Cleveland, OH – 11.27.2009
The show opens with Absolute Owner Chandler Biggins coming to the ring. He says Jimmy Demarco has been stripped of the AIW Championship due to an issue between the AIW office and Demarco. He puts over the fans, and Sterling James Keenan comes out. He was supposed to be the mystery opponent in a triple threat match with Demarco and Mad Man Pondo. He says he deserves the AIW championship. Biggins disagrees and says SJK can have a stepping stone tonight, with Man Man Pondo in a Falls Count Anywhere match. The winner gets a number one contenders match with Drake Younger at AIW’s December event.
Marion Fontaine vs. Samuel Elias
Elias cuts a promo, and he sounds just like AJ Styles, even using the word “faggot”. Elias stalls for a ridiculously long time. He finlly attacks Fontaine, but Fontaine comes back with a moonsault press, sending Elias to the floor.Fontaine chases him around the ring. Elias cuts off Fontaine in the ring. Fontaine tries a sunset flip but Elias punches him in the face. Fontaine fights out of a headlock and hits Elias with some forearms. Elias responds with a suplex for two. Elias throws Fontaine hair first to the mat. Elias drops an elbow for two. Elias applies a side headlock on the mat. Fontaine comes back with a sole butt and a fallaway kick to Elias’ face. Fontaine hits two superkicks and goes up top. Fontaine hits a beautiful frog splash for the win at 7:47. Boy did Elias bring nothing to the table. I really like Fontaine and I thought he deserved much better. Fontaine did what he could, but it wasn’t enough to prevent this from being pretty bad. The fans chanted “you suck” as he leaves, and they couldn’t be more right. ½*
The Duke & Nick Belushi [Alpha Beta Duke] vs. Luis Diamante & Joey The Snake [Da Latin Crime Syndicate]
Alpha Beta Duke jump DLCS as they come down the aisle. Duke splashes Diamante in the ring as Belushi and Joey brawl outside. Duke overhand slaps Diamante on the ropes. Joey misses a double axe handle and falls into the guardrail. Duke hits a spinebuster on Diamante. Diamante goes out to the floor and rams Belushi into the guardrail. Joey does the same to Duke, and throws Duke face first on the apron. Belushi whips Diamante to the corner and follows with a splash. Duke throws Joey into the guardrail. Duke crotches Joey on the guardrail and clotheslines him off of it to the floor. DLCS regain the control and bring a c hair to the ring after handcuffing the Duke. Diamante lays out Belushi with it and lays the Puerto Rican flag on top of them. John Thorne runs out and saves Alpha Beta Duke. There was never an official match as no bell rang, so this gets no rating.
After this, The Duke says this rivalry needs to end. They say they will do a trios match (with K. Fernandez joining DLCS) in a Fans Bring The Weapons match.
M. Baker vs. Dave the Potato
Baker cuts a promo saying he’ll face Shane Douglas in December. From behind, Dave hits a top rope dropkick. Baker mows him down with a clothesline and lays in some chops in the corner. Baker hits a suplex, then a butterfly suplex. Baker hits a splash in the corner. Baker hits a fallaway slam. Baker locks in a dragon sleeper and Dave taps out at 2:46. A very effective squash match, nothing much to it. ½*
Keith Creme vs. Lamont Williams
Williams and Creme take it to the mat, jockeying for position. Back on their feet they exchange overhand wristlocks. Creme gets a front face lock, and Williams transitions to a headlock. Crème goes under Williams and hits a series of armdrags. Crème back body drops Williams, and Williams retreats to the floor. Crème chases Williams around the ring. William misses a leg drop as Crème fakes him out. Crème heads up top and lands a crossbody block. Williams rolls through and places Crème on his feet. Williams stomps on Crème’s boot and turns a hip toss into a reverse neck breaker for two. Williams drops Crème with a four body slams which he calls the “Four More Years” for two. Williams rolls Crème into a stretch. Crème escapes with his foot on the bottom rope. Williams puts Crème neck first on the bottom rope. He goes to the floor and hits a step-up enzugiri. Crème comes back with a sole butt and a few chops. Crème rolls up into a back elbow. Crème hits a low crossbody for two. Crème sends Williams to the apron. Crème hits the ropes, and Williams slingshots in with a clothesline. Crème tries a sunset flip, but Williams sits down on it and grabs the bottom rope to get the pin at 8:50. This was pretty darn good, and I like both these guys after this match. I certainly hope both of them come back and do some more good. **3/4
Jack Verville & Chest Flexor [The Jack of Love] vs. Hobo Joe & Gregory Iron [The Homeless Handicap Connection]
Verville gets taken down by the Connection at the get-go. Verville tags in and is cautious. Flexor hits Joe’s hand, and Joe hits him in the head. Joe hits a shoulder block and tags in Iron. Flexor clotheslines Iron and hits a backbreaker for two. Verville tags in and Iron beats him down in the corner. The Jack of Love gain control and isolate Iron from Joe (Flexor beats him up on the floor). Joe eventually gets the tag and runs roughshod on Verville. He hits a rolling spear to Verville and follows with a bulldog for two. Flexor looks to mace Joe, but accidentally gets Verville. Joe rolls up Verville and the referee is distracted. Flexor breaks the pin. Joe and Iron take down Verville with a double clothesline. Joe hits an atomic drop. Flexor crotches Iron. Verville school boys Joe and holds the tights for the pin at 7:42. This was alright, but there’s really nothing much to say about it. **
