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In December, Full Impact Pro Wrestling saw the biggest feud in the state of Florida get settled in Crystal River with the Cage of Pain match featuring the Heartbreak Express versus Black Market. After all of the problems that these two teams had, it would be settled inside a steel cage with barbed wire wrapped around the ropes and cage, tables, fluorescent light tubes, and other weapons that would make the fans of Crystal River never forget what they were going to see. Newly crowned FIP Heavyweight Champion Roderick Strong defended his title against Steve Madison and the number one contender for the FIP Heavyweight Title would be determined when Davey Richards faced the former champion Bryan Danielson. This show also marked the debut of a number of wrestlers from the Chikara promotion.
Your announcers are Lenny Leonard, Dave Prazak, and Jake Cerone.
The show starts off with the Heartbreak Express and Lacey coming out to the mobile studio and Sean Davis gets on the mic. He tells the fans to show some respect for the greatest tag team in wrestling. He also tells them to show respect to a woman who is not just beautiful, but is bad to the bone. He points out that the fans are here for one reason and that is to see the Heartbreak Express get rid of those two stinking goons, Black Market. Sean mentions that for eight months Black Market screwed them over, and in one match they spilled thirty-five percent of his blood. He then talks about how Black Market stole their personal valet So Cal Val, and Sean and Phil have no idea where she is. He says that it all ends tonight inside the steel cage that will be wrapped in barbed wire. He talks about the weapons that will be used. They are going to not only beat Black Market but end their lives.
Sean says that the fans do not deserve a treat, but they have invited a close personal friend to FIP. He is the Texarkana Television Champion, Sweet & Sour Larry Sweeney.
Larry Sweeney comes out and he gets on the mic. He asks the fans if he looks good tonight. He says that the only thing better than the two most beautiful people is the three most beautiful people. And add to that the most beautiful woman, who is with them. He tells the cameraman to get back so the camera does not break. He says that he will not defend his Texarkana television title tonight in Crystal River. Sweeney makes a challenge to anyone in the back, and Jerrelle Clark comes out.
Match Number One: Larry Sweeney (with Lacey) defeats Jerrelle Clark
Sweeney tries to get the early advantage, but the newcomer is controlled by the FIP veteran. Sweeney goes outside to try to frustrate Clark and slow down the pace of the match. Sweeney’s plan does not work until Lacey interferes to allow Sweeney to gain control of the match. When it would appear that Clark was going to get back into the match, Sweeney and Lacey would distract the referee to allow the other to use nefarious means on Clark. When the action moves outside the ring, Clark is finally able to take control of the match. Clark gets a number of near falls on Sweeney. Clark tries for a superplex, but Sweeney blocks it and he hits a gourdbuster from the turnbuckles followed by the Shreveport Smash for the three count.
After the match, Allison Danger comes out and she says that she is sick and tired of Lacey and her interference in matches. Sweeney covers Lacey’s ears so she cannot hear what Allison is saying about Lacey. Allison challenges Lacey to a match.
Match Number Two: Lacey (with Larry Sweeney) defeats Allison Danger
Danger hits the ring and she is on fire as she gains the early advantage. Lacey gains control after going outside the ring to discuss strategy with Larry Sweeney when she drops Danger on the top rope. Lacey maintains control of the match with the help of Larry Sweeney who works over Danger on the floor while Lacey talks to the referee. After both ladies go down after hitting the same move, Danger gets back into the match and hits a neck breaker for a near fall. Danger hits a series of moves and covers Lacey but Sweeney gets on the apron to talk to the referee. This allows Sean Davis to sneak into the ring and he hits a running splash into the corner on Danger and Lacey covers Danger for the three count.
After the match, Danger is helped to the back by the referees and security.
DP Associates comes out and this month it is Dave Prazak with Bryan Danielson, Shingo, Delirious, and Mr. Milo Beasley. Danielson gets on the mic and he vows to get the FIP title back tonight. He says that he wants Roderick Strong or he quits. Prazak gets on the mic and he introduces Mr. Beasley’s new assistant. Prazak says that he is making a challenge to two of the new wrestlers to FIP to prove that DP Associates is the dominant force. He challenges Gran Akuma and Hallowicked.
