Air date: September 22, 2001

[ed. Note. This version is a re-cap of the Illinois broadcast geared at the September 24th show at Springfield. Some local content may vary from station to station.]

Opening segment;
Cameras still rolling from last week after Sam Holiday and Al Hardamann had vanquished the duo of Stan Baker and Jesse Hennig. Then the arena was surprised when Madusa made an appearance with her two new young charges, Shane Helms and Sean O'Haire. She leads them into the ring where Holiday and Hardamann wait wearily and on guard.
Madusa calls the champs yesterday's news, and she's here to bring the future of pro wrestling, the Graduates. Hardamann leers at Madusa and says its obvious where these guys had been schooled, but offered to take them now to the school of hard knocks. The Graduates answered the call by pouncing on the champs. Madusa was the difference in this brawl as she low blow'd Holiday, and then nailed Hardamann with a missile dropkick.
The Graduates posed in the ring over the fallen champions.

[commercial break]

<<< cue "People are Strange" by the Doors >>>
Coming in at 5'11, 222 pounds from New Orleans, Louisiana, LORD ZOLTAN !!!

And his opponent
<<< cue "Pardon Me" by Incubus >>>
Coming in at 5'11, 221 pounds from New Orleans, Louisiana, The Rajun' Cajun' LASH LEROUX !!!

Zoltan offers a handshake at start the match against his opponent from the same hometown, only to cheap shot him with a kick to the gut. Zoltan immediately goes to work with a very intense offense which includes series of stomps, series of chops, a vicious looking German suplex, and then tosses his opponent to the floor. Zoltan sets up a table but referee Buddy Lane blocks Zoltan's attempt to use it. LeRoux fires back with a series of punches, dropkicks, and then a clothesline which sends Zoltan over the guardrail and into the crowd. Buddy Lane forces LeRoux to return to the ring which gives Zoltan enough time to recover and to bring out a pair of brass knuckles.
Back inside LeRoux goes to work on Zoltan but is greeted by a shot to the skull with the knux. Referee Buddy Lane sees it and calls for the disqualification.
But Zoltan continues his assault using the brass knuckles to grind open the head of LeRoux. We see LeRoux begin to bleed as we go to commercial.
[Winner by disqualification Lash LeRoux after being hit with brass knuckles by Zoltan at 3:52]


[Commercial Break]

DDP Interview
<<< cue "Smells like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana >>
The fans come to their feet as the anthem of Diamond Dallas Page hits. The veteran of the ring wars comes down to the ring with a smile, and his wife Kimberley. He holds the ropes open for Kimberley and then enters the ring and does his familiar spins in the ring which end in the sign for the Diamond Cutter.

DDP] Hello Middle America. You know jack I may be just a boy from Jersey but we have a lot in common with the heartland. One, we're tough as nails. Two, we don't go out without a fight. And three, we have a code of honor that only our friends and family can understand. Yeah, I've had enough of the political backstabbers in places like Atlanta, and Los Angeles, and even St. Louis. I came here to MidAm to wrestle, to learn, and to win. And I brought my good luck charm Kimberley with me. Now, you got some good wrestlers here in MidAm, including guys I admire like Holiday, Hardamann, and the Malenkos, as well as guys I can't wait to test in the ring like Baker, Hennig, and Riley. So, Middle American get ready cause I've come to the Heartland so you too can feel the "BANG".


Jason Sensastion promo for upcoming Springfield IL House show on September 24th
Sam Holiday defends his heavyweight title against Sinister Stan Baker
The Spinebusters defend their titles against The Extremists
The Patriot takes on Kamala the Ugandan Giant
Steve Corino meets Jesse Hennig
Max Pain battles Dirty Don Spartan
The IBZ, Al Collins & Joe Blum, and Young Guns meet in a 3-way dance
The Graduates Sean O'Haire & Shane Helms battle against Kevin Matthews & Raymond Bingham
J.W. Ousley takes on Alex Rider

Studio Interview] The Patriot is interviewed about his strategy when taking on Kamala in Springfield. Patriot says he will use his wrestling and mat skills to ground Kamala, and let the big man get winded trying to throw him off.

[commercial break]


<<< cue "Nookie" by Limp Bizkit >>>
The fans howl in displeasure as the egomaniac known as Derek St. Holmes ESQ, struts to the ring.

