RADICAN’S AAW REVIEW SERIES
“HELL ON EARTH 9”
NOV. 29 2013
CLEVELAND, OHIO

Aaron Bauer interviewed Gregory Iron backstage. Bauer said Iron has a wide open challenge tonight. Bauer mentioned that he’s endorsed by his longtime friends Phil and Scott. LOL. Bauer said Iron had two friends in reference to the men next to Iron dressed in suits. Bauer asked Iron why he issued the challenge. Iron said he issues the challenge was because when he says things, he does them. Iron said there were so many guys in the back and in the crowd that say rude things to him. Iron says he only gets this treatment in AIW. Iron said he wanted the wrestlers to know he’s for real and the fans to know he’s the star of the show. Iron says with the wide open challenge, the fans get to be part of the show. Iron said if a fan comes over the barricade, he’s not responsible for what happens to him. Iron said he had been getting threats from people. Iron said the challenge was about public humiliation. Iron said he’s the best and will continue to be the best.

Tim Donst cut a promo on Michael Hutter saying he’s been waiting for tonight for three months. He said he couldn’t stand losing to Hutter because he’s better than him. Donst says he wrestles because it’s the only thing he’s great at. Donst said tonight was about proving that the independents are better than the big league. He said he would make sure nobody saw Hutter’s pretty face again after tonight.

Johnny Gargano cut a promo. He said the match everyone wants to see is Steen vs. Gargano. Gargano said AIW was his territory and the fans would chant king of Cleveland. Gargano said the fans would chant kill Gargano kill.

Michael Hutter (EC III in TNA) cut a promo backstage. Hutter said he had beaten Donst clean three months ago. He said he was a wrestler as much as he is a superstar. Hutter says it takes more than a singlet to be a wrestler with a death wish. Hutter said he had proven he can beat Hutter in a wrestling match, but he needed to prove he could beat Donst in a fight. Hutter said he won’t lose because he’s f---ing sweet.

Josh Prohibition and Matt Cross cut a promo backstage. Prohibition said #Nixon was going to step in the ring with four of the badest dudes in the world. He said he had a mystery partner tonight. He showed that he had weapons in his hands tonight and showed a screw and something that looked like a spike. Prohibition asked if #Nixon wanted to party tonight. Prohibition asked if they wanted to take it back to the backyard. He said that’s where it all started. Cross said he liked backyard wrestling. Prohibition said they would party tonight. Chest Flexor joined Prohibition and Cross. Prohibition screamed about partying to end the promo.

#Nixon cut a promo backstage. Ryan said they invented the party. Page said they aren’t the only ones that backyard wrestled. Page said he has to convince himself every day that he wants to wrestle. Page said he had spikes and would break glass over Prohibitions face. The Duke said his guys would do what needed to be done. He said it was him vs. Chest Flexor for AIW. The Duke threatened to do terrible things to Flexor. He said Flexor would learn a lesson tonight.

AIW appears to have a good sized crowd for this show, as Turners Hall looks packed.

Matt Wadsworth was in on commentary along with Leonard F. Chikarason.

(1) Ty Colton vs. Colin Delaney. This is Colton’s debut in AIW. Colton wrestled in the Alpha-1 show I saw as Johnny Wave. Colton sent Delaney to the outside and hit a nice twisting splash to the outside during the early stages of the match. Delaney fired back and took control of the action. Colton fired back and hit a moonsault into a blockbuster for a 2 count. The action picked up as both men traded pinning combinations. They capped the sequence by hitting cross body blocks at the same time and both men were down. They had another fast-paced exchange and Delaney hit a double springboard stunner for a 2 count. They battled up top and Colton ended up tripping Delaney face-first into the top turnbuckle. He followed up with a Canadian destroyer for a nearfall. Colton went for a phoenix splash, but Delaney got out of the way. Delaney followed up with a slingshot DDT for the win.

Winner: Colin Delaney

Star rating: (**3/4) – This was a good opening match. They weren’t on the same page at one point during the match and had a sloppy exchange, but other than that, this was a good way to kick off the show and Colton was impressive.

