Today's show opens with a match just starting.
Grudge Match:
Jesse Hennig and Steve Corino are banned from ringside.:
Curt Hennig v Al Snow
Instead of turning into a typical brawl of most grudge matches, this was a hellaciously paced match. It may have lasted only about 4 minutes but it was non-stop and brought the crowd to the feet.
A double bump (both wrestlers went for cross body blocks and collided) brought both men down mid-ring. They got to their feet hanging onto each other. Hennig set Snow up for the Hennig-plex, but it was blocked by Snow who then tried for the Snowplow. However, this was in turn blocked by Hennig, who rolled up Snow and grabbed a handful of trunks for the tainted victory.
[Curt Hennig wins by pinfall thanks to a handful of trunks at 4:25]
Post-Match:
Hennig celebrated a bit too long, and Snow got up and nailed him with a superkick which sent him to the floor. He was knocked out cold and had to be woken by his brother Jesse.
[commercial break]
<<< cue "Star Spangled Banner" by Jimi Hendrix>>>
The Patriot gets a mixed reaction from the partisan Canadian crowd.
Patriot gets on the mic and says that he had been promised a return to TV this week by Jim Brunzell. He complained that now with Bret Hart as Commissioner he was being buried just because Hart can't stand an openly patriotic American.
<<<cue "Hitman's Theme" by Moist >>>
The Canadian Commissioner Bret Hart comes out to the ring and gets a standing ovation.
He tells the Patriot its not patriatism he can't stand, its just him personally. Hart says that the Patriot gimmick was first thought up by Jerry Lawler as a cartoon in the late 60's. Hart reminds us of Lawler's checkered past as far as his allegiances to the United States are concerned. He tells the Patriot that he is wearing a gimmick thought up by a traitor.
Finally Hart says that the Patriot wants a match so bad, he can have a match. In fact he can wrestle in a 3-way dance with Playboy Vincent Regliatti (the River City Wrestling Canadian champion), and Eric Scott (the WWA Canadian Champion). Whomever of the 3 gets pinned or submits first will be out of the running for the new united Canadian Heavyweight championship. However, the remaining two wrestlers will both get spots in tonight's "BattleDraw" to determine the new Canadian champion.
<<< cue "Oh Canada" >>>
The fans cheer as Eric Scott and Playboy Vincent Regliatti come down to the ring.
3-Way Dance
The Patriot v Vincent Regliatti v Eric Scott
Two survivors enter "BattleDraw" later tonight.
We get our first glimpse at Regliatti and Scott. Regliatti is a mat based wrestler, and while he looks skilled it doesn't really hold up well in a 3-way dance. Scott is a brawler, and although he isn't all that big, he's a very dirty wrestler.
After about 5 minutes of back and forth action, Regliatti and Scott begin to double team the Patriot. It doesn't take them long to figure out that if they stick together they will both enter "BattleDraw". Regliatti pops the crowd when he puts the Patriot in the sharpshooter.
For whatever reason, this brings Bret Hart back to the ring and he jumps up on the apron. Regliatti breaks the hold and comes over to jaw with Hart, which distracts referee Shiela Bloom. Back inside Eric Scott brings in a chair and nails the Patriot with 3 consecutive chair shots. Hart leaps off the apron, and Bloom applies the 3-count.
These actions brought a mixed reaction from the crowd.
[Eric Scott wins by pinfall over Vincent Regliatti and the Patriot, when Scott pins the Patriot after 3 illegal chairshots at 7:41]
[Eric Scott and Vincent Regliatti advance to BattleDraw]
[commercial break]
16-man BattleDraw for the vacant WWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship
A new wrestler added every 60 seconds
Drawn #1 Eric Scott
Drawn #2 Stan Baker
-Scott looks downright afraid as Baker's name is drawn. However, he stands his ground with a couple well placed eye gouges and keeps the big man of balance.
Drawn #3 Paul Diamond
-Diamond joins Scott in double teaming Baker.
Drawn #4 "Mean" Mike Enos
-Enos begins by helping Diamond and Scott making it 3 on 1. But before Baker could be eliminated Scott takes a shot at Enos. Suddenly Diamond is on his own trying to subdue the big man.
Drawn #5 Steve Corino
-Corino evens the odds somewhat. This allows Baker to throw out Paul Diamond.
x Paul Diamond eliminated by Stan Baker
Drawn #6 Sean O'Haire
-O'Haire makes the mistake of coming to the ring with a BAI shirt on. He is immediately besieged by most of the wrestlers in the ring and eliminated.
x Sean O'Haire eliminated by (Scott, Enos, and Baker)
Baker then turns around and catches Eric Scott by surprise heaving him over the top rope.
x Eric Scott eliminated by Stan Baker
That leaves us with 3 men in the ring; Corino, Enos, and Baker.
Draw #7: Jesse Hennig
Hennig comes out and Corino goes right after him, leaving Enos to battle Baker.
