1. Age of the Fall def. Da Soul Touchaz
AOTF pick up the win with a Fishermans Buster. Trying to fix internet connection issues. Sorry for the lack of details
Second Round of the 2008 TPI
2. Egotistico Fantastico def. Josh Raymond
Connection issues hopefully resolved. Match joined in progress. Several near falls by both men. The crowd has thought the match was over on about 3 or 4 occassions so far. Josh is going up top and lands on Ego’s knees on a twisting centon attempt. Ego with another nearfall. Ego goes back up top and hits the double springboard moonsault for the pinfall.
3. Drake Younger def. Michael Elgin.
The crowd is solidly behind Drake in this one. Immediately start off exhanging forearms. “Yay” for Drake forearms. “Boo” for Elgin forearms. Elgin with a rana out of nowhere followed by a fireman’s carry slam followed by a back twisting centon off the second but only a two. Elgin moves out of the way of Drake charging into the corner. Elgin then running spears the leg of Drake from behind into the corner. Elgin is working over the leg and Drake is in trouble. Elgin obviously watched Tony work over Drake’s leg the whole match last night and is continuing the assault. Drake keeps trying to fight back but can’t muster much offense on one leg. Elgin has Drake’s legs tied into a pretzel. Drake fights his way free but can’t get to his feet. Elgin back on the leg. Elgin goes for the butt splash onto the leg draped across the bottom rope but Drake kicks him over the top rope and to the floor with his right leg. Elgin tries to reenter the ring courtesy of the top rope but Drake cuts him off and hits the largest superplex I’ve seen in quite some time. Drake tries for Drake’s Landing but his leg buckles and Elgin takes over with a figure four. Drake rolls through and gets to the ropes. Elgin goes for another figure four but Drake with a small package…only two. Elgin takes his head off with a lariat as they both get to their feet but only two. Elgin misses a moonsault and Drake drills him with a fist and floors Elgin. Drake then pounces with ground and pound and the ref stops the match. Drake beats Elgin with the ground and pound and the crowd explodes!!!!
4. Claudio Castagnoli def. Dave Taylor.
Claudio and Taylor going hold for hold. The crowd chants for Taylor. Taylor is teaching Claudio a few things in these exchanges. Very European opening few minutes. Claudio with a cravate. Taylor goes for a bodyslam but Claudio maintains the cravate. Taylor again with a bodyslam and Claudio still holds the cravate. Third try, Taylor goes with sort of an armdrag like maneuver to release the cravate. Dave Taylor obviously learned something from wrestling Tracy last night. Claudio puts him in a front face lock. Taylor picks him up and tries to throw him to the floor. Claudio lands on apron outside the ring and keeps the front facelock. Claudio breaks the hold, Taylor holds the ropes for him. Shakes his hand when Claudio enters the ring and then lariats Claudio when he wasn’t expecting it. Taylor works over Claudio’s leg to try to break down the size advantage. Claudio with a series of European Uppercut and then catches Dave Taylor off guard with a backslide for the pinfall. Everyone in the crowd chants “Please come back” to Dave Taylor and follow with a “Thank You Taylor” chant.
5. Sara Del Rey def. Cassandro
Randy and I were watching this one so no play by play. Awesome match. Cassandro spears the ringpost full speed and Sara slaps him into a cross arm breaker for a submission victory. “Lucha Libre”, “Please Come Back” chants after the match.
6. 2 Cold Scorpio def. “Sexy” Ace Steel.
Feeling out process between the vets. They tumble to the floor. Looks like they are trash talking and then agree to get back in the ring. Amateur wrestling breaks out. Ace with a ride but Scorpio escapes. Scorpio with a double leg takedown. Anything you can do, I can do better exchange back and forth on variations of arm drags. Ace gets advantage and is working over Scorpio. Beautiful baseball slide dropkick to the face on the fallen Scorpio. Ace starting to show a devious side. Foot across the throat and then he slams Scorpio throat first on the edge of the ring. Ace is working over the back. Elbow drop off the second. Knee drops. Ace uses all of the five count before releasing submission hold when Scorpio reaches the ropes. Scorpio regains control. Somersault legdrop. Elbow smash off the second rope. Belly to back. Scorpio up on the second rope with a somersault legdrop but only two. Scorpio back up top but Ace crotches him. Ace tries headbutts but does more damage to himself than Scorpio but still lands a rana off the ropes but only a two. Ace with a belly to back but only two. Scorpio flips out of a powerbomb and hits one of his own but only two. Scorpio goes for a Ricola bomb but Ace counters with a sunset bomb but only two. Scorpio gets pissed and starts drilling Ace with knee lifts. He then grapevines Ace’s arm and rolls forward into a pinning combo and gets the victory. Crowd asks Ace to come back. Ace calls Scorpio back out and says if it wasn’t a tournament and lots still to come tonight he would ask for five more minutes. Scorpio responds with “wait till next year kid.” Ace leaves to “thank you Ace” chants and high fives all around.
