Post by fifthhorseman on May 19, 2019 16:47:51 GMT -5
A 90-second video package began the show, focused on the various title defenses taking place on the card. Pyro and fireworks followed, and it was time to go live.
Joey Styles: “Good evening, wrestling fans, and welcome to Major League Wrestling Heatwave! I’m Joey Styles, and I’m joined on commentary tonight by the ‘British Bulldog’, Davey Boy Smith, and Owen Hart. We are live from the sold-out USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida, and we have seven incredible matches on the docket tonight. Three MLW title defenses, a new title to be crowned, and the cheery on top – the MUW World champion is in the house as well! So let’s get straight to the ring for tonight’s first match – take it away, Howard Finkel!”
MLW INTERCONTINENTAL TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
The ADDICTION vs. the REAL MAIN EVENT:
vs.
After a short video package, the challengers made their way to the ring, followed by the RME. Styles commented that Roddy Piper was not with Orton and Orndorff; instead, he was backstage preparing for his MUW championship match.
The Addiction came out flying, eager to get their titles back. They kept “the Cowboy” off-balance with a variety of high-flying maneuvers, and repelled Orndorff every time he tried to interfere. But Orton eventually tagged out to “Mr. Wonderful”, and the former running back used his power to slow things down. Stomping Kaz down, he focused on the “Heavy Metal Rebel’s” shoulders and neck, and the RME flowed in and out of their corner like the veteran team they were.
Kaz battled through every pin attempt, including Orton’s vaunted superplex, and with the last bit of energy he possessed, powered out of a second superplex attempt and tagged Daniels in. The “Fallen Angel” fought both men, and over the next few minutes, all four wrestlers were trading punches. In the end, though – 13:09, to be precise – Orndorff laid the weakened Kazarian out with his patented piledriver, and the Real Main Event rolled out of their ring with their gold.
Once the ring cleared, the shot changed. A camera was somewhere backstage, where the DPA were in a makeshift office, seemingly unfazed by the fact that they were not on the card. Reed was playing solitaire at a shabby desk while Simmons was talking to someone on the phone. After several moments, the former Seminole put the phone down and said, “Let’s go. We got a job to do.”
MLW INTERCONTINENTAL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
DAVE BATISTA (c, w/Sid Vicious) vs. MARK BRISCOE (w/Jay Briscoe):
vs.
DAVE BATISTA (c, w/Sid Vicious) vs. MARK BRISCOE (w/Jay Briscoe):
vs.
Rumor had it that MLW Owner/President George Steinbrenner suggested this match; he wanted to see how Jay Briscoe – and Sid Vicious, for that matter – would react to his brother Mark getting the title shot. No rhyme or reason, it simply amused him.
And for the first couple of minutes, it was very exciting. Despite the huge size disadvantage, Briscoe swarmed Batista with his unorthodox offense, wounding and frustrating the champ. “The Animal" rolled out to the floor to confer with his partner. Briscoe didn’t hesitate, and thinking that they didn’t see him, went for a moonsault – but he was wrong.
The two monsters caught him. Showing surprising self-awareness, Vicious handed Mark off to his ally, and cut Jay off as Batista buckle-bombed his opponent into the steel turnbuckle post. Then, he slammed him onto the ring apron before roughly rolling him inside. The multi-time WWE champ smirked as he slowly entered the squared circle, and he stayed in control for the next few minutes. Briscoe got a few shots in, but he was in agony. Another crushing powerbomb at 9:34 sealed the deal, and Batista left the ring the same way he entered it – as the MLW Intercontinental champion.
After the match, the brand-new MLW Florida Tag-Team championship belts were carried down to ringside by Commissioner Norris, and a video package was shown, a veritable “greatest hits” reel of the four teams who had MLW action under their collective belts; after that, the four new teams to the territory were featured in a training montage style.
