411 Video Review: CZW Night Of Infamy 2

CZW NIGHT OF INFAMY
November 15, 2003

CZW returns to the US after running a successful show in Italy. This is the last stop on the road to Cage Of Death 5, and as a result was the last chance to set up any angles. Attendance is way up thanks to a solid show in Uprising, the return of the Wifebeater, and the slow build to Cage Of Death.

Anyway, I marked out like crazy reading the results of this event and then watching it when I got the tape… Read on to find out why.

MATCH RESULTS

Rebel’s Army (Rockin Rebel & Derek Frazier) vs. Sonjay Dutt & Ruckus – Dutt and Ruckus get the early advantage with tandem planchas. They cut off the ring and go to work on Frazier with various double teams. Sonjay takes a tumble and Rebel press slams Frazier down onto their opponents. The match turns as the Army work over Sonjay. Ruckus makes the tag and takes out the Army. He goes up but Rebel whips Sonjay into the ropes and Ruckus gets crotched as a result. Sonjay takes a spinebuster from Rebel and Frazier nails a frog splash for the win at 6:45. Ruckus turns on Sonjay after the match, complaining that Sonjay is continually holding him down and costing them matches. Many fans didn’t like the haste of Ruckus’ turn, but I feel this was the best thing for Ruckus at this stage in career, as it regenerated interest in his character and gave him something fresh to work with. He also developed a heel stable a bit later on that proved to be very successful, working a race angle. Anyway, this sets up Ruckus vs. Sonjay for the Jr. Heavyweight title at Cage Of Death 5, which is something I definitely am not complaining about. This tag match was more to set up the angle than an actual match. Ѕ*

Jon Dahmer, Cory Kastle & Sabian vs. Jude, Niles Young & DJ Hyde – Dahmers team rushes the ring and quickly clears it. Jude and Sabian go at it, working an amateur sequence designed to get applause. Kastle and Young tag in and go for a similar type sequence, but do it better. Kastle gets a near fall and a neckbreaker. Hyde comes in and powerbombs the shit out of Kastle, but Sabian breaks the pin. Dahmer gets the tag and goes to work on Hyde. Hyde gets a big chokeslam for two. Eventually it erupts into a huge brawl with everyone on the outside. Inside, Sabian gets a cannonball senton. Jude hits a moonsault plancha onto everyone on the outside, and Sabian gets a dragon screw plancha as well. Jude gives Kastle a Michinoku Driver in the ring for the win as Hyde and Dahmer take a trip through some chairs. The match is over at 11:19. This was okay I guess and tags are a better way to hide the students weaknesses, but seriously, they shouldn’t be on the show doing this yet. *

Tony Mamaluke vs. Scotty Matthews – I’ve never seen Matthews before, he’s got a good WWE-type look. Mamaluke takes him down with some amateur wrestling counters. Matthews comes back with a big enziguri and a dropkick. Flip legdrop misses and Mamaluke hangs him up in the ropes. Mamaluke takes a HUGE flying bump off the apron into the guardrail. Back inside Mathews unleashes some suplexes, including a fisherman’s suplex for two. STO gets two for Matthews. Matthews goes for a DVD but Mamaluke locks on a dragon sleeper and Matthews taps at 5:25. Matthews could be very good if he was booked correctly, and Mamaluke bumped for ten here. Totally the right finish too. **

Zandig comes out to talk to the crowd and reintroduces Johnny Kashmere, who had quit the company at ‘Redefined’. Kashmere speaks out against his former partners, the Hi-V (Messiah, B-Boy, Nate Hatred and Trent Acid). This brings out said group for some verbal warfare. They introduce their new fifth member as Adam Flash. The new Hi-V attack Zandig and Kashmere. Ian Knoxx runs in for the save but takes a beat-down too. Nick Gage runs in to help out and the Hi-V get the better of him too. Wifebeater comes out and the faces manage to clear the ring. Zandig, Kashmere, Beater, Gage and Knoxx are left standing in the ring. Zandig gets on the mic and makes the main event for Cage Of Death: In the cage, it will be the Hi-V verses Zandig’s team, 5-on-5. Zandig then says that Cage Of Death will involve TWO rings, and one will contain A MILLION thumbtacks. He also says something about a second cage which is suspended like a scaffold. Nobody really knew what he meant but it was really quite an impressive sight at Cage of Death 5, and you’ll have to wait for my review to see what it looks like.

