Immortal Championship Wrestling

[Mr. PrettyGood]

Welcome to Immortal Championship Wrestling, where there are no complex angles, just high quality wrestling from all eras.

Feel free to DM me if you’d like to contribute something. There isn’t much I’ll say “no” to.

Championships
World Heavyweight Championship

Spoiler

This is the top of the mountain. Any wrestler who has ever laced up a pair of boots is eligible for this unrestricted championship.

1. This belt is currently vacant.

 

[Mr. PrettyGood]

Finding the first champion: A lethal lottery has been set up featuring world champions as recognized by the following organizations: WWE/F, Pro Wrestling Noah, AJPW, IWGP, WCW, NWA, TNA, AEW, AAA, CMLL, ECW, AWA, and WCWA. The top 30 champions as determined by the ICW Board of Directors, as well as 10 wildcard champions as recognized by the same organizations, will be randomly assigned tag team partners and opponents. The winners of these matches will advance to a twenty man battle royal to determine the inaugural ICW World Heavyweight Champion. The top 30 wrestlers are, in alphabetical order…

1. Antonio Inoki
2. AJ Styles
3. Bret Hart
4. Brock Lesnar
5. Bruno Sammartino
6. Buddy Rogers
7. Chris Jericho
8. Edge
9. Gunther
10. Harley Race
11. Hulk Hogan
12. Jerry Lawler
13. John Cena
14. Jun Akiyama
15. Kenny Omega
16. Kurt Angle
17. Lou Thesz
18. Mitsuharu Misawa
19. Naomichi Marufuji
20. Randy Orton
21. Randy Savage
22. Ric Flair
23. Rock, The
24. Roman Reigns
25. Shawn Michaels
26. Steve Austin
27. Sting
28. Tetsuya Naito
29. Universo 2000
30. Verne Gagne

The 10 wildcard participants are to be announced as surprises.

 

[Mr. PrettyGood]

Universo 2000/Shawn Michaels vs. Brock Lesnar/Gunther

Solie: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is Gordon Solie and there is absolutely no telling what is about to go down here as these two teams were just announced. Assuming there is any cohesion, one might be tempted to give the edge to the team of Brock Lesnar and Gunther based on their dominance as individual wrestlers, but Universo Dos Mil and Shawn Michaels have both displayed an ability to take punishment as well as defeat opponents larger than themselves. Universo knows every dirty trick in the book; unfortunately, the book is in Spanish, so I can’t read it.

Gunther and Michaels start off in the ring. Gunther goes for a lockup, but Michaels strikes first with an elbow to the jaw. Michaels puts Gunther in an armbar then tags in his partner. Universo comes from the top rope with an ax handle across Gunther’s arm.

Universo goes back for the armbar, but Gunther uses his free hand to chop him across the chest. Gunther brings Universo to the ropes and whips him off, but not before Michaels tags in. Universo hooks his arms around the ropes on the opposite end and Michaels hooks Gunther for a backslide that gets a 2 count. Lesnar gives Universo a knee to the back from the apron then comes into the ring. Lesnar takes Universo to a corner and Gunther socks Michaels in the head and takes him to the opposite corner. After a few more shots, Gunther and Lesnar whip their opponents across the ring, only for them to be reversed. The partners collide in the middle of the ring and dropkicks from their opponents send them to the mat, then out of the ring on opposite sides. The two men in the ring run to an opponent and dive over the top rope. Michaels lands perfectly on Gunther, but Universo is caught on Lesnar’s shoulders. Lesnar does an F-5 on the arena floor as Michaels brings Gunther back inside the ring.

Solie: This could be a turning point in the match. Shawn Michaels could be without a partner for a while.

Michaels rolls into the ring and quickly has Gunther in a front facelock. Gunther fights his way to a standing position and Micheals tries to take him over with a suplex. But Gunther blocks it. Gunther goes for a suplex of his own, but Michaels floats over, lands on his feet, and has him in a waistlock. Gunther lands an elbow to Michaels’s head and then takes that head to the corner so he can tag out.

Lesnar comes into the ring and runs as fast as he can at Michaels, but winds up on the mat from a drop toe hold and is quickly in a headlock. Lesnar gets to his feet and puts Michaels in a corner. After a few forearms, Lesnar is ushered away from the corner by the referee. Michaels bursts out of the corner going for a bulldog, but Lesnar throws him across the ring. HBK stops himself short of Gunther’s punch. Lesnar grabs him from behind, but Michaels hooks his leg to make sure he can’t be suplexed. This does very little to stop Lesnar from punching him in the head. Lesnar crushes his opponent into the corner and tags out.

