Post by fifthhorseman on Oct 22, 2023 20:23:43 GMT -5
AWA ALL-STAR WRESTLING
EPISODE 63
EPISODE 63
Short “Saturday Night's Main Event”-styled promos from Batista, “Superstar” Billy Graham, Nick Bockwinkel and Arn Anderson, MJF and Bron Steiner, the Briscoes, and America's Most Wanted. Pyro from Sioux Falls, South Dakota – calling the action, Joey Styles and Don West.
Lee Marshall explained the rules of the opening contest from the ring: each tag-team used a coin flip backstage to randomly determine which member of the team would enter the battle royale. Standard elimination rules would apply, and the last two men left in the ring would earn a first-round bye in the AWA Intercontinental Tag-Team championship tournament for their teams, where they would meet again in the quarter-finals.
Strangely, Verne Gagne was the first man through the curtain – strange because he was not competing in the match. He had a microphone, and he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce a team that will represent the American Wrestling Association with honor and courage. Both of them were NCAA All-American wrestling champions... just like their uncle. Get on your feet and welcome my nephews, Brutus and Julius Gagne!”
The collegians that were shown in previous vignettes walked out as well, and the taller man – Julius – jogged down to the ring. The other teams came out, one at a time, as well, all of them familiar until the final two duos emerged. The thirteenth team through the curtain was the Puerto Rican Exchange, also known as PRX; Mike Santana high-fived his teammate, Angel Ortiz, and walked to the ring. The final team to part the curtain were former AWA World Tag-Team champions, The North, and Ethan Page was representing his team.
14-MAN BATTLE ROYALE:
Roll call: Darby Allin, Julius Gagne, Colten Gunn, Brian Kendrick, Stan Lane, Nigel McGuinness, Dominik Mysterio, Ethan Page, Damian Priest, Mike Santana, Smash, Ron Simmons, Lance Storm, and Pat Tanaka.
Typical chaos as battle royales go; however, about halfway through, the audience's attention shifted to the stage where Ricky Starks and Art Barr burst through the curtain. They were trading haymakers, and after about 15 seconds, they left just as suddenly. Mysterio leaped over the top rope and ran backstage, leaving just six men in the ring: Gagne, Kendrick, Priest, Santana, Smash, Simmons.
As with most battle royales, it came down to the three biggest men – Priest, Simmons, and Smash. After a short three-way brawl, Priest and Simmons decided to work together, and they attacked Smash in the corner. The younger member of Demolition battled back, and nearly tossed Simmons out, but “the Punisher” scooped Smash up from behind and launched him over the top rope. The bell rang, and Priest and Simmons celebrated in separate corners - never taking their eyes off each other - as the show went to
COMMERCIAL
Eric Bischoff found Starks alone backstage, where “Absolute” said that he had finally caught up to the worst of Los Gringos Locos, but he escaped before he could really hurt him – but he was going to get an official match next week.
West introduced the reigning AWA World Heavyweight champion, Christian Cage, onto the stage. The popular champ acknowledged that Barry Windham was probably the toughest man he ever faced, but he was still the man in the AWA, and he was looking forward to facing the UWA Universal champion at Autumn Bomb II. “Whether it's Chris Jericho or not, I'm only halfway up the mountain. The World title I'm wearing right now is the result of years of hard work... and next month, I'm going to work even harder to bring the UWA title to the AWA.”
MIKE ROTUNDA (w/Mr. Jones) vs. TRENT SEVEN:
vs.
vs.
This was just an extended squash for Rotunda, who was especially aggressive in this one. He used his superior size and amateur skills to batter the Englishman, and finished him off in less than five minutes with the Stock Market Crash. After the match, Jones handed Rotunda a microphone, and the “Billion Dollar Man” said that he accepted Ted DiBiase's challenge: they would square off at Autumn Bomb in a taped fist ladder match for the Million Dollar championship.
COMMERCIAL
A pre-recorded interview with Shawn Michaels was shown. HBK said that he was excited to get Ric Flair back in the ring at Autumn Bomb II, where he could prove to the world that he, not Flair, was truly the best in the world. “But I also know how him and the rest of those creeps in the Pinnacle operate – I'll have to be looking over my shoulder the whole way until we get to that match. Well, the 'Heartbreak Kid' might not be the dirtiest player in the game, but I'm no choir boy, either – so you better watch your back, too.”
Styles and West informed the audience that Mark and Jay Briscoe were defending the AWA World Tag-Team titles against America's Most Wanted on next week's show. Tonight, though, they would do individual battle in back-to-back “beat the clock” 10-minute matches, and the winner would set the stipulation for that title match.
