Post by fifthhorseman on Jun 23, 2022 0:13:18 GMT -5
In the dark match, Hiroshi Tanahashi and the White Ninja debuted with a win over Bo Dallas and Husky Harris.
AWA AWESOMESAUCE
Pyro from Salt Lake City, Utah, then the scene shifted to Joey Styles and Jesse Ventura at the broadcast table. They excitedly described the card, which featured UWA champions from East Tennessee Professional Wrestling and Continental Championship Wrestling in action against the hometown stars. “This is the AWA,” Ventura growled. “You never know who's gonna show up!”
DARBY ALLIN and the MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS vs. TEAM GAGNE:
vs.
vs.
Styles looked down at his notes and said, “Buddy Murphy and Chad Gable are fighting for the Stampede Mid-Heavyweight title right after this... there's no way that Gable is wrestling in back-to-back matches, is he?”
The answer was no. After Gagne and Jason Jordan walked onto the stage, the AWA legend introduced the newest member of his stable... Charlie Haas. They strode to the ring, but were hit by stereo triple dives through the ropes by Sabin, Shelley, and Allin. It was full speed ahead from there, and Haas meshed with Jordan like they had tagged together for a decade. In fact, the former Big East collegiate champ got the pin on Shelley after Gagne stun-gunned his foe over the top rope. Call it a upset, call it cheating, but call it a win for Team Gagne.
A video was shown of the UWA kingpin, Nick Aldis, arriving at the arena, and he was not alone – far from it. He was accompanied by Kamille, as well as the York Foundation: Nicholas Nemeth, Marcus Bagwell, and Martin Jannetty.
A tale of the tape package was shown for the next match.
AWA STAMPEDE MID-HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
CHAD GABLE vs. BUDDY MURPHY:
vs.
CHAD GABLE vs. BUDDY MURPHY:
vs.
A video package showed how each man got to the finals, and Commissioner Stu Hart sat at the timekeeper's table with the belt, ready to present it to the winner. Gable was by himself, as was Murphy as usual. Once the bell rang, it was nonstop, back and forth action. They had very different styles, but they were elite athletes in any weight class. It was a 20-minute classic, and after a ferocious final minute of reversals, the Olympian dodged a bicycle knee strike from Murphy in the corner. He ducked behind “the Juggernaut” and hit him with a rolling bridging German suplex. Three seconds later, it was over.
Hart consoled Murphy, then strapped the belt around the triumphant Gable. He extended his hand, and Gable did the same, but stopped when he saw Gagne, Jordan, and Haas standing on the stage. He darted out of the ring and celebrated with them instead.
After they left, a training montage video package was shown, comparing and contrasting the combatants in the next match.
AWA SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
MJF (c) vs. REX STEINER:
vs.
vs.
Friedman was so confident about the outcome of his match, he told Wardlow to go backstage. That just fired up Steiner, and he demolished MJF with a clothesline as soon as the bell rang. The second-generation star was explosive, but his opponent was tricky, and whenever he lost control, he slowed things down and went to the mat. They went about 12 minutes, and after Steiner hit a series of power moves, he allegedly poked MJF in the eye, and the Southern champion rolled to the outside claiming that he couldn't see. The referee started his count nonetheless, as MJF “looked” for a ringside medic all the way up the ramp. He was counted out, and he retained his championship... but perhaps more importantly, it served as Steiner's “graduation” from the Young Lions camp. He was ready for anybody now.
A video package showcasing the Cow Palace aired, with clips from several historic matches. The final few highlights all featured the Blond Bombers, Pat Patterson and Ray Stevens – and they would be debuting on AWA All-Star Wrestling next week.
Another short package aired on the history of the Texas Death Match, transitioning into the feud between the men fighting in the next match.
TEXAS DEATH MATCH, SPECIAL REFEREE: "IRON" MIKE DiBIASE
NICK BOCKWINKEL vs. NIGEL McGUINNESS:
vs.
NICK BOCKWINKEL vs. NIGEL McGUINNESS:
vs.
“Iron Mike” went over the rules in the pre-match instructions, and reminded them that “This ain't a damn hardcore match. Use your fists and your feet and fight like there's no tomorrow, but don't clutter it up with gimmicks, got it?” The two men nodded; they were more than willing to settle it themselves, no weapons required.
