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Shameless Plugging: AIW Point Break (9/23/12)

Tomorrow is Absolute Intense Wrestling’s Point Break, and, as is standard operating procedure here at Fear of a Ghost Planet, I’ve got your card rundown and typical announcerly hyperbole right here. I’m quite excited about this card, so this post is a bit of a long one. Before we get into it, allow me to correct the above poster: Tomorrow’s belltime has been moved forward to 6:00 PM to accommodate overwhelming fan request. You can still pre-order tickets, but time is running out. Go to shop.aiwrestling.com to grab one, or check out AIW’s official Facebook for more information.

The main event for Point Break has been signed, and it’s a dream re-match, as BJ Whitmer defends his AIW Intense Division Championship against CHIKARA’s Grand Champion, Eddie Kingston. The two met previously at Absolution 6 in 2011, during which Whitmer targeted the knee of Eddie Kingston, which was suffering after the events of a CHIKARA Michigan/Ohio doubleshot. Since that event, Kingston has taken to Twitter and YouTube to ask for a rematch, and it happens in just over two weeks at Turner’s Hall in Cleveland.

Plenty has changed for both men over the past year. Kingston, of course, went on to win CHIKARA’s 12 Large: Summit, capturing the CHIKARA Grand Championship in the most important match of his career. He made his return to AIW as the surprise sixth entrant in a six-man scramble, winning the contest after delivering multiple backdrop drivers to “The Anarchist” Arik Cannon. Whitmer, whose successful comeback culminated his his winning the Intense Division Championship at Absolution 7, ending a year long feud with Flexor Industries. Kingston and Whitmer are independent wrestling royalty, and a confrontation between the two is a must-see event for true fans of the sport of professional wrestling.

At Absolution 7, Tim Donst made good on an Absolute Championship match he’d won the rights to in 2011, beating Johnny Gargano, Shiima Xion, and [NAME REDACTED] in a four way elimination match for the title. He didn’t have long to celebrate (heck, he technically doesn’t have a physical championship to celebrate with, at the moment), but Donst didn’t let that deter him from going out and finding a man he considered a suitable challenger, the high-flying phenom ACH.

ACH, who made it to the finals of the JT Lightning Invitational Tournament before losing to [NAME REDACTED] after an intense exchange of finishing maneuvers, has become a star in AIW, no mean feat for a man who originally found his way into the promotion as a participant in an untaped dark match. He’s taken on and defeated the likes of AR Fox, Willie Mack, Colin Delaney, and ROH Television Champion Adam Cole, and many AIW fans would agree with Donst that ACH is deserving of a one-on-one tilt for the richest prize in AIW.

Special tag team action comes to AIW’s Point Break, as the Irish Airborne duo of Dave and Jake Crist take on Adam Cole and the debuting Kyle O’Riley—FUTURESHOCK. At Absolution 7, the Irish Airborne were part of the evening’s special tag team attraction, taking on former ROH World Tag Team Champions The Briscoe Brothers. Now they find themselves up against another of independent professional wrestling’s best tag teams in the ROH Television Champion and his partner/rival, who he has fought with and teamed against in ROH, PWG, and around the world!

Now the duo make their way to Cleveland, Ohio, both looking for their first victories in AIW competition. A win over the Crist brothers, given their standing as recent former AIW Tag Team Champions, would put Futureshock into title consideration for sure. A win for the Airborne, however, would thrust the brothers Crist right back into contention themselves, along with proving beyond any shadow of a doubt that Ohio is indeed for killers.

The AIW Women’s Title will be on the line at Point Break, as AK-47 Allysin Kay (4-1) makes her third defense against the undefeated “Crazy” Mary Dobson (3-0)! After defeating Jennifer Blake (2-2) at #JLIT and settling the score with Mia Yim (1-3) at Girls Night Out 7 in a wild steel cage match, AK-47 puts her championship on the line against an opponent who could very well qualify as her most dangerous yet!

