WARNING: STRONG VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE AHEAD

Cue up the musical references as ICW NHB was shipping up to Boston to give all the deathmatch fans there some peace of mind. As per usual, a new city, a new super card, and this one promised to be just as good as ever. I’m going to address the elephant in the room now so yes, the live stream was an interesting experience to put it lightly so this had to be the most hotly anticipated VOD on the market right now. I’m not surprised though this show was giving us AKIRA vs Tommy Vendetta, Casanova Valentine vs Krule, the battle of the Kirks, SHLAK vs John Wayne Murdoch 2 and so much more before the Taipei Deathmatch main event between Eric Ryan and Bobby Beverly for the American Deathmatch Title. Let’s get into the carnage.

Fights, Camera, Action

Tommy Vendetta defeated AKIRA via Gusset Board Piledriver

The show opened with a battle between two darlings of the scene. AKIRA is the loveable deadly underdog whilst Tommy Vendetta has become the swaggering badass, jaunting his way into fights and stealing everyone’s attention. Knowing these two were about to fight just made everything right for a few minutes as two mad bastards were going to do something they do best, insane damage to the other’s body. They started off throwing hands and escalated to throwing each other, Vendetta going one further by yeeting AKIRA over the chains onto the stage. After more grappling, AKIRA got his revenge with a German through a cut-can board followed by a curb stomp into more can debris. He continued to stab and stretch Vendetta, bringing out the blood. A baseball slide took the action outside and the fans got an even closer look at the brawling, fuckery, and headbutts firing both madmen up, pushing AKIRA to sacrifice life and limb with a sunset bomb into another can-board over the chains. They both crawled through the wreckage and returned to the ring to slap it out. The strikes and suplexes just kept heating up but no one could get that win. AKIRA went for broke with the Moonsault but even that couldn’t seal the deal. He tried for the Death Penalty only to get countered into a gusset board Piledriver. That gave Vendetta the win after an absolute slugfest of a match. The VOD had none of the glitching so I could see everything the pair put into the match. They opened everything with a bang and set the show off right. The Loveable Psychopath keeps climbing the ranks but hopefully, soon we see the Death Samurai rise again. Also, fuck you whoever said AKIRA is overrated…

Hoodfoot defeated Satu Jinn via Cutter

Sometimes familiarity is a good thing. Hoodfoot and Satu Jinn can always be guaranteed to give us an excellent hoss-style deathmatch with both being hellacious brawlers and ridiculous bleeders. This match was about to give us more of the same. SHLAK had jumped on commentary for this one to enjoy the violence. Jinn wasted no time in going for Hoodfoot and smashed him with a water jug for some Kataba cuts. Hoodfoot had grabbed a sign and struck back, leading to an all-out war with blunt and sharp objects as Hoodfoot gave Jinn a taste of his own Kataba blade. Strip pentagrams, strip bats, cheese graters, and more entered the fray as the pair switched between big man beatdowns and fuckery assaults. Jinn was turned into a gusset pin cushion and fought through to break a door with a Samoan Drop. The blade came out again and Hoodfoot began to bleed from the slices taken from his head. The Uranage followed but it wasn’t enough to keep Hoodfoot down. Tacks came out and Hoodfoot returned the favour with his own Uranage into the pins. They continued to strike, counter, and trade until another gusset door was set up. They danced around it and Hoodfoot scored a two-count with a door-breaking Saito. They struck it out again and Hoodfoot took the win with a Cutter outta nowhere. These two had killed it again mixing vicious fuckery spots with stiff striking and power. It kept things ticking along nicely and kept Hoodfoot’s stock going up. I loved this and the fans did too.

Justin Kyle defeated Danny Demanto via Super Beast Powerbomb

It wouldn’t be an ICW match without a card change and here it was. This was originally meant to be Justin Kyle vs Isaiah Broner but due to circumstances, Broner wasn’t there so the boss was stepping in for a punch up with the Super Fight Beast. I’m starting to think Demanto has a death wish considering how many of the monsters in his roster he keeps fighting. Demanto tried to strike early by putting Kyle through a door but Kyle rose like the Terminator and beat him down with a multitude of blunt objects. Demanto got a second wind by lobbing what looked like a toilet seat and brained Kyle with an exploding bat. They continued to give each other blunt force trauma on the outside as the toilet seat returned to choke out Kyle. They had a slugging contest both in and out of the ring until Kyle snapped and slammed Demanto into the canvas. The anger continued with Kyle giving Demanto a tack mohawk with multiple bat shots. Demanto continued to rise up despite the damage and flew at Kyle, breaking a chair with his body. Kyle too remained invincible and broke a can board using Demanto and a stalling Suplex. Demanto just about kicked out so Kyle powerbombed him into the canvas to end things. The boss had lost but he’d been able to cross another name off his list and put on a belter. It wasn’t going to be the best match of the night but these two bludgeoned each other to hell and Demanto took another one for the team. Kyle remains the monster as always but Demanto had at least tried to tame him.

