Gordo the wizard of id, reviews

GREAT CANADIAN WRESTLING
SPIN THE WHEEL, MAKE THE DEAL

08 Jun 06 Royal Canadian Legion Hall, Oshawa, Ontario

King Sphinx vs Oruku Ghemma

Steve Brown & Adam Reed vs Andrew Davis & Crazy Steve

Triple Threat Match:

Danyah vs Cherry Bomb vs Jamie D

Hayden Avery & Brad ‘Freakin’ Martin vs Gutter & Phil Atlas w/Crazy Steve

TNA Revenge Match:

Mike Stevens vs A1

Johnny Devine vs Josh Abercrombie

Triple Threat Triple Tag Match:

Rizzla, Tarantula Gomez & Cody 45 vs Rip Impact, Jay Phoenix & Prodigy vs PD Flex, Strangler #1 & Darth Cutthroatus

Ontario Independent Championship:

Jimmy Jacobs (C) vs Kris Chambers

Ruffy Silverstein vs Jake O’Reilly

Cody Deaner vs Tyson Dux

Canadian National Title – Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal Match:

‘Unreal’ Michael Elgin (C) vs Xtremo

The Venue: The Royal Canadian Legion Hall on Simcoe Street, in Oshawa, is a great little venue for Indy wrestling; large enough to house a couple hundred rabid GCW fans yet intimate enough that there isn’t a bad seat in the house. A curtained stage served as both a locker room area for the wrestlers and a platform for Hammerlock Productions to film the action for future DVD release. It was from that stage that Mrs Id and I watched the show because thanks to insane traffic, we arrived only minutes before the show started. The in house bar served a variety of cold beverages and GCW staff sold snacks and merchandise from tables along the same wall. (I grabbed a copy of the Hardcore Anime convention show.) The ring announcer for the show: Gentleman Geoff. Senior GCW official Dave ‘la Plott’ Linton. The other official: Chris the Ref.

King Sphinx vs Oruku Ghemma – Billed as a “Culture Clash” and announced as a ‘dark match’ the opener featured two masked men; Ghemma from Japan and Sphinx from Egypt. King Sphinx is new to the Ontario circuit and this was the first time I actually learned his name. I’ve been calling him Egyptian Gimmick Guy. I hope that doesn’t mean I’m cursed now… I’ve got enough problems. At the bell Ghemma worked some kicks and armdrags but soon found himself spun around in circles by an arm and a leg. (It’s a good thing Sphinx didn’t tear them off or Ghemma would have nothing to pay for gas with.) Sphinx nailed some big knee strikes before whipping Ghemma to the corner. Twice Ghemma avoided Sphinx’ charges into the corner and gained a 2 count. Ghemma hit a top rope springboard moonsault for another near fall but missed an over the top legdrop. Sphinx quickly jumped on him and scored the winning pin. Thoughts: A short 4 minute opener that the crowd cheered throughout. King Sphinx is certainly colorful in his yellow body suit and mask but it looks like he has a large blue penis sticking off his chin. What’s up with that? After the match Steve Brown and Adam Reed entered the ring and destroyed the two masked men. Brown powerbombed Sphinx and Reed planted Ghemma with a Death Valley Driver. Collectively known as ‘Egos & Icons’ they demanded a match and challenged “any two guys” in the back to come out and face them. The men who answered the challenge got a HUGE pop from the crowd.

