AAW Presents My Bloody Valentine
February 27^th, 2010 – Berwyn Eagles Club, Berwyn, IL

AAW, Wrestling Redefined had another banner moment in Midwest wrestling as they presented My Bloody Valentine.  On the announced card Colt Cabana would defend his AAW Heritage Championship against “The Anarchist” Arik Cannon in a 2 out of 3 falls match.  For the second week in a row, Shane Hollister would challenge Silas Young for the AAW Heavyweight Championship, having earned both title shots (defeating Tyler Black at The Chaos Theory in January and winning a Battle Royal last week in Davenport).  The main event of the night would see Tyler Black and Jimmy Jacobs (the reunited Age of the Fall) have a rematch against the House of Truth for the AAW Tag Team Championships they won last weekend in Davenport.  All this and more was scheduled for My Bloody Valentine and I can tell you it was well worth the trip.

Preshow

There was only one preshow match up this month in Berwyn and it saw Chris “The Madness” Hall defeat Rip Impact with a spinning neckbreaker.  The match nothing to write home about, but most dark matches are only a showcase of new talent.  “The Madness” defeated his opponent in 1:46.

Main Card

My Bloody Valentine began with footage from the previous week in Davenport, IA where Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black defeated the House of Truth to become the AAW Tag Team Champions.

Next on the video screen, Derek St. Holmes introduces the show and the opening contest, a 6 man tag team match, but he’s interrupted by The Chan Clan.  St. Holmes and his nephew, Knight Wagner, have been having issues at the Davenport shows and Chandler McClure had a bone to pick with Derek about it.  St. Holmes tells McClure that it’s between him and Knight and the subject is dropped.  Chandler, though, is not finished.  He wants to call out Colt Cabana for the incident last month where Boom Boom fed Chandler his birthday cake with force.  Derek St. Holmes, however, is more interested in the Chan Clan teaming with Mason Beck, enforcer for the House of Truth, and we head to the ring for the opening contest.

6 Man Tag Team Match
The Chan Clan (Jordan McEntyre and Knight Wagner) and Mason Beck vs. Zero Gravity (CJ Esparza and Brett Gakiya) and Matt “Krotch” Mayday

The Chan Clan and Mason Beck are accompanied to the ring by Chandler McClure and Johnny Wisdom (The Chan Clan’s “Sports Psychologist”) and are followed by Zero Gravity and Krotch.  Krotch starts the match off facing Jordan McEntyre and the crowd starts up a “Purple vs. Purple” chat as both men are in purple tights.  Krotch gets the crowd fired up before the two men lock up.  The exchange of moves results in Krotch locking on a head-scissor on Jordan and then “shaking it” at McEntyre’s head.  McEntyre fought his way out of the situation to tag in Knight Wagner.  Mayday is quick to put him in an arm bar and back up to the corner with Zero Gravity.  CJ slaps Krotch on the back, tagging himself in and the tandem duo of Zero Gravity goes to work flying around the ring and tagging in and out.  Esparza hits a standing moonsault before tagging back out to Krotch.  Mayday comes in and takes control but soon has to fend off Jordan McEntyre, but is unable to fight off big Mason Beck.  Beck clubs him in the back ad returns to the corner to get an official tag.  The House of Truth enforcer proceeds to toss Krotch around the ring like a rag doll.  He then tags McEntyre back in, who springboards off the 2^nd rope onto a downed Matt Mayday before knocking Brett Gakiya off the apron.  He brings Krotch to the Chan Clan corner and tags in his partner.  The isolation doesn’t last long, however as Krotch is able to get a tag to Esparza, who again flies around the ring with ease, landing a tilt-a-whirl DDT on Knight Wagner.  Again CJ and Brett team up, but they meet the arms of Mason Beck that levels them both.  Johnny Wisdom gets involved, climbing the turnbuckle, but Krotch steps onto the apron and pushes him down onto Beck.  Then Wisdom gets a Bronco Buster from Krotch for his troubles.  McEntyre and Esparza fight in the corner and CJ puts Jordan on his back.  Esparza climbs the turnbuckles and Brett Gakiya charges across the ring, leaping onto his partner’s shoulders.  CJ drops Brett with a powerbomb onto Jordan McEntyre and follows with his Shooting Star Elbow for the win.

