Following on from the “huge” success of last year’s Super Series Invitational, won by Edge, the International Wrestling Federation decided to do it all again this year. Only difference was that this year instead of 20 men in the field, we had 32. These 32 were split into 16 tag teams for 8 matches, with all the winners going forward to the Battle Bowl final. All drawings were random apparently.
Eddy Guerrero & Phil Jackson Vs Paul Wardle & The Big Gee ( * * * )
We kicked off things with this entertaining tag team match. Guerrero & Jackson seemed delighted to be getting the opportunity to team with each other, and although Wardle and Gee were on the surface more cautious, you had to know that the real life student and mentor duo were glad to be a team if only for a night.
This was fast paced and saw numerous quick tags, which kept the momentum of the bout going and meant that the crowd really got into this one. Guerrero was his usual excellent self, Gee showed more signs that he really is working hard to improve his all round act and Jackson and Wardle showed glimpses of form that marks them both out for great futures in the mat game.
In the end it was Guerrero & Jackson who prevailed when Jackson pinned Wardle, the man who took his UK title off him at Xtreme Overload, with the Graduation Day. To rub further salt into the wound following his loss, Gee hit his partner with a Gee-Bomb after the decision.
Dash Riprock & Steve Corino Vs Edge & Hugh Morrus ( * * ¼ )
The draw threw up the perfect scenario for Corino & Riprock as the Positive Role Models were drawn together to take on the pairing of Edge & Morrus. Indeed Riprock and Corino looked chuffed as punch as if they expected to win this one rather easily. But Edge & Morrus looked very confident too, and in the end it turned out that theirs was the confidence that was the best placed.
The combination of Edge’s speed and Morrus’ power made for quite a combination and was one that too much for the former European Tag Team Champions that they were facing. Riprock looked sharp out there but he could only look on helpless as an Edge spear and a Morrus No Laughing Matter finished off his buddy Corino.
Mathuras & Acid Vs Xavier & Matt Morgan ( * ½ )
There was another convenient teaming here as fellow Zoltar’s advocates Mathuras and Acid were drawn together to pit their wits against the little and large combo of Xav and Morgan. Indeed Xav seemed very pleased that he was at least teaming with the Blueprint and not fighting against him. And despite the fact that their opponents had more experience (or indeed any) as a team, it came as little surprise when Morgan smashed his way through the Zoltar crew, and whilst he destroyed Mathuras at ringside, Xavier hit a Xav-Attack on Acid to get the win for his side.
Ashten Drake & Chris Jericho Vs Chuck Palumbo & Kurt Angle ( * * )
There was little connecting any of these four together, and whilst it was a solid enough match it was only when Angle and Jericho were in there together that the crowd showed much interest in proceedings. Which is not surprising considering that Palumbo has yet to do very much in the IWF since his signing from the PWF and Drake’s role as one half of the World Tag Team Champions with Mathuras represents the nadir of the tag team division. In the end all you really need to know is that Angle pinned Drake following an Angle Slam. Thank you and goodnight.
Jay Reso & Rhino Vs Charles Haas & Raven ( * * ¾ )
The draw set up an intriguing match here and whilst the clash of styles was apparent this was a relatively good affair, which kept the crowd perfectly interested throughout. Reso and Haas provided the technical exchanges whilst Rhino and Raven went at it with an brawling intensity which both men obviously picked up in their old days in the now defunct ICW. In the end it was Reso who pinned Haas following an “Unprettier.” And how Reso & Rhino celebrated.
Randy Orton & Sean O’Haire Vs Mark Jindrak & Yzaebek ( * )
There were three good workers in here, all with histories between themselves. Orton & O’Haire had a memorable feud and O’Haire and Jindrak used to be tag team champions of the world. Sadly the three were lumbered with the abysmal Yzeabek, the man who turns everything he touches into Grade A crap.
In fact it was a merciful retreat when Mark Jindrak got tired of his partner’s all-round general crapness, and left him at the mercy of his opponents. An Orton RKO is all it took. The fans cheered simply because Yzaebek is god damn awful and they were glad to see the back of him.
