[2001-01-06-JCW-Battle of the Bulge] Reckless Youth vs Low Ki vs Don Montoya

[GSR]

Montoya takes the mic before the match gets started, but the audio is bad so it’s another one of those times when we can’t make out what is being said. A fatal three way for Reckless’ JCW Heavyweight title that he recently won from Ki. Don charges at Ki and Reckless is quite happy to let him do all the dirty work while he plays cheerleader. Whip to the corner is reversed, handspring kick to the head by Ki and Montoya rolls out of there under the bottom rope. Satellite headscissors by Youth, but after Ki counters the powerbomb with a huracanrana, he too takes refuge on the outside. Ki’s readying himself for a dive to the floor, however as he hits the ropes Montoya pulls down the top one and he goes careering out over it. A couple of stiff forearms to the face of ‘the Don’. Reckless pulls out of a dive seeing Ki isn’t as helpless as he thought, and then get caught with a jumping kick to the head when he sticks it through the ropes. Montoya is back to his feet and slugs Ki from behind as the action returns to the ring. Only briefly mind, as Ki flips over on the attempted belly to back and dropkicks Don in the back sending him tumbling to the floor again. A combination tope/forearm smash is meant for Montoya, but he sidesteps the flying Ki who smashes into Reckless instead. Montoya drives Ki backwards into the apron before rolling him into the ring as it looks like he’s going to target that back of his. Corkscrew leg drop for a two. Ki ducks the clothesline and replies with a flying forearm. Fireman’s carry into a facebuster by Youth, although a Montoya leg lariat cuts off whatever he had planned next. Double belly to back suplex with Don picking up both men at the same time and dumping them on their heads. Ki escapes the ‘Doctor bomb’ and lands a rolling kick to the back. Handspring, but before he can connect with the kick on Reckless, Don catches him mid-air and launches him with an exploder suplex. Reckless counters the chokeslam with an arm drag and a double Mafia kick to ‘the Don’ by Ki and him. German suplex/sunset flip spot involving all three. ‘Ace crusher’ off the top by Reckless and then a ‘Ki Krusher’ puts Montoya down for the three. Inferno comes out to ringside at this point, with the commentator stressing that he can’t be happy after losing the TV title to Afa Jr earlier in the night. Dragon clutch, but Ki let’s go of the hold when he sees Inferno up on the apron. With the official checking Reckless is okay to continue, Inferno clotheslines Ki on the top rope. ‘Ki Krusher’ by Reckless and he puts Ki away with his own move, retaining the Heavyweight title in the process.

 

I feel a bit reluctant to criticise when the wrestlers generally work hard, but this felt a bit too cutesy for my liking with some of the three way spots and the way they were setting them up. Not for me I’m afraid. I was pumped after Montoya’s elimination to see Ki and Reckless go at it, but that was a huge let down, lasting all of about thirty seconds before the finish. Which begs the question, if Montoya and Reckless were going to form an alliance at the end, why didn’t they just work together during the match? Surely Ki trying to overcome the odds, battling two men as he tries to regain the Heavyweight title tells a better story?

[soup23]

Once again, JCW being on the same night as IWA a half of country away hurts them in this format as this three way was inferior to the IWA one. That being said, Low Ki looked fucking incredible. His strikes were on point and he brought energy and stiffness to everything he did. Montoya was one of my whipping boys in 2000 due to his opportunity vs ability and he was serviceable here but the weakest of the three by far. The finish after Montoya was eliminated was lame as Inferno comes out and gives interference allowing Youth to retain with the Ki Krusher. Afterwards, Montoya/Youth and Inferno give a promo against Low ki and seemingly are aligned together. *** (6)