February 1996

[managermike99]

Roster

Faces
Sgt. Keywon Grant
Stan Lane
Steve Keirn
Man Mountain Rock
Robbie Royce
Chi Chi Cruz
Mike Wildside
Wahoo McDaniel (NEW)
Tom Zenk (NEW)
David Jericho
Hakushi


Heels
Greg Valentine
Manny Silva
Rick Martel
Jesse Hennig
Stan Baker
A.C. Crual
The Actuary
Vance Nevada
Repo Man (NEW)
Lewis O'Day (NEW)


Ladies
Madusa Micelli
Pamela Principal
April Cummings
Cory Everson
Emma Bezzlerr


Injured
Waylon Mercy 

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #597
February 3, 1996
Winnipeg, Manitoba

1995 Year End Awards
Wrestler of the Year: Stan Lane (presented by Nick Bockwinkel)
Woman of the Year: Pamela Principal
Tag Team of the Year: Destruction Crew
Manager/Valet of the Year: Cory Everson
Feud of the Year: Ben Bassarab vs Jesse Hennig
Match of the Year: Dec 9. #593; 17th Anniversary Show; Thrillseekers defeated African Bulldogs by pinfall when Jericho pinned Pariah after he was put through a table at 24:15

Opening Bout
Mike Wildside defeated Vance Nevada after a flying crossbody block at 10:34
**very entertaining opening bout with Wildside's best match of his short RCW career

Manager/Valet of the Year: Cory Everson
Woman of the Year Award: Pamela Principal
**commissioner Jim Brunzell announced the addition of a new award this year, the Woman of the Year. This award can go to any woman who advances the profile of women in RCW, whether its in the ring as a wrestler or referee, or outside the ring as a manager, valet, announcer, or front office staff. This year's woman of the year was chosen for her dominating and long reign as North American Women's champion.
Of course this did not go over well with Cory Everson, not only did she claim she should have won the award for her in ring and out of ring accomplishments, but also to protest the fact the #1 contenders match next will be Emma Bezzlerr versus Pamela Principal, leaving her completely out. After some back and forth with Principal, and Bezzlerr who came to the ring to protect her interests, it was decided by all parties to add Everson to the match tonight, making it a Bermuda Triangle match, just to shut her up.

Bout #2
Bermuda Triangle - #1 Contenders Match
Emma Bezzlerr defeated Pamela Principal and Cory Everson when she pinned Principal after a Gorilla press slam at 7:08
**Bezzlerr asserted her claim to being the top contender and awaits Madusa's return, in what would be a match up of rulebreakers.

Feud of the Year: Ben Bassarab vs Jesse Hennig
Nick Bockwinkel was on hand and awarded the plaque to Jesse Hennig, as Bassarab of course retired at the end of the year. Hennig indicated that it was this feud that broke the spirit of Bassarab, and Bockwinkel just grinned, eating it up.

Bout #3
Repo Man defeated Chi Chi Cruz by submission to the crowbar (Fujiwara Armbar) at 6:55
**Repo Man looks like a man playing against boys sometimes. 

Tag Team of the Year: Destruction Crew
Match of the Year: Dec 9. #593; 17th Anniversary Show; Thrillseekers defeated African Bulldogs by pinfall when Jericho pinned Pariah after he was put through a table at 24:15
Two awards announced by Jim Brunzell given in absenteeism as none of the recipients is currently on the RCW roster. 

Bout #4
Man Mountain Rock & Hakushi defeated AC Crual & The Actuary (/w Emma Bezzlerr) by pinfall when Hakushi pinned Actuary after a handspring moonsault at 12:40
**strange match with Rock bringing out a newcomer Hakushi as his partner (fans were familiar with him from WWF TV). The match was pretty even with Bezzlerr halping her charges control most of the early going. It looked like a tag team beating a pair of individuals thrown together. However, the good guys put on a massive comeback aided by Bezzlerr who accidentally tripped up her own man which led to the finisher.

Wrestler of the Year: Stan Lane
**Nick Bockwinkel was on hand to award the plaque to Lane, who spent a good chunk of the year as Heavyweight champion, and then finished the year off by winning the tag titles with Steve Keirn. Bockwinkel asked Lane when he was going to dump Keirn and the tag team scene and get back his belt. He even offered to re-open the Bockwinkel Talent Agency and to make him the new #1 client.

