TCW X: The Final Countdown

Pre-Match: The lights in the arena went dark, then pyro fired off everywhere as The Smashing Pumpkins appeared on stage and launched into a rousing cover of "The Final Countdown." After the first verse ended, Commissioner Dragon came to the stage and gave Billy Corgan a high five into a hug. "Welcome to The Final Countdown!" he called out as they continued to play in the background. "Thanks to all of you for making this first season special, and now let's close it out right!" As the crowd cheered, Corgan and the band wrapped up the song with a final repeat of the verse, more pyro exploded, and the lights came up for the introduction of the first match.

Trial By Combat

The Machines vs. The Blackjacks
Brutus Beefcake defeated Barry WIndham via ref stoppage (SLEEPER) at 40:43.
Barry Windham defeated Greg Valentine via pinfall (suplex) at 1:04:58.
Blackjack Mulligan defeated Greg Valentine via pinfall (head into cage) at 1:18:59. ******
The Blackjacks won Trial By Combat

The first fall was brutal, with every wrestler except Blackjack Mulligan being broken open on the cage before Beefcake make Windham pass out in the SLEEPER. Valientine tried to follow up immediately, but Mulligan intervened, and the Blackjacks used their man advantage wisely to let Barry get some rest on the apron. After a long brawl that left Valentine's face completely covered in blood, Windham was able to hit a big suplex and get the pin, leaving only Valentine and Mulligan in the cage. Mulligan allowed Valentine the chance to stand up, and the two old-school grapplers started trading blows and slamming one another into the cage. Valentine fought his heart out, but Mulligan expended the last of his energy to throw him headlong into the cage, then collapsed on top of the Hammer's prone form for the pinfall to win Trial By Combat and earn their title shot at the end of the night. "They've got their shot, but Valentine and both Blackjacks were beaten to a pulp and only Beefcake is in good shape," noted Lance Catamaran. "Did the Blackjacks win this epic battle - one of the best matches this observer's ever seen - just to lose the war later tonight?"

Cage Match

The Midnight Express vs. The Original Midnight Express
Stan Lane defeated Randy Rose via pinfall (DARK SIDE) at 5:39. *3/4

As Cornette and Heenan were apoplectic in their little cages obove the ring, the Midnights Express took out their frustration on one another in the cage, ignoring the tag rules entirely and brawling for five solid minutes. After neutralizing Condrey by trapping his leg in the cage, Eaton and Lane worked over Rose and hit their finisher to end the match and seemingly the feud, as well.

TCW World Heavyweight Championship Cage Match

Terry "Bamm Bamm" Gordy (C) vs. Angelo Poffo (NR)
Terry Gordy defeated Angelo Poffo via pinfall (BAMM BAMM SLAM) at 10:56. ***1/2
The Million Dollar Team scored two points.

Poffo once again seemed to have Gordy's number, coming out strong and getting a couple of near falls. Late in the match, though, Gordy caught him out of nowhere with a BAMM BAMM SLAM for a nearfall, followed up with a POWER BOMB for another, and then after two more BAMM BAMM SLAMS, finished Poffo off to defend his title.

The Valiant Brothers vs. Vanity
Johnny Valiant defeated Gorgeous George via pinfall (SPINNING NECKBREAKER) at 9:48. *

With the stakes gone for this match after the opener, both teams seemed a little deflated. That didn't stop them both from taking out their frustration en route to Johnny catching George with his finisher to take it home for his team.

Post-Match: The medical staff checked on Gorgeous George after the match and talked to him about his neck, but he waved them off and refused a collar as he left to the backstage area.

Magnum T.A. vs. Sam Houston
Magnum T.A. defeated Sam Houston via pinfall (flying cross body) at 8:31. *1/4

It was a simple win for Magnum T.A. here, who clearly just outclassed Houston.

Pre-Match: With Firpo in the ring, the champ's music hits, only to reveal "The Restorer," seemingly Brian Posehn, coming down to the ring to meet Firpo. Despite Lord Ewan's protestations, Firpo took the bait, diving through the ropes and wiping out himself and The Restorer as they tumbled up the ramp. The Destroyer came out behind, throwing his doppleganger up the ramp and then throwing Firpo into a ring post before rolling him in the ring to start the match.

