CZW Prelude To Violence 5/12/2018

Dezmond Xavier squares off against Rich Swann. Myron Reed & Trey Miguel take on the Private Party. Jimmy Rave and BLK Jeez return to CZW. Alex Reynolds, John Silver, Zachary Wentz and Wheeler Yuta compete for the vacant CZW Wired Championship. Plus much more!

Combat Zone Wrestling presents Prelude To Violence
Date: 5/12/2018
From: Voorhees, NJ

It would appear that there are not many fans at this show. CZW crowds are usually pretty quiet anyway, but visually there doesn’t appear to be many people witnessing this show.

Opening Contest: Myron Reed & Trey Miguel vs. The Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen): Reed and Miguel come off the middle rope during their entrance to hit ace cutters and stereo suicide dives to the floor. They also take out Private Party’s manager on the floor. Kassidy comes in and eventually takes Miguel down with a tornado DDT. Reed kicks Quen to the floor off the apron. Reed sends Miguel on Kassidy for a two count on an assisted splash. Miguel and Kassidy are the legal guys with Miguel working over Kassidy with chops before hitting a seated kick for a two count. Miguel keeps control of the match on the mat working over the left arm and delivers several elbow strikes. Kassidy kicks Reed and Miguel in the corner. He avoids two back suplex attempts and Quen comes off the top with a crossbody to take both men out. Quen kicks Reed before going back to Reed looking for a middle rope move. Reed stops him but gets trapped between Miguel’s legs in the corner. Quen kicks Miguel causing him to take Reed over with a reverse hurricanrana. I honestly despise that spot.

Quen backdrops Miguel to the apron and Kassidy dropkicks Miguel to the floor. Kassidy works over Reed but is met with a forearm shot. Reed kicks Quen too. Reed is kicked on the apron and placed over the middle rope. Kassidy delivers a double stomp to drive Reed to the floor. Kassidy dives to the floor and Quen gets a two count on Reed. Kassidy keeps Reed on the mat with a sleeper hold. Kassidy has Reed on his shoulders but Reed connects with a stunner. Reed does the same to Quen to counter a suplex attempt. Miguel is on the apron waiting for the tag and gets tagged in. Miguel dropkicks Kassidy on the floor and clotheslines Quen in the corner. Miguel head scissors Kassidy followed by a neckbreaker. Miguel traps Quen’s head in the corner and Miguel does the same move that I despite. I mean, really?Reed hits a top rope 450 splash and pins Quen. (**1/4. The reverse hurricanrana by your own partner is a move that I personally hate and it was done twice in this match for reasons I don’t know. These guys are capable wrestlers and can have a good match without that spot. Also, please just take a few moments to sell moves. Decent opener and probably even better if you like the dives and whatnot without substance to a story.)

Second Contest: Brandon Kirk vs. Jason Cade: Early on, Cade knocks Kirk to the mat and casually kicks him in the face to add insult to the situation. Cade avoids a boot and ducks couple of kick attempts. Cade arm drags Kirk but Kirk comes back quickly with one of his own. They both try for standing dropkicks but miss. Cade takes Kirk down with a standing hurricanrana and chops him to the mat. Cade drops Kirk to the mat with another chop. Kirk avoids a springboard by nailing Cade with a knee to drop Cade to the floor. Kirk takes Cade out with a somersault dive over the top to the floor. Kirk covers Cade but can’t get a three count. Kirk beats on Cade with an overhand chop in the corner. Kirk does it again and Cade crumbles in the corner. Cade staggers Kirk with a kick and a knee in the corner. Cade takes Kirk over with an exploder suplex for a two count. Kirk takes Cade over with a back suplex for a two count. Cade drives Kirk back first into the corner and delivers a kick to drop Kirk. Kirk nails Cade with a knee strike and then tosses Cade into the top turnbuckle with a suplex. Kirk goes for the cover but Cage is in the ropes and still gets a two count.

Kirk sits Cade on the top turnbuckle and hooks Cade for a suplex attempt. Cade kicks Kirk and delivers a double stomp. Cade drives Kirk into the corner with a Death Valley Driver for a near fall. Kirk avoids a handspring and hits a springboard cutter for a two count. Kirk goes to the top rope but the Shook Crew has come out to ringside to distract the referee and Kirk. Max Caster trips Kirk onto the top turnbuckle and gets taken out by security. Cade superkicks Kirk and hits Black Magic for the win. (**1/2. The match was actually solid but that finish sucked. CZW security sucks is what I’m gathering from this match. Also, I wonder how many springboard cutters I’ll see on this show. Like I said, the match wasn’t awful and had solid action prior to the poor finish.) After the match, Kirk gets beaten up a bit until his girlfriend enters and hits one of the guys with a water jug on a stick. The other two members hold her but don’t worry… DJ Hyde runs into the ring for the save.

