Post by fifthhorseman on Apr 21, 2014 22:58:14 GMT -5
AWA: TEAM CHALLENGE SERIES
LIVE FROM THE BRADLEY CENTER IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
LIVE FROM THE BRADLEY CENTER IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
vs.
DARK MATCH
ART BARR (w/VICKIE GUERRERO) vs. D’ANGELO DINERO:
DARK MATCH
ART BARR (w/VICKIE GUERRERO) vs. D’ANGELO DINERO:
Two of the AWA’s more underrated workers started the night off for the fans in the arena, as well as those at home watching the pre-game show on both the internet and the PPV provider. Dinero used his superior size to take control early. He used elbows, knees, and brought a lot of his amateur boxing repertoire to the ring to maul his foe, drawing a small trickle of blood over Barr’s left eye. The cut seemed to motivate Barr, though, and he fought back with hard punches of his own, before hitting a flurry of dropkicks that drove “the Pope” to the outside. Barr went to the top rope and came down hard on Dinero with a double ax-handle, but twisted his right knee on the landing. The “American Love Machine” rolled Dinero back in, but could not follow fast enough for the three-count. After kicking out, Dinero went to work on the injury, and forced Barr to submit to a spinning toe hold.
Winner: D’Angelo Dinero, 10:11.
As the programming goes live, a brief recap of the various matches and rivalries that led to the matches is shown, narrated over by Joey Styles and Josh Mathews. Styles also noted that the matches would alternate between the two rings, labelled A and B. They then sent it to ring A, to the lovely Christy Hemme, for the first match of Team Challenge Series!
vs.
ELIMINATION TAG-TEAM MATCH – THE MONARCHY vs. AWA CLASSIC
NIGEL McGUINNESS, WILLIAM REGAL, AND THE BLUEBLOODS (DOUG WILLIAMS AND WADE BARRETT, w/LAYLA)
vs.
VERNE GAGNE, SCOTT HALL, RICK MARTEL, AND HARLEY RACE
Styles explained that a pinfall, submission, disqualification, or countout would result in an elimination. Regal and Gagne started the match, both men eager to prove their superiority after numerous time-limit draws earlier in the year. They went hold for hold until Regal tagged in the cocky Intercontinental champion, McGuinness – seeing that, Gagne wasted no time bringing in the man who sought the title since his debut in the AWA, Scott Hall.
The two traded punches, and clotheslines, and the tempo picked up. Hall could not keep the cocky Brit down – but he did not mind beating the holy hell out of him trying, either. The pace eventually settled, and the contrasting styles of the various wrestlers – the methodology of Race and Williams; the brawling technique of Barrett, Regal, and Hall; and the aerial style of Martel all meshed to give the crowd an outstanding card-opener. The eliminations occurred in the following order:
Williams, 5:04 (pinfall, Martel)
Hall and McGuinness, 7:40 (double-countout)
Gagne, 13:19 (pinfall, Regal)
Martel, 17:33 (pinfall, Barrett)
Regal, 20:55 (disqualification, using brass knuckles)
Barrett, 24:50 (pinfall, Race)
Winner: Harley Race, 24:50.
vs. vs.
vs. vs.
AWA TELEVISION TITLE “MONEY IN THE BANK” LADDER MATCH
RICKY MORTON vs. ADRIAN NEVILLE vs. JAMIE NOBLE (w/NIDIA) vs.
KAZUCHIKA OKADA vs. A.J. STYLES vs. PETEY WILLIAMS
vs. vs.
AWA TELEVISION TITLE “MONEY IN THE BANK” LADDER MATCH
RICKY MORTON vs. ADRIAN NEVILLE vs. JAMIE NOBLE (w/NIDIA) vs.
KAZUCHIKA OKADA vs. A.J. STYLES vs. PETEY WILLIAMS
These six men all knew that this was the first-ever AWA “Money in the Bank” match – and they all wrestled like it might be their last one. The briefcase hung over ring A, and various ladders were scattered outside the ring, as well as in ring B. The first man to actually touch the briefcase, about five minutes in, was Okada, but he was thrown from the ladder by Noble. Bodies flew all over the ring – rings, actually – and double, triple, and quadruple teaming was the norm. Anything to keep your opponent from climbing the ladder. After 16 minutes of hard-fought, high-flying, blood-inducing, and career-threatening carnage, however, one man did climb that ladder and retrieve the briefcase, vaulting over both Okada and Williams to do so. His name?
Winner: A.J. Styles, 16:32.
vs.
EIGHT-MAN, TWO OUT OF THREE FALLS, TAG-TEAM MATCH – GENERATIONS CLASH
BAM BAM BIGELOW, PAUL ORNDORFF, MAGNUM T.A., AND BARRY WINDHAM
vs.
