JCW Lunacy
Date: 9/11/2024
From: Columbus, OH
The show starts off with the Southern Six cutting promo calling James Storm dumb for messing with them. Kerry Morton is pissed that James Storm would bring up his last name. Silas Mason calls James Storm a drunk and a coward. Mason can’t believe Storm would align himself with juggalos, or clowns. Mason says Storm will find out they run the business.
MATCH #1: THE ULTIMATE ELLSWORTH VS. BREYER WELLINGTON
NOTE: Before the match, Wellington insults the fans and cusses quite a bit to gain heat.
FINISH: Ellsworth his a leaping shoulder block and a splash to pin Wellington in less than twenty-seconds.
Bob’s Take: This is mostly a comical match as Ellsworth is portraying the Ultimate Warrior. Considering the heat that Wellington had gotten prior to this, I don’t think this connected well with the live audience.
Match Rating: NR
Backstage, Joe Galli is waiting for Officer Colt Cabana. Cabana arrives to the building and dismisses security. Galli asks for the scoop about Cabana wanting to put someone in handcuffs. Cabana wants to put Galli in handcuffs for his outfit. Cabana wants to put handcuffs on Nick Gage in Texas. Cabana has heard about Gage serving time with his pals and says he’s going to put Gage away for life.
MATCH #2: DANI MO VS. ALICE CROWLEY
FINISH: Crowley pins Mo following a running knee strike.
Bob’s Take: They wrestled on episode one, and it’s in front of the same crowd, so there’s probably a level of exhaustion when seeing the same matches in a short period of time. It’s a shorter match, and probably the right call since they’ve been seen once already. It was fine for what it was, but I also would have preferred this to happen later on instead of on the same taping.
Match Rating: *
Joe Galli meets up with James Storm at the bar to get the scoop. Galli knows why Storm is at the bar, but wants to know why Storm is in JCW. Storm says he’s going to drink some beer and party and heard that JCW has a party like nowhere else. Galli brings up the Southern Six, but Storm says he hasn’t heard much of them. Storm says they remind him of himself when he was younger and if they stay out of his way there will not be any bloodshed.
MATCH #3: KONGO KONG VS. JEFFREY JOHN
FINISH: Kong wins the match following a top rope swanton bomb. After the match, Santana Jackson makes his way out to confront Kong. Jackson dances for a moment and is decked by Kong.
Bob’s Take: John actually got some offense in including a top rope uppercut, but Kong never got knocked off his feet during the bout. Kong is clearly being positioned as an unstoppable heel in Lunacy. I’m intrigued to see Kong’s first major program. I’m not considering Santana Jackson as the first major program for Kong.
Match Rating: *
Backstage, Nick Gage shouts out his gang as Joe Galli annoys him. Gage dismisses all the cops all over the world and promises to beat the crap out of Officer Colt Cabana. Gage says he’s never going back to prison.
MATCH #4: NICK GAGE VS. OFFICER COLT CABANA — NO DISQUALIFICATION
NOTE: This match was taped in San Antonio, TX
NOTE: #2: Cabana cuts a promo before the match, and the fans are giving him some good heel heat. Cabana promises to take every single fan downtown and screw them. Cabana has the right to beat up his opponent, who is a known felon. Cabana believes in police brutality. The referee finds a chain in Gage’s pants and Cabana puts it in his evidence bag and goes backstage with it, but is stopped on the stage.
FINISH: Gage punches Cabana with the chain to pickup the win. After the match, Gage thanks the fans for their support.
Bob’s Take: I think this is the first time I’ve seen Cabana doing this gimmick in JCW and it’s fairly well done as he played into the role well and the fans responded to him accordingly. Joe Galli is doing commentary on the house microphone, which has to be incredibly annoying. If you’re going into this thinking you’re going to get some hardcore violence you’d be mostly disappointed. Besides, if this was no disqualification why would the referee take the chain away? There wasn’t much to this and the most entertaining aspect of it was the pre-match antics by Cabana.
Match Rating: *
Shaggy 2 Dope does a spotlight on the current JCW Heavyweight Champion, Willie Mack. As per usual, it’s just a video package.
Matt Cardona walks in front of the camera and says he’ll see us soon.
MAIN EVENT: JAMES STORM & JCW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS THE BROTHERS OF FUNSTRUCTION (RUFFO THE CLOWN & YABO THE CLOWN) VS. THE SOUTHERN SIX (KERRY MORTON, ALEX TAYLOR & SILAS MASON)
FINISH: Storm turns on Ruffo and Yabo hitting a superkick on Yabo after decking Ruffo off the apron. It was all a trap by the Southern Six. Storm offers his hand to Morton and they embrace. Storm moons the fans. The match is thrown out and ruled a no contest as the Southern Six depart with the fans throwing trash at them.
Bob’s Take: The clowns made the Southern Six look like dopes early into the match, but once the match became an actual wrestling match the Six gained control. I’m mixed on the decision to have Storm join the Southern Six. Initially, Storm seemed like a great foe for the heel group, and now that he’s actually part of the group solidifies them as the top heel group and a force to be reckoned with in JCW. I’m assuming the clowns, Willie Mack and Matt Cross will be the main foes for the group moving forward. I’m still interested in the Southern Six, but I think I was more interested in James Storm being a babyface against them instead of being aligned with them.
Match Rating: NR
Final Thoughts:
Wrestling wise it is a subpar episode. I’m willing to give the swerve with James Storm a chance with the Southern Six, but again, I was far more interested in him as a foil to the heel group. I’m giving this week a thumbs down, but I’m not completely deflated with the direction.
Thanks for reading.