Tape Review
IWA Mid-South
A Phenomenal Invasion
09/15/04 - Evansville, IN
by Scott Christ

This is the first show of the big 2004 Ted Petty weekend quad shot and IWA's first show in their ill-fated run in Evansville. I guess the less said about the Evansville run the better, but they were trying to go head-to-head with the established, shitty CCW that runs at the famous Evansville Coliseum because the promoter there is the son of the people who own it or some such. They draw nobody, but it seems to have been discovered that there are roughly zero wrestling fans in southern Indiana, so even packed cards at the Evansville Armory weren't enough to get anyone in down there. CCW continues to put on crap and the same 30 people show up, I guess. Who cares, this is a loaded show and it's January 2005 and I'm just now watching it.

EDDIE KINGSTON v. DANNY DANIELS

That is a really high hard cam, but I like it. Not as high as Oolitic anyway. Kingston no-sells two shoulderblocks and flexes at Daniels, who invites Kingston to try the same and trips him because although he's a freshly-turned babyface, Danny Daniels is still a little a-hole. Tornado DDT attempt by Daniels goes horribly awry. Daniels is throwing some nice forearms here. This match is going nowhere, though. As far as the Kingston solo love, man I don't feel it. His match with Hero was OK, his match with Super Dragon sucked (blame Super Dragon there though) and this one is messy. Not saying he's shit but I like him a lot better as a tag wrestler. Daniels with a rana from the top after some heel tactics that would get him DQ'd on TNM. Kingston comes back with the uranage for two. That was a cute little sequence to get to that. Kingston tries for the Kondo clutch, doesn't get it, and they have another cute segment that ends in a mule kick and piledriver to give Daniels the win. This was alright.

MSCHIF v. TRACY BROOKS v. MICKIE KNUCKLES

It's always amusing when MsChif does her whole screaming bit at these shows with nobody in attendance because nobody gives a shit. It's also always fun when nobody gives a big hell yeah because there are no redneck women in attendance. Frankly there are no women at all. Punk joins commentary which is good for me because I couldn't care less about this match. "Tracy Brooks from Toronto, trained by pig farmers." Tracy and MsChif fight on the floor so that Mickie can nearly break her own neck on possibly the worst suicide dive ever attempted. Mickie punishes herself by getting whipped into the chairs. Mickie and Tracy with some double-teaming. These broads are throwing some heavy strikes and some dude yells out "DO IT UGGINN SWEETIE PIE", and I'm pretty sure that was just Michael Todd Stratton. MsChif misses the mist because she gets speared. Mickie with a shitty shining wizard and MsChif hits the desecrator on Mickie for the win. About what you'd expect.

IAN ROTTEN WANTS TO SPEAK

Ian gets a call. He ignores it. Ian's disappointed with the draw. But they'll be back! Ian advertises Chris Daniels v. AJ Styles for the next show here. I don't think it drew much better. This is lots of talking about stuff that didn't work out.

B-BOY v. NATE WEBB

Webb dances for a baby. Webb dances the whole goddamn song away. B-Boy indulges in comedy by running from the Spyder Walk. Nate takes a nap in the front row so B-Boy takes one on the turnbuckles. B-Boy goes to work on the neck. Good action in this match as expected, B-Boy with the hard-hitting and Nate with the getting killed and making spirited comebacks. Lots of big offense and submission attempts. Nate gets the Webb of Death applied but B-Boy hangs on. B-Boy breaks out the Ki Krusher to counter the Soylent Green, and goes to set up for a second shining wizard, but Nate ducks away. Nate rolls through an armbar attempt to cradle B-Boy for the flash pin. This was fine.

