From Jeff G. Bailey: I haven’t been to a Death Match show since late June & I’ve never missed a show at the Pawn Shop so I’ve been anxi...
I haven’t been to a Death Match show since late June & I’ve never missed a show at the Pawn Shop so I’ve been anxious for this one since it was announced. We usually get two shows, making the 8 hour drive a little less taxing, but only one this w/e, but what a show it was. A show headlined by my two favorite Death Match wrestlers at this moment going sixty minutes in an Iron Man Death Match was a must see. If it was the only match,I would’ve still been there, but oh baby, there was so much much more.
It was a beautiful 70 degree night as we entered the Pawn Shop greeted by the ever pleasant Weedith as she put on our wrist bands & makes us feel welcome as ICW always does. Can’t say enough good things about her & Jamie who is not just the parent of our favorite cats, not our own but also our favorite pâtissier in the world. She runs the merchandise table & is an overall delight to be around. It may sound like a small thing but the welcoming atmosphere provided here is one of the many reasons this is my favorite promotion. It’s been true from the first show I attended & has never changed in any way. Okay enough love let’s get to the action...
Pumpkin Patch Death Match Neil Diamond Cutter vs Sage Sin Supreme
I could see the pumpkins around the ring as soon as we entered so I was thrilled to see it was on first. Sage making her debut was fortunate to draw NDC as anyone making their debut with him has gotten a gig out of it. The Honey Badger is a starmaker. Sage was announced at 6 feet under & weighing in at 13 black cats. That popped me. NDC entered with a pumpkin head which was a true highlight of my evening. Sage puts one on as well & now the two pumpkin headed competitors trade light tube shots that fill their open jack o lanterns with glass. After a punch exchange & some head butts NDC loses his head going upside down into some cinder blocks. Fucking ouch! That was a heavy duty looking bump from my vantage point.
More pumpkin smashing. Mannequin head of cutlery. Both used a electric pumpkin cutter on each other’s head. Someone had to tell me what it was,
I had no idea. Pumpkin water jug with fireworks. Spoon board. Finish was Sage Supreme trying a sunset bomb into a light tube chair. NiDC hung on & she crashed & burned through her own creation. Cutter followed uo with splash through the chairs for the win. Post match NDC reminds the crowd how much their applause means and how it pushes them to do more. These two put on a fantastic opener & deserve all the love. Give people their flowers when they can appreciate them. That shit is important.
Brandon & Kasey Kirk vs Colby Corino & Jack Victory
Hell yes that Jack Victory & he was rocking the classic V Jersey you all know, love & remember. Word was this was his first match ever working as a baby face. I don’t know if that’s true but it’s what I was told so I’m sharing it.
I got everlasting love for Jack because the first time I saw him was also the first time I ever saw Missy Hyatt & that’s something I’ve never forgotten.
Kasey try’s to talk only to get blasted by Victory with the water jug on a stick. Never not funny. Colby & Brandon do some wrestling before it breaks down outside the ring. Kasey reversed a Victory throw into the dumpster. I popped huge. Colby gets put through a door. Some ECW style cheese grating for the son othe former champ. Colby returns fire with some garbage can shots. Victory accidentally hits Colby with a street sign.
Colby puts Brandon through a door. Package backbreaker for Kasey. Colby hit some abdominal stretch looking flip thing into a pin attempt I’d never seen before. Cool as shit. Kasey saved. She got a thumbtack bat to the head & another twisting ass back breaker for doing so. They set up a double door contraption to put Brandon through, but took long enough for Kasey to recover and she pushes Colby off the the platform onto the stacked doors
They handcuff Colby to the chains. Kasey gets more payback before pinning Victory. Kirks get a little extra dickish heat before exiting Loved this. A great blending of death match & old school style wrestling/brawling mixed all together seamlessly. I think ICW excels at this kind of match.
