Showtime All-Star Wrestling TV Review - Episode 76

--Larry Goodman

Showtime All-star Wrestling – Episode 76
Airing on January 17, 2008 in Nashville on Comcast 74
Taped on January 2, 2009 at the SAW Mill in Millersville, Tn

Michael Graham and Reno Riggs open the show with footage of the masked man, later revealed to be Andy Douglas, coming through floor of the ring to enter the cage match and join forces with the A-Team. This week’s main event: Kid Kash defending the SAW International Championship against Flash Flanagan.

1 – ANDY DOUGLAS (with Paul Adams) vs. CHASE OWENS

Riggins speculated that jealousy was the motivation for Douglas turning against Chase Stevens. Douglas gave Owens two middle rope leg drops and pulled him up each time. Owens started to fight back and Douglas finished him with the Natural Selection, a devastating double underhook sitout face plant.

Winner: Douglas in 2:40. Old style squash. Douglas is way more muscular than he’s even been before. The Natural Selection is an awesome finisher.

...when you refer to someone by only there last name where I'm from, that's a sign of disrespect. Be that as it may, MASTERS...

A-Team (Paul Adams, Hammerjack, Rick Santel and Andy Douglas) at ringside with the newest member of the SAW broadcast team, Dan Masters. Adams said his therapist told him that keeping things bottled up could cause all kinds of problems - ulcers, high blood pressure, even an unsightly rash – and Douglas had been bottling up for years. Adams said Douglas’ actions against Stevens in the cage (clips airing as he talked) were the manifestations of his frustrations. Douglas took credit for every match the Naturals won, and blamed Stevens for all of their losses. Douglas looked like he was going to hit Masters for questioning his action, then said he would save it all for Stevens. Santel said he could feel Andy’s pain. Santel said for 8 years, he carried that punk Nikki Vaughn and had to listen to Vaughn being called the shining light of their team.

Well look at us now, Nikki Vaughn. Who was the diamond in the rough? Nature’s Greatest Miracle, Rick Santel.

Santel said he had an epiphany inside the cage. Why break Vaughn’s face when he could keep him around for more torture? Adams said if Andrews, Vaughn and Stevens could somehow be pieced back together, A-Team was ready. “Boys, let’s hit the Sizzler.”

High Society video package. Sean Casey, Chris Michaels and the Freak Squad return next week.

Chrisjen Hayme came to ringside and told Masters he was challenging Jon Michael Worthington to a rematch. Worthington said Hayme wasn’t in his league. People like Hayme were only allowed in his zip code to pick up the trash or deliver the newspaper. Before Hayme could respond, Worthington slapped him in the face. Hayme fired back and it was on.

2 – CHRISJEN HAYME vs. JON MICHAEL WORTHINGTON

Back and forth counters until Hayme connected with an enzuigiri up side the head and a springboard moonsault for two. Hayme slowed things down with a ground attack. Hayme tried to kick off the ropes for a side headlock takeover, and Worthington rudely dropped him on his back. Worthington used the punch and choke offense. Hayme kicked out a nice kneelift/neckbreaker combo by Worthington. Riggins said Hayme was “hanging in there like a hair in a biscuit.” Worthington nonchalantly abused Hayme with his power game. Hayme slipped away from a body slam to start his comeback. He hit a spinning headscissors, then got cut down in his tracks by a decapitation lariat. Worthington went for the Brentwood Breaker, and Hayme countered with a roll up for the three count.

Winner: Hayme in 6:20. Better than last week, especially Worthington. With Hayme booked to go over, Worthington took the lion’s share of the match and showcased his power moves.

Riggins read another letter SAW had received from Scott Levy aka Raven, the CEO of M3 Productions regarding last week’s TV show. Levy said he was disappointed in “Boogie Woogie Boy” Gary Valiant’s failure to respond to his offer of an “anything goes” rematch with Marc Anthony, and the lack of any update on the condition of Miss Boogie. Levy said he was sweetening the pot by making it a Bootcamp Match.

Cut to a pre-recorded response from Valiant. Boogie said last week he refused comment on Raven’s letter because he wasn’t interested in a rematch. Ironically, SAW received another letter.

Bootcamp match, huh? Boy if that didn’t put a light bulb in my mind.

Valiant said a bootcamp match was right up his alley. He reviewed the stipulations of the match – no time limit, no DQ, wear whatever you want, use anything you want. Valiant contemplated some of the ways he could torture and maim Anthony. The possibilities were endless.

