Post by fifthhorseman on Aug 24, 2020 17:40:22 GMT -5
PRE-SHOW MATCH
2MB vs. the EAST-WEST CONNECTION:
vs.
2MB vs. the EAST-WEST CONNECTION:
vs.
While neither team was pleased to be in the opener slot, both duos brought the flamboyance, and they were all determined to make it a match worth remembering. The air banders were on the defensive early, overtaken by the sheer mass, and experience, the former AWA tag champs brought to the table. But they battled back, focusing their efforts on Ventura. Several times, 2MB knocked him down, but he took advantage of a miscommunication between the two when Slater accidentally clotheslined Bugenhagen outside. Adonis got the tag, and attacked Slater from behind before finishing him off with a shoulderbreaker.
The Connection laughed their way up the ramp as the wannabe rock stars exchanged frustrated (and angry) looks, before leaving the ringside area as well. After the scene was cleared, Lance Russell and Stu Bennett went over the card, and the scowling Brit made several predictions in the process.
PRE-SHOW MATCH
The SAMOA FIGHT CLUB vs. the STRONGHOLD (w/Sir Oliver Humperdink):
vs.
The SAMOA FIGHT CLUB vs. the STRONGHOLD (w/Sir Oliver Humperdink):
vs.
This battle showcased a pair of similar teams: each had a super-strong and intense veteran, and a younger but still imposing partner. Siaki was the face in peril for several agonizing moments, but he weathered the storm long enough to dive into his corner for Fatu. The “Samoan Bulldozer” cleared house, launching Cameron and Nation from the ring... where they are blindsided by the Freebirds trio of Garvin, Hayes, and Gordy. Once again, they were interfering in a match they didn't belong in, and after temporarily subduing the Stronghold, the former Florida tag champs went after the SFC. However, their numerical advantage vanished when the Usos ran down, and the Freebirds slunk away as it was declared a no-contest.
A preview video was shown to hype the entire card, fittingly ending with the main event: Rick Rude versus the MUW World Heavyweight champion, AJ Styles.
CWF BASH AT THE BEACH 2020
JERRY LAWLER vs. DAVID VON ERICH:
vs.
It wasn't the lightning-fast show-stealer that some openers try to be – on the contrary. This was a hard-nosed, gritty, Memphis-styled fight that “the King” was accustomed to having... and that suited Von Erich just fine as well. The two men traded punches and kicks, and when they needed to catch their breath, it went to the mat where each man tried to tie the other one in knots. The match lasted just over ten minutes, when the slightest misstep – in this case, the big Texan caught his toe on the apron as he ran the ropes – was fatal. Lawler kicked his foe in the gut, then nailed him with a piledriver to take the winner's purse.
After the match, a VTR played, timestamped as recorded a week before. The Devil's Advocates were in a darkened room, perhaps even the same room they inhabited in their previous video. O'Haire spoke in twisted tones, delivering confusing and contradictory messages about identity. He stepped back, and the focus shifted to Razor Ramon, tied to a chair. After repeatedly referring to him as an “Outsider”, O'Haire implored him to join the Advocates, calling him a “diamond in the rough... or should I say, a diamond stud in the rough?”
CWF SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
BRIAN PILLMAN (c) vs. BARRY WINDHAM vs. ? vs. ?:
vs. vs. vs.
BRIAN PILLMAN (c) vs. BARRY WINDHAM vs. ? vs. ?:
vs. vs. vs.
“The Widowmaker” entered the ring first, followed by the volatile Southern champion. Russell reminded the audience that each stage of the gauntlet had a 10-minute time limit, and if the final stage went longer than ten minutes, the man that started the previous stage would be declared the winner. Pillman and Windham got the big-time intros in the center of the ring, but there was no handshake; this was serious business.
