New Era Wrestling: The Return

[ajcostello]

A big 'Thank you!' for Pariah and cruefan68 for taking the time to comment. I'm glad you guys enjoyed the N.E.W. debut of Bruiser Brody. I might just be biased (as he is one of my All Time Favorites) but I think the big man has a bright future in store for himself.

New Era Wrestling -Card #16- (Virginia Beach, VA)

The show opens with a shot of the interior of one of the locker rooms. Veda Scott is seen pacing around the room as Percy Pringle III and "Ravishing" Rick Rude... the New Era Wrestling North American Champion... sit at a card table. Percy is going over some notes while Rude seems to be playing solitaire.

Rude: "Relax, kid. Don't wear yourself out before your match even starts."

Scott: "Easy for you to say, Rick! You've already got your title belt. I think keeping it might be easier than winning it. Tonight is a big first step for me. Tonight... my future begins!"

Pringle: "Veda, honey, please. Relax. Don't let this girl get into your head. That's half the battle right there. Besides, do you really think I'll let anybody take this special moment away from you, darlin'?"

Scott stops pacing.

Scott: "I guess... no... I know that you're right, Percy. Tonight is all about me. All about Veda Scott. Tonight... is Veda Time!"

The scene fades out and we go to ringside for our first match of the night...

*Brad Armstrong beats "The King" Bobby Shane (w/ Jimmy Hart) by DQ.

The opening bout tonight is a good one. A very competitive match that sees both men trade off the dominant position a handful of times. Armstrong amazes the crowd... and his opponent... by mounting a fierce comeback after very nearly losing it all following a loaded knee smash to the head. Armstrong rallies and battles back only to see Shane roll out of the ring, looking to get a break from the fiery young man. Brad follows him out of the ring, possibly looking to end things quickly, but he's intercepted by the referee. The official apparently wants to keep things orderly but when Armstrong pushes the issue by getting close to the ropes, Shane takes advantage of the referee's back being to him and he blasts Bradley with a strong right that dazes him and leaves him open for anything the villainous Shane can think of. With Jimmy Hart urging him on, Shane locks in a figure four leglock... looking to end things... but Armstrong once again shocks the crowd (and Shane) and gets the hold broken up. The King hangs back and waits for his chance... practically stalking Armstrong... and when the battered young man gets into just the right position... Shane makes his move. Locking on the dreaded JAPANESE SLEEPER in the center of the ring, Armstrong has nowhere to go and he succumbs to the hold. Shane and Hart celebrate their big win until the referee looks to force Shane to wake his downed opponent back up. Shane refuses and the referee, having had enough of the arrogant jerk, reverses his decision and gives the win to Brad Armstrong on a disqualification. Shane and Hart are, of course, incensed but there is nothing they can do about the situation.

Eventually, the ring is cleared and we can move on to our next match.

*The Heenan Family (Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens; w/ Bobby Heenan) beat Jungle Boogie (Koko B. Ware & D'Lo Brown).

The fans are solidly behind the boys in Jungle Boogie... with many in attendance dancing along with their entrance music... but Ware and Brown have a rough night dealing with Bockwinkel and Stevens. Heenan's men, once they get the upper hand, seem to enjoy playing with Ware and Brown. One could easily make a comparison between Heenan's men and a pair of cats toying with an unfortunate mouse before moving in for the kill. In this case, though, the mouse was Koko B. Ware. D'Lo makes one save but in the end, he just can't get past Bockwinkel when Ray Stevens hit the BOMBS AWAY on Ware for a brutal third time in the match. Afterward, Heenan and his men celebrate their good fortune. Beating the wildly popular duo of Ware and Brown earns the Heenan Family a shower of junk on their way back to the dressing room area. D'Lo checks on his fallen friend and when it appears that Koko will, indeed, be okay the fans give them both a very enthusiastic ovation.

It takes a moment or two for the ring to be cleared of the evidence of the fans' disapproval of Bockwinkel and Stevens but we eventually see things ready for our next match...

*"Mister Perfect" Curt Hennig (w/ J.J. Dillon) beat The Sandman.

