Views from the Hawke’s Nest: ISW Slamtasia 2014

October 25, 2014
Danbury, Connecticut

 

Commentators: Shayne Hawke, Mike Rotch, Ben Gordon, Gran Akuma, Pinkie Sanchez, Jaka, & Chris Dickinson

 

Gran Akuma returned to ISW to take on Kitsune in the opener. In what should have been a surprise to no one, this was a very fun opener (and the rest of the show has its work cut out for them if they want to top it). There were a few awkward moments but nothing overly distracting. There were kicks. There were flips. It did not go too long. I am a man of simple tastes, what can I say. (***1/2)

 

The second match was a three-way between Christina Von Eerie, Jeremy Leary, and Lucky Sabiti. CVE is now apparently a part of Team Pazuzu after being mad at them at the Warped Tour shows for being sexist pigs. I feel like I am missing something. Leary is stealing 2011-12 Seth Rollins’ gimmick by having bad hair and wanting to be a one-man mosh pit. Instead of being a spotfest like most matches three-ways (or other “ways” with 4, 5, or 6 people), this was more of an awkward brawl. It was not all that interesting or heated. Sabiti pinned CVE with a shoulder breaker to win the match. (*1/2)

 

That was followed by Fluffy The Killer Bunny vs. Lloyd Ctulowitz. I guess this was ISW’s attempt to capitalize on the Hoss fetish going on with hardcore pro wrestling fans. The execution here left something to be desired at times for sure, but this was far more enjoyable than I expected. Fluffy continued his winning ways after hitting the Bunny Hop. The commentators were putting Fluffy over so much that I am expecting a title shot of some kind must have been in his future. Just as I typed that out, I had a sudden memory of Fluffy winning the Inter Species Other Championship at a Beyond show. It all makes sense. (**1/4)

 

The next match was a tag team contest between Le Tabarnak de Team (Mathieu St-Jacques & Thomas Dubois) vs. Team Pazuzu (Jaka & Pinkie Sanchez). This was a solid if odd match. Team Pazuzu is a very heel act as far as I am concerned. They worked face here, which is fine because TDT are also natural heels. They tried to do this epic tag match with lots of nearfalls towards the end, but this would have clearly been a bit better off if they went home sooner after the hot tag. This also seemed like a match where Pinkie could have stood to be a bit less goofy especially when he was working as a face in peril. There is a lot of talent in this match. It could have been better though. (**1/2)

 

We then got the wedding between GLAAD Badd and Craigslist Homo. We got a swerve as a couple lost Badd cousins showed up and gave the wedding their blessing. This was the rare wrestling wedding without an angle!

 

Chris Dickinson defended the ISW Undisputed King Of Crazy Championship against Matt Tremont. Much like the last Team Pazuzu match on this show, this failed to meet its potential by just going too long. This was a very good (possibly great) ten minute brawl that went on and on for no reason. I still liked the match overall mind you, but it’s always disappointing to see a match fall short of greatness when it is so close to getting there. Dickinson is great at looking like a violent psychopath in this environment. Tremonts oozes charisma and survives brutal punishment in a believable way. It just could have been so much more. Dickinson won after a Burning Hammer onto a chair. (***)

 

The Food Fighters (Bastian Snow & Pasquale The Italian Chef) defended the ISW Tag Team Championship against Tremendous Inc. (Bill Carr & Dan Barry). To continue with the theme of the show, this match would have benefited from shaving off about a third of the length. The action and shtick was solid enough though, and they built to the big finish (Doomsday Sliced Bread into some dry pasta) well. Team Tremendous are the best overall team in ISW, and they should make for excellent tag champs. (**3/4)

 

Sexxxy Eddy made his return to Danbury to take on Dave Cole. Cole got onto this show by impressing at an ISW tryout show. That’s somewhat funny because I signed Dave Cole’s petition at an early 2013 ISW show. I demand a payoff! Cole is someone I have enjoyed for a long time, and he has had a number of matches in Beyond Wrestling over the years that were quite good. Sexxxy Eddy is okay when he is not asking people at ringside to touch his penis. (Why @failraiser??? Why did you consent???) Eddy used his penis to make his comeback in the match, and he then distracted Cole with “all of the cocaine” in Connecticut. That backfired though, as Cole received a major energy boost from the cocaine. Eddy ended up surviving this cocaine outburst and won the match anyway. I don’t see any point in Eddy winning this match to be perfectly honest.

 

In a FANS BRING THE LEGO DEATH MATCH, Izzie Deadyet defended the Inter Species Championship against Buxx Belmar. My feelings on this match are similar to my feelings on the majority of serious, singles matches these two are involved in: I appreciate the effort but I did not care about it. Based on my experience with attending ISW shows, Izzie Deadyet is usually put into a tough position as he has to have a main event on a show that usually runs too long and already has a match or two that will likely be better. I think it’s time for the company to move in a new direction in terms of who is their “ace” regardless of the tough position he is in as champion. Anyhoo, Deadyet won after a middle-rope chokeslam onto some Lego pieces to successfully retain the title. The effort was incredible. The finished product was much less so. (**)

After the match, Chris Dickinson gave Deadyet a Pazuzu Bomb onto the Lego pieces to seemingly set up a title vs. title match. Dickinson better win!

 

Watch some ISW for free!

A panda vs. a zombie

El Generico vs. Player Uno

Kevin Steen vs. Player Uno

El Generico & Twiggy vs. zombies

El Generico vs. Twiggy

El Generico vs. a zombie

Mike Quackenbush, Skayde, & Lance Steel vs. Damian, Exess, & Kid Kamikaze

Kimber Lee vs. JT Dunn

Chris Dickinson vs. Jaka [Bit of a wild match]

Player Uno vs. Kitsune

AR Fox vs. Eric Corvis vs. Leon St. Giovanni

Addy Starr vs. Michael Von Payton

Gran Akuma, Icarus, & Jolly Roger vs. Hallowicked & 2.0

5.0

The final score: review Not So Good

The 411

ISW is not a company that easily lends itself to watching on tape. The ISW experience is usually so much more than that, but I find that it does not translate. This show probably gives an accurate representation of what it's like to watch your standard ISW show though. There is a mix of cool action, crazy brawling, ridiculous characters (that you absolutely do not get anywhere else), and a few things that do not work out that well (not for a lack of trying, mind you). You can buy this show here.