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SHOWTIME ALL STAR WRESTLING TV REPORT

By Larry Goodman on 2012-01-28 07:45:00
Showtime All-Star Wrestling – Episode 200
Airing January 13, 2012 on the America One Network
Taped November 12, 2011 at the Old Hickory Community Center

SAW has opened a video-on-demand service. Episodes 181-194 are currently available for 99 cents per episode. SAW streams via America One at wvvh.com - 9pm Fridays.

Last week on SAW…Chase Stevens pinned Bodie Williams with the DFA…Jon Michael Worthington said he was setting his sights on the SAW International Championship…Worthington scored a quick win over Robbie Page with the Brentwood Breaker…SAW Tag Team Champions Cody Melton & Johnny Bandana defeated the Paul Adams-less A-Team of David Young and Jesse Emerson.

Michael Graham welcomed us into the Old Hickory Community Center for the historic occasion of SAW’s 200th episode of television. Graham said the scheduled SAW International Title match between Chase Stevens and Chris Michaels would not be taking place – details to follow.

1 – JEREMIAH PLUNKETT vs. JOSH CROW

Crow snapped off a huracanrana at the get go. He stayed a step ahead of Plunkett until he tweaked his knee and got turned inside out by a lariat. Plunkett put Crow in the torture chamber with a leglock/fishhook deal. Plunkett spinebustered Crow and pulled him up at the count of two. Crow was mounting a comeback when out of nowhere, Plunkett caught him in a triangle for the tap out victory.

WINNER: Plunkett via submission in 2:30.

“Bond Girl” Leah Hulan was on location at the Williamson County Career Fair where she was invited to share the “wonderful fun” of being a bail bondsman. Leah talked to eighth-grader Ashley Caldwell about her internship with Grumpy’s. Leah said it was never a dull moment as a bail bondsman.

The Chase Stevens vs. Chris Michaels match from the previous week in Lebanon, TN aired in a heavily edited form. Commentary was provided by Jason James (Don West’s sidekick on Impact). Stevens and Michaels assaulted each other’s legs with a variety of submissions. The battle moved to the floor and with neither man able to stand, referee Jesse Fields ruled the match as a double count out. The combatants barely made it to the back under their own power due to the effects of this grueling encounter.

Graham reiterated that the SAW International Title match would not take place a scheduled. Stay tuned.

SAW owner Reno Riggins called Michaels out to explain the injury that would keep him from competing in the title match.

If you want to make a living and provide for your family, you tape it up and you go. But this injury I sustained, there’s no taping it up or moving forward. I have detached a retina in my left eye and the only way to correct that is through surgery.”

Michaels said his doctors had advised him that if he wanted to see, it was in his best interest to quit wrestling. Michaels said he had been planning to take time off, but being told that he needed a permanent break was hard to handle. Michael announcement was punctuated by chants of “thank you, Chris.” Michaels admitted that he was getting choked up.

Because even if I didn’t have the millions in the bank and the mansion on the hill, for the past 23 years I have got to live my dream, a dream that a lot of others never got to fulfill…thank you to all those that believed that little ole Chris Michaels was a somebody in the pro wrestling industry.

Michaels said he was taught to help others. He wasn’t going to drop names, but there were a lot guys making big money that wouldn’t be the stars that they are if not for his help.

Michaels said SAW still believed that he could be a top guy, and even though he came up short in his efforts to get the title, that didn’t mean he wasn’t successful.

To me, being successful is just being able to step through those ropes and have a match in front of you people…any interest that you had in me, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. There would be no Chris Michaels without you. I am truly grateful, and I have had a blessed career in pro wrestling.

Michaels said he didn’t know what he was going to do, and that he had a lot of other interests, but his family was most important right now. Michaels then went into the ring and mounted the ropes one last time.

Grumpy’s Bail Jumper of the Week – Eric Tyrone Taylor and Leah needs him NOW!

