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SHOWTIME ALL STAR WRESTLING TV REPORT

Last Week on SAW…A chaotic brawl erupted involving SAW’s three top tag teams but cracks are showing in the alliance between Derrick King Enterprises and Picture Perfect…Picture Perfect screwed Ryan Genesis out of a win…Paul Adams and Rick Santel returned with the announcement that they were suing SAW…DKE defeated Vordell Walker & J-Rod to retain the tag team titles…Flash Flanagan returned with a bang – knocking Santel out with his ever-present kendo stick.

Reno Riggins previewed the upcoming hour from the Stadium Inn “in the shadows of LP Field”. He said more info on “The Next Star of SAW” would be forthcoming but they never got around to it. That Reno is such a tease. “It’s Showtime and SAW STARTS NOW!

Flash Flanagan headed to the ring all about business. Michael Graham joined Riggins on commentary.

1 – FLASH FLANAGAN vs. JOHNNY BANDANA (with Sista O’Feelyah)

Bandana attacked as Flanagan came through the ropes. Tried to anyway. Bandana was stumbling and bumbling and getting his ass kicked, until a nicely timed spot where he pulled the ropes down to spill Flanagan out. Bandana took the wind out of Flanagan’s sails with a series of choke maneuvers. Flanagan got two with a sunset flip when Bandana telegraphed a backdrop. Bandana recovered with a nice flying lariat for a near fall. Overconfidence prevailed, and a missed top rope knee spelled the beginning of the end for Bandana. Flanagan polished off his comeback with the springboard leg drop.

WINNER: Flanagan with the springboard leg drop at 4:06.

Flanagan challenged Santel to a hardcore match to end their feud once and for all.

2 – “No Mercy” TOMMY MERCER vs. JAKE SLATER

The crowd popped when Mercer came through the curtain like he was a babyface superstar. Riggins said Slater looked impressive on the tapes they got on him from Georgia. He took a bell to bell beating in this match. Slater tried to get something going with a high crossbody. Mercer caught Slater powered him into a fireman’s carry position. From there, Mercer hit a move similar to Shinsuke Nakamura’s Landslide, pulled Slater up, and hit it again.

WINNER: Mercer in 2:55 with the Landslide.

Mercer pondered the question - was it better to be feared or respected? Mercer said his path of destruction had made him the most feared wrestler in the territory, and everybody including Chase Stevens knew it. Mercer admitted Stevens was a great champion. “But there’s one obstacle you haven’t run into yet in your illustrious reign. You’re looking at it, “No Mercy” Tommy Mercer. And when we do meet, Chase, I will take you out. Once that title is around my waist, you and everybody else will have no choice but to respect me.”

3 -- DREW HASKINS (with Derrick King & Sista O’Feelyah) vs. J-ROD

They traded big boy strikes – Haskins using European uppercuts and roundhouse kicks by J-Rod. Haskins went down first. The pace quickened with J-Rod displaying his athleticism and aerial skill. Haskins caught J-Rod with a classic Eddie Gilbert hotshot to take over. O’Feelyah and King liberally interfered. Reno called it a J.C. Napier (gang infested Nashville housing project) beatdown. Vordell Walker came out to watch J-Rod’s back. And watch he did - King kicked a field goal with J-Rod’s gut while Walker stood by. Haskins hit a draping, chin chucking DDT for a near fall. Haskins used a seldom seen standing small package taught to him by his trainer, Reno Riggins. Haskins got the short end of another striking exchange, but J-Rod ate the turnbuckle big time on a corner splash. Just as J-Rod was building up steam on his comeback, Haskins fell out and spilled through the ropes. Ref Jesse Fields was mesmerized by this. King jumped in but J-Rod cut him off. O’Feelyah climbed into the ring and tried to slap him, but J-Rod grabbed her wrist. Meanwhile, Haskins decked Walker and returned to the ring to nail J-Rod with a belt (slid into the ring by King). Fields then made a tunnel vision three count with the belt laying in the ring.

WINNER: Haskins in 8:24 via a belt shot.

Next up were some hilarious clips from the Sausage Fest at Dog of Nashville. There was a shot of security guy Bobby Babu physically restraining the legendary Chicken Hat Charles to keep him from going after the heels. Johnny Bandana was wearing a sausage suit. “I’m Johnny Bandana not Johnny Wiener!”

Grumpy’s Update -- “Bond Girl” Leah Hulan said perennial pain in the ass fugitive Samuel Lee Murphy was finally in custody. The police got him. Leah took the opportunity to thank the SAW viewers for their vigilance.

In the locker room, Johnny Bandana was surrounded by the rest of DKE. King was grilling Bandana about his losing streak. “I’ve had a couple of bad nights,” Bandana said. Picture Perfect joined in on the lambasting of Bandana. King objected. Cut to the ring where Genesis was calling Picture Perfect out AGAIN. Haskins told Picture Perfect to worry about their own problems and leave Bandana to them. Worthington started swearing about Genesis. Jacobs told him to watch his language and they headed to the ring. DKE went back to berating Bandana. Johnny promised to get his act his together.

Leah was back with Grumpy’s Most Wanted Bail Jumper – Sandra Gail Hopkins. Hey, Gail, it’s just a misdemeanor. Turn yourself in and you’ll be out of jail in a couple of days…but if not…

4 – CHRISTIAN JACOBS (with Jon Michael Worthington) vs. RYAN GENESIS

Genesis started like a house of fire just like last week. He even busted out a tope. Riggins said it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. Jacobs hung Genesis out to dry on a dropkick and took control. Worthington’s extracurricular activity made it clear that his shoulder injury was a sham. Jacobs hit a Russian legsweep and floated over for a nice near fall. Genesis reversed a vertical suplex. Jacobs was up first and kicked Genesis right in the face for a two count. When Jacobs missed a big corner splash, Genesis made a full-fledged comeback. Reno briefly abandoned the broadcast booth to confiscate a sign that read “Wreck His S***”. Graham didn’t know what was up. Jacobs escaped from the Death Valle Driver, but Genesis planted him with a spinebuster, again, just like last week. While Worthington distracted Genesis and referee Mark Herron, DKE came out and offered Jacobs a belt to use as a weapon. Jacobs declined. Genesis caught Jacobs with the DVD to score the pin.

WINNER: Genesis in 7:51 after Jacobs crossed signals with DKE.

Worthington was pissed. He exchanged heated words with DKE.

NEXT WEEK: Stevens vs. Mercer for the SAW International Championship

Afterthoughts: A mixed bag. The escalating tension between DKE and Picture Perfect has been a story well told. I loved the locker room roasting of Bandana. It was perfectly OK for DKE to kick him around, but they drew the line when Picture Perfect tried to do the same. Jacobs admonishing Worthington about his language was a funny moment. Bandana is developing into an epic buffoon heel. Mercer’s fear vs.respect promo was a nice set up for the title match next week. The main problem was the finishes of the two key matches. J-Rod and Haskins were having a very good match. Jacobs and Worthington had a smoother, better match than the previous week. The issue in both cases was a finish that involved a long, drawn out, difficult to swallow referee distraction spot. One would be OK, but two of them back-to-back? The way the thing with Walker at ringside played out did him no favors. DKE made him look like a fool…I’m curious to see how they follow up on Flanagan’s hardcore challenge, since Santel’s knee injury has him sidelined for the foreseeable future…I’ve never been a big Slater fan, but he was pretty stellar taking all of Mercer’s stuff…It has been a pleasure to hear Graham the last two weeks. I had forgotten how good he is on play-by-play…The crowd sounds dead on these Stadium Inn episodes, and I surely don’t remember it that way live.