Post by fifthhorseman on Jul 8, 2017 15:07:56 GMT -5
UWF FRIDAY NIGHT’S MAIN EVENT
EPISODE 28
EPISODE 28
A 60-second “still-picture” highlight package of the Crockett Cup was shown, featuring action from the Trios tournament and all of the title matches culminating in the Heenan Family’s victory, and the Hart/Lesnar/Lethal spontaneous triple-threat.
Mauro Ranallo: This is UWF Friday Night’s Main Event! We are live from the Expo Center in Abilene, Texas, and we have four amazing matches for you tonight – Bret “the Hitman” Hart defends his UWF World Heavyweight championship against “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton! Manny Fernandez faces former stablemate Bam Bam Bigelow! Dalton Castle faces newcomer Trent Baretta, and the New Day also make their UWF debut! But before all that, let’s go live to the ring with my partner in color tonight, Eddie Gilbert.
“Hot Stuff’s” involvement was minimal, as he simply handed the microphone over to Commissioner Bill Watts, who was making a rare in-ring appearance. Watts began by saying, “I know that here in the UWF, we usually fight in the middle of this ring, but I have a few announcements for you. First of all, I hope that later tonight, you all can give the New Day a nice Texas welcome. It was tough letting going of my personal favorites go, and I wish the Junkyard Dog all the best in BCCW. But it was an offer that I couldn’t refuse.”
“Second of all, I hope you all watched the Crockett Cup. The Trios action was, simply put, the best tag-team action you’re gonna see in one place at one time, and while I wish one of our trios won it, I have no problem at all with its outcome. Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, Big Van Vader… congratulations. But over those three nights, it also really made clear the fact that there are some outstanding individual athletes in the Trios ranks, especially here in the UWF. Randy Orton, Terry Gordy, Chris Sabin, Bully Ray – there’s four former singles World champs right there, not to mention all of the other singles titles within those ranks. So I’m making it my mandate to incorporate more Trios competitors into our singles matches.”
“Third on my list. I hope you all saw the 45-minute draw between Kenny Omega and Mid-South Junior Heavyweight champion Danny Hodge. The competition inside that division is only getting better, too, with recent additions like CM Punk, Tyson Kidd, and Trent Baretta. And don’t forget the 30-minute draw between Hodge and the Dynamite Kid not that long ago. Don’t forget about the other men in the Trios division like Alex Shelley, Pete Dunne, Kofi Kingston, and more. Oh, and don’t forget about Daniel Bryan, either. It’s a tough, hard division, and one that I feel has been disrespected and misunderstood. So to give it the credit it deserves, I am abandoning the historical - but regional - nameit currently has, and next week, I’ll be rewarding Danny Hodge with a new championship – the UWF World LightHeavyweight championship.”
“Finally, and I’ll make this quick – I just want you all to know that I am working on a Bret Hart – Brock Lesnar rematch. As great as their first match was, I think their next fight will even be better.”
With that, Watts handed the microphone to ring announcer Christy Hemme, and the two men left the ring.
TRENT BARETTA vs. DALTON CASTLE (w/the Boys):
vs.
Ranallo noted that both men were debuting in the newly-rechristened LightHeavyweight division, and Castle was eager to see what he could do. As was Baretta, who took the early “lead” with his lanky frame and leverage. The former Dudebuster used his reach to hit Castle with quick strikes and kicks, and he even swiped at the Boys. But “the Peacock” fired back with kicks of his own, and utilizing his underrated power and amateur acumen, scored several two-counts of his own. He went for a pumphandle slam to try to finish Baretta, but his foe vaulted out of it, hit the ropes, and connected with his Gobstopper running knee, flooring Castle and giving the UWF newcomer the win.
COMMERCIAL
THE NEW DAY vs. BLACK BART, BOBBY DUNCAM JR., AND BILL IRWIN:
vs.
Unsurprisingly, the three Texans were not cheered as they entered the ring. The big ovation was reserved for the UWF’s newest trio, and they did not disappoint the crowd one bit. The match probably lasted a couple of minutes longer than it should have, due to the New Day’s extended squash offense and their playing to the audience. Kingston brought the speed, Langston the power, and Woods the science, and it ended when Big E laid out Irwin with the Big Ending.
