JAPW Revolution 2/28/2004

Written by: Sean McCaffrey from http://www.declarationofindependents.net/doi/pages/index1.html

What up everyone and welcome to another McReview. Today I will be recapping the latest show from Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW). This show was JAPWs first official show of 2004, after having a joint show with Ring of Honor back on January 9th. There was alot of stuff going on going into this show. On one front, you had the smart internet fans creaming their pants to boo the shit out of Teddy Hart. Would Homicide destroy this loudmouth Candian punk? On another front, you have CSWF/JCW/SSCW drawing big numbers, with CSWF/SSCW drawing their highest crowds in recent memory. Would the fans be content with those shows or would they come to JAPW? Another issue was JAPW changing its direction and coming back to its roots. Gone from this show were Al Snow, Kamala, Jerry Lawler, Mick Foley, The Coach, Raven, Shane Douglas and others, who were headlining and taking spots from JAPW regulars. Back with JAPW were Homicide, Monsta Mack and The Solution. Joining JAPW on a consistent basis were guys like Sonjay Dutt, Roderick Strong, Teddy Hart, Jack Evans and more. JAPW has overhauled their roster and direction and look to prove why they are the number 1 promotion in New Jersey. Would they get it done tonight?

JAPW
From Rahway, NJ
Ring Announcer: Scott Matthews
Referees: Ref Garry and Ref Hanson
Commentators: Mark Clemson and Da Bald Guy
Taped by: Modtrom Videos (www.modtrom.com)
Approx Attendance: 625

PRESHOW: It was another stop to a beer warehouse, this time in Carteret, NJ for a 24 pack of the cheaply priced Miller Lite. Despite drinking like an animal, only one beer can found their way on the floor of the building, and that was because Homicide drank 1/2 of one during his match!

Also before the show, Modtrom.com with Clemson, were filming promos with fans about who they thought would win the mega main event between Mafia and Monsta Mack. Suffice to say, my prediction wasn’t meant to be, so despite what another cross eyed idiot says, I don’t know the results going into a show.

Sonjay Dutt d. Roderick Strong
JAPW wasted no time, by starting off with a fast paced match to open the show. The match started off with straight off wrestling. Sonjay Dutt is incredible to watch. Roderick Strong, the man of a 1000 backbreakers, whipped out about 20 or so tonight. About halfway through the match, the action spilt on the outside. Sonjay hit an asai moonsault, popping the crowd huge. While on the outside, Strong threw Sonjay violently into the railing. Back in the ring, Roderick busted out some back breaking offense, by doing a fireman carry into a back breaker and a side backbreaker. The action went back outside, and in a Rob van Dam ECWesque fashion, Sonjay Dutt leaped off the top rope, and somersaulted into the fourth row, wiping out Strong. HOLY SHIT! chants flooded the arena after that. They went back inside and after exchanging alot of two counts off various back breakers and pinning combinations, including headscissors from Sonjay and a suplex into a back breaker from Strong. Sonjay finally wins this electric match by jumping off the top rope, and hitting the West Coast Pop (Hurrannacarrana into pinfall) on Strong for the 1-2-3. PAW Match. Fucking excellent. The only people who weren’t happy with this match were the people who had to follow it lol.

La Familia comes out. La Familia is the JAPW Heavyweight Champion, Danny Maff aka Mafia. He’s accompanied with the former JAPW tag team champions, The Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz. (EC Negro and KC Blade.) Maff talks about his big match tonight against his fomer Da Hit Squad partner, Monsta Mack. Maff talks about holding 6 sets of titles at the same time with Mack. He talks about the history of Da Hit Squad. He talks about being the best motherfucking tag team when they were together. He then tells the DRS that this match is about Maff vs Mack and not Maff w/DRS vs Mack. He tells the DRS not to interfere in this match. Maff then makes his match against Mack a no dq. Maff leaves, leaving the DRS in the ring, to set up our next match. Excellent promo done in a quick amount of time.