TCW US Heavyweight Championship Match

"The Intelligent Sensation" The Destroyer (C) vs. "The Raging Bull of the Pampas" Pampero Firpo (#1)
Pampero Firpo defeated The Destroyer via ref stoppage (EL GARFIO) at 7:47. **3/4
Pampero Firpo won the TCW US Heavyweight Championship.
Order of the British Empire won two points.

It was a short, action-packed match in which The Destroyer started strong thanks to the extracurriculars, but Lord Ewan was an equalizer at ringside, distracting the referee from two pinfall attempts before uncharacteristically being expelled from ringside! Without his manager's governing presence there, Firpo took the action out of the ring again and out brawled The Destroyer, and once he was back in the ring with him, he hit three straight backbreakers, then locked in EL GARFIO and put the champ in a body scissors to seal it. The Destroyer refused to tap, but eventually the nerve hold made him lose consciousness and the ref called for the bell.

Post-Match: Commissioner Dragon came to the ring with a large trophy in hand, flanked by Renee Paquette with a microphone and Harley Cameron with a cell phone, assumedly streaming. As Firpo threw the belt over his shoulder, the crew entered the ring and presented him with the trophy. "Pampero, you've had an incredible year this year and have won the Wrestler of the Year award!" Paquette announced. Would you like to say a few words?" Firpo simply yelled boisterously (yet unintelligibly) into the microphone and thrust both trophy and belt aloft before leaving the ring. As he came up the ramp, he was greeted by Dave Taylor and Billie Piper, both smiling and clapping for him. Billie walked up to him and raised his hand, pointing to him, as Firpo mugged for the crowd. This was all the distraction Taylor needed to pick him up and drop him with a Manhattan drop, sending the trophy crashing to the ramp and breaking into pieces. Piper and Taylor laughed as Firpo struggled to get to his feet, and security broke up the altercation as Danielson looked on from the ring, scowling. (Order of the British Empire scored three points.)

Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff vs. Diamond Dallas Page and "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
Iron Sheik defeated Diamond Dallas Page via submission (CAMEL CLUTCH) at 29:40. ****/14

The four men all had something to prove as a tag team here, and they fought their hardest. After a grueling match that saw nearfalls from both sides, Sheik worked down DDP with an abdominal stretch and then skillfully transitioned it into a CAMEL CLUTCH to score the submission victory.

TCW World Tag Team Championship Scaffold Match

The Road Warriors (C) vs. The Rock and Roll Express (#1)
Hawk defeated Robert Gibson via throwing him off the scaffold (cross-body reversal) at 6:41. *1/2
Chicago Winners scored two points.

The Rock and Roll Express nearly had the Road Warriors beaten early on, hitting a big DOUBLE DROPKICK on Animal, but the big man was just able to hold his balance long enough for Hawk to make the save. After a few minutes more of cautious brawling, Robert made the match's one big mistake, trying to hit Hawk with a running cross body. Hawk was able to catch him and use the momentum to fling him off of the scaffold and crashing to the mat to win the match.

Post-Match: Danielson and crew came down again, surprising nobody by presenting the trophy for Tag Team of the Year to the Road Warriors. As they climbed down from the scaffold and medical staff scrambled in to check on Gibson, Kris Bryant snatched the microphone from Paquette. "We told you! We told you we are winners! We produce champions! Hail the winners!" As the Road Warriors joined them in celebration, Hawk slapped him on the back and yelled, "What a rush!" as the Winners left the ringside area. Stunningly, Gibson got to his feet, despite his arm clearly being broken from the fall, and was able to leave under his own power to the applause of the crowd. (The Chicago Winners scored three points.)

Ted DiBiase vs. King Kong Bundy
Ted DiBiase defeated King Kong Bundy via submission (FIGURE FOUR LEGLOCK) at 6:52. **3/4

It was a new day for Ted DiBiase, who walked out clean shaven and sporting a single black glove. He outwrestled the big man, with the big blow being an axehandle smash off of the apron to the floor. Once he got Bundy back in the ring, he hit another one to drop him and then managed to work his giant legs into a FIGURE FOUR LEGLOCK to score the submission victory.

