Post by fifthhorseman on Sept 21, 2018 0:10:34 GMT -5
MLW FRIDAY NIGHT HEAT
EPISODE 10
EPISODE 10
Cold open in the ring. Money Inc. – Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster – stood in the ring, absorbing the jeers from the hot crowd in Tampa. They just smirked, unfazed.
Schyster: “Let’s get right to it, because time is money. A couple of months ago, my partner here asked me to look into the finances of GIW, and it didn’t take me very long to determine that this was a house of cards that was inevitably going to collapse. It was only a matter of time. So we watched, and waited, and most importantly, Ted reached out to one of his business associates. And on the eve of Major Impact, the deal was done.”
DiBiase: “So without further ado, let me introduce to you, the man who will not let this franchise down. A man with the vision, the business acumen, and the competitive fire required to make this the crown jewel of the MUW Network! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the owner and CEO of Major League Wrestling… George Steinbrenner!”
Though it was fairly common knowledge within the MUW community, it was still shocking to see Steinbrenner walk down the ramp and into the ring, where he shook both men’s hands. Schyster handed him a microphone, and “the Boss” said, “I’ll make this brief, because we aren’t going to be the wrestling show that starts with 20-minute speeches. The buck stops with me. You’re going to see the best wrestlers on Earth, wrestling in the best matches anywhere, and that starts tonight. But first… Irwin?”
Schyster put his ever-present briefcase on the mat and slowly opened it while Steinbrenner continued. “I love team sports, so of course I love MLW. But we also need a World champion, to singularly represent this franchise like every other franchise in the MUW Network. So, Ted, I’d like to thank you for helping make all of this happen…”
The billionaire reached down into the suitcase and withdrew a gold-plated championship belt.
“…and declare you, Ted DiBiase, to be the first Major League Wrestling World Heavyweight champion.”
The “Million Dollar Man” took the title, and his trademark laugh filled the USF Sun Dome. As the three men departed, legendary play-by-play man Lance Russell sat in disbelief. He was joined at the table by one-half of the Main Event Machine, Eli Drake, who simply said, “Wow.”
Russell: “I’m flabbergasted. Five minutes into the show, and we have a new, if you can call it that, World champion. And to be honest, fans, I don’t even know what’s going on tonight. I’m happy to welcome you all to the new home of GIW – I mean, MLW – and that’s the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida. According to my notes, I’m supposed to set up this next segment with… well, I’ll find out with you, so let’s go to the video now.”
As if on cue, the next shot was of a desk with an esoteric combination of television, sports, and other memorabilia around it. The chair was empty, but only for a couple of seconds; it was filled by a trim, bearded man, whose identity immediately intrigued the live crowd.
“Hello, wrestling fans. I’m Chuck Norris, the Commissioner of Major League Wrestling. In the coming weeks, you may – or may not – hear more from me, but for now, I prefer to let my actions speak for me instead. For starters, because of the ongoing and irreconcilable differences between the MLW Intercontinental Tag-Team champions, Terry Gordy and Barry Windham, I am stripping them of the titles. Their inability to defend those titles without fighting each other isn’t fair to the other teams on this roster. So next week, we will have a fatal four-way match to determine new champions. Barry Windham and a partner of his choice, and Terry Gordy with a partner of his choice, will be two of those teams. The Great Britons, who were forced to take a no-decision at Major Impact against the U.S. Express, will get another chance as the third team. And finally, the Heroes of the Republic – Rusev and Nikita Koloff – earned their shot by winning the gauntlet match that same night, so they’re getting it next week as well.
“One more match announcement. Tonight, we’re going to have another fatal four-way to determine the top contender for the MLW Wild Card championship. Consider the King of the Ring title retired – ‘three-way dances’ are no way to determine the winner in a legitimate sport. So while Davey Boy Smith will continue to wear our new modified title, Paul Orndorff doesn’t simply get a rematch by default. For one thing, the other man that was supposed to be in that match at Major Impact never got his shot, so Buddy Murphy, you’re wrestling tonight. Furthermore, plenty of men have joined MLW since ‘Mr. Wonderful’ first won that gold, so we’re going to give two of those newcomers an opportunity. You’ll see who they are… later tonight. Enjoy the show.”
