March 2002

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #916
March 2, 2002
Milwaukee, Wisconsin


Show opens with a Video taped segment;
Frank Dusek of the PWA: Dusek says that as far as he is concerned Nick Mercury is under contract to PWA, not RCWW. However, he says it's no big loss to PWA if Mercury has gone AWOL. Since Mercury is not fulfilling his obligations to the PWA his payroll cheques will be stopped until he returns. Dusek laughs, and says that if Bad Attitude International really is fronting Mercury than this should be no problem. If BAI can afford to bankroll Kevin Nash and Scott Hall surely they can afford to pay a curtain jerker like Mercury.

Special Stipulations Tag Team Match
Al Collins & Joe Blum v Young Guns: Greg Pawluk & Johnny Devine
The winner of this match will go on to the 4-way dance on March 9th to crown new tag team champions. In addition, the losing team must break up as a tag team.
Joe Blum was isolated early by Pawluk and Devine who worked over his legs with a series of spinning toe holds and kneedrops to the back of the thigh. By the end of the punishment Blum could not stand up. Finally Blum reversed things by grabbing Devine by the tights and heaving him through the ropes to the floor below.

[commercial break]

Crawling over to his corner Blum made the tag to Collins. Al Collins was a house of fire off the hot tag and took it right to Pawluk, even pulling a German suplex out of his bag of tricks. Devine tried to re-enter the ring and attack Collins by surprise, but the veteran spun around just in time and took Devine down with a big boot to the face. However, the IBZ showed up at ringside and passed Pawluk a set of brass knuckles. When Collins turned around Pawluk Ko'd him. But somehow Collins kicked out at the 2 count! Devine regained his feet and helped Pawluk deliver a stuffed piledriver. Blum tried to help out but he could not get to his feet, and Shaggy made sure by pulling him off the apron for good measure. Pawluk covered Collins, and Wiked Klown had wrapped some clear packing tape around Collins feet to help make sure he couldn't kick out.
[Young Guns win by pinfall at 12:51 when Greg Pawluk pins Al Collins after a double team stuffed piledriver and some outside interference by the IBZ]

Post-Match: The Young Guns invite the IBZ into the ring to celebrate with them. However, the IBZ turn on the Young Guns opening a fire extinguisher into their faces and then laying the boots to them.

[commercial break]


Menele v Lash LeRoux
This match was a squash. Menele attacked Leroux at the opening bell and LeRoux managed to get in all of 2 offensive moves the entire match. Menele finished the match with a sequence of suplexes; belly-to-back, t-bone, snap, and finally a belly-to-belly off the top rope for the win.
[Winner by pinfall Menele when he pinned LeRoux after a belly-to-belly superplex at 4:42]

[commercial break]


Fatal 4-Way Match: Winner gets shot at Barry Windham on March 7th in Chicago.
Al Hardamann v Steve Riley v Dallas Page v Nick Mercury
This match started as 2 v 2 when Riley and Mercury (both members of BAI) teamed up. Hardamann and DDP realized that they would have to do likewise to survive. Outside the ring Madusa did her best to help out Mercury and Riley, which caused Kimberly to confront Madusa. This of course drew DDP out of the ring to help his wife who was getting demolished by Madusa. Back inside Mercury signalled to Riley to help him finish off Hardamann while they had the chance - but Riley left the ring instead and tried to get between Madusa and DDP. Hardamann took it right to Mercury inside the ring and had him set up for the vetebreaker when Justice Steel entered the ring (referee Marty Stevens was outside the ring at this point) and nailed Hardamann in the head with a chair. Mercury nailed a herosault and then pinned Hardamann to get the win.
[Winner by pinfall Nick Mercury when he pinned Al Hardamann after a Herosault at 8:11]

Post-Match: April Hunter came out to ringside and joined in the fray, attacking Madusa. She then ripped off Madusa's top causing her to have to cover up (wearing only a bra). Unable to defend herself with her hands Madusa fell prey to a DDT by April Hunter outside the ring. However, Steve Riley had just left DDP laying after smashing him headfirst into the guardrail, and then turned around and speared April Hunter.

