AWA WrestleRock 2014 - the complete card!

[fifthhorseman]

Imagine, if you will, a sold-out Target Field. Two stages, and a wrestling ring, form the sides of a "triangle" that are equally spaced around the field. There are over 50,000 fans in attendance. The shows begins with a one-hour concert featuring - on the same stage - AC/DC and Freddie Mercury!

Joey Styles: Hello wrestling fans! This is WrestleRock 2014! My name is Joey Styles, and with my broadcast partner, Josh Mathews, we are live from Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota! This, my friends, is bigger than the MLB All-Star game, bigger than a rock concert – because it’s both in one night! You’ll be seeing not one, not two, but THREE AWA championship title defenses tonight – and here’s Josh to tell you all about it!

Josh Mathews: As if you didn’t know, you’ll see the AWA Heavyweight champion, Daniel Bryan, defend his championship against the number one contender, Big Van Vader! AWA Tag-Team champs the Miracle Violence Connection versus Beer Money! And kicking things off tonight, the AWA Television champion, the Great Muta goes one-on-one with “the Phenomenal” AJ Styles!

Joey Styles: So dammit, let’s get to the ring – Christy Hemme is standing by to get the “wrestling” part of WrestleRock 2014 underway!

/ vs.

AWA TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

The Great Muta [C] (w/Gary Hart) vs. A.J. Styles:

The show kicked off with two of the greatest technical, most agile wrestlers of their respective eras. Styles walked down the ramp first, looking straight ahead. The champion and his manager followed, equally intense. After Hemme made the introductions, Styles handed over his “Money in the Bank” briefcase to the referee to make the Television title terms official.

Once the bell rang, it was almost beyond the skills of Joey Styles and Josh Mathews to call. Muta and Styles exchanged chops, traded high kicks, and threw each other around the ring with deep armdrags. They even traded top-rope leaps from the turnbuckle to the floor at each other whenever they had the opportunity. But the champion used a nervehold to finally ground Styles, and he body-scissored his foe as well, draining the energy out of him.

However, it didn’t drain the will out of him. Styles struggled to the ropes, and when Muta went for the hold again, the “Phenomenal One” punched his hand away and utilized a surprisingly effective headbutt. It staggered both men, but Styles pressed on, with more punches and lariats. Muta hit him with a big thrust kick, but Styles retaliated with a Pele kick, shocking the champ. He continued with a huge springboard forearm, but just got a two-count. Styles went for his finishing facebuster, but Muta reversed it into a half-crab… but Styles reversed it, too, using his underrated leg strength to send Muta face-first into the middle turnbuckle. Seizing the opportunity, A.J. sprang to the top turnbuckle and hit a 450 splash on Muta. One…. Two… three! A new AWA TV champion! The crowd leaped to their feet and gave both men a standing ovation, and the referee handed Styles his well-earned championship belt.

Lance Russell interviewed AWA Heavyweight champion Daniel Bryan as he entered the building.  It was brief, but the "American Dragon" was to the point:  he beat Vader to win the title once, and he'd beat him again to retain it.

A 60-second video montage followed, detailing the career achievements of the next two teams in action.

/ vs.

BEAT THE CLOCK MATCH

The Midnight Express (w/Jim Cornette) vs. the Motor City Machine Guns:

This was a grudge match, but with important ramifications. As willing as both teams were to pound the hell out of each other all night long, the Guns and the Express knew that they had to win as quickly as possible to earn an August title shot. Cornette constantly looked at his watch, even before the contest started.

From the opening bell, the four wrestled at a high tempo, just like Muta-Styles before them. Whether it was one-on-one, two-on-one, or two-on-two, every maneuver was performed perfectly. Eaton and Lane were a well-oiled machine, while Sabin and Shelley worked rapidly, but in constant control. The Guns slowly but steadily took charge, isolating Eaton and planting him in their corner. But Eaton was tough, and punched his way out of a double-team and brought Lane in. “Sweet Stan” used savate kicks and back-elbows to knock both Guns down, then went after Sabin. He and “the Future” brawled in the middle of the ring, trading chops until both of their chests were badly bruised. Eventually, Lane retreated to the floor – and Sabin followed… as did Shelley, as did Eaton.

