Post by fifthhorseman on Oct 27, 2019 0:04:45 GMT -5
MLW FRIDAY NIGHT HEAT
EPISODE 2.4
EPISODE 2.4
60-second video montage recapping the events of last week’s show, followed by title graphics and explosive pyro from the ramp.
Ranallo: “Hello, wrestling fans, and welcome to Friday Night Heat! My name is Mauro Ranallo, and if you’ve been following Major League Wrestling over the last few days on social media, then you know that Owner George Steinbrenner and Commissioner Toots Mondt have razed the roster, clearing the cupboard by releasing nearly 20 wrestlers since our last episode! Some of them had their contracts terminated, while others asked for their release – but in either case, it means one thing… that MLW is the toughest territory in the world!”
“We have three matches scheduled tonight, and we’re starting with a beauty. American Alpha is no longer a part of Major League Wrestling, so that means that the MLW Florida Tag-Team titles are vacant… but not for long! Let’s throw it down to the legend himself, Howard Finkel, to get this show on the road!”
MLW FLORIDA TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP GAUNTLET MATCH
The ACADIAN EXPRESS vs. AMERICA’S MOST WANTED vs. the DIAMOND EXCHANGE (w/Diamond Dallas Page) vs. the GOLD STANDARD vs. the POINT ONE PERCENT (w/Ted DiBiase) vs. the REAL MAIN EVENT (w/Paul Orndorff):
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The ACADIAN EXPRESS vs. AMERICA’S MOST WANTED vs. the DIAMOND EXCHANGE (w/Diamond Dallas Page) vs. the GOLD STANDARD vs. the POINT ONE PERCENT (w/Ted DiBiase) vs. the REAL MAIN EVENT (w/Paul Orndorff):
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AMW started out against Muraco and Orton; Ranallo informed the audience that Harris and Storm went to Jim Cornette earlier in the week and asked for a shot at unifying the Florida gold with the MLW Intercontinental championships they currently wore; Cornette acquiesced, on the condition that they entered the gauntlet first.
And perhaps AMW were too confident, or thinking too far ahead. The champs were in control early on, but neither man was able to fend off the sheer strength of the “Magnificent One.” Harris was the face in peril, and after escaping Muraco’s bearhug, he was flung into the ropes. “The Wildcat” leapfrogged his foe, but Orton kneed him in the back in the opposite side of the ring. Not wasting a step, Muraco hoisted up Harris onto his shoulder, then dropped him with a tombstone piledriver. It was a stunning defeat for the Intercontinental champions, and they were eliminated at 9:45.
Next up: the Acadian Express. Burke and Orton squared off to begin, two of the most accomplished mechanics in the entire MUW network. Muraco and Petitpas were similarly paired off as well, and the action slowed to a more deliberate pace. Every move mattered, and every punch landed with authority. It wasn’t flashy, but it was certainly authentic, and the fall ended when “the Cowboy” pinned Burke with a bridging gutwrench suplex at 17:31.
The fourth team in the gauntlet, the Diamond Exchange, was represented by Bam Bam Bigelow and Kanyon. DDP seconded them to the ring, and Ranallo wondered if anything could stop the “Beast from the East”. For the first few minutes, it seemed as if he was psychic, as Bigelow was on the offense against both of his opponents. However, the RME survived the initial hurricane, and took the battle to him and Kanyon. The “Innovator of Offense” was in peril, but made the hot tag to Bigelow, who immediately avalanched Orton in the corner, then finished him off with a top-rope splash at 27:50.
Dave Batista, the MLW Intercontinental champion, walked through the curtain with Shane Douglas and Terry Funk – he didn’t accompany them to the ring, he just wanted to be seen. The Gold Standard hit the ring and immediately attacked Bigelow, who got up from the mat gingerly. Head referee Tommy Young threatened and cajoled Funk out of the ring, but “the Franchise” continued his ruthless assault on Bigelow’s knee. This was the ECW-est of the falls, with three of that territory’s former World champions beating the hell out of each other, and Kanyon improvising in violent fashion as well.
Unfortunately, this fall ended in less than satisfying fashion. The narcissistic Batista re-emerged and came down the ramp. He ended up going toe-to-toe with DDP, and while Young separated those two, Funk retrieved his trusty branding iron from his corner. Without a care in the world, he smashed Kanyon square in the forehead with the weapon, and dropped down to pin him. Young went down to one knee… and called for the bell immediately. He had indeed spotted Funk out of the corner of his eye, and disqualified the heels at 40:03.
Undaunted, Batista rolled into the ring while Douglas and Funk cornered Young to complain. “The Animal” picked up Kanyon and dropped him with a vicious powerbomb before Bigelow or Page could stop him, and only then did the trio depart.
