.png "CEW Cupid's Chokehold Review -- Savannah on February 22")
.png)
From Larry Goodman:
Hunter James is the new CEW Champion. James brought Randall Reno III's less than ironclad grip on the title to an end after 364 glorious days.
Compelling stories keep on coming. If you're looking for athletic in-ring, this show had it. The creative team has an uncanny ability to think outside the box and not box themselves in. Coastal has becom the place talent wants to be.
CEW's supporting cast is unsurpassed in Georgia. They've got the best ring announcer in Diana Michel. Their award nominated commentary team is led by on of the top play-by-play announcers on the independent scene in Brandon Benefield. Their rotation of referees is consistently excellent. Referees Paul Santa, John Ellington and Clark were always in the right place at the right time. I got a kick out of Santa's facial expressions.
(1) The debuting "Mr. Teflon" Jay Alpha Miller defeated Rob Killjoy in 10:54. Killjoy hit a crazed flip dive, good for a "you sick duck" chant. His Duck Valley Driver didn't get the job done so Killjoy went up top. Miller bumped into formerly vomitous referee Paul Santa, crotching Killjoy on the turnbuckle. Miller then pinned Killjoy with an overdrive.
Check out the subtlety of the ref bump that set up the finish.
Miller promo "Mr. Teflon" told the civilians to shut up while he exercised his first amendment right. The crowd tried to shout him down. He threatened the have the kids in the front row removed. Miller bragged about leaving Carlie Bravo laying last week at Changes 2 for his national pride and he would do it again. Challenged Bravo to a match at Coastal and said he would jam Bravo up for America.
Miller's promo got so nuclear heat. He had to work at it to make himself heard. Bravo's eyes lit up during Miller's speech at the GWH award show. Bravo can spot talent. Dude's about to blow up. His heroes are Donald Trump AND MLK. That match will happen at Springtime Slaughter on March 29 at VFW 660.
Backstage, Reno confronted Sky Walker about what was on the VHS. Reno wanted to know if Donald Jaykes was on the tape. Skywalker wasn't about to give up the goods.
(2) Allen Brothers (Mason & Robert) defeated Supastarz (Tommy Mars & Nikki Eight) in 11:46. Supastarz made their way to the ring, strummin' and drummin'. Dueling chants at the jump. Heat on each of the Allens. Mars got into a sadistic exchange with Robert.
Mars was ripping the skin off Robert with chops and those sick fucks at VWF 660 wanted more. Fans chanting Allentown as Mason took the hot tag. Rolling DVD by Mason topped by Mars with a facebuster out of an Orton backbreaker. Nikki was ready to pole ax Mason with his guitar but could not bring himself to do the deed. Mason reversed Mars' Gori Bomb with a sunset flip for the win.
Mars was hot at Nikki for not being able to pull the trigger and walked out on him.
Cut to outside the building where Chaos Champion Hakeem Young was smooth-talking Sky Walker. Hakeem pleaded his case - he just got his slimy hands on the Chaos Champion and he didn't want any trouble. Sky Walker said Young kept his face covered and should have nothing to worry about.
(3) Suge D defeated Cornelius Pepperbottom in 7:47 to earn a tag team title match for Good Hand and the right to name the stipulation. Pepps was kicking Suge's ass. Suge kicked the ropes into Pepps' nether region to change the complexion of the match. While he was beating up Pepps, Suge got on the mic and threatened to beat up the kids in the front row. Suge's chops fired Pepps up. He kept on coming but in the end, Suge booted him in the head and pinned him with a swanton bomb.
Suge was a walking, talking dildo. Pepps has so much good will built up with the CEW fans, the loss to Suge isn't going to hurt him at all.
After securing victory, Suge sat a chair on top of Pepps as seen above. Pepps was was gurgling too much so Suge kicked him in the ribs and used him like a couch cushion. Suge said he could reveal the stipulation for the Good Hand's tag team title shot but he hated the fans and they didn't deserve to know.
EY's tag team championship appears to be in extreme jeopardy. King Simon later decreed the Exotic Youth would defend the Tag Team Turmoil Championship in a four-way match against the Good Hand AND Allen Brothers AND Supastarz in a Springtime Slaughterhouse match.
