Views from the Hawke’s Nest: Free Matches of the International Wrestling Cartel

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CM Punk, Chris Candido, & Michael Shane vs. The Self-Proclaimed Triple Threat (Bubba The Bulldog, Dennis Gregory & Jimmy Vegas) from Caged Fury 2004

Wargames rules here. Vegas and Candido started the match. Candido dominated the early action. Vegas cut him off and started to send Candido into the cage. Candido made a comeback soon after that though. Candido had the advantage as Gregory entered the match. Candido tried to fight against the two men, but the rudos quickly got the advantage. Michael Shane came in to even the odds. He ran wild on the Triple Threat. Bubba came in to return the advantage to the rudos. Candido used his wrist tape on Gregory. The commentators were getting over that the third tecnico was a mystery partner. Norm Connors came out? I think he is their promoter. Someone sent the cage door right into his face and he never got in the ring. Finally, CM Punk came out to a huge reaction and he made a big comeback on everyone. That means “Cage Fury” started, so the match can only end via submission. Connors did a big blade job on the outside. Shane hit a top rope elbow, a la his cousin Shawn Michaels. Candido hit a diving headbutt. Punk then went to the top of the cage and hit a diving elbow on Bubba. I think Punk locked in a sharpshooter on Bubba. Bubba taps out!

This was a really fun match. The crowd was into everything, it was well-laid out, and just the idea of Candido and Punk teaming together is cool. I definitely recommend you watch this.
Match Rating: ***1/2

CM Punk vs. John McChesney from Super Indy 2005

This was a first round matchup in IWC’s annual Super Indy tournament.

They did a back and forth sequence to start. Punk got control with some nice chops and a vertical suplex. McChesney came back with a nice headscissors and a missile dropkick. Punk came back with a super hurricanrana and a running forearm. Punk hit the mule kick that he doesn’t do in WWE. McChesney hit a superkick for a nearfall. McChesney gave Punk a Snake Eyes variation, but Punk just killed him with a lariat. McChesney had to grab the ropes to survive that pinfall attempt. McChesney hit a flapjack. McChesney went to the top rope. Punk tried to attack him, but McChesney sent him to the mat and hit a Superfly Splash for another nearfall. McChesney reversed a neckbreaker attempt from Punk into a backslide: 1…2…3!!! Punk raised McChesney’s hand after the match. Punk then got on the mic and said this weekend is about Chris Candido, who had recently passed away. Punk got the fans to chant “Chris Candido.”

I really enjoyed this match. Punk did some different stuff when he was in the independents and it was cool to relive it here. He put over McChesney clean too, which was nice. I had never seen McChesney before, but I thought he looked strong here. He’s apparently still working here and there, but I guess he never really broke out. McChesney would later go on to win this tournament.
Match Rating: ***

Matt Sydal (Evan Bourne) vs. Delirious from Super Indy 2006

This was a semi-final match in the 2006 Super Indy tournament. Sydal and Delirious worked together hundreds of times before Sydal made it to the WWE, where he is now known as Evan Bourne.

Neither man could get a decisive advantage early. Sydal hit a nice monkey flip. Delirious came back with a running lariat. Sydal hit a middle rope leg drop. Delirious hit a Panic Attack to get the advantage, and he started working over Sydal. Delirious went for a Shadows Over Hell, but Sydal caught him with a RKO on the way down. That was cool. Delirious went to the top rope, but Sydal jumped up and hit a super hurricanrana in one motion. That is never not cool. Sydal hit a Made in Japan: 1…2…NO! Sydal went for a standing moonsault, but Delirious got his knees up. Delirious hit a running punt to the head, and he then hit Shadows Over Hell: 1…2…NO! Sydal sent Delirious to the floor, and he then hit a top rope moonsault to the floor. Back in the ring, Sydal hit a spinning heel kick. Sydal went to the top rope, but Delirious pulled him down and hit Chemical Imbalance II: 1…2…3!

