aceldamas presents CZW

[aceldamas]

April 11, 2015
Flyers Skate Zone
Voorhees, NJ

The show opened with DJ Hyde bringing the Best of the Best trophy to the ring. This year’s participants were introduced, each coming to the ring: BLK Jeez, Joker, Ruckus, A.R. Fox, Shane Strickland, John Silver, Alex Reynolds, Dave Crist, Drew Gulak, Kimber Lee, Danny Havoc, and Sozio. They all posed for a group picture. The members of BLKOUT got a little surly during the ceremony but everything remained civil.

(This year’s first round 3-way matches were fought under elimination rules.)

FIRST ROUND MATCH
Shane Strickland def. Drew Gulak and BLK Jeez 
Jeez tried convincing Strickland to go after the “cracker” Gulak first but was rebuffed. Jeez went after Drew himself. Jeez blistered Gulak with offense and wiped him out at ringside with a slingshot senton atomico. Strickland stepped in and reversed Jeez almost getting a flash pin with a roll up. Shane went aerial, hitting Jeez with an assortment of high flying moves and nearly pinned him after a Swerve Drop. Strickland flattened him with a missile dropkick but Gulak returned to break up the pin. Drew went to work stretching Jeez. Strickland shoved Gulak aside and hit a 450 Splash on Jeez but Drew pulled him off and went to work trying to submit him. A Gu-Lock nearly had Shane tapping. Strickland made a comeback and pinned Drew with a Swerve Drop. Jeez and Strickland traded offense until Shane swung the momentum in his favor with a chair that Jeez had intended for him. A missile dropkick blasted Jeez and Strickland got the pin.

FIRST ROUND MATCH
A.R. Fox def. Kimber Lee and Joker 
Fox seemed leery about mixing it up with a female while Joker just leered with his insane makeup. At the bell, Joker grabbed Kimber Lee and dropped her on her head with a Joker-plex and tried for the pin but her foot was on the ropes. Joker tossed her to the floor but before she could climb back in, Drew Gulak rushed the ring and attacked Joker. Once again, Gulak got Kimber Lee disqualified in his apparent attempt to defend her. She was furious about being eliminated in that fashion and stomped up the aisle refusing to acknowledge Drew who tried to speak with her. Joker and Fox squared off and Fox’s athleticism left Joker in the dust and on the receiving end of a 450 Splash for a near fall. Joker showed his toughness by kicking out after Lo Mein Pain as well. Fox put his body on the line with crazy stunts in an effort to put Joker down and was finally able to get the pin after a swinging fisherman’s suplex.

FIRST ROUND MATCH
John Silver def. Ruckus and Danny Havoc
Silver was making his CZW debut. The match was a wild melee from the start with each man getting pin attempts. Ruckus took things too far against BLKOUT’s enemy Havoc. He smashed Danny with a steel chair and the referee called for the disqualification, eliminating him from the match. Ruckus was livid and made a scene at ringside before security escorted him to the back. Havoc and Silver traded shots and Silver almost pinned Danny with The Spin Doctor. The pair battled it out on the floor and The Spin Doctor once again failed to finish Havoc. The third time was the charm as Silver advanced.

The crowd in the Skate Zone were eagerly awaiting the next match in the tournament when “Last Resort” by Papa Roach began to play. There was instant recognition by the fans for “Sick” Nick Mondo’s entrance music. They began to stand wondering what was going on, knowing this had to be too good to be true. A huge pop followed as Mondo came through the curtain dressed in street clothes flashing his patented hand gestures. As he got into the ring, a “Best of the Best!” chant started. Nick humbly thanked everyone for remembering him and then had a bombshell to drop: “I’m afraid I’m not here to enter the Best of the Best tournament. That belongs to all of the fantastic talent in the CZW locker room who are here every month to entertain you. But… I am here because I’m interested in a another tournament….”
The crowd broke out in a “TOD! TOD! TOD!” chant. Mondo smiled and said “I want to prove to myself that I can do this one last time. I hope DJ and CZW will give me the opportunity. Thank you and enjoy the rest of Best of the Best.”