For the JAPW Tag Team Championships
(c) Slyk Wagner Brown/April Hunter d. The Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz
Really good tag team match. These teams gel well against each other. The match started off with Slyk and April charging the ring after EC Negro talking some smack. Blade threw April out of the ring maliciously, but she came back in the ring, and with Slyk, double speared the Scoundrelz. Slyk started then whipping Blade’s ass. Eventually, with help from Negro, the DRS got the upperhand, and Blade went to work on Mr. Brown. The DRS then hit their spinebuster into edge-o-matic on Slyk. (What’s the name of that move Zevon? I know you know lol) Blade still worked on Slyk with some submissions and cheap shots. Blade would go and take a swing at April, and as April came in, the DRS would double up on Slyk. Classic heel mannerisms by the DRS. Slyk finally made the hot tag to April, and she went to work on the DRS. She hit some lariats on the DRS. However, the DRS rebounded, and they hit the Dirty Rotten Driver on April. Slyk got back in, and his leg lariat on Negro. April then got mixed up with Blade and left Negro vs Slyk. Slyk puts Negro in a version of the brock lock. (Leg over neck, and twisting the body.) Negro taps out to what seems to be Slyk’s new finisher. Good match, and judging by the finish, puts the DRS out of title contention. I thought the DRS should’ve been defeated differently, because they looked very vulernable in this match. Either way, good match, I just didn’t like the finish.

Rush/Corvis Fear d. Outcast Killaz (Diablo Santiago/Oman Tortuga)
Ok tag match, which had to follow a really good tag match. Corvis/Rush can be a formidable tag team on the indy scene with more work. Good double team moves in this match. Corvis and Rush pick up the win after hitting a double tombstone piledriver on Santiago. Nice finisher.
POSTMATCH: The Solution (Havok and Papadon) come out and wipe Corvis/Rush out for the second time on as many shows. Havok fall away slams Rush over the top rope. Solution hit a big time Problem Solver on Corvis. Crowd goes nuts during this, booing the shit out of Solution. Solution after giving a beating to these two, that would leave Rush/Corvis on the outside of the ring for 10 minutes, get the mic. Solution are pissed. They say they are sick of having to run out and make a name for themselves. They demand a match. Papadon calls out the bookerman. Sadly, Kevin Sullivan didn’t come out. Instead, Ray Sager, with clipboard, comes out. He says fine you want a match, I got one for you. This set up…

Balls Mahoney d. The Solution (Papadon and Havok)
PREMATCH: Balls Mahoney comes out and tells The Solution that he used to like them when he trained them. Unless Balls was training at the Doghouse or at Afa’s school, that statement was for storyline purposes. Balls says he is sick of watching The Solution jump young kids and will teach The Solution a lesson. Balls lets us know that he doesn’t have his partner Axl with him tonight, but he does have his other partner, and points to his steel chair.

Pretty good match. Balls, I think is better now, then his time in ECW. Solution stall to get the match started. Balls Mahoney takes a “YOU MAKE ME SLEEPY” sign from a fan and show The Solution. This gets the Solution irate. Havok and Balls lock up first, and both show off their chain wrestling. Balls gets off his punches on Havok, but Havok was able to get the upperhand with a huge powerbomb on Mahoney. Balls kept fighting solo in the match, and somehow pulled off a frogsplash on Havok. Papadon came in and gave Balls some of his own offense, which Balls was able to fend off for a while. The Solution get a table out, and look like they are going to hit the Problem Solver on Balls through a table. Instead, Corvis and Rush, who were still feeling the effects of the beating 10 minutes previous, shake the ropes as Papadon is on the top, making Papadon land penis first on the turnbuckle. Balls fights off Havok. Balls then goes to the top rope and hits the Nutcracker Suite on Papadon for the pinfall. For good measure, after the match, Balls cracks a chair over Havoks head.
Good match, but having The Solution being a dominating team, only to lose to one guy, kind of killed their ass kicking aura. I understand that two guys also intefered at the end, but in their first match back in JAPW, Solution lost to one guy.

Scott Matthews thanks the crowd and announces the attendance as 600 plus. I counted out of interest and got 623 or so, but that doesn’t include people in the parking lot smoking, people taking dumps, people getting food etc. Matthews then goes on to announce that JAPW will return next week on March 6th. (More on that at the end of this report.)

4 WAY DANCE
For the JAPW Cruiserweight Championship
Jay Lethal d. (c) Azraiel, Insane Dragon and Jack Evans
This was your spot fest match, and it was entertaining to watch. Jack Evans can flip 3434 ways to Sunday. Even before the match, Evans started the match by break dancing like an animal. This is a match to get on tape, as describing this match gives it no justice. Lots of corkscrews and moonsaults in this one. Lethal hits the best back suplexes outside of Chris Benoit or Kurt Angle. Very impressive. This match was all over the place with action. Lethal wins after a double underhook brainbuster variation. Great match, although I’m not a fan of champions losing their titles in multiple man matches. Azraiel held that title for a while and I would’ve liked to see him lose it straight up then in a wild match. Then again, it does set up a rematch later on, and as soon as I thought that, after the match, Azraiel laid out Lethal with a wicked clothesline.

