January 1997

[managermike99]

Roster

Faces
Stan Lane
Greg Valentine
Lewis O'Day
Todd Bullett
Robbie Royce
Elmwood Brawler
Man Mountain Mike (NEW)
Darcy McGee (NEW)
Ben Bassarab (NEW)

Heels
Manny Silva
Stan Baker
Jesse Hennig
Untermenschen
Vance Nevada
Ludvig Borga
Paul Diamond (NEW)
Pat Tanaka (NEW)
Bas Rutten (NEW)
Victor Zangiev (NEW)

Ladies
Madusa Micelli
Jeanne Basone
Emma Bezzlerr
Mistress Gloom
Kawasuki
Teagan Clive
Kat LeRoux

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #647
January 1, 1997
Sun City, South Africa

The Annual tradition of RCW taking its stars on a working vacation continues, as they also increase their ties to the SAWF in South Africa with this joint production.

Opening Bout
Duane van Staden defeated Vance Nevada by pinfall after a flying dropkick at 5:51

Bout #2
Dennis Cale & Hank Armstrong defeated Stan Baker & Jesse Hennig by countout at 7:08

Bout #3
RCW Television Title Match
Ludvig Borga defeated Man Mountain Mike by pinfall after a top rope clothesline at 5:36
[Ludvig Borga retained the RCW Television Title]

Bout #4
Manny Silva and Lewis O'Day battled to a no-contest at 8:55

Bout #5
North American Women's Title Match
Madusa Micelli defeated Jeanne Basone by pinfall after a superkick at 6:04
[Madusa Micelli retained the North American Women's Title Match]

Bout #6
SAWF Tag Team Title Match
African Bulldogs: Pariah & Temple defeated Todd Bullett & Robbie Royce by pinfall when Temple pinned Royce after a doomsday device at 10:28
[African Bulldogs retained the SAWF Tag Team Titles]
**a measure of revenge for the SAWF champs who beat the RCW champs after losing to them at the RCW anniversary show in December.

Bout #7
SAWF Heavyweight Title Match
Vendetta II defeated Vendetta by countout at 13:38
[Vendetta II retained the SAWF Heavyweight Title]
**a rare appearance for the original Vendetta, a former RCW and SAWF champion, who is in semi-retirement.

Main Event
Greg Valentine & Stan Lane defeated Linley Tolbert & Frans van der Heever by pinfall when Lane pinned van der Heever after a superkick at 11:10
**two RCW stars against two SAWF stars, but with the SAWF stars being bad guys the fans allegiances were mixed. In the end Valentine and Lane are two veterans who have seen every trick in the book and countered everything their opponents could throw at them.

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #648
January 11, 1997
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Year End Awards: Special Guest Ben Bassarab

Hour #1

Awards:
Feud of the Year: Greg Valentine vs Stan Lane
Match of the Year: May 18: RCW #609: Best 2 out of 3 Falls : Greg Valentine defeated Lewis O'Day (the TV champion) 2 falls to 1 to retain the RCW Heavyweight Title
**Valentine, Lane, and O'Day were all on hand in the ring to accept their awards, presented by commissioner Jim Brunzell, and RCW Hall of Famer Ben Bassarab (who was announced as the greatest TV/Heritage champion in RCW History).

Opening Bout
Teagan Clive defeated Kawasuki by submission to the cobra clutch at 4:31

Special Interview:
Bas Rutten (MMA star and self-declared "International Observer of all Combat Sports") and Victor Zangiev (Soviet, former amateur World Cup Champion, and professional star in Japan). They run down the entertainment of modern wrestling compared to the pure sport.

Award:
Tag Team of the Year: Wolfgang Haessler & Untermenschen
Untermenschen was awarded on behalf of his team by Ben Bassarab. UM did not look overly happy at winning an award.

Bout #2
Man Mountain Mike defeated Untermenschen by countout at 3:47
**a measure of revenge for MMM after losing to UM at the Anniversary show

Awards
Woman of the Year:  Emma Bezzlerr
Manager of the Year: Nick Bockwinkel
**Neither winner was on hand to receive their awards but Brunzell said some nice things about Bezzlerr (the second winner of the award, as the new award was won last year by Pamela Principal), and tried to say some nice things about Nick Bockwinkel (who is winning the award for a record 5th time).

Bout #3
Mistress Gloom defeated Jeanne Basone by pinfall after a chokeslam at 5:05
**Gloom asserts herself as the #1 contender for Madusa Micelli's North American Women's title

Bout #4
Manny Silva and Lewis O'Day battled to a no-contest at 2:19
**the ring could not contain the bad feelings between these two after their tussle at the Anniversary show where Silva injected himself in the main event but was then neutralized by O'Day. The two had a wild brawl after this bout which lasted several minutes, and a few security guards were tossed around like rag dolls.

Hour #2


Award:
Wrestler of the Year: Greg Valentine
**Presented by Commissioner Jim Brunzell. Bas Rutten and Victor Zangiev came out and took issue with the awarding to a man who still fought like it was the 1970's. Of course a match was then set-up.

Bout #5
Victor Zangiev (/w Bas Rutten) defeated Greg Valentine by submission to the Carousel (after outside interference) at 6:23
**Zangiev controlled early with a ground and pound attack but the Hammer took back the bout with chops and elbows. But at the right time, the "International Observer" Bas Rutten tripped up Valentine and Zangiev quickly followed up with a kneedrop to the back of the head, a Samoan driver, and then his finisher Carousel (which is basically Zangiev putting on a grounded bridging double chickenwing, then twisting his body around a couple times, and ending with a Fujiwara armbar).

