Delirious brings to mind last year's hit song "Since U Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson.  It made a lot of year-end "Best Of" lists.   A lot of people thought this was just the result of pretentious music critics trying to be ironic.  Those people missed out on a well-produced song with a lot going for it.   That song had substance.  In the same vein, many appreciate Delirious only for his wacky antics.  They don't enjoy him as a wrestler, but instead think themselves funny for buying such a goofy gimmicks.   It's a shame – these people don't know what they're missing out on.  Delirious may be comedic gold, but when the bell rings, he can put on as great of a technical match-up as anybody out there.  

With so indy promotions in North America today, I only have time to follow ROH, PWG and CHIKARA.  I enjoyed Delirious' work in ROH, but as it turns out, I didn't know what I was missing.   Delirious' best work has been in IWA-MS where instead of treating him like a novelty act, they've let him go in the ring.  He still maintains his zany persona, but also wrestles (and sometimes defeats) the best of them.   Delirious is actually a former IWA-MS Light-Heavyweight champion. 

I recently sat down and watched "The Best of Delirious: April 2004-February 2005."  I found in Delirious the perfect act for any promotion.   He has his spots that can generate cheap heat, but can also wrestle a damn fine match without relying upon them.  He's distinctive, but not relying on his gimmick to get by.   The man is the total package.  ROH is crazy not to be using him more often.

Here is my review of Disc 1 of the two-disc collection available at Deliriouswrestling.com.   It covers April-August of 2004.  My review is tad lengthy, so I thought I would wait awhile before subjecting you to Part 2.  The set costs $25 or $26 for a signed copy.   I highly recommend it.  No match on the first disc comes close to reaching the ***** level, but they're all solid and all but ones is a great showcase for a great worker.   It's also a fine look at the development of Delirious as a worker.

Main Menu

Upon putting the disc into your player, you are led instantly to a scene selections page where each match is given it's own segment.   I have written my review according to these divisions.  Delirious' creepy IWA-MS theme music plays while you browse the main page.  Once you have selected a segment, the disc plays all the way through from that point.

Segment 1

Music Video

A music video aired showcasing highlights from Delirious' matches in promotions such as Big Japan, ROH, IWA-MS, ROH and NWA-TNA.   Sonjay Dutt, Abyss, Chris Hero and Shark Boy were some of his opponents in these match-ups.  Highlights of a Jerry Lynn match-up showcased his comedic skills.   He footage was great.  The music, a German metal song, was horrible and would have better suited a hardcore wrestler.

Segment 2

ROH: Delirious vs. Matt Sydal (4/23/04 in St. Paul, MN)

This was a really fun match from a Do or Die show.  Sydal did the high-flying thing he excels at and Delirious did some great chain wrestling.   When Sydal saw Delirious move during his Shooting Star Press attempt, he was actually able to sop himself and land on his feet in a great visual.  A killer reversal exchange followed.  The announcers seemed disinterested in this match with Punk taking the time to put over his feud with Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, but this was a really solid encounter.   I do have to give the announcers credit for beginning the "lizard-face" and speaking in tongues references.  I didn't realize it had something to do with "Carnivale."   It's no surprise both guys got picked up after this.  They both showed a ton of potential in this one and the crowd let them know it.   My only complaint was the match was too short.  It ended out of nowhere when Sydal hit Delirious with a top-rope belly-to-belly suplex. These two have a lot of chemistry with one another.  

Segment 3

IWA-MS: Delirious and Matt Sydal vs. Homicide and B-Boy (5/7/04 in Lafayette, IN)

This match was a qualifier for IWA-MS' tag title tournament.  It was only Homicide's second appearance in an IWA-MS ring.   The crowd was small and had many small children in the audience. 

The first half of the match told the story of a veteran tandem against a makeshift team.  Sydal and Homicide started the match at a very quick pace to the delight of the fans in the audience.   They then shook hands and tagged in their respective partners.  Sydal was the star for most of this match.  In the early going he hit a ton of highspots including a lionsault turbo, a great leg lariat and a hurancanrana from the top where he grabbed Homicide with his feet rather than his legs.  After taking a B-Boy powerbomb on Homicide's knee, he began a long period of selling.  He sold individual moves, whether they be a crazy modified STF or a simple chop very well.   Unfortunately, he did not well long-term.  His hope spot included a headscissors, a bodyslam AND a moonsault.  Throughout his sustained beat-down, the announcers (Dave Prazak with first Eddie Kingston and then Samoa Joe) put over the inexperience of Sydal and Delirious as a team.   Sydal did not tag his partner when he had a chance and Delirious was slow on the saves.  Homicide and B-Boy on the other hand had some great double-team moves including a B-Boy senton onto Sydal while Homicide put him in a leg-lock.   Delirious didn't even work a large portion of this match.

Once Delirious got the hot tag, the whole nature of the match changed.  Delirious had some great post-hot tag offense, hitting a series of enzigueris and doing a great dive to the outside.   Then all hell broke loose.  The new story the match told was of the two small underdogs taking huge beatings and refusing to give up, then highspots to make it seem like they had a chance.   This was a real high-energy encounter that really had you wondering who would win.  Homicide and B-Boy had most of the offense throughout the match – perhaps they were only making up for the job they had to do.   Each team traded big moves back and forth.  Perhaps forgetting about the work his opponents did on his back, Sydal hit a great twisting body press to the floor.   He attempted a dragonrana on B-Boy who tried to reverse into a powerbomb and Sydal then reversed that into a pin attempt.  There was Shadows Over Hell, a bell-to-belly suplex, a missile dropkick, a top-rope bulldog, a swinging DDT, a Cop Killer AND a Shining Wizard before the match was over.   B-Boy finished Delirious with that Shining Wizard to keep Delirious winless on his own DVD.  It was really quite a high-energy encounter that was fun to watch, even if it did sort of defy the storyline the match had been telling earlier.   In the end, this was a pretty solid match-up, which suffered from a slight identity crisis.  It wasn't the best showcase for Delirious.   He bit the ropes while waiting on the outside at the beginning of the match-up, helping to get his character over, but he didn't work enough in this match to really standout.  This was the Matt Sydal show.

