BCW Pro Wrestling North Carolina 10/8/17

ER: This is the kind of show I would be attending if I lived in the southern United States, the kind of show where the ring is set up outside in the backyard of a bar, nice balmy October day, a bunch of kids sitting on chairs in gravel, cars parked everywhere, just great aesthetics for a southern wrestling show.

1. Kool Jay/Labron Kozone/James Ryan vs. Chris "TNT" Taylor/"Big Bite" Martinez/Semi Mutina

ER: I'm mostly unfamiliar with half the guys in the match, and this isn't a very essential trios match, but it's good for making mental notes on guys you haven't seen much, filling in blanks on guys, forming opinions and giving you a history when you see them in other matches. Semi Mutina looked like Big E, only a foot shorter and instead of a powerlifter build he had more of a "fat guy who has really been working out" build, and a cool Afrika singlet. Sadly he seemed really lost whenever he was in there, so I'll have to let his actual ability catch up to his cool fat guy charms. Big Bite was tall and lanky and pulled out some smooth exchanges, nice high vertical leap enziguiri, and hit a huge splash off the top. Him I'd like to see more from. I finally got to see Kool Jay in a longer match, although once he was in with Mutina who ended up out of place and kind of hung Jay out to dry on a flying something-or-other off the top. But Jay had an awesome full leg extension superkick and the flat out greatest chop block I've ever seen, just flying across the ring. It was cool seeing Jay as more of an offense guy than as a big bumping guy, though even with that chop block he's still probably best as a big bumping guy.

2. Snooty Foxx vs. Tre G

ER: First time seeing Tre G and I am definitely down for more. He's a great guy to have on an indy card, with some good shtick and nice basics. He jumps Snooty before the bell, throws nice punches (including some blistering lefts down the stretch), mule kicks Snooty down low, throws a decent spinebuster, drew heat with a somewhat scattered quiet crowd (including from one woman who absolutely would not let up on him the entire match) and bumped great for Foxx. Snooty looked good and had a very impressive rookie year. I like that all the things he can do, he can do against guys his size. That's important. It's easy to look good squashing little guys, Foxx gets regularly put opposite big guys, and it works. He doesn't wimp out on lariats or shoulderblocks (and G leans way into a mean shoulderblock here), has that great back elbow, and plants G with a powerslam. Good match, would love to see more of G.

3. Cain Justice vs. Number Dad

ER: Number Dad is Kamakazi Kid in full "work furlough Call of Duty marathon" gear, gym shorts, too tight shirt stretched over ample belly, Nike cross trainers, white socks. He's certainly in dad mode. But his work is good! He's a guy with great basics, and that's a guy Cain can play off nicely. Dad cuts low on clotheslines, hits some meaty clubs to the back, takes a nasty flip bump on a Cain lariat, throws a nice back elbow, good old school stuff like raking Cain's eyes across the top rope, good banter. He's a local guy you'd look forward to seeing on shows like this. Cain is as fun as you would expect, and it's great seeing him work armbars and throwing mean kicks on an outdoor daytime show, getting beaten into the crowd, rolling in gravel, all fun stuff. The match noticeably kicks up a notch halfway through: Dad does a comically bad Fargo strut and misses a really high standing legdrop, then Cain wastes him with a punt, and hits a brutal flying knee off the top, just right to the chin. Dad is great at leaning into all of Cain's strikes, and Cain throws a couple of KO kicks down the stretch. Dad gets a cool reversal by rolling through one and hitting a fireman's carry slam. Cain finds a nice way to get to the Twist Ending, throwing Dad off the top turnbuckle by the arm and locking it in for the insta-tap. I thought this would be a kind of goof around fun match, and it got a lot meaner than I was expecting, to all of our benefit.

PAS: Pretty strange to see Cain working as full babyface, he is pretty good at it and I imagine when he turns in the CWF Sportatorium it will be like babyface Buddy Rose levels of awesome. Number Dad has a really nasty eye poke, he really looks like he puts his whole wrist into it, I liked how they set that up as a big move which Cain reversed at the end to lead to the twist ending. This isn't as good as the Mitch Connor or Cecil Scott match but you can tell how great Cain is at working veterans, I want to see Cain work Michael McAllister, Ric Converse and Boogie Woogie Rob McBride.

4. Ethan Alexander Sharpe vs. Mitch Connor

ER: Sharpe has some real good crowd work to start, telling the crowd about his $12,000 robe and personally walking it to the back because he doesn't trust the people to not steal it. Match was goofy fun although it got way too silly at the end with Sharpe challenging Connor to a rock/paper/scissors contest that went on too long before an abrupt finish. But we got fun moments, like Connor battering Sharpe in the ropes like a teeter totter, clubbing him every time he would spring up. We got some Dusty moments from both, with Sharpe floating like a butterfly and nailing punches, and Connor hitting big elbows. I like Sharpe's over the shoulder jawbreaker, liked Connor taking him down with a choke and Sharpe yelling while trapped, but the silliness was a flat note to end on.

5. Cam Carter vs. Jesse Adler

ER: This wasn't bad, and probably better than all the Adler matches I disliked in CWF. That's probably because Adler didn't have a belt here, and his offense wasn't treated like somehow better than his opponent's because of that belt. Adler feels like a good indy worker from 1998, a guy that you'd see on tape and think he had potential to be a Kidman type, and then it never happens. His style feels dated, but he's okay at some things. Carter bumped around big for his Superman punch comeback, and Adler seems athletic for a guy who can come off sorta unathletic. But I'm glad Carter got more of a shine here, liked his Angle slam and some low key flying, but I also can't deny that the crowd was far more into Adler. Sometimes guys connect with crowds for reasons I can't understand, but connection is connection, and it's important.

6. Lee Valiant vs. Nick Richards

ER: I like Richards' goofball charm, slapping fives with practically every person in attendance, not even waiting for people to want the fives, just walking all around the lot fiving and fist bumping. Valiant is good at getting under people's skin, and this was good until it suddenly ended. It was really short, maybe three minutes. Everything in the three minutes was good, but we could have at least extended it out to a decent Worldwide length. Valiant always does little things I like, chokes guys in the ropes, yanks them by the waistband into the buckles, a good stooge. Richards is a good babyface and Valiant flew into the cutter, but this needed more time.

