BITHLO CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR ONE, CARD 16

Sanford Barn

Koko B. Ware d. Playboy Buddy Rose by DQ when Rose slammed Ware to the floor outside the ring. It’s the second time in a row Rose has lost to Ware.

Greg Valentine d. D. Hutton (w/ King Kong Bundy, Virgil) by DQ when Valentine was attacked outside the ring. The Midnight Express and Jim Cornette came on the scene and attacked Money Inc., with Hutton getting injured in the process.

Don Leo Jonathan d. Jim Brunzell using the MORMON SWING. The match wandered around for a while until Jonathan took control.

Iron Sheik (w/ Nikolai Volkoff, Nikita Breznikov) d. Red Bastien, 1/2 of the world tag-team champions, using a Boston Crab. Bastien controlled the match until Iron Sheik turned the tables outside the ring. Bastien has had no luck in singles matches while awaiting Bobo Brazil’s return from injury.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette, Greg Valentine) d. Money Inc. when Virgil was DQ’d for breaking up a Stan Lane pin attempt on King Kong Bundy and putting Lane in the COBRA CLUTCH. During the match, Bundy threw Lane and Eaton out of the ring at the same time!

Buddy Rogers and U.S. heavyweight champion Ox Baker wrestled to a double DQ when Harley Race, Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff and Nikita Breznikov all entered the ring for a huge melee. The fans were booing, and Commissioner Richcreek ordered a rematch for the next card at the Bithloplex – with everyone other than those wrestling banned from ringside.

The Road Warriors and Hacksaw Jim Duggan d. the Valiant Brothers and Cowboy Bob Orton (w/ Capt. Lou Albano, Killer Kowalski) when Animal pinned Johnny Valiant following a flying shoulder. The back-and-forth match saw each side with a big advantage at one time. Albano and Kowalski didn’t get involved, surprisingly (for Albano, at least …).

Mil Mascaras (w/ The Destroyer) d. world heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka (w/ the Valiant Brothers and Capt. Lou Albano) by DQ when Snuka and the Valiants attacked him attacked him outside the ring. Earlier in the match, which Mascaras mostly dominated, Albano tried to interfere, but instead got whipped by Mascaras into Snuka, and Snuka was nearly pinned!

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR ONE, CARD 17

Bithloplex

Sabu d. Koko B. Ware using the TRIPLE JUMP MOONSAULT in a quick match.

The Valiant Brothers (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) d. Money Inc. when Johnny Valiant pinned King Kong Bundy after repeated illegal kicks to the groin that went unnoticed by the ref, who was distracted by Albano.

Harley Race d. Killer Kowalski (w/ Capt. Lou Albano, the Valiant Brothers) by countout in an amazingly long match in which Race fought off interference and then gave Kowalski, his former ULW partner, a piledriver outside the ring, injuring him. Afterward, Race grabbed the mike and told the crowd, “I freed him from his burden [of being contractually obligated to Albano].” Albano was decidedly unhappy.

“Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers d. Ox Baker using the FIGURE FOUR GRAPEVINE to win the U.S. heavyweight championship. With no one at ringside, the match went pretty quickly. Harley Race came down to celebrate with Rogers afterward.

Cowboy Bob Orton (w/ Capt. Lou Albano, Valiant Brothers) d. Hacksaw Jim Duggan (w/ the Road Warriors) using the SUPERPLEX after a long match. The Valiants interfered early to stop a Duggan pin attempt, but when the Road Warriors interfered later, the referee caught them and sent them to the back. They returned before the Captain’s Table could inflict damage upon Duggan after the pin.

The Masked Marvels d. world tag-team champions Team B by DQ when Bobo Brazil, in his return from injury, slammed Mil Mascaras on the concrete floor outside the ring at the end of a good, long match. Brazil did not look to be his normal self in his return – the injury might still have been bothering him.

The Road Warriors d. the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) in a long match that ended when the Road Warriors stopped a Cornette interference effort and used the DOOMSDAY DEVICE to pin Bobby Eaton. It was a key win in the battle to see who will get a slot in the No. 1 contender’s match and a tag championship shot at Invasion.

World heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka (w/ Capt. Lou Albano, the Valiant Brothers, Cowboy Bob Orton) d. Greg Valentine in a best 2-of-3-falls match 2-0 to retain the title. Albano announced before the match that all of Snuka's matches would be best two-of-three (likely to avoid any more mishaps like the near-loss to Mascaras on the previous card). After a long back-and-forth effort, Snuka won the first fall via a backbreaker submission. He then won the second fall quickly using a sunset flip. Between falls, the Midnight Express and Jim Cornette came to the ring to back Valentine and even up the sides.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR ONE, CARD 18

Eddie Graham Sports Stadium

Buff Bagwell, in his debut, lost to King Kong Bundy (w/ Virgil) by DQ after Bagwell slammed (!) Bundy outside the ring. Afterward, an impressed Bundy made an overture about Bagwell joining Money Inc. Bagwell said he’d think about it.

The Killer Bees d. the Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff (w/ Nikita Breznikov) when they successfully pulled off the “Masked Confusion,” and Jim Brunzell used a sunset flip to pin the Sheik. However, Volkoff then attacked Brunzell, throwing him into the ringside steps and badly injuring him, likely spelling the end of the Killer Bees in BCW for some time. Afterward, Breznikov grabbed the mike and said, “Let that be a lesson to ‘Nature Boy’ Buddy Rogers. That’s what’s going to happen to him later tonight at the hands of Ox Baker. We are the Cadre, and we mean business.”

The Road Warriors d. the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) in a rematch using the DOOMSDAY DEVICE to pin Bobby Eaton despite interference by Cornette. Afterward, an irate Cornette confronted Greg Valentine and said: “We need help. Are you with us or not?” Valentine hesitated, then left without answering.

Ox Baker (w/ the Cadre) d. “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers (w/ Harley Race) to reclaim the U.S. heavyweight championship. Rogers had Baker in the FIGURE FOUR GRAPEVINE early, but Nikita Breznikov distracted the ref, allowing Nikolai Volkoff to attack Race and the Iron Sheik to roll the pair over and put Rogers in the CAMEL CLUTCH. After that, the match went back-and-forth until Baker used a pair of shoulder breakers to subdue an obviously weakened Rogers. Afterward, Race and Rogers could be seen lamenting their lack of ULW teammates.

Playboy Buddy Rose finally defeated Koko B. Ware after whacking him with a foreign object pulled out of Rose's trunks when the ref wasn’t looking.

Team B defeated the Masked Marvels by DQ to retain the world tag-team titles. A great match that saw The Destroyer almost pin Bobo Brazil, only to have Brazil do a massive kickout to regain the advantage. The end came when a frustrated Mil Mascaras entered the ring during a Red Bastien pin attempt on The Destroyer and gave Bastien a FLYING BODYPRESS, prompting the DQ. Afterward, Commissioner Richcreek ordered a cage match at the next card in Melbourne to settle the matter between the two teams.

Greg Valentine d. Johnny Valiant (w/ Capt. Lou Albano, Cowboy Bob Orton, Jimmy Valiant) after a series of falling elbows and Valentine chops. The Captain’s Table put a licking on Valentine early when he was trying to use the FIGURE FOUR LEGLOCK for a submission. When Valiant went to pin Valentine after the attack, Valentine kicked out, then took control. After he pinned Valiant, the Midnight Express and Jim Cornette came to the ring. While the Midnight Express tangled with the Captain’s Table crew, Cornette held Valiant while Valentine gave him a injuring piledriver, paying the Valiants back for what they did to Johnny Valentine at Tag-o-Rama. Afterward, Greg Valentine said, “I’m riding the Midnight Express now.”

Harley Race (w/ Buddy Rogers) d. world heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka (w/ Capt. Lou Albano, Cowboy Bob Orton, Jimmy Valiant) by DQ in a best-of-three-falls match, so Snuka retained the title. Race had the advantage, but was attacked outside by Orton and Valiant, who were taking out their frustrations from the previous match. The fans booed the DQ, so Commissioner Richcreek ordered a rematch in a cage, since it was already going to be used for the tag-team championship

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR ONE, CARD 19

Melbourne Auditorium

In his debut match, Brutus Beefcake d. Playboy Buddy Rose in a long contest that saw Rose execute two BOMBS AWAY knee drops without getting the pin. Beefcake finally won by using a studded armband smash to stun Rose and get the pin.

Former world heavyweight champion Johnny Valentine, in his return to action after being injured at Tag-o-Rama, d. Buff Bagwell (w/ Brutus Beefcake) by DQ after Bagwell rammed Valentine’s head into a post at the end of a back-and-forth match. The surprise was Beefcake joining Bagwell at ringside – the two newcomers have apparently banded together.

