Bithlo Championship Wrestling

[mj]

Great action as always from one of my favorite feds on the board.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR EIGHT, CARD NO. 13

O’Connell Center – Gainesville

D’Lo Brown (w/ Al Snow), in his return from injury, d. Johnny Rodz in a long match when he finally hit the LO DOWN. Brown seemed to be still working through the injuries he suffered at the hands of the Road Warriors, but he eventually got the job done.

The Sheik and Sabu (w/ Abdullah Farouk) d. S+S when the Sheik pinned Larry Sharpe after an elbow drop. S+S put up a surprisingly good fight and even had a pin attempt on Sabu. Later, when the momentum shifted, it appeared that the Sheik was going to use a FIREBALL against a battered Sharpe, but Farouk talked him out of hit, so the Sheik gave Sharpe an elbow drop and pinned him.

Commissioner Chad came out and said he knew that fans were disappointed about the end of the Rob Van Dam-Lou Thesz world heavyweight championship match at Night of Champions, but not to worry, because the two were going to face each other again at Tag-o-Rama – in a cage!

As fans cheered the announcement, the commissioner was interrupted by the appearance of Sam Hayne and “Elegant” Eddie Fyne. Fyne said the House of Humperdink was down from what it once was, but it was far from being “wiped out,” and it would be back, once it got rid of some “annoyances.” One of them was Chris Candido, and Fyne said Hayne was ready to take care of him – right now!

Chris Candido (w/ Tammy) d. Sam Hayne (w/ “Elegant” Eddie Fyne) when he connected on a BLONDE BOMB after a long, back-and-forth match that featured numerous momentum swings and five pin attempts before the finish. Afterward, Candido took the mic and announced, “If you’re going to send someone to get rid of me, Humperdink, then make sure you send someone who can get the job done!”

John Pesek and One Man Gang d. the Kings of Wrestling (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) when Pesek caught Hero with a body triangle and crossface for the victory. The new team of Pesek and One Man Gang looked tough ahead of Tag-o-Rama.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured Boris Zhukov. Zhukov touted his comrade Ivan Koloff, saying that “Americans tried to turn him to their side, but I came along and stopped that. He’s now focused on the glory of Mother Russia! The only time he’s going to drop the U.S. belt is when he captures the world title!” Zhukov also trashed “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, saying he was an overrated symbol of American trash. He said that when Duggan came back from his injury, he would put him out of wrestling for good, “along with other American losers like Diamond Dallas Page.” That brought out Page, who pointed out that Zhukov might “like to keep your piehole shut before you feel the BANG!” The two began brawling, and security had to pull them apart.

Bobo Brazil came out, took the mic and said he wanted to introduce his new tag-team partner who might get them entry into Tag-o-Rama: Bryan Danielson! As fans cheered Danielson, Sir Oliver Humperdink came to ringside and said he was ready to test the new tag team right away – with the Naptown Dragons!

Bobo Brazil and Bryan Danielson d. the Naptown Dragons (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) when Brazil pinned Scotty Vortekz after a COCO BUTT. The new team of Brazil and Danielson had a ragged start, which resulted in three pin attempts against them before Brazil took control of the match and got the victory.

Commissioner Chad came back to ringside and said he had been approached by Magnum TA with a request: He gets one more shot at U.S. heavyweight champion Ivan Koloff – nontitle – on this card. If he wins, he gets the title shot at Tag-o-Rama. Lose, and he is out of the title picture until there is a new champion. Commissioner Chad said he decided to give Magnum the shot, despite the fact Ted DiBiase griped about John Pesek not getting a rematch.

Magnum TA d. U.S. heavyweight champion Ivan Koloff (w/ Boris Zhukov) to earn a shot at the U.S. title at Tag-o-Rama. Koloff dominated much of the first part of the match, but the key moment came when the two wrestlers were outside the ring and Zhukov looked to belt Magnum with Koloff’s chain, only to hit Koloff instead! Magnum then got the stunned Koloff back in the ring and hit his BELLY TO BELLY SUPLEX to get the pin and the opportunity.

Jimmy Snuka came to ringside and congratulated Magnum TA on the win, then took the mic and said, “Looks like I won’t have a tag partner for Tag-o-Rama, which is fine. Magnum, I wish you the best … but right now, I’ve got a score to settle with someone who interfered in our title match – that $1,000 loser, Ted DiBiase. Come out, money man, and let me teach you some hard lessons!”

The “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase (w/ John Pesek) d. Jimmy Snuka (w/ Magnum TA) when Snuka submitted to the figure-four leglock. Snuka was a house afire early in the match, but when he went for a match-ending splash on DiBiase, he was pushed off the top turnbuckle by Pesek (unseen by the referee). The match continued, but Snuka was unable to regain his earlier momentum, and DiBiase eventually wore him down. Afterward, as DiBiase got in the ref’s face and gestured emphatically, Pesek snuck into the ring and gave Snuka a nasty body triangle and crossface, injuring him before Magnum, distracted by DiBiase’s antics, could enter the ring to stop him. Pesek and DiBiase then exited the ring as Mangum checked on Snuka.

