LOW - Legends of Wrestling

[cruefan68]

Ok I had a chance to finish up this NWC card tonight so I hope that you enjoy the action. Next up will be SHIMMER Volume 30 with Sassy Stephie & Nevaeh vs. Canadian Ninjas in a No DQ match for the tag titles and Cheerleader Melissa & Sara Del Ray vs. Jessicka Havok & Vanessa Kraven in a Falls Count Anywhere Match...

LOW Northern Wrestling Corporation - War Memorial Auditorium - Buffalo, NY (Card #957)

1) The Executioner & Timber defeated Blue World Order:
The popular Blue World Order (Stevie Richards & Blue Meanie) took on the ASW team of The Executioner & Timber “The Insane Lumberjack” in a heated opening bout. The bWo have had limited success since arriving in the NWC and were hoping to get on the right track here. Richards, however, took a strong beating from both opponents and barely survived after taking the moonsault and Log Splitter from Timber. The Blue Meanie made the save on the latter move and then got the tag but was unable to turn things around. The Executioner and Timber roughed up the Meanie on the outside narrowly avoiding a disqualification. In the end it was The Executioner trapping the Meanie in a Face Claw resulting in a submission victory for the ASW stars. The crowd jeered the decision but the Meanie lightened things up by doing his Meanie dance post-match much to the chagrin of a disgusted Richards.

2) Nora Greenwald, April Hunter, & Sumie Sakai defeated Joyce Grable, Judy Martin, & Simply Luscious:
The stars of Ring Angels were featured in six-woman tag team action as Nora Greenwald, April Hunter & Sumie Sakai took on Joyce Grable, Judy Martin & Simply Luscious. There was action abound in this match as both teams were hoping to pick up a big victory. Greenwald stood out as the star of the match as she had the opposing team members in trouble several times. Hunter and Sakai also did their part to control the action. Grable and her teammates were frustrated several times as their offensives wound up getting cut off. The finishing sequence saw Sakai lay out Grable with a fisherman’s buster. That set up a tag to Greenwald who came off of the top rope with her trademark Flipping Seated Senton to score the pin.

3) Sam Houston defeated Fritz Von Goering by DQ:
Undefeated NWC newcomer Sam Houston took on the tough German star Fritz Von Goering in the next bout. This was a real good back and forth battle with both men showing solid offense. Houston scored the only near fall of the match when he caught Von Goering with the combo punches following a running lariat. Von Goering used a variety of full nelson holds and also connected with his bone jarring knee drop to the throat. The two battled out to the floor late in the match and the end result saw Von Goering disqualified snake eyes style for assaulting Houston with a chair. The referee saved Houston from further punishment by stepping in front of a tagging Von Goering. Houston kept his unbeaten streak alive but it was a rough night at the office for the popular star from Waco, TX.

4) Drake Younger & Justin Credible defeated Tony Atlas & Jerry Lynn:
The hardcore rivalry between Jerry Lynn and the pairing of the “Psycho Shooter” Drake Younger & Justin Credible continued but this time it was Lynn pairing up with the powerful “Mr. USA” Tony Atlas. This was a wild bout from start to finish with all four men hitting their finishing moves at various moments but none decided the winner. Credible, in fact, delivered three Singapore Cane shots avoiding disqualification but was unable to get the fall. Atlas was busted open during the bout and late was unable to offer up assistance to Lynn. That led to Younger taking control and laying out Lynn with the Spinebuster Slam to score the pin. It was a hard fought win for Younger and Credible but the crowd gave the bloody Atlas and Lynn a rousing ovation as they returned to the locker room.

