Post by fifthhorseman on Mar 19, 2022 19:46:41 GMT -5
AWA ALL-STAR WRESTLING
EPISODE 13
EPISODE 13
Pyro from Rochester, Minnesota, then a 60-second sizzle reel of AWA Winterslam highlights ran instead of the usual credits.
Joey Styles and Jesse Ventura sat at their broadcast station, where the AWA Heavyweight championship belt was propped between them. Styles explained the situation: after the Ultimate Warrior's no-show at Winterslam, he was stripped of the title and released. In an incredible coincidence, a former AWA champion, Jerry Lawler showed up at the end of the pay-per-view, with his old belt claiming that he was the real champion.
On cue, “the King” strode out onto the stage, and repeated his assertion that he should be given the belt. “I never lost it, and for that matter, Gagne still owes me money!”
This prompted Commissioner Stu Hart to make an appearance. “I can't speak to your claim that Verne owes you money, but I will address the AWA Heavyweight championship situation right now. We will crown a new champion in three weeks. Next week, there will be three fatal-four matches, each one containing only the best and most worthy contenders in the American Wrestling Association. The winner of each of those matches will go on one more four-man match, where we will crown our next champion.”
Lawler was about to protest the announcement when Hart cut him off. “Jerry, the Board considered your argument – and guess what. You're getting a bye to the final match. In fact, you're the interim AWA Heavyweight champion. Congratulations.”
The Memphis legend beamed with delight and turned to leave when Hart added. “Just one more thing. It has been more than 30 days since you defended your title – several years, in fact – so next week, all you have to do is defend the championship in a one-on-one match. It's just a technicality, I'm sure you understand. Win next week, and you get your bye!”
Hart and Lawler stared each other down, and the two men continued their heated conversation as they left the stage. Styles and Ventura hyped the announcement, and the rest of the night's card, and “the Body” left to prep for his match.
The BRISCOE BROTHERS vs. the GRIZZLED YOUNG VETERANS:
vs.
vs.
As good as Blake and Gibson were, this was a showcase for the Briscoes. They had next-level teamwork, and worked even more aggressively than usual. Mark and Jay were there to make a statement, and they took them about five minutes to do it. Froggy-bow, Jay Driller, game over.
COMMERCIAL
A mysterious but exciting vignette aired to hype the arrival of Prince Puma.
DON LEO JONATHAN vs. the SPOILER (w/Jimmy Hart):
vs.
vs.
The two big men had some history, but in the few months since the AWA relaunched, they barely crossed paths. This wasn't a plodding superheavyweight match – they were both as agile as men 50 pounds lighter. Hart was his usual nattering self at ringside, giving the masked man plenty of opportunity to take charge. However, Jonathan was on a roll, and he hit the Spoiler with an engizuri for the pin.
After the ring cleared, Desmond Wolfe strode down to the ring, and he was in a bitter mood. He summoned ring announcer Lee Marshall into the squared circle. “I would have won that two out of three fall match against Nick Bockwinkel, except the clock expired. What's the matter, Mr. Hart – you couldn't pay for an overrun, or you just didn't want to see your friend get beaten?”
He paused and said, “Maybe it's my fault. Maybe I shouldn't have toyed with that relic from the past. Maybe I should have unleashed the best version of myself, and wiped the mat with him before he even knew what hit him!”
Wolfe left to a chorus of boos, but he paused at the top of the ramp and marched over to where Styles was sitting. He grabbed a microphone and shouted, “Well, from here on out you are gonna see the best of me – and my name is Nigel McGuinness!”
COMMERCIAL
Backstage, outside the commissioner's office, a line-up of wrestlers had formed, each of them eager to petition, beg, threaten, or otherwise cajole their way into one of the fatal four-way matches.
The EAST-WEST CONNECTION vs. the NEW AGE OUTLAWS:
vs.
vs.
After the NAO made their grandiose entrance, Adonis and Ventura walked out onto the stage with a third man... a smaller, eccentric, strangle-dressed manager called the Grand Wizard. The WWWF legend had a microphone and he cut a promo as he walked the Connection to the ring, bragging that he'd take them to the top.
The in-ring action was solid. It wasn't a spotfest, but it went back and forth in a perhaps surprisingly competitive battle. The MVP of the match was the underrated Adonis, who took the brunt of the punishment and scored the pinfall on Road Dogg, courtesy of a managerial distraction, a middle-rope blockbuster, and a handful of tights.