Danny Hodge came out and said the Oilmen would get another shot to prove themselves against the world tag-team champions – and it was next!

In an amazing match, the Oilmen d. the world tag-team champions the Million Dollar Team (w/ Ted DiBiase, John Pesek) in a nontitle match when Danny Hodge caught Terry Gordy in a Boston crab and Gordy tapped out. Hodge was on fire throughout the match, apparently looking to prove his team’s worth against the Million Dollar giants. When he clamped on the Boston Crab, the rest of the Million Dollar team was distracted by the appearance at ringside of the previously injured Road Warrior Animal, and they didn’t try to interfere to help Gordy until it was too late. The crowd went wild at the result!

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR EIGHT, CARD NO. 14

Cobo Hall -- Detroit

S+S came to ringside to open the card, only to learn that their tag opponents would be the Road Warriors! Before they could escape, down to ringside came Paul Ellering, Hawk and Animal, who was returning from being injured by Andre the Giant.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. S+S when Larry Sharpe fell victim to the DOOMSDAY DEVICE. The Road Warriors actually had Sharpe in position for their ending maneuver earlier in the match, only to be distracted by Andre the Giant heading to ringside, pointing at Animal. After officials coaxed him to the back, the Road Warriors finished the deal.

John Pesek d. Johnny Rodz using a lateral press keylock. Rodz actually had the advantage at one point, but Pesek turned things around quickly and got the victory.

The Naptown Dragons (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) d. Mil Mascaras and Chris Candido (w/ Tammy) by DQ when Candido used a Singapore cane to whack Dustin Lee in the head when both were outside the ring. Mascaras had control of the match through the first part, but when he tagged in Candido, things got out of control quickly.

U.S. heavyweight champion Ivan Koloff (w/ Boris Zhukov) d. Bryan Danielson (w/ Bobo Brazil) in a nontitle match when Danielson submitted to the RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. Danielson had good momentum early, but a shot from Zhukov (unseen by the ref) while both wrestlers were outside the ring helped provide the difference Koloff needed to capture the match.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured Lou Thesz. Apter said many fans felt Thesz had been robbed of capturing the BCW world heavyweight title from Rob Van Dam, but Thesz said that was in the past, and that he had what he wanted: a cage match, one fall, and no Bill Alfonso as the referee. Thesz said with all that settled, he could test his skills against Van Dam's, one on one, and “I’ll take my chances, Bill.”

The “French Angel” Maurice Tillet d. Diamond Dallas Page when he used his BEAR HUG finisher on Page. Tillet attacked Page before the bell rang and punished him throughout the match, both inside and outside the ring. Page, who eliminated Tillet at Bithlo Bash, generated little offense and never got in position for a DIAMOND CUTTER.

The BCW tag-team champions the Million Dollar Team (w/ Ted DiBiase) d Al Snow and D’Lo Brown in a nontitle match when Snow succumbed to Andre the Giant’s BIG SPLASH. The Million Dollar Team seemed angry after their nontitle upset loss to the Oilmen on the last card, and Andre tagged himself in quickly early in the match, then didn’t tag Terry Gordy back in, choosing to punish Brown and Snow by himself.

In a match to decide the open No. 1 seed at Tag-o-Rama, the Oilmen d. the Sheik and Sabu (w/ Abdullah Farouk) by DQ when the Sheik was caught throwing a fireball at Yukon Eric before the match even began! The two got into an argument before the opening bell, and the Sheik ended it by unleashing a fireball. The ref called for the DQ as Farouk complained, to no avail, and Yukon Eric sought to recover from the near-burning while officials separated the two sides.

In a nontitle match, BCW world heavyweight champion Rob Van Dam d. Chris Hero (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) when he hit a split-legged moonsault and got the pin. Van Dam looked good without Bill Alfonso as the referee, controlling much of the match against Hero.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR EIGHT, CARD NO. 15

Kent State, Ohio

Commissioner Chad came to ringside, took the mic and announced that there would be two matches on the card to decide the final two teams for Tag-o-Rama. He also said the Sheik and Sabu had requested and been granted a rematch with the Oilmen, even though the Oilmen had secured a No. 1 seed with their DQ victory on the last card. Finally, he announced that Diamond Dallas Page had issued a special challenge to the “French Angel” Maurice Tillet.

Sam Hayne (w/ “Elegant” Eddie Fyne) d. George South when he pinned him following a crucifix bomb. South survived four pin attempts before finally succumbing to an increasingly frustrated Hayne.

Larry Sharpe came to ringside to help South, his tag-team partner, to the back. Then he returned to ringside for his match against the returning “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan!

“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, in his return from injury, d. Larry Sharpe with a FLYING SPEAR! Duggan looked a bit rusty in his return, but picked up his pace in the second half of the match to record the victory. Afterward, Sam Hayne returned to ringside, apparently to “pick the bones” of Sharpe and take down both members of S+S, but he was chased off by Duggan.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering), in a tuneup match ahead of Tag-o-Rama, d. the Naptown Dragons (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) when Dustin Lee was pinned after an over-the-shoulder backbreaker by Hawk. The Dragons, who once won the tag championship from the Road Warriors, put in a strong performance, but it wasn’t enough to stop a team focused on getting the tag belts back!

