IWA-MS Dedication 5/6/2005

IWA-MS presents Dedication
Date: 5/6/2005
From: Midlothian, IL

CM Punk talks to the fans before the show starts. Punk notes that he was supposed to wrestle Chris Candido on the show, but Candido recently passed away. Punk recalls meeting Candido three or four years ago and Candido wasn’t in a good way. Punk doesn’t think there’d be much outpour of emotion for Candido if he died back then. However, Candido changed his life around and was scheduled for the ECW PPV. Punk dedicates his match to Candido tonight. There is a ten bell salute.

Opening Contest: IWA-MS Heavyweight Title #1 Contender Battle Royal: There isn’t much action outside of punches and kicks throughout the battle royal. The final three are Fast Eddie, Danny Daniels and Josh Abercrombie. Eddie is quickly eliminated. Daniels hits a vertical suplex and chops Abercrombie before trading strikes. Abercrombie hits a snapmare driver. Abercrombie tries to eliminate Daniels, but Daniels hits a reverse hurricanrana. Jimmy Jacobs tries to pull down the ropes to eliminate Daniels, but Daniels avoids it and suplexs Jacobs. Daniels misses a running strike on Jacobs, and Abercrombie pulls the ropes down to eliminate Daniels. Thus, Abercrombie gets a title shot tonight against Jacobs.

Second Contest: IWA-MS Heavyweight Champion Jimmy Jacobs vs. Josh Abercrombie: Jacobs works over Abercrombie with strikes and chops. Jacobs is in dress clothing and not his ring gear. Jacobs chokes Abercrombie in the corner and taunts the challenger. Jacobs punches Abercrombie to the floor. Abercrombie takes Jacobs out with a springboard moonsault to the floor. Abercrombie rolls Jacobs into the ring and Jacobs backs off. Abercrombie delivers a flapjack, but Jacobs responds with a clothesline. Jacobs chokes Abercrombie with his shirt in the corner. Jacobs overhand chops Abercrombie in the corner. Jacobs misses a splash in the corner, but Abercrombie only gets a two count on a rollup attempt. Jacobs dropkicks Abercrombie on the mat. Jacobs plants Abercrombie with a back suplex for a two count. They trade strikes until Jacobs kicks Abercrombie and delivers a neckbreaker for a near fall. Jacobs slams Abercrombie and goes to the top rope. Jacobs looks for a senton splash, but Abercrombie got his knees up. Abercrombie forearms Jacobs followed by a clothesline and flapjack. Abercrombie gets a two count after a knee strike. Jacobs elbows Abercrombie, but Abercrombie delivers a suplex for a two count. Abercrombie slams Jacobs and tries for a springboard moonsault, but Jacobs spears Abercrombie in midair for a two count. Jacobs signals for a big boot, but Abercrombie counters with a dragon screw leg whip. Abercrombie counters the ContraCode with a lung blower for a two count. Abercrombie sits Jacobs on the top turnbuckle and hooks Jacobs for a superplex. Jacobs knocks Abercrombie off the ropes and hits a senton splash for a near fall. Abercrombie stomps on Jacobs foot after Jacobs took his shoe off. Jacobs low blows Abercrombie and hits the ContraCode for the win. After the match, Danny Daniels tries to piledrive Jacobs, but Jacobs escapes the ring. (***. A solid match between these two with constant action and some storytelling. Looks like the real title match IWA-MS is aiming for is between Daniels and Jacobs at some point in the future. Abercrombie was good here with some fun offense and babyface fire.)