7. Arik Royal vs. Chet Sterling

ER: I love Royal entrances on shows like these, he's a good "trash talker in passing", teasing older ladies, selectively slapping fives, knows how to appropriately trash talk kids, it's always a treat. We also sadly only get part of a conversation between two women in the crowd who say "No he's the daddy but he takes care of him." That's a wrestling show conversation snippet right there, baby! This match was a blast, perfect kind of match for this audience. They brawl all through the crowd and Royal is GREAT at safely brawling through crowds. He's so good at it. He falls all over everyone, gets punched into ladies, gets hit by kids, chopped by women, and Sterling awesome tightens things up for the close proximity fans. They brawl under every canopy, Royal slams his head into every table in the backyard, they brawl up to the patio and hit each other amongst all the t-shirts stretched over beer bellies. Sterling throws some nice short right hands all throughout, and Royal takes shots into a table better than most. Sterling throws great right hands during the crowd brawl, at one point shaking out his fist for a good 8 steps after punching. I'll always love that. We do get some silliness for the finish, with Sterling hitting the People's Elbow (like 18 years after its peak), but does amusingly undo his wrist tape (since he wasn't wearing elbow pads). I liked their struggle over finishers back in the ring, usually those reversal struggles can seem too dance-y but here they somehow made fighting over an Overdrive look like they were getting arms bent in nasty ways. I will always go out of my way to watch Royal in a situation like this, but Sterling delivered too.

8. Trevor Lee vs. Lance Lude

ER: I really dug this. Trevor came out in gym shorts and wrestling shoes mode, and Lude worked as a tiny ragged heel. Lude's physical transformation is one of the better ones in wrestling. He used to be a kind of tinier Matt Sydal, now he's hairy and scruffy and has drunken sailor eyes. They brawl around the yard just like Royal and Sterling before them, a risky move since it literally had just happened, but they add some new twists and make it feel a little more reckless, sending a mother scrambling to shield her youngsters. Trevor gets the crowd to count a long on the outside while he holds Lude in a vertical suplex, but it takes so long that Lude is able to knee his way out of it. Main event Trevor Lee is a good formula at this point, and Lude might be the smallest guy we've seen work the formula so far, and it still works. Lude attacks with quick dropkicks and a big double kneedrop off the top for a good nearfall, and I liked him working heel (just as I also like his babyface Ducks work). Lee is always good at comebacks against heels, not hesitating to match jerk moves. Here he's good at running into Lude's boots, but also has no problem doing a finger break, does an awesome press slam (ending it by flexing one bicep while holding Lude up with one arm) and absolutely crushes him with a match ending double stomp. Fun main event to cap off a fun no frills show.


COMPLETE & ACCURATE CAIN JUSTICE

Read more!

CWF Mid-Atlantic Worldwide Episode 116

Episode 116

1. Ethan Alexander Sharpe vs. Mitch Connor

ER: Cool match, never threatened to overstay its welcome. Connor stuck close to Sharpe (love the E# boots, by the way. Have I just not noticed these before? I remember his boots having $$ on them, but my brain could have just filled in that lie) and kept clubbing with chops and meaty fists to the neck, and best of all he keeps doing all these short butterfly suplexes. I've never seen Connor use them in this way before, just bullying his way in close to E# and chucking him low. Sharpe was scrambling and mean, and I like him much more when he's mean than when cracking jokes. His jawbreaker was really great, and the hard uppercut flash finish was deserved. Fun stuff.

PAS: Between this and Cain Justice match I am becoming a Mitch Connor fan. He kind of wrestles like a UWFI American, like Dan Bobish or Gene Lydick. Lots of grinding wrestling, short throws and clubbing shots. I loved how he smothered Sharpe and how Sharpe used distance to be able to land shots. I loved the big uppercut finish and it really felt like a KO blow. Kind of bummed we didn't get to see a Tom Watson at the British open old man run from Connor, but this may have been the best I have seen Sharpe look, so no beef.

2. Cam Carter vs. Smith Garrett

ER: It's not bad to have an occasional surprise finish like this in a tournament. I'm disappointed as I was interested in seeing these two match up, but the big uppercut looked good.

PAS: I read ahead a bit and know where this is going, and I don't care for it at all, outside of that it was a fun 30 seconds.

3. Cain Justice vs. Chip Day

ER: Well this one had me cursing the 10 minute time limit of these 1st round Weaver Cup matches. These two have a pretty great 9 minutes, but then have to play beat the clock in the final minute, so it shifts the tone of the cool match we were getting into forearm exchanges and played out indy wrestling Frye/Takayama fighting. I'm at the point where even if the Frye/Takayama spot looks good, I'm just over it. They did it well, but I thought it was a dumb finish as there wasn't any immediacy to the match for any of the previous 9.5 minutes. Before that finish (and not just how the finish was handled in the closing moments, but the fact that it means neither guy advances, which sucks) I was loving this. Cain is the guy I pretty much want to see against everyone right now, and Day is an especially fun opponent for him. Cain has no problem eating Chip's strikes, not playing along with hold set-ups (loved him rolling out of the ring before getting his elbow stomped, both guys really building to the stomp like a rollercoaster that slows down as it approaches the summit) and still throwing in at least one crazy bump to the floor (with no shoes!! This guy is nuts!). My favorite move of the match was Cain's figure 4 stump puller. The stump puller is an underutilized move. It's really painful, just lifting a few inches and you feel it all up the back of your leg. But I don't think I've seen anyone lock the other leg in a figure 4 before, just adding extra leverage and preventing the person from somehow striking with the free leg/knee. The fact that he eventually rolled back with it was even cooler. So we had that finish, and then we get a long tease for a match restart. Day says that Johnny Weaver wouldn't want a match ended this way, Stutts gets involved, Cain claims he doesn't care about the tournament and walks out. BUT then he runs back in and cracks Day in the back of the head! I'm immediately flipping out for the restart overtime match...but that's it. Match over, no actual restart, neither man still advancing. A real letdown of the finish. I wanted Cain to make a run to the finals, not be used to give someone a Bye.

PAS: I also was a little bummed that both of these guys got eliminated (if they wanted a draw, there were plenty of "eliminate both guys" candidates last week), but I dug this match. Cain has set a pretty high standard for his matches lately, and the tourney format kept this from being at the level of the top tier Cain matches, still it was a nifty little scrap. I loved Cain switching up his attack and going after the knees, and how that slowed down Day's kick attack. Figure four stump puller was cool, but I am intrigued by a possible new leg submission he is concocting, he should steal the Trauma's spinning figure four. Finish was a little lame, but I get why they kicked in gear for the last minute, the commentary kind of sold it as a rookie mistake by Cain, he lost track of time and had to accelerate his attack recklessly. During this match I figured out that Chip Day looks exactly like Chris Eigeman which was pretty distracting.

ER: Chris Eigeman crossed with John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees

PAS: The preview for the documentary looks pretty cool, I was a big fan of Richards v. Lee and the idea of a documentary about a single match is pretty great.

