BITHLO CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FIVE, CARD NO. 1

Bithloplex

Commissioner Chad came out with owner Chris to ringside. The owner praised the commissioner for a successful first year at the helm and said he couldn’t wait to see what was coming next from the “Chad House of Ideas.” The owner also announced that a new wrestling group – the AWA (Alternate Wrestling Alliance) – had formed and would be a kind of sister company to BCW, operating out of the Midwest. He said the two organizations would be holding a joint card later in the year named “Night of Champions,” when each organization would feature three title matches. The AWA also would be invited to take part in the PPVs Tag-o-Rama and Invasion/War Games. He then turned the microphone over to the commissioner and left ringside.

Commissioner Chad said last year’s Wrestlethon was a bit of a disappointment when it came to the title matches for the world and U.S. belts, but he expected there would be many more highlights this year, starting with this card, when Don Leo Jonathan would have a rematch with George Hackenschmidt for the U.S. belt – in a cage. The commissioner also said that one of the problems from last year was that the roster was a bit too full, so he had picked four names at random to take part in a tournament through the first quarter of the year. The two wrestlers with the best record will meet in the final of “Who Stays, Who Goes” at Card No. 7 to decide who would remain in BCW. Commissioner Chad said each of the other three would have a chance to retain his spot if he could win the Battle Bowl at Bithlo Bash. The four names were: Bob Armstrong, Iron Sheik, Sandman and Jimmy Snuka. The crowd gasped at the inclusion of the two-time BCW world heavyweight champ.

Buddy Rogers, in his return from injury, d. Johnny Rodz using his FIGURE FOUR GRAPEVINE. Rogers was a bit rusty, but he got the job done.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. S+S by countout in Animal’s return from injury. The Warriors got a good workout in before their title match against the Midnight Express at the next card by tossing around Larry Sharpe and George South. Finally, Animal threw South out of the ring, and South would not return to the action, preferring to get counted out instead. Afterward, Hawk grabbed the microphone and yelled, “We’re back, and we’ve got our eyes on you, Midnight Express. What a ruuuussshhhh!”

Brad Armstrong d. “Bloody” Harker Dirge (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) when Dirge succumbed to Armstrong’s sleeper hold. The match was a solidly contested one, with both men getting in plenty of offense. With his dad’s BCW career “on the bubble,” it appeared that Armstrong was working on his skills in singles matches.

The Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. the Killer Bees when Al Costello p. B. Brian Blair following an Aussie Suplex and a cheap shot by Berry. The match was an exciting one, with all four wrestlers kicking out of pin attempts and the Bees successfully pulling off “Masked Confusion” to nearly get the pin. Blair even kicked out of the BOOMERANG, but the effort made him vulnerable to Berry and Costello in the end.

Buff Bagwell d. Diamond Dallas Page when he caught DDP with a dropkick. Page controlled the first half of the match but couldn’t get a DIAMOND CUTTER locked on to his longtime tag rival, a common problem lately for Page.

The Oilmen d. Perfectly Rude (w/ Ida Mae) by DQ when Rick Rude attacked Danny Hodge outside the ring even though partner Curt Hennig was the legal man in the match. Both teams looked to be finding their way as new tag entries. Hennig appeared surprised by Rude’s actions.

In a “Who Stays, Who Goes” match, the Iron Sheik (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. Bob Armstrong (w/ Brad Armstrong) after catching him with a piledriver. The victory gave the Iron Sheik an early lead in the contest. Armstrong started strong, but was caught by a knee when the Sheik came off the ropes, and that led to his downfall.

George Hackenschmidt became the new BCW U.S. heavyweight champion by d. Don Leo Jonathan in a cage match when Jonathan was taken down by a twisting heel hook and could not prevent Hackenschmidt from leaving the cage. Both men were bloody, but Jonathan sustained the bigger battering in losing the title after a 32-card reign. The members of the Foreign Legion and Commander Lou Albano came to ringside to celebrate with Hackenschmidt as the crowd booed “the traitor.”

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FIVE, CARD NO. 2

Lakeland Civic Center

Rikidozan and Jushin Liger d. S+S when Rikidozan p. Larry Sharpe following his THUNDEROUS CHOPS. Both Rikidozan and Liger dominated the action during their time in the ring.

The Japanese pair headed toward the back after their match, only to see Giant Baba come down the aisle for his match. They steered wide to avoid Baba, but he just ignored his former teammates.

Giant Baba d. Johnny Rodz, pinning him after a Baba Chop. Baba looked to be still feeling the effects of his grueling match at Wrestlethon, as Rodz gave him a run before succumbing.

The New Age Outlaws (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. Perfectly Rude (w/ Ida Mae Martinez) when Kip James p. Curt Hennig following his STANDING LEG DROP. Hennig and Rude seemed to still be working out the chemistry of being a tag team, which helped lead to the NAO victory.

Commissioner Chad came to ringside and called out Diamond Dallas Page. Page came to the ring with a perplexed look on his face. The commissioner said Page had been a disappointment in BCW – he was stuck in a tag team that was going nowhere, and he had not had a big impact on the singles ranks. Page nodded, and Commissioner Chad added that Page needed to take his DIAMOND CUTTER out of storage and be a contender for title belts. In order to boost Page’s confidence, the commissioner was scheduling him in a match with a former U.S. champion – Virgil!

Diamond Dallas Page d. Virgil using the DIAMOND CUTTER. Afterward, Commissioner Chad was clapping at ringside.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured Danny Hodge. Hodge said he enjoyed his new partnership with Yukon Eric in the Oilmen tag team, and that their goal was a shot at the titles despite having to claw through a number of top-notch tag teams. When Apter asked him about the Hodge Championship Belt, Hodge said that while he wasn’t allowed to face Liger for the belt, he hadn’t forgotten about it, and when someone else finally snared it, Hodge would be first in line to reclaim “his legacy.”

Buddy Rogers came to ringside and said he’d recovered from the attack by the King’s Horsemen, adding, “You can’t get rid of me that easily.” He then called out Larry Hennig, saying, “It’s time for some payback.”

Buddy Rogers d. Larry Hennig (w/ Bobby Heenan) by countout when Hennig was seriously injured outside the ring by his son, Curt Hennig, and Rick Rude. Before that, Rogers and Larry Hennig had quite the match, with both getting pin attempts and neither having a clear advantage. Hennig went outside the ring to recover from a Rogers dropkick, then was ambushed by his son and Rude, who sneered before they left the scene ahead of the New Age Outlaws’ arrival to help a distraught Heenan check on Hennig.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) to recapture the BCW world tag-team titles when Animal p. Bobby Eaton following a POWER SLAM. Cornette’s attempt at interference wasn’t enough to stop the referee’s count, although the slam came out of nowhere, and Cornette had little time to react before the match was over. The Midnight Express were stunned afterward, while the Road Warriors celebrated regaining the belts.

Jimmy Snuka d. the Sandman via countout in a “Who Stays, Who Goes” match that was exhausting in its brutality. Snuka finally connected on a SUPERFLY LEAP onto the Sandman outside the ring, and Snuka barely made it back before the 10-count, while the Sandman did not. The fans were amazed at the intensity of the bout.

Harley Race (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. Ivan Koloff (w/ Commander Lou Albano), 2-0, in a best-of-three-falls match to retain the BCW world heavyweight championship. In the first fall, Koloff controlled the opening part of the match, tossing Race outside the ring. When Koloff came out to pursue him, Race hit him with a haymaker, tossed him back into the ring and connected on a PILEDRIVER to get the pin. In the second fall, each man got pin attempts, and a still-woozy Koloff rallied, but Race caught him with another PILEDRIVER. Albano kept the pin count from occurring by distracting the ref, but Race then used a swinging neckbreaker to get Koloff down again and notch the winning pin. Race celebrated with Heenan and the New Age Outlaws afterward.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FIVE, CARD NO. 3

Eddie Graham Sports Stadium

Fritz Von Goering, in his BCW debut, d. Larry Sharpe by DQ when Sharpe threw a chair at the relentless German wrestler outside the ring and then fled. Von Goering’s debut was interesting and left an impression on Sharpe, to say the least.

Rikidozan and Jushin Liger came out. Rikidozan took the microphone and said he couldn’t understand why Liger was not a “real” champion, apparently downgrading the Hodge Championship Belt with his statement. Rikidozan said Liger should get a shot at the BCW world heavyweight championship, because he was the best overall wrestler in the organization. That brought to ringside current BCW world heavyweight champion Harley Race, who appeared to still be upset over the loss to injury of fellow King’s Horseman Larry Hennig. He sneered at Liger and Rikidozan’s claim of Liger being the best overall wrestler, then offered a compromise: If Liger could beat him in a single-fall match on this card, he would get a title shot at the next card. Rikidozan and Liger readily agreed.

After they departed, Sir Oliver Humperdink came to ringside with “Bloody” Harker Dirge. Humperdink took the microphone and announced, “The future is now. Let chaos begin!” Then he called out Bobo Brazil. Brazil came racing to ringside while the fans appeared confused at what was going on.

Bobo Brazil d. Harker Dirge (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) when he pinned Dirge following a Bobo body slam. Dirge put up a good fight, and Humperdink interfered on his behalf, but Brazil persevered to get the victory. Humperdink still seemed pleased afterward, while the crowd remained confused about what the manager was talking about.

The Killer Bees d. the Jersey Boys when Steve Corino was DQ’d for taking a chair to B. Brian Blair as the two tangled outside the ring. Afterward, Commissioner Chad appeared near the entrance of the ring, looked at Diamond Dallas Page and shook his head.

Don Leo Jonathan d. U.S. champion George Hackenschmidt (w/ Commander Lou Albano) by countout when Hackenschmidt left the ring following a Jonathan pin attempt and, after the countout was signaled, the other members of the Foreign Legion entered the ring and attacked Jonathan, injuring him. The former U.S. champ had dominated much of the match and had made three pin attempts on Hackenschmidt before the current titleholder left the ring and the attack began.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured the Fabulous Kangaroos. They complained again how they lost their titles, and that the Midnight Express were “paper champions.” They also said the Road Warriors wouldn’t face them because they were “scared” of the hold the Fabulous Kangaroos had on them. That brought out an angry Hawk and Animal. They got into manager “Wild” Red Berry’s face and said they would face the Kangaroos on the next card – whether they successfully defended the belts on this card or not. A lot of pushing ensued, but the Kangaroos basically agreed to the offer of a possible title shot.