Third Contest: Matt Sydal vs. Tyler Black: Sydal gains control with a wrist lock, but Black counters. Sydal counters after a kip up to keep wrist control. They both try for knee locks, but neither man gets the hold and they have a standoff. Sydal keeps a headlock on Black, but that doesn’t last too long. Black shoulder blocks Sydal and counters a hurricanrana shoving Sydal away. Sydal arm drags Black a few times and gets arm control again. Black misses a clothesline and Sydal hits a springboard crossbody for a two count. Sydal forearms Black and Black fights back with strikes. Black delivers a backbreaker and a yakuza kick for a two count. Black sends Sydal into the ropes and yanks on the left leg. Black knee drops Sydal on the knee. Sydal hits a standing moonsault for a two count. Black and Sydal trade chops until Black traps Sydal’s leg over the middle rope. Sydal kicks Black a couple of times. Black chops Sydal in the corner. Black puts a front face lock on Sydal, but Sydal doesn’t give in. Black drives Sydal’s knee onto the mat. Sydal fires back with chops to stagger Black in the corner. Black sends Sydal into the corner and pulls Sydal out of the corner to deliver a leg drop. Sydal reaches the ropes to break a leg lock.

Black tries for a knee breaker, but Sydal counters with a rollup for a two count. Black tries for a sharpshooter, but Sydal nearly wins an inside cradle. Black dropkicks Sydal on the knee and Sydal bails to the floor. Sydal almost wins with a few rollup attempts, but Black goes back to work on the knee. Black locks in a stretch muffler, but Sydal refuses to give in. Sydal nails Black with a kick to the head. Sydal forearms Black in the corner several times. Black sends Sydal into the corner, but Sydal nails Black with a spinning heel kick. Sydal head scissors Black to the floor and leaps off the top to hit a cannonball dive to the floor. Sydal chops Black on the floor and yanks Black’s leg onto a steel chair. Sydal rolls Black into the ring, but Black hits a front falling back suplex for a near fall. Black hooks Sydal for a piledriver, but Sydal chops Black. Black counters a hurricanrana with a powerbomb and several knee strikes to the face for a near fall. Black sits Sydal on the top turnbuckle, but Sydal delivers a strike. Black goes to the top rope, and is shoved off by Sydal. Sydal tries for the Shooting Star Press, but Sydal lands on his feet and Black rolls Sydal up for the win. (***. There as some solid action throughout the match, which was expected. They held my interest and didn’t drag along the match. These two early into their careers providing some quality action makes me wonder how they’d do with more experience.) After the match, Black wants a rematch for Sydal’s title. Sydal accepts.

Fourth Contest: NWA Illinois State Champion Marco Cordova vs. Chandler McClure: Cordova shoves McClure to the floor, but McClure fights back with forearms and an arm drag. McClure big boots Cordova for a two count. Cordova hits a suplex and stomps McClure. Cordova delivers a backbreaker a couple of times and taunts the crowd. Cordova forearms McClure against the ropes. Cordova eye rakes McClure followed by forearm shots in the corner. McClure snapmares Cordova followed by a rolling neck snap for a two count. Cordova eye rakes McClure and drops McClure throat first over the top rope. Steve Stone runs into the ring with Jim Fannin sending Cordova into the ring post. Stone attacks McClure delivering an elbow strike and chops in the corner. Stone decks McClure with a clothesline. McClure plants Stone with a package DDT to pin Stone. Cordova returns to the match and hits an over the shoulder backbreaker to win the match. (NR. Well, that was a weird match and segment. I didn’t care for the Stone run-in only for Stone to get pinned. That was just bizarre booking decision.) After the match, Fannin is pissed and says that McClure will pay for what he did to them. Fannin is determined to have Mickie Knuckles in his bed.

