Well it's almost here. TOD:Rewind. If you are a hardcore fan or just an out and out blood mark this is the show for you. DJ has gathered together a bunch of the sickest bastards around and put them all together to create an ultraviolent fan's dream. And new and different stips for the opening round matches. Not the same old shit here. No sir. The closest we are coming to that is between the two veterans of Combat Zone with the Pain in the Glass Match. But come on, you put two of the crazy bastards that started this company in the ring against each other, do you really need anything besides panes of glass? With the storied history these two have in the ring against each other, you know somebody is leaving the ring fucked up. And with this being what looks like Zandig's last hurrah, you know the Icon ain't going down easy. And Gage: what do I need to say? His side opened up like a filleted fish and he still wants to go out and finish at the last TOD. The Man ain't right.
And then there are the rest of these crazy bastards. Brain Damage may have the name but I think there might be a lot of wrestlers going home with more than their brains damaged when this is all over. I mean shit. We got a Four Corners of Hell Dog Collar Match, a New Age Texas Death match, a Caribbean Pits of Death Match in addition to the already mentioned Pain in the Glass Match. It sounds like they took the best parts of every ultraviolent death match out there, threw them in a paper bag, shook it all up and then pull out the different parts to make up these stipulations. And remember people, this is just the first round. There will be more blood spattered shit to follow.
And the wrestlers involved. We have seen the sick shit that they are all capable of. Both giving and taking. It's a who's who of Hardcore. Masada, Thumbtack Jack, Sami Callihan, John Moxley, Danny Havoc, Brain Damage, Nick Gage and last but definitely not least, the founder of Combat Zone, John Zandig. Not a slacker amongst them. Yeah the blood is gonna flow.
And when it is all said and done, who will come out on top? I ain't even gonna try to call this one. So get you asses in your cars, your trucks, your motor homes. Whatever the hell can get you there. Cause the ground in Delaware is gonna run red.
See you there,
The Bloodhound
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
OK. Let's begin our howling and prowling with a look at last weekend's CZW Severed Ties show. All in all, a good show. A new idea introduced, some major announcements concerning TOD and a classic back and forth wrestling match that popped the crowd more than any CZW match has in months.
First let's look at the new idea. CZW introduced Dark Matches to the program. Yeah folks, if you wandered in late thinking this was going to be your mama's CZW and start a half hour or more late, you missed three - yes count'em three-matches. Two more matches in the CZW Wired TV Tournament and a John Dahmer beatdown on the Hebrew Hammer. I like the idea. The matches were short and sweet and running them as Dark Matches gives CZW an opportunity -DJ's favorite word- to expose new talent to those who want to come early and see it. The added plus side to this is that it cuts down on the all night marathons that shows were turning into with ending times well past midnite and the crowd so tired that main events were getting little to no reaction. Kudos on the dark match idea to all involved.
As a result of the dark matches, the main show seemed more meat, less filler. The opener saw lots of high flying action as Team Macktion took on Azreial and Bandido Jr. This one had some of the younger ladies in the crowd popping as CZW's own version of the Hardy Boy's Team Macktion won a quick athletically tinged match. Next up saw Greg Excellent take on Trent Acid. Due to Trent's recent spotty performance in the ring (and the internet news that he was again having police problems about a controlled substance), the crowd shit all over him as soon as he made his entrance. Having watched Trent go from one of the golden boys of CZW to this had a few of us old timers shaking our heads in despair. Trent made the announcement that if Excellent beat him, he'd leave CZW. Well before you knew it, that defeat was made fact. Tragically, it was probably one of the better matches Acid has wrestled in awhile. One can only hope that Trent will take this time off to resolve his issues and get his life back together. Love him or hate him, it's a shame to see his career ruined by personal demons. We next saw Devon Moore against Ego Fantastico. A decent match as Ego went for revenge against Devon for interfering in his last match against Drew Blood causing Ego to drop the Jr. Heavyweight Title. Unfortunately, revenge wasn't in the cards as Devon took Ego down for the count. And now began the parade of outlandish implements to the ring. Yes it was time for the 6 man Fans Bring The Weapons brawl. And brawl it was as DJ, Vortekz and xOMGx took it to Moxley, Gage and Hatred. In a pier six that saw chairs flying, these three brawled all around the arena. At one point, I had to wrestle DJ for my cane as he grabbed at it to wail away at a fallen Nick Gage. For fan of the old days, this was sheer heaven. Thumbtack bats, water jug bats and even an organ were destroyed at a rapid pace in the ring. When the smoke cleared from this battle Moxley, Gage and Hatred were declared the winners. But one wonders about the cost of that victory as DJ went on the mike and announced a few changes to TOD: Rewind in Delaware. It didn't seem fair for Mox to be there alone, so his partner in crime Sammi Callihan will now be involved as well as he takes on the man he tried to eliminate last month, Mr. Danny Havoc. And in a battle of the CZW originals, Nick Gage will now be meeting the Ultraviolent Icon himself, John Zandig. Looking back at the history of Nick and John, one has to wonder if perhaps Gage should take that retirement that he has talked about recently. Larry Legend now announced a brief intermission.
