Post by fifthhorseman on Feb 20, 2023 17:31:53 GMT -5
AWA ALL-STAR WRESTLING
EPISODE 41
EPISODE 41
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Pyro from Lincoln, Nebraska, then a 60-second sizzle reel of classic AWA action interspersed with close-ups of and highlights from members of the current AWA roster. Announcing the action, Joey Styles and Don West.
Cold open backstage, where the Pinnacle sat in their locker room. Freddie Blassie began. "Tonight, the Pinnacle wins War Games before it even begins! Tonight, we start with Tully Blanchard, Wardlow, and Maxwell Jacob Friedman against Diamond Dallas Page and the other two pencil-necked geeks he found to fill out his team! Listen up, whoever you are - it's not too late to just get your gear, get back in your car, and get out of the AWA! Because if you dare come to the ring with that no-good DDP, you're in for a world of pain and suffering!"
The AWA Southern Heavyweight champion was up next. MJF warned the fans and their opponents that they found the man that would help them win War Games at Super Sunday 2. “And we're not going to wait until next week to tell you who it is. He's our hired gun. He's a monster. He's a former World champion! What else can I say... other than that he's just... plain... awesome.”
As Blanchard and Manny Fernandez applauded, the camera shifted to Friedman's left, where a six-foot-six, 300-pounder simply nodded. It was Mike Awesome... and he stomped past the cameraman and headed to the ring.
MIKE AWESOME vs. HEATH SLATER:
vs.
vs.
Awesome won in fast and dominating fashion with a devastating top-rope splash. Via split-screen, the Pinnacle were shown backstage impressed with the mercenary they brought in for War Games, and even more impressed when, after the match, Awesome picked Slater up and powerbombed him from the ring through a ringside table.
After the match, the Pinnacle came out to celebrate with Awesome. Suddenly, with zero warning, the former ECW champion kicked Fernandez in the stomach and powerbombed him from the ring onto Slater! Friedman demanded a microphone, and said, “Raging Bull? Screw that, you're a castrated calf! We brought you into the Pinnacle and by God, we're taking you out! You cost us the War Games advantage last week, and buddy, that means you're no good to us. Don't get up, we'll send you your things!”
AWA medical staff rushed to ringside to check on Slater and Fernandez, and the Pinnacle, and Awesome, left to a chorus of boos.
COMMERCIAL
Another Flex Kavana vignette, and the chiseled third-generation grappler looked strong and confident. The final image in the vignette declared that Kavana would be back inthe ring on the next episode of AWA All-Star Wrestling.
A pair of ambulances were shown pulling up to the arena.
AMAZING RED vs. ANGELO PARKER (w/Matt Menard):
vs.
vs.
The innovative high-flyer beat Parker with a Red Eye (springboard swinging STO) despite Menard's constant attempts to interfere in the match. Red had the crowd on their feet throughout the short contest, dazzling them with moves they've never seen before in the AWA. 2Point0 tried to get him after that match, but he was too quick for them and dove out of the ring to celebrate on the ramp.
COMMERCIAL
Lee Marshall introduced the UWA Universal Tag-Team champs, FTR. They got a mixed reaction from the crowd; they respected Harwood and Wheeler, but they were the “away team”, even against the hated Minnesota Wrestling Club. FTR said that they were looking forward to the challenge, but they planned on leaving Super Sunday 2 with their titles. They left the ring, but when they paused on the stage to pose with the belts, Jay and Mark Briscoe met them and went nose-to-nose. Mark said, “You might be fighting those two next week, but guess who the top contenders are around here? Sooner or later, we're gonna get our hands on you, too.”
DON LEO JONATHAN vs. DAMIAN PRIEST:
vs.
vs.
The debuting Priest gave DLJ everything he could handle in a 13-minute slugfest, but the former AWA World champ eventually pinned him with a giant-sized version of a fisherman's suplex. Priest was quite impressive in defeat, surprising Jonathan with his quickness and martial arts skills; however, the “Mormon Giant” was just too strong to stay down for long.
COMMERCIAL
Styles threw to a pre-recorded interview with Nick Bockwinkel and Eric Bischoff. The calm, eloquent challenger for Barry Windham's title was on point as usual, and confidently declared that after Super Sunday 2, he would be the new and five-time AWA World Heavyweight champion.
MATT CARDONA vs. BRON STEINER:
vs.
vs.