Johnny Valentine came to ringside for a match, only to be confronted by Commissioner Chad. The commissioner noted that Valentine had been a BCW world heavyweight champion in the past – would he like to be one again? Valentine nodded. The commissioner said that BCW needed a legitimate challenger for Race, and it seemed like those who had tried to fill the role fell way short lately. He said Valentine would have a shot at proving his worthiness – just like Diamond Dallas Page.

Johnny Valentine d. Johnny Rodz after connecting with the ATOMIC SKULLCRUSHER. Valentine had all sorts of problems with Rodz, who got four pin attempts on Valentine before Valentine finally took control of the match. Commissioner Chad threw up his hands and went to the back before Valentine turned things around and got the pin.

BCW world tag-team champions the Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. the New Age Outlaws (w/ Bobby Heenan) when Hawk pinned B.G. James after a vertical suplex. During the pin, Kip James and Heenan were distracted by the Fabulous Kangaroos arriving and making a scene at ringside. Afterward, the NAO appeared angry, Animal was pointing at the Kangaroos and Kangaroos manager “Wild” Red Berry was pointing at the title belts.

In a “Who Stays, Who Goes” match, Jimmy Snuka d. Bob Armstrong (w/ Brad Armstrong) by pinning him after a massive SUPERFLY LEAP. The match was an excellent one, with both men having at least two pin attempts before Snuka ended it, and Armstrong showing a major amount of resilience before falling short. Son Brad helped him to the back, and Snuka applauded his effort.

Jushin Liger (w/ Rikidozan) d. BCW world heavyweight champion Harley Race (w/ Bobby Heenan) by DQ when Race attacked Rikidozan after he got a cheap shot in on Race while Race was outside the ring, a shot that went unnoticed by the referee. Race had been outside the ring to chase Liger, who had exited the ring moments earlier. Neither man had a pin attempt during the match. With the “win,” Liger was guaranteed a shot at the title on the next card.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FIVE, CARD NO. 4

Sanford Barn

Ray Stevens (w/ Buff Bagwell) d. Johnny Rodz in Stevens’ return to the ring, finishing Rodz off with a BOMBS AWAY kneedrop. Stevens came out like a crazy man, throwing Rodz into the ring steps before the match began. He dominated most of the action and, after a small rally by Rodz, used his finisher to end the encounter.

“Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers d. Bobo Brazil by DQ when the New Age Outlaws came to ringside to pummel Rogers for the attack on Larry Hennig carried out by Curt Hennig and Rick Rude, while Brazil watched on in confusion. Hennig and Rude raced to ringside to chase the Outlaws away.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. the Armstrongs in a long, great match when the Express connected on a ROCKET LAUNCHER to pin Bob Armstrong. Given that it might have been one of the final teamings of the Armstrongs, they gave it their all and really stretched the Express, who attacked the Armstrongs before the bell and seemed to still be angry about losing their titles to the Road Warriors.

U.S. heavyweight champion George Hackenschmidt (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. “Bloody” Harker Dirge (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) when Dirge finally succumbed to the RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. The feisty Dirge put up quite a battle before falling to Hackenschmidt.

As Diamond Dallas Page and Steve Corino came to ringside for a match, so did Commissioner Chad, followed by Perfectly Rude. The commissioner said Page still hadn’t fully stepped it up yet and remained mired in tag-team efforts. He also noted that Perfectly Rude had been a disappointment so far – so, their upcoming match would have a special stipulation: the losing tag team would have to break up!

Perfectly Rude d. the Jersey Boys by DQ when Steve Corino blasted Curt Hennig with a chair outside the ring. Corino’s intensity cost him a teammate, but Diamond Dallas Page had already been frustrated by the fact that he connected on a DIAMOND CUTTER on Hennig, only to have Rick Rude break up the pin attempt. Afterward, Page shook Corino’s hand as their partnership ended.

The Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. the Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) to recapture the BCW world tag-team titles and continue their dominance over the Warriors. The end was a wild one, as Al Costello clocked Hawk with a boomerang at ringside, then helped trip up Animal, which allowed Roy Heffernan to get the quick pin after a Crocodile Smash. The two then double-teamed Animal while a recovering Hawk was attacked by a still-angry Midnight Express at ringside. Animal was injured, and the Kangaroos had the belts again.

In a “Who Stays, Who Goes” match, the Iron Sheik and the Sandman ended in a double DQ as both men brawled outside the ring to the point the ref had to call the contest. It took a number of officials to break the pair up. Before the DQ, the Sandman had been the one dominating the ring action – which might have added to the Iron Sheik’s frustration.

In a best-of-three-falls championship match, Harley Race (w/ Bobby Heenan) retained the world heavyweight title with a DQ victory against Jushin Liger (w/ Rikidozan). In the first fall, Race connected with a PILEDRIVER, but Liger somehow slipped out ahead of the three-count. Then Race exited to the outside of the ring after a Rolling Koppo Kick by Liger, only to be caught by a nasty clothesline by Rikidozan that went unseen by the ref. Race was unable to make the 10-count to return to the ring. In the second fall, Liger connected with a LIGER BOMB, a BRAINBUSTER and a FISHERMAN’S BUSTER, but was unable to get the pin (especially with one of them being broken up by Heenan’s interference). He went for a jump off the top of the turnbuckle, only to have Heenan push him off early. That set him up for another PILEDRIVER from Race, who got the pin. In the third fall, the action went back and forth. Race went outside the ring, only to be nailed by a flying kick by Liger that caused him to hit the post. The ref called for the DQ for “excessive brutality.” Rikidozan was not happy, Heenan was not happy, and the crowd did not seem pleased. The New Age Outlaws came to ringside to help a stunned Race to the back.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FIVE -- CARD NO. 5

Disney MGM

Commissioner Chad came to ringside and said he had a number of matters to clear up.

First, he said Road Warrior Animal would be out for a while, so there would be no rematch of the Road Warriors and current tag-team champs the Fabulous Kangaroos at Bithlo Bash. Instead, there would be a four-team tournament this card and the next to determine the No. 1 challenger. The teams in the tournament would be the Midnight Express, the New Age Outlaws, the Oilmen and the Killer Bees. In the meantime, he said Road Warrior Hawk would team up with manager Paul Ellering to face the Kangaroos and manager "Wild" Red Berry on this card.

The commissioner said a No. 1 contender was also needed for the world heavyweight championship, so a Four Corners match would be held on the next card, with the participants being Johnny Valentine, Diamond Dallas Page, Jushin Liger and “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers.

Finally, since Bobby Heenan was still upset about the kick Harley Race took from Liger during their championship match on the last card , the commissioner had booked a match for the next card between Race and Liger’s partner, Rikidozan.

“Enough news,” Commissioner Chad said. “It’s time to get down to the business.”

Bobo Brazil d. Johnny Rodz by countout when he hit Rodz with a clothesline hard enough to knock Rodz from the ring. Rodz was unable (and perhaps unwilling) to make the 10-count to return. Brazil looked to be fed up with something, as he stomped from the ring once the match was over. The former BCW world heavyweight champion might have been unhappy with not being a part of the Four Corners match for the title.

Perfectly Rude (w/ Ida Mae) d. S+S when Rick Rude gave a RUDE AWAKENING to Larry Sharpe. Sharpe had attacked him before the bell while Rude was doing his “dance,” and what Sharpe got in return was a severe beating, followed by a pin.

Ray Stevens (w/ Buff Bagwell) d. Steve Corino by DQ when Corino picked up Stevens and slammed him onto the concrete floor. That brought Bagwell into the picture, and he and Stevens started pummeling Bagwell’s former tag-team partner. Then Harker Dirge ran to ringside, followed by Sir Oliver Humperdink, to even the odds. Bagwell and Stevens fled, and Corino shook hands with Humperdink and Dirge and left with them.

In an all-out wild brawl, Road Warrior Hawk and Paul Ellering d. BCW world tag-team champs The Fabulous Kangaroos and “Wild” Red Berry in a handicap match when Hawk pinned Roy Heffernan after a running clothesline. Although Berry never tagged in, he provided a lot of interference. Both sides had multiple pin attempts, but what ultimately took down the Kangaroos was the fact that Ellering held his own during his times in the ring while giving Hawk a breather. Afterward, the Kangaroos and Berry fled ringside before an angry Hawk could inflict more damage.

U.S. champion George Hackenschmidt (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. Giant Baba in a nontitle match when Baba succumbed to the RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. Baba was a house afire early, connecting on his NECKBREAKER DROP (Albano caused a distraction on the pin count) and generally dominating the match. He eventually chased Albano around outside the ring, giving Hackenschmidt a chance to recover and take control.

The New Age Outlaws (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. the Killer Bees when Kip and B.G. James caught Jim Brunzell with a spike piledriver, then B.G. James pinned him while Kip James nailed B. Brian Blair with a punch. The victory gave the Outlaws a spot in the No. 1 contender’s match.

Bob Armstrong d. the Sandman by DQ in a “Who Stays, Who Goes” match when Sandman used his Singapore cane on Armstrong while both were outside the ring. The win effectively doomed both men, as the WSWG finale will be a repeat of the next card’s match: Jimmy Snuka vs. the Iron Sheik.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. the Oilmen when Stan Lane connected on a SUPERKICK to Danny Hodge to get the pin. The Express, aided by the interference of Cornette, were able to keep Hodge from tagging in Yukon Eric, which led to their success. With the victory, the Midnight Express advanced to face the New Age Outlaws in the No. 1 contender’s match.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FIVE, CARD NO. 6

UCF Arena

The Armstrongs d. Ray Stevens and Buff Bagwell when Bob Armstrong connected on a cross-body block and pinned a woozy Stevens, who had just gotten out of a SLEEPER by Armstrong a moment earlier due to help from Bagwell. In perhaps one of their final team-ups, the Armstrongs did well in shifting the early momentum by Bagwell and Stevens.

U.S. champion George Hackenschmidt (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. the Sandman in a volatile match when Hackenschmidt connected with a cross-body block off the turnbuckle to get the pin. Hackenschmidt controlled most of the match and avoided any dangerous encounters with the Sandman outside the ring.

