BITHLO CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR THREE, CARD 13

Jefferson (Ohio) Fairgrounds

Danny Doring (w/ Konnan) d. Larry Sharpe using the DANACONDA. Afterward, he acted as if he had won a major belt.

Iron Sheik and Nikita Breznikov came out and started running down Justice For All and Don Leo Jonathan in particular. Breznikov said Iron Sheik could beat Jonathan anyplace, any time. That brought Jonathan out to answer the challenge.

Don Leo Jonathan d. the Iron Sheik (w/ Nikita Breznikov) by DQ when the Destroyer and the Terrible Turk came to ringside and beat down Jonathan. Greg Valentine eventually came out and ran them off, but not before the Destoyer made the pantomime sign of the belt to signify his upcoming match with Bobo Brazil for the world title.

Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki (w/ Sherri) d. the Money Boys when Bagwell succumbed to Inoki’s OCTOPUS HOLD. The rest of Money Inc. did not join the Money Boys at ringside. The Money Boys started a mid-match brawl to gain an advantage, but eventually lost ground to the more talented members of the Tokyo Three. So much for the Money Boys’ winning streak.

World heavyweight champion Bobo Brazil d. George South in a nontitle warmup match ahead of facing The Destroyer at Tag-o-Rama. The Destoyer, Nikita Breznikov and the Terrible Turk came out to watch the match, and afterward, The Destoyer made the sign of the belt once again and pointed at Brazil, but declined Brazil’s offer to get in the ring.

Money Inc. (w/ Killer Kowalski) d. the Crusher and Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant when the Crusher succumbed to the MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER. The key point in the match came when the Crusher went outside the ring to go after DiBiase, only to be nailed by Kowalski. Later, Virgil kept Valiant from interfering when DiBiase had his finisher on the Crusher.

Rikidozan (w/ Sherri, Antonio Inoki, Giant Baba) d. Steve Corino (w/ Konnan, Danny Doring) to retain the U.S. title in a great match. Both sides had pin attempts, and Corino gave as good as he got until Rikidozan got his HIPLOCK on Corino.

Commissioner Richcreek came to ringside after the match and applauded the efforts of both men in the U.S. title bout. Then he said that since Rikidozan did not yet have an opponent for Tag-o-Rama, he had decided that the winner of the upcoming grudge bout between Don Muraco and Antonino Rocca would get the title shot.

Don Muraco (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. Antonino Rocca when Rocca was DQ’d for attacking Heenan after Heenan had given him a cheap shot outside the ring that went unseen by the ref. The JFA was not at ringside for Rocca, as expected. Both sides got in pin attempts before the DQ occurred. Rocca left the ring afterward as the Braintrust came down to celebrate with Muraco on his upcoming U.S. title shot.

The Killer Bees remained BCW tag-team champs by defeating the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) when Jim Brunzell nailed Stan Lane with the KILLER DROPKICK. The key moment in the match was when Brunzell and B. Brian Blair pulled off the masked confusion maneuver, and Lane had no idea until Blair took control, which led the Blair’s tag and Brunzell’s pin. The Killer Bees will be the No. 1 seed at Tag-o-Rama, while the Midnight Express will be BCW’s second No. 1 seed.

BREAKING NEWS: The Faces of Fear secured the BWF’s No. 1 seed at Tag-o-Rama.

[The Creek Rises]

YEA R THREE, CARD 14

Tag-o-Rama PPV

Richfield (OH) Coliseum

BRACKET ONE:

The Killer Bees, the BCW tag-team champions, d. Steve Corino and Danny Doring when Jim Brunzell rolled up Corino after a cross-body block off the turnbuckle. Afterward, Konnan went to hit Brunzell with brass knuckles, but Brunzell ducked and Konnan belted Corino instead, injuring him.

Superstar Billy Graham and Jesse Ventura (BWF) d. the Braintrust (w/ Bobby Heenan) by DQ. The rough match saw fights break out in the ring twice, and the second time the Masked Superstar was DQ’d for entering the ring and attacking Graham as he was about to put his BEAR HUG on Ox Baker.

BRACKET TWO:

The Sheik and Sabu (Ind.) (w/ Abdullah Farouk) d. Money Inc. when the Sheik pinned Virgil following a FIREBALL. The Sheik repeatedly stabbed Virgil in the head (like he used to do in BCW), then used the fireball on the way to a pin. Afterward, Ted DiBiase nailed the Sheik with a DDT onto a chair, putting the Sheik out of the rest of the tournament. Will Sabu go it alone?

Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant and the Crusher d. the Vachons (Ind.) (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) by countout when Killer Kowalski interfered in the match, missing the Crusher and accidentally nailing Mad Dog Vachon while he was outside the ring. The ref did not see the attack. Mad Dog could not answer the ensuing 10-count.

Commissioner Richcreek came out to announce that the winner of the singles matches now and later in the card will be in a No. 1 contender’s match for the heavyweight title on the next card.

Yukon Eric d. Rick Rude (w/ Bobby Heenan) by DQ when Heenan was caught hitting Yukon Eric outside the ring with a cheap shot. Rude was unhappy with Heenan afterward, saying Heenan had been of little help to him, then proclaimed they were done and stormed off.

BRACKET THREE:

The Faces of Fear (BWF) d. the Money Boys when the Barbarian hit his KICK OF FEAR on Brutus Beefcake. The Money Boys held their own for a while until Meng and the Barbarian took over the match.

In an amazing match, Dusty Rhodes and Barry Windham (BWF) d. Road Warriors (Ind.) (w/ Paul Ellering) when Animal succumbed to a Dusty SLEEPER. The bout went back and forth for a long time with neither side gaining much of an edge until Rhodes pulled off the submission maneuver.

BRACKET FOUR:

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. the Hennigs (Ind.) when Bobby Eaton hit a spinning neckbreaker on Larry Hennig. The Midnight Express dominated much of the match (thanks in part to bouts of interference by Cornette), but it still took a while to put away the Hennigs.

Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki d. Scott Hall and Kevin Nash (BWF) when Giant Baba nailed Hall with a NECKBREAKER DROP after throwing Hall into the turnbuckle. The Japanese duo made relatively short work of the Outsiders.

Commissioner Richcreek came out once again and said that Justice For All had a chance to redeem itself after the shoddy showing it put forth lately as the commissioner’s enforcers of law and order (the apparent reason the tag team of Greg Valentine and Don Leo Jonathan was not selected for Tag-o-Rama).

The Iron Sheik and the Terrible Turk (w/ Nikita Breznikov) d. Don Leo Jonathan and Greg Valentine via DQ when Jonathan slammed the Iron Sheik’s head into the steel steps repeatedly before leaving the ring area in disgust. He and Valentine were out of sync for most of the match, especially Jonathan, who mistimed a bunch of his moves.

BRACKET ONE FINAL:

Superstar Billy Graham and Jesse Ventura (BWF) d. the Killer Bees in an amazing match to become the BCW tag-team champs and advance to the semifinals. The long bout saw the Killer Bees get numerous pin attempts on Graham, but they were unable to put him away. Finally, Graham took control (after a couple of key saves by Ventura) and got B. Brian Blair to succumb via his BEAR HUG.

BRACKET TWO FINAL:

In a stunning development, Sabu (Ind.) (w/ Abdullah Farouk) d. Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant and the Crusher when Valiant submitted to the CAMEL CLUTCH. Without the injured Sheik, Sabu battled by himself. The Crusher and Valiant had plenty of opportunities to pin Sabu, but couldn’t get it done. Finally, as Sabu had Valiant in the CAMEL CLUTCH, the Crusher went to make the save, but Killer Kowalski came to ringside and started brawling with him, causing his side to lose the match.

Killer Kowalski (w/ Virgil) d. George Hackenschmidt by DQ when the Crusher came out, decked Virgil and then attacked Kowalski while he and Hackenschmidt were outside the ring. Kowalski will face Yukon Eric in a No. 1 contender’s match for the world title.

BRACKET THREE FINAL:

The Faces of Fear (BWF) d. Dusty Rhodes and Barry Windham (BWF) when Meng hit the BACKDROP INTO A POWERBOMB on Barry Windham. Rhodes and Windham controlled much of the match, but couldn’t get Meng down before he rallied.

BRACKET FOUR FINAL:

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki (w/ Sherri) in one of the most amazing tag matches seen at a BCW event. There were pin attempts galore, managerial interference, pin saves and two sides desperately seeking a victory as the action went back-and-forth. Finally, the Midnight Express was able to nail Inoki with the ROCKET LAUNCHER and get the pin. Both sides were exhausted afterward.

Don Muraco (w/ Bobby Heenan) became the new U.S. heavyweight champion when he defeated Rikidozan in a bizarre match. Rikidozan threw Muraco into the turnbuckle, charged after him, missed and landed outside the ring. It was there that the Masked Superstar snuck in and gave him a piledriver on the floor while Heenan distracted the ref. He could not answer the 10-count, and the ref gave the match – and the belt – to Muraco. A bad run of events for the Toyko Three!

