What's the story, bingers of bodyslam burlesque?
This is a bit of a unique post this week. A double feature retirement/goodbye show that I wasn't aware of until it was already over. I felt it was fitting to give it some time this week, so it was decided very early on that, regardless of match quality, this would be my review piece for the week.
Thankfully, the match was more than excellent.
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| via @blkwdxvx on IG |
Weekly Roundup
Here's what I watched for the week;
Project Morgan - CHIKARA
A pet project of mine recently has been my podcast covering my favourite wrestling promotion on the planet, CHIKARA. Once monthly I review an episode of CHIKARA wrestling from top to bottom, giving factoids and bits of trivia I find about the show to help further understand and appreciate what I feel is a criminally under appreciated wrestling promotion. You can find episode 1 of "Project Morgan - CHIKARA 001 - The Renaissance Dawns" either on my Spotify, Spreaker, or Pocket Casts, or at the embedded player below or at the bottom of my website.
Here’s what we’re reviewing for the Watchlist;
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Kevin Blackwood vs. Judas Icarus - The Final Bow
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| Prestige |
Bell to Bell
Coming to the ring to AFI's "This Time Imperfect," Blackwood is emotional from the moment he parts the curtain. Struggling to hold it together as a packed Roseland house cheers him on, he slowly laps the ring, looking nobody but the ground in the eye. A towel in one hand, the Prestige Championship in the other, Blackwood rests his head on the top rope, knowing that one way or another, this will be the final time he defends this gold. The final time he stands in a wrestling ring as an active competitor. His last dance.
Timing the raising of the championship with the song, Blackwood is showered with pink, black and white streamers in the centre of the ring, a euphoric outpouring of love and respect from the Prestige wrestling faithful, ready to bid one of the most prominent American independents goodbye. The building erupts with "Kevin Blackwood" chants as fans at ringside pound the canvas to the beat of the claps. No matter the outcome of this match, this is no quiet sendoff into the sweet goodnight, this is a loud and defiant march into the sunset for a stalwart of the American independents.
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| I cannot leave here, I cannot stay. Prestige |
Meeting his challenger in the middle, Blackwood and Icarus exchange a few short words, no mic able to pick them up, and they shake hands before returning to their corners. The bell rings, and Blackwood fires out, trying to catch Icarus with a kick, but he dodges and takes the back of Blackwood. Back and forth, these two men fight for an early advantage, the canvas kicking up concrete dust from the cement blocks shattered during the previous "Construction Site" match. Ducking a pair of lariats from each other, they find themselves at a bit of a stalemate, standing across from one another, waiting for the other man to make a move as the crowd erupts with applause, acknowledging how close this contest will be.
Rolling around on the dusty canvas now, Blackwood nearly gets a cover, but Icarus is free before the referee can even acknowledge the one count. Icarus takes the back with Blackwood on the canvas, but he gets to his feet and over to the ropes, forcing the referee to start a count so Icarus breaks the hold. Firing back with an elbow after Icarus takes his sweet time on the release, Blackwood rebounds off the ropes and clobbers Icarus with a lariat, taking advantage of this opening to land a quick double stomp to the chest of Icarus after pulling his legs out from beneath him. Blackwood's finish is a leaping double stomp from the top rope, so anything to soften up the chest of Icarus will be beneficial if he plans on retaining his championship on his way out of wrestling.
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| Asphyxiate on words I would say, I'm drawn to a blackened sky as I turn blue. Prestige |
With Blackwood shot from one corner to another, Icarus charges back after him but gets caught with a boot under the jaw, but it does little to deter him. Instead, Icarus fires up and chops Blackwood in the chest, tossing him out of the corner and catching him with a lariat after he rolls to his knees. Keeping his advantage, Icarus strikes the face of Blackwood as he tries for a backdrop driver, landing on his feet out of the hold. Catching Blackwood with a kick after he charges in after him, a top rope European uppercut takes Blackwood to the dusty canvas for a quick cover, but it's only good enough for two.
Blackwood lays into Icarus with heavy chops, but his strikes are cut off with a beautifully quick snap bodyslam, drilling Blackwood into the canvas in a heartbeat. Icarus leaps to the top to try and land something big on Blackwood, but he rolls to the apron and shoves Icarus down to the adjacent apron before he can take flight. Pulling Icarus up off the floor, Blackwood rolls him inside the ring and covers, but he escapes at two, clutching at his back after popping his shoulder up.
