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Tape Reviews
TTDR: CZW Truth or Consequences
Posted by Jay Doring on Nov 12, 2003, 19:03
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A couple of quick bullet points before I start:
-I�m pleased to welcome SoCal Uncensored�s Steve Bryant into the Paradise City Ninjas. Steve�s knowledge of the widely overlooked wrestling haven of Southern California will go a long way toward making TSM a complete resource for independent action. Steve and I will hopefully be covering PWG and PCW events in the very near future, along with other Southern California promotions.
-CZW legend Nick Mondo retired a few days ago. Nick was a guy that the PCN and I held in very high regard, so expect a tribute column very shortly. Now, onto a review of the show that may in fact be CZW�s best show in the year 2003, �Truth or Consequences.�
Combat Zone Wrestling, which operates primarily in Philadelphia�s famous Viking Hall (along with outdoor shows in Delaware and New Jersey) and run by John Zandig, is often easily dismissed by the casual Internet fan as �that garbage fed.� However, CZW, in addition to their use of gory violence involving light tubes, thumbtacks, and panes of glass, also adeptly mixes in some of the best junior heavyweight wrestling in the country. CZW was the promotion that first discovered the talents of the Briscoe Brothers, the SAT and Divine Storm, and today has made guys like Sonjay Dutt, B-Boy and Jimmy Rave into bona-fide stars on the national stage. The issues between the three top contenders to the CZW World Title comes to a head, two dream matches take place, and an epic angle begins...it�s Truth or Consequences.
Taped 6/14/03 from Viking Hall, and your hosts are Eric Gargiulo and John House.
The tape opens with an absolutely mindblowing video package recapping the issues between Nick Gage, Nate Hatred and the Messiah, as well as the formation of the Hi-V, set to �Lies� by Evanescence, followed up by WWE PPV-style match graphics. Utilizing these highlight reels does a great job of hyping up the audience for the show, and I wish that more independents would go the extra mile to put together vignettes like this- it makes a GREAT first impression on people new to the product.
The Messiah (CZW World champion) vs. Nick Gage vs. Nate Hatred (�BJW� Deathmatch champion)- Steel Cage Match for the CZW World and �Big Japan� Deathmatch titles.
Okay, strap in, because this explanation is gonna be LONG. The Messiah, who you already know from my review of his Smart Mark Video Best Of tape, stole the CZW World Title during the decisive ladder match portion of a 2/3 falls match between Justice Pain and Nick Gage. This infuriated Pain, and he granted Messiah a match for the CZW World title at the Cage of Death 4. Messiah defeated Pain to win the title, but not before Gage made his presence felt, nailing Messiah with his Hardcore Drop brainbuster and dumping thumbtacks into the ring. A match between Gage, Messiah and Pain was made at One More Time, which ended in a Messiah victory after Gage�s World Tag Team champion partner in the H8 Club, Nate Hatred, accidentally cost him the match. Following the match, Messiah, who had been a sympathetic babyface after coming back from what many thought was a career ending "mafia-style" hit in California, turned heel for the incredibly weak reason of �I didn�t get enough support on the Internet.� A rematch between Gage and Messiah occurred at Live Again, and Messiah managed to sneak away with another victory after Gage�s manager Dewey Donovan turned on him, hated heel tag team the Backseat Boyz snuck in and delivered the T-Gimmick to Gage, and Hatred screwed up yet again. In classic Four Horsemen tradition, the Messiah formed the Hi-V (High Five), complete with franchise player (himself), the dominant tag team (the BSB), the managerial flunky (Dewey) and an �enforcer,� who we found out was Southern California sensation B-Boy at Uncivilized. Also at Live Again, Nate Hatred won the vacant fake Big Japan Deathmatch title in a three way dance against Nick Mondo and Zandig.
Nick Gage finally got a clean pinfall win over the Messiah at Divide and Conquer, earning yet another rematch at Best of the Best 3. This time, it was revealed that Hatred�s interference had been intentional all along, because he�d been jealous that Gage had been getting all of the spotlight. Hatred got a shot at the Messiah at Then and Now, but this time karma struck him and Gage cost him the title. Now, all three men will be locked in a Steel Cage together, to settle their issues.
The stipulations of the match are as follows. If Nick Gage is pinned, he never receives a match with Nate Hatred, and he does not get a CZW World Title shot for six months. If Nate Hatred is pinned, he loses the �Big Japan� Deathmatch title. If the Messiah is pinned, he loses the CZW World Title.
