Colling It In The Ring Reviews: CZW Cage of Death V 12/13/2003

Combat Zone Wrestling presents Cage Of Death V
Date: 12/13/2003
From: Philadelphia, PA

Opening Contest: Rockin’ Rebel & Greg Matthews vs. Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz vs. Nick Berk & Z-Barr: This is a number one contenders match for the CZW World Tag Team Championships. Barr and Berk send Rebel and Matthews to the floor and use some double team moves to send the Scoundrelz to the floor. Barr takes everyone out with a somersault dive and fans chant for ECW. Berk is worked over by Matthews and Rebel. Scoundrelz gets involved as both heel teams are deciding to work together and take out the face team of Berk and Barr. Berk is the guy taking the beating thus far. Berk hit a head scissors on EC Negro and instead of tagging out he stayed in the ring. The Scoundrelz hit a double team stunner for a near fall moments later. Barr got a tag but the referee was distracted. Berk hits a face buster on Negro and Barr forces the hot tag to little crowd heat. Barr cleans house and tries to get the crowd into the bout but isn’t really working. Berk over shoots on a springboard attempt. Barr hits a Negro with a chair. Rebel and Matthews hit their version of a Hart Attack and win the match via pin on Negro. (*1/2. The crowd simply didn’t care about the guys involved in this one. Berk took a lengthy beating and the offense from that was decent enough. They just failed to grab my attention.) After the match, Berk and Barr let their frustrations out with a little beating on the Scoundrelz. Their apparent feud will be continuing.

Second Contest: Derek Frazier vs. Sabian vs. Jimmy Jacobs: Sabian slaps Jacobs on the floor and taunts him. All three men will be in the ring at the same time. Frazier opens up with series of kicks on both men. Sabian takes opponents out with a somersault dive on the floor. Frazier hits a twisting neckbreaker on Sabian. Jacobs tries a head scissors but Frazier just kicks him in the head! Sabian gets locked in leg lock and cattle mutilation but Frazier lets go to attack Jacobs. Sabian hit Jacobs with a senton splash at Jimmy hit a northern lights on Frazier. Jacobs hits a modified Un-Prettier on Sabian, who was between his legs, for a near fall. Frazier plants Jacobs with a nice reverse DDT that saw him lift Jacobs up and cradle his body. Sabian hit a flipping splash off the top but couldn’t get a three on Jacobs. Jacobs hits the Slice Bread on Sabian after kicking Frazier off the top. (**. Some decent action throughout the match here as Frazier really displayed some quality moves. Just not enough to warrant a positive rating.)

Third Contest: CZW Ironman Champion Trent Acid vs. Jimmy Rave: This match has no rules and is a thirty minute ironman match. That means the most falls in twenty minutes wins the championship. Acid gets some really good heat during his entrance. They are stalling quite a bit in the opening minutes of the match with Acid absorbing the heat he has been getting. They are trading headlocks until Rave got the advantage with an arm drag. Acid gets a near fall with a northern lights suplex. It’s a really basic start here, hopefully they are just pacing themselves for the rest of the match. There is fifteen minutes left in the match, and nothing has really happened. Acid bails to the floor and goes under the ring to only come out on the other side and hit Rave with a forearm shot. Acid throws a chair at Raven as well. Acid continues to send Rave into the guard railing. Acid barely hits a springboard moonsault as Acid seemingly hit Rave with his feet instead of hitting the actual move. Rave misses a top rope cross body after knocking Acid off the middle rope. Acid hits a roaring elbow as the fans are chanting “boring.” Acid springboards off the middle rope to hit a twisting leg drop to get the first fall, Acid 1, Rave 0. There are now ten minutes left in the match. Rave hits an overhead belly to belly suplex and takes Acid out with a dive after a springboard off the top. There is only five minutes left. They did very little in the previous five. Rave avoids a cross body and soon locks in a cross face. Acid taps out and we are tied 1-1. They both attempt to hit a cross body and a clothesline but they both go down after the impact. Rave gets a near fall after a back suplex. Rave plants Acid with a reverse DDT as there are thirty seconds left. Rave hits a German suplex, but Acid gets up quickly to hit a yakuza kick for a near fall. Acid can’t get a cover and it finishes with a draw. The fans really dislike that outcome. They want five more minutes.

