Bithlo Championship Wrestling

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR NINE, CARD NO. 8

Bithlo Bash PPV – Bithloplex

Commissioner Chad welcomed the fans to Bithlo Bash. He said there would be three Battle Bowls with 10 wrestlers in each – and the last two in each Battle Bowl would move to the final Battle Bowl. The last two in that final Battle Bowl would each be up for a title shot – with the winner getting a BCW world heavyweight championship match, while the other a U.S. heavyweight championship shot. The commissioner pointed out that while there were plenty of BCW wrestlers in Battle Bowl, there were also some from the AWA, FSW and independent feds. There would also be three title bouts on the card. With that, he said, "let’s begin Battle Bowl I."

Battle Bowl I (Eliminated/Eliminator)

Roderick Strong (by John Tolos, independent)
Tiger Mask (by the Sheik)
Larry Sweeney (AWA) (by John Tolos)
Colt Cabana (independent) (by Austin Aries, after a great battle)
Dick Hutton (by Bruiser Brody, after an epic battle)
The Sheik (by John Tolos)
Bruiser Brody (by Austin Aries, after two groin kicks)
John Tolos (by Diamond Dallas Page, after Austin Aries tried to push both of them over. Page eyed Aries warily afterward, while Tolos grabbed a ringside mic and yelled, “I’ll be back, BCW, and I won’t forget you, Page!”)

Advancing to final: Diamond Dallas Page and Austin Aries

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. the Masked Superstars in an amazing cage match when Hawk and Animal executed a DOOMSDAY DEVICE on Masked Superstar II while Ellering ran around the outside of the cage and distracted Masked Superstar I. The Masked Superstars had the advantage early, and Hawk managed to kick out of six pin attempts before tagging in a fresh Animal, who took advantage of a tired Masked Superstar II’s inability to finish Hawk off earlier to get the victory. The Road Warriors put some extra boots to the Masked Superstars before leaving the cage.

Battle Bowl II (Eliminated/Eliminator)

Yukon Eric (who was surprised by Koko B. Ware)
Bill Dundee (by Val Venis)
Bryan Danielson (by Buddy Rogers (independent), while Danielson was trying to help Jerry Lynn)
Rob James (FSW) (by Koko B. Ware)
Jerry Lynn (by Killer Kowalski (AWA))
Val Venis (by Koko B. Ware)
William Muldoon (independent) (by Buddy Rogers)
Koko B. Ware (by Killer Kowalski)

Advancing to final: Killer Kowalski and Buddy Rogers

U.S. heavyweight champion Ivan Koloff (w/ Boris Zhukov) retained his title by d. Bob Roop when Roop succumbed to the RUSSIAN BEARHUG. Roop went after Koloff early and actually controlled much of the match, including getting three pin attempts on Koloff, but he wasn’t able to put him away. Koloff eventually took the match outside the ring, where, unseen by a distracted referee, he used his chain to even things up, then went on to get the pin. Koloff and Zhukov seemed to contemplate attacking a fallen Roop afterward, but let him be and went to the back.

Battle Bowl III (Eliminated/Eliminator)

Jimmy Snuka (by Ed “Strangler” Lewis (independent))
“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan (by Mil Mascaras)
Amish Roadkill (by Mil Mascaras – Danny Doring couldn’t get there in time to save his tag-team partner)
Danny Doring (by Mil Mascaras – when Doring missed a leap and ended up flying outside)
Eddie Kingston (FSW) (by Ed “Strangler” Lewis)
Boris Zhukov (by the Sandman)
Virgil (by Ed “Strangler” Lewis)
Sandman (by Mil Mascaras)

Advancing to final: Mil Mascaras, Ed “Strangler” Lewis

Rob Van Dam and Sabu (w/ Bill Alfonso) retained the BCW world tag-team titles by d. Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase and One Man Gang when Van Dam pinned DiBiase after a FIVE STAR FROG SPLASH. Ahead of the pin, with DiBiase in trouble and One Man Gang looking to help, the Road Warriors came to ringside and distracted One Man Gang, leading to Van Dam’s finisher and the pin. Afterward, the Road Warriors pointed at Van Dam and Sabu and yelled, “We are coming for you!”