Despite Cornette’s warnings, the Express and the Guns fought tooth and nail on the floor. Sabin and Eaton wound up in the crowd, while Lane and Shelley exchanged punches on top of the timekeeper’s table. The referee counted as slowly as he could, but he finally got to ten, and the match was ruled a double-countout. Officials charged out of the back to separate the teams, and it took a couple of minutes to clear ringside.

Cut to a pre-taped interview conducted by Lance Russell with the challenger for the AWA Heavyweight championship, Big Van Vader, and his manager Gary Hart.  It wasn't the most eloquent discussion, but it was certainly one of the most frightening.

Another 60-second video montage, showing each of the 20+ World heavyweight championship wins of the next two competitors.

/ vs.

Edge (w/JJ Dillon and Missy Hyatt) vs. Verne Gagne:

The “Rated-R Superstar” walked down the ramp first with his manager and valet; Gagne followed to a tremendous hometown ovation by over 50,000 fans. Edge jumped Gagne before the bell rang, but the Minnesotan quickly turned the tables on his foe, and whipped him from corner to corner before backdropping him out of the ring. He made his way back in, and Gagne continued the assault with throws, uppercuts, and dropkicks.

Until J.J. Dillon distracted the referee, that is. Edge connected with a low-blow that folded Gagne up, but his roll-up only got a two-count. The leader of the HoRsemen stayed on the offense with everything in his arsenal, legal or otherwise, stretching the rules as far as the official would let him. But Gagne would not stay down, and powered out of every pin attempt as the crowd cheered his name.

The AWA legend exchanged punches in the center of the ring with his opponent. Edge went for his “Edgecution” DDT, but Gagne used another backdrop to throw him. He bounced off the ropes and hit the HoRseman with a shoulderblock. Gagne ran to the rope for another, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Hyatt standing on the ring apron. That was the break Edge needed to hit his spear, folding Gagne in half. After such a hard-fought battle, he got the pin, with Gagne kicking out a millisecond too late.

A video teaser for the next AWA pay-per-view, the Million Dollar Match, was shown.  Then, a pre-taped interview with Lance Russell and the AWA Tag-Team champions, Steve Williams.  They promised to take care of business, and that Beer Money's Crockett Cup win last month was a fluke.

vs.

BEAT THE CLOCK MATCH

Harlem Heat vs. the World’s Greatest Tag-Team:

With no clock to “beat”, both teams were willing to wrestle at a more cautious pace – the only clock they worried about was the 20-minute time limit. This was a match pitting the wrestling acumen of Benjamin and Haas versus the sheer power of Harlem Heat, and the contrast of styles made for an outstanding match. Both squads needed a victory, and with the added incentive of a future title shot, the four men gave it their all.

The collegiate standouts isolated Stevie Ray midway through the match, and kept him on the mat where his strength was negated. They focussed on his lower back and legs, stretching and twisting him in ways the near-300-pounder didn’t want to go. But he eventually muscled Benjamin off him and made the tag to his brother, who took on both members of the WGTT. Booker was a machine, blending speed and brawn, kicks and punches, and he hit a big scissorkick on Haas that might have finished the match had Benjamin not broken the count. All four men wound up in the ring, and after several moments of wild action, Stevie hit his “Slapjack” facebuster on Haas for the victory.

Lance Russell interviewed a beaming AJ Styles in the backstage area, who gave full credit to the Great Muta for the battle, and promised to defend the AWA Television title at every opportunity.

Another 60-second video package was put up, with no commentary on top of it – it simply showed the brutal battles that the next two wrestlers participated in over the years, culminating in their “I Quit” match at Starrcade ’85.

/ vs.

HELL IN A CELL / "I QUIT", LOSER LEAVES AWA MATCH

Tully Blanchard (w/JJ Dillon) vs. Magnum T.A.:

As the cell got set into place, with boom mics spotted all around it, Dillon was escorted outside of it. He was far from happy, but Blanchard reassured him that he had the match won. Magnum stood in the other corner, listening in, with a face that a professional poker player would envy. When the bell rang, the two bitter foes met in the center of the ring, nose to nose. The referee stepped toward them, but Blanchard and Magnum each put a hand in the official’s chest and gently pushed him away. And then it was on.