Gage IMMEDIATELY jumps Hatred at the bell, ramming him repeatedly into the cage before Messiah even makes it out to the ring. Messiah takes advantage, unloading with right hands to Gage and sending him into the steel. Gage tries to turn the tide, irish whip, reversed by Messiah, and he BACKDROPS GAGE INTO THE CAGE! Hatred is bleeding already, and Messiah goes to work on him with some hard shots. Neither can get the other into the cage, Messiah tries for the quick pin with an O�Connor roll, but Hatred gets to his feet quickly and GORILLA PRESSES HIM into the cage! Hatred stomps on Gage now, and takes time out from that to throw Messiah into the cage again, busting the World champ open. Hatred whips Gage into the steel, and catches him off the rebound with a release German Suplex for a two count. All three men are bleeding heavily as they exchange shots. Messiah tries to bail out of the cage, he�s on top, but Gage has got him�for a SUNSET FLIP POWERBOMB OFF THE TOP! HOLY SHIT! The cage is starting to look really flimsy as Hatred whips Gage into the corner and capitalizes with a Reverse DDT. Messiah has recovered and pounces on Hatred, trying to stomp a mudhole in him, but a SKY HIGH SPINEBUSTER stops that rally. Gage covers for another nearfall, but Hatred breaks it up Hatred locks in a camel clutch as Messiah climbs the cage to get consultation from Dewey- AND GAGE PULLS DEWEY IN! Dewey eats steel, and Gage goes for the BEST BOOTSCRAPE IN WRESTLING- CUT OFFF WITH A DECAPITATOR LARIAT BY HATRED! Dewey gets out of the crossfire as Messiah covers Gage for two. Messiah pulls Gage over to the door, and Dewey slams it on Gage�s ankle. Messiah TAKES HIM TO SCHOOL with a figure four, and Hatred pounds Gage in the head for added punishment. Messiah tries to get the hell out of Dodge again, Hatred�s got him, but Gage has Hatred- HOLY SHIT, SUPERPLEX OFF THE TOP OF THE CAGE, POWERBOMB OFF THE TOP ROPE TO HATRED! All three men have recovered, irish whip, and GAGE CATCHES HIM WITH A HALF NELSON SUPLEX! Gage goes for a roaring elbow off the second rope, caught by Hatred, and he drops him with a clothesline. FOLLOWED UP BY A NASTY AS FUCK DECAPITATOR! Messiah tries to leave yet again, but Gage shoves him off. Gage climbs to the top, caught by Hatred, and he GORILLA PRESSES HIM OFF THE CAGE! Messiah with a suplex to Gage, floats over to a cover, two count only. Hatred jumps on him- JACKKNIFE POWERBOMB TO MESSIAH! Hatred and Gage tie up, Messiah tries to attack, and they backdrop HIM into the cage! Gage spikes Hatred with a DDT. Hardcore Drop brainbuster to Messiah, but Hatred stomps him down. He picks up Messiah�and they shake hands. Uh oh. Messiah and Hatred team up to stomp down Gage, and they DOUBLE POWERBOMB HIM INTO THE STEEL! GAGE KICKS OUT! Hatred accidentally clocks Messiah with a lariat, and Gage tries to come back with roaring elbows, but gets taken down. Messiah tries to get Dewey to slam the door on Gage�s head- BUT HE HITS MESSIAH INSTEAD! MESSIAH�S OUT! POWERBOMB BY HATRED ON GAGE. Here comes another big lariat- GAGE DUCKS! SCHOOLBOY! 1,2,3! NEW DEATHMATCH CHAMPION!
The rest of the Hi-V immediately hit the ring to lay an old-school beatdown on Nick Gage, along with their newest member�Nate Hatred.
There are only three criteria I use for a steel cage match- blood, violence, and action, and this match had all three in spades. These three guys just knocked the living fuck out of each other nonstop, and tossed in a couple of incredible-looking �holy shit� highspots for good measure. Messiah trying to escape the violence also reinforced the rules of the match, as he was clearly desperate to avoid losing his title. Also, in a nice nod to the storyline, Hatred never attempted a pinfall on Messiah, a bit of continuity most matches like this ignore. This match was pure entertainment, and the best cage bout I�ve seen in 2003 that ISN'T the War Games from Wildside's Freedom Fight show. And we�re just getting started!
Winner: Nick Gage
Rating: ****
Hi-V are backstage to rub their master plan in everybody�s face, and formally induct Nate Hatred into the Hi-V. I love Nate Hatred on the stick. He�s so visibly uncomfortable, it makes all of his promos perversely hilarious. The Hi-V is taking over, and if you don�t like it, tough shit. And of course, as is Hi-V�s custom, they�re goin� to Atlantic City with John House! Whoo!
Sonjay Dutt vs. Deranged
And now we completely shift gears for some high-flying junior action. Sonjay Dutt is the hottest talent the independent scene has witnessed in quite awhile. A relative unknown from NWA Virginia, he was hired as an extra for Best of the Best 2�s battle royal, and once he got some actual matches in CZW, his smooth dancin� moves, suave charisma and insane highspots rocketed him to the top of their junior division at a blinding rate. Sonjay took a huge step toward superstardom by advancing to the finals of Best of the Best 3. Since then, Sonjay has won the IWA Mid-South and MLW Junior Heavyweight titles, and is now a regular on NWA-TNA. Deranged is best known as 1/1000th of Special K, but has been tearing it up in the New Jersey and New York indies for quite some time, and through his showstealing performance at Best of the Best 3, earned a fulltime slot on the CZW roster. The storyline here is that Sonjay has been winless in CZW since Best of the Best, and doesn�t want to go lose his 3rd straight match against a hot newcomer and lose his spot.
Sonjay and Deranged start out with one of those cool-as-hell lightning quick neo-lucha sequences I never get tired of, and Deranged hauls off and slaps the playa from the Himalaya. Sonjay responds with one of his own, and shit�s ON now. Test of strength, and they both trade monkey flips out of it for two counts. Sonjay takes him down and grabs a leglock, and both guys start slapping each other again, and somehow end up UPSIDE DOWN and bring more of da slap. Sonjay ducks a clothesline from Deranged and catches him off the ropes with a leg lariat for a couple of quick two counts. Forearms by Dutt, and a textbook dropkick puts him down for another nearfall. Quick legdrop by Dutt, and Deranged kicks out of another cover. Sonjay grabs a front facelock, Deranged escapes, and grabs an irish whip, stopped by Dutt, who nails Deranged in the face and drops him on his head- although it looked like Deranged was supposed to land on his feet. Deranged bails- Sonjay tries for the HINDU PRESS~!(360 spinning plancha) but Deranged moves, but Sonjay adjusts into a DOUBLE JUMP SPRINGBOARD 360 SOMERSAULT PLANCHA- AND LANDS ON HIS FEET~! That was fucking unreal. Sonjay brings Deranged back in and gets a scoop slam, followed up with THE MOST ELECTRIFYING MOVE IN ULTRAVIOLENT ENTERTAINMENT- THE SPRINKLER ELBOW~! Sonjay throws Deranged into the corner, irish whip, Deranged tries to vault over, Sonjay catches him- AND DERANGED TURNS IT INTO A TORNADO DDT! Sonjay recovers quickly, but Deranged nails him with a satellite headscissors and a SWANK cartwheel kick for 2.9. Deranged follows up by hooking in a modified STF, but Sonjay makes the ropes. Deranged unloads with punches, an atomic kick to the nuts, and the BLANKA BACKFLIP KICK FOR TWO! Another cover, another two, and Deranged gets frustrated and brings in a chair. Deranged with a Van Daminator! Sonjay heads to the outside, but Deranged springs off the chair with a tope con hilo! A cover only gets a nearfall. Deranged picks him up, irish whip, hurricanrana stuns Sonjay, and Deranged makes him pay with a CASH FLOW! Deranged heads to the top for a SKY TWISTER PRESS~!�.that misses. Sonjay makes the comback with the Cal-cut-cut (Rick Michaels� Double Shot) and puts Deranged up top. Deranged fires back, but Sonjay gets him with a MEXICAN STRETCH BUSTER~! Sonjay is groggy, he�slowly�covers�for two. Deranged recovers and hits a FUCKING NASTY Diamond Cutter, dropping him on his head, for another oh so close two. Deranged tries for something that looked messed up, but gets up quick and nails the BLUE PRINT~! (Code Red) which smokes Red�s in so many ways it�s not even funny. Not surprising, since Deranged invented the move. Anyway, that DOESN�T get three, and Deranged heads to the apron. Springboard- and SONJAY TURNS IT INTO A SKY HIGH! He�s up top- PHOENIX SPLASH~! DUTT BREAKS THE LOSING STREAK!
