**********************************************************
**********************************************************
**********************************************************
                           American Wrestling Alliance
                                 Proudly Presents
                               The Stampede Cup

                   Live from the Laredo Entertainment Center
                                  Laredo, Texas
                              December 26th, 2009
**********************************************************
**********************************************************
**********************************************************

[The sounds of the closing credits to "Taxi" are heard just before the
scene fades to black, replaced by the statesman-like voice of Gordon
Myers.]

"It began with sixteen teams."

[Highlights flash by of the first night of the Stampede Cup tournament -
the shocking upset by Fitzgerald and Lawson, the surprising return of
Sweet Daddy Williams, the expert teamwork of the Right Proper Thugs, the
stomach-twisting turn of "Scorchin" Shane Taylor, the Outlaws showing
why they're in the discussion of Hall of Fame teams, the Ghost Dancers
at war with the Rhodes brothers, Simply The Best falling just short
against the legendary Strictly Business, and finally, Rough N Ready
besting their fellow fan favorites in Shaw and Riley.]

"And then there were seven.

Seven teams.  Fourteen men.

One.  Million.  Dollars."

[Shots fly by of the seven teams remaining in the tournament.]

"In the end, there can only be one.

One team.

One winner of the Stampede Cup.

One million dollars.

And one shot at the National Tag Team Titles."

[Spinning shot of the stack of cash, the shiny Stampede Cup, and the
glittering Tag Team Title belts.]

"And it all starts... now."

[With a jumpcut, we are inside the Laredo Entertainment Center where a
huge crowd has turned out on the night after Christmas to see all the
superstars that the AWA has to offer in action.  

A panning shot over the roaring crowd shows families still in their
holiday best attire as they scream and shout for the AWA.  As we pan
across the ring, we can see the usual red, white, and blue ring ropes
with matching turnbuckles around the white ring canvas.  Out on the
floor are the standard thin pads surrounding the ring.  Steel barricades
are in place to hold back the fans.  A long aisleway leads from the
locker rooms, ropes on both sides along with a sprinkling of security
guards.

As we cut to ringside, we find two tables.  Melissa Cannon, a nameless
timekeeper, and Dr. Bob Ponavitch are manning the timekeeper's table
while several feet away, we find our announce table where our two
announcers are standing.

Gordon Myers, the Voice of the AWA, is in a salt and pepper sportcoat
and slacks with classy red tie.  He has a big smile on his face as the
camera hits him.

So does Bucky Wilde, the AWA's color man, who has decided to outdo
himself in the ugliest suit EVER competition.  A sunburst yellow seems
to scorch the retina.  But Bucky is oblivious to it all as he flashes a
toothy smile, holding his ever-present bedazzled briefcase in his
hands.]

GM:  Good evening, fans, and welcome to the Laredo Entertainment Center
in the heart of Laredo, Texas - one of the greatest wrestling cities in
the world - for the premier event in tag team wrestling - The Stampede
Cup!  It all started with sixteen teams and we enter tonight with only
seven, Bucky Wilde.

BW:  Seven teams, fourteen men who can walk out of Laredo, Texas with
their entire world changed!  A million dollars!  The Stampede Cup!  A
shot at the titles!  It's ALL on the line here tonight!

GM:  There's a lot on the line as the AWA prepares to wrap up 2009.  And
if you missed last night's show, you're probably wondering how we went
from sixteen to seven... you're wondering just how the Outlaws managed
to get a bye in the tournament to the semifinals.  Well, that comes
thanks to a time limit draw in the first round between The Ghost Dancers
and the Rhodes brothers.

BW:  Hold on, hold on... we're talkin' seven teams like that's a fact.

GM:  What do you mean?

BW:  When we went off the air last night, the Outlaws were laid out with
the National Tag Team Champions standin' over 'em!  Who knows if the
Outlaws will even MAKE it here tonight?

GM:  Well, I'm not sure if-

[The conversation is abruptly cut off with a roar from the crowd as The
Outlaws walk in screen, interrupting the proceedings.  Brent Maverick
and Doc Holliday are garbed as usual in black dusters, black hats, red
leather boots, white leather gunbelts (complete with hopefully-unloaded
guns), and rust-red knee-length trunks with playing cards running down
the sides.  They seem unhappy.  And by 'unhappy', I mean 'want to murder
someone'.]

GM: ...and wait just a min...

BM: We don't wait fer nothin', Myers.  Seems like a couple no-accounts
have a problem with simple figurin'.  They figure they got belts, so
that makes 'em the best.  We figure they needed ta take advantage of a
blind man who always beat 'em when he could see, an' then they got beat
by two rookies, so we figure they ain't worth th' shine they use on them
belts!  

DH: It ain't no diff'ernt than any number o' flash-inna-pan tag teams we
done put ta rest ovah th' years.  They git a glint o' gold in they eye,
an' suddenly they's worl'beaters.  Hell, we was th' same way.  But we
proved it inna ring, an' all thet Doof-rensy an' Freeman proved is
they's fluke champeens.  Seems lak Fitzgerald an' Lawson proved they's
bettah'n y'all, so ah reckon yer claim is shot.

BM: But now ya jump on Th' Outlaws, an' whaddya expect is gonna happen? 
Suddenly someone is gonna think yer hot on account of ya kin blindside
someone?  It don't take nothin' ta do that.  It don't take talent, don't
take heart, don't take skill, an' thankfully fer you it don't take
balls.  But since yer livin' in dreamland, I'll tell ya what's gonna
happen.  We got a bye, an' we ain't happy about it.  

DH: We ain't?

BM: I ain't.  Means we get a cheap free pass.  Hell with that.  We earn
our keep.

DH: ...mebbe we shoulda talked this ovah.

BM: So since alla other teams is gonna fight this round, we oughta
fight, too.

[The fans cheer, as the prospect of another match comes to mind.]

GM: Does that mean you're going to wrestle...

BM: Gordon, what is it with you an' hearin' words that ain't said?  I
said _fight_.  Taylor had family business an' an ingrate ta deal with,
so we didn't git ta fight him las' night.  So I guess we need ta find
someone else to fight.  Let's go.

[Maverick storms to the back.  Holliday shrugs, and follows him, already
reaching into his pocket for something.]

GM: Oh, no...

BW: Somebody get back there and warn the champs!  They can't just go
around attacking people!

GM: Well, Callisto Dufrense and Adrian Freeman certainly did last night!

BW: But they're the tag team champions!  They're allowed to!  Those two
don't even wrestle for AWA!  I mean, we can't suspend them, can't fine
them, and do you know what'll happen if we kick them out of the
tournament?

[Bucky makes the 'cutthroat' sign, complete with 'kkkk' sound effect. 
Gordon sighs.]

GM: When you subscribe to an eye for an eye, everyone ends up blind. 
Fans, coming up nex

[Gordon cuts off short, reaching up to grab at his earpiece.]

GM:  Wait one moment, fans... wait one moment...

[Gordon suddenly looks alarmed as the camera shot abruptly cuts to the
backstage area where Jason Dane is jogging alongside the cameraman. 
Several feet ahead, we can see Brent Maverick and Doc Holliday walking
with purpose.]

JD:  Are we on?  Are we- fans, we are backstage here at the Laredo
Entertainment Center... and...

[Dane is breathing pretty heavy as he tries to keep pace, the camera
shot shifting abruptly to give the fans motion sickeness.]

JD:  The Outlaws were just told that Dufresne and Freeman just arrived! 
Someone grabbed them as they came to the locker room and told them that
the champs have- they're going after them!  They're going after the
champions!

[As Dane and the cameraman struggle to keep up with the fired-up
Outlaws, we can hear Maverick and Holliday shouting some well-aimed
words at anyone who is getting in their way.  At this point, quite a bit
of AWA staff and security have gathered, trying to dissuade them from
their goal.]

JD:  They're heading towards the parking lot here and-

[The cameraman rounds a corner just as Holliday kicks the door leading
to the parking lot open.  Brent Maverick charges through it as well as
does a sea of security and staff.  As the cameraman finally digs through
the mass of humanity to break into the parking lot area, we see the
National Tag Team Champions, Calisto Dufresne and Adrian Freeman...

...safely behind a wall of uniformed and presumably armed security
guards!]

JD:  Fans...

[Dane breathes heavily.]

JD:   Take a look at this scene...

[It's chaos in the parking lot, voices screaming in every direction. 
Maverick and Holliday shouting at Dufresne and Freeman who arrogantly
shout back.  Security and AWA staff have wedged themselves between the
two teams, effectively forming a Great Wall to keep the four men apart
from one another.

Maverick tries to charge through security but is held back as Holliday
climbs up on the hood of a nearby car, screaming at the champions from
atop it.]

JD:  We've got a showdown out here... a standoff... and what in the
world is going to happen now?

[Suddenly, AWA Championship Committee Chairman Stephen Ross emerges from
inside the building, looking on in horror at the scene in front of him.]

JD:  Mr. Ross!  Mr. Ross!

[Dane rushes over to Stephen Ross, sticking a mic in his face.]

SR:  What in the...

[Ross trails off, shaking his head...

...and then springs into action.]

SR:  Keep them apart!  Keep them apart!

[Ross' orders go followed with the AWA staff and security increasing
their efforts to hold the two teams apart.]

SR:  This is NOT gonna happen!  Not out here in a parking lot!

[Brent Maverick peels away from security, thrusting a finger of warning
into the chest of Stephen Ross as he approaches.  Ross looks shocked but
tries to buck up.]

SR:  Guys... this isn't gonna happen.  I know you're hot under the
collar... I know you want Dufresne and Freeman but it's not gonna
happen.  Not out here in the parking lot.

[Maverick is heard off-mic saying something about "a parking lot, an
alley, the locker room, the bar down the street."  Ross shakes his
head.]

SR:  I know you want to get at them... but that's not the way to do it. 
Brent, Doc... 

[Ross shakes his head again at the scene in front of him.]

SR:  If you want Dufresne and Freeman tonight...

...you've gotta do it IN the ring!

[Big cheer from inside the building!]

SR:  If you want your shot at them, you've got to take them on inside
the ring.

[Maverick can be heard saying something about their bye.]

SR:  Okay, so it's settled... in a non-tournament match, it'll be The
Outlaws vs Dufresne and Freeman in a non-title tag team matc-

[Suddenly, Calisto Dufresne works his way through the crowd,
interrupting.]

CD:  I don't think so, Ross.  If these two rednecks want a piece of the
best tag team walking God's green Earth, then they've gotta put
something up to get it.

[Ross shakes his head.]

SR:  I'm not making it a title match.  I'm not making a title match for
a team that doesn't have an AWA contra-

[Dufresne interrupts again.]

CD:  It's not a title match I want, you moron.

It's pretty damn simple.

[Dufresne smirks.]

CD:  If these hicks want us tonight...

...we want back in the tournament!

[The crowd jeers inside the arena.]

SR:  Wait a second... you were eliminated last night!  You were
eliminated!  There's no spot for you in-

CD:  Oh, yes there is!  The Keenings and the Rhodes boys made sure of
it.  These two have a bye tonight in the second round... and in this
case, that bye is exactly what they're saying to their chances in this
thing when they face US in the second round!

[Ross shakes his head again.]

SR:  Absolutely not!  There's no chance, Dufresne!  There's no chance
I'm putting you guys back in the-

[Maverick lunges forward, grabbing Ross by the sports jacket, shouting
at the Chairman.]

SR:  Wait... hold on... Brent, I can't-

[The violent shaking of the Chairman continues with security trying to
get Maverick off of Ross.]

SR:  Alright!  Fine!  You want these two that badly?  You got 'em.

[And with that, Stephen Ross spins away, walking back into the building
muttering and shaking his head.]

JD:  Did you... did you hear that?!  The champs are back in!  It'll be
The Outlaws vs Dufresne and Freeman in the second round tonight!

[Big cheer inside the building!]

JD:  Gordon... Bucky... what a night this is gonna be!

[We cut back inside the building to the ringside area where Gordon Myers
looks flat out shocked.]

GM:  Calisto Dufresne and Adrian Freeman are BACK in the tournament! 
How in the world did he...?  Bucky?

BW:  They suckered those big hicks into it!  The Outlaws got jumped last
night and they wanted at them so badly, they got suckered right in. 
Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if Dufresne and Freeman had this planned
all along!  Brilliant!

GM:  I can't believe it.  Stephen Ross, the Chairman, seemed absolutely
livid that the Outlaws forced him into that scenario but... well, he
made it official.  We're back to eight teams vying for the Stampede Cup
and the National Tag Team Champions have gotten themselves back into the
thick of it all.  And speaking of the thick of it all, Bailey Fitzgerald
and Corey Lawson, two men who never teamed up before last night have
found themselves certainly in the thick of it all by upsetting the
champs in the first round!  I'm told that Mark Stegglet caught up with
them earlier today to get their thoughts on tonight's action.  Let's
take a look...

[The shot cuts to footage marked EARLIER TODAY - the focus being on a
closed side door with a metal folding chair opened up just inside the
entryway. Seconds later, the door is casually pulled open and two
individuals emerge.  Entering first is AWA grappler, Bailey Fitzgerald. 
Clad in a pair of off-the-rack denim jeans and a charcoal tee,
Fitzgerald is clearly engaged in a private conversation with the man at
his heels.  

Corey Lawson follows in behind him, wearing a University of Tennessee
baseball cap, a black long-sleeve shirt, and jeans.  It becomes even
more apparent the two are discussing strategy for the night's work they
have ahead of themselves.  Fitzgerald can be seen accentuating his
points with his body language.  A navy blue gym bag slung over his right
shoulder, the Buffalo native continues talking with his hands as the
audio is faintly picked up as they draw closer.]

BF: ...so if you're in a position where you can't reach the ropes,
remember to try and ROLL the shoulder...

[Fitzgerald mimics the move as he begins throwing his right shoulder
into his open left hand, demonstrating the kick-out attempt.]

BF: That way you're not forced to move all the guy's weight off you
before a three count.  It could make all the difference in the world
tonight.  Especially in there against a guy as big as Samson.

[Lawson nods in agreement, imparting some advice of his own.]

CL: Yeah, but you got to make sure you avoid Soup Bone's punches.  I
swear, he must have concrete in his hands or somethin'.  I've seen him
wrestle dozens of times before, so I think I got a good strategy for
him... we just got to watch his hands at all times.

[Fitzgerald nods himself now, intently listening to his partner.]

BF: Great point, Corey.  I think we've got the right idea.  It's so easy
to want to stay one step ahead of our opposition and plan to get one or
both of them in a precarious position, but it's important we don't lose
sight of exactly where we are inside and outside of that ring at all
times.  The margin for error is going to be so slim, we're not going to
be in a position to get caught off guard or it could be curtains before
we know it.

CL: Yeah, especially with their size.  We ain't exactly giants, and
these guys are pretty big.  We got to be on our toes at all times and
not get caught at all.

[Finally, Mark Stegglet speaks up.]

MS:  Guys?

[Fitzgerald and Lawson turn towards the interviewer.]

BF:  Hey, Mark... what's going on?

MS:  I just wanted to get your thoughts on tonight's show.  First,
Samson and Sweet Daddy... if you get past them, you-

[Bailey lifts a hand.]

BF:  Let's stay on target, Mark.  We've got to keep our focus.  It
hasn't even been twenty-four hours and I don't know about you, but I've
already heard the talk.  

[Fitzgerald turns to face his partner again.]

BF:  And we can't get caught up in it, Corey.  Not for a second.

CL: You been hearin' somethin'?  What's goin' on?

BF: You know, just the whole Cinderella speak.

[Lawson immediately nods, fully understanding to what Bailey is
referencing.]

BF: We even said it.  We said we knew our place before this tournament
even got underway.  That there were probably a half-dozen teams sitting
on their duffs at home who had more of a right to be here than two
upstarts such as ourselves.  And you stick us in the ring a hundred
times with the benchmark of tag team wrestling today - Freeman and
Dufresne - and yeah, they probably come away ninety-eight, ninety-nine
times with their hands raised...

[Fitzgerald shrugs, the exception to that rule clearly fresh in his
mind.]

BF: ...but hey, the weather man isn't always spot on.  And it was
something as elementary as a sunset flip that was the difference maker
last night.  That's one of the first things they teach you starting out
- remember those days?

[Fitzgerald claps Lawson on the shoulder with a chuckle.  Again, Lawson
nods.  This time he adds a grin at the recollection.]

BF: That's right there with leapfrogs, reversing Irish-whips and ducking
out of arm bars.  It's something that, with time, becomes second nature
for any man who's serious about this business.  And that's why we can't
forget the fundamentals tonight.  I know it sounds easy now, but we
can't get taken out of our element.  We can't go trading blows with
Samson and Williams... or anyone else for that matter.  That's not our
game.

[Fitzgerald pauses briefly, swallowing before continuing.]

BF: The simple fact is, we make a great story.  We're professional
wrestling's version of George Mason, Buster Douglas and the 1980 USA
hockey team rolled into one.  People love to cheer the underdog.  And
we've got to be the biggest two of those in the joint. That's just
reality.  Chances are we're going to hear a few more cheers tonight than
we're accustomed to.  Whether they're warranted or not, we can't get
caught up in it.  The adrenaline is going to be pumping for us both and
we've just got to remember to stay grounded.

CL: I tell you what, that ain't no problem for me.  Somethin' about
takin' years to get a chance like this just makes you happy to be
here... and to pull off an upset like we did?  It'll be real easy to
just let our heads swell up, but I ain't goin' to forget the hard work
that got us here... and I know Corey ain't either.

BF: But we can't let the outside variables dictate what we do out there.
We stay passive, we let the match come to us and when the time's right,
we pin our ears back and go for broke.  As far as looking ahead toward a
scrap with another team in the semis or beyond, let's not make that
mistake.  We're living proof what can happen when you become more
concerned with what lies ahead than what stands before you... as Freeman
and Dufresne will tell anyone who asks.

CL: We can't look past Samson and ol' Sweet Daddy anyway, I ain't
lookin' to get cracked in the head with no knockout punch anyway.

[Fitzgerald shrugs.]

BF: But no matter the rhyme or reason of how we slipped through the
proverbial cracks, the fact is we're here.  Front and center with the
spotlight never shining brighter.  And everybody can refer to us as the
Cinderella story of this tournament all they want, but as long as this
chest is moving up and down?

[Bailey fires a thumb toward his torso, speaking in a far more serious
tone.]

BF: We're going home with our glass slipper.

[Fitzgerald claps Stegglet on the shoulder before walking out of sight. 
With a grin, Corey Lawson does a fist pump before doing the same leaving
only Mark Stegglet behind.]

MS:  Focus is the word of the night for the Cindarella story of this
tournament.  Let's go back to ringside to Bucky and Gordon!

[We do exactly that, cutting back to the ringside area where Gordon and
Bucky are standing.]

GM:  Focus, for sure.  Those two men shocked the world last night and
you know they'd like nothing more than to keep that train a-rollin'
tonight, Bucky.

BW:  First, they've got to get past two veterans.  Now, granted... _I_
could get past these two guys in a handicap match but-

GM:  Give me a break.

[Suddenly, LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out" kicks in to a big
cheer.  After a moment, the squad of Soup Bone Samson and Sweet Daddy
Williams walks through the entranceway, making their way down the aisle
to a huge roar as they shake hands with all the ringside fans.  Williams
pauses for a couple hugs from some teary-eyed young ladies as they head
to ringside, stopping next to Gordon and Bucky, who suddenly looks a
little nervous.]

BW:  Gentlemen, good to see ya!

[Williams snatches the mic away.]

SDW:  Bucky Wilde, you toothless, gutless, spineless feather of a man...

[Big cheer!]

SDW:  I've missed ya, you big ol' piggy.

[Williams leans forward and kisses Bucky Wilde on the cheek with a loud
smack!  A disgusted Wilde backpedals, wiping his face violently as he
shouts at the two fan favorites.]

SDW:  Now that that's taken care of... MY GOD, it's good to be back,
baaaaaaby!

[Big cheer!]

SDW:  When I picked up my ball and went home back in July, I gotsta
say... I wasn't too sure when I was comin' back, Gordon Myers.  Brotha,
I didn't even know if I was EVER comin' back.

But this ol' dog... my good friend, Soup Bone, he needed a faaaavor.

[Williams nods.]

SDW:  And never let it be said that the Sweet Daddy wasn't a friend to a
friend in need, Gordon Myers.

[Gordon speaks up.]

GM:  Well, I think I can speak for all of these fans here in Laredo as
well as AWA fans all over the world when I say how good it is to see you
back.

[Another big cheer!  A sheepish Sweet Daddy Williams grins widely,
waving to the crowd and patting Gordon on the shoulder.]

SDW:  Much 'preciated, Gordon.  I got nothin' but love for all of you. 
Believe that.

[Gordon continues.]

GM:  But I would remiss if I didn't ask you about "Hotshot" Stev-

[Williams lifts his hand to interrupt.]

SDW:  There's a time and a place for that, baby.  There's a time and a
place.  

But it's not tonight.  Tonight's not about Stevie Scott and those sacks
of garbage he runs with.  That's not what it's about.  Tonight's
about...

[A grin.]

SDW:  One million dollars, baby.

[Big cheer!]

SDW:  Now, all these other teams can tell you they don't care 'bout the
money.  You know what I say, Gordon Myers?

[Pause.]

SDW:  Bull!

[Big cheer!]

SDW:  You talk a good game, people.  You tell everyone you don't need
the money... that it's not 'bout the money.  Oh, when it's a million
dollars, it's DAMN sure 'bout the money!

[Another big cheer!]

SDW:  You know how many lawyers you can buy to defend yourself against
sexual harassment suits with a million dollars, Dufresne?  Those Bishop
Boys... they can buy a membership to one of those family tree websites
and figure out when their tree stopped forkin', baaaaby.

[Williams grins as the crowd laughs.]

SDW:  For me?  Well, let's just say even the Sweet Daddy knows a cool
million would bring the ladies a-runnin'.

[Samson interrupts with a grin.]

SBS:  A half million.

[Williams claps his friend on the shoulder.]

SDW:  Sure 'nuff, baby.  A half million too.  With a half million
dollars, even ol' Souper here might get some action, Gordon Myers.

[Gordon looks a little embarrassed to be discussing this topic.]

