IYFW Presents: Seize the Moment RECAP/REVIEW

Another full, varied, and interactive experience in Ballston Spa, NY on Saturday, January 14, 2012. In Your Face Wrestling's first show of the new year. Their first January event since 2008. The event had been built around the pursuit of championship gold, the depths men would delve to hold ON to that gold, and the quest to bring it home. It was built around Vachon/Evans, the appearance of WWE Hall of Famer, Tony Atlas, and the turmoil and turbulence of the tag team title scene. In recent weeks, attentive IYFW fans were treated to a series of wrestler promo's, hyping the show (some better executed than others) and really fleshing put the performers personalities and viewpoint. As usual, there was a lot riding on the event; in that with the appearance of Atlas, and all of the creative energy put into the promos, a good crowd would certainly be gratifying to IYFW management. And they DID draw a good crowd. Certainly the largest I have seen at the BACC.

If Tony's presence alone was the cause of the attendance jump (which I'm not sure it is) then IYFW was banking on a solid show to hopefully get those "casual" fans to come back and see the show next time. They delivered.

Speaking personally? I had a blast. I think I started a good 70% of the chants all night, which is always fun. Had a cool handshake, two second convo, and picture with Tony Atlas. Had my chair stolen by a future two-time tag champion. Won another raffle (which improves my lifetime record to 4 for 6). Saw belts change hands and cheered for a dude with a shake weight for a ring prop.

Like I said. A blast.

This was what greeted IYFW fans for the New Year! Mikey Mudd exploded through the curtain, the first introduced for the show-opening 4-Way match. He brandished a shake weight with confidence and sported snakeskin tights. Was that a Hugh Jackman As Wolverine haircut he was going for?

Is that question even appropriate in the face of the presence of the aforementioned shake weight?

Mudd got in the ring and corrected the ring announcer, wanting to be known as "Michael Anthony" from now on. Okay. Whatever. This guy was awesome! Totally into his role and a lot of fun to watch. I am not generally a guy into "comedy" wrestlers (seriously) but this guy was great. His opponents were equally impressive. The Real Rob Coleman was next out, sporting a new (to me, anyway) gimmick. Wearing a blazer and tie, carrying signs like "Occupy Wrestling" and "The Real Mr.USA", he came out asking fans to "Vote for (him) for Champion!" I dig it! You know that if Coleman is in the match, Foxx Vinyer isn't far behind.

And he wasn't.

Nor was the last entrant in the match, Shiloh Robinson.

This was a great match that entertained from the start to the finish. All four men busted their asses, to be sure. Shiloh took the brunt of the offense from all three opponents, each of them showcasing their best. Ballston Spa enjoyed a few minutes of Vinyer/Coleman; which I have been personally pitching to whoever is within earshot in any situation that seems reasonable... And they didn't disappoint. Michael Anthony had the Heel Section of the BACC rolling with some of his facial expressions and odd exclamations through out the match, yet it would be Anthony who would catch a quick pinfall at the hands of an exhausted Shiloh Robinson.

Then he took ANOTHER beating... Pierre "The Beast" Vachon slid into the ring and caught Robinson by surprise, beating him down. Grabbing a hot mic, Vachon called out Drake as he pounded on one of Evans' students from the Academy. Drake would make the save, checking on Shiloh as Vachon slinked to the back -- clearly trying to get in his challengers head.

Great 4-Way opener. Decent enough angle coming out of it. It did what it had to do. I have to believe that Shiloh is HURTING today. He took a beating in that match.

Up next was the rematch from August 13th's "Ballston Spa ScrewJob"! Willing came out first and played up to the crowd. The Heel Section went from praising him one moment, to telling him to "Shut Yo' Mouth!" the next. Too funny.

Ian Daniels made his entrance with his usual energy and the usual surge of support from the local fans. Talk about a lot on the line. Daniels had more than a win on the line, or even his standing in the UNOFFICIAL OFFICIAL TOP TEN RANKINGS... His very PRIDE was on the line on this night. The young man had something to prove. On August 13, 2011, Ian Daniels tapped out to a headlock.

On January 14, 2012... He set things RIGHT.

Before getting too specific on the match, I have to say... Good Lord Willing is an interesting case. He certainly isn't the most polished and primed guy on the roster - by any means - but he certainly knows how to illicit a reaction from the crowd. And a reaction was what he got on this night. The man in the powdered wig fed off of it and eventually nailed a punishing move on Daniels: a stiff shoulder cutter. That shoulder would become the focus of GLW's offense, until Daniels reversed a Claw attempt that he clamped on Willing himself, then reinforced with his OWN claw on top of it... Forcing The Good Lord to submit.

And all was right with the world.

