CZW 15th Anniversary Show 2/8/2014

Combat Zone Wrestling presents 15th Anniversary Show
Date: 2/8/2014
From: Voorhees Township, NJ

Opening Contest: Joe Gacy vs. Shane Strickland: Gacy shoves Strickland into the corner and follows up with a suicide dive to the floor. Gacy rolls Strickland into the ring and keeps control with a stomp in the corner and a powerbomb. Gacy kicks Strickland and hits a snap suplex. Gacy goes for a cover, but Strickland kicks out at two. Gacy scoop slams Strickland and delivers a seated dropkick. Strickland fights back with a few strikes and chops. Gacy back elbows Strickland to the mat and delivers a knee strike to the side. Gacy comes off the middle rope hitting a knee drop. Strickland kicks Gacy, but Gacy responds with a clothesline for a two count. Strickland misses a kick and Gacy tries for a submission. Strickland counters with a strike and a spinning kick. Strickland and Gacy continue to trade right hands in the middle of the ring. Strickland chops Gacy a few times, but Gacy forearms Strickland. Strickland nails Gacy with another kick to the head. Gacy misses a clothesline and tries for a handspring, but is kicked and planted with a DDT. Strickland goes to the top rope, but is met with an uppercut and a side suplex. Gacy covers managing a two count. Gacy has a full nelson submission on the mat, but Strickland doesn’t give in. Strickland backs Gacy into the corner a few times and elbows Gacy. Strickland elbows and kicks a charging Gacy followed by a kick to the corner. Gacy puts Strickland in the tree of woe and hits a running forearm. Gacy connects with a reverse suplex into a stunner and a lariat for a two count. Gacy heads to the top rope missing a splash. Strickland kicks Gacy a few times to gain control. Strickland delivers a kick to the back of Gacy’s head to win the match. (***. The finish was a little abrupt, but that was an enjoyable start to the show. Gacy looked really good and made fans look foolish for chanting “sloppy Joe” at him. Strickland has loads of talent, too. Obviously these two would go on to make names for themselves in bigger promotions.)

Tommy Dreamer is introduced and makes his way down to the ring to cut a promo. Dreamer puts over CZW for being around for fifteen years. Dreamer was taught to never lie to the fans and the card is always subject to change. Ruckus is not here and Biff Busick messed up his knee and is not here. There will be a surprise entrant in the four way. The winner will then challenge the CZW World Champion next month, whomever that should be. There will also be an unadvertised match for the sick CZW fans. DJ Hyde makes his way out to confront Dreamer. Hyde says he has all the respect in the world for Dreamer. Hyde says that he’s the boss when it comes to CZW. Hyde is Dreamer’s boss, as a result. Hyde says that Dreamer works for him. Dreamer makes fun of how Hyde looks wearing a brown suit. Dreamer tells Hyde to not disrespect him. Dreamer says that there will be special main event for the fans. Dreamer walks off. Hyde says he has authority and will do whatever he wants. Hyde promised an announcement for the TOD. The show will be June 14th and tickets are on sale now. The first two entrants will be Danny Havoc and Jun Kasai. Hyde also inducts the newest member of the HOF. He inducts himself. BLK Jeez comes out to join the segment. Jeez can’t believe that Hyde inducted himself into the HOF. Jeez tells Hyde everyone is laughing at him. Jeez calls Hyde a POS. Jeez blames Hyde for the negative talk on CZW. Jeez says that Hyde is the worst for putting the boys against each other. Hyde doesn’t know what Jeez problem is and says he’s the boss and that’s just the way it is. Jeez slaps Hyde after saying nobody wants him there. Jeez walks off.

Second Contest: Caleb Konley vs. Pepper Parks: Konley works over Parks with chops in the corner, but Parks counters with forearms. Konley chops Parks and sends Parks into the corner a few times. Konley backdrops Parks coming off the ropes. Konley sends Parks over the ropes to the floor after Parks hit the corner hard. Konley fakes a dive as Parks moved out of the way. Parks pulls Konley to the floor and into the guard railing. Parks rams Konley back first into the apron before returning to the ring. Konley arm drags Parks and hits a head scissors to send Parks to the mat and keeps control with a headlock. Konley ducks a few strikes and tries for a head scissors, but Parks sends Konley into the ropes, which looked like a botch by Konley. Parks chokes Konley in the corner with a tag rope. Parks kicks Konley on the back and locks in a neck vice. Park scoop slams Konley and goes to the middle rope and blocks a boot, but misses an elbow drop. They begin to trade strikes in the middle of the ring. Parks sends Konley to the apron, but Konley fights back with a shoulder ram and backdrops Parks over the top to the floor. Konley hits a springboard moonsault to the floor!

