Bithlo Championship Wrestling

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR SIX, CARD NO. 12

Disney MGM (Night of Champions)

The commissioners of the three main organizations were welcomed to ringside, and then the nine championship matches began.

FSW (Future Stars of Wrestling) Television Title:

Jigsaw retained his belt against Erick Stevens when he used his JIG ‘N’ TONIC finisher. Stevens got the initial advantage and a pin attempt, but was unsuccessful. Eventually, it became Jigsaw’s turn with momentum, and he made it pay off.

AWA (Alternate Wrestling Alliance) Great Lakes Title:

The Destroyer d. Dewey Robertson by DQ when Robertson went into “Missing Link” mode and belted the champion with a chair when both were outside the ring. Robertson’s “change” may have come from frustration in the ring, as the Destroyer dominated much of the match.

BCW U.S. Title:

Diamond Dallas Page d. Rick Rude (w/ Ida Mae) when he connected with a DIAMOND CUTTER to win his first championship belt in BCW. The match was pretty even until Page caught the then-champion out of nowhere with his finisher to win. The fans were loud in their celebration of Page’s victory.

FSW Tag-Team Titles:

The Backseat Boyz d. the Osirian Portal when Trent Acid pinned Ophidian after a Backseat Driver. The match went back and forth, with a series of pin attempts, but the Osirian Portal could never gain enough momentum to take ultimate control and capture the belts.

AWA Tag-Team Titles:

The Love Brothers d. the Flying Redheads to retain their belts when Reginald Love hit his ATOMIC DROP finisher on Billy “Red” Lyons. The match was a really long one, and the Redheads gave a great accounting of themselves before falling short in their title quest.

BCW Tag-Team Titles:

The Biggest Show on Earth d. Giant Baba and Jushin Liger in a no-DQ match to win the BCW world tag-team titles. The finish came when Giant Baba entered the ring to try to break up the pin attempt on Liger by Bruiser Brody. Brody and King Kong Bundy combined to throw him out of the ring, and, as Antonio Inoki came out to watch the finish, Brody did a JUMPING KNEE DROP on Liger to get the pin. The two men celebrated, and Inoki turned and went to the back.

FSW Heavyweight Title:

“The Psycho Shooter” Drake Younger d. Kevin Steen to become the first wrestler to win the FSW world heavyweight title for a second time. Steen had the advantage early, but Younger took control while both were outside the ring, then finished Steen inside the squared circle with his DRAKE’S LANDING.

AWA Heavyweight Title:

The Crusher d. Larry Zbyszko (w/ Sherri Martel) by DQ when Zbyszko nailed the Crusher outside the ring with a steel chair. The Crusher had dominated his longtime rival during the first part of the match using his strength, and the champion decided to choose the easy way out when both men ended up outside the ring.

BCW Heavyweight Title:

George Hackenschmidt (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. Mil Mascaras to retain the BCW world heavyweight championship. The match was back and forth between the two, with moves met by counters, inside and out of the ring. But, in a typical occurrence, Albano interfered, giving Mascaras an extra push as he was about to leap off the turnbuckle and helping him land right in a Hackenschmidt RUSSIAN BEAR HUG, which led to his submission. Albano and the rest of the Foreign Legion celebrated afterward, as once again Antonio Inoki watched ahead of his title match at Tag-o-Rama.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR SIX, CARD NO. 13

Melbourne Auditorium

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. S+S when Hawk, returning from injury, pinned Larry Sharpe after a running clothesline. The Warriors looked a bit rusty at times, but also punished S+S before the pin. Afterward, Hawk took the microphone and said: “Mongols, we ain’t forgot about you – you’re time is coming. And it will be full of pain. And Brody and Bundy, we see you’ve got the belts now. Hold on to them tight, because at Tag-o-Rama, we are going to find you and rip them from you. Oooh, what a rush!”

Curt Hennig d. Johnny Rodz using his HENNIG PLEX. Hennig showed complete disdain for his opponent, slapping him in the face a couple of times after he got the pin.

The Oilmen d. Ray Stevens and Brad Armstrong when Armstrong went for a clothesline against Danny Hodge, but missed and ran into the turnbuckle, making him easy prey for Hodge to roll him up for the pin. Stevens and Armstrong had dominated much of the long match, but pin attempts were few and far between before the finish. It was the first loss for the team of Armstrong/Stevens.

In a nontitle match, Rob Van Dam d. U.S. champion Diamond Dallas Page in a great match that ended due to Van Dam’s FIVE STAR FROG SPLASH. The match saw both men get their finishers in, only to have their opponent kick out. Van Dam got his a second time, and that made the difference.

Commissioner Chad came out and called out the Kings of Wrestling. Out they came with “adviser” Larry Sweeney. The commissioner said they should earn their fancy name, so here was an opportunity to do it – against the New Age Outlaws!