The Enemy's music played next and out they came -- Monroe with a smug grin and Badger with an arm in a sling and the mask on his mug. They did a cute, thankfully brief, bit where Badger wasn't able to be heard with his "CENSORED" mask on before Badger exploded on the mic -- basically reiterating that he was injured and that they wouldn't be defending their belts against The Uprising tonight. Maxx Burton didn't like that... And he called Jamar "Magic" Justice and "Loverboy" Ricky Williams down to the ring.

Maxx told the champs that because they signed a contract... And because Badger couldn't produce PROOF of his injury... That The Minister would award Justice and Williams the Tag Belts by forfeit. The Enemy exploded and, in doing so, Badger revealed in his exuberance that he was NOT, in fact, injured. And thus, I began the "MAKE THE MATCH!" chant.

And he did. And it was good.

But that's later on.

Burton announced The Enemy WOULD defend their belts against The Uprising further into the show.

Up next, Liam McFerrin would take on Etanna. This was a fun, typical big man match. Etanna is solid in his role but I can't help thinking its just a touch TOO textbook. The giant savage that sorta worships a cow skull. Or, this show, a bootlace-wrapped staff. I dunno... Am I alone in thinking he is lacking that one thing to make him unique? Hmm...

This was a good enough match with the action meeting expectation. McFerrin would eventually go for his signature Irish Lariat... But the Shabazz Warrior wouldn't go down. It took THREE of them to take him off of his feet and, even then, Etanna's manager, Good Lord Willing, was quick to get in the ring and intervene on his clients behalf... Which got his client promptly disqualified.

So Big Irish picks up another win, albeit a DQ one.

Next was a six man tag bout, featuring The Northern Studd teaming with Mini-Ninja, Vyper, and Bert Williams to take on Guillaume de Sade, WAR, and Scott Scarsdale. A lot of quick tags on all sides kept this match very fluid and moving. All six guys got a bit of showcase time, with the crowd shockingly getting behind the unique Vyper the most, it seemed. WAR, in particular, was pretty intense throughout this match and, in the end...

The intense WAR made young Bert Williams pass out while his wily partners distracted the Bombshell's buddies.

This was a kind of short match that certainly served its purpose. To be honest, it's kind of a blur. By now, the Heel Section was rolling and the camaraderie was kicking in. I just remember laughing and cheering and booing like a loon during this match. Yeah. We were having fun.

And it was around this point that I realized I hadn't tweeted at all since the show started... Which was only embarrassing because I had publicly stated I'd be all over it; live-tweeting the show with results and pictures. That sure didn't happen, did it? I'd say that speaks more to the fast-paced nature of this event than it does my own rampant irresponsibility.

Naturally.

Time for intermission!

Always a unique experience to say the least. A good portion of the roster milled with the fans and Tony Atlas took to the ring to take pictures with fans. Ten bucks bought you a photo with Mr.USA, with proceeds going to the Schenectedy Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. A good enough cause, I'd say! Tony was especially friendly, approachable, and generous with his time. Came across to me, in my brief interaction with him, as a cool dude with a real sense of humor. He clearly was an attraction.

I should also mention that, during intermission, while I was busy hob-knobbing with legends and winning MORE prizes... Jamar Justice, literally, made my ringside seat disappear. How did he do it?

MAGIC.

Intermission came to a close -- with a howl. The Savage Wolves made their vocal entrance through the doors and marched to the ring. Maxx Burton was right behind them. Rattles off the list of their recent transgressions and suggests that he makes the match tonight a tag team affair. Sgt.Fury's partner would be a face from CJ's recent past, Maxx said. An old partner.

For a split second I thought it might have been Burton himself, setting up a turn on Fury and Burton joining the Wolves... ...nope. But, hey... It's VIGO! And this match was SERIOUS!

...until I politely asked The Wolves Personal Cameraman to take a picture of me taking a picture of him.

Fury was worn out by the Wolves in the early going, with the heels controlling the ring. Nice spot at the end with Fury PLANTING Scott with a slam... And Vigo BRUTALLY driving Damon Ravage through his own brother. Sgt.Fury would pick up the surprise pin... And the crowd exploded. Really good moment. The crowd took to the former (?) referee's "gimmick" and ate up the babyface victory.

Post-Match, Burton returns and calls out Ian Daniels and Drake Evans who, along with Referee Adam Brunton, drag CJ Scott and Damon Ravage out of the Ballston Area Community Center kicking and screaming. Feel-good moment. Koombaya.

Hold on to your FACES.

That's right. Out next was former IYFW New Breed Champion, "The Pillar" Roman Dominguez, who made his way to ringside with his usual air of superiority. He would have an uphill battle PROVING that superiority to the In Your Face Faithful while up against the equally deadly Nocturne.