In the bathroom break match
Kaos w/Johnny D d. Justice Pain
Despite the history these guys have in XPW, it meant zero to JAPW fans. With JAPW having one of the larger core audiences in the indies, it made sense that JAPW fans wouldn’t care about a match that featured ex XPW workers. This match dragged on and on, and while it wasn’t a bad match, it was just boring and the crowd wasn’t feeling it. Add the fact that alot of the fans thought after the 4 way match, and intermission would be coming, you could understand why the fans didn’t get into it. An intermission placed before this match, might’ve made this match more enjoyable. Instead, it was just in the way of a great show. Even Johnny D, who usually does a great job of being a dickhead manager, couldn’t get the JAPW faithful to get loud. Where were the Skyscrapers by the way? The Skyscrapers could’ve made this match interesting, as at least they have some history with Johnny D. Kaos finally ends this match with a reverse piledriver.

In the Match of the Night
Homicide d. Teddy Hart
The smart marks were riled up in this match, and the boos and the f-bombs dropped like crazy. Teddy Hart got booed like hell. Say what you want about Teddy Hart, but there is no denying that he is a proven draw and a hot commodity. I think it would be wise for Teddy Hart to chose his bookings selectively, as he doesn’t want to kill what he’s got going and get oversaturated. Hart picking JAPW as his first promotion in New Jersey to work in was an excellent idea, as the JAPW loyal were behind a JAPW hall of famer, Homicide, during the whole match.

Homicide went right to work on Hart, by trying to break his kneecap and leg. Some bigtime moves in this match saw Homicide go for a suicide dive, only to eat a metal object placed by Hart. Hart then hit a suicide dropkick through the ropes. Impressive. Homicide then took a moonsault from Hart, that landed Homicide in the second row, taking out the steel guard rail. Hey this is Jersey, guard rails aren’t even needed! Homicide realizes that, and takes the guard rail away and brings it into the ring. He overhead suplexes Hart into the rail. Homicide goes right back to Harts left leg and puts it in various moves. Looked like he was setting up the STF for later on. Homicide then hit a huge kick to Harts leg. Homicide then throws Hart over the top. Homicide runs at full speed and cannonballs himself through the ropes and punks out Hart. At this time Homicide sees his long time friend and student, Low Life Louie Ramos in the crowd. While this wasn’t planned, it came out great. Homicide acknowledges Louie, and brings Harts carcass 15 steps up the bleachers, which held 500 fans. Homicide piledrives Hart on the floor. Louie gives Homicide a beer, and Homicide takes a well deserved swig and finishes off the beer. Homicide then works on Harts left leg some more by wrenching it through the arm rail banister. Homicide has enough of this, and just fucking throws Hart like a sack of potatoes down the steps. Hart collides with some fans who were trying to get a view of what was going on in the bleachers. Homicide then hits a top rope diamond cutter, but only picks up a 2 after this beating. Hart somehow gets some strength and hits a DDT on Homicide. Homicide finally says fuck this, and hits a HUGE lariat, nearly decapitating Hart, and got the 1-2-3.
POSTMATCH: Homicide goes to give the copkilla to Hart, but Jack Evans runs out and hits a springboard clothesline on Homicide. Homicide gets disorientated, but quickens up real fast and hits a huge yakuza kick on Evans. Homicide then gives Jack Evans a running cop killa. It was almost as painful to watch that.
Homicide then gets the mic. He says he fucked up Hart right. Homicide said that was for CM Punk. Hart then gets the mic. He says the better man won tonight. He said it’s great that you can beat me at 50% you pussy! Holy shit that was great. Hart said I gave you the fight of my life at 50%. Hart says he wants a rematch on April 24th with Homicide, but this time he’ll have his boys from Calgary with him. He says Homicide is going down and god bless. Homicide laughs it off.

Scott Matthews announces that Homicide/Hart II will take place on April 24th. He adds that JAPW will have more chairs on the floor for the next show, to give more ringside seating.