It was one of the better-WRESTLED Hell in a Cell matches in history, due to the fact that both men brought their working boots. But it was just as violent and hardcore as a typical HiaC brawl, too, just because the two hated each other’s guts. When they stayed in the ring, they exchanged holds and punches and kicks with bad intentions. When they wound up outside on the floor, they found various forms of plunder underneath the ring, and used them to maximum effect. Within minutes, Blanchard and Magnum were both bloodied, but neither would say the two words that would end the match.

The endgame began when Blanchard spotted an open access panel on the top of the cell. He dug in and scrambled up, and eventually stood on top of the cell. Magnum followed, and the two rivals alternated haymakers. Suddenly, T.A. pulled into his foe in and connected with a hard belly-to-belly suplex on the mesh. Dragging Blanchard up by the hair, Magnum wheeled and did a second one, driving Blanchard hard into the unrelenting cage. He pulled him up a third time, and dragged him to the corner of the cell, high above the timekeeper’s table. Magnum locked his hands and told the battered Texan he was going to take them both to hell unless Blanchard quit…

And he did. The boom mic above the cell heard Blanchard say “I quit”, and the referee shouted at Magnum from the ring. Hearing what he needed to hear – and above all else, being a man of honor, Magnum spun him around, and began his descent back down the side of the cell. Blanchard sat alone, atop the cell, hanging his head in shame as the crowd serenaded the bloody victor of the match with a standing ovation.

[fifthhorseman]

After Blanchard scaled down the cage and met with his longtime manager one last time, the lights went down, and the AWA ring crew went to work disassembling the cell. As this was going on, another set of lights lit up the second stage – for Johnny Cash and Metallica!

45 minutes later, it was time to get back to the wrestling ring.

/ vs. ? ? ?

The Monarchy (w/Layla El) vs. ? ? ? ? ?:

Regal led the line, followed by McGuinness, Barrett, and Layla. He entered the ring, acting surprised that nobody else was in it, and he “borrowed” the microphone from Christy Hemme. Soaking in the jeers, he said, “A few nights ago, the Monarchy declared that we would meet any three men in this ring. I had hoped that some industrious trio back there would accept our challenge. I’ll be the first to give this organization credit – there are plenty of talented individuals in the American Wrestling Association… it just so happens that we’re the most talented of the lot. So please, stop wasting our time-“

The microphone went dead, and a spotlight landed on three men walking down one of the aisles from the crowd. They were all wearing the same, generic garb: a three-quarter length, hooded ring robe, done in a red, black, and white pattern. Their faces were obscured. One was obviously a couple of inches shorter than the rest, but all three seemed to be in excellent physical condition. When they got to the ringside area, one of them pointed at the Monarchy, then the timekeeper, as if asking if the Britons were ready. Regal was a bit flustered, but at this point, he couldn’t take back the open challenge – so he motioned to the timekeeper as well, and he rang the bell.

The mysterious trio looked at each other, nodded, and tore off their coats.

Brian Pillman!

Davey Boy Smith!

Dynamite Kid!

The crowd erupted as the three men charged into the ring and the pier-six brawl was on. Because Regal had issued the vague “open challenge”, the referee let everything go – it wasn’t a match so much as it was a Texas Tornado fight. The bewildered Monarchy did not back down, and they fought hard… but they were unprepared for the ferocity of Pillman and the Bulldogs. It barely lasted five minutes from bell to bell. After disposing of Regal and Barrett outside, Smith powerslammed McGuinness, depositing him where the Kid could nail a top-rope headbutt. Pillman immediately followed with a top-rope splash for the pin. After getting their hands raised, the three newcomers went up the ramp to a thundering cheer.

A pre-taped interview was shown from earlier in the afternoon, with Lance Russell speaking with Beer Money and JJ Dillon. Their manager was cool, calm, and collected, and did most of the talking for his men - but Storm and Roode made sure that they got the last word in, guaranteeing a title change tonight.

/ vs. vs. /

Adam Cole (w/Vickie Guerrero) vs. Michael Elgin vs. James Gibson (w/Nidia):

The three men met in the center of the ring, and the powerful Elgin extended his hand to both men, reminiscent of the ROH code of honor – but Cole and Gibson both refused, and they both slapped “Unbreakable”. Elgin responded with a double-clothesline that nearly took his foes’ heads off, and the match was on.