I don’t have to apologize. I don’t have to say I’m sorry to nobody. So I accept your challenge.

3 – SIGMON vs. JESSE EMERSON

They cut to a shot of Emerson in the back. He had a patch over the eye that took the fireball from Sigmon several weeks ago. Emerson watched on the monitor until Sigmon was safely in the ring Emerson charged into the ring. Sigmon swarmed all over him. Emerson pancaked Sigmon with a spinebuster and rained down punches from the mount. The brawl spilled to ringside with Emerson still getting the best of it. Sigmon went after the damaged eye. The battle continued until the ref called for the bell. A slew of officials and lower echelon guys appeared to separate the combatants.

Winner: Both men counted out in 58 seconds. Heated while it lasted.

Adams called the cameraman into the dressing room. He wanted him there to see Santel’s response because he thought it would make good TV. Adams informed Santel that next week he was getting Vaughn one-on-one. A huge grin appeared on Santel’s face.

Nikki Vaughn, I guess my biggest decision is whether to keep you around and torture you a little bit longer or to finally end your career.

We heard comments from a battle-scarred Flanagan on his upcoming match against Kash. Flanagan said SAW had the toughest competition, and since he hadn’t wrestled in the US much since 2002, this was a way to get his name back out there and prove he belonged at the top. Flanagan said Kash broke all the rules, but he had been known to break a rule or two himself. Flanagan said he might bring some Puerto Rican style violence with him.

4 – SAW International Title Match: Champion KID KASH vs. FLASH FLANAGAN

Riggins advised fans unfamiliar with Flanagan’s work to check out You Tube. Graham said there was a lot of interest in this match from promoters in Puerto Rico because they had been champions of rival promotions (IWA and WWC) there. Riggins added this was the first time Kash and Flanagan had met in the ring. As Kash started into his fan baiting tactics, Flanagan rolled him up for two. Kash bailed. Flanagan socked Kash in the jaw as he came back through the ropes and covered for a one count. Flanagan kept the pressure on Kash and continued to go for pins. They exchanged some wicked chops. Flanagan hit a springboard twisting crossbody for a near fall. When Flanagan tried another springboard, Kash was ready with a dropkick to the knee. Kash wrapped Flanagan’s knee around the ringpost and went to work on it outside the ring. There was the usual silliness with ref Kurt Herron. He tried to cajole Kash back into the ring instead of counting like a real official. Back inside, Flanagan fired up selling the knee big time. Kash took out the knee again and applied the figure four. Riggins said Flanagan has had knee trouble throughout his career. Flanagan reversed it. Kash made the ropes. Flanagan dropped a knee to the groin. Kash sold it but not for long. He slammed Flanagan, but took too much time coming off the ropes, and Flanagan managed to roll out of the way. Flanagan put Kash down with three big shots to the head. Flanagan hit a back body drop. Flanagan went for a backslide, and Kash reversed it into an grapevine ankle lock. Flanagan tapped out.

Winner: Kash via submission in 9:07. Kash wins with cold-blooded psychology. A solid main event and just like last week, it had great heat. More sustained action than the typical Kash match in SAW. Flanagan’s aggressive style forced Kash to abandon the shenanigans much earlier than usual.

Random Thoughts: This episode was a breather - an opportunity to take it all in and set up for more big stuff. There’s been a lot going on here, and they were coming off a huge angle last week with the unmasking of Douglas inside the cage. The two promotion are different scales, but the booking in SAW has a sense of pacing that his so lacking in TNA…The ringside interview with A-Team rocked. Straight out of Memphis. Adams was hilarious with the therapy references. It looked like something of a hazing party for new announcer Masters…The verbal confrontation between Worthington and Hayme showed there may be some personalities inside them after all. The segment was no great shakes, but it at least it gave them an issue without Rachel…Having Emerson watching the monitor to avoid an ambush was a novel way to book the babyface smart…I liked the idea of a second letter from Raven to entice Boogie. The flaw was Raven’s first offer being an Anything Goes Match. Being that a Bootcamp Match is essentially the same thing, why would it make the light bulb go off for Boogie?...In Flanagan/Kash, this show had one of SAW’s better main events. It was the kind of match where both guys benefit. After all the BS in his previous title matches, the champion finally got a clean win in hard fought match against a quality opponent. Flanagan looked good in a match where he clearly had Kash on the run.