By Cam Cunningham

 

 

  The show kicked off with an apocalyptically-clad AnnaLynn Storm welcoming the IZW World to Sudden Impact. The opening contest featured the IZW Tag Team Champion Diamond Dogs defending their titles against the original incarnation of Nemesis. Luke Langley and Rage Logan began the bout for their respective teams, and following form from their very competitive contest only a week before, quickly found themselves in a stalemate. Damien Morte and Graham Bell were tagged in, and both men forsook technical wrestling for fisticuffs. Nemesis seized control, and despite some brief counters by the Diamond Dogs, dominated the early portion of the match. Seizing an opening for some dirty tag coordination, Langley was able to briefly distract distinguished official Martin Justice, allowing Bell to pull Morte down by his hair on the ring apron. The champions smelled blood, and viciously attacked Morte for several minutes with their trademark double team tactics. Bell went for the kill with an avalanche hurricanrana, but Morte held onto the top rope and connected with a diving DDT to the Future Hall of Famer. With Logan and Langley tagged in simultaneously, the man called “Greatness” took the match by storm. A nearfall was broken up by Bell, but he was dispatched by Morte and Nemesis dropped Langley with an assisted brainbuster. Only a foot on the rope saved the titles for the Diamond Dogs, and Nemesis set up London Bridge. Bell crotched Logan on the turnbuckle and and sent Morte tumbling outside by pulling down the top rope. The Dogs demolished Logan with a flurry of strikes and a Black Diamond, but were unable to earn a three count. The champions went for Bad Moon Rising, but Logan blocked and Morte slid into the ring to erase Bell’s face  with a low boot. Nemesis hit London Bridge on Langley, but just before the official could count three, Shawn McHale pulled the referee out, disqualifying the champions but allowing them to retain their titles.

 

 

    Graham Bell was not satiated however, and attacked both members of Nemesis with a tag title belt. With a recovering Langley, he set up a table outside the ring and covered it in lighter fluid, an eerie homage to the events of Coronation that left Morte with severe burns. Langley swore to turn Morte to ashes, but the Suicide Saint low-blowed the good doctor and Nemesis coordinated to set Bell on the table. Logan covered Bell in lighter fluid and Morte held a lighter high above his head. Just before Nemesis could incinerate Bell, Langley pulled his partner from the table and the Diamond Dogs retreated to the back as Nemesis watched the now-empty table burn. While the Dogs may still hold the tag belts, Nemesis proved that they are only getting warmed up in their quest for championship gold.

 

 

   “The Bronze Bull” Aaron Neil defended his Impact Division Championship against “The Image of Fear” Kevin Morgan. Morgan held a personal grudge against Neil for costing him an opportunity to advance in the Impact Player of the Year tournament. Forsaking traditional wrestling holds, both men engaged in a slugfest, with Morgan gaining an early edge. \ in the Impact Rules environment. Morgan set up a table outside the ring and place the champion across it, but Neil moved away and used the ring bell hammer to attack the pursuing Image of Fear. Neil finally cemented control with a belt shot inside the ring. Morgan eventually was able to connect with a desperate powerslam, and both juggernauts began to exchange high impact moves, each connecting with a spinebuster and spear. Morgan was able to hit the Moment of Fear, but Neil made “inadvertent” contact with the official and prevented him from making the three count. As Morgan tended to referee PAUL SHOEMAKER, Neil low-blowed the Image of Fear three consecutive times and grabbed a quick pinfall to retain his title.

 

 

   The Fatal Fourway for the IZW Queen’s Crown promised to be fast-paced and unpredictable. The lunatic Athena entered as defending Queen, but faced a pair of imposing newcomers in Killista and “Dominant” Skylar Slice, as well as the extremely decorated Erica. Erica possessed a significant experience advantage over her competition but faced a steep deficit in size and power. Athena and Erica battled outside the ring early on while Killista took the fight to Skylar between the ropes. A heel kick from Skylar downed Killista, but Erica broke up the following cover and targeted Slice. Slice was able to overpower Erica, planting her face first to counter a quesadora bulldog from The Rightful Queen. Athena finally re-entered the fray with a missile dropkick off the top rope that sent Slice reeling to the outside. The deranged one Irish whipped Erica, who used the momentum to hit a low suicide dive onto Slice. Killista came running down the ring apron with a cannonball, and Athena took to the top rope for a massive dive, leaving all four ladies on the outside. Killista and Erica used brief teamwork to send Athena head first into the ring steps, opening a large cut that covered the defending Queen’s face in blood. Slice floored the two fan favorites in the match with a dominant double clothesline. While Slice toyed with both women inside the ring, Athena recovered to ascend to the top rope once more. Slice went up top to met her but was caught in the tree of woe. ERica and Killista hooked Athena for a double superplex and Slice reached up to pull the Tower of Doom down. With all four ladies worn down, each competitor started to go for their signature moves. Killista fell to a Samoan drop from Athena, and Slice was dispatched by Slice Bread #2 from Erica. Athena hoisted the Lady of Impact onto her shoulders, but Erica slipped out and connected with a Zig Zag. Before she could go for a cover, the Future Hall of Famer’s music hit and Damon Windsor appeared on the ramp. This proved to merely be a diversion, as The Diamond Dogs slid into the ring behind Erica, blasting her with stereo superkicks as she turned around. The Dogs dragged Slice on top of Erica, and a new Queen of IZW was crowned. Slice left in the company of the Future Hall of Famers and the IZW World was forced to ponder the significance of this new alliance.