FADE TO BLACK

Dark Matches Before RAGE
Jesse Hennig and Steve Corino battled to a no-contest
Justice Steel defeated Ace Darling by pinfall after a double underhook powerbomb
April Hunter defeated Tara** by pinfall after a moonsault press
Madusa defeated Candie** by pinfall after a superkick
Devon Storm & J.J. Extreme defeated The IBZ: Wiked Klown & Shaggy pinfall when Extreme pinned Klown after a missile dropkick 

**premieres in RCW

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #917
March 9, 2002
Chicago, Illinois


Due to this being Barry Windham's Farewell tour appearance in the RCW, tonight and March 16th's TV shows will be 2 HOURS long, instead of the usual 1 hour.

Champion v Champion - Non-title Match
Steve Riley v Samoa Joe
The night's opening match saw RCW American champion "Total Destruction" Steve Riley take on RCW Canadian champion Samoa Joe in a non-title match. Riley had the upper hand in much of this match. Bret Hart came down to cheer on Joe, but Joe didn't seem to appreciate Bret's presence so he rocked him with a right hand outside the ring. Then Riley speared Joe in the lower back, sending Joe colliding with Bret and landing on him. Bret looked to be quite hurt as did Joe. A concerned Wayne Hart then applied the 3 count on the pinfall even though it was outside the ring.
[Steve Riley pinned Samoa Joe after a spear at 12:00]

[cut to commercial]


Interview Segment:
This was a funny segment with Nick Mercury giving "props" to our special guest tonight Nick Bockwinkel. Mercury was his usual smart ass self. Mercury outlined Bockwinkel's career including two AWA World title "victories" where all the wrestlers in the AWA were so scared of him that he was just handed the world title by AWA officials. Mercury said it was quite an accomplishment to be the World champion and beat opponent after worthy opponent like Jake Milliman, Tony Leone, and Nacho Buerrera. Mercury also pointed out that Bockwinkel carried that no talent stiff Ray Stevens to an AWA World tag title, despite the fact that Stevens was usually out in the studio recording all those country and western parody songs.

[cut to commercial]


CWA Americas Championship Title Match
Cesar DeHoyas (c) v Curt Hennig
special guest referee: Nick Bockwinkel
Bockwinkel was out for the next match as the special guest referee between CWA Americas Champion Cesar DeHoyas and Curt Hennig. Hennig kept trying to get Bockwinkel to help him but Bock called the match right down the middle. A very fired up DeHoyas wound up with a clean victory.
[Cesar DeHoyas pinned Curt Hennig after a flying somersault splash at 15:03]

[commercial break]


Marcus Schultz v Buddy McElroy
The next match featured Marcus Schultz taking on Buddy McElroy of the Freebirds. Schultz was acquitting himself quite well in a very exciting contest, but then Troy Black came out and tried to help Schultz with some interference. Referee Buddy Lane caught Black, and McElroy was awarded the match by DQ
[Buddy McElroy beats Marcus Schultz by disqualification after outside interference at 6:49]

[commercial break]


BAI: Sean O'Haire & Justice Steel (/w Nick Mercury)
v
Bryan Caruthers & Mike Enos (/w Nick Bockwinkel)
Next up was a tag team qualifier. The winning team gets into the 4-way match later tonight for the vacant RCW Tag Titles that had been forfeited due to the injury of Jerry Orth of the Spinebusters. Nick Mercury brought out his team of Sean O'Haire and Justice Steele, and demanded to know who they would face. Out came Bryan Caruthers (the other member of the Spinebusters) and his tag partner for tonight Mean Mike Enos. And leading this Minnesota duo to the ring was none other than Nick Bockwinkel. Due in part to Bockwinkel neutralizing Mercury, Caruthers and Enos were able to beat their inferior opponents.
[Bryan Caruthers & Mike Enos beat Sean O'Haire & Justice Steel when Caruthers pinned O'Haire after a spinebuster slam at 11:12]

[commercial break]


Next up was a 20-minute highlight and retrospective of the fantastic career of Barry Windham...the champion of champions.