“Crazy” Mary Dobson hasn’t been in AIW for long, but she’s already carved out a rather unique place in company history for herself. In Girls Night Out competition, she is 3-0, having beaten the likes of Heidi Lovelace (0-3), Trash Cassidy (0-2), and ‘Lil Naughty (0-1). Her matches against Cassidy and Naughty were both contested under “Pondo Rules,” which, simply explained, means that there are no rules. She has braved light tubes and thumbtacks, she’s been powerbombed through a stack of chairs by “The Passion” John Thorne, and now she faces the toughest competitor of her young career in the AIW Women’s Champion. Safe to say that if AK-47 brings the machete she favors to Cleveland, Dobson won’t shy away.

One has to wonder if Allysin Kay’s edge in experience and caliber of opponent gives her an advantage over Dobson, or if it means that the champion may be looking past her challenger to a possible confrontation with the currently out-of-country Hailey Hatred (8-0), or another contender to her throne. Nevertheless, Dobson represents a unique threat to the title, a legitimate threat to score an upset and bring an end to AK-47’s reign. As if the title weren’t enough, AIW management has decided that wins and losses scored at non-GNO events count towards Girls Night Out win/loss records, so a victory is that much more important for both women.

The demonic duo of Obariyon and Kodama shocked AIW to its very core at Absolution 7, emerging at the entry way just as the AIW Tag Team Championship match between Youthinazia and Aeroform was set to begin. Accompanied by the lovely Veronica Ticklefether, The Batiri demanded to be included in the match, and their wish was granted. Not only was it granted, but The Batiri made good on their surprise entry, winning the AIW Tag Team Titles and taking them back to their cave on Bled Isle.

Chest Flexor and his premiere tag team, meanwhile, weren’t very happy about Absolution 7. After losing the AIW Tag Team Titles, Aeroform figured that they would have a one-on-one opportunity to win them back. That didn’t happen, obviously, but now Flip Kendrick and Louis Lyndon have their shot, and Chest Flexor has yet another opportunity to bring some gold back to Flexor Industries. The big difference is that they’re not facing Matt Cross and Josh Prohibition, but a tag team that may not even be human. And for all the chaos Chest Flexor has been known to cause around an AIW ring, Veronica Ticklefeather has been known to stick her baton into other people’s business.

Speaking of Veronica, what, exactly, is her relationship with The Batiri? Veronica was seen at the JT Lightning Invitational Tournament scouting members of the AIW roster, but her appearance alongside The Batiri at Absolution 7 was still something of a shock. Veronica has been quite public in saying that she only associates herself with winners, and The Batiri have proven themselves to be just that. Is there more to the story?

It’s a Girls Night Out Showcase, as Mia Yim (1-3) takes on the surging Veda Scott (2-2) at Point Break! Yim, fresh off a disappointing loss to Girls Night Out Champion Allysin Kay in Girls Night Out 7’s main event steel cage match, is looking to bounce back in her final AIW appearance before heading to Japan full time. The Blasian Barbie, in her relatively brief time in AIW, has been involved in four classic match-ups, three of which have been for the GNO Championship, and nothing would make her happier than to secure a victory over Scott, bumping her up on the GNO leaderboard and building a solid case for another championship opportunity when she returns from the land of the rising sun.

Scott, meanwhile, has begun picking up victories in GNO competition, and with her 2-2 record currently sits in seventh place on the leaderboard. A victory here and a loss for “Crazy” Mary Dobson (3-0) would make Veda part of a tangled web of women who sit atop the board as an active wins leader. If anybody thought that her current engagement with Gregory Iron, AIW’s disgruntled “Handicapped Hero,” would slow Veda’s momentum, those thoughts were quashed at Girls Night Out 7 when Iron helped Scott defeat the debuting Courtney Rush (0-1). Iron has promised in a new YouTube video to be at Point Break, and one has to figure that he’ll be there in Veda’s corner. Will he provide Veda with moral support, or will he be an active participant in the match, distracting Mia Yim as he did Rush?

