March 1997

[managermike99]

Roster

Faces
Stan Lane
Ben Bassarab
Greg Valentine
Lewis O'Day
Todd Bullett
Robbie Royce
Elmwood Brawler
Darcy McGee

Heels
Manny Silva
Jesse Hennig
Vance Nevada
Ludvig Borga
Jason Yakimow
Joe E. Legend (NEW)
Sexton Hardcastle (NEW)
Christian Cage (NEW)

Ladies
Madusa Micelli
Mistress Gloom
Kawasuki
Barbie Wired 
Catherine Nolan 
Mia Finnegan 
Allie Myles (NEW)
Jane Dirt (NEW)

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #655
March 1, 1997
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Hour #1

Opening Bout
Mistress Gloom defeated Jane Dirt by pinfall after a piledriver at 2:43
**squash match

Bout #2
Allie Myles defeated Kawasuki by pinfall after a flying crucifix at 3:36
**second straight win for Myles

Bout #3
Joe E. Legend defeated Elmwood Brawler after the Legend cutter at 4:05
**Legend is fairly impressive in his single match, but overall his other partners in Thug Life (Hardcastle & Cage) have much more charisma

Bout #4
Jesse Hennig defeated Lewis O'Day by pinfall after a jumping neck snap at 7:50
**Hennig's victory was impressive on paper, but in reality he cheated his way to a tainted win.

Hour #2

Bout #5
#1 Contenders Match
Barbie Wired and Mia Finnegan battled to a double countout at 5:40
**obviously nothing was settled in this one

Bout #6
RCW Television Title Match
Ben Bassarab defeated Ludvig Borga by pinfall after a flying crossbody block at 7:21
[Ben Bassarab retained the RCW Television Title]
**impressive win for the champ

Main Event
Bermuda Triangle Tag Team Match
Sexton Hardcastle & Christian Cage defeated Stan Lane & Greg Valentine and Todd Bullett & Robbie Royce by pinfall when Cage pinned Bullett after a DDT at 10:55
**interesting tag match with 3 powerhouse teams. Hardcastle and Cage had issues at first with the other two teams joining forces against the newcomers. However, things soon became heated all 3 ways, and with everyone but Cage and Bullett battling outside the ring, Joe E. Legend was able to go unnoticed when he tripped up Bullett which led to the tag team champion taking the loss.

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #656
March 8, 1997
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Hour #1

Opening Bout
Ludvig Borga defeated Elmwood Brawler by pinfall after an over the shoulder gutbuster at 4:49
**squash match

Bout #2
Greg Valentine defeated Jason Yakimow by submission to the figure-four leglock at 3:42
**squash match. Prior to the match however, as Valentine was making his way to the ring he had an encounter with Borga who had stayed to have words with first the announcers and then some fans. The two got into a heated pushing match which was broken up by security, but makes it appear as if they will meet next week.

Bout #3
Mistress Gloom defeated Allie Myles by pinfall after a piledriver at 4:11
**a very competitive bout, Myles looks good for a raw rookie.

Bout #4
#1 Contenders Match
Barbie Wired defeated Mia Finnegan by pinfall after the Ape Hanger at 5:13
**in the rematch Wired comes out on top, and the leather clad hottie has earned a date with champion Madusa Micelli.

Hour #2

Bout #5
Manny Silva & Joe E. Legend defeated Ben Bassarab & Lewis O'Day by pinfall when Silva pinned Bassarab after a wheelbarrow suplex at 7:31
**pretty much just trying to freshen things up a bit by making some good ad hoc tag teams. For once Silva didn't punk out his own partner, he must be mellowing in his old age.

Bout #6
RCW Tag Team Title Match
Todd Bullett & Robbie Royce defeated Sexton Hardcastle & Christian Cage by disqualification for outside interference at 6:59
[Todd Bullett & Robbie Royce retained the RCW Tag Team Titles]
**When things did not look like they were going well for the challengers, Cage got himself tangled up with the ref which allowed Legend to nail Royce with a steel chair. Thankfully though the ref actually managed to see it just in time and disqualified the challengers. The beatdown was then 3 on 2. Surprisingly from the back appeared Emma Bezzlerr, who had left RCW. She was in street clothes and entered the ring, laid out Legend, then grabbed the steel chair which sent Hardcastle and Cage scurrying out of the ring.

Main Event
RCW Heavyweight Title Match
Stan Lane defeated Jesse Hennig by pinfall after a superkick at 11:33
[Stan Lane retained the RCW Heavyweight Title]
**solid, solid, match with two guys who can really wrestle. The match went back and forth, and for the most part it was Hennig trying to slow down the action, either by taking refuge out of the ring or relying on a ground attack. In the end Lane countered a suplex takeover with a swinging neckbreaker, then nailed his superkick finisher to pick up a well deserved victory. 

