LOW All-Star Wrestling (Episode 74) - WMC-TV5 Studios - Memphis, TN (Card #1151)Announcers: Lance Russell & Dave Brown
Bullet Points:
Lance Russell & Dave Brown opened the broadcast somewhat apprehensively based on how the show was taken over by “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert and his cohort Larry Dallas last week. Russell said that LOW would be taking steps to prevent such actions in the future but for now they had to address the latest happenings going on, one of which involved Gilbert. They tossed it to highlights of the recent IWA Supercard of Honor 3 event from Fenway Park in Boston, MA (Card #1149) where Gilbert had a controversial victory over “Lightning” Mike Quackenbush to win control of the CHIKARA promotion. Brown said that they attempted to get word from Quackenbush over the loss, but he had thus far refused to respond. Russell noted that the promotion was the lifeblood of Quackenbush and having it slip into the hands of someone like Gilbert had to be eating away at him. Brown agreed with his assessment and threw it to another video highlight package of the big Kings Road United show at the Seibu Dome (Card #1150). Among the highlights broadcast were Kenny Omega’s huge win over Rikidozan, Giant Baba & The Destroyer winning the first Real World Tag League tournament and the incredible dual title victory by Paul Pope over Tiger Mask. Russell said that while Tiger Mask was the first man to hold both the LOW Junior Heavyweight title and the IWA J-Crown title, Pope was the first man to win them in the same match. Brown said that it will be interesting to see how Pope fares as a dual champion particularly since he is more known for his tag team with William Forve as Power Surge, so we have yet to see him much as a singles wrestler. Russell said it won’t be easy for Pope especially having to defend the belts, which aren’t unified, in both LOW and the IWA.
Talking Points:
The “King of Men” Fred Blassie was in studio for an interview with Lance Russell. The former two-time LOW World Heavyweight champion told Russell that he was “sick and tired” of seeing the “rotten face” of the “Golden Greek” John Tolos in Pacific Coast Wrestling. He said that after losing to Tolos at WrestleCade 11 he went into a short exile to evaluate things and that when he returned to PCW he made it his goal to run Tolos out of the territory. He talked about the long history the two have together, including outside of LOW, and said that there was no room for both men. Russell asked if he was talking about a possible Loser Leaves PCW match but Blassie said it was bigger than that. He said that this rivalry needs to end, period, and that it is even bigger than PCW. That is why he came to ASW and let it be known that after negotiating with LOW Commissioner Charlie Cox he has asked for a Loser Leaves LOW Match to take place inside the “Blassie Cage” at the world’s most famous arena – Madison Square Garden in New York, NY (Card #1165). Russell said that was huge news but asked what exactly is the “Blassie Cage”? Blassie responded that it is the only type of cage he wants Tolos in – a Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match! He dared Tolos to appear on the next edition of LOW All-Star Wrestling (Card #1161) and answer his challenge if he “has the guts”!
Quick Results:
1) Rock n’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) defeated Bruiser Costa & Rusty Brooks
(Morton pinned Brooks – Double Dropkick)
2) Masked Superstar (with Jimmy Hart) defeated Mr. X II
(Submission – Cobra Hold)
* Lance Russell: “Whoa boy, Dave, here he comes again. Someone please alert security. Now, Eddie you came out here last time and took over the broadcast and I’ll be damned if I allow it to happen again. If you’ve got something to say, then just say it and we will get on with the next segment.”
Eddie Gilbert: “Hold your horses, Lance. I’m not out here to give you any kind of trouble. In fact, I came out here to apologize to you and Dave. I stepped way out of bounds and ran you guys out of the studio and for that I am truly sorry Mr. Russell.”
LR: “Well Ok then I along with Dave appreciate that coming from you but I must stress that what happened can never happen again. We need to keep things orderly around here, especially for the members of our studio audience along with all of those good folks watching at home.”