In a Tag-o-Rama qualifying match, One Man Gang (w/ Ted DiBiase) and John Pesek d. Bobo Brazil and Bryan Danielson when Brazil fell to One Man Gang’s 747 SPLASH. One Man Gang had to hit three of his finishers to finally put away Brazil. All four wrestlers did well during the match, but the end result was the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase placed a second tag team in Tag-o-Rama.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured U.S. heavyweight champion Ivan Koloff. Apter said Koloff seemed to change when he parted ways with Commander Lou Albano, but then he headed in yet another direction. Koloff said the arrival of Boris Zhukov was good for him, because it reminded him of “who I was, and who I am. I am Russian, and I am no one’s pawn!” Apter then asked about his respect for Magnum TA, and Koloff said, “I respect Magnum. He is a great wrestler, and that is why at Tag-o-Rama, I must beat him down for good.” Magnum came to ringside to confront Koloff, but Koloff turned and walked to the back without saying another word.

The Kings of Wrestling (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) qualified for Tag-o-Rama by d. Al Snow and D’Lo Brown when Chris Hero pinned Snow after a HERO’S WELCOME. The Kings looked sharp during the match, while Snow and Brown appeared frustrated afterward.

Diamond Dallas Page came to ringside, grabbed the mic and said, “OK, ‘French Angel,’ last time you jumped me before the bell and beat me. So let’s try this again and see how it goes!”

Diamond Dallas Page d. the “French Angel” Maurice Tillet by DQ when Tillet attacked Page with a ringside chair when both were outside the ring. Page had connected on a DIAMOND CUTTER earlier in the match, but Tillet kicked out just before the three-count. Both men went at it with ferocity throughout the encounter.

The Oilmen d. Sabu and the Sheik by DQ when referee Bill Alfonso reluctantly called for the end of the match when Sabu used the Arabian Facebuster on Yukon Eric and Commissioner Chad was watching at ringside. Officials kept the two teams apart afterward. The Oilmen had controlled much of the match before the finish, which seemed to come in part due to desperation by Sabu.

BCW world heavyweight champion Rob Van Dam d. Brutus Beefcake by countout in a nontitle match. Van Dam started slowly and looked nervous when Lou Thesz, the challenger for his title at Tag-o-Rama, showed up at ringside to watch. Beefcake had an advantage in the match until he ended up outside the ring. That’s when Van Dam vaulted over the top rope and smashed Beefcake into the mat. Van Dam made it back before the 10-count, but Beefcake did not. Thesz merely nodded his head at Van Dam after the match, then left ringside as their matchup at Tag-o-Rama loomed.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR EIGHT, CARD NO. 16

Tag-o-Rama PPV – Nationwide Arena – Columbus

The commissioners of all four feds involved in Tag-o-Rama (BCW, AWA, FSW, BWF) met up at ringside and thanked fans for being there. Then BCW Commissioner Chad took the mic and went over the Tag-o-Rama rules: There would be four brackets, each with a No. 1 seed and three other teams. The teams were randomly assigned brackets. Once assigned, the No. 1 team in each bracket could pick their first-round opponent from the other teams in the bracket. The BCW world tag-team titles could be won by a team from BCW, FSW or the AWA if they beat the Million Dollar Team. Also, there would be other matches on the card.

BRACKET A:

In an amazing match, the top seed and BCW tag-team champions the Million Dollar Team (w/ Ted DiBiase) d. the Armstrongs (AWA) when Bob Armstrong was flattened by Andre the Giant’s BIG SPLASH. The Armstrongs had quite the showing, using their agility and ring knowledge to get six pin attempts on the Million Dollar Team before Andre finally got angry enough to put them away. Still, DiBiase was not happy, considering who else was in their bracket.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. the Rock and Samoa Joe (BWF) when the Rock was counted out due to a POWER SLAM by Animal outside the ring while the referee was distracted by Ellering. The Rock rolled early on in relief of a battered Samoa Joe, but a couple of spike piledrivers inside the ring wore him down, and Animal’s attack outside the ring guaranteed a rematch for the Road Warriors with their hated rivals, the Million Dollar Team.

BRACKET B:

The top seed and BWF tag-team champions Harlem Heat d. the All-Night Express (FSW) in a wild, physical match when Booker T p. Kenny King after a HARLEM HANGOVER. Harlem Heat had all sorts of problems with the All-Night Express, fighting off seven pin attempts before finally getting the victory.

Demolition d. the Kings of Wrestling (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) when Chris Hero fell victim to the DEMOLITION DECAPITATOR. The Kings of Wrestling put up a good fight and were nearly as physical as Demolition, but they took some beatdowns and couldn’t close the deal.

BRACKET C:

The FSW tag-team champions Samoan Island Tribe d. the top seed and AWA champions the Ortons by DQ when Cowboy Bob Orton hit Alofa with a ringside chair while Alofa and Bob Orton Sr. were outside the ring. The attack came in apparent frustration for the Ortons that they couldn’t put away their opponents.

