Post by fifthhorseman on Jun 8, 2022 0:47:59 GMT -5
AWA ALL-STAR WRESTLING
EPISODE 21
EPISODE 21
Pyro from Sioux City, South 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.
WILD CARD BATTLE ROYALE
WINNER ENTERS AWA STAMPEDE MID-HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT:
WINNER ENTERS AWA STAMPEDE MID-HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT:
The participants were Bo Dallas, the Dynamite Kid, John Morrison, Steve Corino, Tyler Bate, Chris Sabin,and Alex Shelley, as well as newcomers Nunzio, Carmelo Hayes, Amazing Red, Ace Austin, Joey Mercury, and Lio Rush. Styles explained that one of them would be back in action later in the evening against Prince Puma – no rest for the wicked.
Typical battle royale, though without the typical giants in such a match, it was very fast-paced. Halfway through, the Dynamite Kid went sailing over the top rope and landed awkwardly, and he was stretched off with an obvious leg injury. Eventually, it came down to Bate, Morrison, and Mercury. The Englishman did his best, but the two heels worked together to get him up against the ropes, and when Mercury went for one last heave, Bate scissored his powerful legs around him. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep him in, and both bodies tumbled outside. Morrison was the last man standing, and as he and Mercury left together – seemingly reunited – it was confirmed when they stopped on the ramp and Melina parted the curtain to join them.
COMMERCIAL
Lee Marshall introduced Diamond Dallas Page, who parted the crowd to get to the ring. He was all smiles, and he said that he was getting ready for the biggest match of his life. “In just a couple of weeks, it's gonna be me against that snake Nick Aldis. And I don't care if he brings Killer Kross to ringside, Scarlett, Kamille, the York Foundation, the '85 Chicago Bears, and Thanos – when it's all over, one man is gonna be standing tall, and that's me, that's me, that's DDP! Bang!”
Buddy Murphy came out to do commentary, and to do a little scouting.
AWA STAMPEDE MID-HEAVYWEIGHT TOURNAMENT QUARTER-FINAL MATCH
TULLY BLANCHARD (w/Arn Anderson) vs. ILYA DRAGUNOV:
vs.
TULLY BLANCHARD (w/Arn Anderson) vs. ILYA DRAGUNOV:
vs.
Ventura cheerily noted that Tully weighed in at 224.8 pounds, and the wily Texan proved that he was more than a tag-team expert throughout the contest. It was a dramatic contrast of styles, as the dynamic Dragunov preferred to strike and fly rather than wrestle on the mat. Blanchard became more and more frustrated, as did Anderson on the floor, and after 12 minutes of back-and-forth action it reached its peak. After Dragunov hit the Torpedo Moscow, “the Enforcer” came in and nailed him with a spinebuster. It was an instant DQ, and Tully and Arn stomped away at Dragunov for several moments until Murphy ran down with a chair to ward them off. The Australian extended his hand to lift Dragunov up, but he was embarrassed, and in pain, and he rolled under the ropes and left under his own power.
COMMERCIAL
Ventura interviewed Rex Steiner on the stage. The young powerhouse was eager to get his hands on MJF at Awesomesauce, but he also knew that the AWA Southern Heavyweight champion had the numbers advantage, using Anderson's interference earlier as an example. “I know you'll do whatever it takes to keep that belt – well, let me tell you something, pal! As bad as you want to keep it, I want it twice as bad!”
KEN KENNEDY vs. DREW McINTYRE:
vs.
vs.
This wasn't a very competitive match, although Kennedy did get a few shots in here and there. It was more of a device to give McIntyre a dominant victory – which he did, with the Claymore – but it gave Styles the opportunity to officially announce that it would be McIntyre versus the AWA World Heavyweight champion, Don Leo Jonathan, at AWA Awesomesauce in two weeks.
COMMERCIAL
Backstage, a camera crew found Jimmy Hart as he left Stu Hart's office with a smug smirk on his face and a stack of paperwork in his hand. It quickly went away when Josh Alexander caught up to him, still angry over the departure of his partner Ethan Page. “You said you were gonna bring another team in? I heard what you said last week – is that the contract? Well, if it is, then you get one of them in the ring next week against the 'Walking Weapon'!”
The “Mouth of the South” retreated, but as he left, he shrieked, “You... you got yourself a match!”
