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As I take one more step toward my "retirement from journalism", I have decided to cut back on my reviews of shows that I attend. I will continue to do show reviews for a few select promotions (like ECWA, PTW and WXW) but otherwise, I will be cutting back and using reviews submitted to the site from other reliable people. If this new format is well received, I may continue to do it in this fashion, when available.
Lawrence Kleber has been doing reviews for wrestlingclothesline.com for quite some time now and, if you haven't noticed, he and I have quite a different take on most matches and shows. I thought it would be interesting to present an almost "point counterpoint" type of recap with his review of the show and my comments dispersed throughout out. (although not too much difference of opinion this tiem around).
All of my comments will be in italic while the rest is all Lawrence. Let either of us know what you think by emailing me at cactusb@wrestlingclothesline.com or Lawrence at Larry@wrestlingclothesline.com - Brett
Review of Cyber Space "Summerbash" Show, Saturday, July 20,
2003
by Lawrence Kleber (and Brett Schwan)
On a warm, muggy night in July, Bill Firehawk and Dave Levy presented their third wrestling show, Summerbash 2003, in Rahway, New Jersey at the Center Circle. The arena, which is used primarily for hockey, was quite sticky inside and the acoustics were downright awful. This became a problem when most of the wrestlers attempted to set up their matches by using the stick, and could not be understood! There were a little under 60 fans in attendance. However, Bill and Dave assembled a card featuring some of the finest workers on the independent scene today.
Pre show: Around 6:45, Firehawk told the 7 fans who were waiting outside the hockey arena to "come on in and enjoy the show". As we approached the doors where tickets were being sold he then changed his mind and told us we could wait 15 more minutes and shut the door. Way to treat those fans!! (and he should have cared since this was prior to "getting our money".. I had to mention that Dave lol)
Only Frank and myself (from the "Crew") were able to make this show.
Luminaries in attendance (something I've put in reports for how many years now? Gimme a break!) included photographers Eric Rosen, Sure Shot Scott, and Robert Payes, extended crew member Lawrence Kleber and his girlfriend (who told me if she saw her name mentioned anywhere on my site, OTHER than by Lawrence, she would kill me. Therefore, no name mentioned), Ring Announcer and wrestlingclothesline.com columnist, Gerry Strauss, George Mayfield, Michael K Johnson, Bobby Reidell , Monsta Mack, Ray Sagar, and Bell Ringer Kid USA.
We were then informed by at least 5 different people that Alexis Laree, who we had seen come in, left. (I was later informed by Dave Levy she left for "personal reasons" which from what I have found out is indeed an accurate statement and I don't blame her one bit. More on that later, if permission is granted :) Crowd was initially at 52 but a second head count after the second match came in at 69.
Pre show conversation about us having to leave at 11pm for a Brianna Banks appearance at Frank's Chicken House had us called something to the affect of "pathetic" for going to a nudie bar (by the above mentioned girl who's name I can not use her, as per her threat:). This prompted Fiorella, who was brave enough to sit next to us at ringside, to ask: "Does that make me pathetic because I go to strip clubs?". WHAT? Fiorella, you are cordially invited to be a member of the extended crew and sit with us at any show you wish to in the future! You rock!
Match 1 Ring announcer Gerry Strauss informed the fans that the Equalizers had been stripped of the tag belts and that the Dirty Rotten Scoundralz would be facing Prince Nana and Sonjay Dutt (with Miss Asia) for the title. It mattered little that neither team had ever worked a Cyber Space show before. Following a promo by Nana where he berated the fans for "having nothing better to do than go to wrestling matches", K. C. Blade began the match with some impressive clotheslines, a good dropkick and a DDT. The match was well planned with John Shane, the manager for DRS, interfering and getting clocked by Prince Nana. At the conclusion of the match, Shane turned on DRS by holding E. C. Negro's leg to allow a pin by Dutt. Following the turn, the Solution, also managed by Shane, came out to beat up on the DRS. Nice setup for a later match! Although Negro and Blade are excellent heels, it was nice seeing them work as faces for a change.
