Written by: Bob Colling
USA Pro presents Halloween Heat II
Date: 10/19/2002
From: Queens, NY
Opening Contest: Orgy of Violence vs. Rednecks From Hell vs. Justin Cage & Danny Demanto: One of the members of the Orgy of Violence is Mike Mondo, so I only know Mondo and Demanto for this match. Mondo’s partner hits a cross body dive to the floor in the opening moments of the match and Demanto does the same. Demanto is more impressive because he is really out of shape this early in his career. Rednecks hit a Hart Attack on Cage but only got a two count on the cover. Cage is controlled by the Rednecks for a few minutes but doesn’t stay down long enough on the covers. Cage hit a springboard twisting senton allowing him to make the tag to Demanto. Demanto hit a big splash off the middle rope for a near fall. Rednecks hit a side slam/elbow drop off the middle rope combo for another near fall. Demanto gets spiked with a piledriver and is pinned to be eliminated. After the pin fall, Masked Maniac comes out and cuts a promo on Demanto, but it’s hard to hear since he microphone isn’t connected to the camera or anything. The Solution come out and attack both Cage and Demanto while Mondo and his partner just hangout on the apron. Demanto gets whacked over the head with a steel chair. Solution take Cage out with a power bomb/top rope flipping neck breaker.
Mondo and his partner go on the attack on the Rednecks once the Solution leave the ring. Rednecks deliver a lariat and makes the hot tag to his mullet partner. Mondo almost wins with an exploder suplex. Pretty sure Mondo missed a right hand horribly but the guy sold it and the crowd laughed as a result. Mondo gets planted with a piledriver as all four men are brawling. Mondo gets an inside cradle and gets the three count. (*1/2. They nearly got twenty minutes to start the show and I’m not entirely sure why they did. The best part was the Solution attack.)
Dr. Zero puts a championship in the trash and reveals a new championship. He is the new Role Model Champion, apparently. He is a fighting champion and issues an open challenge to anyone.
Second Contest: Dr. Zero vs. Masked Maniac: I simply don’t care for this. Maniac gets decked from behind with the championship that one of Zero’s goons nails him with. Maniac essentially no sold it, though. Maniac might have hurt himself doing a head butt to the groin of Zero. Which, if that’s the case, is kind of amazing to see happen. Zero nails Maniac with the championship with the referee distracted and wins the match. After the match, the Solution appear again and attack Zero and his goons, but it doesn’t go in their favor this time. So in the matter of fifteen minutes they went from badass dudes to just being another team, really. A table gets brought in but the Solution turn it around and barely power bomb one of the guys through the table.
Mike Kruel cuts a promo saying that he is here wrestling for the fans whether they like him or they don’t. He apparently wants to get their respect, but we’ll see how sincere he is on that one. Crowbar comes out and says Kruel needs to stay in his own league and calls Kruel a piece of shit, like his father.
Third Contest: Mike Kruel vs. Crowbar: Kruel starts off with a dropkick and puts an arm bar on Crowbar for a near submission within the first thirty-seconds of the match. They go to the floor where they exchange some chops. Back in the ring, Kruel goes back to an arm bar but Crowbar isn’t going to give in. Actually he is tapping but his valet gets on the apron to prevent the match from ending. Crowbar tosses Kruel with a release German suplex. Crowbar connects with a slingshot splash from the apron and a springboard moonsault for a near fall. Crowbar connects with a vertical suplex and jabs Kruel in the corner several times. Kruel fights back with an overhead belly to belly suplex. Kruel clotheslines Crowbar over the top to the floor to maintain control of the match. Kruel proceeds to take Crowbar out with a suicide dive. Kruel goes to the top rope and hits a leg drop in the ring but can’t get a three count on the cover. Kruel goes to the top again but Crowbar gets up and crotches Kruel. Crowbar jabs Kruel several times followed by chops. Crowbar goes to the top rope and hits a top rope northern lights suplex! Crowbar puts a half Boston Crab on Kruel but doesn’t get a submission. Crowbar dropkicks Kruel for another two count. Crowbar takes Kruel over with another suplex but Kruel continues to kick out. Crowbar drops Kruel gut first across the guard railing. Crowbar sits Kruel on a chair and takes him out with a slingshot cross body to the outside. Crowbar continues with a slingshot somersault leg drop into the ring from the apron for a near fall.
