LOW All-Star Wrestling (Episode 70) - WMC-TV5 Studios - Memphis, TN (Card #1111)Announcers: Lance Russell & Dave Brown
Bullet Points:
* A terrific video presentation narrated by Gavin Loudspeaker opened the show highlighting IWA King of Trios weekend which took place over three nights in Easton, Reading and Philadelphia, PA. Much of the package highlighted the war between Bullet Club members as AJ Styles led Adam Cole and “Hangman” Adam Page into battle against The Elite team of “The Cleaner” Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson). The Spray Can assisted victory for Omega over Styles was featured leading into an amazing series of events that saw Styles substitute for an injured Mike Quackenbush giving him another shot at The Elite. Styles joined Eddie Edwards and Trent Barreta in not only beating The Elite but The Monarchy (Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli & Princess Kimberlee) as well in becoming an unlikely makeshift team to win the seventh annual King of Trios event. The video wound down with the assault by the Bullet Club, including Cole and Page, on Styles that resulted in him being dismissed from his leadership position which has now been taken over by Omega.
The true highlight of the video package for many, though, was of Castagnoli knocking Victor the Wrestling Bear silly with a European Uppercut in the first round. That clip has become an Internet sensation having been viewed over a million times just hours after the show ended. It has also been given permanent placement in the show opening intro videos for LOW All-Star Wrestling and IWA On The Mat but it should be stressed that “no animals were hurt during this wrestling performance”.
* Lance Russell spoke via phone with LOW Commissioner Charlie Cox who was at company headquarters in New York, NY. Cox congratulated IWA Commissioner David Marquez on putting together an amazing King of Trios weekend. He also noted that two men, AJ Styles and Tiger Mask, went above and beyond over those three nights. He commended Styles on not only winning the PWI Invitational Cup Tournament at WrestleCade 11 but coming back to claim a King of Trios win in unique fashion. He noted that Styles is going to face Andre the Giant for the LOW World Heavyweight title in Osaka, Japan (Card #1114) and that whoever wins there will defend the belt against Bobo Brazil upcoming at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY (Card #1116). As for Tiger Mask, he congratulated him on a record third Rey De Voladores win and said that he has a chance to make some more history when he challenges Kenny Omega for the LOW Junior Heavyweight title in Sapporo, Japan (Card #1113) and Will Ospreay for the IWA J-Crown title in Revere, MA (Card #1119). In addition to that, Tiger Mask will continue to team with Antonio Inoki in the ongoing Real World Tag League tournament for Kings Road United so the popular masked star has an incredibly busy schedule coming up.
Talking Points:
* Bruiser Brody, chain and all, stormed onto the set during the show open startling announcers Lance Russell and Dave Brown. He grabbed the mic off the announce table and said that he had a message for Kevin Sullivan and the Army of Darkness: “You boys have written a check that your ass just can’t cash. First you burn me with that fireball and then you involve yourself in my LOW World Heavyweight title match with Andre the Giant at WrestleCade 11. There’s no going back now and what you see here, this big shiny steel chain in my hand, is what I am going to use to deal out some justice. I also got two big fists, a big boot and a jumping knee drop that no one can handle. The one thing you don’t understand is that although I am fiercely independent I’m not called the “Intelligent Monster” for nothing. I got me some backup and these guys know how to take the fight to their opponents just like yours truly. They are about to join me in that there ring for a match and when I come back from my upcoming tour of Japan they will be back at my side to bring it to the Army of Darkness all over the CWA. Huss, Huss!”
* PWI Editor Bill Apter appeared in a pre-recorded interview with PCW star Brad Armstrong days after the attack on his father, “Bullet” Bob Armstrong, by Jimmy Hart and his First Family in Portland, OR. Apter apologized because the attack took place during a live segment of Apter’s Corner but Brad told him there was no need for that as they go back a long way. He said that the only ones to blame are Hart and his new “goon squad” of Masked Superstar, Don Muraco, The Warlord and Rhino. He gave an update on his father noting that he has severely bruised ribs and a lot of pain in his lower back, including some minor structural damage. Apter was concerned with that but Brad said that his father is the “toughest man alive” and that he is already ready to begin rehabbing once he is cleared by his doctors. Apter asked him what was next for the Armstrong Family and Brad said that he is returning to PCW straight away and that he has already signed to face Muraco on the next card in Seattle, WA (Card #1115) and that he plans to extract some revenge for his father.
Quick Results:
1) Bruiser Brody, Hacksaw Jim Duggan & Jimmy “Boogie Woogie Man” Valiant vs. “Pretty Boy” Larry Sharpe, Timber & Savage-T (with KJ Hill) was a DDQ
2) Bob Orton Sr. defeated “Leaping” Lanny Poffo
(Pinfall – Piledriver)
3) KRU Real World Tag League - A Block: Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito defeated The Fantastics by Count Out
4) Pepper Gomez defeated Rusty Brooks
(Pinfall – Mexican Cradle)
5) “Million $ Man” Ted Dibiase & Virgil defeated Danny Doring & Amish Roadkill
(Dibiase over Doring by submission – Cobra Clutch)
6) Rhino (with Jimmy Hart) defeated Jake “The Milkman” Milliman
(Pinfall – Gore!)