Heavy shots were exchanged early, by both wrestlers, and it took over 15 minutes for the first fall to occur, when McGuinness hit the Beverly Hills icon with a pendulum lariat. But Bockwinkel slowly got to his feet before the count of ten, and the match resumed.
About ten minutes later, Bockwinkel turned the tide and nailed the Englishman with a bulldog headlock for the next three-count, but McGuinness was too tough – and stubborn – to stay down, and he used the ropes to get to his feet before DiBiase got to ten.
Both men were feeling the effects of this war, and they bloodied each other on the floor while “Iron Mike” simply watched; there was no reason to count, and he wasn't going to chase them anywhere. AS they battled back onto the apron, and Bockwinkel tried to get back in the ring, McGuinness kicked the middle rope while his enemy straddled it. The former ROH mainstay wasted no time propping Bockwinkel over the top rope, and he hit him with the Tower of London cutter. He crawled away after making the pin, but Bockwinkel staggered to his feet at nine.
McGuinness stayed on offense with punches and kicks, and he charged at Bockwinkel. Still, he couldn't put him down, and they both fell through the ropes to the floor again. They rammed each other's heads into the ring apron, and after a headbutt, McGuinness tried to roll back in under the bottom rope. But Bockwinkel grabbed him by the hair, pulled him halfway out, and hit McGuinness with his own version of the Tower of London cutter – from the apron to the floor!
With the last bit of strength left in his body, Bockwinkel picked his practically immobile foe up, slid him back into the ring, and pinned him. He rolled to a neutral corner, and the crowd counted along with DiBiase. The bloody McGuinness could only get to one knee, and after 40 violent minutes, Bockwinkel was declared the winner.
The crowd erupted for their chosen favorite, and Bockwinkel wiped the blood from his face as he slowly left the ring and limped up the ramp. He turned to acknowledge the audience one more time – and he was attacked from behind by Jerry Lawler! “The King” took out his frustrations over being left off the show on the barely mobile Bockwinkel, and to add both insult and injury to even more injury, he piledrove him on the stage. Jimmy Hart ran out before the AWA officials to escort his client away, and the show went to
INTERMISSION
The second half started with a backstage interview with the inaugural Stampede Mid-Heavyweight champion, Chad Gable, surrounded by Team Gagne. Gable proclaimed himself the greatest Mid-Heavyweight champion (already), and vowed to hold it forever.
TULLY BLANCHARD and ARN ANDERSON (w/Wardlow) vs. the KILLER BEES:
vs.
vs.
There was no grudge or feud behind this match; however, it was a clinic in old-school tag-team wrestling. The Pinnacle pulled every trick they could to keep the Bees down, and Wardlow did his share from the outside, but the referee only admonished them. Blair and Brunzell hit all of the high spots, and hope spots, and after a double dropkick on Blanchard, they almost won... but Wardlow put his teammate's foot on the bottom rope. A few moments later, “Double A” was the legal man, and he dropped Blair with a spinebuster for the win.
A pre-taped sit-down interview with Diamond Dallas Page aired. He said that he was as ready for his upcoming match against Nick Aldis as he had ever been for any match in his life, and when Awesomesauce was over, the People's Champion was going to be the Universe's Champion.
Tale of the tape package for the next match.
AWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
DON LEO JONATHAN (c) vs. DREW McINTYRE:
vs.
DON LEO JONATHAN (c) vs. DREW McINTYRE:
vs.
The Utah crowd was unanimously behind their hometown hero Jonathan. Big-match intros to start, and before McIntyre even returned to his corner, he was officially the bad guy in this one. The first third of the match was dominated by the “Mormon Giant”, who was big enough to manhandle even the 265-pound Scotsman. McIntyre heeled it up, absorbing the punishment and stalling whenever possible.
McIntyre fought back with a combination of power moves and other tricks. He focused on Jonathan's left leg in order to reduce his agility and mobility; you can't dodge the Claymore if you can't move. He yanked and wrenched and struck the limb from all angles, and at one point, even went for a figure-four leglock. But the AWA champion refused to give up, and when he couldn't reach the bottom rope, DLJ suddenly flipped over on his stomach, reversing the pressure and forcing McIntyre to break the hold.