Sonjay Dutt has always been good, but since Best of the Best he�s stepped up his game tremendously and become the complete package of charisma, high flying and pure wrestling. The hype on Dutt is FOR REAL. Praise has also gotta be given to Deranged, as CZW finally gave him the opportunity to break away from the Special K bacteria colony and shine on his own as a singles star, like he did on the smaller stage in JAPW. At this point, this was the most well-worked high-flying match CZW had put on in several months. It had the requisite eye-popping high spots, but also emphasized the competitive fire these guys had (the angry slapping at the beginning) and how crucial a win was to both men (shown by the multiple covers per big spot/high impact move.) This match had what a lot of today�s indy cruiser matches lack, a storyline and structure. Only a couple of minor blown spots drag this down.
Winner: Sonjay Dutt
Rating: ***1/4
Grim Reefer vs. Niles Young vs. Jon Dahmer
Dahmer, a former CZW World Tag Team champion as part of VD, is the head trainer of the CZW Wrestling Academy, producing talent like Chris Cash, GQ, and Ian Knoxx. Niles Young is part of the newest class of students at the Academy, and Grim Reefer is some New York/New Jersey spot wrestler who likes weed.
Young and Reefer try and team up on Dahmer, but to no avail as Dahmer clotheslines Reefer and lights up Young with chops. Dahmer tries a ten-punch count on Young, but Young hits him low, and Reefer takes advantage by jumping off Dahmer�s back and dropkicking Young to the floor. Suplex by Reefer on Dahmer, and he jumps off the top with a somersault tope to Young on the outside. We head back in, and Dahmer irish whips Young in, reversed, but Dahmer catches him with a gutbuster. Reefer breaks up a pin attempt, but Young catches him with a shoulder tackle. Reefer gets up and tries a roundhouse, ducked by Young. Young tries to whip Reefer in, Reefer moves, but Young springs off the turnbuckles for a modified Rocker Dropper. That gets two, and Young plants Dahmer with a DDT for a second nearfall. Reefer grabs a hangman�s neckbreaker on Young, and hits a ropewalk senton bomb (doesn�t look nearly as good as it sounds) on Dahmer for a two-count of his own. Reefer and Young trade shots, but Dahmer catches them with a double Saito suplex! Dahmer rams Young�s shoulder into the post, and gets their weird Boston Crab in the turnbuckle. Reefer dropkicks Young and tries a frankensteiner on Dahmer, but Dahmer turns it into a spinebuster off the top! Dahmer grabs Young, and hits the MOVE OF 1,000 MANIACS~! (Sitout piledriver from a Canadian Backbreaker position) for the academic three count.
CZW, for whatever reason, always feels compelled to put on at least one totally pointless filler match involving the tremendously unover Jon Dahmer squashing one of his greener-than-St Patrick�s Day-beer students. The students do show some signs of potential, and I understand they need ring time, but it should come much later or in smaller venues, as none of them are anywhere near ready to work on a big show. Reefer added nothing, and this way yet another blah threeway, nothing special or exciting whatsoever.
Winner: Jon Dahmer
Rating: *
Rebels� Army (Derek Frazier, Z-Barr and �Tough Enough� Greg Matthews) vs. The Broad Street Boozers (Adam Flash, Ian Knoxx and Danny Rose)
Rebel�s Army is a continuation of the Lobo�s Army heel faction that ended at Cage of Death 4, as Philadelphia indy mainstay Rockin� Rebel took over for the now-retired deathmatch legend. More on Rockin� Rebel later. The angle here is that Danny Rose turned on the Army and reunited with his former tag team partner Adam Flash and his buddy Ian Knoxx. Their gimmick? They get drunk a lot. Sometimes the simple stuff is what works best.
My sexual role model, Z-Barr comes out to his own music, drawing the ire of the Rockin� Rebel. Barr explains that while he�s part of the army through and through, he doesn�t want to �dress like a Bushwhacker and look like a goof!� Ironic, since Barr dresses, in Rebel�s words, �like a faggot zebra.� The Boozers come out to the best entrance music I�ve heard in some time- Lionel Ritchie�s �All Night Long.�
Matthews and Rose start out, and Rose fires away with punches. Matthews takes over and tries for a piledriver, but Rose reverses to a backdrop and gets the Tough Enough Driver (piledriver.)There's a difference dammit! The Rachies team up for a cutthroat neckbreaker on Greg, and Flash follows up with a leg lariat. Tag to Ian Knoxx, but Matthews catches him off the ropes with a drop toehold and tags in Derek Frazier. Frazier calls for a 619 and blows it horrifically, so he covers with a kick to the face. Knoxx turns the tide and nails Frazier with chops in the corner. Irish whip, and a HARD lariat drops Frazier. Uranage into a sitout powerbomb gets two for Knoxx, but Barr comes in and nails Knoxx with the Fluff (inverted Flatliner). Barr comes off the top rope with a butt-ugly Double Dip (triple jump moonsault) for a nearfall. Greg Matthews blind tags in, which irks the Ultraviolent Man Whore, and lights up Knoxx in the corner. Knoxx tries to fight out to no avail, Matthews irish whips him into the corner, but misses a high knee. Knoxx tries to set Greg up for the Off Switch (top rope chokeslam) but Greg nails him low, and POWERBOMBS HIM FROM THE RING THROUGH A TABLE ON THE OUTSIDE! DAMN! This pisses off the Barr, because you obviously can�t pin the guy on the outside, and the Army starts scufflin�. Rebel fires Z-Barr, and they all bail on the ambiguous one, leaving him to take a DVD and a piledriver on a chair for the academic pinfall.
