Post by fifthhorseman on Mar 2, 2021 0:12:02 GMT -5
PRE-SHOW MATCH
FATAL FOUR-WAY FOR A CWF TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
BILLY GUNN vs. BUDDY LANDEL vs. SEAN O'HAIRE vs. AUSTIN THEORY:
FATAL FOUR-WAY FOR A CWF TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
BILLY GUNN vs. BUDDY LANDEL vs. SEAN O'HAIRE vs. AUSTIN THEORY:
vs. vs. vs.
The reigning champion, Lex Luger, came out after they were all introduced and sat at ringside. Landel wrestled as a face in this one, and was the glue that held the frenetic match together. O'Haire and Gunn were equally impressive in terms of sheer physicality, moving with freakish speed and agility for their size. The ever-improving Theory didn't look completely out of place, and he held his own against even the bigger men. It was a textbook ten-minute opener, but Theory ate the pin for the “Bad Ass”, when Gunn hit his FameAsser in the center of the ring. Afterwards, Luger tried to sneak up on him, but Gunn sensed him coming, and the two titans had to be separated by the other three grapplers.
CWF WINTERSLAM
A 60-second intro video rolled, previewing the match-ups for Winterslam. When it ended, Lance Russell was at the broadcast desk, and there was no preamble – it was time to start with a championship match.
CWF SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
MIKE AWESOME (w/Dan Spivey) vs. DREW McINTYRE (c):
vs.
MIKE AWESOME (w/Dan Spivey) vs. DREW McINTYRE (c):
vs.
McIntyre wasn't just taking on a “tag-team guy” for the Southern title; Awesome was a former ECW World champ, and capable of things no 300-pounder should do in a ring. Spivey was a threatening presence at ringside as well, and the ref constantly told him to stay back.
The contest itself was the proverbial hossfest. They hammered each other with forearms and kicks, and even went off the top rope several times with clotheslines and shoulder-blocks. The actual wrestling holds were kept to a minimum – it was a fight, and the official decided early on that as long as they listened to him and didn't fight “dirty”, he'd give them a lot of slack. There were several highlight spots throughout, including a jaw-dropping tope suicida by Awesome, and a flying bodypress from the turnbuckle to the floor by McIntyre. It took about 15 minutes, but the Scotsman fired up and hit the Claymore kick for the hard-fought victory.
Another video package aired, recapping the feud between Raven and Jon Moxley.
RAVEN'S RULES MATCH
JON MOXLEY vs. RAVEN:
vs.
JON MOXLEY vs. RAVEN:
vs.
The leader of the Flock came to the ring Flock-less, but he did have a shopping cart full of plunder. Moxley came out second, and not to be outdone, he also had a full cart. Neither grappler was in traditional wrestling gear, as they each wore a mixture of street clothes, wrestling boots, and taped hands. Oddsmakers had this as a pick'em, and for good reason, as they both excelled in this environment.
It didn't stay in the ring very long. The two men brawled at ringside, using every weapon at their disposal, the typical allotment of things like stop signs, chairs, garbage cans, and more. Each tried to connect with their version of a DDT several times, but neither could connect. They even hit each other with the depleted shopping carts.
Surprisingly, after spending most of their time outside, Moxley and Raven got back in the ring where they continued to use their environment. The steel posts, the ring ropes, anything that they could use – they did. The tide of battle turned Moxley's way, and just when he had the ECW icon on the ropes, the Flock ran down and jumped him. But before they could damage him, Brad Armstrong and the New Age Outlaws charged down to fight them, and all six wrestlers wound up on the floor.
In the chaos, Raven hit Moxley with a low blow, and rolled outside to gather a small spool of barbed wire. He took his time returning to the ring, and it cost him – Moxley returned the favor, dropping Raven to his knees. Then he facelocked his enemy, and wrapped the jagged wire around both his arm and Raven's neck to insure that he was stuck. Finally, Moxley crashed down with a vicious Death Rider DDT, pulled the barbed wire out of his arm, and pinned the sinister Flock leader.
