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CZW AT ECW ARENA REPORT AUGUST 9, 2003
Mike Johnson Reporting
Combat Zone Wrestling returned to the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, PA on Saturday 8/9 drawing 200-250 just minutes away from a huge crowd at the Bruce Springsteen concert at Lincoln Financial Field. The first CZW event since their Tournament of Death show in Dover, DE two weeks back, complete results saw:
*In a "dark match," Jon Dahmer pinned Jude Young.
*In a "dark student match," CK Cory Kastle defeated GQ and Niles Young in a Three-Way Dance when Kastle pinned Young after dropkicking GQ out of the ring.
Simply Luscious (who appears to be a new regular for the promotion) was being interviewed by Robbie Minero when a masked man attacked her. Johnny Kashmere of the Backseat Boyz ran off the masked man and tried to get over with Luscious (who he wrestled against at the last show here in a mixed tag match) and convince her to go out on a date with him after the show because he's "not as bad as the fans want everyone to believe." He warned the masked man that he better not ever bother Luscious again. Luscious agreed to the date. Ian Knoxx and Adam Flash grabbed the masked man and revealed it was Kashmere's partner Trent Acid. Realized she had been set up, Luscious slapped Kashmere several times and tried to walk out. He grabbed her in a full nelson and refused to let go, even after Flash and Knoxx hit him over the head and back with steel chairs. The rest of HI-V came out and cleared the ring of Flash and Knoxx and finally got Kashmere to release the hold.
*In the first "official" match of the show, Ruckus pinned the Hurricane Kid. It was announced by CZW owner John Zandig that Kid was making his last appearance for the promotion tonight and requested he work Ruckus. Ruckus busted him open hitting him in the face with a chair as he was hanging upside down in the corner. Ruckus scored the pin after his forward flip version of the Van Terminator. Hurricane was turned on by manager Rick Feinberg, who was destroyed by Kid, Zandig and Ruckus. Hurricane was put on Zandig and Ruckus' shoulders and received a standing ovation from the crowd. Nice moment and the bout had several good spots. Hurricane is getting married and leaving the business.
*Greg Matthews of Tough Enough 1 (with Rockin' Rebel) pinned Z-Barr. Barr told the crowd that Scott Chong of Tough Enough 3 had promised to come back this show to team with Barr again, but he was nowhere to be found. Barr challenged Matthews to a singles match. Matthews scored the pin after Rebel threw a ton of baby powder in Barr's eyes. A solid match.
*Dereck Frazier defeated Nick Berk and Chris Cash in a Three-Way Dance. Cash is green but shows a lot of fire. Berk got banged up (arm and back) doing a dive to the floor where Rockin' Rebel didn't catch him. Frazier pinned Cash with a Michinoku Driver as Rebel beat Berk on the floor. OK.
*Nate Hatred defeated Nick Gage to win the 'Big Japan Death Match championship" (The belt is not currently recognized by Big Japan) in a Falls Count Anywhere Tables Match after Hatred hit a Michinoku Driver off the top stage of the ECW Arena through two tables to the bottom stage for the pin. One of the sickest table spots I've ever seen, and that covers most of ECW's run. Simply amazing. Earlier in the bout, Gage suplexed Hatred onto stacks of chairs set up outside the ring. The chair spots always look good but take so long to set up, it hurts the flow of the match. Gage was later shoved off the top rope through the timekeeper's table. A brutal match. Gage was able to walk out under his own power, getting a huge ovation from the crowd.
*In the best match of the show, CZW Tag Team champions The Backseat Boyz defeated Ian Knoxx and Adam Flash, accompanied by Simply Luscious. Luscious had dollars stuffed into her outfit as a parody of the Backseats getting the same treatment from female fans at ringside. No reference at all to the earlier angle with Luscious and Kashmere. Lots of dives in this one including referee Brian Logan coming off the top to the floor. They did another chair spot like the previous bout where Flash and Knoxx suplexed Acid out of the ring as Kashmere drilled them with everyone crashing through the steel chair monstrosity. The finish saw The Backseats hit their finisher the T Gimmick off the top rope onto Knoxx for the pin. A fun match!
