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| The end of an era Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
Promotion: Combat Zone Wrestling.
What Happened in 2013: CZW geared up to say farewell to two of its legends in the beginning of 2013. Scuttlebutt had both Adam Cole and Sami Callihan getting snapped up by WWE developmental contracts, so they engaged in one final go-around of their legendary feud. They taunted each other, got in each other's faces, picked each other's poisons, and faced off for one last time on the East Coast. While Cole didn't get picked up by WWE, his commitments in other promotions have effectively ended his CZW career. Callihan, however, did get a contract, and he's now hacking computers down at Full Sail University as Solomon Crowe.
Drake Younger also said farewell, although not to the promotion. The man who earned the nickname the "Ultraviolent Golden Boy" through a series of bloody and grotesque battles in the ring fought in his final deathmatch in 2013. While the decision is probably best for his health and the length of his career, he certainly ended a major era in his life.
Masada began the year as CZW World Champion. First, he fended off a challenge from Christina von Eerie, who came out to prove that men weren't the only ones who could get ultraviolent. Other challengers included Matt Tremont, but it was against mentor Jun Kasai at WrestleCon where Masada broke and let the greed of eternal Championship status turn him towards cowardice and underhanded tactics. Of course, the fact that he was wrestling on a shredded knee didn't help matters either.
Meanwhile, the Campaign for a Better Combat Zone continued on and gained steam. Drew Gulak's promise to clean up CZW hit snag after snag, and it certainly was not a favorite of most fans who wanted their CZW the way it had always been presented to them. However, Gulak kept chugging on until he finally scored a date with destiny against Masada. He took the title and was in possession of the one thing that could legitimize his chance to clean up the company.
Gulak faced dissension within his ranks, namely from Chuck Taylor, in addition to the assaults from without, but he has survived with the Championship. His greatest challenge, however, is in front of him this weekend at CZW's final event of the year, Cage of Death. His trainer and mentor, Chris Hero, returns to the Combat Zone to try and wrest the Championship from the maniacal wrestling Puritan.
2013 MVP: CZW's most valuable wrestler was a hard choice for me to decide. While Gulak was around for the whole year doing good work, my choice has to be Masada. He was the most fascinating character to me for several reasons. First, his mini-feud with Christina von Eerie actually put CZW on the map for me as a company to watch. Of all the heel turns by long-reigning Champions around the middle of the year, his was the most compelling to me because the idea of a Champion stooping to apparent rule-breaking depths in a company with no rules feels so paradoxical. He made that trope work, however, which is impressive. Plus, he did it all on a majorly destroyed knee, which might not have been the smartest thing, but it was certainly a feat of endurance and toughness.
What's Going to Happen in 2014:I know writing a year-in-review for a company with one show left on the ledger seems a bit shortsighted, but the only real question mark I have for Cage of Death is whether Gulak retains the title or not. While my gut tells me Hero is back to put over his student, my brain tells me that wrestling promoters don't always use a returning superstar's powers for putting other guys over right away. Hero as World Champion would be almost as interesting as Gulak retaining because the face of the Combat Zone has changed so much since he left.
Either way, I feel like 2014 will be Matt Tremont's year. After a health scare earlier in the year, he came back and resumed his mantel of destruction and chaos like nothing had happened to derail him. Either Champion would provide a worthy moment for his coronation. Gulak would be a great, "clean" foil for Tremont's embodiment of the hardcore spirit. Hero would make for a terrific dream match opponent for Tremont.
I would also look out for more women and Beyond Wrestling superstars to make impacts within the company. Wrestlers like Chris Dickinson, Biff Busick, and David Starr have already ingratiated themselves into the fabric of the company, and CZW will be making their debut at Fete Music later on in 2014. Additionally, DJ Hyde has been named a kayfabe co-owner of Women's Superstars Uncensored, which further entangles Denver Colorado's (the man, not the place!) projects with CZW.
Five Wrestlers to Watch in 2014:Andrew Everett - The former Chiva Kid has lit up rings up and down the East Coast since National Pro Wrestling Day, but he seems to have made the biggest splash in CZW. He's become a huge fan favorite in no time flat, and I expect to see big things from him in 204, especially given how loaded CZW's stable of high flying wrestlers is.