Hennig tries very, very hard to put Sandman away early but the Hardcore Legend is having none of it. Sandman enjoys a few minutes with the upper hand before Hennig gets things back in his favor before long. A shot from Hennig... hitting with The Axe... sends Sandman through the ropes and out to the floor. Sandman practically begs Hennig to come out after him, but Mister Perfect heeds the advice of his manager J.J. Dillon and waits for Sandman to have no choice but to slip back into the ring to avoid a count out loss. As soon as he does, Hennig is all over him, catching him with a HENNIG PLEX for a quick cover and the win! After the match, Sandman and Hennig get nose-to-nose and exchange some heated words before the Perfect One just smirks and leaves the ring with J.J. in tow. Sandman is livid and has some choice words for the departing duo.

Next, we catch up with J.J. Dillon and Curt Hennig at the backstage interview area where Amy Lee is waiting for them. They are soon joined by N.E.W. World Champion "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, his bodyguard Virgil, and the men of The Shield (Tyler Black and Jon Moxley). DiBiase congratulated Hennig for his win and then allows J.J. to address Miss Lee.

Dillon: "Miss Amy Lee, what you saw tonight was my man Curt... "Mister Perfect"... make his intentions clear. He wants the North American Championship and he doesn't care that he's going to have to take it from a man he knows very, very well. Rick Rude, your days with that belt are numbered. Enjoy them while you can, sir."

Hennig: "Amy Lee, J.J. has said all that there is to be said on that subject. However, I'll expound on his words for the people out there... this is Virginia, after all, so I'll make it easy for the inbred yokels out there to understand: Rick Rude has the North American title. Soon, I will take that title from him. And it will be perfect."

DiBiase steps forward and takes the mic from Amy.

DiBiase: "Now, allow me to have my own say in this, gentlemen. This is The Gentlemen's Club, after all. I'd like to address that fool, Kevin Steen. I heard you rambling and ranting about how, now that you're no longer the North American Champion, you plan on coming after me. And my belt... the World Championship. Well, kid, I'll say this for you: you sure do dream big, don't you? Thing is, Mister Steen... you are no longer a champion. In fact, you can say that you've lost your last two matches. And correct me if I'm wrong, but even dolts like Costello and Murphy don't give title shots... especially shots at the World Title... to losers who can't put together even a single win. So, Steen, if you want a shot at me and the World championship... you're going to have to earn it, son. And good luck with that. I'll be watching. And waiting. Until then, you're just another kid with big dreams."

The members of the Gentlemen's Club all have a big laugh at this, except Virgil, who just scowls at the camera.

After Amy's guests leave the interview stage, we go back to ringside for our next match...

*Veda Scott (w/ Percy Pringle III) beat Nora Greenwald.

It's time. It's time. It's Veda Time! Just kidding. Veda is clearly outmatched by the veteran Greenwald for the majority of the match, much to Percy's dismay. In fact, Veda gets in very little offense at all aside from a short comeback in the middle of the match. However, when Nora goes for the FLIPPING SEATED SENTON and a cover, Pringle actually pulls the referee out of the ring! Percy and the ref exchange heated words and when Greenwald turns her back on Veda to try to figure out just what, exactly, is happening it allows Veda to hit the PLEX EXPRESS and go for a quick cover. The referee is made aware of the situation by Percy and he dives back into the ring and actually counts to three! Veda miraculously gets the win but neither she not Percy is in any mood to stick around to celebrate, so they do their celebrating on the way to the back. Nora has words with the ref, still not exactly sure how things went down the way they did.

When things settle down in the ring, we can move on with our next match...

*Mikey Whipwreck beat "Macho Man" Randy Savage (w/ Sherri Martel).

Mikey shocks the world by not only surviving a brutal onslaught by the former TV champion, but he actually makes the comeback of a lifetime and manages to do an unreal amount of damage to Savage with a pair of Frankenmikeys. Martel does her best to interfere but it doesn't work out and she screams in horror when Whipwreck finally hits the WHIPPER-SNAPPER on the Macho Man and gets an almost laughably easy pinfall victory (roll of snake eyes). Mikey can hardly contain himself as his hand is raised in victory, but he's not stupid enough to wait around for an angry Randy Savage to get his wits back together.

Once the fans settle down after watching the impossible happen, it's time for our Main Event...

*The Varsity Club (Steve Williams & Kevin Sullivan) vs. The Road Warriors (Animal & Hawk; N.E.W. Tag Team Champions; w/ Paul Ellering) is a DDQ.