Not much going on in this match either, but unlike the previous contest, this was entertaining because all of these guys have fun gimmicks, it forwarded the Z-Barr face turn, and it was entertaining. Plus, I�ll tack on an 1/4 extra star for Ian Knoxx�s postmatch irish jig. On a side note, I have no idea why WWE hasn�t brought back Greg Matthews. He�s improved leaps and bounds as a result of his work on the indies, to the point where he totally outclasses guys like Maven and Nowinski and he�s big and got �the look.� On another side note, I miss Danny Rose. Where the heck is he?
Winners: Broad Street Boozers
Rating: **
Chris Cash vs. GQ
Chris Cash and GQ are childhood best friends who backyarded together, trained together at the CZW Wrestling Academy, and tagged together as the New School, a tag team that was hugely underrated and was sadly broken up before they reached their full potential. Cash was given a huge push, while GQ was left to flounder in openers, if he was even booked at all. GQ�s jealousy exploded when he cost Cash the junior heavyweight title against Ruckus at Then and Now. These two had a pair of absolutely insane matches against each other in early 2002, which ended in a stalemate with countout victories for both men.
GQ stalls on the outside to start. GQ overpowers Cash twice on a lockup, but Cash goes to town on him with punches. Another lockup, and neither man can armdrag the other, until Cash finally does and grabs an armbar. GQ fights out and gets a hammerlock, but Cash reverses and pounds away at GQ on the mat. GQ escapes and gets a headlock, Cash gets out, and they evade each other�s martial arts strikes until GQ gets a schoolboy for two. Cash then gets La Magistral for two. GQ tries a double-underhook suplex, but Cash turns it into a DDT and follows up with a high knee. GQ bails, waits for Cash to get distracted and pulls him down by the hair, and pounds on him. Both men slug away at each other and spill to the outside. Cash runs GQ into the guardrail and chokes his former partner on the outside. They head back into the ring. GQ punches away in the corner, whips Cash in, Cash backdrops GQ onto the apron, and Cash send GQ to the outside again. High crossbody of the top, but GQ rams his back into the post. GQ grabs a chair from ringside and places it on the floor. Cash turns the tide and runs GQ face-first into the pole. Cash charges, and gets backdropped into the chairs! The crowd starts to turn on the match as GQ brings one of the chairs into the ring. GQ teases a highspot to piss the crowd off further, but Cash attacks! Hurricanrana by Cash! GQ gets his foot on the ropes on a pinfall attempt. GQ grabs the chair when Cash whips him in, and nails his ankle with the chair. GQ capitalizes with the figure-four, but Cash escapes. GQ grabs a wristlock and tries to hit the leg, but Cash avoids it and turns it into the CUTTHROAT SUPLEX! Cash takes too much time to cover and only gets two. Goofy-ass spot as the both try for springboard clotheslines and hit each other. Cash accidentally DRILLS referee Rob Hartog with a superkick, and tries to resuscitate him in hilarious fashion. �GET UP DADDY!� Both guys fight for the Cash Flow, but GQ turns it into his finisher, the Camera Shot (Flipping DDT from a powerbomb position) but no ref to count. So GQ pulls out brass knux and nails Cash for insurance, and get the three count when Hartog wakes up from his nap.
Chris Cash and GQ made the exact same mistake Matt and Jeff Hardy made at Vengeance a couple of years ago. Their previous matches had been insane weapons-filled spotfests, and when they tried to work a different style (in this case, a brawl with some attempt at psychology) absolutely nobody bought it. This match wasn�t actively bad, but it was really disappointing considering their past efforts, and the goofy contrived highspots that were in the match didn�t help matters. I�m one of the few who felt that GQ should have gotten the push instead of Cash. GQ has more natural charisma and attitude than Cash, is just as athletic as Cash, and has a far more marketable look and appeal (judging from his entrance, the female fans seem to dig him.) The problem is that his in-ring skill has atrophied so much due to his academic commitments coming first (which, in total fairness, is far and away the smartest decision to make) that he�s messing up even simple stuff now. Hopefully, when he�s done with college, he sticks with wrestling and turns into the megastar I thought he was going to be when I first saw him at Answering the Challenge.
Winner: GQ
Rating: **1/4
Jimmy Rave vs. B-Boy
The battle of two guys who came from virtual obscurity to become junior heavyweight superstars. The 2002 Southern California Wrestler of the Year, B-Boy first burst onto the East Coast scene at Best of the Best 2, putting on a stellar, hard-hitting match with fellow Pride of SoCal Super Dragon before losing in the semifinals to Trent Acid. B-Boy joined the CZW roster fulltime in February and immediately made an impact by joining the Hi-V. �The New Age Punisher� solidified himself as an elite player by winning the Best of the Best 3 tournament and putting on the most spectacular four-round performance in that tourney�s history. Jimmy Rave emerged as a player in similar fashion, as the NWA Wildside star blasted through the Divide and Conquer Trifecta Elimination Series and won the admiration of CZW fans overnight. Arguably the two best overall wrestlers in CZW, this match was booked at the earliest opportunity.