Konley goes to the top rope and missile dropkicks Parks. Konley hits a tornado DDT out of the corner for a near fall. Parks drops Konley over the top rope and hits a swinging neckbreaker for a near fall. They fight over Parks workout equipment and Konley almost wins with a rollup. Konley gets Parks down with the OH! Face and forces a submission to win the match. (**. The finish was a little flat as I think the rollup off the equipment struggle would have been the better moment to end the match. It’s a decent undercard match between these two.) After the match, Alexander James is seen clapping for Konley’s victory.

Third Contest: Joey Ryan vs. Greg Excellent: Ryan starts off with a side headlock for the early advantage. Excellent counters with a hammerlock and then to a headlock. Excellent puts the lollipop into his mouth grossing the fans out. Ryan takes it back into his mouth. They are just being gross with the lollipop at this point. Excellent puts the claw on Ryan after rubbing himself with the hand. Excellent grabs Ryan by the facial hair until the referee breaks them apart from each other. They yell at the referee who pulls their chest hair. Ryan decks Excellent and stomps away on the mat. Ryan proclaims he’s a serious wrestler. Ryan continues with right hands in the corner. Ryan clotheslines Excellent for a two count. Excellent bites Ryan’s midsection and hits a Samoan Drop for a two count. Excellent runs into a superkick and a German suplex for a near fall. Ryan sits Excellent on the top rope, but Excellent shoves Ryan off and hits a crossbody off the top rope. Excellent pulls his singlet down and hits a running cannonball in the corner. Excellent spikes Ryan with the Tiger Driver 69, but only gets a two count. Pepper Parks comes down to ringside and yells at Excellent on the apron. Ryan accidentally hits Parks and Excellent counters a sunset flip by sitting down for the win. (*. This kind of comedy just isn’t my cup of tea.)

Fourth Contest: CZW Wired TV Champion Devon Moore vs. Matt Tremont: Tremont attacks before the bell with strikes against the ropes. Tremont clotheslines Moore and taunts the crowd. Moore almost wins with an inside cradle. Tremont continues to work over Moore with strikes in the corner. Moore elbows Tremont and leaps off the middle rope but is slammed to the mat. Tremont connects with a splash for a near fall. Tremont misses a splash and is clotheslined by Moore in the corner. Moore hits a blockbuster off the top rope and both men are down. They begin to trade strikes in the middle of the ring. Tremont headbutts Moore, but Moore responds with a few of his own. Tremont stops Moore with a headbutt. Moore avoids a back suplex and plants Tremont with a cutter for a two count. Tremont sends Moore into the corner and connects with a big splash. Tremont nails Moore with a running face wash a few times. Moore superkicks Tremont and nearly wins the match. Moore heads to the top rope, but Tremont stops Moore with a strike. Tremont headbutts Moore and hits a superplex for a near fall. Tremont goes to the top rope hitting a splash for a near fall. Tremont tries for a powerbomb, but Moore counters with a rollup for the win. After the match, Tremont attacks with a sit down powerbomb. Tremont has a fork, but is ran off by Moore’s buddies from the NOI. (*. Luckily it was short because there just wasn’t much going on here to be excited about.)

Fifth Contest: Candice LeRae vs. Kimber Lee: LeRae starts off with forearm strikes and a tilt a whirl DDT sending Lee to the floor to regroup. LeRae goes for a suicide dive but appears to mess it up and barely hits Lee on the floor. LeRae forearms Lee against the apron a few times. LeRae rams Lee onto the apron, but Lee sends LeRae into the ring steps shoulder first. James sends LeRae into the ring steps face first and Lee chops LeRae before returning to the ring. Lee rubs LeRae’s eyes over the ropes. LeRae knee strikes Lee, but is rammed into the corner. Lee drives LeRae down with a vertical suplex for a two count. Lee locks in a submission, but LeRae counters with a pin attempt for a two count. LeRae breaks free, but Lee keeps control in the corner. Lee misses a chop and LeRae fires back with a series of strikes and stomps. Lee nails LeRae with a big boot. Lee side slams LeRae for a two count. LeRae tosses Lee a couple of snatch suplexs. Lee counters with a German suplex of her own. LeRae stops Lee on the top rope with strikes. LeRae hits a swinging neckbreaker off the middle rope for a two count. Lee kicks LeRae and spikes LeRae with a piledriver for the win. (**. A decent match with a sick finish. That piledriver looked like it was super dangerous. It’s a good win for Lee, too.)

