CZW has become the pesto on my independent wrestling menu. I try to like it. I want to like it. I know it has all the elements of something I should adore, and yet I just can’t do it. Not for a lack of trying obviously, but something about CZW always manages to leave an odd taste in my mouth. Like pesto.
The most striking aspect about watching “Eye For An Eye” (4/11/09) is how all over the place the event seems to be. At times it seems like nobody knows what is going on. How am I, the viewer, supposed to follow the show when I’m pretty sure half the wrestlers and referees aren’t following it either?
Time to take it match by oh so confusing match:
-The junior heavyweight scramble to start the show is fine if completely humdrum. If you can remember the names of three out of eight or so guys in the bout, you get a cookie.
-Jon Dahmer and Toby Klein have an okay bout. Nothing even remotely worth writing home about. I really don’t like Dahmer’s look or his presence. I don’t like him, period.
-Finally something entertaining! Call me crazy, but I enjoy Greg Excellent and his act. Plus he’s a pretty decent worker, which you wouldn’t necessarily expect. Devon Moore isn’t a favorite of mine, but he tries pretty hard here and comes off looking good for it. Amazing how that works. Overall a decent contest.
-Last time I watched Drew Blood and Pinkie Sanchez do battle, I was surprised by how well they worked together. This time, not so much. Unfortunately their timing seems to be off, and a lot of moves are sloppy as oppose to impressive. Their rhythm starts coming together towards the end, but then there is an odd finish that plays out and leaves me completely cold. Ah well.
-I really like Egotistico Fantastico. He has a ton of star potential. Same goes for Ryan McBride. So naturally I looked forward to seeing the two square off. A lot of the match goes very well, with some solid work from both men. Good wrestling, without question. Unfortunately, the finish is once again out of left field and a total mood killer. I’m not sure if McBride was legitimately injured near the end of the bout and the ending was done out of necessity, or if it was all staged, but it comes off as fake. Either way, it deflates any high the action in the match had me on up to that confusing moment.
-And now for a singles match that becomes a handicap match that becomes a tag team match, though nobody seems to know that any of that was going to happen at all. You know what, there really isn’t much else to say about Ruckus and Sabian vs. LJ Cruz and Alex Colon; it was a mess to figure out what match was even happening, and it was nothing to write home about once things took shape.
-I’m unfortunately starting to question my “mark” status for The Best Around. Their match here against Team AnDrew is okay at best. There is a ton of mat work going on, and most of it is pretty decent, but there’s absolutely no passion or story behind any of it. And then there’s the finish, or lack there of. Really not sure what the point of this bout was, especially with it ending the way it does. What a waste.
-Still not a death match fan, but I give Nick Gage and Deranged a ton of credit for keeping me entertained throughout their I Quit match. Both men seem as dedicated to ultra violence as Mike Quackenbush is to bending people into pretzels. There is no shortage of bone shattering spots here, or blood to chase said spots with. And the finish is actually pretty brilliant. It may disappoint some fans, but to me it made complete sense. It is one of the smartest ways to end an I Quit match that I have ever seen. Bravo for that.
-Really enjoyed the main event with Drake Younger and Brain Damage taking on Sami Callihan and Jon Moxley. Definitely one of the more brutal matches I have watched this year, and they pull it off without an overabundance of huge spots. The blood flows and the action is fierce throughout. Good stuff.
The last two contests are definitely worthwhile, but overall the show is meh at best. If I didn’t already own the next event, I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to acquire it. Freaking pesto.
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