[2001-06-02-IWA MS] Ian Rotten vs Mitch Page vs Rollin' Hard

[soup23]

Will use the final from the 2001 KOTDM to encapsulate the tournament as a whole. So far in 2000-2001, IWA has felt really regionalized. Sweet Science 2000 is an event that looks neat in retrospect because it started something but in actuality, it was in a parking lot with wacky seeding and almost all local talent.  This event feels different and really encompasses the strengths/weaknesses of IWA MS at the time. 

=  This is IWA MS biggest and most rowdy crowd. Sure it isn't thousands but the arena they were inside of at Charlestown, Indiana had character on these shows and it is a testament that the crowd is still rabid and hot at the end of this match chanting IWA after 6.5 hours of hardcore action the previous two nights. 

= This was the first show filmed by SMV.  That was huge for distribution. We haven't even had commentary on an IWA show so far. The Punk vs Hero TLC match was the show that was commonly on all indie tape lists in 2002 onward but this show wasn't far off.  The commentary on these shows with mostly Axl Rotten to Prazak range from eye rolling to completely inappropriate at points but it also helps guide the action at other junctions.

= Ian's plight throughout the tournament really shows the self serving nature of his booking overall. Ian as the winner in this thing isn't an awful or undeserved choice but the way he gets there raises some questions.  Dusty is Ian's hero and it shows here.  The first round has him brutalizing Peter B. Beautiful in one of the more unprofessional wrestling matches in history to teach Peter a lesson on talking shit on internet message boards. The second night, Ian has three matches.  The first is vs. the hottest outsider in the tournament in Nick Mondo. The second is vs. the hottest new prospect to the IWA faithful in Necro Butcher.  Finally, the finals has him going up against the 2000 KOTDM winner in Rollin' Hard and the most established tag team in IWA in Mean & Hard. Even though it was  three way match, Mean & Hard teamed up for most of the match and Ian was able to overcome the odds. 

Overall, this isn't a good match technically at all. Hard is awful. Mitch shifts from endearing to infuriating with each match I watch and Ian wasn't as consistent as he would be in the next few years. It does have an insane amount of light tube shots and some big spots. Overall, the 2001 KOTDM was more than likely the most violent deathmatch tournament on US Soil at the time and really signified that in the growing indie scene, IWA had arrived. ***