LucharesuFan619

From the Observer: --Bill Apter will be going to Nashville in February to present NWA TNA with the Most Innovative Promotion award and Chris Harris & James Storm with the tag team of the year award for his Total Wrestling Magazine. --Jeff Jarrett will make an NWA title defense in an actual outside NWA promotion on 1/30 when he faces Ricky Murdock in Greenville, MS. I emailed Mr. Apter today and already got a response. He says he'll email me back when he gets an exact date for when the award will be presented. I'll post that when I get it.

http://www.cp-tel.net/dprothro/story1.htm In truth, I was actually searching for photos to use for a school project and I was using Altavista Image Search, looking for "criminals jail" (I have to research criminals' rights when they're incarcerated) and I came across it. Funny stuff, in a wierd sort of way. Anyway...figured I'd post it. I was surprised I came across it. I mean, it has nothing to do with what I was searching for...

Sorry to bump this, but I think a lot of people found it very useful, judging by the number of replies, so I'm thinking we should keep it going. I guess it just sunk into the depths of the board during the MLW/ROH fiasco, but hopefully that's settled down enough by now...

Haven't seen enough of them. Steve Stone is the only IWA guy I've seen all that much of. That's why I open it up to everyone else to throw their hat in the ring and let their picks be known.

This is debatable.

And vice versa. Can't confirm or deny the story about Steele - all I can say is what was confirmed to me once by an XPW wrestler in 2002, and by another XPW wrestler a few weeks ago - that he was fired for having a problem with Rob Black. The burden of proof remains on Steve, since I've cited two sources, and he's saying it as if it's common knowledge, which it's not. I'm checking out some pics of the real Basil and the XPW one right now, and I'll return on that. EDIT: At least from the length that the XPW pic was taken, they look quite similar to me...And they've got an eerily similar hairstyle... Real Basil - XPW Basil -

IWA Mid-South News for 12.21.03 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by Stacy McMackin, Moderator --DANIELS DEFENDS AGAINST SHELLEY, JACOBS, SABIN!! --HERO AND B-BOY BATTLE TO DOUBLE PIN; REMATCH FORTHCOMING!! --FULL RESULTS FROM 12/20 HIGHLAND EVENT!! IWA Mid-South Wrestling returned to the Lincoln Center in Highland, Indiana on Saturday night, December 20th with "Stylin & Profilin." Here's what went down... 1. "All Star" CRU JONES def. JOE E. LEGEND in the opening contest, and Legend's IWA Mid-South debut. Legend hit Jones with a cross body off the top rope, but Legend's momentum rolled Jones on top of him, into a cover, and Cru got the three count. 2. DAIZEE HAZE & MICKIE KNUCKLES def. RAIN & LACEY in a womens tag team bout when Daizee rolled up Lacey for the pinfall. During Rain's pre-match diatribe, she explained how she has competed in IWA Mid-South for two years now, has wrestled at the past two TPIs, was on the first show at the IWA Arena, and takes offense to Mickie and Daizee trying to take her spot. Thus, her partner would be the one wrestler who has a similar complaint, in longtime rival Lacey. The IWA veteran women worked very well as a team, utilizing several double team move combinations, including a russian legsweep and neckbreaker combination. Daizee took the brunt of the punishment in the later portions of the bout, before pulling out the victory after catching Lacey off guard. 3. MATT SYDAL wrestled DELIRIOUS to a no-contest in a rematch from the 11/21 Highland event when BRAD BRADLEY & RYAN BOZ hit the ring and attacked both wrestlers, putting an end to the matchup. Bradley & Boz' managerial team of JIM FANNIN & "The Hustler" CARMINE DESPIRITO proceeded to get on the microphone and complain about their men not being given a match on the card, yet "these two midgets" have a match. Sydal took the microphone and said he and Delirious weren't afraid to face them in a tag match, and an impromptu bout began immediately. 4. MATT SYDAL & DELIRIOUS def. BRAD BRADLEY & RYAN BOZ (w/ Jim Fannin & Carmine DeSpirito) after IAN ROTTEN came to the aid of Sydal & Delirious at ringside, leading to the two light heavyweights scoring an upset pinfall. Sydal & Delirious attempted to use their speed and agility to overcome the tremendous size difference, but ultimately Bradley & Boz wound up hitting several devastating double team maneuvers during the course of the matchup. After Ian Rotten's assistance at ringside cost Fannin & DeSpirito's men the victory in the match, they all attacked Rotten, and were joined in the ring by DANNY DANIELS and BJ WHITMER in the assault. Despite attempts to help Rotten by Sydal & Delirious, they were able to injure Ian's arm and leave him a bloody mess before the locker room emptied into the ring to run the men off. "Metalhead" STEVE STONE got on the mic and said that he'd be at Ian's side anytime he needs him if they continued to be a thorn in his side. Also following the brawl, as the wrestlers made their way back to the locker room, CORPORAL ROBINSON confronted MAD MAN PONDO in the ring about being in the building despite not being involved in a match on the card. The result was Pondo being thrown into the mix in the 100,000 Thumbtack Death Match later in the night between Corp and THE NECRO BUTCHER, as the match turned into a three way. 5. "Metalhead" STEVE STONE def. "Anarchist" ARIK CANNON (w/ Weird Cookie) following the Stonesault off the top rope. After intermission it was announced that BJ WHITMER's scheduled opponent, IAN ROTTEN, would be unable to compete due to the attack earlier in the night. Rotten came to ringside and told Whitmer he wouldn't have it easy and get a forfeit win, that he'd have to face a friend of his who happened to be in the building to visit, but had his wrestling gear in his car-- fresh from his tour of Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan, ACE STEEL. 6. ACE STEEL def. BJ WHITMER (w/ Jim Fannin) via pinfall following the Gory Special Neckbreaker. During the course of the matchup, Steel focused on the arm of Whitmer, while BJ worked over Ace's back and neck. 7. JC BAILEY def. "Spyder" NATE WEBB to retain the IWA Light Heavyweight Championship, with his feet on the ropes for extra leverage. The two juniors began the match with straight up hold for hold wrestling, but eventually began to take more risks as time progressed. Two ladders as well as several steel chairs were introduced into the matchup, and brutalized both combatants physically. Both absorbed a vicious amount of punishment during the closing minutes of the contest, before finally Bailey chose to take the shortcut of pinning Webb with his feet on the ropes to walk away from Highland still the IWA Light Heavyweight Champion. Post-match, Spyder reminded Bailey that he has one week to rest up and prepare before Nate takes the Light Heavyweight Title back from Bailey in a tables match at the Salem Armory, where the pinfall must take place after a maneuver off the top of a U-Haul truck, through tables. 8. CHRIS HERO wrestled "The New Age Punisher" B-BOY to a double pin draw in a rematch from their bout at the 2003 Ted Petty Invitational tournament. Fans chanted for five more minutes, as well as "Match of the Year" in reaction. IAN ROTTEN offered to bring B-Boy back whenever his schedule allows, and requested that B-Boy return to Highland the next time he is available, and give the fans the rematch, but to a decisive finish, and under a two out of three falls format. B-Boy accepted, and the two men congratulated one another in the ring on a hard fought battle. 9. "The Phenomenal" AJ STYLES def. MICHAEL SHANE with the Styles Clash. This was a first time singles meeting between these two wrestlers anywhere in professional wrestling, and it was in an IWA Mid-South ring. Shane was able to connect with the superkick during the match, but the impact sent Styles through the ropes and out to the ringside floor, keeping Shane from going for an immediate cover to try to win the bout. Shane was able to counter several Styles Clash attempts, including a 2nd rope Styles Clash, but when all was said and done Styles did finally hit the manuever to score the pinfall victory. As DANNY DANIELS and ALEX SHELLEY made their way to the ring for the IWA World Heavyweight Title contest, IAN ROTTEN approached ringside and informed Daniels that he and Fannin would pay for their part in taking him out earlier in the show. Rotten announced that not only would Daniels have to face Shelley, but he would have two additional opponents gunning for the title. In addition, Ian ruled it would be an elimination style matchup, which meant Daniels would have to be the last man standing in the match to retain his title. 10. DANNY DANIELS (w/ Jim Fannin) def. "The Next" ALEX SHELLEY & "Barbaric Berzerker" JIMMY JACOBS (w/ Becky Bayless) & "The Future" CHRIS SABIN in a four way elimination match to retain the IWA World Heavyweight Championship. After roughly 8 minutes of back and forth action from all four competitors, Jacobs went to hit a dive over the top rope to the floor on Daniels, but Daniels wound up catching Jacobs and powerbombing him on the floor, aggrivating Jacobs' back injury sustained on Thanksgiving night in Salem, IN. Jacobs was tended to on the floor by several wrestlers, and carried from ringside back to the locker room. This left Shelley, Daniels, and Sabin to go at it for the championship. After several additional minutes of all three men trading the advantage, Jacobs slowly emerged from the locker room and made his way back to ringside and put himself back into the bout. The injured Jacobs was unable to last much longer in the match, as he soon fell victim to Shelley's Shellshock, and was eliminated. The second elimination came when Sabin pinned Shelley following an off the shoulders michinoku driver. Finally, Daniels eliminated Sabin after the Rubik's Cube. After the match, CHRIS HERO entered the ring and grabbed the microphone, saying that he's sick of Daniels getting involved in his matches, and told Daniels that he wants a match against Daniels in front of the Highland fans in January. Daniels countered by saying he is sick of hearing everyone talk about what Chris Hero does, and how great his matches are, yet Daniels is the titleholder, and won the TPI this year. Daniels said he'd give Hero the match, but only of Hero would agree to make the stipulation that the loser must leave IWA Mid-South. Hero accepted the stipulation, but only if all of Daniels' associates couldn't be involved in the match to help Daniels get a victory, and the only way to do that, is to hold it inside of a steel cage. Daniels agreed, and the match was signed for the 1/17 event in Highland. This will wind up being the second of two steel cage matches between Hero and Daniels during the course of one month's time, as they will square off in a cage for the championship this coming Saturday, 12/27, in Salem, IN as well. The 1/17 Highland bout will have the added twist of the loser leaves IWA stipulation. 11. CORPORAL ROBINSON def. THE NECRO BUTCHER (w/ Jim Fannin) & MAD MAN PONDO in a three way 100,000 Thumbtack Death Match when he pinned Necro. In a wild hardcore brawl to close the show, Corp gave Necro a superplex off the top rope to the floor-- one of the sickest points of the bout. And in a moment that brought the building to its feet, Corp and Pondo gave Fannin a slam off the top rope into the thumbtacks! The show was filmed by Smart Mark Video for home video release, with commentary by Dave Prazak, Chris Hero, Steve Stone, Arik Cannon, and Nate Webb. IWA Mid-South Wrestling returns to action this coming Saturday night, December 27th, with "Christmas Carnage 2003" at the National Guard Armory (located at 1100 N. Shelby St.) in Salem, Indiana. Bell time is 7:30pm. Tickets are just $10 & $8 and will be available at the door. Already signed for 12/27 in Salem... Danny Daniels vs. Chris Hero inside a steel cage, JC Bailey vs. "Spyder" Nate Webb in a tables/U-Haul match, and Ian Rotten & Steve Stone vs. Brad Bradley & Ryan Boz. For more info on IWA Mid-South, call the hotline at 630-585-3958, or visit http://www.iwamidsouthwrestling.com/

