Written by: Bob Colling
Jersey All-Pro Wrestling presents Wild Card IV
Date: 2/16/2008
From: Rahway, NJ
Opening Contest: Grim Reefer vs. Bandido Jr. in a number one contender match for the JAPW New Jersey State Title: Early on, Reefer takes Bandido down with a rollup for a two count but Bandido gets a headlock on Reefer to gain control. They trade arm drags with neither men getting a clear cut advantage. Bandido takes Reefer over with a head scissors sending Reefer to the floor. Bandido proceeds to hit a somersault dive over the ropes to the floor. Bandido gets a two count following a heel kick. Bandido plants Reefer with a STO and locks a headlock submission but Reefer elbows out of the hold. Reefer nails Bandido with a double knee gut buster. Reefer lifts Bandido up and hits a vertical suplex across the top rope sending Bandido to the floor. Reefer leaps off the apron and kicks Bandido into the crowd! Reefer continues to work over Bandido with a hip toss. Bandido fights back with kick and nails Reefer with a super kick for a near fall! Reefer counters Bandido leaping off the middle rope and locks in the Crossface but can’t get a submission. Reefer is dropkicked on the middle rope and Bandido hit a Backstabber off the middle rope only for a near fall. Bandido hits a top rope hurricanrana but Reefer rolls through and pins Bandido! (***. A fine opener with some good moves, though the finish seemed to occur just as they were getting a flow for the match. Regardless, I enjoyed the bout.)
Second Contest: Earl Cooter & Pinkie Sanchez vs. The Heavy Hitters (Havok & Monsta Mack): Well, a bunch of guys leave the locker room to apparently attack the Heavy Hitters, which also included DJ Hyde. Despite the numbers, the job guys don’t do very well. Havok dangerously tosses one of the jobbers down to the canvas. This is probably just a showcase for the Heavy Hitter group. There is someone dressed up as a cow. The Heavy Hitters hip toss a guy over the ring post to take out everyone on the floor. On the video screen it looks like BLKOUT is going to come out, but it’s a distraction and the cow pins DJ Hyde with a rollup. Actually, it ends up being Slyck Wagner Brown in the cow suit. Brown gets on the microphone and says they’ll have a Blackout problem on March 8th. (NR. It’s mostly a squash segment until the cow gets the shock pin. It’s a fine segment and solid angle advancement. These guys are awful with promos, though.)
Backstage, Slyck Wagner Brown is pissed about Havok, Hyde and Mack ditching him last show. Brown says they are going to take out Heavy Hitters on March 8th.
Third Contest: Xavier vs. Teddy Hart vs. Kenny Omega in an elimination match: Xavier shoves both opponents and gets knocked down for doing so. Hart dropkicks Xavier but Omega comes over only to get met with right hands from Hart. Omega takes Xavier out with a somersault dive over the top to the floor. Omega nails Hart with a missile dropkick. Xavier drives Omega face first into the canvas. Xavier hit an overhead suplex on Omega before sending Teddy into the ring post shoulder first. Xavier takes Omega over with an exploder suplex. Xavier follows up with a dropkick on Teddy in the corner. They do a triple German suplex spot where Xavier took over Omega, who took over Teddy with the hold. Xavier connects with an impressive springboard split legged moonsault to the floor! Teddy takes both men out with a top rope rmoonsault to the floor! Teddy plants Omega with an ace crusher and heads to the top but Omega stops Hart with a dropkick. Omega nails Hart with a Backstabber on the middle rope while Xavier hit a clothesline on Omega for a two count. Teddy holds Xavier on his shoulders to hit a power bomb/block buster combo. Omega rolls Xavier up and gets the pin to eliminate Xavier.
Teddy hits a back breaker power bomb but can’t take advantage on Omega. Hart drives Omega down with a neck breaker and gets a two count following a moonsault. Omega gets a two count following a standing moonsault. Teddy takes Omega over with a snap power slam for a near fall. Hart spikes Omega with an arm trapped piledriver but Kenny powers out at two. Teddy goes to the top rope but misses the Hart Attack. Omega delivers a few strikes to drop Teddy and hits an electric chair slam turned into a German suplex for a two count. Omega misses a frog splash and Hart hits a Canadian Destroyer. Hart goes to the top and hits the shooting star press for the win. (***1/4. I was quite honestly surprised with how well Xavier looked in this match as he certainly looks out of place in the ring with Omega and Hart. Another quick match, but it was fun and kept my interest.) After the match, Homicide and Hernandez make their way down to ringside. Teddy escapes the ring and bails to the crowd to avoid the thugs. Kenny Omega shoves Homicide and that leads to Hernandez hitting the Border Toss. Homicide wants Teddy Hart to do something and he proceeds to call Teddy Hart a faggot numerous times. Homicide tells Teddy to find a partner and hopes it’s Bret Hart to get his hands on Teddy.