SDW:  Aw, don't blush, Gordon.  We'll spread some wealth your way too. 
I got my eye on a pair of boots with lil' aquariums in the heels so
you's can put some goldfish in there... they'd look real good on you,
baby.

[Gordon looks puzzled.]

SDW:  But first thing's first... Bailey, Corey.. you two are good kids. 
Real good kids.  We like what we seein' from you.  

But...

[Williams looks at Samson.]

SBS:  But it's a million dollars.  

[Samson shrugs.]

SDW:  Shoot, this ol' dog would knock his mama dead to right for a
million dollars... don't matter a bit what he thinks about you two,
baby!

[And with that, Sweet Daddy Williams and Soup Bone Samson climbs up into
the ring to the cheers of the crowd.]

MC:  The following contest is our first quarterfinal match in The
Stampede Cup tournament.  It is scheduled for one fall with a thirty
minute time limit.  Introducing first... already in the ring at this
time...

The team of Soup Bone Samson and Sweet Daddy Williams!

[Big cheer!]

MC:  And their opponents...

[Neil Young's "Rockin' In The Free World" kicks in to a big cheer from
the crowd as well.]

MC:  They are the team of Corey Lawson and Bailey Fitzgerald!

[The two fan favorites charge from the curtain, splitting up so that
each is walking one side of the aisle, hugging fans, slapping hands, all
the usual as they make their way towards the ring.]

GM:  The upset kids, still flying high off that big win over the
National Tag Team Champions last night.

BW:  They'd better be careful with all that flying high stuff cause a
veteran like Samson can bring you crashing down to Earth in a heartbeat.

[Fitzgerald and Lawson roll under the ropes into the ring, climbing to
their feet...

...and quickly trading handshakes with their opponents to the cheers of
the crowd.]

GM:  Some nice sportsmanship there to kick off Night Two of the Stampde
Cup, Bucky.

BW:  Makes me sick.

GM:  The referee with some last minute instructions and here we go!

*DING DING DING!*

GM: There's the collar and elbow tie-up, quick go behind by
Fitzgerald...but Samson with the reversal...and belly to back suplex!

BW: Soup Bone might be old as dirt, but his still got about a hundred
pounds on this little twerp!

[Samson gets to his feet and lays in a couple stomps to the down
Fitzgerald, before picking him back up and softening him up with a few
big, clubbing forearms across the back.]

GM: Samson using his size advantage well early on in this match so
farÉOH! And a huge headbutt sends Bailey Fitzgerald staggering right
into the ropes!

BW: ItÕs not exactly a Raphael Rhodes-level quality headbutt, but it
gets the job done!


"SMMMACKK!"


GM: And a brutal overhand slap to the chest has Bailey Fitzgerald in a
world of hurt!

BW: See? It just goes to show you what a bunch of flukes Fitzgerald and
Lawson are. Even an ancient fossil like Samson is having his way with
them. TheyÕre just lucky they caught the champions off guard with that
fast count or theyÕd be in the hospital along with the Outlaws later
tonight.

GM: Fitzgerald and Lawson proved to the world that theyÕre as dangerous
as any team in this tournament with their huge upset. Fluke or not, that
huge win over the Dufrense and Freeman put them right on the map as one
of the teams to watch out for in the Stampede Cup.

[Samson grabs Fitzgerald, attempting to send him for a ride, but
Fitzgerald reverses it, sending the veteran into the corner hard. Samson
stumbles forwardÉ]

BW: Dropkick by FitzgeraldÉand a beauty! Samson back upÉ

[Pop!]

BW: Éand another dropkick sends Samson right back down! Fitzgerald using
his speed to get Samson off-balance after a rough opening to this match!

[Fitzgerald is immediately back on his feet to meet Samson with a kick
to the gut. Doubling the Detroit native over, he runs into the ropes,
grabbing SamsonÕs head as he rebounds back and driving him face-first
into the canvas with a bulldog!]

BW: Bulldog headlock by Bailey Fitzgerald and hereÕs the cover! One,
twoÉand Samson gets the shoulder up!

GM: ItÕs going to take more artillery than that to take out an oldÉand I
do mean OLD...tough bastard like Soup Bone Samson.

BW: Fitzgerald back on the attack. Into the ropesÉ




"SLLLLLLLAMMMMMMMMMMM!"




GM: So much for that!

BW: And Samson quickly reverses things with a huge powerslam!

[Big Face pop!]

BW: Ah jeez, not this idiot!

GM: And here comes Sweet Daddy Williams!

[Sweet Daddy enters the ring with a little shimmy in his step, working
the crowd up into a frenzy, before dropping a huge elbow onto
Fitzgerald!]



*THHUUUUD!*



GM: A big elbowdrop to the sternum and hereÕs the coverÉonly two!

BW: If this moron had any clue, he wouldÕve just stayed away after that
beating he got from Stevie Scott and company. I still canÕt believe heÕs
back!

GM: You better believe that Sweet Daddy Williams wants a piece of the
Southern Syndicate, but tonight, itÕs all about winning the Stampede
Cup!

BW: HeÕs got about a good a chance of doing that as he does getting
revenge on the SyndicateÉzero!

GM: Sweet Daddy back on the attack now. He sends Fitzgerald into the
ropesÉ



*SMMAAACK!*



GM: Ébut he telegraphs the backdrop and pays for it with a kick to the
chops!

[Face pop!]

GM: And he takes Williams down with an enzuigiri! And thereÕs the tag to
Lawson!

BW: YeeshÉlike thatÕs going to help. This guyÕs a beanpole just like
Fitzgerald!

GM: ThatÕs the same sort of attitude that caused the champions to lose,
Bucky. These two are not to be underestimated.

BW: PffftÉjust telling it like it is, Gordo!

[Lawson comes in energized, having waiting anxiously for his chance to
get into the action. He leaps over the ropes and immediately pastes a
rising Sweet Daddy with a jumping clothesline, using the extra momentum
to send Williams to the canvas!]

GM: Lawson knocks Williams down with that big clothesline!

[Lawson stays on Williams, peppering with punches as he gets to his
feet. He tries to whip Williams into the ropes, but itÕs reversed.
However, as Sweet Daddy tries to lift him, Lawson reverses it into a
headscissors, sending Williams to the canvas!]

GM: Spectacular move by Corey Lawson! Into the ropesÉ

[Shocked pop!]


"THHHHUDDD!"



GM: BUTT BUTT! Lawson ran right into that one and heÕs down!

BW: Oh, give me a break! ThatÕs the worst move in wrestling!

GM: And back in comes Soup Bone Samson! Samson and Williams send Lawson
for the rideÉ

[Face pop!]

GM: Double clothesline! And Samson follows it up with a falling
headbutt! HereÕs the coverÉonly two!

[Samson picks up the smaller Lawson and scoops him up easily, dropping
him in the middle of the ring with a hard slam. He repeats himself, once
again dropping another falling headbutt on Lawson. And anotherÉand
another!]

GM: Repeated falling headbutts by Soup Bone Samson have Corey Lawson in
a world of trouble!

BW: Heck, considering Samson has a head full of rocks, itÕs no shock
that those headbutts are doing damage!

GM: Samson brings Lawson back to his feetÉOh! And back down goes Lawson
courtesy of a short-armed clothesline!

BW: I told you these guys are outclassed. Outclassed and outgunned by
just about any team in this tournament! Even the two goofballs Samson
and Williams are dominating them!

GM: Samson and Williams have certainly held the advantage for most of
this match so farÉ


"SMMMMMMMMMACK!"


[BIG TIME POP!]

GM: And that heart punch just might have done it! One!ÉTwo!É

[Face pop!]

GM: So close! Corey LawsonÕs just a punching bag for Soup Bone Samson
right now!

BW: For Samson? HeÕs a punching bag for everybody, daddy!

GM: Samson pressing the advantage now. He takes Lawson down with a
shoulderbreakerÉ

[Big time pop from the crowd!]

GM: Éand heÕs climbing up the ropes!

BW: Are you kidding me??? The last time Soup Bone Samson flew through
the air, it was with the Wright Brothers!

[Samson gets up onto the middle rope, sizing up Lawson. He holds his
hands out in front of him and falls forward, looking to crush the
Tennessee native with one final falling headbuttÉ]


*THHUUUUD!!!*


[BIG POP!]

GM: HE MOVED! Soup Bone Samson went to the well one too many times and
pays the price!

BW: I can imagine that senior citizenÕs brain is rattling around in his
head like the last tic-tac in a container!

GM: Both men are trying to crawl to their cornersÉ

[HUGE POP!]

GM: Éand they both make the tag! Fitzgerald and Williams are in!

[The crowd goes wild, as Fitzgerald and Williams meet in the center of
the ring in a wild exchange of punches. However, Williams gets the upper
hand, nailing Fitzgerald right between the eyes with a huge elbow!]

GM: Big elbow by Sweet Daddy Williams has Fitzgerald reeling!

[Sweet Daddy does a little shuck and jive, before pasting Fitzgerald
with another elbow! Big face pop!]

GM: And Sweet Daddy is feeling it! He's got the crowd going wild!

BW: Can Ben Waterson just hire another person to kill off this idiot
once and for all? Please?

[However, as Sweet Daddy throws a wild haymaker, Fitzgerald ducks,
catching Sweet Daddy with a boot to the gut as he turns aroundÉ]


THHUUUUDD!!!


BW: DDT BY FITZGERALD! And here's the cover!  ONE!  TWO!  THR-

[Disappointed pop.]

GM: No! Williams kicks out!

[While this was going on, Lawson had charged across the ring, attempting
to take out Samson with a crossbody over the ropes. However, Samson
ducked and sent Lawson flying out of the ring! As Fitzgerald looked to
finish off Williams with his Buffalo sleeper, Samson snuck up behind
himÉ]

GM: Oh no, thereÕs Soup Bone Samson!

BW: Knock his block off, old man!

[Éspinning Fitzgerald around and swinging his deadly right hookÉ]


SMMAAAACCKK!!!!


[Éaccidentally hitting a rising Sweet Daddy Williams as Bailey
Fitzgerald ducks out of the way! SHOCKED POP!]

GM: SAMSON JUST ACCIDENTALLY HIT SWEET DADDY WILLIAMS WITH THAT DEADLY
RIGHT HOOK!!! WILLIAMS IS OUT COLD!!!

[Soup Bone doesnÕt even have time to realize whatÕs happened, before
Fitzgerald nails him with a superkick, sending him stumbling backwards,
just as a recovering Corey Lawson had climbed back up onto the apron.
Seeing Samson falling back, he pulls down the top rope, returning the
favor and sending Samson tumbling out of the ring! Face pop!]

GM: And there goes Samson! Fitzgerald diving for the pin!

BW: Oh God, no!!! No way!!!

GM:  ONE!!!  TWO!!!  THREE!!!


*DING DING DING!*


[HUGE FACE POP!!!]

GM: DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES??? Bailey Fitzgerald and Corey Lawson are
moving on!

BW: What kind of crazy alternate universe is this!? How is this
happening!? Next thing you know, Juan Vasquez will run out here and
start beating up disabled people!

[Fitzgerald and Lawson high-five each other as the crowd cheers the
underdog team wildly. Meanwhile, Sweet Daddy Williams is slowly
regaining consciousness after taking that KO punch from Soup Bone
Samson.]

MC: Ladies and gentlemen... your winners...

BAILEY FITZGERALD AND COREY LAWSON!!

[Samson reenters the ring, checking on his still somewhat woozy tag team
partner as Fitzgerald and Lawson continue to celebrate.]

GM:  Another big win for Bailey Fitzgerald and Corey Lawson and their
Cindarella story is not over yet, Bucky Wilde!

BW:  It will be soon enough.  They're not getting past the next round -
guaranteed!

GM:  Facing either The Right Proper Thugs or the Bishop Boys in the
semifinals definitely makes the odds of Fitz and Lawson appearing in the
Finals very, very low.  Fans, we need to take a quick break but when we
come back, we'll be going backstage where Jason Dane is standing by with
The Bishop Boys!

[We fade out on a celebrating Lawson and Fitzgerald...

After a moment, we fade back up on a very long shot of the exterior of a
pretty dingy looking building.]

"Have you ever dreamed of fame?"

[Cut a little closer.]

"Of glory?"

[A little closer.]

"Of your friends and family seeing you on television?"

[And just a little closer, revealing a red, white, and blue sign that
reads "AWA Combat Corner."]

"Well, now you can make all your dreams come true by signing up today at
the AWA Combat Corner - the official training school for the American
Wrestling Alliance!"

[We cut to the interior of the building where we can see lots of
standard gym equipment surrounding a very basic wrestling ring.  There
are people lifting weights, running on treadmills, and of course,
working out in the ring.]

"With the very best trainers in the business, the AWA Combat Corner is
the most-equipped training facility to get you in shape and get you in
the ring in the shortest amount of time!"

[Cut into the ring where Todd Michaelson is barking out instructions.]

"With former World Champion Todd Michaelson leading the classes, you can
guarantee that you will be prepared for in-ring action upon graduation
and with the AWA expanding by the day, you will have a place to work on
Day One!"

[Two young students are grappling on the canvas.]

"So, stop by the Combat Corner today... call our offices... visit our
website... and let them know that you want to be the next AWA Superstar!
 You want to be the future of the business!

You want to wrestle!"

[Fade to a graphic that has all the info on the AWA Combat Corner.  We
freeze there for a moment...

...and then fade back up live to the backstage area where Jason Dane
stands with The Bishop Boys and Cousin Bo. Bo looks to the ceiling with
a disgruntled look on his face. The Bishops stare right at the camera,
the usual scowls on their faces. Cletus Lee lightly swings a fist back
and forth against the wall behind him, making a noticeable "thump" every
time he hits it. Duane Henry grimaces as he makes a fist as hard as he
possibly can.]

JD: Well, here we are, Mr. Allen, it's night two of the Stampe...

[And here we go. Bo's already interrupting Jason, as he looks back down
and shakes his head.]

CB: That's where you're wrong, Dane. In essence? This is truly night one
for The Bishop Boys. Now...

[Bo smirks.]

CB: ...don't get me wrong, I'm glad Shane Taylor saw the light. And we
were only too happy to help him beat what's left of his brother's brains
out.  But if you think that little scrum we had last night satisfied me
or my cousins one damn bit, you're an idiot.  Beating up invalids has
made us sweat harder.  So, to our remaining opponents tonight, you can
thank Bobby Taylor for deciding to waste everyone's time last night with
his little Outlaw Cliche Comedy Hour. Because of that, we are the
freshest team standing.

JD:  Indeed. And I think you'll be a much happier man tonight. Because
now, The Bishop Boys have to face another one of the AWA's toughest
teams in The Right Proper Thugs.

CB:  Happy? Do you see a smile on my face?

[Jason, taken aback, gulps hard.]

JD: Well, no. But you are always talkin....

CB [interrupting yet again]: But nothing! WHY do we always get saddled
with the teams hiding behind a skirt?!

[Duane Henry snaps out of his trance.]

DHB: Wait a sec, cuz. That's a WOMAN?!

CB: Either that or it's the ugliest crossdresser since Michelle Bailey.
Either way, I don't care to check. Do you?

[Duane Henry covers his mouth and shakes his head vigorously. Now it's
Jason's turn to roll his eyes.]

JD: Interesting that you would choose the word "hiding", considering
you've been known to get involved in your cousins' business.

CB: You bet your tail I do! And if that "lady" dares to get involved in
this match? We're gonna find out real quick how much she enjoys the
taste of her own cane.

[Jason raises an eyebrow, but decides not to pursue that line of
questioning. Family show and all, y'know?]

JD: Ah, how about we change the subject? How about Marcus Moore and
Barrett Topps, the Thugs themselves?

CB: Yeah, what about them?

JD: Well, you usually have something to say about pretty much
everything, and you ARE facing them, so I figur...

[Bo stops Jason in his tracks by holding up a hand and shaking his head
with a chuckle.]

CB: Look, Dane, you know I used to be a wrestler myself, right?

JD: Yes, I do.

CB: Then you know that I've seen pretty much everything in this
business. I've seen the pretty boys. I've seen the old geezers. The
spooky guys. The point being that I've seen every stereotype there is.
And these guys? They're no different. It's all "sod" this and "wanker"
that. I get it. They're a couple of meatheads. Don't think that I
haven't seen this act about a billion times.

JD: Am I hearing this right? Are you overlooking The Right Proper Thugs?

CB: Hey, don't put words in my mouth, Dane. They're a real dangerous
team. I'm not gonna deny that. But these guys can't decide from day to
day what they want to do in the AWA. From the moment they got here, they
made it real clear that they came here to make people bleed. Sound
familiar at all?

[Bo smirks as Jason nods.]

CB: And I distinctly recall them saying that they...

[Bo looks away for a second.]

CB: ...didn't give a "toss" about the titles. Yet the Stampede Cup rolls
around, the best opportunity they're ever gonna get at being contenders,
and now, surprise surprise, here come the claims of the Championship
Committee "holding them back". Suddenly, they DO care about the titles.
Again, I ask, sound familiar?

JD: Well, I hate to say it, but you do have a point. Sort of.

CB: Of course I do. You know why? Because when it comes down to it, the
Right Proper Thugs are nothing but a bargain basement version of the
Bishop Boys.

[Jason's eyes widen as he hears this claim. He has no time to say
anything, though, because Bo's on a tangent.]

CB: See, there's a huge difference between us. All I've heard going into
this tournament from the other teams is about how tough teams like Rough
N Ready and The Outlaws are.

[Bo smiles.]

CB: Well, we've seen how "tough" The Outlaws are, haven't we? And
everybody talks about Dufresne and Freeman. Because, whether they've
actually earned anything or not, they ARE the champions for now.

[Bo raises an eyebrow and points to his cousins.]

CB: Now The Bishop Boys, on the other hand? Nobody dares invoke our
name, because they know the minute they do, we're comin' to tear their
heads off.

[Bo points at the camera.]

CB: The Right Proper Thugs? Nobody bothers to mention you, because in
the end, nobody's gonna remember the imitators.

[Bo acknowledges Jason's reaction of surprise with a nod.]

CB: Tonight is OUR night. Our first REAL fight of the tournament. Our
shot at redemption. This is the night where we prove to everyone that we
are the definition of tag team wrestling. We've worked way too hard to
turn back now. The trophy? The check? That guaranteed title shot? At the
end of the night, they're gonna belong to US!

[Bo points toward the entryway, and The Bishop Boys stalk off towards
it.]

CB: And Cooper? Don't think we've forgotten about you either. "Pal".

[Bo looks to spit on the floor, but decides it's not worth it, eyeballs
the camera for a second, and walks off. Jason whistles lightly.]

JD: Guys, the tension in the building is off the charts. I can't think
of too many occasions where there's been quite this level of electricity
in the AWA. Gordon?  Bucky?  Back to you.

[And with that, we fade back to the ringside area where Gordon and Bucky
are standing.]

GM:  The tensions are running high backstage.  The excitement is running
high out here at ringside.  Man, I love the Stampede Cup!  Two of the
most exciting nights of action I can remember here in the AWA, Bucky. 
And if our first match of the evening was any indication of things to
come, this is going to be a wild night!

BW: And this match might be the best one of the night, as two of our
fine, upstanding tag teams in the AWA square off!

GM: If by fine and upstanding you mean dastardly and cheating, then yes.
 Up next will be The Bishop Boys taking on the Right Proper Thugs!  We
can expect the rules to be thrown out the window for this one.

BW: You mean we can expect both teams to do whatever it takes to win!

GM: Let's go up to Melissa Cannon with introductions.

[Camera cuts to Melissa Cannon, standing in the center of the ring,
microphone in hand.]

MC: The following quarterfinal match is scheduled for one fall with a
thirty minute time limit.  Introducing first, hailing from England in
the United Kingdom, weighing in at a combined weight of 535 pounds,
accompanied to the ring by Lady Victoria Pembroke-Burton... Please
welcome... 

Barrett Topps... Marcus Moore...

THE RIGHT...PROPER...THHHHHHHHUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGSSSSSSSSS!!

#Gonna be a dirty punk
Gonna rock your neighborhood#

[The crowd boos as the angry lyrics of The Clash stream out of the sound
system and the Right Proper Thugs step into the aisle.  Leading the way
is Lady Victoria Pembroke-Burton, her brunette hair coifed to perfection
and dressed in a leather skirt with leather riding boots, a Sex Pistols
t-shirt and a red riding jacket over it.  A cross between English
upper-crust and hardcore punk.  Her nose-ring gleams in the light of the
arena.  Behind her are the Right Proper Thugs dressed in their usual
ring attire:  Barrett in dark blue wrestling shorts with the English
flag in the center of the waist.  He wears calf-length dark blue
wrestling boots, along with matching kneepads and elbowpads.  His
partner, Marcus Moore's attire consists of ripped, faded denim shorts
that hang down just a bit past his knees.  He wears well-worn Doc Marten
workboots, and his hands are covered with dirty, faded fingerless
gloves.]

#Do the sound of rebel funk
Turn it up loud like it should#

[Lady Victoria leads her team down the aisle, sneering at the audience
and slapping away any hands reaching out towards her.  Moore and Topps
look like they're ready and willing to just climb over the security
barricades to brawl with the fans, but content themselves with spitting
into the crowd, hocking huge wads of phlegm.]

#I could hear your momma scream
Shes gonna waste herself away#

[The Right Proper Thugs climb into the ring, holding the ring ropes open
for Lady Victoria, allowing her to climb into the ring.  She slips
between the bottom and middle ropes, wiggling her leather-clad bottom a
bit, just to tease the fans, although it seems Moore gets a bit of
enjoyment from it by the lewd grin he gets when she does that entrance.]

#When your daddy smashed that tv screen
I understand what he had to say#

[Lady Victoria poses between her two men, holding their arms up as they
just glare out at the audience.  As their music finally cuts off,
Victoria exits the ring, staying in her teams corner as they get ready
to face their opponents]

GM: The Right Proper Thugs are coming off of an impressive, and
surpisingly legal, win over the Fabulous Falcons last night in their
first round match.

BW: You act as though these guys don't play by the rules at all times.

GM: They don't!

BW: Sure they do.  They just happen to make their own rules.

[We cut back to Melissa Cannon in the ring.]

MC: And their opponents!  Weighing in at a combined weight of 568
pounds... hailing from Kingsland, Arkansas... accompanied to the ring by
Cousin Bo...

