DVD Review, NIW, "Bound By Honor," Oct. 1, 2005
Northern Impact Wrestling, based in St. Paul, Minn., has grown in the past year, and has started to release full-length DVDs of their shows. NIW’s growth stems from the sudden closure of the Midwest Pro Wrestling school in June 2005. Most of the top wrestlers from MPW moved on and now work for NIW, such as “the anarchist” Arik Cannon, Joey Envy, Kid Krazy, Cody O’Neill, Ryan Cruz, Darin Corbin, Nate Bash, Punisher, Casanova and Ben Sailer.
The promoter, Andrew Scalze, is a diehard ROH fan, and recently traveled with me to the ROH show in Chicago. I feel confident in saying that no promoter in MN is spending more time than he is in putting together ongoing storylines, then editing his shows afterward. Much like ROH, NIW uses its message board to advance storylines. They recently announced that a wrestler “was attacked after an event and is out of action,” and fans should “stay tuned to the message board for updates on his condition.”
These shows have a vibe like an IWA-Mid South event; the shows are generally in large armories with perhaps 80 to 100 fans present. On commentary, the announcers sound identical, but they have good chemistry, they know wrestling, and they add to the show. The voices are a bit faint in the background; I wish they were more easily heard.
NIW taped this event, “Bound By Honor,” at the armory in Cottage Grove, Minn., which is a suburb in the southeast corner of the Twin Cities. The crowd is about 80. NIW uses two cameras, and the footage is edited together well, with a music track background between matches and neat onscreen graphics.
NIW has a newer ring that looks sharp and professional, and its neon green ropes make this ring stand out. Al B.C. and The Boss (Scalze) come out. The Boss wore a neckbrace, selling injuries from last month’s show. The Boss said he won’t wrestle later. This led to his opponent, referee Rob Page, coming out of the back, and he promised he would get his hands on The Boss later on. (Both The Boss and Page are perhaps 150 pounds, and are NOT wrestlers. This is a rare case where a match involving two non-wrestlers actually is quite a draw, as Page is quite popular in Minnesota, and The Boss has carved out a nice heel niche as the CEO of NIW.)
(1) Ryan Cruz & Darin Corbin defeat The Prophet & Punisher Rob James at 13:49 to retain the NIW tag titles. Ryan Cruz is a Matt Hardy lookalike. Darin has bright red hair and he’s pretty funny. The Prophet is a bit of a Goth character. Punisher Rob James is doing the Simon Dean gimmick, dressed in a powder blue sweatsuit, and he stops frequently in his matches to do exercises. (NOTE: All four of these guys have competed in Chikara Pro in Pennsylvania this year.) All four guys are generally about 5-foot-10-inches and perhaps 180 pounds; most of the NIW roster are cruiserweights.
Cruz hit some quick armdrags; he’s popular here with the younger women. Prophet hit an inverted DDT for a nearfall. Punisher got in and hit a nice dropkick and he did some pushups. Punisher nailed a buttsplash in the corner. Darin Corbin tagged in for the first time at 6:30, and the faces did some drop-toe-holds, causing the heels to crash into each other’s groins. Punisher hit a low blow and worked over Darin. He hit an Earthquake buttsplash at 11:00 on Darin. Darin fired back with a uranage over his knee, and he made the hot tag to Cruz.
Prophet hit a catapult headplant to the groin on Cruz. The crowd was hot and into this action. The faces won it with a Team Alabama Slam, where Darin flipped Cruz up, then down hard onto Prophet for the pin. Good tag match, and the crowd was into this action. **1/2
(2) Darius Dreams defeats Benjamin Sailer at 10:00 even. Sailer wore yellow & black trunks; he recently made his IWA-Mid South debut. Dreams is dressed in black pants and a black T-shirt. Sailer immediately applied a Front Guillotine Choke, and Dreams had to dive for the ropes. Sailer hit a nice dropkick and a Northern Lights Suplex with a nice bridge for a nearfall. Dreams hit a DDT on the ring apron at 3:30, and they brawled to the floor.
