----Larry Goodman with a new SAW TV Report!!
Airing on August 28, 2010 in Nashville on CW58
Taped August 14, 2010 at Algood Middle School in Algood, Tn
Taped August 14, 2010 at Algood Middle School in Algood, Tn
LAST WEEK…Arrick Andrews pinned Shane Williams with the Wham Bam Thank You Ma’am…”King” Shane nutted up the locker room about the loss……”Merciless” Tommy Mercer pinned J-Rod with the Mercy Kill and was about to administer more pain when he was confronted by Vordell Walker… Christian Jacobs pinned Walker after his partner Jon Michael Worthington interfered…A frustrated Walker bemoaned the absence of Wolfie D. On day 572 of their feud, Derrick King got under Walker’s skin by bringing his mother into it.
It’s Showtime and SAW starts NOW!
Mercer approached the ring with the announce team of Reno Riggins and Dan Masters portraying him as an evil muscle head bent on inflicting maximum punishment.
1 – “Merciless” TOMMY MERCER vs. CODY MELTON
Melton showed no fear and a lot of spunk. A flying forearm caught Mercer on the bridge of nose. Melton tried to cover him but Mercer kicked out immediately. A Mercer spinebuster cooled Melton’s jets. Melton went down off a hard Irish whip, and Mercer slithered across the ring to hook the leg for two. Mercer dropped an elbow, followed up with a body slam and tried for another elbow. That one missed. Melton fired back. Mercer tried for a gorilla press. Melton slipped out of it and went for a suplex. No way. Mercer hit the Mercy Kill (starts like a swinging slam and ends as an elevated flatliner).
WINNER: Mercer in 3:10. Just the right balance – Mercer dominated with his power but Melton got enough in that he didn’t look like a goof.
In the locker room, the camera panned up Mercer’s chiseled 6-5 frame. Mercer said he was in SAW for one reason, the International Title, and that put Chase Stevens in his crosshairs. Melton was just an unfortunate victim in his path of rage. “Now I told everybody when I got here there that there would be no mercy. Now it’s time to show it.”
SAW on tour in Tennessee: Starting 9/24, every Friday in Columbia including a TV taping on 10/9, every Saturday in Pulaski and 10/23 in Ripley.
Riggins and Masters announced two rematches for next week: Williams vs. Andrews and Walker vs. Jacobs.
Two weeks ago on SAW: Chase Stevens was signing autographs for a few stragglers in the lobby after the Gallatin event. NWA National Champion Phil Shatter marched in and told the fans to scram. Shatter said his only concern was the title that for some reason was resting on Stevens’ shoulder. “Who have you beaten, Chase? You’re not a champion. You’re a chump. You’re looking at a champion right here. Watch you back.” Shatter removed his t-shirt. “That’s what a champion looks like. I’m coming for you.” Shatter walked out of the building. The camera cut to Stevens shaking his head.
Cut to Stevens driving on the Interstate at night. Stevens said he wasn’t surprised to see an international star like Shatter in Gallatin. What surprised him was how long it took for him to show up in SAW. Stevens said it was 2am and he was still on his way home from a live event. “That’s what we do. Give if it 110% day in and day out.” Stevens said he would gladly accept Shatter’s challenge. “I’m not scared of you, Phil. I don’t care what titles you’ve held. I don’t care who you are.” Stevens admitted that he was impressed by the way Shatter got in his face because it was the kind of thing he would have done a few years ago. Stevens said he wasn’t one of those guys that waited out the 30 days to defend his title. “’Phil, you want a shot. I’ll give you a shot. I hope it’s soon.”
“Bond Girl” Leah Hulan was back with “Grumpy’s Agent of the Week” Kendra Anderson. Between these two lovely ladies there was a boatload of cleavage on display in this segment.
EARLIER TODAY…The camera approached Hammerjack on a playground at dusk. “What? What? You want an interview now? Right now? Well, you got it.” he said. “Marc Anthony, tonight I got you. I’m going to break you down like the punk you are. You’ve been ducking, hiding, running, jiving. I’m telling you tonight, I’ve got you. The time is ticking. The only thing I want to hear is you say ‘I quit’. The only thing you’re going to hear is the silence…”
Hammerjack went on to talk about how it all started with Anthony and “his father” (Raven) stalking him on a playground and bringing his wife into it. It was notable that he never mentioned his daughter.
2 – I Quit Match: “Maniac” MARC ANTHONY vs. HAMMERJACK
Anthony attacked the instant Hammerjack got inside the ropes. Hammer responded with a high backdrop and a lariat sending Anthony out onto his face. They brawled up the aisle and back. Hammer reversed a suplex dropping Anthony on the hardwood floor. Reaction. Masters compared Anthony to Buzz Sawyer. Hammer throttled Anthony on the floor and dared him to say something about his family. Anthony refused to quit. They brawled back near the gimmick table.
