I know most of CZW has always been pretty bad, but they also seem to have good matches here and there that get lost in the sea of other crap. So I thought I'd start a thread to try to get a list going of all the CZW matches that are actually good. This is inspired by me watching the Dojo stuff on YouTube, which I've really loved.

Jay Briscoe vs. Mark Briscoe (05/19/01) I thought was a lot better when I watched it a few years ago than it was when I saw it at the time. What once seemed overly excessive doesn't seem so bad by modern indie standards and even though the match isn't great, you can see that Jay & Mark had a lot of potential at such a young age (Mark was about 16). Its a fun match to watch with hindsight.

 

The SAT & Red vs. Chris Divine, Quiet Storm & Brian XL (06/08/01) is maybe my favorite SAT match (not like that is saying a ton). The match is worked more like a lucha trios than the later ROH scramble matches that these six (and others) would help to shape. Like the Briscoes match, they try a lot of stuff and have a lot of ideas; some works, some doesn't but its still a fun match.

 

Mike Quackenbush vs. Claudio Castagnoli (05/14/05) from that year's Best of the Best. Not to sound like a broken record, but more of a fun match than a great match and enjoyable watching them try a bunch of stuff. Claudio is nowhere near as good as he would become and these two would have better matches in Chikara and elsewhere in the coming years, but there's still some good stuff in it. In theory, they match up well with Quack's lucha influenced stuff and Claudio being a great base, but Claudio wasn't quite as skilled in that area as he'd become.

 

I can't get into the Dojo stuff. I have trouble getting into watching guys wrestle in front of a couple of dozen people in what amounts to exhibition matches. I feel like I can see the same level of work in a variety of other places in 2015 where there is at least some level of crowd heat/interaction.

Early H8 Club stuff is really good to great, especially there series of matches with VD. I'll be honest, a lot of the stuff people find actively bad I like, but I am someone who likes death matches. As soon as their new streaming service starts putting up old shows I plan on going through CZW show by show from the beginning, and I'll certainly send recs your way as I take that journey.

 

Glad you discovered Dojo Wars, it's really a neat concept. That's what led to me realizing that Joe Gacy is one heck of a worker.

Jodie Fleisch vs Jonny Storm (from Best of the Best 2)

 

I've posted about this previously, but it also got a bit of coverage on the recent Exile podcast. One of a few matches that the two had on their North American tour and this was the best by far. Wall Unit, Springboard Shooting Star to the floor, Rewind Storm Insider, Springboard 720 DDT, a ton of innovative stuff and a pretty flawless junior heavyweight bout.

Of the top of my head, the Cage of Death at COD V was a really fun spectacle. A two-ring, scaffold cage match, it was essentially a big stuntfest, but all the big spots looked great.

 

Also, Nate Hatred vs Nick Gage from Aftermath 2003 was a really fun brawl

I hate COD V. It's a fantastic spectacle, to be sure, but watching a 5 minute highlight video will give you literally everything you need to see. It's poorly paced, there's no meat to it beyond the big spots, and the booking is horrendous seeing as how there's not even a winner. It's completely overshadowed by the ladder match earlier in the night between Chris Ca$h and Joker (which definitely has its own flaws).

 

BLKOUT vs. Team Ca$h from COD 6 is a very fun spotfest.

The Sami Callihan vs. Danny Havok Cage of Death is pretty great, if you like Death Match stuff.

 

I remember liking the Moxley v. Callihan match from 4/10/10, although I haven't seen it in a while so I don't know how it ages.

DJ Hyde vs Matt Tremont was a great COD, if you like plunder. Also the stuff with Gulak is great.

Early H8 Club stuff is really good to great, especially there series of matches with VD. I'll be honest, a lot of the stuff people find actively bad I like, but I am someone who likes death matches. As soon as their new streaming service starts putting up old shows I plan on going through CZW show by show from the beginning, and I'll certainly send recs your way as I take that journey.

 

Glad you discovered Dojo Wars, it's really a neat concept. That's what led to me realizing that Joe Gacy is one heck of a worker.

I didn't realize they have a streaming service now. I am going to hit that up.

I have unconditional love for the Mamaluke-Rave 2/3 falls match (10/11/03). I think that Rave was pretty great throughout his CZW run, really.

Early H8 Club stuff is really good to great, especially there series of matches with VD. I'll be honest, a lot of the stuff people find actively bad I like, but I am someone who likes death matches. As soon as their new streaming service starts putting up old shows I plan on going through CZW show by show from the beginning, and I'll certainly send recs your way as I take that journey.

 

Glad you discovered Dojo Wars, it's really a neat concept. That's what led to me realizing that Joe Gacy is one heck of a worker.

 

I actually like death matches too, but I like the ones where the violence is mostly implied and its the charisma of the wrestlers and spectacle of it all that fuels the match. If there are any like that in CZW, I'd definitely be interested. Gore for gore's sake doesn't do much for me.

Gulak v Busick from 4/27 last year might be the best CZW match ever.

 

Early H8 Club stuff is really good to great, especially there series of matches with VD. I'll be honest, a lot of the stuff people find actively bad I like, but I am someone who likes death matches. As soon as their new streaming service starts putting up old shows I plan on going through CZW show by show from the beginning, and I'll certainly send recs your way as I take that journey.

 

Glad you discovered Dojo Wars, it's really a neat concept. That's what led to me realizing that Joe Gacy is one heck of a worker.

I didn't realize they have a streaming service now. I am going to hit that up.

 

 

Yep, CZW Studios, so far they only have recent shows up. But, they are going to start putting up old shows this week and they asked for input. I suggested putting them up in chronological order, and it sounds like that may be the way they go.

 

 

Early H8 Club stuff is really good to great, especially there series of matches with VD. I'll be honest, a lot of the stuff people find actively bad I like, but I am someone who likes death matches. As soon as their new streaming service starts putting up old shows I plan on going through CZW show by show from the beginning, and I'll certainly send recs your way as I take that journey.

 

Glad you discovered Dojo Wars, it's really a neat concept. That's what led to me realizing that Joe Gacy is one heck of a worker.

 

I actually like death matches too, but I like the ones where the violence is mostly implied and its the charisma of the wrestlers and spectacle of it all that fuels the match. If there are any like that in CZW, I'd definitely be interested. Gore for gore's sake doesn't do much for me.

 

 

Same here. CZW can get really gory, and they do often fall prey to gore for the sake of gore. But, a decent number of their death matches are built around feuds and angles where the gore means something.

 

Gulak v Busick from 4/27 last year might be the best CZW match ever.

 

I'd second that, had that match just a shade below the full monty myself.

Same here. CZW can get really gory, and they do often fall prey to gore for the sake of gore. But, a decent number of their death matches are built around feuds and angles where the gore means something.

I'll agree with this. As horrid as much of the Zandig/Lobo feud may have been, it at least made sense for two guys who made their names in death matches to have death matches with each other where the stips grew more and more ridiculous. There's a No Ropes Barbed Wire match between them (from late '02, I believe?) that I go back and forth on, but it at least stands out as memorable.

Gulak v Busick from 4/27 last year might be the best CZW match ever.

Thirded. Between 4 1/2 to 4 3/4 stars.

I just subbed to the HighSpots streaming service. Definitely have to check out some of this stuff.

 

I highly recommend the service, BTW.