WARNING STRONG VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE AHEAD

Welcome back to H2O. Matt Tremont is taking his company on a trip this time as they head to Atlantic City to take part in the Homecoming Weekend. This was their next chance at breaking the 44OH! curse that had taken hold. All the titles were up for grabs as H2O sent Jimmy Lyon and Mickie Knuckles after the Tag Titles, a six-pack challenge had been set up for the Hybrid Title, Kennedi Copeland was coming for the Danny Havoc Hardcore Title and Rickey Shane Page found himself dealing with an incredibly pissed off G-Raver in a casket match for the H2O Heavyweight Title. Alongside that, we’d see new contenders crowned and grudge matches held. Let’s get into the chaos.

H2O Hybrid Title: Gregory Iron defeated Brandon Kirk, Lucky 13, Myke Quest, Ryan Redfield & Reid Walker via Roll-Up on Quest

We opened with Separate Ways as Matt Tremont gave a wonderful introduction but still dodged the question about Atsushi Onita. After that, Gregory Iron was getting another round of beatings as H2O looked to take that Hybrid Title off him. He’d gone from hostage to outnumbered as Director of Anarchy Terra Calaway had brought Kirk, 13, Quest, Redfield, and Walker to kick the shit out of him. He tried to bring 13 and Kirk to his side but even they weren’t interested in helping him. He took a seat as everyone got into their own little fights. After a sprint of mini rivalries and hard-hitting showdowns, Quest looked set to kill off Iron only to get rolled up. Iron somehow kept a hold of his title, mainly because whilst he was hiding or sneaking around, everyone had killed off everyone else. 44OH! had managed to cling to their first title once again. Fuck 44OH! Count: 1

Eight-man Tag: Bam Sullivan, Darien Hardway, Edward Hawkins & Kit Osbourne defeated Mouse, Aiden Baal, Frankie Pickard & Dan O’Hare via Godfall Pin Steal on Mouse

Next up was the ever-escalating tale of Bam Sullivan vs the Extricated as the Trash with the Stache has a whole army to throw at his former brothers. Sadly, for him, they too had some allies they could call on. Sullivan had Kit Osbourne, Edward Hawkins and Darien Hardway whilst Mouse and Baal had Frankie Pickard and Dan O’Hare by their side. It was going to be a wild fight. Between the fighting, we saw old wounds torn apart as Pickard wanted Hardway, Osbourne wanted O’Hare, and Baal and Mouse wanted to kill Sullivan. That didn’t mean they always got what they wanted. The villains started to break down Team Mouse as Hardway trapped Pickard. He became the punching bag until things got chaotic with bodies and fights breaking everywhere. There was too much hatred in that ring to be contained. Hardway proved to be unstoppable and wiped out Pickard and Baal before killing off Mouse with Godfall, only for Sullivan to tag in a steal the pin. Sullivan had gotten the win here without barely having to do anything. Hardway is not going to take that disrespect well and would have killed Sullivan there and then but the chaos continued until they’d all headed to the back.

Dyln McKay & Steve Sanders defeated Marcus Mathers & Billie Starkz via Shooting Star Press on Starkz

Well, we have ourselves a grudge match. McKay had cost Austin Luke a win against Steve Sanders at the previous show by looking out for him and set into motion this chain reaction where he was now teaming with Sanders against Marcus Mathers, who’d tried to play peacemaker and Billie Starkz, the partner he’d drafted in. This was going to get interesting. This turned into a compelling tag bout where everyone eventually got to show off. Mathers and Starkz had the underdog fire whilst Sanders just showed what he could do and McKay showcased just how much of a dick he had become. Sanders and McKay worked exceptionally well as a team working to keep Marcus away from Starkz. Mathers kept getting close but each time, Sanders or McKay would cut him off, McKay even busting out the flips to keep control. Mathers finally escaped by dumping Sanders with a German and Starkz made McKay her bitch with kicks, knees, and Germans, dropping Sanders onto him with a Gory Bomb. Mathers wrecked McKay with an Apron Tombstone and the Bozo Buster but Sanders interrupted their killing blow and helped ended Starkz with a lethal combo ending in that killer Shooting Star Press. As I stated, this was excellent fun and just another showcase of how damn good all these young talents are, no matter which side of victory they’re on.

