Cleveland, OH – 12.23.2011
Commentary is provided by Pedro Deluca, Aaron Wadsworth, Matt Wadsworth and Rickey Shane Page.
A string of promos starts the show. Pedro Deluca is backstage when Johnny Gargano walks into the building. Gargano is very happy to get a match with Dave Dawson tonight. He says the good news for Dawson is that tonight will be his last Nightmare, since you can’t have nightmares in a coma. We cut to The Duke who doesn’t understand Jock Samson’s grudge with him, but will have no problem beating him in an old school manner. Colt Cabana says he’s going to successfully defend his RLL Absolute Championship against AERO! and bring the belt back to South America. Colin Delaney interviews some fans, asking who’s going to win in his match with Jimmy Olsen tonight. The fans say he will; cowards. Colin says Jimmy is only in professional wrestling because of him and promises to put Jimmy out to pasture tonight. Aeroform is outside with their AIW tag belts. Lyndon and Kendrick says they’re going to party after they defeat both the Irish Airborne and The Batiri tonight.
The Duke vs. Jock Samson
Samson punches and elbows Duke as soon as Duke gets in the ring. Duke responds with a clothesline. He backdrops Samson out of the corner. Samson rolls to the floor to take a break. The fans give him crap for looking kind of like Zack Galifianakis Duke comes after him. Samson whips Duke into the guardrail. Samson drops an elbow back in the ring. Duke ducks a clothesline but eats a dropkick. Samson twists Duke’s nose and chops him against the ropes. Samson misses a second rope double axe handle. Duke tries to take control but gets poked in the eyes. Duke catches Samson with a spinebuster. Duke clotheslines Samson to the floor. Samson thinks because he was thrown over the top rope that he won the match. His celebration causes him to be counted out at 5:46. That was solid enough stuff, and I kind of enjoy Samson’s old school Southern shtick. I think this feud has potential. *1/2
Samson attacks Duke from behind with his cowbell. He spouts off about old school stuff like how coming off the top rope is illegal and Bill Watts. He calls the fans virgins and a gay slur before heading to the back.
St. Louis Anarchy Showcase
ACH & The Sex Bomb-omb’s (Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett) vs. The Submission Squad (Evan Gelestico, Pierre Abernathy & Gary Jay)
Gelestico boots ACH as ACH takes a bow. ACH backflip kicks him and delivers a crossbody. Vega and Jay tag in. Vega takes Jay over with a step-up huracanrana. He arm whips Jay into a dragon kick. Fitchett and Abernathy tag in. Abernathy’s arrogance is thrown off by Fitchett’s gamengiri and running knee strike. Gelestico comes in to help Abernathy throw kicks at Fitchett. The Submission Squad beat down Fitchett until he catches Jay with Water For Elephants (a Falcon Arrow backbreaker). Fitchett tags in ACH who takes out all three Squad guys with clothesline. He sends Gelestico out with a leg lariat and corner clotheslines Abernathy. Jay tope con hilo’s onto ACH. Vega suicide dives into a DDT on Gelestico. Vega and ACH drag Abernathy to the floor and Fitchett Fosbury flops onto the lot of them. In the ring, Fitchett Pele kicks Abernathy. Vega yakuza kicks him. Fitchett misses a dive to the floor. Gelestico kicks Vega in the head. Jay double stomps Vega into Abernathy’s feet. ACH breaks the pin and scissor kicks Jay in the ropes. ACH traps Gelestico in the ropes. He hits an enzuigiri and Mortal Kombat. He brings him out of the ropes with a Roll the Dice for two. Vega gives ACH a Michinoku Driver for two. Jay and Gelestico give Fitchett a Doomsday Device, but with a Flatliner instead of a clothesline. Vega valiantly fights off the Squad by himself. He sets up Jay for a shooting star press from Fitchett. ACH hits a frogsplash right after for the pin at 10:03. Now this is a how you do a showcase match. It was a true popcorn match with a lot of flash and excitement, showcasing what all six men could do. I’d like to see these six in AIW more often, especially ACH and the Bomb-omb’s. ***
Pinkie Sanchez, who is not scheduled for the show, makes his way to the ring. He swears up a storm while putting down a fan in the crowd and saying how he doesn’t care what people think of him. He challenges anybody in the back, prompting Eric Ryan to make his way to the ring. They begin to trade blows and this impromptu match begins.