Gunther comes into the ring and takes a few steps away from the corner. Lesnar moves and allows Gunther to bring his knees to Michaels’s back. Gunther turns Michaels around, scoops him up, and slams him in the middle of the ring. Gunther goes to the ropes, but stops when Universo grabs his leg. He lets go when he sees Brock coming out of the corner of his eye and Gunther also turns his attention to the man out of the ring. As the three men stare at each other, Michaels rolls up Gunther, but only gets a two count. Gunther kicks out with such power that Michaels is egressed from the ring and onto Lesnar. Universo takes advantage of the situation to gouge Lesnar’s eyes and throw him into the post back first. He then rolls into the ring.

Solie: I would like to remind everybody that this match is not under Mexican tag rules. Shawn Michaels is the legal man… and I believe the referee is letting Universo 2000 know that right now.

Michaels goes around the corner and enters the ring while Gunther is watching the non legal man. Michaels does a belly to back suplex and bridges for the pin, but the referee only sees Universo. Both legal men get to their feet as Universo leaves the ring and Michaels eats a boot to the face from Gunther. Gunther goes to the ropes and lands a seated senton on his opponent. Gunther picks Michaels up. Michaels throws a punch, but misses. Gunther puts Michaels back on the mat with a belly to back backbreaker. Gunther puts his opponent in his version of a Boston crab.

Solie: Shawn Michaels is in a tremendous amount of pain, but we’ve seen before that he can take it. How can he get out of this hold?

As if on cue, Universo comes in just long enough to strike Gunther and break the hold. Gunther grabs Michaels by the head and picks him up for the last symphony, but Michaels slips off his shoulders and lands on his feet. He runs to the ropes, ducks a clothesline, and hits a flying forearm on the rebound. Neither man is quick to get up and crawl to their respective corners. Micheals is only a few inches away from his partner’s finger tips, when Universo is pulled off the apron and pushed into the post by Lesnar. Lesnar then returns to his corner and is tagged in.

Lesnar runs in like a runaway train and Michaels can only try to avoid him, which he is quite effective at. Michaels is even able to kip up and land a punch to Lesnar’s chin. Lesnar responds by working the body and cornering his opponent. He removes Lesnar by way of an overhead belly to belly suplex. Lesnar measures Michaels, waiting for him to stand up. Michaels drops to the mat as his opponent launches a clothesline that hits as much of the turnbuckle as his partner, which the ref counts as a tag. Michaels brings Gunther into the ring the hard way.

Michaels pounds the heads of his two opponents together then bodyslams Gunther. He tries to do the same to Lesnar, but the beast isn’t going anywhere. Lesnar gives him a couple of blows, but the ref gets involved. Michaels goes back to Gunther, who is standing, and gets chopped. Michaels responds with a chop of his own then ducks a clothesline, which hits Lesnar, who had walked around the referee. Gunther doesn’t even check on his partner as he turns around, into a superkick, which he blocks. Gunther puts his foot into Michaels’s midsection then prepares Michaels for a powerbomb. With the referee trying to get Lesnar out of the ring, Universo climbs onto the apron to give Gunther a low blow from behind. The referee turns around to see Sweet Chin Music and Michaels collapse on top of Gunther…
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Solie: Brock Lesnar and Gunther may have each been considered a favorite to walk away with the belt, but that is no longer the case. Shawn Michaels and Universo Dos Mil will likely be two of the smaller competitors in the battle royal.

 

[Mr. PrettyGood]

Vader/Bruno Sammartino vs. Antonio Inoki/Andre the Giant

Solie: Two wild card champions are in this match. Andre the Giant’s brief run as world champion qualified him to be in the wildcard drawing. He is teaming with the athletic and crafty Antonio Inoki. Their opponents are one of wrestling’s longest reigning champions in Bruno Sammartino and perhaps the largest man to perform a moonsault, Big Van Vader, who has not taken his eyes off of the giant since he walked through the curtain. There are very few men who make this mountain of a man look like a speed bump, but one is now across the ring from him.

Vader starts off against Inoki. He points to Andre and demands he gets in. Inoki is not too enthused to do what his opponent wants. The two men lock up and Vader breaks it by pushing Inoki back to his corner. Andre offers his hand, but Inoki refuses. Inoki meets Vader in the middle of the ring again and this time he avoids the tieup, opting to kick Vader in his calf. After a few more kicks, Inoki runs to the ropes and comes off with a shoulder block, but bounces off of Vader as though he hit a wall. Vader drops an elbow, but hits a whole lot of canvas. Inoki runs to the ropes again and with all the power he can muster, dropkicks Vader to the mat. Inoki puts the big guy in a hammerlock, which causes him to reach to his corner to tag in Bruno.