5) LOW Tex-Arkana Television title: Roderick Strong© defeated Sabu to retain the title:
The LOW Tex-Arkana Television title was on the line as Sabu, accompanied by his manager Bill Alfonso, challenged Roderick Strong, accompanied by his manager Truth Martini, for the championship. Strong got off to an aggressive start including hitting Death by Roderick and trapping Sabu in the Argentine Backbreaker. Sabu struck back with a dropkick to the knee and then took it to the outside where he battered Strong much to the delight of Alfonso and the fans. Once back inside he went for the Triple Jump Moonsault but missed it as Strong rolled out of the way. That proved to be the turning point of the match as Strong quickly followed up with End of Heartache, a vertical suplex dropped into a double knee backbreaker, to score the pin. The crowd jeered the decision as Strong retained the title tying the record set by the “War King” Eddie Kingston of fourteen successful defenses. With Strong on the verge of history a jubilant Martini grabbed the mic and proclaimed Strong to be the greatest LOW Tex-Arkana Television champion of all time.

6) The Sheepherders defeated Stars & Stripes:
The popular team of Stars & Stripes (The Patriot & Marcus Alexander Bagwell) took on The Sheepherders (Butch Miller & Luke Williams) who were accompanied by their flag bearer Ken Doane. Stars & Stripes have been involved in a torrid rivalry with Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik but here they had to deal with an equally tough foreign team in The Sheepherders. The punishment inflicted on The Patriot and Bagwell in recent matches with Volkoff and the Sheik was evident here as they never seemed to get on track. Early on The Patriot scored with a diving shoulder tackle off of the middle rope and then tagged Bagwell who caught Williams with the Yellow Jacket Suplex for a two count. The Sheepherders bounced back from there and got the heat on Bagwell for an extended stretch. They nailed him with the Battering Ram but the pin was broken up by The Patriot. That was only a brief reprieve, though, as The Sheepherders connected with the Double Gutbuster on Bagwell and Miller covered him for the pin while Williams prevented The Patriot from making the save.

7) Gorgeous George defeated Dick Hutton:
Few in the NWC have been on as hot of a winning streak as Dick Hutton and in this match the former Olympian squared off against the flamboyant Gorgeous George who was accompanied by his valet Cherie Dupre. Hutton dominated the early action including laying George out with the Cowboy backbreaker. He had control until George countered and used the controversial Georgie pins to rake his eyes. Hutton was blinded and George took over executing an airplane spin for a two count and scoring a submission chance with his trademark Spinning Toe Hold. Hutton battled back but it was a trip up by Dupre that turned the tide and led to a two count for George. Late in the bout it was Hutton being busted open by George on the outside and then being trapped in the Spinning Toe Hold again but he was able to kick out of the punishing hold. Hutton showed great perseverance but George was able to maintain control. After Hutton barely beat a ten count back into the ring it was George locking on the Spinning Toe Hold for a third time and that proved to be the charm as he scored an impressive submission victory.

8) Andre the Giant, Antonino Rocca, & Ilio DiPaolo defeated Killer Kowalski, The Warlord, & One Man Gang:
The main event saw the undefeated “Eighth Wonder of the World” Andre the Giant join forces with Antonino Rocca and Buffalo’s own Ilio DiPaolo to take on the trio of Killer Kowalski, The Warlord and the One Man Gang. The latter trio is managed by Captain Lou Albano but he was not at ringside due to being on the road with Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, the reigning LOW International Heavyweight champion. The crowd went wild for DiPaolo, a local hero who owns a restaurant in the Buffalo area, but he opted to allow Andre to start the match for their team. It was a wise move as Andre dominated the early action against Kowalski. That helped to set up a big move by DiPaolo as he scored a two count in Kowalski following a counter running lariat. Andre then went for the Big Splash on OMG but he managed to roll out of the way. That helped give OMG and his teammates some momentum and they began to turn the tide. A big spot saw Rocca going for a dive from the top rope but he was caught by The Warlord who powerslammed him to the mat for a two count. DiPaolo would pick up a big near fall late when he pummeled OMG with the big right hands. The crowd was at a fever pitch by the finish which saw Rocca surprise OMG with a Flying Head Scissors which saw him cradle the legs scoring a snake eyes pin. The crowd erupted in cheers as Andre, Rocca and DiPaolo picked up a huge win over Kowalski, Warlord and OMG.

