Freedom Fight 2003 Review by LG

[Guest GroundZeroSplash]

Rick Michaels made an emotional return to the ring to defeat Jeff G. Bailey in the finale of the spectacle that was NWA Wildside's Freedom Fight '03. It appeared to be a two-match deal, the annual War Games and a four way ladder match for the Junior belt. Both matches exceeded expectations in such spectacular fashion that there likely destination is to be remembered among the best in the history of the company. Clearly, the Wildside crew gave everything they had on this night and the crowd savored every minute of the 3 and half hour show. Do yourself a favor and buy the tape.

 

(1) Jeff Lewis & Jason Blackman & Slim J & Jacey North beat Murder One & Masada & Todd Sexton & Shadow in a tag team elimination match (18:52). The crowd and the workers both had the big show intensity going. There were some messed up spots early, but they got in the groove as the match wore on. There seemed to be some legit heat with Blackman here, as Masada got brutally stiff with a kick to the spine and a follow up clothesline. North hit his big moves: the spinning fisherman, the crossed arms Iconoclasm and the infamous tope penicida before being eliminated by Shadow's DDT at 6:18. Masada kicked the crap out of Blackman again. Blackman was off his game on offense but pinned Shadow with a quebrada at 9:05. Next fall was mostly heel heat on Lewis, before Masada hit the Masadamizer to eliminate Blackman at 12:12. J hit a step up kick that flattened Masada's nose. J pinned Masada with a leap from the top into a huracanrana, a spectacular move that kicked the match into another gear at 13:03. M-1 hit his second wicked Blazing Lariat of the match. J went to the well once to often with the top rope hurancanrana and Sexton converted it into the Gamebreaker for the pin at 14:30. Sexton and M-1 went to work on Lewis. Sexton hit a big powerbomb and was cocked for a superkick. Lewis made Sexton miss and scored the pin with a reverse roll up at 16:28. Lewis finally had M-1 one on one. M-1 blocked the Lewis Driver. Lewis did a nice climbing the ropes reversal and hit a Last Rites. Sexton, Masada and Shadow came out to surround the ring. Lewis blocked the Zoolander and hit his finisher. Shadow quickly distracted the ref and Sexton superkicked Lewis. Lewis kicked out of the pin for a great false finish. The face team came out to neutralize the heels. Lewis hit the Lewis Driver again for the three count.

 

Stradlin was shown backstage with Sexton, his former partner in T-N-T. Stradlin gave Sexton crap about losing the opening match. Sexton told Stradlin that he hoped Rudy Boy would beat his ass.

 

(2) Tony Stradlin beat Rudy Boy Gonzalez and Don Juan and Fast Eddie in a four-way Texas Wrestling Academy Challenge (11:20). This was changed from Stradlin vs. Lazz about a week before the show when Lazz cancelled. About the level that could be expected from this group. Not bad but nothing overly compelling about it either. Stradlin looks goofier than ever with a shaved head. They agreed to make it a tag. Gonzalez & Juan vs. Stradlin & Eddie. Gonzalez and Stradlin wrestled to a stalemate. Gonzalez did a rolling lucha style bump, the kind that originated with the hard boxing rings in Mexico. Eddie outwrestled Juan, who made an unwanted tag to Stradlin. Naturally, Eddie double crossed Stradlin. Juan suspended Stradlin from the second rope and Eddie did a quebrada to Stradlin's back. Eddie and Juan did some hideously spastic dancing. Sexton and Masada came to ringside. Gonzalez said, "It's TWA night I guess." Stradlin came back with an STO, but Rudy Boy hit a flying clothesline and a butterfly suplex. Stradlin did a surprise baseball slide to the outside. Sexton's superkick missed Stradlin and caught Masada instead. The three TWA guys chased Stradlin around the ring like he was a greased pig. The finish came with Gonzalez and Stradlin in the ring and the TWA guys arguing at ringside. Gonzalez blocked Stradlin's sunset flip by grabbing the ropes. Ref Speedy Nelson kicked Rudy Boy's hands allowing Stradlin to take Gonzalez over for the pin.

 

The NWA World Champion, A. J. Styles appeared on the video screen with a taped message for the Wildside fans. Styles said a lot had changed. Styles apologized for not being present (I believe it was the first time he had missed a Freedom Fight show) and said he would be back soon.

