Fuzion def Joel Bateman in his RCW debut
Adam Gambino def Pitbull
Dienamic def Zak
Kathryn Nixxon def Savannah Summers
Damon Matthews def Giant Dregan Grimm and Mimic to become the first ever two-time RCW Champion.
To start tonight’s show, each of the competitors in the Main Event for the RCW Championship were brought out to the ring by Commissioner Andy Cruise. It was a great way to start the show and got the overall show off to a hot start with the crowd getting involved immediately. The heat magnet, Damon Matthews, had the fans wanting his blood from the moment he came out and he just threw fuel on the flames by dowsing some with water and verbally spraying others. Each man got in the face of his opponents and a shoving match escalated, thanks to Matthews stirring up the sibling rivalry, then leaving the ring with Mimic in a headlock from his younger brother. They were soon separated and the fans started chanting “Mimic, Mimic’ to leave no doubt who is the golden boy of RCW.
“Furious” Fuzion v Joel Bateman
Fuzion came out to a “shave your back” chant – the loudest yet! Both men locked up twice early but Fuzion was able to over power his opponent easily both times. Joel then got in an arm drag and suplex that sent Fuzion to the floor to reassess his game plan. Coming back in he hung Joel’s arm over the top rope and began to work on his shoulder area. He reinforced that decision by putting on an arm bar and then putting the boots into that injured shoulder. He then showed his strength advantage by easily executing two scoop slams, then went back to the shoulder, ramming it into two different corner turnbuckles. Getting a bit too cocky, he went for a splash into the corner but missed and was hit with a back elbow. That turn around in momentum didn’t last long as Fuzion turned a tilt a whirl into a shoulder block, then put on a surfboard submission. Joel came back with three consecutive chops and a HHH high knee lift. With the crowd behind him, he stood on the 2nd rope to hit Fuzion with 10 of his best and followed that up with a forearm shot and dropkick to the back. Fuzion retreated back to the floor but this time there was no rest period as Joel hit him with a suicide dive between the 2nd and 3rd ropes. He rolled Fuzion back into the ring but could only manage a 2 count and paid for his assistance with a stiff spine buster from the Furious one that also only brought a 2 from the referee. Joel hit back with a tornado DDT but again fell short in securing the pin. He then attempted to come off the top rope but missed and Fuzion reversed the move into his modified crossface. Joel fought the pain but ended up tapping out. Not content with just the win, Fuzion then put the boots into Joel and rolled him out of “his” ring.
Summary – Good, solid opening match. I’ve seen Bateman before and I really prefer him as a heel as I think he suits that better. Still, a good showing for his RCW debut and hopefully he will make this a regular thing. I’m also glad that Fuzion is using a submission move as a finisher, instead of the standard high flying or brutal spot used by the rest of the roster. Makes him stand out more and I don’t think submissions are used enough in wrestling today. When executed properly they add so much to a match and the psychology of Fuzion working the shoulder all match to them make his opponent tap, is brilliant.
The Southern Pitbull v Mystery Opponent
Pitbull did his trademark ring entrance through the canteen area, to a very big pop from the crowd. The Final Countdown hit and we all knew the mystery was solved – Adam Gambino had returned; Jericho entrance and all! Interesting turn of events as Adam cut a nice little promo that blurred the lines of shoot / work but lost the crowd as well. They had decided that the returning hero from months before was no longer the flavour of the month, so they booed him and cheered the local boy. Adam said he was in no shape to wrestle but was up for a fight and he wasn’t wrong! These two started trading punches immediately before Pitbull hit a clothesline, then big boot and threw Adam to the floor. Pitbull joined him via a baseball slide and then a brawl broke out! Adam chopped Pitbull but was thrown head first into the ring post. Then Pitbull came off the stage entrance for a senton onto the floor! I must add here that Commission Cruise had announced a standard 20 second count out system in RCW to help ensure each match would end with a winner. Adam was the first up and threw Pitbull over the barriers and into the crowd who were already worked up into a frenzy. Each man took a shot to the head against the arena wall before they returned to ring area and Adam’s head was also smashed into the ring apron. Back in the ring and Adam fights back with two super kicks but only the Enigma knows how to truly make that devastating. Pitbull undoes some turnbuckle padding, then punches and kicks his opponent. Adam fights back with a forearm, another super kick and then a clothesline. He follows that with a wicked chop but Pitbull’s had enough and climbs the 2nd rope to hit the old school 10 punches but after only a few, he’s lifted up and power bombed off the ropes! A “Pitbull, Pitbull” chant starts from the crowd and Adam reacts by smashing the fan favourite’s head into the exposed turnbuckle, cutting him open and turning his face into a crimson mask. He then finishes off proceedings with the Cover Band Cutter (RKO) and scores the win. In a sign of respect both men embrace and Adam leaves the ring………only for Fuzion to come out and once again inflict pain on Pitbull. He grabs the trademark barbwire baseball bat and gives him two shots to the stomach, then two to the exposed arms. He signs off with a crossface to leave no doubt who is in charge between these two.
