Post by fifthhorseman on Dec 26, 2018 23:58:08 GMT -5
MLW FRIDAY NIGHT HEAT
EPISODE 17
EPISODE 17
60-second video montage recapping last week’s show, followed by title graphics and explosive pyro.
Lance Russell: “This is MLW Friday Night Heat! Hello, fans, I’m Lance Russell, and I’m joined at the broadcast table by the legendary Terry Funk. We have four scheduled matches in store for you tonight, with several champions in action in the most exciting territory on Earth. So let’s get right to the ring for our first match!”
ELIAS/JEFF JARRETT vs. the HEROES OF THE REPUBLIC (c):
vs.
Russell recapped the events that led up to this non-title match-up. This was the guitarists’ first contest together; the two Russians had been tagging together for just a few months, but their skill and teamwork was obvious, as evidenced by the Intercontinental Tag-Team belts around their waists.
The Soviet behemoths jumped their foes before the bell, and isolated Jarrett early on. They focused on his back, and as Russell and Funk predicted, Rusev eventually locked on the Accolade. But “Double J” refused to quit, and held on long enough for Elias to break the hold. Both men tagged out, and Koloff and “the Drifter” went at it. Elias landed several offensive moves, but the former U.S. champion fought through them all. Eventually, Rusev tagged in, and while fighting Elias on the outside, he went for a Machka kick – but missed, striking the ringpost hard. He collapsed in agony, and could not beat the referee’s ten-count, giving Jarrett and Elias the victory at 10:58.
As the Heroes fumed outside the ring, Jarrett took a microphone from Russell. “Looks like we just beat the champs, so, Elias ol’ buddy, I think that makes the number one contenders. Koloff, Rusev – you can start training right now, because I’m gonna do my best to make sure that at Battlebowl, you’re defending those titles against us.”
“And while we’re on the topic,” and as he paused, a huge graphic filled the screen behind him, “Major League Wrestling presents Battlebowl. You might remember it from the good old days of WCW, and it’ll be perfect here in MLW too. Eight tag-team matches, 16 randomly selected tag-teams, with the winners moving into a 16-man battle royale. One ring, one winner... and $100,000, and the title shot of your choice. You might go into your tag match with your partner, or you might end up forced to tag up with your greatest enemy. If you want in, if you want to take the risk, then just meet me in my office and sign on the dotted line.”
COMMERCIAL
A camera crew was following Edge and Christian into the USF Sun Dome, a pre-tape from earlier in the afternoon. The “Rated-R Superstar” was looking confident, and said, “In a few hours, you can come back and interview the new MLW World Heavyweight champion. And I owe it all to this guy right here – he stepped up, took care of business against IRS, and now it’s my turn. This is the ultimate opportunity… and boys, you know how I make the best of my opportunities.”
The off-screen interviewer said, “But, Edge, what will you do if Christian makes the pin?”
The duo looked at each other, confused, while the voice continued. “Didn’t you hear? Ted DiBiase met with the championship committee and added a stipulation to the match tonight. It’s a tag-team match now, you and Christian versus Money Incorporated. If either of you pin or submit him, that man will become the World champion.. but if you lose, neither of you gets a title shot against him for six months.”
For once in their lives, the multi-time WWE tag icons were silent.
Back in real-time, the Revival were standing in the ring with their manager, JJ Dillon. Last week, they made an open challenge to any team on the roster… and it was go time.
The REVIVAL (w/JJ Dillon) vs. ??:
vs.
vs.
WSBK slowly strode through the curtain, ready to show the world that they belonged in any conversation concerning the elite tag-teams. However, they were cut off by the Addiction, who also saw this as their chance of getting an eventual title shot against the Revival’s stablemates, Brian Pillman and Curt Hennig. Words quickly progressed into shoves, and shoves into a full-blown fight, and the four men fought back through the curtain as officials tried to break them up.
Dawson, Wilder, and Dillon shook their heads and laughed, and began to exit the ring… and then the Road Warriors’ theme thundered through the Dome.
Visibly shaken – Dillon most of all – they got back in; nonetheless, the young team were ready to put up or shut up. Paul Ellering, the LOD’s manager, just pointed at his counterpart and said, “You asked for it!” To their credit, the Revival hung with their massive foes for about eight minutes, using their old-school methodology to isolate and corner one opponent at a time. However, it ended as most Road Warriors matches do; Hawk soared off the top rope and upended Dawson with a vicious clothesline off Animal’s shoulders.
