A History lesson on the biggest show of the year..

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With the WrestleMania of NWA Florida quickly approching on May 1st, Rage in the Cage, I put together a little results thread here and elsewhere that explains the history of what was traditionally IPW's biggest show of the year and nothing looks to be different in that regard with NWA Florida's Rage in the Cage 6 which is only 8 short weeks away.

 

Rage In The Cage is essentially, as I said above, the WrestleMania of IPW/NWA Florida. Many feuds come to a head at the show, and several of the aforementioned matches are traditionally held in the steel cage.

 

The Rage in The Cage itself, is a 20 man Come-As-You-Are, Bring-A-Weapon Battle Royal, where the purpose is to throw everyone out of the Cage, either by through the door or over the top. The winner of the Rage in the Cage gets a title shot of any belt he wants in NWA Florida. Last year's winner was Lex Lovett, who chose the IPW World Title for the title match he wanted, and was defeated by Billy Fives on the second night of the Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup Tournament on May 24th, 2003

 

There were five Rage In The Cages in five year history of IPW. Let's now take a cheesy look back at these absolutely amazing shows that were some of IPW's best in their history. I'll put parenthesis around workers who are still around today using another name.

 

1999:

 

IPW Hardcore Wrestling

IPW RAGE IN THE CAGE 1999

January 23, 1999

Crystal River National Guard Armory

Crystal River, FL

 

 

IPW Rage in the Cage

(Winner gets a shot at title of their choice)

The Southern Posse (Sonny T. and 'Gentleman' Rick Thames) reunited and were declared co-winners of the Rage in the Cage battle royal

 

Steel Cage Match

Sonny T. wrestled 'Gentleman' Rick Thames to a no-contest

 

IPW Heavyweight Championship

Navy Seal (champion) defeated Cuban Assassin (w/ Fantasy) by countout

 

IPW Streetfight

Chaos (w/ Psycho) defeated Havoc

 

IPW Lightheavyweight Non-Title Match

Al Bino (Naphtali) defeated Jet Jaguar (champion, w/ Sir Ronald J. Niemi IV)

 

IPW Tag Team Championship

Phi DeKappa U (The Shane Twins) (champions, w/ Sir Ronald J. Niemi IV) beat Randy Fuller and Sean Black

 

Grudge Match

Yuel Lovett (w/ Sir Ronald J. Niemi IV and Montana) beat Freedom Ryder (Mike Sullivan)

 

IPW Challenge Match

O.D.D. (Jeff Bradley, the Original Dudley Dudley) beat Mike Marcello

 

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The year 2000 was the year IPW really took off in the state of Florida. The company began to elevate itself to a whole new level in quality of shows. Rage of the Cage 2 was the first show for IPW of the new century, and the company started off with a gigantic bang and never looked back from there.

 

 

RAGE IN THE CAGE 2000!

January 22nd, 2000

National Guard Armory

Crystal River, Florida

 

Rage in the Cage 2000

Freedom Ryder won the 20 Man, Come as You Are, Bring Your Own Weapon, Last Man in the Cage Wins Steel Cage Battle Royal (Ryder turned heel after this match, joined Ron Niemi's 911 INC., and became "Marvelous" Mike Sullivan)

 

IPW Heavyweight Title Match: 3 Way Dance

Cuban Assassin (w/ Capitana Natasha) beat Haystacks Calhoun Jr. and Navy Seal to win the IPW Heavyweight Championship

 

IPW Hardcore Title Cage Match

Chaos (w/ The Chaotic Cult) beat O.D.D. (Jeff Bradley, the Original Dudley Dudley) to win the IPW Hardcore Title

 

IPW Tag Team Title Match

Drunk and Disorderly beat Phi DeKappa U to win the IPW Tag Team Championship

 

IPW Lightheavyweight #1 Contenders Match

Jet Jaguar (w/ Sir Ronald J. Niemi IV) pinned Jamie Howard (Jamie Knoble I think)

 

Tag Team Double Tables Match

A.S.S. (Naphtali and Havoc) beat The Freak Foundation

 

Special Challenge Match

Barry 'The Winner' Horowitz pinned Freedom Ryder (Mike Sullivan)

