Danny Daniels came out the winner of the 2003 Ted Petty
Invitational Tournament, defeating Chris Hero and Alex Shelley in
the three way finale of a show that featured a potential match of
year candidate in the Hero/B-Boy semifinal match and an awesome
reprise of Jerry Lynn versus A. J. Styles. Daniels defended and
retained the IWA Heavyweight Title throughout the tournament.
Shelley emerged as the new WXW Champion by pinning Hero in the
final match. The live crowd of 150 was amped throughout a five
hours show that is destined to become a must see tape for fans of
technical wrestling. The fans were all about the quality of the
work, but respectfully, like an early ROH crowd. The only thing I
would have changed about this show was to put it in a smaller
venue so heat could match the ringwork.
(1) Mickie Knuckles beat Rain in 7:30. Better than expected
because Knuckle is so solid with the fundamentals. Knuckles
turned it on after the 5 minute call and won it with a bridging
northern lights suplex.
(2) Ian Rotten beat Jimmy Jacobs (with Becky Bayless) in 7:30 to
advance to the semifinals. Rotten earned a "holy sh*t"
chant by doing a headstand escape from a headscissors. Rotten
exploited his size and power advantage in the early going. Jacobs
got a single leg crab into an STF. Jacobs hit nine consecutive
headbutts but Rotten powerbombed his ass. Rotten missed on a
dropkick in the corner and Jacobs hit a cannonball senton for a
near fall. Rotten used a reverse rolling cradle to score the
pinfall.
(3) Alex Shelley beat Jonny Storm in 9:00 to advance to the
semifinals. This was good. Storm looked tons better here than he
did the night before. They did the dueling headstand slaps.
Shelley hit a tope. Storm did a 619, a double springboard
huracanrana for near falls. Shelly kicked out Storm's half nelson
Michinoku driver finisher. Shelley won it with the It Came From
Japan piledriver. "Please come back" chants for Storm.
(4) Danny Daniels (with Jim Fannin) beat Jimmy Rave in 11:33 to
retain the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title and advance to the
semifinals. Daniels said it was his night, so the title was on
the line. Rave got the Fujiwara armbar, forcing Daniels to a
ropes break. Daniels forced Rave to the ropes with a boston crab.
Daniels hit a superplex, but it was Rave hooking the leg for the
pin attempt. A great exchange built to Daniels hitting a
piledriver for a near fall. Rave hit From Dusk Til' Dawn and
Daniels was in trouble, but Rave released the hold after bumping
heads with the ref. Daniels turned Rave's spinning headscissor
prelude into a tombstone piledriver for the pin.
(5) A. J. Styles defeated Jerry Lynn in 15:07 to advance to the
semifinals. One of the best matches I've seen live this year. You
won't see better counter wrestling than this. They told the story
of each knowing the other's big moves like a book, forcing them
to pull out one great counter after another. They opened with
lightning quick back and forth to set the tone. Riveting stuff.
Styles did a cartwheel out of a monkey flip. Lynn tried the slice
legdrop on the apron, but Styles kicked him to the floor and hit
a tope con hilo. Lynn escaped the hangman neckbreaker, but Styles
caught him with a Fujiwara armbar. Lynn back flipped Styles and
decapitated him with a lariat. Lynn hit a killer Liger bomb.
Styles tried for the Clash, but Lynn countered with a Novacaine
for a near fall. Lynn hit an awesome german suplex off the second
rope, with Styles doing a full rotation to take the bump on his
chest. Great near fall. Lynn tried for the cradle piledriver and
Styles pinned him out of nowhere with a ¾ nelson. The finish
worked beautifully in the context of the story they were telling.
Styles looked to be hurting from a rib injury suffered on the
german.
First intermission.
(6) Chris Hero beat Sonjay Dutt in 10:15 to advance to the
semifinals. Dutt cut an arrogant promo on Hero. Said his IWA
Light Heavyweight Title was not on the line because he was
"lean, cut and gorgeous" and Hero was not. Dutt looked
like a terrier stuck in a dogfight against a German Shepherd.
