BG Says: FIP Rise of the New Dawn – The Best of CM Punk Volume 2

From New Year’s Classic – January 7, 2005

The DVD starts with Punk cutting a promo on Puma, who will be his charge Azrieal’s opponent tonight. They skip over the match and simply show Puma pinning Azrieal. Punk berates Azrieal for not being able to get the job done. He tells him to watch his match against Antonio Banks and take notes.

VS.
Punk is treating this as a warm up for his match against FIP Champion Homicide the following night. Banks is going to prove that he’s a Ring of Honor caliber athlete so that when he beats Mike Shane tomorrow night he’ll be right at home wrestling for the FIP title at ROH’s Do or Die IV. Banks gets a takedown on Punk, so Punk claims that Banks pulled his hair. Nonsense! Banks wins a test of strength and Punk stays on his hair pull kick. Punk gets a wristlock but Banks reverses to one of his own. He takes Punk down and gets 1. Punk bails and regroups. Back in the ring they knuckle up and Banks overpowers Punk. He gets a headlock takedown but Punk reverses to a head scissor lock. Banks reverses to a headlock but Punk gets to the ropes. Banks hits a back elbow but Punk goes to the eyes. Banks hits a big boot in the corner and then hits the mounted punches. Punk catches him and hangs him up on the top rope. He tosses him to the floor where Azrieal chokes him with his doo rag. Back in the ring Punk hits a neckbreaker for 2. He throws an N-bomb Banks’ way, and before anyone asks, no it’s not a wrestling move. He hits a side Russian legsweep for 2. He hits the chinlock but Banks goes low to escape. Banks hits a clothesline, a back elbow and a big boot for 2. He hits a butterfly slam and puts on a crossface. Azrieal distracts the referee as Mike Shane makes his way to the apron. Shane slaps him into Punk who rolls him up with the tights for the win at 12:57. There was a little too much stalling and a few too many rest holds for my taste, and it seemed like this match was really just used to move the storylines along.
Rating: **

From the same show the finish is shown of Homicide defending the FIP Heavyweight Championship against James Gibson. Immediately after Homicide successfully retains the New Dawn attack him. They ask Gibson to help them attack Homicide but he decides to turn babyface again and attacks them. He hits a plancha onto Azrieal and brawls with him to the back. Homicide and Punk do their usual brawl all over the building, but this time with a special twist. Two times Homicide atomic drops Punk onto a mechanical bull and forces him to ride and fall from it against his will. Good fun was had by all, and Homicide’s expression behind the control panel is hilarious.

From Unfinished Business – January 8, 2005

Puma VS. James Gibson
The match never happens as the New Dawn attacks Puma during his entrance. They beat him up in the ring until Gibson makes the save. Punk gets on the microphone and challenges Gibson to a match… against Azrieal.

VS.
Gibson dominates to start, hitting a knee to the gut and a pair of bodyslams. He hits a legdrop and jaws with Punk. He hits a backbreaker for 2. He goes for the tiger driver but Punk distracts him. He chases Punk around ringside but gets baited into an Azrieal dropkick. Azrieal hits a backbreaker and chokes Gibson out in the ropes. Azrieal distracts the referee and Punk works Gibson over on the apron. In the ring Azrieal Irish whips Gibson hard into the turnbuckle and hits a drop toehold/double stomp combo for 2. He puts on a sleeper hold but Gibson fights out and gets a roll up for 2. Azrieal comes back with a surfboard stretch but Gibson reverses to a back suplex. He hits a short-arm clothesline and a back elbow for 2. He ducks an enziguiri and gets a roll up for 2. Azrieal dodges a suplex but gets caught with a dragon sleeper. He reverses to his own but Gibson reverses that to a neckbreaker. Gibson misses a blind charge and rams his shoulder into the post. Azrieal catches him with an inverted blockbuster for 2. Gibson gets a roll up for 2 and a backslide for 2. He hits an Alabamaslam and puts on a cloverleaf but CM Punk breaks it up and stomps away. The referee tosses the match out at 9:45. The match was actually pretty awesome for the time it got, and I’d really like to see the two of them get a chance to go again and get a finish.
Rating: ***

Punk and Azrieal beat on Gibson until Homicide makes the save, returning the favor to Gibson from the night before. He gets on the microphone and challenges the New Dawn to an ‘anything goes’ tag match later on.