In the ring, Dreams planted several kneeshots to Sailer’s head. Sailer came back with an Axe Kick as Dreams was lying across the top rope. Sailer ripped up Dreams’ shirt so he could chop his bare chest. Dreams hit a Buff Blockbuster for a nearfall. Sailer nailed a spin heel kick for a nearfall at 7:30. Dreams hit a “Dream Theater”/Code Red. Sailer hit a Chaos Theory/roll-through German Suplex for a nearfall. Dreams won it with a Dream Theater off the top rope for the pin. *1/2
(3) Nate Bash defeats Trent Jones and Phoenix and Big Bad Booty Daddy at 12:47. This is a one-fall four-way match. Bash, a black man, has a large afro, much like D-Ray 3000 or Human Tornado, and he is a tremendously popular cruiserweight; he gets my most improved wrestler of the year vote. Trent Jones is the typical heel with long greasy black hair who wears a concert T-shirt. Phoenix is a chubby high flyer in white pants. Big Bad Booty Daddy is Punisher Rob James, this time wearing a different outfit, and a mask, although everyone in the crowd knows they are the same person.
Phoenix and Trent Jones started, and Jones stalled. Bash and Booty Daddy tagged in, and BBBD pulled on Bash’ hair. They traded some quick action, and Bash hit some nice armdrags. Phoenix tagged in and he hit a powerslam on BBBD. Booty Daddy hit a low blow headbutt on Phoenix at 7:00. Jones tagged in and he applied a one-legged crab on Phoenix. Bash made the hot tag and he cleared the ring, and he hit a crossbody block on Booty Daddy. Booty Daddy hit a hard backchop on Phoenix. The music of another wrestler, Casanova, played, and this distracted Booty Daddy, allowing Bash to hit a Snapmare Driver and score the pin on BBBD. Solid high-flying match. *1/4
(4) Bobby Mafi & J.O.E. defeat Bret O’Brian & Tu-Gloccs at 12:16. The NIW wrestlers who were not members of the old MPW roster have minimal training, and generally struggle in matches when they don’t face an MPW wrestler… they don’t have the timing and pacing down. That’s the case here. Mafi is a heavy guy, perhaps 6-foot, 2-inches tall and 300 pounds. J.O.E. is another skinny cruiserweight with long black hair that reaches his rear. O’Brian is tremendously over, and he is a decent mat-based wrestler. Tu-Gloccs is perhaps 6-foot, 4-inches and 270 pounds, and he is the tallest man on the roster.
One problem with all four of these guys - and a problem that several wrestlers have here - is they don’t have professional gear. It makes them look even more minor league than most indy wrestlers. Tu-Gloccs has improved his physique, but it’s hard to take him seriously when he wrestles in white sweatpants and gym shoes.
J.O.E. and Bret O’Brian started with some basic armbars, and O’Brian hit a shoulder tackle. Tu-Gloccs and Mafi entered at 4:00, and they traded punches. Tu-Gloccs hit a slow uppercut, then a DDT. Mafi hit a big chop on O’Brian, then a sideslam for a nearfall. The heels began to work over O’Brian. J.O.E. nailed a hard Tajiri-style spin kick to the head at 9:00 for a nearfall.
O’Brian hit an STO Uranage for a nearfall, then he made the hot tag to Tu-Gloccs. Mafi hit a sidewalk slam on Tu-Gloccs for a nearfall. Darius Dreams emerged from the back and distracted Tu-Gloccs, allowing J.O.E. to hit the “651”/Mysterio 619 on Tu-Gloccs. Mafi then hit a sidewalk slam and got the pin. The heels continued to beat on the faces after the match until Vinnie Devine emerged from the back to make the save. Skippable match. *1/4
(5) Casanova defeats Arik Cannon at 13:11. Good match. Casanova also recently made his Chikara debut; he wrestles across Minnesota and Iowa. He hits on the women in the crowd, gyrating for them and doing hand signals, asking the ladies to call him; he does some good comedy spots. Cannon is a superb mat-based wrestler who competes regularly in IWA-Mid South in Illinois & Indiana. These two have good chemistry in the ring.
They started with some shoulder tackles, and neither man budges. They did some standing switches, and Cannon somehow pulled a sock out of the front of Nova’s trunks! Everyone laughs at Casanova, and Arik shoved the sock down Nova’s throat! Good humor early. Cannon hit some quick armdrags, and Nova bailed to the floor at 5:00. Back in the ring, Nova cheated and choked Cannon, hit some punches, and he pushed his foot into Cannon’s throat.