"The King" Harley Race vs. James Snuka
James Snuka defeated Harley Race via pinfall (SUPERFLY LEAP) at 7:23. **1/4

Harley seemed to have the match won after a PILEDRIVER on the outside, but as he was dragging Snuka back in, he hit a low blow and dropped Harley. They struggled back into the ring, and while both stood up at the same time, Snuka went straight into a thrust kick, dropping Race. He climbed to the top and hit the SUPERFLY LEAP to eek out the win.

Post-Match: Danielson's crew came out one more time meeting Race as he came up the ramp. "Tough loss, Harley," Danielson said, "but I'm still proud to present you with the trophy for Event of the year for ... Big Balls." Harley Cameron snickered as she streamed the proceedings. Race replied, "Thank you, Mister Commissioner. I'd also like to thank my team, who backed me when we needed to be remolded into someting better. In the next season and the new year, you will see a Million Dollar Team with a focus on winning titles and becoming the elite force of TCW!" (The Million Dollar Team scored three points.)

Pre-Match: All four men came to the ring showing the scars from their first match. All wore bloody bandages, deep, purple bruises, and massive welts from the match before, and Valentine was having trouble even walking down to the ring. As the bell rang and Mulligan and Beefcake stared one another down wearily before locking up, the crowd gave them a standing ovation that steadily climbed to an arena-shaking roar. Regardless of the outcome, all four men were winners tonight.

TCW US Tag Team Championship Match

The Machines (C) vs. Vanity (#2) or The Blackjacks (#8)
Blackjack Mulligan defeated Brutus Beefcake via pinfall (lariat) at 7:00. **
The Blackjacks won the TCW US Tag Team Championship.
The Mavericks of Wrestling scored two points.

As the exhausted warriors struggled with one another, the jumbotron came on screen to show a black sedan speeding into the parking lot, nearly hitting a TCW technician as it slid to a stop. Out of the car strode "The Last Outlaw" Jeff Jarret, who drew his guitar from the vehicle like a sword and ran into the ring and down the ramp. Chaos broke out and all four men ended up brawling, and Valentine was shoved into the ref in the chaos, knocking them both down. Jarrett entered the ring and stood between his old teammates and Beefcake, brandishing the guitar menacingly, then spun around and broke it over Beefcake's head! Jarrett flashed four fingers, Windham woke up the ref, Mulligan stood up Beefcake to take the lariat that would end the match, and the crowd's boos filled the arena.

Post-Match: The Blackjacks and Jarrett took the gold and backed up the ramp, flashing the four fingers and laughing about their ruse. Meanwhile, in the ring, medical personnel scrambled in to check on Beefcake and Valentine. The two men were exhausted and beaten, but seemingly uninjured.

Pre-Match: As Zhukov waited in the ring for his opponent, the sound of a clanging bell and stampeding hooves filled the arena as Stan Hansen appeared for the match! The big brawler swung his rope above his head as the crowd roared. "A new season is upon us, fans!" Lance Catamaran remarked. "Stan Hansen is in TCW!"

Boris Zhukov vs. Stan Hansen
Stan Hansen defeated Boris Zhukov via pinfall (Borger body slam) at 8:08. *

Japan's number one gaijin made his return to the States in a bruising match against Boris Zhukov. The two hosses traded blows for a while, but as soon as the match went out of the ring to Hansen's domain, the big man took over quickly, ramming Zhukov from pillar to post. He got him back in and hit his Borger body slam four straight times - much to the delight of the crowd - to claim the victory.

The Final Countdown

"The Whole F'n Show" Rob Van Dam vs. Curt Hennig
Curt Hennig defeated Rob Van Dam via pinfall (HENNIG PLEX) at 10:50. **1/4
Chicago Winners lost five points.

It was a fast-paced match, with both men showing off their quickness. Hennig hit a HENNIG PLEX midway through, but RVD managed to use his flexibility to wriggle out in a way that wowed the crowd. Hennig locked the fingers tighter when he hit it the second time, though, pinning RVD to advance.

