Wrestling in Southern Indiana has started to experience a resurgence with the creation of one new promotion and the rebirth of an old one. On July 11th, 2013 Evolution Pro Wrestling kicked off it’s first show “Ignition Evolution” and has only gone from strength to strength with each consecutive show. Their most recent one took place in Albion, Illinois on January 4th. “Crossing State Lines” was the first time EvoPro had ventured outside of Southern Indiana. As a result, we saw a good mix of talent from both states come together for an exciting night of wrestling. The other promotion I hinted at above is one that most people thought would never come back. Much like the proverbial cat, however, IWA: Mid South has more than one life. On June 14th, “Old Scars and Bad Blood” presented a great show that saw around 300 fans attend to welcome it back. Since then, with the exception of the Ted Petty Invitational that had to be canceled in September, every show advertised has happened. “Out with the Old, In with the New” occurred on January 11th. Read on to see my review of both shows along with some thoughts on the rejuvenated wrestling scene in the Ohio Valley.

“Crossing State Lines” results:

1) Tripp Cassidy beat Josh Crane with a rollup and a handful of tights.

2) “The Working Man” Frank Wyatt defeated “The Intimidator” Joshua Totten

Reed “BY GOD” Bentley (with Heidi Lovelace) and Mad Man Pondo came out to announce their respective opponents for the “Pick Your Poison” matches. Bentley chose Christian Skyfire for Pondo, and Pondo chose Danny Cannon for Reed.

3) Nine person scramble match: Alex Castle vs Ace Perry vs Gabriel Gray vs Justin Storm vs King Crush vs David O’Shea vs Nate Stone vs Marcus Edwards vs Eddy Young. It came down to Perry pinning Castle. A rematch between the two was set for the next show in Albion, on March 8th.

4) Reed Bentley beat “Dynamite” Danny Cannon after hitting The Reed Awakening. Due to the close contest, if Reed retains his EPW title, he will put it on the line against Cannon in a rematch on March 8th.

5) Heidi Lovelace defeated ‘Crazy’ Mary Dobson via pinfall with a handful of tights.

6) During the main event of Christian Skyfire vs Mad Man Pondo, Tripp Cassidy, Reed Bentley and Heidi Lovelace ran in to beat down both men. Mary Dobson made the save using a taser. Acting Commissioner Kaige Kuttler changed the main to a six person tag team match pitting Skyfire, Pondo and Dobson against Cassidy, Bentley and Lovelace. After a wild brawl around the place, Bentley and Lovelace bailed, leaving Cassidy to be hit by a Canadian Destroyer from Skyfire, the STOP sign from Pondo and pinned after a split legged moonsault by Dobson. Post-match, it was decided that Tripp Cassidy and Christian Skyfire will face off in a Barefoot Toy Box (Legos & Army Men) Deathmatch on March 8th.

It may have taken awhile for the fans to get into the show, but every match was anywhere from good to superb. Danny Cannon versus Reed Bentley was the match of the night for me. This was the first time they had wrestled each other in over a year as Cannon has only gotten back into it in the past month. If anyone expected to see ring rust from him, they were quickly disabused of that notion. Dynamite was on fire from bell to bell and threw an arsenal of kicks, flips and things that have to be seen to be believed. It was exciting to watch, there being plenty of nearfalls that had the audience on the edge of their seats. The end came after not one but two variations of the Reed Awakening. Honestly, I could have watched them go at it for another twenty minutes. Here’s hoping that the rematch does take place in March.

Tripp Cassidy and Josh Crane are no stranger to each other. The two have done battle up and down Indiana. Here they brought their feud to Illinois in an intense match that saw Tripp get the win through cheating. These two are hard hitting and brutal, two young men who are seeking to get their names out there. Both deserve more exposure in 2014, as do Mary Dobson and Heidi Lovelace. Lovelace is best known as being the Punk Rock Ragdoll babyface but since aligning herself with former foe turned ally, Reed Bentley, she has shown more of an edge. Here she pulled out every dirty trick in the book to take out the still-learning Dobson and in the end, much like Cassidy, had to resort to holding the tights to get the win. The two here didn’t click as well as they have in previous matches, but seeing Heidi as the polar opposite of how I’ve seen her in other promotions shows the range she has. I’m looking forward to seeing the next bout between these two women as their rivalry is far from over.