Eric Ryan vs. Pinkie Sanchez
Sanchez dropkicks Ryan to the floor. He follows out with a suicide dive. Sanchez and Ryan brawl backstage. When they re-emerge, Ryan tosses Sanchez into the crowd. Sanchez slams a garbage can lid on Ryan’s head. Sanchez superkicks Ryan while Ryan is sitting in a chair. Sanchez comes off a table, dropkick Ryan in his knees. Sanchez whips Ryan into some fans’ chairs. Ryan takes control as they come back to ringside.That doesn’t last long as Sanchez throws Ryan against the AIW staff table. Sanchez then takes him to the concession stand where he hops over the stand with a beautiful dropkick to Ryan. So impressive in fact that Dolph Ziggler and Derrick Bateman stand nearby looking impressed. Back in the ring Sanchez gets two with bootiez4breakfast. Sanchez tornado DDT’s Ryan for another two count. Ryan superkicks Sanchez and German suplexes him for two. Ryan misses a top rope legdrop, allowing Sanchez to hit the Shiney Hiney for two. He hits it a second time but Ryan’s shoulders are under the bottom rope. Sanchez and Ryan fight up top. Ryan puts Sanchez in a tree of woe and double stomps him. Sanchez recovers and trade strikes with Ryan. He exploder suplexes Ryan into the corner, causing Ryan to land in a tree of woe. Sanchez hits bootiez4breakfast for two. Sanchez puts Ryan on his shoulders. Ryan slides out and delivers the Package Piledriver for the pin at 8:43. I’m really enjoying watching Ryan’s progression in AIW. He’s a guy who I can see being Absolute Champion by Absolution VII. He and Sanchez had a very fun brawl that was engaging from bell to bell. Not much more to ask than that. **3/4
RLL Absolute Championship
Colt Cabana vs. AERO!
Cabana shoves AERO to the mat two times, then poses to the fans while claiming he is on steroifs. AERO rolls to evade Cabana’s lock-up attempts, so Cabana enjoys him in the tumbling. Cabana kicks AERO’s legs apart and shoves him to the mat. He spanks AERO, and AERO angrily throws kicks at Cabana’s leg. Cabana pushes him to the mat again. AERO catches Cabana with a running boot. Cabana respond with the Flying Asshole and Bionic Elbow. He turns AERO into the Billy Goat’s Cure for the submission at 2:35. That was fun while it lasted. ½*
Intense Division Championship
Bobby Beverly (Champion) vs. Facade
Chest Flexor and The Chad accompany Beverly to the ring. Beverly also brings Sassy Stephie into the fold. Façade catches Beverly with a missle dropkick to start the match. Façade disposes of Flexor and suicide dives onto Beverly. Façade comes back into the ring with a springboard spin kick. He then hits a split-legged moonsault for two. As Flexor Industries re-groups, Façade decides to dive onto The Chad. Beverly gives Façade a bicycle kick in response. Beverly throws Façade into a few ring posts. Façade whips Beverly into the guardrails. Beverly backdrops him intot he crowd. Façade tries to springboard off the guardrail but Beverly shoves him back into the crowd. Beverly gets in some kicks before throwing Façade back into the ring for a two count. Beverly clotheslines Façade for two. Façade back suplexes Beverly to turn the tide. They each snapmare each other into a chest kick. Beverly enzuigiri’s Façade, but Façade comes right back with a springboard enzuigiri. A running chest kick gets Façade two. Façade palm strikes Beverly on the top rope. Flexor shakes the ropes to crotch Façade. Beverly gives Façade a dangling Ace Crusher for two. Beverly dropkicks Façade in the corner for two once again. Façade rolls to the ring apron to avoid a low superkick. He walks the top rope and dives onto Flexor and The Chad. Façade hops back into the ring. Beverly catches him on his shoulders and gives him a Death Valley Driver for the pin at 10:18. Beverly, who I’ve liked since I first watched him, continues to grow on me. He and Façade work very well together and made many of the nearfalls count. I truly see Beverly as the golden child of Flexor Industries and I hope his star continues to rise. ***