Duane Henry and Cletus Lee...

THE BIIIIIIIISHOPPPPPPPP BOOOOOOOYYYYYYYYSSSSS!!!

["Trashville" by Hank Williams III plays as Duane Henry Bishop comes
stomping out of the entryway with a nasty snarl on his face, pounding
his taped fists together.  Cousin Bo follows with a big smile on his
face, gesturing towards the back. Cletus Lee Bishop slowly stalks his
way from behind the curtain, staring maniacally around at the audience.
Cletus Lee pulls at his beard as Bo assuringly pats him on the back.
Duane Henry slides into the ring, and raises his arms to the jeering
crowd.  Cletus Lee climbs the ring steps as Cousin Bo takes his place at
ringside, and strides over the top rope. As he enters, both men have to
be restrained by the ref before he rings the bell.]

GM: The Bishop Boys, as usual, are ready to go at a moment's notice.
This ought to be a _very_ interesting matchup!

BW: I don't know what to do!  I love both of these teams! 

[The bell rings as Duane Henry moves to the center of the ring for the
Bishop Boys, while Barrett Topps will start things off for the Right
Proper Thugs.  The two move quickly towards each other, nose to nose,
jawing with each other.  Topps steps back and shows off a flexed bicep
for Duane Henry, who looks thoroughly unimpressed.  Topps now reaches an
arm in the air, asking for a test of strength.  Duane Henry sneers and
agrees, and both men lock hands in the center of the ring.  The test of
strength lasts for about half a second as both men kick each other in
the gut at the same time, making an attempt to play dirty.]

GM: Cheaters never prosper!

BW: They use the same playbook, daddy!  They're used to those idiotic
do-gooders who like to test their strength.

[Both men back up, sneering at each other, then quickly come back
together with a collar and elbow tieup.  Neither man can do much with
the other, and Topps decides to slam his head foward and connects with a
headbutt to Duane Henry's face.  Duane Henry backs up, stunned, and
Topps wastes no time with a stiff clothesline that floors Bishop.  Duane
Henry scrambles back to his feet and Topps grabs him by the wrist, and
whips him towards the opposite ropes.  Duane Henry rebounds off as Topps
attempts another clothesline, but Bishop ducks under the clothesline and
rebounds off the opposite ropes.  Topps spins around and is met by a
running shoulderblock from Duane Henry that floors him!]

GM: Good, hard shoulderblock by Duane Henry there.  I imagine we won't
be seeing a technical display here tonight between these two teams. 
Just brute force.

BW: And they both do it so well!

[Duane Henry reaches down and scoops Barrett Topps up from a prone
position and walks him around the ring for a few moments before dropping
him unceremoniously with a body slam as Topps clutches his back.  Bishop
bounces off of the ropes slowly as he squares up his target, then drops
the point of his elbow right down onto the sternum of Barrett Topps as
Cousin Bo shouts his approval from the outside.  Topps is pulled to his
feet by his short blonde hair as Duane Henry wraps his arms around
Topps' waist and lifts him off of the ground as he locks in tightly with
a bearhug.]

GM: Duane Henry is showing off some strength of his own as he clamps
down with this bearhug!

BW: Barrett needs to make a tag and do it quickly, because big ole'
Cletus Lee is still waiting to get in there!

[Topps can be heard screaming as he is squeezed tighter and tighter, but
he seems to heed Bucky's advice as he reaches both arms back and then
brings them together, clapping his hands hard over Duane Henry's ears.
Bishop staggers, but holds on to the bearhug.  Topps reaches back again
and once again claps down against the ears and Duane Henry releases the
hold.  He staggers back towards the Right Proper Thugs corner as Lady
Victoria screams for a tag and is granted her wish.  Marcus Moore climbs
in the ring as Topps pulls Duane Henry out of the corner and sizes him
up with a clothesline that sends the Arkansas native staggering back
towards Marcus Moore, who is waiting behind him and wraps his arms
around Bishop's waist and throws him back with a stiff German suplex!]

GM: Very nice move there from The Right Proper Thugs!

BW: But watch out, because here comes Cletus Lee!

[Indeed.  At Cousin Bo's behest, Cletus Lee comes charging into the ring
and clotheslines an unsuspecting Barrett Topps over the top rope and he
himself goes over the top at the same time and two land in a pile on the
outside and promptly begin brawling on the floor!  The crowd pops
excitedly as the two men trade haymakers.  Inside the ring, Marcus Moore
stands over the prone form of Duane Henry Bishop and wraps his hands
around his throat, choking him.  Moore shows impressive strength as he
pulls Bishop off of the mat and off of his feet completely while keeping
the choke applied!  The referee steps in and begins a five count on
Moore for the choke and just before he reaches five, Moore releases the
choke, and as Duane Henry falls towards the mat, he follows through
and...

...BOOM!]

BW: Duane Henry might need a chiropractor after this match, daddy!

GM: Yes, indeed!  Marcus Moore turned that choke into a spinebuster in
one fell swoop!  Very impressive move there by the Brit!

[Moore takes the opportunity to bask in the cheers and clapping coming
from his manager, Lady Victoria Pembroke-Burton.  He returns to task,
however, as he pulls Duane Henry up and grabs his wrist and yanks him
towards him for a short-arm clothesline, but Duane Henry ducks under!
Moore spins around in surprise and is met by a boot to the gut and is
doubled over before being locked in and then dropped on to his head by a
double arm DDT by Duane Henry Bishop!  Both men lie on the mat, chests
heaving, as Duane Henry reaches an arm over and drapes it over Moore's
chest for the cover!]

GM:  ONE!!!  TWO!!!

[And the pin is broken up by Barrett Topps, who comes charging in from
the apron!]

GM: Marcus Moore got caught there by surprise, and it only takes a
moment in this sport for you to get put down for the count!

BW: Barrett wasn't going to allow that!

[The referee Meekly forces Topps back to his corner and back on to the
apron as both men are slow to rise.  It's Duane Henry who rises first
and meets Moore with a stiff chop to the chest that sends the Brit
staggering backwards.  Duane Henry connects with another and Moore
staggers back into the Bishop Boys' corner!  Cletus Lee reaches a huge
arm into the air and slams it down onto Moore's chest as he is tagged in
by Duane Henry.]

GM: Uh oh, here comes the big fella!

BW: This is exactly what Lady Victoria did not want to see, daddy!  As a
former manager myself, I know what she's thinking.

[Duane Henry doesn't exit the ring quickly, however.  Cletus Lee grabs
Moore and whips him to the ropes as Duane Henry follows quickly behind
Moore and as Moore rebounds he is met by a shoulderblock from the big
Cletus Lee and is then quickly sandwiched with a shoulderblock from
behind by Duane Henry!]

GM:  OHHHH!  What a doubleteam by the Bishops!  

[Moore falls limply to the mat, near the ropes. Cletus Lee wastes no
time now that he has finally entered the match, and pulls Moore's head
up and places his throat across the bottom rope.  He then drops a big
knee on to Moore's neck as he chokes him against the ring rope!  The
referee immediately begins a five count, but is interrupted at three as
Cousin Bo jumps on to the apron to get Meekly's attention!]

GM: Now we've got vintage Bishop Boys!

BW: But unlike those weaklings Rough N Ready, the Right Proper Thugs
aren't going to sit around and watch it happen!

[Bucky speaks the truth.  Rather than waiting for Meekly to pay
attention, Barrett Topps sprints into the ring to attack Cletus Lee, but
is met by Duane Henry who has also entered the ring!  The two trade
haymakers as Lady Victoria climbs onto the apron next to Cousin Bo to
get the referee to pay attention to the choke!]

GM: The referee has lost all semblance of control in this match!

BW: That's not a surprise with these two teams!

[After half a dozen haymakers from both men, Barrett Topps finally is
able to force Duane Henry to the outside, but the Bishop Boy pulls Topps
out with him as they spill to the outside.  Finally, the referee gives
up on the two managers and returns to Cletus Lee and is close to
disqualifying him before Bishop finally relents on the choke.  Marcus
Moore coughs violently and clutches his neck as the big Cletus Lee yanks
him to his feet, and then connects with a stiff overhand chop!  Cletus
Lee then shows off his impressive strength, scooping Moore up and walks
him around the ring for a few moments before finally dropping him down
with a thunderous press slam back breaker!]

GM:  Good grief!  Pure power from Cletus Lee Bishop!

[The crowd groans as they hear Moore's scream of pain.  Those screams
grow exponentially as the maniacal Cletus Lee drops down to his knees
and begins biting Moore's face!]

GM: Get in there, ref!  This is disgusting!

BW: That's just how the cookie crumbles with the Bishop Boys, daddy!

[Cletus Lee doesn't keep the bite on long, however, and instead attempts
a pin.  Meekly drops down for the cover.]

GM:  ONE!!  TWO!!  KICKOUT BY MOORE!  Marcus Moore just gets his arm up,
showing some phenomenal toughness!

[He'll need some more of that toughness, because Cletus Lee is not happy
with the fact that Moore kicked out.  Cletus Lee rises to his feet, and
squares up Moore as a kicker would square up a field goal, and then much
like a kicker, runs forward and swings his leg forward, connecting
squarely with a kick to Marcus Moore's face!  Huge pop from the crowd
for the stiff move from Cletus Lee!]

GM: This man is an absolute monster, Bucky.  He's a force in this
industry and the worst part is that he has no honor!

BW: Honor among thieves, Gordo.

[Cletus Lee turns back towards Moore, yanking him up by his hair,
preparing to do even more damage.  He then wraps his meaty paws around
Moore's neck choking him.  Lady Victoria doesn't seem to want to see any
more damage done to her charge and promptly jumps up on the apron to
yell at the referee for allowing the actions of Cletus Lee.  But in
addition to getting the referee's attention, she gets another figure's
attention.]

GM: Oh, no.

BW: Lady Victoria... you better get off that apron!

[Because Cletus Lee has turned his attention towards the Right Proper
Thugs' manager.  She looks at him and screams defiantly, which causes
the big Bishop Boy to storm over and grab Lady Victoria by the hair.  He
reaches back to drop the hammer on her as she screams in sheer terror,
but the referee dives in between the two of them, shielding Lady
Victoria from harm!]

GM: There's Mickey Meekly getting in between Cletus Lee Bishop and Lady
Victoria Pembroke-Burton!  Who says chivalry is dead!?

BW: Stupidity clearly isn't!

[Cletus Lee turns away from his prey and returns back to Marcus Moore,
who is swaying unsteadily on his feet.  Bishop once again reaches up to
choke Marcus Moore, but instead is met by a stiff headbutt right across
the bridge of his nose from Marcus Moore!  Pop!  Moore shows some signs
of life, reaching back and hammering Cletus Lee with right hands,
raining down haymakers on the big man!]

GM: Marcus Moore desperately needs to tag out to his partner, Barrett
Topps, and do it quickly!

BW: They need to get Cletus Lee out of that ring, because that monster
is unstoppable, daddy!

[Marcus Moore follows up the haymakers with repeated headbutts on Cletus
Lee's nose, trying anything and everything to knock Cletus Lee down! 
The crowd responds to the spirited Moore, excited to see the possibility
of Bishop leaving his feet.  Moore then begins to use repeated forearm
smashes, over and over, leaving Cletus Lee teetering on his feet!  Moore
senses the tree is about ready to fall and rebounds off the opposite
ropes, sprinting forward and slamming into Cletus Lee with a flying
lariat!]

GM: TIIIMMMMMBBBBEEERRR!!

BW: Not quite!

[Cletus Lee falls, but does so against the ring ropes and in the process
reaches out and tags the outstretched hand of his brother, Duane Henry!
Duane Henry scurries into the ring and dashes across the ring and hits
the ropes, coming off with a lariat of his own towards Marcus Moore, but
Moore ducks under and...

....WHHHHHHHAAAAAMMMM!!!]

GM: Duane Henry hit Cletus Lee with a running lariat and Cletus Lee goes
over the top rope!

BW: He's still on his feet, though! 

[Thanks to Cousin Bo, Cletus Lee indeed does stay standing.  Back inside
the ring, Duane Henry quickly recovers and spins towards Marcus Moore,
who wraps a big hand around Duane Henry's throat, lifting him into the
air and down hard with a chokeslam!  The crowd responds again to the
action inside the ring, throwing their hatred of the two teams aside for
the moment!  Moore quickly retreats over to his corner, tagging in
Barrett Topps.  Never the one to miss an opportunity for a double-team,
Moore remains in the ring and scoops up Duane Henry, latching him in to
a full nelson.  He hoists him backwards and slams Bishop down with a
nasty full nelson suplex!  Topps rebounds off of the ropes and follows
up with a running legdrop on the prone Duane Henry!]

GM: Lady Victoria is thrilled right now.  The Right Proper Thugs are
working like a well-oiled machine right now, Bucky. 

BW: That's exactly what they are, daddy!

[As the referee attempts to get Marcus Moore out of the ring, Barrett
Topps takes this opportunity to lean over the fallen Duane Henry and
grind a thumb into his eye socket.  Duane Henry writhes in pain on the
mat, and eventually Meekly returns to the action in the ring and puts a
five count on Topps.  Using 4.99999 seconds before ceasing the illegal
move, Topps then drags Duane Henry to his feet, and hammers him with a
stiff European uppercut that snaps Duane Henry's head back!  Topps
scoops up Bishop and runs towards the center of the ring before slamming
Duane Henry's shoulder across his knee with a thunderous
shoulderbreaker!!  Topps goes for the cover...]

GM:  ONE!!  TWO!!  THR---CLETUS LEE MAKES THE SAVE!!  The big fella gets
in there just in time to save The Bishop Boys from elimination!

BW: I think both of these teams should get a pass and replace some of
these do-gooder teams that litter this tournament right now.

[Topps scrambles back to his feet as Cletus Lee is forced from the ring
by the referee.  He glowers at Cletus Lee and continues his assault on
his brother, yanking Duane Henry unceremoniously to his feet.  He wraps
his arms around Duane Henry's waist and heaves him up and over, landing
with a stiff overhead belly to belly suplex!  Barrett hooks the leg for
the cover!]

GM:  ONE!!  TWO!!  TH-CLETUS LEE BREAKS IT UP AGAIN!!  I'm not sure how
this match is ever going to end, since neither team cares one bit for
the rules!  Someone's going to have to get disqualified!

BW: Or knocked completely unconscious!  Both these teams are experts at
putting other teams' lights out!

[Marcus Moore has seen enough of big Cletus Lee and climbs into the ring
and heads straight for him.  The two immediately begin to trade
haymakers as Topps mounts Duane Henry and pepper him with lefts and
rights to the face.  Meekly looks to break up the mayhem at the behest
of Cousin Bo, but Lady Victoria Pembroke-Burton climbs up on to the
apron yet again, hoping to give her men more time to deal damage!]

GM: The referee has lost all control of this match, Bucky.

BW: It's a beautiful thing, daddy!

[Cletus Lee starts to get the upper hand in the brawl with Marcus Moore
and grabs the Brit by the wrist and whips him into the ropes...

...right where Lady Victoria is standing!]

GM: OH MY!!  Marcus Moore was whipped right into his manager and she
flew right off the apron and down to the floor!  We may need some help
out here for Lady Victoria!

[Moore stares at his fallen manager, dazed, and is clubbed from behind
by Cletus Lee, sending him sprawling to the outside!  Meanwhile, Barrett
Topps has pulled Duane Henry up to a vertical base and runs towards the
ropes, rebounding towards Bishop and connecting with a running kneelift!
 Duane Henry wobbles, but doesn't fall.  Topps decides to give it
another go, heading to the ropes again, where Cousin Bo reaches in and
yanks on Topps' leg, sending him stumbling towards Duane Henry!  Bishop
meets Topps with a boot to the gut, stunning him.  He quickly hoists
Topps up, with Cletus Lee charging in from behind with a big boot...

.........WWWWHHHHHHHHHAAAAAMMMMMMMM!!!!!!]

GM: OH GOODNESS!  THAT'S GOING TO DO IT!

BW: DOC ALLAN'S MIRACLE HEADACHE ELIXIR!!

[Duane Henry finishes off the move with a seated powerbomb as Meekly
dives in for the cover!!

GM:  ONE!!  TWO!!  THREEEEEEEEEEE!!!

[DING! DING! DING!]

GM: The Bishop Boys have defeated The Right Proper Thugs and will move
on to the next round!

BW: It's a shame one of them had to go!

[Melissa Cannon is in the center of the ring with the decision...]

MC: Here are your winners.... 

THE BIIIIIISSSHHHHHHHHHHHOOOPPPPPPPPP BOOOOOOOOOOOOOYYYYYYYYYYSSSSSSSS!

[The crowd reponds with a mixed reaction - some cheering at the war they
just saw, some jeering because... well, it's the Bishop Boys.]

GM:  The Bishop Boys have won and man oh man, Bailey Fitzgerald and
Corey Lawson have got their work cut out for them in the semifinals
tonight, Bucky Wilde.

BW:  I told you those two Boy Scouts weren't gettin' to the Finals!  Did
you see the Bishops in there tonight?  Nobody's stoppin' the Bishops! 
Nobody!

GM:  The Bishop Boys moving on and-

[The crowd suddenly reacts with a huge shower of boos as Myers and Wilde
abruptly stop their commentary.  Why, you ask?  Because a very unhappy
"Agent to the Stars" and the AWA National Champion have stormed the set.

Waterson, in his usual three-piece suit and metal briefcase in hand,
leads the way, almost literally foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog. 
Stevie Scott follows behind, a bit more under control, holding the AWA
National Title on his shoulder.]

GM: Well gentlemen, I can't say that this visit is unexpecte-

[Myers doesn't even get to finish his sentence before Waterson rips the
microphone away from him.]

ATTSBW: No, you probably can't, Myers, because you're probably in on
this conspiracy, too!  This ridiculous grand conspiracy against the AWA
National Champion that I _thought_ was settled after that farce of a
match that Stephen Ross allowed to happen at SuperClash!

[Waterson, now completely red-faced, pauses long enough to allow the
crowd's chant of "Ben, you suck!" to be clearly audible.]

ATTSBW: SHUT UP!  SHUT THESE PEOPLE UP, MYERS, OR WE WALK OUT OF HERE
RIGHT NOW!

[Myers tries to keep from laughing, but can't, prompting a
now-out-of-control Waterson to grab him by his jacket.]

ATTSBW: YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY, DO YOU?  I KNOW YOU HAD SOMETHING TO DO
WITH THIS!  I KNOW IT!

[Myers manages to pull himself out of Waterson's grasp, and though he
does not have access to a microphone, he talks loud enough for his voice
to be heard anyway.]

GM: You touch me again and I'll sue you for everything you're worth!

[The "Agent to the Stars" pauses again, and before he can make another
attempt at grabbing Myers, the champ grabs him by the shoulders and
pulls him back.  This seems to help Waterson regain his composure.  A
little, anyway.]

ATTSBW: Alright... alright, Myers.  Just you wait.  Your time is going
to come soon enough.  But right now...right now, I want a face-to-face
meeting with Stephen Ross.  And we're not leaving until he gets his
sorry-

GM: [now using Bucky's microphone and drowning out Waterson at the
opportune moment for the censors] Watch your language!

ATTSBW: -out here and explains to me why you have it out for the
Southern Syndicate!

[Waterson drops the mic and looks around, presumably for Ross, but sees
nothing he likes.  Within a few seconds of his demand, he grabs a chair
from ringside, tosses it into the ring, and begins his climb up.]

GM: We need security out here immediately!  This man is _completely_ out
of control!

BW: I tell you what, daddy, I've never seen Ben Waterson this mad.  And
a mad Ben Waterson ain't good news for anyone.

[Now in the ring, Waterson takes a seat in the chair as the heel heat
reaches new heights.  Stevie Scott, meanwhile, simply stands by the
broadcast table for now, but continues to survey the arena behind his
sunglasses.]

GM: We don't have time for this.  We are under a tight schedule tonight
to say the least and to have any kind of delay is just going to-

[The crowd pops again, and Waterson immediately stands up and dashes to
the right side of the ring nearest the entrance aisle...

...where the camera cuts to show Stephen Ross walking down toward the
ring and broadcast table.]

GM: It seems that Mr. Waterson's temper-tantrum has gotten him what he
wants.  Stephen Ross on his way to our table.

[Ross arrives and is immediately handed a microphone by Myers.  Waterson
stays in the ring, continuing to point and yell at Ross.]

SR: I don't have time to play your little games tonight, Ben, so if you
would come down here so we can get this over with, I would appreciate
it.

[Waterson obliges about as quickly as he can, approaching Ross as Stevie
Scott moves to flank his agent/manager.]

SR:  You want to know why Mr. Scott is competing here tonight?  I
thought that would be plainly obvious, Mr. Waterson.  The Championship
Committee decided that on our final event of the year - on such a big
event, the National Champion SHOULD be competing.

It's nothing personal, Mr. Waterson... Mr. Scott... it's just for these
great fans here in Laredo!

[Laredo pop!]

ATTSBW: Nothing personal?  NOTHING PERSONAL?  Ross, it's been personal
with you from the moment that Stevie Scott won the AWA National Title. 
I don't know if you took it as a personal insult or what, but make no
mistake about it... it HAS been personal with you.

And this...this is just another instance in a long line of instances
where you have done your absolute best to put Stevie Scott behind the
eight-ball, to put him in a situation where he can't win.  The whole
thing with Juan Vasquez was an absolute farce, and I thought...I THOUGHT
that my lawyers made things quite clear after that incident went down.
But I guess I was mistaken.

So unless you want the AWA National Champion to take an early leave of
absence tonight, and unless you want to hear from my lawyers AGAIN, I
would suggest that you forget this blatant show of discrimination
against _your_ champion and call the whole thing off before someone gets
hurt.

[Stephen Ross shakes his head.]

SR:  Look, I've already had to make one decision tonight I'm not happy
with... and this place is getting more and more out of control every
week... in large part, thanks to you...

So, let's make this simple.

[Ross pauses.]

SR:  You want to walk?  Fine.  But I will IMMEDIATELY suspend both
yourself and Mr. Scott!

[Big cheer!]

SR:  I will strip him of the National Title!

[Another big cheer!]

SR:  And it will be YOU who will be hearing from MY lawyers.  Is that
clear?

