Views from the Hawke’s Nest: AAPW Summer Chaos 2012

June 30, 2012
Marion, Il

Commentators: Kevin Hunsperger and Chris Hagstrom

Truk Thompson vs. Benjamin Boone
I have never seen either of these guys before. Boone is making his AAPW debut.

Both guys are big, but they were moving around pretty quickly at the start. Thompson hit a spinebuster early and then got a chinlock. Thompson worked him over some more. Thompson hit a release Fisherman suplex. Boone came back with a lariat, but Thompson caught him with a World’s Strongest Slam: 1…2…3!

This was pretty much a squash for Thompson, but the crowd was definitely into it. I love AAPW’s crowd. They make everything seem so much fun.
Match Rating: **

The Great Cheyenne cut an insane promo in the back. She yelled at Serenity and suggested that she say her prayers.

”M-Dogg 20” Matt Cross and Kyle Sykes cut a promo in the back. Cross mentions Tough Enough and Steve Austin. Since Gregory Iron was too injured to wrestle, they say they will have a mystery partner for their trios match.

The Great Cheyenne vs. Serenity
I haven’t seen either of these women before.

Serenity hit a middle rope cross-body for an early nearfall. Serenity tried to hold down Cheyenne with a headlock, but Cheyenne eventually reversed it into a suplex. Cheyenne got the heat after that. Cheyenne put her in the Tree of Joey Lawrence. She then delivered two double sledges to Serenity’s crotch. She then stepped on Serenity’s crotch. Wow. Serenity came back and dropkicked Cheyenne to the floor. Cheyenne came back to the ring, and Serenity continued to deliver some offense. Cheyenne raked her eyes, hit a scoop slam, and then got a chinlock. Cheyenne then locked in a Boston Crab. Serenity managed to make the ropes. Serenity managed to schoolgirl her for a nearfall. Cheyenne then hit a Samoan Drop and went to the top rope. Cheyenne hit a senton: 1…2…3!

This was not a technically sound match by any means, but it was a fun contest between two competent wrestlers with clearly defined roles. I enjoyed this much more than I expected.
Match Rating: **1/2

Matt Cage and Christian Rose, Team Overkill, cut a promo with their AAPW World Tag Titles. They were acting cocky and said that the team of Minor Threat was just that.

KC Jackson vs. Sean Vincent vs. Joey O’Riley vs. Jay Spade [No Limits Four Way]
This is a one fall match. Spade and O’Riley are tag partners. All of these men are looking to become the first No Limits Champion (AAPW’s X Division)

Vincent was quickly sent to the floor, to the delight of the crowd. Why? Because Vincent is Canadian. Spade accidentally hit O’Riley with a diving cross-body. The match was mostly two men in the ring, while the other two did some background brawling on the floor. Vincent went for a Lionsault, but Jackson avoided it. Jackson was hung up in the ropes, and Vincent then hit a middle rope legdrop for a nearfall. Spade hit Vincent with a superplex. That looked nasty. O’Riley hit Spade with a slingshot DDT. Much like Spade, O’Riley looked like he didn’t mean to attack his partner. O’Riley then ran wild on Vincent. O’Riley killed Jackson with a buzzsaw kick. O’Riley hit Vincent with a Phoenix Splash. Spade blocked the pin, and the tag partners fell to the floor, arguing with each other. Jackson then got an ankle lock on Vincent and Vincent tapped out!

I enjoyed this match a lot. O’Riley is one the best kept secrets in the Midwest scene, and I really hope he starts to break out over the course of the next year. He is super talented. Jackson is much better off on his own, as opposed to teaming with the Mississippi Madman, and I hope he continues to get showcased as a singles star by AAPW. The execution of the Spade/O’Riley story was also pretty well done, so this was a complete success in my eyes.
Match Rating: ***

”M-Dogg 20” Matt Cross, Kyle Sykes & “Farmer” Billy Hills vs. Sir Bradley Charles, Chase King, & Mark Sterling
Gregory Iron was supposed to team with Cross and Sykes, but he had been diagnosed with a severe concussion shortly before this show.

Billy Hills sent Charles to the floor early. Cross then wiped him out with a tope suicida. Back in the ring, the rudos managed to isolate Cross, and they started to work him over. Cross came back with a springboard double stomp to Sterling, and he then tagged out to Sykes. Sykes ran wild on Sterling for a bit. Charles distracted the referee, which allowed King to save Sterling and cause Sykes to crash into a ringpost. The rudos then got the heat on Sykes. This heat went on for a while. Sykes finally managed to escape the rudos. Cross made a hot tag, and he did an exhibition of his crazy athletic stuff. King and Sterling ate an Asai Moonsault from Sykes. Charles got caught in a corner and ate a corner lariat from Cross and then a proper lariat from Hills. M-Dogg then hit Charles with a shooting star press: 1…2…3!

This was pure formula, but it was really well executed formula. I never been a Matt Cross fan, but his two matches in AAPW have worked out really well, so I hope he is booked by them more in the future. AAPW should book more trios matches on future DVDs.
Match Rating: ***

Ax Allwardt cuts a promo about how he loves to hurt people. Allwardt says he will hurt Heath Hatton, and that old school is the only way to do things.

