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The following report originally published 20 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…
IWA Mid-South Ted Petty Invitational Tournament report
November 7, 2003
Salem, Ind. at Salem High School
By Larry Goodman, Torch Team Contributor
IWA Mid-South presented the first round of the annual Ted Petty Invitational Tournament last night. An appreciative crowd of 160 converged in Salem, Indiana hoping to see a weekend filled with the best technical wrestling on the US indy scene. They certainly got it on night one. Four and a half hours worth.
This is the fourth annual rendition of this tournament that was originally known as the Sweet Science 16. The field was expanded to 24 for this year’s tournament. Several members of the originally announced field, including last year’s winner, B. J. Whitmer were forced to cancel their appearances due to injury.
The high school gym in the sleepy southern Indiana town of Salem became the unlikely location for the tournament when IWA lost their regular building, just across the river from Louisville in Clarksville, at the end of the summer. IWA’s King of the Death Match Tournament drew 300 per night to that building in August. It’s not clear how much impact, if any, that the change in venue had on the crowd size. What was abundantly clear was that there was no such thing as a casual fan in this crowd.
(1) Jimmy Jacobs (with Becky Bayless) beat Salvatore Rinauro in 8:46. Jacobs has one of the most entertaining ring entrances going with his “Barbaric Berzerker” routine. Rinauro wanted to know “What the hell is a Huss?” Rinauro made fun of Jacobs’ furry boots. Rinauro was the perfect opponent to sell for Jacobs’ power offense. Rinauro caught the crowd’s attention with a great ace crusher. Jacobs countered Rinauro’s Whattamaneuver with a powerbomb. Jacobs hit a cobra clutch russian legsweep. Rinauro hit a top rope elbow for a near fall. Rinauro showed off his swivel hips to Bayless. Rinauro did a springboard off the top squarely into a high boot by Jacobs for a great looking finish.
(2) Nigel McGuinness beat Brad Bradley in 6:35. McGuinness was way over with this crowd. Bradley was a late replacement for Truth Martini. Bradley went heel, giving this match a stronger face/heel dynamic than most. But this was the kind of crowd that responded to great moves, regardless of who was delivering them. McGuinness dominated with an outstanding display of technique. Bradley got a pop for his high angle back suplex. Bradley hit a powerbomb for a near fall. McGuiness won it with a diving folding press.
Mickie Knuckles came into the ring and announced that since Tracy Smothers wasn’t there (a severely disappointing moment for the Smothers marks like myself), she wanted into the tournament. Ian Rotten confirmed that Smothers wasn’t going to make it due to a family emergency. (Smothers and Rotten were originally slated for a match on Saturday night, but it was added as a tournament match when Whitmer and Josh Prohibition dropped out due to injury.) Rotten told Knuckles that her days of wrestling guys were over. Rotten said he would take the forfeit. Knuckles said that caused her to lose all respect for Rotten. Rotten told the ref it was on.
(3) Ian Rotten beat Mickie Knuckles in 9:40. This was the most fearsome beating I’ve ever seen a women take from a man inside the squared circle. Rotten told Knuckles that he hoped she believed in God. Rotten didn’t hold anything back. For that matter, he appeared to adding something extra. Rotten hammered Knuckles with headbutts and crossface forearms. This was some dark and twisted stuff. Rotten beat the hell out of Knuckles on the floor. Knuckles finally resorted to a low blow and got in a suplex. Rotten hit a dragon suplex and Knuckles got a foot over the ropes. Fans chanted “It’s not worth it.” Knuckles kicked out after getting dropped on her head with a devastating double underhook brainbuster. Rotten pleaded with Knuckles to stay down but that wasn’t going to happen. Rotten got the pin with a double underhook brainbuster that was even sicker than the first one.
Rotten lead the crowd in a “Mickie” chant. Rotten and co-trainer Chris Hero gave Knuckles props for her guts. Rotten gave Knuckles a hug and asked her to shake his hand like a man. “You’re one tough broad.” Rotten said Rain didn’t stand a chance against Knuckles on Saturday night. Rotten congratulated Knuckles for being the first woman to make it through the Ian Rotten Wrestling Academy.
(4) A. J. Styles beat Todd Sexton in 8:46. Am I biased towards Wildside? Hell yeah, but this was great stuff any way you cut it. Sexton came through with an impressive performance in what was, by far, the highest profile match of his career. The first big spot came after Styles took a bump over the top rope. Styles jumped to the apron with a forearm shot, but Sexton popped the crowd with an innovative neckbreaker across the middle rope. Styles did a picture perfect leapfrog-dropkick sequence and then, a backbreaker flipped into a gutbuster. Sexton pulled out a rolling reverse camel clutch. Styles turned Sexton inside out with a roaring lariat. The lariat and Sexton’s bump were both off the chain. Styles connected with an overhead kick at the 5-minute mark. Styles blocked a superkick and hit the quebrada/inverted DDT for a near fall. Sexton used a corner version of the Gamebreaker, but Styles got a foot over the ropes. Styles blocked a superkick and took it home with the Clash. Sexton’s performance earned a “please come back” chant from some of the fans.