[bookerbill]

Really fun card from Buffalo. Enjoyed the visual of Rocca getting the three on Gang with a flying heads scissors/cradle. Sheepherders over Stars & Stripes was a surprize and enjoyed George beating Hutton.

[Pariah]

Very cool that Houston was able to remain undefeated... Even though he had to endure a few chairshots enroute to a DQ decision in his favor... While the rivalry between Jerry Lynn and the duo of Younger & Credible continues to provide some intense action...

Was really hoping that Sabu would capture the LOW Tex-Arkana Television title... And it looks like he came close... But, Roddy Strong got the job done and etches his name in the history book alongside Eddie Kingston... Can he prove Truth Martini's words? Will he become the most successful LOW Tex-Arkana Television champion of all time?

Fantastic show!

[Crimson Cross]

I've got to say seeing the bWo falling to The Executioner & Timber was a cool way to open the show, cool pairing my friend. I'm split on that Gorgeous George & Dick Hutton match, but I'm glad George got the victory and where will that outcome take both men in the future. What a solid victory for the Sheepherders over Stars & Stripes, cool action as always...

[cruefan68]

Thanks very much for the comments Bookerbill, Pariah and Crimson. The win by Gorgeous George was a pretty big one for him as Dick Hutton has been on a pretty solid roll of late. The six-man tag was a lot of fun and I'm glad you liked the visual of that finish BB. The Sheepherders have struggled for me since their debut but always put up a good fight and I agree that was a nice win over Stars & Stripes. Sabu put up a good effort but Roderick Strong tied the record by capitalizing on a mistake. As for The Executioner & Timber they have fared pretty well in the few tag matches I have had them in and that was a big win over the bWo. Glad you guys enjoyed the action.

Up now is some more wild action from the ladies of SHIMMER and the next card will feature IWA action with Diamond Dallas Page vs. Delirious for the IWA Heavyweight title, American Wolves vs. Kings of Wrestling for the IWA tag team titles, reDRagon vs. Johnny Gargano & Mystery Partner and two newcomers will face off attempting to win an IWA contract...

SHIMMER - Women Athletes - Volume 30 - The Eagles Club - Berwyn, IL (Card #958)

1) Heidi Lovelace defeated Thunderkitty:
A spirited opening bout saw the “Punk Rock Rag Doll” Heidi Lovelace take on the throwback star Thunderkitty. Both women are looking to move up the rankings so a win here was very important. This was pretty evenly matched most of the way with Lovelace showing great resiliency as she survived the Sleeper Hold of Thunderkitty on three separate occasions. Lovelace hit her finisher, the Frog Splash, at on point for a big near fall. A second attempt saw Thunderkitty roll out of the way causing Lovelace to crash stomach first into the canvas. With time running out was Thunderkitty going for a corner charge but Lovelace sidestepped it and executed a quick Counter Roll-Up to score the pin.

2) Kay Lee Ray defeated Kimber Lee:
The exciting Kay Lee Ray out of Glasgow, Scotland, took on the tough Kimber Lee hailing from Seattle, WA. Ray worked at a quick pace for much of the match and early on she hit the Swanton Bomb for a near fall. Kimber Lee battled back with some nice counters but had trouble maintaining an offensive. Ray hit a tope suicida at one point and that nearly led to a count out victory. After stunning Kimber Lee with a missile dropkick it was Ray going up top and hitting another Swanton Bomb to score the pin. Amber Gertner caught up with Ray at ringside afterward and the crowd cheered the Scottish star as she vowed to continue winning and work her way up towards a shot at the SHIMMER championship currently held by Courtney Rush.

