Airing July 5, 2008 on Comcast 74 in Nashville
For entertaining audio reviews of SAW and Nashville’s other wrestling TV show, NWA Main Event, check out Jerkin’ the Curtain radiowith Trent Van Drisse and Tommy Stewart.
Michael St. John and Reno Riggins were at ringside for an opening segment chock full of news. Today’s main event: the first ever SAW International Championship match with Damian Adams defending against Kid Kash. Former SAW TV Champion Chris Michaels had been re-signed and was in the house with Sean Casey and his Freak Squad. Shawn Shultz had indeed collected the $10,000 bounty on the head of TJ Harley at the close of last week’s show.
1 – ADAM ARMOR vs. CHRIS CANE
Armor was in full control right from the opening bell. Miss Boogie came out on the ramp to scout again. Armor readjusted Cane’s grill with a corner and dropkick and did Punk’s climbing knee strike/bulldog combo for a near fall. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Cane went to closed fists and lots of ‘em. Cane cut off Armor’s stinging chop comeback with an eye rake but not for long. Armor pinned Cane with a reverse DDT backbreaker into a driving lariat.
WINNER: Armor at 2:45. Good debut. Cane was the perfect opponent. Armor is not a big guy but he looked huge next to Cane. Armor’s looks owes something to Alex Shelley.
(Commercial break)
MSJ was joined in the interview area by Shultz and a hot blonde in a very short dress. Shultz introduced her as Rachel Worthington, the rich bitch behind the bounty on Harley. Shultz bragged about the spending spree he went on with the $10,000. This included the purchase of an iphone and The Best of Michael Bolton. Shultz kept referring to St. John as “Michael St. Jimmie” as he gleefully drooled over Miss Worthington. “TJ Harley, I told you I would walk back into your life one day, and here I am,” said Miss Worthington. She’s green about pro wrestling, but coming from outside that warped world may be a good thing for this role.
2 – SHAWN SHULTZ vs. DREW HASKINS
Haskins was immediately distracted by Miss Worthington. Shultz gave him a wicked beating including some nasty back elbows to the ear. Shultz blew a kiss at Worthington and came up empty on a hell bent charge into the corner. Haskins fired back. He ducked an enzuigiri and caught Shultz with an Oklahoma Roll for a near fall. Shultz went for his trademark DDT, but Haskins countered nicely with a Northern Lights suplex. Haskins went for broke with a flying body press. Crash and burn. DDT. 1-2-3.
WINNER: Shultz at 2:47 with the DDT. Shultz had the cold-blooded aggression you want to see in a mercenary soldier. Haskins’ striking stinks, but his other stuff looked crisp and he takes a hell of a beating.
The bumper was Chase Stevens commenting on his upcoming match against Chris Michaels. Stevens said his partner was MIA; he would need eyes in the back of his head with Casey and the Freak Squad at ringside. Stevens said if Michaels had done something to one of those women, he was in for it.
(Commercial break)
MSJ was joined at ringside by High Society (Sean Casey & Chris Michaels with the Freak Squad – Lexi Pillman, Tiana and Fallon.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, the great white of professional wrestling has returned to S. A. W., Chris Michaels.
Michaels said he was back to join his former partner (from OVW) Casey. MSJ inquired about the names of the freaks. Casey called it “Sexy Sean and Cocky Chris’ Rock of Love” and said it didn’t matter what the names were. Casey grabbed Fallon and said freaks that don’t listen end up wearing sunglasses at night.
At this point, Stevens attacked High Society to start the match.
3 – CHRIS MICHAELS (with Sean Casey and the Freak Squad) vs. CHASE STEVENS
Stevens was all over Michaels at the start. MSJ brought up the black eye that was hidden by Fallon’s sunglasses. The announce team abhorred the possibility of domestic violence. Michaels posted Stevens’ shoulder, and Casey jackhammered Stevens with punches on the floor. Casey’s constant interference was interspersed with some major league looking offensive from Michaels – a short arm clothesline and a power drive back suplex. At the first hint of a comeback, Casey tripped Stevens up. The crowd chanted Chase’s name. Stevens fired back but ate a boot charging in, and Michaels used a jackknife for a two count. Stevens appeared to bleeding from the bridge of the nose. Casey got in another cheap shot. Lexi swiped at the blood. Michaels reversed an Irish Whip with Stevens selling the bump like he was shot out of a cannon. A series of great looking punches had Michaels reeling, so Casey pulled Stevens out. Stevens fought back against Casey, but Michaels suplexed Stevens back to the inside for a near fall. Out of nowhere, Stevens caught Michaels with a flying crucifix for the pin.
Post-match: High Society laid Stevens out with a double team. Where’s Andy Douglas? Adam Armor made the save with a golden chair. Reno said that was Andy Douglas’ usual role.
WINNER: Chase Stevens in 8:16. Solid match. These two have wrestled each other many times and work very well together. For the story they wanted to tell, the match could have been a couple of minute shorter. Casey’s interference was getting redundant by the end.
(Commercial break)
With “White Rabbit” playing in the background, we saw some newsreel footage from World War II. The unmistakable voice of Marc Anthony addressed his imaginary troops ala General Patton.
Gentleman, I told you for the last two months that the only way to defeat the enemy is to infiltrate their camps, walk in their shoes, and we did just that. On their very soil, we defeated them. Gentleman! I know you’re tired and you’re hungry, but we must march on to the North. We’re going to the North. We’re marching on. It’s time to hit The Bakery.
