June 1997

[managermike99]

Roster

Faces
Stan Lane
Ben Bassarab
Jesse Hennig
Robbie Royce
Elmwood Brawler
Darcy McGee
Vendetta (NEW)
Devon Storm (NEW)
Ace Darling (NEW)

Heels
Greg Valentine
Lewis O'Day
Joe E. Legend
Steele
Kevin Northcutt 
Vance Nevada
Jason Yakimow
Jeff Fox (NEW)

Ladies
Madusa Micelli
Mistress Gloom
Barbie Wired
Catherine Nolan
Allie Myles
Jane Dirt
Emma Bezzlerr
Deep Blue (NEW) 

Suspended
Manny Silva (July 17th)

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #669
June 7, 1997
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Hour #1

Opening Bout
Jeff Fox defeated Elmwood Brawler by pinfall after a swinging neckbreaker (with his feet on the ropes) at 5:18
**unlike Brawler's rustic image, Jeff Fox is a plain, pasty, white guy with a bland offensive attack; but he cheated enough to win.

Bout #2
Deep Blue defeated Mia Finnegan by pinfall after a reverse piledriver at 4:23
**Blue continued to impress but when she went for the frankensteiner again Finnegan blocked it and power bombed Blue. But Blue kicked out from the pin attempt and when Finnegan went for another powerbomb Blue fought out of it and nailed a reverse piledriver to pick up the win.

Bout #3
Joe E. Legend defeated Robbie Royce by pinfall after a Legend cutter at 5:47

Bout #4
Steele defeated Darcy McGee by pinfall after a half-nelson slam at 3:20


Hour #2

Bout #5
#1 Contenders Bout - Four Femmes Fatale
Barbie Wired defeated Mistress Gloom, Allie Myles, & Catherine Nolan when she pinned Myles after a flying kneesmash at 6:38

Bout #6
Extremists: Devon Storm & Ace Darling defeated the Ballard Brothers by pinfall when Storm pinned Shane after "The Extreme" (double team slingshot catapult/missile dropkick) at 5:02
**new to RCW Storm and Darling lit the ring on fire (figuratively of course). Quite an impression and immediate fan favourites. They are gunning for Thug Life's tag titles.

Main Event
Six-Man Tag Match
Kevin Northcutt/Greg Valentine/Lewis O'Day defeated Stan Lane/Ben Bassarab/Jesse Hennig by pinfall when Northcutt pinned Hennig after a double underhook piledriver at 10:40
**big brawl of course with everyone trying to get some justice. In the end we had the other 4 men battling outside the ring, but after Valentine had sent Bassarab hard into the announce table he was able to trip up Hennig from outside, and this was all the big Northcutt needed. A savate kick, a legdrop, then his finisher while Valentine and O'Day punished Lane outside the ring.

Post-Match:
Commissioner Jim Brunzell made the unusual move of coming out after the match (along with security to break up the two on on on his champ). Bassarab looked injured too and was treated gingerly by medical staff. Inside the ring Brunzell says that Northcutt has earned a return title shot against Lane, a match he is sure Lane wants as well. And just to make sure there is no monkey business in that bout there will be a special guest referee for that bout; Vendetta!! Furthermore, even though Valentine and O'Day seemed to be working together and turned their backs on the fans, Stan Lane, and common decency, they have unfinished business. The two of them will wrestle next week as well, in a #1 contenders match. The winner will get a title shot against either Lane or Northcutt as soon as possible.


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

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #670
June 14, 1997
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Hour #1

Opening Bout
Jeff Fox defeated Darcy McGee by pinfall after a swinging neckbreaker (and a handful of tights) at 3:41
**second straight tainted victory for Fox

Bout #2
Vendetta defeated Vance Nevada by pinfall after a jumping DDT at 1:35
**squash match for the returning former RCW Heavyweight champion from Haiti. He is likely the 3rd most loved figure in RCW history (after the Destroyer & Jim Brunzell) and was given quite the pop from the crowd. During the short bout Greg Valentine, Lewis O'Day, and Kevin Northcutt all came out to ringside to scout (or more likely try to intimidate) Vendetta. After the bout Vendetta invited them into the ring just as Stan Lane slid into the ring to join Vendetta. The villains decided to not risk the beating. 

