By Sean Radican, Torch columnist

RADICAN’S CZW REVIEW SERIES
“DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS 2013”
SEPT. 14, 2013
VOORHEES, N.J.

This is CZW’s annual tribute show to Chris Cash. The ring announcer came out and paid tribute to J.C. Bailey and Trent Acid as well. They then did a ten bell salute. The crowd started a Chris Cash chant after the ten bell salute.

(1) The Beaver Boys (Alex Reynolds & John Silver) beat Shane Hollister & Caleb Konley. Reynolds picked up Konley in a modified Boston crab and trapped his arms before driving him head first into the turnbuckles several times. The pace picked up and Konley mounted a comeback before nailing Reynolds with a big dropkick off the ropes. Hollister blind-tagged himself into the match, but ended up taking a backdrop from Silver, who had also tagged in. Silver countered a double team from Konley and Reynolds into a double suplex and the fans popped. Konley and Hollister clearly weren’t getting along once they regained the advantage, as Konley chopped Hollister to tag himself into the match. The action picked up with Reynolds backdropping Konley to the floor. Hollister then hit a leaping DDT off the turnbuckles to the floor to wipe out Reynolds. Konley began working over Reynolds inside the ring. The fans tried to rally behind Reynolds, who continued to take a beating from Konley and Hollister, who still weren’t getting along. Reynolds fired back and made the hot tag to Silver, who ran wild. Silver hit a crazy sequence of back and forth cannonball sentons in the corner. He then hit a double sliced bread and a running dropkick on both of his opponents. He covered Hollister, but he kicked out at the last second. The action continued and Silver caught Hollister in an opposite side crossface, but Konley pushed Reynolds into both men to break up the submission. Both teams went back and forth again. Konley and Hollister hit Reynolds with a double superkick. Hollister accidentally hit Konley with a knee strike. The Beaver Boys then hit a spinning double slam on Hollister for the win. They did a few too many nearfalls, but this was a solid opening match. (**3/4)

(2) The Front (Biff Busick & Sozio) beat OI4K (Jake & Dave Crist w/Neveah). Jake and Dave ran into the ring and hit a pair of dives through the ropes to wipe out Busick and Sozio to kick things off. The announcers explained D.J. Hyde had paid The Front to take out OI4K. Both teams continued to brawl on the outside during the early stages of the match. The action finally ended up in the ring with Sozio and Busick putting a beating on Jake. Busick hit a nice European uppercut that sent Jake flying across the ring with Dave down and out on the outside. Dave managed to tag himself into the match and he wiped out Busick. Jake then hit a big cross-body off the top to wipe out Sozio and the fans fired up. Dave continued to run wild, but sold a head injury from the beating he took earlier in the match. Busick fired back and hit a huge half and half suplex on Dave. Sozio and Busick then hit a combination of moves on Jake, but he kicked out at the last second. Busick charged Davey on the apron, but Dave low bridged him and he went flying out of the ring. Dave then nailed Busick with a springboard moonsault and the fans went nuts. OI4K were about to finish off Sozio with a spiked piledriver, but D.J. Hyde came out talking on the mic. Busick ended up taking out Dave’s legs and he crotched himself on the top rope. Sozio then rolled up Jake for the win. This was a really good match from bell to bell, although the finish was somewhat deflating, but that was the intent given the angle. (***1/4)

Hyde taunted Neveah while two members of The Front held her back. Hyde then got into and told them to bring Neveah into the ring. Busick and Sozio put a beating on Jake and Dave. Hyde taunted Jake and then nailed him with a huge clothesline. Busick nailed Dave with a big half and half suplex. The fans booed as Hyde taunted Neveah. Hyde called himself the most powerful entity in this business and said the fans worship him. Hyde said he had a surprise for Jake and Dave when they went to Japan. Hyde said he would have something special for Neveah next month. Hyde then declared The Front the winners and the fans booed. The fans applauded OI4K once they recovered.

Matt Tremont came out and cut a promo. He said this hasn’t been his year. He said the last time he was relevant was at COD last year. He said 2013 had given him Joe Gacy. He said Gacy has been a thorn in his side since February. He said he would think there would be more opportunities for him, but there haven’t been. Instead he’s been dealing with Gacy every month. Tremont said he was tired of taking a backseat. He mentioned not being on a recent CZW show in Ohio. Tremont said he wanted ultraviolence. The fans chanted ultrviolence. He said he was going to hold the company hostage until he got a match with Gacy. Maven Bentley came down to the ring and said Hyde had told him there would be no match for him tonight. Joe Gacy then came down to the ring and they were separated by a sea of security.