Sabu and the Sheik (w/ Abdullah Farouk) d. the Heartbreak Express (w/ Nikita Breznikov) (AWA) by DQ when Superstar Sean Davis hit Sabu with a chair as Sabu was getting ready to do an Arabian Facebuster when both were outside the ring. The match was as much inside the ring as out.

BRACKET D:

In a fantastic match, the Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff (Ind.) d. the top seed the Oilmen when Yukon Eric submitted to the Iron Sheik’s CAMEL CLUTCH. The two sides were pretty evenly matched throughout the bout ahead of the finish.

The One Man Gang and John Pesek (w/ Ted DiBiase) ended up in a double DQ with the Sheepherders (Ind.) when One Man Gang and Luke ended up in a large brawl outside the ring, with chairs and other items being used as weapons. DiBiase was upset, because One Man Gang and Pesek had dominated much of the match up to that point. As a result, the Iron Sheik and Volkoff advanced to the final four.

BRACKET A FINALS:

In a phenomenal match, the Million Dollar Team (w/ Ted DiBiase) d the Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) when Terry Gordy p. Animal after DiBiase’s interference caused the Warriors’ attempted DOOMSDAY DEVICE to go awry. Andre the Giant distracted the referee by exchanging words with Hawk, while DiBiase hit Animal from behind, which caused Gordy to fall on Animal. The match featured a combined 13 pin attempts, numerous swings in momentum, interference from each corner and a lot of intensity in and out of the ring. All four wrestlers appeared wiped out afterward, but the Million Dollar Team kept the BCW world tag-team belts and advanced to the final four.

BRACKET B FINALS:

Demolition (BWF) d. BWF world tag-team champions and No. 1 seed Harlem Heat in a nontitle match when Stevie Ray was taken out by the DEMOLITION DECAPITATION. Ax and Smash made the signs of the belts afterward, signifying what they would be looking for when they returned to their fed.

BRACKET C FINALS:

Sabu and the Sheik (w/ Abdullah Farouk) d. the Samoan Island Tribe (FSW champions) when Alofa submitted to Sabu’s CAMEL CLUTCH. Alofa was worn down from the attack during his previous match and from the Sheik throwing him out of the ring, pummeling him and then pushing him back in.

Ivan Koloff (w/ Boris Zhukov) d. Magnum TA to retain the BCW U.S. heavyweight championship. Magnum hit his BELLY TO BELLY SUPLEX early in the match, but couldn’t get the three-count. The bout continued on an even basis until Zhukov slipped Koloff’s chain to the Russian wrestler, and he belted Magnum while the ref was distracted by Zhukov. Magnum never recovered and eventually fell prey to the RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. Afterward, Koloff got the chain and appeared ready to inflict some additional damage to a downed Magnum, but he and Zhukov were chased off by Diamond Dallas Page and “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, who then helped Magnum to the back.

TAG-O-RAMA SEMIFINALS

The Million Dollar Team (w/ Ted DiBiase) d. Demolition (BWF) when Andre the Giant got Smash in a bear hug and he submitted. Smash ended up making an extreme error in judgment in rushing toward Andre, and he paid for it as the Million Dollar Team moved to the finals.

Sabu and the Sheik (w/ Adbullah Farouk) d. the Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff when Sabu connected on an Air Sabu against Volkoff and got the pin. The match featured a memorable confrontation between the Sheik and the Iron Sheik, with the Iron Sheik getting a CAMEL CLUTCH on the Sheik, but he was unable to get the submission. The Sheik was eventually able to tag in Sabu, and that’s when the complexion of the match changed and Sabu and the Sheik advanced to the finals.

The cage came down for the BCW world heavyweight championship match!

Lou Thesz became the new BCW world heavyweight champion when he d. Rob Van Dam in a cage match, getting the pin after a THESZ PRESS. Van Dam tried to attack Thesz before the bell rung, but Thesz turned aside the effort and went on the attack himself and eventually got the pin. Referee Bill Alfonso came to ringside and rooted for Van Dam while outside the cage, then helped him to the back afterward. The fans wildly cheered Thesz as the belt was strapped around his waist. Van Dam had held the championship for the second-longest tenure in BCW history, behind Harley Race.

The cage went back up ahead of the final of Tag-o-Rama.

The BCW world tag-team champions the Million Dollar Team (w/ Ted DiBiase) d. Sabu and the Sheik (w/ Abdullah Farouk) to win Tag-o-Rama when Terry Gordy caught Sabu coming off the ropes and gave him a massive PILEDRIVER, getting the pin and the win. It happened early in the match, and the Sheik and Abdullah Farouk looked surprised at the quick turn of events while DiBiase laughed and celebrated his team’s victory.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR EIGHT, CARD NO. 17

Mid-South Coliseum -- Tennessee

The Oilmen d. One Man Gang and John Pesek by DQ when One Man Gang was DQ’d for attacking Yukon Eric outside the ring. Danny Hodge and Pesek never got into the match as the two big guys battled in and out of the ring.

Bruiser Brody d. the Sheik (w/Abdullah Farouk) in a bizarre match when the Sheik tried to attack Brody before the bell rang, only to be slammed to the floor by Brody, then be thrown into the ring and given a JUMPING KNEE DROP before being pinned. Farouk just put his head in his hands over the outcome.

