BITHLO CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

[The Creek Rises]

Too funny!

[The Creek Rises]

BITHLO CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING YEAR-END AWARDS – YEAR THREE

Wrestler of the Year:

Bobo Brazil – Brazil defeated Ted DiBiase at Card No. 8 to end the Million Dollar Man’s long hold on the world heavyweight title, and he kept the belt until losing it to former champion Jimmy Snuka at Card No. 26. He then engaged Snuka in a great battle for the belt at Wrestlethon, only to come up short. In winning the title, Brazil became the first BCW wrestler to have held all three belts during his career. Brazil lost at War Games, but not before giving BWF champion Undertaker quite a fight in a cage match.

Runner-up: Ted DiBiase.

Top 10 Singles Wrestlers at the End of Year Three:

1. Jimmy Snuka (WHC)
2. Don Leo Jonathan (USC)
3. Bobo Brazil
4. Rikidozan
5. Giant Baba
6. Curt Hennig
7. Greg Valentine
8. Don Muraco
9. Yukon Eric
10. Iron Sheik

Tag Team of the Year:

Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki/Rikidozan – In a year that saw the Midnight Express win the tag belts twice and suffer an upset at the hands of the Killer Bees for the Bees’ first tag titles, it was the dominance of the last half of the year by Baba, Inoki and Rikidozan that stood out. Baba and Inoki won the belts at Card 17, and after Inoki was sidelined by injury at Card 20, Rikidozan took his place and the beatdowns went on, including a big victory at Wrestlethon against the Midnight Express.

Runner-up: the Midnight Express

Top Five Tag Teams at the End of Year Three:

1. Giant Baba and Rikidozan (WTTC)
2. The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton, Stan Lane, Dennis Condrey)
3. Killer Bees
4. Don Leo Jonathan and Greg Valentine
5. Curt and Larry Hennig

Manager of the Year:

Jim Cornette – He guided the Midnight Express to the BCW tag titles twice during the year, and his guys were still battling for it at Wrestlethon. The Midnight Express knocked off the longest BCW tag title-holders ever (17 cards) in Frank Gotch and George Hackenschmidt at Card No. 4. Cornette’s addition of Dennis Condrey turned the Midnight Express into a three-man team and added another variable for Cornette to use.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FOUR, CARD No. 1

Bithloplex

Commissioner Richcreek came out to announce some changes in the new year. The number of cards will go up from 28 to 32. Since as owner of the growing promotion he had more work to do behind the scenes, he announced a new commissioner, his good friend Chad. Commissioner Chad came out and said he was glad to become a part of BCW. He said he planned to run a fair and just promotion, plus put in some new wrinkles over time that fans would like.

Killer Kowalski then came to ringside and told the new commissioner that he wanted a shot at Jimmy Snuka’s heavyweight title. That brought out Curt Hennig and Bobo Brazil with the same request. Commissioner Chad said he would have a plan in place at the next card for deciding who would face Snuka at Bithlo Bash, the first big PPV of the year.

Koko B. Ware made a triumphant return to BCW, d. Larry Sharpe after connecting with a flying headbutt.

S.D. Jones d. George South (w/ Larry Sharpe) using his HEADBUTT. The match took a long time, due to South’s resilience and the fact Sharpe kept trying to interfere. Finally, Jones knocked Sharpe off the ring apron and took care of business.

Diamond Dallas Page, returning from an injury, d. Dennis Condrey (w/ Jim Cornette, Bobby Eaton, Stan Lane) via his DIAMOND CUTTER. Cornette interfered throughout the match, and even Lane and Eaton tried to get involved, but Page gave them a noggin’-knocker and then delivered the cutter to win the match.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan came to the ring and introduced his new tag partner – fellow lumber-wielder Timber, the Insane Lumberjack, who was making his debut in BCW. Duggan said they were ready to take on whoever wanted to face them. Bobby Heenan came out with a clean-shaven Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant. Heenan said Valiant was now a part of his family. Heenan added he was searching for a tag partner for Valiant and had finally found one – Johnny Valiant! The Valiants, former BCW tag-team champions, were reunited!

In a wild brawl, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Timber d. the Valiants (w/ Bobby Heenan) by countout when Duggan and Timber threatened to use their weapons on the Valiants, who refused to get back into the ring. The whole mess started when Johnny Valiant tried to attack Hacksaw before the bell and got an Old Glory kneedrop as a result. The match pretty much broke down from there.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured BCW world heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka. Snuka said he was honored to be representing BCW “the right way” this time around. Commissioner Chad came to the interview, shook hands with Snuka and said it would be an “interesting year” for the champion, considering all the challengers. Snuka said, “Bring ’em on!”

Greg Valentine d. Virgil (w/ S.D. Jones) using his FIGURE FOUR LEGLOCK. Valentine then slapped Virgil in the head after he tapped out. Apparently, there was still animosity on Valentine’s part after he was beaten by Virgil for the U.S. title back in Year One. Jones then ran Valentine out of the ring.

Danny Hodge came out and slapped hands with a departing Valentine on his way to the ring. Once in the ring, Hodge grabbed the microphone and announced that he didn’t think there was anyone in BCW who, pound for pound, “can match me in the ring.” Rikidozan came out and announced the newest member of the Tokyo Three – Jushin Liger! Liger headed to the ring.

Jushin Liger had a victorious debut in BCW, catching Danny Hodge with his BRAINBUSTER and getting the pin. Hodge didn’t know quite how to handle Liger and got very little offense in as a result. Liger and Rikidozan celebrated together afterward.

Iron Sheik d. Savage-T (w/ KJ Hill) using his CAMEL CLUTCH, which the ref had to get him to release because Savage-T passed out. Iron Sheik was like a madman – all over Savage-T from the opening bell. Although Savage-T got some offense in, it was quickly engulfed by Iron Sheik.

BCW tag-team champions Giant Baba and Rikidozan d. the Killer Bees in a great match when Rikidozan nailed Jim Brunzell with THUNDEROUS CHOPS. The Killer Bees did a great job of tagging a lot of times and keeping the champions off-balance. All four wrestlers escaped at least one pin attempt during the match. An interesting side story came at ringside, where a hooded gentleman appeared to be taking notes on the match. After Brunzell was pinned, the gentleman stood up, pointed at the champs and then left.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FOUR, CARD No. 2

Eddie Graham Sports Stadium

Commissioner Chad came to ringside and announced an eight-man battle for the right to face BCW heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka at Bithlo Bash. The eight wrestlers will be divided via a Lethal Lottery into four tag-teams. The winners of each of the two tag-team matches will then have to face their partners in a singles match on another card, followed by the two singles winners meeting at Card No. 5 to decide the No. 1 contender. The commissioner then read off the names: Kowalski, Curt Hennig, Zbyszko, Page, Brazil, Hackenschmidt, Yukon Eric and one surprise wrestler set to be revealed later on the card.

Playboy Buddy Rose came out and said he had better be the surprise No. 8 wrestler. Commissioner Chad just shook his head “no,” which prompted Rose to get in the commissioner’s face and threaten him. Commissioner Chad said he had good news for Rose – he would be in a tag match against the Killer Bees! Rose asked who his partner would be, and Commissioner Chad said no one – that’s what Rose got for getting into the face of the commissioner. “Oh, and your match is next,” he added. As the commissioner walked away, Rose looked stunned. Meanwhile, the Killer Bees headed to the ring.

The Killer Bees d. Playboy Buddy Rose in a handicap match when Jim Brunzell connected with a KILLER DROPKICK. Rose put up a good fight, but was eventually worn down by the more-agile Bees.

Rick Rude (w/ Ida Mae) d. George South with the RUDE AWAKENING in Rude’s return from injury. It took a while for Rude to put South away, but he did, and then he took the mike and announced, “I might not be in the tournament, but Snuka, you can’t duck me forever. And neither can you, Heenan.”

Cousin Luke and Savage-T (w/ KJ Hill) stunned the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) when Stan Lane could not make the 10-count to return to the ring. Cousin Luke threw Lane outside the ring, and while Cornette and Bobby Eaton were yakking at the ref, someone from the crowd hit Lane from behind with a foreign object, knocking him out. Seen leaving ringside shortly thereafter was the same hooded man who was taking notes of tag teams at the last card. Cornette had a fit afterward, demanding to know who popped Lane.

Danny Hodge came out and said Jushin Liger’s win against him at the last card was a fluke. He called for a rematch. Liger came out and nodded “yes.”

Danny Hodge d. Jushin Liger by DQ when the ref warned Liger not to jump from the top rope onto Hodge, who was outside the ring at the time, but Liger did anyway. Fans booed the end to an interesting matchup.

The man who had been scouting tag teams suddenly came to the ring and threw back his hood. He introduced himself as “Wild” Red Berry, then introduced his new-to-BCW tag team, the Fabulous Kangaroos. He then called for an opponent to challenge them.

The Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ Red Berry) and the Ebony Express wrestled to a double DQ when Al Costello and Virgil got into a brawl outside the ring. For the most part, the Kangaroos controlled the match, with S.D. Jones making a couple of run-ins to prevent Virgil from being pinned.

The first two pairings in the Lethal Lottery battle for the No. 1. contender’s spot were announced: Killer Kowalski … and Yukon Eric! Their opponents were named next: Curt Hennig … and George Hackenschmidt!

Curt Hennig and George Hackenschmidt d. Killer Kowalski and Yukon Eric when Hennig caught Kowalski with a surprise running knee lift. Hennig went for the pin while an apparently disgruntled Yukon Eric walked away from ringside because Kowalski wouldn’t tag him into the match. Hennig will next face Hackenschmidt, who tried to congratulate Hennig only to be pushed away, in a singles semifinal match.

World heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka d. Dennis Condrey (w/ Jim Cornette) in a nontitle match when Snuka nailed Condrey with a flying headbutt after Cornette had interrupted a pin attempt by Snuka following a SUPERFLY LEAP.

Gary Michael Cappetta announced the pairings for the final Lethal Lottery match: Larry Zbyszko … and Diamond Dallas Page. Then he announced Bobo Brazil …. and Ivan Koloff! The Russian Bear has joined BCW!

Larry Zbyszko and Diamond Dallas Page d. Bobo Brazil and Ivan Koloff when Zbyszko hit a leap off the top turnbuckle to pin Koloff. Koloff was impressive in his debut, but the match changed when he had Zbyszko in a Russian bear hug and DDP went to break it up. Brazil got into the ring as well, and during the resulting scuffle among the four wrestlers, DDP nailed Koloff with a DIAMOND CUTTER out of nowhere. Then, after DDP and Brazil ended up outside the ring, Koloff was easy pickings for Zbyszko. After the match, Zbyszko punched future opponent Page, and officials had to separate the two.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FOUR, CARD NO. 3

Lakeland Civic Center

Bobby Heenan came out and demanded that Don Muraco get a rematch for the U.S. title, adding that current champ Don Leo Jonathan was “ducking him.” Commissioner Chad came out and agreed with Heenan, saying the match would be held on this card. Heenan then complained about interference from Justice for All, and Commissioner Chad agreed again, banning them from ringside – it will be an automatic loss for Jonathan if they show up. Heenan was happy until Commissioner Chad said the Heenan family would also be banned from ringside, and Muraco would forfeit any chance at the title if they showed up! Heenan threw a fit.

Koko B. Ware d. Savage-T (w/ KJ Hill) using his GHOSTBUSTER. Right before the finishing maneuver, the Iron Sheik appeared at ringside and stood near Hill, which froze Savage-T long enough for Ware to finish him off. The Iron Sheik then left without doing or saying anything.

The Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ Red Berry) and Ebony Express battled to a double DQ again when S.D. Jones run into the turnbuckle while charging Al Costello, and Virgil jumped into the ring to defend his partner, starting an all-out brawl in which security had to intervene.

The Terrible Turk used his STRANGLEHOLD to subdue George South.

The Valiants (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Timber the Insane Lumberjack when Jimmy Valiant caught Duggan with a fistdrop and got the pin. Afterward, while a distracted Timber chased Heenan, the Valiants double-teamed Duggan, seriously injuring him. Timber was distraught when he got back to the ring.

Danny Hodge d. Jushin Liger after catching him with his OKLAHOMA SIDE ROLL. The key moment in the match was when Liger was outside the ring and climbing back in, only to be distracted by Greg Valentine, who had come to ringside. That allowed Hodge to take advantage and get the win.

BCW tag-team champions Rikidozan and Giant Baba (w/ Jushin Liger) d. the Vachons (w/ Larry Hennig, Capt. Lou Albano) when Rikidozan caught Butcher Vachon with a surprise dropkick and got the pin.

Curt Hennig (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) d. George Hackenschmidt using the HENNIG PLEX to advance to the finals of the No. 1 contender’s match for the world heavyweight championship. Hennig controlled the offense for most of the bout, while Albano’s presence seemed to keep Hackenschmidt distracted.

U.S. heavyweight champion Don Leo Jonathan d. former champ Don Muraco using a swinging full nelson. Jonathan controlled most of the match, but Muraco fended off a number of pin attempts before finally succumbing. Although there was no interference during the match, afterward both sides came to ringside, but security kept order.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FOUR, CARD NO. 4

Universal Studios, Orlando

“Dr. Death” Steve Williams made his debut in BCW by d. Savage-T (w/ KJ Hill) using his lariat. No sign of the Iron Sheik during this match. Afterward, Bobby Heenan came to ringside and was talking to Williams, who seemed interested in what Heenan had to say.

Bobo Brazil d. Larry Sharpe (w/ George South) using his COCO BUTT.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette, Stan Lane) d. the Ebony Express when S.D. Jones was taken down with the VEG-O-MATIC. The great bout was a wild one, featuring lots of interference and pin attempts for both sides. However, the key moment came when the Fabulous Kangaroos distracted Virgil , which kept him from aiding the soon-to-be-pinned Jones.

Timber came out and said he was fortunate to have had a mentor like Hacksaw Jim Duggan, and he wanted to pay the Valiants back for what they did to Duggan but had no partner to take them on in a tag match. Out came Rick Rude with Ida Mae. Rude said he couldn't care less about Timber or Duggan, but he had no love for the Heenan family, so he’d team with Timber against the Valiants later on in the card. The crowd murmured its uneasiness with the idea, but Timber accepted the offer.

Don Muraco (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. Greg Valentine by countout when Muraco viciously piledrove Valentine outside the ring, seriously injuring him. Heenan family members the Valiants came out to further punish Valentine, but they were run off by U.S. champ Don Leo Jonathan and Danny Hodge of JFU. Before the ending, Muraco looked sharp, and as he was leaving ringside, he pointed at Jonathan, the man who took the U.S. belt from Muraco.

Commissioner Chad called out Playboy Buddy Rose. He praised Rose for his efforts against the Killer Bees at Card No. 2 and said he wanted to make it up to Rose. The commissioner said Rose would have a match against the Fabulous Kangaroos, but the good news was that he had picked out a tag partner for Rose – the Iron Sheik! Rose looked unhappy and a little terrified at the prospect.

Playboy Buddy Rose and the Iron Sheik d. the Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ "Wild" Red Berry) when Rose got Al Costello in a sleeper hold and Berry and Roy Heffernan were distracted by the appearance of the Ebony Express at ringside. The Iron Sheik wouldn’t tag in early when Rose needed help, so he had to go it alone. After the match, when the ref raised their hands, Rose went to shake the hand of the Iron Sheik, only to be suplexed by him!

U.S. champ Don Leo Jonathan d. George South in a nontitle match using the MORMON SWING. Afterward, Jonathan called out the Heenan family, saying, “Justice will be served!”

The Valiants (w/ Bobby Heenan, Don Muraco) d. Timber and Rick Rude (w/ Ida Mae Martinez) when Jimmy Valiant pinned Timber after Johnny Valiant choked him with the tag rope. The ref didn’t see the Valiant choke because Rude and Muraco were scuffling outside the ring. Rude got back in and chased off the Valiants before they could further attack Timber, then Rude left the ring.

Larry Zbyszko (w/ Bobby Heenan, Valiant brothers, Don Muraco) d. Diamond Dallas Page to snare a spot in the No. 1 contender’s match. Page looked outnumbered when the Heenan family showed up at ringside, but shortly after the match began, Timber and Rick Rude came down to even up the odds. However, Page was still distracted by Heenan at a key moment, allowing Zbyszko to nail Page with a spinning back kick. It will be Zbyszko vs. Curt Henning for a shot at BCW world champion Snuka.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FOUR, CARD NO. 5

Sanford Barn

Commissioner Chad came out and announced that he had a huge card planned. At the end of it, eight teams would compete under Texas Tornado rules to decide who will contend for the tag belts at Bithlo Bash. But first, he wanted to “throw a bone” to favorite whipping boy Playboy Buddy Rose. He selected four wrestlers who did not have tag partners for a four-corners elimination match. The winner would get to be Rose’s partner for the Texas Tornado match.

Koko B. Ware won the four-corners elimination match to become Playboy Buddy Rose’s tag-team partner. The Terrible Turk was first out, DQ’d for slamming Steve Corino onto the floor outside the ring. Buff Bagwell later eliminated Corino via a dropkick, only to be eliminated himself via a Ware sunset flip.

George Hackenschmidt d. Dennis Condrey (w/ Jim Cornette) by DQ when the other members of the Midnight Express came out to attack Hackenschmidt, who had battled interference from Cornette throughout the match. Bobby Eaton was heard to say, before security broke up the attack, that “we took out your partner Gotch, and we’ll take you out, too!”

BCW world heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka d. Larry Sharpe (w/ George South) by DQ in a nontitle match. Snuka missed a SUPERFLY LEAP due to South’s interference, and Sharpe was DQ’d when he and South tried to jump Snuka outside the ring. Snuka eventually laid out both of them.

In a battle of former titleholders, Don Muraco (w/ Bobby Heenan, Dr. Death Steve Williams) d. Bobo Brazil using his HAWAIIAN HAMMER (and some distraction from Heenan). Brazil dominated the first half of the match, then Muraco gained control – he seemed to be wrestling better now that he lost the U.S. title. Williams did not interfere while at ringside.

Commissioner Chad called out Giant Baba and Rikidozan. The commissioner said he thought the pair might be bored as tag champions and need a new challenge, so he said they would be facing the K Klub next!

BCW world tag-team champions Rikidozan and Giant Baba d. the K Klub when Rikidozan pinned Killer Kowalski after some THUNDEROUS CHOPS. Kowalski and Ivan Koloff provided some challenge for the tag champs, but they continued on their roll.

U.S. champion Don Leo Jonathan d. Jushin Liger when Danny Hodge sneaked to ringside and tripped up Liger coming off the ropes, allowing Jonathan to roll him up for the pin. Liger slapped the mat in frustration afterward as Hodge laughed it up with Jonathan.

In a No. 1 contender’s match, Larry Zbyszko (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. Curt Hennig (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) via an abdominal stretch aided by Heenan holding Zbyszko’s hand for leverage, unseen by the ref despite Albano’s protest. Zbyszko caught Hennig with his PILEDRIVER earlier, and a woozy Hennig kicked out, but fell victim to the stretch due to Heenan’s assistance. Zbyszko will face Snuka for the heavyweight title at Bithlo Bash.

Commissioner Chad came to ringside to clarify the rules for the eight-team No. 1 contender’s match for the BCW world tag-team title. It will be Texas Tornado rules, and when a member of a team gets pinned, that team is eliminated. When there is a single team left, that team will be the No. 1 contender.