Marion Fontaine vs. Chuck Taylor
Each guy breaks a lock-up in the corner. They stand off after Fontaine ducks a spin kick. They each block the others’ hip toss so many times that they end up tiring themselves out. Taylor finally successfully hip tosses Fontaine. They lazily armdrag and leg sweep each other, showing just how tired they are. Fontaine escapes a moonsault. Taylor baits Fontaine into a small package for two. Fontaine delivers a series of punches before hitting the Tea Bag for two. Taylor overhead suplexes Fontaine to the corner. Taylor chokes Fontaine against the ropes. Taylor snapmares him into a chinlock. Fontaine rubs his mustache, giving himself the power to break out of the hold. He punches Taylor to the ropes, then whips him off the ropes into a clothesline. He sends Taylor to the floor with a Flying Mustache. Taylor comes back into the ring with a fake mustache on! He fires up, taking down Fontaine with a flying forearm. Taylor falls short of hitting a crossbody. Fontaine rips off Taylor’s mustache and rolls him up for two. Fontaine connects with a leg lariat. Taylor blocks an Irish whip with the Sole Food. He uranage slams Fontaine for two. Fontaine drops Taylor with a Rydeen Bomb for two. Fontaine and Taylor fight on the ropes. Fontaine sends Taylor to the mat and missile dropkick Taylor to the corner. Taylor delivers a running boot but misses a quebrada. Fontaine hits a quebrada successfully for the pin at 10:32. The goofiness kind of lost the crowd there for a moment, but once they incorporated more wrestling into it this picked up. Not the best either man has offered, but it accomplished what it set out to do. **
Gregory Iron & Colt Cabana vs. Youthanazia (Josh Prohibition & Matt Cross)
Iron and Prohibition each got to pick a mystery partner for this match. Who better for Iron to pick than the guy who helped jump start Iron’s newfound success? Prohibition chose Cross as they are career long friends, rivals and partners.
Prohibition teases locking up with Iron, but tags out to Cross instead. Cross elbows Iron to the mat and stomps on him. Iron clotheslines Cross three times. He armdrags Cross and holds onto the arm. Cabana tags in and helps Iron take Cross off his feet. Cross catches Cabana with an enzuigiri from the apron. Cabana slams Cross after spinning him. Prohibition tags in and suffers the same fate. Iron and Cabana volley Prohibition between them with punches. Prohibition goes to the floor and Iron follows with a suicide dive. Cross fakes a dive. He turns around and eats Cabana’s bionic elbow. Cabana spins Iron so he can Gimp Slap both Cross and Prohibition. Cross kicks the ropes as Iron tries a springboard move. This allows Youthanzia to take control by isolating Iron in their corner. Finally, Iron evades a double team maneuver and tags in Cabana. Cabana double chops and punches Prohibition into Cross. He gives Cross the Flying Asshole. A A hip attack on Prohibition gets him a two count. Cabana gives Cross the Bionic Elbow. Iron helps Cabana take Prohibition out. He gives Prohibition a reverse side Russian leg sweep for two. Prohibition kicks Cabana to the floor. Prohibition catches Iron on his shoulders. Cross hops off of Iron’s shoulders into a flubbed huracanrana onto Cabana. Prohibition drops Iron out of a Death Valley Driver onto Cabana for two. Iron sends Prohibition to the floor. Cabana drops Cross stomach first across the top rope. Iron delivers a flying elbow to Cross. Prohibition pulls referee Jake Clemons out of the ring. Cabana pulls Prohibition to the apron. Prohibition snaps Cabana’s neck across the top rope. Prohibition kicks Iron in the crotch as Cross is distracting Clemons. Prohibition hits the Drunken Driver, and Cross follows with Death From Above for the pin at 13:54. I’m surprised by the result, as I figured this would be Iron’s big victory to put his feud with Prohibition to rest. I thought both partners were perfect choices for both men. Everyone worked really hard, and if this leads to another Iron vs. Prohibition No DQ match (like the one at Absolution VI) than I will be pleased. ***
