Post by fifthhorseman on Apr 9, 2022 12:10:19 GMT -5
AWA ALL-STAR WRESTLING
EPISODE 15
EPISODE 15
Pyro from Detroit, Michigan, then a 60-second sizzle reel of classic AWA action interspersed with close-ups of and highlights from members of the current AWA roster. Then, a 1980s“Saturday Night's Main Event”-esque promo package aired, featuring the tag champs, the North, with Jimmy Hart, who guaranteed victory... and the three-man Midnight Express, who guaranteed a surprise.
Joey Styles and Jesse Ventura were on commentary, and they wasted no time listing the matches – and foreshadowing Commissioner Hart's announcement about the AWA championship match scheduled for next week - before sending it to the ring where Lee Marshall was standing by.
AWA SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
MJF (c, w/Wardlow) vs. JACOB FATU:
vs.
MJF (c, w/Wardlow) vs. JACOB FATU:
vs.
There was an obvious contrast in styles, in personality – basically, in everything. The “Samoan Werewolf” dominated early on with explosive power, and Friedman rolled out to the floor several times to break the momentum. Whenever Fatu did follow him out, Wardlow defiantly blocked him. Eventually, MJF took control, mixing mat wrestling with other less legal maneuvers. The third and final act of the match saw Fatu hit a flurry of power moves, and he had the champion pinned until, at the last millisecond, Wardlow put MJF's foot on the bottom rope. The angry Samoan left the ring to confront him, but as he straddled the middle rope to get back in, the champion delivered a vicious two-handed eye-rake. Not missing a beat, MJF planted Fatu with his Heatseeker piledriver, and with Wardlow clamping down on Fatu's feet from the outside, got the three-count.
COMMERCIAL
Pre-taped interviews from all four contenders for the Heavyweight strap, starting with the interim champion, Jerry Lawler. Renee Paquette was with a confident “King”, who said that he didn't understand why the AWA even booked this match, seeing how he never lost the belt to begin with, but it didn't matter. A week from now, they were going to remove the interim tag from his reign, and he added, “You may as well forget the Ultimate Maniac was ever here, and credit me with being the linear, longest-reigning AWA champion of all time!”
Backstage, MJF and Wardlow walked by various wrestlers before passing past the rookies' locker room. They paused for a second, and then Friedman tapped his belt with his finger. “Get a good look, boys. Maybe someday you'll be good enough to get an autograph or something.”
KEVIN KROSS (w/Scarlett Bordeaux) vs. KANYON:
vs.
vs.
True to his nickname, Kross was a Killer. He was all over Kanyon from bell to bell, hitting him with mean strikes and suplexing him all over the ring. The “innovator of Offense” was on defense the whole time, and it ended in less than five minutes courtesy of a Doomsday Saito suplex. After the match, Kross picked him up and hit him with another. And another. But as he lifted Kanyon up for a fourth, Diamond Dallas Page ran down the ramp to help his friend. Kross and Bordeaux slid out the opposite side of the ring and as they left, promised that DDP would be next.
The scene suddenly shifted backstage. Austin Theory and Buddy Murphy were nose-to-nose, held back by several AWA officials and wrestlers. It was the standard hyperbolic shouting back and forth, two men who were eager to square off and prove who the better wrestler was. As the war of words escalated, Stu Hart walked by and yelled, “Both of you shut up! You want to fight? Do it next week, in the ring! Problem solved – just knock it off till then.” Hart shook his head and continued on his way, the AWA Heavyweight championship belt over his shoulder.
COMMERCIAL
Another interview, this time: Don Leo Jonathan. The “Mormon Giant” recited a long list of regional heavyweight titles he held across the continent, several of which were the most prestigious in their respective territories. “But the AWA title – the title I'm fighting for next week – is the most important championship I've ever fought for, and mark my words, I didn't get this far to let anyone beat me. I don't care who it is, I don't care what the rules are... at the end of the night, the ref is going to be raising Don Leo Jonathan's hand.”
By now, Hart was in the ring with Marshall, still holding the championship belt. “Next week, we will crown our next AWA Heavyweight champion. One man – Don Leo Jonathan, Miro, Mad Dog Vachon, or Jerry Lawler – will be the undisputed champion. And that match will be decided... in a Three Stages of Hell elimination match!”
