2007 Match of the Year

Eddie Kingston v. Chris Hero IWA-MS 9/29/07

PAS: 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.

ER: These two are crazy. Crazy in that "the payoff certainly couldn't have been worth THIS" kind of way. The punishment they each go through seems like they'll be dealing with nagging injuries for life.  It's a rainy day and Kingston's hand is locking up, "Oh yeah, Hero pounded the shit out of this hand a decade ago." Hero looks over his shoulder while merging lanes, a lightning bolt shoots down his neck, "Oh yeah, Kingston dropped me on a guardrail a decade ago." There's no introductions, they literally brawl out from the back and don't let up for 20+ minutes. The shots ramp up as the match goes on, but they're never nice. Phil is right about the recklessness of some weapon shots, things like Kingston getting a table violently shoved into his balls or getting his fingers jammed by a flying guardrail. You'd think the most violent stuff would happen outside the ring, on concrete, but the in-ring is just brutal. The strikes are sick, some of Kingston's best backfists, and one of the most brutal moments I can recall, with Hero holding Kingston in a cravate while rapidly kneeing him; Hero threw 10-15 super fast knees while wrenching Kingston's neck, just looked disgusting. Kingston's selling was supreme throughout. I really can't think of many in wrestling history who are better at pulling themselves to their feet after a beating, and that kind of thing is paramount in a Last Man Standing match. We get some great spots, I was really amused and impressed by Hero locking a cloverleaf on while also grabbing a chair and sitting on the chair, on Kingston, without Kingston ever looking like he was just waiting around for Hero to complete the spot. The cravate suplex off the top while Kingston was wearing a chair necktie is a gif I could see someone having as a message board signature, and I would get hung up watching it repeat a dozen times every time I would scroll past their posts. None of this ever felt overkill to me, due to the aura of both men; the more stuff they would do, the tougher they would seem. Two crazy guys, and I couldn't be happier that they're still going at it.


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