EG: “I couldn’t agree with you more, Lance. As you know I just won the rights to the CHIKARA promotion from “Quack-Quack” himself, Mike Quackenbush, at the IWA Supercard of Honor 3 and with those rights I found out that I would be able to get segments on this very television show to bring more eyes to the product. Now “Quack-Quack” being the selfish guy that he is he ran his promotion from afar while competing in the IWA. He could care less about getting exposure for his talent right here on LOW All-Star Wrestling or even a slot on the touring schedule of LOW. Well, all of that is going to change today as I bring you my new creation!”
LR: “Ok, Eddie, we don’t have much time before the break so just get on with it and you’ll have your segment when we get back from commercial.”
EG: “Don’t be in such a hurry, Lance. A long time ago a loud-mouthed manager took over my rightful spot in a wrestling organization that I was lending my brilliant mind to. He went on to make it a tremendous success which I give him credit for. However, they went belly up and that is why I bring you my new creation – Extreme CHIKARA Wrestling, yes, it is ECW in my name and in my hands as only I can present it. There will no longer be a CHIKARA as you all know it, or that hardcore group as you knew it, instead it is my ECW and it will be the talk of the wrestling world.”
LR: “Ok, wow that is a lot to digest but let’s get to commercial and we will have more on this after the break.”
**********
LR: “OK, we are back from the break and I can’t even believe what is going on outside the studio. Can we get a cameraman on out here to film this?”
EG: “Welcome, Lance, and everyone at home watching to the parking lot of WMC TV-5 right here in beautiful Memphis, Tennessee, and the very first match being presented by my new ECW, Extreme CHIKARA Wrestling!”
LR: “Eddie what the heck is all of this? A ring with barbed wire for ropes? Well I can’t say that I have never seen that before here in Memphis, but I never thought I would see that associated with CHIKARA.”
EG: “That’s where you are wrong, Lance. This is not CHIKARA as “Quack-Quack” presented it this is CHIKARA as “Hot Stuff” is presenting it. Extreme CHIKARA Wrestling! ECW, ECW, ECW!”
LR: “Well who all is going to be involved in this? You do have a roster associated with CHIKARA, so I suppose you have a lot of talent to use.”
EG: “Well that’s where it gets tricky, Lance. You see I went through that roster with a fine-tooth comb and there was a lot of excess baggage so guys the pink slips are in the mail, ha ha!”
LR: “That is a terrible thing to say, Eddie, these people have families to…”
EG: “I’m going to cut you off there, Lance. I didn’t say I got rid of everybody, heck you are about to see at least one guy that I retained, and you are going to love his first name. I have also been considering adding more talent and will be staging interviews from my home office in Lexington, TN, so all of you bums up north should know that my ECW is bringing extreme to the south exclusively, so you will have to relocate or fly in on your own dime. My good friend and associate Larry Dallas and DJ Hyde of Combat Zone Wrestling are also assisting me in restructuring the former CHIKARA. As for the talent on my roster, I have retained a few of the CHIKARA guys including that old fossil Darkness Crabtree, I love that guy. I have also retained the contract of Jigsaw, “Quack-Quack’s” friend and tag team partner who he abandoned to join the IWA. I have some good things planned for him.”
LR: “I bet you do, Eddie.”
EG: “That would be a winning bet, banana nose, but now it is time for the first ever Extreme CHIKARA Wrestling match – a No Ropes Barbed Wire Match featuring CHIKARA’s own time traveling Lance Steel versus Chris Cash, now formerly of Combat Zone Wrestling.”