There is no love lost between these two teams and the action shows this fact quite nicely. The Road Warriors dominate the majority of the match, but Williams and Sullivan get their share of time with the upper hand. Once again on the offensive after allowing the Varsity Club a short time on top, the Road Warriors put Sullivan through the mat with a DOOMSDAY DEVICE... the second time tonight... and Williams moves in to save his partner. Again. This brings in Animal and all four men start fighting in the center of the ring. Senior Official Bud Gordon is powerless to restore order so he calls for the bell, disqualifying both teams. No one is happy with this result. Not the wrestlers. Not Paul Ellering. Not the fans. No one.

The show ends with a shot of the ring full of officials trying to pry the four wrestlers apart.

*The End*

At a Glance:
Brad Armstrong beat Bobby Shane by DQ
Bockwinkel & Stevens beat Jungle Boogie
Curt Hennig beat The Sandman
Veda Scott beat Nora Greenwald
Mikey Whipwreck beat Randy Savage
Varsity Club vs. Road Warriors is a Double DQ

[joebreakdown]

Er, that 'bottom of the card jobber' Mikey Whipwreck beats the Macho Man?! Wow!! Sherri does her best to break up the pin, but Savage stays down. Huge victory, and a smart move getting out of there on the double. Randy is going to be out for revenge, surely?!

Completely mis-read the first match and for some reaosn thought Brad Armstrong was fighting King Kong Bundy. I thought, "wow, Bundy's sure been working on his offense!" until I re-read the first line of the post. Pleased the ref reversed the decision in favour of one of my faves.

Always laugh when I imagine 'Jungle Boogie' shuckin' n jivin' their way to the ring in a very 1980s 'is this still ok?' kinda way. Pity they came up short this time!

Good stuff!

[cruefan68]

Another wild night of NEW action highlighted by Mikey Whipwreck beating Randy Savage. Nice win for Mikey but the "Macho Man", already reeling from that loss to Jim Powers, is going to want to even the score. Good to see a team avoid a loss to the Road Warriors so that is a plus for the Varsity Club in my book. Nice win for Veda Scott over a tough opponent so she could be onto something good taking Percy Pringle III on as her manager. The Gentleman's Club is gearing up for some big things especially with Curt Hennig looking for a North American title shot against Rick Rude. Good show overall.

[ajcostello]

A big thank you to both joebreakdown and cruefan68 for the comments and insight. No one was more surprised than I was when Mikey Whipwreck of all people took down the Macho Man! You want to talk about an upset! I'm still baffled at the idea that a card as strong as Randy Savage has been beaten by Jim Powers and Mikey. Granted, Jim had a little help from A.J. Styles.

New Era Wrestling -Card #17- (Charlotte, NC)

The show opens with a shot of the backstage area, coming to a stop at a door that has a piece of paper on it. The word 'Office' is written in big block letters on the paper. There's a bit of muffled conversation coming from the other side of the door for a moment before it opens. N.E.W. North American champion "Ravishing" Rick Rude and his manager Percy Pringle III step out into the hallway and look directly at the camera.

Pringle: "Well, well. Have we got a surprise in store for you tonight, Charlotte!"

Rude: "Now get that camera out of my face before I break it."

The camera switches to a view of the ringside area so that we can start our first match of the night...

*Cowboy Country (Blackjack Mulligan & Sam Houston w/ Scott Casey) beat The Backseat Boyz (Johnny Kashmere & Trent Acid)

The Backseat Boyz seem to have this one well in hand for a bit, keeping Sam away from his own corner and isolated in theirs. A lot of quick tags and innovative double-teaming on the Texan almost gets them a win fairly quickly, but once Houston has a chance to get to his own corner and tag in the big man... things turn around for the trio from Texas. Mulligan is just too big and too strong for Kashmere and Acid to contain. Soon after Blackjack tags into the match, it all comes to screeching halt thanks to a lariat from the big man onto a stunned Johnny Kashmere. Acid moves to break up the pin but he's intercepted by Houston and the ref's count gets to three. THe Texans offer a sporting handshake to their opponents but are rebuffed.

Once the ring is cleared, we can continue the show with...

