Written by: Bob Colling
IWA-MS presents Revenge Served Cold
Date: 4/29/2005
From: Valparaiso, IN
To start the show, the locker room empties to do a tribute to Chris Candido, who sadly passed away due to complications from a broken leg. Sabu is in the ring, but isn’t on the card to compete.
Opening Contest: Crazy J & Lotus vs. Josh Abercrombie & Marek Brave: Brave and Lotus start off the contest: They mess up a leapfrog spot and roll around on the mat for a bit to try and cover it. Brave hip tosses Lotus and delivers a scoop slam and dropkick. Lotus bails to the floor to regroup. Brave hits a slingshot crossbody to the floor. J takes Lotus and Brave out with a suicide dive to the floor. Abercrombie takes J and Lotus out with a springboard moonsault to the floor. Brave goes for a cover but can’t keep Lotus down for three. Abercrombie tags in and beats on Lotus with right hands and headbutts in the corner. Abercrombie delivers a few knee strikes to the back and Lotus fires back with chops. Abercrombie forearms Lotus a few times until J knee strikes Abercrombie from the apron. Lotus hits a Blue Thunder Driver on Abercrombie for a two count. J comes off the ropes to dropkick Abercrombie for another near fall. J slams Abercrombie followed by a middle rope moonsault for a near fall. J knee lifts Abercrombie a few times and Lotus hits a top rope double stomp to keep Abercrombie on the mat. J enters the match and forearms Abercrombie a few times. J forearms Abercrombie in the corner several times.
Abercrombie plants J face first to the mat with a headlock driver. Abercrombie tags in Brave and Brave cleans house on both opponents. Brave rams them into each other and hits a double DDT. J has Brave on his shoulders and Lotus comes off the top to hit a double stomp and Death Valley Driver over knees for a two count. Brave drops Lotus with a back suplex and Abercrombie slams J on the floor. Abercrombie goes to the top rope hitting the Phoenix Splash to pin Lotus. (**1/2. Lotus and Crazy J would better be known as the Crist Brothers. There were a few sloppy moments, but luckily this broke down into a highspot match with plenty of dives and some quality action to start the show. It sure is clear that J and Lotus have a ton of potential to be really goos down the road.)
Second Contest: Mickie Knuckles vs. ODB: Knuckles takes ODB down to the mat to start the contest until ODB gets a head scissors on Knuckles. That leads to a standoff between the women. ODB chops Knuckles in the corner and ducks a wild strikes attempt. Knuckles fires back with a chop of her own and sells her hand as it hurt her more than ODB. Apparently, ODB’s fake breasts are the selling point of the move. Knuckles takes ODB down to the mat to keep control, but ODB counters quickly. ODB reaches the ropes to break Knuckles arm bar. Knuckles chases ODB around the ring until ODB gets in the ring and then lays onto the front row. Jim Fannin offers ODB ten dollars to make Knuckles runaround the ring, but Knuckles isn’t doing it. ODB is out of breath and is checking her heart rate. ODB makes the referee look down her tights to prove she’s a woman? ODB wants a test of strength with Knuckles and Knuckles gets the advantage. ODB shoulder rams Knuckles and yanks Knuckles down to the mat followed by right hands. ODB shoulder rams Knuckles lower back in the corner.
ODB works over Knuckles left arm and chokes Knuckles over the ropes. ODB sends Knuckles into the corner back first. ODB tries or a piledriver, but Knuckles counters with a rollup for a two count. ODB keeps control with strikes and a bearhug. ODB drives Knuckles back first into the corner but misses a splash. Knuckles drops ODB on her head with a German suplex. Knuckles headbutts ODB followed by kicks to the head. Knuckles palm strikes ODB for a near fall. Knuckles misses a clothesline and ODB delivers a strike. ODB tries to slap Knuckles, but that is blocked. Knuckles hits a fisherman buster for the win. (*1/2. It wasn’t awful, but the comedy aspect didn’t really deliver and it wasn’t executed very well at all.)