3) Melanie Cruise defeated Crazy Mary Dobson:
The powerful Melanie Cruise asked for this match against “Crazy” Mary Dobson and that had many questioning what Cruise was thinking. This one was pretty short but brutal as both women traded blows in and out of the ring. “Crazy” Mary showed no fear of her larger opponent and that had Cruise on the defensive several times. The finish saw Cruise use a powerful combination of the spinning side slam and Melanie’s Spine Splitter to score the pin. Cruise afterward grabbed the mic and said that Kay Lee Ray is not the only one after the SHIMMER championship and she vowed to get a title shot as well. As Cruise was leaving the ring she was confronted by Ray with the two women getting into a stare down. SHIMMER promoter Dave Prazak intervened before the two could come to blows and said that the two could meet at Volume 31 to settle whatever differences they might have. They agreed to it and shook hands drawing cheers from the crowd.

4) Global Green Gangsters vs. Made In Sin was a Draw:
Feature tag team action saw the popular Global Green Gangsters (“Rate Tank” Kellie Skater & Tomoka Nakagawa) take on Made In Sin (Allysin Kay & Taylor Made) with both teams eyeing a potential shot at the SHIMMER tag team championship. This was an incredible back and forth battle that really could have gone either way. It was notable early that GGG had control dominating Kay for a stretch and Nakagawa nearly won it by submission with the CRB, a bridging reverse chinlock. Kay was able to bounce back and tag Made who turned things around. Made In Sin then went on a nice offensive that saw Made nearly pin Nakagawa with the facewash. Skater would also use one of her trademarks, the Skate or Die which is her version of the Muta Lock, on Kay for a near submission but Made broke it up. With time running out it was Kay trapping Skater in the horse collar stretch going for the submission as Made fought off Nakagawa. Skater refused to tap out and hung on as the bell rang ending the match in a time limit draw.

5) Angelus Layne defeated Candice LeRae:
The popular Candice LeRae, the master of the Balls Plex out of Anaheim, CA, took on the double tough Angelus Layne from Hell, MI. Layne tried to intimidate the ring announcer during the introductions prompting LeRae to intervene. LeRae then quickly locked on the flying dragon nearly winning it by submission in the opening moments of the match. LeRae followed up with some strong offense until Layne caught her with a counter running lariat out of the corner. Layne then nearly put LeRae away with Bing Bang Boom, an over the knee backbreaker into a flatliner and Koji Clutch submission hold. LeRae fought back hitting the missile dropkick and looked to be setting up for the Balls Plex before Layne countered and hit Victory Layne, her version of the TKO, to score the pin. It was a huge win for Layne who afterward spoke with Amber Gertner at ringside. Layne spoke with disgust about how she has been treated in SHIMMER thus far and demanded her rightful place in the main event and said that she will do whatever it takes to get there. The crowd jeered Layne who then shoved Gertner before returning to the back.

6) Lufisto, Madison Eagles, Barbi Hayden, & Jessie McKay defeated Saraya Knight, Madison Rayne, Malia Hosaka, & Rhia O'Reilly:
An eight woman tag team match saw the “Super Hardcore Anime” Lufisto lead her team of Madison Eagles, Barbi Hayden and Jessie McKay into battle against the dangerous Saraya Knight and her team of Madison Rayne, Malia Hosaka and Rhia O’Reilly. The early battle between Lufisto and Knight was just tremendous with the two exchanging stiff blows back and forth. Rayne tagged in and wound up taking a beating from all four opponents including McKay nearly pinning her after hitting the Boyfriend Stealer, a sitout uranage. Rayne fought back to her credit and scored a near fall on Hayden with the scissor stomp. Hosaka and O’Reilly got involved and were able to turn the momentum around. Knight took advantage and trapped McKay in the Knightmare for a submission chance. She also scored a near fall on her after hitting a blistering corner dropkick. The finish of a great bout saw Eagles pick up a big near fall on Hosaka with a Spider German Suplex. Hosaka was in a bad way as Hayden tagged in and quickly delivered a Tilt-A-Whirl Slam to score the pin. The crowd cheered the victory for Hayden and her teammates as an irate Knight yelled at her partners before storming off to the locker room.