7. Sami Callihan def. Eddie Kingston.
My typing couldn’t do justice to the way these two beat the hell out of each other so I won’t even try. Sami Callihan with the upset victory following a hellacious lariat after nearly choking out Kingston moments before.
Time to set up the cage. Short break and we’ll be right back. Loud chants for Eddie and the crowd explodes as they shake hands in a show of respect. Sami needs help to the back so he might be in trouble in the semis.
Ian announces the semis as:
Ego vs. Drake
Claudio vs. Sara Del Rey
Sami vs. 2 Cold Scorpio
8. Jason Hades def. Jayson Quick to retain the IWA Mid-South World Light Heavyweight Title in an I Quit Steel Cage match…Jayson Quick loses the right to use the name Jayson.
I didn’t get to see the match.
2008 TPI Semifinals
9. Drake Younger def. Egotistico Fantastico
Ego doesn’t even let Drake get into the ring before doing a HIGH FLYING plancha dive to the floor while still wearing his Mexican blanket poncho. Ego immediately rolls Drake in for a pin but only two. Drake is still hobbled by the work on his leg by 2 Tuff Tony & Michael Elgin in the tournament so far. Back to the floor and Drake is laying the leather on Ego with chops. Ego jumps onto Drake but Drake catches him and launches Ego into the ringpost. Lets Go Ego…Lets Go Drake from the crowd. Drake drags Ego over by the stage and they are sitting in chairs doing a bar fight. “Drake” and “Ego” from the crowd on every punch. Then headbutts and the crowd can’t keep up with the headbutts on their chants it is going so fast and furious. Action finally gets into the ring. Drake misses a frog splash. Ego knows about Drake’s leg injury and goes after it. Drake is in for an uphill fight with this bad leg but to his credit he isn’t backing down. Lariat by Drake gives both a chance to catch their breath. Drake goes for a landing but Ego reverses into an air raid crash. Double springboard moonsault that he’s won twice with this weekend but Drake kicks out! Ego goes for a Drake’s Landing out of spite but Drake blocks it and hits an inverted brainbuster that brings the crowd to its feet at Drake advances to the finals.
To kill the rumors…Randy is alive and well and the cage is as well.
10. Claudio Castagnoli def. Sara Del Rey.
Sara starts with kicks to the body but Claudio drops her with an European uppercut. Claudio misses a shoulderblock to the corner and Sara drill him with forearms and kicks and a whoopee cushion splash but only two. Claudio using his size and strength to work over Sara and he applies the camel clutch. Claudio with a hair biel and an elbow drop but only two. Sara with a crossbody but only two. Claudio overpowers her on a side salto suplex. Sara gives a dropkick to Claudio’s knee but Claudio shakes it off and delivers a dropkik of his own right to the jaw. Sara blocks an attempted face plant and boots Claudio right in the face and applies a cross arm breaker. Somersault kick to the face and a couple more big kicks by Sara but only a 2 1/2 count. Sara goes for a tigerdriver but Claudio backdrops her and has her for a Giant Swing. 15 revolutions later Sara is dizzy and on the mat but she rolls up Claudio in a small package and gets a 2 15/16ths count. Crowd chants “that was three.” Sara counters a Ricola Bomb back into a cross arm breaker. Claudio muscles her up and tries to powerbomb her one armed but Sara holds on to the cross arm breaker. EVERYONE is chanting “tap tap tap” but Claudio gets to the ropes. Runnng Yakuza kicks to Claudio but on the third one Sara runs into a running big boot and then a Ricola Bomb for the pinfall. Claudio advances to the finals and everyone is on their feet applauding and chanting “that was awesome.” Very loud “Thank You Sara” chant and she was just an eyelash away from making it to the finals of the TPI.
