411 Video Review: CZW Dйjа Vu 2

CZW DЙJА VU 2
July 20, 2003

In July of 2002, CZW ran a show called Dйjа Vu, called that because they were running the first no roped barbed wire match in the ECW arena since the Sabu/Funk one from 1997. Well, here its Dйjа vu 2, promising a Tapei death match between Zandig and Ian Rotten as a result of the IWA/CZW feud.

But, there’s other great reasons to watch this show. Four words: Acid, Homicide, Mafia and B-Boy. Is B-Boy one word? Whatever, just read on.

We start off with a great video package recapturing the feud over the last two shows, including the IWA’s dominance and the Hi-5 stables’ unwillingness to help their CZW boss, Zandig.

MATCH RESULTS

Z-Barr & Scott Chong vs. Rockin Rebel & Greg Matthews – Scott Chong is from Tough Enough 3, if I remember correctly. Chong and Matthews start off. It’s a battle of the Tough Enough losers! They trade headlocks and leg scissors before Chong takes Matthews down and dominates him with some slaps. Greg takes a powder as the crowd gets on his case. Man, Chong is surprisingly over. Barr tags in and gets a hiptoss and powerslam for two. Rebel tags in but gets atomic dropped and dropkicked. Barr gets a bodypress for two. Rebel slams Barr but can’t make a cover. Matthews tags in and they double backdrop Barr. Stinger splash and suplex fro mMatthews, and he doesn’t want the pin. Rebel tags in and they continue to work over Z-Barr. The match goes to the outside and Scott Chong brawls with Derek Fraizer. Back in, Rebel drops a few legs. Matthews blows a stinger splash off Rebel’s back, allowing Barr to spike him and hit a moonsault. Fraizer stops the donkey punch by pulling the ropes down. Rebel’s Army beat down Barr and Chong, and Matthews gets the pin on Chong at 8:11. This went a bit too long but was pretty inoffensive. *1/4

Jon Dahmer & Cory Kastle vs. Ian Knoxx & Adam Flash – Knoxx and Dahmer start off, with pushes and shoves and the like. They trade some counter wrestling and I’m impressed that Dahmer is doing anything more than running the ropes like a maniac and dropping kids on their heads. Knoxx is dumped and Dahmer hits a baseball slide. Back in, Dahmer hits a pumpehandle suplex for two. Kastle tags in and Dahmer slams Knoxx on his knee. Kastle gets a neckbreaker, but cops a clothesline from Knoxx who then tags Flash. Flash hits a delayed suplex and chokeslam for tow. Flash nails a running powerbomb for two. Flash slams Kastle off the top for two. Man, Flash is all over Kastle. He tags in Knoxx, and Kastle is able to get off a pumphandle backbreaker and a flatliner. Kastle holds Knoxx in a submission but Flash breaks it up. Dahmer comes in and works over Knoxx before getting suplexed. Dahmer bails and Knoxx follows with a tope. Flash nails a plancha out onto all three guys. Flash gives Kastle some chops on the outside. In the ring, Dahmer neckbreakers Knoxx on some chairs and stomps on him. Flash comes back in and hits a facebuster off the top on Dahmer, then Knoxx and Flash hit a double chokeslam off the top on Kastle for the win at 11:13. This was okay stuff obviously designed to get Flash and Knoxx over as a tag team, and it works. **