Michael Walker and James backstage. James said he knew what Walker was going through. He had to build himself back up after losing to Reno eight months ago. Walker admitted he was having setbacks. James said Fro was responsible for bringing him to scum-of-the earth Savannah (his words not mine) because Walker wanted to face the best wrestler in the Southeast for the Chaos Championship. James admitted Walker humbled him. He was man enough to know there were two people the fans loved: James as their champion, Fro as their hero. James talked Fro up. He would beat Tyler Shoop and after he beat Reno for the CEW Championship, would do James vs. Walker Part II for the title. Walker said he would have to earn his shot and beating Shoop was step one.
Well played, maybe a tease of the clash between the self-effacing Fro and the not-so-humble Hunter.
(4) "Train Harda" Tyler Shoop defeated "The Fro" Michael Walker in 13:21. Crowd went bananas for Walker' entrance as they always do. They hated on Shoop. Walker challenged the physical specimen that is Shoop to a pose off. At the bell, Walker caught Shoop by surprise with a series of pin attempts. Walker was outwrestling him until Shoop hot-shotted Walker's throat. Shoop's offense focused on stifling Walker's air supply. He was flexing and training between moves. Shoop also has a great dropkick. Walker hit a missile dropkick to spark his comeback. With the crowd chanting his name, Walker broke out the Air Fro suicide dive. Shoop cut Walker off with a Ushigiroshi and did Hindu squats as he waited for Fro to rise. Walker hit the Fronado DDT and crawled for the cover. Shoop kicked out. Walker's froggy bow was a crash and burn. Shoop shrugged off Walker's Fronado DDT and pinned him with The Routine (corkscrew neckbreaker).
The crowd reacted to the finish with stunned disappointment. After the massive screw job Walker was subjected to at the last show, the crowd fully expected him to win. Reno has hell to pay when he faces Walker one-on-one at Springtime Slaughter. I didn't get Shoop until this match. He's a hell of an athlete and arrogant asshole of a heel, pretty much the perfect opponent for Fro. Shoop is training harda for Parker Li on March 29.
Kevin Kantrell was waiting inside the back door as Sky Walker entered. Kantrell wanted confirmation he was not on the VHS. Sky Walker said it was about the people Kantrell was hanging out with and he was an accomplice. Kantrell said it was a one time deal. Sky Walker said he hoped Kantrell broke away from those people. "I'm sounding like a cop already. I actually kinda like this."
(5) Dax Anthony defeated Zach Mosley in 13:03 to terminate Bryce Cannon's employment by CEW. Crowd was amped. Mosley was fighting for Cannon's CEW life. The commentary team was shamelessly pulling for Mosley. It was war. Mosley was applying the torque to a Fujiwara armbar. Anthony appeared to have no choice but to tap when he got Mosley's shoulders to the mat for a flash pin.
Emotional manipulation of a pro wrestling crowd at its finest. Of course Mosley was winning. No way Bryce was out of CEW. The feeling of the air being sucked out of the room was palpable through my TV screen.
Anthony attacked Cannon at the desk, bashed him in the head with a monitor and beat him bloody. Blood was spattered on Benefield's white suit. Dax wasn't satisfied. He dragged Cannon into the ring and powerbombed him through a table.
The sudden explosion of graphic violence and the way it was put over by Cannon's broadcast partners made this an unforgettable segment. Anthony is a twisted character. Bonus points for Benefield getting blood on his white suit.
Backstage, Sermon was elated as he thanked Anthony for getting rid of Cannon. Sermon rewarded Anthony by giving the next show off and sending him on vacation with the company card. Sermon said Anthony was the only person at Coastal besides himself who was a man of his word.
They covered their bases for Anthony not being on the next show. The idea of Dax on vacation with the company card amused me.
(6) Hakeem Young defeated Mighty Joe and Kevin Kantrell and Chad Sky Walker and Grayson Pierce in a gauntlet match to retain the Chaos Championship. Kantrell dominated Mighty Joe and tapped him out with a crossface at 3:40.