Summary – Another solid match. Not pretty but a good old fashioned brawl. Interesting to see the fans turn on Adam so quickly and not sure where he goes with that but for me, the man oozes heel and that’s where his talent lies. The crowd appreciated the embrace after the match so maybe they are willing to still support him but not against a local boy. I like how they are slowly progressing the whole Fuzion / Pitbull angle, giving us a little taste each month, hopefully leading to something big in the future. Fuzion, whilst not in the Matthews league yet, is also a heat magnet and he works the crowd well.
Dienamic v Zak
Dienamic came out with a new mask and ring attire but the same heat from the fans! Zak came out to a good pop which confused the hell out of me as he was a heel at the last show! Thinking about it now, a large portion of the crowd who goes to Estonian Hall does not go to Karadinga and vice versa, so they would be unaware of last month’s show and events. Still, a “Zak Attak” chant could be clearly heard. Zak puts on an arm lock, and then puts a boot in before moving to an arm bar. Dienamic comes back with a head lock, then arm ringer and stands on Zak’s elbow. He then hits some stiff kicks to the back and follows with forearm shots, a running forearm and clothesline that bring an early 2 count. Zak comes back with a wicked clothesline then a scoop slam that sets up for his sequence of two rolling sentons and a senton splash, which the fans reacted to. Next was an elbow drop and then what looked like a Cena 5 knuckle shuffle but without the stupid preceding manoeuvres. Dienamic had had enough and gouged the eyes to stop Zak’s momentum. He put in some more forearms and then hit the combination suplex brain buster. Control was once again his as he hit a spinning forearm off the ropes and put the boots to Zak’s face then executed a clothesline. More kicks to the face were followed with some to the hamstrings and a shining wizard then brought a 2 count. Another clothesline, this time running off the ropes kept things in his favour but he was getting easily distracted by the fans who wanted to let their feelings known. Next was the Irish leg sweep using the bottom rope and that was followed by a snap mere take over and headlock. Zak attempted a comeback with a hurricarana out of nowhere but the spot was messed up and both men tried to cover it up with the assistance of commentary. Dienamic was the first up and hit a German suplex, then forearms and some wicked chops. Zak fights back with the crowd’s support as he hits a clothesline to the corner and attempted the 10 punches from the ropes but was power slammed for a 2 count. Dienamic then whipped him into the ropes and hit a low kick to the knee that sent Zak to the floor. Dienamic wasn’t going to let up and he hit a senton over the top rope to the floor. Zak was able to recover first and whipped Dienamic into the barriers then hit a DDT on the floor. He then climbed the top rope for a senton of his own to the floor. Once again, Dienamic resorts to the eye gouge to restore control and hits a side release suplex but misses the double stomp off the top rope. Zak hits a missile drop kick but misses a senton from the top rope. Dienamic’s had enough and hits Zak with a blatant low blow that leaves the referee no choice but to disqualify him. The makes one doesn’t care as he puts the boots in to the sounds of “Dienamic sucs” from the hostile crowd. Commission Cruise tells Dienamic there will be consequences to his actions and to be prepared for the punishment that will follow.
Summary – I hate flip flopping with people and it didn’t make sense for Zak to be a face after being a heel the month before. Sure, you let the fans decide who they want to support but there also has to be some direction as well. It was another solid match and it will be interesting to see where they are going with this whole Dienamic v Cruise angle. I think it’s good that Cruise is getting involved with angles other than the Main Event but I do not like the cock way in which he’s doing it. He’s a tool to help gel the whole show together but he shouldn’t shine more than the wrestlers and sometimes the way he talks to them is a little too much for me. That’s just my view, others will probably tell me to stop thinking too much!