FIRST ROUND MATCH
Sozio def. Dave Crist and Alex Reynolds
After the three spent some time jockeying for position, CZW newcomer Reynolds spiked Crist into the mat with a tornado DDT and nearly pinned him. Sozio was content to lean in the corner as Dave and Alex battled. After an intense showdown, From Reynolds With Love ended Crist’s night. Sozio stepped forward and appeared to try to intimidate Alex into quitting the match. Alex was having none of it and went on the offensive. Sozio soon responded and Reynolds looked to be done after The Yakuza Kick. Coming up short on the three count, Sozio blasted him with The Yakuza Kick again but Reynolds still kicked out. Sozio went to his other finisher, Curtains, and that still wasn’t enough. The leader of The Front was getting impatient. A third Yakuza Kick and Reynolds got a shoulder up once more. Sozio gave the ref the third degree, asking if he knew how to count to three. Alex tried a comeback but he had absorbed too much damage. Another Yakuza Kick and this time Reynolds was out. Sozio advanced to the semi-finals.

SEMI-FINAL MATCH
A.R. Fox def. Shane Strickland by pin
The CZW World Tag-Team Champions had to face each other if they wanted to become Best of the Best. They shook hands and talked some friendly smack at each other. Fox ripped into high gear right away and got a near fall on his partner with Lo Mein Pain. Fox continued to roll until Strickland halted him with an enzuigiri. A savate kick by Shane staggered Fox, setting up a 450 Splash soon after. Strickland was now firing on all cylinders and it was Fox struggling not to be pinned. Another savate kick by Shane missed and Fox capitalized. Three 450 Splashes later and Fox pinned his partner to go to the finals.

CZW World Champion Jake Crist came to the ring and speculated on who his challenger will be at Proving Grounds next month. It wasn’t long before BLKOUT appeared. BLK Jeez took exception to Jake’s line of thinking. “What? You overlooking us already, white boy? We ain’t done with you. You have something that belongs to us.”
BLKOUT began to circle the ring but scattered when Dave Crist and Danny Havoc came out with steel chairs in hand.

SEMI-FINAL MATCH
Sozio def. John Silver by DQ
Like in his previous match, Sozio attempted to make Silver an offer he couldn’t refuse, suggesting he forfeit the match. Silver just flexed and stuck his tongue in his best Road Warrior Hawk imitation then pelted Sozio with a flurry of slaps to the face. Sozio ducked a clothesline and crushed Silver with a snap powerslam. Sozio pounded Silver some more and took him out of the ring, telling him he should have quit when he had the chance. Silver went into an adrenaline-fueled fury. He pulled up a section of the barricade and bulldozed his opponent with it. With Sozio trapped under the railing, Silver began elbow dropping it like a madman. The referee had lost control and disqualified Silver. This did not stop his pint-sized rampage. Members of The Front came out to help their leader but Silver tossed them around the ringside area as well. Finally, Alex Reynolds showed up and was able to calm Silver down.

ULTRAVIOLENT PANES OF GLASS
DJ Hyde def. Matt Tremont by pin
The feud between Tremont and Hyde escalated a notch with the introduction of sheets of glass positioned around the ring. Tremont tried ambushing DJ right away but Hyde side-stepped and hurled Matt through a pane of glass propped up against the corner turnbuckles. As Tremont writhed in pain, DJ wound up for a Summoning Lariat that put Matt back down as soon as he had got to his feet. Hyde rocked Tremont with a series of brutal slams then executed a Shadow Driver. Sure that is was over, DJ was stunned when Matt kicked out. With deliberation, DJ set up a pane of glass and put Tremont through it with another Shadow Driver. This time the three count was obligatory. Matt was bleeding like a stuck pig and kicking like a fish out of water.  Hyde demanded a microphone. “Matt, after this piss-poor performance, you’re out of Tournament of Death this year.”
The Skate Zone rumbled with the jeers of the crowd which DJ ignored as he headed to the back.

Before the Best of the Best finals were announced, CZW Wired Champion Alex Colon came out and said that CZW management has stipulated the the winner of BotB would get the next title shot at the Wired Championship. Colon claimed that this would not even be an issue if he had been allowed to enter the tournament because he would have won. The fans crapped on everything Alex had to say and he left frustrated.

BEST OF THE BEST FINALS
A.R. Fox def. Sozio by DQ
It was clear from the onset that Sozio could not kept up with the agility of Fox. He retreated from the ring and when Fox came out after him, Sozio lifted him up and drove him crotch-first into the ring post. This drew a disqualification. Sozio was out of gas after the night’s competition and just waved a dismissive hand as he headed back up the aisle.

