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| Matthew Palmer using Rachel Summerlyn for leverage to get in those all-important mid-match calisthenics Photo Credit: Texas Anarchy |
In the fully immortal TWB style. Buy this show yesterday on Smart Mark Video:
Highlights:
General Observations:
Match of the Night: Matthew Palmer (c) vs. Rachel Summerlyn, World Hardcore Championship Match - Can it really be a good hardcore match if weapon usage was sparse and far between? The only time they really broke out a weapon was when Palmer teased the staple gun. Then again, ACW is about changing perceptions. The hardcore here wasn't about weapons, but it was about heights. I guess you could say the balcony at the Mohawk was the weapon. I'll get back to the balcony usage later, because that wasn't the whole story here.
To marginalize this match to that balcony is to discount all the work that Summerlyn and Palmer did to get to that level. There was mat wrestling, EXCELLENT mat wrestling, to start. Palmer did the sit ups during the figure four. Summerlyn had enough, got PISSED, and busted out her best WAR RACHEL scream while charging at Palmer. That was part of what made the match such a great affair.
But back to the balcony. Man, there was just so much to dissect from it. There was the tension of them battling on the way up. They traded shots and teased the leap and toss from it. The absolute shock on Summerlyn's face when Palmer NO-SOLD the first toss was just priceless. The way she just stood there in shock when he scaled back up and accepted her fate. I mean, it was epic theater. Epic, epic theater.
Overall Thoughts: When the only complaint that you have about a show is that the one dude in the main event talks too much, it's a great show. I want to appreciate Plisken on a philosophical level, and when he's in the ring, it's hard not to like him. He's such a big part of the rest of ACW's year to date so you're kinda stuck with him. But I don't give a flying shit about RCW. If I did, I might seek out their shows on DVD. I know it's part of the show, and ACH has just the greatest comebacks to it in his promos, but jesus Jaykus, just shut the fuck up for a minute and wrestle.
For anyone else on the show though, man, they can talk all they want, and they usually do at least on the broadcast booth. I love the Commentation Station style rotation, especially because the guys they get in there are so natural on the mic. Abernathy holding court in the second half of the show was great, but how about JoJo Bravo during the Palmer/Summerlyn match? Dude was awesome.
But the whole show was just a spectacle of an event around a single thread of Jerry Lynn and Angel Blue and the feud between Summerlyn/Poison. It was just a tapestry of a show that featured great wrestling, ostentatious spectacles, bold mic work, and absolute fun. I get the feeling though that every ACW show has these things and more.
Highlights:
- Channeling the spirit of the Mega Powers, Pierre Abernathy and Davey Vega defeated the Mojo Bravado as Abernathy tapped Jordan Jenson with the crossface.
- Chingo del Santo wrested the U-30 Championship from the grasp of JC Bravo with a muscle buster.
- Matthew Palmer survived two falls from the balcony of the newly renovated Mohawk and finished off Rachel Summerlyn with a frogsplash from three-quarters of the way across the ring to retain his World Hardcore Championship.
- Killa Kash thought he gave his team (including Sky de Lacrimosa and Jason Silver) a permanent advantage by blinding Scot Summers with a spike. However, Jerry Lynn would join Darin Childs and Khris Wolfe to help finish off those Children of Pain 2.0.
- Evan Gelistico and Gary Jay RUINED the end of a technically excellent wrestling match between Lynn and Vega. Vega got the win, but he wasn't too happy about Submission Squad interference.
- IN a match where his inflatable brother Murphy was gravely injured, Mat Fitchett fought bravely until the end of the six-way scramble, but fell to the St. Louis Stretch of Gelistico.
- Serenity spent way too much time jaw-jacking and got got by the toxic kiss of one Lady Poison in the process.
- Barbi Hayden beat the ever-loving crap out of Angel Blue, but the latter retained her American Joshi Championship by throwing glitter into the former's eyes.
- Jaykus Plisken eliminated both Gary Jay and Shawn Vexx from the Anarchy Championship match, but his hubris allowed ACH to get the win and retain the title. After the match, Vexx reappeared to sneak attack ACH.
General Observations:
- We all loved Pierreamania, but the best part of that teaming was Vega subtly doing the Macho Man pursed fingers hand gesture.
