Post by fifthhorseman on Jul 1, 2020 21:33:10 GMT -5
CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING FROM FLORIDA
EPISODE 17
EPISODE 17
A 60-second video montage showcasing some of the greatest stars that competed in the classic CWF, as well as FCW and NXT, opens the telecast, ending with a still shot of the newly-named Pringle Family, consisting of Percy Pringle III, the Destruction Crew, and the reigning Florida Heavyweight champion, Rick Rude.
The show starts backstage, in Bobby Heenan's office. Vinnie Vegas was conspicuously absent. Razor Ramon is pleading his case for one more shot at Rude for the title. “The Brain” tapped a few keys on his laptop and said, “Well, I gotta admit... I get great ratings when you two are in the ring together. People love watching you two fight. But here's the thing, chico – he's beaten you already, and if I give you another shot, you have everything to win and nothing to lose! So you gotta give me something in return.”
Ramon didn't hesitate. “If I win, I'm el jefe... but if I lose? I'll never challenge him for the belt again.”
Heenan pondered that for several seconds, and said, “You've got yourself a deal. I'll go tell the champ – I don't think he'll care all that much, seeing how he's beaten you every single time he's faced you. And let's make it even more interesting... it's going to be a Falls Count Anywhere match.”
Before the “Bad Guy” could respond, the scene shifted to the broadcast desk.
“Hello everybody, and welcome to Championship Wrestling from Florida. I'm Lance Russell, joined as always by Stu Bennett, and as you just heard, we're going to have one heck of a main event. And that's not the only championship rematch on tonight's show, either – in just a little while, Kerry Von Erich and Billy Jack Haynes will be defending the CWF Florida Tag-Team titles against the Fabulous Freebirds, Michael Hayes and Jimmy Garvin!”
Bennett: “But now it's time for our first match!”
JACK BRISCO vs. MIKE ROTUNDA (w/Nick Nemeth, Niko Bogojevic, and Dan Spivey):
vs.
vs.
After Brisco entered the ring, a 15-second clip showed the end of last week's battle royale, where the final four men shed their gimmicky identities. To that end, it was Rotunda, not Irwin R. Schyster, who strode down the ramp, along with Spivey, Bogojevic, and the leader of the group, Nemeth, who asked for the microphone before the match started.
“We are not what other federations call 'superstars'. We are professional wrestlers. And before that, the four of us were all amateur wrestlers, in college, where we competed in the oldest, purest sport in the world. It's in our blood. It's who we are. Collectively, we are the Gulf Coast Varsity Club, and you can cheer us, you can boo us, it's up to you. We'll wrestle anybody – we don't politic, and we don't make the matches. I'll say it again - we are professional wrestlers. College-trained, and territory-tough. May the best man always win.”
Surprisingly, perhaps, the Syracuse standout extended his hand to Brisco before the bout began – but then again, the Oklahoman had the best amateur credentials of them all. The other members of the Club stayed in Rotunda's corner, and the two men put on a show, mixing collegiate moves with stiff, rugged pro holds. It ended when Brisco reversed Rotunda's attempt at a butterfly suplex, taking him down with a backslide. When it ended, every member of the Club shook Brisco's hand, albeit reluctantly, and roughly. Before he left, Nemeth spoke to the NWA icon for about ten seconds, but the cameras didn't pick up what he said.
From now on, I'm going to use the GCVC as tweeners, and I'll put them against my faces and my heels. However, they will do anything to win, so don't be surprised if they throw closed-fist punches and poke the occasional eye...
COMMERCIAL
Backstage, a cameraman spotted the Gulf Coast Varsity Club, all doing Hindu squats as penance for the loss. When asked about what he said to Brisco, Nemeth said, “That's our business. Now if you'll excuse us, we have another couple hundred squats to go.”
A 30-second vignette highlighting the skills and accomplishments of Barry Windham aired, including some of his previous work in Florida.
TERRY and DORY FUNK, Jr. vs the PRIME TIME PLAYERS:
vs.
vs.
Although both teams technically debuted the week before in the battle royale, this would be their first “regular” contest. Needless to say, the two squads were very different; the PTP were dynamic, flashy, and played to the crowd, while the Funk brothers were methodical and ground each of their opponents to the mat whenever they could. Young and O'Neil put up a solid battle, but they were overmatched by their foes' individual skill and experience, and Dory made Young submit to a spinning toehold after about eight minutes of action.
After the match, the Funk brothers wandered by the broadcast table and “borrowed” a microphone from Russell. They would be watching the next match very closely, and they expected Bobby Heenan to show them the respect they deserved; the Funks didn't take too kindly to waiting for opportunities.
COMMERCIAL
Russell and Bennett quickly went over the timeline of how this match came about, starting with Hayes and Garvin winning the titles way back in March, and ending with the title change two weeks earlier to the all-star team of Von Erich and Haynes.
CWF FLORIDA TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
The FABULOUS FREEBIRDS (w/David Von Erich and Ray Gordy) vs. BILLY JACK HAYNES and KERRY VON ERICH (c):
vs.
The FABULOUS FREEBIRDS (w/David Von Erich and Ray Gordy) vs. BILLY JACK HAYNES and KERRY VON ERICH (c):
vs.
The referee wasn't about to let both Gordy and David stay at ringside for this one; not for a championship match, and not with all the bad blood the two squads had for each other. The young Gordy volunteered to leave, and the ref warned David that one wrong move on his part would result in an immediate disqualification.
