CCL Revolution

CCL Revolution was a ten-episode series created by the CAW Champions League set to find who will be the newest member of the CCL roster. The series began with eight competitors, with eliminations determined by Internet voting. Matt Phoenix won the competition, earning himself a guarnteed spot on the CCL roster and a future World Heavyweight Championship match at a CPV.

Revolutionaries

 * Boa The Constrictor
 * Epic Ball
 * Matt Phoenix
 * Overkill
 * Patrick Sander
 * Shawn Dynasty
 * Vector Haze
 * Xavier

Episode 1 (August 15, 2010)
In a Fatal 4-Way match, Vector Haze pinned Shawn Dynasty in just over two minutes after Epic Ball missed a moonsault trying to break up the pin. In another Fatal 4-Way bout, Xavier defeated Patrick Sander using the Million Dollar Dream. The first challenge for the Revolutionaries was "Enter In Style", in which each competitor did their entrance, and the fans voted on which one was best. The results would be revealed on the second episode.

Episode 2 (September 7, 2010)
The eight Revolutionaries would face off in four singles matches. Matt Phoenix, as the winner of the "Enter In Style" challenge, received the first choice of opponent. He chose Shawn Dynasty, and Dynasty would win for the first time following a facebuster. Overkill finished second and took on the unbeaten Vector Haze and defeated him in just under two minutes. Xavier finished in a third-place tie with Vector Haze, but won the coin toss, so he got to choose his opponent. He faced Epic Ball, and overcame an Epic Sault to win the match with a running splash. That left Patrick Sander and Boa the Constrictor to face off, with Boa getting the victory. After the matches, Sushi-X had each of the revolutionaries perform their finishing moves for this episode's challenge. The owner would also surprise the competitors by telling them that their opponents for the show would be their tag partners for the next two shows.

Episode 3 (September 28, 2010)
The eight Revolutionaries would face off in tag team action, with their opponents from the previous episode now as partners. The show began with the announcement that Overkill won the challenge with about 26% of the vote, with Matt Phoenix and Boa the Constrictor tied for second. Overkill would get 25 points, while Phoenix and Boa received 20 points each. The challenge for this episode was to convince the fans why they should not be eliminated from the competition. Each of the eight competitors had 45 seconds to make their case. It was also announced that one of them would be eliminated at the end of the next show.

In the matches, Xavier and Epic Ball took on Patrick Sander and Boa the Constrictor, with Boa pinning Epic Ball following a standing uranagi slam. Vector Haze and Overkill defeated Shawn Dynasty and Matt Phoenix with a modified facebuster. Interestingly enough, this would be the third time Haze pinned Dynasty since the competition began, and Matt Phoenix was never tagged in the match. The two winning teams faced off in the main event, with Patrick Sander defeating Overkill following a spinning sidewalk slam. This would be Patrick's first pinfall victory of the competition. Sushi-X came out following the match, announcing that the winning team would face each other for immunity in an extreme rules match, with Patrick Sander scoring the win and immunity following a Shock Treatment backbreaker.

Episode 4 (October 23, 2010)
The Revolutionaries participated in a "Diss The Rookie" challenge, where they would try to convince the CAW fans who should be eliminated from the competition and why in 45 seconds or less. Before the challenge got underway, CCL owner and founder Sushi-X announced the results of the first elimination. Boa the Constrictor, Matt Phoenix, and Overkill finished in the top three and were all safe. Patrick Sander by winning immunity on the previous show was also safe. Epic Ball and Shawn Dynasty survived elimination despite not winning a match or a challenge to this point, leaving Vector Haze and Xavier in the bottom two. Despite Vector's three wins in the competition over Shawn Dynasty, Haze had the lowest vote percentage and was eliminated.

The remaining Revolutionaries faced off in tag team and singles action. Shawn Dynasty earned his first win of the competition with Matt Phoenix over Epic Ball and Xavier. In a bizarre finish, Shawn shoulder blocked Epic down while Ball was in mid-taunt. Xavier it seemed did not make an effort to save the match for his team. In the singles bout, Boa the Constrictor (with Patrick Sander) lost to Overkill by disqualification when Sander interfered in the match. A post-match fight broke out, ending with Overkill hitting Boa's head with a ring bell.

That would leave Shawn Dynasty, Matt Phoenix, and Overkill in a triple-threat match for immunity. Matt's sit-out spinebuster on the much larger Overkill would prove the difference after a grueling bout, and Phoenix would guarantee a spot in the next round.

Episode 5 (November 10, 2010)
The show began with each of the Revolutionaries cutting a sixty-second or less promo on why they should face CCL World Heavyweight Champion Armageddon in a non-title match in the main event. It was during Boa the Constrictor’s promo that fans learned of Boa and Armageddon’s past: during his time as a bouncer at a club in Boston, the two got into a fight, and as a result, Boa was fired from the club. Soon after, he was divorced and broke.

