Post by fifthhorseman on Feb 3, 2019 22:37:48 GMT -5
MLW FRIDAY NIGHT HEAT
EPISODE 20
EPISODE 20
60-second video montage recapping Battlebowl, followed by title graphics and explosive pyro.
Lance Russell, standing in the middle of the ring: “Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the first MLW Battlebowl… ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper.”
The last man standing at Battlebowl strutted down the ramp. This is pure, hated heel Piper at his worst. He stepped between the ropes, and after Russell congratulated him for his victory, the Scotsman began to talk about his favorite subject – himself.
Piper: “No one saw that coming, did they. No one even knew that Major League Wrestling reached out and did the smartest thing that they possibly could have done… they called up ‘Hot Rod’. Well, I wasn’t doing anything that night anyways! And just a few hours later, I showed the world that I’m the toughest man to beat... right here... in MLW. 32 men started the night, one man finished it – me. And now, I get a shot at any championship I want. Maybe I’ll find myself a tag-team partner and go after those Russians, or the Horsemen… after all, this place is world-famous for their tag teams! Or maybe I’ll show everybody what a real Wild Card Roddy Piper is, and ask that tattooed hillbilly Jay Briscoe for a match. Or here’s a thought, a real crazy idea… I’ll take my place at the front of the line like a real legend should, and get myself an MLW Championship shot at Ted DiBiase. I have some time to think about it, right?”
Russell: “That’s-“
Piper: “That’s right, I do. So I will. I’m gonna relax this week, take the night off, and ponder the situation. You think I’ll just tell you and all these morons right here and right now what I’m gonna do? You think you have all the answers? Well, I just changed all the questions.”
That was the end of the interview; Russell walked up to the broadcast table, where he was joined on color by Elias Samson. Piper slowly followed, and as he walked past the night’s first competitor, he smirked.
SHANNON MOORE (w/Shane Helms) vs. RICK RUDE:
vs.
3 Count was looking for a small bit of redemption – they missed Battlebowl due to travel issues, and because of that, Rick Rude (and Roddy Piper) seized the opportunity to join MLW. They danced down to the ring first, followed by the inimitable “Ravishing One”. After declaring that the audience was full of “Tampa tubs of lard”, he went right after Moore. Helms did his best to coach his partner from the outside, but this match was completely in favor of the world-class newcomer, and he finished off his foe at 4:46 with the Rude Awakening.
After the match, a “coming soon” video vignette was shown for the Authors of Pain.
COMMERCIAL
Cold open out of the commercial, and Jim Cornette was in the locker room with the Dynamic 2uo. “I shouldn’t be surprised, that I'm in here and not out in the ring, and this lack of respect being shown to me and my men is just one more grievance that I’m gonna air right now. I should be out there, discussing this publicly… like I said, one big slap in the face.”
“Where should I begin? It’s been obvious from the get-go that the so-called ‘Chief Imagination Officer’, Jeff Jarrett, is severely lacking in that department – that, or he’s on the take. I can count on one hand the number of title shots that Gino and Austin have received since we’ve been here… meanwhile, as soon as good ol’ ‘Double J’ gets himself in ring shape, he just happens to find a tag-team partner and lo and behold, they’re suddenly Intercontinental Tag-Team contenders! Gimme a break! Then, through what we’re supposed to believe is sheer luck of the draw, he breaks up the Dynamic 2uo at Battlebowl, forces them to tag with my former mistake, the Midnight Express, and puts them against each other? Are you kiddin’! What else? He’s constantly sending teams out there without knowing who their opponents are… case in point, Roddy Piper wins Battlebowl - and he wasn’t even in the territory until the day before! How are my men supposed to prepare for something like that? How is that fair?”
“I could go on and on. Gross mismanagement. Blatant favoritism. I don’t know who he has pictures of, but this much is clear – Mr. Steinbrenner, I know you’re listening, and I know you and my mama are friends from way back. Please make things right.”
Back in the ring, Commissioner Norris stood with a microphone. “You had your time, Jim, so let me respond on behalf of MLW. Believe it or not, you made at least one good point – this is athletic competition, and it isn’t fair to announce a match without announcing in clear terms who each and every participant is. So from now on, no ‘mystery opponents’. Much like Mr. Cueto does in Lucha Underground, we will let the booking committee take care of their responsibilities at least a week ahead of time.”
“Effective immediately, I’m also removing Jeff Jarrett from the CIO position until we can thoroughly examine his booking history.”
“And finally, this. It’s obvious that the Dynamic 2uo and the Midnight Express cannot co-exist in MLW. So, you’re going to have a match – right now. Enough is enough. And the loser of the fall – whatever man gets pinned, or submitted – is out of a job. And Jim, if you interfere in any way – and I’m going to make sure that you don’t – you’ll be the man looking for work somewhere else.”
LOSER LEAVES TOWN
The DYNAMIC 2UO (w/Jim Cornette) vs. the MIDNIGHT EXPRESS:
vs.
The DYNAMIC 2UO (w/Jim Cornette) vs. the MIDNIGHT EXPRESS:
vs.
