Post by fifthhorseman on Aug 14, 2019 20:05:18 GMT -5
MLW FRIDAY NIGHT HEAT
EPISODE 36
EPISODE 36
60-second video montage recapping the events of last week’s show, followed by title graphics and explosive pyro.
Joey Styles: “Welcome, one and all, to MLW Friday Night Heat! My name is Joey Styles, and I’m joined on color commentary by the ‘One-Percenter’ himself, EC3. We have five incredible matches on the docket today, four of which are the semi-finals in our trend-setting, jaw-dropping Pure-nament and War-nament showdowns. A reminder, fans, that the two Pure-Nament matches have a 30-minute time limit, and to insure that you see it all, our owner, George Steinbrenner, has bought the overrun time for this telecast! So let’s not waste any more time, and let’s get to Howard Finkel in the ring!"
MLW WAR-NAMENT SEMI-FINAL MATCH
TAZ vs. TERRY FUNK:
vs.
Despite their iconic statuses in ECW, the two had never faced off against each other… until now. They were cautious at first, neither man wanting to risk a critical early mistake. But before long, Funk and Taz were throwing haymakers, unleashing vicious kicks, and launching each other all over the ringside area. Surprisingly, they avoided using weapons, as if wanting to prove that none were necessary. They battled for over 15 minutes. It ended when the rugged Texan was thrown into the steel ringpost, then locked into the Tazmission on the floor. He fought it with every fiber of his being, but the “Human Suplex Machine” put him to sleep. Styles considered it an upset, and several in the sold-out audience was equally shocked… but Taz was moving on, scoring the win at 17:11.
COMMERCIAL
A video recap of last week’s no-decision involving the Addiction and America’s Most Wanted – along with the Briscoe Brothers – was shown. Despite their best intentions, that of forming a group that would watch each other’s backs, the three teams wound up brawling. Thus, it was announced that next week, on FNH, that there would be a tag-team three-way dance, and the winner would receive the previously-promised MLW Intercontinental Tag-Team championship match.
MLW PURE-NAMENT SEMI-FINAL MATCH
CHAD GABLE vs. BOB ORTON, Jr:
vs.
CHAD GABLE vs. BOB ORTON, Jr:
vs.
“The Ace” was supremely confident as he looked across the ring at Gable; he owned a six-inch height advantage and weighed 40 pounds more than his foe. However, Orton had never fought in the Olympics, either.
Two of the MUW’ Network's most underrated grapplers put on a clinic. Gable eagerly used every amateur trick in his bag, using leverage, technique, and wiry strength to manhandle his opponent early on. However, the second-generation “Cowboy” was far from done, and he battled back with a variety of holds that took Gable to the mat. Back and forth they went, minute by grueling minute, until the Olympian floated over Orton’s superplex attempt, and returned the favor with a snap German suplex. Three seconds later, the referee counted the pin at 14:55, and Gable celebrated his hard-fought victory.
COMMERCIAL
MLW Commissioner Chuck Norris was walking through the backstage corridors of the USF Sun Dome, and he looked concerned. He was asking everyone he saw the same thing: “Have you seen ‘Dr. Death’ anywhere? Has anyone seen Steve Williams?”
As he passed by the Conglomerate’s private dressing room, the MLW World champion, Ted DiBiase, sauntered into the hall and chuckled.
The DESTRUCTION CREW and WAR MACHINE (w/Jim Cornette and Keith Lee) vs. the HARDY BOYS and the STREET PROFITS:
vs.
vs.
Styles: “Fans, Jim Cornette asked for this match, eager to prove that his stable is as good – no, better – than any team, faction, or club in MUW. And now we’re about to find out if his camp can back up the bravado of the ‘Louisville Slugger’!”
EC3: “I’m pretty sure I can name a group of better-rounded, more genetically-gifted, and financially-superior individuals than Jim Cornette’s stable. Why, if the Conglomerate were all here tonight, we would have accepted his challenge ourselves!”
The match was a classic speed vs. power type of battle. Enos and Bloom tried to slow things down whenever they were in the ring, while Hanson and Rowe opted to use their considerable muscle to wear down the opposition. But Matt and Jeff were very used to fighting from underneath, and they were soon on the offense with unorthodox double-team maneuvers. They made quick tags with Ford and Dawkins, who had an arsenal of crazy tandem moves as well. Back and forth it went until it eventually turned into a brawl, but in the chaos, Ford nailed Rowe with a blockbuster neckbreaker at 11:38 for the victory.
Cornette was apoplectic, and he ordered his men to keep fighting. The Profits and the Hardyz battled back, though, and after a couple of minutes, the ring was clear and the teams were back in their respective dressing rooms. The camera focused on Styles, who shouted, “Fans, I’m told we’ll be making a major announcement when we come back from commercial – so don’t go anywhere!”
COMMERCIAL
Norris was standing in the ring. A table was in the ring, along with four chairs. Finkel handed him the microphone, and the Commissioner spoke.
“Hello, everybody. I was going to save this announcement for next week, but I’m still waiting for one of my War-Nament participants to arrive at the arena, and I’m willing to give him a few extra minutes to get here. But if he doesn’t, I will have to declare his opponent the winner by default.”