If I had to choose the second best match of the night, I would go with the nine man scramble match. I personally love scramble matches, but had never seen one with this many people in it. There were a few “rough spots” here and there but it flowed well and, in what was undoubtedly an upset, the newcomer Ace Perry managed to take out veteran Alex Castle. This led to the announcement that the two will face off one on one when EPW returns to Albion on March 8th. Along with Castle and Perry, Marcus Edwards was the other person to really stand out in the match to me. Keep an eye out for Edwards and Perry as they start to make a name for themselves in the Midwest; and there’s no one better than Alex Castle when it comes to standing out from the crowd.

The main event was a wild brawl that went all the way around the place. It struck me as odd that Reed would select Christian Skyfire as Pondo’s opponent, then run in and attack them both alongside Lovelace and Cassidy. However, there wasn’t much time to think about it as immediately after acting commissioner Kaige Kuttler made it a six person tag team match with no disqualifications, all six went out of the ring and into the crowd, throwing each other into chairs and walls; using anything and everything to beat the hell out of each other. Once Skyfire, Pondo and Dobson had Tripp Cassidy cornered in the ring, Lovelace and Bentley bailed, leaving their partner to take the beating and subsequent pinfall.

Overall, this was a very fun show. Evolution Pro returns to Albion, IL on March 8th. All of their shows are up on YouTube, so if you don’t want to take my word for it, have a gander at “Crossing State Lines” here:

One week later, I found myself at my third IWA:Mid South show “Out with the Old, In with the New” seeing a few faces I had seen only a week before as well as a plethora more. Seeing as the weather was the only factor that kept most fans away from “Big Ass Christmas Bash” last month (which was a stellar show and on sale now at Smart Mark Video), I was hopeful that this crowd would make up for it. Sure enough there looked to be around 150 people in the Colgate Gym for one of the most solid shows since Mid South’s return.

“Out with the Old, In with the New” results:

Pre-Show Match: Ace Perry & Jacob Black defeated Marcus Edwards & Michael McMoney

1) Josh Crane pinned Todd Morton

2) Kongo Kong beat Tripp Cassidy

3) Heidi Lovelace pinned Angelus Layne

4) Reed Bentley defeated Ian Rotten & Mean Mitch Page in a two-on-one handicap match

5) Hy Zaya beat Shane Mercer

6) Danny Cannon defeated Alex Castle, Frank Wyatt, Zakk Sawyers, Mikey McFinnegan and Dale Patricks in the six-way “Fight For Your Spot” match.

7) Jordynne Grace pinned Mickie Knuckles (with help from Rodney Rush)

8) Adam Gooch & Trik Davis beat Evan Gelistico & Pierre Abernathy (Evan had his foot on the ropes but Reed Bentley knocked it off before the referee could see it.)

9) Christian Rose defeated B-Boy. Announced for February 8th “Heartbreak” is Danny Cannon versus Christian Rose.

10) Necro Butcher beat Gary Jay in a war that included several devastating chops

11) BJ Whitmer pinned Jonathan Gresham. Afterwards, Trik, Reed and Adam ran in and beat down Whitmer, causing Ian Rotten to hit the ring. Announced for March 9th “Sunday Bloody Sunday” is Gooch and Davis vs BJ and his tag team partner Jimmy Jacobs. To prevent interference, Reed will be handcuffed to a fan that wins the raffle.

Main Event: Team IOU (Nick Iggy & Kerry Awful) defeated Corporal Robinson & Ox Harley in a Double Dog Collar Match that saw all four men busted open.

Much like CZW and AIW, IWA:MS is committed to having something for everyone. Be it tag team matches, hardcore matches, women’s matches or technical bouts, there’s a match for every type of fan on their cards and this show was no exception. My personal match of the night was the six way “Fight For Your Spot”. A large majority of the crowd went from asking who any of these guys were to fully investing in who won. The honors went to Danny Cannon who got a standing ovation at the end of the match; however, Castle, Wyatt, Sawyers, Patricks, and McFinnegan made strong impressions of their own. Hopefully all of them will be on future shows, but Ian himself came out to declare that those of us who had witnessed Cannon had seen a star being born. Considering all the talent that Ian has helped nurture and grow, this is high praise. Even more-so when you consider this was his third match since returning to wrestling in December. However, I do believe that along with Danny, Alex Castle was one of the standouts. Castle has been somewhat overshadowed in past years by his now-sometimes tag team partner Matt Cage, but now that he is on his own it’s his chance to break out and show the wrestling world what he can do. Also, Zakk Sawyers is severely underrated. Here’s wishing that he will return to show off more of what he is capable of.

