PowerZone Wrestling presents "Wrestlebash"
by Jillie

November 30, 2008
Bully’s South Grandstand
PowerZone Wrestling presents “Wrestlebash”
Lethbridge, Alberta
PZW Website

Wrestlebash marks the 3 year anniversary of the upstart promotion started by Tim "Stormbringer" Strom in Southern Alberta. PZW has shows every month in Lethbridge, and also holds the odd show in Medicine Hat and Brooks. Strom is a student of the Harts, and is now the head trainer of the PZW PowerShop, himself. The PZW roster features PowerShop students and graduates, some New Dungeon graduates, and visiting talent from Lance Storm’s Storm Wrestling Academy, as well as visiting talent from all over the Canadian pro-wrestling scene.

I met Tim Strom a few years ago at a friend’s house, where we often gathered to watch WWE PPVs. He is genuinely a great guy, very friendly and down to earth. He loves what he does, and it is apparent that his heart goes into this promotion. And that, in the end, is why it has been as successful as it has been in this crazy Bible-belt town I live in. Many local businesses have really gotten behind PZW, and it has become somewhat of a local cult favourite around here. When PZW first opened, my friends and I came out en force to support Tim, and we were very impressed with what we saw. The kids on the roster are talented, that’s for sure, and the veteran wrestlers that are involved, guys like Strom himself, Lance Storm, Vance Nevada, and Adrian Walls, all work to contribute to a genuinely great product.

It’s been a while since I’ve been to a show; one of my wrestling pals got married, two more moved away, and two more had a baby, leaving just my lonesome self there for a while; and we all fell out of contact with Tim as he got busier and busier with his promotion. However, upon hearing that the 3 year anniversary show was around the corner and the hype behind some of the matches, we decided that it was time these PZW fans came out of retirement and take time out of our schedules to support a local promotion that is worth supporting.

So, here is the review of PZW’s Wrestlebash. I started each match recap with the history of the feuds and storylines that led us to this point (which I gathered from “PowerZone Express,” the official program of PZW, and PZW’s website, which is listed above), and, if I could find them, some Slam.Canoe.ca articles on the guys involved. As for the recaps themselves, please forgive my vagueness. I forgot to bring a pen to the show and this is all from my memory, with the much helpful assistance of the review written by PZW supporter Craig Usher at http://www.powerzonewrestling.tk/ - props, man.

Enjoy!

“Class Act” Kevin Martel vs Pete Powers
This was the “dark” match to open the show before the official card got started. This match was a great warm up, with high energy and the fans were really into it. Martel mouthed off Commissioner Jim Dandy (yes, that’s right. The PZW Commissioner’s name is Jim Dandy) at every available opportunity and the cast on his arm, naturally, netted him the win in the end.

Mattias Wild vs Superfly Dan PREVIEW: Dan, who has wrestled for Stampede wrestling as Superfly Dan Myers, is just returning from an eye injury to make his re-debut tonight.

MATCH: These two smallish wrestlers put on a fast paced and very evenly matched bout. The two men matched each other almost move for move, and the match was punctuated by several near-fall combos, over the rope suicide dives, and top rope manoeuvres. Mattias Wild got the win, but just barely, and after a hard fought battle with his opponent. The men shook hands before leaving the ring in a show of sportsmanship.

“Beautiful” Bobby vs Referee Shaggy Campbell
PREVIEW: Bobby, who is the PZW Invitational Battle Royal Trophy winner, is in his second feud with PZW staff. Shaggy, who has disqualified Bobby twice in as many live events, much to the chagrin of Bobby, has wanted to join the official PZW roster since becoming a referee for the promotion. When Shaggy was accidently clotheslined by Bobby, resulting in his decision to DQ the wrestler, Bobby couldn’t take it any longer and attacked the referee. However, it was Shaggy that got the upper hand in the end and Commissioner Jim Dandy made the match, calling the match “The Ref vs The Man In A Dress.”

MATCH: According to the PZW program, Bobby was made to wear a dress after losing a match and then, because of his “lack of self control,” had his dress-wearing tenure extended until the summer of 2009. However, Bobby seems to be enjoying himself, as he came out in his dress, and accessorized with a hat, scarf and ill-applied lipstick. Shaggy made a quick entry to save the person Bobby was harassing at ringside and the match began with Shaggy in control. Throughout the course of the match, Bobby made suggestive gestures and comments toward the ref and Shaggy, as well as several men sitting ringside. Shaggy managed to give Bobby a run for his money, although it was clear that he was a little inexperienced in the ring, but was getting frustrated very quickly with the performance of his fellow ref, saying that he was counting too slowly and that he himself was a better ref. In the end, it was this frustration that did him in, as, while he was arguing with the ref, Bobby rolled him up for the win. After the match, Bobby duck taped Shaggy into a, let’s just say, suggestive position before the refs and Commissioner Jim Dandy could make the save.

The Party Animals vs The Canadian Dream and Cowboy Bryn Watts
PREVIEW: While Alex Gallagher and Chucky Blaze have been on fire recently, they have never met a team like Mayhem stablemates The Canadian Dream and Cowboy Bryn Watts. This is an important match regarding the Tag Team Standings; as PZW doesn’t have a Tag Team Championship yet, the #1 position on the rankings is worth fighting for.
Check out this article featuring Chucky Blaze

MATCH: The entire four-man stable of Mayhem came down to the ring, insulting small children along the way (if you ask me, the kids had it coming). As their opponents came down to the ring, handing out whistles and balloons to the same previously insulted children, Commisioner Jim Dandy got on the mic and banned the two members of Mayhem that were not participating in this match, TBone and Crosse. The match itself was clearly Dream and Watts’ to dominate. Despite the best efforts of The Party Animals’ tag team moves and crowd support, Dream and Watts managed to cut Gallagher off from his partner early in the match, which proved devastating. Blaze did what he could to help out, and eventually was on the receiving end of a hot tag from his partner. Blaze took it to his opponents, but it wasn’t enough. Dream and Watts pulled off the win with some cheap shots and underhanded tactics and crushed The Party Animals’ hopes of being #1 on the Tag Team Rankings.

