Card #13 – Legends Arena: Run For Your Life
Match 1: Fritz Von Goering v. Antonino Rocca
Great ovation for Rocca as he comes to ringside. The fans are all over Von Goering which makes for a great atmosphere for the opening contest. Von Goering takes control with an arm bar and steps things up with a knee drop to the throat. Rocca bails to the floor but when he comes back into the ring, Von Goering is ready with a BACKBREAKER for a 1 count (R9/P3). Reverse full nelson almost ends it but Rocca struggles free (R5/P2). Rocca is able to counter a double wrist lock and flying dropkicks sends Von Goering to the floor. Rocca scales the corner and leaps onto Von Goering at ringside but Von Goering counters and rams Rocca back first into the ring apron. A cobra clutch forces Rocca to the floor and Von Goering comes out to inflict more punishment. Rocca is ready for him and gets the best of Von Goering at ringside. Rocca catches Von Goering with a rolling single leg takedown followed by flying dropkicks. Deathjump smash sets up an ARGENTINIAN BACKBRAKER but Von Goering escapes (R8/P5). Rocca attacks with a bow and arrow and hits flying dropkicks for a 1 count (R9/P4). Rocca with a body press followed by another ARGENTINIAN BACKBREAKER for the win (R7/P7). Solid come from behind win for Rocca.
Match 2: Geeto Mongol w/Captain Lou Albano v.
Captain Lou Albano comes to the ring with Geeto Mongol drawing solid heat from the fans. Albano challenges anyone in the locker room to face Mongol and after a few moments Pepper Gomez comes out to a huge ovation! Albano cannot believe it and tries to back out of the match but the bell sounds and we are underway. Geeto has the size advantage over Gomez and uses it well early on. A series of monkey flips turns things around. Gomez with a Mexican Leap for a 1 count (R10/P4). MEXICAN CRADLE but Albano distracts Gomez and the action continues. Gomez comes outside and beats down on Mongol and when the action returns to the ring Gomez gets the win with a MEXICAN CRADLE (R7/P7).
Match 3: Killer Bees v. Cowboy Bob Orton & Bob Orton Sr.
The Bees were looking for their first victory over the former World Tag Team Champions in this their third meeting this year. The Bees set the early pace but both teams are able to make defensive tags to keep the action flowing. Cowboy Orton misses a clothesline on B. Brian Blair and Blair quickly traps Orton in a Boston Crab. Both men return to their feet and Blair applies a SLEEPER for the win (R3/P3).
Match 4: Road Warriors w/Paul Ellering v. The James Gang
B. G. James tries to get the crowd going with his pre-match mic with limited success. The Warriors do not look impressed tonight after their huge loss last time at the Legends Arena. Kip James looks impressive against Animal early on but the action turns around when it heads to ringside. Animal battering rams James into the ring post busting him open. Press slam back into the ring and Hawk is in with an over the shoulder backbreaker. James escapes (R7/P3). B. G. James is in and tries to get something going against Hawk. The Road Warrior counters a figure four leglock with a gorilla press slam. Double clothesline and Hawk covers for 1 (R8/P2). The Warriors crush James with a spike piledriver. Flying shoulder ram sets up the DOOMSDAY DEVICE. Hawk covers. 1, 2, Kip James makes the save. Hawk is all over B. G. James. A running clothesline sends James flying to ringside but James is able to counter a falling double hammer sending Hawk crashing into the rails at ringside. Kip tags in and mounts the corner for a deathjump smash but Hawk gets his boot up for the counter. Animal takes the action to the floor and whips James into the ring rails and then press slams him back inside. Deathjump clothesline. Animal tosses James to the floor and then hits a falling tackle onto James at ringside. Both men crawl back inside. DOOMSDAY DEVICE. Hawk covers for the three count while Animal stops B. G. James from making the save (R10/P10).
Terry Gordy & Killer Kowalski are on the Hot Seat with Bill Apter. Gordy and Kowalski brag about their accomplishments so far at the Legends Arena and then complain about the lack of respect both from the fans and in the back. Gordy tells us that will all change when they beat the Midnight Express for the Tag Team Titles. Suddenly, the Road Warriors come out and chase off Gordy and Kowalski. The Warriors tells us that Gordy and Kowalski were lucky last time they met in the ring and their luck has just run out.
