CWF Mid-Atlantic Worldwide Episode 125

Episode 125

1. Ethan Alexander Sharpe vs. Bellamy Koga

PAS: Bellamy Koga is a Jimmy Valiant trainee working a kicker/MMA gimmick. I just imagine Boogie Woogie Man going "You got to work towards the triangle out of the rubber guard Daddy!!" Koga has a couple of nice kicks, but looks lost in parts too. Sharpe is a pro, and this was fine, but Koga isn't a guy I necessarily need to see more of.

ER: Boogie training a kickboxer is a pretty amusing premise, and he seemed good enough. He briefly left Sharpe out to dry on a couple of spots and had a quickly executed but dated kick combo, but I think the best thing in his favor was that his missed kicks were really good. He really gunned for Sharpe on a couple missed kicks, one roundhouse and one while Sharpe was on the apron. A lot of indy kickpad strikers go on autopilot when it's their turn to whiff, Koga seemed to miss with purpose. That gives me hope for his future. I also like how he took a big hard splat on a monkey flip. Sharpe looked good, liked his flat foot boot to Koga's chest, he currently has the best jawbreaker in wrestling, and he gave Koga every chance to shine.

2. “Tank Engine” Thomas Munos vs. Cain Justice 

PAS: Tank Engine is a big bulky guy with lots of energy, but his stuff was very hit or miss. Sometimes his shots landed with a thud, sometimes they wiffed. Cain has gotten good enough that he can work a match around a rookie with some energy, and this had some really moments of excitement, including some nasty arm work like Cain throwing a big knee with Munos, arm trapped in the ropes, and the built to Munos big spear nearfall well. Not a great match in the grand scheme of things, but a feather in Cain's cap.

ER: I liked this more than Phil and didn't really see the problems he had with Thomas the Tank Engine. He's not a tall guy, but the undersized hoss is an underrepresented wrestling style, and I thought he pulled it off. Cain is always good at being overwhelmed and I liked Munos' power offense, especially his torpedo shoulderblock (which lead to a nice missed one into the turnbuckles later). But obviously Cain on offense is money, and I loved the way he started dismantling the Tank: stomping on his ankle, kicking his arm while it was tied in the ropes, working like a bully but a bully who is vulnerable to being overpowered. Finish was nice with a simple Cain superkick to the back of Munos' head, another reminder of how respectful CWF is to moves that should be finishers.

3. The All-Stars (Arik Royal/Roy Wilkins/Mace Li) vs. Allie Cat/Snooty Foxx/Jesse Adler

PAS: Alley Cat is a lady wrestler doing kind of a hipster roller derby girl kind of gimmick, she gets picked by the All-Stars to be the representative from the training seminar. She brings out Foxx and Adler who is an ex-RGL champ who has been on the shelf for a year. Sort of a tale of two matches with the Foxx v. Royal and Wilkins parts being really good, that is a great feud and this was a good setup to the Chapel Hill return next week. The parts with Adler and Alley Cat were less successful, Adler is a junior highflyer who's stuff looks way less crisp and impressive then other guys in the same role in this fed (Ian Maxwell, The Ducks, Tracer X), I will give him the benefit of the doubt coming off the long layoff, but he didn't show me much. Cat had some shtick, but her offense looked weak and the All-Stars were really overselling it, I buy SIS throwing german suplexes on men, because they look good and she looks strong and the guys are little, Alley Cat german suplexing a beast like Arik Royal just looks silly.

ER: This one was a bit of a let down. I think the All-Stars are too generous with everyone, and I don't think Mace Li is a very good fit with them (even if this is a one match thing. I think this was the weakest Snooty appearance since we've been reviewing the shows. He seemed off in a few spots. Allie Kat I'd never seen, and I like her committment. She worked well on the apron and hit a really good senton...but yeah she shouldn't ever be suplexing Arik Royal. I am with Phil on Adler's offense (and really don't like that low backfist to the stomach he did a couple times), we already have guys in the fed who do this stuff better. But I thought he excelled at taking offense, and eating a beating in a convincing way is important. So I liked the stretches of him building to comeback, but overall felt the match didn't do enough with the time it was given.