Sixth Contest: The Font (Ace Delic & Sozio) vs. Juicy Product (David Starr & JT Dunn) vs. Nation of Intoxication (Danny Havoc & Lucky 13) vs. OI4K (Dave & Jake Crist): All eight men are in the ring brawling with most of them going to the floor quickly. Sozio and Delic work over Jake in the corner until Dave hits a missile dropkick. Crist Brothers hit stereo standing moonsaults for a two count. Starr and Dunn deliver double superkicks. Starr sends Havoc into a strike from Dunn and Starr nearly wins with a German suplex. Sozio is nailed by a knee strike from Dave. Dave hits a cutter on Delic and Jake sends Delic to the floor with a superkick. Delic drops Dave over the railing ribs first to gain control. Dunn leaps off the apron to dive onto Dave over the railing. Jake and Starr are trading strikes in the ring. Jake superkicsk Starr and hits a underhook suplex. 13 hits a somersault double knee splash onto Jake. 13 spin kicks Starr and Havoc almost wins with a clothesline. 13 takes Starr out with a crossbody to the floor. Havoc and Jake trade forearms after shaking hands. They both hit big boots and fall to the floor. Dave hits a suicide dive to the floor. 13 gets involved and there’s a few dives over the top to the floor. Dave baseball slides Sozio into railing. 13 kicks Jake and hits a springboard backstabber to send Jake to the floor. Sozio sends 13 to the floor. Dave sends Sozio into Delic in the corner and almost pins Sozio. Dunn sends Jake to the floor and Sozio nails Dunn with a big boot to win the match. (***. There was no pause in this match and as a result I probably didn’t do it justice. The constant action was fun and held my interest. Of the four teams, I think the Font were the least likely team that anyone wanted to win here. Regardless, they booked this match well.)

Seventh Contest: CZW Tag Team Champions Beaver Boys (Alex Reynolds & John Silver) vs. Murderer’s Row (Azireal & Alex Colon): Silver and Azireal kickoff the tag title match. Azireal backs Silver into the corner and misses a chop. Silver responds with overhand chops until Azireal puts a headlock on Silver. Silver breaks free with a shoulder block and a standing dropkick. Reynolds tags into the match and delivers a rolling necksnap and Silver dropkicks a seated Azireal for a two count. Reynolds sends Colon into Azireal and connects with a snap suplex. Reynolds ties Colon’s legs in the ropes. Reynolds taunts Bandido and connects with a dropkick. Reynolds backdrops Azireal out of the corner. Colon kicks Reynolds, but runs into a back elbow. Reynolds nails Colon with a top rope moonsault. Silver hip tosses Colon across the ring. Silver hip tosses Azireal as well, but misses a baseball slide as Azireal traps Silver in the apron. Colon and Azireal deliver stereo kicks to knock Silver silly on the floor.

Azireal gets a running start and dropkicks Silver into the railing. Azireal manages a two count on Silver and tags in Colon. Colon delivers an axe handle off the top and chokes Silver. Azireal returns to the match with a forearm to the back and a back suplex. Azireal hits a slingshot senton for a two count on Silver. Silver tries to fight back with chops, but is stopped. Silver has Azireal on his shoulders and manages to get Colon on them too, but Colon breaks free to superkick Silver and Azireal hit a German suplex. Colon stomps on Silver several times on the mat. Colon sits Silver on the top turnbuckle looking for a superplex, but Silver knocks Colon to the mat. Colon kicks Silver off the ropes to the floor. Silver backdrops Azireal onto the railing! Silver kicks Colon to block a suicide dive attempt. Silver heads to the top hitting a crossbody on Colon. Reynolds tags in and clotheslines Colon followed by a running back elbow. Colon delivers a kick, but Reynolds comes back with a knee strike and a stunner out of a suplex. Reynolds takes Azireal out with a suicide dive on the floor. Reynolds leaps off the top, but is met with a dropkick in midair and Silver breaks the cover. Silver uppercuts Colon against the ropes a few times. Colon dumps Silver to the apron and is kicked by the champs. Silver nails Colon with a running kick and stereo superkicks for a two count as Azireal broke the cover. Silver and Azireal trade forearm strikes in the middle of the ring. Silver superkicks Azireal to avoid a cutter. Colon kicks Silver and Azireal clotheslines Reynolds causing all four men to be knocked down. Christy Rivera has entered the ring and Silver superkicks Rivera! Colon kicks Silver in the corner and Azireal nails Reynolds with a running dropkick in the corner. Azireal double stomps Reynolds, but Reynolds kicks out at two. Azireal drops the tag titles in front of Colon and then kicks him in the face. The champs hit a double team slam for the win. (***. The finish was a bit weird for me. Why would Azireal wrestle for so long and take so much punishment only to turn on his partner? From a storyline perspective that just doesn’t make sense to me. I thought the action was quite good, though. It was hard hitting and they kept a good pace throughout. Azireal is a ton of fun to watch and he took a sick bump on the floor with that backdrop.) After the match, Azireal double stomps Colon from the top rope.