Match 5: Jushin “Thunder” Liger v. Tiger Mask
The fans are all over Liger during the introductions but are psyched for a high speed, high impact contest. Media from Japan cover the action from ringside. Liger takes the early lead in the action eventually forcing Mask to ringside with a Shoda and then mounting the corner for a falling body block onto Mask outside the ring. Both men crawl back into the ring. FIREMAN’S BUSTER and Mask kicks out (R9/P5). Mask tries to turn things around with a series of flying mares and manages to counter a back drop with a piledriver. TIGER SUPLEX and Liger kicks out (R9/P5). Choke slam (ch) and Mask hooks the leg for a 1 count (R11/P3). Liger gets tangled in the ropes and Mask attacks with a series of kicks. The referee gets caught with a jumping spin kick and goes down. Mask hits a twisting moonsault as the referee calls for the bell and disqualifies Mask. Mask is livid about the call and is all over the referee. Liger celebrates at ringside declaring himself number one and the fans jeer him out of ringside.
Match 6: Buff Bagwell v. Brutus Beefcake
Bagwell has gotten the best of his former partner in their recent encounter and Beefcake has something to prove tonight. It is all Bagwell from the opening bell. A dropkick sets up a deathjump cross body block for a 1 count (R10/P3). Beefcake makes his comeback at ringside and slows the match down with a sleeper. Beefcake counters a chokeslam and sends Beefcake to the floor again and follows him out. Beefcake gets the best of his former partner at ringside and hits a FLYING KNEE SMASH for a 2 count (R8/P5). The action goes outside again and it is Bagwell who wins the struggle on the floor this time. Back inside, Bagwell comes off the top with a cross body block deathjump for a 2 count (R7/P4). Double arm DDT sends Beefcake to the floor. Bagwell tries a falling double hammer but Beefcake counters with a punch to the midsection sending Bagwell crashing into the rails at ringside. FLYIG KNEE SMASH. Beefcake covers. A masked man comes out of the audience interferes in the action. Beefcake sees him coming and backdrops the attacker over the ropes to the floor. The crowd is buzzing. Beefcake mounts the ropes for his own cross body block deathjump and gets the three count (R5/P6). Beefcake has little time to celebrate as the masked man hits the ring and downs Beefcake with a Hangman’s Neckbreaker. The masked man stands over Beefcake and pulls off his hood and gyrates. It is Rick Rude! Bagwell recovers and goes on the attack joining Rude for a two on one beat down. Jim Londos comes out from the back with a chair to break things up and prevent Beefcake from being injured.
Match 7: Jim Londos & Don Leo Jonathan v. Buddy Rogers & Rob Van Dam w/Bill Alfonso
Great heat for the Nature Boy and Mr. Legends during the introductions. The fans are all over Alfonso at ringside. Van Dam and Londos get into a shoving match and the bell sounds. Van Dam and Rogers cut off Londos and work him over in and out of the ring with high level offense. Londos backdrops Rogers over the corner to the floor but rather than tagging out, Londos mounts the corner to attack Rogers at ringside. The Nature Boy counters and Londos crashes hard into the rails at ringside. Londos limps back into the ring and Rogers attacks with a FIGURE FOUR GRAPEVINE. Londos grabs the ropes (R8/P5). Van Dam is in with back to back standing moonsaults followed by a body scissors cradle for a 1 count (R8/P2). It is all Van Dam. Rogers distracts the referee and Alfonso tosses in a chair. Van Daminator! Londos falls to ringside and Van Dam comes off the top with a spinning kick. A bloody Londos cannot recover and is counter out of the ring. Jonathan never tags into the match.