Suit yourself - Steve isn't an expert on XPW, or even So-Cal. That's not to say it's not a great site - it most certainly is, and great would probably be an understatement. But at the same time, his unawareness of Basil's role in XPW shows how little he truly knows about the promotion. He's an expert on R-Pro, MPW, etc. When it comes to XPW, he lacks. The article I'll be posting in a month or so about the roots of XPW will alone have quite a task in merely disproving many of the innaccuracies that he spread as fact.

Yes, Basil was in XPW. He managed Steel on the first couple of shows. Steel also worked as Buddy West in the SWF, where Messiah, Angel, Carlito Montana, D, and several other future-XPW workers started.

Last night's IWA-MS show - part two of "Stylin' and Profilin'" - occurred in Highland, IN and featured a special challenge "TNA vs. TNA Match" between AJ Styes and Michael Shane, the first-ever match between them. Shane was able to connect with the superkick during the match, but the impact sent Styles through the ropes and out to the ringside floor, keeping Shane from going for an immediate cover to try to win the bout. Shane was able to counter several Styles Clash attempts, including a middle buckle Styles Clash (!), but when all was said and done, Styles did finally hit the manuever to score the pinfall victory. Also on the show, Joe E. Legend made his IWA-MS debut and pinned indy sensation "All Star" Cru Jones when he rolled through a Flying Crossbody Block. TNA Xplosion regulars Delirious, Matt Sydal, Daizee Haze, Nate Webb, and Chris Sabin (former-X Division Champion!) also competed on the show. Full results can be found in the indy section of thi sboard.

Me? I'm perfectly calm why don'tYOU CALM DOWN! Actually, I didn't just want to just say "He has a drug problem" like I actually knew for sure. Still if true it's a very sad story and I hope he gets over it and maybe someday returns to the world of wrestling maybe as a manager or something. True - and I'm not sure if anyone realizes the irony, and also the tragedy of the situation - Steele's real-life friend and manager during his early time in XPW, Bad Boy Basil, died a few years ago of a drug overdose. It'd be quite bad if the same thing happened to Steele, so hopefully he'll overcome it all. In tribute to Steele, I post this photo of him, my favorite one which I've seen of him...

Calm down, LOL. I was just confused about your wording of it. That clarifies it, though-Thanks.

Reading between the lines of what? How do you read between the lines of anything and derive that someone has a drug problem? Don't you find that out by, like, reading it somewhere or being told it, rather than "reading between the lines"? Anotherwards, shouldn't something like that be straightforward, as opposed to having to be read between the lines?

Actually, I believe he still wrestles on an occasional basis in some smaller indy's in the midwest. He worked for IWA Puerto Rico for awhile and UPW about six months ago. But true - last place I'd want to see him is in CZW. Keep him on the no-name indies...or even out of wrestling entirely. LOL.

- Altar Boy Luke returns full-time to appear on PPVs. - Chris Hero is brought in to work the PPVs, not just dark matches. - Sonjay or Luke wins the X Title, or at least a showdown between those two. - Matt Striker (not Stryker), I'm referring to the MLW one), is brought in full-time. His comedy act RULZ.

MPW = acronym for what? Does it have an official site, b/c if so, I'd like to check it out. Thanks.

Phoenix, Just to let you know - I'm using your report of the show to post on NoHoldsBarredWrestling.com, since Stacy McMackin's report doesn't seem to be up yet, and your's is much more detailed than her's will be. If you have any problems with my doing so, PM me and I'll take it down. I credited you and all that good stuff, too. It can be found at http://noholdsbarredwrestling.com/news/73945675.shtml

In all honesty, the lineup itself isn't all that impressive; rather, I think the roster is what is appealing. Corino/Victory? K... Extreme Horsemen/Tanaka & Kasai should be fun, as should Lynn/Sasaki. However, can't you see Homicide/Punk in other promotions, like MLW or ROH? Daniels/Striker should also be fun, but the linup of CSC/Jason vs. Solution/LeGrande is pretty dull. I think it's more the fact that Japanese guys will be working in the US than who specifically they're going up against...Just my take. I'm gonna try to go to the show. Don't know for sure if I can make it, but I'm gonna try my damndest, assuming my schedule permits.

Courtesy of the Observer Xplosion matches: Konnan & Ron Killings & B.G. James b Delirious & Nate Webb & Patrick Schultz Elix Skipper b Altar Boy Luke (Luke's return to TNA) Shark Boy b Jay Fury Sonny Siaki b Cliff Compton Kid Kash b Jerrelle Clark

Sean McCartney a.k.a. XPWTVSean of XPWTV.com got a letter in the mail from RF that threatened a lawsuit if he continued selling ROH tapes. He never stopped selling them and didn't get anything since. If you contact him, he put up a scan of the letter he got awhile back, and he'd probably show it to you.

Yes - Gage won't come across as a CZW talent, but B-Boy will be. Right...

I concur with you, my urban brotha.