Either man could have went 30 minutes – or more – if given the choice, and they set a rapid pace. Despite his size, Windham had incredible conditioning, and he was used to wrestling an hour at a time. The “Loose Cannnon” could as well, and he was quicker, taking flight with dropkicks and flying shouldertackles. The lanky Texan rolled outside, but only for a few seconds, well aware of the clock. He slid back in, and over the course of the next several minutes, the pace got even faster. Windham bounced off the ropes and hit the champion with a wicked lariat, but Pillman got his foot on the bottom rope to break the count. Angrily, the challenger picked “Flyin' Brian” up and set him up for another lariat... but then, before either man realized it, the ten minutes were up. The bell rang, ending the first stage; Pillman had his hands on his knees, and as he caught his breath, Windham gave him a fist bump as he exited the ring.
Pillman slowly backed into a corner, waiting for the next man to come down. The curtain parted, but it was not a CWF wrestler – instead, it was Freddie Blassie. He was smiling a Cheshire Cat smile, and then he signaled for the newest member of his stable to come out.
And what a debut it was.
The former MUW World champion bounced down to the ring and jumped up on the apron. “The Conqueror” was stone-faced and calm, and Pillman braced himself for the inevitable initial charge he knew was coming. Sure enough, Lesnar went straight at him, and the “Loose Cannon” leapfrogged him and headed for the opposite corner. It happened again... but this time, the multi-time WWE champion caught him. He flung Pillman with a overhead suplex, then hit him with a series of German suplexes, each one sapping the strength from the reigning titleholder.
But Pillman refused to give up. He rolled to the floor to catch his breath, but Lesnar followed him out, and threw him with another overhead suplex onto the steel steps. Pillman writhed in pain, and the UFC superstar moved in and rained sharp elbows onto him. After the third or fourth shot, Pillman's forehead was split open, but Lesnar kept going – even after the referee came out to implore him to stop. Apparently “the Beast Incarnate” didn't like the message, because he press-slammed the ref between the top and middle ropes back into the ring.
After getting back to his feet,the official called for the disqualification, and a squadron of CWF staff came out to separate Lesnar from a bloodied and battered Pillman. He and Blassie walked away, and surprisingly, neither man seemed that concerned. Lesnar walked through the curtain, but Blassie stayed on the stage, as if waiting for the final man to come out. Indeed he was – because the “Classy One's” stable hadn't just expanded by one tonight, but by two.
Muhammad Hassan raised his hands to the sky, and then the two men walked down for the final stage of the gauntlet. Pillman was perched on the steps, getting checked by a couple of medics; he refused to quit, and he sloppily wrapped athletic tape around his own head. He rolled into the ring, and gave Hassan a crude salute to begin the final stage.
The Arab-American wasted little time. After a series of punches, he nailed Pillman with three vicious backbreakers to set up his camel clutch. He sat back and wrenched at Pillman's chin, but the Southern champion refused to quit. And in fact, he didn't... but the combination of blood loss and pain was too much for him, and he passed out in the hold. The referee checked him, and he seemed almost saddened to call for the bell. Hassan pushed Pillman to the mat, and with Blassie by his side, celebrated his win. The five-month reign of the independent “Loose Cannon” was over.
The scene slowly cleared, as the new champion and Blassie departed first, followed by a barely mobile Pillman, who was aided by CWF medics. The ringside crew rushed down to clean the ring as best they could, and the scene shifted to CWF President Bobby Heenan's office. He was sitting at his desk, and MUW champion AJ Styles walked in with a couple of suitcases behind him, having just arrived at Amalie Arena. The Georgia native extended his hand, and after a quick handshake, he said, “What locker room am I in?”
Heenan looked up and said, “Not that far from here, down the hall, number eight. It's the biggest locker room we have – only the best for the champ, right?”
“Appreciate it. Well, I guess I'll see -”
“Just hang on a minute, Mr. Styles, there is one more thing.” Heenan paused , and for the briefest of moments, seemed to suppress a smirk. “I've changed the match order around, and you'll be going on second from last. I want to give you and Rude all the time you need to go out there and tear the house down, so don't you worry about any overrun. I'm going to close with the captains' match.”
Styles couldn't believe what he just heard. “What?! Why didn't you tell me sooner? I would have been here an hour ago! I have a routine, Bobby – I can't just rush out there!”
“Well then, I guess you better get going, champ! I swear, I texted you at least once! Locker room eight – you can't miss it!”
