1PW returned to the sold out Doncaster Dome for night two of its Know Your Enemy weekend with a long show that saw titles change hands, wrestlers fly… and some outstanding technical action to boot.
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The first night (on Friday) had seen the quarter finals of the tag team tournament take place, with Jody Fleisch & Jonny Storm, Tracy Smothers & Chris Hamrick, Al Snow & Blue Meanie, and AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels qualify for the semi final stage. Homicide and Justin Credible were booked to team with Ricky Reyes and Lance Storm respectively, but it was announced that both men had missed their flights, and thus, were replaced by Chad Collyer and Andy Simmons.
No such announcement was made on Saturday, annoying those who had bought tickets for just one show and were unaware of the no-shows.
The Saturday show started off on a bad foot, organisation-wise, as the “doors open at 5pm” promise on everyone’s tickets ended up being blown out of the water as a result of an over-running afternoon show. Still, we were in our seats long before show-time – giving us a chance to see a replacement for a dark match: recorded footage of a 2-on-1 squash against Spud from said afternoon show.
That was the first sign I saw of the improved production values, as both 1PW shows were recorded for “as live” screening on internet pay-per-view, with the FWA:Academy team providing the camera work… and no-doubt a use for the video screen in the Dome, which (finally) broadcast live video of the matches to everyone in the arena.
Following the dark match, the show opened with a video set in the “1PW offices”, with a no-name 1PW representative making a decision over the main event, following the squashing that Abyss handed out to Steve Corino’s son, Colby. Although Christian had qualified for the main event against Abyss, they ruled that “since Christian screwed you fans by not showing up,” they would make it a three way for the title… in a Survival of the Sickest (hardcore) match. Cue big pops… and finally, some wrestling.
(1) Pac beat Darkside, Dragon Aisu, Stevie Lynn, El Ligero and Spud
Our first match was a six-way cruiserweight match that was interrupted by Andy Simmons, who was flanked by security on his way out. The storyline is that Simmons – who recently did some dark matches for WWE in England – was not welcome in 1PW, but had helped out to partner Lance Storm on Friday. Simmons walked around the ring and started shouting at a rather large individual sitting a few seats next to me. As soon as the guy stood up (and towered over Simmons), Simmons walked away onto his next target.
Simmons ended up in the ring and told the cruiserweights that they don’t draw… which got him a six-on-one beating as the scramble match finally got underway. Pac, El Ligero, Dragon Aisu, Darkside, Stevie Lynn and Spud were all involved in a match that was entertaining, but undeniably spotty as well. Pac busted out some good moves, such as a backflip 630 splash, and he ended up winning the match.
(2) Nigel McGuinness beat Jay Phoenix
Colour commentator Dean Ayass came out and said that after hearing of an injury to a certain American superstar, he made a phone call and booked a last minute flight for someone. We all chanted Joe, and the Godzilla intro to his music played… and then out came Jay Phoenix. For those who don’t know, Phoenix had been gone from 1PW after interrupting a poker game with Samoa Joe, AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels by smacking him with a pillow. And then getting killed by Joe. Phoenix cut a promo, but he got no heel heat – just a tonne of “shut the f*** up” and “boring” chants.
Out came Nigel McGuinness, accusing him of stealing his wallet (Phoenix apparently has history for doing that too… in Chikara, I believe). They had a decent, but short, match, with McGuinness doing his trademark spots, like the wacky headstand in the corner. They managed to get one insider spot in, with Phoenix grabbing a pillow from underneath the ring that had JAY’S GONNA KILL YOU written on it. He thumped the pillow over Nigel’s back – it was no-sold, of course… and McGuinness went on to win with some reverse DDT out of the corner.
(3) AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels beat Team SHAG (Colt Cabana & Darren Burridge) in a tournament semi-final
Bizarrely, AJ and Daniels were not the favourites here, as they played heel to the jumpsuit wearing SHAGers, who came in through the crowd a la the Sandman. This was mainly a comedy match, with everyone dancing… AJ did some really goofy dance, while Daniels busted out the (unmasked) Curry Man routine to a huge pop. AJ won by pinning Cabana with the Styles Clash.
(4) Jody Fleisch & Jonny Storm beat Tracy Smothers & Chris Hamrick in a tournament semi-final
Aside from the early threats of a dance-off, this wasn’t too bad a match. I can’t remember too much of this (hey, it was a four and a half hour long show!) but what was a potential styles clash was averted, with Hamrick taking most of the bumps, including a freaky dive between the ropes that saw him crash and burn to the floor. The Brits won and qualified for the final.
We saw a taped promo with Al Snow, Blue Meanie, Austin Aries and Roderick Strong run in on Takeshi Morishima and Mohammed Yone’s pre-tape promo… it was funny to a point, with Al Snow claiming that Yone and Morishima were from Georgia and Tennessee (I think)… and we had our next match.
(5) Al Snow & The Blue Meanie beat Austin Aries & Roderick Strong and Takeshi Morishima & Mohammed Yone in a three-way elimination match
If you weren’t sick of the tag team matches, here’s one more – as the GHC Tag Team champions Morishima and Yone were added in place of the Impact Players and the Rottweilers as a result of two no-shows. This was another comedy match that saw the GHC champions take the first fall after some spots that mainly focused around Yone’s afro and Morishima’s bulk. The second fall was more competitive, but a few people were disappointed that Strong didn’t bust out any backbreakers. Snow won with the Snow Plow on Aries for the win, as a TNA guy took the fall for a sort-of WWE wrestler.
