CEW Coastal Casino Rumble Review

From Larry Goodman: The 2024 Casino Rumble show set the stage for the major storylines that propelled CEW through 2025: the return of Bryce ...

From Larry Goodman:

The 2024 Casino Rumble show set the stage for the major storylines that propelled CEW through 2025: the return of Bryce Cannon to continue his feud with Dax Anthony, the debut of Chad Sky Walker's mysterious VHS tape, and Michael Walker's heroic attempt to win the CEW Championship, which was ultimately revealed as a sham by virture of his deal with the devil incarnate, Simon Sermon. 

The 2025 Casino Rumble may have done likewise for the company's 2026. Bryce Cannon emerged as the winner thus earned a title match with Walker at Jandemonium 3 tomorrow night at VFW Post 660 in Savannah. 

This year's Rumble mystery is what is going on  with Cannon's arch enemy, Dax Anthony? Anthony saved Cannon from a postmatch beatdown, leaving Cannon in a state of total confusion.

Michael Walker and Kevin Kantrell tore the house down in their CEW Championship match. Walker won but ain't nobody counting Kantrell out of the title picture. 

Kantrell got screwed  out of the title by Jay Alpha Miller. Their feud is one of the hottest things going in CEW and they will meet again at Jandemonium 3 in a no ropes three round match win by tap out or knock out only.                                                            

Chaos Champion Hakeem Young retained his title but the return of Cornelius Pepperbottom could spell doom for his 14 month title reign.

The commentary team of Brandon Benefield and Maestro sent it to Diana Michel in the ring to kick the show off with a Tag Team Turmoil title match.  

(1) Allen Brothers (Steve & Robert) defeat Exodus (Jacked Josh & Body Bundy) to retain the Tag Team Turmoil Championship in 8:01.  Steve wrestled barefooted. I don't get it. Jimmy Snuka at least taped his ankles. Benefield put Exodus over bigtime. Said they had wrestled internationally and held titles in five other promotions. Gotta love any wrestler with the audacity to use the name Bundy. No see tag and boots put to Robert. The crowd put the heat on referee Clark DeBenedetto.  In the end, Steve used his brother's back as a springboard to take Josh out and Allen Brothers retained with  a shotgun dropkick/german suplex combo on Bundy.

Another fabulous title defense by Allen Brothers. CEW has showcased a whole lot of tag teams. Exodus was as good as any of them. There's no way the title were changing hands. I'm itchy for a real story for Allen Brothers. Maybe that happens at Jandemonium 3. 

"Boss Daddy" Simon Sermon out to massive heat and being super haughty. Sermon said the "Savannahmal" Young Mighty Joe climbed trees on city property and got detained so he was not going to be there to face him. Simon invited any competitor in the back to put  their spot in The Rumble up for grabs against him. If said competitor beat him, he got to choose his entrance number in The Rumble.  Lose and Walker took their place in The Rumble. DJ Smoke cane out to accept Simon's challenge. Sermons said Smoke should know his place and tried to bully him. That shit didn't fly. 

Simon popped me by calling ring announcer Diana Michel "Dana". 

(2) DJ Smoke defeated Simon Sermon in 4:26, Smoke reversed the Manchester Driver and rolled Simon up. Match was just what it needed to be.   

Backstage, Benefield wanted to know how Kantrell was feeling about his upcoming title match. Kantrell wanted to know how "Main Event Mike" was feeling? Everything over the last year had led Kantrell to this moment. He ran the gauntlet, had the Chaos title ripped from his hands and put down CEW's Alpha. Kantrell was feelin like this wouldn not be Walker's championship at the end of the night. He was feeling like Kantrell rules.  

Great promo. 

(3) Hakeem Young defeated Randall Reno III to retain the Coastal Chaos Championship in 6:52. Hakeem rolled through on Reno's crossbody and pinned him with feet on the ropes. DeBenedetto was the referee. All three  of them nailed the execution of the finish and that's all that mattered. 

(4) Michael Walker defeated Kevin Kantrell to retain the CEW Championship in 20:16. Simon Sermon and Christian Taylor left Fro to his own devices. Crowd yelling for Walker to tap and they had barely locked up. Walker channeled Larry Zbyszko. 

Kantrell dragged Walker back by his fro and beat his ass with love. Walker ducked a chop. that clunked off the post.  A chopfest broke out with with Diana and the commentary team getting a bird's eye view. Apron half and half by Kantrell. Walker zeroed in on the arm injury. Kantrell forced Walker to go for the ropes with the Kantrell Rules crossface and got a close near fall with the Kantrell Clash. Kantrell went for all marbles with a moonsault. Nobody home. Same for Walker's Froggy Bow. 