The announcers note that Jimmy Rave shouldn�t even be competing due to being bitten by a rare poisonous spider, which John House, ever the smart heel commentator, attributes to the Hi-V. They lock up and Jimmy Rave immediately goes to work on the arm with a quick takedown and a cross-armbreaker. B-Boy escapes and unloads with forearms. He whips Rave in, and Rave goes for DUSK �TILL DAWN~! (satellite Crippler Crossface) but B-Boy rolls through and kicks Rave off. Rave tries to fire back with an enziguiri, ducked by B-Boy, he tries for the SHINING WIZARD~! but that�s ducked as well. They tentatively lock up again and B-Boy takes him down and clamps on a leg lock, but Rave reverses into ANOTHER cross-amrbreaker! He�s got it locked in! B-Boy escapes and FUCKS RAVE UP with some nasty-as-shit crossface forearms! Stiff chops by B-Boy in the corner, and he places Rave in the Tree of Joey Lawrence. Rave powers up to avoid a charging basement dropkick, but B-Boy puts him down again with a HARD soccer kick to the upper spine, and he STEPS ON HIS NUTS! B-Boy locks in a modified triangle choke on the ground, but Rave quickly scrambles to the ropes. European uppercut by B-Boy, irish whip, sunset flip attempt by Rave off the ropes, but B-Boy doesn�t go over and STOMPS the chest of Rave! B-Boy tries for the submission again with the Southern California stretch, but no go. STIFF chop to Rave, another irish whip, Rave tries for a backslide, but B-Boy turns that into the PLEX BREAKER~! Rave tries to make the comeback with forearms, but B-Boy whips him in-DUSK TILL DAWN! NO! B-Boy breaks the hold. Rave keeps up the aggression with a BACK SUPLEX WITH A BRIDGE! 1,2 NO! B-Boy recovers first and heads up top, but Rave cuts him off and gets a NORTHERN LIGHTS RELEASE SUPERPLEX! AND HE HANGS ONTO THE TOP! High crossbody by Rave gets two! Shining Enziguiri by Rave! Another two count! Tiger suplex by Jimmy Rave, another cover! Another close two! Irish whip, no B-Boy hangs on, and gets a STRAITJACKET PILEDRIVER! Both men are down for the count! B-Boy with a Cross Special Fisherman�s Buster for 2.9, and he heads up top. Guillotine legdrop misses, and Rave folds him up with a powerbomb, and TURNS IT ONTO DUSK TILL DAWN! LOCKED IN! NO! B-Boy makes the ropes! Chops in the corner, but B-Boy fires back with a FUCKING DISGUSTING Palm Strike! Rave looks for the Gravity Killer (jumping Tornado DDT) but gets T-BONED INTO THE BUCKLES! Only two! B-Boy with a second Shining Wizard attempt- BLOCKED! DUSK TILL DAWN! MIDDLE OF THE RING! The crowd is SCREAMING for the tapout, but B-Boy�s inching toward the ropes�and he makes it! Rave with a basement dropkick, and HE TAKES THE KNEE PAD DOWN! RAVE�S SHINING WIZARD IS... BLOCKED! B-BOY WITH A HARD BACKDROP DRIVER RIGHT ON RAVE'S NECK! Uh oh, Rave's down on one knee. Gargiulo: �MOVE JIMMY MOVE JIMMY MOVE JIMMY! STOP DROP AND ROLL!� Nope. BAM! Shining Wizard. Three count.
The only three words I can say about this are- absolutely fucking brilliant. The entire match was built around both men trying to avoid each other�s finishers at all costs, and CZW Play-By-Play announcer Eric Gargiulo made one of the best calls of his career, putting over both the Wizard and the crossface as absolute death. Both men took it to each other with incredible intensity, taking each other�s best stuff and coming back for more, and if anything, this match proved that both B-Boy and Jimmy Rave truly are two of the best all-around wrestlers in the US right now.
Winner: B-Boy
Rating: ****1/2
A bittersweet moment for CZW fans next, as ring announcer Dennis Shock announces his marriage and subsequent retirement. The shows haven�t been the same without him.
Nick Berk comes out and cuts on of those smarkish kayfabe-breaking promos I absolutely hate, complaining that he�s only used to make other wrestlers look good. Berk starts to proclaim that he is the best technical wrestler in CZW and that he�s never tapped out. This brings out Tony Mamaluke, who rightly points out that he knocked out Berk in a brutal submission match at Divide and Conquer. Mamaluke brings up his credentials as a Dean Malenko student (the best Malenko student in my opinion) and that he is the best shoot wrestler in CZW. Unfamiliar music fires up, and it�s the returning RECKLESS YOUTH! Reckless states that in other places, he�s quite the �Technician,� and he challenges both of them to a pure wrestling match. Strangely, �Last Resort� hits, and out walks CZW Iron Man Champion �SICK� NICK MONDO! Mondo is sick of them arguing about who the best pure wrestler is, and recalls that the last time Reckless was in CZW, he nailed him in the face with the Iron Man title. Mondo also wonders where Carter gets off calling himself Reckless- Mondo is Reckless. And what�s the deal with being a �Youth?� �Dude, you�re 36 years old. Instead of coming out as Reckless Youth, you should come out as the �Conscious Middle-Aged Man.�� This segues us into�
Nick Berk vs. Tony Mamaluke vs. Reckless Youth/�The Technician� Tom Carter vs. �Sick� Nick Mondo
Mondo dominates to start, with a slingshot Blue Thunder Driver on Mamaluke, the Life Cutter (Cutthroat Facebuster) on Berk, and some nice-looking roundhouse kicks to Carter, before Johnny Kashmere hits the ring. Mondo takes himself out of the match to chase Kashmere as the other three men pull themselves back to their feet. Berk gets a quick schoolboy on Mamaluke, but Carter drills Berk with a thrust kick to the chest. Berk turns the tide with the SYSTEMATIC BREAKDOWN~! (Double Bareback/basement dropkick combo.) Vertical suplex by Berk to Mamaluke, but Carter unloads with siff forearms. Carter slaps on a cross armbreaker, but Mamaluke dropkicks Carter in the face to break. Jawbreaker by Carter to Mamaluke, and he follows up with a swinging Reverse DDT on Berk. Carter is on fire, and he stays hot with a jumping knee strike from the second rope on Berk. High knee to the jaw by Carter on Mamaluke. Carter stretches Tony�s neck with a modified Dragon Sleeper, but Mamaluke makes the ropes. Irish