Gregory Iron’s security came down to the ring. Iron then came out with two more men. The fans chanted for Iron not to talk. They then chanted it’s shut up time. Iron said anyone in the back or anyone talking crap in the crowd could take him up on his challenge. A fan seemed ready to accept Iron’s challenge. Iron told him to come into the ring. Several people told the fan to stay put. The fan’s name was Matt. Iron called Matt a coward. Iron continued to jaw with the crowd. A small girl ended up getting into the ring. She got into the ring and Iron attacked her. The fans booed as the ref checked on the girl. Iron went after the girl and slapped her around. The girl recovered and kicked Iron low and nailed him with a slap. Iron fired back and nailed her with an STO. The ring announcer pulled Iron off, but Iron’s security dragged him out of the win. Aaron Bauer finally dragged Iron off of the girl. John Thorne also came to the ring to separate them.

The fans chanted for Chuck Palumbo. Iron got on the mic, but the crowd chants drowned him out. Iron said from this point on the fans could stay behind the fence. He called his security team the Iron Curtain. Well, that was certainly uncomfortable to watch at times with Iron attacking the fan that entered the ring, but the angle achieved its purpose.

(2) Absolute Intense Champion Louis Lyndon vs. Marion Fontaine. Lyndon blew off a handshake before the match began. This is Lyndon’s first defense of the Intense Title. B.J. Whitmer came in on commentary with Bauer upset after the Iron segment. They did the crisscross spot. Fontaine put the brakes on and eventually hit an arm drag. Lyndon went for a springboard, but Fontaine simply walked away and Lyndon crashed to the mat. They took a break and apparently the match is being contested with rounds. Fontaine took control and Lyndon tried to pull the ref in front of him, but Fontaine caught his boot. They went back and forth and Lyndon ended up kicking Fontaine off the top to the floor as the crowd went flat. Lyndon tossed Fontaine back into the ring and locked in a bridging neck submission. Fontaine fired back and got a rollup for a 2 count, but Lyndon fired right back with a knee to the back of the head for a 2 count. The fans tried to rally behind Fontaine. The announcers talked about Lyndon’s change in attitude as he hit a neck breaker over the middle rope from the apron on Fontaine.

Fontaine mounted a comeback and hit a series of punches in the corner. Lyndon tried to counter, but Fontaine fired back with more punches. Fontaine hit a high-angle face buster, but he only got a 2 count. The crowd woke up and tried to rally behind Fontaine as he mounted a comeback. Fontaine ducked a pair of kicks from Lyndon and hit a running double knee strike for a 2 count. Lyndon caught Fontaine with a one man version of the Spanish fly off the ropes. He then hit a dragon suplex with a bridge for a 2 count. Fontaine ended up catching Lyndon and hit a modified powerbomb for a 2 count. Fontaine caught Lyndon with a nice pinning combination for a nearfall. Fontaine missed a kick and walker nailed him with a big boot to the head. Walker hit another kick and caught Fontaine with a pinning combination off the ropes for the win.

Winner: Louis Lyndon to retain the AIW Intense Championship

Star rating: (*1/2) – This match never clicked and it was confusing when the bell rang and they took a break and the announcers said the match was being contest under rounds. There was never another round break after the first one. The crowd got behind Fontaine at times, but for some this match didn’t click.

(3) AIW Tag Team Champions The Batiri (Kobald & Kodama w/Veronica) vs. The Jollyville F—k-Its (T-Money & Nasty Russ Myers). Myers & Money earned this title shot by winning the Double Dare Tag Team Tournament earlier in the month at the last show. The Batiri came out wearing the new AIW Tag Team Championship belts, which were red with gold plates. They looked much better than the last set of belts AIW was using. Bauer came back in the commentary booth to join Whitmer on commentary for this match. The announcers explained the any member of the Batiri could defend the AIW tag straps. Money got the upper hand on Kodama and nailed him with a big clothesline. Money and Myers began tagging in and out to work over Kodama. Kodama draped Myers over the top rope and he and Kobald nailed him with a pair of running boots to the head. Kobald got the tag and began working over Myers. Kobald made a pin attempt, but the ref wouldn’t count for some reason and the announcers buried the ref on commentary. Myers tried to mount a comeback on Kodama as a where’s our nachos chant started. I have no idea why. Myers finally cut off Kodama and both men were down. Myers made the hot tag to Money, who ran wild on the Batiri. He hit a sick sequence where he drove Kodama into the corner and followed up with a huge spinebuster. Kodama got a head scissors takedown on Money. Myers then ran into the ring and hit a dive to the outside that wiped out Veronica and Kodama. Kobald checked on Veronica and ended up carrying her to the back.

