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JEFF PETERSON MEMORIAL CUP 2010 PSEUDO-DVD REVIEW: THREE ROUNDS OF GRUELING MATCHES AS JON MOXLEY, SAMI CALLIHAN, RICH SWANN, AND OTHERS BATTLE IT OUT IN ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS TOURNAMENTS ON THE INDIES

While the Style Battle Tournament was clearly the focus of the recently released EVOLVE 14-16 DVDs, the bonus features of those discs included the final three rounds of another very prestigious indy tournament: the 2010 Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup. I thought it was a real neat idea and a great way to add extra value to the EVOLVE DVDs, while at the same time finding an avenue to release footage of a show that probably wouldn't sell as well on its own. I called this a pseudo-DVD review because the show is spread out over three separate EVOLVE releases, but since I've got it all in front of me, I figured I'd review it as if it were a single release.

Just a quick note before we start: the EVOLVE 14-16 DVDs only included the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals of the tournament, which all took place on Night Two of the tournament. Just to bring you up to speed, here are the results from the opening round on Night One:

Sami Callihan defeated Chris Dickinson
Sugar Dunkerton defeated Scott Reed
Craig Classic defeated Lince Dorado
Arik Cannon defeated Brad Allen
Frightmare defeated Jake Manning
Jigsaw defeated Chris Gray
Rich Swann defeated Grizzly Redwood
Jon Moxley defeated AR Fox

Now that we're all caught up, let's check out the quarterfinals, which were included in the bonus features on the EVOLVE 14 and 15 DVDs...

EVOLVE 14 Bonus Features

Quarterfinal Match: Jon Moxley vs Sugar Dunkerton

Moxley has moved on to fame in WWE as Dean Ambrose, but was also one of the central figures of the early days of Dragon Gate USA and EVOLVE, and also happened to be the FIP Champion at this point. Sugar Dunkerton reminds me of a classic Harlem Globetrotter in terms of appearance, complete with basketball jersey, afro, and even an actual basketball that found its way into this match as a foreign object. Dunkerton talks trash to Moxley before the bell and tries to punk him out by throwing his basketball at him, but Moxley throws the ball back at him, hitting him in the ding ding and launching an attack as the bell rings to start the match. Moxley kept control for most of the match, beating on Dunkerton while running him down for not knowing the fundamentals. Dunkerton gets bits and pieces of offense in here and there, but Moxley controls the match until he tries to be smart and go up top for a double axhandle with the basketball. Dunkerton nails him on the way down and starts to rally, nearly pinning Moxley off a victory roll and then getting a 2.9999999 count off a top rope senton, but Moxley catches Dunkerton out of nowhere with an Ace Crusher and gets a deep cradle for the win.

Winner: Jon Moxley

Good match, I liked how they worked in the goofy stuff with the basketball without it dominating the match, and found ways to work it into the wrestling rather than doing it instead of wrestling.

Quarterfinal Match: Sami Callihan vs Frightmare

Sami rushes Frightmare as soon as the bell rings, takes him down to the mat, and goes for the stretch muffler. Frightmare escapes and knocks Sami to the floor with a flying clothesline, but he tries a dive through the ropes and Sami does the smart and simple thing: he punches Frightmare in the face on his way out. Sami then does what he does best, which is turn the match into a brawl on the floor, ramming Frightmare into the barricade and dumping him into the crowd. Frightmare comes back with a flying headscissors out of nowhere on the floor, then rolls Sami inside and tries for a missile dropkick, but Sami counters to a sitout powerbomb for 2. Sami is firmly in control and starts working Frightmare over with stiff forearms, kicks, and some absolutely vicious chops, but Frightmare mounts a comeback with a series of Yakuza kicks. Sami is not amused and dumps Frightmare back out to the floor, works him over some more out there, and then brings him back inside along with a couple of chairs he sets up to make a little platform with. Sami tries to powerbomb Frightmare onto them, but Frightmare escapes Sami's grasp and sends him onto the chairs instead. Frightmare continues trying to rally to victory, but Sami overwhelms him with more of his hard hitting offense, catches Frightmare in the stretch muffler with the bodyscissors, and stomps on his head until he taps out.

