Post by fifthhorseman on May 14, 2014 23:24:51 GMT -5
Joey Styles: Hello fans around the world – my name is Joey Styles, and this is AWA Wednesday Night Warriors! We are back in Sin City, Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Thomas and Mack Center, and we have a packed house as always for the greatest wrestling action on the planet! We have six, count them, six exciting matches scheduled tonight, including in our main event, AWA Heavyweight champion Daniel Bryan, who defends his title against “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin in what is sure to be a physical battle! You’ll also see the Midnight Express – Stan Lane and Bobby Eaton – tangle horns with the World’s Greatest Tag-Team in an official rematch from last week’s singles brouhaha! And starting tonight, we will also determine the top contender for Daniel Bryan!
Josh Mathews: That’s right, Joey – and thank you fans for tuning in! Tonight, you will see four qualifying matches between eight of the top contenders for the AWA Heavyweight title. The winners of those matches will move into a fatal four-way match next week – but who will they be? Here’s your lineup: Rick Martel takes on Edge! Verne Gagne versus William Regal! Magnum T.A. goes against Big Van Vader! And Scott Hall finally gets his hands on AWA Intercontinental champ Nigel McGuinness – although that match will be of the non-title variety! Let’s not waste any more time, and get right to the ring, where the gorgeous Christy Hemme is set to announce our first match.
VS.
Verne Gagne vs. William Regal (w/Layla): After both men were in the ring, Regal “borrowed” the microphone from Hemme, and said, “We meet again, Mr. Gagne. Of course we would. After all, we’ve been putting quite the show lately, and I daresay, you’ve even help up your fair share of the bouts. But given the stakes here, and in consideration of our propensity to wrestle until the timekeeper says otherwise… I suggest that this match have no time limit. No sense both of us being knocked out of this tournament, eh, sport?”
Gagne nodded, and after a few moments, a second official entered the ring and spoke with the referee in charge. Joey Styles confirmed it a second later – this was a no-time-limit match.
Despite their familiarity, it was a tentative feeling-out process. Ground-based, slow, and cautious; it was Regal’s European catch-as-catch-can versus Gagne’s amateur style. Knucklelocks, body-scissors, forearms… it was a clinic.
After the first commercial break, the pace slowly began to quicken. Regal used his superior size to lean on Gagne, muscling into the corners and using every bit of the five seconds he had to batter the former AWA champ. He used elbows and uppercuts, even headbutts and bearhugs, all in an attempt to take the air out of his foe. Gagne was nonetheless unfazed by the close combat, and gave as much as he could, and took Regal to the mat constantly.
They fought through a second commercial break, and Gagne steadily began to take charge. A pair of standing dropkicks, then a headscissors, nearly knocked the Englishman out. He struggled to get his shoulders off the mat, but Gagne kept him down until Regal landed a hard knee to the side of the head. Both men were dazed, and after staggering to their feet, it turned into a slugfest. They knocked each other through the ropes, and brawled on the floor until the ref separated them, reminding them that a no-time-limit match did not mean “no countout”. They re-entered the ring and started again, fists and forearms exchanged as they fought through a third commercial break.
After returning to live air, the two went through a whirlwind of pin attempts and reversals – suplexes, crucifixes, and sunset flips by each, but none successful. Finally, 51 minutes into the program, Gagne used a judo throw to put Regal on his back, and cinching the head and arm tight, secured the pin. Exhausted, barely able to stand, Gagne had his hand raised, and left the beaten and disconsolate Regal in the middle of the ring.
Joey Styles: Due to the length of that contest – and what a match it was! – we are moving up the main event to… well, right now! WE don’t want to deprive you, the hardcore AWA fan, from such a match, so here we go!
VS.
Daniel Bryan [C] vs. Michael Elgin: The two men went nose-to-nose before the match began, and shook hands as they backed away from each other. Well aware of the strength disadvantage, Bryan tried to hit from a distance, and he managed to land several kicks and strikes, but they did not injure Elgin – and “Unbreakable” used his surprising quickness to land a few kicks of his own. Catching the champion, he used his raw power to throw him from post to post, then settled on a front chancery that took Bryan to his knees. But he could not pin him, and Bryan came back with forearms and an errant elbow that opened a huge cut above Elgin’s left eye. He refused to let the referee stop the match, though, and partially blinded, fell victim to a flying knee that he barely saw.
After the match, Bryan consoled his tough opponent, and Elgin nodded with him. The champion left first, followed by the Canadian up the ramp – who was attacked by Paul Orndorff! Still bearing a grudge, “Mr. Wonderful” piledrove Elgin on the ramp before being chased off by Bryan.
VS.
Edge (w/JJ Dillon and Missy Hyatt) vs. Rick Martel: Two of Canada’s finest went hold for hold in the opening minutes; roughly equal in weight, strength, and speed, it was a fast-paced contest. Despite his desperate and despicable tactics, Edge was unable to keep Martel down for long – but nor could Martel against his foe. But he did chip away at the “Rated-R Superstar”, and eventually maneuvered him into a Boston crab near the ropes. While Edge writhed in agony, Dillon screamed at the ref from the ring steps, distracting him as Hyatt raked Martel’s eyes. He released the hold, and Edge hit a spear at less than full strength for the two-count. Grabbing his back angrily, he connected with a second spear and finished Martel off.
VS.
Scott Hall vs. Nigel McGuinness [C] (w/Layla): Hall entered the ring first, followed by the self-proclaimed “Eurocontinental” champion and the Monarchy’s valet. Hall was eager to get his hands on McGuinness; for months, he had been chasing the AWA I-C title, regardless of its holder. When the bell rang, Hall charged, and McGuinness bailed out of the ring. For the next couple of minutes, it was cat-and-mouse. When Hall got his hands on him, he used massive punches and clothesline to stagger the champ, but it was short-lived. the Englander used a variety of arm submission holds to weaken his big foe, hoping to neutralize the “Razor’s Edge”. He rammed him repeatedly into the corner, gaining confidence with every move. Suddenly, Hall spun with a discus punch with his strong arm – McGuinness never saw it coming. Nor did the crowd, the announcers, or anyone else. Hall pinned the unconscious Brit with a smile.
VS.
Magnum T.A. vs. Big Van Vader (w/Gary Hart): Despite the nearly 200-pound mismatch, the NWA stalwart was completely unintimidated by Vader’s pre-match antics. As soon as the bell sounded, the mastodon charged, but Magnum evaded him and threw a series of punches that infuriated Vader. It was a prototypical big man-little man match, with Magnum scrapping his way out of every bearhug and headlock applied to him. He eventually went to work on Vader’s knee, using a figure-four to keep him on the mat. The big man got up, and avalanched Magnum in the corner. He went for a belly-to-belly throw, but Magnum spun him around, setting for his own finisher… but Vader reversed it as well, and connected with a massive sit-out double-handed chokeslam. The field was set for the fatal four-way: Verne Gagne, Edge, Scott Hall, and Big Van Vader.
As the show ended, Styles guaranteed a World’s Greatest Tag-Team – Midnight Express match, as well as an AWA Television title match from the returning Great Muta!