By Sean Radican, Torch columnist

RADICAN’S AAW DVD REVIEW SERIES
“DURTY DEEDS”
FEB. 10, 2013
PALATINE, ILL.

This is AAW’s debut in this venue in Palatine. It a small and intimate venue.

Derek St. Holmes and Phil Colvin are your commentators for the evening.

(1) Lamar Titan (w/Kevin Harvey & Nikki) vs. Juntai Miller in a Quarterfinal Round AAW Heritage Title Tournament match. Miller got in some offense early, but Titan fired back with a hot shot and took Miller down. Miller tried to fire back, but Titan took him down with a kick. Titan nailed Miller with a spinning kick in the corner and the fans booed. Miller hit a leg sweep out of the corner and followed up with a double knee strike. Both men began exchanging strikes. Miller caught Titan with a big kick to the head. Both men then hit roundhouse kicks to the head at the same time and fell into the opposite corners of the ring. Miller slipped a bit going for a springboard elbow, but still managed to connect. Miller hit a stomp to the back of Titan’s head, but only got a 2 count. Miller set up in the corner and the fans fired up. He went for a running kick in the corner, but missed. Titan connected with a big lariat a short time later and followed up with a half-nelson face buster for a 2 count. Both men exchanged counters and Miller hit a running kick to the head in the corner. Miller then came off the top with a double knee strike for the win.

Winner: Juntai Miller to advance to the semi-finals of the AAW Heritage Title tournament – They had some good exchanges, but didn’t seem to be on the same page at times, which resulted in some sloppy action.

Jordan McIntyre cut a promo. He said it took six of AAW’s best to beat him last month. He said he wasn’t at the show this month because he doesn’t do dirty. He said he had his eyes on bigger shows and said he would return to AAW next month.

(2) Davey Vega vs. Louis Lyndon in a Quarterfinal Round AAW Heritage Title Tournament match. The announcers mentioned both men are fan favorites. The action was fast and furious during the early going as both men went back and forth. Lyndon finally ended a long exchange with a springboard moonsault to the outside. Lyndon tossed Vega back into the ring and went on the attack with a focus on Vega’s arm. Lyndon eventually went for a cross-arm breaker, but Vega escaped. Lyndon got a crucifix submission on top of Vega’s back and worked over his arm with it. Vega got to his feet and eventually connected with a lariat. Vega favored his left arm, but managed to send Lyndon down with a kick as he came off the ropes. Vega followed up with a snap German suplex with a bridge for a nearfall.

Lyndon blocked a running boot in the corner. He eventually caught Vega with a leg-capture suplex for a 2 count. The fans fired up as Lyndon went back on the attack. Lyndon went after Vega’s arm again. Vega eventually fired back and hit a springboard apron on the apron from inside the ring that almost went bad. Vega jumped back into the ring and covered Lyndon for a 2 count. Vega went up top, but Lyndon cut him off. Vega shoved Lyndon to the mat, but he got right up and they went at it up top. Lyndon got a hurricanrana off the top right into an arm bar for the submission win.

Winner: Louis Lyndon to advance to the Semi-Finals of the AAW Heritage Title Tournament.

Star rating: (***) – Very good 8 minute match that told a good story packed into a short amount of time. Lyndon and Vega are fun to watch and they told a good story based around Lyndon working over Vega’s injured arm. The finish of the match was spectacular.

Keith Walker cut a promo with Tweek Phoenix, Kevin Harvey, and Nikki. Walker promised someone would die inside a steel cage tonight. Harvey asked what Darin Corbin & Marion Fontaine would do with no escape route in their Steel Cage match later on in the night against Walker & Tweek Phoenix. Harvey said the monsters would be locked in with them. Nikki laughed and played with the camera.

