Post by Dustin Salyers on Jun 7, 2023 15:15:26 GMT -5
NWA Championship Wrestling taped Tuesday, May 30th and broadcasted on Saturday, June 3rd at 10 AM on ESPN.
The show kicks off with highlights of the National Wrestling Alliance Champions in action before going to the desk and Gordon Solie. Solie briefly discusses today's show and reminds the viewers that the next pay-per-view broadcast, Beach Party Beatdown, is scheduled for Saturday, June 24th, from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Solie then sends the show to the ring for the first match of the day.
1. Larry Zbyszko vs. Dale Lewis
>Winner: Zbyszko (6:58) following a swinging neck breaker
Solie welcomes James. J. Dillon and Bob Roop to the desk and immediately Solie asks Dillon about the recent setbacks for his “so-called Dynasty members”. Solie points out that Greg Valentine lost the World’s Heavyweight Championship in April, Bob Orton Jr. hasn’t been seen since the beginning of May and Bob Roop just spent the “better part of a week…”. Dillon cuts off Solie and comments that he would get to Valentine and Orton, but right now he is here to talk about the last week of Roop’s life. Dillon points out that Roop has been seen by several doctors and thanks to the “miracles of modern medicine”, Roop is still able to see. Dillon now points to the camera and raises his voice. “Can you see Gary Hart?!?... Can you see me?!?... Hart, I agreed to work with you because defeating the Brisco brothers seemed like a bit of common ground for the two of us but watching your man Kabuki spit that Asian concoction into the eyes of poor Bob smells more like a double cross than an honest mistake. So here today, on behalf of Bob, I’m challenging you and your man to a match. Today we find out how a bit of trickery and that tomfoolery you call martial arts will fare against a four-time National AAU All-American and former Olympian. Dillon and Roop walk away as Solie points out that we will hear from Gary Hart before the hour is up and sends the show to its first commercial break.
Commercial Break
Solie welcomes “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert to the desk and immediately asks Gilbert how his shoulder is after getting trapped in the “Crippler Crossface” by the World’s Junior Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit last week. Gilbert laughs off the question and says, “I’m not worried about this shoulder… Mr. Solie doesn’t have to worry about this shoulder… the fans don’t have to worry about this shoulder and most importantly… Chris Benoit doesn’t have to worry about this shoulder of mine… but Benoit does have to worry about his World’s Junior Heavyweight Championship… in fact, I think you could say Benoit has been acting quite paranoid lately.” “You see, I came out to get a better look at your match at the last pay-per-view and you became so upset that you challenged me to an impromptu match last week. I accepted… but when you didn’t like the pace of the match… you got upset again. Then when it didn’t end your way… you went and got upset again… so upset that you attacked me after the match.” Gilbert’s expression changes as he begins pointing at the camera and adds, “So… now you got me upset… you don’t like the way I wrestle… fine… you don’t like me… fine… but when you attack me after the match and try to embarrass me on national television then I gotta draw a line. So now I’m challenging you to a match for the World’s Junior Heavyweight Championship and I’m gonna give you a damn good reason to be upset! Gilbert walks away as Solie reiterates the challenge to Benoit and sends the show to the ring for our second match.
2. David & Kerry Von Erich vs. the British Lords
>Winners: Kerry (8:11) following the discus punch on Charles.
Solie welcomes Gary Hart and the Great Kabuki to the desk and Solie quickly asks about the challenge put forth by James J. Dillon to start the show. Hart strokes his goatee and then rubs his eyes before softly answering, “I can see just fine JJ… I can see quite a bit and I hear even better… I hear the fear in your voice when you talk about your man meeting the Great Kabuki and I accept your challenge because of it. You may consider what happened in the past to be a double cross but that is simply part of the hazard. You see… dealing with men from parts unknown leaves a bit to be desired sometimes… there can be great rewards given their tremendous gifts but there is always the opportunity for things to get out of hand… mistakes can be made… partners can become victims… and that is exactly how things will work out today for Mr. Bob Roop. Hart and Kabuki walk away as Solie announces the match as official and sends the show to another commercial break.
