From Jeff Richards: EW CHAMPION CROWNED IN BEST MATCH EVER GIBSONVILLE (NC) -- In front of the biggest crowd the Sportatorium has s...
EW CHAMPION CROWNED IN BEST MATCH EVER
GIBSONVILLE (NC) -- In front of the biggest crowd the Sportatorium has seen, CWF Mid-Atlantic last Saturday (12/26) ambitiously produced its biggest match ever. It was a six-pack challenge for the company's heavyweight title and had some true championship material. Trevor Lee, a former champion in PWG/TNA/OMEGA, competed with PWX' current World Champion John Skyler. Former CWF titleholders Lance Lude, Chet Sterling and Roy Wilkins competed as well. When the dust cleared forty-six minutes later, Brad Attitude no longer held the company strap. In fact, he was the first one to go.
Brad Stutts had constructed a match where several challengers had come forward at an OMEGA show where Attitude had reclaimed the belt. They all wanted their shot at glory. Attitude put the belt up in a five-fall elimination match. Everyone got their chance. Near falls abounded. It was a rollercoaster ride that took the Sportatorium's fans through highs and lows.
What made this match so spectacular were the fans. They applauded every move. Even when one of their all-time fan favorites turned heel at night's end, they were still invested in the climax. The audience was behind Lee, who has never won the big belt in CWF Mid-Atlantic. He still hasn't. Wilkins recaptured the championship for a third time. He had a lot of help. More to follow....
"Battlecade XVI" was a huge success based on the last two matches. The rest of the card was okay, filled with homecomings, reunions, pleasant surprises and star appearances. This was their Wrestlemania. Sitting above the locker room, you could hear co-workers cheering for each other. At 6:45 pm, Stutts conducted interviews with some of the workers. He called it "the biggest party of the year." It truly felt like the most special night on CWF's calendar.
A) Devin Dalton pinned Gil Quest in 4:50 of a pre-show bout. Charles Richardson was the referee. Kevin Pierce & I were sure we were looking at Bobby Wohlfert. Quest springboarded back into the ring with an elbowdrop for a two count. Match suffered due to a lack of crowd heat as fans were still filing in. Following a sunset-flip into the ring, Dalton pinned Quest. RATING: 1/2 of a star
1) Jesse Adler retained the RGL Championship in the finals of this year's Rising Generation League tournament, defeating Darius Lockhart in 5:39. Cain Justice was the referee. Adler got the crowd going on a dive. Meanwhile, more chairs were being brought in (don't take mine!). A DDT counter by Adler was almost the finish. After avoiding a shooting star press, Lockhart wrapped Adler up in a submission. Adler escaped and finally hit a running shooting star press. At the 5:00 mark, Adler had just stunned Lockhart. He finished Lockhart with a 450 Phoenix splash to win the tournament and retain the belt he carried going into the finals. PWI Commissioner William Cross mentioned Kamakazi Kid, Xsiris and Chiva Kid were all former RGL titleholders. Post-match: Lockhart bellowed, "I'm not an afterthought." It is a good thing I wrote that down. RATING: 1 1/2 stars....Aaron Biggs came out for his match. After Lockhart slapped the BIG man, Biggs gave him a Thesz press. At that point, Lockhart forgot what he was thinking.
2) Biggs won via countout over Dave Dawson in 8:43. This match had a ten minute time limit. It was my first look at Dawson. He is a little bit smaller than Bam Bam Bigelow and slow to get up after transitions. Biggs' trunks hang out from his 3-4 x-large t-shirt. A former CWF security guard, Biggs missed a surge into the corner buckles. Dawson delivered a neckbreaker, but Biggs rolled a shoulder. Dawson's one-foot dropkick was well-received by the populace. His back-suplexing of the gargantuan grappler took its toll on both men. At the 2:00 time call, Biggs was looking for a Thesz press, and Dawson scurried away like a rat. DD never returned. RATING: 1 star
3) Aric Andrews won via TKO over "Honky Kong" Evan Banks (w/Bobby O'Neil) in 2:55. It was billed as the "Battle of the Killbillies." Eric Foster was the referee. A reminder that all good teams have to break up and feud. That seems to be an unwritten and unwelcome policy. Banks was out for blood early. A running senton left Andrews breathless. Andrews finally went on the offensive outside the ring. After being posted, Foster found Banks to be "non-responsive." When Banks recovered (rather quickly), he asked the referee "Why'd you stop it"? Andrews returned to the ring for one more running knee. There is more family feuding to come. RATING: 1/2 of a star