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| There are no flowers, no not this time, there'll be no angels gracing the lines. Prestige |
A target now created, Blackwood focuses in with knees to the back. A high angle triplet of German suplex's take Icarus down, with the third being held on for a bridge, but he escapes at two still. Tossing Icarus outside again, Blackwood has him on the apron and looks to try and suplex Icarus into a pole positioned close to the ringside area. Icarus is able to hold on tight, sending Blackwood back inside the ring with a lariat. Slipping beneath Icarus as he climbs to the bottom rope, Blackwood is able to pull Icarus into a powerbomb position, tossing him into the first 5 or so rows of seats.
When Icarus gets back inside, Blackwood tries a cover instantly, but he gets free at two, still clutching the back. A backdrop driver keeps Icarus down, with Blackwood cranking the neck and digging into the back of Icarus as he lays out prone on the canvas. Icarus fights his way up, catching Blackwood with a couple of forearm shots, but Blackwood slips behind and delivers a single blow to the back of Icarus, sending him flat into the canvas like a shot.
Icarus is back on his feet again and reverses a corner whip, with Blackwood sent in instead and ascending to the middle rope. Icarus acts quickly, knocking Blackwoods feet out from under him and sending him crashing high into the top turnbuckle. Now both men have wounded backs, the playing field has been evened up slightly, with Icarus taking advantage of this momentary advantage, catching Blackwood with a lariat and a back body drop when he tries to catch him out of the corner.
Again, Icarus is able to catch Blackwood in the corner, this time dropping him stomach first on the top turnbuckle, knocking the wind out of him. Splashing his torso, Icarus rolls Blackwood down onto his shoulders, spinning him around out of the torture rack into a powerbomb. He holds Blackwood for the cover, but he escapes at two.
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| I'd share with you could I only speak, just how much this, hurts me. Prestige |
With both men focusing on the back of the other with strikes, Icarus with forearms and Blackwood with a kick after pulling Icarus down to a seated position, both men are dealing with a weakened foundation and the know-how to wear the other down with vicious intent. Blackwood gets sent hard from corner to corner, taking the turnbuckle padding hard in the back with each landing. Icarus tries to send him off for a third time, but Blackwood shifts and tosses Icarus instead, giving him a taste of his own medicine. Not taking much time at all to recoup, Icarus fires out of the corner and cuts Blackwood in half with a spear. Pulling Blackwood in as he clutches at his gut, Icarus pulls him in as if he's going to land a reverse DDT, but instead flips Blackwood over and crushes him with a cutter, laying out for a cover, but Blackwood escapes.
Slowly but surely, Icarus ascends to the top rope, Blackwood still out prone on the canvas. He does fire up and tries to pull Icarus down, but a headbutt sends Blackwood timbering back to the canvas. Lining Blackwood up, Icarus flies for a splash, but Blackwood rolls out of the way just in time, lining Icarus up out of the corner for a knee strike before charging. He looks to land the shot, but Icarus catches him and shoves him down, only for Blackwood to roll out and charge back in with a shotgun dropkick, sending Icarus flying back into the corner. Pulling Icarus out of the corner, a Death Valley Driver is landed directly in the middle, with Icarus kicking out just barely at two.
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| Just these stark words, I find. I'd show a smile, but I'm too weak. Prestige |
Trying for a Boston Crab, Icarus is able to twist free as Blackwood twists him around for the hold, sending Blackwood stumbling into the corner to break his grip. Snatching a side headlock, Blackwood pays for it as he gets dropped with a backdrop driver from Icarus. Rebounding off the ropes, Icarus sends Blackwood to the floor with a knee shot to the back, following him out with a springboard over the top rope and a crossbody on the ground. Back inside the ring, Blackwood catches Icarus with a knee to the face and a rope-rebound powerbomb, tying him in a Boston Crab when he escapes at two. Getting kicked out of the hold, Blackwood lands a penalty kick through the chest of Icarus to reset the playing field.
Back vertical, heavy-handed strikes are traded back and forth by both men, the speed and intensity of them only getting faster and greater as each is absorbed. A leaping forearm sends Blackwood to the canvas, and an attempted brainbuster from Icarus is countered into one of his own by Blackwood. He covers, but Icarus is free quick, but Blackwood fires up in seconds, pulling Icarus up before drilling him into the corner with a DVD, climbing to the top rope and readying himself for the end of the match. Landing his signature double stomp, Firestorm, to the back of Icarus, Blackwood covers, but Icarus breaks free at two!
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| You don't care that it haunts me. Prestige |
The pace suddenly quickening, Icarus catches Blackwood with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors, spinning around into a bulldog choke. Blackwood is able to roll Icarus over for a pin, not holding him down for long, but long enough. After breaking free, Blackwood snatches Icarus and German's him into the corner, landing shoulder first on the top turnbuckle, a nasty landing. He charges for Icarus, but his opponent fires out and catches Blackwood with a lariat, taking him out of his friggin boots. Another brainbuster is attempted, but Blackwood gets free, with Icarus trying a rebound lariat only to get caught by a lariat instead.