[Another roaring cheer!  Waterson looks fit to be tied but Stevie Scott
pats his manager on the shoulder, trying to settle him down.]

SR:  Good.  I'll see you out here later tonight for your match then.

[Ross starts to leave when another voice rings out - this time the
National Champion's.]

HSS: Stephen Ross, I think you have things backwards, big man.

I don't think _you_ know who you're dealing with.

I _am_ the AWA National Champion.  I've taken on challenger, after
challenger, after challenger that you've put in front of me.  And every
last one of 'em, I've sent them away with a big, fat loss on their
record.  Even after the fiasco that was the Juan Vasquez match, I've
still proven that I _am_ the man here, whether you-

[Stevie points to Ross, then toward the general direction of the crowd.]

HSS: Or these people here like it or not!

So right now...I'm telling you, Gordon Myers...I'm telling the AWA..and
I'm telling _you_, Stephen Ross, that _nobody_...

[Stevie pauses, quite obviously for effect.]

HSS: _Nobody_ tells Stevie Scott what to do.  I _am_ the AWA National
Heavyweight Champion, and I will _not_ be put in a situation that I
don't want to be put in.

So Ross, if you think you're putting me in the ring when I don't want to
be there, then you've got another thing coming.

[And with that, the National Champion and the Agent To The Stars walk
away, heading back up the aisle.]

GM:  Wait... what does that mean?  

BW:  You heard the man.  Nobody tells Stevie Scott what to do!

GM:  Stephen Ross said they'd be suspended!  He said the title would be
stripped!  Is Stevie Scott REALLY going to walk away from the National
Title?

BW:  I don't know, Gordo.  

GM:  Neither do I but I guess we'll ALL find out later tonight.  Fans,
we need to take a quick break but we'll be right back! 

[And we fade to black...

After a moment, we fade back up on a shot of Jason Dane and Mark
Stegglet in an apparently moving car.]

JD:  Hey, AWA fans - so much of our lives are now spent on-the-go,
wouldn't you love to be able to keep track of your favorite AWA
superstars when you're away from home?

MS:  I know I would, Jason!  And I'd also love to have a place to put
out all those rumors we hear during the week that never make AWA
Saturday Night Wrestling.

JD:  You've got that right.  Wouldn't it be great if we could combine
both of those ideas into one?

[Suddenly, a giant graphic of an iPhone appears between them!]

JD & MS:  NOW WE CAN!

[A voiceover takes over - thank God.]

VO:  Starting today, you can download AWA Access - a great new
application for your iPhone where you can get all the AWA news, rumors,
and happenings before the rest of the world.  And don't forget to check
out the "exclusive" section for matches that never aired!  AWA Access -
coming to an iPhone near you!

[Fade back to black...

...and then back up to the backstage area, where a cautious Jason Dane
stands by with a horrid looking Tin Can Rust. The former tag team
champion sports a scruffy peppered beard, a worn look on his face, but a
fiery glint in his eyes.]

JS: Jason Dane here with Tin Can Rust.  I know that you were unable to
be here last night but I'm sure that you heard what Doctor Ponavitch had
to say concerning your tag team partner, City Jack.  What are your
thoughts going into tonight?

[Dane thrusts the microphone into Rust's direction. Rust looks down at
the microphone then back at Dane... and then pushes the smaller Dane's
hand away with force.]

TCR: Look at my eyes, Dane!

[Dane furrows his brow at Rust's response.]

TCR: LOOK AT THEM!

[Dane nervously nods as he puts his hands up in a defensive stance.]

TCR: Do you think, for one moment, I've been able to get an minute of
sleep? Can't you see that by my bloodshot eyes, I've been up every night
- EVERY NIGHT, DANE!

JD: I... I... I underst-

TCR: That's not just my "tag team partner", Dane. That's my friend! City
Jack and I, we're like brothers. Brothers, Dane!

JD: Ok, I get it, but -

TCR: So do you think I don't know what's happened to Jack? I knew it the
moment I saw that fireball... But I still had some hope. I'm no doc, so
I thought maybe it just looked bad.

[Rust shakes his head, nearly biting through his bottom lip as he tries
to hold back his emotions.]

TCR: But the docs, they squashed that hope last week... The man... The
man may never see again, Dane, and you're here asking me about "my tag
team partner"?!?

JD: I didn't mean any disresp-

TCR: No, I know... You didn't mean anything. You're just doing your job,
I get it. Just doing your job while a man's livelihood's been taken away
from him. A man's LIFE has been WRECKED! But, I got it, Dane... I see
this for what it is...

JD: Rust, I didn't mean anything by it.

[The frantic and angry Rust puts his hands up to his head, not knowing
what to do or say next.]

JD: Look, I'm sorry Rust. Everyone here feels horribly about what
happened to Jack. He was a friend to pretty much everyone here, the
fans, most of the wrestlers, and -

[Rust, still seething, waves off Dane from continuing his apology.]

TCR: No, no more of this, Dane... No more of this... Talk.

[Rust forcibly takes the microphone from Jason Dane's grip and points
into the camera.]

TCR: Championship Committee?  AWA Management?  Unless you all want two
cripples on your payroll, you'd better either take your tag team
champions far, far, far away from here tonight, the next show, and every
show after that... or ban me from ever coming and showing my face here
again.  Cause...

[Rust pauses, swallowing a bit as he continues to breath heavily.]

TCR: Cause I just don't know if I can... If I can contain myself from
breaking BOTH their necks for what they've done.

[Tin Can Rust, his hands shaking, lets the microphone drop out of his
hands into Dane's. The big Kentuckian then backs away, muttering to
himself "I just don't know..." over and over until he's out of the
shot.]

JD: Um... A.. A very affected Tin Can Rust. Gordon, Bucky, back to you.

[Dane looks out towards where Tin Can Rust exited and shakes his head
before the shot cuts back to the booth.]

GM:  Wow.

BW:  You can say that again.

GM:  Tin Can Rust is absolutely livid, Bucky, and you can't blame him
one bit.

BW:  Well, of course you can't.  I mean, there's been a lot of
justification for what happened to City Jack considering it was an
Unsanctioned Match but at the end of the day, that's the man's friend...
his brother like he said.  I've said a lot of things about both of them
over the years and... well, I...

GM:  Bucky?

BW:  Sorry, Gordo.  Just... I'm not sure what to say other than...

[A pause.]

BW:  I MEANT EVERY WORD OF IT!!  HAHAHAHA!

GM:  Oh, come on!

BW:  Burn, baby, burn!

GM:  I can't believe this, Bucky.  I just can't believe you.  Let's go
up to Melissa for our next match!

[Cut to the ring where Melissa Cannon is standing.]

MC:  The following quarterfinal contest is scheduled for one fall with a
thirty minute time limit.  Introducing first...

[The lights drop, replaced by a flashing white strobe that blinks in
time to the opening grating strains of "Cowboys From Hell" by Pantera. 
The crowd roars to life as the ring announcer makes the call:]

MC:  Coming down the aisle... at a total combined weight of 472
pounds... 

Brent Maverick!  Doc Holliday!

THE OUUUUUTLAWWWS!

[As the ring announcer makes the call, The Outlaws burst right out from
behind the curtain, as the fans continue to roar their approval.  Both
men are clad in black dusters and 'cowboy' hats, with white leather gun
belts (complete with guns) around their waists.  They wear rust-red
knee-length trunks with five playing cards running down each leg (four
aces and the 21 of Spades, and reddish brown leather 'western' style
boots with an engraved eagle motif along the front sides.

Taking the lead is Brent Maverick, who storms directly towards the ring.
 Doc Holliday, limping a bit and using his mahogany hand-carved cane for
support, follows behind, taking the time to interact with the fans on
either side of the aisle.  Holliday catches up to Maverick in time for
both Outlaws to enter the ring in unison, Maverick going under the
bottom rope and Holliday jumping over the top rope.

The fans cheer as The Outlaws take center stage, going to opposite sides
of the ring to play to the crowd.  Maverick quickly goes to his corner,
now focused entirely on the match, while Holliday continues to showboat
and play to the crowd.  The blinking strobe stops and the lights return
to normal.] 

GM:  The Outlaws, Brent Maverick and Doc Holliday, are almost
universally hailed as a future Hall of Fame duo, but tonight, they may
have made a mistake.  They gave away a bye that would take them straight
to the semifinals so that they could get a shot at the National Tag Team
Champions.

BW:  Gloryhogs.

GM:  It has absolutely nothing to do with glory, Bucky.  It has
everything to do with Calisto Dufresne and Adrian Freeman assaulting
these two men last night and then trying to cower behind security here
tonight and avoid some payback.  Dufresne said they'd give them the
match if they let them back into the tournament... and if that's how
it's gotta be, that's how it's gotta be!

BW:  Maverick and Holliday may have just kissed any chance of winning
that million dollars away looking for some revenge.  To me, that's not a
Hall of Fame team - unless the Hall of Fame is for stupid people.

GM:  One of the best teams in the sport against the National Tag Team
Champions... arguably the greatest team in the sport.  This should be
one heck of a showdown.

[The Outlaws settle down as Melissa continues.]

MC:  And their opponents...

[ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" starts up to a HUGE explosion of jeers
from the Laredo, Texas crowd.]

MC:  They are the current AWA National Tag Team Champions... at a total
combined weight of 435 pounds...

"Subzero" Adrian Freeman and the "Ladykiller" Calisto Dufresne!

[The jeers intensify as Dufresne struts through the curtain, pausing at
the top of the aisle to look out over the rabid crowd.  He smiles
arrogantly as he pats the title belt secured around his waist.  After a
moment, Adrian Freeman joins him, the belt slung over his shoulder as he
glares at the ring.  Unlike the night before, both men are all business
as they stare off into the distance at the ring.]

GM:  Here they come... the National Tag Team Champions...

BW:  Look at the eyes of Dufresne... this isn't like last night at all,
Gordo.  These are the champions we saw at SuperClash - ready and willing
to do whatever it takes to win the match and steal the glory.

GM:  To them, that's what this night is all about - fortune and glory.

[Freeman leads the way down the aisle, focused on the two men inside the
ring as he marches down.  Dufresne is right behind him, echoing his
partner's steely gaze.]

GM:  These two may have learned their lesson from last night -
especially Dufresne.  They took Fitzgerald and Lawson too lightly and it
ended up with them being eliminated from the tournament.  But tonight,
they look like men on a mission.

BW:  But what's the mission?  Beat the Outlaws?  Cripple the Outlaws? 
Do they want to win the tournament or do they just want to put another
overhyped redneck on the shelf?

GM:  I think we may be about to find out, Bucky.

[Dufresne and Freeman scale the steps, eyes locked on Maverick and
Holliday who look ready to charge across the ring at any moment.]

GM:  Referee Michael Meekly, the AWA's Senior Official, is in charge of
this one.  He'll be trying to keep law and order in effect with these
two teams looking to tear right into each other.

BW:  Good luck.

GM:  That's for sure.  

[Meekly gives both teams some last minute words as Brent Maverick and
Adrian Freeman step out to the apron.  Doc Holliday and Calisto Dufresne
eye one another from across the ring, their gazes locked as the referee
speaks to both men...

...and then signals for the bell!  Big cheer!]

GM:  Here we go!

[With Holliday turned for a moment to talk to Maverick, Dufresne charges
halfway across the ring...

...but pulls up short as Holliday spins around, fists at the ready.]

GM:  Whoa!  Look out!  This one could break down at any time.

BW:  These two teams have never met before.  They've never even been in
the same ring before.  They've never been in the same BUILDING before
this weekend, Gordo.  I think both teams will want to start this off
slowly.  There's a lot riding on this one.

GM:  Both men to the middle and...

[Holliday and Dufresne lunge towards one another, locking up in a collar
and elbow.  The two men jockey for position, trying to get an
advantage...

...before Dufresne tugs him into a side headlock, wrenching down on his
opponent.]

GM:  The Ladykiller's quickly to the side headlock... but Holliday fires
him off to the ropes...

[As Dufresne rebounds, Holliday grabs the arm and whips him down to the
mat.]

GM:  Armdrag by Holliday!

[Dufresne quickly gets back to his feet, charging back in...

...and getting snatched back down to the mat again!]

GM:  Another armdrag by Holliday!  He's using Dufresne's aggressiveness
against him in the early moments of this one.

[With Dufresne down on the mat, Holliday grabs him by the wrist,
twisting him over into an armbar...

...and then drives his elbow down into the tricep, forcing Dufresne
chestfirst down to the canvas.]

GM:  Holliday's got the arm twisted in a wristlock... ohh!  Hard
overhand right across the tricep!

[Still holding the wrist of the Ladykiller, Holliday throws right hand
after right hand on the tricep before slamming an elbow down across the
shoulder joint.]

GM:  Dufresne's fighting up to his feet...

[Holliday shouts at Dufresne as the Ladykiller struggles against the
wristlock, reaching back with his free hand...

...which allows Adrian Freeman to slap the hand, charging into the ring.
 Holliday attempts to spin away from Dufresne but the Ladykiller trips
him up as Freeman gets in, blasting Holliday with a right hand of his
own.]

GM:  Big right hand by Freeman... and another right hand...

[The Australian pulls Holliday off the mat...

...and catches a boot to the midsection that doubles him up!]

GM:  Ohh!  Big boot to the gut!

[Holliday hooks a side headlock on Freeman as the Australian backs him
to the ropes, firing him off...

...and taking Holliday down to the mat in a drop toehold, quickly
floating over him into a side headlock.  But Holliday won't have it,
slipping out of the headlock into a hammerlock, forcing Freeman
chestfirst to the mat again.]

GM:  Nice counter by Holliday, showing off a little more than we usually
see from him.  He's a very diverse grappler inside that ring.  He's got
a lot of different skills.

BW:  We're used to seeing him brawl and fly around the ring.  Armdrags,
hammerlocks, wristlocks... what's gotten into him, Gordo?

GM:  Freeman down on the mat, trapped in that hammerlock...

[Holliday drops down, smashing his knee onto the bent arm.]

GM:  Ohh!  Kneedrop on the arm... that'll do some damage...

[A second kneedrop on the arm causes Freeman to shout out as Holliday
switches his grip, wrenching up on the arm as Freeman battles off the
mat to his feet.]

GM:  Both men back to their feet now... this is an unusual position for
Freeman to be in.  Adrian Freeman is the technician of his team and is
usually the one in control when it gets on the mat.  He's the Rembrandt
of the AWA for his artistic skills on the canvas.

[Hanging onto the wristlock, Holliday drags the Australian back to the
corner where he slaps the hand of Brent Maverick.  The crowd cheers for
Maverick's first appearance in the match just before he clubs a big
forearm smash down across the stretched out arm.]

GM:  Ohh!  

[Maverick grabs the wrist, attempting to pick up where his partner left
off.  But his technique is sloppy and Freeman quickly slips a knee into
the midsection.]

GM:  Big knee to the gut... there's a second...

[Grabbing the wrist of Maverick, Freeman drags him towards the corner,
looking to tag in Dufresne...

...but the powerful Maverick tugs hard, yanking Freeman off his feet and
down to the mat, dragging him towards the Outlaws' corner.]

GM:  Freeman gets pulled right across the ring.  Brent Maverick, that
big powerhouse, just yanked him clear off his feet.

[Holding the wrist, Maverick slaps the hand of Holliday who slips back
into the ring...

...and leaps in the air, dropping an outstretched leg down across the
arm of Freeman!]

GM:  Ohhh!  He snaps off a legdrop across the arm.

BW:  I can't imagine this is the kind of fight that Dufresne and Freeman
expected here tonight.  The Outlaws have thrown them off their game so
far in this one.

GM:  Holliday hauls him off the mat... ohhh!  Big haymaker by Holliday!

[The blow knocks Freeman back into the Outlaws' corner where Holliday
quickly wraps the arm around the top rope...

...and then hammers the arm over and over with right hands.  The referee
quickly moves in, wedging himself between Holliday and Freeman and
forcing the Arizona native back out of the corner as Holliday slaps the
hand of Brent Maverick.]

GM:  Quick tags by the Outlaws in the early moments of this one.  In
comes Maverick again...

[The big man steps in, hooking Freeman under the arm...

...and HURLS him up and out of the corner with a massive hiptoss throw!]

GM:  OHHH!  Down goes Freeman... down hard to the mat...

[Freeman immediately pops up, looking to make the tag to the
Ladykiller...

...but Maverick quickly approaches, hooking Freeman around the waist and
powering him up and over in a belly to back suplex!]

GM:  Brent Maverick is showing off some power here in Laredo, Texas
tonight, Bucky.

BW:  He sure is.  Freeman needs to get the heck out of Dodge in a hurry.

[Rolling to his side, Maverick throws a few well-placed right hands
before hauling Freeman off the mat by the hair, dragging him back to the
corner where he shoves Freeman chestfirst to the buckles before tagging
Holliday back in...

...where Holliday promptly smashes a headbutt down across the kidneys of
the Australian before spinning him around into another armdrag takeover
out of the buckles.]

GM:  Armdra- whoa!  Freeman pulls him into a headscissors!

[Freeman bears down, slapping his own thigh to wrench some more
punishment down on Holliday but the Arizona native wriggles free of the
leg scissors, both men quickly scampering to their feet to square off
but the Australian quickly backpedals, slapping the hand of his partner
to bring Calisto Dufresne back into the match.]

GM:  In comes the Ladykiller...

[Dufresne rushes in on Holliday, throwing a kick aimed at the gut...

...but it's snatched out of the air by Holliday who hangs onto the foot
as he backs towards his own corner, slapping the hand of Brent
Maverick.]

GM:  There's the tag to Maverick again...

[Maverick comes in, throwing a big chop that knocks Dufresne off his
feet and down to the mat.  A few kicks to the ribs has the Ladykiller
rolling away as Maverick stomps towards him.  He reaches down, dragging
Dufresne off the mat...

...where a thumb gets stuck into the eye of Maverick!]

GM:  Ohh!  Cheap shot by Dufresne!

[Dufresne throws a knee to the body, shoving Maverick back into the
ropes.  Another knee to the gut connects as Dufresne grabs for
Maverick's arm.]

GM:  Irish whip by the Ladykiller... hiptoss- counter!

[Maverick blocks the hiptoss attempt, holding his ground.  He reaches
over, grabbing the back of Dufresne's head...

...and THROWING him facefirst down to the canvas!]

GM:  FACEFIRST!

BW:  He just threw him down, Gordo.  Just threw him down like he was
nothing.  I don't know if I've ever seen a hiptoss countered like that. 


GM:  Maverick's a strong, strong man in there.

[Dufresne slowly gets off the mat, clutching his upper body as Maverick
throws a big boot to the gut.  He straightens the Ladykiller with a
hairpull...

...and drops him back down to the mat with a right hand!]

GM:  The Outlaws are takin' it to the champs so far in this one, Bucky.

BW:  It's still early, Gordo.

GM:  It definitely is that.

[Maverick leans down to pick him up...

...and a big kneeling right hand from Dufresne backs Maverick up.  The
Ladykiller quickly gets up, regaining his bearings as he throws another
big right hand.]

GM:  Dufresne's throwing some leather now.  Trying to batter Maverick
down and-

[Another right hand lands...

...but Brent Maverick stands his ground, putting both arms down at his
sides.  The crowd roars as Dufresne throws punch after punch only to
have Brent Maverick stare dead in his eyes, shaking his head.]

GM:  Maverick can't even feel it!  Those punches from Dufresne are
having absolutely no effect!

[Suddenly, Maverick lashes out with a forearm smash across the chest
that sends Dufresne sailing back into the neutral corner.  Grabbing the
Ladykiller by the wrist, Maverick fires him across the ring from corner
to corner, sending Dufresne smashing chestfirst into the buckles...

...where Maverick stampedes across the ring, blasting the Ladykiller in
the back of the head with an enzuilariato!]

GM:  RUNNING CLOTHESLINE TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD!!

[The blow flattens Dufresne on the canvas, clutching the back of his
neck as Adrian Freeman shouts at his partner to make the exchange.]

GM:  Maverick with the tag to Holliday...

[Holliday quickly moves in, measuring Dufresne...

...and DRIVES his elbowsmash down on the back of his head and neck!]

GM:  Dufresne's down on the mat and-

[Straddling the lower body of the Ladykiller, Holliday throws hooking
blows into the ribcage on both sides.  A hooking right hand to the ribs
causes Dufresne to shout out in pain as Holliday finally gets off the
mat, burying a stomp to the kidneys.]

GM:  Holliday drags Dufresne off the mat by the hair...

[In a desperate move, the Ladykiller slaps the hand away, reaching up to
hook his hands behind Holliday's head and tucking his head under
Holliday's chin...

...and drops down to his own knees, snapping him down in a jawbreaker!]

GM:  Ohh!  Jawbreaker!  A desperation move and-

[With Holliday down on the mat, Dufresne crawls over him, wrapping his
hands around the throat of Holliday.]

GM:  That's a choke!  A blatant choke slapped on by Dufresne!

[Dufresne howls with rage as he digs his fingers into the throat of Doc
Holliday.]

GM:  Come on, referee!

[The referee starts a count, getting up to four before Dufresne breaks
the choke...

...but quickly starts throwing right hands into the face of his
opponent!]

GM:  Dufresne's all over him!  Pounding away on Holliday!

[Getting back to his feet, Dufresne leaps into the air, dropping all his
weight down across the chest in a kneedrop before applying a lateral
press.]

GM:  There's one!  There's two!  But that's all.  Dufresne looked a
little desperate there, Bucky... like he was trying to get this over as
quickly as possible.

BW:  Of course he is.  He's still got two matches to go tonight.

GM:  Only if he can win this one.

[Dufresne measures Holliday...

...and STOMPS down hard on the temple of the Arizona native.  He turns
his head towards Brent Maverick who is shouting encouragement at his
partner.]

GM:  Dufresne's glaring at Maverick and-

[The crowd gasps in shock as Dufresne spits squarely in the face of
Maverick...

...and then roars as Maverick climbs into the ring, heading straight
towards Dufresne.  But referee Michael Meekly throws himself in
Maverick's path, refusing to let him at Dufresne.]

GM:  And look at this...

BW:  Suckers!

GM:  In comes Freeman illegally...

[With Freeman joining him, Dufresne fires Holliday off to the ropes and
floors him with a running double clothesline before Freeman slips back
out to the apron.]

