Views from the Hawke’s Nest: CPW Strong Style Summit Part II 2012

June 22, 2012
Metropolis, Il

Commentators: Ron Trauma & Paul Couture

Chic Canyon starts the show by calling out Jeremiah Plunkett who attacked him at Part 1. Plunkett comes out, but he doesn’t make a real effort to come fight Canyon. JT Mac then came out, and he announced that the CPW Board of Directors made him the new “Director of Talent Acquisition & Match Making.” Ty Blade then came out and jumped Canyon. Hex Gage made the save.

Hex Gage vs. Ty Blade
Gage is a freak athlete. I hope to see some flips.

Gage was mostly in control in the early goings of the match. Blade cut him off with a chest rake and an enzuigiri. Blade started to get the heat after that. Gage came back with a diving double knee press. That got a nearfall. Gage then went for a moonsault, but Blade avoided it and Gage crashed onto the mat. Blade worked him over some more. Blade got a couple of nearfalls, and he then locked in a rear naked choke. Gage escaped. He went for a tope rope move, but Blade caught him with a superkick. Gage then rolled to the floor. Blade brought him back to the ring and pinned him, but Gage kicked out. Gage came back with a reverse hurricanrana. Gage went to the top rope and connected with a frog splash: 1…2…3

Chic Canyon came out and attacked Ty Blade. Ok. Weird tecnico action.

This match was OK, but it was too long for an opener (or at least nothing about the match justified the length of the match). Both guys were athletic enough and technically proficient enough to have an entertaining match, but it didn’t really come together here.
Match Rating: *3/4

Strong Style Summit Semi-Final Match
Matt Cage vs. Kyle Sykes
Cage ran down the crowd before the big match. He did Jericho’s gimmick of using big words. Sykes made his entrance. Cage ran down the crowd some more, so Sykes got the crowd to chant his name.

Sykes was in control early. Cage ended up on the floor, and Sykes hit an Asai Moonsault. Sykes rolled him back into the ring and got a nearfall. Sykes ended up on the apron, and Cage managed to hit a Silverking Forearm to cut Sykes off. Cage proceeded to get the heat. Cage was trying to chop Sykes once in front of every fan, but Cage eventually missed and chopped the wall. Ouch. Sykes brought Cage back to the ring, but Cage was able to immediately cut him off again. Cage locked in a STF, but Sykes managed to make the ropes. Cage then DDTed him into a turnbuckle. Cage called Sykes a bitch, and then Sykes made a comeback with some lariats and some backbreakers. Sykes then hit a deadlift bridging German suplex for a nearfall. Cage came back with a running knee for a nearfall. They ended up on the apron, where Cage dropped him from the fireman’s carry position. Cage then hit a big lariat for a nearfall. Sykes hit a running forearm to the back of Cage’s head for a nearfall. Sykes went to the top rope, but Cage crotched him. Sykes managed to hit a diving sunset flip pin though: 1…2…3!

Cage attacked Sykes after the match. Alex Castle came out to beat Sykes down as well. Zakk Sawyers, the CPW Heavyweight Champion, ran out to make the save. Castle challenges Sawyers for a CPW Title shot tonight. He calls Sawyers a pussy. Sawyers accepted the match. It’s weird that Castle lost a quarter-final match in the tournament for a CPW Title shot (at any time of their choosing), but then was able to just talk his way into a title shot here.

Solid match here. The extended promo segment before the match got the crowd to not like Cage, so they were more into this match than they were for the opener. Cage is a really talented guy. If he keeps improving (and has his head on straight), he should go places.
Match Rating: **3/4

Strong Style Summit Semi-Final Match
Christian Rose vs. Jeremiah Plunkett
Watch this match for free!

Rose immediately hit a sick kick to the face of Plunkett, but Plunkett kicked out at one. Rose hit a running boot in the corner. He went for a second one, but Plunkett caught him with a big right hand that sent Rose to the floor. Plunkett brought Rose to the ring to work him over. Rose managed to send him to the floor, and he then hit Plunkett with elbow suicida. Plunkett accidentally punched the ring post, and Rose then went after that right hand of Plunkett. Plunkett says that he has the “best right hand” in the business, so this is sound strategy from Rose. Rose continued to go after that hand. Rose hit a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall, and he then immediately transitioned into an armbreaker. Plunkett stood up out of it and hit a Buckle Rampage Bomb. Plunkett followed that up with a lariat: 1…2…3!

