Colin Delaney should be the next Absolute Champion. I’ve never seen somebody do such a 180 in under a year. Here was a guy who was having occasionally fun, but by and large unremarkable matches to putting on some of the best matches every card. He has to be considered the most deserving candidate to unseat Eric Ryan at this point, if not near the top. AIW did a great job of having him go from the guy trying to find himself after cleaning his life up to having him win the Gauntlet for the Gold (as the first entrant) and going the distance to earn a title shot. It’s one of the best and more subtle stories they’re telling so far and I think Delaney winning the belt at “Absolution VIII” would be the perfect culmination of not only his story, but also to bring us full circle from NIXON’s formation at last year’s Absolution event.
The opening match was exactly what it should have been: fun and exciting. It’s easy to do that when you fill the match with high fliers and guys with big personalities. We got some humor with Matt Cross and Marion Fontaine and their respective facial hair. We got some dives, but best of all, there was a small story behind them. Matt Cross kept setting up for a dive only for somebody to beat him to the punch. Finally he was able to execute the Sasuke Special, and because it had been primed so much, it got a great reaction. The subtle build of Colin Delaney continued as Davey Vega pinned him to win the match and earn himself an Absolute title match against Eric Ryan later, while Delaney now enters the Gauntlet for the Gold at #1. It was interesting seeing ACH take a backseat to let other guys shine through but I appreciate that the other guys were able to shine through. This was the right way to kick off the show.
There was some excellent building to the Absolution VIII iPPV during this entire show. The Tim Donst and Addy Starr feud is the perfect example. Donst came out after the opening demanding Eddie Kingston (not at the show) to come out and fight. Addy came out with her match with Angelus Layne and was the first person out as Donst was getting escorted. The match was fine but the only noteworthy thing was the finish: Addy pinning Layne with the Sliding D, a calling card of Kingston’s arsenal. Last but not least, Starr was the one to eliminate Donst in the Gauntlet for the Gold. This was after her hitting with the Backfist to the Future. In one show, Starr made a name for himself by eliminating the winner of Gauntlet for the Gold 6 and a former Absolute Champion. It’s too bad we’ll never see a proper blow off to this feud (not in AIW anyhow) because it was built up so well in just one show. That is something that deserves to be commended.
Between these past two shows, the Jollyville Fuck-Its are slowly becoming one of my favorite teams in the company. This month they faced former tag team champions The Batiri. Even though the Fuck-Its lost, they looked incredibly formidable and had the crowd solidly behind them. The Batiri can be hit or miss, but they had great chemistry with the Fuck-Its and had a really good match because of it. Veronica before the show talked about Hope & Change, building towards the Batiri getting a rematch for their titles at next month’s show (review coming very soon).
It looks as if Ethan Page is finally about to break out. He’s been on the verge of it forever, but this seemed to be the tipping point. He had a match with Josh Prohibition in which Josh gave Seleziya Sparx the Drunken Driver and Page was able to catch him with a crucifix pin right after. Page not tending to Seleziya right away was bad enough, but before his promo he had her got on all fours so he could use her like a chair. His promo was one of those someone does right before they get the rocket strapped on them. He talked about his rise through the ranks, starting on a Girls Night Out pre-show and climbing the cards from show to show. Say what you will about the misogyny he espouses, but it’s working for him and isn’t offensive to the point of being off putting (not to me, anyhow). He also got to eliminate last years Gauntlet for the Gold winner Johnny Gargano and was one of the final two participants in the match overall. I see big things for Ethan Page and am looking forward to what AIW has in store for him.
“I’m sick of the four count!” says announcer Paul Arrand Rogers during the AIW Tag Team Title match. Yeah Paul, me too. Hope & Change’s act has either got to change or go entirely. I’m sick of people getting a three count on Iron and then celebrating because they forgot the four count rule. Is every team who faces them morons? Do they not watch their matches and prepare? It’s not as if the quality of the matches are so good that’s it’s worth putting up with either; they’re passable at best. The one good thing about the match is it built towards two much larger and more important bouts. Like I said in the Batiri match, they are being primed to face Hope & Change for the titles. After the match they made their presence known and chased them away. Their opponents for this match were The old School Express of Jack Samson and Marion Fontaine (the man for pulling double duty). The Submission Squad, who have been in matches with Samson and friends for months, attacked Fontaine and dragged him to the floor while Evan Gelestico clobbered from behind. It wasn’t an astounding finish, but it kept the streak of Hope & Change’s cheap wins alive while also building two feuds. That I can get behind.