GM:  Down goes Holliday... and another cover... one!  Two!  

[Holliday fires the shoulder off the mat at two as Dufresne slaps the
mat in anger.]

GM:  Dufresne up off the mat... 

[A few more stomps to the upper body of Holliday connect before Dufresne
hauls him up by the hair...

...and EATS a right hand to the jaw!]

GM:  Right hand by Holliday!

[Dufresne fires back, popping Holliday with one of his own.]

GM:  Dufresne returns fire...

[The Ladykiller and Holliday stand in the middle of the ring, throwing
right hands at one another as quickly as they can...

...and a snapping jab to the jaw by Holliday sends the crowd into a
roar!]

GM:  Ohh!  What a shot by Holliday!

[The jab knocks Dufresne off his feet where he promptly rolls under the
ropes to the floor...

...and Doc Holliday drops down to the mat, rolling under the ropes to
come after him!]

GM:  Look out!

[Dufresne gets off the thin pads on the floor, seeing Holliday charging
towards him...

...and starts backpedaling, hands up to beg off.]

GM:  Holliday's coming for him!

[The Ladykiller is in full retreat, racing around the ringpost, and
rolling back under the ropes.  Holliday is in hot pursuit, getting back
into the ring as Dufresne hits the far ropes...

...and pulls up short, taunting Holliday as Freeman slips in from the
blind side and LEVELS Holliday with a lunging double axehandle blow!]

GM:  Ohhh!  Freeman nails him from the blind side!

BW:  Completely legal, Gordo!  The ref is signalling that they made a
tag.

GM:  I didn't see one but apparently Dufresne made the tag when he
rolled back into the ring.  Doc Holliday didn't see it either as he got
absolutely creamed by one-half of the National Tag Team Champions.

[Standing over a prone Holliday, Freeman rains down double axehandles to
the back of the head and neck repeatedly.  After knocking Holliday flat,
Freeman stomps down on the head and neck, trying to further incapacitate
the Outlaw.]

GM:  Adrian Freeman is all over Holliday - trying to get an advantage
for the champions.

[Leaping into the air, Freeman drops a knee down across the back of the
neck before flipping Holliday to his back and hooking a leg.]

GM:  We've got one!  We've got two!  Out at two.  Doc Holliday gets the
shoulder up at two and Freeman's dragging him off the mat...

[Back on his feet, Freeman hoists Holliday off the mat and slams him
down with a thunderous snap suplex.]

GM:  Ohhh!  Nice execution on that one by the Australian!

[Dragging Holliday up again, Freeman grabs for the arm, firing Holliday
to the ropes.]

GM:  Clothesli- ducked by Holliday!

[And as the Outlaw hits the far ropes, he rebounds off, hurling himself
into the air...

...and SMASHING Freeman on the jaw with a forearm smash!]

GM:  Flying forearm!  Flying forearm by Holliday!

[With both men down on the mat, the crowd begins to roar as the two men
start crawling towards their respective corners.]

GM:  And now it's a race!  Who can get to their corner first?  Who can
make the tag to the fresher man?

[Holliday seems to be closer to his man...

...which brings in Calisto Dufresne without the benefit of a tag,
charging into the ring.]

GM:  Wait a second!  Dufresne is in illegally and-

[The crowd roars as Brent Maverick returns the favor, rushing into the
ring and drilling Dufresne with a right hand that sends the Ladykiller
sprawling.  The cheers grow louder as Maverick corners Dufresne,
throwing fist after fist into the side of the head as in the middle of
the ring, Adrian Freeman and Doc Holliday have both gotten to their feet
and are trading shots!]

GM:  It's breaking down!  Michael Meekly's trying to regain control...
trying to get Maverick and Dufresne out of there!

BW:  Good luck with that one.

GM:  Ohh!

[The crowd EXPLODES as Maverick and Holliday unload with right hands at
the same time, knocking both Dufresne and Freeman down to the mat where
they roll under the ropes to the floor!]

GM:  Oh yeah!  The Outlaws are rockin' and rollin' all over the National
Tag Team Champions here tonight in Laredo, Texas, Bucky!

BW:  You almost sound happy about that, Gordo!  These men are the _AWA_
National Tag Team Champions... you know, the company that puts food on
your table for you and your wife - and God knows she eats a lot of that
food - and you're cheering against the AWA?  Despicable!

GM:  I am an AWA man through and through but after what Freeman and
Dufresne have done over the past several months, I can not cheer them
on, Bucky Wilde, and you know this.

[Out on the floor, Freeman and Dufresne are deep in conversation, trying
to regroup.  Sick of waiting, Holliday marches across the ring, ducking
through the ropes where he grabs the champions by the hair...

...and SMASHES their skulls together to another big cheer!]

GM:  Ohhh my!  Doc Holliday is a man posessed in there it seems at
times.

[Still holding onto the hair of the Ladykiller, Holliday drags him up
onto the apron, bending him backwards over the top rope...

...and crashes a forearm across the upper body, flipping Dufresne over
the ropes and back into the ring!]

BW:  He's not the legal man!  Get your hands off him!

GM:  The referee looks like he's allowing it.  I think even he has
forgotten who the legal man is.

BW:  I'm not surprised.  These Meeklys have the mental capacity of the
Texas trailer trash that pack the WKIK Studios every other weekend,
daddy.

GM:  Those people pay your salary, Bucky.  Show them some respect.

BW:  When have they ever shown ME any respect?

GM:  Holliday drags Dufresne off the mat... Irish whi- no, reversed by
Dufresne!

[As the Arizona native rebounds off, the Ladykiller extends his right
arm, looking for the clothesline...

...but Holliday takes flight, leaping over a shocked Dufresne, hooking
his head, and SNAPPING him down to the canvas with a flipping
neckbreaker!]

GM:  OHHHH!  DID YOU SEE THAT?!

BW:  Of course I saw it!  I'm not blind like the Meeklys!

GM:  Doc Holliday with an incredible move and that could do it right
there, Bucky!

[Holliday seems a little shaken up from his own move, unable to take
immediate advantage of it as he pushes up slowly off the mat, shaking
his head to try and clear the cobwebs.]

BW:  It's a high risk move and Holliday hit it but he also did some
damage to himself in the process.  That's why they call it high risk,
daddy.

GM:  Holliday's slow to get to his feet... I think he needs a tag...

[Hauling Dufresne to his feet by the hair, Doc Holliday seems to agree
as he moves towards his corner, signalling to his partner.]

GM:  Maverick's got the foot up and- pow!  Headfirst to the foot!

BW:  Pow?  Is this an episode of the old Batman show or something?

GM:  No, but you can see those three times a week on WKIK - still
kickin' it up a notch!

[Maverick tags into the ring as his partner exits, quickly shoving a
staggering Dufresne back into the neutral corner where he grabs his
wrist.]

GM:  Corner to corner whip by Maverick...

[As he approaches the corner, Dufresne hops up to the middle rope,
blinding leaping and twisting...

...where he's snagged out of the air in a bearhug by the powerful
Maverick!]

GM:  Ohh!  Caught by Brent Maverick!

BW:  That backfired for the Ladykiller in a big, big way...

[Maverick charges forward with a roar, smashing Dufresne into the
turnbuckles.  Nodding his head to the crowd, Maverick rears back and
DRILLS Dufresne with a right forearm across the chest.  A second one
follows and a third right after that!]

BW:  Get him out of there, referee!

GM:  Maverick is teeing off on one-half of the tag team champions!  He's
just pummeling him in the buckles!

[Sensing his partner in trouble, Freeman charges in, grabbing Maverick
around the waist...

...but an incoming Holliday blasts Freeman with a right hand, breaking
the waistlock.  A second one knocks Freeman down to the mat where he
rolls to the apron.]

GM:  Dufresne turns it around in the corner... big whi- reversed!

[And the crowd roars as Dufresne smashes hard into the buckles. 
Maverick and Holliday approach the cornered Dufresne despite a
protesting Michael Meekly's wishes.]

GM:  To the other corner... Maverick with another whip...

[The Ladykiller smashes hard into the corner near his recovering partner
as Maverick backs into the corner.  Doc Holliday grabs his own partner's
arm, firing him across the ring towards Dufresne...

...who gets YANKED out of the corner by Adrian Freeman at the last
moment, causing Maverick to SLAM chestfirst into the corner, toppling
backwards and down to the mat as an upset Doc Holliday is forced from
the ring by Michael Meekly!]

BW:  Oh yeah!  Freeman and Dufresne just outsmarted these two goofs!

GM:  Adrian Freeman took advantage of Brent Maverick perhaps being a
little too aggressive and made him pay for it.  Maverick's chest just
got crushed against the buckles.  Did you hear the impact of that,
Bucky?  Unbelievable.

BW:  I heard it and that makes Maverick prone and easy pickings for the
National Tag Team Champions, daddy!

GM:  A gloating Adrian Freeman drops a big knee down across the chest of
Maverick - right where his chest hit the buckles.

BW:  Adrian Freeman is what we call a ring general, Gordo.  He's not
likely to make mistakes of his own but he's very likely to cause them! 
And he helped cause a big one right there by the Outlaws.

[Standing over the downed Maverick, Freeman stomps down with the flat of
his boot once, twice, three times into the sternum before pointing a
finger of warning at Holliday, shouting something in his direction.  To
his credit, Holliday keeps his cool and stays in the corner, shouting
for Maverick to make the tag.]

GM:  Freeman brings him back up...

[Signalling to Dufresne, Freeman approaches the corner as the Ladykiller
lifts his boot...

...and Freeman SMASHES Maverick's face into the boot!]

GM:  And down goes Maverick once again...

[Freeman throws a few clubbing blows to the back of the neck of
Maverick, knocking him down to a knee.  He hooks in a front facelock
before making the tag to Dufresne.]

GM:  In comes the Ladykiller... scaling the ropes...

[Dufresne leaps off the top, smashing a forearm across the exposed back
of Maverick, knocking him down to the canvas once more.  He quickly
yanks Maverick to his knees, standing behind him with a raised right
hand...

...and SMASHES the right hand into the right eye of Brent Maverick!]

GM:  Oh, come on!

BW:  We've seen this before, Gordo!

GM:  We certainly have and- listen to these fans.  They're letting
Dufresne really have it for this.  I can't even believe we're seeing
this.  It's one thing... it's one thing to claim you did it to your most
hated rival but it's quite another to do it...

BW:  ...with a million dollars on the line?  I told you last night that
this tournament could be all about who was willing to do whatever it
takes.  And say all you want about the National Tag Team Champions but
you know they're willing to do ANYTHING to win.

GM:  They certainly are... and another right hand to the eye!  The
referee is right there to warn Dufresne for the closed fist.

[Holding Maverick under the chin, Dufresne throws right after right
after right into the eye...

...and then smashes his elbow down into the eye!]

GM:  Ohhh!  

[Smirking, Dufresne hooks a rear chinlock, arguing with the referee as
he wrenches it in...

...when suddenly Brent Maverick reaches back with both arms, hooking
Dufresne under the legs and standing right up!]

GM:  He's up!  He's up!  Maverick's got Dufresne on his back!

[And the big Outlaw tries to start across the ring towards his waiting
partner...

...but Dufresne reaches back, slapping the hand of Adrian Freeman who
races in just as Maverick draws closer to the corner and delivers a hard
right hand to the side of the head that stops him in his tracks!]

GM:  Ohh!  So close!  So close to the corner and to Doc Holliday!

[Freeman grabs Maverick by the arm, dragging the larger man to his feet
and delivering a right hand to the gut that knocks Maverick to the
ropes.]

GM:  Irish whip by Freeman...

[As Maverick quickly approaches, Freeman slightly sidesteps, hooking a
half nelson and just barely gets Maverick off the canvas before smashing
him down across a bent knee in a backbreaker!]

GM:  Ohh!  Half nelson backbreaker by Freeman... and there's a cover! 
We've got one!  We've got two!  We've got- 

[Big cheer!]

GM:  Maverick kicks out at two!  Freeman's gotta do better than that to
put Brent Maverick down for a three count.

[Getting back to his feet, Freeman drops a knee down in the kidneys,
stopping Maverick's crawl to his corner before he really gets far at
all.]

GM:  Down to the kidneys... right down to the lower back again...

[Freeman uses his boot to flip Maverick to his back, reaching down to
grab both legs.]

GM:  Deep Freeze!  He's going for the Deep Freeze!

[But Maverick is fighting the Boston Crab attempt, trying to prevent
being rolled over into the submission hold...

...and then pulls his legs close, shoving off to send Freeman crashing
into the buckles!]

GM:  He got out of it!  Freeman couldn't get it on him!

[An irate Freeman grabs the ankle of Maverick, blocking his crawl as he
reaches up to tag Dufresne.  The Ladykiller races in, yanking Maverick
up by the back of the tights...

...and the champions show off their double team skills by each grabbing
half of Maverick and POWERING him backfirst into their corner!]

GM:  Good grief.

BW:  Further damage being done to the back.  Freeman is starting to
think about the Deep Freeze... starting to think about finishing this
match off so like the technician that he is, the Australian and his
partner are going after the back.

GM:  Dufresne's the legal man now...

[And as the legal man, the Ladykiller tees off on Maverick in the corner
throwing right hand after right hand - then switching to chops in the
buckles.  After a few chops, he slaps the hand of his partner, making
another tag.]

BW:  These two are putting on a clinic in tag team wrestling right now. 
The Outlaws should be paying them for this match!  They've gotta be
learning so much about what being a tag team is all about.

GM:  You've gotta be kidding me.

[With the smaller Freeman replacing his partner and throwing blows, it
gives Maverick a chance to throw one of his own, a haymaker right hand
that knocks Freeman a couple steps back.]

GM:  Ohh!  What a shot by Maverick!

[The big Outlaw stumbles out of the corner, shaking his head as he
approaches his opponent, slapping aside an attempt at a punch from
Freeman and connecting with one of his own again knocking Freeman back a
few steps.]

GM:  They're more than halfway across the ring!  Freeman's being
battered across the ring!

[A desperate Freeman wraps his arms around the body of Maverick,
throwing him off to the ropes.]

GM:  Maverick off the ropes... OHHHHHH!

[The crowd ERUPTS as Maverick rushes right through whatever offense
Freeman was attempting and floors him with a running double axehandle to
the face!]

GM:  Good grief, Bucky!  He DRILLED him right between the eyes with that
hammer-like blow!  Brent Maverick absolutely levelled Adrian Freeman
with that one and this is his chance, Bucky.  This is his chance to make
the tag!

[A dazed Maverick is down on his back on the mat, trying to recover as
Adrian Freeman does the same a few feet away.  The crowd roars as
Maverick flips over to his stomach, trying to get his arms underneath
him.]

GM:  Maverick's on his way!  He's just a handful of feet away from the 
corner and Doc Holliday!  He's getting closer to-

[But to the disgust of the crowd, Adrian Freeman is crawling in the same
direction, simply reaching over and raking his fingers across the eyes
of Brent Maverick to stall his progress!]

GM:  Cheapshot!  A blatant cheapshot by Freeman to prevent the tag from
being made!

[A weary Freeman drags Maverick to his feet, attempting an Irish whip
but having it reversed by the powerful Maverick.]

GM:  He reverses the whip... 

[As Freeman rebounds, Maverick drops down and Freeman has to hurdle over
him, rushing to the far ropes...

...where Doc Holliday catches the incoming Freeman with that trademark
snapping jab to the jaw that catches Freeman dead to rights, teetering
him, tottering him, and definitely making him fall down to the mat once
more!]

GM:  Oh my!

BW:  Illegal!  Illegal!  You want to talk about a cheap shot, Gordo? 
What would you call that?

GM:  Resourceful.

BW:  This double standard of yours makes me sick sometimes, Myers.

[Maverick staggers across the ring as Freeman lies flat on his back on
the mat.]

GM:  Maverick's gonna do it!  Maverick's gonna do it!

[He wobbles towards the outstretched hand of his partner.]

BW:  Here comes Dufresne!

[But the illegal entrance of the Ladykiller comes too late as Maverick
lunges forward, slapping the hand of Doc Holliday to the roar of the
crowd!]

GM:  HOLLIDAY MAKES THE TAG!

[The crowd EXPLODES as Holliday rushes in with a head of steam, meeting
Calisto Dufresne head on, and absolutely blitzing him with a barrage of
rights and lefts...

...and then with a two-step dash, DRILLS Dufresne with a snapping Yakuza
kick!]

GM:  OHHH!

BW:  He didn't catch him on the chin with that!

GM:  But he caught enough of it to do some damage!  He stunned him with
it!

[And with Dufresne stunned, Holliday hooks him around the head and neck
and under the arm in an inverted half nelson...

...before hoisting him up, sitting out in a big uranage style slam!]

GM:  ARIZONA SANDSTORM!!  HE CAUGHT ALL OF THAT!!

[Holliday pops up to his feet, still fired up and with the crowd roaring
as he grabs the recovering Freeman off the mat, scooping him up into a
torture rack position...

...and shoves him up and over his head, bringing his knee up to catch
Freeman squarely in the back of the head!]

GM:  ARIZONA HEATFLASH!

BW:  No!

GM:  Holliday's put Dufresne down!  He's put Freeman down!  Doc Holliday
is taking out both members of the National Tag Team Champions, Bucky,
and these fans are loving it!

BW:  Traitors!

[Back on his feet, Holliday dives across the downed Dufresne, reaching
back to hook a leg...

...but the referee waves it off.]

GM:  The ref's not counting.  What gives, referee?!

BW:  Freeman's still the legal man, Gordo!  The ref's right!

GM:  Holliday's arguing with Michael Meekly but I think you're right,
Bucky.  I think Adrian Freeman is indeed the legal man in this match
still.

[An irate Holliday spins off of Dufresne and Meekly, dragging Freeman to
his feet.  He tugs Freeman into a front facelock, nodding his head to
the roaring crowd.]

GM:  Wait a second... is he-?

[The crowd explodes as Holliday reaches back to hook a leg on the
Australian.]

GM:  He's going for the Old West Lynching!  If he hits this, it's- OHHH!

[The Ladykiller makes a lunging save, breaking up the attempt before it
really gets going.  With the aid of his partner, Dufresne fires Holliday
into the ropes...

...where he ducks under a running double clothesline, hitting the far
ropes where Maverick slaps his shoulder.]

GM:  Holliday off the ropes...

[Dufresne and Freeman each grab a leg on Holliday, hoisting him into the
air...

...and dropping him facefirst to the mat!]

GM:  Flapjack!  Flapjack by the tag team champions!

[But they are completely unaware that a steaming Brent Maverick is back
in the ring...

...until they turn around and are run over with a double clothesline!]

GM:  OHHHHHH!  MAVERICK TAKES 'EM BOTH DOWN!

[With the crowd going nuts, Brent Maverick throws his arms apart and
lets loose a wild roar.  He's nodding his head to the fans as he drags
Freeman up off the mat, tugging him into a standing headscissors.]

GM:  What's he got in mind here?  Whatever it is, it can't be good news
for the tag champs!

[Maverick powers Freeman up into the air, holding him high for a moment,
and then swinging him down into a crushing sitout powerbomb!]

GM:  ONE!!  TWO!!!  THRE- OHHH!  DUFRESNE BREAKS IT UP!!

BW:  Whew.  That was too close.

GM:  Dufresne just barely saved his partner there.  He just barely saved
him.

[Dufresne throws rights and lefts at the seated Maverick, then drags him
to his feet.]

GM:  Come on, referee!  Dufresne's not the legal man!  Get him out of
there!

[Grabbing Maverick by the arm, Dufresne fires him across the ring with a
whip.]

GM:  Irish whip by Dufresne...

[But an oncoming Maverick looks like a freight train as he barrels
across the ring, exploding into a football tackle that knocks Dufresne
off his feet...

...and sends him rolling right out onto the announce table!]

GM:  Whoa!  Look out!

BW:  Am I- can you still hear me?

GM:  I can hear you, Bucky.  We've got Calisto Dufresne on top of our
table... the Ladykiller bringing us right into the action inside the
ring.  But he's down from that big football tackle and Maverick's
dragging Freeman out to the middle of the ring.

BW:  Calisto!  Get in there, Calisto!

[A quick camera cut shows Dufresne rolling off the announce table to
slump down at ringside next to them.]

GM:  Maverick's got Freeman in the middle of the ring...

[Moving over to the corner, Maverick slaps the hand of his still-dazed
tag team partner.]

GM:  Holliday makes the tag... and he's going up!

BW:  No, no, no!

GM:  This is gonna do it!  The Twenty-One Of Spades!  

[Maverick moves back to Freeman, hoisting him off the mat in a low
bearhug...

...and slowly leaning over to hold Freeman parallel to the canvas as
Holliday stands high above the ring perched on the top rope!]

GM:  Holliday's on the top!  Holliday's on the top rope!

BW:  Calisto, what are you- let go of me!  What are-

GM:  HOLLIDAY LEAPS!

[The crowd ERUPTS as Holliday sails through a sea of flashbulbs through
the air, floating forever...

...and SMASHES his leg down across the throat of Freeman!]

GM:  THEY GOT IT!!  THEY GOT IT!!

[Holliday crumples on top of Freeman as Maverick celebrates a little bit
early, forcing the referee to try and get him out of the ring...

...which allows Calisto Dufresne to roll under the ropes into the ring,
clutching Bucky Wilde's glittering briefcase in his arms.]

GM:  Wait a second!

BW:  Don't break that!  My mama bought me that!

GM:  Bucky, he's got your-

[Standing high in the middle of the ring, Dufresne raises the briefcase
over his head...

...and SMASHES the metal case down on the back of Holliday's skull
before tossing the briefcase to the floor and flipping Freeman over on
top of Holliday!]

GM:  NO!

[Dufresne charges the corner, upending Maverick and sending him out to
the floor and frantically pointing out the cover to the referee who
spins around, diving down to the mat...]

GM:  Not like this.  Please, not like this.

BW:  ONE!!  TWO!!  THREEEEEEEE!!!


"DING!  DING!  DING!"


GM:  I can't believe it.  They stole it, Bucky.  They literally stole
this one.

BW:  I told you they'd do whatever it takes and Dufresne once again
proves exactly that.  I just hope my briefcase is okay.