Flipping Icarus up out from an inverted DDT, Blackwood spikes him heavy with a Tombstone Piledriver, going for the cover, but Icarus survives! Pulling Icarus into position for, what looks to be, Sister Abigail, he pulls him up for the spike but Icarus still has his wits about him, saving himself from the impact and rolling Blackwood up for a tight cover. Gettin Blackwood on his shoulders, he tries for a Michinoku driver, but Blackwood holds on tight and rolls Icarus around for a tight pin of his own, but only scores two.
A double underhook nearly turns into Angels Wings, but Icarus gets free, handsprings off the ropes, and crushes Blackwood with a lariat. A helluva kick to Blackwood in the corner sees Icarus climb to the top, missing his high-flying offence just barely, he lands and turns into another heavy lariat from Blackwood! He sits out for a pin, but Icarus survives! Both men know the end is close, but neither knows exactly what it will take, so they throw everything they've got. A middle rope rebound lariat from Icarus nearly does it, but Blackwood gets out at two.
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| There are no flowers, no not this time, there'll be no angels gracing the lines. Prestige |
⚡Move of the Match⚡
Seating Blackwood on the top rope, Icarus looks to position him for a superplex, but is slow to throw his legs over the rope and strike the champ to keep him stunned. Slowly meeting him up high, Blackwood fights him off with a headbutt, sunset flipping over and attempting a powerbomb, but Icarus holds fast. Thinking on his feet, Blackwood pulls his head down and lands a big knee strike while Icarus is trapped, using this opportunity to position himself behind Icarus and take him off the top rope with a massive back suplex!
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| Just these stark words, I find. I'd show a smile, but I'm too weak. Prestige |
Splashing himself with a bottle of water while sat in the corner, Blackwood finds his second wind, firing up out of the corner and trying a Helluva kick, but Icarus avoids and pulls him into a torture rack position, landing a torture rack bomb. Icarus goes for the Helluva kick this time, but Blackwood catches him into an exploder suplex into the corner. Finally, the Helluva kick is landed by Blackwood before he ascends to the corner, landing Firestorm on a standing Icarus. This is it, it's got to be. He covers, one, two, thr- no! Icarus gets free!
Blackwood lands another Helluva kick and climbs for another Firestorm, but Icarus fires up to his feet and rips Blackwood off the top rope with a powerslam, ascending high and landing a splash on the back of Blackwood. Rebounding off the middle rope, he lands a lariat, but Blackwood survives at two again! Wasting no time, Icarus sits out on Blackwood with a Liontamer, bending his back bad as Blackwood crawls for the ropes. Switching quick, Icarus snatches a bulldog choke on Blackwood and pulls him high and tight, with Blackwood having nowhere else to go, he's forced to submit.
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| I'd share with you could I only speak, just how much this, hurts me. Prestige |
Kevin Blackwood's career is over. Prestige is over. Judas Icarus is the new Prestige Champion, but his kingdom has turned to sand.
Standing in a ring filled, once again, with pink, black and white streamers, Blackwood holds bouquets of flowers, Blackwood and the newly crowned champion stand across from one another. Icarus lays down the gold in a symbolic gesture, standing in the middle as Blackwood sits in the corner, both men overcome with emotion. They hug, standing over the prize they both just fought for, championships no longer mattering. But Blackwood still does what is right, handing Icarus his newly won gold as both men have their hands raised. One for his victory, the other out of respect.
Match Time: 32:43
Overview & Final Rating
🟢 - High recommended
A match and show that are freely available to find on YouTube, this match was an exciting main event and a fantastic way to end not only the career of an indie journeyman in Blackwood, but also one of the most prominent indies in the US in Prestige. When I first watched this, I felt it was a bit finisher-spammy, but it's quite the opposite. The pacing is great and builds really nicely to a heavy, big finish from both men. They give each other their best shots at multiple points in the match, but it's proven to take more than just a single blow to put them away. Great stuff all around.
• • • • •
And, there you have it. The end. I mean, not of the Wrestling Vault, just the end of Blackwood and Prestige. As an occasional fan of Prestige, I'll miss having another indie to check out. And as a fan of Blackwood because of his work in DPW, his presence on the indies will be missed greatly. I wish nothing but the best for everyone involved in Prestige, as well as a healthy, happy retirement for one of the best to grace the indies in Blackwood. Rest up. Enjoy life.
To the rest of you. Be well, stay safe, and love one another.
cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com
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