Matt Tremont however did bring something special to AIW with just his presence alone. AIW has had some crazy, wild brawls in it’s day and that’s just the kind of attitude Tremont brought. Say what you will about the Cleveland crowd at times, but they were way into Tremont instantaneously. Chris Dickinson was a fitting first opponent for him and with Tremont brought the action you would want and expect out of this match. There was brawling, there were head drops, there were guardrails and chairs incorporated into offense, and of course, blood. The crowd really appreciated what they did and it seemed as if Tremont earned himself a trip back to AIW in the future. Chris Dickinson put him away with the Brain Eater to end a fittingly brutal bout.
Josh Alexander’s involvement in this NIXON Angle, even if for one show, made for one hell of a match. He teamed with Johnny Gargano to battle the NIXON pair of Bobby Beverly and Rickey Shane Page. The quality of wrestling was that of certain Dragon Gate tag matches. Everything was crisp, exciting, and just a pure joy to watch. With Ryan holding the Absolute title, Page and Beverly have made for an awesome tag team in recent months. Alexander and Gargano worked together as if they had been teaming for ages. Things fell apart when they had control and Ethan Page decided to come out and shove Josh Alexander off the top rope and to the floor. It’s questionable at the time whether Page did this because he was frustrated with AIW and was looking to join NIXON, or if he just wanted to do some damage to his long time adversary, but it played right into the finish without seeming forced or overbearing. As I said, the quality of wrestling was very strong (almost unexpectedly) and showcased the best in all four competitors.
Eric Ryan’s defense of the AIW Title against Davey Vega was the right example of interference and story not getting in the way of a good match. With Vega being a replacement for Eddie Kingston, I’m sure nobody truly thought he had a chance to win the title. I’ll be damned if there wasn’t a moment or two where they convinced the crowd otherwise. The Duke tried to interfere but would end up being knocked off the apron by Ryan, or totally thwarted altogether, only for him to hold Vega’s leg and allow Ryan to hit a second rope flipping piledriver to pick up the victory. Vega however got to look really strong by kicking out of Ryan’s signature Package Piledriver and getting in some key offense like a tornado DDT on the floor. As much as I miss Mat Fitchett and the Sex Bob-Ombs, I’m thrilled to see Vega getting these opportunities and him flourishing. If Ryan’s reign is going to last, these are the types of matches I hope to see if interference is deemed a necessity.
The Gauntlet for the Gold itself was wildly entertaining. Aside from their being humor and really good wrestling, the build to future matches was out of this world. I had mentioned Donst and Addy Starr earlier, but my favorite match building moment was BJ Whitmer’s surprise entry. Chris Dickinson has been calling him out for months and getting no response. When Whitmer’s music hit, Dickinson became distracted. Whitmer snuck in through the crowd, tossed Dickinson out, then dove after him. After Page and Alexander’s interaction in the tag match earlier, there was no surprise in seeing them two go after it. Page’s elimination of Johnny Gargano will inevitably lead to something. Jock Samson and the Submission Squad once again crossed paths. The Batiri manhandled Veda Scott and Gregory Iron. In the end though, it was Colin Delaney who got the win and a big ovation from the crowd. I firmly believe him winning was the right choice and that the Gauntlet did a tremendous job of building towards the future while remaining fun and entertaining as a stand alone bout.
Overall: I really enjoyed myself throughout the entire show. Top to bottom this is AIW’s most solid card in months. There’s something for everyone, every match serves a purpose, and it was a really easy watch on top of all that. If you’re buying the Absolution iPPV, this is an absolute must watch to show you some of the seeds planted for that event. This is definitely a show worth your time and money.
You can pick up this show on DVD from AIW’s store or Smart Mark Video. For a reduced price, you can also download the show as an mp4 from Smart Mark Video or watch it On Demand from SMVOD.