Finals of Battle Bowl (Eliminated/Eliminator)

Diamond Dallas Page (by Ed “Strangler” Lewis)
Austin Aires (by Buddy Rogers)
Killer Kowalski (by Mil Mascaras)
Buddy Rogers (by Ed “Strangler” Lewis)
Ed “Strangler” Lewis (by Mil Mascaras, after Lewis finally ousted Rogers)

Winner: Mil Mascaras, who will get the BCW world heavyweight title shot at Tag-o-Rama. Ed “Stranger” Lewis will get a U.S. title shot on the next card.

John Pesek (w/ Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase) became the BCW world heavyweight champion by d. Danny Hodge (w/ Yukon Eric) 2-0 in a best-of-three-falls match. In the first fall, Pesek got off to a fast start in his return from injury, dominating most of the round and eventually getting the pin after a DOUBLE WRISTLOCK.

In the second fall, Hodge came out with intensity and dominated much of the round, until Pesek started to rally. Hodge broke away and went to his corner after being waved over by Yukon Eric, only to have Yukon Eric hit him with a Woodsman’s Chop! Hodge was staggered, and he fell victim to the TIGER MAN TOEHOLD, as Pesek captured the belt!

Yukon Eric and Pesek gave some hard shots to a fallen Hodge after the bell rang, appearing to injure him, until Mascaras, seated at ringside, came to Hodge’s aid and pushed them away. At ringside, DiBiase took the mic and said: “Every man has his price, and now Pesek has the world heavyweight championship. Good luck getting it from him, Mil!” The crowd booed as the Million Dollar Corp. headed to the back.

[Swarm]

That was an amazing card.

[The Creek Rises]

Thanks, Rob!

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR NINE, CARD NO. 9

Jacksonville Auditorium

S+S d. the BCW world tag-team champions Rob Van Dam and Sabu (w/ Bill Alfonso) by DQ when Sabu used the Arabian Facebuster and got DQ’d despite protests by Alfonso. Sabu and Van Dam were in control for most of the short match, so the ending had an additional level of disappointment due to the result. S+S celebrated their victory until they apparently realized that the title belts could not change hands on a DQ.

The Sheik (w/ Abdullah Farouk) d. Koko B. Ware when he pinned Ware after a pair of elbow drops. The Sheik spent much of the match throwing Ware out of the ring and battering him there, skirting the edge of a DQ decision by the referee, before bringing Ware back in the ring for the pin.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. Roderick Strong and Austin Aries when Strong was pinned by Animal after a POWER SLAM. Aries never tagged in as the Road Warriors went right after Strong, apparently hoping to send a message. Afterward, Ellering took the mic and said, “RVD and Sabu, you can keep trying to duck us, but at Tag-o-Rama, we’ll both be there, and there will be no hiding from us then!”

Bryan Danielson d. One Man Gang by DQ when One Man Gang took a steel chair to Danielson’s back outside the ring. One Man Gang was unhappy with the fact that during introductions, while he was arguing with Gary Michael Cappetta about how he was introduced, Danielson got in a yakuza kick. Officials got to ringside quickly after the DQ before One Man Gang could do additional damage to a fallen Danielson.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured new BCW world heavyweight champion John Pesek, Yukon Eric and Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase. DiBiase said he finally is back to where he should be – in control of BCW! Yukon Eric then said he was tired of “carrying” that loser Danny Hodge, and when Hodge surprisingly won the title, DiBiase questioned him about what kind of life Yukon Eric wanted for himself – and “I finally decided to take the Million Dollar Man up on his generous offer!” Jimmy Snuka then came to ringside and pointed at DiBiase: “Another unethical tactic, Mr. Millionaire, and I don’t like it! So tonight, let’s you and I tangle so I can beat a million dollars’ worth out of you and eliminate a poison in BCW!” Officials then separated the two as Yukon Eric glared and DiBiase laughed.