Mad Dog Vachon came to ringside and announced that he “still had an itch to scratch,” then called out Curt Hennig, telling him to “leave his girlfriend behind” (apparently referring to Hennig’s tag-team partner, Rick Rude). Out came an angry Hennig.

Curt Hennig d. Mad Dog Vachon (w/ Commander Lou Albano) when he pinned Vachon following a rolling neck snap. The pin caught Vachon and Albano by surprise, but then Ivan Koloff and U.S. champion George Hackenschmidt headed to ringside to put a hurt on Hennig, only to have Hennig bail out of the ring and be supported by an arriving Rude. Officials then intervened before any true fighting could break out.

BCW world tag-team champions the Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. the Oilmen in a nontitle match when Yukon Eric succumbed to Al Costello’s MARBLE BOR LEGLOCK shortly after his rally was derailed by an interfering Berry. The Kangaroos looked to be locked in ahead of their title match at Bithlo Bash.

Jimmy Snuka d. the Iron Sheik (w/ Commander Lou Albano) by DQ in a “Who Stays, Who Goes” match when the Iron Sheik left the ring, then attacked Snuka once he went out to ringside. Albano tried to stop his wrestler, but once the ref called for the DQ, the manager joined the Sheik in pummeling Snuka ahead of the winner-take-all match on the next card. Officials eventually broke it up and had to help a battered Snuka to the back.

The New Age Outlaws (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) by DQ in a No. 1 contender’s match when Heenan was able to get the distracted ref to see Cornette blast Kip James with his trusty tennis racket while Stan Lane was getting ready to jump off the top rope. Cornette’s misdeed brought on the DQ finish in what had been a pretty even match up to that point. With the win, the New Age Outlaws gained a chance for revenge against the Fabulous Kangaroos, who derailed them during their title match against the then-champion Road Warriors on Card No. 3.

BCW world heavyweight champion Harley Race (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. Rikidozan in a nontitle match when Race performed a second PILEDRIVER on Rikidozan to get the pin. The match was pretty even for the first half until Race took control (through interference by Heenan) and inflicted massive amounts of punishment on Rikidozan before the pair of PILEDRIVERS. Rikidozan’s tag partner, Jushin Liger, was in the back preparing for the next match, so he was unaware of Rikidozan’s fate. After the pin, the New Age Outlaws joined Race at ringside, and they combined with Race to inflict more punishment on Rikidozan, seriously injuring him while apparently sending a message to Liger. Suddenly, Giant Baba appeared at ringside. He backed the King’s Horsemen away, then tended to his former tag partner who became a hated rival. The Horsemen glared at Baba before leaving as officials came to ringside.

Diamond Dallas Page won the Four Corners match and became the No. 1 contender for the BCW world heavyweight title, but it was not without controversy. Johnny Valentine was eliminated first, after Buddy Rogers caught him with a cross-body block coming off the turnbuckle. Rogers later got a seemingly dazed Jushin Liger to succumb to his FIGURE FOUR GRAPEVINE. That left Rogers and Page, who battled inside the ring for a while before both went to the outside. That’s when the New Age Outlaws came to ringside and attacked Page! The referee had no choice but to award the DQ victory to Page, although it quickly became obvious that they attacked Page in order to cost Rogers the title shot. Rogers was furious afterward and pointed menacingly at Bobby “the Brain” Heenan, who was near an entrance to the arena, watching the action.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FIVE, CARD NO. 7

Melbourne Auditorium

Commissioner Chad came to ringside to announce that U.S. champion George Hackenschmidt would not be defending the belt at Bithlo Bash, as he wanted to be one of the entrants in the 36-man Bithlo Battle Bowl. As a result, the commissioner said he had decided that Hackenschmidt would face the runner-up in the Battle Bowl in a title defense at Card No. 9. (The winner of the Bithlo Battle Bowl will get a shot at the world heavyweight champion at Card No. 16’s Tag-o-Rama PPV.)

He also said that Bob Armstrong had “two final requests” before his apparent departure from BCW. He wanted to team with his son Brad against the Midnight Express one more time, which the commissioner granted for this card. He also asked that son Brad would get a shot at Jushin Liger’s HCB belt, which the commissioner scheduled for Card No. 9 (provided Liger did not finish as the runner-up at the Battle Bowl).

Delirious made his debut in BCW by d. Johnny Rodz via his finisher, the CHEMICAL IMBALANCE # 2. The odd wrestler stopped in the middle to the match to run around the auditorium, much to the confusion of Rodz, but eventually came back into the ring and finished the match. Afterward, Sir Oliver Humperdink came to ringside, and Delirious left with him, babbling incoherently all the while.

Ray Stevens came to ringside w/ Buff Bagwell and called out Steve Corino, saying he had “unfinished business” from a couple of cards ago. Out came Corino, along with Sir Oliver Humperdink, Delirious and Harker Dirge. Stevens called the group a “freak show,” then dropped the mike to get ready for the match.

Steve Corino (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink, Delirious, Harker Dirge) d. Ray Stevens (w/ Buff Bagwell) by DQ when Bagwell gave his former teammate a double-arm DDT when Stevens and Corino were both out of the ring. Stevens and Bagwell fled before the rest of the Humperdink gang could catch up with them. The match had been full of brutality between “old school” Corino and “the Crippler” Stevens.

Ivan Koloff (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. Hawk (w/ Paul Ellering) by DQ when Hawk threw Koloff over the barrier at ringside and into the walkway area. Hawk showed a lot of intensity ahead of the Bithlo Battle Bowl, of which he was expected to be a part.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. the Armstrongs when Brad Armstrong was pinned following the ROCKET LAUNCHER. During the match, the tide turned when Cornette smacked Brad with his tennis racket. Afterward, as Bob Armstrong went to check on his son, Cornette hit him from behind with the racket, too, then bragged to fans at ringside about “a lovely parting gift.” Officials came to the ring to aid the two Armstrongs.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured Diamond Dallas Page, the No. 1 contender for the world heavyweight championship, and Bobby Heenan, manager of BCW world heavyweight champion Harley Race. Before they could begin, “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers came onto the scene to proclaim how he was robbed of the No. 1 contender’s spot, saying Race was afraid to face him and that’s why the New Age Outlaws attacked Page, whom Rogers called a “lesser opponent.” Heenan denied all that Rogers said, claiming that Race was looking forward to the challenge of Page – and then smiled. Page told Rogers that he would be a “worthy opponent” for Race and that he would give Rogers a title shot after he won the belt. That made Rogers angrier, and he pushed Heenan before leaving. Page finished the interview by telling Apter that he’d be a “big surprise” for many people at the title match at Bithlo Bash.

Harker Dirge came to ringside and said his match against U.S. champion George Hackenschmidt back at Card No. 4 wasn’t as big of a test as his last match against Bobo Brazil on Card No. 3. Dirge said he wanted to see how much he had actually improved ahead of the Bithlo Battle Bowl, so he was calling out Brazil again! Brazil came to the ring shaking his head.

Harker Dirge (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink, Delirious, Steve Corino) d. Bobo Brazil by DQ when Brazil tossed Dirge outside the ring into his companions in apparent frustration for not finishing Dirge off during the match. He was then attacked by Corino and Delirious, and officials had to separate them. Brazil shouted “no more” at Dirge.

U.S. heavyweight champion George Hackenschmidt (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. Danny Hodge in a nontitle match after Hodge submitted to Hackenschmidt’s key lock armbar. Hodge gave a good account of himself, but the match turned when both got outside the ring and Albano distracted Hodge, which allowed Hackenschmidt to ram Hodge’s arm against a steel post. The rest became academic after that.

Commissioner Chad came to ringside and announced he had a request that Giant Baba wanted to face the New Age Outlaws in a handicap match. He called out Giant Baba and asked if that was true. Baba nodded “yes.” The New Age Outlaws and Bobby Heenan headed to the ring as the commissioner made the match.

The New Age Outlaws (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. Giant Baba and surprise teammate Jushin Liger when B.G. James pinned Liger following his PUMP HANDLE SLAM. Baba was being double-teamed in the match when Liger showed up to watch, then jumped to Baba’s corner. An uncertain Baba eventually decided to tag him in, and Liger went to work on the Outlaws. But when he went for a leap off the turnbuckle, Kip James was able to pull B.G. James away at the last minute, meaning Liger crashed to the canvas. B.G. James then used his finisher on Liger while Kip James launched a quick punch at Baba. Afterward, Baba and Liger shook hands.

Commissioner Chad was back to ringside to announce that in the finale of the ‘Who Stays, Who Goes” tournament, there would be no managers at ringside, since it was a career-deciding match. Commander Lou Albano was seen near the entrance to the Melbourne Auditorium having a fit.

Jimmy Snuka secured his spot in BCW when the Iron Sheik was DQ’d for a second straight match for repeatedly ramming Snuka’s head into a steel post at ringside. Officials came down to restore order in what had been a highly competitive bout until the Sheik lost it. The loss means the Iron’s Sheik’s only chance to remain in BCW would involve winning or finishing as the runner-up in the Bithlo Battle Bowl!

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FIVE, CARD NO. 8

Bithlo Bash PPV – Bithloplex

The BCW world tag-team champion Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. the New Age Outlaws (w/ Bobby Heenan) when the Kangaroos double-teamed B.G. James and then pinned him. The Kangaroos controlled most of the match until the Outlaws rallied. Then Al Costello belted Kip James on the apron, causing him to fall back on Heenan at ringside. That allowed him to help Roy Heffernan finish off B.G. James for the pin. Afterward, Berry taunted a dazed Heenan.

Commissioner Chad came out to explain the particulars of Battle Bowl. There would be three Battle Bowl brackets, featuring 12 wrestlers in each. The wrestlers, who were assigned to one of the three Bowls through a random drawing, would be eliminated once they were thrown over the top rope. The final two contestants in each of the three Battle Bowls would move to the final Battle Bowl. The winner of the final would take on the BCW world heavyweight champion at the Tag-o-Rama PPV (Card No. 16), while the runner-up would face U.S. champ George Hackenschmidt at Card No. 9. Finally, the commissioner noted that the third of the three Battle Bowl brackets would feature three guest wrestlers.

First Battle Bowl

(Bracket preview: Two tag teams – the Oilmen and the Killer Bees – were part of this bracket, along with HCB holder Jushin Liger and former BCW world heavyweight champions Johnny Valentine and Bobo Brazil.)

