Written by: Bob Colling
International Wrestling Cartel presents Caged Fury 2
Date: 7/1/2005
From: Monroeville, PA
Opening Contest: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Dean Radford in a number one contenders match: Castagnoli takes Radford out with a suicide dive to the floor to kick off the match but Radford battles back in the ring with strikes. Claudio drops Radford face first across the top turnbuckle to maintain control of the bout. Claudio continues with a big splash in the corner and gets a near fall. Castagnoli yanks Radford down by his hair before delivering an uppercut and scoop slam. They collide in the middle of the ring with neither man able to quickly get up. Dean drops Claudio with a series of clotheslines and a backdrop. Radford plants Claudio with a spine buster but only manages to get a near fall on the cover. Dean leaps off the top and hits an elbow drop for a two count. Claudio fights back with an uppercut off the middle rope. Claudio plants Radforf with a straight jacket sit down power bomb for the win. (**. Not a bad start to the show, really. It lacked any explosive or high energy offense but the action was consistent and they worked a fine style to kick off the event.)
Backstage, Hentai and Sebastian Dark taunt Dean Radford for not being able to win a match since his IWC Heavyweight Championship reign. They are separated by officials. Afterward, we get a promo by Dean Radford who says they don’t know what they have done. Dean wants a piece of the IWC Tag Team Championships to get his mind off the IWC Heavyweight Championship. The promo comes across really awkward and forced.
Second Contest: Chris Sabin & Jason Gory vs. Petey Williams & Shima Xion: Gory and Xion start the match with both men hitting arm drags. Williams gets tagged in but isn’t able to get any offense in on Gory and instead Sabin is tagged into the match. Xion attacks Sabin from behind and allows Williams to get the cheap advantage. Sabin fights both men off and clotheslines Xion. Petey is caught in the corner but gets out of the Cradle Shock. Xion quickly enters again and clubs Sabin on the back. Sabin hits a springboard cross body for a two count. Xion is backdropped by both opponents and Gory hits a handspring elbow. Petey drops Gory over the top rope throat first in the corner to help Xion. Petey tags in and works over Gory with several chops. Williams hits a dropkick to a seated Gory for a near fall.
Petey puts Gory in the tree of woe and steps on his groin to taunt the fans. Xion enters and locks in a modified leg lock to allow a cameraman to take pictures in the ring. Xion arm drags Gory out of the corner and delivers a clothesline for a two count. Williams hits a side Russian leg sweep on Gory for a near fall. Gory plants Xion with the QAS and tags in Sabin who cleans house with dropkicks. Sabin kicks Xion and plants Petey with a tornado DDT for a two count. Sabin plants Xion with a snap power slam but Williams breaks up the cover. Sabin kicks Xion but not Petey. Williams is able to hit the Canadian Destroyer but Gory hits a top rope leg drop and nearly pins Petey. Xion hits a reverse neck breaker and pins Gory. (**1/4. The announcers freaked out on the finish, but it wasn’t the move more so than the bump that Gory took on it, which was impressive. A fine match, nothing crazy memorable, though.) After the match, Sabin hits Xion with the Cradle Shock.
Bubba the Bulldog comes out and brags about being the best wrestler in Pittsburgh. He doesn’t think there is anyone in IWC that can beat him, especially a rookie.
Third Contest: Jon Bolen vs. Bubba The Bulldog: Early on, Bolen showcases his size advantage by tossing Bulldog around the ring. Bolen press slams Bulldog and Bubba bails to the floor. Bolen rams Bulldog face first against the apron but Bulldog sends Bolen into the ring post to get the cheap advantage. Bolen charges out of the corner to hit a spear on Bubba. Bolen pins Bulldog after a side slam turned into a Rock Bottom. (1/2*. It was quick and inoffensive. Bolen has a good look and hopefully he grooms into a good big man wrestler for IWC.) After the match, Bolen destroys Bubba’s trophy.