ADAM COLE, ETHAN CARTER III, MICHAEL ELGIN, AND ALEXANDER RUSEV
Unlike the earlier elimination tag match, a defeated wrestler was allowed to stay in the match – at least, until the losing fall. Also, the teams were not necessarily the best of friends, either; Orndorff couldn’t stand his teammates, while Bigelow was, at best, neutral – on the other side, Elgin didn’t fit in with the egomaniacal Cole and Carter.
Cole and Magnum kicked it off in ring B, and they fought on roughly equal terms. They tagged out to Carter and Windham, respectively, and again, these two men carefully tested each other – neither man wanted to lose the first fall, especially early. Then came Orndorff and Elgin, and neither powerhouse seemed to care at all about that. They tore into each other, throwing haymakers and exchanging bodyslams, ignoring their teammates. Orndorff eventually hit his piledriver on the Canadian, but Elgin channeled his inner Hawk, and bounced to his feet before “Mr. Wonderful”. While Orndorff posed, Elgin slowly approached from behind, spun him around, and hit his powerbomb to earn the first fall of the match at 6:21.
Thirty seconds later, the match resumed, and everybody got involved in one fashion or another. Cole and Carter showed great teamwork, working on Windham first, then Magnum; Bigelow and Rusev went nose-to-nose and punch for punch; Elgin and Orndorff eventually got their hands back on each other; and so on. The tags became more frequent, as both teams tried to stay as fresh as possible. Eventually, the “Beast from the East” took advantage of a reckless charge by EC3 into the corner, who knocked the wind out of himself. Bigelow floored him with a clothesline, then went upstairs before hitting a diving headbutt to even the falls at the 12:44 mark.
The pace started to slow as the match went past the 15-minute point; none of the eight wanted to make a costly mistake. Tags were methodical, and both teams tried to corner an opponent as often as possible. Windham caught Cole in a clawhold, but he would not yield; later on, Cole went for a submission on Orndorff via the figure-four leglock. No man was going to give up on the third fall… but the match eventually had to end. At the 21:00 mark, Magnum T.A. caught a charging Rusev and hit a wicked belly-to-belly suplex, scoring the win for he and his team.
Winners: Bam Bam Bigelow, Magnum T.A., Paul Orndorff, and Barry Windham, 21:00.
vs. vs.
vs. vs.
vs. vs.
vs. ----
AWA TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH – THE DOUBLE GAUNTLET
THE MIRACLE VIOLENCE CONNECTION [C] (TERRY GORDY AND STEVE WILLIAMS) vs.
BADD COMPANY (PAUL DIAMOND AND PAT TANAKA, w/KIMBERLY PAGE)) vs.
THE DUDEBUSTERS (TRENT BARRETA AND CAYLEN CROFT) vs.
HARLEM HEAT (BOOKER T AND STEVIE RAY) vs.
THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (BOBBY EATON AND STAN LANE) vs.
THE VARSITY CLUB (MIKE ROTUNDA AND JACK SWAGGER) vs.
THE WORLD’S GREATEST TAG-TEAM (SHELTON BENJAMIN AND CHARLIE HAAS) vs.
THE YOUNG BUCKS (MATT AND NICK JACKSON)
vs. vs.
vs. vs.
vs. ----
AWA TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH – THE DOUBLE GAUNTLET
THE MIRACLE VIOLENCE CONNECTION [C] (TERRY GORDY AND STEVE WILLIAMS) vs.
BADD COMPANY (PAUL DIAMOND AND PAT TANAKA, w/KIMBERLY PAGE)) vs.
THE DUDEBUSTERS (TRENT BARRETA AND CAYLEN CROFT) vs.
HARLEM HEAT (BOOKER T AND STEVIE RAY) vs.
THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (BOBBY EATON AND STAN LANE) vs.
THE VARSITY CLUB (MIKE ROTUNDA AND JACK SWAGGER) vs.
THE WORLD’S GREATEST TAG-TEAM (SHELTON BENJAMIN AND CHARLIE HAAS) vs.
THE YOUNG BUCKS (MATT AND NICK JACKSON)
Joey Styles explained the rules for the contest: two teams started in each ring, chosen at random. The match would be contested under regular tag rules, and teams could only be eliminated by pinfall, submission, countout, or disqualification.
Harlem Heat entered ring A first, followed by the Young Bucks in ring B. After a few seconds, Badd Company confidently walked down the ramp, and joined the Heat – the last of the four duos to arrive was the Varsity Club.
When the bell rang, the two matches began. Styles called the action in ring A, and Mathews covered B – and what action it was. Every style and type of wrestling was, between the eight men, on display for the packed house at the Bradley Center. Both referees were on their toes inside the rings, as well as a third official on the outside whose job was to make sure the teams did not intersect (a truly thankless task when the action did spill to the floor). Heat/Company was a bit old-school in approach, while Bucks/Club was a clinic in double-team holds. Eventually, however, one team has to get eliminated, and it was the Bucks, courtesy of a double-underhook suplex at the 5:52 mark.
