Larry Goodman sent this report in:
Showtime All-Star Wrestling ? Episode 94
Airing June 27, 2009
Taped at the SAW Mill in Millersville, Tn
This episode is now available for viewing at [url=www.ProWrestlingWorldwide.TV]ProWrestlingWorldwide.TV[/url].
LAST WEEK?In a classic case of be-careful-what-you-ask-for, Jon Michael Worthington has a temper tantrum and decides to accept Jesse Emerson’s challenge after all. He gets pinned in the middle of the ring?Big Dollar obliterated some poor guy as Derrick King Enterprises? path of destruction to the SAW tag team titles continued.
Michael Graham and the eccentrically attired Reno Riggins announce two big matches for this week: Chase Stevens vs. Andy Douglas and Flash Flanagan vs. Rick Santel. The announce team were joined at ringside by Paul Adams and A-Team. David Young was nursing Rick Santel’s left index finger. Adams informed the viewers in TV land that the Santel/Flanagan match was not happening because Santel had suffered a split cuticle. Santel said he suffered the injury while he was counting money. ?He’s already standing on one foot. I think it’s spreading, Paul,? said Young. ?Is there a manicurist in the house?? Adams said Young was stepping in to take Santel’s place.
1 ? BIG DOLLAR (with Derrick King & JT Stahr & Sista O?Feelyah) vs. HAROLD KNIGHT
Knight looked scared feces-less. Dollar gave Knight two blows to the head and went right to a brutal-as-heckfire full nelson slam. Dollar paused to glare at the crowd before making the cover.
WINNER: Big Dollar (Charles Evans) with the Dollar Bill in a mere 34 segundos. This is good spot for Evans. He play the monster role well, which he didn’t have the size to do in WWE.
Graham was at ringside with DKE for taped comments from Vordell Walker.
EARLIER THIS WEEK IN SAVANNAH, GA?Walker made like he and SAW were in cahoots to keep King guessing about his return date. Walker said he was getting better each week from the injuries he suffered (at the hands of Big Dollar). DKE thought they put him out, but he had taken much worse beatings than anything they could do to him. Walker said DKE would be seeing him in a SAW ring sooner rather than later, and it would not be to their liking.
King said nobody cared about Vordell. ?He’s old news, dude.? Stahr said LT Falk and Drew Haskins were ducking them and they should just cough up the belts. Dollar was staring a hole through the back of Graham’s head and breathing down his neck. Graham had his hand folded and kept nervously glancing over his shoulder. It was great. They were joined by Commissioner Freddie Morton. He made a tag team title match for next week. King said DKE were a lock to become the new champions.
2 ? DAVID YOUNG (with Paul Adams & Rick Santel) vs. FLASH FLANAGAN
Santel was waving a piece of paper purported to be the manager’s license he obtained when Adams was in training for his match with Arrick Andrews. Reno was not happy.
What a cupcake Santel is turning out to be. A wrestler never takes a night off from injuries. There were so many times when I was injured and I got back in the ring and competed, like the time Mantaur broke my nose in New York, and the time Max Moon caught me with the spinning heel kick, knocked me goofy. And then Vince McMahon hurt my feelings?
Flash grabbed Adams? towel and wiped his ass with it. When Graham questioned Flanagan’s condition after the parking lot beatdown, Reno said SAW had their doctors check him out. Flanagan scored a series shoulder blocks for one counts and Young took a powder. Flanagan stomped Santel’s bad finger. Adams wiped Young’s face with the contaminated towel. (Commercial break) Flanagan’s shoulder slammed into the ringpost as Young stepped aside. Young kicked a field goal with Flanagan’s spine and worked on his back. So much for the shoulder. Adams and Santel (with magically healed finger) got involved. Young cut off a comeback with a powerslam, but Flanagan kicked out. Young tried to wear him down. Flanagan showed life. Young’s eyes bugged out. Full-fledged comeback by Flanagan. He hit the flying forearm, the precursor to his springboard leg drop finisher. While Adams distracted referee Jesse Fields, Santel tripped up Flanagan and held onto his leg as the count was made.
WINNER: Young in 7:33 via Santel’s interference. The clowning around was entertaining. Very little in the way of wrestling. Pretty good heat. Nice tunnel vision by Fields on the finish.
EARLIER THIS WEEK?Adams addressed Stevens on behalf of Douglas. Adams said Stevens survived the parking lot attack by design so Douglas could prove once and for all that he was the better man in the ring, and once that was done, A-Team would go as low as necessary to get rid of him. Adams said the problems started seven years ago when the Naturals first teamed up because it was a one side partnership ? Andy doing all the work and Chase getting all the glory. Adams said his partnership with Douglas was mutually beneficial. Adams said Douglas came to him wanting three things: to prove he was better than Stevens in the ring, to get Stevens out of his life and to get an SAW title shot, and he was getting all of them. Adams told Stevens he had a very steep hill to climb, and once Douglas proved his point, A-Team would ensure it was Chase’s last round up.
