match itself. First, you had Marti Belle & Taeler Hendrix (two heels) not exactly getting along with Mary Elizabeth Monroe (who was a babyface). Then, you had Alexia Nicole & Jasmin not getting along, and in the end, it cost them the match, as Hendrix got the win for her side after a kiss and a headbutt on Alexia Nicole. The dissension between Team Barely Legal frustrated Veda Scott to the point that she just left the match towards the end. Again, this was at least an improvement over the women’s match from the previous show.

After the match, Team Barely Legal get into a shoving match that eventually turned into a brawl when Jasmine attacked Alexia Nicole, and they needed to be pulled apart.

2.) Brian Myers vs. Cliff Compton: **3/4

At the start of the match, Brian Myers goes to back, and brings out one of the old WWE Tag Team Titles (from the SmackDown Era of the brand split in the mid-to-late 2000’s). Myers says that everyone wants to find out who was truly the best SmackDown Tag Team Champion. Compton accepts, and it looks like we’ve got a title match, I guess? The referee then goes to the back, and exchanges his black & white referee shirt for a dark blue shirt, to be more fitting with the nature of this match (SmackDown referees wore blue shirts). This was an entertaining match. They did a bunch of famous moves towards the end (like the Stone Cold Stunner), before Myers eventually wins with a superkick. As someone who started watching wrestling during the brand split, I enjoyed the inclusion of the SmackDown stuff. It took a match that I honestly didn’t care about (especially considering the participants), and turned it into a match that I enjoyed.

Next up, we have Dennis Stamp coming out to the ring for a special appearance. For those who don’t know, he was a wrestler who was made famous after being part of the Beyond The Mat movie from 1999. He’s just so happy that he’s actually gotten booked on this show. Stamp says he’ll always be a wrestler, and started to read some of his poetry, but is then interrupted by The Iron Curtain. Gregory Iron talked about how the promoters of AIW told him that they weren’t booking him going forward because he’s stale. Plus, they don’t like how he treats the fans. Iron says he’s a victim of bullying, and adds that he’s disgusted about Dennis Stamp being booked instead of him. He tosses away Stamp’s poetry, and challenges Stamp to a match. This brings out Dick Justice & Grado. The latter said he didn’t travel 5000 to see Dennis Stamp get his ass kicked….he came to see Dennis Stamp kick ass! Stamp says he doesn’t have any gear, but Grado takes off his singlet, and gives it to Stamp (don’t worry, Grado was wearing a second singlet underneath). They then call for a Six-Man Tag Team Match against The Iron Curtain, and it looks like that match is next!

3.) Six-Man Tag - Dennis Stamp, Dick Justice, & Grado vs. The Iron Curtain (Gregory Iron, Benjamin Boone, & Jerry): **1/2

This was pretty much a comedy match, but for what it was, it was entertaining. Dick Justice & Grado got in some of their spots, but in the end, Dennis Stamp got a measure of revenge by pinning Gregory Iron for the victory. Again, it was essentially a comedy match, but it was fine for what it was. If you’re someone who loved the Beyond The Mat movie, then I’m sure you’ll love seeing Dennis Stamp here.

4.) Chris Sabin vs. Colt Cabana: ***1/4

We finally got our first truly good match of the night. I actually really enjoyed this one. There was a lot of solid action from start to finish, and there never seemed to be a dull period. The match also seemed to tell a good story, as Sabin tried to cheat numerous times, but Cabana always found a way to fight back. Eventually, Sabin caught Cabana in a pin by one of the corners, and used a long rope (that’s part of his ring gear) to hold on to the ring post, which allowed him to get the win. Again, this was a very solid match.

5.) AIW Tag Team Titles - Four-Way Match - The Forgotten (Jimmy Jacobs & BJ Whitmer) vs. The Batiri (Kodama & Obariyon) vs. The Beaver Boys (Alex Reynolds & John Silver) vs. To Infinity & Beyond (Cheech & Colin Delanely): ***1/2

Out of all the matches on this show, I was probably looking forward to this one the most, considering the four teams involved. This was a really good match for the AIW Tag Team Titles. There was solid action right from the opening bell, and it continued throughout the entire match. All four teams got the chance to shine at various points (in particular, John Silver got to showcase his power), and the crowd seemed to be into it. Eventually, The Forgotten managed to score the victory to retain their titles.

Up next, we got a segment involving AIW Absolute Champion Tim Donst. He mentioned that he appreciated all of the kind words he got from people after spending nearly a week in the hospital, but unfortunately, he had some bad news. Donst announced that he had a tumor in his kidney, and thus, he needed to have it removed. He wasn’t sure whether he’d ever wrestle again, and thanks all of the wrestlers and fans for all of the support. Donst then said that he’d be vacating the AIW Absolute Title, because the fans deserve a champion to lead the company. 