CZW Director of Operations Maven Bentley came out to present Fox with the trophy for winning Best of the Best 14. Fox, still wincing from the shot he took to his tender locale, raised the trophy overhead. BLKOUT came out of the crowd and rushed the ring. Maven bailed like he was shot from a cannon but the exhausted Fox was left with his guard down. He was tackled by Joker and Ruckus and held in the corner while BLK Jeez picked up the trophy. Jeez admired the prize but turned to Fox with dire words. “You had your chance, n***a. But I guess you thought you were too good to roll with us. This should have been BLKOUT’s trophy but you and your Uncle Tom partner had to get in our way. Well, it’s time you answered for that.”
Shane Strickland tried coming to his partner's rescue but Jeez bashed him with the trophy’s heavy base as he attempted to climb between the ropes. Jeez hoisted the trophy up and looked set to use it as a battering ram against the restrained Fox. Danny Havoc hit the ring and yanked the trophy down, interrupting Jeez’s charge. Havoc and Jeez exchanged punches. After dumping Fox out of the ring, Joker and Ruckus jumped in and the three members of BLKOUT put the boots to Havoc. Jeez shattered the trophy over the back of the prone Deathmatch Drunkard. Jeez separated the base from the trophy’s debris and Joker and Ruckus held Havoc down face-first against the solid block. Jeez climbed to the top rope and came down on Havoc’s head with a BLK Jeez Stomp. Fans hurled garbage into the ring and Jeez almost went over the barricade after some of them. Joker and Ruckus were holding him back as the announce team signed off.


CZW Rankings

1. Jake Crist
2. A.R. Fox
3. Sozio
4. Alex Colon
5. Shane Strickland
6. John Silver
7. DJ Hyde
8. Joker
9. Alex Reynolds
10. BLK Jeez

[Pariah]

Very disappointing finish in an otherwise stellar Best of the Best... Not sure what came over Sozio to give up in that fashion, but it all worked out to the benefit of AR Fox... UNTIL... BLKOut arrive on the scene to send a message to everyone... Craziness!

Very much looking forward to seeing Sick Nick in action... Hoping that Hyde gives the fans what they want and lets him compete at Tournament of Death...

Awesome stuff!

[cruefan68]

I was already a big fan of your ROH fed but your CZW fed is just as great. You have a solid feel for both feds and do a great job with them. I will be following CZW as well.

[aceldamas]

Pariah - The ending of Best of the Best, and Sozio's role in it, are definitely not going to sit well with DJ Hyde. I figured you would be pleased with Sick Nick showing up. Will he be in ToD? Probably. Will Hyde make it easy for him? Probably not.

cruefan68 - As I'm sure I've said somewhere before, I strive to make my feds in the image of their real life counterparts. I want fans of those promotions to recognize their idiosyncrasies in my feds. It's gratifying to hear that I am pulling it off to some extent.

Thanks for commenting guys!

[aceldamas]

May 9, 2015
Flyers Skate Zone
Voorhees, NJ

Drew Gulak came to the ring at the opening of the show and stated that it was about time his efforts to bring about a better Combat Zone were recognized. Winning the CZW title would help his Campaign have greater influence in making much needed changes. The fans booed him incessantly until CZW World Champion Jake Crist came out. Jake took the mic and told Drew that the only thing that would make the Combat Zone a better place was if someone shut him up.

CZW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Drew Gulak def. Jake Crist(c)  by pin
Drew got off to a hot start and went for a pin after a Cross Crusher. He only got a one count but stayed on top of his opponent. Kimber Lee came down to ringside to cheer on the leader of The Campaign. Gulak dumped Jake to the floor and Kimber Lee sent him into the ring post, drawing a severe warning from the referee. Crist tried a comeback but Drew kept tying him up with submissions. With Jake trapped in a Nazi Stretch, Gulak rolled back and cradled him for the pin. The crowd was in utter disbelief at the upset and Gulak clutched the belt, falling to his knees. Kimber Lee stood over him clapping her hands.

Drew Gulak promo
“I knew, if given the opportunity, I would be able to show everyone in the Combat Zone that Drew Gulak is the man to lead them into the future. My skill and dedication earned me this title, making me the role model all of you need. I am the one to show you the way.”
Kimber Lee - “Don’t you mean The Campaign will show them the way?”
“Yeah, you helped too.” (dismissively)
Kimber Lee glared at Gulak as he continued to spout rhetoric.

Alex Reynolds def. Greg Excellent  by submission
This was a classic power versus agility match up. CZW newcomer Reynolds had a tough time with Excellent’s size advantage but used his quickness to stay competitive. Greg tapped out to the Reynold’s Wrap.  

