Showtime All-Star Wrestling TV - Shatter Wins SAW Championship

----Larry Goodman with SAW TV Report.

Showtime All-Star Wrestling
Airing on November 13, 2010 on America One
Taped October 22, 2010 in Columbia, TN at Morton’s Auction House

Michael Graham, our sole announcer for the evening, was coming to us “live” from Columbia. Graham informed the international viewers that the footage from the first taping at the new SAW Mill was stolen along with all the production equipment. (Reno Riggins had smartened up the Nashville viewers during the episodes shot exclusively for Nashville). However, the footage from one of the handheld cameras was spared. They cut to two handheld clips (no audio). The first showed Riggins and Dan Masters doing the in-ring opening. The second was from the Chase Stevens/Tommy Mercer match. It was a shame to lose that one.

Tonight’s main event: Stevens (c) vs. Phil Shatter for the SAW International Title.

1 – “Teen Excitement” DREW HASKINS (with Sista O’Feelyah & Johnny Bandana) vs. STEVEN WALTERS

Prematch, Haskins and Bandana hazed new ring announcer Chuck Schwartz. Crowd took to the NWA Anarchy star, Walters in his SAW debut. They opened with back and forth chain. Like clock work, Haskins tried cheating on the breaks and Walters turned the tables on him. They pulled off a really slick sequence where Haskins reversed an Irish whip and Walters exploded out of the corner with a sunset flip. Haskins facial expressions were off the charts, as Walters worked an armbar. Walters pursued Haskins outside the ring and got clubbed by Bandana. Graham called it a rookie mistake. Haskins repeatedly grounded Walters with a variation on the camel clutch. Bandana was a real busybody here. He tripped Walters to cut off a rally. Haskins followed with an elbow and a lazy back cover, but the ref was lost in the ozone, and Graham called him out on it. Walters’ comeback drove Haskins out of the ring. He nailed Haskins with a baseball slide, tossed him back into the ring and went up top. O’Feelyah distracted the ref so Bandana could give Walters the heave ho. Haskins hit Katy Perry’s Favorite Finisher (a diamond cutter face plant).

WINNER: Haskins via pinfall in 10:15 with Katy Perry’s Favorite Finisher.

Graham narrated footage a clip from the lost taping that showed Bandana & Haskins spoiling the number one contender’s match between Picture Perfect and Vordell Walker & J-Rod. Graham pitched to prematch comments from Johnny Bandana (with Sista O’Feelyah) and Ryan Genesis.

Bandana said if Genesis didn’t get enough of him in Ripley, he had no problem with a rematch. He only needed to prove himself to his family. Bandana said Derrick King was sitting in Memphis office on the 18^th floor, refusing to return Bandana’s phone calls. Bandana told O’Feeylah to call King when the moment was right.

Genesis made it clear he had a low opinion of “Queen Excitement” and ‘Johnny Bananas”. They cut to footage from Ripley that showed Haskins clobbering Genesis with brass knuckles to hand Bandana a win on a silver platter. “You better be ready, BITCH!”

2 – JOHNNY BANDANA (with Drew Haskins & Sista O’Feelyah) vs. RYAN GENESIS

Genesis love abounds in Columbia. Bandana paid a heavy price fore letting his smart mouth run once too often. Genesis hit a corner splash, a lariat over the top and a slingshot crossbody. Bandana used O’Feelyah as a human shield. Genesis shed O’Feelyah and got clubbed by Bandana in the process. Back inside, Bandana dropkicked Genesis in the knee and got on it bigtime. The injured knee gave out. Bandana applied the figure four complete with the Flair “now we go to school” gesture. The crowd really got behind Genesis as he struggled to the ropes. Moments later, Bandana bit the turnbuckle. That set up a fiery comeback by Genesis. Bandana countered the DVD with a DDT. Genesis kicked out of Bandana’s one armed cover. Bandana tried for a superplex. Genesis cut it off with headbutt. Goodbye Johnny. Genesis drlled Bandana with a flying elbow off the top.

WINNER: Ryan Genesis via pinfall in 8 minutes with a top rope elbow drop.

Shatter did a sit-down promo. No interviewer, just Mr. Intensity and the camera guy. Shatter said he had been asked to leave every promotion. “I become a champion. I become a legend. And they do the same thing and kick me out, because they say I’m too rough.” Shatter said he had been “up North”, but they sent him packing because he was beating up their guys. They said he was too crazy. Shatter said Stevens was a little boy, a paper champion who had hadn’t beaten anybody. The promotion gave Stevens the title and told him to shake hands, kiss babies and make the people happy.