7) SHIMMER tag team titles – No DQ Match: Canadian Ninjas© defeated Sassy Stephie & Nevaeh to retain the titles:
This return match from Volume 29 was held under No DQ rules as the S-N-S Express (Sassy Stephie & Nevaeh) challenged the Canadian Ninjas (Portia Perez & Nicole Matthews) for the SHIMMER tag team titles. SHIMMER promoter Dave Prazak ordered the special stipulation feeling that the Ninjas used the easy way out to retain their titles against Stephie and Nevaeh by getting disqualified that night. This return battle was just that, a battle. Both teams fought in and out of the ring in what was actually something of a preview for the main event. With no rules there was nothing holding back the four women from battling all over the building except for the fact that the decision had to take place in the ring. The Ninjas nearly won it when they hit the Funky Cold Medina on Nevaeh but Stephie made a last second save. That was a close call but Nevaeh fought back hitting the Double Shot, a corkscrew neckbreaker, and a snap suplex on Matthews for near falls. Stephie unloaded on both of the Ninjas late in the bout and looked to have it won when she nailed Matthews with Kiss My Sass, a falling neckbreaker onto the knee, but Perez made the save. That led to a wild scene as Perez hit Stephie with what looked to be brass knuckles causing Nevaeh to chase her out of the ring. Matthews then recovered and laid out the dazed Stephie with the Vancouver Maneuver, a rolling cutter, to score a snake eyes pin and retain the titles.

The action continued post-match as Nevaeh bodyslammed Perez on top of the timekeeper’s table while on the inside Matthews dug into her tights for something. Then as Stephie was getting back to her feet Matthews suddenly burned her with a Fireball to the face! Nevaeh rushed back in but was too late and Matthews quickly escaped grabbing both the title belts and Perez to retreat back to the locker room. Nevaeh was livid as Stephie rolled around on the canvas clutching her burned face. Paramedics ran in to attend to Stephie as Nevaeh grabbed the mic screaming bloody murder at the Ninjas. Stephie was assisted to the back while Nevaeh paced around ringside and went after Prazak. He backed off and said that Matthews would be suspended for her actions upon further review but Nevaeh balked at that and demanded to face her in a Texas Death Match at Volume 31. Prazak was hesitant to approve it but then said the match would take place and that Perez will be barred from the building so it will be a one-on-one match. As for Stephie she is expected to miss a couple of weeks of ring time as a result of the facial burns.

8) Falls Count Anywhere Match: Jessicka Havok & Vanessa Kraven defeated Cheerleader Melissa & Sara Del Ray:
The main event saw a return match between two dominant tag teams as Cheerleader Melissa & Sara Del Ray, who are former SHIMMER tag team champions, faced “The Havok Death Machine” Jessicka Havok & “The Mountain” Vanessa Kraven. The battle between these two teams at Volume 29 saw Melissa lose her cool and get disqualified for using a chair. The heat between the two teams was strong enough that this Falls Count Anywhere Match was ordered to determine a clear cut winner between the two sides. It didn’t take long for the action to go outside where Kraven violently slammed Melissa on top of the souvenir table scattering t-shirts and DVD cases everywhere. Melissa battled back inside and planted Kraven with a curb stomp resulting in a two count. Del Ray looked great during her time in taking the fight to both Havok and Kraven. She hit a release German Suplex on Havok and trapped her in the LeBell Lock. Havok also fared well and at one point laid out Melissa with the triple kick combo and standing lariat. It was the battles on the outside, though, that captivated the crowd and it was where Kraven would lead her team to victory. The “Mountain” drove Melissa through the announce table with a bodyslam. She followed up by grabbing the crutch from a ringside fan and blasted Melissa over the head with it. As Havok and Del Ray battled on the other side of the building, Kraven dragged the prone Melissa to the locker room area and drilled her with a Bodyslam on the concrete floor to score the pin. It was a brutal ending to a brutal battle with Havok and Kraven standing tall over Melissa and Del Ray.