Steve Brown & Adam Reed vs Andrew Davis & Crazy Steve – At the sight of Crazy Steve, dressed in a straight jacket and looking like the demented grandson of Alice Cooper, the crowd started a thunderous “bite his face off” chant. He and Davis had a bit of a comedy show before the bell as Steve had problems with the concept of tags and who he would be allowed to bite. Finally, after a round of patty-cake, Davis got Steve on the apron and started the action against Brown. Brown shrugged off Davis’ 3 body block attempts before trying his own only to kiss the mat when Davis hit a drop toe. Reed tagged in and Davis tossed him around with armdrags before cinching in an armbar and tagging Steve. Steve came off the top with an axe-handle to Reed’s arm then began biting it. When the ref admonished him for that Crazy Steve started biting him instead, much to the delight of the fans. Steve continued to amuse fans and infuriate Reed by doing push-ups and posing in the ring. The much larger Reed struck a bicep flex of his own and Steve proved he’s not so crazy after all by stomping on Reed’s toe before snaring him in a headlock. Reed whipped the popular lunatic into the ropes and Brown connected with a big knee to the back. This began an extended beatdown on Steve. Reed pounded on Steve with forearms and hit a sidewalk slam, following up with big knees to the gut. A little ref distraction, aided by Davis trying to enter the ring to assist his partner, gave Brown the opportunity to choke Steve in the corner. The crowd tried to rally Steve but Brown leveled him with a clothesline. Steve’s attempts to bite his way free were answered with a double suplex from Egos & Icons. Finally, Steve tagged Davis and he cleaned house with lariats and elbow strikes. Reed snuck in a shot to the groin however and using the ropes for leverage snagged a quick pin. As the crowd ragged on the departing Reed and Brown, Steve headed toward the ref who bailed to the outside. Steve went out and dragged the hapless official back into the ring and asked the crowd if he should bite him. Naturally, that got a thunderous “Yes” from the fans and Steve began gnawing away on the ref’s head. “Tastes like chicken” gets my vote as best chant so far. Thoughts: A short but very entertaining affair this match was the Crazy Steve show; everyone else was the supporting cast. Fans certainly enjoyed it, even if the ref didn’t.

Triple Threat Match: Danyah vs Cherry Bomb vs Jamie D – originally scheduled to be Danyah vs Cherry Bomb this last dark match entered a new dimension of intensity with the addition of ‘The One and Only’ Jamie D. Recently returned to action after a 7 month hiatus due to knee surgery this powerhouse has rapidly made herself one to watch on the Ontario scene. Glowering and angry she insulted fans as she entered the ring. Cherry Bomb arrived to mixed reaction and seemed pissed that Danyah was the obvious crowd favorite. Danyah watched as Jamie’s size and strength advantage saw her quickly pound Cherry to the mat. Danyah tried 2 body blocks and a dropkick but failed to budge Jamie. She scooped Danyah up and planted her with a bodyslam before going for a cover that Cherry broke up. Jamie controlled both her opponents with strikes and caught Cherry coming off the ropes with another big slam. This time it was Danyah who broke up the count. Jamie went after Danyah but a whip off the ropes saw Danyah finally take Jamie down with a headscissors. Jamie came right back and nailed both her opponents with a double DDT. She covered Cherry but broke off at 2 to cover Danyah instead. She quit that cover as well, declaring that she couldn’t make up her mind which one to pin. Danyah and Cherry elected to work together and attacked Jamie with a double clothesline which staggered her but didn’t put her down. A double dropkick did and they tossed her out through the ropes where she landed hard on the floor. With Jamie out of the equation, Cherry quickly kicked Danyah in the gut and smashed her head repeatedly into the mat. Cherry delivered a blatant choke and laid the verbal smackdown on her. Cherry snapmared Danyah and delivered a wicked kick to her back. A near fall after a hair-slam was followed by another hair takedown and a chinlock as Cherry pressed her advantage. The crowd was hot as Danyah powered out of the hold and threw elbows to Cherry’s midsection. A cocky Cherry still controlled most of the action until Danyah tripped her and scored a 2 count. 3 more near falls followed as Danyah used a small package and two crucifix attempts to keep Cherry on the defensive. Cherry kicked Danyah and whipped her into the ropes where Jamie tripped her from the outside. Jamie mounted the apron to re-enter the ring but Cherry vaulted off Danyah’s back to nail a wicked neck stretch over the top rope, dumping the ‘One and Only’ back to the floor. Danyah and Cherry traded roll-ups across the mat until Cherry was able to grab the ropes and hold Danyah down to steal the win. Not a popular victory but the fans took most of their anger out on Jamie D. Thoughts: All 3 of these competitors are accomplished technicians and there’s enough heat between Cherry Bomb and Danyah to raise the intensity any time they meet. Theirs is a rivalry with no end in sight. Jamie D is a one-woman army and it was only the combined efforts of Danyah and Cherry, coupled with a bad spill to the outside that took her out of the match. Reports are that Cherry Bomb suffered a concussion during this match and it’s a testament to her resolve that she continued to fight and take the win. It’s criminal that this match will not be included on the DVD release and fans can only hope that GCW has plans to offer a DVD of all-women’s matches in the future.