COMMERCIAL
A pre-taped interview aired, recorded just a couple of days after Winterslam. Lee Marshall was with Chris Hero, who explained why he turned on his former partner, Jon Moxley. “Remember when I was supposed to be the third man in the Shield? You promised you'd get me back in the big leagues. And then it never happened! All three of you went on to big money and fame and World championships, and I was left behind to work with rookies that didn't deserve to tie my boots.”
“You thought you were giving me a second chance when you called me up to form the Hounds. So generous of you. And maybe a small, small part of me thought you realized how stupid you were before. But then you had to go and pop me with an 'accidental' elbow at Winterslam, just when I was about to win the match for us. Thanks for clearing up the situation, Mox. Don't worry, I'll see you again real soon.”
ALEXANDER HAMMERSTONE vs. JON MOXLEY:
vs.
The powerhouse from Phoenix was getting better every week and every match, but Moxley was just too pissed off to be beaten on this night. Whenever Hammerstone got in any offense, Moxley quickly shut it down. The youngster put in an admirable performance, but it didn't take the “Lunatic Fringe” long to put him away with the Death Rider. After the contest, Moxley spoke to the camera, warning Hero that he was a marked man.
Another vignette, this one highlighting the skills and titles earned by one of the 21st century's most exciting tag teams, the Motor City Machine Guns.
COMMERCIAL
Styles set up a video package focused on the Ilya Dragunov/MJF match at Winterslam, where the challenger was attacked before the show even began, and came into the AWA Southern championship match at a huge disadvantage.
Marshall introduced the reigning AWA Southern heavyweight champion, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, and he took his time walking to the ring, belt over his shoulder and accompanied by the massive Wardlow. He wanted to clear his name. “A lot of stupid people think that we attacked Ilya Dragunov before Winterslam. That we hurt him, incapacitated him, so that he wasn't at 100 per cent going into our match. Let's be perfectly clear about the most crucial thing first – it didn't matter if he came in at 50 per cent, 100 per cent, or 1,000 per cent – MJF is unbeatable.”
“But just so everyone can get off my back, let the record show that it wasn't me, and it wasn't Wardlow.” He paused and pointed to the Jumbotron screen above the stage. A split-screen came up – one side showed the raw security feed from the parking lot when the Russian was attacked, and the other showed another guarded entrance to the arena. Both sides of the screen were time-stamped, and as Dragunov was getting beaten up by a pair of mystery men, MJF and Wardlow were indeed on the other side of the building.
“I know what you're thinking – that could be fake! And let's be honest – I certainly have the resources to doctor some video. But I didn't... and what's more, I used the considerable resources at my disposal to find the two perpetrators of that heinous attack!” Friedman smirked and pointed to the stage. “Get down here, you two villains!”
Suspense. After a long, long, pause, two men – wearing those same hooded tracksuits, with the hoods up and masks obscuring their faces – walked down the ramp and stood face-to-face with MJF and Friedman. Then, they hugged each other.
The hoods came down, the masks came off. It was Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson. “Double A” stood next to Marshall and said, “Let that be a warning to the entire roster! We're here, we're all together, and while we might not be foreshadowing the apocalypse, let me be perfectly clear – the four of us are gonna be running this place before very long!”
COMMERCIAL
Ventura made it back to commentary and bragged that the Grand Wizard was going to take he and Adonis straight to the top. Styles acknowledged that he was indeed a great manager, but before the East-West Connection got a shot at the tag straps, the North would defend those belts in two weeks against the top contenders, the Midnight Express!
KEN KENNEDY vs. DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE:
vs.
vs.
After Winterslam, Mr. Kennedy demanded a rematch against DDP; he said it was unfair that he didn't know who his opponent was going to be. He waited as Page walked through the crowd to the ring, but jumped him as he slid under the bottom rope. Kennedy stomped him down, but the “People's Champion” eventually got to his feet. They went ten competitive minutes, but DDP wriggled out of a Samoan drop and hit his opponent with the Diamond Cutter.
As Page celebrated, the lights went out for about ten seconds. When they came back on, Scarlett Bordeaux stood about halfway up the ramp to the ring. She stared down the former WCW champ, who slowly walked to that side of the ring to confront her – but he was decked from behind by Kevin Kross. After a series of forearms to the back of the head, Kross hit Page with a doomsday Saito suplex that nearly knocked him out. Kross stood over him for several seconds before leaving with his valet.