Gacy asked Tremont how many times did he have to beat him before he shut his mouth. Gacy told Tremont to go get a job in society and leave the company. Tremont began attacking the security guards because Bentley wouldn’t give him his match. Tremont was about to attack a security guard with a fork, so Bentley gave him the match against Gacy. Tremont kept going after Gacy, but security was able to separate them. The fans wanted the match to start right away and chanted for the bell to ring. Gacy left and Tremont said he had finally gotten what he wanted for the first time in a year. Tremont said next month they would face each other in a House of Horrors match.

(3) 4Loco (Azreal & Bandido Jr. w/Chrissy Rivera) beat The Juicy Product (J.T. Dunn & David Starr). Dunn and Starr got off to a fast start, but Bandido hit Dunn with a punch from the apron, which allowed Azreal to nail him with a big slam in the ring. 4Loco began working Dunn over inside the ring. They then took him to the floor where Azreal nailed a seated Dunn with a big running dropkick. 4Loco kept taunting Starr, who continually ran into the ring, which allowed them to double team Dunn. Dunn finally cut off Azreal and tagged in Starr, who ran wild. 4Loco fired back on star and nailed him with a combination of moves capped by a double superkick, but done shoved Azreal into Bandido to break up the pin on Starr. Starr continued to take a beating inside the ring, but Dunn saved Starr from a big move up top. Starr shoved Bandido into a huge clothesline from Starr, but the pin got broken up by Azreal. Azreal took a series of moves capped by a Starr slam, but he kicked off at the last second. Dunn and Starr set up for a double roaring elbow, but Bandido ducked and they hit each other. Bandido and Azreal then hit a double stomp/DDT combination off the top for the win. This was fun while it lasted, but it seemed one-sided at times. (**1/2)

Starr came up bleeding after the match was over and Azreal taunted him before leaving the ring. Dunn helped Starr up and the fans chanted for both men after 4Loco had cleared the ring.

(4) Lucky 13 beat Drew Blood via DQ. Blood jumped Lucky while he made his entrance. Lucky fired back and went for a springboard to the floor, but Blood grabbed his leg and slammed him to the floor. Lucky fired back and went for a big dive, but Blood got out of the way and he flew into the guardrail. The announcers said Blood’s mission was to take out each member of the Nation of Intoxication for not helping him get his job back in CZW. Both men went back and forth until Blood hit a spiking neck breaker on Lucky that left both men down on the mat. Blood finally rolled over and covered Lucky, but he only got a 2 count. Lucky hit a big running kick on Blood and covered him, but Ron Mathis ran down and attacked him. Devin Moore ran down to even the odds. Blood ran away from Moore, but Mathis nailed him with a clothesline. Danny Havoc then came down to the ring and went after Mathis and Blood. Rory Mondo then came down to the ring and there was a big brawl at ringside. (n/a)

Maven Bentley finally came out and approved an Ultraviolent match between Danny Havoc and Rory Mondo.

(5) Danny Havoc vs. Rory Mondo in an Ultraviolent match went to a NC. Mondo did the Undertaker rope walk spot on the guardrail, but Havoc tripped him face-first into the top of the guardrail. Havoc was already busted open at this point. Havoc attacked Mondo with a box of carpet strips that had nails in them before going after more plunder from a shopping cart. Havoc then drove the shopping cart into Mondo. Havoc continued to do unsafe things to Mondo with a stapler and matches like this don’t appeal to me, as I feel it takes zero talent to hit someone with objects. Mondo dropkicked an ironing board with carpet strips taped to it and Havoc kicked out at 1. They battled near the apron over a stack of chairs. Mondo ended up hitting a twisting neck breaker on Havoc off the apron that sent both men crashing through the pile of chairs. Havoc finally mounted a comeback and sent Mondo into a pair of chairs set up legs first with a backdrop, but Mondo kicked out at 2. A weak CZW chant came from the crowd after that spot. Mondo went up top, but Havoc tossed a chair into his legs and he rolled to the floor selling a leg injury. Havoc dumped a bunch of thumbtacks onto the mat to no reaction. He then began working over Mondo’s leg back inside the ring. Havoc took off Mondo’s sneaker, but left his kick pads on, which was nice of him. Havoc tried to drop Mondo onto the tacks, but Mondo landed on one foot and eventually hit a shining wizard. Mondo stomped on Havoc’s head. He then went for a double stomp off the top, but Havoc moved and he double stomped the tacks.