Being a fan of Prince Nana (who Lawrence thought was way to stiff.) I was thrilled to see him and Sonjay Dutt win the tag titles. The DRS did a good job as faces but are much better in the heel role. Nice turn by Shane who held Negro's leg while he went for suplex attempt. DRS were ready to attack Shane when The Solution (Papadon and Havok) attacked. Good opening bout. Good opening angle.
Match 2 A four way dance featured Rob Eckos (with Miss Michelle), Johnny Ova, Grim Reefer and Shawn Sheridan. Originally a three way, Sheridan came out, got into announcer Gerry Strauss's face and made it a four way. Early in the match, Ova was thrown over the guard rail and Reefer did some high flying which ended when he took a hard fall on the floor. Sheridan first pinned Ova. Reefer was disqualified when he fought with Michelle for the belt, knocked her over, and hit Sheridan with the strap, which opened up Shawn. Eckos tried to make nice with Sheridan, but then turned on him and finally pinned him after interference from Michelle and Matt Striker.
With the sound being so bad it was hard to hear Sheridan's mic work. Well, actually, we could hear it all since he was in front of us. Unfortunately, no one else could. Sheridan went off on how it was not advertised as a three way and it was going to be a four way. Meantime, in the ring, Eckos is yelling "Hurry up, I have a double booking and Mapquest says it's 45 minutes away!" Sheridan was busted open in the back of the head by the belt strap. Great match none the less by all 4 men.
Match 3 In another tag match, Kappa Tappa Kegga, with Tara Charisma, took on the Solution with John Shane, who carried bras and panties to the ring. In a humorous match, where the teams kept calling each other nerds, Kappa Tappa Kegga picked up the pin with a kick, after interference from DRS. The Solution then gave KTK some chair shots, Shane started pulling Tara's hair and the Solution attacked Tara with a vicious off the top rope maneuver. John then pinned Tara. Very funny. The Solution left the ring screaming, "We were robbed and we're not nerds!"
Yes, Old Navy sells 4XL shirts, Papadon! Great match which the crowd was dead for. (Then again, they may not have been but 69 people in a bubble can't make that much of a vocal impact). The Problem Solver on Tara after the match looked awesome and Tara seemed to be feeling the affects of it long after the match was over. Solid tag match. Nothing less expected out of the Solution. Shane's facial expression after looked like Frank's when he heard Alexis had left the building. GREAT way to carry the angle over from the first match. Already an improvement from previous shows where there seemed to be little logic whatsoever.
Match 4 In an excellent match, Chris Hamrick rolled up Julio Dinero for the pin with distraction from Mike Tenay. The match was slow in getting started and Dinero did a lot of nonsense. He turned to my colleague and editor, Brett Schwan, and asked, "Are you making fun of my speech impediment when you have a look impediment?" Dinero made fun of Hamrick's music and shouted to the fans, "This is a sport, not your entertainment." Brett replied, "You're not entertaining!" Brett was finally able to get Dinero to stop talking and start the match. In a funny spot, the ref pushed Dinero over Hamrick, the ref pinned Dinero and Hamrick counted. The ref executed some chops on Dinero and strutted around a la Ric Flair. Mike Tenay, with a great heel face, appeared to distract Dinero.
Chirs Hamrick is one of the all time best wrestlers in the business...period. Julio Dinero used to be very good as well. However, as of late, he's resorted to too much mic work and not enough ring work. Using the mic to get over as a heel or face is one thing but to just use it to hear yourself talk is boring to everyone involved. His attempts at getting the crowd to hate him really didn't seem to work and for him to put the mic in my face was just stupid (luckily, I decided to bite my tongue). When he finally got in the ring it was a great match with Hamrick showing why is one of the best. Mike Tenay cracks me up as a heel.
Following a 30 minute intermission, at the end of which I suggested to Dave Levy that he better start the show up again, Dusty Rose did a promo with Bill Firehawk, accompanied by Vanity. Duke "Pitbull" Snyder interrupted and Ice Cold Brian Austin attacked Firehawk.
I say nothing.
Match 5 In a mixed tag match, Xavier with partner Ariel pinned Matt Striker with partner Michelle in a very funny match. Ariel is one of the few really fine female wrestlers on the scene today. She amazes me with each match. She did some good work fighting Striker, who is one of the most versatile workers on the scene. He plays face, heel, and crazy Arabs quite well. Future WWE diva Michelle isn't much of a wrestler, but she actually did some funny stuff with Ariel in a cat fight instigated by Striker.
