- Previously on WCW: the feud between Eddie Edwards/Davey Richards and Drew Gallows/CM Punk continued with one of the best tag team matches in the last decade. Gallows scored a big victory, getting a pin-fall over Edwards following a powerbomb.
- Standard opening video package.
- Your hosts are Lenny Leonard and JML. Leonard says tonight's main event is huge with major ramifications as Fastball Special will be taking on Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team to earn a shot against DOOMSDAY on iPPV at the Bunkhouse Stampede. JML puts over both teams as giving DOOMSDAY their biggest challenges. Leonard also says he hopes to get an answer from the man standing next to him regarding Austin Aries' challenge last week.
Match #1: Anthony Andrews vs. The Patriot
Leonard speculates on the true identity of the Patriot. JML thinks it's Don Muraco (!). Pretty similar to the first Patriot-match. Again, Patriot's avoids suplexes and the such like the plague. Lots of power-based offense with tilt-a-whirl slams, etc. The finish comes when Patriot counters a clothesline with a STO and transitions into the Sharpshooter for the submission.
Result: The Patriot wins via submission w/ The Sharpshooter
Time: 4:11
- CM Punk and Drew Gallows out for a promo. Gallows says that last week he proved to the world that he's bigger, stronger, badder man than Eddie Edwards. He says at the Bunkhouse Stampede there will be two foregone conclusions: utter decimation and a new United States champion. Punk says that's not the only thing that's a given. He says that 24 other men are going to do their best, but their best will pale in comparison to the man who is best in the world. He says that he was sidetracked in 2011 with his "Take Care of the Homeless"-initiative, but 2012 will be the year of CM Punk and it starts at the Bunkhouse Stampede.
- Commercials.
- DOOMSDAY are out with Jimmy Jacobs. They look menacing as ever in their Demolition-style get-up and face-paint. Jacobs does the talking, of course. He says that tonight the best tag teams that WCW has to offer will do battle for the glory of challenging the most dominant tag team in pro wrestling. He says that's a joke, because the best tag teams WCW has to offer have both fallen short when facing the unholy duo of Takeshi Morishima and Keith Walker. He says it matters very little in the grand scheme of things whether it's 2003's Greatest Tag Team or Pee-Wee's Playhouse, DOOMSDAY comes to all.
Match #2: Lee Roy vs. Richie Steamboat
Leonard puts Steamboat over as future World champion. Like the Patriot match earlier, this is more or less a repeat of the Steamboat debut. I give them credit, they're doing an effective job of introducing these new wrestlers. Steamboat wins with the Dragon Suplex.
Result: Richie Steamboat wins via pin w/ The Dragon Suplex
Time: 4:10
- Out come the Old School Wrecking Crew. Adam Pearce thinks the stuff he heard Jimmy Jacobs say earlier was nothing but "horseshit." He says that tag team greatness stands before the world of wrestling right now. He says people have for years been begging for a tag team wrestling revival and now that someone who brings to the table that "old Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson-flavor" is on the scene, the revival can start now. Corino takes the mic and says that he's been in this business for well over a decade and he's never gotten his fair shake in America. He says that all ends here and now. He says there's a road that lays ahead of them and what lies at the end is exactly what Jimmy Jacobs says is there: DOOMSDAY. He says, "DOOMSDAY comes for all? Well we want them to come for us." Great stuff, here. Putting these two talkers together was a brilliant move.
- Commercials.
Match #3: Drew Adler vs. Necro Butcher
Poor Drew Adler. This has to be the third or fourth time he's fought Necro, I think. WCW really needs to look into bringing in more jobbers. Don't expect much except the usual Necro-squash. He finishes Adler off with the Deathdrop.
Result: Necro Butcher wins via pin w/ The Deathdrop
Time: 2:34
- Necro's up for a promo! He says that 2011 was one hell of a year for him. He says he was able to put that sanctimonious piece of crap CM Punk in his place and very few things have ever felt better. He says, "But I can think of one thing that'll feel better." He says winning the Bunkhouse Stampede and going on to fight whoever stands in his way for the World Championship just might be the best feeling in the world. He says that lady luck shined her light on him at Starrcade and she ain't done just yet. He says 24 men will be in that ring on February 25, and 24 men better get the hell out of his way.
