[2000-06-03-ACW] Adam Pearce vs Rob Norwood

[soup23]

Another early look at Pearce here. He takes a Davy Crockett coonskin cap from a fan and misses a charge into the corner. This was fine heavyweight style indy wrestling with both guys showing they could still do athletic stuff like Pearce with a rana and Norwood missing an elbow from the top. The finish here is cheap as can be with Pearce’s buddies coming in and hitting a belt shot against Norwood. Pearce gets attacked going to the back and it looks like the floor of this arena is dirt. A really cheap finish and the match wasn’t that much either. I don’t know when Pearce got “good” but he is still working it out in 2000 from what we have seen. **

[Tim Evans]

Norwood looks like he's doing a Godfather parody. OK match with Norwood falling on his neck taking a bump. Finish is typical indie with guys running in. I liked the look of the venue with the big yellow staircase. Not the most exciting match.

[GSR]

Norwood is decked out like he’s the Godfather, although has a quality entrance theme in the shape of ‘Brick House’ by The Commodores. A freshly cropped Pearce rushes at his opponent but ends up getting clotheslined over the top rope to the outside. He drags Norwood out and the pair of them exchange hard slaps across the chest at ringside. Pearce goes to splash Norwood against the ring post, however he moves out the way and ends up crashing into it himself. Reverse crossbody off the top for two. Ten punch spot in the corner, but Pearce counters by dropping Norwood throat first across the top rope. Terribly super slow sunset flip by Norwood before he fires back, only to then get stopped in his tracks by a Pearce big boot. ‘Scrap Iron’ hits a top rope frankensteiner, but it’s not the neatest in its execution. Superplex attempt is blocked, and Norwood shoves Pearce backwards sending him tumbling to the canvas. He misses an elbow off the top, when some guy strolls out and picks up the ACW title off the timekeeper’s desk. Norwood does his version of ‘Hulking up’ and Pearce is backing off trying to get him to calm down. There’s no-one home on the ‘Stinger splash’, Norwood with a modified sit-out powerbomb and that guy is up on the apron waving the title in his face. He drops back down to the floor out of his reach, but after a bit more action ends up clocking him with the belt for the DQ. Pearce is jumped by someone on his way to the back and they have a spirited twenty or so seconds as ‘Scrap Iron’ bumps and trips over the metal railings and supports.

 

I’ve liked Pearce more than most so far, but this isn’t a good one for his resume. A nothing, forgettable match topped off by the cheapest of cheap finishes. The brief post-match ruckus was better than anything that happened in the match itself.