Match Number Three: Gran Akuma and Hallowicked defeat Delirious and Shingo (with Dave Prazak and Mr. Milo Beasley)
Both teams try to get the early advantage but neither team is able to gain it. Delirious tries to tell the referee that Hallowicked pulled Shingo’s hair but the referee does not buy it. Delirious claims that Akuma pulled his trunks but the referee does not buy it either. Delirious tries to pull Akuma’s hair, but it is unsuccessful because Akuma is bald. Shingo and Delirious work on Hallowicked’s arm. Akuma gets back into the match but Delirious and Shingo continue to dominate the match as they show why DP is the dominant force in FIP with a number of tags and double team moves. Shingo and Delirious get too cocky and it gives Akuma the chance to recover and Akuma blocks a suplex and he gets a near fall. Akuma is able to tag in Hallowicked and he takes care of Delirious and Shingo. The action goes back and forth as each team gets some near falls. DP gets the advantage back and Shingo hits a powerbomb followed by Shadows over Hell from Delirious, but they can only get a two count. Austin Aries comes out to help his fellow DP Associates members by giving Delirious a chain, but Akuma gets a rollup on Delirious for the three count.
After the match, Delirious yells at Aries for the interference backfiring during his match.
While Jonathan Gold explains the rules for Saturday’s Florida Rumble, Davey Richards interrupts Gold. Richards apologizes to the fans for Bryan Danielson’s crying earlier but he wants to talk to Roderick Strong to find out when he gets his title match. Steve Madison comes out instead of Strong and he says that tonight is not Richards’s night because Madison and Strong have been on the circuit together for a while and he says that he has the most victories over Strong. Bryan Danielson comes out with Mr. Milo Beasley and Dave Prazak. Danielson says that the early bird gets the worm and since he was the first one to challenge Strong tonight, he gets the match.
Davey Richards goes to the ring and then Madison and Danielson follow him. Roderick Strong comes out and he tells Danielson that the fans say that he sucks. He mentions that he was shining up his belt and he heard that all of them want a piece of the champion. He says that he would love to see the three knuckleheads battle it out while he watches. He accepts Steve Madison’s challenge and he says that Madison will lose to the champ. Erick Stevens comes out and he chases Madison to the back. Strong suggests that Danielson and Richards have a match to determine the number one contender for the title.
Match Number Four: Davey Richards defeats Bryan Danielson
Danielson tries to stall as the start of the match to get into Richards’s head. After Richards gets the early advantage in the match, Danielson goes outside the ring to regroup and check on his knee. Danielson suggests that they call the match a draw, but it was a ruse by Danielson. Richards takes control of the match but Danielson tries a new fighting style only to be countered and intimidated by Richards’s style. Danielson leaves the ring to regroup and Richards follows him out of the ring. Danielson feels someone trying to get his attention by tapping him on the shoulder, and he thinks it is Prazak, but Prazak runs around the ring to show Danielson that it is not him tapping Danielson on the shoulder. Danielson turns around to see Richards who takes Danielson around the ring and gets a number of near falls. While Danielson has the referee check on his knee in the ring, Mr. Beasley and Prazak attack Richards and Mr. Beasley hits an elbow from the apron. Danielson stalks Richards as he tries to finish him off. Richards is able to stop Danielson with a reverse atomic drop and then he hits a flurry of high impact maneuvers for a series of near falls. Prazak’s distraction helps Danielson regain control and then he goes up top, but he misses a diving head butt. Richards hits a DDT and then he makes Danielson tap out to the 14:59.
Steve Madison comes out with Austin Aries and Dave Prazak and he accepts Erick Stevens’s challenge for next month. First, Erick Stevens will have to face Austin Aries. Stevens comes out and he knocks Mr. Milo Beasley over and Steve Madison leaves the ringside area.
Match Number Five: Austin Aries (with Mr. Milo Beasley) defeats Erick Stevens
Stevens and Aries try to get an advantage in the early minutes of the match but neither man is able to gain it. Aries tries to use his experience over Stevens but Stevens uses his strength advantage on Aries. Stevens and Aries take the fight outside the ring and Stevens uses Mr. Beasley to his advantage as he uses Mr. Beasley as a weapon against Aries. Aries uses a series of back rakes and elbows to work over Stevens. While Aries is with the ref, Mr. Beasley hits a somersault senton from the apron. Aries goes up top, but the ropes are a little shaky so he goes to the second turnbuckle, and then he does not feel comfortable there so he drops to the bottom turnbuckle and he misses an elbow drop. This gives Stevens a chance to regain momentum in the match. Madison comes to ringside to distract Stevens and then Aries sends Stevens into the referee and knocks him down. Stevens covers Aries, but there is no referee to make the count. Steve Madison comes into the ring and he hits Stevens with a chain. Aries with an elbow drop for the three count.
