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By Chris Vetter

AAW returned to its home at the Eagles Club in Berwyn, Ill., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007. Even with the IWA-MS “TPI” just 20 miles away, this venue is packed with about 180 fans. Because this place is so small, a crowd this big absolutely makes it difficult to move inside!

I feel I need to say this every time I watch an AAW show, either live or on DVD – AAW is like a really, really good episode of RAW. This promotion focuses on short matches, good storylines, and mixing in backstage footage on a screen above the ramp. Shows here are a totally different vibe than other indy promotions I regularly watch.

(1) Steve Stone & Hardcore Craig & Tony Rican & Jordan McIntyre & Cadillac Jones defeat Derek St. Holmes & Knight Wagner & Hunter Matthews & Bonebreaker Brooks & Kris Hybrid in a 10-man tag at 6:42. I admittedly only know Stone, Craig, and St. Holmes. A (heel) wrestler in a pink singlet wanted to pull the hair of a bald wrestler, but he was, of course, unsuccessful. Stone became annoyed, and he hit some LOUD chops on all the jobbers. St. Holmes entered the ring, but he immediately ducked out to avoid getting chopped, too! The crowd booed, as they wanted to see St. Holmes get chopped.

A big black babyface (I believe it’s Cadillac) hit a running splash in the corner on the kid with a Mohawk. Hardcore Craig hit a Samoan Drop on the kid in the pink singlet. In a matter of seconds, all 10 were in the ring and fighting. Hardcore Craig hit a Hart Attack clothesline on the kid in pink for the pin. This was a FUN match and a good way to get all these kids on the show.

* The main show began with footage on the screen showing Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley capturing the tag titles. A good highlight package of the top wrestlers in AAW is shown.

* In the first backstage clip, Joey Eastman and the Phoenix twins talked to the camera about the TLC match later in the show. Eastman promised his men would inflict pain.

* Jimmy Jacobs walked to ringside, and he said he didn’t want to wrestle. He offered Dan Lawrence to join his team, rather than fight him. (By the way, Jacobs was slated to wrestle Phil Atlas, who was not at the show.) Lawrence refused to join Jacobs’ team, so the match was on!

(2) Jimmy Jacobs defeats Dan Lawrence (w/Ryan Boz) at 8:22. They brawled on the mat, and Lawrence hit some bootscrapes and a Facewash in the corner, then a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. Jacobs shoved Lawrence to the floor, and he choked Dan on the guardrail. Boz, who is Lawrence’s long-time partner, walked to ringside, and he glared at Jacobs, so Jacobs stopped choking Dan. In the ring, Jacobs hit his doublestomps at 3:30, and he was in charge. The crowd rallied for Lawrence.

Lawrence hit a neckbreaker over his knee, and they were both down. Lawrence hit a clothesline and a leg lariat, but he screwed up a springboard move out of the ropes; Jacobs immediately hit a senton at 7:00. Lawrence hit a top-rope hurricanrana for a nearfall. However, Jacobs hit a top-rope senton splash for the clean pin. Solid match.

* After the match, Boz attacked (his partner!) Lawrence with a crutch! Boz hit a sitdown piledriver. Boz said that his back hurts from “carrying his lazy @$$ for months.” Boz hit a second piledriver, and he also beat up any trainees who tried to make the save.

* In a backstage segment, Shane Hollister & Bryce Benjamin said that Joey Eastman has been a thorn in their side for six months, and they’ll end the feud tonight.

* Joey Eastman & Brandon Blaze walked to the ring. Eastman got on the mic and said that Blaze doesn’t want to fight a midget – he wants to fight someone big and dumb! Thus, Blaze challenges the 6’4” Skullkrusher!

(3) Skullkrusher Rasche Brown defeats Brandon Blaze (w/Eastman) at 3:56. So-so match. Blaze attacked Brown from behind. Skullkrusher hit a hard back elbow and some chops in the corner. Blaze hit a big boot to the face and a second-rope missile dropkick for a nearfall. Eastman choked Skullkrusher. Blaze hit some punches, but it only made Brown angry! Skullkrusher hit some stiff forearms and a roaring clothesline for a nearfall at 3:00. Hollister & Benjamin appeared at ringside, and Blaze was distracted by them, as he shouted at them. This distraction allowed Skullkrusher to hit a spear and a Burning Hammer faceplant for the pin.

