IwW Gym War VI Report

IwW News

The following is a report of IwW Gym War VI which took place on Sunday 26th September, 2005 in IwW's Frontier Gym, Baldoyle, Dublin:

1) Vic Viper defeated Steve Mulligan by pinfall

After losing his Number One Contendership to D'Lo Brown's IwW International Heavyweight Championship to Seamus O'Shaunessy despite not being pinned in a triple-threat also involving Red Vinny at Gym War V, Viper was intent on revitalising his impressive winning streak and did so against Steve Mulligan. However Viper didn't find an easy adversary in the young combatant, whose array of high-flying, athletic offence often tested Viper. Both men would see their trademark top-rope moves fall short, as Mulligan dodged Viper's Diving Headbutt, only for Viper to barely escape Mulligan's Frog Splash. In the end, Viper was forced to introduce several stunning new moves to wear down Mulligan for the Snake Bite that would win him the contest.

2) Ballymun Bruiser & Forbes Kelly defeated Popeye & Bingo Ballance when Bruiser pinned Popeye

In what could quite possibly go down as the best match in all four men's short but impressive careers, the odd couple of Clane, Kildare-native Forbes and the Dutch Gold swilling Ballymun Bruiser just about picked up the win over Popeye and Ballance in a sensational contest. The tone for the match was set early on in the bout when Ballance would dive over the top-rope onto Bruiser and Popeye who were brawling on the outside. Forbes evened the odds, flipping from the top-rope to the floor laying out all three men. Irate that his partner accidentally laid him out, Bruiser was less than regretful when Popeye would become the third man to take an over-the-top dive, taking out Forbes in the process. However soon Popeye would feel the brunt of the team's anger, as they laid into him with a plethora of hard-hitting offence, Bruiser hitting a Skanger Banger (Bronco Buster) and Double Dutch (hitting Popeye in the head with two cans of Imported Dutch Gold), while Forbes would go close to the three with a sitout Rock Bottom. Eventually Popeye would make the tag to Ballance, who wowed the crowd with his high-octane offence, entering the ring, for instance, with a springboard back elbow to Forbes. Things would soon take a turn for the worse for Bingo when he missed a Lionsault off the top-rope and soon after he would be hit with a Canadian Destroyer from Forbes while Bruiser laid out Popeye with the Wicked Dream for the pin.

3) 'The Ladies Hero' Dave Zero defeated Bam Katrazz by pinfall

'The Ladies Hero' brought an unmatched intensity to this match, with his confrontation with NWA Ireland's Adam Abz clearly still fresh in his memory. Bam Katrazz would be his victim in a short but competitive match. The two brawled on the outside for much of the contest, with Zero dominating, bragging about how he split up the Party Animals. However, once they both re-entered the ring Katrazz would momentarily take control as he hit Zero with his signature moves, the Diving Elbow and Smash Mountain Bomb, both of which saw the unstoppable Zero kick out. Eventually, Zero would hit his new Ladies Choice #2 (a springboarding Ladies Choice) finisher and get the win on Bam. Afterwards, Zero got on the mic and said that he has once again proven that the Party Animals and Bam Katrazz in particular are "Less Than Zero."

4) Mad Man Manson defeated 'The Sensation' Sean South by pinfall

South was always a second-favourite in this match, with Manson still yet to be pinned or made submit, but 'The Sensation' put up a plucky fight in what turned out to be a surprisingly hard-fought contest. Manson would split his time beating down South, berating the petrified referee and playing to the crowd (even getting a 'Manson Sucks' chant started for himself at one point), allowing South brief fightbacks and several near falls. It wasn't to be though, as Manson would lay him out like he had so many before, with the Institutionalizer.

'The Heretic' Red Vinny then made his way to the ring and gave a heartfelt speech to the fans about how he was the first EVER IwW-trained wrestler to walk out in front of a crowd. He discussed his passion for IwW and talked about how he realised that the hatred that had ensued as a result of the recent NWA/IwW rivalry was wrong, as it was the fans who had wished to see such emotions while the wrestlers were concerned with making a name for themselves and their respective companies. He addressed Ross Browne's harsh words for IwW's wrestlers last week at NWA Ireland's show in Bray, saying that while Vinny had beaten some of the world's best and had a renowned, unnamed wrestler tell him he was a mark for Red Vinny, what had Browne done that he hadn't...aside from headbutt Blake Norton? Sean 'Maxer' Brennan then made his way to the ring and got in the face of a fan at ringside, getting in the ring and saying that he's the reason why this hatred has come to pass: because he has decided to mark-out on the Internet about how NWA and IwW hate each other. Vinny and Maxer then agreed that while so far both confrontations have ended in disqualifications, tonight there wouldn't be a disqualification and they would have one of the best matches in Irish wrestling and shook hands.

5) 'SOS' Seamus O'Shaunessy defeated George McFly by pinfall

After the recent splitting up with tag-team partner Bam Katrazz, former Party Animal George McFly seemed to adopt a new attitude when taking on 'SOS'. The more vicious and intense McFly proceeded to have a closely-fought, top-notch match with the #1 Contender for the IwW International Heavyweight Championship. In a tremendous back-and-forth contest, the ending saw 'SOS' have an SOS Drop and George go for a Bay City Roller. SOS would counter and go for a Death Valley Driver, but that would be countered and the two battled it out looking for their respective finishers until finally SOS would hit a DVD and get the 1-2-3. After the match, SOS went to shake McFly's hand, putting him over as an excellent competitor, but McFly would attack him from behind, laying him out with the Bay City Roller and leaving to a chorus of boos.

6) 'The Heretic' Red Vinny and Sean 'Maxer' Brennan fought to a time-limit draw

In a feud that has already seen some of the greatest matches in Irish wrestling history in Dave Zero/Adam Abz and Vic Viper/Paddy Morrow, Vinny and Maxer rose the bar with a five-star contest that flabbergasted attending fans and the IwW roster who watched the match keenly from the entrance way. It was blind-and-you'll-miss-it action as the stars put on an engrossing affair in front of a crowd that could now be described as rabid at worst. In the match, Maxer would kick out of Vinny's Tear Drop and Triple Six, while Vinny would get his shoulder up for a devastating Death Valley Driver into a reverse neckbreaker move and a Sunset Bomb from the top-rope by Maxer. The end saw Vinny lock Maxer in a Sharpshooter, however as Maxer appeared just ready to tap out the bell would ring and the referee declare the match a 20-minute time-limit draw. As the fans chanted for five more minutes, Vinny got on the mic and admitted that he didn't have one left in him, but put over Maxer as one of the toughest opponents he had ever faced and said that the NWA/IwW rivalry was only beginning. Maxer in turn said that they had done this for Irish wrestlers and Irish wrestling fans and the two shook hands and left together amid a huge applause.

Gym War VII takes place on Sunday 9th October featuring D'Lo Brown and the rest of IwW's regular superstars. For more information, check out www.irishwhipwrestling.com!