4. Roy Wilkins vs. Chet Sterling

ER: Not a bad match, and normally I'm the guy who is all about the under 10 minute matches, but somehow KNOWING that matches are only going 10 minute max kind of takes me out of them a bit, especially knowing that things just end in a draw at the 10 minute mark. 10 minute matches are great, but 10 minute matches with the Beat the Clock stip seem more forced. Still, both guys know each other and know how to craft a professional match. I didn't think a lot of strikes looked great in this, but the match was kind of made by the bumps and the misses. Wilkins missing a big crossbody, or Sterling getting totally upended by the golf swing uppercut, both guys being generous with the other. I thought the finish was really good, with Wilkins locking in a really nasty cross-legged stretch muffler, really bending and cranking on Sterling. Stutts was good at putting over the time relative to the submission, saying there was no way Sterling could last 90 seconds in it. And Sterling knows this, scrambles to free himself and convincingly reverses the sub into a pinfall.

PAS: I liked this more then Eric I think. I am not a Sterling guy, but I thought this might have been the best CWF match of his I have seen. I thought he bumped and sold really well, and I liked the draw tease roll up finish. The Wilkins missed crossbody bump to the floor right into the Sterling dive was awesome looking. Wilkins has a bunch of cerebral attacks, I love how he uses ring placement to trip up and disorient his opponents.

5. Shane Helms/Chet Sterling vs. Arik Royal/Roy Wilkins

ER: Royal comes out after the match and lariats Sterling in the back of the head, but is then surprised by a Shane Helms surprise return. I assume he hasn't been back in the Sportatorium in a few years (but I was also surprised to see him taking big bumps in TNA earlier this year, as last I heard was that he had been in a bad accident and could no longer wrestle. Obviously my information is dated). And usually impromptu matches aren't this good and aren't this much damn fun. Helms can clearly still go, still bumps hard for shoulderblocks, still throws some of the absolute best corner punches in the biz. Usually impromptu tags end short and unsatisfying, this one actually gets plenty of time and has a nice build. Royal and Wilkins stooge around plenty for the returning star, but they still get to hold onto their local mean streak. Sterling has a nice run as a fighting FIP; he wasn't just strictly selling for a Hurricane hot tag, he was holding his own but coming up short, but still firing back with punches and eventually hitting a nasty DDT. Royal can really come across big time, and that Face Jam is an awesome move, loved how they set it up like the Hart Attack. All Stars know how to deliver a feel good ending without actually coming off weak, and that's a testament to their quality. I was expecting a light breezy match and it ended up being my favorite of the show, all four guys brought it.

PAS: In 1998 I remember seeing Shane Helms and Venom fight Madd Maxx and the Gemini Kid in a street fight at an OMEGA show. Helms did a plancha off a soda machine and Venom chokeslammed Madd Maxx through a couch that I had been sitting on. So it was fun to see Helms two decades later in another fun tag match against a team lead by the now Coach Gemini. Two matches in a row I have dug Sterling, he was a great face in peril and led to a really fun Helms hot tag. I loved him catching the Slaughter/Kernodle Cannon to set up his chokeslam. All-Stars are a great heel team, I could see them having a fun regional run in the 1980s, All-Stars v. Fabulous Ones would have been awesome. I do think the All-Stars have been losing a lot lately, they really need to lay some folks out.

Read more!

CWF Mid-Atlantic Worldwide Episode 113: Absolute Justice

Episode 113: Absolute Justice

1. Cain Justice vs. Mitch Connor

ER: I thought Cain was awesome in this. Connor is someone with some physical limitations and Cain figured out some pretty crafty ways around those limitations. Cain stayed on him the whole match, and it was great. Connor looked like he was struggling to get some space but Cain would stay on him, lock in hooks, throw shots to Connor's cerebellum, lock on different triangles, kinda showing off while being mean. Connor would get a pinfall, Cain would grab his leg on kickout. Connor goes into the ropes, Cain dives in and trips him. The guy couldn't catch a break. He started playing along, you can see him throwing creative shots at Cain (loved when Cain was locking in a triangle and Connor starts dropping his knee onto Cain's inner leg), and I like how Cain staying so close played into the finish with Connor flash cradling him. Cain has shown how great he is at working with several different styles, and it's pretty damn impressive to watch. Also, shout out to Cecil Scott for pointing out the he (Cecil) went after Cain aggressively in their match, and Cain learned from that and wasn't letting Connor do the same thing. Smart storytelling from a wrestling and announcing standpoint.

PAS: I loved this, loved how Justice would attack with his fancy Ju-Jitsu only to be met with an old fashioned Connor clubbing forearm. It reminded me of the way someone like Tank Abbot would deal with a ju-jitsu guy in early UFC. Cain tries a rubber guard, Mitch punches him in the thigh, Cain goes for a sugar hold, gets met with a forearm. Connor gave my favorite interview of the decade setting up this match where he mentioned having a really damaged neck, so Cain throwing these really nasty rabbit punches to the back of the neck was especially brutal. It really felt like he was crossing a line, trying to paralyze a guy rather then win a match. Also really loved the finish with Connor using Cain's aggression to roll him up, felt like exactly the right way for a wily veteran to beat a overenthusiastic rookie. Another awesome Cain performance, what a rookie year he is having.

2. Jakob Hammermeier vs. Chet Sterling

ER: I didn't love this, but it was only 5 minutes so I can't complain too much. Sterling seems to get sloppier the longer matches go. I was liking some of his stuff early on here, but by the last minute he was quitting on elbow strikes halfway through, and could only do offense that started with him running off the ropes. The action is quick, but not very satisfying. Hammermeier seems like a better talker than wrestler, but again this whole thing was short and inoffensive.

PAS: I am amused at these two feuding over who came up with their hack "I'm wacky" vest and necktie. I actually thought Jakob looked like the better of the two, he had a nice neckbreaker and elbow smash. I just don't get Sterling, he is the one pushed guy in this fed who does nothing for me, and he wasn't much here.