SEMIFINALS:

Superstar Billy Graham and Jesse Ventura (BWF), the BCW tag-team champions, reached the finals of Tag-o-Rama by defeating Sabu (Ind.) (w/ Abdullah Farouk) in another amazing match. Sabu had Ventura in the CAMEL CLUTCH and near submission before Graham broke it up. Sabu also twice failed to hit the TRIPLE JUMP MOONSAULT. Sabu escaped five pin attempts before Graham finally got him in his BEAR HUG.

In another worthy semifinal match, the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. the Faces of Fear (Ind.) when the Barbarian was pinned after a Flapjack by the Midnight Express. Thanks to Cornette’s key interference early on, the Midnight Express was able to gain momentum in the match and reach the finals.

The Destroyer (w/ Nikita Breznikov, the Terrible Turk) d. Bobo Brazil (w/ Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant) by DQ in a world heavyweight title match. Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant inadvertently nailed the Destroyer when both The Destroyer and Brazil were outside the ring. Valiant apparently thought the Terrible Turk was going to sneak up on Brazil, so he went after him, but the Terrible Turk ducked and Valiant slammed into The Destoyer, giving him the victory but keeping the belt with Brazil.

FINALS:

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. Superstar Billy Graham and Jesse Ventura (BWF), the BCW tag-team champions, by DQ to win Tag-o-Rama. The red-hot Midnight Express was all over Graham, racking up pin attempts and not allowing him to tag. He finally got to the outside of the ring, however, and Ventura nailed a pursuing Bobby Eaton with a chair. The Midnight Express win Tag-o-Rama, but BWF wrestlers hold the BCW tag-team belts!

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR THREE, CARD 15

Cleveland State Arena

CARD No. 15 – Cleveland State Arena

Commissioner Richcreek came out and said that BCW needed its tag-team title belts back. Therefore, he will make Jesse Ventura and Superstar Billy Graham defend them at every card leading up to the Invasion PPV, because if BCW does not have the belts back by then, it will be an automatic loss in that match at War Games. Therefore, the Midnight Express will have the first shot at Ventura and Graham, with Justice For All at ringside for both that match and the world heavyweight championship rematch. Richcreek said it
was the last chance for JFA to prove it could keep order.

He also admitted that there had been some confusion in BCW as to whether a countout in a title match meant the belt would change hands. Richcreek said that as of now, a countout will not mean a change of titleholders. He added that as soon as Rikidozan recovered from the attack at Tag-o-Rama, he would have a shot at Don Muraco and the U.S. title.

Finally, Richcreek noted that the first qualifying match would be on this card for Invasion and the War Games. The stakes: The match winner gets a coveted spot in War Games; the loser has to wrestler for his BCW career at Invasion.

Diamond Dallas Page returned from injury to d. Larry Sharpe by DQ. Page nailed Sharpe with the DIAMOND CUTTER, but as he went for the pin, the Hardcore Wolfpack ran to ringside and started beating on Page again. The JFA made it to ringside and broke things up, but DDP looked a little worse for wear.

Jimmy Snuka, in his return from injury, d Savage-T (w/ KJ Hill) using a backbreaker. Savage-T survived a SUPERFLY LEAP, but Snuka eventually wore him down for the victory. JFA was at ringside after what happened in the previous bout, but there was no attempted attack by Money Inc. on Snuka.

Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba d. Konnan and Danny Doring when Inoki nailed Konnan with an ENZUIGIRI. Doring got a dazed Konnan out of the ring quickly after the pin, since animosity existed between the two sides.

Rick Rude came out with Ida Mae Martinez, apparently following through with dumping Bobby Heenan. He d. George South via the RUDE AWAKENING, but had a bit of a difficult time putting South away, perhaps missing having other members of the Braintrust around. Afterward, he took the mike and said it was just a beginning. Ida Mae was “not bad on the eyes,” but more importantly, she was managing only one wrestler – Rude!

Yukon Eric d. Killer Kowalski by DQ in a No. 1 contender’s match for the world heavyweight title. The end to the evenly fought match came when Kowalski went to the outside of the ring. While JFA members Greg Valentine and Don Leo Jonathan worked to keep Yukon Eric from following, the Crusher came out of the crowd and nailed Kowalski with a BOLO PUNCH. Kowalski was unable to answer the 10-count. Money Inc. came to ringside and was furious with the JFA members afterward.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. Jesse Ventura and Superstar Billy Graham to regain the tag-team titles for BCW. Bobby Eaton nearly had Graham pinned earlier in the match, but Ventura snuck into the ring and attacked Eaton, who then almost succumbed to Graham’s BEAR HUG. Later, the Midnight Express was able to execute the VEG-O-MATIC on Ventura and get the pin while Cornette distracted Graham.

In a War Games qualifying match, George Hackenschmidt d. Iron Mike DiBiase (w/ Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant) via his BEAR HUG. DiBiase resisted for a while, but he couldn’t break free of the bear hug and finally submitted. DiBiase’s BCW career will be on the line at Invasion.

The Destoyer (w/ Nikita Breznikov) d. world heavyweight champion Bobo Brazil by DQ when Brazil rammed The Destoyer’s head into a post at ringside after The Destroyer slipped in a cheap shot on Brazil that went unseen by the ref. Other than that, the match was relatively even and clean, and the JFA did a good job of keeping order at ringside, especially when members of the Foreign Legion and the Boogie Woogie Boys came to ringside following the DQ.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR THREE, CARD 16

Leon County Civic Center (Tallahassee, Fla.)

Commissioner Richcreek came out and said that a lot of the wrestlers had requested matches to settle scores, so the card in Tallahassee would feature some of those matches. He said that Bobo Brazil and the Destroyer seemed unable to settle matters over the BCW heavyweight title, while Yukon Eric was waiting in the wings for his chance. Therefore, Richcreek announced a three-way dance for the title, with no managers or assistants allowed at ringside and Justice For All providing security. Nikita Breznikov, the manager of the Destroyer, came out to argue, but to no avail.

Jimmy Snuka d. Ox Baker (w/ Bobby Heenan, Masked Superstar) by DQ when both wrestlers ended up outside the ring and the Masked Superstar put his COBRA HOLD on Snuka. Justice For All came down and broke things up.

Stan Lane (w/ Jim Cornette, Bobby Eaton) d. George Hackenschmidt by DQ when Hackenschmidt attacked Cornette after he tried to attack Hack with his trusty tennis racket. Afterward, the Midnight Express put the boots to Hackenschmidt, injuring him. He was likely to return for the War Games, however.

Justice For All d. the Money Boys (w/ Virgil) when Greg Valentine nailed Buff Bagwell with a piledriver outside the ring. The long match saw good tag-team tactics by both sides, but when Don Leo Jonathan threw Bagwell outside the ring, Valentine took matters into his own hands. Virgil and Brutus Beefcake were distracted from helping Bagwell because they were attacking Jonathan in the ring, injuring him. The ref, knocked to the ground before the attacks began, missed the attacks but recovered enough to count out Bagwell, even though Jonathan was barely standing in the ring after the attack.

Iron Mike DiBiase came to ringside and called out his son, saying that he might lose his match at Invasion and be out of BCW, but before that, he wanted one more shot at Ted DiBiase.

Ted DiBiase (w/ Virgil) d. Iron Mike DiBiase (w/ Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant) via a figure-four leglock. The match went back and forth for quite a bit before the Million Dollar Man took control. Afterward, the Money Boys came to ringside and took out Valiant while Virgil helped Ted DiBiase seriously injure his dad. Finally, Greg Valentine came out to help clear the ring.

In a hardcore Texas Death Match that saw brawling inside and outside the ring, the Crusher d. Killer Kowalski after a fierce CRUSHER BOLO PUNCH. Kowalski had used a low blow earlier to take control, but the Crusher was able to throw him into the guardrail outside the ring, then toss him back inside and deliver the knockout punch.

Don Muraco (w/ Bobby Heenan) retained the U.S. heavyweight title by defeating Rikidozan via his Asiataic spike. Muraco tried to jump Rikidozan before the match officially began, but Rikidozan retaliated with his THUNDEROUS CHOPS, and if it hadn’t been for Heenan distracting the referee, he probably would have had the pin. Muraco later gained the advantage, and repeated Asiatic spikes wore down Rikidozan.

Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki (w/ Sheri) qualified for War Games at Invasion by d. Danny Doring and Konnan when Baba executed his NECKBREAKER DROP on Doring. Doring had controlled the first part of the match and caused problems for both Baba and Inoki before the Japanese stars gained momentum. The BCW careers of Konnan and Doring will be on the line at Invasion.

