HORNSBY RSL CLUB was jam-packed last Friday night for IWA’s return to the venue after almost a year. We would like to thank Hornsby RSL, Hornsby Heights Pizzeria, New Photography Studios, Video Webb, Gold Standard Video and the patrons of the club for contributing to what was one of IWA’s biggest events of all time.
Vinnie Vain opened the show with a 5-minute challenge, claiming that no one can beat him in under a 5-minute timespan. The Bogan Hogan Dazza answered the challenge but was quickly met with a cheap shot. With The Bad Guy struggling to put Dazza away, he left the ring to run down the clock, only for Dazza to catch him, throw him back into the ring and claim a victory with ~15 seconds left on the clock. Dunedoo’s finest kicked off the show and returned to IWA in a big way. (4:45)
Charli Evans left no doubt after she went one-on-one with Rita Stone in a rematch that rivals the quality of their first match last April. The intensity between the two matched their desperation to win. Rita Stone, who earlier in the night had been awarded IWA’s Wrestler of the Year award for 2023, tried to overcome frequently being thrown to the outside and Charli Evans’ brutal offence. In the head, a headbutt and a lariat from the Violence Artist was the difference maker, leading to a second-straight victory over Relentless Rita.
Last year Rita’s winning streak was snapped by Charli Evans and Rita has struggled to get back any momentum since then. Now with a second loss, where does she go from here? (14:35)
Matt Callaway’s Invitational Battle Royal became incentivised on Friday afternoon when it was announced that the winner would challenge for the IWA Trans-Tasman Title the next day at IWA Chaos on the Coast. Many young wrestlers, including Jesse Flynn, King Kareel, Leo Tempest and others did their best, but in the end, it was Dazza that reappeared to enter and win the battle royal, thwarting off Callaway and his Caddy to finish. (4:10)
On a night with high stakes, there was a vested interest in the upcoming match as IWA’s Commissioners of Food and Catering, The Dropouts (Tuckman and Scott Green) defended the honour against North Shore Wrestling (Sam Osborne and Trans-Tasman Champion Will Kiedis). The interest came from the club patrons, who were promised FREE PIZZA by The Dropouts if they won the match and kept the title. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. Following IWA Director Robert Oxley leaving a mysterious pizza box nearby, it was acquired by Will Kiedis who used it against Scott Green to score the win. Little did we know until after the match that the box has been pre-loaded with the Trans-Tasman Title belt, giving the tainted win to the new commissioners.
After the match, North Shore Wrestling declared there would be NO free pizza for the patrons and threw it all in the bin. Later, The Dropouts went bin-diving for it but declared revenge would be a better dish served to North Shore Wrestling. (11:39)
IWA Heavyweight Champion Jimmy Townsend made his first appearance at Hornsby RSL against IWA Legend Robbie Zucco in a competitive title match which ended with the champion retaining the title. The Generational Run proved to be greater than Zucco’s desire for One Last Run – or was it? During the match, Robbie Zucco’s son Vinnie Vain appeared to distract Jimmy Townsend, yet after Jimmy pushed Zucco towards his son, a collision of heads allowed Jimmy to secure a schoolboy roll-up for the three-count. However, watching back the footage, it almost seems as if it was less of a collision of heads and more of a forearm thrown to Zucco’s chin by Vinnie Vain. Vain strongly denied this after the match.
Meanwhile, still Heavyweight Champ Townsend was mauled by a masked assailant who turned out to be longest ever reigning Champ Cowboy Chris Abbott, returning to IWA after a 6-month absence. He then STOLE the title belt and declared that until Jimmy can beat Abbott, the title remains in the possession of the Cowboy. (12:20)
Finally, in the most emotional and heated match of the evening, The Masked Kamikaze Randal battled The Golden Boot Jackson Kelly in a Career vs Career match for the ages. Through tables and chairs, outside and inside the ring, Randal dropped Kelly with a Blacktown destroyer for the pinfall, signalling the end of Jackson Kelly’s career, which was one of the greatest careers in Australian Wrestling History.
Kelly’s North Shore mates Kiedis and Osborne appeared to comfort Kelly after the match, but instead attacked him, affectively removing him from North Shore Wrestling despite his retirement. Conflicted, Randal ran back to stop the assault and he and Kelly shook hands after the war.
Kelly said goodbye in the same venue he debuted in 7 years earlier. He was a 3x Trans-Tasman Champion, 1x and tied longest-reigning Australian Heavyweight Champion. (32:20)
We would once again like to thank everyone that attended our huge event at Hornsby. We hope to be back next March, stay tuned to IWA International Wrestling Australia’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more information.
QUICK RESULTS RECAP:
1. 5-Minute Challenge: Dazza def. Vinnie Vain.
2. Charli Evans def. Rita Stone.
3. Dazza won Matt Callaway’s Battle Royal, now #1 Contender.
4. North Shore Wrestling def. The Dropouts, now Food & Catering Commissioners.
5. Jimmy Townsend def. Robbie Zucco, still Australian Heavyweight Champion.
6. Randal def. Jackson Kelly, now Kelly must retire.
OUR UPCOMING EVENTS:
April 6th – St. John’s Park Bowling Club ($5 tickets)
April 12th – Everglades Country Club
Tickets on sale RIGHT NOW iwawrestling.com.au/tickets
All photos courtesy of Sarah Newman from New Photography.