Bout #3
Deep Blue defeated Emma Bezzlerr by disqualification for abuse of official at 5:17
**match up of agility/high flying versus power. Bezzlerr controlled the first couple minutes with her strength but DB made a roaring comeback. But when DB came off the top, Bezzlerr pulled the ref into the way to take the hit instead of risking a clean loss. Bezzlerr worked DB over after the bout and was d'qd for her actions earlier.

Bout #4
#1 Contenders Match
Greg Valentine defeated Lewis O'Day by pinfall after a second rope elbowsmash at 9:41
**the two did their best to stay on the same page, even starting with a real awkward looking handshake. But after only about a minute of the bout the two were exchanging punches and kicks. The brawl continued but Valentine is more experienced and came out on top.


Hour #2

Bout #5
North American Women's Title Match
Barbie Wired defeated Madusa Micelli by pinfall after the Ape Hanger at 6:44
[Barbie Wired wins the North American Women's Title]
**big upset. Wired started strong and kept the champ off balance for the first couple minutes. But Micelli struck back with some chops, then some of her marital arts kicks. Then the champ went to the hair and the throat with some blatant cheating. Micelli punished wired for the next 4 minutes, including a half dozen near falls. Wired though blocked a superkick attempt, nailed the champ with a big clothesine, then a spinning heel kick of her own, and then her finisher. New champion! Micelli's third reign as champ had started on November 16, 1996 when she defeated Julie Strain in an apartment wrestling match in California. This is Wired's first title reign, and it is the 60th title reign in RCW/North American Title history.

Bout #6
RCW Tag Team Title Match
The Extremists: Ace Darling & Devon Storm defeated Thug Life: Joe E. Legend & Steele (/w Emma Bezlerr) by disqualification for outside interference at 7:25
[Joe E. Legend & Steele retained the RCW Tag Team Titles]
**the Extremists are just taking the tag team division to a higher level with their high energy, quick tags, and high flying moves. The champs were in danger of losing the titles so Emma Bezzlerr came into the ring and attacked Darling to get the DQ.

Main Event
RCW Heavyweight Title Match
Special Guest Referee: Vendetta
Stan Lane defeated Kevin Northcutt by pinfall after a superkick at 10:11
[Stan Lane retained the RCW Heavyweight Title]
**With the special guest referee you knew one of two things was likely to happen; either he would help Lane retain or he would turn on him. Well Vendetta stayed true, and when O'Day came down to distract him, Vendetta ordered him to the back. This though was a distraction to allow Valentine to enter the ring. However, Lane held his own, then Vendetta gave him a hand by nailing Valentine with a DDT and rolling him out of the ring. Seconds later Lane hit his finisher and picked up the win. Northcutt seemed frustrated by Vendetta, but also by Valentine and O'Day and was yelling at all of them to stay out of his business. He got into a pushing match with Vendetta but it didn't escalate, and the two may settle it inside the ring instead.


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



River City Wrestling #671
June 15, 1997
Minot, North Dakota

RCW Heavyweight Title Match
Stan Lane (c) defeated Kevin Northcutt by pinfall

RCW Tag Team Title Match
Extremists defeated Thug Life (c) by countout

North American Women's Title Match
Barbie Wired (c) defeated Allie Myles by pinfall

Greg Valentine defeated Ricky Rice by submission

Jesse Hennig defeated Derrick Dukes by pinfall

Deep Blue defeated Emma Bezzlerr by pinfall

Lewis O'Day defeated Elmwood Brawler by pinfall

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #672
June 21, 1997
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Hour #1

Opening Bout
Kevin Northcutt defeated Elmwood Brawler by pinfall after a flying clothesline from the top rope at 5:34
**a bit of a different finisher from Northcutt instead of his usual double underhook piledriver. In addition he premiered a wicked looking superkick (maybe a message to champion Stan Lane that he isn't done with him yet?). For his part the Brawler actually had a pretty good effort tonight, making this match qualify as a "glorified squash match" instead of simply a "squash match".

