July

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling
Roster
July, 1991

Officials
Jim Brunzell (Commissioner)
Buddy Lane (Head Referee)
Jurgen Hermann (Referee)

Announce Team
Ron Strong (Play by Play)
Mike Stone (Color Commentary)

Faces
Wahoo McDaniel (Heritage Champion)
Chris Adams (/w Toni Adams)
Dynamite Kid (British Bruisers)
Johnny Smith (British Bruisers)
Ben Bassarab
Chi Chi Cruz
EZ Ryder

Terminator Riggs

Lance Storm (Bullet Train)

Mike Lozansky (Bullet Train)

Heels
Lethal Larry Cameron (Heavyweight Champion)
Charlie Norris
Timothy Flowers
Dirty Dan Denton
Johnnie Stewart
Wayne Bloom (Destruction Crew) (Tag Team Champion)
Mike Enos (Destruction Crew) (Tag Team Champion)
The Natural
Mr. Pogo
Untouchables: Ice
Untouchables: Buster

Females
Tiffany Brannigan (Face)

Toni Adams (Face)

K.C. Houston (Heel)
Jeannie Adams (Heel)

Available Enhancement Talent
French Mad Dog (Heel)
Red Bastien Jr (Face)
Black Demon (Heel)
Red Demon (Heel)
Don McCullogh (Face/Heel)
Shane Croft (Face/Heel)

Randy Thatcher (Face)

Injured
Kid Gallahad
Paul Orndorff
Desiree Petersen

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #474
July 6, 1991
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Opening Bout
Dan Denton defeated Randy Thatcher after a Dirty Bomb (Sit out powerbomb) at 6:20

Bout #2
Jeannie Adams defeated Tiffany Brannigan after an airplane spin at 5:08

Bout #3
The Natural and Chi Chi Cruz battled to a double disqualification at 8:43
These two undercarders lit it up with a high energy yet psychology filled match that ended up with them exchanging chair shots outside the ring which ended things.

Bout #4
Premiere of Bullet Train
Bullet Train (Lance Storm & Mike Lozansky) defeated The Untouchables by pinfall when Lozansky pinned Ice after a bullet dropkick (top rope missile dropkick) at 9:25
Excellent match. Storm and Lozansky worked well together, similar enough to be one of those homogeneous teams that are all the rage, but different enough in style (Storm more of a technician, Lozansky more of a high flyer) to complement each other well. The Untouchables have brute strength but they wore down as the match progressed and were noticeably out of breath compared to their more fit opponents. The Bullet Train wore white masks while in the ring sporting Japanese letters in black, but there was no mystery or concealment as to who they were from the announcers before or during the match.

Bout #5
Chris Adams defeated Timothy Flowers by pinfall after a superkick at 5:56
Second straight week for Adams with a more positive result. He chose not to have Toni come down to the ring with him, presumably because her own match was next. But the announcers made a big deal out of her absence (and the fact that Jeannie also steered clear of the bout) and that he seems more focused and gets better results on his own.

Bout #6
North American Women's Title Match
Toni Adams defeated K.C. Houston by pinfall after a superkick at 7:31
Adams was a clear underdog during the match and although she started strong Houston exerted her will on Adams and showed her size and experience advantage. Houston controlled most of the match but Adams had a brief comeback after moving away from a splash attempt in the corner. She rolled the champ up and got a 2 count, sent her to the ropes and nailed a side suplex, then when the champ got up she nailed her with her husband's finisher the superkick to pick up the win and the belt.
[Toni Adams wins the North American Women's Title]

Bout #7
No Countout - No Disqualification
Mr. Pogo defeated EZ Ryder by pinfall after complete chaos at 7:47
Ryder may have that big tough biker look but in reality he is not very big and not very experienced. This hardcore style of Mr. Pogo's brought in from Japan was very foreign to RCW and to the Winnipeg fans, and while a novelty at first did not really go over well for a live audience. As much of the match took place around ringside and into the stands sight lines were terrible, and the arena lighting crew even tried playing with the house lights to help the fans to no avail. The ring announcers called it a disgrace. As for the actual bout, while Ryder was a game opponent and certainly dished out his share of the punishment, even though Pogo bled much more than Ryder, the match was dominated by Pogo. In the end Pogo pinned Ryder on top of the announce table.