The very angry Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. Al Snow and D’Lo Brown when Snow fell victim to the DOOMSDAY DEVICE. Snow and Brown, before the match, did not look thrilled to be facing the team that never seemed to have forgotten that they once took the tag titles from them, and this match was no exception. The Road Warriors punished the pair ahead of the finish, then yelled out “Andre!” afterward, showing they were still smarting from their loss at Tag-o-Rama.

The Naptown Dragons came to ringside with Sir Oliver Humperdink for a tag match, making sure to avoid the departing Road Warriors. But when Sabu and Abdullah Farouk came out as their opponents, the crowd seemed confused, as they had already seen the Sheik wrestle on the card. Then Bill Alfonso walked out and introduced Sabu’s partner: Rob Van Dam!

Rob Van Dam and Sabu (w/ Abdullah Farouk, Bill Alfonso) d. the Naptown Dragons (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) when Sabu pinned Scotty Vortekz after an Arabian Facebuster. Sabu and Van Dam worked well together, and the crowd seemed excited by their pairing.

BCW’s new world heavyweight champion, Lou Thesz, was on Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat.” Thesz started by saying that the last match, with Bill Alfonso coming out with Rob Van Dam, showed exactly where Alfonso’s loyalties were, without a doubt, and he hoped to never see Alfonso as a ref again. Apter congratulated Thesz on his victory, and Thesz said that Van Dam was a worthy champion, despite Alfonso’s actions, and now he was looking forward to holding the championship with even more honor. Commissioner Chad came to ringside, congratulated Thesz, then noted that Van Dam would be looking for a return shot at the title. That’s when Johnny Valentine stormed into the area and said, “What about me? It’s obvious that Alfonso cheated me out of a victory. Are you a crook too, Thesz?” Valentine then pushed Thesz, and the two went face to face before officials separated them. Valentine yelled, “You can’t beat me, Thesz, and you know it!”

The Kings of Wrestling (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) d. Mil Mascaras and Chris Candido when Claudio Castagnoli hit two successive RICOLA BOMBS on Mascaras and got the pin. The match was pretty even, and Mascaras and Candido appeared to be really unhappy that they lost – especially Candido, given his animosity toward the House of Humperdink.

Magnum T.A. and “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan d. U.S. heavyweight champion Ivan Koloff and Boris Zhukov when Koloff was nailed by a Tough Guy Clothesline and pinned by Duggan. Earlier in the match, Magnum connected on his BELLY TO BELLY SUPLEX finisher and went for the pin on Zhukov, only to be hit from behind by Koloff, and all four grapplers ended up in the ring. After the referee restored order, Duggan took out Koloff for the victory.

In a War Games qualifying match, the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase d. the “French Angel” Maurice Tillet by DQ when Tillet tried to bite DiBiase repeatedly when both wrestlers were outside the ring. Tillet’s bizarre action came at the end of a long match in which Tillet had control more often than not. As a result, Tillet will battle for his BCW career at Invasion.

After the match, as Tillet laughed at DiBiase from a distance, the “Million Dollar Man” took the mic and said, “That’s what you get, you French freak. I don’t find you amusing at all. But you know what I do find amusing? What Bobo is trying to do to make Bryan Danielson a decent wrestler. Hey, Bobo, you want to make him a man? Come on down with him and face my tag team champs, so you can get the beating you should have gotten at Tag-o-Rama, except you couldn’t even qualify for that!”

The BCW world tag-team champions the Million Dollar Team (w/ Ted DiBiase) d. Bobo Brazil and Bryan Danielson in a fantastic match when Andre the Giant caught Danielson with a turnbuckle squash and then got the pin. Brazil did have Andre in trouble on the mat at one point, but couldn’t get the finish. Afterward, Terry Gordy knocked Brazil off the ring apron, and Andre gave Danielson two BIG SPLASHES, injuring him as fans booed and DiBiase laughed.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR EIGHT, CARD NO. 18

Eddie Graham Sports Stadium

Commissioner Chad came to ringside to start the card and announced that due to Andre the Giant’s actions at the last card against Bryan Danielson after the match was over, he was suspending him for the next seven cards, through the Invasion PPV! The commissioner said that Ted DiBiase would have to select someone else to team with Terry Gordy and defend the tag titles until Andre returned.

Johnny Rodz d. Sam Hayne (w/ “Elegant” Eddie Fyne) by DQ when a frustrated Hayne, unable to put away the resilient Rodz, resorted to using his HELL’S FLAMES, which brought about the DQ. Fyne protested, to no avail, as Rodz struggled to recover from the attack.

One Man Gang d. Brutus Beefcake by DQ when Beefcake hit One Man Gang with a chair, then fled ringside when he saw how quickly the big man recovered. Terry Gordy came to ringside to watch his fellow Million Dollar Corp. member and possible future tag partner, but didn’t seem overly impressed by what he saw.

The Kings of Wrestling (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) d. S+S when Claudio Castagnoli p. George South after a RICOLA BOMB. Castagnoli and Chris Hero took turns doing jumps off the turnbuckle onto South as the Kings of Wrestling dominated the match before the pin.

