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Tape Reviews
TTDR: NWA Wildside 5.0: The Fourth Anniversary Show
Posted by Jay Doring on Oct 22, 2003, 22:07
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I got a lot of responses to my last tape review, both good and bad, which I appreciate. I could not respond to them personally due to TSM employing possibly the worst webmail system out there (squirrelmail) for writer accounts, but I have read them all and I will respond to them eventually. Once again, I�d like to thank everyone who weighed in with both praise and constructive criticism, because feedback is a great help to any writer in how to improve both their style and their opinions.
I did get asked, based on the high praise I gave to the nameless IWA Mid-South show, which events from the promotion are the best introduction to the product. First and foremost is last year�s Ted Petty Invitational, which in my mind and in the minds of many others, is possibly the greatest independent wrestling show in history. A sixteen-man pure wrestling tournament, it features many of the biggest names from across the United States producing tons of incredible matches. If you�re an indy wrestling fan, that show is a MUST.
Second would have to be their July 4th 6 hour benefit show, entitled �We Are Family.� WAF features many of the IWA regulars, such as Jimmy Jacobs, Alex Shelley, Chris Hero and Corporal Robinson wrestling multiple times and producing some top-notch matches (Shelley/Hero vs. Jacobs/Danny Daniels is an easy ****, along with Shelley vs. Hero). Throw in one of the most brutal squash matches I�ve ever seen (Ian Rotten vs. Simon Sezz), a highly entertaining face turn from �Spyder� Nate Webb, along with some hilarious commentary from the announce crew, and you�ve got a must-see show. The best case for buying this show though, is that proceeds from the tape sales go toward the medical bills of PJ Miller, son of former IWA competitor Delilah Starr, who is in need of a kidney transplant. 26 matches and 2 tapes for 20 dollars, with the money going to a good cause, is a win-win situation for everybody. GET THIS SHOW.
The best introduction for �newbies� would have to be �Quote the Raven.� Raven makes his only IWA appearance, main-eventing against Chris Hero, along with many familiar faces from NWA-TNA and ROH: Chris Sabin, David Young, Jorge Estrada, Colt Cabana and Jimmy Rave are all there, and if you want more Jacobs vs. Shelley greatness, they take each other on in a 2/3 falls match on that show. Not only that, you�ll see one of the funniest entrances ever from the man who�s cooler than Fonzie, �Spyder� Nate Webb. I�ll have a full review of this show right here on TSM in a few weeks. Of course, you can find all of these IWA Mid-South shows and more at Smart Mark Video.
Finally, before I get to the review, I�d like to plug Jimmy Rave's Best Of tape, which you can find at Wildside Home Video. I�ve seen a lot of Best Of tapes, and I can say unequivocally that this is BY FAR the greatest wrestler compilation I�ve ever come across. In fact, this is the only compilation tape I�ve seen where EVERY SINGLE MATCH is top quality, with Jimmy taking on top talents such as Jay Briscoe, Tony Mamaluke, Jeremy Lopez, and Slim J. If for nothing else, you have to get this tape to see the greatest ladder match in independent wrestling history (Fright Night 2001- Rave vs. AJ Styles vs. Jason Cross vs. JC Dazz) and the mat clinic that is Rave vs. Chris Hero. This tape is proof positive that if you want an accurate and high quality showcase of a wrestler�s best work, you get the tape made by the wrestler himself. And hey, the money goes straight to your favorite wrestler, so everybody wins. Again, you can get the tape at the link above, or at Jimmy�s brand new website. If you want a second opinion, TSM�s own Thomas Green did an extremely well-written review, probably better than anything I can write, of this tape, which you can find right here.
Alrighty then, now on to the meat and potatoes of this review, NWA Wildside�s �Version 5.0� 4th Anniversary Show. Since Freedom Fight, there have been big shakeups in the Wildside. The phenomenally popular Hotstuff Hernandez finally unseated the supposedly unbeatable �No Pain Train� Iceberg for the Wildside Heavyweight Title at Wildside�s 200th TV taping. Following that loss, Iceberg turned on Bailey, who swore revenge with his other monster, Justice (NWA-TNA�s Abyss.) Further damage was done to Jeff G. Bailey�s NWA Elite faction when Jeremy V ended his painful quest for the World TV title by defeating Rainman in a steel cage at a �Family Friday Night� show. Also, teen prodigy �Kool� Seth DeLay ended the Honky Tonk-esque Junior Heavyweight title reign of the obnoxious and arrogant Salvatore Rinauro, and Tank and Bulldog Raines took out the Impact to become dominant tag team champions. Now that we�re up to speed, let�s go to the videotape!