AIW presents “Absolution VIII” on iPPV on June 30th through SMVOD. You can pre-order this stacked show ft. Derrick Bateman, Michael Elgin, Johnny Gargano and others here.
For more information on AIW, check out their official website, their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter, and follow them on Tumblr.
Quick Results/Match Times/Star Ratings
1. Davey Vega defeated ACH, Louis Lyndon, Marion Fontaine, Colin Delaney, and Matt Cross in 11:35 by pinning Colin Delaney with the Air Raid Crash. Do to the stipulation of the match, Vega will challenge Eric Ryan for the Absolute Championship and Colin Delaney will enter the Gauntlet For the Gold match at #1. ***
2. Addy Starr pins Angelus Layne with the Sliding D at 6:27. Because of this win, Addy will now be entered into the Gauntlet for the Gold. *
3. The Batiri (Obariyon & Kodama) (with Veronica Ticklefeather) defeat The Jollyville Fuck-Its (Russ Myers & T-Money) in 11:22 after The Batiri hit Myers with a tandem Go 2 Hell. ***
4. Ethan Page (with Seleziya Sparx) defeats Josh Prohibition at 14:08 with a crucifix pin.**¾
5. AIW Tag Team Championship: Hope & Change (Veda Scott & Gregory Iron) successfully defend the titles against Old School Express (Jock Samson & Marion Fontaine) in 11:44 thanks to Evan Gelestico from the Submission Squad clobbering Samson with a cowbell behind the referee’s back and putting Iron on top of him. *½
6. Chris Dickinson defeated Matt Tremont with the Brain Eater at 18:00. ***¼
7. NIXON (Rickey Shane Page & Bobby Beverly) triumph over Johnny Gargano & Josh Alexander when Page tosses Gargano into a superkick from Beverly at 14:39. ***½
8. AIW Absolute Championship: Eric Ryan successfully defends the title against Davey Vega in 19:30, putting him away with a flipping piledriver off the second rope. ***¼
9. Colin Delaney wins the 8th Gauntlet for the Gold in 50:36, last eliminating Ethan Page. ***¾
The order of entry is:
1. Colin Delaney
2. Chris Dickinson
3. Jake Clemons
4. Russ Myers
5. Evan Gelestico
6. Johnny Gargano
7. Pierre Abernathy
8. Tim Donst
9. Super Oprah
10. Addy Starr
11. Jack Verville
12. T-Money
13. BJ Whitmer
14. Louis Lyndon
15. Gary Jay
16. Josh Prohibition
17. Dios Salvador
18. Marion Fontaine
19. Ethan Page
20. ACH
21. Rickey Shane Page
22. Matt Cross
23. Kodama
24. Bobby Beverly
25. Jock Samson
26. Obariyon
27. Josh Alexander
28. Gregory Iron
29. Veda Scott
30. Allysin Kay
Order of Elimination:
1. Jake Clemons by Colin Delaney with supreme ease.
2. Russ Myers by Colin Delaney
3. Super Oprah by Tim Donst, Evan Gelestico, and Pierre Abernathy
4. Tim Donst by Addy Starr
5. Addy Starr by Chris Dickinson
6. Jack Verville by T-Money and Chris Dickinson
7. T-Money by Chris Dickinson
8. Chris Dickinson by BJ Whitmer
9. BJ Whitmer eliminates himself, diving onto Chris Dickinson
10. Louis Lyndon by Colin Delaney
11. Josh Prohibition by Rickey Shane Page
12. Pierre Abernathy by Jock Samson
13. Gary Jay by Jock Samson
14. Evan Gelestico by Jock Samson
15. Jock Samson by Colin Delaney
16. Matt Cross by Bobby Beverly
17. Rickey Shane Page by Obariyon
18. Bobby Beverly by Kodama
19. Dios Salvador by Josh Alexander
20. Marion Fontaine by Josh Alexander
21. Gregory Iron by Obariyon and Kodama
22. Veda Scott by Obariyon and Kodama
23. Kodama by Colin Delaney
24. Obariyon by Colin Delaney
25. ACH by Johnny Gargano
26. Allysin Kay by Ethan Page
27. Josh Alexander by Ethan Page, shoving Johnny Gargano into him
28. Johnny Gargano by Ethan Page
29. Ethan Page by Colin Delaney