Curt Hennig vs. "Dr. Death" Steve Williams
Steve Williams defeated Curt Hennig via pinfall (DOCTOR BOMB) at 18:52. ****1/4
The Mavericks of Wrestling lost four points.

Hennig dominated most of the match, nearly pinning Doc three times. The match swung in an instant around the fifteen minute mark, though, when Hennig went for a patented dropkick and Doc bowled through him with a big football tackle. It took all of two OKLAHOMA STAMPEDES and two Doctor Bombs to keep Hennig down, but it was all too much for Hennig to fight off.

"Dr. Death" Steve Williams vs. "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers
Buddy Rogers defeated Steve Williams via submission (FIGURE FOUR GRAPEVINE) at 6:02. **1/2
The Million Dollar Team lost three points.

After the toll of the previous match, this was an academic dissection from Rogers, who worked the knee systematically en route to the FIGURE FOUR GRAPEVINE.

"Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers vs. Johnny Valentine
Johnny Valentine defeated Buddy Rogers via pinfall (ATOMIC SKULLCRUSHER) at 7:47. **1/2
Natural Selection lost two points.

After a ref bump from an uncharacteristic top rope move from Rogers, Valentine took advantage, nailing Rogers with an ATOMIC SKULLCRUSHER from behind, then hitting two more while the ref was still down. With the damage done, Valentine controlled the rest of the action, hitting a fourth ATOMIC SKULLCRUSHER to win the match.

Johnny Valentine vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage
Randy Savage defeated Johnny Valentine via pinfall (neckbreaker clothesline) at 9:54. **1/4
Order of the British Empire lost one point.

Savage came out like a wildman, running Valentine from pillar to post and showing that he was one of the best in the TCW. Valentine put up a good fight, even kicking out of the FLYING ELBOW DROP once, but ultimately, the Macho man was just too much for him.

Post-Match: As the bell rang and Savage celebrated winning The Final Countdown, Commissioner Dragon came down to the ring with a briefcase in one hand and a briefcase in the other - and in wrestling gear. He handed the trophy to Valentine on the ramp, and said, "Johnny, despite the loss here, your team has secured the John Cena Memorial Trophy for winning the league this year. Congratulations to you and all of OBE!" As the crowd cheered, OBE met Valentine on the stage and they celebrated, holding up both trophies and Firpo's new US title. Meanwhile, Danielson continued to the ring with the briefcase.

"Randy, I want to congratulate you on winning the that match," he said with a grin, "but you haven't won the Final Countdown yet. Inside this briefcase is one million dollars that the Macho Machines could possibly use on salary for the upcoming season. Now, you can walk out of the ring right now as the last man in the gauntlet, but with no prize. Or you can wrestle me - right here, right now - and if you win, your team gets this briefcase. But if you lose, you're going to sit out the first show of next year. What's it gonna be, Macho?"

"Oh, yeah," Savage growled in reply. "Ring the bell." Before the timekeeper could comply, though, Danielson tossed the case to him and nailed him with a Busaiku knee to the briefcase, smashing it into his face and sending money flying everywhere as the bell rang.

"Macho Man" Randy Savage vs. "The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson
Randy Savage defeated Bryan Danielson via pinfall (FLYING ELBOW DROP) at 5:18. **1/4.
Macho Machines earned one extra salary for Season Two.

Danielson pushed his advantage early, but Savage eventually used his quickness to put him down with a neckbreaker clothesline. He went up and hit the FLYING ELBOW DROP, but the Commissioner kicked out, so Savage did it again to the same result. Savage kept working over the neck, with big clotheslines, knee drops, and piledrivers, but the Commissioner kept fighting. After not being able to bait Savage out of the ring, Danielson came back in and ate a clothesline, then took a third FLYING ELBOW DROP for the win.

Post-Match: The rest of the Macho Machines ran down to the ring to celebrate with the Macho Man, as Patton and Brian scrambled around to clean up as much of the money as they could. Danielson approched the celebration, holding his neck with his left hand and offering his right to Savage. The two men shook hands to celebrate, and the show closed with the Macho Machines triumphant at the end of the Final Countdown.