Satu Jinn vs “The Heathen” KRUEL
KRUEL at 6’10, I believe is the largest man to enter the chains yet, which he does by stepping over them. A new Larry Legend intro to love. Match starts with Satu throwing chairs one after the other at KRUEL which he completely no sells aka building a monster 101. They trade huge knees before Satu is put through a door. Satu pound on KRUEL with remnants of the door to no avail.
Satu returns the favor by putting KRUEL through a door. KRUEL puts Satu through a chair like a fucking savage. KRUEL eats his first tube bundle but still refuses to flinch. Satu starts pounding gussets into the heathen but continues to find no satisfaction as KRUEL stands still watching the blood pour from dozens of holes in his body. This is fucking outstanding. They end up back in the ring with a gusset covered ELM ST. mailbox. Huge thumbs up to whoever put that together. Fantastic! They beat each other brutally with said mailbox. Pretty sure Satu gets a Kenzan in his head & flat out goes berserk.
He hits this running splash onto KRUEL seated in a chair that flattened him on the glass covered pavement before hitting a loud FUCK YOU & smashing a huge sheet of glass on the monster. Back in the ring KRUEL with a giant dive over the chains onto Satu that blows the crowds mind. Spectacularly dangerous. Big holy shit chant. Just WOW. Long double down selling on the ground before both back in the ring pounding on each other. KRUEL puts Satu through a gusset plate. door. More tube bundles & a Suplex through a door on Satu for a 2 count.
Then we have an unfortunate moment as some frosted glass is mistaken for tempered glass & gets used as Satu hits a rolling senton through the glass. Soon as I hear it break, I think oh fuck that’s the wrong glass & it was. Fortunately Satu wasn’t hurt but KRUEL got a monster gash on his shoulder. Satu blasts KRUEL with more bundles before a referee stoppage as KRUEL clearly has some cuts that need medical attention. This was a must see epic fucking match. “The Heathen” KRUEL despite being sliced to ribbons & looking like a crime scene, calmly walks to the back as if he’s unscathed. What a fucking monster of a man in an undeniably fantastic debut.
Realizing the damage he incurred, I checked in on KRUEL & this was his answer to if he was alright?
You are privy to a great becoming, but you recognize nothing. To me, you are all slugs in the sun. All of you ants, in the afterbirth. It is your nature to do one thing correctly. Before me, you rightly tremble. But, fear is not what you owe me. You owe me awe.
Seriously that’s what he sent me. Show this bad MF some love as he heals.
He got robbed of his post match put over & the invitation back he earned.
Monster Murderhouse Match - Nightmare Freddy vs Cryptkeeper vs Crazy Sheik vs The Carver vs Danny DeManto vs TANK
Opinions will differ on this as younger people may not have cared about the IWAJapan/W*NG monsters and they didn’t do a whole lot to make anyone care but for an old guy like me, it was great to see. I always thought the monsters were silly but I also loved all those guys from the early days of death match so what a great get for your Halloween show.
The bed of nails was a classic staple. Got to be honest the gummies are coming on strong & this was all over the place so not a lot of details for the next two. I did take some verbal notes on my phone so I don’t cheat the main event. Cryptkeeper & Crazy Shiek are out first.Carver through a Barbwire table. Nightmare Freddy hit Danny with a light tube bundle.
TANK & DeManto both with the strong color. At one point TANK was leaking all over a board hanging over the chains. He looked at me like take a picture motherfucker but I just sat there grinning at him watching him faucet drip.
Nightmare Freddy through the door & eliminated by DeManto for his first win. Short lived celebration as Tank slams DeManto through tubes to eliminate him. Tank & Carver slug it out until Tank finishes Carver with a backdrop driver on a light tube bundle fireworks board. Tank gets the shot at the American Deathmatch Championship right in his hometown of Chattanooga. TANK wearing his emotions on his sleeve, first puts over The Carver & lets him know they’ll meet again. Then he & Danny have a tear in the eye moment as TANK thanks Danny for resurrecting his career.