Rating:  ***

Winners:  Zero Gravity (CJ Esparza and Brett Gakiya) and Krotch in 9:58.

This was a great opening contest with a lot of fast action.  Following the match, Mason Beck takes out both of his partners as Truth Martini comes out complaining about Beck being involved in a loss about the opening contest.  Truth is also upset by the loss of the Tag Team Championships, saying the Phoenix Twins have involved themselves in House of Truth business one too many times.  He spots Dan Lawrence in the building and decides to call him out to deal with some aggression.  Lawrence comes to the ring and is subsequently teamed up on by the entire House of Truth before being powerbombed onto three steel chairs.  The Twins comes in and make the save and declare that somehow, they will get involved in the Tag Team Championship match later that night.

After the ring clears, Jay Bradley comes on the screen and tells the fans he’s tired of being the puppet of Dave Prazak.  Then he comes to the ring for a match.

Jay Bradley vs. Michael Elgin

This was a contest between two bigger guys.  Bradley, though, still had the height and weight advantage over Michael “Crazy Horse” Elgin.  The match starts with both men trading blows and Bradley getting the advantage.  He forces Elgin to the apron, but Crazy Horse fights back and brings Jay to the floor.  Elgin leaps over the top rope onto Bradley, but Bradley catches him and redirected him onto the barricades.  The fans are eating it up here.  They clearly embrace Jay Bradley and his decision to leave Dave Prazak.  With the fight spilling to the floor, the barricades come into play as Bradley hurls his opponent into them.  Michael Elgin has some fight left, though and when they return to the ring, “Crazy Horse” shoulder tackles Bradley from the second rope and follows with a bridging German suplex, but can only get a 2 count.  Both men get back to their feet and Bradley is able to regain control charging in with a massive running clothesline that turns Michael Elgin inside out.

Rating:  **

Winner:  Jay Bradley in 7:34.

Michael Elgin’s debut was definitely a good one despite the loss.  He was able to hold his own with one of the powerhouses of AAW, Jay Bradley.  I look forward to seeing more of Elgin in the near future.

Following this match, Shane Hollister, the #1 Contender to the AAW Heavyweight Championship, came out for an interview with Kevin Harvey.  Shane has a bandage above his eye from the attack by Danny Daniels last week in Davenport and tonight’s he’s calling Danny out to finish things.  Daniels comes out and tells Hollister if he wants a fight, he can take on Ryan Boz.

Unsanctioned Contest
Shane Hollister vs. Ryan Boz

Hollister is all over Boz at the start of the match, starting with several hip tosses and then going to work on the arm of the bigger man.  Boz powers back and uses the injury above Shane’s eye as a focal point before dropping the No. 1 Contender with a double underhook powerbomb.  But don’t count Hollister out yet.  He gets up and is locked into a bear hug by Ryan Boz, but manages to use his speed to duck a clothesline and go flying through the ropes onto Danny Daniels.  Boz comes back on the attack as Shane comes back in.  He overpowers Hollister and grabs a chair from Daniels.  Hollister pops back up, tough, and kicks the chair into the face of Ryan Boz  Shane then hits a buzzsaw kick to get the win.

Rating:  **

Winner:  Shane Hollister in 5:30.

Shane would pay for the win with a tombstone outside the ring from Ryan Boz, which leaves fans wondering what kind of condition he’ll be in for his match with Silas Young later tonight.

Irish Airborne (Dave & Jake Crist) vs. The Hybrids (Jason Lite & Donavan Cain)

The Irish Airborne go on the offensive before the bell.  The Hybrids try to fight they’re way into a decent match, but Donavan Cain got his foot caught in the ropes and the Crist brothers simply dominate.  Cain is manhandled by the Airborne, who get a fairly easy victory as the ref had to stop the match after Donavan Cain was knocked unconscious after repeated kicks to the head.  To further send a message to everyone, after the match the Irish Airborne grabbed Jason Lite and connected with a spike piledriver to seal the victory.

Rating:  * ½

Winners:  Irish Airborne (Dave & Jake Crist) in 3:26.

