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Danny Hodge Invitational Huge Success

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 By: CMBurnham

IZW?s first internet Pay-Per-View, the Danny Hodge Invitational, was of tremendous importance to not only Oklahoma wrestling, but to each of the men involved as well. One tag team not only won the tournament, but did so in decidedly unexpected fashion. Angel Williams was able to overcome the vicious Wage in a brutal and bloody Dog Collar Chain match. And in the eight-man tag team main event, pitting Impact, Inc. versus Team Johnny Z, one man turned his back on his team?which of the eight men was he?

In the semifinals of the Tournament, the ?Vulture? Kenny Campbell and Dustin Heritage defeated the Future Hall of Famers to advance after Bad Brad Michaels accidentally superkicked John O?Malley. Later, the Old School Suckas (IZW Tag Team Champions Bernie D and Coach Gary Tool) defeated Aerial Assault (Ky-ote Joe and Montego Seeka) after Tool hit Ky-ote with a frog splash. The finals saw Campbell and Heritage facing the Old School Suckas. In a surprising turn, Campbell and Heritage won the Danny Hodge Invitational due to interference from Bad Brad Michaels on their behalf. Michaels then said that he had told everyone that the Future Hall of Famers would win the Tournament?meaning that Campbell and Heritage had now joined the Future Hall of Famers with Michaels and O?Malley. This was the first event of the night that the crowd did not see coming at all?what kind of impact will the joining of these men into the Future Hall of Famers have on IZW?

With what was most likely the biggest viewing audience in IZW?s history, the main event saw Impact, Inc. (Jeff Wolfenbarger, IZW Heavyweight Champion Jermaine Johnson, ?Mr. Money? Randy Price and ?Mr. Saturday Night? Michael Barry) taking on Team Johnny Z (?Natural Born Leader? Johnny Z, the ?Real Deal? Aaron Neil, Double D and IZW newcomer Brent Albright). For weeks, Johnny Z had been trying to assemble a team to battle his brother and his former group. The pieces came together slowly, but the final piece of the puzzle was former WWE and ROH superstar Brent Albright. Albright made his IZW debut at the iPPV and surely impressed viewers everywhere. His addition to Johnny Z?s already strong team made them even stronger and more of a threat to Impact, Inc. But Impact, Inc. focused their attention on trying to injure the leg of Johnny Z throughout the match.

In the culmination of the match, Johnny finally had his brother Jeff set up for the Big Boot in the Corner, something he?d waited months for. Albright held Jeff in the corner for Johnny, but as Johnny rushed in, Albright did something that both Johnny and the crowd were not expecting?he pulled Jeff out of the way, leaving Johnny to crotch himself on the top rope. Albright had not only turned his back on Johnny Z and the rest of his team, but he had aligned himself with the contemptible Impact, Inc. Albright?s double cross allowed Impact, Inc. to defeat Team Johnny Z in front of the entire viewing audience. Albright?s treachery stunned the crowd and Team Johnny Z as a whole. Just like that, Impact, Inc. became that much stronger.

With former WWE and ROH superstar Brent Albright joining Impact, Inc., what are they now capable of? Jeff Wolfenbarger has assembled a fearsome group?what will Johnny Z, Aaron Neil and Double D do in the face of the aftermath of the Danny Hodge Invitational? Now that IZW has gone global with internet Pay-Per-View, what huge impacts will be made into the future?