Post by fifthhorseman on Jun 4, 2018 1:06:57 GMT -5
GIW – FINAL DESTINATION
A 60-second highlight reel of GIW action is shown to warm up the crowd, pyro follows, and legendary announcer Lance Russell sits down at the announce table with his color co-hosts for the night: the Best Friends, Trent Barreta and Chuck Taylor.
DARK MATCH
ELI DRAKE vs. DAVEY BOY SMITH:
vs.
Drake was none too happy about wrestling before the broadcast began, and he took it out early on the “British Bulldog”. He punched and kicked and brawled from the onset, hitting Smith from all angles. But when he tried to overpower the former European champion, the tide turned; Davey Boy pressed Drake overhead and threw him halfway across the ring. Smith took charge with clotheslines, slams, and suplexes, but couldn’t put away the former TNA World champ. The competitive match ended at 12:02, when Smith went for his patented running powerslam; Drake slid off his back and shoved him chest-first into the turnbuckles, then rolled him up from behind with a handful of tights. It was a cheap win, but it was a win.
The permanently-affixed backstage cameraman caught up to Drake after a quick promo spot, still savoring his win. As he made his way through the area, the former TNA champion spotted Curt Hennig stretching in preparation of his title match. He smirked at Hennig, who warily eyed him before continuing his routine. A few seconds later, Drake rushed back into the shot, and back-suplexed the second-generation star on the hard floor! GIW personnel forced “the Defiant One” from the scene, who laughed all the way back to his dressing room.
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Russell: “Hello wrestling fans at home and around the world. This is GIW Final Destination – the ultimate journey for some ends tonight, as three championships will be decided here at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada. I’m joined by Chuck Taylor and Trent Barreta on commentary, but before we settle in to call the action, let’s go to the ring.”
GIW President and CIO Jeff Jarrett stood in the ring with a microphone. “Hi everybody, and thank you all for making Global Impact Wrestling the most exciting territory in the MUW Network. I’m gonna keep this short – I know that you didn’t buy a ticket, and you at home didn’t buy this pay-per-view, to hear a 15-minute monologue to start things off. You can get that on other shows - that don't happen here.”
“Over the last few weeks, someone – more accurately, two someones – have been running roughshod on the GIW roster. I think it’s pretty obvious who it is. So, effectively immediately, and until I can get the paperwork taken care of, Hawk and Animal are barred from Mandalay Bay, and any other arena we work in. If either of us show your faces, the entire roster knows that they have carte blanche to remove you by any means necessary.”
“Now, let’s crown us some champions!”
GIW KING OF THE RING CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
BULLY RAY DUDLEY vs. CURT HENNIG vs. PAUL ORNDORFF:
After the three men were introduced, Jeff Jarrett entered the ring again with the microphone in hand. “First of all, good luck. Whoever walks out of here the winner tonight truly deserves the title of ‘King of the Ring’. Now, as you know, there’s gonna be a special enforcer outside the ring for this match. And from here on out, every championship match in GIW will have two referees – one inside, whose decision is final, and one outside. So without further ado, let me introduce the other referee for your match… oh wait, it’s me.” Jarrett smirked at Dudley, whose actions and threats earlier in the KotR tournament got him to the finals, and sat down beside the timekeeper.
The bell rang, and it was showtime. Despite the fact that all three were rulebreakers, each man had his fans. Hennig was visibly favoring his back, and that made him a target early on. His opponents teamed up to bash him, but inevitably, they turned on each other. “Mr. Wonderful” and the Bully traded haymakers in the corner, and it spilled outside, where GIW’s Chief Imagination Officer encouraged to get back in.
Eleven minutes in, the match saw its first elimination and it was a bit of a shocker. “Mr. Perfect” rallied, chucking Dudley outside and focusing on Orndorff. A pair of clotheslines knocked him down, and then Hennig cinched him in for the Perfectplex. But his back was too sore to finish it, and Orndorff lifted him up and dropped him hard with a vertical suplex of his own. As the two crashed to the mat, Bully Ray went airborne from the top turnbuckle as well, landing squarely on Hennig with a near-300-pound senton. Seizing the opportunity, both Orndorff and Dudley pinned Hennig, and he was gone.
The action immediately continued, and it was a slugfest for another ten minutes. The ECW stalwart tried to finish it much sooner, knowing he had a second match in store, while the freakishly-conditioned Orndorff was prepared to wrestle all night. But a missed turnbuckle charge cut “Wonderful’s” head open, and he began to bleed profusely. Bully Ray kept on it with vicious elbows and punches, and taunted the Florida native with every strike.
When Orndorff collapsed, Dudley decided to poke his head through the ropes and taunt Jarrett as well. “Double J” got up, his trusty guitar in hand, as the inside referee checked on Orndorff. They jawed for several seconds, and finally, Jarrett lifted his guitar up and threatened to swing at his antagonist. Dudley reflexively ducked and backed away… right into a rollup by “Mr. Wonderful”. Using every bit of leverage and bodyweight he could, along with a handful of pants – just like his Main Event Machine colleague did earlier to Smith - Orndorff became the first-ever GIW King of the Ring at 23:46.
