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LAST WEEK…â€Merciless†Tommy Mercer pinned Cody Melton with the Mercy Kill and said he came to SAW for one reason, the International Championship held by Chase Stevens…Stevens said he would accept Phil Shatter’s challenge any day…Leaving Marc Anthony unconscious wasn’t enough for Hammerjack. He wanted to hear the words “I Quitâ€.
Reno Riggins welcomed us to a sold out Algood Middle School with big news. Hammer was doing OK, but nobody had heard from Marc Anthony. Ryan Genesis had called the office demanding a rematch with Christian Jacobs. Two big rematches were scheduled for today plus the debut of Shatter.
It’s Showtime and SAW starts NOW!
Two Weeks Ago on SAW…Arrick Andrews pinned Shane Williams clean.
1 – ARRICK “The Dragon†ANDREWS vs. “King of the Hill from Knoxville†SHANE WILLIAMS
Williams jumped Andrews before the bell. Andrews rallied but Williams used trickery to regain the advantage. Williams hit a brainbuster and could have been flagged for excessive arrogance for allowing Andrews to get a foot on the ropes. Williams hit a backbreaker and hooked the leg a hook of the leg, Williams grounded Andrews as we went to a commercial break. Still in control, Williams applied a Boston crab. Andrews started for the ropes, but Williams dragged him back to ring center and sat down on it. Andrews struggled for and finally made the ropes. Andrews caught Williams in an ankle lock, and Williams got a ropes break. Both selling the effects of the submissions now. Williams chop blocked Andrews and worked over the knee. Andrews ended up on the floor clutching at his knee. Williams took off his belt and punched Andrews with it as he reentered the ring. Cover by Williams and Andrews kicked out at 2 and ½. Williams got back on the knee and applied a variation of the Indian Deathlock. Andrews reversed into the ankle lock. Williams used a variation of the bow and arrow. Williams hit a leg lariat and an Olympic bridge (as Reno calls it) for a near fall. Williams went for the piledriver, but Andrews countered with a back drop. Andrews hit the carousel bulldog. He was slow to cover and Williams got a foot on the ropes. Reno said both men were spent. Andrews rushed in and got knocked loopy with high boot. Williams hit a fist drop and tried for the piledriver again. Andrews reversed it into a dragon sleeper. Williams went down and eventually out with his arm dropping three times.
WINNER: Andrews via submission in 14:30. This match was all kinds of great. It flowed well. Crowd rallied behind Andrews at all the key points. The selling of the leg damage was well done ( save one inexplicable running the ropes spot). Best submission work ever in a SAW match, even using them for hope spots. It also planted the seeds of Williams bizarre channeling of Lawler. .
They pitched to Williams in his private locker room after the match. He was holding a crown and singing to himself - “I’m the king. I’m the king. I’m the king of Memphis Tennessee.â€
Bill Dundee, The Moondogs, Tommy Rich, we’re all going to be there. We’re all going to be at the Mid South Coliseum on Monday. Maybe Andy Kaufman will show up. Maybe the Gilberts. Maybe who? Jackie Fargo.
On to Grumpy’s Bail Jumper of the Week --- “Bond Girl†Leah Hulan showed off her favorite mugshots - Pacman Jones, Tupac Shakur and David Bowie. Leah said being cuffed doesn’t necessarily make someone a bad person, and there’s always an interesting story behind it. Right up there with the celebrities was Samuel Lee Murphy, now on the most wanted list for five weeks. Leah said she knew Murphy was watching because he kept calling with tips to throw them off. Leah pleaded with Murphy to go easy on her and turn himself in OR ELSE.
2 – PHIL SHATTER vs. J-ROD
At the opening bell, Shatter was all mind games and intimidation. Masters said Shatter was deemed to be too violent by the WWE once they got him in camp. “We’re not doing Sports Entertainment. This is professional wrestling at its finest.†Shatter powered out of a headlock and tossed J-Rod like he was nothing. J-Rod answered with a burst of offense capped by a slingshot combo for a two count. Shatter unleashed the ruthless aggression. He beat J-Rod to a pulp, then went after his air supply. J-Rod freed himself, but Shatter put him down with Harley Race knee for a two count. Shatter set J-Rod up for a superplex. J-Rod shoved Shatter off and semi-connected on a bulldog. As J-Rod was up for a leapfrog, Shatter planted him with the PTSD powerbomb.
WINNER: Shatter in 4:55. A solid sampling of what Shatter brings to the table.