First eliminated were Savage-T and Cousin Luke, who were ousted by the Midnight Express after interference by Jim Cornette at ringside led to Cousin Luke getting pinned by Bobby Eaton.

The Ebony Express was eliminated by the Vachons when Mad Dog Vachon caught Virgil with a PILEDRIVER.

In quite a physical battle, the new team of Playboy Buddy Rose and Koko B. Ware was eliminated by the Midnight Express when Playboy Buddy Rose was DQ’d for attacking Jim Cornette outside the ring after Cornette interfered with his trusty tennis racket while the two sides were battling. Before that, the Ware-Rose team worked pretty well together.

The Fabulous Kangaroos were eliminated by the Valiants when Johnny Valiant caught Al Costello with a SPINNING NECKBREAKER. It continued a disappointing start for the Kangaroos.

The Vachons were eliminated by the Midnight Express when Bobby Eaton caught Mad Dog Vachon with a spinning neckbreaker and got the pin.

The Killer Bees, who had mostly stayed out of the way during the match, were eliminated by the Valiants when Jimmy Valiant hit a SUPER ELBOW on Jim Brunzell and got the pin.

An exhausted Midnight Express won the Texas Tornado match when the Valiants were DQ’d for attacking the Midnight Express outside the ring. Both managers and allies were at ringside during the match to root on their respective sides and get involved. Eventually, Jimmy Valiant and Stan Lane ended up outside the ring. Bobby Heenan told Dr. Death Steve Williams to throw Lane back into the ring, but instead he threw him into the guardrail! As the ref DQ’d the Valiants, Heenan looked on in shock. Then Dennis Condrey hit Williams from behind with a chair, which only enraged Dr. Death. The Midnight Express fled the scene, and when Don Muraco pressed Williams for an explanation, he shoved Muraco and walked away.

[The Creek Rises]

CARD No. 6 – UCF Arena

Jim Cornette came out with the Midnight Express to start the card and issued a challenge to George Hackenschmidt for a match at the end of the card. “Find a partner – if you can – because we are coming after you,” Cornette said.

Cousin Luke and Savage-T (w/ KJ Hill) d. the Killer Bees when Jim Brunzell succumbed to Cousin Luke’s bear hug. A key factor in the upset was that the Iron Sheik came to the ring to harass Savage-T again, but this time he also drew the attention of B. Brian Blair, who told the Iron Sheik to “get lost.” While they exchanged insults, Luke got the win.

The K Klub d. the new team of Buff Bagwell and Steve Corino when Killer Kowalski caught Bagwell with the CLAW HOLD. Bagwell and Corino worked well together, but they had a hard time matching the power of Kowalski and Ivan Koloff.

U.S. champion Don Leo Jonathan d. Larry Sharpe in a nontitle match using a giant swing. Jonathan took his time with Sharpe and looked to be working on a few things ahead of any possible title defense at Bithlo Bash, although none had been announced as of yet.

George Hackenschmidt came to ringside and announced that he would accept Jim Cornette’s challenge, and that he would have a tag partner by the end of the card – he hoped.

The Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ Wild Red Berry) d. the Ebony Express when S.D. Jones succumbed to Roy Heffernan’s STEP OVER TOEHOLD. The Kangaroos finally got revenge on the Express in their rivalry.

BCW world tag-team champs Giant Baba and Rikidozan d. the Valiants (w/ Bobby Heenan, Larry Zbyszko) in a nontitle match when Giant Baba pinned Johnny Valiant after a boot to the face. The pin happened so quickly, Heenan and Zbyszko couldn’t react in time to interfere.

Danny Hodge came to ringside carrying a title belt in his hands. He called it the “Hodge Championship Belt,” for those lighter-weight wrestlers who thought they were the best. He said it obviously belonged to him because “there was no one else in BCW worthy of competing for it.” Jushin Liger came out and pointed at the belt. Hodge then waved him into the ring.

Danny Hodge d. Jushin Liger using his OKLAHOMA SIDE ROLL. A great back-and-forth match, but Hodge remained triumphant. Afterward, Liger again hit the match in frustration, only to be nailed from behind by a belt-wielding Hodge.

World heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka d. Koko B. Ware in a nontitle match. Ware was a surprisingly feisty opponent, more so because Larry Zbyszko was at ringside to distract Snuka. But the BCW champion eventually connected on a SUPERFLY LEAP to get the pin.

The Midnight Express came to the ring, and it appeared Bobby Eaton was getting a rare night off due to his tough go of it in the Texas Tornado match the previous card. Stan Lane and Dennis Condrey waited in the ring as their opponents were announced: George Hackenschmidt …. and Dr. Death Steve Williams. Jim Cornette threw a tantrum as Hackenschmidt’s choice was revealed.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette, Bobby Eaton) d. George Hackenschmidt and Dr. Death Steve Williams by DQ when Hackenschmidt rammed Dennis Condrey into the metal steps and then dropped the steps on top of him, seriously injuring him. Williams had an early pin on Condrey following the OKLAHOMA STAMPEDE, only to have Cornette interfere with the ref. Eaton also was interfering throughout the match, but Condrey ended up paying the price when Hackenschmidt had had enough. Cornette was screaming at Hackenschmidt after the attack, while security kept the two sides separated.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FOUR, CARD NO. 7

Cocoa Expo Stadium

In the last card before Bithlo Bash, Commissioner Chad came out and said that with all the stuff going on, he had forgotten to decide on a contender for the U.S. title. The current titleholder, Don Leo Jonathan, came to ringside and said he didn’t want to defend the belt at Bithlo Bash; he wanted a shot at the world title via the Battle Bowl. Commissioner Chad pondered the thought for a moment, then agreed. He said Jonathan would have a nontitle match on this card, and at Battle Bowl, if Jonathan did not win it, then whoever eliminated him from the ring would get a shot at the U.S. title on the first card after Bithlo Bash. Jonathan agreed, then vowed to win the Battle Bowl.

The Armstrongs made a somewhat successful debut in BCW, defeating the Hennigs (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) by DQ when Larry Hennig nailed Brad Armstrong outside the ring even though Curt was the legal Hennig in the match. The ref called for the DQ as Bob Armstrong stood over Brad in protection.

Virgil d. Savage-T (w/ KJ Hill) after catching him with a piledriver. No sign of the Iron Sheik during the match.

Jim Cornette came out with the Midnight Express for the next match, but he was angry and called out Commissioner Chad. Cornette said George Hackenschmidt should be suspended for the attack that took Dennis Condrey out of BCW. The commissioner mulled what Cornette said, then agreed with him. But, he added, since Cornette baited Hackenschmidt into the match and subsequent attack, Cornette should also be suspended. Therefore, Commissioner Chad said, would Cornette like to start the suspension now, and have him and Hackenschmidt both miss Bithlo Bash, or have it start after Bithlo Bash, allowing Hackenschmidt to compete for a world title shot and Cornette to be in the corner of the Midnight Express for their title shot? Cornette reluctantly agreed to afterward, and Commissioner Chad says both will be suspended for three cards and put on probation after that.

S+S d. the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) by DQ when Cornette whacked George South in the head with his tennis racket outside the ring. While the Midnight Express and Cornette were still seething about Commissioner Chad’s ruling before the match, South jumped Bobby Eaton before the bell and caught him with a suplex. The surprised Eaton survived a pin attempt, then rolled out of the ring. When South followed, he caught Cornette’s wrath in racket form.

U.S. champion Don Leo Jonathan d. Jimmy Valiant (w/ Johnny Valiant, Bobby Heenan) by DQ in a nontitle match when Johnny Valiant hit Jonathan from behind while the champion and Jimmy Valiant were outside the ring. They then started putting the boots to Jonathan, only to vacate the scene when Timber the Insane Lumberjack showed up with his barbed wire ax handle. There was no sign of Jonathan’s supposed Justice for Us teammate, Danny Hodge.

Commissioner Chad came out and announced that Danny Hodge and Jushin Liger would square off at Bithlo Bash in a ladder match for the “Hodge Championship Belt.” The commissioner seemed amused by the unofficial belt. He also announced that there would be one “special” wrestler coming to BCW to take part in the Bithlo Bash. Finally, he said that BCW world heavyweight champ Jimmy Snuka and challenger Larry Zbyszko would have this card off to prepare for their best-of-three-falls title match at Bithlo Bash. At that, the Iron Sheik came to ringside and announced that if Snuka were any sort of champion, he would face the Iron Sheik in the ring at the end of the current card. He also called himself “the best BCW wrestler to never have held the BCW world title.” Snuka came out and said he wasn’t afraid of the Iron Sheik and would take the challenge.

The Terrible Turk d. Koko B. Ware (w/ Playboy Buddy Rose) by DQ when Rose clotheslined the Terrible Turk while the two wrestlers in the match were outside the ring. Rose appeared to be more than willing to defend his new partner, who took a beating from the Terrible Turk before getting out of the ring. The Terrible Turk looked to be prime for another strong Battle Bowl performance.

BCW world tag-team champions Giant Baba and Rikidozan d. Steve Corino and Buff Bagwell in a nontitle match when Baba, unhappy that Corino had slapped him in the face, tossed Corino out of the ring, and Corino landed hard enough that he was not able to answer the 10-count to get back into the ring.

Bobo Brazil d. S.D. Jones using his COCO BUTT. The turning point in the match came when Jones missed a jump off the turnbuckle, allowing Brazil to take control.