The first half of the match was nothing special (these two could have a decent match in their sleep), but they definitely turned things up in the second half of the match.
Match Rating: ***1/4

The Cleveland Mafia (J-Rocc & Raymond Rowe) vs. Sexual Harassment (Eric Xtasy & Justin Idol) vs. Team Catfish (Jason Gory & Shiima Xion) vs. The Gambino Brothers (Marshall Gambino & Mickey Gambino) from Boiling Point 2006

This is for the IWC Tag Titles. The Cleveland Mafia are the champs. It’s an elimination match. More importantly, Bryce Remsburg is the referee. Idol and Gory did a good sequence to start the match. Extasy and one of the Gambinos then did a bad sequence. Shiima hit the other Gambino with the crystal pistol. Shiima then locked in Submission Impossible on J-Rocc, but Rowe ran in and suplexed everyone in the match. Roew and Extasy then paired off. These are big boys. Rowe gave him a huge release German suplex. Crowd liked this. Everyone tried to attack Rowe, but he shoved them all off initially. Rowe finally went down after a quadruple dropkick. One of the Gambinos and Ido hit stereo diving planchas on everyone. Gory took out everyone with a moonsault to the floor. Xion then took out everyone with a corkscrew press to the floor. Crowd is enjoying this. Back in the ring, Marshall Gambino (I finally figured out their names) killed Shiima with a lariat. Gory hit Idol with a Code Red. Gory then hit Idol with a second Code Red, but the second one went into the turnbuckle. Gory’s manager, Maverick, accidentally crotched Gory, which allowed Idol to hit Gory with a package DDT for the first elimination. The Cleveland Mafia hit a lariat/Dragon suplex on Estasy: 1…2…3. The Gambinos hit Rocc with a Heart Attack, but Rowe made a comeback on them. Marshall hit Rowe with an unproected chair shot to the head. The other Gambino didn’t like that. Another Gambino brother was arguing with them. The Mafia recovered and killed the Gambinos with stereo head dropping moves: 1…2…3

Too much shenanigans at the end aside, this was a fun match that effectively showcased everyone involved. The booking really hurt the final product though (even more so if you are like me and watched this match without any context).
Match Rating: ***

Larry Sweeney vs. Shiima Xion (Zema Ion) from Super Indy 2007

This was the finals of the 2007 Super Indy.

They traded some holds early. Sweeney hit a nice running knee and then locked in a chinlock. Sweeney was in complete control of the match early on. Xion came back with the crystal pistol and a seated dropkick. Sweeney came back with a gord buster. Xion got sent to the outside, and Sweeney hit a suicide dive. Somehow the camera did not get a shot of that spot. I’d never seen Sweeney hit a dive, and I pretty much still haven’t because of the camerawork/editing. Xion sent Sweeney into a post and then hit a plancha off the top rope. Back in the ring, Xion hit a missile dropkick for a nearfall. They traded pinning combinations. Xion hit a snapmare driver for a nearfall. Sweeney came back with a piledriver. Sweeney went to the top rope, but Xion met him up there and hit a superplex: 1…2…NO! Xion went for a sunset flip, but Sweeney sat down in it for a pinfall: 1…2…3!

This match had no shenanigans whatsoever, which surprised me. However, it was cool to see Sweeney show off his more traditional wrestling skills, which just goes to show how immensely talented Larry Sweeney. I miss him.
Match Rating: ***1/4

Davey Richards vs. 2 Cold Scorpio from Super Indy 2009

Surreal matchup, at least to me. Colt Cabana was on commentary. Scorpio looked to be in pretty damn great shape. Joe Dombrowski puts Davey over as a great tournament wrestler. Cabana referenced Davey winning a checkers tournament in the ROH Locker Room. So many buys.

