LOW - Legends of Wrestling II
Aug 18, 2018 15:51:21 GMT -5
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Post by cruefan68 on Aug 18, 2018 15:51:21 GMT -5
LOW Kings Road United - New Year Explosion - Tokyo Dome - Tokyo, Japan (Card #1201)
Quick Results:
1) New Year Special Opening Fight: “Hangman” Adam Page defeated “Switchblade” Jay White
(Pinfall – Rite of Passage)
2) Lightning Atomico War: Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask, William Forve & Paul Pope defeated “The Villain” Marty Scurll, Zack Sabre Jr., Battle Kat & Rocky Romero
(Paul Pope over Battle Kat by submission – Wristshotlock)
3) SHIMMER Special Fight: Jessicka Havok & “The Mountain” Vanessa Kraven defeated “The Punisher” Madison Eagles & Nicole Savoy
(Vanessa Kraven pinned Madison Eagles – Death Valley Driver)
4) World of Sport Rules (Six 3:00 Rounds): Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne was a Draw (1-1)
(Pete Dunne by pinfall over Tyler Bate – Sitout Power Bomb – Round 3)
(Tyler Bate by pinfall over Pete Dunne – Tyler Driver ’97 – Round 6)
5) ICON vs. Unbreakable: Sting defeated “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin
(Submission – Scorpion Deathlock)
6) MVC vs. POWER MOUNTAIN: Steve “Dr. Death” Williams & Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy defeated Giant Bernard & “Dangerous” Dan Spivey
(Terry Gordy pinned Giant Bernard – Piledriver)
7) KRU Dream Match: Stan “The Lariat” Hansen defeated Great Muta by DQ
8) Ultima Lucha - Japon: Hallowicked & Frightmare defeated Mil Mascaras & Prince Puma
(Hallowicked pinned Prince Puma – Yakuza Kick)
9) The King's Final Bow: Harley Race defeated Antonio Inoki
(Pinfall – Piledriver)
10) LEGENDS vs. DEGENERATES: Lou Thesz & Rikidozan defeated Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)
(Rikidozan pinned Matt Jackson – Thunderous Chops)
11) Nature Boy vs. The Cleaner: “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers defeated “The Cleaner” Kenny Omega
(Submission – Figure Four Grapevine)
12) Exciting Battle Final - LOW International Heavyweight title: Giant Baba defeated The Crusher to win the title
(Pinfall – Neckbreaker Drop)
Match Highlights:
The main event before a sell-out crowd at the Tokyo Dome saw history made as Giant Baba defeated The Crusher to win the LOW International Heavyweight title. It was the second time that Baba had one the belt and incredibly his first reign came in the very first year of existence for LOW when he won it from Gorgeous George and lost it to Bobo Brazil. The Crusher, coming off his big title win over The Sheik in Chicago, IL (Card #1182), was hoping to leave Tokyo still champion. Baba struck hard early and even hit the Neckbreaker Drop but The Crusher kicked out at two. The Crusher mounted a counter attack outside the ring including running Baba into the ring post. He also used two submission holds, the bearhug and the Crusher Nelson, to great effect. Baba struggled in those holds but battled back scoring another two count with the Russian Legsweep. A big boot to the face, or 16-Mon Kick by Baba, sent The Crusher flying out of the ring. That led to another assault on the outside by The Crusher as he busted Baba open with a run into the guard rail. Back inside, it was a battering of power forearms by The Crusher that resulted in a big near fall. Baba was in a tough spot, but he managed to fight back and caught The Crusher with a second Neckbreaker Drop this time resulting in the pin. The crowd erupted in cheers as the bloody and exhausted Baba was crowned the new LOW International Heavyweight champion bringing a great night of action to an end…
Coupled with the loss by the Young Bucks earlier, the Bullet Club concluded a poor night as “The Cleaner” Kenny Omega lost his grudge match battle against Golden Age Wrestling star “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers. This highly anticipated bout came about when Rogers took offense to the Bullet Club disrespecting and injuring Lou Thesz. Rogers took it upon himself to seek some revenge for Thesz even though they are rivals and so he hunted down Omega until he finally agreed to the match. Omega was on fire in the early going and had Rogers in a bad way. He hit the fireman’s carry and Moonsault combo followed by a Hadouken for a two count. After Rogers went on offense and hit a piledriver, Omega scrambled to grab his Spray Can which he shot into the eyes of Thesz for another two count. Omega then hit his potent finisher, the One Winged Angel, but somehow Rogers kicked out just before the three count. Omega was livid and took it outside the ring but that was a mistake as Rogers used a chair slamming it against his knees. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) ran down to try and interfere but were just as quickly run off by Thesz and Rikidozan which left Omega on his own. Rogers capitalized on that and subsequently trapped Omega in the Figure Four Grapevine in center ring. Omega struggled to escape, including grabbing the referee by the collar, but he was forced to concede giving Rogers the win via submission.