EARLIER THIS WEEK?cut to footage of Stevens at home watching video of the parking lot beatdown. Stevens said it brought memories of the steel cage.
I watched you peel that mask from your face. I realize that for seven years you wore a mask. You?ve finally taken it off. Seven years of pretending to be a really close friend. Someone I considered to be a brother?You really are out to end my career.
Stevens couldn?t understand how money, jealousy or fame could do such a thing, and he honestly didn?t give a rip. Stevens looked directly into the camera. ?I?m not coming, Andy, just to beat you in the ring. I?m not coming to prove that I?m better. I?m not trying to fill my ego. This is something personal. I?m coming to end your career.?
3 ? CHASE STEVENS vs. ANDY DOUGLAS (with Paul Adams & Rick Santel)
Staredown. Douglas threw the first punch. Stevens blocked and fired back. They traded right hand bombs. Douglas spilled through the ropes and took a TO. Stevens brought Douglas in the hardway, hit a Russian legsweep for an early two count, and set up for the fisherman suplex. Douglas escaped to the outside. As Douglas tried a shoulder block through the ropes, Stevens caught him with the slice legdrop ala Jerry Lynn. Santel tripped up Stevens and the beatdown was on.
(Commercial break)
Cut to the dressing room where Flash Flanagan was paying Riggins for a manager’s license. Flanagan marched down to ringside and showed the license to Senior Official Kurt Herron. Flanagan wasted no time tripping up Douglas. Stevens started pounding on Douglas. He hit a release german suplex and slowly hooked the leg, but Douglas rolled a shoulder at 2 and ?. Douglas was clutching at his neck. The crowd was firing up. Stevens hit a moonsault. Douglas kicked out of it. From his knees, Douglas extended his hand. Stevens gave the one finger salute. Douglas answered with a low blow. Douglas leveled Stevens with a lariat and flopped on top of Stevens, who kicked out. With A-Team providing copious distraction, Douglas pulled a spike out his boot and repeatedly jabbed it into Stevens? throat. Douglas dropped a headbutt to the groin. Douglas hit the middle rope guillotine legdrop. Stevens violently rolled his shoulder on Douglas? lazy ass cover. It wasn?t the first time, and Graham made the point that Douglas might have won with a serious pin attempt. Douglas came off the top, and was met him by a gutshot to spark a Stevens? comeback. Crowd with a legit sense of urgency in their chant. It was back and forth near falls the rest of the way. Douglas was beside himself when Stevens kicked out his top rope huracanrana. Stevens smoked Douglas with a stunner in the middle of the ring. Graham was stunned he didn?t go for the pin. Stevens set Douglas up for the fisherman suplex, and Santel hit in the ring. Flanagan cut him off. Adams was up on the apron in Herron’s face, so he was blind to it. They brawled to the back with Herron trailing the action. Meanwhile, Stevens escaped from the Natural Disaster and had Douglas pinned when Young laid him out with a spinebuster. Douglas made the crawling cover for the pin. Young started putting the boots to Stevens. The crowd chanted for ?Hammer? and they got him, sledgehammer in hand, for the big show closing pop, as A-Team scattered out of harms way.
WINNER: Douglas in 12:30 after interference by Young. For pure match quality, I preferred the one they had on episode 87. The near falls down the stretch built well, and they sold like crazy, but this match had some rough looking transitions. The announce team did an awesome job and it had great heat in all the right places. I enjoyed the deal with the manager’s licenses. Some problematic reffing at the end. It made no sense for Herron to abandon the ring because the managers were fighting.
CLOSING THOUGHTS: Between the prematch promos and the dramatic intensity of the announce team, SAW went all out to give the Stevens/Douglas showdown the big match aura. They devoted the entire second half of the show to it. The match produced pretty well, given that the finish was tweaked for storyline continuation. For a straight wrestling match, the one their main event on episode 87 was better. The slow build towards Hammerjack joining forces with Stevens and Flanagan has working superbly with the fans in the SAW Mill?There was little else in the way of wrestling on this episode ?a squash and a match that had nothing much to it except the finish…The prematch promos were direct, clear and solid if unspectacular. Stevens did have great line about Douglas and seven year mask. Walker sent in a decent promo this week. He’s often caught in a no man’s land of being too cool to be heel and too cocky to be babyface, but he struck the right notes here?This episode had some small touches that added to the entertainment value. Bringing the manager’s license thing out of mothballs was gold. I can?t recall the last time I saw a pro wrestling manager showing off an actual physical copy of his license. Santel’s selling of the split cuticle was priceless. Young’s association with a wacky bunch of misfits like A-Team has given him a chance to showcase his comedic talents. The way Graham sold the intimidation by Big Dollar was classic stuff. All in all, it was an hour well spent.