Antony tossed Hammer onto a rack of folding chairs. “We hear some grunting and carrying on from Hammerjack but I didn’t hear an ‘I Quit’ did you?” After getting his head bashed into the bleacher railing a few times, Anthony fell upside down into a rolling trash barrel. Hammer took him for ride, then threw it on top of him. It looked great with trash flying every which way. Anthony smushed a nacho tray into Hammer’s face.
{Commercial break}
Anthony kicked Hammer low and choked with the camera cord. They brawled to the top of bleachers, Two kids on the highest row just sat there in harm’s way until famed security guy Bobby Babu ordered them to move. Hammer rammed Anthony’s head into the wall and he tumbled down a set of bleacher steps, and bumbled his way down the rest, Hammer applied a camel clutch on the floor. Anthony said no. Anthony introduced a ladder into the match and fired it into Hammer’s shoulder. Hammer jammed Anthony’s head into the ladder. Hammer used his sledge for a croquet shot with the ladder.
{Commercial break}
Hammer locked in a rear naked choke. Reno raised the question of what would happen if Anthony was unable to speak. Reno said Anthony was psychotic but he wasn’t a quitter. Anthony reversed, hammering Hammer from the mount. Anthony hit a DDT to transition to the spectacular spot of the match - Anthony missing a diving headbutt off the second rung of a 10 foot ladder.
[Commercial break} The Grumpy’s Bail Jumper of the Week with Leah was a repeat appearance by Samuel Lee Murphy. BIG reward leading to capture.
Hammer knocked Anthony in the head with the sledge. Anthony bled a tiny bit. Reno said he was busted wide open. Hammer went after the cut with little juice produced. Hammer went back to the choke. Anthony knocked the mic out Kurt Herron’s hand when he asked if he was going to quit. Match got ragged here. Hammer pressed the sledge against Anthony’s throat. Anthony gagged. Hammer got the crossface variation. Anthony’s facial expressions were awesome, as were the close ups. Reno said Hammer was about to break his freaking neck. Hammer had him for a minute and a half in almost complete silence. It was freaky. Herron raised Anthony’s arm for the three drops and called for the bell.
Hammer wouldn’t let up. He chased off two refs and went back to the hold. Masters said nobody in the back was crazy enough to get involved. Hammerjack released it long enough to deck a security guard. Reno compared it to an animal protecting his kill. Hammer finally walked towards the back, then charged back into the ring to reapply the crossface. “Ask him,” he said. Hammer paused to take out security guards #2 and #3 and went back at it again. Reno asked if you could blame the man. Hammer walked out, leaving Anthony unconscious in the ring. Five security guys carried Anthony to the back.
WINNER: Hammerjack in 18:48. The agony and the ecstasy (see below)
AFTERTHOUGHTS: I had hugely divergent reactions to the main event, and consequently the entire episode, since that match was the meat of it. Rarely has the supposed dramatic conclusion to a feud been met with such a blasé reaction from the crowd. It wasn’t for lack of effort by both men. Not that it was by any means a great match, but it wasn’t horrible, well, except for Reno making a bid deal out of a little trickle of blood. That was lame. Three commercial breaks sure didn’t help, either. Either the fans didn’t get it, didn’t care, were burned out by too many matches (the 12th at this taping) or all of the above. All matches benefit from heat, but it felt weird watching a wild brawl like this one with fans sitting in silence. The announcers did what they could to inject life into it. The finish was another story altogether. It was the right way to end the story. It was the right way to beat Anthony without killing him off. Anthony’s facial expressions were awesome as was Hammerjack’s intensity. When Hammerjack kept reapplying the hold on an unconscious Anthony, I think the crowd was in a genuine stunned silence. Powerful stuff…Oddly, the I Quit was never mentioned on commentary prior to the match. You can probably chalk that one up to doing live commentary on four hours of TV with matches taped out of sequence…Hammer’s promo was a beauty with one glaring omission. His daughter was Anthony’s focal point and he never even mentioned her. That reminds me, who did send Anthony that photo of Hammer’s daughter? Hopefully, that thread won’t be lost in the ozone like whatever it was Baby Doll had in that envelope to blackmail Dusty. It would be very unlike SAW not to follow up…As for the other parts of the show, the deal with Shatter getting in Stevens’ face was well done. It was interesting the way they made a big deal out of Shatter without ever mentioning the NWA…The mobile promo by Stevens was a great idea that lacked in the execution. It’s fine that the champion is cool under pressure and welcomes stiff competition, but Stevens needs to be a smoother, more dynamic speaker for the spot he’s in.