*Bruiser Brody and the Iron Sheik ends in a Double Count Out

Brody and the Iron Sheik tear into one another with gusto as soon as the bell rings to start the match. It's a wild affair that sees Brody nearly pinned by the Iranian before getting his own shot at putting his opponent away. The action spills out of the ring on three separate occasions, with the referee helpless to do anything but count out both men on their third trip to the outside due to Brody and his opponent getting out of control in the ensuing brawl. It takes an entire mob of officials to get the two men pulled apart but they don't stay apart for long. Brody and Iron Sheik and up brawling all the way to the locker rooms with the officials still trying in vain to get them away from each other.

With order restored (eventually), we can start our next match.

*Penny Banner beats "The Gatekeeper" Kelly Klein (w/ Madison Rayne) by DQ

Klein tries to intimidate Penny early on but she wasn't going to back down. THe two ladies put on a spirited, competitive match that sees Penny kick out of two pin attempts and nearly end things with a pin attempt of her own on Kelly. After a little more back-and-forth from the ladies, Banner looks to end things once and for all with a SUNSET FLIP. This brings in the New Era Wrestling women's champion to break up the pinfall. Rayne jumps onto Penny and she and Klein start putting the boots to Banner. The referee immediately calls for the bell, disqualifying Klein. The beating continues for a minute or so before Cheerleader Melissa and Trish Stratus run down to ringside to chase the dastardly duo back to the locker rooms. With the champion and her enforcer safely out of the way, both ladies check on Banner. She seems to have escaped the fracas without any major damage and the fans cheer for her all the way to the back.

Up next we see the backstage interview area with the beautiful Amy Lee standing by for her guests for the night... who just so happen to be Trish, Melissa and now Penny Banner.

Lee: "Ladies. That was... something else out there tonight, huh? Clearly, Madison Rayne is a marked woman. What's your next step?"

Stratus: "I can guarantee you this much, Amy Lee: if Madison didn't have Kelly Klein watching her back... and vice versa... there's no way she'd still be the champion. Make no mistake, though... one of us will get her. Eventually."

Melissa: "Those two are as thick as thieves, ladies. So, if we can't get them one-on-one why not make it a tag team match? The three of us against Madison, Kelly, and anyone that they can find to back them up. I'm not expecting there to be any takers, though."

Banner: "Madison! We'll meet again, you and I. Bet on it."

Stratus: "I like that idea, Melissa. Let's go talk to Costello and Murphy and make it happen!"

As the three ladies walk away from the interview stage, we go back to ringside for...

*Mikey Whipwreck beats A.J. Styles (N.E.W. Television champion) by DQ

A reluctant Mikey Whipwreck tries his best but the champion is just operating on a different level. It looks like it's going to be a very quick match... all in the champion's favor... when an insane "Macho Man" Randy Savage runs down the entranceway and slides into the ring, immediately going after Whipwreck! Styles can't believe what he's seeing as the referee calls for the bell, awarding the match to Mikey! Styles and a handful of officials get in between Savage and Whipwreck and eventually get the ring cleared.

Once order is restored, we can move on to our next match...

*The Shield (Tyler Black & Jon Moxley w/ J.J. Dillon) beat THe Gangsters of Love (Danny Doring & Amish Roadkill)

Moxley and Black isolate Doring in their corner and work him over quickly and methodically, ending the match quickly without Roadkill getting to tag into the match even once. The fans in attendance let them know how they feel about their new allegiances with a loud chorus of booing and curses. Moxley and Black seem to enjoy the reaction and almost encourage it to continue.

After the match, J.J. Dillon stays at ringside as the introductions for tonight's Main Event reveal Rick Rude and Percy Pringle II's 'big surprise'...

*"Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase (N.E.W. World Champion w/ J.J. Dillon) beat "Ravishing" Rick Rude (N.E.W. North American champion w/ Percy Pringle III)

The main event is a competitive one that sees no fewer than six near falls split between the two men over the course of the match. About midway through it, Rude seemed to get an upper hand on the World Champion until one little slip up gave DiBiase an opening. And the man took advantage of that opening, indeed. The second time seeing the COBRA CLUTCH in the match puts Rude away for good despite Pringle trying to intervene. After the results are announced and DiBiase and Dillon are celebrating, they are joined by "Mister Perfect" Curt Hennig who wastes no time getting in Rude's face and tells him that the North American title is as good as his. The showdown between the two Minnesotans will likely happen next week in Raleigh.

The show ends with Rude and Hennig going nose-to-nose in the middle of the ring as their managers look to prevent anything from happening that might jeopardize their future plans.

