Tape Review
IWA Mid-South
Revolution 2004
10/22/04 - Lafayette, IN
by Scott Christ


Picked this up along with the most recent Punk/Hero match at the 12/12 show. This show I got because it has a lot of my favorite workers to watch in the tournament, but MOSTLY because of a comedy eight-man tag that everyone is telling me is the funniest thing they've ever seen in a wrestling ring. I'd started hearing about it the day after this show took place at the Highland show, and I've been meaning to get it ever since.

The Lafayette Armory -- it's too bad they didn't draw there, it's a nice, big building and I love the giant, hollow sound of it. When we went down there for the June Hero/Punk show, it was worth the exceedingly difficult drive there and back. This is the last show they ran in Lafayette. Just a tiny crowd for such a stacked card. This took place on October 22.

MERCEDES MARTINEZ & ANGEL WILLIAMS v. DAIZEE HAZE & MICKIE KNUCKLES & DAIZEE HAZE

Daizee is carrying an enormous, stuffed, smiley-face sunflower. Why not? Mercedes and Angel have about three tons of ass between them. This is Angel's first appearance for IWA MS since May, when we saw her against ODB. Angel and ODB bailed on the women's title tournament to get tits, which neither of them did have, to be fair. Nate, like me, can't help but notice the giant asses. Mercedes and Mickie have a pretty nice segment to start and tag to the blondes. Boy, Angel is so clearly the weak link in this match. Mickie knocks the piss out of Angel with a forearm. Angel's neck is targeted. Daizee with a wicked ass legscissors around the neck which she twists and ends up doing push-ups. Angel gets out of her dying segment and it looks like Daizee will be the new FIP with Mercedes in the ring. Martinez and Haze go through some truly shitty-looking stuff. So not only can Daizee be erratic over a series of matches, but erratic within one match. Oh and it just gets worse. Right after the worst looking shit, Mickie and Angel tag in, and Angel is hit with a double-team northern lights suplex for the pin. I really dug the Mickie/Mercedes section but the rest was pretty weak.

TOURNAMENT - FIRST ROUND
BJ WHITMER (w/Jim Fannin) v. RODERICK STRONG


Whitmer is the reigning tournament champion. Strong isn't. Trade of chops early as Prazak explains that, basically, American strong style is defined as hitting each other "really fuckin' hard" and dropping each other on the head. Whitmer with a nice German after Fannin interferes, and Tommy Thompson grows a set and ejects Fannin from ringside. Vertical -> northern lights chain from Whitmer, who's looking on and I'm actually enjoying him right now. Strong with a high-cradle backbreaker, uranage backbreaker and a close two count. Whitmer comes back with a maffa keeeeick and a wicked power bomb. Whitmer wants the exploder, Strong counters out, then comes right back with a Saito suplex. Strong follows up with the press slam down to the knees, and hits the running boot for the win at a little under nine minutes. I was into this match, which is about as good as it gets for me and BJ Whitmer. See, if Whitmer would work like this all the time, it would be pretty awesome and he'd almost be likable. Or maybe it's just that Strong is really exciting. I dunno, but good. Good enough match to get people to cheer BJ's effort. That's rare.

TOURNAMENT - FIRST ROUND
AUSTIN ARIES v. SAMOA JOE


Can Joe pick some fucking music and stick with it? Nate insists that if I want a physique like Aries', eat lots of Froot Loops and bacon. I think he's confusing who's who here. Aries establishes early that he doesn't have much interest in staying close to Joe unless he can get a flurry, and once he does, that backfires on him as Joe knocks him silly with forearms. Aries thinks dropkicks are most certainly the way to go, but he goes to the well one too many times. Match is kind of hitch-and-go for the first eight minutes when Aries turns the tide with a crucifix attempt that he snaps over into an impact maneuver. Aries focuses on Joe's neck. Aries with a roaring elbow and a lariat that gets two, one night after prematurely ending Arik Cannon's 2004 with the same lariat. Aries kicks Joe directly in the face and this is picking up. 450 misses. 450s aren't strong style. Joe with a proper DVD, two count - LARIAT for the three at just under 11'30". Disappointing match but the last few minutes were really nice. Not exactly what you'd expect Joe/Aries to be, though, partly because of the format of the tournament and what's expected of it.

DAVEY ANDREWS & MATT TURNER v. EVAN STARSMORE & ANTHONY FRANCO

I'm sorry but Starsmore's arms are just hilarious. Punk joins commentary for this one and they sing "Bad Medicine". Starsmore also has a strangely elongated torso. Starts basic with Starsmore and Turner, but Starsmore gets some forearms and Andrews objects. Starsmore smacks him, Andrews sticks him, Franco gets in there, and it's a brawl with Franco and Andrews going outside. "What'd you teach them?!" Turner and Starsmore do some stuff, but Andrews tags in and just starts throwing haymakers all over. Starsmore wraps his arm around the ringpost on a missed clothesline. Punk: "This is retarded." Franco gets a mildly warm tag. Starsmore comes back in and gets a choke sleeper on Turner for the tapout in about five minutes. Andrews still has a 'tude post-match so Punk comes in there to calm the emotions. Well that was...entertaining?

