Combat Zone Wrestling Presents “Cerebral” 2013.
Taped on October 12, 2013 from Voorhees, New Jersey
http://CZWiPPV.com
SHANE STRICKLAND vs. LATIN DRAGON: Short and sweet, and legitimately that’s all that can be said. No cop out with that statement. This is one of the very best examples I’ve ever seen of how to take advantage of five minutes. I find myself becoming more and more of a Strickland fan with each outing he has. With each match worked, Strickland has been able to build up a positive stigma. One that suggests you know what you’re in for, and what you’re in for is some good pro wrestling. Even if it only lasts five minutes. Strickland picks up the win with a top-rope double stomp. No swerve here. Winner: Shane Strickland. **1/2.
DAVID STARR and JT DUNN vs. CALEB KONLEY and SHANE HOLLISTER: CZW decided to label this encounter as “odd couples collide.” It’s perfect. It’s the truth and the truth puts the match over well in advance. Standard tag work with practical, simple story-telling and well worth the time given. An interesting dynamic with both teams teasing chemistry and dissension, while playing off a sub-story pointing at the history between these teams in singles action. By the end of this match, perhaps you will want to see Konley and Hollister take their little grudge to the next level. Or, perhaps you want to see Dunn and Starr stick together as legit odd couples, because their simultaneous/stereo, roaring elbow, double-team finisher, has the potential to be amazingly awesome. I am not sure if the development of that thought process accomplishes much of anything, but at the very least it’s noteworthy and truly gives the match a purpose. Winners: David Starr and JT Dunn. ***.
BIFF BUSICK vs. GREG EXCELLENT: This match-up is a direct result of the sizable, and most importantly, the talented depth of the CZW roster. Professional sports teams are often praised when the depth of their squad is obvious. Professional wrestling is no different and CZW has one of deepest rosters across the entire North American indy scene. This match also served as a continuation of an uninspiring feud, but a continuation nonetheless. Thanks to Cherry Bomb and a distraction via the Front’s, Sozio, this match comes to an abrupt finish. Cherry Bomb strikes Excellent with a high-heel allowing Busick to put Excellent away with a half-nelson just seconds later. Not much of a match but it served a purpose. After the match, Cherry Bomb draws some blood down Excellent’s face with that same shoe. Winner: Biff Busick. **1/2.
AR FOX vs. CHRIS DICKINSON: Here is a prime example of fresh content doing a “B” show a ton of justice. The match provides Dickinson with some importance while keeping Fox strong despite loosing his Wired Championship to Alex Colon at “Down with the Sickness,” in October. The obvious strength/power vs speed/agility story is on display. Why create any other narrative when you can get away with such simplicity? A Dickinson win was truly teased throughout, making the match feel like more of a spotlight style engagement rather than anything thrown together. Fox escapes a cut-throat driver attempt and puts Dickinson away with of course, the lo mien pain. What this match, and more so the finish accomplishes, is it injects Fox as a credible player in the heavyweight title scene, because Dickinson has had two previous shots at the CZW World Championship. Winner: AR Fox. ***1/2.
Chuck Taylor makes a surprise appearance and has a bone to pick with the absent CZW World Champion, Drew Gulak. The Swamp Monster and Orange Cassidy are also present for moral support. So ya, this happened.
LUCKY 13 vs. RON MATHIS: The often M.I.A art form of continuity is on display here. Combat Zone has put together many different moving parts this year. It’s impressive that all of these moving parts rarely get lost in the shuffle, where two mid-carders are able to have their spot on the card and make it count. A great near fall happens when Mathis tries to use brass-knucks on Lucky 13 but Devon Moore impedes the process. Then, Rory Mondo makes his presence known and chaos ensues once again between Drew Blood’s henchmen and the Nation of Intoxication. Even though there is plenty of interference and so many moving parts between everyone involved here, it did not take away from the solid in-ring and out of ring work put forth by Lucky 13 and Mathis. Also, you got to love that spinning tombstone. Winner: Ron Mathis. ***.
