Heat Wave REVIEW

1) Four Way Cruiserweight Title ( * * * )
What a way to kick off Heat Wave 2007. Whilst some people have questioned the fact that it featured three challengers who have only debuted for the IWF within the past four weeks or so that did give the match and exciting feel as few knew what to expect from it. Thanks to the fact there were 10 matches on the 3 hour card this probably didn't get the time it quite deserved but the quartet did make sure that all their big moves were brought out for the occasion. In the end it was Milano Collection AT who took the pinfall victory, much to the disgust of the crowd who had picked Mistico as their favourite, when he pinned Eric Young to lift the World Cruiserweight Title.

2) Mohammed Fakjir Vs Barabus Lashley ( * 3/4 )
As entertaining as the "Egyptian Playa" is and has been since his debut in the IWF it was perhaps a mistake to put him in the ring here with the limited and still very green Barabus Lashley. Still, Fakjir and his bodyguard Justice Porter are so hot at this moment in time that the fans were still hugely into this match and this contributed to a great atmosphere. Fakjir won after Lashely had been smashed by Justice Porter. Lashley was very upset afterwards, but it mattered little.

3) Burke & Jericho Vs Wilson & Smith ( * * 1/4 )
Semi-final one of the World Tag Team Title Tournament was little more than an ehxibition match for Burke & Jericho. The dynamic duo tried their best to make the Hart Foundation's TJ Wilson and Harry Smith look like credible challengers with a hope of beating them but no-one was really fooled. It came as little surprise then when Burke finished off Wilson with the Elijah Experience.

4) Xavier & Benoit Vs America's Most Wanted ( * * * 1/2)
Semi-Final two and if we hadn't already suspected all along that we were heading for a Burke & Jericho / Xav & Benoit final, the prematch confrontation where those two teams met backstage (as Burke & Jericho returned from their victory) pretty much confirmed it. But that didn't mean that this was a nothing match; indeed both teams were superb in this one and were holding nothing back for a potential final. After an immense back and forth encounter, Benoit made James Storm tap out to the crippler-crossface, and everyone had the final that they had wanted all along.

5) Edge Vs Samoa Joe ( * * )
This wasn't a bad match, but the two just did not click at all, which wasn't all that much of a surprise given Joe's apparent reluctance to adapt his style in any way to the IWF's way of doing things. That's not to say that he needs to become a clone, but that his stiff shoot style posturings are not enough on their own (witness how Finaly has adapted well to life in the IWF without unduly compromising his style). Plus Joe looked for the world as if he didn't think he should be losing this match, which he did when Edge finished him off with the Spear for the 1-2-3.

6) Jay Reso Vs Rhino ( * * * 1/4 )
These two at least had a better, more-heated match. Indeed the crowd welcomed this one after they'd been bored by the previous encounter. This was a tight, fast-paced back and forth encounter between two men who know each other well and whilst the build up has hardly been Oscar winning, the simple storyline of two former best friends falling out has been handled superbly. Of course Reso won, after an Unprettier, but even in defeat Rhino looked good. A good match all-round then.

7) Randy Orton Vs Triple H ( * * 3/4 )
Fighting merely because there wasn't anything set up for either man seperately, the crowd were a bit nonplussed at this one; they didn't know who they wanted to cheer but neither had they been given much indication by either the bookers or the wrestlers themselves as to whom they should be behind. The apathy seemed to spread to the wrestlers themselves as it was only in the closing stages that they really cranked it up. Still, that last section was one of the hottest portions of the match as the two traded attempts at their respective finishing moves before HHH finally hit the Pedigree for the 1-2-3...and no doubt marched a step closer to challenging whomever ended the evening World Champion.

8) Burke & Jericho Vs Xavier & Chris Benoit ( * * )
Well it was suposed to be Xavier AND Chris Benoit, but it ended up being just Benoit. Prior to the match Leticia Cline had done interviews with both teams, but as she did the one with Xavier & Benoit, somewhere in the rear of the buildling, a van screamed into the area, and two hooded men stepped out, clonked Xavier and Benoit and then dragged Xavier into the van before storming off as George Minister shilled it ("Good God almighty, this wasn't supposed to happen. Who were those bastards? Good god, did someone get the licence plate number...") as if his life depended on it. Benoit was as shocked as anyone and was going to follow the Van but IWF Commissioner Dean Roberts came rushing over with a troupe of security guards who were about to give chase. Benoit then decided to go it alone in the tournament final, which was another bad move. Despite his best efforts he finally fell pray to the Elijah Experience and Chris Jericho and Elijah Burke were crowned the new World Tag Team Champions.

9) CM Punk Vs Paul Wardle ( * * * 1/2 )
The fans have been really getting behind CM Punk in 2007 and as a result I doubt that either man has been in a more heated match in their IWF careers. The crowd were white-hot at the start...and the wrestlers did such a good job that the crowd remained at fever pitch pretty much throughout the entire match. The prize was a big one as well, with Punk's Gold Rush contract on the line, and that added an extra layer of intrigue. It looked as if Wardle was going to do it, but as he looked to finish Punk off with a variation on a super-plex, Punk blocked it and then hit his Pepsi Plunge off the top-rope for the hard fought 1-2-3. The Gold Rush contract remained his and the crowd well and truly improved.

10) Matt Morgan Vs Finlay (Tito Ortiz as Referee, * * * )
Main event time and initial trepidation over Finlay being involved in a top-line feud has evaporated. The Morgan/Finlay feud has been a good one and has been packed full of twist and turns. Indeed, what would be instore tonight with UFC Superstar Tito Ortiz as the referee? In the end it was Finlay who was rueing his participation. In the hot closing moments, Finlay went for his Shelaighly but Ortiz saw him and made his move to stop the Irishman. Finlay decided he wasn't having any of this but Ortiz knocked him cold with a superb punch and a Morgasm later, Morgan had retained his title.

A strange PPV event in many senses; Punk/Wardle and Xav & Benoit/AMW aside nothing really shined, but nothing well and truly stunk either. All in all it was an entertaining enough event, which never left itself time to be boring. Who knows what has happened to Xavier though....