(eliminated/by whom)

Johnny Rodz (by Jim Brunzell)
Yukon Eric (by Ray Stevens – Danny Hodge couldn’t make the save of his tag-team partner in time)
Jushin Liger (by Hodge – Liger tried to knock out his onetime rival with a flying leap, but Hodge, who was battling Stevens at the time, ducked, and Liger went over the top rope instead)
Hodge (by Stevens)
Bobby Eaton (by Bobo Brazil)
Brad Armstrong (by B. Brian Blair)
Stevens (by Johnny Valentine – Stevens was trying to attack Valentine as Valentine was attempting to get Steve Corino over the top rope. Instead, Valentine turned and tossed Stevens)
Corino (by Valentine)
Brazil (by the Killer Bees – Brazil was frustrated afterward at losing his chance to regain the heavyweight title, slamming his hand on the floor)
Jim Brunzell (by Valentine – he picked one of the Bees and tossed them after their successful elimination of Brazil. Blair looked frustrated that both Killer Bees didn’t make it to the next round.)

Winners of first Battle Bowl: Johnny Valentine and B. Brian Blair.

Second Battle Bowl

(Bracket preview: U.S. champ George Hackenschmidt was one of three members of the Foreign Legion in perhaps the toughest of the three brackets. Teammate Iron Sheik and the Sandman, losers in the “Who Stays, Who Goes” matches, both faced the end of their BCW careers if they did not at least advance to the finals. Also in this bracket were five-time U.S. champ Buddy Rogers, former BCW world heavyweight champions Giant Baba and Jimmy Snuka, and Road Warrior Hawk.)

(eliminated/by whom)

The Sandman (Iron Sheik – who was yelling the name of rival Jimmy Snuka, across the ring from the Iron Sheik, even as he ended the Sandman’s career in BCW.)
George South (Ivan Koloff)
Buddy Rogers (Iron Sheik, who apparently was trying to eliminate anyone perceived to be a threat to his goal of remaining in BCW. While Rogers was on the edge of elimination, no one came to help him. Possible help from Rick Rude was lacking, as Rude was tied up with Hawk.)
Stan Lane (Giant Baba)
Snuka (Koloff – Iron Sheik yelled because he hadn’t gotten to Snuka before he was ousted, even though it was a fellow member of the Foreign Legion who eliminated Snuka.)
Rude and Koloff (by Iron Sheik. Rude and Iron Sheik were tangled up when Koloff came to help. In the resulting scrum, Rude and Koloff went over the top rope together, while the Iron Sheik held on. Rude was last year’s winner at Battle Bowl.)
Hawk (George Hackenschmidt)
Iron Sheik (Delirious. Sheik teammate Hackenschmidt was tied up with Giant Baba. Snuka snuck back to ringside and, unseen by the referees, helped pull the Iron Sheik over. The two then brawled until officials broke it up. The Iron Sheik’s BCW career is over.)
Giant Baba (George Hackenschmidt – Baba about had the U.S. champion out of the ring when a wild Delirious plowed into the pair, knocking Baba off-balance and outside the ring. Hackenschmidt managed to keep hold of the top rope and remain in the ring.)

Winners of second Battle Bowl: Delirious and George Hackenschmidt.

Third Battle Bowl

(Bracket preview: The bracket included former BCW world heavyweight champion Don Leo Jonathan, rivals Curt Hennig and Mad Dog Vachon, Bob Armstong, who as a loser in the “Who Stays, Who Goes” competition was wrestling for his BCW career, and guest wrestlers King Kong Bundy, Chris Hero and Angelo Mosca.)

(eliminated/by whom)

Bob Armstrong (by Angelo Mosca, after a long, tough battle. The crowd applauded as Armstrong’s BCW career ended.)
Larry Sharpe (Don Leo Jonathan)
Chris Hero (Fritz Von Goering. Hero jumped into the fray to help Von Goering dump Mosca, but Von Goering thought he was trying to attack and instead tossed Hero over.)
Von Goering (Mosca – the two engaged in a huge battle before Mosca finally got him over.)
Jonathan (Harker Dirge – Jonathan was going after Virgil when Dirge surprised him.)
Mosca (Curt Hennig)
Virgil (Mad Dog Vachon)
King Kong Bundy and Buff Bagwell (Hennig – he ducked out of the way at the last moment, and Bundy plowed into newfound ally Bagwell, sending both over the ropes.)
Vachon (Dirge).

Winners of third Battle Bowl: Curt Hennig and Harker Dirge.

Harley Race (w/ Bobby Heenan) retained his BCW world heavyweight championship by defeating Diamond Dallas Page, 2-0, in a best-of-three-falls match. In the first fall, Page and Race went back and forth for a while before Race finally took control. He went for his swinging neckbreaker, only to have Page hit his DIAMOND CUTTER out of nowhere. Page went for the three-count, only to have Heenan distract the referee. Race recovered, and the two battled again until Race slipped to the outside of the ring to catch his breath. As Page followed, Race was clotheslined by Buddy Rogers, who then sneered at Page and Heenan. Officials escorted Rogers from ringside as the referee gave the first fall to Race via DQ. Each man had two pin attempts during the first fall.

In the second fall, Race came out like a house afire, belting Page, who recovered from the initial attack but seemed to lack the momentum he had during the first fall. A swinging neckbreaker eventually led to a pin by Race. It appeared that Rogers’ actions had more effect on Page than on Race.

The New Age Outlaws, still smarting from their tag loss to the Kangaroos, came to ringside to celebrate with Race after the victory.

Final Battle Bowl

(Preview: Dirge and Delirious appeared to have a slight advantage, being part of Humperdink’s stable. Hackenschmidt was looking to finish at least runner-up so he wouldn’t have to defend his U.S. belt. Valentine was the only former BCW world heavyweight champ in the finals, while Hennig and Blair seemed to be the odd men out.)

Hackenschmidt eliminated Delirious (went after him right away, apparently to avoid suffering the kind of “accidental” bump that eliminated Giant Baba. Dirge couldn’t get there in time to save his teammate.)

Dirge eliminated Hackenschmidt (who appeared worn out after his prolonged tussle with Delirious. The ouster meant Hackenschmidt will have an opponent for the U.S. title at card No. 9.)

Hennig eliminated Blair (who put up quite a struggle before being eliminated.)

Valentine eliminated Dirge

Johnny Valentine eliminated Curt Hennig to win the Bithlo Battle Bowl and secure a shot at the BCW world heavyweight title at Tag-o-Rama. Hennig got the consolation prize: a U.S. title shot.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FIVE, CARD NO. 9

Eddie Graham Sports Stadium

Commissioner Chad got into the ring and greeted the crowd. He said the last card was a great one for Johnny Valentine, as he’d get the shot at the world heavyweight title at Tag-o-Rama after winning the Bithlo Battle Bowl. The commissioner was then interrupted by Diamond Dallas Page, who said he was nearly the champ at Bithlo Bash – he even got the Diamond Cutter on Harley Race – but interference by Bobby Heenan and by Buddy Rogers cost him. Rogers then came to ringside and said Page had no excuses – he wasn’t around when Page lost the second fall.

Commissioner Chad then interrupted to say that the Page/Rogers feud was costing a legitimate title effort by both men, so he was booking Rogers and Page in a match at Card No. 10 – a lumberjack match, so that interference by the King’s Horsemen would be prevented. The winner of the match would get Race at Card 12’s Night of Champions – in a cage!

As Page and Rogers departed – eyeing each other warily – the commissioner noted that there were a lot of contenders for the BCW world heavyweight title – and a new one who was also an old familiar face, so to speak, would be in the next match!

Mil Mascaras made a triumphant return to BCW, d. Johnny Rodz by pinning him after a slingshot plancha. Mascaras, absent from BCW since Year Two, looked sharp in his return and likely put himself on the list of legitimate heavyweight title contenders.

The Oilmen d. the New Age Outlaws (w/ Bobby Heenan) by DQ when B.G. and Kip James put a beat-down on Yukon Eric outside the ring, apparently in frustration for their performance at Bithlo Bash, when they were unable to take the belts off the Fabulous Kangaroos. Officials and Eric’s partner, Danny Hodge, finally broke up the melee. Heenan called the Outlaws “hungry” afterward.’’

Sir Oliver Humperdink came to ringside and said he had heard Giant Baba was angry at Delirious due to being eliminated by him at Battle Bowl. Humperdink said that if Baba had an issue, Delirious was willing to get into the ring and settle it. Down to ringside came Giant Baba.

Giant Baba vs. Delirious (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) ended in a double DQ when Steve Corino and Harker Dirge came to ringside to attack Giant Baba, who had been in control of the match. Their appearance brought down Jushin Liger and Bobo Brazil to even the odds. The ref then threw out the match as the two sides began to clash.

Commissioner Chad came out to explain the rules of the upcoming Tag-o-Rama PPV event at Card 16. He said three would be, as in previous years, 16 tag teams – this time six from BCW, three from sister company AWA, two from sister company FSW (Future Stars of Wrestling), three from the BWF (Bootleg Wrestling Federation) and two from the independent circuit. Except for the BWF, the remaining teams would be eligible to win the BCW world tag-team titles if they could defeat the defending champs in the tournament. He added that, as before, there would be four brackets, with No. 1 seeds (who get to pick their first-round opponent) coming from BCW, the AWA and the BWF, and a fourth No. 1 seed being a wildcard one for the most deserving BCW tag team. He then introduced two teams that would be in the running for the wildcard No. 1 seed and had a match next: the Midnight Express, and Ray Stevens and Buff Bagwell.

Buff Bagwell and Ray Stevens d. the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) by DQ when Bagwell flipped to the outside of the ring from the turnbuckle, and Cornette and Bobby Eaton launched an attack on him while he was down. Officials had to separate the two teams, as the race for the No. 1 seed apparently made for some testy competitors.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured Johnny Valentine, the winner of Battle Bowl at Bithlo Bash. Valentine said he was proud to have won the event and was really looking forward to facing Harley Race, should Race still be the champion at Tag-o-Rama. That brought an angry Race out, saying, “What do you mean, still champion?” Apter tried to interrupt to ask Race a question, and Race pushed him down. Valentine then pushed Race! Race got back to his feet and challenged Valentine to a nontitle match at the next card – and Valentine accepted!

