As always, thanks to
neilybob,
on_the_edge, and
paul for this week's comments!
The show opens with the tune, "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" by Toby Keith playing overhead. EPICDAVE stands in the center of the ring in the jam-packed Nutter Center, accompanied by VELVET SKY, BILL APTER, GORDON SOLIE, & LANCE RUSSELL. All the commentators are dressed to the nines, sporting patriotic attire of various sorts. The fans clap and stomp until EpicDave raises his hand to call for silence.EpicDave: Hey, fans! Welcome to
Freedom Festival 2024! It's the Fourth of July celebration of
Heartland Championship Wrestling where scores will be settled once and for all- we hope. But before we get started, we must acknowledge that the Heartland has lost a dear friend in 2024 with the passing of the legendary
TOBY KEITH. The music of Mr. Keith has been an inspiration to us all, and he will be sorely missed.
The commentators observe a moment of silence. Velvet breaks the silence by raising the roof, bringing the fans to their feet.Velvet: Heartland- WHAT IS UP?!?!! I am FIRED UP to be here! It's the Freedom Festival- and we are gonna see fireworks in this ring all night long!
Solie: Plus, we'll see TWO World Championship matches. No question, this will be a memorable night indeed.
Apter: The NWA World Heavyweight Championship is on the line in tonight's Main Event.
BARRY WINDHAM is here in the Gem City to face
BOBO BRAZIL for the championship.
Russell: And the
NWA World Tag Team Championship Match should be an instant classic as
TONY GAREA & LARRY ZBYSZKO defend the titles against
THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS. Velvet: But first- we're gonna start the show with a match that might be really, really creepy. The Saga of the Mystic Stone continues… so let's take care of business!
The Saga of the Mystic StoneALLYSIN KAY, MARTI BELLE, & SAGE HALE vs. MSCHIF, HEIDI HOWITZER, & SANDRA MOONEMsChif and her rookie compatriots came to battle against The Hex, seeking revenge for The Hex' attack on
CHEERLEADER MELISSA. MsChif's team fought with passion, as Sandra battled Marti and Heidi captured Allysin in an agonizing bearhug. But The Hex were the more coordinated unit, using frequent tags and double-teams to keep control of the match. Allysin caught MsChif with a massive running boot, and went for the cover, but neither Heidi nor Sandra were able to make the save as the referee made the three count.
WINNERS: ALLYSIN KAY, MARTI BELLE, & SAGE HALE
After the pin, Karlee handed the Mystic Stone to Sage Hale. Sage took the stone, slid into the ring, and slammed the stone over the back of MsChif's head! MsChif was knocked out on the spot as her teammates were in chaos. Velvet: Ohmigawd! What did Sage just do?
Karlee laughed maniacally as MsChif lay unconscious. At the top of the ring ramp, BRIAR HALE, the sister of Sage, appeared, looking shocked and dismayed over her sister's actions. Custody Battle for the Accordion MatchRODDY PIPER, MARK HENRY, & VADER (w/PERCY PRINGLE III) vs. THE GREAT MALENKO & THE ROAD WARRIORS (w/GARY HART)The deeply personal feud between the men of
GARY HART and the faction led by
RODDY PIPER came to a head in Dayton. The level of violence was no surprise, given Hart's attack on the accordion-playing skills of Mark Henry, leading Henry to pledge to give up his accordion if the Piper team lost.
Action was intense from the beginning, and picked up when Malenko pummeled Henry with a baseball bat. Shortly after, Animal also smacked Henry with the baseball bat. Hawk then powerslammed Henry through a ringside table, leaving Henry incapacitated on the arena floor.
Apter: Oh, no! Mark Henry looks like he may be seriously hurt!
With The Band down a man, Piper and Vader fought on. Vader fought like a beast, decimating Malenko on the arena floor. Both managers got involved, and the referees struggled to maintain control. Hawk was on the receiving end of a series of double-teams, culminating in a massive power body slam which left Hawk gasping. Hawk finally made the desperation tag to Malenko, but Malenko again took a beating from Vader. Piper tagged in, and Malenko went to the eyes of Piper! Piper was blinded momentarily, allowing Malenko to take control. Malenko looked to finish Piper, but our of nowhere, Piper grabbed a broomstick and nailed Malenko between the eyes! Piper spun Malenko around with a spinning neckbreaker and captured a surprise three count!
WINNERS: RODDY PIPER, MARK HENRY, & VADER
After the decision, PERCY PRINGLE III picked up the accordion and began to play a tune! Pringle proved to be multitalented, both beatboxing and playing accordion at the same time! The musical performance received mixed reviews from the ringside fans, but the crowd enjoyed the celebration of the victory. Apter: What a comeback- and
THE BAND is back together!