Kruel fights back with a neck breaker and works over Crowbar with stomps in the corner. Crowbar catches Kruel in the corner but Mike gets out and plants Crowbar with a tornado DDT for a two count. Kruel has a rollup on Crowbar but can’t get the three count. Crowbar drops Kruel with a Death Valley Driver for another two count. Crowbar gets crotched on the top rope. Kruel takes Crowbar over with a hurricanrana off the top rope! Kruel puts Crowbar on the top turnbuckle and hits a superplex. Krule locks in the arm bar but Crowbar kicks the referee down and taps causing Kruel to let go thinking he’s won the match. Crowbar gets a chair and whacks Kruel over the back with it. Kruel gets up and Crowbar rams Kruel back first into the chair several times before hitting a chair assisted northern lights suplex but Kruel kicks out again. Kruel manages to get a rollup on Crowbar and wins the match. (**1/2. It went on a little too long for my liking but there was a story attached to this match and the fans actually popped for Kruel getting the victory.) After the match, Crowbar shows he is sore loser by attacking Kruel with a chair and stomps on him in the corner. We also get a cat fight between Becky Bayless and Crowbar’s valet. Crowbar hits the Stroke sending Kruel face first onto a chair. A few jobbers come out trying to help Kruel but get tossed out of the ring quickly.
Fourth Contest: Azireal vs. Grim Reefer vs. Deranged: Deranged has to fight off both men at the start with a spin kick and backdrop to the floor. Deranged takes both men out with a springboard moonsault over the top to the outside and the crowd is eating it all up. Deranged takes Azireal over with a hurricanrana but Reefer stops him with a face buster. Reefer comes off the middle rope but misses a splash off the middle rope. Azireal drives Reefer down with a brain buster and delivers a few kicks to the back. Deranged breaks up the cover attempt and kicks Azireal a few times. Deranged tosses Reefer overhead into Azireal in the corner. Deranged continues with a sit out hip toss slam but Reefer takes him out with a shining wizard. Azireal takes Reefer over with a German suplex but Deranged hit a missile dropkick to breakup the cover attempt. Azireal and Deranged trade blows on the floor until Reefer hits a somersault dive to the floor. Reefer comes off the apron to frog splash Deranged on the floor. Reefer puts Azireal on the top turnbuckle but gets shoved off. Azireal hits an X-Factor after leaping off the middle rope. Reefer pins Azireal with a neck breaker for the first elimination, which wasn’t announced prior.
Deranged plants Reefer with a tornado DDT. Deranged slams Reefer and hit a standing moonsault for a two count. Reefer takes Deranged down with a head scissors and locks in a Crossface. Deranged manages to reach the ropes to break the hold. Reefer walks the ropes and hit a swanton for a two count. Deranged wins following a flipping sunset flip slam. (**1/2. It’s just a bunch of high spots that don’t have much of a purpose, but it was fun to watch and Deranged comes across like a popular star for the company.)
Fifth Contest: Storman Norman vs. Wayne: Two local guys that I’ve never heard of, so this gets a short treatment. Who can really blame me when it is a fourteen match card? Norman gets the win following a DDT. Wayne got hit by something by someone on the apron, which didn’t look all that painful or anything. So, it is kind of a bizarre ending. After the match, Wayne attacks Norman by ramming Norman groin first into the ring post. Wayne ties Norman’s legs together and some random guy tries to attack him but fails horribly. Oh, it was a cardboard cutout that was used to hit Wayne earlier. I think the random guy is a Star Trek geek.