After Rogers left the ring, a distraught Omega shoved the referee down and grabbed the microphone claiming he never gave up. The Young Bucks, “Hangman” Adam Page, the “Under Boss” Terex and Voodoo Kaos soon joined him in the ring as Omega kept ranting. He claimed that he also never lost the LOW World Heavyweight title to AJ Styles and that there is a conspiracy against the Bullet Club. He then brought up Adam Cole who was not at the Tokyo Dome. Omega claimed that Cole has “dragged the Bullet Club down” and said that his recent attempt to recruit new members, referring to IWA stars reDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly), was done without his blessing. He brought up how “Switchblade” Jay White earlier turned down their recruitment offer, calling it a “huge mistake” by the “punk kid”, but said that unlike with Cole this offer to join Bullet Club had his blessing. He called out Cole saying that he manipulated his way into IWA King of Trios and that IWA officials refused The Elite (Omega and the Bucks) entry because Cole had secretly signed the contract proffered to Bullet Club. Omega said that he will not stand for such insubordination and that as of now Adam Cole (Bay-Bay!) is no longer a member of the Bullet Club! “The Cleaner” finished his tirade by making a gun gesture that he said was pointed directly at Cole and his cohorts, Fish and O’Reilly, who are now going by the name of Undisputed Era.
Lou Thesz & Rikidozan delivered the definition of taking your opponents to school as they took apart Bullet Club members the Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) in a grudge tag team match. This was the return of the Bucks from their suspension which was handed down when they joined Terex in injuring Thesz in a match where he was challenging Kenny Omega for the LOW World Heavyweight title in St. Louis, MO (Card #1173). Thesz had a long road ahead with his rehab and it was Rikidozan that stepped up and helped his old friend and rival with the two training regularly in Hawaii. Thesz took great pleasure in taking on both Jacksons’ here and showed them why he is a former LOW World Heavyweight champion. To be fair, the Bucks made a nice rally at one point and scored a two count on Thesz after hitting More Bang For Your Buck. Thesz scored big near falls on the Bucks with the Thesz Press and the Greco-Roman Backdrop but pin saves were made each time. Rikidozan wound up finishing things off when he blasted Matt with the Thunderous Chops and scored the pin. The crowd erupted in cheers as Thesz and Rikidozan put the Bucks away and sent a clear message to the Bullet Club that Kings Road United and their allies will not stand down anytime soon.
The final match for Harley Race under contract to Kings Road United couldn’t have gone any better for the former two-time LOW World Heavyweight champion. He scored a victory over the highly ranked Antonio Inoki and turned in a nearly flawless performance in the process. Inoki pushed Race to the limit in what was a great match, but he was unable to put him away. Race utilized the Indian Deathlock to great effect and when the time was right he planted Inoki with his trademark Piledriver and scored the pin. Inoki was disappointed over the loss but at the same time realized that Race has meant a lot to KRU over the years and the two shook hands to cheers from the crowd. Race then addressed the crowd, with Inoki providing some translation, and basically thanked them for letting him be a part of KRU and said that he would be back someday. He then made the major announcement that he is the first man signed to Atlantic Coast Wrestling and that he was going to work hard to get a shot at LOW World Heavyweight champion AJ Styles to hopefully become a three-time LOW World Heavyweight champion.
The stars of Lucha Underground were featured in a show stealing tag team match with the tecnicos Mil Mascaras & Prince Puma taking on the rudos Hallowicked & Frightmare. This was all-out action from start to finish that saw both teams score numerous near falls. There were also some great aerial highlights including Puma doing the over the ring post dive on Hallowicked, Frightmare hitting the tope con hilo two straight times on Mascaras and Mascaras coming back with a slingshot plancha on Frightmare that resulted in a two count. All four men hit their respective finishers in the match but were unable to get the win. Things built up dramatically as Frightmare survived both the Flying Bodypress from Mascaras, due to a pin save by Hallowicked, and Chocolate Rain from Puma. The finish saw Hallowicked run Puma hard into the ring post before connecting with a Yakuza Kick to score the pin.