In a rematch from their clash at Battle Bowl, Ivan Koloff (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. Rick Rude via his RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. The great back-and-forth match saw Rude gain an advantage when Koloff misjudged a run into the turnbuckle and fell to the outside of the ring. Rude pursued but was distracted by Albano, which set him up for a vicious clothesline by Koloff. The “Russian Bear” then threw Rude back into the ring and executed his finisher.

“Wild” Red Berry came to ringside. He said the “numerous” fans of the world-champion Fabulous Kangaroos wanted to see “their heroes” defend the tag titles ahead of their automatic defense at Night of Champions (Card No. 12), so Berry had “decided” that they would face the Killer Bees. Berry said the Bees “sounded dangerous,” then smirked.

The BCW world tag-team champions the Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. the Killer Bees in a long, classic tag match when Al Costello pinned Jim Brunzell following a forearm smash. The match started when the sneaky Kangaroos tried to attack the Bees before the bell, only to have Costello slammed into a table at ringside. The match continued to be a back-and-forth one, with Berry sweating more as the bout went on. Finally, Berry got in a cheap shot, and Costello finished the job. Fans cheered for the Bees afterward.

Jushin Liger retained the HCB belt with a victory against Brad Armstrong using his SHOOTING STAR PRESS. Armstrong made a good accounting of himself before falling to Liger, and the two shook hands after the match.

Curt Hennig (w/ Rick Rude) d. U.S. heavyweight champion George Hackenschmidt (w/ Commander Lou Albano) by DQ when Albano hit Hennig with a chair while both Hennig and Hackenschmidt were outside the ring. Hennig dominated much of the match, making Albano’s actions appear to be one of desperation. Fans booed the apparent escape.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FIVE, CARD NO. 10

Jefferson (Ohio) Fairgrounds

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. S+S in Animal’s return from injury when Hawk pinned George South after a running clothesline. Afterward, Ellering called out that they were looking for the world-champion Fabulous Kangaroos.

Mad Dog Vachon (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. Virgil when he pinned him following a Mad Dog Pounce. Virgil gave a pretty good showing but couldn’t generate enough offense to stop Vachon.

Ray Stevens and Buff Bagwell d. the Oilmen by DQ when Harker Dirge and Steve Corino came to ringside and started beating down Corino’s former partner, Bagwell. Stevens eventually came to his aid, and officials quickly broke things up. It was especially frustrating for the Oilmen, as Danny Hodge was getting ready to jump from the turnbuckle onto a stunned Stevens when the attack occurred.

The New Age Outlaws (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) when Kip James pinned Bobby Eaton after his STANDING LEG DROP. The Express’ slump continued, as Kip and B.G. James withstood early momentum by the duo of Eaton and Stan Lane to forge the victory.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured George Hackenschmidt, the U.S. heavyweight champion, with Commander Lou Albano. Hackenschmidt said he thought the title should be renamed the Russian heavyweight championship or international heavyweight championship, because there were no good U.S. wrestlers who could take it. That brought out Commissioner Chad, who said that not only would the belt not be renamed, but that Hackenschmidt was still lucky to have it after Hennig was attacked while in control of the match at the last card. In fact, the commissioner said he thought the two would be good in a return match at Night of Champions – in a cage! Hackenschmidt looked unhappy, and Commissioner Chad said he’d have to mull that one over a bit more.

The House of Humperdink (as introduced by Gary Michael Cappetta) d. Jushin Liger, Giant Baba and Bobo Brazil when Steve Corino tripped up Liger coming off the ropes, allowing Delirious to pin him. Afterward, Brazil and Baba jumped into the ring and gave Delirious a combined body slam before Corino and Harker Dirge could come to his aid, injuring Delirious. Sir Oliver Humperdink was angry afterward, despite the fact his team had cheated to win the match.

In a nontitle match, BCW world heavyweight champion Harley Race (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. Johnny Valentine by DQ when Mil Mascaras came out of the crowd to land a flying bodypress on Race while both the champion and Valentine were out of the ring. Mascaras was apparently signaling his intention to be in the title mix. At a card in which Race was setting the record for longest heavyweight title reign (22 cards, topping 21 by Jimmy Snuka and Ted DiBiase), he was ambushed by Mascaras and was generally seen as losing the match to Valentine at the time of the interference. Mascaras left the scene afterward, as Race yelled at a startled Heenan, “Where’s my enforcer?!”

The BCW world tag-team champion Fabulous Kangaroos came out with “Wild” Red Berry and announced that since they had a title match at the last card, they wouldn’t be putting the belts on the line at this card. Curt Hennig came to ringside and said that was OK – he and Rick Rude would beat them anyway. An angry Roy Heffernan motioned for them to “bring it!”

The BCW tag-team champion Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. Perfectly Rude in a nontitle match when Roy Heffernan pinned Rick Rude after the BOOMERANG. The match was a long, great one, as Perfectly Rude couldn’t generate constant offense, but the Kangaroos couldn’t put them away, despite Berry’s constant interference. His meddling did cause a ringwide brawl when he stopped Curt Hennig’s attempt to pin Al Costello via the HENNIG PLEX. During the melee, Berry got in a cheap shot on Rude using a boomerang, leading to Rude’s eventual downfall.

The lumberjacks came out for the match between Diamond Dallas Page and Buddy Rogers. Page’s lumberjacks were the Killer Bees, the Oilmen and Bobo Brazil. Rogers’ were Perfectly Rude, Ray Stevens and Buff Bagwell, and Fritz Von Goering.

Buddy Rogers d. Diamond Dallas Page in a No. 1 contender’s match for the BCW world heavyweight title when Page was pushed from the top turnbuckle by a sneaky Curt Hennig, banging his knee on the canvas and allowing Rogers to roll him up for the pin. Page hit a DIAMOND CUTTER on Rogers earlier in the match, but did not get all of it, and Rogers kicked out at two. Later, while Rogers was on the outside fighting off Page’s lumberjacks, Rick Rude slipped into the ring and gave Page a swinging neckbreaker, allowing Rogers to regain control of the match. Rude also started a tussle with Page’s lumberjacks near the end of the match, distracting the referee long enough for Hennig to act. Rogers will get the shot at Harley Race for the world title at “Night of Champions,” Card No. 12.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FIVE, CARD NO. 11

Kent State

Curt Hennig d. Larry Sharpe via the HENNIG PLEX. Hennig actually did not have a good match, as Sharpe dominated the contest, even nearly pinning Hennig at one point. Sharpe eventually went for a leap off the top rope and missed, allowing Hennig to hit his finisher. It was an unimpressive showing for a potential challenger to the U.S. title.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. the Killer Bees when B. Brian Blair was pinned following a VEG-O-MATIC. The Midnight Express wasted little time in the match, attacking Blair before the bell rang and using Cornette interference to gain an advantage they would not relinquish.

Mil Mascaras came to ringside and announced that it was time to jump-start his title run a little more. He called out U.S. champ George Hackenschmidt, saying the Russian was overrated and had gotten “too big for his belt.” Foreign Legion Commander Lou Albano came out and admitted that it was hard for Hackenschmidt to find talented foreign wrestlers to face while defending the “non-U.S. belt.” Since Mascaras was a “fellow foreigner,” Albano said he was willing to grant him a title shot – on one condition: He had to join the Foreign Legion if he lost. Mascaras looked thoughtful, then agreed to the match at the end of the card.

BCW world heavyweight champion Harley Race (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. George South in a nontitle match when he pinned South after a swinging neckbreaker. South tried attacking Race before the bell rang, as Race was distracted by jeering fans. Race quickly ended that nonsense, and although South put up a decent defense, he soon was pinned in a warm-up match for Race ahead of Night of Champions.

Afterward, Race yelled “enforcer” to Heenan and then stalked out of the ring, with his dismayed manager following behind him.

Ray Stevens and Buff Bagwell d. Steve Corino and Harker Dirge (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) by DQ when Corino cracked Stevens over the head with Humperdink’s cane outside the ring. All four men had pin attempts against them in the wild match, which was held as much outside the ring as in.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured the “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers, along with Rick Rude and Curt Hennig. Rogers said that his new “triad” would be the reason he ended up as BCW world heavyweight champion. He added that Hennig would soon be the U.S. champion, and there would be gold coming for Rude, too. Rogers said that since he was once a teammate of Race, he knew him and how to beat him. Plus, he said Race’s team was falling apart – where was his enforcer? At that point, Diamond Dallas Page showed up and said the only reason Rogers won was due to interference by his “dirty little boys.” Rude got into Page’s face and challenged him to a match later in the card. Page accepted. As security arrived, Rogers said that come Night of Champions, he would be holding the world heavyweight belt.

Commissioner Chad came to ringside to confirm the Page-Rude match for later in the card. He also said that despite Curt Hennig’s “very poor” performance at the beginning of the card, he would get a shot at the the U.S. title at Night of Champions. Finally, he called out the New Age Outlaws and the Road Warriors. He said their match next would decide who would face the Fabulous Kangaroos for the world tag titles at Night of Champions. He also said if the Road Warriors won the bout but did not go on to beat the Kangaroos, they would not get another title shot as long as the Kangaroos held the belts in order to keep their rivalry “contained.”

The New Age Outlaws (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. the Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) when Heenan tripped up Hawk, helping him become the victim of a double team hot shot and a quick pin by Kip James. The victory meant the Outlaws would get the title shot at Night of Champions. A frustrated Hawk pounded the mat over the turn of events.

Diamond Dallas Page d. Rick Rude (w/ Ida Mae Martinez) when he gave Rude the DIAMOND CUTTER out of nowhere, then injured him by propping him up and giving him another one after the pin, despite the screams of “No!” by Ida Mae. Curt Hennig ran to ringside, but Page disappeared through the crowd. The match had been an even one, and Rude was preening after catching Page with a top rope sledgehammer, only to have Page sneak up and make him pay for his interference in the Buddy Rogers match.

The BCW tag-team champions Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. the Oilmen in a nontitle match when Danny Hodge was pinned by Roy Heffernan following a second BOOMERANG. Berry’s interference also was key to the victory.

BCW U.S. heavyweight champion George Hackenschmidt (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. Mil Mascaras, as Mascaras submitted to Hackenschmidt’s RUSSIAN BEARHUG. Mascaras and Hackenschmidt executed all sorts of holds and maneuvers during the match, and both wrestlers got pin attempts. Mascaras’ downfall came when Hackenschmidt threw Mascaras out of the ring and Mascaras was hit hard in the back by BCW world heavyweight champion Harley Race, who apparently was paying Mascaras back for his attack on him at the last card. The attack left Mascaras susceptible to Hackenschmidt’s finisher.