Fifth Contest: Eric Priest & Silas Young vs. Brandon Thomaselli & Marek Brave vs. Sal & Vito Thomaselli in a Texas Tornado, Falls Count Anywhere number one contenders match: As expected, all six men are in the ring brawling to kickoff the match. Brave is double clotheslined by Priest and Young early in the match. Brandon is clotheslined, as well. Priest and Young press slam the Iron Saints into each other for a two count. Brave and Brandon hit stereo crossbody blocks off the top for a two count. Brave and Brandon hit double dropkicks to send Young and Priest to the floor. Brandon and Brave hit somersault dives over the top to the floor on opposite sides of the ring. Vito sends Brandon into several chairs in the crowd. Priest rams Vito face first onto a championship belt. Young is sent into the ring post face first. Brandon big boots Priest against the wall followed by a splash. Young misses a moonsault after a rolling fireman’s carry on Vito. Vito gets a two count on Young after a standing moonsault. Brave kicks on Priest’s leg several times. Sal tosses Brave into the wall with a German suplex. Priest plants Brave with a press slam turned into a spinebuster for a near fall. Brave hits a back suplex on Priest for a two count. Priest slams Brave to the mat and is met with a double flapjack by Sal and Vito. Brave is nailed by a pendulum double stomp by Sal and Vito leading to the three count. (*1/2. It’s mostly just a mindless brawl with most of the action happening on the floor. It always bugs me when falls count anywhere matches end in the ring. It renders the stipulation pointless.)

Sixth Contest: IWA-MS Tag Team Champions Ryan Boz & Trik Davis vs. Sal & Vito Thomaselli in a Texas Tornado Match: Sal and Vito quickly go to work on the champs, but they are met with clotheslines. The champs chop the challengers to the mat and bail to the floor. Sal sends Davis into the wall chest first. Boz sends Vito into the apron back first, but Vito uppercuts Boz and hits a crossbody into chairs. Davis backdrops Sal on the floor. Boz headbutts Vito on the floor. Davis nails Sal with a heel kick in the ring and Boz returns to the match to assist Davis with a splash. Boz sends Vito into chairs while Davis brawls with Sal on the floor. All four men end up brawling outside and onto the playground. Davis kicks Sal on the slide while Boz sends Vito upside down onto the slide. Davis delivers a strike onto Vito. Sal leaps off the playground to strike Davis. Vito is stuck on a swing and Davis connects with a double stomp leading to a near fall. Sal and Boz brawl onto the playground set until Boz sends Sal down a slide and delivers an axe handle. Vito splashes onto Davis for a near fall. Sal rams Davis back first into the slide. Vito slams the door into Boz’s face as they return to the ring. Thomaselli’s hit a vertical suplex/crossbody combo for a two count on Davis in the ring. Boz sends Vito into the corner to deliver a boot and knocks Sal down with a right hand. Boz clotheslines Sal over the top to the floor. Vito has Davis on the apron, but Davis tries for a sunset flip powerbomb, but Vito holds on. Boz kicks Vito off the apron onto chairs. Boz plants Sal with a sit out slam. Boz assists Davis with a splash onto Sal for the win. (**1/4. The playground brawl was enjoyable, but again the stipulation is mostly useless when the finish happens in the ring. I’m not sure why there can’t be a pin fall outside of the ring when the stipulation calls for it. There was solid brawling between the two teams and the match flew by.)

Seventh Contest: Eddie Vegas vs. Danny Daniels: Vegas keeps a side headlock on Daniels in the match’s opening moments. Daniels counters with a headlock on the mat. Daniels keeps a wrist lock on Vegas, but Vegas counters. Vegas shoulder blocks Daniels, but Daniels trips Vegas to keep a headlock on Vegas. Daniels shoulder blocks Vegas and delivers a few arm drags. Daniels tosses Vegas onto chairs. Daniels chops Vegas before returning to the ring. Daniels delivers a top rope knee strike for a near fall. Vegas delivers a neckbreaker and a double under hook backbreaker for a two count. Vegas shoulder rams Daniels on the back in the corner. Daniels chops Vegas several times followed by forearms. Vegas drives Daniels down with a modified STO for a near fall. Vegas rams Daniels into the corner followed by chops. Vegas nails Daniels with a clothesline from behind leading to a near fall. Vegas knee lifts Daniels against the ropes. Vegas hits a backbreaker and yanks Daniels down for a near fall. Daniels plants Vegas with a backbreaker. Daniels forearms Vegas a few times, but rins into a forearm. Daniels connects with a chin breaker and neckbreaker. Daniels chops Vegas against the ropes and hits an X-plex for a two count. Daniels goes to the middle rope, but Vegas delivers a right hand.