TAG-TEAM TURMOIL
MLW FLORIDA TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
AMERICAN ALPHA vs. AMERICA’S MOST WANTED vs. BADD COMPANY (w/Sir Oliver Humperdink) vs. the DYNAMIC DUO (w/Jim Cornette and Keith Lee) vs. the HEROES OF THE REPUBLIC vs. TnT vs. LEO BURKE and STEPHEN PETITPAS vs. YOSHIHIRO TAJIRI and TAZZ (w/Sir Oliver Humperdink):
vs. vs. vs.
vs. vs. vs.
vs.
MLW FLORIDA TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
AMERICAN ALPHA vs. AMERICA’S MOST WANTED vs. BADD COMPANY (w/Sir Oliver Humperdink) vs. the DYNAMIC DUO (w/Jim Cornette and Keith Lee) vs. the HEROES OF THE REPUBLIC vs. TnT vs. LEO BURKE and STEPHEN PETITPAS vs. YOSHIHIRO TAJIRI and TAZZ (w/Sir Oliver Humperdink):
vs. vs. vs.
vs. vs. vs.
vs.
Styles: “Earlier today, the teams’ order of entry into this four-corners match was randomly determined. Let’s see which four teams are going to start it off for us!”
The reviled Heroes of the Republic were the first team out, eager to get gold back around their sculpted waists.
The second team were comprised of the two rugged Canadian veterans, Leo Burke and Stephen Petitpas.
Third, led by their evil and eccentric manager, Sir Oliver Humperdink: Badd Company.
Finally, and to a great cheer, America’s Most Wanted parted the curtain. They soaked in the applause on the ramp… and were suddenly attacked from behind by the Doom Protection Agency! Simmons and Reed were relentless, launching Harris several feet to the floor below before double-chokeslamming Storm through a stray table near the commentary area. They laid in a couple of additional shots before MLW officials ran out to check on “the Cowboy”; the DPA shrugged and said, “Nothing personal, just business,” and they quietly left.
It took them several moments to get to the ring, but AMW refused to leave, and the ref rang the bell with Burke and Tanaka leading things off. They traded throws and holds, neither man gaining a clear-cut advantage. The Grand Prix icon drifted too close to one of the other corners, though, and Koloff tagged himself in. As this happened, Tanaka surprised Harris with a tag off his own. “The Wildcat” slowly, painfully, stepped through the ropes-
-And was immediately rocked by a Russian sickle. The vicious clothesline 360ed him, and to the shock of nearly everyone, AMW was eliminated less than three minutes into the match.
Diamond jumped into the ring and went toe-to-toe with the Russian to start the next fall, and as Storm and Harris gingerly departed, still aching from the DPA’s assault, they were replaced by yet another new duo to MLW – American Alpha. The bout continued, and this fall took much longer, and each of the eight men in action got some shots in. However, in what some considered another upset in the fast-paced match, the 270-pound Petitpas rolled up Rusev from behind, eliminating the Heroes at 9:56.
The next team was a familiar one, but the heavyweight that accompanied them was an unexpected sight. The Dynamic Duo was led to the ring by Jim Cornette, as usual, and he smirked at Styles. The three were, in turn, followed by Keith Lee. Styles: “Fans, I’m not sure what’s going on right now, but if I had to guess, I’d say Jim Cornette’s mama just gave him his allowance!”
Adams and Hernandez were the freshest men in the match, and they went for several pins as fast as they could - but they couldn’t get the job done, and the tide turned on them. They tagged out, and the action continued for a few more minutes, until Gable and Jordan eliminated Burke with Grand Amplitude at 15:20.
The crowd applauded the debut effort of the Maritimers, and as they left, they were passed on the ramp by TnT – Trent Barreta and Tyson Kidd. The five-tool grapplers high-fived their way to the ring, and eagerly sought a tag. Luckily, they got their opportunity, and they dazzled the crowd with a series of high-flying and inimitable double-team maneuvers. Ironically, the next pin came via a simple sunset flip; Kidd pinned Adams’ shoulders to the mat just long enough to steal one at 18:41.
The eighth and final team strode down the ramp with purpose, and Humperdink smiled like he won the lottery. Tazz and Tajiri relished conflict, and they waited in the vacant corner for their chance to beat someone up. A couple of minutes later, Jordan and the “Human Suplex Machine” were tossing each other around like a pair of flyweights, while Gable and Tajiri were trading rapid-fire strikes as well.