Bout #5
Keywon Grant & Tom Zenk defeated Manny Silva & Lewis O'Day by pinfall when Grant pinned Silva after a double dropkick at 10:13
**another strange matchup with Zenk making his RCW debut as a partner for Grant, and an Irish newcomer to RCW O'Day making his debut as Silva's partner for this match. O'Day is a rough and tumble Irish brawler (living the stereotype) but neither he nor Silva played well together, refusing to tag each other in even when getting dominated. The only time they tagged in was when they could reach in and tag each other first off the back, then off the back of the head. The end came during a four man brawl when O'Day slid out of the ring and left Silva to get the wrath of a double dropkick and get pinned.

Bout #6
RCW Tag Team Title Match
Fabulous Ones: Stan Lane & Steve Keirn battled Jesse Hennig & Stan Baker to a no-contest at 0:00
[Fabulous Ones retained the RCW Tag Team Titles]
**before the match could start, as Keirn got ready to hook up with Hennig, Lane who was stepping through the ropes turned back, and nailed his long time partner with a superkick to the back of the head, completely knocking him out. Lane then left the ring, and was met half way up by Nick Bockwinkel. The two shook hands and left. Hennig tried to pin Keirn but the ref tossed the match out instead.

Bout #7
Bermuda Triangle Tag Team Match
#1 contenders match
Man Mountain Rock & Hakushi defeated Keywon Grant & Tom Zenk and Jesse Hennig & Stan Baker by pinfall when Rock pinned Zenk after a Samoan drop at 11:35
**commissioner Jim Brunzell made this match to make up for the lost match that just happened. He said he doesn't know what will happen with the tag team titles now, and this is not a title match, and he can't make any promises but to treat this 3 way match as a #1 contenders match. Even though 2 out of 3 teams were fan favourites no one gave any quarter here and no alliances were made. Rock and Hakushi had to be seen as a surprise victor in this one.

Main Event
RCW Heavyweight Title Match
Greg Valentine defeated Wahoo McDaniel by submission to the figure-four at 12:20
[Greg Valentine retained the RCW Heavyweight Title]
**originally this had been advertised as Valentine vs Waylon Mercy, but a few days before the event Mercy had to withdraw due to injury. To make the fans happy RCW flew in an old favourite Wahoo McDaniel. These two went at it like two grizzled veterans do. They didn't climb the top rope, nor did they leave their feet. They hit each other with every body part, and used every advantage they could find. In the end Wahoo tried and failed to punch his way out of a figure-four. Valentine's head was a crimson mask and Wahoo hit him repeatedly in the head but Valentine put up with the pain and McDaniel had to cry uncle.

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #598
February 10, 1996
Winnipeg, Manitoba

**All Women's Edition**

Opening Bout
Four Woman Elimination Match
Kawasuki v Psycho Shirley v The Ukrainian Mermaid v The Underweartaker
Psycho Shirley defeated The Ukrainian Mermaid after a chokeslam at 4:47
Underweartaker defeted Kawasuki by pinfall after an atomic wedgie at 6:20
Psycho Shirley defeated Underweartaker by pinfall after a top rope clothesline at 8:51
[Psycho Shirley defeated Kawasuki, Ukrainian Mermaid, and Underweartaker in a Four Women Elimination Match]
**four newcomers, four freaks. This was basically a comedy match, and didn't go over well with the fans at all.

Bout #2
Catherine Nolan & Kari Pelletier defeated Nikki Milne & Jen Lyons by pinfall when Nolan pinned Lyons after a rocker dropper at 9:03
**four more women making their debuts. Nolan is a preppy looking girl, very pretty, while her partner Kari looks like a French fashion model. All four girls are young, with Milne and Lyons having a severe theatrical bent, Lyons especially was guilty of over acting. The fans seemed to warm to Nolan but not to the other 3 girls.

Bout #3

Julie Fulkerson pic defeated Mia Finnegan pic by pinfall after a tiltawhirl slam at 5:07

**Fulkerson, a fan favorite, has done quite well at the mid-card level but not well against stiffer competition. Perhaps she is due for another shot at a higher level.

Bout #4

Kelly Gallant pic and Eternity pic battled to a double countout at 8:20

**The blonde athletic Gallant from Hollywood did not get along with the mean Eternity (picture Grace Jones), and the two could not settle their differences inside the ring. Eternity is a step away from her recent title shot, so both these women are looking to get back to the title picture. 

Bout #5

Mistress Gloom defeated Pamela Principal by pinfall after a tombstone piledriver at 7:11

**huge victory for the unpopular Gloom over the former champion. Gloom really has been lighting it up in her few matches in RCW. Maybe it's time for her to be given a shot on the regular roster.

