IWA Mid-South - South Bend, IN -
10/14/05
by Scott Christ
I hadn't been down to an IWA show since July 9 in Hammond, but I wanted to make sure to get out to this one because the South Bend venue is about 40 minutes from me, and that's a lot better than Hammond/Highland or even Valpo, though Valpo is not so bad. It's not so much the distance as much as I hate getting home at like 4am, you know?
We got a friend who had never seen IWA to go with us this time, since Sabu was going to be there. Not that it was a selling point for him, but it was cool that he would be there. I like seeing Sabu for whatever reason. He's pretty awesome. However he did not show for his main event match with Justin Credible, with injury as the given reason (doesn't matter if I believe it or not, since either way he wasn't there). A few juggaloes left when that announcement was made, asking for a refund and getting it. To be fair they were very nice about it. Since that was basically the only reason I came, too, I also left. This was not a good recap.
Psh! I'm lying, fool. I stayed. But I wasn't thrilled with Ian working with his skull fracture, however brave (insane) it may have been to try and make up for Sabu's absence. There were only three other matches announced beforehand: Cannon v Kingston, El Drunko v Larry Sweeney, and Vito & Sal Thomaselli v Tyler Black & Marek Brave.
There were about 40 people in attendance.
DARREN CORBIN v. TRIK DAVIS
All this time later and Trik is still curtain-jerking the IWA shows. That kind of sucks for him. Corbin had that stupid scrolling light-up belt I'd heard about, but this one said GO USC. The night was peppered with pro-USC comments from the heels. I approved. Match was your standard Trik Davis IWA opener, and I think he won. There were some wacky shenanigans and they ran around the ring in a circle at one point.
THE OLD TIMER v. JIMMY SHALWIN v. CJ OTIS
Jimmy Shalwin is this hairy fat guy that used to work indy shows with Jimmy Jacobs and the Blitzkrieg Kid in my neck of the woods in the day. The Old Timer is a skinny young guy that talks like an old man and wears little underwears and boots and a loaded fanny pack and bitches about three-way matches. In my day one on one, that's the way it's done, shut up you pig, etc etc etc. There were some wacky shenanigans and they ran around the ring in a circle at one point. I like CJ Otis just fine but the other two sucked and the Old Timer's bit got real old in a hurry. Otis won as I recall.
IWA MID-SOUTH WOMEN'S TITLE MATCH
ANN THRAXXXXXXXXXXXX v. MICKIE KNUCKLES (champion)
Way back when in Highland, Ann Thraxxxxxxxxxxx was in the crowd and we argued whether or not she was one of them extended midgets like I saw on that MTV show. I don't guess she is. I have never been more happy to see Mickie Knuckles in my life after those first two matches. This one had no wacky shenanigans but I believe they did run around the ring in a circle at one point. Actually, I guess that's a lie. They run around the ring in a square technically. Unless they go long around the corners. God, who cares? Mickie got busted open a bit either from the nose or her lip, I couldn't tell, but she was right mad about it. Ann Thraxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx threw Mickie into a wall but this could not secure championship gold for her, as Mickie countered with forearms, awesome Mickie headbutts, and a shining kick to the face for the finish. This was only a few minutes long.
NWA MIDWEST INDIANA STATE TITLE MATCH
LARRY SWEENEY v. EL DRUNKO (champion)
I'd have rather just had Sweeney/Webb because the Drunko thing wore out its welcome in about five minutes and wasn't even that funny to begin with. Sweeney got to do some mic work to take up time. Drunko was carried out by Bryce (who reffed the whole show), Arik Cannon, Marek Brave and Tyler Black. Or maybe Trik Davis was there and not Brave. I dunno, whatever. The match stunk but it did have a strut-off to Sweeney's music so there's that. They didn't run around the ring because Drunko can't run, he's drunk. Ahhhhhahahaha. Eh. Drunko retained via fluke pin. Sweeney, upon being awoken with beer, asked if he had won. When told he had not, he replied, "Oh for God's sake!" Drunko tried to mack on a cute blonde girl afterward.