It resembled the chaotic frenzy of a hard-hitting ROH battle, especially with all three in the ring at the same time. But the action came to a sudden stop when a pair of men from Broken City Championship Wrestling walked down the ramp as if they owned Target Field – Ric Flair and Alberto Del Rio! They walked past Nidia and Vickie Guerrero with a courteous nod, and after waiting for Elgin and Gibson to lock up, they waved over Cole. The two BCCW icons spoke to him in the corner, and after Gibson threw Elgin outside into the ring steps, Cole stepped through the ropes and followed Del Rio and Flair back up the ramp! The "Nature Boy" did most of the talking, and right before the trio departed through the curtain, Flair grinned and said, "I made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Whoooo!"

Meanwhile, the “Redneck Messiah” screamed at the referee that he was the winner, seeing how both of his foes should have been counted out. At that, the official was summoned to the timekeeper’s table and spoke with him, and then Hemme – who declared that the match would continue. As if on cue, Elgin charged into the ring and bulled Gibson back into the corner. The next few minutes see-sawed, Elgin’s brawn versus Gibson’s smarts and skill, and after exchanging multiple near-finishes, Elgin ended it with – of all things – a small package.

Footage from the 2014 AWA Crockett Cup was shown, most prominently, the semi-final match between the top two teams in the AWA. Styles listed the various accomplishments of both teams throughout their illustrious careers... and lengthy lists they were.

/ vs.

AWA TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

Beer Money (w/JJ Dillon) vs. the Miracle Violence Connection [C]:

The challengers entered the field first, and Storm held the Crockett Cup trophy high overhead all the way down to the ring. Williams and Gordy followed, holding the AWA straps over their heads. Hemme made the big-fight introductions in the center of the ring as the two teams paced like caged animals. Each duo felt like they were the best tag-team in the MUW network, and they were ready to prove it.

Williams and Roode started the match, and the “It Factor” got bounced around the ring like a rubber ball by shoulder-tackles and hip-tosses. He rolled outside to confer with Dillon, and re-entered a moment later with a plan. He blinded the Doc with an eyerake, then threw some hard punches at him. It turned into a brawl, and Gordy and Storm soon jumped in as well, all throwing big rights and lefts. The referee sat in the corner until he could wait no more, and he jumped in to separate the four.

But before Storm and Gordy were forced out, “the Cowboy” hit a running high-knee on Williams from behind, and he flew head-first into a corner suddenly lacking its padding – thanks to Dillon. “Dr. Death” came up bloody, and it was more than a trickle. “Bamm Bamm” was furious, and Roode pounded Williams’ forehead without mercy. The next few minutes were a tag clinic, with the HoRsemen working like a machine, cutting their opponents off. However, a missed clothesline from Storm allowed a half-conscious Williams to finally get Gordy in.

Gordy was a man possessed. The big man was a flurry of motion, and Beer Money was scattered. Punches and forearms, dropkicks and backdrops, and a dozen other different moves were executed flawlessly by the near 300-pounder. He tucked Roode’s head and gave him a vicious piledriver; unsatisfied, he grabbed Storm and did the same. Screaming for the referee, Gordy pinned the legal man, Roode, but only got a long two-count. He picked up Roode for a suplex, but in a desperate show of strength, the HoRseman reversed it and sent Gordy crashing into his own corner, where Williams tagged himself in.

His head covered in duct tape, the result of a hasty self-administration, “Dr. Death” went to work. He hauled Roode up and knocked him back down three times with heavy shoulder-blocks. Storm tried to intercede, but a press-slam took the wind out of his sails. He went back to Roode, and picked him up for his “Oklahoma Stampede” powerslam – but as Roode landed, he slipped from Doc’s grasp and rolled outside the ring. Dillon barked on the apron, and Gordy knocked him down with a solid left hook.

And that was the distraction Beer Money needed. When Williams bent through the ropes to haul Roode back in, Storm smashed him across the front of his skull with the Crockett Cup! Already suffering from a lack of blood, and with the adrenaline wearing off, Williams fell backwards like a fallen oak. Roode scrambled in as fast as he could, and made the cover. Storm stumbled over both men, falling into Gordy’s legs, as the referee counted to three. Beer Money – new AWA Tag-Team champions.