Backstage, Danny Demanto cuts a promo on Devon Storm. Their first meeting, Storm won, but that was supposed to be his moment. The second meeting, Danny won. Now, it’s the third meeting and they will be meeting in a match where everything is legal.
Fourth Contest: Devon Storm vs. Danny Demanto in a Wild Card Rules Match: Storm brings a piece of guard railing to the ringside area laying it across the apron and railing. They quickly go at it on the floor where Storm works on Demanto with chops and drives Danny face first into a chair. Storm delivers a splash on the floor and continues to work over Demanto with chops. Storm rams Demanto back first into the apron and uses a crutch across the back of Danny. Danny puts Storm on the top turnbuckle and takes Devon over with a superplex. Danny splashes Storm in the corner and hits a flying cross body to a sitting Devon in the corner. Demanto has a ladder and lays it across Storm. Danny pulls Devon’s arm through the ladder trying to get a submission but can’t do it. Demanto curb stomps the ladder across the back of Storm. Demanto whips the ladder across the upper back of Storm. Demanto misses a chair shot and Storm monkey flips Demanto out of the corner. Storm whacks Demanto across the back with a chair and hits a northern lights suplex. Storm leg drops Demanto on the groin a few times. Storm takes Demanto over with a back suplex and lays a ladder across Demanto’s body. Storm hits a slingshot splash onto the ladder and decides to hit a springboard moonsault. Demanto drives Storm down with a sit down power bomb.
Demanto tries to slam Storm over the top onto the railing but Storm counters with a German suplex. Demanto drops Storm with a vertical suplex onto the ladder. Demanto drops the ladder across the back of Storm on the floor. Storm is put on the railing as Demanto goes to the top but is stopped. Storm slams Demanto off the top and Danny crashes through the railing! Storm hits a vertical suplex from the apron back into the ring and jabs Danny with a chair. Storm connects with a somersault leg drop from the apron landing on the chair across Danny’s face. Danny kicks the chair into Devon’s face. Danny hits a top rope frog splash. Danny has a cord and begins to choke Storm with it. Danny tosses Storm over the top and is hanging Devon Storm! Demanto has gotten a wooden door placing it across two chairs on the floor. Danny puts Storm on the door and has the ladder in hand. Danny leaps off the ladder and puts Storm through the door with a big splash! Danny gets to his feet and wins the match as Storm is still laid out. (***1/4. It’s a fine match that had some high spots and the fans appreciated the effort, as did I. I would have thought this would have been a bloody affair, but instead they just beat each other up with weapons and the finish was suitable for the match, I thought.) After the match, Demanto gets a microphone and puts over Devon Storm. Storm embraces Demanto and they end things on a good note.
Archadia gets a microphone and says that his championship is on the line, but he wants Jay Lethal to put something on the line. If Lethal loses then Lethal can never compete in JAPW ever again. Lethal agrees to the stipulation. Oh wow, Archadia says we are in Lethal’s month and asks who Lethal’s favorite civil right leader is. He isn’t allowing Lethal to answer any of the questions. Archadia calls Lethal “you people”… Lethal goes on the attack.
Fifth Contest: JAPW New Jersey State Champion Archadia vs. TNA X-Division Champion Jay Lethal: Lethal drops Archadia with clotheslines and a scoop slam. Lethal heads to the top rope and hits a double axe handle causing Archadia to bail to the floor. Lethal sends Archadia into the guard railing and chops the champ a few times. They get back into the ring where Lethal backdrops Archadia and goes to the top rope again but Alexa got on the apron to allow Archadia to control Lethal after a running kick. Lethal drops Archadia throat first across the top rope and attempted a springboard but is kicked in midair and is nearly pinned. Lethal is sent to the floor where Alexa gets a few shots in but Lethal grabs her by the hair. Azrieal has come out to ringside to confront Alexa and DJ Hyde. Archadia leaps off the middle rope to drop Lethal with a back breaker for a two count. Lethal runs into a big boot in the corner and Archadia attempts a missile dropkick but Lethal avoids it. Archadia jumps onto the back of Lethal, who was hunched over, and Archadia hit a leg drop on the way down for a near fall. Lethal clotheslines Archadia and hits a face buster to get a near fall. Archadia botches a German suplex turned into a neck breaker as Lethal just fell backwards and it looked awkward.
Archadia hits a springboard dropkick to the back of Lethal for a two count. Lethal hits a forearm and super kicks DJ Hyde. Alexa tries to come off the top but slips and Lethal plants Alexa with a power bomb. The fans are loving that as Lethal heads to the top rope. The Heavy Hitters are on ringside and Azrieal enters the ring to kick Lethal turning on him! Archadia hits a piledriver and has pinned Lethal! Lethal will never compete in JAPW ever again. (**1/2. The heat was there, but the interference was kind of anticlimactic and the turn by Azrieal was obvious as soon as he was brought out. The angle was far more entertaining than the action.) After the match, Azrieal stomps Lethal a few times saying he did this for the people. Azrieal claims that this Lethal isn’t his partner, who pretends he is Randy Savage. Azrieal nails Lethal with a top rope double stomp.