While the action continued in ring A, the reigning champs the Miracle Violence Connection ran down to ring B. The best tag-team division in the MUW continued its work, and Williams and Gordy attempted to use their (slight) weight and power advantage; meanwhile in ring A, Booker was cut off from his partner by the dynamic teamwork of the underrated combination of Diamond and Tanaka. At one point, all eight men were brawling outside, but the trio of officials – under threat of a mass disqualification – got them all back in. Unfortunately for Swagger, he got caught by Gordy a couple of moments later, and “Bamm Bamm” nailed a DDT on the “All-American American” at the 11:39 mark to keep his team in the match.
Next up: the Dudebusters. Undaunted, Barreta and Croft jogged to the ring and circled the MVC before entering. Just a minute later, though, the first elimination in ring A took place, when Stevie Ray crushed Paul Diamond with a running powerslam at 13:05.
Harlem Heat did not have much time to catch their collective breath, because the World’s Greatest Tag-Team charged down the ramp, hoping to take advantage of their fatigue. The action began anew, and over in ring B, the Dudebusters were taking it to Gordy. Despite the long odds, they were in it to win it. The newest teams both tried to push the pace, and went airborne often, disorienting their bigger foes. It was fast, and furious, and even a bit bloody, with Booker T taking the first wound of the match by going headfirst into the ringsteps. He persevered – but Caylen Croft, in the other ring could not. The Dudebusters earned a lot of respect that night, but “Dr. Death” eliminated the speedy team by folding up Croft in a big – and surprising – small package for the pin at 17:19.
Heat/WGTT raged on as the Midnight Express entered ring B. The four men in B were certainly no strangers to each other, dating back to their NWA days, and theirs became a very defensive match. The Express wanted to make their signature quick tags and keep on for in their corner; the MVC sought to ground a man and wear him down through sheer brute force.
The action continued for another eight minutes – in both rings –until Gordy pounced on a Lane miscue, and hit “Sweet Stan” with a crushing piledriver. The Midnight Express was eliminated at the 25:27 mark, making way for the final team, the opportunistic Young Bucks. They sprang on the MVC, who were starting to show signs of wear. In ring A, over 20 minutes of non-stop action was still underway, and it was becoming a slugfest. The WGTT had Ray down for multiple two-counts, but couldn’t finish him off. They threw him to the outside, and while the inside official held back Booker T, Haas and Benjamin hit a double belly-to-back suplex on Ray on the floor. Smugly, they rolled his unconscious body back in – but were disqualified by the outside official for their heinous attack!
As they were escorted back to the locker room by two refs, Gordy received the hot tag from his exhausted partner. He cleared house with double-clotheslines, slams, and shoulderblocks. The Bucks were scattered, and Gordy had just enough time to hit a big running boot on Matt Jackson to eliminate the eighth team at 29:57.
The crowd gave the remaining – and exhausted – teams a standing ovation as the Miracle Violence Connection were instructed to enter ring A. Stevie Ray had finally gotten to his feet, and Booker T started the final stage of the gauntlet against Williams. As the two traded punches, the cut over Booker’s left eye bled more and more, but he refused to tag in his brother, who was later diagnosed with a concussion. Gordy entered, and the “six-time, six-time” champ turned the tables, hitting a scissors kick for a long two-count. He slowly got to his feet to do it again, but “Bamm Bamm” shoulder-tackled him into his corner, falling out of the ring as Williams tagged himself in. He bulled Booker up onto his shoulder, and hit his patented running powerslam to finish off his stubborn, bloodied foe.
Winner: The Miracle Violence Connection, 34:40.
vs.
AWA HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
DANIEL BRYAN [C] vs. DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE (w/KIMBERLY PAGE)
AWA HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
DANIEL BRYAN [C] vs. DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE (w/KIMBERLY PAGE)
Hemme made the big-match introductions as the two men stood in the center of ring B, and they shook hands before the bell rang. After that, it was all business. Bryan used his feet early and often, but the former WCW champion scouted him well, and blocked half the kicks aimed his way. Page also sought to use his size advantage, and muscled Bryan into the corner where he could inflict as much damage as possible before the five-count. But the “American Dragon” was also prepared for that plan, and he simply squeezed through the ropes and went outside.
The two locked up again and the action went to the mat. Bryan went after the legs, and tried a variety of submission moves on the “real People’s Champ” to no avail. Consequently, DDP eventually took control and locked in a tight front standing chancery, compressing Bryan’s neck and depriving him of air. The AWA champ escaped the hold with an attack on the challenger’s ribs, but he was unable to immediately follow up – DDP did so, and went for a bearhug.