 

(3) Salvatore Rinauro defeated "Kool" Seth DeLay and Altar Boy Luke and Gabriel in a four way ladder match to retain the NWA Wildside Junior Title (24:45). This deserves a place on the all -time list of Wildside matches with the most psychotic spots. Given the degree of difficulty, they hit on an amazing percentage of the stuff they tried. Impossible to adequately describe. Here are some of the higlights. Gabriel monkey flipped Rinauro right on his head early in the match. They started fighting over a small ladder. Luke did a moonsault off the apron onto the ladder. Gabriel and DeLay did the Lost Boyz legdrop off the apron/wheelbarow facebuster on the floor on Rinauro. They did a three way sunset flip/german suplex spot. They did a contrived four way spot off the top of the ladder. Luke and Gabriel boosted Rinauro up and rammed him face first into the sign over the ramp. DeLay did an insane 450 splash off the post that left all four down on the floor. They got two small ladders inside the ring. Luke gave Gabriel a flatliner off the ladder. They tried to do a four way spot off the two ladders, but they had to abort when one of the ladders started to give way. DeLay did a huracanrana off the top of the ladder on Gabriel. Gabriel and DeLay fired ladders at each other. Luke appeared to twist his knee on a 450. Rinauro missed an elbow drop off the top of a ladder. Gabriel missed a moonsault off a two ladder contraption. They set up a giant ladder and a table at ringside and teased a spot. DeLay did a flying squirrel off a ladder onto Rinauro. Luke did a missile VanDaminator to knock Gabriel off a ladder. DeLay hit his cradle flatliner on Rinauro. DeLay climbed, but Gabriel and Luke brought him off with a double spinebuster. Rinauro climbed but got bumped off the ladder over the tope rope. Luke put Kool through the table with top rope legdrop that had amazing height and distance. An incredibly dangerous spot. They were both destroyed. Gabriel and Rinauro climbed to the top of two ladders. Rinauro called for the Phoenix Fury Legdrop. Gabriel dumped him and was inches away from the belt when the lights went out.

 

Lights on and Azrael was on the ladder with Gabriel. He hit the Old Testament (DVD powerbomb) off the ladder on Gabriel. The crowd was silent at first and then began to rumble when they saw Azrael being greeted at ringside by a smiling Jeff G. Bailey. Rinauro was overcome with emotion as retrieved his beloved title belt.

 

Perfect time to go to an intermission. Who would want to follow that?

 

(4) The Impact (Scott Cage & Kaos) beat Future Shock (Jay Freeze & Brandon P) to retain the NWA Wildside Tag Team Titles. I'm guessing the time was 7-8 minutes. Match was OK but not nearly as good as Impact's title win last week. Freeze's back is in bad shape but he gutted it out. 4 way brawl right from the get go. Cage hit an Asai moonsault to the outside. Impact did a weird looking double flapjack, as if P ran right through it. Match took a sudden turn when Future Shock did one of those classic cheating double teams, ala Midnight Express. Cage took a beating. Cage scored a nice reversal on a catapult, but Freeze kicked him in the face and tagged. Cage hit a spinning suplex and hot tagged Kaos. Kaos did a wheelbarrow into a full nelson drop for a near fall. Future Shock went for their finisher, but Kaos countered and the heels collided. Impact hit their blockbuster/spinebuster combo to pin Freeze.

 

Tank and Bulldog Raines hit the ring with Al Getz. They laid Cage out with a devastating powerbomb/chokebreaker double team. No surprise there. Getz warned Rick Michaels last week that he was making a mistake by not giving Getz Enterprises the title shot. The surprise was P and Kaos teaming up on the save. Cage did a great job selling it. Freeze stayed down in the ring for a long time. He's going to need time off due to the back injury.

 

(5) David Young beat Kevin Northcutt in 10:23. Northcutt looked huge, particularly after seeing mostly cruiserweights to this point in the show. They opened with basic scientific style wrestling. Things suddenly got a lot stiffer. Northcutt was distracted by the presence of Mikael Adryan at ringside calling his name. Young hit a standard enzuirgiri and a shining wizard version. Adryan started taunting Northcutt. Young started to do some subtle heeling. Northcutt sold big whips into the turnbuckles. Young grounded Northcutt with a headscissors and fans got behind Northcutt. Young slammed Northcutt and climbed to the top. Northcutt popped up and brought Young off the top with an exploder suplex. Northcutt hit three corner clotheslines and Young slumped down against the buckles. Northcutt hit an exploder for a near fall. Northcutt hit his version of the Kryptonite Crunch for another near fall. Adryan pulled Northcutt's leg to distract. Young recovered and hit the spinebuster for the pin.

 

Intermission to set up the cage. The previous two matches served their purposes and left plenty on the table for the War Games.

 

Rick Michaels was shown on the video screen giving Team Wildside a motivational speech. Michaels reminded them of their mission: prevent Jeff G. Bailey from regaining control of Wildside and give MIchaels a chance to take 7 months of "flustration" out on Bailey. Michaels started slapping all of his men to fire them up. It was announced that Andrew Thomas was banned from refereeing in the War Games.

