October 14th, 2017

Opening Match:  Magnum CK and Shane InYaFace vs. Jock Samson
This was not so much a match as it was an angle involving Magnum CK joining Samson in turning heel and attacking InYaFace.  It turns out that the Mega Plowers are upset about losing the flag match to Team Storm back at Caged Fury in August.  InYaFace filled in for Magnum CK on that night.  The storyline makes sense, rewards show-to-show viewership, and allows the Mega Plowers to experiment in a new role, so I’m generally a fan.  No rating because this technically wasn’t a match, but both Samson and Magnum CK were entertaining here.

Match #2:  IWC Women’s Title: LuFisto © vs. Britt Baker vs. Ray Lyn
Lyn being the lone heel in this contest made things a bit awkward because she wasn’t great at directing traffic.  The action in general lacked structure at times and the finish left a lot to be desired.  Katie Arquette sent Calvin Couture to attack LuFisto but he accidentally hit Lyn.  Baker kicked LuFisto out of the ring and covered Lyn to regain her title.  There was a nice moment in the middle of the match where Baker and Lyn happened to kick LuFisto at the same time.  They then glanced at each other, considering an alliance, before kicking each other to the canvas.  LuFisto is clearly someone who can build and cultivate a women’s division and I certainly hope this wasn’t the end of her IWC run.  Baker won in 9:35 to become the NEW IWC Women’s Champion.  **

Match #3:  IWC Super Indy Title: Gory © vs. Ophidian
These two obviously know each other very well and it showed in their chemistry together.  This was a match that likely translated better onto video because you really needed a close look at the intricacies to what they were doing in the ring.  This was Ophidian’s IWC debut and although the crowd seemed unfamiliar with his offense, everyone popped for the Egyptian Destroyer and he made a great first impression.  Gory’s Super Indy run seemed way overdue and his consistency has been off the charts over the past five years.  Much like LuFisto, a promotion can get so much mileage out of Ophidian and I hope to see him back.  You got the feeling like these two went out to prove something and they succeeded.  Gory retained his title in 13:43 with the QAS.  ***¼

Match #4:  IWC World Heavyweight Title: Wardlow © vs. Punishment Martinez
Martinez endeared himself to the crowd by poking fun at Wardlow’s masculinity early on and the structure was in place for a fun hoss battle.  Although there were plenty of worthwhile exchanges, the match unfortunately turned into Martinez nearly squashing Wardlow with excessive Justin LaBar interference to prevent Martinez from winning.  The problem with that format is that Wardlow doesn’t come away looking strong and Martinez, who undoubtedly deserves a rematch, may never be back in the promotion.  I understand that this contest wasn’t positioned in a premier spot on the card, but I can’t help feeling like they missed out on an opportunity to deliver a great title defense for Wardlow’s reign.  Wardlow retained his title in 17:42 with the Wardlow Driver.  **½

Justin Plummer announces that IWC is bringing back the High Stakes Title from 2001.  The next match will be a qualifier to enter the contest to determine the first High Stakes Champion.

Match #5:  Gauntlet Match: Calvin Couture vs. Chest Flexor vs. Chris LeRusso vs. Dan Hooven vs. Dennis Jackson vs. Gabriel vs. Jason Tyler vs. Jimi Jameson vs. Keith Haught vs. Nick Comoroto
Gauntlet matches tend to be quite long and this one was no different.  The beginning portion was dominated by LeRusso, as he ran through Flexor, Tyler, Haught, and Hooven.  Jackson entered and defeated LeRusso once again, leading to LeRusso hitting Jackson with a chair and causing him to get counted out.  Gabriel and Comoroto, two of Punishment Martinez’s protégés had a short outing before Jameson cleaned up the scraps and won.  You could clearly follow where the match was headed at all times, but there wasn’t enough interesting stuff going on to captivate the crowd.  Gauntlet matches are a nice snapshot of the state of the roster at a given time, but I don’t think I’ve ever gone back to rewatch one.  Jameson won in 29:58, last eliminating Comoroto. 

Match #6:  IWC Tag Team Titles: Locked and Loaded (Duke Davis and Ganon Jones Jr.) © vs. Team Storm (Jaxon Argos and RC Dupree) vs. The Fraternity (Channing Decker and Trent Gibson)
This was a long match, but it featured three established teams going to war for the tag titles, which is something that IWC has needed to showcase for quite some time.  The Fraternity’s reign was marked by them defending the titles against pretty random teams, but with this match we’re seeing the beginnings of a more consistent division.  The action here was at its best when things broke down and felt chaotic.  Dupree stood out in the wrong way, but everyone else seemed more than game and delivered a strong performance.  Again, nineteen minutes felt too long, but the chaotic atmosphere made everything more fun and interesting.  Locked and Loaded retained their titles in 19:32.  ***

Match #7:  Ladder Match: Andrew Palace vs. Bulk Nasty vs. Darin Dinero vs. Dylan Bostic vs. Jack Pollock vs. Jimmy Vegas
The winner would become the #1 contender for the IWC World Heavyweight Title.  As expected, this was a strong main event.  IWC rarely ventures into this territory anymore, which makes these matches when they do happen more special.  My favorite aspect of this ladder match was that everyone tried to win when possible and the actual climbing didn’t feel artificially slow.  The weapon spots were also spaced out nicely, with the big one being Nasty powerbombed from the apron through a ladder that looked brutal.  There was also a nice subplot with Bostic doing whatever he could to stay away from Vegas.  All of these elements came together to make for a very good main event that showcased everyone well.  I’m very curious to see what Wardlow and Palace can put together come December.  Palace won in 18:56 to become the #1 contender.  ***½

-Show Grade: C+
You Need to See:
You’d Enjoy Watching: six-way ladder match, Gory/Ophidian, tag title match
You Should Avoid:

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