Time ticked on, and after a missed top-rope bulldog, Kidd found himself at Badd Company’s mercy. They quickly set him up for their finisher; Diamond hit the Canadian with a textbook superkick, while “the Sensai” folded him up with a bridging belly-to-back suplex. Three seconds later, TnT were eliminated, and it was down to three teams.
Or was it two? As Gable entered the ring, Tazz and Tajiri walked down the apron toward Badd Company’s corner. The four heels were all members of the House of Humperdink, and the rotund manager was ecstatic. American Alpha realized what was going on, and they regrouped in the corner, while Tazz accepted the tag from Tanaka. They played the numbers game on the collegiate standouts, making quick tags and confusing the referee whenever possible. Nonetheless, Gable and Jordan battled back, and the “glorious” Olympian reversed a bodyslam attempt by Diamond at 27:25, crucifixing his foe for the flash pin.
The “Japanese Buzzsaw” sprang into the ring and threw Gable into his corner. Humperdink, livid at the referee’s alleged fast count, distracted the official while the brawler from Red Hook locked in his Tazmission from the outside. This all took place over just a few seconds. Unfortunately for the House, Tajiri launched his mist at Gable but he escaped Tazz’s grip; the former ECW champion was blinded instead and fell to the floor, and Gable somersaulted over to Jordan. The big man grabbed Tajiri and hit him with an Angle Slam, then cinched in a painful ankle lock. Tajiri could only hang on for so long, and with his partner still unable to see to help, American Alpha won the match – and the MLW Florida Tag-Team titles – at 28:18.
The newcomers seized the well-deserved gold, and celebrated on the ramp before leaving. The two other teams followed with their manager, and none of the five were in a good mood. As they passed by the broadcast station, Hart waved to them with his ever-present smirk on his face – and that was all the provocation Tazz needed. He dove at the “King of Harts”, tackling him to the ground, and Badd Company double-teamed Smith. Tajiri joined in as well, and the beatdown lasted several moments.
Until the Hart Foundation evened up the odds.
Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart darted through the curtain in street clothes and fought all four men, giving their kin enough time to recover and join in. The crowd was electric, standing on their feet, and together, the Stampede icons repelled the House of Humperdink. As the heels stumbled away, the Hart brothers and their brothers-in-law raised their fists to the sky, and Styles was losing his mind at the table.
The live shot ended, and a vignette was shown on the monitors. Bray Wyatt was (still?) wandering through the Florida swamplands, looking for someone. He walked down a well-worn road toward an old house – small, worn, but well-maintained. A big man sat on the porch in the shade, darkness obscuring his features. Wyatt’s pace quickened, and when he reached the house, he said, “At last! I’ve finally found you! May I… may I talk to you in private?”
From over Wyatt’s shoulder, the camera zoomed in on the man in the rocking chair, and when he leaned forward, he was smiling.
Waylon Mercy: “Of course you can, my friend! What kind of host would I be otherwise?”
NICK ALDIS and ELI DRAKE vs. the HARDY BOYZ:
vs.
vs.
Styles was solo at the broadcast table. The crowd was still buzzing as the TNA alumni – and former World champions – walked down the ramp. That buzz changed to a scream-filled ovation as the Hardyz bounced down to the ring, making their MLW debut.
Drake and Aldis jumped them at the bell, but the WWE veterans weathered that storm and quickly took charge. They were facing two very credible opponents, but the North Carolinians had unmatched chemistry between the ropes, and they wrapped things up in less than six minutes; Jeff hit Drake with the Swanton Bomb at 5:51 for the decisive victory.
After the match, a 60-second video was shown, detailing the rift between the Horsemen and the Revival, with Styles reminding the audience that it would be the first time that the teams would meet in two-on-two action.
TAMPA TORNADO STREET FIGHT
TULLY BLANCHARD and ARN ANDERSON (w/JJ Dillon) vs. the REVIVAL:
vs.