[Crimson Cross]

I liked that the Canadian Ninjas of Portia Perez and Nicole Matthews retained their straps, plus seeing Havok and Kraven victorious was a nice surprise...

[Pariah]

Havok and Kraven... What a brutal combination... If those two stick together, I envision them leaving nothing but carnage in their wake...

Thoroughly enjoyed the eight-woman tag match... Knight seems to think she was handed a raw deal... And she might be right, considering how well she performed in that encounter...

Looking forward to the confrontation between Kay Lee Ray and Melanie Cruise... But, I think everyone should be on the look out for Angelus Layne... She wants gold and is going to stop at nothing to get her chance...

Superb action and drama... Excellent job by the ladies!

[cruefan68]

Thanks for the comments Crimson and Pariah. Both of the main tag matches went opposite of how I thought that they would go but the Ninjas and Havok & Kraven made pretty big statements on that SHIMMER card. Havok is next in line to face Courtney Rush for the SHIMMER title but I think that her and Kraven will remain allies for the time being. Angelus Layne really surprised me with that win and is definitely moving up the card and both Kay Lee Ray and Melanie Cruise are looking to do the same. Next up we have action from the IWA featuring some history being made, I hope you enjoy the card...

IWA - Great Expectations - Wonderland Ballroom - Revere, MA (Card #959)

● IWA Commissioner David Marquez opened the show thanking the sell-out crowd for attending. He said that his first order of business was to address the status of Drew Galloway who was injured in an altercation with Ultramantis Black. He said that Galloway has been cleared to return to action and that he will face Ultramantis Black on the next IWA card at the Fairgrounds Arena in Nashville, TN (Card #969) with huge stakes involved. Those stakes are that they will open the qualifying round that night to determine the finalists in Survival of the Fittest - The Fray Match so Galloway will not only have revenge on his mind but a spot in the big match as well. He then thanked the IWA scouting group, which features such men as Gabe Sapolsky and Cary Silkin, for their continued hard work. As such he was proud to announce that the opening match would feature two unique newcomers both with the opportunity to earn an IWA contract…

1) Cheeseburger defeated Big Duke:
The opening contest with an IWA contract at stake saw cult favorite Cheeseburger who gained fame in Ring of Honor taking on a product of Championship Wrestling from Hollywood in one Big Duke. Cheeseburger, weighing in at 135-pounds, was giving away ninety pounds to his opponent ad Big Duke poked fun at him from the first lock up. That proved to be a mistake, however, as Cheeseburger blitzed him with an offensive that included a springboard arm drag, a springboard knee drop and the super DDT. Big Duke attempted a counter going for a spinning back kick but Cheeseburger had his own counter. Moments later it was Cheeseburger hitting the Shotei Palm Strike to score the pin and earn the contract. The crowd erupted in cheers welcoming the Trenton, NJ, native to the roster. Big Duke was upset over the loss but an interesting turn of events saw him conversing with manager Percy Pringle III who was leading “The Machine” Brian Cage to the ring for the next match…

2) Brian Cage defeated Mikey O’Shea:
With Cheeseburger still in the ring celebrating his win he was confronted by “The Machine” Brian Cage and his manager Percy Pringle III. Things were looking bad for him when Mikey O’Shea hit the ring and helped even the odds. Cheeseburger bailed out and an irate Pringle argued with the referee as O’Shea stared down Cage. Once the match got underway it was a hard hitting brawl between the two powerful stars. Even IWA photographer Dr. Mike Lano wasn’t safe as he had to get out of the way as O’Shea and Cage battled out to the floor. O’Shea then hit the Irish Car Bomb, a double sit-down chokeslam, but Cage kicked out just before the three count. Pringle clutched his chest at ringside as Cage narrowly avoided defeat. After another battle in the floor it was Cage gaining control and back inside he nailed O’Shea with Black Magic, a double jump Moonsault from the middle rope, to score the pin.