Sixth Contest: Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz vs. Prince Nana & Crazy Ivan: All four men start brawling to start the match with Ivan working over Negro on the floor sending him into the guard railing. Nana keeps control of the match with a senton splash, but Blade gets tagged in because Nana doesn’t pay attention. Nana nails Blade with a running knee in the corner but Blade comes out of the corner with a clothesline. Nobody seems to care about the action and I can’t really blame them on that. Late in the match, Ivan accidentally tosses powder into Nana’s face and gets rolled up for the victory. (1/2*. Yeah, I didn’t really care for this.) After the match, Nana attacks Ivan as they walk backstage.
Seventh Contest: Royal Rumble: This is literally a ticket seller match where the final four guys apparently will wrestle in a match. Basically, this is just a way to get no-namers on the show and fill up the show as if it needed more matches. Danny Demanto won the whole segment following a springboard moonsault. The whole segment was nearly a half-hour long.
Eighth Contest: Frankie Kazarian vs. Chris Chetti vs. Striker: They start off with a triple lockup but it just leads to a standoff. Kazarian gets worked over by both opponents but hits a springboard elbow to knock both men down. Kazarian continues with arm drags and dropkicks. Chetti and Striker bail to the floor to regroup and hug each other. Kazarian hits them with a baseball slide and sends Striker into the railing. Chetti is also sent into the railing back first. Striker saves Chetti with a back rake. Striker connects with a big boot back in the ring to keep control of Kazarian for a two count. Chetti kicks Kazarian from the apron but Kazarian sends Striker into the corner knocking Chetti to the floor. Kazarian almost wins with a German suplex on Striker. Striker stops Kazarian with a wheelbarrow stunner, though he didn’t actually grab the head for the stunner part. Chetti is back in the ring working over Kazarian with strikes. Kazarian is driven down to the canvas with a double flapjack. Striker puts a head scissors on Kazarian but isn’t able to get a submission. Chetti sends Kazarian into the corner but Chetti connects with a springboard heel kick off the top and hit a scissors kick. Striker kicks Kazarian but Chetti breaks up the pin. They are start to bicker not able to agree on who is going to pin Kazarian.
Kazarian hits a neck breaker/DDT combo to get control of the match. Kazarian catches Striker with a swinging slam. Kazarian has Chetti on his shoulders managing to hit an electric chair slam for a two count. Striker avoids a dropkick in the tree of woe and locks in a headlock on Kazarian allowing a dropkick from Chetti for a two count. Kazarian takes Striker down with a stunner but Chetti hit a sit out Death Valley Driver which eliminates Kazarian. Why were they bickering on the covers earlier then? Striker avoids a kick and super kicks Chetti. Striker puts Chetti on the top turnbuckle but Chetti hits a Death Valley Driver off the middle rope. Somebody enters the ring and attacks Chetti with an STO. Striker is put on top of Chetti and that leads to a three count. (**. This just didn’t make much sense to me, really. Kazarian probably should have been in the final two considering the story of the match would lead to that conclusion. Once he got eliminated there wasn’t much heat for the action.)
Ninth Contest: USA Pro Tag Team Champions The SAT vs. Briscoe Brothers: Mark and Jose kick off the tag title contest, which the crowd is heavily interested in it appears. Jose takes Mark down to the canvas quickly but Mark gets control of the arm for a brief moment. Joel gets tagged in but Mark takes him over with a slam. Jay gets tagged in and works over the left arm. They are going for a mat wrestling base start and it’s actually holding my interest. Several people are chanting for the DRS, I think. Jay plants Joel with a front suplex slam. Jose enters and gets met with a double spine buster. Mark fakes a dive and springboards back into the ring. Mark brawls with Joel on the floor while Jay and Jose are brawling, too. SAT hit a double bulldog on Jay for a two count. Mark hits a top rope cross body on Joel for a two count followed by a gut wrench suplex and knee drop. Mark gets another near fall with a fisherman suplex. Jay enters to deliver a spinning heel kick on Joel for a two count. Jay continues with a delayed dropkick for a two count. Joel takes Jay down to the mat with a leg trip but that just leads to a standoff and slapping hands. Jose and Mark get tagged in with Jose connecting with a hurricanrana. Jose nearly wins with a head scissors rollup and hits an overhead suplex. Jose baseball slides Mark to the floor. Jay and Joel trade rights in the ring before Joel hits a forearm in the corner. Jay and Joel shove each other and both go down following a clothesline spot.