Jim Fannin and BJ Whitmer make their way into the ring to confront Mickie Knuckles. Fannin has had interest in Knuckles in a romantic manner. Fannin has thirty days to win her over. Whitmer is there for morale support as Fannin tries to win her over. Fannin is going to give Knuckles the chance to be with him on her own free will. However, he also has paperwork for an arraigned marriage. Fannin talks about giving up War Games just to have Knuckles. He’ll allow Ian Rotten to keep the company if she goes with Fannin. Fannin and Whitmer put sunglasses on and they sing to Knuckles. Fannin continues to sing on his own. Fannin gets down on one knee to seemingly propose to Knuckles. Knuckles stops Fannin with a kick to the face to knock out Fannin. She nailed him square on the forehead. BJ Whitmer returns to ringside to check on Fannin. Knuckles has full confidence in Ian Rotten to win at War Games.
Third Contest: Chandler McClure vs. CJ Otis vs. Mike Wallace: Wallace and Otis attack McClure before the bell for the cheap advantage. Otis and Wallace keep double teaming McClure with several strikes and kicks. Otis hits a delayed vertical suplex on McClure and Wallace tries for the cover, but it yanked off. McClure sends Wallace into the corner and is met with a clothesline by Wallace. McClure plants both men with a DDT. McClure fights back with forearm shots, but Wallace tries for a fisherman buster and hits the move only for Otis to break the cover. Otis dumps Wallace to the floor. McClure has gotten up and hits the Touchdown on Otis and keeps a chokehold on to win the match by submission. (*1/4. There were a few clunky spots and Wallace doesn’t have good timing, at all. I’m glad it was kept short.)
Jimmy Jacobs comes out for an interview and the microphone quality is not very good, at all. Jacobs is saying there will not be a championship match between himself and James Gibson. Jacobs claims that Gibson hasn’t beaten anyone to earn a shot at the championship. James Gibson makes his way out to confront Jacobs. Jacobs reminds Gibson that he’s the champion in IWA-MS. Jacobs says that he speaks on behalf of everyone here saying that Gibson isn’t welcomed here. Jacobs says he’s the best wrestler going today. Jacobs tells Gibson that he’s just a sports entertainer. Gibson tells Jacobs that he’ll be the IWA-MS World Heavyweight Champion. Gibson suggests that Jacobs take his earrings out and bring his A-game tonight. Jacobs slaps Gibson and is met with a clothesline. Jacobs bails to the floor and escapes any further altercation.
Fourth Contest: Bryce Benjamin & Eric Priest vs. Axl Rotten & Trik Davis: Rotten and Priest kickoff the tag match with both men trading wrist control. Rotten eye rakes Priest and keeps wrist control for a few moments. Davis tags in and double axe handles Priest off the top rope. Davis quickly tags Rotten back into the match and Rotten arm drags Benjamin and keeps arm control again. Rotten shoulder blocks Benjamin and Benjamin crawls to a corner to regroup. Priest returns to the match and taunts Rotten. Rotten shoulder blocks Priest to the corner and plays to the crowd. Davis returns to the match and keeps a headlock on Priest. Benjamin tags in and keeps control on Davis until Davis rolls free of the headlock and keeps the hold on Benjamin. Davis shoulder blocks Benjamin and goes back to a headlock. Benjamin gets tripped by Davis and Davis delivers an arm drag and hip toss. Davis heel kicks Benjamin to keep momentum. Rotten tags into the match to control Benjamin with a wrist lock. Rotten shoulder blocks Benjamin again and blocks a hip toss with one of his own. Davis keeps a wrist lock on Benjamin until Priest tags in and decks Davis with a right hand.
Priest continues to beat on Davis but is met with a dropkick. Davis is dropped throat first over the top rope. Priest kicks Davis on the arm and Benjamin enters to hammer away on Davis. Benjamin takes Davis over with a snap suplex for a two count. Priest scoop slams Davis and tags in Benjamin. Benjamin hits a middle rope senton splash for a near fall. Davis is choked by Priest from the floor and tags in legally. Davis tries to fight back on Priest, but is stopped by a strike. Davis is sent hard back first into the corner by Benjamin. The crowd is supporting Davis but Priest plants Davis with a back suplex for a near fall. Priest slams Davis and slams Benjamin onto Davis for a two count. Benjamin scoop slams Davis and heads to the top rope. Benjamin leaps off the top missing a swanton bomb. Davis rolls to the corner and tags in Rotten. Rotten cleans house with clotheslines to both opponents. All four men are going at it in the ring. Priest and Benjamin are sent into each other. Davis and Benjamin are in the ring where Davis blocks a superkick to hit a Flatliner for a three count. (*1/4. I mean, this went way too long and anytime Rotten wrestles in a match that features zero weapons and zero brawling, you know it’s going to be a tough one to watch. Then action here was rather lackluster and dragged on for far too long.)