Taped 9/6/03 from the Wildside/NCW Arena, and your hosts are Dan �The Dragon� Wilson and Steven Prazak
For whatever reason, the advertised TC Carnage/Adam Roberts vs. Skeeter Frost/Scott E. Smooth match is not on my copy (although since the match involves Scott E. Smooth, that might be a good thing), so we�ll skip straight to
Salvatore Rinauro vs. Daizee Haze
If you�ve read Thomas� reviews, it�s hard not to know about the demigod-ship of Salvatore Rinauro. Daizee Haze is part of the trio of performers from St. Louis-based Gateway Championship Wrestling- a promotion that I know has a small cult following on TSM�s message board- that have been appearing in Wildside as of late. The story going into this match is that Sal and Daizee have a �thing�-only Daizee doesn�t know about it. On a TV taping prior to this show, Sal kidnapped Daizee and stole one of her shirts, and in a scene straight out of several teen movies�he smelled one of them. Good �ol wacky Sal. The winner of this match moves on to the Double Jeopardy match for the Junior Heavyweight title later on.
Sal making out with his Rookie of the Year trophy before the match, while shaking his ass, is one of those moments that�s simultaneously funny and very, very disturbing. The first thing you notice about Daizee Haze when she comes out it that she has really, really nice abs- girl is CUT. Sal and Haze lock up as �Daizee�s gonna kill you� chants fire up. Sal grabs a headlock, reversed into an amateur takedown by Haze, and she works an armbar. Sal tries to get up, but takes a drop toehold right on his nose. Sal, smiling and unfazed, goes to the down position and asks Haze to get on top, but she charges and gets a running 3/4 nelson rollup for a close two! Nice! Armdrag by Haze, and she works a hammerlock, reversed by Rinauro and he gets a headlock takeover, but Haze reverses to a bodyscissors! Haze with a headlock takeover of her own, and she grabs another hammerlock, transitioned into a grapevine stretch. Haze turns that into a reverse sunset flip, but Sal quickly gets back to his feet and put her in this weird submission- a cutthroat/leg stretch-that I don�t know the name for. He follows up with a backbreaker and places Haze on the top rope. Sal looks for a Frankensteiner, complete with grind, but Haze counters with a low blow! Sal is in agony, Haze tries for a Litarana-SAL BLOCKS AND FOLDS HER IN HALF WITH A POWERBOMB! Sal gets the three count, holding her in that folded position a bit too long. Sal tries to make out with the unconscious Haze, but Matt Sydal makes the save.
No disrespect to Sydal and Delirious, but Daizee Haze is clearly the breakout star of the Gateway trio. This was a very well-structured intergender match, which showed that Haze is not just a good wrestler �for a woman�, she�s a good wrestler PERIOD. Her moves were far better executed than most women wrestlers, particularly experienced �Divas� like Ivory, Lita and Jacqueline. I�d definitely put her at Molly Holly�s level in the ring, and I think Haze vs. Molly would have the potential to be the best women�s match in the US since Madusa�s heyday. Haze has a ton of in-ring charisma, and based on the pop she got, has a tremendous female fanbase, and would be an asset to a big league promotion. I can�t forget Sal Rinauro either- his slimy heel made this match a ton of fun to watch. This was about as fun to watch as a basic sub-5 minute match can be.
Winner: Salvatore Rinauro
Rating: **3/4
Jeremy V and Caprice Coleman vs. Azrael and Rainman (w/Jeff G. Bailey)
Prior to the match, Jeff G. Bailey gets on the microphone, namedropping a bunch of members of the NWA Board of Directors (all of whom, in reality, have about as much power as Josh Matthews does in WWE) and announcing he has gone over Wildside owner Bill Behrens� head and gotten the Board to appoint a special �NWA Representative�-former Wildside owner and all-around brain surgeon Steve Martin. Martin brings out Jeremy V, informing him that since the TV title MUST be defended on TV, his completely clean non-televised title win over Rainman does not count, returning the belt to Rainman in a delayed Dusty Finish. Jeremy attacks the Elite team but gets overwhelmed by the numbers, bringing out his partner Caprice Coleman.
