Booking 102: Tim's NWF

[TDalton]

*** NWF BREAKING NEWS ***

Diamond Dallas Page has officially left the NWF. No word on where he’s headed, but he may be stalking King Kong Bundy & Rick Rude. While the fans did take to DDP, who worked with a bunch of different injuries during his tenure, he was never a big hit in the locker room. Most of the other wrestlers saw him as self-centered and egotistical.

The Samoan Island Tribe has been unceremoniously dumped by Sir Oliver Humperdink! It took all of seven weeks for Humperdink to determine that the Samoans would never live up to the potential he originally saw in them. Humperdink disappeared after the March 28th show in Cleveland, and could not be reached for further comment. Samu & Alofa have decided to remain in the NWF, and hope to have an impact on the tag-team division on their own.

In more shocking news, the Riviera Playboys and Sherri Martel are leaving the area as well! The Playboys were cult favorites and one of the most flamboyant acts on the NWF scene. Recently, they were even enjoying a little mainstream fan support. They leave with an overall record of 18-18-1, but had a big year in 2007, when they were ranked in the Top 5 for several months, garnered a couple title shots and led all NWF tag-teams in wins with 14.

STEEL BELT CLASH News!

It looks like the Heenan Family will make one last stab at the NWF Title! Curt Hennig has been named as Steve Williams’ next challenger! That title match will take place in Erie, PA the week after the CLASH – but you know Bobby Heenan will try to do some damage to the champ beforehand! Doc will team with Ted DiBiase to take on Ray Stevens and Heenan himself! Both fan favorites will be looking to tee off on “the Brain” - assuming he ever tags in!

As expected, The Sheik will defend the North American Championship against Red Bastien! Red handed the Syrian madman a rare loss (by DQ) in their first meeting last week! Can NWF stalwart Bastien finally end the Unholy Reign of Terror?

It’s the match the Hennig family hoped would never have to take place! The family struggle between father and son will wind up in the ring! Larry Hennig will face his son Curt Hennig one-on-one for the first time! Larry had promised he would not step into the ring against his son, but now he feels he has no choice!

As previously announced, the biggest special attraction match in company history is signed, sealed and delivered! Andre the Giant will face Big John Studd inside a 15’ high steel cage!

It’s official! For the first time since April 2006, Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel will meet in a singles action to headline the show! These two started out as a team when the NWF began in January 2003, but it didn’t last long. Bockwinkel turned on Race after just two months, and the two have been bitter enemies ever since! It’s a huge main event between the two biggest rivals in NWF history to cap off what will certainly be a great show in Buffalo!

[Chad Olson]

Can't wait to see the Clash! What's the ticket presale code?

While it's sad to see the Riveria Playboys leave the NWF, I think they surpassed any expectations you may have had for them. They were a fun team and won some unexpected matches.

[Cory Olson]

Did the Playboys and Sherri have a "Famous Final Scene" when they left? Sad to see them go. But that seems typical for Rose to have a good run, then have trouble getting wins again.

Can't wait for the Clash as well!

[TDalton]

NWF RANKINGS
As of March 31, 2008

NWF Champion: STEVE WILLIAMS (C)
North American Champion: THE SHEIK (NA)
1. Ivan Koloff (2)
2. Curt Hennig (6)
3. Ray Stevens (3)
4. Red Bastien (8)
5. Harley Race (1)
6. Nick Bockwinkel (5)
7. Ted DiBiase (4)
8. Greg Valentine (9)
9. Jimmy Valiant (10)
10. Bobby Eaton ( - )

NWF Tag-Team Champions: FABULOUS KANGAROOS (1)
1. Mad Dog Vachon & Jimmy Valiant (C)
2. Midnight Express (2)
3. Greg Valentine & Ivan Koloff (4)
4. Bob & Brad Armstrong (3)
5. Harley Race & Larry Hennig ( - )


NOTES: On the singles charts, Bullet Bob Armstrong falls off the list while Beautiful Bobby makes his debut. Harley Race drops a few slots after failing in his bid to win his fourth NWF Title. Curt Hennig continues his impressive climb toward the NWF Title. Red Bastien has looked great, and will get another title shot at The Sheik at STEEL BELT CLASH. Ray Stevens lost his last bout, but has won six of seven so far this year. According to Lou Albano, Greg Valentine will be doing a little more singles wrestling in the next month or two. We’ve got new tag champs in the undefeated (12-0 over 2007 and 2008) Kangaroos, but former champs Vachon & Valiant are hot on their heels! Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens fall from the rankings and are off to a horrible start in 2008 after looking unbeatable last year. They’re replaced by rivals Race & Hennig, who are hoping for a title shot in the future.

