Like last week, they start up with the opening video which is really impressive for just a simply Indy promotion. Sadly, that was the only thing that impressed me last week. Hopefully, this week will be a bit better. For those wanting to watch it, you can download this show at necw.tv. It's pretty self-explanatory from there.
We start off with Grayson Alexander and Steve King welcoming the fans and they are on location. They then run down the card and these are just matches that recently happened on the IRON 8 card from a few days ago. Holy shit, Rebecca Knox is on the show tonight! I just saw her and commentated on her match in NWA-VA on the 22nd. No offense to her as she is really nice, but I hope her match tonight is better than her one with NWA-VA. In doing some research, it looks like Fergal Devitt, her traveling buddy, was also on the IRON 8 card. What a coincidence! Too bad we won't see Devitt tonight as he is simply grand in that ring.
Frankie Arion Vs. Jon Thornhill
This was a pretty good match. It started off hot with some great chain and mat wrestling. Sadly, it didn't stay that way. However, as the match transitioned out of the opener, it kept the feeling and the momentum going which was a great thing. In the middle of the match, there was a stretch of like a minute that saw some pretty sloppy wrestling and selling, but they caught it right back up and got the crowd pretty hot for an opener. I was shocked to see Arion do the mat work in the beginning too as last week he was basically a fast worker and this week, he's methodically taking someone down. There wasn't much psychology, but in five minutes, what kind would you ask for? It's not like they did anything, besides no-selling a move in that minute span I talked about, that would garner a psychological rant by me. Thornhill was a little generic in the match, but with some conditioning and a gimmick, the guy could do wonders. In the end, Arion hit his variation of the Dudley Dog which Thronhill bumped awkwardly to.
Winner: Frankie Arion
Star Wrestler: Frankie Arion
The match itself was a bit disappointing after the opening part as I hoped for a pure technical match, but it still delivered with some good promise and flowing. Arion impressed me immensely though as I didn't think this guy could hang with the technical aspect of wrestling. His work in the beginning was a pure highlight reel for competition and mat wrestling and I loved his unique offense and charisma towards the end. Thronhill was also good, but he took some things very awkwardly that strained credibility and his generic look and offense didn't help much either. Thornhill is a guy I could see getting this accolade in a few months; however, Arion was the true star in this opening bout that did well of pumping me up for the rest of the show.
They show commercials for a DVD called Super Slam that they are selling followed by an ad for a Hurricane Katrina benefit match coming up.
Number One Contendership For NECW Tag Team Championship
RAVE Vs. The Logans
Holy shit, this was a damn great tag team match and if I could think of any other curse words to use to describe it, I would. RAVE was still a little sloppy, but I love how in the early points of the match, they go right for a body part and take it down with some quick and unique moves. That shows some great attention to detail. There was no face in peril in this match either; this was straight competitive tag team wrestling. Back and forth, stiff blows, great tag spots, and some huge selling all made this match a great one. Man, after last week's snore fest, I was surprised that NECW has me marking out a bit almost halfway through the night. This was just great and I loved the tag team psychology and the ability they had to get the crowd into the ring without doing any hot tags, any face in peril spots, or any of the generic tag team spots we are all used to. I am not a fan of tag team wrestling, but it is matches like these that make me instill some faith in the genre. Finish came when the Logans hit a double team wheelbarrow suplex/diamond cutter variation which was definitely impressive and had me retracting some things I said about RAVE last week.
Winners: The Logans
Star Wrestlers: The Logans
Like I did with the Hall Brothers in a past NWA-VA review, I couldn't tell which brother was which, so why not give it to both of them? Just kidding. In all honesty, the two were both indistinguishable in skill which speaks miles of their skill and quality as a team. If there is one thing I hate about tag teams, it's the fact that it's a bad worker with a good worker nine times out of ten. My all time favorite tag team (the Dudleyz) even has that problem as Bubba Ray is clearly carrying D-Von. This is clearly not the case with this team. These workrate machines were firing on all cylinders tonight. Like I mentioned earlier, RAVE was a bit sluggish and out of place at times; but where they failed, the Logans succeeded and then some. Man, their offense was just great and very unique. The only complaint I have about this match was that I would like to have seen the Logans target a body part, but with the pace of the match and style they worked, it made sense not too. Great job by these guys and I'm genuinely impressed by NECW this week.
Another ad for Super Slam is then shown (shades of TNA in over killing their merchandise) followed by an ad for Slamtech, which I guess is a wrestling school. Finally, a NECW ad is then show for their next show. They really need to cut out the ads at this point. I understand you want to hype up your stuff, but this is getting a little ridiculous.