To follow up on what just took place, Matt Wadsworth came out and announced that Rickey Shane Page, Ethan Page, Eddie Kingston, & Josh Alexander would be in a Fatal Four-Way Match later in the night to crown a new AIW Absolute Champion.

6.) AIW Intense Title - Fatal Four-Way - Davey Vega vs. Eric Ryan vs. Tracy Williams vs. Tyson Dux: ***1/4

To continue the theme of titles being defended in Fatal Four-Way Matches, we have another one here as Davey Vega is defending his AIW Intense Title. I thought this was a pretty fun match. Similar to the earlier Four Way, there was a fair amount of action, and all the participants involved had a chance to shine. There were actually some fun moments between Tyson Dux & Tracy Williams as they tried to one-up each other with submission holds. In the end, Davey Vega managed to retain his title. Another fun multi-man match on this show.

7.) Six-Way Scramble - Abe Jackson vs. Alessandro Del Bruno vs. Flip Kendrick vs. Candice LeRae vs. Joshua Singh vs. Tyler Thomas: ***3/4

This kind of match has seemingly become a staple of AIW cards, and we have another one here. It’s an interesting mix of characters, as you have a bunch of guys from Canada, and AIW regulars, from students to more experienced competitors. I had a feeling this was going to be good, but when it was finished, it was definitely better than I was expecting. This was really good. It was packed with action, as you would expect with a match like this, but what made it stand out compared to similar matches is that they did a bunch of really unique stuff that I hadn’t seen before. In one spot in particular, we saw people hitting 450 splashes onto an increasingly pile of bodies. I might be the high person when it comes to this Six-Way Scramble, but I honestly thought it was the best match on the entire show. Eventually, Candice LeRae managed to get the win.

8.) Six-Man Tag Team Match - Dudes On TV (Ethan Carter III, Raymond Rowe, & Zema Ion) vs. Alex Daniels, Johnny Gargano, & Josh Prohibition: ***1/4   

So this match is a continuation of what happened at Charge It To The Underhills, but with Ethan Carter III (who had finally been cleared to compete), Raymond Rowe, and Alex Daniels joining the mix. This was a good Six-Man Tag, but given who was involved, I feel like it could’ve been better. The action was solid throughout, and they did manage to tell a decent story, with The Dudes On TV isolating Alex Daniels, building up to an eventual hot tag. The finish probably hurt the match a little bit also, as Zema Ion distracted the referee on the outside, which allowed Rowe to hit Gargano with the ring bell. Rowe then put EC3 on top of Gargano, and The Dudes On TV get the win. Again this was good, but it was just missing something. I guess this was meant to build towards bigger things down the road, so that’s a positive.

After the match, Josh Prohibition & Raymond Rwe have a stare down, but Zema Ion hits the former with the ring bell from behind. On this night, The Dudes On TV stand tall.

9.) AIW Absolute Title - Fatal Four-Way Match - Josh Alexander vs. Eddie Kingston (with The Duke) vs. “All Ego” Ethan Page vs. Rickey Shane Page: ***1/4

As mention earlier, Tim Donst was forced to vacate the AIW Absolute Title, so this Fatal Four-Way Match was made to decide the new champion. This was a very….interesting match, to say the least. It was surprisingly short main event, as it was just under ten minutes. To their credit, they did manage to pack a fair amount of action in this match, and in a weird way, this felt like the latter half of a twenty-minute main event. In the middle of the match, the locker room emptied out to support the four men fighting for the title (mainly Rickey Shane Page). Towards the end of the match, Ethan Page tried to dive onto Eddie Kingston, but The Duke shoves the referee in the way, causing Page to accidentally take out the referee. The Duke then tried to hold down Page for Kingston, but Page ducks, and Kingston inadvertently hits The Duke with a backfist. Following this, Kingston & Page brawled to the back, leaving just Josh Alexander & Rickey Shane Page in the ring. Another referee came out, and he also got taken out inadvertently. While this second referee was down, Rickey Shane Page tried to go for (I guess) a superplex on Alexander, but Veda Scott jumps on the apron and throws powder in his face! This allowed Josh Alexander to take advantage, and he wins the AIW Absolute Title after hitting a spinning tombstone. 

Veda Scott presented Josh Alexander with the AIW Absolute Title after the match, but Tim Donst runs them off as the show comes to a close.

Overall: 7.0/10

This wasn’t exactly the best showing from AIW, but it was by no means a bad show. After the opening match, the first portion of the show had a fair amount of comedy stuff, but from Chris Sabin vs. Colt Cabana onward, the show got better from an in-ring standpoint. Oddly enough, the Six-Way Scramble was my pick for the Match Of The Night. All of the title matches were pretty solid, though the match that crowned the new AIW Absolute Champion was probably the most newsworthy, as far as results are concerned.