Post by fifthhorseman on Apr 17, 2017 1:02:28 GMT -5
UWF FRIDAY NIGHT’S MAIN EVENT
EPISODE 22
EPISODE 22
Mauro Ranallo: This is UWF Friday Night’s Main Event! Hello, wrestling fans – settle in for the greatest 90 minutes of action on television today. I’m joined tonight at the Robarts Arena in Sarasota, Florida, by the UWF World Heavyweight champion Bret Hart on commentary for our first two matches, and later on, Dusty Rhodes will help me call the action… and what action it is. In a very important Trios contest, America’s Least Wanted takes on the Midnight Express. In a grudge match, Perry Saturn of the Authority seeks revenge against Yoshihiro Tajiri! In our main event, former allies Eddie Gilbert and Chris Candido square off in a steel cage! But we begin tonight with a match that will surely have World title implications – and this is a match that has been months in the making – so let’s get to the ring right now!
TRIPLE H (w/Randy Orton) vs. STEVE WILLIAMS:
vs.
Before the match started, a short video package aired, highlighting the Authority’s infiltration of the UWF, and how it affected some of “Dr. Death’s” various matches. Both men stared down Hart as they made their way to the ring, but the champ was unfazed, and even lauded their accomplishments. It was also explained that “the Game” secured permission for Orton to come with him, using the sneak attack on their partner Perry Saturn last week as cause for “protection”.
The match itself was the proverbial slobberknocker. Both men were more than capable of wrestling scientifically, but at a combined weight of about 540 pounds, they also wanted to showcase their power. Every time Williams built up momentum, though, the “Apex Predator” managed to bother him just enough to give Triple H some breathing room. The fight lasted nearly 15 minutes, and after Williams hit his foe with a crushing Oklahoma Stampede powerslam, Orton broke up the pin at two, causing the disqualification. He tried to RKO the big man, but he was thrown outside. But Williams was blindsided by HHH, who hit him in return with a Pedigree. The two heels left together, celebrating their non-victory, and Ranallo correctly noted that this rivalry was far from over.
COMMERCIAL
A pre-taped interview with the Dudley Boyz was shown. An obviously nervous Kevin Kelly took the brunt of their verbal attack from Bully Ray: “Why the hell aren’t we challenging for the UWF World Trios titles yet? How in the hell can old man Watts put together a bunch of matches to name a top contender… and not put us in it? Can you explain that, Kevin Kelly?” When he could not, but suggested that it was because there were still only two of them, D-Von interjected. “Don’t you worry about that, fool. Next week, we’ll show you our new partner… and then it’s watch out, Freebirds. Oh, my brother… testify!”
As Ranallo and Hart wondered who would be crazy enough to tag with them, they were interrupted by Kenny Omega, who was being pursued down the ramp by Bam Bam Bigelow. “The Cleaner” circled around the desk, then bolted down past the ring, followed by Bigelow, who was also pursued by a squadron of backstage officials. They eventually caught up to him, and UWF Commissioner Bill Watts took ring announcer Christy Hemme’s microphone. “Listen up! I won’t put up with random fights and backstage nonsense anymore. It wastes too much time, and our audience would rather see it happen in the ring! Look, I know that Tajiri and Kenny Omega are trying to be the top dog in the Mid-South Junior Heavyweight division, and you both want a shot at Danny Hodge. But you aren’t gonna influence me with sneak attacks on other people in other stables. Nosiree. So this is what I’ll do. Next week, it’s gonna be Kenny Omega versus Yoshihiro Tajiri… in a ladder match… and the special referee will be the champ himself, Danny Hodge!”
As things settled down, Gary Hart did come out with his client, and as scheduled, they made their way to the ring… very pleased with the results of Watts’ announcement.
PERRY SATURN vs. YOSHIHIRO TAJIRI (w/Gary Hart):
vs.
Sean O’Haire accompanied “the Eliminator” to the ring, but Watts told him, and Hart, to go backstage; he had had enough. This left the ECW alumni in the squared circle alone, and they fought like it was indeed an ECW match. Head referee Tommy Young gave them plenty of rope, sensing that it was the only way he could defuse all of the tension between the Authority and Hart’s World Class stable. The two men used their feet as much as their fists, and Saturn took charge early with his superior strength. However, overconfidence may have done him in, as a missed corner charge gave “the Buzzsaw” time to recover, and after a Tarantula softened Saturn up, Tajiri hit a brutal knee-strike on his opponent, dazing him just long enough to get the three-count.