Nova hit some hard chops; Cannon fired back with even harder chops! Cannon nailed a Lungblower at 9:30, and both men were down. Cannon hit a slingshot spinning neckbreaker for a nearfall. Nova applied a sleeper, but Cannon fought out of it. Cannon hit a back suplex for a believable nearfall at 11:30. Cannon nailed a running forearm. Nova went back into his shorts for the sock, as if he was going to apply a Mandible Claw! The referee stopped Nova, allowing Cannon to nail an enziguri. Darius Dreams again emerged from the back and he distracted Cannon, allowing Nova to get a rollup with a handful of tights for the pin. **3/4
After the match, Cannon got on the mic and said he would get revenge on Dreams soon.
(6) Aaron Corbin vs. Cody O’Neill went to a draw at 16:30. O’Neill has earned my pick as MN wrestler of the year (in past years, that award has gone to Ken ‘Anderson’ Kennedy and Austin Aries.) O’Neill is really THAT GOOD. He made an appearance in CZW in 2003 and in IWA-Mid South that same summer, but he generally only competes in the Midwest. He is another daredevil high-flyer who had a match against Matt Sydal in fall 2004 that was named “match of the year” by one wrestling board in Minnesota. Aaron Corbin, a solid cocky heel, is a redhead. (For storyline purposes, he is the older brother of redhead Darin Corbin.)
This is a no holds barred match. Corbin stalled on the floor immediately. Cody bit him, then he hit some impressive quick reversals, and he hit a dropkick out of a headscissorslock. Aaron bailed to the floor, and Cody hit an Asai Moonsault to the floor at 5:30. They traded chops on the floor. Corbin flipped Cody onto a table, and they brawled around the building. In the ring, they traded punches and Corbin hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 9:00.
They brawled back to the floor, and Cody tossed Corbin into the rows of chairs. In the ring, Corbin hit a nice Yakuza Kick to the side of Cody’s head. Cody fired back with a series of moves: a Mafia Kick, a doublestomp, a Lionsault and an elbow drop at 14:30. Corbin runs outside the building, and Cody followed him!! They brawled in the parking lot, and into the back of a car! The crowd is now outside, watching this brawl go on inside a car, when the vehicle suddenly pulled away and left the parking lot. The exasperated referee called for the bell and ruled the match a draw. Nice replays of the footage here. **1/2
(7) The Boss (w/Bobby Mafi) defeats referee Rob Page (w/Big Nasty Mack Lyonz) at 2:45. Lyonz is about 350 pounds. The crowd was fired up in support of Page. This looks pretty funny, as neither man has much size, and they just aren’t wrestlers. The Boss stalled. He hugged Mafi. Page hugged Lyonz. Suddenly, Lyonz attacked Page from behind! All three heels now beat up on Page. The Boss placed one foot on Page’s chest and got the three count. He got on the mic and declared that no one can stop him.
(8) Aaron Corbin defeats Cody O’Neill at 1:23. Almost immediately after the match between Boss and Page, these two burst through the door, still brawling… presumably, they’ve been brawling this whole time! Corbin’s chest was bright red from all the blows from Cody O’Neill. Corbin threw powder into Cody’s eyes, then he hit a sitdown inverted Bubba Bomb for the pin. Corbin continued to stomp on O’Neill after the match.
(9) Al B.C. defeats Kid Krazy and Joey Envy and Venom in a four-way ladder match at 13:28. Very good match; plenty of non-stop action. Kid Krazy is blonde and the best high-flyer in the Midwest. Envy, who has short brown hair, is a hard-hitting cruiserweight. Both Krazy and Envy have competed in IWA-Mid South and into Iowa, and I am a big fan of both wrestlers. Venom is perhaps 280 pounds, and he’s the biggest man in this match. Al B.C. is the cocky heel in this match.
The bell rang, and all four ran to the floor to grab a ladder. (There are more than four ladders scattered around the building.) In the ring, Joey Envy and Kid Krazy traded hard chops and stiff forearms. Krazy hit an enziguri, and he dove over the top rope onto Venom and Al B.C. Envy grabbed a ladder and he threw it at Krazy’s back. In the ring, Venom picked up Envy and hit a wheelbarrow overhead slam onto a ladder, leaning in the corner! Joey grabbed a ladder and nailed Al B.C. with it at 3:30.
