Post by fifthhorseman on Jun 1, 2022 23:32:51 GMT -5
AWA ALL-STAR WRESTLING
EPISODE 20
EPISODE 20
Pyro from Fargo, North Dakota, then a 60-second sizzle reel of classic AWA action interspersed with close-ups of and highlights from members of the current AWA roster.
Joey Styles and Jesse Ventura hyped up what was potentially a one-match card, though they did assure the TV audience that Commissioner Hart did schedule a couple of stand-by matches as well, notably Kevin Kross versus Diamond Dallas Page. As if on cue, Hart walked out to their broadcast table, and positioned the vacant AWA Stampede Mid-Heavyweight championship belt in plain view of tonight's competitors. Styles reminded everybody that the winner of the match would go straight to the semi-finals of that tournament, and the rest of the field would be revealed when Theory and Murphy were done.
BEST-OF-SEVEN MATCH
BUDDY MURPHY vs. AUSTIN THEORY:
vs.
BUDDY MURPHY vs. AUSTIN THEORY:
vs.
The ref instructed them in the middle of the ring to start things off, and it was full speed ahead after that. The two men were young, fast, strong, and hungry – and neither man liked the other. They went almost 15 minutes before the first fall was recorded, courtesy of Murphy's Law, and the Australian was up 1-0.
COMMERCIAL
The bout was joined in progress, but Theory repeatedly rolled outside until Murphy followed him. After a brief skirmish on the floor, Theory shoved his opponent into the ring steps, grabbed a steel chair, and smashed Murphy in the leg with it, sandwiching his limb against the steps. The official immediately called for the bell, giving Murphy the 2-0 advantage on the disqualification – but Theory didn't stop, and he repeatedly bashed the leg until the ref jumped in between them.
Theory re-entered the ring, bouncing back and forth, and Murphy gingerly followed. The 30 second period between falls had more than elapsed, so the ref called for the match to resume – and the Georgia native charged at Murphy with a basement dropkick to the damaged leg. He locked in a figure-four, and Murphy quickly submitted, making it 2-1.
In between falls, via split-screen, next week's AWA World Tag-Team title ladder match between the Midnight Express and the Briscoe Brothers was promoted.
Back to the action, and Murphy was back on his feet, but in obvious pain. Theory was all over him in the corner, but the “Best Kept Secret” in pro wrestling battled back, and took his heelish foe to the mat. Every second he kept Theory on the canvas, it gave him time to recover, but unfortunately, Murphy didn't keep the strong youngster down long enough. Theory fought out from underneath and laced Murphy's bad limb in a standing leg-lock, and after a few seconds, Murphy tapped out again. 2-2.
COMMERCIAL
Joined in progress, with another split-screen video, this one featuring Jimmy Hart. He issued a challenge to his former client, Josh Alexander, stating that he was in negotiations with another tag-team already, and either man on that team was much better than the Canadian.
Murphy and Theory were on the mat, and it seemed as if the pace was about to pick back up... and it did. Despite still favoring his leg, Murphy was near 100% again, and he finally got back on offense. Theory fired back, and a few minutes later, after a series of moves and reversals, he caught Murphy with a roll-up (and a handful of tights). He was up 3-2.
The Aussie “Juggernaut” was furious, but the 30 seconds came and went and the referee didn't change his mind. They locked up again, and after a couple of minutes of back-and-forth action, a suplex spot saw both wrestlers tumble over the top rope. Coincidentally, they landed just a couple of feet from the chair that Theory used as a weapon, but here, Murphy grabbed it. He raised it over his head for a two-handed swing, and Theory ducked and covered – so the former WWE Cruiserweight champ dropped the chair, and hit Theory with a DDT on the floor!
Murphy limped into the ring and sat in a neutral corner as the referee made his count. The wrestling prodigy was very slow to get to his feet after the DDT, and dropped to a knee before rolling back in... but he did not beat the count. Tie game, 3-3.
COMMERCIAL
The two men were trading punches in the center of the ring, and as they continued to fight, a ticker rolled underneath to promote the incoming Matt Cardona. Murphy had the momentum, and hit a series of moves on Theory, but to his credit, Theory didn't stay down. In fact, he came back and eventually hit the ATL on Murphy – for a two-count. He was furious, and after a length argument with the official, went for his finisher again – but Murphy pushed off Theory's shoulders, bounced off the ropes, and hit his enemy with a bicycle knee strike. Murphy's Law on Theory. One, two... and three. 62 minutes, seven falls, and one arm raised – and it belonged to Buddy Murphy.
The crowd stood on their feet for his efforts – really, for both men – and as he left and stopped on the stage, the AWA Stampede Mid-Heavyweight championship tournament bracket was shown on the arena monitors:
COMMERCIAL
Luckily, there was time left for one stand-by match grudge match between two of the fiercest rivals in the AWA. A video package recapped the feud between DDP and Kevin Kross, and Styles and Ventura recapped the stakes of the bout.
KEVIN KROSS (w/Scarlett Bordeaux) vs. DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE:
IF KROSS WINS, DDP MUST LEAVE THE AWA
IF DDP WINS, HE WILL GET A UWA TITLE SHOE AGAINST NICK ALDIS
vs.
IF KROSS WINS, DDP MUST LEAVE THE AWA
IF DDP WINS, HE WILL GET A UWA TITLE SHOE AGAINST NICK ALDIS
vs.
Kross and his valet made their macabre entrance first, followed by the “People's Champion's” entrance through the audience. The two men couldn't be more different, and Lee Marshall gave them the big-match intros, which a bout with such high stakes deserved.
They fought like a couple of rabid dogs. Whether they were in the ring or on the floor, each man seemingly came close to disqualification several times during the match. It went back and forth for about 15 minutes, and after Kross hit a release Sambo throw, he paced the ring eager to put the finishing touches on the match.
But he waited too long.
Diamond Cutter! As usual, Page hit it out of nowhere, and despite Bordeaux's shrieks from the outside, Kross didn't kick out. A very weary Page raised his hands in victory, and as the show went off the air, he shouted at Aldis through the camera, “I'll see you soon, champ! I'll see you real soon!”
I hope this show worked. I wanted to elevate Murphy – and Theory – and I still have two shows to write before AWA Awesomesauce later this month. A two-match show speeds up the writing process. The next two shows are building towards the PPV.