ECW 9/11/96 Savage/Windham! Someone Gets Fired!
Sept 11, 2013 14:48:37 GMT
Post by jackknight on Sept 11, 2013 14:48:37 GMT
9/11/96 - E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY
"Mean" Gene Okerlund and "The Genius" Lanny Poffo welcome us to the E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky for another exciting edition of Eastern Championship Wrestling! They remind us that it's only three days after ECW and WCW's huge joint venture Showdown in Charlotte! And we have alot of exciting news for the fans who missed it (but who'd be dumb enough to do that? questions Lanny) including a new World Champ! Before they can continue however they're interrupted by "White Train" by Tito & Tarantula!
And out from the bag swaggers ECW Champion Eric Bischoff! He heads down to the ring where he's handed a mic by Joel Gertner. He says that as we all know when "Easy E" is inside the ring it can mean only one thing; and that's "Business is at Hand!" And what's tonight's business? ECW/WCW Showdown in Charlotte of course! He'd like to thank WCW for their professionalism during the event and hopes to continue their business arrangement in the future, he'd like to thank the fans in the arena and those at home for making the even a true EVENT selling out the Independence Arena in record time setting new records for Pay Per View buys; and most imprtantly he'd like to thank all the tremendous talent who appeared on the show! They gave us all one hell of a night! And to that end he'd like to invite a man to the ring right now who had a huge role in Charlotte, the one and thankfully only former ECW Champion "Nature Boy" Ric Flair!
"Also Sprach Zarathustra" then hits and Ric Flair appears on the ramp in his white suit. He looks rather annoyed as he is booed heavily on his way to the ring. Eric however couldn't look happier. Once inside the ring Bischoff begins to talk when Flair snatches the microphone from his hands! He tells Eric to shut up! And the fans as well! He says that we've all got what we wanted. And that's a new ECW Champion. But that had nothing to do with anyone out here right now. Not with "All-Class" or the snot nose punks in the crowd with their snot-nosed kids brother. Yeah, Ric Flair lost the Title three days ago. But it only had to do with one man and one man alone. And that's "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson. He then thrusts the microphone back into Eric's hands.
Bischoff then gets on the microphone and says he can except that. And he thanks Flair for giving it all at the Independence Arena. But that in the end... He did lose. And while he had trouble thinking about suspending him or just outright stripping "Naitch" of the Title over the past couple months; that was when Flair was still the Champ. Tonight however he has no trouble telling him two simple words... "You're Fired!"
Ric goes wide-eyed for a minute and looks like he might strike Eric. But instead he smiles and tells Bischoff that's all well and good by him; because for the past several months he's been slumming it. Working for Bischoff, giving these ingrate fans night after night a taste of what seeing a true wrestling God really is! Well no more brother! Eric and these inbred, hillbilly fans from Kentucky can kiss his ass baby! He then turns to go, but swings back around and decks Eric! And grabbing his legs he stomps on Bischoff before locking in the figure four! And Eric is tapping! And Flair is loving it! He lets him go and lets out a Woooo! before hopping out of the ring and heads up the ramp! Ric Flair has left the building!
Inside the ring Eric Bischoff is pissed and throwing a bit of a tantrum in the ring. And when he gets to his face he finds himself nose to nose with...
"The Long Island Loud-Mouth" Chris Jericho?! He tells Eric that he has a request of him. That he wants to be fired too?! Jericho goes on to tell us that "The Nature Boy" got damned lucky tonight! Because he gets to get on a plain and style and profile his way home while the great Chris Jericho is stuck in a hobunk town like Bowling Green, Kentucky! In a company that knows nothing about true talent like Eastern Championship! A company that he might add Chris Jericho already left! And that three days ago he was cheated by that limey bastard William Regal who had to use brass knuckles to take down the greatest wrestler who ever lived! He was robbed and now he's stuck here! And he wants out Eric!
Bischoff is already pissed and tells "The Loud-Mouth" that he isn't going anywhere. That Chris Jericho feels cheated?! Oh no, no, no! It was Eric Bischoff who was cheated this past December when Jericho walked out of the company! It was All-Class who made Chris what he is, who gave him the opporutnity to become the Inter-Promotional Champion and made Chris Jericho a household name! And then what does Chris do?! He walks out on him! He stabs Bischoff in the back and runs over the WCW! Well why does Chris think he was in that Loser Trades Promotions Match at Showdown in Charlotte anyway?! JJ and Magnus picked William Regal because they saw in him one of the best and brightest in the wrestling world today. And Eric Bischoff?! He picked, he PICKED Chris Jericho! Because he wanted to bring him right back where he belongs! Right back where Eric Bischoff built him! And if he feels cheated?! Well too damned bad!