Pre Show: During a brief 5 minute intermission the Wheel was set in the ring and Gentleman Geoff warmed up the crowd. He introduced GCW CEO Jamie Virtue who entered the ring to warm applause. Virtue talked about the Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal match and the choices the Wheel offered. They were: Street Fight, 2 out of 3 Falls, (Boos from the fans) Ladder match, Dog Collar match, Table match, I Quit match, Taped Fist match and Crowd’s Choice which got the biggest cheer. Virtue called the participants to the ring and Xtremo received a huge cheer when he arrived. Canadian National Champion, ‘Unreal’ Michael Elgin was accompanied by Mike Stevens, Cherry Bomb and Jake O’Reilly. The fans were all over O’Reilly with chants of “You’re not Irish.” The Champ got a more basic “Elgin sucks.” As the heels jawed at fans and mocked Xtremo’s crossed arms X symbol, Elgin tried to cut a promo but mic problems put an end to that. Virtue spun the wheel and it appeared the main event would be a Street Fight. Elgin stomped the wheel into pieces and left with his entourage as Xtremo and Virtue made the official announcement. Thoughts: I was hoping for a Dog Collar match. The whole segment, with the exception of the mic problems, was very well done and served to hype the main event which was still a long way off.

Hayden Avery & Brad ‘Freakin’ Martin vs Phil Atlas & Gutter w/Crazy Steve – The place went nuts when Atlas & Gutter made their entrance dragging a straight-jacketed Crazy Steve on a furniture dolly behind them. Avery and Martin played the role of cocky heels, posing for pictures while Gutter and Steve cavorted at ringside. Atlas seemed bemused by the whole scene. When the match got underway Martin and Gutter moved through some very quick exchanges before Gutter started biting Martin’s arm. He quickly tagged Avery who jumped out and began stalling as Gutter tagged Atlas in. Atlas must have been getting pointers from Steve as he began biting Avery’s head when he did get back in the ring and gnawed on his fingers while Avery was trapped in an armbar. Meanwhile, Gutter and Steve played a round of patty-cake on the apron. To chants of “Let’s go Atlas” the popular star and Avery exchanged holds and counters until Hayden once again bailed to the outside. When he re-entered the ring he punched Atlas down and he and Martin isolated him in their corner. Some good old ref distraction followed as the heels worked Atlas over. He managed a minor rally coming off the ropes but Martin nailed him with a suplex for a near fall. The double team continued and Avery tried another pin attempt that Gutter was quick to break up. That set the tone for the next few minutes as Martin and Avery continued to batter Atlas. Multiple pin attempts were either escaped by Atlas or broken up by Gutter who increasingly added to his partners woes by distracting the official. Atlas finally made the hot tag and Gutter flew into action with elbows and knee strikes against both heels. After dropping Hayden with a backbreaker Gutter tagged Atlas back in for a little payback. The action got even faster as all 4 guys were in and out of the ring. Gutter covered Avery for a very near fall before Atlas took it home by blasting Martin and getting the 3 count. After the match Gutter and Atlas trapped Avery on the edge of the ring by standing on his hands and Crazy Steve bit his ass much to the delight of the GCW faithful. Thoughts: This ‘official’ opener was a great match that had fan involvement throughout. Phil Atlas is one of the most popular performers in Ontario and delivered his usual smooth execution. Gutter is almost as manic as Crazy Steve and very entertaining. Avery and Martin delivered a solid performance in their role and I’m impressed with Avery’s ability to slip seamlessly from heel to face as the situation dictates. Way too much action to describe here; you’ll have to buy the DVD and see for yourself.