Gauntlet Match: Participants are GQ, Chris Cash, Derek Fraizer, Nick Berk, Deranged, Sonjay Dutt and Niles Young – This is for a shot at JC Bailey’s IWA Midsouth Light Heavyweight Title. GQ and Cash begin brawling on the outside, smacking each other into the railing. Inside they trade counters as each guy goes for their finisher. Cash escapes a drug bomb and hits a DDT and a leg lariat. Cash goes up but GQ catches him and holds him in a boston crab, and then a figure four. GQ hits a fisherman’s buster for two. GQ goes for a Van Terminator but Cash avoids it. Cash escapes a German suplex off the top and hits a belly to back off the top instead. GQ almost died there, and it gets two. Cash drops GQ on his face for two, then nails the Cash Flow for the win at 4:25. Good stuff so far. Nick Berk comes in and immediately goes for the Berkocet. Berk nails a bad Cash Flow for two, but fixes it by nailing the Berkocet for the win at 5:10. Niles Young comes in on fire, and hits a facebuster for two. Berk slings Young across the ropes and slams him, but misses a legdrop. He takes Young down and holds him in the Texas 2K2 submission for the win at 6:55. This is a bit too fast… Sonjay comes in! He takes a HUGE facebuster and cops a legdrop for two. Dutt nails a nice hurricanrana for two. Shooting star press gives him the win at 7:55. Fraizer coes in and hits an armdrag. He takes Sonjay’s knee out and goes to work on it, driving it into the mat. He gets a leg lariat for two, as Fraizer is obviously trying to slow down the pace of the match. Sonjay hits a facebuster on the bad knee and he’s feeling it. He goes for the Pheonix splash but falls because his knee gives out. PSYCHOLOGY! GO SONJAY! Sonjay fights back and barely gets an elbow. Again he goes for a springboard but falls down because his leg gives out. SELL THAT MOTHERFUCKER! THAT’S MY BOY! Fraizer drops Sonjay on his head and goes up top, but misses a stomp. Sonjay rolls him up for a quick pin at 10:25. Fraizer doesn’t take that and beats on Sonjay before Deranged hits the ring. Deranged lets Sonjay get up and they lock up. They go into a criss-cross, and Sonjay misses a running press, hurting his knee. Deranged drops a leg and backdrops Dutt. He takes Sonjay down but Dutt rolls away before a submission can be locked on his knee. Sonjay tries to nip up but can’t, and Deranged dropkicks him down. Deranged locks on an STF, wrenching that injured knee up. Sonjay makes the ropes. Deranged goes for a hurricanrana but Sonjay flips out onto his feet. He hits a dropkick for two. Dutt is still limping but manages to hit a facebuster on Deranged. Deranged comes back with the Blueprint for two. Deranged puts Sonjay up top, but Sonjay stops a hurricanrana and powerbombs him off for the win at 15:10. Sonjay therefore earns a shot at Bailey later in the night. Great selling from Sonjay in the middle but it’s a pity the finish didn’t come from it. The match was the best gauntlet I’ve seen (it’s not a match type I particularly enjoy) and was kept short. Big points for the selling and the early work that Cash and GQ did. ***1/2

Cody O’Neill vs. Arik Cannon – This is the CZW debut for these guys, and their only match in the company. Obviously an indication of how good it will be. They lock up and trade arm wringers. Man, if I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen that start. They go into a criss-cross but they’re obviously keeping the match simple. Cody nails a Mexican armdrag and an elbow for two. And back to the arm wringer. Cody hits a wheelbarrow bulldog and almost blows a hurricanrana. Arik almost blows a t-bone suplex. Shining wizard from Arik gets two. Arik begins to dominate with some chops, but falls victim to a split legged moonsault for two. Arik gets a brainbuster for two, and then they trade forearms. Cody hits a handspring elbow and a fucking dragon suplex for two. Arik hits a german suplex, almost killing Cody who does the moonsault to sell it. Cody suplexes Arik into the turnbuckle for two and then hits Sliced Bread #2, but the foot is on the ropes. Cody goes up but gets crotched, and Arik hits a sideslam off the top for the win at 10:12. It really wasn’t that bad, but it was just so standard that it didn’t sit well with the fans, who boo the fuck out of both guys. *3/4