The New Age Outlaws d. the Kings of Wrestling (w/ Larry Sweeney) when B.G. James pinned Claudio Castagnoli following a Shake, Rattle and Roll kneedrop. The Outlaws mostly dominated the match, despite interference by Sweeney, and then just smirked at the Kings after the pin. Sir Oliver Humperdink watched from an entryway and shook his head afterward.

The commissioner came back out and met with an unhappy Giant Baba and Jushin Liger. He said that the Biggest Show on Earth would not defend the tag belts until Tag-o-Rama, but he was willing to give Baba and Liger a nontitle shot on this card if they wanted to get some revenge. They shook their heads “yes” and got into the ring to await the newly crowned BCW tag-team champions.

Giant Baba and Jushin Liger d. the BCW world tag-team champion Biggest Show on Earth in a nontitle match when Baba pinned Bruiser Brody after a vicious NECKBREAKER DROP. Baba dominated the match and seemed determined to inflict pain. After the pin, Liger jumped from the top rope onto Brody as well, bringing King Kong Bundy into the ring and seeing the four men pointing at each other as referees and security broke things up.

Ivan Koloff (w/Commander Lou Albano) d. “The Icon” Bobo Brazil by DQ when Brazil belted Albano as he was about to interfere. Koloff dominated the first part of the match, then slowly started losing momentum to Brazil. His jump to the outside of the ring was an attempt to change his fortunes, but he wasn’t successful, and Albano paid the price. Once recovered, Albano berated Koloff for not finishing off Brazil.

Commissioner Chad came to ringside to announce another training session for a wrestler under the tutelage of Sir Oliver Humperdink, adding that Commander Lou Albano had “graciously offered” the BCW world heavyweight champion for the session. As Albano came out shaking his head “no,” the commissioner was shaking his head “yes,” so George Hackenschmidt headed to the ring to face “Scrap Iron” Adam Pearce.

BCW world heavyweight champion George Hackenschmidt (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. “Scrap Iron” Adam Pearce (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) in a nontitle match when Pearce submitted to the RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. Pearce put up a decent fight, but Hackenschmidt, who looked irritated to even be wrestling, dominated the match down the stretch.

[The Creek Rises]

CARD No. 14 – Bithloplex

The New Age Outlaws d. S+S when Kip James pinned George South after a STANDING LEG DROP. The match served as a warm-up for the Outlaws going into Tag-o-Rama, an event they have never won.

Yukon Eric d. Johnny Rodz when he pinned the resilient Rodz after a cross-body block off the turnbuckle.

Commissioner Chad came out and called out Ivan Koloff and Mad Dog Vachon. Out they came, along with Commander Lou Albano. The commissioner said, “At this point, there is no Foreign Legion tag team going to Tag-o-Rama!” That put Albano into a fit. The commissioner said that if they at least wanted to get into a wrestle-off for a spot at Tag-o-Rama, then they wo0uld have to show something in their upcoming match – against Ray Stevens and Brad Armstrong!

Ivan Koloff and Mad Dog Vachon (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. Ray Stevens and Brad Armstrong by DQ when the referee saw Stevens retaliate against a Vachon cheap shot by beating him with Koloff’s chain outside the ring. The match was a long, amazing one that saw seven pin attempts against Koloff and Vachon and about a million tags between the four combatants. Armstrong’s inability to get the pin seemed to frustrate Stevens as the match went on. Afterward, the commissioner got back on the mic to say, “Still alive, gentlemen. Still alive.”

Curt Hennig d. Danny Hodge in a long, impressive battle of strategy and tactics when Hennig pinned Hodge after a standing dropkick. Both men had at least three pin attempts on the other as the momentum swung back and forth. Afterward, Hennig yelled that he wanted another shot at the U.S. belt.

Paul Ellering came out and said there was some business to take care of before Tag-o-Rama, and since he didn’t know if the Mongols were going to make it there, he figured that business should be settled now – with the Road Warriors!

The Mongols (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. the Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) when Hawk succumbed to the MONGOLIAN DROP. The match took a wild turn when Animal and Ellering were ambushed by Butcher Vachon and Ivan Koloff on their way to the ring, while the Mongols grabbed Hawk, threw him into the ring and went to town. Afterward, Albano stood over the fallen Hawk with a microphone and asked, “Do we belong now, Commissioner?”

Sir Oliver Humperdink came out and said his Kings of Wrestling should most certainly be in Tag-o-Rama, since they were the best young talent BCW had to offer. That brought out the BCW world tag-team champions the Biggest Show on Earth. King Kong Bundy admitted the Kings had beaten them before when they weren’t the champs. But times had changed, they owed the Kings one, and the proving ground would be right here and right now.