Money began working over Kodama back inside the ring with Kobald now out of the equation. Myers and Money began tagging in and out to work over Kodama. Kodama fired back and hit a monkey flip off the top that sent Money into the turnbuckles. Kobald ran back to the ring and both men tagged out. Kobald and Myers went at it and Kobald eventually hit a spear off the ropes. Kobald followed up with a Saito suplex with a bridge on Myers for a 2 count. Kobald hit a sit out DVD, but Money broke up the pin. The action broke down and the Batiri countered a double whip and got the upper hand on Myers and Money. They hit a series of moves on Myers capped by a splash off the top from Kobald for a nearfall. Money required and wiped out Kodama with a sick clothesline to the back of the head. Myers sent Kodama out of the ring. Money hit a big Alabama slam on Kobald and Myers went up top, but Kodama crotched him. He then pulled the ropes on Money, who went over the top to the floor. Kobald got on top of Kodama’s back and hit a choke slam off the top on Myers. Kobald hit the demon toilet, but Myers pounced the living crap out of him for the win.

The Batiri shook hands with Myers and Money after the match.

Winners: The Jollyville F—k-Its to become new AIW Tag Team Champions.

Star rating: (**1/2) – The crowd was flat for most of the action, but got into the match down the stretch. The action was slow at first, but picked up during the last few minutes. Money showed off some really impressive power moves, especially when he nailed Kodama with a sick clothesline to the back of the head. His pounce on Kodama to end the match looked brutal as well. The crowd was definitely into Myers & Money capturing the belts.

Ethan Page cut a promo backstage. He said tonight he was victorious unlike the last show where he lost the AIW Absolute Championship. He said the new champion was too busy to be at the show tonight. Lyndon ran through the picture and Page told him to stay. He said Lyndon should be in the main event tonight because he’s the only singles champion in the building. He asked Lyndon why he wasn’t on the poster for the show. Page said he has an idea. He told the cameras to go away.

The crowd was hot for Tim Donst’s entrance for his match against Michael Hutter. Hutter then made his entrance and glared at Donst as he made his way down to the ring. The crowd chanted f--- TNA as he made his way into the ring. The referee and the ring announcer tried to keep Donst and Hutter apart before the match started. The fans chanted you sold out at Hutter.

Donst got a huge pop when he was introduced. Hutter was introduced to f--- TNA chants from the fans. The fans chanted Dixie’s bitch at Donst and they finally went at it.

(4) Michael Hutter vs. Tim Donst in a No DQ No Count outs Fans Bring the Weapons match. They exchanged punches right away and went at it hot and heavy. Donst tried to hit Hutter with a bat with tacks on it, but Hutter bailed. Donst dropped the bat and nailed Hutter with a dive through the ropes and the fans exploded. The entire crowd was on their feet as Donst continued to dominate the action on the outside. Hutter finally fired back and drove Donst into the guardrail. The fans chanted f--- TNA as Donst went on the attack. He nailed Donst with a stripping board. The action went back into the ring as Hutter continued to dominate the action. Hutter set up a chair in the ring and drove Donst into it head-first several times. The fans chanted NXT at Hutter as he continued to work over Donst. Donst sat up from the chair quickly and caught Hutter by surprise with an ace crusher through the chair. Hutter sat in a chair against the guardrail and Donst got a running start and nailed Hutter with the chair and the fans chanted AIW, AIW. The action spilled into the crowd with Donst and Hutter exchanging chops near the hard cam. They went to a big exchange of chops to the chest. Hutter then charged at Donst, but ended up taking an STO on the floor.