Bruno comes in and gets armdragged. He gets up and gets another armdrag. This time Inoki applies the pressure and doesn’t let him up so quickly. Bruno gets to his feet and body slams Inoki to break the hold. Bruno uses his knee to hold Inoki in place while he works on putting Inoki’s arm in a short arm scissors. As soon as Bruno moves to wrap his leg around the arm, Inoki escapes and both men get into a neutral standing position. Bruno goes for a leg, but Inoki evades him and uses his legs for a flying headscissor takedown. Given his position in the ring, Inoki tags out, keeping the hold on Bruno.

Andre steps in and uses the top rope for balance as he drops his ass on Bruno repeatedly. Bruno escapes by rolling to the middle of the ring, but Andre grabs him by the leg and pulls him to a neutral corner. After a few punches, Bruno gets to his feet and tries to hiptoss the giant, but Andre isn’t going anywhere he doesn’t want to. Andre knocks Bruno to his knees with a headbutt. Bruno headbutts Andre in the stomach then commences to charging his shoulder into his stomach. Andre ends it with a knee to the head. Andre puts Bruno in the corner and repeatedly backs himself into his opponent.

Solie: Bruno Sammartino is well known for his stamina in the ring, but he’s rarely in the ring with an opponent the size of Andre the Giant.

Bruno puts his knees up, which causes enough pain for Andre to stop the attack then puts him in a headlock. Andre picks up Bruno for an atomic drop, which sends him to the middle of the ring. Andre runs for a leg drop, but Bruno moves. Neither man is quick to get up and neither appears especially interested in tagging out despite their partners’ pleas. Bruno attempts to bearhug the giant, but Andre is too big and too heavy. He pounds on Bruno’s shoulders and pushes him back. Bruno moves in again, but is met with a knee to his belly. Andre underhooks each arm and flips Bruno in a butterfly suplex followed by a pin…
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Vader breaks up the fall. This brings Inoki into the ring. He chops Vader back to a corner while Andre and Bruno slowly get up. Inoki does a dropkick to Bruno and Vader gets him from behind with a clothesline, then eyes the giant. Andre pushes Vader back and Vader bounces off the ropes to hit the giant with a bell clap. Andre falls out of the ring and appears to be hurt. Inoki renders Vader out on his feet with an enzuigiri then goes outside to check on his teammate. As Bruno and Vader try to steady each other, the bell rings.

Solie: This has to be a great disappointment. Two men who were likely favorites to walk away with the championship belt have been eliminated by countout. We will be back with you soon.

 

[Mr. PrettyGood]

Trevor Murdoch/ Edge vs. Bret Hart/Harley Race

Solie: Former NWA Heavyweight Champion, Trevor Murdoch, is a wildcard in this match. He’s as tough and hard headed as multiple time holder of the same belt, Harley Race. Bret Hart certainly has all of the moves and attributes of a great champion, but one could say the same for Edge, who may have an advantage in innovation. Truly the randomizer has given us two well matched teams.

Hart and Murdoch start off. After they circle each other a few times, they finally lock up. Hart finds himself in a headlock, but is able to escape quickly, putting Murdoch in a top wristlock. Murdoch grabs Hart’s hair, but the referee is on top of the situation. Murdoch changes tactics to stomping on his opponent’s foot to escape the hold. He puts Hart back in a headlock. Hart backs his opponent to the ropes and sends him off, but Murdoch holds on to his hair and goes right back to the headlock. Hart tries the same move and gets the same result. Murdoch brings Hart to his corner where he tags out, releases the hold and gives Hart a knee to the stomach. He whips Hart against the ropes and drops down. After Hart steps over Murdoch, he’s knocked down by a spinning heel kick from Edge, followed by a quick cover…
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Hart kicks out.

Edge puts Hart in a rear chinlock, but Hart escapes and puts Edge in an armbar. Edge reaches for his partner, but Hart rolls him backward, away from the corner. Both men get to their feet and Edge is a little faster with a punch. Hart drops to his knees for a fireman’s carry takeover, which puts Edge in his corner. Hart rushes to his corner to tag out. Murdoch and Race come rushing in and commence to punching each other reminiscent of a hockey fight.

Solie: This is the Pier 6 Brawl that we expected from these two competitors. Harley Race and Trevor Murdoch are two of the best punchers that this commentator has ever seen. Who will get the upper hand for his team?