COMMERCIAL
Hart shook hands with the man replacing him on commentary, Dusty Rhodes, and a video vignette aired featuring the months-long feud between the Midnight Express (and Hot Stuff International on the whole)and America’s Least Wanted. Ranallo explained that the winner of this match would face the Authority soon to determine the top contender for the Fabulous Freebirds’ UWF World Trios championship.
AMERICA’S LEAST WANTED vs. the MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (w/Jim Cornette and Matt Morgan):
vs.
The Express entered first, supremely confident. ALW arrived next, but before the match could begin, a second referee walked down the ramp. Ranallo: “We’ve just been told that senior official Tommy Young has decided that there will be an outside referee as well… gee, I can’t imagine why!”
Cornette was apoplectic; Morgan slightly less so. With the numerical advantage somewhat countered, ALW took control, with Jannetty and Harris tagging in and out at will, controlling Eaton in their corner. But “Beautiful Bobby” escaped and brought in Lane, and a convenient eye-rake helped the Express take over. They focused on “the Wildcat”, and cornered him for several minutes, to the dismay of Neidhart and Jannetty. However, the tide turned again, and a pier-sixer broke out with Neidhart and Condrey the legal men. “The Anvil” hoisted up Condrey in a bearhug, and after tossing Lane and Eaton onto Morgan, his teammates hit him with a double clothesline. Three seconds later, the match was over, and ALW was moving on.
As the Express slunk away, Kevin Kelly followed Cornette backstage, but - for once in his life – he refused to speak. He was too upset… however, that didn’t stop another manager from getting some interview time. Armando Alejandro Estrada sauntered up to Kelly, along with Roderick Strong. He bemoaned the fact that Strong could not challenge for the Junior Heavyweight title for another five months, but nonetheless, he said that he was issuing an open challenge. “I dare anyone to get in the ring with my client next week. No one can defeat my man – no one!” As fate would have it, a familiar foe entered the scene. Alex Shelley looked at Strong, then back to Estrada, and said, “You’re on.”
COMMERCIAL
As the ring crew put the finishing touches on the steel cage, a video vignette was shown to the audience; a veritable “greatest hits” package for Ricky Steamboat. It was announced that he would make his UWF debut in two weeks. Another package rolled, but it was not nearly as slickly produced; instead, it contained third-party and other house show footage that showed how the two men in the main event had argued and fought across the southern Florida coast.
CHRIS CANDIDO vs. EDDIE GILBERT (w/Missy Hyatt):
vs.
This was as old-school as it got. The only way to win was by pinfall or submission; neither man wanted to “escape”, far from it. They were fighting for control of HSI, for pride, and for blood. The two men squared off in the middle as soon as the bell rang with right hands. It was a wild, Southern-styled brawl, and they were both cut open before too long. The blood flowed freely as the match see-sawed, and both “Hot Stuff” and “Hard Knox” had plenty of opportunities to finish the match, but neither man would quit.
The battle raged for about 16 minutes. Candido hit a series of moves, and set Gilbert up for a powerbomb to finish him off. But the head of HSI nailed him with a low-blow – legal inside the cage – and then he blinded him with a fireball! Candido hit the mat, and Gilbert rolled him up for the three-count. Gilbert got to his feet, in obvious pain and wearing a crimson mask. But he had no time to celebrate his victory, for as the cage went up to the rafters, a giant of a man rolled out from underneath the ring and went nose-to-nose with him in the center of the mat.
Rusev.
Gilbert backed up a step in apparent fear, but then he smiled and extended his hand. Rusev slowly smiled as well, and he accepted the gesture… then he turned his attention to Candido. The “Bulgarian Brute” stood over him and locked in the Accolade for several agonizing seconds before throwing him over the top rope like a featherweight. The show faded to black, with Gilbert celebrating his victory alongside Rusev, holding his hand high overhead.