After the match, Madison attacks Stevens, but Stevens fights back. The other members of the YRR (Kenny King, Sal Rinauro, Chasyn Rance, and Daffney) come to the ring and they attack Stevens. Colt Cabana, Seth Delay, and Jerrelle Clark come out to make the save for Stevens. Cabana gets on the mic and he says that he is sick and tired of the three morons sticking their noses in everyone’s business. Cabana challenges Rinauro, King, and Rance.
Match Number Six: Sal Rinauro, Chasyn Rance, and Kenny King (with Daffney) defeat Colt Cabana, Jerrelle Clark, and Seth Delay
The YRR try to attack their opponents from behind but Cabana, Clark, and Delay hit a triple drop kick. Cabana, Clark, and Delay work on their opponent’s arms and they have things under control until Rinauro hits a clothesline on the apron. The YRR take control of the match as they work over Delay. Delay makes the tag but the referee did not see the tag so Delay needs to stay in the ring. The members of the YRR continue to work over Delay and every time it looks like Delay can make the tag the YRR prevent him from making the tag. Delay sends King out of the ring and then he tags in Cabana who takes care of the YRR by himself. Cabana escapes a triple team situation and it is Clark’s turn to work on the YRR. Clark and Cabana hit a double rocket launcher using Delay. Daffney gets on the apron to distract the referee and that allows Madison to attack Delay and hit a tombstone piledriver. Madison rolls Rinauro on top of Delay for the three count.
After the match, Roderick Strong comes out and he tells Steve Madison if he wants his shot at the FIP Title, he gets it right now.
Match Number Seven: Roderick Strong defeats Steve Madison to retain the FIP Title
Madison gets the early advantage but when Strong fights back, Madison goes outside the ring to regroup. Madison continues to go outside the ring to stop Strong’s attempt to control the match. Strong works on Madison’s arm. Madison draws Strong outside the ring and then he gets a brief advantage but the champion forces the challenger out of the ring. Strong appears to have things under control, but Madison is able to push Strong off the top turnbuckle when Strong tries for a superplex. Madison works on the neck to set Strong for the piledriver. Strong hits a pescado regains control of the match until they return to the ring and Madison hits a suplex. Strong stops a charging Madison and then he hits a Falcon Arrow but Madison responds with a brainbuster. Madison goes up top but Strong stops him and he hits a superplex. King, Rance, and Rinauro come out to help Madison, but Stevens comes out to help Strong. Strong hits a Gibson Driver for the three count.
After the match, Roderick Strong gets on the mic and he says that this was his first title defense in Florida and he wanted to thank the fans. He reminds the fans to stay for the Cage of Pain match.
Erick Stevens gets on the mic and he says that he is sick of Steve Madison running from him. He challenges Madison to a dog collar match when they return to Crystal River next month.
Seth Delay gets on the mic and he challenges Sal Rinauro to a match with tables, ladders, and chairs.
As the ring announcements are made for the Cage of Pain match, we see footage from previous matches between the Heartbreak Express and Black Market including the match that Sean Davis talked about in his earlier promo. As the teams enter the cage, we see the weapons that will be used in the match. The weapons are tables, chairs, barbed wire, and fluorescent light tubes.
Match Number Eight: Black Market defeats the Heartbreak Express in the Cage of Pain Match
The Heartbreak Express attack Black Market as they enter the cage and the carnage begins early in the match. The first team to feel the cage are the Heartbreak Express as they are sent into the non-wire side of the cage. Sean Davis is the first one to bleed in the match as Murphy and Machete run Sean’s face across the steel. Sean throws powder into Machete’s face to disorient him and then he hits Machete and Murphy with chairs. Phil uses the light tube first as he hits Murphy with it. We see Machete’s head being raked in the cage as he bleeds. Sean uses the barbed wire on Machete’s head. Machete hits Sean with a light tube and then he runs Sean’s head into the barbed wire. Lacey sees the carnage in the ring and she tries to climb the cage to help the Heartbreak Express, but Allison Danger comes out to pull Lacey off the cage and they fight to the back. Sean hits Machete in the back with a chair while Murphy is tied in the corner with a chain. Murphy hits Sean and Phil repeatedly with a trash can and the Heartbreak Express go down. Phil tries to escape the cage but Machete hits Phil in the back with the light tube. Machete and Phil fight on the top rope while Murphy and Sean fight onto the mat. Murphy uses a piece of the light tube to carve Sean’s forehead. A table is set up in the ring and Machete pours the contents of the bag of thumbtacks onto the table and then Murphy power bombs Sean through the table for the three count.