DJ Hyde’s office
“I think you know why I called you in here today. Best of the Best was a fiasco. Not only did you walk out in the finals but BLKOUT crashed the trophy presentation. Best of the Best is supposed to be one of our biggest nights of the year and you let those piece’s of s**t ruin it.”
Sozio - “DJ, what can I say? It wasn’t a good night for anybody.”
“You got what you wanted but I didn’t get what I want. I made sure you had a place in the tournament on top of paying you well. But BLKOUT are still running roughshod in my company.”
“OK. I’ll admit, things got a little out of hand. It looks like this is going to be a bigger job than I anticipated. But don’t worry. Organizations like mine, we have people for these situations. We have fixers. I’m gonna make a call. In July, we’ll have things under control. You have my word.”
“You better.”

DJ Hyde def. John Silver by DQ
The stark contrast in size between these two was remarkable. Hyde tossed Silver around the ring with ease and went for an early Shadow Driver. Hyde’s finisher, once legendary for it’s effectiveness, was not enough to end the match so soon. Silver rolled out of the ring to escape the pounding he was taking. DJ came out after him and connected with the ring post when Silver dodged his charge. Silver went on a nice run, showing impressive strength, suplexing and powerbombing the bigger man multiple times. DJ blocked a Biel attempt and the two ended up brawling on the floor. Silver took up a steel chair to cut Hyde down to size and ended up getting himself disqualified.

Sozio def. Shane Strickland by pin
The leader of The Front really took it to Strickland, one half of the CZW World Tag-Team Champions. Shane eventually turned the tide and fired off for a couple of quick pin attempts. Sozio halted his opponent’s momentum by pulling the ref in the way of one of his aerial attacks. He went on a small tear with Strickland trying an unsuccessful comeback. The Yakuza Kick dropped Shane but the ref was still down, negating Sozio’s pin attempt. Strickland took Sozio’s Curtains finisher but kicked out. Climbing to the top turnbuckle, Sozio landed with a frog splash, this time getting the pin. As the Sozio’s hand was raised, BLKOUT made their way down the aisle looking to ambush but The Front all pulled clubs out of their jackets and BLKOUT thought twice and retreated. Sozio called them out but they didn’t respond. Turning to Strickland, Sozio accused him of trying to set him for his “homies”. Strickland shook his head but Sozio wasn’t satisfied. The Front jumped Shane and gave him a boot party. Strickland’s partner A.R. Fox came out for the save swinging a chair. Sozio rallied his guys and left, assuring Fox that he would get his, just like the rest of BLKOUT.

After intermission, the crowd got what it was waiting for - the anticipated appearance of CZW Legend Nick Mondo. After the crowd noise died down, Nick reiterated his request from last month's show to be entered into Tournament of Death this year. The fans were on their feet in support of Mondo’s plan. CZW owner DJ Hyde came out to the routine chorus of boos.
“So, Nick Mondo. You’ve decided to grace the Combat Zone with your presence once again. How long’s it been? Ten, twelve years? I thought you were directing movies in Japan or something. What? That not working out for you so you just decide to waltz back in here like you never left? Well, not in my Combat Zone. There’s no royalty here. Just one god and that’s me. And I expect people to earn their spot. Especially in ToD, the premiere death match tournament in the world. So, if you’re willing to earn your spot, maybe I can arrange something.”
Mondo nodded.
“Could the Ultraviolent Beast come out here a minute?” This got a good crowd reaction. “MASADA, come on out.”
The two-time ToD winner and former CZW champion came to the ring.
“Nick Mondo wants to earn a spot in Tournament of Death. I say he has to go through you to do it.”
MASADA shook his head
“No? What do you mean no?”
MASADA said something that was not picked up by the mic. “Could you repeat that for the people watching on streamCZW.com?” DJ tips the mic towards MASADA.
“As far as I’m concerned, he’s in.”
“He’s in? As far as you’re concerned? Well, as far as I’m concerned, as far as CZW is concerned, it’s not up to you. I’m the boss around here. I decide who’s in ToD. So I ask you again: are you going to fight him or not?”
MASADA shook his head again. A pissed off DJ paced back and forth a moment.
“Alright. Fine. Congratulations, Nick Mondo. You’re in Tournament of Death.”
The fans gave a positive reaction that quickly went south as DJ continued. “You can have MASADA’s spot.”
MASADA sneered. Mondo tried to decline, not wanting to get in under those circumstances.
“No, no. You’re in Nick. MASADA has to live with his decision. He’ll be joining the other two morons fighting for a the last spot in the tournament. Let’s start this now. Bring ‘em out. Referee, ultraviolent rules.”