*Nick Berk pinned Jonny Storm, The backstage lineup sheet listed Tony Mamaluke, who was never advertised, here. Not sure what happened. Berk was hurting from the earlier bout but still did double duty. Lots of matwork here. Storm didn't do anything that came off as impressive.
John Zandig announced that due to injuries suffered at the Tournament of Death, including possible nerve damage, Nick Mondo would be out for several months and was vacating the CZW Iron Man championship. Zandig announced the promotion would hold a one night tournament on their return to the ECW Arena on 9/13 to determine a new champion.
CZW champion The Messiah came out and demanded competition. Zandig introduced his challenger for the night, IWA Mid-South's Brad Bradley. Why is Zandig trying to help someone from the rival company? After several minutes of being on the defensive, Messiah tried to leave up the aisle only to find Zandig waiting. Zandig forced him back to the ring and was attacked by the remainder of HI-V. In the melee, Messiah rolled up Bradley for the pin.
*Sonjay Dutt defeated JC Bailey to win the IWA Light Heavyweight championship in a great ladder match after rendering Bailey senseless by hitting a flying twisting knee onto Bailey, who was prone on a ladder laid out across two chairs. Lots of high risk spots there. Dutt showed a ton of fire and looked really good.
*CZW Junior Heavyweight champion Ruckus pinned B-Boy with a rollup. Story of the match saw B-Boy working over Ruckus with his shining wizard. B-Boy tossed referee Brian Logan over the top rope in a fit of rage after the bout. Solid.
*In a "F the IWA" Four-Way Dance, Ian Rotten defeated Necro Butcher, Nate Webb, and Cpl. Robinson. The promotion had announced that Zandig would announce the stipulations before the bout, but it never happened. There were weapons around the ring that were used including a trash can with thumbtacks, trash can lids, a staple gun, a wooden board with thumbtacks, and a wooden base with at least 100 plastic forks sticking upwards. Ian Rotten hit a powerbomb on Webb on the forks for the pin. Zandig came out and confronted Ian and warned him that he was going to hurt him at their 8/23 Dover, Delaware Exploding Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match. The Messiah attacked Zandig and the IWA Mid-South crew joined in, bloodying him. The babyfaces on the CZW roster hit the ring for the save as Zandig warned Rotten that the Tournament of Death was going to be nothing compared to 8/23. The main event seemed a little flat, as if the crowd was waiting for something more in my opinion, but after the two excellent past shows (previous ECW Arena and Tournament of Death II), it was only logical to leave the fans wanting more. Rotten cut a good heel promo before the bout.
CZW Notes: The show was scheduled to start at 7:30 PM and began at 7:35 PM on the dot. That is not a typo. As many of you know, I have a been a strong proponent of the promotion trying to get more organized and starting on time. This was certainly a huge, positive step in that direction....There was a ton of hard work insider the ring from everyone on the show, which is the norm for the promotion. What many of the younger workers lack in experience, they try to doubly surpass that with heart. With that said, I think the promotion would be better served with some closer attention to booking detail. Johnny Kashmere holds a full nelson on Simply Luscious for minutes while others try to pry him off but she shows no ill effects whatsoever latter in the night? Nick Gage is hit with a Michinoku Driver off the top stage of the Arena through two tables, but is able to leave under his own power? With a little fine tuning on the attention to detail, CZW would take another enormous step forward and I hope they do it as it can only help them in the long run to add a little more realism to their unique "Matrix style" of awe-inspiring highspots....The building was way too hot, but that didn't stop the majority of the crowd from being loud and enjoying themselves....It appears they are building towards Zandig vs. Messiah (I am assuming) for their biggest show of the year, Cage of Death 5 on 12/13.....Former ring announcer Dennis Shock was backstage....The promotion is running a free show next Saturday 8/16 in Woodbury, New Jersey and returns to Dover, DE on 8/23 with Zandig vs. Rotten in an Exploding Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match.
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