Super Crazy vs Psicosis (XPW, 8-31-2002)

XPW Hostile Takeover, Philadelphia, PA

This is a request via Ko-fi, and I’ll be bringing the whole show to you a match at a time. XPW had been running in southern California since 1999, but this was their first move to Philadelphia, former home of their former would-be rival ECW. ECW had been dead for about a year-and-a-half at this point, so really they were invading CZW’s territory, I guess. But this is at Viking Hall, the former ECW Arena, now the 2300 Arena. I have watched a smattering of XPW in my life and this will be the first full show I’ve ever watched.

Psicosis is unmasked, short hair, very 2002 look with his gear. Super Crazy just looks like Super Crazy from a couple years before in ECW, except he’s wearing an IWA shirt. Two guys who first made their U.S. name in ECW.

Psicosis gives Crazy the FINGER. C&E start, nobody budges. Repeat that. They talk some shit in Spanish. C&E again, Psicosis trips him down, Crazy takes him over with an armdrag. Crazy avoids a dropkick, Psicosis with the armdrag, both men back up and at the stalemate. Both guys selling their backs early. “ECDub” chant and Crazy’s, like, “uhhh.” Commentary goes ahead and ignores that.

Knuckle lock, Psicosis rolls through and gets fancy into a side headlock. Crazy counters to his own side headlock. Crazy off the ropes, shoulders Psicosis, who takes a Hennig bump. Crazy with a little cradle for two. More quick mat stuff, another roll through and back to their feet.

Now they talk more shit. Shoving. Chops from Psicosis. Off the crazy, bodyscissors from Psicosis but he gets hurled over in a German suplex for his trouble, then bails out to the floor. No mats, for the record. Crazy with a baseball slide, which almost doesn’t connect, then a little dive from the apron and he misses, hitting the guardrail.

Psicosis with a running dropkick, then another. Then a third. Just chasing Crazy around with dropkicks. Psicosis breaks the count and hits Crazy with a chop, then sends him back into the ring. Psicosis kicks him in the ass hole. Rude. More chops from Psicosis. Crazy reverses a whip, telegraphs a backdrop, sunset flip, rolled through and Crazy dropkicks him right in the face.

Overhand chop from Crazy. Psicosis off the ropes, Crazy telegraphs the backdrop again, rolls through the sunset flip again. Psicosis covers his face this time, so Crazy hops over and dropkicks him in the back of the head.

Psicosis whipped to the corner, reversed, Crazy gets a boot up. Psicosis charges, misses in the corner and clears the ring out to the floor. Little back kick from Crazy, then an Asai moonsault to the floor!

Psicosis sent into the apron, then dropped down on the floor, and Crazy follows with a moonsault off of a chair. Back into the ring, Crazy in control. He mounts in the corner, and lands the 10-punch. Everyone counts along in Spanish. It’s so nice we all know how to count to 10 in Spanish.

Whip to the corner reversed, Psicosis follows in with a shoulder to the gut to take the advantage back. Crazy whipped to the corner, kicks up, sunset flip for two. Psicosis with a big lariat as they both jet back up to their feet. Psicosis with a scoop slam, now going up top. Crazy, playing possum, gets up and forearms him once he gets up there. Crazy going for a superplex, but Psicosis turns it around into a super front layout suplex!

Crazy dragged into position, Psicosis off the top, guillotine legdrop! Psicosis gets the three count.

Rating: 3.5/5. Not the best match you’ll ever see from either guy but a really fun, energetic, fast-paced opener for this show to get off on the right foot. Crazy probably brought a little more effort, but neither guy dogged it or anything.