WARNING STRONG VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE AHEAD

Welcome back to H2O. Matt Tremont’s school of hard knocks has fallen on tough times. 44OH! have destroyed the title scene by taking all the belts from his best and brightest, gloating as they now have the company under their control. Rickey Shane Page had a new belt to represent and now, the whole faction is going to host a celebration. This though is an opportunity for H2O to get some payback. The Hybrid and Danny Havoc Hardcore Titles will be on the line so the company just might get some of their gold back and upset the celebrations. Alongside that, we’ll see Jody Threat debut against Kennedi Copeland, Dan O’Hare vs Kit Osbourne, Bobby Beverly vs Mitch Vallen, and much more leading to the non-title main event of RSP vs Deklan Grant. Let’s get into the “celebrations.”

H2O Hybrid Title: Gregory Iron defeated Reid Walker via Tights Pulling Roll-up

The show opened with the grand celebration as RSP, Cogar, and Beverly came out to gloat. Cogar cut RSP off to present him with a new Title belt made just for him. They were basking in their glory when someone cut the celebrations short by holding Gregory Iron hostage. It was Deklan Grant and he wanted a shot at RSP. He got his wish in the main event. As for Iron, he was still bound up for the opening match. Walker didn’t care and beat the shit out of Iron, using the gag to land a Neckbreaker. Iron refused to stay down and used his feet to take down Walker for a running senton. He tried to rush Walker again but couldn’t use his hands so Walker catapulted him into the turnbuckles for a super-high dropkick. The ref finally untied Iron and we got a fairer fight. Iron went to the eyes and choked Walker out with the tape, because why not cheat when you’re no longer trapped? He cut Walker off again with a Lou Thesz Press and took the fight outside. The two traded chops and Iron attacked from behind with Axe Handles. He hit another diving Axe Handle and Walker jacked his jaw twice with a Stunner and Bulldog. He went for the kill with a rolling Satellite DDT but that wasn’t enough either. Iron countered a Tiger Bomb into a Rana but couldn’t follow up as Walker decked him with the Lumbar Check. Iron kicked out so Walker kicked the soul out of him. Iron reversed another Tiger Bomb and hit low, allowing him to roll up Walker, pull the tights, and win. Iron had overcome a whole lot of adversity here to pull off a sneaky win against a heated rising star. It wasn’t pretty but it was effective. Director of Anarchy Terra Calaway got some vengeance for this by making Iron’s next defence a six-pack challenge. Good luck with that Gregory… Fuck 44OH! Count: 1

Dan O’Hare defeated Kit Osbourne via Crucifix

Next up was a full fight for the Big Scare Dan O’Hare. He’d been called in to get rid of Kit Osbourne when he invaded the H2O facility last show and now, he was getting another chance to tear Osbourne apart. The opening gambit of this match featured a lot of running as Osbourne tried to use his speed to avoid getting his teeth knocked out. O’Hare gave chase and pummelled Osbourne around ringside, slamming him off of ring-posts and the concrete floor. He broke the green Cluck Hogan over Osbourne and kept the beating going back in-ring. He got crotched on the top and Osbourne brought him crashing back down with a Frankensteiner. He got a near-fall with a superkick and Neckbreaker and tried to charge but O’Hare caught him into a tilt-a-whirl powerslam. Osbourne tried to fire back but O’Hare knocked them both loopy with an arm-trapped headbutt. O’Hare ran himself into the buckles and Osbourne booted him with a Tree of Woe Dropkick. He trapped O’Hare in a crossface and O’Hare broke out into a massive running slam. Both guys fought on the top and Osbourne sent O’Hare falling to the concrete with headbutts. O’Hare made it back in but was greeted by a series of stomps and a trio of running kicks. Osbourne knocked O’Hare to the mat with a superkick and tried to double stomp him through a chair. O’Hare dodged and broke the chair and Osbourne with a running powerslam. He followed up with an Omega Driver and scored a near-fall with a Pop-up Chokebomb. They fought to the top again and Osbourne brought O’Hare crashing down again with a Superplex. Osbourne went for the kill with two Curb Stomps but O’Hare countered the pin into a Crucifix and stole the win. O’Hare had been pushed to the limit there but was able to keep his wits about him and take the win with a wrestling classic. Welcome back to action Big Scare, you even got a rare Kit Osbourne handshake.

Bam Sullivan came out post-match to do a bit of self-reflection. He realised he’d been a bit of an asshole and seemed apologetic. The subject got to Mouse, the Extricated teammate he’d screwed and Nolan Edward appeared, bringing Mouse to him. It had all been a ruse but Mouse saw through it and took out Sullivan, sending him fleeing.