The “Phenomenal One” was furious, but he realized he didn't have time to argue. “After I take care of your boy, we're gonna have words.” He stormed out, and Heenan steepled his fingers behind his head, grinning from ear to ear.
“SUPERSTAR” BILLY GRAHAM vs. LEX LUGER (w/Sir Oliver Humperdink):
vs.
vs.
The first couple of minutes of action, such as it was, didn't see a single wrestling hold get used. Luger and Graham posed off like they were in a bodybuilding competition. Front double biceps, side chest, front lat spread, most muscular – they hit them all until the “Total Package” hit Graham with a double ax-handle to initiate the physicality. From there, it was a traditional big man match; not the prettiest, or fastest, but they hit each other hard.
They only went about eight minutes, but it was enough. Humperdink was a nuisance, and he distracted the referee long enough for his client to take off his forearm guard, and hit the “Superstar” with the surgically-loaded steel plate in his arm. It dazed the former WWWF champ just long enough for Luger to pin him, and he kicked out a millisecond too late.
As the ring cleared, a VTR featuring Rusev aired – he succinctly informed the announcers, the audience, and most importantly Ryback, that his fractured arm was healing as scheduled, and that he would be back very soon.
A preview video for the teams involved in the next title match also aired, highlighting their raw power. But before the ring announcer could make the introductions, he was interrupted from the stage by none other than Bobby Heenan, who held two briefcases, one in either hand. He set them down at the broadcast table, and opened one of them, revealing a pair of silver-plated title belts. Slinging them over each shoulder, the CWF owner took a microphone and said, “At the risk of sounding like a braggart... the CWF has the deepest, most talented tag-team division in the entire network. In just a few moments, you're gonna get just a small taste of it. And I have to thank one man for going out and making the division as strong as it is... me! There was a lot of movement this summer across the network, and with our roster cap going up, I hit the jackpot with all of the moves I made.”
He went on. “There are at least a dozen championship-caliber team here in Florida, so in recognition of that fact, I'm introducing another tag-team title: the CWF Southern Tag-Team championship. In a couple of weeks or so, we'll crown those champions, and I'll just say this – the winner of this match will still, of course, be the Florida Tag-Team champs. But the losers... if it's a good match, if you put on a good show, if you entertain me... then I'll remember that when we get down to business.”
Heenan put the belts back in the briefcase, and opened the second one. From it, he retrieved another championship belt – and it was a “spinner” belt, with a large center plate that resembled a pie with four differently-colored slices. “This is the CWF Television title. Not only do I have the best heavyweight champion in any territory, not only do I have an excellent Southern champion – now, that is – but I have such a large and diverse roster of wrestlers that I'm gonna introduce a third singles title. One that will be defended every week. And here's the best part – it'll be defended under CWF Pure Rules... or it'll be defended under CWF No Holds Barred rules. Whoever defends this title will have to be the best all-around wrestler in the world... and it starts tonight.”
He spun the center plate, and as the camera focused on the spinning wheel, Heenan explained each color. “White means the match will be Pure Rules; black means No Holds Barred. Red means the champion decides what kind of match it'll be; if blue comes up, the challenger gets to decide. Get it? It's like a television dial – you remember those, right, Lance?”
Heenan laughed to himself at his joke. “Before every match, the referee will spin the dial – and whatever comes up comes up. Television title matches have a ten-minute time limit – the best ten minutes on TV every week. And last but certainly not least... Mr. Thatcher, Mr. McGuinness, I hope you're listening. As of tonight, we will be beginning a 12-man tournament to determine the first CWF TV champion. You two are gonna kick things off, but let's see you do under Pure Rules, as advertised. Ten minutes or less, the winner gets a first-round bye.”
“Now if you'll excuse me, I have a couple of things to do before the MUW World Heavyweight championship match. I don't know if you heard, but it's coming up soon!”
CWF FLORIDA TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
The DESTRUCTION CREW (w/Percy Pringle III) vs. BILLY JACK HAYNES and KERRY VON ERICH:
vs.
The DESTRUCTION CREW (w/Percy Pringle III) vs. BILLY JACK HAYNES and KERRY VON ERICH:
vs.
