We kick off a huge episode of CWF with a big tag team match. RGL Champ Cain Justice, Ethan Alexander Sharpe, and Otto Schwanz vs Dirty Daddy, Ian Maxwell, and the Boar of Moldovor. For your run of the mill 6-Man Tag Team Match, this was passable, I suppose. I just couldn’t get into it. I was more anxious to see Royal vs Lee III more than anything and this just felt like filler. Wasn’t bad, but I could’ve done without it. Maybe if my mind wasn’t stuck on seeing Royal vs Lee, this would’ve been easier to sit through, but even then, I doubt I would’ve cared much for that match. This ended up just being another vehicle to intensify the Dirty Daddy vs Cain Justice feud, which is fine. Would’ve preferred to see that instead, but they’re slowly building towards another encounter between these two, as well as build up the usual comedic character that is Dirty Daddy into a serious competitor. It’s working. The finish came when Dirty reversed Justice’s Twist Ending with a roll-up, but Justice kicked out. Dirty Daddy followed that up with an Airplane Spin into a Brainbuster for the win.
Another filler spot saw the final video package for Snooty Fox’s background at Chapel Hill. This is the third or fourth week in a row they’ve ran these vignettes for Fox, but I never thought they were worth mentioning until now. They weren’t bad, but they were so short, I didn’t think this was worth mentioning. Considering that this is a two-match show, it feels appropriate to mention now. Another interesting vignette, this time focusing on Snooty Fox’s debut match against Otto Schwanz a little over a year ago. It feels like they’re using these vignettes to build towards Snooty Fox challenging Trevor Lee for the title in the future, which is all well and dandy in my book. Snooty Fox is a great athlete and judging by his presence alone, he poses a believable threat to Lee’s title. I’m all down to see that match if it’s in the works.
And just like that, it is time for our main event. Trevor Lee vs Arik Royal for the CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship. This is the third time that Trevor Lee has had to defend his title against Arik Royal. Perhaps it might be the final time the two square off for the belt. If so, they picked quite the bang to end it on. Things start off slow with the two exchanging holds during the feeling out process. Which was interesting considering it isn’t often you see a feeling out process between two guys who wrestle as often as these two have. The longer that match goes, the pace quickens and the more Royal is on the defense, the more we see The All Stars run interference. There is A LOT of interference during this match. Before you know it, you see Jarry Carey, Coach Gemini, Roy Wilkins, and Snooty Fox all inserting themselves into the equation. One may argue that there was too much interference or there should not have been any and that assertion would be understandable. However, the interference helped the match feel big, if that makes sense. The fact that so many people were sticking their noses into this match, it helped raise the stakes of it all. Not to mention that when Royal was getting assistance from The All Stars every five minutes, It helps paint Royal as the heel character that he is. A role which he has always played very well and tonight, played it up big time. Alternatively, as always, Trevor Lee plays a great face that you can get behind. There were a few times where it felt like Trevor Lee’s title was in jeopardy and the whole time, the harder he fights through, the more you want to see him come out on top, especially when he is so close to breaking Royal’s record for longest reigning champion.
By time we get to the end of the match, all of the interference has cleared out until Lee and Royal are the only ones fighting. And they are going full throttle at this point. Until, finally, Lee has Royal in an Ankle Lock. Coach Gemini storms in, distracts the ref, and throws some brass knuckles to Royal. However, Royal does not have the chance to use them as Lee locks in Royal’s knuckled up arm with a Regal Stretch and Royal taps. Now, Trevor Lee is officially the longest reigning CWF Mid-Atlantic Champion of all time.
First off, as someone who has seen all of Lee’s spectacular title matches and has seen the work that he puts in, he deserves the accolade. As for the match itself, it was an extremely good match. Of all the matches these two have had against each other, this is the best one for me. The stakes felt high and these two put in some heavy duty work despite the interference. The interference may turn some people off, but if you take that away, the match was a damn good match regardless because we got two incredible athletes laying each other out for the biggest prize in CWF. They made this title look like one of the top prizes in all of wrestling and both competitors deserve kudos for that. Again, good match. This would’ve been a better CWF episode if the whole episode was just this match, but even though the match was the only highlight of this episode, it is still worth seeing for the match alone. Check it out.
Before the episode closes out, Coach Gemini announced on behalf of Roy Wilkins that as a Plan B to bring the title back to The All Stars, Roy Wilkins is cashing in his Golden Ticket title shot, but with a special catch. The CWF Rumble is coming up soon and usually, the match is used to determine the #1 contender to the CWF Championship. This time, Gemini announces that instead, the winner will become the champion because the title is on the line against all 30 participants, with Lee coming out as entrant #1. Cool announcement, but it kind of made the heels look like idiots. The Golden Ticket allows the holder to grant himself a CWF Title match at any time under any stipulation and Wilkins decides to cash it in for a Royal Rumble where he has a slim chance of winning? Even if he comes out at #30, why share his shot with 28 other guys? Why not make a match against Lee where Lee has to wrestle with his hand tied behind his back? Or, if he can, cash it in right after this 30 minute classic with Royal. I’m overthinking it. Regardless, I am obviously excited for CWF Rumble and looking forward to it. Should be an awesome match.