11. Sami Callihan def. 2 Cold Scorpio
Sami still trying to shake the cobwebs from the war with Kingston. Trying to loosen up his neck and shoulder. Sami is very weary of Scorpio and still licking his wounds from the Kingston match after a few tie ups. Scorpio starts laying in the stiffness and drops Sami with a brutal forearm shiver. Sami is on wobbled legs and Scorpio is punishing him in the corner. Exchange of lariats which Scorpio definitely gets the better of. Knee strikes by Scorp and Sami is down but not out as he kicks out at 2. Sami has to climb up Scorpio pulling himself up but Scorpio just beats him back down. Sami won’t stay down though. He keeps fighting back but Scorpio keeps hitting him harder than before and crushes him on a beautiful frog splash off the top but only two. Scorpio is frustrated. Sami is getting a second wind but Scorpio is staying on him. Picture perfect moonsault by Scorpio but again only two. Scorpio can’t believe it and doesn’t know what it will take to keep Sami down. Scorpio with Harvard graduated feet and a lackadaisical cover but only two and Sami is getting a third wind. Sami blocks several punches and ducks a couple of kicks and delivers a massive Saito plex and another for a pair of twos. He then catches Scorpio with a killer lariat that double flips Scorpio and gets the pin. There is just no quit in Sami Callihan. Both men are still down in the ring but Sami and Scorpio finally make it to their feet and a show of mutual respect and Scorpio raises Sami’s arm in victory.
12. Dingo, Ricochet, and Bobby Fish def. Too Tuff Tony, Prince Ali, and Ares.
Joey Eastman offers to trade Bobby Fish and a box of minute rice for 2 Tuff Tony in this match. He then offers Tony something in a plastic baggie and Tony puts it in his pocket and the trade is made. If Dingo is pinned in this match, he loses the IWA World Heavyweight Title to whomever pins him. Trying to iron out some internet connection problems before the pinfalls count anywhere match and the TPI finals. Tony in now with Ricochet. Tony hits a second rope moonsault for 2. He hits the Too Tuff Flip while Eastman is holding Ricochet. Joey running away from Fish whole stole his hat and coat. Crowd chanting Bobby Eastman. Bobby Fish just stole Joey Eastman’s pants! Double DDT by Ricochet on Tony and Ares. Bobby Eastman in the ring clearing house. Bobby accidently hit Dingo. Everyone receives nutshots ala 2006. Ali sent outside. Tony hits the Too Tuff Driver. Too much action. ALI HAS A SHOE BOMB! Everyone jumps on him before he ignited it. All hell has broken loose. Ali misses the Weapons of Mass Destruction which allows Dingo to make the pin. Tony arguing with Ares. Kingston in the ring with the belt. He hands the belt to Dingo with a show of respect.
Ian announced Vito vs Sal Thomaselli in a Chicago Street Fight next weekend as well has Dingo vs Drake Younger for the title.
13. Trik Davis def. Chris Hero – Pinfalls Count Anywhere
Randy has left to be security. I’m back several minutes in to the match. They have brawled all over every square inch of the building. Hero just nailed a Blockbuster off the stage to the floor onto a pile of chairs. The TPI trophy was almost killed before the finals. The chairs in the crowd are thrown about like a tornado went thru the Hartman Rec Center. Hero with a sitout powerbomb in the ring after saying “Die Trik Die” but only gets a two. A right left forearm combo by Hero only gets two. Trik gets gourdbusted across two open chairs. Hero then slaps on a Boston Crab as Trik is laid across the two chairs. Two roaring forearms by Hero and a kick to the face by Trik and both men are down. Trik catches Hero into the Hangman’s Clutch! Hero returns the favor. Trik bites his thumb to break the hold. Headbutts sound like two trucks colliding. Hero picks up a chair but Trik dropkicks the chair into Hero’s crotch. He then delivers a punt the family jewels. Trik then hits a perfect driver for the pin.
2008 Ted Petty Invitational Finals
14. Drake Younger def. Claudio Castagnoli & Sami Callihan to win the 2008 TPI
No play by play writeup on this one. We are going to watch this one with great anticipation.
Sami eliminated with a Drakes Landing. Claudio vs. Drake for the TPI championship.
Drake wins with the Drake’s Landing. Unbelievable finals. The building is going nuts for Drake and chanting “Psycho Shooter”.