Chris looks like he might be thinking of attacking Eric next; but head of security "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin has entered the ring and has his security team with him! Chris minces some words with him before heading out of the ring and back up the ramp.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Back from break Okerlund expresses his unhappiness that Chris Jericho is back in ECW and says it will be nothing but trouble. This next man however he fully endorses in the ECW Light Heavyweight Champion "The Lone Wolf" Dean Malenko!
Match: Dean Malenko vs. Doug Gilbert w/ Cousin Jamie
Referee: Danny Davis
Accompanied to the ring by Danny Davis, Dean Malenko has now got two Titles as the announcers recap in a split screen how at Showdown in Charlotte Malenko beat Lance Storm in an impromptu Title match winning the WCW GenX Championship! Malenko holds both Titles up over his head before the match begins. "The Redneck Rebel" Doug Gilbert holds his own early on against "The Lone Wolf;" but when Cousin Jamie attempts to interfere on Gilbert's behalf holding Dean back against the ropes while Doug comes in with a clothesline; Malenko manages to dodge the attack and the Bayou Boys clunk heads. From there Dean Malenko mostly dominates the match before hitting a powerbomb off the second rope for the win.
After the match ECW Correspondent Terri Runnels once again talks to Ted DiBiase about these huge signings of his and asks what happened with his big announcement at the PPV? He laughs and tells us that if we didn't see the announcement, we simply weren't paying attention! And his biggest announcement is still to come next week! He then lets out a "Sting" style howl.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Tag-Team Match: Brian Christopher & Jacqueline Moore vs. Sex & Violence
Referee: S.D. Jones
Back from the break we're brought to what Okerlund and Poffo dub an Inter-Gender tag match; though neither is certain if Women's Champ Michele Starr should really be counted as a woman. Regardless the match operates under Inter-Gener tag rules where only only Starr and Jacqueline Moore are allowed to lock things up while "Too Cool" Brian Christopher does his best to use his quickness to keep one step ahead of the larger Joe E. Legend. It is Jacquline Moore who gets the win forcing "The Gorgeous One" to tap using a guillotine choke with bodyscissors. Starr seems to find this move offensive and unfair as he tends to his injured throat.
Okerlund and Poffo make note that both Brian Christopher and Jacqueline Moore are now the # 1 Contenders for the Light Heavyweight and Women's Title respectively.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Match: Mongo Vyle w/ Rhino vs. B. Brian Blair
Referee: Danny Davis
"THE Killer Bee" B. Brian Blair does his best against "The Machiavellan Mauler"; but big and nasty Mongo Vyle has no problem pounding the veteran into the canvas before finishing him off with the Mongo Masher sitout full nelson atomic drop!
After the match Honky Tonk Man is standing by with "Rock 'N Roll" Buck Zumhoff who remind us to tune in this Saturday for ECW Weekend Warriors right here on TNN The Nashville Network!
COMMERCIAL BREAK
"Mean" Gene and Lanny welcome us back from the break before reminding us that next week's show will be coming to us live from the Fifth Third Arena in Cincinatti, Ohio and while tickets for that show are sold out; those folks at home should be sure and join us right here on Eastern Championship's home station of TNN The Nashville Network! They then make mention of ECW President Eric Bischoff who is now with them at ringside!
Eric has huge news for us here tonight! He says that ECW proved this past Sunday that they'e definitely where the action is and they aren't about to let their fans catch their breath! He then announces that just two weeks today ECW will host another big event right here on TNN for free as they bring you ECW September to Remember! At this huge event all the Titles will be on the line! And Eric already has one big match to announce; and that's ECW Women's Champion "Gorgeous" Michele Starr will
face "Miss Texas" Jacqueline Moore for the Title! So don't miss it! More matches will be announced before the event.
