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| Photos by Charles Felder |
Kings of Controversy 2 was not the best show IWE has done or will do. But it sure felt like they played their card right.
No IWE fan in their right mind would feel shortchanged by the Kings of Controversy II and they're in for something special on January 13. 2024 will kick off with the company's first War Games: The Hierarchy vs. Team IWE.
The angle to set up it involving Hierarchy and promoter Tim Blackmon generated nuclear heat. Joe Black cut a promo that was like throwing gasoline on a fire. Mayhem Champion Skrilla the Great was later revealed as the newest member of the Hierarchy (joining Murder One, Black and T.I.M.). The makeup of Team IWE remains an unknown.
Lindsay Snow and Kelsey Reagan delivered the goods in a hardcore match for the IWE Women's Championship. It may have been the most violent women's match this writer has ever seen live.
It was an eight match show where every almost every match worked. There was one clinker which had little impact on the show overall.
Buff and Fluff Connection vs. Exotic Youth was the most entertaining match of the night. Hierarchy vs. Rob Killjoy and Billy Brash had the most heat. T.I.M. vs. Chad Skywalker was furthest off the beaten path. Slim J (subbing for Krule) vs. White Mike and All-Star Special vs. Reality were also really good and well received by the IWE fans.
The formatting of the show was a major plus. It maximized the impact of most every match.
Paid attendance at American Legion Post 163 was 472. As with my previous trips to IWE, upon seeing the crowd in person, I had no problem believing the attendance number. IWE has cultivated a sizable hardcore fan base and they're not the least bit jaded.
Blackmon opened the show with the bad news that Krule was not there (he was in Chattanooga for the ICW weekend) to defend the IWE Championship against White Mike. That news brought Mike to the ring to a chorus of boos. Mike declared himself to be the uncrowned king and said this was night IWE was supposed to crown his ass. Mike went stream of consciousness as he's wont to do, threatening to beat up Papa Joe (Gulino) and saying how he didn't gave a shit about the Carolinas. Mike ordered the referee Yolanda Wright to count that goofy bastard Krule out. As Yoyo's count reached nine, Slim J appeared.
White Mike is unrepeatable on the mic. Slim J was more than a suitable replacement.
(1) Slim J beat White Mike via DQ in 9:07. Slim owned the opening minutes. Mike shoved referee Yoyo into the ropes to upend Slim into a crotch shot. Mike beat on Slim and simultaneously ran his mouth. Slim hit the 420 roundhouse kick off the top rope and both were down. Slim J tore off his sleeveless t-shirt during his comeback. Mike answered with a pumphandle gutbuster flowed into a falcon arrow. Slim hit Screwdriver on the Rocks for a very close near fall. Slim went up top. Mike grabbed Yoyo again and she DQed hs loudmouth ass.
They worked a smart, safe match that fit perfectly in the overall scheme of the show It was a prime example of how to still be going strong 15- 20 years into your career.
(2) All-Star Special (Huckaby & Hanson & Jay 2Strong) defeated The Reality (Patrick Scott & Chance Rizer) & Suge D in 14:35. Suge said he was the landlord and rent was due from All-Star Special. All-Star used "My Sacrifice" for their entrance music. The subplot was Rizer didn't want to cheat. He shook hands with the All-Stars. This displeased Suge immensely. Highlight of the shine was a Hanson bronco buster/Huck cannonball combo. Suge pulled the rope down to spill 2 Strong to start the heat. Suge brought a chair into the ring and order Rizer to use. He refused. Scott refused as well. All-Star prompted a three way collision of heels. Rizer ended up on the ring alone with All-Star and said do what you have to do. A triple team backstabber was Rizer's demise.
With three tag matches on the card, they came up with a story to clearly offset it from the other two. Suge was doing one of the things he does best- helping to get his teammates and opponents over. "My Sacrifice" worked great as All-Star sing along intro choice.
(3) Dani Jordyn defeated Savannah Evans and Emily Jaye in 6:41. Jordyn and Jay joined forces for most of the match but couldn't make much of a dent in Evanns. Savannah viciously slinging Jordyn into the post got a big reaction. Evans first speared and butterfly suplexed Jay, then gave Jordyn the same treatment. After all three women were down, Evans planted Jay with a full nelson suplex. Jordyn hit Code Red on Evans and she rolled out. Jordyn then submitted Jay with an armbar.