whip by Carter, Mamaluke takes him down off the ropes with a Russian Legsweep and clamps on the Spaghetti Bender. Berk breaks, but eats a hard forearm to the face from Mamaluke, and he rams Berk�s shoulder into the post. Mamaluke capitalize with a Machine Gun Northern Lights Suplex, the Divorce Court armbreaker, and a hammerlock stretch with a bridge! BEAUTIFUL chain wrestling there. Carter interjects with some European Uppercuts and a TRAPPED-ARM DDT! Carter looks for a powerbomb, but Carter grabs Mamaluke, who kicks away Carter, and Berk pancakes him with the Berkulator! Sky High X Factor by Berk and a rollup gets two, and Berk keeps on him with the Berk Driver (Fireman�s Carry Michinoku Driver)! Lariat by Carter to Berk! Northern Lights Bomb 2k1! Cover-no, two count. Carter gets the Honma-Chan Cutter and catches Mamaluke with a dropkick going down. Tornado DDT attempt by Mamaluke is blocked- SO HE HOLDS ON FOR A CHANCERY CHOKE! Berk breaks it up. Irish whip by Carter and Berk, they drop Mamaluke with a powerbomb, and hang on for a double Boston Crab! Carter and Berk punch each other while holding the crab, and Mamaluke takes advantage by tripping them up and getting a single-leg crab on both of them! Mamaluke tries the Sicilian Stretch on Berk, but he makes the ropes, pulls himself up and nails Mamaluke with an enziguiri! Berk heads up top, but Mamaluke CUTS HIM OFF WITH A SUPERPLEX! FROGSPLASH BY CARTER TO BERK! Mamaluke with that choke, and CARTER GETS THE TEXAS 2K2! BERK TAPS! But who won? Well, apparently both of them. Mamaluke and Carter both agree that decision was bullshit, and Tony challenges Reckless to a submission match, which sadly didn�t happen due to Carter re-aggravating his back injury and having to retire again.
Prior to this match, I had only seen two truly great Three Way Dances, American Dragon/Chris Daniels/Low Ki from �Era of Honor Begins� and Austin/Angle/RVD from No Mercy 2k1. This match, while not on the level of the ROH match, definitely beats out the WWE one in terms of pure wrestling. It�s just a tremendous display of technical wizardry by all three men. Reckless, before his injury proved to be too much, clearly hadn�t lost a step in the ring, and Mamaluke, well... damn. The guy has made a total 180 from a suicidal spot wrestler to one of the most crisp and well-rounded mat wrestlers in the sport today. Combined with his realistic, dramatic selling and unreal ability to pace a match, he�s starting to remind me so much of a young Bret Hart it�s scary. When you want to see three oft-ignored talents tear the house down, take a look at this match.
Co-Winners: Reckless Youth/Tony Mamaluke
Rating: ****1/4
Ruckus� vs. Ric Blade � CZW Junior Heavyweight Title Match
Ric Blade, back in the late 90�s/early 2000, was the innovator of the crazy �spotmonkey� style later popularized by guys like the SAT, and gained a huge cult following for his willingness to take any insane risk, such as performing swantons off of balconies and Ryder trucks. Today, he�s more famous for blowing spots and hurting himself, and has earned a great deal of resentment from parts of the CZW fanbase for unceremoniously bailing on the company after Take 1 following a dispute over medical bills. Ruckus debuted at the Delaware Invasion, and became a fan favorite for being able to pull off insane gymnastic moves that a short, fat guy shouldn�t be able to do. A former Big Japan Junior Heavyweight champion, Ruckus finally managed to wrest the CZW Jr. title from Trent Acid after a year of trying and being denied title shots at Live Again.
Blade works a wristlock to start, but Ruckus rolls through and gets an armdrag. Ruckus grabs a headlock on the ground, but Blade reverses into a legscissors. Ruckus bridges over for a pin attempt, but Blade powers out and badly blows a pointless springboard moonsault, Ruckus grabs him, Blade bridges over for a clutch pin, Ruckus kicks out and sends him into the ropes. Ruckus with a headscissors. Ruckus then grabs an abdominal stretch, but Blade reverses to one of his own. Ruckus escapes and whiffs badly on a spinkick. Both men block roundhouse kicks from each other. Ruckus takes him down for a pin attempt, it gets two, and Ruckus quickly picks him up again for a vertical suplex. Blade recovers, they criss-cross off the ropes and Blade catches him with a cartwheel kick. Springboard elbowdrop by Blade, followed up by a springboard legdrop for a nearfall. Both men head to the outside, and Blade gets a quick thrust kick to the face. Blade crotches Ruckus on the gurardrail, and a SPRINGBOARD SWANTON TO RUCKUS ON THE GUARDRAIL! THAT was cool. Blade sends him back in and covers, but only a two count. Blade works Ruckus over in the corner but misses a charging Yakuza Kick. Ruckus kicks Blade in the innter thigh and takes him down for a figure four. Ruckus releases the hold (despite being in the center of the ring and Blade not even trying to escape) and chops Blade against the ropes. Thumb to the eye, and THE SKIMPY DIME BAG~! (Back rake.) RAZZLE DAZZLE (handspring elbow) CAUGHT BY BLADE! VICTORY ROLL GETS TWO! Ruckus quickly takes out the knee with a basement dropkick. Ruckus keeps working on the leg, and gets a vertical suplex and a standing PHOENIX SPLASH, which he uh, misses, but still gets two anyway. Razzle Dazzle and a handspring dropkick hits, but still only a two count. Ruckus heads up top, looking for the 450, but Blade cuts him off and heads to the opposite turnbuckle- ROPEWALK HURRICANRANA-WHOA! REVERSED TO A SUNSET FLIP! TWO COUNT! Ruckus and Blade slug away, but Blade gets the SFJ (neckbreaker across the knee from the Kryptonite Krunch position) but he still can�t get the pin. Blade goes for the Quadrasault, and I�m getting ready to cringe, but thankfully it misses. Roundhouse kick to the head by Ruckus, spins him from a backbreaker position into a DDT, and gets a twisting senton off the top for another two count. Blade recovers and tries a victory roll, but Ruckus hangs on for a quick pinfall victory to retain.
