By Chris Vetter, Torch Contributor

Full Impact Pro debuted in Crystal River, Fla., on June 25, 2005, for “Payback,” featuring CM Punk vs. Colt Cabana – two longtime friends who have had countless matches with, and against, each other. It is the highlight of the show, and the reason to purchase this DVD.

Full Impact Pro is the old school-style promotion, with no backstage segments; all promos and angles are done in front of the fans. This venue is well lit, has a nice high ceiling, and the camera work is good. The crowd is perhaps 150 to 200 fans; gone are the days of 40 fans hiding in the background of FIP events. Dave Prazak & Lenny Leonard are back on commentary. Prazak is a heel here, but I prefer his unbiased announcer role. Nonetheless, these two have great chemistry in the booth. To the ring!

(1) Rainman defeats Jared Steel at 8:39. Good opener. Rainman wore red shorts and a black top; he’s improved his physique in the past two years. Steel wore black trunks, and he also has a good physique. They opened with standing reversals, and Rainman hit a nice dropkick and a hard clothesline for a nearfall, then some shoulder tackles. The action moved to the floor, where Steel hit some blows on Rainman’s neck.

In the ring, Steel missed a knee drop; that was ugly. Steel hit a left-arm clothesline for a nearfall at 5:00, and he applied a sleeper, then he hit some chops. Rainman came back with an inverted DDT, a series of punches, and a backbody drop. Steel hit a nice backbreaker for a nearfall. Rainman applied a Camel Clutch, while locking in a Cobra Clutch/modified sleeper, and Steel tapped out.

(2) Steve Madison defeats Kahagas at 5:05. Solid. If you’ve read my prior reviews… I think Madison has a Randy Orton type of smug heel charisma, and he’s over as a heel here. He grabbed the mic and said that “Crystal River is the armpit of Florida,” and he called the fans “inbreds.” The match began, and Madison worked on the left arm. Kahagas hit a chop. They traded chops. Prazak on commentary talked about how Madison “ran James Gibson out of FIP.”

Madison hit a back suplex and a guillotine legdrop for a nearfall. He choked Kahagas using a weapon in his trunks, then he hit some Dibiase fist drops, while holding the weapon. Kahagas came back with a backbody drop and a clothesline, and he was fired up! Madison pulled out a chain, wrapped it around his fist, and nailed Kahagas with a punch to get the pin. Basic, but it kept Madison’s heel heat going.

(3) Spanky defeats Tony Kozina at 11:45. I liked this match. Kozina looks like Nunzio, but a bit thicker, and he wore red pants. Spanky wore his pink trunks; he cut a goofy promo, saying he was glad to be there. They opened with a knucklelock, and Spanky was in control. Kozina hit some armdrags and he focused on Spanky’s arm. This is good action. Spanky hit some hiptosses and a dropkick. Kozina came back with a back suplex, then a dropkick as Spanky was lain across the top rope. Kozina hit a kick to the back of the head.

They hit double clotheslines, and both men were down at 7:30. Spanky fired up, and he hit a dropkick. (Prazak left the booth to take care of DP matters.) Spanky hit a snap suplex, a flying elbow for a nearfall, and a standing neckbreaker. He went for a frogsplash, but Kozina got his knees up to block it. Kozina nailed a missile dropkick at 10:00, then he hit a running forearm, a nice springboard elbow for a believable nearfall, and an Electric Chair for a believable nearfall. Spanky nailed the Sliced Bread #2/flip overhead bulldog for the pin. Good match, with plenty of hot nearfalls in the end.

* Prazak came to ringside, and he talked about how he acquired the New Dawn from CM Punk. Punk hit Spanky. Colt Cabana came out and got on the mic, saying he was sick of Punk and the New Dawn, and he promised to beat up Punk later.

(4) Dunn & Marcos (the Ring Crew Express) & Antonio Banks defeat Sean Davis & Phil Davis (the Heartbreak Express) & Don Juan at 15:15. I just don’t get the HBE; I think if you’ve seen one of their matches, you’ve seen them all. The HBE came out in their pink & purple outfits & robes, and Sean – the heavy member of the team – talked about how they are the best three-member team since the Freebirds. (NOTE: last month, Don Juan fought the HBE, the month before that, he teamed with them. I don’t like guys bouncing back and forth from heel to face this often!) Don Juan made fun of his former partner, Antonio Banks, who he turned on last night. Banks came out, and he was joined by the Ring Crew Express. “Who are you guys?” he asked. Funny.

Sean took off his robe to reveal his fat body, and he called himself ‘a real man.’ Dunn and Don Juan started, and Dunn hit a hurricanrana out of the corner, and he got some quick rollups. Banks entered, and he hit a Yakuza kick on Don Juan. All six fought briefly in the ring. Sean hit a Stinger Splash, but he accidentally hit Don Juan, and the heels did some ‘accidental gay spots’ at 2:30, then they bailed to the floor to regroup.