NWA World Heavyweight Title: AJ Styles vs. Jimmy Rave – These two were regulars in NWA Wildside before hitting it big in CZW, ROH and NWA-TNA. They lock up and immediately go to the mat, as Rave tries to go for his armbar and Styles tries to resist it by locking on a front-face lock. Small package gets two. They continue to do this as the fans go wild. Seriously. Rave shoots AJ to the ropes and hits a belly to belly suplex. Belly to back suplex into bridge gets two. AJ blocks a crossface attempt from Rave and nails a nice dropkick. AJ hits a neckbreaker and a high knee drop for two. Blind charge by AJ and Rave hits a superkick. Styles nails his moonsault into reverse DDT for two. Back elbow gets two. Rave goes for a tilt-a-whirl but Styles grabs him and slings him on the ropes. He brings him back in with a neckbreaker for two. Styles chucks Rave to the outside and whips him into the railing. Back in, Styles dropkicks Rave in the face, and Rave is just exhausted, but manages to kick out at two. Rave fights back with a knee to the gut and then one to the face. He hits a few clotheslines and a backdrop, followed by a belly to belly off the top. Rave goes for a press but Styles catches him and slams him. Rave is playing the classic underdog, despite his valiant efforts, Styles can just kill him whenever he feels like it. Styles nips up into a hurricanrana. Pumphandle gutbuster and a powerslam get two as Rave still won’t give up. Styles goes up but Rave joins him. Styles grabs him in the Styles Clash but Rave escapes and Styles get a sunset flip. Rave escapes and locks on the Crossface, finally. Styles makes the ropes. Styles blocks a tilt-a-whirl and rolls him up for the win at 10:46. This was just getting started when it ended, and the match suffers as a result. This was basically a Styles squash, as the underdog story never got a chance to be fully told. ***

Mixed Tag Match: Nick Mondo & Simply Luscious vs. Johnny Kashmere & Rain – Kashmere and Luscious start off after what seemed like a million years of intros. They trade slaps, but Mondo blocks a punch from Kashmere. Kashmere and Mondo go at it as Luscious climbs out of the ring. Rain gives Mondo a low blow, and Luscious retaliates by doing the same to Kashmere. Luscious and Rain go at it, with Luscious getting a quick near fall. Kashmere pulls her hair and Rain takes her down with kicks. Luscious gets a sunset flip out of the corner but gets clotheslined. Fisherman’s suplex from Rain gets two. Rain goes to pick Luscious up for an electric chair drop but they blow it. Rain hits a knee charge in the corner and tags in Kashmere. Johnny gets his pants pulled down to expose his ass and Luscious rolls him up for two. Luscious gets some jabs in the corner but misses a charge and eats post. Kashmere follows so he can end up doggie styling her, but Mondo puts an end to that with a german suplex. Mondo lays a kiss on Rain and Kashmere retaliates by kissing Luscious. Mondo and Kashmere finally go at it and Kashmere nails some chops. Mondo comes back with some kicks but horribly overshoots a springboard legdrop. Kashmere spears Mondo and the match falls to the outside. The REFEREE hits a plancha out onto EVERYONE in an attempt to bring the match back into the ring. Back in, Kashmere eats some chair. And falls victim to the M. Bison. Luscious and Rain go at it, and Rain gets a DDT. Mondo hits a dropkick across the ring on Kashmere and follows with a plancha. He sets a table up and puts Kashmere through it with a springboard legdrop. Back in, Mondo gives Rain the assault driver for the win at 13:40. This seemed to fall apart on them, but was fairly entertaining in some places. The women seemed to have trouble finding their feet in the ring, but put forward a good effort. *1/2

IWA Midsouth Light Heavyweight Title: JC Bailey vs. Sonjay Dutt – Obviously Sonjay earned his shot at this by winning the gauntlet earlier in the night. Here’s to hoping he sells the leg. Dutt cuts an emotional promo on Bailey, where he says “fuck” a bit too much but still gets the point across. Sonjay starts off with a go behind and takedown into a headlock. He escapes a leg scissors but falls victim to a headlock of Bailey’s. Back to Sonjay’s headlock. Sonjay rolls Bailey up into a version of the STF, but JC makes the ropes. Bailey tries to lock an armbar on, but no dice. Sonjay gets an arm drag and a hurricanrana. He goes for the Phoenix splash but misses it. Bailey takes advantage with a neckbreaker for two. JC gets a northern lights for two. He stretches Sonjay in a submission and then gets a double underhook suplex for two. Sonjay is not selling the knee. Come on! Sonjay makes a comeback but it is stopped by a big clothesline. Bailey hits a stomp off the second rope, then a stomp off the top. OUCH! Bailey goes up but Sonjay German suplexes him off the top in a nice spot. Sonjay nails the Calcutt Cut for two. He then suplexes Bailey by grabbing onto his nipple rings! Dutt chops JC on the ropes, but Bailey comes back with a gutbuster suplex. Bailey nails a very unorthodox backwards hurricanrana over the top to the outside. Fuck that was weird. Back in, Bailey misses a flip off the top and lands on a chair in an ugly spot. Sonjay smacks him with the chair and sets him up top, nailing a neckbreaker and phoenix splash. B-Boy interferes and knocks Sonjay down, allowing Bailey to win at 10:20. Obviously they had history from the Best Of The Best 2003 finals, and Hi-V seem to be on the side of IWA MS in this feud. This match was let down by Sonjay not selling the knee and some blown spots from Bailey. **

