August 1^st at the Temple Live Cleveland Ohio we are live with Absolute Intense Wrestling, and they are against the world! The show starts with a Champions roll call as they enter area. 

Intro to AIW from 2005 on. It is time for AIW to get their flowers as AIW takes on the world. 

Matt Wadsworth and Dustin Alberty are on commentary. 

Rachel Armstrong vs. Joseline Navarro 

Armstrong played the role of the plucky underdog against the brute strength of Navarro. Armstrong took to the air with topes and dives off the ropes. However, the larger Navarro showed great ring IQ, having an answer for nearly all Armstrong’s offense; finally spiking Armstrong with a fisherman’s neckbreaker to get the win. 

Dominic Garrini vs. 1 Called Manders 

They start off hot, trading forearms back and forth. Manders is sent to the floor. Garrini went for a dive, but Manders caught Garrini in an Oklahoma Stampede on the floor. More trading of strikes in ring, spirit battle style. I hate that…let me let my opponent get a free shot. Manders goes for another Stampede and gets a 2 count. Despite Manders’ best offense, a piledriver by Garrini ends Manders hopes of victory. Serves Manders right. 

Dex Royal vs. Tre Lamar vs. Dr. Daniel C. Rockingham vs. Tyler Jordan vs. Sam Halloway vs. Mikey Montgomery 

Dr. Daniel gets on the mic as his opponents circle him. He promises to make them all NXT champions before sucker punching and getting dumped. Halloway uses Mikey as a weapon in a type of spot I love. Dr. Dan’s tie is a liability, but luckily, he has pamphlets to papercut people. Everyone takes turns diving then getting their signature moves in. A miscalled Spanish Fly sends me into a rage. The fast and furious match is everything you’d want in a scramble as Halloway hits a massive diving splash to pick up the victory. 

PME w/Bill Alfonso vs. The Motor City Machine Guns AIW Tag Team Champions  

Respect is shown by the competitors. After a smooth set of pure wrestling, the MCMG reveal themselves to be heels. This does not stop PME from maintaining the offensive advantage. MCMG showed why they have been one of the preeminent tag teams of the last fifteen years, to the point that a simple look from Alex Shelley agitated the illegal man to come in. Seriously, MCMG are still smooth as silk, looking to have the win on a few occasions…if it weren’t for Bill Alfonso. PME show why they are the AIW Tag Team champions, with Marino tying up Sabin to get the pin. MCMG look unhappy with the result, but in a sign of respect, place the belts around the waists of the champs. 

John Wayne Murdoch vs. Kaplan 

Murdoch gets the mic, asks who is ready to get hardcore before running down the crowd. We are clubberin’ early and it is not long before the weapons come out as they brawl outside the ring. We even get the testicular claw! Plenty of hardcore action…but I ironically draw the line at unprotected chairshots to the head. Kaplan takes to the air but whiffs the split-legged moonsault. Kaplan recovers enough to hit a sit-out dominator into a pile of thumbtacks to get the 1-2-3. 

Latinos Most Wanted vs. To Infinity & Beyond vs. Bang & Matthews vs. Los Desperados 

Colin Delaney and Arez start out. Lucha Tag rules apply tonight. The two jockey for position before the action picks up and the lucha tag rule is used liberally. Action is hot and heavy and almost impossible to call without sounding like an auctioneer. Despite all the flips and flies, To Infinity and beyond hit a tandem vertebreaker/reverse piledriver to claim the victory and #1 contendership for the AIW Tag Team Championship. 

Eric Taylor w/ The Duke vs. Heath 

Taylor is alleged to be unhinged after losing the AIW Intense Championship, however, Taylor does not seem keen to engage Heath. Taylor only launches an attack after The Duke ran interference. The Duke even interrupted Heath’s big comeback so that Taylor could hit a low blow and a rollup to pick up the dirty win. Heath got a measure of revenge by hitting Sweetness on Taylor before taking the mic for the obligatory “Oh baby!”. 

(Former at the time of this writing) WWE Tag Team Champion Johnny Gargano appears on stage. It is the biggest pro wrestling weekend in Cleveland history, and he thought he’d show up. Johnny isn’t alone as Tomasso Ciampa comes out to the strain of “Psycho Killer” by the Talking Heads. Tomasso does his best Triple H impression and does the spit take. Johnny put over his history with AIW and looks to main event Smackdown! Then puts over AIW. 

Wes Barkley vs. Anthony Greene AIW Intense Championship 

Despite a brief back and forth, Greene displays his experience edge to control most of the early goings of the match, even taking the fight to the arena floor. Barkley tried to make a comeback but was stunted by a calf kick followed by a modified tornado tomakaze. Barkley got his foot on the rope at two, but the referee didn’t see it to become the new AIW Intense Champion. Wadsworth leaves commentary to tell the ref what happened, and the ref restarts the match. Talk about ref bias and snitches needing stitches. Barkley is fired up this time round. Barkley kicks out of the tornado tomakaze. Greene argues with the ref before chopping him. The ref hits a chop of his own and dodges a punch, allowing Barkley to hit the Michinoku Driver II to retain (regain?) the Intense Championship. 

KENTA vs. Isaiah Broner 

Broner has the size and strength advantage and tries to use it. KENTA is elusive, using kicks to do quick damage…though I question slapping Broner in the face. This strategy was effective for most of the match, as KENTA was in firm control. Commentary is really putting over how rare it is for Broner to be dominated. Broner hit a tombstone and KENTA kicked out…I knew there would be at least one…KENTA then switched his strategy towards submissions. With Broner exhausted and sore, KENTA successfully raised Broner to hit the GTS to pick up the victory. As a show of respect, KENTA too sweets Broner and leaves. 

Chuck Stone vs. Alec Price vs. Derek Dillinger w/Katie Arquette vs. Joshua Bishop AIW Championship 

Everyone wants a piece of Stone. Stone is dumped out of the ring after everyone takes their shot. With Stone out of the ring, things quickly break down. They are even fighting into the crowd. This is fortunate, as Price decided to crowd surf. The quartet also took the time to play musical punches. Dillinger has a door and tees off before putting Bishop through the door with a German suplex. Price nearly breaks Arquette in half with a tope suicida into the guardrail. Bishop hit a powerbomb on Dillinger through a pile of weaponry, but Stone dumps Bishop out of the ring and pins Dillinger to steal the victory and retain the AIW Championship.

Overall, it was a fun night of professional wrestling with AIW showing why they have been a bastion of independent wrestling since 2005. They even managed to pull a huge surprise in the form of DIY showing up unannounced. Keep up with future AIW events online on X.

Rob Kamerer is the host of the MLW Con-Fusion podcast and contributor for the Urban Wrestling Network. When not watching independent wrestling, can be found on Twitter @thenovacass.