By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
We are looking for reports on all WWE, AEW, NXT, TNA, MLW, ROH, GCW, and other notable live events. If you attend a show, you are encouraged to send a report or even basic results to dotnetjason@gmail.com
C*4 Wrestling (Capital City Championship Combat) “Rush Hour”
Replay available via Independent.TV
April 26, 2024 in Ottawa, Ontario at Preston Event Centre
This show was released on Tuesday at IWTV. As always, by not airing this event live, it allows them to make some light edits, such as reducing the breaks between matches.
C*4 is one of my favorite promotions. I love this well-lit, new-looking building and they always draw 500-600 fans or so. As I look at the lineup, I’m seeing four new faces for me.
1. Love Doug, Sexxxy Eddie, Bob Anger, and “Project 8100” Dexter Doom and Haddy defeated Sway Archer, Stallion Kid, Mathis Myre, and “Wonderboys” Dylan Donovan and Yann Pike at 9:14. Myre and Wonderboys are new to me. Mathis has a thin mustache and looks a bit like Colby Corino. The commentators acknowledged Wonder Boys are new here but have wrestled elsewhere. Anger opened against Sway Archer. Doug and the masked Stallion Kid entered quickly and traded fast reversals. Mathis hit a Sling Blade clothesline on Eddie at 4:00. Project 8100 worked over Mathis. Donovan hit a springboard stunner at 7:00. Doug hit his Rebound Lariat. Eddie hit a low blow uppercut on Mathis and was loudly booed. Project 8100 hit a team clothesline move to pin Pike. Lots of action so everyone got some offense in.
2. Mark Wheeler and Vanna Black defeated Cecil Nyx and Kristara at 8:58. I don’t think I’ve seen Vanna before; she has long black hair, appears athletic and of average size. Nyx is rotund and wildly popular here. The commentators confirmed this is her main card debut. Cecil hit a Mafia Kick on Vanna to open the match! He hit a clothesline on her too and he was glaring at Mark. He tagged in Kristara so the women could traded offense. Wheeler entered and hit a side slam on Kristara at 2:30. Black and Wheeler began working her over. Mark sneezed on her and the crowd booed that, because that’s just gross. Kristara hit a tornado DDT on him at 4:30.
Cecil dove through the ropes onto all three at 6:00; that is a big man to do that onto two much smaller women. In the ring, Wheeler hit a nice dropkick on Cecil. The women traded forearm strikes. Cecil put both opponents on his shoulders and that popped the crowd, but Wheeler escaped, and Mark hit a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall. Vanna hit a stunner on Kristara. Cecil hit a one-armed slam on Vanna at 8:30. However, Vanna got a rollup on Cecil, and Mark held her legs up high for added leverage, and she scored the pin!
* Mark got on the mic and made fun of Cecil saying “you tried to cheat and you still couldn’t beat me.” The crowd chanted profanities at him.
3. Bret Banks defeated James Stone at 13:20. These two have been feuding in recent months, but this time, Vanessa Kraven is barred from ringside. I always compare the bald Stone to Oney Lorcan. Banks is Black with short, curly hair. Stone came to the ring first; he dove onto Banks as Bret walked around ringside, and they immediately brawled at ringside. In the ring, Stone hit a back suplex at 2:00. Banks dove through the ropes onto Stone on the floor. In the ring, Stone hit a hard back elbow that dropped Banks at 5:00, and a series of straight punches to the jaw. Banks hit a springboard flying forearm and he was fired up. Stone hit a powerslam. Banks hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 7:30.
Stone nailed a Death Valley Driver for a believable nearfall. They got up and traded European Uppercuts, then loud chops. Banks went for a Lionsault but Stone punched him. Stone hit a uranage for a believable nearfall at 10:00. Banks went for a Frankensteiner, but Stone was able to avoid it. Banks hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall at 12:00. Vanessa Kraven suddenly ran to ringside and she yanked Banks off the top rope! Security tried to escort her away. She handed Stone a chair, which it doesn’t appear he wants. Banks hit a Helluva Kick onto the chair, then a frogsplash for the pin. That was a really well done finish.
