LAST UPDATED: December 1, 2023
Some lose thoughts on a bunch of matches that aren’t detailed enough to warrant their own post. Will update this should I continue combing through the year and find more.
The Wild Cards vs. FIST (CHIKARA 4/9/04)
This one’s actually not bad at all and a much better showcase of the qualities that would distinguish Eddie in the future. This isn’t much more than a quick and frenzied tag brawl, but it does well enough within those parameters. Eddie’s able to focus on being a mean, hard-hitting bully, and the program with Akuma progresses with The Wildcards sneaking a win at the last minute. Pretty good for a sub-10 match clearly made to keep building things down the line.
Rating: ***
The Wild Cards vs. Southern Comfort (IWA:MS 5/29/04)
Given who’s involved, shouldn’t be a shock that this is pretty much textbook southern tag stuff. As such, Eddie and Blackjack spend 80% of this bumping and stooging for the babyfaces and they’re pretty good at it too. Eddie has the chance to get some of those lovely chops in, but that’s not what this is about. It’s about seeing the vets give the freshly shaved heels a beating and it’s a good time for that.
Rating: ***
Eddie Kingston vs. Jolly Roger (CHIKARA 7/10/04)
If Jolly Roger were even just the tiniest bit better or the crowd just a little bit more bought into the dynamic, this might be pretty good. As is, this reads as an early prototype of the Eddie Kingston bully match. He beats the shit out of Jolly Roger in this, with some truly gnarly chops and clubbing forearms throughout. There’s a level of confidence from Eddie there too that would define his later, more successful attempts at this match-style. It’s really Roger that holds this down, his comebacks are weak, a snarkier crowd don’t really care for him, and he’s just not up to snuff to what Eddie’s dishing out.
Rating: **3/4
Eddie Kingston vs. Blackjack Marciano (CHIKARA 7/31/04)
Weird ass match, and bad to boot. For some reason this goes twenty minutes–TWENTY FUCKING MINUTES–and the first ten is just Eddie and Blackjack fucking around doing silly bits. That wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t tack on another ten minutes of heatless stuff onto the end after. The only time this shows glimmers of being good are when Eddie gets to do his bully routine for a bit, and comedy like the double countout fake out are good too. Otherwise, avoid.
Rating: *1/2
Eddie Kingston, Ruckus, & Sabian vs. Chris Cash, Nick Gage, & Nate Hatred (CZW 8/14/04)
One of those CZW matches that isn’t good, but also features some truly great and hilarious bits. For one, you have to appreciate that they took tables match to mean a bunch of bumps off the apron through tables on the floor. That’s just a good hustle right there. Also, Gage getting blinded by salt in the eyes and accidentally piledriving Nate through a table on the floor? Fucking hilarious.
Otherwise, the first half of this before all the wild bumps is mostly just fine. Sabian’s the workhorse for BLKOUT, spending most of the match in the ring and probably is the crispest of the three too. Eddie’s time is limited, but when he’s in there we get some fun interactions with Gage and a couple of cool suplexes.
Rating: **3/4
Eddie Kingston vs. B-Boy (CZW 9/11/04)
Decent match here bolstered by Eddie being in there with someone who can hit just as hard as he can. Structurally, pretty messy, but there’s enough good action to hold up something like this, especially in the opening moments with B-Boy’s big flurry of offense.
Rating: ***
The Wild Cards vs. Men at Work (CHIKARA 9/24/04)
Not especially good work from anyone involved. Just a sort of run of the mill, if solidly structured, tag here. Has the decency to at least be pretty compact and inoffensive. Fun to hear Eddie talk shit in a small room where it echoes like crazy, and the early interactions with Bryce are cool.
Rating: **¼
Eddie Kingston vs. Nate Webb (CZW 10/9/04)
Aside from Nate Webb coming out to “Teenage Dirtbag” and really reveling in it, nothing all that memorable at all.
Rating: **¼
Eddie Kingston vs. Super Dragon (IWA:MS 10/22/04)
Aside from the singles match with Hero, it’s only when Kingston goes outside of CHIKARA that he’s able to explore the scrappier side of his in-ring work. He has an ideal opponent for that here in Super Dragon, someone who can hit extremely hard and doesn’t mind being hit back in return. Being the first round in a tournament though, Eddie’s more of a warm body here to take a beating from Super Dragon, but he’s able to get in some nice shots as well. In the brief flashes of offense from Kingston, we get a few decent elbows and the beginnings of those signature chops he’ll come to use his whole career long. But this is primarily the Super Dragon show, and it kind of rocks for that. Dragon beats the shit out of Eddie, and frankly, I doubt that Eddie would have had it any other way.
Rating: ***¼
The Wild Cards vs. Homicide & B-Boy (IWA:MS 10/23/04)
One of the better Wild Cards tags here, aided by having a simple and easy narrative to run through it. Kingston & Marciano already know how to shape a match around a classic southern tag routine (to mixed results, admittedly), but they’re given a blessing here in B-Boy’s injured arm. It’s easy for them to focus on that arm during the heat, and it gives B-Boy a little more drama to sell that arm towards the end of the match. It’s not perfect selling from him, but it does in a pinch and he is at least mindful of it all the way through. Homicide’s the real highlight here though, his offense is just so much crisper and more explosive than everyone else here. His tope remains a thing of absolute beauty every time I see it. Effortlessly cool. Eddie’s perhaps not too far behind on that front, especially with a pair of big throws cutting off Homicide’s initial comeback. Good stuff, if a little inconsistent in the back half once things start falling apart.
Rating: ***¼
The Wild Cards vs. FIST (CHIKARA 10/29/04)
Quiet as a church on this particular night, even Eddie’s boisterous shit talk has been curbed to almost nothing here. Basically just a drill on southern tag formula, well structured but not entirely well done. Icarus blows a convoluted looking double team maneuver towards the end before Wild Cards steal the win. Eddie has some cool suplexes in this at least.
Rating: *1/2