- No, I lied, the best part was Abernathy trying to body slam JoJo Bravo (all of 5 foot nothing, one-hundred-eighty-nothing), failing, and then grabbing his back.
- Jensen's gyrating was a bit inappropriate, not because it was a family show, but mainly because Rick Rude was an Ultimate Warrior opponent, not Hogan or Macho.
- Bravo doing the Cranial Crush on Vega... too awesome for words.
- Pretty sure I pointed at my computer screen and shouted "YOU!" when Abernathy did the same.
- Skillet as your entrance music, Chingo? REALLY?
- I know I may have made this reference before, but JC Bravo looks like Rey Mysterio could be his father. Do I need to call in a paternity test?
- "We budgeted out three seconds of celebration time." Chris Trew.biz, wrestling's greatest bureaucrat.
- Honestly - and this is a company that employs Rachel Summerlyn, ACH, the Submission Squad, and Robert Evans among others - Matthew Palmer's Centerfold persona may be the most entertaining personality in ACW.
- A hardcore match is usually not the best place to find mat wrestling, but Summerlyn countered a Palmer body scissors attempt into a pin, and it made ironic sense.
- Palmer locked in a figure four through the ropes and proceeded to do sit ups while hanging over the apron. I dig the hell out of you, Rachel, but I'd be lying if I wasn't marking out watching that.
- I cringed a little bit when Palmer got the staple gun and teased using it on a prone Summerlyn in the corner, but thankfully, he relented.
- Machiko getting involved evoked the line of the night from JoJo Bravo on commentary. After stealing the staple gun to prevent further use: "And she's going o use that staple gun to hang up her Backstreet Boys posters!"
- One of the most surreal sequences I've ever seen: Palmer got tossed from the balcony, got right up like nothing was wrong, climbed BACK up by the turnbuckle, grabbed an absolutely SHOCKED Summerlyn, and then tossed her and himself down. Without context, it would have looked contrived, but then again, if you were Summerlyn, and you just saw your opponent get tossed to the floor with no effect, wouldn't you be shell-shocked?
- Trew went to the ring to shake down Summers for money owed, and he got his glasses broken. Normally, I'd be on the side of the nerd here, but does anyone think standing up to Summers is a smart idea, even if you can throw hands?
- Killa Kash spiking Summers in the eye wasn't as horrifying as I thought it'd be, and it was also the best (only?) way that you'd be able to eliminate Summers from a tag match.
- I really dug Childs employing the Antonio Inoki-vs-Muhammad Ali ground kick strategy to ward off Kash while shorthanded.
- Jerry Lynn!
- In terms of ability, Davey Vega >>>>>> Rob van Dam. Seriously, have those ECW matches aged well, or am I blinded by my hate towards RVD? Either way, Vega is still the goods.
- Pretty sure I got sympathy pains for Vega when he took that hard-ass sunset flip bomb from the top.
- Can't tell you how refreshing it felt to see the guy affected by interference (Lynn) not automatically blame Vega for the loss even when Vega was visibly mad at Gelistico and Jay for the interference. Part of the reason why ACW rules.
- Abernathy on commentary got more worked up for Awesome Andy popping Murphy Fitchett than anything else during the night. Then again, that was a dick move, Andy. DICK MOVE.
- The more I see from Fitchett from before he got hurt, the more bummed I am that he did get hurt. Dammit.
- Oh my Lord, I think I'm in love with Serenity. So much shit-talking. So much comeuppance.
- I like Jessica James, but I think she might be a better wrestler as Lady Poison. Such a unique character, such a uniquely awesome in-ring oeuvre.
- Serenity clutched in a bow and arrow lock, and it was the tightest one I've ever seen. Like, that window was all the way shut.
- I really dug the finish to this match. Side-applied crossface chicken wing into the Poison Kiss into the pin.
- A wild Rachel Summerlyn appeared! Machiko too! And Poison merked both of them.
- And of course Angel Blue came out to pick the bones.
- Angel Blue demanded her full entrance despite being out there from attacking Summerlyn/Machiko. Such a dick move. I hate her in kayfabe, but I can't help but appreciate her as a wrestler, especially when her entrance included coming out in her ostentatious Ric Flair/Manami Toyota robe.