Colemean wails away on Azrael, and the action immediately spills to the outside. V brawls with Rainman as Azrael nails Coleman with roundhouse kicks on the inside. Irish whip in the corner, reversed by Coleman, he hits some jabs and the Ali shuffle before catching him in the face with a roundhouse kick. Irish whip by Coleman, and he connects with a PERFECT leg lariat. Coleman gets distracted by Rainman, allowing Azrael to come back with another roundhouse to the face. Tag to Rainman, he irish whips Coleman in, high-elevation dropkick by the Soul Assassin. Tag to Azrael, Rainman kicks Coleman in the gut, Azrael chimes in with a facewash, and Rainman DRILLS Coleman with a nasty Mafia Kick! Cover by Azrael gets a close two, and he continues with the martial arts kicks, dropping Coleman again. Rainman is back in and hits a stiff European uppercut on Coleman, staggering him against the ropes. Irish whip, and a hard lariat puts Ice down again. Azrael comes in, he irish whips Coleman and he charges in with a jumping double knee strike to the face. Jeremy V gets in the face of heel referee Andrew Thomas, allowing the Elite to take liberties with Coleman on the outside. Doubleteam face slam/Ace Crusher by Bailey�s team, Azrael and Rainman go for a double press slam, but Coleman TURNS IT INTO THE COLD SNAP (Edge-O-Matic) IN MID AIR! AZRAEL�S FEET KICK UP AND NAIL RAINMAN IN THE FACE! HOT TAG TO JEREMY V! LA CASA DI FUOCO TIME! Back body drop to Azrael! V lights Azrael up with chops in the corner, he charges for the climbing Shining Wizard-NO! HE GETS DUMPED TO THE OUTSIDE! Rainman stomps V on the outside, and it doesn�t look good for the now-former TV champion. Azrael with a hard kick to the head, he picks him up for a vertical suplex- BUT SPIKES HIM WITH A URANAGE ON HIS NECK INSTEAD! Azrael picks V up in an Electric Chair, and drops him face first on the turnbuckle! Followed up with a spinkick! Rainman tags in, and he gets a Sky High powerbomb for 2.9. Another sitout powerbomb by Rainman, and he brings Azrael back in. The Angel of Death hits the chinlock, V powers out, Azrael goes for a spinkick-NO! The boot is caught, but THERE�S AN ENZIGUIRI! Azrael keeps up the aggression with the Michinoku Driver...FROM HELL, RIGHT ON HIS HEAD! Rainman continues the slaughter with a big legdrop, brother for a nearfall! WAIT A SECOND, V�S FIGHTING BACK! CHOPS! IRISH WHIP! SHINING WIZARD TO THE FACE ON RAINMAN! Oooh, Azrael with a Mafia Kick, dropping V in the corner, and TAKES HIS FACE OFF WITH A KNEE SCRAPE! ANOTHER! Jeremy V looks like he�s in a coma as the Elite hit STEREO YAKUZA KICKS in the corner! He�s still fighting! Nope, slammed down by Rainman. Kick to the side of the head by Azrael, and he tries to spring off the second rope-AND IT BREAKS! THE SECOND ROPE HAS BROKEN! DOUBLE KO! Coleman�s shaking the broken rope to rally the fans! SUPERNOVA TAG! Jabs, jabs! Coleman comes off the ropes- SWINGING 360 NECKBREAKER! Azrael tries to stop the offensive- CUT OFF WITH A DVD BY JEREMY V! He heads up to the top rope- 450 SPLASH by Jeremy V! AND COLEMAN WITH A GUILLOTINE LEGDROP FROM 4/5THS OF THE WAY ACROSS THE RING! Jeff G. Bailey puts Azrael�s foot on the ropes! Jeremy V gets distracted- and TURNS INTO THE SPINESPLITTA BY RAINMAN! Coleman makes the save on the pinfall, but eats a Yakuza Kick from Rainman. Rainman looks for the Dark City Street Cutter (cradle Stunner) but Coleman turns it into the THERMAL SHOCK~! (NASTY Ace Crusher variation from the front chancery position.) HE GOT HIM, V AND COLEMAN WIN!
The one type of wrestling I love above all else is good �ol fashioned Southern tag wrestling, and this is definitely a good Southern style tag match. Maybe it�s because Dan Wilson does such a good job of putting over his �everyman underdog just like you� character, but I really dig Jeremy V. He�s so good at playing the babyface who will take a beating and just won�t quit; I see a lot of Ricky Morton in him. Of course, you can�t have a good babyface without a good heel, and Rainman is a great one. The entire way he carries himself, from his nasty attitude, arrogant posture, stiff kicks and neckbreaking moveset give off an old-school viciousness you don�t see in too many of today�s heels. The one guy that I can�t believe hasn�t been seriously looked at on the East Coast is Caprice Coleman, the guy just screams �superstar.� He�s incredibly athletic (the distance he got on that legdrop has to be seen to be believed), a killer finisher, �the superstar look� and an exciting moveset. Coleman is definitely a guy who could get over rather easily with a crowd up North. The only weak link in this match was Azrael, who seemed to get lazy and a little too kick-happy at points, which is disappointing considering he�s usually an innovator when it comes to creative spots and moves. Overall, a fun, dramatic tag match with a great heat segment thanks to Jeremy V�s selling, and a really hot ending sequence.