DJ Hyde grabs a microphone and tells security to let them go. He is tired of the Shook Crew, whom he calls stupid idiots. Kirk decides to throw a chair into the crowd, which isn’t a bright idea. Hyde says that they will have a six person hardcore match. The woman is Kasey Katal, who actually is a wrestler and I didn’t even realize it was her. Hyde says that they can come to TOD and “if you don’t know… I will call the cops on you.” I believe that was in reference to calling the police on GCW.

Third Contest: Kit Osbourne vs. Mitch Vallen in an ultraviolence match: Vallen has a 2×4 wrapped in barbed wire but is met with a chair shot from Osbourne. Osbourne delivers a chair assisted dropkick in the corner. Osbourne grabs a bag and its thumbtacks. Osbourne has a power tool and digs into Vallen’s back and forehead. I mean, what in the world am I watching. Oddly, Vallen’s back isn’t bleeding after that. Vallen tosses tacks into Osbourne’s face to break free. Osbourne comes off with a springboard to drop Vallen to the floor. Vallen drives Osbourne back first into the apron and then drives Osbourne face first into the ring steps. Vallen yells at the fans to move and drives Osbourne into the guard railing. Vallen chokes Osbourne against the railing and delivers a headbutt. Vallen decides to run around the ring but Osbourne went back into the ring and took Vallen out with a suicide dive on the opposite side of the ring. Osbourne superkicks Vallen into a chair against the railing and connects with a dropkick after running around the ring. Osbourne whacks Vallen over the back with a steel chair. Vallen yanks Osbourne down to the mat and drops Kit back first onto the apron.

Vallen uses his barbed wire 2×4 and rakes Osbourne’s forehead with it. Vallen gets a two count back in the ring. Osbourne kicks Vallen followed by several other strikes. Vallen drives Osbourne back first onto the tacks for a two count. Osbourne isn’t bleeding from the barbed wire spot, which is odd. Vallen uses a staple gun on Osbourne, who then flips off Vallen and wants more. So, Vallen gives him another one. Kit spits on Vallen and gets five more staples. Vallen slams Osbourne onto the tacks and wants the camera to see his face. Vallen can’t get a three count after that. Mind you, now Osbourne is bleeding. Vallen slides two chairs into the ring to continue the trend of violence. Vallen demands a barbed wire board be brought into the ring and it is. Vallen goes back to the power tool and digs into Kit’s midsection. Vallen lays the barbed wire board onto two chairs. Vallen sits Osbourne onto the top turnbuckle. Osbourne powerbombs Vallen through the barbed wire board for a two count. Kit pulls Vallen up out of the barbed wire and Kit stomps Vallen’s face onto a chair. Kit uses the staple gun on Vallen’s body. Kit delivers a double stomp onto the steel chair.

Kit goes under the ring to grab an envelope. Osbourne has 8x10s of himself and signs one of them before stapling it to Vallen’s forehead. Osbourne goes to the top rope and hits a double stomp for the win. (**. So, I didn’t realize it was a qualifier match until towards the end when the commentators mentioned that. The match actually got the guy who lost over more so than Osbourne. That couldn’t have been the intent. These kinds of matches don’t work when the usage of some things don’t lead to a guy bleeding. For the ultraviolent style of wrestling, I suppose it was enjoyable. They certainly an easy watch because visually it’s appealing on some level.)

Conor Claxton attacks Kit Osbourne as he was walking towards the backstage area with his back to the curtain. Claxton has liquor and dumps some of it on Osbourne’s open wounds. Claxton sets two chairs and proceeds to deliver an incredibly dangerous tombstone onto the chairs. Claxton says if they want him to be ultra violent then they will get just that. He proceeds to leave the ring and Osbourne is laid out.

Anthony Gangone and his friends make their way down to the ring and the announcers are acting like this wasn’t on the rundown sheet. Gangone has a microphone and taunts the crowd, but nobody seems all that interested in the act. Gangone demands complete silence when he speaks. Gangone puts over his group, House of Gangone. He says there’s a bootleg version of his group in CZW known as Fear. The leader of the group is Joe Gacy and he isn’t here tonight. Gangone knows why because he almost killed Gacy at Cage of Death and beat him in the same building they are in right now. He also screwed over Gacy at Best of the Best. He claims that the office doesn’t want him there and says he will give Gacy his pink slip if he doesn’t stay away.

