Northeast Wrestling presents Spring Slam Night Two
Date: 6/2/2006
From: Danbury, CT
NOTE: There was a hardcore match between Tony DeVito, Justin Credible and Ron Zombie that was not included on the video release. Ron Zombie won the match.
Opening Contest: Damian Adams vs. Josh Daniels: They shake hands to show respect for each other. Daniels gains control with a side headlock, but is backed into the corner. Adams backs off and shakes Daniels hand. Adams kicks Daniels in the midsection and gains control with a headlock again. Daniels counters with a top wrist lock and takes Adams to the mat, but Adams reaches the ropes quickly. Daniels takes Adams down to the mat with a front face lock. Adams counters with a hammerlock. Daniels takes Adams down to the mat and keeps leg control. Adams holds the ropes to cause a rope break. Adams gains control with a wrist lock, but Daniels counters again with a headlock on the mat. Daniels shoulder blocks Adams and runs the ropes. Daniels hip tosses Adams a few times followed by an arm drag. Daniels forearms Adams coming off the ropes and plays to the crowd. Adams avoids a dropkick by holding the ropes and Daniels crashes to the mat. Adams sends Daniels into the corner and gets a one count. Adams knee lifts Daniels and keeps control with a chin lock. Daniels elbows free from Adams, but is clubbed over the back. Adams takes Daniels over with a suplex for a two count. Adams works over Daniels in the corner with a stomp. Daniels sends Adams into the corner back first. Adams comes off the ropes looking for an elbow drop, but Daniels rolls out of the way. Daniels forearms Adams several times and nails Adams with a clothesline. Daniels clotheslines Adams followed by a bridging northern lights suplex for a near fall. Daniels backdrops Adams and covers for a two count. Daniels blocks a kick, but Adams delivers a kick to the head. Adams covers Daniels for a two count. Daniels sunset flips Adams and tries for a cover, but Adams counters. Daniels counters with another rollup and pins Adams for the win. (**. Similar to the previous nights match. There wasn’t a lot of high impact action and they kept it fairly simple for the most part. It’s not a bad bout, but it didn’t have high energy that you’d hope for the opening match.)
Second Contest: Jim Duggan vs. Masked Executioner #2: Executioner strikes Duggan against the ropes and Duggan delivers a series of clotheslines causing Executioner to bail to the floor. Duggan plays to the crowd. Duggan blocks a couple of strikes and delivers a few jabs to send Executioner reeling to the floor and walks backstage, but runs back to the ring to avoid a count-out. Duggan clubs Executioner over the back. Executioner chokes Duggan over the middle rope and Big Daddy cheap shots Duggan from the floor. Executioner chokes Duggan on the mat and puts a sleeper on Duggan. Duggan blocks being sent into the corner and rams Executioner into the turnbuckle. Big Daddy is knocked off the apron by Executioner and Duggan delivers a clothesline to win the match. (DUD. Fans love Duggan and that’s all that matters for these matches.)
Third Contest: Ricky Landell vs. Fred Curry Jr.: Landell puts a headlock on Curry, but that doesn’t last long. Landell shoulder blocks Curry, but is met with a couple of dropkicks and bails to the floor to regroup. Landell backs Curry into the corner and is slapped by Landell. Curry arm drags Landell and keeps arm control. Curry keeps wrist control and Landell flops to the mat. Curry kicks Landell and arm drags Landell to keep arm control. Landell hip tosses Curry for a two count. Landell chokes Curry over the middle rope. Curry strikes Landell, but Landell eye rakes Curry. Landell elbows Curry coming off the ropes. Landell delivers a fist drop for a two count. Curry strikes Landell several times in the corner, but Landell clotheslines Curry for a two count. Landell keeps Curry on the mat with a chin lock. Landell keeps Curry on the mat with a chin lock. Curry elbows free, but is stopped by a clothesline. Landell misses a clothesline and Curry nails Landell with a dropkick. Curry blocks a strike to deliver a side Russian leg sweep. Curry heads to the top rope hitting a missile dropkick, but Landell reaches the ropes to break the cover. Curry heads to the top rope, but is stopped by Landell and falls to the mat. Landell jabs Curry in the corner a few times. Curry avoids a spear in the corner managing a rollup for a two count. Curry avoids Landell and tries for a rollup, but Landell kneels and holds the ropes for leverage to steal the match. (*. There wasn’t much here to be excited about and the action was rather dull. I have never heard of Fred Curry Jr. prior to this.)
