Post by fifthhorseman on May 21, 2014 23:45:05 GMT -5
Joey Styles: Greetings and salutations, wrestling fans far and wide – this is AWA Wednesday Night Warriors! We have six matches scheduled tonight, every one of them a main event in any arena in the country – and we are live from the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California! It is a jam-packed house and a jam-packed card, featuring not one, but two AWA title defenses! The awesome Miracle Violence Connection – Steve Williams and Terry Gordy – defend the tag-team championship against the BlueBloods, Doug Willams and Wade Barrett! Also, the TV champ, the Great Muta, goes one-on-one with Ricky Morton! And here to run down the rest of the card, my color partner, Josh Mathews!
Josh Mathews: Thanks, partner, and thanks to the world’s best wrestling fans for tuning in tonight! You’ll also see the Midnight Express – Stan Lane and Bobby Eaton – take on the World’s Greatest Tag-Team in a match rescheduled from last week! Also in tag-team action, Ethan Carter III and Adam Cole – with new manager Vickie Guerrero – square off against her former client, Art Barr, and his partner, to be revealed later! Jamie Noble steps up to face “the King”, Harley Race! And in our main event, a fatal four-way match to determine the number one contender for the AWA Heavyweight championship held by Daniel Bryan – Big Van Vader! Edge! Verne Gagne! And Scott Hall!
Joey Styles: Let’s get to the ring, where the lovely Christy Hemme is ready to make the first set of ring intros for the night!
VS.
The Midnight Express vs. the World’s Greatest Tag-Team: They went on first, and they set the tone for the show. Though they employed very different styles – the WGTT faster-paced and scientific, versus the Express’s quick-tagging, Southern technique – the two teams battled like they had feuded for years. Benjamin and Haas eventually took control, stretching and grinding Eaton’s legs, taking the top rope offense away from him. But he made the proverbial hot tag to Lane, who kicked and slammed his foes, dispatching Haas to the outside. The Express took over, but missed a double-clothesline, allowing Benjamin to hit a huge – and clean – superkick on Lane for the victory. After the match, the WGTT called for a title shot.
VS.
Jamie Noble (w/Nidia) vs. Harley Race: The legendary NWA champion entered first, followed by the underdog Noble. However, the underdog fought like the pitbull he once was, and staggered Race with punches and short kicks. He armbarred Race to the ground, and went for different arm-based submission holds. Frustrated, Race made the ropes, and after the break, came back with a huge headbutt that floored Noble. After that, he put a wrestling clinic, using forearms, suplexes, and other throws to batter his opponent. A few minutes later, Race won it with a cradle suplex.
Lance Russell conducted a short interview with Michael Elgin via satellite, who was at home wearing a neckbrace. In no certain terms, “Unbreakable” declared he was out for revenge on Paul Orndorff, the man who gave him a vicious piledriver on the ring ramp the week before.
VS.
The BlueBloods (w/Layla) vs. the Miracle Violence Connection [C]: Before the match began, Styles explained that Barrett and Williams successfully petitioned the AWA championship committee, arguing that they were not involved in the double gauntlet match at Team Challenge Series, and thus deserved a match with the champions. However, the committee countered with a stipulation of their own: if the BlueBloods lost, they – nor any two men representing the Monarchy - could not challenge the MVC again!
“Bad News” and “Bamm Bamm” started for their respective teams, and they brawled magnificently. Barrett briefly held the upper hand, but Gordy took him down with a dropkick and tagged in his partner. “Dr. Death” continued the onslaught, tossing Barrett from corner to corner, and knocked him down again with a huge clothesline. Barrett escaped with an eyerake, and Doug Williams used quick kicks to momentarily keep Doc down. He and Barrett made frequent tags, but despite their stellar teamwork, they were unable to keep Williams from making the tag to Gordy. The former Freebird attacked both men, and after a brief four-man brawl, hit Barrett with a running legdrop for the three-count.
? VS.
Art Barr/ vs. Ethan Carter III/Adam Cole (w/Vickie Guerrero): Guerrero led her new charges to the ring first, and took the microphone from Hemme. She declared that Barr was a loser, a wanna-be, and someone she managed only because she felt sorry for him. But she was done doing favors, and wanted to lend her expertise to a pair of future champions… and any man who would tag with Barr was as delusional as she once was.
Barr came out with a microphone and after calling Guerrero a few choice names of his own, introduced his partner… Mr. Money in the Bank, A.J. Styles!
It was a crazy brawl to start the match; Barr charged both of his opponents, eager to take out his anger on them for Guerrero’s betrayal, and Styles flew in after him. It went outside, and stayed outside, as the referee gave them plenty of leeway. However, he eventually took charge, and Styles and Cole went to work inside the squared circle. Rapid tags followed for both teams in a lightning-quick, high-energy spotfest that demonstrated the skill of all four combatants. After 13 fast-paced minutes, it ended with a Barr frog splash on Cole. With a broad smile on his face, the “Love Machine” said adios to Guerrero and left through the crowd.
A brief video package was shown, featuring the undefeated AWA Television champion, the Great Muta. His manager declared that he watched over the American Wrestling Association’s most dominant champion, and he would hold the title for as long as he wanted to.
VS.
Ricky Morton vs. the Great Muta (w/Gary Hart): This was Muta’s first Television title defense in three weeks, and the ring rust was evident early, as Morton took control with armdrags and dropkicks that launched the champion out of the ring. Hart rallied his man, and Muta used a jab to the throat to take charge. After that, he used chops, legdrags, and vicious kicks to the midsection to sap the life out of the “Rock and Roller”, taking him to the mat where he applied an Indian death-lock. But Morton made his patented fiery comeback… albeit a short one, ended when Muta used a handspring back-elbow/moonsault combination to end the bout.
VS. VS. VS.
Big Van Vader (w/Gary Hart) vs. Edge (w/JJ Dillon and Missy Hyatt) vs. Verne Gagne vs. Scott Hall: Right before Hemme made the big-fight introductions, AWA Heavyweight champion Daniel Bryan joined Styles and Mathews at the broadcast table. The match was fought under “fatal four-way” rules, meaning that there was only one fall required. Vader and Hall started the match, and the two big men swung for the fences early, connecting with powerful punches. Hall tried to stay on his feet, but the mastodon fired him into a corner, though he missed with the follow-up charge. They brawled some more until tagging out to Edge and Gagne.
The “Rated-R Superstar” used his height advantage to temporarily offset the pure wrestling advantage Gagne possessed (over everybody), but it soon went to the mat. The Olympian stretched and wrenched Edge’s right arm, but the former WWE champ refused to give up. Getting to their feet, Edge then took over with an eyerake, followed by a snap DDT.
The next 15 minutes were a blur. Hall/Edge, Edge/Vader, and Vader/Gagne were matchups that occurred throughout the span of the match, and the different and distinct styles of each tested the all-around skill of each man. Gagne nearly scored the lone pin, on Hall, but Edge broke it up at roughly the 2.999 mark. After that, it turned into another wild melee, with all four men in the ring. At one point, Vader hit a double suplex – meaning he suplexed both Gagne and Edge – but Hall immediately squashed him with an uncharacteristic splash from the top rope. The fight raged on, until Vader powerbombed Gagne while Edge and Hall exchanged punches near the ramp. Before they could dive back in the ring to break the count, Big Van Vader made the pin.
As the show ended, Vader bellowed and pointed at Bryan, while the champ held his championship belt high over his head.