The Kings of Wrestling stayed at ringside as their fellow House of Humperdink teammates, the Naptown Dragons, strode to the ring for their match. Next came down Chris Candido and Mil Mascaras, which prompted Chris Hero to take the mic and shout, “Yep, they couldn’t beat the House’s ‘A team,’ so now they get their chance against the Naptown Dragons!” That brought a sharp look from Dustin Lee and a wince from Sir Oliver Humperdink before the match began.

The Naptown Dragons (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink, the Kings of Wrestling) d. Chris Candido and Mil Mascaras by DQ when Candido, who was not the legal man at the time, belted a trash-talking Chris Hero while Mascaras and Dustin Lee were outside the ring. A frustrated and tired Lee, who spent most of his time in the ring trying not to get pinned by a hard-charging Mascaras, took his frustration out by pushing Hero, which brought the Dragons and the Kings of Wrestling nearly to blows, with Sir Oliver Humperdink trying to be the peacemaker.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured Rob Van Dam, Sabu, the Sheik, Abdullah Farouk and Bill Alfonso.
Apter first asked Van Dam about once again pursuing the world heavyweight championship. Van Dam said that holding that belt was an honor, and he planned to make another run at it, but he also was glad to be joining his longtime friend Sabu in a tag team. When Apter asked what the goal of the team was, Van Dam said, “What else? Win a title, and with Andre out, the field looks wide open!” Apter then asked Alfonso about his “questionable” refereeing skills, and Alfonso replied, “Refereeing was fun, but obviously the powers that be didn’t think I did a good job. But forget all that – I’m here to help RVD win now!” The menagerie then left ringside.

Diamond Dallas Page came to ringside, grabbed a mic and challenged that “freak” Maurice Tillet to a rematch. The “French Angel” sauntered to ringside, lazily, to face Page.

“The French Angel” Maurice Tillet d. Diamond Dallas Page in a great match when he caught Page coming off the top turnbuckle and converted it into a nasty body slam and a pin. Page had gotten the only pin attempt before the abrupt finish. Afterward, apparently unconcerned about the fate of his BCW career at Invasion, Tillet laughed and left ringside.

U.S. heavyweight champion Ivan Koloff and Boris Zhukov d. the Oilmen by DQ when Danny Hodge used Koloff’s chain against him when both were outside the ring. Hodge appeared frustrated because Koloff and Zhukov had isolated Hodge’s tag-team partner, Yukon Eric, for most of the match while pummeling him. Hodge finally went outside the ring, saw Koloff’s chain by his corner, grabbed it and attacked Koloff for the DQ. Officials separated the two teams afterward.

Gary Michael Cappetta came out and announced that the first tag team to compete for a spot in War Games would be … Al Snow and D’Lo Brown! Once they got to ringside, he announced the second team in the random draw: the Road Warriors! Snow and Brown showed dismay as their hated rivals headed to ringside.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. Al Snow and D’Lo Brown when Hawk pinned Snow after a huge suplex. Snow survived a DOOMSDAY DEVICE by barely lifting his shoulder before the three-count, but there was little left for him to fend off Hawk. As a result, D’Lo and Snow will wrestle for their BCW careers at Invasion.

Lou Thesz beat Johnny Valentine by DQ in a best-of-three-falls match to retain the BCW world heavyweight championship. In the first fall, Valentine attacked Thesz before the bell rang, but Thesz then rallied. The match went back and forth for a while, with Thesz not going for a finishing maneuver. Each got one pin attempt on the other before Thesz finally connected on a THESZ PRESS to get the pin. In the second fall, Thesz started strong, but Valentine got a key elbow to Thesz’s head to stun him, then followed it up with a pair of ATOMIC SKULLCRUSHERS to get the pin and send it to a final fall. In the third fall, Valentine tried to take advantage of a still-woozy Thesz, but Thesz was able to fend him off after a couple of pin attempts, then he slipped outside the ring. Valentine got out to the ring apron, then landed a glancing ATOMIC SKULLCRUSHER on Thesz! The referee DQ’d Valentine, who ended up furious as a woozy Thesz took the world heavyweight title and headed to the back.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR EIGHT, CARD NO. 19

Bithloplex

Jimmy Snuka, in his return from injury, d. Larry Sharpe by DQ when Snuka was attacked from behind by John Pesek when both Snuka and Sharpe were outside the ring. Snuka looked a little off in his return and was having some troubles with Sharpe before the interference. Pesek, who injured Snuka before, whacked him in the head with his fist, then stood over him until officials came to ringside to separate the two.

The Oilmen d. the Naptown Dragons (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) when Danny Hodge used his OKLAHOMA SIDE ROLL to pin Scotty Vortekz. The Kings of Wrestling came to ringside during the match and mostly mocked the efforts of the Naptown Dragons, although they also “helped” the Oilmen back into the ring after a few cheap shots. Humperdink spent most of the time trying to make peace between the two sides. The Naptown Dragons had the advantage early in the match, but the constant commentary from the Kings of Wrestling seemed to sap their momentum.

The “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase came out, grabbed a mic and called out “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan. “Hacksaw, we have some unfinished business from Bithlo Bash, and now it’s time to pay what you owe!”

