Post by fifthhorseman on Jul 25, 2019 21:31:22 GMT -5
MLW FRIDAY NIGHT HEAT
EPISODE 34
EPISODE 34
60-second video montage recapping the events of last week’s show, followed by title graphics and explosive pyro.
Joey Styles: “Welcome to MLW Friday Night Heat! My name is Joey Styles, and I’m joined by the ‘Louisville Lip’, Mr. Jim Cornette. Fans, we have five matches scheduled for you tonight, four of those matches being all-important tournament matches as we get closer to deciding a number one for the MLW World Heavyweight championship. But our first match is a grudge match between the former members of Leviathan, so let’s take it outside, where Howard Finkel is standing by!”
The scene switched to an outdoor shot, specifically, the parking lot at the USF Sun Dome. The legendary ring announcer called the competitors outside, where hundreds of barricaded-off fans were eagerly standing.
HOLLYWOOD BACKLOT BRAWL MATCH
DAVE BATISTA vs. SID VICIOUS
vs.
Styles quickly recapped the circumstances leading up to this non-sanctioned match, noting that Batista’s MLW Intercontinental title was not on the line. The two behemoths went toe-to-toe, in a setting reminiscent of the Piper/Goldust brawl at Wrestlemania XII. Fortunately, neither man ran over the other, and it wound up back inside the arena. They wailed on each other with powerful punches and kicks, and used whatever they could get their hands on as weapons as they got closer to the ring. Vicious made a crucial mistake; he missed a shoulder-tackle and went headfirst into the steel steps. Mercilessly, “the Animal” picked him up and powerbombed him on the floor! He rolled Vicious into the ring, and took the brutal win at 11:50. Batista walked back up the ramp, sore but arrogant in victory, and medical officials scrambled to the ring as the show went to
COMMERCIAL
Styles: “Fans, we’re about to resume the MLW Pure-Nament, and the MLW War-nament, right now. And I’ve just been informed that if there is any TV over-run, we will be staying on the air!”
MLW PURE-NAMENT QUARTER-FINAL MATCH
LEO BURKE vs. BOB ORTON, Jr:
vs.
LEO BURKE vs. BOB ORTON, Jr:
vs.
Both men walked to the ring alone, as no help of any sort was allowed per the match rules. What followed over the next 20 minutes was hard-nosed, stiff technical wrestling by two of the most underrated mechanics in any territory. They pushed the boundaries of the “pure” rules, and the see-saw battle saw both Burke and Orton come within milliseconds of victory. But in the end, it went to the three-judge panel, and “the Cowboy” took the narrow 2-1 decision to advance to the semis.
COMMERCIAL
Backstage, Mark Briscoe psyched up his brother, who was also joined by America’s Most Wanted and the Addiction. In another part of the Dome, Oliver Humperdink was offering last-minute instructions to one of his men, a former ECW World champion who was very prepared for the “Last Man Standing” environment he was about to enter.
MLW WAR-NAMENT QUARTER-FINAL MATCH
JAY BRISCOE vs. TAZ
JAY BRISCOE vs. TAZ
vs.
This was about as violent and dynamic as one would imagine. Unlike the relatively slow-paced brawl between Batista and Sid Vicious, Briscoe and Taz began the match with an intense flurry of offense. Conditioning was no issue for either combatant, and they struck and flung each other around the ring with high-impact maneuvers. When it spilled outside the ring, they were equally at home as well, and it devolved into an ECW-style free-for-all. Gradually, though, the tide turned in the “Human Suplex Machine’s” favor, and he locked on the Tazmission while still on the floor. The former ROH champion battled, but he was rendered unconscious, and unable to answer the ten-count. The bell rang at 14:15, and Tazz was moving on.
COMMERCIAL
Before this match began, a vignette was shown on the screens. It simply showed three men in silhouette. They stood silently, standing so close that it was difficult to determine their individual sizes. A “Coming” graphic scrolled across the bottom, adding to the mystery.
Styles: “Before we get to our next match, I’ve just been informed that the Addiction will face off against America’s Most Wanted next week, and the winner of that match will face the Real Main Event for the MLW Intercontinental Tag-Team titles!”
Cornette: “And once again, my teams get left out in the cold!”
MLW WAR-NAMENT QUARTER-FINAL MATCH
TERRY FUNK vs. RUSEV:
vs.
TERRY FUNK vs. RUSEV:
vs.
Although outweighed by about 50 pounds, the ornery Texan was the aggressor early on. Funk was in his element, and he used everything at his disposal around the ring to beat the Russian down. But Rusev withstood the initial attack, and then used his superior mass and strength to batter the hardcore icon. They brawled up the ramp, into the back of the Sun Dome, through one of the concession stands, and then back down the ramp. “The Brute” was in control, but with the last bit of energy he had, Funk clotheslined Rusev from the ramp, and he landed hard on the floor. It was sudden, and it was violent – and it resulted in a ten-count, so Funk moved on to the semis at 16:08.
COMMERCIAL
As Styles and Cornette previewed the upcoming Pure-Nament match, they were interrupted by JJ Dillon. He was furious. “This is an outrage! Just one week ago, Tully Blanchard participated in a grueling tag-team cage match. Needless to say, he and his partner, Arn Anderson, won, but that’s beside the point! He has little time to recover, and why this match wasn’t postponed another week… well, I shouldn’t speculate, but it seems obvious that Commissioner Norris has it in for the Horsemen!”
Dillon strode off as quickly as he appeared, and a quick video montage of that match – Horsemen vs. Revival – was shown. Cornette: “Tully is one tough SOB. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if that’s just the springboard he needs to win this whole thing!”
MLW PURE-NAMENT QUARTER-FINAL MATCH
TULLY BLANCHARD vs. BRET HART:
vs.
TULLY BLANCHARD vs. BRET HART:
vs.
Cornette was confident in his prediction, but Blanchard was drawing a fresh opponent who was a multi-time former World champion in several territories. “The Hitman” got off to a quick start, using armdrags and headlocks to frustrate the Horseman, but to his credit, Blanchard battled back to a neutral position. From there, the two veterans entertained the crowd with a clinic of professional wrestling. They went back and forth as the clock ticked down, but in the end, Hart locked in the Sharpshooter, forcing Blanchard to give up at 18:37. The show ended with Hart standing on the middle rope, fists raised, ready for his next opponent.