Photos by Ross Blair By Ross Blair: CEW packed the house for their return to the VFW on Saturday, August 30th for Gold or Gone. Following ...
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| Photos by Ross Blair |
By Ross Blair:
CEW packed the house for their return to the VFW on Saturday, August 30th for Gold or Gone. Following the success of July's big outdoor show, Bryce Cannon referred to this as CEW's "Raw after Mania" during a recent appearance on the Tapped Out podcast. Highlights of the evening included an impromptu match with Doc Gallows & the shocking fallout to the main event "Gold or Gone" stipulations, including the firing of top babyface Young Mighty Joe.
1.) The Redacted (Hakeem Young & Jay Alpha Miller) defeated The Wonder Boyz (Aaron & Ethan Dallas in their CEW debut) in their first defense of the CEW tag titles in an excellent bout. These teams have feuded throughout the state, including the Boyz defeating Redacted for the Deep South tag belts last month in Atlanta. Redacted attacked the Boyz before the bell & maintained the advantage for a bit, garnering a "Wonder Boyz" chant from the sympathetic crowd. The Dallas Boyz came back strong with multiple tandem maneuvers, including a double Russian leg sweep & elbow drops, which got the crowd roaring. They threw Redacted outside the ring & Ethan launched a tope...but Hakeem & Jay caught Ethan & threw him back into the ring to collide with Aaron. A second tope took the heels down. It looked like the Boyz were on their way to stripping Redacted of yet another title, but a completely covered masked man came from the back & attacked the Wonder Boyz...the same masked man that helped Redacted become champs at last month's super show. While Jay distracted the ref, the masked man & Hakeem delivered the Redacted's Shatter Machine-like finishing maneuver on Ethan for the pinfall victory. Great debut for the Wonder Boyz, who won over the Savannah crowd.
2.) Christian Taylor pinned Randy Reno. This began as an in-ring interview segment with Brandon Benefield & Taylor. Taylor started out calm but became increasingly unhinged by the crowd's cat calls. A frantic Taylor backed Benefield into a corner, but Benefield slipped away when Taylor got distracted by Reno's music hitting. Reno got a 2-count after a good looking bulldog. Taylor retreated outside the ring. Reno went for a tope, but Taylor clocked him as he flew outside the ring...followed by a drive by. Taylor tossed Reno back into the ring & delivered his Personality Disorder (powerbomb from a fireman's carry)...but Reno kicked out at 2. Taylor then went ballistic on Reno, ramming Reno's head into the mat about a dozen times before pinning him. A unique finish...and a suitable for Taylor's mental patient personna.
3.) Pat Roach defeated John Boy Ink in a quick match. This was Roach's first CEW appearance in over a year and Ink's second CEW appearance. Ink, a United Pro trainee, made his professional debut in May at CEW's pop-up show at Two Tides Brewery. Ink brutalized Roach for harassing the crowd. Roach rolled to the outside, grabbed brass knuckles, & cracked Ink outside of the referee's perview. Roach then got into the ring & submitted an already unconscious John Boy for the win.
4.) DRP defeated JT Paradox in a spectacular match of high flying versus power moves. This was DRP's CEW debut, while JT previously competed in December's Casino Rumble. Both impressed in this lively encounter. This was like watching the future of Georgia wrestling with these two youngsters, who are both proven prodigies on the scene. JT got a 2-count after a snap deadlift suplex...and again after a hard hitting lariat that flipped DRP inside out. But, in the end, it was DRP taking the pinfall victory after what was unquestionably the move of the night: with JT bent over, DRP stood up on his back before delivering a Mexican Destroyer. It was a helluva sight! DRP told me later that this was the first time he had attempted this move, which makes it even that more impressive!
5. Doc Gallows & Cornelius Pepperbottom defeated Bryce Cannon & Hayden Seal. Doc & Seal made their CEW debuts here. This began as an advertised interview segment with the "first CEW triple crown champion" Bryce Cannon, preceding his Coastal Chaos title win from Peppperbottom last month at Legends of the Low Country 3. Bryce, in his street clothes, started to berate Pepperbottom, which ceased when Peps' music hit. Pepperbottom grabbed the mic & said, "Bryce, I've got something I've wanted to say to you for the past 6 damn years: shut your damn mouth, you bitch!...I came to Savannah, Georgia tonight to do one thing, and that's rip that damn tip off & shove it straight up your ass!" Bryce declined Peps' request for a rematch, but he called out Hayden Seal to wrestle Peps instead. After Seal came out, Doc's music hit to start a 4-way brawl that turned into a tag match. Super fun match that by far got the biggest fan reaction. Doc Gallows delivered a delayed suplex on Seal with Seal's feet almost touching the roof of the VFW...those dudes are frickin TALL! There was a long buildup to a Doc hot tag, which included Bryce choking & stomping a mud hole on his former Exotic Youth brethren. Doc finally tagged to a huge reaction & cleaned house, including a double clothesline on Bryce & Seal. Peps tagged back in & hit his shining wizard finisher on Seal for the pin. Post match, Peps had to jump to meet Doc's Too Sweet hand gesture. Doc & Peps then delivered a magic killer on Bryce as the fans went nuts.