This was a basic match to show the dominance of the Irish Airborne.  It furthers their heel alliance with AAW Heavyweight Champion Silas Young.  Up next was the match I think I was looking forward to the most.

AAW Heritage Championship Match
2 out of 3 Falls
“The Anarchist” Arik Cannon vs. Colt Cabana (c.)

Cabana gets the crowd worked up as the bell rings for this, the 3^rd time these two have met in 4 months with the Heritage Championship on the line.  Colt and Arik exchange holds and Boom Boom starts by going to work on “The Anarchist’s” arm.  The two seem to be toying with one another in the early goings.  Cabana uses his legs to turn Cannon over for a pin attempt, but Cannon kicks out.  Arik would return the favor, but Colt would reach over to lock Cannon’s head and turn the pin attempt into a submission.  Arik’s able to break the hold and would unwrap his wrist tape to choke the Heritage Champion, while asking the ref to silence a fan who is spreading negativity about “The Anarchist.”  The ref breaks up the choke and Cabana finds himself on the apron where Arik suplexes him back into the ring.  They work there way into the corner where Colt is prone on the top rope.  He is able to reverse a superplex, spinning down to the mat and using the momentum to pull Arik over in a suplex of his own.  “The Anarchist” rolls to the floor and is quickly followed by Boom Boom, but the Champ is met by a slap that knocks the taste out of his mouth.  Back in the ring, a roll up with a bridge looks to get Colt Cabana the first fall, but the ref ruled that both men’s shoulders were down for the three count and therefore we are tied at one fall apiece.  Both men exchange blows as the bell rings to signify the start of the final fall and Colt winds up before sending Arik to the mat.  He slapshes Cannon from the 2^nd turnbuckle before both men are back on their feet.  Cannon blocks an elbow and takes Cabana down, but can only get a 2 count.  Dave Prazak comes out looking to recruit new talent.  He tells us that he’s got his eye on Cabana and stalks around the ringside area as the match continues.  The fight goes back to the floor where Prazak distracts the Heritage Champion and Arik takes him down with his own towel.  Arik turns and embraces Prazak and it looks like “The Anarchist” has acquired new management.  Boom Boom gets back to his feet and sends several loud chops to Cannon before chasing DP around the ring.  Colt returns to the ring where Arik is able to roll him up near the ropes.  Prazak and Cabana’s towel help add leverage to the pin allowing Arik Cannon to reclaim the AAW Heritage Championship.

Rating:  *** ½

Winner (and New AAW Heritage Championship):  Arik Cannon in 15:06.

This was a fantastic match to head into intermission, but the action wasn’t quite finished there.  As Cannon and Prazak leave ringside, the Chan Clan comes out tossing streamers at Colt in celebration of his loss.  Boom Boom grabs the microphone and tells Chandler McClure that in order to renew his AAW contract, he’ll have to pin Cabana.  We can most likely expect to see that match in a month or so.

Trik Davis vs. Hornet

Nothing too spectacular in this match.  Trik had control early on.  I’d never seen Hornet before, but he stands out in my mind now because of his giant Mohawk.  Hornet has some impressive high flying moves, leaping over the ropes onto Davis, but in the end it was Trik who got the victory.

Rating:  * ½

Winner:  Trik Davis in 5:14.

After the match the screen lights up with Darin Corbin, who has some sexist remarks towards his opponent, Triple Crown Women’s Champion, MsChif.  He ends up looking inside Nikki Mayday’s bag and finding gender reassignment paperwork.  His reaction is absolutely perfect.  Darin is almost speechless.  While I did not actually see this myself, I’m told that Krotch was lurking in the background of Corbin’s promo, so perhaps Krotch had something to do with the papers Darin found.