Jimmy Olsen vs. Colin Delaney
Dr. Col. Nolan Angus is in Olsen’s corner. Delaney distracts Olsen by saying that Arik Cannon would be in his corner, then attacks Olsen from behind. Delaney boots Olsen in the head a few times. Olsen clotheslines Delaney to block a bodyslam. Olsen gives chase to Delaney on the floor. In the ring, Olsen chops Delaney with Delaney’s pants down. Olsen pitches Delaney to the floor, then hip tosses him back into the ring from the ring apron. He takes Delaney back out to the floor again. Olse delivers some chops and a hard right punch. The fight spills into the crowd. Olsen hurls a chair into Delaney’s face. Olsen throws him into a table, and Delaney throws a trash can into Jimmy’s mid-section. By the concession and merchandise area, Delaney knees Olsen in the head. Delaney smashes a sods can into Olsen’s head. Delaney drop toe holds Olsen into a milk crate. Delaney smashes a trash can lid over and over again onto him. Olsen takes that same lid and dropkicks it into Delaney’s face. Delaney pulls shoves a chair ino Olsen’s knees and smashes a microphone into Olsen’s head. Olsen superkicks Delaney as Delaney is seated. Delaney throws a trash can onto Olsen, eating some chips inside. Olsen traps Delaney’s head in the back and applies a headlock. He releases and throws Delaney back to ringside. Somewhere, Olsen got a cut on his forearm. Olsen goes for a tornado DDT, but Delaney turns it into a dangling DDT onto the arena floor. Delaney takes a swig of bourbon while Olsen bleeds from his forehead. Delaney chops and digs his fingers into Olsen’s open wound. Delaney bites the wound when it looks like Olsen is about to mount a comeback. Olsen manages to get Delaney to the floor and suicide dives onto him. Jimmy suicide dives onto him from the opposite side of the ring as well. Back in the ring Olsen missile dropkicks Delaney for two. Olsen slingshots in from the apron, only to be caught in a DDT from Delaney. Delaney DDT’s him a second time. He arrogantly pins Olsen, only getting two. They trade headbutts on their knees, then forearms on their feet. Olsen enzuigiri’s Delaney. Delaney Saito suplexes Olsen. Olsen gets up and superkicks Delaney, causing both men to crumble. Olsen goes for the Overbomb. Nolan hits Olsen in the head with his boot! Angus walks around, which is miraculous considering we have only seen Angus in a wheelchair in his time at AIW. Delaney gives Olsen a dangling lung blower. Delaney hits the 12 Large Elbow for the pin at 17:08. This was a turning point for Colin in AIW. For awhile, Colin and Jimmy were just the goofy tag team who usually had very good matches with little substance behind them. Now, with Colin beating the piss out of and bloodying his brother, he has positioned himself to possibly become the top heel in AIW (outside of Flexor Industries). Jimmy did a tremendous job playing the victim and he deserves credit for Colin’s ascension too. After the match Jimmy says he’s retiring from professional wrestling. As someone who has watched all of Jimmy’s matches in CHIKARA and AIW, he will be missed. ***1/4
AIW Tag Team Championship
Aeroform (Flip Kendrick & Louis Lyndon) (Champions) vs. The Batiri (Obariyon & Kodama) vs. Irish Airborne (Jake & Dave Crist)
