[2000-01-16-WXO-TV] Erik Watts & Zandig vs Tommy Rogers & Adam Pearce

[Loss]

Set aside the sheer weirdness of this match even existing, and it's a really fun tag that felt like it was just getting warmed up when it ended. Erik Watts seemed to have improved quite a bit between 1992 and 2000, and Tommy Rogers was still Tommy Rogers. Those two carried most of the match, so the result was something really fun, filled with more canned heat than you can shake a stick at. This is quite possibly the most in-a-vacuum match we'll watch during this entire project. In the world of WXO, I think it's still 1990 from a production and wrestling style standpoint, but it's the type of diversion that makes this project fun. Way better than anyone could have reasonably expected, and I'm going to say a sentence that I'm pretty confident no one has ever said in the history of the English language: I would be interested in seeing Tommy Rogers against Erik Watts in a singles match.

[GSR]

I watched this over the weekend after discovering the 'recent additions' the end of last week. I'm in complete agreement with Loss and was amazed by how much I enjoyed it. More detailed write up to follow at some point, but comfortably the best of the four newer matches I've watched so far (this, Black Dragon/Weed, the ECCW tag and Scoot Andrews/Hack Myers).

[GSR]

Erik Watts & John Zandig are up there as one of the most random tag teams ever. Watts and Rogers kick this one off, with Watts backing him into a corner and then patting him on his head which Rogers takes exception to. He drops to his knees as he continues to mock Rogers’ height, and Tommy responds with a kick to the mid-section followed by a bulldog. Zandig comes in to help his partner, but Rogers nails him with a dropkick as the heels bail to the outside. Pearce and Zandig continue where their partners left off and Zandig drops Pearce with a DDT. Irish whip is reversed, high hip toss by Pearce before levelling Zandig with a dropkick. He wants no more of this, tagging back to Watts. Pearce and Rogers utilize some quick tags as they go to work on the left arm of Watts. Double team suplex for two. Leapfrog by Watts, but on landing he’s hobbling and clutching at his knee. It’s just a ploy though to catch Rogers off guard, and he does some jumping jacks to prove the point. He misses the splash in the corner and Rogers pulls out the old Arn Anderson spot of feigning a right, and then hitting the DDT when Watts tucks his head to avoid it. Hot tag to Pearce and all four men are in the ring. Monkey flip on Zandig by Rogers, however when Pearce goes to do the same to Watts, he holds on to the ropes and ‘Scrap Iron’ goes flying backwards. Rogers breaks up the subsequent pin, but as the official tries to get him out of the ring, Zandig drops an elbow to the back of the head of Pearce, puts Watts on top and the heels get the win.

 

So what’s the score with WXO? Chris Cruise and Stan Lane on commentary, production values on a par with ECW and a hot, enthusiastic crowd (plants/actors?). Considering I went in expecting the worst with a team of Zandig and Erik Watts, I was pleasantly surprised and thought this was a fun little tag match. Zandig’s involvement was kept to the bare minimum with Watts working the majority and looking good mixing in both comedy and shtick. Long control section from Pearce and Rogers, who made a fine little team, before a brief heat segment and the finish. Enjoyable fare with bonus points for the Arn Anderson DDT spot.

[Tim Evans]

Stan Lane knowing who Zandig was blows my mind. This promotion reminds me of the old AWF promotion from the mid 90s with the fake crowd noise and good production values. Fun match with Zandig actually not looking too bad bumping and working the crowd. Tommy Rogers held this together pretty well. Weird seeing Pearce with hair.