 

IPW Light Heavyweight Title Match

'Uptown' Frankie Capone (champion) pinned 'Superstar' Jeremy Lopez

 

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2001 was no different for IPW, which by then was the biggest and most popular promotion in the state of Florida. For this Rage in the Cage, Christopher Daniels was brought in and worked Scoot Andrews in Daniels' first cage match of his career. (He has worked two, the other being the 2003 TNA Match of the Year with his partner Elix Skipper vs. America's Most Wanted for the NWA Tag Team Titles) This show once again kicked IPW into overdrive. They continued to bring in top talent over the course of this year and were literally on fire all across the state, and even hosted the NWA 53rd Anniversary spectacular at their home venue of the Florida WrestlePlex, which once again featured Scoot Andrews vs. Christopher Daniels as well as Former IPW World Champion AJ Styles vs. Chris Daniels which was one of the best matches to have ever graced an IPW ring. Shinya Hashimoto and Steve Corino battled for the NWA World Title on the Anniversary show as well, but that is a story for another time. The 2001 Rage in The Cage!!!!

 

 

RAGE IN THE CAGE 3!

June 16th, 2001

Florida WrestlePlex

St. Petersburg, FL

 

Rage in the Cage 3!

'The Turncoat' Rod Steel was declared the winner of the 'Come as You Are, Bring Your Own Weapons Battle Royal Inside a Steel Cage'. Steel eliminated Axis by pushing him over the top of the cage to claim the victory.

 

IPW Heavyweight Title Match - Steel Cage

'Black Nature Boy' Scoot Andrews (champion) defeated 'The Fallen Angel' Christopher Daniels with 'All American' Jeff Peterson as Special Referee

 

Intermission:

Missy Hyatt and Tammy Sytch appeared unannounced and plugged their new website

 

Special Challenge Match: IPW vs WCW

Phil Latio pinned Kanyon

 

IPW TV Title Match

Mike Shane (champion, w/ Hardcore Giant 'Ron Niemi') pinned Marty Jannetty Afterwards, Niemi and Shane challenged anyone in the back for the TV Title. Pat McGroin answered the challenge, and pinned Shane to capture the championship.

 

Triple Threat Match for NWA Florida Heavyweight Title

Iceman Buck Q (champion) defeated 'Marvelous' Mike Sullivan (with XTC) and Vinny Massaro when Buck pinned Massaro

 

IPW Tag Team Contenders Match

QuickieMart defeated Mind 'N Matter

 

IPW Light Heavyweight Title Match - Elimination

Seijin Akki (Mikey Tenderfoot) (champion) defeated Adam Booker and Former WWE, IPW and WCW Cruiserweight Champion Jamie Noble. Noble eliminated Booker, then Akki eliminated Noble to keep the title.

 

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I can't do another hype job that will do justice to Rage in The Cage 4, the first of many IPW events to be held at the beautiful Pinellas Expo Center. I literally cannot do this show justice so I'll just show the results now.

 

April 12th, 2002

THE RAGE IN THE CAGE 2002!

Pinellas Expo Center

10601 US Hwy 19 N

Pinellas Park, FL

 

Main Event #1: The Rage in the Cage!

(20 Man Bring Your Own Weapon Battle Royal Inside of a Cage!)

Agent Steele (Bruce Steele) was declared the winner of the 'Rage in the Cage' after eliminating Chaos, Bobby Rogers and the Sandman after knocking all of them out with repeated shots to the head with a Singapore cane

 

Main Event #2: Falls Count Anywhere in the Building!

The O.D.D. Jeff Bradley vs 'The Madman from the Sudan' Abdullah the Butcher

was declared a no-contest as they brawled all over the Pinellas Expo Center, completely destroying the vendor tables in the process

 

IPW Hardcore Title Match

Axis (champion, w/ Lennox) vs. 'The Prince of Darkness' Kevin Sullivan (w/ Abudadein) was also declared a no-contest as once again these two battled all over the building, including the woman's bathroom and concession stand

 

IPW Heavyweight Title Match: Three Way Dance!

