IWA Puerto Rico Impacto Total 12.14.2019 TV Review

 

 

 

• Your hosts are Javier Lopez and El Profe.
• The show opens with a recap of last week’s show, specifically the Savio Vega/Slash Venom match in which Savio lost 25% of the company to Slash. We also see Fernando Tonos berating Savio for the loss. Then the Impacto Total intro package plays.
• After the intro video, we see a recap of last week’s final segment in which Slash Venom meets Chicky Starr and shows him proof of Fernando Tonos mismanaging funds, blackmailing Victor Quinones and other things.

 

Match 1: Kendo Stick on a Pole Match: Aiden Green vs Noel Rodriguez/with Fernando Tonos

 

Aideen Green is involved in the whole “control of the company” angle as apparently, he recently turned babyface after being revealed as a “double agent” Slash Venom had inside the Fernando Tonos/Savio Vega heel stable. Noel Rodriguez is the son of WWC/IWA legend Victor the Bodyguard (RIP)and is coming for the bounty Fernando Tonos put on Aideen Green’s head. Lots of stalling to start that includes Tonos cutting a promo on Green. Noel attacks from behind and I guess this match begins.

Noel beats him down with punches and kicks and even gets a baseball bat from the crowd and Green is already busted open. Isn’t a baseball bat far more dangerous than a kendo stick? What’s the point of getting the stick if you have other weapons at hand? Anyway, the ref takes the bat away and Noel rolls Green back into the ring. Lots of stalling and insulting by Noel. He finally covers Green for two. Wait, they can do pinfalls without getting the object that is on the pole? I just don’t understand the need for the stipulation if everything is working like a normal No DQ match. Green tries to fight back but Noel cuts it off with a big knee. He sends Green into the corner and stomps a mudhole in him. Noel now tries to climb the pole, but Green recovers and pulls him down. Once again, Green’s comeback is short-lived as Noel uses an eye gouge to cut it short. Noel gets a few chops in the corner and then sits Green up top. Superplex! 1-2….NO! Green finally fights back and counters a back bodydrop into a DDT! Big running kick gets two for Green as we head to a commercial break.

• When we come back, we get a vignette with the Drunken Express as they plan their next drinking binge. They are out of money, so they will go talk to Fernando Tonos and see if they can get an advance on the money they are owed. Okay then.

Back to the match. Green goes for an Uranage, but Noel shoves him out to the ropes and catches him coming with a gut buster. 1-2…NO. Noel goes for the pole, but Green stops him. They fight on top and Green brings Noel down with a Super Huracarana! 1-2…NO! Green with forearm smashes in the corner. He charges but eats boot! Now Noel charges and Green moves. Noel’s head bounces of the turnbuckle and Green catches him with a Sitdown DDT! 1-2…NO! Noel fights back and catches Green with an Ace Crusher/Diamond Cutter off the ropes. A significant portion of the fans are cheering for Noel as they call Green a rat for being a tattletale. That is Puerto Rico for you! Noel goes to the pole, but Green stops him again. This time Noel kicks him away but decides to dive with a double axehandle smash….and gets caught by Green who turns it into a Sitdown Uranage! Both men are down. Green recovers first and climbs the pole! He comes down kendo stick in hand, but Noel also has a kendo stick of his own that Fernando Tonos gave him. Way to devaluate the stipulation even more. The match turns into a lightsaber duel as they clash sticks and spend some time blocking and dodging each other. Green loses his cane and is cornered, but Slash Venom runs in and gives him his Singapore cane. Overbooking much? They duel again and this time Noel loses the stick. Green blasts him three times and goes up to the top rope: Macho Elbowdrop! 1-2-3!

Winner: Aiden Green by pinfall (10:15 shown) Rating: **1/2 First, the good news: This was better than any match shown on last week’s show. Although it started slowly with stalling from the heels, it picked up near the end. The lack of psychology hurt the match and it went from a kick/punch brawl to a big move buffet. The whole stipulation also didn’t make any sense: why use the cane when the match is No DQ, they even used a baseball bat and had not one, but two outside Singapore canes involved. IWA’s notoriously ECW-esque overbooking here. While WWC uses a lot of roll-ups and NWA-style Dusty finishes, IWA goes the ECW route more often than not. I have to say this is the first time I see Aiden Green and came out impressed. He has a good look and works well. Noel is a veteran now, but his repertoire never expanded much from the punch/kick stuff his dad used to do. Still, solid match for what it was.