The BCW world tag-team champions the Biggest Show on Earth d. the Kings of Wrestling (w/ Larry Sweeney, Sir Oliver Humperdink) when Bruiser Brody pinned Claudio Castagnoli after a big boot. Castagnoli barely survived King Kong Bundy’s AVALANCHE, but didn’t have much left after Bundy tagged in Brody, despite interference from Sweeney and Humperdink.

Pepper Gomez d. Rick Rude (w/ Ida Mae) in an amazing match when he pinned Rude following a criss-cross smash. Rude survived nine pin attempts before falling to the agile Gomez, who escaped seven pin attempts against him. An exhausted Gomez took the mike afterward and said, “If Rude is a U.S. title contender, then so am I.”

Commander Lou Albano came out and said the BCW world heavyweight champion needed the challenge of a “Japanese wrestler” to warm up against before his match with Antonio Inoki at Tag-o-Rama, so he called out Giant Baba to face George Hackenschmidt, who looked a bit surprised at Albano’s matchmaking choice.

BCW world heavyweight champion George Hackenschmidt (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. former BCW world heavyweight champion Giant Baba in a nontitle match when Baba succumbed to the RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. The match was back and forth, but Hackenschmidt gained full control after Baba was outside the ring and saw Antonio Inoki standing there watching. Baba extended his hand and got a punch in the face for his offer, making him vulnerable to Hackenschmidt’s finisher. Afterward, Inoki pointed at Hackenschmidt, shook his head and then exited.

[ajcostello]

Interesting stuff going on, here.

I like what you're doing with Albano.

[The Creek Rises]

Thanks, AJ!

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR SIX, CARD No. 15

UCF Arena

Giant Baba and Jushin Liger d. S+S when George South was pinned after a boot to the face. Liger was very aggressive early with South before tagging in Baba, who took his time in dispatching South in the team’s warm-up before Tag-o-Rama.

Commissioner Chad came out and said it would be quite the card ahead. Six tag teams would be vying for the final three BCW spots in Tag-o-Rama, and there would be a random draw to see which teams faced off. Also, there would be a fatal four-way match to decide the challenger to Diamond Dallas Page’s U.S. title at the upcoming PPV. Finally, BCW world heavyweight champion George Hackenschmidt had a grand surprise for challenger Antonio Inoki later in the card.

Out came the BCW world tag-team champions, the Biggest Show on Earth. King Kong Bundy took the mic and said he knew that he and Bruiser Brody would be capturing the Tag-o-Rama crown soon, but he wanted to take care of some unfinished business first, and that went by the name of the New Age Outlaws. So he was inviting them to the ring – if they dared. Down came Kip and B.G. James.

The Biggest Show on Earth d. the New Age Outlaws when Bruiser Brody pinned Kip James following a one-hand body slam. The Biggest Show on Earth continued to have problems with the Outlaws, seeing the momentum shift away from them numerous times during the match and going through four pin attempts before finally subduing Kip James. Afterward, they put the boots to Kip a bit before officials broke things up.

Commissioner Chad came back out and said he had yet another challenge for Sir Oliver’s apparent “star pupil,” Adam Pearce. This time, it would be Mil Mascaras!

Mil Mascaras d. Adam Pearce (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) in a great, long match that ended with Mascaras executing a CROSSBODY ATTACK for the pin. Pearce acquitted himself well and, with interference from Sir Oliver, actually got two pin attempts on the former BCW world heavyweight champion before the masked marvel rallied to get the victory.

In a Tag-o-Rama qualifying match, Ivan Koloff and Mad Dog Vachon of the Foreign Legion (w/Commander Lou Albano) d. the Oilmen when Koloff pinned Yukon Eric after belting him with a chain while the referee was distracted by Albano. The bout was fast and furious, but fans booed afterward due to the controversial finish. Still, Koloff and Vachon advanced to Tag-o-Rama.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured BCW world heavyweight champion George Hackenschmidt and Commander Lou Albano of the Foreign Legion. Hackeschmidt said that while he was a “fighting champion,” Antonio Inoki was hardly a “fighting challenger.” So, before he faced Inoki at Tag-o-Rama, the Japanese wrestler would have to face a legitimate challenger on this card – one of Hackenschmidt’s choosing. Inoki came to ringside, stared at Albano and Hackenschmidt, then nodded his head “yes” and left the ring area. “Not so fast, Inoki,” Albano said. “Your opponent is right here, right now, and he’s two-time BCW world heavyweight champion Johnny Valentine!”

Antonio Inoki d. Johnny Valentine using his OCTOPUS HOLD at the end of a competitive bout that tested both wrestlers. Afterward, Inoki pointed at Commander Lou Albano and BCW world heavyweight champion George Hackenschmidt, both at ringside, then left the area.