Mondo followed up with a dragon suplex with a bridge, but Mondo kicked out. Havoc got a big board with D.J. Hyde’s picture on it. He set it up between the apron and the guardrail and it broke when he gingerly tried to slam Mondo head-first into it. It then completely broke when he tried to put Mondo on top of it. Havoc set up what was left of the board between the apron and guardrail. They battled up top and Mondo hit a DVD through the flimsy piece of wood to the floor off the top. The announcers called the board a door. Whatever. Mondo rolled Havoc into the ring and covered him for a 2 count. Both men traded pinning combinations of all things. Mondo hit a cutthroat driver onto a chair set up with the legs sticking out. Havoc rolled to the outside and Mondo threw plunder at him until the bell rang. The official ruled the match a No Contest. This was really awful, especially the part with the D.J. Hyde door that was so flimsy it broke upon first contact with a head smash. (n/a)

Mondo came down to the ring with a weed whacker after going backstage. Bentley came out and tried to stop him. He told Mondo if he hit him with the weed whacker he’d be fired. Security tried to set up Havoc on a stretcher to get him out of the building, but Mondo hit a double stomp to the floor before Lucky and Moore chased him away. Havoc was then carried to the back.

(6) Cherry Bomb & Pepper Parks beat Greg Excellent & Candice LeRae. Parks jumped Excellent before the opening bell rang. Excellent fired back and Parks tried to block his chops in the corner, so Excellent bit his nipple. LeRae eventually tagged in and ran wild on Cherry after blocking a slap attempt. This is LeRae’s CZW debut. Parks eventually tagged in and told LeRae to tag in Excellent, but instead he took a cheap shot at her when she turned around. Parks and Cherry tagged in and out to work over LeRae. Cherry applied the cattle mutilation on LeRae, but let go when the fans began chanting for her. Parks tagged in an applied an arm submission and the fans tried to rally behind LeRae again. LeRae finally countered Parks and hit the ballplex. Excellent got the hot tag and ran wild on Parks. Excellent went to the second rope, but ended up going down to the first rope to hit a splash on Parks for a 2 count. LeRae wiped out Parks with a suicide dive. Cherry tried to seduce Excellent inside the ring. Excellent showed Cherry his nipple after taking down his strap. Excellent then reached down into his tights and shoved his hand his Cherry’s face and the fans went nuts. Excellent went for a charge into the corner, but Parks nailed him with a knee strike. The action broke down and LeRae eventually hit a sunset bomb on Cherry that sent crashing into Parks, who had just taken a Samoan drop from Excellent. Parks shoved Excellent towards the ropes and Cherry hit him with their loaded bag. Parks then finished off Excellent with a jumping neck breaker for the win. This was fun most of the way, although it started to drag a bit towards the end. (**1/2)

After the match, Parks and Cherry revealed a kettle bell was in the bag that Cherry used on Excellent.

(7) CZW Champions BLKOUT (BLK Jeez & Ruckus) beat The Osirian Portal (Amasis & Ophidian). The Portal jumped BLKOUT as they made their entrance to get their revenge on them for getting the jump on them on the previous show. The Portal went to town on BLKOUT on the outside using chairs to beat them down. Ophidian continued to go at it with BLK Jeez on the outside while Amasis dominated Ruckus inside the ring. BLK turned the tide after Jeez caught Amasis with a sliding kick through the ropes after he had just connected with a dive to the outside on Ruckus. The action finally settled down with Jeez and Ruckus taking turns to work over Ophidian. They went to a big exchange where everyone hit moves capped by a spinning kick by Amasis on Ruckus and everyone was down. The crowd chanted for the Portal and Ophidian managed to tag in Amasis to make him the legal man. The Portal hit a tandem wheelbarrow slam on Ruckus for a nearfall. They went to another rapid-fire sequence that ended with Ophidian hitting Ruckus with a double knee strike off the top for a nearfall and the fans fired up. BLKOUT finally managed to put away Amasis with a tandem double stomp for the win. This was a good match at times, but it lacked the flow needed to make a match of this style entertaining. (**3/4)

Ruckus and Jeez celebrated with their belts and put the boots to Amasis before finally leaving the ring. Amasis recovered and went to help Ophidian, who was still down on the outside. Amasis vowed that this issue wasn’t over.