Jaye has an appealing look but she's painfully thin for a pro wrestler. Jordyn and Evans did a stellar job of working around inexperience and they didn't allow the match go too long. Evans' beastly tendendcies were in full effect. Jordyn winning put her on a collision course with Snow.
(4) The Hierarchy (Murder One & Joe Black) defeated Rob Killjoy & Billy Brash (with Coach Mikey) in 12:30. The babyfaces were over huge. The quacking was non-stop, punctuated by a "Quackabilly" chant. Killjoy got into a losing battle of chops with Joe. Killjoy dropped Black with high boot and was on a roll until Murder clotheslined him from the apron behind the ref's back. Fast forward, Brash cleaned house wearing a flowery bucket hat He had Black pinned with his slingshot stunner but Kitchens pulled referee Daylon out of the ring. The crowd went berserk. Mikey started stalking Kitchens. Murder tried to intervene but the babyfaces cut him off. Mikey had Kitchens dead to rights in the ring begging. At the crucial moment, Murder slugged Mikey. Killjoy hit the Ghostbuster on Black for a visual three count as referee Daylon was slow getting back into the ring. Murder leveled Killjoy with a lariat from hell and Black pinned him with an assisted senton.
The most intense match of the night. The crowd was equally pissed at the ref and the Hierachy. after the match The tease of Mikey getting his hands on Kitchens was incredibly heated. They're going to blow the roof off Post 163 when it actually happens.
Blackmon came to the ring while Hierarchy were still there. Blackmon said Hierarchy was not IWE, the fans were and he was no coward. The Hierarchy walked to the back but while Blackmon's back was turned, Kitchens sneaked back into the ring and gave Blackmon a stunner. Blackmon sold like he was out cold. Black and Murder came back into the ring. Black got on the mic with the crowd trying to drown him out with verbal abuse.
The key line in Black's promo: "A wise man once said show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy."
Black trashed the crowd. "Damn you dreams. This ain't Marvel comics. In the real world, heroes die." Murder put the boots to Blackmon's motionless body. Black referenced the fan incident in last year that went viral and took full credit for making IWE known. Murder said when The Hierarchy won the War Games on January 13, IWE would be his.
An super heated angle and an awesome promo rolled into one epic segment. It sent the show into intermission at a peak moment.
(5) Buff and Fluff Connection (Sean Legacy & Cody Fluffman) defeated Exotic Youth (Zach Mosley & Bryce Cannon with Cornelius Pepperbottom) in 15:21. Legacy and Cannon wrestled. That was a treat. Legacy slid out to watch as Cannon continued to run the ropes with Mosley as his dimwitted opponent. Legacy hit a standing moonsault. He tried to assist Fuff with a moonsault. Fluff could ony muster a senton. Fluff gave EY a Steamroller 69. Pepp interfered to give EY the advantage. The crowd chanted "Fluff them up". Fluff did with a spinning powerlam hope spot. EY tried for a double suplex. Oh hell no. Fluff reversed it for a big pop and a "Flluffy" chant. Legacy made the tag but the ref didn't see it. The ref saw the second tag and Legacy entered with a double missile dropkick for another big pop. Legacy hit a double springboard cutter on EY and had Cannon pinned but Pepp pulled him out of the ring. Cannon had Legacy pinned with a springboard kick but Fluff made the save. Cannon went for his fraternity paddle. The ref took it away. Cannon used a second paddle on Legacy but he kicked out for a great false finish. Fluff destroyed Mosley with a DVD on the ring apron and pinned Cannon after an assisted pop up punch.
This match had the magic. Buff and Fluff were way over when was last at IWE and they are ridiculously over now, with a special love for Fullfman. EY is the quintessential opponent for them, the team the IWE fans love to hate. They way they structured the heat yielded a truly hot tag. Legacy' is a marvel. His physique is off the charts coupled with tremendous speed and agility.
(6) Skrilla the Great defeated Charlie Anarchy in a submission match to retain the IWE Mayhem Championship in 8:35. Just as ring announcer Diana Michel was placing the crown on Skrilla's head, Anarchy's music hit. Anarchy was wearing a crazy clown mask and carrying a balloon. Anarchy went for a submission as soon as the bell rang. Skrilla scrambled out of the ring with Anarchy in hot pursuit. The math went for a stretch with neither competitor attempting a submission. When Skrilla went for a pin, referee Yoyo checked her nails. Skrllla pulled a scissors from under the ring and cut the ties holding one of the turnbuckle pads. Anarchy got Skrilla in a liontamer. Skrilla hit the Skrillride but didn't get all of it. Moments later, Skrilla sent Anarchy face first into the exposed buckle and forced Anarchy to tap out with a crossface.