Kathryn Nixxon v Savannah Summers
Here’s a question for you – who gets the bigger pop in RCW, Mimic or Savannah? Sure, Mimic is the golden boy but tonight for me, the biggest reaction was given to the golden girl of RCW, Ms Summers. Nixxon generated genuine heat from the crowd but you could put Humphrey B Bear in that ring with Savannah and the fans would want his blood! Both ladies tie up and Nixxon puts on a head lock, and then executes a head lock take down that is reversed into a leg scissors lock by Savannah. She then puts on arm bar and twists for added effect. Nixxon decides she wants to shake hands but grabs Savannah’s arm into an arm bar then hits her with a clothesline. She puts the boots in and then does the Nash big boot to the throat in the corner. Next is a hair toss, followed by more kicks and then she chokes Savannah over the 2nd rope. A hair pull down later and this time she chokes her using the top rope before going back to the hair with a snap mere into a head lock. She places her opponent in the tree of woe and the hits her in the face with a baseball slide. Deciding one good turn deserves another she attempts the move again but this time Savannah is awake to it and moves, leaving Nixxon to crutch herself with the ring post! Savannah monkey flips her out of the corner and puts the boots in before hitting a bulldog. Nixxon tosses her out to the apron and super kicks her to the barrier – unfortunately even the new fans next to me spotted the kick came no where near to connecting. Nixxon joins her outside the ring and hits some chops before Savannah Irish whips her into the ring post. As Nixxon re-enters the ring she’s able to hang Savannah over the top rope but then they hit each other with clotheslines coming off the ropes and both ladies are down. Both get to their feet and start chopping each other but Nixxon takes the low road and hits a chop block and then begins to work on that leg. She smashes the same leg into the ring post twice and then twists it around the ring ropes before stiffly kicking it and putting on the figure four leg lock. That submission move might have won her the match but she couldn’t help herself and uses the ropes for added leverage, only to be caught by the referee and made to break the hold. Savannah manages to reverse out of an Irish whip and hit a hurricarana, much to the fans’ delight. Nixxon attempts a bulldog but that is also reversed into a hurricarana but this time she does not get up. The referee gives the universal signal for a worker being hurt and a second referee comes to the ring to check on Nixxon. This whole process takes several minutes with Savannah showing genuine concern that she had severely hurt her opponent. The commentators, the referees, Savannah and the fans were all sucked in as suddenly Nixxon got to her feet and rolled up Savannah, scoring the win with what looked like a tights pull at the same time. Nixxon gloats in victory and is pushed off the apron by her irate opponent.
Summary – Not a fan of how the ending was handled. Sure, Nixxon had most of us fooled. We thought she was legitimately hurt and were all showing concern. If she had just got up and done the roll up, it would have worked. Unfortunately the bell was rung before that happened and so technically the match was over. The fans all sitting near me pointed this out several times and were yelling at Commissioner Cruise to over turn the decision. If you’re going to run that kind of finish you need to ensure everyone is on the same page and it looked like this time, they weren’t. Still, it was a very good match and based on the crowd’s reaction throughout it, they were emotionally involved and that is what you want.
Damon Matthews v GD Grimm v Mimic
RCW ChampionshipI can save everyone a long read and summarise this match very easily and quickly:
The single best match I have EVER seen live.
Enough said.
For those who want the details, I won’t do them justice. I got most of the action but at times it was just impossible to keep up and I had no idea what some of the moves were called so I resorted to stick figure diagrams for future reference! The crowd was red hot from the moment the combatants came to the ring and the “Mimic” chants started before the action did and continued throughout the match. Grimm and Matthews obviously had a plan and attacked Mimic together, working as a team to eliminate the crowd’s favourite. They put the boots in and whilst Grimm did the Nash boot to the throat, Damon came in with a double drop kick that surely must wind him as much as it does his opponent. Grimm puts in the big boot but them Mimic sees a ray of light and hits a clothesline then leaps off Grimm’s back for a forearm shot to Damon. He then dropkicks Grimm and both villains retreat to the floor for a rest and abuse from the fans. Damon hangs Mimic over the top rope and Grimm holds him in places with a boot to the back as the Enigma comes off the floor for the double kick to the head. Grimm hits his brother with a clothesline and Damon follows with a chop before Grimm goes with another big boot. Grimm rakes the eyes using the top rope and then they both hit him with a double shoulder block, followed by a Matthews’ elbow drop. Grimm then whips Mimic off the ropes and places him in the wheelbarrow, allowing Matthews to put both knees to Mimic’s chest in a well executed move. Mimic falls to the floor and the opportunist Matthews seizes the moment and attacks Grimm! Not a wise move as Grimm hits him with a big boot and then side suplex. He follows that up with a side walk slam and then whips Matthews into Mimic. Then from the corner it’s a three way monkey flip off the top rope that takes the crowd noise to the next level! Mimic gets up and hits a leg lariat on Grimm but his brother comes back with a back body drop and Mimic back flips into a Matthews’ power bomb! Mimic gets up and hits Damon with a stiff kick to the back and then a chop but out of no where Grimm comes off the top rope for a flying cross body onto them both. Mimic is then on Grimm’s shoulders and is dropped onto Matthews. Grimm then hits a jack knife power bomb with a twist, as Mimic hits