The fight between Hennig and Corino is taken to the stands. Unlike the Royal Rumble, in the BattleDraw a 20-count is applied to wrestlers outside the ring.
Draw #8: Greg Pawluk
x Jesse Hennig & Steve Corino eliminated by double countout.
Pawluk seems to reach an uneasy alliance with Enos. Baker is just managing to hang on, he's getting tired and beaten down.
Draw #9 Vincent Regliatti.
-Regliatti joins Pawluk and Enos in punishing Baker. Then Pawluk and Enos end up taking a poke at each other which leaves Regliatti unready to face Baker one on one. Baker heaves Regliatti over the top.
x Vincent Regliatti eliminated by Stan Baker
Draw #10 Menele
-The wind really comes out of the fans' sails and that of Baker when this psycho enters the ring. Almost immediately he goes right after Baker, and with some help they finally eliminate him.
x Stan Baker eliminated by (Menele, Enos, Pawluk)
-That leaves Menele, Mike Enos, Greg Pawluk left in the ring.
Draw #11 Rocky Maivia
The Rock is drawn next and rolling into the ring is like rolling into a nest of vipers. But the Rock is strong with punches and kicks and is fresh, so me manages to hold them off.
Draw #12 Balls Mahoney
-The crowd goes nuts for Balls. Balls goes right after Menele as the two renew old acquaintances. Enos takes a breather and this allows Maivia to get the upper hand and toss Pawluk.
x Greg Pawluk eliminated by Rocky Maivia
Draw #13 Johnny Devine
Devine passes his tag partner Pawluk on the way to the ring. He ties it up with Rocky right away. In the meantime, Mahoney has grabbed the advantage over Menele. Mahoney manages to finally toss Menele over the ropes, but he's surprised by a dropkick from behind from Enos and is eliminated as well.
x Menele eliminated by Balls Mahoney
x Balls Mahoney eliminated by Mike Enos
Draw #14 Max Pain
-Pain gets into the scuffle with Balls and Menele outside the ring and never makes it into the ring. He is counted out.
x Max Pain eliminated by countout.
Meanwhile inside the ring the Rock delivers the Rock Bottom to Johnny Devine and then tosses him over the top rope.
x Johnny Devine eliminated by Rocky Maivia
The Rock and Mike Enos both decide to take a breather rather than attack each other. They are alone in the ring and get about 10 seconds rest before the next wrestler is called.
Draw #15 Marcus Schultz
Former Mid-Am champion Schultz is next. He enters the ring and we basically get a 3-way dance for 60 seconds, with no allegiances made. Enos has been in there a while now and appears to be the weakest link, but manages to survive the minute.
Draw #16 Raymond Bingham
The fans boo as Bingham comes down to the ring wearing a BAI t-shirt, and being accompanied by Chris Jericho who holds the twisted remains of the PWI Rookie of the Year trophy.
The refs send Jericho to the back.
So we are down to the final 4. Mike Enos, Rocky Maivia, Marcus Schultz, and Raymond Bingham.
Enos and Maivia square off, leaving Schultz and Bingham also squared off. With Bingham on the verge of eliminating Schultz, Maivia grabs the advantage against Enos. Maivia gets a chance to help Bingham eliminate Schultz and disapoints the fans by doing so.
x Marcus Schultz eliminated by (Bingham, Maivia)
Enos now attacks Maivia from behind. Bingham assumes that he and Enos are going to double team Maivia, but Enos rocks Bingham by surprise with a spinebuster slam. But then Enos himself falls victim to a flurry of punches from Maivia and then a tornado DDT. Maivia tosses Enos out.
Enos was by far the man who lasted the longest in the BattleDraw tonight.
x Mike Enos eliminted by Rocky Maivia
Bingham attacks Maivia and presses the advantage. He fails to leverage the Rock out of the ring, and then eats an elbow. Rock then grabs Bingham by the tights and sends him face first into the turnbuckle. Maivia then catches Bingham with a hotshot, and then tosses him over the top rope.
x Raymond Bingham eliminated by Rocky Maivia
[Rocky Maivia wins the BattleDraw at 18:05]
[Rocky Maivia wins the WWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship]
<<< cue "Right Now" by Van Halen >>>
The Rock's music plays as he celebrates his victory.
<<< cue "Hitman's Theme" by Moist >>>
Bret Hart comes to the ring and presents the Rock with the WWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship belt formerly worn by Eric Scott.
Hart says that he has been in contact with the President of the WWA, John Fredrickson, and that he has been given the green light to award, and for NPW to book the WWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship.
As such The Rock takes the belt and directly enters that titles lineage, last held by Eric Scott.
The Jumbotron fires up and we get a shot of a red 2002 Ford Thunderbird. Hart takes out a set of keys and hands them to Maivia. Hart says that as an added bonus he also wins this free car!!!
Hart snickers and then thanks Chris Jericho for the blank cheque.
FADE TO BLACK
