The Single File #15
Posted: 07/10/01

Much like Robert De Niro on The Joe Pesci Show, I've heard things about Combat Zone Wrestling. CZW, if you're unaware, is a small independent federation based out of New Jersey that's gained a lot of headlines for forming a talent exchange agreement with Big Japan Pro Wrestling and recently taking over ECW's old timeslot in the Tri-State area. And most of the things I heard were, to be polite, not complimentary. 

I heard the matches were mostly garbagey death match poop. I heard CZW's workers were routinely smoked by their Big Japan counterparts (yet went over anyway). I heard that banging your head against the wall was a more pleasant experience than sitting through one of their shows. Overall, I heard the whole thing sounded like the consummate high-sleaze-lowest-common-denominator indy fed. After all, "CZ" sounds like "sleazy." Coincidence? (Well, probably.)

But then I started to hear other things about CZW. That there was a lot more than the death matches. That they were putting a lot of emphasis on their juniors division, even holding their own recent "Best of the Best" juniors tournament (1). That there were a ton of talented guys like Ric Blade, the Briscoe Brothers, and more that I should check out.

Now, hearing things is one matter, experiencing them is quite another. And frankly, it's not fair to judge something until you've experience it firsthand. So I grabbed a copy of CZW's first TV taping, and…well, there were some very talented workers, and some darn fine matches (like the one described below). As for the negatives, well, take everything you disliked about ECW (overbooked nonsense, pointless brawling, high-risk injury-causing spots), and it was on full display here. Oh, and a color commentator sounded like a K-Mart version of Mark Madden (2).

Still, I won't focus on the bad. Nope, we're gonna talk about a fine fine match, maybe the best indy match of 2001. 

Who: Divine Storm [Chris Divine and Quiet Storm] and Brian XL vs. The Spanish Announce Team [Red, Joel, and Jose Maximo]
When: 6/8/01
Where: A warehouse, or possibly a roller rink in Sewell, NJ

Backstory: Don't know too much about the SAT (3), other then they were trained by Mikey Whipwreck (who did a fine job). They've been tearing up Northeast indies for a while and have earned much acclaim for their work in CZW. Divine, Storm, and XL have kicked around the indies themselves for a while, but this is their first match in the fed. So they get the SAT as their first test (get it?).

The Match: The SAT comes out first as the announcers run down everyone's background. Joel and Jose look a lot alike, with Joel being a bit heftier than his brother. Red is easy to recognize, since he wears a bandana and looks like he's getting ready to enter high school. Divine and Storm are you basic skinny white high flyers. XL is you basic skinny black high flyer.

Divine and Jose start us out. Collar and elbow tie-up, Divine goes behind with a waistlock and tries a full nelson, but Jose reverses. Divine reverses that and tries an armdrag, but Jose manages to push Divine into the ropes and gives him the middle finger salute. Jose taunts the crowd as Divine is all "Hmmmm." They tie up again, and this time Jose tries a full nelson, but Divine reverses. Jose manages to sink in a hammerlock and tries a snapmare, but Divine blocks it and shoves Jose face first into the mat. Now Divine gives Jose the Central Digit. 

Jose calls for the two-hand test of strength, then kicks Divine in the gut twice when they actually lock up. Jose then hits a standing monkey flip on Divine while still holding on to his hands, but Divine uses his momentum to hit a standing monkey flip of his own on Jose. Then Jose uses his momentum to hit a 'rana on Divine. Divine gets to his feet and charges at Jose, but Maximo sidesteps him. Divine manages to jump to the second turnbuckle, jump off and hit a lucha style armdrag on Jose. Jose bounces off the ropes and Divine tries a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but Jose turns it into an armdrag of his own. You get the feeling these guys have been watching their CMLL tapes? They both get up and Divine throws/armdrags Jose to the mat. They get to their feet and this time Jose armdrags Divine to the mat. Divine flips to his feet and we've got the standoff as the crowd gives them a standing "O."

