[2001-02-28-CZW-Destruction in Dover] Nick Gage & Nate Hatred vs Lobo & Ric Blade

[GSR]

From the way it’s being described this sounds like one of the first, if not the first, appearances of the future H8 Club, Gage and Hatred having put their recent differences aside for this match up.  Lobo is referred to as ‘the People’s Champion’.  What king of people would they be?  Some surprisingly decent exchanges between Blade and Gage before the requisite “stand-off”.  I don’t think anyone relies on that spot more than Ric Blade.  Lobo’s cleaning house in there, actually wrestling for a change, that is until he’s cut off by a Hatred clothesline.  It’s pointed out that should either get a pinfall on him it will put them right in line for a shot at his Iron Man title.  Side slam for a two.  A Rikishi Driver come sit-out tombstone or as John House calls it “the same move that paralysed baldy in the bigger federation” (because they can’t say the name “Steve Austin”).  Gage and Hatred work over Lobo whilst Blade chomps at the bit to get in there.  Big powerslam.  Lobo fires back with some poor punches and a back elbow, sending Gage out to the floor after he had telegraphed the back drop.  Slingshot senton by Lobo, hitting the back of his head on the apron in the process.  Amazingly Blade wasn’t the first one to botch something tonight!  Hatred yanks Blade into the ring, blocking his shots doing some terrible looking karate stuff.  With the action continuing inside Gage and Lobo are now out in the car park, the camera work flitting between the two.  Blade with a Samoan drop, kip up, standing moonsault sequence.  A running crossbody takes himself and Hatred over the top rope to the outside.  Corkscrew Asai moonsault by Blade.  This has turned into the brawl you expected going in.  There isn’t much room to maneuver on the bar due to the low ceiling but Gage manages to DDT Lobo off it through a table.  Blade with a crazy running Swanton over the partition and onto Hatred who’d been laid out across a bunch of chairs.  Gage grabs Blade and drags him back to the ring where he gives him a brainbuster.  The Briscoes attack Lobo leaving Blade on his own.  He ducks under the Gage roaring elbow which accidentally ends up taking out Hatred.  Spinning heel kick to Gage followed by a modified Ki Krusher on Nate and Blade picks up the unlikely win for he and Lobo.  Post-match it looks like Gage and Hatred are going to go at it, the Briscoes and Dewey Donovan playing peacemaker as they settle their grievances and raise each others hands.

Surprisingly they did try to have some structure to this which benefitted things.  The Gage and Blade exchanges at the beginning were nice and it was a good night for Blade when it comes to not almost killing himself.  Heat section on Lobo before It escalated to the expected brawl, although that was limited and they didn’t overdo things on that front.  Blade singlehandedly beating the H8 Club was stretching it, but I think they just about pulled it off.  I’m finding it tough to try and take myself back to 2001 and not watch this CZW stuff through 2020 eyes but this was decent to good stuff.