The Dream Match pitting the Great Muta against Stan “The Lariat” Hansen more than lived up to its advance billing. Muta, who has now signed a full-time contract with Kings Road United, was on the defensive early as Hansen pounded away on him in and out of the ring. Hansen twice hit the devastating Western Lariat but Muta rolled his shoulder up at the two count both times. Muta began battling back and scored a two count after a jumping spin kick. A power drive elbow and a bridging chinlock kept Muta in control but Hansen is not one to stay down long. Hansen regained control hitting a running knee drop before taking it back outside. The two traded blows and fought over the barrier into the crowd. The referee followed and tried to break it up but Muta sprayed him with the green colored Muta Mist. That resulted in a snake eyes disqualification decision with Hansen getting the victory. It didn’t end there as they continued battling up the ramp area of the Tokyo Dome where a host of KRU officials swarmed around them trying in vain to break it up. They finally ended up trading blows down the stairs and into the backstage area before being pulled apart.
The Miracle Violence Connection of Steve “Dr. Death” Williams & Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy of the CWA took on Giant Bernard & “Dangerous” Dan Spivey, often referred to as “Power Mountain”, in a highly anticipated tag team match. Doc nearly won it in the opening minute when he crushed Bernard with the Oklahoma Stampede. That shook up Bernard who remained on the defensive for a good stretch. The MVC were firing on all cylinders until Spivey was able to turn it around with a big clothesline on Williams. Power Mountain followed up with two counts on Williams courtesy of a DDT by Spivey and a middle rope splash by Bernard. Williams battled back planting Spivey with a Doctor Bomb for a near fall. Both teams took it to the outside late nearly resulting in a disqualification decision. Bernard also barely avoided a count out loss after Gordy blasted him with a running lariat. The finish of a punishing match saw Doc nail Spivey with a football tackle as Gordy hit the Power Bomb on Bernard for a near fall. Gordy followed that up with a Piledriver on Bernard to score the pin pulling off a big victory for the MVC.
In one of the most incredible bouts on the card, the “Icon” Sting defeated the “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin. This was a true test of the speed and resilience of Sting against the awesome power of Elgin. Both men went on extended stretches of offense where it looked like they would be headed to victory only to have it snatched away. That was never truer than when Elgin delivered the rarely used and devastating Avalanche Elgin Bomb but somehow Sting kicked out at two. Sting then took Elgin down with the Stinger Splash, a pescado dive and a rolling Koppo kick for a near fall. Elgin battled back scoring another two count with a cravate with knees and then crushed Sting with a Buckle Bomb. Sting was also busted open after a run into the guard rail. Elgin looked to finish him off but missed a corner charge leading to Sting executing a quick counter roll-up for a near fall. Sting then went up top and connected with a flying shoulder tackle before trapping Elgin in the Scorpion Deathlock. Elgin tried with all of his might to power out but Sting cinched the hold on and won it by submission. The crowd cheered both men afterward as they shook hands and Sting then raised up Elgin’s arm acknowledging his efforts in the match.
Two newcomers signed to World of Sport, Tyler Bate and the “Bruiserweight” Pete Dunne, got a chance to compete in a World of Sport Rules match before a sell-out crowd at the Tokyo Dome. This was a six-round bout with three-minute time periods and saw Dunne the aggressor early including hitting the devastating X-Plex on the ring apron in the second round. Bate survived the rest of that round but Dunne took over early in round three and planted him with a Sitout Power Bomb to take a one to nil lead in the match. Bate finally turned it around in the fifth round scoring two counts with Bop n’ Bang and British Bate-ness. With time running out in the sixth round, Dunne hoped to keep his advantage and run out the clock but a reversal by Bate sealed his fate. Bate nailed Dunne with the Tyler Driver ’97 for the pin scoring the equalizing fall. The result was a one-to-one draw and a bout that saw great efforts put forth by both men as they looked to gain the victory.