They battled on, and the crowd cheered on the comeback. Jonathan targeted his opponent's back, and he went for the Boston crab. To his credit, though, McIntyre didn't submit either, and after an excruciatingly long time, the “Chosen One” fought his way to the ropes for the break. They traded punches in the center of the ring, and after ducking a roundhouse from McIntyre, Jonathan lifted his foe up and dropped him with a chokeslam backbreaker across his knee. The high-impact move was devastating, and Jonathan followed it up with a top-rope splash for the win.
After the match, McIntyre held his back as he got to his feet, and he slowly approached Jonathan as the World champion celebrated. After a just-long-enough pause, the two men shook hands, and McIntyre raised Jonathan's arm in victory to show his respect. He left, giving the champ the ring to himself for another huge ovation.
Backstage, Lawler commandered a cameraman's shot, and told the audience that Nick Bockwinkel was heading to the hospital, and the next time they saw him, “he's gonna be filing his retirement papers with the AWA!”
A highlight reel package aired, showcasing the considerable skills of the teams in the next match.
UWA UNIVERSAL TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
The MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (w/Jim Cornette) vs. STRIKE FORCE (c):
vs.
The MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (w/Jim Cornette) vs. STRIKE FORCE (c):
vs.
All three members of the AWA World tag champs came out dressed to fight, and after a suspenseful pause, it was Condrey and Eaton – and Cornette – who walked to the ring. Martel and Santana passed by Lane on their way out; they were experienced enough that they were ready for any version of the Express.
A true dream match, as they had never faced each other in the ring. As one would imagine, the two squads displayed classic tag-team work, whether it was double-teaming or just isolating a for from their partner. They breezed past the 15-minute mark, battling back and forth for the most prestigious prize in the division, and all four men looked like the champions they were. Unfortunately for the Express, their manager got greedy, and careless; as Santana bounced off the ropes, eager to finish off Condrey with a flying forearm, Cornette whacked him across the back with his tennis racket. The referee spotted it, and reluctantly called for the bell to disqualify the challengers. The Express was furious, and went back to fighting Santana and Martel, but Strike Force double-dropkicked them out of the ring. The heels stormed off, vowing to get the titles in a rematch.
After the ring cleared, another vignette was shown for another debut – Matt Cardona, next week.
A video package showcasing the various MUW/UWA men's champions aired. One more final tale of the tape graphic, predictions from Styles and Ventura – they were split on who would win, of course – and it was time for the main event.
UWA UNIVERSAL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
NICK ALDIS (c, w/Kamille and Kevin Kross) vs. DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE:
vs.
The challenger made his customary entrance through the sold-out crowd, and sat in the corner waiting for his opponent. Aldis strode through the curtain with his business partner Kevin Kross. Ventura observed that Kross obtained a temporary manager's license for the night, and Styles replied, “That's the most intimidating manager I've ever seen in my life! Heck, both of them are!”
The first few minutes were fought very cautiously, with neither man eager to make the first mistake. As the match progressed, the activity did as well, and the pendulum swung from Aldis to Page back to Aldis again over the course of 20 minutes. Every time the champion went for the Treasure Chest, though, the “People's Champion” countered or reversed it, frustrating Aldis – and Kross – to no end.
DDP fought back, and literally had the “Universal Treasure” on the ropes, hammering him with rights and lefts. That promoted an intrusion from Bagwell, Jannetty, and Nemeth – but before they could get to the ring, they were caught by a trio of AWA icons who wanted to see one of their own capture the UWA title. Harley Race, Larry Hennig, and Mad Dog Vachon stopped them in their tracks, and the six men battled on the ramp as the match devolved into chaos.
With the referee on the floor and distracted by the brawl and by Kamille, “Killer” Kross tried to take advantage of the situation. He rolled into the ring and took a swing at Page, but DDP ducked it and hit Kross with the Diamond Cutter. However, the crowd pop was short-lived, as Aldis caught Page on the way up with a punch squarely aimed at his foe's throat. The devastating blow gave Aldis just enough time to finally cinch in the Treasure Chest, and he dropped Page's skull to the canvas. The referee rolled back in the ring and made the three-count; chalk up another win in the billion-year reign of Aldis. He demanded that he be given his title belt, and he picked up a still-groggy Kross, and the heels all left. The show ended with a shot of the despondent Diamond Dallas Page, whose effort was applauded by the Salt Lake City crowd.