This was my favorite match of the show so far. The crowd wasn’t as invested in hating Plunkett as they were with hating Cage, but the actual substance of the match was far more interesting to me. I like both of these guys and I want to see more of them for sure.
Match Rating: **1/2

Bull Bronson (w/ Dalton Diamond) vs. Isaac Draven Dave Russle
Draven cut a promo before the match and announced that he will now go by his real name, Dave Russle. His nickname is the American Muscle. I don’t like Bull Bronson. He is large and slow.

Bronson dominated Russle early, which made sense since Bronson was much bigger. Russle came back with some uppercuts, but Bronson quickly cut him off with a suplex. Russle managed to dropkick Bronson to the floor, and Diamond called a timeout. Bronson got back in the ring and hit a lariat. I just realized that Russle looks like Kenny Dykstra. Now, I can’t unsee it. They ended up on the floor, trading punches. They brawled some more, and they eventually got counted out. Lame finish. Bronson then avoided fighting more, by throwing Diamond into Russle. They ended up in the ring and Russle hit Diamond with a big spinebuster.

Bull Bronson is not a performer that interests me, and if he’s not over, he’s just not fun to watch at all. Russle seems to have some charisma.
Match Rating: 1/2*

Strong Style Summit Finals
Jeremiah Plunkett vs. Kyle Sykes
Plunkett’s right hand was taped up after the damage that Christian Rose did.

Plunkett quickly took him down with a nice spinebuster. Plunkett hung Sykes up on the ropes and then uppercutted him to the floor. Plunkett then powerbombed him on the apron. Plunkett brought Sykes back into the ring and hit a superkick. Plunkett was in complete control. Sykes got a diving sunset flip (which beat Cage) for a nearfall. Sykes got a couple of more sloppy pinning combinations, but Plunkett eventually caught him with a big right hand. Plunkett then hit a piledriver and pinned Sykes with one finger: 1…2…3. Jeremiah Plunkett is the 2012 Strong Style Summit winner, and he can now challenge for the CPW Heavyweight Title whenever he wants.

Wow, that was almost a squash match. I’ve really enjoyed Plunkett’s work on the two Chaos Pro shows that I’ve seen, so I am glad he is getting a push.
Match Rating: **1/4

Trent Ware vs. Mikey McFinnegan vs. Aaron XTC vs. Joey O’Riley
Aaron XTC is one of the smallest wrestlers that I have ever seen. Think Steve Rogers before being shot up with Captain America steroids.

McFinnegan jumped XTC before the bell. They ended up on the floor with McFinnegan dominating the much smaller XTC. Ware wiped them out with a plancha. O’Riley then took them all out with a slingshot corkscrew press. Ware and O’Riley went at it for a bit. Not much of significance happened, but they did a fine little sequence. XTC tagged in to face off with Ware. McFinnegan tagged in to face off against Ware. Eventually O’Riley tagged in to faced off against McFinnegan. McFinnegan was not happy about this. O’Riley knocked him down and went for a Phoenix Splash, but McFinnegan rolled out of the way. McFinnegan hit a big saito suplex, but Ware broke up the pinfall. McFinnegan then tagged out to Ware. This match is dragging. Things picked back up when O’Riley hit a standing Spanish Fly: 1…2…NO! McFinnegan tagged back in but ate a buzzsaw kick from O’Riley. Ware took out O’Riley with a blockbuster. McFinnegan took out Ware, but then XTC hit McFinnegan with a double stomp. McFinnegan tossed Ware and ATC to the floor. O’Riley then hit McFinnegan with a rolling Brogue Kick: 1…2…3!

This match was solid. Joey O’Riley is so talented, and he should be able to breakout soon if he gets put in the right situation in the right promotion. Chaos Pro should be pushing him hard, sooner rather than later.
Match Rating: **1/2

Zakk Sawyers© vs. Alex Castle [Chaos Pro Heavyweight Title]
Sawyers won this belt at the Strong Style Summit Part 1. This is his first title defense.