Acid gets on the microphone and says he is out of here because he has to be in the main event later on. Rave gets the microphone and calls Acid a pussy. Rave tells him not to start something he can’t finish. The referee gets on the microphone and tells Acid the fans want to see a finish. Acid gets in the referee’s face. Acid gives Rave five more minutes. Acid grabs his title and walks out to be counted out since the belt can’t change hands. The referee says he will give Rave the belt if he can’t make it back. I believe it can in an Ironman match, but oh well. The referee is making the count. Acid has come back and is behind Rave. Rave kicks out of a school boy and they trade pin attempts. These pin attempts are getting sloppier each time. Rave nails Acid with a running knee shot and wins the title. (**1/4. This was a big disappointment for me. Acid was a really good heel and could put on good matches. Rave was still a young kid at this time, but I had high hopes for it. There were moments that the fans were into the match and made some noise but they failed to hold onto it. The match got sloppy and slow several times and prevented me from enjoying the match. It is notable that this was Acid’s first loss at Cage of Death.) After the match, the Hi-V come out to cut a promo.

The Messiah asks if this is worth it to risk their lives and Zandig’s life. There is a second platform hanging from the rafters. Messiah tells us that Danny Warbucks will help them take CZW to the next level. Johnny Kashmere asks how happy the fans are that they get to a wrestling ring in the crowd. Yes, there is a second ring in the crowd. Kashmere says all of this is about money and they don’t care if the fans are happy. Kashmere says that Warbucks created the first chain of 98 cent stores. Kashmere wants Zandig in the cage first. He puts over Nate Hatred as being a monster. Messiah asks how Zandig can think they will win when he only has five guys to their six. Zandig ends up appearing on the suspended cage. Zandig eventually says that tonight is payback for himself and says he has a surprise for all of CZW with his sixth man! Most of the fans appear to want Nick Mondo. Will they get him?

Fourth Contest: Chris Hero vs. B-Boy vs. Alex Shelley in a number one contenders match, elimination rules: This is a number one contenders match for the CZW Ironman Championship. They start off doing a three way go behind and Boy is focused on by both men during the exchange. Hero and Shelley do some basic holds with Boy just standing around until he tried a knee lift, but missed. Shelley hits a running hurricanrana on Boy as the pace begins to quicken. Hero works over Shelley with a shoulder ram in the corner. Shelley drop toe holds Hero into the corner. Boy runs in to hit a neck breaker on Shelley, who plants Hero with a DDT as well. Hero drops Boy with a head butt after a few blows. Hero double stomped Boy while Shelley had a sleeper on him! Boy stomps Shelley and Hero several times and drops a senton splash on Shelley, which the fans really enjoyed. Boy works over Shelley with a series of kicks but Hero enters to hit a swinging backbreaker for a near fall. Hero hits a suplex where Shelley does a rotation in the air and lands on Boy! Hero only gets a near fall on the cover attempt. Boy hit a swinging neckbreaker after Shelley kicks Hero in the face. Shelley gets a two count on Boy after a neckbreaker of his own. Boy drops Alex with a t-bone suplex but Hero connects with a Alabama Slam! Hero plants Boy with a leg trapped piledriver but only got a two count on the cover. Shelley gets out of the Hero’s Welcome and superkicks Hero. Boy powerbombs Shelley into the corner! Boy turns around to be met with a clothesline from Hero! Hero leaps off the middle rope to hit a neckbreaker on Shelley, who drives Boy face first into the canvas as well! Hero and Shelley hit a double spinning neckbreaker that saw Boy elevated in the air for the move. Boy spikes Hero with a brain buster! Shelley hits a nice dropkick on Hero in the corner, who is kicked by Boy as well. Boy knocks Hero out with a knee right under the chin. Hero has been eliminated. Boy is stretching Shelley out but can’t a submission out of him. Shelley counters a running knee attempt and locks in the Border City Stretch! Boy is close to the ropes and reaches them. Shelley hits the Cradle Shock for a near fall! Boy spikes Shelley with a Death Valley Driver! Shelley counters a move and hits a face buster and locks in the Border City Stretch to get the submission! (***. It’s a good match that saw these three guys hit high impact move after another. I kind of don’t like those matches since it ruins some of the moves if they just go and do them like it’s no big deal. This has probably been the first match that the crowd was into from the opening bell to the end.)