BCW world heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka and the Iron Sheik wrestled to a double DQ due to a huge brawl outside the ring. The Iron Sheik whacked Snuka during the introductions, and it quickly became apparent that he was trying to hurt the world champ. Snuka fought back fiercely and nearly got the pin. Finally, both ended up outside the ring, using anything at their disposal to attack one another. Heenan Family members Larry Zbyszko and the Valiants raced to the ring to attack Snuka after the DQ, while Heenan was seen shaking the Iron Sheik’s hand. Finally, Timber and the Killer Bees came to ringside to run off the Heenan family. Snuka, however, appeared to be pretty battered ahead of his PPV match with Zbyszko.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FOUR, CARD NO. 8

Bithlo Bash PPV – Bithloplex

Commissioner Chad came out at the beginning of the card and said that since there would be 36 participants in what he called the over-the-top BBB (“Bithlo Battle Bowl”), he had decided there would be three rounds of 12 wrestlers each, with the top two in each round going to a final Battle Bowl. The three groups would be decided by a random draw. The fans were abuzz, knowing that certain alliances stood a good chance of being broken up under the new format, making it much more so a case of every man for himself.

First Battle Bowl (eliminated/by whom):

Al Costello (Iron Sheik) / Cousin Luke (Johnny Valiant) / Bobo Brazil (by Larry Sharpe, who snuck up on Brazil while he was trying to throw out George South. Brazil was furious afterward.) / Larry Sharpe, George South (Johnny Valiant) (S+S worked on Valiant for a long time, but when Sharpe tried to save South, they both went over the top.) / Bob Armstrong (Johnny Valiant) / Playboy Buddy Rose (Iron Sheik) (Rose missed Sheik and went over the top of the turnbuckle.) / Johnny Valiant (Curt Hennig) / Iron Sheik (Rick Rude) / Curt Hennig (Terrible Turk) /
Rick Rude and the Terrible Turk advanced to the finals.

Jushin Liger captured the HCB strap in a fantastic ladder match with Danny Hodge. Liger did a Shooting Star Press off the ladder onto Hodge to finish him before climbing the ladder to retrieve the belt. Both men were close to grabbing the belt earlier in the match, and both sustained much punishment before Liger finally knocked Hodge off the ladder and unleashed his finisher. Liger celebrated with Rikidozan and Giant Baba afterward.

Second Battle Bowl (eliminated/by whom):

Jim Brunzell (Diamond Dallas Page) / Koko B. Ware (Buff Bagwell) / Diamond Dallas Page (Killer Kowalski) / Savage-T (George Hackenschmidt) / Virgil (Roy Heffernan) / Jimmy Valiant ( Mad
Dog Vachon, following a long battle between the two) / Ivan Koloff (Buff Bagwell) (Koloff’s tag partner, Kowalski, missed Bagwell with his attack and knocked Koloff out of the ring) / Killer Kowalski (Buff Bagwell) / Mad Dog Vachon (George Hackenschmidt) (Vachon mistimed a leap and went over the turnbuckle) / Buff Bagwell (Roy Heffernan) (Hackenschmidt saved Bagwell the first time in a surprise move, but didn’t try the second time) /
George Hackenschmidt and Roy Heffernan advanced to the finals.

BCW world tag-team champions Giant Baba and Rikidozan (w/ Jushin Liger) ended up in a double DQ with the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) when Stan Lane and Rikidozan started a huge brawl outside the ring that got the rest of the parties involved. Officials had no choice but to end the match due to the hostilities between the two sides.

Third Battle Bowl (eliminated/by whom):
Harley Race turns out to be the surprise 36th entry.

Brad Armstrong (Steve Corino) (Armstrong misjudged a leap and ended up outside the ring) / Larry Hennig (Yukon Eric) (Butcher Vachon could not get there in time to save his teammate) / Butcher Vachon (Yukon Eric) / Timber (Don Leo Jonathan) (Timber’s recent aid to Jonathan goes by the wayside as the U.S. champ staves off the first contender for his U.S. title) / B. Brian Blair (Harley Race) / Steve Corino (Yukon Eric) / Don Leo Jonathan (Don Muraco) (Jonathan had rival Muraco on the ropes when Race intervened. Jonathan eventually got the advantage on Race, but before he could eliminate him, Muraco snuck up and tossed over Jonathan, who was furious upon hitting the floor. Muraco secured another title shot against the man who took the belt from him.) / Harley Race (Yukon Eric) (Muraco does not return the favor by helping Race) / Don Muraco (Dr. Death Steve Williams) / S.D. Jones (Yukon Eric) (Jones put up a great fight before going over the top.)
Yukon Eric and Dr. Death Steve Williams advanced to the finals.

Jimmy Snuka retained his BCW world heavyweight title when he defeated Larry Zbyszko (w/ Bobby Heenan, Don Muraco) via countout in a best-of-three-falls match. In the first fall, Zbyszko dominated early, with Snuka especially on the defensive once Zbyszko (with Heenan’s help) got the cover off the turnbuckle. Zbyszko bloodied Snuka pretty well, and Muraco took a free shot or two when Snuka ended up outside the ring. Timber came to ringside to even the odds, but he ended up causing a DQ on the first fall when he hit Zbyszko from behind when the “Living Legend” was about to bloody Snuka some more outside the ring.

Snuka was in trouble as the second fall began. The ref sent Muraco and Timber to the back, with them fighting up the runway before they departed. Zbyszko slammed Snuka’s head into the turnbuckle some more, then set him up in the corner, but as he rushed the champion, Snuka ducked out, and Zbyszko went over the top and landed hard on the floor. Snuka went out and with this last bit of strength, gave Zbyszko a piledriver on the floor, much to Heenan’s horror. An injured Zbyszko was counted out after Snuka barely made the count to get back into the ring. Fans were shocked by the bloodfest and the abrupt end to the match.

Final Battle Bowl (eliminated/by whom):
Final contestants: Rick Rude, Terrible Turk, George Hackenschmidt, Roy Heffernan, Yukon Eric, Dr. Death Steve Williams

Dr. Death (Roy Heffernan after a Kangaroo Kick) / Yukon Eric (Rick Rude after Rude hit his RUDE AWAKENING) / Terrible Turk (Roy Heffernan – snuck up and eliminated him as the Terrible Turk was trying to throw out a battered George Hackenschmidt) / George Hackenschmidt (Roy Heffernan)

Down to Rude and Heffernan

Rick Rude won the Bithlo Battle Bowl when he caught Roy Heffernan, who had dominated their clash, with a slingshot off the turnbuckle, followed by a RUDE AWAKENING, then tossed Heffernan over the top. Rude was congratulated by Ida Mae Martinez as he shouted “How do you like me now, Heenan?”

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FOUR, CARD NO. 9

Eddie Graham Sports Stadium

Commissioner Chad came out to start the card and announced that the next PPV, Tag-o-Rama, will feature 16 tag teams – eight from BCW and eight from other federations. He said he contacted the BWF (Bootleg Wrestling Federation), but the powers that be there had decided not to enter any teams into the event, instead opting to wait to face BCW wrestlers at the Invasion PPV. The commissioner said that independent teams would wrestle at each of the next seven BCW cards in qualifying matches for spots two through eight, adding that the Road Warriors had already accepted the No. 1 independent seed.

Finally, Commissioner Chad congratulated Rick Rude, the winner of the Bithlo Battle Bowl. That brought Bobby Heenan out to complain about the viciousness of the BCW world heavyweight title match, adding that his wrestler, Larry Zbyszko, should get a rematch when he returned to action. The commissioner pointed out that it was Zbyszko and Heenan who pulled the turnbuckle cover off, helping to cause the bloodfest. He said that when Zbyszko recovered, he’d think about giving him another title shot. Then he asked Heenan about who hired the Iron Sheik to request a match against Jimmy Snuka right before the PPV, which caused Heenan to sputter and scurry off.

Buff Bagwell and Steve Corino d. S+S when Bagwell hit the BUFF BLOCKBUSTER on Larry Sharpe.

Jushin Liger d. Diamond Dallas Page using his FISHERMAN’S BUSTER in a great match. The bout between different-size wrestlers went back and forth before Liger finally triumphed. Afterward, Danny Hodge came to ringside and eyed Liger, but did not try to attack him, as the HCB belt was nowhere in sight.

The Killer Bees d. the Armstrongs when B. Brian Blair came off the ropes and caught Bob Armstrong with a sunset flip and a quick pin.

Ivan Koloff d. former teammate Killer Kowalski using his RUSSIAN BEAR HUG after nailing him with a vicious clothesline, which came on the heels of Koloff tossing him into the turnbuckle. The ring rumbled as the two men got it on. Afterward, Koloff hit two knee drops on Kowalski, then brutalized him with a chain, seriously injuring Kowalski. Finally, Koloff yelled to the crowd, “Who’s the real killer now?”

Timber came out and challenged any member of the Heenan family to face him. In response, out came Jimmy Valiant, Johnny Valiant and Bobby Heenan.

Jimmy Valiant (w/ Bobby Heenan, Johnny Valiant) d. Timber when Valiant nailed him with his SUPER ELBOW. The Valiants attacked “The Insane Lumberjack” before the bell rang, but Timber rallied and even connected on his LOG SPLITTER. Heenan’s ref distraction helped turn the tide for Valiant. Afterward, the Valiants put the boots to Timber before security broke it up.

The Hennigs (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) d. the Ebony Express when S.D. Jones couldn’t answer the 10-count. He was pummeled by Larry Hennig in the ring, then, after Curt was tagged in, he was thrown outside, where Larry beat on him some more, then threw him into the guardrail, effectively taking him out of the match.

Roy Heffernan (w/ Al Costello, “Wild” Red Berry) d. the Terrible Turk by DQ when the Terrible Turk had Heffernan in his STRANGLEHOLD and would not let go. Berry and Costello jumped into the ring to help break the hold, then all three members of the Fabulous Kangaroos got back out of the ring while the Terrible Turk argued with the ref.