Winners: Jeremy V and Caprice Coleman
Rating: ***1/2
Strap in dear reader, because this next match is gonna be a fun ride�
Delirious vs. Matt Sydal vs. Salvatore Rinauro vs. Ray Gordy vs. Altar Boy Luke vs. �Kool� Seth DeLay� -Double Jeopardy Match for the NWA Wildside Junior Heavyweight Title
Delirious and Sydal are the other two Gateway imports, and have both made appearances on NWA-TNA. Altar Boy Luke is the former XPW Deathmatch champion who made an incredible transition to the junior division in NWA Wildside, becoming one of the most over wrestlers in the promotion after less than 10 matches. He�s also now in TNA as one of Christopher Daniels� �followers.� Ray Gordy is the son of the late, legendary Freebird Terry �Bam Bam� Gordy, and has made appearances in Japan's Pro Wrestling NOAH as Terry Ray Gordy Jr. This is only his fourth match in NWA Wildside. Sal we�ve met already, and as I said in the intro, Seth DeLay defeated Mr. Rinauro, his former tag team partner in G-Rated, for the junior title at the 200th TV taping.
The rules of the match are very similar to the famous NWA TNA Week 2 Double Elimination X Division title match. Only two wrestlers in the ring and once, and for a wrestler to be a eliminated he needs to be pinned twice. When he is pinned the first time, he CANNOT tag out until he pins someone else.
Matt Sydal and Sal Rinauro start off. Sal doesn�t want in, but because everyone else hates his guts, no one will let him tag out. Hard shots by Sydal, irish whip, big clothesline, followed up by a spinkick. Sit-out Pedigree by Sydal gets a two count early, Sydal tries for another one, but takes a thumb to the eye by Sal. Sal bounces off the ropes, but eats a dropkick from Sydal for another nearfall. High back body drop by Sydal, and Sal frantically scrambles to make the tag to Ray Gordy. Gordy charges, Sydal catches him with a backslide for a quick two, but Gordy quickly gets to his feet and TAKES SYDAL�S FREAKING HEAD OFF WITH A LARIAT! Gordy whips Sydal back into the ropes and connect with a hard back elbow, and makes the tag to Rinauro. Vertical suplex by Rinauro, and he tags back in to Gordy. Snap suplex by Gordy, quick cover, kickout at two and a half. Gordy grabs a waistlock, reversed by Sydal, reversed again by Gordy- GERMAN SUPLEX-NO! SYDAL LANDS ON HIS FEET! O�CONNOR ROLL WITH A BRIDGE GETS THE FLASH PIN ON GORDY! Gordy is in the hot seat first.
Seth DeLay tags in, but quickly gets jumped by Gordy and takes a hard dropkick. DeLay bails and tags Altar Boy Luke, drawing a noticeably large face pop. Gordy pelts him with forearms, grabs a snapmare takeover and CRACKS him with a hard spinal tap. Gordy nails Luke with a roundhouse kick to the chest. Gordy whips him in, telegraphs a back body drop and takes a boot to the face. Luke hits the ropes, BUT GORDY WITH A HIGH ANGLE GERMAN SUPLEX! THREE COUNT! Luke is down a fall now.
Sal Rinauro is back in, he tries to whip Luke, but Luke grabs him in a reverse fireman�s carry and drops him with a neckbreaker. Sal makes the tag to Seth, Luke ducks a DeLay clothesline and hits him with a pump kick to the face. Now Seth bails and tags in Matt Sydal. Luke and Sydal somehow end up on their heads, slapping each other, they break that weird hold and knock each other down with a double clothesline. Sydal tags out to Delirious, but he quickly eats a spiral powerbomb from Luke. Luke heads to the top, Delirious tries to cut him off but gets shoved off- BUT WAIT A SECOND, AZRAEL JUMPS UP TO THE APRON! FIREBALL IN THE EYES! Luke falls off the top clutching his face in agony, and Delirious covers for three! Luke�s the first one eliminated!
DeLay charges in, connecting with a flying back elbow to Delirious. A high back body drop and a hiptoss keep Delirious down for two, Another irish whip, Delirious ducks a clothesline and grabs a half nelson, taking Seth down. He hits the chinlock, Seth escapes but takes a clothesline from Delirious. Delirious goes to the top rope, DeLay trying to get up, BUT HE�S SENT BACK DOWN BY A FLYING SPLASH! NEARFALL! Delirious punches him down for another two count. He picks Seth up for an irish whip, Seth gets a sunset flip for another two count, Delirious slow to get up, and Seth takes advantage with the CRADLE DDT~! The pin is academic, and Delirious is down one fall.
