Post by fifthhorseman on Nov 23, 2020 22:08:45 GMT -5
CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING FROM FLORIDA
EPISODE 36
EPISODE 36
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 wide shot of Rick Rude and Manny Fernandez staring down Jack Brisco.
Lance Russell: “Hello wrestling fans in Florida and all around the world! This is Championship Wrestling from Florida, and we're just a few days away from one of the biggest shows of the season, CWF Survivor Series! I'm Lance Russell, joined as always by Mauro Ranallo, and we have six outstanding matches in store for you tonight!”
Ranallo: “No one's taking a night off tonight, and we're starting off with a bang right now – so let's head to the ring, where 'Mean' Gene Okerlund is standing by!”
CHRISTIAN CAGE vs. EC3:
vs.
It was an important match for Cage – after all, he made the match, so he felt like he should win it – but it was doubly so for Carter. He wanted a spot at the big boys' table, and this was one way to earn it. EC3 was the aggressor, and stronger, and wasn't afraid to take any shortcuts to beat Cage. However, the savvy Canadian had fought icons, demons, and giants, so he was up to the task.
The see-saw battle was intense. Carter softened Cage up for the One-Percenter headlock driver, but Christian fought it off and reversed that into the Unprettier. EC3 stayed up, and they were in a stalemate for several seconds until Cage finally hit it. One, two... and then the bell rang. The 20-minute time limit expired, and it was declared a draw.
COMMERCIAL
A cameraman was backstage, tracking on a sullen EC3. He told the crew member to leave, but before he could, Christian walked into Carter's space. EC3 leapt to his feet anticipating more fisticuffs, but Cage told him to relax. “So you didn't beat me tonight. Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm pretty good. But here's the thing... I couldn't pin you either. You're a former World champion, you've taken on the best wrestlers on the planet for over a decade... believe it or not, you're as good as you think you are. But take a word of advice? Stop complaining, and stop overthinking everything. Just go out there and be the physical, entertaining wrestler that the fans want to see, and that the locker room knows that you are.”
He clapped the Palm Beach scion on the shoulder and left, leaving Carter alone to contemplate the unsolicited advice.
The NEXUS (Wade Barrett, Ryback, and the Prime Time Players) vs. the EAST-WEST CONNECTION and the SAMOA FIGHT CLUB:
vs.
More tune-up action, of sorts; the SFC and the East-West Connection were readying themselves for a unique inter-promotional match in WCW for their World Tag-Team titles. Of course, cooperation only lasts so long when the stake are so high. The Nexus fought like a well-oiled machine, and the four men worked as one. Conversely, and despite their earlier pledge to go into Starrcade as a cooperative unit... at the end of the day, only one team could wear those WCW belts. Thus, after about seven minutes, Adonis and Ventura, and Siaki and Fatu, were tired of cooperating, and they fought each other all the way up the ramp and backstage, giving Barrett's team a countout win.
Barrett took a microphone and said, “Well, we're just a week out, and I told you last time that if the Nexus wasn't told who our opponents are going to be at CWF Survivor Series, the match is off. Thus far, we know three of them – Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, and Jerry Lawler... and after his match with Tom Carter tonight, we all know Lawler will be off the team, making it seven-on-six. So... who is it?"
A few seconds later, Future Shock walked out onto the stage. A few more seconds later, Lawler joined them. And then, the rest of the team came out, two sets of brothers... the Georgia Outlaws, comprised of Brad Armstrong and the “Road Dogg”, and the multi-time WWE tag champs, Jimmy and Jey Uso. The teams jawed at each other as the show went to
COMMERCIAL
A VTR was shown, highlighting CWF Florida Heavyweight champion Rick Rude's eight-month reign. When the highlights ended, Rude addressed the camera directly, with his manager Percy Pringle behind him. According to Rude, Jack Brisco was a good wrestler, but he wasn't a great one, and he wasn't half the man “Ravishing Rick” was. Furthermore, he'd be lucky to get past Manny Fernandez later tonight.
NIGEL McGUINNESS vs. DAN SPIVEY (w/Nick Nemeth and Mike Rotunda):
vs.
vs.
It had been a while since Spivey – one-half of the CWF Southern Tag-Team champions – had been in solo action, but it didn't take him long to shake off that rust. His Varsity Club cohorts coached him from the outside, and the 300-pounder took charge early. McGuinness refused to quit, though, and the tough Brit battled back with elbows and lariats. The ROH stalwart didn't give Spivey any breathing room, and after handling one last flurry from his foe, he made the Tampa strongman tap out with a dragon sleeper after about 12 minutes.
But as McGuinness was getting his hand raised, Spivey walloped him with a vicious lariat, and Rotunda and Nemeth had to hold him back from dishing out more. The three men argued as they departed, and McGuinness angrily watched them from the ring before he left as well.
Suddenly, the scene shifted to outside Bobby Heenan's office, where Brian Pillman stood pounding on the door. He wanted a fair singles rematch with Muhammad Hassan, and insisted he wasn't leaving until Heenan came out. However, he was jumped from behind by Hassan's stablemates, the Blond Bombers, who got in several cheap shots until the Georgia Outlaws just happened to wander by and even the odds. The brawl dispersed, but the “Loose Cannon” was still no closer to his title shot.