COMMERCIAL
The NEW ZEALAND MILITIA vs. the ROAD WARRIORS (w/Paul Ellering):
vs.
Rip Morgan and Jack Victory were already standing in the ring – never a good sign. “Iron Man” blasted over the PA system, and the crowd rose as one as the Road Warriors strode to the ring, followed by their manager. The two-plus minutes that followed were exactly what you’d expect, and the baddest team on the planet left without saying a word, while the Militia wondered why they ever signed MLW contracts.
Russell: “Hawk and Animal, the Legion of Doom, just made a statement. I have to wonder if, with new ownership in place, we can expect to see them on a more regular basis. I certainly hope so. However, I’ve been told that we’re going to go to the big screen to show a video clip, then we’re going right back to the ring for more action!”
The highlight package featured clips from the Midnight Express/Dynamic 2uo lumberjack match from Major Impact, which Lane and Eaton won. Suffice to say, when the next match was introduced, a couple of people – and especially, one James E. Cornette – were infuriated before the bell even rang.
OWEN HART (w/Davey Boy Smith) vs. GINO HERNANDEZ (w/Austin Aries and Jim Cornette):
vs.
vs.
The sneaky “Handsome Half-Breed” tore into his foe early with kicks and punches of the cheap shot variety, but Hart didn’t stay down long. The Canadian’s mat skills and agility were practically unmatched in the MUW Network, and he baffled Hernandez with his speedy strikes. The next few minutes were fought at a quick pace, but as Hart took charge, his partner was distracted by a pair of intruders on the ramp: the Great Britons. While the “British Bulldog” sauntered up to reluctantly talk to them, Hart pinned his opponent with a top-rope cross-bodypress.
Immediately after the referee counted three, Aries bolted in and started putting the boots to Hart, and his partner joined in. It was a two-on-one assault for at least ten seconds, until Smith finally noticed and ran back to the ring, scaring off the 2uo. He helped his brother-in-law back to his feet and raised his hand… and the Britons were gone.
COMMERCIAL
No vignettes or videos to fill time, it was straight to the ring announcer for the next match.
3 COUNT vs. the BRISCOE BROTHERS:
vs.
vs.
To say these teams were a contrast of styles would be a huge understatement. The Briscoes were feeling very confident – despite their showing in the gauntlet match, they never really lost it, either, and they were taking credit for running the Dudley Boyz out of town. Conversely, Helms and Moore were still looking for their first televised win in MLW.
Unfortunately, they weren’t getting it tonight. It was a competitive nine-minute battle, but in the end, Jay hit his aptly-named Jay Driller on Moore to secure the win. Like the Road Warriors earlier on, the ROH icons were staking their claim in Major League Wrestling.
After both teams were gone, Drake turned to Russell and said, “I gotta go, dummy! It’s time to psych up the champ, and that’s just… a fact of life!”
The legendary broadcaster shook his head as Drake left, and looked into the camera, deadpan, for a few seconds. Finally, he said, “Before our final match of the night starts in just a few moments, I’d like to bring in a close friend of mine, a man who literally put this franchise on the map. His name is Jeff Jarrett.”
“The Chosen One”entered the shot, shook hands with Russell, and sat down at the table. When asked how he was doing, Jarrett sighed and said, “To be honest, Lance, I feel like an enormous weight has been lifted off my shoulders. We gave it a hell of a run, made people take notice of us, and reinvigorated tag-team wrestling across the Network. I just couldn’t keep it going, but that said, I can’t complain about what’s going on now. What’s most important to me, is that the boys still all have a place to work, and with new stable ownership, they'll thrive.”
Russell: “And what exactly is your stake in all this these days?”
Jarrett: “Well, I’m still onboard as CIO, so I make the matches – and I’m under orders to be even more imaginative, so you just wait. I also still own a tiny piece of the pie here – full disclosure – so the better MLW does, the better it is for me, so trust me, I am more than motivated to put out a good product for you all. And finally, I’m ready to get back in the ring and wrestle again. Don’t worry, no conflict of interest there, the office can take care of my matches… but that said, I need a partner. So help me spread the word, 'cause I’m looking for one!”