Sal Rinauro comes in, and take advantage of Delirious still being, well, delirious with a slingshot suplex for two. Spinal tap by Sal Rinauro, he follows up with a front facelock, he can�t get Delirious to pass out, so he breaks the hold and stomps him down. Sal whips him into the corner, blind charge- DELIRIOUS WITH A SCHOOLBOY!- 1,2, NO! Sal tags Gordy, and they team up to nail Delirious with a double clothesline. Sal stays in the match, and hits the Cabbage Patch fistdrop for two. Whip in again, Delirious catches a foot, and turns it into a Fisherman�s Buster on Sal for 2.9. Delirious tries for In Vitro Fertilization (some sort of piledriver, I guess) but Sal reverses to a barely modified Phoenix Fury Legdrop (Michinoku Driver 2) called the Whattamaneuver, and that takes Delirious out of this match.
It�s the battle of G-Rated now, as Sal takes Seth down with a cross-armbreaker, but Seth reverses to a rollup for two. Sal gets a headlock, Seth pushes him off into the ropes, Sal drops him with a shoulderblock, but Seth comes back with a dropkick! Brainbuster by DeLay! Sal sits up, and Seth makes him pay with a basement dropkick to the back. Seth slams him down, he goes for the FLYING SQUIRREL SPLASH-IT HITS KNEES! Sal and Gordy continue to work together, hooking up for a double back body drop. Inverted DDT by Gordy, and the ruthless aggression continues with UGLY kicks to the kidneys! Fisherman�s Suplex by Gordy gets two. Rinauro reappears and covers, but can�t put him away. Leg lariat by Sal gets another close two. He heads to the apron, and springs off the top with a clothesline! Seth STILL won�t stay down! Sal backs Seth into the corner and lights him up with chops. He stops to jaw with Sydal, but a splash attempt ends up with his nuts in drop. Seth tries a hurricanrana, but Rinauro throws him off. Sal charges, but Seth VAULTS OVER FOR THE KOOL KRUSHER~! (Edge-O-Matic) FOR THE PIN! Sal takes his first fall!
Sydal comes in and smartly goes for a pin, but his foot ends up on the ropes. SYDAL WITH A LIGERBOMB! Only two though. Sydal works Sal over in the corner, irish whip, Sydal tries for a Fisherman�s suplex, Sal counters into a Rude Awakening. Sal heads to the top- RANDY SAVAGE ELBOW! 1, 2, 2.5! Sal tries for the Chalupa Crunch (double underhook Rocker Dropper) but Sydal reverses into the AFTERSHOCK (Spinal Shock/Ace Steel�s Twist of Kain) to eliminate Sal.
In comes Ray Gordy, and he rains stiff forearms on Sydal. Sydal fires back, but gets overmatched and bails, leaving DeLay to deal with the onslaught. Seth takes Gordy down and they ground pound each other. Gordy gets the advantage and locks Seth in a sickening-looking Boston Crab. DeLay reverses to a victory roll, but Gordy�s in the ropes. He staggers DeLay with a swift kick and drops him with a bodyslam, but SETH RECOVERS WITH A KIP UP SATELLITE RANA! WOW! Second rana gets a two count. Seth tries for the Kool Krusher again- TURNED INTO A PUMPHANDLE MICHINOKU DRIVER! THE CHAMP IS ONE FALL DOWN!
Sydal slides in the ring and clamps on a half crab, transitioned into an anklelock! Seth won�t tap, so Sydal slams him down, heads to the top for a high crossbody- CUT OFF WITH A DROPKICK! Deep cover by Seth-TWO COUNT! Seth looks to finish on the top- BUT GORDY TRIPS HIM UP! Seth lands on his HEAD, and Sydal takes advantage with a SPRINGBOARD 450~! SYDAL PINS HIM! Either Matt Sydal or Ray Gordy will become the new Wildside Junior champion!
Ray Gordy immediately BREAKS SYDAL IN HALF with a brutal looking snap powerslam for a three count. Daizee Haze is now at ringside cheering on Sydal, as Gordy hits a jackknife powerbomb for an oh so close nearfall. Gordy whips him in, reversed by Sydal, and he drops him to the floor with a dropkick! GRACEFUL MOONSAULT TO THE FLOOR BY SYDAL! Sydal sends him back in and is perched on the top- BEAUTIFUL SHOOTING STAR PRESS! THREE COUNT! The Hot Seat rule is out, and the next fall wins. Although that�s really confusing, because Gordy ALREADY took a fall, and should have been eliminated!
That GIANT error aside, we�re going to finish the match, with the last fall determining the champion. Gordy recovers and CLEANS HIS CLOCK with another Hansen-style lariat, but Sydal tries to fight back, taking out his legs and hitting a somersault legdrop to the back of the head at two. Sydal locks on an abdominal stretch as Sal returns to put the moves on Daizee. Daizee slaps him, but Sal�s presence is enough to distract Sydal, leaving him prey to a TIGER SUPLEX, WITH A BRIDGE, FOR THE TITLE!