Jerry Lynn d. Val Venis using his CRADLE PILEDRIVER finisher. Lynn was on fire from the beginning of the match, and Venis was unable to match Lynn’s intensity or sustain much of his own offense.

The Masked Superstars d. “Superstar” Bill Dundee and Virgil when Masked Superstar I pinned Virgil after a SPINNING NECKBREAKER. It appeared that the Masked Superstars had some sort of in-ring hangover after losing to the Road Warriors at Bithlo Bash, because they had all sorts of problems putting away Virgil and Dundee before finally getting the job done.

Jimmy Snuka came to ringside and announced, “It’s time, DiBiase.” He was answered by the “Million Dollar Man” coming to ringside.

The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase d. Jimmy Snuka using his MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER. Snuka was on fire early but missed a SUPERFLY LEAP. Later, still recovering from his missed finisher, he ended up outside the ring. While DiBiase occupied the referee’s attention, Virgil stepped to ringside from the crowd and hit Snuka with a running tackle, which made him easy pickings for DiBiase when Snuka made it back into the ring. The referee kept DiBiase from doing more damage after the match ended, so DiBiase just laughed and left ringside.

Ed “Strangler” Lewis became the new U.S. heavyweight champion when he d. Ivan Koloff (w/ Boris Zhukov) using his STRANGLER’S HEADLOCK. Koloff started the match by attacking Lewis before the bell rang, and even Zhukov got in a shot or two, but Lewis persevered, and when Koloff threw him out of the ring at one point, Lewis belted Zhukov, effectively ending Zhukov’s interference in the match. When Koloff came out of the ring to confront Lewis, he got belted as well, and that set him up for Lewis’ finisher and a new U.S. heavyweight champion!

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR NINE, CARD NO. 10

Eddie Graham Sports Stadium

The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase came to ringside, took a mic and said he needed a “real” workout after his “easy” win against Jimmy Snuka on the last card, so he called out S+S and said he wanted to have a 2-on-1 match. He offered $1,000 to them if they won, and George South and Larry Sharpe readily agreed to the contest.

The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase d. S+S when George South succumbed to the MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER. The only time Larry Sharpe made it into the ring was to try to stop a pin, and that got him throw out by DiBiase, who then finished off South and stuffed a $100 bill into the unconscious South’s mouth. He then grabbed a mic and said, “Every man has his price, and South just got paid his!”

Jerry Lynn d. the Sandman by DQ at the end of a great match when the Sandman belted Lynn a number of times with his SINGAPORE CANE outside the ring. Before then, both men had solid runs of offense during the match.

A bedraggled Lynn remained at ringside afterward, as his tag-team partner, Bryan Danielson, came out for a singles match against Dick Hutton.

Dick Hutton d. Bryan Danielson using his ABDOMINAL STRETCH finisher to get the submission. Danielson never quite got things going offensively against Hutton, who ignored the clapping Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase as he left ringside following the victory.

Commissioner Chad came to ringside and used the mic to call down Tiger Mask. He said he knew Tiger Mask had some issues with Austin Aries, and vice versa, and he was going to give them a chance now to resolve the situation – with Roderick Strong banned from ringside during the match.

Austin Aries d. Tiger Mask when he used his LAST CHANCERY for the victory. Aries attacked Tiger Mask before the bell rang, and although Tiger Mask regained his composure for some offense, he was mostly at a disadvantage for the rest of the match. As Aries celebrated on his own after the victory, he was attacked from behind by Jimmy Snuka, who knocked him off the ring apron. Aries landed awkwardly and looked to have suffered a serious injury.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured the Masked Superstars. Apter asked them how they were doing after their disappointing loss to the Road Warriors in an amazing clash at Bithlo Bash. Masked Superstar I admitted that they were a little down because they knew they could do better, but he added that he recalled all the problems the Road Warriors had with the Fabulous Kangaroos “back in the day.” That comment brought out the Road Warriors and Paul Ellering, with Hawk saying, “Boys, you watch our match next, because it will be a showcase about what we’ll do to you the next time we face you. In fact, if I were you, I’d withdraw from Tag-o-Rama so you won’t be embarrassed – again!”