Don Muraco (w/ Bobby Heenan, the Valiants) d. U.S. champ Don Leo Jonathan by DQ when Jonathan slammed Muraco to the floor outside the ring despite the ref’s warning not to do it. The match featured interference by Heenan amid a basically equal matchup. Jonathan’s disqualification came after continued unseen cheap shots by Heenan and family.

In a Tag-o-Rama qualifying match, the Samoans d. the Flying Redheads when Billy “Red” Lyons was DQ’d for ramming Alofa’s head into a post outside the ring.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FOUR, CARD NO. 10

Melbourne Auditorium

Bobo Brazil came out, took the mike and said that after his “embarrassing” elimination by S+S at Bithlo Bash, he was on a “redemption tour.” He said he planned to settle the score with George South and Larry Sharpe later, but for now he wanted – he needed – a title shot. Don Leo Jonathan came out and said he would give Brazil a shot at the U.S. title, since he understood redemption, and at least he wouldn’t be jumped by Brazil’s teammates.

And speaking of teammates, Jonathan called out Danny Hodge. When Hodge appeared, Jonathan asked him what had happened to Justice For Us? Hodge said he didn’t have time for that anymore, as he was focused on getting back the Hodge Championship Belt. Hodge then walked away, while Commissioner Chad came out to confirm the title match for later in the card.

Harley Race made his official return to BCW after a 2-1/2-year absence by pinning George South (w/ Larry Sharpe) following a swinging neckbreaker. Race took the mike afterward and said his previous time in BCW was taken up by groups and not enough title shots. This time, he was on his own, and he was coming for a title – namely Jimmy Snuka’s world heavyweight belt.

The Midnight Express d. the Killer Bees when Stan Lane caught Jim Brunzell with a SUPERKICK. The Midnight Express was without the suspended Jim Cornette, but still took care of business despite appearing disjointed at times.

Johnny Valiant (w/ Jimmy Valiant, Bobby Heenan) d. Brad Armstrong (w/ Bob Armstrong) via his SPINNING NECKBREAKER. Armstrong had the advantage early and got a couple of pin attempts, but the match turned when both ended up outside the ring and Jimmy Valiant got in an unseen cheap shot.

The Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. Steve Corino and Buff Bagwell in a great match when Corino submitted to Roy Heffernan’s STEP OVER TOEHOLD. Heffernan seemed nervous in the early part of the match, perhaps watching for signs of the Terrible Turk, but his adversary did not show. Meanwhile, Bagwell and Corino gave the Kangaroos all they could handle.

The Hot Seat with Bill Apter featured BCW world heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka and No. 1 challenger Rick Rude. A still-battered Snuka said all the right things about facing Rude, saying he was certainly a worthy opponent. Meanwhile, Rude basically ran Snuka down, calling him a has-been. When Apter suggested that the championship match should be a three-way one that included Larry Zbyszko due to his strong performance in the title match at the last PPV, Rude got mad and said he didn’t want to share the stage with one of “Heenan’s goons.” He then pushed Apter, slapped Snuka and walked off. Snuka said to forget about the PPV – he wanted Rude at the next card!

Commissioner Chad came out and said he had been impressed with Jushin Liger due to his matches against Hodge and the one against Diamond Dallas Page on the last card. The commissioner said Liger just might be the best pound-for-pound wrestler in BCW, but he wanted to see him against another style, so he made a match with a new opponent – Dr. Death Steve Williams!!

Jushin Liger d. Dr. Death Steve Williams by DQ when Danny Hodge came from the crowd to nail Liger while the two wrestlers were outside the ring. The match had only been going a short time when Hodge, obviously still upset with losing the Hodge Championship Belt, launched his attack. He then left the scene when Williams started after him for messing up the match.

BCW world tag-team champs Rikidozan and Giant Baba d. the Ebony Express in a surprisingly competitive nontitle match in which Virgil and S.D. Jones jumped on the champs from the beginning and gave as good as they got. Finally, Rikidozan connected with a forearm hammer on Virgil and got the pin.

The Iron Sheik came to ringside and said he hadn’t beaten on that “pitiful worm” in a while, calling out Savage-T. Out came Savage-T and KJ Hill.

The Iron Sheik destroyed Savage-T in the ring, pummeling him after getting the pin via a vertical suplex. Afterward, he slapped on the CAMEL CLUTCH until officials broke things up, but by then Savage-T was seriously injured. Iron Sheik then spat on Savage-T and pushed a concerned KJ Hill away before leaving the ring.

Don Leo Jonathan retained his U.S. title by d. Bobo Brazil using his MORMON SWING. Brazil put up a decent fight, but Jonathan was a man possessed. Afterward, the Heenan family ran to the ring, but Brazil recovered in time to stand with Jonathan and fend them off.

In a Tag-o-Rama qualifying match, Justin Credible and Chris Candido (w/ Tammy) d. the Heartbreak Express when Justin Credible hit a THAT’S INCREDIBLE on Sean Davis to get the pin.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FOUR, CARD NO. 11

Jacksonville Auditorium

Commissioner Chad came out and announced that Don Leo Jonathan and Bobo Brazil had requested a match against Heenan Family members, so they would face the Valiants in Jacksonville. Also, world heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka and No. 1 contender Rick Rude were signed to a nontitle lumberjack match, also on the card.

“Bullet” Bob Armstrong d. Larry Sharpe after catching him with a knee lift.

The Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. the Ebony Express when Al Costello and Roy Heffernan connected on the BOOMERANG against S.D. Jones. The Express had a great match at the last card against the BCW tag-team champs, but were mostly steamrolled against a fired-up Kangaroos squad that had a tough feud with the Express earlier in the year.

Larry Hennig (w/ Curt Hennig, Lou Albano) d. Timber “The Insane Lumberjack” after a cross-body block off the turnbuckle. The two traded blows for quite a while, but the key moment came when Timber was distracted outside the ring by Albano, allowing Hennig to take control. Timber looked frustrated after he loss.

U.S. champion Don Leo Jonathan and Bobo Brazil d. the Valiants (w/ Bobby Heenan, Don Muraco) when Brazil pinned Johnny Valiant after a Bobo body slam. Afterward, the two sides got into a scrum, during which Johnny Valiant took a big hammer punch from Brazil and was injured.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured Playboy Buddy Rose. Rose talked about how he was “over” his feud with Commissioner Chad, and how much he enjoyed his new tag-team partnership with Koko B. Ware. Rose also said they hoped to be the surprise team of the upcoming Tag-o-Rama PPV.

Mad Dog Vachon (w/ Butcher Vachon, Capt. Lou Albano) d. Brad Armstrong (w/ Bob Armstrong) using his PILEDRIVER. Armstrong showed a lot of fight in the match, nearly nailing a pin after his RUSSIAN LEG SWEEP, but a mistimed jump off the turnbuckle doomed him to Vachon’s finisher.

BCW world tag-team champions Giant Baba and Rikidozan d. the Killer Bees when Rikidozan nailed B. Brian Blair with his THUNDEROUS CHOPS. The champions tried attacking their opponents before the bell, but the Killer Bees fended it off. Yet the Bees were no match for the focused champions once the match officially began, as Baba and Rikidozan continued their run as the longest-reigning tag champs in BCW history (18 cards).

Commissioner Chad came out and called out Jushin Liger. He said Danny Hodge had been giving him all sorts of grief about his Hodge Championship Belt, even though it’s not an official belt. The commissioner said he was setting up a match for this card between Liger and Hodge – if Liger won, Hodge would get no more shots at the title belt as long as Liger held it. If Hodge won, he would get a shot at the belt at Tag-o-Rama! Liger nodded his head, seemingly agreeing to the provisions.

Jushin Liger d. Danny Hodge after connecting with the FISHERMAN’S BUSTER at the end of a well-fought match. As a frustrated Hodge was getting to his feet after the match, Rikidozan and Giant Baba came to the ring and gave him a pummeling, injuring him. Then all three Japanese stars celebrated as the crowd booed.

Jimmy Snuka’s selection for lumberjacks headed to the ring: The Killer Bees, Bobo Brazil and Dr. Death Steve Williams. They were followed by Rick Rude’s selections: the Midnight Express, the Terrible Turk and the Iron Sheik.

BCW world heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka d. Rick Rude in a nontitle lumberjack match when he caught a distracted Rude with a backbreaker and got the pin. The first part of the match was dominated by Rude, but Snuka rallied while Rude’s attention was on a skirmish among the lumberjacks at ringside. After the pin, Jimmy Valiant snuck into the ring and slammed Snuka, while Don Muraco gave a nasty Asiatic Spike to Rude, injuring him, as Bobby Heenan’s bunch continued to interfere with the championship match. Finally, order was restored while the Killer Bees protected Snuka from another further assaults.

In a great Tag-o-Rama qualifying match, the Ortons d. the New Age Outlaws when Bob Orton Sr. got B.G. James to succumb to his step-over toehold.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FOUR, CARD NO. 12

Atlanta – Alexander Memorial Coliseum

Commissioner Chad led off the card by noting that Rick Rude had indeed been injured at the last card in Jacksonville, but said Rude would be back for the PPV match against Snuka. He was then interrupted by Cousin Luke, who complained about what the Iron Sheik did to Savage-T. He said he understood there should be sanctions, but what he really wanted was Iron Sheik in a steel cage match, with the loser leaving BCW! The commish seemed doubtful, but after looking at Cousin Luke’s determined face, he decided it was a go for the end of the card.

Playboy Buddy Rose comes out next to interrupt the commissioner, his old rival. Rose said he and Koko B. Ware were trying to get a tag match so they could qualify for an entry into Tag-o-Rama, but they weren’t having any luck. Commissioner Chad said not to worry – the Midnight Express and the Hennigs were set to meet on this card, and Rose and Ware could have the winner on the next card. Rose looked unsure about the matchup, but nodded his head and left.