[commercial break]


WWA North American Title Defense
Dan Jesser (c) v Raymond Bingham (/w Madusa)
Newly crowned WWA North American Champion Dan Jesser defended his title against PWI Rookie of the Year Raymond Bingham. Bingham was accompanied to the ring by Madusa. Bingham had some momentum early on but Jesser got on a roll and had the match well in hand until Kai Hanson came bursting through the crowd. Madusa caught on quick to what was about to happen and distracted referee Marty Stevens. Hanson entered the ring and demolished Jesser with the ringbell to the back of the head. He left the ring long enough to allow Stevens to count the 3 count and Raymond Bingham is the new WWA North American Champion. Jesser had just won the title from Hanson on March 3rd in Las Vegas.
[Raymond Bingham pinned Dan Jesser after outside interference at 19:09]
[Raymond Bingham wins the WWA North American Heavyweight Championship]

Post Match: Hanson presented the title belt to Bingham who was joined in the celebration by his leader Nick Mercury. Hanson then clotheslined both men from behind and laid the boots to both of them and then again to Jesser. RCW security surrounded the ring but were held back as Hanson was allowed to cut a promo telling off the American fans. Bingham winning this prestige belt is a really big deal for RCW in their relationship with WWA.

FADE TO BLACK

Dark Matches Before RAGE
Nick Mercury defeated Devon Storm by pinfall after a Herosault
J.J. Extreme defeated Troy Black by disqualification for abuse of official 
Freebirds: Terry Hendrix & Van Hammer defeated Greg Pawluk & Johnny Devine by pinfall when Van Hammer pinned Pawluk after a powerbomb
Kai Hanson defeated Jesse Hennig by countout
3 Way Dance: April Hunter defeated Tara and Candie by pinfall when she pinned Candie after a full nelso slam

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #918
March 16, 2002
Chicago, Illinois

Special 2 Hour program tonight in honor of it being the Barry Windham Farewell Tour 2002 stop in RCW.

RCWW Heavyweight Championship Title Defense
Al Hardamann (c) v Diamond Dallas Page (/w Kimberly)
Al Hardamann defended his RCW Heavyweight title against his allie Diamond Dallas Page. Hardamann took advantage of a DDP mistake and won clean. DDP had Hardamann right where he wanted him but he wasted some time signalling for the Diamond Cutter and Hardamann sent him into the turnbuckle. Hardamann followed up with a belly-to-back suplex and then a swinging neckbreaker to take the win. Kimberly looked a little pissed off at DDP for losing. 
[Al Hardamann pinned Diamond Dallas Page after a swinging neckbreaker at 12:55]

[commercial break]


The Patriot v Eric Scott
The Patriot defeated Eric Scott with the Uncle Slam, but was decimated after the match by an attack from behind by Scott.
[The Patriot pinned Eric Scott after the Uncle Slam at 7:15]

[commercial break]


LAST BLOOD MATCH
Jesse Hennig v Steve Corino
Next up was a "Last Blood" match between bitter rivals Jesse Hennig and Steve Corino. All wrestlers, referees, and other RCW officials were banned from ringside. ONLY the Illinois State sports representative and the medical doctor were allowed to sit at ringside. The match would continue until the state (at the guidance of the MD) called it off because one man could not continue. Not much of this match was able to be shown on Television. Both men were bloodied early, and as the doctor began to look pretty concerned the match began to drift from ringside. The State rep and doctor simply could not keep up with the wrestlers as they fought through the arena. Finally the two stopped long enough while fighting in the parking lot for the doctor to have a good look. He called for the bell declaring that Steve Corino had lost too much blood and could not continue, awarding the match to Jesse Hennig.
[Jesse Hennig beats Steve Corino in a Last Blood Match when the match is stopped because of blood loss to Corino at 16:08]
[5:00 televised].

[commercial break]


4-Way Tag Match - For the vacant RCW Tag Titles
Joe & Stan Malenko v Freebirds: Buddy McElroy & Terry Hendrix v Young Guns: Greg Pawluk & Johnny Devine v Bryan Caruthers & Mike Enos (/w Nick Bockwinkel)
Next up was a 4-way tag match for the vacant RCW Tag titles. It was done elimination style and the tag team of the Malenkos was eliminated first by the Freebirds. Next the Young Guns were eliminated by the Freebirds. Finally however, the tag team of Bryan Caruthers and Mike Enos (seconded by Nick Bockwinel) won the contest when Caruthers pinned Hendrix after a spinebuster. Caruthers and Enos are the new RCW tag team champions.
[Bryan Caruthers & Mike Enos win the RCW Tag Team Titles in a 4-way match at 20:11]
[10:00 televised]

The announcers talk about how historic that title win is. It combined Bryan Caruthers one half of the four time tag champion Spinebusters, with Mike Enos one half of the four time tag champion Destruction Crew, managed by 5 time Manager of the Year, and Manager of the Decade (90's), Nick Bockwinkel. They openly wonder what will happen when Jerry Orth is back in action again after his knee injury.