* Dave Prazak appeared on the screen, saying his team was robbed last month, but his guys would win the four-way tag match to get another title shot. Prazak said he’s so confident his team will win, he’s not even coming to ringside. (Translation: this was filmed a while ago, and Prazak is actually in Florida for FIP!)

(4) Truth Martini & N8 Mattson (the Michigan Invasion) defeat Chris Able & Aden Ames (Absolute Answer) and Charly Manson Jr. & Tyme Paige and Trik Davis & Conrad Kennedy III (DP Associates) in a four-way at 10:26. This match had a good fast pace to it. Able is the thicker member of his team. Trik and Ames started with some quick armdrags. CK3 entered and hit some forearms. Ames member hit a Lionsault press on CK3. Manson entered and hit a headscissors takedown for a nice pop. Paige and Mattson traded quick reversals, and Paige hit a hurricanrana. The four heels bailed to the floor. Paige & Manson hit simultaneous top-rope flip dives onto the heels at 3:00. Then, Able launched Ames over the top rope onto all six people on the floor!

In the ring, CK3 hit a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall, and the Michigan Invasion began to hit some doubleteam moves on Able. N8 hit a basement dropkick to his exposed face at 6:00. Paige made the hot tag, and he hit a crossbody block on Trik. Manson entered and hit a basement dropkick to the face, then a springboard swanton and a double-jump into a Tornado DDT. CK3 hit his spinning Lungblower move. However, the Michigan Invasion hit their team Curbstomp & top-rope guillotine legdrop on Ames for the pin. Fun match, with a fast pace and some good spots.

* Backstage, Christian York tried on Joey Mercury’s jacket, and pretended he was a member of MNM. Joey Mercury walked up and was annoyed with York. Mercury said they need to win tonight, because winning titles means you make more money.

(5) Krotch (w/Nikki) defeats Silas Young at 7:06. Solid, average match. Krotch’s gimmick is that he’s terrified to get in the ring to wrestle, and he’s wildly popular. Silas is fresh off an appearance on ECW TV last week, and he’s much thicker & stronger than the spaghetti-armed Krotch. Silas got on the mic and yelled at fans to not sing to his (Journey) theme song. Krotch tried to run away, and he applied a headlock to ground Young. On the floor, Silas slammed Krotch’s back into the guardrail. In the ring, Silas hit a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall. Silas confronted Nikki on the floor. Krotch hit some blows to the back. However, Silas hit a backbreaker over his knee in the ring, and he stretched Krotch at 3:00.

Some of the crowd began singing Silas’ Journey theme song! FUNNY! Krotch hit a nice dropkick, and Silas was caught in the ropes. Krotch hit a low blow, and they were both down. Krotch hit a flying forearm. Silas hit a shoulder block into the corner, then a nice tilt-a-whirl backbreaker over his knee for a believable nearfall at 6:30. Silas went for his headstand-into-an-Arabian Press, but Krotch got his knees up to block it! Krotch then got a Victory Roll for the upset victory!

(6) Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin defeat Joey Mercury & Christian York at 26:12 to retain the tag titles. Good match. All four men jawed at each other. Mercury got on the mic and talked about how he’s a superstar who has wrestled on six continents. Mercury said he and York are men, but their opponents are just children. Shelley led the crowd in a “You got fired!” chant. The match finally began with Shelley vs. Mercury, as they exchanged intense lockups, and the crowd was HOT. Sabin faced York, and York hit a shoulder tackle and celebrated at 4:00. This was a bit methodical early. Sabin hit an armdrag and a headscissors takedown. The faces hit some quick team moves on York, who quickly bailed.