This match totally had me going, until the confusing ending. According to the rules of the match, Matt Sydal SHOULD have won after the Shooting Star Press. That�s a pretty tough flaw to overlook. That said, the effort for this match was tremendous, and no doubt will make stars out of Seth DeLay, Matt Sydal and especially Ray Gordy. The match was very well set up, as instead of throwing out insane shit constantly which kills the effectiveness of big moves, they made the big moves count by spacing them out, and when they did hit, they were either for a pinfall for a VERY close nearfall. They also stressed the importance of getting pinfalls in an elimination match such as this, by having the wrestlers go for covers as frequently as possible. Despite the lack of OMG DRAGON RANA HAMMERS~! this was still all action from start to finish and would make any X Division fan happy. Seth DeLay really showed what he was capable of in this match, and mark these words down, he WILL be the next AJ Styles. Ray Gordy will also make a huge impact in the very near future. He works a style very similar to his father, hard htting strikes and power moves, and watching this guy just terminate someone anytime he was in the ring was an awesome sight to be hold. You guys liked that Wild Pegasus fella back in the day, right? Well, you'll LOVE Ray Gordy. If this match, and his recent series with AJ doesn�t get him national attention, nothing will. In summation, a fantastic and unique junior match marred only by a confusing ending.
Winner: Ray Gordy
Rating: ****1/4
Mikal Adryan, Murder One and Shadow Jackson vs. Slim J, Onyx, and Lazz
Mikal Adryan, Murder One and Shadow Jackson are part of the Dark City Soldiers, a stable that also includes Todd Sexton and Masada. Where�s Dark City you ask? Well, here�s Rainman and Murder One to answer for you. Oh, and for all the women who like the dark meat and were wondering if they had girlfriends, well, they answered that too.
From "Ask A Wildside Superstar" at the Official Wildside Website:
�The Dark City is located in a secret underground lair, not unlike Castle Greyskull. If we had girlfriends then all our other *$*#$ would get mad, so we just take women one day at a time. As far as white women......we love em'!"
Murder One is awesome man, he�s like Dave Chappelle� if he was muscular, really pissed off and could kill people with his bare hands.
This was originally supposed to be a tag match, but when the Dark City contingent brought out Adryan, Onyx brought out the returning Lazz, who�s one of those guys you look at and wonder �people love THIS GUY?� Lazz, if you didn�t see him on TNA getting squashed by Mad Mikey, is a cross-dressing, face-painted Britney Spears fan who dances in a well, homoerotic fashion, and HE�S OVER! Female fans put dollar bills down his pants!
My incredulousness aside, onto the match. The DCS are so intimidated by Lazz that they try to take a powder, but Onyx coaxes them back in with some language that will probably get bleepd out on Wildside TV. Adryan and Slim start out. Adryan no-sells some punches and clotheslines, and catches Slim off a crossbody attempt, but Onyx saves Slim with a dropkick to the back. Onyx comes in as Adryan tags in Murder One, but M1 wants Lazz, who immediately, in the words of Dan Wilson, �reminds him of his days in the state penitentiary.� By the time I cleared that thought out of my head, I came back to see Onyx working a waistlock on M1, who reverses, and they slug it out in the corner. Drop toehold and kneelift by Onyx gets a two count. Lazz tags in, and so does Shadow Jackson, who looks terrified. Collar and elbow tie up, and Lazz gets the GRECO-ROMAN NIPPLE LOCK! If you don�t think it�s a real move, I saw it on a piece of Greek pottery recently, so not only is it real, it�s the OLDEST move in wrestling! M1 is back in, and he takes over with some rights, but gets sent to the apron and assaulted by the faces. M1 bails to the outside, but falls right into a CORKSCREW SENTON BY SLIM J- AND HE LANDS ON HIS FEET! Back suplex by Slim J gets a two count. Irish whip, M1 ducks a clothesline, and DECAPITATES SLIM J with the Blazing Lariat! Adryan tags in, and he chokes out Slim J. He picks him up and hits a BUTTERFLY SUPLEX, HEADFIRST INTO THE TURNBUCKLE! Shadow Jackson takes over with a legdrop�brother, but falls prey to a SCHOOLBOY-NO! Slim J hits the ropes, but gets caught with a backbreaker, and Jackson holds on with a powerslam! Murder One hooks Slim J in the Tree of Joey Lawrence, M1 charges, BUT SLIM J GETS SLICED BREAD #2�FOR TWO! Adryan comes in, but Slim connects with a spinkick! He�s OUT ON HIS FEET! This is probably the best sell ever, as he just stands there after the kick, totally unmoving and blank-faced. SPICY TAG to Onyx, who immediately hits the ANGRY MAN SLAM, BUT TODD SEXTON RUNS IN! SUPERKICK-NO! ONYX WITH THE BLACKOUT (Implant DDT)! THE BRITNEY SPEAR BY LAZZ~! Referee Speedy Nelson is distracted, as Slim and M1 fight over a wristlock, and M1 gains the advantage, hitting a SPINNING BLUE THUNDER DRIVER for the uh, pin? It looks like Slim kicked out, but the ref counted three anyway. Even the ref looks like he knows he screwed up (so it�s not an angle) but the decision is final.