On the floor, Jose takes Mark over with a snap suplex. Joel tosses Jay into the guard railing back first. SAT managed to hit a double team elevated tornado DDT off the top rope for a tow count! Jay makes the save with a big boot to Jose and a power bomb on Joel for a near fall. Briscoe’s hit a springboard elevated clothesline on Joel for a two count as Jose made the save. Joel gets crotched on the top by Mark but Joel is able to take Mark off with a clothesline for a two count. Joel plants Mark with a sit down power bomb for a near fall. Jay drags Jose to the floor and they trade strikes. Jose boots Jay in the corner and attempts a DDT but is kicked on the top turnbuckle. Mark comes out of nowhere to hit a springboard ace crusher for a near fall! Jose plants Mark with a swinging neck breaker and goes to work on Jay. Jay hits a Muscle Buster but Jose kicks out at two! Joel nearly wins with a German suplex on Jay! Jose comes off the ropes and dropkicks Mark nearly out of the ring. Mark fights back with a springboard dropkick on Jose. Mark takes Joel out with a twisting dive to the floor. Jose gets in on the action with a suicide dive to the floor! Jay goes to the top rope and takes everyone out with a somersault dive off the top rope! Jay attempts the cover but only manages a near fall. Jose and Jay trade a few kicks and forearms. Jay spears Jose in the corner to counter a springboard and hit a German suplex for a two count.
Joel takes Jay over with a hurricanrana for a near fall. Jay hits another German suplex on Jose for a two count. Joel nearly pins Mark with a top rope moonsault. Jay rolls through a backslide and plants Jose with a Jay Driller for a near fall. Jose nearly pins Jay with a backpack driver. Mark connects with an elevated DDT and a moonsault but Joel doesn’t stay down. Mark hits another moonsault and gets the win with a rollup to win the titles. (***1/2. There was some really good action and it was consistently exciting. It was noticeable that it got to a point for the fans that they lost interest because of all the spots in the match. At some point, you might actually do too much.) After the match, SAT thanks the Briscoe Brothers for the match and they show respect for each other. Oh, Briscoe Brothers decide to toss down the championships saying this sing about them. One of the USA Pro guys comes in and says that they aren’t going to disrespect the titles while he is alive. Briscoe Brothers manage to take him out with a spin kick and strikes in the corner.
Tenth Contest: USA Pro Tag Team Champions The Briscoe Brothers vs. The Boogie Knights: I’m not sure if this is the match since it’s only one guy who proceeds to hit a DDT on the champions and clotheslines Mark to the floor but is stopped by a big boot from Jay. Jay hits the Jay Driller. Another guy with a steel chair enters and whacks Jay over the head with a steel chair to win the titles, I guess? That was a bizarre match and segment. It’s not over, as the guy who had the chair and helped Mike Tobin, takes him out with a piledriver and holds both championships. Tobin is spiked with another piledriver this time onto a steel chair.
Prior to the next match, Sunny comes out and says that Chris Candido needed surgery to repair muscles from his abs to his knee. Apparently, there won’t be a match because Candido isn’t there. It’s as if Sunny was saying that Candido and Sandman travel together. Of course, Sandman makes his way out to confront Sunny.