Fourth Contest: Jay Lethal vs. Xavier: Xavier quickly goes on the attack in the corner delivering chops to Lethal. Lethal responds with chops of his own. They trade a few chops until Lethal hip tosses Xavier. Lethal continues with an arm drag and locks in an arm bar. Lethal dropkicks Xavier and drives Xavier into the corner. Xavier tosses Lethal overhead with a belly to belly suplex. Xavier strikes Lethal and sends Lethal into the corner to deliver a dropkick. Xavier tries for a cover, but Lethal kicks out at two. Xavier tries for a press slam, but Lethal breaks free and dropkicks Xavier to the floor. Lethal chops Xavier on the floor, but Xavier gets control and rolls Lethal into the ring. Lethal baseball slides Xavier into the railing and hits a suicide dive to the floor. Lethal tries for a cover, but Xavier kicks out at two. Lethal dropkicks Xavier on the back after a snapmare for a two count. Xavier low blows Lethal as the referee is out of position. Xavier kicks Lethal on the chest and delivers a knee drop. Xavier rams Lethal into the corner. Xavier knee lifts Lethal in the corner several times. Xavier knee strikes Lethal for a two count. Xavier puts a sleeper on Lethal in the middle of the ring. Xavier keeps Lethal on the mat with a sleeper hold. Lethal elbows free and runs into a knee lift by Xavier. Xavier headbutts Lethal into the corner. Xavier kicks Lethal a few times, but Lethal fights back with strikes out of the corner. Lethal boots Xavier in the corner and hits a middle rope heel kick. Xavier rolls to the apron and bails to the floor to regroup. Xavier appears to be favoring his left shoulder/arm. Lethal strikes Xavier a few times, but Xavier avoids Lethal in the corner to get a rollup with a handful of tights to win the match. (NR. It’s not truly fair to rate this match because Xavier clearly suffered at least a separated shoulder causing the match to be cut short.)
Tommy Dreamer is the special referee for the next match. Dreamer announces that he’s signed a new contract with WWE due to the new ECW. Dreamer wasn’t allowed to work yesterday or tonight, but was able to make an appearance tonight. Dreamer has no issue with Vince McMahon as long as he keeps his hands out of ECW (whoops). Dreamer notes that he’s a big fan of TNA. Dreamer says that Vince McMahon didn’t say anything about being a referee. Dreamer wanted to be the referee of the next match because he enjoys both men.
Fifth Contest: Abyss vs. Chris Sabin: Sabin sidesteps Abyss and gets a headlock. Sabin tries to shoulder block Abyss, but Abyss doesn’t budge a couple of times. Sabin drop toe holds Abyss and stands on Abyss’s back to taunt him. Sabin continues with chops and bites out of a chokeslam attempt. Sabin dropkicks Abyss on the knee and delivers a dropkick to the back of the head. Sabin tries to lift Abyss onto his shoulders, but can’t pick the big man up. Sabin settles for a few strikes, but is press slammed and dropped to the mat gut first. Abyss drops Sabin with a right hand to keep the advantage. Abyss strikes Sabin in the corner several times. Sabin chops Abyss several times, but runs into a big boot. Dreamer is a little slow making the count, which Sabin kicks out at two. Abyss overhand chops Sabin in the corner. Abyss misses a splash in the corner and Sabin goes to the apron to deliver a shoulder ram. Sabin tries for a sunset flip, but Abyss holds the ropes. Dreamer kicks Abyss’s hands off and Sabin nearly wins on a much faster count. Abyss chokes Sabin over the middle rope. Abyss keeps a neck vice on Sabin. Sabin elbows free, but Abyss clubs Sabin over the back and delivers a kick, but Sabin nails Abyss with a couple of kicks to the head. Sabin climbs to the top and missile dropkicks Abyss for a near fall. Abyss knee lifts Sabin and crotches Sabin on the top turnbuckle. Dreamer pulls Abyss off of Sabin in the corner. Sabin nails Abyss with a tornado DDT leading to a near fall. Abyss stops Sabin with the Shock Treatment.