GM:  Doc Holliday and Brent Maverick, the Outlaws, they deserved better
than this.  They deserve to be moving on to the next round to take on
either Strictly Business or Rough N Ready.

BW:  But that ain't gonna happen, daddy.  And in my book, the team that
won is the team that deserves to be there.

[A stunned Maverick retakes the ring, moving to his partner's side as
Dufresne and Freeman flee the ring like thieves in the night.]

GM:  I still can't believe this one.  Fans, the final four is almost set
for this tournament.  Bailey Fitzgerald and Corey Lawson taking on The
Bishop Boys and Dufresne and Freeman meeting either Strictly Business or
Rough N Ready.  This night just heated up even more.  So let's go to-
whoa!  Whoa!  Whoa!

[The crowd ERUPTS as Dufresne and Freeman start backpedaling back
towards the ring...

...but it's the sight of who is causing that retreat that gets the fans
on their feet!]

GM:  TIN CAN RUST!  TIN CAN RUST!

BW:  What's HE doing out here?!  Get security!

[A fired-up Tin Can Rust is screaming at Dufresne and Freeman as he
backs them down the aisle, a steel chair gripped in between
white-knuckled hands.]

GM:  He's got a chair!  

BW:  I can see that!  He's got no business being out here!

GM:  Of course he does!  After what they did to City Jack, after what we
heard from Rust earlier tonight, how could you expect him to NOT be out
here, Bucky?

BW:  Where in the world is security?!

[Ask and ye shall receive as a rush of security guards appear from the
locker room area, taking up positions between Rust and the National Tag
Team Champions, forming a wall to prevent any physical interaction
between the two sides.]

BW:  It's about time!

GM:  Dufresne and Freeman... oh, they're big men now.  They're back
there mocking Rust... they weren't talking so tough when they didn't
have ten or twenty security guards blocking Rust from getting at them. 
Fans, we need to take a break.  Don't go away!

[With the chaos reigning in the aisle, we fade to black...

...and then back up.  It's a shot of a few kids standing outside of a
classroom.  A fourth kid walks up to them, carrying his backpack over
his shoulder.]

4th Kid:  Hey guys... wait til you see what I got from AWAShop.com!

[He whips open the backpack and produces...

...a JUAN VASQUEZ BOBBLEHEAD!]

"Whoa!"

"Wow!"

"That rocks!"

"I want one... now!"

[The 4th kid looks pleased with himself...

...until a fifth kid walks up.]

5th Kid:  Juan Vasquez, huh?  That's not bad... but check this out!

[The 5th kid opens his backpack and reveals...

...a CITY JACK BOBBLEHEAD!]

"WHOA!"

"WOWER!"

"THAT ROCKS MORE!"

"I WANT ONE... NOW!"

[The fifth kid looks proud as the fourth kid looks sad at his Vasquez
bobblehead and we fade to black...

...and then back up to live action where Gordon and Bucky are standing
at ringside.]

GM:  Welcome back to the Stampede Cup, fans.  It's been a wild night of
action here in Laredo, Texas... and honestly, we're really just getting
started, Bucky.  We've still got one more match to go in the
quarterfinals to see just who will make up the semifinals.  

BW:  Plus, will Stevie Scott wrestle?  Will the National Champ compete
tonight?

GM:  If he doesn't, we may need ANOTHER tournament cause Stephen Ross
says he'll strip him of the title if he doesn't wrestle tonight in that
non-title matchup!  This is wild stuff and like I said, we're really
just getting-

[The fans grow louder, as something is happening off-camera.]

GM: Now wait just a minute!  James Monosso... you're still not a part of
the AWA!  What are you doing here?

[In comes James Monosso, his stringy black hair cascading out beneath a
beat-up Santa hat with MERRY CHRISTMAS spelled out in green glitter
glued on the white fuzzy rim... only some of the lettering has faded so
it actually says MER Y CH ISTMA.  He's wearing his typical PROPERTY OF
STATE MENTAL INSTITUTION T-Shirt that goes only to his midriff, and beat
up grey sweat pants.  He does not look to be in good health, and when he
starts speaking his voice clearly shows the strains of a cold.]

JM: What would I be doing anywhere?  

[And yes, he's waiting for an answer.  Gordon has nothing.]

JM: Exactly.  But I came to make this a celebration.  I want to show
everyone that even though I'm stuck in the cold this Christmas while
you're all in your nice warm beds wasting money on fruitcakes and
washcloths and neckties with reindeer that no one will ever wear; money
that could be used to KEEP SOME OF US ALIVE... *ahem*.  I want to show
that there's no hard feelings.  So I wrote a poem to share.  I call it
"The Night Before Christmas".

[James produces a small, worn-out book with a deteriorating spine; it is
"The Night Before Christmas" by Clement Clarke Moore.]

GM: James, you didn't write The Night Before Christmas.  Clement Clarke
Moore did.

JM: He's dead.

GM: That doesn't mean...

JM: I don't think dead people write poems on the night before Christmas.
 Would you like to find out?

GM: *sigh* Go ahead and read it, James.

JM: *ahem*
Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the asylum,
Not a creature was stirring, regardless of phylum;
The straitjackets were hung, both the old and the new,
And a couple of inmates had hung themselves too;
The rest were all strapped secure to their bed,
Like they'll be every night until they drop dead;
Their mammas in their kerchiefs, and dads in their sweaters,
Had abandoned them all to be forgotten forever;

When out in the hallway there arose such a clatter,  
Security with tasers ran to see what was the matter.
Away to the scene they flew like a flash,  
A chance to beat up an inmate, to that they'd all dash.
The pale white glow of emergency lighting,
Gave luster to the blood that was spilled in the fighting;
When what to their wondering eyes should appear,
But the motionless body of a cold dead reindeer;
And standing behind it with eyes all a-gloss,
They knew in a moment it must be Santa Claus;
More weepy than children, his crying it came,  
And he bawled and he moaned as he cried out its name;
"Why, Dasher?!  Why, Dancer?!  Why, Prancer and Vixen?!  
Poor Comet! Poor Cupid! Poor Donder and Blitzen!  
I didn't mean to do it!  The kids drove me up the wall!  
It was the voices that made me do this to you all!"  
As men in white coats tried to talk Santa down,
His tears went away along with his frown;  

And a sickening smile turned his sadness to glee,  
As St. Nicolas realized: at last I am free!
No more catering to a world full of ingrates,
Those spoiled little brats and their unreasonable dictates;  
So he drew in my head, and was turning around,  
Down the hallway St. Nicholas came with a bound.  
He remembered these doctors were children before,  
And they cried and whined because they always wanted more;  
Centuries of breaking his back for these creeps,
He'd have his revenge when their limbs lay in heaps;

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!  
And the blood of his victims, how red like a cherry!  
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow  
He should have done this a long time ago;
A jugular vein he held tight in his teeth,  
And the blood it encircled his head like a wreath;  
He grabbed a doctor by his little round belly,  
And spilled out his guts like a bowlful of jelly.  
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And he'd have killed them all if not for myself;  
A rake of his eyes and a twist of his head,  
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;  
He spoke not a word, but fell straight to the floor,  
And twitched once or twice, but then twitched no more;
And the doctors bent down on his body to check,  
You can't kill Santa with a mere broken neck;  
They said to me, "James, we'd thank you but hey  
You only did it because you wanted to get us someday,  
But we have no more cells to keep Santa in, so
We'll have to give him yours, and let you go."

[James looks out to the crowd, and points to them as he finishes.]

JM:  So to all you kids out there who were told "Santa?  Never!"
There really IS a Santa Claus... AND HE'S LOCKED UP FOREVER!

[Monosso smiles a mirthless smile: a look of satisfaction as he sees the
mortified faces in the crowd.  Gordon just stares, eyes wide in horror
and revulsion, and his jaw is fully dropped.  He's practically catatonic
at what he has just heard.  Bucky seems to be trying to hide his
amusement, but since Gordon can't seem to respond, he steps up.]

BW: James, that was classic.  You should go mail that in to Reader's
Digest and the Saturday Evening Post!

JM: I think I will, but don't they only accept fiction?

BW: I... uhh... you might wanna look into that.

JM: And remember, AWA Championship Committee... while you're not meeting
for the holidays, and not looking into my case, and not lifting a finger
to help me survive... I'm freezing and hungry and misery just LOVES
company.  Think about that.  You'd have to be INSANE to think otherwise!

[Monosso stalks off.  Gordon still hasn't moved a muscle.]

BW: ...Gordo?

GM: ...

BW: If it makes ya feel better, Reader's Digest'll probably decline him.
 They wouldn't even publish my life story I keep sending them.  No class
at all, I'm tellin' ya.

GM: I think I just died a little inside.

BW: Well, let's get some tag teams in the ring to beat each others'
brains out.  That always cheers me up when I'm feelin' numb.

GM:  The last match of the first round is up next.  Who will move on to
face the National Tag Team Champions in the second round?  We'll find
out soon enough.  Jason Dane caught up to Strictly Business earlier
tonight.  Let's find out what they had to say about their showdown
tonight with Rough N Ready!

[We cut backstage to footage marked EARLIER TODAY where Jason Dane is
standing in between two individuals who worked their way into round two
of the Stampede Cup, Andrew "Flash" Tucker and "Money Driven" Mike
Sebastian, better known as Strictly Business.  Both men appear to have
just arrived to the Laredo Entertainment Center, with black gym bags
strung over their shoulders.

Tucker is clad in a pair of loose-fitting blue jeans and a white t-shirt
with the AWA logo on it.  His trademark Oakley sunglasses rest on top of
his head, holding his long blonde hair out of his face.  Sebastian
offers a simplistic look as well.  He too sports a pair of blue jeans,
his having seen the spin cycle a few more times than his partner's.  And
completing his ensemble is a black Under Armour sweat top.  The former
standout clutches onto the ends of a white gym towel he has hung around
his neck, his now flexed biceps stretching the means of the
manufacturer's sleeves.

Dane smiles at the camera and begins.]

JD: I just ran into the two men you see next to me as they entered the
building tonight.  Strictly Business, congratulations on your victory
over Simply the Best and your subsequent move into the second round of
the Stampede Cup!

[Tucker nods at Dane.]

AT: Thanks, Jase.  Simply the Best was a helluva challenge there after
not competin' in the last half decade.  They've got a bright future
ahead of 'em, but they got the unfortunate honor of drawin' our names in
Round 1.

MS: They pulled out all the stops and gave us everything we could have
asked for and then some.  You're gonna be hearing those boys' names
again.  There was just nothing walking this mud ball that was gonna keep
us from being back here a second night.

JD: Tonight you two face the most popular team in the AWA, Rough N
Ready.  In case you weren't aware, they are the top contenders for the
AWA Tag Team Championships currently held by Calisto Dufresne and Adrian
Freeman.  What are your thoughts on the team you'll be facing tonight?

AT: We're well aware o' who Rough 'n Ready is, Dane.  We seen 'em a few
times in our l'il scoutin' session we did a few weeks back and we got to
see 'em in live an' livin' color last night.  Two tough cats; that much
is evident.

MS: They're no pushover, that's for sure.  Or else they wouldn't be
here.  And you're not kiddin' when you say they're the most popular team
in the AWA, Jason.  When they brought us all out to close out last
night's show... I tell you what.

[He can simply shake his head at the thought.  Tucker subtly scoffs.]

MS: That was the kind of reception we used to hear each and every night
we stepped through that curtain.  And it got me thinking.  Thinking back
to the two-plus years we tore asunder each and every team tossed in
front of us.  It was a who's who of this sport.  And still is.  It was a
time when it was Strictly Business and then everybody else as far as tag
team wrestling was concerned.  We were the measuring stick.  And to see
and hear a reception like that for someone else when it used to be
commonplace for 'Drew and myself?  It was foreign, and it serves as a
reminder of just how long we've been away from the scene.

JD: Now we all know that Strictly Business would be considered the
favorites in this match five years ago.  But do you really think that
you can consider yourselves such today with having only one match under
your belts and facing perhaps the most talented team in the AWA?

MS: In our minds?  Absolutely.  But I'm not naive enough to expect
everyone to smell what we're shoveling.  If I'm sitting at home
listening to these words, I don't buy a word of it.  In this sport,
comebacks come off about as smooth as sandpaper and nine times out of
ten, those attempting 'em are left tarnishing their legacy beyond
repair.  There's a couple guys on dialysis in Arizona and Texas whom I
doubt will tell you any different.

[A slight smirk from Tucker.]

MS: Clearly we're not the spring chickens we were when we broke into
this sport, flying around that ring night in and night out, our futures
not so much a glint in our eyes.  Whatever shortcomings we've accrued in
our time away, we've more than made up for in perspective.  It's like a
breath of fresh air having an undistorted view of this business for the
first time in recent memory, maybe ever.  And I can say in complete
confidence I respect Rough N Ready more than the majority of a decade's
worth of opponents for 'Drew and myself.  Talented as they may be - Hell
- talented as they _are_, you've got to know, Dane, there's only two
guys in this world Strictly Business should be considered underdogs
against.  And unless I heard Stephen Ross wrong, I don't recall the Grim
Reaper or Uncle Sam being on the call sheet.

AT: Listen, we know these two guys are a load inside the squared circle.
 We respect what they're tryin' to do in the AWA and in this tournament.
 We know they've got a size advantage over us.  But what we've got is
somethin' that can't be measured.  We've got moxie.  We've got a killer
instinct.  When all the chips get pushed to the middle o' the table,
Strictly Business steps its game _way_ up.

As we move further and further in this tournament, the stakes go up
exponentially.  And trust me when I tell ya', Dane...

...we're movin' all in.

JD: I know you two have to go prepare for your match, but do you have
any comments on the callous attack on The Outlaws by Dufresne and
Freeman?

[Sebastian pauses before answering, doing so in a sarcastic droll.]

MS: For a team who views themselves the end-all, be-all of tag team
wrestling today... the guys for whom the AWA had to institute a
tournament just to find suitable opponents...

[He rolls his eyes, returning to a monotone now.]

MS: ...Dufresne and Freeman sure seem to spend a good amount of their
time chasing after folks they deem insignificant trolls only moments
prior.  Especially after they went out and laid an egg to George Mason
in the opener.  Which means they either jumped Maverick and Holliday 
out of embarrassment or on account of fear.  Which would beg the
question as to why we never saw 'em.

[Sebastian carelessly offers a shrug, turning to his partner.]

AT: If it were any other team than The Outlaws, I'd prolly say thanks to
those two skirts for makin' our job that much easier tonight.  But to be
honest, I was really circlin' that part o' the bracket as the match I
was hopin' would be made.  I hope they can lace 'em up tonight.  I truly
do.  When the guys on the internet go through the debate o' who the
greatest tag teams o' all time are, The Outlaws are in that argument. 
Strictly Business is in that argument.

I ain't no wrestlin' historian.  I don't wanna pretend to guess who
would win a hypothetical tournament between us, The Outlaws, the Frats,
Harlequins, Epitome of Cool or anybody else.  We don't want any part o'
debatin' that argument.

But we'd love to _settle_ that argument.

[A stoic look plays across Tucker's face.]

AT: An' in a few short hours, that's _exactly_ what we're gonna do.

[The two men walk off towards the locker room as we cut back to ringside
where Gordon and Bucky are standing.]

GM:  In the first round of the tournament, we saw Strictly Business
defeating Simply The Best in a very hard-fought match while Rough N'
Ready defeated the duo of Clayton Shaw and Vernon Riley.  Now those two
teams have advanced to the quarter-finals and will face each other to
see which one moves on...

BW:  ...and which one slinks off to the nearest bar to drown their
sorrows in cheap beer!

GM:  Strictly Business proved a lot of nay-sayers wrong by demonstrating
experience CAN overcome youth.  But Rough N' Ready are no youngsters as
they're another experienced team that has been together a long time.

BW:  Which is just a polite way of saying that this match is gonna be a
snoozefest straight out of the retirement home!  Wake me up when this is
over as I'm just going to sit here and daydream about Lady Victoria's
legs for a little while.

GM:  On the contrary, Bucky, this has the potential to be a great match
so let's get things started!

[On cue, the camera pans over to Melissa who is standing in the ring.]

MC:  The following quarterfinal contest is scheduled for one fall with a
thirty minute time limit.  Introducing first... 

[The introduction to Deep Purple's "Knocking At Your Back Door" begins
playing over the loudspeakers, the chords building up anticipation for
what is about to follow.  When the guitar reaches its crescendo and the
drums begin to play, a trio of figures appear in the entranceway.]

MC:  From Albuquerque, New Mexico... weighing in at a combined weight of
615 pounds and accompanied by their manager, Sarah Sharpe...

[The smaller of the two male figures wears black wrestling trunks,
matching kneepads, white wrestling boots, and a black T-shirt that
spells "Rough N Ready" across the chest in white lettering.  The larger,
bulkier male figure wears a black singlet and white wrestling boots. 
Standing between them is a tall woman with short dark hair who is
dressed in black pants, matching jacket, and a white T-shirt.]

MC:  ...introducing Dave Cooper and Eric Matthew Somers...

ROUGH!  N!  READY!

[The crowd cheers as the trio begins walking towards the ring, Sarah
moving ahead to walk in front with the two men walking side by side
behind her.  Cooper has a serious look on his face while Somers wears a
mischievous grin.  When they reach the ringside area, Cooper is the
first to ascend the ring steps and duck between the ropes followed by
Somers as Sarah Sharpe takes her place at ringside.]

GM:  Rough N' Ready looked very impressive in their win over Shaw and
Riley.  And in facing the very well-known Strictly Business, the good
news is that at least they won't have to worry about any illegal moves
or ambushes such as what the Southern Syndicate might pull!

BW:  Translation... BO-RING!  I'd much rather think of something
interesting like... just what do you think Lady Victoria wears under
that mini-skirt anyway?

GM:  Bucky!

[Before this train of thought can be concluded, Melissa continues her
introductions while Cooper and Somers can be seen conferring in the
corner behind her.]

MC:  And their opponents... hailing from the sunny shores of California,
at a combined weight of four hundred fifty-two pounds...

[The crowd cheers as "When Worlds Collide" by Powerman 5000 begins
playing over the PA system while the arena lights dim.  Two bright green
spotlights shine down from overhead on the top of the aisle where two
figures can be seen sauntering out from the back and into the pools of
light.]

MC:  ...introducing Andrew "Flash" Tucker and "Money Driven" Mike
Sebastian...

...STRICTLY BUSINESS!!!

[Tucker is clad in long black tights adorned with white lightning bolts
and matching boots, his blond hair hanging down past his shoulders and
his trademark half-smirk, half-sneer playing across his face.  For his
part, Sebastian is wearing a traditional pair of green wrestling briefs
that also have lightning bolts on each side.  On the back of Sebastian's
tights is "Strictly Business" written in gold, cursive writing. 
Sebastian also smirks as the two men begin walking towards the ring.]

GM:  Very confident expressions on the faces of Strictly Business and
why not considering how they seem to have shaken off the ring rust?

BW:  Pfft!  These two were nimrods years ago and they're STILL a couple
of nimrods!!  Trouble is, they're facing another couple of nimrods so...
I don't really care who wins this match!

[Tucker and Sebastian walk side by side towards the ring, slapping the
fans' hands along the way.  At ringside, Sebastian climbs the steel
steps into the ring while Tucker leaps up onto the apron, using the
ropes to leap over and somersaulting into the ring where he lands on his
feet.  Both men walk over to their corner and talk quietly for a
moment.]

"DING!"

GM:  There's the bell and this match is officially underway.

[Sebastian steps out between the ropes in his corner while Somers does
the same on the opposite side of the ring.  As Tucker and Cooper
approach each other, both extend their hands and a brief handshake is
exchanged before the two veterans begin circling each other.]

GM:  A mutual sign of respect between Dave Cooper and Andrew Tucker who
start this match for their respective teams.  Collar-and-elbow tie-up
and Cooper's definitely got the size and strength advantage.

[Towering over the much-shorter Tucker, Cooper begins powering the
smaller man backward towards a neutral corner.  But "Flash" digs down
and uses his lower center of gravity to his advantage as he forces the
taller Cooper to lower his stance.  The two men strain back and forth
for a moment before Tucker quickly twists to one side and flips Cooper
over and onto his back.]

GM:  Nice hiptoss by Tucker... ouch!  And he follows up with a nasty
elbowdrop to the sternum!

BW:  Yawn!  Is it over yet!

[Cooper grunts in pain but quickly rolls to his feet only to be met by a
powerful boot to the jaw that sends him stumbling backwards into the
nearest ropes.]

GM:  Spinning heel kick by Tucker lands right on the money!

[The taller man suddenly surges forward, however, and catches Tucker
with an outstretched arm that knocks "Flash" onto his back.]

GM:  Cooper fights back with a lariat!  Tucker on his back and Cooper
grabs his legs... he's going for a figure-four leglock  already!

[But Tucker has other plans in mind as he kicks Cooper away with his
legs and rolls quickly out of reach before rising to his feet.  The
taller man rushes forward again only to be greeted by a kick to the
stomach that doubles him over.  Tucker turns and grabs Cooper in a side
headlock as he pulls him toward the corner where he tries running up the
ring ropes.  But Cooper simply lifts the smaller man up off of the ropes
and falls backward so that Tucker lands with punishing force flat on the
back of his neck and shoulders.]

GM:  Ooh!  Attempted Tornado DDT by Tucker but Cooper had it scouted and
drops "Flash" flat onto his back!

BW:  Did Tucker just try to run somewhere?  I thought he needed a walker
to get around these days.

GM:  Andrew Tucker is actually four years younger than Dave Cooper,
Bucky!  He's only 36 years old!

BW:  That only means that Cooper needs a wheelchair!

[Tucker gasps in pain as he lies on his back while Cooper rises to his
feet and immediately grabs the smaller man's legs once more.  Stepping
between the legs, Cooper traps them with his arms and turns to roll
Tucker over onto his stomach.  The pressure this puts on Tucker's legs
immediately causes "Flash" to yell out in pain as he's trapped in a
scorpion deathlock!]

GM:  The match is barely underway but Tucker's in serious trouble!!

[On the ring apron in the Strictly Business corner, Sebastian looks a
little concerned as his tag team partner reaches for the nearest ropes
but they're well beyond his grasp.  On the opposite side of the ring,
both Somers and Sharpe yell on encouragement as Cooper crouches lower to
exert more pressure.  The referee checks with Tucker for a submission
but a quick refusal sends him backing away.]