The Road Warriors d. Danny Doring and Amish Roadkill by DQ when Masked Superstar II threw Animal off the top rope while the Legion of Doom was trying to execute a DOOMSDAY DEVICE on Amish Roadkill. The match had been a good one up to that point, with the Road Warriors mostly dominating the offense but having problems putting away Doring and Amish Roadkill. Officials quickly got to ringside to keep the Road Warriors and Masked Superstars apart.

A fired-up One Man Gang came out, grabbed a ringside mic and said, “I want to challenge that ‘little man,’ the U.S. heavyweight champion. Bring him out so I can take his belt, because he’s not getting that puny headlock on me!” Down to ringside came U.S. heavyweight champion Ed “Strangler” Lewis.

U.S. heavyweight champion Ed “Strangler” Lewis d. One Man Gang when he rolled up One Man Gang coming off the ropes to get the pin. Lewis got his STRANGLER’S HEADLOCK on One Man Gang early, but he broke out of Lewis’ iron grip, which made One Man Gang even more frustrated by the way he lost the title bout. Afterward, he belted Lewis with a big right hand, but officials quickly broke things up before more after-bell action could occur.

Commissioner Chad came back to ringside to announce that Mil Mascaras had come to him requesting a match with Jimmy Snuka, since what Snuka did to Aries earlier was “not right.” The commissioner agreed, and said if Snuka won, he would avoid a suspension. Otherwise, he’d be out through Tag-o-Rama.

Mil Mascaras d. Jimmy Snuka in a long, great match when he caught Snuka with his CROSSBODY ATTACK to get the pin. Snuka missed a SUPERFLY LEAP early, and it appeared that Mascaras would have an easy time of it. But Snuka got Mascaras outside the ring, nearly getting DQ’d in the process, and was able to inflict some punishment before the momentum shifted again. Afterward, Snuka angrily marched away from ringside.

BCW world tag-team champions Rob Van Dam and Sabu (w/ Bill Alfonso) d. Ivan Koloff and Boris Zhukov by DQ after Koloff, who attacked Sabu before the bell rang, later used the chain he brought to ringside to beat Alfonso. Koloff was dominating the match against Sabu, but Alfonso’s actions for distraction angered Koloff enough that he grabbed the chain and used it on Alfonso, prompting the DQ. Afterward, the two sides squabbled a bit until officials separated them.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR NINE, CARD NO. 11

O’Connell Center – Gainesville

Lou Thesz d. Johnny Rodz using his GRECO-ROMAN BACKDROP to get the pin in a warmup match ahead of Night of Champions. Thesz finished Rodz quickly, then left ringside just as quickly.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. Jerry Lynn and Bryan Danielson when Hawk rolled up Danielson off a sunset flip for the pin Lynn and Danielson had been on fire offensively for the majority of the match as the Road Warriors appeared lackluster, and Hawk was in trouble of being pinned when he turned the tables and got the three-count.

Afterward, with the commissioner sitting ringside, Animal got in his face to complain about why they were not the No. 1 contenders. Things got testy, and then Commissioner Chad grabbed a mic and said, “The main reason that you are not No. 1 contenders is that you don’t work here any longer – you’re fired!” The crowd was stunned as the commissioner left ringside and officials worked to guide the angry Road Warriors to the back and out of BCW.

Dick Hutton d. Koko B. Ware when Ware submitted to his ABDOMINAL STRETCH. Ware had all the momentum early, and it was a while before Hutton got his offense going, but once he did, he finished the match quickly.