Bryan fought his way out of this as well, and went back to work on Page’s legs. He took him down and used more submission holds – Boston crabs, half-crabs, and an Indian death lock were all utilized to take away the height and leverage advantage. Page would not give up, despite the long amount of time he was on the mat. Whenever the referee would ask if he was done, he screamed “No!” – and the crowd yelled “YES!”
The submission wrestling took its toll on both men, and they brawled their way to their feet, trading punches and chops. Bryan pushed the pace, hitting flying clotheslines and cross-bodies that softened Page up. Gaining separation on his staggered foe, he sprinted to the corner and charged out, eager to hit the flying knee – but DDP spun at the last millisecond, grabbed Bryan’s head, and hit the Diamond Cutter. One, two – no – Bryan flung his leg across the bottom rope just as the official’s hand was coming down.
Page thought he won, but after seeing the leg, realized the match was still on. He pulled Bryan away from the ropes and went for another pin, but only got another two-count. Frustrated, he stood back, and waited to hit another Cutter. When Bryan stood up, he charged in, but got caught by a big spinning kick to the head. He dropped to one knee, and the champion bounced off the ropes, hitting a perfect flying knee on DDP. But the gritty challenger kicked out at two as well. However, unlike Page, Bryan did not hesitate; he flung himself off the ropes again and hit another kneestrike. Three seconds later, he was on his feet, his hand raised in victory.
Winner: Daniel Bryan, 19:46.
vs.
WAR GAMES / THE MATCH BEYOND – THE HOrSEMEN VS. THE GAIJIN INVASION
TULLY BLANCHARD, EDGE, AND BEER MONEY (ROBERT ROODE AND JAMES STORM, w/J.J. DILLON AND MISSY HYATT) vs.
MIKE AWESOME, THE GREAT MUTA, DICK MURDOCH, AND BIG VAN VADER (w/GARY HART)
The “Canadian Enforcer”, Robert Roode, started off against Dick Murdoch, and the war was on. Murdoch could brawl with the best of them, and he felt at home inside the confines of the double cage – but Roode matched him punch for punch and eyerake for eyerake. Conditioning seemed to be no issue for either man, and they tore into each other for the entire five minute opening round, using both rings in the process. The action was intense, and even, until the first countdown.
The HoRsemen won the coin flip, and Roode’s partner, James Storm, entered the fray. Beer Money quickly took advantage of Murdoch, and sent him flying into the steel mesh face-first, causing the first (bot not last) blood to be spilled. “Captain Redneck” fought back every time, creating space, targeting Roode as often as he could, but Roode and Storm were a well-oiled machine.
At the next buzzer, Mike Awesome entered, and went immediately after Storm. Being the freshest man, Awesome took control, and soon the “Cowboy” was cut as well. In the other ring, Murdoch and Roode continued their fight.
The HoRsemen got the numbers advantage back at the next buzzer, and Tully Blanchard leaped through the door and tackled Awesome. This allowed Beer Money to get together and take on the former ECW champion, while Blanchard kicked away at the weary Murdoch. Awesome was quickly cut open by the steel, as was Roode by this point. As the match went on, it looked much more like a streetfight than it did a wrestling match.
Gary Hart sent in Big Van Vader at the next two-minute interval; he wanted the mastodon in there sooner than later. Enraged, Vader more than evened up the odds. He squashed everything in his path, flattening the three HoRsemen with clotheslines, forearms, and headbutts. If ever there was a wrestler bult for War Games, it was Vader. Beer Money frantically tried to slow him down, but to no avail, and the Gaijin Invasion re-established control during this period.
The last HorSeman, Edge, entered the rings last for his squad. Vader found him, though, and cornered him, mauling him with devastating forearms. As he slouched in the corner, Vader went to the opposite corner and got a running start for a big splash – but the “Rated-R Superstar” met his charge with a pilfered chain he wrapped around his fist. Dillon smiled as Edge took control of the dazed Vader, and pounded on his forehead on the mat.
Finally, the AWA TV champ, the Great Muta, made his way in, and The Match Beyond was on. The only way to beat the opposing team was to cause one of its members to submit, or to knock him out. Muta was met at the door by Blanchard and Storm, and he blinded them both with green mist. As they rubbed their eyes, the champ kicked and chopped them down.
The action could barely be contained by the two rings. It was a violent brawl, and every man took an ungodly amount of punishment in order to dish the same out. None of them left the cages without some sort of wound, while Dillon, Hyatt, and Hart stood by just a few feet away.
Ultimately, though, someone had to lose. While Beer Money squared off against Awesome and Murdoch, and Edge and Muta traded blows, Vader was isolated with Blanchard. He used his muscle to slam the Texan to the mat, then locked on a crippling camel clutch, wrenching back with over 400 pounds of bodyweight. Blanchard hung in for several seconds, but had no choice but to submit, nearly passing out from the pain.
Winners: The Gaijin Invasion, 24:18.