(3) Matt Fitchett vs. ACH in a Quarterfinal Round Heritage Title Tournament match. Both men shook hands. The announcers said the winner would take on Juntai Miller next month. Fitchett took ACH down and grabbed an arm submission. ACH got up and backed off before they went at it again. The pace picked up and Fitchett hit a basement dropkick on ACH. He then stood on ACH’s back and hit a standing moonsault for a 2 count. Fitchett went up top, but ACH nailed him with a dropkick. Fitchett dropped upside down and ACH nailed him with a sliding clothesline and the fans fired up. ACH hit a big cross-body off the top and landed high, but still managed to get a 2 count. ACH locked in a modified abdominal stretch that put pressure on both of Fitchett’s arms. Fitchett managed to fight out. They went to a big exchange and Fitchett hit a double knee attacked and leaned forward on top of ACH for a 2 count.

The fans fired up as both men were slow to get up. Fitchett went for a moonsault kick, but ACH nailed him with a dropkick for a 2 count. The fans fired up as ACH pulled Fitchett up by his ear. ACH nailed Fitchett with a huge chop. ACH then put his boot on Fitchett’s head and used the ropes for leverage as the announcers said friendship had been thrown out the window. ACH slapped Fitchett in the face. Both men then began exchanging slaps to the face. ACH went for a kick, but Fitchett caught it and flipped him over right into a superkick. Fitchett hit another kick and a tiger suplex for a nearfall and the fans applauded. ACH dumped Fitchett onto the stage, but Fitchett nailed him with a forearm. Fitchett then got a running start and jumped over the top rope and hit a hurricanrana on ACH inside the ring. ACH rolled to the floor. ACH jumped back inside the ring and surprised Fitchett with a kick before connecting with air Jordan to the floor. The fans went nuts and chanted for ACH. ACH went for a slingshot stunner, but Fitchett held on. Fitchett hit a superkick and then lifted up ACH in the suplex position before dropping him down onto his knees for a nearfall. The fans fired up and chanted “This is awesome.” ACH countered a suplex and got an inside cradle for a 2 count. ACH fired back on Fitchett out of the corner and hit a big punch. He went for a cross-body off the top, but Fitchett rolled over on top of him as they came down to the match for a nearfall. Fitchett missed a SSP and ate a superkick. ACH then folded up Fitchett and brought him up before dropping him down to the mat with a sick DDT for the win.

Fitchett raised ACH’s hand after the match and the fans applauded. ACH rolled to the outside and celebrated in the crowd with Rich Swann.

Winner: ACH to advance to the Semi-Finals of the AAW Heritage Title Tournament.

Star rating: (***3/4) – The action in this match was incredible and they got the crowd hotter and hotter as the match went on. They pulled off some incredible sequences during the match. Fitchett’s running hurricanrana from the stage over the top rope and into the ring was a highlight. ACH firing up and running back into the ring as Fitchett was going for a dive to the floor and then connecting with air Jordan set the crowd on fire as well. ACH’s DDT to finish off Fitchett was sick.

(4) AAW Tag Team Champions Irish Airborne (Jake & Dave Crist) vs. Zero Gravity (C.J. Esparza & Brett Gakiya). The announcers said the matches between these two teams in the past have been competitive. Dave escaped a submission from Esparza and pranced around the ring. Esparza dared Dave to go for a shoulder tackle, but ended up tripping him as he came at him. Dave tagged in Jake, so Gakiya tagged in as well. The action broke down and Zero Gravity hit a series of maneuvers on Dave, who had run into the ring after Jake was sent to the outside. Zero Gravity went out to the stage and hit stereo stage dive on opposite sides of the ring to take out Dave and Jake. Zero Gravity went for the flippy cup, but Dave got out of the way. Dave went to work on Esparza after hitting a nice vertical suplex. Irish Airborne began tagging in and out to work him over. Dave hit a Razor’s edge on Esparza, but only got a 2 count. Esparza fired back and cut off Jake charging into the corner. He then jumped off Jake’s back and hit a DDT on Dave.