ULTRAVIOLENT RULES
MASADA def. Matt Tremont and Dave Crist
MASADA and Tremont took turns battering Crist before turning their attention on one another. The match turned into a wild, chaotic battle. Tremont headbutted MASADA multiple times with light tubes. There was a lot of brawling outside of the ring and into the crowd. Crist tossed MASADA onto a merch table then Double Stomped him through it. Tremont gave Dave a Uranage onto a chair. Crist held back, letting MASADA and Tremont do a lot of damage to each other, then pounced on the weakened Tremont. Switching his focus to MASADA was a mistake as “The Ultraviolent Beast” ended up powerbombing him onto a sheet of plywood wrapped in barbed wire. A tombstone piledriver took Crist out of the picture, giving MASADA the opening to put away Tremont with a MASADAMIZER. MASADA would be participating in Tournament of Death after all.

CZW WIRED CHAMPIONSHIP
Alex Colon def. A.R. Fox by pin
Fox earned this title match by winning Best of the Best. Fox came out on top of a lightning fast exchange of counters but was driven hard into the railing with a suicide dive by Colon. Fox was able to drag himself back into the ring but Colon was waiting with the Done Deal for the win.

Colon made his exit but as Fox was about to leave, he was jumped by BLKOUT. After beating Fox down, Ruckus and Joker held him while BLK Jeez produced a can of white paint from under the ring and said he was going to show everyone the real color of this “race traitor”. Before the heinous act could reach fruition, Danny Havoc led a charge to the ring backed up by his old Nation of Intoxication crew, Devon Moore and Lucky Thurteen. The crowd went crazy and BLKOUT scattered. Once the commotion had settled, a six-man match took place as the unscheduled main event.

The Nation of Intoxication def. BLKOUT by pin
Lucky and Jeez started things off and Jeez crushed his opponent with BLK Jesus Walks then tagged in Joker. A Magnitude Bomb rocked Lucky. Moore went around to the side of the ring where Lucky struggled to get up and passed something to him. Lucky appeared to snort whatever it was Devon gave him and hopped to his feet reinvigorated. It was seemingly for naught though as Joker continued to throttle him. Joker climbed to the top rope but Lucky jumped up and pushed him off and he toppled to the floor. Like a madman, Lucky hurled himself over the top rope with a Fosbury Flop, wiping Joker out. Moore tagged in and took over but missed a Country Boy Press giving the advantage back to BLKOUT. The ref took a bump and before Moore could turn things around, Ruckus tagged in. Havoc was tagged in soon after and ended up taking a Ruckus Spike. Jeez attempted a pin after a BLK Jeez Stomp but Lucky came off the top rope onto him and reversed the pinning situation. Moore tagged in and ran rough shod on Jeez before tagging out to Lucky. Havoc returned and Q2QL3 brought Joker in to make the save. NOI used great teamwork to isolate Jeez and Lucky pinned the leader of BLKOUT with a Shining Wizard.

NOI promo
Danny - "After what happened at Best of the Best, something has really been bugging me. And no, it’s not my face getting bashed in by BLKOUT. I’m used to that. No, what bothers me is when the s**t was going down, where was OI4K? Over the last few months, I’ve backed them up. But this time, when I was in trouble, they were nowhere to be found. Well, that’s okay. I can only blame myself for putting faith in someone who maybe didn’t deserve it. You live and you learn. And one thing I’ve learned is who really has my back. And it’s these two ugly f***s right here."  
Devon - "That’s right. Danny put the call in and we’re here. The Nation of Intoxication is back in the Combat Zone."
Lucky - "DJ may not want us here but this isn’t about money. We’re here to help our brother and no one’s going to stop us."
Danny - "And one more thing: Crist brothers? Next time your backs are against the wall, don’t mistake us for the cavalry."


CZW Rankings

1. Drew Gulak
2. Alex Colon
3. Jake Crist
4. A.R. Fox
5. Sozio
6. Shane Strickland
7. DJ Hyde
8. John Silver
9. Alex Reynolds
10. MASADA

[Pariah]

Proving Grounds from the Flyers Skate Zone was off the chain... Beautiful prelude to Tournament of Death...

Super pleased that Sick Nick will be involved... And if that wasn't enough... Masada emerges victorious on a wicked three-way dance and will ALSO be a participant... Eat that, DJ!

Very cool debut by NOI... Wondering if Havoc's opening remarks might draw some heat from OI4K...

Gulak's title victory over Jake Crist at the top of the card came as quite the surprise... Suddenly, he doesn't seem to need Kimber Lee so much anymore... Entertaining angle...

Superb show!