A special attraction match from SHIMMER saw former SHIMMER champion “The Punisher” Madison Eagles team up with the undefeated Nicole Savoy to take on the intimidating pairing of Jessicka Havok & “The Mountain” Vanessa Kraven. Eagles has been dealing with a lot of pain since Havok and Kraven assaulted her, including delivering a power bomb over the top rope through a table. Many felt that Eagles returned too soon from her injuries and thus that affected her loss of the title to now former champion Taeler Hendrix. Her performance in this match seemed to prove that as Havok and Kraven destroyed Eagles most of the way. Savoy was never even able to tag in and twice had to save Eagles from defeat. After a crushing chokeslam from Havok, Kraven tagged in and hit a standing clothesline followed by the Death Valley Driver to score the pin. It was an impressive win for Havok and Kraven and one must wonder how Eagles will bounce back from another tough loss.
The high-flying Atomicos War pitting Jushin “Thunder” Liger, Tiger Mask and Power Surge (William Forve & Paul Pope) against “The Villain” Marty Scurll, Zack Sabre Jr., Battle Kat & Rocky Romero featured all kinds of action. Tiger Mask and Battle Kat, who seem to be embarking on a real rivalry in KRU, had some great exchanges. That included Battle Kat picking up a near fall with a flying head scissors into a cradle and Tiger hitting his spectacular Space Flying Tiger Drop to the outside. Paul Pope hoped to get his hands on “The Villain”, the man that recently defeated him for the LOW Junior Heavyweight title, but Scurll managed to avoid it. Pope did send a message to the champion in the end, though, as he trapped Battle Kat in the Wristshotlock securing a submission victory for his team.
The opening contest saw “Switchblade” Jay White, a recent graduate of the KRU Dojo, take on “Hangman” Adam Page of the Bullet Club. Page was accompanied to the ring by Voodoo Kaos but he was sent to the back before the match got underway. White hung in there with Page early but then was caught with Rite of Passage, a kneeling back-to-belly piledriver, resulting in a big near fall. It was impressive that White survived that but he was in a bad way and Page took over in a battle on the outside that included hitting the apron shooting star press. Page would put this one away when he hit a second Rite of Passage for the win. Voodoo Kaos and Terex, back from his suspension, came out afterward with a Bullet Club t-shirt which was offered to White but he spit on it and threw it back at them choosing to remain on his own.
Quick Results:
1) New Year Special Opening Fight: “Hangman” Adam Page defeated “Switchblade” Jay White
(Pinfall – Rite of Passage)
2) Lightning Atomico War: Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask, William Forve & Paul Pope defeated “The Villain” Marty Scurll, Zack Sabre Jr., Battle Kat & Rocky Romero
(Paul Pope over Battle Kat by submission – Wristshotlock)
3) SHIMMER Special Fight: Jessicka Havok & “The Mountain” Vanessa Kraven defeated “The Punisher” Madison Eagles & Nicole Savoy
(Vanessa Kraven pinned Madison Eagles – Death Valley Driver)
4) World of Sport Rules (Six 3:00 Rounds): Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne was a Draw (1-1)
(Pete Dunne by pinfall over Tyler Bate – Sitout Power Bomb – Round 3)
(Tyler Bate by pinfall over Pete Dunne – Tyler Driver ’97 – Round 6)
5) ICON vs. Unbreakable: Sting defeated “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin
(Submission – Scorpion Deathlock)
6) MVC vs. POWER MOUNTAIN: Steve “Dr. Death” Williams & Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy defeated Giant Bernard & “Dangerous” Dan Spivey
(Terry Gordy pinned Giant Bernard – Piledriver)
7) KRU Dream Match: Stan “The Lariat” Hansen defeated Great Muta by DQ
8) Ultima Lucha - Japon: Hallowicked & Frightmare defeated Mil Mascaras & Prince Puma
(Hallowicked pinned Prince Puma – Yakuza Kick)
9) The King's Final Bow: Harley Race defeated Antonio Inoki
(Pinfall – Piledriver)
10) LEGENDS vs. DEGENERATES: Lou Thesz & Rikidozan defeated Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)
(Rikidozan pinned Matt Jackson – Thunderous Chops)
11) Nature Boy vs. The Cleaner: “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers defeated “The Cleaner” Kenny Omega
(Submission – Figure Four Grapevine)
12) Exciting Battle Final - LOW International Heavyweight title: Giant Baba defeated The Crusher to win the title