In an amazing three-way match (thanks to Dave Little for the rules), Bobo Brazil retained the world heavyweight title by pinning Yukon Eric following a COCO BUTT. Each of the wrestlers had at least three pin attempts against them, and the Destroyer just missed getting a three-count on Yukon Eric – and vice versa! Finally, Brazil got the pin, and the Destroyer was too weary to make the pin save. The Destroyer was angry afterward about the three-way dance format possibly costing him the title.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR THREE, CARD 17

Bithloplex

Danny Hodge lost his debut in BCW to Savage-T (w/ KJ Hill) when he was unhappy with Savage-T hitting him with a stray shot in the eyes and threw him into a pair of guardrails, prompting a DQ. He had Savage-T pinned earlier, only to have the ref be distracted by Hill. Afterward, Greg Valentine came to ringside, and Hodge left with him.

The Money Boys (w/ Virgil) d. S+S when Brutus Beefcake nailed Larry Sharpe with a studded armband smash. S+S, still looking for revenge for their loss to the Money Boys at Card 12, gave them all they could handle in the long match. Even Virgil looked disgusted by the Money Boys’ inability to put S+S away.

Rikidozan (w/ Sherri) d. Rick Rude (w/ Ida Mae) using his HIPLOCK. Rude seemed distracted by former manager Bobby Heenan, who came to ringside and watched the match, but did not interfere.

Yukon Eric d. Playboy Buddy Rose using his bear hug. The match was a long one, as Rose acquitted himself well against a wrestler who had fought for the BCW heavyweight title only one card ago.

The Destroyer was on Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat.” He was bitter that his one-on-one with BCW heavyweight champion Bobo Brazil was derailed by an “outsider” in Yukon Eric, and that Yukon Eric was the one to get pinned, not the Destroyer, who claimed he would have beaten Brazil. Yukon Eric showed up and challenged the Destroyer to a qualifying match for Invasion, with the loser putting his career on the line against an unnamed opponent at the PPV event. The Destroyer accepted the challenge, and Commissioner Richcreek appeared long enough to agree to make the match for the last card before the Invasion PPV.

Greg Valentine (w/ Danny Hodge) d. the Masked Superstar (w/ Ox Baker, Bobby Heenan) using a wicked piledriver that left the Masked Superstar seriously injured. Afterward, Valentine smirked at a stunned Heenan and said, “This is how we are going to police BCW!”

Down comes the cage!

Diamond Dallas Page d. Danny Doring in a revenge match in the cage. DDP controlled the action, and after he pinned Doring, he still gave him a DIAMOND CUTTER, injuring Doring. Two of the three members of the Hardcore Wolfpack have been sidelined by injury.

The Terrible Turk (w./ Nikita Breznikov) d. Jimmy Snuka by DQ to snare a spot in the War Games PPV. The great battle saw the Terrible Turk get the advantage with the use of his neck wrencher to hurt Snuka, only to have Snuka rally and nail the Terrible Turk with a SUPERFLY LEAP, just missing the three-count. Snuka tried again but missed. Eventually, the fight went outside the ring. Snuka lost his cool and nailed the Terrible Turk with a chair (and a few other objects after being DQ’d). Snuka, a BCW original, will see his career on the line at Invasion.

Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba (w/ Sherri) won the BCW tag-team titles from the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) when Inoki pinned Bobby Eaton following an atomic drop. The wild, quick match saw the Midnight Express attack Inoki and Baba outside the ring during introductions, only to have Inoki throw Eaton inside the ring, then pin him after the ref signaled the start of the match. Cornette, distracted due to an attack by Sherri, was stunned afterward.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR THREE, CARD 18

Eddie Graham Sports Stadium

Larry Zbyszko made his BCW debut by d. Larry Sharpe via DQ. Zbyskzo gave Sharpe a cheap shot, then Sharpe was DQ’d when he retaliated and the ref saw the second hit.

Rick Rude came to ringside with Ida Mae and called out the Braintrust. “Enough of wrestling other stiffs. I broke from you so I could win a title belt, so give me Muraco.” Bobby Heenan and U.S. champ Don Muraco came out, smiled and agreed to the match for later in the card.

The Destroyer (w/ Nikita Breznikov) d. George South after using his sensational suplex to set up the pin. The Destroyer controlled the match and worked on numerous moves before pinning South.

The Iron Sheik and the Terrible Turk (w/ Nikita Breznikov, Destroyer) d. the Killer Bees when the Iron Sheik got Jim Brunzell to submit to his CAMEL CLUTCH. The Iron Sheik dominated the match and seemed determined to put the Killer Bees out of BCW like he helped do two years ago.

Jimmy Snuka came out and said that he might be gone from BCW soon, so before he left, he wanted one more shot at rival Ted DiBiase. DiBiase came out and shook his head “no.” The crowd booed, and Snuka called him a “chicken.” An angry DiBiase then agreed to the match.

Jimmy Snuka d. Ted DiBiase (w/ Virgil) after nailing him with a massive SUPERFLY LEAP. The match went back and forth for a while until Snuka took control. Afterward, Virgil tried to land a cheap shot on Snuka, but Snuka slid out of the ring before Virgil could connect.

Bill Apter interviewed Giant Baba, Antonio Inoki and Sherri on the “Hot Seat.” The Japanese stars complained that they still got not respect in BCW, even after winning the tag titles. They noted how Rikidozan was “cheated” out of the U.S. title, and that the Midnight Express constantly broke the rules and never seemed to get punished.. Sherri said that BCW didn’t deserve their efforts at the Invasion PPV, but that wrestling Meng and the Barbarian would be worth it to Baba and Inoki.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) wrestled the Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant and the Crusher to a double DQ when a brawl broke out between the Crusher and Bobby Eaton and all four men ended up in the ring. Officials had to restore order, as Justice for All was nowhere to be seen.

Ox Baker (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. Greg Valentine (w/ Danny Hodge) using his HEART PUNCH after Valentine missed a kneedrop from the turnbuckle. After he got the three-count, Baker looked to give Valentine a career-ending HEART PUNCH while he was down, but Hodge attacked Baker, and while they were battling, Valentine recovered and gave Baker a sick-looking neckbreaker, seriously injuring Baker. Heenan fled from the ring, having seen another member of the Braintrust eliminated by JFA.

The Money Boys were announced as the first tag team to appear in the card's qualifying tag bout for Invasion – a possible big break given their lousy year to date. Next to be announced was Antonino Rocca – but who would be his partner? The fans then cheered when Jim Londos made his return from injury to join Rocca.

The Money Boys, in an upset, qualified for War Games when they d. Antonino Rocca and Jim Londos by countout. The end came when Buff Bagwell threw Londos outside the ring and Don Muraco of the Braintrust, who had injured Londos at Card 12, gave him a piledriver on the floor outside the ring while the ref was distracted by Bagwell.

Don Muraco (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. Rick Rude (w/ Ida Mae) in a great, wild match to retain the U.S. heavyweight title. Before the match, Muraco was slammed into the ringside steps by Antonino Rocca in retaliation for what Muraco had done to Londos earlier. Rude took advantage of that early and even used the RUDE AWAKENING, but Heenan distracted the ref and Rude did not get the pin. Later, Muraco gained control and used a suplex to get Rude into a pinning position. Rude tried to get up, but, unseen by the ref, Larry Zbyszko, who had come to ringside earlier in the match, held Rude’s foot so Muraco could get the pin. Afterward, Zbyszko, Muraco and Heenan celebrated and taunted ex-Heenan family member Rude.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR THREE, CARD 19

UCF Arena

S.D. Jones made his debut in BCW by d. George South in a long match. South missed a knee drop from the turnbuckle, and Jones rolled him up for the pin in what was mostly a lackluster performance for him.

Rick Rude (w/ Ida Mae) versus Brutus Beefcake (w/ Buff Bagwell) ended in a double DQ when both men got involved in a brawl outside the ring. Rude was angry about a cheap shot Beefcake gave him with his studded armband before the bell rang.

In a great tag rematch, the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. the Crusher and Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant when Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane executed the VEG-O-MATIC on the Crusher after numerous pin attempts had failed and Cornette’s interference with his tennis racket became necessary. Before the end, the match was pretty even, and Lane escaped a pin following a Crusher BOLO PUNCH only after Eaton distracted Crusher and the ref.

Larry Zbyszko came to ringside, grabbed a mike and announced that from what he had seen on tape, none of the combatants in the three-way dance for the world heavyweight title on Card No. 16 was any good. The Destroyer came out and said he would make Zbyszko eat those words.

The Destroyer (w/ Nikita Breznikov) d. Larry Zbyszko using his single leg Boston crab to make Zbyszko tap out at the end of a good match. Afterward, U.S. champion Don Muraco snuck into the ring and gave the Destroyer his Asiatic spike, injuring him before the other members of the Foreign Legion could get to the ring. The injury put into question who will face Yukon Eric at the next card for a spot in the War Games.