While awaiting Armageddon’s decision, the remaining seven Revolutionaries faced off in a Beat the Clock Challenge, with each match having a different stipulation.This would be a points and immunity challenge, with the winner of each match receiving fifteen points, with the fastest time also gaining immunity. Matt Phoenix defeated Xavier in a submission match in 10:06. Before Boa the Constrictor and Patrick Sander faced off in their match, Sander admitted that he intentionally got Boa disqualified on the last show. Patrick was beating on Boa before Sushi-X ordered the two men to face off in a falls count anywhere match. Patrick didn’t take long, as he needed only 3:11 to beat Boa. Epic Ball, Overkill, and Shawn Dynasty were about to meet in their match, but before it could begin, Sushi-X announced that Epic Ball was the second man eliminated from the competition. Overkill and Shawn Dynasty were left to face off in an extreme rules match. Overkill would win following a full nelson slam at 8:09, giving immunity to Patrick Sander.

Following the match, Armageddon made his decision to take on Boa the Constrictor. It was only at the time of the match it would be announced as an inferno match, with the objective being to throw his opponent out of the ring, setting him on fire. Though Boa fought valiantly, the punishment he took earlier was simply too much, as Armageddon dominated most of the match, eventually throwing Boa out of the ring and setting him aflames.

After the bout, Sushi-X came out with Nathan House, announcing he had intended to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase that he had just won back a few days earlier. House dominated a clearly unprepared Armageddon and would need just 65 seconds to become the CCL’s new World Heavyweight Champion.

Episode 6 (November 28, 2010)
The show opened with CCL Revolution sideline reporter Alexas announcing that two eliminations would take place on this episode. Boa the Constrictor, Overkill, and Patrick Sander were called to the ring first. Sander was safe following his immunity win. Despite Boa losing twice on the previous show, he was safe, as was Overkill. Matt Phoenix, Shawn Dynasty, and Xavier were called to the ring next. Matt Phoenix was told he safe after finding out he did not finish in the bottom three. Moments later, it was announced that Shawn Dynasty was the third man eliminated from CCL Revolution. Sushi-X then came out to announce the show’s first match would be a 20-minute Immunity Scramble, a modified version of the Championship Scramble match. The winner of the match would receive 25 points and an automatic slot in the final four. Boa the Constrictor and Overkill started the match as a result of finishing first and second respectively in the previous episode’s poll. Boa the Constrictor would win immunity at the 4:30 mark, pinning Overkill with a standing uranage. Matt Phoenix was out next, followed by Xavier. There would be a bit of controversy around 13:30 in. Overkill hit his sitdown powerbomb on Matt Phoenix; shortly after, Overkill splashed Boa the Constrictor. While it looked both had pins at the same time, Overkill’s was counted and he would take immunity. Patrick Sander entered with five minutes left, but would not be able to take back immunity. With Overkill scoring the last fall, he would win the Immunity Scramble. The other four would have to fight again in a Final Jeopardy match. Xavier protested the outcome following the match, but to no avail. After the losing Revolutionaries made their entrances once again, Sushi-X announced that the Final Jeopardy match would be an Extreme Rules match. The winner would receive 15 points, while loser of the fall would be eliminated. Matt Phoenix would beat Boa the Constrictor following a floatover suplex/pin combination. Matt would get the 15 points, while Boa would be the fourth man eliminated from CCL Revolution.

ExtremeDan, commentator for DGW, was the guest voice for this episode.

Episode 7 (January 5, 2011)
Sushi-X announced at the beginning of the show that the remaining Revolutionaries would face CCL superstars in one-on-one matches. For the first time in the competition, immunity was not at stake, but if any of the Revolutionaries won, they would receive 25 points. He also announced that there would be no elimination following this episode, but their performances would be considered for the next show. Patrick Sander faced one-half of the CCL Tag Team Champions “The Phenomenal” CJ Wizard. Wizard defeated Sander in just under four minutes by submission. Xavier would face Dante, and would be defeated following a second chokeslam by the Sparda hunter in 3:37. Matt Phoenix would take on TGO in the third match, and despite being the recepient of three TGOwneds, Phoenix would not stay down, but would succumb to a backbreaker in 7:06. Overkill would take on The Great D, who three weeks earlier, won the XGWL Ultimate Championship. Needing only a win or a match longer than 7:06 to secure the advantage, The Great D beat him in just 5:48, losing the advantage for Episode 8 to Matt Phoenix.

Episode 8 (January 30, 2011)
The show began with Sushi-X announcing immunity was up for grabs in this episode in a gauntlet match, with the winner guaranteed a spot in the final three. The final four Revolutionaries were split into teams of two to face two established tag teams. Xavier and Patrick Sander took on The True Phenoms, CJ Logan and Randor Drakos. Logan defeated Sander with the Lay-Lo in just under three minutes to get the win for his team. In a side note, Drakos was never tagged in the match. Matt Phoenix and Overkill took on Huey and Riley Freeman. Despite a hard-fought effort by Phoenix and Overkill, Overkill was beaten by a shining wizard and bulldog by Huey Freeman at 7:28.