*The End*

At A Glance:

Cowboy Country beat Backseat Boyz
Bruiser Brody and Iron Sheik is a Double Count Out
Penny Banner beat Kelly Klein by DQ
Mikey Whipwreck beat A.J. Styles by DQ (Styles retains the TV title)
The Shield beat Gangsters of Love
Ted DiBiase beat Rick Rude to retain the World title

[Pariah]

A big win for Whipwreck over the reigning TV champion... Even though it was a technical decision and the circumstances were kinda shady... Gotta wonder if Styles will give him a crack at the title after that...

Thoroughly enjoyed the precision teamwork of The Shield... And Brody vs Iron Sheik did not disappoint... Looking forward to a rematch between those two fierce competitors...

The show conclusion was absolutely PERFECT... With Hennig gloating over the fallen Rick Rude... Their upcoming encounter for the North American title should be a memorable one...

Awesome stuff!

[cruefan68]

The Ted Dibiase vs. Rick Rude champion against champion main event was excellent. Nice post-match challenge issued by Curt Hennig as well meaning Rude has a target on his back. I was not surprised to see a crazed Randy Savage interfere in the Whipwreck-Styles television title bout. Savage has to be beyond uncontrollable at this point and that is scary. Bruiser Brody vs. Iron Sheik was great and I would love to see a rematch. Another outstanding night of N.E.W. action.

[ajcostello]

Thanks for commenting, gentlemen! It is always appreciated!

New Era Wrestling -Card #18- (New York, NY)

We open the show with the traditional exterior shot of the venue before going inside to join the members of The Gentlemen's Club in their locker room. World Champion "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase is there with "Mister Perfect" Curt Hennig, Jon Moxley, Tyler Black, manager J.J. Dillon and DiBiase's bodyguard Virgil.

DiBiase: "... you've got this one, Curt. There is no way we won't have the North American title in our hands at the end of the night. Bank on that."

Hennig: "I have no doubt, Ted. No doubts at all."

Dillon: "You have this, Curt. Just imagine what the party at the hotel after the show is going to be like...."

Moxley: "This should be good. We'll be ready if you need us."

Hennig and Moxley exchange a fist bump as the camera fades out to return at ringside. We are ready for our first match.

*The Red Army (Nikolai Volkoff & Boris Zhukov w/ Nikita Breznikov) beat The Heartbreak Express ( Sean & Phil Davis)

The Russian powerhouses make short work of the debuting Davis brothers, isolating Phil in their corner and just straight up brutalizing him. Sean never makes it into the ring aside from the two times he broke up a pair of possible pinfalls. Nikolai and Boris celebrate by waving the Soviet flag around to the chorus of boos from the audience.

Once the Russians have had enough (and the officials clear the ring of all the refuse the crowd has thrown into the ring) we can continue with our next match...

*Brent Albright beats "Cowboy" Scott Casey (w/ Blackjack Mulligan)

The Texan starts off strong but all it takes is one slip up to allow Albright to gain the upper hand and secure the victory with a pair of half nelson suplexes that lead to a CROWBAR for the win. AS Albright is getting his hand raised by the official we can see that J.J. Dillon has once again been lurking at the curtain. No one is certain as to what Dillon's agenda is in regards to young Mister Albright.

Once Mulligan has helped his friend back to his feet and on the way back to the locker rooms we are ready for our next match.

*Madison Rayne (N.E.W. Women's Champion), Kelly Klein, & April Hunter beat Trish Stratus, Cheerleader Melissa, & Penny Banner

Rayne and friends display a shocking amount of teamwork in their win against their hated rivals in Stratus, Melissa, and Penny. It's a very competitive affair from the opening bell, however, and Trish very nearly scored a big pinfall on the champion with STRATUSFACTION only to have it broken up at the last second by Klein. Cheerleader Melissa is tagged in and looks to put the champion away only to have the rug pulled out from under her as Rayne counters a Samoan Drop with a surprise ROLL UP WITH TIGHTS that gets the champion and her team the win. Victorious, the champion and her 'bodyguard' Klein leave team-mate April Hunter alone in the ring to face the wrath of Stratus and her friends.

Once the tense situation is defused we go backstage to the interview area where Amy Lee is waiting. Joining her tonight the team of RVD and Sabu and their ever-present, annoying whistleblowing manager Bill Alfonso.