Russell: “Thanks for that update, Jeff, and on behalf of all of our fans, thanks for everything you’ve done. Now let’s get back to the ring for our main event match of the night.”
FATAL FOUR-WAY TOP CONTENDERS MATCH
CHRISTOPHER DANIELS vs. ELIAS vs. BUDDY MURPHY vs. PAUL ORNDORFF:
vs. vs. vs.
CHRISTOPHER DANIELS vs. ELIAS vs. BUDDY MURPHY vs. PAUL ORNDORFF:
vs. vs. vs.
Daniels, Murphy, and Orndorff all came down with their respective partners; Elias, the newest member of MLW, made his way to ringside last, talking and singing all the way down. The referee assigned to the match looked around and apparently counted too many bodies for his liking – especially in a high-stakes match like this – and told Drake, Kazarian, and Blake to go back to the locker room. They were not pleased.
Simple rules for this one – first man to score a pinfall or submission wins, match over. With a title shot on the line, and quick tags throughout, this bout was fought at an extremely intense pace. “Mr. Wonderful”, the former champ, was ferocious, and used his weight advantage extremely well. The ageless “Fallen Angel” was quick and sneaky. The “Juggernaut”, Murphy, was a 205-pound package of dynamite, shocking everyone with his explosiveness. Elias was deceptively powerful, and had the element of surprise in his corner.
It went a brisk 14 minutes, and ended in an upset. As these things inevitably do, all four men wound up in the ring, trading punches and set-up moves. Orndorff and Elias literally threw each other over the top rope, leaving the smaller two men in the ring. The Australian lifted Daniels up and hit Murphy’s Law, dropping him hard to the canvas. Three seconds later, the bell rang, and Murphy was the top contender for Davey Boy Smith’s MLW Wild Card championship.
COMMERCIAL
After a 30-second photo montage from the World Tag-Team championship match at Major Impact was shown, Russell simply said, “And now, the MLW World Tag-Team champions – Curt Hennig and Brian Pillman.”
Their theme music came on… but they did not come out. It played for about twenty seconds… but no Pillman, and no Hennig. Then it suddenly stopped, and two other men appeared – Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder. They walked down the ramp and into the ring like they owned it, and then a third man appeared through the curtain and made his way down. That man was J.J. Dillon. The Revival held open the ropes for him, and he was grinning from ear to ear.
Dillon: “A few weeks ago, a couple of my dear, dear friends invited me to a Global Impact Wrestling show in Las Vegas. You might have even seen me there. As business trips go, it was very, shall we say, rewarding. Then again, most of my trips to Vegas are! Oh, to be young again – but I digress. While I was there, I met with several teams, but one of those teams impressed me… and I’m not a man that is easily impressed. Young, hungry, willing to learn – and it didn’t hurt their case that they reminded me of another team with whom I was very, very familiar.”
“However, they weren’t the two men I came out to see. No, those two other men were World champions just needing that extra bit of guidance. Of managerial wisdom. So, we sat down, studied the tapes, figured out a game plan, and, well… the rest is history. So without further ado, I present to you, the Major League Wrestling World Tag-Team champions… ‘Mr. Perfect’, Curt Hennig, and the ‘Loose Cannon’, Brian Pillman!”
The familiar theme played again, and this time, the new champions made their presence known. They entered the ring, shaking hands and trading hugs. Then, in unison, each man lifted one hand, and extended four fingers.
Pillman: “We told you that we were the best damn team in the world! We just needed one shot – one shot! – to prove it, and we did! Edge and Christian, hey, top marks to you, you gave it your best try. But guess what – you lost. Game over. Go home.”
Hennig: “I couldn’t have said it better myself, but you know I’ll try. We are the Horsemen. Brian Pillman, Curt Hennig – we are going to hold these titles for a long, long time. The Revival – best hands in the business today, bar none, and future MLW Intercontinental Tag-Team champions. J.J. Dillon – his record speaks for itself. I’ll say it again: we are the Horsemen. We are the best thing going today. You want to prove yourself as a professional wrestler? Jump on us, try your luck. You’re destined to fail.”
Fade to black.