Hero used his size and superior technique to control his
pint-sized opponent. Dutt scrambled away from a Hangman Clutch
attempt. Dutt finally got a standing octopus. Hero hit a swinging
backbreaker and brought Dutt off the middle rope with a cravate
plex for a near fall. Hero dropped Dutt on his face from a
shoulder mount and applied a standing version of the Hangman
Clutch. Dutt got a flurry building to a top rope elbow, but Hero
beat him with a jumping Hero's Welcome.
(7) B-Boy beat Nigel McGuinness in 8:10 to advance to the
semifinals. A classic contrast of styles match, pitting B-Boy's
striking skills against the technical wizardry of McGuinness.
Crowd was split. One of many face vs. face matchups that worked
because of the type of crowd this show attracted. McGuinness was
in control most of the way. He did a London Bridge wishbone of
B-Boys legs and got an STF. B-Boy caught McGuinness with a
clubbing clothesline from behind at 6 minutes in. McGuinness
matched B-Boys stiff shots with forearms of his own. B-Boy came
off the second rope to take McGuiness down with a killer hangman
neckbreaker. McGuinness got his boots up when B-Boy came off the
top. B-Boy returned the favor and hit the Shining Wizard for the
pin.
(8) Ryan Boz & Brad Bradley beat "Spyder" Nate Webb
and J. C. Bailey in 8:39. Boz and Bradley made an impressive
power team. Webb and Bailey launched a successful air attack
early on. Bailey did a flip dive over the post. Webb followed
with a moonsault over the post. Boz gorilla pressed Webb over the
top to the floor. The heels got heat on Bailey, while Webb
continually got bumped off the apron. Boz and Bradley hung Bailey
hung upside down on a human swinging trapeze and spun him into a
faceslam. A sickly innovative move that has to be seen to be
believed. They hit a Dominator/top rope elbow deal in Webb for
the pin.
(9) Danny Daniels (with Jim Fannin) beat A. J. Styles in 8:28 to
retain the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title and advance to the
finals. Styles came out selling the rib injury from the match
with Lynn. Daniels used some cool moves to work on the injured
body part. Styles hit the quebrada-inverted DDT to take over.
Styles reversed Daniels to hit a tombstone piledriver for a near
fall. Styles missed on a 450 splash that didn't do his ribs one
bit of good. They did a great sequence where Daniels was able to
fight off the Clash. Daniels hit a sitout tombstone piledriver
for the pin. Standing ovation for Styles.
(10) Alex Shelley beat Ian Rotten in 12:52 to advance to the
finals. This was way better than you might think. It produced the
most extended matwork of the tourney, as Rotten used his size
advantage to ground Shelley for most of the match. Rotten
complained about Shelley's quickness. Rotten used a tarantula. At
8 minutes, Rotten's shoulder was rammed into the post. Shelley
zeroed in on the injured body part. Shelley used a divorce court
to set up a bridging hammerlock. Rotten came back with a bionic
elbow and a clothesline while still selling the arm. Shelley
maneuvered Rotten into the Border City Stretch for the tap out
victory.
Rotten gave an emotional tribute speech honoring Ted Petty.
Rotten said he belonged in the tournament because Petty was his
friend. Rotten alluded to the drug related deaths of many
wrestlers and said that wasn't the case with Petty. Rotten
mentioned that along with being a great worker, Petty also built
great rings, including all of the ECW rings. "As long as I
have a wrestling company, baby, your ,memory will always stay
alive."
(11) Chris Hero beat B-Boy in 17:17 to advance to the finals.
This was one incredible match. B-Boy is freakin' amazing with his
ability to generate cold blooded vicious strikes from such an
unassuming physical presence. The dude does not miss. Everything
is laid in stiff and right on target. In Hero, B-Boy was facing
an opponent that was willing and able to match him blow for blow.
Hero controlled B-Boy on the mat for the first five minutes.