This was a rematch from a couple of weeks ago, where they fought to a double-countout. And just like then, Jimmy Hart walked out onto the stage to watch, seemingly scouting both wrestlers. It was another very even match, as Cardona used his experience to negate Steiner's explosive power... for a while. About nine minutes in, the second generation star speared Cardona through the ropes, and they both landed hard and awkwardly on the floor. The ref had no choice but to start his count... and just like before, it was another double-countout.
Hart grabbed a microphone from the broadcast table. “Hey, you two, haven't you noticed me standing here? I'm trying to figure out if either one of you deserve a spot in the First Family, and I still can't tell! How about you two just have a lumberjack match so that we can all see who the better man is?” Neither Steiner nor Cardona seemed to care about that opportunity that much, but they stared at each other and nodded, eager to finally determine who the better man was.
COMMERCIAL
Money Inc. cut a pre-recorded promo to brag about their newest member, Batista. They declared that he was the missing piece their organization needed, and with their mentorship – combined with his muscle – it wouldn't be long before they had all the gold.
Barry Windham was led to the ring by Jim Cornette and Big Bubba Rogers. Cornette started with a quick update on Bobby Eaton, as well as a shot at Graham: “'Beautiful Bobby' is finally cleared to wrestle, and you bump his match just because you gotta get some last-minute Super Sunday 2 business in? Well, you better make sure that he's on the next show back, so we'll sue you for breach of contract, pal!”
He looked at the big Texan and continued. “But let's talk about Super Sunday! In just a few days, the AWA World Heavyweight champion, 'the Widowmaker' himself, Barry Windham is gonna defend that title against Nick Bockwinkel. And I'll give ol' Nick the credit he deserves. He's one of the best and craftiest scientific wrestlers around. But Barry Windham is the best wrestler around! You want to wrestle? He'll wrestle. You want to fight? He'll knock your darn head off! Bockwinkel, you aren't the big fish around here anymore... my man Barry Windham is!”
AWA STAMPEDE MID-HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
ART BARR vs. the DYNAMITE KID (c):
vs.
ART BARR vs. the DYNAMITE KID (c):
vs.
The legendary rudo made it a competitive fight, but the Kid was just too powerful for Barr, and finished him off with his patented top-rope headbutt. They went about ten minutes bell to bell, and Barr used every dirty trick in the book to keep it close before Dynamite took charge.
COMMERCIAL
Backstage, Lou Thesz waited in Eddie Graham's office, who was finalizing the Super Sunday 2 card. Thesz asked him for a shot at the Dynamite Kid's championship. Graham replied, “Lou, you've looked great since you got back, but you're not quite there yet. Our mid-heavyweight division is the best in the business, and we have a lot of world-class athletes that have been here a while longer than you. But I'll tell you what... I'll put you on the card for Super Sunday 2. I'll give you a match against the former Stampede Mid-Heavyweight champion, Chad Gable. Beat him, and you'll give the championship committee something to think about, OK?”
Back to the broadcast table, where Styles and West did a final hype job for Super Sunday 2. They confirmed that Thesz would indeed wrestle Gable, and they also announced that there would be simultaneous battle royales to start the show in each of the two rings – one featuring the mid-heavyweights, the other featuring the heavyweights.
The PINNACLE (w/Freddie Blassie) vs. DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE and ??:
vs.
vs.
Blanchard, MJF, and Wardlow represented their squad, and they were eager to injure anyone they could before Super Sunday 2. They stomped back and forth in the ring as Page made his entrance through the crowd like the “People's Champion” he said he was. Wisely, though, he waited on the fan side of the rail for his teammates to arrive.
A few seconds later, their iconic theme blasted over the arena speakers, and they strode down the ramp in lock-step.
The crowd went berserk as Ax and Smash went to the opposite corner with DDP and took off their gear. The match itself was secondary to the debut, but it was a very entertaining battle while it lasted. They only went about seven minutes, until MJF and DDP finally made physical contact for the first time in the match – and then the AWA Southern Heavyweight champion simply kicked Page below the belt with a vicious shot, earning an immediate disqualification. From there it devolved into a six-way brawl, in and out of the ring, until Mike Awesome ran down to uneven the odds. The heels briefly took charge, but then Arn Anderson and Mad Dog Vachon appeared and it was five on four. The brawl continued for a few more moments until several AWA officials and other wrestlers ran out to separate the factions.
As the show wound down, the Pinnacle, Blassie, and Awesome angrily retreated up the ramp, while their War Games opponents dared them to get back in the ring despite the dozen or so people separating them. Styles and West frantically told the audience to tune in next week for a special Super Sunday!