BG Says: FIP Sold Out

June 24, 2005 – St. Petersburg, Florida

When we last left FIP
Sal Rinauro, Spanky and Colt Cabana gained a measure of revenge on the New Dawn when Cabana and Rinauro defeated CM Punk and Samoa Joe in the tag team main event. Steve Madison continued to taunt James Gibson during his absence. Don Juan and the Heartbreak Express ended their relationship and Juan began his feud against the flamboyant team. Homicide continued his dominant reign as FIP champion by dispatching New Dawn member Azrieal.

Your hosts are Dave Prazak and Lenny Leonard, the best in the business.

VS.
Before the match Madison continues to claim that he’s run James Gibson out of the state of Florida and then claims he’s going to the top of the promotion. Rainman gets the advantage with a shoulder block to start. Madison gets a headlock takedown but Rainman reverses to a legvice. Rainman hits an armdrag into an armbar. Madison rakes his eyes against the top rope but Rainman comes back with a dropkick. Madison bails and Rainman follows him out. Back in the ring Madison nails Rainman with a phantom object and then shoves it back into his tights. He hits a bodyslam and an elbowdrop. He hits another but misses a third. Rainman hits a clothesline but walks into a boot to the face. Madison hits another shot with his weapon and then nails an Ace Crusher. Rainman ducks the Axe Bomber and hits the Spine Splitter. He hits a clothesline and a back bodydrop and avoids a double ax handle attempt. Rainman grabs Madison’s foreign object but the referee takes it away. The distraction allows Madison to hit Rainman with a chain and pick up the win at 5:45. Decent opener that helped Madison’s cause without making Rainman look too bad.
Rating: **

VS.
Steel overpowers Marcos to start. Marcos reacts by using his speed and plays arm guitar. He hits a hurricanrana and a dropkick for 2. Steel grabs a full nelson and hits a slam. He rams Marcos into the turnbuckle and then hits a fisherman’s suplex for 2. The beat down continues with a nasty sit out powerbomb for 2. He puts on a camel clutch and slams Marcos to the mat. He hits a kneedrop for 2 and goes back to the chinlock. Marcos comes back with a swinging DDT and an enziguiri for 2. He comes off the top rope with a crossbody for 2. He gets a roll up for 2. He gets a victory roll for 2. Steel comes back with a boot to the face for 2. He hits a snap suplex and rolls through for another. Marcos blocks a third and gets an ugly roll up for the win at 6:48. Pretty dull for the most part.
Rating: *1/2

The New Dawn comes out for some interview time as CM Punk and Azrieal are scheduled to get a tag team title shot tonight against DP Associates. They earned it by beating Roderick Strong and Jerrelle Clark a couple shows back. Punk announces that the match will not take place because this is his last weekend in FIP before going to the WWE and he wants to make some money while he’s still there. With that in mind he sells the New Dawn of Samoa Joe and Azrieal to Dave Prazak. Joe seems down but Azrieal takes offense. He doesn’t want to be bought and sold. Turns out he should have gone with the flow as Punk, Joe and the tag team champions put a beat down on him. Spanky, Sal Rinauro and Colt Cabana make the save. Azrieal then challenges Punk to a match. I dig the angle quite a bit.

VS.
Dunn starts things off with a wristlock and goes into a hammerlock. Kozina reverses to a front facelock but Dunn goes to the corner for the break. He takes Kozina to the mat with an armbar and they do some typical chain wrestling. Dunn dodges a double stomp and hits a pair of armdrags. He gets a roll up for 2 and hits a bodyslam. Kozina gets a dragon screw catching Dunn off of a leapfrog attempt. He goes to work on the leg but can’t put on a figure 4 leglock. He hits a vertical suplex for 2. He shoots Dunn to the floor but allows him back into the ring. Dunn can’t hit a vertical suplex and Kozina goes for the figure 4. Dunn takes the opportunity to roll Kozina up for the win at 8:52. Technically sound but pretty drawn out.
Rating: **1/4

The Heartbreak Express come out and claim to have retired Scoot Andrews and chased off Antonio Banks, which brings Banks out. The scorned Don Juan comes out to be his partner.