BJPW Deathmatch Title: Nick Gage vs. Nate Hatred – Gage and Hatred used to be tag partners before Hatred won a shot at the world title and a few misunderstandings led to him turning on Gage. They met in a three-way cage match at ‘Truth Or Consequences’ along with Messiah, where Gage won the BJPW Deathmatch title. This is their first meeting one on one in this feud. They start off with a hard slugfest and Gage gets dumped. Hatred beats on him on the outside and slams him into the timekeeper’s table. Gage reverses a whip and sends Nate into the railing. He smacks him with a chair and whips him into the guardrail again. Hatred bounces back and gives Gage a belly to belly overhead on the concrete floor! Gage BOUNCED there and that was ugly. Back in, Hatred continues the punishment with more fists and some clotheslines in the buckle. Another belly to belly overhead gets two. Hatred clamps on a camel clutch, with his fingers in Gage’s mouth to wrench back. Nice. Gage escapes a press slam attempt and snaps off a neckbreaker. He goes up and hits a diving headbutt! Gage pulling out the new moveset. Gage hits two belly to back suplexes on Hatred for two. Gage knocks him down into his own version of the camel clutch, also putting his fingers in Hatred’s mouth and grabbing his teeth. Ouch. Hatred escapes but cops a DDT, which he is immediately up from. Gage isn’t paying attention and gets a German suplex for itw. Hatred hits another belly to belly overhead and a tilt-a-whirl facebuster. He stalks Gage and nails a big clothesline for two. The Dew, Hatred’s manager since he joined the HI-V, is setting up a pyramid of chairs on the outside. Hatred suplexes Gage off the top and then finishes off setting up the chairs. Gage and Hatred scale the buckles, SUPERPLEX OFF THE TOP TO THE OUTSIDE ONTO THE CHAIRS!! Great spot, as it seemed like they just disappeared as they fell through the chairs. These chair spots would become a staple of the matches they would have later in the feud. Back in, Gage gets off some forearms but takes a huge spinebuster. Hatred nails a clothesline… but gage gets back up. Another, but Gage is up. Another, but Gage is up. He won’t quit! He blindsides Hatred and nails some footscrapes in the corner. Gage escapes a powerbomb attempt and hits a suplex. He goes up and hits a splash, but the Dew pulls out the referee! The ref and the Dew get into a shoving match outside. Gage joins them and the Dew starts running. Johnny Kashmere shows up at ringside and takes Gage out, then leaves him for Hatred to finish off. Gage escapes a piledriver attempt and hits a roaring elbow for the win at 14:03. I’m surprised they put Gage over here but it was the right booking, and the feud is obviously not over. This match was a great brawl with some really hard hitting wrestling moves and a minimum of silliness. They would have a better match at ‘Aftermath’ in August though, in a tables match with one of the best finishes ever. As for this, it’s definitely worth seeing. ***1/4