Cut to locker room comments from Shatter. “That is just a taste of what’s to come, Chase Stevens. I’m gunning for you and that title. Look into these eyes because your next.â€
Back from commercial with Picture Perfect (Jon Michael Worthington & Christian Jacobs) in the locker room. Worthington took umbrage to talk of Genesis coming back from injury. “I’m the one that’s hurt. I’m the one that’s doing some real rehab here, he said. Jacobs said he proved what he needed to prove two weeks ago, but if Vordell Walker still wanted a piece of him, so be it. Worthington took one step and winced in pain. He grabbed a cane. “It’s spreading,†he said, pointing at his shoulder. “It’s going to my knee.â€
Two Weeks Ago on SAW…Worthington tripped Walker with the cane rendering him a sitting duck for Jacobs’ spear.
3 -- VORDELL WALKER vs. CHRISTIAN JACOBS (with Jon Michael Worthington)
Referee Joe Williams took the cane away from Worthington and sent it to the back with Senior Official Mark Herron. Lots of Walker love from the crowd. Jacobs started to impose his will. Walker spun Jacobs around and lit him up with chops and shots into turnbuckles. Masters called attention to the clap of thunder in the background. Jacobs went way up for Walker’s Biel throw and begged off. (commercial break) Jacobs with a huge shoulder block that bounced Walker’s head off the mat. Walker came back with a high hiptoss and a standing moonsault for a near fall. Jacobs rolled to the outside. Back inside, Jacobs cold cocked Walker with a cheap shot on the break, and locked in a Sharpshooter. Walker fed off the crowd before powering out of it. Walker countered a sunset flip with a back flip into a Boston crab. Wow. Where did that come from? Jacobs got the ropes and went to the apron. Walker hauled him back into the ring with a cobra clutch. Jacobs kicked off the turnbuckles to put Walker’s shoulders on the mat for two. Walker took Jacobs down into a Fujiwara armbar. (commercial break) Jacobs sent Walker spinning with a lariat. Walker ducked a high crossbody and got a big near fall with a Tiger driver. Walker went up top. Jacobs made a desperate dive onto the middle rope causing Walker to crotch himself on the turnbuckle. While Worthington distracted the ref, Derrick King Enterprises (Derrick King & Drew Haskins & Johnny Bandana) came to ringside with the cane. King slid the cane to Jacobs, but Walker kicked it out his hand and clocked him with it for the 1-2-3.
WINNER: Walker in 9:10. Good action. Not much psychology in the choice of moves but the crowd didn’t give a crap about that. They were really feeling Walker and vice versa. His intensity was off the charts in this match.
DKE started doing a number on Walker. Worthington jabbed Walker in the gut with the cane. Walker made a superman comeback with all five heels taking bumps. Picture Perfect took a powder. The action spilled to floor. Just when DKE appeared to have Walker subdued, he exploded on all three of them. They brawled to the back with the camera following the action. Reno told Masters to run for help. The battle continued through a sequence of rooms out into the school hallway with Walker still holding his own. J-Rod arrived to fight alongside Walker as the hour came to a close.
AFTERTHOUGHTS: I thought this was the best hour of SAW since the episodes from the last (final?) Fairgrounds event. It definitely was in terms of the wrestling. They broke the record for most submission holds in one episode of SAW by a wide margin. It wasn’t that long ago, that except for Kid Kash, the only submission used on SAW was a sleeper…It was surely one of Andrews better SAW matches. Williams is bringing out the best in him, and with all the submission work, it match stood apart from the usual…Williams was awesome in that locker room vignettes introducing the “King of Memphis†craziness. I did sure didn’t see that one coming. Williams joins Anthony and Haskins on the most psychotic roster of heels in pro wrestling. SAW has Dr. Darden as the company physician, but what they really need is a psychiatrist with that group…Worthington is simultaneously hilarious and totally despicable. What makes him so funny is the way everything is done with a deadpan delivery. Even the Grurmpy’s segment was unusually entertaining. Leah brought her A game with the celebrity mugshots and all...Walker was booked like a bonafide superhero on this show, and he was up to the task. But there’s no way that postmatch brawl works without the timing and bumping of Derrick King and company. They made a one against three fight look believable. Among the desirable outcomes from this show was two upper echelon babyfaces (Walker and Andrews) emerging in stronger positions that they entered…I’m sure Reno didn’t anticipate the handheld shots of the empty half of the gym when he said the building was sold out. Nothing wrong with hype except when it sacrifices credibility…This episode gets high marks across the board. Definitely worth checking out if you can get it in syndication. It should be coming up shortly on America One.