 

• They recap the IWA Intercontinental Title match between Electro and Monster Pain that they showed last week. Then do the same for the IWA World Title match between Big and Mikael Judas.

 

• Promo time for Big. He hypes his match with Monster Pain tonight in IWA Christmas in PR. He says he hopes Monster Pain comes to fight because he loves to fight. He waited almost 20 years to become the champion and no one is taking that belt from him.

 

• They repeat the Fernando Tonos promo/match-making vignette from last week.

 

• Aiden Green meets Slash Venom backstage and thanks him for his help. He returns the Singapore Cane/Kendo Stick back to him, but Venom tells him to keep it. They shake hands.

 

Match 2: IWA World Tag Team Titles: If Puro Macho loses, El Profe gets 5 minutes with Walkyria. If Spectro/Sr.C lose, Walkyria gives El Profe 10 lashes with a leather belt.

Puro Macho ©/with Walkyria vs Spectro & Sr. C/ with El Profe

 

Lots to unpack here. The champs are J.C. Navarro and Chris “The Chosen” Diaz of Puro Macho (stable name with Manny Ferno). Walkyria is the definition of HOT BODY. She is way over with the fans. Spectro and Vazago are the tag team Legio, but Vazago no showed for unexplained reasons (El Profe mentions on commentary that he was hurt) and is replaced here by Sr. C. Fun fact: I went to high school with Sr. C. I have no idea what is going on with his career, but he has a shaved head and a long beard, very different from the last time I saw him. Back in high school he was super skinny with glasses (like a white Urkel) and look at him now. Never mock someone’s dreams folks. It will bite you in the ass.

It’s a Pier 6 Brawl to start as the heels ambush the faces, but they where ready and it turns into a punch/kick-fest. The faces take over and dive with topes on the heels. Back in the ring, Navarro takes over and goes up top: Moonsault Press on Spectro! Then Spectro blind-charges and Navarro low bridges the ropes to send him outside. Navarro goes over the top and to the outside with a cannonball press. Back in the ring, Chris and C exchange arm drags and Chris takes over, sending C outside with a dropkick. Spectro ambushes Chris from behind and sends him shoulder first into the ring post. Navarro tries something from the top rope, but Spectro moves and catches him with a body slam. Now Spectro body slams C into Navarro as we head to commercial.

 

• When we come back, they recap the Chicano/Manny Ferno match and hype the Last Man Standing rematch for tonight at IWA Christmas in PR. We go to a Manny Ferno promo who is sad that Chicano’s Christmas present for his children is them seeing their dad bloody, beaten and humiliated at the hands of “The Alpha Male”. He says he has taken out every IWA original that has stepped in his way, he ended TNT (Savio Vega’s Great Muta-style persona) undefeated streak inside the Globe of Death (circular-shaped steel cage, similar to the globes used for motorcycle stunts) and he is the new face of Hardcore in Puerto Rico. Now we go to a Chicano Chicano says Manny Ferno showed what he is made off when he ran away during their Extreme Rules match at IWA Hardcore Weekend. He says running away doesn’t make Ferno better than him. See you tonight at IWA Christmas in PR where I will be the Last Man Standing.

 

• Electro promo: He is the new Intercontinental Champion and proved why he is one of the top talents in this company. Now, after he took out the monster, he will have to face three men, including one named Jaxxed who is new to the company and he has never seen before. It doesn’t matter. At the end of the day he will prove victorious and remain the champion. And after that, he will go to the top and win the World Title once again.

We are finally back to the match. The heels are just pounding the faces all over the ring. Since all matches at Hardcore Weekend are No DQ, the ref isn’t even bothering to enforce the tag rules. This is actually a better result than WWC’s lackadaisical approach in which rules seem to be enforced only when convenient. Sr, C gets a clothesline on Navarro in the corner and then shoves him into an Overhead Belly to Belly Suplex by Spectro. That gets two. J.C. Navarro has a broken nose. Spectro blatantly chokes Chris on the floor and then Sr. C suplexes him as we go to commercial AGAIN.

• We come back to a promo for “The Golden Latino” Joe Bravo. He goes one on one with Lightning tonight at Christmas in PR. He says he doesn’t need to do any special preparation because contrary to all Puerto Ricans he is always prepared. He will put an end to Lightning tonight. Now we go to Thunder and Lightning. Thunder cuts a promo on behalf of Lightning saying he will finish his feud with Bravo tonight. Thunder says he will end the career of Savio Vega in their Unsanctioned Match Basic we are ready promo here.