In a Tag-o-Rama qualifying match, the Kings of Wrestling (w/ Larry Sweeney, Sir Oliver Humperdink) d. Ray Stevens and Brad Armstrong in an amazingly (and painfully) long match when Claudio Castagnoli pinned Ray Stevens following a RICOLA BOMB. The two tag teams each missed so many opportunities to take control of the match, even the fans seemed disgruntled. Despite that, the Kings of Wrestling advanced to Tag-o-Rama. Stevens was so frustrated afterward that he pushed Armstrong to the ground and left ringside in a huff.

In a four-corners match to determine who would get a shot at the U.S. heavyweight title held by Diamond Dallas Page, Rick Rude held off three challengers to secure the spot at Tag-o-Rama. The match was a wild one, with the wrestlers constantly tagging in their opponents, and no one having fewer than three pin attempts against him. Rob Van Dam eliminated Pepper Gomez after hitting him with a leg drop across the guardrail, but Van Dam was subsequently eliminated by Rude following a piledriver. Finally, Rude took out former ally Curt Hennig with a RUDE AWAKENING. Afterward, Rude celebrated with Ida Mae.

In a Tag-o-Rama qualifying match, the Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. their rivals the Mongols (w/ Commander Lou Albano) when Geeto Mongol fell victim to the DOOMSDAY DEVICE. The Mongols hold their own early in the back-and-forth match, but eventually they were unable, despite Albano’s interference, to fend off the Warriors from getting the victory and grabbing in the final spot at Tag-o-Rama.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR SIX, CARD No. 16 – Tag-o-Rama PPV

Daytona Beach Oceanfront Center

Commissioner Chad welcomed the commissioners of the AWA, the BWF and FSW to the event. He then went over the rules of Tag-o-Rama for the fans, explaining that each of the four tag-team brackets had a No. 1 seed, while the rest of the tag teams, including those from outside the organizations already mentioned, were slotted randomly into the four brackets. Once the brackets were set, the top seed in each bracket got to choose its first-round opponent.

The commissioner said that the BCW world tag-team titles would be up for grabs for any opponent other than the BWF tag teams, but no other federation’s tag belts would be at stake. In the tournament were six BCW teams, three from the AWA, three from the BWF, two from FSW and two from elsewhere. Also on the card was a BCW U.S. title match, a BCW world heavyweight title match and a special challenge match. And with that, the commissioner said, “Let’s start Tag-o-Rama!”

BRACKET ONE (surprisingly made up of all BCW teams, including the BCW tag champs):

Top seed and BCW world tag-team champions the Biggest Show on Earth d. Ivan Koloff and Mad Dog Vachon (w/ Commander Lou Albano) when Bruiser Brody pinned Vachon after a JUMPING KNEE DROP. Koloff had an early pin attempt on Brody, but King Kong Bundy entered the ring to break it up, and in the resulting scrum, Brody was able to regain the advantage. Afterward, Albano blasted Koloff for not getting back into the ring fast enough to break up the pin on Vachon.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. the New Age Outlaws when B.G. James was pinned quickly after an Animal spike piledriver. The Outlaws dominated much of the match and had Hawk on the ropes a few times, only to fall prey to a quick finish by Animal and Hawk, meaning they advanced to a shot at the BCW tag-team titles in the next round.

BRACKET TWO (featuring the BWF tag-team champs and the FSW tag-team champs):

The Backseat Boyz (FSW tag-team champions) d. Mick Foley and Abdullah the Butcher (BWF tag-team champions) by DQ when Abdullah went after Trent Acid with a spike outside the ring before the match even began. The BWF champs lived up to their wild brawling ways, which led to a huge victory for a FSW team at Tag-o-Rama.

“Dr. Death” Steve Williams and Ted DiBiase (AWA) d. Dusty Rhodes and Barry Windham (BWF) when Windham submitted to DiBiase’s FIGURE-FOUR LEGLOCK as Williams kept Rhodes from entering the ring. The match was a good one, with lots of clubberin’!

BRACKET THREE (featuring the AWA tag champs):

The Love Brothers (AWA tag-team champions) d. the Flying Redheads (AWA) after Hartford Love hit his NECKBREAKER finisher on Billy “Red” Lyons. Both sides had pin attempts, as their AWA-based rivalry continued to heat up.

Samoa Joe and the Rock (BWF) d. Sabu and the Sheik (w/ Abdullah Farouk) (ind.) when Sabu was pinned after a ROCK BOTTOM. Sabu had just missed a TRIPLE JUMP MOONSAULT, leaving him open for the Rock’s finisher.