St.Holmes has a mic and reminds the audience that he is now not just the best sports entertainer in the business, but also the hottest sports entertainment agent in the business. After much deliberation St.Holmes says he finally decided on a selection for his first client. He calls out possibly MidAmerica's brightest prospect Raymond Bingham. He offers his services to Bingham as an agent. Bingham attempts to be tactful by saying that he already has an agent. St.Holmes won't let him off the hook though and keeps on pestering him and grabbing onto him until Bingham can't take any more. Bingham snatches the mic away and tells St. Holmes that he sucks as a wrestler, probably sucked worse as a lawyer, and if possible may suck even more as an agent.
Surprisingly St. Holmes keeps his calm, and tells Bingham that he needs him as his agent, and he does not suck as a wrestler. In fact, St.Holmes challenges Bingham to a match next week. If St.Holmes wins then Bingham has to become his client. Bingham agrees, but adds the stipulation that if HE wins then he gets to pick any MidAm wrestler and St.Holmes will have to represent him. St.Holmes reluctantly agrees.


<<<cue "Turn the Page" by Metallica >>>
Fans cheer as Marcus Schultz, 5'11 231, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma comes to the ring wearing his signature dark blue singlet, matching boots and kneepad. He is all business as he steps through the ropes.

<<< cue "Aces High" by Iron Maiden >>>
Cheers turn to boos as Ed "Hammer" Harris comes to the ring. Ed hails from Bemidgi, North Dakota and is larger than Schultz at 6'1 245 pounds. He too is all business as he steps in the ring.

The two lock-up in a collar elbow hook-up before the bell even rings. Soon the square off turns into a brawl which Harris wins with a punch to the gut followed by a quick Samoan drop. Harris controls the first minute of the match but makes the mistake of giving Schultz some breathing room by whipping him into the ropes. Harris ducks down for a back body drop and Schultz counters by rolling off the side of Harris.
Schultz brings Harris down with a legsweep and then applies a front chancery. Harris tries to fight back but Schultz is too good on the mat, and soon Harris is devastated by a T-bone suplex. It's all Schultz now who demonstrates his ability to turn a cobra clutch into a suplex when Harris refuses to submit. Changing gears Schultz goes to work on immobilizing Harris with spinning toe-holds and then uses the corner turnbuckle as a weapon wrapping Harris' leg around it. Schultz applies his leglock submission to get the victory.
[Winner by submission Marcus Schultz when Harris submitted to the leglock submission at 5:34]

[Commercial Break]

IBZ
Taped interview from what appears to be someone's basement. The IBZ are sitting on a couch watching a Marilynn Manson video. They seem pretty whacked out. Between otherwise incoherent statements about the establishment, Sam Holiday, Hulk Hogan, and Al Gore, they manage to express their intentions. Yes they were approached by "those old goat**ckers" to steal the contract for the tag match. But they "ain't no white boys' ho's" and the Spinebusters are a bunch of "old fag losers". They say they want their title shot, and this backwash hick promotion ain't going to stop them.
Wiked Klown ends the interview by announcing that he is the great grandson of Lou Thesz, so don't underestimate his wrestling ability, and then he and Shaggy enjoy a good laugh.


<<< cue "Come America" by Amen >>>
The fans get a surprise when the king of old school Steve Corino comes to the ring with new music. Corino is dressed in jeans, a t-shirt, and cowboy boots.

Corino grabs a mic and thanks the fans for welcoming him with open arms to Middle America, and to Larkin for signing him. He says that Middle America is where he wants to be because it is old school at the finest.

<<< cue "Rest in Peace" by Extreme >>>
Sinister Stan Baker walks quickly to the ring and interrupts Corino. Baker is dressed to wrestle in black tights and his wrists and fingers are taped.

Baker walks into the ring and snatches the mic away from a smirking Steve Corino.
Baker says he is sick and tired of one nobody after another coming out and wasting TV time tonight. He calls Corino a nobody again, and then refers to himself as the son of the great Ox Baker.

Corino responds by grabbing the mic and says I don't know who your daddy is, boy, but I know you're one ugly muthe**cking son of a bitch. This sets off Baker who levels Corino with a punch. Baker grabs him by the head and begins to pummel him on the mat.

Head of officials Wayne Hart comes out and breaks them up, only to have Corino tell him to ring the bell. Baker agrees, so Hart steps in to officiate it and we have a match.

The match is an unscientific brawl which Wayne Hart soon loses total control over. Hart throws the match out but the men continue to brawl. It comes to a crashing halt when Baker delivers 3 bonecrunching chair shots to the head of Steve Corino, and then scoops him up and gorilla press slams him over the top-rope and crashing through a table which they had set up earlier in the match.
Corino lies in a waste of broken wood and blood as Baker celebrates.

FADE TO BLACK