TOURNAMENT - FIRST ROUND
EDDIE KINGSTON v. SUPER DRAGON


On paper, the most peculiar matchup of the first round. First five minutes feature very little in the way of offense, but a ton of forearms and smacking the shit out of one another. Dragon continually blocks Kingston's attempt at the uranage suplex, making the one that hits seem like it matters. The match is slightly dull so Dragon amps it up with chop/forearm combos in the corner, several headbutts, several kicks to the face and a kick to the back of the head to set up a flying double stomp to the back of the head. That ends it at eight and a half. I dunno, what? They slapped each other a lot. Way to go. This is twice I've seen Kingston in singles matches, against Hero and Super Dragon, and failed to see what makes him supposedly so good by himself and why he should ditch Marciano. He's the better of the two, but someone is always the better half of a tag team, and honestly I think Kingston is worlds better in tags right now than he is singles. Then again, Super Dragon is really cool and all, but sometimes he kind of sucks. I dig watching him because the chance of getting a bombass match is always there, but sometimes he craps right out on you and his matches have zero substance. They smack each other again and shake hands.

TOURNAMENT - FIRST ROUND
B-BOY v. HOMICIDE


Homicide's right shoulder has a bandage on it so that's an obvious weakness going in. B-Boy frustrates him early and Homicide rolls out to collect himself. Combination headscissors/hammerlock by Homicide is pretty sweet, and B-Boy rolls out this time. Very evenly wrestled mat stuff early on, a change of pace with these two being friends and seeming like they're holding back a bit. First strikes thrown by Homicide but after a few shots he takes it back to the mat. Homicide is definitely the aggressor, but B-Boy starts throwing back and they're trading. This gets meaner and meaner and they headbutt each other and kick and knee. Homicide kicks out of the shining wizard. T-bone with a bridge gets a near-fall for Homicide. Really awesome exchange as they both go for brainbusters but on the way up knee their opponent in the head to counter out. B-Boy gets his on a second try and both are down. Any match with this many headbutts is good by me. B-Boy counters a lariat with a neat rollup for the win at about 13-14 minutes. Good match, not ideally the best match these two could have but the best of the first round and the best so far on this show. Homicide refuses to tap fists afterward, which planted the seed for their split the next night in Highland.

JACK MARCIANO v. CHAD COLLYER v. JC BAILEY

Best part of Marciano's entrance is him being nice to some girl and trying to get her boyfriend to move over a chair so he can sit down and mack. This is a twisted idea for a three-way. Marciano and Bailey decide to double-team Collyer from the get-go. Pretty neat straitjacket russian legsweep from the heels on Collyer, but they argue when going for the pin. Bailey with headbutts, I think the rest of the matches inspired him for this one. Bailey really has nice strikes. You know, this match is actually fairly good despite having the ridiculous mix of styles they've got in there. Collyer is on in this one, Marciano is fine, Bailey's working hard as always. Collyer taps Marciano with the cloverleaf and that was perfectly fine.

NON-TITLE MATCH
SHANE HAGADORN v. JIMMY JACOBS (IWA Mid-South light heavyweight champion)


Punk confuses Darius Rucker and Adam Duritz. Jacobs gives Hagadorn offense. That's nice. Flying senton gets Jacobs the win. Uneventful.

ABYSS v. RYAN BOZ

They had a rematch the next night in Highland. They fight around the outside with Boz flying into walls and Abyss pussying out of getting thrown into chairs. Abyss, like Red in May, basically comes in and wastes money by not delivering, although at least Red put people over. Boz pulls Tommy Thompson in his way in the corner, Abyss pulls up short, and Boz hits Thompson. Thompson calls for the bell when Abyss low blows Boz and hits the Black Hole Slam. Abyss wins via DQ. Whatever. Boz rules. Thompson takes the torture rack drop because Abyss is fucking strong.

TOURNAMENT - SEMIFINALS
RODERICK STRONG v. SAMOA JOE


A highly-anticipated rematch from their balls-out awesome display in the first round of the Ted Petty about a month prior to this. Short mat segment and they just start ripping into one another with chops, Strong winning the exchange. Good match but nowhere near the level of the TPI match, as this crowd isn't in the same world as the Highland crowd was. Strong works Joe's back over as usual. Strong really does have freaky retard strength. Running boot is countered with a lariat. Second attempt hits and Joe kicks out. German suplex right on Strong's head, and Joe gets a crippler crossface, but Strong gets the ropes. Joe gets the octopus for the tapout just after. About a nine-minute match. Again, good, but not near as good as the TPI match.