Outside of a couple of freakin� cool high spots (the senton bomb on the guardrail and the ropewalk hurricanrana) and Blade actually keeping his selling somewhat consistent for a change, this was pretty damn bad. This match had a lot of blown spots and dragged on waaay too long, especially considering no one gave Blade a hope in hell to win this one to begin with. Surprisingly (or maybe not), this was Blade�s last match, as he flaked out and disappeared yet again with no notice.
Winner: Ruckus
Rating: *3/4
The Briscoe Brothers vs. The Backseat Boyz � -CZW Tag Team Title match
The return of the Briscoe Brothers to CZW is proof of how bad booking can completely kill heat. For months and months, CZW fans were clamoring for the Briscoes to come back, begging and pleading with Zandig via their fan site�s board. When the Briscoes did make their return at Best of the Best 3, Jay got put over AJ Styles in the first round, a guy a good chunk of the crowd that night paid specifically to see. This booking move pissed off the entire building (you can see a bunch of people leaving after that decision) and their venom was turned toward Jay and Mark (who returned to face Sonjay Dutt) the entire night. So now, in their long-awaited big tag team return, they come out to dead silence.
This was a match that CZW had tried to book several times in 2001 and 2002 (as they were widely regarded as the two premier tag teams in the promotion), but due to conflicting feuds, injuries, and the Briscoes� jump to ROH, it never happened. Finally, the question of �which tag team was the greatest in CZW history� gets answered. Or something. This is actually the first time in 23 months the Briscoes have teamed together in CZW. Also, this is the Backseat Boyz� first tag team title defense since winning the belts�in FEBRUARY.
Mark and Acid start off the match. Acid grabs a waistlock, Mark reverses to an arm wringer, Acid reverses that, Mark rolls through and grabs a headlock, reversed to a headscissors, and we get the Indy Applause Stance. Fireman�s Carry takedown by Acid, who grabs an armbar, but Mark reverses and tags Jay. Acid fights over the arm with Jay, and tags in Kashmere. Finally the match gets going, as Johnny ducks a clothesline and hits an Implant DDT, no-sold by Jay. Hard chop by Jay, but a stiff forearm sends Jay to the outside. Mark comes in, double clothesline, double nip-up. Jay and Acid take out the other members of the opposing team with Yakuza Kicks. They evade each other with gymnastics coming off the ropes, and Jay dumps Acid. Kashmere comes in, gets irish whipped by Jay, reversed. Kashmere leaps over Jay- and JAY TAKES A MISSILE DROPKICK FROM ACID! Springboard dropkick to Kashmere by Mark! Mark takes the knee out on a Yakuza Kick attempt by Acid. Dragon Suplex by Mark! It gets�two. Way to kill that move. The Briscoes get the old Smoking Gunns Sidewinder on Acid for another nearfall. Snap suplex by Jay Briscoe. Briscoe comes off the ropes, but gets his foot pulled by Dewey. Briscoe turns around- and eats a superkick from Acid! Tag to Johnny Kashmere, Double knee strike/shoulder charge by the BSB, and a DOUBLE SPIKE DDT OFF THE ROPES! Only a neafall though. Acid hits the chinlock, but Jay escapes, Jay with a hiptoss, but Acid kicks him off. Acid tries a clothesline, but Jay ducks and nails a Diamond Cutter! Tag to Mark, who�s LA CASA DI FUOCO! Springboard dropkick to Kashmere, clothesline to Acid, dropkick to Kashmere. Mark deposits Kashmere on the top- and NAILS a top rope Ace Crusher! Jay whips in Acid, Acid bails to the apron �BUT MARK WITH A HURRICANRANA OFF THE TOP, THROUGH A PILE OF CHAIRS ON THE OUTSIDE! VINTAGE BRISCOES! Back in the ring, Jay hits the Crucible (Falcon Arrow) for a close nearfall on Kashmere, but Kashmere recovers and comes back with a Michinoku Driver 2! Mark�s in now- CUTTHROAT SUPLEX- Kashmere slips out! DREAM SEQUENCE TIME~! 1, 2, NO! Saito suplex by Mark on Kashmere, but he eats a YAKUZA KICK BY ACID! YAKUZA KICK TO ACID BY JAY! J-DRILLER! DEWEY BREAKS IT UP! Kashmere goes for the Cradle Breaker- NO! JAY DRILLER! DEWEY STOPS HIM AGAIN! Mark�s on the top rope as Jay chases Dewey, crotched by the BSB! TOP-ROPE T GIMMICK~! Yeah, he�s not kicking out of that. BSB retain.
Don�t get me wrong, this was a good match, but this was definitely missing something. The extended pointless arm work at the beginning bothered me, and the Briscoes didn�t seem as crisp as usual. It looked like their hearts really weren�t in the match, and because of that BOTB3 booking, the match didn�t have as much heat as it should have. That said, this was the usual hard-hitting, fun, high impact match from these two teams, and the finishing sequence was edge-of-your-seat incredible. The Briscoes reneged on their plan to become semi-regulars in CZW by choosing to go to school and play college football instead. They changed their minds again later and returned to wrestling�for ROH only.