Dawson and Wilder entered first, followed by Blanchard, Anderson, and Dillon; the four grapplers were all wearing jeans, and sported taped fists. The referee was basically a bystander, and he told both corners that whatever happened, it had to end in the ring, not out on the floor.
Which is where it went as soon as the bell rang. They brawled all over the lower bowl of the Sun Dome, switching off opponents and double-teaming whenever their paths crossed. Dillon followed where he could, but after taking a glancing shot from Dawson, he kept his distance.
Blanchard was the first man to bleed, then Wilder. It barely slowed them down, and as the minutes ticked off, “Double-A” and Dawson were as well. They made it back to the ring, where all four wrestled with an intensity that rivaled any feud in the MUW. However, no one refused to quit, and after several more minutes, they ended up outside again. The blows were landing with less accuracy, and less impact, but they were still painful. In the chaos, Dillon slipped Blanchard something that he placed in his pocket – but that would be picked up on video until after the match.
Back inside they went, and Anderson locked Dawson in a figure-four leglock. Tully held Wilder off, while Dillon barked at the referee to end the match. But Dawson turned it over, and it was Anderson’s turn to suffer. However, Blanchard dove past his foe and broke it up. In a flurry of action, the Revival launched Anderson over the top rope, crashing into his manager. They flung Blanchard into the ropes, setting him up for the Shatter Machine. Dawson lifted his opponent up, but in the process, the wily Texan went to his trunks and pulled out a pair of brass knuckles. He came down hard on Wilder’s knees, and as it knocked every last bit of air from his lungs, Blanchard smashed his foe in the jaw with the weapon. They fell beside each other, an arm draped over the other man’s body… and the referee made the three-count on both of them. 19 minutes and 23 seconds of career-shortening violence… and it ended without a victor.
As the two teams limped back to their dressing rooms for repair, a cameraman was dispatched to the Conglomerate’s VIP suite in the arena. The Accountants – Luke Harper and Erick Rowan – were ominously silent as they looked into the crowd, while JBL was on the telephone, pacing around the room as he shouted instructions at the employee at the other end of the line. The MLW World champion, Ted DiBiase, his title belt within arm’s length, looked very relaxed.
DiBiase: “And why shouldn’t I be? I have the night off, and there’s no better sight in the world than watching other people get beat up! Listen up – if you’re not in this suite with me, you’re a threat. You’re a target! And if the Conglomerate can’t buy you out, we’ll take you out. We’re the most powerful organization in professional wrestling, in every sense of the word, and we’re only getting stronger. So let me say this: Piper, Rollins… Edge, Christian, Rude, and Hennig… good luck tonight. When our time comes – and it will – the Conglomerate is going to take all of your titles. Hahaha!”
MUW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
RODDY PIPER (w/Paul Orndorff and Bob Orton, Jr.) vs. SETH ROLLINS (c):
vs.
RODDY PIPER (w/Paul Orndorff and Bob Orton, Jr.) vs. SETH ROLLINS (c):
vs.
The smug challenger strutted to the ring with his entourage. It was the second title shot Piper was using on behalf of the Real Main Event – he still had a MLW World Tag-Team and an Intercontinental singles opportunity at his disposal – and via DiBiase’s back-office shenanigans, “Hot Rod” was going for the most prestigious belt in the world.
That belt was worn around the waist of Seth Rollins, who was making his second visit to MLW. He was laser-focused, and as he handled the title to the referee, Orton and Orndorff looked up at him like he was raw meat. Big-time ring intros by Finkel, and it was go time.
It was a dream match. They were nearly identical in height and weight, but fought very, very differently. “The Architect” was quick, and dynamic in his strikes. Piper made things up as he went, and manipulated the ref so that his cohorts could interfere whenever they had the chance. Whenever Rollins would seize the advantage, “Hot Rod” would retaliate with an eye-poke, or a back rake, to ground and infuriate the MUW champion.