Lee: "Thank you for joining me, gentlemen. I know your time is precious as you have to finalize your preparations for tonight's match against the Empire of the Rising Sun. What are your thoughts going into the match if I might ask?"

RVD: "Well, Amy Lee, you see... it's all pretty simple. Those guys have never been in the ring with somebody like me... R.V.D.... and his partner Sabu. I predict the match will be amazing... spectacular... incredible... and over pretty darn quickly."

Lee: "Fuji and Saito have held multiple championships over their careers, gentlemen. I wouldn't take them lightly if I were you."

RVD: Your concern is noted, Amy. I'm touched. But, ultimately... the only thing holding me back from any title I choose to go after... is myself."

Alfonso: "That's right, daddy! RVD and Sabu are the team to beat! No one can hold a candle to them!"

Once Amy's guests leave the interview stage, we can return back to ringside for our next match...

*Harley Race beats The Sandman by DQ

This match is a fierce back-and-forth affair that sees no fewer than five near falls split between the two rough, tough wrestlers. The end of the match comes as a shock to everyone in attendance as Sandman comes out on top of a brawl on the outside of the ring with Race only to go for a SINGAPORE CANE shot that puts Harley down and causes the official to immediately call for the bell. Sandman tries to argue his case to the ref afterwards to no avail. Once the cobwebs clear from his head, Race gets right in the Sandman's face forcing the ref to get in between the two dangerous men.

When the situation is under control and the ring is cleared, we can move on to our next match.

*Rob Van Dam & Sabu (w/ Bill Alfonso) beat The Empire of the Rising Sun (Fuji & Saito)

Van Dam and Sabu go toe to toe with Fuji and Saito with neither side backing down an inch. It's a wild, competitive match that sees the Japanese come very close to winning on two close calls before Alfonso's team get back on track and regain the upper hand. With Fuji helplessly trapped in the wrong corner, the ECW Originals hit the Rolling Thunder before Sabu puts the finishing touches on the match with a really impressive TRIPLE JUMP MOONSAULT (it was a +5 finisher) for the win. Saito had moved in to break up the pin but was stopped by Van Dam and the match easily ends. Van Dam showboats for the crowd after the winners get their hands raised. The Japanese grapplers are not at all pleased with the outcome, however.

Once Van Dam, Sabu, and Fonzie are done with their post-match celebrating, the ring is cleared so that we can get on with tonight's main event...

*"Mister Perfect" Curt Hennig (w/ J.J. Dillon) beats "Ravishing" Rick Rude (N.E.W. North American Champion w/ Percy Pringle III) for the title

In a match that just might be one of the best that New Era Wrestling has hosted since it returned to prominence, the two Minnesota boys pull out all the stops. Thanks to timely interference by both managers at various times in the match, both men have opportunities to hit their respective finishers on each other at least twice each. In the end, it's an Axe from Hennig that puts the nail in the coffin for Rude's championship reign. After the results are announced, a dejected Rude and Pringle make their way to the back as the other members of The Gentlemen's Club storm the ring to help their compatriot celebrate in style. The crowd does not like what has transpired and they let DiBiase and company hear all about it.

The show ends with the other members of the Gentlemen's Club popping a bottle of champagne in the center of the ring and really driving it home to the fans that they are, indeed, the stable to beat here in New Era Wrestling.

*The End*

At a Glance:
Volkoff & Zhukov beat the Heartbreak Express
Brent Albright beat Scott Casey
Rayne, Klein, & Hunter beat Stratus, Melissa, & Banner
Harley Race beats the Sandman by DQ
RVD & Sabu beat Fuji & Saito
Curt Hennig beats Rick Rude for the North American Title

[Pariah]

Spectacular win for RVD & Sabu... Would love to see them as contenders for the tag belts...

And congrats to Mr Perfect on taking the NEW North American title from the Ravishing One... Maybe not quite clean, but turnaround is fair play and neither man looked very innocent after that match was over...

Very fun show!

[cruefan68]

The Gentleman's Club is riding high with Curt Hennig winning the N.E.W. North American title from Rick Rude, and I really liked the battle of the managers throughout. Also interesting is that J.J. Dillon is scouting Brent Albright. RVD & Sabu over Fuji & Saito was great and I agree with Pariah that it would be cool to see them in tag title contention. Another great offering from N.E.W.

[ajcostello]

A big 'thank you' for Pariah and cruefan68 for the feedback! Much appreciated, as always!