Back in the ring, Phil brawled with Marcos. Later, Marcos worked on Sean’s arm. Banks hit a Divorce Court armbreaker on Sean, and the faces took turns working over Sean. The Ring Crew did their ‘double air guitars’ on Sean’s arms. Marcos hit a headscissors on Don Juan, and the heels began to work over Marcos. Sean hit a Michinoku Driver on Marcos for a nearfall at 8:00. Sean hit a Stinger Splash and a Rumpshaker in the corner. Don Juan hit a backbreaker.

Phil tagged in, and he applied a sleeper. Marcos hit a Flair Toss, and he made the hot tag at 14:00 to Banks, who entered and nailed some clotheslines. Banks hit a spinning uranage on Phil. Marcos hit a Tornado DDT on Sean. Dunn hit a top-rope elbow on Sean Davis. Marcos hit the senton off of Dunn’s shoulders to pin Sean. Basic stuff. While I’m not a fan of their ring-work, the HBE get great crowd heat. Sean would make an excellent manager, as he’s good on the mic.

(5) Tony Mamaluke defeats Sal Rinauro and Jay Fury in a three-way elimination match at 9:29. (ROH fans saw this as a bonus match on “Glory By Honor” last September.) So-so match, a bit choppy. Fury wore his red singlet that makes him look too heavy. Rinauro wore his shiny trunks. Sal dove on Mamaluke, then Fury dove on them both! In the ring, Fury hit a spin heel kick on Mamaluke. Mamaluke hit a European Uppercut on Fury, then a basement dropkick on Fury.

Sal hit a springboard lariat on Mamaluke. This is quick action. Fury hit his right & left kicks on Mamaluke, then he nailed a moonsault and a Jaytrix/back bump-into-kip up-into-enziguri. However, Sal hit a flip neckbreaker to pin Fury at 4:00. Mamaluke and Sal brawled to the floor, where Tony worked on Sal’s arm around the ring post. In the ring, Mamaluke hit a second-rope divorce court armbreaker, then a back suplex.

Mamaluke locked in a cross-armbreaker, and he applied a modified Rings of Saturn/double armbar. Sal came back with a basement dropkick for a nearfall and a running forearm. Mamaluke crotched Sal on the top rope, and he hit a DDT out of the corner for a believable nearfall, but Sal reached the ropes. Mamaluke slapped on the cross-armbreaker again, and this time, Sal tapped out.

* Dave Prazak came out and made fun of Sal for losing. Cabana chased Punk. Samoa Joe came out and attacked Sal, so Azrieal came out to make the save, setting up the next match!

(6) Samoa Joe (w/Dave Prazak & Mr. Milo Beasley) defeats Azrieal at 12:45. Good match, but below standard for a Joe match. Joe wore pants with a belt rather than his usual trunks. Azrieal is now a face here. Joe hit a chop and a headbutt. Azrieal hit some chops and planted his shoulder in Joe’s gut. Joe hit his back chop & front kick & knee drop combo, and he dominated. Joe applied a nerve hold on Azrieal’s shoulder. Joe dumped Azrieal to the floor, where Prazak & Beasley beat him up at 4:00.

Joe hit a running knee in the corner, and he again dumped Azrieal to the floor! The kids in the crowd scream at Prazak’s cheating. Azrieal came back with a springboard clothesline, a headscissors takedown, and his series of spine kicks, then the kick to the face. Joe nailed a senton at 8:30 for a nearfall. Azrieal hit a flying forearm and an enziguri for a nearfall, and he applied a sleeper.

Joe hit the STO uranage in the corner, but he made an arrogant one-foot cover. Joe hit some stiff forearms. Azrieal came back with a top-rope flip neckbreaker, but he missed a doublestomp. Joe applied a Camel Clutch, and it appears he has the Kokita Clutch/rear-naked choke locked in as well, and Azrieal passed out.

(7) Jimmy Rave & Fast Eddie (w/Dave Prazak) defeat Roderick Strong & Jerrelle Clark at 18:39 to retain the FIP tag titles. Good match, but it stayed in second-gear a bit too long. Rave and Strong started, with Strong working on the left arm, then he tugged down Rave’s shorts, and Rave was frustrated with Strong’s antics. Fast Eddie and Jerrelle tagged in and they traded mat holds, as Lenny Leonard on commentary struggled to say that Rave & Eddie won the titles in a “tag tourn…, well a series of matches.” Funny.

This is methodical early. Strong entered and hit some chops on Rave at 7:00, and the faces hit double dropkicks, so the heels bailed to the floor. Fast Eddie hit a slingshot senton on Jerrelle, and the heels began to work Clark over. Fast Eddie hit a gutbuster over his knee for a nearfall, then he applied a bearhug at 10:00. Prazak stomped on Clark on the floor. Clark missed a springboard moonsault. Rave applied an abdominal stretch with help from both Prazak and Fast Eddie. The crowd rallied behind Clark, who finally made the hot tag at 15:30.