Brandon Van Danielson vs Zero
PREVIEW: BVD, former Champion, is trying to get his title back, and he has to go through #1 Contender Zero to get it.

MATCH: This match was being hyped up by the fans and in the program, with both competitors being former champs and recently in the race for the PZW Heavyweight Championship, but I was kind of disappointed by it. The two men are higher risk wrestlers, both using the ropes and turnbuckles to catch some air, and both using each other to pull of some fancy looking moves. Well, they would have been fancy looking had the match not been fraught with missed spots. These two wrestlers definitely have potential but they also definitely need to work on their accuracy and timing.

But enough complaining. Zero and BVD were both hot and ready to go when they hit the ring. The match was fast paced and exciting (considering) to watch and the crowd seemed really into the action. There was a fair share of suicide dives, high-risk flying, and awe inspiring manoeuvres from both men. BVD got the win over the Australian to become the #1 Contender for the PZW Championship.

“Ravenous” Randy Myers vs Vance Nevada PREVIEW: Vance Nevada is strongly of the opinion that PZW, while gaining quick notoriety in the beginning, is fading into non-existence. It will be Myers that will attempt to show Nevada that his long-held opinions are wrong, after getting a rematch for his recent defeat to the decorated Canadian wrestler.

MATCH: Vance Nevada asked for a mic upon his arrival in the ring and started spouting off about how PZW isn’t anything special and that the fans were dumb for thinking so. He ended off by declaring that Randy was a joke and if he wanted to wrestle clowns he would have joined the circus. That was too much for Randy to take, and the Mohawk sporting, bright tight wearing, crowd favourite blazed down to the ring to take it to Mr Beefy Goodness. The match featured Nevada’s strength and power against Randy’s speed and agility (which is surprising for how tall he is). Randy proved that PZW wrestlers are the future with his win over “the man of 1100 matches,” shocking Nevada.

After this match, “The Assassin” Chase Patrick, who had previously been fired by Jim Dandy, ran in and nailed a celebrating Randy with a vicious superkick while Nevada and the ref looked on. Dandy confronted Patrick, who proclaimed that he would strike again at PZW’s next show on January 7, before the Commissioner escorted him out of the building.

Crosse and Tbone vs Kyle Sebastian and Travis Copeland
PREVIEW: Mayhem stablemates Crosse and Tbone have worked together in the past, which Sebastian and Copleand are just emerging on the tag team scene. This match will help determine the rankings for PZW’s Tag Team division.

MATCH: Once again, Jim Dandy had to bar the non-competing members of Mayhem from ringside. This tag team match was more evenly matched than Mayhem’s previous opponents, with Sebastian and Copeland working well together, and feeding off the energy of the supportive crowd. Although Crosse and Tbone did a good job of isolating their opponents and preventing them from tagging, the talented Sebastian and Copeland managed to outwit the Mayhem boys with some double teaming for the win, much to the celebration of the crowd.

PZW Heavyweight Champion Adrian Walls vs Stormbringer
PREVIEW: These two have been feuding since Adrian Walls joined PZW a few years ago. Tim “Stormbringer” Strom is the majority shareholder of PZW, and has just come back from a 5 month knee injury. Walls, on the other hand, credits his skills as an MMA fighter for his reign as the PZW Champion (slam.canoe.ca), and hasn’t pinned cleanly in almost two years. Stormbringer is determined to bring the PZW Championship “back to PZW”, while Walls is equally determined to show Stormbringer and Commissioner Jim Dandy that MMA is where it’s at.
Check out this article on Adrian Walls

MATCH: You could see the WWE style of wrestling dripping all over this match. The fan favourite, Stormbringer, who dedicated the match to a fan who had just recently passed away, was the Shawn Michael-esque underdog for the entire match, except, of course, for the last two minutes, when he somehow managed to pull off the win, despite having his head smashed into every hard surface available, being bounced from one corner to the next, landing on the receiving end of underhanded tactic after cheap underhanded tactic, and, to top it all off, having his face inadvertently smushed into the ropes in a missed spot that made everyone gasp. That being said, it was a very entertaining match. Adrian Walls is fun to watch in the ring (I’ve seen a couple of his matches in the past) and he interacts well with the loudly booing fans while he’s working. Stormbringer is a great wrestler with good technique and attention to detail in his matches. The two worked very well together and the match was solid, entertaining, and exciting, right to the very end. Stormbringer, of course, won the PZW Championship after all was said and done with a Stunner out of nowhere. Adrian Walls, despite himself, shook Bringer’s hand in a show of good sportsmanship, and the locker room emptied to congratulate their boss.

All in all, this was a great, entertaining show. The matches were better-than-indy quality (with the aforementioned exception) and the crowd loved every minute. Some of these wrestlers, many of whom train right here in Lethbridge, Alberta, and others who are students of the New Dungeon, run by the Hart brothers, are going places in the future, that’s for sure, and the veterans who have been generous enough to lend their experience to these young men are clearly rubbing off. I am most definitely going to have to go back next month for the first show of the New Year, and I hope to be able to follow the promotion in the future.

Until next time;
Jillie

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