(5) Jonny Storm beat MDogg-20 in 8:48. Disappointing. They had a tough act to follow and the some of the spots didn’t click. They got the crowd into early with the first extended flipping and flying exchange of the night. Storm did a tope. Storm hit a corner quebrada for a near fall. Storm cut it off the first time, but MDogg came right back with the Arabian press to the outside. Storm did a blind reverse spring off the middle rope into a huracanrana. MDogg missed badly on a split legged moonsault. Finish looked deadly, as Storm pinned MDogg in spectacular fashion with a half nelson Michinoku driver.
Rotten talked to Storm about his rumored retirement. Rotten said he was a Storm mark and asked Storm to come back to IWA one more time, if he decided to hang it up. Storm did not disclose his plans.
Rotten put MDogg-20 over for having the cojones to do high risk moves after having the top rope break on him twice. Rotten referred to MDogg-20 as the next Dynamite Kid (Lord I hope not for M-Dogg’s sake).
First intermission.
(6) Sonjay Dutt beat “Spyder” Nate Webb to retain the IWA Light Heavyweight Title in 11:50. Webb brought the crowd to life with his spirited (to say the least) ring entrance. Match got off to a fun start. They traded bizarre dance steps and tried to set a record for most consecutive standing switches. They were working at a lighting fast pace. Webb hurt his shoulder legit when Dutt did a series of swinging Catatonic like moves. Webb hit a moonsault over the ringpost. Dutt was right on the money with a missile dropkick. Words can’t describe the move that ended up with Webb’s head up Dutt’s ass. Dutt did a variation of Rick Michaels’ Double Shot. Dutt hit a springboard elbow drop for a near fall. Webb did a swinging sideslam type move and said he was going to the top. No water in the pool on Webb’s tumbleweed. Dutt did an exploder to set up his finisher. Webb was able to block it at first but wound up taking a back bump. Dutt hit the Hindu press for the pin and a monster (well, at least given the size of the crowd) pop.
(7) Chris Hero beat Arik Cannon (w/Allison Danger) via submission in 19:20. Too long. The response for Hero’s introduction showed just how much respect these fans have for his ability. He is the only former winner in the tournament. Hero turned in a totally unselfish performance, working his ass off to make the much smaller Cannon look like a credible threat. The work itself was fine. The problem was that nobody was believing that Cannon had the slightest sliver of a chance to win. Hero’s chain in the early going was stellar. Danger’s presence at ringside was a plus, especially when she suggested that there was a match for the blue streak in her hair somewhere else on her person. They did a cool series of reversals with Hakushi’s Nirvana Strangle that Hero turned into a nasty surfboard version. They did a battle of the backslides. Cannon hit a high angle back suplex. Cannon worked the knee with a single leg crab. Not a good choice for a small man to use on a much larger opponent. The crowd waited for the inevitable comeback by Hero. Danger slapped Hero and got a fan to blow on her palm. They started going back and forth. Cannon did the rolling germans. Cannon collided with Danger, and Hero did an ultra safe tombstone piledriver. Cannon used a desperation donkey kick to the nutsack. Hero applied the Hangman’s Clutch for the tap out victory.
(8) Alex Shelley beat Chris Sabin via submission in 8:06.Awesome match. About as good as a match of this type and this length can be. They were both feeling it with the acrobatics. Sabin’s athleticism was unsurpassed on this night. Crowd was really into Shelley. Great technical work in the early going. Shelley did a reverse crossface. Sabin did a kip up headscissors. Simultaneous armdrag block and they squared off. Shelley hit a hangman neckbreaker for two. Shelley did a double slingshot (outside-inside) legdrop. Sabin did twisting springboard forearm and Shelley bumped to the outside. Sabin hit a corkscrew pescado. Sabin hit an phenomenal slingshot huracanrana. Sabin stiff kicked Shelly in the back and applied a tripped out hammerlock submission. Sabin hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Sabin went to the Nirvana strangle but that move was played out after the previous match. Sabin nailed a slingshot springboard spinkick. A stiff exchange left both on the canvas. Sabin hit a catatonic style backbreaker for a near fall. Shelley came back with a release german. Sabin blocked an enzuigiri and hit one of his own. Shelley caught Sabin with a downward spiral as he came off the top for a great near fall. Shelley locked in a great looking submission, the Border City Stretch and Sabin tapped.