Bout #6
RCW Tag Team Title Match
Todd Bullett & Robbie Royce defeated Bad Company: Paul Diamond & Pat Tanaka by disqualification for double teaming at 7:27
[Todd Bullett & Robbie Royce retained the RCW Tag Team Titles]
**thus assuring a rematch

Main Event
RCW Heavyweight Title Match
Stan Lane defeated Ludvig Borga by countout at 8:11
[Stan Lane retained the RCW Heavyweight Title]
**the two were brawling outside the ring after a very even match, and Lane managed to slip back inside the ring, just beating the TV champion who was counted out in this champion vs champion bout.

Post-Match:
After the bout was over, as the show was wrapping up, Ben Bassarab had been doing guest commentary and was taking off his headset, when he was attacked by Ludvig Borga. By now Lane had left the area, and the house lights were on. In fact we were just being told that this was another edition of River City Wrestling, and see ya next week...when the cameras cut back to the action. We could only stay for about 30 seconds of the action as the credits rolled on top, and Borga slammed Bassarab's head off the guardrail, slammed him on the table and was choking him...

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #649
January 18, 1997
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Hour #1

Update and some more footage of Ludvig Borga's attack on Ben Bassarab at the end of last week's show. Bassarab was removed by ambulance and was taken to the hospital over night, but was released with a sore neck and whiplash. Borga is then brought out for an interview where he says what set him off was not that he was cheated out of the Heavyweight title but that the announcers called Bassarab the greatest TV champion of all-time. Borga points out that he has the title right now, which to him, means he is the greatest of all time. Man Mountain Mike comes out and says he is signed to meet Borga tonight for the TV title, and it's time the Finn takes on someone his own size, and gets what's coming to him. 

Opening Bout
Darcy McGee defeated Vance Nevada by pinfall after a frogsplash at 4:56
**McGee is of Irish descent (like O'Day) but was not very spectacular in his debut, however, his finishing move was a thing of beauty.

Bout #2
Mistress Gloom defeated Kat LeRoux by pinfall after a chokeslam at 3:29
**Gloom says Micelli can't duck her any longer, they have a title match next week.

Bout #3
RCW Television Title Match
Ludvig Borga defeated Man Mountain Rock after a top rope forearm smash (and a handful of tights) at 5:59
[Ludvig Borga retained the RCW Television Title]
**the champ couldn't execute an over the shoulder gutbuster and was in some trouble. He managed to stop a superplex attempt though, nailed a forearm smash from the top, but used a handful of tights to assure the tainted victory.

Bout #4
RCW Tag Team Title Match
Todd Bullett & Robbie Royce defeated Bad Company: Paul Diamond & Pat Tanaka by pinfall when Bullett pinned Tanaka after a double dropkick at 9:47
[Todd Bullett & Robbie Royce retained the RCW Tag Team Titles]
**impressive victory for this "throw together" tag team championship team

Hour #2

Bout #5
Street Fight
Manny Silva defeated Lewis O'Day by 10 count at 12:44
**a brutal and bloody fight

Main Event
Stan Lane & Greg Valentine defeated Bas Rutten & Victor Zangiev by disqualification when Rutten used a foreign object at 11:50
**solid tag match with Zangiev seeing most of the action with Rutten looking a bit awkward at times. In the end the writing seemed to be on the wall so rather then risk losing clean Rutten grabbed a chair, entered the ring and ~waffled~ both his opponents. The beatdown continued until we went off the air.
 

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #650
January 25, 1997
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Hour #1

Opening Bout
Manny Silva defeated Darcy McGee by pinfall after a wheelbarrow suplex at 2:47
**the McGee winning streak ends at 1

Bout #2
Bermuda Triangle Match
Teagan Clive defeated Kat LeRoux and Kawasuki by pinfall when she pinned Kawasuki after a DDT at 4:14

Bout #3
Stan Baker & Jesse Hennig defeated Elmwood Brawler & Man Mountain Mike by pinfall when Hennig pinned Brawler after a jumping neck snap at 6:09
**Baker and Hennig return. With Bad Company having lost last week it looks like Baker & Hennig may be in line for another title shot.

Bout #4
RCW Television Title Match
Ludvig Borga defeated Todd Bullett by pinfall after an over the shoulder gutbuster at 7:15
[Ludvig Borga retained the RCW Television Title]
**one half of the tag champions gets a title shot but came up short, as his speed was no match for the power and violence of the Finn.

Hour #2

Bout #5
North American Women's Title Match
Madusa Micelli and Mistress Gloom battled to a double countout at 7:21
[Madusa Micelli retained the North American Women's Title]
**nothing was settled but Gloom will have to wait until the next All Women's show on February 15th for her rematch.

Bout #6
Bas Rutten defeated Greg Valentine by submission to a neck crank at 6:32
**a bit of an upset, at least to RCW fans. After the bout Rutten refused to break the hold and risked a reverse decision until the last possible second.

Main Event
RCW Heavyweight Title Match
Stan Lane defeated Victor Zangiev (/w Bas Rutten) by disqualification for use of a foreign object at 9:17
[Stan Lane retained the RCW Heavyweight Title]
**these matches are a bit dreadful at times, as there is little chemistry yet between Zangiev/Rutten and their opponents. The Russian wanted to keep the match slow and grounded but Lane wanted a faster, more traditional match. The end occurred after a ref bump, when Zangiev was passed a steel chair by Rutten who ~waffled~ Lane. He covered for the pin, but the ref saw what happened out of the corner of his eye, and disqualified Zangiev.

Post-Match: It was a two on one beat down until Greg Valentine returned to help out Lane but he didn't fare too much better.