3. HIM/SIS vs. Otto Schwanz/Ethan Alexander Sharpe vs. Sandwich Squad vs. Zane & Dave Dawson

ER: This was billed as an "Everything to Lose" match, with each team putting something on the line if they eat the pinfall, which is a cool idea. Squad put up "no title shots for a year", Dawsons put up their titles, Schwanz had his career on the line, HIM/SIS put up their masks; those all feel like pretty big things to lose so the match has a lot of extra gravity. Now, you could also ask "why would anybody want to tag in and risk losing?" and...well, that would be a good question. But I also like that means that Sharpe technically has nothing to lose, feels like a nice weasel move. And outside of the moment where the Dawsons ended up in the ring together, they had a nice go go go 10 minute match. My favorites here were Otto and SIS. I love how SIS goes after guys with headbutts and never forces any ridiculous "size difference" spots into her matches. She goes toe to toe with the guys that make sense (like Sharpe) but gets steamrolled by someone like Schwanz. And Schwanz was awesome here. He was back to working like an unfrozen nazi Berzerker, really aggressive and vocal. Everybody was good at getting in and out to keep the action going, and the action was indeed good. We got some wild spots like a Dawson getting launched off the apron into some guys, and Biggs doing the world's biggest Thesz press to SIS. HIM eats the pin and thus loses his mask. I know Michael McAllister is a longtime CWF guy but I've only seen him as HIM, so this didn't really hit that hard with me. But I always thought the whole HIM thing was silly, so I'm glad SIS just walked off and moved on. It felt like the best way to handle things.

PAS: Really loved Schwanz in this, he had his career on the line and he was wrestling with real desperation, he jumps into the Dawsons before the bell and just throws hands, and is at 100 the entire match. Sandwhich Squad are always worth watching, Biggs had an especially nasty powerslam, and this was basically just burley dudes (and a burley lady) throwing hands for ten minutes or so which I am going to enjoy. HIM really wasn't in the match much which is surprising because he lost his mask, if I guy is going to lose his hood, it feels like he should have been showcased a bit more.

4. Aric Andrews vs. Ric Converse

ER: A really fun match with a disappointing but understandable finish. CW Anderson comes out to distract Converse so Andrews can roll him up. It keeps the CW/Converse feud in the foreground so I get it, but it's a finish we've been seeing for awhile in wrestling and this was kind of a bummer as we were well on the way to seeing maybe the most complete Aric Andrews match. Still, what we got was good. I've described Converse as an actual good version of Tommy Dreamer before, and I really think he showed that here. His elbow strikes looked awesome and he's able to bump believably for guys smaller than him. Andrews had a bunch of quick, logical attacks, whipping body shots, smart stuff like neckbreakers, moves going with Converse's natural momentum. It was only 5 minutes but a quality 5.

PAS: This was a nifty fight, Converse took it to him from the beginning, and a minute in Andrews had welts and bruises on his back. Andrews is such a great sleazy dude, like the junkie who sneaks a switchblade into the rehab center, that energy meshes well with Converse's suburban cop who is a little generous with the nightstick vibe. The whole match felt like an allegory for the opioid crisis. Andrews is always entertaining, but I really want to see him get a chance to spread his filthy wings a bit.

5. Dirty Daddy/Snooty Foxx vs. Roy Wilkins/Darius Lockhart

ER: This was fine I guess, but seemed more like a filler match on a big show. But, you gotta have matches like that, and they found a way to get a lot of amusing bullshit into a show. Gemini is barred from ringside and at one point a giant Super Chicken mascot comes out and starts conferencing with Wilkins, obviously supposed to be Gemini. So of course at the end of the match we get actual Gemini running out to drop a fist on the back of Snooty's head to get Wilkins the win. Gemini was dressed in a gross trump wig and "45" jersey, but I'll at least give him credit for being a heel and dressing like a heel. I couldn't get too into the match since it was clear there was going to be a shenanigans ending, but it had some killer moments. Wilkins caused a massive Daddy bump to the floor by holding the ropes, in one of the best versions of that spot I've seen (and Daddy takes a great reckless bump that still keeps the crowd safe - I really love the attention to family friendly crowd safety in this fed), and I loved Snooty's Oklahoma Stampede powerslam before the finish. This was fine.

PAS: I am a Lockhart fan, he is a heel because he is doing a BLM gimmick in North Carolina, but that doesn't mean he is going to do all of the cheap shot stuff that the All-Stars do. He is a man of principles whether you agree with him or not. I am an unabashed So Time fan, but Snooty is still a little green and there were moments here where he seemed a little out of place, still lots to like about this, and I always enjoy Wilkins when he is about his bullshit. Excited to see the All-Stars v. Lockhart as a feud, Wilkins as Jason Whitlock talking down to Darius as Kaperneck could be really great.

PAS: Hanging out with Dolph Ziggler at a pool is about the most heel thing a guy can do in my eyes. What a marvelous prick Brad Attitude is, his bigshotting asshole veteran is my favorite character in wrestling right now.

6. C.W. Anderson vs. Smith Garrett

ER: CW is a flat out beast, and I loved this. I think this match is one of CW's greatest performances, just new levels of mean, knowing his opponent and effectively meshing styles. Right from go CW has his number and they work some hot sequences. Garrett throws some stiff as hell shoulderblocks, CW cracks him with a brutal forearm and then Garrett barely ducks a diving lariat. They spill to the floor and CW takes a killer shot to the post, then Garrett chops the ringpost (which is a spot I love - admittedly overdone - but this one was a cut above) and CW begins thrashing that arm, wrapping it around the turnbuckle supports. Both guys were in sync as CW looked vicious, and Garrett's selling was top notch. Inside and CW continues taking apart the arm, I really liked Garrett going for a sunset flip but CW reversing into an armbar. We get some real good false finishes and twists, stuff we've been conditioned to for years; Ric Converse's music plays and distracts CW when he's setting up the superkick, leading to a convincing 2 count schoolboy (and we've all seen that exact sequence finish so many matches that it's a super effective near fall). CW hits the gorgeous spinebuster for another great nearfall, and we get some really well done "signature offense" reversals, with Garrett slipping out of a spinebuster and CW slipping out of a couple driver variations. Finish was great with CW getting Garrett onto his shoulders, then just tosses Garrett back to a standing position to nail the superkick. This was a hot as hell 10 minutes, CW is world class and Garrett worked as a great babyface, knew when to pepper comebacks and sold great.

PAS: This was a very Anderson style match from CW. CW has always been more of an Arn inspired guy, but this was straight up nasty Ole stuff. He just ripped and tore at the arm in violent and interesting ways, all the while trash talking and pie facing Garrett. I am not totally sold on Garrett as a wrestler (I think his finisher is Nova level goofy, and that tongue thing he does grosses me out) but he is really good at bringing intensity to a fight and selling a beating and that is what was needed to fill out the edges of a great Anderson show.