Fourth Contest: Dezmond Xavier vs. Rich Swann in a number one contenders match for the CZW World Championship: Xavier starts off working over Swann with a boot to the midsection and an overhand strike to the back. Swann fights back with a knee lift and connects with a sunset flip but avoids a double stomp. Xavier lands on his feet to avoid a German suplex and they have a standoff. Xavier sidesteps Swann but is sent to the floor after a dropkick. Xavier avoids Swann upon returning to the ring and drops Swann with a cutter. Xavier strikes Swann several times in the corner but gets sent to the apron after running towards Swann. Swann decks Xabier off the apron. Swann meets Xavier on the floor and avoids a knee strike from the apron. Swann dropkicks Xavier over the guard railing into the crowd. Swann is fired up and wants the fans to get amped up. They brawl in the crowd for a few moments. Swann runs the wall to do a backflip. Xavier does the same to knock Swann out with a moonsault. Xavier forearms Swann on the floor and attempts a springboard but Swann nails Xavier with a superkick.

They are back in the ring and they trade near falls. Xavier strikes Swann several times followed by an elbow strike. Swann kicks Xavier on the lower back. Xavier kicks Swann followed by a pump kick. Swann avoids Xavier and delivers several strikes. Swann is met with a boot in the corner but takes Xavier off the middle rope with a hurricanrana. Swann nearly wins the match with a rolling thunder. Swann heads to the middle rope but misses a Phoenix Splash. Xavier uppercuts Swann in the corner and nearly wins with a rollup. Xavier hits a backflip kick but Swann refuses to stay down on the cover. Xavier beats on Swann with strikes in the corner and he’s selling his forearm. Swann fights back with a series of strikes and staggers Xavier with palm strikes. Swann plants Xavier with a reverse hurricanrana followed by a handspring cutter for a two count. Swann delivers a kick to keep Xavier on the mat. Swann goes to the middle rope and attempts a 450 splash but misses. Xavier drops Swann with a Pele kick for the win. (***1/4. I’d say it was a quality match even with there being repetitive moves that have been used to death in previous matches. Xavier challenging MJF makes sense to me since his group, the Rascalz, are being primed to be major forces for the company.) After the match, Xavier does the usual “hey, I won but I have to put over my opponent.”

KC Navarro is brought out to be interviewed in the ring. Navarro talks about being given a chance to be in Best of the Best, and he failed. However, he’s been training since then and he wants to prove that he belongs in CZW. Navarro agrees that he’ll fight anyone in the backstage area. That leads to…

Fifth Contest: Josh Briggs vs. KC Navarro: Navarro shows his speed, or in this case fear, to avoid Briggs. Briggs sends Navarro into the ropes but KC avoids Briggs and delivers a kick from the apron. Briggs drives Navarro down to the mat with a swinging backbreaker. Briggs continues to stomp on Navarro and sends KC dangerously into the corner chest first. Briggs does it a second time and KC is trying to catch his breath on the mat. Briggs beats Navarro down to the mat after telling him he doesn’t like him. Briggs also tells Navarro that he doesn’t belong in CZW. Briggs attempts a spinning side slam, but Navarro counters with a tornado DDT for a two count. Navarro hits a Code Red for a one count and runs into a big boot. Briggs continues with the M-5, which is a backbreaker out of a chokeslam and he hits a second time for the win. (**. Alright, so I’ve seen Briggs competing mostly in NEW and I must say this is the most effective booking I’ve seen of him. The presentation of him as a monster and dominating people fits his look and style. If he can continue this kind of thing in CZW he’ll be a major force to deal with.)

Jimmy Rave makes his way down to the ring to cut a promo. He hasn’t been seen in CZW for fourteen years and he makes note of that. Rave mentions the talents that he worked with like Chris Hero, Alex Shelley, B-Boy, and Trent Acid. Rave remembers being the Iron Man champion and went on to bigger things with ROH, TNA, Dragon Gate and New Japan. However, what he missed was the competition in CZW. Rave puts over competition that happens in CZW. Rave is here to put them on notice. Rave wants to show why he bleeds black and yellow before anyone else ever did. Rave says that everyone will see why he should never have left.