Special Guest Referee DJ Hyde – KIMBER LEE and SHANNA vs. NEVAEH and CHRISTINA VON EERIE: With all due respect to the competitors involved here, this is how you can quickly shape something meaningless into something meaningful, even if the formula is one of extreme redundancy. The formula being DJ’s douchyness. Hyde knocks Nevaeh off the apron allowing Lee to roll up Von Eerie. Then, the Boss pulls a Scott Armstrong and delivers one hell of a fast count. Winners: Kimber Lee and Shanna. **1/2.
AZRIEAL vs. JOHN SILVER vs. AMASIS vs. RUCKUS: I referred to locker room depth earlier in this review and here is another match that serves as a prime example of that. Each competitor in this four-way serves as one half of a tag-team. The tag division in CZW this year has not always clicked. However, the attempts at making it click are surely there. Even though this is not a tag-team match, this contest says a lot about the tag division and the result very obviously plays into the division. This was a very unique and fresh way at spotlighting the tag-team division. This match won’t exactly serve as a spotty feast for your nerdy wrestling eyes, but the finish comes in the form of a curve ball. Therefore, your nerdy rasslin eyes may not be overly impressed, but your nerdy rasslin brain has something to process. Amasis hits an enzuigiri on Ruckus and during the Amasis pin attempt, Azrieal punts Amasis in the head and steals the pin fall. Winner: Azrieal. ***. (The win ensures Azrieal and Bandido a tag-team title opportunity)
CZW Wired Championship Match – ALEX COLON defends vs. ANDREW EVERETT: A contest on paper does not always translate the way it should, or the way we first assume. I question whether or not this outing was designed to protect the main event. The most arguable front runner for Combat Zone 2013 MVP, is Best of the Best 12 Winner and recently crowned Wired Champion, Alex Colon. Both in-ring performance and character development make that point as arguable as it is. Colon tries to put a stop to the match by cowardly taking his title and strolling down the entrance way toward the locker room but Strickland pops out forcing Colon to re-engage with Everett. This match is sure proof of where Colon stands on this roster and it also shows who he is and has become in a clear as blue sky scenario. This match didn’t provide Everett as much justice though. The Strickland appearance and a full-out heel victory leaves Everett as a bit of side-note. Colon is a full-out dirty heel and Everett is heelish in the form of an arrogant ass, so I feel as if the match had trouble telling much of a story. The predictability here is fine and the match content is average, but nothing could really manage to snap together. Just a few clicks here and there. The position of this match on the card might be part of the issue, especially when people are looking forward to an ultraviolent main event. Although I do understand the placement based on Gulak’s absence. As Strickland forces Colon back into the ring, he still has the wired title in hand. Everett spikes Colon with a rana as soon as Colon rolls back into the ring. Everett goes to the top rope for a shooting star but Colon places the title on top of his knees at the last second and Everett comes crashing down on the knees and the belt. Ouch. Winner: Alex Colon. ***.
House of Horrors Match – MATT TREMONT vs. JOE GACY: Not an ultraviolent classic or anything that falls under the best of 2013, but with that said, you should not find it far fetched to consider this as one of those matches that ties up a card with a nice bow. I felt the hatred come to life here, and therefore, this somewhat off and on, or perhaps stuck in neutral blood feud, between Tremont and Gacy, felt more on than off, and chugged along more often than being stuck in neutral. The match these two put together took their side-bar feud, and even if it was only for one night, one show, both Gacy and Tremont took advantage of the spot given. This encounter felt just as important as the push it got when the program started to build up steam. No matter what type of match and no matter where it’s place on the card, whatever Tremont is involved in feels like a big deal. The best facials in the business? Perhaps. There is a special aura that comes free of charge during each outing Tremont is involved in. A clusterfuk of weaponry and straight-up violence is on display here. A few big bumps also, but none of the carnage drives the match home in my opinion. The clash of personalities between these two competitors might end up being what you’re most attentive/attracted to, no matter how much destruction you bare witness to. That statement might help shatter whatever negative, premature stigma you might feel like placing on an Ultraviolent, title-less, CZW main event. A barbed-wire assisted crossface earns Tremont his largest victory of 2013. Let the match title speak for itself and enjoy it for what it’s worth. I certainly did. Winner: Matt Tremont. ***1/2.
Overall Show Grade: B
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