Lucha rules are in effect, meaning no tags are necessary. One member from each team is in the ring at all times. Flexor Industries is in Aeroform’s corner. The Batiri dive onto Aeroform as they circle the ring (before the bell). Irish Airborne follow suit. The Airborne double team Kendrick back in the ring. They do the same to Lyndon, Kodama and Obariyon in that order. Aeroform attack the Aiborne from behind. They send Dave to the floor and hit an enzuigiri/gamengiri combo in the corner. Dave breaks a pin after a reverse huracanrana/German suplex combo. Kodama trips Dave into a knee strike from Obariyon. They double knee strike Dave for two. They follow with a wheelbarrow neckbreaker. Lyndon talks Obariyon into double teaming Dave. Lyndon takes out Jake and Kendrick helps Obariyon attack Dave behind referee Jake Clemons’ back. Obariyon and Lyndon continue to team up on Dave until Dave takes them both out with simultaneous reverse DDT’s. Jake tags in. He knocks down Kendrick and gives Kodama a neckbreaker. He slams Kendrick in the corner. Lyndon throws him to the floor. Jake throws Lyndon into a clothesline from Kodama. Jake crossbody’s Kodama for two. Lyndon holds Jake for Obariyon. Obariyon accidentally gives Lyndon the Flying DDT. He goes for the pin anyway but Jake breaks it up. The Airborne double team Obariyon in the corner. Kodama gives Jake the flying Blockbuster. Kendrick breaks the pin. Lyndon dropkicks Kodama off of Kendrick’s shoulders. Obariyon breaks the pin. Obariyon hits a reverse Go 2 Sleep. The Airborne give Obariyon the Irish Coffee. Lyndon kicks Jake away and pins Obariyon for the win at 9:04. With more time this could have been just as epic as some of the other recent AIW thee team matches, but for what we got it was just slightly above average. **3/4
BJ Whitmer vs. Rickey Shane Page
They each break a lock-up in the corner. Whitmer wins an exchange on the mat. Whitmer breaks Page’s headlock by taking him to the corner. Things heat up as both men exchange chops. Whitmer gets two with a leg lariat. Whitmer then gets two with a backbreaker. He also gets two with a back elbow. Page responds with a neckbreaker, a kick to the stomach and an elbow drop for two. Page knee strikes Whitmer in the corner for two. He puts Whitmer in a cloverleaf after a back elbow. Page gives him a hard headbutt once Whitmer escapes the hold. Whitmer suplexes Page to stop Page’s onslaught of strikes. Whitmer forearms him to the mat. A corner knee strike and two suplexes get Whitmer a two count. Page fights out of an O’Conner Roll, but still gets taken over with a huracanrana for two. Page backdrops Whitmer, kicking him in the back on the way down. Page Saito suplexes Whitmer, then German suplexes him for two. Whitmer recovers, hitting a leg-capture neckbreaker and fisherman’s suplex for two. Whitmer puts Page on the top rope. Page shoves Whitmer to the mat and connects with a Swanton Bomb. Page gets two after a Death Valley Driver. A powerbomb can’t keep Whitmer down either. Page keeps trying to have a violence party in the corner, but Whitmer throws his own strikes right back at him. Whitmer catches Page on the top rope. He brings him down with an exploder suplex for two. Whitmer boots Page for two. Whitmer drops Page with an STO, transitionginto the Peruvian Necktie. Page taps out at 15:18. This was very pedestrian for the first part of the match, only picking up slightly towards the end. I’m actually annoyed that the fans who made no noise during this match chanted “that was awesome” at the end. Really? It was so awesome that you didn’t react whatsoever? Regardless of all that, these two have done much better the past few shows. Whitmer puts over Page in a big way after the match. **1/2
No Disqualification
Johnny Gargano vs. Dave Dawson
Special Guest Referee: Tim Donst
In case you forgot, Dawson is Flexor Industries referee who’s been screwing with Gargano the past few months. Last month, Flexor made it seem like Donst had joined Flexor Industries, which Gargano didn’t know whether to take as being legitimate or more mind games. He is the special referee for this match, so we presumably will find out where his loyalty lies in this match. Surprisingly, Dawson comes to the ring alone.