Whitmer and Gresham

The second best match on the show in my opinion was BJ Whitmer vs Jonathan Gresham. Since deciding to return from a career-threatening injury, BJ has been on fire everywhere he’s gone and Mid South was no exception. The height difference was such a contrast many folks didn’t think Gresham would have a chance. However, these two put on a showcase that left everyone in attendance in awe. It was absolutely fantastic. Gresham is heading back to the United Kingdom soon, so if you get the chance to see him while he’s in the States I strongly urge you to do so. Same with Whitmer. Rounding out my top three for that night is Christian Rose in another high profile match, this time against B-Boy. This was B-Boy’s first trip out Midwest in a long time, to familiar stomping grounds, and the fact he took on someone with amazing potential in Christian Rose made for an excellent veteran-vs-rising-star match. This was my first time seeing B-Boy in person and he did not disappoint. It wasn’t too long in the bout when the vet (known for his hard-hitting strikes) landed a blow that seemed to knock Rose out. Officials from the back came out to help him to the back, but he shrugged off their help and got back into the ring, demanding that B-Boy hit him again. No matter how hard he was struck, Christian kept getting back up, which slowly turned the crowd in his favor. A folding press got Rose the upset victory and Ian announced shortly thereafter that on February 8th at “Heartbreak”, Rose would take on Danny Cannon. It will be their first encounter since November 11th, 2011. Considering how great that match was I can only imagine how much better this one will be.

If blood and violence is your thing, the two matches that best fulfill these are Gary Jay taking on Necro Butcher, and the main event itself. Both Gary and Necro are known for their chops so this was bound to be hard hitting but when the two took it outside the ring, the violence took off. By the end, their chests were red and bleeding. The Butcher may have lost in December to Jack Thriller but he got the win here after a brutal war. Meanwhile the main event more than filled the blood quota. If you have seen Team IOU outside of IWA:MS then you may think they’re a goofy, quirky team but here, once locked into the dog collars, they showed they’re more than willing to do what it takes to get the win. It wasn’t long before all four men were bloodied but undoubtedly it was Kerry Awful who got the worst of it. His face was a literal crimson mask. Ox Harley and Corporal Robinson may have come out on top, were it not for Kongo Kong, who came out and took out Corp, then dragged Kerry on top of him for the pinfall. Kongo has targeted Robinson in the past. No matter how it happened, however, Team IOU can now boast of a victory over two of IWA:Mid South’s veterans in a bloody bout. It’s an impressive start for two guys making their name.

Kerry Awful Corp Robinson (1)

Mid South is the birthplace of the best all-female promotion in America, SHIMMER Women Athletes, so it was fitting to see two separate women’s matches, one of which featuring one of the pioneers of the division. Mickie Knuckles took on rookie Jordynne Grace in a bout that stemmed from their interactions when Mickie returned to IWA in December. Grace saw fit to use Mickie’s music “Redneck Woman” and declare that she was better than veterans such as Daizee Haze, MsChif and Sara Del Rey. Knuckles took exception to this and challenged her to a one on one match for January. Mickie proceeded to beat the shit out of Jordynne inside and outside of the ring. At one point, Knuckles hit a northern lights suplex on Grace on the hardwood floor. Despite this, thanks to help from her manager Rodney Rush, Grace got a tainted victory but had to run to the back to escape her opponent’s fury. She didn’t have a chance to gloat for long, as later in the show it was announced that on February 8th, Knuckles and Grace would face off again, this time in a match with no disqualifications and pinfalls will count anywhere. The other women’s match was Heidi Lovelace facing off against Angelus Layne. Angelus has only had a handful of matches since her return from Post-Concussion Syndrome. Prior to it, her and Heidi had wrestled several times, with each being anywhere from good to great. Unfortunately this rematch wasn’t up to the previous ones but it’s completely understandable. Heidi made the most of it, getting the crowd to wake up, then finally scoring the win with the Heidikenrana. Lovelace is one to watch in 2014 after having an amazing 2013. Personally, I hope Mid South rebuilds it’s once proud women’s division around her. The Punk Rock Ragdoll is the future.

Elsewhere on the show, Todd Morton called out the winner of December’s “Fight For Your Spot” match, Josh Crane and ran him down, saying he wasn’t worthy of being in wrestling. Crane made him eat his words by getting an upset victory over the veteran. Crane’s sometimes friend, sometimes foe, Tripp Cassidy was, literally, squashed by Kongo Kong, in a match set up by Ian after Rotten was beaten by Cassidy at EPW two days earlier. IWA-veteran Hy Zaya pinned newcomer Shane Mercer in a match that stemmed from the eight man tag team match in December, which came down to Mercer vs Zaya, the latter pinning the former there as well. Post-match, Shane lost it and attacked Hy Zaya, eventually busting him open using his spiked gauntlet. This was the first time Hy Zaya had ever bled in IWA and due to the escalation between the two, it was announced that at “Heartbreak” the two will meet again – this time in a steel cage match.