Fifth Contest: Chris Cash vs. Joker in a Ladder match: Joker kicks Cash down early on and low blows Cash on an attempted leap frog. Cash dropkicks Joker and connects with a spinning kick to send Joker to the floor. Cash dropkicks a ladder into Joker after spring boarding off the top rope. Cash knocks Joker to the floor but Joker sends Cash viciously into the guard railing. Cash drives Joker into a ladder on the floor with a spine buster! Joker knocks Cash off the apron with a forearm shot. Joker lays Cash on the ladder and heads to the top rope. Joker double stomps a chair onto Cash through a ladder on the floor! Back in the ring, Cash hits a DDT. Joker sends Cash into the middle turnbuckle head first with a head scissors. Joker slides a ladder in and rips the canvas doing so. Cash is laid on the ladder but gets up and springboards off the top to drive Joker down onto the ladder and onto a chair! Cash sends Joker chest first into a ladder but Joker hits a side effect onto another ladder for a near fall! On the floor, Joker lays a ladder across two chairs. Cash puts Joker over it and climbs the biggest ladder in the match. Joker cuts him off though and he begins to climb. Cash nails Joker with a ladder and Joker falls off onto the ladder on the floor! Cash goes backstage and gets another ladder. Joker shoves Cash face first into the ladder and they are both now on top of the ladder. Joker hits a sick leaping DDT on the ladder. Joker covers but Cash somehow gets his foot on the bottom rope. That really should have been the finish. Of course, Cash quickly hits a modified Death Valley Driver onto the ladder. Cash sets a table up in the ring. He has basically no sold the DDT that happened. Cash puts Joker on the table and heads up the ladder. Joker slides off and and hits a crash electric chair slam folding Cash frontward through the table and wins the match! (***!/2. With CZW and most of their wrestlers, you aren’t going to get a lot of selling. This match was purely doing crazy spots, and in that regard they did a very good job. For the two CODs that I have watched, this match has gotten the biggest ovation out of the crowd yet. A sleeper for the night, without a doubt.) After the match, Zandig comes out to lead the crowd in applause for their effort and checks on both men.

Sixth Contest: CZW Junior Heavyweight Champion Ruckus vs. Sonjay Dutt: Dutt avoids some early offense by Ruckus to maintain control with a wrist lock. Dutt tangles Ruckus in the ropes before hitting a dropkick to the champ’s back. Dutt hits a tilt a whirl head scissors and tried a moonsault to the floor but Rucks yanked Sonjay face first across the apron. Dutt attempts a springboard off the top rope but Ruckus dropkicks him and Sonjay falls across the ropes. Ruckus misses a handspring back elbow in the corner, but Dutt hits his version of it. Neither man has been able to get any long lasting offense. Dutt is able to get the octopus on Ruckus and soon spikes him with a tornado DDT for a near fall. Rucks drops Dutt across the top rope and hits a neckbreaker for a near fall. Dutt drops the champ with kick to the side of the head. Dutt hits a top rope elbow drop but Ruckus pops his shoulder up at two. Dutt drops Ruckus with a flipping reverse neckbreaker for a two count. Ruckus low blows Dutt on the middle rope and proceeds to hit a top rope Falcon Arrow but Dutt kicks out at two! Ruckus counters a slingshot hurricanrana with a sit down powerbomb for a near fall! Dutt puts Ruckus shirt over his face to chop him several times. Ruckus hits the Chronic but Dutt somehow kicks out at two. Dutt blocks a top rope moonsault by getting his feet up. Dutt nearly wins with a top rope hurricanrana and hits the Phoenix Splash but Ruckus kicks out at two! Dutt surprises Ruckus with a roll up to win the match. (***. It’s a fine match, but I hate the finish. Yeah, I understand the idea of a surprise roll up, but they had Dutt hit his finishing move and the fans ate it up. Why not just finish the match there? I was surprised by how well they worked together, too.)

Here are the members of the two teams involved in the Cage of Death.
Hi-V (The Messiah, Nate Hatred, Trent Acid, Johnny Kashmere, Adam Flash & B-Boy)
Team Ultraviolence (Zandig, Lobo, Ian Knoxx, Wifebeater, Nick Gage and a mystery partner)

Main Event: Hi-V vs. Team Ultraviolence in a Cage of Death Match: They start on the stage and the most member who reach it back to the stage win the match. That’s weird since there isn’t a time limit on the match. Zandig and Kashmere start off the main event. Kashmere is wearing a baseball helmet and has prepared himself for a sure beating. They are on the suspended cage and Kashmere spears Zandig to kick off the match. Kashmere rams Zandig head first into the cage several times. Zandig recovers and tosses Kashmere into the cage. You’re eliminated once your feet hit the concrete, apparently. Zandig slams Kashmere onto the cage. Zandig has busted Kashmere open it looks like. Here comes the next entrant for the match as Zandig tosses Kashmere on a table on the Cage of Death.