Esparza made the hot tag and Gakiya ran wild on Irish Airborne. Gakiya hit a rolling kick after a slick exchange on Dave, but only got a 2 count. Esparza tagged back in and crotched Jake on the turnbuckles. Esparza and Gakiya then hit a pair of double knees and Dave. They followed up with the flippy cup 2.0 on Dave, but only got a 2 count. Irish Airborne fired back and hit a flurry of maneuvers on Esparza for a 2 count. Esparza tripped Jake charging at him in the corner. Zero Gravity then went up top for an assited moonsault on Jake, but he got out of the way. Dave then shoved Gakiya into Esparza, who ended up getting crotched up top. Irish Airborne then hit a spiked tombstone off the top on Esparza for the win.

The fans booed after Zero Gravity lost the match.

Winners: Jake & Dave Crist to retain the AAW Tag Team Titles

Star rating: (**3/4) – The action was solid throughout. They went to a long heat segment on Esparza before the action broke down and the match became a sprint that was difficult to keep track of. The crowd didn’t seem into the action at times and overall this match seemed to be missing a section that would have added some drama before Irish Airborne ultimately won the match.

(5) Davey Richards vs. Sami Callihan. This is a rematch from June of 2012. The announcers mentioned that Richards had recently turned heel. Callihan hit a big boot early and a leg capture suplex for a 2 count. Richards hit a German, but Callihan popped right up. Both men then hit clotheslines at the same time and retreated to opposite corners. Callihan trapped Richards’s arms using his legs and began hitting huge forearms from the mount. Callihan rolled him over for the cover, but Richards kicked out. Richards fired back and grabbed a leg submission before transitioning into a bridging submission with a chin lock, but Callihan got a fish hook and Richards had to let go. Callihan spit in Richards’s face, so Richards hit a huge kick to his head. They traded leg submissions on the mat. Callihan finally hit an enzuguri while Richards had an ankle lock to break free. They continued to go back and forth trading leg submissions, but Callihan was able to hit an elbow on Richards as he came off the ropes a short time later.

Callihan went for a springboard with Richards on the apron, but ended up selling his leg. Richards tied up Callihan’s leg in the ropes and nailed him with a dropkick. Callihan fired back and went up top once they got back inside the ring, but Richards dropkicked him to the floor. Richards followed up with a big running kick to the floor from the apron and taunted the fans. Richards hit a series of kicks on the outside and knocked him down with a big kick to the head and Callihan dropped to the floor. Callihan fired back and hit a big dive through the ropes that sent both men crashing through several rows of seats. They landed close to the bar behind the ringside seating. Callihan nailed Richards with a chair shot and tossed Richards back into the ring and the fans chanted for Callihan. Callihan blocked a kick and hit a jackknife powerbomb for a 2 count. Callihan put Richards up top, but Richards grabbed a kimura on the top rope. Richards sent Callihan to the mat and went for a double stomp, but Callihan got out of the way. Callihan went for a tombstone, but Richards reversed it and hit one of his own for a 2 count.

Richards went up top and hit a big double stomp on the apron. He hit another double stomp to the chest inside the ring, but only got a 2 count. Callihan flipped Richards off from his knees. He ducked a kick from Richards and rolled him up for a 2 count. Callihan then hit a shoulder breaker over his knee for a 2 count. The fans clapped as both men were down on the mat. Callihan went up to, but Richards cut him off. They battled on the turnbuckles. Richards blocked a sunset bomb, but Callihan let it go and kicked Richards’s leg out from under him. Callihan hit a sit out powerbomb for a 2 count and then applied the stretch muffler in the middle of the ring. Richards countered and got an ankle lock, but Callihan fought out and sent Richards crashing into the ref. Callihan got the stretch muffler again and Richards tapped out with no ref around. Shane Hollister ran down and hit a superkick to Callihan’s head. Richards crawled to Callihan and covered him, but he kicked out at the last second. Richards began kicking Callihan several times and finished him off with a roundhouse kick to the head for the win.

The fans booed Richards getting the win. The fans applauded for Callihan once he got to his feet.

Winner: Davey Richards

Star rating: (***1/2) – The fans were slow to get into the action, but the second half of the match was very good and the crowd heat picked up, although the crowd seemed to come down from the previous match. Richards and Callihan did some really nice submission work on the mat with both men targeting the leg. The finish was a bit of a downer, as I’m not a fan of ref bumps like that. It just doesn’t come across as realistic for the ref to be out of position like that in that situation.

