WWT #102: PWA Card (Xcel Energy Center, Minneapolis)
December 9, 2020
Xcel Energy Center
Minneapolis, MN
Arriving: Michael Hayes
Leaving: NONE
The show opens with Flex Kavana walking into the building. He is jumped from behind by the Extreme Horsemen (Corino, Funk, Credible). At the height of the attack, Kavana’s arm is slammed in a car door before his head is put through the window. Corino looks into the camera and says, “I guess that will take care of the title match tonight!” as the camera fades.
Brett Wayne Sawyer vs Justin Credible
Credible came out with an overwhelmingly cocky attitude. Sawyer took him by surprise with a slingshot suplex to win the match.
Decision: Brett Wayne Sawyer (4:48)
‘Gentleman’ Chris Adams vs Billy Gunn
Adams and Gunn fought a great match. Gunn tried to win the match with the Fame-Ass-Er, but Adams countered with a dragon screw leg whip. As both men got to their feet, Adams hit Gunn with the Superkick for the win.
Decision: ‘Gentleman’ Chris Adams (6:52)
Mance Warner vs ‘Dangerous’ Doug Gilbert
Warner and Gilbert had a great match until Eddie got involved. While the referee was unconscious, Doug held Warner so that Eddie could throw a fireball. Warner ducked, and the fireball engulfed Doug’s face. Warner threw Eddie shoulderfirst into the ringpost before hitting the Kneepad Up, Kneepad Down on Doug for the pin.
Decision: Mance Warner (10:00)
Great Kabuki vs Jushin Liger
These two great Japanese stars put on a wonderful match for the fans for the entire thirty-minute time limit. When the match was over, the fans gave both wrestlers a standing ovation.
Decision: TIME LIMIT DRAW (30:00)
Bullwhip on a Pole Match: Buzz Sawyer vs ‘Dirty’ Dutch Mantell
Mantell’s bullwhip was put on a pole in the corner. However, the match never really got underway because Terry Gordy interfered. Mantell had spent a couple minutes before the match berating Gordy for turning on him during their tag team match on the last podcast. Gordy charged the ring and took out both Buzz and Dutch. Gordy tied Dutch in the ropes and busted him open before security could restore some semblance of order in the ring.
Decision: NO CONTEST (1:43)
World Tag Team Titles Match: Dangerous Duo (c) vs Terry Gordy & ??
The Dangerous Duo had spent most of the program trying to figure out who Gordy would get to be his mystery tag team partner. They had decided that the whole turn on Mantell had been a work, but the previous match took that option off the table.
The Dangerous Duo came out to the ring first. Gordy came out by himself. He grabbed the microphone and said, “There is only one man who could truly be my brother in the ring.” “Bad Street” began to play and Michael Hayes came out to the cheers of the crowd.
Although Daniels and Douglas had many high spots in the match, the Freebirds dominated the champions until they put Daniels away with a spike piledriver to win the titles.
Decision: Freebirds (16:11) NEW CHAMPIONS!!!
Backstage, Chavo is attacked by the Extreme Horsemen. Credible slams Chavo’s head into a urinal. Funk chokes him with the branding iron. As security separates them, Chavo is laying prone on the ground. The Horsemen joyfully celebrate their achievement and head back to their locker room.
Television Title Match: Brickhouse Brown (c) vs Moondog Spot
As in the matches on the house shows leading up to the card, Brown was able to hold his own against Spot. Spot was almost ready to win the match, but Bruno “helped” Spot out by tripping Brown as he bounced off the ropes. The referee saw it and called for the bell. Brown keeps the Television Title by disqualification.
Decision: Brickhouse Brown, DQ (12:55)
Great Muta vs Jesse James Armstrong
Muta and Armstrong fought a wonderful match, but it was cut a bit short. Armstrong went for a running clothesline in the corner, but Muta moved out of the way. Muta bounced off the side ropes with an Asai moonsault into a snap suplex for the win.
Decision: Great Muta (10:12)
American Tag Team Titles Match: Extreme Horsemen (c) vs GenThree
Terry Funk and Steve Corino come down to the ring for the Horsemen. Neither member of GenThree is in the arena any more. The Horsemen begin to celebrate their victory by forfeit until I come out. I declare that an American Tag Team Titles Match will occur on this card. The people paid to see a match, and that is what they will see.