I went ahead and called this the "Match of the Night" in my preview/predictions post.

I was pumped for this match and was proud to kick start a "LET'S GO, ROMAN!" chant that the Heel Section could get behind. They felt eachother out and gathered the kindling for a nice slow burn. Before too long, the fight spilled outside and Dominguez hurled Nocturne into the front row of the Heel Section. After that? Well...nthe kicks were furiously flying - as were the teeth.

At one point, Nocturne delivered 3 consecutive blistering kicks to the back of The Pillar's dome and it appeared as though this night belonged to darkness...

Until Dominguez caught and DRILLED Nocturne with the Krushifix for a three count. Good match!

But was it match of the night? Stay tuned.

Our next contest was the In Your Face Wrestling Tag Team Championship match and the showdown between The Enemy and The Uprising. This is REALLY the story of the rivalry between Jamar "Magic" Justice and "The Spectacle" Adam Badger ... And as awesome as that is, you do kind of walk away from it feeling like "Loverboy" Ricky Williams and "Megastar" Michael Monroe are bit players in a sweeping overarching story which is unfortunate given their talent. This was another great outing from both teams and another great interactive experience for the fans.

Take THIS young man at ringside for example...

Adam Badger, in the midst of a war, took the time to STEAL this youngsters shirt and hang it on the turnbuckle while awaiting a tag. This young man took matters into his own hands, jumped the chain-rail, and snatched up Badger's trademark mask...

...with minimal prompting from myself, I assure you.

TELL me that kid didn't have a great time. In a nutshell, and if I may briefly diverge from the topic for a moment, THAT is why I love going to these shows. That kind of experience. THAT level of interaction. This isn't the WWE where maybe the wrestlers will make eye contact or slap a kids hand... They bring the little kids (and yes, the big kids) INTO the action for just a moment.

I could ramble on about the moves exchanged, the missed 450 splash by Monroe, or the impressive tiltawhirl backbreaker into ANOTHER backbreaker by Justice... By why not just marvel at the photos themselves. Here are a few nice ones that I feel tell the story fairly well...

SPOILER ALERT...

Excellent match... The crowd popped hard for the hot tag to Justice that led to his eventual pinfall over Badger and ever harder for the pinfall itself. The Uprising celebrated around the arena with the fans before heading to the back--

But Guillaume de Sade, Scott Scarsdale, and WAR burst through the curtain and LEVELED them. IYFWrestling.com is calling this trio "Blood Money" and I LIKE it.

Guessing they will serve as The Uprisings new antagonists? Also guessing that Badger IS going under the knife and will be out for a while, but anywho...

Yup! Time for the Main Event! Pierre Vachon put his IYFW Championship on the line against Drake Evans. Vachon dominated the early goings, just grinding away at Evans' defenses, using his size advantage to his... advantage. He also dominated through the middle... And the end of the match.

Until Drake fought his way OUT of that Mandible Claw you see up there. He hit a STIFF looking flying dropkick off of the top rope that seemed to land on Vachon's hip and NEARLY had the match won. Might we see ANOTHER belt change hands tonight?

Not if Roman Dominguez had anything to say about it! He came out and distracted Evans (and Referee Vinnie Lawrence) long enough for Vachon to GRAB a handful of steel chain and BASH Evans in the dome with it. He disposed of the evidence and quickly scooped up the pin and the win.

Vigo came out, chased both Dominguez and Vachon away, and raises Evans' arm for a nice pop from the crowd.

Honestly? Not the BEST IYFW Main Event ever... I felt as though both guys were holding back in some odd way. Subdued, is how I would describe the overall match. Did Vachon control things for too long? I dunno... But there was certainly something missing. I had expected Evans to win... So maybe that's why I was taken aback? Who knows. Not a BAD match by any means... But it wasn't what I expected, I suppose.

Overall? Great show. The atmosphere was hot. The wrestlers worked their asses off and turned in an excellent performance. I just hope my words and passion properly convey how much fun is to be had at an In Your Face Wrestling show.

A lot.

A lot of fun is to be had.

ANYHOW! Thanks for reading, feel free to leave a comment; either below, or on the wrestlefudge FaceBook page.("like" that, btw).

So... MATCH OF THE NIGHT?
Tie: Dominguez/Nocturne, Uprising/Enemy
(a cop-out? Nah. Both matches were drastically different and served different purposes. Loved them both separately but equally.)

Hoping to record another w'fudge b'cast this weekend! So keep an eye (and an EAR!) out for that. Also, another show has gone in the record books, so you know what THAT means: the UNOFFICIAL OFFICIAL TOP TEN RANKINGS can't be too far behind, right?

Thanks again!