The “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase d. “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan when his used his MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER finisher. Duggan was controlling the match when he charged at DiBiase in the turnbuckle, only to have DiBiase move at the last second. Duggan hit the turnbuckle full force, which made him easy prey for DiBiase’s finisher.

Rob Van Dam and Sabu (w/ Abdullah Farouk, Bill Alfonso) d. the Kings of Wrestling (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) when Van Dam pinned Chris Hero following a standing moonsault and a distraction by the Naptown Dragons. Humperdink’s warring tag teams continued to have difficulties, as Hero was distracted when he had an advantage over Sabu, which allowed Sabu to tag in Van Dam. Hero was subsequently unable to make a tag because Claudio Castagnoli was arguing with the Naptown Dragons at ringside. That left Hero open to Van Dam’s eventual pin of him.

One Man Gang (w/ Ted DiBiase) d. Bobo Brazil when he connected on his 747 SPLASH. One Man Gang got the advantage in the match when DiBiase hit Brazil from behind while he was in the corner, which led to Brazil falling to One Man Gang’s finisher. Afterward, DiBiase took the mic and said, “This is turning out to be a great night for the Million Dollar Corp. – hahhaha!”

DiBiase and One Man Gang then stepped down to ringside as the Million Dollar Team of Terry Gordy and John Pesek headed to ringside with the world tag-team titles. Following them were the Road Warriors and Paul Ellering.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) became the BCW world tag-team champions for a record ninth time when Hawk pinned John Pesek following an Animal-led spike piledriver to beat the Million Dollar Team (w/ Ted DiBiase and One Man Gang). The match was mostly even for the most part, with Pesek doing a solid job of filling in for Andre the Giant until Animal set him up for the spike piledriver. The win was costly, though, as a recovering Pesek got into it with Animal, and a distracted Hawk ended up taking a nasty powerbomb from Gordy that injured him. As Hawk lay on the mat, DiBiase took the mic and said, “I think I’ll ask the commish for our rematch rights – on the next card!”

In a War Games qualifying match, Diamond Dallas Page d. Sam Hayne (w/ “Elegant” Eddie Fyne) when he hit successive DIAMOND CUTTERS for the victory. After the first one, Fyne distracted the ref during the count, so Page propped up Hayne and gave him a second one at the end of a pretty even match.

Al Snow came out, grabbed a mic and said that if he was going to be leaving BCW after Invasion/War Games, then he’d like another shot at the world heavyweight championship before he departed. The world heavyweight champion, Lou Thesz came to ringside, shook Snow’s hand and said, “Let’s do it!”

BCW world heavyweight champion Lou Thesz d. Al Snow using his THESZ PRESS. Snow put up a good fight, but was no match for Thesz by the end of their clash. Afterward, Johnny Valentine came out and yelled: “This is a farce! That belt should be mine, but he’s afraid of me!” Officials came to ringside to separate the two men.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR EIGHT, CARD NO. 20

Melbourne Auditorium

S+S stunned the Oilmen when Larry Sharpe caught Yukon Eric with his PILEDRIVER and got the pin. Eric was distracted at a key moment by Boris Zhukov, who was unhappy with events two cards earlier and decided to extract a little revenge. Sharpe and tag partner George South celebrated their first win of the year afterward as the Oilmen looked on in dismay.

As Zhukov looked to leave ringside, he was stopped by the voice of Diamond Dallas Page, who said, “Wait a minute, Boris! You aren’t going to just interfere and leave, are you? Since you’re at ringside, let’s have a match!”

Boris Zhukov d. Diamond Dallas Page by DQ when Page belted Zhukov with the Russian flag pole after Zhukov left the ring. The two men did not battle long in the ring before the action spilled outside, and that’s when the brawl exploded. Officials raced to ringside to separate the two afterward.

The Naptown Dragons (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) d. Sabu and Rob Van Dam (w/ Abdullah Farouk and Bill Alfonso) when Van Dam was DQ’d for using the Van Daminator on Dustin Lee. Alfonso tried to explain to the ref why it shouldn’t be a DQ, but he wouldn’t listen. Meanwhile, Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli went to ringside to make fun of Lee for being the victim of the Van Daminator in the first place. Scotty Vortekz countered with “At least we won against them,” which prompted Humperdink to work to keep his two tag teams apart.

U.S. heavyweight champion Ivan Koloff (w/ Boris Zhukov) d. “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan (w/ Diamond Dallas Page) when Duggan succumbed to the RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. The match was wildly back-and-forth before the end. Afterward, as Page checked on Duggan, he was tossed out of the ring by Zhukov, while Koloff nailed Duggan with his chain a few times, injuring him. Fans booed as Koloff and Zhukov left ringside.

Commissioner Chad came to ringside and called down Bobo Brazil. He said he knew that Brazil still had some issues with the Million Dollar Corp., so he was going to give him a shot at one of its members: the Million Dollar Corp.’s “enforcer,” John Pesek.

Bobo Brazil d. John Pesek when he connected on a big hammer punch and got the pin. Pesek tried to attack Brazil before the bell, but that was a big mistake, as Brazil countered it quickly and dominated Pesek for the rest of the match.

