[2000-07-07-IWC SoCal] Ricky Reyes vs Frankie Kazarian vs Sun Warrior (Elimination)

[GSR]

They are getting under each other’s feet here, trying to be overly smart and over complicating things.  It doesn’t take long for my most annoying elimination match trope to make an appearance either, Warrior saving Kaz from a Reyes double leg cradle pin attempt.  It looks like Reyes and Kazarian are then going to work together but of course that doesn’t last, Reyes nailing Kaz with a dropkick when he turns his back on him.  The spare man breaking up the pin trope continues with regularity.  A great looking superkick by Kaz to Warrior and a springboard elbow to Reyes who is on the apron.  The Irish whip is reversed and Reyes pulls down the top rope sending Kaz careering out over it.  Warrior with a Silver King dive to the floor, although he does look to come up a bit short.  As the ref starts to count both men out, Reyes is happy for him to do so, however the moment he sees them get back to their feet and realises he’s not going to pick up the easy win, wipes out the pair with a corkscrew plancha.  The action returns to the ring where Kaz ducks a double clothesline and lands a springboard double back elbow.  Springboard double blockbuster for a two.  A lovely Northern Lights suplex on Warrior and Reyes breaks that up.  More of the same until Reyes reverses a Kaz tombstone piledriver and Warrior then comes off the top with something that is missed by the camera.  As he makes the cover, this time Reyes joins him in doing so, eliminating Kaz.  If only they’d thought about doing that earlier!  Kaz isn’t done yet though, dumping Warrior with an inverted slam before heading on his way.  Nice counter of the powerbomb with an arm drag which is the start of a cracking fast paced sequence ending with Warrior getting a near fall after a huracanrana.  Reverse crossbody off the top and the outcome is the same.  Reyes grabs the leg and ties Warrior in a deathlock as he looks to slow his remaining opponent down.  Well that didn’t really work as Warrior is now bouncing and flipping off the ropes.  Reyes reverses the Irish whip and catches Warrior with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, dropping him across his own knee.  One cradle tombstone piledriver this is over and the champion retains his IWC United States title.

I thought I was going to hate this after the opening exchanges which stank of guys trying to do too much and to be too complex.  While I don’t think I will ever get past the breaking up of pinfalls in an elimination match, this turned into a pretty good three way.  If I was having to recommend and IWC SoCal match for someone of all the stuff that I’ve watched, this would be the one I’d show them.