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Moments later, while Orndorff and Drake celebrated backstage, the Usos and the Street Profits surrounded Jarrett.
Jey Uso: “Yo, we were supposed to be on this show, but you pulled us at the last minute. What’s the deal with that?”
Jarrett: “Nothing personal, guys, just business. Pay-per-view costs money, and I bought a finite amount of time tonight for this slot.”
Ford: “So you don’t think we’re good enough for your show, is that right?”
Jarrett: “Look, fellas, I’ll make you a deal. I can’t guarantee you a match tonight, but next week, on Friday Night Impact, you guys will face off in a number one contenders match for the GIW Intercontinental titles, OK? Win, and you get a title shot. Hell, I’ll even make it the main event!”
Jimmy Uso: “…Deal. You boys are going to the Uso Penitentiary.”
ACES HIGH vs. the REVIVAL:
vs.
Dawson and Wilder entered the ring first, eager to put their “no flips just fists” philosophy into practice. Their low-key entrance was then blown away by the flamboyant rock stars of GIW, whom the fans sang to the ring.
Aces High went on the attack early, with Nakamura and Tanahashi tagging in and out frequently and dazzling the Revival with high-energy offense. However, Dawson and Wilder were both tough as nails, and kicked out of every pin until they could change the momentum of the fight. It was old-school offense with a 21st century upgrade after that, and Nakamura was in peril for several minutes. Luckily for the “King of Strong Style”, he was able to somersault over an attempted double-back-bodydrop, and tagged in Tanahashi. He fought both Dawson and Wilder, and it briefly turned into a four-man brawl before Nakamura kicked Dawson out of the ring. Tanahashi locked the Texas cloverleaf onto Wilder, and he had no choice but to tap out at 9:48.
OWEN HART vs. NIGEL McGUINNESS:
vs.
Two of the most technically proficient and inventive grapplers in the entire MUW Network were eager to put their skills on display, and the first couple of minutes were a clinic in catch as catch can wrestling. The match was fought at a crisp pace, with the rangy Brit using his reach and leverage advantages and the “Blackheart” employing speed and agility. As the bout approached its time limit, the two traded European uppercuts in the center of the ring. McGuinness hit Hart out of nowhere with a hammerlock DDT, and got a long count of two. But he took too long arguing with the ref, giving his foe time to recover. When he finally went to pick Hart up, he was hit with a snap belly-to-belly suplex, and locked in the Sharpshooter. Unable to hang on for just a few more seconds, McGuinness submitted at 19:53.
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The backstage cameraman picked up another argument in between matches – this time, it was Jarrett and Paul Ellering. The audio was inconveniently muffled, but “Double J” seemed to be telling the Legion of Doom’s longtime manager that he should leave the premises. Ellering, on the other hand, said something to the effect of, “You think my men really need to attack people from behind? That’s not how they do business.”
GIW INTERCONTINENTAL TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
45-MINUTE IRONMAN MATCH
CURT HENNIG AND BRIAN PILLMAN vs. the U.S. EXPRESS:
vs.
Big match intros for this one; Windham and Gordy entered the ring first, followed by Pillman and Hennig, who was stubbornly pretending he was 100%. As per Jarrett’s dual referee system, the outside official checked each man as he entered the ring, UFC-style. Inside the squared circle, there was obvious mutual respect, but no handshakes. Pillman and Windham – former allies in WCW – started the match, both working at a deliberate pace. All four men were capable of going an hour if need be, but there was no sense sprinting out of the gate.
As the bout progressed, five and then ten minutes in, it was obvious that the “Loose Cannon” was trying to shoulder the load for his team. “Bamm Bamm” and “the Widowmaker” tagged much more frequently, but regardless, it was a stalemate. Eventually, 14 minutes in, Gordy scored the first pin in the match by hitting a rolling Samoan drop / belly-to-back suplex combination on Pillman.
After a 30-second grace period, the action continued. Pillman absorbed more punishment, but gave as good as he got. Eventually, he made the tag to “Mr. Perfect”, who was full of adrenaline and anger. The pace picked up, and all four men got their chance to shine. After all of the methodical grappling that took place to start the contest, this was a blitzkrieg of offense, and Pillman took Gordy – and himself – over the top rope with a flying bodypress. Inside the ring, Hennig hit a basement dropkick squarely to the front of Windham’s left knee, then immediately went for the Indian deadlock. Both men writhed on the canvas for about ten seconds, until the big Texan – perhaps acknowledging that long-term damage would hurt the Express’s odds – gave up, tying the match at one fall apiece, 22 minutes in.