[TDalton]

Card #274– 04/04/2008
War Memorial – Rochester, NY

The STEEL BELT CLASH is just one week away and we are live and in color from Rochester, NY – home to Eastman Kodak, Xerox and the Chesterfield Kings! There’s a great show lined up which includes the first meeting of Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel since April 2006, a special appearance by Big John Studd and a big tag-team title return match! Let’s get to the action…

1. Danny Doring cor Samoan Alofa
Can the Samoans survive without manager Oliver Humperdink? This was another win for Doring, so we’ll have to listen to him campaign for a title shot for at least another week. Finish saw the powerful Samoan batter Doring outside the ring, but miss a running splash into the ring post and get counted out.

2. Samoan Samu b Cousin Luke
Though Samu won and did most of the damage, Luke hung tough and went down swinging. Samu won a long match with a Diving Headbutt. Both seemed to have some respect for the other by the end of this slugfest.

3. Ted DiBiase & Jim Duggan b Ivan Koloff & King Kong Mosca
This one looked like an even matchup until Mosca got knocked senseless taking a spill through the ropes. DiBiase & Duggan took advantage, with Duggan working King Kong over, leaving him a bloody mess. Mosca showed his tough reputation isn’t all folklore and survived every pin attempt, although just barely. Koloff finally made the tag, but Mosca had taken such a beating that the Russian had to carry the load for the rest of the bout. DiBiase popped Koloff with the Black Glove to get the win.

4. Dennis Condrey b Brad Armstrong
Another singles win for Condrey, although this certainly wasn’t without controversy. Condrey was in deep trouble, but pulled referee Mark Curtis into the way of a top rope bodypress by Armstrong. With Curtis out of action, Brad did a number on the Cornette protégé, but had no way to win. By the time Curtis recovered, Cornette and his tennis racquet had turned the tables for Condrey, allowing him to get the pin with his Face First Legsweep. Bob Armstrong ran to the ring waving a baseball bat and chased Cornette and Condrey away.

5. Special Attraction: Big John Studd cor S.D. Jones
This was a prelude to Studd facing Andre the Giant next week inside a 15’ high steel cage at the STEEL BELT CLASH in Buffalo! Jones got off to a rough start, but got a little help when Andre the Giant showed up at ringside! Studd was distracted, allowing Jones to roll him up for a near fall. Andre laughed which enraged Studd, who took his frustrations out on Philadelphia’s Favorite Son. The big man hammered Jones mercilessly and tossed him out of the ring like an old newspaper. As Jones was counted out, Studd turned his attention to Andre, claiming he was the real “giant” of wrestling. As soon as Andre took off his sportcoat and started toward the ring, Studd bailed out and walked to the locker room.

6. Greg Valentine dq Bob Armstrong
Valentine gets his second win over Armstrong, but this one was more painful than when these two met a few weeks ago in Jamestown. Both men threw a lot of stiff shots, but Armstrong was getting the better of the exchanges. Although Lou Albano was in Valentine’s corner, it was an appearance by Jim Cornette that got Bullet’s blood boiling. Cornette didn’t interfere, but was ranting and raving around ringside while putting the bad mouth on Armstrong. He tried to use the tennis racquet, but Bob grabbed it away from him. Valentine was sneaking up behind Armstrong, but Bob whirled and caught the Hammer right between the eyes with the racquet for the DQ.

7. Harley Race & Larry Hennig b Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens
It’s hard to believe, but this is the first time Race and Bockwinkel have been in the same ring since Harley returned to the area last year. This was a good match, and a fantastic performance by Race & Hennig. Bock was avoiding Harley like the plague, but once they were in together, all hell broke loose! Race was doing a number on Bock, who made a desperate tag to Stevens. The action continued, with Race & Hennig getting the better of things. Curt Hennig made a brief appearance at ringside, draping Stevens’ leg over the bottom rope when Larry had him covered. It wound up with Race and Bockwinkel swinging at each other. That’s not the smart fight for Bockwinkel, and it showed. Race got Tricky Nick up for the Piledriver to seal the win.

8. Curt Hennig b Larry Zbyszko
Once again Hennig comes out on top in his feud with Zbyszko. In their many battles, Larry has only gotten the win one time. With the victory, his fourth straight, Curt solidifies his position for the upcoming title shot at Steve Williams. Dr. Death beat Nick Bockwinkel to win the title, and pinned Ray Stevens last week in Cleveland. Hennig may be the last chance for the Heenan Family to regain the top spot!