* Vanessa profusely apologized to Stone, but he rolled to the floor and stormed away, leaving her alone in the ring.
4. Jody Threat and Little Mean Kathleen defeated Haley Dylan (w/Kevin Blackwood) and Katrina Creed at 10:48. Haley is in purple-and-pink, not her wedding dress she wears at Wrestling Open. Katrina wore all red and she has long red hair to the small of her back; she lost to Leyla Hirsch on ROH TV in December. LMK started and shoved Haley to the mat and celebrated. She put Haley on her shoulders and did an Airplane Spin, then a Samoan Drop at 1:00. Jody tagged in and hit a series of clotheslines in the corner on Katrina, then an Exploder Suplex for a nearfall. Blackwood jumped in the ring, hit LMK from behind, and immediately went back to the floor, and he was loudly booed.
The heels began working Kathleen over in their corner. The commentators said Blackwood should be in the back, preparing for his title match later. Dylan hit some Moxley-style elbow strikes to the side of Kathleen’s head at 4:00. Creed hit a backbreaker for a nearfall. LMK hit a double DDT, and Jody finally got the hot tag at 7:00, and she hit a series of clotheslines on both heels, then a hard boot to the side of Creed’s head. She hit running double knees onto the backs of both heels, then a bodyslam on Creed for a nearfall. Jody put both heels on her back! However, Blackwood again interfered! It allowed Dylan to apply a rear-naked choke on Jody, but Jody powered out and shrugged Dylan to the mat. Haley hit a rolling Death Valley Driver on Kathleen for a nearfall at 10:00. Jody cut Creed in half with a spear, then she hit an F5 Slam to pin Creed. A bit clunky at times but good overall.
5. Benjamin Tull (w/Twiggy) defeated Alexia Nicole to win the C*4 Underground Title at 12:41. Tull is a big brawler, listed at 6’2″ and 220 pounds. Nicole is listed online at 4’11” and 103 pounds, so the height and weight difference here is rather absurd. Tull turned to the crowd and shouted, “Seriously? She doesn’t stand a chance!” He rolled to the floor and stalled rather than lock up, and of course was booed. They finally touched at 2:00 and he blocked her offense moves, but then she hit a huracanrana and a shotgun dropkick. She hit a satellite DDT and he rolled to the floor to regroup. She leapt off the top rope to the floor, but Tull caught her and slammed her back-first into the ring post at 4:00. He accidentally chopped the ring post.
They got back in the ring, and he had her grounded but was selling the hand injury. She hit a Crucifix Driver that defies all logic and plausibility. He stomped on her some more. She hit a running knee to the cheek and a Lungblower to the back for a nearfall at 7:30. He caught her coming off the ropes and hit a swinging uranage for a nearfall. He put her on his shoulders and slammed her face-first to the mat for a nearfall at 9:30. He hit a twisting suplex for a believable nearfall; I thought that was it, and Tull argued with the ref. Alexia hit a huracanrana for a nearfall. She hit an Electric Chair drop out of the corner, and that got a “holy shit!” chant. With the ref distracted, Matthieu St. Jacques hopped in the ring out of nowhere and hit a piledriver on Nicole! Tull covered her for the tainted pin. New champion! “I hope you’re really proud of yourself, tough guy!” a commentator shouted.
* Twiggy got on the mic and demanded the fans get on their feet and applaud the new champion. He addressed an elderly fan and said “it looks like you’re on the wrong side of the dirt.” He made a few other vulgar statements, too.
6. Myung-Jae Lee, Evil Uno, and Stu Grayson defeated Joshua Bishop and “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini at 16:40. Ku and Uno opened and they did some comedy with Uno pushing his butt onto Ku, and Uno doing his hip swivel dancing. Bishop entered at 2:00, so Stu also tagged in. However, Lee tagged himself in, as he wants the much bigger Bishop! Bishop hit a shoulder tackle that sent Lee flying. All six began brawling. Bishop hit a massive chokeslam on Lee at 5:30, and his team began working Myung-Jae over in their corner.