VS.
The Heartbreak Express attack before the bell. Banks and Juan knock their heads together and then Banks rams their heads against the turnbuckle. Banks and Juan hit a double hiptoss on Phil and a double drop toehold on Sean. The match gets settled with Juan and Phil in the ring. Juan grabs a headlock and gets a roll up for 2. Banks tags in and puts on a wristlock. Juan tags in and gets stun gunned. Sean tags in and hits an avalanche. Phil hits a DDT and Sean hits a splash for 2. The Express hit a double suplex and Sean hits a legdrop. Juan gets dumped to the floor where Phil hits him with a bodyslam. Sean hits a double ax handle off the apron and rolls him back into the ring. Banks gets the tag but the referee sends him out having not seen it. Juan and Phil criss cross and shoulder block each other down. Banks finally gets the tag and cleans house. He hits a back bodydrop on Phil and puts the crossface on Sean. Sean is about to tap when Don Juan nails banks with a dropkick. The beat down continues and the referee throws the match out at 10:08. Banks fires up and beats up all three men after the match, which was back to lousyville for the Heartbreak Express.
Rating: *1/4

VS.
Mamaluke jaws with a fan at the bell. Back in the ring Strong grabs a wristlock but Mamaluke slams him to the mat to escape. Mamaluke puts on the Kayak and then floats into a camel clutch. He switches to an armbar but Strong gets to the ropes. Strong grabs a headlock but gets armdragged and Mamaluke goes back to the arm. Strong lifts him into the air and slams him to the mat to escape. He hits a knee to the gut and a butterfly suplex for 2. He puts on a full nelson leglock and rolls Mamaluke into a camel clutch. Mamaluke gets a roll up for 2. Strong cuts off his momentum with a forearm. He hits a delayed vertical suplex for 2. He hits a back suplex for 2. Strong stays in control as they fight to the floor. He drives Mamaluke’s back into the apron and then gets 2 back in the ring. Mamaluke hits a tornado armbreaker and a bodyslam. He hits a dropkick and a legsweep for 2. Strong hits the uranage backbreaker for 2. He hits a release vertical suplex for 2. He climbs the ropes but Mamaluke crotches him and hits a hanging DDT. He hits a German suplex for 2. He hits another for 2. A release German suplex gets him the win at 11:43. This started a little slower than their first match, but in the end was probably a little better as the arm work allowed Mamaluke to get out of the hole Strong had put him in and the finish was strong.
Rating: ***1/2

A match between Aaron Epic and Evan Starsmore occurred here on the live show. It’s not on the DVD, probably because Epic would never wrestle for the company again after this. Had I never seen Unstoppable and what I thought was a cool little match between him and Steve Madison I wouldn’t have given this a second thought, but as it happens a feud between those two could have been cool, in my opinion.

VS.
Clark gets a wristlock but Fury reverses to a headlock. They dodge each other’s offense and go for dropkicks at the same time. Fury invites a kick from Clark and then returns the favor. He hits a hurricanrana and puts Clark on the mat. Clark ducks a roundhouse kick but a second one nails him and Fury gets 2. Fury hits a back elbow for 2. He goes to work on Clark’s leg but Clark comes back with a cross armbreaker. Fury fights out and hits a dropkick. He hits the Fury kicks but Clark comes back with a back heel kick and a hurricanrana for 2. Clark hits a lungblower to the arm and then hangs the arm up on the top rope. He hits an armbreaker and holds on into a faceplant. He puts on a reverse headlock but Fury gets to the ropes. Fury hits a northern lights suplex but Clark comes back with a head and arm suplex. Clark hits a superkick after dodging the enziFury and hits the powerdriver for the win at 9:42. Solid match that probably could be better if they worked a few kinks out of their offense.
Rating: **3/4

After the match Clark tells Fury that he’ll get his back anytime and he’d hope for the same.

VS.
Azrieal rushes the ring and Punk attacks him on the way. Azrieal comes back with a hurricanrana and a dropkick. Punk takes one of his super special secret time outs so Azrieal follows him to the floor. Back in the ring Punk misses an elbowdrop and Azrieal hits a senton. Azrieal puts on an armbar and keeps it on for a good long while. He hits a seated dropkick for 2. He dropkicks the arm but then gets distracted with Milo and Punk takes advantage. He chokes Azrieal with his ring jacket and dodges a dropkick for 2. He dumps Azrieal to the floor where he’s stalked by Milo. Spanky comes out to roll Milo and his wheelchair into the wall but Joe runs out and stops that from happening. Punk suplexes Azrieal into the ring and pounds away. He slams Azrieal to the mat by his hair and then hangs him on the top rope. Joe attacks Azrieal on the apron so Sal Rinauro comes out to lend a hand. Azrieal hits a crossbody off the second rope for 2. Punk hits a Manhattan drop as the tag team champions and Dave Prazak come out to watch. Colt Cabana does what he can for the babyface side as the heels beat Azrieal with the referee distracted. Punk gets 2. Azrieal hits a blockbuster and a head scissor takedown. He hits a dropkick for 2. He gets a roll up for 2. He climbs the ropes and hits a crossbody for 2. Punk blocks a DDT and hits Welcome to Chicago for 2. Azrieal gets a roll up for 2. Punk comes back with a dropkick for 2. He hits a running powerslam for 2. The referee gets knocked out and Azrieal hits the Demon Driver. He climbs the ropes but Joe tosses him off the top. Everyone starts getting into the action and the match can be assumed over at around 17 minutes.
Rating: ***