Krazy hit a sideslam on Envy onto the ladder. Krazy went for a senton, but Envy rolled off the ladder, and Envy crashed onto the ladder. OUCH. Venom went to climb a ladder, but it was so bent already, it folded up on him. Krazy hit a series of spine kicks, then a senton on Envy. Venom hit a spinning Ace Crusher on Joey. Al B.C. hit an “Al K. O.” Ace Crusher on Kid Krazy, and all four men were down at 8:00. They got up and traded chops. This match has been planned out well for several spots.
Krazy went for his “Uh OH” running basement dropkick in the corner, but Joey Envy cut him off, nailing him with a Standing Side Kick/Sweet Chin Music. Venom hit a back chop and a front kick. Krazy then got his Uh OH running basement dropkick on Al B.C., then he hit a hipkick, where he hits a cool spin kick while lying on his side. Venom picked up Envy and he hit a powerbomb onto a ladder at 11:00. Venom then picked up Envy again and gave him a Samoan Drop onto the ladder.
Krazy grabbed Venom and he hit 12 spine kicks, then 12 Kawada Kicks to the face. Krazy asked the fans to give him chairs, and the fans threw him about a dozen chairs. He piled the chairs in front of Venom in the corner; Krazy climbed the ladder and hit a missile dropkick on the chairs covering Venom’s face. (Unfortunately, Krazy could have pulled the title down, but he didn’t, opting to hit the missile dropkick.) Al B.C. climbed the ladder and pulled down the title to win the match. Good match, best of the show. **3/4.
Final thoughts: DVD runs 2 hours, 41 minutes. This was a fun show. There are several reasons to order this show. You will see the top wrestlers in Minnesota, specifically Arik Cannon, Joey Envy, Kid Krazy and Cody O’Neill, all on one show. The main event is fun and chaotic. The brawl between Cody and Aaron Corbin is fun. Cannon and Casanova had a good mat-based match. If you want to try out some wrestling with guys you haven’t seen before, this is a good event.
Reasons not to order this: I won’t try to pretend the action is up to par with ROH, JAPW, IWA-MS or PWG. It’s not. The top few guys are really good. The dozen guys who were on the NIW roster prior to the MPW guys arriving are so-so; they work hard, but their offense isn’t as crisp, and many of the guys still need to get ring gear.
It’s no secret that I know a lot of these guys, and consider many of them to be friends. But I do enjoy these shows, and I think most wrestling fans will like what they see here. Check out www.niwwrestling.com to find out more about this promotion and to purchase this DVD.
Chris
The promoter, Andrew Scalze, is a diehard ROH fan, and recently traveled with me to the ROH show in Chicago. I feel confident in saying that no promoter in MN is spending more time than he is in putting together ongoing storylines, then editing his shows afterward. Much like ROH, NIW uses its message board to advance storylines. They recently announced that a wrestler “was attacked after an event and is out of action,” and fans should “stay tuned to the message board for updates on his condition.”
These shows have a vibe like an IWA-Mid South event; the shows are generally in large armories with perhaps 80 to 100 fans present. On commentary, the announcers sound identical, but they have good chemistry, they know wrestling, and they add to the show. The voices are a bit faint in the background; I wish they were more easily heard.
NIW taped this event, “Bound By Honor,” at the armory in Cottage Grove, Minn., which is a suburb in the southeast corner of the Twin Cities. The crowd is about 80. NIW uses two cameras, and the footage is edited together well, with a music track background between matches and neat onscreen graphics.
NIW has a newer ring that looks sharp and professional, and its neon green ropes make this ring stand out. Al B.C. and The Boss (Scalze) come out. The Boss wore a neckbrace, selling injuries from last month’s show. The Boss said he won’t wrestle later. This led to his opponent, referee Rob Page, coming out of the back, and he promised he would get his hands on The Boss later on. (Both The Boss and Page are perhaps 150 pounds, and are NOT wrestlers. This is a rare case where a match involving two non-wrestlers actually is quite a draw, as Page is quite popular in Minnesota, and The Boss has carved out a nice heel niche as the CEO of NIW.)
(1) Ryan Cruz & Darin Corbin defeat The Prophet & Punisher Rob James at 13:49 to retain the NIW tag titles. Ryan Cruz is a Matt Hardy lookalike. Darin has bright red hair and he’s pretty funny. The Prophet is a bit of a Goth character. Punisher Rob James is doing the Simon Dean gimmick, dressed in a powder blue sweatsuit, and he stops frequently in his matches to do exercises. (NOTE: All four of these guys have competed in Chikara Pro in Pennsylvania this year.) All four guys are generally about 5-foot-10-inches and perhaps 180 pounds; most of the NIW roster are cruiserweights.