Bobo Brazil d. Mad Dog Vachon (w/ Capt. Lou Albano). Brazil looked decidedly determined, and even Albano’s intereference could not derail him.

The Armstrongs d. S+S when Bob Armstrong caught George South with a knee lift and got the pin. S+S put up a good battle, but couldn’t overcome the Armstrongs.

George Hackenschmidt returned from suspension to d. Butcher Vachon (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) using his RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. Vachon put up a good battle, and Albano put in his two cents’ worth of interference, but Hackenschmidt looked determined and picked up the victory. A tough day in the ring for the Vachons.

Harley Race d. Virgil (w/ S.D. Jones) by countout when Virgil could not answer the 10-count after being given a piledriver outside of the ring by Race. Race couldn’t seem to get momentum throughout the match, but when Virgil went out of the ring as part of a stalling tactic, Race followed him out, punched Jones, surprised Virgil and took him out while the ref was busy checking on Jones.

The Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. Don Muraco and Jimmy Valiant (w/ Bobby Heenan) in a long but fantastic match that featured managerial interference on both sides and more than 10 pin attempts. The Kangaroos finally finished the match with their BOOMERANG maneuver on Valiant.

Ivan Koloff came out and announced that since he was the new “Killer” of BCW, it was time to pay back some people. He called out Diamond Dallas Page, who took him out during Koloff’s first match in BCW. Page ran out to answer the challenge.

Ivan Koloff d. Diamond Dallas Page using his RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. Page put forth a valiant effort, but could never get his Diamond Cutter set up, and Koloff eventually wore him down. Officials had to get Koloff to break the hold afterward.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. the Hennigs (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) when the Midnight Express executed a VEG-O-MATIC against Larry Hennig. Curt Hennig had Stan Lane pinned earlier in the match with his HENNIG PLEX, but Bobby Eaton broke it up. Afterward, the Vachons came to ringside and helped put the boots to the Express until officials broke things up.

The Iron Sheik d. Cousin Luke in a cage match, ending Cousin Luke’s time in BCW. However, before he left he gave one of his best showings ever, splashing the Iron Sheik in the corner and giving him the HILLBILLY DROP twice! But the Iron Sheik finally locked on the CAMEL CLUTCH to subdue Cousin Luke, then left the cage only long enough to get the win before going back and pummeling Cousin Luke some more. Officials finally pulled the Iron Sheik off him, and Cousin Luke got a standing ovation as he departed BCW.

In a Tag-o-Rama qualifying match, the Kings of Wrestling d. the Naptown Dragons by countout when Claudio Castagnoli nailed Scotty Vortekz with a kick outside the ring and Vortekz was unable to make the 10-count to return.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FOUR, CARD NO. 13

Kent State

Larry Zbyszko (w/ Bobby Heenan) returned to action from injury and d. Larry Sharpe using his PILEDRIVER. Afterward, Zbyszko took the house mike and said there was no way a world heavyweight title match should be held if it didn’t include him, since he had “dominated” current champ Jimmy Snuka.

Commissioner Chad came to ringside as the Fabulous Kangaroos got set to face the Armstrongs in a tag match. He said that with two such noted teams, there should be a bigger challenge. Therefore, he was making the match a tag ladder match, with the prize being a substantial one – the winner would get an automatic shot at the tag champs at the card after Tag-o-Rama, no matter who the champs were.

The Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. the Armstrongs when Roy Heffernan was able to climb the ladder and grab the prize, having knocked Bob Armstrong off the ladder. The match was pretty even, but the Kangaroos and manager Berry did what they needed to in order to win a title shot.

Diamond Dallas Page d. George South when he took South out with a DIAMOND CUTTER. Afterward, Page got on the mike and said he wasn’t through with Ivan Koloff – and he’d see the Russian Bear at Tag-o-Rama!

The Killer Bees d. Steve Corino and Buff Bagwell when they connected on the BEE STING on Corino. Buff Bagwell was unhappy afterward because Corino never tried to tag out.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured the Terrible Turk. Apter asked him what was going on and where he was headed in BCW. The Terrible Turk said he was done going after Roy Heffernan over his Bithlo Battle Bowl loss. He said he had lots of offers to join various factions, but after watching the Iron Sheik hurt BCW world heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka and being paid off by Bobby Heenan for doing it, he had decided he would be the “Hitman for Hire” in BCW: “You got the money, I’ll do the job.” He added that he might ask the Iron Sheik to join him, then he glared at Apter and left.

Curt Hennig (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) d. Jimmy Valiant (w/ Bobby Heenan) using the HENNIG PLEX. Valiant jumped on Hennig at the bell and controlled much of the match until Hennig executed a strong reversal into his signature move for the victory.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. Playboy Buddy Rose and Koko B. Ware by DQ when Ware slammed Bobby Eaton on the guardrail outside the ring and also off the metal stairs in retaliation for an unseen cheap shot by Cornette. Rose and Ware had acquitted themselves well during the match, although the Midnight Express remained mostly in control.

Don Leo Jonathan came out and said it seemed like a lot of “tough guys” emerging lately. He then called Ivan Koloff out to “test his mettle.”

U.S. champ Don Leo Jonathan d. Ivan Koloff by DQ in a nontitle match when Koloff attacked Jonathan with a chain. He kept beating on Jonathan until Diamond Dallas Page hit the ring and belted Koloff from behind. Then Koloff and Page battled until the Iron Sheik and the Terrible Turk reached the ring and took both men out. The pair then celebrated their apparent new alliance as “hit men.”

Commissioner Chad came back out to announce that he had a special surprise for the tag champs – a nontitle match challenge. As Rikidozan and Giant Baba made their way to the ring, the commissioner called out Dr. Death Steve Williams, then asked if Williams had a partner. Williams nodded yes, then took the mike and said, “He’s someone who can beat the champs – he’s done it before.” Out from the back comes… former BCW world heavyweight champion Ted DiBiase! The crowd was stunned as DiBiase, lacking his Million Dollar Man togs, made his way to the ring.

In a fantastic match, Dr. Death Steve Williams and Ted DiBiase d. BCW world tag-team champions Rikidozan and Giant Baba in a nontitle match when DiBiase caught Rikidozan with his LOADED GLOVE and got the pin. The long match featured a brawl in the middle of it and pin attempts on both sides. The Tokyo Trio members, suffering their first loss of Year Four, looked confused at being manhandled at times by Dr. Death. The fans were riveted throughout, but also appeared puzzled by the seemingly good-guy DiBiase.

Antonino Rocca and Jim Londos d. Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens by DQ in a Tag-o-Rama qualifying match when Bockwinkel was caught giving a cheap shot to Rocca while Rocca and Stevens were outside the ring. Bockwinkel apparently had been frustrated over an inability to pin Londos despite having the advantage when both were in the ring.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FOUR, CARD NO. 14

Jefferson Fairgrounds

Commissioner Chad opened the card by saying that the argument about who was the toughest man in BCW had been bandied about a lot lately, so he was announcing an eight-man, no-DQ tough guy tournament. The announcement brought out George Hackenschmidt, who said he had heard he was not one of the eight. The commissioner confirmed such, saying that Hack hadn’t shown much lately since coming off suspension. Hackenschmidt started to say something, but Commissioner Chad told him to hold on while he announced the eight who are in the event: U.S. champ Don Leo Jonathan, Yukon Eric, Dr. Death Steve Williams, Timber, Iron Sheik, Terrible Turk, Ivan Koloff and Don Muraco.

The commissioner then addressed the Rick Rude problem, saying Rude wouldn’t be back until his title match at the upcoming Tag-o-Rama PPV. But, Larry Zbyszko had requested a three-way match for the title at Tag-o-Rama due to his last battle with BCW world heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka. Therefore, the commissioner said, he had decided that Zbyszko would have to earn the title shot in a match at the next card against … Hackenschmidt! As “the Russian Lion” looked on in surprise, the commissioner said that if Hack won the match, he would get a shot at Jonathan’s U.S. title at the PPV. Finally, he noted that BCW world heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka would face Ivan Koloff in a nontitle match later on the card.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. the Armstrongs when Bob Armstrong succumbed to the ROCKET LAUNCHER. The Midnight Express did a good job of isolating Armstrong in a corner and not allowing him to tag, eventually wearing him down for the pin.

Diamond Dallas Page d. Steve Corino (w/ Buff Bagwell) by DQ when Ivan Koloff ran in to belt Page with a chain. Before that, the match was pretty even between two men who were once hated rivals. Officials got Koloff out of the ring before he could do more damage.

Dr. Death Steve Williams and Ted DiBiase d. the Ebony Express by countout when Williams threw S.D. Jones into the ropes with enough force that Jones flipped outside the ring and was too stunned to continue. Williams and DiBiase again looked sharp together, although DiBiase did not get a chance to face former valet Virgil, who eyed DiBiase warily during the match.

In an incredibly vicious tough-man match, the Iron Sheik d. Timber “the Insane Lumberjack” when he rammed Timber’s head into a pole outside the ring, then gave him a DDT on the concrete floor. Timber gave as good as he got for a while, especially outside the ring, but the Iron Sheik’s experience ultimately paid off.

BCW world tag-team champions Giant Baba and Rikidozan d. S+S in a nontitle match when Rikidozan caught George South with his HIPLOCK. S+S started the match by attacking the champs before the bell, but Rikidozan and Giant Baba, angered over their loss on the last card, overcame the early attack and pummeled S+S before the pin.

Jimmy Valiant (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. Jushin Liger in a long back-and-forth match when Heenan slipped Valiant brass knuckles and Valiant nailed Liger, then finished him with his SUPER ELBOW. Heenan and Valiant then fled the scene as Rikidozan and Giant Baba arrived, angry at the attack on Liger.