This was a fun, entertaining midcard match with some good heat thanks to Lazz�s return and Slim J�s face-in-peril segment, but the excessive stalling and botched finish hurt it a bit. Nothing wrong with the match, but nothing standout, so it gets a decent, but not great, rating.
Winners: Murder One, Shadow Jackson, and Mikal Adryan
Rating: **1/4
Brandon P and Jeff Lewis vs. Tank and Bulldog Raines �(w/Al Getz)- Wildside Tag Team Title match
As mentioned in the intro, Tank and Raines wiped out the Impact following following Freedom Fight for the Wildside Tag Titles. Brandon P still wanted to be in the tag division, but because of Jay Freeze�s serious injury, he had to find a new partner. He tapped Jeff Lewis for this match.
Brandon P tries to work over the big man Tank, he comes off the ropes with a Nagasateru into a victory roll for a two count in the early going. Brandon follows up wit a flying headscissors, a back suplex and armdrags, but Tank won�t stay down. Tank grabs a headlock, throws P into the ropes, Brandon gets a monkey flip on Tank, who tags in Raines. Raines immediately gets armdragged. Lewis tags in, and the faces hook up for a double flapjack, but all it gets them is a forceful kickout. Another doubleteam, this time a duck-under/dropkick sequence, gets another two count. Flying axehandle to the arm by Jeff Lewis, but Raines escapes him with a thumb to the eye and tags in Tank. The referee gets distracted by Brandon P, and the champs nail him with an awkward-looking double swinging neckbreaker. Big splash in the corner by Tank,, and he tags in Raines. High back body drop by the Bulldog, and he follows up with a powerbomb. Irish whip in the corner, Lewis vaults over the charging Tank, and nails a dropkick, stunning him long enough to make the tag to Brandon P. Dropkicks to both men, but Tank cuts off the comeback with an STO and slaps on an inverted crossface. Tank gives up on the hold, gets a snapmare takeover and hits the chinlock as the Dobbins brothers, another team managed by Getz, come to ringside. Brandon P fights out, but takes a kneelift. The Dobbinses grab a chair, but �accidentally� clock Tank for a CLOSE nearfall. The Dobbins brothers leave as Raines knocks down P with a clothesline. Brandon P comes back with a neckbreaker variation, and makes the 98 degree tag to Jeff Lewis. 10 punches in the corner by the faces, but P gets shoved off to the floor and the champs hit the PowerBreaker on Lewis to retain.
This started off hot, but once Tank and Raines took over, this got very slow, disjointed, and well, dull. The problem with this show was that there was a big overkill on tag matches, and once the actual tag title match came up, I got burnt out on them. The other problem is no one really cares about Al Getz and the Dobbins brothers, so there�s no interest in the dissension between these two heel teams. On a side note, I think Brandon P has the potential to become a breakout singles star in Wildside, but since he recently did win the tag titles with Jeremy V, it looks like he�ll be in the tag division for a while.
Winners: Tank and Bulldog Raines
Rating: *3/4
The main event was supposed to be a battle of the monsters, pitting Justice/Abyss against the Iceberg, but since TNA sent Abyss down to Puerto Rico, instead we get�
Iceberg vs. Bull Buchanan
Buchanan is introduced as the newest member of the NWA Elite, and was actually a former Wildside competitor before he began his on/off relationship with WWE. LOUD �Iceberg� chants fire up as the two big men circle each other and lock up. How Wildside managed to get a disgusting monster psychopath, who�s come close to killing several of the most beloved members of the company, over as their number one babyface is a credit to the booking crew. They LOVE this guy! They�re doing cheerleader chants for him! Why am I talking about how the crowd loves Iceberg so much and not doing play-by-play? Because NOTHING IS HAPPENING. FINALLY, an Iceberg shoulder tackle sends Buchanan to the outside. He tries to come back in with an axehandle off the top, but takes a belly-to-belly from Iceberg. Iceberg works over Buchanan with chops, whip into the corner, but Buchanan slides under the ring after an Iceberg charge. Bull trips Iceberg up and rams his knee into the post. Iceberg drops, and Bull drops an elbow on the leg and gets a leglock. Buchanan picks him up, Iceberg tries to fight back, but Bull catches the 600-punder with a powerslam. More unexciting legwork from Buchanan, and Bailey tries to take a shot at Iceberg with a shoe, but it only pisses him off. Choking, kicking, oh my lord END THIS MATCH before I knock myself out with my keyboard. Iceberg fights out and whips him into the corner, but Bull does the only impressive thing he can do and springs off with a clothesline from the top. That gets two. Buchanan tries for a German suplex, but Iceberg reverses to his own. Iceberg makes the supervillain comeback with some hard clotheslines and forearm shots, but the big corner splash knocks out the ref. Belly to back suplex by Buchanan, and Iceberg bails to the outside. Hard chairshot busts �Berg wide open and knocks him out, and here comes heel ref Andrew Thomas to do a super-fast bullshit countout. Normally I�d be pissed off at the crappy ending, but I�m just glad it�s over. The NWA Elite come out to put the beatdown on Iceberg, but Altar Boy Luke arrives to save. He takes out Azrael, and Iceberg delivers the Spinesplitta to Rainman, chasing off the Elite.