The only match that did not click. The crowd was unexcited, not pulling for either one and submissions only was no great shakes as a stipulation.
Skrilla still had the crossface applied when The Hierarchy (Murder One, Joe Black and T.I.M.) came into the ring. There intentions toward Skrilla were unclear. Skrilla knocked Joe's hat off his head. Looked like shit was about to go down but it was a swerve. Joe and Skrilla hugged. Skrilla called the crowd gullible and said they must all be Falcons fans. Skrilla said he was the newest member of The Hierarchy, so buckle up.
The postmatch made up for the mediocrity of the match. Hierarchy was having way too much fun toying with the IWE fans.
(7) T. I. M. (The Infinite Man) defeated Chad Skywalker in 14:36. Skywalker was set out to return T.I.M. to the light side. That was not going to happen. T.I.M was selling big for Skywalker's offense. The ringsiders infuriated T.I.M. by chanting "let's go Timmy". T.I.M. responded by wickedly pounding on the base of Skywalker's skull. T.I.M. signaled he tried the other way for three years. T.I.M. got his knees up on Skywalker's quebrada. T.I.M. started laughing while he was on offense. Skywalker came back with a Samoan Drop Bomb and tried to go to the top but T.I.M. grabbed his leg. Skywalker hit an Air Raid Crash. T. I. M. rolled out. Skrilla appeared and slid his belt in the direction of his new teammate. While Skrilla distracted referee Daylon, T.I.M. used the belt on Skywalker.
This match had an odd vibe. T.I.M is a psychologically complex and compelling personality with a boatload of facials and body language. Skywakler was really good here too. The more I thought about it, the more I liked this match as the perfect spice for this spot on the card.
(8) Lindsay Snow (with Ayla Fox & Superfan Emily) submitted Kelsey Reagan (with Devlyn Macabre) in a hardcore match at 18:16. Snow immediately dumped a bag of tacks onto the mat but she didn't get a chance to do anything with them. Reagan and Macabre both attacked her and it was two against one. Snow took a rough bump to the floor. Reagan did a turnbuckle moonsault to the floor taking Fox down. The three women battled through the crowd and up into the merchandise area. Snow was bleeding from the mouth and outnumbered. It was difficult to see what was happening but they were pounding on each other. Back inside the ring, Reagan pounded a gusset plate into Snow's scalp. Reagan may or not have been bleeding from the forehead. Snow was definitely bleeding from the gusset plate. Fox got into the ring and ended up being carried to the back. Macabre disappeared after taking a superkick from Sno Reagan applied a crossface with a chain across Snow's mouth. Looked gruesome as hell but Snow wouldn't tap. Snow whacked Reagan with a tack bat. Snow dumped a second bag of tacks on the mat. Reagan gave Snow a sunset powerbomb more or less into the tack. Snow gave Reagan a musclebuster into the tacks.
The psychotic spot of the match was Snow putting Reagan through a door bridged from the rail to the apron with an Air Raid Crash off the ropes. For the finish, Snow pounded a handful of metal skewers into Reagan's scalp and she tapped.
An insanely chaotic match. They gave the crowd what they came to see. I go the sense these women were relishing the opportunity to show how violent they could be which turned out to be pretty damn violent. The way the match was staged was not the best for the live audience. Chunks of it could be seen by only a handful of fans.
Jordyn confronted Snow after the match. Emily stepped in between them and was inadvertently decked by Snow's superkick intended for Jordyn.
They've been foreshadowing a war between fan favorites and former allies Jordyn and Snow. People were starting to head toward the exit when this interaction took place so they didn't have the crowd's full attention.
NOTES: In the pre-show match, Augusta's Chaz pinned John Matthews with a flying crucifix into a roll up (5:09)...Lewis Santiago was the referee that did not get a mention in the body of the report...Mosley and Pepperbottom were in Memphis for XIW Friday night. By the time Mosley got back to Savannah, he had traveled 1300 miles in two days...Danny Meade and Justin Hancock helped with production...GWH's Charles Felder was videoing clips and promos for IWE's Tik Tok and social media...Paige Blackmon sang the national anthem...Legacy is thoroughly enjoying his stints in Japan for NOAH. The schedule allows him plenty of time to experience the country.
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