Date: November 12, 2022
Venue: Skid Row Wrestling Academy
1030 Delsea Drive #4W
Westville, New Jersey 08093
Tickets: Front Row $40.00
Second Row $35.00
General Admission $25.00
Parking: Lot parking
Promoter: Danny Demanto
Snacks: Hot Dog $2.00
Fries $2.00
Cheese Fries $3.00
Chicken Fingers $3.00
Nachos $3.00
Pizza $3.00
Soda/Water $1.00
Monster $3.00
Juice Box $1.00
Alcohol: BYOB
Merch: ICW No Holds Barred Shirt $20.00
Ring Announcer: Larry Legend
Commentary: The Struggles
Larry Legend
Social: icwnoholdsbarred.com/
facebook.com/ICWNHB
twitter.com/icwnhb
instagram.com/icwnhb
youtube.com/@ICWpresents
Stream: independentwrestling.tv/
($9.99 per month)
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Danny Demanto, along with Brett Lauderdale, purchased Jersey Championship Wrestling in June 2015 and rebranded it under the name Game Changer Wrestling. Just three years later in 2018, Demanto left Game Changer Wrestling and purchased what was known as Impact Championship Wrestling. The promotion was initially rebranded it as ICW New York. In 2020, the promotion was renamed ICW No Holds Barred.
Since Demanto purchased the promotion, ICW No Holds Barred has gone from a local east coast promotion that ran shows almost exclusively in the New York Area, to an international promotion. According to Cagematch, Demanto has run twice as many shows in the last four years as the promotion did in its entire 15 year history as Impact Championship Wrestling. Just this year, ICW No Holds Barred has run shows from New Jersey to California, Tennessee to Michigan plus three shows in Melbourne, Australia. It was also just announced that the promotion will run three shows in Leeds, England in February 2023.
As the name implies, this promotion is a hardcore, death match promotion primarily. On the ICW No Holds Barred Facebook page, the promotion describes itself in the following manner: “The Ropes Come Down & Chains Go Up! No Submissions, No DQ, No Rules, No Holds Barred! #NHB.”
When I arrived at the business complex, it took me a second to find the 4W building. It should not have been so difficult to find as the numbers of the buildings are prominently displayed at the very top of each building. Either way, when you enter the complex, the 4W building is the first one on your left. Do not use the entrance that faces the driveway to enter the arena. The fan entrance is on the side of the building in the space between 4W and its next door neighbor.
The seats for this show sold out very quickly, but within minutes after the start of the show, I realized that a seat was essentially unnecessary. The action spilled into the crowd and through all parts of the arena in seemingly every match. Even those with seats ended up standing for much of the show to avoid becoming part of it themselves. Based on the crowd reaction at this show, however, the fanbase would not have it any other way.
MATCH #1
AKIRA vs. BAM SULLIVAN
Shortly after the bell rang, Akira sent Bam Sullivan outside with a forearm shot and followed with a tope suicida onto the concrete floor. Sullivan would evade a running boot from Akira and counter with a side slam onto a steel chair. Now in control, Sullivan draped Akira over the second rope and pummeled him with trash can lid shots to the back and head.
Sullivan set up a wooden door in one corner and looked to use a fireman’s carry to throw Akira through the object. Akira wriggled out of the fireman’s carry and locked in a rear choke while on Bam Sullivan’s back. Sullivan tried breaking the hold several times, but Akira kept returning to it in an attempt to wear Sullivan down. Eventually, Sullivan would back Akira into the corner and through a wooden board with jagged aluminum cans attached to it.
Sullivan grabbed another plywood board with mouse traps attached to it, but got reversed when he tried to German suplex Akira through it. Akira followed with a dropkick, German suplexed Sullivan onto the mouse traps, and grabbed two mending plates. Sullivan managed to stop Akira from sticking the plate into his forehead and pushed it into Akira’s forehead instead.