After the ring cleared, CWF Television champion Lex Luger cut a promo backstage. He claimed that he put his “old friend” Barry Windham on the shelf, and he hadn't been seen in weeks – so imagine the beating he was going to put on a “Total Package” wannabe like Billy Gunn?
Another recap video was shown, highlighting the Kings of Wrestling's debut in CWF, as well as the New Day losing Big E Langston to CWH and their subsequent slump.
The KINGS OF WRESTLING vs. the NEW DAY and ?:
vs.
vs.
McGuinness, Hero, and Cesaro could not have looked more confident. When the New Day walked onto the stage, they laughed at them – until the third man on the team came out, their partner for this match...
...Shad Gaspard.
The 285-pound powerhouse gave Woods and Kingston a fist bump, and they hit the ring with fire, jumpstarting the match before the bell rang. When things settled down, Kingston and McGuinness put on a wrestling clinic, and from there, there were several tags, back and forth with both teams – typical and exciting six-man action. The KoW took over late, but Woods tagged Gaspard in, and he cleared house with a variety of power moves. After a series of near-falls, with most of the competitors trying to hit their signature moves, Hero went for a discus elbow smash. But Gaspard blocked it, and nailed Hero with an STO, and the New Day held off the other Kings long enough for “the Bodyguard” to secure the victory.
As they celebrated, and as the KoW skulked off, another video aired. This was a career highlight reel for the next two competitors, with their biggest victories shown in alternating fashion.
LAST MAN STANDING MATCH
CHRISTIAN CAGE vs. PAUL ORNDORFF (w/Gary Hart):
vs.
CHRISTIAN CAGE vs. PAUL ORNDORFF (w/Gary Hart):
vs.
The two warriors nearly sandwiched Okerlund halfway through the ring introductions. They had only been feuding for a few weeks, but the anger and competitiveness was intense, and “Mr. Wonderful” soon overpowered Cage. He was ferocious, and hammered away at the Canadian, barely giving him a chance to breathe. The squared circle couldn't contain them, and they wound up on the ramp.
“Captain Charisma” finally found his bearings, and went on the counter-attack. They fought all the way onto the stage, into the backstage area, and then back out onto the floor beside the ramp, where Cage nailed Orndoff with the Unprettier. It was the first big move of the match, but the “Brandon Bull” got to his feet at the count of eight.
They battled on, into the ring, and Orndorff's manager interfered more and more. He tripped Cage as he was rebounding off the ropes, and when Christian turned to confront him, he made a costly mistake. Orndorff charged him, hoisted him up and stungunned him over the top rope. With Christian down, he told Hart to slide him a steel cage, and Orndorff swung at Cage's ankles, smashing them several times. The referee started counting, but the former TNA champ gamely used the ropes to get up at nine. Angrily, Orndorff immediately swooped in and hit his enemy with a piledriver – on the steel chair.
Once again, Christian tried to get up, but this time he could not find the ropes, and he fell back to the mat in defeat. It was a grueling battle, and Orndorff was eager to continue it, but Hart and the referee convinced him to leave or else the decision would be reversed.
To set up the next match, a “tale of the tape” was shown, contrasting the unparalleled experience of the champions versus the college and professional football success their challengers had.
CWF FLORIDA TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
DORY and TERRY FUNK (c) vs. the STRONGHOLD (w/Sir Oliver Humperdink):
vs.
DORY and TERRY FUNK (c) vs. the STRONGHOLD (w/Sir Oliver Humperdink):
vs.
The challengers were physically imposing, but their foes were a couple of tough Texans who weren't intimidated at all. But they did respect Cameron and Brown, and the former linebackers obviously tried to use their superior strength and mass early on to batter the champions for a quick win.