(6) Keith Walker & Tweek Phoenix (w/Kevin Harvey & Nikki) vs. The Northstache Express (Darin Corbin & Marion Fontaine) in a Cage match. Walker jumped Corbin on the outside with Phoenix and Fontaine going at it inside the cage. The announcers said this feud had lasted for six months so far. Corbin cut off Walker on the outside and entered the ring. Phoenix was hitting kicks to Corbin’s head while walking on the middle rope, but Corbin tripped him down to the mat. Fontaine kept walker on the outside as Corbin worked over Phoenix inside the ring. Phoenix was busted open after being tossed into the cage several times. Walker dragged Corbin to the outside and tossed him into the cage like a ragdoll. Walker got into the ring, but Fontaine nailed him with a running double knee strike. Walker fired back and hit a German into the cage on Fontaine. Phoenix and Walker began working over Fontaine with Corbin down on the outside. Fontaine tried to fire back on both of his opponents, but Walker caught him with a swinging back breaker for a 2 count.

Walker broke the cage door slamming it on Corbin as he tried to get back into the ring. Fontaine fired back and Phoenix accidentally hit Walker with a running kick. Corbin then entered the ring and ran wild on Phoenix and Walker. Phoenix fired back and went up top, but Corbin crotched him. Walker then cut off Corbin with a big punch. Fontaine continued to work over Phoenix on the other side of the ring. Walker set up Corbin up top, but Corbin fought back. Fontaine then nailed him with a low blow. Corbin and Fontaine hit a double powerbomb off the top for a 2 count. Harvey jumped up on the cage, but ate a dropkick from Corbin for his troubles. Corbin held Phoenix and Fontaine came off the top with a frog splash, but Nikki ran in and broke up the pin. Nikki went for a headlock, but Corbin put her in the corner and told her to leave the ring. Nikki then tossed Corbin face-first into the cage. Fontaine went after Nikki, but she bailed. Walker then hit a triple powerbomb on Fontaine, but Corbin cut him off and hit a tornado DDT using the fence for a 2 count.

Corbin climbed up the turnbuckles, but Walker cut him off. Fontaine ran over to help his partner and climbed up top, but Walker shoved him to the mat. Walker then hit a snap superplex on Corbin and both men were down. Phoenix then covered Corbin for a 2 count. Walker missed a charge into the corner on Corbin and Fontaine. They tossed Walker to the floor. Fontaine and Corbin hit a double stomp off the top/kill switch combination, but they didn’t go for the cover. Phoenix and Fontaine then went up top for a splash/leg drop combination for the win.

Lamar Titan ran down to the ring and tried to attack Fontaine and Corbin. Walker recovered and attacked Corbin and Fontaine with a chain. Louis Lyndon ran down to ringside and climbed the cage. He then wiped out everyone with a big splash off the top of the cage. Lyndon then tossed Titan out of the ring after Walker and Phoenix had bailed.

Winners: Darin Corbin & Marion Fontaine

Star rating: (**3/4) – There was some good action here, but the crowd was never really into the match. I don’t know what the point of the cage was, as it never kept anyone from entering or exiting the ring throughout the match and there was interference from the outside a couple of times as well. I’m not a fan of a double powerbomb off the top not being the finish either. It looks like this feud isn’t over.

A highlight package aired on Jerry Lynn’s last AAW match. The narrator said the next show would celebrate the career of Jerry Lynn and give the fans a chance to say goodbye.

Silas Young cut a promo backstage. Young said it had taken a long time to get his rematch against Michael Elgin for the AAW Championship. Young said he’s a real man and a pro wrestler. Young said AAW was in a new venue and tonight there would be a new champion. Young said Elgin, AAW officials, and the fans couldn’t do anything about him winning the title.