Billy Fives (champion) defeated David Young (w/ the Hardcore Princess) and Adam Jacobs to retain the title as Fives pinned Jacobs after several previous near-falls

 

 

Florida Unified Tag Team Title Match

Wrongful Death (Naphtali and Dagon Briggs, Champions) defeated Christian York and Kamikaze as Naphtali pinned York after the Death Valley Driver

 

Title vs Title Match!

Justice (Florida Unified Cruiserweight Champion) and Jeremy Lopez (NWA Wildside Junior Heavyweight Champion) wrestled to a 15 minute time-limit draw

 

4 Way Elimination Madness Match

'Marvelous' Mike Sullivan (w/ XTC) defeated 'The Fallen Angel' Christopher Daniels, Tony Mamaluke, and Scoot Andrews when Sullivan pinned Daniels. Early in the match, Daniels re-injured the recently broken leg of Andrews with a chair. Andrews came out on crutches later in the match, wacked Daniels in the back of the head with a crutch, which enabled Sullivan to get the pinfall victory

 

6 Man IPW Streetfight

The Shane Brothers and Jet Jaguar w/ 'Hardcore Giant' Ron Niemi defeated The Professionals (Rod Steel, Pat Mcgroin and Pat Powers) after Mike Shane hit the TKO on McGroin

 

Coal Miners Glove Match

Fidel Sierra (Cuban Assassin) (w/ Fantasy) defeated Rastaman (Navy Seal) after Sierra got the glove and knocked out Rastaman for the victory

 

Tag Team Turmoil Match

ShortBus (Special Ed & Corky) won a 4 Team Elimination Tag Match over Risk Factor (2004 Independent Breakout Star Roderick Strong & 2003 Super 8 Participant Sedrick Strong), Jacey North & Seijin Akki (Mikey Tenderfoot) and the team of Livewire & Cynic.

 

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2003 would unfortunately spell the end for IPW's Rage In The Cages, as well as the entire company itself. By and large Rage in The Cage 5 continued to trend of outdoing the previous year's RITC, and was once again one of IPW's best shows in its long 5 year history.

 

The RAGE IN THE CAGE 5!

April 18th, 2003

Pinellas Expo Center

10601 US19 North

Pinellas Park, FL

 

Main Event: The Rage in the Cage V!

Lex Lovett was victorious in the Steel Cage Battle Royal after he eliminated Antonio Banks

 

Steel Cage Grudge Match!

Rod Steel vs Buck Quartermain was declared a no-contest

 

Florida Unified Heavyweight Title Match!

Billy Fives (champion, w/ So Cal Val) defeated Agent Steele (w/ Jenni Lee & Tiffany) via pinfall to retain the title

 

Heavyweight Grudge Match

Antonio Banks defeated Lex Lovett via pinfall

 

IPW TV Title Match!

Mark Zout (champion) defeated Pat McGroin (w/ Vanessa Harding) via submission to retain the title

 

Six Man Tag Team TLC Match! Tables Ladders and Chairs!

Scoot Andrews, Roderick Strong and Mike Sullivan defeated Sedrick Strong, David Babylon and Steve Madison in an incredible matchup after Scoot pinned Babylon

 

Tag Team Challenge Match

The Vandalz (w/ Fabulous Frank) defeated Pat Powers and 'Uptown' Frankie Capone (w/ Cannon) via pinfall

 

IPW Hardcore Title Match!

Mideon defeated Rastaman (champion) to become the new IPW Hardcore Champion

 

Florida Unified Cruiserweight Title Match!

Justice defeated Naphtali (champion, w/ Abudadein) to become the new Florida Unified Cruiserweight Champion after special referee Jerrelle Clark counted the pinfall

 

NWA Florida Tag Team Title Match!

The Shane Brothers (champions, w/ 'Hardcore Giant' Ron Niemi) defeated Vicious and Delicious (w/ Lennox and Coral) via pinfall

 

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Will the 2004 Rage in The Cage, the first of hopefully many Rage in The Cages to be held by NWA Florda hold up the legacy left by the previous 5? We'll find out May 1st at RAGE IN THE CAGE 6 at the St. Petersburg National Guard Armory!!