Tags are made to Quiet Storm and Joel Maximo. Storm hits the ropes and Joel drops down, and Storm somersaults over him. Storm hits the ropes again and tries what looks like a victory roll of sorts, but ends up bouncing to his feet and hitting another Mexican style armdrag on Joel. Storm tries a dropkick, but Joel manages to dodge and Storm crashes to the mat. Now Joel bounces off the ropes and Storm drops down, so Joel somersaults over him. Joel bounces off the ropes and Storm tries a legsweep, but Joel turns it into a flying headscissors (never saw that before). Now Storm charges at Joel, who tries a tilt-a-whirl headscissors, but Storm turns it into another lucha style armdrag. Storm gets up and tries a flying monkey flip on Joel, but Maximo manages to land on his feet. Joel tries a surprise snapmare, but Storm counters with a cartwheel. Storm with a quick legsweep and cover for 1, then Joel manages a legsweep and cover of his own. Both guys get to their feet and we've got another standoff. Storm offers a high five, but Joel pulls his hands away, and gives him the finger instead of saying "You're too slow."
Anyhoo, tags are made to XL and Red. 

Tie up, and XL clamps on a headlock and gets sent to the ropes. XL tries a shoulderblock, but Red doesn't budge. Then both guys do backflips off the middle ropes for some reason. XL hits an armdrag, then Red gets up and hits one of his own. Red tries a legsweep, but XL counters by doing a standing backflip. Red tries a chop that gets ducked by XL, and XL tries a back legsweep that gets countered by a Red backflip. XL then manages to hit a chop that sends Red down to the mat. But Red manages to kip up to his feet and hit a chop that sends XL to the mat, until XL manages to kip up himself and chop Red again. XL tries an Irish whip, reversed by Red, and reversed again by XL. Red tries to hit a satellite headscissors, but XL blocks it and tries a sidewalk slam, but Red manages to counter that with a headscissors that XL blocks by managing to land on his feet. Phew. XL charges at Red and knocks him to the mat with a shoulderblock. XL bounces off the ropes and Red drops down and tries a hiptoss that XL counters by landing on his feet. Both men get up and try simultaneous dropkicks with predictable results. So both men flip to their feet and we've got our third standoff of the night. "Cee-Zee-Dub" chant starts up.

XL charges at Red, only to be met with a clothesline. Red pounds on XL with some forearms and tags in Joel, who works over XL in the SAT's corner. He then whips XL to the ropes and hits a drop toehold, followed by two sliding dropkicks to the head from Red and Jose. Joel slaps on a Mexican surfboard as Red and Jose knock the members of Divine Storm off the apron. While XL is in the surfboard, Jose slaps on a Dragon sleeper, and Red comes off the top with a double stomp to XL's exposed gut. Jose drops back to his knees while holding on to the surfboard as Red hits a sit down dropkick to XL's gut. Joel then slaps on a Dragon sleeper and Jose immediately follows with a springboard kneedrop to XL's stomach. Jose tries a cover that gets broken up by Divine.

Jose picks up XL and hits a funky suplex/swinging neckbreaker combo, then tags in Joel. Joel sends XL into the ropes, but Brian holds on and hits Joel with a boot as he charges in. Quiet Storm managed to make a blind tag while all that was going on and comes off the top with a swinging 'rana on Joel. Jose comes in and tries a clothesline, but Storm ducks and kicks him in the gut. Storm then follows with a whip to the ropes and a running clothesline that flattens Jose. Red comes in and gets hit with a kick. Storm tries an Irish whip, but Red reverses and hits a short-arm boot to the face. Jose tries a cover but it gets broken up by Divine.

Jose bounces off the ropes and hits a boogie-woogie elbow drop on Storm, then Red comes in and hits a big leaping elbow, then Joel finishes the elbow trifecta. Joel then sends Storm into the ropes and tries a tilt-a-whirl, but puts him down in mid moves and sends him to the ropes again. Weird. Anyway, he hits a big Bossman slam and then slaps on a Boston Crab. Jose immediately follows with a slingshot legdrop to the back of Storm's head. Then Joel reaches back and grabs Storm's hands and elevates him off the ground, like an inverted baby swing, and then rolls forward, so it looks like Joel is halfway through executing a sunset flip. Then Red comes off the top and dropkicks Storm and Joel completes the sunset flip, but the ref is tied up with Divine and XL. He finally turns around to count, but Storm kicks out at 2. 

