CEW Tusslepalooza Video Review -- June 28

From Larry Goodman: Tusslepalooza was another most excellent show from CEW, a place where the creative vision intersects with outstanding in...

From Larry Goodman:

Tusslepalooza was another most excellent show from CEW, a place where the creative vision intersects with outstanding in-ring ability and wildly inventive characters. 

The booking team of Zach Mosley and Bryce Cannon challenges the talent to expand their range and grow as artists. They go the extra mile to make things meaningful and memorable.

Chad Sky Walker scored literally the biggest win of his CEW career by defeating the largest wrestler on the roster, Tyler Stevens in an outstanding semi-main event.

"Boss Daddy" Simon Sermon was not the building. But CEW did not miss a beat without him because there were so many other things going on. Simon squares off with Sky Walker in a VHS tape on a pole match this Saturday night at Legends of the Low Country 2.

Exotic Youth won the latest battle in the war declared upon them by Dax Anthony. Bryce Cannon has Anthony in a table match at Legends of the Low County 2.

Hunter James was bloodied and battered in his main event with GWH Rookie of the Year Jay Alpha Miller and now has to deal with returning number one contender and long-time rival, "The Fro" Michael Walker.

CEW was back in the volatile confines of VFW Post 660 Canteen, which has developed into an awesome room for wrestling. 

Brandon Benefield and Maestro on commentary. Ring announcing by five-time GWH award winner Diana Michel. Clark DeBennedetto and Daylon Kingsley were the officials. 

The former Sergeant Scratch came to the ring wearing a Panama hat shaped into a cowboy hat and said there was new sheriff in town. Sheriff Scratch then put himself in a number one contender's match against a local Savannah talent. A local talent was tossed through the curtain. followed out by the returning Michael Walker to an explosive Fro chant. 

(1) Michael Walker pinned Sheriff Scratch to become the number one contender for the CEW Championship in 3:28. Scratch tried and failed to use his nightstick on Walker. Fro reversed Scratch's stalling vertical suplex with a DDT and pinned him with the Froggy Bow.

Just what was needed, nothing more, nothing less.

 DeBennedetto helped Scratch to the backstage area. Scratch wanted the hands of Simon Sermon's hot twink off of him.

DeBennedetto broke the news to Hunter James: Walker was back and he was the new number one contender. James was salivating at the prospect of finally getting the match he and Walker wanted.

(2) "The Savannahmal" Young Mighty Joe defeated Christian Taylor via submission in 5:01. Crowd was wild for Mighty Joe, who brought his prehistoric bone with him. Taylor beasted up and gave YMG a trio of powerbombs and the crowd chanted for another. In the end, YMG applied an abdominal stretch and beat on Taylor's chest until he tapped out.

Every red-blooded CEW fan knows YMG exists on a different plane of reality. Thing was Taylor came across as more than a little nuts himself and the dude is strong.

(3) Kevin Kantrell defeated Tyler Shoop  via submission in 10:28. Shoop on the the mic. We get it -- Shoop trains Harda. Shoop was desperate to stay away from Kantrell Rules crossface and being lit up by Kantrell's chops. Shoop hit a big-time russian legsweep but Kantrell kicked out at one. Shoop slipped out of  Kantrell's electric chair and sent him through the ropes with a dropkick to the back of the head. Kantrell barely beat the 10 count. Shoop was grounding an pounding and in full control now. Kantrell reveresed the momentum with a release german. Shoop did squats with Kantell on his back into a Ushigiroshi. Kantrell kicked out and had the crowd chanting his name. Kantrell went for the crossface and Shoop tapped like mad before Kantrell got it locked in. 

Afterward, Shoop said he didn't tap. Kantrell said Shoop trained softa and Kantrell Rules.   

This was hard-hitting and highly competitive match that had the crowd rocking. Shoop's sheer terror and dissociative episode about the Kantrell Rules crossface was overselling but it did get it the hold over as the most feared submission in CEW.

Dax Anthony selected Hakeem Young as Bryce Cannon's opponent for the evening.

(4) Bryce Cannon defeated Chaos Champion Hakeem Young in a non-title match (8:04) Hakeem evaded Twisted Tea. Cannon was left in a heap. Hakeem speared Cannon and pulled him up and into a Saito suplex. Anthony threw the Chaos title belt into the ring. Hakeem refused to use it and instead went for The Thrashing, Cannon ducked. Hakeem hotshotted himself on the ropes and Cannon spiked him with a running blockbuster for the three count.

Cannon's selling into the finish was outstanding. Hakeem lost no lustre as champion given the way it went down.

In the ring, Anthony and Hakeem played the blame game. Cannon said he talked to several people about being Anthony's opponent. The Big LG was too busy but he came up with an opponent and their name was Exotic Youth.