Fifth Contest: BJ Whitmer vs. Billy Gunn: They stalled for about three minutes before the bell actually rang. Actually, it’s now closer to five minutes that nothing has really transpired. Gunn keeps arm control on Whitmer until Whitmer reaches the ropes quickly. Gunn shoulder blocks Whitmer and hip tosses Whitmer. Gunn continues control with elbow strike. Whitmer decks Gunn with a clothesline. Gunn catches Whitmer with a powerslam for a two count. Gunn hooks Whitmer for a vertical suplex and hits a Jackhammer for a two count. Whitmer rolls to the floor to regroup with Jade Chung. Gunn rams Whitmer face first onto a table. Gunn sends Whitmer into the wall. Gunn brings Whitmer back to ringside and rams Whitmer face first onto the apron. Whitmer sends Gunn face first into the ring post. Whitmer rams Gunn face first onto a steel chair. Whitmer sends Gunn into the wall face first. Whitmer returns the favor by ramming Gunn face first into the same table. Whitmer smashes Gunn over the head with a steel chair. Whitmer continues to deliver an elbow strike over the apron. Whitmer jabs Gunn several times in the corner and they trade right hands.
Whitmer knee lifts Gunn coming off the ropes and gets a two count. Jade Chung chokes Gunn while the referee was distracted by Whitmer. Whitmer keeps a sleeper on Gunn for a few moments. Whitmer keeps a sleeper on Gunn until Gunn naturally breaks free from the hold. Gunn plants Whitmer with a neckbreaker. Gunn hammers away on Whitmer and elbows Whitmer to the mat. Gunn jabs Whitmer in the corner several times. Gunn charges the corner and hits a splash. Whitmer staggers out and Chung grabs Gunn’s leg allowing Whitmer to get a few strikes. Gunn is sent into the referee in the corner and Gunn hits the Fame-Asser! Eric Priest decks Gunn with his tag team championship and Whitmer actually manages to pin Gunn! After the match, Priest runs down Gunn on the microphone. (*1/4. The stalling to start was annoying and they proceeded to do the typical brawling nonsense to fill time on the floor. I was quite surprised to see Gunn take a loss and obviously doing so in a non-clean manner was the direction they were going to go in. I guess it sets up the Gunn/Priest match and allows Whitmer to earn a big win in his career.)
Sixth Contest: Danny Daniels vs. Tyler Black: They lockup and neither man is able to get a clear advantage leading to a break. Black knee strikes Daniels a few times and gets control with a hammerlock. Daniels gets a head scissors on Black to control Black on the mat. Daniels takes Black over with a side headlock. Daniels keeps a headlock on Black to maintain control for several moments. Daniels breaks free from Black with an elbow strike. Daniels slaps Black and again keeps Black down with a headlock. Daniels shoulder blocks Black and runs into a Japanese arm drag by Black. Daniels double stomps Black and a back senton. Daniels continues to beat on Black with right hands. Black flips over Daniels and hits a standing dropkick. Daniels sidesteps a third dropkick, but Black arm drags Daniels. Black skins the cat and baseball slides Daniels on the floor. Black tries for a suicide dive, but Daniels stops Black with a strike. Black forearms Daniels off the apron onto chairs. Black misses a dive over the top and lands on empty seats. Daniels continues to have control with a knee drop. Daniels follows up with a forearm strike.
Daniels keeps Black on the mat with a knee strike and a neck vice. Daniels delivers more knee strikes to the upper back followed by a flipping neckbreaker to a seated Black for a two count. Black forearms Daniels to the mat but runs into a backbreaker for a near fall. Daniels plants Black with a back suplex for a near fall. Daniels has Black on his shoulders to drive Black back first into the corner and then drops Black neck first over his knee for a near fall. Black fires back with forearm shots, but Daniels battles back with a forearm, too. Black nails Daniels with a yakuza kick. Daniels stops Black with a jawbreaker and Black comes back with a dropkick for a two count. Daniels avoids a neckbreaker, but Black hits a back suplex turned into a front slam for a near fall. Black works over Daniels in the corner with strikes. Black delivers a running strike and a knee lift. Black charges towards Daniels, but is tossed into the corner with an overhead belly to belly suplex. They continue to trade strikes and chops in the middle of the ring. Black nails Daniels with a jumping Pele Kick. Daniels knocks Black down with a lariat.