Diamond Dallas Page came to ringside and announced that he wanted to give Konnan a gift before Konnan lost at Invasion – a special diamond. Konnan came out and said he should have injured DDP permanently the first time, but he’ll finish the job tonight!

Diamond Dallas Page d. Konnan via the DIAMOND CUTTER. Great match with a lot of back-and-forth intensity between the former tag partners. DDP hit a sort-of DIAMOND CUTTER early, but Konnan kicked out of the pin attempt because Page hadn’t gotten all of him. Later, Konnan went for a power bomb, but Page twisted around and nailed him with the DIAMOND CUTTER, getting the pin. Afterward, DDP symbolically dusted his hands off. With Danny Doring and Steve Corino sidelined by injuries, Konnan had no one to help him.

Greg Valentine (w/ Danny Hodge) d. the Terrible Turk (w/ Nikita Breznikov) when Valentine nailed him with a huge clothesline right after Hodge, unseen by the ref, hit the Terrible Turk in the back of the head with brass knuckles. Afterward, the pair teamed up to give a piledriver to the Terrible Turk, injuring him as Breznikov watched on in horror. Justice For All continued to take cleaning up the BCW seriously.

The Iron Sheik (w/ Nikita Breznikov) d. Ted DiBiase (w/ Virgil) to reach the War Games at Invasion. The match was both inside and outside the ring, with much brutality and interference by both Breznikov and Virgil. Virgil’s cheap shot looked to give DiBiase the momentum needed to finish the Iron Sheik, but he was able to turn the tables on a jump off the ropes by DiBiase and finished off the “Million Dollar Man” with a CAMEL CLUTCH. Now the person who held the BCW heavyweight title the longest in federation history will be fighting for his BCW career at Invasion.

BCW heavyweight champion Bobo Brazil (w/ Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant, the Crusher) d. Killer Kowalski (w/ Virgil) in a nontitle match when he caught Kowalski with a big hammer punch coming off the ropes. Brazil controlled much of the match, as Kowalski seemed distracted by the presence of the Crusher, even though the two never tangled during the match.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR THREE, CARD 20

Vero Beach -- Dodgertown

The final two spots in War Games will be decided on this card.

Steve Corino, returning from injury, d. Larry Sharpe by DQ when Sharpe rammed Corino’s head into a post at ringside. Corino controlled the majority of the match, but looked to be working off some ring rust, showing his repertoire of moves but only occasionally going for a pin. Sharpe then took advantage, got Corino outside the ring and then was DQ’d. Afterward, Konnan came out and ran off Sharpe. Konnan took the mike and asked Corino it he would tag with him at Invasion, putting his career on the line. Corino looked unhappy, then said … yes!

Antonino Rocca (w/ Jim Londos) d. George South using his ARGENTINIAN BACKBREAKER. Rocca looked sharp in his warmup match for Invasion. Justice For All did not join Londos at ringside – is he still a member of the “new” JFA?

Rick Rude (w/ Ida Mae) d. Brutus Beefcake (w/ Buff Bagwell) using the RUDE AWAKENING. The match was in and out of the ring, but once Rude got Bagwell back inside, he finished him quickly. Afterward, Rude said the outcome just proved he “should have had a match at War Games.”

Rikidozan (w/ Sherri) d. U.S. heavyweight champion Don Muraco (w/ Bobby Heenan, Larry Zbyszko) by DQ in a nontitle match. Rikidozan had the advantage and was looking for a pin when Zbyszko entered the ring and nailed Rikidozan with a piledriver. Sherri’s screams brought Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki to the ring to run off the members of the Heenan family.

In a great, physical match, Diamond Dallas Page d. Yukon Eric using a DIAMOND CUTTER to take the injured Terrible Turk’s place in War Games. The match saw both men get pin attempts, and Page caught Yukon Eric with a DIAMOND CUTTER earlier in the match, but couldn’t get the pin. The two men shook hands after Yukon Eric recovered.

BCW tag-team champions Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba (w/ Sherri) d. Money Inc. (w/ Killer Kowalski) by DQ when Kowalski distracted Giant Baba outside the ring while DiBiase and Virgil teamed up to give Inoki a sick piledriver, seriously injuring him. BCW keeps losing War Games members right before the Invasion PPV.

In a qualifying match for War Games, Playboy Buddy Rose d. the Crusher (w/ Jimmy Valiant) by DQ when the Crusher got into a brawl with Killer Kowalski outside the ring that ended up outside the arena, with Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant trying to break them up. Amazingly, Rose, having an awful year in the ring, qualified for War Games with the win, while the Crusher could be gone after Invasion!

Before the final match, and given the events of earlier in the evening, Commissioner Richcreek called out the members of Justice For All (Greg Valentine, Danny Hodge, Jim Londos) and asked if they would work security in the main event. In response, Greg Valentine pushed down the commissioner and said they would work when they wanted, where they wanted. Londos left in disgust.

World heavyweight champion Bobo Brazil d. the Iron Sheik (w/ Nikita Breznikov) in a nontitle match. The end came when the Iron Sheik hit the turnbuckle while trying to nail Brazil at the end of a physical match. Brazil rolled him up for the pin, then the ballpark lights went out. A gong sounded, then a spotlight fell on the Undertaker, Brazil’s BWF opponent at War Games. The Undertaker stared at Brazil, then turned and left.

[The Creek Rises]

YEA R THREE, CARD 21

Invasion PPV – Miami Arena

The card began with fan favorite Hacksaw Jim Duggan making his return to BCW, getting an automatic pass in due to the injury to Iron Mike DiBiase. As the fans cheered, Duggan was welcomed by Commissioner Richcreek, and the two left together.

The Hennings joined BCW by d. Steve Corino and Konnan when Curt Henning pinned Corino after a rolling neck snap. Afterward, Corino took the mike and laughed at Konnan, explaining that he had nothing to lose in filling in for Danny Doring, since it was Konnan and the injured Doring who are now gone from BCW, not Corino. Konnan then chased him up the arena stairs.

Jimmy Snuka d. the Missing Link by DQ to remain in BCW. Snuka controlled the first part of the short match and even hit a SUPERFLY LEAP, but couldn’t get the pin. Later, the two ended up outside the ring, and the Missing Link slammed Snuka into a pole to get the DQ, then ran off while pulling his hair. Fans cheered the fact Snuka was staying.

The Vachons (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) joined BCW by upsetting Jim Londos and Antonino Rocca via DQ. The end came when Greg Valentine snuck in through the crown and leveled a cheap shot on former JFA member Londos, who, having not seen the instigator of the cheap shot, used a chair to retaliate against Mad Dog Vachon instead. The fans were shocked, but gave a nice ovation to Londos and Rocca afterward.

In the biggest stunner yet, Cousin Luke d. Ted DiBiase (w/ Virgil) when DiBiase could not answer the 10-count after Cousin Luke piledrove him outside the ring. Virgil did nothing to help DiBiase – he just walked away! The reign of the Million Dollar Man, who began the year as the heavyweight champion of BCW, ended, and Money Inc. appeared to be bankrupt.

Sabu d. the Crusher to rejoin BCW. The Crusher could not keep up with Sabu’s speed, and the finish came when Sabu nailed a slingshot legdrop. Killer Kowalski was seen laughing afterward as Sabu shook the Crusher’s hand and the Crusher got a nice sendoff from fans. Kowalski stopped laughing when Sabu pointed at him.

Let the War Games begin – BCW vs. the BWF!

Falls Count Anywhere Match (two points): A.J. Styles d. Diamond Dallas Page. The two fought outside and inside the ring for a quite a while, but DDP was never able to lock on the DIAMOND CUTTER. Finally, Styles slammed DDP’s head into the announcing table, drug him back into the ring and finished him with the STYLES CLASH.

BWF leads, 2-0.

Chain Match (two points): George Hackenschmidt returned from injury to win against Wahoo McDaniel. Hack looked strong and finished the match by tying McDaniel to the turnbuckle post with the chain, punching him, then releasing him and giving him the RUSSIAN BEAR HUG before dropping and pinning him.

War Games is tied, 2-2.

Last Man Standing Match (three points): Barry Windham d. the Iron Sheik in a great match, using a couple of SUPERPLEXES to finish him off. The Iron Sheik had gotten in a number of shots on Windham with his loaded boot and nearly pinned him. However, a scrum outside the ring between the two gave Windham the advantage, and he was able to make it pay.

BWF leads, 5-2.

Coffin match (three points): Playboy Buddy Rose pulled off a stunner, d. Bam Bam Bigelow. Rose dominated the first part of the match, hitting several BOMBS AWAY knee drops and weakening Bigelow. He was aided by Diamond Dallas Page, who showed up out of nowhere and nailed Bigelow with a cheap shot before being escorted to the back. Bigelow eventually rallied, but couldn’t get the coffin door shut on Rose. Finally, Rose regained momentum, hit a BOMBS AWAY knee drop outside the ring, got Bigelow into the casket and shut it for the victory.