4) In a no DQ match, Nick Richards pinned Lee Valiant (w/Andrews) in 9:47. Robbie Walsh was the referee. There was a 15 minute time limit. Before the bell, a Richards tope took out Andrews. A kendo stick kept Valiant honest. Richards also splattered Valiant with a ringside chair. Nicknamed "Lost Cause," Richards suplexed Valiant on the floor for a sick thud. Valiant kicked out of "Sliced Bread #2"; that should have been the finish. Setting Richards up for a vertical suplex to the floor, Valiant took a Nestea plunge onto some chairs at ringside instead. Richards executed an elbowdrop from the top turnbuckle to the floor. So far, Walsh had it easy with so much out-of-the-ring brawling. Returning to the ring, Richards butterfly suplexed Valiant into a corner. Andrews broke up a submission attempt. Richards' old partner Jason Miller ran out to confront Andrews. Richards hit an ace crusher for the win. RATING: 2 stars
5) Richards, Donnie Dollar$, Mitch Conner, Corey Edsel & Matthew de Nero downed Sis, Michael McAllister, Prakash Sabar, C.B. Suave & Number Man in 8:40. Joey Hogan was the referee. The way this match was put together might have reminded some older fans of an ECW-style brawl. Wrestlers were added periodically to the melee. McAllister kept asking "Where is he"? and absorbing most of the punishment. Fast & furious action. There was a dance-off between an oily Suave and a grotesque-looking Conner. Suave made it rain, but the babies brought the pain. Sabar emptied a stocking full of Hershey's kisses. You just knew someone would be taking a bump into the mischievous chocolates. Then came the returning from injury Mecha Mercenary, who grabbed both Edsel and McAllister. His choice was to let Edsel go, and MM (not M&M's) gave his former ally McAllister a "Black Hole Slam." Finally, a de Nero legdrop off the top of Dollar$' shoulders (who was sitting on the middle turnbuckle) polished off McAllister.
6) Ethan Case cleanly put away Ethan Alexander Sharpe to retain the PWI International Ultra J-Crown Title in 10:26. Pierce was the referee. Sharpe wanted the candies "out of my ring." Case wanted his sharpshooter to work early, but the other Ethan slithered away. Ringside fans offered to hold the non-"Iron Man" Sharpe for some knife edge chops. Sharpe's target area was Case's left arm & wrist. "I told you I'm the only Ethan" was Sharpe's war cry. In Sharpe's "move of the night," he catwalked the ropes and missed a flying elbowdrop. Case tried again for a leglock grapevine, but Sharpe was too quick. When Sharpe applied a Fujiwara armbar, Case was in trouble temporarily. The next time Sharpe went up top, he was met by a Superman punch. A "Texas Cloverleaf" won it for Case. RATING: 1 1/2 stars....Post-match: Zane Dawson and Case had a face-to-face meeting.
7) Ric Converse captured his first PWI International Heavyweight Championship, upsetting two-time titleholder Zane Dawson in 11 minutes. Converse previously was the six-time CWF Mid-Atlantic Champion and a former AWA World Heavyweight & tag-team title co-holder. This match had a 30 minute time limit. Converse has bulked up considerably over the years. He went to the well once too often in the corner and paid for it. Dawson really looks more like a wrestler than in his debuting year. After a Converse flying bodypress netted a two count, "the 1st" walked right into a Brogue kick. There was no 5:00 time call (inconsistencies). A side slam garnered two counts for Dawson. The champion also conducted a big splash off the second turnbuckle for a two count. A "Black Hole Slam" garnered just a two count, as Converse raised a shoulder up. Converse climbed to the top turnbuckle for a clothesline and connected. Dave Dawson pulled Converse out. Zane Dawson leveled referee Walsh. The Dawsons were preparing for a belt shot, and in rushed Andrew Everett. The former Chiva Kid kicked both brothers, and Converse nailed the "Richter Scale" to win his first PWI Championship. RATING: 1 3/4 stars
8) "Assassin" Ray Kandrack & Arik Royal retained the CWF Mi-Atlantic Tag Team Titles over Kamakazi Kid & Xsiris in 10:04. Coach Gemini, Chappie & Kid were discussing a huge bonus if Kazi followed the plan. Gemini wanted to pick his partner, but Kazi chose to be united w/ Xsiris much to the Coach's chagrin. Referee Foster then threw Gemini out for bumping the umpire (uh, official). Disclaimer: Xsiris receives more title shots of anyone I know that never wins matches. All four men shook hands. Xsiris and Royal had some tense moments when different dance partners were needed to be tagged. Kazi took Kandrack's leg out with a chop block. A Kazi codebreaker on Kandrack had the bigger man wondering if he had underestimated his opponents. Kandrack connected on a bulldog off the second turnbuckle, downing Kid. The "Assassin" hot-tagged his partner, who got Kazi up for an exploder, but Xsiris stopped Royal in his tracks. Xsiris lost his Punisher t-shirt. Kazi gave Royal a DVD into the corner. All four were in the ring, and Kazi was receiving chants. A gore cut Xsiris in half. Kazi was left w/ Royal. Royal's reverse hurancanrana made sure KK would not bring the tag belts back to the "All-Stars." Royal ran his mouth afterward as usual. RATING: 1 3/4 stars