BRACKET FOUR (featuring the BCW No. 1 contenders):

Giant Baba and Jushin Liger (BCW) d. the Barking Spiders (FSW) when Giant Baba pinned Clutch following a NECKBREAKER DROP. The Spiders had Liger in trouble early, but he was finally able to tag in Baba, and with that, the fortunes of the Spiders took a decided downturn.

The Kings of Wrestling (w/ Larry Sweeney, Sir Oliver Humperdink) (BCW) d. the Briscoe Brothers (ind.) by DQ when Jay Briscoe got in trouble for knocking down the referee while interfering with Chris Hero’s attempt to pin Mark Briscoe after a Hero Stomp. The match was a great one, with each wrestler having at least one pin attempt against him, along with several near falls and key interference by Sweeney.

In a “loser leaves BCW” match, Ray Stevens d. Brad Armstrong, pinning him after a double underhook suplex. The match was a solid one, with both men having pin attempts. Stevens left the ring quickly after the pin, while his former tag-team partner Armstrong got a nice round of applause before his departure.

BRACKET ONE FINAL:

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) became BCW world tag-team champions for a record-tying fifth time when they defeated the Biggest Show on Earth after King Kong Bundy was pinned following an Animal flying shoulder ram. Bruiser Brody tried to save Bundy and the belts, but he was stopped by Hawk. After the three-count, the BCW fans went wild in celebration as the Warriors pulled even with the Midnight Express in the BCW history books.

BRACKET TWO FINAL:

The Backseat Boyz (FSW) stunned Ted DiBiase and Steve Williams (AWA) when Trent Acid hit an ACID BOMB on DiBiase. The match was long and crazy, with the Boyz dodging a number of pin attempts to eventually get the victory.

BRACKET THREE FINAL:

The Rock and Samoa Joe (BWF) d. the Love Brothers (AWA) when Reginald Love fell victim to the Rock’s SHARPSHOOTER. The Rock got in the ring and wasted little time in securing the victory for the BWF team, despite the Love Brothers putting up a game effort.

BRACKET FOUR FINAL:

Giant Baba and Jushin Liger d. the Kings of Wrestling (w/ Larry Sweeney, Sir Oliver Humperdink) when Liger caught Claudio Castagnoli out of nowhere with an amazing tombstone piledriver to get the pin and win the bracket. Before the finish, the match featured fast-paced action with lots of tags. The finish happened so quickly that Sweeney failed to do any of his normal interference tactics.

Rick Rude (w/ Ida Mae) d. Diamond Dallas Page to regain the U.S. heavyweight belt. Page fell victim to Ida Mae’s interference, as she tripped him up coming off the ropes. When Page turned toward her, Rude caught him with a vicious clothesline and a RUDE AWAKENING, then got the pin. Afterward, he propped Page up for another RUDE AWAKENING as the crowd booed. Page apparently had an injured neck and needed help getting from the ring. It marked the third time in Year Six that Rude has held the U.S. title. Ida Mae strapped the belt around Rude’s waist as the crowd booed even more.

SEMIFINAL ONE:

The BCW world tag-team champions the Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. the Backseat Boyz (FSW) when Animal pinned Trent Acid after an overhead slam. The Boyz had the mojo going early with quick moves and lots of tags, but they could not overcome the raw power of the Warriors, who moved to the finals of Tag-o-Rama with the victory.

SEMIFINAL TWO:

Giant Baba and Jushin Liger d. the Rock and Samoa Joe (BWF) when Liger caught Samoa Joe with a BRAIN BUSTER and got the quick pin. The Rock never even tagged in during the match, which Samoa Joe controlled against both Liger and Baba until the surprise turn of events. The result secured an all-BCW finale for both the BCW world tag-team championship and the Tag-o-Rama title.

Antonio Inoki d. BCW world heavyweight champion George Hackenschmidt (w/ Commander Lou Albano) by DQ when Hackenschmidt took a chair to Inoki outside the ring in frustration. The momentum in the match went back and forth, and both men had at least two pin attempts, but at a key moment, Albano got Hackenschmidt to refrain from a pin attempt on an apparently dazed Inoki, telling him, “Not yet!” Hackenschmidt’s frustration built from there, leading to the DQ. Afterward, he confronted Albano about his interference, and Albano intensely replied, “You need this challenge, and we need a rematch!”

FINAL:

The BCW world tag-team champions the Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. Giant Baba and Jushin Liger in a great match when Hawk pinned Baba after a vertical suplex. The two teams put on quite a battle, marked by Liger breaking up an attempt at the DOOMSDAY DEVICE early in the match and Baba pretty much controlling the match up until the final moments when Hawk gained the advantage while both were outside the ring. It marked the second time the Road Warriors won Tag-o-Rama.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR SIX, CARD NO. 17

Volusia County Fairgrounds -- Deland

Buff Bagwell d. George South when he used his BUFF BLOCKBUSTER on him. Bagwell had some problems with South rallying during the middle of the match, but it hardly dissuaded his ego as he arrogantly finished South off for the victory.