Bleeding profusely, Akira charged, but Sullivan caught him and sent him through yet another wooden door with a spinebuster. Sullivan looked to get a submission with a Boston Crab, but Akira managed to escape. With newfound momentum, Akira hit a double stomp, then made sure to connect with the mending plate by kicking it into Sullvan’s head repeatedly. Now bleeding himself, Sullivan charged but got reversed into a German Suplex followed by a rolling kick to the head.
WINNER: AKIRA
MATCH #2
GARY JAY vs. AARON WILLIAMS
As ring announcer Larry Legend entered the ring to announce the next match, he noted, “There is coagulated blood in the center of the ring…and I like it!!” It wasn’t too much longer before more blood would be spilled.
Aaron Williams withstood some early forearms and palm strikes from Jay, lifted him in a Razor’s Edge, and threw him through a wooden door. Williams followed with a press slam and a standing moonsault. Jay would manage to evade another moonsault from the second rope, used a forearm shot to send Williams out of the ring, and flew into the crowd with tope suicida.
On the floor, Gary Jay hit several loud chops to Williams’ chest, but missed and hit the ringpost instead. Williams countered by removing his tie and whipping Jay with it through the crowd and in the seats. Jay would even the score by reversing a charging Williams through another wooden door set up at ringside.
The action returned to the ring briefly, but another Gary Jay forearm shot sent Williams back out to regroup. Jay made the mistake of following Williams out and got suplexed onto the concrete by Williams and thrown back into the ring. Williams climb to the platform on top of the turnbuckles and nailed a frog splash, but could only garner a two count.
Williams went back outside and retrieved a box of thumb tacks from inside a spare tire wrapped around the ring post. Williams returned to the ring, and power-bombed Gary Jay onto the thumb tacks. Amazingly, Gary Jay followed almost immediately with Michinoku Driver to Williams on those same thumb tacks. When that did not earn the victory for Gary Jay, he began throwing handfuls of thumb tacks at Williams and the two began exchanging forearms and palm strikes. Eventually, Williams hit an STO onto the thumbtacks, followed by a figure four piledriver to end the night for Gary Jay.
WINNER: AARON WILLIAMS
MATCH #3
KRISTIAN ROSS vs. CHRIS BRADLEY
The fans popped as the two combatants, tag team partners and friends, Chris Bradley and “The Full Time Boss” Kristian Ross made their way to the ring to battle it out for bragging rights between these two H2O Wrestling mainstays. Ross was clearly amped up and attacked Bradley during the introductions. Within seconds, each man had thrown the other through a door and grabbed sticks wrapped in barbed wire.
Each man allowed the other to hit open strikes strikes to the chest until they had broken all of the sticks, then grabbed plastic bats with thumb tacks glued to them and continued with the open shots. Ross would eventually duck one and struck Bradley with a light tube that sent shards of glass flying everywhere. Ross dug the prongs of another light tube into the forehead of Bradley on one side of the ring, then acquiesced when fans on the other three sides demanded he do the same on their side.
Bradley turned the tide briefly with a back drop onto a bundle of light tubes and rolled outside for a breather. Ross immediately followed and the two exchanged shots with an empty water jug on a pole as well as trash can lids. Bradley rolled back in and went for a steel chair shot to Ross’ head as Ross rolled back in. This just made Ross angry. Two more shots from Bradley made Ross even angrier.
Ross lifted Bradley into a fireman’s carry. Bradley escaped and hit an Impailer DDT before climbing to the top rope platform. Ross, with a bundle of light tubes draped across his chest, leapt up and shattered those same light tubes on Bradley’s head. Bradley fell to the mat, but was immediately lifted into another fireman’s carry. Ross converted this into a Death Valley Driver onto another bundle of light tubes to finish off his tag team partner. When it was over, the pair hugged in the center of the ring.