9. NWF Tag-Team Championship: Fabulous Kangaroos b Mad Dog Vachon & Jimmy Valiant
Thirteen was not an unlucky number for the Kangaroos. It looks like the Aussie duo is becoming to the tag ranks what The Sheik is to singles. Despite getting a good fight from former champs Vachon & Valiant, the Kangaroos upped their cumulative record to a pristine 13-0 with their first defense of their tag belts. Though Vachon had Costello in trouble on a couple of occasions, it was the cagey double-teaming, well concealed illegal tactics and conniving manager Red Berry that brought the ‘Roos their latest victory. Heffernan put Mad Dog away with the Boomerang for the win.

There you have it! Another great show with Harley Race drawing first blood in this chapter of his longstanding feud with Nick Bockwinkel! Can he keep the momentum going next week at the STEEL BELT CLASH? Here’s the current lineup:

* In a match that many hoped would never happen, Larry “the Axe” Hennig will face his son Curt Hennig in a match sure to tear the family apart! Larry vowed that even though Curt defected to the Heenan Family, he would never face his son in the ring. The events of the past two weeks have changed everything. Reportedly, there is a charter bus full of Hennigs on the way to Buffalo to try and reconcile the former tag-team champions.

* The Bob Armstrong – Jim Cornette feud has officially made its way to the NWF! As a result, a special Handicap Match has been signed! Bob will team with son Brad to battle the Midnight Express and the elusive Cornette himself! The first tag bout between the Armstrongs and Midnights in Cleveland fell apart quickly, as it didn’t take long for the fires to reignite. The always talkative Cornette will do anything it takes to get the advantage and best Bullet Bob!

* It’s odd for The Sheik not to be the headliner, but with a show loaded with this many main event caliber bouts, he’ll have to take a back seat! Red Bastien, after getting a quick DQ win in their last meeting, looks to be the man to finally unseat the current North American champ! The Sheik comes in with only one pinfall loss in his 49 singles matches! Will NWF mainstay Bastien finally be the one to end the Unholy Reign of Terror or will he simply be The Sheik’s next victim?

* It’s time to reinforce the ring! In the biggest special attraction in NWF history, Andre the Giant will step inside the 15’ high Steel Cage to face Big John Studd and determine who the real giant of wrestling is! These two went to a DQ when they met back at SUPERBOWL 5 in December, and the NWF was lucky enough to sign this huge (literally) rematch!

* Your big main event will see rivals Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel going toe-to-toe for the first time since April 2006! Their last match saw Bockwinkel beat Race for the NWF title when Harley’s then manager Bobby Heenan turned on him! These two have held the NWF Title a combined eight times, and their blood feud helped put the promotion on the map, headlining in virtually every NWF venue!

It’s the STEEL BELT CLASH next week in Buffalo! Don’t you dare miss it!

[TDalton]

the National Wrestling Federation presents…

STEEL BELT CLASH
Friday, April 11th
Peace Bridge Exhibition Center
Gates Open 6:00pm


***MAIN EVENT***
HARLEY RACE vs NICK BOCKWINKEL

Special Attraction
** Steel Cage Grudge Match **
ANDRE THE GIANT vs BIG JOHN STUDD

** Father against Son **
LARRY HENNIG vs CURT HENNIG

** Handicap Match **
BOB & BRAD ARMSTRONG vs THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS & JIM CORNETTE

North American Championship
THE SHEIK vs RED BASTIEN

ALSO:

Ted DiBiase & Steve Williams vs Ray Stevens & Bobby Heenan

Jim Duggan vs “King Kong” Mosca

Billy “Red” Lyons vs Roy Heffernan

S.D. Jones & Cousin Luke vs Samoan Island Tribe


Plus much more exciting action!



Card Subject to Change

[TDalton]

Card #275 – 04/11/2008
STEEL BELT CLASH
Peace Bridge Exhibition Center – Buffalo, NY

A late venue change due to a scheduling conflict at The Aud made this the biggest crowd ever for the arena. With the first Race / Bockwinkel singles match since early 2006, Andre the Giant in a cage and a bunch of other bouts that could headline anywhere in the NWF, this is the greatest SBC lineup ever! With no further ado, let’s get to the action…

1. S.D. Jones & Cousin Luke dq Samoan Island Tribe
A solid opener with a crazy ending. Both teams looked good, and they seemed to almost enjoy exchanging ineffective headbutts. The finish saw the surprise return of the Samoans former manager Sir Oliver Humperdink! He clocked S.D. with a cane he was carrying for the DQ. Instead of jumping on the downed opponents, the Samoans showed concern for their foes, and anger towards Humperdink. That led to Humperdink waving in his newest find…the Mongols! The wild looking team stormed in and beat down the Samoans, with the bigger Mongol using a chain as a weapon! Jones and Luke attempted to help, but they too were tossed around by this vicious tandem. Humperdink and his new team laid out all four men then left the ring.