Jake Crist vs Alex Ocean
I hate giving this match short shrift as it had some of the most exciting bumps of the night into the spider web death net trampoline but I did miss some of it. I had my gotta always have Pawn Shop cheeseburger off the grill during this. I was extremely happy to see Alex Ocean & I’m a fan of Jake Crist. Of the non death match wrestlers I saw Wrestlemania weekend he stood out. That said this felt like a really good pit fighter match with some spectacular bumps in it.
They wrestled, they broke some doors but we were all waiting on the trampoline. I say that but many might’ve expected it in the main event, but as soon as I saw it, I thought Alex Ocean will be the one landing on this. He did & it was horrifying. This flesh tearing monstrosity is awful enough to land on but trying to get off is close to hell on earth as the barbwire pierces your skin with every move you make. Crist then jumps off the platform on top of Ocean with a chair for a just completely insane moment. Ocean now torn to shreds, bleeding all over his body fights off the trampoline of death. They end up back on the platform for another insane bump into the spider web with Jake Crist getting the win. Absolute Insanity. An all time amazing piece of fuckery. Once again kudos to its creator.
IRON MAN DEATH MATCH for the ADM CHAMPIONSHIP: John Wayne Murdoch vs Eric Ryan
Ring is lined with light tubes on 2 sides & the other two alternately with knives and forks. Sheets of glass in every corner. This is the big daddy.
Eric Ryan with some early stalling to build the heat. It worked. People were getting pissed. Match had a strong heel/face dynamic which instantly made it stand out as special. Ryan steals a quick fall that Ryan dedicates to Murdoch’s son. 44OH guys are all class.
They fight around, but some tubes & a sheet of glass lead to Ryan going up 2-0. Box of forks pread around. Brain buster on tubes makes it 2-1 Ryan. Brain buster on entire box of tubes ties it up 2-2. Tubes & panes now got Ryan starting to wear the red sweater. JWM starts to smash every tube in sight on Ryan. Ryan puts Murdoch down with tube bundle & headbutts him until a ref stoppage makes it Ryan 3-2. They go outside the ring & Ryan is destroying the champ with tube after tube. They had a light tube bar fight where they each used an entire box of tubes that was breathtaking. My God!
Iron Man barely scratches the surface of what these two men are doing out here to each other under the palm trees in beautiful Port Richey. Both men are drenched in blood. Eric Ryan starts to strip the ring of its canvas and padding but before he can take advantage JWM his a brain buster to tie it 3-3. Something happened on other side of ring I couldn’t see that lead to Ryan gaining two falls to go up 5-3.
He dumped a table on JWM & then more bundles. They traded some teeth loosening punches with flesh tearing chops between some brain scrambling head butts until Murdoch gains a fall to make it 5-4. JWM got a fan to hold a box of tubes while he smashed them all on Ryan. He was complimenting the fan between shots for the great job she was doing. Hilarious. Superplex off the platform through double door pane of glass contraption by the champ evens the score at 5-5.
They both look like the women in Martyrs at this point when Murdoch demands more tubes. Fucking Shit Man! They start trading tube shots like Lawler & Dundee traded punches in the Mid South Coliseum. They continue you to beat on each other unmercifully until JWW makes Ryan pass out to the Koji clutch in the final seconds to win the match & retain his championship 6-5. Holy Fuck! What a match. Murdoch thanks the fans for helping him get through sixty minutes. He then addresses TANK & says he’s taking Old Yeller behind the barn & putting him down.Damn! Can’t wait.
I hate to repeat myself and I wrote this after the first Iron Man but it bears repeating....
People like to think these guys are ordinary & they could do what they do. Nothing could be further from the truth. These men know what it’s like to unlock “The Lament Configuration” and to endure the chains & fish hooks tearing at them as they ascend to a level that the majority of the world will never know, let alone begin to understand. Eric Ryan & John Wayne Murdoch know.
If you got to the end, thanks for reading. This was a labor of love but worth all the time & effort it took to acknowledge this greatness. This is a peck all time for Death Match & we will see everyone in Chattanooga Tennessee.
“Five shots couldn’t drop me, I took it and smiled.”
.jpg)
