IWC Showdown In U-Town 2/26/2005

Written by: Bob Colling

International Wrestling Cartel presents Showdown In U-Town
Date: 2/26/2005
From: Uniontown, PA

Opening Contest: The Gambino Brothers Moving Company vs. J-Rocc & Troy Lords: Rocc and Lords attack the Gambino Brothers before the bell to get the upper hand. Rocc is knocked off the apron and Lords is backdropped over the top by Marshall landing onto Rocc on the floor. Rocc and DeMarco legally start the match. The Brothers hit a double elbow drop on Rocc but only manage a two count. Lords awkwardly clotheslines DeMarco upon his entrance into the match. DeMarco rolls up Lords but is shoved into the ropes and Rocc clubs Jimmy to help his team get the advantage. Rocc delivers several should rams in the corner. DeMarco is clotheslined in the corner by Rocc. Lords mistimes his dropkick on DeMarco but still hits it followed by a snap suplex. Lords clotheslines DeMarco in the corner to continue his beating on Jimmy.

Rocc drives DeMarco down with a back breaker and chokes Jimmy with his knee on the canvas. Rocc hits a fisherman buster but can’t put DeMarco away. Lords enters but misses a clothesline in the corner allowing DeMarco to hit an ace crusher. Marshall Gambino gets the hot tag and cleans house with strikes. Gambino hits a double side slam on the heels but can’t get a three on the cover. All four men are in the ring as Marshall hit a power bomb on Rocc and DeMarco hit a spine buster on Lords. Lords and Gambino are sent to the floor. Rocc plants DeMarco with a Death Valley Driver for the win. (*1/4. Well, it’s clear to me that DeMarco is incredibly green and is new to wrestling. J-Rocc was the highlight of the match with his power moves. This pretty much felt like students match.)

Second Contest: Mickey Gambino vs. Glenn Spectre: Early on, Spectre grabs the butt of Gambino but is met with a clothesline. Spectre hits a top rope cross body and they have a standoff. Spectre hits a butt splash in the corner to a seated Gambino in the corner. They go to the floor to trade forearms. Spectre chops Gambino before they return to the ring. Sepctre atomic drops Gambino and delivers a kick to the head for a two count. Spectre dropkicks the knee and hits a dropkick for a two count. Gambino hits a vertical suplex and a back breaker to get the advantage on Spectre. Gambino catches Spectre in the corner to hit a power slam for a two count. Spectre fights back with jabs and plants Gambino with a brain buster for a near fall. Spectre attempts a scoop slam but Gambino lands on top for a near fall. Gambino plants Spectre with a spine buster but can’t put Spectre away. Spectre rolls Gambino up and wins the match. (*1/4. Gambino is apparently a rookie and not very good. The crowd didn’t care for the action considering it was quite dull.)

Third Contest: Dean Radford vs. Jason Gory in a IWC Super Indy IV Qualifier: Radford is quite bigger than Gory and quickly takes the rookie Gory down to the canvas. Radford chops Gory and delivers a big boot to stop the fast face Gory. Radford tosses Gory out of the corner a couple of times to showcase his strength. Gory fights back with a dropkick but Radford won’t fall down. Dean scoop slams Gory and leaps of the middle rope to hit a leg drop. Radford counters a head scissors attempt with a side slam but Gory kicks out at two. Dean hits a delayed vertical suplex but again only gets a two count on the cover. Gory rolls Dean up but only gets a near fall. Gory takes Dean over with a standing hurricanrana. Radford stops Gory with a spine buster for a two count. Radford heads to the top rope and hits an elbow drop but Gory gets his boot on the bottom rope to stop the count. Gory attempts a cross body off the middle rope but is caught. Gory hits the QAS, a flipping sunset power bomb and hits the 450 splash to pin Radford. (*1/2. The beating on Gory went on a little long but it’s the typical little guy beating the big guy. Radford has some good big man offense and is an enjoyable wrestler. The finish by Gory was cool to see and it’s the first thing to pop the crowd tonight.)