This is my fantasy booking for tomorrow's CZW Cage of Death V supercard. I also included how I'd book the last show, Night of Infamy 2, as a way to set up the storylines I used for my C.O.D. card. This is really long, so be aware if you're not into this shit. I don't need any assholes saying I wasted my time or some bull like that. I've been writing this thing since around August, long before COD's card was booked. Feedback is appreciated, too. Thanks. A copy of this same booking should be up on ObsessedWithWrestling.com and NoHoldsBarredWrestling.com tomorrow. I'm The Booker: CZW Night of Infamy II (11/15/03; Philadelphia, PA; Viking Hall) - Corey Kastle, Jon Dahmer, & Sabian vs. DJ Hyde, Jude, & Niles Young DJ Hyde, Jude, & Niles Young win by cheating. - The Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz vs. Nick Berk & Z-Barr This match came about at Uprising on October 11, when The D.R.S. made their CZW debuts by attacking Berk & Z-Barr and costing them their triangle tag team match. Before the scheduled match between the D.R.S. and Berk & Z-Barr, Rebel's Army attacks Nick Berk & Z-Barr, the D.R.S.'s scheduled opponents. With that, a match begins between the D.R.S. and Rebel's Army, who eventually capture the win thanks to Rebel's interference behind the ref's back. - Mercedes Martinez vs. Nikki Roxx Roxx captures the victory via pinfall, following a Flying Elbow Drop. - Alex Shelley vs. Homicide vs. Jimmy Jacobs vs. Tony Mamaluke *Mamaluke forces Shelley to submit to the Sicilian Crab. *Homicide pins Mamaluke. *Jacobs pins Homicide to win the bout. The finish comes when Mamaluke distracts the referee after Homicide hits the Shining Wizard. This prompts Homicide to to occupy himself with Mamaluke, allowing Jacobs to roll him up from behind for the win. - Chris Hero vs. Jimmy Rave They eventually end up double pinning one another, therey ending an excellent (albeit not MOTYC) match. - Aerial Assault Match - Azrael (w/ his manager) vs. Deranged Azrael wins when his manager interferes behind the ref's back and costs Deranged the win. Azrael and his manager continue beating down Deranged after the match. After the bout, Deranged makes the challenge for one more match between the two at C.O.D. - Double Dog Collar Match - Hi-V (The Messiah & Nate Hatred) vs. Nick Gage & The Wifebeater (Special Guest Referee: John Zandig) The bout goes just like it does at the real N.O.I. 2 show, except for the ending, which features Messiah & Hatred take out Gage & Wifebeater and then go after Zandig with a sickle. Before they can get their hands on him, though, LOBO makes his return by running out to the ring and scaring the heels out of the ring, only to then turn on Zandig and bust him across the forehead with a barbed-wire-wrapped 2x4! Hi-V then re-enters the ring and helps Lobo cut Zandig open, forcing Gage & Wifebeater to look on, as the show comes to an end. I'm The Booker: CZW Cage of Death V (12/13/03; Philadelphia, PA; Viking Hall) Dark Matches: - Triangle Tag Team Elimination Match: Corey Kastle & Sabian vs. The Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz (EC Negro & KC Blade) vs. Jude & Niles Young WHY: The D.R.S. made their CZW debuts at Uprising on October 11 by attacking Nick Berk & Z-Barr and costing them their triangle tag team match. Corey Kastle has probably been the most successful singles wrestler of the most recent match of CZW-trained performers. He's been tag teaming with Dahmer for most of this year and has had several bouts with Jude & Niles Young, in various combinations, dating back to March at Divide & Conquer. Jude & Young have yet to win a match over Kastle & Dahmer, whether it be in singles, three-way dance, or tag team format, so I've decided to replace Dahmer with Sabian, another CZW-trained student who teamed with Kastle & Dahmer vs. Jude, Young, & DJ Hyde at N.O.I. on November 15 (both on the real version of that show and on my fantasy booking of it, as that was one of the few bouts that I changed nothing about). By putting Sabian in Dahmer's place, it would make the chance of Jude & Young pulling out a victory over Kastle a bit more realistic, since in their only bout vs. Kastle & Sabian, they won (at N.O.I., although that was a six-man bout, and not a simple, four-man tag team match). MATCH: Highlights: - Jude hits a Ropewalk Quebrada onto EC for 2. - Kastle drops out and lands behind Blade when he tries a suplex. Kastle pushes Blade into the nearby ringpost and the D.R.S. member bounces right back into a Flatliner from Kastle for 2! - Sabian counters Jude's attempted powerbomb by sitting out and turning it into an X-Factor - EC hits his signature Brolic Buffalo Leg Drop onto Kastle, but Sabian runs into the ring and breaks the count up at 2. Jude & Young hit KC with a Powerbomb (Jude)/Neckbreaker (Young) combo. This is followed by a Quebrada by Jude and the same move by Young, which is enough for Jude to gain the pinfall over KC and thereby eliminate the D.R.S. (5:12). The match continues with Kastle & Sabian vs. Jude & Young, with the following highlights: - Young hits that facebuster in the corner that he likes to use on Kastle, and then climbs up onto the middle buckle, tips upwards, and lands with a splash on Kastle for 2. - Sabian is whipped into the ropes by Jude, but he charges at his foe and executes a nice-looking Swinging DDT. Sabian then tags in Kastle, who flies into the ring with his signature Flying Elbow Drop for 2, when Young breaks up the count. The finish comes when Kastle Inverted DDTs Jude and then tags in Sabian, who hits a Flying Somersault Senton for the pinfall win (8:24). ANALYSIS: Decent tag team match, considering the place it had on the card and the time that it was given. The D.R.S. - as they're known for - played heel roles to perfection and gained a ton of heat. The rising team of Jude & Young were pretty impressive, as they've been in their last several showings. Kastle & Sabian worked well together, too, considering it was the first timed that they teamed together in a four-man tag team match (they had the six-man at N.O.I. 2 where they teamed with Dahmer). *1/4. - Greg Matthews vs. Jon Dahmer WHY: Dahmer, as of late, has been feuding with DJ Hyde, a former-security guard at Viking Hall and his protege. Since entering that feud, Dahmer's stock has really reduced, as he's been pinned twice by the rookie and has captured no victories over him. He desparately needs a victory, so I figure Matthews is the right guy. Dahmer has wrestled Rockin' Rebel, Matthew's tag team partner, several times before, and while they haven't combatted one another any time in the last couple months, this is a dark match, so I don't think it's a necessity that it have a specific precursor that brought it about. Also, with Matthews gradually getting more over with the fans and Dahmer's series of matches vs. Rebel's Army leader Rockin' Rebel, this seems like a pretty logical match. MATCH: Highlights: There aren't really any. They basically keep to really basic matwork. The finish comes when Dahmer Powerbombs Matthews, but instead of being satisfied with that, he retains his grip on Matthews, lifts him back up, and Powerbombs him AGAIN. Dahmer does this one more time, and lifts the WWF/E Tough Enough alumni back up and Powerbombs him straight to hell for the pinfall win (7:34). After the match, DJ Hyde attacks Dahmer and beats him down. Dahmer puts up a fight and the two eventually brawl to the back, as the real show begins. This continues the feud between the two. While a lot of people may hate this feud, let's face it - at least DJ is an opponent for Dahmer, and the two have been developing some heat over the last few shows. When was Dahmer's last *real* feud? Not anytime in the last few months. Hyde at least provides him with a continuing angle. ANALYSIS: Worst match of the night. They did do some halfway decent stuff, but it was all REALLY basic. Headlocks, gut kicks, chops, hiptosses, bodyslams, backdrop suplexes, sunset flips, powerslams, and DDTs. The execution on everything was absolutely fine, but it was just really bland, with very little creativity, besides the finishing sequence. 3/4*. The Actual Show: - Three-Way Elimination Match - Derek Frazier vs. Joker vs. Z-Barr WHY: Frazier is currently aligned with Greg Matthews and Rockin' Rebel, while Z-Barr is tag teaming with Nick Berk. Joker was trained by Jon Dahmer and has been wrestling in various dark matches over the last few months. At the real N.O.I. 2 show, he aligned himself with Azrael and is set to team with him vs. Chri$ Ca$h & Deranged in a Ladder Match at C.O.D. As has been the case with so much of CZW's booking lately, it seems like that match came out of absolutely nowhere. Firstly, Ca$h has had no interaction with any of the other three guys in this tag team match, so having him suddenly develop a purpose to save Deranged from a beating at the hands of Azrael & Joker (a.k.a. Special K member Lit in ROH), is quite sudden. Secondly, Joker had been working dark matches up until N.O.I. 2, when - like was the case with Ca$h - he suddenly found a reason to help Azrael attack Deranged, when he's had no interaction with either man since he started working for CZW. So, there's little purpose for that match to happen, and seeing as how C.O.D. is CZW's biggest show of the year, I'd like for some halfway logical matches to occur, which it doesn't really appear will happen, based on the current card. So, in my N.O.I. 2 fantasy booking above, I had Rebel's Army (including Frazier) attack Berk & Z-Barr, thereby costing them their match vs. The D.R.S. I would use that occurrence as a basis for Frazier and Z-Barr being in the same match, as in by promoting Z-Barr as getting his hands on the friend (Frazier) of the guys who attacked him (Matthews & Rebel) at N.O.I. 2. Also, I'd remind fans of the fact that Z-Barr (usually in tag team matches alongside Berk) has wrestled Rebel's Army a few times in the last couple of months. As for Joker, it seems as if CZW is interested in pushing him, based on their scheduling him in a relatively important match at C.O.D. 5 (the ladder match), even though the scheduling of that match isn't too logical, as I mentioned. Due