Dawson is apprehensive to attack. He slaps Gargano, then makes Gargano chase him around the ring and to the back. Gargano comes back with Dawson. The Chad runs out and attacks Gargano. Donst chases him off. This process repeats with Louis Lyndon and Flip Kendrick. Gargano accidentally superkicks Donst, bringing out Aeroform, The Chad and Bobby Beverly to beat down Gargano. Chest Flexor and Sassy Stephie join in. Stephie ties Gargano’s hands behind his back. Façade runs out to stop Dawson from hitting Gargano with a chair. Eric Ryan, Jake Crist, BJ Whitmer and Rickey Shane Page all run out to even the odds. Dave Crist climbs up to a basketball hoop and moonsaults onto everyone! That is, everyone but Gargano and Dawson. Gargano got his hands untied, but puts them behind his back to trick. Dawson. Gargano stops Dawson’s chair shot. He superkicks Dawson after trapping his arms in the ropes three times. Gargano lawn darts Dawson into a steel chair in the corner. Per the fans request, Gargano does it a second time. Gargano nails Dawson over and over with a chair. Donst makes his way out and counts Gargano’s pin at 10:14. That was a fine ass kicking that Gargano dished out and a great way to build to Flexor Industries being kept under control. Dave’s basketball hoop moonsault was pretty awesome as well. This was a feel good way to end AIW’s final show of 2011. ***
Donst immediately attacks Gargano after counting the pin. Flexor Inudstries pull Donst out of the ring before a skirmish can commence. Donst heads to the back while the rest of Flexor Industries carries Dawson to the back. Matt Wadsworth comes to the ring. He says he promised that Flexor Industries were on their way out and it seems he now has the crew to make that happen.
We end the show with some backstage promos. Josh Prohibition calls Greg Iron a joke and can’t believe he thinks he should be in the Royal Rumble. BJ Whitmer says he came back to wrestling because he had some unfinished business and something to prove. He requests that AIW management keep bringing him big names so he can prove himself. Tim Donst is ready to cut a promo stating where he stands, but the camera guy tells Donst he’s out of tape and the DVD ends.
Pre-Show Matches
Luis Diamante vs. Jason Gory
K. Fernandez and Joey “The Snake” are in Diamante’s corner. Gory takes Diamante over with a few armdrag variants. Diamante full nelson slams Gory across his knee. Diamante distracts the referee so that Fernandez can choke Gory behind his back. Diamante slams Gory and drops an elbow for two. Gory counters a slam with a chinbreaker. Gory clotheslines Diamante in the corner, then splashes Diamante’s back as he lay on the ropes. Gory gets two with a springboard dropkick. Gory hits the QAS (a Yoshi Tonic) for two. Gory misses a 450 splash. Diamante hits a running knee strike and holds Gory’s tights for the pin at 3:50. That was perfectly acceptable pre-show stuff. Gory and Façade teaming in AIW though would make my day. *
Beyond Wrestling Showcase
Jarek 1:20 (-6) vs. Maserati Rick (-3)
Jarek tries to play a card trick with Rick, but Rick instead puts on a side headlock. Jarek slips his way free and throws the playing cards into Rick’s face. Jarek takes Rick to the mat in a side headlock. Rick brings the match back to a vertical base and back elbows Jarek in the corner. Jarek sends Rick to the floor. Jarek puts the boots to Rick before bringing him back in the ring. Jarek knee strikes Rick in the corner for two. After Jarek gets in a couple strikes, Rick Irish whips Jarek upside down into the corner. Rick delivers two backbreakers and a powerslam for another two count. Jarek avoids a quebrada. Rick blocks his superkick and hits a modified Michinoku Driver for two. Jarek uses magic to “freeze” Rick on the rope. He unfreezes Rick and catches him with a superkick as he comes off the ropes. That gets Jarek the pin at 5:28. Jarek’s stick lends itself to a lot of creativity and uniqueness, as the finish showed. He and Rick had a good exhibition without doing anything really crazy (which they shouldn’t have). **
Overall: “Nightmare Before X-Mas 5” was an excellent way for AIW to finish out what I think is easily their best year yet. Some issues reached a culmination, others progressed and new ones began. The wrestling itself was also very good with most everything hovering around the three star mark. Some AIW shows have a tendency to feel a little bit long in the tooth, but this show flew by. Of course, it also had an eclectic roster and strong diversity in all the matches to keep the show from feeling stale. I really think AIW is going a great job of building their talent and storylines. Case in point: I’m DYING to finally hear where Tim Donst stands in the whole AIW vs. Flexor Industries feud. I’d certainly recommend throwing this in your cart if you’re picking up any other 2011 AIW shows. You can pick up the show at AIW’s official store or Smart Mark Video.
Col. Angus? God, that wasn’t funny when SNL did it.