Yukon Eric (w/ Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase) d. U.S. heavyweight champion Ed “Strangler” Lewis by DQ when Lewis attacked DiBiase after the Million Dollar Man got in an unseen cheap shot during the match. The attack was costly to Lewis, as Yukon Eric and DiBiase pounded Lewis afterward while officials tried to get the opponents separated. DiBiase was heard calling for a title shot for one of the members of his Million Dollar Corp., saying Lewis was causing problems with the members of his corporation.

The Naptown Dragons stunned the Masked Superstars when all four wrestlers were in the ring during their match and Dustin Lee hit a swinging DDT on Masked Superstar I while the referee was distracted, thereby reversing the possible pin of Scotty Vortekz into a pin for Vortekz! The Masked Superstars were furious afterward, seeing their chance to take on the tag champions at Night of Champions potentially fade due to the loss. The Naptown Dragons left ringside rejoicing at the turn of events.

BCW world tag-team champions Rob Van Dam and Sabu (w/ Bill Alfonso) d. Ivan Koloff and Boris Zhukov by DQ as their feud continued in a wild match that saw Koloff use his chain on Sabu before the match began (due to a distracted referee), Sabu hit an Arabian facebuster but miss a TRIPLE JUMP MOONSAULT, and Koloff eventually getting DQ’d for using his chain outside the ring against Sabu. Van Dam and Zhukov were mostly props in the background of the melee, which ended with officials everywhere and Koloff still looking to hurt someone with his chain.

The commissioner came out and called out “Superstar” Bill Dundee. He said Dundee’s attempts as a singles wrestler had been so-so to this point, but he had a new challenge for him, someone who had requested to face Dundee in the ring – the Sheik!

“Superstar” Bill Dundee (w/ Virgil) d. the Sheik (w/ Abdullah Farouk) when Dundee got the Sheik in a Boston crab and he passed out – in part because Virgil, unseen by the referee who was trying to control a yelling Farouk, belted the Sheik with a punch. Before the finish, the Sheik had stabbed Dundee with a small sharp object at least twice. Afterward, Dundee seemed happy to get the win and get out of there before the Sheik recovered.

BCW world heavyweight champion John Pesek (w/ Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase) d. Bob Roop using his DOUBLE WRISTLOCK. Pesek dominated the match early, and Roop only briefly rallied before being defeated. Afterward, Pesek took the mic and said, “Roop was just practice. At Night of Champions, Thesz, you will be just a small moment in my reign of glory and the dominance of the Million Dollar Corporation!” DiBiase laughed as fans booed.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR NINE, CARD NO. 12

Miami Arena (Night of Champions)

Commissioner Chad welcomed the fans, then introduced the commissioners of the AWA and FSW. He said the night would be full of title matches and even a few surprises. Then he said, “Let’s get going, so ring that bell!”

Adam Pearce d. Necro Butcher to retain the FSW television championship when he used a spinebuster to get the pin. Butcher had a ferocious run during the match, fueled by a number of headbutts and a brutal beatdown in the corner of the ring, but Pearce eventually rallied to get the victory.

Al Snow d. D’Lo Brown to retain his AWA Great Lakes title at the end of a long, fiercely contested match. Snow hit his SNOW PLOW finisher to defeat his former BCW tag-team partner, with whom he won a tag-team championship.

Ed “Strangler” Lewis d. One Man Gang (w/ Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase) when Lewis used his STRANGLER’S HEADLOCK for the victory to retain the U.S. championship. Lewis controlled the match early, but interference by DiBiase allowed One Man Gang to take over. But when he went up to the top turnbuckle to splash Lewis, the U.S. champion recovered enough to knock him to the ground, hook on his finisher and retain the title. DiBiase was angry at the sudden change in circumstances.

The Briscoes d. the American Wolves to retain the FSW tag-team titles when Jay Briscoe p. Eddie Edwards following a JAY DRILLER at the end of a fierce match.