Eleventh Contest: USA Pro US Champion Chris Candido vs. The Sandman: Candido attacks Sandman with a crutch during Sandman’s entrance, proving it was a swerve that Candido was even hurt. Candido sends Sandman into the guard railing and delivers a few chops. Candido whacks Sandman over the back with a steel chair. Candido gets a microphone and says this is a street fight now. Candido connects with a delayed vertical suplex for a two count. Sandman puts Candido over the top rope and leaps off the top to hit a leg drop. Sandman goes backstage and brings out a ladder. They brawl on the floor trading strikes until Candido sends Sandman into the railing. Sandman backdrops Candido on the concrete floor! Sandman sets a ladder up in the corner and Candido sends Sandman flipping into the ladder. Sandman connects with a snap suplex onto the ladder. Candido has the ladder around his neck and is sent into the ring post! Sandman drop toe holds Candido face first onto the ladder. Sandman goes to the top and hits a swanton bomb onto the ladder, which is laying on Candido. Sandman continues his offense with a top rope hurricanrana and Candido flops face first onto the ladder. Sunny gets involved with a crutch to break up the pin attempt. I believe it’s Johnny Candido that turns on Chris at this point hitting an overhead suplex. Sandman hits a side Russian leg sweep with the kendo stick and wins the title. (**. I’m not sure why the turn by Johnny happened, or whoever it was, but the match was decent for the hardcore aspect that it gave us.) After the match, Sandman asks who the hell the kid is. It is Johnny Candido, who is the younger brother of Chris, apparently. Johnny is pissed that he’s been held back by Chris. Sandman knocks Johnny down with a few kendo stick shots. Johnny doesn’t really sell the kendo stick shots and walks backstage.
Twelfth Contest: AJ Styles vs. The Amazing Red: They shake hands to show respect for each other at the start of the match. Red arm drags Styles, but Styles comes back with one of his own. Styles avoids an arm drag and kicks Red in the face. Red drop toe holds Styles and avoids a standing moonsault attempt by Styles. Styles nails Red with a dropkick to get control of the match. They trade a few pin attempts until Red connects with a spinning kick to AJ’s head. Red lands on his feet on an attempted German suplex. Red dropkicks Styles on a springboard attempt causing AJ to crash to the floor. Red takes Styles out with a dive to the floor! Red goes for the cover but AJ kicks out at two. AJ misses a splash in the corner and Red dropkicks AJ followed by a spinning heel kick for a near fall. AJ connects with a twisting ace crusher with Red over his shoulder for another near fall. Styles sets Red up and plants Red with a brain buster for a two count. Red nearly pins Styles with a flipping sunset flip slam but AJ powers out at two. Styles attempts to counter a hurricanrana with a Styles Clash but settles for a sit down power bomb for a two count. AJ runs into a big boot in the corner and Red hits a standing shooting star press but Styles kicks out at two. Red runs over Styles with a forearm shot but can’t three count. Red works over Styles with strikes but is met with an elbow in the corner and Styles hits a springboard reverse DDT for a two count. Red snaps Styles with a hurricanrana for a near fall. Red attempts a tornado DDT but Styles countered with a northern lights suplex. AJ goes to the top rope but gets stopped by Red. Red kicks Styles off the turnbuckle causing AJ to hang upside down. Red grabs AJ and goes for a hurricanrana but AJ catches Red and hits a middle rope Styles Clash for the win! (***1/4. As you’d expect with these two, it was a solid match and enjoyable all around action. The middle rope Styles Clash spot never gets old.) After the match, Xavier runs into the ring and attacks Styles.