Dan Lawrence came out and asked if people could hear him. He stood on the bar and appeared to be holding a drink. He asked the fans if they were enjoying the show and then he said he didn’t care if they were enjoying the show. Lawrence said he’s the OG of AAW. Lawrence said he’d been in AAW longer than any other wrestler. They put a light on Lawrence, who had been cast in shadows. The fans applauded when Lawrence said he didn’t have a match on the card tonight. Lawrence said Jacobs had shamefully beat him last month after throwing a metal chair at his head. Lawrence said he has the night off because he’s legendary and can pick and choose when he wants a night off. Lawrence said his gripe with AAW management goes back for a long time. He said he had been tagging with Greg Iron. He said Iron overcame everything to become his tag team partner. He said Iron had gotten a free pass because last July because a former WWE Champion and his friend talked up Iron in reference to Colt Cabana and C.M. Punk. Lawrence said he doesn’t need an endorsement from the WWE Champion. He said he only needs an endorsement from himself.

Lawrence got into the ring as the crew continued to break down the cage. One fan loudly heckled Lawrence. Lawrence said nobody is going to put one over on him again in reference to Iron. He said he was going to do whatever it takes to get back to the top of AAW. Lawrence dared anyone to call his bluff. The fans seemed willing to take him up on the offer, so Lawrence told them he was talking about the wrestlers. Lawrence said he was going to kick back and drink some beers with the audience. Lawrence told the fans they could buy him a drink. The promo thankfully ended after 10 minutes.

Markus Crane ran into the ring and grabbed the mic. He said last month a crazy woman had beaten him. He said he wanted a rematch. He screamed for MsChif to come down to the ring.

(7) MsChif vs. Markus Crane. MsChif tried to pin Crane with several pinning combinations during the early stages of the match. Crane fired back and chopped MsChif in the neck. MsChif avoided a springboard and got another pinning combination for a 2 count. She followed up with the final cut for a 2 count. MsChif continued to try to put away Crane, but couldn’t get the three count. Crane fired with a spear for a 2 count. He followed up with a leg submission and he transitioned into a curb stomp for a 2 count. Crane went up top, but lost his balance. MsChif then hit the desecrator for the win.

Mason Beck tried to jump MsChif after the match. She avoided his charge and launched him face first into the mat using her legs. Beck caught her and hit a full-nelson slam. Chandler McClure came down to the ring. The announcers said he hadn’t been on a show since losing a retirement to Colt Cabana in 2010. McClure said it was about time he get his wrestling investment back. He said he had been doing a lot of scouting. He put over Beck, but said he wastes his time beating up women. He told Beck he needs someone to tell him what to do. He offered to show Beck the ropes and take him to the top. He offered to be Beck’s agent. Beck shook his hand and appeared to accept his offer. Beck then hit him with a full-nelson slam.

Winner: MsChif – Not much to this match except it gave the crowd a chance to come down.

Tony cut a promo back stage. Knight Wagner came into the picture and said he wanted an opportunity tonight. He said he would face anyone, but didn’t want Keith Walker. Tony offered to put him against Ryan Boz, but Wagner walked away and said he didn’t want the match.

(8) Samuray Del Sol vs. Kyle O’Reilly in a Quarterfinal Round Heritage Title Tournament match. The winner will advance to take on ACH in the semi-finals. O’Reilly turned a chin breaker attempt into an arm bar, but Del Sol quickly escaped. Del Sol went to work on O’Reilly’s arm and put on an arm bar, but O’Reilly quickly got to the ropes. Del Sol hit a tiger bomb into an arm breaker, but O’Reilly was able to get to the ropes quickly. They ended up battling on the top turnbuckle and O’Reilly hit a gutbuster off the top for a 2 count. O’Reilly continued to go after Del Sol’s mid-section. O’Reilly took down Del Sol and was slow to cover, but he still got a 2 count. O’Reilly hit a series of jumping knee strikes to Del Sol’s back and made a half-hearted cover, which allowed Del Sol to get the ropes. The announcers wondered if O’Reilly was looking past Del Sol. Del Sol fired back and took down O’Reilly with a flurry of offense. He then jumped on O’Reilly’s back and hit a sunset flip bomb for a 2 count. The crowd began to fire up with Del Sol on offense. O’Reilly fired right back and hit a huge forearm and a Saito suplex for a 2 count.

