Views from the Hawke’s Nest: 2CW #75 2012

June 23, 2012

Dick Justice, Pete D. Order & The Beast vs. Loca Vida & The Killer Steves (Steve Kruz & Steve McKenzie)
Justice, Order, and Beast were big guys. Vida and the Steves were not big guys. The big guys worked over Vida for a while. This went on for a very long time, and it didn’t really interest me much. I believe these guys are all 2CW students. Well, I mostly just hope that they are 2CW students, because there’s no other justifiable reason for this match to be happening. The big guys were cheating with the numbers game, so the Steves ran in and evened up the odds. The small guys actually managed to get the big buys to pin themselves: 1…2…3

Nothing to see here, move along.
Match Rating: 1/4*

I believe Order and Justice (as opposed to one of them being The Beast) stayed in the ring after the match and called out Kevin Steen for stealing the 2CW belt. Kevin Steen came out. Steen kicked one of them in the nuts. Steen kicked the other one in the nuts. Steen then called out the 2CW Commissioner. The Commissioner then came out. They go back and forth for a bit. Steen claims he is the champion. The Commissioner is upset that he stole the belt. Steen demands a challenger for him to defend against. Jason Axe, Jay Freddie, & Isys Ephex come out. The Commissioner declares that Steen has to defend the belt against all three of them tonight.

Colin Delaney vs. Cheech
Colin went for a standing moonsault early, but Cheech avoided it. Colin managed to send Cheech to the floor, and he then wiped him out with a tope suicida. Back in the ring, Cheech sent Colin into a turnbuckle to cut him off. Cheech got the heat after that. Colin was eventually able to take Cheech down with an enzuigiri. Cheech hit a pumphandle suplex and then a weird DDT: 1…2…NO! Colin came back with a knee to the gut and an exploder suplex: 1…2…NO! Colin then hit a diving Cutter: 1…2…NO! Cheeck came back with a knee to the head and then a slingshot schoolboy with a handful of tights: 1…2…3! The commentator got over the fact that Colin’s transition to the singles division is not going to be smooth. I think that is a very interesting and realistic touch.

This was a very solid match between two very competent performers. Neither guy is someone that I’m usually very excited to see, but they did a good job here. Colin Delaney has really become much more interesting in the last year, and I’m glad that he’s gotten clean and sober.
Match Rating: **3/4

The Briscoes (Jay & Mark Briscoe)© vs. Super Smash Bros. (Player Uno & Player Dos) vs. First Class (Kevin Graham & Mike Van Slyke) [2CW Tag Team Championships]

The Briscoe Brothers were defending their 2CW Tag Titles in this elimination match.

First Class was able to isolate Player Dos early in the match, and they worked him over for a while. Dos was eventually able to hit a Scorpion Deathdrop. He went to tag out to Uno, but Graham pulled Uno off the apron. Dos was then able tot tag out to Mark Briscoe. Mark used his redneck kung fu. Graham took out Uno with a rolling senton off the apron. Jay hit Slyde with a big DDT, and then Mark hit the Froggy Bow: 1…2…3! First Class was eliminated from the match.

Briscoes vs. SSB for the titles! Jay hit Dos with a Falcon Arrow for a quick nearfall. The Briscoes worked Dos over for a bit. Jay Briscoe hti a Jay Briscoe Spinebuster for a nearfall. Dos came back with a double Pele Kick on both Briscoes. Uno tagged in and ran wild. SSB hit Mark with the Alabama Slam/Backstabber combo: 1…2…Jay makes the save! SSB set up for Fatality on Mark, but Jay knocked Dos to the floor. Jay then gave Uno a chokeslam: 1…2…NO! The Briscoes set up for the Doomsday Device, but Dos superkicked Mark off the turnbuckle. SSB then hit Jay with FATALITY: 1…2…3!!! NEW CHAMPS!

First Class didn’t add anything to this match, but the SSB and Briscoes segment was so much fun. The fact that the Briscoes and SSB haven’t faced off more is kind of astounding, and this is absolutely a matchup that another promotion needs to capitalize on sooner rather than later. You should definitely watch this match.
Match Rating: ***1/2

Eddie Edwards vs. John Walters
Neither man could get a decisive advantage early on. Walters ended up on the apron, and Eddie hit an enzuigiri that sent Walters to the floor. Eddie then took him out with a tope suicida. They proceeded to strike it out on the floor. They made their way back into the ring, with Eddie in control. Eddie went for a charge in the corner, but Walters avoided it and Eddie took a Kurt Angle bump into the ringpost. Walters worked Eddie over after that. Eddie was eventually able to hit a F-5 to halt Walter’s momentum. Eddie got a nearfall with a missile dropkick. Walters came back with a super hurricanrana. Walters then hit a bridging Northern Lights Suplex: 1…2…NO! Waltters got a sloppy triangle choke, and Eddie was able to escape. Eddie hit a diving codebreaker and a funplex. Eddie hit a superkick, but Walters came right back with a lariat. Walters appeared to be going for a sharpshooter, but Eddie reversed it into a pinning combination: 1…2…3

Technically, this was really good, and I enjoyed this match for the most part. However, 2CW is known for their awesome crowds, but they were put to sleep by this match. Walters just didn’t give the crowd a reason to get invested in him.
Match Rating: ***

Kevin Steen vs. Jason Axe vs. Jay Freddie vs. Isys Ephex [2CW Heavyweight Championship]
I think the story was that Steen only possessed the belt, but he wasn’t actually the champion. Belt stealing angles are automatic turnoffs to me, but at least the belt was technically not being held by anyone.