[aceldamas]

June 13, 2015
Marklands Little Acres
Townsend, DE

It was a nice summer day, perfect for death matches in the great outdoors. An eager throng crowded onto the DJ Hyde’s family’s farm. Hyde, CZW owner, brought out the Tournament of Death trophy and welcomed everyone. Then, as usual, he quickly turned the crowd against him. He announced that there was an odd number of entrants in today’s tournament and that he would be giving himself a bye in the first round. The crowd’s boos turned to cheers as Matt Tremont came out. Last month, Tremont lost his bid to qualify for ToD after getting on DJ’s bad side. Hyde reminded him of that. “Tremont, what the hell are you doing out here. You’re not in ToD. We don’t let loser’s participate.”
Matt looked to the crowd for support and got it. “There shouldn’t be any freebies in ToD, DJ. You know this and I’m not gonna let you compromise the integrity of this great tradition. ToD means everything to me. This is the only thing in my miserable life that I look forward to each year. Winning this tournament is my dream. There’s no way I’m letting you have a free ride to the next round.”
“Well, too bad. You don’t have a choice. Either you can leave now or should I call security.”
“I see your dad sitting right over there, DJ. Am I gonna have to call you a p***y right here in front of him.”
The crowd beat Tremont to it, starting a chant. Hyde grew increasingly flustered. He started with the excuse that there were no props prepared for an additional match. Matt called him on it, looking to CZW’s mad genius Scrawny Shawny. “Shawny, I know you always have some sick s**t under the ring. Get it out.”
Shawny and a referee start pulling sheets of plywood from under the ring. Each is covered in some kind of painful accoutrement. DJ was cornered and knew it. But he wasn’t going to give in without getting something out of it. “Tremont, you want to be part of ToD today? Even though you didn’t earn it? I tell you what: if you want in, it’s gonna cost you. For this one day of potential glory you have to accept to be put into the opening match on every CZW show for the rest of the year. That means no title shots, no death matches, no Cage of Death. You’ll be a curtain jerker. Hell, you might even be on the ring crew hoping that their will be a spot on the show so you can work. So Matt, are you willing to sacrifice the rest of your year?”
Tremont was conflicted which was reflected by the crowd, with some rooting him to go for it while others tried to discourage him. Of course, in the end he agreed to DJ’s terms and he was officially entered into Tournament of Death.

1ST ROUND

Ultraviolent Boards
Matt Tremont def. DJ Hyde by pin
Hyde used his size advantage to repeatedly slam Tremont to the mat. Matt recovered his senses just as DJ charged him in the corner. He dodged and went for a cradle, getting a two count. Matt called for a board and one covered with mouse traps was slid into the ring. Tremont slammed Hyde onto the board, the traps snapping to the delight of the crowd. A Sitout Powerbomb by Tremont nearly ended it but Hyde got a shoulder up. A Uranage by Matt also failed to get the pin. He called for another board, this one had carpet strips fastened to it. The sharp points drew blood as they punctured the flesh of DJ’s back when Tremont slammed him onto it. Hyde left the ring and Matt followed. DJ grabbed a cooler from a fan in the front row and bashed Matt with it. Back in the ring, Hyde slammed Tremont on a board wrapped with barbed wire. Later, Matt rammed DJ’s head through a light tube into the ring post, drawing blood. There was some more brawling and the match came to a close with Tremont pinning Hyde with a Sitout Powerbomb. Matt was one step closer to his dream.

Panes of Glass
Danny Havoc def. MASADA by pin
The next match pitted two former ToD winners against each other. The veterans showed a lot of respect to each other but this was Tournament of Death and someone had to bleed. MASADA shrugged off Havoc’s opening strikes and returned them in kind. After taking a powerbomb, Danny rolled out of the ring and ended up ramming his opponent into the steel post. He then went for General Order 24 but “The Ultraviolent Beast” kicked out. He then tried Total Havoc which rendered the same result. After a flying elbow drop, Havoc set up a pane of glass between some chairs and put MASADA through it with General Order 24 from the top rope. The glass cut both men up and the ref counted three as Havoc advanced.

Pits & Light Tubes
Lucky tHURTeen def. Jake Crist by pin
A bundle of light tubes rested in each corner and a pit of thumb tacks was positioned in the ring and another was on the ground at ringside. Jake struck first and immediately whipped Lucky into the corner, light tubes exploding and shredding flesh. Crist continued the beatdown in the corner and Lucky retaliated. A flurry of strikes caused Jake to flee the ring and Lucky came out after him, smashing a light tube across his back. Dragging Jake back into the ring, Lucky dumped him into the pit of thumb tacks and hit him with the Shining Wizard for a near fall. Crist made a comeback, once again sending Lucky into a corner with light tubes. Jake climbed to the top turnbuckle but Lucky smashed him with a tube and pulled him down, laying him in the pit of tacks. Lucky mounted the turnbuckle himself and came down on Jake with a moonsault for the three count. The camera got an extreme closeup of the tacks stuck in Crist’s back as Lucky moved on to the next round.