They traded a lot of holds to start the match. Davey hit a nice spinning heel kick that gave him the control. Davey worked over one of Scorpio’s knee. Scorpio came back with a koppou kick in the corner. Scorpio then hit a wacky double kick in the corner and a top rope splash for a nearfall. Scorpio then hit a huge release German suplex. Scorpio hit a second twisting diving splash for another nearfall. Scorpio hit a gutwrench suplex and a Superfly splash for another nearfall. They traded a lot of big forearms. Then they traded big boots to the face. Scorpio won both exchanges, but Davey survived. Davey hit the handspring kick for a nearfall. Scorpio came back with a Pele variation. MOONSAULT: 1…2…NO! Davey avoided a German and came back with an Alarm Kick and a lariat. Bridging german from Davey: 1…2…NO! Davey locked in the Texas Cloverleaf, but Scorpio escaped. Scoprio hit a pair of kicks and a big powerbomb. Scorpio signaled for the 450 and he hit it: 1…2…3!!!

This was a really fun match. It wasn’t especially substantial in terms of story or character, but they did some cool stuff, and they definitely entertained me and the crowd. Not much else needs to be said quite frankly.
Match Rating: ***1/2

Aeroform (Flip Kendrick & Louis Lyndon) vs. Flippin’ Ain’t Easy (Jason Gory & Facade) from Caged Fury 2010

Gory and Facade were the IWC tag champions. Lyndon and Facade started the match. They did a feeling out process that ended with a heel kick from Facade. Lyndon took off his afro wig after that. THIS. IS. SERIOUS. Kendrick tagged in. Kendrick hit a standing shooting star legdrop. Gory tagged in and immediately hit Kendrick with a springboard splash. Aerform cut off Gory for a bit, but he came back with a nice DDT on Lyndon. Facade hit a springboard bulldog on Lyndon: 1…2…NO! Aerofrom managed to send Facade and Gory to the outside. Lyndon hit then with a top rope moonsault to the floor. Lyndon also landed on the guardrail on the way down. Flip then wiped out everyone with a shooting star press to the floor. Back in the ring, Lyndon hit Facade with a couple of kicks and then rolled him up: 1…2…NO! Kendrick hit Facade with a ridiculous corkscrew shooting star press from the top rope, but Gory made the save. Gory hit Lyndon with the Code Red. Flippin’ hit Lyndon with an assited lungblowger and bridging German suplex but Kendrick made the save. Flippin’ then hit the Buddy Moonsault on Lyndon: 1…2…3

Both of these two teams can be a lot of fun (especially Aeroform), but a part of me always thinks that their matches could end up being train wrecks. Put them together, and I quite frankly, expect a train wreck. This was not a train wreck. It’s not a style for everybody, but I find it to be quite fun (especially if there aren’t a lot of botches and the only match of its kind on the show). Caution: if you don’t like flips, you will not like this match.
Match Rating: ***1/4

El Generico vs. Samuray Del Sol from Super Indy 2011
This match was posted to Del Sol’s Youtube page. IWC gave me permission to post it.

They went back and forth to start. Del Sol managed to send Generico to the floor. He did a feint dive when Generico ran out of the way. Back in the ring. Generico hit a tilt-a-whirl gutbuster. Something must have went wrong there, but they covered it well enough. Generico was in control after that. Del Sol came back with an enzugiri and a diving cross-body for a nearfall. Del Sol got a nearfall with La Magistral Cradle. Generico got a nearfall with a Blue Thunder Bomb, but Del Sol came right back with a standing Sliced Bread #2: 1…2…NO! Generico avoided a moonsault. Yakuza from Generico . Brainbuster: 1…2…3!

These two just scratched the surface of what they would do together in 2012. It’s basically a nice teaser match that is worth watching if you want to see how good their chemistry is.
Match Rating: ***

The 411: Before these matches, I had never seen anything from the International Wrestling Cartel. After seeing these matches, I feel like the IWC has a lot of potential to put on killer shows because of their willingness to bring in great talent. It seems like lack of exposure has been their biggest weakness. Hopefully they release more old matches to draw more eyes to their product. For more free pro wrestling, head over to FreeProWrestling.com.

Final Score:  7.0   [ Good ]