Commander Lou Albano came out with a microphone and headed to ringside. He said that the match on this card between George Hackenschmidt and Antonio Inoki would prove once and for all that he had the greatest BCW world heavyweight champion ever. “George Hackenschmidt will go into a cage, he will face Antonio Inoki, and greatness will exit, because your BCW champion has more steel in his body than the cage has overall! Tonight, you will see a legend ascending, a legacy being cemented, and the rest of BCW will quake and crumble! One fall will tell it all!”

Then Mil Mascaras came to ringside.

Mascaras took the mic and said he had a lot of “unresolved anger issues” when it came to Albano’s Foreign Legion, and he needed a solution for those feelings. Albano said he already had a lot on his plate for his wrestlers on the card, but he could spare Mad Dog Vachon for a little “attitude adjustment” for Mascaras.

Mil Mascaras d. Mad Dog Vachon (w/ Commander Lou Albano) when he pinned Vachon following a slingshot plancha. Vachon was on defense for much of the match, but he did a good job of frustrating Mascaras’ attempts to finish him off early.

Sir Oliver Humperdink came out and said his Kings of Wrestling had a good Tag-o-Rama – it was a good test, but they didn’t go as far as they would have liked. He said he knew another team that didn’t go as far as it would have liked – the FORMER BCW world tag-team champs, the Biggest Show on Earth. He called them out for a rematch (from Card No. 14) of “epic proportions.” A dispirited Biggest Show on Earth slowly headed to the ring.

The Kings of Wrestling (w/ Larry Sweeney, Sir Oliver Humperdink), d. the Biggest Show on Earth when Claudio Castagnoli pinned King Kong Bundy following a modified RICOLA BOMB. He was helped out by a sneaky Sweeney, who jabbed Bundy in the back of the leg when he hit the ropes. He also was helped by Bruiser Brody, who seemed upset with Bundy and the tag team in general, and did little in the match. The Kings celebrated their major tag victory.

U.S. heavyweight champion Rick Rude (w/ Ida Mae) d. Ivan Koloff (w/ Commander Lou Albano) in a great, long match when he caught Koloff with a clothesline and got the pin. Rude told the ring announcer, Gary Michael Cappetta, to announce him as the “Diamond Killer” after injuring Diamond Dallas Page at the PPV while taking the title, but the match that followed saw him mostly on defense, as Koloff punished him but couldn’t put him away and eventually fell victim to a Rude rally. Afterward, Albano blasted Koloff for not finishing off Rude, and he pushed the manager away and then headed toward the back alone.

Rob Van Dam came out, took the mic and reaffirmed that the BCW world heavyweight championship belt was still his main goal, but he had some unfinished business on the road to getting there, starting with Harley Race. He challenged Race to come to ringside, and Race did.

Harley Race d. Rob Van Dam after using his PILEDRIVER. Race spent much of the match using tactics to keep Van Dam grounded, with only a few aerial maneuvers by RVD. Race also kept yelling, “How dare you challenge me, boy! Haven’t you learned your lesson yet?” Van Dam survived a few pin attempts before finally succumbing.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. Jushin Liger and Giant Baba to retain the BCW world tag-team titles. The end came when Liger was caught in the DOOMSDAY DEVICE. Much of the match went the way of the Japanese wrestlers until the Road Warriors finally caught a break and some momentum.

In a War Games qualifying match, Ray Stevens d. Necro Butcher (Sir Oliver Humperdink) by DQ when Butcher used Humperdink’s cane to whack Stevens repeatedly at the end of what was a long, vicious, bloody match. Momentum shifted quickly throughout the match, and Humperdink made his presence felt throughout, but it will be his wrestler’s BCW career on the line at Invasion: War Games.

Down came the cage!

Antonio Inoki became the new BCW world heavyweight champion when he defeated George Hackenschmidt (w/ Commander Lou Albano) in a cage match. The pin finalized a fierce, bloody battle that saw Hackenschmidt dominate the first part and get three pin attempts, including a submission effort with his RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. Inoki later rallied, then finished Hackenschmidt off with an ENZUIGIRI. Afterward, Albano entered the cage with a microphone and said: “George, don’t be disappointed. You were a good champion – but Inoki is a great one!” Then Albano and Inoki hugged, while Hackenschmidt looked on, stunned. Inoki, who became the third Triple Crown winner in BCW history, apparently also became the newest member of the Foreign Legion. The crowd, confused about who to root for as the match began, was stunned by the turn of events, much like Hackenschmidt.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR SIX, CARD No. 18

Eddie Graham Sports Stadium

Commissioner Chad came out, took the mic and called out Giant Baba and Jushin Liger. He said the pair had gone through a frustrating, rough run lately, losing the tag titles, losing to the Road Warriors twice and seeing former colleague Antonio Inoki win the world heavyweight title and join the Foreign Legion. But the commissioner said that for the best competition, BCW needed focused wrestlers and tag teams who had their act together, and that needed to start on this card against S+S.