2. Roy Heffernan b Billy “Red” Lyons
Obviously, the Flying Redheads and Fabulous Kangaroos still have some issues. Lyons started strong, getting a quick near fall, but Heffernan hit a Kangaroo Kick out of nowhere that flattened Lyons for the stunning victory.

3. Greg Valentine cor Al Costello
This match is a prelude to Valentine & Ivan Koloff getting the next title shot in a couple of weeks. Lou Albano, noted for his prowess at managing tag-teams, is looking to bring the tag titles back to his stable for the first time since early 2007. Valentine was able to frustrate the ‘Roos captain, who decided to take a powder after being outclassed both in and out of the ring in this bout. Valentine 5th straight singles win in 2008 and Costello’s 5th straight singles loss.

4. Jim Duggan b King Kong Mosca
Hacksaw put a pretty good beating on newcomer Mosca in a tag match last week, and this was supposed to be King Kong’s payback. There wasn’t much technical wrestling on display in this one, as the two went toe-to-toe and slugged it out. Good brawl with Mosca dominating the first half of the match before Hacksaw made the big comeback and used his Flying Spear for the win.

5. Ted DiBiase & Steve Williams b Ray Stevens & Bobby Heenan
NWF Champion Williams is coming off a big win over Stevens and is looking at another Heenan Family challenger, Curt Hennig, next week. Stevens got a couple cheap shots in on Williams, allowing Heenan to use a concealed object to further punish the champ. Doc powered up, and Heenan quickly tagged Stevens back in. Rest of the bout was all DiBiase & Williams. It ended when Dr. Death made a house call on Stevens and prescribed the Oklahoma Stampede. Hennig showed up at the finish, but chose to keep his distance and taunt Williams about their upcoming match.

6. North American Championship: Red Bastien dq The Sheik
For the second straight time, Bastien gets his hand raised, but comes away without the belt. Sheik got the upper hand early, a rarity for him, but the scrappy Bastien wouldn’t stay down. The finish was similar to their last meeting, as Red was tangled in the ropes with Sheik attacking and refusing to break. Referee Paddy Grimes called for the DQ, and several wrestlers and security had to pry The Sheik off Bastien. Once free, Red lunged for the Syrian madman, but Abdullah Farouk and Sheik escaped to the locker room. With this successful title defense, The Sheik’s title reign will exceed one year, making him the only person besides Nick Bockwinkel to ever accomplish the feat.

7. Bob & Brad Armstrong cor Midnight Express & Tom Prichard (Handicap Match)
Before the match began, Jim Cornette (with his arm in a sling) announced that he had sustained an injury during his intense high altitude training for this match, and had notes from both his doctor and his momma saying he was unable to wrestle. Luckily however, he had found someone who would be willing to take his place – Dr. Tom Prichard! The Armstrongs weren’t happy about the late substitution, but were up to the challenge. This turned into a hot match. Prichard had a rough debut, as he was bloodied early and was a mess by the time it was over. Armstrongs didn’t seem phased by being outnumbered, and controlled most of the action. Not so surprisingly, Cornette was interfering with his “injured” arm all night long. It ended when Bob used Cornette’s tennis racquet to knock out Condrey outside the ring. Cornette was trying to push Condrey back into the ring, but Brad did a pescado onto the obnoxious manager, halting the effort and resulting in a countout.

8. Larry Hennig b Curt Hennig
This was the match that had torn the Hennig family apart. Curt was saying that he was in the Heenan Family now, not the Hennig Family. Larry was very tentative at the start. A couple of times he would have Curt in a tough position and just let him go. That infuriated Curt, who started brawling. Larry was being defensive, but once he got hit by a couple of shots, he let loose. He put Curt down with The Axe, but didn’t go for the cover. A short time later, he used The Axe again to get the win. After the bell, Larry helped Curt to his feet and held out his hand. Curt hesitated, looking at his father, then at Bobby Heenan. Unfortunately for Larry, this was an elaborate distraction allowing Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens to sneak attack from behind! Along with Curt, the three men put the boots to big Larry until Harley Race and a bunch of other fan favorites hit the ring to chase them away.