Regardless of Heenan's announcement, the four powerhouses that stood in the ring only had one set of titles in mind, and that was the Florida Tag-Team gold. The duos mixed it up in a big brawl to start things off before Enos and Von Erich settled things down. By now, the champions were a well-oiled machine, and traded tags often. However, the Crew were just as polished, and they double-teamed whenever they found a chance. The rugged blondes isolated Haynes, and went to work with stiff, methodical offense that targeted his right arm – they wanted to take the full nelson out of his playbook.
Bloom and Enos couldn't keep him down, though. The Oregonian fired back with kicks and left-handed punches, and dove to his corner to tag his partner. Von Erich charged in and hammered both men with fists and backdrops, and threw Bloom over the top rope. He kept up the barrage on “Mean Mike”, but with Humperdink providing a distraction, Bloom slid back in a few moments later and hit the “Texas Tornado” with a low blow.
Both of the legal men were down, and each began the slow crawl to their respective corners. The tags were made, and Haynes and Bloom came in. Haynes knocked his opponent down with a clothesline, then locked on the full nelson – but his opponent broke out of it instantly. However, before he could do anything else, the Portland strongman – to the amazement of the crowd and certainly to Bloom – yelled in frustration, seemingly finding another gear, and locked it on again. This time, the Crew member wasn't going anywhere, and he gave up before his teammate could make the save after a 17-minute slugfest.
The scene suddenly shifted backstage, where in one of the locker rooms, Eric Bugenhagen was swarmed by a trio of identically-clad and -masked men, who were putting the literal boots to him as a fourth masked man – larger than the other three – was holding Heath Slater back. After they were through with Bugenhagen, the fourth man simply – but roughly - threw Slater on top of his partner, and they ran off before any other wrestlers could intercept them.
Back to Russell and Bennett, who were shocked and upset by yet another interruption by the masked men. They previewed the upcoming match, but not before telling the audience that because of the Freebirds' action earlier in the night, they would be facing the Samoa Fight Club and the Usos, next week on Championship Wrestling from Florida, in an eight-man Texas Tornado tag-team match.
CWF TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT MATCH – PURE RULES
NIGEL McGUINNESS vs. TIMOTHY THATCHER:
vs.
NIGEL McGUINNESS vs. TIMOTHY THATCHER:
vs.
Needless to say, the stakes had been raised. With only ten minutes to work with, both veterans were looking for knockout strikes and quick submission holds – but their individual defenses were also so impenetrable, it was difficult for either of them to get a match-finishing shot in. The ROH legend focused on Thatcher's neck, while the “Professor of Pain” went after McGuinness's legs, trying his best to tie them in knots.
With such a relatively short time limit, they cut an even harder pace in this rematch. Every move mattered. A couple of times, each wrestler came close to breaking one of the Pure Rules, but either caught themselves before doing it – most often, using their fists – or the referee shouted out a warning in time; the third man in wanted to see a decisive conclusion as much as anyone. The minutes bled away, and Thatcher and McGuinness went through a series of attempted armbar submissions before getting to their feet and trading hard chops and slaps in the center of the ring. The sweat flew from their hands and chests with every blow, the impact audiable in every corner of the arena. The Californian's head sagged, and McGuinness hit him with another chop, and another... but when he went for a third, the wily Thatcher fell backward, trapping the Brit's arm, and rolled behind him all in one motion, catching him in the kata hajime. The seconds ticked off the clock, and McGuinness could not escape; he tapped out at 9:55.
Backstage, a camera crew was inside the locker room commandeered by Freddie Blassie and his now-completed stable, and they were still celebrating Hassan's Southern Heavyweight championship win. He had showered and was in street clothes, alongside Pat Patterson, Ray Stevens, and Brock Lesnar. Blassie assured the world that they would keep that title for a long, long title, and that they weren't done yet.
A 60-second hype video aired for the MUW championship match, showcasing the victories AJ Styles earned since taking that title, as well as the undefeated streak Rick Rude was on since winning the CWF Florida Heavyweight strap.
Heenan reappeared to personally watch and add commentary to the final two matches. He was openly rooting on “his” man, his former charge, Rick Rude – aside from simply liking and respecting the man, having the MUW World championship in his territory would give him considerably more viewers, revenue, and political power within the network.