(Pinfall – Neckbreaker Drop)
Match Highlights:
The main event before a sell-out crowd at the Tokyo Dome saw history made as Giant Baba defeated The Crusher to win the LOW International Heavyweight title. It was the second time that Baba had one the belt and incredibly his first reign came in the very first year of existence for LOW when he won it from Gorgeous George and lost it to Bobo Brazil. The Crusher, coming off his big title win over The Sheik in Chicago, IL (Card #1182), was hoping to leave Tokyo still champion. Baba struck hard early and even hit the Neckbreaker Drop but The Crusher kicked out at two. The Crusher mounted a counter attack outside the ring including running Baba into the ring post. He also used two submission holds, the bearhug and the Crusher Nelson, to great effect. Baba struggled in those holds but battled back scoring another two count with the Russian Legsweep. A big boot to the face, or 16-Mon Kick by Baba, sent The Crusher flying out of the ring. That led to another assault on the outside by The Crusher as he busted Baba open with a run into the guard rail. Back inside, it was a battering of power forearms by The Crusher that resulted in a big near fall. Baba was in a tough spot, but he managed to fight back and caught The Crusher with a second Neckbreaker Drop this time resulting in the pin. The crowd erupted in cheers as the bloody and exhausted Baba was crowned the new LOW International Heavyweight champion bringing a great night of action to an end…
Coupled with the loss by the Young Bucks earlier, the Bullet Club concluded a poor night as “The Cleaner” Kenny Omega lost his grudge match battle against Golden Age Wrestling star “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers. This highly anticipated bout came about when Rogers took offense to the Bullet Club disrespecting and injuring Lou Thesz. Rogers took it upon himself to seek some revenge for Thesz even though they are rivals and so he hunted down Omega until he finally agreed to the match. Omega was on fire in the early going and had Rogers in a bad way. He hit the fireman’s carry and Moonsault combo followed by a Hadouken for a two count. After Rogers went on offense and hit a piledriver, Omega scrambled to grab his Spray Can which he shot into the eyes of Thesz for another two count. Omega then hit his potent finisher, the One Winged Angel, but somehow Rogers kicked out just before the three count. Omega was livid and took it outside the ring but that was a mistake as Rogers used a chair slamming it against his knees. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) ran down to try and interfere but were just as quickly run off by Thesz and Rikidozan which left Omega on his own. Rogers capitalized on that and subsequently trapped Omega in the Figure Four Grapevine in center ring. Omega struggled to escape, including grabbing the referee by the collar, but he was forced to concede giving Rogers the win via submission.
After Rogers left the ring, a distraught Omega shoved the referee down and grabbed the microphone claiming he never gave up. The Young Bucks, “Hangman” Adam Page, the “Under Boss” Terex and Voodoo Kaos soon joined him in the ring as Omega kept ranting. He claimed that he also never lost the LOW World Heavyweight title to AJ Styles and that there is a conspiracy against the Bullet Club. He then brought up Adam Cole who was not at the Tokyo Dome. Omega claimed that Cole has “dragged the Bullet Club down” and said that his recent attempt to recruit new members, referring to IWA stars reDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly), was done without his blessing. He brought up how “Switchblade” Jay White earlier turned down their recruitment offer, calling it a “huge mistake” by the “punk kid”, but said that unlike with Cole this offer to join Bullet Club had his blessing. He called out Cole saying that he manipulated his way into IWA King of Trios and that IWA officials refused The Elite (Omega and the Bucks) entry because Cole had secretly signed the contract proffered to Bullet Club. Omega said that he will not stand for such insubordination and that as of now Adam Cole (Bay-Bay!) is no longer a member of the Bullet Club! “The Cleaner” finished his tirade by making a gun gesture that he said was pointed directly at Cole and his cohorts, Fish and O’Reilly, who are now going by the name of Undisputed Era.
