It's now time for the start of the 3rd Annual Sammartino Invitational!Major League Wrestling (MLW)
MLW
3rd Annual Sammartino Invitational
Thursday April 30, 2009
The Major League Wrestling Arena
Las Vegas, NV
(First Round)Backstage: Savage-T and April Hunter are in a corner of a room and Savage-T is bending down and staring at Hunter's chest from only about a foot away.
- Up walks the Belgian Bralwer.
- Belgian Brawler: "Savage-T, what are you doing? The tournament is about to start."
- Savage-T: "I know, but April wanted to show me her brackets."
- "Belgian Brawler: "We got to go, our match is up first."
Bracket A, First Round Match #1: (#1) World Tag Team Champions the Road Warriors defeated (#16) Savage-T (accompanied by April Hunter) and the Belgian Brawler- The Road Warriors easily won this match, as Savage-T and the Belgian Brawler didn't even get in a single move of offense, when Road Warrior Hawk pinned the Belgian Brawler via a vertical suplex.
(promoter's note: Although they dominated this match, the Road Warriors were one number off on a DQ role at one point of getting DQd outside of the ring)
Match #2: (#8) New Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey and Rapping Red Bastien defeated (#9) Claudio Castagnoli and Chris Hero (both managed by Larry Sweeney)- Bastien pinned Hero via ATOMIC DROP.
Match #3: (#4) Ivan Kolofff and Nikolai Volkoff (both managed by Nikita Breznikov) defeated (#13) The Bodydonnas (Chris Candido and Tom Prichard, both managed by Tammy) - Koloff made Candido tap out to his RUSSIAN BEARHUG
Match #4: (#5) The Vachons (managed by "Wild" Red Berry) defeated (#12) Fritz Von Goering and the Terrible Turk- Butcher Vachon made Von Goering tap out to his HANGMAN
Match #5: (#2) Buddy Rogers and Rikidzoan (both managed by Eddie Fyne) defeated (#15) Samoan Island Tribe- Rogers made Samu tap out to his FIGURE FOUR GRAPEVINE.
Match #6: (#7)The Crusher and Angelo Mosca defeated (#10) Ray Stevens and Mr. Perfect (accompanied by Larry "the Axe" Hennig)Match #7: (#3) Rock 'N Roll Express defeated (#14) Yukon Eric and Cousin Luke- Robert Gibson made Cosuin Luke tap out to the GIBSON LEGLOCK.
- Afterward, MLW Chairman Bruno Sammartino came out to announce that if one of the 4 visiting outside tag teams (Demolition, Rock 'N Roll Express, the Freebirds, and the Fantastics) win this entire tournament then they will be offered a MLW contract!
Match #8 (#6) Dan "the Beast" Severn and Antonio Inoki defeated (#11) Barroom Heroes (Sandman and Justin Credible) - Severn put Sandman away via a choke sleeper
(Promoter's Note: After completing the 8 first round matches for Bracket A, no upsets in terms of seeding so far)
Bracket B, First RoundMatch #1: (#1) Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Stan lane, both managed by Jim Cornette) defeated S.D. Jones and Johnny Rodz- Lane pinned Jones following a ROCKET LAUNCHER
Match #2: (#9) The Mongols (managed by Sir Oliver Humperdink) defeated (#8) Don Muraco (managed by Ladies Champion Sherri Martel) and Cowboy Bob Orton Jr. by DQ- The first upset of the tournament occurs as The Mongols advanced on a DQ ruling when the action spilled outside of the ring where Martel hit Geeto Mongol with her loaded purse.
Match #3: (#4) EAWA Tag Team Champions the Valiants defeated (#13) Buff Bagwell and the Boogie Woogie Man The Valiants advanced when Jimmy Valiant pinned the Boogie Woogie Man
via the SUPER ELBOW.
Match #4: (#12) Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black (both accomapnied by Daizee Haze) defeated (#5) Johnny Valentine and Larry Zbyszko (both managed by Eddie Fyne) by DQ- Another upset occurs as Jacobs and Black become the first tag team from Minor League Wrestliong to advance when Zbyszko got DQd for arguing with and then shoving down the referee.
