Last Week on SAW…Paul Adams announced that going forward he would serve as David Young’s “Life Coachâ€â€¦Young and his fake superhero physique got DQed for using a chain on Vordell Walker making it two DQs in a row for A-Team…The returning Kid Kash told Reno Riggins he was back to find the culprit that stole SAW’s tapes and equipment…An unknown (to anyone that hasn’t watched Nashville wrestling in 15 years) assailant choked out Hammerjack with a wire coathanger…â€King†Shane Williams left Arrick “The Dragon†Andrews in a crumpled heap with a devastating piledriver.
Michael Graham pimped the January 15 TV Taping in Columbia, TN that was later moved to LaVergne as part of the Nick Gulas Memorial. Advertised matches included Phil Shatter vs. Chase Stevens III for the SAW Title; Kash vs. Tommy Mercer and Williams vs. Andrews, none of which actually took place at the taping.
1 – SAW Tag Team Title Match: Champions DERRICK KING ENTERPRISES (Derrick King & Drew Haskins with Johnny Bandanna & Sista O’Feelyah) vs. PICTURE PERFECT (Jon Michael Worthington & Christian Jacobs)
Jacobs’ formidable power game was in full effect during the opening minutes. Haskins tagged in and went through some weird gyrations. Graham said somebody needed to stick a spoon in his mouth because he was having a seizure. Worthington replied with a crotch chop, and Picture Perfect proceeded to give Haskins a shellacking.
[commercial break] with ad for “Dynamite†Dyanna Dawnn.
King bumped like he was spring-loaded off of Worthington’s stunner. Hot tag to Jacobs. He speared King for a close near fall. Haskins hit Katy Perry’s Favorite Finisher on Jacobs, but ref Jesse Fields refused to count because he wasn’t legal. King covered and Jacobs kicked out. Segue to four way action. Haskins (still not legal) kicked out of a top rope elbow/sidewalk slam combo. Worthington hit a uranage on King for a visual 10 count, while O’Feelyah diverted the ref’s attention. Bandanna tried to hit Worthington with the belt and clocked Haskins instead. Haskins kicked out of that as well. Picture Perfect hauled Bandanna back into the ring. King drove a knee into the small of Worthington’s back and Haskins hit a slice guillotine leg drop on Jacobs for the (still illegal) pin.
WINNER: DKE retain the SAW tag titles in 10 minutes.
[Former champion Stevens addressed comments to the current SAW Champion Phil Shatter. Stevens said Shatter beat him for the title fair-and-square, no excuses, but the second time around, he had Shatter’s number, and it was Tommy Mercer that dictated the winner. Stevens said it was a cowardly act because Mercer knew he had signed a contract with another company.
“Where you’re going I’ve been. I know exactly where to find you, Mr. Mercer. Whether it be you pulling your bags in a parking lot in Orlando, Florida going to a TV taping, whether it be you walking outside your house. Hell, let it be one more time in an SAW ring. I will find you. Phil Shatter, I know exactly where to find you, January 15, Columbia, Tennessee. It’s going to be ugly.â€
Graham referenced the injury Andrews suffered from the piledriver and the attack on Hammerjack. Clips of both incidents were flown over. Graham pitched to words from SAW’s lead physician, Dr. John Darden.
Darden gave his credentials as a member of the non-existent American Medical Council. “I specialize in general practice.†Darden said Andrews suffered a neck injury from an illegal maneuver known as a piledriver. “It is absolutely one of the most horrendous blows a human being can take. Arrick Andrews is hurt.†Darden reviewed the severe damage Hammerjack suffered to his hyoid bone at the hand of Marc Anthony some nine months ago. “Once again, an injury has occurred. At this point, we need to only think about his best interest.†Darden said that as a medical professional, he was obligated to stay in close contact with both Andrews and Hammerjack and neither was medically cleared to wrestle, but both had a good chance of being ready by January 15. (Cut to a split screen showing both incidents). Darden promised to keep the viewers informed.
2 – JEFF “The Crippler†DANIELS vs. CHAD WILLIAMS
Graham said he would reveal more about the history between Daniels and Hammerjack next week. That Graham, he’s such a tease. Graham did confirm Hammerjack vs. Daniels for January 15. Daniels duped Chad into a game of crowd pops, so he could jump him from behind. Daniels gave the rookie a beating, focusing his attack on the arm. Daniels busted out the Matt Morgan back elbows, then creamed Chad with an elbow drop to the nose. Graham said Chad might end up looking like Ben Roethlisberger. Daniels cut off a slew of weak punches from Chad with a standing dropkick. Daniels whipped Chad chest-first into the buckles, caught him with a Russian legsweep and locked in the Dominator (triangle armbar). Chad tapped out. Fields had to pull Daniels off him.