Darin Corbin w/Nikki Mayday vs. MsChif

Most fans seem to be behind MsChif as this match kicks off, but Darin gets a few chants of his own and they start in a collar and elbow tie up.  Corbin backs MsChif to the corner, but she pulls Darin onto the turnbuckle.  They move out of the corner and Darin asks for a test of strength.  He seems to get the advantage, but MsChif throws him and when they’re both on their feet again, they have a “scream-off.”  When the action picks up Corbin’s offense is repeatedly countered by the Triple Crown Women’s Champion.  Chif locks in a head-scissor/abdominal stretch, but Darin counters it into a backbreaker then continues working the back.  A group of fans show their support for Corbin by chanting “make her humble” (perhaps channeling the Iron Sheik) and Corbin taunts the women in the crowd.  This allows MsChif to come back and hoods the Gates of Hell II, but Darin is able to get to the rope.  MsChif is up and looking for a backslide , but winds up rolling over Darin Corbin’s back and connecting with a bridging suplex that only nets a near fall.  Darin then connects with a chokeslam that levels his opponent.  This prompts Krotch to come out.  He confronts Nikki Mayday in the ring who leaps into Corbin’s arms, but Darin drops her to the mat and turns into the Green Mist from MsChif.  Corbin stumbles backwards and trips over Nikki, allowing MsChif to roll him up for the pin.

Rating:  ** ¾

Winner:  MsChif in 6:51.

Obviously this was not Darin Corbin’s night.  He leaves Nikki in the ring, who doesn’t understand why Corbin is acting the way he is.  When the ring clears, the familiar opening sequence to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” plays and AAW Heavyweight Champion Silas Young comes out to address the crowd.  He feels Shane Hollister is in no condition to fight after calling out Danny Daniels earlier and having to fight Ryan Boz.  The fans proceed to tell him to shut up and Hollister’s music hits.  This match is on.

AAW Heavyweight Championship
Shane Hollister vs. Silas Young (c.)

Young charges in right away and the fans are clearly routing for Hollister in this match.  Shane fends off Silas and sends a series of ruthless kicks to the Champion before getting punched to the floor.  Silas uses the time to conserve energy and taunt the crowd before stalking outside the ring.  Hollister is ready for him, though and uses the barricades to his advantage.  Shane sends the Champion into the steps and crawls into the ring.  Young is right back into the ring, but Hollister goes on the attack, bringing Silas to the mat and forcing Young down in the corner.  The challenger sends repeated blows to his opponent’s head with both fists and knees followed by a loud and vicious slap, but when he charges in for a knee, Young turns the move into a backbreaker, regaining control.  The fans do what they can to try and rally Hollister, and he simply refuses to give up the fight as the Champion cinches in a chin lock while taunting the No. 1 Contender.  When Shane gets out of the hold, Silas attacks the injured eye of Hollister with a big knee right to the temple and follows up with a guillotine onto the bottom rope.  The Champ is relentless, but the Challenger will not go quietly into the night.  However, every time Shane Hollister tries to mount some offence, Silas comes right back at him, squashing Hollister’s momentum.  Young works the back, but Shane comes back with knees to the head and both men get back up.  Shane connects with a dropkick that leaves Silas Young caught upside down in the ropes, but he takes to long to capitalize and both men collide and hit the mat.  The two warriors rise to their knees exchanging blows as they get back to a standing position.  Shane attempts an enziguri.  Silas ducks the first attempt, still holding Shane’s leg, but Hollister comes back over with his foot and connects.  He follows up with a backbreaker and a face buster variant that nets him a near fall.  Shane climbs the ropes and is caught by Silas, but Hollister fights him away from the ropes and leaps off, his knees connecting with the Champion’s chest and taking him down to the mat.  The cover gets the Challenger another near fall and both men come back up.  Young connects with a jawbreaker and then rolls Shane Hollister up, grabbing the tights for the second week in a row, but Shane manages to kick out.  Silas picks Shane up onto his shoulders and drops his opponent with a rolling Samoan Drop.  Young leaps onto the turnbuckle, hanging upside down with his head resting on the top before he goes for his twisting moonsault.  Hollister’s knees are waiting for Silas.  The Champion recovers quickly, though and locks in a chin lock, wrapping his legs around Shane.  The Challenger does not nap and the ref moves into check the arm of Shane Hollister.  Shane’s able to keep his arm up on the third check and Young releases the hold, lets Hollister up and sends a kick right to Shane’s already injured head.  Hollister drops to the mat and Young covers him to retain the title.

Rating:  *** ¾

Winner (And Still AAW Heavyweight Champion): Silas Young in 21:16.

