IWE Wrestling Live Report November 1, 2019

Tonight my friends and I had tickets to see Evil Dead: The Musical in Orono, Maine but due to a Halloween Night storm the venue was without power and cancelled the show.  So instead I headed to the Fairfield Community Center for a night of IWE Wrestling action!

Roughly 75 fans were in attendance, which is really good considering Fairfield is a big football town and there a home playoff game tonight as well.  IWE would have had no way of knowing this when they booked the show.  I remember a half dozen years ago I was one of 6 in the building on the same night as homecoming.

Unfortunately card subject to change was in full effect with a handful of advertised talent was unable to attend.  None the less we were treated to a card of five matches.

The show opened with General Manager Adam Ricker cutting a promo about tonight's main event and talking about his tag team title defense tomorrow against CPA.  He and his partner Jimmy Limits was going to take the night off to rest for tomorrow but JP O'Reilly & Ricky Williams were going to be in action tonight, and O'Reilly's match was now.

2 on 1 Handicap Match: JP O'Reilly with Ricky Williams vs. Roadblock & Lucifer with Coach Beavis

Roadblock and Lucifer had to tag in and out during the match.  Coach Beavis wanted Williams to leave ringside because he didn't have a managers license, which is old school and always makes me laugh.
O'Reilly held his own during the match beating the crap out of Roadblock along the way with an especially brutal kick in the jaw.

The finish was interesting as Lucifer was choking O'Reilly he refused to stop after the referee's 5 count and even pushed the referee who called for the bell for an obvious disqualification....wrong he declared it a no contest.

"Scuffling Hillbilly" Larry Huntley vs. Jason Maverick with Coach Beavis

I've known Larry for 20 years and I've always been entertained by his style of wrestling, which has evolved over the years, and tonight was no different.  Larry dominated the majority of the match winning after a Polish Hammer and getting the pin with the whoopee cushion.  Only downside to the match is we got no chops.

 Ricky Williams with JP O'Reilly vs. The Horror

The Horror came out in a bugs bunny costume, good back and forth match.  They worked an excellent bear hug spot.  They teased thumbtacks, but instead it was gummy bears in the bag, Horror chokeslammed Williams on the gummy's for the three count.

Johnny Primer vs. "Boston Bad Boy" Jason Rumble with Adam Ricker

This is my first time seeing Primer wrestle in years.  At one point Rumble was on the floor and the referee was laying in the count and Rumble said "I have until the count of 10" which is one thousand percent accurate.  I know it might seem ridiculous to others, but it's now pinning someone for three seconds, of breaking a hold after 5 seconds, or 10 seconds for a count out.  It's a three count, five count, and 10 count.  However long it takes the referee to administer that count is how long the competitor has to comply.  Even then, it's at the referee's discretion.

Rumble his sweet butterfly suplex late into the match, but it wasn't enough.  Ricker tried to interfere and John Bryar came to ringside to aid Primer.  Rumble went to the floor to confront Bryar which distracted the referee.  Ricker attempted to attack Primer but ate a cutter, Rumble then ate a cutter with Primer getting the three count.

The Guatemalan Prince vs. Allen Prophet 

This match plodded a bit, but overall was decent.  They bottom rope broke early in the match and they didn't seem hampered by it at all.  Prophet is very athletic and has some good high flying skills including a picture perfect frog splash!  He just needs work on stringing his high spots together and not just set up, execute, set up, execute.

The finish came when Prince had the referee back into the corner questioning a two count when Prophet came up behind him, Prince mule kicked him in the groin and then hit the rope assisted piledriver for the pin.  Post match Prince continued the attack on Prophet before heading to the back.

Prince, to me, shows a ton of potential if he keeps at it and gets under someones learning tree like Rumble.  He has moments where he's on point and others where he is struggling.  From what I've seen tonight and in the past he wants to be a wild brawler type like Bruiser Brody or Stan Hansen.  He should just embrace it for a spell and see what happens.

With intermission the show was over at 9:20pm so it was under two hours.  They didn't announce a return date that I could hear, but I'm guessing the beginning of December.  If you follow in the IWE or IWE Fan Nation Facebook pages they will announce it there.

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Until next time!

IWE Damion Main Memorial Tournament Report June 2, 2017

On June 2, 2017 The IWE held the Damion Main Memorial Tournament in honor of former ring announcer and commentator "Mr. Main Event" Damion Main.

