Post by fifthhorseman on Aug 20, 2023 11:29:54 GMT -5
AWA WRESTLEROCK
NIGHT TWO
NIGHT TWO
Live from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the event started with a 90-minute concert featuring Metallica and Jimi Hendrix!
A highlight package hyped the show, featuring the participants of all of the matches on the night's card. Pyro and lasers, Joey Styles and Don West at the commentary table, and here we go!
UWA UNIVERSAL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
CHRIS JERICHO (c) vs. LOU THESZ:
vs.
CHRIS JERICHO (c) vs. LOU THESZ:
vs.
West reminded the audience that if Diamond Dallas Page won his match the night before, this would have been a triple-threat match for Jericho's gold. Not that wrestling Thesz one-on-one was any easier...
Jericho and Thesz started with chain wrestling that went to a surprising stalemate; the Canadian wasn't considered a shooter, but he did graduate from the Hart dungeon, so he knew what he was doing. After that, he tried to outmuscle Thesz, but the NWA icon was wiry tough, so they went back to square one.
It was a back and forth struggle, grittier than Jericho's usual matches, and they kept it almost entirely in the ring. No outside interference, no ref bumps, it was a 35-minute classic. The challenger hit the Thesz press, but he misjudged the speed Jericho was coming at him, so the UWA champ got his foot on the bottom rope at two. Thesz slowly got to his feet and double-checked with the referee – and suddenly, he was back on the mat in a Liontamer.
Styles: “Thesz has to be exhausted after that 60-minute war last night against the Dynamite Kid!” And he was, not only physically but mentally. Jericho kept the pressure on for over a minute, but Thesz fought his way to the ropes for a break. The Universal champion knew better than to give him even a second to recover; as soon as Thesz got to his feet, Jericho nailed him with the Judas Effect. He pulled him into the middle of the ring for the pin. After he received his belt, Thesz nodded and clapped him on the back before limping away, letting Jericho celebrate the hard-fought win.
A video package aired, summarizing the long-standing between Arn Anderson and the Pinnacle, culminating in his strap match against Tully Blanchard.
Before Lee Marshall could make the introductions for the next match, Diamond Dallas Page burst through the crowd, jumped the rail, and leaped into the ring. He seized the microphone and yelled, “Hey, Rock! I'm not leaving until you get your ass down here right now! This show belongs to me now, and nothin's happening until I get what I want!”
A few moments later, a security team walked down the ramp... and a few more moments later, the Rock walked onto the stage. “You think you can dictate terms to the Rock? Why in the blue hell should the Rock listen to you? You're nothing – hey, it looks like you're about seven pounds worth of Intercontinental championship lighter than the last time the Rock saw you, 'champ'! So here's what's going to happen... you're going to stand there like a jabroni, and the Rock is leaving. Adios -”
Suddenly, the giant video screen lit up behind the Rock. AWA President Jack Tunney was in his office, and he said, “Mr. Rock, for the last four weeks, you've been complaining to me about not being on our WrestleRock card. And your actions last night were completely uncalled for – however, the referee's decision is final. That said, I do have the power to make a match right now. Neither of you are wearing your wrestling gear, so this will be a street fight. Mr. Page, I assume you're ready right now. And Mr. Rock, if you do not go to the ring right now, I will suspend you for 90 days.”
For perhaps the first time in his AWA career, the Rock was speechless.
STREET FIGHT
DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE vs. THE ROCK:
vs.
DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE vs. THE ROCK:
vs.
Security left, a referee sprinted to the ring, and it was on. DDP rocked the Rock early on to a huge ovation, but the 275-pounder fired back with right hands of his own. They quickly wound up outside the ring, and the “Brahma Bull” whipped DDP into the ring steps. He grabbed a steel chair down on Page's back, and the official just shrugged his shoulders. The Rock swung it again, but Page dodged it, and the chair rang off the steps. It was DDP's turn to wield the chair now, and he nailed the Rock across the back several times before he could escape to the ring. When Page tried to follow, the third-generation star nailed him with a DDT but only got a two-count.