Match #5: (#2) World Champion Bruiser Brody and Jimmy Snuka defeated (#15) Playboy Buddy Rose and Danny Doring.Brody pinned Doring via a one hand body slam in a one-sided match.
Match #6: (#10) Gorgeous George and Iron Mike DiBiase defeated (#7) Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake - George and DiBiase, who shocked everyone in last year's Samartino Invitational by advancing all the way to the Elite Eight, scored another tournament upset when DiBiase pinned Valentine via his TOP ROPE KNEEDROP.
Match #7: (#3) the Fantastics defeated (#14) the Young Bucks- Tommy Rogers pinned "Slick" Nick Jackson after dropicks.
Match #8: (#6) United States Champion Steve "Dr. Death" Williams and Hacksaw Jim Duggan defeated (#11) Mr. Canada (Billy "Red" Lyons) and The Mountie by countout- This great match ended when The Mountie got counted out.
BracKet C, First RoundMatch #1: (#1) The Brothers of Other Mothers (Bobo Brazil and Mil Mascaras) defeated (#16) Koko B. Ware and George South- Brazil and Mascaras, looking to win their 3rd of 3 Sammartino Invitationals, overcame 2 close early pin attempts against Brazil to win when Mascaras pinned Ware via CROSSBODY ATTACK.
Match #2: (#8) Rick Rude and Ox Baker (both managed by Bobby Heenan) defeated (#9) Bob Orton Sr. and the Masked Superstar- Rude pinned Orton Sr. via a swinging neckbreaker.
Match #3: (#4) EAWA Champion Antonino Rocca and Giant Baba defeated (#13) Sam Hayne and Necro Butcher- Although Hayne and the Necro Butcher almost won this match when Hayne managed to hit HELL'S FLAMES against Rocca, Rocca and Baba won this match when Baba pinned Hayne via a boot to face.
Match #4: (#5) The Heroes of Hardcore (Hardcore Hodge and Hardcore Hutton) defeated (#12) the Backseat Boyz- The Backseat Boyz came really close in pulling off an upset, but the Heroes of Hardcore advanced to the Second Round when Hardcore Hutton made Trent Acid tap out to his ABDONIMAL STRETCH.
Match #5: (#2) MLW Champion George Hackenschmidt and Frank Gotch defeated (#15) Brodie Lee and Eddie Kingston- Lee and Kingston out up a good fight but lost when Gotch made Kingston tap out to his GOTCH TOEHOLD.
Match #6: (#10) Delirious and The Destroyer defeated the (#7) Killer Bees- This match brought Bracket C's first upset when Delirious put Jim Brunzell away via CHEMICAL IMBALANCE #2.
Match #7: (#14) Naptown Dragons defeated (#3) The Freebirds (Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy, both accompanied by Buddy Roberts) The biggest upset of the night occurs when Scotty Vortekz put away Hayes following KISS OF THE DRAGON.
Match #8: (#11) Tiger Mask and Jushin Liger defeated (#6) Intercontinental Champion The Sheik (managed by Abdullah Farouk) and Ed "Strangler" LewisBracket D, First RoundMatch #1. (#1) MLW Tag Team Champions the Fabulous Kangaroos (managed by Captain Kangaroo- Albano) defeated "Precious" Paul Ellering and Larry Sharpe- Al Costello made Sharpe tap out to his MARBLE BOR LEGLOCK.
Match #2: (#9) Adam Pearce and Steve Corino (both managed by Larry Sweeney) defeated (#8) the Armstrongs - Pearce pinned Brad Armstrong via JUMPING PILEDRIVER.