York attacked Shelley from behind. Sabin hit a basement dropkick to Mercury’s exposed face at 8:00, and the heels teased heading toward the back, and they stalled. Back in the ring, the faces hit some running forearms and double enziguris. York accidentally hit Mercury. Sabin hit a dropkick, launching off of Shelley’s back! Sabin hit a flip dive over the referee onto the heels on the floor at 11:30. Shelley hit an enziguri on York. Mercury crotched Shelley in the corner, and the heels began to work Shelley over. Mercury hit some blows to the gut. York hit a (Jarrett) Stroke on Shelley. The heels hit a team gutbuster at 14:30. York hit a kneedrop to the stomach, and the crowd began to rally for Shelley.

York hit a rolling tumbleweed in the corner. Mercury hit a shoulder block in the corner, and York applied an abdominal stretch. The ref missed Sabin making the hot tag at 21:00, and the crowd was irate! Shelley hit a drop-toe-hold, sending Mercury into York’s crotch. Shelley made the hot tag to Sabin, who hit some kicks, and his enziguri & tornado DDT combo, then a fisherman’s buster on Mercury. The faces hit double dropkicks on Mercury as Joey was coming off the ropes. Shelley hit a top-rope crossbody block onto both heels at 24:00.

The heels hit a team flapjack faceplant on Sabin. York and Shelley fought on the floor. Sabin hit a hurricanrana on York to the floor. Back in the ring, Shelley hit an assisted Sliced Bread #2 on Mercury for the pin! Good match, with a nice slow build, and the finishing sequence was hot. Shelley & Sabin really click together.

* In a backstage segment taped at a prior show, heavyweight champion Jerry Lynn said he has beaten everyone from Marek Brave to Krotch to Skullkrusher. Jayson Reign walked up and asked for a title shot. The match was set for October.

* Chandler McClure walked to the ring with a neckbrace on, and one of his arms in a sling. He told fans to reach under their seats. I thought this was a joke, but sure enough, there was a letter taped under my seat! The letter essentially said that McClure intended to sue fans for not giving him weapons to use in his match last month. The letter asked people to fill out the form, so McClure can sue us! FUNNY. Many fans crunched up the letters and threw it at McClure. Well done segment, and I REALLY like that McClure sold the long-term effects of the beat-down he received three weeks ago.

(7) Arik Cannon (w/Ryan Cruz & Darin Corbin) defeat Danny Daniels at 15:57. Arik wore new orange pants to go with his black top. Arik immediately bailed at the bell, and he huddled with Cruz & Corbin on the floor. In the ring, they traded shoulder tackles, with neither man budging. Cannon hit some hard punches. Cruz & Corbin jumped in the ring to interfere at 3:00, but Daniels cleared the ring. (It is unclear why this didn’t lead to a DQ. It would be more perplexing later.) Daniels speared Cruz to the floor. However this was a 3-on-1 beating. Cannon hit a snap suplex in the ring. They traded punches and chops. Cannon hit a neckbreaker over his knee for a nearfall, and the crowd was HOT.

Darin & Ryan choked Daniels. Cannon hit a running neckbreaker for a nearfall at 6:30. Cannon hit a Hennig necksnap, and he tied up Danny on the floor. Cannon kept peppering Daniels with jabs, and they traded chops. Daniels hit a top-rope doublestomp on the back, then a running boot for a nearfall at 10:30. Cannon nailed an Exploder Suplex for a nearfall, and he hit some more punches. Daniels hit a hard Alabama Slam, then a twisting back suplex for a nearfall. Daniels couldn’t hit a Sunset Flip Powerbomb out of the corner, and he crashed to the mat. Cannon missed the Glimmering Warlock/step-up enziguri.

Daniels hit a top-rope flip dive to the floor on all three heels at 13:30. The referee ordered Cruz & Corbin go to the back! However, out of nowhere, Tyler Black was at ringside, and he whipped Daniels into the guardrail, then he hit a Mafia Kick on the floor. Black got on the mic and said that Daniels is too old. Daniels got back in the ring, and Cannon hit the Glimmering Warlock for the pin. Good match, but the guys sitting behind me HATED it.