Nolan Edward defeated Drew Blood via Liability Headbutt

Next up was what was sure to be a hard-hitting affair. Nolan Edward was in action against H2O veteran Drew Blood. They started with a cagey standoff and quickly picked up the pace as Edward started flying. This pace kept up as Edward kept pulling out killing blows, be it lawn darts, curb stomps, or strikes. Blood fought back with just as much of a breakneck pace and Edward cut him off with the Drill Bit. They kept slugging it out until heads collided and Edward took the win with a headbutt. This was fine for what it was, a short and sweet sprint between two quick, heavy-hitters.

Danny Havoc Hardcore #1 Contender Fight: Deklan Grant defeated Jeff Cannonball, Kaide Lothbrok & GG Everson via Cinderblock TKO on Lothbrok

After that, it was time to crown a new number one contender for the Danny Havoc Hardcore Title. Former champion Jeff Cannonball was about to battle Deklan Grant, GG Everson, and the reborn Kaide Lothbrok in a four-way fight for that top spot. Lothbrok (the former Stockade) was making his return to H2O in better shape than ever with a whole lot he wanted to prove. There was fuckery to break and fighters willing to do just that. Everson and Lothbrok temporarily renewed an old alliance until Everson stabbed, well slugged, him in the back. However, that just fired him up and Lothbrok flew at everyone. The weaponry came out and Cannonball was used as a hardcore pinata. Violence kept breaking out everywhere as the scraps just kept getting more vicious. Cannonball gave us a short soda review and Lothbrok slammed the shit out of Cannonball and Grant. Calaway brained everyone with a kendo stick (including poor Jeff) and things got chaotic again as the fighters woke up. Everson went on a rampage and Cannonball tried to kill Lothbrok with a chair Iconoclasm. Grant took advantage and set up cinderblocks. He struggled with Lothbrok so his wife, Jess lent a hand with a Tornado DDT. A cinderblock TKO followed and Grant had taken the win. He gets the next crack at the title and after surviving this madcap match, I highly rate his chances. Everyone got their shine in this match and though it wasn’t a triumphant effort, Lothbrok showed he’s back and better than ever.

H2O Tag Team Titles: Young Studs (Eric Ryan & Bobby Beverly) defeated Jimmy Lyon & Mickie Knuckles via Snuff Stomps on Lyon

The hardcore carnage was about to continue as the foes turned friends, Mickie Knuckles and Jimmy Lyon were teaming up and coming for the H2O Tag Titles. We’ve seen what they’d do to each other so lord help what they’d do to the Young Studs. Ryan and Beverly had better be ready to fight. Things started fast with a Bev Saito and Knuckles nailed Ryan with a pumphandle bomb. She cleared the ring and shit started getting rough as all four fighters went to town on each other with the fuckery. Trays, battle axes, and blood flew as both teams got violent. 44OH! bullied Lyon and tried to break him with chairs and other toys as well as with raw power. Knuckles tried to make the save but they quickly cut her off with a chair to the head. Lyon made his eventual escape and Knuckles started wrecking house again. Ryan went on a chair-pelting frenzy and the two teams fought around a chair platform and vacuum cleaner. 44OH! sent Lyon flying through the cleaner then dumped Knuckles on top of him and ended it with the Snuff Stomps. It had been a valiant effort but once again the tag-team experience and sheer deathmatch mastery of 44OH! had seen them pull through another defence. This match was fucking awesome though so Knuckles and Lyon’s efforts weren’t for naught. Fuck 44OH! Count: 2

H2O Danny Havoc Hardcore Title: Atticus Cogar defeated Kennedi Copeland via Brain Haemorrhage