War games is tied, 5-5.

Tag elimination match (four points): Randy Savage/Hollywood Hogan/Rick Steamboat/Lex Luger d. the Midnight Express and the Money Boys. The BWF brought out some top guns for the match. Steamboat started by going through all four BCW wrestlers tapping out and back in. Buff Bagwell was the first to be eliminated, by Randy Savage. Bobby Eaton was DQ’d while facing Hogan when Jim Cornette whacked Hogan with his tennis racket. Hogan was eliminated by Stan Lane after being nailed with a cheap shot by Dennis Condrey at ringside. Steamboat then fought off numerous pin attempts to make the tag to Luger. Later, Savage was eliminated by Brutus Beefcake and Lane, who utilized a modified ROCKET LAUNCHER. Beefcake was eliminated by Luger via the HUMAN TORTURE RACK. Luger used the same maneuver to take out Lane.

BWF leads, 9-5.

Ladder match (five points): U.S. heavyweight champion Don Muraco d. Intercontinental champion Scott Steiner. Steiner dominated the early part of the match and even got Muraco in the STEINER RECLINER, but couldn’t get him to submit. Later, both men climbed the ladder a few times each, only to have it tip. Finally, after more back-and-forth action, Muraco nailed Steiner with his Asiatic spike and then tossed him out of the ring. He then climbed the ladder to grab the ceremonial belt suspended overhead while Steiner writhed in pain on the outside.

BCW leads, 10-9.

Lumberjack match (six points): BCW tag-team champs Giant Baba and Rikidozan (taking the place of Antonio Inoki) d. the BWF tag-team champs The Faces of Fear in a wild match in which both sides got pummeled outside the ring during the match. It looked like Meng and the Barbarian had things under control at one point, but a huge in-ring scrum brought the lumberjacks into the ring as well, and while they were in there, self-designated BWF assassin Diamond Dallas Page gave Meng a DIAMOND CUTTER. Once the ring was cleared by officials, Giant Baba used a NECKBREAKER DROP on Meng to win the match.

BCW leads, 16-9, and clinched at least a tie in War Games.

Cage match (seven points): BWF heavyweight champ the Undertaker d. BCW heavyweight champ Bobo Brazil. Each man had five pin attempts, and the match was back and forth for quite a while. The Undertaker controlled the match early, but Brazil got the advantage and nailed the Undertaker with a series of hammer punches and COCO BUTTS, but could not get the pin (the Undertaker even did the “dead man sits up” maneuver at one point). Finally, the Undertaker regained control and nailed Brazil with a leg drop and choke slam. He set up Brazil for the TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER, but then simply threw an exhausted Brazil down and, in an apparent gesture of respect, climbed out of the cage instead of administering more punishment in the long, bloody match.

War Games ends in a tie, 16-16.

Afterward, Bobby Heenan, Don Muraco and Larry Zbyszko got into the cage, relocked the door and put the boots to Brazil, with Muraco giving Brazil an Asiatic spike. The Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant and apparent new recruit Cousin Luke came to ringside and were finally able to get into the cage and chase out the members of the Heenan Family. Muraco made his intentions clear by making the sign of a belt around his waist.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR THREE, CARD 22

Bithloplex

An angry BCW heavyweight champion Bobo Brazil came out and said he wanted revenge on U.S. champion Don Muraco and company for what they did to him at the end of the PPV. Commissioner Richcreek OK’d a tag match for the end of the card, with Brazil and Boogie Woogie Man Johnny Valentine facing Muraco and Larry Zbyszko.

George South d. Don Leo Jonathan, returning from injury, by DQ when Greg Valentine and Danny Hodge came to ringside to put the boots to South while both South and Jonathan were outside the ring. They celebrated afterward, then Valentine took the mike and announced that the “JFA was now the JFU – Justice for Us!” and that they were targeting anyone and everyone in the BCW.

Playboy Buddy Rose, fresh off his victory in War Games, d. Brutus Beefcake (w/ Buff Bagwell) using his BOMBS AWAY knee drop. Rose dominated much of the match before Beefcake took over. However, Rose turned things back around while both were outside the ring, got Beefcake back into the ring and got the pin. Afterward, Bagwell and Beefcake attacked Rose until Hacksaw Jim Duggan came to ringside and ran them off.

Curt Hennig (w/ Larry Hennig) d. S.D. Jones in a long match by using the HENNIG PLEX. During the match, Virgil came to ringside to root Jones on. Hennig had a difficult time putting Jones away.

The Vachons (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) d. Greg Valentine and Danny Hodge (w/ Don Leo Jonathan) when the Vachons attacked before the bell, with Mad Dog Vachon nailing Valentine with a chair. While Don Leo Jonathan chased Albano, and Butcher Vachon and Hodge tangled, Mad Dog gave Valentine his PILEDRIVER and got the pin. The Vachons got out of the ring quickly after the pin, while the JFU members were upset at someone taking it out on them for a change.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured the Midnight Express and Jim Cornette. Cornette officially introduced Dennis Condrey and said that the Midnight Express was now a three-man team, and opponents will never know which two they will be facing on a given night. Cornette said the new method would soon produce another tag title run, and he promised more surprises around the bend.

Diamond Dallas Page d. Steve Corino after a successful DIAMOND CUTTER. They were back-and-forth early, then Page caught him out of nowhere to complete his run against the former Wolfpack.

Giant Baba and Rikidozan (w/ Sherri) d. the Killer Bees by countout to retain the BCW tag-team titles. The Killer Bees had the momentum early, but Rikidozan gained control when he and Jim Brunzell were outside the ring and Sherri distracted Brunzell. Later, Giant Baba threw Brunzell out of the ring, and Sherri attacked him. He threw her off, but then absorbed a vicious clothesline by Rikidozan and could not answer the 10-count.

The Iron Sheik (w/ Nikita Breznikov) d. Jimmy Snuka using a Boston Crab maneuver at the end of a long bout in which both sides had pin attempts. Afterward, as the Iron Sheik celebrated, Justice For Us came down and put the boots to him, injuring him. Breznikov, in fear, ran from ringside and out of the building. All three members of the Foreign Legion were injured, and Breznikov apparently will not be staying around to see them come back.

World heavyweight champion Bobo Brazil and Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant (w/ Cousin Luke) d. U.S. heavyweight champion Don Muraco and Larry Zbyszko (w/ Bobby Heenan) when Muraco submitted to a Brazil bearhug. Muraco attacked Brazil before the introductions by Gary Michael Cappetta were complete, but what he got in return was a house afire that not even interference from Zbyszko and Heenan could stop. Valiant never tagged in, but eventually he took out Zbyszko on the side, and Brazil finished Muraco in the ring.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR THREE, CARD 23

Eddie Graham Sports Stadium

Commissioner Richcreek came out and reminded the wrestlers (and fans) that the next card would be the Tampa Tournament, a one-night, 32-man tournament to decide a challenger for the world heavyweight championship at Card 26. Jimmy Snuka then came to ringside, took a mike and laughed about how bad Don Muraco looked in his match against Bobo Brazil at the last card. Snuka challenged him to a match, and an angry Muraco came out and accepted. Richcreek then announced that JFU member Danny Hodge had challenged world heavyweight champion Bobo Brazil to a nontitle match, and Brazil accepted for later that evening.

Don Leo Jonathan d. Larry Sharpe using the MORMON DROP. Sharpe attacked Jonathan before the bell, but he recovered and finished Sharpe off quickly. Afterward, the former BCW world heavyweight champion made the sign of a belt around his waist.

Curt Hennig (w/ Larry Hennig) d. Brutus Beefcake (w/ Buff Bagwell) using the HENNIG PLEX. As tension continued to rise ahead of the Tampa Tournament, Beefcake clocked Hennig before the bell and controlled much of the match before Hennig was able to take advantage after a botched Beefcake dive from the turnbuckle.

The Midnight Express (w/ Stan Lane, Jim Cornette) d. the Vachons (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) when Loverboy Dennis Condrey pinned Mad Dog Vachon after his FACE FIRST LEG SWEEP. Condrey looked good in his first appearance in the Midnight Express’ three-man lineup. The Vachons were wary of Lane at ringside throughout the match, and Cornette had his usual interference.

Jimmy Snuka d. U.S. heavyweight champion Don Muraco (w/ Bobby Heenan, Larry Zbyszko) by countout in a nontitle match. Snuka got the advantage and nailed Muraco with a huge SUPERFLY LEAP, but Heenan distracted the ref from making the count, and when Snuka went to complain, a shaken Muraco rolled out to ringside. Snuka then hit Muraco and Heenan with a SUPERFLY LEAP outside the ring. While Snuka crawled back into the ring, Zbyszko tried to revive Muraco, to no avail. Muraco was embarrassed twice in two cards!

