TCW XII: Step Up

To Determine Tag Team Title Matches

Larry Zbyszko and Magnum T.A. vs. Jerry Lynn and Steve Regal
Steve Regal defeated Larry Zbyszko via countout (ummm ...) at 0:12. DUD

As soon as the bell rang, Larry Z rolled out of the ring to Regal's bewilderment. As the ref started his ten-count, Zbyszko grabbed a mic. "You see," he said, "the Winners intend to do exactly that this year - win - and that's why they got me. I'm a thinking man's wrestler, and I think there's no reason for us to face our teammates later." The bell rang, counting Zbyszko out to end the match. "Enjoy Hawk and Animal, chumps."

Points in Play

The Road Warriors vs. The Blackjacks
Barry Windham defeated Animal via ref stoppage (sleeper) at 4:01. 1/2*
The Mavericks of Wrestling scored three points.

To the shock of the crowd, the Blackjacks absolutely dominated the match, cutting Animal off entirely from his partner, leveling him with vicious lariats, and then letting Windham knock him out with a sleeper while Mulligan kept Hawk busy outside of the ring

The Sheepherders vs. The Alpha Males
Bruiser Brody defeated Luke Williams via pinfall (JUMPING KNEE DROP) at 6:47. *

The Sheepherders were game throughout the match, but the Alpha Males just overwhelmed them with power and violence to score the convincing victory.

Joe Blanchard vs. Larry Hennig
Larry Hennig defeated Joe Blanchard via pinfall (THE AXE) at 8:13. **

Blanchard controlled most of the match, but Hennig caught him with THE AXE out of nowhere just after seven minutes in, leaving both men down. As they staggered to their feet, Hennig nailed THE AXE again and fell on top of Blanchard, technically covering him for the bell.

Backstage: Cameras rushed through the backstage area to catch Mad Dog Vachon whipping Stan Hansen into a big boot from Bruiser Brody that spattered Hansen's chew everywhere. "Mister Heenan tried to tell you!" Brody screamed at the prone brawler's form. "We're going to hurt you, Hansen!"

The Destroyer vs. Masked Superstar
The Destroyer defeated Masked Superstar via submission (FIGURE FOUR LEGLOCK) at 3:11. *1/2

The Destroyer was clearly motivated to prove why he was the number one contender. He dominated the newcomer in convincing fashion before locking in his finisher for the submission win. "This commentator has to believe that there is gold in the near future once again for this TCW stalwart," Lance Catamaran called as the ref raised The Destroyer's hand.

Ladies’ Choice vs. The Fantastics
Bobby Fulton defeated Tom Prichard via pinfall (cross body block) at 9:09. *3/4

It was a good, competitive match, with much back and forth between the two teams. A cross body block from Fulton took Prichard by surprise and proved to be the difference in the match.

Elimination Match

King's Guard and Rock and Roll Express vs. The Machines and The Armstrongs
Brad Armstrong defeated The Crusher via ref stoppage (sleeper) at 7:38.
Ricky Morton defeated Bob Armstrong via pinfall (DOUBLE DROPKICK) at 10:15
Robert Gibson defeated Greg Valentine via pinfall (DOUBLE DROPKICK) at 12:55
Lou Thesz defeated Brutus Beefcake via pinfall (GREGO-ROMAN BACKDROP) at 20:25
Brad Armstrong defeated Robert Gibson via countout (plancha) at 29:20.
Ricky Morton defeated Brad Armstrong via pinfall (dropkick) at 32:15. ****1/2
Ricky Morton and Lou Thesz survived for their team.

It was an incredible match and a showcase for young Brad Armstrong, who started the match taking out the Crusher before eventually finding himself down three men to one. He was able to eliminate Robert Gibson after flattening him on the floor with a massive plancha, and he had Ricky on the ropes shortly thereafter. He went up top for a big cross body, but Morton caught him in midair with a massive dropkick to the midsection that crumpled him. Morton crawled over for the pin to score the hard-fought win for Team OBE.

"Macho Man" Randy Savage vs. "The Man of 1000 Holds" Johnny Saint
Randy Savage defeated Johnny Saint via pinfall (FLYING ELBOW DROP) at 1:24. *

Savage came out full of intensity and with something to prove, and in less than a minute and a half, he did exactly that.

"The King" Harley Race vs. Curt Hennig
Harley Race defeated Curt Hennig via pinfall (swinging neckbreaker) at 26:08. *****

In an early contender for match of the year, Race and Hennig went hold for hold with one another for nearly thirty minutes. Each man kicked out of the other's finisher multiple times, before Race was finally able to get the pin after a smooth reversal of a hip toss attempt into a swinging neckbreaker.

Post-Match: After the match, Race offered his hand to Hennig, who accepted. Race leaned in and whispered something into Hennig's ear, then clapped him on the back before leaving the ring.