At the JT Lightning Invitational Tournament and at Absolution 7, both Davey Vega and Ethan Page made waves for themselves as singles competitors. During round one #JLIT action, an argument could be made for either Vega’s match with ACH or Page’s contest with Willie Mack being the best of the night. At Absolution 7, both men nearly came away with the six man scramble match that was eventually won by CHIKARA Grand Champion Eddie Kingston. Now, at Point Break, Page and Vega are set to collide in what looks like Point Break’s show stealing match. Take a look at each man was able to do during that six-man scramble to see why.

Both Vega and Page are trying to find their footing in AIW. Vega is without his regular tag team partner Mat Fittchet. Page is without a win to his name. Vega has had singles success elsewhere. Page has recently added the lovely Seleyza Sparx as his valet. Both men are hungry for success, looking to climb into contention for an AIW championship, and the road to a title shot begins right here.

Fatal four way action comes to Point Break this Sunday, featuring the self-proclaimed “Extremely Cute Wrestler” Colin Delaney, Facade, “The Barn Owl” Gary Jay, and the debuting Josh Alexander. Delaney and Facade came out of Absolution 7 with a loss for their respective efforts, Jay wound up brutally assaulted by Da Latin Crime Syndicate, and Alexander is looking to make a name for himself in the United States, so there will be plenty on the line this weekend as all four men want desperately to climb the ladder in AIW. Who will come away with the win this weekend?

Jock Samson once considered the Submission Squad his friends. His partners. His allies. When Jock needed help in his war against The Duke, is was The Submission Squad who came to his aid. By their powers combined, Jock and the Squad became the Four Stallions, and, for a short time, looked ready to run roughshod over Absolute Intense Wrestling.

But then Absolution 7 happened. Jock Samson and The Duke settled their issue in a Texas Bullrope Match. They stole the show. The AIW crowd, who Jock had insulted for months, showered him with praise. Jock even shook hands with The Duke. And just like that, the Four Stallions stopped riding with one another. The Submission Squad’s monthly team building exercises went unattended by Jock. Their phone calls to Jock’s mother’s house went unanswered. The Submission Squad may be used to disrespect, but they’re not accustomed to taking it for very long. They’ve laid out the challenge to Jock: Be there at Point Break this Sunday and fight like a man. If there’s something Jock has proven over his short AIW career, it’s that he’s all man. He’ll be there, but who’ll be watching his back?

All this and more can be yours for the viewing tomorrow, for just $15. Few wrestling cards this fall will have this much action, and it’s the first evening in some time that all four AIW Championships will be defended. Once again, there’s still time to pre-order tickets at shop.aiwrestling.com, but tomorrow, you’ll be taking your chances at the door. Until tomorrow, here is the Point Break edition of Intense TV, featuring clips from the last Whitmer/Kingston encounter, ACH’s 30-minute Iron Man Match against AR Fox, and a fatal four way featuring Tim Donst, Facade, Ethan Page, and Flip Kendrick.

Absolute Intense Wrestling Behind the Curtain: Willie Mack

If you read any of the wrestling-related posts here on Fear of a Ghost Planet, I’m sure you’ve noticed my interviews with Davey Vega, Rickey Shane Page, UltraMantis Black, and Jakob Hammermeier, indie wrestlers who took time out of their schedule to talk to some schmuck with a blog that’s only sometimes dedicated to wrestling. As fun as those interviews were and as good as I think they turned out, they were conducted either via e-mail or through Facebook Messenger, and, in my opinion, lacked the same spark as a face-to-face conversation. At Absolute Intense Wrestling’s JT Lightning Invitational Tournament, I was given a chance to do a face-to-face interview with one of the weekend’s special guests, “Milk Chocolate” Willie Mack. The #JLIT was an absolutely hectic weekend for me, as I quickly went from being “women’s match announcer” to “all-purpose announcer,” something I wasn’t really prepared for, and I had no clue I’d be shooting an interview with Willie until a camera was pointing at us. So if I come across as nervous in this video, it’s because I am. Horribly so.  Read more

Shameless Plugging: Absolute Intense Wrestling Girls Night Out 7 (8/4/12)

Absolute Intense Wrestling returns to Turners Hall on August 4, 2012, for  Girls Night Out 7, the first show in company history featuring an all-woman card. I’ll be there in my official capacity as “women’s (wrestling) expert,” and as a mostly unbiased judge of wrestling cards, #GNO7 looks like the company’s strongest to date. As always, there is a strong mix of national, international, and local talent, along with the promise of two massive feature bouts.