Solie’s question is answered by Murdoch getting a few punches in a row and making Race take a few steps back. Race then paralyzes him with a headbutt. Race takes Murdoch to his corner, where Hart’s foot is on the top rope and Murdoch’s head is introduced to it. Race tags out with Murdoch practically out on his feet. Hart does a belly to back suplex then picks up Murdoch’s legs. Edge comes in, but the ref catches him. Hart drops his elbow onto Murdoch’s leg while Race comes in to stomp on him with the ref’s back turned. Race claps his hands and tells Hart to get out of the ring. They bicker for a moment until the ref gets involved and makes Hart leave. Race picks up Murdoch and hooks his leg for a fisherman suplex, but Murdoch gives him a few shots to the ribs to escape. Murdoch gives Race a suplex then steps over him to go for the tag, but Race trips him. In the struggle on the mat, Murdoch lands a kick to Race’s jaw, which allows him to reach his partner. Edge comes in and tries to whip Race against the ropes while Murdoch goes for the low portion of a sweet and sour. Race winds up on the mat anyway.

Solie: We’ve seen some miscommunication on the part of both teams. This is a standard hazard when they are drawn together with no notice. They definitely did not get as much of Harley Race as they wanted to with that combination.

Edge brings Race to his feet and this time successfully sends him into the ropes. Edge lies on his back for a monkey flip, but Race controls himself and jumps up for a headbutt, only for Edge to roll out of the way. As Race grimaces in pain, Edge puts him in an armbar then twists the arm again to put him face down on the mat. Edge turns the hold into a hammerlock and drops his knee on the elbow. Before Edge can follow up, Race scrambles to his corner to tag out.

Hart comes in and Edge strikes him across the chest then whips him into the ropes. Edge is prepared for a back body drop but gets kicked in the head. Hart then hits an inverted atomic drop, followed by a backbreaker. Hart drops an elbow, but Edge gets out of the way. Hart gets up and is immediately taken down by a spear. Edge goes for the pin…
1…
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Hart gets his foot on the rope. Edge pulls Hart to the middle of the ring and grabs the legs trying to put him into the Edgecator, but Hart rolls him up into a small package for 2. Edge is the first man to his feet and gets the advantage with an old fashioned punch to the head. Edge takes Hart down into a crossface. Hart can’t reach the ropes and begins to rock himself. He eventually rolls back, putting Edge’s shoulders on the mat for a two count. Edge releases the hold to escape the pin and both men are soon standing. Hart dodges a punch and lands one of his own followed by a side Russian legsweep. Both men stay on the mat as the referee counts them both down. Edge is closer to his corner and is able to tag out.

Murdoch runs right past Hart and clobbers Race. Race tries to come in for revenge, but the ref stops him, which allows Murdoch the opportunity to choke Hart for an extended period of time. The ref forces Murdoch off of Hart after getting Race out of the ring and Murdoch releases the choke then pulls Bret to his corner. He stomps on the ribs then climbs to the middle rope. He taunts Hart and waits for him to stand. Murdoch jumps for a blockbuster but Hart moves out of the way. Hart looks to Race, but gets tripped and dragged back to the opposing corner, where Murdoch shouts some instructions before tagging out.


Murdoch picks up Hart for what appears to be an atomic drop, but holds him in a wheel barrow hold. Edge comes in and spikes his head into the mat. Edge covers Hart, but the referee is distracted by Murdoch stopping Race and is slow to the count…
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Hart gets a shoulder up. Race and Murdoch are still going at it and the referee as well as Edge get involved. Race is holding his own, but the referee finally gets between the two nonlegal men and both back toward their corners, never taking their eyes off each other. Hart pushes Edge into Murdoch, which gets Murdoch to hit him back. Hart takes advantage of this by going back to his corner to tag out.

Race comes in and pounds his opponents’ heads together. Race whips Edge into the ropes and meets him in the middle of the ring with a high knee. Race goes to Murdoch and gives him a side belly to belly suplex. He then goes to his corner. Hart puts Race in a soft headlock and the two partners run into Murdoch like a battering ram, then do the same to Edge. Hart holds Edge on the mat while Race drops his head onto Murdoch’s for a pin…
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3

Solie: Bret Hart and Harley Race move on to the battle royal and things might not be over between Edge and Trevor Murdoch, but that will be settled on another day. We now have a few words from some of the yet to be seen participants.
Promos

Hulk Hogan

Well y’know somethin’, brother. I’ve got the numbers on my side. Not only do I have the 24 inch pythons, brother, but the battle royal is just a way to throw out 19 other guys and my partner better not get in my way. I am the immortal one, jack. This whole tournament was made for me, dude. I’ve taken wrestling to a new promised land twice and I’ve got it all for a third run. So when I’m in the ring, when all the so called champions are falling to the side, the last man standing will be the Hulkster.