Brand new ballgame. The next ten minutes breezed by, with the Freebird dominating his opponents. Freakishly smooth for his size, Gordy tossed Hennig and Pilllman around, but couldn’t finish them off. Then, Pillman took advantage of a missed dropkick to lay boots into his back, and he and his partner took charge. Back and forth it went, past the 40-minute mark, neither duo giving an inch. The bruises and welts were already showing on their tired bodies, and even both referees were feeling fatigued. Tossing Windham from the ring, Hennig and Pillman double-teamed Gordy, and then set him up for a spike piledriver. As the seconds oozed off the clock, “Mr. Perfect slowly, and painfully, worked “Bamm Bamm” up, while the other former Horseman stood on the middle turnbuckle… and then stepped up to the top. He took flight, hands above his head… and from out of nowhere, he was hit in mid-air by a Windham lariat, folding him nearly in half. As Gordy held “Perfect” back, Windham crawled on top of Pillman, hooking the leg. One, two, three, and they scored the fall to go ahead – just as time expired. 45 long, tough minutes from the opening bell, the U.S. Express earned the GIW Intercontinental straps.
THE DYNAMIC 2UO vs. the MIDNIGHT EXPRESS:
vs.
A brief video recap of their match from Friday Night Impact, when Eaton and Lane made their debut and defeated the unprepared heel team. Hernandez and Aries entered the ring first, waiting for their foes – and they jumped them before the bell rang. The 2uo put the boots to the newcomers, getting a sizable advantage before the referee could restore order. For most of the match, it was “Beautiful Bobby” playing the face in peril role, with “A-Double” and the “Handsome Half-Breed” working like a well-oiled machine. However, the Express were able to swing their momentum back, and hit the Veg-O-Matic on Hernandez at 10:29 to earn the victory.
As the two NWA icons saluted the crowd, they were jumped from behind by the bitter 2uo, who tossed Lane from the ring. Aries hit Eaton with a brainbuster, and then he and Hernandez bolted from the ring, exacting a small measure of revenge on the victorious Express.
Before the last match of the night, Russell told the TV audience that the Hall of Pain quit GIW, and the collective sigh from the Best Friends at commentary was comically loud.
GIW WORLD TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
TLC ELIMINATION RULES
THE DUDLEY BOYZ vs. EDGE AND CHRISTIAN:
vs.
The opposing duos knew each other extremely well, and they were arguably each other’s toughest foes. When the bell rang, the Dudleyz pounced, and the Canadians were ready for them. The next ten minutes were typical, exciting, smashmouth, TLC highlight reel moments, impossible to describe. Blood was evident early on, and senses were rattled. The hooligans from Dudleyville were the first to claim the right to grab the belts, when the ECW stalwarts hit their patented “Whassup” spot on Christian from a tall ladder – except instead of a strategically-placed headbutt, it was an elbowdrop. However, in a no-DQ format like this, it counted, and the referee counted the pin.
The “Rated-R Superstar” was at a distinct disadvantage. His friend was barely able to move, and he had to defend the ladder from both Dudleyz. If either man climbed up, the match would be over. Edge had to hit and run on D-Von and Bully Ray, and he did for a few moments, but he quickly tired. The big brawlers pounded Edge down, and decided that they’d rather beat the hell out of the former WWE champ than claim the titles – after all, in their mind, it was a foregone conclusion.
However, Christian made his way back into the fight, and speared Bully Ray out of the ring and through a table. As those two lay outside, Edge and D-Von exchanged rights and lefts in the center of the ring. But “Brother D-Von” was stronger, and knocked Edge to one knee. Rebounding off the ropes, he hit a big shouldertackle, and waited for him for to get back up. When he did, Dudley hit the ropes again, but the “Ultimate Opportunist” was waiting, and hit him with a chair. D-Von was stunned; Edge put the chair down, and hit his foe with the Edgecution DDT on it. Three seconds later, it was open season on the belts hanging overhead, and either team could grab them.
It was the same beautiful chaos as the match went past the 20-minute mark. The effects of the violence were showing on everybody, and each man was favoring one body part or another. Limping and staggering, they used every weapon at their disposal and hit nearly every finished in their respective arsenals, but to no avail. Finally, after a vicious Tower of Doom spot that saw all four men go through multiple tables on the outside, one man slowly crawled out of the wreckage – Bully Ray. He crawled underneath the bottom rope, and began setting up a ladder. As he did so, Christian emerged, and got into the ring as well. Meanwhile, Edge desperately clung to D-Von with a full nelson, as his leg was trapped in the table wreckage. Christian and Bully Ray exchanged punches from opposite sides of the ladder, and then the bigger man twisted Christian around, locking him in for an elevated Bubba Bomb. But a millisecond before they took flight, the “Instant Classic” somehow vaulted over Dudley, and hit him with a massive inverted DDT from ten feet high. With Edge cheering him on, Christian climbed the ladder again, and to a massive ovation, grabbed both titles and held them high overhead.
As the announcement was made, the two new champions embraced and celebrated with the fans at ringside. Edge and Christian then slowly made their way up the ramp, lifted the belts up one more time, and walked back through the curtain as Russell thanked the crowd for -
Suddenly the World champions were thrown back through the curtain and onto the ramp. They were exhausted and could barely stand, and as the show began to fade to black, their sadistic attackers strode through the curtain as well. But it was not who you might expect.
Not Hawk and Animal.
It was Cactus Jack and Umaga, and they stood triumphantly over Edge and Christian’s bodies as the PPV went off the air.