Another teaser for the Million Dollar Match PPV was shown. Afterwards, Styles and Mathews discussed the upcoming main event, as video footage of both men's career highlights were summarized in a video package.

vs. /

AWA HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

Daniel Bryan [C] vs. Big Van Vader (w/Gary Hart):

The final match of the night, and the biggest. Vader was supremely confident, having pinned the champion earlier in the week in a tag match. Bryan didn’t seem affected at all; he was ready to go, and eager to prove that he was the best wrestler on the planet. After the intros, the referee pointed to each man, then the timekeeper, and the match started.

Take their match at SuperClash 2.1 and double the intensity and excitement. Vader chased after the speedy champion, who was content to fight from the outside guard with kicks. Bryan targeted the behemoth’s left knee, and even took him down early in the match. He locked in a single leg Boston crab, but Vader kicked out with relative ease. When the “American Dragon” went after the knee again, Vader anticipated the strike, and grabbed Bryan’s leg. Then he flung him through the ropes and into the timekeeper’s table!

The champion was in agony, and waited for as long as he could before crawling back inside the ring. Vader forced him into a corner and landed huge forearm smashes into Bryan’s back and shoulders. The champ tried to spin out of it, but the former WCW titleholder crashed into him with several avalanche splashes. Big Van Vader casually tossed him into the center of the ring and covered him with his foot, but Bryan kicked out at one.

Vader stayed on the offense, but could not get the pin. With Hart cheering him on, the challenger pulled Bryan by one hand to a corner, unable to get to his feet. Vader went to the middle rope, setting for his middle-rope slingshot splash… but he changed his mind, and went to the top… for a moonsault. Down he came, but Bryan saw it, and barely rolled to safety. The wind was knocked out of Vader, and Bryan got to his feet first. Big kicks to Vader’s chest, followed by a shining wizard that flattened his foe, but it only got a count of two. Bryan then locked in a triangle choke, but Vader refused to yield.

Gary Hart was apoplectic. He started waving his arms, and Mike Awesome – watching from a backstage monitor – began striding down the ramp. However, he was cut off halfway down by Barry Windham and a host of other referees. With all this happening, the man in charge inside the ring never saw Vader struggle to his feet, with Bryan still onboard. The mastodon stumbled, and with his foe obscuring his vision, the two wrestlers crashed into the ref, knocking him through the ropes and into the ringsteps.

Bryan and Vader fell to the mat again, the triangle choke still applied, but with no official to check on him, and the other officials tied up with Awesome and Windham. Suddenly, a man wearing stage production overalls rolled from underneath the ring, slid inside, and kicked Vader in the ribs!

Joey Styles: Oh my God! That’s… that’s the MUW World heavyweight champion, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin!

The single kick to his opponent was enough to catch Bryan’s attention, and he quickly released the choke and stood up to confront Austin, who said, “I’m just doin’ you a favor, ‘champ’ – you can’t handle guys like this… or me.”

Bryan yelled at Austin to leave, and the intruder held his hands up in mock surrender and turned… in fact, he spun all the way around and planted a big boot into Bryan’s midsection. Then – the Stunner!

The champion went down hard. Vader staggered to his feet and dragged Bryan across the ring. Austin rolled outside and tossed the groggy ref back in, and left through the crowd as the masked monster climbed to the middle ropes and connected with a 430-pound "Vader Bomb". A count of one. Two. And three.

Vader slowly rose to his feet, holding his neck as Gary Hart bolted into the ring to congratulate his client. The referee got the AWA Heavyweight title from the timekeeper, and handed it to the new champion, who bellowed in triumphant rage. He stood on the middle rope with the title on both hands, as Bryan lay in the middle of the squared circle… credits roll, fade to black, end of show.

[rick54]

Oh just a terrific card from top to bottom. Obviously, Vader taking the AWA heavyweight belt off of Bryan was huge. I really hated to see Beer Money getting the belts off of Miracle Violence, who are my AWA favorites. What a surprise when Flair and Del Rio show up and make Cole some offer he was not going to refuse. Pillman, Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith stopping Monarchy was a crowd pleaser. And I suspected Tully will be the one hitting the road. Great stuff.