Jerry Lawler (in full regalia)

When I was first approached about this method of selecting a champion I said, “just save some time and give me the belt now.” But like any good king, I’ve learned some good can come out of this. When my partner is randomly selected, I’ll know who’s polishing my boots and the ICW belt before I put down all of the jesters who come after my crown.

Sting stares at the camera silently with a baseball bat in Crow makeup. He walks away.


Randy Savage (carrying an lit candle)

A lot of great wrestlers are here to be the first ICW World Champion, yeah. But they can’t hold a candle to the Macho Man. This is what I think of them (blows out the candle)! This is what I think of Hulk Hogan (tears the candle in half)! This is what I think of Edge (breaks a piece in two)! This is what I think of all the wildcards (breaks another piece)! This is what I think of Randy Orton (breaks another piece)! JOHN CENA THIS IS WHAT I THINK O’ YOU (mashes all of the pieces together)! Nobody is as good as The Macho Man! DIG IT!?

Solie: And with that display of confidence, we will return soon with more mat mayhem.

 

[Mr. PrettyGood]

Ricky Steamboat/John Cena vs. The Rock/Chris Jericho

Solie: Currently in the ring is a wild card former NWA champion, the quick but reserved Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and coming down the aisle is his brash, raucous partner, John Cena. Just as brash is the first of their opponents, The Rock. Rounding out the match is the always vocal Chris Jericho. I feel very fortunate that my table is not next to the ring given what some of these men are capable of.

Cena and Rock start off in the ring. They lock up with neither man going for a move. Rock is able to push Cena into a neutral corner, but before the referee can get a clean break, Cena pushes back and eventually gets Rock in the opposite corner. The ref tries to step between them, but Rock pushes Cena out of the corner and puts him in a hammerlock. Rock pushes Cena to his corner and Jericho is chomping at the bit to tag in. Cena resists, keeping Jericho from reaching his partner, but Jericho is able to grab Cena’s free arm and pull it down across the top rope. Jericho climbs back on the apron and tags in. Jericho takes the free arm (the one not in a hammerlock) and puts in an armbar with both members of the team forcing Cena onto the mat. Jericho puts his foot on Cena’s shoulder and wrenches on the arm. Cena rolls over and uses his free arm to pull Jericho down, but Rock quickly tags in and stomps on the targeted shoulder. The partners stand Cena up and he starts hitting them both in succession, but when he tries to get across the ring, Rock grabs Cena by the arm and pulls him into his shoulder repeatedly. Rock scoops up Cena and does a shoulder breaker then a pin…
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Cena kicks out. Rock mounts Cena and begins punching him in the head. The ref administers a count to get him to stop. Rock stops to argue with the ref and Cena uses his feet to pull Rock back for a quick pin, but only gets a two count. Both men get to their feet, but Rock is faster and lands the first hit. He whips Cena into the ropes, but Cena reverses and delivers a back body drop on the rebound. Cena quickly gets to his corner to tag in Steamboat.

Steamboat comes into the ring and chops Rock into a neutral corner. Jericho runs in and gets a first to his stomach, followed by an atomic drop that results in him getting propelled into his partner in the corner. Steamboat takes Jericho by the head and deposits him between the ropes near his corner. Rock comes after Steamboat and gets armdragged. A dropkick sends Rock back down the mat, then out of the ring where he and Jericho talk strategy.

Solie: The Dragon is on fire tonight. He might have to be if his partner is injured and his opponents can get on the same page.

Rock steps into the ring and locks up with Steamboat. Steamboat gets a headlock and Rock goes to the ropes to shoot Steamboat off. Steamboat hits the ropes and Jericho’s knee at the same time. Rock clotheslines Steamboat over the top rope and onto the apron. Rock and Jericho tag. Jericho backs up, jumps onto the middle rope and dropkicks Steamboat off the apron. Rock throws Steamboat back into the ring. Rock tries to pin Cena with his feet on the ropes, but the ref doesn’t count it. When Rock yells at the ref, Steamboat takes Rock down with a school boy for a two count. Rock keeps Steamboat on the mat with a headlock. Steamboat reverses with a headscissors, which Rock counters by rolling forward into a jackknife pin. Steamboat bridges to his feet and turns over for a backslide, but Jericho tags Rock’s leg to become the legal man.

Jericho kicks Steamboat in the ribs. He puts his opponent into an armlock. Steamboat fights his way to his feet, but Jericho grabs his hair to pull him back down. Steamboat gets to his knees and takes over Jericho and looks to the corner. He can’t make it to the tag because Jericho knocks Cena off the apron. Steamboat continues to rise, but Jericho strikes him with a forearm. Steamboat retaliates with a chop and Jericho kicks him in the stomach. He underhooks both arms and picks up Steamboat to drop him across his knees. Jericho goes for the lionsault, but gets Steamboat’s knees in his abdomen. Both men crawl to their corners as the ref begins to count to ten. Jericho tags out and Rock comes in as Steamboat dives to tag, but Cena pulls his arm back and grabs his shoulder in pain.