to this, I'd book him in with two relatively over CZW workers, which would hopefully get him in turn also over. I'd promote this match as being the battle between Z-Barr and who attacked him at N.O.I. 2, that being Frazier, along with being a chance for Joker to make a name for himiself, by taking on two CZW non-dark match personalities. - In an awesome spot, Frazier lifts Joker up into the air in an attempt at a Vertical Suplex, but Z-Barr sneaks up from behind him (Frazier) and pulls his legs out from under him, causing him to collapse forward and in the process, front suplex Joker, who therefore takes a NASTY face-first bump into the mat! - Joker counters Z-Barr's attempted Death Valley Driver in midair by grabbing his head while being flipped over and landing with a Neckbreaker on his foe, in a pretty nice-looking spot. - Frazier hits his trademark Running Corner Shining Wizard on Joker before climbing up onto the middle buckle and leaping off, catching Joker on the way down with a Rick Steiner-style Flying Bulldog! Before he can follow up and attempt a pin, though, Z-Barr attacks him and - after a short sequence - nails the Systematic Breakdown (Dropdown Shoulder Jawbreaker) for 2. - Joker attempts a Huracanrana, but Z-Barr catches him and powerbombs him to the mat. Z-Barr and Frazier then have some words before Z-Barr grabs Joker and takes a page out of Chris Jericho's book by lifting the young rookie back up off of the mat and into the powerbomb position. At this same time, Frazier climbs up top and executes a Flying Somersault Neckbreaker on Joker as Z-Barr powerbombs him (this is the same move that The Gathering's CM Punk & Julio Dinero call "The Near Death Experience")! Frazier then covers Joker, but Z-Barr pulls him off and does the same. Frazier pulls Z-Barr off and covers Joker, but he's pulled off again. They do this a few more times before Frazier slaps Z-Barr, who doesn't hesitate to deliver a slap right back in return. The two slug it out and eventually, Frazier is lifted up into a Powerbomb position, by Z-Barr, but he turns that into a sunset flip, only to have Z-Barr roll all the way throught he move and Japanese dropkick him square in the face! - Frazier attempts a Vertaebreaker, but Joker drops out of it, lifts the Rebel's Army member up onto his shoulders, and attempts the Joker Driver, only for Frazier to fight out of it with bunches to the head and then leans backwards, taking Joker over via a pretty well-executed Inverted Huracanrana! With Frazier recovering in the corner after being assaulted by Joker, Z-Barr performs the Doggy in the Bathtub (Fireman's Carry Inverted DDT) on Joker to eliminate the rookie (5:23). Frazier then attacks Z-Barr from behind as he's celebrating and the two battle it out for the next few minutes to determine the final winner. Highlights of this part of the match include: - Frazier scoop slams Z-Barr, but the former-Softcore Connection member drops out of the move and lands behind his foe with an inverted facelock applied, so he naturally executes an Inverted DDT. Z-Barr then signals for THE DONKEY PUNCH~!, but Frazier scrambles back up to his feet and attacks him before he can execute it. He tries an Irish whip, but Z-Barr reverses it and sends his foe into the ropes, only to receive a running Swinging DDT! - Z-Barr attempts an Exploder Suplex, but Frazier fights out of it and runs off of the ropes. Z-Barr executes a tilt-a-whirl lift, but Frazier turns that into a pretty well-executed Satellite Headscissors into Bulldog sequence! - Z-Barr - running off of the ropes - hits the Barracuda (Jumping Spinning Bulldog Lariat). - A few moments later, Z-Barr hits a Death Valley Driver (which Frazier doesn't counter, like Joker did earlier into the bout) and then nails the Toe Jam (Leg Drop off of the middle buckle) for 2. The finish comes during an exchange between Frazier and Z-Barr, while Joker is taking a breather at ringside. Z-Barr sets up for the Fluff (modified Single Underhook Inverted Russian Leg Sweep), but Frazier fights out of it and - after a short sequence of reversals - nails the move he used to call the Impact Driver (Full Nelson Toss into Sitdown Inverted Powerbomb) for the pinfall win (9:12), thereby gaining the upset over the CZW veteran. ANALYSIS: A pretty decent triangle match, given its place on the card. Joker is pretty impressive, and Frazier and Z-Barr continue rising as legit threats in CZW. Although there'd be some exciting spots, the bout would mainly comprised of some unorthodox double-team combos, which would make it pretty fun to watch, although nothing spectacular. And the fact that - besides Z-Barr - the participants don't have much experience would make for some awkward execution on a couple of moves. It's not an *entirely* worthless match, but it's certainly one of the lows on the card. *1/2. - For J-Pro (Prohibition) & M-Dogg's Reacquirement of CZW Roster Spots - Josh Prohibition & M-Dogg 20 vs. The New School (Chri$ Ca$h & GQ) BACKSTORY: J-Pro and M-Dogg may be tag teaming on this fantasy card, but their past in-ring relationship wasn't as friendly. Although they're life-long friends in reality, they've engaged in countless battles since beginning their careers. Before training alongside one another, they feuded on the backyard circuit and then as professionals in assorted indy promotions, including CZW, where - although they initially formed a tag team - antimosity grew and they broke up. The two wrestled one-on-one on several CZW shows throughout 2002, with their last singles meeting coming in a solid T.L.C. match in September. Their final CZW appearances came at last year's Cage of Death show, as they soon thereafter jumped to XPW due to better pay. They won the XPW World Tag Team Titles twice and in fact still hold those titles, although financial issues are for the foreseeable future preventing the company from running any more shows. Since XPW went on its indefinite hiatus, J-Pro and M-Dogg have continued their on-and-off rivalry, as they act as a tag team in the IWC and - at the same time - have wrestled one another a couple of times in CAPW and other various promotions. After J-Pro & M-Dogg departed from CZW, Zandig repeatedly stated off the record that he would never allow them to return to CZW. I have talked to him a few times and mentioned the names of both performers nonchalantly and he - contrary to my expectation - didn't seem angry or anything of the sort. It's been a full year now and in the interviews that each have done for several different web sites, J-Pro and M-Dogg have each presented quite logical explanations as to why they left CZW, insisting that - as indy wrestlers - they make little money as it is and when a deal comes along that offers them more money than they're making, they need to take it. In fact, J-Pro attends college in addition to wrestling, so he especially needs as much money as he can make. Although Zandig has previously been stern in his refusal to bring them back, if he really wanted to do the right thing for the fans, he would. Ca$h & GQ don't currently have a real feud that they're embroiled in and - while I could just book them in some trivial tag team match like they've been in during the last few months, they've worked for CZW for the last few years and have stayed loyal to it, so I think that - on the biggest CZW card of the year - they should be given a more significant role than that. This seems like a reasonable reward for their past efforts in CZW, as it's relatively high-profile and would likely produce quality in-ring wrestling and acrobatics. J-Pro & M-Dogg play the heels and keep GQ isolated from his partner for most of the bout. Some highlights of GQ's struggle to fight off the solid tag team strategy of his foes include... - GQ lifts J-Pro up into a fireman's carry, but the former-Youthanazia member drops out and lands with his foe in an inverted facelock. He attempts a Hero's Welcome/Last Rites, but loses his grip and GQ escapes the hold. J-Pro turns around to see him and throws a forearm, but GQ ducks and executes a gut kick followed by a swinging neckbreaker. Both men take a brief breather before climbing back up to their feet. GQ ducks a lariat and executes a hiptoss before trying an Irish whip, which is reversed. GQ is sent into the ropes and hits a sunset flip for 2. J-Pro beats him back to his feet and executes a knee lift to the gut to take back the control. - GQ refuses to be whipped to the opposite corner and instead attempts a lariat. J-Pro ducks his head and catches GQ in position for a rock bottom, but GQ fights out of it and pushes J-Pro across the ring to the opposite corner. He charges after him, but J-Pro gets a boot up into his face and then executes a belly-to-back lift into a backbreaker. A jumping knee drop follows before J-Pro tags in M-Dogg, who immediately enters and executes a Slingshot Corkscrew Leg Drop for 2. - M-Dogg applies a rear chinlock, and GQ sells the move for awhile before fighting back to his feet and making a comeback. He escapes the hold and runs off of the ropes before dropping out of M-Dogg's tilt-a-whirl lift. He pushes his foe into the ropes and executes a belly-to-belly overhead suplex. At this point, each man lays on the mat and takes a breather as the ref begins the 10 count, which he doesn't reach, as both men eventually crawl to their respective corners and tag in their partners. Ca$h cleans house of both of his opponents until GQ recovers and helps him. J-Pro reverses an Irish whip and sends Ca$h into the ropes before trying a swinging powerslam, but Ca$h uses the momentum and counters into an armdrag, sending his foe across the ring. Ca$h then ducks under a lariat attempt and in the process grabs a hold of J-Pro. He proceeds to use this grip as a pivot, as he swings around Ca$h's back and eventually ends up in front of him with a 3/4 bulldog facelock applied, the setup for...a jumping Ace Crusher, which obtains a 2 count! That sequence was done all in one motion. Meanwhile, GQ and M-Dogg have ended up out at ringside and M-Dogg reverses an Irish whip, tossing GQ into the guardrail. With Ca$h, the fresh man, now in the bout, The New School starts to mount some