7. Nick Richards vs. Trevor Lee

ER: Big show, and these two go out and predictably murder each other in the main event, and I feel bad that it didn't totally land with me. I like both guys and appreciate Lee's ability to try to bring something different to CWF title matches, but sometimes I think there's a more more more aspect to them that isn't really present in the very best CWF matches. Lee can take some unconventional routes to selling, but I'm having trouble reconciling how he sold the two cutters at the very beginning of the match. We've seen Richards' cutter treated as a sneaky killshot before, so it was odd seeing Lee just stand up after them. He treated it like Tazz taking a finisher and it just came off odd to me. We got tons of big spots throughout, like Richards getting DDT'd off the top through several set up chairs (and watch the back of Lee's head go crashing through those same chairs just as violently), and Lee takes a cutter with an opened chair wrapped around his neck, which seems like an excellent way to get your neck broken. Absolutely brutal spot. These two have no problem making things look nasty. I'm just not sure what it added up to was worth it. You've seen more overkill than this, and I'm not sure that I would even call this match overkill. It's the main event of a big show, Richards is in his biggest opportunity and wants to prove to himself and fans that he belongs, and Lee is the stubborn fighting champion, so I expected some craziness. The build within the match to the craziness just didn't work for me. I liked the home stretch where it finally became apparent that Richards was in over his head and Lee was setting him up for kills, and Lee locking on a bonkers inverted STF for the tap, but as a whole the match didn't stick for me.

PAS: Couldn't disagree with Eric more, I thought this was excellent, and it is right up there with the Brad Attitude match in my list of favorite Trevor Lee title defenses. I loved the opening with Lee egging on the pro-Richards chants by the crowd, singing along with his intro and walking right into a cutter.  I thought Lee's pop-up was less of a Taz/Hawk no-sell and more like a boxer shaking his head trying to deny he got hit with a big shot. The first cutter gets a pretty close 2 count, Lee gets up pissed and throws some potato slaps and runs right into a second cutter which gets another close 2 count and leads to Richards being in control. I loved Lee working heel here, he figures if he is going to be an overdog he was going to play an overdog, and he was really vicious. Richards as a Tommy Dreamer disciple trying to ECW his way to a title was fun, usually I don't like trash can lid shots, but here as a way to bust Lee up and make him mad they worked well, I also really dug the Trash can shot as a way to break the STF. Your big stunts worked well too, the cutter with the chair was awesome, loved the way it got set up, it looked killer and I bought it as the end to the match. I also liked how right after the move instead of going for the kill Richards tried to set up an even bigger stunt, which ended up being his downfall. It felt like the kind of Icarus move a raised on ECW kid would do. Lee finally realized that this kid was in his league and a really threat so he snaps and unloads, great way to end it the match, that jumping knee was some FUTEN level violence, and the final kick to the shoulder looked like it popped his collarbone, that STF variation was the cherry on top. Really made Richards look awesome dying on his shield like that. My one issue is that is kind of felt like Richards should have won, it felt like his night, and I am not sure how Lee loses that belt a this point.

ER: After finding myself the clear low vote on this match I decided to give it another spin. I don't really like being the low vote on things as I'd much rather enjoy something than be a party pooper. And as someone with a fairly low attention span I can admit that I'm prone to missing nuance on things. Plus there's a chance I watched this match on mute in the bathroom at work, maybe not an ideal match appreciation environment. And, I liked it more on rewatch. I'm still not as over the moon for it as everyone seems to be, but some things definitely landed far more with me on rewatch. I still don't love the two cutters to start, don't love the trash can lid stuff, loved the chair-around-neck cutter....but as much as I loved that cutter it also took the wind out of the match for me, as I have zero clue what could possibly beat Lee at this point. That move felt too big. It looked amazing. It's one of the more dangerous things I've seen this year. But it is apparently not match ending. Phil makes some great points about the structure, and I still liked the end stretch as much as I did the first time, but I still thought there were things that didn't work. As the main event to a special show, it absolutely worked in full, and felt like a natural epic.

PAS: What a great show, I liked virtually every match, and we had three matches hit our 2017 Ongoing MOTY List. CWF really knows how to deliver a supercard

Read more!

CWF Mid-Atlantic Worldwide Episode 109

Episode 109

1. Cain Justice vs. Cecil Scott

ER: I was really excited for this one, and I think it totally delivered, though in a different way than I was expecting. I'm completely unfamiliar with Cecil Scott: Wrestler, but I know he's been only a couple match guy per year the last several years, and those matches are typically battle royal type appearances. So I expected this to be a clear underdog vs. a cocky current wrestler, with Cain taking 75% and Cecil getting a couple great moments before the expected loss. And I was excited for that as I've loved the build. But this match was Cecil basically working a straight match with Cain, without Cain working like he was underestimating him. On paper I would call bullshit, but in practice Cecil brought it and the match was a killer slab of 8 minute wrestling. Cecil looks fired off and pissed the whole match, and I like what he brings. Cain is great at being super annoying with cheap shot superman punches and eye pokes, Cecil throws some mean uppercuts, this whole thing started good and maintained. Cain is a loon for bumping around to the floor with no boots, and Cecil kept pouncing. Big moment of the match came when Cecil ducked a high kick but got caught with a sneaky spin kick right after, and I loved how Cecil sold it: He lurched forward angrily and then grabbed his head and fell back defensively. Really looked like when an MMA guy takes a kick and his muscle memory keeps him moving forward before his brain catches up to how hard the shot was. Cain has a couple nasty ways to take apart an arm, and I flipped when Cecil was getting back in the ring and Cain kicked his loose arm, then grabbed the arm and punted it. He goes to lock on the sure finish armbar and Cecil got a great flash nearfall roll-up off it, before Cain gets that arm back. Wasn't expecting this to be so competitive, and with the work this good I did not mind one bit.

PAS: Really impressed with how plausible Cecil Scott made his attack. The story of the match was Cecil Scott not having the cardio to work a long match, so he had to unload everything at once. His rush attack was really nice, including some really nasty looking uppercuts. I am also amused at what a puro mark Scott clearly is, stuff like the Hashimoto DDT, the attempted German Suplex into the crowd and the delayed Kawada sell, I often find that kind of thing aggravating, but I found it kind of endearing here, and the delay sell of that high kick into a spin kick was a great holy shit moment. I also really dug the roll up off of the first twist ending attempt, Scott is an analyst so it makes sense he would have a sneaky counter ready. Cain is undeniable at this point, he has got to be one of the best rookies I can remember seeing and he is having great matches week after week with a wide variety of  different types of wrestlers.

2. The Carnies vs. Donnie Dollars & Kevin Ku

ER: I thought this was really good, my favorite Carnies match so far, just a great 10 minute clinic of teamwork. Iggy and Awful complement each other so nicely, they had me hooked from the moment Awful tagged in and headbutted Ku in the ribs. Later Awful gets desperate and clocks Ku in the back of the head with an elbow, and my love springs eternal. Ku had some nice strikes but too often fell into 2017 indy striker mode, but the Carnies showed they can work interesting stuff around an indy striker. The sequence setting up Dollars getting dumped to the floor was masterful from all involved, Dollars missing a charge into the ropes, Awful making a low bridge that was timed great, Dollars taking a wild bump to the floor, and Iggy hitting a nutso dive. Loved Awful's maneuvering in the corner to get Ku in a roll up, seemed like some trippy World of Sport stuff, except better than almost anyone currently ripping off old WoS videos. The Boston crab/kneedrop is a great simple, effective double team, and I love how Awful's elbow earlier foreshadowed it. Great stuff all around.