Krule defeated Casanova Valentine via Barbed-Wire Door Full-Nelson Facebuster

One, two Cas is coming for you. The blood moon was high so it was time for the monsters to come out and claim the night. Valentine had come prepared for this one as we had the Dream Demon Cas armed with a Krueger version of the stinger and ready to cut up the real atrocity of ICW, Krule. This was the monster mash for this show and I couldn’t think of two people to do it better. Cas Krueger gave his intro then got mauled by Krule with chair shots and a chokeslam. Krule tore into the jumper of Valentine and hammered in gussets but Valentine shook them out and slammed them into Krule’s chest, merely angering the monster as Krule didn’t care for such minor stings. Valentine tried to go deathmatch Gary Albright but Krule refused to be moved and slammed him into the ring. They took a fighting tour of the venue and Krule continued to be unphased by the weaponry meeting him, including monster-sized bundles being swung by Cas. Eventually, the monster grew dazed and Valentine took full advantage with a bundle splash and retrieved the Krueger glove to give him new groove lines with the blades. Another bundle broke with a Bulldog and Albright mode came out with a door-breaking overhead belly-to-belly. Krule continued to eat bundles but just wouldn’t stay down. Valentine planned to go for the kill with a barbed-wire door but the Atrocity broke through and ended Valentine with the Full-Nelson Facebuster into the wire. Krule had risen again, adorned in blood and glass yet unphased. He had taken Valentine’s onslaught and left him broken. Just who can stop this Heathen? Cas had given it his best and definitely brought the pain to the monster but even he couldn’t stop him.

Kasey Kirk defeated Brandon Kirk via Tube Chair 187

Here we go, the battle everyone was here for. The Kirks are everyone’s favourite deathmatch couple and now, ICW had decided to let them blow off some steam on each other with a ring full of chains and fuckery. Even those who love each other need to occasionally smash each other in the face with light tubes. Okay, that might be a bit too specific but you get where I’m going. This was going to be a cathartic death fest for everyone to enjoy. Brandon wanted to call the match off because he didn’t want to hurt Kasey. He just wanted her to take the L so they could go home. Kasey had other ideas. She almost stole the win with a Crucifix and exploded a snapping bat into Brandon’s back. She made him bleed with gussets and continued to beat him down around the ring. He got revenge with a bundle-busting DVD and gave her the gusset treatment, causing the blood to pour from her forehead. He kept breaking bundles and Kasey kept kicking out and slapping back. Kasey kept countering everything Brandon could throw at her and launching him across the ring with a backdrop. A chair platform was made and the pair fought atop it before Brandon sent them both to hell with a Psycho Driver. Even then, Kasey refused to die. Brandon just couldn’t get her to quit. He set up a glass pane against the chains but couldn’t go through with the move he had planned. Kasey wasn’t quite so sentimental and broke the pane with a German. She followed up with the 187 and took the win. When the smoke cleared, Brandon was over the moon. The run Kasey was on was completely justified and he couldn’t be prouder. He played cheerleader and set up a warning, Kasey Kirk will be gunning for that American Deathmatch Title one day and everyone damn well believes she could do it.

SHLAK defeated John Wayne Murdoch via Glass Pane Chokebomb

SHLAK with a diving elbow through the glass, door, and JWM #NHB25 pic.twitter.com/69O1PF7iX3

— Tripping Balls (@IsThisWrestling) May 16, 2022

Remember when John Wayne Murdoch was ascending the ICW throne? One of the skulls that made up that throne was SHLAK. Murdoch bested that god and now it was time for the rematch years later. These two are some of the most experienced of the deathmatch vets so they could be let loose on each other for a good show, especially as SHLAK seems to be going on the tear and the SS Murdoch has started sinking when it came to the chains. They opened with a super tube collision and quickly descended into an all-out war. There were more tubes, thrown hands, and headbutts as these two ICW juggernauts battled it out. They continued this hurricane of horror around the ring, stabbing, smashing, and eating more tubes as the two continued to kill each other. Spikes, knives, and shanks entered the equation on the outside before kegs got introduced to SHLAK back within the chains. It just got more and more chaotic as time went on with SHLAK continually raising from the dead to pulverise Murdoch more. The duke just couldn’t end it, nothing he hit SHLAK with would do the job. They kept brawling in and out of the chains with SHLAK continuing to stab up Murdoch and even attempt to pull his fucking face off at one point. It was all getting very savage. Murdoch proved just as unbreakable as he shook off an elbow drop through a door and tubes. Both men just kept wrecking each other, the chair Brainbuster didn’t kill, and multiple tubes didn’t kill. It was bedlam. In the final struggle, SHLAKs attempt to bring out a carrier bag but Murdoch turned it on him. They stumbled around the ring before SHLAK got the Chokebomb off and won the match. That was another loss for Murdoch as the former ace of the company continued to lose to former foes. That leaves SHLAK and Murdoch at one apiece meaning a rematch has to be in the pipeline. I doubt anyone would complain at one more dose of this insanity.