Evidentially, with Alexis leaving, something must have happened to Simply Luscious as putting Michelle in the ring as a wrestler HAD TO HAVE BEEN a last minute emergency plan. (Please someone from CSWF tell me it was a last minute emergency plan lol). Ariel is one of the best on the indy scene today and showed that she can carry herself in the ring with some great spots with Striker. Michelle, well Michelle is a "diva" and even dressed as if she was going for the 5th Ringpost Diva look.
Match 6 Keeping his ego in check, promoter Bill Firehawk was pinned by
the match smaller Justin Powers after distraction from Ice Cold Austin.
There was a run in at the end from some very large guys and Kappa Tappa
Kegga.
The match went too long for my liking. If Firehawk had dominated the match for five minutes then lost it would have been a little more effective. Vanity was in Firehawk's corner. It was a nice distraction from some of the slow parts of the match.
Match 7 Ron "the Truth" Killings, introduced by Mike Tenay and his bodyguard Devon "Crowbar" Storm, defeated Homicide in a match where the highly skilled Homicide felt he was screwed. I agree, though I have to admit, Killings is a good worker. Tenay, who I like better as a face than a heel, insisted on announcing the victory at the conclusion of the match.
Tenay wouldn't let Gerry make the introductions as he was not worthy. Tenay did commentary during the match. Killings still used the same "What did you have for supper? The table?" line, even after it was used on him SECONDS before. Good match. A little too short considering the talent these two men have. Tenay was a pleasant surprise and while I'm sure his name wouldn't sell many tickets, keeping it a surprise really made no sense to me. Hell, if you need all the help you can get, advertise every person that you booked!
Match 8 In a tough spot at the end of the evening, Sinister X pinned
Danny Doring for the heavyweight belt in the main event. Doring, feeling
that he had to energize the fans, ran around Gerry Strauss during the
intros, did a good bit on the stick ending with, "I present to you
baby face promo 101" and generally cut up. At the conclusion of the
match, Killings, Storm, and Tenay came to the ring and silently set up
a challenge for the next Cyber Space show. Brilliant!
The opening promo by Doring was very funny (a little long but funny
nonetheless). As the match started, we had to leave as we had prior commitments.
More on that shortly.
I wish there had been more fans at this entertaining card. The shows
put together by Bill and Dave get better with each successive event. I
wish them good fortune and hope they can find a more comfortable venue
for holding their shows.
Upon arrival at the Center Circle there was a LARGE color poster on the front door advertising the JAP show coming there on Aug. 2nd. The only thing I saw regarding the CSWF show was an 8 x 10 b&w flier on the BACK of one of the doors. Sixty nine is up from the last show but still a little shy of what they had at their first show here. Levy told me at intermission that he had a "street team" that plastered the area with fliers, etc. So why is a lineup that is this solid only bringing in 69 people? Maybe the NJ oversaturation is taking it's toll on all the promotions in the state.
The venue is nice. Being a hockey rink in a bubble makes the sound system SUCK. Three shows in a row it has sucked. Three shows in a row they decided to do some angles on the mic. Can't do angles if no one can hear you. Maybe putting the speakers inside the guard rails or closer to the ring, facing the audience would help. I'm not sure but if it continues like this, just get a Mr. Microphone as it would probably work better. Also, no air conditioning! Luckily, it didn't get to hot in there. Referees for the evening were Scott Dickinson and Jim Molineaux.
For those disturbed people (and you know who you are) who want to know.. We arrived at Frank's Chicken House at 11:30. Brianna hit the stage exactly on time at 11:40 (a first ever for a feature performer) and put on a phenomenal stage show to "I want to F you like an animal", "A.D.I.D.A.S", and "Du Hast Nich". . I even got an upclose and personal look her in action. Thanks, Brianna. 12:10 Brianna did autographs and polaroids. Got a NICE picture with her and got my photo of her and I from Las Vegas signed. One of the top 5 feature performances I have seen.
CSWF returns to the Center Circle on September 13th, check out wrestlingclothesline.com for details as they become available.