TNA Revenge Match: Mike Stevens vs A1 – I’m not totally up to speed on the storyline behind this match. Apparently, Stevens has pissed off TNA Team Canada members, specifically Johnny Devine. Devine, at the time this match was made, was unable to attend the show so A1 stepped in to “take on the problem that is Mike Stevens.” A1’s power advantage came into play early as he controlled the early lock-up and then rocked Stevens with a shoulder tackle. Stevens responded with punches and stomps in the corner but A1 reversed his whip attempt and hit a hip toss and bodyslam. Fans enthusiastically counted down A1’s corner punches and popped big time when he went to 11. A whip off the ropes to a big punch in the gut and a Russian leg sweep put Stevens down for a 2 count. On the next whip Stevens grabbed the rope and bailed to the outside to stall. A1 went out after him, bashing the bad guy’s head into the apron and punishing him with chops. Stevens slipped off A1’s shoulders and pushed the big man into the ring post. Rolling his dazed opponent back inside, Stevens started working a choke on the ropes as the fans loudly got on his case. Ignoring the chants of “Stevens sucks” he continued to choke A1 in the corner; this time using his boot. A big whip into the buckles put A1 down for two consecutive near falls. Stevens once more went to the choke then applied a chinlock which A1 powered to a standing position before laying in some elbows to break free. Stevens quickly drove a knee into A1’s gut to put him down for another 2. Stevens tossed A1 over the top and followed him out to pound on him on the floor. A1 took another blow into the ringpost before the action returned to the ring and settled into an exchange of strikes. Stevens headed to the top rope but A1 followed and it was he who capitalized with a superplex that left both men down. The fans were solidly behind A1 as the two men regained their feet and once again began trading strikes. A1 seized the advantage with a shoulder tackle, clotheslines and atomic drop ending with a lariat that drove Stevens hard to the mat. The crowd was all over the official for the speed of his count. Stevens attempted a rally but A1 hit a wicked pumphandle slam and dropped on him for the cover. Suddenly Michael Elgin came to ringside and distracted the official. A1 abandoned his pin attempt and approached the ropes which proved his undoing as Stevens quickly rolled him up from behind and, using his feet on the ropes for leverage, gained the winning pin. Johnny Devine, apparently able to make the show after all, ran into the ring before the heels could inflict any further damage to A1. After patiently waiting for the fans to stop chanting “Fat Matt Hardy” at Elgin, Devine suggested that A1 and Stevens wrestle their next match while Elgin and he are handcuffed together. Elgin and Stevens appeared to be the only two people in the building not happy with the idea. Thoughts: Well, if I wasn’t into this storyline before I certainly am now! Stevens and A1 delivered a hard hitting bout that provided lots of high impact and brawling. Very nice to see fans so enthusiastic about a mat-based encounter.

Johnny Devine vs Josh Abercrombie – Devine stayed in the ring after the last match and said since he was there he might as well have his match. His opponent, Josh Abercrombie, came to the ring minus his IWA-MS not quite overly gay gimmick. It certainly wasn’t necessary as the crowd was behind Devine 100% anyway. They started things off with some good mat work before Abercrombie started laying in kicks to Devine’s ribs; kicks that a smiling Johnny welcomed. Josh threw a few more that Devine no sold so he blasted Devine with an enzeguri instead. More good mat grappling followed that saw Devine land a brutal looking knee to his foe’s head. Abercrombie came back with a suplex and pin attempt then worked Devine on the mat with a surfboard; driving his knee into the back. Johnny powered out and hit a bodypress after a rope exchange. Abercrombie came back with a flurry of knee drops but Devine bridged out of a pin attempt. He held that bridge as Josh tried unsuccessfully to put him back on the mat. After that it was all Devine as he rocked Abercrombie with running strikes and an awesome snap suplex. A big powerslam brought a 2 count and Devine backed his opponent into the corner with a series of chops. The fans had a bit of a scare when Devine missed a charge into the corner and Abercrombie rolled him up for a near fall but moments later their hero planted Josh and covered him for the win. After the match, Devine applauded his opponent and urged the fans to do the same. He and Abercrombie stood together in the ring to accept the cheers. Thoughts: Does Johnny Devine ever have a bad match? I haven’t seen one. It was a treat for me to see Abercrombie even though he didn’t bust out as many moves as he’s capable of. He’s a lot better than he demonstrated here. A very entertaining match but I don’t think the outcome was ever really in doubt.

