Post by fifthhorseman on Feb 27, 2014 7:12:22 GMT -5
Joey Styles: Hello wrestling fans around the world – this is AWA Throwdown! We are live and in living color, inside the Brandt Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan! For the next two hours, you will experience the most competitive, most exciting, and most intense wrestling action any company has to offer. We have six, count ‘em, six matches scheduled on the card tonight, but before we get to that, it is imperative that we bring you up to date on what has taken place in the AWA over the last seven days. It has indeed been a very eventual week.
The UCW exchange draft, for example, has caused quite the change in the AWA roster. Ken Shamrock – gone. Mark Henry – gone. The Public Enemy – they just couldn’t hang and they went running to UCW! And in return, the AWA acquired Bam Bam Bigelow, Diamond Dallas Page, AJ Styles, James Storm, Robert Roode, Booker T, Shelton Benjamin, and Charlie Haas. Whew!
In addition, Edge, Tully Blanchard, and JJ Dillon expelled their comrades, their friends, Mark Jindrak and Sean O’Haire over the weekend. It wasn’t a mutual parting of the ways, no, far from it – Edge and Blanchard kicked the crap out of them as Dillon watched. The Thrillers vowed revenge, yet inexplicably decided to retreat to UCW for the time being, perhaps to find new allies.
If that wasn’t enough, the AWA also signed ten-time former WCW World Tag-Team champion Stevie Ray to a contract, while Chris Masters lost a “loser-leaves-town” match against his former partner, “Mr. Wonderful”, Paul Orndorff, meaning that we will not be seeing “the Masterpiece” in the American Wrestling Association for at least 90 days.
Well… I gotta catch my breath. Time to turn it over to my broadcast partner, the only man “Tough Enough” to hang with Joey Styles – Mr. Josh Mathews!
Josh Mathews: Thank you, Joey! It is truly a star-studded lineup on tap for you tonight. Edge goes one-on-one with Paul Orndorff. Stan “the Lariat” Hansen battles the Bulgarian newcomer, Alexander Rusev. In six-man action, the Varsity Club and Verne Gagne take on the Young Bucks and Adam Cole. And in our main event, the BlueBloods defend the AWA Tag-Team titles against the winner of our opening contest, Badd Company and the Miracle Violence Connection.
Joey Styles: That’s right, Josh. Those sneaky Brits agreed to put their belts on the line tonight against one of the two top contenders in the AWA – but only if they fought each other first!
Josh Mathews: And how about this match – a “Contract in the Bank” match featuring, in alphabetical order, these five men: Brian Kendrick, Jushin “Thunder” Liger, Drew McIntyre, Jamie Noble, and Tito Santana. Given the influx of new talent in recent weeks, as well as the win-loss records of the aforementioned five men, The AWA championship committee has decided to make them fight for their AWA lives. One man will win… and four men will leave the American Wrestling Association.
Joey Styles: Christy Hemme is in the ring, so let’s get down there now!
VS.
Badd Company (w/Kimberly Page) vs. the Miracle Violence Connection: As soon as the bell rang, and Williams and Diamond locked up, the BlueBloods sauntered down to the commentary table to watch the action up close. The MVC used their size to their advantage, outweighing Badd Company by over 100 pounds, with suplexes and throws. Diamond and Tanaka struggled to stay with them, but eventually took command, and kept Gordy away from his partner. Old-school double-team moves ground him down, but he fought back, and tagged in “Dr. Death”. Williams cleared house, fended off a superkick from Tanaka, and caught him with the Oklahoma stampede powerslam for the hard-fought win. With a wary eye on the champs, the two tired teams shook hands in the middle of the ring.
VS.
Stan Hansen vs. Alexander Rusev: The fans expected a brawl, and they got one. There was very little finesse on display here. It went back and forth, inside and out, and the referee was very lenient, as if he wanted to make sure Rusev’s debut in the AWA was a memorable one. The young Bulgarian was vicious, and he battered the Texan mercilessly, but he kicked out of every pin. The end came when Hansen ducked a clothesline, bounded off the ropes, and hit his signature lariat on Rusev for the three-count. Immediately afterwards, Rusev leaped to his feet, threw Hansen down from behind, and applied a camel clutch. He kept it locked on until Intercontinental champion Bruiser Brody ran to the ring and cleared the brute out.
VS. VS. VS.
VS.
Brian Kendrick vs. Jushin “Thunder” Liger vs. Drew McIntyre (w/Layla) vs. Jamie Noble (w/Nidia) vs. Tito Santana: As busy and as exciting as one would expect from a “contract match” of this magnitude. Each man was fighting for something arguably more valuable than a title shot – he was fighting for his job. Liger flew from ladders several times, as did Kendrick and Noble. McIntyre played the “big man” role to perfection, using his height and leverage to good use, though he was constantly thwarted from grabbing the briefcase. Santana was bloodied early, but fought on. Tables were used, and abused, throughout the contest. In the end, though, only one man would climb all the way up the ladder to retrieve the case – and that man’s name was Jamie Noble.