Bout #2
Special Guest Referee: Tawney England
Deep Blue defeated Emma Bezzlerr by pinfall after a frankensteiner at 6:32
**solid match. RCW Hall of Famer Tawney England was a surprise add as special guest referee. She made no bones about it, if Bezzlerr laid her hands on the ref, which has been her recent trend, then she would get hit back. At one point there was a shoving match but Bezzlerr declined to escalate it further. DB should be in line for a title shot now.

Bout #3
Lewis O'Day defeated Vendetta by pinfall after a flying kneesmash at 6:02
**a fairly big upset, but not a clean one. The match was pretty even but O'Day produced what looked like bear spray or some sort of mace from under the ring after a ref bump. With Vendetta flaying away he was easy pickings for O'Day. The ref made the count while still groggy, but once he was fully aware and saw the damage, and obviously could smell the spray in the air as it was bothering his eyes as well. While he was mad, there wasn't anything he could do, as he explained he can't call what he didn't see. In the meantime Vendetta was receiving medical attention.

Bout #4
North American Women's Title Match
Barbie Wired defeated Allie Myles by submission to the Cloverleaf at 5:37
[Barbie Wired retained the North American Women's Title]
**last week there were no title matches, this week all four titles are being defended. Micelli did not come back for a rematch so Myles was elevated to the top contender status. She did all right but Wired is just on a roll right now. Wired use a different finisher this week, rather then her usual Ape Hanger.


Hour #2

Bout #5
RCW Television Title Match
Ben Bassarab defeated Jeff Fox by pinfall after a flying cross bodyblock at 4:50
[Ben Bassarab retained the RCW Television Title]
**Fox had two straight wins going into this but both tainted victories. Quite frankly Fox was over matched. However he tried his old tricks , this time putting his feet on the ropes. But Elmwood Brawler (his first victim) had come down to the announce table and was ready, getting on the house mic and yelling at the ref "feet on the ropes, feet on the ropes" which worked to draw his attention to the infraction. A minute later and Bassarab cleaned it up.

Bout #6
RCW Tag Team Title Match
The Extremists: Ace Darling & Devon Storm defeated Thug Life: Joe E. Legend & Steele (/w Emma Bezzlerr) by pinfall after "The Extreme" (double team slingshot catapult/missile dropkick) at 8:56
[Ace Darling & Devon Storm Win the RCW Tag Team Titles]
**the Extremists are one of the most impressive teams to come to RCW in years. They dominated most of the bout, but needed some help from Deep Blue who came out to neutralize the interference of Bezzlerr. The challengers hit their finisher and won in a decisive fashion.

Main Event
RCW Heavyweight Title Match
Stan Lane and Greg Valentine battled to a no-contest at 12:15
[Stan Lane retained the RCW Heavyweight Title]
**a ton of hatred between these two former friends. They didn't wait for the opening bell and started the brawl as they both entered the ring. The match was never really in control but the ref let it go. The problem came when Lewis O'Day came out to interfere. Vendetta tried to come out but he obviously was still having problems seeing so security was holding him back for his own sake. Both dressing rooms emptied as everyone chose sides and some tried to restore order. It was pure chaos as the show came to an end.


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





River City Wrestling #673
June 22, 1997
Grand Forks, North Dakota

RCW Heavyweight Title Match
Stan Lane (c) defeated Greg Valentine by disqualification

RCW Tag Team Title Match
Ace Darling & Devon Storm (c) defeated Joe E. Legend & Steele by pinfall

RCW Television Title Match
Ben Bassarab (c) defeated Jeff Fox by pinfall

North American Women's Title Match
Barbie Wired (c) defeated Allie Myles by pinfall

Deep Blue defeated Emma Bezzlerr by pinfall

Lewis O'Day defeated Elmwood Brawler by pinfall

Robbie Royce defeated Vance Nevada by pinfall

[managermike99]

River City Wrestling #674
June 28, 1997
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Hour #1

Opening Bout
Elmwood Brawler defeated Jeff Fox by pinfall after a bolo punch at 6:10
**revenge is sweet

Bout #2
Steele defeated Devon Storm by pinfall after a half-nelson slam at 4:14
**one of the former champs beat half of the current champs.