Triple Threat, Triple Tag: Rizzla, Tarantula Gomez & Cody 45 vs Rip Impact, Jay Phoenix & Prodigy vs PD Flex, Strangler #1 & Darth Cutthroatus – During the introductions to this match I sat there thinking ‘How in the hell am I going to keep up with this?’ With 8 wrestlers and PD Flex in the ring, there’s no way I was going to be able to scribble notes fast enough to cover all the action. I’m thinking that the official was probably feeling the same way. Impact and Cody 45 moved to begin the match when Strangler got on the mic and demanded the official not start the match as he had some questions; namely: What the fuck is going on? He asked the official how many men were supposed to be in the ring at one time and the ref admitted that he didn’t know. Strangler tried asking fans and even called out Hayden Avery to see if he knew. Getting no answers that satisfied him, Strangler announced that the other 6 could fight it out because he and his team were going to the bar for a beer and invited fans to join them. So, while Strangler, Flex and Darth Cutthroatus wandered around the building drinking beer, the match, now a 6 man, continued inside the ring. And still I couldn’t keep up. Fans were all over the team of Rizzla, Gomez and Cody 45 and happily watched as the other three dominated the bulk of the action. Numerous double and triple teams and multi-man maneuvers were scattered throughout and eventually all six ended up battling it out in the ring together.  The match ended following a bunch of identical moves… triple sunset flips by the good guys led to triple drop toes by the bad guys and a triple choke on the ropes. Strangler, Flex and Darth provided their own triple move by simultaneously spitting beer in the faces of Phoenix, Prodigy and Impact while they were being choked and Cody 45 finished it off with a top rope elbow onto Impact for the winning fall. Thoughts: No comment. Buy the DVD and watch it yourself.

Canadian Independent Championship: Jimmy Jacobs (C) vs Kris Chambers – Jacobs had fans in attendance but Chambers was the obvious crowd favorite. They shook hands at the start of the match and entered into a very smooth exchange of holds and counters. Jacobs worked a bridged submission attempt but released it when Chambers showed no sign of giving up. Chambers concentrated his attack on Jacob’s arm but the champ escaped with a roll-up and near fall. Fans applauded their mutual show of respect and watched as Jacobs turned up the heat with an extended attack on Chambers mid-section. A headbutt and a big double stomp to the gut led into Jacobs working the arm and stretching the abs on the mat. Chambers kicked out when Jacobs rolled that into a pin attempt. The Champ continued to stomp Chambers and delivered 6 consecutive double stomps to the gut by the ropes. Tossing Chambers in the corner, Jacobs continued his assault by ramming his shoulder repeatedly into the challenger’s abs, finally once again stomping him to the mat and delivering another double stomp. Two quick near falls followed as fans began dueling chants in support of their favorite. With Chambers on the mat near the ropes, Jacobs once again began hammering him with double stomps until Chambers was able to counter by grabbing his legs and flipping him into the ropes where the Champ got hung up. Chambers quickly went to work on Jacobs’ knee and stayed on the leg but it was apparent that the multitude of stomps to his gut had him hurting. Jacobs kicked out of a pin attempt and foiled Chambers’ try for a Boston crab so the challenger dropped an elbow instead for another 2 count. When they regained their feet Jacobs nailed an enzeguri and both men were down for the count. The Champion recovered sooner and hit Chambers with a solid back kick before blasting him with a corkscrew driver for a very close near fall. Jacobs came off the top rope with a senton that missed and Chambers locked on a figure-4. Jacobs struggled to reach the ropes but was unsuccessful so he started unloading right hands on Chambers. Chambers responded with rights of his own until Jacobs finally grabbed the rope to break the hold. Jacobs tried a small package and then leveled Chambers with a wicked spear for a 2. The Champ once again went to the top ropes but Chambers followed and punched him in the head causing Jacobs to fall with his knee entangled in the ropes. Chambers worked the ref’s 5 count as he stretched Jacobs’ knee in the ropes. Once again they struggled up on top and Jacobs punched the challenger to the mat only to eat a big kick when he jumped from the top himself. With Jacobs reeling, Chambers nailed another big kick and 3 seconds later became the new Canadian Independent Champion. As fans showered Chambers with cheers he started a “Jimmy” chant and the two shook hands in the ring. As Jacobs left, still favoring his leg, Chambers let a little kid hold his belt and even brought him into the ring so he could pose on the ropes with it. Thoughts: This was an awesome match between two very accomplished performers. One of the best matches I’ve ever seen from Jacobs who broke from his usual pattern of offense. One of the only beefs I’ve ever had with Jacobs is the predictability of his move set but he switched things up this time and it made for a very exciting bout. Chambers has been toiling on the undercards for some time and deserved to step up a notch with this title win. His popularity is unquestioned and he demonstrated during and after the match that he’s a class act too. I’m hoping his reign is an extended one so he has the opportunity to showcase his skills.