Flip Kendrick & Louis Lyndon [Aeroform] vs. Ben Fruith & Corey Winters [Lights Out] vs. Chase Burnett & Zane Silver [Team Beyond]
With this match, I would be out of my mind to attempt play by play. With three guys in the ring at the same time going balls to the wall, I submit to the flips, flops, and flying. The finish comes when Kendrick hits a sky-twister press on Corey Winters at 13:35. Needless to say, this was a really fun, fast-paced Lucha style match that would fit in perfectly with any CHIKARA or DGUSA show you see. Burnett and Silver have the potential to be the next high-flying independent tag team if given the opportunity. All six guys really put their best foot forward and busted out a lot of cool, innovative, crisp stuff. I was very impressed by everyone involved and woke up the fans and announcers alike. Really good stuff, and a bright spot on this show. ***3/4
Extreme Rules
Chris Dickinson vs. The Necro Butcher
Davey Richards was supposed to be in this match originally, but he no-showed, so Necro replaces him. Necro goes to Dickinson’s eyes in the corner and chokes him with his bandana. Necro goes back to Dickinson’s face after a clothesline in the corner. Dickinson lays in some chops and kicks to the chest. Dickinson snapmares Necro over and kicks away at his back. Dickinson rubs his forearm into Necro’s face. Dickinson backdrops Necro, then sends Necro to the floor with a clothesline. Dickinson baseball slides Necro into the fuardrail. Dickinson looks to dive, but Necro holds up a chair for Dickinson to run into. Necro crotches Dickinson on the ring post. Necro puts the guardrail on Dickinson and slams the guardrail with a chair into Dickinson’s body. Necro slams Dickinson into the wall, and he falls into a trash can. Necro pulls him out and trades chops with Dickinson. Necro slams Dickinson on the floor. Dickinson slams Necro between two guardrails, then tries a flip senton. Necro avoids it. In the ring, Necro hits a chair-assisted slam on Dickinson. Dickinson fights back with kicks to Necro’s chest and a spinwheel kick. Dickinson drops Necro with a Falcon Arrow for two. Dickinson lights up Necro woth more chops, and Necro responds with a hard punch. Necro gives Dickinson a bulldog on a chair for two. Dickinson fires back with an ace crusher on a set-up chair. Necro hands on the chair, and Dickinson drives his throat onto the chair with a springboard knee drop. Butcher kicks out at two and chokeslams Dickinson. Necro hits a Tiger Bomb for two. Necro collects a pile of chairs in the ring. Necro looks for a superplex off the top. Dickinson sunset flips over and powerbombs Necro on the chairs for the pin at 16:34. The thing I really enjoyed about this match is it seemed different and better than most every other Necro brawl you see these days. It wasn’t over the top, and the big spots built on top of each other and seemed to have a purpose. Dickinson is so much better in AIW than he has been elsewhere, and that’s a positive for AIW. The fact that Necro brought the goods in an unscheduled match is also very impressive. ***1/4
Falls Count Anywhere Match
Mad Man Pondo vs. Sterling James Keenan
The winner of this match faces Drake Younger of 12/20 for the Absolute Championship. Pondo lays in some shots in the corner. When he picks up his stop sign, Keenan hits the floor. Pondo goes for a stop sign smash. Keenan looks for a sunset flip, and Pondo bashes the sign off Keenan’s skull. Pondo hangs Keenan in the tree of woe and digs the stop sign into Keenan’s throat. Pondo puts the stop sign on Keenan’s face and grabs a chair from a fan. Pondo hurls the chair at the sign into his face. On the floor, Ponod suplexes Keenan on the entrance ramp. Pondo throws Keenan into empty seats. Keenan recovers and attacks Pondo from behind with a chair. He slams Pondo throat first into a chair, then chokes Pondo with his boot. Back in the ring Keenan slams Pondo on a chair for two. Pondo suplexes Keenan on a set-up chair. Pondo sits Keenan down in the chair, and comes off the second rope with a side senton splash through onto Keenan through the chair. Keenan recovers and hits a superkick for two. Kennan misses a top rope elbow smash. Pondo drops Keenan with a Death Valley Driver. Pondo hits a Vader Bomb for two. Pondo heads to the second rope, and Keenan brings him off with a back cracker for the pin at 13:38. That was a really cool, unexpected finish. Keenan also looks worn out afterwards, which makes snese considering how much punishment both these guys took. Considering it was the back of both guys that took the majority of their punishment their. Different from the other hardcore match and was also quite good. ***
Chandler Biggins corrects himself, saying the match with Drake isn’t for the title. He says the title will be decided at Gauntlet for the Gold 5 in February. The winner enters at #30, the loser enters at #1.