Boss Daddy Simon interfere as Kantrell brainbusts Walker. Taylor attacks Kantrell from the opposite side and takes a release german suplex from the challenger. A belt shot from Walker connects. Kantrell kicks out from the Fronado DDT again. Kantrell digging down deep. Kantrell gets the Kantrell Rules crossface locked in. Walker taps but unseen by referee Jessie B due to Sermon's interference. A masked man jummped in and  hit Kantrell with a loaded fist. The masked revealed himself to be Jay Alpah Miller and Walker covered to retain. The crowd chants "you tapped out" at Walker.

Best Georgia match I've seen so far this year. Yeah, I know, the match took place in 2025. 

(5) Bryce Cannon was the winner of the 20 man Coastal Casino Rumble in 47:52. Competitors in order of entrance: Jay Alpha Miller, Steve Allen, Hakeem Young, JT Paradox, Karl Hager, Robert Allen, Christian Taylor, Bryce Cannon, Chad Sky Walker, Cody Fluffman, Cornelius Pepperbottom, Randall Reno, Simon Sermon, Radbod Mikey, Greg Kistle, Matt Odam, Clark DeBenedetto, Kevin Kantrell, Tyler Stevens and DJ Smoke.

Highlights:

 -- GWH Rookie of the Year nominee JT Paradox did not look at all out of place in his CEW debut.

-- Hager's appearance was his first in CEW since Jandemonium 2.

-- Taylor is a strong as an ox. He gave Hager a giant swing.

-- Cannon entered like a house of fire with a double Twisted Tea on  Alpha and Hakeem. 

-- Fluffman dished out multiple steam rollers. He and Cannon administered stereo steam rollers.   

-- Pepperbottom returned for the first time since July. Hakeem looked like he had seen a ghost. 

-- Pepps took one of the scariest bumps of 2025. He went over the top rope with him and appeared to land right on his head. It was a miracle he came out of it unharmed but somehow he did. 

-- Everybody in the ring got a face full from Reno's spray bottle from Cannon, sold like it contained a poisonous chemical instead of water.

-- Radbod Mikey didn't let the show being two days after Christmas get in the way of coming to the ring dressed as Santa Claus.

--  Odam, the second champion in company history returned to CEW for the first time since 2022 when he defeated Cannon for the title but had to relinquish it due to a broken back.  

-- "The Pistol" Greg Kistle made his CEW debut. He and Fluff admired each other's mullets.

-- DeBenedetto reluctantly made his debut as a wrestler. He gave Sermon, the man who dubbed him "Hot Twink", a kick in the groin, then was saved from Miller's Second Amendment by his real-life father Kantrell.

Miller eliminated Kantrell. Kantrell returned to the ring and eliminated Miller.

-- Stevens gave Taylor a pair of choke slams and set his sights on a cowering Boss Daddy. 

-- Smoke entered in the 20th spot he earned by defeating Sermon and got Stevens off his feet with a codebreaker. Their interaction set up a David/Goliath match for Jandemoninum 3.

Reno blinded Taylor with his sprayer and out he went. Cannon got rid of Sermon.

The final four were Cannon, Stevens, Odam and Reno. The other three competitors teamed up to eliminate Stevens. Cannon cut off Odam's slingshot spear and tossed him out. Former champion Cannon eliminated former champion and 2024 rumble winner Reno to earn the title match with Walker at Jandemonium 3.

Walker made his way to the ring with the title belt in his hands. Sermon and Taylor attacked Cannon from behind and put the boots to him.  Walker prepared to tattoo Cannon with the belt.

The lights went out. Lights on and Dax Anthony was in the ring. Anthony took the belt from Walker to do the honors...and laid out Taylor and Walker with the belt instead. Anthony eyeballed Boss Daddy. Simon took a powder. Anthony threw the belt down on the mat. Simon scooped up his precious prize. The crowd was stunned, likewise Cannon. Anthony looked down at Cannon and departed.

This was a highly entertaining Rumble. I loved th amibiguity of Anthony's change of heart. The crowd seemed not to know how to react. With the time between entrances increased to two minutes, this Casino Rumble was more ambitious than the previous one. There was very little dead time or standing around and powers that be did a great job of laying out it so the ring didn't get clutterered with too many bodies at once. I also thought the field was a little stronger this year. Most importantly, pivotal future match were were set up.