Solie: A few minutes like this can be as bad as an eternity in the ring against the likes of The Rock and Chris Jericho. How long can The Dragon go before he is able to tag out?

Rock runs into the ring and stomps on Steamboat’s back. He picks Steamboat up and whips him into the ropes. Steamboat rebounds off the ropes and goes right into a spinebuster. Rock walks to Steamboat’s head and removes his elbow pad. He runs to the ropes, steps over his lying opponent, runs to the other ropes, steps off, stops, looks to the apron, does the “You can’t see me” taunt to Cena, and gets small packaged by Steamboat for a two count. Rock goes for a belly to back suplex, but Steamboat rolls back and lands on his feet. He pushes Rock to his corner and dives over him to forcibly tag in Cena.

Cena comes in and hammers away at Rock. Rock throws a clothesline, which Cena ducks. Cena appears to be going for the attitude adjustment, but Jericho runs in and kicks Cena in the stomach. This draws Steamboat, who chops Jericho back to his own corner. Meanwhile, Rock whips Cena into the ropes, but Cena gets the upper hand with a Thesz press followed by a few punches. Jericho rakes Steamboat across the eyes and throws him out of the ring. He then gets squashed in the corner by his partner. Cena comes to the corner and picks both men up for the attitude adjustment and hits it with ease. He pins Rock…
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Solie: This raises an interesting question: how injured is John Cena’s shoulder? Was he playing possum or did he just get a great dose of adrenaline? We’ll be back with a lot more action after this.

 

[Mr. PrettyGood]

Nick Bockwinkel/ Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Buddy Rogers/Kurt Angle

Solie: The first man to come to the ring is Nick Bockwinkel and… it looks like I have some company.

Heenan: You can’t really picture Nick as a champion without me, can you?

Solie: Well, I suppose not, but managers aren’t allowed at ringside for this tournament.

Heenan: I’m not at ringside, I’m at the top of the entranceway helping you.

Solie: Well, your charge is teaming with a legend in Japan, Mitsuharu Misawa. They’re looking across the ring at The Original Nature Boy Buddy Rogers and the Olympic gold medalist.

Heenan: That’s good news. You can’t trust an Olympian, they have egos beyond their ability.

Bockwinkel and Rogers lock up in the middle of the ring. Bockwinkel gets a wristlock and Rogers reverses into a hammerlock. Bock goes for a headlock, but the Nature Boy moves his head around to avoid it. Bockwinkel escapes with a drop toe hold. Before Bock can do anything to follow up, Rogers scrambles to the nearest corner, but when he gets up, he realizes his opponent is standing in that corner. Misawa gives Rogers a forearm to the head and Rogers walks right into a northern lights suplex, which gets a two count. Rogers quickly gets to his corner to tag out and Bockwinkel does likewise.

Angle and Misawa lock up and Angle starts with a knee to Misawa’s stomach followed by a gutwrench suplex. MIsawa doesn’t stay still long enough for Angle to do anything. They exchange holds rolling on the mat until Angle finally gets the Misawa facing down with an arm behind his back then stomps on the arm. Misawa goes to the ropes, but Angle waistlocks him and pulls him to his feet. Misawa escapes with an elbow to Angle’s head. Misawa whips Angle into the ropes and catches him with an armdrag. Angle gets up and gets a second armdrag. He bails out of the ring. Angle collects himself, climbs onto the apron, then enters the ring again. When Misawa tries to lock up, Angle powders out of the ring again, much to the crowd’s displeasure.

Solie: Kurt Angle doesn’t seem to know what to do .

Heenan: Well, it’s not like he could study Misawa’s tendencies. He doesn’t know if he can make Misawa chase him or if Nick can outsmart him, which he can.

Angle climbs back into the ring and this time comes close to locking up before he turns and tags in his partner. Rogers comes into the ring and tries to circle Misawa, who is in the middle. Angle goes in the opposite direction and clobbers Misawa from behind. When the man in green turns around, Rogers hammers him from behind and Angle leaves the ring and the ref keeps Bockwinkel in his corner. Rogers gives Misawa an atomic drop that sends him into the ropes. When he bounces back, Rogers does a school boy roll up for a two count. Rogers puts Misawa into a headlock to keep himself between Misawa and his corner. Misawa fights his way to his feet and appears to be overpowering the Nature Boy to get near his corner, but a thumb to the eye allows Rogers to keep control. Rogers takes Misawa to his corner headfirst and tags out.