Match: Randy Savage vs. Barry Windham w/ Papa Shango
Referee: S.D. Jones
Eastern States Champion "Macho Man" Randy Savage comes down to the ring with "Hot Stuff" Debbie Combs and looks a little shaky early on. This is however exactly the way his opponent "Blackjack" Barry Windham wants him and he dominates Savage whom Okerlund isn't sure should even be competing after his amazing, but taxing bout with Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat this past Wednesday. Lanny reminds us it was a losing effort, something ECW President Eric Bischoff surely didn't forgive or forget. Eric who is at ringside is hurt by the accusation and says this match was planned well before he even the match was taking place. Superplex off the top gets Barry a two count as does a thunderous boot to the head. Savage impresses by kicking out, though Lanny calls him an idiot for not staying down. A vicious lariat later and Windham goes for the cover! 1!... 2!...
Savage kicks out just before the three! Windham is growing frustrated and grabs Randy in a rear chinlock trying to wear the Champ down. Savage with the fans behind him however rallies back, fights his way to his feet, releases himself with a back elbow and whips Windham across the ring! And following him in he leaps over the top rope and hits the hairpull hangman! Barry hits the canvas while an obviously worn out Randy claws his way up the apron and goes up top! He waits for Windham to get to his feet and hits a flying clothesline! Makes the cover and 1!... 2! Barry powers out! He and Savage battle it out; and he ends up beating Randy into the corner where Savage hops up onto the top turnbuckle, grabs a headlock; and hits a Torndado DDT! He's unable to capitalize however and both men get to their feet. A bit quicker however, Randy Savage kicks Barry Windham in the gut before scooping him up and flattens his head with a Piledriver! He makes the cover! 1!... 2!... 3! "Macho Man" has won it!
At ringside Papa Shango can't believe it and neither can Barry. Randy slides out of the ring and is helped to the back by Debbie Combs. But as they approach the ramp the Talking Heads hit and out from th back comes...
"The Canadian Crippler" Chris Benoit! And pushing Combs aside he begins beating the hell out of Savage! And with the Champ down he tells us that he doesn't give a shit about Steamboat, Sting, or the rest. He wants revenge on Savage for butting his nose in where it didn't belong after his Steamboat match. And to teach "Macho Man" a lesson he's going to take the Eastern States Championship! Combs is screaming at him and Benoit gets in her face!
But he is spun around by Randy who is back up and lets him have it! The two men beat on one another until Ronnie Garvin and his secutity team are forced to intervene.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Match: Chris Jericho vs. Scott Taylor w/ Tully Blanchard
Referee: Danny Davis
"The Long Island Loud-Mouth" Chris Jericho looks pissed as he heads to the ring booed and argues with fans at ringside before getting into the ring. Scott Taylor comes down to the ring accompanied by Tully Blanchard and Chris makes the mistake of underestimating the young superstar whom he treats like a chump before the bell ring and Taylor lays right into him! Caught off-guard Chris has nowhere to go but back, back into the ropes; gets whipped and nailed with a picture perfect dropkick! Scott keeps on top of him and after ramming his head into the top turnbuckle he goes up top and while Jericho stumbles about the ring he connects with the high-impact diving chop drop for two! His luck runs out however when he whips "The Loud-Mouth" into the ropes and Jericho comes back with a lariat takedown!
Jericho as cocky as ever shows off for the crowd who shouts him down; but because of this he doesn't see Scott kip-up and walks face first into a superkick! Taylor with the cover! 1!... 2!...
Chris kicks out! Taylor hammers him as he gets to his feet. But soon Jericho is firing back! The two men trade momentum back and forth with Chris hitting a jumping corkscrew roundhouse kick and the lionsault which gets him a two count while Taylor counters with a belly to back suplex for another two. Setting Chris Jericho up for a powerbomb, Scott Taylor is caught off-guard when "The Loud-Mouth" counters with a Frankensteiner; tossing Taylor down to the canvas where after putting up a short fight he taps out to Chris Jericho's Walls of Jericho elevated Boston Crab.
After the match Davis goes to raise Jericho's hand in victory, but he slaps it away and raises them on his own. He then notices why the crowd has suddenly started cheering as William Regal has appeared on the ramp!
Regal in his robe has mic in hand as tells tells Jericho that he heard his criticism earlier this evening. And fair enough, he shouldn't have brought the knucks into play. But as always they were only used as equalizers because "The Loud-Mouth's" little lackeys The Highlight Express went and got themselves involved. However he don't mind settling who the better man is one bit if Chris is up for it. Which is why he went to Eric Bischoff and got them a rematch signed! And not just any rematch love; because in two weeks they'll face one another at ECW's big event September to Remember! And it will be a # 1 Contenders match! For the ECW Championship! Jericho seems very happy with this and Regal tells him he's glad. Because he beat him once already and in two weeks with a shot at becoming Eastern Heavyweight Champion on the line; Jericho is gonna need more than an equalizer to defeat William Regal!