 

 

   Prior to the finals of the Impact Player of the Year tournament, Shawn McHale addressed the crowd and declared that he would present the trophy to the winner of the ladder match. He was interrupted by a returning Jeff Wolfenbarger who revealed that Johnny Z had instated him as new co-commissioner of IZW. Wolfenbarger stated that he would ensure that the remainder of the evening’s matches would have fair and just outcomes.

 

 

   In perhaps the most stark contrast in styles of the evening, Jordan Jacobs faced the immovable Convict to determine the Impact Player of the Year tournament victor. Jacobs certainly had the advantage in actually scaling the ladder with his superior agility, but it remained to be seen if he could survive the Convict long enough to use it. Jacobs eluded the Convict initially and was able to take the larger man down with a ladder-assisted dropkick. The Convict displayed his brutality soon after, blasting Jacobs out of mid-air with a ladder. Using his trademark methodical pace, The Convict proceeded to bludgeon Jacobs around the ring. After tossing Jacobs out of the ring, the Convict made his first attempt to climb a ladder for the victory. Jacobs re-entered the ring to stop his adversary, but was thrown head first into a ladder for his trouble. After suffering an extended beating that would have crippled most wrestlers, Jacobs dropkicked the leg of the Convict and connected with a Tentalizer followed by his countdown knees, driving a ladder into the masked face of the Convict. It would not be enough to gain a victory, as the Convict recovered to slam Jacobs as the 2013 Impact Player of the Year climbed for the trophy. Several other vicious slams and a devastating lariat to Jacobs later, the Convict again set a ladder up to go for the victory. Jacobs tried to dropkick the ladder, but The Convict displayed shocking agility by landing on his feet and crushing “Lights Out” with a leg drop. Jacobs gained a brief window of opportunity by tipping the Convict throat-first onto the top rope, and was able to connect with a ladder-assisted Lightswitch to stun IZW’s most feared competitor. The Convict showed his trademark resiliency, pulling Jacobs off the ladder straight into a 15-to-20, followed up by a second finisher onto a ladder propped in the corner. Jacobs showed fortitude of his own, and stopped Convict moments before the behemoth could seize the trophy. The Convict attempted to superplex Jacobs, but the crowd favorite blocked and grabbed the loop used to suspend the trophy above the ring. Several kicks to the head were enough to send the Convict to the mat, and Jacobs pulled the trophy down to become a two-time Impact Player of the Year.

 

 

   In a showcase of two young talents, “The Spanish Fly” Nathan Estrada took on “Mic Check” Maddox Jones. Per custom, Jones rapped his way to the ring with his signature fresh beats. This match proved surprisingly intense, with both competitors electing to brawl right from the opening bell. Estrada choked Jones in the corner early, but the MC of Impact came back with a big clothesline. Mic Check missed an elbow drop to allow Estrada to regain control, but a stinger splash attempt from the Spanish Fly was met by a belly to belly suplex from the second generation Jones. Jones successfully hit a pair of elbow drops, but fell to a kick to the head when he tried to pick Estrada off the mat. A timely leapfrog from Estrada sent Jones to the floor, but his subsequent attempt at a suicide dive was met with a forearm to the face. Jones connected with a slingshot spear to Estrada but couldn’t put the Spanish Fly away. Jones charged toward Estrada in the corner, but received a thrust kick to the face. Estrada displayed a previously unseen mean streak, driving several knees into Jones’ skull before reigning mounted punches down on. Estrada went to the top rope for the Fro-Butt, but Jones cut him off and attempted a superplex. Estrada blocked, but received only a temporary respite as Jones recovered to press slam Skylar Slice’s worse half from the top turnbuckle, Jones went for the kill, but Estrada grabbed hold of official Martin Justice. Jones backed away as Justice reprimanded Estrada, but the distraction allowed The Spanish Fly to drop Jones face-first onto the second turnbuckle. This dazed Mic Check long enough for Estrada to hit a flipping cutter for the victory.