VS. [Anything Goes Match]
Punk refuses the hardcore stipulation that Homicide suggested earlier. The graphic still says that anything goes, so Punk must not have any power. Azrieal and Punk stall forever at the bell. Homicide drags Punk into the action with a headlock. He hits a shoulder block and Punk bails. Gibson tags in so out goes Punk. Azrieal favors his back and tags out to Punk. Gibson and Punk exchange kip ups and put a big smile on my face. Punk decides to tag out once and for all and Gibson puts a leglock on Azrieal. Punk tags in and gets caught in a cloverleaf. He makes the ropes. Gibson gets a headlock takedown and then tags in Homicide. He puts a headlock on Punk but gets trapped in the New Dawn corner. Azrieal tags in and gets rolled up for 2 when Punk saves. Homicide hits a snap mare and a kick to the back before tagging to Gibson. They hit a double back elbow for 2. Gibson puts on a hammerlock but Azrieal makes the ropes. He gets an armbar and then elbowdrops the arm. Homicide tags in and hits a T-bone suplex for 2. He fights with Punk on the apron but Azrieal attacks him from behind and makes the tag to Punk. Homicide hits him with an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline for 2. Punk hits a jawbreaker and a low blow. Azrieal tags in and hits an elbowdrop and a kick to the back for 2. He hits the chinlock and tags to Punk. Punk hits a seated dropkick for 2 when Gibson pulls him off and puts the boots to him. Azrieal chokes out Homicide in the ropes and Punk hits him with a belly-to-belly overhead suplex for 2. He keeps Homicide from making the tag and tags to Azrieal. Azrieal hits a back breaker for 2. Homicide fights him off but his tornado DDT is blocked. He does hit a back bodydrop but Azrieal cuts off his tag and tags to Punk. Punk puts on an abdominal stretch and gets some help from Azrieal with the referee distracted. Homicide hip tosses out but gets clotheslined down. Homicide comes back with an Ace Crusher and makes the tag. Gibson destroys Azrieal with a backbreaker and a clothesline. He hits a running knee for 2 as Punk dumps Homicide. Gibson clotheslines Punk out of the ring. Azrieal dives onto Homicide on the floor and Gibson does the same to Punk.

They brawl out the exit where Homicide backdrops Punk into the bed of a truck, setting off its alarm. Azrieal slams Gibson into a metal door. Punk hangs Homicide up on the gate of a truck and then rams him into a fence. He comes off the trunk of a car with a double axe handle on Homicide. Everyone brawls back to ringside. Back in the ring Punk reverses the lariat to Welcome to Chicago. Gibson clotheslines Punk and Azrieal hits an enziguiri on Gibson. Homicide hits a lariat on Azrieal. Gibson puts the cloverleaf on Azrieal but Punk breaks it up with the shining wizard. He sets Azrieal on top for 2. Punk and Homicide trade chops and Homicide dumps him from the ring. He hits him with a suicide dive as Azrieal puts a cross armbreaker on Gibson in the ring. Gibson reverses it to a cloverleaf for the win at 24:57. The brawling outside was creative and the action was consistent, but it felt less like a tag team match and more like Homicide v. Punk, featuring two other guys.
Rating: **½

From New Dawn Rising – February 11, 2005

Punk interrupts a group of people arguing over a title shot at Austin Aries’s ROH World Championship. He says that he’s going to win the title in ROH at the Third Anniversary Celebration. He didn’t even get a shot at the title that weekend. Tonight he’s going to mop the floor with Puma instead.