PAS: This was a bunch of fun. Carnies are great, but I really dug the makeshift Ku/Dollars team too. Dollars was great as an old school wrestling powerhouse, he wrestled like JYD or Bruno, just big heavy shots and throws. I really liked Ku too, took big bumps and his strikes were really nasty, the head kick looked great, normally that is a move that is too leg slappy, but Ku looked like Low-Ki. I agree about how awesome the finish was, set up that Boston crab kneedrop perfectly and it is a super nasty looking finish.

3. Aric Andrews vs. Mitch Connor

ER: Cain jumps Mitch before the bell, and Cain is really great at making me want to see every one of his next feuds. He'll start one feud before his other feuds are fully blown off, and it keeps me interested in his current feuds while also setting up new challengers. Yeah, feud with Cecil is over, but he didn't waste any time setting this up with Mitch, and always seems to have his hand in a couple honey jars, even clapping Stutts on the back on his way to the back. Connor sold the belt shot to the back of the head great, and Andrews was flat out vicious with Connor. All of Andrews' knee strikes looked great, the one that finished that match especially looked like a knee that should finish a match.

PAS: Nifty bit of wrestling business. Mitch returned to wrestling after a stroke and he really sells those head shots like he might have another one right in the ring. I loved the tough old guy refusing to forfeit, but still get steamrolled. His one forearm from the ground was great and the final jumping knee looked totally brutal, I loved his KO sell.

4. Brad Attitude vs. Nick Richards

ER: Killer match from these two. I wasn't sure they'd be able to fill time, but both did, convincingly. Attitude is so vicious and I loved how the match looked it would be almost an Attitude steamrolling, but then he got so aggressive that as he flung his body into Richards it sent him careening past the turnbuckles to the floor. That's a really cool way to give Richards some early space and recovery, and Attitude made both his attack and his bump look nasty. Richards doesn't seem like he should work. He's a good everyman, every one of us knows a guy who looks like him. Some of his offense doesn't seem like it should work, but it does (his weird shots to the chest always seem look terrible 80% of the way through delivery...and then they hit great), and he sells his ass off. Well, here he sold his arm off. Crowd stuff was simple and good, nice posting from Attitude. They overcome a dangerous moment where Attitude does his rope flip senton, adjusts to a rolling Richards and ends up basically torpedoing headfirst. But he tears at that arm and Richards sells that arm great the whole way (my favorite being when he let out an anguished yell while hooking the leg). Richards comebacks were nice, his cannonball crashed, and I loved how they built to him going for that wild elbow off the apron....right into Attitude catching him in a triangle. It was used interestingly in a non-stip match, as Attitude lets him pass out and hopes for the count out. Attitude takes DDTs and cutters great, which makes him the ideal opponent to help Richards' offense look its best. I do think Richards kicked out of a bit too many things, that low superkick after Attitude shrugged off a roll up attempt looked especially devastating (helped no doubt by Richards' fantastic crumple sell of it), and the finish absolutely did not work for me. They were going for something lofty, something difficult, and it just didn't work. It was supposed to be Attitude going for a moonsault and getting cuttered on the way down, it looked at most like Richards just slowed down his momentum slightly. After everything Richards kicked out of, I just didn't buy this finishing off Attitude. Still, overall the match was great, high end performances from both guys. With a better end I could see this winding up pretty high on a list.

PAS: I really loved this, what a performance by both guys. Attitude is such a star, his timing, selling and offense is so great looking. I loved all of his arm work on Richards, some of the arm work looked like something Negro Navarro would bust out. I liked the story of Richards being able to get an edge on the floor, but he was still outclassed in the ring.  The Richards Cactus elbow off the apron into a triangle choke is one of my favorite spots of the year, such a creative idea executed perfectly. Attitude choking him out and going for the count out is such an asshole move, fits perfectly with his character. I liked the finish, Attitude gets frustrated about not being able to put this kid away and goes for a cheap shot with a chair, a ref grabs it from him and it throws off his timing enough to get caught in cutter. I liked this more then any of the pimped Lee matches, it had great looking offense and big moves and great selling, and it never got into the overkill that the Lee stuff can fall victim too.

PAS: Tremendous hour of YouTube. Every match delivered what it needed to, you had a nifty angle to set up the main event and the main event was a killer. Well done!

ER: Yeah this may have been my favorite episode of CWF yet, and we have obviously enjoyed several of them. Attitude/Richards is an easy entry into our 2017 MOTY List, and we though Cecil Scott/Cain Justice was too much fun to leave off, so that makes it too. Two matches on the MOTY list within one hour, yeah this was some great pro wrestling TV right here.

Read more!

CWF Mid-Altlantic Worldwide Episode 105

Episode 105

1. SIS vs. Priscilla Kelly

PAS: SIS slings potatoes when she wrestles men, putting her against another woman almost feels like watching an uncomfortably violent intergender match. Kelly, the valet for the Carnies, puts in a game effort, she unloads some nasty kicks and forearms, but SIS just brings the heat. Southern Indy Aja Kong is a really cool thing to have in 2017

ER: Yeah this is actually the first time I've seen SIS against a female, I'd just gotten used to her against men that I've stopped thinking of her as a female. Priscilla Kelly is a name I've seen popping up a lot on FloSlam but didn't realize she was the gal appearing with the Carnies. I also did not realize that she was on (still is on?) some reality show called My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding, she is very young (probably just 19 or 20) and has a dad who is basically Jamie Dundee. Her kicks need a lot of work but the ideas are good. I liked all the kicks specifically targeting SIS' legs, especially the running low kick to the patella. The punt on the apron with the leg landing on the top rope, followed by a gyrate, is a pretty great heel gloat (wait she's a heel right? Does that mean SIS is a face!?). The kicks just need to be tightened up. But she leaned in to all of SIS' nasty stuff, the great headbutt, the body press in the ropes, the low german, so I imagine she'll keep getting better.