New Era Wrestling -Card # 19- (Albany, NY)

We open with a shot of the venue that fades into an interior shot. Backstage. We see Mikey Whipwreck pacing nervously back and forth. He is soon joined by Rob Van Dam.

Van Dam: "Mikey. Dude. You need to chill. What's got you so worked up anyway, bud?"

Whipwreck: "A.J. Styles."

Van Dam: "What about A.J.? He seems like a decent dude."

Whipwreck: "He says that what happened last time wasn't fair to me and all, so... he's gonna give me another shot at the TV title!"

Van Dam: "Dude! That's fantastic! Wait. What's wrong again?"

Whipwreck: "IF I take the match, Styles is gonna kick my ass. If I were to win it? Randy Savage is gonna come after me. Then he will kill me! I can't win, Rob! I'm totally screwed!"

Van Dam: "Relax, dude. Just chill. You need someone to watch your back all you had to do is ask. Me, Sabu an' Fonzie will be happy to look out for you."

Whipwreck: "Really? For real? You'll get my back?"

Van Dam: "Totally, dude. You're one of us, man. An ECW Original. And all that sh!t. We got you covered."

Whipwreck is visibly relieved.

Whipwreck: "Oh, man. You don't know how glad I am to hear that. But, Rob... what if I actually win tonight?"

Van Dam just shrugs.

Van Dam: "Chill, dude. What's the worst that could happen?"

After RVD walks away from Mikey, we go to the ringside area for the first introductions of the night.

*Jungle Boogie (Koko B. Ware & D'Lo Brown) beat PG-13 (Wolfie D & J.C. Ice w/ Jimmy Hart) by DQ

The crowd seems solidly behind the boys from Jungle Boogie and really, really loud in their dislike of Jimmy Hart and his men. It's a wild and very competitive affair with all four men getting their time in. Both teams use excellent teamwork and clever use of tags in and out. The boys from "The Hood" very nearly have things all wrapped up after a double bulldog on Ware but the pinfall is broken up at the last second by Brown. Hart's men continue their onslaught on Ware for a bit longer before Koko rolls out of the ring in desperation. Wolfie D follows him out and, despite Jimmy Hart urging him to be careful, he resorts to the use of the time-keeper's bell as a weapon on the already wobbly Koko B. Ware. The referee is not in the mood to tolerate such shenanigans and immediately calls for the bell, awarding the match to Ware and Brown. Hart and company are not at all happy about things but the referee's will is adamant.

Once the officials get everything sorted out and get everyone calmed and back to the locker room area, we're ready for our next match...

*Bruiser Brody beats Jim Powers

Brody gives the fans of N.E.W. a repeat performance of his debut, making quick, merciless work of Jim Powers. The match is over in nearly record time. After the match ends, Brody roughly demands the mic from a very cowed Miss Cindy Shepherd.

Brody: "If this is the best you've got here in New Era Wrestling... you should just stop wasting my time and give me the damn belt already!"

Brody spikes the mic to the mat and storms back to the locker rooms. Once things are properly cleared, we're ready for our next match...

*The Shield (Tyler Black & Jon Moxley w/ J.J. Dillon) beat The Varsity Club ("Doctor Death" Steve Williams & Kevin Sullivan w/ Bob Roop)

This one is all over the place. All four men get plenty of time to shine during the course of this one. There's a handful of near falls, mostly seeing Black or Moxley surviving very close encounters but the members of The Gentlemen's Club manage to get Sullivan in a precarious position a time or two as well. The end of the match comes just before the ten-minute mark with the Taskmaster whipping Moxley into the turnbuckles before charging in for a spear. At the last possible second, Moxley dodges to the side and Sullivan crashes into the ring post and slides limply out of the ring to the floor. Dillon urges his team to take this time to regroup and gather their strength as Roop tends to Sullivan as he's down. Sullivan weakly slides back into the ring to avoid a count-out loss and into the waiting arms of Jon Moxley, who puts him back down onto the mat with a running bulldog before tagging in his partner. Once inside the ring as the legal man, Tyler Black decides not to kid around and goes for a CURB STOMP right away. He goes for a cover as his partner keeps Williams at bay and scores a decisive pinfall and the victory (rolled snake eyes). After the match, Dillon and his charges simulate putting title belts around their waists as the fans don't know who to shower their disapproval on more... the Shield or the Varsity Club.