- Commercials.
- Leonard and JML at ringside again. Leonard asks JML if he's come up with a decision yet, but before he can answer he's interrupted by Alberto Dos Caras. Caras says that true greatness waits for no man and greatness is here tonight. He says that in his lengthy pro-wrestling career he has done many things but all are nothing compared to winning the WCW Championship. He admit that he feels naked with the gold around his waist and he believes that now the time has come. He says that fate is a fickle beast but it has always been friendly to him. He says when fate knocks, you answer. He says two weeks ago fate knocked on his door and now he's answering the call. He says on March 31 in front a large, nationwide audience on FOX TV, he will have his rematch!
The Event Center
Jim Ross says hypes the big iPPV in a few weeks. He announces the final five participants for the Bunkhouse Stampede match: Tyler Black, Jon Moxley, Adam Pearce, Steve Corino, and Brodie Lee. Ross then runs through all 25 names again, with corresponding picture graphics showing on the screen a la the old Royal Rumble intros. When he's finish, who should appear but the Briscoes. Ross says a few weeks ago Jay took Chris Jericho to the limit for the WCW Championship. Jay rambles about something incoherently. Ross says Jay will have another opportunity to fight Jericho if Jay wins the Bunkhouse Stampede, but it might not be Jericho at all and it could in fact be Brother vs. Brother. I believe that Mark says that's right and he'll be fighting Jericho for the championship in two weeks. I think he did, anyway. Ross says that'll be a hell of a main event, so I think he did. I love the Briscoes.
- Commercials.
Main Event: Fastball Special vs. Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team
Looks to be a shorter episode this week. Even if they go the distance it'll only be a 50-minute show. This match plays out much like I would expect the Steiners vs. the Rock 'n' Roll Express to. It's really even-handed to start, with London and Generico using quick tags and fast, high-risk offense to keep Benjamin and Haas up against the wall. Of course one vicious lariat by Haas - three guesses on who but you only need one - and WGTT are in control with El Generico being YOUR face-in-peril. They work Generico over for a good, long, lengthy portion of the match. No heel tactics, just smart tag team wrestling really. For example, in a normal match Generico might be close the tag and Haas might come in the ring and run across and nail London. Here, Benjamin just grabs Generico and pulls him away for the tag. Tons of great, new offense from WGTT BTW. Particularly impressive is the belly-to-back suplex by Benjamin onto Haas' knee. The big comeback comes when Generico drills Haas with a Michinoku Driver ("GENERICO DRIVER!" - Lenny Leonard) out of nowhere. Big, superhot tag to London (in full London Warrior-garb) who goes to war with Benjamin. Benjamin ends up outside and London dives out onto him. Haas then spears London into the guardrail~! SICK! WGTT goe for WGF on London, but London counters with a Victory Roll for the near-fall. Generico ends up booting Haas out of the ring and then hits a HUGE FUCKING MOONSAULT off the turnbuckle onto Haas!!! London hits a turnbuckle-swinging-DDT for another near-fall! Generico comes in and hits Benjamin with the brainbuster. London goes up and NAILS the Shooting Star Press but Haas makes the save for the craziest near-fall I've ever seen, I think. Generico pounds away on Haas and charges with a clothesline but Haas backdrops Generico high into the air and to the outside. Benjamin and Haas double-team London and finally nail him with WGF (springboard bulldog by Benjamin with Haas holding London on his shoulders) for the win.
Result: Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team wins via pin w/ WGF
Time: 21:09
- So just for the record, that's two weeks in a row with two of the highest quality tag team matches I've probably ever seen. Even better is that they were very different styles of matches.
- WGTT and Fastball Special shake hands and then raise each other's hands in good sportsmanship to end the show.
No comments:
Post a Comment