Mixed Tag Team Match
Rob Impact & Rebecca Knox Vs. Danny Diaz & Amber
I still can't get over how I just met and watched Knox live almost 2 days ago, and by pure happenstance, I come about downloading a random Indy show with her on it! As I mentioned earlier, I hope she has a better showing this time than she did in NWA-VA. This match was all right, but as I hoped, Knox did miles better. Knox has so much charisma that she must have been custom trained for the apron during tag matches. Everything was just clicking with her in this match more-so than the triple threat match she had with Lexie Fyfe and Kiley McLean on the 22nd. Impact really impressed me in this match with his strong style offense and power moves. The way they booked the match seemed to be just to get Knox over though and she had her way brutally with Diaz, who I'm still not sold on after last and this week's appearance. Impact and Knox definitely carried this match. It was really short though and I would have loved to see it go a bit longer as Impact/Knox looked like they were just getting started on Diaz. In the end, Knox turned on Impact and hit a Cradelbomb on Amber for the win. Definitely a confusing match as Impact played face and Knox played heel, but for debuting Knox, it did a fantastic job.
Winners: Rob Impact & Rebecca Knox
Star Wrestler: Rebecca Knox
I am so surprised at how much better she did tonight then when I saw her live. You really have no idea. Make sure to read my NWA-VA review when that comes out soon. Knox was on fire the whole match with offense, cheating, crowd working, and more. The only thing hindered this match though was the fact that Knox was playing face on the apron and heel in the ring. In the end, I think that's a bit more of a booking problem, and the way Knox carried herself in the match was amazing. I think she mostly gets this nod on the pure amazement I have on how well she did in comparison to her NWA-VA match.
An ad for the official band of NECW HurricaneEye is then shown. Again, I have to ask: why does a promotion need an official band? Seems like a novel concept, but I have yet to see NECW use them. An ad for the air force is then shown (which was definitely an odd commercial on a web cast) and we go to the main event.
Jason Blade Vs. Pat Masters
This was another damn fine match; actually, scratch that. This was great and the best NECW match I've seen yet. Masters played the face and Blade played a nice, conniving heel. It started off with some good chain and mat wrestling like Arion-Thornhill; however, they were able to transition from the opening motion right into some arm working on Blade by Masters. Blade made his comeback and entered into a unique offensive onslaught that targeted both the gut and back. At first, I was getting a little perturbed by his inability to pick a body part to work on, but then his psychology started to make sense to me. With the number of covers he went for and the number of high power moves he went for, he was wearing down Master's back and gut so that when Blade toppled over his gut pressing down on his back to make the cover, Masters wouldn't be able to kick out. A strategy like that is extremely hard to follow, but with the way Blade delivered it, it was magnificently displayed. I don't know of many workers, to be honest, that could play a strategy like that so well. I was damn impressed in this match. Masters would make his comeback, but Blade would come right back out. It was a great struggle match and had amazing psychology and crowd support. Finish came when Blade hit a spinning sit-out powerbomb for the well-deserved win.
Winner: Jason Blade
Star Wrestler: Jason Blade
Selling, timing, offense, working, charisma; it was all firing tonight and firing perfectly. Everything this guy did had purpose. He had a manager at ringside, whose name escapes me, and with the way this guy plays his character, I have to ask why he needs him? Masters was also really good in this match, but the way that Blade made everything fit and flow perfectly, I'd be remiss to not piss my pants over the guy. He was great and this guy should be going places in NECW and wrestling period. This match was the best I've seen yet from NECW and Jason Blade may just be the best worker I've seen as well out of this promotion.
Wow! Considering last week's dreadful show, I can't believe I'm watching the same exact promotion. They had four matches that delivered everything perfectly and were booked insanely well, albeit some face/heel confusion with Rebecca Knox. Even the worst match of the night was still only that because of time, but with the way it was booked, it didn't kill any of the momentum of the night or the overall quality that NECW gave the fans this week. I am literally amazed at how different the product is from last week and how guy's like RAVE and Frankie Arion improved their game at least fifty percent from last week. I am going to take this show as a sign that last week's show was just a hiccup; a mistake. Why not the other way around? When you put out this quality of wrestling, it's not a mistake at all; it's a testament to the promotion itself. Way to go, NECW. You have just grabbed a new fan to mark-out for you.
That ends this optimistic edition of "Squared Circle Reviews." Like I said before, I'm catching up, but slowly. I'm still behind, but I will catch up. Next, I got Whiplash TV followed by Heat, SmackDown!, Velocity, NWA Main Event, NWA Virginia, Bound For Glory, Raw, and today's edition of NECW TV which should be as good as this one. Again, I promise you I will catch up. 'Till next time loyal readers, this is "Squared Circle Reviews" signing off and hoping you enjoy what you watch like I really did today.
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