EDDIE KINGSTON v. ARIK CANNON
Kingston tried to mack on the same cute blonde girl. Eventually she and her boyfriend moved so that the wrestlers would stop fucking with her. Kingston ad-libbed some shit-talking on the crowd, which was as fun as usual. I expected this match to be way better and I guess just more serious and hard-hitting since both of these guys can throw down. I really like Kingston but this one didn't go anywhere. Cannon sucks as a babyface. There were some wacky shenanigans and they probably ran around the ring in a circle takes the square. Cannon eventually held Kingston so that girl could slap him, but she was really loose with her strikes. Negative nine stars. A little kid also got to help beat Kingston up. It sounds fun, and I guess it was, I just actually thought this was going to be a good match. Kingston won by pinning Cannon and holding the ropes. Cannon said he wouldn't cry (take that, Hero!) but that he wanted to face him tomorrow in Midlothian. They will probably have the match there I wanted here. Oh well, that's life. They brawled around some more afterward.
Intermission.
IWA MID-SOUTH LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH
BRANDON THOMASELLI v. JOSH ABERCROMBIE (champion)
I felt bad for these two, they were having the kind of mat-based wrestling match you'd expect, and it was totally solid, but the crowd was no longer interested it seemed. I found it hard to get that into it myself, at least beyond paying attention to it silently. As I said, the match itself was fine, probably the best of the night. There were some cool spots in here, with Brandon getting dropkicked in the face and Josh hitting some whirlybird tope deal to the floor. Josh's lungblower looked great tonight, but it was used for a near-fall instead of the finish, which was a double pin. They spent most of the match trying to get the crowd interested to little avail. It was pretty good stuff though.
ORLANDO COLON v. JACK THRILLER
Who the fuck? Orlando Colon is playing the part of a relative of Carlos Colon. What the fuck do I know, maybe he is. Jack Thriller plays the part of a chubby blonde guy with an unfortunately pale complexion coming out with a cape on to a Killers song about kisses. And I was like, "Oh come on." But you know what, these guys really tried, and I was appreciative. They put on a pretty fast-paced match as compared to most of the other matches tonight, and OC (pronounced "Ock") wasn't half bad. Actually Thriller wasn't so bad either, it's just hard to take a guy in a silly bright green singlet with a cape too seriously. OC won. It was totally OK.
ERIC PRIEST & CHANDLER MCCLURE v. TYLER BLACK & MAREK BRAVE
Priest got to do some mic work, having added "The Ambassador of Kick Your Assador" to his spiel since the last time I'd seen him. Or maybe I never noticed that, though how wouldn't I have? Black and Brave love tardcore. They are nice young men. I thought Marek Brave wore some tiny little underpants but holy shit Tyler Black is going swimming in those little underoos. This was a fun tag match, very professionally structured with Priest and McClure cheating a lot and getting a heat segment on Brave. Brave and Black both jump high, though I believe Brave jumps a bit higher. Priest and McClure work for me as a tag team. Abercrombie accidentally (or was it??) distracted Tyler Black, allowing the heels to win with a big ass spike piledriver, furthering the Josh/Tyler feud that will continue in Midlo tomorrow night. Abercrombie was thanked by the heels. DUN DUN DUNNNNNN
IAN ROTTEN v. JUSTIN CREDIBLE
Ian asks Justin not to hit him in the head with anything due to his skull, but before anything can get underway, it's an ambush and we have
VITO & SAL THOMASELLI v. IAN ROTTEN & JUSTIN CREDIBLE
This was an ECW-style trash cans and chairs brawl. Ian didn't (and couldn't) take a whole lot, but he dished out some trash can shots and the Thomasellis were thrown on chairs and stuff. Rather short, but what more could you ask? Credible got the pin on Sal with a superkick. Or maybe it was Vito. Either way. The Thomasellis didn't leave it at that, attempting to put Credible through a table with a drive-by, and, as per IWA standard, failing to do so, instead just sort of landing on him and all tumbling over with the unbroken furniture. They were then going to duct-tape Ian's arms to the ropes and bash his brains in for good, but Mickie Knuckles ran in to prevent this. Mickie was suplexed for her efforts before Black, Brave, Brandon Thomaselli, Trik Davis, Patti, Fannin, et al could get in there and put a stop to it. Ian cut a promo afterward, saying the two dickweed Thomasellis wouldn't be going home after a rematch tomorrow night.
I hate to be mean but this show sucked. I had an OK time and for 10 bucks I wouldn't have found anything better to do here on a Friday night except maybe go throw eggs at Notre Dame students, but I would go so far as to say if you buy this on tape, you're either nuts or a serious completist. I did buy the TPI for the excellently low price of $25 so maybe I'll write something about that. Or maybe not.