Translation: SAW’s building, a converted bakery, is north of the Fairgrounds where Anthony’s former employer, NWA Main Event runs their shows.
If what goes down once Anthony arrives in Millersville is half as good as these vignettes, I can hardly wait.
MSJ was at ringside awaiting the arrival of Miss Boogie. He got Rob Roy McCoy instead. McCoy said once again he had no opponent in “the home of the gutless. Aclip of McCoy’s attack on Damian Adam from last week aired. Out came Jeff Jamison. Jamison said he had something to prove, because nobody had ever attacked his hand like McCoy had. Jamison demanded a shot at revenge. “Hurt me tonight, McCoy. Hurt me tonight.” McCoy was amused.
Don’t feel special because of your funny little hand. Don’t feel special, because being born in this country is a disability.
McCoy asked if SAW wanted to see him beat the feeble American reject defect. SAW BOD member Mike arrived to say there was no time for a match. He told Jamison they could go to the back and sign it for next week. McCoy asked the crowd how badly they wanted to see the feeble defect kick his ass. McCoy climbed into the ring with Jamison hot on his tail.
4 – ROB ROY MCCOY vs. JEFF JAMISON
Jamison tackled McCoy from behind and started wailing on him. Jamison was going to wild to the point all McCoy could do was cover up. The action spilled to the outside. MSJ brought out the fact that it was McCoy’s attempt to maim Jamison that led to his suspension. Riggins said Jamison had lost his mind and who could blame him after being called a defect? McCoy eventually locked Jamison in a front chancery and beat the holy hell out of him. McCoy tried to bring a chair into the ring. The announce team yelled for the ref Jess Fields to step up. Fields looked utterly intimidated as he took the chair away. McCoy applied his variation of the crossface chickenwing for the tap out.
Postmatch: No way McCoy was breaking the hold. Senior ref Kurt Herron, Sircy and Riggins all ended up in the ring pulling at McCoy. It was almost a full two minutes of TV before he let loose.
WINNER: McCoy via submission at 2:33. McCoy is gold. I’ll be writing that every week. Credit to Jamison as well. He rose to the occasion. I think they’ve gone about as far as they can go with the deal where McCoy refuses to relinquish the hold.
Adams promo accompanied by clips of his previous encounters with Kash. Adams said that rather than working his way up, Kash cheated his way up. Adams admitted he was not at 100%, but he would give 120%. He finished with a speech in Spanish.
(Commercial break)
5 – SAW International Championship Match: DAMIAN ADAM (c) vs. KID KASH
Kash tried to block Adams from getting in the ring. Riggins said the psych job was starting. As soon as the bell rang, Kash took a hiatus at ringside. Like 60 seconds worth, and Herron never started a count. Then, Damian showed Kash that the crowd was behind him. Kash shot for a single leg and worked into an ankle lock. Adams reversed it and they ended in the ropes. Kash took another TO. Adams grabbed an armbar. Kash unceremoniously threw him down by the hair and whined at Herron about Damian’s cheating.
(Commercial break)
Kash was focusing his attack on Damian’s knee. MSJ informed the viewers that during the break, Damian had gone for a flying knee strike and hit the turnbuckles. Kash wrapped Damian’s leg around the ringpost. Damian was in agony. Herron admonished Kash but again, no count. Back inside, Kash challenged Reno. Kash applied pressure to ankle with a grounded leglock. Cut to a close up of the new International belt. A thing of beauty, however, the inscription says “Southern Heavyweight Title.” When Damian broke free, Kash dropped him with a low blow. Kash applied a figure four using the ropes for extra leverage. Herron eventually caught Kash’s red-handed. Kash continued his relentless attack on the knee. He made four consecutive pin attempts. Damian kicked out of all of them. Damian made a full-fledged, albeit gimpy, comeback that lacked full power. He went for the bicycle kick. Kash ducked it. Kash caught Damian with his and kicked him in the gut. Kash pinned Adams clean with a picture perfect brainbuster.
WINNER: Kash with the brainbuster at 14:17 to become the new SAW International Champion. Match got off to a very slow start. Second half with Kash using an assortment of holds to destroy Damian’s knee was good stuff. The sustained crowd support for Adams was impressive. You could have heard a pin drop when he lost. This feud has elevated him to top level babyface status. Too bad he’s not going to be around (see below).
Kash said he was sick of St. John and shoved him aside. Kash claimed he had been a champion everywhere in the world, in every company, and no man had ever beaten him. Kash issued a challenge to every wrestler in the back, any wrestler in the industry, or anybody in the freaking building.
I’m Kid Kash, and I’m the best in the freaking world.
Closing Thoughts: Good show. It wasn’t going to top the previous episode. With over 30 minutes of wrestling versus six, it was the polar opposite of last week’s show. One of things that has changed here, is SAW now has the inring talent to do a quality show that is primarily wrestling if they choose. The roster is so much deeper than it was two months ago. Who would have believed that the anniversary show would have no Paul Adams, no A Team, no Indian Nation and no Boogie Woogie Boy or Arrick Andrews? The title change came as a surprise to me, as it appeared the program with Kash was strengthening him for an even longer run. Unfortunately, Damian’s run was cut short. He had been based in Louisville with OVW, but after they lost their development deal with WWE, he made the decision to move back to New Jersey. Weak referees are a pet peeve of mine, and both refs looked impotent at times during this episode. SAW is working hard in so many areas to make things credible and logical. That should apply to the refereeing as well.