Eighth Contest: BLK Jeez vs. Chris Dickinson vs. Drake Younger vs. AR Fox in a number one contenders match: Dickinson and Jeez go to the floor to trade forearms. Younger and Fox remain in the ring where they trade rollup attempts. Fox dropkicks Younger coming off the ropes. Jeez sends Dickinson into the railing as Fox takes Younger out with a dive to the floor. Fox kicks Younger near the railing while Jeez hit a back suplex on Dickinson. Younger overhead tosses Fox into the railing. Jeez head scissors Dickinson into the corner and delivers a forearm strike. Dickinson hits a Falcon Arrow on Jeez. Younger misses a clothesline and Dickinson tosses Younger with a German suplex. Fox returns to the match and kicks Dickinson. Dickinson and Fox trade seated dropkicks and kicks. Fox nails Dickinson with a kick, but Dickinson does the same. Jeez uppercuts Dickinson and they trade strikes. Dickinson has Jeez for the Burning Hammer, but Jeez breaks free and dumps Dickinson to the apron. They trade forearms on the apron until Jeez hits a DDT on the apron. Jeez waits in the ring and hits a somersault dive to take everyone out on the floor. Younger heads to the top rope hitting a moonsault to the floor.

Fox kicks Younger on the apron and head scissors Younger off the apron onto Dickinson. Fox kicks Jeez and hits an inside out dive onto everyone. Younger sends Fox into the guard railing. Jeez tries to cover Younger but only manages a two count. Jeez kicks Younger, but Younger comes back with a spinebuster. Jeez double stomps Younger for a near fall. Fox tries for a double leg slam, but Jeez hits a modified destroyer for a two count. Jeez heads to the top rope, but DJ Hyde comes out and tosses Jeez off. Hyde nails Jeez with a lariat. Younger is on the top rope and is kicked by Fox. Younger blocks a Spanish Fly attempt and puts Fox on his shoulders hitting a Death Valley Driver off the middle rope onto the apron. Younger tosses Dickinson with a suplex. Younger runs into a boot in the corner and Dickinson eventually hits a powerbomb off the middle rope. Dickinson goes for the cover, but Younger kicks out at two. Dickinson tries for another powerbomb, but Younger counters and hits the Drake’s Landing (Cop Killa), but Fox comes out of nowhere to break the cover at two. Younger kicks Fox in the corner and has Fox on his shoulders while going to the middle rope. Fox elbows free and kicks Younger. Fox hits the Spanish Fly for the win. (***1/4. A fine match with everyone getting their shine. Fox winning is a good call. If Fox had not won, I think the next best option would have been Dickinson. I’m glad they didn’t go really long as they kept it around ten minutes and did more than enough in there spot to put on an entertaining match.) After the match, Younger tells Dickinson that CZW is his company now.

Ninth Contest: CZW World Champion Drew Gulak vs. AJ Styles: They start off with some mat wrestling in the opening moments of the contest. They have a standoff when neither man can get lasting offense. Gulak keeps a headlock on Styles for a few moments. Styles collides with Gulak on a shoulder block and neither man goes down. Styles counters a takedown with a rollup for a two count. Gulak arm drags Styles a few times. Styles blocks a hip toss and locks in the Calf Killer, but Gulak reaches the ropes quickly. Styles is tripped by Alexander James on the floor. The referee ejects Alexander James to the backstage area. Gulak works over Styles with headbutts to the midsection. Styles dropkicks Gulak to the floor. Styles baseball slides Gulak on the floor. Styles chops Gulak followed by an uppercut. Gulak rams Styles into the apron and guard railing. Styles chops Gulak around ringside a few times. Styles misses a moonsault off the apron and Gulak clotheslines Styles over the railing into the crowd. They brawl in the crowd where Styles rams Gulak into the wall. Styles headbutts Gulak, but Gulak sends Styles into the railing ribs first. Styles hip tosses Gulak over the railing back to the ringside area. Gulak prevents a springboard attempt and drops Styles chest first onto the railing.