VS.
Punk introduces a man in a wheelchair (that would later be named Mr. Milo Beasley) who was not allowed into the building because it is not wheelchair accessible. He always says that he’ll take our poor, hungry and crippled, so here we go. He balks at the anything goes mantra of the company because he and the rest of the New Dawn wrestle by the rules. They lock up to start. Puma grabs a headlock but Punk reverses to a wristlock. Puma reverses to one of his own and puts Punk on the mat. Punk reverses to a hammerlock but Puma comes back with a wristlock and Punk goes to the ropes. Puma kicks Punk in the thigh and he crumbles in the corner. He hits a neck wrench suplex for 2. Punk comes back with a headlock but Puma fights out and hits a dropkick. He hits a bodyslam and an elbowdrop for 2. He puts on a chinlock and floats into a headlock. Punk fights out but gets rolled up for 2. Puma twists Punk’s neck with his feet and gets 2. Punk puts on a headlock and uses the mask to keep it on. Puma comes back with kicks to the chest and a leg lariat for 2. He hits a vertical suplex for 2. He puts on a cravat but Punk fights out and trips him up. He tries to take off Puma’s mask but the referee forces him to stop. He hits a backbreaker for 2. He hits a bodyslam for 2. He pulls a string out of his kneepad and chokes Puma with it. He forearms Puma out of the ring and the man in the wheelchair gets out and stomps at Puma. Azrieal also gets his shots in. Back in the ring Punk gets 2. He puts on a sleeper hold to cover the choking he’s doing with the string. He hits a knee to the gut but Puma comes back and hits a hurricanrana sending Punk to the floor. Back in the ring Puma hits a back heel kick and a stiff kick to the head for 2. Punk hits Welcome to Chicago for 2. He hits a neckbreaker for 2. Puma reverses a suplex to a roll up for 2. He goes for the tiger suplex but Azrieal distracts him. Punk uses the opportunity to use the string under a sleeper hold to pick up the win at 15:13. Total mess of a finish, as the string was completely visible to the referee, who sucks by the way. The rest of that match was pretty disappointing as well.
Rating: **

From Dangerous Intentions – February 12, 2005

Punk lambasts FIP’s anything goes motto, saying that he doesn’t need to cheat to win and enjoys being governed by the laws of Illinois. Danielson says he will challenge the winner of the night’s FIP title match after he beats Punk. He also charges up the crowd in a way that can only been seen here and in those old Red Stripe commercials.

VS.
They lock up and Danielson forces Punk to the corner. Punk grabs a wristlock but Danielson dropkicks out. Punk bails and applauds the reversal. Back in the ring Punk puts on an armbar but Danielson reverses to a wristlock. I think I should mention that everything done so far has been very pretty. They knuckle up and Punk kicks away at Danielson’s thigh. He puts Danielson on the mat for 2. Danielson monkey flips out of the knucklelock and gets 2. He drops a leg on Punk’s arm and gets a series of 1 counts. They trade chops in an exchange that Danielson ends with a European uppercut. Punk puts on a hammerlock but Danielson flips out and hits a dropkick. He kicks at Punk and tosses him to the floor. Punk slowly gets back into the ring and asks the referee to look at his knee. Danielson looks concerned so Punk takes advantage with a clothesline. He stomps and kicks and smacks Danielson down for 2. He hits a bodyslam and wrenches the neck. They trade chops and Punk hits a back bodydrop for 2. He hits a back suplex and puts on a bow and arrow lock. Dragon flips out and gets 2. Punk goes for another back suplex but Dragon reverses for 2. Punk catches Danielson off guard with a kick and relaxes in the corner. Dragon comes back with a string of headbutts to the gut. He sends Punk to the floor and follows him out. They brawl into the crowd where Danielson unloads with kicks. He looks for a pin fall but the referee reminds him that it is not a falls count anywhere match. Back in the ring Danielson hits a slingshot suplex for 2. He puts on the Mexican surfboard and turns it into a nasty chinlock. Punk goes to the eyes to escape. Danielson goes back to the gut but Punk catches him with a piledriver for 2. Danielson is dead weight so Punk climbs to the second rope but misses a legdrop. Danielson comes back all fired up with forearms and a neck wrench suplex. He hits the diving headbutt for 2. He sets Punk on the top rope and hits a snap superplex for 2. He goes for the airplane spin but Punk reverses to a sleeper hold. Danielson fights out and puts on a sleeper hold of his own which he turns into the airplane spin. The referee gets knocked down in the process. Danielson keeps going until the spins catch up to him and he collapses. Azrieal comes to ringside and gives Punk a 2×4. Punk smacks Danielson in the leg with it and puts on a figure 4 leglock. Danielson tries to turn it over so Punk uses the ropes for leverage and Danielson taps at 25:42. Danielson demands a rematch! While the match kept Punk strong as the top heel in the company, it wasn’t quite the classic that the hype suggested. It was however a good match with some really great mat wrestling to start, fun brawling in the crowd and a hot finish. Just about as good as their ROH encounter from 2004.
Rating: ***¾