GM:  Andrew Tucker trapped in that deadly submission hold and Dave
Cooper is really pouring it on.

BW:  Hmph!  If you're trying to compare this to gasoline on a fire, it's
more like slightly-oily water on a match.  Has the time limit on this
snoozefest expired yet?

[Some of the fans in the crowd begin stamping their feet and clapping
their hands to encourage Tucker who continues to reach for the ropes but
to no avail.  Suddenly, "Flash" manages to tuck his shoulder under and
roll sideways causing Cooper to stumble into the ropes.  Tucker kips up
and winces as he lands on his feet while Cooper uses the ropes to pull
himself upright.  The two men surge together once more with Cooper
grabbing an arm and sending Tucker running towards the ropes on the
opposite side of the ring.]

GM:  Irish whip by Cooper and Tucker rebounds back.  Attempted lariat...
NO!  Tucker ducks, jumps up...

[Grabbing Cooper's outstretched arm, Tucker leaps upward and spins
around to wrap his legs around the taller man's other arm.  His momentum
pulls the two forward as Tucker rolls sideways over Cooper's shoulders,
driving the top of his head down into the canvas.]

*THUMP!*

GM:  OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!  LIGHTS OUT DDT!  What a maneuver by Andrew
Tucker as he hooks the leg and he's going for the pin!  ONE!  TWO! 
SHOULDER UP!!

[Tucker grits his teeth in frustration but doesn't seem too surprised at
Cooper's resistance as he grabs the taller man's head in a front
facelock.  Pulling Cooper up with him, Tucker backs into his corner
where he slaps hands over his shoulder with Sebastian.  As soon as the
tag is made, Tucker immediately releases the front facelock but Cooper
has no time to escape as Sebastian holds onto the top rope for balance
as he jumps up and hurls his legs between the middle ropes in an
improvised dropkick.]

GM:  WHOAH!  Both feet nail Cooper right in the side of the ribs as Mike
Sebastian demonstrates an interesting maneuver right there!

BW:  What?  Did he leave the arena?  Now THAT would be interesting!

[Cooper stumbles sideways from the force of the blow as Sebastian
immediately charges into the ring and follows up with a vicious savate
kick to the forehead.  Cooper snaps upright and stumbles backward
several paces, clearly dazed, as the smaller Sebastian scoops him upside
down in the middle of the ring and jogs forward before planting his
victim into the canvas with authority.]

GM:  Running powerslam!  Sebastian in charge and he hooks the leg...
ONE!  TWO!  KICKOUT!!

BW:  Is this match STILL not over yet?

GM:  Cooper has been in this match from the beginning and on the wrong
end of some high impact moves by the members of Strictly Business. 
Rough N' Ready are in trouble so far as Sebastian runs into the ropes...

[With Cooper still on his back on the mat, Sebastian charges toward him
and jumps up to perform an impressive front somersault in mid-air...
only to land with his leg outstretched onto the canvas.]

GM:  NOBODY HOME!  Sebastian with an attempted somersault legdrop... but
Dave Cooper managed to get out of the way!

[Cooper wastes no time in rolling over into his team's corner where he
reaches out and slaps the outstretched hand of Eric Matthew Somers.  The
crowd cheers as the tag is made and the biggest man in the contest steps
into the ring.  Sebastian scowls in pain before rising to his feet but
Somers seizes his advantage as he lumbers forward and grabs the smaller
man by the shoulders before ramming his forehead down into Sebastian's
skull with tremendous force.]

*THUD!*

GM:  OUCH!  And a thunderous headbutt by Eric Somers sends Mike
Sebastian reeling!!

[The "Money Driven" one staggers and looks visibly dazed as the towering
Somers slams a beefy forearm across his shoulders forcing the smaller
man to crouch beneath the power of the damaging blow.  Somers grabs
Sebastian in a front headlock, grabs a handfull of tights and lifts the
smaller man upside down... where he holds him with Sebastian's feet held
high overhead.]

GM:  Somers with a vertical suplex lift... and he's just holding him
upside down, letting the blood rush to his head!

BW:  That won't make him any smarter!

GM:  Big Eric Somers demonstrating his strength as he's just holding
Mike Sebastian... there he goes...

BW:  TIMBEEEEEEEEEER!!!

*WHAM!*

[Holding the small of his back, Sebastian rolls away to the side of the
ring where he uses the ropes to pull himself upright.  Somers rises and
grins as the crowd cheers loudly.  Stalking forward, Somers shakes off a
back elbow by Sebastian that simply bounces off his broad chest. 
Grabbing the smaller man by one arm, Somers yanks him forward and buries
his fist right into the middle of Sebastian's chest.]

GM:  HEART PUNCH!  RIGHT TO THE STERNUM!!

BW:  Hopefully this will get this over with.

[Sebastian collapses and Somers immediately drops down on top of him as
the referee slides down beside them and begins slapping the canvas.]

GM:  PIN BY SOMERS!  ONE!  TWO!  TH... HE'S PULLED OFF BY TUCKER!!

[Somers looks angry as Tucker lets go of the boot that he had rushed in
and grabbed to pull the larger man off of his partner.  Dave Cooper
steps into the ring and begins yelling at "Flash" who looks a little bit
apologetic as he backs away.]

GM:  Andrew Tucker saves his partner who looked like he might have been
finished off by that powerful Heart Punch!

BW:  A sign of desperation, perhaps?

[Somers barks a warning at Tucker who steps out between the ropes and
onto the ring apron once more.  Rising to his feet, Somers reaches down
and grabs Sebastian by the back of the neck so he can pull the smaller
man up.  But Sebastian fires back with a kick to the stomach that
doubles Somers over enough for his head to be grabbed in a front
facelock.  Falling backwards, Sebastian drives the top of the bigger
man's head into the unforgiving canvas.]

GM:  BAD CREDIT DDT!  Sebastian fights back and takes down Somers with
the Bad Credit DDT!!

[Still clutching his chest which is visibly reddened where the Heart
Punch struck home, Sebastian quickly steps over and tags in Tucker.  The
two men then converge on Somers, each grabbing one of his arms to pull
the bigger man up to his feet before hurling him chest-first into the
nearest turnbuckle.]

GM:  Double Irish whip into the turnbuckle and Strictly Business are
using the five-count to their advantage to pull off some double-teaming
on Eric Matthew Somers.

[Ignoring the warning count of the referee, Sebastian grabs one of
Tucker's arms and whips him toward the corner.  Tucker uses the added
momentum to help him leap up and twist sideways, his leg lashing out to
smash into the top of Somers' chest.]

GM:  An Irish whip-spinning leg lariat combo!  Strictly Business
demonstrating some of their tag team handiwork here as they go to town
on Eric Somers!!

[Somers bellows in pain as Sebastian steps out in his corner while
Cooper yells encouragement from the opposite side of the ring.  When
Somers stumbles forward out of the corner, Tucker leaps up and whips his
leg around in mid-air so that his foot smashes into the back of the
bigger man's head.]

GM:  ENZUIGIRI!  ERIC MATTHEW SOMERS IS HURT!!

[With a whoop of excitement, Tucker runs into the corner and begins
climbing up onto the top turnbuckle as a groaning Eric Matthew Somers
rolls onto his back.  The crowd roars its approval as Tucker pauses
while standing on the top turnbuckle, flashing a broad smile before
leaping into the air and spinning forward.]

*WHUMP!*

GM:  450 SPLASH!  Andrew Tucker just proved why he was one of the
world's best high fliers in his heyday with that amazing maneuver!  But
it seems to have hurt him almost as much as it did Somers as he's not
able to capitalize and make the pin.

[Tucker sits up and gasps in pain while clutching his chest as Somers
lies still, momentarily dazed by the force of the impact.  After several
precious seconds of recuperation, Tucker rolls over to drape an arm
across the bigger man's chest while Sebastian yells at him to hurry.]

GM:  Pin attempt by Tucker.  ONE!  TWO!  TH-SHOULDER UP!!  What a show
of grit and tenacity by Eric Matthew Somers!!

BW:  Grit and tenacity?  More like dumb and dumber!!

GM:  Strictly Business still in control of this match as Andrew Tucker
rolls over into his corner and tags in "Money Driven" Mike Sebastian.

[Sebastian charges in and immediately begins stomping on the downed
Somers who rolls onto his stomach.  Sebastian changes tactics as he runs
into the ropes, rebounds back and uses the momentum to add to the force
of an elbow that he drops down onto the back of the bigger man's neck.]

GM:  Elbowdrop by Somers and Mike Sebastian is maintaining control for
Strictly Business.  For all the accusations of ring rust, the duo of
Tucker and Sebastian are more than holding their own right now.

[Somers manages to push himself up onto his hands and knees but still
looks battered as Sebastian steps over to his corner and tags in Tucker
once more.]

GM:  Quick tag by Sebastian and Strictly Business are going to attempt
another double-team maneuver as both men grab Eric Matthew Somers.

[Somers is trapped in a double front facelock by both Sebastian and
Tucker as the two smaller men grab the sides of his singlet and try to
hoist the bigger man upside down.]

GM:  Strictly Business going for a double vertical suplex... BUT SOMERS
IS TOO BIG AND TOO STRONG!

[Tucker and Sebastian can't lift up all three hundred and fifty pounds
of the former "Doctor EMS" as Somers resists.  Slamming his feet down
into the mat, Somers yanks his head out of their facelock and grabs the
two smaller men by the hair before slamming their heads together.]

GM:  DOUBLE NOGGIN KNOCKER!  And down go Tucker and Sebastian!

BW:  I'm sure that's not the first that's been said.

[Dropping to his knees, Somers grimaces in pain as he stretches out a
hand toward his corner.  Both Tucker and Sebastian are flat on their
backs, clutching their skulls as Cooper leans over the top rope as far
as he can, stretching his hand out.  But the gap between his hand and
Somers' is still wide as the crowd cheers at a deafening volume.]

GM:  This may be a turning point as Strictly Business has pretty much
had their way for most of this match.  But can Somers make the tag in
time before either Tucker or Sebastian recover?

[Foregoing any attempts to rise, Somers begins walking on his knees
toward his corner with his hand outstretched.  Behind him, Tucker is the
first member of Strictly Business to roll to his feet as he spots the
Rough N' Ready member seeking to escape.  Tucker charges to cut the big
man off but Somers falls forward and flails his hand at Cooper's.]

GM:  The tag is made!  And here comes Dave Cooper!!

[Charging in at a furious pace, Cooper meets Tucker in the center of the
ring and bowls the smaller man over with an outstretched arm.  Sebastian
rises and turns just in time to receive similar treatment.]

GM:  Lariat by Cooper!  And another one!  He is HOT!

BW:  Uhhh... did you just call a man wearing wrestling briefs "hot"??

[Cooper turns back towards Tucker who has risen already but "Flash" is
knocked down once more as the bigger man spins around and smashes him in
the face with a devastating elbow strike.]

GM:  Rolling elbow!  Cooper is really taking it to both members of
Strictly Business!!

[At the side of the ring, Sebastian uses the ropes to pull himself to
his feet but Cooper charges into him with an outstretched arm that
knocks the smaller man backward over the top rope to tumble down to the
arena floor.]

GM:  And Cooper sends Sebastian out of the ring!  Yet another smart move
on the part of the wily veteran as he remembered that Andrew Tucker was
the legal man for his team.

[Turning back towards Tucker, Cooper grabs "Flash" by the arm and sends
the Californian racing towards the ropes with a powerful heave.  Tucker
bounces off the ropes and rebounds back towards Cooper who catches him
around the waist, lifts him up and spins around to drive him down into
the unforgiving canvas.]

GM:  Spinebuster slam and a doozy!  The tide has definitely turned in
favor of Rough N' Ready as Dave Cooper is methodically dismantling
Andrew Tucker!

[In the Strictly Business corner, Mike Sebastian can be seen slowly
climbing back up onto the apron while on the other side of the ring,
Somers has visibly recovered from his earlier ordeal.  Cooper pulls the
dazed Tucker to his feet and wraps his arms around the smaller man's
waist before sending him flying halfway across the ring.]

GM:  Belly-to-belly suplex!  Cooper maintaining the pressure as Andrew
Tucker is in a world of hurt!!

BW:  He's going to have to up his medication after this match is over. 
Good thing the retirement home keeps a lot of painkillers in stock!

GM:  Would you stop?

[The momentum from the belly-to-belly suplex rolled Tucker into a
neutral corner where he gasps for breath and pulls himself upright. 
Cooper roars as he charges forward but is stopped dead in his tracks as
Tucker lunges forward and drives the sole of his feet into the bottom of
the larger man's chin.]

GM:  THE CHRONIC JUMBLE JAW SUPERKICK!  Where did that come from? 
Andrew Tucker was on the wrong end of a one-sided beatdown when he just
pulled that out of nowhere!!

BW:  Darn, I was hoping the one-sided beatdown would continue!

[Tucker collapses onto his hands and knees, still hurting from the
punishment he'd received while Cooper lies flat on his back.  The taller
man's eyes are wide open but they're glazed and unfocused as Tucker
rises to his feet and yells something to Sebastian before stepping into
his corner and slapping hands with his partner.]

GM:  Tag is made but Tucker is staying in for the moment.

[Sebastian begins climbing up in the corner as Tucker turns back to
Cooper and pulls the taller man up to his feet before doubling him over
with a kick to the stomach.  Tucker grabs one of Coopers' arms and
places his leg across the back of the bigger man's neck.  Jumping up,
Tucker then uses his weight to drive Cooper face-first into the canvas.]

*WHAM!*

GM:  The Trendsetter!  ARE WE ABOUT TO SEE THE FLASH 'N CASH??

BW:  Cash?  Where??  Show me the money!!

[Tucker rolls Cooper onto his back before signalling to Sebastian who
leaps high into the air.]

GM:  Sebastian with the the Stock Market Crash... NO!  COOPER GETS HIS
KNEES UP!!

[Tucker looks shocked and dismayed as Sebastian comes crashing down onto
Cooper's upraised knees.  The referee forces "Flash" to exit the ring as
Somers yells encouragement to Cooper who rises to his feet and stumbles
towards their corner.]

GM:  Mike Sebastian is in a lot of pain right now... and here comes
Rough N' Ready!

[Somers growls as he charges into the ring and picks up the smaller
Sebastian, placing one of the smaller man's arms behind his own head. 
In their corner, the battered Cooper climbs up onto the second rope.  As
his bigger partner picks up Sebastian and slams him down into the mat,
Cooper leaps off the second rope and drops his knee directly onto the
smaller man's skull.]

GM:   ROUGH HOUSING!

[Cooper rolls away as Somers throws his weight across Tucker in a
lateral press.]

GM:  Tucker's in the ring for the save but Cooper stops him with a
punch!  AND HERE'S THE COUNT!  ONE!!  TWO!!  THREEE!!!!!


"DING!  DING!  DING!"


MC:  Here are your winners... ROUGH!  N!  READY!

[The crowd erupts in a loud cheer as Andrew Tucker backs away from
Cooper whose fists are still raised.  Tucker's expression is one of
dismay and disappointment as Eric Matthew Somers stands up and wraps his
partner in a powerful hug, clapping hands on his back as Sarah Sharpe
climbs into the ring and claps in approval.]

GM:  A heck of a match, folks!  Strictly Business looked like they might
have taken this one but in the end, Rough N' Ready lived up to their
name and are advancing to the semi-finals!

BW:  My prediction was right!  At least one of these teams is now headed
back to the retirement home where they belong!

[Tucker helps Sebastian back to his feet and checks on his partner's
condition.  Cooper and Somers nod at one another and step towards the
two members of Strictly Business who look a little wary... until hands
are extended and handshakes are exchanged.]

GM:  Two proud and honorable teams right there, ladies and gentlemen,
demonstrating their respect for one another.

BW:  Oh, please!  What's next?  A group hug?  A coffee and a chat?

GM:  Great sportsmanship on display... and listen to these fans...

[Cooper and Somers step back, pointing to the former World Tag Team
Champions as the crowd rises to their feet in tribute to Andrew Tucker
and Mike Sebastian.]

GM:  Tucker and Sebastian, Strictly Business, getting a huge ovation
from this Laredo, Texas crowd and you've gotta love that.  If this is
indeed the final night in the wrestling rings for Strictly Business,
they can walk out of The Stampede Cup with their heads held high.

BW:  If their ancient necks will support that much weight.

GM:  Give me a break.  Well, the semifinals are set.  On one side of the
bracket, it'll be Bailey Fitzgerald and Corey Lawson, the Cindarella
story of this tournament, taking on the ever-tough Bishop Boys.  And on
the other side, you've got the National Tag Team Champions taking
advantage of a second chance as Calisto Dufresne and Adrian Freeman move
on to meet Rough N Ready!  I can't wait for that one!

BW:  Dufresne and Freeman already put one decrepit tag team on the shelf
permanently in a blaze of glory so to speak... but now they get the
chance to do it to the #1 contenders.  You've gotta love that. 

GM:  Fitzgerald and Lawson vs the Bishops.  Dufresne and Freeman vs
Rough N Ready.  Two outstanding semifinal matches and what should make
for a very interesting Finals.  But before we go on with the tournament,
let's talk a little bit more about last night.  Earlier tonight, we
heard Cousin Bo and the Bishops talking about how they had an easy path
last night thanks to Shane Taylor and his disgusting betrayal of his
brother, "The Outlaw" Bobby Taylor.  Let's go back and take a look at
that... then we'll be back with some comments from Shane Taylor!

[We cut to footage marked LAST NIGHT with the crowd roaring as Shane
Taylor throws right hand after right hand into the body of Cletus Lee,
rocking the larger Bishop Boy as Bobby Taylor lies on the canvas a few
feet away trying to recover.]

GM:  Shane's got him reeling but he can't take him-

[BIG CHEER!]

GM:  Black Beauty!  Shane's got Black Beauty!

[The crowd roars as Shane Taylor slips the diamond-studded black leather
glove onto his right hand, rearing back as he turns towards Cletus
Lee...

...and then spins around, DRILLING his older brother right in the jaw
with the presumably-loaded glove!]

GM:  OHHHHHHHH!

[Bobby Taylor collapses from the impact of the punch, lying motionless
on the mat as Shane Taylor invites Cletus Lee and Duane Henry to join
in.  Cousin Bo orders them to do so, cackling as the three men stomp
Bobby Taylor into the canvas.]

GM:  Come on!  

BW:  This is great!  Bobby Taylor never saw it coming!

GM:  I can't believe this.  After what we saw from Shane Taylor, begging
his brother to get involved... begging his brother to be his tag team
partner... I can't believe- ohhh!

[The crowd jeers as Cletus Lee presses Duane Henry in the air and drops
him chestfirst on a downed Bobby Taylor with a grinning Shane Taylor
applauding what he's seeing.]

GM:  This is disgusting and- wait a second...

BW:  Awww yeah!

GM:  The Bishops are pulling Bobby Taylor off the mat...

[Duane Henry somehow muscles Bobby Taylor over his shoulders in a
torture rack backbreaker as Cletus Lee dashes to the ropes behind
them...

...and CREAMS Taylor with a Charging Big Boot as Duane Henry spins him
around, dropping him in a seated powerbomb!]

GM:  OHHHHHH!  

BW:  DOC ALLAN'S MIRACLE HEADACHE ELIXIR!

GM:  Bobby Taylor's been laid out!  He's been laid out by- 

[The referee drops down to count - quickly counting to three.]

GM:  That's it.  The referee makes a quick count to thankfully spare
Bobby Taylor any more damage.  

[Shane Taylor drops down to his knees, trashtalking his brother as the
Bishops celebrate their victory.]

GM:  The Bishop Boys have won... I'm sure Cousin Bo wasn't exactly
pleased his boys didn't get to show off their skills but they've got the
win and they're moving on to the second round to face the Right Proper
Thugs.

BW:  That could be the match of the tournament.

GM:  Shane Taylor is all over his brother... pounding him with right
hands... now stomping him...

[Getting back to his feet, glaring down at his motionless older brother,
Shane Taylor shakes hands with Cousin Bo as he makes his exit...

...and we fade back to the locker room area where "Scorchin" Shane
Taylor is standing next to Jason Dane, a huuuuge grin on his face.]

JD:  Shane Taylor... explain yourself.

SST:  Jason Dane... okay.

[Taylor smirks before waving off camera.]

SST:  But before I do, something seems missing around here.  Like a
piece of me has been snatched away annnnnnnd...

[And on cue, a buxom Kandi Kane bursts onto the scene, clinging to her
man's side.]

SST:  ...there she is!  I'm sorry I had to have you back in the hotel
last night, baby, but you know how it is.  Bobby hates you... always
has.  He wouldn't have gone out there if you were there.

[A big stomach-turning kiss between Taylor and Kane makes Dane look
annoyed.]

JD:  Shane, like I said... explain yourself.

[Taylor pulls away, glaring at Dane.]

SST:  Fine.  I'll tell you exactly why I did what I did last night.

[He pauses, waving the camera closer...

...and whispers one word.]

SST:  Money.

[He breaks into a cackle as Jason Dane looks shocked.]

JD:  Wait a second... you aren't- you can't be serious!  You did this
for the money?!

SST:  It's all about the Benjamins, baby.  And I got plenty of them. 
Jason Dane, I'm about to do you a big favor too.  Not only am I gonna
tell you why I did it... which I just did... but I'm also going to tell
you for WHO I did it.  It's a big scoop.  BIG scoop!

JD:  What are you-

SST:  Come on in here, brother.

[The camera pulls back a bit as "Superstar" Kevin Slater walks into
view, falling into an embrace with Shane and Kandi.]

JD:  Kevin Slater?!

SST:  That's right, baby!  The original Man With The Money!  

JD:  I can't believe this!

[Taylor snatches the mic, shoving Dane away.]

SST:  Let me handle this.  Remember back at SuperClash in that big Steal
The Spotlight match.  I won that match if you recall... and everyone
thought the prize was getting to pick your match.

But to me and Kandi, the big prize was Louis Matsui coughing up some
cash in our direction.

It wasn't a lot of cash but it bought me a new motorcycle and Kandi went
down to the beauty parlor and got all beautified... like it's possible
to be even more than she is!

[Another stomach-turning kiss.]