Kennedi Copeland defeated Jody Threat via Crossface Armbar

With that chaotic interlude out of the way, it was time for some more fighting. Jody Threat was making her big H2O debut and she was taking on one of the company’s newest favourites in Kennedi Copeland. It was going to be a pop-punk-infused battle for the ages. Threat started strong with a Stalling Suplex but Copeland avoided the slam and sent Threat flying with a float-over head-scissor. She fired away with a Thesz Press and tried to tap out Threat with an Armbreaker. Threat punt kicked Copeland into the ropes so she held on for dear life to avoid a German. She charged but Threat downed her with a clothesline then drove her into the canvas with a powerslam. Threat beat Copeland from corner to corner and quashed any resistance with a forearm and senton. Both women went for the kill with Threat tanking a dropkick to deliver another vicious lariat. Copeland kept kicking out so Threat got desperate, running right into an elbow and boots, allowing Copeland to flatten her with a crossbody. Copeland went after Threat’s arm and nearly got the win with a Fujiwara Armbar. Copeland used the ropes to escape and dropped Copeland on her head with a bridging German. Threat’s arm gave out so Copeland lit her up with kicks and clotheslined her to the floor. She tried to fly but Threat cut her off and blocked a counter to nail the Stalling Suplex. She tried to seal the deal with a Michinoku Driver but Copeland kicked out. Threat went for the end but Copeland swivelled round and locked in the Armbar again, tapping Threat out by adding in a neck crank. This was awesome. These two are no strangers to each other but they managed to put on an enthralling and competitive war for Threat’s debut on Copeland’s home turf.

H2O Danny Havoc Hardcore Title: Atticus Cogar defeated Sean Henderson via Count-out

Time for the other title defence of the night as the hear of H2O, Sean Henderson took on the Silver Teeth Satan, Atticus Cogar for the coveted Danny Havoc Hardcore Title. 44OH! were a blight on the company and Henderson wanted to be the first successful fighter to remove their clutches from a title. Henderson went right on the attack with a pelted chair and stomped down Cogar in a corner. He broke a trashcan lid over Cogar’s head and took the fight outside for a no holds barred brawl. Both guys brutalised each other with chairs and Cogar crushed Henderson’s windpipe with his. Both guys took more plunder shots and Henderson brained Cogar with a chair DDT. Cogar pelted a chair at Henderson and suplexed him on the trashcan lid. They fought around more chairs and Cogar slammed Henderson onto upended chairs. He skewered Henderson but this time, it just fired him up. He threw another chair at Cogar and drilled him with a Piledriver. He broke the chair with Cogar’s body and landed the Code Red. He hit Cogar with his own move onto a chair pile and refused to finish the job, pulling the skewers out of his head and leaving. Cogar won by count-out, surviving like a cockroach because Sean Henderson was too broken to finish him off. This was an odd one. It was a fun plunder brawl but seemed too short for the breakdown story. For now, Cogar should look ahead as Kennedi Copeland wants to fucking kill him. Fuck 44OH! Count: 2

Darien Hardway defeated Frankie Pickard via Godfall

Now comes a fallout no one was ready for. Darien Hardway has screwed Frankie Pickard out of title wins and even tried to cripple his Space Cowboys partner, Rocket. Now it was time for Kryptonian to meet Smoke Style one-on-one. Pickard was my instant favourite as he was rocking Saiyan Battle Armour. Hardway started fast and heavy with a barrage of corner shoulders against Pickard. They smashed each other around the outside and both guys got dropped on the concrete. Hardway brought a chair into play and decried the fan’s fallen hero to the camera. Hardway continued to methodically beat down Pickard and Pickard shocked everyone with a DVD into a wall, causing Hardway to fall right down on his head. The fight finally returned to the ring and Pickard levelled Hardway with a broken chair. Pickard kept gaining momentum but Hardway cut him off with a devastating spinebuster. Pickard tried to fire back but Hardway booted him down for a sliding Superman Punch. Hardway planted Pickard with a vicious Uranage and Pickard dodged a second one with a Stunner. He threw Hardway into the ropes for a pop-up knee and the fight fell outside again where Pickard got sadistic with an apron kick and draping DDT to the concrete. Pickard wouldn’t let the medical team tend to Hardway and rolled Hardway in for the pin but only got two. He got a door and Hardway dropkicked him as he set it up. Pickard caught him out of the air for a door powerbomb and Hardway dragged Pickard from the corner into Godfall for the win. This got really intense. We’ve seen Pickard get sadistic but not like this. Hardway had really pissed him off but that rage clouded his judgement too many times, giving Hardway the opportunity to upset the veteran. What a fight.

Knockout or Tap Out: Steve Sanders defeated Austin Luke (w/Dyln McKay) via Heel Hook

Time for something a bit different. Austin Luke and Steve Sanders were about to either knock the fuck out of each other or snap a limb. This was a tap-out or knockout match between two guys who are proficient in both prerequisites for this fight. The pair opened with a heated if cagey standoff and tried for quick strikes. Luke scored an early knockdown with a head kick and Sanders aimed for a leg. Luke caught another kick but Sanders rolled through and tried to lock on a Cross-Armbreaker, transitioning to a Triangle when Luke clasped his hands. Luke fought out and reversed the hold into a Half Crab. Sanders dropped Luke with a German but this just fired up Luke, who dropped Sanders with a roundhouse kick. Both guys got in more shots to the head and Sanders went back to the leg with a Heel Hook. Luke struck free and dumped Sanders again with a Bridging Dragon, forgetting pins weren’t allowed. Sanders tried to elbow away but Luke held on for a Regal-Plex. Both guys slapped it out and both guys went back to head kicks. Luke tried to win with arm-trapped stomps but Sanders twisted into the Heel Hook and threatened to break the limb as Luke wouldn’t quit. McKay, who’d been ringside, threw in the towel before Luke was seriously injured. Luke didn’t appreciate this concern and Wasted Youth were on the brink of infighting. Overall, excellent little match with a lot of hard shots and technical excellence. I would love to see more matches of this kind.