 

• Now we return to The Drunken Express and their misadventures. They got no money from Tonos because apparently, they are not on the payroll. He says they need to go to Chicky and Slash but have no idea were their office is. As they argue they notice “something” off camera and start recording with their cellphones. They imply someone is “a pig” which means someone might be betraying someone. They say, “now with this, we can get our money” and leave. Hmmm.

 

Back to the match. Spectro eats an elbow on a blind charge and the babyfaces take over. Navarro nails both men with a dropkick from the top rope and we have a pier 6 brawl. The faces whip the heels and both men eat back body drops. Navarro with a cool-looking Fisherman’s Uranage on Spectro and Chris with a swinging neckbreaker on Sr. C. Navarro with a weird double fist drop on the heels in which he pretends to masturbate first. Classy. Chris takes Spectro outside and then dives on him with a tope. Navarro with a sitdown powerbomb on Sr. C. 1-2…NO….as El Profe gets on the apron and distracts the ref. Spectro sends Chris into the ring post outside and tries to ambush Navarro back in, but Navarro is ready. Navarro eats an elbow on a blind charge though and Spectro heads up top: Navarro recovers and cuts him off. They fight on top and Spectro with a Diving Chokeslam from the top rope! 1-2…NO! Chris “The Chosen” Diaz makes the save and breaks up the pin. Chris goes for a Samoan Drop on Spectro, but he escapes and shoves Chris into a Codebreaker from Sr. C! 1-2….NO! Walkyria distracts the heels and Puro Macho is able to recover and send them over the top rope to the outside. Walkyria now gingerly gets on the second rope and dives into the heels with a plancha, and I say that is the most liberal sense possible as she more like fell on them. Puro Macho roll Sr. C back into the ring and connect with Au Revoir (La Resistance old finishing move) and cover him for the win.

Winners and STILL IWA Tag Team Champions: Puro Macho by pinfall (9:03 shown) Rating: **1/2 This was hard to rate. On the one hand, what was shown was really good. But they somehow interrupted the match 2 different times. And not just commercial breaks, but also video recaps and promo segments. In total, 32 minutes passed from when the bell rang until the match ended, but barely over 9 minutes was actual wrestling. The rest was promos, videos and commercials. This caused the match to feel disjointed and hard to follow. Too bad, because what I saw was enjoyable and I am sure had this aired without interruptions the rating would be higher. IWA needs to stop with the promos and recaps in the middle of matches. Do it the way WWC does it, before or after matches and if they air something between, it’s usually something simple and short. But here some of the recap/promo segments lasted longer than the match. Hell, at one point we came back from an extended break only to go into another break barely two minutes into the match. This doesn’t work. Please, stop it. You ruined a perfectly good match.

 

 

• Post-Match El Profe runs away and Puro Macho chase him and bring him back into the ring. Walkyria gets only three lashes before Spectro and Sr. C attack Puro Macho and send them outside. Profe uses this chance to attack Walkyria and rip her shirt off, exposing her double C’s. Puro Macho make the save before he is able to rip her pants off. This of course, leads to the “Strip Away Match” tonight between Profe and Walkyria. As the babyfaces celebrate and Waljyria covers herself with a leather jacket, we fade to black.

 

The Final Word: 6.5/10 The show was shorter this week, at one hour and eight minutes with commercials. Also, the matches where of higher quality, even after the terrible chop job and interruptions in the main event. I saw Puro Macho and Aiden Green for the first time and came away impressed with their work. Spectro is always solid and has been a favorite of mine for a long time, more for his super awesome look than anything. Although I had seen Sr. C before, he looked better here than in any match before. There is some real talent here, but the main events are still the 50-somethings like Savio and Slash and the big, slower guys like Big and Monster Pain. There is no problem with that occasionally, but I think Pain and Big work better when they wrestle smaller guys and their size can be a factor. The occasional monster brawl is not bad, but they went from Judas to Pain, two guys that are the same size as Big or bigger (no pun intended) and those type of matches typically descend into punch and kick brawls since there is not much they can do to each other. Still, I am going to keep watching because although this new version of IWA is clearly miles below what it once was, there is some real talent here and it reminds me of the early days of the old IWA. The potential is there.