In his return to the ring following an injury, Ted DiBiase (w/ King Kong Bundy, Virgil) d. the Iron Sheik (w/ Nikolai Volkoff, Nikita Breznikov) via the MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER. DiBiase dominated most of the match, and Bundy threw Volkoff out of the ring when he tried to interfere. Afterward, an angry Volkoff challenged Bundy to a match on the next card.

Money Inc. (w/ Ted Dibiase) d. the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette, Greg Valentine) quickly when Bundy used a huge power slam to pin Bobby Eaton. In the closing moments, Virgil took out Stan Lane, while Cornette and Valentine were distracted by DiBiase, leaving Eaton without help. Afterward, DiBiase said: “I’m back, and no belt is safe. Just remember, everyone’s got a price.”

Sabu d. “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers using the TRIPLE JUMP MOONSAULT. Afterward, Buff Bagwell and Brutus Beefcake came down to ringside and, in a surprise move, gave a dual piledriver to Sabu, injuring him badly. He left on a stretcher while the pair raised Rogers’ arms in a victory pose. Bagwell and Beefcake are apparently the newest members of the ULW!!

Ox Baker (w/ the Cadre) d. Hacksaw Jim Duggan in a long, brutal match to retain the U.S. heavyweight championship. Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff were sent away from ringside early in the match after interfering on Baker’s behalf. Baker gave Duggan the HEART PUNCH, but Duggan kicked out of a pin attempt, surprising both men! Baker later recorded the pin after a reverse knife chop felled a weary Duggan.

Down came the steel cage!!!

Team B d. the Masked Marvels to retain the world tag-team belts when Bobo Brazil pinned the Destroyer after a big hammer punch. Earlier, Red Bastien and Mil Mascaras got tied up on the other side of the cage, and the Destroyer had Brazil in the FIGURE FOUR LEGLOCK for a while. Brazil broke out of it, then stunned the Destroyer with the punch.

Jimmy Snuka d. Harley Race to remain the world heavyweight champion. Snuka made a SUPERFLY LEAP early in the match but missed, and Race took control. However, he was unable to capitalize, and Snuka later hit THREE SUPERFLY LEAPS on a stunned Race, with the last being from the top of the cage, to get the pin in a one-fall match.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR ONE, CARD 20

Bithloplex

Jim Cornette opened the show complaining about the fact that the Midnight Express lost a tag-title shot against Team B. Ted DiBiase apparently threw some money around, pointed out who beat the Midnight Express on the last card and got a title match for Money Inc. instead! Cornette vowed to have the Midnight Express take it out on the newest members of the ULW!

Or not.

The Beautiful Boys d. the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) in a long, great match. Cornette tried to interfere but failed. Eventually, Buff Bagwell executed a BUFF BLOCKBUSTER on Bobby Eaton for the pin. Cornette was really mad afterward.

Commissioner Richcreek announced No. 1. contender's matches for all the belts, with the winners getting shots at the two main belts at Invasion.

In a No. 1 contender’s match for the U.S. heavyweight championship, “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers d. Don Leo Jonathan using the FIGURE FOUR GRAPEVINE. Rogers banged Jonathan’s head off a steel post outside the ring, then slapped the GRAPEVINE on him inside the ring twice to get the victory.

King Kong Bundy came out and said that he wanted his match with Nikolai Volkoff to be a Texas Death Match. Volkoff came out and agreed – a dangerous thing ahead of a PPV in which both of their careers in BCW are on the line.

Nikolai Volkoff d. King Kong Bundy in a long Texas Death Match when Volkoff jumped off the turnbuckle and nailed Bundy with a cross-body block. Both men were exhausted at the end of the contest.

The Masked Marvels d. the Road Warriors to win a shot at the tag titles at the PPV as the Destroyer pinned Hawk using a series of single-leg Boston crab holds while Mil Mascaras kept Animal from interfering. Another disappointing loss for the Road Warriors, who vowed afterward to “get the help they need” to win the titles.

Harley Race (with the Beautiful Boys) d. the Iron Sheik (with a tired Nikolai Volkoff, Nikita Breznikov) using the PILEDRIVER. The Beautiful Boys kept the interference to a minimum by the Cadre.

Team B defeated Money Inc. (w/ King Kong Bundy) by DQ to retain the world tag-team titles in a great, long match that featured 13 pin attempts combined, interference from Bundy and finally a DQ when Bundy and Virgil combined to slam Bobo Brazil to the floor outside the ring. DiBiase was ticked that he couldn’t get the belts after arranging the match and pushing aside the Midnight Express.

Giant Baba returned from a long absence due to injury and defeated Johnny Valentine -- the man who helped injure him when he beat Baba for the world heavyweight championship. Baba used a back suplex to get the pin and win the right to face the world heavyweight champion at the PPV. Valentine dominated the match early, just like he did in their last bout, but Baba took control and after six attempts finally pinned Valentine.

Jimmy Snuka (with Lou Albano) defended his world heavyweight championship by pinning Playboy Buddy Rose quickly using his SUPERFLY LEAP for the first fall, then repeating it shortly thereafter for the second fall. Afterward, he called out Giant Baba and vowed that he would be pinned just as easily, while Albano shouted, “This belt ain’t going nowhere!”

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR ONE, CARD 21

Invasion PPV -- Orena (Orlando Arena)

Jobs are on the line in BCW.

Don Leo Jonathan d. the Missing Link (w/ Bobby Heenan) in a long match when Jonathan pinned him using a rolling back splash. Jonathan stays.

Nick Bockwinkel (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. King Kong Bundy (w/ Ted DiBiase, Virgil) via DQ when DiBiase was caught putting a sleeper on Bockwinkel after Virgil tried distracting the referee but failed. Bockwinkel is back (but will he return to the ULW?) and Bundy is GONE (Bundy’s exhausting match with Nikolai Volkoff on the last card might have cost him here.)

Harley Race (w/ Buddy Rogers) d. Superstar Billy Graham using the PILEDRIVER in a surprisingly quick match. Race stays.

The Hardcore Heroes (w/ Tammy Sytch) stunned Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik to win a spot in BCW when Justin Credible pinned Volkoff quickly. Much like Bundy, Volkoff was apparently still weary after their clash at the last card. While Credible and Chris Candido celebrated, the Iron Sheik stalked off angrily. Volkoff and the Iron Sheik are GONE.

Richard Hutton (w/ Ted DiBiase, Virgil), in his return from injury, d. the Masked Superstar by DQ when, during a brawl outside the ring, the Masked Superstar used a chair on Hutton. Hutton stays.

Jesse Ventura d. Hacksaw Jim Duggan (w/ Road Warriors) to win a spot in BCW by using a boot to the midsection and then pinning Duggan, who was cheered by the fans afterward, as he is GONE.

Bruiser Brody d. Koko B. Ware quickly using a big boot to the face to gain a spot in BCW. Koko (and the bird!) are GONE.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. the tag team of Lex Luger and Ricky Steamboat when Cornette’s interference caused Steamboat to trip and hit the mat hard, and Stan Lane rolled him up for the pin. Before that, the match had been pretty even. The Midnight Express hang on to their BCW spot.

Buddy Rogers (w/ Harley Race) d. Ox Baker via piledriver to reclaim the U.S. heavyweight title. The long, back-and-forth match took a surprise turn when Bobby Heenan and Nick Bockwinkel came down – and sided with Baker (who had lost the members of the Cadre earlier in the evening)! The end of the match came when Heenan tried to interfere, only to be hit by a clothesline by Rogers, who then gave Baker the piledriver and pinned him while Race took on Bockwinkel. Afterward, with the belt in hand, Rogers pointed at Bockwinkel and called him a “dead man” for abandoning the ULW.

Sgt. Slaughter gained a spot in BCW by pinning Greg Valentine (w/ Jim Cornette). The long match ended with Slaughter slinging an interfering Cornette into Valentine, then putting Valentine into the COBRA CLUTCH. Valentine is gone.

The Original Sheik got a spot in BCW by defeating Virgil (w/ Ted DiBiase, Dick Hutton) via DQ. The Sheik repeatedly stabbed Virgil with a foreign object and went to slap on his CAMEL CLUTCH when Richard Hutton broke across the ring and gave the Sheik a Cowboy backbreaker, leading to the DQ. Money Inc. is down to two people.

Exotic Adrian Street joined BCW by defeating Playboy Buddy Rose using two FLYING CRUCIFIXES and a LONDON BRIDGE LEG LOCK. Playboy Buddy Rose is gone.

Cowboy Bob Orton Jr. (w/ Jimmy Valiant, Capt. Lou Albano) and George Steele wrestled to a double DQ outside the ring, meaning Orton remains in BCW.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) defeated the Vachon Brothers by DQ when Mad Dog Vachon was caught by the ref early in the bout attacking Hawk outside the ring. Ellering, in his debut as the manager of the Warriors, made sure the ref saw the action. The Road Warriors remain in BCW – is their luck about to turn around due to Ellering’s presence?

The Masked Marvels finally climbed the mountain by defeating Team B to win the world tag-team titles, as the Destroyer used the FIGURE FOUR LEGLOCK to get Bobo Brazil to tap out.