Cruz hit some quick armdrags; he’s popular here with the younger women. Prophet hit an inverted DDT for a nearfall. Punisher got in and hit a nice dropkick and he did some pushups. Punisher nailed a buttsplash in the corner. Darin Corbin tagged in for the first time at 6:30, and the faces did some drop-toe-holds, causing the heels to crash into each other’s groins. Punisher hit a low blow and worked over Darin. He hit an Earthquake buttsplash at 11:00 on Darin. Darin fired back with a uranage over his knee, and he made the hot tag to Cruz.
Prophet hit a catapult headplant to the groin on Cruz. The crowd was hot and into this action. The faces won it with a Team Alabama Slam, where Darin flipped Cruz up, then down hard onto Prophet for the pin. Good tag match, and the crowd was into this action. **1/2
(2) Darius Dreams defeats Benjamin Sailer at 10:00 even. Sailer wore yellow & black trunks; he recently made his IWA-Mid South debut. Dreams is dressed in black pants and a black T-shirt. Sailer immediately applied a Front Guillotine Choke, and Dreams had to dive for the ropes. Sailer hit a nice dropkick and a Northern Lights Suplex with a nice bridge for a nearfall. Dreams hit a DDT on the ring apron at 3:30, and they brawled to the floor.
In the ring, Dreams planted several kneeshots to Sailer’s head. Sailer came back with an Axe Kick as Dreams was lying across the top rope. Sailer ripped up Dreams’ shirt so he could chop his bare chest. Dreams hit a Buff Blockbuster for a nearfall. Sailer nailed a spin heel kick for a nearfall at 7:30. Dreams hit a “Dream Theater”/Code Red. Sailer hit a Chaos Theory/roll-through German Suplex for a nearfall. Dreams won it with a Dream Theater off the top rope for the pin. *1/2
(3) Nate Bash defeats Trent Jones and Phoenix and Big Bad Booty Daddy at 12:47. This is a one-fall four-way match. Bash, a black man, has a large afro, much like D-Ray 3000 or Human Tornado, and he is a tremendously popular cruiserweight; he gets my most improved wrestler of the year vote. Trent Jones is the typical heel with long greasy black hair who wears a concert T-shirt. Phoenix is a chubby high flyer in white pants. Big Bad Booty Daddy is Punisher Rob James, this time wearing a different outfit, and a mask, although everyone in the crowd knows they are the same person.
Phoenix and Trent Jones started, and Jones stalled. Bash and Booty Daddy tagged in, and BBBD pulled on Bash’ hair. They traded some quick action, and Bash hit some nice armdrags. Phoenix tagged in and he hit a powerslam on BBBD. Booty Daddy hit a low blow headbutt on Phoenix at 7:00. Jones tagged in and he applied a one-legged crab on Phoenix. Bash made the hot tag and he cleared the ring, and he hit a crossbody block on Booty Daddy. Booty Daddy hit a hard backchop on Phoenix. The music of another wrestler, Casanova, played, and this distracted Booty Daddy, allowing Bash to hit a Snapmare Driver and score the pin on BBBD. Solid high-flying match. *1/4
(4) Bobby Mafi & J.O.E. defeat Bret O’Brian & Tu-Gloccs at 12:16. The NIW wrestlers who were not members of the old MPW roster have minimal training, and generally struggle in matches when they don’t face an MPW wrestler… they don’t have the timing and pacing down. That’s the case here. Mafi is a heavy guy, perhaps 6-foot, 2-inches tall and 300 pounds. J.O.E. is another skinny cruiserweight with long black hair that reaches his rear. O’Brian is tremendously over, and he is a decent mat-based wrestler. Tu-Gloccs is perhaps 6-foot, 4-inches and 270 pounds, and he is the tallest man on the roster.
One problem with all four of these guys - and a problem that several wrestlers have here - is they don’t have professional gear. It makes them look even more minor league than most indy wrestlers. Tu-Gloccs has improved his physique, but it’s hard to take him seriously when he wrestles in white sweatpants and gym shoes.