Intermission: Numerous GCW stars made themselves available for autographs and fans flocked to meet them. GCW promoter Dave Wyldstar drew winning numbers in the T-shirt draw and the merch tables did as brisk a business at the bar. I spent my time visiting with Jamie D who was nice enough to give me an autographed picture which more than made up for the disappointment I felt over losing my sunglasses somewhere in the crowd.

Ruffy Silverstein vs Jake O’Reilly – Just when I thought it couldn’t possibly get any louder the appearance of these two guys took it to another level. Fans we’re all over O’Reilly with the standard “You’re not Irish” chant and Ruffy is about as over as anyone in Ontario. O’Reilly worked the crowd extensively before the match and even threatened to leave by heading for the lobby but fans dragged him back and tossed him into the ring. Twice during the collar elbow lock-up O’Reilly grabbed Silverstein’s ear which brought admonishment from the official and no doubt a small measure of satisfaction to anyone who’s ever suffered Ruffy’s Machine Gun hold. Silverstein finally got a hold of the Irishman and tossed him around before hitting a bodyslam and kneedrop for a 2 count. A delayed vertical suplex had O’Reilly looking to escape but Silverstein followed him out and beat on him on the floor. With Ruffy in the ring and O’Reilly on the apron they struggled over suplex attempts until Jake used the ropes to stretch Silverstein’s neck. O’Reilly pulled out a concealed weapon, slugging Ruffy in the head with it before tucking it in his boot. A big knee to the head brought Jake a 2 count and fans went nuts when he once again used the weapon on the popular favorite. After Ruffy kicked out of another pin attempt, Jake took it outside the ring where he continued to work on his opponent with the weapon. Silverstein tried fighting back but a big bodyslam on the floor rocked him and Jake rolled him inside for another near fall. O’Reilly cinched in a chinlock and the fans rallied behind Silverstein as he elbowed his way free and made a very smooth transition into a chinlock of his own. O’Reilly flipped Ruffy to break the hold and whipped him into the corner where he punished him with a standing boot choke. Seemingly in solid control, Jake whipped Silverstein to the opposite corner only to have Ruffy explode back into action with a crucifix, basic cover and a backslide all earning 2 counts. Ruffy pounded on O’Reilly as the fans chanted their support but the crafty bad guy used a drop toe to plant Silverstein face first into the turnbuckle before once again going for the chinlock. Jake worked that into a full sleeper as the fans delivered a thunderous “Irish asshole” chant. Silverstein fought out of the sleeper with elbows and turned a top wristlock into a hammerlock/chinlock submission attempt. Abandoning that, he nailed a back suplex and a hard powerslam after a whip to the ropes. Silverstein hit his Ruff End finisher but O’Reilly got his foot on the ropes to break the count and quickly slid from the ring as Ruffy and the official argued. Silverstein grabbed O’Reilly and suplexed him into the ring but the Irishman nailed him in the head with the weapon during the move and covered him for the winning pin when they crashed to the mat. Thoughts: To say this was an unpopular finish would qualify as the understatement of the year. Many fans were very irate and I thought the guy in front of me was going to have a stroke. Losing the way he did certainly does nothing to diminish Silverstein as a performer and O’Reilly’s ‘heat factor’ definitely increased which was probably the idea. A very solid match from both guys and I’d love to see a rematch; as I’m sure many of the fans would too.