Backstage, Bubba the Bulldog says the trophy means nothing because it has been ruined. Bulldog cares about Bolen and is going to destroy him the next time they meet.
We go to an arcade where Glen Spectre is playing a video game but Shirley Doe points him away to the gym, I think, and Spectre runs off.
Prior to the next match, Chris Hero cuts a promo about having never loss not only in IWC but in any promotion in the Pittsburgh area.
Fourth Contest: Chris Hero vs. Glenn Spectre: A slow start to the match with the action focusing on the mat with Spectre controlling Hero with a head scissors for a brief period of time. Spectre stops Hero and dances but it doesn’t impress Hero with the moves. Hero puts a standing headlock on Spectre before taking him back down to the canvas. Spectre takes Hero over with a hip toss and clotheslines Hero in the corner. Spectre hits a running butt splash in the corner. Hero bails to the floor and stalls on the outside. Glenn holds the ropes to let Hero in and is met with a right hand. Hero follows up with a forearm shot and taunts the crowd. Hero continues to work over Spectre hitting a dropkick and an overhand strike to the back. Hero scoop slams Spectre before hitting a rolling splash for a two count. Hero hits a snap suplex and a standing senton splash but Spectre kicks out at two.
Spectre tries to fight back with strikes but is quickly knocked down by Hero. Spectre nails Hero with a standing kick to the side of the head. Spectre backdrops Hero to keep the upper hand before ramming Hero head first into the top turnbuckle. Spectre hits a back suplex but Hero powers out at two. Spectre puts Hero’s hand down his pants and is promptly dropped on his head with a side suplex by Hero. Hero slams Spectre before heading to the top rope. Hero hits a double stomp but Spectre kicks out at two. Hero is getting frustrated since he can’t get Spectre to submit with an STF. Spectre dropkicks the knee of Hero followed by a shining wizard. Spectre puts Hero’s hand down his pants but Hero hits the Hero’s Welcome and locks in the modified STF and gets the submission. (**1/4. A decent match that got plenty of time to develop. Spectre didn’t come across like a serious threat to Hero, but they worked a fine match and Hero comes across like a much bigger deal, which is understandable.)
Fifth Contest: IWC Heavyweight Champion Shirley Doe vs. Eddie Kingston: Kingston takes Doe down to the canvas with a side headlock as they go with a slow start to the bout, as well. Doe takes Kingston down to the mat and slaps the back of his head several times. They go to the floor to brawl for a few moments. Doe misses a discus elbow and Kingston begins to hammer away on Doe in the ring. Doe hits his discus elbow shot but only manages a near fall. Doe yanks Kingston up in the corner by his feet and hits a sit down power bomb for a near fall. Kingston drops Doe throat first across the top rope from the apron and enters the ring to drop Doe with a boot to the face. Kingston slows the match back down with a headlock on the mat.
Kingston dumps Doe to the floor but continues to control the match back in the ring. Doe fights back with a few strikes but that is short lived. Kingston misses a splash in the corner and Doe connects with a running clothesline for a two count. Kingston dropkicks the knee of Doe to avoid a shining wizard attempt. Doe puts a cross arm bar on Kingston but Eddie reaches the ropes and kicks Doe to stop Doe. Kingston leg whips Doe off the middle rope to the canvas for a two count. Doe plants Kingston with a tornado DDT for a near fall. Doe and Kingston trade strikes in the corner with Kingston getting the better of the exchange. Kingston drops Doe with a running big boot. Doe nearly wins with a rollup. Kingston goes back to the knee with a dropkick to stop Shirley. Eddie goes to the top and hits a double stomp but Doe kicks out at two. Kingston plants Doe with a power bomb only managing to get a near fall on the cover, though. Doe is able to roll Kingston up but only gets a near fall, apparently. Doe connects with a shining wizard and that’s it. (*1/2. This came across like they had no real plan and it was just tossed out there to fill some time. Doe is not a talented performer and seemingly only succeeds in hardcore matches, and that’s being generous. I wasn’t entertained by this.) After the match, Kingston confronts Doe about having his shoulder up. They brawl some more as Kingston says he will win the belt on July 29th. That’s a ridiculous segment, too.