Larry Hennig (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) d. U.S. heavyweight champion Don Leo Jonathan by DQ in a nontitle match. The end came with both men outside the ring – Hennig moved out of the way of a charging Jonathan, who then plowed over Albano, which prompted the ref to call for the DQ. The Vachons came out and jumped on Jonathan, but then George Hackenschmidt and the Killer Bees came to the rescue.

Ivan Koloff d. BCW world heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka in a nontitle match when he belted Snuka with a chain while Bobby Heenan, who had come to ringside, distracted the ref. Diamond Dallas Page raced to the ring when he saw Koloff pick up the chain, but he was not in time to stop Koloff’s attack. He did, however, chase Heenan from ringside. Koloff, meanwhile, made the sign of wanting the title belt after the match as Snuka lay stunned.

In a Tag-o-Rama qualifying match, the Canadian Connection d. the Valentines when Angelo Mosca caught Greg Valentine with his SLEEPER.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FOUR, CARD NO. 15

Wolstein Center – Cleveland State

Buff Bagwell and Steve Corino d. S+S by countout when Corino nailed Larry Sharpe outside the ring with a steel chair to the head while Bagwell distracted the ref. There were no signs of conflict that had emerged recently between Bagwell and Corino.

Commissioner Chad came out and announced he would have a “surprise” for Bobby Heenan later in the card. He also said there would be a qualifying match for the final BCW spot in Tag-o-Rama and a battle between the Fabulous Kangaroos and the Midnight Express for the other No. 1 BCW seed at the event.

U.S. champion Don Leo Jonathan d. newcomer Johnny Rodz by countout when the Terrible Turk appeared at ringside and derailed Rodz with his STRANGLEHOLD while Rodz was outside the ring. The attack went unseen by the ref. Afterward, the Terrible Turk pointed at Jonathan, his first-round opponent in the tough-man competition, and gave the throat-slashing sign.

Ted DiBiase and Steve Williams d. the Ebony Express by countout for a second straight card when S.D. Jones walked out on the match after being tossed to the outside by DiBiase. A perplexed Virgil followed him to the back, and they were counted out.

Commissioner Chad came out and announced that Jushin Liger had requested a revenge match against Bobby Heenan’s group and had brought along “big brothers” Rikidozan and Giant Baba. So, the commissioner was giving them a six-man tag match. But, since Johnny Valiant was still out with an injury and Larry Zbyszko had a match later on, Heenan would have to be the third member of his team – and it would be an elimination match. A sputtering Heenan came out to protest, but the commissioner told him to get ready, because the match was the next one up!

The Tokyo Trio won the six-man tag elimination match against the Heenan family. Jimmy Valiant pinned Giant Baba after a SUPER ELBOW. Next, Don Muraco was DQ’d for smashing Jushin Liger’s head against a ringpost outside the of the ring. Valiant was later pinned by Rikidozan after his THUNDEROUS CHOPS. Rikidozan then drug Bobby Heenan into the ring to set him up for a Liger kick, but Heenan managed to escape and fled down the aisle, causing a countout of the Heenan family.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” segment featured the Armstrongs. Bob and Brad discussed their tough recent ladder match with the Fabulous Kangaroos, and how they were looking forward to participating at Tag-o-Rama. Then the lights went out in the arena, and when they went back on, the Armstrongs had been laid out and appeared to be injured. A disheveled Apter looked stunned, and there were no culprits in sight. Officials came to ringside to help the Armstrongs to the back.

Playboy Buddy Rose and Koko B. Ware secured the final BCW spot in Tag-o-Rama when they d. the Vachons (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) by DQ. The end of an exciting, close-fought match came with Rose on the outside of the ring being stalked by Mad Dog Vachon, who body-slammed Rose with the help of Butcher Vachon despite a warning from the ref not to do it. Albano and the Vachons, along with the Hennigs (who had come to ringside) put the boots to Rose and Ware until officials could restore order.

Commissioner Chad came out to congratulate the battered Rose and Ware, then announced that since the Armstrongs appeared to be out of Tag-o-Rama, and given the tantrum by the Vachons, he was awarding the final spot to Buff Bagwell and Steve Corino!

Ivan Koloff d. Yukon Eric using his BEAR HUG in a no-DQ tough man match that saw the two combatants both inside and outside the ring. Koloff turned the tide of the match when he used his chain to bludgeon Yukon Eric.

The Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) secured a No. 1 seed at Tag-o-Rama by d. the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) when Roy Heffernan and Al Costello double-teamed Stan Lane in the ring, pummeling him before Costello got the pin. The double-team was effective because the ref was distracted by Berry starting a fight with Cornette, which also drew in Bobby Eaton.

Larry Zbyszko (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. George Hackenschmidt by DQ to earn a spot in the heavyweight title match at Tag-o-Rama. Zbyszko got the DQ after Hackenschmidt went outside the ring. From the crowd, Don Muraco caught Hackenschmidt with a cheap shot, which enraged the Russian warrior and caused him to bash Zbyszko with a chair, causing the DQ.

Sabu and the Sheik (w/ Abdullah Farouk) d. the Mongols (w/ Nikita Breznikov) in a Tag-o-Rama qualifying match when Bepo Mongol was DQ’d for using a chair against Sabu, who was mostly pummeled during the match before the DQ.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FOUR, CARD 16

Tag-o-Rama PPV – Nationwide Arena – Columbus

Commissioner Chad came out and noted that this was the 100th BCW card, which brought cheers from the fans. He then went over the rules for Tag-o-Rama tournament: Each bracket had two BCW teams and two non-BCW teams, with the teams other than the top seed randomly selected. The top seed in each bracket would get to pick the opponent for the first round. The BCW world tag-team belts would be on the line -- if Giant Baba and Rikidozan lost a match (not by DQ), they would lose the belts. Commissioner Chad also said there would be five other bouts throughout the PPV, including the triple-threat match for the BCW world heavyweight title.

BRACKET ONE:

BCW world tag-team champions Giant Baba and Rikidozan, the top seed in the bracket, d. Buff Bagwell and Steve Corino by countout when an unseen (by the ref) Jushin Liger nailed Bagwell with a kick while Bagwell was trying to catch his breath outside the ring. Before that, either Baba and Rikidozan were not taking the match seriously or Corino and Bagwell were on, because the latter controlled much of the match despite having “snuck in” to the tournament at the expense of the Armstrongs.

The Canadian Connection d. Sabu and the Sheik (w/ Abdullah Farouk) by DQ when Sabu was disqualified for using the ARABIAN FACEBUSTER on the Mountie.

BRACKET TWO:

Antonino Rocca and Jim Londos, the top seed in the bracket, d. the Ortons when Londos caught Bob Orton Jr. with a headlock throw and got the quick pin. The two sides were pretty evenly matched before then, and the pin seemed to surprise all involved.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. the Killer Bees when Jim Brunzell was pinned following a ROCKET LAUNCHER. With Brunzell in trouble, the Bees tried to execute their famed “masked confusion,” but an alert Cornette notified the ref of the switch, and the Bees ended up going down to defeat.

Danny Hodge returned to action from injury and d. Timber the Insane Lumberjack using a sleeper hold.

BRACKET THREE:

The Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry), the top seed in the bracket, d. the Samoan Island Tribe when Samu succumbed to the BOOMERANG. The Kangaroos continued their recent winning ways, operating at top efficiency in dispatching the Samoans.

The Kings of Wrestling (w/ Larry Sweeney) d. Koko B. Ware and Playboy Buddy Rose when Chris Hero connected on the HERO’S WELCOME against Ware, who had been distracted by Sweeney and ended up running into the turnbuckle when attempting to nail Hero, setting himself up for Hero’s finisher.

BRACKET FOUR:

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering), the top seed in the bracket, d. Justin Credible and Chris Candido by DQ when Credible hit Animal with his Singapore Cane. After that, Animal pretty much pummeled him.

In the best match of the first round, Dr. Death Steve Williams and Ted DiBiase d. the Hennigs when Williams pinned Larry Hennig after an OKLAHOMA STAMPEDE. Curt Hennig had the advantage on DiBiase early and almost pinned him, but DiBiase was eventually able to tag in Williams, who belted Hennig from stem to stern. Curt Hennig barely survived long enough to tag in his father, but Larry Hennig could do little against a determined Williams. Afterward, the frustrated Vachons and Capt. Lou Albano came to ringside and put the boots to the weary Hennigs, apparently severing their loose alliance.

Don Muraco (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. George Hackenschmidt by countout when Muraco gave Hackenschmidt a piledriver outside the ring and Hackenschmidt was unable to make it back before the count of 10. Naturally, Heenan was distracting the referee while all of that occurred.

BRACKET ONE FINAL:

BCW world tag-team champions Giant Baba and Rikidozan (w/ Jushin Liger) d. the Canadian Connection when Baba caught Angelo Mosca with his NECKBREAKER DROP and got the pin. The match was a quick one, in part because Mosca and Baba got into a shoving match before the bell rang. Baba got in a Baba chop and rolled to victory while Mosca’s partner, the Mountie, was distracted by Liger.

BRACKET TWO FINAL:

Antonino Rocca and Jim Londos d. the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) when Rocca caught Bobby Eaton w/ his ARGENTINIAN BACKBREAKER. The match was a classic, with lots of tags and near falls. However, Cornette ended up being the Midnight Express’ undoing. His attempt at interference using his racket caused Rocca to chase him outside the ring, and Eaton to follow Rocca. But Rocca surprised Eaton, got him back into the ring and slapped on his finisher. As the ref called for the bell, Cornette looked stunned at the turn of events.

Ivan Koloff d. Diamond Dallas Page in a no-DQ match when he caught Page with his chain, then finished him with his RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. Page gave a good fight, but never got a chance to lock on his DIAMOND CUTTER.