2. AJ Gray vs. Xsiris

ER: I thought this was really damn good. CWF pulls from a pretty ridiculously deep talent pool, they can bring in a debuting guy like AJ Gray and the guy seems like he's been at it for years, a debuting guy who already has tons of polish. I assumed it would just be an Xsiris squash and what we got was much better than that. Xsiris doesn't really take Gray too seriously, asking someone in the crowd what Gray's name was so he can taunt him. Xsiris looked really good, and should really be on TV more (if Stutts is to be believed on commentary, apparently he has a day job that prevents him from wrestling more often?), he's almost a clone of Brad Attitude, and I would love more Brad Attitudes in wrestling. A great right hand goes a long way with me, and he has that and more. We build nicely to a huge comeback lariat from Gray, and for something I expected to go 90 seconds I was pleased as punch we got a good match out of it.

PAS: CWF does has a really deep talent pool, although in some way that can be a detriment. We can go months with out seeing guys like Xsiris or Lee Valiant, and the shows are often filled with rookies of varying quality. Gray was pretty good, and I liked the story of Xsiris not taking him seriously and paying for it.

ER: (Agree wholeheartedly with Phil's point about a deep talent pool being a blessing and a curse)

3. Aric Andrews/Dave Dawson/Dirty Blondes (Mike Patrick/Leo Brien) vs. Nick Richards/Mitch Connor/Slade Porter/Ace Perry

ER: An okay enough CWF/WAR 8 man, though they don't really do a whole lot with the 10 minutes given. Mitch Connor has a nice Jake Milliman look and babyface charisma, but most of the match is spent with him getting his knee worked, and it's weird to work the middle 6 minutes like that and then just rush through a multiple tag finish. I'd be fine with Perry and Porter not appearing again for a long while, and in turn I want WAY more of the Dirty Blondes. I really liked them in the Kernodle Cup and want to see more of what they can do (and I love Brien's downward angle right hand). I loved Connor's dedication to selling the knee when he finally tagged out, but this wasn't much.

PAS: I enjoyed Connor's selling, and all of the heels were good (it was nice to see Andrews get some offense for once), I thought Perry and Porter's offense wasn't great but they took some big bumps. Porter absolutley died on a back suplex and Perry spiked himself on the Andrews choke bomb.

4. Battle Bowl 10 Man Battle Royal

ER: I think I'm a bigger battle royal fan than most, but this probably got too much time. There were some good things, like Andrews quietly stooging around for Mecha, Wilkins getting sandwiched by the Sandwich Squad, a sick elimination bump from Biggs, Royal getting uppercutted and elbowed around by several guys ("Planet of the Ace is off its axis," said Cecil Scott amusingly), but this didn't have enough for me. And it doesn't always take much for me to get behind a Battle Royal.

PAS: I liked the finish run between Royal and Richards, most times battle royals are going be made on final runs and I thought they were great. Nasty shots, and the battle on the apron was cool with Richards trying to german Royal off the apron and slipping and falling off. Gets the full Worldwide point from me.

Read more!

CWF Mid-Atlantic Worldwide Episode 104

Episode 104

BattleBowl! This is a Lethal Lottery style show with the fans picking the matches out of a bowl, not sure if the bowl is worked or not, but it sounds like a concept that's potentially more fun for the wrestlers than the fans.

1. Aric Andrews vs. Otto Schwanz

PAS: Otto is really fun to watch in his role as a veteran who chucks people around with amateur throws. He dominates most of this match until Andrews catches him with a roll up. Schwanz is always compelling but the match itself was a bit underwhelming. Andrews has nice offense but didn't get to show much of it.

ER: Yeah not the match I wanted from a match-up that wouldn't have taken much to make me like it. Otto is one of my favorites in the fed, he's never flashy but he is rock solid at all the little things. You want a guy to throw a mean back elbow, you watch a Schwanz match. I liked where they were going with this, there were a couple cool scrambly mat moves, but the roll up was kind of a shocker, and not in a good way. Andrews is a guy I like, but it feels like they're going too far with him escaping by the skin of his teeth every week. He went from opportunistic heel to a kind of heel Mikey Whipwreck. I think it can work, but with this match and the Mecha match I was left just wanting an actual match.

2. Ethan Alexander Sharpe/Mitch Connor vs. HIM/SIS

PAS: Sharpe is a little over the top for me, less Jimmy Hart more some hacky Chikara heel manager. I really enjoy HIM and SIS as a pair of crowbars though, and they both really laid an asswhipping on Sharpe, at one point HIM just forearmed him full force in the throat, SIS also really roughs him up, they are great it is like Kandori teaming with Kurisu. The story of Connor being too gentlemanly to hit SIS only to pay for it.

ER: Sharpe's shtik is kinda wearing on me. He's featured a lot, and a little of his act goes a long way. But I'm a big fan of SIS, so at least Sharpe gets plastered with a mean elbow drop and her cool crossbody into the ropes. I admit to not really caring about the HIM/SIS gimmick (even though I appreciate the announcers working to make it work), but I like them as a team. HIM hits a great kneedrop to Sharpe's chest, and they both have nice complementary styles.

3. Dirty Daddy vs. Arik Royal

PAS: Really great short match. Daddy has really figured out underdog babyface wrestling. He is super sympathetic and always knows how to time a couple of big moves for maximum impact. The near fall where he times Royal's spear into a sunset flip was awesome, and I love a guy doing monkey flips as big offensive moves in 2017. Royal meanwhile is such a charismatic shit talking heel, he is like wrestlings Draymond Green and I love him for it. I really want to see these guys given some time to stretch out, as I can see them having a classic in them, this was a great tasting menu match though.

ER: This was a cruel tease but a fine WorldWide match. I'm with Phil as they seem like they could really have a great match in them. Daddy has deceptively strong chops, kind of weird in-ring movements, and Royal is really good at showing exasperation while not losing focus. End sequence was really good with the sunset flip reversal of Royal's spear/knee takeout, good nearfall, and setting Royal up nicely to hit the knee takeout anyway.

4. Sandwich Squad vs. Timmy Danger/Nick Richards

PAS: Danger is an OVW trainee they brought in for this show. CWF uses a lot of young guys from other feds, sometimes it is a big win, like Alex Daniels or Dominic Garrini, other times guys just don't look like they belong. Danger seemed very dedicated to his gimmick of using hairspray, but he came off kind of cornball. There was some nice Richards v. Sandwhich Squad stuff, but this wasn't much overall.

ER: I liked Danger's pre-match promo, it kind of accidentally hit a Ghostface level flow: "I'll go two hours just because I can, slapping them around, they'll be all blown up, I'll still look good, pin 'em with one leg." That's like a Fischscale outtake right there. And I liked this a lot more than Phil, though squeezing so many matches into this show made for a lot of unsatisfying match lengths. This match had a lot more to say, but cut to a real quick finish in a similar way that the HIM/SIS tag and the  Schwanz matches did. Cut a match off this show, give the other matches 1-2 minutes, it's a much more satisfying episode. The first 5 minutes of this were really good, I thought. Richards has arguably the best corner clothesline in current wrestling, no hyperbole. They sequence with him nailed Mecha with two nasty clothesline only to be leveled by the nastiest one was great.