Daniels hits a swinging neckbreaker off the middle rope for a two count. Daniels attempts a suplex, but Vegas avoids it. Daniels charges, but Vegas hits an overhead suplex into the corner. Vegas covers, but Daniels kicks out at two. Vegas drops Daniels over his knee for a near fall. Daniels blocks a superkick to clothesline Vegas. Vegas forearms Daniels in the corner followed by chops. Daniels counters a crossbody with a gut buster. Daniels delivers a swinging gut buster for a near fall. Daniels tries for a piledriver, but Vegas rams Daniels into the corner. Vegas sits Daniels on the top rope looking for a fallaway slam. Daniels goes to the top, but Vegas hits a springboard kick to knock Daniels down. Vegas tries for a fallaway slam, but is knocked off. Daniels leaps off the top to double stomp Vegas. Daniels spikes Vegas with a double under hook piledriver for the win. (**. While the match was a little better than I anticipated the match didn’t need to go nearly fifteen minutes. Daniels worked well and I’m interested in his eventual showdown with Jacobs over the title that their clearly building towards.)

Eighth Contest: Billy Gunn vs. Tracy Smothers vs. Chad Collyer: Gunn remains on the apron to start the match as Collyer backed Smothers into a corner, but backed off. Collyer backs Smothers into the corner again, but cleanly backs off. Smothers complains of a closed fist and pulling his hair, both of which didn’t happen. Smothers gets out of a waist lock, but Collyer gets a head scissors on Smothers for a moment. Smothers knocks Collyer down a couple of times, but backs off in the corner. Gunn has remained on the apron the entire time. Collyer arm drags Smothers causing Smothers to bail to the floor. Gunn tags into the match to square off against Collyer. Collyer arm drags Gunn followed by a fireman’s carry. Gunn shoulder blocks Collyer, but runs into an arm drag. Gunn bails to the floor to regroup. Gunn returns and jabs Collyer to the mat. Gunn shoulder blocks Smothers and Smothers complains of a closed fist. Gunn kicks Smothers, but Smothers avoids the Fame Asser attempt. Gunn tries for a rollup, but Smothers avoids a pin. Collyer returns to the match and jabs Gunn. It’s noted by commentary that Smothers made up the rules and tags aren’t needed. Collyer and Smothers trade some mat wrestling with neither man getting a clear advantage. Collyer tries to cover Smothers, but fails and Smothers bails to the floor to regroup by sitting in the front row.

Gunn decks Collyer from behind allowing Smothers to get a few strikes in and eye rakes Collyer. Smothers decks Collyer with a clothesline and taunts the crowd. Smothers misses an elbow drop and Gunn enters the match. Gunn hammers away on Smothers in the corner, but misses a splash in the corner. Collyer clotheslines Gunn and decks Smothers with a right hand. Collyer takes Smothers down looking for the Cloverleaf and locks it in, but Gunn makes the save. Collyer accidentally forearms the referee. Gunn hits a cobra clutch slam on Collyer. Eric Priest comes out and Gunn hits the Fame-Asser. Silas Young nails Gunn with a chain. Collyer covers Gunn and wins the match. (*. I didn’t enjoy this largely because of the format where there was a tag despite that not actually being a rule. I was surprised that Gunn took the fall, but he did so to seemingly justify a match with Eric Priest. Anyway, a lackluster match.)