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Match: Yoshihiro Tajiri vs. Buck Zumhoff
Referee: S.D. Jones
"Rock 'N Roll" Buck Zumhoff ate his Wheaties this morning and has a good back and forth battle with Yoshihiro Tajiri. "The Japanese Buzzsaw" seems to relish using his signature arsenal on Buck, especially the illegal Tarantula hold. Zumhoff holds his own until Tajiri taking his head clean off with the Shining Wizard and makes the pin. Mr. Fuji raises his hand in victory.
After the match we're brought backstage to the locker room where "Ravishing" Rick Rude congratulates his partners from Showdown in Charlotte Ron Simmons and Rob Van Dam on their big win this past Sunday over The Dark Circle. He then leaves for his match.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Okerlund and Poffo welcome us back from the last commercial break of the evening before hyping tonight's Main Event mostly by talking about the Over the Top Team Battle Royal that took place on Sunday in which Rick Rude's team stood victorious afterward with Ron Simmons and WCW World Champ Curt Hennig the other survivors of the match-up against the combined Dark Circle and Dungeon of Doom. Just then Irish folk music is heard.
Gertner: The following match is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first making his way from Dublin, Ireland weighing 212 lbs.; he is "The Leprechaun" Erin O'Grady!
Erin comes down to the ring throwing gold coins to the crowd out of his cauldron before Rick Rude's strip theme hits.
Gertner: And now introducing his opponent this evening weighing 251 lbs. from Robbinsdale, Minnesota; he is "The Ravishing One" Rick Rude!
Main Event: Rick Rude vs. Erin O'Grady
Referee: Danny Davis
Since ECW began Rick Rude and Erin O'Grady have squared off many times; and each time the match has gotten better. This time is no exception as "The Leprechaun" hits the Lucky Charm double underhook implant DDT for a two count and an Irish Jig splash which barely got a one. He misses the Over the Rainbow moonsault; but Rick Rude had already been dominating most the match by that point anyway and finishes his opponent off with the Rude Awakening delayed hangman's neckbreaker.
After the match "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson appears on the ramp and makes his way down to the ring while Rick Rude holds his ground. Arn enters and Rude gives him a nod of respect before leaving the ring.
Once inside Arn Anderson unstraps the ECW Title he is wearing around his waist and holds it up for the crowd who continues to cheer him. He tells them that the match he had this Sunday with Ric Flair was one of the hardest of his career. And he isn't just talking about physically. It took an emotional toll too. As we all know him and Ric Flair while having had their difference have been friends, brothers since well before 1986 when they started up a little group called the Four Horsemen together. Ten years "The Enforcer" has stood by Flair's side and vice versa. So you'd better believe that every punch thrown, every kick landed; and every spine busted; Ric Flair didn't just feel it. Arn Anderson did too. But this career is all about sacrifices. Sacrifices and gold. And throughout those long years by Ric Flair's side Arn never had a chance to hold what he holds now. A World Championship. And while it may sound sentimental; Double A considers the ECW Championship HIS belt. And when Ric Flair brother or no disrespected this Title he crossed a line. Their battle last week wasn't about hatred for Arn. It wasn't about pride. It was about respect. And he'd like to think that in the Independence Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair learned one thing; and that's to respect "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson and by association the ECW Championship!
Arn looks startled and a hush falls out over the audience as "Also Sprach Zarathustra" hits?! Ric Flair isn't even on the pay roll! But out he comes anyway! He struts his way down to the ring in his suit while Arn watches him warily. He enters the ring and holds his hand to Arn, who with some hesitation gives him the microphone.
Flair smiles before telling him that well brother; "The Nature Boy" has to hand it to him. He didn't think ol' Arn had it in him; but that was one Hell of a match this past Sunday. And... the better man won. The fans cheer as Ric extends his hand to the ECW Champ! Arn looks unsure if he should take it; but he goes to when...
The lights go out?! Voodoo drums begin to pound and the arena fills with mist! We can't see it, but there's a commotion in the ring; and when they come back on...
Both Arn Anderson and Ric Flair are laid out cold! Papa Shango has the ECW Championship and he's cackling maniacally as the rest of the Dark Circle swarm about him!
Then the...
Lights Fade.
Working on it now.