Tony Mamaluke vs. Jimmy Rave – Jimmy Rave is answering a “mystery opponent” thing here. Both guys try to go for a lock up but Mamaluke gets the advantage and takes Rave down. They try punches and slaps, but nothing is sticking. Rave rolls Mamaluke up, but Tony turns that into a triangle choke. Rave escapes and they lock up. Mamaluke gets an armbreaker and then bridges in a hammerlock. Mamaluke throws Rave’s arm into the ringpost and then whips him, shoulder-first into the guardrail. Great psychology there as Rave’s finish is a Crippler Crossface. Back in, Mamaluke sends him shoulder-first into the buckle and suplexes him for two. Mamaluke tries an armbar but Rave locks his fingers to prevent it. Rave slams Tony in a powerbomb a few times as he tries to escape the armbar. Rave gets off a knee to the gut and a knee to the face. Rave finally manages to lock on the Crossface, seemingly forgetting about his arm. AJ Styles runs in and delivers the Styles Clash to Rave. Mamaluke crawls onto him but only gets two as Rave puts his foot on the ropes. Mamaluke DDT’s Rave and rolls through into a facelock stretch, and Rave passes out at 7:33. CRIMINALLY SHORT!!! Jesus this was just getting going. Have no fear though, they met at the ‘Uprising’ event in October in a fantastic ****+ encounter that was the best CZW match out of both guys and the best Rave match I’ve ever seen, plus it had a great angle and story around it too. As for this match, it was headed in the same direction before the abrupt finish. **1/2

B-Boy & Trent Acid vs. Homicide & Mafia (Danny Maff) – Homicide and Acid met in a one-on-one match in May at ‘Then and Now’, which resulted in interference from Mafia and B-Boy to set up this tag match. Acid jumps to the outside of the ring, being the perfect cowardly heel that he is. B-Boy and Homicide start things off in the ring, and B-Boy tries to tag out to Acid… Who accepts and puts on a brave face. Acid and Homicide start off with a blindingly fast pace, Homicide nailing dropkicks and a belly to belly overhead. Homicide grabs a headlock and tags Mafia, and Acid runs to B-Boy. Mafia and B-Boy try a test of strength, but Mafia puts an end to it and hits a stiff kick to the back. B-Boy gets two of his own as Mafia keeps saying “fuck you”. B-Boy UNLOADS a whole bunch of kicks. Mafia is up and nails a big chop. B-Boy escapes a boston crab and they face off. Homicide makes a blind tag and nails an Ace Crusher on B-Boy for two. Acid gets a blind tag on B-Boy and dropkicks Homicide in the back of the head. I love little storyline touches like that in the match. Acid nails a moonsault and an elbow, followed by a knee strike in the corner. B-Boy tags in and hits a dropkick to Homicide in the corner for two. B-Boy tries to wear Homicide down with a chinlock. He tags in Acid who hits a roaring elbow for two. Homicide reverses a whip and sends B-Boy to the buckles, where he gives him a hurricanrana off the top. Mafia tags in and hits a half nelson suplex but Acid breaks up the pin. Acid nails Homicide with a tornado DDT. B-Boy saves Acid from Mafia by pulling Maff to the outside. The Dew trips up Homicide and Acid nails an asai moonsault onto him. Acid is pulling out moves he hasn’t done in years. B-Boy whips Mafia into the guardrail. He and Acid brawl with Homicide, and Mafia hits a tope onto all of them. Homicide whips Acid into the rail, but Acid comes back with a yakuza kick. Back in, Mafia DRILLS B-Boy with a dragon suplex. Mafia hangs B-Boy in the tree of woe. Acid tries to intervene but cops a yakuza kick and gets suplex into B-Boy. Mafia locks BOTH guys in a submission in the corner. Acid breaks up a pin attempt and goes up top. He goes for a bodypress on Homicide, but he ducks and B-Boy catches Acid. Then, Maff grabs B-Boy who still has Acid and gives him a german suplex! Brilliant. Mafia and Homicide drill Acid in the corner. B-Boy takes out Homicide but cops a spinning neckbreaker from Maff. Acid escapes a burning hammer and dropkicks Mafia’s knee out, leaving him prone for B-Boy to hit the shining wizard for TWO! Homicide and Acid trade forearms and yakuza kicks in a sequence I will never tire of. Acid catches a kick and nails a Blue Thunder Bomb instead. He goes up top but Mafia crotches him and gives him a german suplex off the top! Acid lands on his head! ACID IS DEAD! B-Boy hits a palm strike on Mafia and a t-bone suplex. Homicide takes B-Boy down and everyone is out. The crowd is getting behind this match. Homicide catches B-Boy’s knee when he tries a shining wizard and locks on an STF. Acid breaks up the hold. Acid hits the ACID BOMB!! But Maff breaks it up! Man Acid is pulling out the old moveset. Mafia KILLS B-Boy with a burning hammer. The Dew gives Mafia a low blow and Acid yakuza kicks a chair into him! Homicide gives Acid a yakuza kick… Acid kicks out! I think my fingers are dying! Acid escapes the vertebreaker and rolls Homicide up for the win at 16:12. WHAT A FUCKING MATCH! This was without a doubt one of the best tag matches I’ve ever seen, just non stop action, never a spot where I wanted to look away. Brilliant storytelling for the Homicide/Acid feud, with Acid playing his role particularly well. Get this match, now. ****1/4