Daniels beats on Black in the corner with strikes. Black backdrops Daniels to the apron and Daniels delivers a neckbreaker over the top rope. Daniels sits on the top rope and Black delivers a strike. Black tries for a hurricanrana, but gets shoved off. Black nails Daniels with another kick to the head. Daniels hits a middle rope atomic drop and a backpack stunner for a near fall. Daniels tries for a piledriver, but Black backdrops Daniels over the top to the floor. Black leaps over the top rope and takes Daniels out with a twisting dive. Black goes to the top rope managing to hit a missile dropkick for a near fall. Black STOs Daniels followed by a standing shooting star press. Daniels drives Black into the corner back first and Black comes back with uppercuts. Black hits a twisting reverse DDT, but Daniels powers out at two. Black drags Daniels to the middle of the ring and Black misses a twisting splash and both men are down. They begin to trade chops in the middle of the ring and forearm strikes. Black counters a head scissors in the corner, but Daniels still hits a reverse head scissors. Daniels spikes Black with a piledriver and wins the match. (***1/4. That was much better than I was expecting it to be. When they picked up the pace, it sured into a fun match and action packed. This is probably one of the better Danny Daniels matches that I’ve seen in IWA-MS. It should be rather obvious that Black has tons of potential from this match.) After the match, Tyler Black gets put over by both Dave Prazak and Danny Daniels.
Seventh Contest: IWA-MS Heavyweight Champion Jimmy Jacobs vs. James Gibson: Gibson goes right after Jacobs and chases Jacobs on the floor. Gibson rams Jacobs face first onto a table and delivers a chop as they head towards the ringside area. Gibson tosses Jacobs into the ring and Jacobs begs off in the corner and is met with stomps. Gibson hooks Jacobs to hit a vertical suplex for a near fall. Gibson shoulder rams Jacobs in the corner and sends Jacobs hard back first into the corner. Gibson rams Jacobs shoulder first into the top turnbuckle. Gibson plants Jacobs with a back suplex and keeps arm control. Gibson keeps control Jacobs with a hammerlock. Gibson elbow drops Jacobs on the arm and continues with a leg drop to the arm. Jacobs sends Gibson into the corner to break free from the challenger. Jacobs avoids a shoulder ram and drops Gibson over the middle rope. Jacobs forearms Gibson on the floor several times over the back. Jacobs keeps a chin lock on Gibson. Jacobs jabs Gibson several times and drops Gibson to the mat and taunts the crowd. Jacobs takes Gibson over with a snap suplex for a two count. Jacobs continues with a standing fist drop. Gibson is stopped by Jacobs with a knee lift and Gibson connects with a dropkick followed by chops. Jacobs drives Gibson down with a backbreaker.
Jacobs continues to beat on Gibson, but Gibson delivers a chop from his knees. Jacobs jabs Gibson a few times to keep control of the contest. Gibson blocks strikes and delivers a few elbow strikes. Jacobs gets a sleeper on Gibson, but Gibson reaches the ropes to break the hold. Jacobs nails Gibson with a headbutt and goes back to a sleeper hold. Gibson drives Jacobs into the corner back first and hits a running Blue Thunder Bomb! Gibson with a clothesline and a forearm shot. Gibson backdrops Jacobs but runs into a boot. Gibson nearly wins with a snap powerslam. Gibson tries for a Tiger Driver, but Jacobs counters and sends Gibson to the floor. Jacobs takes Gibson out with a suicide dive on the floor. Jacobs goes to the top rope, but is crotched by Gibson and Jacobs crashes to the mat. Gibson hits a powerbomb and gets a three count, but Jacobs had his boot on the bottom rope. Gibson knows that Jacobs had his foot on the rope and doesn’t want the title. So, the match continues. Jacobs low blows Gibson from behind and hits the Contra Code and pins Gibson! Gibson had his boot on the bottom rope, but Jacobs took it off to win the match and retain the title. (**. I don’t know if Jacobs was the best opponent for Gibson. The action was really average and didn’t really standout very much. Gibson is on another level compared to Jacobs. The finish was fine and gets Jacobs over a coward heel.)