Greg Valentine (w/ Don Leo Jonathan) d. Hacksaw Jim Duggan via DQ. Duggan controlled the early part of the match and even nailed Valentine with a FLYING SPEAR, but Jonathan distracted the ref from making the count. Eventually, the two wrestlers ended up outside the ring, where Duggan took his 2-by-4 and nailed Valentine with it, injuring him. Eventually, security got control of the situation, but the JFU once again paid some of the bill they owed for their recent actions.

World tag-team champions Giant Baba and Rikidozan (w/ Sherri) d. Cousin Luke and Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant in a nontitle match when Baba caught Cousin Luke in a bear hug. The two sides spent as much time outside the ring as they did inside it, with some hard blows being exchanged.

Killer Kowalski d. Sabu via a shoulder breaker. Kowalski controlled most of the match and did not let Sabu use his speed to his advantage. Afterward, Kowalski put the boots to Sabu, likely in reaction to Sabu’s pointing at him at the Invasion PPV.

BCW world heavyweight champion Bobo Brazil d. Danny Hodge in a nontitle match when he hit Hodge and not only knocked him out of the ring, but knocked him out, period! Don Leo Jonathan ran to the ring after Hodge was counted out, but he decided not to get into the ring with the champ.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR THREE, CARD 24

Tampa Armory (The Tampa Tournament)

World heavyweight champion Bobo Brazil came out and took a seat at ringside to watch the 32-man tournament and scout his potential future opponent.

ROUND OF 32:

Steve Corino d. Jim Brunzell using his OLD SCHOOL EXPULSION neckbreaker. Brunzell controlled the first part of the match, then missed a flying leap off the turnbuckle, giving Corino the opportunity to use his finisher.

Diamond Dallas Page d. Danny Hodge using the DIAMOND CUTTER after Hodge nailed Page with a stunning dropkick and was going in for the kill.

Giant Baba (w/ Sherri) d. Butcher Vachon (w/ Capt. Lou Albano), getting the pin after a boot to the face.

Larry Zbyszko (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. Rick Rude (w/ Ida Mae) using his PILEDRIVER finisher. The brutal match between a current and former Heenan Family member went back and forth, with Zbyszko, who was almost DQ’d earlier, finally getting the advantage and finishing Rude. He then continued to administer punishment after the pin, injuring Rude in the process.

Dennis Condrey (w/ Jim Cornette) d. Killer Kowalski by DQ when Condrey lured him outside the ring, Cornette got in an unseen cheap shot, and Kowalski retaliated by ramming Condrey’s head into a post.

Curt Hennig d. Stan Lane (w/ Jim Cornette) when he nailed Lane with a standing dropkick and got the quick pin before Cornette could interfere. Lane had controlled the match until the surprise ending.

The Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant upset former world heavyweight champion Don Leo Jonathan after nailing him with a running elbow smash. It was a typical DLJ match in that he controlled most of the match and pummeled his opponent, but couldn’t close the deal.

In a great matchup, Yukon Eric d. Sabu via an atomic drop and a pin. Sabu’s aerial assault gave Yukon Eric fits, as both wrestlers were in and out of the ring during the entertaining match.

Bobby Eaton (w/ Jim Cornette) d. Virgil thanks to the timely use of Cornette’s trusty tennis racket, which went unseen by the ref.

Mad Dog Vachon (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) d. Hacksaw Jim Duggan by DQ when Duggan rammed Vachon’s head into the ring post outside the ring. Before that, the two engaged in a pretty rough brawl in the ring, with Vachon holding a slight advantage.

Rikidozan (w/ Sherri) d. a surprisingly game Savage-T (w/ KJ Hill) using his THUNDEROUS CHOPS. Savage-T controlled the first part of the match and frustrated Rikidozan. They split some back-and-forth exchanges until Rikidozan finally gained control and wore him down.

Buff Bagwell stunned U.S. heavyweight champion Don Muraco (w/ Bobby Heenan) with a sunset flip and cover for the pin. Muraco came out of the gate hard and pummeled Bagwell, but didn’t put him away and paid for it. Muraco was furious afterward at blowing another shot at facing world heavyweight champion Bobo Brazil.

B. Brian Blair surprised Larry Hennig with his SLEEPER to get the victory after Hennig had the advantage early.

George Hackenschmidt d. Playboy Buddy Rose in an amazingly long match using his RUSSIAN BEARHUG. Rose, still rolling after his strong performance at War Games, gave Hack all he could handle, including three pin attempts, before finally succumbing.

Brutus Beefcake d. Cousin Luke using his FLYING KNEE SMASH.

Jimmy Snuka d. S.D. Jones using a SUPERFLY LEAP in a quick match.

Coming soon -- results of the Sweet 16 matches:
Corino vs. Page
Baba vs. Zbyszko
Condrey vs. C. Hennig
Jimmy Valiant vs. Yukon Eric
Eaton vs. Mad Dog Vachon
Rikidozan vs. Bagwell
Blair vs. Hackenschmidt
Beefcake vs. Snuka

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR THREE, CARD 24 (continued) ...

SWEET 16:

Steve Corino d. Diamond Dallas Page using his OLD SCHOOL EXPULSION. Page controlled nearly the entire match, but couldn’t put Corino away, even though he caught Corino with a partial DIAMOND CUTTER. Finally, Corino got outside the ring, nailed Page with a foreign object (unseen by the ref), then got him back in the ring for his finisher. Afterward, he hit Page a few times with a chair from ringside, injuring his longtime adversary.

Giant Baba (w/ Sherri) d. Larry Zbyszko (w/ Bobby Heenan) by DQ when the “Living Legend” outsmarted himself. He dominated nearly all the offense in the match and was systematically wearing Baba down when he decided to throw Baba outside the ring. He thought Heenan had the ref distracted, so he picked up a chair and nailed Baba. However, Sherri pointed it out to the ref in time, and an angry Zbyszko was DQ’d. Baba seemed a bit unhappy that Sherri hadn’t gotten the ref’s attention before the chair shot.

Curt Hennig d. Dennis Condrey (w/ Jim Cornette) using the Axe. Hennig lost momentum in the middle part of the match, but rallied after surviving three pin attempts to finish off Condrey.

Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant d. Yukon Eric via his SLEEPER. Valiant dominated the match with Yukon Eric, who appeared to be worn down from his earlier battle with Sabu. Although he rallied a bit late in the match, Valiant finally caught him with his SLEEPER a second time, and that did the trick.

Mad Dog Vachon (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) d. Bobby Eaton (w/ Jim Cornette) via a painful shoulder breaker. Eaton, thanks to help from Cornette, had control of the match, but Vachon took over and endlessly pounded Eaton, leading to the pin.

Rikidozan (w/ Sherri) d. Buff Bagwell using his HIPLOCK.

B. Brian Blair d. George Hackenschmidt after catching him with a cross body block off the ropes. The big momentum swing in the match came when Blair caught Hackenschmidt with a sunset flip, then slapped on a sleeper after the pin attempt. Hackenschmidt was a step behind for the rest of the bout, although he fought off several pin attempts before finally falling.

Jimmy Snuka d. Brutus Beefcake by DQ when Beefcake nailed him with a foreign object outside the ring.

Coming soon -- results of the Elite Eight matches:

Corino vs. Baba
C. Hennig vs. Jimmy Valiant
Mad Dog Vachon vs. Rikidozan
Blair vs. Snuka

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR THREE, CARD 24 (continued)

ELITE EIGHT:

Giant Baba (w/ Sherri) d. Steve Corino when Baba caught him with his NECKBREAKER DROP.

Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant d. Curt Hennig by DQ when the two were outside the ring and Larry Hennig came out of nowhere to clothesline Valiant. Both Hennigs then put the boots to Valiant until officials could break things up.

Rikidozan (w/ Sherri) d. Mad Dog Vachon (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) using a series of chops to whittle down his opponent. A member of the Tokyo Three took out each of the Vachons in the tournament.

Jimmy Snuka d. B. Brian Blair in a matchup of former tag partners who won a championship together. Snuka used a leap frog and chop to get the pin. The two shook hands afterward.

All four finalists have held a singles belt in BCW.

Coming soon -- the result of the Final Four matches:

Giant Baba vs. Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant
Rikidozan vs. Jimmy Snuka

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR THREE, CARD 24 (continued)

FINAL FOUR:

Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant d. Giant Baba (w/ Sherri) by DQ when Sherri was caught choking Valiant while he was outside the ring. Before that, the match was surprisingly equal, with Valiant holding his own against the former BCW world heavyweight champ. Sherri apparently thought the ref was distracted by Baba, but instead he caught her actions in time.