COMMERCIAL
Another VTR was aired for the audience. Drew McIntyre was training for his match against the CWF Southern Heavyweight champion Hassan, and he was moving ungodly amounts of iron on various racks and machines. After a grueling set of bench presses, the big Scotsman spoke “to” the Arab-American, warning him that he didn't find the McAllister comparison from last week funny at all, and that he had just one week left to enjoy that gold belt.
CWF TELEVISION TITLE MATCH
RUSEV vs. BARRY WINDHAM (c):
vs.
RUSEV vs. BARRY WINDHAM (c):
vs.
Heading into his match with MUW World champion Samoa Joe, Windham wanted to wrestle someone physically similar, and Rusev fit that bill. All he had to do was risk his Television title in return.
The spin of the dial came up Pure Rules, and they even shook hands before it started. There was a certain level of mutual professional respect, but that didn't mean that they weren't going to hit each other as hard as they could. Windham fended off his opponent with his longer reach, knowing that the “Bulgarian Brute” had extensive sambo and muay thai training. However, the rugged Texan had one other advantage – he was used to the rules. The two grappled on the canvas, and Windham was very careful to always keep one shoulder off the mat. But Rusev got caught in a head-and-arm vice, and the referee counted him down with the long, single one-count.
He slammed his hands down on the mat when he realized what happened. Windham still had his hand raised, but as always, he was ready to defend himself. Rusev's face was just inches away, and after saying something that the camera couldn't pick up, he extended his hand again. The two shook hands again, and Windham hoped that Samoa Joe did the same in just a few days.
COMMERCIAL
Okerlund was backstage with the Devil's Advocates – all five of them – but as usual, Sean O'Haire did most of the talking. He and Starship Coyote were wearing the CWF Florida Tag-Team straps around their waists, and the group leader spoke as if their challengers, Dory and Terry Funk, didn't truly believe themselves that they were good enough to win those titles. Okerlund then asked Coyote for his thoughts on the upcoming match, and after a couple of silent seconds, he seemed ready to finally speak. However, O'Haire gave him a double-handed shove – “I'm just motivating him”, he said with a sneer – and they all left. Coyote was at the back of the line, and he simply narrowed his eyes at the group, showing emotion for the first time in weeks.
LOSER LEAVES CWF
TOM “R.Y.” CARTER vs. JERRY LAWLER:
vs.
Ryback walked his colleague down to the ring, but the referee made him leave – he didn't trust the “Big Guy” as far as he could throw him. Everyone was on edge on the go-home show, leading up to Survivor Series, and that didn't just include the wrestlers... officials, backstage personnel, and even Heenan were eager to get through the night with no complications.
It was a true clash of styles; it wasn't pretty at times, but it was certainly intense. Lawler couldn't match Carter's technical prowess – few men in the MUW Network could – but on the other hand, few people were as smart and cool under pressure as the Memphis icon. They went back and forth past the ten-minute mark, and Lawler had momentum on his side until the referee got sandwiched between Carter and the ringpost. “The King of the Independents” went down, and Barrett ran out to interfere. Lawler pulled the strap down to face the bare-knuckle Brit, and that was his fatal mistake. Carter gave the referee a smack, which partially revived him; then, when Lawler spun around to face his foe again, Carter went with an old and nefarious Southern rasslin' tactic... he threw fire at him!
“The King” went down in agony holding his face, and Carter jumped on him for the pin, just in time for the now-recovered referee to make the three-count. It was a shocking turn of events, and arguably Carter's highest-profile win of his career – and Jerry Lawler had to leave CWF.
COMMERCIAL
A video rundown of the Survivor Series card was shown, followed by a short clip of the Fernandez sneak-attack from last week.
Heenan walked out to the announce table looking somewhat frazzled. Recent developments in the MUW Network, along with what has transpired on the TV show tonight, had him in a state of uncertainty, and “the Brain” despised not knowing everything. The only thing he was sure of, albeit at a subconscious level, was that he wanted to see the “Raging Bull” put a beating on Brisco before his match with Rick Rude.
SARASOTA STRAP MATCH
JACK BRISCO VS. MANNY FERNANDEZ:
vs.
JACK BRISCO VS. MANNY FERNANDEZ:
vs.
However, Brisco didn't plan on getting the worst of this. He didn't care that his most important match of the year was coming up in just a week – he was nobody's whipping boy, literally. As soon as the 12-foot leather strap was tied to both men, they went at it before the bell even rang. The strap kept either man from getting too far away from one another, and they used liberally to inflict even more harm in a contest that could only end via pinfall or submission.
It only went about ten minutes, but they were ten vicious minutes. Their backs and chests showed the damage, but the former NWA World champ from Oklahoma pinned Fernandez with – of all things – a small package. The ref took the strap off Fernandez's wrist, but before he could get to Brisco, Rude ran in for a sneak attack. After getting in a couple of cheap shots, he suddenly found himself on the whipping end of the thick strap, and he and his former partner bailed out of the ring. He shouted at his challenger as he gingerly backed away, and Brisco mounted the facing middle turnbuckles, still strapped up, and the show faded to black.