We came back from the intermission to the Jr. Heavyweight Title defense as Drew Blood went head to head with crowd favorite Ryan Mcbride. Drew once again got an assist from Devon Moore to retain his title. One has to wonder, is the title truly Blood's or should that belt be strapped around Moore's waist instead? Next up was one of the most anticipated moments as the King himself, Eddie Kingston, made his return to a CZW ring. Disappointed by the trash he saw taking over the CZW locker room, Eddie specifically requested this match against the man he sees as the leader of that trash, Sammi Callihan. In a stiff match, these two hit each other with their best shots. In a quick ending that most didn't see coming, Callihan won the match. When Eddie got to his feet, the reason for his defeat was clear to all by the blood streaming from his nose. It appeared that perhaps Callihan had broken Eddie's nose. In a moment that answered the question in the heart of all the fans, Eddie got on the mike and declared he was back in CZW to stay. This was followed up by The Best Around with their new manager Robbie Mireno against The BLKOUT. BLKOUT was on Mireno like flies on shit, jumping him and beating the hell out of him as he made his way to the ring. The Best Around just seem to pull the best performances out of The BLKOUT as we saw Ruckus performing some of the best flip, flop and flying I have seen from him in awhile. And Sabien was at the top of his game as always. But when all was said and done, The Best Around left the ring with the belts still firmly in hand. And it was now time for our main event.
The main event. What can I say. Match of the year territory. You wrestling students out there should watch this match to learn about ring psychology. False endings. Back and forth near falls. The locker room coming out to support this epic conflict. Hell, I'm an old wrestling fan who has pretty much seen it all. I knew I was being manipulated but damn I still got excited as hell. And a a false ending when the guy falsely pinned didn't come back and win. When is the last time you saw that? Yeah Drake was the winner but I think the real winner was us fans. B-Boy and Drake earned every bit of their paychecks that night. They showed that there is a new guard coming in to lead the charge at CZW. And if they can get this type of intensity out of that locker room, I think CZW has every chance of putting those asses back in that crowd where they belong.
Just a few more things to mention: as many of you may have read, DJ and the boys have already forged new relationships with a couple of other hardcore companies out there: WXW from Germany and DTU from Mexico. With Masada coming back from Japan, can that door opening further be far behind? Yeah, opportunities -there's that word again- to see some of the best talent from promotions from around the world face off against CZW's finest. Been awhile since we have seen that. And of course, TOD: Rewind next weekend (more on that next week) and the CZW's big Christmas present to the fans, Cage of Death still to come. You know I'll be there at both. You know you should be too. DJ's giving YOU that opportunity. Don't blow it.
Till next week, I remain your obedient servant;
The Bloodhound
First let's look at the new idea. CZW introduced Dark Matches to the program. Yeah folks, if you wandered in late thinking this was going to be your mama's CZW and start a half hour or more late, you missed three - yes count'em three-matches. Two more matches in the CZW Wired TV Tournament and a John Dahmer beatdown on the Hebrew Hammer. I like the idea. The matches were short and sweet and running them as Dark Matches gives CZW an opportunity -DJ's favorite word- to expose new talent to those who want to come early and see it. The added plus side to this is that it cuts down on the all night marathons that shows were turning into with ending times well past midnite and the crowd so tired that main events were getting little to no reaction. Kudos on the dark match idea to all involved.
