Post by fifthhorseman on May 24, 2022 22:09:43 GMT -5
AWA ALL-STAR WRESTLING
EPISODE 19
EPISODE 19
Pyro from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, then a 60-second sizzle reel of classic AWA action interspersed with close-ups of and highlights from members of the current AWA roster.
Commissioner Stu Hart joined Joey Styles and Jesse Ventura at the broadcast table, and he carried a silver briefcase with him. Before the first match started – a rematch from last week's truncated battle – Hart warned the locker room that if anybody interfered or even so much as stepped onto the stage, they'd be suspended for 90 days.
NIGEL McGUINNESS vs. BUDDY MURPHY:
vs.
vs.
Last week's match was just an appetizer for two of the most well-rounded grapplers in the entire UWA. There was a little bit of everything in this fiercely-contested battle, including blood – mat wrestling, vicious strikes, dirty boxing, submissions from all angles... it was intense. They went about 18 minutes, until the referee got bumped and McGuinness went to his trunks for a roll of dimes. He slugged Murphy between the eyes, hid the foreign object, and got the dirty win.
The rowdy Brit left and shot a sneer towards Hart, who reminded him that he had a Texas Death Match coming up in just a few weeks. Murphy then got to his feet, to a warm round of applause, and Hart spoke to him in the form of an announcement. “That was a great match, and yes, we know what happened. The ref missed it, plain and simple, and though it's probably no consolation to you, I'm fining Mr. McGuinness his share of the match purse.”
“As for you, and Austin Theory, well... let's get your best-of-seven underway next week. Except it's not a best-of-seven series... it's going to be a best-of-seven match. You want to show me and the rest of the world that you're a future champion? Next week is your shot, kid – you and Theory are gonna start the show, and if it takes the whole telecast, so be it. And if you needed any extra incentive, I think this might help.”
Hart opened the briefcase and held up a sleek, retro-looking championship belt. “As of right now, we are integrating the Stampede Mid-Heavyweight championship into the American Wrestling Association. I will be announcing the brackets later this week. And the winner of your match next week will go straight to the semi-finals. Rest up, and good luck.”
The Australian nodded his head in approval, slapped hands with the fans as he left, and the show went to
COMMERCIAL
Backstage, a very heated conversation took place between Jimmy Hart and Josh Alexander. The “Walking Weapon” blamed the manager for their title loss, and the match stipulation that cost Alexander his tag-team partner, Ethan Page. The “Mouth of the South” insisted that it wasn't his fault; rather, it was Alexander's for not winning the match himself! Alexander had enough, and in no uncertain terms, fired Hart and declared himself a singles wrestler.
DARBY ALLIN vs. VERNE GAGNE (w/American Alpha):
vs.
vs.
From Gagne's perspective, it was annoyingly competitive. Allin was fast, and pesky, and totally different than most foes the former NCAA champ fought. They went about nine minutes before Gagne pinned him with an O'Connor roll. But that wasn't enough, and Jordan and Gable slid in the ring and the three of team put the boots to Allin for several seconds, until the Motor City Machine Guns ran in for the save.
COMMERCIAL
Another Matt Cardona video package aired, hyping up the belt-collecting, social media-ruling, wrestling nomad.
MJF and WARDLOW vs. JON MOXLEY and REX STEINER:
vs.
vs.
Friedman, the AWA Southern heavyweight champ, didn't want to give the young Steiner any momentum going into their match at AWA Awesomesauce. Therefore, Wardlow did nearly all of the heavy lifting – literally, sometimes – for their team, while Moxley and Steiner shared the load on theirs. MJF stayed on the apron when Moxley hit the Death Rider on Wardlow, and he tagged in the second-generation star to make the pin after a gratuitous brainbuster. MJF never budged as Steiner stood up over the exhausted Wardlow, until he jumped down to the timekeeper's table, retrieved his belt, and walked away.
COMMERCIAL
Ring announcer Lee Marshall introduced Drew McIntyre, who walked down to the ring and wasted little time challenging Don Leo Jonathan for an AWA World Heavyweight title match. “My resume speaks for itself. I've been to the top of the mountain, and I know what it's like to wait, and wait, and wait, until you're finally recognized as the best. So, what do you say?”
One dramatic pause later, Jonathan made his way to the ring as well, wearing respectable clothing and sporting the big belt over his left shoulder. He said that he respected McIntyre for speaking his mind, and for his accomplishments in multiple territories. “If it was up to me, I'd absolutely give you a shot at my title. Anytime, any place. But it's not up to me. That said, I have no problem whatsoever going back to Stu Hart's office and asking him to draw up a contract for you and me. You're good, Drew, real good... but I'm not losing this championship.”
McIntyre and the “Mormon Giant” went nose-to-nose for a few seconds, and then the two men backed up a step and shook hands. The Scotsman left the ring first, then DLJ, and back at the broadcast table, Ventura was disgusted by the mutual show of respect. “I'd'a punched him right in the face!”
Styles: “Who?”
Ventura: “Both of them!”
ILYA DRAGUNOV vs. the DYNAMITE KID:
vs.
vs.
The Englishman continued to show progress and promise, but this was all Dragunov in this contest. Five minutes from start to finish, ending with the Torpedo Moscow. After the match, Dragunov gestured to his waist in anticipation of winning and wearing the inaugural Mid-Heavyweight championship belt.
COMMERCIAL
Backstage, the Pinnacle had seemingly already shaken off the loss to Moxley and Steiner. MJF told the young prospect that he shouldn't have called his shot so soon – that just gave the Pinnacle plenty of time to prepare before their match at AWA Awesomesauce. “And idle hands are the devil's work,” warned Friedman.
DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE vs. CHRIS HERO:
vs.
Despite Hero's encyclopedic wrestling knowledge, he wasn't able to keep DDP down for long, and it only took the former WCW World champ about eight minutes to put his opponent away with the Diamond Cutter. After the match, Page borrowed the house mike from Marshall and challenged Killer Kross to a match with very meaningful stakes. “Seeing how you're doing Nick Aldis's dirty work here in the AWA, why don't you try to really impress him? Next week, you and me, one on one. If you win, I'll leave the AWA, simple as that. But if I win, I want Aldis to give me a UWA Universal title shot at AWA Awesomesauce. Bang!”
COMMERCIAL
Tale of the tape package for two of the best teams in the world.
AWA WORLD TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
JAY and MARK BRISCOE vs. the MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (c, w/Jim Cornette):
vs.
JAY and MARK BRISCOE vs. the MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (c, w/Jim Cornette):
vs.
Between the two teams (in this case, Eaton and Condrey), they were very used to wearing gold. And Jim Cornette was used to managing champions, so he did everything he could to help his team on the outside. They went 20 minutes, and every single second of it was fought as if their lives depends on the outcome. Back and forth action, stiff punches, flawless double-teams... and a manager that couldn't take it any longer. Mark had Eaton set up for the Froggy-Bow elbow drop, but the “Louisville Slugger” nailed him across the back with his tennis racket. The referee saw it and called for the DQ, to the dismay of the crowd and the Briscoes.
As the heels scurried away with the titles, Commissioner Hart walked out onto the stage and grabbed the loaded racket from Cornette. Styles held the microphone in front of him as Hart said, “Not so fast, Jim – two weeks from now, you're going to do it all over again – in a ladder match! And here's the best part – you're going to be hanging above the ring too – in a shark cage!”