WINNER: KRISTIAN ROSS
MATCH #4
BRANDON KIRK vs. DANNY DEMANTO
LAST TIME EVER
I feel like I missed so much in this long-standing rivalry between mentor and mentee. This was supposed to be their last match ever, but it was the first I had ever seen…and it was a great one. Kirk missed a pump kick off of the opening bell, but connected with light tube shots and a mending plate to each arm of Danny Demanto.
Demanto would gain the upper hand when he reversed a Demanto Driver into a back body drop followed by a senton. After that, it was a Demanto onslaught of weapons. Demanto used a crutch shot to the back, a speed limit sign thrown at Kirk’s head, and a headbutt with a light tube, then took a broken light tube and ran the jagged edge across Kirk’s forehead.
From there, the match turned into a contest to see who could withstand more punishment. Demanto set two chairs up in the center of the ring and sat across from Kirk as they took turns shattering light tubes on each other’s heads. Next, they each grabbed salt and lemons, simultaneously threw the salt in the other’s eyes and smashed the lemons into the already-salted wounds.
Next, Kirk and Demanto moved on to using six chairs as a platform for their offense. Kirk stood Demanto up on the chairs, but, in a flash, got caught in a cutter by Demanto through the chairs. Demanto set the chairs back up for another cutter, but Kirk squeezed more lemon juice in Demanto’s wounds to escape and hit a Psycho Driver through the chairs.
Kirk looked for more light tubes. At the same time, Mittens ran in and charged at Kirk causing the light tubes to explode as the two men collided. Demanto tried to capitalize with a quick pin, but managed just a two count. Demanto got another near fall after a Demanto Driver of his own onto the chairs. Demanto tried to set the chairs back up one more time, but they were too bent to be stable. Demanto took a street sign shot to the head as he tried to stabilize himself on the chairs which gave Kirk the opportunity to hit another Psycho Driver, this time for the win.
WINNER: BRANDON KIRK
MATCH #5
HOODFOOT vs. DR. REDACTED
There was no question who the fans were behind as chants of “Hoodfoot! Hoodfoot!” rang out immediately once his music hit. Dr. Redacted was determined to get the upper hand early to quiet the crowd. He hit a step up cannonball on a chair, then grabbed darts and began throwing them at Hoodfoot’s back. With the metal objects still stabbing through his flesh, Hoodfoot stood up only to have a stack of skewers jabbed into his forehead.
Hoodfoot was the first to roll out of the ring, but Redacted followed immediately. The pair spent the majority of the rest of the match battling in the crowd using all sorts of weapons: a snow shovel, trash can lids, and a bat with exploding bang snaps glued to it. Near the concession stand, Redacted set Hoodfoot up in a chair, put a trash can on his head, and dove from the top rope. With plenty of time to regroup, Hoodfoot managed to evade Redacted, this time.
On the other side of the arena, Hoodfoot lawn darted Redacted into the cinder block wall, poked him in the eye, and rammed him into the wall again. Redacted managed to create some space by throwing a ladder and a plastic chair at Hoodfoot. Hoodfoot ended up laid out on a door across two chairs. Dr. Redacted climbed to the second story of the building, put the trash can back on his head, and, this time, connected as he and Hoodfoot (and the trash can) crashed through the door.
When the action finally returned to the ring, Redacted hit a Saito suplex and a Codebreaker to set up a top rope frog splash that exploded the light tubes Redacted laid across Hoodfoot’s chest. Immediately Redacted climbed back to the top rope. This time, Hoodfoot nailed Redacted with light tubes during his descent. Hoodfoot charged but was countered with a shotgun dropkick from Dr. Redacted.
Redacted grabbed a large pane of glass and set it up in one corner. The referee assisted Redacted in lighting the pane of glass on fire, but took too long setting everything up. When Redacted approached, Hoodfoot used an Olympic Slam to send Redacted through the pane of glass. Rather than go for the pin, Hoodfoot lifted up Dr. Redacted and sent him through a door with a back suplex before making the cover for the win.