 

(6) Team Wildside (Jeremy V & Jimmy Rave & Onyx & Hotstuff Hernandez) beat The NWA Elite (Rainman & Jason Cross & Iceberg & Justice) (with Jeff G. Bailey) in the War Games (23:02). A fantastic match with a great finish and oh my God, what a payoff. Four way juice. Five counting the hardway cut on Justices' shoulder. V and Rainman were selected to work the first five minutes. Then there would be a coin flip to see which team got to send the next man into the cage. Teams would alternate sending a wrestler into the cage every two minutes until all 8 were in. Bailey kept the fans in suspense about the fourth member of the Elite team. V got off to a fast start with a spear, but Rainman took control and showed him no mercy. Rainman rammed V into the cage. V was busted open. Rainman ground V's face into the cage like it was hamburger meat. Iceberg was yelling for Rainman to open that SOB up. The Elite won the coin flip. Cross exploded on V with a dragon suplex and brainbuster. Rainman used barbed wire on V. Rave entered for Team Wildside. Rave hit Cross with a killer running knee and a huracanrana. V hit the Spinesplitta on Rainman. The faces took over. Rave lit Cross up with chops. Iceberg was the next one in. He wasted no time using the veggie peeler on Rave. Rave only bled a little. Cross did a top rope elbow drop on Rave. Onyx hit the ring jacked. He heaved Cross into the cage with a gorilla press toss. ONYX SUPERPLEXED ICEBERG for the single biggest pop of the night. The sight of a guy Onyx's size suplexing that behemoth blew people away. Onyx celebrated like the Onyx of old. Bailey introduced his "personal doomsday device" Justice as the fourth member of the team. Justice gave V a rocket launcher into the cage. The Elite destroyed V with top rope moves. Iceberg crushed him with a top rope elbow. Hernandez entered with a vengeance, nailing all four heels. Hernandez gave Cross a crucifix powerbomb into the cage that knocked him silly. Hernandez rammed Iceberg into the cage. Iceberg bladed. Hernandez won a BRUTAL chopping duel with Justice. Onyx hit Justice low to set up a sunset powerbomb by Rave. Onyx powerslammed Iceberg. Rainman got color. Hernandez missed with a spear and went flying into the cage. Rainman and Iceberg doubled on an incapacitated Hernandez. Onyx hit the Blackout on Cross. Iceberg accidentally clocked Justice. Hernandez took Iceberg out with the spear. V hit a shining wizard on Rainman and locked on Rainman's finisher, the Hillside Stangler. The fans were going nuts when Rainman tapped out.

 

It was time for Bailey to get his. Bailey decked ring announcer, Jason Martin, yelled "f*** that sh*t" and ran through the curtain. Hernandez carried Bailey back out and dumped him in the cage. Michaels made his entrance with fans screaming "f*** him up."

 

(7) Rick Michaels beat Jeff G. Bailey in 7:18. They did a lot more than I thought they would. It's goes without saying that Bailey is no wrestler, and Michaels is nowhere close to 100%. It mattered not. Thomas knocked out Speedy Nelson and took over as ref. Bailey threw powder in Michaels' face and hit him in the nuts, which was about the only way it made sense for him to gain the advantage. Bailey actually pulled off a whip reversal and a kick to the gut for a two count. Bailey choked Michaels with a rope. Bailey pulled out the veggie peeler, but Michaels got control of it. It was the moment some fans had waited almost four years to see. With Dan Wilson screaming at the top of his lungs for Michaels to make that evil m*****f***** bleed, Michaels took the peeler to Bailey's head. Bailey bladed for the first time in his Wildside career. Blood was instantly pouring down Bailey's face and onto the requisite white shirt. Michaels dug and carved on Bailey's head. Michaels whipped Bailey face first into the cage. Michaels tossed Bailey over the ropes into the cage. And again. Bailey was a bloody mess. Michaels ground Bailey's head into the fence. One punch and Michael covered. Thomas counted two and gave Michaels the one finger salute. Thomas fumbled for the key to the cage, but he was trapped. Thomas begged off and Bailey hit Michaels in the nuts. Bailey delivered a series of slaps. He was so blown up that they did little damage. Michaels hit the double shot on a collapsing Bailey. Michaels forced Thomas's hand down for the three count.

 

The building exploded with emotion with fans chanting "Rick, Rick, Rick." The face dressing room filled up the ring to celebrate with Michaels. Bill Behrens announced Michaels as the "Only Chosen One in Professional Wrestling." Michaels gave a speech thanking the fans for their support of the promotion. He was choking back the tears. He wasn't the only one. Michaels said that when he started NCW back in 1999 with Steve Martin, he never imagined it would grow the way it has. He said the Wildside crew was the greatest and said they had busted their asses for the people. Fans chanted "thank you." Michaels closed by thanking Bill Behrens for keeping his promotion going.

 

NOTES: Wildside comes right back next Saturday night with a special show to celebrate the taping of their 200th television episode: Hernandez finally gets his first shot at Iceberg for the Wildside Heavyweight Title with Bailey banned from ringside, Rainman vs. Jeremy V for the World TV Title, Rinauro vs. Delay for the Junior belt, Impact vs. Tank & Raines (with Getz) for the tag titles, Rave vs. Cross and Azrael vs. Gabriel…Wildside has their first show in Athens, Ga in over year set for 7/12 with Rave vs. Cross vs. Young in the main event…Amaizingly enough, there were no serious injuries. Freeze came in hurt. Rinauro and Luke were both limping after the show, but that was about it. I had the pleasure of meeting one of my favorite internet writers, Raven Mack of the www.confederatemack.com website. Check it out.