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Invaders Must Die – ICW No Holds Barred “Volume 21” – Review

ByJohn Dinsdale

Jan 24, 2022 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

WARNING: STRONG VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE AHEAD

Welcome back to ICW NHB and the world of the chains. This show sparks the two-year anniversary since ICW adopted the chains and what a ride it has been so far. Danny Demanto and co. went from a super-show to kick it all off, to rolling with punches and now, it’s time for another super-show. Tonight, wouldn’t just be the best in America, it was being invaded by the UK and Mexico as Clint Margera, Big F’N Joe, and Ludark Shaitan all came to join the fun. Across the show we’d see, Clint Margera vs AKIRA, Krule vs Justin Kyle, Hoodfoot vs Big F’N Joe and so much more leading to the massive Rejects explosion between John Wayne Murdoch and Reed Bentley for the American Deathmatch Title, let’s get into the carnage.

Fights, Camera, Action

AKIRA defeated Clint Margera via Death Penalty

The show opened with one of its most hotly contested contests as AKIRA and Clint Margera prepared to steal the show in the first match. AKIRA is the beloved Death Samurai of the company and Margera is one of the most-beloved deathmatch wrestlers in the UK. It would be like looking in a mirror for the pair as they both exude the same vibe. This was going to kick ass. AKIRA opened with a grappling masterclass and Margera responded by opening the floor to slugs. Margera tried to get technical but AKIRA just Saito’ed him into a ladder. AKIRA grabbed a knife and started cutting Margera up around the ring, giving the audience a show and even stabbing Margera’s mouth before shanking him in the kidneys. AKIRA draped him across the chains and charged but Margera was ready and dumped him to the floor. Margera dived through the chains and knocked AKIRA several rows back. The beatdown went around the ring and Margera took a nasty landing on an apron elbow drop. AKIRA gave him a stiff kicking and ran the lap for the Ole kick. AKIRA jumped onto him again and finally relented to the ref’s begging to take it back to the ring. The pain didn’t end there though as AKIRA just kept kicking and stretching… and stabbing there was even more stabbing. His ambition grew a bit too much though and a ladder kick missed, trapping Akira in the rungs and allowing Margera to deliver a dropkick and bring it crashing down. He rained down chair shots on the chair-trapped AKIRA and had a great time with his forehead and a cheese grater. The gussets came out and Margera proved he’d studied tape by pounding one into AKIRA’s head and dropping him with a DDT before he could power up.

Margera gave AKIRA the knife treatment and took the sadism up a notch with a knife-in-mouth Russian Leg Sweep. He quickly followed up with a chair leg drop but AKIRA wasn’t ready to quit. They danced around a barbed-wire door and AKIRA almost won with a Tiger Suplex. Margera cut him off with a pop-up forearm and just whipped him hard into the chains. Margera kept the pressure on with a ripcord rolling elbow and almost took the win with a Small Package. Another slugfest broke out and AKIRA scored the knockdown with a Pele Kick. He flew in again with a Kappu Kick and climbed to the top for a ladder senton. Margera still wouldn’t die and managed to counter a slam into a knife-board Falcon Arrow. He kept going with another hellacious drop and forearmed the remnants of the knife board into AKIRA but it still wasn’t enough. Margera set up the door. He set up for a DVD but AKIRA stabbed through, climbed onto a chair, and ended things with the Death Penalty through the door. Margera had fought his heart out and given AKIRA hell but the home turf advantage and tenacity had just been too much. They thoroughly opened the show with a fucking bang here. Even in defeat, Margera did us all proud and the crowd was cheering to see him again.