A valiant effort by Shane Hollister but this would not be his night.  He showed, in my opinion, however, that he can hang with the likes of Silas Young and it looks to be only a matter of time before we see Shane with the title around his waste.  We’re left with one match on the card, the AAW Tag Team Championship rematch between the House of Truth and Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black (c.).  Both teams come to the ring, Tyler wearing both the AAW Tag Team Title and the ROH World Championship with pride.  Black taunts the House of Truth a bit by holding up his title a bit before the Phoenix Twins come out to attack Josh Raymond and Christian Able.  Tyler grabs the microphone and invites the Twins to join in the festivities, making it a 3 team elimination match.

AAW Tag Team Championships
3 Team Elimination Match
House of Truth (Christian Able & Josh Raymond) vs. The Phoenix Twins (Dash & Tweek Phoenix) vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black (c.).

The House of Truth, believing discretion the better part of valor, stay outside the ring at the start as Tyler Black and Dash Phoenix kick off the match.  It doesn’t take long for Able and Raymond to come into the ring, but the Twins and Age of the Fall scare them off.  Jimmy and Tweek are tagged in and again the House of Truth try to sneak into the match.  Tweek sends them both out before Jimmy & Tyler go to work in Tweek Phoenix.  Able and Raymond finally  move to their corner as Dash Phoenix comes back into the match and begins to take the fight to Jimmy Jacobs.  Jacobs gets sent into the ropes near the House of Truth corner and Josh Raymond grabs his hair and tags himself in.  Truth Martini brings Dash to the floor and slams him into the barricade, giving HoT the advantage.  All three teams jockey for position as Jacobs takes the fight to Raymond and Black leaps out of the ring onto Mason Beck.  With Christian Able and Tweek Phoenix in the ring, Jimmy Jacobs comes in, but can’t connect with the Contra Code.  Instead he locks in the End Time on Able, but Josh Raymond is in to break it up.  Black comes in to break up the pin that followed.  The teams trade off partners and moves for another couple minutes in a crazy tandem before the Twins prevent the House of Truth from connecting with their finisher and team up with Tyler Black to hit a triple Superkick and the House of Truth are the first team eliminated.  The fans chant that famous farewell song as Dash Phoenix and Jimmy Jacobs go at it in the ring.  Tyler Black and Tweek Phoenix are fighting outside the ring.  Black sends Tweek into a barricade as Jimmy comes off the top rope.  Again his Contra Code is countered but Black makes the save and the Age of the Fall are able to set Dash up in a Tree of Woe.  They connect with double dropkicks and follow them up by Tyler powerbombing Tweek onto his prone partner.  Black and Jacobs look to be setting up for a Super Contra Code, but the Twins counter.  Jimmy’s right back in the fight, though, locking Tweek in the End Time.  The ref checks the arm but Tweek is still alive and Dash Phoenix has to intervene to break the hold.  The House of Truth return to attack the Twins.  HoT’s involvement is somewhat limited, though still costly.  Tyler Black comes off the ropes with a frog splash and both he and Jimmy Jacobs cover Dash to retain the Tag Team Titles.

Rating:  *** ¾

Winners (And Still AAW Tag Team Champions):  Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black in 20:16.

The Twins and Age of the Fall shake hands before the Tag Team Champions leave the ring.  The Twins then challenge the House of Truth to a “Loser leaves AAW for 90 days” match at the next show.  Truth Martini ups the anti to 6 months, and the Dash and Tweek will re-raise the stakes, practically going all in by making the challenge for a year out of AAW and the Phoenix Twins pick the match.  The House of Truth accept the terms and the Twins name the match:  No Ropes Barbed Wire!  The show ends with the Phoenix Twins attacking the House of Truth.

Yet another great effort by AAW with three outstanding matches, all with titles involved.  Several storylines progressed here.  The final chapter in the Phoenix Twins/House of Truth rivalry is on the horizon.  I’m sure we haven’t seen the end of the Arik Cannon/Colt Cabana rivalry, but that’ll be on hold as Cabana looks on to Chandler McClure with Chandler’s contract on the line.  I don’t know if I’ll be in Berwyn personally for AAW’s 6^th birthday, but it’s shaping up to be a hell of a show.