The Sandman returned to BCW by defeating Jimmy Valiant (w/ Cowboy Bob Orton, Captain Lou Albano) using the SINGAPORE CANE. The Sandman was in trouble early, but then Justin Credible, Chris Candido and Tammy Sytch came to the ring and helped his rally. Afterward, Credible said, “Meet the new extremists of BCW!” Jimmy Valiant is gone.

Antonio Inoki joined BCW by defeating former world heavyweight champion Johnny Valentine via DQ when Valentine attacked Inoki outside the ring.

Ted DiBiase (w/ Richard Hutton) defeated former U.S. heavyweight champion Gorgeous George (w/ Cherie Dupre) using his MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER followed by a figure-four leglock, which a woozy George tapped out to. DiBiase remains in BCW, and Gorgeous George fails to gain re-entry.

The Beautiful Boys d. Frank Gotch and George Hackenschmidt at the end of a long, back-and-forth match when Brutus Beefcake used a running slam to pin a frustrated Gotch. The Beautiful Boys remain in BCW.

Giant Baba (with Antonio Inoki) d. world heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka (with Capt. Lou Albano, Cowboy Bob Orton) by DQ in a best-of-3-falls match, so Snuka retained the title. In the first fall, Baba used his NECKBREAKER DROP to pin Snuka after Snuka had missed a SUPERFLY LEAP. In the second fall, Snuka regained control and dominated, finally pinning Baba after a successful SUPERFLY LEAP. In the third fall, a mostly spent Snuka was DQ’d for slamming Baba on the concrete floor outside the ring. The fans booed, and Commissioner Richcreek came out and ordered a rematch – best two-of-three falls, no-DQ match (except that a wrestler could be DQ’d if any of his allies appeared at ringside) at the upcoming Lakeland Civic Center card.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR ONE, CARD 22

Lakeland Civic Center

Jesse “The Body” Ventura lost to Sgt. Slaughter by DQ after Ventura slammed Slaughter to the concrete floor outside the ring. Captain Lou Albano came down to ringside to offer help to newcomer Ventura, but he still got DQ’d anyway. Afterward, Ventura mulled an offer of a seat at the Captain’s Table, but turned it down and left. Albano did not look happy.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. the Triple Threat (w/ Tammy, Sandman) in a long match when Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane hit the VEG-O-MATIC on a fatigued Justin Credible. The match featured interference from Cornette, Tammy and the Sandman.

Cowboy Bob Orton (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) d. Richard Hutton (w/ Ted DiBiase) when Orton used a piledriver on Hutton.

In a rematch from the PPV, Ox Baker (w/ Nick Bockwinkel, Bobby Heenan) d. U.S. heavyweight champion “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers (w/ the ULW) by DQ when members of the ULW attacked Baker inside the ring after he had delivered a second HEART PUNCH to Rogers and was going for the pin. Rogers had controlled most of the match, but seemed nonchalant about pinning Baker. Baker eventually rammed Rogers into a pole outside the ring to gain control, but the ULW made sure the belt stayed with Rogers.

Bruiser Brody d. Exotic Adrian Street using his JUMPING KNEE DROP. Street controlled much of the match, but then the larger Brody took over and pinned Street.

The Masked Marvels, the world tag-team champions, d. Team B in a PPV rematch when the Destroyer got Bobo Brazil to submit to a single-leg Boston crab.

Nick Bockwinkel (w/ Ox Baker, Bobby Heenan) d. Richard Hutton (w/ Ted DiBiase) using the BOCKWINKEL SLEEPER. DiBiase was supposed to wrestle the match, but suffered a mysterious minor injury beforehand, so an already-woozy Hutton volunteered to wrestle his second match of the card. Hutton hit the turnbuckle with his head early in the match, giving Bockwinkel a bigger advantage. DiBiase tried to interfere, but Bockwinkel threw him outside the ring. A tough night for Hutton.

Giant Baba won the BCW heavyweight title for the second time, defeating Jimmy Snuka 2-0 in the best-of-three-falls no-DQ match with no one at ringside. In the first fall, Snuka dominated most of the time until Baba got him outside the ring, slammed him onto the floor, drug him back inside the ring and gave him the NECKBREAKER DROP. In the second fall, Snuka got the early advantage until Baba again got him outside the ring and this time gave him a piledriver on the concrete floor. Snuka could not answer the 10-count. Baba won the title by taking full advantage of the rules of the match. Antonio Inoki came out to celebrate with Baba afterward, while Albano came to ringside and demanded a rematch.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR ONE, CARD 23

Jacksonville Auditorium

Money Inc. d. the Beautiful Boys (w/ Harley Race) when Brutus Beefcake missed a move and Ted DiBiase used a backward elbow off the ropes followed by the MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER to get the pin (which keeps Money Inc. in the running for a tag-team title shot).

Johnny Valiant (w/ Bob Orton, Capt. Lou Albano) made a successful return from injury by pinning Jesse Ventura using a SPINNING NECKBREAKER. Afterward, Albano spat on the prone Ventura and said, “This is what you get when you spurn a seat at the Captain’s Table.” Earlier in the match, Ventura went to give Valiant his BODY BREAKER, only to be SUPERPLEXED by Orton while Albano distracted the ref.

The Triple Threat (w/ Tammy, Sandman) and the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) ended up in a double DQ when Justin Credible and Bobby Eaton got into a huge brawl outside of the ring.

U.S. heavyweight champion Buddy Rogers (w/ Harley Race) d. Ox Baker (w/ Bobby Heenan, Nick Bockwinkel) using the FIGURE FOUR GRAPEVINE. The match, mostly dominated by Rogers, ended when Bockwinkel tried to interfere on a pin attempt, only to inadvertently hit Baker instead of Rogers. Rogers tossed him outside the ring and got Baker to submit to the GRAPEVINE. Meanwhile, Race was knocked down by Bockwinkel and Heenan, and Bockwinkel went back into the ring, blindsided Rogers and injured him. The Braintrust then fled the ring as the Beautiful Boys showed up. Commissioner Richcreek said he will rule soon on what happens to the belt.

The Sandman (w/ Triple Threat) d. Nick Bockwinkel (w/ Ox Baker, Bobby Heenan) by DQ after a wild match in which the Sandman whacked Bockwinkel with the SINGAPORE CANE twice and Justin Credible did it once while the referee was distracted by Tammy. Finally, Bockwinkel was DQ’d when he was caught ramming Sandman’s head into the ringpost a number of times. The Braintrust then fled the area (again!) when the ULW showed up spoiling for a fight after the Rogers attack.

The Masked Marvels d. the Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) by countout to retain the world tag-team titles. The finish came when Hawk got out of the ring to catch his breath while wrestling Mil Miscaras. The Destroyer surprised Hawk by piledriving him onto the concrete floor, knocking him out. Animal vowed revenge for the “cheap shot.” Mascaras appeared unhappy about the Destroyer’s actions.

Bobo Brazil (w/ Red Bastien) d. the Sheik using the COCO BUTT. Afterward, an angry Bobo (he was bitten in the head a couple of times by the Sheik) had Bastien hold Sheik while he did some elbow drops on him. The fans seemed surprised by Bobo's newfound aggressiveness.

Giant Baba (w/ Antonio Inoki) d. Jimmy Snuka (w/ Capt. Lou Albano, Cowboy Bob Orton, Johnny Valiant) by DQ to retain the world heavyweight championship in a wild finish to the best-of-three-falls match. Snuka won the first fall with a SUPERFLY LEAP after slamming Baba to the concrete floor outside the ring while the ref was distracted. Baba won the second fall after surprising Snuka with a Russian leg sweep. The third fall is when things got crazy. Snuka went for the pin after a SUPERFLY LEAP, but Inoki interfered in the ring. Snuka later got another shot at pinning Baba, but missed his SUPERFLY LEAP. Baba immediately took down Snuka with a NECKBREAKER DROP, but before he could go for a pin, Orton and Valiant snuck into the ring while Albano distracted the ref again. However, the ref turned in time to see Valiant give Baba a kick in the groin and called for the bell.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR ONE, CARD 24

Miami Arena

Commissioner Richcreek began by announcing an eight-man tournament to crown a new U.S. heavyweight champion, saying injured “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers could get a title shot when he returned. The participants are Bobo Brazil, Bruiser Brody, Ted DiBiase, Bobby Eaton, Antonio Inoki, Cowboy Bob Orton, Harley Race and Sgt. Slaughter – no members of the Braintrust, because they were the ones who injured Rogers. Two quarterfinal matches will be on this card, with two more at the next event.

Stan Lane (w/ Jim Cornette) d. Justin Credible (w/ Chris Candido, Tammy) via an enzuigiri following a match mostly dominated by Lane. At one point, Candido tried to interfere, only to have Lane force a noggin-knocker with Credible and Candido. It provided the Midnight Express with a little revenge after their brawl at the last card.