Colby Corino defeated Brandon Kirk (w/Kasey Kirk) via Referee Stoppage

Next up was the son of Steve Corino, Colby Corino battling his most bitter rival, Steve Corino’s illegitimate son, Brandon Kirk. As always, ICW’s favourite couple had come together and Corino would have to contend with the numbers game and Kirk’s adeptness with the fuckery. Corino had been itching for this fight since their last encounter and the venomous Twitter exchanges that followed. It was going to get ugly. Hands were thrown instantly and Kirk was stabbed up with countless carpet strips, Corino breaking countless contraptions over him and dumping him through another pile on the outside. Corino kept swinging on Kirk and after tanking chops, Kirk hit him in the cock to level the playing field. From there, Kirk made him pay with a gusset in the arm and a tack bat to the back. Corino felt the sting of the strips as he was slammed down on a strip cylinder and fought back both Kirks as they attempted to double-team him. Kirk had a gusset hammered into his head and Corino broke his back with End of Heartache. He set up a chair platform and Kasey struck him in the back with a kendo stick. Brandon took advantage with a Psycho Driver but somehow, Corino was able to get the shoulder up. The Kirks rearranged the furniture and just as they looked set to strike, Darren McCarty rushed the ring and speared Kasey through a door. Corino used the distraction to hit Kirk with a snap bat and put him through the barbed-wire door with a Piledriver. That would have won but Corino broke his own pin and kept attacking with chairs and barbed wire until Kasey threw in the towel. This has been every bit as vicious and personal as I’d expected and the inclusion of McCarty was a fun surprise. The Kirks’ enemies always swarm and, in this instance, it cost them dearly. Deathmatch Colby always goes hard.

Shane Douglas defeated Danny Demanto via Cut-Can Belly-to-Belly

They say never meet your heroes but what about fighting them? Shane Douglas was a mentor to Danny Demanto and now, he’d demanded a fight in the chains. Demanto could hardly say no and now, here we were. it would be The Franchise vs The Squat God on one of the biggest ICW shows to date. Anything could happen. Douglas attacked as Demanto shouted at the crowd and the pair brawled around ringside, Demanto hitting Douglas with whatever he could find. A table was set up and Demanto broke it and Douglas with a diving elbow. They both struggled up and Demanto prepared to use Mittens as a battering ram but Douglas dodged and Mittens crashed through the door. Demanto checked on Mittens and Douglas started grabbing fuckery to introduce to Demanto, even braining him with a tube bundle. The fight returned to the ring and Douglas kept hammering away at Demanto with chair shots and chokes. Demanto wouldn’t give up so Douglas kept attacking him as the crowd booed him. Douglas was having so much fun being a dickhead and got driven into a door as Demanto reversed another whip. Douglas was still breathing so Demanto dragged him onto another table and broke it with a Frog Splash. Douglas kicked out at two so Demanto set up a cut-can door and signalled for the end but Douglas hit him in the balls. The Belly-to-Belly followed and Demanto crashed through the door, giving Douglas the win. Demanto had just had his dream fight and lost as the wily tactics and durability of the ECW Icon had kept him in the fight. This was a lot more aggressive than I’d been expecting so I’m happy with that. Douglas felt alive again and now the mad bastard wants a fight in the Pit!

Krule defeated Justin Kyle via Chair-Breaking Full-Nelson Facebuster

Time to get scary. We have two absolute monsters locking horns at last after months of sniping. Krule, the indestructible Heathen has been on the warpath, and now he was getting the other indestructible monster in the form of Super Fight Beast Justin Kyle. All bets were off for this one as either man could feasibly win it. Kyle instantly charged and speared Krule through a door. The Heathen was straight back up so Kyle broke another with a Door-VD. Krule was right back up again and swinging so Kyle dodged and broke a third door with a German. Krule was up again and got his first blow in with a Facebuster. It was his turn to get right back up and the pair traded bombs in the middle of the ring. After multiple hands, Krule scored the knockdown with a boot and threatened to dive but ran right into an uppercut. Kyle threw Krule through the chains and into the third row, the Heathen splatting against the seats. More bombs were thrown amongst the fans as both guys just showed off how much punishment they could take. Krule launched Kyle with a Fallaway slam and Kyle popped right back up to hit Krule in the face. It was relentless. Once again, Krule no-sold gussets to the pecs and tossed Kyle across the floor with a Suplex.

They re-entered the ring and Kyle delivered a surprise Spinebuster and exploded a door over Krule’s head before shaking the ring with a Powerslam. Still meant nothing to the Heathen. Kyle started pelting chairs and Krule joined him outside with a Superman dive over the chains. Krule hit another Facebuster but it was Kyle’s turn to pop up. They hand another standoff and Kyle almost scored the KO with a Superman Punch. Kyle caught the ref with a chair and that saved Kyle from getting the loss to a Chokeslam. The pair traded chair shots and Kyle hit another spear/Powerslam combo to another kick-out. He followed up with a chair bridge bomb but Krule still wouldn’t die. He made another chair platform and prepared a DVD but Krule wriggled free and ended things with the Full-Nelson Facebuster through the chairs. Fucking hell this was intense. Two unbreakable beasts just throwing bombs and bodies until one finally ran out of gas. Great stuff.