Jimmy Snuka d. Rikidozan (w/ Sherri) by DQ when the ref caught Rikidozan using an illegal object against Snuka outside the ring. Earlier, Sherri successfully distracted the ref, allowing Rikidozan to attack Snuka outside the ring. (Rikidozan began the match by attacking Snuka before the bell even rang.) Later, Rikidozan and Sherri got their wires crossed – she apparently thought he was going to throw Snuka back into the ring, while he thought she was going to distract the ref. Giant Baba came to ringside after the match, and the BCW tag champions pointed at Sherri and then chased her out of the building!!

FINALS:

Jimmy Snuka nailed a SUPERFLY LEAP to pin Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant and win the Tampa Tournament. Snuka got an early advantage put Valiant away, despite still feeling the effects of Rikidozan’s attack. Snuka will get a shot at Bobo Brazil’s world heavyweight title at Card 26.

[The Creek Rises]

CARD No. 25 – Bithloplex

The Destroyer (w/ the Terrible Turk), in his return from injury, d. Savage-T (w/ KJ Hill) by countout. Savage-T dominated the early part of the match, which seemed only to irritate the Destroyer. Eventually, the Destroyer took control, pummeled Savage-T and, after a pin attempt in which he was distracted by KJ Hill, threw Savage-T outside the ring. While the Destroyer argued with the ref, the Terrible Turk gave Savage-T a piledriver outside the ring, finishing him. Afterward, the Destroyer took the mike and said that he was still hunting Bobo Brazil: “I haven’t gotten a fair shot at the world heavyweight title, and this is not over yet!”

Larry Hennig d. Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant by DQ when Valiant used a ringside bell to nail Hennig in the head. Both men spent much of their match outside the ring – a holdover from the Hennigs pummeling Valiant at the Tampa Tournament.

The Money Boys d. S+S by countout when Brutus Beefcake gave Larry Sharpe a nasty body slam outside the ring, and Sharpe was unable to answer the 10-count. Buff Bagwell was unhappy with the first part of the match, during which S+S dominated Beefcake until he was able to make the tag.

Virgil (w/ S.D. Jones) d. Curt Hennig (w/ Larry Hennig) by DQ when, at the end of a long match, Larry Hennig caught Virgil outside the ring and gave him the AXE. Larry Hennig seemed displeased that son Curt didn’t get the job done earlier when he had numerous chances to press the advantage.

BCW world heavyweight champion Bobo Brazil and Jimmy Snuka were on Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat.” Each wrestler expressed admiration for the other. Brazil talked of the challenge of facing the former champ, while Snuka remarked about Brazil’s long reign (17 cards) and how he wanted to “do it the right way” this time in winning the title. Then the Destroyer and the Terrible Turk hit the scene. The Destroyer whacked Brazil with a chair, while the Terrible Turk choked out Snuka. The Destroyer took the mike from Apter and said, “I don’t care which of these losers I get – I’m coming for the belt.” Then he and the Terrible Turk left the carnage behind.

Don Leo Jonathan and Danny Hodge d. the Vachons (w/ Lou Albano) when Jonathan pinned Butcher Vachon after a jump off the top turnbuckle. The JFU members looked to punish the Vachons during the match, but were themselves punished afterward when the Hennigs ran to the ring and ambushed Jonathan and Hodge! After pummeling the JFU members, the Hennigs left with the Vachons.

U.S. heavyweight champion Don Muraco (w/ Bobby Heenan, Larry Zbyszko) d. Cousin Luke (w/ Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant) by DQ when Luke slammed Muraco to the floor after the two ended up outside the ring. It was another unsatisfying performance by Muraco, despite Heenan’s best attempts to spin the results afterward.

Sabu d. Killer Kowalski by DQ when Kowalski took a chair thrown at him by Sabu and nailed Sabu with it outside the ring. The match was a brutal one, with Kowalski inflicting most of the pain in what has become a vicious rivalry.

BCW tag-team champions Rikidozan and Giant Baba d. the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette, Stan Lane) when Rikidozan pinned Bobby Eaton with his HIPLOCK at the end of a great, long match. The Midnight Express of Dennis Condrey and Eaton worked well together and had four pin attempts against Rikidozan, but couldn’t close the deal, which Rikidozan finally did. The Midnight Express members were angry with themselves afterward.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR THREE, CARD 26

Bayfront Center – St. Petersburg

Larry Sharpe d. S.D. Jones (w/ Virgil) by countout when Jones was nailed with brass knuckles wielded by George South, who was hidden in the crowd. Jones was having problems with Sharpe before then, but South clinched it for the S+S team.

The Money Boys came out, with Brutus Beefcake taking the mike. Beefcake said he knew that BCW usually has a loser-leaves-BCW tag match at the end of the year, and that the Money Boys would likely be in it due to their low ranking. Beefcake demanded that they get all sorts of quality opponents so that they could beat them and prove they deserved to stay. With that, he announced the night’s opponents: Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant and Cousin Luke.

Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant and Cousin Luke d. the Money Boys when Valiant pinned Bagwell following his SLEEPER. Bagwell had control of the match, then tried a knee drop from the top turnbuckle and missed, hurting his knee. A distracted Beefcake didn’t react when Valiant put Bagwell in the sleeper. Afterward, Bagwell and Beefcake swapped shoves.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan d. George South (w/ Larry Sharpe) when he nailed South with a body slam. Sharpe headed into the ring to attack Duggan at the end of the match, but Duggan picked up his 2X4 and Sharpe backed off.

Dennis Condrey (w/ Jim Cornette) d. Playboy Buddy Rose using his FACE FIRST LEG SWEEP after Cornette got in a cheap shot on Rose using his trusty tennis racket.

Bill Apter’s ‘Hot Seat” featured the Hennigs, the Vachons and Capt. Lou Albano. Curt Hennig spoke for the group, saying he had learned that to get things done around BCW, you needed to find some partners. So he and his dad decided to join forces with Albano and the Vachons. Hennig said he thought about calling the new group something with the word “four” in it – then he stopped and grinned before saying it had been done before, so instead they decided to be called “the Regulators,” as they planned to regulate business on their way to the title belts. Hennig also said no one was safe, no matter what tactics they used. Hacksaw Jim Duggan then came out and said that as long as the Regulators stayed in line, they would have no problem in BCW. That set the two of them jawing and pushing, until Hacksaw said he would challenge them to an eight-man tag match at Wrestlethon and would put a team together to beat them!

In a match to decide who will face BCW tag champs Giant Baba and Rikidozan at Wrestlethon, the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette, Dennis Condrey) d. the Killer Bees when Stan Lane pinned Jim Brunzell after an atomic drop. The wild match saw Bobby Eaton have the advantage on B. Brian Blair, only to have Brunzell take a page out of the M.E. playbook and attack Eaton while the ref was distracted. Blair nearly pinned Eaton, while Condrey nailed Brunzell outside the ring. A woozy Brunzell eventually was tagged in by a weary Blair (after Eaton fought off numerous pin attempts), and, with a little help from Cornette, Lane got the pin.

Bobby Heenan came out, said he was tired of U.S. heavyweight champion Don Muraco being mocked, so he decided to get Muraco a “real” foe this time to prove how tough Muraco was. Gary Michael Cappetta then announced … challenger George Hackenschmidt!

U.S. champion Don Muraco (w/ Bobby Heenan, Larry Zbyszko) d. George Hackenschmidt using a vertical suplex after Hackenschmidt was hit in the back by Zbyszko when coming off the ropes. Afterward, Heenan touted Muraco’s “clean win.”

Sabu came to the ring, took the mike and yelled, “Kowalski. No-DQ. Now!” Killer Kowalski came down to answer the challenge.

Killer Kowalski d. Sabu using his CLAW HOLD after Sabu ran headfirst into the turnbuckle. Before that, the match was a pretty violent mess, although Kowalski was on top of things most of the time. Afterward, Kowalski kicked Sabu and spat on him.

Jimmy Snuka became the new BCW world heavyweight champion when he defeated Bobo Brazil in a best-of-three-falls match, 2-0. In the first fall, Snuka got the advantage with a knee drop that stunned Brazil, then nailed a huge SUPERFLY LEAP to get the pin. In the second fall, the two battled all around the ring. Brazil got the advantage, but then Snuka took control after Brazil was hit outside the ring by the Destroyer, in a move unseen by the ref or Snuka. Snuka then beat Brazil down and, after two SUPERFLY LEAPS, got the pin. As Snuka celebrated afterward, the Destroyer and the Terrible Turk attacked Brazil, while Don Muraco came out of nowhere to nail Snuka from behind as he went to the aid of Brazil.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR THREE, CARD 27

Fort Walton Beach Civic Auditorium

Given the incident at the end of the world heavyweight championship match at the last card, a special tag challenge match was announced by Commissioner Richcreek for the end of the current card -- U.S. heavyweight champ Don Muraco and the Destroyer vs. world heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka and Bobo Brazil.