Gulak rolls Styles back into the ring. Gulak backdrops Styles for a two count. Gulak uppercuts Styles into the corner and chokes Styles. Gulak keeps a dragon sleeper on Styles, but doesn’t get a submission. Styles hammers away on Gulak with forearm strikes. Gulak breaks free from a go-behind by Style. Gulak locks in a figure four leg lock. Styles manages to break free and takes Gulak over with a kip up hurricanrana. Styles misses a splash in the corner and Gulak hits a belly to belly suplex. Gulak tries for a cover only managing a one count. Gulak keeps arm control on Styles and delivers a few strikes to keep Styles on the mat for a one count. Styles uppercuts Gulak followed by an elbow strike. Gulak gets an inside cradle for a two count. Styles strikes Gulak several times in the corner. Gulak boots Styles and goes to the middle rope. Styles tosses Gulak overhead into the corner. Styles clotheslines Gulak followed by a standing heel kick. Gulak tries to toss Styles over the ropes, but settles for a scoop slam into the ropes. Gulak tosses Styles with an overhead suplex for a two count. Styles strikes Gulak several times and tries for the Pele kick, but Gulak counters with a bow and arrow submission. Styles doesn’t give in and Gulak lets go of the hold. Gulak headbutts Styles and dumps Styles to the apron. Styles nails Gulak with a springboard flying forearm. Gulak works over Styles with strikes, but is met with an elbow strike. Styles tries for a springboard reverse DDT, but Gulak avoids it. Styles hits the Pele kick for a near fall. Styles spikes Gulak with a brainbuster for a two count. Styles tries for the Styles Clash, but Kimber Lee hits Styles with the championship to cause a DQ. After the match, Gulak forearms Styles on the mat. Gulak leaves, but Styles plants Lee with the Styles Clash. Masada comes out and scares Gulak back into the ring. Styles plants Gulak with the Styles Clash. (**3/4. They obviously booked a match that wasn’t going to get a clean finish, so it’s their own fault for the horrible finish and the crowd letting them know. The action was fine for what it was, but that finish really left a poor taste in the viewer mouth.)

Main Event: Drake Younger vs. Danny Havoc in a ultraviolent death match: They start off by doing some mat wrestling in a death match. Havoc dropkicks Younger to the floor and goes to the top rope hitting a flying forearm on the floor. Younger hits Havoc with a shopping cart and they go into the crowd. Younger dives over the railing to take out Havoc on the chairs. They brawl into the crowd and head towards the bleachers. They trade strikes until Younger sends Havoc into a cage and drops Havoc groin first onto the railing. They return to the ringside area where Younger is sent into the railing. Havoc misses a kick and hits the railing groin first. Younger has a chair and smashes Havoc on the back. Younger takes Havoc out with a somersault dive off the apron to the floor. Younger hits Havoc with a trash can lid to avoid a sunset flip for a two count. Younger sits Havoc on a chair and delivers a chop. Younger is stopped on the top rope by Havoc. Havoc hits a hurricanrana and Younger hit the chair back first leading to a two count. Havoc suplexs Younger onto the chair for a two count.

Younger sends Havoc face first into the chair in the corner. Younger delivers a side slam onto a chair for a two count. Younger has a ladder and sets it up in the corner. Younger backs Havoc into a corner and delivers a back elbow. Younger hits a German suplex off a ladder and connects with a lariat for a two count. Younger whacks Havoc several times with a ladder. Havoc hits a German suplex on Younger, who had the ladder around his head for a two count. Havoc powerbombs Younger onto a wet floor sign for a two count. Havoc sits Younger on the top turnbuckle and lays a ladder onto a chair. Younger stops Havoc on the top rope and hits an overhead suplex onto the ladder. Younger plants Havoc with the Drake’s Landing onto a chair neck first, but Havoc kicks out at two. They begin to trade forearms in the middle of the ring. Havoc hits a suplex for a two count. Havoc sets a table up in the corner. Havoc tosses Younger with a dragon suplex through the table, but Younger kicks out before one. Havoc spikes Younger with a Death Valley Driver for the win. (*1/2. For a CZW death match this felt rather tame to everything else I’ve ever seen. I mean, there was zero blood. They did a few crazy spots, but I just wasn’t into the match. I was surprised that Younger lost clean, but to be pinned after a DVD and not the table spot seemed a bit weird to me. I’m sure other people would like this more than I did.)

Final Thoughts:
There’s some quality wrestling on the show and there’s nothing here that I would deem a bad match that hurt the show. It’s a little bizarre to see CZW in a non-hardcore wrestling way, but this was a solid overall show and I felt like it was worth the time to watch it. There’s not a standout match, but there consistent action throughout.

Thanks for reading.