Chris Candido and Steve Corino stunned the AWA tag-team champions, the Ortons, when Candido did a quick rollup of Bob Orton Jr. off the ropes to get the pin and capture the belts. Afterward, the Ortons looked on in disbelief and Candido and Corino, both former members of BCW, celebrated wildly.

Commissioner Chad came back to ringside and called out the BCW tag-team champions, Rob Van Dam and Sabu. The commissioner said there had been a lot of upheaval in the tag division lately, and with the Road Warriors having departed, no one had stood out as a contender. Given all that, he said the tag champions needed a new challenge, and he had one – the Sheepherders!

The Sheepherders d. BCW world tag-team champions Rob Van Dam and Sabu (w/ Bill Alfonso) by DQ in a wild match when Van Dam was disqualified for using a Van Daminator. The two sides were locked in explosive action in and out of the ring, with Sabu taking the brunt of it before finally tagging in Van Dam. Officials had to keep the two teams separated afterward while fans cheered the intensity of the match.

Michael Elgin d. Anthony Nese to win the FSW world heavyweight championship when he finished off Nese with an ELGIN BOMB at the end of a solid back-and-forth match.

AWA world heavyweight champion “Dr. Death” Steve Williams d. Magnum TA by DQ when there was an attack by King Kong Bundy on Williams when Williams and Magnum TA were outside the ring.

In a best-of-three falls match for the BCW world heavyweight championship, Lou Thesz defeated John Pesek (with Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase) to recapture the title. The first fall began with a good back-and-forth between the pair. Thesz got a couple of pin attempts on Pesek, but things went awry when both men ended up outside the ring and DiBiase got caught giving Thesz a cheap shot, who ended up doubled over even as he won the first fall by DQ.

In the second fall, Thesz started slowly while trying to recover, with Pesek taking advantage to work him over. Then Thesz suddenly unleashed a series of dropkicks, the last of which sent Pesek into DiBiase, who was standing on the ring apron when the two hit heads. A woozy Pesek then made for quick work by Thesz, who regained the title 10 cards after losing it to Danny Hodge. DiBiase was on the ground holding his head at the end of a tough night for his Million Dollar Corp.

[Dustin]

It's great to see some BCW action!

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR NINE, CARD NO. 13

Disney MGM

U.S. heavyweight champion Ed “Strangler” Lewis d. Johnny Rodz in a nontitle match when Rodz submitted to the STRANGLER’S HEADLOCK. Rodz put up a fight initially, but was no match for Lewis’ finisher.

Jerry Lynn and Bryan Danielson d. Amish Roadkill and Danny Doring when Lynn hit a CRADLE PILEDRIVER on Amish Roadkill for the pin. Lynn and Danielson never allowed Amish Roadkill to tag in Doring on the way to their victory.

BCW world heavyweight champion Lou Thesz d. Larry Sharpe in a nontitle match when he used a released power bomb to get the pin. Thesz connected on his THESZ PRESS earlier in the match, and although Sharpe managed to kick out of the pin attempt, it was a last-gasp effort on his part. Mil Mascaras watched the match at ringside, then left afterward.

In a great matchup, Bruiser Brody d. Dick Hutton using his JUMPING KNEE DROP to get the pin. Hutton controlled the first part of the match, including locking on his painful ABDOMINAL STRETCH on Brody. Brody finally rallied, in part by taking Hutton out of the ring before getting the victory. It was Hutton’s first loss since his return to BCW. Afterward, Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase came into the ring and told Hutton, “This is why you need to come back to the Million Dollar Corporation.” Brody, who hadn’t left the ring yet, grabbed DiBiase by the shoulder and spun him around, then said, “He doesn’t need you – because this hard-working guy is going to be my partner, and we are going to Tag-o-Rama!” Hutton appeared to warily agree with Brody as DiBiase looked stunned.