Axe got sent to the floor before Steen made his entrance. Steen got Axe to form an alliance. I would like to think that Steen asked, “Jason, would you be interested in forming an alliance to take down Ephex and Freddie?” Axe then probably responded, “Absolutely, I would.” Steen and Axe eventually ended up on the floor again. Ephex and Freddie then hit stereo dives. Axe and Steen started brawling on the floor, while Ephex and Freddie battled in the ring. Axe and Ephex then went at it. Everybody in the match took turns hitting moves. There was no real engaging story going (as far as I could tell), but the action was lively. Steen got triple-teamed, which sent him out of the ring. Axe hit Freddie with a Fisherman Arrow: 1…2…3!
Jay Freddie was eliminated.

Ephex hit Axe with a bridging Dragon suplex: 1…2…3!
Jason Axe was eliminated.

Go Kevin Steen! Steen hit Ephex with a cannonball splash. Steen hit the F-Cinq: 1…2…NO! Steen called for the Package Piledriver, but Ephex avoided. Steen got a pinning combination: 1…2…3
Kevin Steen wins/retains the 2CW Championship.

As Bryan Alvarez likes to say, this match was just sort of there. There wasn’t exactly anything wrong with it, but I just never really found the match interesting. 2CW uses a ton of talent that would make for great challengers to Steen, but I don’t think Axe and Ephex fit that bill. Steen vs. Freddie would be cool though.
Match Rating: **1/2

Bin Hamin came out to cut a promo. He’s doing an archaic Middle Eastern gimmick who is designed to be hated because he’s from the Middle East. Naturally, he got more heat than anything on the show. Wrestling is the worst sometimes. He attacked the ring announcer. The Commissioner yelled at him. Everything about this was fucking shindy and everything I hate about professional wrestling. 2CW is SO much better than this.

Benjamin Boone vs. Matt Milan vs. Kage
I don’t think I’ve ever seen any of these men before.

Kage is a hometown guy. He was double teamed early on. Kage managed to get Milan to the floor, but Boone cut Kage off and the two heels worked over the hometown favorite some more. Milan and Boone eventually butted heads. Milan hit a German suplex, and Kage had to make the save. Kage came back and ran through the heels. Kage hit Milan with a neckbreaker, but Boone made the save. Kage got sent to the floor. Boone hit Milan with a spinebuster: 1…2…no. Milan hit Boone with the Five Star Suplex. Kage tossed Milan to the floor, and he then pinned Boone: 1…2…3.

None of these guys seemed especially talented, but they definitely worked hard. The ending was pretty weird as you would think if they were going to have the hometown guy win, they would put him over strong. Instead, the hometown hero stole a pin. I don’t know. Seems weird.
Match Rating: *3/4

Slyck Wagner Brown vs. Sean Carr
Wagner has been around forever, but he has seemingly never gotten better. Carr does some cool shit.

Carr hit a standing moonsault early and then a rolling senton off the apron. On the floor, Wagner cut him off by dropping Carr on the barricade, ribs first. Wagner got the heat after that. Carr was eventually able to hit a snap powerslam and an enzuigiri. Carr hit a missile dropkick right after that for a nearfall. Carr then hit a superkick and a standing shooting star press: 1…2…NO! Wagner used the ref to his advantage and came back with a sitout spinebuster. Wagner then locked in the Cloverleaf. Carr made the ropes. Carr got a couple of pinning combinations, but Wagner finally cut him off with a Rough Ryder. Out of nowhere, Carr caught Wagner with a small package: 1…2…3!

Wagner beat Carr up after the match. He challenged him to a rematch.

Slyck Wagner Brown just doesn’t interest me much as a performer, and I wish he was used in a different role in 2CW. That being said, this match was perfectly fine, as Carr is fun and over, which made his comeback and victory satisfying.
Match Rating: **3/4

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Rhyno
They traded a lot of strikes early on. They ended up on the floor and started brawling. Neither man was able to get a decisive advantage in the early stages of the match. Rhyno was eventually able to suplex Ciampa on the floor. Ciampa came back with a neckbreaker in the ropes. Ciampa hit a big lariat for a nearfall. Ciampa was in control after that, and he proceeded to get the heat. Rhyno was eventually able to come back with a snap powerslam. Rhyno got a nearfall with a belly-to-belly suplex. Ciampa hit a knee strike. He then pulled out a table. Ciampa hit a German suplex. Ciampa called for a Gore, but Rhyno avoided it and Ciampa crashed through the table. Ciampa seemed to hold up right before he broke the table, which makes me wonder if he intended to break the table right there. Rhyno hit a spinebuster: 1…2…NO! Ciampa hit another knee strike and then went to the top rope. The lights went out and a Sami Callihan promo aired. Sami cut a promo on Ciampa. They’re gonna have a match in a couple of months. Weird. Cut back to the ring, Ciampa is yelling at the hardcam. Rhyno hits a gore: 1…2…3

WOW, that finish was super lame for a DVD main event. If 2CW had a TV show, that would have been OK. If this match happened on the first half of the show, it would have been OK. This was not an acceptable way to close out a DVD. 2CW should know better than that. With that out of the way, I enjoyed the action in this match. I wouldn’t mind seeing a rematch just because this didn’t get a clean finish.
Match Rating: **1/2

For more information on 2CW, check out their:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
DVD Store
Youtube Page

The 411: The first half of this show was really strong, and I thought this was going to be the best 2CW DVD yet. However, the second half turned out to be really disappointing. I really can't emphasize enough how much of a downer the ending of the main event was. If that match ends clean, this DVD probably becomes a thumbs up. With that finish though, I'm forced to say that this is a Thumbs Down. 2CW could improve a lot by reorganizing some of their cards. There is no reason that the two title matches should have been on the first half (the only thing I can think of is that Steen and SSB needed to catch a flight or something). You can (and should) support 2CW by buying stuff from their DVD Store.

Final Score:  5.8   [ Not So Good ]