Tapei Death Match: Zandig vs. Ian Rotten – If you’ve been reading my reviews you know what set this match up. If not, go back and read my review of CZW Truth Or Consequences and you’ll see why. Rotten gets on the mic and says that if Zandig wins, he can pick 5 participants in IWA’s King Of The Deathmatch tournament, if Rotten wins, he gets to pick some participants in Zandig’s Tournament Of Death 2. Rotten and Zandig go at it on the outside as the CZW locker room empties to ensure the IWA guys don’t get through. Both guys’ fists are taped with glass, as per Tapei rules. Zandig busts Rotten open, and they brawl (sic) around ringside. The HI-V make their way to the ringside area as Rotten takes the advantage with some glass-assisted back rakes. Man Rotten is just bleeding EVERYWHERE, the guy knows how to tap an artery. They finally get into the ring and Zandig drops an elbow for two. This is basically just punches, to give you guys some indication. They go back outside and we get some duelling chairs action. Speaking of the Duellists, I was pleased to see the Iron Maiden guys make it on 411’s list of top 100 guitarists, as they fucking DESERVED to be there. “He put down his glove, you made the mistake of picking it up now you’re GOOONE”… Anyway, back on track. We get some more punches and stuff before the IWA guys emerge and a big brawl erupts. In the meantime, the Messiah turns on Zandig officially and DDTs him on a chair. Zandig is able to kick out, and Nick Mondo hits Rotten with the M. Bison. Rotten kicks out of that. Trent Acid gives Zandig a yakuza kick! Rotten wins at 13:28! Nice bit of storyline and it had to happen, but that match ate balls. DUD.

The Verdict: – Well, there’s some solid work in the undercard, especially Sonjay’s efforts, the Gage/Hatred match is a good brawl that is much better than the main event, and that tag match is a fucking BLINDER! Definitely recommended for the tag match, the rest is icing on the cake, or one of those other clichйs.

-You can get CZW tapes, (GET THIS!!!) from www.smartmarkvideo.com

-CZW Cage Of Death 5, their biggest show of the year is scheduled to happen on December 13, and the card is fucking stunning, with a huge main event featuring two rings, two cages, and ONE MILLION THUMBTACKS! Not only that, but you get Chris Hero, Tony Mamaluke, Sonjay Dutt, Ruckus and other great guys putting on what will be their best performances this year. This is CZW’s Wrestlemania, so get your tickets fast because they WILL sell out. Go to www.czwwrestling.com for more info, but here’s the card so far:
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CAGE OF DEATH MATCH:
FIRST-TIME EVER…2 RINGS…2 CAGES…1,000,000 THUMBTACKS

HI-V: Messiah, Trent Acid, Johnny Kashmere, Adam Flash, Nate Hatred, & B-Boy
Vs.
Zandig, Wifebeater, Nick Gage, Ian Knoxx, & Lobo

CZW Jr Heavyweight Title:
Ruckus (c) vs. Sonjay Dutt

Tag Team Ladder Match:
Chris Cash & Deranged vs. Azrael & Joker

CZW Iron Man Title:
Trent Acid (c) vs. Jimmy Rave

CZW Tag Team #1 Contender’s Match:
Z-Barr & Nick Berk vs. The Dirty Rotten Scoundrels vs. Rebel’s Army

CZW Jr. Heavyweight #1 Contender’s Match:
Sabian vs. Jimmy Jacobs vs. Derek Frazier

CZW Iron Man Title #1 Contenders Match:
Chris Hero vs. Alex Shelley vs. Tony Mamaluke vs. B-Boy

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