* Darin Corbin & Ryan Cruz (the North Star Express) returned to the ring, and Darin said they had beaten everyone. Eric Priest came out, and he introduced his surprise partner, “M-Dogg 20” Matt Cross!

(8) Eric Priest & Matt Cross defeat Darin Corbin & Ryan Cruz at 8:05. Good, short match. Priest attacked the heels on the floor. Darin airballed on a frogsplash attempt, and he crashed HARD to the mat. Priest hit a guillotine legdrop, then he went for a backbody drop or a flapjack, but Darin crashed HARD on the top of his head. Scary, sickening-looking landing, but Darin was ok. Cross entered and hit a nice dropkick on Darin. Cross hit a Northern Lights suplex, a chop, and a senton for a nearfall at 3:00. Cross hit his dropkick through the ropes on Ryan. However, Ryan attacked Cross on the floor.

Cruz choked Cross in the ring, and the heels began to work over Cross. Ryan nailed a Field Goal kick to the gut for a nearfall at 6:00. Priest made the hot tag, and he hit a clothesline on Cruz. Priest hit a double suplex on BOTH heels, and he was fired up! Cruz fired back with his nice spin heel kick on Priest. Cross hit a doublestomp on the back, and Priest immediately hit his wind-up uranage on Cruz. Cross then nailed his top-rope Shooting Star Press – somehow not hitting the ceiling! – onto Cruz for the pin. Good action.

* In a pre-taped segment, Derek St. Holmes tried to teach his students how to jump rope, but they goofed around, and even wound up playing “pattycake.” St. Holmes was annoyed and chased them. “I’ve got nothing to work with,” St. Holmes muttered. Fun segment between matches.

(9) Tyler Black defeats Austin Aries at 14:49. Good match, and in my opinion, best match of the show. They opened with some intense mat wrestling, and Aries hit some nice Japanese armdrags and he twisted the left wrist. The crowd was hot and split, even though Black is a hated heel here. Aries hit his flying-back-elbow. Black avoided a basement dropkick to the face. Black nailed a kneedrop to the chest, and he hit a guillotine legdrop for a nearfall at 3:00. Aries finally nailed the basement dropkick to the face, and Black bailed. Aries beat up Black on the floor, and he whipped Tyler into the guardrail. Aries hit his catapult senton into the ring, then a flying elbow for a nearfall and his Power Drive elbowdrop for a nearfall at 5:30.

Black snapped Aries’ neck across the top rope, then he applied a modified Triangle Choke in the ropes! Black hit some blows to the neck, and some punches on the floor. Aries hit some chops. Black whipped him into the guardrail. Black was in charge in the ring, and the crowd was HOT and split. Black hit a senton for a nearfall at 8:30, then he applied a Japanese Stranglehold. Black hit a nice dropkick. Aries hit a swinging neckbreaker in the ropes, and the crowd rallied for Aries. Aries dove through the ropes and nailed Black at 11:30!

In the ring, Aries hit his catapult corkscrew press and a Lionsault, but he couldn’t hit the brainbuster. Black nailed an inverted DDT slam for a nearfall. Aries hit a hurricanrana. Black hit a Mafia Kick and a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall. Aries got an inside cradle for a believable nearfall. Black nailed a jumping enziguri. Aries again couldn’t hit the brainbuster. Black nailed the small package driver for the pin. Very good match, and the best of the night.

* Backstage, Josh Abercrombie cut a promo, saying he has been “setting the Midwest on fire” and he will be coming to AAW on Oct. 20.

(10) Bryce Benjamin & Shane Hollister defeat Dash & Tweek (the Phoenix Twins) (w/Joey Eastman at 20:32 in a TLC match. Now, in this instance, this is just a “tables, ladders and chairs” are allowed; there is NOT a title belt hanging from the ceiling. The good clean WHITE canvas was removed! The older, red canvas remained, and I warned my friends that this is a sign the match would get BLOODY. Eastman got on the mic and said this would be Benjamin & Hollister’s final match. All four immediately brawled, and it’s obvious this is ‘tornado rules’ (no tags.) The faces hit a front & back kick. Eastman beat up Hollister on the floor. The twins hit double running boots on Hollister for a nearfall. Bryce ran a twin into a chair wedged in the corner.