Segment 4

IWA-MS: Delirious vs. Matt Sydal (6/25/04 in Oolitic, IN)

The segment begins with the finish to a Delirious and Sydal vs. BJ Whitmer and Danny Daniels.  Sydal accidentally kicks Delirious.   When Sydal needs to make the tag, Delirious refuses.  He then completes his turn by throwing Daizee Haze into the ringpost.   Delirious goes to his knees upon entering the ring, adding that aspect to his gimmick. 

Sydal walks nonchalantly to the ring for his match.  He doesn't rush as if he's about to partake in a grudge match (as you would expect a man whose valet has apparently been misted by his opponent to do), nor does he bring his Light Heavyweight title to the ring.   He doesn't really get either selling point of this match over in his entrance.  It doesn't mater though.  Even without a storyline these guys work great together – the ROH match proved this.  Given time in IWA-MS, Sydal and Delirious tear it up.  Both men show a lot of range in this one.   Delirious has some delightful heel tactics to add to his usually great chain-wrestling maneuvers.  First he lubes up his thumb and jams in Sydal's throat.   Later he chokes Sydal with a strand from his mask that he ripped out.  When combined with Delirious' awesome facial expressions, these moves help convey the new evil nature of a Delirious who has "snapped" very well.   To his credit Sydal doesn't stick to the air for the whole time in this one either.  He does some chain wrestling of his, as well as some submissions work.   In fact, even when Delirious is on the outside and the announcer predict some "flippity-dippity"; Sydal resists the urge to go big and attempts a baseball slide.   Sydal does hit a few highspots.  He hits a moonsault to the floor, a fall away hurancanrana and even hits Delirious with Shadows from Hell after Delirious attempted to hit him with his own moonsault belly-to-belly.   This match isn't about spots.  It has solid psychology.  Delirious works over Sydal's arm (which is in a cast) for most of the match.   Sydal sells it like a pro.  THIS is the type of match you buy a DVD for.  Delirious huts the Invitro Fertilization for the first time on the DVD in this match.   He also used the Chemical Imbalance 2 for the first time, just about killing Sydal as he picks up the win (his first on the disc) and the light-heavyweight title.

Segment 5

ROH: Delirious vs. Matt Sydal vs. Trent Acid vs. Ace Steel (7/23/04 in Wauwatosa, WI)

This was in many your typical four-corner survival spotfest, but, thanks to some great participants, was very entertaining.   This was when Trent Acid was doing the "Master of the Multi-Person Match" gimmick and he was up against 3 guys who only worked Midwest shows, so there was no doubt as to who was going to win it, but it was nevertheless an enjoyable ride there.   Sydal and Delirious once again show their great chemistry in an early fast-paced exchange.  At one point Delirious really makes himself stands out by curling up into a ball in the middle of a fast-paced 4CS match.   Ace Steel is really the only weak link in this match.  He was having an off night it seems.  He waited far too long to stop Delirious from riling up the crowd as Delirious pretended to put Sydal in a deathlock and Delirious looked like a fool because of it.   One had to wonder why he didn't just do the damn move.  When Delirious hit Steel with a crossbody, either Steel or the ref was out of place, because it was awkward as hell.   As it always is in multi-person matches in ROH, this one quickly broke down.  There was a really cool spot where Acid hit a tower hurancanrana onto everybody else.   It was convoluted and obviously staged, but was still a great visual effect.  Everyone got their shit in at the end.   Acid's mule and yazuka kicks were highlights, as was a pescado by Sydal and a top-rope Widow's Peak by Steel onto Delirious (who took the bump like a pro).  Ultimately Acid defeats Delirious with an inverted brainbuster, but Delirious looks good coming out of this.   He stands out, which is important in a company where everybody can work.  I miss Trent Acid.

Segment 6

IWA-MS: Delirious vs. Jimmy Jacobs (8/21/04 in Highland, IN)

Jacobs had recently dropped the Berzerker gimmick when this match took place.  He won the IWA light-heavyweight title from Delirious the week before.   I like how IWA-MS used Jacobs post-Berzerker more than ROH's treatment.  It seemed more logical for him to stay a little crazy.   He came out to the "Fraggle Rock" theme and had an odd flamboyance about him.  Delirious attempts to steal the belt and walk away at the outset, foreshadowing the ending.   This is about the match you'd expect from these two.  It was a solid technical encounter that would be at home on any mid-card.  At one point Delirious, frustrated that his chops in the corner aren't working turns his back on Jacobs and sulks.   When Jacobs then hits Delirious, the colour guy calls Delirious a "retard."  There are too really painful looking botched highspots in this one.   Delirious hits the Shadows Over Hell too low on Jacobs back and Jacobs in turn slightly misses his intended target on a senton Shadows Over Hell.  In a nice move both men take spikes out of their outfits at the same time and go after one another.  The referee makes them count to 3 and each drop their weapon.   A missile dropkick referee bump allows Delirious to retrieve his spike and run at Jacobs wailing.  Of course, Jacobs counters and hits the Contra Code for what would have been the victory had the ref been up.   Delirious actually loads his mask after this.  His cheating is really fun.  Unfortunately a double-pin finish results not only in a vacant title, but in a flat ending to a solid encounter. Delirious then tries to nonchalantly walk away with the belt without anybody noticing, but fails.   This is a solid mid-card match raised to above-average heights by some very entertaining cheating on Delirious' behalf.