Fourth Contest: IWC International Champion Solider vs. Christopher Daniels: Solider starts the match sending Daniels to the floor with a dropkick. Solider takes Daniels down to the canvas with a head scissors but Daniels gets out of the hold to put an STF on the champ. Solider takes Daniels down to the canvas to control Daniels with a chin lock. Daniels gets control with a headlock as the men are feeling each other out. Solider works over Daniels in the corner with several strikes. Solider splashes Daniels in the corner followed by a clothesline for a two count. Solider takes Daniels down to the canvas to lock in the cross face but can’t get a submission. Daniels takes out the left leg of Solider and stomps away on the champs leg to get control of the title match. Daniels focuses his offense on weakening the left knee of Solider for a few minutes.

Solider blocks a kick but is taken down to the mat and Daniels has an ankle lock on the champ unable to get the submission. Ten minutes have gone by as they begin to trade strikes. Daniels takes Solider down to the mat and wrenches on his injured leg. Daniels puts an elevated Boston Crab in the ropes but has to let go since it’s not a legal move. Daniels hits an Arabian moonsault onto the knee of Solider. Fifteen minutes have gone by as AJ Styles has come down to ringside to watch the match since he will be wrestling Daniels the following night for IWC.

Daniels runs into a big boot in the corner and Solider hits a running bulldog coming off the ropes. Solider ducks a clothesline and hits a Flatliner for a two count. Solider hits the Juvi Driver but can’t put Daniels away. Daniels goes back to work on the injured knee, which Solider wasn’t selling while he had offense. Solider plants Daniels with a DDT but Daniels kicks out at two. Daniels drop toe holds Solider and drives the champs knee into the canvas. There are two minutes remaining in the match.

There is one minute remaining in the match as Daniels continues to work on the knee before driving Solider down with a face buster. Daniels has a reverse figure four leg lock on Solider with thirty-seconds left in the match. Solider refuses to give in and the match ends in a twenty minute draw. (**. For a twenty minute match, this came across like the longest one-sided match I’ve ever watched before. Solider didn’t get any substantial offense whatsoever. The constant reminder of how much time had elapsed ruins the suspense of whether there will be a draw or not. Daniels didn’t even hit any of his trademark moves in the match. Not a good match to get twenty minutes.)

Fifth Contest: Chris Sabin vs. John McChesney in a best two out of three match: The first few moments of the match saw neither man get the upper hand with a mat wrestling based beginning. They have a standoff after Sabin got a near fall with a rollup. McChesney dropkicks Sabin and follows up with a northern lights suplex for a two count. Sabin elbows a charging John in the corner and hits a leaping forearm strike from the middle rope for a two count. Sabin splashes John in the corner and hits a butterfly suplex for a near fall. Sabin takes John over with a snap power slam followed by a standing senton for a two count. John sends Sabin over the top to the floor. McChesney takes Sabin out with a somersault dive over the top to the floor. McChesney attempts a springboard into the ring but Sabin moves out of the way. Sabin gets a near fall following a brain buster. McChesney tosses Sabin off the top rope and hits a hurricanrana to get the first fall. This is the first time Sabin has been pinned in IWC. McChesney 1, Sabin 0

Sabin starts the fall with a kick but McChesney hits a springboard leg drop to maintain control of the bout. John drives Sabin down with a snap suplex for a two count. John has a dragon sleeper on Sabin briefly. Sabin hits a springboard dropkick to send John chest first into a corner which gets Sabin a near fall. Sabin has John’s shoulders under the top turnbuckle and pulls his arms on the apron for a moment. Sabin continues his offense with a few leg drops to the back of McChesney’s neck. Sabin catches John in the corner but John wiggles free and they collide in the middle of the ring with cross body attempts. They trade chops until McChesney hits a TKO for a near fall on Sabin. McChesney heads to the top turnbuckle attempting a cross body but Sabin rolls through to hit a swinging back breaker and pins McChesney. McChesney 1, Sabin 1

There is ten minutes remaining in the match, which has a thirty minute time limit. John leaps off the top to nearly pin Sabin with a sunset flip. McChesney hits a cliffhanger DDT but Sabin kicks out at two. Sabin nails John with a spinning kick and a running power bomb but can’t put McChesney away. Sabin is stopped on the top by a forearm from John. McChesney goes to the top rope and hits a superplex but can’t put Sabin away. Sabin kicks a charging McChesney and spikes John with a piledriver for a near fall. Sabin is dropkicked while sitting on the top turnbuckle. They are fighting on the top rope but Sabin hits a middle rope Cradle Shock to pin McChesney. (***1/4. Easily the best match thus far on the show. A good match with constant action. I haven’t watched a lot of McChesney, but he clearly is able to hold his own in the ring with Sabin and they put forth a good match for the fans, which got a standing ovation.) After the match, they put each other over. McChesney promises to be the next star out of Pittsburgh.