Satu Jinn defeated Casanova Valentine via Barbed-Wire Door Uranage

The chaos continued with the big return for Brooklyn Black Death Casanova Valentine. He’d been with ICW since the start of the chain’s era and now was revisiting history by having a rematch with the Deathmatch Djinn, Satu Jinn. Valentine had been Jinn’s first ICW opponent, handing him a loss in the Pit. Now, a lot had changed and Jinn was one of the top dogs. It was time to see if the result would be any different. After battling over chants, the chops came out. They picked up the pace and after knocking heads, Jinn connected with a belly-to-belly. He cut up Valentine with a gusset paddle and a gusset oar because such things exist. A bundle met Valentine’s head and seemed to wake him up as he started swinging at Jinn. He took a gusset to Jinn’s arm and head then broke a snap bat over Jinn’s back, sending smoke everywhere. Jinn came back with more tubes and escaped a bulldog to slam Valentine into a gusset pile. More glass and Jinn’s foot crushed Valentine into the chains and the fans got a bloody tour of the Katabo Blade interacting with Valentine’s head. The fans were rabid for the bloodletting. Valentine got pissed at this and dragged Jinn into an Overhead Belly-to-Belly through a barbed-wire door. Jinn landed horribly but shook off the damage and tried to recuperate against the chains.

Valentine revisited history again and produced a fork, recreating what happened to him at the hands of Homicide on Jinn. Things went from bad to worse for Jinn as Valentine slammed him onto cinderblocks and a fuckery sandwich splash. Jinn remained defiant and mauled Valentine with palm strikes, pelting a chair for good measure. He prepared another tube shot but Valentine grabbed him and turned it into a tube Bulldog onto the cinderblocks. Jinn still kicked out and the pair began rearranging furniture, painting everything in blood. Jinn brained Valentine with a carpet-strip sword and both fell to double clotheslines. They both fought up, produced Kenzans, and hammered them into each other’s heads with fists and headbutts. Valentine was stunned so Jinn nailed him with a Bloodmaker and got tripped into the chains. Valentine went back after him with the fork and smashed a tube board over him. He wrapped wire around his hand to create a makeshift Stinger and just kept hammering away on Jinn’s head. Jinn held on and blasted Valentine with another bundle before ending things with his Uranage through the barbed-wire door. Jinn had avenged that first brutal loss in an even bloodier, nastier match than last time. This was great, old-school violence with new-school fuckery. A bloody, brutal, and fun as fuck addition to the show.

Ludark Shaitan vs Mickie Knuckles ended in Double Pin

Okay, keep that anarchy a-flowing as we were in for another belter. Two more veteran warriors were about to collide as Mickie Knuckles, the godmother of deathmatch crossed paths with the Hardcore Diva, Ludark Shaitan. This could go anywhere and probably would as these two weren’t afraid to throw down. Knuckles opened by sweet-talking Shaitan then set up chairs for a barfight. They could be friends but Knuckles does love to punch her friends in the face. They had a drink, stacked up tubes, and started smashing them over each other’s heads after a barrage of punches, headbutts, and chops. Both kept frantically slugging as they got more and more dazed from the shots. Shaitan chopped a gusset into Knuckles’ chest and yanked it out to stab it into her head too. She kept the cuts coming by using Knuckles’ own battle-axe against her and took the fight outside. Knuckles got some revenge by throwing her into the third row and mounted her for headbutts and beers to the face. The pair kept brawling with Suplexes hitting the floor and more gussets attacking both fighters. Knuckles snapped Shaitan’s back with a tube crutch and got brained by a wiffleball bat. They both just kept coming at each other, swinging fists and fuckery with reckless abandon, both clearly enjoying the violence with Knuckles even turning herself into a lawn dart with a ladder. The back-and-forth continued until Knuckles just SOS tossed Shaitan into the ladder again.