Winners: The Backseat Boyz
Rating: ***
Rockin� Rebel vs. Zandig- I Quit �Ultraviolent� Strap Match
As mentioned earlier, Rockin� Rebel took over the �Army� heel stable from Lobo when he left due to injury following Cage of Death 4. Rebel blamed Zandig for all the company�s woes (including CZW briefly getting thrown out of Viking Hall thanks to XPW) and openly wished someone else, namely him, would take charge. For whatever reason, Rebel would start whipping opponents with his belt after matches, so Zandig would bring out his own strap to chase off Rebel. Zandig finally challenged Rebel to an �ultraviolent� strap match, in which they�d each have their own straps, and a special strap covered in thumbtacks would hang from a pole. Oh, in a fun coincidental fact, this show marked Rebel�s 10th year as a Philadelphia indy wrestler, as he competed for ECW when they first started in 1993.
Rebel whips Zandig in the chest with his belt and starts to choke him out. They head to the outside, where Rebel sets up a table in the corner, he goes to whip Zandig in, who reverses! Rebel goes CRASHIGN into the table! Zandig whips Rebel in the head with the strap and digs the belt buckle into Rebel�s forehead, but Rebel won�t quit. Zandig grabs a Singapore cane which was also hanging from the pole and cracks it over his head and back, but Rebel low blows Zandig and responds with cane shots of his own. Zandig takes a powde, as Rebel grabs another table from under the ring, and bridges it from the apron to the guardrail. Rebel tries to suplex Zandig through the table, no go, and Zandig PRESS SLAMS REBEL THROUGH THE TABLE! Zandig takes the opportunity to whip Rebel�s back some more, but Rebel refuses to quit. Zandig grabs the tack strap and whips Rebel in the back with it. Irish whip by Zandig, and Rebel gets a desperation clothesline. He steals the ultraviolent strap and whips Zandig with it. Both guys are busted open, and Rebel brings in another table. Rebel puts Zandig on the table and heads to the top, but Zandig stops him with the cane! Zandig pulls a box of thumbtacks from somewhere�and there�s a SUPERPLEX THROUGH THE TACK-COVERED TABLE BY ZANDIG! But men are down, showing no signs of getting up�
Gargiulo: �WHAT THE�WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!� I�ll tell you what it is, it�s IAN ROTTEN, JC BAILEY AND CORPORAL ROBINSON beating the shit out of CZW�s pitiful security force and hitting the ring! ZANDIG DOESN�T SEE THEM! Gargiulo: �THOSE ARE THREE OF THE MOST HARDCORE, SICK MOTHERFUCKERS�� BIG, FUCKING NASTY CHAIRSHOT BY IAN TO ZANDIG! Bailey and Robinson tie Zandig up into the ropes�Ian: �YOU WANTED OUTSIDE TALENT? WELL YOU�VE GOT THE BEST THAT THE WORLD HAS TO OFFER! THIS ISN�T ABOUT MONEY JOHNNY BOY, THIS IS ABOUT RESPECT!� Ian STAPLES DOLLAR BILLS to Zandig�s chest as Rebel demands he give up. Uh oh, Bailey�s got ZANDIG�S WIFE! They tie her up in the ropes as deafening dueling �IWA,� �Ian� and �CZW� chants fire up. Ian teases hitting Zandig�s wife with a chair, but drills Zandig in the head again. Eric: �FUCK THEM HOUSE, FUCK THEM! Where are the boys in the back, why are the Hi-V just watching this?!� Ian gets on the microphone and teases a fourth incoming IWA wrestler, �it could be a mad man! It could be a butcher! It could be a giant fucking pain in the ass!� Pennsylvania State Athletic Commissioner Frank Talent and the local police desperately try to calm everything down, because loads and loads of garbage is being thrown in the ring. Too late, because CHAIRS, DOZENS AND DOZENS OF CHAIRS ARE FLYING INTO THE RING! TALENT GETS NAILED IN THE HEAD WITH ONE! Gargiulo: �This is more real than anything I�ve ever seen.� Finally, the police cuff the IWA contingent and lead them out of the building. Oh hey, here�s Messiah. �This is very entertaining Gargiulo, EXTREMELY entertaining�things just got a hell of a lot more interesting in CZW.� Zandig gets up once the fracas dies down, and promises death to the IWA June 28th at the Extreme 8. As Zandig leaves he sees Hi-V on the stage�waving at him.
When I first heard the news of what happened at the end of this show, I was marking out huge, because like many CZW fans, I also love IWA Mid-South and was dying for a dream feud between the two promotions. Absolutely NO ONE thought it would happen, because of the strong hatred Zandig and Ian Rotten have toward each other, especially when IWA briefly signed a deal with XPW to be a "developmental" fed. (Months and months later, that still makes me laugh.) This just defies description, but I�ll do my best- it was intense, it was raw, it was visceral, and it was the perfect beginning to what many people thought would be the best independent wrestling program of the year.
Oh yeah, the match? That was violent garbage. What did you expect?
Winner: No contest
Rating: 1/2* for the match, ***** for the angle.
Elsewhere, Ian, Bailey and Corp are put in squad cars, and the requisite Rodney King references are made.
We cut to the Viking Hall backstage area now, as Zandig breaks down the dressing room door (which had been barricaded) and rants and raves about how IWA jumped him. The shocked expressions on the boys� faces are real, because it turns out no one besides Zandig, Rebel, and the Hi-V knew this was going to happen.
Final Thoughts: Now matter how you slice it, this is CZW�s best overall show in 2003, highlighted by several excellent junior heavyweight matches, a solid tag team title match, and a finishing angle that blows away anything that has been done by any promotion this year. From a production standpoint, this is also CZW�s best tape, because besides Tournament of Death 2 (which is definitely NOT for everyone) this was the last CZW tape to have those cool video packages and the only release which has extensive backstage footage. If you�re a CZW fan, or you want to be a CZW fan, you NEED this tape.
Overall Recommendation: Highest Recommendation Possible
This tape and all other official CZW home releases, along with IWA:MS, PWG, 3PW videos and so much more, is available at Smart Mark Video.
Praise, insult, and confusion can all be sent here.
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