B-Boy took advantage of a break to beat on Hero, but Hero gave it
right back. B-Boy popped the crowd with consecutive double stomps
on the gut. B-Boy went to the mat working for submissions. Hero
came back with headbutts. They were absolutely drilling each
other with stiff shots here. The near falls to build to the
finish were totally off the hook. Hero did a leglace piledriver
for a near fall that had the fans coming unglued. Hero got
another tremendous near fall with waterwheel slam into a Hero's
Welcome. B-Boy fought back with a brainbuster. Hero escaped the
shining wizard, but B-Boy broke him down with a back heel kick
and a dropkick to the knee. SHINING WIZARD and Hero kicked out.
B-Boy gave Hero a facelift and took his head off with a
clothesline to set up another wizard. Hero escaped it and locked
in the Hangman Clutch for the tap out. Fans chanted "Match
of the Year" and the names of both wrestlers.
Rotten asked B-Boy to come back whenever he could to join him on
a mission, "it might be a suicide mission," to bring
back professional wrestling. Rotten said there were a whole lot
of crappy feds to get rid off.
Intermission number two. Rotten got on the mic to put over the
whole crew. Rotten made a veiled reference to OVW. "We're
better than those sum#####es."
(12) Colt Cabana defeated Michael Shane, Chris Sabin, MDogg-20,
Ken Anderson and Arik Cannon (with Allison Danger) in a six way
elimination match (21:00). Match was done with tag team rules.
MDogg eliminated Cannon with a shooting star press at 12:32.
Shane superkicked Anderson a pin at 13:53. They did a cool four
way submission spot. Sabin eliminated MDogg with a Psycho Driver
(fisherman into a Michinoku driver) at 16:38. Sabin used Shane's
back as launching pad for an enzuigiri on Cabana. Cabana took
advantage of a Shane superkick to pin Sabin at 18:53. Shane with
a top rope elbow for a near fall. Ref bump. Cabana got a visual
fall with a powerbomb. Cabana won it with an Air Raid Crash.
(13) Danny Daniels (with Jim Fannin) beat Chris Hero and Alex
Shelley in an elimination three way to win the Teddy Petty
Invitational Tournament and retain the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight
Title (22:28). In addition to Daniels putting the IWA title up,
Hero put the WXW title on the line. This was very good, but it
just didn't seem right to decide this tournament with a three
way. All kinds of three way and double team spots. Hero was the
one scoring the big near falls and submission attempts. n Shelley
stunned the crowd by eliminating Hero with the Shellshock at
16:20. Shelley got the Border City Stretch locked for a great
tease of a submission victory. Fans were chanting like crazy for
Daniels to tap. Daniels used the move Slim J calls Anger
Management for a near fall. Shelley hit a brainbuster off the
middle rope and last year's tournament winner, B. J. Whitmer
appeared at ringside. Bayless tried to slap Whitmer across the
face to block any interference. Whitmer was ready to give Bayless
a piledriver on the floor, when Jacobs cut him off. Jacobs
charged at Whitmer and crashed into the post, crotching Shelley
on the top turnbuckle. Daniels hit a piledriver and then a double
underhook piledriver for the pin. Daniels tried to leave with
both title belts, but the ref retrieved the WXW belt and awarded
it to Shelley. Shelley clocked Jacobs with the belt. "I
didn't bust my ass in four matches to have some goof in furry
boots cost me the tournament." Shelley challenged Jacobs to
a best of seven series to see who was the better man. Rotten said
match number one would take place on the 11/21 Highland, In show
and promised to do matches in seven different cities if the
series went the distance.
NOTES: IWA Mid-South celebrate their 7th anniversary next weekend
with shows in Scottsburg, In on 11/14 and Oolitic, In on 11/15.
The Scottsburg show has Rotten vs. Bailey in a falls count
anywhere, Daniels vs. Jacobs and Shelley vs. Lynn
C.M. Punk
was visiting backstage
Rotten expressed a strong interest in
working with Bill Behrens and NWA Wildside during the Q & A
Saturday afternoon. Rotten said he was disappointed in the way
things worked out with CZW and had negative comments on CZW
owner, John Zandig
As per usual with IWA Mid-South shows,
The TPI will be available from Smart Mark Video.
Here's yet another report btw, courtesy Larry Goodman:
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 indie 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 (with 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.
( 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. 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.