Knuckles treated to more horrific landings as she collided with more fan chairs and a cut-can board. The action returned to the ring and Shaitan just broke a bud bottle to make a new weapon. Knuckles disarmed her and stabbed the broken bottle where the sun don’t shine, enjoying the taste of her new womb ripper. It just kept getting worse for Shaitan as Knuckles gored her through a stripboard and hammered her with chairs. Another door was set up and the pair threw even more headbutts. They fought around the top and Shaitan broke the door with an Iconoclasm. They both struggled up and Knuckles took Shaitan to hell again with a Pumphandle Slam. Knuckles delivered a second to a tube contraption and tried for a third but Shaitan kicked low and started a pinfall war. They rolled around the glassy mat trading falls and eventually, both got trapped in a double cradle. The match was a draw and I don’t think anyone could complain after the war they had just seen. This was violent as fuck with both women just beating the shit out of each other. Knuckles is such a unique brand of a bruiser and Shaitan was more than up for that challenge. The pair started as friends and left the same way.

Big F’N Joe defeated Hoodfoot via Senton Death

So, fun fact, Big F’N Joe was originally meant to be at ICW NHB a long ass time ago now. Just before COVID changed our lives forever, he was booked for the OG Volume 2. Plans changed and now, nearly two years later, he was finally making his big debut. The Don of British Deathmatch was colliding with one of the fastest rising stars of the bloodsport in Hoodfoot. This was going to get bloody as both guys know how to let the crimson flow. It opened with the two bouncing off each other with clotheslines and Hoodfoot cleverly taking tubes to Joe’s leg and head. The tubes kept breaking and Hoodfoot kept rotating between head cracking and kneecapping.  Joe winded him on the chains and dropped a tube on Hoodfoot before following him outside. They scrapped around the outside as more tubes broke and Joe introduced some fan interaction to mixed results. The second time was a success as fans held tubes up for a seated cannonball. Hoodfoot hammered back and accrued some beer for a friendly little barfight. A barrage of beers and blows followed as the two juggernauts just kept throwing. Joe won the exchange and introduced another tube before throwing Hoodfoot back into the ring. Hoodfoot took advantage quickly with a tube German and when Joe bailed, chased with a dive. Sadly, this had been a ruse and Joe cut him off with a tube to the dome. Joe got technical and began bending Hoodfoot’s limbs. He hit his defenceless opponent with more tubes but still couldn’t snag the win. Hoodfoot started swinging back again so Joe cut him off with a dick kick. Hoodfoot fell into a corner and Joe made him suffer with a super tube cannonball. He tried to end things with the DVD but Hoodfoot pushed off and floored him with a clothesline.

Hoodfoot took more tubes to his legs and showered the ring in broken glass. He charged again but Joe dodged again and DDT’ed him onto the glass. More tubes broke and the pair collided in an explosion of glass. They kept breaking bundles and Joe scored a two-count with a Cutter. Hoodfoot was still kicking so Joe filled a hat he’d stolen from Larry Legend with glass and wrapped it around Hoodfoot’s face and smashed it into his head further with a chair. Hoodfoot kicked out again so Joe dragged him down with coat hangers and tried for a bundle cannonball. Hoodfoot dodged and smashed that bundle into Joe then realigned his spine with a Saito. Hoodfoot tried for a Vader Bomb, missed, and ate a knee strike for his trouble. Joe quickly followed up with a senton and took the win. I think everyone was a bit shocked by this. Joe runs every town he goes to but this was one hell of a challenge. They put on a fucking war and both came out soaked in crimson. Hoodfoot continues to be the deathmatch hero that just needs to catch a break. Meanwhile, Joe is the invading offender to the crowd. With what’s coming, I think he’s just getting started.