Bout #3
Joe E. Legend defeated Ace Darling by pinfall after a Legend cutter at 7:34
**longer bout, included some serious wear down holds. In the end both former champs picked up wins. In one on one competition the former champs seem to be a step ahead, but the current champs excel at teamwork.

Bout #4
North American Women's Title Match
Barbie Wired and Deep Blue battled to a no-contest at 3:47
[Barbie Wired retained the North American Women's Title]
**just as the match was starting to really heat up, Emma Bezzlerr entered the ring and attacked first the champ, then Deep Blue. 


Hour #2

Bout #5
RCW Television Title Match
Ben Bassarab defeated Kevin Northcutt by countout at 7:19
[Ben Bassarab retained the RCW Television Title]
**Bassarab started strong, then Northcutt took back control using his power. He worked some surfboards and armbars. Bassarab made his own comeback, but when he came off the top rope for a flying crossbody, the athletic Northcutt caught him mid-air and turned it into a powerslam. The ref counted 1, 2...Northcutt pulled him up!! He then climbed to the top, posed, and then climbed down to the ring apron...and left the ring..walked to the back and took the countout. Very strange indeed.

Bout #6
Hooded Bull Rope Match
Vendetta defeated Lewis O'Day by disqualification in a hooded bull rope match at 9:59
**Vendetta wanted revenge after O'Day using the mace on him last week. Unfortunately he was still suffering from some blindness so he could not be cleared to wrestle. However, he was still going to fight O'Day and put himself in danger, so Jim Brunzell found an alternative. The two men would be connected by a bull rope, and each would wear a hood with no eye holes so they could not see anything. The hoods were fastened with rope as well, if either man removed the hood they would be disqualified. 
Vendetta took it to O'Day early, he tied him up and beat him, including putting him upside down suspended from the top buckle. O'Day managed to make a comeback by getting outside the ring and attacking Vendetta from the apron. He also managed to uncover the top buckle and ram Vendetta's head off the top. He knocked Vendetta out cold but couldn't navigate his way back inside the ring, the ropes getting tangled up. Then when he did pin the Haitian, the former champ put his feet on the ropes, but of course O'Day couldn't see it because he was hooded. The two fought back and forth but O'Day missed a running knee attempt because he got tangled up in the ropes. Frustrated he worked at and removed the hood. He got disqualified but with the advantage he was able to lay a good beating on Vendetta before security was able to break it up.

Main Event
RCW Heavyweight Title Match
Lumberjack match
Stan Lane defeated Greg Valentine by pinfall after a superkick at 8:40
[Stan Lane retained the RCW Heavyweight Title]
**typical handicap match with the rest of the roster getting into it with each other and dishing out lumps to the combatants when they were tossed out. Inside the ring it was fairly even but of course full of malice. The end came when Greg Valentine was on the top rope, and with the others brawling outside the ring about four guys crashed into the ring and bumped it. Valentine stumbled, and Lane brought him down to the mat with a slam. He then hit his finisher and picked up the win.

Post-Match: Immediately after the bout one of the lumberjacks, Kevin Northcutt, entered the ring and attacked Lane from behind. He laid the boots to the champ until the ring filled up with more of the lumberjacks squaring off.


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



River City Wrestling #675
June 29, 1997
Fargo, North Dakota

Main Event - CAGE MATCH
RCW Heavyweight Title Match
Stan Lane (C) defeated Greg Valentine by pinfall 

RCW Television Title Match
Ben Bassarab (C) defeated Lewis O'Day by disqualification

RCW Tag Team Title Match
Ace Darling & Devon Storm (C) defeated Joe E. Legend & Steele and Ricky Rice & Derrick Dukes by pinfall in a Bermuda Triangle rules match

North American Women's Title Match
Barbie Wired (C) defeated Allie Myles by pinfall

Kevin Northcutt defeated Robbie Royce by pinfall

Deep Blue defeated Jane Dirt by pinfall

Elmwood Brawler defeated Jeff Fox by pinfall

Jason Yakimow defeated Darcy McGee by pinfall