Flaming Ladders
Nick Mondo def. Joker by pin
The moment came that the fans had been waiting for - the return of CZW Legend “Sick” Nick Mondo. They were momentarily distracted by something they hadn’t seen before. A pair of ladders, wrapped in some kind of material, were set up in the ring and lit on fire. As he would throughout the match, Shawny fed the flames with lighter fluid. Joker came out and even his macabrely painted face looked at the spectacle with uncertainty. Then the crowd burst out in cheers as Mondo’s music played and he came out and slapped hands with the fans as he walked around the ring. Once inside, he regarded the flaming ladders with a mix of fascination and pride and it became clear that they were of his design.
The bell sounded and the men cautiously looked for an opening while keeping a wary eye on the flames close by. Joker took the initiative but Mondo quickly turned things around and almost got the pin, rolling up Joker as he came off the ropes. Both men tried unsuccessful attacks from the top rope with only the referee taking a hit. Mondo dove onto Joker and they both tumbled into one of the ladders, getting burned. Nick executed the Life Cutter onto the toppled ladder. Both men had to shake out the flames and Mondo went for a cover but the ref was still down. A fisherman driver on the ladder demonstrated that Mondo was willing to get burned to do the same to his opponent. It was clear Joker had had enough and tried escaping out of the ring. Mondo cut him off and pummeled him around ringside, including clubbing Joker with a crutch handed to him by a fan. Nick continued the attack until the ref recovered and determined Joker’s burns were too bad and called a stop to the match. The crowd was pissed but cheered when Mondo was announced the winner.

After the ring had be cleaned up some, new CZW World Heavyweight Champion Drew Gulak came out with Kimber Lee. Wearing a suit, he was way overdressed for the ToD crowd. He smugly looked about, toed at a piece of stray glass the ring crew missed and waited for the boos to subside. “So this is what you want, CZW? To see people’s skin torn up by glass? To see someone get taken to the hospital with third-degree burns? This sick spectacle is the very reason I am here. A lesser person would have given up by now but my resolve to make this a better Combat Zone is stronger than ever. And I have already made it a better place by winning this championship. Because the man with the gold is the man with the power. I won’t be defending this title in ultraviolent matches. If you want a shot at this belt, you will have to wrestle for it.”
The fans booed non-stop but he continued. “I am one man but one man can make a difference.” Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Kimber Lee’s disapproving glare. “I’m sorry. I should acknowledge the help I’ve received behind the scenes. Let’s hear it for Kimber Lee. Behind ever good man is a good women. Isn’t that what they say?”
Kimber did not like the connotation of the phrase and left the ring, leaving Gulak puzzled as to why. “I guess the only blood here isn’t in the ring.” Some of the boos broke into laughter and Gulak took his leave.

SEMI-FINALS

Fans Bring the Weapons
Matt Tremont def. Danny Havoc by pin
A menagerie of modified household paraphernalia was placed along the ring apron for use in this match. The fight went out to the ground right away as both men put the assorted weapons to use including trading shots with light tubes. They get the crowd involved by taking weapons from the fans. Havoc was busted open good but had the advantage and moved the action back to the ring. He send Tremont into the ropes and whacked him on the rebound with a plastic bat covered in thumb tacks. Matt took a couple of more shots with light tubes outside of the ring then Havoc hit General Order 24 but it wasn't not enough. Tremont battled back and powerbombed Danny on a spread of thumb tacks. Tremont went on a lengthy roll of brutality with Havoc absorbing a lot of damage. Matt ended it with a Uranage to move into the finals.

