Post by fifthhorseman on Nov 4, 2023 17:59:32 GMT -5
AWA ALL-STAR WRESTLING
EPISODE 64
EPISODE 64
Short “Saturday Night's Main Event”-styled promos from America's Most Wanted, Mark and Jay Briscoe, Shawn Michaels, Tully Blanchard and Freddie Blassie, Art Barr, and Ricky Starks. Pyro from Des Moines, Iowa – calling the action, Joey Styles and Don West.
A tournament update was shown on the video screens, with short clips from four first round matches – which were fought over the last several days on the house show circuit – shown to all. When it was done, the results were as follows:
The Monarchy defeated Amazing Red and Darby Allin
Demolition defeated Art Barr and Dominik Mysterio
The Midnight Express defeated Paul London and Brian Kendrick
Badd Company defeated Julius and Brutus Gagne
BYES: Mike Awesome and Damian Priest, Doom
Styles: “And tonight, we'll have our last two first-round match-ups, starting... right now!”
AWA INTERCONTINENTAL TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER-FINAL MATCH
The GUNN CLUB (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. PRX:
vs.
The second-generation brothers put up a good fight, but they were no match for the more experienced Santana and Ortiz, who pinned Colten after hitting him with the Street Sweeper.
COMMERCIAL
Danny Hodge was in front of AWA President Jack Tunney's door. He was just about to knock, but he stopped and looked at the cameraman. “When I arrived here in the AWA, I thought that the mid-heavyweight division would be... grander. More special and better than any such division anywhere else in the entire UWA. Well, I have to say, I still haven't been tested yet. So I'm challenging even more wrestlers to try their luck in the mid-heavyweight division. And I'm hoping that Mr. Tunney does something about it as well.”
TULLY BLANCHARD (w/Freddie Blassie) vs. SHAWN MICHAELS:
vs.
vs.
Styles and West reminded the audience about Blanchard's Pat O'Connor Memorial Cup win, and informed the audience that it would be awarded again in early 2024. The two Texans had very different wrestling styles, but were both masters of their craft. Regardless of Blassie's help, Blanchard showed why he was the most underrated man in the AWA, keeping Michaels' offense to a minimum. They went 16 minutes, and it ended with Michaels escaping out of Blanchards's slingshot suplex in mid-air and hitting his opponent with Sweet Chin Music for the win.
COMMERCIAL
Eric Bischoff stood beside Ric Flair in the back, and asked him what he thought about Michaels' performance against his Pinnacle teammate. The “Nature Boy” put Michaels over, and as much as he hated him, he respected him as a generational talent. “But here's the thing! I'm Ric Flair! I'm a once in a lifetime talent! I'm the greatest professional wrestler the world has ever seen! And at Autumn Bomb, you're gonna find out that out the hard way! Whooooooooo!”
AWA INTERCONTINENTAL TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER-FINAL MATCH
The MACHINE vs. the NORTH:
vs.
vs.
The returning North got a mixed reception from the crowd, but it only took a few minutes for Page and Alexander to remind them they were still rulebreaking heels. It was an excellent technical match that went about 10 minutes, but Lynn was eventually squashed with the Monster Mash double-powerbomb.
Their match was the final first-round contest. As the North walked up the ramp, the giant videoboard sprang to life with an updated bracket for the semi-finals, which would begin in just a couple of days:
Mike Awesome and Damian Priest vs. Doom
Demolition vs. the Monarchy
Badd Company vs. the North
The Midnight Express vs. PRX
Ethan Page looked up at the board, then into the camera and said, “I hope you got a good look, Badd Company – you're looking at championship greatness right here!”
COMMERCIAL
Another Buddy Murphy vignette was shown; the self-proclaimed “Juggernaut” of the mid-heavyweight division would be back in the AWA soon.
ART BARR vs. RICKY STARKS:
vs.
vs.
Before the match started, the referee ejected Dominik Mysterio from ringside, and that let Starks focus all of his attention on his foe. However, the “American Love Machine” wasn't a pushover, and he took the fight to Starks early on. Starks battled back, and after a couple of minutes he was in control... until an agile 270-pounder jumped the rail and nailed “Absolute” with a spin-kick, causing a disqualification.