Clips are shown of Homicide’s successful title defense against Rocky Romero. Homicide had a lot of hair here. The New Dawn attack Homicide after the match. Punk proclaims that the belt belongs to him as Azrieal works over Homicide’s arm. He goes to leave with the belt but Bryan Danielson cuts him off and spanks him around the ring with a 2×4. He does his Jim Duggan impression.

From With Malice – March 25, 2005

A brief clip is shown of Homicide beating Antonio Banks to retain the FIP Championship in ROH. After the match Punk attacked Homicide and stole his title belt. Punk comes out for an interview in which he says that since Anything Goes in FIP and since possession is nine-tenths of the law he is the FIP Heavyweight Champion. James Gibson comes out and challenges Punk to a match so that he can get Homicide’s title back for him. Punk sucker punches him and runs away.

The finish is shown of Danielson’s win over Roderick Strong. CM Punk attacks Danielson after the match until James Gibson makes the save.

VS.
Punk stalls to start and jaws with some fans. Gibson grabs the FIP title belt and taunts Punk with it. Punk gets on the microphone and says that he doesn’t need this match because he has a 2/3 falls match with Danielson tomorrow night, so he’s going to take the count out loss. Danielson comes out and tosses Punk into the ring. Gibson takes Punk down and gets 2. He hits a bodyslam and a legdrop for 2. Punk bails but Gibson catches him and wraps his leg around the post. He hangs the leg on the bottom rope and sits on it. He puts on a reverse toehold and then wrenches in an anklelock. He puts on a half crab but Punk makes the ropes. Punk tosses Gibson to the floor but Gibson takes over with elbows and knocks Punk over the guardrail. Punk takes over and takes Gibson back to the ring. He hits the stun gun and a bodyslam. He hits a kneedrop and a snap suplex. He chokes Gibson on the second rope and Milo Beasely gets out of his wheelchair and beats on him. Punk puts on a sleeper hold but Gibson fights out. Punk hits a backbreaker for 2. He hits a back suplex for 2. He puts on a bow and arrow lock but Gibson flips over and gets 2. Gibson hits a crossbody for 2. He hits a neckbreaker and a front forearm. He hits the mounted punches but Punk comes back with an inverted atomic drop. Gibson reverses a double ax handle attempt to an atomic drop and then comes off the top with a legdrop for 2. He goes for the tiger driver but Punk blocks and catapults Gibson to the second rope. Gibson goes for a crossbody but Punk rolls through and gets 2. Gibson gets a roll up for 2. Punk gets a belly-to-belly suplex for 2. He hits the mule kick and an enziguiri for 2. Gibson blocks a suplex and gets a roll up for 2. He puts on a dragon sleeper but Punk reverses to a northern lights suplex for 2. Punk blocks a tombstone piledriver but Gibson reverses a powerslam attempt to the dragon sleeper. Punk tries to reverse but Gibson puts on the Trailer Hitch. Punk goes to the corner to break. Gibson goes for a sunset flip but Punk sits down and grabs the ropes to pick up the win at 18:08. This was leagues better than their first FIP match.
Rating: ***½

After the match Danielson and Gibson beat on CM Punk, who didn’t try to sneak attack anyone after the bell. That’s not a very babyface-ish thing to do. Punk tries to crawl away so Gibson and Danielson chase him to the back.

The 411:  The show has two of Punk’s best matches in the company, but a lot of filler as well. Like Volume 1 it’s less a “Best Of” and more a chronicling of everything Punk did in FIP. I think I overrated the first Best of Punk in FIP DVD, which really just goes to show that doing an out of ten rating for an entire wrestling DVD is silly and a problem with the way the 411 wrestling video review section works.

Final Score:  7.5   [ Good ]