After the match, Commander Lou Albano got on a microphone and announced the “newest member of the Foreign Legion” as Hackenschmidt celebrated and Mascaras held his head down.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FIVE, CARD NO. 12

Cobo Hall (Night of Champions)

All three commissioners (BCW Commissioner Chad, AWA Commissioner Will and Future Stars of Wrestling Commissioner T.R.) came to ringside to watch the matches.

Championship Match No. 1 – FSW TV title

Champion Rob James d. Arik Cannon by countout when James gave Cannon a piledriver outside the ring. Cannon was unable to get back to the ring in time. Fans booed the arrogant James.

To begin the BCW U.S. heavyweight title match, Gary Michael Cappetta announced Curt Hennig’s name, but Hennig did not show up at ringside. Finally, “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers, set to wrestle in the BCW world heavyweight title match later on the card, came to ringside to announce that someone had knocked out Hennig in the locker room, and Rogers had found him there unconscious. Meanwhile, U.S. champ George Hackenschmidt and Commander Lou Albano had wandered to ringside and began celebrating Hackenschmidt’s “successful defense” of the title. Albano got the microphone and said it was OK because “there are no good American wrestlers anyway.”

Out came AWA wrestler Frank Gotch, a former BCW tag-team champion and Hackenschmidt’s former tag partner. He yelled at Hackenschmidt: “You want a challenge? I’ll give you one.” The referee looked at Commissioner Chad and Commissioner Will, who quickly conferred and then agreed to the match. Hackenschmidt and Albano did not look happy about the decision.

Championship Match No. 2 – BCW U.S. heavyweight title

Champion George Hackenschmidt (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. Frank Gotch using his RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. Gotch controlled most of the match and had Hackenschmidt in his GOTCH TOEHOLD, only to be waylaid by Albano’s interference. Hackenschmidt eventually rallied and used his finisher to retain the title.

Championship Match No. 3 – AWA Great Lakes heavyweight title

Champion the Destroyer d. Don Muraco when Muraco set up for a back-body drop, but the Destroyer executed a sunset flip to get the pin.

Championship Match No. 4 – FSW tag-team championship

Champion the Backseat Boyz d. the Osirian Portal by countout to retain the title when Trent Acid threw Ophidian outside the ring, and Johnny Kashmere gave him a wicked clothesline. Ophidian was not able to make the 10-count to return to the ring.

Championship Match No. 5 – BCW world tag team championship

Champion the Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. the New Age Outlaws (w/ Bobby Heenan) when the Kangaroos hit the BOOMERANG on Kip James. The New Age Outlaws had a much better showing against the Kangaroos than their previous match against them, and they nearly pinned Al Costello before interference by Berry derailed the attempt.

Championship Match No. 6 – AWA world tag-team championship

Champion the Ortons d. “Dr. Death” Steve Williams and Ted DiBiase when Cowboy Bob Orton pinned Williams after a SUPERPLEX. The long match was back and forth, with the Ortons in control of it more often than not.

Championship Match No. 7 – FSW world heavyweight championship

Champion “Psycho Shooter” Drake Younger d. Tyler Black when referee Bryce Remsburg DQ’d Black in the wake of Black ramming Younger’s head into a steel post at ringside.

Championship Match No. 8 – BCW world heavyweight championship

Champion Harley Race (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers in a cage match when he gave Rogers the PILEDRIVER. Race controlled most of the match, while Rogers just could not seem to get untracked.

Championship Match No. 9 – AWA world heavyweight championship

Champion Larry Zbyszko (w/ Sherri Martel) d. the Crusher, pinning him following a knee smash.

The first Night of Champions amazingly ended with all champions retaining their belts.

[KellyMonro007]

Very good and entertaining show!

[The Creek Rises]

Thanks!

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FIVE, CARD NO. 13

Hara Arena, Dayton

As the card began, “Wild” Red Berry came to ringside and said that the Fabulous Kangaroos were world tag-team champions who might never be beaten again, but they still needed to keep in shape (then he snickered) for the upcoming Tag-o-Rama PPV, so he called S+S to come out and face the best.

BCW world tag-team champions The Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. S+S in a nontitle match when Roy Heffernan connected on a Kangaroo kick and then pinned Larry Sharpe. Berry interfered during the match even though it wasn’t needed, and the Kangaroos mostly took it easy. The crowd booed their arrogance.

Commissioner Chad came out and told fans to ignore that last match, since it had “no bearing” on the upcoming Tag-o-Rama. He said there were other matches on the card that would help determine the final No. 1 seed and also would help decide which tag teams would wrestle for the final spot at the PPV. With that in mind …

The Oilmen d. the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) when Bobby Eaton submitted to Danny Hodge’s Boston crab. With the victory, Hodge broke a long streak of disappointing endings for the Oilmen.

U.S. heavyweight champion George Hackenschmidt came to ringside with Commander Lou Albano. The commander reiterated that there were no longer any decent American wrestlers in the company who could vie for the “international belt,” so he had decided that they would just take on international stars from this point forward. As a result, he was extending the offer of a nontitle match to Jushin Liger, and unlike the Mascaras match, there would be “no strings attached.” Liger headed to ringside to accept the offer, with Giant Baba following to be in Liger’s corner.

U.S. heavyweight champion George Hackenschmidt (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. Jushin Liger (w/ Giant Baba) when Liger succumbed to the RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. Liger was rolling in the first part of the match, but his fortunes turned when Hackenschmidt used his twisting heel hook to bring Liger to the mat.

In a match that had more back-and-forths than a metronome, Buff Bagwell and Ray Stevens d. Steve Corino and “Bloody” Harker Dirge (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) when Bagwell pinned Dirge after a double-arm DDT. The match featured eight pin attemps, but was more about each team brutally beating on the other – and the momentum swings that came after each beating. The fans cheered the intensity.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured a very irritated Fritz Von Goering, who wasted no time in going off about how “his” spot in the Foreign Legion had been taken by Mil Mascaras. When Apter pointed out that Von Goering had never joined the Foreign Legion, the wrestler pointed out that it was just a “matter of time,” and that Mascaras had stolen the spot. That brought out Mascaras, who said he didn’t even want to be part of the Foreign Legion, but he had made an agreement and had to stick to it. Von Goering punched Mascaras, then said they should settle it in the ring. An angry Mascaras said, “Let’s go!”

Mil Mascaras d. Fritz Von Goering when he connected on his FLYING BODY PRESS. Von Goering’s error translated into mistakes in the ring, and Mascaras made him pay. Commander Lou Albano came to ringside with Ivan Koloff and Mad Dog Vachon during the match, and when Mascaras celebrated his victory, Albano sent Koloff and Vachon into the ring to beat Mascaras down. He then told a battered Mascaras, “Nice win, but you need to be nicer to your new teammate.” Albano, Koloff, Vachon and Von Goering left ringside as Mascaras tried to recover from the beating.

BCW world heavyweight champion Harley Race came to ringside with Bobby Heenan to gloat about his big victory at Night of Champions, where he “squashed” “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers. Race said it should send a message to challenger Johnny Valentine that he had no chance, which was the same chance anyone in BCW had. Race was then interrupted by Bobo Brazil, who reminded Race that he was the first in BCW history to have held all three belts, and that to defend the honor of BCW, he’d face Race – and beat him. Race and Heenan both smirked, but those smiles disappeared when Commissioner Chad came to ringside and made the match for the end of the card.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. Mad Dog Vachon and Ivan Koloff (w/ Commander Lou Albano) when Animal pinned Vachon after a DOOMSDAY DEVICE. Koloff and Vachon worked well as a tag team, but the Road Warriors looked determined to inflict some pain, and they did.

In a battle of two former BCW world heavyweight champions, Jimmy Snuka d. Johnny Valentine by DQ after both men were outside the ring and Valentine nailed Snuka with a chair. Valentine then yelled, “That’s how serious I am about taking out Race.” The crowd was seemingly stunned by his intensity at the end of what had been a good matchup.

As the Killer Bees and the New Age Outlaws made their way to ringside for the next match, Commissioner Chad took the microphone and announced that it was a big match for both teams, as the Outlaws, after two losses to the Fabulous Kangaroos, needed to prove they were worthy of a No. 1 seed at Tag-o-Rama, and the Bees needed to prove they were worthy to be in PPV event at all. With that in mind, he said the audience should be in for a well-fought match.

The New Age Outlaws (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. the Killer Bees when B.G. James pinned B. Brian Blair after a James Gang Pounce. The Outlaws looked to be especially motivated by the commissioner’s words, allowing the Bees little traction during the match.

BCW world heavyweight champion Harley Race (w/ Bobby Heenan, NAO) d. Bobo Brazil (w/ Giant Baba, Jushin Liger) in a nontitle match when Race caught Brazil with his PILEDRIVER finisher. Brazil made a great showing in the match, probably his best in a while, and had Race on the ropes when the champion slid to the outside to the ring. While there, the New Age Outlaws jumped Brazil, who was then aided by Baba and Liger, who had come to ringside once the Outlaws showed up with Race.. In the confusion, Race nailed Brazil with a punch, then got him back into the ring and got the finisher. Despite the win, Race seemed to know how close he came to a loss.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FIVE, CARD NO. 14

Mid-South Coliseum, Nashville

Brad Armstrong d. “Bloody” Harker Dirge (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) by DQ when Humperdink was caught hitting Armstrong with his cane. The ref had originally been distracted by Dirge, who had thrown Armstrong outside the ring, but saw Humperdink’s extracurricular activity. The move was a bad one by Humperdink, as Dirge had taken control of the match.

Ray Stevens (w/ Buff Bagwell) d. Steve Corino (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) by DQ when Corino rammed Stevens’ head into a ringpost outside of the ring, causing the referee to call for the bell. Stevens had dominated the match until Corino got him outside the ring and unleashed his attack. Bagwell went after Corino following the DQ, but Harker Dirge’s arrival got Bagwell and Stevens to back off.