As a result of the dark matches, the main show seemed more meat, less filler. The opener saw lots of high flying action as Team Macktion took on Azreial and Bandido Jr. This one had some of the younger ladies in the crowd popping as CZW's own version of the Hardy Boy's Team Macktion won a quick athletically tinged match. Next up saw Greg Excellent take on Trent Acid. Due to Trent's recent spotty performance in the ring (and the internet news that he was again having police problems about a controlled substance), the crowd shit all over him as soon as he made his entrance. Having watched Trent go from one of the golden boys of CZW to this had a few of us old timers shaking our heads in despair. Trent made the announcement that if Excellent beat him, he'd leave CZW. Well before you knew it, that defeat was made fact. Tragically, it was probably one of the better matches Acid has wrestled in awhile. One can only hope that Trent will take this time off to resolve his issues and get his life back together. Love him or hate him, it's a shame to see his career ruined by personal demons. We next saw Devon Moore against Ego Fantastico. A decent match as Ego went for revenge against Devon for interfering in his last match against Drew Blood causing Ego to drop the Jr. Heavyweight Title. Unfortunately, revenge wasn't in the cards as Devon took Ego down for the count. And now began the parade of outlandish implements to the ring. Yes it was time for the 6 man Fans Bring The Weapons brawl. And brawl it was as DJ, Vortekz and xOMGx took it to Moxley, Gage and Hatred. In a pier six that saw chairs flying, these three brawled all around the arena. At one point, I had to wrestle DJ for my cane as he grabbed at it to wail away at a fallen Nick Gage. For fan of the old days, this was sheer heaven. Thumbtack bats, water jug bats and even an organ were destroyed at a rapid pace in the ring. When the smoke cleared from this battle Moxley, Gage and Hatred were declared the winners. But one wonders about the cost of that victory as DJ went on the mike and announced a few changes to TOD: Rewind in Delaware. It didn't seem fair for Mox to be there alone, so his partner in crime Sammi Callihan will now be involved as well as he takes on the man he tried to eliminate last month, Mr. Danny Havoc. And in a battle of the CZW originals, Nick Gage will now be meeting the Ultraviolent Icon himself, John Zandig. Looking back at the history of Nick and John, one has to wonder if perhaps Gage should take that retirement that he has talked about recently. Larry Legend now announced a brief intermission.
We came back from the intermission to the Jr. Heavyweight Title defense as Drew Blood went head to head with crowd favorite Ryan Mcbride. Drew once again got an assist from Devon Moore to retain his title. One has to wonder, is the title truly Blood's or should that belt be strapped around Moore's waist instead? Next up was one of the most anticipated moments as the King himself, Eddie Kingston, made his return to a CZW ring. Disappointed by the trash he saw taking over the CZW locker room, Eddie specifically requested this match against the man he sees as the leader of that trash, Sammi Callihan. In a stiff match, these two hit each other with their best shots. In a quick ending that most didn't see coming, Callihan won the match. When Eddie got to his feet, the reason for his defeat was clear to all by the blood streaming from his nose. It appeared that perhaps Callihan had broken Eddie's nose. In a moment that answered the question in the heart of all the fans, Eddie got on the mike and declared he was back in CZW to stay. This was followed up by The Best Around with their new manager Robbie Mireno against The BLKOUT. BLKOUT was on Mireno like flies on shit, jumping him and beating the hell out of him as he made his way to the ring. The Best Around just seem to pull the best performances out of The BLKOUT as we saw Ruckus performing some of the best flip, flop and flying I have seen from him in awhile. And Sabien was at the top of his game as always. But when all was said and done, The Best Around left the ring with the belts still firmly in hand. And it was now time for our main event.