AIW Tag Team Championship
Eric Ryan & Bobby Beverly [The Young Studs] (Champions) vs. Christian Faith & Vincent Nothing [Faith In Nothing]
Ryan cuts a pre-match promo saying this match has a 15 minute time limit because they think that if you can’t beat them in that time, you can’t beat them at all. Faith in Nothing respond with a tope con heilo and a dive respectively. Faith fights with Beverly, and Nothing fights with Ryan on the floor. The brawl continues back in the ring, with Faith in Nothing switching foes. Nothing lights up Beverly with chops as Ryan kicks away at Faith. They restore order by demand of the office. Nothing twists Ryan up in his corner. Ryan comes back with some kicks to the ribs and back on Nothing. Nothing and Ryan exchange kicks. Ryan slaps Nothing, and a pisses of Nothing snapmares Ryan and kicks the crap out of him. Faith and Beverly tag in. Faith catches Beverly with an ace crusher. Faith gives him a Manhattan Drop. Nothing throws Beverly up into a kick from Faith fo two. Nothing applies a crossface variation. Ryan is laying out on the floor. Beverly hits the floor and the referee prevents Faith from following. This gives Beverly an opening to come in and attack Faith. He peppers Faith with kicks on the mat. Ryan comes in and Faith kicks him in the side of the face with a yakuza kick. Faith tags in Nothing, who rams his shoulder into Ryan in the corner. Nothing suplexes Ryan for two. The Studs double team Nothing and take him down with a backbreaker/neckbreaker combo for two. The Studs trap Nothing in their corner, and take turns beating him down. Nothing escapes a double clothesline and tags in Faith. Faith takes down both men with some high impact maneuvers. Beverly comes back, and Nothing drops him. Ryan hits a cross-legged fisherman’s buster on Nothing, and Faith breaks the pin. Beverly dropkicks Faith’s legs out. Nothing drops Ryan on his head with a German suplex. Faith in Nothing hit a Project Mayhem variation on Beverly for two. Nothing drops Beverly with a Death Valley Driver, and Ryan takes down Faith with a Shiranui. Nothing breaks the pin and kicks Ryan in the face. Nothing takes him down with a clothesline. All four guys trade shots with one another as the 15 minute time limit expires. This was a fun tag brawl, and a nice chapter in the feud between these two teams. It made me want to see a rematch between both teams, and hey, isn’t that the point? ***
Faith in Nothing ask for five more minutes. Ryan says no, and the Young Studs bail. Faith In Nothing’s agent Aaron Bauer demand they get five more minutes, but it doesn’t work. Faith In Nothing argue and Nothing shoves Faith down. Nothing then says on 12/20, them and the Young Studs will compete in a Last Man Standing match.
Intense Division Championship
Façade (Champion) vs. Johnny Gargano
Façade and Gargano wrench on one another with wristlocks. Gargano armdrags Façade to the floor. Gargano punches Façade in the corner and blows a snot rocket on him. Gargano avoids an attack from Façade, and Façade steps out of a body block. Gargano takes Façade down with a headscissors, a Manhattan drop, and a spinning sole butt. Gargano kicks Façade in the lower back. Façade trips Gargano as he hits the ropes. He takes Garagno to the floor and hot shots him on the guardrail. Façade hits a flip senton on Gargano in the crowd. Gargano slams Façade face first into the guardrail. Façade then slams Gargano shoulder first into the guardrail, and then back into the ring. Façade beats on Gargano. He drops him with a Falcon Arrow for two. He applies a Cattle Mutilation variation, and then cracks Gargano in the face with a mule kick for two. Gargano grabs the ropes to send Façade to the floor. Gargano dropkicks Façade into the guardrail and follows up with a pescado. Façade gets back in the ring and Gargano gets on the apron. Façade rocks Gargano with forearms and hits the ropes. Gargano nails his slingshot spear. Gargano ducks some lariats and nails a flying forearm. Gargano slingshots Façade off the ropes and hits a hard leg lariat for two. Gargano blocks Façade’s kicks with a dragonscrew leg whip. Gargano lands a forearm in the corner and misses a splah. Gargano looks for the lawn dart. Façade pushes Gargano off and goes to the corner. Gargano lands double knees, and then tosses Façade with the lawn dart. He drops Façade with a suplex into a face buster for two. Both guys catch each other with simultaneous superkicks. When they both get to their feet, Façade drops Gargano on the second rope with an enzugiri. Façade drives his knee on the side of Gargano’s head. Façade misses a springboard twisting splash. Gargano dropkicks Façade in the head as Façade attempts a quebrada. Gargano hits a brainbuster for two. Façade gives him a spinning heel kick and an Arabian press for two. Façade sets up a chair for a triple jump moonsault. Gargano cuts him off and Façade lands face first on the chair. Gargano hits the Uniquely You. Eric Alverado comes out and distracts Gargano and the referee. Façade hits a low blow and rolls up Gargano for the pin at 20:17. A good main event between these two with a silly finish. Gargano looked really strong so, so I suppose it was the only way for him to lose believably while setting up stuff for the future. ***1/4
Alverado beats down on Gargano post-match. Chris Dickinson appears on the stage and tells Façade he wants the Intense Division championship. The match will happen at the December 20th show.
K Ford Reviews 