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Thank You, Axl Rotten (And R.I.P.)

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Showtime Allstar Wrestling- Episode 41

Courtesy of Larry Goodman:

Michael St. John and matchmaker Reno Riggins previewed the upcoming hour featuring the debut of Frank Malone and Rick Santel vs. Indian Outlaw in the main event. Color commentator Jack Johnson was conspicuous by his absence.

A new opening montage rolled.

(1) Frank Malone (with Cody Malone) beat Jeff Jamison via submission in 1:18. Malone is a big guy dressed in overalls of the type a prisoner might wear –think a hairless version of Kevin Kelly as Nailz in WWF. Malone overpowered Jamison, no sold his blows, and gave him a hotshot, before applying a version of the cobra clutch. Malone put an unidentified something in Jamison’s hand.

St. John attempted to ask Malone about his background. Malone was shooting daggers. “Don’t worry about my past,” he said, and walked away.

St. John and Riggins introduced a video package on the history between Rob Roy McCoy and the SAW Television Champion, Damien Adams. Riggins said their feud demonstrated the international flavor of SAW – McCoy being from Scotland and Adams from Puerto Rico.

(2) Rob Roy McCoy beat Chris Bomb via submission in 3:40. Riggins said McCoy has the look of a young Paul Orndorff and the wrestling style of 70s Welsh star, Tony Charles. St. John added McCoy had the temperament of Roddy Piper. McCoy got pissed after Bomb won the opening lock up and turned it into a brawl. Aggressiveness led to miscues on both sides. Bomb ate a boot charging in and McCoy hit a flying lariat to take over. McCoy dished out punishment on the mat. Bomb worked his way free, but McCoy cut him off with an impressive standing dropkick for a near fall. Bomb got his comeback with pillar to post Irish whips, then ended up comatose on the mat after running into a superkick. McCoy laid him out again with a hangman neckbreaker. McCoy waited for his prey to rise and locked in the crossface chickenwing. St. John called it a version of the Crippler Crossface. Bomb was out cold.

McCoy reapplied the hold until a slew of SAW personnel got in his face including Commissioner Freddie Morton.

St John interviewed McCoy.

Oh say can you see by the dawn’s early light that Rob Roy McCoy is going to be the next television champion.

St. John reminded McCoy that title challengers were selected by random drawings. McCoy said he didn’t know anything about random. “Rob Roy McCoy is winning week after week, cutting through everybody. I want my title shot.”

(3) Chrisjen Hayme pinned Chris Eckos with the 450 Proof in 5:10. Reno said Hayme was an arrogant SOB. He said neither guy was going to overpower people. It was their speed that impressed him as a matchmaker. Eckos capped off a flurry of offense with a leg lariat for a two count. Hayme countered out of a swinging neckbreaker with a loud enzuirgiri. Reno said it might be over. Riggins said Eckos showed heart by kicking out. Hayme’s snooty attitude became more apparent and his attack more blatantly heelish. They talked about Hayme as a potential title challenger, but said it was the luck of the draw. Reno said SAW was all about parity. Eckos countered a sunset flip with a double stomp, but Hayme immediately got his knees up on Eckos’ senton backsplash attempt. Hayme picked up his intensity. Hayme hit a beautiful northern light suplex with a bridge. Hayme started talking and smacking Eckos in the face. St. John said Hayme was getting too lackadaisical. Eckos surprised Hayme with a back elbow for a quick two count. Eckos hit a downward spiral and followed up with quebrada, but Hayme kicked out. Hayme set up his finisher with a so-so Blue Thunder Bomb and hit the 450 splash.

A highlight package aired on the war between the A Team (Santel, Hammerjack, Matt Dillinger with Paul Adams) and Boogie Nation (Boogie Woogie Boy, Arrick Andrews and Indian Nation).

They cut to comments the A Team made for the SAW cameras.

The A Team was in a limo celebrating the Tennessee Violence Authority becoming the SAW tag team champions. Hammerjack had a photo of another highly creative female on his cell phone. The cigar fell out of Adams’ mouth and into his drink. “She shouldn’t be doing that with fresh produce.” Dillinger said it looked like a cucumber. “It looks like a pickle now,” said Hammerjack. Santel chimed in. “I used to date her, too. I forgot she could do that.” Paul said they were going to get some ladies. “We going to Dickerson Pike?” said Dillinger. Paul said not those type. These were some classy ladies. Santel cut a promo on Indian Outlaw. Said he was going to finish was TVA started.