Buff Bagwell came to ringside and announced that the Money Boys were “done!” He then demanded a match against Brutus Beefcake at Wrestlethon, with the loser “out of here.” Beefcake came out and accepted the match, calling Bagwell a “loser.”

The Iron Sheik d. Larry Sharpe by countout. The Sheik, returning from injury, pummeled Sharpe, then threw him out of the ring. While out there, S.D. Jones came through the crowd and decked Sharpe with brass knuckles. Sharpe could not answer the 10-count.

Greg Valentine came to ringside and announced that he would be back in action at Wrestlethon. He said he wanted a piece of Hacksaw Duggan for injuring him, but first he wanted to settle some scores with the Heenan family and move them out of wrestling. Larry Zbyszko came out and accepted the challenge on behalf of the Heenan family to face Valentine at Wrestlethon.

Playboy Buddy Rose d. Savage-T when he pummeled him at ringside to the point that Savage-T was counted out. Afterward, Rose went back down to ringside, apparently angry that Savage-T had given him fits during the match. When he started to punch Savage-T again, Cousin Luke ran from the back and attacked Rose. The two then fought to the back.

The Killer Bees d. the Ebony Express when Virgil succumbed to B. Brian Blair’s SLEEPER. Virgil’s partner, S.D. Jones, didn’t try to break up the sleeper because he was distracted by S+S member George South at ringside. Before that, the tag match was a solid one, with both sides getting pin attempts.

George Hackenschmidt d. George South using his RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. Afterward, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and the Killer Bees came out to congratulate Hackenschmidt, and then they left together.

Giant Baba and Rikidozan, the BCW tag-team champions, d. the Vachons (w/ Larry Hennig, Capt. Lou Albano) in a nontitle match when Rikidozan got Mad Dog Vachon to submit to a Boston Crab. It was a rocky start for the new Regulators.

Sabu came out and and challenged Killer Kowalski to a barbed-wire cage match at Wrestlethon. Kowalski then came to ringside, sneered and said, “You haven’t lost enough to me? Fine. At Wrestlethon, I will finish you for good.”

Don Leo Jonathan (w/ Danny Hodge) d. Steve Corino by DQ to earn a shot at the U.S. heavyweight title at Wrestlethon. Jonathan dominated most of the match, but ended up getting nailed with a kendo stick by Corino when both were outside the ring, prompting the DQ of Corino. Afterward, Hodge nailed Corino from behind and beat him down.

Curt Hennig (w/ Capt. Lou Albano, Larry Hennig) d. Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant (w/ Cousin Luke) using the HENNIG PLEX. The control of the match went back and forth before Hennig unloaded some stomps to Valiant’s body, setting up the Hennig Plex. Afterward, an angry Valiant shoved Cousin Luke before heading to the back.

The Destroyer and U.S. heavyweight champion Don Muraco (w/ Bobby Heenan, Larry Zbyszko) d. Bobo Brazil and world heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka by DQ when Yukon Eric attacked the Destroyer while he was outside the ring. The match had not gone on that long when Brazil escaped the Destroyer’s single-leg Boston crab and rolled outside the ring. When the Destroyer went outside in pursuit of his hated rival, he was attacked by Yukon Eric. Chaos then erupted, with brawling all over the place and officials trying to break it up as the last card before Wrestlethon came to a close.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR THREE, CARD NO. 28

Wrestlethon PPV – Atlanta Omni

Savage-T came to the ring and complained that he had no match at Wrestlethon, and he had just gotten a new Singapore cane! He challenged anyone in the back who didn’t have a match to come take him on. Then the Iron Sheik came out …

Savage-T (w/ KJ Hill) d. the Iron Sheik by countout in a Singapore cane match when the Sheik went outside the ring to attack Hill, only to be attacked by Savage-T, who dove from the ring and nailed the Sheik from behind. The Sheik hit a guardrail and was knocked out! As soon as the ref made the 10-count, Savage-T and KJ Hill threw up their hands in victory, then fled the ring!

Cousin Luke d. Playboy Buddy Rose at the end of a long match when he whacked Rose with his two-fisted sledgehammer right after Savage-T had come to the ring to distract Rose. Cousin Luke and Savage-T left ringside together.

S+S d. the Ebony Express when Larry Sharpe caught S.D. Jones with his PILEDRIVER. The turning point in the match came when Sharpe interfered as Jones was beating down George South, belting Jones and taking control of the match in the process. It was S+S’s first tag victory of the year!

In a loser-leaves-BCW match, Buff Bagwell d. Brutus Beefcake when he nailed Beefcake with a dropkick. Afterward, Bagwell put the boots to his former partner and kicked him out of the ring.

Danny Hodge d. Steve Corino using his OKLAHOMA SIDE ROLL. The match was a good one, with both men getting pin attempts, but the tide turned when Corino missed a flying leap off the top turnbuckle, allowing Hodge to take control.

Greg Valentine (w/ Danny Hodge) d. Larry Zbyszko (w/ Bobby Heenan) using a neckbreaker into a pinning combination while Hodge distracted Heenan at ringside. Before the finish, the match was pretty even.

Don Leo Jonathan (w/ Greg Valentine, Danny Hodge) d. Don Muraco (w/ Larry Zbyszko, Bobby Heenan) to win the U.S. heavyweight title. DLJ dominated most of the match, until out of nowhere, Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant snuck into the ring and nailed him! Muraco took advantage and nearly got the pin after smashing DLJ with the Hawaiian Hammer, but DLJ kicked out. Later, DLJ caught Muraco with an atomic drop and got the pin when an unseen Danny Hodge held down Muraco’s foot! Afterward, security had to keep the two sides apart. Muraco had been the longest-running U.S. champ in BCW history – 13 cards. It was the second U.S. title reign for DLJ, and marked a tough day for the Heenan family against JFU.

In an eight-man tag elimination match, the Regulators (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) d. Hacksaw Jim Duggan’s squad. First eliminated was George Hackenschmidt, pinned by Curt Hennig after a HENNIG PLEX. Mad Dog Vachon was pinned by Hacksaw Jim Duggan after a piledriver. Butcher Vachon was pinned by Hacksaw Jim Duggan after a spinning body slam. Jim Brunzell was pinned by Curt Hennig following a rolling neck snap. Hacksaw Jim Duggan was pinned by Curt Hennig after a HENNING PLEX. Curt Hennig was ousted by B. Brian Blair’s SLEEPER -- the Hennigs were toying with Blair, who was nearly out on his feet, but then he slapped on the sleeper hold while Larry Hennig was playing to the crowd, thinking his son was taking care of Blair. Finally, Larry Hennig pinned B. Brian Blair after a body slam to win the match. Blair survived six pin attempts during the match before eventually succumbing.

BCW tag-team champions Giant Baba and Rikidozan retained their belts in a tough battle against the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette, Dennis Condrey). The match saw interference by Condrey, a great exchange of moves between Bobby Eaton and Rikidozan, and finally Rikidozan pinning Stan Lane after a piledriver while Baba held off interference from Cornette and Condrey.

Killer Kowalski d. Sabu in a barbed-wire cage match when he pinned Sabu after a stomach claw. As with most of their matchups, Sabu was unable to generate enough offense, and he was a bloody mess and badly injured by the end of the match.

Yukon Eric came out and said to keep the barbed-wire cage down. Then he called out the Destroyer and challenged him to a one-on-one match in the cage … with the loser leaving BCW! The Destroyer came out with the Terrible Turk … and accepted!!

Yukon Eric d. the Destroyer (w/ Terrible Turk) using his KODIAK KRUNCH in a match in which both men were bloody and the Destroyer was barely standing. The Terrible Turk, prevented by the cage from interfering, was beside himself at seeing his comrade and one of the original members of BCW ousted.

Jimmy Snuka retained the BCW world heavyweight title against former champion Bobo Brazil by winning a best-of-three-falls match, two falls to one. In the first fall, there was an amazing amount of offense between Snuka and Brazil, with the two going back and forth, both inside and outside the ring. Finally, Brazil nailed Snuka outside the ring, got him back inside and used a couple of COCO BUTTS to get the pin. In the second fall, Snuka connected on a SUPERFLY LEAP but couldn’t get the pin. The two ended up on the outside once again, where Brazil was DQ’d for slamming Snuka onto a ringside table. Snuka looked wobbly heading into the third fall. Again, the offense was back and forth. Brazil hit a falling elbow, but couldn’t get the pin. Finally, Snuka got in some good shots when the two were yet again outside the ring, then got Brazil back into the ring and went for a huge SUPERFLY LEAP. He connected, the ref counted to three, and Snuka retained the title. A disappointed Brazil held up Snuka’s hand in victory afterward.

[mft]

I was hoping the Sheik would tell Savage T he is here to humble him with his new Singapore Cane!!! ;D