WCW Underground 2.21

- Underground is TAPED.

- Opening video.

- Lenny Leonard and JML are at ringside as usual. Lenny talks about the growing Great American Bash show that will take place on June 30. He says tonight another match will be added as we'll have clarification on the WCW United States title defense. That allows talk to segue to Austin Aries' growing faction, including the man that debuted last week: Naomichi Marufuji. A clip replays him spraying mist in Davey Richards' face.

Match #1: Naomichi Marufuji vs. Sal Rinauro
Marufuji is doing his best Great Muta-impression here. Half of his face is painted with a very intricate design. Marufuji uses a lot of fast-paced striking, including a running dropkick in the corner a la Austin Aries. He then grounds Sal Rinauro, bending him like a pretzel with a variety of submission based offense. Marufuji finally puts Rinauro down with the most vicious superkick I've ever seen.

Result: Naomichi Marufuji wins via pin w/ a superkick
Time: 4:11


- Naomichi Marufuji sprays RED MIST~! in Sal Rinauro's face for good measure, but Davey Richards storms the ring for the save. They face off and brawl a bit, before Aries yanks Marufuji away. Davey grabs a mic and challenges Marufuji to a match at the Great American Bash - which Marufuji accepts! So there you go, another match for the show! That should be one hell of a confrontation, mind you.

- Commercials.

- Chris Jericho is at ringside with Lenny Leonard. Lenny asks what Jericho thinks about the split crowds last week. Jericho responds with one hell of a promo.

"Last week half of the crowd wanted to cheer for CM Punk. That's fine with me, Lenny; they paid their money, they can cheer whoever they want. If half the crowd wants to be a bunch of idiots, more power to them. If half the crowd wants to cheer a sell-out like CM Punk, more power to them. If half the crowd wants to a cheer a "straight-edge" hypocrite - and you know exactly what I'm talking about Punk - then more power to them. Everyone in that locker room knows exactly what I'm all about Lenny Leonard. Everyone knows that I'm about giving opportunities to those who earn it. I fight for the "little guy," Lenny, and CM Punk sure as hell ain't that. CM Punk is the guy who screwed Vince McMahon over last summer. Hey, say you want about the old man, but in this business you do business right and you don't do it CM Punk's way. Yeah, go ahead - chant his name. That's fine. Just remember - I'm the man who saved this promotion from Alberto Dos Caras' tyranny! I'm the man who took WCW in front a nationwide audience on FOX! Cheer CM Punk all you want! It won't do him a damn bit of good and he doesn't care any damn way. But let me tell you what he does care about. He cares about this - this 15 pounds of gold. Punk, bring your A-game to the Bash, bring your "straight-edge," bring your Go 2 Sleep, bring whatever you got. You don't care what they think and I sure as hell don't give a damn about what you have to offer. Nothing changes at the Bash. This belt stays with me, and you go down the road of the losers like Dos Caras and Hero and Jay Briscoe."

An almost heel-edge to the promo, specifically the last part when he lumped Briscoe in. I LOVE IT.

Match #2: Drew Adler/Ace Rockwell vs. The Midnight Guns
Lenny mentions that the Guns are still reeling from a loss to Fastball Special a couple of weeks ago. JML brings up the Briscoes and Lenny wishes Jay the best. This is your standard tag squash with the Guns using all of their good offense. No matter how many times I see it, I still cringe that the pendulum swing by Moxley/punt kick by Black-combo they use. It's just so vicious losing. Cyanide and Happiness, the Midnight Special (Kryptonie Krunch)/flying double stomp-combo finishes off Adler.

Result: The Midnight Guns win via pin w/ Cyanide & Happiness
Time: 4:01


- The Guns head over to the commentary position for their interview. Before Lenny can even ask a question, Moxley rips the microphone from his hands.

"Last week, Leonard, Tyler and I were walking down the road when a man walks up to us and says: 'I can't believe what you two did to Jay Briscoe.' So I punched him in the face Leonard! Jay Briscoe is the past - he's irrelevant. We handled him the way you would finish a mangy, rabies-ridden dog. We put the gun to his forehead and - BAM - pulled the trigger! Hey, we know his little flea-infested brother is running around here sniffing the trash and pissing himself in fear. Your time is coming Marky, your time is coming. But we have more important things in front of us, Leonard. A couple of weeks ago that masked freak who pretends he's a Mexican and the WWE-castoff that TNA didn't want put a beating on us. You know, it happens to the best of us. Sometimes we slip on the banana peel and - WHAM - a flying monkey lands on us from on high! But that's not the end of things for us. We don't sit idly by and ruminate over losses, no, instead we put the scope into play and we pull the trigger. Now when I say this, I want everyone watching at home and everyone here in attendance and especially those very special, important two individuals who are listening in the locker room to hear this. London? Generico? There's an old cliche: have you ever danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight? Well I'm the devil and the pale moonlight is right above us and boys, we'd like to do a little waltz. But this time, you see, the dance number doesn't end with a special diddy right out of McKinley High School, no. This time it ends with broken hearts, broken dreams, and broken necks."

Amaze.

- Commercials.

- Chris Masterson is at the commentary booth for a promo. Lenny asks Chris how he feels about being tied to Windham Rotunda in a bull-rope match at the Great American Bash. Chris says he feels he's been unjustly treated and that there's no reason he should be tied up to slob like Windham Rotunda. He says he's not even sure how he's supposed to drag Windham's fat ass around the ring to tag all four corners. Chris says, "I know I'm a strong man, Lenny, but even Hulk Hogan had trouble lifting Andre!" Chris says if all else fails, he'll bring a bucket of KFC to the ring and distract Windham with it. This was kind of lacking, especially after the awesome Jericho/Moxley-segments.