The last team to enter the gauntlet was led to the ring by the former MLW World Heavyweight champion, Ted DiBiase. The Point One Percent was arrogance personified, and looked at their tired, injured opponents with obvious disdain. EC3 led it off for his team, and he causally threw Kanyon around the ring. The “Million Dollar Man” wandered around the ring, and laughed at DDP. JBL tagged in, and it was more of the same, as the big Texan flung his foe from corner to corner with slams and suplexes.
But Kanyon lasted long enough to tag Bigelow in; even with his reduced mobility, the behemoth was dangerous. He took control for a couple of minutes, but was unable to finish off either man before the P1P went back on offense. They grounded Bigelow and worked on his damaged left knee again, but he kicked Carter away and rolled to his corner to make the tag.
However, Kanyon didn’t see EC3 do the same. His attention was on the wrong man, and as EC3 rolled underneath the bottom rope in a neutral corner, JBL rocketed out of his corner with a Clothesline from Hell. Kanyon never saw it coming, and the former WWE champion laid him out at 48:28. The three-count was academic, and the Point One Percent were declared the new Florida Tag-Team champions.
COMMERCIAL
Backstage, Jim Cornette was talking to Batista and the rest of the Gold Standard – more precisely, he was talking at the Intercontintental champion. “You think that little stunt with Kanyon was funny? Well, here’s one for you, and I bet you’ll think it’s hilarious! You and Terry Funk decided to walk out of your Beach Blast match like a pair of schoolyard chums, remember that? You robbed the fans out of a title match. So tonight, you’re gonna defend that belt of yours… and you’re gonna defend it in a triple-threat match! Better get stretching and getting loose, champ – and good luck!”
Needless to say, the Gold Standard was not amused.
The BRISCOE BROTHERS and DEXTER LUMIS vs. SHANE HELMS and TnT:
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After the trio of high-flyers settled into the ring, the lights dimmed. When they came back up, Southern Comfort – Bray Wyatt and Waylon Mercy – were sitting beside the broadcast table in a pair of rocking chairs. The rest of the eerie Wyatt Family followed and hit the ring hard, and a six-man brawl was underway.
The referee eventually restored order, and it settled into a very hard-hitting, fast-paced battle. Every man got a spotlight moment, but it was the unrivaled chemistry of Mark and Jay Briscoe that proved to be the deciding factor. The ROH icons were savages, and as Lumis and Mark wreaked havoc on the outside with their foes, the elder Briscoe hit Helms with the Jay Driller at 9:26.
COMMERCIAL
A video recap from last week’s FNH was shown of the mysterious “fan” that jumped the rail and accosted the Horsemen’s manager, JJ Dillon. After that was shown, Dillon aired his own video, calling out the interloper and daring him to meet him in the ring next week. The Horsemen stood in the background, also eager to find out who the man was.
Ranallo: “And fans, that’s not all! I’ve just learned that MLW World Heavyweight champion Roddy Piper will be in action next week… and, we will also get some information on the next MLW pay-per-view, the Team Challenge Series. But let’s get right back down to the ring for tonight’s main event!”
MLW INTERCONTINENTAL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
DAVE BATISTA (w/Nick Bockwinkel) vs. OWEN HART (w/Davey Boy Smith) vs. RICK RUDE (w/JJ Dillon):
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“The Animal” scowled at the two former WWF I-C champions across the ring from him, and Tommy Young warned everyone on the outside not to try anything funny. He called for the bell, and the match was underway. As usual, alliances were formed and discarded whenever it was convenient. Batista had a difficult time fending off the speed of Hart and the underrated power of Rude, but he also pitted the two challengers against each other whenever possible.
As the minutes went by, the tension increased exponentially – both inside and outside of the ring. Bockwinkel delighted in agitating the other two when his colleague was in command, and the other two men didn’t like it. When the three grapplers all wound up on the floor, all six men started pushing and shoving each other, and Young wasted no time ejecting the three non-combatants from ringside.
However, when the referee’s back was turned, he missed the same hooded intruder from last week interfering in the match. He rolled out from underneath the ring, and clocked the “Ravishing One” in the back of the head with a steel pipe. He fled through the crowd before security could stop him, and the bout continued. Hart and Batista battled on the floor, and after the multi-Slammy Award-winning “Rocket” missed a dropkick from the ringsteps, Batista waited for him to get up before spearing him against the barricade. Wasting no time, the champion picked up the still barely-conscious Rude and deadlifted him into the ring. The pin was academic, and he stole the win at 15:55. The show closed with Batista raising the belt to the sky, standing with one foot on Rude's chest, while Owen watched angrily from the timekeeper's table.