The main event was originally supposed to be a tag team TLC match, but Brandon Thomaselli wasn’t able to make the show in time since he was doing double duty. So, it’s now a singles TLC match.
Main Event: Sal Thomaselli vs. B-Boy in a Tables, Ladders & Chairs match: They trade slaps and Boy knocks Thomaselli out with a forearm. Sal misses a clothesline and Boy delivers a boot to a seated Sal. Boy grabs a ladder and tosses it into the ring. Boy works over Sal with chops in the corner and rams the ladder into Sal’s midsection. Boy continues with a running dropkick in the corner. Boy kicks Sal over the back leading to a near fall. Boy tosses chairs into the ring. They trade strikes in the corner and Boy sets a ladder up in the corner. Boy sends Sal back first into the ladder and rams Sal in the midsection with a chair. Boy lays a ladder over the top turnbuckle. Sal head scissors Boy and sends Boy face first into the ladder. Thomaselli hits a back suplex for a two count. Sal presses the ladder into Boy’s face on the mat. Thomaselli drives the ladder into Boy’s midsection and over the back. Sal dumps Boy to the floor and sends boy into the ring post. Sal sends Boy head first into the wall. Sal whacks Boy over the back with a wooden board. They trade strikes until Sal eye pokes Boy. Sal tosses Boy into the garage door. Sal sends Boy through the door and they go to the parking lot.
Sal tries to hit a piledriver, but Boy hits a backdrop on the back of a truck. Boy delivers a vertical suplex on the bed of the ring truck for a two count. They make their way back into the venue. Sal sends Boy into the cage and the cage falls down onto Boy. Sal elbow drops the cage on Boy! There wasn’t a cage match on the show so I don’t know why that was even there. Sal sets up a small table at ringside. Boy takes Sal over with a vertical suplex. Sal and Boy trade strikes from their knees with Sal getting the advantage. Boy smashes Sal with a chair as he held a ladder. Boy hits a DDT onto a steel chair. Boy locks in a modified Indian death lock, but Sal reaches the ropes. So, apparently there are rope breaks in this match. Boy hits a snap suplex on the floor and grabs a small table. Boy lays Sal onto the small table and goes to the top rope. Boy gets stopped by Sal with a right hand. Sal dropkicks Boy off the apron to the floor. Sal whacks Boy over the back with a chair.
Sal sets a ladder up in the corner and forearms Boy, but Boy tosses Sal onto the ladder with an overhead suplex onto the ladder. Boy climbs to the top and leaps over the ladder to leg drop Sal. Boy hits a running dropkick in the corner. Boy tries to hit Sal with a chair, but Sal jabs the chair into Boy’s throat. Sal nails Boy with several strikes on the mat. Sal avoids a shining wizard and hits a tiger suplex. Sal locks in a under hook submission until Boy reaches the ropes. Sal locks in an octopus in the middle of the ring. Boy hits a Falcon Arrow! Boy plants Sal with a Death Valley Driver for a near fall. Boy heads to the top rope, but Sal crotches Boy on the top. Sal hits a butterfly brainbuster for a near fall. Sal goes to the floor and slides the small table into the ring. Sal sets the table up in the corner. Boy counters a suplex into the table and takes Sal down to the mat. Boy boots Sal in the corner and hits a tornado DDT followed by a brainbuster for a near fall.
Boy sets the small table up in the corner and looks at the table wondering if it will even work. Boy lays Sal against the ladder and grabs a chair but misses a splash hitting the ladder with the chair chest first. Sal forearms Boy and hits a double under hook slam for a two count. Sal hits a hurricanrana, but Boy powerbombs Sal through the small table in the corner. Boy goes for the cover, but Sal kicks out at two. Boy has a chair and waits for Sal to get up. Boy finishes Sal off with the shining wizard with the chair to win the match. (**1/2. It was okay, but it didn’t need to go this long. They didn’t really use the stipulation to the fullest extent. The right guy went over since Sal is a dislikable character and it was good to see the good guy get revenge in the end.)
Final Thoughts:
There’s some solid action on the show, but it’s not a must-see event by any means. I’d consider this an average overall show.
Thanks for reading.