Del Sol fired back and hit a standing sliced bread for a 2 count. The fans fired up with chants for Del Sol. Both men began exchanging forearms again. They went to a big exchange that ended with both men hitting a kick to the head at the same time. Both men were down as the crowd fired up. Del Sol fired up and hit a springboard reverse hurricanrana, but O’Reilly nailed him with a huge clothesline for a 2 count. O’Reilly followed up with a leg capture suplex with a bridge for a 2 count. He went right into the triangle and nailed Del Sol with elbow strikes, but Del Sol rolled them both into the ropes. O’Reilly went up top, but Del Sol nailed him with a kick. Both men battled up top. Del Sol hit an enzuguri and a spinning code rode off the top for the win.

Winner: Samuray Del Sol to advance to the semi-finals of the Heritage Title Tournament.

O’Reilly raised Del Sol’s hand after the match.

Star rating: (***1/4) – This was a good battle between Del Sol and O’Reilly. The crowd was flat, but rallied behind Del Sol late. The submission work in the match was fun to watch and the fast-paced exchanges down the stretch were well executed.

(9) Jimmy Jacobs vs. Mason Beck vs. Shane Hollister (w/Markus Crane & Scarlett) vs. Arik Cannon. Jacobs wanted to start the match against Cannon. Cannon drank his PBR while talking with Jacobs. Cannon shoved Jacobs, who slapped away his beer. Hollister ran in and knocked Cannon to the floor. Jacobs got the upper hand on Hollister momentarily, but he ended up getting tossed out of the ring. Hollister strutted around the ring and then realized Beck was standing behind him. Hollister slapped Beck across the face, but Beck caught him with a spinning guerrilla press off the ropes. Beck continued to dominate the action after sending Cannon and Jacobs packing. Cannon ended up taking a beer break on the outside. He indicated he wanted nothing to do with the match. Nobody seemed to want to get into the ring with Beck. Jacobs and Hollister double teamed Beck. Cannon waited and then jumped in and joined the attack on Beck.

Beck ended up on the outside while Hollister, Jacobs, and Cannon traded shots inside the ring. Cannon got the better of Hollister, but Jacobs shoved him away. Jacobs then put a beating on Hollister, but Cannon hit a big slam on him. Hollister recovered and began trading shots with Cannon. They went to a big exchange off the ropes that ended with Hollister nailing Cannon with a big suplex. The action broke down and Jacobs caught Hollister with a big spear. Beck lifted up Cannon on his shoulders. He tried to lift Hollister and Cannon, but couldn’t do it. Beck ended up taking down Hollister and Jacobs. Beck continued to dominate the action and he hit a double choke slam on Cannon and Jacobs. The fans cheered that spot. Hollister tried to go up top, but Beck cut him off. Beck set up Hollister for a fallaway slam off the top, but Jacobs and Hollister ran over and turned it into a tower of doom powerbomb that sent Hollister flying. That woke the crowd up.

Beck rolled out of the ring and Cannon and Jacobs began trading shots from their knees. They got up and continued to trade shots. Hollister tried to attack them, but they tossed him to the floor. Jacobs and Cannon resumed trading shots. Beck tried to run in, but Jacobs and Cannon took him out with a spear/clothesline combo as he came off the ropes. Cannon and Jacobs continued to trade shots. Jacobs hit a springboard ace crusher, but Cannon kicked out. Jacobs went for the contra code, but Hollister broke it up. Jacobs then hit the contra code on Hollister, but Crane dragged the ref to the floor. Jacobs nailed Crane with a big dive. Scarlett ran around ringside like she had seen a mouse. Beck grabbed Jacobs on the apron and grabbed him by the throat. Beck charged at Jacobs, but he got out of the way and Beck ran into the ringpost. Jacobs went up top, but Scarlett grabbed his leg. Jacobs dragged Scarlett into the ring and spanked her. Cannon broke it up with a superkick. Cannon then backed off and let Hollister hit God’s last gift on Jacobs for the win.