3) The Colony defeated Nigel McGuinness, Chuck Taylor, & Joey Ryan by DQ:
Trios action was featured next as The Colony (Fire Ant, Soldier Ant, & Green Ant) took on Nigel McGuinness, Chuck Taylor, & Joey Ryan. The Colony were in rare form for this match showing off the tandem offense that has made them a top trios team over the years. McGuinness at one point tripped over IWA photographer Dr. Mike Lano who was shooting the action from ringside. Green Ant took full advantage of that and nearly won it by submission over McGuinness with a Torture Rack. Taylor helped turn things around for his team as he nailed Fire Ant with Sole Food capping off a nice offensive. Ryan fared well too but in the end wound up trapped in the Chikara Special Green by Green Ant and was on the verge of tapping out when McGuinness broke it up striking him with his Iron. The referee caught the illegal blow with the foreign object and awarded The Colony the victory via disqualification.

4) Jay Lethal defeated Willie Mack:
An explosive battle saw popular St. Louis, MO, native Willie Mack taking on the highly ranked Jay Lethal who was accompanied by his beautiful manager SoCal Val. In a recent bout with LOW Tex-Arkana Television champion Roderick Strong it was Lethal coming very close to taking the gold. He won that bout by count out and returned to the IWA determined to prove that he deserves another championship match. Mack had a lot to prove as well hoping to move up the singles ranks in the highly competitive IWA. This was an evenly fought contest before Lethal scored a slew of near falls with the dragon suplex and Lethal Injection. Lethal was in shock when Mack kicked out of the latter and he quickly applied the Koji Clutch going for the submission. Mack fought hard refusing to tap out and he managed to grab the ropes for a break drawing a big pop from the crowd. Val was beside herself at ringside arguing with the referee as Mack began a strong comeback. He managed to score a big near fall with a standing moonsault and then came off of the top rope with a frog splash. Lethal survived that and wound up busting Mack open before nailing him with a second dose of the Lethal Injection to score the pin.

5) Kevin Steen defeated Ricochet:
A highly anticipated showdown saw the spectacular Ricochet going up against arguably the number one contender in the IWA in “Wrestling’s Worst Nightmare” Kevin Steen. The brash Quebec native has been very vocal about wanting a shot at the IWA Heavyweight title but he could not afford to look past Ricochet here. Ricochet had Steen reeling in the early going scoring with the Rickrack and an attack on the outside. He then went for the 630 Senton but missed it and Steen trapped him in the Sharpshooter. Steen took over hitting the high-angle senton bomb and had things going his way until Ricochet countered a backdrop. Ricochet set up for another 630 Senton but again crashed and burned leaving him in a vulnerable state. Steen took full advantage of the situation and delivered F-Cinq, a fireman’s carry facebuster, to score the pin.

6) Johnny Gargano & Timothy Thatcher defeated reDRagon by DQ:
The tense rivalry between newly crowned IWA J-Crown champion Kyle O’Reilly and the man he defeated in the decision match, Johnny Gargano, continued in tag team action. O’Reilly and Bobby Fish, who make up the highly rated combination of reDRagon, took on Gargano and his mystery partner who was revealed as Timothy Thatcher. Gargano explained that Thatcher was a standout in Evolve, even holding the Evolve Heavyweight title, and he recruited him to prove to both reDRagon and the IWA that they deserve respect. Gargano spoke up about how he and others from Evolve, including Thatcher, were passed up for IWA contracts and now are on the outside looking in while undeserving guys like reDRagon get all of the breaks. He vowed that they would take this opportunity to show everyone that the IWA needs to evolve and add some real talent to its ranks. Fish had to restrain O’Reilly from jumping Gargano before the bell but once it rang all bets were off.