Bull Bronson vs. Justice
I think I’ve seen 4-5 Bull Bronson matches in my life, and I never need to see another one again. He is slow and boring. At least he is pretty over in AAPW.

Justice actually managed to take down the large Bronson with a shoulder tackle early. Bronson came back with a running forearm to the face, which took Justice down. They brawled on the floor for a bit. Back in the ring, Bronson was mostly in control. Bronson hit a scoop slam and a leg drop for a nearfall. Bronson was still in control, until Justice caught him with a spinning Rock Bottom. Bronson came back with a lariat and a big splash: 1…2…3.

Bronson got on the microphone and said that no one in AAPW or the Midwest that can touch him. Then the Mississippi Madman came out. The crowd was hot for that. They faced off in the ring. Bronson looked like he was going to punch Madman, but he instead left the ring. This was a good segment for the live crowd as they love Madman, but these two are going to have a shitty match (whenever it happens).

This match was somewhat effective for the live crowd, but these two performers just do not interest me. Their effort seemed fine though.
Match Rating: *1/2

Team Overkill© (Matt Cage & Christian Rose) vs. Minor Threat (Brandon Espinosa & Ace Hawkins) [AAPW Tag Titles]
Rose and Cage jumped the challengers before the bell. Overkill worked over Espinosa at the start. Espinosa was eventually able to tag out to Hawkins. Hawkins hit Rose with a diving lariat, and he then wiped out Cage with a tope suicida. Hawkins then took out with a Rose with a plancha of some kind (camera only caught the end of the dive). Back in the ring, Overkill managed to cut off Hawkins, and then they got a second heat. The beatdown on Hawkins went on for a while. Hawkins was finally able to escape, and Espinoza made a spiffy hot tag. Espinosa got a nearfall on Rose with a Tiger Backbreaker. Rose managed to lock Espinosa into a Boston Crab, but Hawkins then hit Rose with a diving blockbuster. Cage made the save. Overkill then hit Espinosa with a gutbuster/running knee combo, but Hawkins made the save. Hawkins was on the top rope, but Cage sent him to the floor. The referee got distracted by that, which allowed Rose to hit Espinosa with a tag title belt: 1…2…3!

This match was a lot of fun. Cage and Rose are a really sound tag team, and I honestly prefer them to Cage’s more regular team with Alex Castle, aka The Kentucky Buffet. I look forward to watching future matches between these two teams. The only real problem with this match was that the crowd didn’t really need to see a second heat segment. The match could have been half as long and just as (if not more) effective.
Match Rating: ***1/4

Ax Allwardt (w/Gaylord Stevens) vs. Heath Hatton
Allwardt comes out to “Carry On My Wayward Son.” In other words, he is my hero. Hatton looks like Randy Orton and Ted DiBiase Jr.’s love child. He was somewhat recently squashed by Ryback on a PPV.

They brawl right away. Hatton sent Allwardt to the floot. Hatton went to the top rope and wiped out Allwardt and Stevens with a plancha. Back in the ring, Hatton set up for a piledriver, but he got distracted by Stevens. Allwardt got the heat after that. Hatton couldn’t get much going, as Allwardt was in control for a while. Hatton eventually came back with a pair of lariats and a running back elbow. Hatton hit a swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall. Hatton went to the top rope, but Allwardt caught him with a superplex: 1…2…NO! Allwardt then accidentally took out the referee. Hatton hit a missile dropkick for a phantom pinfall. Gaylord Stevens tried to interfere, but Hatton killed him with a lariat. Allwardt then wacked Hatton in the face with Stevens’s umbrella: 1…2…NO! Hatton came back with a face-plant DDT: 1…2…3!

I enjoyed this matchup quite a bit. Hatton has a FCW look, and if he has his head on straight and continues to develop, I would be surprised if he didn’t get a developmental deal one day. Ax Allwardt is also really talented. He’s a character first, but he’s much better in the ring than one would expect based on his appearance. He could be an effective mid-card heel in promotions like AAW and AIW.
Match Rating: ***

Edmund McGuire© vs. Mike Masters [AAPW Heavyweight Title]
The last time Masters was in AAPW, he struck a fan. He was initially fired for that, but after Masters started to stalk McGuire outside the ring, McGuire demanded this match for Summer Chaos. Masters’s career in AAPW is on the line here. McGuire has been champion of AAPW for a long time. This is also a No Disqualification match.

McGuire took him down right away. They ended up on the floor quickly. McGuire scooped slammed him on the floor. McGuire stacked some camera cases and sent Masters into them. One of the commentators was claiming that there were really expensive video cameras in the cases. Why would there be cameras underneath the ring? Why wouldn’t the cameras being used to film the show? McGuire was in complete control until Masters pulled out a tire from underneath the ring and attacked McGuire. Masters then used a metal trash can lid. McGuire came back by using the metal trash can. McGuire set up for a tope suicida, but Masters caught him with the trash can lid. One of Masters’s security guards tossed Masters some rope, and Masters tied McGuire’s leg to the ring ropes. Masters then pulled out a chair and used it to attack McGuire’s tied up leg. McGuire managed to escape and he attacked Masters with the chair. Masters went after McGuire’s injured leg, but McGuire managed to hit the superkick. McGuire’s injured leg prevented him from making a cover. Masters kicked out McGuire’s injured leg and then locked in a figure four variation. Sean Chambers, the AAPW Owner, came out and cheered on the champion. Chambers threw in the towel for McGuire, which forced the referee to call for the bell and to award the match and the AAPW Heavyweight Title to Mike Masters. Chris Hagstrom was irate at ringside.