Winner: Sami Callihan

Another good match, I thought it was laid out well with the little man getting his share of hope spots in, but not being able to overcome the bigger, meaner Sami Callihan, who now moves on to the semifinals.

EVOLVE 15 Bonus Features

Quarterfinal Match: Arik Cannon vs Craig Classic

We're obviously familiar with Mr. Cannon from his exploits in DGUSA/EVOLVE as a member of the DUFs, but this is my first time seeing Classic, who looks and wrestles like your average small, generic MMAish guy who throws a lot of kicks and suplexes. They wrestle a very methodical pace to start and Cannon gets the advantage after taking Classic down and tying him up in an Indian deathlock, but he soon gets bored with that and decides to turn the match into a brawl. Classic responds with some martial arts kicks and then proves that he can fight dirty too by gouging at Cannon's face. Classic goes about working Cannon over with generic indy MMA stuff, but gets cocky and takes too long climbing up top for a swandive headbutt, and Cannon is able to roll out of the way. Cannon starts mounting a comeback, Classic turns the tide back in his favor with indy MMA kicks and German suplexes, but just as I wonder if this guy can get any more generic, Cannon straight up punches him in the mouth, superkicks him, and hits a brainbuster for the win.

Winner: Arik Cannon

Decent match, but there's only so much you can do with a guy who only knows how to do kicks and German suplexes.

Quarterfinal Match: Jigsaw vs Rich Swann

Swann is not popular with this crowd, but he does a grfeat job of picking up on that and milking the heel reaction. They quickly go into a back and forth lucha sequence that ends with Jigsaw knocking Swann to the floor and then following him out with a dive that knocks the guardrail back a foot or so. They start brawling on the floor, with Swann getting the advantage and then rolling Jigsaw back inside and putting him in a figure four. Swann uses the ropes for extra leverage when the referee isn't looking, and does the super heel move of punching Jigsaw in the face when he tries to sit up. Swann continues working the legs over with a half crab and a springboard vertical drop on the knee, then gets Jigsaw in a half crab and then drills him with a spinning enziguiri when he escapes that. Jigsaw starts to mount a comeback and hits a German suplex and brainbuster, but Swann won't stay down for 3 and they wind up trading right hands in the middle of the ring. Swann hits a charging kneestrike and goes for the triple jump 450, but Jigsaw gets the knees up, hits a pair of superkicks, and goes for the Jig and Tonic, but Swann slips out the back and rolls Jigsaw up with a handful of tights for the win.

Winner: Rich Swann

Much better match than I thought it would be, they kept the lucha stuff to a minimum and told a really good story with Swann pulling some old school heel chicanery to advance.

And with that, the quarterfinals are over and our Final Four consists of Jon Moxley, Sami Callihan, Arik Cannon, and Rich Swann. Let's move on to the semifinal and final rounds, which are included in...