Cody Deaner vs Tyson Dux – There are entrances and then there are entrances and finally, there is Cody Deaner’s entrance to a venue. To the blasting strains of Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me” Deaner, sporting a fanny pack, shades, and a cigarette, gyrates and struts around the ring while flicking his formidable mullet at fans. Love him or hate him you have to admit that this guy knows how to enter a room with maximum impact. He invariably gets into it with fans and reacts strongly to the chants and catcalls. He also has a running gag about leaving his fanny pack and smokes in the care of a ringside official. His opponent, ‘Textbook’ Tyson Dux, is another guy who manages to make walking to the ring more entertaining than some wrestler’s matches. I really don’t know how to describe Tyson’s moves except to say that they crack me up every time. Deaner spent the opening few minutes of the match rolling in and out of the ring. When he was between the ropes the action was very fast as he and Dux looked for the early advantage. It was about 5 minutes into the bout before they finally locked up in a collar elbow and Dux gained the edge by working Deaner’s arm. Cody made the ropes and delivered a cheap shot on the break. This led to some more in and out of the ring escapades from Deaner until Tyson hauled him up by his mullet and dragged him over the ropes with a headlock; dropping him face first to the mat. An exchange of chops brought the obligatory “Whooos” from the fans before Dux got the first near fall after running Cody’s face to the buckles. Dux applied a chinlock but Deaner rammed backwards into the corner and laid in some heavy elbow strikes. A huge whip sent Dux crashing into the opposite corner and it was Deaner getting the near fall. Another heavy chop exchange; and I do mean heavy ended when Deaner dropkicked Dux in the knee and began working the leg. The action spilled outside the ring and they brawled on the floor before Tyson once again gained the advantage. He stomped Deaner in the corner and used a corkscrew leg takedown to get a 2 count. Deaner came back with a punch to the gut and an elbow drop for a 2 of his own. Cody continued his striking assault with shots to the throat and chest which led to another near fall. Tyson fought back with punches but an eye gouge slowed him down. Dux avoided a charge into the corner and delivered a blistering series of chops. Deaner reversed their positions and threw a furious set of chops himself. Dux started to psyche up and do his little dance as Deaner continued to throw chops. Dux started throwing elbows and Deaner responded with some of his own. Deaner hit Dux with two big clotheslines but Dux ducked under the third one and bounced off the ropes with a vicious lariat that dropped Deaner to the mat for the 3 count. Thoughts: This match was nuts! These two guys beat the crap out of each other with chops and elbows and fans were amazed at the number and intensity of the blows. Tyson’s chest was covered in broken blood vessels and welts and Deaner’s didn’t look much better. This could have been billed as “The Battle of Facial Expressions” as both Dux and Deaner are great muggers and often provide a considerable amount of comedy. They did that in this match but once they got into the striking contest it became a war. An awesome match that demonstrated comedic ability doesn’t have to lower the intensity of the performers; in fact, it gives it even more of an impact.