Chris Daniels d. Jerry Lynn
This was a really good wrestling match. It had the unfortunate task of following Hart/Homicide. This match will probably look better on tape, as the live crowd was still soaking in the excitement of Hart/Homicide. Lots of submissions in this match. Lot of 2 counts in this match. Daniels gets the win after hitting the Angel’s wings.

In the Main Event
For the JAPW Heavyweight Title
(C) Dan Maff d. Monsta Mack
Mafia vs Mack. Dan Maff vs Steve Mack. Dan vs Steve. These were all the themes going on in this match. This match was built up as the main event of a stacked show, and deservingly so. This match meant so much taking place in JAPW, then it did in USA Pro back in March 03. That’s not a knock on USA Pro, it’s just the history of Da Hit Squad is legendary in JAPW. The match started off with a staredown. It then exploded with right hands from both, with Mack getting the advantage. Mack then hit a suplex on Maff. Maff rebounded, worked on Mack, then hit a huge suicide dive. Maff repeatedly during the match went for his Tazesque suplex. Towards the end, Maff had Mack in the burning hammer position, but Mack worked out of it. Mack went for a huge clothesline but Maff ducked and hit his Tazesque suplex for the pinfall. Odd finish to a huge main event.

POSTMATCH: Mack and Maff embraced. Mack leaves. The DRS then come out. At this point, the crowd was filing out, due to not having an intermission and sitting on their asses for 3 hours straight. The crowd stopped the second the DRS came out to talk to Maff. EC Negro said the DRS have had it, as La Familia has become all about Maff and not about Maff and the DRS. Negro told Maff he dont got what it takes. He then says, “If you’re dead father was here, he’d slap you in the bald head.” This infuriates Maff. The DRS then run in to beat up Maff, but all of a sudden, the old Da Hit Squad music plays. Out walks Monsta Mack, this time, wearing a REPEAT OFFENDERS Da Hit Squad shirt. He has an extra shirt in his hand. He takes the shirt, comes to the ring and throws it to Maff. Maff sees the shirt, puts it on, and Da Hit Squad are back. They go right to work on the Scoundrelz. They hit some of their signature maneuvers, even legitimently taking out KC Blade and giving him a stinger. (More on that later.) DHS then set up Negro for the figure four/frog splash combo. As Maff has Negro in the figure four, Mack goes to the top rope and frogsplashes Maff. THAT DECIEVING CUNNING SON OF A BITCH! Mack and Negro go to work on Maff, as KC Blade tries to stand up. Mack and Negro beat the crap out of Maff. Mack introduces the new La Familia, of himself and the DRS. Mack punks out Maff with some verbal abuse and this closes the show.

Final McWord:
I’m a fan of giving the crowd a happy ending, so if you’re not gonna give the crowd something big, they better be happy. This was certainly big, and an excellent way to close the show. JAPW is the top promotion in NJ and a show like this solidifies their status. Some things I’d like to see to improve JAPW would be:
1. Bring back the intermissions. The crowd was dead during matches because there was no break. It will also increase merchandise sales if you give people time to walk around.
2. Stick with what made JAPW what it is today. This was evident in this show, and it fucking worked, as 620+ all came to see Maff/Mack and a JAPW hall of famer, Homicide battle Hart. While Jerry Lynn vs Chris Daniels will sell alot of tapes, this match wasn’t needed for JAPW, which is saying alot.
3. Bring back hardcore, even for one match a show. Low Life Louie was there the whole time, and I had the honor of sitting with him. No joke, many fans asked Louie when he was coming back and saying how much they missed him. If you’re going to bring in guys like Kaos and Justice Pain, two guys that the crowd could care less about, I don’t see why Louie can’t be brought back, as the crowd wants to see him.

I was glad to see JAPW go back to their old roots, but keeping things fresh with new faces like Dutt, Strong, Lynn, Evans and Hart. Teddy Hart is a proven draw. While other promotions tend to settle for legends, you get more bang for your buck with Teddy Hart.

I really liked Maff vs Mack and the whole La Familia storyline. This should be a great feud, and the double turn came off perfectly.

This is easily a contender for show of the year, even though we’re only 3 months into the year. Excellent job by the JAPW staff on all ends from Frank to Ray to Pierre to guys like the Modtrom guys and crew. I thought the whole show was great, outside of Kaos/Pain.