ICW American Deathmatch Title: Eric Ryan defeated Bobby Beverly via Knock-out

Last but not least, the main event. 44OH! love nothing more than glassing up their knuckles and punching each other in the face. The last time Eric Ryan found himself braining one of his brothers with broken bottle pieces, it was against Eddy Only. Now, he was clocking his Young Studs tag partner with the same jagged shards. The Enforcer wanted a title shot and Atticus Cogar was willing to delay his so we could see Ryan and Beverly bloody the fuck out of each other. This was a fight pure and simple. There was nothing pretty here as the pair spent the match teeing off on each other with the glass attached to their knuckles. There were tubes thrown in for good measure but most of the action in this one came from the no holds barred throwing of hands into the other’s heads. Bev bled like no one’s business as Ryan really laid into him. He had claimed Beverly wasn’t on the level so he was testing his mettle with every blow. Bev gave back as good as he got and even tossed Ryan around with Suplexes but in the end, when the chips were down, Ryan went wild and scored a knockout as Bev wasn’t defending himself. It was a brutal, dirty scrap with the two 44OH! brothers making the most of the Taipei death rules. This wasn’t some minor glass em up, they went hell for leather until their time was up. it wasn’t the most popular end but it made sense. When Beverly came back to his senses, he hugged it out with Ryan and everyone went home happy.

Best of the Bloodletting

This was absolutely insane. Nobody tougher.@CatalKasey pic.twitter.com/gmSrM6xGbp

— Brandon Kirk (@ItsBrandonKirk) May 17, 2022

• Well shit, AKIRA and Tommy Vendetta opened things nicely, didn’t they? Their match may not have been as bloody as some of the matches to come but they had some excellent technicality and started things properly. They just got what they needed to do and they did it. AKIRA is a perfect show opener and Vendetta just keeps getting better.
• It’s hard not to love seeing Casanova Valentine get creative. We’ve seen a few incarnations of Brooklyn Black Death but Cas Krueger may be my new favourite. His Krueger claw stinger looked awesome and it was fun watching him try to deal with the Atrocity.
• The Kirks’ little dust-up really delivered huh? Kasey and Brandon beat the shit out of each other with Kasey getting another massive win. She is tearing up the ranks and it’ll be nice to see her get a title shot. She is naturally loved by the crowd now and could definitely help the American Deathmatch Title gain some variety in its champions.
• The other thing that I want to point out is that despite the technical issues with the stream, the editing team has done an amazing job with the VOD, and even when their matches might not have been in viewable quality, none of the wrestlers were slacking. They gave it their all in the matches for the live crowd and that effort was reflected in later viewing. It’s always great to see the professionals do the work.

What Happens Next?

• AKIRA needs wins. I don’t want to be his personal cheerleader but what the fuck is happening now? The Death Samurai is one of the most over guys in the company but seems to be eating more losses than daily meals. Even the most successful of faces ate losses though, some lost their whole first year. One day, the Death Samurai is going to go on a tear, I just hope it’s sooner rather than later.
• Danny Demanto has constantly said he is running on borrowed time when it comes to wrestling. The boss loves nothing more than brawling and bleeding in his own ring but the window is closing to do so. He said he has a small list to run through, I wonder who else we’ll see him battle with before giving out.
• What is going on with the duke? The former king of the company seems to be losing his grip on things. When he lost the title, things stalled and now it seems it’s all going downhill. Hopefully, he’ll bounce back better than ever. After all, we can’t see a deathmatch champ keep losing in the art he’s mastered.
• Lastly, Eric Ryan bested one 44OH! brother in Bobby Beverly. What is going to happen when he collides with Atticus Cogar? There’s no love lost when these green-clad stablemates fight but could we perhaps see the most brutal collision yet when the Silver Teeth Satan goes for the ICW Gold?

just a dirty bloody ol fight between @BobbyBeverly and @Ericryanpro #NHB25 pic.twitter.com/wI7DsYkP5w

— Tripping Balls (@IsThisWrestling) May 16, 2022

All images courtesy of ICW-NHB, RedShoesMedia, IsThisWrestling, Brandon Kirk