Castle jumped Sawyers from behind during the latter’s entrance. Castle slammed him a couple of times on the entrance stage. Castle proceeded to beat him down around the ring. They finally made it back to the ring, and the bell rang to signal the start of the match. Castle was still in complete control. Castle seems to be going for this methodical pace, but he mostly just comes across as disinterested. Castle argued a nearfall with the referee, and that allowed Sawyers to hit a slingshot spear, a la Johnny Gargano. Castle went after Sawyers’s eyes to cut him right back off. Sawyers made a comeback. He hit a missile dropkick for a nearfall. Castle caught him with an urinagi for a nearfall. Castle hit a kneeling superkick, but Sawyers no-solid it and connected with some strikes. Sawyers called for the brainbuster, but Castle avoided it only to be caught by the champ with a pinning combination: 1…2…3!

A solid main event that told a good story. It’s not a match to get too excited about, but I enjoyed it as much as any match on the DVD.
Match Rating: **3/4

Matt Cage and Castle proceeded to beat down Zakk Sawyers after the main event. Good thing no one in Chaos just earned the right to challenge for the Chaos Pro title whenever he or she wants! Oh wait….by gawd, that’s Jeremiah Plunkett’s music! Plunkett is cashing in his title shot.

Zakk Sawyers© vs. Jeremiah Plunkett [Chaos Pro Heavyweight Title]
Sawyers fired off some offense, but Plunkett caught him with his big right hand. Plunkett then hit the piledriver: 1…2…3! New champ! I like this decision.

Chic Canyon’s music hit and he ran into the ring to attack Plunkett. They started brawling right away. Dalton Diamond and a referee tried to prevent them from fighting, but Canyon and Plunkett took them out. The locker room then cleared out. Pull apart brawl. JT Mac came out and announced that Canyon and Plunkett would battle at the next show for the title. They continued to brawl.

Bonus Match Review

Strong Style Summit Part I
Matt Cage vs. Joey O’Riley
Watch this match right here

Cage bailed to the floor early. Cage came back to the ring, and they started trading strikes. O’Riley hit a standing shooting star press for an early nearfall. O’Riley hit a diving cross-body for another nearfall, and Cage bailed to the floor again. O’Riley hit an Undertaker suicida! Cage ended up back in the ring. O’Riley went for slingshot DDT, but Cage blocked it. Cage finally cut him off with a high kick to the back of the head. Cage started to get the heat. Cage locked in a STF, but O’Riley managed to make the ropes. O’Riley came back with an enzugiri and a bulldog. O’Riley went for a handspring move, but Cage caught him and hit a Blue Thunder Bomb: 1…2…NO! Cage went for a Gibson Driver, but O’Riley reversed it into a hurricanrana. O’Riley then hit an inverted C4! O’Riley followed that with a buzzsaw kick and a handspring moonsault. O’Riley then hit a slingshot DDT! The commentator said that was his finisher. O’Riley set up for a running move, but Cage blocked it. O’Riley then hit the Skull Crushing Finale. They ended up on the ring apron, where Cage hit a backbreaker. Cage hit a sole butt and a lariat: 1…2…NO! Cage locked in a Coquina Clutch style submission. O’Riley stood out of it, but Cage brought him back to the mat with the clutch still locked in. O’Riley almost passed out, but he didn’t. O’Riley did the Hart/Austin Survivor Series 1996 rollup: 1…2…NO! Cage went for a TKO move (I think), but O’Riley avoided it and hit a discus Brogue Kick: 1…2…Foot on the ropes! Cage blocked another discus Brogue kick and hit a Tiger Driver: 1…2…3.

This was a really good match that hopefully didn’t burn out the crowd since they did a lot nearfalls for an opener. Joey O’Riley impressed the hell out of me here. I am very interested to see what he does in the future. I’m more familiar with Cage, so I already knew he was talented, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I was hoping for O’Riley to win the match by the end.
Match Rating: ***1/2

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The 411: Much like the Strong Style Summit Part 1, I can’t recommend that you buy this DVD. There were definitely some positives to the show. I enjoyed the Strong Style Summit matches again, and I especially liked that Plunkett left the show as the champion. The non-tournament matches were also much more consistently entertaining. However, the crowd for this show was almost complete unresponsive (except for Matt Cage practically begging for them to boo him), and that really brought the show down. I enjoyed a majority of the matches, but it's hard to get passionate about any one of them. The next couple of Chaos Pro shows are supposed to be much better though, and I look forward to watching them. You can support Chaos Pro by buying this show as a DVD for $15 or as an Video On-Demand for $9.95. You can also buy each match on the show as a Video On-Demand for $1.99. Also, check out a full/organized list of all the wrestling show reviews I've done at 411mania.

Final Score:  5.0   [ Not So Good ]