Memphis Street Fight: Bobby Beverly defeated Mitch Vallen via Trashcan Saito

Time to get ugly again as Mitch Vallen and Bobby Beverly were about to go to war in a Memphis Street Fight. 44OH! have had a clean sweep so far but could Mitch be that streak breaker against 44OH!’s heavy-hitting cowboy? He’d brought a bin full of fuckery but couldn’t even show it off as the Bev attacked from behind. Beverly beat Mitch around ringside and chopped the ring-post as Mitch dodged a chop. He chopped Beverly and got frantically thrown into another ring-post. The pair kept chopping and Mitch got to taste another ring-post. He stunned Mitch with an apron backdrop and sauntered into the ring. Mitch ambushed Beverly with a cookie sheet and chanted fuck Ohio in time to North and South lariats. Beverly tanked the stomping and raked at Mitch’s face then brained him with a 44OH! Stop sign. He broke cookie sheets over Mitch’s face and choked him out with a bull-rope. He cracked Mitch with a trashcan lid and tossed him across the ring with the rope. Beverly kept introducing plunder to Mitch’s back and whipped him with his belt. Mitch put the block on a Saito, nailed Beverly with headbutts, and launched him with his own Saito. The pair kept throwing heavy shots, kendo sticks, and headbutts until Mitch went for a chained-up back-fist. Beverly blocked and dumped Mitch through a chair with a Saito. He did the same onto a trashcan and took the win. Beverly had just put down the man, the Mitch, the legend in his type of match. He has proved to be a spark of life for the faction as he continuously proves himself as a hardcore superstar. This match could have been awful but it wasn’t. It was frenetic, competitive, and downright horrifying at times. Both guys are monsters and put on a match worthy of that.

Non-Title: Deklan Grant defeated Rickey Shane Page via TKO

Last but not least, the main event. Proof that crime can pay as Deklan Grant had a shot at the king due to his hostage negotiation. The title may not be on the line but Grant wasn’t after that. He just wanted to get his hands on Page before G-Raver killed him in Atlantic City. He wanted his pound of flesh. Grant rushed RSP with a corner flurry and dodged a corner splash into a step-up lariat. He took out RSP with a diving crossbody and tried to keep the momentum going but RSP cut him off with a back body PK. From there it became a systematic dismantling of the Grimy Bastard, RSP countering a TKO attempt into a Suplex Toss. RSP was distracted by an incredibly verbose fan and missed a Swanton. Grant charged but RSP was too aware and swatted him away with an enzuigiri into a folding powerslam. Grant refused to die so RSP kept beating him until Grant baited him into a crossbody at the ropes. He came at RSP and jacked his jaw with a Stunner then nailed a Suplex. He swatted away more offense and drove RSP into the mat again with an Ace Crusher. This was meant to be pure rules but Grant went for a chair. The ref forced him to get rid of it and RSP took advantage with a Powerbomb into a Texas Cloverleaf. Grant grabbed the ropes but didn’t get instant relief as RSP held the hold for an additional 4.9 seconds. Grant freed himself of a second powerbomb and turned the fall into a low Sunset Flip. That got two so Grant charged and RSP used the ref as a shield. Grant took advantage of the missing ref with the chair and nearly killed RSP with the TKO across it. He brought the ref back to life and threw RSP into him again. RSP showed he could cheat too with a face rake into a Chokebreaker. 44OH! delivered a new ref but he got distracted by Iron, allowing Devon Moore to return after his hideous fall and KO RSP with General Order 24. RSP kicked out and the pair battled over fireman’s carries until Grant got the win with the TKO. Grant just beat the leader of 44OH! It might not have been a title fight but this was a serious killer for RSP ahead of his match with Raver. It had been an intense fight with the Grimy Bastard showing he could fight dirty too to best the foul faction. 44OH! Fucked Count: 1

44OH! took this about as well as could be expected and another faction vs company fight broke out with 44OH! once again managing to clear the ring. It was really starting to appear that you could give them a bloody nose but they always come out on top. Until a familiar tune hit. Ron Mathis, Bruce Grey, and Tyler Voxx were back and they wanted to get rid of 44OH! and re-establish the dominance they once had. White Trash Forever used to be the top dogs of these parts and now, they were primed to be its unlikely saviours. Who knows what will happen next week when H2O comes to Atlantic City? This show was amazing but I have a feeling the next one is going to be even better. I cannot wait. 44OH! Fucked? Count: 1

All images courtesy of H2O, Chris Grasso, Earl Gardner Photography