MUW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
RICK RUDE (w/Percy Pringle III) vs. AJ STYLES:
vs.
RICK RUDE (w/Percy Pringle III) vs. AJ STYLES:
vs.
The “Ravishing One” was focused and ready to go; the “Phenomenal One” was outwardly relaxed, but fuming on the inside. He knew that Rude had been at the arena longer, and was completely prepared for this match physically and mentally; there was no doubt that Heenan told Rude the change of plans hours, if not days before.
Nonetheless, the MUW champion went to work, and took charge early with his dynamic blend of ground work and aerial offense. He infuriated Rude, avoiding any of the big punches or kicks he threw in his direction, and the Florida champion rolled outside to vent to Pringle. The two men conferred, then Rude rolled back in, his stall tactic momentarily effective. The Minnesotan slowed the contest down, forcing Styles to wrestle at his pace. As such, Styles stayed on the mat, and while he was definitely effective, it enabled Rude to use his superior strength. The muscleman from Minnesota used a combination of vices, stretches, and simple strikes to ground his opponent, targeting Styles' neck and back.
The longer he kept Styles down, the more arrogant Rude became, and he posed to the crowd frequently. About 15 minutes, he felt like it was time to end it, and he set the multi-time TNA champ up for the Rude Awakening. But Styles powered out and hit Rude with a Pele kick, and the tide began to turn. Dropkicks, clotheslines, suplexes – he threw the kitchen sink at “Ravishing Rick”, as he sought to soften him up for his finisher, the Styles Clash.
To his credit, Rude absorbed it all, and kicked out of every pin Styles tried. He even had a small but vocal contingent in the audience cheering him on, simply because he was the “hometown champion”. The majority, though, were firmly in Styles' corner; Rude was just too good at being bad.
30 minutes in, and the two men were brawling on the floor. The prior ten minutes had gone back and forth, and by now, they were both digging deep for one last flurry of offense. They worked their way towards the timekeeper's table, and were both standing on it, trading punches. Rude kicked Styles in the gut, turned him around, and locked on his patented neckbreaker again – but before he could hit it, the table collapsed, and they crashed to the floor. The official ran over to check the competitors, and though neither of them could stand, they both waved him away. Reluctantly, the ref shook his head and shrugged, and returned to the ring to begin the ten-count.
Rude and Styles slowly began to stir, and the MUW champ rolled in at eight to temporarily delay the count – and then he rolled back out to stop it. Rude was on one knee, favoring his left leg, and Styles decided that he was going to go for a knockout punch. He rolled back in, waited for his foe to stand up – and used the ropes to launch himself at Rude with his Phenomenal Forearm. However, the 30+ minutes of non-stop action were a factor, and Styles only partially hit it; he actually overshot Rude, and crashed into the ringside barrier behind him.
The referee started his count again, milking it for as long as he could. Both men were motionless until seven, and slowly got to their feet. They stumbled toward the ring together, almost holding each other up, and after trading one last punch each, they rolled underneath the bottom rope...
...just after the official had gotten to ten.
It was as evenly-matched as any match ever fought during the CWF relaunch, and lasted about 35 minutes, but at the end of the night, it would go down as a double-countout. Styles and Rude would have kept fighting if allowed, but the referee handed the MUW World heavyweight strap to its rightful owner while Pringle checked on his man. The crowd rose to their feet in appreciation, as Styles limped away, and he shot Heenan one final angry glare before he walked through the curtain.
A video package aired, comparing and contrasting the accomplishments of the eight combatants in the final match of the night. Needless to say, they were all extremely skilled athletes, with professional accolades that rivaled anybody's.
CAPTAIN'S MATCH – ELIMINATION RULES
The GULF COAST VARSITY CLUB vs. JACK BRISCO, DORY FUNK, Jr., TERRY FUNK, and DUSTY RHODES:
vs.
The GULF COAST VARSITY CLUB vs. JACK BRISCO, DORY FUNK, Jr., TERRY FUNK, and DUSTY RHODES:
vs.