9. Special Attraction: Andre the Giant b Big John Studd (Steel Cage Match)
This was a rematch from SUPERBOWL 5 where these two behemoths clashed with Andre getting a hollow DQ win. Studd calls Andre a “freak of nature” and claims to be wrestling’s only true giant. Well, it looks like Andre gets to keep the bragging rights after tonight. Studd had a couple of moments, but Andre was the aggressor, tossing Big John around the 15’ high cage. It ended when Andre had Studd up in a bodyslam position, but then rammed him face first into the cage! Andre got the pin and proved that he is still the “Eighth Wonder of the World” and wrestling’s only giant!

10. Nick Bockwinkel b Harley Race
The battles between these two are synonymous with the NWF. Their 2003 Feud of the Year was the foundation that helped build the organization and continued in various incarnations until April 2006. Their Alley Fight at the first SUPERBOWL is still the best supercard main event in NWF history and was voted 2003 Match of the Year. The two also headlined SUPERBOWL 3 and the very first STEEL BELT CLASH. They have held the NWF Title a combined eight times. Since Harley Race returned to the area last October, the two have been focused on other goals, always knowing that at some point they would add another chapter to their history as rivals. This meeting was another great bout, and an early 2008 Match of the Year contender. If not for the interference of Bobby Heenan, it would have been a one-sided squash, as Race had the match won with a Piledriver after beating the hell out of Bockwinkel the first half of the bout. Bockwinkel staged a huge comeback, targeting Race’s left leg and using the Figure 4 Leglock for a couple of near submissions. As the long match wore on, both men gave it everything they had. It came down to a back suplex attempt by Race that Bockwinkel was able to block, use a go behind and lock Race in the Sleeper for the win. Given their past, don’t expect this to be their last meeting.

Another fantastic NWF supercard is in the books! We saw the debut of Tom Prichard, the return of Oliver Humperdink, further heartbreak for the Hennig clan, a great victory for Andre the Giant and a big win for Nick Bockwinkel in the first heads up meeting against Harley Race! This one will be hard to beat, but here’s what’s on tap next week in Erie, PA:

* Sir Oliver Humperdink has returned! After being embarrassed by the performance of his Samoan team, Humperdink has brought in two ferocious looking men he calls The Mongols! The hulking tag-team will make their in-ring debut next week at the Fieldhouse!

* Also making a debut, his singles debut, will be the newest Jim Cornette protégé “The Doctor of Desire” Tom Prichard! These two have worked together before, and Cornette has taken the first step in his renewed efforts to make Bob Armstrong’s life a living hell! Prichard won’t have it easy, as he tackles popular youngster Brad Armstrong, who will undoubtedly have Bullet Bob at ringside!

* Bruisers Jim Duggan and King Kong Mosca will face each other once again! Mosca claimed Duggan’s win was a fluke! Maybe he should talk to Harley Race and Curt Hennig! We’ll see if King Kong gets his revenge next week!

* A great match between two top contenders is set for Erie! Ted DiBiase meets Greg “the Hammer” Valentine in what should prove to be a hard hitting affair!

* In a rematch from two weeks ago, Harley Race & Larry Hennig will square off against Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens! Race & Hennig earned a win in their first meeting – can they make it two in a row over the former tag champs?

* Your big main event will see the Heenan Family make another attempt to bring the NWF belt back into the fold! Curt Hennig will try to shake off the loss to his father and capture the gold from Steve “Dr. Death” Williams in what looks to be an outstanding championship encounter!

We’ll see you next week in Erie!

[Chad Olson]

Another huge NWF supercard! I think the Mongols will do better for Humperdink than the Samoans. Valentine & Koloff are tough enough to knock off the Kangaroos, can't wait for that title match. I'm surprised that Larry was able to take out Curt, he hasn't had a lot of success in the AWA. How are you going to settle the big feud with Red & the Sheik? Great main event with Bock & Race, those two are your Star Warrior & Thantos.

[TDalton]

Originally, I was going to bring the Humperdink in with the Mongols, but figured it would be more fun to work the angle with the Samoans.

I really like Valentine & Koloff as a team. With Capt. Lou in their corner, anything is possible. Both have had great singles success in the last year as well.

I was stunned when Larry got the win over Curt. I was prepared for either winning, but the dice really favored The Axe in that match.

After two DQ's, Bastien and Sheik will wind up in some kind of stipulation match on the May 2nd card in Akron. In these situations, I've often tried to favor matches the champion would have an edge in. Right now, I'm leaning Falls Count Anywhere.

For me, Race & Bock have the same type of dynamic that Bobo & Sheik did in real life. You don't need a lot of buildup, you just know there's history there.

[Cory Olson]

A great supercard! I like how you introduced The Mongols, in having them attack both teams. I too was surprised by "The Axe's" win. I wonder if Red can finally stop The Sheik.

Can't wait to see what's next!