The main event. What can I say. Match of the year territory. You wrestling students out there should watch this match to learn about ring psychology. False endings. Back and forth near falls. The locker room coming out to support this epic conflict. Hell, I'm an old wrestling fan who has pretty much seen it all. I knew I was being manipulated but damn I still got excited as hell. And a a false ending when the guy falsely pinned didn't come back and win. When is the last time you saw that? Yeah Drake was the winner but I think the real winner was us fans. B-Boy and Drake earned every bit of their paychecks that night. They showed that there is a new guard coming in to lead the charge at CZW. And if they can get this type of intensity out of that locker room, I think CZW has every chance of putting those asses back in that crowd where they belong.
Just a few more things to mention: as many of you may have read, DJ and the boys have already forged new relationships with a couple of other hardcore companies out there: WXW from Germany and DTU from Mexico. With Masada coming back from Japan, can that door opening further be far behind? Yeah, opportunities -there's that word again- to see some of the best talent from promotions from around the world face off against CZW's finest. Been awhile since we have seen that. And of course, TOD: Rewind next weekend (more on that next week) and the CZW's big Christmas present to the fans, Cage of Death still to come. You know I'll be there at both. You know you should be too. DJ's giving YOU that opportunity. Don't blow it.
Till next week, I remain your obedient servant;
The Bloodhound
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Well it's been a long time coming but I'm back. I may be a little rusty at first but hell I was almost dead at one point so give me a chance to shake off some of the ring rust and I guarantee you won't be bored. There have been a lot of big changes in the Philly wrestling scene lately so I got lots of shit to talk about. So let us begin:
PWU: Kashmere rises from the dead once again. This guy has more lives then that fabled cat. Haven't been to one of his shows yet so I'll take a wait and see attitude on this one. Looks like he has some money to piss away on talent so he has a shot at making it. Time will tell.
MBA: Maven is back with his charity shows. Always entertaining and fun. It's a chance to see the CZW guys in match-ups you wouldn't necessarily see in their shows. It's a great evening out for a few bucks that go to good causes. Go check one out. What the hell else have you got to do on a weeknight or a Sunday afternoon? So get your fat ass up out of that recliner and head on down.
ALXC: American Luchacore. Those of you who missed their 1st Philly area show missed out. Sammi Calihan's promotion gave us a nice mix of CZW talent along with the guys from Chikara. Lots of entertaining stuff, including Nick Gage tearing the place up in his usual hardcore style in a match that was ended before the intermission only to start up again right in the middle of the opening match of the second half. Some great comedy stuff from Greg Excellent, Bobby Dempsey and a pizza delivery guy. And in the surprise showstopper of the afternoon: B-Boy and Sammi going at it one on one in an incredibly stiff match. Since Sammi was dealing with the death of his best friend just days before, you wouldn't have expected much. But Sammi went out there and did his friend proud and the show served as an excellent tribute to him. Starting up a new promotion in the Philly market is always tough. I think if the first show was any indicator, Philly has a new promotion to come out and support.
CZW: Ahh my home. Those of you who know me know that CZW has been my home for many years. I've been around the Dub since show number one. I've hung out in the locker room and been there for training nights at the school. I'm proud to call many of the boys friends. I spent many a long night talking with Zandig. Well now the Dub is under new ownership. The DEEJ. DJ Hyde. What do I think about that you ask. Or maybe you don't. But I'm going to fucking tell you anyway. I feel pretty goddamn good. So good in fact that I decided to stage The Bloodhound's return to writing. You see I never left CZW. Unlike some of the fair weather friends that the Dub had, I was always there. But I'll admit there were times towards the end of Zandig's reign that I was bored as hell. The life seemed to have gone out of the shows. As we all now know, John was hurting and after years of doing this his heart and creativity just weren't in this anymore. I was there the night John announced the sale of CZW to DJ. My first thought was what the hell does this mean to a promotion I'd spent a goodly portion of my life dedicated to. After the show, I went back to talk to some of the boys and to congratulate DJ. I mentioned to DJ that if he needed any help, I'd be around. I kind of expected a blow-off answer. But just the opposite. DJ treated me with open respect for the years I'd been around and said he would appreciate my help. So I went on down and spoke with DJ a week or two after. And I liked what I heard. DJ is all about making CZW grow into what it could and should be. What one of us would not like to see CZW return to the crowds it drew when it first came to Philly? Bigger crowds mean more money. More money means better paydays for the boys and more money to fly in that talent you have been asking to see. DJ's about bringing in anybody that will build the business. No personal conflicts. If it's good for CZW, then you are in. He's about opportunities. Giving the young kids or a new face that chance to get in the ring and show his worth. And he is about building the company back up again. All good aims. Let's give him support. It ain't going to be easy to get those asses back in the seats. Now let's look at what's coming up to do that.