The BCW world tag-team champions the Road Warriors d. Terry Gordy and the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase by DQ when the Million Dollar Corp. was caught attacking Animal outside the ring. DiBiase tried to distract the referee while Pesek attacked Animal, but the ref called for the DQ. Paul Ellering, substituting for the injured Hawk, did a great job of tagging with Animal and giving him a breather when he needed it. DiBiase was furious afterward over the loss of a chance to get the tag titles back, while fans seemed surprised that DiBiase took the second tag spot instead of One Man Gang.

In a War Games qualifying match, Mil Mascaras & Chris Candido (w/ Tammy) d. Magnum TA and Jimmy Snuka when Mascaras pinned Magnum after a CROSSBODY ATTACK. With the loss, Magnum TA and Snuka will wrestle for their BCW careers at Invasion/War Games.

Rob Van Dam came to ringside and called out BCW world heavyweight champion Lou Thesz. When Thesz arrived, Van Dam said, “I know you are probably wondering when I’m going to ask for a rematch for MY world heavyweight championship. Well, I’ve already wrestled today and been ripped off by BCW yet again, so nothing now for you and me. But, I know someone who’d like a shot at you now – the Sheik!”

BCW world heavyweight champion Lou Thesz d the Sheik (w/ Rob Van Dam, Sabu) when he connected on his GRECO-ROMAN BACKDROP. The Sheik got in some violent offense, including eye gouging, but Thesz eventually took control for the win. Afterward, Johnny Valentine came to ringside, shook his head in disgust, then left.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR EIGHT, CARD NO. 21

The Barn, Sanford

The Kings of Wrestling (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) d. S+S when Chris Hero took out George South with his HERO’S WELCOME. It took the Kings of Wrestling a really long time to put away S+S, something that did not go unnoticed by the Naptown Dragons, who came to ringside and made fun of the Kings of Wrestling as Sir Oliver Humperdink tried to shoo them from the ring.

In a battle of tag teams wrestling for their BCW careers at Invasion, Magnum TA and Jimmy Snuka d. D’Lo Brown and Al Snow via DQ when D’Lo used Head to smash Magnum TA while both were outside the ring. Snuka dominated much of the offense, but after he tagged in Magnum, he seemed unhappy that his partner could now put Brown away. Eventually, Brown and Magnum ended up outside, which brought on the DQ. Neither team appeared happy about the match.

The “French Angel” Maurice Tilet d. Chris Candido (w/ Tammy) in a wild match when Candido succumbed to a BEAR HUG, shortly after Tillet had fought through Candido’s BLONDE BOMB. Afterward, Tillet grabbed a mic and said, “You think I’m going away after Invasion? I’m not going anywhere!”

John Pesek and One Man Gang (w/ Ted DiBiase) d. Rob Van Dam and Sabu (w/ Bill Alfonso) when Pesek used his DOUBLE WRISTLOCK to subdue Van Dam. Sabu and Van Dam never really got momentum in the match, fending off eight pin attempts before finally succumbing. Even Sabu’s interference when Van Dam was in Pesek’s finishing move went awry, as One Man Gang basically tossed him out of the ring! DiBiase was seen laughing at the defeated pair afterward.

Yukon Eric d. Terry Gordy by DQ when Gordy began pummeling Yukon Eric outside the ring and wouldn’t stop. Gordy had controlled much of the match, but apparently his frustration over losing the tag team titles had not abated, as he could barely control himself in the beatdown of Yukon Eric.

The BCW world tag-team champions Road Warrior Animal and Paul Ellering d. the Naptown Dragons (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) in a nontitle match when Ellering caught Dustin Lee in his FULL NELSON finisher. Animal controlled most of the match, keeping Lee from tagging. When Lee finally got an advantage, he headed to the top of the turnbuckle to pounce on Animal, only to be pushed off suddenly by Chris Hero. Animal recovered enough to knock Scotty Vortekz off the ring apron, then tagged in Ellering for the finisher against the stunned Lee as the Kings of Wrestling looked on in laughter.

Gary Michael Cappetta got ready to announce the two wrestlers for the next War Games qualifying match. The first was Bruiser Brody. Next: Johnny Valentine! Valentine sauntered to the ring, took the mic from Cappetta and said, “I got it coming – this fed wants to get rid of the biggest threat to Lou Thesz. Well, I’m not going anywhere. So sorry, Brody, but I’m going to have to beat you down!”

In a War Games qualifying match, Johnny Valentine d. Bruiser Brody using his ATOMIC SKULLCRUSHER finisher. Both men put up quite the fight, with Brody punishing Valentine early. But he was unable to get more than one pin attempt, and Valentine eventually found his momentum and got the pin. Brody will wrestle for his BCW career at Invasion. Valentine stayed at ringside and glared at Thesz as he came to the ring for his match.

Mil Mascaras d. BCW world heavyweight champion Lou Thesz in a nontitle match when he connected on a FLYING BODY PRESS. Thesz seemed distracted by the presence of Valentine and was not on his game against a skilled opponent like the two-time BCW world heavyweight champion Mascaras.