Post by fifthhorseman on Aug 14, 2022 19:24:17 GMT -5
AWA ALL-STAR WRESTLING
EPISODE 23
EPISODE 23
Pyro from San Francisco, California, 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 was solo on commentary. He thanked the departed Jesse Ventura for his work, but told the audience that he and Adrian Adonis parted ways during AWA's summer hiatus.
The AWA World Heavyweight champion, Don Leo Jonathan, walked out into the ring and welcomed the fans back. He told everyone how proud he was of his match at AWA Awesomesauce, and he asked his opponent in that match, Drew McIntyre, to come to the ring. A few seconds later, the “Chosen One” did just that, and the two competitors shook hands. In a show of mutual admiration, Jonathan offered McIntyre a rematch later in the night, and he readily accepted.
The BLOND BOMBERS (w/the Grand Wizard) vs. the KILLER BEES:
vs.
vs.
It didn't take long for the Grand Wizard to find another team to manage, and with Pat Patterson and Ray Stevens, he found one of the best ever. The Bees presented a strong challenge, but the Bombers were victorious in their debut courtesy of a top-rope Bombs Away kneedrop from Stevens on Blair.
COMMERCIAL
A 60-second recap video from Awesomesauce aired.
DONOVAN DIJAK vs. BARRY WINDHAM (w/Jim Cornette):
vs.
vs.
Despite being almost the exact same height and weight, this was a mismatch. The big Texan was all business, and used a diving lariat to set up an iron claw for the finish. After the match, Cornette cut a promo declaring that Windham should be the top contender for the AWA World Heavyweight title, and he would be petitioning Stu Hart to get that match for his client.
COMMERCIAL
A pre-taped interview aired, with Lee Marshall sitting down with the Pinnacle. MJF bragged about his AWA Southern Heavyweight title defense against Rex Steiner, and stated that being the best singles champion in the AWA wasn't enough. It was time for Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson to get a shot at the tag titles, and both men chimed in to agree.
JOSH ALEXANDER vs. MATT CARDONA:
vs.
vs.
After weeks of hype vignettes, Cardona finally made his AWA debut. The self-proclaimed social media superstar got a tougher match than he counted on, as the former AWA tag champ gave him his money's worth and more. However, Cardona used a roll-up and a handful of singlet to steal the win.
COMMERCIAL
A VTR aired that showcased Money Inc., along with Jimmy Hart, inside one of Ted DiBiase's seasonal homes. They ominously declared that the rest of the “fiscal year” would belong to them, and promised that the corporation would soon be expanding.
AWA STAMPEDE MID-HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
MUSTAFA ALI vs. CHAD GABLE (c, w/Jason Jordan):
vs.
MUSTAFA ALI vs. CHAD GABLE (c, w/Jason Jordan):
vs.
The new champion took the microphone and announced that he would defend the belt every episode – assuming, of course, that someone accepted his open challenge each week. Ali was first in line, and he took the fight to Gable early on. It was an excellent technical battle that gave both men plenty of shine, and Gable retained with a Chaos Theory suplex.
COMMERCIAL
MNM vs. the MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS:
vs.
This wasn't officially a match to determine the next contenders for the AWA World Tag titles, but a win for either team would go a long way. They all fought like it, too, and went over 15 minutes in a fast-paced, high-spot match. Melina interfered several times, but it wasn't enough, and the Guns hit a version of Total Elimination on Mercury for the win.
Their stage celebration was short-lived, though, as Cardona hit them both from behind with a chair, and nailed them a few more times before AWA officials took it from him. MNM met him on the stage and they all raised their hands together, signifying the formation of another dangerous stable.
COMMERCIAL
AWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
DON LEO JONATHAN vs. DREW McINTYRE:
vs.
DON LEO JONATHAN vs. DREW McINTYRE:
vs.
Big-match intros for a battle between two big men. Much like their Awesomesauce match, this one was hard-hitting and physical. Both men were very agile for their size, and they had the conditioning to go a long time if needed – which in this time, was about 20 minutes. The Scotsman hit the Claymore kick on the “Mormon Giant” but it knocked the champion out of the ring where he couldn't be pinned. When both men returned to the ring, the bout continued, and Jonathan eventually prevailed with an avalanche fallaway slam.
The two weary gladiators got to their feet, and as they shook hands, they were attacked by the Midnight Express and Barry Windham. It was a four-on-two beatdown that would have been tough to defend against even if Jonathan and McIntyre were at full strength, but it was soon broken up by several wrestlers from the locker room. The show ended with Windham throwing the World title at the furious champion.