We had a brief intermission here, during which point the MC (think of a younger-looking Mike Tenay with a Yorkshire accent) got the crowd going as someone did a segment for the Internet PPV.
Straight out of the break, Ulf Herman came out and cut a promo where he talked about how he was about to retire from wrestling, before he got the call from 1PW (to replace D’Lo Brown in January) that apparently revitalised him. He talked about his Survival of the Sickest match with Abyss in March, where he took the fire table bump – which Ulf described as if it were a simple flat back bump. Ulf then said that, since he lost his rematch on Friday night, he was thinking about retirement… and out came Iceman to wish him good riddance, and attack the German, sending him flying into the guardrails – breaking one of them in the process.
(6) Ricky Reyes and Chad Collyer went to a double count out
This was an unannounced match, and had little heat to it until they went outside the ring and started brawling. It was short, and ended with the double count out after Collyer hiptossed Reyes into the front row, before they were counted out and brawled to the back. Short, but good for what it was.
(7) Sterling James Keenan beat Chris Hamrick
Hamrick did double duty as 1PW ran low on bodies following those no-shows (Keenan was due to wrestle Justin Credible/PJ Polaco). The crowd weren’t into this much, as they were waiting for what could have been billed as a triple main event. It didn’t go too long, with Keenan getting the win with a roll-up using the ropes.
(8) Doug Williams beat Lance Storm
At least one match delivered: and this was a classic that will be well worth going out of your way to see when its released on DVD. For around 20 minutes, Storm and Williams worked one hell of a match that stole the show in its own right, earning a chant that had to be heard to be believed. You’ve all heard the “holy shits” and the “this is awesome” chants… how about this:
“THIS IS WRESTLING”
Storm gradually shifted into something of a heel character throughout the match, making good use of those five counts on rope breaks and such like – but he still got a pop when he busted out the roll-through single crab. In the end, Williams won it with the Chaos Theory rolling German suplex, as both men received a standing ovation from the Dome… while Storm got plenty of “please come back” chants. Just in case you’re reading this Lance: we meant it.
(9) Jonny Storm & Jody Fleisch beat AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels to lift the 1PW Tag Team titles
Earlier in the evening, a video played with AJ and Daniels turning themselves heel with a promo saying that while Fleisch and Storm were the best in the UK – they were the best in the world. It worked to an extent, as the match descended into an England vs. USA feud… with one solitary person shouting “USA” getting a thumbs up from AJ. Daniels pulled a page out of the Team Canada playbook by doing the tree of woe deal in the corner while singing “oh say can you see”. This wasn’t as wild as you’d expect, with AJ and Daniels restricting their dives and leaving it all for Fleisch and Storm to do. Storm won the belts when he hit the Wonderwhirl (Cradle Shock) on Styles. Post-match, the British wrestlers… and Colt Cabana, came down to the ring and celebrated, while AJ and Daniels put over the new champions.
(10) Steve Corino beat Abyss and Christian Cage to win the 1PW Title in a Survival of the Sickest Match
After the last SOTS match ended with the fire table, they were going to have to do a lot to top this… and they did, when Corino took the first ever balcony dive in the Doncaster Dome. Cage received a lot of boos, mainly from those who were pissed off at his decision to walk out on the company to do some shooting for a movie in March, while Abyss received little reaction from the crowd. They went into the crowd almost straight away, leading to the balcony fall, before they pulled out a variety of weapons, including a barbed wire table that Corino took a bump through. He turns 33 on Monday, folks…
That left Christian and Abyss to work a match that wasn’t up to much. Christian missed a one-man conchairto, as Abyss walked out of the ring and grabbed Corino’s son Colby, who was at the arena and in one piece after having to be stretchered away on Friday night. Abyss hoiked up Colby for a chokeslam, with the kid being held upside down, as Steve grabbed a barbed wire baseball bat and crotched Abyss.
Thankfully, Abyss let Colby down, rather than drop him head first to the mat, as Christian went after the champion, before helping Colby get out of the ring. At this point, Corino came in and rolled up Abyss to win the title.
After the match, Corino cut a promo thanking the fans for their support of him and 1PW – and I would say there is a good chance of the 1PW title being defended around the world; which would help the company, especially if they can’t book him for every single show from here on out.
All in all, this was a decent show, but the crowd didn’t seem to be as hot as they were for 1PW’s last shows, but they were into every match.
1PW returns in July for their Fight Club II show in Barnsley, England, headlined by Bryan Danielson vs. Darren Burridge on July 1. They then go to Hull four weeks later for Devils Due, featuring Corino, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Abyss and The Artist Formerly Known As Spike Dudley. Finally (for now), 1PW returns to Doncaster on August 19, with Masato Tanaka being one of the early announcements for that show.
www.sinkingshipbook.co.uk – Wrestling’s Sinking Ship: What Happens To A Business Without Competition (to be released soon)
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