Jushin Liger and Giant Baba d. S+S when Liger pinned Larry Sharpe after a rolling Koppo kick. “Sharp” was not what Liger and Baba looked like, as it took a long time for them to put away S+S. The commissioner, watching at ringside, just shook his head and walked away afterward.

The New Age Outlaws d. the Mongols (w/ Commander Lou Albano) by DQ when Bepo Mongol belted B.G. James with a chair outside the ring. The Mongols were showing frustration, as all the pin attempts in the match had been against them, and they couldn’t generate any momentum against the quicker Outlaws.

Sir Oliver Humperdink came out with Adam Pearce, took the mic and said that Johnny Valentine didn’t look so good in losing to Antonio Inoki a few cards back. He said that maybe Valentine needed to face someone a little younger, like, perhaps, Adam Pearce? Valentine answered the challenge by heading to the ring.

Johnny Valentine d. Adam Pearce (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) using his ATOMIC SKULLCRUSHER. Pearce successfully defended against a number of Valentine offensive attacks before finally succumbing. “Educate yourself on that, Pearce,” Valentine said into the mic before leaving the ring.

George Hackenschmidt came out, grabbed a microphone, ignored Humperdink attending to Pearce and shouted: “Inoki, I’m invoking my rematch rights for the world heavyweight title, on this card. You may be a teammate in the Foreign Legion, but that belt is mine!” Commander Lou Albano came out and said, “OK, George. Best two-of-three match. Let’s see who the best man in the Foreign Legion – and BCW – is. But I’m telling you, George, I don’t think that man will be you.”

Commander Lou then turned to Humperdink and said, “Hey, Sir Oliver. You got that tag team, and my guys didn’t see them at Tag-o-Rama, but they’d sure like a crack at them now!” Down to ringside came Ivan Koloff and Mad Dog Vachon, followed by Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli.

Ivan Koloff and Mad Dog Vachon (w/Commander Lou Albano) d. the Kings of Wrestling (w/ Larry Sweeney, Sir Oliver Humperdink) when Koloff pinned Chris Hero following a falling face slam. All four men had pin attempts against them, and all benefited from interference from their various sides, but ultimately, the experience of Koloff and Vachon was too much for the Kings. “Looks like there are a lot of lessons being handed out today, and all with failing grades,” Albano said before he left the ring with the rest of the Foreign Legion.

Necro Butcher came out to join Sir Oliver Humperdink. He took the microphone and said, “I may be gone from this garbage organization after Invasion, but before I go, I thought I’d give Harley Race a chance to redeem himself after losing to me earlier this year. That is, if he thinks he can and has the guts to face me again.” Down to ringside came an angry Harley Race.

Harley Race d. Necro Butcher (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) when he pinned Butcher after a swinging neckbreaker. The match was wild, and after Race got the win, he gave Butcher two PILEDRIVERS before officials could break it up. Butcher appeared injured after the attack.

Rick Rude came out with Ida Mae and the U.S. heavyweight title belt. “I’ve heard some whispers in the back that if Rick Rude does have the U.S. title, not to worry – he won’t have it for long! Well, I defy anyone to come out and try to prove that’s the case, because you’ll be proven wrong!” Out came Pepper Gomez, one of the combatants in the four-way match for the U.S. title shot before Tag-o-Rama.

Rick Rude (w/ Ida Mae) retained the U.S. heavyweight title by d. Pepper Gomez in a great match when he quick-pinned Gomez, with his feet on the ropes, following a top-rope sledgehammer. Rude was in trouble for much of the match, and took a decent amount of punishment from Gomez’s Mexican Leap, but he was able to get the advantage long enough to get the pin and escape with the belt. Gomez slammed the mat with his hands afterward in frustration.

In an Invasion qualifying match, the Oilmen d. the Biggest Show on Earth by DQ when Bruiser Brody got caught hitting Danny Hodge outside the ring with a chain. As a result, the former BCW world tag-team champions will be wrestling for their BCW careers (once again!) at Invasion, something they did back in Year Two (and lost!).