Match Highlights:
The feature match was a tag team showdown between The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers) and Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito in the A Block of the Kings Road United sponsored Real World Tag League tournament. The Fantastics were looking to add to their unbeaten record while Fuji & Saito were working their first match in the tournament. The Japanese team did an excellent job of controlling the bout including Saito nearly putting Fulton away with the Prison Deathlock. The Fantastics came back with a big near fall on Saito with the Press Slam and Splash but Fuji broke up the pin. The finish was controversial as Fuji, the “Devious One”, tossed salt in the eyes of Fulton as they battled on the outside leading to the count out decision.
Bruiser Brody and his new allies Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Jimmy Valiant tore the house down in their opening match against Larry Sharpe, Timber & Savage-T. It wound up in a double disqualification as Brody led his team in assaulting their opponents outside the ring and basically all over the television studio. Duggan used his 2x4 crashing it over the back of Savage-T while Brody used his chain to choke out Sharpe in front of the announce table. Valiant, meanwhile, took Timber out of the side door where they continued battling in the parking lot until LOW officials broke it up…Golden Age Wrestling star Bob Orton Sr., an ally of Angelo Poffo, found himself in the interesting position of facing Poffo’s son, Lanny Poffo. Orton Sr. did not take it easy on Poffo but the young star from Downer’s Grove, IL, gave it back in spades. It was a good battle while it lasted before Orton Sr. planted Poffo with his trademark Piledriver to score the pin.
Managers Jim Cornette of the CWA and Jimmy Hart of PCW were back in studio much to the chagrin of announcer Lance Russell. Cornette appeared unexpectedly after Rusty Brooks lost to PCW star Pepper Gomez. Cornette tried to offer Brooks money to substitute for injured Midnight Express member Dennis Condrey in the upcoming LOW World tag team title match against Steve Williams & Terry Gordy on the upcoming MSG card. Brooks accepted it but after the show returned from a commercial break he had the money back in his hands and said that “Walrus” could never replace Condrey. He then sat in on commentary during the Danny Doring & Amish Roadkill match with Ted Dibiase & Virgil. It was announced during the bout that the injured Tommy Rich will be returning at MSG to take on Dibiase which gave Cornette the idea that Virgil was free to compete. Cornette met up with Dibiase afterward and offered $5,000 to Virgil to sub for Condrey. Virgil accepted but Dibiase took the cash and only gave his bodyguard $100 while laughing with Cornette…Hart, meanwhile, made Russell’s blood pressure go up as he shouted at him through his megaphone from ringside as Rhino decimated Jake Milliman. After a Gore put Milliman away, Hart ran over to the announce table cackling while Russell was trying to wrap up the broadcast.
Vignette:
* The show ended with an eerie video shot outside of The Temple in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles, CA. Sly Drury, the Boss of Lucha Underground, was about to drive off in his car when he came to a screeching stop and standing right in front of him was the beautiful Catrina. She gestured to Drury who went to leave the car but then someone grabbed his arm and sitting right next to him in the passenger’s seat was Catrina herself. Drury was shocked to see her there and she reached over and ran a finger down his cheek. He seemed pleased but then she reached for the Eye of Tyr which was hanging from a chain around his neck. That set Drury off as he already told her that the Eye of Tyr is off limits and demanded that she leave the car. She smiled and said that nothing is off limits to her and more importantly to Mil Muertes. Drury then looked up into the rear-view mirror and staring directly at him with cold steely eyes was Muertes himself. Catrina said that she has control over Muertes and that for now Drury was safe but nothing lasts forever. Drury asked what else he could do for them and Catrina said that Muertes wants a match in The Temple and that he is going to make an example out of his opponent. Drury agreed to it when he suddenly realized that both had disappeared from his car. At that point, he sped off into the night knowing that when he returns to The Temple (Card #1112) he is going to have to name a potential victim to get into the ring with Muertes, the man of a thousand deaths…
Updated KRU Real World Tag League Standings:
A Block:
(1-0) 2 Points – Giant Baba & The Destroyer
(1-0) 2 Points – The Sheepherders
(1-0) 2 Points – Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito
(1-1) 2 Points – The Fantastics
(0-1) 0 Points – Giant Bernard & Dan Spivey
(0-1) 0 Points – Drew Gulak & Anthony Nese
(0-1) 0 Points – Jushin Liger & Wani
(0-0) 0 Points – Nikolai Volkoff & Boris Zhukov
B Block:
(1-0) 2 Points – Red Bastien & Billy Red Lyons
(1-0) 2 Points – Young Bucks
(1-0) 2 Points – Antonio Inoki & Tiger Mask
(0-1) 0 Points – Da Hit Squad
(0-1) 0 Points – Power Surge
(0-1) 0 Points – Johnny Saint & Zack Sabre Jr.
(0-0) 0 Points – Devastation Corporation
(0-0) 0 Points – War Machine
ASW Top 10 Rankings:1) S.D. Jones
2) Timber
3) Lash Leroux
4) Ricky Landell
5) Jim Powers
6) Larry Sharpe
7) George South
8) Lanny Poffo
9) Johnny Rodz
10) Savage-T
* ASW rankings compiled for
joebreakdown, a devoted fan of the enhancement talent