Colt Cabana & Lance Storm Vs Rob Van Dam & Shawn Michaels ( * * * )
Whilst nobody may have cared about team one in this bout, there was a great reaction when the crowd realised that HBK and RVD would be teaming together. HBK said he didn’t care who he was teamed with and Van Dam was his usual cool self, saying that he was easy about the whole thing. Cabana & Storm played their part in this very decent encounter, but they really were just the fall guys here. The simmering distrust between Rob and Shawn was the key here, but they kept it together just long enough to win the match, with Van Dam finishing off Storm with a Rolling Thunder.
After the match, Michaels had seemingly had enough and he attempted to smack RVD with some Sweet Chin Music but Van Dam ducked out of the way and then hit HBK with a wonderful spinning kick to a great pop.
Matt Hardy & John Cena Vs Jeff Jarrett & CM Punk ( * * * ¼ )
This final bout of the qualifying stage was an intriguing one indeed. For different reasons all four men could be said to be some of the hottest and most pushed acts in the abundant IWF mid-card at the moment, and they put together the best match of the tag team stage. Time constraints meant that build up was thrown out of the window of course, but these men put so much effort into things that
IWF Vs PWF Cruiserweight Elimination ( * * * * ¾ )
Simon Starshot’s dastardly actions at Xtreme Overload have certainly lit a match under the Cruiserweight division, and recent TV shows have been cram packed with superlative one-on-one and two-on-two matches. This meant that expectations were high for this one…and the wrestlers did not disappoint.
This match was jam packed with high-impact and insane manoeuvres, which for the most part were bang on the money. Also they paced themselves well rather than cramming in every high spot as soon as possible, which made the match all that better. The order of eliminations were as follows…
I) Tajiri (pinned by Paul London, following a roll-up)
II) Elix Skipper (pinned by Rick Shaw following the Rick’n’Roll)
III) Kaz Hayashi (pinned by Chris Daniels following the Last Rites)
IV) Rick Shaw (pinned by Bryan Danielson following Reverse Swinging DDT)
V) AJ Styles (pinned by Paul London following a 450 splash)
VI) Paul London (pinned by Brian Kendrick following a small package)
VII) Chris Daniels (pinned by Simon Starshot following a Starshot-Bomb)
VIII) Simon Starshot (pinned by Brian Kendrick following the Sliced Bread)
IX) Brian Kendrick (pinned by Bryan Danielson following a Shooting star press)
SOLE SURVIVOR: BRYAN DANIELSON
Of course it should be pointed out that prior to hitting Kendrick with the SSP, Danielson had clonked him good and proper with his title belt.
Four Way Women’s Title Match ( * * * ¼ )
You have to feel sorry for the ladies, having to follow the thrilling Cruiserweight bout and whilst they naturally didn’t manage to reach anywhere near the same heights, this was nevertheless an interesting and exciting bout which did grab the attention of most fans. This was also fought elimination style, which added to the excitement as well. And thus the order of elimination was as follows…
I) Lisa Marie Veron (pinned by Trinity following a top-rope leg drop)
II) Trinity (pinned by Annalise Roberts following a Double A Spine buster)
III) Annalise Roberts (pinned by Alexis Laree, following the Alexis Express)
SURVIVOR, and new World Women’s Champion…ALEXIS LAREE
The ending was particularly exciting, and the crowd were well into the bout by this time, although the match wasn’t really helped by the bout coming down to two babyface. It was a good segment though, and Alexis took it with the Alexis Express. The two then shook hands following the decision to a polite round of applause.
SuperSeries Invitational Battle Bowl Final ( * * * )
So it was onto the battle royale for the chance to become the winner of the 2nd Annual SuperSeries invitational tournament. The participants left over from the tag team stage were as follows…Eddy Guerrero, Phil Jackson, Edge, Hugh Morrus, Xavier, Matt Morgan, Chuck Palumbo, Kurt Angle, Jay Reso, Rhino, Randy Orton, Sean O’Haire, Rob Van Dam, Shawn Michaels, Matt Hardy and John Cena. Which was quite a line-up.