Conditioning was not a factor in this one, and with such high stakes, they were willing to wrestle long past the one-hour time limit if necessary. The momentum shifted back and forth for close to 20 minutes, but the Scotsman was getting frustrated with Rollins’ resilience. “The Kingslayer” launched Piper over the top rope, and followed him outside with a gorgeous plancha, taking out all three men. He rolled the challenger inside, but “Mr. Wonderful” and “the Ace” cheap-shotted him going back in, driving him back-first into the apron.
Piper took command, but he still couldn’t pin the champion. Finally, he Irish whipped Rollins into the ropes, and caught him with a sleeper. But the MLW flag-bearer battled back, and after fighting his way out, he landed a barrage of punches, clotheslines, and slams. The “Rowdy One” was on all fours in the middle of the ring, and Rollins backed into a corner and began stomping his foot, charging up the audience.
And it was all ruined when the Real Main Event reached under the bottom rope, each man grabbing a leg, and they crotched him on the ringpost.
The referee had no choice but to call for the disqualification, and as soon as the bell rang, Orton and Orndorff put the boots to Rollins. Piper joined in a few seconds later, but before any further damage could be done, the Hardy Boyz ran down and cleared the ring. As the villainous trio retreated, the brothers helped Rollins back to his feet, and they received a standing ovation from the crowd.
A 60-second highlight reel hyping the main event was shown, followed by pre-taped interviews with both teams.
MLW WORLD TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
EDGE and CHRISTIAN vs PERFECTLY RAVISHING (c, w/JJ Dillon):
vs.
EDGE and CHRISTIAN vs PERFECTLY RAVISHING (c, w/JJ Dillon):
vs.
The two teams had their game faces on as Finkel made the introductions, and the referee warned Dillon to mind his business. The sold-out USF Sun Dome had high hopes for this contest, and they would not be disappointed.
They were both well scouted; Perfectly Ravishing had the size and strength advantage – particularly with Rude, who was a legit powerhouse – so they tried to rough things up. Edge and Christian were up to the task, though, and countered with their quickness and smarts. Ten minutes in, they were at a stalemate. Both teams dominated in stretches, but no harm was done, and they were all ready to keep battling.
At this point, Christian was the one battling the most. He was the proverbial face in peril, and Hennig delighted in overpowering and outwrestling him. Perfectly methodical, he and Rude tagged in and out at will, taunting Edge as they cut off the ring. Dillon was relatively quiet on the outside, confident in his champions. But despite their efforts, “Captain Charisma” would not stay down, never letting either of his opponents cinch into their respective finishers.
…Until the “Ravishing One” locked in the Rude Awakening. He smiled, and gyrated his hips, always the showman. However, he took too long, and paid for it, when Edge ran in and hit him with a vicious spear. Rude was totally exposed to the shot, and he and Christian were both writhing on the mat. Now it was a race – a very slow one – as Hennig and Edge waited in their corners to get in. The crowd was going berserk, and after both injured men crawled to an awaiting tag, the two fresh men charged in and traded punches in the middle of the ring. The multi-time WWE champ dodged a wild swing by Hennig, picked him up and dropped him with an old-school atomic drop. He stayed on the attack, dropkicks and backdrops and finally, an Edgeucator. He knew that Hennig suffered back injuries in the past, and it was a painful hold… but the Horseman fought it, long enough for Rude to break the hold.
Now all four men were in the ring. It was a street fight, and the referee tried in vain to get it under control. They all inflicted even more damage, and after finally dispatching the “illegal” men to the outside, Edge immediately launched “Mr. Perfect” over the top near his corner, where Rude tried to catch him. Ever the opportunist, Edge noticed that Rude was also holding his tag rope, and he brought his opponent into the ring by the hair, and Christian hit him with a spear to the already-injured ribs. A third spear by the Hall of Famer was too much for even the legendarily strongman from Minnesota to overcome, and as Christian repelled Hennig from the outside, Edge rolled up Rude as tightly as he could.
One, two, and three. New MLW World Tag-Team champions, at 19:10. Dillon frantically tried to get the referee to change his mind, but to no avail. The show ended with the Canadians holding the gold high overhead, celebrating their second World title victory in Major League Wrestling.