Bout #8
Charlie Norris & Johnnie Stewart defeated Wahoo McDaniel & Terminator Riggs by pinfall when Stewart pinned McDaniel after a flying kneesmash at 11:52
A bit of an upset as in singles one would favour either McDaniel or Riggs over either of their opponents. The match had McDaniel playing the role of Ricky Morton for a while before making the hot tag to Riggs. Stewart and Norris managed to stay alive only by having the illegal man break up submission attempts and pin attempts. There were the usual couple 4 man brawls as well, but overall head referee Buddy Lane did a fairly good job of keeping order. The end came however while he was distracted putting Riggs out of the ring which allowed a double team with Norris nailing a Tomahawk Chop and Stewart coming off the ropes and after loading his kneepad and striking the winning blow. The use of the loaded kneepad by Stewart has become more and more obvious every week and eventually Commissioner Jim Brunzell will have to do something about it.

Bout #9

RCW Tag Team Title Match

Destruction Crew: Mike Enos & Wayne Bloom (champions) defeated British Bruisers: Dynamite Kid & Johnny Smith by disqualification when Dynamite Kid used a steel chair at 9:25

Very even match. Neither team held a distinct advantage for more than a minute, and each of the four men seemed to have control of the match at one point, and each at the receiving end at one point. Enos and Bloom though took advantage of drawing Jurgen Hermann as a ref and managed to confuse him enough that they could double team Johnny Smith. Twice Smith made the tag but both times Hermann did not see it and did not allow it. When it happened a third time DK lost his composure, left the ring, came back with a steel chair and ~waffled~ Enos and then Bloom. Then he hit them each a second and third time. Smith finally managed to talk him down and the two left the ring without the titles.

[Destruction Crew retained the RCW Tag Team Titles]

Main Event

RCW Heavyweight Title Match

Lethal Larry Cameron (champion) defeated Ben Bassarab by pinfall after a powerslam at 12:50

Bassarab's quest to win the Heavyweight title which has eluded him once again took a step backward. Cameron controlled the match early with his power, wearing down Bassarab with restholds. Around the 5 minute mark Bassarab started to make a comeback and as they say in hockey, got his feet moving. However, with the champ on the ropes (literally) and then taking a rest outside the ring Bassarab showed a conservative streak in waiting for Buddy Lane to apply a 10 count and allowing the champ a rest. The announcers suggested that this may have been a result of last card's victory but only by countout after a tope. This allowed Cameron not only a rest but to gain back the advantage. A minute later and things swung around again, but once again the champ took a rest outside, and once again Bassarab was willing to wait it out. Cameron locked up with Bassarab and raked him in the eyes. He whipped him to the buckle and nailed a sky high backbody drop. This was followed by two elbowdrops and a 2 count. Cameron came off the ropes and nailed a flying shoulderblock, but the pin was too close to the ropes and Bassrab managed to drape a foot over the bottom. Cameron locked in a full nelson, but Bassarab managed to get close enough to the corner to walk his way up the buckle and then break the hold with a back somersault. He took the champ down with a leg sweep, then nailed a hip toss, then a German suplex. Bassarab could smell blood and the fans were on their feet as he climbed to the top buckle. Just before he leaped there was a moment, about 1 second, that he had to regain his balance, and that turned out to be the deciding factor. Bassarab went for a flying crossbody block off that top buckle but the champ caught him in mid air and used that momentum to deliver a massive powerslam to end the match.

[Larry Cameron retained the RCW Heavyweight Title]

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #475

July 20, 1991

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Before the card started Commissioner Jim Brunzell came down to the ring and got a nice ovation. Brunzell announced a couple changes to tonight's advertised lineup. First off, in lieu of what happened last card Dynamite Kid does not deserve to get another tag team title shot; but Johnny Smith does and is called down to the ring along with Dynamite Kid. Brunzell tells Kid that since he likes to use chairs so much and there is this other lunatic running around RCW by the name of Mr. Pogo, and since the two have unfinished business from before, the two of them can battle it out tonight in a no-disqualification, no-countout match. He tells Smith to name a new partner for a rematch tonight against the champ Destruction Crew. Smith tries to say no way, he won't do it without Kid but actually Kid tells him not to worry about it, he's fine with getting another shot at Pogo. So after thinking for a minute Smith says he knows there is another former Stampede wrestler here who wrestles a lot like Dynamite Kid, and offers the spot to Ben Bassarab who is called down to the ring. Bassarab at first is hesitant saying he is a 5x tag champion with 3 different partners, and has also held the television title 3x, and the only thing he has left to prove is the Heavyweight title. Brunzell reminds Bassarab that he had his shot and couldnt wrestle the title away from Larry Cameron. Bassarab seems a bit pissed off at Brunzell, but once Dynamite Kid himself steps up and asks Bassarab to fill his boots for him the deal is sealed.
The other order of business is that normally K.C Houston would be entitled to a rematch for the North American Women's title she lost last card to Toni Adams, but Houston could not be here tonight so that will have to wait. Brunzell announces that Toni Adams instead will defend her belt against her nemesis Jeannie Adams.