(8) CZW Champion Drew Gulak (w/The Gulak Campaign) beat Chris Dickinson. Both men battled for position on the mat during the early going, but neither man could get the upper hand. Things flared up as Dickinson went after Gulak in the corner. The ref forced Dickinson back and Gulak came off the second turnbuckle with a double axe handle. Gulak followed up with an awkward suplex that barely got Dickinson over to the mat. Dickinson fired up out of the corner with a boot to the face and went on the attack. Gulak tried to hold the ropes to block a German suplex, but Dickinson eventually landed it with a bridge for a 2 count. Gulak got a Fujiwara arm bar, but Dickinson countered it and lifted him up and hit a Razor’s edge into the turnbuckles for a 2 count. Holy crap! Gulak fired up with some hard chops to the chest and face, but Dickinson fired back with some stiff shots of his own followed by a big kick and Gulak went down. Dickinson hung Gulak upside down in the corner and nailed him with a running dropkick. Both men battled up top. Gulak countered a powerbomb and hit a superplex. He went back up Dickinson managed to kick Gulak off, but Gulak went right back on the attack and hit a huge clothesline for a 2 count.

They battled up top again several minutes later and Dickinson got Dickinson up in the torture rack position before dropping him down to the mat off the top rope, but Kimber Lee put Gulak’s boot on the rope to break the pin. Von Eerie came down to ringside and jawed with Lee. Dickinson lifted Gulak onto his shoulders and tossed him over the top to the floor to take out the entire Gulak Campaign. He then hit a big flip dive to the floor to wipe out the Gulak Campaign and the fans went nuts. Dickinson got Gulak back into the ring and hit a huge powerbomb, but Gulak kicked out at the last second. Dickinson told Gulak to bring it after he fired up and they began trading blows in the middle of the ring. Gulak hit a discus forearm and applied the Gulock on Dickinson. Dickinson eventually countered it into a brainbuster and covered Gulak with one arm for a nearfall. Dickinson hit several slaps to the face, but Gulak hit a dragon screw and applied an ankle lock with a grapevine. Dickinson tried to fight out of it, but Gulak drove his leg into the mat and applied the hold again forcing Dickinson to tap out. This was really good with a lot of hard-hitting action and good mat work. It dragged in a couple of spots, but the second half of the match was strong. (***1/2)

The announcers wondered after the match who would be able to take the title from Gulak. They mentioned he had worked eight years to become champion. Dickinson grabbed the title from Gulak after the match. He told Gulak he respected him and put the title on Gulak’s shoulder. Both men then shook hands as the fans applauded.

(9) Alex Colon (w/Chrissy Rivera) beat CZW Wired Champion A.R. Fox and Andrew Everett and Shane Strickland in a Ladder match to become the new CZW Wired Champion. The announcers mentioned Fox had held the title for a year since winning it at DWTS 2012. Strickland and Fox took turns hitting stereo dives two times on opposite sides of the ring on Everett and Colon and the fans fired up. Everett got a chance to sign as he hit a springboard SSP press to the outside onto Fox. He then hit a double springboard flip dive to wipe out Colon and Strickland. Colon and Everett battled up top and Colon hit a superplex to the floor wiping out a pile of security guards along with Fox and Strickland. Colon had Strickland in a camel clutch using a ladder for leverage. Fox charged at him, so Colon let go of the submission and hit a belly to belly on Fox sending him into a ladder that was set up in the corner. Everett hit a sick spiked hurricanrana on Strickland that fired up the crowd. Fox set up a guardrail between the ring and the guardrail. He battled with Everett near the apron and went for a springboard, but Everett superkicked him through the guardrail and the fans went nuts again. This is crazy!

Everett ended up trapped in the corner with a ladder in front of him and Colon nailed him with a running dropkick. Strickland then caught Colon from behind and hit a spinning powerbomb into the corner crushing Everett and Colon. Fox set up Strickland on a guardrail on the outside and hit a kick flip moonsault off the post and there was zero give from the guardrail. That had to suck. Everett set up a ladder in between another ladder and the ropes a short time later. He put Strickland on the ladder, but Colon distracted him Everett. Everett then went for a springboard, but Strickland popped up and caught him with a belly to belly suplex through the ladder. The craziness continued with a lot of crazy spots. Everett ended a big sequence hitting a spinning kick that sent a chair right into Colon’s head. Colon and Strickland ended up battling up top. Fox nailed Colon with Lo Mein pain sending him through a ladder on the mat. Strickland then came off the top and hit a double stomp on Colon and everyone was down. The fans went nuts again chanting CZW. Strickland and Colon battled on the apron near a table set up between the apron and a guardrail. Strickland eventually caught Colon with a flipping piledriver off the ladder through the table and the fans went crazy again. Wow!