The action spilled back into the ring with Donst in control. Donst tried to toss Hutter through a table that was bridged between the ring and the guardrail, but Hutter fired back and hit a clothesline. Donst ended up back on the floor and Hutter followed him to the outside. Hutter grabbed a bag and dumped a bunch of tacks on the table that was set up on the outside. Hutter screamed Tim F-----in Donst and gave Donst the Donstitution through the table. Holy crap! Hutter rolled Donst back into the ring, but he only got a 2 count. Hutter yelled at Donst before tossing him shoulder first into the mat. Hutter followed up with a huge sit out powerbomb for a nearfall. The fans chanted Donst won’t die as Hutter went back on the attack. Hutter locked in the border city stretch, which beat Donst in their first encounter at “Absolution 8.” The ref checked on Donst and dropped his arm twice, but it didn’t go down for a third time. Donst flipped off Hutter and Hutter went back on the attack. Donst staggered around on his feet as the fans as the fans chanted back and forth. Donst countered Hutter and locked in a modified crossface and Hutter tapped.

The fans chanted for Donst and Hutter bailed right after tapping out. Donst appeared to be bleeding from the mouth after the match. Donst asked for the mic and the fans chanted for Donst. Donst said he had been thinking about beating Hutter for himself and the fans. The fans chanted f--- TNA. Donst said it was time for the next thing in his career. Donst said 10 years ago he was trained by Mike Quackenbush. He said he was going to give it a shot against his other trainer at the next show and face Chris Hero. The fans chanted yes, yes, yes. Donst called Hutter back down to the ring. Donst told him Dixie was there, so he could have some fun. The fans chanted one sweet dude at Hutter. Donst said he didn’t think Hutter would be willing to put his body through what he had in their two matches. Donst said Hutter had chosen to come back to AIW despite not having to come back to the company. Donst said he appreciated Hutter coming to AIW. He told Hutter he respected him as a professional wrestler.

Hutter got on the mic and said Donst was a warrior. He said he was on a really big run right now. The biggest run of his career. He said he didn’t know when he would come back. He said he respected Donst and the passion he puts into his craft. Hutter said AIW was now Donst’s house. Both men shook hands and hugged. The fans chanted thank you both. Hutter told the fans to chant thank you Donst. This was an awesome post-match exchange between both men. Donst left and celebrated with the fans. He told Hero he was waiting for him in his house.

Winner: Tim Donst

Star rating: (****) – Just a great match. You could tell these two men wanted at each other bad and they went to war brawling all over Turner’s Hall in front of a blazing hot crowd. They made a great use of the weapons available to them without doing anything stupid. Hutter deserves a lot of credit for putting his body on the line like that while in the midst of the best run of his career in TNA. Donst showed a ton of guts taking everything Hutter threw at him before submitting him out of nowhere at the end of the match.

Kevin Steen came out for his AIW review to a big reaction from the crowd. Steen jawed with a fan on his way down to the ring before knocking his hotdog out of his hand. Steen continued to jaw with the fan as Gargano made his entrance.

(5) Johnny Gargano vs. Kevin Steen. The fans stayed hot and clapped before Steen and Gargano started the match. Steen offered a handshake, but kicked Gargano low and went for the package piledriver. Gargano flipped out and got the Gargano escape, but Steen quickly got the ropes. The action quickly spilled to the outside and began brawling around the ring. Steen taunted an attractive young lady wearing a Gargano shirt before going back on the attack. Gargano fired back and turned the tide on Steen on the outside. Steen went for a powerbomb on the apron, but Gargano held on to the ropes. He kicked Steen away and nailed him with a flip dive off the apron to the floor. Gargano took control of the action back inside the ring and began working over Steen’s arm. Steen blocked Gargano’s rolling kick and nailed him with a pair of running sentons and the fans popped big. Steen went on the attack and dropped an elbow on Gargano’s back before grabbing a crossface, but Gargano quickly got the ropes. Steen focused his attack on Gargano’s back as he continued to dominate the action.