 

 

   Finally, it was time for the main event, as IZW Champion Double D defended his title against Damon Windsor in an “I Quit” match. Raising the stakes even further, Windsor had vowed to leave IZW if he was not able to recapture the title he had lost at Coronation. One factor in The Facilitator’s favor was the presence of Shawn McHale as the special referee. Traditional wrestling holds promised to be in short supply in this brutal match, and both men wasted no time exchanging stiff strikes. After several back and forth exchanges, Double D connected with a 6-1-Knee to gain the first real advantage of the match. McHale repeatedly refused to check Windsor during the match, preventing The Facilitator from having the opportunity to quit. The action spilled outside, and the champion was able to turn Windsor’s signature metal briefcase against him. A timely rake of the eyes turned the tide back in the favor of Windsor, and the Facilitator slammed the champion repeatedly into the steel ring post. The two men brawled onto the entrance stage, and took turns upping the ante of the brutality, using the pieces of the iPPV set to inflict damage on each other. D attempted to make Windsor quit with a guillotine choke, but was countered with a suplex onto the unforgiving stage. Windsor grabbed a sledgehammer as the action moved back toward the ring, but a desperate Double D fought the Facilitator off with knee strikes. D vaulted off the ring steps for a final blow, but Windsor swatted him from the sky with the sledgehammer. Double D refused to quit, telling McHale “Go force yourself.” An enraged Windsor choked D with a camera cable and continued the assault back inside the ring. Windsor went to stomp his briefcase onto Double D’s head from the second turnbuckle, but the Captain of the Force, moved at the last second and staggered Windsor with several kicks, culminating in a flying thrust kick from the top rope. The Force Chops punished Windsor in the corner, and the champion elected to slam the briefcase into the Future Hall of Famer’s face to punctuate his signature combo. Again, McHale refused to acknowledge any possibility that Windsor would quit the match. A D-Facer planted Windsor face-first into the mat, but a desperate Windsor caught the champion by the throat when D attempted the Air Force crossbody. Windsor delivered three consecutive chokeslams to D, but the valiant champion refused to quit. A last-ditch low bridge by D sent Windsor sprawling to the arena floor. Showing his trademark athleticism, D vaulted to the top rope for a picturesque dive, but Windsor through a chair into the face of the airborne champion. Sinking to the lowest of depths, Windsor pulled chloroform and a rag from under the ring and used it to seemingly render D unconscious. Windsor rolled the hapless D into the ring and applied a crossface. After several seconds, a resounding “I Quit” came across the microphone and Windsor appeared to have saved his IZW career.

 

 

   The Diamond Dogs and Skylar Slice came to the ring to celebrate with their leader, but the jubilation was cut short by new co-commissioner Jeff Wolfenbarger. IZW’s only attorney pointed out that an unconscious man couldn’t possibly say the words “I quit” and revealed a phone he had found backstage, one which contained a recording of D saying “I quit” during a prior backstage promo. Wolfenbarger demanded the match be restarted and had the Future Hall of Famers escorted from ringside by security. D used the break in the action to recover, but quickly found himself at a disadvantage once again as Windsor used the briefcase to punish the champion. Windsor evaded another thrust kick off the top from the champion, with D instead striking McHale. Windsor went for the Revolver, but D was able to counter into the D-Vice submission hold. With McHale incapacitated, Wolfenbarger slid into the ring to check Windsor. Out of options, Windsor uttered “I quit”, ending his IZW career and ensuring the IZW Championship remained in control of The Force.

 

 

   As a shocked Windsor and McHale recovered in the ring, the Future Hall of Famers again emerged from the back. The Diamond Dogs emotionally embraced their now-former leader, and Windsor urged the tag champions and Skylar Slice to carry on. After several moments of consideration, Slice low-blowed Windsor from behind and the Dogs unleashed a pair of superkicks to the face of the Facilitator. Not content, Slice placed an open chair around the head of a kneeling Windsor, and the Dogs used another set of chairs to crush the face of their fallen commander. McHale stripped a motionless Windsor of his Hall of Fame ring, giving it to Slice. McHale, Langley, Bell, and Slice posed over the wreckage of Windsor and steel, showing their unity and sending IZW into an uncertain future.

 

 

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