Abyss doesn’t go for a cover and instead grabs a chair from the floor. Abyss tries to use the chair, but Dreamer stops Abyss. Abyss ends up whacking Dreamer over the back with a chair shot. Abyss lays the chair onto Sabin and tries to hit a sit down splash, but Sabin low blows Abyss with the chair. Sabin tries for the Cradle Shock, but Abyss fights free. Dreamer hits Abyss with the kendo stick several times. Dreamer clotheslines Abyss over the top to the floor. Abyss big boots a charging Dreamer. Abyss strikes Dreamer against the ropes, but Dreamer delivers the DDT! Dreamer grabs the kendo stick and Abyss bails to the floor and heads backstage to end the match. (*1/2. An interesting approach to have Dreamer hype up extreme and then prevent anything extreme from happening in the match. Dreamer’s involvement was predictable. The focus here wasn’t to have a great match or anything, which was a bit of a letdown. Sabin vs. Abyss in 2006 is actually an interesting match to see and they went with more of an angle for Dreamer.) After the match, Abyss is called out to the ring and he returns only to get beaten up by a kendo stick and chair shot.
Sixth Contest: The Heart Throbs (Antonio Thomas & Romeo Roselli) vs. Sex & Violence (Dave Danger & Jeff Starr): Starr and Thomas kickoff the tag match with Starr gaining wrist control. Thomas counters with a hammerlock, but Starr counters. Thomas snapmares Starr and follows up with an arm drag to keep arm control on the mat. Romeo tags into the match and Starr is double teamed with a chop. Thomas tags back into the match managing a sunset flip for a two count. Roselli returns to the match and Starr is elbowed to the mat followed by a double hip toss. Romeo tries for a cover, but only manages a two count. Danger tags into the match and Roselli backs off. Danger shoves Roselli across the ring into a corner. Roselli puts a headlock on Danger, but Danger shoves Roselli into the corner. Roselli dropkicks Danger and ducks a clothesline. Danger tries for a slam, but Thomas dropkicks Romeo on top. Romeo and Thomas hit double dropkicks to send the heels reeling to the floor. Thomas and Roselli hit slingshot crossbody blocks to the floor. Roselli strikes Danger, but Starr kicks Roselli from the apron and Danger decks Roselli with a clothesline for a two count. Roselli is rammed into Starr’s boot in the corner and is choked. Starr mocks the Heart Throbs prompting Thomas to get in the ring. Danger backs Roselli into the corner and delivers a clothesline. Danger yanks Roselli out of the corner to slam Roselli for a two count. Starr chokes Roselli over the middle rope. Danger shoulder blocks Roselli and Starr tags into the match.