Gargano bit Steen to break up a submission and Steen asked the female fan in the crowd if she had taught that to Gargano. The fans chanted she’s a biter at the girl as Steen continued to dominate the action. Gargano tried to fire back, but Steen nailed him with a forearm to the back and Gargano went down. Steen asked the fans who the king of Cleveland now and flipped off the fans. Gargano countered a suplex and eventually caught Steen with a slingshot spear a short time later. The fans applauded as Gargano slowly got back to his feet. They went to a big exchange in the middle of the ring Gargano hit a series of clotheslines, but Steen wouldn’t go down. Steen hit a clothesline in the corner and went for a cannonball senton, but Gargano caught him with an enzuguri. Gargano then hit a running double knee strike in the corner for a 2 count. Steen fired back and hit the Steenalizer. He followed up with a cannonball senton in the corner, but only got a 2 count. Gargano countered Steen a short time later and hit a slingshot DDT from the apron a short time later for a 2 count.

Gargano hit a series of running dropkicks in the corner and went for another one, but Steen ran out of the corner and hit a huge lariat that left both men down on the mat. Steen got his feet first and went up top, but Gargano cut him off. Steen bit Gargano and tossed him to the mat, but Gargano got right back up. Steen countered Gargano up top and hit a twisting brainbuster off the top for a nearfall. Steen followed up with the package piledriver, but Gargano kicked out against at the last second and the fans went nuts. Steen went up top again went for the swanton, but Gargano got his knees up. Gargano followed up with a pair of seated superkicks. Steen told Gargano to bring it and he ducked another superkick attempt, but Gargano nailed him with a roundhouse kick to the head for a nearfall. The fans applauded as Gargano regrouped. The fans then chanted Johnny wrestling at Gargano. Gargano put Steen on the top turnbuckle and went for a lawn dart, but Steen turned it into a sleeper suplex for a nearfall. Steen went for the F cinq, but Gargano countered it into the Gargano escape. Steen struggled, but eventually shoved him away. Steen hit a big pop-up powerbomb. He then went for the package piledriver, but Gargano turned it into a hurricanrana and he held on for a pinning combination that was good for the win. Wow! What a match.

The fans continued to stay on their feet and they chanted for Gargano after the match had ended. Gargano got on the mic and one fan yelled for Gargano not to put Steen over. Gargano asked the fan why he shouldn’t put him over. Gargano said he was going to bring the best to Cleveland and tonight they got it. Steen got on the mic and jawed with the same fan at ringside. He told the fan to listen to some angry emo records and complain about his mother. Steen then asked the fan to shut up. Steen told the fan they agree on something. Steen said the fan said AIW already had the best in Cleveland in Johnny Gargano and Steen said he was 100% correct. Steen said wrestling Gargano was a bittersweet time and this was the second time they had wrestled one on one and Gargano had beat him twice. Steen said the sweet part was every time he gets in the ring with Steen, he knows they’re going to have one hell of a match because Gargano always steals the show. Steen said he hopes match number 3 sooner rather than later. Steen put over AIW and Gargano before shaking hands with Gargano and raising his hand.

Suddenly Ethan Page and Louis Lyndon ran down to the ring and attacked Gargano and Steen. Lyndon got on the mic and said he and Page were the show stealers in AIW. Page asked the fans where the Absolute champ was. He said Lyndon wasn’t in the main event and he wasn’t on the poster. Lyndon put the boots to Steen and Gargano and asked where their marquee match was. Lyndon told Steen to come back in December and face him for the AIW Intense Championship.

Winner: Johnny Gargano

Star rating: (****1/4) – This was an excellent match. They started hot and heavy and brawled all over the ring before Gargano worked over Steen’s arm and Steen mounted a comeback and worked over Gargano’s back. The fans were into the match the whole time and really got into down the stretch with both men going back and forth and exchanging nearfalls. Gargano kicking out of the package piledriver got a big reaction from the crowd. This was on par with their match from PWG’s BOLA 2013 earlier in 2013.

(6) Veda Scott vs. Marti Belle. Belle mocked Scott’s mannerisms before the opening bell. Scott got the upper hand on the mat and locked in an arm bar with a bridge. Belle fought her way free as the announcers said Bauer had left after getting a text message from Iron. Scott hit a running splash in the corner and got a 2 count. Belle caught Scott with a jaw breaker and went to the floor. Scott went after her and they began exchanging forearms. Scott hit a big chop against the guardrail, but Belle countered a whip and Scott crashed into the guardrail. Bauer came back and said he never misses a Veda Scott match. Belle continued to control the action once they got back into the ring. The fans tried to rally behind Scott and Belle mocked the fans. Scott mounted a comeback and hit a series of forearms, but Belle caught her with a big boot as she came off the ropes. Belle then applied a leg/arm combination submission, but had to let it go because her shoulders were down on the mat.