WINNER: Daniels via submission in 3 minutes.
Daniels said he was coming straight for Hammerjack.
Reno Riggins announced that he was relinquishing his position as SAW matchmaker and turning it over to George Gulas. Riggins said the theft of 20K worth of equipment had taken a toll on everyone in the company. Add that to the pending lawsuits by Paul Adams for wrongful termination and Rick Santel for unsafe working conditions, and Reno’s plate was full. Reno introduced George as the man whose father got him started in wrestling. George (rocking a Gulas Old School Wrestling t-shirt) said it wasn’t his first rodeo. He said father Nick was a great teacher. George promised that with the two companies working together, it would be great year for the wresting fans. George said it was hard to leave something he had been in all his life, and he was up for the challenge. “You can always say old school is cool.†Riggins said SAW modeled their business plan after Nick. George plugged the Gulas Memorial, honoring the 20th anniversary of his father’s passing, and ran down the list of legends featuring the Fargo Brothers. “2011 will be a bona fide year for wrestling in this area,†he said.
Earlier Today…David Young (minus the muscle suit) was topping his pizza slices with chicken nuggets, when he was jolted out of his seat by Paul Adams bellowing his name. “How am I going to garnish my pizza, now?†Young asked.
That what you’ve always been about isn’t it? Fast women, fast cars and fast food.
Adams said it was all about image. “I got you a nice shirt. It’s even got a collar.†Young said all he needed was the suit. “Did you see those people last week? Half of them, their bathtubs had stretch marks.†Adams departed, telling Young to pull it together. Young picked a stray chicken nugget off the floor and chowed down on his pizza.
3 – VORDELL WALKER vs. JESSE EMERSON (with Paul Adams & David Young & Rick Santel & Roxy)
Match opened with crisp matwork dominated by Walker. At one point, Walker used a headstand to escape from a headscissors. Emerson slapped Walker. BIG mistake as Emerson got the worst of the ensuing exchange of strikes. Emerson got the advantage after a loose top rope screwed up Walker’s slingshot flip from the apron. Although they never interfered, A-Team was beyond relentless with their complaints about the officiating. Emerson used a rolling neck snap off the middle rope for a near fall. Back from commercial, Emerson had Walker in a loosely applied cobra clutch. Emerson hit a bulldog off the middle rope but Walker kicked out of it, and briefly went into human suplex machine mode. Emerson’s standing dropkick drove Walker back into the corner. Walker kicked out of a bulldog off the ropes. Young (wearing the collared shirt over his muscle suit) told ref Joe Williams he was garbage. When Walker kicked out of a Emerson’s fisherman suplex with a bridge, A-Team threw a fit. Emerson shoved ref Joe Williams in frustration. Williams shoved back. Emerson walked into Walker’s finisher, the Savannah Slam. It fell apart in mid move. They awkwardly crashed to the mat, and Walker covered for the three count. Both men looked shook up.
WINNER: Walker in 10 minutes.
Graham plugged the TV Taping in Columbia with Picture Perfect vs. DKE added.
Afterthoughts: There were lots of good ideas were at work on this show. The problem was the hit and miss execution. Two good wrestling matches were marred by messed up finishes. DKE is peerless when it comes to taking a beating that makes the babyface team look like world beaters. The match went to hell after the hot tag. It’s bad enough when the legal man is disregarded or forgotten, but it was ridiculous for Fields to enforce it one second and ignore it a few seconds later. The opening minutes of Walker/Emerson was really nice stuff. There aren’t many opportunities to see mat wrestling on TV these days. It was a good showcase for Walker’s unorthodox brand of athleticism. Emerson’s near falls were well done, and The A-Team’s reaction got their disgust with the refereeing across just as the story called for. Too bad about that finish. Walker didn’t look like a winner, and it took the focus off of A-Team’s alleged persecution by the refs. The Daniels match was just what it needed to be…Having a physician come on lend credibility to ring injuries is a sound, old school concept. If only Darden was more credible in the role. “I specialize in general practice†had me laughing out loud. Stevens cut an excellent promo – cool, focused, and confident – for a match that didn’t happen. Fact was, SAW had a hell of a card set up for Columbia. I’m in the dark as to why Kash and Shatter weren’t in LaVergne, but their presence would have been wasted as it turned out…Based on his first appearance, I would say the jury is still out on Gulas in the role of SAW matchmaker/authority figure…Tthe comedy worked, as is the case most any time Young and Adams are on screen together. I don’t know which was funnier, Young busting out of the shirt covering that stupid costume or the McNugget pizza blowout. This hour ran the gamut – brilliant stuff at times and terribly disappointing at others.