BRACKET THREE FINAL:

The Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. the Kings of Wrestling (w/ Larry Sweeney) when they caught Chris Hero with the BOOMERANG. Before that, the Kings of Wrestling acquitted themselves well in the match.

BRACKET FOUR FINAL:

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. Dr. Death Steve Williams and Ted DiBiase when Animal pinned DiBiase following a double clothesline. It was the first loss for Williams and DiBiase in BCW action. The match featured a great test of strength between Animal and Williams,, with neither getting too much of an advantage. With the Road Warriors’ win, the four No. 1 seeds advanced to the semifinals.

The Terrible Turk d. U.S. champ Don Leo Jonathan in a nontitle, no-DQ tough-guy match when he used the questionably legal STRANGLEHOLD to subdue Jonathan, who had controlled the first part of the match but saw his fortunes change due to a mistimed turnbuckle leap.

SEMIFINALS:

BCW world tag-team champions Giant Baba and Rikidozan (w/ Jushin Liger) d. Jim Londos and Antonino Rocca in a great match to advance to the finals of Tag-o-Rama. All four men survived pin attempts, and the long match had plenty of twists and turns before Rikidozan finally wore down Londos and pinned him after using his THUNDEROUS CHOPS.

In an incredible match, the Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) reached the finals of Tag-o-Rama by d. the Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) when Hawk and Animal executed a DOOMSDAY DEVICE on Roy Heffernan. The match featured 14 pin attempts among the four wrestlers, along with much interference and many pin saves on both sides.

Jimmy Snuka retained the BCW world heavyweight title in a wild triple-threat match when Larry Zbyszko was counted out. Earlier, Rick Rude was effectively taken out of the match when he was thrown outside the ring (after much pummeling from both Snuka and Zbyszko), only to be hit with an Asiatic spike by Don Muraco at ringside. That made it a two-man match, but when Zbyszko later ventured outside the ring and manager Bobby Heenan was arguing with the ref, Rude’s valet, Ida Mae Martinez, gave Zbyszko a nasty chair shot to the face, knocking him out and causing him to be counted out.

As Snuka celebrated retaining the title, Harley Race entered the ring and offered to shake Snuka’s hand. As he did, he belted Snuka, then gave him a PILEDRIVER onto the championship belt.

FINALS:

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) became the BCW world tag-team champions for a second time and won Tag-o-Rama for the first time by d. Giant Baba and Rikidozan (w/ Jushin Liger), as Animal pinned Giant Baba following a power slam. Expected to be less than full strength following a very tough semifinal match, the Road Warriors instead came out with an immense amount of intensity, battering Rikidozan for much of the match before getting the pin against Giant Baba. The fans went wild as the longest tag-team reign in BCW history (26 cards) came to an end.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FOUR, CARD NO. 17

U.S. Bank Arena – Cincinnati

Johnny Valiant made his return from injury, teaming with brother Jimmy Valiant (w/ Bobby Heenan) to d. S+S when Jimmy Valiant pinned Larry Sharpe following his SUPER ELBOW.

U.S. heavyweight champion Don Leo Jonathan came out and called out Commissioner Chad. Jonathan said he wanted a rematch against the Terrible Turk, and he was willing to put up the U.S. title and agree to a no-DQ match. Commissioner Chad said no to the title shot, but yes to the no-DQ match, and said if the Terrible Turk won the bout, then he would get a title shot on the next card. The commissioner also announced that the Invasion qualifying matches would start this card, with the winners entered into the War Games matches and the losers wrestling for their BCW careers at the PPV.

The Fabulous Kangaroos and manager “Wild” Red Berry then came to ringside and reminded the commissioner that they were cashing in their title shot against the new tag-team champs the Road Warriors. That brought former champs Giant Baba and Rikidozan down to ringside to complain about their rematch rights, but the commissioner reminded them that the Kangaroos did, indeed, have the first shot due to their victory against the Armstrongs in Card 13. He said Giant Baba and Rikidozan would get their shot at the winner at Card No. 18 in Gainesville.

Steve Corino d. the Iron Sheik by DQ when the Iron Sheik nailed Corino with his loaded boot outside the ring. The Terrible Turk then came out, and they put the boots to Corino until, of all people, Diamond Dallas Page ran to ringside to make the save. Finally, officials broke up the battle. Corino’s tag-team partner, Buff Bagwell, was nowhere to be seen.

Mad Dog Vachon (w/ Butcher Vachon, Lou Albano) d. former teammate Curt Hennig by DQ when Hennig whacked Vachon with a chair to his head outside the ring. Hennig was then hit from behind by Butcher Vachon before officials broke up the tussle. Hennig had connected on the HENNIG PLEX earlier, but Albano distracted the ref from making the three-count.

Dr. Death Steve Williams (w/ Ted DiBiase) d. Don Muraco (w/ Bobby Heenan) in a no-DQ tough-guy match using a German suplex. The match went for quite a while, with both men getting pin attempts. Heenan distracted the ref enough early on that Williams was not able to finish Muraco off with his OKLAHOMA STAMPEDE.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured world heavyweight champion Jimmy Snuka, who immediately called out Harley Race for an explanation of the attack on him at Tag-o-Rama. Race came out and said Snuka had been the champ for too long, adding that BCW needed a strong champion for the Invasion PPV. The two began to battle, and officials had to separate them. Commissioner Chad then came out and said the two would meet in a best-of-three-falls match at Card 20, with the winner becoming heavyweight champion and representing BCW at Invasion.

Playboy Buddy Rose and Koko B. Ware d. the Ebony Express when Rose pinned Virgil following his BOMBS AWAY knee drop. When Rose was going for the pin, an apparently disgruntled S.D. Jones simply walked away instead of trying to aid his tag-team partner.

U.S. champion Don Leo Jonathan d. the Terrible Turk in a nontitle, no-DQ match using his MORMON SWING. The match was a bloody affair that saw as much time outside the ring as in it. Jonathan finally unleashed his finisher to get the win and his revenge.

Diamond Dallas Page d. Larry Hennig by DQ in an Invasion qualifying match when Page was attacked outside the ring by Hennig’s former allies, the Vachons. The attack guaranteed that Hennig will have to fight for his BCW career at Invasion. The match before the DQ was characterized by Hennig wearing down Page, who counterattacked but couldn’t lock on his DIAMOND CUTTER finisher.

The Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) stunned the Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) to capture the BCW tag-team titles when Al Costello slipped his MARBLE BOR LEGLOCK on Hawk to get the victory. The match was just as fierce as that at the PPV, but this time, a still-angry Tokyo Trio came to ringside, distracting Animal and Ellering and allowing the Kangaroos to capture the belts. Afterward, Giant Baba and Rikidozan pointed at the Kangaroos, their new source of anger. Meanwhile, the title curse continued to haunt the Road Warriors.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FOUR, CARD No. 18

O’Connell Center – Gainesville

S+S d. the Armstrongs in their return from injury when Larry Sharpe caught Bob Armstrong with his PILEDRIVER. Armstrong had been distracted by Buff Bagwell, who appeared to be taunting the Armstrongs. Finally, Brad Armstrong left ringside to go after Bagwell, part of the tag team that benefited from the attack that knocked the Armstrongs out of Tag-o-Rama. While he pursued Bagwell, the ref was distracted, and that allowed George South to help Sharpe attack Bob Armstrong, leading to the finisher and pin.

George Hackenschmidt came out and said he wanted another shot at Bobby Heenan’s guys, specifically the Valiants. Commissioner Chad came to ringside with the Valiants and Heenan, who agreed the Valiants would face Hackenschmidt in a handicap match. Hackenschmidt laughed and said he already HAD a partner for the match, one who disliked the Valiants almost as much as he did – Timber!

The Valiants (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. George Hackenschmidt and Timber when Jimmy Valiant pinned Hackenschmidt using his SUPER ELBOW. Any momentum Hackenschmidt and Timber gained during the match was ultimately thwarted, mostly by Heenan’s interference. However, after the pin, Timber went berserk, nailing Jimmy Valiant in the face with his barbed wire ax holder, seriously injuring Valiant. Don Muraco rushed to ringside after the attack, but Hackenschmidt and Timber had left by then.

Playboy Buddy Rose (w/ Koko B. Ware) d. Harley Race by DQ when Race continued to pummel Rose outside the ring despite the ref telling Race to stop. Race unleashed the full arsenal on Rose during the match. Ware and officials combined to pull Race off Rose after the DQ. Race yelled the name “Snuka” before leaving ringside.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. the Killer Bees when B. Brian Blair was upended and pinned after a vicious Hawk clothesline. The Road Warriors appeared to be pretty hostile after losing the tag title belts at the last card.

In a bloody, tough-guy chain match, Ivan Koloff d. the Iron Sheik when he used the RUSSIAN BEAR HUG – with the chain wrapped around the Iron Sheik – to get the submission. Both men recorded pin attempts, and both used the chain to their advantage, but Koloff got the final break after catching the Iron Sheik with the chain while the Sheik was coming off the ropes.

U.S. champion Don Leo Jonathan d. Diamond Dallas Page by pinning him after an atomic drop. Jonathan was able to avoid the DIAMOND CUTTER, a common problem for Page at recent cards.

In an Invasion qualifying match, the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. the Vachons (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) when Stan Lane caught Mad Dog Vachon with a SUPERKICK. The Vachons will wrestle for their BCW careers at Invasion, while the Midnight Express qualified for War Games.

The Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. Giant Baba and Rikidozan by countout to retain the BCW world tag-team championship. Baba and Rikidozan dominated the match despite interference from Berry, and they were close to regaining their tag titles a number of times. But they were done in by the Road Warriors, who attacked Baba outside the ring while the ref was distracted by Berry. Baba was not able to answer the 10-count, and after the bell rang, the Kangaroos grabbed the belts and fled, with the Road Warriors right on their tails.