Joel picks up Storm and sends him to the ropes, where Jose hits him with a knee to the back from the apron. Storm responds to the infraction by knocking Jose off the apron. Storm then charges at Joel and manages to go behind with a waistlock. Joel tries to reverses, but Storm quickly reverses the reversal. Red tries to sneak up behind Storm, but gets met with a elbow for his troubles. Storm tosses Red outside the ring but gets met with a kick from Joel. Joel whips Storm at Jose, but Storm ducks Jose's clothesline and shoves him into Joel. Jose falls to all fours as Red tries to get back into the ring. Storm knocks him off the apron and then climbs out there himself, and attempts a springboard move on the two SAT's in the ring. But Joel jumps off of Jose and flattens Storm with a spear in mid-air. Jose tries a cover, but it gets broken up by XL.

Joel drags Storm over to the corner and goes up top, but misses the Swanton. Chris Divine then climbs up top and tries a splash, but that misses. Jose then goes up top and tries a 450 splash on Divine that…wait for it…misses. Brian XL goes up top and tries a moonsault on Jose, but lands on his feet (hey, he must've known Jose would move). It's all for naught, as Jose hits a quick legsweep while still on the mat. Red goes up top and tries a Skytwister press that…all together now…misses. Quiet Storm then goes up top and tries a splash on Red that…oh, you know. Now we've got train wreck of wrestlers in the ring.

Okay, now Quiet Storm and Joel Maximo are back on their feet. Joel tries a clothesline, but Storm ducks and applies a waistlock. Joel manages to elbow out and tries a kick, but Storm ducks and hits a nice German suplex. Jose breaks up the pinfall attempt and, after a few reversals, hits a T-bone/Fisherman suplex variant. Chris Divine breaks up the pinfall, and I guess he's the legal man now. He goes for a Tiger suplex, but Jose escapes and sends Divine to the ropes. Divine manages to go behind anyway, and hits a nasty release Tiger suplex. Now Red comes in, and I guess he's the legal man for the SAT. He sends Divine into the ropes and tries a clothesline, but Divine catches the arm and tries a Dragon suplex. However, Red manages to flip out and hits a BRUTAL release Dragon suplex of his own. Since his partner's now in traction, Brian XL comes in and manages to turn a Red DDT attempt into a high angle Northern Lights suplex. Joel breaks up the pin and takes over for the SAT. He sends XL to the ropes, and Brian manages to duck a clothesline. But when he tries a cross bodyblock on the rebound, Joel catches him and hits a Fallaway slam with a bridge (like a sideways Fisherman suplex). Divine breaks up the pin and Joel bails outside.

Uh oh, it dive time. Divine starts us off with a tope suicida that sends Joel flying into the seats. Jose follows up with a double springboard moonsault to the floor. Quiet Storm then heads up top and hits a twisting plancha to the floor. Brian XL then hits a springboard moonsault of his own and lands on his feet. Red then sets up a chair in the middle of the ring, then hits a triple jump outta control somersault plancha to complete our cavalcade of dives. The "Cee-Zee-Dub" chant reappears.

Red and Quiet Storm head into the ring. Storm sends Red into the ropes and tries a flapjack, but Red manages to turn it into a 'rana. Well, he tries to, anyway, as Storm holds on and tosses Red. Red manages to land on his feet and tries a clothesline, but Storm ducks and hits…God, how do I describe this? Storm hooks a half nelson with his right arm and a waistlock with his left. He lifts Red off the ground, but instead of suplexing him back, he pushes Red's head forward and sits out, the end result being Red on his head in a nasty, nasty move. I heard this is called the Storm Cradle Driver. If you have a better description of it, please let me know. 