3) No Ropes Barbed Wire Match: Lance Steel defeated Chris Cash
(Pinfall – Drawbridge, a full nelson drive to the mat)
4) Curt Hennig (with J.J. Dillon) defeated “Rajin’ Cajun” Lash Leroux
(Pinfall – Standing Dropkick)
5) Mike Graham defeated Wild Bill White
(Submission – Figure Four Leglock)
6) Andre the Giant & Big John Studd (with Bobby Heenan) defeated Midnight Rockers (Stan Lane & Marty Jannetty) by DQ
Match Highlights:
Eddie Gilbert, while very pleased with his announcement of Extreme CHIKARA Wrestling, was not pleased that his handpicked hardcore star Chris Cash lost to Lance Steel in the No Ropes Barbed Wire Match. The double juice brawl, which was censored in spots by a red “X” on the screen, saw Steel, his masked ripped to shreds by the barbed wire, score the pin with the Drawbridge. He did, however, appreciate the efforts of both men in the match and said that both would be featured in a Ladder Match on the ECW debut card in Knoxville, TN (Card #1157). Gilbert informed Lance Russell that he had bought out the date from 80’s Mania Wrestling essentially pulling the plug on the sports entertainment brand in LOW. Russell was not pleased to hear that, but Gilbert laughed it off saying that not only did most of the CHIKARA roster get pink slips but so did the entire roster of 8MW! Gilbert concluded by saying that he has put together a good roster so far and that if anyone wanted to find out just who would be in his ECW they could go to the “Hot Stuff International, Inc.” website following the broadcast.
The Midnight Rockers (Stan Lane & Marty Jannetty) may be 0-2 against Bobby “The Brain” Heenan’s monstrous combination of Andre the Giant & Big John Studd but they have no doubt given them fits in both matches. What the Rockers lack in size they make up for with their speed and determination and the former LOW World tag team champions gave Andre and Studd fits in the television main event. A wild bout ended on a disqualification when Jannetty assaulted Andre with several chair shots outside the ring. Heenan instructed his men to do some post-match damage snake eyes style but it backfired as the Rockers dropkicked Studd out of the ring. They then caught Andre with a double superkick causing him to fall backward and get tied up in the ropes. Lane and Jannetty then hammered away on Andre until Studd and Heenan were able to free him from the ropes. A rematch between the two teams has been signed for the next CWA card in Greensboro, NC (Card #1156) on a show that will be headlined by AJ Styles defending the LOW World Heavyweight title against the “Million $ Man” Ted Dibiase.
The Rock n’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) of the CWA had a successful television debut in LOW by beating the combination of Bruiser Costa & Rusty Brooks. The latter team put up a pretty good fight before the Express took out Brooks with the Double Dropkick. A fired-up Morton grabbed the mic post-match and said that “Rock n’ Roll is here to stay!” while adding that they are determined to win the LOW World tag team titles which are currently held by their longtime rivals the Midnight Express (“Loverboy” Dennis Condrey & “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton)…Curt Hennig, who recently turned on his tag team partner Magnum T.A. to join up with manager J.J. Dillon in the CWA, looked impressive in scoring a convincing victory over Lash Leroux. Dillon was at the announce table during the match talking about how Hennig is a “perfect” wrestler and that adding him to “Ravishing” Rick Rude, Angelo “King Kong” Mosca and “The Enforcer” C.W. Anderson gives him one of the strongest stables in LOW. He envisioned the foursome as being something of a “New Age Horsemen” and said that they will stop at nothing to accomplish their goals.
LOW All-Star Wrestling Top 10 Rankings:
1) Jim Powers
2) Timber
3) S.D. Jones
4) Lash Leroux
5) Ricky Landell
6) Lanny Poffo
7) Larry Sharpe
8) Bruiser Costa
9) Pete Doherty
10) Rusty Brooks
* current champions not included in rankings
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Extreme CHIKARA Wrestling opening roster courtesy of HotStuffInternationalInc.com
Eddie Gilbert
*Jigsaw
*Lance Steel
*Darkness Crabtree
*Juan Francisco de Coronado
*Blind Rage
*Devastation Corporation (Max Smashmaster, Blaster McMassive & Flex Rumblecrunch)
*Team F.I.S.T. (Gran Akuma & Icarus)
Ox Baker
Chris Candido
Chris Cash
Alex Koslov
“Bad Dude” Tito Escondido
DJ Hyde
“Limitless” Keith Lee
BLK Jeez
Reno Scum (Luster The Legend & Adam Thornstowe)
Alex Colon
Sinn Bodhi
Cedric Alexander
Arik Cannon
Managers:
Larry Dallas
Olivia
*Sidney Bakabella
*Indicates those retained from the CHIKARA roster under former owner “Lightning” Mike Quackenbush
