BRM Reviews IWA-MS 2004 Ted Petty Invitational: Night 1

[Big Red Machine]

IWA-MS 2004 Ted Petty Invitational: Night 1 (9/17/2004)- Highland, IN

OPENING VIDOE PACKAGE- AMAZING! NEARLY PERFECT! This might be the best opening video for a tournament I have ever seen. The only problem with it was that there were about four minutes of just highlights after the wrestlers stopped talking and it really felt like it dragged on.
That aside, though, this video package was perfect. It is now 12:30 AM. I have been up since nine o’clock and am operating on four hours of sleep, but after seeing that video package, I don’t want to go to sleep until I have finished this show (edit: it is now 2:30 and I am just dead tired, so I am going to call it a night… but if I had been earlier in the day, I totally would have stayed up to watch this)!

LACEY PROMO- good

MERCEDES MARTINEZ PROMO- okay

IAN ROTTEN SPEECH- Ian had two things he wanted to cover. The first was him announcing that next year’s King of the Death Match Tournament would take place in Japan, and that IWA-MS was working on putting together travel packages and was giving away one free flight. This was very cool of IWA-MS to do, and to announce it a whole year in advance to give fans time to make plans was nice, but Ian’s delivery was very bad. He was fumbling over words left and right, and more importantly, he didn’t sound excited. This should be a big thing, but Ian sounded a lot more nervous than excited, which really killed it.

Then Ian talked about Ted Petty, and why he had renamed the Sweet Science Sixteen Tournament after him. This was extremely touching. This was the speech of a man who had lost a friend, and almost two years later, the loss still hurt.

IWA MID-SOUTH & NWA MIDWEST WOMEN’S TITLE MATCH: Lacey(c) vs. Mercedes Martinez- 4/10
This match would have told a good story… if Lacey had remembered to sell! IMO, Lacey is the best female personality in the history of wrestling. Better than Steph, better than Lita, better than early heel Trish, better than babyface Alundra Blayze or heel Velvet sky… even better than heel SoCal Val in FIP. She also eventually became a great wrestler… but at this point in her career, she wasn’t close to being there yet.
Speaking of “not being there”… Daizee Haze joined Dave Prazak on commentary for this match, and didn’t say more than five sentences over the course of this twelve minute match.

Next, Dave Prazak introduced all of the wrestlers in the tournament, and they took a group photo. Taking a big group photo in the middle of the show just felt awkward.

2004 TED PETTY INVITATIONAL FIRST ROUND MATCH: Matt Sydal vs. Sal Rinauro- 5.75/10

2004 TED PETTY INVITATIONAL FIRST ROUND MATCH: Hallowicked vs. “Spyder” Nate Webb- 5.5/10

2004 TED PETTY INVITATIONAL FIRST ROUND MATCH: Rainmain vs. Chris Sabin- 6/10

2004 TED PETTY INVITATIONAL FIRST ROUND MATCH: CM Punk vs. Austin Aries-7.5/10
Great storytelling a BEAUTIFUL selling by Punk.

2004 TED PETTY INVITATIONAL FIRST ROUND MATCH: Danny Daniels vs. Todd Sexton- 6.5/10

JIMMY JACOBS PROMO- eh.

LADDER MATCH FOR THE VACANT IWA MID-SOUTH LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE: Jimmy Jacobs(c) vs. Delirious- 6.75/10

2004 TED PETTY INVITATIONAL FIRST ROUND MATCH: Mike Quackenbush vs. Chris Hero- 7.25/10
Beautiful chain wrestling. After the match, Ian came out and put Hero over on the mic

2004 TED PETTY INVITATIONAL FIRST ROUND MATCH: AJ Styles vs. Jimmy Rave- 6.75/10

2004 TED PETY INVITATIONAL FIRST ROUND MATCH: Samoa Joe vs. Roderick Strong-7.5/10

2004 TED PETTY INVITATIONAL FIRST ROUND MATCH: Nigel McGuiness vs. Claudio Castagnoli- 6/10

2004 TED PETTY INVITATIONAL FIRST ROUND MATCH: Bryan Danielson vs. Alex Shelley- 6.5/10

2004 TED PETTY INVITATIONAL FIRST ROUND MATCH: Super Dragon vs. Arik Cannon- 6/10

2004 TED PETTY INVITATIONAL FIRST ROUND MATCH FOR THE IWA MID-SOUTH HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE: Petey Williams(c) vs. BJ Whitmer (w/Jim Fannin)- 5.75/10
Nowhere near good enough for a main event.

Overall, good show from IWA-MS, but beware: This show is over four hours long. It will likely take you at least two sittings to get through.

AWESOME COMMENTARY MOMENT:
1. CM Punk “I think Joe is missing a sideburn after that Yakuza Kick.”

[yourcrapsweak]

Was looking forward to this review. Did you see what I was saying about the crowd during Roddy vs. Joe?

[Big Red Machine]

Was looking forward to this review. Did you see what I was saying about the crowd during Roddy vs. Joe?

No. I'm also pretty sure you said it was Dragon vs. Shelley.

[yourcrapsweak]

Was looking forward to this review. Did you see what I was saying about the crowd during Roddy vs. Joe?

No. I'm also pretty sure you said it was Dragon vs. Shelley.

No, definitely Joe vs. Roddy. It's about halfway through the match where the crowd just becomes completely unglued. You see guys jumping out of their seats and like pumping their fists yelling "OOOOH!" and sh*t. It's unbelievable.

[Big Red Machine]

Was looking forward to this review. Did you see what I was saying about the crowd during Roddy vs. Joe?

No. I'm also pretty sure you said it was Dragon vs. Shelley.

No, definitely Joe vs. Roddy. It's about halfway through the match where the crowd just becomes completely unglued. You see guys jumping out of their seats and like pumping their fists yelling "OOOOH!" and sh*t. It's unbelievable.

I'm not remembering it. I'll have to go match the match again

[Big Red Machine]

I'm still somehow missing it.