This was an amazing battle between two fired up tag team combinations. Gargano and Thatcher got the heat on Fish for an extended stretch. They nearly put him away when Gargano locked on the Gargano Escape but O’Reilly made the save. Fish struck back with a Flying Fish Hook and made the hot tag which led to O’Reilly getting Gargano in the Armageddon going for the submission but it was broken up in the ropes. Thatcher got in some nice offense using the Rocking Chair Surfboard and the Tower of McGuinness. He made for an effective partner to Gargano as they looked to get the victory over reDRagon. The finish came on the outside when Fish wound up being disqualified for decking the referee. It was an accidental blow but Gargano took great pleasure in it as he and Thatcher scored the win. Following the match it was IWA Commissioner David Marquez telling Gargano to back up his words and face O’Reilly for the IWA J-Crown title when the two meet in a rematch at Survival of the Fittest in Nashville. He added that if Gargano can win the title that night that both he and Thatcher would receive IWA contracts which pleased both men.

7) IWA tag team titles: Kings of Wrestling© defeated American Wolves by Count Out to retain the titles:
The IWA tag team titles were on the line as the American Wolves (Davey Richards & “Die Hard” Eddie Edwards) challenged the Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli) for the championship. The action was fast and furious from the opening bell as Richards and Hero went at it. Hero scored a quick two count with a rolling cutter and scored with a running elbow strike. Richards bounced back with a suicide dive and rolling Hero back inside for a cover and two count. Edwards then tagged in and nailed Hero with Die Hard leading to Castagnoli making the save. That led to KOW turning things around and they hit Kings Reign Supreme Two on Edwards but Richards was able to make the save. The Wolves bounced back for another offensive before it ended up on the outside where Hero blasted Edwards with the often controversial Rolling Elbow Smash. That knocked Edwards silly and as a resulted he was counted out of the ring ending the hard fought battle. The victory for the Kings of Wrestling, the now two-time IWA tag team champions, marked their successful version one defense of the titles.

8) IWA Heavyweight title: Delirious defeated Diamond Dallas Page to win the title:
The main event saw Diamond Dallas Page, coming off of a big victory over Mike Quackenbush at Supercard of Honor (Card #949), defending the IWA Heavyweight title against House of Truth member Delirious. The “Red Poison” version of the masked man was without manager Truth Martini who is currently on the road with the reigning LOW Tex-Arkana Television champion Roderick Strong. Ring announcer Gavin Loudspeaker enthusiastically announced the participants gearing up the crowd for the big match. The early action saw DDP in complete control until he went up to the top rope going for a deathjump. Delirious was quick to counter and he nailed DDP with a tremendous superplex. He followed up by tossing DDP out of the ring and assaulting him by the ring barrier. The referee had a hard time keeping control of the action and Delirious was fortunate to avoid a disqualification. The fortune would play out later in the match when Delirious delivered the controversial Red Poison mist, again avoiding a disqualification, and quickly rolled up DDP to score the pin. The crowd jeered the decision as Delirious was crowned the brand new IWA Heavyweight champion. Fellow House of Truth members Rhino and Matt Taven quickly rushed into the ring and hoisted Delirious up onto their shoulders to celebrate his title win. DDP was slow to recover but when he did anger came over him and the Jersey Shore native tackled all three men. Delirious and Rhino managed to roll out of the ring but DDP quickly took out Taven with the Diamond Cutter. The crowd cheered that but the fact remained that Delirious had surprised everyone by becoming the new IWA Heavyweight champion.

[Crimson Cross]

That was cool seeing Mikey O'Shea come to the side of Cheeseburger, but "The Machine" winning was a little bit of a letdown. It was cool that Cheeseburger won the opening bout, man I wanted the reDRagons to win that match, but Gargano & Thatcher are tough. What a title victory for Delirious over Diamond Dallas Page, which was cool and all, but too bad DDP could not retain...

[bookerbill]

Enjoyed Great Expectations. The card was a mix of solid matches and some interesting finishes that set up rematches down the road. Looking forward to seeing if the Colony will get some payback and Gargano v. O’Reilly. Delirious on top of the IWA is all good with me. Lethal seems to be ready to make some moves towards the top of the rankings.