(5) Exotic Youth (Zach Mosley & Cornelius Pepperbottom with Bryce Anthony) defeated Dax Anthony in 6:29. EY put Dax in the torture chamber. Beat his ass until a friendly fire screw up gave Anthony a ray of hope. He hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Pepps and a powerslam on Mosley before doing down to defeat via EY's  rocker dropper/stomp combo.

Cannon joined the party after the match. EY teamed up to put Anthony through a table with a triple powerbomb.

Mars was in a paranoid rage as he stormed into the building looking for Randall Reno. Mars found Reno in the bar and confronted him about who he saw on the VHS tape and who attacked his partner Nikki Eight. Mars dragged Reno through the seating area and into the bathroom where Reno was on the receiving end of a swirly before they battled their way to the ring. 

Loved the way the tracking shot gave the segment the aura of authenticity.  Bonus points for the father and son caught in the act of paying a visit to the urinal. 

(6) Tommy Mars defeated Randall Reno III via submission in 8:09. Reno got the bejeezus beaten out him. Mars was relentless --  Either Reno gave up the goods about who he saw on the tape or else. Mars kicked out of Reno's  Rocker Dropper and rolled through on his flying crossbody. Mars applied a figure four and Reno tapped.

Mars continued to grill Reno about what was on the tape after the match. Reno said "George Bush".

The lukewarm reaction to Reno was surprising. The crowd cheered when he tapped and Reno had been very over since being thrown to the curb by Sermon.

 

                                                                                                                                

(7) Chad Sky Walker defeated Tyler Stevens in 16:35.  Skywalker's avant-garde offense was no match for Stevens' brute strength and formidable size in the early going. Sky Walker was being brutalized until Stevens went for a choke slam and Skywalker's enzuirgiri dropped the big man to one knee. Stevens leveled Chad with a lariat and scowled. Stevens used a gator roll. Skywalker's chop weren't making a dent. Stevens liked to have caved in Sky Walker's chest with two handed chops. Stevens dumped Sky Walker on his head with an exploder. Sky Walker started answering with effective counters. Sky Walker got a two count with a victory roll. Sky Walker kicked out of a choke slam. Sky Walker hit a senton atomico to Stevens' back. The rope broke as Sky Walker tackled Stevens to the floor. Sky Walker followed up with a flip dive to the outside and crowd was going crazy for Sky Walker. Back inside, Stevens was on rubber leg street. Stevens was fuming when Sky Walker kicked out of his powerbomb. Sky Walker escaped the 803 Driver and delivered two Reboots to pin Stevens.

This match tied with the main for my favorite match of the show. They were given time and took full advantage of it to tell a compelling story in the ring. I loved seeing Stevens in a long singles match against an unorthodox opponent. Fun seeing Sky Walker so over as a babyface. Stevens' selling for a smaller opponent was spot on.The rope snapping added an extra element of freakishness.

(7) Hunter James defeated Jay Alpha Miller to retain the CEW Championship in 21:16. The top rope was toast. They went into an extended  sequence based around knuckle locks and standing switches and it had the feel of legit struggle. They transitioned to the outside with James taking multiple shots into the post and he was busted open bad.

James was in bad shape, selling blood loss yet was able to break out the Prettiest Power Slam. Both were down. Teflon did a great sell of James' enzuigiri into a snake eyes. James got a two count with the Hollywood Twist. Both men stayed on the canvas. James nipped up with fire and went for the brainbuster. Miller blocked it and tried to apply the Wings of Liberty (cobra clutch) but James was able to break the hold. Miller stunned James with a rising knee strike to set up a face plant out an elevated full nelson. James rolled a shoulder at 2 and 3/4. Miller raked the bloody wound on James' forehead. Milller said it was over. Miller with a Zig Zag for a close near fall. He mocked James and called for a brainbuster...and James reversed it with a brainbuster of his own. Both down AGAIN. Benefield said Miller's brain was just busted. A titanic struggle of wills and heart ensued. Teflon kept cutting Miller off. James stomped mudholes in Miller but went to his knees in a state of exhaustion. Miller gave James a backstabber off the ropes. James rolled out to the floor. US flag in hand, Miller went for a suicide dive. He overshot it a bit but James broke his fall. Brimming with confidence, Miller threw James back in the ring. The crowd was chanting "Hollywood" to revive their champion. James kipped up into a Gamebreaker and hit the brainbuster to retain.

Great match. The adjustments they made to not having a top rope were tremendous. The knuckle lock sequence was fabulous. They SOLD for each other. James is ridiculously over as the babyface champion. It was the right time for him to show significant vulnerability in the face of a serious challenge from a maniac. The intensity of Teflon's facial expressions is something else. 

 Walker entered the ring with the title. He handed the belt to the James and raised his hand. They exchanged words off mic and Walker left the stage to the champion.

Extremely well played. They let the tension build without tipping their hands.