Thirteenth Contest: USA Pro Xtreme Champion Xavier vs. AJ Styles: Xavier backdrops Styles and drives AJ hard into the corner delivering a few knee lifts. Xavier dropkicks Styles to the apron and taunts the fans. Xavier misses a cross body to the floor and Styles gets a few shots in on Xavier. Styles hits a springboard reverse DDT on the floor from the apron! AJ goes for the cover but Xavier kicks out at two. Xavier stops Styles with a power bomb for a two count. Xavier turns Styles inside out with a clothesline, which you can hear Xavier call out for. Xavier uppercuts Styles but Styles comes back with a hurricanrana. AJ puts Xavier in a tree of woe in the corner and stomps on him. AJ connects with a leaping forearm to an upside down Xavier for a two count. Xavier kicks Styles to counter a clothesline attempt. Xavier delivers another kick to nearly pin Styles. Xavier comes off the ropes to forearm AJ for a two count. Xavier puts a modified butterfly submission on Styles but isn’t able to get a submission victory. Styles fights back with strikes but Xavier sneaks an inside cradle for a two count. Styles gets up and kicks Xavier to the corner. Styles drop toe holds Xavier and puts a submission on him, but doesn’t get a tap. They begin to trade knee strikes until Styles knocks Xavier to the floor. Xavier sends Styles shoulder first into the guard railing and into the ring post face first. Xavier works over Styles with stomps in the corner but Styles comes back with a vertical suplex turned into a neck breaker. They begin to trade open hand slaps until Styles delivers a flurry of strikes in the corner. Styles drops Xavier on his face but only manages a two count on the cover. Xavier comes back with a slam and knee drop. Styles nearly wins with a surprise rollup. Xavier uppercuts Styles followed by a clothesline. Styles takes Xavier over with a German suplex but Xavier gets a rollup and pins Styles. (*1/2. It’s just going to be difficult to match what Styles had just done with Red. Plus, Xavier isn’t normally all that exciting or fun to watch. The only positive out of this was that Styles pulled double duty.)
The main event for the show is a three stages of hell, best two out of three falls match. Here are the stipulations for each fall.
First Fall: Dog Collar
Second Fall: Tables Match
Third Fall (if necessary): Last Man Standing
Main Event: USA Pro Heavyweight Champion Balls Mahoney vs. Bam-Bam Bigelow in a Three Stages Of Hell match: Bigelow attacks Mahoney before the dog collar can even be attached to them. Bigelow is choking Mahoney in the corner and demands the referee put the collar on Mahoney. The dog collar is attached as Bigelow stomps away on Mahoney. Mahoney ducks a clothesline and jabs Bigelow numerous times but misses a wild right hand. Bigelow goes tot eh floor and chokes Mahoeny over the bottom rope. They got to the floor where Bigelow hits Mahoney with the dog collar. Mahoney is already bleeding. Bigelow wraps the chain around Mahoney’s forehead and soon tosses Balls over the top nearly hanging him over the ropes. Actually, that’s exactly what he ends up doing. Mahoney fights back with jabs in the corner but Bigelow low blows Mahoney. Bigelow gets tangled up in the dog collar and Mahoney trips him to the canvas. Bigelow plants Mahoney with a DDT on the dog collar for a two count. Mahoney ducks a clothesline and super kicks Bigelow to win the first fall.
Mahoney quickly goes to the floor and slides a table into the ring. Mahoney sets the table up in the corner and jabs Bigelow in the opposite corner. Bigelow takes Mahoney over with a back suplex. Mahoney is able to drop Bigelow with a clothesline to regain control of the match. Bigelow gets up first and clotheslines Mahoney before setting up the table. Bigelow slams Mahoney and hits a falling headbutt out of the corner. Mahoney gets out of a slam and hits an ace crusher. Mahoney kicks Bigelow in the face and sets the table up a second time. Balls goes to the top but Bigelow gets off the table and shakes the ropes causing Mahoney to flip off the top and crashes through the table. Bigelow wins the second fall.
Bigelow nails Mahoney with a broken piece of the table. Bigelow has a steel chair and whacks Mahoney over the head with it. Bigelow decides to hit Mahoney with the chair a second time and Bigelow wins the match and title. (*1/4. Well, that was the most anti-climatic match with such stipulations that I recall ever seeing. There wasn’t much false hope that Mahoney would win and Bigelow came across like he’s just so superior to Mahoney. The crowd was kind of left silent and I’m confused.)
Final Thoughts:
I don’t know if I want to admit that I got this show largely for the main event because it just struck me as an odd main event to have. Of course, it was an odd match and didn’t have much entertainment value to it. So, I guess in that regard it delivered to my expectations for it. These shows take forever to review, I must say. Thus, I can’t give this a thumbs up since there’s just not enough entertainment to warrant watching the whole show. Red/Styles have had better matches in TNA and other independents so you’re not really missing out on much.
Thanks for reading.