Hollister hit a running boot on a twin sitting in a chair, knocking him over. The faces rammed a ladder into the twins at 3:00, then they tossed the ladder at the Twins! Hollister & Benjamin hit double dives. The heels launched Bryce into the crowd, and they whipped Hollister into a ladder set up in the corner of the ring. Hollister tossed a ladder at one of the twins. The faces choked the twins with the ladder. Bryce & Shane chased Eastman, but he escaped them. The twins rammed the faces with the ladder at 7:00. Bryce had a BLOODY face. The faces hit a team bulldog spot onto a ladder. Bryce hit a uranage onto the ladder and a swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall. One twin hit a powerbomb on Bryce, who was really, really bleeding from the forehead.

A twin kicked Hollister, who fell off the top rope and through a table set up on the floor at 10:30! The heels tied Bryce up in the Tree of Woe, and they slammed chairs on him. The faces hit a double superplex on a twin onto four open chairs set up in the ring! Several ladders were set up in the ring, and Bryce hit a stunner off a ladder. The faces hit a double spear at 15:00. Hollister hit a 619 on a twin as the twin was tied in the Tree of Woe! Cool spot. The heels grabbed Eastman’s wooden club, but Bryce was able to take it and use it on the heels. One twin hit a top-rope uranage on Bryce, onto a horizontal ladder, at 19:00! The heels set up a table in the ring.

One of the heels was pushed off the top turnbuckle, and he crashed onto a double-decker table on the floor (although the tables didn’t break). The faces then hit simultaneous frogsplashes onto the other twin, who was lying on a table in the center of the ring. Once again, the table didn’t break. Bryce covered the twin in the ring for the pin! After the match, Bryce & Shane grabbed Joey Eastman, and Bryce nailed Joey with a LOUD chairshot, and Eastman bled from his forehead. The fans were on their feet cheering that final blow, as the show came to a close.

Final thoughts: The show ended at 11:03 p.m.

Wow, what a fun show. AAW does a great job with its storylines and making me, and the fans present, care about wrestlers and their storylines. This is a promotion that only continues to grow. Best match goes to the ROH-style mat classic of Tyler Black vs. Austin Aries. Seriously, that match would have easily fit in to the top half of any ROH show. I don’t think this match had happened before, but these two had a sharp, tight, fast-paced match.

The wild TLC to close the show earned second-best. People incorrectly think I don’t like bloody, hardcore matches. Not entirely true. I like that style of match when it is the blowoff to a big feud. Hollister & Bryce have been feuding with the Phoenix twins & Eastman for several months, and the feud had gotten quite personal (Eastman had hit Bryce’s pregnant valet in the face as Bryce was handcuffed to the top rope a few months back!) All four guys delivered. I’ve never been a big fan of the Phoenix twins, but they’ve never looked better.

Third-best goes to Shelley & Sabin vs.York & Mercury. Shelley & Sabin worked hard and carried the match. It started a bit slow, and the prolonged beatdown on Shelley could have been a bit shorter, but the final few minutes were really good. The Cannon-Daniels match bothered me a bit. Was it no DQ? The referee clearly saw Black attack Daniels, and he didn’t call for the bell. So, if it was no DQ, why did Cruz & Corbin try so hard to not get caught cheating? If it’s no DQ, you can interfere freely, in front of the referee. All that said, I thought it was a good match. The guys behind me gave up on the match less than two minutes into it, but the crowd was hot and vocal throughout, and I guess I agree with the crowd here.

The Boz heel turn didn’t surprise me, and apparently other fans expected it, too, but it was still well done. Boz is a better heel than face, anyway.

I’m impressed with AAW, and this promotion deserves to be noticed. Check them out at www.aawrestling.com. The DVD of this show should be out soon, and it is recommended.

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