significant offense against their foes... - Ca$h whips M-Dogg across the ring into the corner and follows after him. M-Dogg tries a tipup, but Ca$h catches his legs on his shoulders and catapults him out onto the apron. M-Dogg blocks a strike and forearms Ca$h, sending him stumbling back into the center of the ring. M-Dogg then springboards up onto the top ring rope, but Ca$h rams into the ropes, crotching M-Dogg on them. The New School member then DDTs M-Dogg out of this pAzraelicament and head-first into the mat. - M-Dogg whips GQ into the ropes and receives a tilt-a-whirl headscissors takeover. GQ then tries an Irish whip, but M-Dogg does his signature spinning legsweep that takes GQ's legs out from under him and follows with a Backflip Splash, only for GQ to roll out of the way. With M-Dogg on the mat, GQ uses a La Majistral cradle pin for 2. A few moments later, M-Dogg leaps up onto GQ's shoulders in a huracanrana attempt, but GQ counters via the Camera Shot, which sees him throw M-Dogg off and catch him in midair with a DDT! - Ca$h sets up for a Dragon Suplex, but M-Dogg drops out so that he lands on his BUTT and then rolls backwards, eventually ending up standing on his hands. At the same time, he lifts his feet up into the air and latches them around Ca$h's head, taking him over via a headscissors takeover. Next, M-Dogg's Irish whip is reversed and he's sent into the ropes. He executes a 619, swinging around in the ropes like Rey Jr. used to do, in order to confuse Ca$h, who in turn charges at his foe. M-Dogg back body drops him over the ropes, but Ca$h lands on the apron, grabs M-Dogg's head, and slams him backwards down to the mat. Ca$h follows with a Flying Crossbody Block for 2. A few minutes later, he attempts a run-the-buckle Tornado DDT in the corner, but M-Dogg grabs him off of the buckle and on his shoulders before executing a Fireman's Carry Headbreaker. The back of Ca$h's head lands hard on M-Dogg's knee and it looks like Ca$h is down and out, so M-Dogg climbs up top with his back to the ring. Ca$h, though, gets up, crotches him, climbs up himself, and attempts a Spider German Suplex, but M-Dogg eventually succeeds in fighting him off and knocking him back down to the mat. Ca$h is relentless, though, and attacks M-Dogg again, this time applying a neckbreaker hold. He pulls M-Dogg out of his sitting position on the buckle and flips him over his head, attempting the Ca$h Flow, but M-Dogg instead lands on his feet in front of Ca$h with a suplex hold applied. He throws Ca$h's arm off of his shoulder and immediately DDTs him, completing the awesome reversal. - M-Dogg runs off of the ropes after dropping out of Ca$h's attempted Withdrawl (Gory Special) attempt. When he sees Ca$h bend over in an attempt at a back body drop - leaps over his foe's head attempts a Code Azrael-style sunset flip powerbomb, but Ca$h refuses to be taken over. Before M-Dogg can power him down into the move via force, GQ runs in and saves assists his partner by grabbing M-Dogg and lifting his body up into a straightened position, so that it is parallel to the mat a few feet below. While grasping M-Dogg's legs under his armpits, Ca$h drops to a sitting position on the mat, bringing M-Dogg down with him. At the same time, GQ sits out and spikes M-Dogg's face into the mat, completing the creative back-mounted Gory Special/X-Factor combo! - GQ drops out of J-Pro's brainbuster suplex attempt and pushes his foe into the nearby ringpost. J-Pro in turn bounces backwards and stumbles right into GQ's signature Forward Russian Leg Sweep immediately rolled into a Front Facebuster. - M-Dogg leaps off of the top buckle and catches GQ with the DEATH STAR DDT (SHOOTING STAR DDT)~! - GQ attempts his finisher, a modified double underhook DDT, but Josh fights out of it and executes a gut wrench, only for GQ to use the momentum and take him back over via a huracanrana when he ends up on his foe's shoulders. - Ca$h attempts the Ca$h Flow, but J-Pro lands on his feet in front of him. He avoids a lariat from Ca$h, who therefore ends up in position for the ProhibitionPlex. Ca$h fights out of J-Pro's attempt of that move, though, and tries a Michinoku Driver II, only for J-Pro to end up on his shoulder (as if for British Bulldog-style running powerslam) and use his weight to fall backwards and inverted DDT Ca$h! Then, a few moments later, - Ca$h runs towards J-Pro and leaps into a body scissors. He tries to bounce back up and deliver a bulldog, but J-Pro instead powers him over into the Prohibition Plow (wheelbarrow suplex)! J-Pro & M-Dogg eventually gain the win when J-Pro (not the legal man) grabs his signature brass knuckles and uses them to knockout Ca$h with a Knockout Punch to the forehead. M-Dogg follows with the Death From Above (Phoenix Splash) for the pinfall win (10:13)! ANALYSIS: A very fun spotfest-style tag team match. J-Pro and M-Dogg look very good in their CZW return and gain a lot of heat in the process. The New School - working as a tag team for the first time in several months - look solid, also, and work well with their opponents. **1/4. - Nick Berk vs. Rockin' Rebel WHY: Berk recently reunited with his former-Softcore Connection cohort, Z-Barr, and the two have been tag teaming for the last few months. However, since reforming their once successful duo, Berk & Z-Barr have been jobbing to the student tag team of Jude & Niles Young and to CZW debutees EC Negro & KC Blade, collectively known as The Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz. This is hardly the success that fans who know what Berk (and Z-Barr for that matter) is capable of have been hoping for. Berk once was having excellent uppercard bouts with Josh Prohibition, Adam Flash, Ruckus, Trent Acid, and others. One of the more technically sound competitors on the U.S. indy circuit, Berk is so much more capable than jobbing to such low-level tag teams. This isn't to say reforming his partnership with Z-Barr is a horrible idea. If they're used correctly and booked vs. higher caliber tag teams than those who they're currently wrestling, it's fine booking, but keeping him on the lowercard is just wasting his talent. Now, on the real C.O.D. show, Berk & Z-Barr are scheduled to be wrestling The D.R.S. and Rebel's Army in a triangle tag team match, but I already have too many tag team matches included on this card, so booking one more isn't too great of an idea. Therefore, I decided to put Z-Barr into a three-way match, while The D.R.S. and Greg Matthews will perform in pre-show dark matches. That leaves Berk open for a match. I've decided to fill the void for his opponent with Rebel, since they've had a few meetings before and they had a recent confrontation in my fantasty booking of N.O.I. 2, when Berk and Z-Barr were attacked by Rebel and his goons. MATCH: There are very few highlights, but here they are: - Berk takes Rebel down to the mat with a running jumping neckbreaker off of the ropes. A running leg drop follows for 2. - Rebel executes a belly-to-belly overhead suplex for 2. Shortly thereafter, he performs a vertical suplex and follows this with a Diving Knee Drop off of the middle buckle for 2. - Berk tries an Irish whip, but it's reversed and he's sent into the ropes. Rebel catches him coming off with a powerslam. - Berk ducks a lariat and nails a leaping heelkick. Then, after a short reversal, he hits a Leg-Face Driver (Fameasser), which sets up for a Diving Senton Splash from the middle buckle. Rebel kicks out at 2. Berk starts working him over in the corner with some forearms and chops, but his Irish whip is reversed and he's sent into the opposite ringpost before being squashed into the post by a running lariat from Rebel. This is followed by a sideslam fromo the big man, after which the pace slows down and the action gets somewhat boring, although Rebel's great heel mannerisms make most of it pretty enjoyable. Rebel eventually piledrives his foe on a steel chair for 2. - Rebel climbs up top, but Berk crotches him and tries a superplex. Rebel fights out of this and pushes Berk down to the mat, and then waits until he gets back to his feet before executing a Flying Lariat. Shortly thereafter, he sets up for a powerbomb, but Berk escapes with a double-leg takedown and looks to apply the Texas Cloverleaf 2K2. Rebel, however, fights out of it, climbs back to his feet and goes back on the offense, nailing a Davey Boy Smith-style over-the-shoulder powerslam for 2. - Rebel whips Berk from one corner to the opposite one, and charges after him. Berk springs backwards off, though, of the middle buckle and back elbows the big man down in midair. Then, after a short reversal, Berk drills Rebel's knee with a Japanese dropkick, and shortly thereafter (following another brief reversal) hits a modified Double Shot (à la David Young), nailing a DDT onto his knee that he immediately transitions into an Ace Crusher. Berk then brings Rebel into the corner and sets up for a Tornado DDT, but Rebel fights out of it and climbs up top, setting up for a superplex. Berk fights out of this, though, and knocks Rebel back down to the mat before leaping off of the middle buckle and spiking the big man with a Flying DDT, which is enough for the pinfall win (8:34)! ANALYSIS: Borderline decent. Obviously, Berk would have a hard time putting on a really good match with Rebel, since the ECW veteran is so much larger and therefore isn't able to move as quickly and bump as easily. Aware of this trend, the two resort more to building heat for themselves, which they're moderately successful in, although in no way to call home about. Rebel works the crowd very well, as usual, and Berk is portrayed as a legitimate singles contender and someone who just may in the near future gain his well-deserved singles push. For the guy that Berk had to work with, he did a good job, and Rebel plays his heel role to perfection. The finish was also pretty cool, but overall the in-ring action was VERY slow-paced and quite lackluster, making it the second worst match of the night, close behind Matthews/Dahmer. *. - Alex Shelley & Azrael (w/ Jamie Daniels [special K's Lit]) vs. Deranged & Jimmy Jacobs WHY: The Shelley vs. Jacobs and Azrael vs. Deranged