Post by fifthhorseman on Nov 5, 2016 11:22:03 GMT -5
UWF FRIDAY NIGHT’S MAIN EVENT
EPISODE 7
EPISODE 7
30-second cold open to what happened after last week’s show went off the air: UWF World champion Bret Hart, Terry Funk, and Jay Lethal brawled outside the ring until officials could drag them all apart.
Tony Schiavone: Hello, wrestling fans, and get ready for 90 minutes of the greatest wrestling action on the planet! We are live from the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas, and this is UWF’s Friday Night Main Event, and we have four incredible matches on tap, including a UWF World Trios championship rematch – Demolition versus the Fabulous Freebirds, three on three! But that’s not all, right, Mike?
Mike Tenay: Of course not – in another Trios match with grave consequences, the Motor City Timesplitters accept the challenge of reDRagon in the UWF’s first-ever ladder match… and the loser leaves the territory! Also, in a match that will have major ramifications for UWF: Mid-South Mayhem, Jay Lethal and Terry Funk must join forces and take on Brutus Magnus and Steve Williams – and the winning team will get title shots! Last but not least, the head of Hot Stuff International, Eddie Gilbert, battles TJ Perkins in catchweight action. Let’s get to the ring and start the action!
THE MOTOR CITY TIMESPLITTERS vs. REdrAGON:
vs.
Big-fight introductions by Christy Hemme as one big ladder went up in the middle of the ring, along with a contract indicating continued employment in the UWF. Other ladders were already stationed outside the ring. The six men were coiled and ready to go.
17 minutes of bell-to-bell action. At various points in the match, all six men were within inches of grabbing the contract. Bodies crashed everywhere – Sabin, Fish, Shelley, O’Reilly, Kushida, and Hero flung themselves and each other around with reckless abandon, and to try to describe it would be futile. Imagine the classic WWE triangle matches from 15 years ago… except with six high-speed athletes. In the end, it came down to Kushida and Kyle O’Reilly exchanging right hands atop the tallest ladder, perched a few feet from the center of the ring. Kushida hit a punch that propelled O’Reilly off the ladder, flying to the outside. In turn, he and the ladder were sent in the opposite direction… with a desperate leap, the Timesplitter leaped for the contract and snagged it. No hanging from the cable, no frantic climbing – just a do-or-die jump that wins the match. reDRagon had to leave the UWF.
COMMERCIAL
Schiavone: “Ladies and gentleman, Nick Bockwinkel makes his UWF debut next week. As if the man needed an introduction, please watch this video… wait, I’m told that there’s something going on in the back that… yes, we’re going there right now.”
Backstage, a lone camera was capturing the scene. Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy were tending to a bloodied, beaten-down Buddy Roberts, who was dazed and noticeably limping. Kevin Kelly threw a microphone in front of them, asking what happened, and Hayes shouted, “What do you think happened? That damn Demolition attacked Buddy Jack when we wasn’t around! If they think that’ll keep us from their straps tonight, though, they’re sorely mistaken. All you did was pissed us off, boys.”
The scene shifted back to the ring, where the next match was introduced.
EDDIE GILBERT (w/Missy Hyatt and Chris Candido) vs. TJ PERKINS:
vs.
Before the match could begin, however, the referee warned Candido that he would have to watch the match from the top of the ramp, due to Hot Stuff International’s noted chicanery. Angrily, Candido strode away, but as Perkins and Gilbert locked up… he was jumped by the Castoffs! “Hot Stuff” never even saw his partner get taken down, and by the time he – or any of his other allies – could make the save, Neidhart, Harris, and Jannetty fled through the crowd! Gilbert chased them, and the match was ruled a no-contest.
As Perkins stood in the ring, frustrated, UWF Mid-South Junior Heavyweight champion Roderick Strong walked to ringside to speak to the referee. In turn, the ref spoke with Hemme – but before she could address the crowd, the cocky Will Ospreay sprinted down the ramp and took the microphone from her. “I’ve seen enough wrestling to know that Roddy came down and said he’d take on poor old TJ Perkins, and he’d put the title up to boot, right, sweetheart? Well, if Roddy has the guts, he’ll let me in on this action, too. He’s a fighting champ, right?”
Hemme merely nodded, and she looked up at the Junior Heavyweight champion, who nodded back at her, and she announced an impromptu triple-threat match.
UWF MID-SOUTH JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
WILL OSPREAY vs. TJ PERKINS vs. RODERICK STRONG (C):
WILL OSPREAY vs. TJ PERKINS vs. RODERICK STRONG (C):
vs. vs.