Sixth Contest: J-Rocc, Jake Garrett & Troy Lords vs. The Gambino Brothers Moving Company & Jimmy DeMarco: The local guys/students have to get their moment to shine, I guess. I’m not going to go in-depth with this one largely because it is just filler anyway. J-Rocc and Lords decide to bring a table into the match. The Gambino Brothers save DeMarco with steel chair shots. The referee has thrown the match out as Rocc is power bombed off the middle rope through the table.
Backstage, Sterling James Keenan has the IWC Super Indy Championship saying that John McChesney can’t do anything about Keenan having the title where it belongs. McChesney is the actual champion, though.
Seventh Contest: Jimmy Vegas vs. Sterling James Keenan: Keenan cheap shots Vegas in teh corner and is hip tossed for doing so. Vegas knocks Keenan down with a dropkick sending the “champ” to the corner where Vegas stomps on Sterling. Vegas backdrops Keenan but misses a splash and falls over the top to the floor. Keenan removes the knee brace of Vegas and wraps Jimmy’s left leg around the ring post. Keenan slams Jimmy’s knee down onto the canvas and follows that up with a chop block. Keenan controls Vegas on the canvas with a leg lock. Keenan continues to focus his offense on the injured knee. Keenan puts a figure four on Vegas in the middle of the ring. Vegas tries to break the hold but isn’t able to. Keenan lets go after getting punched a few times. Vegas clotheslines Keenan followed by a power slam for a two count.
Vegas works over Keenan briefly in the corner when Keenan stomps on his knee for a near fall. Vegas connects with an Angle Slam but Keenan kicks out at two. Vegas runs into a spine buster from Keenan and Keenan puts an STF on looking for a submission but can’t get a tap out. Vegas attempts a power bomb but his knee gives out on him. Keenan misses a spear and Vegas hits another Angle Slam only getting a two count on the cover. Keenan nails Vegas with a chain around his fist and pins Vegas while the referee was out of position. (**1/2. They had a story based around the knee of Vegas and it played a part in the finish. The action wasn’t earth shattering but one of the more enjoyable matches on the show.)
Eighth Contest: IWC Tag Team Champions Hentai & Sebastian Dark vs. Chris Hamrick & Tracy Smothers: Hamrick took out Hentai and Dark with a dive to the floor before the match legally started. Smothers fakes them out with a 619 but takes the champs out with a baseball slide anyway. Hentai and Dark are sent into each other on the floor and Smothers sends Dark into the hockey glass. Hamrick chops Hentai out of a chair next to the fans. Dark is fighting back against Smothers with chops and is choking Smothers briefly. Smothers sends Dark onto a chair and Hamrick puts Hentai into a trash can. Hamrick hits Hentai over the back with the plastic trash bin. Hamrick whacks the bin with a steel chair with Hentai still in the bin. Back in the ring, Dark is getting worked over by the challengers. Hentai is hip tossed onto his partner.
Hentai dropkicks Hamrick and has control of the title match. The champs hit the Hart Attack on Hamrick but only manage to get a near fall. Hentai comes off the top to hit Hamrick with an overhand strike to the back. Hamrick comes out of the corner and big boots Dark. Smothers gets the hot tag and cleans house and hammers away on the champs. Smothers hits a flatliner on Dark. Smothers plants Hentai with a side slam and spears Dark for a near fall. Smothers crashes to the floor thanks to Dark holding the top rope down. Smothers is sent into the ring post shoulder first back Dark. Smothers fights back with strikes but Hentai baseball slides Smothers. Hentai takes Smothers and Dark out with a somersault dive on the floor. Dark covers Smothers but only gets a two count. Smothers has a backslide on Dark but the referee is distracted. Doe kicks Smothers but can’t keep Tracy down long enough on the cover.