Match #3: (#4) New Age Outlaws) defeated (#13) Drake Younger and Timber - B.G. James pinned Younger via PUMP HANDLE SLAM
Match #4 (#5): Jim Londos and Diamond Dallas Page defeated (#12) Heartbreak Express (managed by Jonny Fairplay) - Londos pinned Superstar Sean Davis after Fairplay came into the ring with a steel chair only to have th chair taken away from him by Londos who smashed it against Fairplay and then against Davis for the pin (roll of 11 on Fairplay's interference chart).
Match #5: (#2) Nick Bockwinkel and Harley Race (both managed by Bobby Heenan) defeated (#15) J. D. Michaels and "Bloody" Harker Dirge - Bockwinkel and Race easily got past Mciaels and Dirge when Race pinned Michaels via his PILEDRIVER.
Match #6: (#7) EAWA General Manager the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase (accompanied by Virgil) and King Kong Bundy defeated (#10) Killer Kowalski and Don Leo Jonathan This match ended when Kowalski missed his bombs away knee drop (roll of 6) and DiBiase then put him away via his MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER.
Match #7: (#3) Demolition defeated (#14) Ricky Landell and Erick Stevens- Smash pinned Stevens via the DEMOLITION DECAPITATOR.
Backstage: Watching Landell and Stevens lose the prrevious match on his TV in the back, Cox turns around and tells Minor League Wrestling Tag Team Champions Champion Minor League Wrestling Champion Mike Quackenbush and Arik Cannon that, as Minor League Wrestling's highest seed in the 3rd Annual Sammartino Invitational, he expects them to wins some matches in this tournament to help make Minor League Wrestling look respectable against Major League Wrestling.
Match #8: (#11) Sabu and Konnan defeated (#6)Minor League Wrestling Champion Tag Team Champions Minor League Wrestling Champion Mike Quackenbush and Arik Cannon - This match ended when Konnan out Quaqckenbush away via TEQUILA SUBRISE.
- Afterward an angry Cox appeared to tell Quackenbush and Cannon that, as punushment for being upset in the First Round, on Sunday's Final Four they will have to defend the Minor League Wrestling Tag Team Championship between the Semi-Final and Finals matches against whatever Minor League Wrestling tag team advances the furthest in this tournament.
End of First Round.
Tomorrow's Second Round Matchups: (where promoters participating in MLW Madness will have a chance to earn 2 points for each of the tag teams they predicted to win in the Second Round based on the bracket they submitted before the start of the 3rd Annual Sammartino Invitational):
Bracket A
(#1) World Tag Team Champions the Road Warriors vs (#8) the New Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey and Rapping Red Bastien)
(#4) Ivan Koloff and Nikolai Volkoff vs (#5) The Vachons
(#2) Buddy Rogers and Rikidozan vs (#7) The Crusher and Angelo Mosca
(#3) Rock "N Roll Express vs (#6) Dan "the Beast" Severn and Antonio Inoki
Bracket B
(#1) Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane) vs (#9) The Mongols
(#4) EAWA Tag Team Champions the Valiants vs (#12) Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black
(#2) World Champion Bruiser Brody and Jimmy Snuka vs (#10) Gorgeous George and Iron Mike DiBiase
(#3) The Fantastics) vs (#6) United States Champion Steve "Dr. Death" Williams and Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Bracket C
(#1) The Brothers of Other Mothers (Bobo Brazil and Mil Mascaras) vs (#8) Rick Rude and Ox Baker
(#4) EAWA Champion Antonino Rocca and Giant Baba) vs (#5) The Heroes of Hardcore (Hardcore Hodge and Hardcore Hutton)
(#2) MLW Champion George Hackenschmidt and Frank Gotch vs (#10) Delirious and The Destroyer
(#14) Naptown Dragons vs (#11) Tiger Mask and Jushin Liger
Bracket D
(#1) MLW Tag Team Champions the Fabulous Kangaroos vs (#9) Adam Pearce and Steve Corino
(#4) New Age Outlaws) vs (#5) Jim Londos and Diamond Dallas Page)
(#2) Nick Bockwinkel and Harley Race vs (#7) EAWA General manager the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase and King Kong Bundy
(#3) Demoltion vs (#11) Sabu and Konnan