Post by fifthhorseman on Feb 16, 2022 0:55:58 GMT -5
AWA ALL-STAR WRESTLING
EPISODE 9
EPISODE 9
Pyro from Aurora, Illinois, then the TV credits ran, a 60-second of classic AWA action interspersed with close-ups of several members of the reborn AWA roster.
The EAST-WEST CONNECTION vs. SHANE HELMS and REX STEINER:
vs.
vs.
Both teams were in the ring to start the show. Adonis and Ventura controlled the match from start to finish over the rookies, and they strutted and taunted the crowd throughout. They won quickly via a Ventura backbreaker on Helms, and when they reached the stage, Adonis went through the curtain... but “the Body” joined Joey Styles at the broadcast table. He shouted, “What are you lookin' at, kid? I'm the new color commentator!”
For once, Styles was speechless.
COMMERCIAL
Backstage, the Killer Bees were arguing with the Midnight Express – all three of them – and challenged them to a match later tonight. When Condrey asked them if they were eager to take the entire trio on, Brunzell replied, “No, because we found ourselves another Killer Bee.” One dramatic pause later, Tyler Bate walked into the scene.
BRODIE LEE vs. DON LEO JONATHAN:
vs.
vs.
Styles explained that both big men were looking to establish themselves as a contender for either AWA individual title, and despite having never fought before, the bout had a big-match feel. It was a rugged battle, neither man giving an inch for over ten minutes until the “Mormon Giant” ducked under a discus lariat, and rolled up Lee from behind. Jonathan went out to the floor to celebrate, but the “Big Rig” followed him, and nailed him with a powerful discus lariat from behind. As he left, he gazed at Jonathan with his trademark unblinking, creepy stare.
COMMERCIAL
A recap of last week's Miro/Jacob Fatu match, followed by an announcement from Styles that both men impressed Commissioner Stu Hart so much, they'd both be facing a man who never backed down from a fight later tonight – the AWA Southern champion, Ilya Dragunov, in a triple-threat match for the belt later tonight!
A vignette for the Briscoe Brothers aired; they were making their way to the American Wrestling Association to make the tag-team division even more competitive... not that that bothered Jesse Ventura or his partner, who also had tag-team title aspirations.
JUNGLE BOY vs. AUSTIN THEORY:
vs.
vs.
Theory cut a picture-in-picture promo before the match, “telling” the audience he was better than any of the young wrestlers Hart had recruited. He was arrogant and efficient when he got to the ring; his opponent got in a few moves early on, but Theory cut him off and hit him with the ATL for the win.
But he wasn't done. He shoved the official to the side and hit Jungle Boy with a second one, and a third. Theory kicked Perry under the bottom rope and hoisted him up on his shoulders and carried him a few steps up the ramp, eager to hit a fourth ATL. Suddenly, Buddy Murphy burst through the curtain and confronted Theory, who dropped his foe to the ramp and left, angrily staring at the Australian as he left.
The AWA Heavyweight champion, the Ultimate Warrior, paced back and forth backstage, and the show cut to
COMMERCIAL
Lee Marshall introduced the Ultimate Warrior, and he charged out, circled the ring, bounced off the ropes, and pumped his muscular arms. Marshall asked him about his match against Buzz Sawyer later in the night, and he responded, “WERKJE EWIE WJNIN 1PWWREGI HG IOJT4HI TRJ UQWD IUN!!! IORT4OI4T JMOJR OJEWQOHLH UUIJQR EOJK OQK OKTG OWEJ Q!!!”
His eloquent and impassioned speech brought Sawyer out onto the stage to confront him, backed by Chad Gable and Verne Gagne. The “Bulldog” (who conceded the nickname Mad Dog to Maurice Vachon in his home territory) was angry that it was a non-title match, because he was going to beat the Warrior to an inch of his life. “I guess I'll have to settle for that, and proving to that stupid Commissioner that I should get the next crack at that title!”
But the Warrior wouldn't let Sawyer have the last word. “YUKMT HKM SJHBD IJ OJHYOI6Y70 ME3F RE!!!”
The heels retreated, the Warrior left to get ready for the main event, and Styles and Ventura recapped the pseudo-feud between Nick Bockwinkel and Desmond Wolfe, before a tale of the tape was shown for the next championship match.
TRIPLE-THREAT RULES
AWA SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
ILYA DRAGUNOV (c) vs. JACOB FATU vs. MIRO:
vs. vs.