After the bout, Kevin Kelly was with the Authority in their private locker room. Triple H was gloating over the beating he put on Dusty Rhodes, and he put the territory on notice that it was time for the Authority to capture all the gold. Kenny Omega chimed in next, claiming that Watts should hand him the new World LightHeavyweight title. Randy Orton offered a half-hearted congratulations to the New Day, but warned them that the Trios division in the UWF was at an entirely different level. Perry Saturn simply said that now that Watts was going to give them more singles shots, it just meant more pain for everyone else in the UWF. Finally, Sean O’Haire ended the segment by calling themselves the “Superteam” of the MUW, and everyone else was going to try to copy the Golden State Warriors to come after their gold. “You can find another trio, or you can put together the three so-called best singles wrestlers you can find, but no one can defeat the Authority… and I’m not telling you something you don’t already know.”
COMMERCIAL
Coming out of the break, it was more trios talk, this time with Kevin Kelly and The Mighty Don’t Kneel. They were looking for an opponent for next week’s FNME – and as luck would have it, the Motor City Timesplitters walked into frame. Challenge = accepted.
BAM BAM BIGELOW vs. MANNY FERNANDEZ (w/Gary Hart):
vs.
As the “Beast from the East” strode to the ring, footage was shown from a previous house show where Bigelow left Hart and his World Class stable – so he was definitely the fan favorite here. Fernandez, bullrope on hand and Hart by his side, entered the ring last, and the two big men started throwing punches before the bell even rang. The ref let a lot go in this one, and both men beat the hell out of each for a solid ten minutes, in and out of the squared circle. Bigelow took charge late, and after a series of corner splashes, he pulled Fernandez into the center of the ring and nailed him with his Greetings From Asbury Park piledriver… and the defiant Texan kicked out at 2.9. Undeterred, Bigelow went to the top rope, presumably for a headbutt – but he was shoved off by Mike Awesome, who had charged down the ramp unseen! The referee called for the disqualification, and Awesome and Fernandez laid the boots to Bigelow for several seconds before leaving with Hart.
COMMERCIAL
Another video package from the Crockett Cup was shown, fading to Kelly standing backstage with Daniel Bryan and Ricky Steamboat. Bryan was on point. “If the Authority thinks it’ll take a 'superteam' to beat them, then maybe I should recruit a free agent or two… wait. Hold a second. I already have one of the best wrestlers on the planet right here in Ricky Steamboat. So there’s one. If you’re just a little bit more patient, we’ll get someone else, and if you’re still holding those titles, sign your names on a contract and we’ll meet you anytime, anyplace.”
Ranallo: The UWF champion insisted on wrestling tonight, to prove to the world that he is 100% and ready to go. I guess we’re about to find out how quickly one recovers from a grueling match with Brock Lesnar – let’s go to Christy Hemme for the introductions!
UWF WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
BOBBY EATON (w/Jim Cornette and Keith Lee) vs. BRET HART (c):
BOBBY EATON (w/Jim Cornette and Keith Lee) vs. BRET HART (c):
vs.
Eaton was very much the mirror image of Hart, given their smooth mat skill and experience; however, “Beautiful Bobby” never really broke the mold of “tag specialist”. All he needed was the opportunity, and with Cornette at his side, he was ready to break through. Hart, for his part, looked ready as well, and after a lengthy exchange of mat holds, “the Hitman” eventually took charge with a hammerlock. He focused on Eaton’s left arm, working it over with elbow strikes and armbars. It took some unseen interference by the big bodyguard Lee to pull Eaton by the leg to the ropes, where he got a reset.
The linchpin of the Midnight Express finally caught a break via a missed elbowdrop, and he worked Hart over with stiff jabs before attacking the ribs, and it was obvious that the champ was still sore. Knees, bodyscissors, and even bearhugs were employed by Eaton, and Cornette was giddy with delight. But the “Excellence of Execution” battled back, and he did enough damage to lock in the Sharpshooter. Eaton fought as long as he could, but he only had so much gas left in the tank, and he finally tapped out. As Hart got his hand raised, Lee lumbered in and clotheslined him from behind. He went for a big splash, but the Canadian rolled out of the way and out of the ring just in time.
Retrieving his title, Hart slowly walked up the ramp, but he only got a third of the way to the stage when Randy Orton walked through the curtains. The show ended in a staredown between “the Viper” and “the Hitman.”