Main Event: IWA-MS Light Heavyweight Champion Delirious vs. CM Punk: Early on they focus on mat wrestling with both men trading control. Delirious bails to the floor and talks with someone in the front row to vent frustrations. Delirious snapmares Punk and keeps control, but Punk counters stomping on Delirious’s back. They trade kicks on the knee until Delirious arm drags Punk. They trade arm drags until Delirious gets arm control on the mat. Delirious counters Punk with a headlock on the mat. Delirious holds onto the ropes to avoid an arm drag attempt by Punk. Delirious takes Punk down to the mat and keeps control. Punk breaks free, but Delirious locks in a cross arm bar failing to get a submission. Delirious keeps Punk on the mat with a hammerlock. They get backup and begin to have a pose down. Delirious blocks a claw attempt by Punk. Punk misses a clothesline and Delirious pisses off Punk causing Delirious to crawl under the ring. Punk follows under the ring, but Delirious comes back to the ring while Punk is under the ring. Delirious is on the top rope, but Punk comes back from under the ring and is wearing Delirious’s mask! Punk is now impersonating Delirious! Okay, that’s awesome. Punk scares Delirious causing Delirious to crotch himself on the ropes.

Delirious misses a missile dropkick off the top rope. Punk chops Delirious in the corner. Punk clotheslines Delirious in the corner several times. Delirious kicks Punk and delivers forearm strikes. Delirious forearms Punk, who puts the mask back on and covers up. Delirious sits in the front row and puts a hat on him hiding in the crowd. Punk asks the crowd if they’ve seen Delirious, which they respond that they have not. Punk sits down next to Delirious wondering where Delirious could be. Punk puts his fingers in his mouth and rubs his fingers into Delirious’s face. They return to the ring where Delirious delivers a forearm and puts a mask on a fan. Punk almost hits a fan with a suicide dive as Delirious went under the ring. Delirious decks Punk from behind and delivers strikes in the corner. Delirious kicks Punk on the back and locks in an abdominal stretch on the mat. Delirious switches to a rollup for a near fall. Delirious headbutts Punk into the ropes. Punk drives Delirious down with a tilt a whirl backbreaker. Punk continues with another backbreaker. Punk drops Delirious with a chop to the chest. Punk kicks Delirious to the floor. Punk chops Delirious against the ring post and delivers a forearm followed by a kick to the back. Punk slams Delirious on the floor. Punk stomps on Delirious to keep control of the bout.

They return to the ring where Punk drops Delirious with a clothesline for a two count. Punk stomps on Delirious several times. Punk hooks Delirious, but Delirious nearly wins with an inside cradle. Punk dropkicks a kneeling Delirious. Punk drives Delirious down with a delayed vertical suplex. Punk slams Delirious and goes to the middle rope hitting a leg drop for a near fall. Delirious punches Punk in the midsection followed by a forearm strike and chop. Punk takes Delirious over with a snap suplex. Punk crotches Delirious on the top rope and taunts the champ before delivering an elbow strike. Punk tries for a back suplex, but Delirious lands on top and both men are down. Delirious clotheslines Punk followed by an elbow strike. Delirious missile dropkicks Punk from behind. Punk elbows Delirious, but Delirious delivers a running knee strike. Delirious takes Punk out with a suicide dive into several chairs. Delirious rolls Punk back into the ring to continue the match.

Delirious goes to the top rope, but is stopped by a chop. Punk delivers several strikes to stop Delirious. Punk hits a hurricanrana, but Delirious counters and they trade rollups for near falls. Punk nails Delirious with a shining wizard sending Delirious to the floor. Punk gets a two count back in the ring. Delirious almost wins with a sunset flip attempt. Punk powerbombs Delirious and tries for the Anaconda Vice, but the time limit expires. The match ends in a 30-minute time limit draw. Punk requests five more minutes and the match continues. Punk works over Delirious with a flurry of chops. Delirious pulls Punk’s down on a sunset flip and pins Punk to retain the title. (***1/2. The finish was nicely done because it was obviously a shoutout to Candido, and I appreciate that gesture. The match had some good action and the comedy with the mask was nicely done. For a match that went over a half hour, I thought they did a good job to keep the match fresh and not feel like a chore to get through.)

Final Thoughts:
The overall runtime for the show is less than three hours, which is a rarity for IWA-MS during this era, I feel like. I thought the show was solid overall with a few good undercard matches and an enjoyable main event.

Thanks for reading.