Angle comes into the ring and prepares himself for a German suplex and Misawa grabs onto the ropes to prevent this. Misawa stomps on Angle’s foot and breaks the waistlock he was in. He hammers Angle then Rogers, then Angle again. Misawa runs to the ropes and comes off with a cross body, but Angle kicks out at one. Both men get to their feet and Misawa fires off a forearm. Angle responds with an uppercut. Misawa goes back to the ropes and gets a momentous forearm. Angle whiffs with a punch and goes down after a roaring elbow. Misawa falls down, himself, but is moving towards his corner. Before he can reach, he is pulled back to the center of the ring by his ankle as Angle applies his signature ankle lock. Misawa is looking for the corner or ropes or any relief, but finds none until his partner runs in and clocks Angle. This prompts Rogers to run in against Bockwinkel and dropkick to the mat. The two non legal men return to their corners while Angle pulls the straps on his singlet off his shoulders. Angle readies himself, waiting for Misawa to stand. The Olympian picks him up for the Angle slam but Misawa shifts his weight, turning the matter into a crucifix pin for a three count.

Heenan: Wait, what?!

Solie: I’ve never seen anybody reverse the Angle slam like that and I don’t think the gold medalist has either.

Heenan: These guys were all conditioned to go all night.

Solie: It’s hard to tell who is the most shocked by this turn of events. Nick Bockwinkel is still stunned. Angle is livid and Buddy Rogers is flabbergasted.

Heenan: I’m happy. Isn’t that what really matters?

Solie: Speaking of angry…

As Misawa leaves the ring and goes up the ramp, with his partner not far behind, Rogers comes into the ring with a ringside chair and wallops his now former partner with it. Rogers puts him in a figure 4 leglock while a host of officials come out from the back to try to get him to break the hold.

Solie: Folks, we still have 16 champions who have not made it to the ring. We have the likes of Ric Flair, Randy Savage, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, Hulk Hogan, and by my count, 4 more wildcards. You don’t want to miss what could happen next.

 

[Mr. PrettyGood]

The Undertaker/Randy Savage vs. Jerry Lawler/Hulk Hogan

Heenan: You see, this is why there’s no managers. No urn, no Paul Bearer, The Undertaker won’t be at full power here.

Solie: He is here in his original form as a wildcard champion. And that Pomp and Circumstance has to mean that his randomly chosen partner is “Macho Man” Randy Savage. A man who brings together the best of the many worlds of wrestling.

Heenan: And now, hail to the king, Jerry Lawler. He held the gold in Memphis, Texas, and Minneapolis. That’s enough of the world for these ham-and-eggers in the crowd. They’re loving it.

Solie: We await The King’s partner.

Heenan: OH NO!

Solie: You’re friend and mine, Hulk Hogan is making his way to the ring. He knows Savage and The Undertaker very very well.

Heenan: This match really needs a lot more Paul Bearer. Call him up! Tell him to bring 3 urns!

The first team crosses the ring to jump their opponents, but Hogan and Lawler are the first to land punches. The King quickly gets the upper hand on Savage and throws him out of the ring, but Hogan’s punches seem to have no effect on Taker. Lawler goes to the corner as Hogan bodyslams Taker, but the deadman just sits up. As Taker gets to his feet, Hogan goes to the ropes. Taker takes a few steps back after a shoulder tackle from Hogan, but remains on his feet. Hogan goes to the ropes again, but Taker meets him against the ropes and puts his gloved hand around The Hulkster’s throat. A combination of the referee’s count and Lawler’s pulling break the choke. The Undertaker and the referee turn their attention to Lawler, while Savage comes into the ring and attacks Hogan with a barrage of stomps before dragging him to the favorable corner. Undertaker comes to his corner and tags in Savage.

Savage jumps into the ring and Hogan is already to his feet. They exchange blows until Hogan gets the upper hand. He whips Savage into the ropes, but Savage ducks his clothesline. Savage hits a dropkick, which causes Hogan to fall to the mat. He reaches his corner to tag out.

Lawler runs into the ring and begins exchanging blows with Savage, quickly getting the upper hand. Savage backs off and escapes the ring. He paces outside the ring, making sure to never get anywhere near the opposing corner. The referee comes to the ropes to count, but Lawler gets between him and the ropes, sitting on the middle rope and actively inviting Savage to re-enter the ring. Savage, for some reason, is infuriated by this. He throws a ringside official out of his chair and picks it up as though to defend himself with it. After a little more taunting by Lawler, Savage throws down the chair and slides into the ring. He aggressively locks up with The King, pushing him into a neutral corner. The ref steps between them to separate and Savage lands a right hand to Lawler’s head, snapmares him over, then puts both hands under Lawler’s chin and a knee against his back. Lawler turns to get to his knees and seems to be reaching for the corner. Savage releases the hold and positions himself so that his back is to his own corner and Lawler is between himself and Hogan. Savage begins taunting Lawler, inviting him to come to the middle of the ring as opposed to tagging out. Lawler, not interested in giving his opponent what he wants, tags out.