Aerial Assault Match: Deranged vs. Azrael – Don’t ask me what an aerial assault match is, I don’t know, and neither do the commentators. Azrael is accompanied to the ring by his sidekick, Jamie Samuels. They do a junior counter sequence to start, and its actually quite good. Ends with Deranged giving Azrael a hurricanrana over the ropes. Deranged gets a flipping plancha onto Azrael and Samuels. They brawl outside and Deranged takes a trip into the railing. Back in, a vertical suplex gets two for Azrael. Azrael gets a northern lights, rolls up, and then hits another one sending Deranged headfirst into the turnbuckles. Deranged goes for a hurricanrana but Azrael gets a spinebuster. Deranged comes back with a dropkick and a running knee. Deranged locks on a stretch but Azrael escapes. Azrael turns the tide with some vicious kicks for two. Deranged goes out and Samuels works him over. Azrael hits a moonsault plancha out onto Deranged. Back in Deranged gets a reverse rana, KILLING Azrael as his body goes one way and his neck goes the other. That was scary. Azrael catches Deranged mid-air and hits him with a Michinoku Driver for two. Deranged gets a nasty ace crusher but Samuels pushes a ladder into the ring. Azrael props the ladder in the corner but irony interjects and Azrael eats some of it. Deranged goes up and hits a swanton onto the ladder on Azrael. Deranged takes out Samuels, but Joker runs out and nails Deranged with the Joker Driver, allowing Azrael to win at 16:08. Chris Cash comes out to take care of Joker, and they set up a tag match for Cage Of Death next month, Cash/Deranged vs. Joker/Azrael in a ladder match. Azrael and Deranged ended up having travel problems and never made the Cage of Death show, which ended up leaving Joker vs. Cash one-on-one, a match that made Joker a star and earned him the respect of the fans. This match was hampered by being called an ‘aerial assault’ match because they didn’t do much flying and no one knew what that gimmick was anyway. If it didn’t have that title, this rating would be half a star higher, as it seemed like false advertising. That said, the guys did very well for themselves, much better than Uprising. **3/4

Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz vs. Nick Berk & Z-Barr – The Scoundrelz hide by the entranceway and blindside their opponents. Barr and Berk get the best of their competition by dumping them both over the top rope and following with planchas. It settles down into an actual tag match as the Scoundrelz work over Berk. Eventually Barr gets the hot tag and the Softcore Connection clean house. Barr suplexes Casey Blade off the top and then the Connection go up and hit the tidal wave. The Rebel’s Army pulls the ref out of the ring and the Scoundrelz get the cheap win at 8:24. The Scoundrelz were utterly unimpressive here. ѕ*

15 Minute Iron Man Match: Jimmy Rave vs. B-Boy – If Rave wins this match, he gets a match against Trent Acid for the Iron Man Title at Cage Of Death 5. Both guys attempt to establish dominance at the start and Rave avoids the Shining Wizard. Rave goes to work on B-Boy’s arm but tries one too many arm drags and gets stomped for his troubles. B-Boy tries a camel clutch but Rave makes the ropes. Rave snaps off a big northern lights suplex but B-Boy escapes an armlock and locks on a weird version of the STF. B-Boy continues dominance with a dropkick and an STO. B-Boy tries another submission but it again doesn’t work. He drops a knee on Rave’s throat for a near fall. Rave gets a cross-body for two. B-Boy tries a sunset flip but Rave nails his RUNNING KNEE! Rave gets a belly to belly suplex for two. B-Boy comes back with a palm strike and a t-bone suplex into the corner. Running dropkick hits but only gets two. Criss-cross PILEDRIVER gets two! Rave’s fighting back baby! Rave comes back with an exploder for two. Another one gets the same result and a slugfest erupts. They trade forearms and B-Boy gets a big one for two. They keep chopping and head butting the shit out of each other. The time limit expires at 16:07. FUCKING BULLSHIT!!! Way to make Rave look weak. He needed to go over CLEAN here with none of this shit. I am SICK of CZW booking this finish, the last time they did it was Acid/Homicide in May 2003. Anyway, Trent Acid comes out and knocks Rave down with a yakuza kick as the match is given five more minutes, but Rave manages to kick out!! Fans are chanting bullshit and rightly so. B-Boy gets a death valley driver for two. Rave counters the Shining Wizard with an overhead belly to belly suplex. Rave hits the RUNNING KNEE to the back of the head for two. Rave hits a superkick for two. B-Boy locks on an armlock but Rave makes the ropes. Rave pulls B-Boy off the top and locks on an armlock of his own, but B-Boy makes the ropes. B-Boy gets the Shining Wizard (and it’s a good one too) but Rave kicks out. B-Boy tries it again but Rave small packages him for the win at 21:58. And Rave is going to Cage Of Death 5 to wrestle Trent for the Iron Man Title. This was an okay match but that time limit stuff gave it a dirty feel and it never recovered. **1/2