Nemeth and crew came out together, as usual, sporting their letterman jackets as they did a final set of warm-up drills in the ring. The All-Star squad that opposed them also came out together, not only as a show of unity and strength, but they didn't trust the GCVC at all not to jump them individually. The rules for the main event was straightforward: the only way to win the match was to pin or submit the other team's captain – Brisco or Nemeth. If any other man was eliminated, via pinfall, submission, countout, or DQ, they had to leave.
Brisco insisted on starting off for his team, and he was met by Bogojevic. Despite being outweighed by almost 100 pounds, the rugged Oklahoman more than held his own, frustrating the superheavyweight with superior speed and technique. He couldn't pin him, though, and Brisco eventually tagged in Rhodes. The two big men showed some cardio, and ego, by carrying the action for the next several minutes themselves, and it was a fascinating show of skill. However, the “American Dream's” unmatched experience was a key factor in taking control, and with the crowd firmly behind him, he was able to squash Bogojevic with his bionic elbow about eight minutes in.
The Varsity Club realized that they needed to change their gameplan; they originally wanted to force their foes to adapt to them, and make minimal tags to keep everyone as fresh as possible. But now they were down a man, so the tags out of that corner became much more frequent. Everybody got a chance to shine over the next ten or so minutes, ranging from the amateur acumen of Nemeth and Rotunda, to the shrewd double-teaming of the Funk brothers, to Spivey's sheer strength, and to Rhodes' ability to control the pace of the action.
The style of the match began to shift in the NWA icons' favor – namely, it turned into a pro-style contest, more of a true fight. Not that the collegiate crew couldn't keep up, far from it... but when Rotunda and Spivey battled the Funks on the floor, none of the four were keeping track of the referee's count, and Spivey and Dory were the legal men. Nemeth, in particular, implored his teammates to get back in the ring, but the former University of Georgia defensive end just wanted to throw his feared left hand. The duo from Amarillo were happy to oblige, and Rotunda also had a bit of a mean streak, so they fought at the base of the ramp until long past the ten-count, and a bevy of CWF officials ran out to separate the four men. They looked back at their respective partners, and realized what had happened; reluctantly, they wished their teammates luck, and went backstage, dejected and angry.
Rhodes and Brisco looked at each other, happy about the odds. Nemeth was the only man left, apropos of the captain's rule stipulation. However, “the Showoff” could still steal the win – he only had to defeat Brisco, not both men. So he was still confident in himself, and he motioned for the former NCAA wrestling champion to take him on; Brisco eagerly obliged.
The next couple of minutes were a showcase in technical grappling, evenly fought, until Nemeth “accidentally” poked his foe in the eye. He was desperate, and used the various tools in his entire wrestling arsenal to batter Brisco, and he nearly pinned a couple of times before settling into a sleeper. Rhodes screamed from the corner, and urged the fans to make noise, as Brisco dropped to a knee. The referee checked his hand, and it dropped once... and twice... but not a third time.
Brisco powered up and threw Nemeth over his shoulder. He was still dazed, but coherent enough to dodge a series of elbowdrops, and he rolled in his corner for the hot tag. The Texas Outlaw charged in and hit Nemeth with a series of jabs before connecting with his patented “flip flop and fly” elbow. But the Kent State wrestler didn't stay long forever, and waved Rhodes in, and the two men traded more punches and kicks. Nemeth hit Rhodes with a trio of dropkicks, but shouldn't have went for a fourth; Rhodes staggered up and nailed Nemeth with an atomic drop, sending the GCVC captain into his corner. One quick tag, and Brisco was back in.
The momentum has firmly shifted, and Brisco tossed Nemeth around with a flurry of throws, jolting the breath from him. Sensing it was time, he got behind his foe, cinched in a straghtjacket hold, and suplexed him overhead. Three seconds later, the NWA contingent – he and Rhodes – were declared the winners at a final time of 27:48.
The crowd erupted, and came to their feet one final time for the night. Nemeth was too worn down and bitter to stick around to even acknowledge the loss, and he left quickly. Brisco and Rhodes stood on the second rope in parallel corners, and saluted the crowd. Each man pointed to his waist, signalling that they wanted a championship shot... and as the show ended, Brisco and Rhodes looked at each other, noticing the gesture that the other man made.