feuds have really heated up in CZW over the last couple of months. Azrael made his CZW debut on September 13 by accidentally costing Deranged his match vs. Derek Frazier. It appeaAzrael that he had come to help Deranged, but he inadevertantly (or at least it appeaAzrael so) clocked Deranged over the head with a steel chair, allowing Frazier to gain the pinfall win. After that bout, Deranged attacked Azrael, looking for revenge, but Azrael got the best of him and left him lying in the center of the ring, as he walked off to the locker room, laughing. Their feud continued at Uprising on October 11, when they met in their first one-on-one match in CZW. Deranged eventually captuAzrael the win via a sitout powerbomb, but he was attacked after the match by Azrael and his manager. Their rematch was an "Aerial Assault Match" at November 15's Night of Infamy 2. In real life, their match ended when Joker attacked Deranged and hit the Joker Driver, allowing Azrael to roll him up for the win. After the bout, the newly-formed duo of Azrael & Joker assaulted Deranged until Chri$ Ca$h hit the ring and made the save, setting up a Tag Team Ladder Match at C.O.D. Personally, I don't see the logic in that match, as Ca$h nor Joker have any past history with either of the two other participants in the match, and Joker has suddenly been catapulted into a midcard match on CZW's biggest show of the year, after being stuck on the dark match section of the card for so long. I already have Ca$h and Joker occupied for matches on this card, so in my fantasy booking of N.O.I. 2, I had Azrael simply win the "Aerial Assault Match" when his manager attacked Deranged. With that in mind, I'm adding Shelley and Jacobs to the mix, as they've been feuding for awhile in CZW. The Shelley-Jacobs feud first began in IWA-MS, where they're currently engaged in a Best of Seven Series. Their CZW debuts came at Uprising, when they participated in a Four Corners IWA-MS Light Heavyweight Title Match that was eventually won by Sonjay Dutt. They then met in another Four Corners Match at N.O.I. 2, which also featuAzrael Chris Hero and Homicide, but again neither Shelley nor Jacobs won (it was Hero who left with the controversial victory). Since I wanted Hero to instead wrestle Jimmy Rave, I replaced him with Tony Mamaluke, and had Jacobs pin Homicide via a screwjob. Although he had won the bout, Jacobs hadn't pinned Shelley, so according to my fantasy booking of N.O.I. 2, their feud is still not over. With that in mind, I decided to book a tag team match to finish off both the Azrael vs. Deranaged and Jacobs vs. Shelley feuds. I'm having Deranged & Jacobs go over, since Azrael has left Deranged beaten down in the middle of the ring at the last two shows, and it wouldn't exactly add to Deranged overness if he was defeated again. - Shelley and Jacobs start off and they immediately begin showing just how well they know each other, as they trade similar holds and execute several creative hold reversals on the mat. Both try their signature Yakuza Kicks, but only for their foe to duck it. After completing some some submission exchanges on the mat, they switch to their feet and perform some Irish sequences. Some armdrags are followed by a monkey flip and some dropkicks from Jacobs. Shelley fights off with a running swinging neckbreaker off of the ropes, but shortly thereafter the two rivals reach a stalemate and tag out to their respective partners. Azrael and Deranged enter the ring and square off, and it's immediately obvious that they have their game attitudes on tonight. They exchange side headlocks before Deranged lifts up Azrael (who has a side headlock applied on his foe) and looks for a Sideslam, but Azrael counters with a Headscissors Takeover. Azrael then applies a side headlock again. Deranged lifts him up into a Torture Rack and tries to flip him over with an inverted death valley driver, but Deranged lands on his feet and - since he already has his right arm hooked under Azrael's right armpit - delivers an armdrag. It definitely looks like Deranged is a step ahead of Azrael at this point. Deranged applies another side headlock. Azrael whips him into the ropes and is knocked down via a shoulderblock. They do the "I run off of the ropes, you stay down, I leap over you, I bounce off and run under your leapfrog" routine, with Azrael doing the leap frog. Deranged runs under the leap frog, bounces off again, and leaps into a bodyscissors. He bounces back up and delivers an armdrag to Azrael. Azrael gets back up, charges at Deranged, and slides under his legs before getting back to his feet. Azrael gives Deranged an armdrag and then runs off of the ropes twice. Deranged tries a tilt-a-whirl lift and Azrael counters it with an armdrag. Deranged ends up landing near the ring ropes and when he gets back up, he dodges a Running Dropkick from Azrael, who therefore lands hard on his side. Deranged lifts him back up and tries an Irish whip, which Azrael tries to reverse. Deranged, though, holds onto him and slides under and through his legs before pulling them out from under him, causing Azrael to fall forward face-first into the mat. Deranged applies a Grounded Dragon Sleeper hold. After about 15 seconds, Azrael starts to get back up to his feet and fights out of the hold before running off of the ropes, ducking a lariat, and nailing a spinning heelkick. From this point on, Azrael maintains control and works Deranged over with primarily submission holds, primarily on the leg. He tags out to Shelley, who continues working over Deranged leg. This trend continues for the next few minutes, as Shelley and Azrael exemplify excellent teamwork by making quick tags and keeping each other fresh. At one point, Shelley attempts a crucifix powerbomb on Deranged, but he loses his grip and Deranged rolls forward, taking Shelley down via a sunset flip for 2. Shelley beats Deranged back to his feet and floors him with a lariat to regain control. Another nice spot sees Shelley attempt a Gutwrench Suplex, but Deranged ends up countering it with a Huracanrana midway through the move! His offense is quickly cut short again, though, as Shelley soon regains control. Soon thereafter, an awesome reversal sees Deranged attempts a Powerbomb, but Azrael use his right hand to grab Deranged's right hand, and then does a pseudo-backflip, allowing him to drop out of the Powerbomb hold. Azrael lands on his feet after doing this and immediately armdrags Deranged, all in one motion. A couple moments later, Deranged Irish whips Azrael into the corner and then charges after him. Azrael steps a foot forward and catapults Deranged over him into a leap frog. Deranged, though, lands on his feet on the top buckle and then blindly leaps backwards and attempts the finishing move of his arch-rival, Jonny Storm - the Rewind Huracanrana. Azrael, though, refuses to be taken over and instead lifts Deranged back up from the mat and into a powerbomb position. Deranged, though, grabs a hold of the top ring rope before Azrael can do anything and refuses to let go of it. He then stands up on the middle buckle and kicks Azrael's back, sending him stumbling forward. Deranged then climbs to the top buckle and moonsaults off. Azrael runs forward towards the ringpost and dodges Deranged, who lands on his feet. Deranged then charges toward Azrael, but receives a drop toehold into the middle buckle! Deranged finally finds an opening a few minutes later, when Shelley holds him from behind as Azrael tries a Diving Huracanrana from the top buckle, only for Deranged to duck out of the way, causing Azrael to end up 'ranaing his own partner, Shelley! Deranged fights back to his feet and executes some dropkicks before the ref begins a 10 count, waiting for the participants to stand back up. Deranged slowly crawls towards his corner, but Shelley grabs his leg. Deranged hops up to his feet and escapes the predicament with an enziguri, and then tags in Jacobs, who cleans house on both foes. Jacobs shows off some nice moves, including an X-Factor, a DDT, and a German Suplex. The bout by this point re-enters traditional tag team format. The heels eventually regain the advantage, but Deranged and Jacobs continue making comebacks. Here are a few of the highlights from the second half of the bout: - Jacobs lifts Azrael into a shoulder mount, but Azrael grabs Deranged's right arm with his left hand and then does a pseudo-forward roll so that he ends up swinging back down to the mat (his left foot touches the mat a split second before his right foot lands on it) and in the process, he takes Deranged with him, armdragging him across the ring. - Deranged armdrags Azrael, who lands near the ring ropes (although he's still standing), so Azrael charges at the ropes and does what looks to be his 718 (the same as Rey Mysterio's 619) move, but instead of doing a kick, he wraps his feet around Deranged and swings around 180º so that he Headscissors Takeovers Deranged into the corner. - Azrael whips Deranged into the ropes and Deranged tries to tip up and over his foe. Azrael, though, catches Deranged's feet on his shoulders, only to have Deranged suddenly let go of the ropes, hook his right arm under Azrael's left armpit, and do a pseudo front-roll, tossing Azrael through the ring ropes and out to ringside with an armdrag. Deranged follows with an Asai Moonsault. - Deranged tries a crossbody block off of the ropes, but he's caught and Shelley swings him into a Sitdown Uranage, à la Rosey, Ekmo/Jamal, D'Lo Brown, Chris Harris, etc. - Deranged charges towards Shelley, who's in the corner. Shelley, though, gets a boot up into his face. Deranged charges at him again, but gets the same result. He tries a third time, but this time Shelley steps a foot forward and catapults Deranged over him into a leap frog. Deranged, though, lands on his feet on the top buckle and - when Shelley has turned around to face him - hits an awesome Flying Corkscrew Somersault Neckbreaker! - Azrael whips Deranged into the ropes and attempts a hiptoss, but Azrael lands on his feet and immediately delivers an armdrag. Deranged then charges at his foe and leaps into a bodyscissors before boucning back up and delivering an armdrag to Azrael while still in midair. - Azrael and Jacobs pull out the old Rey Mysterio Jr.