We open the show on a high note with Snooty Fox and Dirty Daddy challenging The Dawsons for the CWF Tag Titles. This match plays up to the classic tag team formula and it is done to perfection. When a dynamic like this becomes such a norm that everyone is familiar with, it’s hard to really get into it most of the time, but when it is done as well as it is executed in this match, you couldn’t ask for a better tag team match. Not to say that this match was spectacular or anything, but if you just want a really good tag team match, they use this simple formula and do it well. Big heels get the heat on Dirty Daddy, the smallest babyface in the match, for bulk of the match, then let the big hoss Snooty Fox get the hot tag comeback. The crowd goes hot for it and on television, it comes off just as well. The formula does not work its magic every time, but if you’re going to do it, do it well and these four men did it really well. This match proves that you don’t always need an overcomplicated spotfest to have a good tag match, or even a good match for that matter. Sometimes, you can strike gold just by playing up to old school traditions. The only flaw I can find in this match is when Dirty Daddy botches a Suicide Dive onto one of the Dawsons on the outside, and even then, it didn’t take me out of the match. Definitely didn’t take the crowd out of the match. The only issue I had was a small issue with the finish, which I’ll go over in a moment.
The finish sees Snooty Fox tag in his weakened partner to do their tag team finisher, which right there, that’s my issue. I hate when tag teams do that. Enzo & Cass did it a lot when they were an item. It always makes a tag team look dumb when one guy tags in their damaged partner just to do their tag team spot because it always costs them the match. Anyway, small complaint, moving on. Like I said, they go for their tag team finisher, but one of the Dawsons take Snooty out to the outside. This allows the Dawsons to hit their own tag team finisher, a lariat/german suplex combo, to rack up the win and retain in 6:25. Again, apart from those minor gripes, good match.
After that, the newly longest reigning CWF Television Champion, Aric Andrews, hits the ring. Stutts goes for his usual “pull a random name from a jar schtick,” but Andrews doesn’t want to defend his title. Instead, he wants to celebrate, brags about his accomplishment, and points out that he deserves to be in the main event. After Andrews calls himself the greatest champion in CWF history, on cue, CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Trevor Lee comes out in the dopest Hawaiian shirt you will ever see. To dispute Andrews’ claim, Lee says he wants to humble Andrews by defending his own title against Andrews later tonight. Andrews accepts and our main event is official!
Out next, Priscilla Kelly (donning her newly won SHINE Nova Championship) returns to CWF to wrestle SIS. As a contrast from their previous match awhile back (which SIS won), this one’s more of a fight than a wrestling match. These two duke it out and really go hard on each other. In one spot, SIS double foot stomps Kelly’s head while she’s prone against the ropes. Shortly after, SIS unleashes a wild German Suplex snapping Kelly’s neck back. Kelly barely etches out a win at 2:43 thanks to a seated Octopus Stretch she pulls out at the last desperate minute. Way too short, but they really make the most out of it and produce a short, but sweet match. It’s matches like this that make me wish that there was a CWF Women’s Championship. These two are too damn good in the ring to be beating the shot out of each other with nothing on the line. Maybe next time they’re in the ring together for the tie breaker, hopefully, Kelly’s newly won SHINE Nova Championship can be on the line.
Finally, we have a major main event on our hands: Trevor Lee vs Aric Andrews. The CWF Mid-Atlantic Champion puts his title on the line against the CWF Television Champion. It also happens to be the 450th day of Andrew’s historic reign. All things considered, this might be the biggest match in CWF history. Yes, with stakes like this, it might be even bigger than last year’s 2-hour match between Lee and Roy Wilkins. It may not be as good as the aforementioned contest, but Andrews vs Lee is definitely the best match of Andrew’s CWF career thus far. Some of our most loyal readers may recall that I’ve given Andrews a lot of flak in the past. For as long as his reign has been, he’s had a lot of short title matches and nothing he’s done in the ring has impressed me. That is until now.
Thankfully, Lee has a knack for elevating everybody who he steps in the ring with and making him look like a million bucks and like a legit contender for his title. He did it recently with Nick Richards. Before that, he did it with Alex Daniels. Now, we can add Andrews to that least. The story of the match saw Lee not taking Andrews seriously as a challenger and Andrews pulling out all the stops to prove him wrong. Not only was it the perfect story for this match, it really gave Andrews the chance to execute the skills he has in the ring, but has been lacking from his matches as of late. Tonight, Andrews got to display his impressive amateur background. On top of that, he’s a surprisingly good storyteller and as a heel, he manages to work a methodical pace without making the match feel boring. There was a point near the end where it seemed like Andrews was winded–so gassed up that he stopped selling with his facial expressions–but I can forgive that as its probably the longest match he’s wrestled in, like, ever. That didn’t stop him from looking like a serious challenger for the title, especially when Lee did such a swell job at selling like mad for Andrew’s offense. Sure, Andrews doesn’t come off as the best wrestler in the world–that’s a hard task when he’s wrestling arguably the greatest wrestler in the world–but this is a step in the right direction. If Andrews ever challenged for Lee’s title again, it wouldn’t seem like a glaring, odd image. Andrews no longer seems out of place in the main event or any title picture because it feels like he kind of earned his stripes tonight, at least as a Television Champion.
In the match’s final moments, Andrews connects with a Knee Trembler, but sends Lee to the outside before he can make the cover. When he does cover him, he kicks out. What follows is some damn good chain wrestling that concludes when Andrews reverses a high kick with a roll-up. After a super close near fall, he locks in a tight Leg Lock until Lee grabs the ropes. Andrews drags him to the middle of the ring and attempts the submission again, but Lee turns it into his signature STF. Andrews also manages to grab the ropes and breaks the hold. Lee goes for a German Suplex, but Andrews grabs the ref’s shirt. The distraction allows him to low blow Lee and hit a Knee Trembler. Lee still kicks out in the closest near fall I’ve seen in a Trevor Lee match in a long time. Andrews is so exhausted that he grabs both belts and enters the ring. Before he can DQ himself, Lee slaps the hell out of Andrews. The two trade blows, Andrews goes for his Full Nelson Reverse STO finisher, but Lee counters into a roll-up, which he turns into an STF for the submission victory. This concludes a damn good CWF episode highlighted but great (but way too short) women’s action and two stellar title matches. Watch below.