Post by fifthhorseman on Oct 13, 2020 19:17:00 GMT -5
CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING FROM FLORIDA
EPISODE 30
EPISODE 30
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 Christian Cage and Rick Rude locked up in the ring.
Cold open in the ring, and “Mean” Gene Okerlund's introductions...
CAGE MATCH
“SUPERSTAR” BILLY GRAHAM vs. LEX LUGER (w/Oliver Humperdink):
vs.
“SUPERSTAR” BILLY GRAHAM vs. LEX LUGER (w/Oliver Humperdink):
vs.
The cage was already set up, and the two powerhouses were ready. The narcissistic musclemen had battled each other for months, and they were eager to take care of business and move onto the next challenge. There was no escape rule here; it would be settled in the ring.
It wasn't the prettiest match, but it delivered. It was equal parts spectacle and violence, and both men were bloody after about 15 minutes of stiff action. After Luger used a headbutt to escape Graham's bearhug, he hoisted the 270-pounder up in the torture rack. Adding injury to more injury, he swung “Superstar's” head into the cage several times while maintaining the backbreaker. Graham never submitted, but he was knocked out; the referee ended the match for Luger at 14:45.
COMMERCIAL
Lance Russell: “Greetings and salutations, wrestling fans! I'm Lance Russell, and I'm joined on color this week by the master technician, Tom 'R.Y.' Carter. That cage match was a heck of a way to get things rolling, and Tom, we have five more matches scheduled for the night – and I'm sure that you're most interested in what's coming up next.”
Carter sneered. “Of course I am! Mark this date down – tonight, the Nexus starts its journey to all of the titles here in CWF!”
TRIPLE-THREAT MATCH:
The GEORGIA OUTLAWS and JERRY LAWLER vs. the GULF COAST VARSITY CLUB vs. the NEXUS:
The GEORGIA OUTLAWS and JERRY LAWLER vs. the GULF COAST VARSITY CLUB vs. the NEXUS:
vs.
vs.
Before the match started, footage was shown of the pull-apart brawl the teams had last week. With so many bodies and styles, the action was non-stop, and the Varsity Club's Southern Tag-Team straps were not on the line. Everyone got a chance to shine, particularly Bugenhagen, who displayed a Steineresque mixture of strength and mat skill. However, he never did get his hands on his former partner Slater; before he could, Barrett pinned Armstrong after smashing him with the Bull Hammer.
After the match, as the wrestlers left, team by team, Carter slung insults at Lawler. “Another match, another loss! Face the facts, your time is up – time to give the crown to someone else!”
The Memphis legend was held back by the Outlaws, and they eventually persuaded him to go backstage.
COMMERCIAL
A 30-second “Coming Soon” vignette was shown... for the Florida native, “Mr. Wonderful”, Paul Orndorff.
LEO KRUGER vs. NIGEL McGUINNESS:
vs.
vs.
Russell noted that McGuinness went to Heenan and asked for a match – any match – to get him off color duty; he came to Florida to be a wrestler, not an announcer. And the former ROH World champ was tested by the rugged South African, who was stronger and as aggressive as ever. However, Kruger was gradually taken to the mat by the skilled Brit, who finished him off with his Thames Barrier top-wristlock in about eight minutes.
As soon as it ended, the rest of the Devil's Advocates appeared on-stage. McGuinness was no coward, but he was no fool, either; the cagey veteran rolled out of the ring, grabbed a steel chair, and cautiously walked around them. O'Haire chuckled, and pointed at him as he left, as if to indicate there would be another time. Then, when Kruger rejoined them and Okerlund appeared as well, O'Haire issued a challenge.
“I'm not telling you anything that you don't already know... Starship Coyote and I are already the most dominant Florida tag-Team champions in CWF history. We are as one; physically, mentally, and spiritually. And therefore, we get to call the shots around here. So next week, we're offering any team that wants to get a shot at us a match... against any other team that wants that same shot. All you have to do is sign the list in Mr. Heenan's office. Whether its a tag-team match, a triple-threat, fatal-four, even a battle royale... we don't care. After all, you're just softening each other up. Fight among yourselves, punch and kick and scratch and claw... all for a shot at these. Right, Coyote?”
The big man that used to call himself Razor Ramon said nothing, and then the Advocates left.
COMMERCIAL
After highlights of their chain match were shown, a VTR for Rusev aired; in it, the behemoth from Bulgaria proclaimed that he was done with Ryback. Now, he was moving onto more important matters – he name-dropped Barry Windham, Nick Nemeth, Muhammad Hassan, and Rick Rude, and declared that he was after any belt in the territory.
MUHAMMAD HASSAN and BROCK LESNAR (w/Freddie Blassie) vs. DREW McINTYRE and BRIAN PILLMAN:
vs.
vs.