Sixth Contest: Conor Claxton vs. Dan O’Hare vs. Mance Warner vs. Stockade in a chairs, doors, and ladders match: Apparently, the winner will be able to pick the stipulation to their first round match at TOD. O’Hare rams Stockade back first into a ladder in the corner and bites his forehead. Warner and Claxton are just standing there enjoying this. They proceed to drive O’Hare down with a back suplex. They quickly turn on each other and trade forearm strikes in the middle of the ring. Warner drops Claxton following an elbow strike. Claxton spits liquor into Warner’s eyes and goes to work on Stockade with forearms. Claxton tosses Stockade onto the ladder back first. O’Hare has a ladder but Claxton whacks him with a steel chair. Warner headbutts the chair into Claxton’s face to send him to the floor. Warner whacks O’Hare over the back with a steel chair. O’Hare tries to springboard off the chair but the chair collapses. You aren’t a cruiserweight, man. Stockade decks O’Hare with a chair. Stockade sets up two chairs and brings O’Hare over to lay him onto chairs. However, O’Hare is able to trip Stockade off the middle rope and he falls face first onto the chairs.

Warner whacks Claxton over the back with a steel chair. O’Hare has placed a door across two chairs in the corner. Warner is busted wide open. Warner pokes O’Hare in the eyes and then springboards off the referee to put O’Hare through the door with a tornado DDT for a two count. Stockade and O’Hare brawl outside the ring and into the crowd. Warner and Claxton are brawling around ringside. Stockade is slamming the security guys onto O’Hare. Stockade has Warner and slams him onto the concrete floor. O’Hare is tossing a bunch of chairs into the scene from behind a curtain. Claxton and Stockade are trading headbutts while O’Hare has brought a few more doors into the mix. O’Hare also has a ladder and puts both Stockade and Warner onto the doors. O’Hare leaps off the top of the ladder to put them through the door with an elbow drop.

Claxton dives off the top of the stage to take everyone out with a swanton to the floor. Warner apparently was able to avoid it and uses a chair on O’Hare. Warner brings O’Hare towards the ring and takes a swig of booze. Warner drives O’Hare down to the mat following a headbutt. Warner sets a door up in the corner but O’Hare is able to slam Warner through the door. O’Hare has the cover but Claxton breaks up the cover. O’Hare and Claxton trade strikes in the corner until Claxton delivers a piledriver. Stockade whacks Claxton over the head with a steel chair and hits a Death Valley Driver through a door. O’Hare uses a piece of door to breakup the cover. O’Hare has gusted plates glued to a door and gets speared through the door by Warner. Stockade was also sent through the door. Warner decks O’Hare with a clothesline to win the match. (**1/2. I never really know how to properly rate these kinds of matches from an entertainment stand point. They did some enjoyable things and I guess the violence wasn’t too over the top. O’Hare did better in this match compared to other matches I’ve seen him in.)

BLK Jeez makes his way out to return to CZW for the first time in a few years. Maven Bentley was in the ring cutting a promo and that brought out BLK Jeez. Jeez pats the microphone on his groin to get the crowd to clap. Jeez insults Bentley to start the segment and asks if Bentley is still promising the world to young kids. Jeez calls Bentley a punk ass bitch. Bentley brags about being a rich person. Jeez puts over BLKOUT and how it was the greatest stable in the promotions history. Bentley says that he won a lawsuit for Jeez to even have his name. Jeez says nobody respects Bentley. Jeez asks the fans if they care about the Rep, and they certainly don’t. Jeez says they went to Europe on their own meanwhile the Rep had be sent over. Jeez tells the crowd that the Rep paid for their flights to Europe. Bentley paid for Jeez’s flight to Japan. Jeez says at least he still went, but it makes no sense. Jeez talks about July 28th and wants a title match against the Rep. He wants a tag match with BLKOUT challenging the Rep for the tag titles. Bentley calls Jeez a bitch for being here when the Rep isn’t here. Jeez just wants to know if they are going to do this. The crowd calls Bentley a bitch. Bentley says he isn’t going to get shit. Jeez says they were voted by the fans for being the best team in CZW history. Jeez suggests that Bentley give the Rep a message from him. Jeez decks Bentley and says, “You always bet on black.” That was a rather long segment with cheap insults and inside stuff from ten years ago that nobody really cared about.

Main Event: Alex Reynolds vs. John Silver vs. Wheeler Yuta vs. Zachary Wentz for the vacant CZW Wired Title: MJF had to vacate the championship since he won the CZW World Championship. Silver tackles Reynolds and hammers away on his former partner before dumping him to the floor and takes him out with a wild suicide dive. Reynolds sends Silver back first into the guard railing while Yuta tried to pin Wentz. They trade a couple of pin attempts and then avoid offensive strikes. They attempt dropkicks and they have the predictable standoff. Reynolds decks Wentz to the floor but Yuta arm drags Reynolds and locks in an abdominal stretch before switching to a rollup. Reynolds dries Yuta into the corner and delivers a running knee strike. Silver gets back into the ring and hammers away on Reynolds. Reynolds bails to the floor to avoid his former partner. Wentz ducks a clothesline from Silver to hit a springboard corkscrew crossbody. Silver bails to the floor as well. Reynolds returns to clothesline Wentz to prevent a dive to the floor. Yuta gets yanked down to the apron by Reynolds. Silver takes Reynolds out with a somersault dive to drop Reynolds to the floor. Wentz dives off Yuta to take Reynolds and Silver out with a crossbody.