This was a really good main event to finish off a very consistent show. The only way it could have been better was if we got a clean finish, or at the very least, a finish that didn’t involve an authority figure screwing over a babyface. I assume that is something that hasn’t happened in AAPW much (at least recently), but it’s one of those wrestling tropes that the mainstream promotions have just beaten to death over the years, and now I really have no interest in authority figures being prominently involved in angles whatsoever. Masters is great at getting this crowd to hate him, and McGuire really knows how to get this crowd behind him, so the match was a lot of fun up until the finish.
Match Rating: ***1/4

Bonus AAPW TV Match Reviews

Joey O’Riley vs. Jay Spade

This is a semi-final match in a tournament to become the first AAPW No Limits Championship (AAPW’s X-Division). The winner faces KC Jackson in the finals. These guys are tag team partners.

These guys were respectful towards each other at the start of the match. Spade got the first advantage in the match. Spade low-bridged O’Riley to the floor. O’Riley avoided a plancha and sent Spade headfirst onto the apron in order to cut him off. O’Riley brought him back into the ring to work him over. O’Riley hit a standing One Man Spanish Fly: 1…2…NO! Spade came back with a diving uppercut. Spade then hit a diving cross-body for a nearfall. O’Riley came back with a slingshot DDT: 1…2…NO! O’Riley then took him down with an impressive hurricanrana and connected with a big diving cross-body: 1…2…NO! Spade avoided O’Riley’s spinning Brogue Kick. They traded pinning combinations. Spade connected with a lariat, and both men went down. They got to their feet and traded strikes until O’Riley connected with his spinning Brogue Kick: 1…2…NO! Spade came back with his spike Pedigree. O’Riley managed to roll to the floor though to avoid the pinfall. Spade crawled to the floor and dragged O’Riley back to the ring. O’Riley managed to connect with a buzzsaw kick: 1…2…NO! They traded more pinning combinations, and O’Riley eventually got a tight one: 1…2…3!

Spade got on the microphone and said that this was it for him for a while. He said he hasn’t won a match in a long time (how is he in the semi-finals?), but that he is going to take some time off. O’Riley and Spade hug it out.

This match was really good, and I am definitely happy that O’Riley moved onto the finals. O’Riley is an incredible athlete, and he just has that “x-factor” that makes me think he can, at the very least, become an independent wrestling star. Spade proved in this match that he has got a lot of talent too, but I just don’t think he has the star potential of O’Riley.
Match Rating: ***1/2

Mike Masters© vs. Edmund McGuire [AAPW Heavyweight Title]

McGuire was told that this would be his one and only shot at the belt while Masters was champion.

McGuire was treated like a hero. Masters was hated. McGuire, as he always does, gave his do-rag to a kid at ringside. Masters tried to take away the do-rag from the kid, but McGuire grabbed him and threw him into a barricade. They got back in the ring, and the match officially started. McGuire apparently went for a Togo senton, but Masters got out of the way and McGuire landed ass-first. Masters choked him with his wrist tape, so the referee threw the tape out of the ring. McGuire came back with a DDT for a nearfall. Masters seemed to trying to get the referee to call a disqualification, but the referee said it wasn’t ending that way. McGuire set up for a superkick, but Masters fell to the floor. Masters tried to get counted out, but McGuire went and got him. Back in the ring, McGuire hit a swinging neckbreaker. He called for the superkick. Masters blocked it and hit McGuire in the balls. The referee finally disqualified Masters.

Masters celebrated and attacked McGuire after the match. He thinks that he will never have to face a challenge from Edmund McGuire again. The commentators screamed in outrage about all of this.

These two are not “ring technicians,” but they are characters that the audience cares about deeply. Thus, I can’t envision a scenario where their matches against each other are not fun. The ending is obviously disappointed now, but this was a solid and logical way to set up another match.
Match Rating: **1/2

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The 411: This DVD was such a breeze to watch, and I pretty much enjoyed the whole show (with the notable exception of Bronson vs. Justice). AAPW made great strides since Main Event in terms of making a DVD that has great flow, and that each match feels like something worth watching. Main Event had some really cool matches (El Generico vs. PAC being the most special obviously), but it also had some matches that felt worthless. Summer Chaos makes me far more excited to watch future AAPW DVDs, and I can honestly say, despite the lack of any big names, that this show is an easy "Thumbs Up." It's certainly not a "must buy," and there is no one match that you should go out of your way to see, but I think if you watch this show, you will enjoy it. You can buy this Two Disc DVD for $15.

Final Score:  7.3   [ Good ]