Street Fight; Canadian National Championship: ‘Unreal’ Michael Elgin (C) vs Xtremo – They turned the house lights up for this match and defending Champion Michael Elgin was first out to the ring. Dressed in jeans and carrying a trash can he entered the ring and waited for his opponent. Xtremo entered the arena from the main door and attacked Elgin from behind but the champ gained the edge during a flurry of punches. Elgin stomped Xtremo in the corner but ate a big boot charging in before a ‘rana from the challenger dumped him to the mat. Xtremo went for a tornado DDT but Elgin blocked it and dropped a huge elbow onto the smaller man. He worked Xtremo over on the apron before tossing the trash can and a cookie sheet into the ring. That proved to be a mistake as the challenger grabbed the metal garbage can and slammed it over Elgin’s head twice before slipping it onto him and kicking it from his shoulders. Xtremo came off the top rope for an attempted ‘rana but Elgin caught him and powerslammed him onto the garbage can for a 2 count. A blow to Xtremo’s head with the cookie sheet put him down for another near fall. Elgin locked in a Texas cloverleaf but Xtremo managed to slide out under the ropes to escape the hold. Elgin followed him to the floor and the two brawled out into the lobby and right outside the building with hordes of fans in hot pursuit. When the action returned to the ring it appeared Xtremo was in control but a quick right hand from Elgin dropped him to the mat. Elgin continued to stomp and club the challenger before a big bodyslam gave him the opportunity to exit the ring and grab a table. Back inside, Elgin pounded on Xtremo some more and set the table into a corner. He hauled Xtremo up in a Razor’s Edge but the challenger escaped it and monkey flipped Elgin through the table for a near fall. With Elgin down on the mat, Xtremo pulled a ladder from under the ring and slid it onto the mat. A dropkick knocked the champ onto the ladder and Xtremo went to the top buckles. Elgin jumped to his feet and punched Xtremo in the nutsack but the challenger responded with punches of his own knocking Elgin down onto the ladder. Xtremo came off the top with a 450 splash but Elgin moved and the fan favorite smashed onto the ladder which brought a deafening “holy shit” chant from the fans. Somehow, Xtremo kicked out of the pin attempt and Elgin began working a chinlock over his knee. The crowd was solidly behind Xtremo as he elbowed his way out of the hold and nailed Elgin with two flying kicks which knocked the champ back against the ropes. A big running lariat knocked Elgin over the top and Xtremo flew over the ropes after him; dumping him back to the floor with a ‘rana for a near fall. Xtremo battered Elgin with the trash can lid but the Champ took the fight back inside where he hit a sit-out powerbomb for a 2. Elgin came off the top with a twisting senton but missed. He was up quick and hit a running knee to Xtremo’s face. Elgin tried for another powerbomb but the challenger flipped out of it and grabbed the trash can lid. He tossed it at Elgin and dropkicked it into his face which put the champ down for a 2 count. A sunset splash brought Xtremo another near fall. With Elgin down on the canvas, Xtremo grabbed the timekeepers table and dragged it into the ring, setting it up in one corner. Elgin caught him with a low blow and laid him on the table before scaling the corner ropes. Xtremo managed to crotch Elgin on the top and they struggled on the buckles before the Champ grabbed Xtremo and powerbombed him off the ropes through the table. The pinfall was academic at that point as Xtremo was pretty much squashed. Mike Stevens hit the ring and began stomping Xtremo and held him while Elgin drove the title belt into his head. The heels called for a spike piledriver but Johnny Devine ran to the ring and they bailed to the outside. Devine grabbed the mic and said he was tired of Elgin and his little “bum buddy” and challenged them to a match against him and the partner of his choice. Promoter Dave Wyldstar announced that he was making that match for the next card, much to Elgin and Steven’s displeasure. Thoughts: Wow. Match of the night folks. Nothing like a good old fashioned street fight to end a card. If I had to find something wrong with this match I’d say it was Xtremo wearing his usual wrestling attire. (Unless he normally wears that stuff around everywhere he goes.) Fans enjoyed it. I enjoyed it. Buy the DVD – you’ll enjoy it too.

Final Thoughts: GCW delivered another jam-packed card and fans were not disappointed. Eleven matches clocking in at just over 3 ½ hours. It’s hard to find a better bang for your buck than GCW. Definitely worth checking out. I only question why it took me so long to do so.

Visit the GCW site: http://www.canadianwrestlingexpo.com/

Contact the wizard of id: zapflash@sympatico.ca