Russell: Yeah… congratulations to Piper and his guys. I suppose the Grammy Awards will be calling at any moment. But now, fans- one of the most heated rivalries in wrestling history is about to play out here at
Freedom Festival 2024.Last Man Standing MatchBRET 'HITMAN' HART vs. SHAWN MICHAELSThings got off to a rough start for the Hitman when an opening sneak attack attempt went awry. Hart's situation quickly went from bad to worse when Michaels brought a table into the ring and slammed Hart through the table. Michaels then went into the crowd for a pair of knitting needles which he used to open a gash on Hart's forehead! Michaels went on to dominate the match and pinned Hart after a pair of Sweet Chin Music.
WINNER: SHAWN MICHAELS
EpicDave: Wow- Michaels just laid a serious beating on Bret Hart. That was humiliating.
Russell: Right. I gotta say- things for
JUSTICE 4 ALL have fallen into complete disarray in the PWMA. They've already lost
NIKITA KOLOFF and
KEVIN STEEN to injuries, and they have been fighting a war on multiple fronts against Shawn Michaels and his crew, and also against
WHATEVER WE WANT. And with this brutal defeat of Bret Hart on the biggest stage, you can only wonder what the future holds in store for Justice 4 All.
Shock Stick On A Pole MatchDUSTY RHODES & A.J. STYLES vs. PAT PATTERSON & THE MOUNTIEThings started poorly for Dusty, as he was taken down into a Boston Crab and a Piledriver by Mountie in the opening moments. This gave Patterson the opportunity to scale the pole and grab the shock stick! Patterson tried to shock Dusty, but AJ flew into the ring with a springboard clothesline, knocking the shock stick free! Styles took control of the Shock Stick! Styles came after Mountie with the Stick, but Patterson was able to protect his partner and the match continued. After a series of aerial moves, Styles was able to shock Mountie, but Mountie's leg spasmed and wound up over the bottom rope, interrupting the cover! Patterson tried again to rescue his partner, but Dusty took out Patterson with a Bionic Elbow. AJ shocked the Mountie again, and this time covered him for the pin.
WINNERS: DUSTY RHODES & A.J. STYLES
Solie: So,
AJ STYLES deploys the voltage on the Mountie and he catches the duke. That was indeed one of the most unusual matches I have ever witnessed.
Russell: It's been fun so far- but the mood is about to change. This next match is a battle that has been brewing for many months.
War to Settle the ScoreTHE HEENAN FAMILY (RIC FLAIR, BIG JOHN STUDD, & CURT HENNIG) vs. WHATEVER WE WANT (TERRY FUNK, STAN HANSEN & OLE ANDERSON)The escalating tensions between
BOBBY HEENAN and
JIMMY HART took center stage in this six-man war. Flair and Funk were the primary combatants to start things, and Flair dominated the action, nearly forcing Flair to tap out to the Figure-Four. Hart tried to intervene with his megaphone, but accidentally struck Funk as Flair ducked away. Funk was able to escape, and Hansen tagged in to face off with Big John Studd. Studd punished Hansen, wearing him down and tagging Flair back into the match. Hansen was able to take Flair out of the ring and nail Flair with a Lariat on the arena floor.
Solie: Good heavens! He nearly tore the head off of the Nature Boy!
Flair barely made it back to the ring, where he was roughed up further by
OLE ANDERSON. Anderson worked over the shoulder of Flair, weakening the former champion. Flair tagged out to Studd, but an attempted double-team by Studd and Hennig misfired and the two Heenan Family members collided. Funk tagged in and dropped Studd with a Piledriver, and only a timely distraction by Heenan saved Studd from being pinned. Funk continued on the attack, wrapping Studd into the Spinning Toehold, forcing Studd to submit!
WINNERS: TERRY FUNK, STAN HANSEN & OLE ANDERSON
After the decision, the brawling continued all over the arena! Multiple referees and backstage jobbers were summoned to help, but the battle raged until all six men fought their way back to the dressing room. Solie: So the victory goes to
WHATEVER WE WANT- but the war is far from over.
EpicDave: It seemed like nobody really cared that the match ended- they just wanted to keep on fighting.
Solie: No question, we will see these men squaring off again in the not-too-distant future.