I first met Dennis, that is who he introduced himself to me as so that is what I have always called him, in late 2000 when I was working at Movie Gallery.  He came in with his with his wife or girlfriend at the time to rent some films.  I don't recall how, but somehow wrestling came up and we started chatting about it.

Through multiple visits at the video store Dennis and I would always chat about wrestling.  He eventually told me that he was trained to be a wrestler by the legendary Ox Baker and told me about some of his matches including one with Sabu.

Dennis and his family at a convention

Even after I left the video store in October 2001 I would still run into Dennis and he always greeted me with a friendly smile and because of wrestling we always had something to talk about.  A short time later I saw Dennis ring announcing a show in Fairfield at the Community Center.

In 2006 I would join Dennis and Dr. Everett Payne on their podcast The Turnbuckle Truth, about the road to independent wrestling.  It was my first foray into podcasting, sadly after several months the show was over.  Years later I would return to the podcast world with "Podcast of 1,000 Holds."

Dennis was a genuinely nice guy and was the epitome of don't judge a book by it's cover.  He was a big man, over 6 feet tall, shaved head with tattoos all over his head, neck, arms hands, he had a beard or goatee, and I frequently saw him in gold chains. He looked quite intimidating and yet he was very soft spoken and likable almost always with a smile on his face.

I'm glad that IWE chose to honor him with this show.  At only forty seven years old Dennis left this world far too soon.  Thank you to the IWE, Sonny Roselli, John Bryar, and the near 150 fans that attended.

The show opened with John Bryar in the ring with an impassioned speech about Damion, what he meant to him and what this night means to the IWE and Damion's family.  It was excellent.

Damion Main Memorial Tournament Open Round

Jimmy Limits w/ The Station: "Boston Bad Boy" Jason Rumble and Adam Ricker defeated Cousin
Larry pinning him with his feet on the ropes

"Classic" Calvin Strange pinned "Da Hey Man" Eric Johnson, Derek Shorey interfered cost Johnson the match.  Post match they had a good pull apart brawl with several wrestlers coming from the back to separate them.

Danger Kid defeated Era of Violence: Billy Vaux w/ Chip Epik

Luke Robinson pinned Tommy Lane, pre-match Luke talked about Damion and how they used to travel together with Tommy and how much he misses his friend

Intermission

After intermission Chris Santone came to the ring to talk about Damion and he was interrupted by Rob Marsh and Chad Epik.  Epik said some scathing an inappropriate things about Damion and then they attacked Santone.  Big Moxie made the save which lead to...

Maine State Champion: "Big Moxie" Matt Mahoney defeated Era of Violence: Rob Marsh w/ Chad Epik

Tag Team Champions: The Street: Elite Terrell & Angel Cross defeated The Station: "Boston Bad Boy" Jason Rumble & Adam Ricker with Jimmy Limits by disqualification.  A member of the street got Ricker's bat, hit the canvas with it then threw it to Ricker and took a bump, when the referee turned it looked like Ricker hit him with the bat.

IWE Champion: Alexander Lee pinned JP O'Reilly, post match Lee talked about Damion

Damion Main Memorial Tournament Finals

Fatal Four Way: Jimmy Limits defeated Luke Robinson, Danger Kid, & "Classic" Calvin Strange with a small package on Robinson to win the tournament

Post match Luke Robinson went to the back bringing Jimmy Limits back out the ring, the faces then all hit their finishers on him to send the fans home happy.

It was a decent night of wrestling.  Jimmy Limits looked good in his two matches with cheap heel wins in both.  He had his feet on the ropes for the pin on Larry and the quick small package on Robinson.  It was my first time seeing Calvin Strange, I heard that he trained at the Storm Wrestling Academy with Lance Storm.  He looks pretty green, but has loads of potential and I look forward to seeing how he progresses.

JP O' Reilly and Lee had a short stiff match and it appeared that they both got their bell rang with a headbutt.  This was the best match I've seen O'Reilly in and I love that Lee is showing his killer instinct again I've always enjoyed watching him in the ring.  I think IWE needs to book a rematch the next time they are in Fairfield, I know I want to see it.

IWE's next show in Fairfield is Friday July 7th featuring David Hart Smith and he will take on the "Boston Bad Boy" Jason Rumble. 

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Later Readers!