IWC Wild At The Palisades 2/27/2005

Written by: Bob Colling

International Wrestling Cartel presents Wild At The Palisades
Date: 2/27/2005
From: McKeesport, PA

Opening Contest: Troy Lords, J-Rocc, Shima Xion & Mavrick vs. The Gambino Brothers and Jason Gory: Well, apparently this match gets close to twenty minutes and it’s all local guys or students. I only know of Xion and at this point he is really green and not overly entertaining. All eight men start the match brawling ion the floor while Gory controls Xion with a snap suplex. Xion gets control after Gory had to deal with Mavrick for a moment. Jimmy DeMarco enters and slams Xion a few times followed by a double stomp from off the middle rope for a near fall. Lords enters and kicks Micky Gambino. Rocc enters to get a near fall with a side Russian leg sweep. Marshall enters and cleans house hitting the double side slam that he hit on night one.

The match breaks down with everyone entering and hitting their top moves it would appear. Xion hits his version of the ace crusher on his own partner Lords on accident. Gory nearly pins Xion after a standing Spanish fly. Micky dives over the top to take everyone out on the floor. Rocc hits a suicide dive but doesn’t hit the move smoothly. Marshall press slams the referee over the top onto everyone on the floor. Marshall leaps off the middle rope to hit a cross body to the floor. DeMarco hits an ace crusher on Lords. Jay Garrett enters the ring and attacks DeMarco with it. Lords covers and pins DeMarco. (**. A few good high spots a good pace made this an entertaining spot fest to kick off the event. Nobody seemed to know or care about Jay Garrett and his interference killed the crowd a little bit.)

Second Contest: Dean Radford vs. Sebastian Dark: Radford spears Dark as he was talking smack about Radford losing to a rookie last night. Radford works over Dark in the corner with strikes.The referee gets shoved by both men and they brawl to the floor which causes a double disqualification. This wasn’t even a match worth rating.

Bubba The Bulldog comes out with a trophy claiming that he won the 2004 award for being the greatest wrestler to come out of Pittsburgh. Bulldog issues an open challenge to anybody in the IWC who thinks they can beat him. The ring announcer announces himself as the challenger and that gets the crowd.

Third Contest: Kingdom James vs. Bubba The Bulldog: James knocks Bulldog with several clotheslines and a backdrop sending Bulldog to the floor. Bulldog eye rakes James to get the chela advantage after trading slaps. James sends Bulldog into the corner a few time and follows up with stomps before choking Bulldog in the corner. Bulldog avoids a clothesline and they mistime a DDT so it looks rather bad. Bulldog drops James with a kick to the head. James low blows Bulldog when the referee is out of position. James hits a pump handle slam turned into a DDT. James goes to the top looking for a leg drop but Bulldog moves out of the way. Bulldog rolls James up with his feet on the ropes and wins the match. (1/2*. The surprise was cool, but the action was pretty bad.) After the match, Bulldog demands that James announce him as the winner. James acts like he is going to but instead decks Bulldog with the microphone. James will remain as the ring announcer.

IWC Owner Norm Conners confronts Sebastian Dark telling him that Dark is leaving his building right now. Conners talks about Super Hentai and his impending retirement which was caused by Sebastian Dark. Conners is determined to end the career of Dark. Conners demands that Dark leaves the arena.

Fourth Contest: Matt Cross vs. Glenn Spectre in a Super Indy IV Qualifier: Cross kicks off the match hitting a dropkick on Spectre. Spectre stops the action to dance and kicks Cross and blocks a standing moonsault by getting his knees up. They trade a couple of pin attempts and they have a standoff. Cross hits a springboard double stomp to send Spectre to the floor. Cross fakes out a suicide dive and instead settles for a head scissors on the floor. Cross attempts the flagpole press but Spectre gets his knees up to block the move. Spectre hits a cross body off the top and nearly pins Cross. Spectre delivers a gut buster but can’t get a three count on the cover. Spectre dropkicks the knee of Cross and hits a running butt to the face for a near fall. Cross plants Spectre with a tornado DDT out of the corner for a two count.

Cross slams Spectre and attempts a split legged moonsault but Spectre gets his knees up. Spectre delivers a back breaker and attempts a German but Cross lands on his feet. Cross hits a sit out Death Valley Driver for a near fall. Cross misses a senton from the top and Spectre hits a fall away slam. Spectre gets the win with a sit out spine buster. (**. The finish came across rather abruptly but it was a decent match that didn’t have much of a structure.) After the match, they shake hands showing mutual respect for each other.