WINNER: HOODFOOT
MATCH #6
MATT TREMONT vs. KRULE (c)
IWTV CHAMPIONSHIP
The crew tied dozens of light tubes to the ropes around the ring creating a prison cell effect for this championship match. As the match began, challenger Matt Tremont and IWTV Champion Krule took turns whipping each other into the light-tube-enhanced ring chains, resulting in multiple bursts of glass shards being propelled through the building.
Tremont rolled out of the ring for a breather, Krule followed with a plancha onto Tremont on the concrete floor. At that point, there was an extended delay as medical personnel attended to Krule. Soon, it appeared to us in the crowd that Krule had dislocated his right shoulder during the dive and the medics intended to pop it back into place.
Eventually, even with his shoulder somewhat fixed, Krule’s ability to participate in the match was severely affected. Krule and Tremont battled around the outside of the ring for several more minutes. They exchanged light tube shots with Krule using only this left arm in his attack. Krule managed to throw a chair at Tremont with his left hand, as well.
The match wound down pretty quickly once the competitors returned to the ring. Tremont stuck several mending plates in Krules chest and connected with even more light tube shots, then set a pane of glass on Krule’s chest. Tremont climbed to the top, but Krule made it to his feet and choke slammed Tremont down to the mat, shattered the pane of glass, and made the cover for a successful title defense.
WINNER: KRULE
MATCH #7
KASEY KIRK (c) vs. MICKIE KNUCKLES
ICW AMERICAN DEATHMATCH CHAMPIONSHIP
The main event of the evening featured, American Deathmatch Champion Kasey Kirk facing a challenge from one of the legends of deathmatch wrestling, Mickie Knuckles. Knuckles threw a bundle of light tubes at Kasey Kirk mid-way through the introductions, threw her through a pane of glass, and raked a battle axe across her forehead.
Knuckles rolled outside the ring and Kirk followed. Knuckles threw some light tubes at Kirk. She headbutted Kirk with some more. She put a mending plate on Kirk’s stomach and kicked it into her flesh. Kirk managed to reverse a suplex into one of her own, then drove jagged pieces of glass into Mickie’s forehead.
Still outside the ring, Kirk would get a near fall after a hard shot with light tubes tied to a crutch and a mending plate stabbed into Knuckles’ back. Knuckles would response with light tube shots to Kirk’s crotch followed by a shot in the private parts with the base of the crutch. Of course, Knuckles stuck the crutch in a fan’s face and told him to smell it afterward.
When the action returned to the ring, Kirk laid a pane of glass on Mickie’s chest and climbed to the top rope for a 187. When that failed to earn Kirk the victory, she began pummeling Knuckles with light tube shots. When that didn’t work, Kirk sat on her chest and just kept punching.
Just then, Brandon Kirk ran to ringside, apparently to help Kasey. However, Kasey told Brandon to get the hell out of there and let her handle things herself. It seemed like the perfect spot for Mickie Knuckles to sneak up and steal a victory. Knuckles hit a German suplex onto light tubes and a pump handle slam onto more tubes, then set Kirk on the top platform. After placing another pane of glass across several chairs, Knuckles climbed to the top rope. Kirk kicked her off and sent her crashing through the pane of glass and hit another 187 to finish off Mickie Knuckles.
WINNER: KASEY KIRK
In an interview with the Under the Ropes podcast, promoter Danny Demanto said that if a promotion can create an atmosphere that makes fans want to return, even when there is no big-name headliner on the card, it is a success. That philosophy was evident throughout this event.
The only way to describe the crowd for this event is “rabid.” The people were jacked up even before Larry Legend picked up the microphone to start the pre-show. The crowd popped for every single performer that came through the curtain. And, of course, they popped for, what seemed like, an endless array of violent spots during each and every match. This was my first death match show. Thanks to ICW No Holds Barred, it will not be my last.
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