Antonio Inoki (w/ Giant Baba) d. Ted DiBiase (w/ Dick Hutton) using a piledriver on DiBiase outside the ring in a quarterfinal match in the U.S. title tournament. DiBiase was unable to recover and was counted out. The match had been back-and-forth before that point, with Inoki nearly submitting to the MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER and DiBiase kicking out after receiving an ENZUIGIRI.

Team B d. the Beautiful Boys (w/ Harley Race) when Bobo Brazil used his fourth consecutive COCO BUTT to subdue Brutus Beefcake. Race tried to interfere when Brazil was covering Beefcake for a pint attempt earlier in the match, but Brazil knocked Race – a fellow combatant for the U.S. title – out of the ring.

Bobby Eaton (w/ Stan Lane, Jim Cornette) d. Sgt. Slaughter using a top-rope elbow in a quarterfinal match of the U.S. title tournament. The big break for Eaton came when Lane and Cornette distracted the referee enough for Eaton to run Slaughter into the post outside the ring. Earlier, Slaughter had Eaton in the COBRA CLUTCH, only to have Cornette interfere enough that Slaughter broke the hold.

Capt. Lou Albano came out and said that Jimmy Snuka deserved another shot at the title. Giant Baba came out and shook his head “no.” Albano made an offer: a Texas Death Match between Baba and Cowboy Bob Orton Jr. If Orton Jr. won the nontitle match, Snuka would get a shot at the title at the last card before Wrestlethon, and Baba could have no title defenses before then. Baba surprisingly said “yes,” but added that if he won, no title shots for Snuka as long as Baba is champ … AND he gets Albano in a cage match. Albano started shaking his head “no,” but Snuka came out, grabbed a mike and yelled “Yes!”

Exotic Adrian Street d. The Sandman (w/ Triple Threat) by DQ when Tammy lured Street outside the ring, only to have Justin Credible whack him with the Singapore Cane. Sandman joined in, and they left Street lying.

Bobby Heenan came out to say that he saw how the Destroyer piledrove Road Warrior Hawk outside the ring at the last card. He said that was impressive, but added that the Destroyer was no Ox Baker, and he should stop pretending he is and stop hiding under his mask. The Masked Marvels came out, and Heenan goaded them (mostly the Destroyer) into a tag title match.

The Braintrust (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. the Masked Marvels to win the world tag-team titles! The long match, mostly dominated by the Masked Marvels, ended when, after repeated blows to his ribs, the Destroyer was put into an abdominal stretch by Nick Bockwinkel and passed out from the pain.

Johnny Valiant (w/ Capt. Lou Albano, Jimmy Snuka) d. Harley Race (w/ the Beautiful Boys) by DQ when Race ran Valiant’s head into a ringpost outside the ring. Snuka and Albano started to gang up on Race, but the Beautiful Boys helped turn the tide. Race injured Valiant by giving him a piledriver on the floor, then yelled to a fleeing Albano, “How many more of your men will I have to take out?”

World heavyweight champion Giant Baba (w/ Antonio Inoki) d. Cowboy Bob Orton (w/ Capt. Lou Albano, Jimmy Snuka) via a NECKBREAKER DROP at the end of a long, grueling nontitle Texas Death Match. The match went back and forth, as interference by Snuka and Albano was met with interference by Inoki in retaliation. Finally, Inoki gave Orton an ENZUIGIRI and battled Snuka and Albano long enough for Baba to put his finisher on Orton. That means no title match for Snuka, and Baba gets Albano in a cage. Albano looked on in horror after the match as Baba smiled.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR ONE, CARD 25

Bithloplex

Brutus Beefcake (w/ Buff Bagwell) d. B. Brian Blair in Blair's return to BCW by piledriving him on the concrete floor outside the ring. Bagwell distracted the ref after Blair flew over the turnbuckle and outside the ring. That allowed Beefcake to get outside the ring and toast Blair, who looked lost without injured tag-team partner Jim Brunzell.

Jesse “The Body” Ventura d. Jimmy Snuka using the BODY BREAKER. Snuka executed a SUPERFLY LEAP on Ventura earlier in the match, but didn’t quite catch all of him, and Ventura kicked out of the pin attempt. After he won, Ventura told Snuka, “Let your boss know I still owe him one” for the attack on Ventura for not joining the Captain’s Table.

Sgt. Slaughter d. Don Leo Jonathan using a face slam. Jonathan looked uninspired during the match, which was less than would have been expected for these two warriors.

Harley Race (w/ the Beautiful Boys) d. Cowboy Bob Orton (w/ Jimmy Snuka) by DQ in a quarterfinal match for the U.S. heavyweight title. Orton attacked Race outside the ring, and before the Beautiful Boys, distracted by Capt. Lou Albano, could stop them, Orton and Snuka gave a piledriver to Race on the bare concrete, seriously injuring him. With that, Albano got revenge on Race for taking out members of the Captain’s Table.

Commissioner Richcreek came out and said that since Race obviously would not be able to continue in the tournament, Buff Bagwell would take his place and advance to the semifinals. Orton yelled at the commissioner, believing that he should have gotten the spot since he “eliminated” Race.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. the Triple Threat (w/ Sandman, Tammy) when Hawk and Animal executed the DOOMSDAY DEVICE on Justin Credible at the end of a long match. Ellering was disgusted that the Road Warriors couldn’t put the Triple Threat away sooner.

Bruiser Brody d. Bobo Brazil using his JUMPING KNEE DROP in a great matchup of heavyweights in the quarterfinals of the U.S. heavyweight title tournament. Each man kicked out of the other’s finishing move earlier in the match, but Brody caught Brazil with his knee drop again and got the pin.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. the Masked Marvels when Bobby Eaton hit Mil Mascaras with a pair of stinging right hands and then pinned Mascaras. The long, back-and-forth match saw interference by Cornette and pin saves galore. In the end, the Midnight Express got revenge for its loss at Tag-o-Rama.

World heavyweight champion Giant Baba d. Capt. Lou Albano in a nontitle cage match. Baba dominated the match and finished Albano quickly with a number of back suplexes, followed by a NECKBREAKER DROP. Captain’s Table members Bob Orton Jr. and Jimmy Snuka could only watch helplessly at ringside.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR ONE, CARD 26

Fort Walton Beach Civic Auditorium

In his debut, Billy “Red” Lyons lost to Brutus Beefcake when Beefcake jumped him at the bell, hit him with his studded armband smash, then finished him with a FLYING KNEE SMASH. Welcome to BCW, Billy!

Ted DiBiase (w/ Dick Hutton) d. Jesse Ventura using the MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER. The back-and-forth match saw Capt. Lou Albano come down and taunt Ventura, which helped distract him. Afterward, DiBiase shook hands with Albano, who suggested they could do business together in the future.

Don Leo Jonathan d. B. Brian Blair using the MORMON SWING. During the match, Jim Cornette came to ringside and distracted the ref while Jonathan attacked Blair outside the ring. Afterward, Cornette offered a hand to Jonathan, but he just walked to the back.

Antonio Inoki (w/ Giant Baba) d. Buff Bagwell (w/ Brutus Beefcake) by DQ in a semifinal match for the U.S. heavyweight title. Both wrestlers ended up outside the ring, where Beefcake got in a cheap shot and Bagwell hit Inoki with a chair, prompting the DQ. Bagwell thought Beefcake had the ref distracted, but Giant Baba was able to point out the infraction.

Cowboy Bob Orton Jr. and Jimmy Snuka (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) d. the Triple Threat (w/ Sandman, Sunny) by DQ. The end came when Justin Credible was DQ’d for unleashing the SINGAPORE CANE on Orton, which sparked a mini-riot in the ring as both sides climbed through the ropes.

Bruiser Brody d. Bobby Eaton (w/ Jim Cornette, Stan Lane) using a twisting vertical suplex in a semifinal match for the U.S. heavyweight title. Eaton controlled much of the match, thanks in part to interference by Lane and Cornette, but Brody surprised Eaton with the suplex and got the pin before Lane and Cornette could stop him. Brody will face Inoki for the title and the right to face the world heavyweight champ at Wrestlethon.

An unhappy Cornette brightened considerably when Commissioner Richcreek announced that Cornette's petition for a tag-team title shot had been approved – sort of. Richcreek said that the Road Warriors and Masked Marvels would wrestle next for the right to face the Midnight Express in a No. 1 contender's match.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. the Masked Marvels by DQ when the Destroyer was caught slamming Animal onto the concrete floor. The match was wild from the get-go, with Hawk looking for revenge on the Destroyer for getting piledriven outside the ring three cards ago. The Road Warriors at one point had the DOOMSDAY DEVICE set up on Mil Mascaras, but the Destroyer interfered, sparking a huge in-ring brawl.