Sal gets on the microphone and challenges the heels to an eight man tag. GLAAD would have a serious problem with this promo. Joe accepts the challenge.

VS.

Spanky having to set Azrieal on the apron here is a great touch. Punk and Cabana start. Punk tags to Rave, which is just beyond weird after watching all that 2005 ROH. Cabana hits a pair of armdrags and celebrates. Rave does the same so Cabana pulls his pants down. Cabana grabs a headlock and then pulls Rave’s pants down again. Punk tags in and gets beat up by all the babyfaces. Spanky ties a chair to his boot and he trips when trying to get out of the corner. Punk and Cabana criss cross and Cabana pulls an Evans job on him. They criss cross again until they get blown up and Cabana slaps Punk down. Sal tags in and puts on an armbar. Punk hits a chinbreaker and tags to Eddie. Eddie and Sal have a flexing contest and knuckle up. Sal stomps on Eddie’s hands so Eddie returns the favor. Sal gives him a Wet Willy to escape a press slam and Eddie tags to Rave. Sal puts on an armdrag and annoys Rave with playground antics. Joe tags in and pounds away. Spanky tags in and he and Sal hit double hiptosses on all the heels, including Prazak. Spanky hiptosses Sal, Cabana and Azrieal for the hell of it. Eddie goes for a crossbody on all of them and misses so they make a human pyramid with him. He gets spanked on his way to the floor as well. Punk comes in for the heels and pokes Spanky’s eyes. Spanky rolls him up for 2. Punk reverses for 2. Both men’s team mates come in to try to influence who is on top in the roll up, making them look like the soccer ball on the cover of the DVD. The babyfaces celebrate a fake out and get dumped to the floor. Eddie hits Spanky with a clothesline but gets hit with a dropkick. Sal and Joe tag in and Joe hits a back elbow. He hits a running knee in the corner and tags to Rave. Rave and Milo choke Sal and Punk tags in. Punk hits a bodyslam and a fistdrop for 2. He headbutts Sal’s gut but Sal comes back with a butt exposing sunset flip for 2. With his ass hanging out they go through the Ric Flair sequence. Punk puts a bare assed bearhug on Sal and tags to Eddie. Eddie hits a stiff kick to the back and a Canadian backbreaker. Joe tags in and puts on a nervehold. Sal seizes up and tags to Spanky. He dropkicks Joe and hits a flying forearm. Joe comes back with a powerslam for 2. Eddie tags in and hits a neckbreaker. Spanky gets a roll up for 2. He hits a superkick and tags to Cabana. He hits a flying forearm but walks into a spiked legsweep giving Eddie 2. Punk tags in and gets rolled up for 2. Cabana gets another roll up for 2. He hits a butt butt for 2. Azrieal tags in and hits a dropkick off the top for 2. Punk hits an Ace Crusher for 2. Rave tags in and gets dropkicked. Spanky tags in and hits a frog splash for 2. The heels get dropkicked out of the ring and Spanky hits Sliced Bread #2 on Rave for the win at 26:56. Really fun comedy match with some really good action throughout. Spanky, Sal and Cabana try to teach Azrieal the High Voltage boogie after the match.
Rating: ***1/2

The 411:  I think it's safe to say that this was an enjoyable enough of a show to declare the Friday night curse broken. A cool angle gets Punk out of FIP while helping the members move on to other things, the Heartbreak Express and Don Juan have some unfinished business with Antonio Banks and Tony Mamaluke begins his dominant run. I'd say for a show without the champion they did very well, and this gets a solid recommendation from me. You can pick it up at ROHWrestling.com

Final Score:  7.0   [ Good ]