Commercial Break
Solie welcomes Ole, Gene & Lars Anderson to the desk and quickly asks the Minnesota Wrecking Crew about the challenge of “Cowboy” Bill Watts & “Chief” Wahoo McDaniel for the United States Tag Team Championships. Ole chuckles a bit before beginning, “tell me if you’ve heard this one Gordon… a cowboy and an Indian walk into a bar in Minnesota… probably not… because it’s been many moons since I seen an Indian that far north and we ain’t never needed no cowboys in Minnesota. Let’s get one thing straight out the gate… you got us on a rough night. That ain’t no excuse but it was no secret that we had a family emergency and Gene had to attend to some immediate family members. That left Lars & I and we weren’t completely focused on the match… but then again, these belts weren’t on the line. That’s a big difference when you’re the Champions… you got to know when to turn it on and off… you must be prepared to conserve your energy for the matches that matter when you’re wrestling more than 300 times a year… something the cowboy and Indian wouldn’t know anything about… You see being champions has become second nature to the Andersons, it’s damn near all we know… but we’ve all got an itch to scratch… so if we’re throwing out challenges then let’s be clear… we ain’t stopping at the United States Tag Team Championships… so tell Brody & Hansen to keep their heads on a swivel.” The Minnesota Wrecking Crew walk away as Solie points out that the Road Warriors have challenged the World Tag Team Champions as well before sending the show back to the ring for our main event.
3. Bob Roop vs. the Great Kabuki…
… Roop connects with a forearm smash to the jaw of Kabuki, knocking him into the corner. Roop follows up with a stiff shoulder to the mid-section, doubling over Kabuki. Roop pulls Kabuki just far enough from the corner to connect with a knee lift, putting Kabuki on the canvas. Hart screams instructions to Kabuki before climbing up on the apron. Dillon immediately responds by doing the same, causing the referee to begin to admonish him. Kabuki catches Roop with a strike to the throat as Roop was attempting to pull Kabuki to his feet. Roop stumbles backwards, trying to get his breath, as Kabuki kips up to his feet and connects with a super kick. Roop awkwardly falls backwards, knocking the referee into Dillon, who falls to the floor.
Roop is now on his back and Hart is screaming for Kabuki to cover. Kabuki quickly lays across the chest of Roop, but the referee isn’t moving. Hart is now beside himself as he runs around the ring, shoving a slowly rising Dillon into the first row of spectators, and begins shaking the referee by reaching under the ropes. The referee slowly lifts his head to look at Hart, who is now slapping the apron furiously, and then looks at Kabuki and Roop. He slowly lifts his arm and slaps the mat once and then a second time a little quicker, but Roop rolls his shoulder before a third count can be made. Hart is losing his mind at ringside while Dillon remains motionless at the feet of the crowd.
Kabuki connects with a flurry of kicks to the slowly rising Roop, eventually sending him stumbling back into the corner. Hart continues to bark orders as Kabuki moves to the opposite corner and then takes a running start at Roop. Roop avoids the corner splash and falls to one knee as Kabuki is now writhing in pain on the canvas. Several moments go by before Kabuki begins to slowly rise to his feet but he is quickly on his back as Roop connects with a belly-to-belly suplex. Both men are down on the canvas as Solie points out that Hart has left ringside and headed back to the dressing room, speculating that he could be looking for Misawa & Kobashi.
Roop is first to his feet inside the ring and quickly notices that Dillon is nowhere to be seen. Roop leaves the ring and attends to the slowly rising Dillon, who has a cut on his forehead. Dillon brushes Roop off and tells him to return to the ring. Kabuki is back to one knee now and once Roop is back in the ring, the two being circling each other once more. Roop gets the better of the tie-up and hits a belly to back suplex, leaving Kabuki in a heap on the canvas. Roop pulls Kabuki to his feet and lifts him onto his shoulder but quickly drops him back to the mat as his face is now covered in a green substance.
The referee calls for the bell as Solie points out that Hart has returned with an unknown man, who has just covered Roop with green mist. Kabuki seems confused as Dillon makes his way into the ring to help Roop, but Bob begins swinging wildly and floors Dillon with a haymaker. Kabuki begins to question Hart as he climbs through the ropes and out of the ring. Solie makes light of the sight left in the ring as Dillon is bleeding once more and crawling around the mat and Roop is calling out for Dillon as he remains blinded by the green mist. Kabuki continues to question Hart about the mysterious stranger, but Hart simply points for him to head for the locker room. When Kabuki turns to leave, he is met flush with a roundhouse kick to the face from the unknown man, crumpling him to the floor.
Hart begins to laugh and leaves with the mysterious stranger as Bob Orton Jr. makes his way into the ring and checks on Dillon. Dillon tries shaking the cobwebs loose and eventually begins barking orders at Orton. Orton looks at Dillon once more, who is now pointing at the blinded Roop, who is waving his hands out in front of himself trying to find Dillon. Orton tackles Roop to the mat and begins unloading with lefts and rights as Roop struggles to cover up. Orton connects several times before Roop is motionless, allowing Orton to measure Bob for several more shots before leaving him unconscious on the mat…
The show wraps up with Solie contemplating what has happened with Dillon, Orton, Roop, Kabuki, Hart & his mystery man and reminding the fans to tune in next Saturday at 10 AM for more NWA Championship Wrestling.