5. Roy Wilkins vs. "The Filmaker" Movie Myk

PAS: This was scientific rules, which basically meant no punches or rope breaks. The gimmick didn't really seem to matter in the match. This was a lesser version of the Daddy v. Royal match earlier, with the rookie getting in moments before getting put down. It was fine, I like watching Wilkins, but overall pretty disposable.

ER: The stip was entirely unnecessary during the match, but the match really won me over by the end. Wilkins had some nice knees to Myk's hammy, Wilkins hit a big shining wizard and I LOVED how Myk crumbled off it. It still felt like a too-short match on a too-packed episode, but I like the direction the match went.

6. Cain Justice/Keith Mac/Luke Grimes vs. Snooty Fox/Vlad Boleshav/Cecil Scott

PAS: This was a random partner match which was based around the Cecil Scott v. Cain Justice feud, there wasn't much interaction between the two, but Cecil hit a great looking superkick. Hard to get much of a sense of the other 5 guys, Keith Mac had some dancing spots, Grimes is sort of big. I do think they are building to Scott v. Justice well.

ER: This was way too short, but possibly for the best as a lot of guys didn't look good. I thought Keith Mac especially looked bad. He had a nice charisma to him but the basics all looked bad, loose headlock and off timing on hip tosses. Grimes is apparently a top Corino trainee but didn't show anything. Fox threw hard but awkwardly stiff armed clotheslines. Really this was the Cain Justice show, which easily could have been predicted from the on paper lineup. In fact Cain turns in a pretty spectacular performance in a totally forgettable match. He throws a kick during a lock up and bails, tags in and bails, humorously tries to tag out at an early sign of trouble his tag gets caught (in some excellent timing) by Vlad. Cecil's superkick was a nice moment and Cain hams it up like Hector Garza, spilling through the ropes and flopping onto fans. After the match he sprints out of there and smacks Vlad on the way. Nothing match, but a great showman performance, and I am looking forward to Cecil/Cain.

Read more!

CWF Mid-Atlantic Worldwide Episode 99

Episode 99

1. Stokely Hathaway's Dream Team (Tracer X/Joshua Cutshall) vs. Da Powah (Ian Maxwell/Big Time Yah)

PAS: Great five minute tag match, we had some big spots from the rookies, including an insanly high assisted leg drop by Maxwell right on X's face, and some great looking belly to belly throws by Big Time Yah, but they eventually got smashed. That running KO forearm by Cutshall is awesome looking he really looks like he puts folks to sleep with that shot.

ER: Two fun teams right here. I had never seen Da Powah before but came away really like Big Time Yah, he's a big boy who apparently is trained by Cedric Alexander and George South, which would make for a pretty fun combination of abilities. He throws two mammoth overhead belly to belly suplexes here and seems to have a good command of the ring, good size, I like it. Earlier he backdrops Maxwell, who lands disgustingly onto the face of Tracer X. Cutshall/X are a really good team, and I especially think Cutshall is really really good, and that finisher is lethal. Good stuff right here.

2. The Insiders (Ace Perry/Slade Porter) vs. Cain Justice/Tripp Cassidy

PAS: This is the most I have liked Cassidy, I still think his Raven act is a little corny, but I thought jamming his used mouthpiece in Porters mouth was pretty gross in a unique way, and he unloaded this KO punch which was really nasty. Didn't think much of the Insiders, as Perry seemed like he had trouble running the ropes, but they did take a beating which is what was required here. I really hope Justice doesn't become a full Cassidy disciple, he is way too talented to be Lodi.

ER: Cassidy and Justice make an awesome team (fully agree with Phil, praying Justice doesn't become an acolyte, no matter how entertaining he would probably make it), and The Insiders seem to try a lot of stuff. Not all of it works, but they try some spots you don't regularly see and they bump around fine. Also agree that this was the best we've seen Cassidy, his crossfaces were good and that mouthpiece spot was gross, but also had a violence to it like a lucha mask ripping. Having his woman lick it before he puts it back in his own mouth is an amazing piece of character work showing his weird control over others, while also being completely revolting. Justice was far and away the best in this, at one point he hit this brutal running thrust kick, and he's really fun working a more indy workrate style as he works it like a fish out of water, able to convey being completely turned around crossed up by rope running, while still having his bearings to do a throw or grab an arm. I really liked this.

3. The All-Stars (Arik Royal/Roy Wilkins) vs. Mitch Connor/Nick Richards

PAS: This was basically an competitive All-Stars squash, Connor is a tubby old dude recovering from a stroke, and Richards is his surprise partner (Boogie Woogie Man Rob McBride had four flat tires which is a shame). I am turning into a Richards fan, as he took some big basic bumps off the ring apron and threw some nice shots. Looking forward to seeing more of the All-Stars in this tourney.

ER: Feel good performance for Connor, while establishing the All-Stars as merciless favorites. I loved the way Wilkins took out Richards with his own body, and how they not only cut off the ring but kept Richards knocked to the floor almost the entire match. They would tee off on Connor and any time Richards would show his head one of them would fly across the ring and knock him to the floor. Richards took nice bumps back down each time, my favorite being when he caught his chin on the apron. Connor gets knocked all around by the All-Stars but fights the whole time and all the way down, always throwing elbows. The outcome was never in doubt, but all Connor had to do to make this work was fight hard, and he did.

4. So' Time (Dirty Daddy/Snooty Foxx) vs. Zane Dawson/Dave Dawson

PAS: So' Time are both rookies, but have turned into a fun tag team. Daddy can take a real thumping and times his comebacks well, Fox is pretty green but is a good big dude hot tag. I enjoy the Dawson's, a pair of fat greasy bikers are right in my wrestling wheelhouse, and they have some really nasty looking double teams and Zane has a great jumping knee drop. I thought this went a bit long for what they were trying for, but I enjoyed it a bunch

ER: I was a little disappointed in this. For a team who looked pretty strong to me, and went toe to toe with the Sandwich Squad, I thought both Dawsons kind of got handled by Dirty Daddy for a bit too long. I was really hoping the Dawsons would advance but So' Time are featured as much as anybody on the TV eps. But I like Daddy and Fox so I can't get too worked up about it. I just wanted as many bigguns in the tourney as possible.

PAS: Great tourney first round, I would give a thumbs up to every match, and it set up some good matchups for the second and third rounds.

Read more!