[commercial break]


Catfight - Special Guest Referee: Kimberly
Madusa v April Hunter
Many male fans really enjoyed the next match, a catfight between Madusa and April Hunter, with Kimberly as the special guest referee. Since Madusa is a member of Mercury's BAI group, and Steve Riley also a member of Mercury's group has been trying to recruit Kimberly, it looked like this might be a good test of Kimberly's allegiances. Well for what it was worth Kimberly began to call the match right down the middle but in the end she helped April Hunter defeat Madusa by flipping Madusa's leg off the bottom rope and then still counting the 1, 2, 3. following a DDT by Hunter. Not really sure what made this a "catfight" other than the ref was instructed not to stop hair pulling, punches, etc.
[April Hunter pinned Madusa after a DDT at 5:54]

[commercial break]


Sinister Stan Baker v Playboy Vincent Regliatti
Sinister Stan Baker beat Playboy Vincent Regliatti, but Baker was punked out after the match by Regliatti and Eric Scott.
[Stan Baker pinned Vincent Regliatti after the heart punch at 7:40]

[commercial break]


MAIN EVENT
WWA/NWA Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship Match

"The Champion of Champions" Barry Windham
v
"Your Hero" Nick Mercury

The match started when Mercury offered his hand to Windham who then slapped Mercury across the face instead. Mercury looked surprised and bailed out of the ring. He grabbed a mic and tried to get the fans to cheer for him "their hometown boy" only to receive a chorus of boos and jeers. Windham got Mercury to toss him the mic and then told him to stop stalling just to be able to say he lasted 5 minutes with the greatest of all time.
Mercury got into the ring and tried to take Windham down with a single leg takedown but ate a knee instead. Windham tossed Mercury around the ring like a ragdoll delivering many trademark chops to Mercury's chest as he pinned him to the turnbuckle. Five minutes into the match and Mercury's chest was beat red.
Windham's first mistake in the match was going for a bulldog without it being properly cinched in. Mercury managed to throw Windham head first into the turnbuckle. He then took control and even managed to deliver two consecutive powerbombs on the bigger champion.
Mercury thought he had the match in hand and went for the Hero's Welcome (elevated Boston crab). But Windham's superior reach allowed him to block it by reaching backward and pulling on the foot of Mercury, causing him to lose his balance. Mercury continued his assault but it became apparent that he did not have enough conventional moves to damage Windham enough to pick up the win.
So he went outside the ring to grab a steel chair and risk disqualification. But Windham caught him climbing between the ropes carrying the chair, with a nasty dropkick which drove the chair into the head and shoulder of Mercury who tumbled out of the ring.
Windham followed the challenger out of the ring and threw him around the guardrails and the ringposts. Mercury was busted wide open, and Windham twice re-entered the ring to break the 10 count. Finally Windham put Mercury through the announce table with a double underhook piledriver. Mercury was bleeding profusely at this point. However, the challenger got a short reprieve when the ringside doctor stopped the match for a few seconds to take a look at his cuts along with the ref.
As Windham strutted around the inside of the ring Raymond Bingham entered the ring with his new WWA North American Heavyweight Championship. But Windham was moving around too much and saw Bingham in time to duck. The champion then took Bingham down with a double underhook suplex. Mercury re-entered the ring at this point and took Windham down with a knee to the back.
Mercury took his second long advantage of the night working over Windham's lower back before delivering a herosault and getting a 2 count. Frustrated Mercury went for a powerbomb, but Windham countered with a backflip, and then got on top of Mercury for a series of mounted punches. Every time Windham hit the challenger in the head a little bit of blood would splatter up.
Picking Mercury up by the hair Windham pulled him into the center of the ring and delivered the Western Lariat.
[Barry Windham pinned Nick Mercury after a Western Lariat at 25:33]
[15:00 televised]

Post-Match: Windham had the mic and was about to speak when he was interrupted by RCW President Jack Larkin who came to the ring in a suit, accompanied by April Hunter in an evening gown. They carried a trophy to the ring. Larkin wanted to pay tribute to the champion of champions. Instead Windham mocked Larkin and refereed to comments Larkin had made recently on the PWA site about Windham. Windham took the mic away from Larkin, cut his closing promo, pushed Larkin to the ground, took the trophy in one hand and April Hunter in the other arm and left the arena...still the undisputed World Champion..still the champion of champions.