Sixth Contest: Shima Xion vs. Tyson Dux in a IWC Super Indy IV Qualifier: Dux starts the match chopping Xion a few times and messes up the hair of the model. Dux decks Xion down with a short arm clothesline. Dux rams Xion into his manager on the floor, Chris Mavrick. Shima drives Dux down across his knee and locks in a chin lock. Xion yanks down Dux by his hair and stomps away on Tyson. Xion hits a snap suplex but can’t put Dux away. Xion hits a dropkick to Dux on the canvas and locks in a modified head scissors. Xion back elbows Dux in the corner and his manager cheap shots Dux in the corner behind the referees back. Xion plays to the crowd and gets dumped to the apron by Dux. Xion pretends to faint off the apron after he was almost hit in the face. Dux knocks Xion off the apron and onto his manager on the floor. Chris Mavrick holds the leg of Dux on the floor to allow Xion to deliver elbow drops for a two count.

Xion plants Dux with an inverted DDT but can’t get a three count on the cover attempt. Xion nearly collides with his manager and is almost pinned by Dux after avoiding Mavrick. Dux scoop slams Xion for a two count. Dux hits a delayed vertical suplex as ten minutes have gone by. Dux locks in the Cloverleaf but the referee is distracted. Xion attacks Dux from behind and with the help of his manager rolls through a rollup for a win. (*1/2. Not a good match at all. I was expecting a high flying match or something fast paced but it was instead just a standard dull match. The crowd didn’t seem to care about the action, either.)

Seventh Contest: IWC Super Indy Champion Sterling James Keenan vs. NWA-TNA X-Division Champion AJ Styles: Keenan is better known as Corey Graves in the WWE. Styles takes Keenan down with an arm drag and a backdrop in the opening minute of the match causing Keenan to roll to the floor. Keenan works on the arm of Styles upon coming back to the ring. Styles nails Keenan with a dropkick and Keenan goes to the floor again. Styles kicks Keenan from the apron and hits a slingshot cross body to the floor. Styles delivers a back breaker and kicks Keenan in the corner. AJ scoop slams Keenan followed by a knee drop. Keenan takes AJ over with a snap suplex and follows up with a leg drop for a two count. AJ runs into a big boot in the corner and AJ hits a hurricanrana. AJ misses a splash in the corner allowing Keenan to hit a back suplex.

Keenan works over Styles with front face lock of sorts but Styles reaches the ropes to break the hold. Keenan dumps AJ to the floor and seems to be fine with a count-out but Styles gets back on the apron to end the count. Keenan ducks a clothesline but Styles drops Keenan with a kick to the head. Styles drops Keenan with clotheslines and hits a top rope clothesline for a near fall. AJ plants Keenan with a neck breaker out of a vertical suplex setup but Keenan kicks out at two. Keenan power bombs Styles but only gets a near fall. Styles kicks Keenan but is planted with a face buster as Keenan countered a head scissors attempt. Styles hits a springboard reverse DDT for a two count. Styles attempts the Styles Clash but Keenan reaches the ropes and pulls the referee down. Christopher Daniels comes out and helps Keenan by tripping Styles and Keenan wins the match.(*1/2. I don’t even know what I expected there, but that was hardly a classic and Keenan didn’t come across as someone who can hang with Styles whatsoever. That finish didn’t do the champion any favors. This felt like a match to promote the rematch between Styles and Daniels tomorrow night more than a title match to be excited about.)