Fifth Contest: NWA-TNA X-Division Champion AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels: They waste no time going right at it trading right hands. Styles hits a standing dropkick to send Daniels to the floor. Styles takes Daniels out with a slingshot cross body to the floor. Styles plants Daniels with a delayed vertical suplex for a two count. AJ drops Daniels gut first to the canvas. AJ scoop slams Daniels and delivers a knee drop for a two count. AJ tries to go to the fop but is stopped by Daniels. AJ punches Daniels to the canvas and attempts a clothesline but is met with a Flatliner instead. Daniels chokes Styles over the middle rope and clubs away on Styles to keep control of the match. Daniels hits a back suplex but AJ kicks out at two. Daniels hits a side Russian leg sweep to keep Styles on the canvas.

Daniels hits a modified neck breaker but Styles continues to kick out before a three count. Daniels locks in a Cross face but isn’t able to get a submission on his rival. Styles hits a springboard elbow strike to knock Daniels off his feet. AJ hits a spinning heel kick and an inverted DDT for a two count. AJ hits a gut buster but Daniels kicks out at two. Daniels drives AJ down with an STO after AJ couldn’t hit a suplex. Daniels hits a Blue Thunder Bomb but Styles kicks out at two again. Styles hits the Pele Kick! Daniels drops Styles with a slam and signals for the BME but misses! Styles hits the Styles Clash after rolling through a rollup and pins Daniels. (***. A solid match between these two but not a classic by any means. The fans were into the match completely and this is the first IWC match I’ve watched that the fans were actually invested in and made a lot of noise for.)

The retirement ceremony for Super Hentai is next. Norm Conners enters the ring to embrace Hentai and brings out several IWC wrestlers to easy goodbye to Hentai. The wrestlers at ringside begin to name all the titles that Hentai has held throughout his career. They put Hentai on the shoulders of wrestlers and they all enter the ring to celebrate the career of Hentai. It’s a feel good segment for a guy that doesn’t say a word during it. IWC Heavyweight Champion Shirley Doe is in the ring who was at one time a big rival for Hentai. Doe says he respect Hentai after hating him more than anyone else and wishes Hentai luck in the future. Hentai speaks and hopes that the fans were entertained by him during the years. Hentai thanks the fans for giving him the chance to show off his skills. Sebastian Dark enters the ring and grabs the microphone. Dark says that Hentai is nothing but a quitter and a loser. Hentai has alcohol in his hand and tosses it into Dark’s face to get some revenge. Norm Conners runs into the ring and checks on Dark. Conners notices it is water and Hentai tosses powder into Conner’s face! Hentai and Dark attack Norm Conners! Okay, that was a good swerve and a segment. Hentai laughs at Conners for being screwed as they leave Conners laid out. The locker room empties and they chase Hentai and Dark out of the building.

Sixth Contest: IWC International Champion Solider vs. Chris Hamrick: They start with a mat wrestling based focus for offense with neither man getting a clear advantage for any long period of time. Solider takes Hamrick down to the canvas and works over the knee of the challenger. Hamrick takes Solider down to the canvas and drops an elbow before locking in a modified surfboard. Solider has a half Boston Crab on Hamrick but isn’t able to get a submission with the hold. Hamrick kicks Solider as Solider lowered his head for respect. Hamrick hits a running big boot and a clothesline. Hamrick ties Solider up on the canvas but Solider doesn’t give in. Hamrick puts Solider in the tree of woe in the corner. Hamrick misses a baseball slide and crotches him into the ring post. Solider wraps Hamrick’s knee around the ring post.

Hamrick misses a splash in the corner and Solider wraps his knee around the post again a few times. Solider delivers a kick to the back of the leg and knocks Hamrick down with another strike. Solider locks in a figure four in the middle of the ring but Chris refuses to give up. Solider taunts Hamrick while having the hold on but can’t get a submission. Hamrick hits a Dixie Drop, but didn’t hit the move very well for a two count. Solider hits the Juvi Driver but only gets a near fall. Hamrick fights back with a piledriver and heads to the top rope. Hamrick leaps off to hit a leg drop but Solider kicks out at two. Hamrick sets up for a superplex but Solider shoves Hamrick off and hits an elbow drop for the win. (**1/4. I thought it was an okay match though it was a little but sloppy on Solider’s end. Hamrick is incredible at this point simply because of his age. I’m kind of surprised that he doesn’t get more recognition for his ability, honestly.)