Actually, it’s Messiah and Trent Acid. They are both dancing as Kashmere has entered the cage. So, it’s going to be three on one. Messiah attacks Zandig from behind and Acid gets some shots in. Zandig has been busted as well. Zandig is worked over as the next entrant comes out.

It’s not anyone for Zandig. It’s instead going to be B-Boy. The babyfaces continue to fail and win the coin toss. Wait a second, New Jack’s music hits and B-Boy is shocked to hear this! Jack appears on the suspended cage and the Hi-V is shocked. Boy begs off and gets a trash can shot to the head. Zandig is being beaten down in the ring while Jack is playing to the crowd and has a knife but Boy tries to leave. Jack has a fork and a damn knife in his hands. Messiah and Acid back off in the ring as Jack enters. Jack instead clotheslines Zandig and turns on him. Of course, why not? Jack uses staple gun on Zandig.

Lobo runs out and and so does Ian Knoxx to try and help out Zandig. Knoxx slams Boy on the suspended cage. Knoxx knocks Boy off the suspended cage onto the ring with thumbtacks! Knoxx proceeds to swing off the cage and drop an elbow on Boy on the thumbtacks!

Nick Gage has made his way out into the match and helps Zandig and company regain control of the bout. About ten seconds later Adam Flash comes out and goes right at Ian Knoxx in the thumbtack ring. B-Boy has been eliminated from the match. Flash spears Knoxx, who was dangling from the cage, from off the top and onto the thumbtacks!

Wifebeater is the last man to make his way out for Zandig’s team. Boy has pulled Zandig out of the ring and thus, Zandig has been eliminated. Flash leaps off the top of the cage to leg drop Gage! Wifebeater is just going nuts with a trash can. New Jack leaps off the cage to dive onto Zandig on the floor through a table! Wifebeater powerbombs Messiah on a piece of steel.

Nate Hatred makes his way out to be the last entrant for the match. Acid hits a yakuza kick on Knoxx, knocking him off the suspended cage and he flips off crashing through a few tables on the floor! Knoxx has been eliminated from the match, as a result. Dewey Donovan, the manager for the Hi-V group, has gotten involved. Acid dropkicks Gage off the suspended cage and he crashes onto the tacks! Lobo has Kashmere and Dewey on his shoulders to hit a Death Valley Diver off the cage and through several tables on the floor. Kashmere and Lobo have been eliminated. Acid dives off the suspended cage to put Gage on the tacks again.

Hatred powerbombs Wifebeater onto the piece of cage in the corner. Wifebeater is being worked over by three members of Hi-V in the ring. Uh, they are trying to hang Wifebeater in the ring. They managed to hang Wifebeater for about five seconds before Flash let go. Gage hits a backbreaker on Acid while they were on the apron. Acid falls to the floor to be eliminated. Flash has met the starting point and brawls with Zandig. Wifebeater also reaches the starting point to even the odds. Flash is working on Wifebeater with a chair now. Wifebeater kicks the chair back into Flash’s face.

Wifebeater side slams Flash off the suspended cage onto the ring with a million thumbtacks! Gage is alone in the ring with Messiah and Nate Hatred as a table is being set up. Hatred and Messiah are at the top of the cage. Hatred turns on Messiah! Gage puts thumbtacks on a table and joins Hatred on the top. The H8 Club press slams Messiah off and send him through the table! The H8 Club have reunited! They continue to beat down Messiah in the corner and they send Messiah to the floor to win the match.

(***1/2. I’m rating this solely on entertainment value. This match had a lot of crazy spots and some notable angle developments. New Jack coming in and turning on Zandig, to the reunion of the H8 Club. An enjoyable crazy spot fest by the men involved.)

After the match, Zandig says he isn’t the dumbest man alive. Zandig talks about having Gage and Hatred beat the hell out of each other. I guess he says there is nothing better than the H8 Club, so that is why they are together again. Zandig puts over his fellow teammates as well.

For well over 3,000 other recaps that could soon be posted here, please head over to my blog WRESTLING RECAPS . Feel free to e-mail me any suggestions you have for reviews as well!

The 411: A much better show compared to COD IV. There were a few good matches on here and not just bloody hardcore brawls that the company is best known for. Joker/Cash is a crazy ladder match. I'm going to give the overall show a thumbs up.
Final Score:  7.0   [ Good ]