J.O.E. and Bret O’Brian started with some basic armbars, and O’Brian hit a shoulder tackle. Tu-Gloccs and Mafi entered at 4:00, and they traded punches. Tu-Gloccs hit a slow uppercut, then a DDT. Mafi hit a big chop on O’Brian, then a sideslam for a nearfall. The heels began to work over O’Brian. J.O.E. nailed a hard Tajiri-style spin kick to the head at 9:00 for a nearfall.
O’Brian hit an STO Uranage for a nearfall, then he made the hot tag to Tu-Gloccs. Mafi hit a sidewalk slam on Tu-Gloccs for a nearfall. Darius Dreams emerged from the back and distracted Tu-Gloccs, allowing J.O.E. to hit the “651”/Mysterio 619 on Tu-Gloccs. Mafi then hit a sidewalk slam and got the pin. The heels continued to beat on the faces after the match until Vinnie Devine emerged from the back to make the save. Skippable match. *1/4
(5) Casanova defeats Arik Cannon at 13:11. Good match. Casanova also recently made his Chikara debut; he wrestles across Minnesota and Iowa. He hits on the women in the crowd, gyrating for them and doing hand signals, asking the ladies to call him; he does some good comedy spots. Cannon is a superb mat-based wrestler who competes regularly in IWA-Mid South in Illinois & Indiana. These two have good chemistry in the ring.
They started with some shoulder tackles, and neither man budges. They did some standing switches, and Cannon somehow pulled a sock out of the front of Nova’s trunks! Everyone laughs at Casanova, and Arik shoved the sock down Nova’s throat! Good humor early. Cannon hit some quick armdrags, and Nova bailed to the floor at 5:00. Back in the ring, Nova cheated and choked Cannon, hit some punches, and he pushed his foot into Cannon’s throat.
Nova hit some hard chops; Cannon fired back with even harder chops! Cannon nailed a Lungblower at 9:30, and both men were down. Cannon hit a slingshot spinning neckbreaker for a nearfall. Nova applied a sleeper, but Cannon fought out of it. Cannon hit a back suplex for a believable nearfall at 11:30. Cannon nailed a running forearm. Nova went back into his shorts for the sock, as if he was going to apply a Mandible Claw! The referee stopped Nova, allowing Cannon to nail an enziguri. Darius Dreams again emerged from the back and he distracted Cannon, allowing Nova to get a rollup with a handful of tights for the pin. **3/4
After the match, Cannon got on the mic and said he would get revenge on Dreams soon.
(6) Aaron Corbin vs. Cody O’Neill went to a draw at 16:30. O’Neill has earned my pick as MN wrestler of the year (in past years, that award has gone to Ken ‘Anderson’ Kennedy and Austin Aries.) O’Neill is really THAT GOOD. He made an appearance in CZW in 2003 and in IWA-Mid South that same summer, but he generally only competes in the Midwest. He is another daredevil high-flyer who had a match against Matt Sydal in fall 2004 that was named “match of the year” by one wrestling board in Minnesota. Aaron Corbin, a solid cocky heel, is a redhead. (For storyline purposes, he is the older brother of redhead Darin Corbin.)
This is a no holds barred match. Corbin stalled on the floor immediately. Cody bit him, then he hit some impressive quick reversals, and he hit a dropkick out of a headscissorslock. Aaron bailed to the floor, and Cody hit an Asai Moonsault to the floor at 5:30. They traded chops on the floor. Corbin flipped Cody onto a table, and they brawled around the building. In the ring, they traded punches and Corbin hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 9:00.
They brawled back to the floor, and Cody tossed Corbin into the rows of chairs. In the ring, Corbin hit a nice Yakuza Kick to the side of Cody’s head. Cody fired back with a series of moves: a Mafia Kick, a doublestomp, a Lionsault and an elbow drop at 14:30. Corbin runs outside the building, and Cody followed him!! They brawled in the parking lot, and into the back of a car! The crowd is now outside, watching this brawl go on inside a car, when the vehicle suddenly pulled away and left the parking lot. The exasperated referee called for the bell and ruled the match a draw. Nice replays of the footage here. **1/2
(7) The Boss (w/Bobby Mafi) defeats referee Rob Page (w/Big Nasty Mack Lyonz) at 2:45. Lyonz is about 350 pounds. The crowd was fired up in support of Page. This looks pretty funny, as neither man has much size, and they just aren’t wrestlers. The Boss stalled. He hugged Mafi. Page hugged Lyonz. Suddenly, Lyonz attacked Page from behind! All three heels now beat up on Page. The Boss placed one foot on Page’s chest and got the three count. He got on the mic and declared that no one can stop him.