- Hayden does the Sheamus chest clubs better than Sheamus does. Chew on that.
- Midway through the match, I got a hankering to see a Hayden/Lillie Mae HOSS FIGHT. Does this make me weird?
- Blue retreated and led Hayden on a wild goose chase through the Mohawk, culminating in her baiting Hayden hard into the ringpost. Again, I can't shoot hate this woman... she's an epic wrestler.
- Blue broke out the bra strap snap on Hayden. STOP MAKING ME ROOT FOR YOU, TOILET PAPER BUTT!
- Hey, hey, THAT'S PORTIA PEREZ'S MUSIC!
- Austin is a weird place, not because they cheer Portia Perez, but because it makes Portia Perez act in a way that isn't a bratty villain.
- ACH entered through the crowd with his cousin, who was to be deployed the next day. Again, why isn't every wrestling fan in America rooting for this man?
- Plisken got on the mic before the match as he does all the fucking time with his racist, RCW-baiting spiel, but ACH rebutted him and it was brilliant. Again, why isn't... y'know, if you don't get it with ACH, then you never will.
- "Did Vexx just try to jack Jay off?" I really forget the context of this, but any time simulated masturbation is in play, I have to note it.
- Epic bump alert: Plisken just up and RAGDOLLED ACH into the corner. Like he hated him or something. Damn.
- Vexx put Jay in the tree of woe, and Jay countered him with a stunner out of that position. He may look a homeless man's Chris Hero, but Jay is talented.
- I did dig that pumphandle lungblower that Plisken busted out on Jay though.
- Plisken broke out double hubris, not only pulling ACH up twice, but preceding them with a single hand pin attempt.
- Oh man though, ACH has an arsenal of impressive offense, but I think I might dig his second rope 450 the best.
- I dig the Plisken character in a wrestling heat sense, but Jesus Christ, if I had one problem with ACW, it's that he gets way too much damn time on the mic.
Match of the Night: Matthew Palmer (c) vs. Rachel Summerlyn, World Hardcore Championship Match - Can it really be a good hardcore match if weapon usage was sparse and far between? The only time they really broke out a weapon was when Palmer teased the staple gun. Then again, ACW is about changing perceptions. The hardcore here wasn't about weapons, but it was about heights. I guess you could say the balcony at the Mohawk was the weapon. I'll get back to the balcony usage later, because that wasn't the whole story here.
To marginalize this match to that balcony is to discount all the work that Summerlyn and Palmer did to get to that level. There was mat wrestling, EXCELLENT mat wrestling, to start. Palmer did the sit ups during the figure four. Summerlyn had enough, got PISSED, and busted out her best WAR RACHEL scream while charging at Palmer. That was part of what made the match such a great affair.
But back to the balcony. Man, there was just so much to dissect from it. There was the tension of them battling on the way up. They traded shots and teased the leap and toss from it. The absolute shock on Summerlyn's face when Palmer NO-SOLD the first toss was just priceless. The way she just stood there in shock when he scaled back up and accepted her fate. I mean, it was epic theater. Epic, epic theater.
Overall Thoughts: When the only complaint that you have about a show is that the one dude in the main event talks too much, it's a great show. I want to appreciate Plisken on a philosophical level, and when he's in the ring, it's hard not to like him. He's such a big part of the rest of ACW's year to date so you're kinda stuck with him. But I don't give a flying shit about RCW. If I did, I might seek out their shows on DVD. I know it's part of the show, and ACH has just the greatest comebacks to it in his promos, but jesus Jaykus, just shut the fuck up for a minute and wrestle.
For anyone else on the show though, man, they can talk all they want, and they usually do at least on the broadcast booth. I love the Commentation Station style rotation, especially because the guys they get in there are so natural on the mic. Abernathy holding court in the second half of the show was great, but how about JoJo Bravo during the Palmer/Summerlyn match? Dude was awesome.
But the whole show was just a spectacle of an event around a single thread of Jerry Lynn and Angel Blue and the feud between Summerlyn/Poison. It was just a tapestry of a show that featured great wrestling, ostentatious spectacles, bold mic work, and absolute fun. I get the feeling though that every ACW show has these things and more.