Uno got the hot tag at 8:00 and he hit running back elbows in opposite corners on ViF, then a double clothesline. Ku hit his Demolition-style kneedrop on Uno. Ku hit a series of kicks to the chest and back of Uno for a nearfall at 10:30, and the crowd began rallying for Uno. Stu got a hot tag at 12:00 and he hit a series of chops and punches on Garrini, then a belly-to-belly suplex on Ku, then a German Suplex on Garrini. Stu hit double Pele Kicks on ViF.
Lee hit a plancha to the floor, then a top-rope missile dropkick on Bishop. Bishop hit a hard headbutt on Uno. Uno hit a low blow on Garrini, then one on Ku at 14:00. Stu hit a top-rope moonsault to the floor on ViF. They brawled on the floor, and Bishop whipped chairs at his opponents, and he cracked one over Lee’s back. Lee hit chairshots over Bishop’s head (Josh got arms up to protect himself.) Lee went into the balcony, perhaps 15-18 feet up, and he hit a crossbody block to the floor onto everyone at 16:00 and the crowd went NUTS. Back in the ring, Lee hit a doublestomp for the pin! That was a blast. The commentators went nuts that “someone finally jumped off our balcony!”
* Next up is a 10-person gauntlet match. I saw the list but I don’t know the order they’ll appear. We are starting with just FOUR in the ring. The commentators explained that whenever someone is pinned or eliminated, they will be replaced by another person. We do NOT have eliminations by being thrown over the top rope to the floor.
7. “Pretty” Ricky Wildly, Vanessa Kraven, TJ Crawford and Vaughn Vertigo started the match, and she chopped the men. The commentators said Isaiah Broner and Lufisto couldn’t make it, so they aren’t even sure who is all in this. They did some comedy of them grabbing the groins of others. James Stone came to the ring and yelled at Vanessa; the other three guys rolled up Kraven and pinned her at 2:31. It was Kraven’s turn to push Stone away. Matthieu St. Jacques entered at No. 5 and traded punches with Wildy. Matthieu hit a hard spinebuster on Vertigo. Wildly gave St. Jaques an airplane spin for a a nearfall. The other two were resting on the floor. (Seems like an obvious way to reach the final four.) Matthieu pinned Wildly at 6:53.
No. 6 is London Lightning, the youngster who had a few recent AEW TV matches. He hit a scoop powerbomb on TJ, then a backbreaker over his knee. London shouted “we need some toys!” and he went under the ring and got a door and slid it into the ring. London powerbombed TJ through the door in the corner and pinned him at 10:37. No. 7 is Ryan Clancy; he rolled into the ring and the other three were down. The commentators pointed out that Clancy previously fought Zack Sabre Jr. The four brawled to the floor at 13:00, and St. Jacques dove through the ropes onto the others. Vertigo is now the only one left who started the match.
Vertigo hit a stunner in the ring on Matthieu, then a Shining Wizard on London for a nearfall. London hooked Vertigo’s arms, rolled him over and pinned him at 14:50! No. 8 is Macrae Martin, who hit a top-rope flying forearm on London. London hit a spinebuster. Macrae hit a spin kick to the head to pin Lightning at 16:54. No. 9 is Gabriel Fuerza (think Mike Santan) and he immediately brawled with St. Jacques. Fuerza got a rollup on Clancy for a believable nearfall. Fuerza applied a Boston Crab on Matthieu. Macrae hit a Blue Thunder Bomb, then a Black Hole Slam on Clancy for a believable nearfall at 20:00. Clancy hit an impressive dropkick on Macrae.