The announcers said the bigger story here was Cannon leaving Jacobs out to try. Cannon got back into the ring after the match and placed a t shirt over him before walking to the back.

Winner: Shane Hollister

Star rating: (***) – The crowd was a little flat at first, but they got into the action late in the match. The design of the match seemed to be to set up feud between Jacobs and Cannon after Cannon let Hollister win the match in the end. Cannon and Jacobs also went after each other throughout the match. I’m not a big fan of wrestlers in a multi-man match letting another wrestler pick up a win, but I’m willing to see where this goes. Beck also got a chance to shine in the match, although he couldn’t muscle up Jacobs and Hollister at the same time, so that aspect of his offense fell flat.

They showed Silas Young preparing to come out to the ring before he match his entrance with Val Malone. Young came out to boos. AAW Champion Michael Elgin was then shown walking backstage before he came through the entranceway. The fans chanted for Elgin as he made his way into the ring. Elgin had the announcer announce him as the real one true last men in professional wrestling, which upset Young.

(10) AAW Champion Michael Elgin vs. Silas Young (w/Val Malone). The announcers mentioned that Elgin had finally beaten Young last year in an I Quit match to capture the title after their lengthy feud in 2012. Young blocked a punch from Elgin against the ropes and Elgin backed off. The pace picked up and Elgin ended a big sequence off the ropes with a shoulder tackle and Young rolled into the corner. Elgin lifted up Young in the delayed vertical suplex and held him there as the fans counted. Elgin finally dropped Young down to the mat, but only got a 2 count. Young bailed to the outside and snapped Elgin’s neck over the top rope when he leaned out to get him. Elgin fired back and nailed Young with a dropkick through the ropes. Elgin lifted Young up for a vertical suplex on the outside, but Malone broke it up. Young then shoved Elgin into the ringpost. Young rolled Elgin back into the ring for a 2 count. Elgin fired back, but Young caught him with a knee to the gut against the ropes. Young began working over Elgin, as he nailed him with a pair of running kicks. Elgin fired up and told Young to bring it. Elgin nailed Young with a big forearm and he flew across the ring and out to the floor. Young tripped Elgin on the apron and went back to work on Elgin. Young taunted Elgin and nailed him with some big forearms. Elgin hit an enzuguri out of nowhere and covered Young for a 2 count.

Elgin went for a charge in the corner, but missed and Young rolled him up for a 2 count. Elgin favored his shoulder and Young went right after it and slammed it onto the mat. Young grabbed Elgin’s arm and began working it over. Elgin tried to drive Young into the corner, but Young slipped away and slammed him onto the mat. Young taunted Elgin and tried to lift him on his shoulders, but Elgin blocked it. Elgin finally caught Young with a belly-to-belly throw as he came off the ropes and both men were down. The fans fired up and chanted for Elgin. Elgin fired up and caught Elgin with a running DVD into the corner and then a big leg sweep/clothesline combination. Elgin continued to run wild and hit a black hole slam for a nearfall.

Young and Elgin exchanged counters until Young caught Elgin with a back breaker/clothesline combination for a 2 count. One of the announcers made the most unenthusiastic we have a new champion here cliché calls I’ve ever heard. Young sold frustration and stalked Elgin as he got to his feet. Young tried to lift Elgin onto his shoulders, but Elgin blocked it. They exchanged counters and Elgin hit the chaos theory with a bridge for a 2 count. Elgin then hit a delayed German with a bridge for another 2 count. The fans fired up as Elgin went up top, but Young cut him off. Both men went back and forth up top. Elgin fought Young off, but ended up missing the corkscrew senton. Elgin countered a double underhook attempt with a backdrop. Young fired and hit a modified pedigree for a nearfall, but the fans didn’t react for the nearfall after they teased the spot several times. Young yelled at Elgin before lifting him up on his shoulders and dropping him down to the mat with a roll. Young went for the Fujiwara plunge, but Elgin got out of the way. Young managed to land on his feet. He went back and forth with Elgin and the exchange ended with a big clothesline from Elgin.