Curt Hennig came to ringside to announce that he had an idea who attacked him at Night of Champions, costing him a shot at the U.S. title. He said it was obvious that the attacker was a member of the Foreign Legion, because they were afraid he’d take the belt from George Hackenschmidt. Hennig said he wanted his title shot on this card, but Commander Lou Albano came out shaking his head “no.” He said Hennig isn’t a foreign wrestler, and they are the only ones worth Hackenschmidt’s time. Albano did say he wanted to offer Hennig something, a rematch with longtime rival Mad Dog Vachon – right now!

Mad Dog Vachon (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. Curt Hennig when Vachon gave Hennig his PILEDRIVER finisher. Vachon snuck up on Hennig while Albano was talking, but Hennig reacted quickly and gave Vachon a vicious clothesline as the ref arrived to start the match. Hennig went up to the top rope for a leap, but Albano, unseen by the ref, pushed him off, allowing Vachon to regain control and pick up the victory. The pair then put the boots to Hennig until officials arrived to break things up.

In a fantastic matchup, Bobo Brazil d. Ivan Koloff (w/ Commander Lou Albano) when Brazil pinned Koloff after a COCO BUTT. The control of the match changed hands several times, in part due to interference by Albano, but Brazil ultimately prevailed in a match that saw each wrestler have four pin attempts.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured the Road Warriors and Paul Ellering. Ellering said that things hadn’t gone quite their way recently, but they were the defending Tag-o-Rama champions, and they were looking for two in a row. “And if we pick up the BCW tag titles along the way, well, that’s just a bonus,” he added. That brought out “Wild” Red Berry, who said the BCW world tag-team champion Fabulous Kangaroos were done with the Warriors. Ellering challenged Berry to a match at the next card – the two of them, facing off one on one! If he won, the Warriors would get a title shot after Tag-o-Rama, unless they already held the belts by then. If Ellering lost, they would never get a title shot as long as the Kangaroos held the belts. Berry agreed to the match.

BCW world tag-team champions The Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. the Killer Bees in a nontitle match when Jim Brunzell submitted to Al Costello’s MARBLE BOR LEGLOCK. The Bees, seemingly the favorite whipping boys of the Kangaroos, appeared to have learned from previous losses and gave the Kangaroos all they could handle. Compounding the problem was that Berry was spending time posing and showing off his muscles ahead of his match against Paul Ellering at the next card. At one point, B. Brian Blair caught Al Costello with the BEE STING and nearly got the pin. The Kangaroos eventually took control despite the lack of focus from their manager.

Commander Chad came to ringside to announce that both BCW world heavyweight champion Harley Race and U.S. heavyweight champion George Hackenschmidt would be wrestling on the card. That brought out an angry Race, who said he didn’t feel like wrestling for the people of Nashville tonight. The commissioner said that not only did Race have a nontitle match, it would be a no-DQ match against Larry Sharpe, and it would be next on the card.

BCW world heavyweight champion Harley Race (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. Larry Sharpe by countout in a nontitle match when he piledrove Sharpe outside the ring. Earlier in the match, Race piledrove Sharpe inside the ring, but then pulled him up before the ref could count to three in order to abuse him some more. All that came after a lackluster start by an obviously frustrated Race.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. Jushin Liger and Giant Baba when Bobby Eaton pinned Liger after a Divorce Court. Cornette’s interference was big in changing momentum and helping the Express stave off a recent slump and secure a spot in Tag-o-Rama.

Commander Lou Albano came to ringside with U.S. champion George Hackenschmidt. Albano said that Hackenschmidt was ready for the main event of the card, but he had no opponent. He had already run through all of the “foreign wrestlers” in BCW, and there were no good U.S. wrestlers, no matter what the commissioner said. Out came Jimmy Snuka, who said he would defend the honor of the Fiji Islands by facing Hackenschmidt. Albano started to say he had a deal for Snuka, but Snuka wagged a finger at the commander and said they had been in deals before in BCW, and those had not gone too well, so he’d just take “a nontitle match with no strings attached.” Albano shrugged, then agreed.

U.S heavyweight champion George Hackenschmidt (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. Jimmy Snuka in a nontitle match when he got Snuka to submit to his RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. Snuka controlled the first part of the match, but Hackenschmidt rallied, then he got Snuka outside the ring, where, unseen by the ref, Albano ran him into a steel post. That pretty much signaled the end for Snuka, as he was soon finished off by Hackenschmidt and suffered his first loss of the year.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FIVE, CARD NO. 15

Leon County Civic Center, Tallahassee

Delirious (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink), in his return from injury, d. Johnny Rodz when he connected on his CHEMICAL IMBALANCE #2. Delirious was a bit rusty, but he finally got the job done against the veteran Rodz.

Commissioner Chad came to ringside He said Delirious looked good enough in his comeback that he would be put into a three-way match with Brad Armstrong and Jushin Liger for the Hodge Championship Belt at Tag-o-Rama. And speaking of Armstrong, the commissioner said he would face world heavyweight champion Harley Race in a nontitle match later on this card. That brought out Bobby Heenan, complaining that his wrestler shouldn’t have to enter the ring ahead of this Tag-o-Rama title match. The commissioner responded that the champion had to represent! Plus, Armstrong needed the competition. Heenan pointed out that Race’s opponent, Johnny Valentine, wasn’t wrestling on the final card before the PPV, but the commissioner simply shrugged his shoulders and said that was the way scheduling went sometimes. Heenan walked off muttering to himself.

Commissioner Chad also announced that Curt Hennig would get his delayed title shot at U.S. heavyweight champion George Hackenschmidt at Tag-o-Rama, and added that the Oilmen and the Killer Bees would battle later on this card for the final BCW spot in the tag tournament.

Giant Baba and Jushin Liger d. Ivan Koloff and Mad Dog Vachon (w/ Commander Lou Albano) when Giant Baba pinned Koloff after a Russian leg sweep. The quick pin aroused the ire of the commander, despite the fact that neither team will be wrestling at Tag-o-Rama.

BCW world heavyweight champion Harley Race (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. Brad Armstrong in a nontitle match when he delivered a PILEDRIVER to Armstrong. Armstrong had attacked from the beginning of the match and looked good against Race, who glared throughout at Heenan and generally showed his unhappiness at working on the card before the PPV. After the match, Race grabbed the belt and walked off, ignoring a trailing Heenan.

Diamond Dallas Page d. Virgil when he hit the DIAMOND CUTTER at the end of a long back-and-forth match in which the veteran Virgil acquitted himself well.

U.S. heavyweight champion George Hackenschmidt (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. George South in a nontitle match when South fell victim to the RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. Afterward, Albano yelled that another American wrestler had fallen short and added, “This is what will happen to Curt Hennig at Tag-o-Rama!”

Kip James (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. Buddy Rogers when B.G. James snuck to ringside and got in a cheap shot with brass knuckles on Rogers near the corner, making him susceptible to the STANDING LEG DROP finisher of Kip James. Rogers, humiliated by BCW world heavyweight champion Harley Race at Night of Champions and looking for revenge against one of Race’s teammates, had weathered an early attack by Kip James before the bell rang and was a house afire until he got blindsided by B.G. James. The New Age Outlaws left ringside laughing with Heenan, while Rogers remained behind holding his head.

In an amazing match that had more tags than a Sears after-Christmas sale, the Oilmen d. the Killer Bees by countout when Jim Brunzell was unable to make it back to the ring before the 10-count expired. Brunzell had charged at Yukon Eric, only to have him flip Brunzell over the top rope. He landed hard on the floor and couldn’t recover, giving the final Tag-o-Rama spot to the Oilmen. It was a disappointing finish for the slumping Bees, as they gave their all in a long match. Every wrestler had at least one pin attempt against him, but no one had more than two. Mostly, it was back-and-forth match, with little advantage gained by either side.

In a bizarre back-and-forth match, Paul Ellering (w/ Animal, Hawk) d. “Wild” Red Berry (w/ Al Costello, Roy Heffernan), pinning him after a body slam and securing the Road Warriors’ title shot at the card after Tag-o-Rama. Both teams interfered on their managers’ behalf, and it looked like Berry might have the pin after his SMASH WITH A CANE maneuver. But Ellering was able to kick out and hold on until the momentum switched, and then he got the pin. The fans went crazy over what might have been the worst match, wrestling-wise, of the card.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FIVE, CARD NO. 16

Tag-o-Rama PPV – Daytona Beach Oceanfront Center

Before the event started, Commissioner Chad reminded the crowd that along with winning the prestigious title of Tag-o-Rama champion, the BCW world tag-team titles were up for grabs if anyone could defeat the Fabulous Kangaroos. He said the four No. 1 seeds were the Kangaroos, the BWF tag-team champion Moondogs, the AWA tag-team champion Ortons, and the BCW wildcard No. 1 seed the New Age Outlaws. The remainder of the four brackets were filled out by random draw, with the No. 1 seeds getting the option to choose their first-round opponent.

BRACKET A

The BCW world tag-team champions the Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. the Oilmen in a long match when the Kangaroos finally caught Danny Hodge with the BOOMERANG. The length of the match was due to the resilience of the Oilmen, the last BCW team to qualify for the tournament. They fought off numerous pin attempts to the point that the frustrated Kangaroos nearly got DQ’d. However, Berry was able to distract the ref enough right after Roy Heffernan ran Hodge’s head into a post at ringside.

The Freak Show (indy team) d. FSW tag-team champions the Backseat Boyz when George “The Animal” Steele nailed Trent Acid with a foreign object and then got the surprise pin. The team of Steele and the French Angel Maurice Tillet was quite bizarre and left fans murmuring.

BRACKET B

The Mongols (w/ Nikita Breznikov) (indy team) d. the BWF tag-team champs the Moondogs by DQ when Moon Dog Rex smashed Bepo Mongol in the head with a bone. The match was bizarre, to say the least, with two physical teams bashing one another ahead of the DQ, and after it, too.

The BWF’s the Megapowers d. the AWA’s Ted DiBiase and “Dr. Death” Steve Williams by DQ when DiBiase cracked Hollywood Hogan in the back with a steel chair outside the ring, apparently in retaliation for some Hogan cheap shots earlier in the match. The fans booed the ref’s ruling, likely because Williams and DiBiase were until recently members of BCW.

BRACKET C

The AWA tag-team champions the Ortons d. FSW’s the Barking Spiders when Cowboy Bob Orton hit his SUPERPLEX on Clutch. The Spiders stretched the match out much further than most pundits predicted, and they were difficult to get into a pinning predicament.