The Title rush continued as the Hardcore Daughter looked to win back a title for H2O by taking down Atticus Cogar. That’s right Kennedi Copeland was in the house and ready to kick some ass. Copeland watched on as Cogar filled the ring with toys and started the match with a violence party, determined to punch the silver teeth out of Cogar’s mouth. She went for a dive but Cogar just pelted her with a chair. He wasted no time going after Copeland with a wired bat and brought out the skewers early, stabbing them into her mouth. Copeland tried to give Cogar a skewering but he threw her away with a German. Cogar kept the fight going around the ring as the fans showered him with boos. Copeland refused to stay down and started working an arm amongst a barrage of kicks and a senton. Cogar’s face met a chair but he shook this off to break that chair with an Air Raid Crash. More back-and-forth led to the top and Copeland broke Cogar across a ladder with a Diving Crossbody. He tried to escape Copeland’s clutches with barbed wire but this backfired as she used it for a Crossface. Cogar broke free again and kicked Copeland down for skewers to the head. He kicked a chair into her and reversed one final attempt at the armbar into the Brain Haemorrhage for the win. Copeland had rocked Cogar but much like everyone else, 44OH! just proved too hardy and tenacious to fall. Had she got the armbar in, it would have been game over. Again, the match had been incredible but the 44OH! curse has yet to be lifted at all. Maybe Deklan Grant will have a better time of it? Fuck 44OH! Count: 3

Austin Luke defeated Tony Deppen via European Clutch

Time for a proving match for H2O’s top student Austin Luke. He was going one-on-one with one of indie wrestling’s gatekeepers, Tony Deppen. The Anti-hero has bested most things thrown his way in H2O but now, he was dealing with one of wrestling’s absolute best. Was he up for the challenge? They opened with a masterclass in classical chain wrestling as Deppen put Luke through a technical wringer before double stomping him to the floor for a near count-out. Deppen kept mocking and beating down Luke with a blasé attitude towards Tremont’s student. Luke came back with a vengeance and kept coming at Deppen with vicious kicks and a Brainbuster. Things kept going Luke’s way as he brutalised Deppen with more kicks and a deadlift German. The pair got heated but Deppen just couldn’t find a way back into the match, Luke kept matching him then finding another way to drop him on his head. Deppen repaid that with multiple piledrivers and a double stomp but Luke refused to stay down. Luke took a kicking and tried to avoid the Bridging Chicken-Wing but Deppen locked it in. Both guys went counter crazy and Luke managed to steal the win by reversing Deppen’s pinfall into a European Clutch. This was an incredible technical war with both guys throwing bombs and locking holds. Luke proved he could hang with Deppen and managed to take the win. That is how you show your worth to the Gatekeeper and to the world. What a fucking match.

H2O Heavyweight Title Casket Match: Rickey Shane Page defeated G-Raver via Casket Chokeslam

Last but not least, H2O’s final shot at reclaiming any of its trapped gold this show. G-Raver had laid down the gauntlet to Rickey Shane Page the second he won the title. Now, it was time to see if he could pry it away from the hands of 44OH! Someone was going home in a coffin tonight. Raver was ready for war and the fight instantly went to the outside. RSP met the casket early as Raver bounced him off it and nailed him with trashcan lids. Raver kept the beatdown going in the ring with corner forearms and tripped RSP onto a ladder. He refused to let RSP breathe and booted him back outside for a seated dropkick. Raver just chopping down RSP and trying to dump him in the coffin. RSP eventually got back into the match through sheer power and methodically started punishing Raver. Both guys ran into the ladder and Raver regained control with a Suicide Rana. He kept this going with a Tornado DDT off the casket and the Meteora. RSP fought back from the edge of death and flattened Raver with a Frog Splash. Raver fought out of the casket but RSP knocked him back to the canvas with a misdirection Enzuigiri. They fought to the top and Raver had RSP on death’s door with a Swanton. They fought back to the casket and the door was opened, only for Eddy Only to make his first appearance back after disappearing for so many months. He hit Raver with a kendo stick and RSP finished things with a Chokeslam. 44OH! once again beat the odds and maintained their stranglehold on H2O. Were it not for Eddy Only making his grand return, RSP could very well have eaten his second defeat in a row. It was the perfect time for Only to return though. Hey, if 44OH! are so invested in H2O now, can we get Only vs Pickard in a smoke-style match? Once again, regardless of results, H2O did what they did best. They put on another incredible variety show with minimal deadweight and tons of violent fun. 44OH! can’t dampen that spirit the company brings with it, especially since the roster is so determined to defend it. Fuck 44OH! Count: 4

All images courtesy of H2O, Earl Gardner Photography,