Seventh Contest: IWC Super Indy Champion Sterling James Keenan vs. Claudio Castagnoli: Claudio has control of Keenan’s arm but nothing comes of the advantage. Claudio comes off the middle rope to hit an arm drag and works over Keenan with an uppercut in the corner. Keenan is monkey flipped out of the corner. Claudio keeps control of the match hammering away on Keenan. Claudio uppercuts Keenan and sends the champ into the corner but misses a splash in the corner. Keenan focuses his attack on the left leg of Claudio. Keenan continues his offense with a snap suplex. Claudio takes Keenan over with a head scissors but Keenan quickly takes Claudio off his feet with a football tackle to his leg. Keenan continues a boring offense based on weakening the leg of Claudio.

Keenan tries to choke Claudio in the corner with a head scissors over the top rope but Claudio hit an electric chair slam quickly. Claudio drops Keenan with several uppercuts and a spinning back elbow. Claudio backdrops Keenan and plays to the crowd. Claudio takes Keenan out with a somersault dive over the top to the floor. Keenan hits a belly to belly suplex but Claudio kicks out a two on the pin attempt. Keenan delivers a knee breaker and a back suplex. Claudio shoves Keenan off the middle rope to hit a leaping uppercut for a two count. Claudio gets a two count following a swinging neck breaker. Keenan has the Stretch Muffler on Claudio and eventually gets a submission. (*1/2. I don’t get it. Keenan seemingly never gets any substantial offense and yet manages to find a way to win? His matches need to a lot more competitive for him to be seen a serious contender in the company for me.)

Eighth Contest:John McChesney vs. Josh Prohibition in a Super Indy IV Qualifier: McChesney takes Josh over with a hurricanrana and backdrop in the opening moment of the match. John blocks a low blow and chops Josh before Josh hits an exploder suplex. Josh hit a vertical suplex but can’t keep John down on the cover attempt. Josh puts a camel clutch on John for a few moments choking John with his own arms. Josh drops John across his knee with a back breaker. John rolls Josh up from the corner but only manages a near fall. John continues with another cradle but only gets a two count. Prohibition yanks McChesney down from the apron and hits a top rope double stomp to the head for a near fall. Prohibition delivers a few knee strikes and a clothesline to knock John off his feet and gets a two count.

McChesney plants Prohibition with a TKO and both men are down on the canvas. McChesney flapjacks Prohibition followed by a springboard leg drop for a two count. McChesney attempts a tornado DDT but Prohibition counters with an overhead suplex. Josh rolls through a backslide but McChesney hits his DDT for the win. (**. A decent match between these two but there could have been a lot more and better action throughout.)

Main Event: IWC Heavyweight Champion Shirley Doe vs. Tracy Smothers: Neither man is able to get much of an advantage and they have a standoff after Smothers avoided a fireman’s carry. Doe clotheslines Smothers over the top to the floor causing both men to crash to the floor. Doe works over Smothers with several forearm strike. Smothers sends Doe into the ring steps but Doe sends Smothers into the ring post. Smothers misses a left hand and hits the ring post. Smothers sends Doe into a few empty chairs and into the wall. Doe rams Smothers back first into the back and Tracy falls onto the chairs. Smothers hip tosses Doe on the floor. Doe sends Tracy shoulder first into the ring post. Smothers sends Doe head first into a steel chair on the floor. They return to the ring after the brawling with Smothers getting a two count.

Smothers controls Doe on the canvas by choking him as the wrestlers from ringside are coming to ringside for some reason. Tracy delivers several strikes in the corner and plays to the crowd. Doe comes back with several chops on Smothers. Smothers delivers a short arm clothesline to get a near fall. Doe counters a backdrop attempt with a DDT but Tracy kicks out at two. Smothers hits a leaping kick to drop Doe for a near fall. Tracy tosses a few chairs into the ring. They both have chairs but Smothers whacks Doe with the chair for a two count. Doe clotheslines Smothers in the corner and Tracy lands throat first onto a steel chair. Smothers spears Doe but can’t get the three count on the cover. Doe hits a tornado DDT onto two steel chairs but Smothers somehow kicks out at two. Smothers plants Doe with a DDT on a steel chair followed by a big splash but Doe kicks out. Doe puts Smothers away with the backdrop driver onto two chairs to retain the title. (**. It’s obvious they went the route of brawling and usage of chairs to hide the weaknesses that Doe has in the ring. It was mildly entertaining but nothing to remember. The fans coming to ringside seemed to be a little force to make this match seem more important than it was.) After the match, Doe and Smothers put each other over. Smothers ends up decking Doe and says he wants a rematch for the title because it is just business.

Final Thoughts:
The best match was Daniels/Styles, which isn’t a surprise whatsoever. However, I’m most interested in the Sebastian Dark/Super Hentai swerve and where they go with that angle. I thought that segment was nicely done and executed very well. As for the whole show, it’s another disappointing outcome considering a strong lineup, in my opinion.

Thanks for reading.