Elgin got up first, but Young drove him into the corner. Young charged at Elgin after he got up on the second turnbuckle. Elgin blocked Young as the fans chanted for both men. Elgin got Young in position and hit a super air raid crash for a nearfall and the crowd gasped. Elgin grabbed the cross face in the middle of the ring. Young struggled and teased tapping. He eventually rolled Elgin over for a 2 count, but Elgin hit a forearm to the back of his head and a back fist. Elgin then hit the buckle bomb and the Elgin bomb for the win.

After the match, Davey Richards jumped Elgin and hit him with a KO kick to the head. Richards grabbed the title belt and stood over Elgin. Richards said after all of the wars they’ve fought, this war had just begun. He challenged Elgin to one more match.

They showed Kevin Harvey backstage with a drum. He said tonight was one battle and one battle has never won a war. Harvey said the door fell off the cage and ruined their plans for this night. He challenged Corbin and Fontaine to find a partner for a six man tag.

Winner: Michael Elgin to retain the AAW Championship.

Star rating: (***1/2) – Very good hard-hitting match with some nice submission wrestling mixed in. The crowd seemed flat for a lot of the action and these two had to work hard to get them into the match. Young teased several spots with Elgin blocking them each time. Young eventually hit the teased double underhook face buster, but it didn’t get much of a reaction. The finishing sequence was nicely done, but this crowd seemed to run out of steam during the second half of the show.

Overall thoughts: (7.5) – While there were no blow away matches on this show, this was an enjoyable show to watch. The show seemed to peak early in terms of the heat the crowd gave the matches, but there were several good matches up and down the card.

I really like the venue this show was run in. It was AAW’s debut in this venue and it was a small and intimate setting in what appeared to be a multi-level bar that gave the show a “Fight Club” type of atmosphere. The lighting left a lot of shadows from certain camera angles, but the show was never unwatchable. If they could find a better way to light the ring, it would make a big difference for fans watching this show at home.

The Heritage Title Tournament continued on this show with four Quarterfinal round matches. Vega-Lyndon had a very nice, albeit relatively short match before ACH and Matt Fitchett tore it up in a crazy back and forth match that lasted just a shade over ten minutes. This match is worth checking out and if they had been given a little more time, it would have been epic. Del Sol-O’Reilly which took place during the second half of the show was also very good, although it didn’t have the crowd heat of the ACH-Fitchett match earlier in the show.

Richards-Callihan was very good and it also set up a future Hollister-Callihan match with Hollister costing Callihan what looked to be a sure win. One thing the announcers did a good job of was mentioning Richards had recently turned heel in AAW, which played into the ending of the show.

The main event was very good, but the crowd didn’t give Elgin and Young the push they needed to make it an excellent match. They based a lot of the match around counters and reversals leading up to a spot where Elgin blocked Young’s double underhook attempts several times until Young finally hit a double underhook face buster, but the crowd barely reacted. The announcers seemed a bit uninterested at times as well, which took away from the match at certain points like when one of them went to get food while Elgin held Young in the vertical suplex position. Overall the action was very good, but it was missing a couple of elements to take the match up another level.

I give this show a thumbs up. I enjoyed the intimate atmosphere and ACH stole the show with Matt Fitchett on the undercard. I’d love to see a longer match between them just to see if they could build a longer match with a good built-in story. The announcers did a good job throughout the night of filling in storylines from the past as the in-ring action built towards future shows. AAW should add some graphics for the backstage segments for people new to the company wondering who some of the people talking are. AAW continues to impress in 2013 and this was another fun show from a company worth keeping your eye on.

You can purchase AAW’s “Durty Deeds” by clicking HERE or by visiting SmartMarkVideo.com or for VOD/MP4 visit SMVod.com

For more information on AAW, visit AAWrestling.com

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