The Sheepherders attempted to have an interview on Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat.” Amidst a lot of grunting and rubbing of heads, Butch said he and Luke were setting their sights on the BCW tag titles, and Sabu and Rob Van Dam were going to get run over in the process. He said the tag champs were looking to get DQ’d last time, “but they won’t escape us at Tag-o-Rama!” Then they marched away from the ring.

One Man Gang d. Val Venis when he landed his 747 SPLASH. Before the finish, One Man Gang got Venis outside the ring and threw him into the guardrail, taking a lot of starch out of the arrogant Venis and leading to his defeat.

Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase came back to ringside to say it was bad enough that the Million Dollar Corporation was “ripped off” at Night of Champions, and that Dick Hutton had been “stolen” by Bruiser Brody, but now that “idiot” Jim Duggan wanted to challenge him again. And this time, he was so stupid that he agreed to leave the fed if he lost! DiBiase said that was an offer “even I can’t refuse!”

The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase d. Hacksaw Jim Duggan using his MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER at the end of a long, great matchup. Duggan put up a great fight, but never could put his rival away, and so ended his latest go-around in BCW out cold on the mat as fans booed and DiBiase laughed.

The underdog Naptown Dragons stunned the Masked Superstars, as the DOUBLE DRAGON led to a pin on Masked Superstar II, who seemed unable to counter the agility advantage of the Dragons. The fans cheered the unexpected finish to the match as the Masked Superstars pounded the mat in frustration.

Commander Chad came to ringside and called out Yukon Eric. The commissioner said he had received a note from someone in the back saying he would like to improve his skills by taking on “someone of the stature of Yukon Eric!” Yukon Eric got a smug look on his face and told the commissioner to bring him on! That’s when Commissioner Chad introduced Yukon Eric’s former tag-team partner, the person he turned on – Danny Hodge!

Yukon Eric d. Danny Hodge when John Pesek interfered while both wrestlers were outside the ring and the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase was distracting the referee. Both Hodge and Yukon Eric had pin attempts against the other, but once the Million Dollar Corporation realized what was going on, DiBiase and Pesek headed to ringside to aid Yukon Eric. After Pesek hit Hodge with a cheap shot, Yukon Eric threw Hodge back into the ring, hit a Woodsman’s Chop and got the pin as fans booed and DiBiase laughed.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR NINE, CARD NO. 14

Kent State, Ohio

S.D. Jones, in his return to BCW after five years away, d. George South in an exceedingly long match when he hit a power body slam and got the pin.
As Jones was leaving ringside after the match, former BCW tag-team partner Virgil was headed toward ringside with his current tag partner, “Superstar” Bill Dundee, who was set to face Diamond Dallas Page. Jones stuck his hand out, but Virgil ignored him and pushed on by.

Diamond Dallas Page d. “Superstar” Bill Dundee (w/ Virgil) when he hit a swinging neckbreaker to get the pin. Earlier, Page hit his DIAMOND CUTTER, only to have Virgil get into the ring as a distraction. Page disposed of him by tossing him out the other side, then eventually pinned Dundee while Virgil argued with S.D. Jones, who returned to ringside to ask Virgil why he ignored him.

Danny Doring and Amish Roadkill d. the Sheepherders in a wild match when Luke Williams fell prey to the DANACONDA. The match was back and forth, with a lot of tags and plenty of out-of-the-ring action before the finish.

One Man Gang came out with a mic and claimed that “Strangler” Lewis, the U.S. heavyweight champion, had been “lucky” against him, but “tonight, I don’t care about the belt. I just want him in the ring!” Down to ringside came the U.S. heavyweight champion.

One Man Gang d. U.S. heavyweight champion Ed “Strangler” Lewis in a nontitle match when he hit his 747 SPLASH finisher. The key moment in the match came when Lewis had momentum and sent One Man Gang into the ropes, only to have One Man Gang drop Lewis with a piledriver before going to his finisher. Afterward, One Man Gang took the mic and said, “Next time, I’m taking the belt!”