Strong entered and hit a dropkick, a leg lariat, a backbreaker on Rave and a gutbuster on Fast Eddie. Clark hit an assisted moonsault for a nearfall. Fast Eddie came back with a lungblower on Strong. Clark nailed a Reverse Rana on Fast Eddie. Strong chopped Rave. Rave nailed a Shining Wizard on Strong. Clark hit a Tornado DDT on Rave. Prazak crotched Clark in the corner. Rave then hit the Rave Clash on Clark for the pin. The final three minutes were really good.

(8) Colt Cabana defeats CM Punk (w/Dave Prazak) at 45:38. Almost immediately, the ref saw Prazak trip Cabana, and he threw Prazak out. Prazak joined Leonard in the booth. These two traded good mat wrestling moves, with Cabana hitting a shoulder tackle and some headlocks. Punk applied some headscissorlocks and he tied up Cabana’s legs. Prazak on commentary talked about the first ever Punk-Cabana match in Wisconsin, and over the course of the match, Prazak talked about the great series of matches these two have had, including a big best-of-three-falls match in Minnesota (I was there!) in 2001, and how that match got them their tryout in ROH.

Cabana spread Punk’s legs as they sat on the mat, stretching Punk’s groin at 10:00. This is some fun comedy as Cabana kept outsmarting Punk. They did a knucklelock, trading who was in control. Leonard described this as “slow, methodical style,” but this is enjoyable to watch. Punk put Cabana in a rowboat on the mat, pulling back on Cabana’s arms at 16:00. Cold applied a Japanese Stranglehold, and he planted his knees in Punk’s back. Punk applied a bodyscissorslock at 22:00.

They did the dueling headstands spot, and they slapped each other in the face, then they fell to the mat, but their legs were still tied up. Cabana unloaded some European Uppercuts at 27:00. Punk flipped Cabana to the floor, and he stomped on Colt outside the ring. He slammed Colt on the ring apron. Back in the ring, Punk hit a Russian Legsweep for a nearfall and a backbreaker over his knee. Colt hit an Electric Chair, and they were both down at 32:30.

Punk applied a Camel Clutch, and the crowd rallied behind Colt. Colt hit a back suplex. They traded chops, then they hit simultaneous crossbody blocks, and both were down at 36:30. Colt took over, hitting a headscissors takedown, a buttbump, then he gave Punk a slingshot into the turnbuckle, then an elbow drop for a nearfall. Punk came back with a crossbody block off the second rope and a back heel kick, then a Welcome to Chicago/tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and a Pepsi Twist/short-arm clothesline.

They fought on the top rope, and Cabana hit a superplex at 42:00. They traded punches. Punk accidentally hit the referee! Cabana got a visual pin, but the ref was out. Cabana hit a Tombstone Piledriver, but still no ref. Samoa Joe hit the ring, and he choked out Colt, and he put Punk on top. Spanky ran in, and he hit a Sliced Bread #2, and he put Colt on top! Rave ran in, hit a Shining Wizard on Colt, and he put Punk on top! Azrieal entered, and he hit a Michinoku Driver, put Colt on top, and the ref counted to three, giving the victory to Cabana.

Final thoughts: DVD runs 2 hours 44 minutes, which is easily the longest of the nine FIP releases I own. I consider that important. On same of the early FIP releases, a lot of matches were just too short, kept between three and 6 minutes, so FIP could fit the show into a two-hour release. Here, each of these matches were given plenty of time to develop.

Punk-Cabana was not a high-energy match filled with high spots or insane bumps. It was, however, technically strong, had a nice ebb and flow, featured good intensity, and it was enjoyable to watch. The match ‘fit’ with the FIP style of wrestling. Some people will love this, some will become restless watching it, but I thought it was good.

Spanky-Kozina earned second-best here, just ahead of Joe-Azrieal. The tag title match was fourth-best. While these matches were good, and certainly above average, none were can’t-miss matches either. For FIP DVD’s to be ‘must see’ events, it needs more great matches in the mid-card.

I liked the roster of this event. I didn’t have to sit through matches with LaDuke Jakes, Ryze, Evan Starsmore or the Masked Fipper, who all wrestled on recent FIP shows. Other guys that aren’t bad, but don’t interest me either (Aaron Epic, Erick Stevens, Chris Marval) weren’t present here either. I could do without the Heartbreak Express, but I know some people like them.

This show gets a thumbs up because I enjoyed the main event. I started watching Colt vs. Punk in 2000 in Minnesota, and their matches against each other are always worth checking out. Purchase this at www.rohwrestling.com for $15.

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