-style Super Huracanrana counter out of an attempted Super Splash Mountain Attempt (with Azrael performing the 'rana)! - Deranged attempts the Blueprint/Mad Scientist Bomb (Code Azrael), but Shelley refuses to be taken down into the move and instead adjusts his grip on Deranged before dropping down to his knees and spiking Deranged head-first into the mat via a Chris Hamrick-style Back-Mounted Bodyscissors Tombstone Piledriver! A Slingshot Leg Drop follows for 2. - After weakening Shelley with a "Bareback"-style sitdown jawbreaker, a belly-to-belly overhead suplex, and a Michinoku Driver II, Jacobs attempts the Contra Code (Sitout Sliced Bread #2). However, as he's halfway through his run up the ringpost, Shelley applies an inverted facelock and pulls him off of the buckle, in the process driving him down to the mat with an Inverted DDT! Shelley then proceeds to work over Jacobs for awhile. The "HUSS!" sensation fights back, but eventually succumbs to moves such as a Walk-Up Knee Strike, a Springboard Swinging DDT, and Nick Berk's Berkulator (Belly-to-Back Lift into Sitout Inverted Powerbomb). When he thinks Jacobs is ready to be put away, Shelley attempts "It Came From Japan" (Straightjacket [Cross-Armed] Brainbuster-style Northern Lights Bomb), but Jacobs fights out of it and looks for a Yakuza Kick. Shelley ducks this and when Jacobs charges at him again, he lifts him up onto his shoulders with a Fireman's Carry, and then looks to turn that into a Stunner (T.K.O.), but - while being swung around - Jacobs counters into an Inverted DDT! - Jacobs whips Azrael into the ropes and tries a back body drop, but instead of flipping over his foe's head, Azrael executes a dropkick in midair, knocking Jacobs to the mat! Shelley lifts Deranged up for a powerbomb, but the lightweight executes a shoulder spin and attempts a victory roll, only for Shelley to avoid the roll through, grab Deranged's tights, and scores the fluke pinfall win, using the same type of pinning combo that Owen Hart used to beat his brother at WrestleMania X, only with the tights being grabbed, too (10:43)! ANALYSIS: A very solid tag team match. Both rivalries are given sufficient time to develop and all four worked very well together. Some great highspots were also featured, just like in the tag team match earlier on, although these spots were balanced with some solid mat grappling techniques from Shelley and Jacobs, unlike the primarily spotfest-based match between The New School and the former-Youthanazia duo. **3/4. - Mafia (a.k.a. Dan Maff) vs. Tony Mamaluke WHY: Neither man has any history with the other, but if I was the booker, I'd still hold the match. According to my fantasy booking of N.O.I. 2, Homicide and Mamaluke would battle each other - along with Alex Shelley and Jimmy Jacobs - in a four corners elimination match. First, Mamaluke would force Shelley to submit. Then, Homicide would eliminate Mamaluke via the Shining Wizard, which would spark the former-ECW tag champ to cost Homicide the victory and allow for Jacobs to pin him in order to gain the upset win. Then, at C.O.D., the angle would mirror reality, as Homicide will be in Japan working for ZERO-ONE at the time of C.O.D., so I'd let the fans know that and have "The Notorious 187" cut a promo on Fake You! TV, saying that although he won't be at the show, he wants to send his homie, Mafia, into battle vs. Mamaluke. Homicide and Mafia teamed against B-Boy & Trent Acid at Deja Vu II in July and I'd bring this past alliance into the storyline by having Homicide pick Mafia to take out Mamaluke for him. - The two start with a solid mat sequence that lasts about two minutes long, in which they exchange armbars, armringers, hammerlocks, wristlocks, headlocks, etc. Mamaluke continually gains the advantage by using his quickness and his smaller stature (which allows him to squeeze out of several of Mamaluke's attempted submissions, suplexes, etc.). Mamaluke eventually gains the advantage towards the latter part of this sequence and he starts focusing on taking out his foe's legs, using Japanese dropkicks and the such. Mafia fights his offense off initially, but at one point early into the match, he whips Mamaluke into the corner and attempts a running corner Yakuza Kick, but Mamaluke ducks it and Mafia's leg gets stuck on top of the ringpost. Mamaluke gives him absolutely no time to loosen it and immediately grabs the leg that's outstretched on the top buckle, wraps it around the buckle so that Mafia can't escape the pAzraelicament, and starts working on it with forearms, elbows, kicks, and other various strikes. - Mamaluke fights out of an attempted t-bone suplex from Mafia and tries the signature Rope-Assisted Springshot Swinging Armbar DDT in the corner move of his old tag team partner, Little Guido (now Nunzio). However, when he finishes the rotation, Mafia refuses to be taken down to the mat with the DDT part of the move and instead executes an EXPLODER SUPLEX INTO THE RINGPOST~! - Mamaluke leaps up onto Mafia's shoulders and tries a huracanrana, but Mafia refuses to be taken over and instead flings Mamaluke (who's in a piledriver-like position) face-first into a nearby ringpost! - Mamaluke attempts a Tornado DDT and Mafia - as Mamaluke is rotating his body around - counters the move into a STIFF Sidewalk Slam! - Mamaluke tries a Springboard Huracanrana, but Mafia catches him in a Powerbomb position and then tosses him up into the air and turns that into a STIFF Sideslam (D'Lo Brown's "Sudden Impact" move)! - Mafia counters an attempted tilt-a-whirl headscissors takeover into a Tilt-a-Whirl Sideslam! He follows by whipping Mamaluke towards the opposite corner and following after him. Mamaluke tries a tipup, but Mafia catches his legs on his shoulder and hits a Double-Leg Slam! A few minutes later, Mamaluke tries to whip Mafia into the corner, but Mafia reverses and Irish whips Mamaluke toward the post and follows in after him. Mamaluke tries to tip up and over him, but Mafia again catches his legs on his shoulders and tries another Double-Leg Slam. Mamaluke has it scouted, though, and wraps his arms around Mafia's waist so that Mafia can't deliver the move, only to have Mafia instead adjust his grip on Acid and hit a friggin' RUNNING AIR RAID CRASH (Kryptonic Krunch) out of the corner! - Mafia attempts Chris Devine's Real Deal, where he tosses Mamaluke up into the air and catches him with an Inverted Russian Leg Sweep, but Mamaluke awesome counters the move by catching Mafia with a DDT while in midair! - Mamaluke applies a hammerlock, but Mafia transitions and it looks like he's going to lock on his own, but he instead surprises Mamaluke with a schoolboy rollup. Mamaluke kicks out at 2 and immediately keeps Mafia grounded by locking on an inverted jujigatame (w/ Mafia on his chest, rather than on his back). With his arm wrenched through Mamaluke's legs, he applies an abdominal stretch, so it initially looks like he's going to execute a pumphandle lift, but he instead stays with the simple stretch. Mamaluke eventually escapes via a single-leg takedown and applies a kneebar. The finish comes when Mamaluke's Irish whip is reversed and he's sent into the ropes. He leaps into a bodyscissors hold and rolls forward, taking Mafia over so that he collapses face-first into the mat, at which point Mamaluke applies the Sicilian Crab (Elevated Half Crab w/ Mafia's leg wrapped behind Mamaluke's head). Mafia holds out for about half a minute and it looks like he's going to be able to grab a hold of the ropes and thereby break the hold, but Mamaluke pulls him back into the ring and re-applies the hold, forcing Mafia to tap out (12:59)! ANALYSIS: Excellent technical match. Both men worked especially hard to produce a great match, and they most definitely succeeded. Going into a match like this, many would probably not expect Mafia to be as impressive as he was, since Homicide is always the guy who's much more talked about than his counterpart (Mafia). However, Mafia proved he was a very good worker in this match and the big man vs. little man formula that these two utilized was executed to near perfection, and contributed to the great psychology that developed throughout the course of the bout. And some very creative submission work, reversals, and Japanese-style offense can only add to the already great quality of this contest, which is really the sleeper match of the night, since it wasn't really looked upon as being potentially so good, but it was very, very solid. ***. - Six-Man Tag Team Elimination Match - Hi-V (Adam Flash & The Backseat Boyz of Trent Acid & Johnny Kashmere) vs. Ian Knoxx, Ruckus, & Sonjay Dutt BACKSTORY: Since the Backseat Boyz (Kashmere & Trent Acid) and then-CZW World Heavyweight Champion The Messiah formed it back at Live Again in January, the Hi-V stable has been a dominant force in CZW during the year 2003. The B.S.B. won the CZW tag titles from the H8 Club in February and then - along with Messiah - proceeded to recruit this year's CZW Best of the Best Tournament winner, B-Boy, to Hi-V's sides. With the H8 Club's former-manager, Dewey Donovan, in their corner, the Backseat Boyz, B-Boy, and Messiah unleashed their fury upon anyone who crossed their paths. Messiah's several battles against Nick Gage eventually resulted in Gage's former H8 Club partner, Nate Hatred, joining Hi-V as its fifth member (not counting Dewey). Since then, Hatred has made Gage his primary target, which has led to the Cage of Death Match in which their rivalry will climax. While Hatred combated Gage, the Backseat Boyz and B-Boy were busy taking the fight to Ruckus, Sonjay, and Homicide in constantly evolving combinations. Homicide made his CZW debut at Best of the Best in April and immediately set his sights upon Acid, who he feuded with over the next several months in both CZW and Ring of Honor. The final page of the feud occurAzrael at CZW Deja Vu 2 on July 20, when Acid teamed with B-Boy to win a grudge match over the dream duo of Homicide & Mafia (a.k.a. Dan Maff). Homicide didn't wrestle in CZW for the next two and a half months, due to being busy