CZW: Severed Ties: Let's begin with opportunities. Two more matches in the Wired TV Tournament to showcase the newer talent plus a tag team showcase. Always good to see the newer faces. And speaking of Tag Teams, how about The Best Around vs. The BLKOUT. Two of the best tag teams out there right now bar none. And the fun of watching Robby Mireno turn on his old friends. That will be worth the price of admission right there. Then there is Ego Fantastico against Devon Moore. A chance for the "scumbag" Devon to showcase his wrestling skills. No hardcore battle here. This has high-flying excitement written all over it. And for those of you looking for that hardcore brawl, go no further then the 6 man match-up. With Mox, Gage, Hatred, DJ, Vortekz and xOMGx, how can you get anything else. Expect the chairs to fly on this one. Grab your chairs and start running cause I wouldn't be surprised if this wound up in the crowd. Like your matches stiff? Well we got two of those. The return of the King. Yeah, Eddie Kingston has always been one stiff SOB and as I said in my section on American Luchacore, Sammi can pull it out too when pushed. And you can bet your ass, Eddie is going to push him. No question both these crazy bastards are going home hurting after their match. And of course the main event. B-Boy finally gets what he has deserved for many years. He has been there laboring for the crowd year after year. Always breaking his ass. Never seen a bad match from the guy. Always putting those asses in the seats. Throwing his body and even his teeth into the match. And yet never getting that shot at the title. Till now. And Drake. Crazy ass Drake. Shit this bastard has been cut, beaten and pounded over the space of his title reign and still come back for more. He's good but is he still hungry? Cause I know damn sure B-Boy is. He is at that turning point. Win the title and move up that ladder. The fame, the recognition and that shiny belt around his waist. That's what it's about at this stage in his career. So Drake, he is coming for you my friend. It's going to be stiff and it's going to be ugly. And when it's all over, I know who the real winner is going to be. Those of us jumping to our feet to cheer for two of the greatest competitors we've seen and the promotion who brought them together that night: C-Z -F'n-W.
Join me next week when I go howlin' and prowlin' with a look at this weekend's results and a preview of TOD: Rewind.
PWU: Kashmere rises from the dead once again. This guy has more lives then that fabled cat. Haven't been to one of his shows yet so I'll take a wait and see attitude on this one. Looks like he has some money to piss away on talent so he has a shot at making it. Time will tell.
MBA: Maven is back with his charity shows. Always entertaining and fun. It's a chance to see the CZW guys in match-ups you wouldn't necessarily see in their shows. It's a great evening out for a few bucks that go to good causes. Go check one out. What the hell else have you got to do on a weeknight or a Sunday afternoon? So get your fat ass up out of that recliner and head on down.
ALXC: American Luchacore. Those of you who missed their 1st Philly area show missed out. Sammi Calihan's promotion gave us a nice mix of CZW talent along with the guys from Chikara. Lots of entertaining stuff, including Nick Gage tearing the place up in his usual hardcore style in a match that was ended before the intermission only to start up again right in the middle of the opening match of the second half. Some great comedy stuff from Greg Excellent, Bobby Dempsey and a pizza delivery guy. And in the surprise showstopper of the afternoon: B-Boy and Sammi going at it one on one in an incredibly stiff match. Since Sammi was dealing with the death of his best friend just days before, you wouldn't have expected much. But Sammi went out there and did his friend proud and the show served as an excellent tribute to him. Starting up a new promotion in the Philly market is always tough. I think if the first show was any indicator, Philly has a new promotion to come out and support.