TOURNAMENT - SEMIFINALS
SUPER DRAGON v. B-BOY


These two have plenty of history, both coming up in the SoCal indies, and there's this really intense and cool part during B-Boy's entrance when he hits the corner where Dragon just stares him down. B-Boy jumps at Dragon during the introductions, Dragon moves and we're diving to the floor right away. Forearm exchange, B-Boy misses a kick and Dragon takes over. A couple minutes later, CURBSTOMP. Augh God again -- CURBSTOMP. Lots of forearms and chops and slaps and what have you. Dragon with the German and dragon chain for a near-fall. Shining wizard is countered and Dragon gets an STF. B-Boy comes back with a t-bone into the corner. B-Boy's holding his left elbow, but gets up to hit the facelift. He is in a lot of pain at this point and seems to be trying to think of what to do. GIANT palm strike -- 1, 2, kickout. Dragon gets a nearfall with the top-rope blue thunder bomb. That's crazy. Dragon with the kicks to the face and back of the head sequence, and goes up for the double stomp to the head. Hits, and he gets another two count. Psycho driver is countered -- SHINING WIZARD! B-Boy can't get up for the cover, though. B-Boy wants a backdrop driver, but Dragon elbows out. Off the ropes, caught, backdrop driver hits. No cover as Dragon struggles up. Backdrop driver #2! Pulled up -- backdrop driver #3! B-Boy doesn't even cover, allowing Bruce Grey to declare Super Dragon knocked out for the win. Brutality is awesome. Very good match.

CHRIS SABIN v. NATE WEBB

Nate's entrance tonight features him running over to the gimmick tables and trying to get Homicide to dance with him, then riding a security guard like a horse around the ring. This is nice fast-paced stuff. Good change of styles from the matches before it. Sabin controls most of this. Arachnid kick is awesome. Webb is just killing himself in this match, which actually makes Sabin interesting. Reverse rana piledriver from Webb is beautiful. This is a really good match that Webb is carrying the shit out of. Sabin wins with the future shock. Fun stuff, more than I expected out of a Sabin match. Webb insists they dance afterward. Sabin is reluctant but cuts a rug.

CHRIS CANDIDO, STEVE STONE, CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI & NIGEL MCGUINNESS (w/Jim Fannin) v. CM PUNK, DANNY DANIELS, ACE STEEL & MATT SYDAL

The heels come out to Candido's "Back in Black" entrance which looks really badass with that weird group. The faces all come out dancing. Bryce Remsburg finds several foreign objects in Candido's boots, including a fork. Steve Stone has a jumprope in his tights. Claudio has a dumbbell, which Candido pretends he can't lift. Nigel tries to weasel out of being checked, but he doesn't have anything. So Candido gives him something after. Within seconds, Candido is wrestling with his ass fully hanging out. Press slam off the top from Steel. Bodyslam from Steel, bodyslam from Daniels, bodyslam from Punk, bodyslam from Sydal. Bryce wants him to pull his pants up, and ends up bodyslamming Candido too. Fannin gets in and shoves Bryce, and ends up taking his shirt off. He's...wearing a sports bra. Apparently he forgot. I am dying here. Nigel's foreign object is slipping from his package. Daniels forces everyone to get the bird from Nigel. Kingston is dying on commentary. Daniels and Stone criss cross on the ropes and Stone falls for the look up spot. Another criss cross. Stone tries the look up spot, Daniels forearms him. Candido is outside with the steps and drops them on his foot. Candido tries to climb the ropes and jump to lend Claudio some assistance, and crotches himself.

Castagnoli wants a test of strength with Sydal, who's too short to reach, so Punk gets in and puts Sydal on his shoulders. Candido gets in and puts Claudio up on his shoulders. So we've got chicken fight wrestling. They're running the ropes and shit. This is brilliant. Candido drops Castagnoli so I guess they lose. Nigel ends up using the weapon on Sydal. The match gets straight for a while with Sydal as FIP, then it breaks down and Nigel tries to atomic drop Punk, but his weapon falls out. Punk sticks it in his tights. At some point Candido is throwing powder all over the place.Yes yes yes the giant star with boat-rowing on the legs. This is insane. I think someone just won. Yeah I think Punk rolled someone up. This match was fucking ridonkulous. All the faces get supremely funky after the match, including dosie-does. Or however you spell that shit.

TOURNAMENT FINAL
SAMOA JOE v. B-BOY


Joe is out first, but Ian Rotten is down to say B-Boy is unable to compete due to injury. B-Boy, though, rushes the ring and jumps in Joe's shit. Joe fires back, B-Boy gets a big palm strike with his good arm. Facelift gets two. This is a lot like the Rainman match at the TPI. Shining wizard misses and Joe goes to work. B-Boy fights out of the choke sleeper -- shining wizard! Two count. B-Boy is caught with the DVD for a near-fall. They're running through all their big shit here which is cool. B-Boy tries the same counter to lariat rollup he beat Homicide with, but can't hold him. Backdrop driiiiivaaaaaah on Joe. Joe ends up grabbing the armbar on the bad arm for the win, becoming the 2004 Revolution Strong Style champion.

Top-to-bottom a really solid show, not a match here that's great or anything, but there's plenty of good stuff. The eight-man tag is fucking hilarious. Best match (since most people don't look for comedy matches as much as I do) was Super Dragon/B-Boy in my opinion.


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