Opening Bout

EZ Ryder defeated French Mad Dog after a powerslam at 4:45

Bout #2

Tiffany Brannigan defeated Pink Demon after a somersault splash at 3:36

Well we've had masked generic jobbers in the men's division called the Black Demon and the Red Demon, so why not a female version, the Pink Demon?

Bout #3

Chi Chi Cruz and The Natural battled to a time limit draw 20:00

This was supposed to be the rematch to settle last card's double disqualification but instead the two evenly matched men kept the crowd entertained for the distance. Afterward the heel Natural offered a handshake to Chi Chi, but the fan favourite after consulting with the crowd thought better of it and just left the ring.

Bout #4

Bullet Train: Lance Storm & Mike Lozansky defeated Dan Denton & Timothy Flowers by submission when Denton submitted to Storm while in the half-Boston crab at 8:19

This match was actually a step down from last week's match against the Untouchables. Flowers held his own with a bit more experience but Denton proved to be the weak link.

Bout #5

Terminator Riggs defeated Charlie Norris by pinfall after a piledriver at 6:52

Riggs just proved to be too tough, too strong, and most of all too tenacious for Norris. Riggs looks even better in singles competition then he did as a tag team champion.

Bout #6
North American Women's Title Match
Toni Adams and Jeannie Adams battled to a double disqualification at 4:47
Fairly predictable outcome as the ring could not hold the hatred that these two women have for each other. The interesting note is that at no time did Chris Adams come to ringside as he is preparing for his Heavyweight title shot tonight.
[Toni Adams retained the North American Women's Title]

Bout #7
No Disqualification, No Countout
Dynamite Kid defeated Mr. Pogo by pinfall after a top rope chair shot at 8:50
Brutal hardcore match that saw both men bleed early and a lot. About 5 minutes into the match Jim Brunzell came down and tried to get referee Jurgen Hermann to get both men back in the ring or to throw the match out. He really couldn't do anything about it but the message seemed to be received by Dynamite Kid who once he got the advantage took Pogo inside the ring. The match continued and the ring got stained with blood. The end came when DK nailed Pogo with a snap suplex on top of the chair, then came off the top nailing Pogo over the head and got the pin.

Bout #8
RCW Heritage Title Match
Wahoo McDaniel defeated Johnnie Stewart by pinfall after a Tomahawk Chop at 6:42
Nothing new here, and no attempted outside shenanigans by Charlie Norris or Terminator Riggs. McDaniel is stronger, more experienced and more over.
[Wahoo McDaniel retained the RCW Heritage Title]

Bout #9
RCW Tag Team Title Match
Destruction Crew: Mike Enos & Wayne Bloom defeated Johnny Smith & Ben Bassarab by pinfall when Bloom pinned Bassarab after a double underhook suplex at 9:15
Bassarab and Smith made a good tag team, and Bassarab seemed to slip right into the role left by Dynamite Kid. However at the wrong times they lacked continuity and this allowed Enos and Bloom to break up several double team as well as pin attempts. In the end Smith and Bassarab shook hands but didn't talk to each other as they walked out of the ring.
[Destruction Crew retained the RCW Tag Team Titles]

Main Event
RCW Heavyweight Title Match
Lethal Larry Cameron (champion) vs Chris Adams
Surprisingly Chris Adams came down to the ring without Toni Adams. With lots of rest from her previous match we can only presume he didn't want her to accompany him as his recent winning streak has come while alone. Adams wanted to match this match a contest of wrestling, while Cameron wanted a brawl. Adams was able to apply some classical shoot moves to counter Cameron's attempts to brawl, such as a single leg takedown. This approach worked for quite a while but he didn't seem to have enough to put the champion away. Cameron took over the match and after a ref bump he exposed the turnbuckle. Toni Adams ran down to the ring and jumped on Cameron's back, but he easily flipped her off and then tossed her out of the ring. Cameron then whipped Adams at that exposed buckle; however Jeannie Adams had come down to the ring and jumped in the way so that Adams collided with her instead of the buckle. Frustrated Cameron then threw Jeannie out of the ring. He turned around, and Adams nailed him with a superkick, and got...nothing....Buddy Lane the ref was still down. Adams woke up Lane, but then walked right into a running clothesline from the champ. This was followed by a powerbomb, and then a running shoulderblock for the win.
Larry Cameron defeated Chris Adams by pinfall after a running shoulderblock at 9:39
[Larry Cameron retained the RCW Heavyweight Title]

Post-Match: Adams seemed confused. He left the ringside area with Toni, but he took a few second glances backward at Jeannie as well.