Solie: This is as much a mental contest as it is physical.

Heenan: It’s hard to tell if Savage is a madman or a genius.

As soon as Hogan steps in, Savage is all over him with a series of elbows and kicks. Seeming to have the upper hand, Savage decks Lawler and climbs to the middle rope to bring a double ax handle across Hogan’s back. Savage brings Hogan to his feet, grabs him by the head, and points to the ropes on the other side of the ring. Savage begins to run, but Hogan pulls him back and picks him up for an atomic drop. Savage falls to his back and is followed by Hogan’s elbow. Hogan lands a second elbow then goes to the ropes. Savage rolls away and stands up, but finds himself in the wrong corner. Lawler decks him. Savage walks out of the corner and into a bodyslam from the Hulkster. Hogan tags out.

Lawler comes into the ring and drops a fist onto Savage’s head then covers him…
1…
2..
Savage kicks out. Lawler brings his opponent to his feet and Savage goes for the eyes. He whips Lawler into the ropes and prepares for a back body drop, but Lawler stops and lifts Savage for a piledriver, but is hit from behind by Taker. Hogan runs in and delivers a few fists that back up The Undertaker. Hogan runs to the ropes and clotheslines Taker over them, but he lands on his feet. With both legal men slugging it out, Hogan clotheslines Savage on his way out of the ring. Lawler goes to the nearest corner and climbs to the middle rope. He dives off with a fist drop, but only hits canvas. Lawler and Savage make it to their corners to tag out.

Hogan rushes across the ring and this time Taker raises a boot. Taker pounds Hogan’s head against the top turnbuckle then chokes him. The ref backs him off and Savage chokes Hogan with the tag rope. When the ref turns around, he sees no guilty behavior. Taker pulls Hogan to the middle of the ropes and whips him, meeting him with a flying lariat and a pin…
1…
2…
Hogan gets a shoulder up. Taker goes to the ropes and comes off with an elbow, but Hogan evades it. Hogan looks to his corner, but Taker knocks Lawler off the apron. Hogan tries to use the ropes to get up and is successful despite Undertaker’s punches. Taker grabs Hogan’s arm and pulls him to a neutral corner. Taker ascends the ropes and walks along them, but Lawler shakes the ropes, causing him to crotch the ropes, but still fall into the ring, on top of Hogan. Before Lawler has gotten back to his corner, Taker has tagged out.

Savage runs into the ring and again is all over Hogan. He stomps, kicks, and twists his heel while it’s on Hogan’s face. Savage goes for the pin…
1…
2…
The ref sees Hogan’s foot on the rope. Savage pulls Hogan to the middle of the ring and Hogan performs a small package, but only gets a two count. Hogan reaches for a tag, but Savage breaks it up by stomping on him. Savage stands Hogan up, grabs his head, points to the opposite side of the ring, and this time manages to hit the hotshot as intended. Savage climbs to the top rope, then elects to descend and tags out.

Solie: Randy Savage is not going for his famed flying elbow drop.

Heenan: He’s dealt with Hogan before. He knows what not to do here.

Undertaker comes into the ring and does what Savage wouldn’t. He scoops up Hogan and nails a tombstone piledriver followed by a pin…
1…
2…
Hogan kicks out. He begins shaking and rising to his feet. Taker continues to pound on him, but Hogan keeps rising. Finally, Hogan takes one more hit, stands erect, and points at the deadman, wagging his finger. Taker throws a punch, but Hogan blocks it and lands one of his own. Taker tries again and gets the same result. Hogan throws another punch, which backs Taker against the ropes. Hogan whips The Undertaker across the ring and meets him in the middle with a big boot. Hogan claps his hands vertically three times then runs to the ropes, where he is met by a handful of powder from Savage. The referee calls for the bell, but that does nothing to stop Savage’s attack on the Hulkster. Lawler runs in to help his partner, giving Savage a big right hand then prepares to piledrive him, but backs down when The Undertaker sits up. Lawler escapes the ring, drags Hogan under the bottom ropes and helps him find his way up the ramp.

Heenan: I’m going to side with Savage on this one. I don’t think they could’ve beaten Hogan at that point, but anytime you can blind him it’s a good thing.

Solie: Regardless of the method, Hulk Hogan and Jerry Lawler advance to the battle royal. There is more action to come.