To say that there were high stakes would be an understatement, but this would finally end their bitter feud. After the Express hit the ring, they were followed by the 2uo and the apoplectic Cornette – and then, surprisingly, Commissioner Norris handcuffed himself to the red-faced manager; he looked like he was going to have a heart attack.
The match was methodical, full of double-team maneuvers that both team were renowned for. Caution was soon thrown out the window, and every man took increasingly dangerous chances. 15 minutes flew by in a heartbeat, and the “Louisville Slugger” knew that if he physically interfered, he’d be gone - that, and Norris's watchful eye kept him in strictly bystander mode. He screamed at his clients to finish it, but to no avail: after Hernandez was back-dropped to the floor, Eaton and Lane hit the Veg-O-Matic on “A-Double” at 15:56, sending him packing from the territory.
COMMERCIAL
The ADDICTION vs. WBKS:
vs.
vs.
A televised match literally months in the making; the two had bickered back and forth for weeks, and fought each other in various singles scenarios, but both felt like the other team would be a stepping stone to the upper-midcard.
Daniels and Kazarian brought unmatchable experience to the bout, while Blake and Murphy were stronger and eager to step up their game. The NXT stalwarts went to work on Kaz early, isolating him from his partner with a ground-and-pound game. Eventually, he made the hot tag to the “Fallen Angel”, and the veteran cleared house. All four men got involved at the end, and the referee struggled to take control. However, it was a perfectly clean Murphy’s Law that pinned Daniels at the 11:37 mark, and WBKS left the ring with their fists raised in victory.
While the ring cleared, another short Battlebowl montage was played on the screens, this time highlighting the action from the various championship matches. When it ended, the Horsemen came down to the ring: MLW World tag champs Curt Hennig and Brian Pillman, the Revival, and their manager, JJ Dillon.
Dillon: “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, you are all witness to the greatest team in the world today. I present to you, the ‘Loose Cannon’, Brian Pillman, and ‘Mr. Perfect’, Curt Hennig. At Battlebowl, they beat a fine team in the Widowmakers. Before that, it was Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith. Before that, it was Edge and Christian. And so on, and so-“
He was interrupted, however, by the two men walking down the ramp. Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson got as far as the ring, but stood fearlessly on the floor. The crowd buzzed.
Dillon: “Before I was so rudely interrupted, I was saying… Hennig and Pillman are invincible. Unstoppable! True epitomes of the Horsemen lifestyle. That said… well, unfortunately, I can’t say the same for their colleagues.”
The legendary manager nodded, and before Dawson and Wilder could react, Hennig and Pillman attacked them. The four men were swinging wildly, and the brawl quickly became a six-way as Blanchard and Anderson joined in, stomping the Revival down as the other two and Dillon threw shots as well. It was a wild, chaotic scene, and as other wrestlers ran down the ramp to break it up, it went to
COMMERCIAL
A pre-taped segment was shown from earlier in the day. The Main Event Machine – Paul Orndorff and Eli Drake – had just arrived in separate cars at the arena, and Drake was in “Mr. Wonderful’s” face. The audio, however, was muddy, and it wasn’t clear what exactly was said – but whatever it was, both men were obviously fired up. This lasted for about a minute, and then the two men shook hands, apparently satisfied with their discussion, and entered the arena... together.
The crowd was still in shock as Russell and Samson tried to figure out what just happened in the ring, informing the audience that everyone involved in the earlier melee was ejected from the arena by Norris… and then, “Ironman” began to blast from the speakers.
MLW INTERCONTINENTAL TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
HEROES OF THE REPUBLIC (c) vs. the ROAD WARRIORS:
vs.
HEROES OF THE REPUBLIC (c) vs. the ROAD WARRIORS:
vs.
The massive challengers entered the ring first to a mighty roar from the sold-out USF Sun Dome. The equally huge champions received a different response, but they were unfazed. Unlike their previous match, this would be a straight-up championship title contest. The teams stood nose-to-nose during the intros, and slowly backed into their corners, never taking their eyes off each other.
Free of the chains that bound them last time, the four men were arguably more dangerous. Their arsenals were more diverse, and they could all move faster and more explosively. Rusev and Animal collided with each other like tanks, while familiar foes Hawk and Koloff fired away with fists, kicks, and clotheslines. They were pounding on each other ferociously, with high-impact offense that seemed to indicate that it would not be a long match.
After see-sawing back and forth for several moments, the Legion of Doom double-shouldertackled “the “Brute” on the outside, sending him into the ringside barricade hard. Sliding back into the ring, the legends quickly went to work on the “Russian Nightmare”, and Animal hoisted him up on his shoulders. Hawk achingly made his way to the top rope, ready to soar… but he was thrown off the turnbuckle by Akam, while Rezar kicked Animal square in the face. The referee had no choice but to call for the disqualification at 10:10, and replays showed the Authors of Pain vaulting over the barricade before the Warriors could hit their finisher. The four heels continued the assault, driving Hawk and Animal to the canvas as backstage officials swarmed the ring, and the show ended with the champions and the invaders standing tall.