ICW American Deathmatch Title: Reed Bentley defeated John Wayne Murdoch via Sliding D

Last but not least, the main event. Families fight brothers brawl and sometimes that thicker than water blood needs to be spilled. Reed Bentley had issued this challenge because he wanted to protect John Wayne Murdoch from himself. Since winning the American Deathmatch Title, Murdoch has been through every hell imaginable. Bentley wanted to end that. To carry the burden and hey, have some personal glory too. Would Murdoch go down easy, fuck no but could he be toppled, most certainly. If you know your enemy and yourself, you’re almost certain to win every battle. Who knew him better than Bentley? It opened with tubes and saws as Bentley took a multitude of hard landings. Bentley was cut and bludgeoned around ringside as the crowd got to see the show and the pair took the brawl to the balconies. Murdoch almost fell to his doom but thankfully, he cut back and the pair just took the stairs. It was Bentley’s turn to break shit as he smashed tubes into Murdoch and drew more blood. Murdoch struck back with a tube crutch and broke boxes of tubes over the floor and Bentley’s back. Momentum kept shifting as the pair just kept trading the fuckery. Both were bloodied up and beating the shit out of each other around the venue as the fans had to dodge glass and bodies. It was a continuous pummelling of glass and doors as this personal blood feud played out. Bentley broke a door with a DDT and just kept whaling away on him with the leftovers. More glass broke and they finally returned to the ring to do more of the same. Bentley broke another door with a backdrop driver and dropped Murdoch on a snap bat. Murdoch started throwing jabs but Bentley cut off the elbow with the Eagle. He tried to charge again but Murdoch dropkicked tubes into his chest. Murdoch signalled for the end and set up the chair but it would be Bentley that delivered the Brainbuster.

The Duke wasn’t done so Bentley tore up a knife board and started carving. A tube and door contraption was handed over the chains and the pair danced around it, fighting up to the platform. Murdoch stunned Bentley with another bundle and put him through the contraption with a Superplex. Bentley too cheated death and started throwing hands as adrenaline took over. He slugged away at Murdoch and met his brother with more tubes. Murdoch reversed the Regal-plex with a crossbody but Reed quickly returned to his feet for a pop-up forearm. A piledriver followed but Bentley still only got two. Bentley wiped out Murdoch with the Sliding D and took the win. Bentley had dethroned the Duke in a hurricane of hardcore fury. A multitude of tubes, doors, and other assorted fuckery had been broken as these two told a bloody story of brotherhood and brutality. It was intense, vicious and took this story all around the venue. Bentley was more than worthy of dethroning Murdoch and will hopefully get the spotlight he deserves now he holds that belt. Murdoch passed the torch himself and now it’s up to Bentley to carry the company.

Best of the Bloodletting

Where do I start? Normally, I’d break it down on a match-per-match basis but this was gold from start to finish. There was no drag at all. From AKIRA/Margera to Bentley/Murdoch this show blistered on with ever-escalating bouts of barbarism. The invading forces all helped add to the show as Margera, Joe, and Shaitan were exceptional opponents. Everything fell into place to make an almost-perfect deathmatch show. Shane Douglas could have been a dud but I should have known better than to doubt the Franchise. ICW started the year strong and definitely led a celebration the right way. We had some returning OGs, new blood and some of the best to do it right now all converge for a bloodbath. This is a big weekend for the independents and ICW helped showcase the vibrant deathmatch scene from around the world. Here’s to more cross-promotion, more countries invited, and more ICW shows.

What Comes Next?

  • Clint Margera, Big F’N Joe, and Ludark Shaitan all need comebacks. The crowd loved them, their matches rocked and there are a multitude of opponents for them all to face. With even more countries being brought into the fold, like DMDU’s Joel Bateman invading Tennessee and Canada’s Green Phantom and Viking rocking up to Chicago, the future looks bright. Let’s keep this going as it helps take ICW to the next level.
  • Reed Bentley now has the weight of the company on his shoulders. He took the title from Murdoch and now, he’ll be in the marquee. That top spot is always hotly contested and with every show there stands the chance to be a new challenger. It will be interesting to see who steps up in Chicago and Tennessee and to see who will appear on the non-announced spots of the year. It’s his time to shine and feels like it’s been a long time coming. Bentley is the man now and he’s been left a blank canvas to paint in blood.
  • Lastly, on a more personal note, I am personally intrigued to see what comes next. ICW No Holds Barred Volume 1, kicked off my full-time dive into deathmatch writing. Now we’re two years removed from that and I’ve followed the company through every stop and written up every show. I’ve seen the highs and lows, the successes and misses, and never fail to watch them roll with the punches. The company still has a lot of potential to hit and I hope this successful super show is just the spark of an action-packed rollercoaster for 2022. I’ll certainly be watching and writing so we’ll soon see.

All images courtesy of ICW, IsThisWrestling

By John Dinsdale

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