Damon’s knees! Damon tries to take control again but Grimm does a standing somersault / flip – yes, the 6 foot something former clown does a 360!!! – and lands a clothesline coming out of it. Grimm begins work on Mimic’s back but Damon puts a stop to that with a low blow. He then clotheslines both brothers in opposite corners and places each in the tree of woe. Grimm then gets the Sabin delayed kick to the face. Grimm gets up and hits a sickening German release suplex on Damon then the brothers begin to hit each other with chops that must surely tear the flesh. The Enigma won’t be left out of this party and chops them both but with little affect and they turn on him, chopping him repeatedly around the chest, back and shoulders that leaves marks which will remain for days. He’s then hit with a double chop that flips him in the air and turns him inside out! The brothers head to the floor to continue their feud but forget about Matthews who takes the chance to recover and then comes off the top rope with a senton onto them both. (This is where Damon dislocated his shoulder and rolled into the ring to have the referee pop it back in so he could continue!) Grimm hits Damon with a big boot and then two wicked chops that are still ringing in my ears! He then whips his brother with his chain mail top and sends him into the ring post. Mimic is then put onto the top rope and Grimm comes off the top rope with a clothesline that sends him to the floor. (The impact could be heard over the crowd and Mimic broke floor boards when he landed!) Grimm turns his attention to Damon and hits a scoop slam, delayed scoop slam and then another scoop slam! He then hits a tilt a whirl slam, all the time keeping his eyes on Mimic and preventing him from entering the ring. Mimic climbs to the top from the outside but his caught by Grimm and thrown off the top, landing on the other side of the ring! The Grimm fans next to me can smell the sweet taste of victory as their hero hits Damon with a curb stomp from the 2nd rope but Mimic breaks the count. Grimm tries for the cut throat but Mimic blocks hit and hits the Perfect plex for a 2 count. An unholy alliance is formed as Mimic and Matthews work together. Mimic drop kicks Grimm, bringing him to his knees and Matthews drop kicks his head. They then do a double elbow drop. What occurs next could best be described as a pissing contest as each tries to outdo the other! Both hit Grimm with spinning elbow drops and then both hit leg drops, the crowd reacting and clearly deciding that Mimic is the winner! Grimm goes to the floor and with his back turned, Mimic is hit with a vertebreaker by Matthews that many believed had killed him!! Damon goes to the top for the Enigma bomb but misses and Mimic hits him with the equally wicked double under hook piledriver. The crowd is on the edge of their seat as surely this must be victory for the boy but no, as Grimm comes off the top rope and hits him with an elbow drop. All three are down. All three get up. All three hit super kicks simultaneously and all three are down again! Mimic is up first and clotheslines them both, then a suplex on Damon and a hurricarana on Grimm. He then goes to the top and hits a beautiful Frankensteiner on Matthews. Grimm grabs his brother and climbs the ropes so he can put on a choke hold and hang him from the 2nd rope! Damon leaves and returns to the ring area with the RCW title. The injured VooDoo comes out to stop any travesty and Matthews hits the referee in the back with the title, then hits Mimic as well. Grimm picks up his brother and holds him as Damon hits Mimic again, this time the metal of the title can be clearly heard connecting with his head! Damon super kicks Grimm and attempts to pin the unconscious Mimic but Grimm is able to stop the count. He gets up and hits Damon with the cut throat. Now this match really gets crazy!!
Grimm hits Matthews with three, yes three, curb stomps, each one more brutal than the last! Surely that must be the end? No! Mimic breaks the count. Mimic hits Grimm with three double under hook pile drivers! I can’t repeat what I write down in my notes but I’ll give you a guess; it starts with “F” and ends with “K”! How Grimm’s head is still attached to his body I have no idea. Mimic climbs to the top rope to go for the 450 and the crowd rises with him, anticipating glory, finally for their hero. But no! He’s caught on the ropes by Damon and put in the tree of woe. Damon then scrambles over and pins Grimm for the win and to become the two time RCW Champion. The crowd goes nuts!! Rubbish is thrown into the ring and obscenities are hurled at the result and Mr Matthews. Damon them makes Commissioner Cruise come to the ring to place the belt around his waist and rubs it in by slapping him in the face. He then cuts an emotionally fuelled scathing promos that basically bad mouths any one who has ever breathed, to the sound of “Matthews’ a Wanker” from the hostile crowd. Before he has much time to celebrate and gloat, Cruise announces that he will defend the title on March 29 against the returning Justin Cross!Summary – Match of the night. Match of the year. Match of my wrestling lifetime. It had every thing. Story line development. Crowd involvement from surely the most vocal RCW crowd ever. Amazing action but not just a series of spots. The match flowed, gained momentum, peaked, told a story and in my opinion ended with the only logical conclusion. It had every thing I love about wrestling and surely must be put on DVD for all to watch, over and over again. The classic heel in Matthews who never lost his title but so desperately needed it to offset the chip on his shoulder. The tweener in Grimm who despises those who cheer for him whilst also glowing in their adulation. And the golden boy in Mimic who has never held the title and who carries the fans of RCW on his shoulders and in his heart. I am just thankful I was there to see it.
Where does RCW go from that?! I don’t know if they will ever be able to take us to the moon like that again but I’ll still be buying my ticket and going along for the ride in the hope that one day they will…..
See you all on the 29th!
Scott