Fuerza hit a Lethal Injection and a running Shooting Star Press to pin Clancy at 20:55. The final participant (No. 10) is the scrawny Twiggy, who was a manager earlier in the show. He’s just wearing regular clothing, and he helped St. Jacques beat down Fuerza. The crowd chanted profanities at Twiggy. Fuerza hit a double stunner on them. Twiggy and Matthieu hit a team piledriver to pin Fuerza at 23:58, so it is essentially two-on-one now as they now began beating down Macrae Martin. However, Macrae tossed Matthieu into Twiggy’s groin and he got a nearfally on Matthieu at 26:00.
Macrae and St. Jacques traded punches and forearms. Matthieu hit a chokeslam-style backbreaker over his knee for a believable nearfall. Macrae avoided a piledriver and he kicked Matthieu in the face. Macrae put Matthieu on his shoulders and flipped him onto several open chairs for the pin at 30:04! We are down to Twiggy vs. Macrae! Macrae hit a fallaway slam. They rolled to the floor so Macrae could chop him in front of the fans. In the ring, Macrae set up for a move but Matthieu hopped in the ring and hit Macrae with a chair. Macrae hit a spin kick on Matthieu. However, Twiggy rolled up Macrae for the shocking pin. The commentators were in disbelief this could happen.
Twiggy won a 10-person gauntlet at 33:07.
8. Junior Benito defeated Lio Rush and Kevin Blackwood (w/Haley Dylan) in a three-way to retain the C*4 Championship at 14:37. Lio wore his long flowing jacket and he came out to a rap song; no sign of his demonic “Black Heart” character he’s done lately in Prestige and GCW. Blackwood backed into a corner and watched the other two tie up. Lio did his misdirection offense to confuse Kevin, then Lio hit a spin kick to Kevin’s head at 1:30. Benito hit a slingshot senton on Lio. Kevin whipped Lio hard into a corner; he’s not particularly big, but he’s bigger than Lio or Benito. Haley grabbed Benito’s ankle, allowing Kevin to hit a kick on Junior.
Blackwood hit Yes Kicks on each opponent at 5:30. Junior and Lio took turns hitting forearm strikes on Kevin. Benito hit a running Shooting Star Press on Blackwood for a nearfall, but Lio pulled him off, so Lio and Benito began trading forearm strikes. Lio nailed his dive through the ropes onto Blackwood, then another one on Benito at 7:30. Lio went to the top rope but Haley jumped on the apron and yelled at him. It allowed Kevin to avoid a Final Hour frogsplash. Kevin nailed a brainbuster on Lio for a believable nearfall at 9:30. Benito hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Blackwood, but Lio immediately hit a running knee on Benito, and all three were down.
They all got up and traded kicks, and they all collapsed again at 11:30, and the crowd popped for this action and we got a loud “this is awesome!” chant. Lio hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly, then the Final Hour on Benito. However, Blackwood shoved Lio to the floor and he covered Benito for a believable nearfall at 13:00. Haley got in the ring and grabbed Lio’s ankle! He turned around and she begged off. However, she hit a low blow uppercut and suplexed him. Benito hit a Canadian Destroyer on Blackwood and he superkicked Haley! Benito immediately hit a top-rope 450 Splash to pin Blackwood! That was excellent, absolutely excellent.
Final Thoughts: A stellar main event. These three were on the same page throughout, and the speed and precision of moves was incredible. Easily match of the night. The ViF/Bishop six-man tag takes second place, as that was really good, hard-hitting action. Stu Grayson was criminally underused in AEW; he just is always having great matches. The gauntlet takes third, and a much-better-than-expected Banks-Stone match is honorable mention.
I know it shouldn’t matter… but in the past three weeks I’ve watched and reviewed four shows where the crowd was 100 or fewer. As good as the action may have been, it is hard to get into the action when there is so little reaction to the moves. (Yes, I have always hated empty arena matches.) So, having a HOT crowd that is really into the action means so much to me. I really love the production. The lights were on, so seeing the action and the fans aren’t an issue. I have few complaints here; Tull won against Nicole, as he realistically should, but it was humorous he still needed outside help to do so. The opening match was fine, but yet I don’t think anyone did a move that allowed them to stand out, either.
Be the first to comment