Strickland and Fox battled on the ladder and it broke. The ref held the ladder up for Everett after he shoved Fox to the mat but Strickland caught him with a Russian leg sweep. Strickland went under the ring and got a huge ladder. Several wrestlers came down to the ring and pounded on the mat and the fans really fired up. Strickland set up a table in the ring and the fans fired up as he stood the huge ladder up inside the ring. Strickland climbed the ladder, but sold his leg. Everett then hit a springboard hurricanrana, but they didn’t land it quite right and both men took a nasty spill into the table. Fox and Everett battled on the ladder. Everett kicked Fox away, but Fox tipped the ladder over and Everett went flying through a table set up in the corner. The big ladder now appeared to be broken. Fox set up Strickland on a table and the announcers told him to just grab the title. Strickland popped up and hit the cash flow through the table on Fox. Strickland climbed the ladder on one leg, but Colon ran into the ring and climbed the ladder. Colon hit a low blow on Strickland and grabbed the title. The announcers said it was all a ruse and he hadn’t really reinjured his neck taking the cash flow through the table earlier in the match. This was a crazy match, but they should have touched on Colon being down and out on the outside more before the finish. Strickland had an awesome performance gutting out some huge bumps during the match and nearly winning it in the end. (****)

The announcers said Colon had stolen the Wired Championship. The fans chanted for Strickland and then Fox after Colon left the ring.

Bonus match: ACH beat Aaron Epic. This match couldn’t air on the iPPV due to ACH’s ROH contract. Denver Colorado and Chris Dickinson were in on commentary for this match. They said this was a rematch of the Finals in the first ever Beyond Wrestling Tournament for Tomorrow. Epic won the first ever Tournament for Tomorrow. Epic took control after a fast paced opening sequence. ACH mounted a comeback and eventually hit a big rolling clothesline. ACH hit a slingshot ace crusher, but only got a 2 count. Epic fired back and hit a pop up knee strike for a 2 count. ACH hit a kick on the apron and followed up with air Jordan to the floor. They went back and forth exchanging strikes, but ACH took him down and applied the Koji clutch for the win. This was short, but good. (**)

Overall thoughts: (7.0) – This was a solid card. It hit a lull for a bit of a stretch during the middle portion of the card, but things picked back up nicely for the last two matches with Gulak-Dickinson and the Four-Way Ladder match for the CZW Wired Title being a strong combination of matches to end the show.

CZW seems to be building storylines on the undercard. The Gacy-Tremont, Hyde & The Front vs. OI4K, and the tag division were all given a spotlight on the undercard. The crowd seemed to be into just about everything with the exception of the Mondo-Havoc match, which sounded like it got less heat than most of the matches that came before.

The new talent on the undercard has freshened things up for the company with teams like The Beaver Boys (Alex Reynolds & Jon Silver) and The Juicy Product (J.T. Dunn & David Starr) being part of entertaining matches. The highlight of the undercard was Sozio & Busick vs. OI4K, who put together a really good match with a nice storyline built in to support it.

As mentioned earlier, Gulak-Dickinson had a really good hard-hitting main event. I saw these two have a really good match at Beyond Wrestling’s “Americanrana” and this match came close to being just as good with a lot of good exchanges on the mat. After the match, Dickinson put over Gulak, which was a nice touch.

The main event lived up to the standard I’ve seen from other CZW “Down with the Sickness” Ladder matches. The Four Way was crazy and had a ton of crazy spots. It was tough to watch at times, especially when Everett and Strickland did a hurricanrana spot off the ladder through a table that didn’t come off clean and Strickland hit his head on the table, which looked brutal.

If you’re going to get this show, the action in this match is where you’re going to get the most value for your money as Everett, Strickland, Fox, and Colon put on a show, although I thought the announcers could have spotlighted Colon being carted out a little more before he came back and won the match when it looked like Strickland had the match won.

You can purchase CZW “Down with the Sickness 2013” on unlimited VOD by clicking HERE or by visiting SMVOD.com. You can also purchase this show on DVD at SmartMarkVideo.com. For more information on CZW visit CZWrestling.com.

***

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