Match #3: Eddie Edwards vs. Cru Jones
I'm pretty sure Cru's sole purpose in WCW is to look big and intimidating while jobbing to smaller guys. Cru overpowers Eddie at first, so at least Eddie is going to try and make him look good. Although, I think these two faced off around the time Eddie was in his program with Drew Gallows. Eddie ultimately outquicks Cru and beats him down with a series of stiff kicks. Eddie utilizes the Angle Slam and then transitions immediately into the Achilles Lock for the win.

Result: Eddie Edwards wins via submission w/ the Achilles Lock
Time: 5:41


- Lenny joins Eddie in the ring. Lenny says that for weeks we've all been waiting to hear the news regarding Eddie Edwards' rematch petition for a United States Championship match. Austin Aries comes out with Brent Albright. Aries says that he finds it completely unfair that Albright, who was more than willing to defend the championship in May, must wait all this time to have the match and is officially petitioning to have Eddie's petition dropped! AMAZING. Out comes assistant guy to an amazing reaction of boos. He just looks so squirmy. He says that the Brent Albright and Eddie Edwards have faced off over the United States Championship three times at this point - at Starrcade, on Underground, and at SuperBrawl. He says that they will meet one final time at the Great American Bash and that, for as long as either man is in WCW, neither will face off again in singles action! Heck of stip, there. He says in order to reduce all possible problems with bad calls by the referee, the match will be Two Out of Three Falls with no time limit! Aries loses his shit and says this is "nepotism, favoritism, and sexism all rolled into one!" LOVE IT.

- Commercials.

Match #4: Billy Buck vs. The Patriot
The Patriot comes out with his flag waving high and Richie Steamboat by his side. This is a pretty standard squash match, here. JML and Lenny Leonard spend most of it talking about the Captain's Challenge Match and who the Patriot might pick for his final two members. The Patriot nails a pretty sweet Oklahoma Slam on Buck and then finishes the poor guy off with the Sharpshooter.

Result: The Patriot wins via submission w/ the Sharpshooter
Time: 3:25


- No post-match interview, as we instead go straight to commercial. I guess they have no faith in Steamboat to carry the promo? Obviously the Patriot can't talk because that would give it away that he's Kurt Angle. Weird.

- Commercials.

The Event Center
Mike Hogewood opens this week's episode by showing clips from the Bunkhouse Stampede, particularly the last couple of minutes where Necro Butcher wins. It then cuts to Brodie Lee beating Necro up and gouging Necro's eye with the trophy. Next there's tons of clips from Brodie Lee promos in the interim, leading up finally to Necro's big return last week. Hogewood talks about how Necro is looking for more than just a wrestling match with Brodie Lee - he wants revenge. He says next week Brodie Lee will be with him here in the Event Center. Next up he talks about Jay Briscoe. They show new footage of Jay walking around his house with a halo on. The camera man asks him questions, but he just ignores him. That cuts to a sit-down interview with Mark. He says Jay is doing better but all he wants to do is get back in the ring. Hogewood says that it's looking like Jay might be able to return one day, but not anytime soon. He then goes over the Great American Bash card, giving all the backstories to the signed matches. He reminds fans to tune in next week to see Brodie Lee.


- Commercials.

Main Event: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Charlie Haas
Lenny goes over the rivalry these two have, bringing to point specifically that the Cross have ensured that WGTT will not get another WCW World Tag Team Championship match this year. They start off with a test of strength that Claudio wins at first, but Haas eventually turns the tables. Claudio cheapshots Haas and whips him into the ropes, but Haas spears Claudio and pounds away at him causing Claudio to roll to the outside and take a powder. They lock up again and engage in some good old fashioned chain-wrestling. Haas of course dominates. Claudio uses some heel tactics, specifically a rake to the eye followed by raking Haas' eyes on the ropes, to gain momentum. From there Claudio spends the match actually working on the eye-sight, I guess, of Haas. Tons of great heel stuff like raking his boot against Haas' eyes, gouging the eyes repeatedly, and wiping his foot on the eye, etc. Claudio gets a ton of near-falls using the Iron Boot and even busts out the Alpamare (sp?) Water Slide, which Lenny calls "one hell of a slam." Haas mounts a comeback using a series of suplexes, but Claudio regains momentum by SPITTING in his face - which I guess magically hit him in the eye. INGENIOUS~! Claudio goes for the Ricola Bomb, but Haas counters with a roll-up for two. They trade a series of pinning combinations for near-falls. Haas finally tosses Claudio into the turnbuckle with a belly-to-belly to get the long drawn out ten-spot moment. Both are up at 8 and they trade punches, but Haas is a HAAS OF FIRE~! and beats Claudio into the turnbuckle and then superplexes him into the ring for two. Haas goes for the Haas of Pain, but Ares causes a distraction. Haas grabs him and then dodges the Iron Boot, causing Claudio to kick Ares off the apron. Haas rolls Claudio up for two. Ares tries to interfere again but Benjamin yanks him off the apron and they brawl around ringside. Claudio goes for the UFO but Haas somehow counters with a sunset flip, but there's no ref to count the pin. Haas gets the ref but walks right into another Iron Boot and then gets Ricola Bomb - which Lenny calls the "Panzer Bomb" - for three.

Result: Claudio Castagnoli wins via pin w/ the Panzer Bomb (cross-armed, sit-out power bomb)
Time: 16:45


- Both teams continue brawling afterward and after some pretty good violence, Haas ends up tossing Ares through the timekeeper's table to end the show!