It�s pretty well-known that Iceberg has a bad rap on the Internet, thanks to the ROH clapmonkeys crapping on the one three minute squash match he had in the company. It�s not a fair assessment of Iceberg the wrestler at all, and I recommend you check out his match with David Young from the 3rd Anniversary show, probably the best old school power match I�ve seen on the independents. If you don�t believe me, I recommend getting the Best of Iceberg compilation tape from Melanie McKee to see for yourself- tons of sweet old school bloodletting and nastiness on that one. However, that doesn�t mean that this particular match didn�t COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY SUCK, ENTIRELY because of Bull Buchanan. He may have been a suitable replacement for Justice/Abyss in terms of name value, but after all these years, he still has absolutely no clue how to pace a match. The heel�s job is to carry the heat segment of the match and make it memorable, and what do we get? Boring, slow-as-shit leg work that didn�t lead anywhere. Iceberg is the type of guy who needs a good opponent to have a great match, and Bull sucks, so the results are uglier than if Mad Man Pondo got hit in the face with a weedwhacker. A horrible way to close out the show, and I believe this is the first negative star rating I�ve ever given.
Winner: Bull Buchanan
Rating: -*
We�re not done yet though, as Jeff G. Bailey has something to say after the show, as the camera focuses in on a giant pool of blood Iceberg has left on the floor. Thanks to Larry Goodman for the partial transcription:
�Wildside Version 5.0, another glorious night for the NWA Elite. Rainman was returned his rightful title belt by new NWA Representative Steve Martin, and we destroyed Jeremy V and Caprice Coleman, just like we always do. And then, it was Bull Buchanan, and what he did to you Iceberg, was gouge your head open, to where you nearly bled to death. You see this Iceberg? This is your blood, your blood staining the arena floor.�
(At this point, Jeff G. Bailey wipes off some of the blood from the floor, and SMEARS IT ON HIS FACE.)
"How does it feel to go to the hospital at night and get stitched up? The last time you left here, skin was burned off your face! This time, you nearly drowned in blood! When are you gonna learn, you can�t screw with the NWA Elite! Pack your bags, hit the road, because it only gets worse from here! I'm Jeff G. Bailey, the architect of doom. We are the NWA Elite, the Fourth Reich and this ring is our goddamn concentration camp. What's gonna happen is every one of you is going to lose your lives. Get your funeral plot reserved or hit the road. It's your choice. Because the next time you show up in this building, this puddle of blood is going to be a drop compared to what's gonna happen. The NWA Elite: we will take all your lives and enjoy doin' it."
Jeff G. Bailey is a horrible, demented, sick, evil human being, and I pray there�s a G-d in this universe, just so he can burn in hell. Eternal nothingness is too good for this guy.
Am I kayfabing or not? You decide.
The final shot on this tape, is an extreme closeup of a bloody, shaking, grunting, and above all ANGRY Iceberg. No words are said, but the message is clear: Shit�s ON now.
Final Thoughts: This is a show that started off really hot, but totally sputtered out at the end. In the future, this will probably have a great deal of sentimental value as the night Ray Gordy took the first step to becoming a major star. As it stands now, it�s a show with a MUST-SEE junior title match, a really fun undercard, and a topcard that�s disappointing, kinda like a WCW show from 1997 and 1998. I personally think the good outweighs the bad, but it comes close enough that it�s really up to you, my friends.
Overall recommendation: Middle of the road Wildside show, some good, some bad
For this tape, along with all recent major NWA Wildside events, t-shirts, and compilations featuring NWA Wildside stars, including AJ Styles, Rick Michaels, Slim J, Jimmy Rave, and JUST IN, Salvatore Rinauro, head to Wildside Home Video. If you want individual episodes of Wildside TV, custom compilations of Wildside stars, or tapes of hard-to-find federations, I highly recommend Melanie McKee, who has all of that and more available for trade. As my friend Jake says, check out her shit�and her tapes too.
Feedback, e-cards, hot celebrity gossip, and maps to the fountain of youth can be sent here.
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