Hassan waved his Southern Heavyweight title in the faces of Pillman and McIntyre, reminding them of the high stakes – if either man pinned him, they'd get a title shot; but if either of them were pinned or submitted, they'd never get one against the current champion.
And the Arab-American was happy to let his stablemate do most of the heavy lifting. Lesnar was the legal man on his side for practically the entire match, and as expected, was devastating. His explosive offense kept his two foes busy, and battered, but they were able to tag out often enough to stay alive. But when the “Loose Cannon” got caught on Lesnar's shoulders, positioned for an F5, McIntyre saved the day, nailing “the Beast” flush with a Claymore kick. The force of the kick sent Pillman and Lesnar flying into the referee, who was squashed underneath the former Southern champion. McIntyre and Hassan then fought, and when the other two men got up, all four brawled until CWF officials broke everything up. Because of the ref bump, the match was declared a no-contest.
COMMERCIAL
Another VTR. Christian Cage wasn't happy that he didn't defeat Rick Rude last week, but he also reminded everybody that he didn't lose, either. Then, he said that he was the first (and the best, immodestly) of a new wave of talent sweeping into Florida soon, and he recited a partial list of names: Triple H, Finn Balor, the New Day, Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly... and the Rock.
The BAD STREET BOYS vs. the EAST-WEST CONNECTION:
vs.
vs.
Carter laughed proudly when Adonis and Ventura got to the ring, calling them “true and honorable representatives of CWF”. The match itself was standard plucky face vs. veteran heel action, with Matthews and York getting plenty of moves in against their opponents. However, the experience factor was too much to overcome, and the East-Westers finished things off when Adonis captured York in a sleeper about nine minutes in.
The post-match aftermath was much more exciting. Suddenly, the large video screen shifted to a group of security guards running backstage and then outside, where they joined about a dozen more guards, all of whom were trying to stop Dick the Bruiser and the Crusher from WCW from getting in. The security personnel were scattered like moths by the two palookas, and it was chaos outside – but that just made Ventura and Adonis laugh, and the show went to
COMMERCIAL
Russell: “What a show so far! We've been told that during the break, police officers came out and escorted the Crusher and the Bruiser from the premises... I just hope that we don't see anything else like that again!”
Carter: “They don't dare enter the building - not with the Nexus around.”
CWF president Bobby Heenan arrived, and he brought the CWF Television title belt with him. A couple of seconds later, Nick Nemeth and the rest of the GCVC parted the curtain; shortly after that, Barry Windham arrived.
Heenan: “Gentlemen, I wanted to do this in public, in front of all the world to see. Next week, we will decide the first ever CWF Television champion. The winner of that match will defend the title every week on TV, and as we all know, the rules for each match will be different every time out. Now, I'm going to spin the dial, and we're going to see what those rules will be. If it comes up red or blue, then I'll just decide myself.”
“The Brain” set the belt down on the broadcast table and gave the front title plate a good twist. With a camera shot overhead, Windham and Nemeth eagerly waited for the plate to stop spinning, and after several tense seconds, it did – on the white wedge.
“Pure Rules it is!” Heenan exclaimed. “Shake hands, you two – and next week, let's see the best you both have. After all, it's my air time!”
The two wrestlers did shake hands in a tense stare-down, individually saluted the crowd, and departed as Heenan sat down at the table to watch and call the main event. A “tale of the tape” screen extolled the various wins of the next combatants.
BEST OF FIVE SERIES, MATCH THREE
JACK BRISCO vs. DUSTY RHODES:
vs.
JACK BRISCO vs. DUSTY RHODES:
vs.
Despite the mutual respect, there was no handshake for this one. The stakes were too high; a Brisco victory would mean that the best Rhodes could accomplish in this series was a tie – so the “American Dream” saw this as a must-win. And he took it to the Oklahoman early on, overwhelming Brisco with punches and elbow-smashes. Despite his girth, Rhodes could go 20 minutes at any speed, and his gameplan was to try to finish it early.
However, his opponent was ready for that – the former NCAA champion was ready for anything. Brisco fought back, and as they entered the match's middle stage it got increasingly rougher. The clean rope breaks were replaced by shoves and jabs, and the referee had a difficult time maintaining order. Nonetheless, the bout continued, still at the quicker-than-expected pace the crowd expected, but the damage to both men was piling up. Rhodes and Brisco both went at each other's knees, and after the match, their legs would be heavily bruised.
With just a couple of minutes remaining, the two icons trade punches in the middle of the ring, and each man went down to a knee. When Okerlund shouted, “One minute remaining!”, the pace picked back up, and they traded a series of Irish whips into corners and the middle ropes, hitting and dodging hard strikes. Finally, after Brisco flung Rhodes into the ropes one last time, the big Texan came back and improbably flew over his foe and pinned him - with a sunset flop of all things, tying the series at 1-1 at 19:51. The show ended with Rhodes' hand raised in the air and a determined smile on his face, because he knew - they both knew - the hardest matches were yet to come.