They fought for another five high-impact minutes. Page rallied back and went for the Diamond Cutter, but the Rock squeezed out of it and fled to the floor. DDP picked up the steel chair; the Rock looked at him, threw up his hands, and turned around to go back up the ramp. DDP jumped outside with the chair still in hand, and the Rock, eyes wide, ran up the ramp. The former WCW World champ chased but never caught him, as the Rock ran all the way to his Cadillac Escalade and left the arena.
Jim Cornette cut a promo from outside Barry Windham's locker room. He vowed that the AWA World champion would not only retain the title tonight, but “he's gonna make Bruno's first title run look like a quick little daydream! Christian Cage, you might not be able to walk out of that cell tonight, but I can guarantee you this – you definitely won't be walking outta there with the AWA World Heavyweight championship!”
FATAL FOUR-WAY MATCH
AMAZING RED vs. MONTEZ FORD vs. AJ STYLES vs. X-PAC:
vs.
vs.
vs.
AMAZING RED vs. MONTEZ FORD vs. AJ STYLES vs. X-PAC:
vs.
vs.
vs.
This was as exciting as you'd imagine when four of the best mid-heavyweights in the world slug it out in one match. Airborne offense was the name of the game, and each man had plenty of opportunity to shine in this 15-minute sprint. It ended when Ford hit Red with his From the Heavens splash, and Styles nailed X-Pac with a Phenomenal Forearm at the same time. The ref made the double-count, and when both hands hit the canvas twice, Red threw his leg over the bottom rope. X-Pac did not, though, and Styles scored the only pin to win it. When Ford realized what happened, he had a tantrum, then tried to ambush Styles. But the former TNA champion threw Ford over the top rope, and the two yelled at each other until Ford finally left.
Bischoff was backstage with Thesz, who told the medical trainer to leave. He was disappointed with his performance tonight, but gave full credit to Jericho for being the better man, and he was going to recommit to being the best World Mid-Heavyweight champion he could be.
STRAP MATCH
ARN ANDERSON vs. TULLY BLANCHARD (w/Freddie Blassie):
vs.
ARN ANDERSON vs. TULLY BLANCHARD (w/Freddie Blassie):
vs.
“Double A's” left arm was heavily wrapped, and West reminded the audience about the parking lot ambush just a few days earlier. Blanchard smirked in the corner as the referee attached the strap to Anderson's left wrist, and he whipped his former partner as soon as the official moved out of the way. They unleashed years of grudges on each other for about 15 minutes, using the thick strap in every pain-inflicting method possible, and both men bled. Blanchard went for his slingshot suplex but Anderson reversed it on the rebound, and nailed the Texan with a spinebuster for the satisfying win.
Bischoff got a counter-promo from Christian, who was in his locker room getting wrapped. He realized that this was probably his last shot at the World title, so there was only one thing he could do – win it.
BRYAN DANIELSON vs. DAMIAN PRIEST (w/the Grand Wizard):
vs.
vs.
Priest towered over the “American Dragon”, but he could not intimidate him. It was a classic big man/little man match, although Priest's agility made him an atypical big man. There were a lot of strikes in this match, and both men's chests looked like chopped meat when the final bell rang, but Danielson won at the 13-minute mark after submitting his for with the LeBell Lock.
A video package recapped how Money Inc. broke up and why they were fighting.
TED DiBIASE and STEVE WILLIAMS vs. MIKE ROTUNDA and ?
vs.
vs.
Rotunda came out second, with Mr. Jones following him in a glammed-up motorized wheelchair. The “Billion Dollar Man” had a microphone. “Did you think that taking out Mr. Jones would get this match canceled? When you have the resources I have, it's not very difficult to find a substitute. And you better believe I found a very, very capable tag-team partner for tonight. This man is a machine that loves to inflict pain. He's been a champion wherever he's been... in fact, he was one of the most dominant MUW/UWA Universal champions to ever hold the title. And his name...”
“...is Samoa Joe.”
