AS I SEE IT: CZW shines during their 15th anniversary show
Bob Magee
Pro Wrestling: Between the Sheets
http://pwbts.com
Combat Zone Wrestling returned to action Saturday night at the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ for the promotion’s 15th Anniversary show. CZW drew a huge standing room crowd, the largest non-Cage of Death crowd ever for the promotion since their 2012 return to New Jersey, and one of their largest overall in years; estimated at over 1,000 fans.
Shane Strickland defeated Joe Gacy by pinfall after a head kick. Basic big man-little man match. In the “where did that come from” moment of the match, Joe Gacy hit an Osaka Street Cutter on Strickland.
Tommy Dreamer came out to welcome the crowd. He announced that Ruckus wasn’t there, and that Biff Busick injured his knee won’t be in the four way, which is set up to establish a #1 contender for a title match next month. Dreamer also announced an unannounced free main event. DJ Hyde came out, told Dreamer he was the boss, and Dreamer’s boss. Hyde got the usual “d%$#@bag” chants and was described by Dreamer as “Charlie Brown in a nice suit”.
DJ Hyde then got on the mike andannounced 2 Tournament of Death 13 participants: Danny Havoc and Big Japan’s Jun Kasai. DJ Hyde then acknowledged that he had promised an induction into the CZW Hall of Fame; and then proceeded to induct himself into the CZW Hall of Fame; comparing himself to Chris Hero and Sick Nick Mondo. BLK Jeez came out, in a sort of face turn, called him a “biggest piece of shit” and slapped DJ. BLK Jeez then added himself to the four way.
Caleb Konley defeated Pepper Parks via submission with the Oh! Face
Greg Excellent defeated Joey Ryan with a reversal on a roll up in a comedy match. Joey Ryan’s lollipop became a focus early on (yes, a lollipop). At one point Excellent and Ryan traded it back and forth between their mouths (gag…). Then Ryan ran it down his chest and down his trunks, followed by Excellent putting it in his mouth (double gag).
Devon Moore defeated Matt Tremont with a flash rollup pin to retain his CZW Wired Championship.
After announcing before the match that the originally scheduled Christina Von Eerie is not going to wrestle tonight (she had worked the WSU show that afternoon), Kimber Lee defeated Candice Larae with a power bomb
The Front (Sozio/Ace) defeated Juicy Product (David Starr/JT Dunn)/ Nation of Intoxication (THURTeen/Danny Havoc)/The Crist Brothers in a four-way Tornado Tag Match after Sozio got the pin with a boot on JT Dunn.
Beaver Boys (Alex Reynolds/John Silver) defeated Murderers Row (Azreal/Alex Colon) to retain their CZW Tag Team Championships. Good chaotic match for things happening in every direction for much of the match. After Colon accidentally kicked Chrissie Rivera, Azreal and Rivera turned on Alex Colon.
AR Fox defeated Drake Younger/BLK Jeez/Chris Dickinson after a Lo Mein Pain on Drake Younger to get the win and become #1 contender
Late match saw Hyde DJ interfere by beating up BLK Jeez (followup to the earlier confrontation). Move of the match was Drake Younger hitting a death valley driver onto the ring apron on AR Fox Post-match, Younger said to Dickinson and Fox that this is “their CZW and it’s their time”.
AJ Styles defeated Drew Gulak by DQ after a Kimber Lee belt shot, with Gulak retaining his.CZW World Championship. The crowd got who they came to see…but not the finish… as Styles came out to a great record. It’s the first time Styles appeared for CZW in 10 years, since Best of the Best 2003. Between Styles and Drake Younger, CZW certainly got their money’s worth with the crowd Saturday night.
Nice, fast-paced match with Gulak working Styles’s legs and ribs.Gulak clearly kept up with the former TNA Champion, which was ruined to an extent with a DQ finish as Kimber Lee nailed Styles with a belt shot as Styles had Gulak set up for a Styles Clash. This match ended in a DQ which caused post-match clustermess and AJ Styles nailing Kimber Lee and Drew Gulak with the Styles Clash.
In a make-good unannounced match after the DQ finish, the unannounced Main Event/Ultraviolent match, Danny Havoc defeated Drake Younger; designed as a “celebration of the 15 years of CZW”. Even with next to no blood for an ultraviolet match, the fans were happy; with more than enough ultraviolent spots.
Until next time….
— Bob Magee