The match had an ebb and flow similar to their TV match two weeks earlier. The heels were sneaky and cunning, and the champions relied on their incredible power to weaken their foes. It was another old-school type of struggle, and 15 minutes in, the older Von Erich was still simply a verbal presence. But when Hayes, Haynes, and the referee all collided, the “Yellow Rose” couldn't help himself. He charged in and hit his brother with a crushing left hand, and he and Garvin put the boots to the “Texas Tornado”. David rolled out, and Garvin went for the pin – but the ref was only just recovering on the other side. As the other two men fought, now on the floor, “Jimmy Jam” got up, grabbed the official by the shirt, and turned him around. Too bad for him, Von Erich was back on his feet.
Garvin never saw the discus punch coming. Kerry was right behind him, recovering just in time, and after landing the punch, dropped down on the Freebird for the pin. Hayes was too busy, and David was too late – and three seconds later, the rematch was over. Kerry slid out of the ring and found Haynes before the inevitable three-on-two occurred, and the two Adonises walked up the ramp backwards, keeping a close eye on the furious, defeated heels.
COMMERCIAL
Bennett was standing in the ring for the next interview, though to call it an "interview" would be a mistake; that would imply that Bennett got in a word in... for his guest was the inimitable “Superstar” Billy Graham.
Graham was all charismatic bluster, boastful and charming at the same time. But just as he was ready to leave, he was interrupted - not by Bennett, but by Oliver Humperdink. The rotund manager shook Graham's hand and said, “It's great to see you again, Billy! Some things have changed here in Florida, but two things have not. One, the 'Superstar' is the tower of power, too sweet to be sour! And two, the House of Humperdink is the preeminent destination for talent here on Florida, daddy! And a man with your strength, with your physique... you'd fit right in. Larry Cameron, Uhaa Nation, Lex Luger – and 'Superstar' Billy Graham!”
The former WWF World champion gave Humperdink a curious look – but whether he was considering the proposition, or he was merely irritated at the interruption, he didn't say. However, he did respond with, “I still gotta unpack my things, Rooster – gotta get settled first. I have a match next week, maybe after that we can catch up.”
He gave the crowd one more massive flex, then left to a mixed reaction. Humperdink followed a couple of feet behind him, obviously continuing his recruitment spiel.
BLITZKRIEG vs. RYBACK:
vs.
vs.
The masked man was able to run for a while, hit and stick a few strikes, but when Ryback got his hands on him, it was hard to watch. The behemoth from Las Vegas toyed with Blitzkrieg, brutalizing him with massive clotheslines, press-slams, and suplexes, before hoisting him up for his Shellshock finisher. Ryback drove his foe to his canvas, but he decided one wasn't enough, and he hit him with another one. And a third. The referee waved his arms and declared Ryback the winner – but that didn't stop him. He picked the barely conscious cruiserweight up yet again. The official warned him that if he Shellshocked Blitzkrieg one more time, he'd reverse the decision... but Ryback didn't care. Down he went, and as he stood over the now-victorious Blitzkrieg, Rusev sprinted down the ramp. As soon as he hit the ring, the former Intercontinental champion rolled out the other side and left, shouting at the “Bulgarian Brute” as he left.
COMMERCIAL
FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE
CWF FLORIDA HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
RAZOR RAMON vs. RICK RUDE (c, w/Percy Pringle III):
vs.
CWF FLORIDA HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
RAZOR RAMON vs. RICK RUDE (c, w/Percy Pringle III):
vs.
Heenan wanted to give this main event as much time as he could, so there was no pre-match vignette, no set-up – he knew that the crowd knew the history of their rivalry. He simply walked through the curtain and sat down with Russell and Bennett, happy to see his favored champion in action.
There was electricity in the air as the two warriors stood inches away from each other. A sense of finality, even. Both men were extremely confident, and the FCA stipulation didn't bother either man in the least; there wasn't any added baggage attached to it. All they had to do was pin their foe one, two, three, anywhere in the ring or in the arena, and the match would be over.
The bell rang, and they went to war. Despite the height and weight disparity, it was not a big man/little man contest – not when Rude was just as strong as Ramon. The first half of the match took place primarily in the ring, and each man was conditioned to go to the TV time limit if that was necessary – the championship was that important, and their egos were that big.
Eventually it spilled outside, and they fought up and back down the ramp, and into the first several rows of the arena. The referee followed them everywhere they went, and they each scored a couple of pin attempts on the floor... but no three-counts. They wound their way around and through the people, and ended up on the ramp again. Ramon kicked Rude in the gut, and hoisted the champion up for the Razor's Edge – but Pringle grabbed “Ravishing Rick's” ankle, pulling him down. The battle continued backstage, and past Heenan's office – when from out of nowhere, Vinnie Vegas grabbed Ramon, and pulled him into the office! The door slammed shut, and it was obvious that there was a fight taking place inside, but the referee was helpless on the outside. Meanwhile, Rude caught his breath on one knee.
A full minute went by, until the door slowly opened, and Ramon struggled through the entrance on his hands and knees. Rude laughed, and a few seconds later, Vegas exited the war-ravaged office, followed by the Destruction Crew. Defiant to the end, the multi-time Intercontinental champion got to his feet – bot only long enough for his foe to grab his head and cinch in the Rude Awakening. Despite the hard floor underneath him, Rude hit it as usual, and it was over. The show ended with the Pringle Family celebrating another win, and Vegas handing a resignation letter to Heenan, who had just entered the scene to congratulate the champion – and check on his office.