Samoa Joe vs Chris Hero (IWA MS, 5-29-2004)

IWA Mid-South A Shot of Southern Comfort, Highland, IN

This is the 200th post on the site, so I wanted to do a match special to me. This match was one of the great live experiences of my wrestling fan life, taking place at the second IWA MS show I went to in Highland. Samoa Joe was the ROH champion and the king on the indies at the time, while Hero was the promotional stalwart, but not necessarily a favorite in Highland, where he was on a losing streak that would last quite a while.

But I loved Hero, he was one of the reasons I got into IWA Mid-South in the first place, thanks to his buzz-y matches with CM Punk. So I lost my voice during this match chanting for Hero, shouting about stuff, a rare thing for me because I’m not an overly vocal fan.

Bell rings, they circle around, Joe throws a roundhouse kick as a feeling out, it doesn’t land. Knuckle lock to start, Hero rolls back and through. They get out of that, into a C&E. Joe backs Hero to the corner. Hero turns it around and gives a clean break.

It’s a tentative start. Joe working a wristlock, Hero rolls through and grabs a standing armbar. Joe reverses. The dueling chants begin, rather quietly. And then they just get louder. And louder. They’re doing nothing but some chain wrestling as the crowd gets riled up.

They come out of that, lock up aggressively, and start trading forearm shots. Chop from Hero, chop from Joe. More chops, more forearms. Side headlock from Hero. Off the ropes, they collide and no one budges. Staredown, Hero hits the ropes, again nobody budges when they hit. Another staredown. Hero off the ropes, this time a forearm takes Joe down, and Hero grabs a front facelock on the canvas. The crowd continues to shout back-and-forth: “Let’s go Hero!” “Let’s go Joe!”

Both guys square up, Hero throws a kick to the leg. Joe with one back, and another, Hero stepping back to avoid them. Another leg kick from Hero, Joe fires back. Knuckle lock again, Hero spins, grabs a top wristlock. Side headlock from Joe and a takeover. They clearly intended to work a scientific sort of match, but the crowd is not having it.

So they call an audible. Joe slaps Hero, Hero with a forearm, another slap from Joe, forearm from Hero, slaps from Joe, Hero forearm and he loses his footing. Slap from Joe, boot from Hero, and now the fight is on. Bit forearm, slap, forearm to the back. Joe pops up with chops to Hero’s chest, driving him into the corner for a flurry of strikes! Hero tackles Joe and pummels from the mount!

Referee breaks it up, but Hero takes a quick cheap shot. Hero slaps Joe. Joe slaps Hero. More forearms and a rolling elbow from Hero. Joe with massive forearms! Hero down in the corner! Hero with a back elbow with Joe coming off the ropes, then a slap to the chest. Cover, one count.

Joe with kicks to the legs, forearm to the head. Crowd still chanting. No let up, really. It dims at times but someone is always yelling something. Joe’s whip reversed, Hero into the corner, Joe goes for the uranage but gets countered with an armdrag. Dropkick sends Joe to the corner, Hero runs in, and this time the uranage hits, with authority.

Joe with a snapmare and a chop to the back, kick to the chest combo. Joe off the ropes with the big kneedrop for two. Joe slow to capitalize, but the crowd chanting loudly for him. Hero with a couple shots, off the ropes, and Joe takes his knees out with a kick. Two count for Joe.

Now the Hero chants get going, pro and con. And the dueling starts again. Joe with a knee strike, second misses, Hero hits an enzuigiri and both men are down to their knees. Forearm from Joe when they get back up, chop from Hero, forearm from Hero, another chop, another forearm, just thudding. Joe off the ropes, kick to the gut, and then a rolling neckbreaker and a senton.

Joe back up, back down with a clothesline for two. Joe comes back with a powerslam for two, then grabs a cross armbreaker. Hero rolls to the ropes. Hero ditches the elbow pad and goes for a running forearm, but gets caught with a Death Valley Driver for two.

Samoa Joe with a full nelson, Hero breaks out and hits a cravate suplex, dumping Joe right on his head. Hero with a quick double stomp, then the Hangman’s Clutch. Joe gets out, but Hero hits the Hero’s Welcome. He goes for a second, Joe counters and dumps Hero on his skull with a back suplex. After that, Joe grabs the Coquina Clutch, Hero passes out, and the match is over.

Rating: 4.5/5. It’s always going to be one of my personal favorite matches, because I was there and it was such a special atmosphere. I remember Ian Rotten coming out after this one, a little disappointed with the house that night (although Highland is the best-drawing town IWA’s ever had, I think), but appreciative of the passion the fans showed for this match. It was a rabid response for a first-time ever match. It is kind of a weird match, because the crowd wasn’t going for the slow build, they wanted the slugfest, and the fellas obliged, thank goodness. They listened to the crowd and responded, and delivered a high-energy, all-action sprint of a match in the end.