Watch the full episode at the bottom of this review.
We kick off a big night in CWF history with a dream match that only comes along once in a lifetime. Nick Richards teams up with the legendary Tommy Dreamer to take on CWF Mid-Atlantic Tag Champs, The Dawsons, with their titles on the line. It was a solid contest. More than anything else, this was a showcase for The Dawson Brothers to play formidable monster heels when provided some real competition. Yeah, Richards got some good offense in too given his CWF Title match on the horizon, but above all else, this was a match for The Dawsons to dominate. Especially against a legend like Tommy Dreamer, this match was orchestrated to make The Dawsons look like a million bucks. While that goal succeeded for a good match, that isn’t to say their opponents were slouches. After all, it takes two to tango.
The end of the match sees Zane Dawson try to strike Dreamer with the championship belt. Dreamer ducks and hits him with his signature DDT for the 1…2…3! HOLY COW! We have new CWF Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champions! Or at least we would if the Dawson’s manager, Clayton Carter, didn’t put Zane Dawson’s foot on the rope at the last possible second. Just like that, the decision is reversed and the match is restarted. Immediately when the bell rings, Zane Dawson clobbers Dreamer with a Lariat and dumps out Nick Richards for the win and retain. In a post-match promo, Dreamer thanks the fans for supporting him, other wrestling legends, and wrestling in general.
Straight after that, we’re onto our main event of the evening. That match happens to be former ROH Champion, Michael Elgin, up against CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Trevor Lee with the title on the line. Surprise surprise, Trevor Lee puts on another classic contest. Well, maybe it isn’t a surprise that Trevor Lee put on yet another unbelievable match, but the dynamic he shared in the ring with Elgin was a special one worth talking about.
This match proved to be the quintessential David vs Goliath scenario. It was speed vs brawn in this contest and trust us when we say that Elgin has a lot of brawn to given. Brad Stutts said it best on commentary when he said that “Elgin is a damn man!” The guy’s strength is unreal. For a half hour, these two were knackering each other in and out of the ring, but Elgin especially laid it into Lee. Every time Lee tried to mount a ferocious comeback, Elgin would use his strength to stop Lee dead in his tracks. Even though the crowd liked Elgin, everybody was on Lee’s side for this one. Everyone wanted to see the hometown boy pull out another upset. Elgin ragdolled Lee so often that such a comeback seemed impossible. The more the match seemed to go out of Lee’s favor, the more the crowd cheered for Lee to fight through the pain. Trevor Lee played a convincing babyface in peril while Elgin was the brick wall obstacle that Lee needed a miracle to get passed.
That miracle came at the finish when Trevor Lee tried to use fighting spirit to get back into the match, but was so worn out that he collapsed to the mat. Lee looked dead and Elgin looked like he knew he had this one in the bag. He went for one last Sit-Out Powerbomb, but Lee managed to wiggle out of it to attempt his STF finisher. Elgin kicked Lee away, but out of desperation, Lee managed to lock in a classic Oklahoma Roll pin attempt for the win. Elgin was in disbelief, but the two showed each other respect regardless.
In a passionate post-match promo, Elgin declares that the CWF arena gave him an old school vibe that recalled him back to a time when he watched some of the greatest wrestlers of all time (name dropping Dusty Rhodes) duke it out in the ring. Then he realized that he didn’t go back in time. Instead, he just got done wrestling Trevor Lee, one of the greatest wrestlers there has ever been, in front of one of the best crowds he’s ever wrestled in front of in a 16-year career. Elgin raises Lee’s arm before walking to the back.
Before the episode goes off the air, Lee cuts a backstage promo on Nick Richards. Lee points out that he’s not sure how long he can hold onto his title, but he has at least one more title defense left in him. He urges Nick Richards to bring all of the weapons he wants for their No Time Limit, No DQ Title match at Absolute Justice.
Next stop, next week, Absolute Justice in its entirety.
Until then, watch the best CWF episode there has been in a long time, highlighted by a main event that is surely one of the best matches of 2017 yet.