Lou Thesz & Rikidozan delivered the definition of taking your opponents to school as they took apart Bullet Club members the Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) in a grudge tag team match. This was the return of the Bucks from their suspension which was handed down when they joined Terex in injuring Thesz in a match where he was challenging Kenny Omega for the LOW World Heavyweight title in St. Louis, MO (Card #1173). Thesz had a long road ahead with his rehab and it was Rikidozan that stepped up and helped his old friend and rival with the two training regularly in Hawaii. Thesz took great pleasure in taking on both Jacksons’ here and showed them why he is a former LOW World Heavyweight champion. To be fair, the Bucks made a nice rally at one point and scored a two count on Thesz after hitting More Bang For Your Buck. Thesz scored big near falls on the Bucks with the Thesz Press and the Greco-Roman Backdrop but pin saves were made each time. Rikidozan wound up finishing things off when he blasted Matt with the Thunderous Chops and scored the pin. The crowd erupted in cheers as Thesz and Rikidozan put the Bucks away and sent a clear message to the Bullet Club that Kings Road United and their allies will not stand down anytime soon.
The final match for Harley Race under contract to Kings Road United couldn’t have gone any better for the former two-time LOW World Heavyweight champion. He scored a victory over the highly ranked Antonio Inoki and turned in a nearly flawless performance in the process. Inoki pushed Race to the limit in what was a great match, but he was unable to put him away. Race utilized the Indian Deathlock to great effect and when the time was right he planted Inoki with his trademark Piledriver and scored the pin. Inoki was disappointed over the loss but at the same time realized that Race has meant a lot to KRU over the years and the two shook hands to cheers from the crowd. Race then addressed the crowd, with Inoki providing some translation, and basically thanked them for letting him be a part of KRU and said that he would be back someday. He then made the major announcement that he is the first man signed to Atlantic Coast Wrestling and that he was going to work hard to get a shot at LOW World Heavyweight champion AJ Styles to hopefully become a three-time LOW World Heavyweight champion.
The stars of Lucha Underground were featured in a show stealing tag team match with the tecnicos Mil Mascaras & Prince Puma taking on the rudos Hallowicked & Frightmare. This was all-out action from start to finish that saw both teams score numerous near falls. There were also some great aerial highlights including Puma doing the over the ring post dive on Hallowicked, Frightmare hitting the tope con hilo two straight times on Mascaras and Mascaras coming back with a slingshot plancha on Frightmare that resulted in a two count. All four men hit their respective finishers in the match but were unable to get the win. Things built up dramatically as Frightmare survived both the Flying Bodypress from Mascaras, due to a pin save by Hallowicked, and Chocolate Rain from Puma. The finish saw Hallowicked run Puma hard into the ring post before connecting with a Yakuza Kick to score the pin.
The Dream Match pitting the Great Muta against Stan “The Lariat” Hansen more than lived up to its advance billing. Muta, who has now signed a full-time contract with Kings Road United, was on the defensive early as Hansen pounded away on him in and out of the ring. Hansen twice hit the devastating Western Lariat but Muta rolled his shoulder up at the two count both times. Muta began battling back and scored a two count after a jumping spin kick. A power drive elbow and a bridging chinlock kept Muta in control but Hansen is not one to stay down long. Hansen regained control hitting a running knee drop before taking it back outside. The two traded blows and fought over the barrier into the crowd. The referee followed and tried to break it up but Muta sprayed him with the green colored Muta Mist. That resulted in a snake eyes disqualification decision with Hansen getting the victory. It didn’t end there as they continued battling up the ramp area of the Tokyo Dome where a host of KRU officials swarmed around them trying in vain to break it up. They finally ended up trading blows down the stairs and into the backstage area before being pulled apart.
The Miracle Violence Connection of Steve “Dr. Death” Williams & Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy of the CWA took on Giant Bernard & “Dangerous” Dan Spivey, often referred to as “Power Mountain”, in a highly anticipated tag team match. Doc nearly won it in the opening minute when he crushed Bernard with the Oklahoma Stampede. That shook up Bernard who remained on the defensive for a good stretch. The MVC were firing on all cylinders until Spivey was able to turn it around with a big clothesline on Williams. Power Mountain followed up with two counts on Williams courtesy of a DDT by Spivey and a middle rope splash by Bernard. Williams battled back planting Spivey with a Doctor Bomb for a near fall. Both teams took it to the outside late nearly resulting in a disqualification decision. Bernard also barely avoided a count out loss after Gordy blasted him with a running lariat. The finish of a punishing match saw Doc nail Spivey with a football tackle as Gordy hit the Power Bomb on Bernard for a near fall. Gordy followed that up with a Piledriver on Bernard to score the pin pulling off a big victory for the MVC.