You will hear those famous words. OMG, OMG, it’s Rick Santel, daddy. Bicep curls and good looking girls, let’s hit it!

Paul advised TVA to be at SAW to watch Santel’s back. They did the Three Musketeers deal.

A video package on T. J. Harley aired.

(4) Rick Santel (with Paul Adams) beat Indian Outlaw via DQ in 6 minutes. St. John said Outlaw was a Native American in the tradition of Wahoo McDaniel and Chief Jay Strongbow. Santel tried to get the jump on him, but Outlaw roared back with tomahawk chops and hit a legdrop for two count. Riggins added Tatanka to the list and said Outlaw had the body type of Barry Windham. Santel reversed Outlaw with a facebuster across the knee. Riggins said Santel was as quick as a cat at his new, lighter weight. Paul choked Outlaw with his ever present towel. Santel also used a lot of chokes in between attacks on Outlaw’s shoulder. Reno explained that Outlaw was in a singles match because his partner, Lennox Lightfoot was out with bruised ribs suffered at the hands of the TVA. Crowd was really strong for Outlaw here. Outlaw hulked up and started firing tomahawk chops. Santel was soon selling with a dazed look like his cerebrospinal fluid had sprung a leak. Outlaw applied the Indian Deathlock. Santel tapped, but Paul had referee Ricky Bell distracted, which also allowed TVA’s attack on Outlaw to go undetected. TVA started double teaming Outlaw. Boogie and Andrews jumped on TVA, so there were six guys in there with the crowd going wild, but Bell was still oblivious. Boogie and Andrews sent TVA out of the ring. Bell finally turned around and called for the bell.

MSJ and Reno said it was going to be a DQ on Santel because of TVA’s interference. Bell said he was awarding the match to Santel because he saw Boogie and Andrews in the ring. That announcement drew a mixed reaction from the crowd. Riggins said it was a travesty of justice, and Adams was the smartest man in the match.

Back from break, St. John was in the ring with Boogie Nation. Boogie was outraged because it was TVA that interfered first. Boogie told St. John to look around and listen to the sounds of Boogie Nation. Outlaw said wins and losses didn’t matter. What the A Team had started was beyond anything the fans could imagine. “This is a nation of pure domination.”

Closing Thoughts: Whether they reflect the Jerry Jarrett influence or the move to ION or both, the changes in SAW were more apparent in this episode. The opening montage was new. The “last week on SAW” opening was replaced by video packages in the body of the show to recap major storylines. There have been roster changes as well. Mason Raige, who was being pushed as a top babyface, is not with the company at this point. Big Rig Bully is gone. Nore Havoc is in good standing with SAW, but has been kept away from the TV tapings due to schedule conflicts with his job. Riggins replaced Johnson on color. Reno is over the top in his effort to get things over, but he does it in an entertaining way. They introduced Malone the right way – with a quick squash. They obviously want to build interest in the mystery of Malone’s past. The highlight packages did a good job of explaining the storylines, while also getting them over as heated rivalries. I enjoyed McCoy vs. Bomb. McCoy is a hell of a talent. Bomb is no textbook wrestler by any means, but he worked really hard, and the match had intensity to it, largely due to how good McCoy is a brawler. The deal of refusing to let up on his finisher works. I wish they would settle on a name for it though. St. John describes it differently every time. In any case, McCoy is imminently hatable. Hayme/Eckos reminded me of NWA Wildside matches from back in the day – Most of it was good, but at this level and doing as much as they did, some was bound to look bad. Hayme acts like an asshole, but he’s too wholesome looking to be believable as a heel. It was the best I’ve seen Eckos look. The segment with TVA in the limo was hilarious. I liked the idea of the screw job finish of the main, but they really stretched things to beyond the limit with the ref distraction. Bell had his back turned for almost a full minute. The crowd reaction was interesting: the majority were behind Outlaw bigtime during the match, but some of them popped when Santel was announced as the winner and there were no intense outrage. The promo close the show was more coherent than the last one with Boogie, but still no great shakes. Outlaw is one wooden Indian on the mic.