All throughout the show, the trio of Reed Bentley, Trik Davis (who has also made a return to wrestling after an extended time off and looks like he hasn’t missed a step) and Adam Gooch made their presence felt. The latter two pulled out a win against the Submission Squad of Pierre Abernathy and Evan Gelistico, despite Evan’s foot being on the bottom rope. Reed made sure to knock it off before the referee could see it. The Sub Squad is always tremendously fun to watch but here they were no match for the viciousness or the numbers game. Meanwhile, the leader of the gang, Reed BY GOD Bentley was set to take on Mean Mitch Page. But, as usual, Bentley got on the mic and started to rant about how he is continually overlooked and disrespected when it comes to who he faces in the promotion. For months now he has proclaimed himself the new Hero of IWA Mid South, taking on Chris Hero’s own music, running down Ian Rotten and the ‘old guard’ such as Jimmy Jacobs (who Reed has had an on-going feud with since the rebirth of Mid South). Here, he complained about having to face Page, spouting off, “Why don’t you send out another old washed up deathmatch guy wearing cut off jean shorts?” Enter the King of the Deathmatches: Ian Rotten. This handicap match was a back and forth affair, with Reed managing to tear at the eyes of both men, busting both of them open. You can’t hit what you can’t see, after all. Despite this, they kept fighting until Gooch and Davis ran out, battering Mitch Page and hauling him to the back. This left Ian and Reed alone. At one point, Rotten had him down for the pinfall but when referee John Gray went to count three, his shoulder somehow cramped up which sent him into spasms of pain. Ian went to check on him, which allowed Bentley to pull a chain out of his boot. Once Rotten turned around, Reed nailed him with a blow to the head that let Bentley get the win.

Christian Rose BBoy

Through fair means and foul, Reed Bentley has remained undefeated in singles competition since IWA’s rebirth. His only loss so far has been in a tag match between him teaming with Trik Davis to take on Jimmy Jacobs and Zack Gowen. True, he did cheat in December during his first blood match with Jacobs (Gooch ran in and poured ketchup on Jimmy, leading the referee to award Reed the win) and here he used a chain to beat Ian – however, no one can question Bentley’s drive and determination to make a name for himself, no matter the cost. This campaign by the three men may turn out to be their undoing: on February 8th, Mean Mitch Page and Ian Rotten take on Trik Davis and Adam Gooch, while Bentley comes face to face with the man who he has stolen from, belittled and disrespected for months now. At “Heartbreak” Reed BY GOD Bentley will face Chris Hero. When face to face with the man in December, there was hatred mixed with a hint of pain in Reed’s eyes when looking at his former mentor. What is the motivation behind this obsession with Chris Hero? There seems to be some demons driving this man and now he is on a collision course with a man he once looked up to. On February 8th, we will find out what happens when a Hero meets a self-proclaimed God.

All in all, an excellent show. However, I feel the need to end this report on a personal note. I’ve had several people tell me the horror stories behind Ian Rotten. I’ve had people tell me I’m crazy or just plain stupid for investing time and effort into supporting IWA Mid South. First off, I can’t and don’t blame anyone for remaining skeptical. Since all this happened before I really started getting into the independents, I have no first hand knowledge of anything that happened. Others obviously do and while I would urge them to give Ian a second or a third chance, I don’t begrudge anyone their decisions. However, for anyone out there who is like me and has only heard the stories, I would strongly advise them to pick up a DVD from IWA’s rebirth and give Ian Rotten a chance. It is still the promotion that gave us CM Punk, AJ Styles, Claudio Castagnoli, Bryan Danielson and so many more that are either on our television screens or enjoy a high profile in the world of independent wrestling. Plus, as I pointed out above, it has a good mix of styles. There is something for everyone, as well as veterans interacting with those who are looking to IWA to help raise their profile. Reed Bentley, Christian Rose, Danny Cannon, Josh Crane, Alex Castle, Heidi Lovelace, Kerry Awful, Nick Iggy – these are a handful of guys (and gal) among others who can help Mid South become what it once was, and in return can use it to boost their profile. Keep an eye on it at the very least – I have a feeling 2014 will see a revitalized IWA Mid South. Together with Evolution Pro, we may be witnessing the birth of a new era in professional wrestling located in Southern Indiana. There is a ton of Midwest guys and gals that deserve more attention. Watch the videos on YouTube, buy a DVD, come out to a show – support and defend independent wrestling.

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