World heavyweight champion Giant Baba (w/ Antonio Inoki) d. Red Bastien in a nontitle match. Baba hit the NECKBREAKER DROP out of nowhere after Bastien had controlled much of the match. Baba had seemed to be going through the motions before executing his finishing move. Afterward, Bruiser Brody came to ringside and eyed Baba and Inoki, then walked to the back.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR ONE, CARD 27

Orange County Convention Center

Exotic Adrian Street d. B. Brian Blair using the LONDON BRIDGE LEGLOCK. Blair had dominated much of the early part of the match, but failed to subdue Street on two pin attempts. Street later reversed Blair into a turnbuckle, took control and recorded the pin.

Ted DiBiase came out before his match to say he had reached an agreement with the Captain’s Table – they’ll team up to face the Triple Threat and “whatever lame partner they can find” in a eight-man elimination tag match at the Wrestlethon PPV.

Money Inc. d. Team B when Richard Hutton executed a cowboy backbreaker on Bobo Brazil at the end of a long, well-fought match in which both sides had pin attempts. Afterward, the original Sheik ran in, knocked over Red Bastien, then put the boots to Brazil and choked him. Then he yelled, “Wrestlethon. Last man standing.”

Triple Threat (w/ Tammy) d. world tag-team champions The Braintrust (w/ Bobby Heenan) in a nontitle match when Justin Credible pinned Ox Baker after a superkick. Chris Candido kept Nick Bockwinkel from making a pin save. “The Brain” was upset – he just wanted a warmup match ahead of the big PPV match. Credible took the mike afterward and said, “If you want to team up with the Captain’s Table, Mr. Moneybags, that’s your loss. Because when we unveil our fourth man … you’ll see what pain is all about. Now that’s not just the coolest, that’s not just the best …. that’s Justin Credible.”

Billy “Red” Lyons surprised Buff Bagwell (w/ Brutus Beefcake) by using a figure-four leglock to get the submission win. Buff dominated the match with Lyons before the tables were turned. Afterward, Beefcake went after Lyons, only to be stopped by Red Bastien, who had come down to ringside to watch Lyons.

The Sandman (w/ Triple Threat, Tammy) d. Brutus Beefcake (w/ Buff Bagwell) by DQ after Beefcake rammed Sandman’s head into a pole outside the ring at the end of a brutal match.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. the Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) to win a shot at the tag titles at Wrestlethon. The pivotal point came when the Midnight Express nailed Animal with a VEG-O-MATIC, but were unable to get the pin. Then Stan Lane caught Animal with a SUPERKICK and got the pin before Hawk could break it up. Once again, the Road Warriors failed in a key match, and they were visibly disgusted.

The Masked Marvels came out and said they wanted to wrestle, but they had no opponent. Who came out once again but the Triple Threat, who said they needed an additional warmup before the PPV.

The Masked Marvels d. Triple Threat (w/ Sandman, Tammy) when Mil Mascaras pinned Justin Credible using his CROSSBODY ATTACK. Earlier, the Sandman had tried to interfere, beating the Destroyer with his Singapore cane, but Credible couldn’t capitalize on it. Afterward, chaos reigned, as members of the Captain’s Table and Money Inc hit the ring to attack the Triple Threat. Meanwhile, the frustrated Road Warriors came out and started beating on the Masked Marvels. The refs eventually restored order.

Antonio Inoki (w/ Giant Baba) d. Bruiser Brody to win the U.S. heavyweight title and a shot at countryman Giant Baba for the world heavyweight title at Wrestlethon. Inoki dominated the match and finished off Brody using the OCTOPUS HOLD. Afterward, Baba held up Inoki’s hand to signify he had won the U.S. belt. For now, Japan rules BCW!

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR ONE -- CARD 28

Wrestlethon PPV -- Orlando Citrus Bowl

Gary Michael Cappetta debuted as ring announcer for BCW.

The Beautiful Boys d. the newly formed team of the Flying Redheads (Red Bastien and Billy “Red” Lyons) when Buff Bagwell pinned Lyons after a double-arm DDT. The match was a pretty even affair, with both sides getting three to four pin attempts. Afterward, Bastien attacked Bagwell in the ring from behind and left him lying.

Bobo Brazil d. the Sheik in a bloody Last Man Standing match. The first half of the match was pretty even, with the Sheik stabbing Brazil in the forehead three different times with an unidentified sharp object and also tossing a fireball at him. Brazil battled back and finally took control in the second half of the match, hitting three successive COCO BUTTS at one point. Later, two more of the famed head butts finished the Sheik, who could not answer the 10-count.

The Masked Marvels d. the Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) in a falls-count-anywhere match when Mil Mascaras pinned Hawk in the ring following his CROSSBODY ATTACK (while the Destroyer and Animal duked it out outside the ring). During the match, Mascaras twice threw Hawk into a souvenir stand to gain an edge. Afterward, the Masked Marvels were celebrating in the ring when they were attacked by the Warriors and a returning King Kong Bundy!!! Afterward, Ellering grabbed the mike, pointed at the Warriors and said: “We tried to do it your way, and it didn’t work. All the breaks have gone against us. So now, we do it my way. You, Road Warriors, are now a part of my new corporation, the Legion of Doom. BCW, you’ve been warned.” They then left the ring over the sprawled bodies of the Masked Marvels.

Famed wrestling journalist Bill Apter debuted his “Hot Seat” live interview session. His first guest was Bruiser Brody, who lamented his loss to Antonio Inoki for the U.S. title. Suddenly, out came Buddy Rogers, saying: “Your performance against Inoki was disgraceful. If I hadn’t gotten injured, I’d be the one taking the belt off of Baba tonight.” Brody got mad, and the two ended up face to face. “I’ll be back, big man, so stay out of my way,” Rogers said. Brody smiled and said, “Stay out of mine, or you’ll get an injury you can’t recover from.” Officials separated the two …

The Braintrust (w/ Bobby Heenan) retained the world tag-team titles by defeating the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) in a match with more interference than satellite reception during a rainy day. The end came when Nick Bockwinkel put Stan Lane in an abdominal stretch, only to see Bobby Eaton come into the ring as Lane was about to submit. Bockwinkel smashed their heads together, then pinned a stunned Lane. The match also featured an all-out brawl and interference by both sides. The Midnight Express had several chances to get the pin, but the Braintrust kept slipping out of the pinfalls.

The team of Money Inc and the Captain’s Table d. the Triple Threat in an eight-man, no-DQ tag elimination match. The big surprise was Don Leo Jonathan coming out and joining Triple Threat. Justin Credible called him the “Don of hardcore wrestling.” The order of elimination: 1. Sandman (by Dick Hutton) after Hutton piledrove Sandman twice onto the concrete outside the ring. The Sandman was seriously hurt and was carted off while the match continued. 2. Chris Candido (Ted DiBiase) via a MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER followed by a power slam. 3. Cowboy Bob Orton (Justin Credible) via the SINGAPORE CANE. 4. Don Leo Jonathan (Jimmy Snuka) via a leapfrog and chop for a quick pin, then Snuka injured Jonathan outside the ring with the help of DiBiase and Hutton. 5. Jimmy Snuka (Justin Credible) via a THAT’S INCREDIBLE when Snuka returned to the ring after the attack on Jonathan. 6. Justin Credible (Ted DiBiase) via a MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER on the exhausted Credible. The last two left were DiBiase and Hutton.

Snuka and Orton returned to the ring to celebrate with Money Inc. and Albano. Suddenly, DiBiase and Hutton attacked the trio, and they were joined by a returning Virgil and the Beautiful Boys (including a limping Buff Bagwell)! DiBiase put Snuka out with a MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER, while the others put the boots to Orton and Albano. Afterward, DiBiase grabbed the mike and said: “Did you think I’d forget what you did to me earlier this year, Snuka? How you injured me? I don’t think so. And Albano … ha, ha … you’ve been bought out, because I’ve overturned the Captain’s Table. Oh, and the Beautiful Boys? They are the Money Boys now. Every man has his price. Hear that, Buddy Rogers? There is no more ULW, no more Captain’s Table. There’s only one organization running BCW now, and that’s Money Inc.”

Before the championship match, Commissioner Richcreek introduced Japanese legend Rikidozan as the special guest referee for the bout.

Giant Baba d. U.S. heavyweight champ Antonio Inoki to retain the world heavyweight championship. Baba dominated the offense and kept Inoki, who seemed to be a bit in awe about Rikidozan’s presence, off balance, eventually finishing him off with a NECKBREAKER DROP. Afterward, Rikidozan raised the hands of both men as the first year of BCW ended with a decidedly Japanese flavor.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR-END AWARDS – YEAR ONE

WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: GIANT BABA

He became the first BCW world champion when he beat Playboy Buddy Rose in the finals of the heavyweight tournament. He then had two successful defenses before being defeated and injured by Johnny Valentine. But he rallied back from the injury later in the year and became the first two-time champion by recapturing the title from Jimmy Snuka on the 22nd card. He then held the belt through the end of the year, including a rematch with Snuka and a bout against fellow Japanese star Antonio Inoki.