9) Smith Garrett won the fans' hearts and the CWF Worldwide Television Championship by dethroning Cedric Alexander in 14:20. The 2015 CWF Rumble winner, Garrett was facing the man who had cost him his opportunity when facing champion Marcellus King. Alexander, the heel, surprisingly requested more time, as in an extended time limit. It did not take long for both wrestlers to head outside the ring. In fact, they almost went out of the Sportatorium. Alexander kicked it into gear by dropping Garrett back first on the ring apron. Cedric missed his first kick, and Garrett dumped him with an Angle slam. Alexander kept jawing with fans while Garrett was almost ousted from the title picture. A "Falcon Arrow" was good just for an Alexander two count. Following a dropkick into the corner and a brainbuster, Garrett kicked out at one! Was this to be 'Garrett's night? Garrett even escaped pinfall following Alexander's finishing maneuver, the "Lumbar Check." The look on Alexander's face was priceless. "This is awesome" chants rang out through the building. On Cedric's next "Lumbar Check" attempt, Garrett rolled through and hooked both leg & head. The crowd went wild for CWF's new TV Champion. RATING: 3 1/2 stars
10) Wilkins came out on top in the main event which lasted 46:19 (there was no time limit). Redd Jones was the referee. Lee vs. Lude vs. Wilkins vs. Sterling vs. Skyler vs, Attitude was the draw that people had waited (and waited) to see. Skyler and Lee started. When Lee and Sterling were in together, it was teacher vs. pupil. Lee's standing moonsault onto Skyler was the best near fall of the early going. A second generation wrestler, Lee kicked out of Skyler's "Tiger Driver." Attitude ended up in the front row with his plancha onto heels Skyler and Wilkins. Lude climbed up to the skybox and flip-dived onto everyone down below (a very controlled stunt). Back in the ring, a titanic struggle was going down between WrestleMerica Champ Attitude and PWX Champ Skyler. Attitude superkicked four foes, but that left Lee to eliminate Brad with a small package. Elimination #1 (25:17): Attitude....Lee saved his former partner Sterling from elimination following Skyler's springboard spear. For that, Skyler DDT'd Lee on the rampway. Chappie (in Wilkins' corner) crotched an almost high-flying Sterling. A Skyler hanging DDT eliminated Sterling next. Elimination #2 (31:26): Sterling....When Wilkins and Lude were in together, the match went backwards. Lude secured Wilkins w/ "El Christo," but the All-Star was able to tag out to Skyler. The "Southern Savior" hurried in to kick the back of Lude's head. Before long, though, Skyler was tapping to Lude's "El Christo." Elimination #3 (36:19): Skyler....Wilkins immediately rolled a drained Lude up, leaving himself & Lee to fight it out. Elimination #4 (36:28): Lude....Lee's reversal of a Wilkins bodypress into a powerslam brought the crowd to its feet. The "Head Honcho" deadlift German suplexed Wilkins at least three times for two counts. On the apron, Lee came running w/ a PK for Wilkins, but Chappie took it instead. A hanging in mid-air enzuigiri by Wilkins kept Lee down for just a two count. Gemini threw his red challenge flag in, which Jones no-sold and threw it back. A standing superplex by Lee had to be it, but Gemini kept dragging Jones back out to argue. Meanwhile, Kamakazi Kid came into the ring and tried to play peacemaker. Unknown to anyone, Kazi struck Lee with the Mid-Atlantic belt. Kazi had finally turned heel vs. Lee, and the fans were just stunned into silence. After a "Canadian Destroyer," Wilkins was the champion for the third time in CWF history. Gemini once again had gold in his army. And Kamakazi Kid got his cash bonus after all. Elimination #5 (46:19): Lee RATING: 6 stars (best match I have ever seen live) Post-match: Lee wanted to tell departing fans, "I will keep fighting, and I will be your champion."
NOTES: Next CWF Mid-Atlantic show will be "New Year's Knockout" on Saturday, January 16th.... Gemini (Jeff Rudd) said my comment was the second he had heard concerning how great the main event was. Considering matches in the old Charlotte Coliseum involving Funk Jr., Robinson, Brisco, Race, Flair, Brody, Dusty....this was high praise.