Because this was an unscheduled match with timing constraints, this was a triple-three match, as opposed to the usual “three-way dance”/elimination-style matches the UWF typically mandated. Also, in the opening bout, the three men were virtual blurs. Despite the face-face-heel dynamic, both challengers attacked Strong with ferocity, and the top-rope maneuvers employed by all three were mind-boggling. But 12 minutes in, after a Perkins misfire caused him to get tangled in the ropes, the champion hit a lightning-quick “Sick Kick” on Ospreay to get the win.
COMMERCIAL
Backstage, Commissioner Bill Watts was shouting at Demolition, and threatening discipline against them if the Freebirds could not compete in the main event. However, all three of them were insistent that they did not attack Roberts, and they walked away.
A 90-second video montage was shown featuring the four former World champions involved in the next match, as well as highlights from the Lethal/Funk match the week before.
TERRY FUNK/JAY LETHAL vs. BRUTUS MAGNUS/STEVE WILLIAMS:
vs.
The announcers reminded the audience of the stakes as Lethal and Magnus started it off. The brash Brit outmuscled his foe at first, but Lethal used his superior quickness to even the score. Neither man could gain a definitive advantage, so they tagged in the vets, Williams and Funk. It soon became more of a brawl, and the crowd ate it up. “Dr. Death” pressed Funk over his head, extending his arms ten times with ease before dropping him to the mat. But the tough Texan rolled out of the ring to recover.
Lethal chased him back in, and then Magnus leveled Lethal with a clothesline outside the ring. He implored Williams to double-team Funk, but the big Oklahoman press-slammed Magnus outside the ring and onto Lethal!
The match continued in typically tough UWF fashion. The tags were fast, and science blended with violence. However, it ended in peculiar fashion. Funk and Magnus were the legal men, and Williams was chasing Lethal around the ring when he suddenly lost his footing and crashed head-first into the metal ringsteps. Momentarily distracted, the one-time TNA champion was nailed below the belt by Funk when the referee turned to see what had happened outside. Without missing a beat, the wily Texan rolled Magnus into a small package and stole the victory for he and Lethal.
COMMERCIAL
The video package for Nick Bockwinkel finally rolled, as did a clip announcing the first two matches for Mid-South Mayhem: Dusty Rhodes versus Manny Fernandez in a “Texas Bullrope” match… and at long last, Danny Hodge would face Dean Malenko in a top-contenders match for the Junior Heavyweight championship!
Tenay: “Fans, as you just saw, Terry Funk and Jay Lethal are moving on to Mid-South Mayhem to face the two current heavyweight singles champions, Bret Hart and Jack Swagger, respectively. The card has taken shape, and quickly. However, what you might have missed – what we all missed – was the cause of “Dr. Death” Steve Williams’ fall. And from this camera angle that we just picked up, well… see for yourself.”
The replay – not the clearest, but nonetheless – showed an object extending itself from underneath the ring apron, tripping Williams. A second replay, focussing on the object, revealed that it was… a sledgehammer. The shot came back live to officials checking underneath the ring, but no one was there.
Despite the confusion, the show went on. Christy Hemme entered the ring to make the main event introductions.
UWF WORLD TRIOS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
DEMOLITION vs. THE FABULOUS FREEBIRDS:
DEMOLITION vs. THE FABULOUS FREEBIRDS:
vs.
The challengers entered the ring first, and “Buddy Jack” was still in rough shape. Demolition followed, ever confident. Ax and Hayes started the match, and after a few tags amongst the two squads, it became obvious that the Freebirds were going to try to “hide” Roberts on the outside. In essence, it was a handicap match.
Five minutes in, the tide turned in the champions’ favor. Smash and Crush made fluid tags, pounding Hayes into the mat. However, “P.S” would not stay down, and after a long face-in-peril situation, he tagged in Gordy, who overpowered all three men. Arguably the most underrated threat in the UWF, “Bamm Bamm” was unstoppable, throwing around all three opponents. But inevitably, it turned into a pier-six brawl…
…that the Freebirds continued to dominate. The referee was very lenient, allowing the action inside and outside the ring for about two minutes. Even Roberts got in his licks, but Ax clipped his knee, and he fell in agony. The most experienced member of Demolition tossed him back inside, and Crush hit him with a powerbomb that drove the air out of his twice-battered body. Three seconds later, Demolition took the win, albeit by less than sportsmanlike means. They staggered up the ramp with the belts held high over head, while the challengers sat in the ring, infuriated.