The Universal Soldier cares less about making people happy. You know what he cares about? Being the best. I’ve never had anything given to me. From day one when I stepped into this sport, nothing’s ever been given to me. I’ve earned every title, every name, every victory. And Chase, tonight in the SAW Mill, victory smells sweet. And your title, that title that’s around your waist, that paper champion that prances around here, doing what he’s told. That title is finally going to have meaning. It’s finally going to be something that’s prestigious because it’s going to be around the waist of a true champion. So tonight, Chase Stevens, as you step into the war zone, a place I know all too well, be ready for a battle. A battle I guarantee you will lose. (Shatter flipped his chair over and told the cameraman to get out of his face) This isn’t a game! This is my life!

Coming out of the commercial break, Shatter precipitated a confrontation with Stevens in the production area. He knocked Stevens down and continued to go off on him. “You’re a punk! Paper champion, Chase Stevens, paper champion! That’s my title right there!” A squad of SAW personnel separated them. Stevens looked perplexed.

Shatter came out with such crazed intensity that Graham said he took control of the room.  Graham also talked about the tough schedule Stevens had been keeping up as champion, and how he had just flown in from LA, where he was doing motion capture for a WWE video game. Stevens got a big pop. Shatter, eyes on fire, was all in Stevens’ facem shouting that he was scared. Graham noted it was their first meeting in SAW, although perhaps they had met on the independent circuit (NWA Legends Fanfest in Charlotte).     

3 -- SAW International Title Match: Champion CHASE STEVENS vs. “The Universal Soldier” PHIL SHATTER

Shatter rag-dolled Stevens on the tie up, kicked him in the face, then threw him out of the ring. Shatter had the champion in deep trouble almost instantly. Graham questioned Stevens’ physical status coming into the match. Shatter put Stevens down with a high knee and drilled punch after punch into his forehead. The champion was busted open. They got a close up of Shatter’s fist coated with Stevens’ blood. The fans were chanted for a Stevens comeback, but this was an all out dismantling. Stevens went for the shadow lariat, usually a surefire move for him, and got leveled by a lariat. Shatter softened up the back, then left the ring to taunt the fans. As Shatter reentered, Stevens met him with a series of wobbly punches. Stevens tried for a high crossbody. Shatter made the catch and gave him a backbreaker for a near fall. Stevens tried to fight on, but he was out on his feet. Shatter delivered another lariat, pulled Stevens up, and gave him a powerbomb off the middle rope. 1-2-3.

WINNER: Shatter in 11:10 via pinfall with a super PTSD power bomb to become the new SAW International Champion.

Shatter celebrated over Stevens’ limp body. Graham said SAW might never be the same. Shatter kneeled down, propped up Stevens’ head -- “You ain’t nothin.”

Afterthoughts: Props to SAW. Three hours of television footage ripped off and they come back with one of their best television episodes of the year. Shatter and Stevens did a terrific job of telling a bold, uncompromising story. I cannot recall seeing the top star of a promotion so thoroughly dominated, regardless of the circumstances. The NWA should be thrilled with the way their champion was presented –as obsessed, brutal and merciless as any monster in pro wrestling. I’m sure they would have appreciated a mention of Shatter’s affiliation with the NWA brand, but we can thank your lucky stars that SAW isn’t TNA. The small minority of viewers that know about his NWA title don’t need to be told, and inside the SAW bubble, there’s nothing to gain by enlightening the rest…The segment with Shatter bursting into the production area worked because it was so out of the ordinary…I’m used to seeing Shatter with manager par excellence Jeff G. Bailey doing most of the talking. His promo on this show was intense and believable. I love the character portrayal of a guy to crazy and violent for WWE…Graham did a hell of job calling that main event, and was really strong throughout the hour for that matter…They dropped the ball by not addressing what happened at the end of the previous episode. It would have fit perfectly into the story they were telling with Stevens, and what about the fines and suspensions Reno promised for Mercer? Two referees killed dead, and it was like nothing happened…The salvaged footage worked beautifully. The quality was decent, and giving brief glimpse of what took place left me wanting to see more. Producer Bryan Thompson had to piece together equipment for this taping. There was a visible loss of VQ due to the replacement cameras and such…Genesis had the best match of his SAW career. His offense and selling were both spot on and he was way over with the crowd, and Bandana was a great opponent for him. It was the first time he looked like a title contender…Haskins and Walters also had a very good match. For an unknown, Walters got over well with the crowd in Columbia. He’s similar to Cody Melton in size and physique, but Walters has the edge in overall ring skills. However, I don’t know that SAW will get enough dates on Walters to do anything with him. There wasn’t one bad segment in this show, and the last 30 minutes was tremendous.