CZW: Ahh my home. Those of you who know me know that CZW has been my home for many years. I've been around the Dub since show number one. I've hung out in the locker room and been there for training nights at the school. I'm proud to call many of the boys friends. I spent many a long night talking with Zandig. Well now the Dub is under new ownership. The DEEJ. DJ Hyde. What do I think about that you ask. Or maybe you don't. But I'm going to fucking tell you anyway. I feel pretty goddamn good. So good in fact that I decided to stage The Bloodhound's return to writing. You see I never left CZW. Unlike some of the fair weather friends that the Dub had, I was always there. But I'll admit there were times towards the end of Zandig's reign that I was bored as hell. The life seemed to have gone out of the shows. As we all now know, John was hurting and after years of doing this his heart and creativity just weren't in this anymore. I was there the night John announced the sale of CZW to DJ. My first thought was what the hell does this mean to a promotion I'd spent a goodly portion of my life dedicated to. After the show, I went back to talk to some of the boys and to congratulate DJ. I mentioned to DJ that if he needed any help, I'd be around. I kind of expected a blow-off answer. But just the opposite. DJ treated me with open respect for the years I'd been around and said he would appreciate my help. So I went on down and spoke with DJ a week or two after. And I liked what I heard. DJ is all about making CZW grow into what it could and should be. What one of us would not like to see CZW return to the crowds it drew when it first came to Philly? Bigger crowds mean more money. More money means better paydays for the boys and more money to fly in that talent you have been asking to see. DJ's about bringing in anybody that will build the business. No personal conflicts. If it's good for CZW, then you are in. He's about opportunities. Giving the young kids or a new face that chance to get in the ring and show his worth. And he is about building the company back up again. All good aims. Let's give him support. It ain't going to be easy to get those asses back in the seats. Now let's look at what's coming up to do that.
CZW: Severed Ties: Let's begin with opportunities. Two more matches in the Wired TV Tournament to showcase the newer talent plus a tag team showcase. Always good to see the newer faces. And speaking of Tag Teams, how about The Best Around vs. The BLKOUT. Two of the best tag teams out there right now bar none. And the fun of watching Robby Mireno turn on his old friends. That will be worth the price of admission right there. Then there is Ego Fantastico against Devon Moore. A chance for the "scumbag" Devon to showcase his wrestling skills. No hardcore battle here. This has high-flying excitement written all over it. And for those of you looking for that hardcore brawl, go no further then the 6 man match-up. With Mox, Gage, Hatred, DJ, Vortekz and xOMGx, how can you get anything else. Expect the chairs to fly on this one. Grab your chairs and start running cause I wouldn't be surprised if this wound up in the crowd. Like your matches stiff? Well we got two of those. The return of the King. Yeah, Eddie Kingston has always been one stiff SOB and as I said in my section on American Luchacore, Sammi can pull it out too when pushed. And you can bet your ass, Eddie is going to push him. No question both these crazy bastards are going home hurting after their match. And of course the main event. B-Boy finally gets what he has deserved for many years. He has been there laboring for the crowd year after year. Always breaking his ass. Never seen a bad match from the guy. Always putting those asses in the seats. Throwing his body and even his teeth into the match. And yet never getting that shot at the title. Till now. And Drake. Crazy ass Drake. Shit this bastard has been cut, beaten and pounded over the space of his title reign and still come back for more. He's good but is he still hungry? Cause I know damn sure B-Boy is. He is at that turning point. Win the title and move up that ladder. The fame, the recognition and that shiny belt around his waist. That's what it's about at this stage in his career. So Drake, he is coming for you my friend. It's going to be stiff and it's going to be ugly. And when it's all over, I know who the real winner is going to be. Those of us jumping to our feet to cheer for two of the greatest competitors we've seen and the promotion who brought them together that night: C-Z -F'n-W.
Join me next week when I go howlin' and prowlin' with a look at this weekend's results and a preview of TOD: Rewind.
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