2 – Five Minutes with Paul Adams or Slave for a Day – DAVID YOUNG (with Paul Adams & Rudy Charles) vs. VORDELL WALKER

Graham reminisced about the matches involving Michaels that he called on local Nashville TV back in the day. Graham said Michaels would be working for SAW in some capacity. He noted the presence of the twin towels boys at ringside. The first half of the match consisted of Walker tearing up Young’s arm and lighting him up with chops, and the crowd was loving it. Young was in a world of hurt X 10. With the towels boys providing the distraction, Young punted Walker’s yam bags. Young zeroed in on Walker’s back. A picture-in-picture showed a flashback of Adams slapping Walker in humiliating fashion at the Fairgrounds. Charles finally got over his case of bad timing and interfered without getting caught. When Walker started a comeback, Young used his momentum to toss him through the ropes. Walker reentered with a slingshot sunset flip, and Young cut him off with a clothesline to the armpit. Walker muscled Young up (no easy task) for a back suplex. Both men down. Walker exploded on Young. Charles grabbed Walker’s leg, and Jesse Emerson hit the ring behind Walker’s back. Walker ducked Emerson’s clothesline, laid him out with the STO, then pinned Young with the uranage slam.

WINNERS: Walker in 10:30.

Adams got all bug eyed and ran to the back. Walker dragged him across the gym floor back to the ring. Adams begged for mercy and said he was sorry. Adams offered to take Walker to Doc Holliday’s and pay for his drinks. Walker said his drinking days were over (a shoot). Adams said would buy him dinner at Sizzler. How could anyone resist that offer? Walker said they weren’t going to be able to work things out. He splashed Adams in the corner, tore his shirt open and chopped his chest until the red welts were visible. Adams crawled on all fours like he was about to cry. Walker picked Adams up and drilled him into the mat with the spinning uranage slam. Adams sold the move like he was comatose. Walker draped a towel over Adams face.

“Paul Adams, he was thirty eight,” said Graham.

Afterthoughts: This was the first episode from the company’s second taping at Old Hickory. It had the same depressing vibe as the first one due to the poor production values. The venue is your basic community center and little was done to dress it up. It’s too large to look good on TV with 150 people and the lighting does nothing to disguise that fact. The crowd was animated at times but the heat was pretty paltry on TV. I mention these issues because some potentially good segments came across much weaker than they could have. Kudos to SAW for giving Michaels such extensive mic time to reflect on his career. Michaels isn’t a particularly articulate talker, but he made a moving speech. Michaels gave the sense that he was making a genuine assessment of the career he loved and the emotions were real. The people showed great appreciation for Michaels, but it was shame there weren’t more of them. Michaels deserved the kind of send off Andy Douglas got at the Fairgrounds. Michaels didn’t 100% close the door on a return to the ring. This is pro wrestling after all…Plunkett vs. Crow had good action but Crow’s look screams indytastic. With that said, l love the out-of-nowhere finish with Plunkett using the ropes to set up the triangle. You won’t see that in UFC…The Michaels/Stevens footage was interesting because it was so different, but the crowd being so dead sucked all the impact out of it. I’ve always like Jason James as a play-by-play guy and he did good job in the spot…Young and Walker got a lot out of a little. Simple can be good. Young’s selling was off the charts. You would have thought Walker was ripping his arm out of its socket and the crowd got into it. Referee Jesse Fields had the blinders on bigtime for the finish. Emerson passed right through his line of sight on the way to the ring. Fields finally turned around to find Emerson laying the corner and acted like he was invisible. Be that as it may, Walker couldn’t have been booked any stronger, as he triumphed over massive interference by A Team….The five minute deal was about as good as it could be given that Adams isn’t a wrestler. Walker telling Adams he doesn’t drink any more was a shoot, and Walker is a better wrestler because of it. Adams’ chest was beet red from the chops and he took the full brunt of Walker’s finisher, which looked great. To the SAW credit, efforts were made to address the subpar production at the next taping, but watching this show was a frustrating experience because it was so far from what it could have been.

Feedback welcomed – larry@georgiawrestlinghistory.com

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