[60-second recap of Wednesday Night Warriors, with highlights from every match; most notably, the debuting Petey Williams and Art Barr stealing the show with a 15-minute draw, the Paul Orndorff / Chris Masters “loser-leaves-AWA” match, and the Great Muta’s successful AWA Television title defense against Tito Santana.]
VS.
The Varsity Club and Verne Gagne vs. the Young Bucks and Adam Cole: This was Gagne’s first match since his cage match with Ken Shamrock, and he didn’t miss a beat. He started out against Cole, and they put on a counter-wrestling clinic. The quick pace continued, and the Bucks relentlessly double-teamed Rotunda with their unique offense. But they could not finish him off, and he made the tag to his partner, who powered through both of them. He hit Matt Jackson with a brutal German suplex before tagging Gagne back in, who finished him off with a double-chickenwing submission; Cole was already halfway up the ramp by the time the bell rang.
VS.
Edge (w/JJ Dillon) vs. Paul Orndorff: A physically intense sprint of a match, it only lasted about five minutes but it featured plenty of offense for both competitors. "Mr. Wonderful" had the early advantage, but the "Rated-R Superstar" fought back and won the match with a vicious spear for the clean victory. Post-match, he held up four fingers with his smug manager, then did the universal "I want the belt" gesture with his hands at his waist.
VS.
[C] The BlueBloods (w/Layla) vs. the Miracle Violence Connection: The Monarchy was confident, given the fast pace of the earlier contest; the MVC was all business as they walked to the ring. As the match progressed, it was obvious that the BlueBloods wanted to push the pace, which was unusual for them, while Williams and Gordy wanted to grind it out on the mat. The match teeter-tottered for several minutes, and came close to an end when Steve Williams got caught in the Regal Stretch, but he slowly, painfully freed himself. He inched toward his corner but was cut off by Doug Williams, who went immediately to a reverse figure-four. “Dr. Death” kicked him off, and limped to Gordy for the tag. “Bamm Bamm” charged in, decking both BlueBloods. He settled on Regal, and launched him over the top rope with a big boot. Doug Williams hit him from behind, but Gordy whirled and connected with a discus forearm that set up a Samoan drop. Gordy bounced off the ropes for a running knee drop, while his partner subdued Regal on the outside. Three seconds later, the AWA tag-team titles changed hands.
As the Miracle Violence Connection finished their celebration in the ring, and began the slow walk back up the ramp with their hard-earned titles in their hands, Stan Hansen and Bruiser Brody came through the curtain and applauded their win. They were followed by a trio of new teams, each of whom did the slow, and sometimes sarcastic hand-clapping: Harlem Heat, then the World's Greatest Tag Team, and finally Beer Money... all of whom wanted to let the MVC know that there were plenty of contenders for the straps.
The UCW exchange draft, for example, has caused quite the change in the AWA roster. Ken Shamrock – gone. Mark Henry – gone. The Public Enemy – they just couldn’t hang and they went running to UCW! And in return, the AWA acquired Bam Bam Bigelow, Diamond Dallas Page, AJ Styles, James Storm, Robert Roode, Booker T, Shelton Benjamin, and Charlie Haas. Whew!
In addition, Edge, Tully Blanchard, and JJ Dillon expelled their comrades, their friends, Mark Jindrak and Sean O’Haire over the weekend. It wasn’t a mutual parting of the ways, no, far from it – Edge and Blanchard kicked the crap out of them as Dillon watched. The Thrillers vowed revenge, yet inexplicably decided to retreat to UCW for the time being, perhaps to find new allies.
If that wasn’t enough, the AWA also signed ten-time former WCW World Tag-Team champion Stevie Ray to a contract, while Chris Masters lost a “loser-leaves-town” match against his former partner, “Mr. Wonderful”, Paul Orndorff, meaning that we will not be seeing “the Masterpiece” in the American Wrestling Association for at least 90 days.
Well… I gotta catch my breath. Time to turn it over to my broadcast partner, the only man “Tough Enough” to hang with Joey Styles – Mr. Josh Mathews!
Josh Mathews: Thank you, Joey! It is truly a star-studded lineup on tap for you tonight. Edge goes one-on-one with Paul Orndorff. Stan “the Lariat” Hansen battles the Bulgarian newcomer, Alexander Rusev. In six-man action, the Varsity Club and Verne Gagne take on the Young Bucks and Adam Cole. And in our main event, the BlueBloods defend the AWA Tag-Team titles against the winner of our opening contest, Badd Company and the Miracle Violence Connection.
Joey Styles: That’s right, Josh. Those sneaky Brits agreed to put their belts on the line tonight against one of the two top contenders in the AWA – but only if they fought each other first!
Josh Mathews: And how about this match – a “Contract in the Bank” match featuring, in alphabetical order, these five men: Brian Kendrick, Jushin “Thunder” Liger, Drew McIntyre, Jamie Noble, and Tito Santana. Given the influx of new talent in recent weeks, as well as the win-loss records of the aforementioned five men, The AWA championship committee has decided to make them fight for their AWA lives. One man will win… and four men will leave the American Wrestling Association.