6.) Mila Johnson successfully defended her Intense Wrestling Entertainment (based in Augusta) women's title against WWE ID prospect Anya Rune in CEW's flourishing women's division. This match marks the first CEW match with a WWE ID status wrestler. Mila got a 2 count after an STO. The gals went back & forth before Mila gained a submission victory from an armbar on Rune.
7.) "The Wall" Tyler Stevens successfully defended his New South Wrestling (based in Alabama) heavyweight title against Dax Anthony. The Wall won this title in March. This is the first time that title has been defended here, and I love that CEW is hosting title defenses from other companies. Just last month, Audrey Allen defended her Deep South Wrestling (based in Atlanta) women's title. Dax's current arch enemy & resident dog food eater, "Marvelous" Michael Stevens joined the commentary team for this match. Dax got a 2 count after a handspring elbow & powerslam. Dax got Wall up for his Curtains Down (cutter from a fireman's carry) finisher, but Wall blocked it & countered with a chokeslam for a 2 count. Later in the match, Dax nailed Curtains Down, but Marv pulled referee Clark out when he got to 2. The Wall then hit a one-armed powerbomb for the pinfall victory. Stevens, who has slowly been turning babyface, shook Dax's hand & held up his arm after the match.
8.) Main Event: there were multiple winners & losers in the first ever "Gold or Gone" match, which included DJ Smoke, Sal Rinauro, Chad Sky Walker, Young Mighty Joe, & mystery participant Kevin Kantrell.
CEW is known for first-ever type matches & this was a good one. Four mini cases were placed above each of the four corners of the ring. The cases contained title shots at the heavyweight and Chaos titles, the Gold Contract aka Money in the Bank, and a pink slip. Competitors stop wrestling when they grab a case & their feet hit the ground, with the cases to be opened post match. The one competitor left in the ring without a case loses the match but keeps his job. Kantrell was a surprise, as he hasn't been seen much since the conclusion of his heated feud with Jay Alpha Miller last year & has hinted of stepping back. Joe climbed over his opponents to nab the first case. Kantrell & Smoke double teamed Skywalker before fighting each other. Rinauro completed a 619 on Skywalker & Kantrell before grabbing a case, but Kantrell intercepted the case & retained it as his feet hit the floor. Smoke bulldogged Skywalker while clotheslining Sal, but Sal stopped DJ from getting a case with a superplex. Skywalker navigated through the chaos to secure a case, leaving just Sal & DJ. They both grabbed the same case & fell to the mat holding it. A tug-of-war for it ceased with a DJ superkick. DJ quickly got to the floor & secured the last case, leaving Sal as the loser of the match...but able to return to CEW. CEW figurehead Simon Sermon came out for the case reveal: 1. Skywalker won a Chaos title shot, 2. in a shocker, Kantrell won the big Gold Contract/Money in the Bank opp for any title/any time, 3. DJ won a CEW heavyweight title shot, & 4.....
Young Mighty Joe is GONE! To say the impromptu firing of Joe, a top babyface who primarily works in CEW, was a surprise is a vast understatement. The tension became palpable when the moment arrived where fans knew that either DJ or Joe were about to get canned. A distraught Joe had to be restrained & escorted out by security while being berated by Sermon. We'll see where it goes from here. The ending was certainly impactful.
Per usual, ring announcing was done by Diana Michel while Brandon Benefield & Maestro Awesome were on commentary. United Pro trainee Derrick Smith debuted as a referee & joined Clark DeBenetto on the stripes this night. This was the swan song for longtime cameraman & production assistant Sebastian Parrott, whose work is taking him & his family to Hawaii. 1FW's Tony Miller was on hand for the first time, filming backstage interviews. Retired grappler Michael Walker, now with short hair, was in really good spirits while working behind the scenes at this show.
CEW has a really fun theme for their next show, "Rewind" on September 26th at the Savannah VFW. They're celebrating the company's 6-year anniversary by doing mixups of current roster members & CEW originals. Already signed is current heavyweight champ "Hollywood" Hunter James versus "Pretty Boy" Matt Odam. Odam is the second ever CEW champ & was never beaten for the title. He had to relinquish the strap in 2023 when he broke his back outside the ring. The poster for the event shows the following faces: Hunter, OG Odam, OG Voodoo, OG Sergeant Scratch, OG William Blackwell, Christian Taylor, the returning Kelsey Raegan, & South Carolina wrestler Chase Emory.