(9) B-Boy beat J. C. Bailey in 13:03. Sadomasochism as only IWA can do it. Bailey took a beating from B-Boy that was stiff beyond belief. The crowd seemed to be split right down the middle, with. some fans backing Bailey as the hometown hero and some plainly into seeing B-Boy beat the bejeezus out of somebody. And did he ever. B-Boy brought the thunder. Bailey’s face looked puffy after absorbing an ungodly number of direct hits. In the midst of it, Bailey came back with a tope suicida and a missile dropkick. B-Boy swung Bailey off the apron and dropped him on his back. B-Boy then did a double stomp from the ring apron. B-Boy applied a stepover pretzel submission that looked like pure torture. Bailey made a valiant comeback, scoring a near fall with a guillotine legdrop. B-Boy cut that off with an exploder into the turnbuckles. Both down for a count of six. B-Boy with a brainbuster for a near fall. B-Boy dropped Bailey on his head with a sick back suplex, but Bailey got a foot on the ropes. B-Boy nailed the Shining Wizard for the pin. Rotten came to ringside and told Bailey, “the next time you let somebody hit you like that and not fight back, your ass is mine.”
(10) Jimmy Rave beat Colt Cabana in 13:30. Match itself was good, but the most memorable thing was Cabana’s comedy. He is supremely entertaining as a heel. Cabana was copying Rave’s mannerisms during the introductions. “C’mon Jimmy, they came to see a wrestling tournament. Let’s make them happy.” They traded pin attempts. Cabana didn’t like the way things were going and bailed. Rave locked on the cross armbreaker and Cabana got a ropes break. Cabana caught Rave with a powerslam as he came off the top. Rave did a crucifix pin into a crossface, Cabana went for the ropes again. Cabana made Rave pay for a telegraphed backdrop with a big kneelift. Cabana used a flying buttbump for a near fall. Cabana reached way back for a claw hold. Crowd loved it. Cabana did a bearhug into a cradle DDT. Cabana did more old school with a full nelson submission. Rave hit a Shining Wizard. Rave on the comeback, with a backbreaker across the knee and bridging back suplex. Cabana caught Rave in an arm submission as he came off the top. Rave hit From Dusk Til’ Dawn. I think Cabana bit him to break the hold. Cabana went for the Colt 45 and Rave countered with a backslide for the pin.
Rotten asked Cabana if he would come back for a match tonight. Cabana agreed to it while staying in character.
Second intermission at the three and a half hour mark. Nobody seemed to mind.
(11) Danny Daniels (with Jim Fannin) beat Ken Anderson to retain the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title in 15:40. This match got off to a promising old school start but ran out of steam past the 10 minute mark. Daniels said he was putting the belt up, as a past champion had done in the tournament, to prove that he was a top competitor. It was all Anderson early. Daniels took an illegal time out. Fannin said that the champ could do whatever. Daniel got his knees up on Anderson’s top rope dive. Two foot gut stomp. That seemed to be the move of the night. Daniels posted Anderson’s shoulder and did a tornado divorce court. Daniels stayed on Anderson’s injured arm. Both down after a mistimed tiger driver spot. Anderson bumped over the top on a Daniels dropkick from behind. Daniels did a plancha and missile dropkick back in for a near fall. Anderson came back with a TKO. Both down again. Daniels used a low blow. Daniels did a sunset powerbomb and jackknife pin attempt. They traded suplexes. Anderson did an overhead suplex with a bridge for a near fall. Daniels kicked Anderson low and hit a wicked jumping piledriver for the three count.
(12) Jerry Lynn beat Michael Shane in 17:45. This match succeeded in telling the kind of story that the previous match failed to deliver. Shane couldn’t cope with Lynn’s wrestling ability and went to the outside in frustration. “That’s wrestling. The WWE fired me for it,” said Lynn. Shane went to his playbook of heel tactics, but Lynn retained control with a drop toehold and La Magistral for a two count. Lynn grounded Shane big time. At 6:30, Lynn missed with a charge and Shane tossed him into a rude post bump on the shoulder. Shane started working on the arm. Lynn tried for a skin the cat and Shane knocked him to the floor. Shane posted the arm. Lynn shoved Shane into the post. Lynn hit his trademark slice legdrop on the apron. Lynn did a slingshot splash for a two count. Shane came off the top onto the arm. Lynn mounted a comeback. Tornado DDT for two. Wheelbarrow faceslam for two. 15 minutes gone. Shane instigated the first ref bump of the night. Shane used a low blow and small package but Lynn kicked out. Lynn hit a TKO but the ref got bumped again. Lynn was looking for the cradle DDT but his arm was giving him too much trouble. Shane catapulted Lynn’s face into the turnbuckle and hit a superkick for a great near fall. Lynn hit the cradle DDT for the win.
NOTES: The brackets for tonight’s second round matches were announced as follows: Jacobs vs. Rotten, B-Boy vs. McGuinness, Shelley vs. Storm, Daniels vs. Rave, Hero vs. Dutt. and Styles vs. Lynn. The other matches will include Knuckles vs. Rain and matches involving some of the wrestlers eliminated in the first round…IWA Mid-South returns to the national guard armory in Salem on Thanksgiving night with Daniels defending against Homicide.
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