Hentai comes off the top and hits a missile dropkick. Smothers is double teamed while the referee is distracted by Hamrick. Smothers is kicked by Hentai on the apron and Dark hits the Hanger 18 but can’t put Smothers away. Hentai misses a swanton bomb off the top. Smothers rolls to the corner and tags in Hamrick. Hamrick cleans house with clotheslines. Hamrick hits a double boot to the champs as all four men are brawling in the ring. Dark hits the PLC Driver but Smothers makes the save on the cover. Smothers plants Dark with a reverse DDT. Hentai takes Tracy over with a standing hurricanrana. Hamrick has Hentai on the top rope and hits a top rope fallaway slam! Hamrick has the cover but Dark saves on the cover. Smothers is the sent to the floor as Dark clotheslines Hamrick on a rollup and Hentai gets the pin. (***1/4. That was a fun tag match with Hamrick and Smothers showing they still have what it takes to compete in the ring. Hamrick is just insane with the top rope fallaway slam, but that was the best spot thus far on the show. I’ve been digging the Hamrick/Smothers team and Dark/Hentai are a solid team, as well.)
The main event was scheduled to be a steel cage match between AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels. However, Styles missed his flight and wasn’t able to appear on the show. It would have been the first time they competed against each other inside a steel cage. John McChesney was chosen to replace Styles as a result.
Main Event: IWC Super Indy Champion John McChesney vs. NWA-TNA X-Division Champion Christopher Daniels in a steel cage match: Daniels kicks the cage door into the face of McChesney to start the main event. McChesney is busted wide open already as Daniels sends John face first into the steel cage on the floor a few times. Daniels taunts a few fans showing them a bloodied McChesney. They trade a few strikes with Daniels getting the better of the exchange. Daniels works over McChesney hitting a clothesline and continues to open the wound with several strikes. Daniels jabs McChesney a few times in the corner and a knee strike to keep control of the bloodied McChesney. McChesney avoids Daniels in the corner to get a rollup for a two count. Daniels avoids a dropkick and knee lifts McChesney to regain control of the bout. Daniels backdrops McChesney and hits a knee drop. Daniels presses John’s face against the steel cage before hitting a sit out front slam.
McChesney tries to fight back with strikes and stops Daniels with a flurry. Daniels ends the comeback by sending John into the cage a few times. Daniels slams John’s face into the canvas several times. Daniels hits an STO and has the Koquina lock on the champ. McChesney rolls over and almost pins Daniels. Daniels rams the back of John’s head against the cage. Daniels headbutts McChesney and hits a clothesline for a near fall. Daniels nearly wins with a spinning sit out slam. Daniels misses the Best Moonsaul Ever! McChesney battles back hitting a backdrop and dropkick. Daniels tries to climb out of the cage but is stopped and they trade strikes in the corner. McChesney stomps on Daniels down to the canvas. McChesney hits a TKO but Daniels kicks out at two. John avoids Daniels in the corner and nearly wins after a super kick. They are both on the top rope trading right hands. McChesney hits a cross body off the top of the cage and pins Daniels to win the match! (***1/2. I suppose the beating of McChesney may have made it obvious that he would comeback and win, but regardless I enjoyed Daniels working the majority of the match on the offensive and he kept heat on him and was able to pop the crowd with McChesney winning. At the start McChesney was portrayed as a heavy underdog getting bloodied instantly, but the ending with a top of the cage cross body and just the story told in general was nicely done.)
Final Thoughts:
Both matches promoted as the double main events delivered on this show which was rather average and uneventful. I don’t think the show is something you’d have to go out of your way to see, but I know the cage match is on YouTube and is a fun watch. It’s an average show with two dun matches to end it that aren’t quite good enough to get the show to a positive overall recommendation.
Thanks for reading.