Sky Walker was next. The camera zoomed in on Sky Walker's VHS labeled "Evidence of the Ministry". Sky Walker kicked out of the Kantrell Klash and hit a tiger feint kick and the kneeling springboard senton but Kantrell blocked the Reboot and eliminated Sky Walker with an Olympic Slam at 5:53.
The champion entered next. Kantrell gave Hakeem all he could handle. At one point, Hakeem had Kantrell's back and Kantrell just stood up and dropped Young with an electric chair. In desperation, Hakeem picked up his title belt with evil intent. As referee Ellington was getting rid of the belt, Hakeem jammed Kantrell's foot between his legs like he had been kicked in the groin. Ellington DQed Kantrell at 6:37 while Hakeem faked writhing in agony.
Pierce was the final entrant. He immediately went for the kill with the Skullpiercer. Hakeem was playing possum and planted him with that spinning back suplex where he reverses direction midstream. Pierce got his aerial game in gear. He tried for a and Young planted him with a piledriver at 3:39.
It took the crowd some time to get into the one after what happened to Cannon but they warmed up to Kantrell. His strength and grappling bring something new to CEW. He presents Young with a different kind of challenger on March 29.
Kantrell confronted Young after the match. The referees came between them to keep things from getting physical.
Smart decision to save further physicality for their match.
(7) Brittany Jade defeated Kelsey Raegan to win the vacant IWE Women's Championship in 9:25. Paige Blackmon, introduced as the co-owner of IWE, brought the title belt to the ring. Benefield gave a shout out to Dani Jordyn who was relinquished the championship due to retirement.
Raegan's sour attitude did not ingratiate her to the CEW faithful. Jade pounced on Raegan with a series of pin attempts. Raegan gave Jade a splits leg drop on the ring apron. They fought into the crowd to do a little fan participation. Raegan took control. Maestro said Jade's comeback had more lariats than a dude ranch.
Jade ducked Raegan attempt to spit blood mist into her face. Referee Santa got got a faceful. Raegan had Jade pinned after . Referee Clark hit the ring to count. Jade kicked out, rolled out from under Raegan's senton splash and secured the three count with a crucifix pin.
Blackmon presented Jade with the belt.
A cut above the current standard of women's wrestling in Georgia as was true of IWE's run in Augusta.
Next up -- a video recap of "Boss Daddy" Simon Sermon's attempt to deprive James of a title match including clips of Sermons's promo the year.
Simon Sermon reveals Reno's opponent. Simon came to the ring with an envelope allegedly containing the results of the poll to determine Hunter's match. Simon claimed he and James tied with a 2,499,627 votes apiece. Therefore, Reno would wrestle both of them. Furthermore, Simon said Paul Santa was in no condition to officiate and installed "that cute little twink" Clark to as the referee.
Never a dull moment with Sermon's unique spin on the heel authority figure. The tie vote as the ruse to get him into the match was perfect. Did I detect an element of parody of the GWH awards show?
(8) Hunter James (with hot bartender) defeated Champion Randall Reno and Simon Sermon (with Chief Raines) in a handicap match to win the CEW Championship in 12:55. James buried Reno's face in Sermon's groin with a drop toe hold. Sermon took a swan dive onto Reno's private parts. Tough times for Reno and Sermon until Raines interfered and they took over on James. The bartender threw her drink into Simon's face. Clark got it as well. Reno, Simon and Clark did a three-way collided. James smoked Sermon with a backflip deadlift german suplex ahd had Reno pinned but that twink Clark was still laying on the floor. Must have been a some stiff drink. Sky Walker came to ringside with the VHS and took Raines away with him.
James laid Reno out with a gamebreaker and punched Simon in the mouth, sending Simon into a nestea plunge on top of Reno. James laid hands on the pile and Santa slid in to make the three count.
.png)
The building exploded, crowd in ecstasy. James brought the bartender into the ring and the celebration was on.
CEW had been building to this moment for months and paid it off beautifully, terrific stuff. At Springtime Slaughter, James has to take on a former who never got his rematch - "Cutthroat" CT Keys.