Antonio Inoki d. George Hackenschmidt in a best-of-three-falls match to retain the BCW world heavyweight championship. Commander Lou Albano came out after the two wrestlers were introduced in an apparent attempt to show no favoritism among his wrestlers. In the first fall, Hackenschmidt earned a DQ for slamming Inoki into a pole at ringside while both men were outside the ring. Inoki was given a couple of minutes to recover while being checked on by Albano, then indicated that he was ready to continue the match. In the second fall, Inoki threw Hackenschmidt outside the ring, and when Hackenschmidt was coming back in, Albano distracted him long enough for Inoki to hit the ENZUIGIRI and get the pinfall. Albano celebrated with Inoki afterward while Hackenschmidt was laid out on the mat.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR SIX, CARD No. 19

Bithloplex

The Kings of Wrestling (w/ Larry Sweeney, Sir Oliver Humperdink) d. the Oilmen when Claudio Castagnoli caught Yukon Eric with a scissors kick to the face and got a quick pin.

Curt Hennig d. Larry Sharpe when he pinned Sharpe after a standing dropkick. Hennig beat on Sharpe for a long time before finally putting him away.

The New Age Outlaws d. the Mongols (w/ Commander Lou Albano) when B.G. James pinned Bepo Mongol after using his PUMP HANDLE SLAM. Albano appeared to be quite unhappy with the effort of his tag team, which suffered yet another loss.

After the match, George Hackenschmidt came out to confront Commander Lou Albano, saying Albano shafted him, and he wanted another shot at “teammate” and BCW world heavyweight champion Antonio Inoki. Albano, backed up by the Mongols, said he “didn’t appreciate your attitude,” and that if he wanted a shot, he’d have to earn it, since Inoki already had a “quality opponent” he was facing later in the card. So he offered Hackenschmidt a deal: Find a tag-team partner so he could face Ivan Koloff and Mad Dog Vachon later on, or just face them two-on-one. “Of course, you’ve burned so many bridges, George, good luck finding someone who will stand by you,” Albano said while laughing.

As Albano left, out to ringside came Rob Van Dam, who took the mic and said, “Inoki is going to need a real challenger once the Foreign Legion soap opera is over, and I intend to be that man. To do it, I need to prove my worth against a top opponent – hey, Harley, come on down, because I’m not done with you yet!” Harley Race headed to ringside to renew their rivalry.

Harley Race d. Rob Van Dam by DQ when Van Dam executed a Van Terminator, driving a steel chair into Race’s face while he was in the corner. Van Dam, who controlled much of the match, seemed to be wanting to prove who was the tougher wrestler instead of lifting his status in the title-contender rankings. It took Race a while to recover after the match, then he was furious, calling out Van Dam’s name repeatedly.

King Kong Bundy came out, got on the mic and yelled, “Bruiser Brody, you cost us the tag belts because you were too slow to get into the ring, you may be costing us our spots in BCW at Invasion, and what I want to cost you right now is your wrestling career! Get out here!” Brody came to ringside to accept Bundy’s “invitation.”

Bruiser Brody d. King Kong Bundy in a great match when he finished his former tag partner with an amazing piledriver. Bundy started the match a house afire and even nailed Brody with the AVALANCHE, but couldn’t get the pin. Later, Brody gained momentum as Bundy tired, and he finally got the pin. Afterward, Brody took the mic and said, “Just be ready at Invasion, big man!”

Commander Lou Albano came back out, took the mic and said that he heard George Hackenschmidt was still struggling to find a partner. In the meantime, Albano said he had found a worthy challenger for Antonio Inoki’s BCW world heavyweight title, a young buck who was ready to take that next step. As the crowd buzzed, he called down “Bloody” Harker Dirge. The crowd replaced buzzing with mostly booing.

“Bloody” Harker Dirge (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) d. BCW world heavyweight champion Antonio Inoki (w/ Commander Lou Albano) by DQ when Inoki and teammate Mad Dog Vachon attacked Dirge outside the ring. Dirge surprised Inoki with a DIRT NAP earlier in the match and nearly got a pin, so Albano decided not to risk the belt by calling Vachon to ringside and letting him and Inoki attack Dirge. They left before the rest of the House of Humperdink made it to ringside.

In an Invasion qualifying match, Giant Baba d. Buff Bagwell using a piledriver at the end of a mostly nondescript match. The victory put Baba into War Games, while Bagwell will be fighting for his career at the PPV.

Commander Lou Albano came out with Foreign Legion members Mad Dog Vachon and Ivan Koloff. He called out George Hackenschmidt, who came out alone. “Well, I guess I was right, George,” Albano said. “Time to take your beating.”

Ivan Koloff and Mad Dog Vachon (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. George Hackenschmidt in a handicap match when he succumbed to Koloff’s RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. The two men took turns pounding Hackenschmidt once they got the momentum in the match, and Hackenschmidt finally succumbed to a version of his own finisher. They they started to put the boots to him, only to be deterred when Mil Mascaras ran to ringside and attacked his former “teammates.” The card ended with Mascaras standing over a fallen Hackenschmidt, and Albano pointing at the masked superstar.