The crowd was shocked when the 300-pound “Samoan Submission Machine” slowly walked onto the stage alongside Rotunda. DiBiase looked furious inside the ring, while Williams was eager to test himself against the newcomer and his former Varsity Club partner. They didn't wait for the bell, meeting their opponents on the floor. The official eventually got them back in the ring, and it settled into a hard-hitting tag match between four experienced grapplers... for about ten minutes. Joe and “Dr. Death” wound up outside, and threw each other over the ringside barrier and battled in the crowd.
The referee leaned on the ropes and yelled at them to return – and that gave Rotunda an opening to nail DiBiase from behind with his steel attache case. He was out on his feet, but to make it seem legit, Rotunda nailed him with the Stock Market Crash. A few seconds later, his hand was raised in victory while Joe continued to fight Williams until they were both out of sight.
A video package recapped the previous night's action.
One final recap package detailed the Cage/Windham matches and feud.
HELL IN A CELL
AWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
CHRISTIAN CAGE vs. BARRY WINDHAM (c, w/Jim Cornette):
vs.
AWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
CHRISTIAN CAGE vs. BARRY WINDHAM (c, w/Jim Cornette):
vs.
West: “This sure feels final.” That was a massive understatement; it was the last match of the epic event, between two men who had fought several times over the last few months, in a gigantic enclosed steel cage. As soon as the cell hit the floor, Marshall started the big match intros as Cornette paced on the floor outside... but the manager had negotiated to be inside the cell.
Windham used his power and technique early on, arrogantly tossing Cage around the ring. He posed for the crowd, and the challenger just shrugged it off; it wasn't the first time he battled a stronger foe. The “Instant Classic” turned it around by using Windham's momentum against him with a series of arm-drags, hip-tosses, and headlock takeovers. The AWA champ leaped over the top rope in frustration, the cage on one side, and Cage on the other.
They battled on in the ring, neither man able to use the cell as a weapon yet. They wound up on the floor, brawling as the ref tried to wave them back in. Cornette snuck up on Cage and raised his tennis racket over his head, but the former TNA World champ spun around, snatched the racket from Cornette, and broke it over his knee. However, that gave Windham the opportunity to hit Cage from behind, and he threw the challenger into the cell head-first. A few seconds later, Cage was cut open, the first casualty of the cell, and Windham threw him back in the ring.
The big Texan dominated the next several minutes. He hit Cage from every angle, and his opponent's blood flowed more freely as the time went by, and the ref checked him multiple times, but Cage refused to quit. Windham put Cage up on the top turnbuckle for a superplex, and laughed right before he lifted Cage up, but the challenger turned in mid-air and landed hard on the second-generation star, driving the wind out of his body.
Windham rolled to the outside to catch his breath, but Cage didn't let him. He cheese-gratered Windham's face against the steel cell, and soon both men were bleeding profusely. Cornette was apoplectic, and he frantically waved his arms. A few seconds later, the Midnight Express walked out onto the stage – but before they could even get to the ramp, Badd Company caught up to them and fought them back through the curtain. This would be settled one-on-one.
Both men got back in the ring. Punches were exchanged, and Windham whipped Cage into the ropes. The AWA champion bounced off the opposite side for a flying lariat, but Cage ducked, and the Texan hit the middle rope throat-first. “Captain Charisma” seized the opportunity and went for the Unprettier – but Windham shoved him away and hit a bulldog for two. Still holding his throat, Windham picked Cage up and put him in a headlock, eager to hit him with a running bulldog. But Cage squeezed out of it, and twisted the champ into position for the Unprettier again – and this time, he got it. The mat turned red where Windham hit it, and Cage rolled him on his back. One, two, three... and a new AWA World Heavyweight champion was crowned 40 minutes after the opening bell.
Cornette pitched a fit as the cell door was opened to let the timekeeper hand the belt to the ref, who handed it to Cage. He slung the belt over his shoulder and mounted the middle turnbuckle as 70,000 fans cheered the new champion backdropped by a wave of fireworks to end the show.