Cleveland, Ohio’s Absolute Intense Wrestling (AIW) continues to be one of the power players for indie promotions in the Midwest and one of the early leaders in the rise of the US indies since their inception in 2005. They return this Sunday with the 14th edition of Hell On Earth that features an icon vs. icon match, plus several huge title matches, amongst a solid card featuring regional and international stars. Here’s a rundown of the announced card so far.
To Infinity And Beyond (Colin Delaney & Cheech vs. The Philly Marino Experience (Philly Collins & Marino Tenaglia)
To Infinity And Beyond are AIW veterans and 3x AIW Tag Team Champions that continue to entertain and inspire future generations of indie wrestlers. Many will remember Colin Delaney from his run with the WWE years ago (and his return briefly this year), but he’s been a standout on the indies for almost 15 years. They face a newer team in comparison, but The Philly Marino Experience has been teaming since their 2016 days with Mega Championship Wrestling (MEGA) in Elyra, Ohio, where they were MEGA Tag Team Champs for 420 days. The past year they’ve emerged as regulars with AIW, as well as IWA Mid South, NOVA Pro and other Midwest promotions.
“All Ego” Ethan Page vs. KTB vs. Dominic Garrini vs. Joshua Bishop
A Fatal Four Way featuring four very different styles and four very different wrestlers. “All Ethan” Page is the complete package, combining technical savvy and a venomous charisma. The Canadian star is also the reigning Black Label Pro and Xcite Heavyweight Champion, as well as working with IMPACT Wrestling in a team with Matt Sydal. Kyle The Beast (KTB) is one of the indie scene’s toughest brawlers, a mainstay with Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) whose also fought in Beyond Wrestling, EVOLVE, IWA Mid South and Mexico’s Desastre Total Ultraviolento (DTU). Dominic Garrini has been with AIW since he debuted in 2016, and has exploded in 2018, joining the Catch Point stable in EVOLVE, where he fights alongside Doom Patrol (Chris Dickinson & Jaka) and formerly tagged with Tracy Williams. Joshua Bishop is another AIW regular looking to break out with a big showing against three more travelled performers.
AIW Tag Team Championship: The Production (Frankie Flynn & Magnum CK) vs. No Consequences (Chase Oliver & Tre Lamar)
The Production won the AIW Tag Team titles back in July, off of Twins (PB Smooth & Swoggle) at AIW Absolution XIII, and have defended against The Jollyville F**k-Its (Russ Myers & T-Money), The Philly Marino Experience and the former champs themselves. They’re facing the duo of Chase Oliver & Tre Lamar, who have emerged as the principal tag team for the No Consequences faction that also includes AJ Gray, Garrison King, Joshua Bishop and Malcolm Monroe III. While it’s Frankie Flynn & Magnum CK wrestling with the belts, The Production is a larger stable in its own right, also featuring Derek Director, Donovan Danhausen, Eddie Only and Colby Redd. If things go too far one way or the other, we could see an all-out gang war by the end of the match.
AIW Intense Title Championship: Tim Donst (c) vs. Matthew Justice
Tim Donst has spent the past eight years as one of the faces of AIW, after starting out with CHIKARA in 2007 (he won the CHIKARA Young Lions Cup in 2010). Since coming to AIW in 2010, he’s captured the AIW Absolute Championship on three separate occasions, and captured his first AIW Intense title this past July, when he defeated Joey Janela for the belt. Ohio’s Matthew Justice is coming back full circle – although he started in Cleveland All-Pro Wrestling (CAPW) in 2006 and AIW shortly after, he spent a lot of time with Pennsylvania’s International Wrestling Cartel (IWC), where he won the IWC Super Indy Championship, and New York City’s New York Wrestling Connection (NYWC), as a 2x NYWC Tag Team Champion, before returning to AIW last year. An absolute beast, he’s also worked with Championship Wrestling From Hollywood and just debuted with Blackcraft Wrestling.
MJF vs. Tracey Smothers
Maxwell Jacob Friedman, known simply as MJF, is one of the top heels on the indie circuit. A star with Major League Wrestling (MLW), where he’s the MLW Middleweight Champion, and the current reigning Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) World Heavyweight Champion, MJF is also a regular with All American Wrestling (AAW), Beyond Wrestling, and many more around the world. But the young star, whose only been wrestling since 2015, faces a man with a pitstop of impressive pedigree since he debuted in 1983. Tracy Smothers is a 35-year veteran of the sport, who has worked for American Wrestling Association (AWA), NWA Mid South, Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) in Memphis, Championship Wrestling From Florida, New Japan Pro Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), WWE, and the original ECW. He’s been a young athletic star in The Young Pistols with Steve Armstrong and the rough and ready Full Blooded Italians (FBI) in ECW. Following his ECW run, he’s maintained a high profile on the indies, with IWA Mid South, IWC, and AIW, most recently holding the IWA Mid South Heavyweight Championship (for the second time) in 2016. It’s a battle of generations in an inter-Era match up.
LA Park vs. Nick Gage
The wrestling world is still buzzing about Nick Gage‘s deathmatch against former WCW World Heavyweight Champion (and Hollywood actor) David Arquette from last Friday’s GCW Joey Janela’s LA Confidential, but this Friday he’ll match up against someone more in league with his penchant for blood. The reigning GCW World Heavyweight Champion and 4x CZW World Champion will face off against a Mexican hardcore legend in LA Park (the orginial La Parka), who is having an amazing comeback year in 2018 with the likes of MLW, CMLL and AAA amonst others.
AIW Absolute Championship Match: “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams vs. Eddie Kingston
AIW’s top title will get a hard-hitting affair to decide it’s fate, as AIW Absolute Champion “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams puts his title on the line against “The Mad King” Eddie Kingston. A longtime regular with EVOLVE, where he was a 2x EVOLVE Tag Team Champion with Catch Point, Williams departed EVOLVE this year after spending his first five years in the industry with the company. Also a former AIW Tag Team Champion, Williams has transitioned into a stand out singles star, with AIW, Beyond Wrestling, and more, as he’s also the reigning Powerbomb.tv Independent Champion. His opponent is no stranger to championship gold, as “The King” has collected much hardware in his 16-year career. The inaugural CHIKARA Grand Champion, Kingston held the belt for 924 days between 2011 and 2014, as well as being a former CZW World Heavyweight Champion, IWA Mid South Heavyweight Champion, and 2x AAW Heavyweight Champion. He’s also currently leading The OGz in IMPACT Wrestling with former LAX members Homicide & Hernandez. Kingston doesn’t play light and doesn’t play fair, so Williams will have his work cut out for him as The King looks to add more championship gold around his waist.