After the match we go to the backstage interview area and join Miss Amy Lee who has already been joined by her guests... the New Era Wrestling Tag Team Champions... the Road Warriors: Animal and Hawk. Alongside the champions is, of course, "Precious" Paul Ellering.

Lee: "Hello, gentlemen-"

Hawk: "Oh, Amy Lee... you know just as well as we do... and everyone else in this building knows... that we are not gentle men! In fact, we're quite the opposite! We beat people up for a living and we are damn good at it!"

Animal: "It's like this, Amy Lee: the boys in the office told us before tonight's show started that whoever won that last match we just saw was going to be our next victims! So, that's right. Next week... in Buffalo... we get to kick the crap out of Jon Moxley and Tyler Black! You know what, Hawk? I don't think we've had the privilege of kicking their teeth in yet!"

Hawk: "You know what? You're right! Well, this just got a whole lot more interesting, didn't it?"

Ellering: "Those two boys have gotten themselves a slimy worm in their corner and they think that's going to help them out! Well, the jokes on them! Dillon isn't going to do one little thing to influence the outcome of the match because he'll be too busy looking over his shoulder because I'll be there to keep him in line!"

Hawk: "I can't wait for next week, boys! Fresh meat and they're being delivered right to us!"

We soon go back to ringside for our next match.

"Wrestling's Worst Nightmare" Kevin Steen beats King Kong Bundy (w/ Jimmy Hart) by DQ

The battle between the former North American champion and the "Walking Condominium" is all over the place and is a hard-fought battle that sees both men busted open and bleeding after a handful of wild brawls on the outside. Neither man, however, can seem to get a decided advantage over the other until what would be the closing minutes of the match, when Bundy tosses Steen into the ropes and telegraphs his intentions for a backdrop. THis gets him kicked squarely in the face by a resurgent Steen. With the bigger man down on his back, Steen moves in like an apex predator and locks on a sharpshooter! Hart decides to earn his money tonight and gets onto the apron to distract the ref and Steen... allowing Bundy to recover somewhat and pick up Hart's "Accidentally" discarded megaphone. He takes the opportunity to lay into Steen with the weapon but is caught red-handed with the thing. The ref calls for the bell immediately and awards the match to Steen! Hart and Bundy are livid. The big man shoves the referee aside and continues his assault on the downed Steen, hitting him with the ATLANTIC CITY AVALANCHE multiple times until a large group of officials move in to put a stop to the assault. THe damage has been done, however, and Steen has to be taken backstage on a stretcher. He is very likely seriously injured.

Once things calm down sufficiently, Miss Cindy gets back into the ring to announce the next match.

*Madison Rayne (N.E.W. Women's Champion w/ Kelly Klein) beats Malia Hosaka to retain the title

Hosaka has Rayne's number tonight and very nearly put her away on three different occasions. The first two times, the champion managed to survive by getting a shoulder up in the nick of time. The third time she survives a possible pinfall is purely thanks to Kelly Klein interfering on her behalf. The end of the match comes out of nowhere when the champion reverses Hosaka's karate kicks with a surprise ROLL-UP WITH TIGHTS to score a pinfall victory. Madison and Kelly do not linger around the ringside area while celebrating, however. Malia is quite rightly very unhappy with the outcome of the match.

Once the ring is cleared, we are ready to go on to tonight's Main Event...

*A.J. Styles (N.E.W. Television Champion) beats Mikey Whipwreck to retain the title

Styles and Whipwreck have a fun, spirited... but short... match. Despite getting to see a brief, shining moment on the offensive Whipwreck eventually falls to a Calf Killer. After the match (that surprisingly didn't see Randy Savage interfere in) the champion shows Whipwreck some respect by raising his hand and presenting him to the fans. Whipwreck seems to appreciate the gesture even though he is clearly relieved that he didn't win the match.

The show ends with Styles basking in the cheers of the crowd.

*The End*

At A Glance:
Jungle Boogie beat PG-13 by DQ
Bruiser Brody beat Jim Powers
The Shield beat the Varsity Club to become top contenders
Kevin Steen beat King Kong Bundy by DQ (Steen suffers an injury afterwards)
Madison Rayne beat Malia Hosaka to retain the title
A.J. Styles beat Mikey Whipwreck to retain the title