(8) Aaron Corbin defeats Cody O’Neill at 1:23. Almost immediately after the match between Boss and Page, these two burst through the door, still brawling… presumably, they’ve been brawling this whole time! Corbin’s chest was bright red from all the blows from Cody O’Neill. Corbin threw powder into Cody’s eyes, then he hit a sitdown inverted Bubba Bomb for the pin. Corbin continued to stomp on O’Neill after the match.
(9) Al B.C. defeats Kid Krazy and Joey Envy and Venom in a four-way ladder match at 13:28. Very good match; plenty of non-stop action. Kid Krazy is blonde and the best high-flyer in the Midwest. Envy, who has short brown hair, is a hard-hitting cruiserweight. Both Krazy and Envy have competed in IWA-Mid South and into Iowa, and I am a big fan of both wrestlers. Venom is perhaps 280 pounds, and he’s the biggest man in this match. Al B.C. is the cocky heel in this match.
The bell rang, and all four ran to the floor to grab a ladder. (There are more than four ladders scattered around the building.) In the ring, Joey Envy and Kid Krazy traded hard chops and stiff forearms. Krazy hit an enziguri, and he dove over the top rope onto Venom and Al B.C. Envy grabbed a ladder and he threw it at Krazy’s back. In the ring, Venom picked up Envy and hit a wheelbarrow overhead slam onto a ladder, leaning in the corner! Joey grabbed a ladder and nailed Al B.C. with it at 3:30.
Krazy hit a sideslam on Envy onto the ladder. Krazy went for a senton, but Envy rolled off the ladder, and Envy crashed onto the ladder. OUCH. Venom went to climb a ladder, but it was so bent already, it folded up on him. Krazy hit a series of spine kicks, then a senton on Envy. Venom hit a spinning Ace Crusher on Joey. Al B.C. hit an “Al K. O.” Ace Crusher on Kid Krazy, and all four men were down at 8:00. They got up and traded chops. This match has been planned out well for several spots.
Krazy went for his “Uh OH” running basement dropkick in the corner, but Joey Envy cut him off, nailing him with a Standing Side Kick/Sweet Chin Music. Venom hit a back chop and a front kick. Krazy then got his Uh OH running basement dropkick on Al B.C., then he hit a hipkick, where he hits a cool spin kick while lying on his side. Venom picked up Envy and he hit a powerbomb onto a ladder at 11:00. Venom then picked up Envy again and gave him a Samoan Drop onto the ladder.
Krazy grabbed Venom and he hit 12 spine kicks, then 12 Kawada Kicks to the face. Krazy asked the fans to give him chairs, and the fans threw him about a dozen chairs. He piled the chairs in front of Venom in the corner; Krazy climbed the ladder and hit a missile dropkick on the chairs covering Venom’s face. (Unfortunately, Krazy could have pulled the title down, but he didn’t, opting to hit the missile dropkick.) Al B.C. climbed the ladder and pulled down the title to win the match. Good match, best of the show. **3/4.
Final thoughts: DVD runs 2 hours, 41 minutes. This was a fun show. There are several reasons to order this show. You will see the top wrestlers in Minnesota, specifically Arik Cannon, Joey Envy, Kid Krazy and Cody O’Neill, all on one show. The main event is fun and chaotic. The brawl between Cody and Aaron Corbin is fun. Cannon and Casanova had a good mat-based match. If you want to try out some wrestling with guys you haven’t seen before, this is a good event.
Reasons not to order this: I won’t try to pretend the action is up to par with ROH, JAPW, IWA-MS or PWG. It’s not. The top few guys are really good. The dozen guys who were on the NIW roster prior to the MPW guys arriving are so-so; they work hard, but their offense isn’t as crisp, and many of the guys still need to get ring gear.
It’s no secret that I know a lot of these guys, and consider many of them to be friends. But I do enjoy these shows, and I think most wrestling fans will like what they see here. Check out www.niwwrestling.com to find out more about this promotion and to purchase this DVD.
Chris