[2007-09-29-IWA-MS-Ted Petty Invitational] Eddie Kingston vs Chris Hero (Last Man Standing)

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Phil Schneider]

This is one of my all time favorite wrestling feuds, they ran it in multiple federations, with big violent gimmick matches, CZW, ROH, IWA-MS. This wasn't building on any big feud in IWA-MS, they were just booked on the same card, so they decided to try to kill each other. This might be the apex of indy wrestling weapons brawls. It had all of the huge violent spots you want to watch in slow motion along with an almost Funk v. Lawler or Magnum v. Tully level of close fight brawling. Both guys kept ripping at each others eyes, not an a wrestling eye rake way, but in a blind a guy in a barfight way. Both guys recklessly chuck weapons at each other, not really concerned with how they land, Hero just hurls a chair from the floor into the ring and it hits Eddie right in the back of the head. At some point Kingston gets his nose broken awkwardly and is leaking blood, not a clean break either, but the kind of break which will disturb his sleep for life. There is just a total disregard for the guy they are in the ring with, the constant cursing and shit talking makes this seem like a fight to the death, Kingston is yelling "You better kill me motherfucker", while Hero is calling Kingston a punk bitch and piece of shit. I have said it before, and I am sure I will say it again, Kingston is one of the great brawling sellers in wrestling history, you really feel like he is guy in an alley trying to escape with his life, and he can get up after huge spots because of how good he is at conveying their effect on him. After fighting through some really hellacious blows, Kingston is able to hit a backfist and wastes Hero with three backdrop drivers, including on the guard rail, for a match with some huge and violent spots, this felt like a finish. Great stuff, career match for Kingston and possibly Hero's best as well.

[Edwin]

Unbelievable match. This is exactly the type of thing I was looking for. Reckless crowd brawling, eye racking, weapon throwing, hate filed, intense brawl. The constant trash talk between them as they rake each others eyes is perfect. Hero's stomps are noteworthy as he just smushes King's head in with them. Some of the highlights include King's careless suplex through a table that slides and Hero just hits the floor hard, the constant trash talk as they rake each others eyes and chop and stomp on other, Hero tossing a guard rail at King, Hero's vicious stomps, Hero carelessly throwing a chair in the ring and hitting King in the back of the head, vicious slap exchanges, reckless headbutt's, Hero's crushing King's head with elbows and knees at the same time, Hero hitting a Cravate Cutter with the chair, Hero double stomping the guard rail into King and King's backdrop driver on the guard rail. Easily one of the best U.S. indie matches of all-time.

[cactus]

This is my first time seeing non-AEW Kingston and he impressed me big-time in this ruthless Last Man Standing. Firstly, the shitty aesthetics of the gym really enhances the scumminess of this, which can be said for many of the more gritty IWA-MS matches. These two lay it into each other. The brawling looks snug and every spot involving a foreign object looked organic. This is about as far away as you can go from your bog-standard WWE weapons match! The constant trash-talking added to the hatred. Kingston looked downright scary here. Unlike most Last Man Standing matches, the counts never felt like they were killing the flow of the action. I think this might just be my favourite match from 2007. ★★★★½