I announce the true #1 contenders for the American Tag Team Titles … the Sawyer Brothers!! The Sawyers make their way out to the ring to love from the crowd. The Horsemen know that they’ve already fought a couple of hard matches, so it will be easy pickings for them in this match. It would almost be like wrestling injured opponents.
Unfortunately for the Horsemen, the Sawyer Brothers held their own for more than forty minutes. During the match, the crowd makes some big noise as the newly-crowned World Tag Team champions, the Fabulous Freebirds, make their way through the crowd to front row seats which had been vacant for most of the night.
Corino took offense at the intrusion into their match. He grabbed the house mic and taunted the Freebirds. The Freebirds stood up and they were attacked from behind by Credible. Corino jumped over the guardrail to join in the attack. The Freebirds rallied back against the Horsemen.
In the ring, Funk is double teamed by the Sawyer Brothers. Bobby Heenan comes down to the ring. He tossed Funk’s branding iron into the ring as Funk is able to throw Brett out of the ring. Funk goes after Buzz with the branding iron, but Buzz ducks. The Gilbert Brothers rush down to the ring and confront Heenan. The Freebirds and the rest of the Extreme Horsemen tangle in the ringside area. Buzz kicks Funk, who drops the branding iron. Buzz whips Funk into the ropes. Brett climbs the turnbuckle. Buzz picks Funk up in a Hotshot as Brett jumps off with a flying bulldog. Brett rolls Funk over for the pin and to finally dethrone the Extreme Horsemen as the American Tag Team champions!
Decision: Sawyer Brothers (44:10) NEW CHAMPIONS!!!
As the bell rings, the Horsemen celebrate until they see the Sawyers holding the belts! Corino and Credible scurry over the guardrail and into the ring. The Sawyers are ready for them and attack them as they slide under the bottom rope. The Gilberts slam Heenan into the ring steps outside and climb onto the ring apron. The Freebirds also climb over the guardrail to act as lumberjacks around the ring. As the Horsemen sought to flee the ring, the Freebirds throw them back into the Sawyers and the Gilberts. Security swarms the ring, but the Horsemen are all laid out in the ring. The Sawyers, Gilberts and Freebirds leave the ring celebrating the new American Tag Team champions.
What is going on with this match? Why have something like this in the Extreme Horsemen-GenThree feud? It helps build heat between the Extreme Horsemen and GenThree because the Horsemen lost the title belts when they thought they would have a night off, accepting the victory by forfeit. This also ties in the Extreme Horsemen’s subfeud with the Gilberts. Now, it has come out that Bobby Heenan has turned against the Gilbert Brothers and joined Terry Funk in the Extreme Horsemen. After this match, the Horsemen will begin to spout off about the conspiracy to dethrone them from their American Tag Team Titles. This will give them the opportunity to take advantage of their immediate rematch clause for the titles, but they will also have to keep an eye out for what GenThree will do as retribution for the injuries inflicted tonight.
Now, we move on to our main event. A match that would have been beyond awesome to have seen…
World Heavyweight Title Match: Stone Cold Steve Austin (c) vs Sting
This one-hour time limit match was very reminiscent of the match that made Sting a superstar in the 80s. It was very similar to Sting’s match at Clash of the Champions I against Ric Flair. Both superstars had many, many opportunities to put their opponent away. Sting kicked out of the Stone Cold Stunner four times. Austin kicked out of the Scorpion Death Drop twice and escaped the Scorpion Death Lock three times.
As the match wore on, the locker rooms cleared out. All of the PWA stars who were still in the building lined the entryway roughly forty-five minutes into the match. They were enamored with the wonderful match they were watching between these two top wrestlers. With barely over a minute left in the match, Austin got his final advantage of the match with a Thesz press off the ropes. Austin pounds on the side of Sting’s head before rolling over to the side. He sizes Sting up as he gets to his feet. He nails Sting with the Stunner and is able to get the pin to retain his title.
Decision: Stone Cold Steve Austin (59:04)
The gathered wrestlers gave a standing ovation to both wrestlers, as Austin helped Sting to his feet and encouraged the crowd to show their support as well. Austin leaves the ring, falling between the middle and top ropes, leaving Sting in the ring by himself.