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KEVIN STEEN: THE CANADIAN WARRIOR
Currently available on PPV, satellite and VOD outlets
Kevin Steen: The Canadian Warrior is the latest in a new series of PPVs featuring current day WWE stars during their time in Combat Zone Wrestling. The shows are distributed by Steve Karel's Stonecutter Media LLC with a new PPV episode every month.
Following a graphic introducing us to the event, we go right to the first match...
Kevin Steen vs. Nate "Spyder" Webb
This is from CZW in Philadelphia on 9/10/15 at the 2300 Arena. Steen at the time was the CZW Iron Man Champion.
Webb pulled out some Hacksaw Duggan-esque shenanigans early on. Steen then followed suit. They finally locked up and began going back and forth, exchanging holds and working over the other's arms. Steen was caught in a crossarm breaker but made it the ropes. Webb teased he was going to do some marial arts, backing Steen off. Steen was caught with a series of armdrags before being sent into the ropes. Webb dropped his head too soon, allowing Steen to drop him with an elbow across the back. Steen pulverished Webb, including a big clothesine and scored several near falls.
Steen continued the beating with chops and forearms, scoring near falls. Steen was caught with a jawbreaker and was drilled into Webb's knees. Webb nailed several clotheslines but Steen absorbed them and came back with a big boot. Steen used a straitjacket chinlock and stomped across the back of Webb. Steeb rebounded off the ropes with a knee to the head, then drilled him with a neckbreaker for a two count. Announcers Eric Gargiulo and Eddie Kingston noted he was setting up for the package piledriver.
Steen told the cameras to take a good look as he smashed Webb in the corner, then pulled him out for a chokeslam attempt. Webb elbowed his way out but was caught with a back suplex for a two count. Webb went for a head scissors takedown but was caught and dropped across the top rope with a Stun Gun. Steen then hit a hell of a catapult, driving Webb's throat into the bottom rope. Steen continued beating him but was caught with a shot to the jaw, cutting off his momentum. Steen peppered him with forearms but was caught with a leaping forearm as he rebounded off the ropes. Webb went for a move but was caught and drilled with a sidewinder suplex.
Steen ascended to the top rope but Webb dove at the ropes, causing the Canadian star to crotch himself. Webb attempted to leap to the top but was shoved off. Steen hit a double stomp off the ropes but missed a top rope moonsault.
Webb came back with several kicks but Steen survived and kicked up at two. Steen caught him with a suplex, twisting Webb and driving him over Steen's knee for a two count. Steen went for his finisher, the Package Piledriver, but Webb blocked it. Steen fought Webb off and drilled him with the package piledriver for the pin.
Your winner, Kevin Steen!
A fun match that started with some silliness as they played to the crowd, then some solid wrestling before revving into a good back and forth match as they tried to come up with the right big move to take the other down for good. Webb worked really hard here and at the time, was a cult favorite in CZW and IWA Mid-South. Listening to the commentary, I really missed Eric Gargiulo as an announcer.
We go to footage of DJ Hyde entering the ring and taking his suit jacket off. I can't escape DJ Hyde no matter what, can I?
He began cutting a promo, but Kevin Steen, my hero, hopped the rail and nailed a package piledriver on Hyde to a huge pop. Some fans even threw streamers. The crowd chanted, "Welcome back."
Steen said he came to do three things tonight. Shut DJ Hyde's face before he ruins another show. Two, sell t-shirts and make money on Hyde's show, whether he likes it or not. He stomped Hyde. He decided to hit another package piledriver. It was a beautiful sight.
This all leads to....
Kevin Steen vs. DJ Hyde
This is from April 2014 in Rhode Island.
Of COURSE, DJ Hyde has the mic. Of course he does. He insults the fans in Rhode Island.
Steen hit the ring and attacked Hyde. They brawled in the ring. Steen was whipped into the corner but avoided Hyde and began lighting him up with chops. They spit in each other's face. UGH. This PPV was post-produced and put to bed months ago, so we can't hold that against them, no matter how tone death this comes across this week. Unlike the first match, this was a new commentary voiceover from Maven Bentley.
They battle. Hyde gets dumped. Steen goes for a dive but Hyde avoids it. He nails Steen as he exits the ring and sends him into the ring post. They battled through the building, making their way to the front of a stage and then back to the ringside area. Hyde blocks taking a ring post, but Steen is having none of it and nailed him into it. Hyde stumbled away and grabbed a trash can but Steen intercepted it and placed it atop over Hyde's head.