Starr delivers a swinging neckbreaker and Danger splashes Roselli for a two count as Thomas made the save. Starr snapmares Roselli and keeps a headlock on the mat. Roselli runs into a dropkick by Starr. Danger returns to the match and slams Roselli. Danger leaps off the middle rope missing an elbow drop. Starr misses a splash in the corner. Thomas tags in and clotheslines Starr a few times followed by forearms. Thomas takes Starr over with a hurricanrana and right hands on the mat. Thomas drives Starr down with a neckbreaker for a near fall. Danger strikes Thomas to help out Starr. Thomas ducks a double clothesline and Talia gets on the apron. Roselli bulldogs Danger and Starr is met with the Hart Attack for a near fall. Thomas forearms Starr in the corner a few times. Starr avoids Thomas in the corner and Danger nails Thomas. Thomas is sat onto the top turnbuckle. Roselli powerbombs Danger off the middle rope. Thomas sunset flip powerbombs Starr for the win. (**. A decent tag match, but the crowd reaction was a bit indifferent. Heart Throbs were heels in WWE, and they don’t seem to connect with the audience in a babyface role even with Talia. I think Talia is typically presented as a heel in NEW anyway. Heart Throbs would have been better presented as heels here.)
Main Event: NWA World Champion Christian Cage vs. AJ Styles: They shake hands showing respect for each other. This is the first time they’ve ever squared off in the ring. Cage backs Styles into a corner and cleanly backs off. Cage puts a waist lock on Styles, but Styles counters. They counter each other until Styles gets control with a hammerlock. Cage fireman carries Styles and keeps arm control. Cage controls Styles with a wrist lock and Styles switches to a hammerlock. Styles tries for a rollup managing a two count. They have a standoff with the crowd chanting for both men. Cage puts a headlock on Styles, but is sent into the ropes and shoulder blocks Styles twice for a two count. Cage sends Styles into the ropes and ducks a clothesline. Styles shoulder blocks Cage for a two count leading to another standoff. Cage and Styles do a test of strength as they struggle to get the advantage. Styles bridges out, but Cage gets a headlock. Cage runs the ropes and holds onto the ropes. Cage charges and is met with a dropkick causing Cage to go to the floor. Styles hits a slingshot crossbody to the floor to take Cage out. Styles drives Cage down with a backbreaker for a two count. Styles slams Cage and comes off the ropes to deliver a knee drop for a two count. Styles kicks Cage, but Cage plants Styles with a spinebuster for a near fall. Cage stomps Styles on the mat and delivers a neckbreaker. Cage tries for a cover, but Styles kicks out at two. Cage controls Styles with a neck vice on the mat. Styles elbows Cage and breaks free. Cage drops Styles with a reverse DDT over his knee for a two count. Cage argues with the referee in the corner. Cage backs Styles into a corner and taunts the crowd. Styles fires back with chops and right hands. Styles comes out of the corner and they collide knocking both men to the mat.
Styles and Cage trade right hands in the middle of the ring. Styles delivers a leaping forearm smash and a clothesline. Styles nearly wins with a discus clothesline. Cage stops Styles, but Styles fights free to hit a Pele kick. Styles tries for the Styles Clash, but Cage backdrops Styles. Cage catapults Styles into the corner, but Styles hits a springboard reverse DDT for a near fall. Styles heads to the top, but rolls through and Cage spears Styles for a two count. Cage heads to the top rope looking for a frog splash, but Styles got his knees up. Cage elbows Styles in the corner. Styles rolls through a rollup and plants Cage with the Styles Clash, but Cage kicks out at two! The referee had taken a moment after accidentally being struck by Styles. Cage nearly wins with a rollup from behind. Styles delivers a backbreaker and heads to the top rope. Styles misses the Spiral Tap! Cage tries for the Un-Prettier, but Styles avoids it and attempts the Styles Clash. Styles can’t because of his back and Cage drives Styles down with the Un-Prettier to retain the title. (***. Cage put on his working boots for night two as I’m thinking Styles didn’t want to mail it in here. Far more offense than the previous evening with Abyss. The crowd responded well to the action and it flew by. A good way to end the show.)
Final Thoughts:
Another disappointing show by NEW making the Spring Slam 2006 weekend a bit underwhelming. Cage/Styles was a fun match, but Xavier/Lethal getting cut short due to injury was a bummer. I had hopes for Abyss/Sabin to be standout and that never happened due to Dreamer’s involvement. Recommendation to avoid.
Thanks for reading.