Backstage, Jay Lethal sits down and is emotional that he loss. Lethal asks if that is legit that he is gone now from JAPW. The referee has no idea and Lethal really wants to know if he’s gone.
Main Event: JAPW Tag Team Champions LAX vs. Motor City Machine Guns: Homicide and Sabin kick off the main event with Sabin taking Homicide down with shoulder blocks. Sabin hits a top rope cross body but Homicide kicks out at two. Sabin controls Homicide with a head scissors on the canvas. Sabin tags in Shelley who hits an axe handle off the top. Shelley is met with an elbow in the corner and Shelley drops Homicide with a heel kick followed by a knee drop for a two count. Homicide gets double teamed as the Guns hit a reverse neck snap followed by a dropkick. Homicide avoids Shelley in the corner and takes Alex over with a dragon screw leg whip. Homicide works over the left knee for a few moments now. Hernandez gets the tag and puts Shelley in a half Boston Crab. Hernandez holds Shelley for a delayed vertical suplex before dropping Shelley down to the mat for a near fall. Homicide leaps off the middle rope to dropkick the left knee of Shelley. Homicide wraps Shelley’s leg around the ring post to weaken Shelley’s legs some more. Homicide acts like he’s going to use a chair but decides against it. Hernandez holds Shelley upside down to allow another middle rope dropkick from Homicide. Homicide bites the knee of Shelley until Alex elbows Homicide several times to stop the biting madness.
Hernandez hits a slingshot shoulder block from the apron into the ring for a two count. Hernandez put a half Boston Crab on Shelley but can’t get a submission. Hernandez hits a back breaker and gets a two count on Shelley. Hernandez power slam Shelley and Homicide gets a two count. Homicide puts Shelley on the top rope but Shelley leaps off the middle rope with Homicide to hit an atomic drop. Sabin gets the tag and arm drags Homicide and knocks Hernandez off the apron. Sabin clotheslines Homicide and poses for the crowd. Sabin puts Homicide in the tree of woe where Shelley hits a baseball slide dropkick and Sabin delivers a dropkick as well. Shelley hits a top rope cross body and Sabin dropkicks Hernandez off the apron. Homicide is double teamed as he is met with double kicks in the corner. Sabin heads to the top and nails Homicide with a clothesline for a near fall. Homicide sends Sabin to the floor where Homicide hits a somersault dive off the apron to the floor. Hernandez is waiting in the ring but Shelley buts him off with a super kick. Shelley takes Homicide out with a cross body on the floor.
Hernandez is waiting in the ring and this time dives over the top to take out everyone on the floor. Shelley works over Hernandez with strikes but runs into a body block. Homicide hits a senton on Shelley across Hernandez’s knees. Sabin is double teamed and ran over by Hernandez for a near fall. Sabin goes for a cross body on Hernandez but is caught and met with a power bomb, but Shelley makes the save on the cover. Hernandez leaps off the top but misses a splash. Sabin kicks Hernandez and puts Homicide on his partner’s shoulder allowing Shelley to hit a dropkick and Sabin plants Homicide with an STO. Shelley hits a frog splash on Homicide but Sabin can’t get a three on the cover. Hernandez tosses Sabin across the ring into the corner. Hernandez tosses Shelley with a northern lights suplex. Sabin gets out of the Border Toss and the Guns super kick Hernandez. Sabin puts Homicide on the top turnbuckle but Hernandez has Sabin on his shoulders to allow Homicide to hit a top rope ace crusher and that’s good enough for a three count. (***1/4. Some good action to close out the show, I thought. They protected Hernandez in the match and didn’t allow him to get beaten up during the match, which could be saved for a bigger moment. They worked well together and it was a fun match.)
Teddy Hart comes out and says he talks about risking his life to give the fans a show. Hart doesn’t like Homicide talking shit about his family. Bret Hart had a stroke and he beat Homicide with Jim Neidhart. Teddy wanted to bring in the best high flyer to have his back, but Jack Evans is hurt and can’t compete. Teddy knows the partner he chose probably doesn’t like him all that much but he knows he hates Homicide. So, Teddy points to the big screen for the fans. It’s revealed that Teddy has gotten Samoa Joe to have his back at Caged Fury next month to take on Homicide and Hernandez! LAX don’t seem to be all that excited about having to face Samoa Joe.
Final Thoughts:
I thought it was a good show for JAPW as there was a lot of quality action and angle advancement is always appreciated. It lasted just over two hours and it was a breeze to watch.
Thanks for reading.