Its not often that I impulsively book myself a trip. I was just coming off of the buzz of ICW’s Australia Tour when I took a good hard look at NHB 39. After weighing my options, I decided that I absolutely had to be there; if for no other reason than to see the legendary Abdullah Kobayashi do what he does best in The Chains. So I booked my trip, and over 200 miles later, I had arrived at The Heart Ballroom in Newark, New Jersey for NHB 39.
For my first time, I have to say that Heart as a venue has a special atmosphere to it’s walls that really drew me in. Theres no doubt that it is a small space. However, I find that these intimate venues only add to the wrestling show experience. While yes, you may have to stay on your toes as glass and wrestlers come your way, there is seemingly no bad view in the house. Especially with the upper balcony viewing for those wanting a better view.
The evening started off with (a biggity biggity bang) a rematch of Battle of the Tough Guys II as AKIRA locked horns with “The Bev” Bobby Beverly. Both guys came into this match fresher than their tournament bout; and in AKIRA’s case, with one more eye. That freshness most definitely contributed to this match as they were able to go full speed and deliver a hard hitting matchup. The Bev would suffer the Death Penalty as AKIRA racked up another opening match victory. With an opener as hot as this, I was fired up for the night to come.
Next came Orin Veidt, filling in for SLADE as he took on Dr. Redacted. Orin dominated most of this match, making Redacted bleed like a hot running faucet as they brawled through the crowd. Redacted would make a strong push back into the end with his signature Trash Can Dive to the outside and even a shot from a goddamn Whipper Snipper (Weed Wacker). The mad doctor would finish things with a Frog Splash onto tubes and Orin to thunderous applause. With this win, it seems that Redacted has really endeared himself with the NHB fateful. I look forward to seeing where he goes from here.
Then came time for the Big Boss of ICW, Danny Demanto to face one of the East Coast’s best utility players in Jimmy Lloyd. This match featured doors and glass aplenty with the sick inclusion of a scissor board. Both Danny and Jimmy came with their A-game as they laid it all out there in a hard hitting match with Jimmy claiming victory. What hit just as hard was Danny Demanto’s words post-match as he proclaimed any promotional beefs will be squashed going into the new year. I will hold onto hope of this as a fan of Deathmatch Wrestling. A non-unified Deathmatch scene only serves to split both fans and talents alike.
To my surprise, the big marquee encounter of HoodFoot and Abdullah Kobayashi would happen in the middle of the show. Despite this placement, both HoodFoot and Kobayashi would treat this as a Main Event bout with mounds of glass bursting all across The Heart Ballroom (some even before they left the tube box). Kobayashi would hit the Shining Wizard and later the Bakachinga Elbow but could not put HoodFoot down! It would take HoodFoot using Abby’s own Top Rope Bakachinga Elbow to finish off the Japanese legend; the two sharing a moment of respect post-match. This match alone was worth every mile driven to get here; getting to see the rising star in HoodFoot gain a massive win against a legend in Kobayashi. Hopefully this is only the beginning for HoodFoot’s future prospects in the scene.
Following such a big time matchup was IWTV Breakout Star nominee Tommy Vendetta facing a decorated Deathmatch veteran in Matt Tremont. Tremont wanted to see what Tommy was all about and Tommy absolutely showed him who he was with onslaughts of LEGOs, glass and barbecue forks. Ultimately, the veteran acumen would push Tremont to victory with a Piledriver onto a trash can. Following this match, Tremont not only teased a show Mania Weekend featuring H2O, ICW and a third promotion, but called out former IMPACT Champion, Sami Callihan.
The Aces Up Deathmatch would continue the show as John Wayne Murdoch and Eric Ryan would write another chapter in their long standing feud. The match quickly turned into a Dog Collar Match as Eric had enough of John’s hotdogging and grandstanding. A bloody back-and-forth battle would ensue that saw each man make use of the connecting chain. In particularly sickening fashion, Murdoch would practically strangle Eric back into the ring; using the length of chain to drag Ryan back through The Chains. John would knock off Eric with a Brainbuster for the victory and a shot at the American Deathmatch World Championship at NHB 40.
Then came Main Event time! ICW’s hottest storyline to date would finally come to a head as Brandon Kirk would face his own wife, Kasey Catal for Kasey’s American Deathmatch World Championship. Emotions ran on high as both Brandon and Kasey proceeded to hammer away at each other with bundles of tubes. Then things got real drastic as the ICW ring crew begun to unravel the canvas and mat at the request of the Champion. Brandon Kirk would end this match in brutal fashion: hitting a Psycho Driver through a double stack of doors to become the new American Deathmatch Champion! Both Brandon and Kasey would reconcile and the show would come to an end; a happy ending for all.
With ICW’s penultimate event of 2022 in the books, they’ve once again put on a show that ups the ante with each match. Each match felt like it brought something different to the table; be it stylistically or the degree of Fuckery used. My personal pick for Match of the Night was easily the Main Event as I got to see months of storytelling pay off live. Everyone in attendance certainly felt the weight of the moment as the story culminated and Brandon Kirk won a much deserved title. And with one last show on ICW’s 2022 calendar, I look forward to what they’ll do and where they’ll go in 2023.
Top Rope Writing 