Runner-up: Ox Baker – two-time U.S. champion and a tag-team champion.

TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR: TEAM B (RED BASTIEN AND BOBO BRAZIL)

They were the first tag champions of BCW, beating the team of Johnny and Greg Valentine in the finals of the tag-team tournament. They held the belts on two occasions during the year, each for a record eight cards. Bastien brought an aerial attack to the equation, while Brazil exhibited brute strength. After a series of clashes with the Masked Marvels, they finally dropped the belts, and by the end of the year, Bastien had formed the Flying Redheads with Billy “Red” Lyons. Brazil, meanwhile, concentrated on singles action.

Runners-up: The Masked Marvels – The Destroyer and Mil Mascaras. They won the inaugural Tag-o-Rama and also the tag titles during the year.

MANAGER OF THE YEAR – LOU ALBANO

Even though he was ousted from BCW at the end of the year via a surprise attack by Ted DiBiase and Money Inc., Albano still had a memorable first year. He helped guide Jimmy Snuka to the heavyweight crown, and Snuka kept it for the longest of anyone in Year One (seven cards). He also guided the Valiant Brothers to the tag-team title in a win-or-give-up-your-careers match (although they dropped the belts during the next card). Suffice to say, if there was a major angle going on during the second half of the year, Albano was probably involved in some way. He even wrestled the heavyweight champ, Giant Baba (and lost quickly).

No runner-up for this award.

[The Creek Rises]

PROMOTER NOTES

Before Year Two, I dumped any bootleg cards and just went with Filsinger cards, so there's a bit of roster shuffling. Don't fret, though -- the bootlegs will be back in a big way at the Tag-o-Rama and Invasion PPVs.

Also, the phrase "seriously injured/hurt" means that I rolled an injury of more than 5 cards and the wrestler has left BCW. Granted, it's a tough health/wellness plan in BCW, but it helps spur the slow turnover of the roster.

With that in mind, on to Season Two. Thanks for reading.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR TWO, CARD 1

Bithloplex

Brutus Beefcake (w/ Virgil) d. Red Bastien (w/ Billy “Red” Lyons) by DQ when Bastien hit Beefcake with a chair outside of the ring early in the match. The feud between the Money Boys and the Flying Redheads looks to be growing.

Richard Hutton (w/ Virgil) d. Cowboy Bob Orton using the ABDOMINAL STRETCH finisher for a submission. Orton piledrove Hutton early in the match, but Hutton regained control after he drug Orton outside the ring and rammed him into a pole. Afterward, Hutton and Virgil put the boots to Orton and reminded him that “The Captain’s Table has been overturned.” Money Inc. is 2-0 to start the new year.

Commissioner Richcreek came out and said that world heavyweight champ Giant Baba will have a match tonight against a mystery opponent who is a former BCW titleholder. Rikidozan came out and stated that if the opponent is a mystery, then Baba will not be putting his title on the line. Richcreek agreed, but said that if the mystery man wins the match, he will get a title shot.

The Dangerous Dads (Bob Orton Sr. and Iron Mike DiBiase) debuted by defeating the Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering, King Kong Bundy) when Animal was DQ’d by the ref for excessive violence. The Road Warriors twice had Orton Sr. in the Doomsday Device, only to have DiBiase break it up each time.

After the Legion of Doom left the ring, DiBiase took the mike and called out both Ted DiBiase and Bob Orton Jr., who came out of different entrances. “You two are a disgrace to the family names,” Iron Mike said, “always joining groups and taking out others. No more. Your fathers are here, and we will be cleaning up our family messes!” Ted DiBiase and Cowboy Bob Orton Jr. look stunned.

“Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers reclaimed the U.S. heavyweight title by defeating Antonio Inoki (w/ Rikidozan) via a pin using the ropes. Rogers attacked Inoki before Gary Michael Cappetta had even finished Inoki’s ring introduction. He then dominated the match before recording the pin. Afterward, Bruiser Brody came out and stared at Rogers, who yelled back, “You want a piece of me, or a piece of this (holding up the belt)?” Brody simply returned to the back. Rogers is BCW’s first three-time U.S. champ.

The Sheik d. Billy “Red” Lyons (w/ Red Bastien) after he used a FIREBALL that stunned Lyons. Somehow, the ref didn’t see the Sheik’s move. After the pin, the Sheik left the ring area while Bastien pointed a finger at him and vowed revenge.

The Braintrust (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) by DQ to retain the world tag team titles. The end came after a good back-and-forth match when Ox Baker hit the HEART PUNCH on Stan Lane. As Baker went for the cover, Cornette jumped up to the ring ropes and hit Baker with his trusty tennis racket, prompting the DQ. Commissioner Richcreek said the only way this would be settled is in a cage, as an elimination match that included Cornette and Heenan -- a 6-man event for the tag titles.

Ted DiBiase came to the ring with the members of Money Inc. (Dick Hutton, an injured Buff Bagwell, Brutus Beefcake and Virgil) and challenged Jimmy Snuka to a lumberjack match, then added, “Oh, that’s right. The Captain’s Table is gone, and you don’t have any friends.” Snuka came out and said OK to the challenge and to “wait right there.” He went back in the locker room as DiBiase laughed. But he stopped laughing when Snuka came out with the Dangerous Dads and two new members of BCW – Konnan and Diamond Dallas Page!

Ted DiBiase (w/ Money Inc.) d. Jimmy Snuka (w/ Dangerous Dads, Konnan, Diamond Dallas Page) using the MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER. Both wrestlers took pummelings outside the ring (Iron Mike DiBiase seemed to have a particular joy in whacking Ted), but the match turned when Beefcake delivered a FLYING KNEE SMASH to Snuka outside the ring, which left him unable to counter DiBiase’s finisher.

Greg “The Hammer” Valentine (w/ Jim Cornette) made a triumphant return to BCW by defeating world heavyweight champion Giant Baba (w/ Antonio Inoki, Rikidozan) in a nontitle match. Valentine earned a title shot with the victory, which featured a wild finish. Valentine was in control of the match when Rikidozan came to the ring apron to encourage Baba. Valentine grabbed the opportunity to ram their heads together and then pinned a stunned Baba. Baba was unhappy with Rikidozan afterward for interfering.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR TWO, CARD 2

Eddie Graham Sports Stadium

The Dangerous Dads d. the Triple Threat (w/ Tammy) when Justin Credible was DQ’d for using the SINGAPORE CANE on Iron Mike DiBiase. The match had been pretty even up to that point, with each side getting some pin attempts.

The Sheik d. Virgil (w/ Richard Hutton) using an elbow drop after he stabbed Virgil in the forehead with a sharp object. Hutton merely watched while the attack occurred, but when the Sheik tried to continue punishing Virgil after the pin, Hutton got on the ring apron, and the Sheik departed.

The Road Warriors (w/ King Kong Bundy, Paul Ellering) gained a measure of revenge by beating the Masked Marvels in a falls-count-anywhere match when they executed a DOOMSDAY DEVICE outside the ring on the Destroyer. The Road Warriors dominated the match and kept the Destroyer from tagging in, then Animal hoisted him up and Hawk leapt from the turnbuckle to the outside to unleash a wicked clothesline on the Destroyer. Hawk then got the pin while Bundy kept Mil Mascaras from interfering. The crowd was stunned by the Warriors’ ferocity.

In a “Hot Seat” segment, Bill Apter interviewed King Kong Bundy, who explained that when he came back to BCW after being ousted at last year’s Invasion PPV, Paul Ellering offered him a chance to be part of something special – help the Road Warriors to the tag titles, and they would help him become world heavyweight champion. All of the sudden, Nikolai Volkoff and Nikita Breznikov burst into the interview. Volkoff grabbed Apter and asked him why he was interviewing a stiff like Bundy. Bundy knocked Volkoff down, yelled that Volkoff helped him get ousted at the Invasion PPV (because of their Texas Death Match the card before) and challenged him to a barbed-wire cage match for the next card! Volkoff accepted (much to Breznikov’s dismay), and the segment ended with the two men glaring at each other.

United States heavyweight champion Buddy Rogers came to the ring and offered a challenge to anyone in the back who wanted a shot at the belt. Who came out but Konnan, with Diamond Dallas Page. He says he would take a shot at Rogers.

“Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers d. Konnan using the FIGURE FOUR GRAPEVINE to retain the U.S. heavyweight championship. Rogers pretty much controlled the match against the newcomer. The most interesting development came when Paul Ellering went to ringside and eventually interfered in a Rogers pin attempt. Afterward, Konnan and DDP left with Ellering!

The Flying Redheads d. Rikidozan and Antonio Inoki by DQ when Rikidozan slammed Red Bastien onto the concrete floor outside the ring shortly after the match began. Afterward, Rikidozan was seen lecturing a somewhat dismayed Inoki that he could show “no mercy.”