Mercedes Martinez vs. Nikki Rox – The girls try some flipping and rolling stuff to start but never look very comfortable doing it. A double small package spot ends up with both girls dizzy. This is all pretty horrible so lets just say: Martinez pins Rox with a suplex at 5:33. -*

Trent Acid vs. Danny Maff – Maff is answering a call as a “mystery opponent” here. Acid’s title is not on the line here. Acid mocks Maff and gets shoved for his troubles. He tries a thumb to the eye but gets tossed. Maff follows with a big tope. Back inside Maff gets distracted by Acid’s manager Dewey Donovan and eats superkick for not paying attention. Acid tries to choke Maff and elbow him in the back of the neck. Maff rolls to the outside and Acid follows him. Maff takes a big trip into the guardrail and Acid continues choking him. Gotta love Trent. Back in Acid gets a double knee charge and a missile dropkick. Acid continues punching and kicking the shit out of Maff, until Maff FIRES back with a huge clothesline. Maff gets off some cannonballs in the corner, as well as a double underhook suplex into the turnbuckles. Maff sets Acid up top and gives him a HALF NELSON SUPLEX OFF THE TOP!!! That’s crazy, but Acid kicks out. Maff gets a knee and a drop senton for two. Acid goes for a roaring elbow but it’s countered with another half nelson suplex. Acid uses the referee to get the advantage on Maff, giving him a yakuza kick in the back of the head, and then one in the face. It’s a near fall but the timekeeper accidentally rings the bell. Anyway, the match continues as Trent hits another yakuza kick for TWO again! Acid can’t believe it! He grabs a chair and is ready to use it but Jimmy Rave comes out and locks Acid in the crossface. Acid taps like crazy as the ref tries to break it. Maff pulls Rave off and Acid nails Maff with a yakuza kick for the win at 12:39. This was going to be one hell of a match until the blown near count and the interference, though I understand why the interference was necessary. Still, I’d love to see a rematch where they’re given twenty minutes, as it undoubtedly would be more than four stars. ***1/4

Homicide vs. Chris Hero vs. Jimmy Jacobs vs. Alex Shelley – Hero and Shelley start off with arm wringers and the like. They trade many counters until Hero gets an STO and tags in the HUSS, Jimmy Jacobs. Homicidie also gets the tag, so it’s on baby. Homicide gets the better of Jacobs, quickly locking him in an STF. Jacobs escapes and comes back with a big aeroplane spin headscissors. Homicide gets a few kicks and a back suplex before tagging in Hero who abuses Jacobs with chops. Jacobs manages to snap off a facebuster but Hero comes back with a neckbreaker for two. Hero picks Shelley up on his shoulders and then delivers a stomp to Jacobs. Shelley and Jacobs go at it with chops. Shelley locks on a headlock submission but Jacobs makes the ropes. Homicide comes in and gives Jacobs a belly to belly for two. Homicide delivers a double underhook suplex off the top on Jacobs for two. Homicide tries the Vertebreaker but Jacobs counters with a version of the Impaler that Kidman used to do. Shelley comes in but takes an exploder from Homicide. Hero grabs Shelley and gives him a nasty backbreaker for two. Hero locks Shelley in a fucking retarted standing submission but Shelley escapes and snaps off a neckbreaker for two. Homicide and Shelley fight on the outside so Hero vaults Jacobs over the top onto them. Hero then follows with a twisting tope. Back in Hero delivers a weird headlock spinning neckbreaker to Jacobs for two. Shelley and Jacobs lock Hero in a submission at the same time, leaving Jacobs prone to a stomp from Homicide. Homicide gives Hero a tornado DDT but takes a missile dropkick from Shelley. Shelley comes off the top with a DDT on Hero for two. Jacobs delivers the big HUSS boot to Shelley but takes a clothesline from Homicide. Hero escapes the Vertebreaker and gives Homicide a nasty piledriver. Jacobs comes off the top with a senton to break up the pin. Jacobs gets Sliced Bread #2 on Hero for two. Shelley delivers the Shell Shock to Jacobs, which is a fucking dangerous move, but it only gets TWO! Homicide gives Shelley an Ace Crusher and locks him in an STF. Hero gets the Hero’s Welcome on Jacobs for the pin, just as Shelly taps to Homicide at 18:19. Who won? Hero is announced as the winner, but there’s a bit of controversy. Oh well, this was pretty fun but it took a while to get going and the ending hurt the match. ***1/4