Bout #6

Battle of the #1 Contenders

Emma Bezzlerr defeated "Hollywood" Jeanne Basone pic by pinfall after a Gorilla press slam at 11:44

**best match of the night so far with the experienced Basone taking a lot of damage in the first 7 minutes of this match but managing to kick out of several solid pin attempts and breaking out of a torture rack and a Boston crab. Basone made a solid comeback but made the mistake of charging into her opponent, ate a pair of boots, followed by a bulldog, and then the press slam for the win. This was billed as a battle of the #1 contenders because Basone had won a #1 contender match during one of the special ladies only cards while Bezzlerr had won a #1 contender on a regular card. When Madusa Micelli returns to RCW to defend her North American Women's title it looks like she will be taking on the German. It will be odd but Micelli will likely get the cheers from the crowd.

Main Event

Texas Bull Rope Match

Tammy Rief pic & Tami Kim pic defeated April Cummings & Dana Dodson pic by pinfall when Rief pinned Cummings after a bullrope clothesline at 9:19

**Rief and Cummings were tied together by a bull rope, as were Kim and Dodson. There was no cowbell on either though, just the rope. All four participants were obviously legal, and while the fights tended to follow along with who you were tied to, there were also double teams and cross partner fights. In the end with Dodson flat on her back Rief and Kim took a running start and tried to decapitate Cummings with a bullrope to the throat. Cummings kept her head but was left with a nasty burn across her throat and was easily pinned. Rief and Kim have been dominant in tag action over the last couple years but there is no women's tag titles in RCW for them to chase.

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #599
February 17, 1996
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Seven Team Tag Team Tournament for the Vacant RCW Tag Team Titles

Man Mountain Rock & Hakushi receive first round bye due to winning the #1 contenders bout on Feb 3rd 

Opening Bout
Tag Team Tournament Quarter-Final
Jesse Hennig & Stan Baker defeated Wahoo McDaniel & Tom Zenk by pinfall when Hennig pinned Zenk after a running neck snap at 11:33

Bout #2
Tag Team Tournament Quarter-Final
Greg Valentine & Stan Lane (/w Nick Bockwinkel) defeated Steve Keirn & Mike Graham by pinfall when Lane pinned Keirn after a superkick at 8:19

Bout #3
Tag Team Tournament Quarter-Final
Chi Chi Cruz & David Jericho defeated AC Crual & The Actuary (/w Emma Bezzlerr) by disqualification for outside interference at 10:27
**David Jericho made his debut in RCW and had good chemistry with Cruz. However their win occurred when Bezzlerr got caught tripping up Jericho. A brawl ensued after the bout and left the winners a bit more beaten for the next round. 

Bout #4
Emma Bezzlerr defeated April Cummings by pinfall after a superplex at 6:09

Bout #5
Tag Team Tournament Semi-Final
Man Mountain Rock & Hakushi defeated Jesse Hennig & Stan Baker by pinfall when Hakushi pinned Hennig after a handspring moonsault at 9:59

Bout #6
Tag Team Tournament Semi-Final
Greg Valentine & Stan Lane (/w Nick Bockwinkel) defeated Chi Chi Cruz & David Jericho when Valentine pinned Jericho after a stuffed piledriver at 7:41

Bout #7
RCW Heritage Title Match

Lewis O'Day defeated Keywon Grant by pinfall after a running jumping knee at 10:19
[Lewis O'Day won the RCW Heritage Title]
**a huge upset, not only because O'Day is a newcomer and Grant has looked so dominant, but also because O'Day seemed to follow the same game plan that had been unsuccessful for the more experienced and tougher looking Manny Silva. O'Day however, despite having a short fuse stopped one step short of getting DQ'd, controlling his anger where Silva could not. 

Main Event
RCW Tag Team Tournament Final
Man Mountain Rock & Hakushi defeated Greg Valentine & Stan Lane (/w Nick Bockwinkel) by pinfall when Hakushi pinned Valentine after a handspring moonsault at 8:12
[Man Mountain Rock & Hakushi won the RCW Tag Team Titles]
**an upset for sure, but also very tainted. Lane had a couple short segments but for most of the match Valentine was getting owned by his opponents. Then when Valentine finally was able to make a tag out, Lane dropped off the apron instead and left with his manager. It was easy pickings for the fan favourites to finish off the Heavyweight champion and pick up the win.