After the match, we see Black Market celebrate in the ring and with the fans at ringside while the referee checks on the Heartbreak Express. We see Sean laid out on the broken table with the thumbtacks all over his body. We see more of the remnants of the light tubes used in the match.
Cage of Pain DVD Thoughts:
The DVD runs a little less than two and a half hours.
The video quality of FIP DVDs has improved as the company has moved into larger buildings, but there are a lot of times when the sound from someone using a microphone is muffled by someone who does not have a mic. This was evident during the opening segment when you could hear Lacey clearer than Sean Davis.
I liked that they added a third person to the commentary team for the times when Dave Prazak is at ringside with DP Associates to provide a second voice during those matches.
Jake Cerone and Dave Prazak worked well together but there were a few situations where they tried to say too much instead of letting the action in the ring talk for itself.
I had hoped that the Cage of Pain match would come out well on the DVD and I was not disappointed with what I saw. I thought the commentary was excellent for this match because it did not overshadow the action in the match and it put over the fact that this is not normal for FIP but happens because of the feud that these two teams were involved in during 2006.
The crowd in Crystal River is probably the best crowd that FIP has. They were strong throughout the show but they really turned it up a few more notches during the main event
With the addition of the Chikara wrestlers to the Ring of Honor wrestlers who mix with the Florida and Georgia wrestlers who regularly work the Florida independent scene, this might have been one of the top rosters for FIP since the departures of Samoa Joe and CM Punk from the roster.
When you can have wrestlers like Bryan Danielson and Austin Aries wrestling on the ‘under card’ you know that this is a packed show.
With the delay in release of the FIP DVDs it is good to see what some of the wrestlers who are currently in Ring of Honor were doing before they got their ‘call up’.
Next weekend, Full Impact Pro Wrestling in association with SHIMMER Women Athletes presents The Hot Summer Nights Tour, a triple shot of Full Impact Pro Wrestling and SHIMMER Women Athletes.
Full Impact Wrestling returns to action on Friday, June 29, 2007 at 8:00 p.m. in Melbourne, Florida at a new venue the Eau Gallie High School, 1400 Commodore Boulevard. Announced for this show is Roderick Strong versus Jimmy Rave for the FIP World Heavyweight Title; Erick Stevens versus Damien Wayne for the Florida Heritage Title; and the Heartbreak Express and Steve Madison versus the YRR (Chasyn Rance, Sal Rinauro, and Kenny King with Lacey and Becky Bayless) in a Melbourne Street Fight. Also appearing on the show are Mad Man Pondo, Black Market and Allison Danger, Larry Sweeney, Gran Akuma, Hallowicked, Jigsaw, SHIMMER Champion Sara Del Rey, Eddie Kingston, Daizee Haze, Jason Blade, Irish Airborne, Seth Delay, Rex Sterling, and Ricky Vega.
Full Impact Pro Wrestling returns to the National Guard Armory in Crystal River on Saturday, June 30, 2007 at 8:00 p.m. Already announced for this show is a special attraction SHIMMER match with Sara Del Rey, Allison Danger, and Daizee Haze facing Amazing Kong, Lacey, and Rain. Also scheduled to appear on this show are FIP World Heavyweight Champion Roderick Strong, Florida Heritage Champion Erick Stevens, Jimmy Rave, Mr. Milo Beasley, Dave Prazak, Mad Man Pondo, Sal Rinauro, Chasyn Rance, Kenny King, Becky Bayless, Black Market, Larry Sweeney, The Heartbreak Express, Gran Akuma, Hallowicked, Jigsaw, Steve Madison, Eddie Kingston, Irish Airborne, Seth Delay, Damien Wayne, and Rex Sterling.
SHIMMER Women Athletes debut in Florida on Sunday, July 1, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. in Inverness, Florida at the Citrus County Fairgrounds. Already announced for this show is Sara Del Rey versus Lacey for the SHIMMER Title in a rematch of the tournament finals, Amazing Kong versus Nikki Roxx, and Cindy Rogers versus Allison Danger in a two-out-of-three falls match. Also scheduled to appear are Amber O’Neal, Daizee Haze, Rain, Cheerleader Melissa, Lexie Fyfe, Malia Hosaka, MsChif, Daffney, Tiana Ringer, Ariel, and Serena Deeb.
For more information on these shows, check out http://www.fullimpactpro.com and http://www.shimmerwrestling.com. For information on FIP and SHIMMER DVDs, check out http://www.rohwrestling.com
Feel free to send feedback to richard@pwinsider.com