Eighth Contest: Josh Prohibition & Matt Cross vs. Tracy Smothers & Chris Hamrick: Prohibition and Smothers kick off the tag match. Neither man can get a clear cut advantage as they have a standoff after some mat wrestling. Smothers shoulder blocks Prohibition but Cross tags in only to be taken down to the canvas by Smothers. Hamrick tags in as well but Cross breaks free and backs away into a corner. They run the ropes and trade arm drags before having another standoff. Hamrick takes Cross down to the canvas and locks in a modified Boston Crab. Hamrick chops Cross but gets decked by Prohibition from the apron. Cross takes Hamrick over with a hurricanrana. Hamrick is double teamed with a double gut buster and a double dropkick.

Prohibition works over Hamrick in the corner to keep control of the bout. Hamrick misses a splash and hits the middle turnbuckle groin first. Hamrick takes Prohibition over with suplexs. Smothers gets tagged in and cleans house with clotheslines and a leaping kick on Prohibition Cross hits a swan ton bomb on Smothers or a near fall. Smothers is getting double teamed in the corner. Cross hits Smothers with a spinning heel kick. Prohibition and Cross hit double stomps on Smothers. Smothers avoids a shooting star press by Cross. Smothers spears Cross and tags in Hamrick. Hamrick cleans house with clotheslines and dropkicks. All four men are brawling with Cross hitting a neck breaker on Hamrick while Smothers and Josh brawled on the floor. Cross hits the shooting star press on Hamrick but Smothers breaks the pin. Smothers hits the Flatliner on Cross but Prohibition hits a suplex on Smothers. Hamrick stops Cross on the top to hit a top rope Dixie Drop, which is a vertical suplex turned into a stunner for the win! (**1/4. Okay, that finish was crazy good. It’s a decent match between two different kind of teams. Hamrick is running the ropes like he is still in his prime. I’d be interested in seeing these teams compete again.)

Main Event: IWC Heavyweight Champion Shirley Doe vs. Sebastian Dark in a street fight: The start of the match is a wrestling match with some mat wrestling holds. Dark fakes Doe out with a handshake by throwing powder into Doe’s face and Dark says it is time they get hardcore. Dark gets a two count following a snap suplex. Doe hits a hurricanrana and a running clothesline. Dark lifts Doe up and they fall over the top to the floor where Doe gets a near fall. Dark hits Doe with a trash can. Dark continues with a snap suplex on the floor. Doe puts a trash can over the head of Dark as Dark sits down. Doe chokes Dark with a chain as they continue to brawl on the floor. Dark hits Doe a few times with the chain and sends Doe into a stack of tables. Doe plants Dark with a DDT onto the wooden tables stacked up. Doe tries to pin Dark on the floor but only gets a near fall. Dark hits a German suplex on the floor.

Dark leaps off the stack of tables to elbow drop Doe but Doe counters with a rollup for a two count. They return to the ring where Dark hits a reverse DDT. Dark has a steel chair but misses a chair shot, but hits on the second attempt. Dark heads to the top rope and hits a frog splash across the ring but Doe kicks out at two. Doe tosses a chair at Dark in midair to avoid a splash. Doe hits Dark with a running knee strike and hits a clothesline for a near fall. Dark plants Doe with an STO but only gets a near fall. Dark sends Doe into the corner and Dark hits a northern lights suplex on the referee as Doe attempted a sunset flip. They both miss chair shots and drop following a double clothesline. A new referee has entered the ring but is punched in the groin by Dark. A third referee gets knocked off the apron. Doe hits a backdrop driver but there isn’t a referee to count the fall. Dark low blows Doe but Doe counters the DNR has a rollup but Dark has a rollup but Doe stops the arm of the referee from counting three. Dark piles five chairs onto each other in the middle of the ring. Doe hits a fisherman buster onto the chairs and wins the match. (*1/2. These guys in the main event considering the other talent on the show is kind of humorous in a bad way. It’s an uninspiring brawl between two not so great workers. They tried a few spots to get pops from the crowd and failed to do that. This main event doesn’t help the show whatsoever.)

Final Thoughts:
I got the show due to so many names on the show such as Sabin, Daniels, Styles, Cross, Prohibition, Xion, Keenan, McChesney, Smothers and Hamrick. It’s not a good show with a few disappointing matches, but the Sabin/McChesney match is the best match on the card and gave me hopes that after the first two matches it would turnaround. The second night of the double shot weekend appears to have a stronger lineup, though.

Thanks for reading.