SURVIVE ANDRE

Andre the Giant vs. The Rat Pack
Ted DiBiase defeated Andre the Giant via ref stoppage (sleeper) at 13:13. ***1/3
The Million Dollar Team scored six points

"Well, it finally happened, ladies and gentlemen," Lance Catamaran called as the last bell rang, "the biggest and the strongest has fallen." The Rat Pack worked like a smooth, well-oiled team throughout the match, using frequent tags to try to whittle down the giant's stamina. At the end of the match, Andre was throwing big haymakers, but DiBiase ducked and dodged to avoid them all, eventually slipping under Andre's arm and using the turnbuckle to get on his back with a sleeper. Andre shoved him into the turnbuckle a few times to try to squeeze out his air and get him off his back, but DiBiase held his grip. The giant eventually feel to one knee before finally toppling down and causing the referee to call for the bell.

Pre-Match: Before the match, Buddy Rogers came down and joined the commentary team for Firpo's title defense. "I just want him to see his better," Rogers told Lance Catamaran. "I want him to know that I'm going to take that belt off of-" He was cut off by the Sheepherders music, as they marched down to ringside as well, getting in Rogers' face for a moment before sitting on the other side of Lance, squeezing on to one chair together.

TCW US Heavyweight Championship Match

"The Raging Bull of the Pampas" Pampero Firpo (C) vs. Stan "The Lariat" Hansen (NR)
Pampero Firpo defeated Stan Hansen via pinfall (running body slam) at 15:48. ***
Order of the British Empire scored one point.

As expected, the two men treated the crowd to a wild brawl, as much out of the ring as inside. Hansen looked like he might have it very early on, dodging a spear in the corner from Firpo and rolling the big man up, but the Sheepherders were quick to hop up on the ring to distract the ref and get quickly tossed. The rest of the match swung back and forth wildly, before Firpo got the upper hand on Hansen by biting him above the eye and then hitting a big slam to retain.

Post-Match: Still at the commentary table, Rogers stood up on his chair and pointed at Firpo in the ring, then gestured to his waist. Firpo held up the US title in response and roared to the top of the arena to the crowd's delight.

TCW US Tag Team Championship Match

The Blackjacks (C) vs. Larry Zbyszko and Magnum T.A. (#9)
Blackjack Mulligan defeated Magnum T.A. via submission (BLACKJACK CLAW) at 16:38. ***1/2
The Mavericks of Wrestling score one point.

Larry Z nearly stole the victory early on, nailing Mulligan with an early piledriver for a two-point-nine count. A lengthy, even match continued for fifteen more minutes until Windham reversed an arm wringer into a short lariat, then tagged in his father for another lariat and the BLACKJACK CLAW to retain.

TCW World Tag Team Championship Match

The Road Warriors (C) vs. Jerry Lynn and Steve Regal (#10)
Steve Regal defeated Animal via disqualification (chairshot) at 9:32. 3/4*
The Chicago Winners scored two points (I think).

Lynn and Regal seemed to catch Hawk and Animal off guard with their athleticism, and frustrated them at every point. That finally boiled over outside, when Animal took a chair and leveled Regal with a shot you could hear everywhere in the arena, causing the DQ.

Post-Match: Hawk grabbed a second chair and laid out Jerry Lynn with it as Animal nailed Regal with a piledriver on the mangled chair. He then dragged him to the apron and hoisted him up on his shoulders as Hawk climbed to the top, and despite the pleading from officials at ringside, Hawk nailed the DOOMSDAY DEVICE and sent Regal tumbling ass over tea kettle to the floor. The crowd looked on in silence as the enraged Road Warriors left, walking past medical staff on their way down to stretcher Regal out for medical attention.

Pre-Match: While not a lumberjack match, it ended up an approximation of one, as the Horsemen accompanied Bockwinkel down to the ring and Race and the Rat Pack came down with the champ. Neither team left the ring, seconding their men for this important battle.

TCW World Heavyweight Championship Match

Terry "Bamm Bamm" Gordy (C) vs. Nick Bockwinkel (NR)
Nick Bockwinkel defeated Terry Gordy via submission (abdominal stretch) at 21:02. ****3/4
Nick Bockwinkel won the TCW World Heavyweight Championship.
The Mavericks of Wrestling scored four points.

Gordy started off the match with an offered handshake to Bockwinkel, who considered the offer with a sneer for a moment before shaking his head and getting in position to grapple. For most of more than twenty minutes of back and forth action, Bockwinkel had the upper hand, but he was never quite able to put Gordy away. The big man had a last gasp after Bockwinkel missed a flying knee drop and hit several big moves on him. When Gordy went for a running knee lift, Bockwinkel dodged and immediately locked Bockwinkel into a picture-perfect abdominal stretch in the middle of the ring. With no chance of escaping the tight hold and no way to reach the ropes, Gordy had no choice but to tap out.

Post-Match: The Horsemen filed into the ring as Bockwinkel celebrated with his new title. The members of the Million Dollar Team did the same to check on their fallen teammate. Unfortunately, Dr. Death and Blackjack Mulligan bumped into one another - absolutely the wrong two men to do so there - and the match was struck for a pier six brawl. In the course of the fracas before security flooded the ring to break it up, Doc absolutely decapitated Hennig with a lariat that sent him flying out of the ring and landing awkwardly, and the last shot of the show was of medics tending to him.