Xavier and Patrick Sander started the gauntlet match. Prior to the match, it was revealed that Matt Phoenix earned the right to go last by performing the best on the previous show's challenge. All of the matches in the immunity gauntlet would be under hardcore rules. Patrick Sander would hit Xavier with a swinging sidewalk slam on the floor, but Xavier would kick out at one. Seconds later, Xavier would fall victim to an Iowa State Cyclone for a Patrick Sander victory at 5:28. Overkill was up next, and he came out swinging a steel chair. His first shot connected with a referee, but the next two would hit Sander. The match never entered the ring, and Overkill, perhaps still suffering from the effects of being busted open by The Freemans, would also be beaten by Sander via an Iowa State Cyclone at 3:06. Matt Phoenix would be the last man out, and for much of the match, he took the fight to the much bigger Sander. Phoenix would defeat Sander with three steel chair shots, a sledgehammer, and a sit-out spinebuster at 9:17 to win immunity and a spot in the final three. Throughout the show, each of the final four men made a case for being the winner of the competition.

Episode 9 (February 18, 2011)
Before the show began, Matt Phoenix had a short meeting with CCL owner Sushi-X. There, he was informed that he won the competition's last immunity challenge. The three men that did not win immunity (Overkill, Patrick Sander, and Xavier) came out first, with owner Sushi-X behind them. Overkill was announced as safe, and returned to the back. When it came time to announce who was eliminated, Sushi announced that neither Patrick Sander nor Xavier was eliminated, and a Final Jeopardy match was made on the spot, with the winner advancing and the loser going home. After a very physical match, Sander defeated Xavier with The Sedative to eliminate Xavier from the competition at 5:49.

The surviving Revolutionaries would then meet three CCL pros in a six-man tag team match. The three pros: XtremeTony and the CCL Tag Team Champions Natural Phenomenon (CJ Wizard and Gregory Black). Gregory Black would defeat Overkill with the Clothesline from Hell at 5:44 to win the match for the pros, making them a perfect 7-0 against the Revolutionaries in the competition.

The three Revolutionaries then faced off in a triple threat match. It was physical and grueling as expected, with all three men having multiple chances to win the match. Matt Phoenix would win at 13:09 following a bulldog on to a steel chair Patrick Sander was trying to pick up.

This episode also featured the final poll of the competition, as it would play a part in who would win the competition.

Episode 10 (April 18, 2011)
The show began with CCL owner Sushi-X calling out the three remaining Revolutionaries. After the obligatory moment of suspense, the final two was revealed on the Titantron. Matt Phoenix and Overkill was revealed, leaving Patrick Sander as the low man and the sixth man eliminated from the competition.

Then Sushi-X informed the two surviving Revolutionaries that the finals would take place in four parts: a singles match, an extreme rules match, a 20-minute ironman match, and the final vote. The man that had the most points after the four rounds would win the competition.

The singles match began immediately after the announcement. Overkill had an early opportunity to win with a sit-down powerbomb. Overkill would be busted open, but after a powerslam, Matt Phoenix used a surprise small package to score the first win of the final.

During the extreme rules match, Overkill would hit Matt Phoenix three times with the sledgehammer to the gut. Phoenix would hit a sit-out spinebuster and a GTS on the floor, but it would not be enough. Phoenix, however, would take advantage of a missed leg drop with a steel chair by Overkill with a second sit-out spinebuster to win at 3:57, giving the smaller Phoenix a 2-0 advantage.

The third match would be a 20-minute ironman match, with no overtime should it end in a tie. Decisions could only be rendered by pinfall, submission, or countout. Overkill would get the first fall of the match with 9:30 left following a sit-down powerbomb. Phoenix would tie it up with 6:50 left following a Concussion Syndrome. Both men had multiple chances to win in the final minutes, including a submission attempt in the final minute by Phoenix, but Overkill was too close to the ropes. Matt Phoenix would carry a 3-1 advantage to the final vote.

Once the matches were complete, the final votes were revealed. Each of the Revolutionaries voted on the final three’s order of finish, including the final three, who were not allowed to vote for themselves to win. The polls took place before the final episode was taped. Only first place votes would count. Vector Haze, Shawn Dynasty, and Overkill each voted for Matt Phoenix. Boa the Constrictor, Xavier, Patrick Sander, and Matt Phoenix voted for Overkill, with Epic Ball voting for the eliminated Patrick Sander. With Matt Phoenix leading 6-5, the final fan poll was revealed. Overkill needed to win the fan vote to force a sudden death match, but Matt Phoenix won the fan vote with 51% to Overkill’s 42%. Sander received 7%. Matt Phoenix won the CCL contract and a world championship match at CCL Futureshock on July 2.

This was the final CCL show on WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2010. During the show, it was announced there will be a second season of Revolution beginning in July 2011.

Links

 * CCL Revolution Webpage