dealing with his ROH rival, Steve Corino, but when he finally returned at Uprising in October, he battled B-Boy in a singles match. It took interference from Acid for B-Boy to finally capture the win, but the discontent between Homicide and Hi-V clearly still remains. Meanwhile, Ruckus has feuded on-and-off wiht Acid since early 2001 and even battled him two years ago at C.O.D. Since entering CZW midway through last year, Sonjay has wrestled Acid a couple of times in singles matches and the Backseat Boyz together in tag team matches. After feuding with one another during the latter part of last year and the beginning of this year, Ruckus and Sonjay would patch up their differences and unite against a common foe - Hi-V. After losing to the B.S.B. at Extreme 8 on June 28 of this year, Ruckus & Sonjay Dutt challenged another Hi-V duo, this one comprised of B-Boy & Messiah, at Tournament of Death 2 in July. That tag team match also ended in a loss for Ruckus & Sonjay, but Ruckus gained revenge by defeating B-Boy at the next CZW show, Aftermath. Then, at Uprising on October 11, Acid participated in a four corners match for Sonjay's IWA-MS Light Heavyweight Title. Sonjay eventually retained his title, but after the bout, Acid, B-Boy, and The Messiah assaulted him (along with Alex Shelley and Jimmy Jacobs, the other two participants). Ruckus & Sonjay's war against B-Boy and the B.S.B. continued a few weeks ago at Shockwave, CZW's debut show in Italy. There, Sonjay beat B-Boy in a Ladder Match and Acid retained his Ironman Title from Ruckus in an Ironman Rules Match. Then, later on in the night, Ruckus & Sonjay teamed up to defeat Acid & B-Boy. In real-life, Kashmere recently left CZW due to being frustrated with his role in storylines, among other things, but returned at Night of Infamy, so I'm definitely using him in the match. As for Flash and Knoxx, both were part of moderately successful tag teams in CZW for their first year with the company. Flash teamed with "Doomsday" Danny Rose to form the heel "Rachies" team, while Knoxx worked with Chris Stylz as "The Irish Drinking Team." However, those two teams split up earlier this year, and Stylz and Rose left CZW, leaving Flash and Knoxx without tag team partners. With that in mind, they decided to form their own tag team, which they crowned, "The Broad Street Boozers." They too found moderate success in CZW, but a few months ago at Uprising, their partnership ended when Flash walked out on Knoxx, not bothering to check on him after he was assaulted by Jude & Niles Young and thereby cost himself and Flash their three-way tag team match vs. the young duo of Jude & Young and the more experienced tandem of Nick Berk & Z-Barr. In reality, Flash and Knoxx are booked on opposing teams for the five-on-five C.O.D. match at C.O.D., but as I've alluded to, I view that match as very likely becoming a clusterfuck, so I'd rather split up the two five-man teams and book separate matches. So, with that in mind, I've booked this six-man bout between Hi-V (The BSB & Flash) and Ruckus, Sonjay, & Knoxx. - Acid attempts an Irish whip, but Ruckus reverses it and sends Acid into the ropes before bending forward for a back body drop. Acid stops short, though, and kicks the living hell out of Ruckus's chest before running back off of the ropes and attempting the Yakuza Kick. Ruckus ducks and delivers delivers an inverted atomic drop before executing a backflip kick! He then applies a grounded hammerlock, but Acid eventually fights out and applies an armbar before rising to his feet. Ruckus escapes and applies an inverted armbar, which Acid tries to counter into an Angle Slam, but Ruckus drops out and lands on his feet behind him before running off of the ropes and trying a leaping spinkick. Acid ducks it and executes a bulldog lariat before trying to whip Ruckus into the ropes, only to have it reversed. Acid tries a hiptoss, but Ruckus refuses to go anywhere and instead swings around into a DDT attempt. That's blocked by Acid, who swings his body around full circle and turns it into his own DDT. He lifts Acid back up and Irish whips him again before running off of the ropes himself and attempts a roaring elbow, but Acid ducks that and runs off of the ropes again. Ruckus attempts a corkscrew pickup, but Acid flips out and lands on his feet before running off of the ropes again, only to receive a tilt-a-whirl sideslam. Ruckus follows with an armdrag and then a Japanese armdrag. - Kashmere reverses an Irish whips and sends Sonjay into the ropes. Sonjay flips out and lands on his feet when Kashmere attempts a corkscrew pickup and immediately executes an armdrag. Another armdrag and then a dropkick follows from Sonjay. - Flash executes a Pumphandle Lift into an Over-the-Shoulder Powerslam Hold and tries to swing Sonjay from that position and into a DDT (think of the ending part of Sonjay Dutt or The Amazing Azrael's Satellite DDT), but as he's being rotated, Sonjay counters with his own DDT! - The Backseat Boyz take out Knoxx and Sonjay with their signature Double Running Catapult Somersault Plancha, where they get all "buddy-buddy" by placing their arms around their partner's shoulder and then hit the move. - Ruckus attempts the modified Parker-type move that he did to M-Dogg 20 at last year's C.O.D. show (a Powerbomb Lift into a Canadian Backbreaker Rack into a sitout Michinoku Driver II-style slam), but Acid awesomely counters while he's doing the 180º spin and turns the move into a bulldog! - Acid - on the mat - stands Sonjay on the middle buckle and grabs both of his hands in preparation for the Acid Bomb (Iconoclasm w/ the victim doing a front flip and landing on his back), but Sonjay fights out of it with kicks to Acid's back and then steps up onto the top buckle and leaps off, hitting a DragonRana (Flying Somersault Huracanrana)! - Sonjay drops out of Acid's attempted suplex and lands behind him before applying a waistlock. Acid charges towards the ropes and grabs them, the momentum of which causes Sonjay to do a back roll and eventually roll back to his feet in the center of the ring. Acid charges at him with a Yakuza Kick, but Sonjay ducks, feeds Acid his left leg, and then delivers an enziguri kick with his right leg! - The Backseat Boyz perform the Dream Sequence on Knoxx! - Sonjay fights out of a Cradlebreaker attempt and hits the Indian Summer (Double-Leg Hook Fishermanbuster) on Kashmere for 2! - Sonjay signals for the Hindusault (Phoenix Splash) and climbs up top, but Acid recovers, climbs back to his feet, and crotches him on the buckle before hitting his signature "LSD" Super Inverted Huracanrana! - Kashmere attempts a running bulldog on Knoxx, but in mid-run, Knoxx wrenches on a waistlock, stopping Kashmere in his place, and then powers him over his head via head drop belly-to-back (backdrop) suplex! - Ruckus attempts the Razzle Dazzle (Double Backflip Handspring Corner Back Elbow Smash) onto Kashmere, but when he's standing on his hands while finishing up the first backflip, Kashmere charges out of the corner and dropkicks his foe's chest, causing him to fall back (the way he came) to the mat! - Sonjay executes the Calcutta Cutta (DDT onto his knee directly followed by a Leaping Neckbreaker) onto Flash. - Knoxx - sitting on the top buckle - attempts the Off Switch (Super Sitdown Chokeslam), but Kashmere - standing on the middle buckle - fights out of it and DDTs Knoxx off of the post and down to the mat below! - Flash attempts to whip Sonjay towards the opposite corner, but Sonjay reverses it and sends Flash across the ring. Flash catapults Sonjay up and over his head as he charges toward him. Sonjay lands on the middle buckle before leaping backwards blindly in an attempt at Jonny Storm's Rewind 'Rana, but Flash refuses to be taken over into the 'rana part of the move and instead lifts Sonjay back up onto his shoulders and hits a Running Sitdown Powerbomb (a.k.a. The Flash Bomb)! The finish comes when Sonjay - after hitting the Bombay Buster (Front Suplex Kneebuster) on Kashmere - climbs up top and signals for the Hindu Splash (Phoenix Splash). Flash, though, distracts the referee, allowing Acid to enter the ring and crotch Kashmere from behind. He then helps Kashmere back up to his feet and climbs back onto the apron. Once Flash stops distracting the referee and he (the ref) turns around, Kashmere tags in Acid (they planned to do this so that it wouldn't look obvious that they had cheated) and the two climb up onto standing positions on the middle buckle. They then each grab an arm of Sonjay, lift him up in the air, and leap off the buckle, spiking him down hard into the mat via a SUPER T-Gimmick (Double-Team Lifting Crucifix Powerbomb) for the pinfall win (19:23)! ANALYSIS: Solid tag team match between these two trios, four out of the six participants of whom have worked extensively with each other already, and showed just how well they know each other in this contest. The bout was definitely pretty lackluster in terms of psychology, but on the side of the entertainment that it provided, it definitely was a success. Some fantastic highspots and many very fun double-team manuevers were executed and made for what was basically non-stop, fast-paced action. ***1/4. CONTINUED...

Bull...Briscoes have only been a team for half the year. They've wrestled a lot of singles stuff. AMW are on a bigger showcase (TNA) than the Briscoes and wrestled WAY more consistently as a team. The AXP have wrestled on a very small scale, as have the Pitbulls, and let's face it - the amount of publicity you get makes a big difference, b/c obviously Matt Stryker isn't going to be rated above Big Show, even though he's better at wrestling than him, since Big Show is known by SO many more ppl. You have a point about WGTT, b/c they were very good. As were the Guerrors. Daniels/Maff wrestled few tag matches, so they shouldn't qualify. Should we just give the award to B-Boy/Super Dragon b/c the two matches they had as a team were classics, or give it to a tag team who puts on consistently solid matches, as opposed to classics? I'd pick the latter.

God bless Hayabusa. The guy changed Japanese wrestling forever, and remains one of my all-time fav's.