West screamed, “That's Sean O'Haire!” Indeed it was, and he and Barr put the boots to Starks until other officials ran out to stop them. The villains left, and met Mysterio on the stage; Los Gringos Locos were a trio once again.
COMMERCIAL
A cameraman found Starks backstage waving away a trainer, and he angrily wrapped an ice pack over his neck and shoulders. “I had that match won, dammit, but once again, LGL rigs the game. Tommaso Ciampa leaves, but Art Barr found someone even bigger and badder. It's obvious that I can't settle this unless I get all three Gringos in the ring with me at the same time, so here's the deal – I'm challenging LGL to a six-man tag-team match at Autumn Bomb!”
Lee Marshall introduced Nick Bockwinkel, and the AWA icon entered the ring to challenge MJF to a one-on-one match. Suddenly, Friedman walked out onto the stage, mike in hand, and the two men verbally jousted for a couple of minutes as only they could. MJF accepted, but it would take place at Autumn Bomb.
MONTEZ FORD vs. DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE:
vs.
vs.
Both men were eager for this rematch: DDP wanted revenge, and Ford wanted to prove he belonged in the main event mix – in fact, “the Profit” told the rest of Rock Nation to stay in their locker room. Page was no match for Ford's speed, so he kept the action on the mat whenever he could. The tide slowly turned to the former WCW World champion's side, and when he finally had enough time and space to set up the Diamond Cutter, that drew the Rock, Simmons, and Reed down the ramp.
Luckily, though, Page had some friends. Badd Company and Demolition stormed down and battled them to the back. While that happened, DDP hit his finisher on Ford, giving him the satisfying victory.
COMMERCIAL
Rock Nation were licking their wounds in their locker room, and the young leader of the group was furious. “Diamond Dallas Page! You're a big man when the odds are in your favor, five to four! You're a big man when you rely on interference and distractions to steal a win, and the Rock says steal, because you barely, barely, barely got by Montez! All this that happened tonight? That just proves to the Rock that you don't deserve to step in a wrestling ring with the 'Great One'!”
A pre-recorded interview with the AWA World Mid-Heavyweight champion, Lou Thesz, was shown. He was proud of his nearly six-month-long reign as champ, and he was ready for his next challenger. His sentiments were similar to Hodge's from earlier in the night; Thesz wanted more competition, and whether they were already in the AWA, or coming in from other territories, his mission was to make his championship just as valuable as the World Heavyweight title held by Christian Cage.
Before the main event began, Styles told the audience that next week, Thesz would be defending his gold against X-Pac. A tale of the tape graphic went up on the videoboard, and it was time to go.
TEXAS TORNADO, NO DISQUALIFICATION, FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE
AWA WORLD TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
AMERICA'S MOST WANTED vs. JAY and MARK BRISCOE (c):
vs.
The challengers cockily walked through the curtain , but not alone – they were joined by their new/old manager, Gail Kim, and West wondered if that would tip the scales for AMW. Mark and Jay Briscoe didn't seem to care when they made their entrance, and they called out Harris and Storm, daring them to start the match on the floor - and they did.
Compared to the earlier tag-team matches.... well, there was no comparison. These were two of the best teams in the world; the Briscoes could certainly lay claim to being the best that ever came out of ROH, while America's Most Wanted won a record six NWA-TNA tag titles. They all loved to fight, and they fought all over the arena. Two referees worked the match, following whatever pair was closest to them.
They went over 20 minutes in one of the wildest brawls in AWA history. All four men were busted open, but the crucial blow wasn't struck by any of the competitors. Kim took advantage of the (lack of) rules, and smashed a beer bottle over Jay's head near ringside. Storm rolled him under the bottom rope and draped his arm over Briscoe. Harris held Mark back just long enough, and a few seconds later, new AWA World Tag-Team champions were crowned. Kim handed her bloodied, exhausted team the belts to end the show.