Jessicka Havok - While Christina von Eerie was the first woman to seriously challenge for the CZW World Championship, Havok remains the best option not only to carry a feud for the belt but actually win in credible fashion. She's been on the top of the WSU heap for so long that the challenges are starting to dry up. She's beyond due to conquer the men and show that ultraviolence knows no boundaries along gender lines.
Biff Busick - Busick has gotten his feet wet in CZW, and his stock is only going to rise. His stiffness will be an asset in an environment where the more "real" the action seems, the quicker the fans gobble it up. He's been seasoned in main events on huge indie supershows in 2013. I wouldn't be surprised to see him headline at least one big show for the Combat Zone in 2014.
Shane Strickland - Strickland is another high flyer whose stock is set to soar in 2014. He made some waves two years ago, and was given a platform against AR Fox at National Pro Wrestling Day this year. Despite the match happening in front of a tired crowd during the evening session, Fox and Strickland still were able to inject some life into the flagging fans. Again, CZW has a lot of exciting guys flying over the ring for them, and Strickland could be among the best.
Rory Mondo - He got a few opportunities to show his wares in 2013, but I feel like the coming year will be when Mondo breaks out. He's got decent in ring mechanics, a good handle on bumping, and a bit of an attitude. He's got a better than average shot of breaking out from the midcard and producing some special moments in the next year.
Three Things I Want to See Happen in 2014:1. More crossover and integration with WSU - The two companies have a seemingly symbiotic relationship, which is a good thing. However, I would like to see more integration of women competing in CZW, and not just in a segregated women's division. Competitors like Mia Yim, Christina von Eerie, LuFisto, and Jessicka Havok have gone toe-to-toe with the men in the past, which puts CZW on a plane above many major companies. I would like to see them fully integrate and perhaps put the World Championship around the waist of a female competitor.
2. Less blood without ramping down the levels of extreme action - Blood has often been associated with extreme wrestling, but I've seen excellent hardcore matches go off without a drop of premeditated bleeding. Hardway bleeding happens all the time and is more frequent in an environment where shards of glass are flying or blunt objects are used as weapons. However, one of these days, a wrestler is going to unknowingly contract hepatitis and cause a scare within the entire company. Eliminating blading will cut down on those risks.
3. Scout more West Coast talent - CZW is one of a handful of companies east of the Rocky Mountains who has brought over Willie Mack, mainly because they could probably afford it more easily than most promotions. California is a fertile breeding ground for wrestlers, and guys like Pretty Peter Avalon, the RockNES Monsters, the Reno Scum, and Timothy Thatcher would be well worth the plane ticket to bring back east along with Drake Younger.
What Happened in 2013: CZW geared up to say farewell to two of its legends in the beginning of 2013. Scuttlebutt had both Adam Cole and Sami Callihan getting snapped up by WWE developmental contracts, so they engaged in one final go-around of their legendary feud. They taunted each other, got in each other's faces, picked each other's poisons, and faced off for one last time on the East Coast. While Cole didn't get picked up by WWE, his commitments in other promotions have effectively ended his CZW career. Callihan, however, did get a contract, and he's now hacking computers down at Full Sail University as Solomon Crowe.
Drake Younger also said farewell, although not to the promotion. The man who earned the nickname the "Ultraviolent Golden Boy" through a series of bloody and grotesque battles in the ring fought in his final deathmatch in 2013. While the decision is probably best for his health and the length of his career, he certainly ended a major era in his life.
Masada began the year as CZW World Champion. First, he fended off a challenge from Christina von Eerie, who came out to prove that men weren't the only ones who could get ultraviolent. Other challengers included Matt Tremont, but it was against mentor Jun Kasai at WrestleCon where Masada broke and let the greed of eternal Championship status turn him towards cowardice and underhanded tactics. Of course, the fact that he was wrestling on a shredded knee didn't help matters either.
Meanwhile, the Campaign for a Better Combat Zone continued on and gained steam. Drew Gulak's promise to clean up CZW hit snag after snag, and it certainly was not a favorite of most fans who wanted their CZW the way it had always been presented to them. However, Gulak kept chugging on until he finally scored a date with destiny against Masada. He took the title and was in possession of the one thing that could legitimize his chance to clean up the company.