In one of the most incredible bouts on the card, the “Icon” Sting defeated the “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin. This was a true test of the speed and resilience of Sting against the awesome power of Elgin. Both men went on extended stretches of offense where it looked like they would be headed to victory only to have it snatched away. That was never truer than when Elgin delivered the rarely used and devastating Avalanche Elgin Bomb but somehow Sting kicked out at two. Sting then took Elgin down with the Stinger Splash, a pescado dive and a rolling Koppo kick for a near fall. Elgin battled back scoring another two count with a cravate with knees and then crushed Sting with a Buckle Bomb. Sting was also busted open after a run into the guard rail. Elgin looked to finish him off but missed a corner charge leading to Sting executing a quick counter roll-up for a near fall. Sting then went up top and connected with a flying shoulder tackle before trapping Elgin in the Scorpion Deathlock. Elgin tried with all of his might to power out but Sting cinched the hold on and won it by submission. The crowd cheered both men afterward as they shook hands and Sting then raised up Elgin’s arm acknowledging his efforts in the match.
Two newcomers signed to World of Sport, Tyler Bate and the “Bruiserweight” Pete Dunne, got a chance to compete in a World of Sport Rules match before a sell-out crowd at the Tokyo Dome. This was a six-round bout with three-minute time periods and saw Dunne the aggressor early including hitting the devastating X-Plex on the ring apron in the second round. Bate survived the rest of that round but Dunne took over early in round three and planted him with a Sitout Power Bomb to take a one to nil lead in the match. Bate finally turned it around in the fifth round scoring two counts with Bop n’ Bang and British Bate-ness. With time running out in the sixth round, Dunne hoped to keep his advantage and run out the clock but a reversal by Bate sealed his fate. Bate nailed Dunne with the Tyler Driver ’97 for the pin scoring the equalizing fall. The result was a one-to-one draw and a bout that saw great efforts put forth by both men as they looked to gain the victory.
A special attraction match from SHIMMER saw former SHIMMER champion “The Punisher” Madison Eagles team up with the undefeated Nicole Savoy to take on the intimidating pairing of Jessicka Havok & “The Mountain” Vanessa Kraven. Eagles has been dealing with a lot of pain since Havok and Kraven assaulted her, including delivering a power bomb over the top rope through a table. Many felt that Eagles returned too soon from her injuries and thus that affected her loss of the title to now former champion Taeler Hendrix. Her performance in this match seemed to prove that as Havok and Kraven destroyed Eagles most of the way. Savoy was never even able to tag in and twice had to save Eagles from defeat. After a crushing chokeslam from Havok, Kraven tagged in and hit a standing clothesline followed by the Death Valley Driver to score the pin. It was an impressive win for Havok and Kraven and one must wonder how Eagles will bounce back from another tough loss.
The high-flying Atomicos War pitting Jushin “Thunder” Liger, Tiger Mask and Power Surge (William Forve & Paul Pope) against “The Villain” Marty Scurll, Zack Sabre Jr., Battle Kat & Rocky Romero featured all kinds of action. Tiger Mask and Battle Kat, who seem to be embarking on a real rivalry in KRU, had some great exchanges. That included Battle Kat picking up a near fall with a flying head scissors into a cradle and Tiger hitting his spectacular Space Flying Tiger Drop to the outside. Paul Pope hoped to get his hands on “The Villain”, the man that recently defeated him for the LOW Junior Heavyweight title, but Scurll managed to avoid it. Pope did send a message to the champion in the end, though, as he trapped Battle Kat in the Wristshotlock securing a submission victory for his team.
The opening contest saw “Switchblade” Jay White, a recent graduate of the KRU Dojo, take on “Hangman” Adam Page of the Bullet Club. Page was accompanied to the ring by Voodoo Kaos but he was sent to the back before the match got underway. White hung in there with Page early but then was caught with Rite of Passage, a kneeling back-to-belly piledriver, resulting in a big near fall. It was impressive that White survived that but he was in a bad way and Page took over in a battle on the outside that included hitting the apron shooting star press. Page would put this one away when he hit a second Rite of Passage for the win. Voodoo Kaos and Terex, back from his suspension, came out afterward with a Bullet Club t-shirt which was offered to White but he spit on it and threw it back at them choosing to remain on his own.
By the way, their commentary somehow cuts out during their match with Rikidozan & Lou Thesz, it must have been something that happened while copying the VHS tape