TABLES ELIMINATION MATCH
CASH FLO & MAD MAN PONDO (with Pearl Harbor) v. CORPORAL ROBINSON & 2 TUFF TONY

Yada yada yada. Tony throws good forearms, Cash throws good chops, Corp is pretty good and Pondo sucks. Tony goes through a table on a Cash Flo powerbomb. Cash busts his ass through a table on a senton to the floor and he's done. Corp just lights Pondo up with rights. Tony turns on Corp by hitting him with the kendo stick. This gets ridiculous as Ian and Eddie Kingston discuss whether or not 2 Tuff Tony has now turned on ICP and the juggaloes and what this could mean to all those affected. Tony and Pondo hit a double-team superplex through a table and that's that. They beat on Corp some more before Ian and Nate make the save. With the post-match with Ian challenging them for the next E'ville show this goes on for about THIRTY SEVEN YEARS

STEVE STONE (with Jim Fannin) v. JC BAILEY

This is not exactly the match I'm in the mood for. Not exactly it at all. But I'm open-minded. Fannin takes a Bailey suicide dive like a man. Bailey blows a clothesline counter spot. Bailey blows a swinging DDT, or maybe Stone blew it in the counter. I don't know but this stinks. Bailey makes up for it by taking the whiteout with disastrous indifference to his face and Stone wins.

RODERICK STRONG v. ARIK CANNON

TNA senior referee Rudy Charles is reffing this one. Now here's what I'm talking about. Really subtly hilarious part early after the feeling-out where Cannon chops Strong, Strong chops Cannon, and Cannon kicks Strong in the nuts. They go back to it a few moments later when they trade forearms and shit and Cannon decides he doesn't really want to do that anymore so he eyepokes him. Strong is just walloping him and Cannon is throwing some mean shit too. Bunch of big offense and strike trading. Yeah I'm feeling this match. Ends a little prematurely on a super shitty looking glimmering warlock by Cannon. This match is the type of mindless fun that two heavy hitters can bring to you and I myself enjoy that sort of thing. I love a good storytelling match as much as anyone but sometimes I like watching motherfuckers beat each others asses too.

ALEX SHELLEY v. CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI

I like that Hero and Daniels acknowledge the weirdness of them on commentary together. This is some really good wrestling here as Castagnoli is getting to do his shit and Shelley can do his shit and they're just meshing tremendously well. This is easily the best Claudio match since his return to the States, and it's also his first match in the return. Shelley is really crisp in this match, kind of in rare form for 2004 IWA Shelley. Shelley works the legs a ton and eventually grabs the Border City Stretch, but Claudio counters over with the SWISS SLEEPER HOLDING for the upset win. Really, really good match that I probably didn't say enough about but I was busy watching it. These two can go and they went.

MATT SYDAL v. AJ STYLES

OK to recap, as I've heard from several people that this was the best of their three 2004 matches, so let's see where the match in the middle falls for me. This is the real reason I bought this tape, the fact that the two matches before it have been worthwhile is just a bonus. God these two have the best mat segments. Styles dumps Sydal over the top on a back suplex after Sydal won't let go of a side headlock, then dives out onto him. Nice snap suplex from Styles. Oh AJ Styles is such a motherfucker away from TNA. Styles starts dominating, but Sydal turns the tide by dragging Styles from the apron down to the hardwood, where Styles dies with a nasty thud because he's a manly man. Sydal follows up with a moonsault from the top to the floor. The struggle for the Styles Clash here and Sydal repeatedly fighting off his own death is great and makes the actual Styles Clash seem even more devastating. Once it hits, Styles gets the win. This is a fantastic match but to me I can't really say that any of their three matches are notably better than the other two. What an awesome series of matches these two put on in 2004 and it really makes looking forward to Sydal finally beating him sometime a lot of fun.