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #657
March 15, 1997
Winnipeg, Manitoba

St. Patrick's Week Shenanigans - Hall of Fame Announcement

Hour #1

Opening Bout
Jesse Hennig defeated Darcy McGee by pinfall after a Northern lights suplex at 3:22
**squash match.McGee came out in full Irish regalia but didn't look totally recovered from yesterday's festivities.

Bout #2
#1 Contender - 4 Way Match - Luck of the Irish (Anything Goes)
Allie Myles defeated Mistress Gloom, Catherine Nolan, & Mia Finnegan when she pinned Nolan after a flying crucifix at 5:04
**Myles won, but it felt like she took the easy way out by picking off Nolan while Finnegan and Gloom (two stronger opponents) fought outside the ring.

Bout #3
Lewis O'Day defeated Vance Nevada by pinfall after a running kneesmash at 3:08
**squash match. O'Day is also of Irish heritage and came out representing his homeland. He also looked a little worse for wear but still had no problem with Nevada. 

Bout #4
Thug Life: Sexton Hardcastle, Christian Cage, & Joe E. Legend defeated Todd Bullett, Robbie Royce, & Emma Bezzlerr by pinfall when Legend pinned Bezzlerr after a Legend Cutter at 7:29
**as a result, Hardcastle & Cage will get another shot at the tag champions. The boys looked a little preoccupied by trying to keep Bezzlerr safe, and in the end she was the weak link.

Hour #2

Hall of Fame Announcement: The majority of the hall of fame committee are on hand. Jack McAdam, Stan Mullen, The Destroyer, Chris Lyon, and Mike Valiant are all in the ring when it is announced that this year's inductee, the 10th member, will be Jumpin' Jim Brunzell. He will be inducted in April. Brunzell of course is a former AWA Tag Team Champion, perhaps best known for being half of the High Flyers with Greg Gagne. Brunzell has held the RCW Heavyweight title 4 times and the tag titles once with Greg Gagne. He is currently serving as RCW Commissioner. The choice is very popular with the fans who give Brunzell a standing ovation.

Bout #5
Greg Valentine and Ludvig Borga battled to a no-contest at 4:10
**a lot of hate building between these two

Bout #6
North American Women's Title Match
Madusa Micelli defeated Barbie Wired by pinfall after a superplex at 7:01
[Madusa Micelli retained the North American Women's Title]
**this match really could have gone either way, it was a barn burner, that went from in the ring to out of the ring. The end came with both women posed at the top, exchanging shots, but it was Micelli who nailed a chop to the throat which allowed her to then prey on Wired and take her down.

Main Event
RCW Television Title Match
Ben Bassarab defeated Manny Silva by disqualification for abuse of official at 8:55
[Ben Bassarab retained the RCW Television Title]
**Silva controlled early and for quite a while, beating Bassarab from pillar to post. In fact Bassarab's head was busted open from a shot into the ring steps. However, Bassarab finally made a comeback near the end as the two men battled in the middle of the ring. They exchanged suplexes, and then Bassarab nailed a piledriver and looked like he was on the verge of victory. Not wanting to take a clean loss Silva pulled the ref into the way as Bassarab went for his flying cross bodyblock finisher. 

Post-Match: As Silva laid a beat down on Bassarab, Jesse Hennig hit the ring to make it two on one. Silva didn't look too happy about someone butting in but for now took the help. Seconds later Joe E. Legend also joined the fray and we had a 3 on 1 beatdown. When Lewis O'Day tried to get into the ring he was beaten back by Hennig and Legend while Silva continued to punish Bassarab, choking him unrelenting now as the ref tried to break it up. Then Greg Valentine tried to help but he too was beaten back. Finally O'Day and Valentine had to coordinate their attack so it wasn't 2 on 1, and this time they were able to make the save. Bassarab was a bloody, choking, mess.


That's it for another edition of River City Wrestling. See ya next week!

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #658
March 22, 1997
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Hour #1

Opening Bout
Elmwood Brawler & Darcy McGee battled Vance Nevada & Jason Yakimow to a no-contest at 4:38
**strange ending for basically a throw together match with the roster's enhancement talents. All four men lost their temper and were brawling outside the ring.

Bout #2
Mistress Gloom defeated Mia Finnegan by pinfall after a piledriver at 5:30
**Gloom keeps herself in the conversation for a title shot.

Bout #3
Allie Myles defeated Barbie Wired by pinfall after a snap suplex (and with her feet on the ropes) at 3:59
**kind of a defacto #1 contenders match. Myles won but it was tainted and Wired went right after her as her hand was raised. The two brawled until security broke it up.