EVOLVE 16 Bonus Features

Semifinal Match: Jon Moxley vs Arik Cannon

Well, I was kind of hoping the semifinals would have worked out so Cannon faced Sami Callihan since they had a couple of insane brawls before getting put together as the DUFs, but this should be good, too. They start off slowly as they feel each other out and go down to the mat for a minute or so, but this quickly breaks down into a brawl and they fight their way out to the floor and around ringside. They head toward the back wall where Cannon rams Moxley into a big, steel garage door, and that appeared to bust Moxley open hardway as blood starts pouring down his face. Cannon takes advantage of the opportunity by punching Moxley in the face and gouging at the cut before dumping him back inside and going to the top rope. Moxley is up and catches Cannon with a superplex before he can come off, then traps Cannon in a Kimura lock right in the middle of the ring. Moxley is intense as he tries to maintain the hold as the blood runs down his face, but Cannon escapes and takes him down with a neckbreaker. Cannon is also covered with Moxley's blood, and uses his t-shirt to wipe himself off before choking Moxley with it. They trade blows in the middle of the ring before Cannon starts running Moxley over with clothesline after clothesline. Cannon hits an exploder suplex for 2 and then goes for a brainbuster, but Moxley slips out the back and hits the Ace Crusher he beat Dunkerton with. Moxley goes right to a nasty looking Fujiwara armbar, Cannon refuses to tap so Moxley starts hammering elbows backward into Cannon's head before cranking back on the armbar. Cannon somehow makes it to the ropes, then drills Moxley with the right hand and superkick before hitting a twisting brainbuster. Moxley JUUUUUUUUST kicks out at 2, and the crowd is solidly behind Cannon as he hits another twisting brainbuster, but Moxley is out again at 2. The ref nearly gets bumped and covers up, and Moxley comes in and kicks Cannon low while the ref is cowering and has his eyes covered. Moxley quickly small packages Cannon and gets the win.

Winner: Jon Moxley

Moxley heads to the finals, and now awaits the winner of the next match...

Semifinal Match: Sami Callihan vs Rich Swann

Swann comes in with what appears to be a badly injured shoulder, and he spends a LOT of time stalling and messing with the fans before getting in the ring to get the match started. Once he finally does, Sami goes after Swann like he owes him money, then goes back to old faithful and brings Swann out to the floor to beat him up out there, too. Sami rolls Swann back inside and comes off the top, but Swann greets him with a superkick to the face as he comes down. Swann teases the triple jump 450, stops when he sees Sami getting ready to counter the move and tries a kneedrop instead, but Sami moves anyway and quickly gets Swann in a Koji Clutch that Swann taps out to in milliseconds.

Winner: Sami Callihan

Swann was obviously hurt badly enough that they had to shorten this match from what they originally planned, but I thought it was fine for what it was. Swann's interactions with the crowd were one of the most entertaining things about this show, and boy, does he know how to work a crowd or what?

Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup Finals: Jon Moxley vs Sami Callihan

Moxley and Callihan are both pupils of PWInsider's own Les Thatcher, and interestingly, this is the first time I've ever seen these two face each other. They're both still badly banged up from their earlier matches, with Moxley sporting a huge bandage around his head to protect the cut from his match with Cannon. Moxley attacks Callihan before the bell, but Callihan returns fire and they spend the next several minutes just pounding the snot out of each other. Callihan gets Moxley in the stretch muffler, Moxley escapes and gets Callihan in the LeBell Lock, then Callihan gets out and they fight their way out to the floor. Sami gets the upper hand and rolls Moxley back inside, but he goes to the top rope and Moxley follows him up and hits a superplex for 2. The other participants in the tournament are surrounding the ring and pounding on the mat as the two men get back to their feet. Moxley hits an Ace Crusher and immediately catches Callihan in an STF as the fans start a "please don't tap" chant. Callihan gets out and Moxley goes for a double chickenwing, but Sami rolls through and turns Moxley into the stretch muffler. Moxley is too close to the ropes and forces the break, then pummels Callihan with several right hands in a row. Moxley hits the ropes and goes for a sunset flip, but they do the Summerslam 92 finish where Callihan sits down and cradles Moxley's legs for the win.

Winner: Sami Callihan

Les would be proud because this was a great, hard fought finish to a tough tournament. It's nice to see Sami finally get at least one day in the sun, even if the video ends about ten seconds after he's handed his trophy.

I really enjoyed watching this tournament, and I think I enjoyed it more having watched it all in one sitting because it really got over what a grueling series of matches I saw. Even without the opening round, this was a very physically tough tournament on all the guys, which you could see from some of the injuries they suffered. This is the kind of wrestling show I can sit down and watch every night because everybody worked hard and took everything seriously, it was a solid night of decent wrestling that absolutely enhance the value you get from the EVOLVE 14-16 DVDs, which you can order at www.dgusa.tv.

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