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured Jerry Lynn and Bryan Danielson. Lynn said they were gearing up for a deep run at Tag-o-Rama. When Apter asked what their qualifications were for such a run, Lynn pointed out, “We got rid of the Road Warriors in BCW,” then added with a smile, “more or less.” Lynn said their time had come for the BCW tag titles, and Tag-o-Rama was one way to achieve that. Danielson added, “If we get a shot, we won’t fail.”

Mil Mascaras d. Ivan Koloff (w/ Boris Zhukov) when Zhukov used Koloff’s chain on Mascaras when Mascaras and Koloff were outside the ring. Mascaras had requested the match ahead of his shot at the BCW world heavyweight title, but things got out of hand relatively quickly when Mascaras got the advantage on Koloff. Once the bell rang to end the match, officials got to ringside to separate the two men before Koloff, who took the chain back from Zhukov, could do too much damage to the masked wrestler.

Commissioner Chad called out Rob Van Dam and Sabu. He asked them why they weren’t competing on this card, and Van Dam said they were saving it for Tag-o-Rama, so they would be their best there. The commissioner thought that was good, but they “needed to help out” other teams preparing for Tag-o-Rama, so he was putting them in a nontitle match – with the new team of Bruiser Brody and Dick Hutton!

Rob Van Dam and Sabu (w/ Bill Alfonso), the BCW world tag-team champions, d. Dick Hutton and Bruiser Brody in a nontitle match when Van Dam connected on a Van Daminator and got the pin. The referee was preoccupied by Alfonso and didn’t see Van Dam’s potentially disqualifying move, but Brody sure could, and afterward he cleared the ring of Van Dam, Sabu and Alfonso before officials could restore order.

The Naptown Dragons came out to ringside, with Dustin Lee taking the mic to say, “We’ve heard that the Masked Superstars want us in a cage match, because they can’t seem to get it done against us in a regular match lately. Well, Scotty Vortekz and I aren’t afraid. In fact, there’s a steel cage above us right now, so we say bring it on, and we’ll face those overrated guys anywhere!” That brought the Masked Superstars to ringside, and the match was on.

The Masked Superstars d. the Naptown Dragons when Masked Superstar II pinned Dustin Lee after running him repeatedly into the cage, then gave him a nasty BACKBREAKER, apparently inflicting a major injury on Lee. The Dragons put on a show early against the Masked Superstars, but their agility advantage wasn’t enough in the steel cage, and it cost them. Afterward, the Masked Superstar grabbed a mic while officials were attending to Lee and helping him to the back and said, “Now we are through with this nonsense. Bring on Tag-o-Rama.”

The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase came out, grabbed a mic and said that he knew that numerous people had been criticizing BCW world heavyweight champion Lou Thesz about the last opponent he faced ahead of his title match at Tag-o-Rama, so he had decided to offer a solution: As a former BCW world heavyweight champion, he could eliminate the complaints by facing Thesz in a best two-out-of-three-falls nontitle match, thereby showing challenger Mil Mascaras just how “tough” the world heavyweight champion was. As Thesz came to ringside to answer the challenge, so too did Mascaras, apparently to watch the proceedings.

The first fall started with back-and-forth action. DiBiase got outside the ring, where he took advantage of Thesz with an eye rake, but Thesz eventually rallied and connected on a GRECO-ROMAN BACKDROP to get the pin. In the second fall, DiBiase caught Thesz coming off the turnbuckle and put him in the MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER, looking to wear Thesz down. Thesz struggled for a while before finally breaking free, then used a series of dropkicks to topple DiBiase and get the pin. He then fought off “Superstar” Bill Dundee and Virgil, who had come to ringside to attack Thesz. A weary Thesz then celebrated, only to be taken down by a clothesline from Mil Mascaras, who held up the BCW world heavyweight championship over a prone Thesz as the crowd booed