Match 8: Bruiser Brody v. Angelo Mosca with Special Guest Referee
Commissioner Cox comes to the ring and tells the fans in the interest of protecting the officials at the Legends Arena he has assigned a special referee for this match. Cox introduces the guest official as someone who knows a little something about brawling… The Crusher! Plenty of brawling to start this one off as one would expect between these two competitors. Mosca backdrops Brody over the corner to the floor and follows him outside. Brody eats the rails by the fans and is busted open. Brody battles back countering a knee to the midsection with a twisting vertical suplex. Outside the ring, Brody cracks Mosca with a chair shot and both men are now bleeding. Mosca avoids Brody’s charge into the corner and Brody hits the buckles hard. Cover for a 2 ½ count (R3/P2). Mosca loads his elbow pad for a Big Nasty Elbow Drop. Cover for a 1 count (R10/P4). A running clothesline sends Brody toppling to the floor. Both men tear up ringside and the Crusher lets them go at it. Back inside Brody connects with a big boot to the face for a 1 count (R7/P3). Brody wins another brawl at ringside. Brody tosses Mosca to the floor again and then piledrives Mosca onto the area floor. Mosca barely beats the ten count to keep the match alive. It is all Brody now and Mosca is in trouble. Somehow Mosca counters Brody’s charge into the corner with an elbow to the face and Brody bails to the floor after a Big Nasty Elbow Drop. Mosca mounts the corner when Brody returns to the ring for a deathjump smash but Brody catches Mosca on the top and tosses him to the mat. JUMPING KNEE DROP. 1, 2 kick out (R9/P8). The fans thought that was it. JUMPING KNEE DROP. 1, 2, 3/kick out (R9/P9). The bell sounds and Brody has won. Mosca is livid and grabs The Crusher screaming that he kicked out. Crusher decks Mosca and the crowd explodes.
Match 9 – World Title Best of Three Falls Match – Mil Mascaras (ch) v. Rikidozan
Great ovation for Mascaras during the lengthy introductions which features a ceremony for the broadcast of the bout in Japan. Mascaras sends Rikidozan into the ropes in the opening moments and both men cross the ring and then crash together when they each go for a clothesline. Mascaras is up first and sets the pace of the action keeping Rikidozan on the defensive. A pair of octopus holds forces Rikidozan to the floor and when the action returns to the ring Mascaras downs Rikidozan with a CROSSBODY ATTACK for a 1 count (R6/P1). Rikidozan counters the occasional move but cannot get anything going. CROSSBODY ATTACK for a 2 ½ count (R3/P2) and the fans thought the first fall was over. Rikidozan counters a hip lock takedown and connects with a slap to the chest that sends Mascaras to the floor. Mascaras rolls back into the ring and Rikidozan takes him to the mat with a HIPLOCK for a 1 count (R9/P1). Rikidozan takes the fight to the floor and Irish whips Mascaras into the steel rails. Boston Crab and Mascaras powers out (R8/P2). Rikidozan maintains control with a deathjump smash followed by THUNDEROUS CHOPS for a 2 count (R7/P5). Mascaras gets trapped in the ropes and Rikidozan hammers away with chops drawing solid heat from ringside. HIPLOCK for a 1 count (R8/P4). Rikidozan comes off the top of the buckles again. Referee bump! Rikidozan dominates the action and soon a new referee arrives to continue with the match. The action spills to the floor and Mascaras reverses an Irish whip and Rikidozan goes into the ring post and is busted open. Mascaras works over Rikidozan with an octopus hold and then moves to a bow and arrow but Rikidozan escapes (R11/P3). Rikidozan attacks with overhead chops and head butts and Mascaras counters with rolling head scissors and deep arm drags. Mascaras ties up the challenger in another octopus hold and this time Rikidozan cannot escape (R4/P4) and the first fall goes to Mascaras. Mascaras starts the next fall with a standing surfboard but Rikidozan powers out (R9/P5) but Mascaras quickly rebounds off the ropes for a CROSSBODY ATTACK. Rikidozan kicks out just as the referee’s hand hits the mat for the 3rd time. Mascaras retains the title in two straight falls.
With the debut of Gomez, Crusher and Rude tonight, all of my original draft selections have been used in some form or another and that means it is time to shake things up. I am going to roll on the Federation Management Chart to determine the roster size and then let the dice once again choose who is coming and going. Details to follow shortly along with the line up for next card.