2/3 FALLS MATCH
BRYAN DANIELSON v. CHRIS HERO

The thing about going into Danielson/Hero on tape as opposed to their first matchup that I saw live is that I pretty much know exactly what to expect. They're going to wrestle, it's going to be good, and the only question really is how good. It's not like they're going to blow spots and it's not like either of them are going to forget to sell something or stumble or fuck up a clothesline or anything. They're going to do cravates and shit and eventually turn it up and start hitting each other, and then there's either going to be a submission or a flash pin. There's really zero intrigue about this. It's not a knock but I can't get up to watch this match the way I did the ones before it. Shelley/Castagnoli is something that could go one way or another, Sydal/Styles was the final match of their series for me to see, Strong/Cannon was interesting on paper and I didn't remember really hearing anything about it being good or not. This match didn't get much hype, the same as most of Hero's matches don't anymore, and I don't think it's that people don't think they're good (and if they do then whatever, that's not really the point anyway) but that it's nothing to get excited about because barring a freak occurence (Hero/Joe) there is rarely much of a curveball thrown your way in a Hero match. And I could get into how I'm really starting to hate the shit out of the Hero Highland losing streak because it's been long enough and I fucking well know he's going to lose to Trik Davis and Hallowicked, and frankly if he beats them, who cares? They're Trik Davis and Hallowicked. But I won't get into all that, it's probably for another time or not for any time at all.

Guess what? This match is real good. They do some submission attempts and what have you, turn it up briefly, and Danielson wins the first fall on a bridging back cradle. Danielson bitches to Bryce during the 30-second break about Hero kicking him while he was in the ropes, and also threatens to shut a fan's mouth for him. I really like prick Danielson and he's got it working now. This serves to piss Hero off and get him throwing bombs. Second fall sees Danielson attack Hero's injured elbow to set for the cattle mutilation. Hero turns the tide and Arik Cannon is out to tell Hero he sucks. Danielson gets the advantage back, but Hero counters a 'rana attempt with a powerbomb and after two failed Hangman's Clutch attempts, Hero hits the Hero's Welcome to even it up at one fall apiece. Deciding fall starts fast with Danielson hitting a superplex but missing the diving headbutt. Hero wastes a bunch of time shouting in this match. YAHHHH. Hero misses a something or other and Danielson gets the cattle mutilation locked on. Cannon taunts Hero, who turns the hold over and escapes. Hangman's clutch applied, Danielson gets out. Danielson gets the Muta lock, then they end up back to back with double submissions locked on. Bryce Remsburg calls for the bell and says they both submitted at the same time. Well it's more creative than a double pin or a time limit. Danielson protests and Hero says they'll meet again down the line. Danielson disagrees and says he'll never wrestle Hero again, and leaves with Cannon. Ian calls Danielson a chickenshit and says the next time Danielson comes in, he'll meet Hero in a one-hour iron man match. This gets funny as Danielson is being a total shit and Ian threatens to call Shawn Michaels about it, so Danielson gets down on his knees and begs him not to. People who say Danielson has no personality are insane. Yeah he's not Ric Flair or anything but the motherfucker isn't Test either.

IWA MID-SOUTH TITLE MATCH
CM PUNK v. PETEY WILLIAMS (champion)

Petey doesn't bring his IWA belt to the ring but does bring his TNA X belt which is completely useless in more ways than one. I'm interested to see what Punk can get out of Petey here. Webb is on commentary with Tracy Brooks whose insight is limited to less-than-subtle references about being Punk's girlfriend. AJ Styles threatens us with joining the commentary for this match. NOOOO. Actually wait Styles just made an unreal Teen Wolf reference. Well let's give the man another chance. I hope he says something is a real fag way to do something. BAM! Styles calls Webb a fag. This match is too cute for me for the first few minutes, as are most Petey matches. Oh wow the further along this gets the more I hate this match. There's some nice shit in here but as a whole I am not liking this. Petey is like a Canadian Amazing Red in some ways. Petey taps him with a sharpshooter to retain after an innovative kick to the dick. This wasn't good.

The first five matches here are average show stuff with B-Boy/Webb being the standout early on the card, but there's a really great four-match stretch after that and all are different matches. Shelley/Castagnoli is the real sleeper here because it's such a tremendously good and smooth match, but match of the night was probably Styles/Sydal. Main event was just flat and couldn't follow the four matches that preceded it. All in all definitely a worthwhile show.

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