Scott fired back and got a sunset flip pinning combination, but Belle kicked out and wiped her out with a clothesline. Scott went for a springboard bulldog, but the spot didn’t come off smoothly and the fans booed. Belle set up for the pedigree, but Scott fought her way out. Scott hit the mind trip, but one of the members of the Iron Curtain distracted the ref. The rest of the Iron Curtain and Gregory Iron came out to the entrance ramp. Scott went up top, but Belle cut her off. Belle got her up, but one of the men from the Iron Curtain got up on the apron and dragged Scott away from Belle. Iron grabbed Belle’s hair. Belle escaped and Iron accidentally hit Scott. Belle rolled up Scott from behind for the win.

Scott got on the mic after the match. Scott said she doesn’t need him to win, but she does need him to lose. Scott said at Hell on Earth last year, it was the first time they teamed and won the AIW Tag titles. Scott said she had something for Iron tonight. Scott said she had something to take away from him. She said she had filed some paper work with AIW and there was no more 4 count. Scott wished Iron a happy anniversary.

Winner: Marti Belle – The finish didn’t make any sense to me. Scott had the match won, but one of the members of the Iron Curtain distracted the ref. Iron then went after Belle when she was in control, but accidentally hit Scott. I don’t know what they were going for here because the in-ring portion of Iron’s involvement with the Iron Curtain didn’t make a lot of sense.

Both teams came out for the main event. Prohibition, Cross, and Flexor didn’t have a fourth member of their team when they made their entrance. There was all sorts of plunder set up around the ring including a table with a bunch of light tubes stacked on it. Both teams were introduced and Flexor was given the mic to introduce their mystery partner. Flexor flipped off #Nixon. He then gave the mic to the announcer to bring out their mystery partner. Bobby Beverly then superkicked the Duke and Eric Ryan to turn on #Nixon.

(7) #Nixon (Ricky Shane Page & Eric Ryan & The Duke) vs. Chest Flexor & Josh Prohibition & Matt Cross & Bobby Beverly For Control of AIW. Both teams ended up brawling to the outside. Cross wiped out Ryan and Page with a crazy dive to the outside. The announcers tried to explain Beverly turning on #Nixon while mentioning his history with Flexor. Flexor nailed The Duke with a light tube and then drove the broken end of it into his forehead. Ryan also came up bleeding as Flexor went after him with a piece of light tube. Page tried to hit Cross with a pair of light tubes, but Beverly came in out of nowhere and nailed him with a chair shot that shattered the light tubes. That was crazy. Ryan and Beverly both had sleeves on their boots with tacks on them. They took turn kicking each other. Ryan went for a shining wizard on the floor, but Beverly nailed him with a kick with his gimmicked sleeve. Both teams went back and forth. The fans fired up after Flexor nailed Beverly with a light tube. There was glass and blood and over the place.

Flexor got a light tube with fish hooks and he shattered it over Page’s arms. Flexor went for the cover and the ref was nowhere to be found, so he only got a 1 count. The fans fired up as the war inside and outside of the ring continued. Page wrapped Flexor in barbed wire inside the ring. He ended up alone in the ring with the Duke, but Beverly cut him off. Beverly bounced off the ropes, but the Duke caught him with a choke slam and hit a Vader splash out of the corner. Flexor managed to free himself from the barbed wire with the help of a ringside attendant. Flexor hit a low blow on the Duke, but Ryan cut him off and hit a stunner. Prohibition then ran into the ring and Awesome bombed Ryan through a pile of chairs set up on the floor. That was insane. Cross and Page went at it up top above the table covered with light tubes. Cross ended up tossing Page through the table and the fans went nuts again. The Duke was alone in the ring and he knocked Cross off the apron. Flexor got into the ring and went at it with The Duke. The Duke hit a release belly-to-belly suplex on Flexor. The Duke hit The Duke driver on Flexor, but he kicked out at the last second. Beverly recovered and nailed The Duke with a chair shot. Prohibition followed up with a DDT onto the chair. The crowd fired up as Cross set up on the top rope and hit a big SSP. Nobody covered the Duke, who staggered to his feet. Flexor then got into the ring and threw a fireball into the Duke’s face for the win.