The Braintrust and Bobby Heenan d. the Midnight Express and Jim Cornette in a 6-man tag-team elimination cage match in which the world tag belts were on the line. Stan Lane set the tone early on when he jumped on Ox Baker before Gary Michael Cappetta had finished the introductions. Things then settled down into a regular match. Bobby Eaton was the first wrestler eliminated when he tapped out to Nick Bockwinkel’s FIGURE FOUR LEGLOCK. Then Lane, trying to stay alive in the match, inadvertently forgot and tagged in Jim Cornette, who was manhandled by Bockwinkel, Heenan and finally Baker, who unleashed a HEART PUNCH on a whimpering Cornette and then pinned him. Shortly thereafter, a seriously outnumbered Lane caught Baker with a facebuster and eliminated him. Then a long, brutal battle went on between Lane and Bockwinkel, with pin attempts on both sides (much to Heenan’s dismay). Finally, an exhausted Lane succumbed to the BOCKWINKEL SLEEPER. A great match, especially the last half. A suddenly confident Heenan said afterward, “I told you humanoids they couldn’t take the titles from us!”

Richard Hutton (w/ Ted DiBiase) d. Bruiser Brody by DQ when they engaged in a wild brawl outside the ring and Brody slammed a chair into Hutton’s head. The match before that had been a pretty even one, with Hutton holding his own against the larger Brody. At one point, DiBiase interfered by punching Brody when he was outside the ring.

Greg “the Hammer” Valentine (w/ Jim Cornette, Midnight Express) d. Giant Baba (w/ Rikidozan, Antonio Inoki) by DQ in a best-of-three-falls match, which meant Baba retained the world heavyweight title. Valentine was DQ’d in the first fall for slamming Baba to the floor outside the ring, but since Baba was fine, the ref decided to continue the match. Baba was in control during the second fall and about to put Valentine away with a NECKBREAKER DROP when Valentine slipped under the ropes and to the outside. Baba followed, only to be given a flapjack facebuster by the Midnight Express while Cornette distracted the ref. Rikidozan was furious. Baba got back into the ring and regained some momentum, but eventually succumbed to Valentine’s FIGURE-FOUR LEGLOCK. With the match tied 1-1, the third fall went a long, long time with two weary wrestlers. Finally, Valentine got Baba in the FIGURE-FOUR LEGLOCK again, but before Baba could submit, Rikidozan entered the ring and gave Valentine two THUNDEROUS CHOPS. The ref called for the DQ. The match ended with a brawl between the two sides and officials scurrying to the ring to separate them.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR TWO, CARD 3

Lakeland Civic Center

The Sheik d. Brutus Beefcake (w/ Virgil) using his CAMEL CLUTCH. The Sheik came out and tried to attack Gary Michael Cappetta during the introductions, causing Beefcake to hit the ring and attack the Sheik. But the Sheik regained control quickly and slapped on the finisher, causing Beefcake to submit before Virgil could even get to the ring. It was the second card in a row that the Sheik has beaten someone from Money Inc. Afterward, the Sheik taunted Virgil, pointing to the bandage on Virgil’s forehead from the Sheik’s in-ring attack on him the previous card.

Bobo Brazil d. Cowboy Bob Orton using a big hammer punch out of nowhere that felled Orton like a tree. An interesting side development was that Nikita Breznikov came to ringside to watch the match, but it was over before he could interfere or, apparently, approach Orton.

The Triple Threat (w/ Tammy) d. the Dangerous Dads via DQ when Bob Orton Sr. was disqualified for slamming Justin Credible to the ground outside the ring. The match was pretty even before then, with both sides getting pin attempts.

Commissioner Richcreek came to the ring to announce a special six-man tag-team match for the end of the card in which the Midnight Express and Greg Valentine will take on world heavyweight champion Giant Baba, Antonio Inoki and Rikidozan. The special stipulation for the match is that the winning side will get to choose what kind of match Baba and Valentine will have for the belt.

Buddy Rogers came to the ring and took the microphone from the commissioner. “Sorry to so rudely interrupt, Commish, but it’s time for my usual challenge. Anyone in the back think he’s man enough to take this belt from me?” Then, it happens …. Bruiser Brody walks down the aisle to answer the challenge.

Buddy Rogers d. Bruiser Brody to retain the U.S. heavyweight championship. Brody took control early, catching Rogers with a one-hand body slam off an attempted running tackle by the champ. Rogers regained control and eventually got Brody to submit using the FIGURE FOUR GRAPEVINE. Afterward, Rogers said, “That’s what I thought, chump!” Brody seemed dismayed by his loss, as if he couldn’t find a way to really get into gear against Rogers.

Another edition of Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” found him talking with Red Bastien, once a member of the first BCW tag-team champions. Bastien explained why he and Bobo Brazil broke up their championship team (“We were going different directions – I think that after we lost the belts, he wanted to go for a singles title”) and how he hooked up with Billy “Red” Lyons (“I thought our skills would fit together well”). Bastien then cut a promo on Buff Bagwell (“Get well soon, Buff, because we are going to cash out the Money Boys”).

Money Inc. d. the Barrio Boys (w/ Paul Ellering) in a good, long match that ended when Diamond Dallas Page submitted to Dick Hutton’s ABDOMINAL STRETCH. All four men involved in the match had pin attempts against them, with Konnan almost making Ted DiBiase submit to his TEQUILA SUNRISE before Hutton broke it up.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. the Braintrust (w/ Bobby Heenan) to win the BCW world tag team titles – finally! A great match. Nick Bockwinkel went for the pin on Animal a number of times, but failed to keep Animal’s shoulders on the mat. Interference was rampant throughout the match, from pin saves to managerial high jinks. The long match finally ended when Animal came off the top turnbuckle with a cross-body block on Ox Baker and got the pin. Heenan was spitting afterward about how Animal should have been DQ’d for slamming Baker to the ground outside the ring, how his team shouldn’t have had to defend the belts so soon after the grueling cage match with the Midnight Express, etc., etc.

Nikolai Volkoff d. King Kong Bundy in a barbed wire cage match. Both men were bloodied when Volkoff put Bundy in a Russian bear hug and then dropped him on the barbed wire in a massive show of strength. Bundy could not get up from the combination, and Volkoff got the pin. Bundy had to be helped from the ring afterward.

The Midnight Express and Greg Valentine (w/ Jim Cornette) d. Giant Baba, Rikidozan and Antonio Inoki by DQ, meaning Valentine gets to pick his match for his title shot against Baba. After an evenly paced match, the end came when Baba tossed Valentine to the outside of the ring. Rikidozan encouraged Baba to go after Valentine and ram his head into the post, which he did. Unfortunately for Baba, the ref saw him (Inoki was no help as a distraction, while Cornette sure pointed it out) and DQ’d him. Afterward, while Baba glared at Rikidozan, Cornette grabbed the mike and announced that Valentine had chosen a dog-collar match at the Bithlo Bash PPV.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR TWO, CARD 4

UCF Arena

The Midnight Express and Jim Cornette came to the ring as the card began. Cornette took the mike and gloated about their success on the previous card in getting Greg Valentine the title rematch with Giant Baba on their terms. Cornette then said Nikita Breznikov asked for a tag match with the Midnight Express, but didn’t say with whom Nikolai Volkoff would be teaming. Then, as Breznikov and Volkoff came to the ring, they were followed by the Sheik, much to Cornette’s dismay.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. Nikolai Volkoff and the Sheik (w/ Nikita Breznikov) when Stan Lane pinned Volkoff following a VEG-O-MATIC by Bobby Eaton. Cornette had distracted Volkoff, leading to the pin. Afterward, the Sheik got into the ring and began tossing FIREBALLS as the Midnight Express fled with Cornette. Breznikov just laughed in approval.

Brutus Beefcake and Virgil came to the ring. Beefcake called out Red Bastien due to Bastien’s interview at the last card. Beefcake said it was time to settle things in the ring so that Bastien will no longer be an issue when Buff Bagwell returns.

Red Bastien (w/ Billy “Red” Lyons) d. Brutus Beefcake (w/ Virgil) by DQ when the ref ordered Beefcake not to jump from the top turnbuckle with his studded armband front and center, but Beefcake did anyway. (He still missed Bastien.) Before the match began, Beefcake tried to attack Bastien outside of the ring during introductions, but Bastien slammed him into a table at ringside and kept control. Afterward, the two men had a staredown until the rest of Money Inc. got to the ring, inspiring the Flying Redheads to slowly depart.

Ted DiBiase took the mike and started taunting Jimmy Snuka. “I haven’t seen him since I beat him last. I’ve got my man Richard Hutton here, and we’d like to face Snuka in a tag match – if he can find a partner. Things didn’t go too well last time he had help. Ha, ha, ha!” Then Snuka appeared – with B. Brian Blair! Following them were the Flying Redheads as backup.