The BWF’s Freebirds d. Ray Stevens and Buff Bagwell by DQ when Stevens gave Michael P.S. Hayes a suplex outside the ring despite the referee warning him to not do it. Before the DQ, the match had been pretty even.

BRACKET D

The New Age Outlaws (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. the Heavenly Bodies when Dennis Condrey was DQ’d for hitting B.G. James outside the ring with Jim Cornette’s tennis racket. The surprise to begin the match was that Cornette came down with the Heavenly Bodies and managed (interfered for) them in the match. Condrey had nearly been pinned a few times in the match except for Cornette’s interference, then he went to the outside and brought about the DQ.

In a brutal battle between BCW rivals, the Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) when they executed the DOOMSDAY DEVICE on Stan Lane. The Express looked angry coming to the ring, apparently unhappy that Cornette had also been involved in the previous match. Bobby Eaton started the match on fire, but the Road Warriors eventually got the upper hand despite interference from Cornette, who ended up doubly frustrated after the results of a second match went against him.

Delirious p. Brad Armstrong via his CHEMICAL IMBALANCE #2 to win the Hodge (light heavyweight) Championship Belt. Armstrong had kicked belt holder Jushin Liger into a corner, then was waylaid by Delirious, who got the pin after a long bout of back-and-forth action among the three that brought the crowd to their feet numerous times. Liger acted dismayed about losing the belt without being pinned, while Delirious celebrated with manager Sir Oliver Humperdink afterward.

BRACKET A FINAL

The BCW world tag-team champions the Fabulous Kangaroos (W/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. the Freak Show when the French Angel Maurice Tillet and George “The Animal” Steele were DQ’d for beating up Berry, who had tried choking Steele with his towel earlier and was generally a pest throughout the match. But he needed to be, as Steele nearly had Al Costello pinned, and the BCW champs were scrambling throughout, rarely having the momentum in the match.

BRACKET B FINAL

The Mongols d. Randy Savage and Hollywood Hogan when Savage went berserk and attacked Geeto Mongol outside the ring with a chair. Savage had Bepo Mongol in a pinning predicament earlier but couldn’t get the job done and got frustrated.

BRACKET C FINAL

The AWA champions the Ortons vs. the Freebirds ended in a double DQ as Cowboy Bob Orton and Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin refused to stop fighting outside the ring. The match had been a physical one, and tempers finally flared past the point of return. As a result, the Bracket D champion got an automatic berth in the final!

BRACKET D FINAL

The New Age Outlaws (w/ Bobby Heenan) d. the Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) by DQ when Ellering bashed B.G. James from behind as James was going for his PUMP HANDLE SLAM. The Warriors appeared off their game after their brutal match with the Midnight Express, and along with Heenan’s interference, the Outlaws took advantage of a chance to eliminate last year’s Tag-o-Rama champions and advance straight to the finals.

BCW U.S. heavyweight champion George Hackenschmidt (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. Curt Hennig via his RUSSIAN BEAR HUG. Hennig came to the ring waving an American flag, which immediately got the crowd behind him and made Hackenschmidt angry enough to engage in a shoving match before the bell rang. Hackenschmidt controlled most of the match and slowly wore Hennig down, but Hennig did catch Hackenschmidt with his HENNIG PLEX at one point, only to have an interfering Albano cause the pin count to be stopped. Finally, Hackenschmidt locked on his finisher one more time after throwing Hennig into the turnbuckle.

BRACKET SEMIFINALS

BCW world tag-team champions the Fabulous Kangaroos d. the Mongols (w/ Nikita Breznikov) by DQ when Geeto Mongol rammed Roy Heffernan’s head into a ringpost outside the ring. The Kangaroos were once again matched with a physical team, and although they seemed to put the Mongols in a difficult position a number of times, the physicality left a toll on the Kangaroos as well, although they were victorious in a painful way. The win set up an all-BCW final against the New Age Outlaws.

Johnny Valentine d. Harley Race (w/ Bobby Heenan) 2-0 in a best-of-three-falls match to win the BCW world heavyweight championship. In the first fall, the two were so evenly matched that the bout went back and forth for a long time, with neither man getting much of an advantage. As the momentum continually shifted, each wrestler ended up outside the ring at different points. Each man got three pin attempts, but finally Race was DQ’d for slamming Valentine’s head into a ringpost while both were outside the ring. The referee checked Valentine to see if he could continue to complete, and Valentine nodded yes. The ref also gave Valentine some time to recover before the second fall. In the second fall, the match went back and forth again until Valentine was on the outside and Heenan tried to interfere. Valentine grabbed Heenan and tossed him into Race, causing the manager and the world champion to crack heads. Valentine got Race back into the ring and gave him two ATOMIC SKULLCRUSHERS. A dazed Race kicked out of the first pin attempt, but not the second. Valentine became the BCW world heavyweight champion for the first time since Year One. However, as he began to celebrate, the New Age Outlaws came to ringside and beat him down, injuring him. They then helped a groggy Race to the back.

TAG-O-RAMA FINAL

BCW world tag-team champions the Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. the New Age Outlaws (w/ Bobby Heenan) by DQ when Heenan took a swing at Berry on the ring apron, missed and hit the referee trying to get them off the apron. Heenan had jumped up there to distract the ref, as Al Costello was about to pin Kip James following a BOOMERANG. Berry came over to push Heenan off, and that’s when the trouble began at the end of a match that had been pretty equally fought until then. While the Kangaroos celebrated winning Tag-o-Rama and keeping their belts, a woozy Harley Race came out from the back and chased Heenan out of the building as fans cheered! Apparently, Heenan’s bad day for the King’s Horsemen also meant his managerial services were no longer required.

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FIVE, CARD NO. 17

Bithloplex

Rick Rude, in his return from injury, d. Johnny Rodz, pinning him after a massive suplex After the match, Rude picked up a ringside microphone and announced that he’d get revenge on Diamond Dallas Page for his injury, but he said he was more disgusted by the display Curt Hennig put on at Tag-o-Rama. “Really, Curt? What was all that patriotic U.S.A. garbage?” Rude asked. “Then you put on a performance like that?”

Commissioner Chad then showed up at ringside with a microphone. “Do you think you can do a better job against (U.S. champ George) Hackenschmidt, Rude?” he asked. Rude nodded yes. “We’ll see,” said the commissioner as he booked the title match for the next card.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) d. the Killer Bees when Bobby Eaton pinned Jim Brunzell following the ROCKET LAUNCHER. The Midnight Express were brutally efficient, but seemed to have little joy in their victory following the turmoil at Tag-o-Rama.

Brad Armstrong d. Mad Dog Vachon (w/ Commander Lou Albano) using his RUSSIAN LEG SWEEP to catch Vachon (and Albano) off-guard. Armstrong showed few effects of his tough three-way match for the Hodge Championship Belt at Tag-o-Rama.

Ray Stevens (w/ Buff Bagwell) d. George South by countout when South could not answer the 10-count thanks to a swinging neckbreaker by Bagwell. Stevens dominated the first half of the match, but when he tried to bite South in the face, South went crazy and took over the action! Stevens finally tossed him to the outside in desperation, and then engaged the referee while Bagwell unleashed his attack.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured U.S. champion George Hackenschmidt once again, someone Apter called “the most successful wrestler in BCW currently,” along with Commander Lou Albano, who added, “Currently? I think he’s the best of all-time!” Hackenschmidt mostly sneered as Apter asked him about his run with the U.S. title, showing obvious disdain at the use of “U.S.” Commissioner Chad then showed up to reaffirm that he had made the title match for the next card against Rick Rude. Albano brought up the fact that his wrestler wasn’t going to be wasting time with any “inferior U.S. guys.” The commissioner then offered a deal: If Hackenschmidt beat Rude “cleanly,” he could change the title to anything he wanted to call it, and he could wrestle only foreign wrestlers. Before Albano could answer, former world and U.S. champion Don Leo Jonathan stormed to the ring. BCW's longest-reigning U.S. champion said the title shouldn’t be renamed until he got one more shot at it. Albano shook his head “no,” but the commissioner agreed. But he added that to make it fair to Hackenschmidt, the match would be a “fatal four-way” encounter, and the fourth wrestler would be Hackenschmidt’s “teammate,” Mil Mascaras! That made Albano throw his hands into the air as Commissioner Chad smiled and Hackenschmidt kept sneering.

Jimmy Snuka d. Larry Sharpe, pinning him after a flying headbutt. Snuka had little problem in disposing of the veteran Sharpe.

As the New Age Outlaws came to ringside for their match, so did Commissioner Chad. He said, “I wanted to talk to either of your bosses, but apparently Harley Race is not here and Bobby Heenan is really not here. So tell Harley that since you guys injured the NEW (the crowd cheered) world heavyweight champion Johnny Valentine, and since he won’t be back for a few cards, he won’t be defending his title until after Invasion.” As the crowd cheered, the New Age Outlaws looked a little sick.

The New Age Outlaws d. the Oilmen by DQ when Yukon Eric slammed B.G. James’ head into a steel post at ringside. The Outlaws looked a little disorganized in their first match following Bobby Heenan’s departure. Still, B.G. James' continued cheap-shotting of Yukon Eric outside the ring ignited the Alaskan’s anger and caused the DQ.

“Bloody” Harker Dirge (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) d. Fritz Von Goering (w/ Commander Lou Albano) in an Invasion qualifying match when he executed a DIRT NAP on Von Goering. The match was back-and forth, with both wrestlers getting pin attempts, but the tide turned when Mil Mascaras came to ringside to “root on” his “teammate.” When both wrestlers ended up outside the ring, Mascaras slyly tripped up Von Goering, allowing Dirge to take advantage and eventually get the pin back in the ring. Dirge qualified for War Games, while Von Goering will wrestler for his BCW career at Invasion.

The Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) d. the Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) in a wild, physical match to retain the BCW world tag-team titles when the Kangaroos caught Animal with the BOOMERANG. All four wrestlers had pin attempts against them, and a DOOMSDAY DEVICE by the Warriors was broken up due to Berry’s interference. Afterward, as Berry carried off the belts, he yelled: “That’s it. No more title shots for the Road Warriors. We ARE the greatest tag team.” Fans booed, while Hawk, Animal and Ellering showed their frustration at not being able to defeat the current tag-team champions.

[neilybob]

Excellent stuff Creek Rises.