Hidlay Dominates in CWA Showcase III, Four Grapplers Push CWA Record to 2-0

Philadelphia, Pa. - It was a raucous crowd at the Live! Casino & Hotel in downtown Philadelphia that witnessed four CWA Athletes push their records to 2-0 at CWA Showcase III. Zeke Moisey (Lehigh Valley Hellbenders), Nahshon Garrett (Lehigh Valley Hellbenders), Chad Walsh (Philadelphia Founders), and Trent Hidlay (Central PA Whitetails) all picked up their second professional folkstyle wins while Max Murin (Central PA Whitetails) and Quincy Monday (New Jersey Mob) both got their hands raised in their CWA debuts.

The evening kicked off at 130lbs. with Zeke Moisey facing newly added Pittsburgh Skywalker, Liam Cronin. Zeke started off the match early with a 2-point takedown off a sweep single in the first 30 seconds of the match. Moisey was able to sit Cronin to his butt and finish to take a 2-0 lead. Liam was able to escape rather quickly to make it 2-1 while Moisey was only able to accumulate 21 seconds of riding time in the first three minute frame.

In the Championship Wrestling Association, a wrestler can achieve a riding time point in each period. Once a period is complete, if a wrestler has accumulated a minute of riding time they will be awarded one point at the end of the period and the riding time clock is reset. If one minute of riding time is not achieved by the end of a period, no point is given and the riding time clock is reset.

Cronin chose bottom to start the second period, and was able to to knot the match at 2-2, but not before Moisey accumulated 55 seconds of riding time. Both wrestlers exchanged funk attempts and Cronin was able to come out the back door and split Moisey’s legs, but the Hellbender was able to keep the ankle of the Skywalker and funk his way out of bounds in a scramble late in the period.

Zeke chose bottom to start the third and was able to get to his feet promptly and escape to take a 3-2 within the first 10 seconds of the final three minute period. Cronin was able to get in on a lefty high crotch after forcing a stalling call against Moisey on the edge of the mat. Moisey scrambled to keep himself on top, but Liam’s craftiness allowed him to eventually come out the back door and finish the takedown to take a 4-3 lead with 1:58 remaining. As Moisey got to his feet, Cronin walked him out of bounds with 1:34 remaining and received a stalling call of his own for not trying to return Zeke to the mat and continue action.

Liam then conceded the escape point to tie the match at 4-4. Off the restart, Cronin stalked Moisey, which allowed Zeke to take a drop step and hit a slick lefty sweep single and finish low on the legs to take a 6-4 lead with 46 seconds left in the match. Cronin was able to dive under Moisey’s legs and put himself in a position for a reversal, but Moisey hung on to the ankle in the scramble situation as the time expired and was able to walk away with a 6-4 victory.

“Just needed to believe in myself,” said Moisey after his win. “After my first time around (in the CWA) it gave me confidence that if I needed a takedown I still had it in the tank and I could still go and fight for one more.”

In the Showcase’s second match of the evening, we saw returning Lehigh Valley Hellbender, Nahshon Garrett come away with a 9-7 victory over New York City Response newcomer, Michael McGee, at 140 lbs.

Off the handshake, Nahshon hit an ankle pick to come out the backdoor and score an early 2-0 lead over McGee. Michael kept wrist control after conceding the takedown and was able to come right out to cut the lead in half at 2-1. The newest Response team member was able to get in on a deep double leg off a restart, but ran out of real estate when he drove Garrett off the mat and out of bounds.

To start the second three minute period, Nahshon picked bottom and got out right away to extend his lead to 3-1. Garrett secured a takedown off of a double leg, to build his lead to 5-1, but McGee hit a switch almost immediately to cut the lead to 5-3. Nahshon was able to escape with 51 seconds remaining, but McGee was able to capitalize on a low single and cut the lead to 6-5 with 31 seconds left in the period. Nahshon scored the one point escape late in the period, but not before Michael accumulated over a minute of riding time to secure his point in the middle frame.

McGee chose bottom to start the third period while trailing 7-6. Michael was able to get the escape 20 seconds into the final frame to knot the score at 7-7. Both athletes exchanged shot attempts throughout the third three minute period, but it was a flying squirrel-esque go behind by Nahshon with 19 seconds left to secure the 9-7 victory.

“I wanted to continue flowing, moving, obviously wrestling a guy who is quick, he’s fast, he’s powerful. He’s calculated and when you’re wrestling someone like that you have to be aware of where you are and maintain my own awareness,” said Nahshon of his opponent and performance. “I tried to create my own opportunities while not walking right into stuff he was looking for.”

At 160lbs, Max Murin squared off with returning Pittsburgh Skywalker, Micky Phillippi. During the lead up to this match, Max was calling his shot to hit an assassin on Micky and was able to get one late in the third period to secure a 17-8 major decision.

Max was able to secure a takedown early in the first period, but Micky got himself an escape and takedown to take a 3-2 lead mid way through the first period. Murin tied the match at 3-3 with an escape and was able to get a takedown off of a front headlock where he chased the corner to get to Phillippi’s leg and finish with less than 20 seconds left. The newest Whitetail was able to ride out the period and take a 5-3 lead into the break.

