[2000-05-20-IPW-May Massacre II] Barry Horowitz vs Frankie Capone

[GSR]

What is it with IPW and atrocious quality videos? The video here looks like it’s been chewed to pieces and therefore it’s another tricky one to watch. Horowitz starts by establishing himself as the heel, trying to trip Capone on the break, sticking his chin out for him to punch and ducking his head between the ropes. He responds to a “Barry sucks” chant by telling the audience “I don’t suck, Frankie sucks!” After throwing Capone to the outside, he puts him in a chicken wing on the floor and then rams him shoulder first into the ring post. From this point on his sole focus is as attacking that arm; everything he does is so methodical, there’s no wasted motion and he works his way through a whole host of offensive moves to try and weaken it (I really liked the uppercut to the arm whilst trapped in an arm wringer). The “Barry sucks” chant which was one lone voice at the start, now seems to have the majority of the crowd joining in with it. When one of them shouts “boring” at him, he shouts back “excuse me for knowing how to wrestle”! The finish is piss poor, as Horowitz fakes an injury after a leap frog, and with the referee checking on him, someone runs from the dressing room and KO’s Capone. ‘Bad’ Barry then covers his unconscious opponent for the win. Just like last night Capone didn’t show much, but this was the Barry Horowitz show. He controlled everything about the match, the flow, the pacing, worked on top for most and seriously, if Benoit, Danielson or some renowned technician had done that job at targeting the arm, people would be signing their praises to high heaven. If you can tolerate the video quality I’m pretty sure you’d enjoy this (finish aside), and another real good Horowitz house show performance.