AWA SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
ILYA DRAGUNOV (c) vs. JACOB FATU vs. MIRO:
vs. vs.
The Samoan and the Bulgarian started fighting before the Russian even got to the ring. However, Dragunov wasn't left out for long, and he played no favorites, hitting them both with stinging strikes whenever he got the chance. It was typical triple-threat chaos, but it only lasted a few minutes – after stunning Dragunov with a double superkick, Miro and Fatu tumbled over the top rope together and fought all the way up the ramp and backstage. After a very long delay, the referee had no choice but to issue a very rare count-out win in a triple-threat to the only man left in the ring, the champion Dragunov.
COMMERCIAL
The two brutes were fighting in the parking lot, and eventually a combination of AWA officials and other wrestlers separated the two. Commissioner Hart looked at them angrily and shouted, “I'll deal with you two later! But consider yourselves off TV until I do!”
Back in the ring, Lee Marshall introduced Desmond Wolfe, who came down to the ring in a custom suit. He told the ring announcer to leave, and he told the audience that he hasn't faced a real challenge since arriving in the AWA. “However, I know one man might be – just maybe – up to the task. And that's the man synonymous with the AWA itself, Nick Bockwinkel. Nick, how about you come down here and face me.”
A few seconds later, the native of Beverly Hills made his entrance, wearing an equally luxurious suit. He had a microphone in his hand as well, and when he got to the ring, Bockwinkel accused Wolfe of trying to usurp his spot. “You're not just here to defeat me – you're here to replace me. Well, let me tell you something. Lots of men have tried to do the same thing, usually when I was wearing the World Heavyweight title. And to a man, they all failed. They lacked the intelligence, the stamina, the intestinal fortitude, and the courage to put me away. So what makes you think you'll be any different?”
“The outcome will be different because you've never faced Desmond Wolfe before,” the Englishman replied. “I possess all of those qualities, and in greater measure than you. I assure you, my good man – you're not ruthless enough to take me down.”
After some more verbal jousting, the two men left, one after the other – and it was time for the next match.
TYLER BATE and the KILLER BEES vs. the MIDNIGHT EXPRESS:
vs.
vs.
This was a fun match. Needless to say, the teamwork by both squads was impeccable, and the constant double- and triple-teaming from both sides kept the action going at a fast pace. They went about 15 minutes, and after the babyfaces were chucked to the floor, the three men all put on black and yellow masks and charged back in. Was it cheesy? Maybe. But in all the confusion, the short, stout Bee pinned Lane with a small package.
COMMERCIAL
Before the final match began, Styles announced that on next week's show, Austin Theory would face Buddy Murphy, and Ilya Dragunov would defend the AWA Southern strap against a mystery opponent.
Ventura chimed in, “And don't forget that Mad Dog Vachon finally gets the match he's been due for weeks – a shot at that lunatic, the Ultimate Warrior, for the AWA Heavyweight championship!”
Styles: “Let's get to the ring!”
NON-TITLE MATCH
BUZZ SAWYER (w/Chad Gable and Verne Gagne) vs. the ULTIMATE WARRIOR:
vs.
BUZZ SAWYER (w/Chad Gable and Verne Gagne) vs. the ULTIMATE WARRIOR:
vs.
The champion roared down to the ring and hit Sawyer with a shoulder-tackle right off the bat. The former amateur great went outside to gather his thoughts with his colleagues, and the Warrior chased after him. It was a stand-off, and when Gagne distracted the referee, it gave Gable the opportunity to hit the champion with a vicious low blow.
That turned the tide in Sawyer's favor, and when they resumed fighting in the ring, “Bulldog” stomped away at Warrior, grounding him and hitting him with every borderline cheap shot and chokehold he could. He kept the advantage for a couple of minutes, but alas for him, that was the highlight of his night. The champ rallied and hit his signature offensive moves, culminating in an ugly press-slam in which Sawyer hit the canvas hard on his side. One big splash later, it was over.
But it was NOT over. Gagne and Gable attacked the Warrior from behind, and just as Sawyer started to recover to join the assault, Mad Dog Vachon ran out with a steel chair in his hands, scattering the heels. Vachon stared down as the Warrior, and after a suspenseful pause, he tossed the chair outside and helped the champion up. As the show went off the air, the two men were shaking hands, but everyone knew they were already thinking about their showdown next week.