Head tosed it off and stumbled around the building. Steen charges and nailed him with a clothesline. Hyde stumbles towards a wall. He nailed Steen, who grabbed him and ran him towards the stage, tossing him onto the stage. He asked a fan for a boost up, which was hilarious. The fan agreed but by the time Steen made it up there, Hyde nailed him with a chair. Steen survived and gained control, beating Hyde over and over with chairs and then hitting a running back senton splash on the stage. Steen sat down in a chair waiting for DJ to get up (shut up?) but when Hyde recovered, they battled back and forth on the stage. Hyde went for a slam but Steen blocked it. Steen was nailed with a headbutt and almost fell off the stage but jumped down instead to save himself. He caught Hyde with a clothesline as Hyde followed, but a whip was reversed and Steen hit the ring post hard. The outside of the ring brawling was fun.
Back in the ring, Steen avoided an Avalanche in the corner and nailed a cannonball of his own. He covered Hyde for a two count.
Hyde locked on a sleeper. Steen fought his way out but was nailed with a running kneelift for a two count as Steen grabbed the ropes. The crowd rallied Steen and given it was small, intimate crowd, it was a fun atmosphere that made the match better.
Steen started to mount a comeback but was rake in the eye. Hyde jawjacked with fans after placing Steen on the top. Steen fought him off, biting Hyde on the nose. Hyde crashed down to the mat. Steen nailed the swanton bomb from the top but Hyde still kicked up.
Steen grabbed him for the package piledriver. Hyde escaped and went for a DVDR. Steen blocked but was hit with a RKO and a lariat for a CLOSE two count.
Hyde called for the lariat. Maven Bentley compared him to Stan Hansen. Come on. Steen nailed a stunner and a F5. He set up for the package piledriver but was unable to do so. That was weird. Steen small packaged him for the pin.
Your winner, Kevin Steen!
The brawl on the outside was the highlight here but you could easily see the growth of Steen as a performer and personality from the first match to the second.
Steen took the ring mic and said there are a lot of independent promotions run by scumbags. Last night in Toronto, some wrestlers got screwed when the promoter left before the show ended and didn't pay some of the talents. The wrestlers still went out there and performed because they are not scumbags. His point was that a lot can be said about DJ Hyde and he has said a lot of it behind his back like a real man. He said that DJ cares about this place. He had come back a few weeks ago and was genuinely impressed by what he saw. Steen asked that everyone keeps supporting independent wrestling companies, because without the fans, there are no "us", meaning pro wrestling.
Steen joked that Hyde must have put on some weight over the last two weeks because Steen couldnt pin him, so he nailed a low blow and a small package and "we have a winner!" He joked that he was going to sell "Small Package Everyone" shirts and that you can call DJ Hyde "Mr. No Package."
Steen thanked everyone for coming, then thanked the referee before low blowing Kevin Keenan and hitting the Package Piledriver on him. THAT was funny!
Super Dragon and Excalibur vs. Kevin Steen and El Generico i
This is from Cage of Death VI. The second half of this, especially the last five or so minutes are absolutely fun and great. Yes, Excalibur is the AEW announcer.
Generico (Sami Zayn) gets worked over for quite a bit as Steen is dying for the tag. He finally gets it and goes to work on Excalibur, nailing a spinning heel kick and drilling him with a powerslam before knocking Super Dragon off the apron. Generico drilled Dragon with a dive to the outside. Excalibur gets dumped and Steen hits a flip dive to the outside.
Generico drills a Yakuza Kick on Excalibur and almost scores the pinfall. Generico goes for a moonsault but is caught on Excalibur's knees. Dragon begins demolishing him with suplex variations. Steen hits the ring and brawls with Dragon, finally nailing several kicks and begins hitting Dragon's trademark maneuvers on him, including a Curb Stomp, which was a big deal back at the time. Excalibur cuts off Steen and nailed a tombstone. He ascends to the top but Generico intercepts him. He goes for a move but Dragon nails the Psycho Driver on him. Steen makes the save and goes for the package piledriver. Now it's Excalibur who interjects and goes for a Tiger Driver but Generico stops that and nails a Dragon Suplex of his own. Lots of fast paced spots here. Steen drills Dragon with a DDT and goes to the top but Excalbur tosses him off with a suplex, leaving himself hanging upside down on the buckles in the process. That legs Generico drill him with a missile dropkick and a brainbuster across the top turnbuckle.
Super Dragon wipes out Generico but Steen cuts him off, nails a Gutbuster and drill him with a moonsault from the top tope. They battle back and forth with some fun sequences and near falls before Generico eats a curb stomp and a Psycho Driver and is pinned by Dragon.
Your winners, Super Dragon & Excalibur!
Steen helped his longtime partner to his feet, then kneed him and nailed a package piledriver. He went to continue the assault but Super Dragon grabbed a chair and Steen retreated to the floor. Dragon and Excalibur then attacked and laid out
That was it for the show. They could easily do a sequel with some Steen vs. Generico bouts!
Overall, a fun look back that showed how far Steen has come and really, some of the origins of the style that ROH/NXT/AEW use on a much grander scale than CZW ever did. The one hour show flew by.
The next PPV in this series will feature Drew Gulak.
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