BITHLO CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

[The Creek Rises]

Thanks, Neilybob!

[The Creek Rises]

YEAR FIVE, CARD NO. 18

O’Connell Center – Gainesville

Harker Dirge (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) d. George South by countout after using a dropkick outside the ring that sent South into a guardrail, effectively knocking him out of the match. Dirge showed a new, more intense side, apparently in preparations for War Games. He was especially aggressive toward South, even attacking him before the bell rang to start the match.

Delirious (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) d. Virgil when he connected on his CHEMICAL IMBALANCE # 2. Afterward, the HCB belt holder ran around ringside, then bolted to the back.

Curt Hennig d. Larry Sharpe when he used a sunset flip to get the pin. Hennig came out minus his tag-team partner, Rick Rude, and also minus any U.S. flag or patriotic apparel. In fact, he showed disdain for Sharpe and for fans throughout the match.

The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) d. Buff Bagwell and Ray Stevens, taking out Bagwell with the DOOMSDAY DEVICE. The Warriors apparently had some latent hostility after seeing their latest title shot slip away, and they took it out on Stevens and Bagwell, who were on the defensive for most of the match.

Bill Apter’s “Hot Seat” featured Giant Baba. Baba, through an interpreter, told Apter he’s enjoyed teaming with Jushin Liger, but added that he had been energized by Johnny Valentine’s win at Tag-o-Rama. He said he’d like to face Valentine for the world heavyweight title, since he is a two-time BCW world heavyweight champion and Valentine was the first to beat him for the title. As Baba was talking, Harley Race came onto the set with a chair and bashed Baba in the back of the head. “There’s only one challenger for the title, and that’s me,” Race said. He then left as Liger raced to ringside to check on the injured Baba.

Buddy Rogers d. Danny Hodge by countout when Rogers tossed Hodge to the outside of the ring and, unseen by the ref, Hodge was nailed from behind by Curt Hennig, who merely nodded at Rogers and then left ringside. Before the attack, it had been a good matchup of two fierce competitors.

“Wild” Red Berry came out announced that since the Road Warriors had been “vanquished,” there were no one left good enough in BCW to face his champion Fabulous Kangaroos. That brought out Jim Cornette, who pointed out that only two teams in BCW history were four-time tag champions – and the Fabulous Kangaroos weren’t one of them. When Berry said that meant the Midnight Express just lost a lot, Cornette came back with, “Are you afraid?” Before Berry could reply, Commissioner Chad came out and said, “Of course not. Let’s have the match now!” While Berry sputtered, the Midnight Express made their way to the ring.

In a stunning upset, the Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) overcame recent turmoil to become BCW’s first five-time tag champions, d. the Fabulous Kangaroos (w/ “Wild” Red Berry) when Stan Lane caught Roy Heffernan with an atomic drop, then got the pin while Berry was distracted by Cornette. Both teams used their finishers on the other during the match, and both times the pinned wrestler was saved by his manager’s interference. Lane’s maneuver came so swiftly that Berry, distracted by a racket-wielding Cornette, did not notice until it was too late. The crowd reaction definitely favored the Express over the more despised Kangaroos. It was the first loss of the year for the Kangaroos.

The Killer Bees came to ringside for their Invasion/War Games qualifying match, followed by Commissioner Chad. The commissioner noted what a tough year the Bees had record-wise. B. Brian Blair and Jim Brunzell nodded their heads in agreement. Then the commissioner said that because of the record, it was time for a change: If the Bees didn’t win this match, they would be gone from BCW – now! There would be no chance for redemption at Invasion – whatever tag team they would face would get an automatic spot in BCW. As Blair and Brunzell looked stunned, their opponents were announced: Ivan Koloff and Mad Dog Vachon!

Ivan Koloff and Mad Dog Vachon (w/ Commander Lou Albano) d. the Killer Bees in a great match that sent Koloff and Vachon on to War Games and the Killer Bees out of BCW. The Bees put forth a great effort before their exit, successfully pulling off the “Masked Confusion” and giving Vachon and Koloff all they could handle before Vachon bit the head of Brunzell, stunning him enough to unleash a vicious clothesline and get the pin. The fans gave a nice send-off to the Killer Bees.

Rick Rude won a “fatal-four way” match to capture the U.S. title. The match started with reigning U.S. champion George Hackenschmidt and former U.S. champ Don Leo Jonathan in the ring. Hackenschmidt got his RUSSIAN BEAR HUG on Jonathan, but Jonathan was eventually able to tag in Mil Mascaras. The two “teammates” then squared off, with Mascaras eventually tagging in Rude, who in turn tagged in Jonathan. Jonathan eventually tagged in Mascaras, with Commander Lou Albano at ringside yelling for the masked wrestler to “take a dive.”

Instead, Mascaras gave Hackenschmidt quite a workout before finally getting caught in the RUSSIAN BEAR HUG and submitting. As Rude prepared to enter the ring, Hackenschmidt tagged in Jonathan. As Jonathan and Rude went at it, Hackenschmidt began talking to Albano, and Rude tagged the distracted wrestler back into the ring. A disgusted Hackenschmidt traded holds with Jonathan for a while, then Jonathan connected on a giant swing and got the pin! Albano was furious at ringside.

A weary Jonathan was no match for a fresh Rude, and Rude eventually pinned him after a top rope sledgehammer. Afterward, Rude posed for the crowd while Ida Mae strapped the U.S. belt around his waist.

[neilybob]

My pleasure.