Tag Team Double Dog Collar Match: Messiah & Nate Hatred vs. Nick Gage & Wifebeater – This was set up the month prior at “Uprising” when the Wifebeater returned and interfered in the Hatred/Gage dog collar match. Gage and Beater attack the heels before the dog collars can be put on. They press slam Messiah over the top onto Hatred. Zandig is the special referee, so he has the chains and demands they be put on. The faces get double press slams on the heels again before the chains can be put on. Beater and Hatred are chained together, as Gage and Messiah brawl on the outside. Beater gets a sideslam on Hatred and continues dominance as Gage and Messiah are chained to each other. Each set of men brawl their way through the match. Messiah and Hatred double team Beater before Gage and Messiah go at it in the ring, with Gage getting a quick count. Hatred sets up a table on the outside but irony intervenes and Beater delivers a sideslam to Hatred off the apron through said table. Messiah locks Gage in a Boston Crab but Zandig breaks it, “accidentally”. Beater is busted open. This brawling is hard to recap so I’ll just say this: they brawl. Beater suplexes Hatred through some chairs on the outside, then uses the chain to drag him along the concrete. Messiah sets up a table and goes up but Gage pulls the chain and sends him flying through the table. Messiah comes free from the chain and joins Hatred and Beater on the stage. They press slam Beater off the stage through a table. Nasty looking bump. Zandig goes to check on Beater, leaving Gage prone to a beating from Hatred. Zandig makes it back to the ring as Gage is being double teamed. Beater comes back and cleans house, allowing Gage to get some bootscrapes in the corner. Gage powerbombs Messiah off the top but as the pin is about to go down Trent Acid, Adam Flash and B-Boy run out to beat on the faces. Kashmere comes out and makes the save, but then turns on Zandig and sides with the Hi-V. Big heel beatdown. Ian Knoxx comes out to make the save, but to no avail. Then the music hits…. IT’S LOBO!!!! LOBO’S BACK!!! He’s ANGRY!!! THE ONE MAN ARMY HAS RETURNED!!!! Lobo cleans house with a chair as the fans go CRAZY, and I mean CRAZY, everyone is on their feet cheering like mad. (Lobo had been out since Cage Of Death 4). Now Zandig has a team to fight against the Hi-V!! This match was okay and was a good lead in to the return. **1/2

Zandig gets on the mic and announces that the main event for Cage of Death 5 will be a suspended cage with staggered entrances like War Games, with Zandig and Kashmere starting off against each other. Zandig announces his team, it’ll be: Zandig, Wifebeater, Nick Gage, Ian Knoxx, and Lobo vs. The Hi-V, consisting of Messiah, B-Boy, Nate Hatred, Trent Acid, Adam Flash and Johnny Kashmere.

The Verdict: – This show is solid and works well as a build to Cage of Death 5, but it doesn’t really stand up great otherwise. Not a bad one, just not particularly interesting. I did mark out like a bitch for the return of Lobo. I’ll say mildly recommended.

Finally, after all the wait and hype, I will review Cage Of Death 5 in a few days!!

-You can get CZW tapes from www.smartmarkvideo.com, the original proprietors with the best service around.

-Check out www.czwfans.com for the best CZW discussion on the net.

CZW Best Of The Best 4, their annual Junior Heavyweight Tournament is coming up on July 10th at Viking Hall, with the talent line up looking spectacular:

Sonjay Dutt
Trent Acid
Teddy Hart
Homicide
Roderick Strong
Jimmy Rave
Ruckus
B-Boy
Bobby Quance
Alex Shelley
Nate Webb
Petey Williams

Visit czwwrestling.com or the CZW Fans link above for more info. I encourage you all to attend the event as it promises to be great.

I appreciate any feedback, the link is below.

Thanks for reading,
-TIM