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| A warrior on one knee Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
2013 MVP: CZW's most valuable wrestler was a hard choice for me to decide. While Gulak was around for the whole year doing good work, my choice has to be Masada. He was the most fascinating character to me for several reasons. First, his mini-feud with Christina von Eerie actually put CZW on the map for me as a company to watch. Of all the heel turns by long-reigning Champions around the middle of the year, his was the most compelling to me because the idea of a Champion stooping to apparent rule-breaking depths in a company with no rules feels so paradoxical. He made that trope work, however, which is impressive. Plus, he did it all on a majorly destroyed knee, which might not have been the smartest thing, but it was certainly a feat of endurance and toughness.
What's Going to Happen in 2014:I know writing a year-in-review for a company with one show left on the ledger seems a bit shortsighted, but the only real question mark I have for Cage of Death is whether Gulak retains the title or not. While my gut tells me Hero is back to put over his student, my brain tells me that wrestling promoters don't always use a returning superstar's powers for putting other guys over right away. Hero as World Champion would be almost as interesting as Gulak retaining because the face of the Combat Zone has changed so much since he left.
Either way, I feel like 2014 will be Matt Tremont's year. After a health scare earlier in the year, he came back and resumed his mantel of destruction and chaos like nothing had happened to derail him. Either Champion would provide a worthy moment for his coronation. Gulak would be a great, "clean" foil for Tremont's embodiment of the hardcore spirit. Hero would make for a terrific dream match opponent for Tremont.
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| 2014, the year of the Bulldozer? Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
Five Wrestlers to Watch in 2014:Andrew Everett - The former Chiva Kid has lit up rings up and down the East Coast since National Pro Wrestling Day, but he seems to have made the biggest splash in CZW. He's become a huge fan favorite in no time flat, and I expect to see big things from him in 204, especially given how loaded CZW's stable of high flying wrestlers is.
Jessicka Havok - While Christina von Eerie was the first woman to seriously challenge for the CZW World Championship, Havok remains the best option not only to carry a feud for the belt but actually win in credible fashion. She's been on the top of the WSU heap for so long that the challenges are starting to dry up. She's beyond due to conquer the men and show that ultraviolence knows no boundaries along gender lines.
Biff Busick - Busick has gotten his feet wet in CZW, and his stock is only going to rise. His stiffness will be an asset in an environment where the more "real" the action seems, the quicker the fans gobble it up. He's been seasoned in main events on huge indie supershows in 2013. I wouldn't be surprised to see him headline at least one big show for the Combat Zone in 2014.
Shane Strickland - Strickland is another high flyer whose stock is set to soar in 2014. He made some waves two years ago, and was given a platform against AR Fox at National Pro Wrestling Day this year. Despite the match happening in front of a tired crowd during the evening session, Fox and Strickland still were able to inject some life into the flagging fans. Again, CZW has a lot of exciting guys flying over the ring for them, and Strickland could be among the best.
Rory Mondo - He got a few opportunities to show his wares in 2013, but I feel like the coming year will be when Mondo breaks out. He's got decent in ring mechanics, a good handle on bumping, and a bit of an attitude. He's got a better than average shot of breaking out from the midcard and producing some special moments in the next year.
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| Strickland is one of many to watch in '14 Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
2. Less blood without ramping down the levels of extreme action - Blood has often been associated with extreme wrestling, but I've seen excellent hardcore matches go off without a drop of premeditated bleeding. Hardway bleeding happens all the time and is more frequent in an environment where shards of glass are flying or blunt objects are used as weapons. However, one of these days, a wrestler is going to unknowingly contract hepatitis and cause a scare within the entire company. Eliminating blading will cut down on those risks.
3. Scout more West Coast talent - CZW is one of a handful of companies east of the Rocky Mountains who has brought over Willie Mack, mainly because they could probably afford it more easily than most promotions. California is a fertile breeding ground for wrestlers, and guys like Pretty Peter Avalon, the RockNES Monsters, the Reno Scum, and Timothy Thatcher would be well worth the plane ticket to bring back east along with Drake Younger.