BEAT THE CLOCK STIPULATION CHALLENGE
JAY BRISCOE vs. CHRIS HARRIS:
vs.
JAY BRISCOE vs. CHRIS HARRIS:
vs.
They wrestled at a frantic pace, eager to not only make the stipulation, but to prove a point. It was a very close battle, but eventually Briscoe hit the Jay Driller on “the Wildcat”. However, at the count of two, the bell rang – the ten minutes were up. Briscoe was furious, Harris was as well once he regained his senses; regardless, both men stayed at ringside to cheer on their partners.
BEAT THE CLOCK STIPULATION CHALLENGE
MARK BRISCOE vs. JAMES STORM:
vs.
MARK BRISCOE vs. JAMES STORM:
vs.
This match was just as intense, and the minutes quickly ticked by quickly in this one as well. As it went on, Jay and Harris not only shouted encouragement, but yelled at each other. Storm hit Mark with a superkick, but Briscoe kicked out at 2.9. With less than a minute to go, Mark nailed “the Cowboy” with a Froggy-Bow and pinned him; Storm got his foot over the bottom rope after two, but Jay knocked it away and the referee continued his count to three. AMW was furious that their usual rulebreaking tactics were used against them, and the Briscoes whooped it up on the stage before leaving.
COMMERCIAL
A vignette for the returning Buddy Matthews was shown, and he looked more impressive than ever.
Marshall introduced the Rock, Doom, and Montez Ford, and they came out to the ring to a chorus of boos. To be expected, the “Great One” did all the talking. “Rock Nation is the most dominant quartet of wrestlers to ever walk the Earth together. DDP, you got a small taste of it last week, and if you want to keep getting in the Rock's business, you won't be walking, talking, or eating solid foods much longer. And that goes for every other man that gets in our business – we are here to dominate.”
They left to even louder jeers, and “saluted” the crowd on the stage.
AWA INTERCONTINENTAL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
BATISTA (c) vs. SUPERSTAR BILLY GRAHAM:
vs.
BATISTA (c) vs. SUPERSTAR BILLY GRAHAM:
vs.
The behemoths stood chest-to-chest for the intros, but neither man was going to be intimidated. They charged out of their corners with dueling shoulder tackles, and the first couple of minutes were all about the power moves: more tackles, clotheslines, and knuckle-locks.
They worked at a methodical pace for about ten minutes before sprinting to the finish. The champion went for a powerbomb, but Graham reversed it with a back-bodydrop. “Superstar” locked in a full nelson, and Batista frantically tried to break free. With the last bit of his strength, Batista lunged for the middle rope, and both he and Graham crashed to the floor. They slowly struggled to their feet, and rather than return to the ring, they fought until they were both counted out.
COMMERCIAL
Before the main event began, Bryan Danielson walked over to the broadcast table and challenged Samoa Joe to a match at Autumn Bomb II. “You and I have a lot of history and a lot in common, and we're both just waiting for a title shot at anybody – Batista, Christian, and in my case, even Thesz. So let's just have our own top contenders' match as a way of telling President Tunney and the AWA competition committee that they have no choice but to put at least one of us in a championship match - soon.”
Danielson left so that the attention could rightfully focused on the ring, and West and Styles agreed that that was a match Tunney simply had to make. Styles also informed everyone that the Briscoes had named their stipulation for next week's AWA World Tag-Team match; it would be a Texas Tornado, no disqualification, falls count anywhere match!
ARN ANDERSON and NICK BOCKWINKEL vs. MJF and BRON STEINER (w/Freddie Blassie):
vs.
West reminded the audience that this match was a result of the screwy Bockwinkel/MJF and Steiner/Anderson bouts from earlier in the month. The youngsters controlled things early on, and Blassie provided advice throughout. Eventually, Bockwinkel made the hot tag to “Double A”, and he fired left hands at both foes. All four wrestlers went at it, and after a series of near-finishes, Anderson hit Steiner with a spinebuster for the win.
Marshall didn't get the announcement out of his mouth before the rest of the Pinnacle, Ric Flair and Tully Blanchard, sprinted down to the ring and it became a four-on-two fight. The heels were in command for several seconds until Christian ran down, steel chair in hand, and the Pinnacle bolted out the far side of the ring and stopped halfway up the ramp with their manager. When Bockwinkel and Anderson got to their feet, they got out of the ring, along with Cage, and a staredown ensued.
Suddenly, Shawn Michaels came out, walked down the ramp and fired a superkick at Flair – but at the last second, Blassie spotted him and wound up taking it instead to a huge pop from the crowd. A few seconds later, all eight athletes crashed on each other, and a wild brawl began. Nearly a dozen wrestlers and officials ran in to try to break it up, and the show ended mid-battle.