Bout #4
Lewis O'Day & Greg Valentine defeated Ludvig Borga & Manny Silva by disqualification for use of a foreign object (steel chair) at 5:43
**tough, hard fought match, with no weak links between the 4 competitors. In the end though it didn't seem like the heels cared if they won or lost, they were not even in trouble when they both decided to leave the ring and return with steel chairs. Borga nailed Valentine, but O'Day managed to kick Silva's chair into his own head, then wrestle away the chair from Borga and lay him out as well.

Hour #2

Bout #5
RCW Television Title Match
Ben Bassarab defeated Jesse Hennig by pinfall after a flying cross bodyblock at 7:11
[Ben Bassarab retained the RCW Television Title]
**Bassarab has sworn revenge against the three men who jumped him at the end of last week's show. He has offered them each (Hennig, Silva, Legend) a title shot, but if he beats them then they will be "pied" with a pie in the face. Hennig was first up and this was a good back and forth match between two guys that can really wrestle. Hennig tried for a superplex but Bassarab knocked him off, then flew off the top with his finisher. After the bout Bassarab picked a kid, a boy about 10 years old, who was given a lemon merengue pie, and while Bassarab and security held Hennig's arms behind his back he was pied.

Bout #6
RCW Tag Team Title Match
Todd Bullet & Robbie Royce defeated Sexton Hardcastle & Christian Cage by pinfall when Royce pinned Cage after a double slingshot suplex at 10:51
[Todd Bullet & Robbie Royce retained the RCW Tag Team Title]
**very fast paced bout, with the champions actually the slower team for once. However, after a four man brawl Hardcastle was tossed over the top rope and the tag champs finished off Cage.

Main Event
RCW Heavyweight Title Match
Stan Lane defeated Joe E. Legend by pinfall after a superkick at 6:47
[Stan Lane retained the RCW Heavyweight Title]
**Legend hadn't really done enough to earn a title shot, but after he was one of the 3 that jumped Bassarab last week, Lane wanted a piece of Legend. The Thug Life leader told Lane he would only face him if the title was on the line. Legend was over his head, and played some hide and seek and was pretty much dominated. However, Hardcastle and Cage came out to interfere. This brought out Valentine and Bassarab though to even the fight outside the ring. Back inside Lane took control of the bout, nailed his finisher and got the win. After the bout Bassarab got into the ring to get a piece of Legend but Hardcastle and Cage pulled him out and got away.


That's it for another edition of River City Wrestling. See ya next week!

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #659
March 29, 1997
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Hour #1

Opening Bout
Catherine Nolan defeated Jane Dirt by pinfall after a slingshot suplex at 4:23

Bout #2
Sexton Hardcastle defeated Todd Bullett by pinfall after a jumping DDT at 6:19
**the tag champion on his own looked a little overwhelmed by the pure athleticism of Hardcastle.

Bout #3
Christian Cage defeated Robbie Royce by pinfall after a German suplex (with his feet on the ropes) at 2:54
**really quick victory for half of the Thug Life tag team over the other champion thanks to some timely cheating.

Bout #4
#1 Contenders Match - Bermuda Triangle Match
Barbie Wired defeated Allie Myles and Mistress Gloom when she pinned Myles after the Ape Hanger at 5:50

Hour #2

Bout #5
#1 Contenders Match
Lewis O'Day defeated Manny Silva by pinfall after a running kneesmash at 9:30
**another chapter in this feud, another hard fought rough bout without a lot of scientific skill. Silva was on the verge of winning but he went for his wheelbarrow suplex and O'Day blocked it, and countered with a back to back suplex and then hit his finisher. Silva threw a fit after the bout, beating up O'Day, beating up a ref, then a couple security guards. Finally Ben Bassarab came out to make the save but Silva beat the crap out of him too. That beat down was ominous because Bassarab had a title defence next.

Ben Bassarab vs Joe E Legend - Cancelled by commissioner Jim Brunzell due to Bassarab being hurt. Legend insisted that the default means he should get the title, but Brunzell says he was more inclined to suspend Legend. They decided to split the difference and Brunzell is going to wrestle Legend (wearing his street gear).

Bout #6
Joe E. Legend defeated Jim Brunzell after the Legend cutter at 4:35
**Legend was getting his butt handed to him but managed to pull his finisher out of nowhere and pick up the win.

Main Event 
LOSER LEAVES TOWN - CAGE MATCH
Greg Valentine defeated Ludvig Borga by submission to the figure four leglock at 10:23
[Ludvig Borga has to leave RCW]
**not an overly bloody cage match with only Valentine showing a bit of colour. Borga showed some impressive power, but Valentine was an experienced vet and their are no real rules inside a steel cage. Rakes to the eyes, low blows, and chokes were all used by Valentine. He put the icing on the cake with making Borga yell "I Quit".


That's it for another edition of River City Wrestling. See ya next week!