You know the score with these things, so let’s just go to the order of elimination…
I) Sean O’ Haire (Matt Morgan)
II) Chuck Palumbo (Matt Morgan)
III) Hugh Morrus (Matt Morgan)
IV) Matt Morgan (Eddy Guerrero, Edge, John Cena & Matt Hardy)
V) John Cena (Eddy Guerrero)
VI) Jay Reso (Matt Hardy)VII) Phil Jackson (Shawn Michaels)
VIII) Kurt Angle (Rhino)IX) Eddy Guerrero (Randy Orton)X) Edge (Rob Van Dam)
XI) Rhino (Xavier)
XII) Xavier (Shawn Michaels)
XIII) Rob Van Dam (Randy Orton & Shawn Michaels)
XIV) Shawn Michaels (Rob Van Dam & Matt Hardy)
XV) Randy Orton (Matt Hardy)
WINNER – MATT HARDY
The end sequence was very hot. Orton and Michaels teamed up to dispense with RVD, but as the two of the were celebrating, RVD hopped back onto the ring apron to distract Michaels, whereupon Matt Hardy snuck up behind HBK to toss him over the top rope. Orton & Hardy then had a right ding-dong battle, which looked like going Orton’s way, but Hardy rallied and, to the delight of the crowd, tossed Orton over the top rope to get the win.
Chris Kanyon Vs Triple H ( * * * * ¼ )
And so finally we got to the main event. And the storytelling has been masterful leading up to this one and the crowd were pumped from the very moment that the ring announcer made the first introductions. The tension was evident on both men’s faces with neither man making much effort to play to the crowd prior to the referee signalling for the bell for the action to begin.
The two men had a lengthy sizing up period before the action really hit up. The fans really did seem to have suspended their disbelief for this one, which is to be expected really as the build up has been so spot on that it is really believable that these two hate each other’s guts.
Fans cheered royally when Kanyon was on the offence but booed HHH out of the building when he was on the attack. What made this quite refreshing was that the periods where one or the other were in total control were relatively short and this really did foster up the feeling that any man could win.
The atmosphere in the last third of this 20 minute match was electric as the two traded up the intensity and packed in the near falls. Even when the ref took a huge bump, which can be taken as a sure fire sign that some kind of “creative ending” is upon us.
Which it sure was. But it wasn’t the kind of ending that anyone expected. First of all, Triple H’s “PWF” buddies Jeff Jarrett, Chuck Palumbo (good god) and Shawn Michaels ran out and looked to cause some havoc, but they were soon nullified by the IWF trio of Chris Jericho, Xavier and Rob Van Dam. As a pier six brawl ensued on the outside, back in the ring Kanyon & HHH were still going at it with the referee out. Kanyon hit the Flatliner on HHH and it looked all over if the referee could be awoken. And then the damndest thing happened. Someone from the crowd ran into the ring with a Steel Chair and went to smack Kanyon with it. The blow had no effect, but imagine the shock as Kanyon turned around to see…former PWF CEO…ERIC BISCHOFF! The crowd were booing like mad as Bischoff cowered in front of the man he said was too bland to ever be a world champion. Kanyon was just about to smack the living crap out of Bischoff when HHH smashed Kanyon from behind. He then set up the steel chair, hit Kanyon with the pedigree onto the chair and then the refreee slowly crawled over and made the pinfall count which grabbed Triple H the Unified Triple Crown title. The crowd were incensed, and the show went off the air with HHH and Bischoff quickly running back to the locker room under a hail of drinks and fast food thrown by the crowd.
What a show. The first section was too rushed to really make too much of an impact, but there was plenty of fun and entertainment to be had in the randomly drawn tag team matches. The second section of the show was hot as hell though. The Cruiserweights put on one hell of a show and just about took the match of the night honours. But whilst that match was the technical highlight of the evening, the main event was the most heated. No-one can surely be questioning whether this was a main event that the fans wanted to see. Throw in the surprise appearance of Eric Bischoff and you have a storyline which looks to be really hotting up.