The Calgary legend paused to give Marshall time to ask the obvious question. “The first fall will be decided in a fatal four-way submission match. After the first man is eliminated, the remaining three will start the second stage, with triple-threat rules – pinfall only. When the next man is eliminated, and only two men remain, the final stage will begin – in a steel cage! No interference, no escape, no nonsense – and when one man beats the other, it will be settled. We will have our champion.”
The MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS vs. the DYNAMITE KID and RICKY STARKS:
vs.
Sabin and Shelley got a huge ovation in their home state, and their debut could not have turned out better. All four men were quick and dynamic, but the Guns' unparalleled teamwork and experience were too much for the up-and-comers that opposed them. Starks and Kid got in a few shots, but the MCMG were all business, and they pinned Starks after a power bomb/frog splash combination.
COMMERCIAL
A video package summarized the Nick Bockwinkel/Desmond Wolfe feud. It shifted into a Bockwinkel monologue, where the still-angry AWA stalwart shouted that it didn't matter what he called himself, he was going to beat and humiliate the Englishman the next time they met... and thanks to his good relationship with the office, that was going to happen in two weeks. They were going to have a rematch of sorts – but it wasn't going to be two out of three falls. This time, it would be a 30-minute Ironman match.
Another interview, Paquette with Miro. “The Redeemer” was bombastic, charismatic, mean, and supremely confident.
HUSKY HARRIS vs. REX STEINER:
vs.
vs.
This was a rare prospect match for All-Star Wrestling, but the Hart/Gagne braintrust wanted to spotlight Steiner. Both were second-generation stars that had a bright upside, and in his AWA debut, Harris showed surprising quickness for his size. However, Steiner controlled most of the match, and finished Harris with a spear.
After the match, Renee Paquette interviewed the winner in the ring. He said, “When I won the brass ring ladder match, I said that I wouldn't wait that long to call my shot, and I'm a man of my word. I know that I should jump to the front of the line and challenge the AWA Heavyweight champion – but I don't even know who it is yet. And besides... I just can't stand that prick MJF. So, Max, it's gonna be me and you at the next pay-per-view for your Southern title – assuming you keep it that long, chump.”
The final pre-taped interview aired. Mad Dog Vachon was tired to getting oh-so-close to the belt. “I almost won the AWA title. I almost won the UWA title. But almost isn't good enough! Next week, Mad Dog Vachon is gonna do whatever it takes! I'm gonna sweat, I'm probably gonna bleed – but at the end of the night, I'm gonna be the new AWA Heavyweight champion!”
Backstage, the North was doing some last-minute stretching as their manager bounced around them, hyping them up. A few seconds later, the scene changed, and the Midnight Express were finishing up their pre-match routine, and they started to walk through the backstage area... led by the colorfully-attired, tennis racket-wielding Jim Cornette!
COMMERCIAL
AWA TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
The MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (w/Jim Cornette) vs. the NORTH (w/Jimmy Hart):
vs.
vs.
All three members of the Express walked out on stage, plus Cornette, but Condrey returned to the locker room; it would be the combination of Eaton and Lane challenging for the titles. The North and Hart followed, as the champions typically do, and if they were phased by the “Louisville Slugger's” presence, they weren't showing it.
The crowd was split for this one, with both teams falling into the heel camp and seconded by easily detestable managers, but Ventura guessed that it was about 60-40 North, with a lot of Canadians in the audience. The referee needed six eyes for this one, as neither team was afraid to cheat to win. Nonetheless, the North and the Express were well-oiled machines, and they blew past the 20-minute mark in as closely a contested battle as you can imagine.
It turned into a brawl, with all four wrestlers in the ring. Even the managers were shouting at each other on the outside. As the fight raged on, the ref was sandwiched between Page and Lane, stunning him for several seconds. When this happened, Hart threw his megaphone over the top rope, where it was caught by Alexander. But right before he could nail Eaton with it, Lane fell down as if struck. The official recovered and jumped into the middle of it, ready to ring the bell.
He did not, though. He yelled at Alexander, and told him to throw the megaphone to the outside. While his attention was firmly focused on Hart and Alexander, Cornette was on the other side, and he slid his tennis racket to “Beautiful Bobby”. Eaton slammed the loaded racket into Page's skull, and slid it back out in an instant. Eaton went to the top rope and hit “All Ego” with the Alabama Jam legdrop. With “Sweet Stan” playing defense, Eaton made the cover – and three seconds later, the Midnight Express were the new AWA tag champs.