The legendary brawlers stayed in the ring and celebrated, while the Revival staggered backstage, angry at the loss but at least satisfied that they made their point – Horsemen stand up to anybody.
COMMERCIAL
MLW WILD CARD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
JAY BRISCOE (c, w/Mark Briscoe) vs. ALEX RILEY:
vs.
vs.
Before either man was introduced, footage from the house show match where Briscoe defeated Davey Boy Smith earlier in the month was shown. Riley was feeling like the luckiest man in the world; he had signed for this try-out match before the buzzsaw from Sandy Fork won the gold, and Jarrett decided that this would be Briscoe’s first televised title defense.
He went after Briscoe early in the match with a basic but hard-hitting offense. Unfortunately, the champion was almost equally adept at singles competition as he was in tag action, and he turned the tables quickly. Briscoe laid in heavy chops, headbutts, suplexes, and kicks, and he wrapped it up at 6:43 with the Jay Driller, scoring the only pin necessary under MLW Wild Card rules.
After the match, he was joined in the ring by his brother, who handed him the house microphone. “There’s a new champ in town, and his name is Jay Briscoe! Tonight was the way things are gonna be – put any man in front of me, and I’ll beat ‘em. Bulldog, you use that rematch clause whenever you want, I’ll be waitin’ for you. And in the meantime, I’m puttin’ out an open challenge for next week, just like the Revival did – of course, I’m not gonna lose.”
Inevitably, several wrestlers walked through the curtain eager to accept his challenge. Homicide, Shane Helms, Montez Ford, Gino Hernandez… even Terry Funk got up from the broadcast table. A few seconds later, the former champion, Davey Boy Smith, strode onto the ramp as well. The two men nodded in a show of respect, and then it was time for a
COMMERCIAL
A pre-taped interview was shown, taped poolside at a sprawling mansion in Hollywood. Dave Batista and Gorgeous George were tanning, fanned by a veritable harem of beautiful women while they drank and ate. When they did speak, their message was simple: they deserved the best, they were the best, and they would soon wear the MLW World Tag-Team gold.
Russell recapped the rules for the main event, and Howard Finkel repeated them in his introductions.
MLW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
EDGE and CHRISTIAN vs. MONEY INC (w/Keith Lee):
vs.
EDGE and CHRISTIAN vs. MONEY INC (w/Keith Lee):
vs.
DiBiase and Edge started it off, working a deliberate pace. Funk wondered if the former World tag champs would be able to work as fluidly as usual, knowing that they could win the biggest singles prize in the company by beating the “Million Dollar Man”. Headlocks, armdrags, and shoulder-blocks were all exchanged as they tried to feel each other out.
Gradually, the pace began to quicken, which worked to the Canadians’ benefit. The two traded tags often as they worked on Schyster, and Russell suggested that that was Money Inc’s plan; after all, DiBiase couldn’t lose the title if he wasn’t in the ring. However, Funk countered that DiBiase was too competitive to allow that, and if they took out the opposition tonight, he could cross not one but two top contenders off his list.
The battle went past the ten-minute mark, then 15 as they put on a wrestling clinic. However, it fell apart when all four men wound up in the ring, and Edge missed a spear, hitting the referee by mistake. The official fell from the ring as they continued to brawl; after insuring that he was down for the proverbial count, Lee bounced into the ring and hit his Ground Zero jackhammer slam on Edge, and seconds later on Christian. “Limitless” rolled back out while a new official ran to the ring and checked on his still-groggy colleague while Money Inc. stomped on their weary foes. Finally, the original referee rolled in as DiBiase pinned Christian... but he only got a two-count.
The second referee ejected Lee, further infuriating his employers. The match kept going, and the “Instant Classic” made the hot tag to Edge. He went after both men, fists and feet and throws keeping them off-balance. Finally, he set up Schyster for a bulldog, but “the Taxman” shoved him toward the turnbuckle head-first. Edge staggered out, bleeding, and got caught from behind in a Million Dollar Dream. DiBiase squeezed tight, and the blood rushed from his enemy’s head even faster. In just a few seconds, he was covered, reminiscent of Steve Austin at Wrestlemania. Schyster neutralized Christian, throwing over the top rope and following him out, while the ref checked on Edge. He struggled mightily, but could not escape the hold. The official had no choice but to call for the bell at 22:17.
Medical officials and Christian scrambled into the ring to check on the barely-conscious grappler, while Money Incorporated slowly backpedalled up the ramp. Schyster smirked, and DiBiase laughed, and the cameras faded to black.