Max had choice to start the second period and chose bottom. Murin was able to get out 30 seconds into the middle period to take a 6-3 lead. After an exchange of trip and drag attempts by both wrestlers, Max was able to get another takedown to extend his lead to 8-4 at the end of the second period after Micky escaped late.

Phillippi chose down to start the third period, and this is where Murin started to attempt his assassin attempts. Max went for it early, but Micky wa able to circle away from it and get his escape to make the score 8-5 with 2:28 remaining in the final frame. Both wrestlers exchanged takedowns to push the score to 11-8 in favor of Murin with a minute to go. The Whitetail go to a low double with 30 seconds left to make the score 13-8 and as Micky came to his feet he went for a headlock out of desperation and once he missed that opportunity it was Murin who pounced on the assassin to drag Phillippi to the mat and score a set of three back points pushing the score to 17-8 once the riding time point was added.

“I was telling my guys I was going to get an assassin, I didn’t care if I would get pinned, I was going to hit it,” said Murin of his match strategy.

At 170 lbs, we saw a pair of athletes making their CWA debuts in Quincy Monday (New Jersey Mob) and hometown favorite John Van Brill aka JVB (Philadelphia Founders). The crowd was on their feet early in this one as Monday jumped out to an early 5-0 lead off of a sweep single takedown that he transitioned into a pancake headlock as JVB attempted to short sit and come up. Van Brill was able to secure an escape to make it 5-1. Quincy hit another sweep single and evaded JVB’s scramble to extend his lead to 7-1 late in the opening period, but JVB was able to hit a granby roll and come out on top to secure a reversal on the edge of the mat with one second left to make the score 7-3.

After Monday deferred choice to start the second period, Van Brill played to his strengths and picked top to start the second period. Van Brill did a great job of riding tough and not allowing Monday to get to his feet and escape. Both wrestlers were hit with stalling in the middle frame, first Quincy on bottom, then JVB on top for riding parallel. The Founder was able to earn the riding time point for the second period to put the score to 7-4.

Quincy wisely chose neutral to start the 3rd period after being ridden for three minutes in the previous period. Monday was able to finish his third takedown via the sweep single with under a minute remaining to extend his lead to 9-4. A late escape and body lock attempt from JVB set the final score at 9-5.

“Honestly I wanted to put up more points, but when he chose top in the second period I could’ve used a little more work down there transitioning from freestyle mode, but props to him for coming out and stepping on the mat,” said Monday of his match and his opponent. “I do respect him showing up, but he’s gotta stop all that internet talking,” said Quincy jokingly to matside reporter Donnie Hall.

Heading into the fifth match of the evening we saw another Philadelphia Founder, Chad Walsh, take on another newly added Pittsburgh Skywalker, Scott Joll.

Walsh got to work early, splitting the legs to go behind Joll, but the Skywalker held tough and defended the attempts early on. Eventually, Walsh was able to secure the takedown and take a 2-0 lead midway through the first period. After a quick escape and a pair of stalemates, Joll sent Walsh flying with a double overhook throw on the edge of the mat to take a 3-2 lead with 27 seconds left in the first period. A late escape set the score at 3-3 at the end of the first.

Walsh chose bottom to start the 2nd period and was able to escape early on and create a scramble off his shot where both guys exchanged crotch locks on one another, but it was again Chad Walsh who came out on top in the 50/50 position to make the score 6-3 in favor of the Founder. A late scramble created by Joll from the bottom position allowed him to reverse Walsh to make the score 6-5, but Chad had accrued enough riding time to secure the riding time point in the second period, pushing the score to 7-5.

Joll chose bottom to start the 3rd, but Walsh proved to be able to put a tough ride on and cover any sort of scramble that the Skywalker attempted to create and cashed in on another riding time point to push the final score to 8-5.

“Man, what a great competitor. Scott showed up today, he came here to wrestle,” Walsh said of Joll. “Every one of those positions took every last bit of me. To the fans, I’m sorry that I stalled on top.”

In the final bout of the evening, we saw Trent Hidlay bring his underhook offense to CWA Showcase III as he took out CJ Brucki (New Jersey Mob) by major decision, 23-10. Trent got to his offense early and often securing four takedowns in the first period while racking up 1:26 of riding time to take a 9-3 lead at the end of the first period.

Hidlay took bottom to start the second period, and was able to get an escape and go to work again on his feet. This time, another three takedowns in favor of the Whitetail to push the score to 16-6 after two periods.

Brucki chose bottom to start the third and earned an escape 30 seconds into the final frame, but another three takedowns by Hidlay plus the riding time point pushed the final score to 23-10.

“It was awesome, shoutout to CJ,” said Hidlay as he waved Brucki over to join the interview. “It’s something you can’t really train for,” said Trent of the nine minute match. “For CJ to take this match it’s a lot of balls and it’s a lot of heart”. “The answer is always yes when the phone rings,” said Brucki. “Big shout out to what you guys are doing and to Trent as well.”

The smittyscornerrugs.com Match of the Night went to Max Murin of the Central PA Whitetails. The Match of the Night bonus was voted on by fans both online and in attendance at Live! Casino & Hotel.