The announcers said #Nixon was out of AIW and Chest Flexor now had control of AIW. The fans stood and applauded. Beverly got on the mic and thanked the fans. He thanked them for being AIW fans and professional wrestling fans. He said he had been thinking about doing this for a long time. He said a lot of times go to other feds and say it’s a bigger and better place. Beverly said AIW is his bigger and better place. Beverly said he had held himself back and he hoped the fans would join him in his journey now in AIW. The fans chanted AIW, AIW.

Winners: Chest Flexor & Josh Prohibition & Matt Cross & Bobby Beverly

Star rating: (***) – This was a heck of a spectacle with a crazy brawl breaking out from start to finish. I’m not a fan of blood and parts of the match were uncomfortable to watch, but the wrestlers in the match didn’t do anything stupid in terms of taking unprotected chair shots. Ryan taking an Awesome bomb through a pile of chairs at ringside from Prohibition was insane and Page getting put through a table with light tubes on it was also crazy. This match told the story it needed to tell with Flexor putting away the Duke in the end to wrap up the #Nixon storyline.

Overall thoughts: (7.5) – This show finished really strong with three good to great matches, but the rest of the card left a lot to be desired. Steen-Gargano, Hutter-Donst, and #Nixon vs. Team AIW are all worth the price of admission when it comes down to deciding whether or not to purchase this show.

As I stated, the show got off to a slow start. The opening match between the debuting Ty Colton vs. Colin Delaney kicked off the show nicely, but after that, the show hit a lull. Gregory Iron’s open challenge was uncomfortable to watch when a female fan ran into the ring to accept Iron’s challenge and Iron assaulted her. I get trying to push Iron as a heel, but I think there are better ways to do it than that.

The crowd went flat with Lyndon defending the AIW Intense Championship against Fontaine. I got lost when the announcers said the match was being held with rounds. The crowd seemed confused after the first round ended and Lyndon and Fontaine didn’t seem to click on this night. The crowd was flat for the Batiri defending the tag titles against Money & Myers after they got a title shot by winning the Double Dare Tournament earlier in the month. The action got good down the stretch and the fans were into the title change, but overall the match was mostly flat.

The Hutter-Donst match was awesome. Both guys cut good promos before the match to set the stage for their war in the ring. The fans really got up for this match and were vocal in their support of Donst, although there were some Hutter supporters. Hutter (ECIII in TNA) deserves a lot of credit for coming to AIW and putting on a match like this one with Donst, despite being in the midst of the best run of his career in TNA with a big push.

Gargano-Steen was on par with their match from PWG’s BOLA 2013 earlier in the year. The fans were once again up for the match and this was the best match on the show. They told a good story with Steen working over Gargano’s back and Gargano working over Steen’s arm throughout the match. The pace really picked up down the stretch with some nice counters and nearfalls from both men before Gargano countered a package piledriver attempt into a hurricanrana and a rollup pin.

The main event isn’t a style of wrestling I usually enjoy. Team AIW vs. #Nixon was an all-out war that was a hardcore style brawl from start to finish. The Beverly turn at the beginning of the match was a surprise and things quickly escalated between both teams and never stopped. There was a lot of blood and Ryan and Page took some crazy bumps during the match that set the crowd on fire. Given the style of match, the wrestlers didn’t go overboard and there weren’t any unprotected chairshots during the match. I’d rather see a good hardcore brawl without light tubes brought into the equation, but for what it was, I enjoyed this more than most matches of this style.

This show is worth checking out for Hutter-Donst and Gargano-Steen. Both of those matches are excellent and worth checking out. The rest of the show was a mixed bag with a lot of average action, although the opener and the main event stood out from the pack.

You can purchase “Hell on Earth 9” on DVD by clicking HERE or by visiting AIWrestling.com. To purchase the VOD, click HERE or visit SMVOD.com.

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