Farewell Mr. Windham

FADE TO BLACK

Dark Matches Before RAGE
WWA North American Heavyweight Title Match: Raymond Bingham (C) defeated Devon Storm by pinfall after a springboard back elbow
Curt Hennig defeated Al Snow by pinfall after the Perfect plex
Van Hammer defeated J.J. Extreme by pinfall after a powerbomb

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #919
March 23, 2002
Winnipeg, Manitoba


Bret Hart expressed his feelings that the RCW was holding down some Canadian talent in favour of homegrown mid-west American talent. So, in Canada he was going to try and even things out a bit starting tonight.
The first match tonight features seldomnly seen Paul Diamond getting an RCW Heavyweight championship match against Al Hardamann.

RCW Heavyweight Title Match
[Al Hardamann defeated Paul Diamond by pinfall after a DDT at 8:13]
[Al Hardamann retained the RCW Heavyweight Title]


Stan Baker has had his troubles as of late against both Eric Scott and Vincent Regliatti; the two Canadian newcomers. So Hart threw all 3 together into the ring for a 3-way dance to sort things out. However just to make sure things were on the up-and-up, Hart appointed Canadian champion Samoa Joe as the special guest referee.

3-Way Dance - Special Guest Referee: Samoa Joe
[Stan Baker defeated Eric Scott and Vincent Regliatti by pinfall when Baker made Regliatti submit to the hammerlock at 12:47.]
Scott and Regliatti pretty much double teamed Baker during this match. Despite their efforts the first half of this match belonged to the bigger Baker. However, Scott turned the tide when he nailed Baker to the back of the legs with a steel chair when Baker was standing on the ring apron and Scott was standing on the floor. After that the Canadians worked over Baker's legs to such a degree he couldn't stand up. But they made a costly mistake by getting cheeky with Samoa Joe and twice "accidentally" knocking him over. Joe couldn't take anymore and began to clean house until Bret ran down to the ring to stop him. While Bret and Joe exchanged heated words and did some pushing, Regliatti and Scott set up Baker for a top rope legdrop over Baker's leg which was placed over a set-up steel chair. The move was designed to break Baker's leg, but he was saved by The Patriot who ran in and laid out both Canadians - for which he was boo'd by the partisan Canadian crowd. Joe finished jawing with Bret, and when he turned around he saw Baker putting Regliatti in a hammerlock to which he quickly submitted.


Main Event
Nick Mercury v Diamond Dallas Page (/w Kimberly)
The winner of this match would go on to face Al Hardamann for the Heavyweight title in St.Paul on April 6th.
[Nick Mercury defeated Diamond Dallas Page by countout at 18:33 (with 12:00 televised)]
DDP had the better of Mercury through much of this match with Mercury continually taking the match out of the ring to buy some room. But even outside the ring DDP got the better of Mercury. By the half-way point in this match Mercury's head was busted open. The end came when American Champion, Total Destruction Steve Riley came down to ringside to flirt with Kimberly. Again, it appeared that Kimberly had some interest in what he was saying to her. This caused DDP to leave the ring and get into a brawl with Riley. Back inside the ring a bloodied Nick Mercury let referee Wayne Hart count DDP out of the ring.

FADE TO BLACK

Dark Matches Before RAGE
Canadian Title Match: Samoa Joe defeated Jesse Hennig by submission to the STF
American Title Match: Steve Riley defeated Steve Corino by pinfall after a piledriver
The Patriot defeated Greg Pawluk by pinfall after the Uncle Slam
April Hunter defeated Tara by pinfall after a moonsault press
Johnny Devine defeated Sammy Jo Simon by pinfall after a hotshot