Velvet: All right- speaking of feuds that are hot and heavy- it's time for the final battle in the war between
IVELISSE and
JESSICKA HAVOK. These two have an insane level of hatred for each other- and tonight, the
Loser must Leave Heartland Ladies' Wrestling.Loser Leaves The HeartlandJESSICKA HAVOK vs. IVELISSEThere has been no more hated feud in the Ladies' division in recent memory than the ongoing war between Jessicka and Ivelisse. Ivelisse brought JOANIE LAURER to ringside, while Jessicka was accompanied by COURTNEY RUSH. Ivelisse came out with a vicious attack, peppering Jessicka with kicks and flying knees. Jessicka was left reeling, but she withstood the onslaught and battled back with brutal kicks of her own, followed by a side slam that shook the foundations of the ring. Action went to the arena floor, where it was Courtney who handed Jessicka a sledgehammer. Jessicka crushed Ivelisse with the sledgehammer!
Velvet: Holy hammering! Jessicka is trying to end Ivelisse!
Joanie rushed to the scene, but Courtney spewed blue mist into Joanie's face, blinding her. This opened the door for Jessicka to slide Ivelisse back into the ring and drop her with the Havokiller for a decisive pin.
WINNER: JESSICKA HAVOK
Velvet: Jessicka is the winner! That means
Heartland Ladies' Wrestling will say goodbye to Ivelisse once and for all.
EpicDave: That was a brutal ending to one of the most intense episodes in HLW history. Ivelisse is gone- but not forgotten, forever etched in the memories of the Heartland.
Solie: Indeed, we have witnessed an historic chapter in
Heartland Ladies' Wrestling history tonight at
Freedom Festival 2024. And after all the feuds and the violence- the time has come at last for tonight's World Championship matches.
NWA World Tag Team ChampionshipTONY GAREA & LARRY ZBYSZKO (c) vs. THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESSIn a battle of two very accomplished tag teams, Garea and Zbyszko linked up in a well-matched encounter. The Midnights took control early, and showcased their chemistry to perfection. After a few minutes of back-and-forth action, the Midnights took over on Zbyszko with a series of double-teams. Beautiful Bobby came off the top rope and nailed a Veg-O-Matic on Zbyszko, and Sweet Stan intercepted Garea as the referee counted to three.
WINNERS: THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS
THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS CAPTURES THE NWA WORD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Solie: Ladies and gentlemen, we have new
NWA World Tag Team Champions!Apter: History has been made here at
Freedom Festival 2024!EpicDave: Congratulations to
THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS for winning the World titles- believe it or not, they are
NWA World Tag Team Champions for the very first time!
Russell: And that brings us to our Main Event of the evening- for the most prestigious title in the world.
Main Event: NWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipBARRY WINDHAM (c) (w/JIMMY HART) vs. BOBO BRAZILBobo came to the ring accompanied by DUSTY RHODES to counteract the presence of JIMMY HART at ringside. Dusty's presence paid immediate dividends, as Dusty prevented Windham from attacking Bobo with the title belt before the match began.Russell: Would you look at that. The match hasn't even started yet, and already Windham is up to no good.
The match began with Bobo exerting his power, gaining the early advantage with a big Bear Hug to slow Windham down. Bobo pursued a methodical attack, but several minutes into the match, Windham exploded with a big Power Slam to pick up the pace. Windham nailed Bobo on the arena floor with a flying clothesline off the Apron which left Bobo reeling. Bobo stunned Windham with a Coco Butt, getting a near fall before a distraction from Jimmy Hart interrupted the cover.
Velvet: That little rat! He needs to stay out of it!
Windham rolled out of the ring, stunned, and Hart called for TERRY FUNK to come to ringside. But Funk was cut off by Dusty Rhodes, preventing the interference.
Velvet: Good on Dusty!
Windham and Bobo continued to brawl on the arena floor, where Bobo inflicted plenty of damage. But when action returned to the ring, Windham was able to catch Bobo with a flying dropkick into a sleeper hold. Bobo struggled, dropping to one knee before managing to power out of the sleeper. But before Bobo could regain his bearings, Windham exploded off the ropes with a flying Lariat and nailed Bobo for the three count.
WINNER: BARRY WINDHAM
BARRY WINDHAM RETAINS THE NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
EpicDave: Congratulations to
BARRY WINDHAM! It was a tough match- but Windham has prevailed and he retains the
NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Windham is establishing himself as a very credible champion- and with
JIMMY HART and
WHATEVER WE WANT watching Windham's back, it's gonna be a tough test for anybody to take that title. All right, fans- we're done here Thanks for checking out tonight's broadcast of
Freedom Festival 2024- and kudos to all of tonight's winners. We'll be taking the weekend off next week to head to the
Tragos-Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Weekend- but we'll be back in the ring on July 24 with more exciting Heartland action. That's our show, and I AM OUTTA HERE!