The Stronghold looked impressive, and they were, and Terry served as the face in peril for this one. Every time Brown and Cameron knocked him down, the younger brother bounced back up. The crowd was sympathetic, and tried to push him into his corner by sheer force of will. After several minutes, Brown missed a pounce, and the hardcore icon crawled to his corner and tagged Dory in. The NWA legend went to town on both of his opponents, but he couldn't make either of them submit to his spinning toe hold. Eventually all four men wound up brawling, and several near-pins were recorded; the final pin, though, came courtesy of a double underhook suplex, with Dory pinning the “Alpha Male” to retain the gold.
The scene eventually shifted backstage, where Kingston, Woods, and Gaspard were still jubilant in the locker room. They were hyped, and Kingston declared that the New Day had their mojo and their muscle back, and he and Woods formally invited Gaspard into their group. The big man didn't hesitate, and he embraced both of them in a big bearhug.
The final highlight video of the night, recapping the chain of events that led here: Jack Brisco winning the CWF top title from Rick Rude, NeXT Evolution making their surprise debut at CWF Survivor Series, countless successful championship defenses by Brisco, and Triple H's battle royale win to earn him this title shot.
CWF President Bobby Heenan made his first appearance of the night, obviously satisfied with the card thus far, and he smugly sat down beside Russell to provide color commentary. He didn't have a sentimental favorite, but from a business perspective, “the Brain” was definitely pulling for one of them.
CWF FLORIDA HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
JACK BRISCO (c) vs. TRIPLE H:
vs.
JACK BRISCO (c) vs. TRIPLE H:
vs.
This was the “King of King's” biggest match in Florida to date, and he was a big-match performer... but so was the man who held the NWA World title, twice, for over two cumulative years. Brisco was in his element, relaxed and ready, and the crowd was 100% on his side.
It felt like an old-school NWA match as well. Both men were cautious, and in no rush to make a mistake; they had 45 minutes at their disposal, and they were both comfortable going the distance. Basic pro holds and counters were used for the first several minutes, until Triple H threw the first punch eight minutes in. Brisco was happy to return the favor.
The Florida champion took over and put his opponent on the mat with his collegiate prowess, several times, but “the Game” was just strong enough to escape each time. Triple H rolled outside in frustration, and he only re-entered the ring when he was ready to do so. It took him a while to disrupt Brisco's rhythm, but when he did, Triple H took charge with his rugged, methodical moveset. He worked on the champ's neck and shoulders, wanting to end it with a Pedigree, and he kept an eye on the clock.
They went past the 30-minute mark, and Brisco rallied again. His target was his enemy's leg, and after softening him up with leg-vices and kneedrops, he went for the figure-four leglock. The “Cerebral Assassin” howled in pain, trapped in the middle of the ring. He rolled onto his stomach to reverse the pressure, but that only lasted a few seconds, and Brisco kept rolling until he took control again. However, it positioned them beside the ropes, and Triple H grabbed the bottom coil, forcing a break.
But Brisco quickly reapplied it... and then Triple H reversed it again, but this time, Brisco could not. The pain coursed through the Oklahoman's back and legs, but he refused to quit. He eventually fought out of it, but Triple H applied another old favorite, the Indian deathlock. He screamed at Brisco to give up, but the champion stoically battled through it, and he dragged them both to the ropes, where they fell to the floor. They could barely stand, but the two warriors traded punches until the count of nine, and rolled back in.
Triple H went for the Pedigree right away, but Brisco back-bodydropped him and went for the pin, getting a two-count. He tried to keep him down with half- and quarter-nelsons, but his foe kept squirming out at two. Undaunted, Brisco picked him up for a suplex, but Helmsley lashed out at Brisco's knee again. It was a perfect set-up for a Pedigree, and this time, Triple H connected with everything he had left. With just seconds left to go, he rolled on top of Brisco... and at 44:51, it was over, and a new Florida Heavyweight champion was crowned.
As the referee handed him the title, the rest of NeXT Evolution marched down to the ring, and celebrated with their leader. PAC arrogantly booted Brisco under the bottom rope to the floor, and the show ended with Triple H holding his belt over his head, while the other three applauded.