[karlhugo]

In one word, "wow". Is WrestleRock the signature event of the AWA year? Because this was by far your biggest, most intense production ever. Huge winds of change, starting from the pre show on down. Great use of the musical acts as well. AJ Styles is new TV champion, Beer Money new tag champs, and then a cataclysmic AWA title change in the main event. Daniel Bryan once again screwed by the "Authority", this time it's World champion Stone Cold Steve Austin with a chip on his shoulder. Plus surprises and twists abound. British Bulldogs! Flair and ADR's irrefusable offer to Adam Cole! Metallica and Johnny freaking Cash! 45 minutes later and I'm still just getting my bearings! Irregardless if this is your "signature event" or not, WrestleRock has been AWA's greatest triumph this year. With a calender chock full of big name matches from other promoters, the AWA rolls its sleeves up and gets his hands dirty to provide a card that may stand alone in the end as the best super card of the entire year. Really impressive stuff and the cliff hanger ending of Austin stunning Daniel Bryan is enough to keep me salivating for more. 20 out of 20 points for WrestleRock 2014.

[fifthhorseman]

Thanks for reading, guys. Thought I'd shake things up a bit. I hadn't planned on WrestleRock being the big show of the year, but I'll take the praise just the same. I'll build on some of the aftermath immediately, and some of it will play out over the coming weeks. I think. Hey, you never know... the only limit here is our imagination!

[Slade]

I'm relieved to read that WrestleRock isn't intended to be your big show of the year. I thought it was, but with the screwjob ending in the main event, I'm glad it is not. Sure AGPW is no stranger to shenanigans, including its shenanigan of preference: the outside interference. However, I have always preferred to stir clear of shenanigans - or at least not to have them affect the outcomes of matches - on the big ones (Wrestlemania, Starrcade). That's why Journey to Greatness didn't feature any interference or other shenanigans that could lead to controversial finishes, which is something I think AGPW has become known for.

And on this night, it wasn't only the referee bump and interference from Steve Austin in the main event that led to a title change, but also Beer Money using the Crockett Cup as a weapon to help them take the straps off of Miracle Violence Connection. Two out of three title changes were clouded in controversy. I would excuse Beer Money's actions any day of the week. I like the way that was booked. However, if WrestleRock was your big show of the year, adding in twists to the Bryan vs. Vader match would have been an unsatisfactory end to the match and the entire show for me. Instead, the booking is alright, as it advances a new story as part of the inter-promotional work that AWA is starting up with WWE for the next few months. Plus, I can picture the booking decision might eventually lead to a re-match with plenty of heat on it sometime after Battleground II, which could very well be the main event of AWA's biggest show of the year. Besides, Bryan and Vader now have a 1-1 record against each other. I think we'll eventually have to have a rubber match.

Having said all of that, I liked a lot of your other decisions. You cleansed the pallet by having three championships change hands in one night. That's a huge development that should definitely lead to some fresh directions and title feuds in the coming months. I'm a big fan of your decision to have Harlem Heat win the Beat the Clock challenge, especially with Beer Money taking home the tag titles. I'm reminded of how their one previous AWA match ended without a winner and it left me wanting more. I can't help but wonder if you had that in mind when you were making your decisions. I think Magnum TA was the right guy to have go over in a bloody Hell in the Cell match. Plus, the surprise debut of the Stampede Wrestling stalwarts, Brian Pillman and the British Bulldogs, was a great surprise. I think they will all fit nicely in AWA. The Monarchy played its role to perfection and I don't think they come out looking any worse for getting squashed.

All in all, I think WrestleRock was a strong event and I look forward to seeing where AWA takes us next!

[fifthhorseman]

For the record, SuperClash is the big card in the AWA calendar. And with those screwy finishes. you may have noticed who my latest acquisition is; he'll deal with it very soon.

Glad you noticed that the Bryan-Vader "series" is indeed tied 1-1. Again, I suspect something will be announced in the near future there. Not sure if I'll have a name for the Stampede stable (hmm, that would actually work!), but they will be a unit, working together; Magnum got rid of Tully, now I gotta do something with Magnum; ditto the now-three-man HoRsemen group; and gotta start building to the best PPV in September!

As always, thanks for the honest, in-depth feedback.