Anyway, Storm's nasty little move has Red in a pinning position, but Joel breaks it up. Joel picks up Storm like he was going to try a Kryptonite Krunch, but Storm rolls through for a Sunset Flip. But Joel manages to pick up Storm by the hair, butterfly the arms, and hit that spinning Pedigree Mikey Whipwreck used to pull out. Instead of covering, Joel tries to knock Brian XL off the apron, but XL manages to springboard over Joel. XL runs over to the other side of the ring and goes on the apron again. Joel tries a punch, but XL catches the fist and counters with a hook kick. He then follows up with the Jody Fliesh springboard twisting Tornado DDT. XL then positions Joel, heads out to the apron, and hits a perfect springboard 450 splash. Jose breaks up the pin and, after some reversals, hits the Skull Driver (4) on XL. Jose covers, but Chris Divine breaks it up. Now Divine lays in some shots on Jose and tries to send him to the ropes, but Jose reverses. Jose tries a clothesline, but Divine catches the arm and hits a Dragon suplex into a DDT. He covers, but Red breaks up the pin. Red sends Divine to the ropes and hits a Samoan drop. He covers, but Quiet Storm breaks that up. But before Red and Storm can get into it, Joel jumps Storm from behind. Irish Whip by Joel, reversed by Storm. Storm puts his head down for a back bodydrop, only to get met with a boot from Joel. Joel tries a cross corner whip, but Storm reverses and follows up with a handspring elbow. Storm tries to follow up with a bulldog, but Joel just throws him off. Storm gets up and tries a go-behind, but Joel reverses that and hits a release German Suplex that Storm takes flush on his skull.

Now all three SAT members position the prone Storm. Jose and Jose bounce off the ropes, Joel hits a legdrop, Jose with a dropkick to the nuts, and Red hits a standing Shooting Star Press. Yes, you read that right. Whoops, now XL and Divine take out Jose and Joel with simultaneous springboard dropkicks. XL then sends Red to the ropes and tries a back bodydrop, but Red manages to backflip out. Unfortunately, he lands right in the grasp of Divine, who hits a Fireman's Carry into a Spinebuster. Storm and Divine then try a double Wheelbarrow suplex on Red and hold him up mid-move, so Excel can nail Red with a springboard dropkick. Divine Storm and XL then copy the SAT's last triple team, with XL hitting a running Shooting Star Press. 

Divine and XL then try tope suicidas on Jose and Joel outside the ring, but the SAT members manage to move, sending their opponents splatting on the concrete. In the ring, Storm slams Red and goes up top for something, but Jose and Joel toss their chairs and nail him good. Red goes up and tries a 'rana on Storm, but Storm manages to push him off. Storm leaps off the top onto Red, but gets met with a boot in the face for his troubles. Jose and Joel put Storm on the top, and…well, this deserves a new paragraph.

They put Storm on the top rope and climb up alongside of him. They grab him like they were going to do a double Rock Bottom, them both in effect do a moonsault while still holding on to Storm, the end result is like a high impact Superplex. That's the Spanish Fly, and it's my new favorite move.

Oh, and Red hits a Phoenix Splash for the 3 count (14:54).

Totally great match that was nothing like you'd see in America. It combined lucha style moves with All-Japan head dropping and Toryumon (5)-esque double and triple teams. If CZW only featured matches like this, it would be my favorite fed. Alas, I fear you have to take the good with the bad.

Fallout: Well, hell, it's just been a month since the match took place. I doubt too much has happened. But I sincerely hope all six guys continue to compete for a good long while.

You can get more info at www.combatzonewrestling.com. It might be your cup of tea if you really miss ECW (and after Monday, you may not have reason to).

I'm gone for now, back next week with an Invasion preview. 'Til next time, true believers. 

Joe Gagne
bwo@telegram.infi.net

Endnotes:

(1) The hot trend in independent wrestling.
(2) Yes, it's as bad as it sounds.
(3) I'm guessing the name is a reference to the WWF Spanish Announce Team, who are a bit of a long running joke in wrestling, as their announce tables are constantly destroyed while their American counterparts escape unscathed.
(4) A cross arm powerbomb into a facebuster
(5) Ultimo Dragon's Michinoku Pro-like fed in Japan

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