Yuta takes everyone out with a springboard corkscrew dive. Yuta comes off the top with a crossbody but can’t put Reynolds away. Yuta puts Reynolds on the top turnbuckle and attempts a superplex. Reynolds fights free and kicks Yuta onto the middle rope. That leads to a double reverse DDT because Wentz came off the top with a blockbuster. All four men are laid out in the ring but Silver grabs Wentz moments later to deliver an uppercut. Silver uppercuts Wentz a few more times followed by a series of kicks to the chest. They begin to trade several strikes with Silver running into a kick. Silver comes back with one of his own and they collide with clotheslines. Yuta and Reynolds take them out with superkicks. They begin to trade strikes and boots. They try superkicks and get tangled up leading to being hit with superkicks. Silver kicks Wentz to the corner. Reynolds drops Silver with a stunner. Yuta slams Wentz to the mat for a near fall. Yuta tries for a reverse DDT on Reynolds, but Reynolds counters by dropping him over his knee face first for a two count.

Wentz comes in and grabs Reynolds and delivers a handspring knee strike followed by a face buster for a two count. Wentz runs into a back elbow form Silver and sent into the corner like a lawn dart. Silver runs into a spinning back elbow from Wentz. Silver plants Wentz with a cutter. Yuta takes Silver out with a missile dropkick and Reynolds almost pins Yuta with a rollup. Silver and Reynolds knock out Yuta and then confront each other. Wentz dropkicks the former friends. Silver kicks Wentz in the corner and along with Reynolds they double team Wentz. Wentz bails to the floor after a German suplex from Silver. Reynolds and Silver trade strikes in the middle of the ring. Reynolds runs into a standing dropkick. Silver boots Reynolds and hits a spinning sit out. Blackwater enters the ring and whacks Silver with a cane. Silver gets distracted by that. Blackwater gets jumped by the House of Gangone on the floor. Silver is destroyed by Wentz and Yuta with a superkick/suplex combo. Silver has been eliminated.

Wentz spikes Yuta with a Destroyer, and Yuta quickly comes back with a knee strike causing them to be laid out. This was not announced was an elimination match. Silver comes back into the ring and decks Reynolds with a chair shot. Silver drops Reynolds onto the chair with a slam. Silver forearms Wentz and Yuta. Silver nails Reynolds with a kick to the face before leaving the ring. Yuta gets to top and hits an elbow drop on Reynolds to eliminate him.

Yuta is pulled up by Wentz who connects with a slam for a two count. Wentz hammers away on Yuta with overhand strikes. Wentz heads to the top rope missing a double stomp. Yuta comes off the middle rope with a head scissors and a few more strikes. Yuta drives Wentz down with a sit down driver for a near fall. Yuta tries for a reverse DDT but Wentz counters. Yuta tries for a rollup only managing a two count. Wentz comes off the ropes and plants Yuta with a springboard cutter for the win and title. (***1/2. This was constant action and some quality wrestling. It went about fifteen minutes and I thought it was pretty good stuff. Wentz winning makes the most sense considering CZW is really investing in the Rascalz group, which was made evident during WrestleMania weekend.) After the match, the other Rascalz members enter the ring and celebrate with Wentz.

Final Thoughts:
Several top CZW stars are working a show in England, which is the next show I’ll be reviewing because of that. The show is for sure a B-level event but I thought there was enough quality action to make this worth viewing. Swann/Xavier was enjoyable, as was the main event. Plus, the hardcore stuff was enjoyable too, if you like that kind of stuff. So, I’ll actually give this a recommendation. Going into this show I didn’t think it was going to be overly good, but I was surprised by what I saw.

I should note that I’m most likely not going to be reviewing the Tournament of Death event. That’s because I really don’t know how to properly review/rate a show with the focus being strictly death matches. That kind of show seems like it would be better served to just sit in awe of people destroying each other for whatever reason.

So, the next CZW show I’ll be reviewing (aside from the England show with 1PW) will be their June 29th show.

Thanks for reading.