Buckets of Fun
Nick Mondo def. Lucky tHURTeen by pin
A five gallon bucket was placed in each corner with a lid to conceal its contents. Lucky looked the fresher man for this contest. Mondo had sacrificed himself quite a bit defeating his first round opponent and had some bandaged burns. They slapped hands in sportsmanship and got under way. Nick resisted Lucky’s first few shots but then looked to weaken. This was not the case as he was soon firing back with his innovative offense. Lucky reversed and smacked Mondo with one of the buckets. With Nick dazed, lucky peeled off the lid and looked inside. The contents seemed to pique his interest and he dumped them out onto the mat. A multicolored pile of Legos poured out. He flipped Mondo onto the pointy blocks and came down on him with a jumping knee smash. Lucky continued with the impressive offense and it looked like Nick’s comeback might come to a halt. Mondo reached deep and turned things around pinning Lucky with a slingshot blue thunder driver. It would be Mondo and Tremont in the finals and the fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

A scaffold was set up next to the ring and Devon Moore came out with a bottle of Jack Daniels. He said he wanted to start a tradition within a tradition and introduced the inaugural Devon Moore Drunken Scaffold Invitational. He laid out a challenge to anyone in the back who was crazy enough to take him up on it. A.R. Fox came through the curtain and Moore said that was a good start. Moments later, Dave Crist joined them. Now they had a match, Moore stated.

1st Annual Devon Moore Invitational Drunken Scaffold Match
Devon Moore def. A.R. Fox and Dave Crist
Fists flew and Moore tried to pull a fast one and go for a pin before the whiskey or scaffolding even came into play. A Lionsault on Dave almost ended it. Devon pointed at the ref and now it was clear, he just wanted him to get a shot in his belly. Moore started scaling the scaffolding and Fox went after Crist. Moore tossed down a pair of Singapore canes for them to fight with. Fox got the best of Dave and went for a 450 Splash for a near fall. Moore reminded the ref to take another shot. Moore watched from the top of the scaffold as Fox beat on Dave. Then the two started to climb the scaffold. Up on top, the two struggled and Fox tossed Dave off. Moore poured a shot for Fox, who then swantoned but Crist moved. Dave pounded Fox until he returned fire, using the Singapore cane again. They battled back and forth with Dave pinning Fox after a pair Head and Arm Trap DDTs. Fox was eliminated.
Moore seemed disappointed that he had to get involved now. He jumped down off of the scaffolding, sunset flipping Dave. He got up and superkicked the wobbly Crist. A couple of Ace Crushers finished Dave off. Moore said he had to get it over quick before the ref ended up drinking the whole bottle. He downed a slug of Jack and proceeded to pour some into the mouths of his ringside supporters.

FINALS

No Rope Barbed Wire
Nick Mondo def. Matt Tremont by pin
The ToD final saw one man fight for his dream while the other wanted to prove to himself that he still had it. They would have their answers inside the raw confines of a CZW tradition - a ring where the ropes have been replaced with barbed wire. Tremont slammed Mondo a couple of times then tried to gouge his face with the wire. Nick squirmed out of Matt’s clutches and whipped him across the ring into the spiked strands. The jagged wire bit into Tremont’s flesh. A brief exchange of offense saw Mondo score the pin with a Life Cutter. The crowd cheered and Mondo humbly thanked Tremont, who was crestfallen. DJ Hyde came out to award the trophy to the winner. He made sure to rub Tremont’s loss in his face. “Hey, Tremont. Show up early next month. We’re gonna need help setting up chairs.” Mondo thanked CZW and all of the fans and stated that this was a one time thing. There was no more wrestling in his future. The crowd gave him a “Thank you Mondo!” chant.


CZW Rankings

1. Drew Gulak
2. Alex Colon
3. Nick Mondo
4. Matt Tremont
5. Lucky tHURTeen
6. Danny Havoc
7. Jake Crist
8. Devon Moore
9. A.R. Fox
10. DJ Hyde

[Pariah]

Well, there's no way around it... That was a tough break for Tremont... He made an awfully big gamble just to get included in ToD... And I'm certain that he gained some satisfaction by running Hyde in the opening round and then proceeding to make it all the way to the final... But, that where his dream ended... At the hands of Sick Nick Mondo...

Thoroughly enjoyed the creativity employed throughout this event... Everything from Devon Moore's Drunken Scaffold Invitational... To a bucket of Legos being used as a lethal weapon... That was freakin' awesome!

[aceldamas]

Pariah - I thought I was done having DJ Hyde torture Tremont but I guess not. The rest of Matt's year may suck for him but could be entertaining for us.

As you can tell by the length of the post, I put a lot into ToD to highlight the gruesome details. It was work researching and coming up with some of the stuff. While some of it was my creation, I cannot take credit for the Legos spot. I've seen it done a couple of times and included it here.

Thanks for the comments and more CZW is on it's way soon!

[Vegas]

Aceldemas, I just read your Tournament of Death results. I especially liked Nick Mondo winning the tournament (he made it to the finals of my recent TOD) and the Devon Moore Invitational Drunken Scaffold match. Great stuff!