“But right here, right now, I’m going to announce the first match for Major League Wrestling’s next pay-per-view event, Beach Blast. So without further ado, let me introduce the MLW World Tag-Team champions… Edge and Christian!”
The mutli-time tag champs strutted to the ring and after giving the crowd their five-second pose, they stood on one side of the table. They knew who their opponents were, so Norris’s next introduction was no surprise to them… but the 18,000 fans in attendance went wild.
Norris: “And they will be defending those titles against these two men… Hawk and Animal, the Road Warriors!”
The legends from Chicago strode to the ring, and stared at the Canadians, who had the belts over their shoulders. Neither team blinked, neither team backed down. Finally, Norris asked them to sit. As professional wrestling contract signings went, it was relatively tame. The two teams respected each other, and while they were willing to shed blood and tears when they met at Beach Blast, they also wanted to take care of the minutia first.
The contract was signed. The teams stood nose to nose, and the arena went quiet… and then, they nodded to each other, and two at a time, they left. When the four men were gone, and the furniture cleared, Norris reluctantly gave the microphone back to Finkel, and said, “It’s time. Time to announce the next match.”
MLW WAR-NAMENT SEMI-FINAL MATCH
JBL vs. STEVE WILLIAMS:
vs.
JBL vs. STEVE WILLIAMS:
vs.
EC3 sat at the table, smiling like the proverbial cat that swallowed the canary. Lead official Tommy Young stood in the ring beside JBL, who looked extremely confident. He even seemed to wink at his fellow One-Percenter, and then he exhorted Young to begin his count, pointing to the non-existent watch on his wrist.
Reluctantly, the referee began his count, while Layfield mockingly counted along with him as he looked up the ramp. Five, six, seven…
…and then from out of the crowd, Williams – still in street clothes – dove under the bottom rope. And he was angry.
He speared the former WWE champion right out of the ring. “Dr. Death” continued the assault, whipping JBL back and forth from the steel ringside steps to the ring barricade and back again. He never gave him a chance to breathe, effortlessly picking him up and Stampeding him through the timekeeper’s table. Satisfied with the carnage, Williams rolled back in.
It was a stunning performance, rarely seen under Last Man Standing rules – and if the tall Texan was actually prepared to fight, he might have acquitted himself better. But he was overwhelmed from the get-go, and Williams was declared the winner at 3:16.
The Oklahoman marched up the ramp to the announce table, where EC3 sat wide-eyed. Williams grabbed a nearby microphone and shouted, “Sorry I’m late, but someone ran my car off the road not far from here! I didn’t see who it was, but whoever it was, didn’t stick around to help me out. Good Samaritans my ass – maybe they were just following somebody’s orders! Hey, Ethan… you wouldn’t know anything about it, would you? Or maybe those goons Harper and Rowan – hey, has anyone seen them lately? Yeah, I didn’t think so!”
He threw the microphone down in disgust, raised his hands in victory, and the show went to
COMMERCIAL
Styles: “Fans, I’ve just been informed that Commissioner Norris has ordered MLW World Heavyweight champion Ted DiBiase to provide alibis for every member of the Conglomerate – and if he can’t, suspensions will be issued. Furthermore, DiBiase will be defending his championship next week on Friday Night Heat, against a challenger to be determined after tonight's show! Wow!”
EC3: “Total garbage ruling! Someone’s getting sued.”
A vignette was shown, another dark and garbled message from three anonymous men. However, this one ended with a simple graphic: Coming Next Week.
MLW PURE-NAMENT SEMI-FINAL MATCH
BRET HART vs CURT HENNIG:
vs.
BRET HART vs CURT HENNIG:
vs.
The three-man judging panel was eagerly awaiting this contest, knowing that the decision might rest in their collective hands. “Mr. Perfect” and “the Hitman” stood in opposite corners while Finkel made the big-match intros. They knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses, their go-to maneuvers on offense and defense, how they liked to work… they were confident, and ready to go.
Two of the best in the world went to war, in a clash arguably better than their Summerslam classic; under the pure rules of the tournament, this match was an even more scientific battle. Even so, they threw punishing forearm shots, dropkicks, and other strikes that didn’t break the rules. They were conditioned to fight all night, but were well aware of the 30-minute time limit. It was a true see-saw battle, with several momentum shifts throughout, and even the boys in the locker room were watching.
With five minutes to go, the two master technicians found another gear, and the pace quickened. Hart locked Hennig in the sharpshooter, but the Horseman escaped; less than a couple of minutes later, he pinned the “Excellence of Execution” with his perfectplex, but Hart kicked out. A series of backslides and cradles followed, but with less than 60 seconds on the clock, it was a sunset flip that was the crucial move. Hennig dove over Hart and hooked his hips, but “the Hitman” reversed it – just like his brother-in-law, the “British Bulldog”, did at Wembley Stadium. He sat down on Hennig’s shoulders, reached back and grabbed his foe’s ankles – and at 29:46, Hart got the win. He celebrated on the middle ropes, both fists raised in the air, and the telecast faded to black.