Joey Styles: Christy Hemme is in the ring, so let’s get down there now!
VS.
Badd Company (w/Kimberly Page) vs. the Miracle Violence Connection: As soon as the bell rang, and Williams and Diamond locked up, the BlueBloods sauntered down to the commentary table to watch the action up close. The MVC used their size to their advantage, outweighing Badd Company by over 100 pounds, with suplexes and throws. Diamond and Tanaka struggled to stay with them, but eventually took command, and kept Gordy away from his partner. Old-school double-team moves ground him down, but he fought back, and tagged in “Dr. Death”. Williams cleared house, fended off a superkick from Tanaka, and caught him with the Oklahoma stampede powerslam for the hard-fought win. With a wary eye on the champs, the two tired teams shook hands in the middle of the ring.
VS.
Stan Hansen vs. Alexander Rusev: The fans expected a brawl, and they got one. There was very little finesse on display here. It went back and forth, inside and out, and the referee was very lenient, as if he wanted to make sure Rusev’s debut in the AWA was a memorable one. The young Bulgarian was vicious, and he battered the Texan mercilessly, but he kicked out of every pin. The end came when Hansen ducked a clothesline, bounded off the ropes, and hit his signature lariat on Rusev for the three-count. Immediately afterwards, Rusev leaped to his feet, threw Hansen down from behind, and applied a camel clutch. He kept it locked on until Intercontinental champion Bruiser Brody ran to the ring and cleared the brute out.
VS. VS. VS.
VS.
Brian Kendrick vs. Jushin “Thunder” Liger vs. Drew McIntyre (w/Layla) vs. Jamie Noble (w/Nidia) vs. Tito Santana: As busy and as exciting as one would expect from a “contract match” of this magnitude. Each man was fighting for something arguably more valuable than a title shot – he was fighting for his job. Liger flew from ladders several times, as did Kendrick and Noble. McIntyre played the “big man” role to perfection, using his height and leverage to good use, though he was constantly thwarted from grabbing the briefcase. Santana was bloodied early, but fought on. Tables were used, and abused, throughout the contest. In the end, though, only one man would climb all the way up the ladder to retrieve the case – and that man’s name was Jamie Noble.
[60-second recap of Wednesday Night Warriors, with highlights from every match; most notably, the debuting Petey Williams and Art Barr stealing the show with a 15-minute draw, the Paul Orndorff / Chris Masters “loser-leaves-AWA” match, and the Great Muta’s successful AWA Television title defense against Tito Santana.]
VS.
The Varsity Club and Verne Gagne vs. the Young Bucks and Adam Cole: This was Gagne’s first match since his cage match with Ken Shamrock, and he didn’t miss a beat. He started out against Cole, and they put on a counter-wrestling clinic. The quick pace continued, and the Bucks relentlessly double-teamed Rotunda with their unique offense. But they could not finish him off, and he made the tag to his partner, who powered through both of them. He hit Matt Jackson with a brutal German suplex before tagging Gagne back in, who finished him off with a double-chickenwing submission; Cole was already halfway up the ramp by the time the bell rang.
VS.
Edge (w/JJ Dillon) vs. Paul Orndorff: A physically intense sprint of a match, it only lasted about five minutes but it featured plenty of offense for both competitors. "Mr. Wonderful" had the early advantage, but the "Rated-R Superstar" fought back and won the match with a vicious spear for the clean victory. Post-match, he held up four fingers with his smug manager, then did the universal "I want the belt" gesture with his hands at his waist.
VS.
[C] The BlueBloods (w/Layla) vs. the Miracle Violence Connection: The Monarchy was confident, given the fast pace of the earlier contest; the MVC was all business as they walked to the ring. As the match progressed, it was obvious that the BlueBloods wanted to push the pace, which was unusual for them, while Williams and Gordy wanted to grind it out on the mat. The match teeter-tottered for several minutes, and came close to an end when Steve Williams got caught in the Regal Stretch, but he slowly, painfully freed himself. He inched toward his corner but was cut off by Doug Williams, who went immediately to a reverse figure-four. “Dr. Death” kicked him off, and limped to Gordy for the tag. “Bamm Bamm” charged in, decking both BlueBloods. He settled on Regal, and launched him over the top rope with a big boot. Doug Williams hit him from behind, but Gordy whirled and connected with a discus forearm that set up a Samoan drop. Gordy bounced off the ropes for a running knee drop, while his partner subdued Regal on the outside. Three seconds later, the AWA tag-team titles changed hands.
As the Miracle Violence Connection finished their celebration in the ring, and began the slow walk back up the ramp with their hard-earned titles in their hands, Stan Hansen and Bruiser Brody came through the curtain and applauded their win. They were followed by a trio of new teams, each of whom did the slow, and sometimes sarcastic hand-clapping: Harlem Heat, then the World's Greatest Tag Team, and finally Beer Money... all of whom wanted to let the MVC know that there were plenty of contenders for the straps.