In the main event of the evening, Allysin Kay defends her AIW Women’s Championship against “The Blasian Barbie” Mia Yim. The two have had a bloody, violent history in AIW, and at #GNO7 they look to settle the score in the promotion’s second-ever Steel Cage Match. Cage matches don’t happen often in indie wrestling (for two good reasons: they’re expensive, and they take an incredibly long time to set up), and are only booked when the situation calls for it. Yim and Kay have met twice in an AIW ring, and there was blood both times. In their first match, Yim broke Kay’s nose with a stiff kick, which resulted in a war of words across twitter and various podcasts leading to an anxiously awaited rematch. At Girls Night Out 6, they met in an unsanctioned Fans Bring the Weapons match for the vacant AIW Women’s Championship. The match saw the use of light tubes, machetes, and garden hoses, but came to an end under dubious circumstances when Kay’s estranged manager Chest Flexor interfered, costing Yim the match and the title. The new champion, none too happy with Flexor’s interference, took her frustration out on the leader of Flexor Industries, asking for the match to be restarted so she could finish Yim herself.

Instead of doing that, AIW’s acting president Matthew Wadsworth promised a third encounter, one in which nobody could interfere. Now one of the most intense rivalries in AIW’s history (and, indeed, in wrestling today) comes to a close in one of the sport’s most barbaric enclosures. Cage matches in independent wrestling aren’t for the faint of heart or the weak kneed. Given the heat between the two and the title that’s on the line, blood will likely be shed and reputations will be made or broken. Both women have done great things in the past year, and this match is the culmination of their hard work and sacrifice. Only one of them can leave the cage a champion. The woman who does will have staked a claim as being one of the best in the world. Read more

Fear of a Ghost Interview: Davey Vega

“Spitfire.” “The Ace of Anarchy.” To independent wrestling fans living in the Midwest, Davey Vega wears a lot of different masks (well, not literally), but in Cleveland’s Absolute Intense Wrestling he’s a newcomer, a man predominantly known as one half of the Sex Bob-Ombs with his partner Mat Fitchett. This Friday, he steps out of his role as a tag team specialist to take on the phenomenal ACH in round one of the J.T. Lightning Invitational Tournament. Fans who’ve been paying attention to AIW know that ACH is quickly becoming a focal point of the promotion. He recently had a mind-bending 30-minute Iron Man Match with AR Fox at Straight Outta Compton just a month ago—a match that should be in contention for many “Match of the Year” accolades—and, in a post-match speech, ACH made it clear that it is his intention to walk out of Turners Hall this weekend with the JLIT Trophy and a shot at Absolute Champion and TNA stalwart Shiima Xion. Many fans predict that ACH will go far in this weekends tournament, but those same fans may in fact be underestimating Vega. Read more

Fear of a Ghost Interview: Rickey Shane Page

Most of the time when wrestling fans talk about “underrated wrestlers,” they’re talking about guys who maybe didn’t get much exposure on TV or, if they did, guys who never won WWE or WCW World Heavyweight Championships. Guys like Carlito Caribbean Cool and John Morrison are frequently tagged as underrated because the man upstairs didn’t hand them the ball, preferring the tried and true over something new, but the fact of the matter is that those guys aren’t underrated, not really. It’s tough to be underrated when you’re on TV every week, when you have a company’s second most prestigious title, when you’re doing flashy, show-stealing moves on pay per views and at WrestleMania, and it’s hard to say that somebody hasn’t been given the ball when they’re enjoying the relative fame and fortune that comes along with all that.

To me, the word “underrated” doesn’t apply to anybody unless you’re talking about somebody working the bingo hall circuit, somebody sweating and bleeding and putting their body on the line before a packed house of 150 people paying $20 for ringside seats. You can look up and down the rosters of CHIKARA and Ring of Honor and debate who among them is most deserving of the crown, but, for my money, Rickey Shane Page may be the most underrated wrestler in America. Read more