Jimmy Snuka and B. Brian Blair (w/ the Flying Redheads) wrestled to a double DQ with Money Inc. (w/ Brutus Beefcake, Virgil) when a brawl between Snuka and DiBiase went outside the ring. While both sides mixed it up, Snuka gave the Million Dollar Man a piledriver, leaving him lying unconscious on the floor. The rest of Money Inc. was stunned to see DiBiase down. Snuka will likely be even more of a hunted man now.

Commissioner Richcreek announced a challenge series ahead of Bithlo Bash. Each week, either Greg Valentine or Giant Baba will wrestle a member of the opponent’s group. This week, Valentine will face Antonio Inoki at the end of the card.

Buddy Rogers came out, moved the commissioner aside yet again, then issued the challenge for “his” U.S. title belt. Out came …. former tag-team champion Bobo Brazil!

Buddy Rogers d. Bobo Brazil to retain the U.S. heavyweight championship belt. Brazil took control of the match early, but Rogers surprised Brazil by sending him to the outside and then running him into a post. He then got Brazil back into the ring and slapped on the FIGURE FOUR GRAPEVINE. A groggy Brazil could only tap out, as Rogers’ hot streak continued!

The Barrio Boys (w/ Paul Ellering) d. the Dangerous Dads via DQ when Iron Mike DiBiase attacked Diamond Dallas Page after DDP had given Bob Orton Sr. the DIAMOND CUTTER and was going for the pin.

Bill Apter had a “Hot Seat” interview with Mil Mascaras. Mascaras said the Destroyer was still recovering from the massive clothesline Hawk gave him in their last encounter a couple of cards back, but that he would be back. Mascaras said he has enjoyed tag-team wrestling and even the brief time they held the belts (and he took time to congratulate the Road Warriors on their victory), but that he’d like to try for some singles titles as well. Suddenly, U.S. heavyweight champ Buddy Rogers came on the scene, told Apter he should be No. 1 in the overall wrestler rankings (“I’m better than that stiff Baba”), then pushed Apter, only to be pushed to the floor himself by Mascaras. The two wrestlers ended up face to face, then Rogers said, “You want a shot at titles, masked man? Tell ya what. You beat me in a Texas Death Match next card, you’ll get your shot. If not, stay with your masked buddy in the tag teams – because you weren’t good enough for the big boys.” Mascaras accepts the challenge. Apter, meanwhile, picks himself up off the floor.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. the Braintrust (w/ Bobby Heenan) to retain the world tag team titles. The finish came quickly when Hawk floored Nick Bockwinkel with a nasty clothesline and got the surprise pin before Ox Baker or Heenan could react. But the Braintrust extracted their revenge. As the Road Warriors left the ring, Baker and Bockwinkel attacked a trailing Hawk. While Bockwinkel held him, Baker unloaded a vicious HEART PUNCH, seriously injuring Hawk. Then they fled as Animal and Ellering returned to the scene. Fans were booing the attack. What will happen to the tag belts if Hawk is out?

Justin Credible surprisingly d. Bruiser Brody after giving him a pair of JUST INCREDIBLE spinning tombstone piledrivers. Before the match, Brody requested it be a no-DQ match, which Credible easily agreed to. Credible belted Brody with his SINGAPORE CANE before the piledrivers, yet after it was over, Brody seemed happy despite the loss. He apparently liked the idea of all his matches being no-DQ.

Greg Valentine (w/ Jim Cornette, Midnight Express) d. Antonio Inoki (w/ Giant Baba, Rikidozan) by DQ. Inoki dominated the short match, with Valentine rolling to the outside after Inoki delivered three top-rope kneedrops. While outside, Valentine was slammed in the back with a chair wielded by Rikidozan, prompting the DQ. Officials ran out to stop the ensuing clash between the two sides, with Commissioner Richcreek even getting into the fray, only to be cold-cocked from behind inadvertently (?) by Jim Cornette using his trusty tennis racket.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR TWO, CARD 5

Sanford Barn

The card opened with Animal, Paul Ellering and Commissioner Richcreek in the ring, with Animal holding both tag-team belts. “Hawk’s gonna be out for a while,” Animal said. “Now, I could go get another partner and defend the belts, but I don’t want to do it without Hawk. So we’re giving the titles back. But don’t worry, someday we’ll be back to get what’s ours. Oh, and Ox Baker? You’d better watch your back, because someday, somewhere, your payback is coming.” He finished with a version of Hawk’s signature “What a rush!”

Richcreek then announced there will be a tournament to decide the new tag champions, with the semifinals and final at Bithlo Bash. He said the Braintrust will not be eligible for the tournament because of what they did to Hawk. He also mentioned that Ellering told him he is staying on to guide the Barrio Boys, at least through the tournament.

Richcreek then addressed getting popped by Jim Cornette at the last card. “Now, Mr. Cornette, I’m going to assume that in the melee, you just made a mistake while aiming for someone else. However, just in case you didn’t make a mistake …” Richcreek then introduced Dan “The Beast” Severn, his new enforcer of rules.

At that point, B. Brian Blair came down, upset after finding out that he and Jimmy Snuka are not in the tournament. He got into the commissioner’s face, causing an impromptu match with Severn.

B. Brian Blair d. Dan “The Beast” Severn in his debut when Jimmy Snuka distracted Severn long enough for Blair to quickly pin him. The long match saw Severn use a variety of holds against a resilient Blair, who was fueled by his anger over the tournament exclusion. Snuka came down late in the match for the distraction. Afterward, as Blair got in the commissioner’s face again (Richcreek was sitting at ringside), Severn pushed Snuka off the ring apron, then jumped down and put Blair in the WAKIGATAME. Richcreek told Severn to release the hold, however. He said he admired Blair’s feistiness, so at the next card, he and Snuka would wrestle the Braintrust to see who got the new champs after Bithlo Bash. Blair was happier and even shook hands with Severn.

Virgil (w/ Richard Hutton) d. Billy “Red” Lyons using the COBRA CLUTCH. The Flying Redheds took the singles matches in an effort to get some work in before the tag tournament began. Virgil controlled most of the match, as Money Inc. looked to soften Lyons up ahead of any potential matchup with the Money Boys.

Jimmy Snuka went to the ring, where Gary Michael Cappetta announced that Snuka will have a surprise opponent for this match – the Don of Hardcore, Don Leo Jonathan! DLJ was back from an injury suffered at the hands of Snuka when Snuka was a member of Lou Albano’s Captain’s Table.

Jimmy Snuka (w/ B. Brian Blair) d. Don Leo Jonathan and injured him again. Snuka hit two SUPERFLY LEAPS, the second of which came just as Jonathan was getting back into the ring, causing him to fall back out of the ring and hit the floor awkwardly. He was then counted out. Jonathan had to be helped to the back afterward. Ironically, this time Snuka was NOT trying to injure Don Leo Jonathan.

Ox Baker (w/ Nick Bockwinkel, Bobby Heenan) destroyed Red Bastien (w/ Billy “Red” Lyons) in a singles match. Baker started bashing Bastien before the bell and threw him out of the ring. When Bastien got back in, Baker delivered a HEART PUNCH, only to have Lyons try to interfere with the pin attempt. Bockwinkel took him out, however, and Baker unleashed a second HEART PUNCH before getting the pin. The Braintrust was obviously showing its displeasure about not being in the tag tourney.

In a quarterfinal match in the tag-team tournament, The Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff (w/ Nikita Breznikov) d. Antonio Inoki and Rikidozan. The Japanese stars were in control of the match and had the Sheik on the ropes, but the Sheik regained control against Inoki and then stabbed him in the head with a spike while the ref was occupied with Breznikov. The Sheik then got the pin on the stunned Inoki, who was bleeding profusely from his forehead wound.

U.S. heavyweight champion “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers d. Mil Mascaras in a great nontitle Texas Death Match. Mascaras dominated the early part of the match, but just couldn’t keep Rogers’ shoulders down for the three-count. After a couple of trips outside the ring that pretty much broke evenly for the two combatants, Rogers gained control and was able to slap the FIGURE-FOUR LEGLOCK and get Mascaras to submit.

The Barrio Boys (w/ Paul Ellering) advanced in the tag-team tournament when they beat Triple Threat (w/ Tammy) by DQ in a bizarre match that wasn’t really a match. During introductions, Tammy worked to distract the ref while Justin Credible walloped Diamond Dallas Page with a chair. Tammy didn’t do her job well enough, however, as the ref turned in time to DQ Credible and award the victory to the Barrio Boys before the match had even begun!

World heavyweight champion Giant Baba and Stan Lane wrestled to a double DQ in a nontitle match in which no one was allowed at ringside. Early in the match, Lane attempted to nail Baba in the corner, but instead missed and flipped over the turnbuckle. Baba went to the outside, only to be met by Bobby Eaton and Greg Valentine running down to the ring. A brawl broke out as Rikidozan and Antonio Inoki joined the fray, followed by officials and Dan Severn, who separated the two groups. Valentine and Rikidozan were going at it hard before being separated.