AWA STAMPEDE MID-HEAVYWEIGHT TOURNAMENT QUARTER-FINAL MATCH
DARBY ALLIN vs. CHAD GABLE (w/Verne Gagne):
vs.
DARBY ALLIN vs. CHAD GABLE (w/Verne Gagne):
vs.
Jason Jordan also walked out with Gable, but the referee only let Gagne stay at ringside, and much like Gagne's own match with Allin a couple of weeks earlier, it was speed versus science. Allin's unorthodox offense gave Gable fits at the beginning, but the Olympian soon found her groove, and dispatched with the face-painted flyer with a bridging German suplex.
COMMERCIAL
The Gagne stable was backstage, and Verne was in a fighting mood. “We're done with you, Allin – Mr. Gable barely broke a sweat handling his business tonight, and it's onto the next tournament match for him. But we're not done with the punks that saved you from an even greater beating a couple of weeks ago. Motor City Machine Guns. Do you have the guts to step in the ring with real shooters like us?”
AWA STAMPEDE MID-HEAVYWEIGHT TOURNAMENT QUARTER-FINAL MATCH
JOHNNY NITRO (w/Melina) vs. PRINCE PUMA:
vs.
JOHNNY NITRO (w/Melina) vs. PRINCE PUMA:
vs.
He was relatively rested, and even had a new/old last name, but Nitro was in for a stern test. In fact, the two men were very familiar to one another from their Lucha Underground days. They spent nearly as much time in the air as they did on the mat, and didn't mind flying to the outside either. Melina was a constant bother, but didn't interfere. The end came about 15 minutes in, when Nitro missed Starship Pain, but Puma did not miss the 630 senton.
COMMERCIAL
A pre-taped VTR aired for the Texas Death Match contract signing. Nick Bockwinkel was at one end of a long table, Nigel McGuinness was at the other. In the center sat Commissioner Hart, along with Mike DiBiase. The two rivals were told that if they made any physical contact with each other, they'd both be suspended for the lengths of their contracts, regardless of who initiated it. DiBiase spoke next, and he recalled the three-hour match he had with Dory Funk, Sr. Such a battle, he said, “is going to shorten your careers. Both of you. That's not a prediction, it's just a plain fact.” Eventually, they signed the contract, and with security standing by – just in case – Hart told them to get ready, because the next time either man stepped in an AWA ring, it would be under Texas Death Match rules at Awesomesauce.
Styles and Ventura announced that the two semi-final matches next week would be Buddy Murphy against Ilya Dragunov, and Prince Puma versus Chad Gable, and then they hyped up the main event.
AWA WORLD TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP LADDER MATCH
MARK and JAY BRISCOE vs. the MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (w/Jim Cornette):
vs.
Challengers first, champions second to the ring. Stan Lane and Bobby Eaton were representing the Express tonight, and their manager was very, very reluctant to accompany them, knowing what awaited him.
The lights dimmed in the arena as the shark cage was lowered from the ceiling above the ring. Once Cornette was forced inside the cage, it was raised to eye level, and the referee strapped the tag belts to a bar chained to the cage. Then, it continued its journey skyward until the belts were about 15 feet above the ring. Pyro from the stage, big-match intros, and finally, the bell rang.
It was full-on action, and more mat-based than a modern-day ladder match. Still, there were plenty of high spots from the top turnbuckles and the ladders that did come into play. In their hands, the ladders were used as weapons just as much as they were launching pads. Both teams had opportunities to grab the gold, but after 15 minutes, it was a stalemate.
Both teams wound up on the floor, and brawled near the end of the ramp. Dennis Condrey ran out to interfere, but before he could get to his teammates, he was cut off by the ref, and other officials quickly jumped in as well. The Briscoes and the Express barely noticed, and Jay escaped the chaotic scene and slid back into the ring... where he was met with a vicious lariat from one of the cameramen!
The hood and ball cap flew off the tall, overalls-wearing intruder after the collision, and Styles screamed, “That's Barry Windham!” Indeed it was, and the big Texan placed Jay under the standing ladder, and rolled to the floor. Condrey backed away, Lane kept Mark busy, and Eaton took advantage of the craziness. Once “Beautiful Bobby” started climbing the ladder, his bodyweight pinned the older Briscoe's shoulders under the bottom rung, and he kept going. With Cornette cheering him on, Eaton grabbed both titles to take the win. The show ended with Eaton, Lane, and Windham in the ring with the AWA tag-team belts, with Mark angrily consoling his brother in an opposite corner.