SST:  And then came the call.  Kevin rang me and Kandi up and made us an
offer we couldn't refuse.  Sucker Bobby in for a tag match... stab him
in the damn heart... and make a nice chunk of change.

[Taylor shrugs.]

SST:  That's all there is to it.  It's not sibling rivalry.  It's not
Bobby being a selfish son of a...

[Taylor shakes his head.]

SST:  Sorry, mama.  But it's all 'bout the money.  Right, Kev?

[Slater takes the mic.]

KS:  Bobby Taylor, I told you I wouldn't rest until I got you in that
ring one on one.  I told you I'd find a way to get you in that ring. 
You wouldn't do it when I embarrassed you.  You wouldn't do it when I
hurt your friends.  You wouldn't even do it when I hurt your family.

So, I called up MY brother, Shane... and _I've_ always been more of a
brother to him than you have, Bobby.  That's a fact.

It killed me to hurt Shane last year.  It killed me to hurt him again
back in July.

[Slater puts an arm around Shane.]

KS:  But that ain't gonna happen again.  Me, Shane, and Kandi... side by
side by side... runnin' all over this entire company.

And Bobby, when it's all said and done... you WILL come for me.  

You'll come for me... exactly like I said all along that you would.

[Slater grins.]

KS:  And then we'll settle this thing that should have been settled a
long, long time ago.  

[With that, Slater, Taylor, and Kane make their exit out of the
interview area leaving a stunned Jason Dane behind.]

JD:  I can't... I don't believe it.  For Shane Taylor, blood's not
thicker than water... it's not even thicker than cash.  Gordon, Bucky...
back to you.

[We fade back to ringside where Gordon is shaking is head.]

GM:  That's just... disgusting, Bucky.

BW:  Cash rules everything around me.

GM:  Shane Taylor just betrayed his own flesh and blood for a payoff...
and then to stand out there hugging Kevin Slater, the man who has
haunted his brother for months... unbelievable.  Well, I don't know if
we've seen the end of this one, Bucky.  It's going to take a lot to get
Bobby Taylor back into the ring... we knew that... but this just might
do it, Bucky.

BW:  It'd be the worst mistake of his life.

GM:  We'll see about that.  Fans, we're going to take a quick break. 
We'll be right back with more from Laredo, Texas!

[Hold on a shot of Gordon and Bucky before we fade to black...

...and then back up on a shot of the AWA National Title belt.  The
super-excited voice of Mark Stegglet is heard over it.]

"You've seen it on Saturday Night Wrestling!"

[A shot of Marcus Broussard with the belt over his shoulder.]

"You've seen it on AWA supercards like Memorial Day Mayhem and The Last
Stampede!"

[A shot of Ron Houston wearing the belt in a promo picture.]

"You've seen the best the AWA has to offer wearing it!"

[Now a shot of Kolya Sudakov in a fighting pose with the belt hanging
over his shoulder.]

"And now, it can be yours!"

[A shot of Stevie Scott holding the belt high in the air fades into a
shot of a young fan doing the same.]

"Available NOW on AWAShop.com, get the official replica of the AWA
National Title belt that only the best and brightest of the AWA
superstars have held!"

[A closeup of the AWA National Title slowly fades to black...

...and then back up to live action with Gordon and Bucky at ringside.]

GM:  Welcome back, fans.  Now, obviously last night and tonight are all
about the tag teams but we do have some singles action we want to put
forth for all of you.  Up next we have a bonus singles match to give our
competitors time to rest in between rounds.

BW:  Not much time to rest, though... I expect this one will be over in 
about two minutes.

[The Marine Crops anthem starts up to a round of cheers and applause.  
Clayton Shaw comes out to the ring with the US flag on a pole over his 
shoulder, slapping hands with as many fans as he possibly can.]

MC: Introducing first, from Charlotte, North Carolina, weighing in at 
280 pounds... "Stars and Stripes" Clayton Shaw!

GM: Clayton Shaw teamed up with Vernon Riley for this tournament, but 
the two of them were eliminated by Rough 'N' Ready last night.  Shaw 
immediately wanted another match, which lead to what we're seeing now. 
And if he wins here... boy will he have proven himself.

BW: If he wins here then the Devil had better buy himself some winter 
mittens!

[Tomoyasu Hotei's "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" starts to play
over the arena speakers. Louis Matsui emerges with a smirk from the
entranceway. He is followed closely by the scowling seven-footer,
MAMMOTH Mizusawa, dressed in a black singlet, black knee pads and a
pair of black boots. Matsui points with his thumb over his shoulders
at Mizusawa, who raises both his arms in the air. Both men start to
make their way down the aisle.]

MC: Hailing from Tokyo, Japan; weighing in at 420 pounds and being
accompanied to the ring by LOUIS MATSUI, he is MAMMOTH . . .
MIZUSAWA!!!

GM: And here's the human wrecking ball smashing through opponent after 
opponent.  MAMMOTH Mizusawa originally wanted to enter the Stampede
Cup by himself, claiming he could take on any team by himself.  The
Championship Commitee didn't take him up on his offer.

BW: Probably because he might have won the whole thing.

[As Matsui walks to the ring, he pays little attention to the fans
sitting on either side of the aisle, although he is still smirking.
The towering Mizusawa, on the other hand, walks slowly behind his
manager, glaring at the crowd.

Reaching the ringside area, MAMMOTH Mizusawa grabs the top rope and
pulls himself onto the ring apron, then steps over the ropes and into
the ring. He heads to his corner, where he is joined by Matsui, who
has climbed onto the ring apron but staying on the outside. As the
music starts to fade, he is giving some instructions to Mizusawa,
before climbing back down to the ringside area and leaving his charge
in the ring to await the start of the match.]

GM: Clayton Shaw does not look intimidated in the least.

BW: If he still looks like that in ten minutes, maybe I'll give him
some credit.

[The bell rings, and the AWA faithful immediately begin chanting "USA!
USA!"  Shaw points to the American flag he's hung in the corner, draw-
ing a roar of approval.  MAMMOTH Mizusawa grunts and motions to Shaw
to come at him.  Clayton surveys his large target and rushes at him
with a clothesline.]

BW: Hah!  Mizusawa didn't move an inch.

GM: The aptly named MAMMOTH Mizusawa wants Shaw to try it again.

[This time Clayton Shaw bounds off the ropes and collides into the chest
of Mizusawa, forcing the Japanese giant to take a few steps back.
Stubbornly Mizusawa motions for Shaw to make another attempt.  Clayton
Shaw rebounds off the ropes and rushes towards Mizusawa at top speed...
only to get creamed by the extended big boot of MAMMOTH Mizusawa.]

BW: Hah!  Serves him right going for the easy shot three times in a
row.

[Mizusawa drags Shaw up by his singlet and delivers one massive hand to
the side of his head.  Mizusawa connects with a few more punches to the
head before tossing Clayton Shaw into the corner, showing all the
exertion of a man throwing a Frisbee.  MAMMOTH backs Clayton into the
buckle and knees him in the gut.  As the former Marine instinctively
doubles over, Mizusawa drives his skull into the back of Shaw's head.]

GM: Brutal meeting of the minds.  Just look at how MAMMOTH Mizusawa is
able to manhandle Clayton Shaw, by no means a cruiserweight.

BW: Gordo, this is the man who took out Tumaffi.  You really think
Clayton Shaw is going to give him trouble?

GM: Shaw's not out of the fight yet.

[Mizusawa scoops up Shaw and holds him up in, somewhat ironically, a
military press.  He then slams the American down to the canvas hard.
The impact can be heard throughout the arena.  MAMMOTH Mizusawa rolls
Shaw over and goes for a quick cover.]

GM: One!  Two!  No, Clayton Shaw powers out.  It'll take more than that
to keep "Stars and Stripes" down.

[On the outside Louis Matsui pounds the apron, urging his giant on.
Mizusawa drags up Shaw and tosses him in the corner.  He lands a hard
right hand and a hard left, both connecting right to the jaw.  But
Clayton Shaw also connects with a big shot to the chest of MAMMOTH
Mizusawa.  Shaw forces himself forward, driving Mizusawa back with a
steady stream of punches.]

GM: Look at this, Bucky.  Clayton Shaw can throw some bombs of his own.

BW: Eh.  Shaw's a decent brawler, but he doesn't have the same power
that Mizusawa has.  Plus Mizusawa is about a foot taller, meaning that
Shaw either has to restrict himself to body shots or punch up, neither
of which are good options.  They have weight classes in boxing for a
reason, Daddy-o.

[Mizusawa delviers a hard chop to the skull of Clayton Shaw, which only
for a moment halts the Marine's momentum.  Shaw bounces off the ropes
and connects with a clothesline to the huge body of MAMMOTH Mizusawa,
but it has little effect.  Instead Mizusawa scoops up Shaw and drives
him down gut-first on his massive knee.]

GM: Big gutbuster by MAMMOTH Mizusawa, but Shaw is right back up.  You
have to admire that man's heart.

[Shaw surges forward, going straight for the knee of Mizusawa, attempt-
ing some kind of takedown, but the big man shrugs him off.  MAMMOTH
Mizusawa runs off the ropes and comes charging in with a clothesline
intended to decapitate Clayton Shaw... but the Marine ducks out of the
way and Mizusawa collides into the turnbuckles.  The giant is able to 
turn around just in time to eat a running kneelift.  Shaw climbs up to
the second rope and is finally able to punch the head of Mizusawa.  The
fans count along as he does so.]

GM: One, two, three...

BW: Don't count with these imbeciles, Gordo!

GM: Four, five, six, seven... uh-oh!

[MAMMOTH Mizusawa steps forward, Clayton Shaw clinging to his body for
dear life.]

BW: He's right in position for the MAMMOTH Slam!  Good night Clayton
Shaw!

[But Shaw is able to grab onto the ropes and stop Mizusawa from
crushing him.  Instead a disgruntled Mizusawa just pulls him away from
the ropes and falling down onto the Japanese wrestler's bulbous knee.]

GM: Another vicious gutbuster. Clayton Shaw may have to get some X-
rays after the match if this keeps up.

[Mizusawa smashes his sledgehammer-like hands into the head of Shaw as
he tries to get to his feet.  Clayton turns around and connects with a
swinging elbow to the midsection of Mizusawa, but it barely fazes the
behemoth.  Mizusawa just drills another hard right down into Shaw's
cranium.]

BW: Shaw needs to just give up the ghost here and save himself some
head trauma.  He put up a valiant effort, but this is MAMMOTH Mizusawa
we're talking about here.

GM: The fight's not over yet, Bucky.

[The Japanese wrestler scoops up Shaw with ease and powerslams him to
the ground.  MAMMOTH Mizusawa then straightens up only to drop a tree
trunk of a leg across the chest of Clayton Shaw.  He just sits there
as the ref drops down for the count.]

GM: One, two... no, Clayton Shaw is still in this!

[Not looking a bit troubled by the kick-out, Mizusawa drags Shaw up
just high enough to knee him in the face.  The proud American's head
snaps back from the impact.  Mizusawa then throws a heavy chop to the
back of Shaw's neck, forcing him down to his hands and knees.  The
giant mocks Clayton Shaw by tattooing his back and ribs with heavy
slaps.]

GM: Now this is just getting disrespectful.

BW: If Clayton Shaw had done anything to deserve respect, I'd agree.
But he's getting humiliated out here, and he's the only one who can do
anything about it.

[On the outside, Louis Matsui urges his client on.  MAMMOTH Mizusawa
rushes towards the ring ropes and rebounds off them, heading like a
steam train towards Clayton Shaw.  But at the last second Shaw jumps up
and jams his knees into the chest of Mizusawa, using the behemoth's own
momentum to drag him down to the ground and into the knees.]

GM: Clayton Shaw used Mizusawa's momentum to bring him down, and both
men are hurting now.

[The crowd claps to show their support for "Stars and Stripes".  Willed
on by it, Shaw is able to drag himself to his feet, while Mizusawa
recovers more slowly from the sudden impact.  Clayton Shaw jumps high
and connects with a legdrop to the neck of his opponent, driving
Mizusawa's head into the canvas.  Shaw quickly takes Mizusawa's back
and starts throwing hammerfists into the giant's head, to the delight
of the Laredo crowd and the panic of Louis Matsui.]

GM: Look at that!  Clayton Shaw raining down heavy leather on MAMMOTH
Mizusawa.  Where's that height advantage now?

BW: This is just a momentary setback for Mizusawa.  Everybody can get
a lucky shot, even Shaw.

["Stars and Stripes" gets up and salutes the crowd, getting a round of
cheers, before turning that salute into a fist, which he drops down on
Mizusawa.  He then climbs up to the second rope before jumping down to
deliver a double axehandle to the downed giant.  Panicking, Louis
Matsui grabs the American flag Shaw brought to the ring.]

GM: What's Matsui doing with that flag?

[Heavy boos fill the arena as Matsui snaches the flag.  Clayton
Shaw immediately storms over to that side of the ring and yells at
Matsui to stop.]

GM: What is he doing?  What in the world is he-

BW: He's protecting his investment.  That idiot Shaw is totally
distracted by what's going on outside the ring.

[Shaw rolls out of the ring and tears the flagpost from the grasp of
Matsui.  He hands it to a thankful fan, who begins waving the stars and
stripes.  Clayton Shaw rolls back in the ring, and is greeted by a
recovered Mizusawa steamrolling his way towards him.  Shaw can't get out
of the way in time and is sandwhiched between the 400-pounder and the
hard turnbuckle.]

BW: See what I mean?  That gave MAMMOTH Mizusawa time to recover.

GM: Big backdrop by Mizusawa, and he drops down for the cover.  One,
two... no, Shaw kicks out.

[MAMMOTH Mizusawa stands up while grabbing a prone Clayton Shaw by the
throat.  Mizusawa hoists Shaw high into the air before slamming him
down, the thunderous sound of impact echoing through the arena.
Mizusawa hooks a leg and goes for the cover.]

GM: One, two, thr-- no!  Clayton Shaw kicks out at two and a half.
How does he keep kicking out of these powerful moves?

[Disgruntled, MAMMOTH Mizusawa stands up and roars his frustration out
to the crowd.  Beneath him, Shaw crawls forward and drives his shoulder
into the back of Mizusawa's knee.  The surprised giant tumbles over the
shoulders of Clayton Shaw, who quickly hooks his legs and presses his
shoulders to the mat.]

GM: Cradle!  This could be it!  One!  Two!  No, MAMMOTH Mizusawa kicks
out.

BW: That was a cheap trick.

GM: Whatever you say, Bucky.

[Clayton Shaw spins around and applies a tight cross-armed camel clutch
on the giant.  MAMMOTH Mizusawa is obviously in pain instantly.  Shaw
rocks back on the hold as Mizusawa's face contorts in pain.]

GM: He calls that the Corps Clutch!  Will MAMMOTH Mizusawa be forced to
tap?

[The crowd cheers for the former Marine, but unfortunately it's not to
be.  MAMMOTH Mizusawa powers up to a vertical base.  Shaw is still on
his back, holding desperately onto the submission attempt.  At least he
is until Mizusawa backpedals and drives Shaw into the turnbuckles.
"Stars and Stripes" slumps over in the corner and Mizusawa wastes no
time hauling him up, carrying him to center ring, and nearly driving
him through the canvas with a MAMMOTH Slam.]

BW: MAMMOTH Slam!  Stick a fork in Shaw, he's done.

GM: One.  Two.  Three.

[The bell rings, which is met by a wave of boos.  Mizusawa seems pretty
pleased with himself, though.]

MC: The winner... MAMMOTH Mizusawa.

GM: Clayton Shaw put up a tough fight, but Mizusawa's size and sheer
power were too much for him.  Is there anyone who can stop this man?

BW: I don't know that there is, Gordo.  Mizusawa has just made Clayton
Shaw another notch on his belt, and woe betide whoever is next in his
path.

[Matsui leads his client from the ring, speaking to him in Japanese.
Meanwhile, Clayton Shaw rolls out of the ring, clutching his
midsection.  A few ringside fans give him applause, appreciating his
toughness.]

GM:  A good showing for Clayton Shaw but he comes up just a little bit
short.  And now, let's go backstage where Jason Dane has a very special
guest!

[Backstage, AWA reporter Jason Dane stands next to a 6'4" powerhouse of
a man that is very familiar to all - even despite not being a part of
the AWA realm until now. Wearing a casual, short-sleeved white shirt,
and bedecked entirely in black below that, the grey-haired, goatteed and
heavily-tattooed enigma known as 'The Era Of Defiance' waits for his
counterpart to speak.]

JD: Gabriel Whitecross - first of all - welcome to the AWA!

[The Englishman graciously accepts the welcome.]

GW: It is my pleasure, Jason. Sadly my tenure here was only temporary
and essentially coined as unofficial, but I am very happy to be here, on
Night Two of the tournament, even despite The Ghost Dan-

[A voice calls out from off-camera.]

"...Well, well, well..."

[Visibly taken unawares by the vocal intrusion, Gabriel recognises the
interrupting cadence in a heartbeat. It's quite the 'blast from the
past', as from the side of the shot out steps one of Whitecross' oldest
enemies and a man who's betrayed him more than a couple of times, Mark
Langseth.]

ML: I thought as I was walking by I heard that familiar voice.

[Langseth, dressed in a pair of black slacks and a button down shirt
opened at the collar, gives his former mentor a sneer. The sneer is in
turn met with a scowl, and Gabriel firms up his stance, in preparation.]

ML: I got to ask...

[Mark narrows his eyes as he balls up his right hand into a fist..]

ML: How's things, huh?

[Langseth quickly turns his expression to a smile as he opens his fist
and extends the hand for a shake!  Betraying a slight semblance of
surprise upon his countenance, Whitecross first stares at the offered
hand before accepting the gesture!  A smile of his own - albeit a wary
one - emerging in the process.]

GW: This is hardly the reaction I expected from you, Mark...

ML: Well, it's been a couple years, have had my own knocks, breaks,
bruises... retirements, so... Bad blood?  No, no, it's good to see you!
Really! I heard that you're doing well up north, right?

GW: I am indeed lucky enough to be currently enjoying a rejuvenation of
sorts, within the squared circle, yes ... And I duly feel blessed,
because of it ...

[A quizzical look clouds Gabriel's face.]

GW: ... but tell me ; what brings you ...? 

[Whitecross gestures with his hands at his surroundings].

ML: Oh, here? Hey, just trying to get out that last itch, I'm sure you
know. Tonight, just watching the tag teams go at it all. So you're here
for?

GW: Well, I was initially here for family. Jason and Michael asked me to
be their cornerman for The Stampede Cup ... and saying 'no' ... Well,
that was not an option.

[Gabriel pauses for a moment, and then briefly tilts his head slightly
to one side ; seemingly silently appraising his former pupil ... his
long-time nemesis.]

GW: It is good to see that you still have the fire burning inside, Mark.
Our past may be peppered with bloody hatred, but your ability and ring
acumen was never for one second belittled and underestimated by me.

[A more relaxed, genuine smile then rises to prominence upon the EOD.]

GW: I hope that your return to the ring wars affords you great success
... my friend ...

[This time it's Langseth whose face shows a bit of shock before
nodding.]

ML: Thanks and you too - us old hats have to stick together, right?
Though, uh...

[A familiar grin forms on the face of Langseth.]

ML: I still have the better anklelock.

[Mark laughs a bit to himself as he passes by, putting a pat on the
shoulder of the man who mentored him and then which he betrayed many
years ago.  For his part, an arched eyebrow and a mask of understated
and slightly dark amusement paints Whitecross' facade, as he watches
Langseth depart. A soft chuckle escapes from Gabriel's lips.]

GW: You keep telling yourself that, Mark ... You keep telling yourself
that ...

[And we fade to black...

After a moment, we fade back up on a very long shot of the exterior of a
pretty dingy looking building.]

"Have you ever dreamed of fame?"

[Cut a little closer.]

"Of glory?"

[A little closer.]

"Of your friends and family seeing you on television?"

[And just a little closer, revealing a red, white, and blue sign that
reads "AWA Combat Corner."]

"Well, now you can make all your dreams come true by signing up today at
the AWA Combat Corner - the official training school for the American
Wrestling Alliance!"

[We cut to the interior of the building where we can see lots of
standard gym equipment surrounding a very basic wrestling ring.  There
are people lifting weights, running on treadmills, and of course,
working out in the ring.]

"With the very best trainers in the business, the AWA Combat Corner is
the most-equipped training facility to get you in shape and get you in
the ring in the shortest amount of time!"

[Cut into the ring where Todd Michaelson is barking out instructions.]

"With former World Champion Todd Michaelson leading the classes, you can
guarantee that you will be prepared for in-ring action upon graduation
and with the AWA expanding by the day, you will have a place to work on
Day One!"

[Two young students are grappling on the canvas.]

"So, stop by the Combat Corner today... call our offices... visit our
website... and let them know that you want to be the next AWA Superstar!
 You want to be the future of the business!

You want to wrestle!"

[Fade to a graphic that has all the info on the AWA Combat Corner.  We
freeze there for a moment...

...and then back up to the ringside announce area where Gordon and Bucky
are standing.]

GM:  And we are back, fans, live at the Laredo Entertainment Center for
the Stampede Cup!  We're down to the final four teams in this thing -
Fitzgerald and Lawson, the Bishop Boys, the National Tag Team Champions
- Dufresne and Freeman, and Rough N Ready.  Three very good tag teams as
well as the Cindarella story of this tournament so far.  I think you can
honestly say absolutely anyone can win this one tonight, Bucky.

BW:  Well, you've gotta think the champs have the edge.  They didn't
have much ring time on Night One and got to sit back and watch for more
of the night.  But they did just have a grueling quarterfinal.  Same
thing with the Bishops.  They rolled over their opponent last night but
had a tougher fight tonight.

GM:  What about Rough N Ready?

BW:  Hey, they're a tough team... you might even call them a good team. 
But what you won't call them is the National Tag Team Champions and
that's who they've gotta get past if they want to win this whole thing. 
I just don't see it happening.

GM:  And Fitzgerald and Lawson- the Cindarell-

BW: Blah, blah, blah.  The Cindarella story, the underdogs, the upset
kids.  Everyone loves a good upset story... everyone always wants to
cheer the underdog.  But hey, there's a reason why they're the
underdogs.  And when it's all said and done, those underdogs are gonna
get put down... Redneck Wrecking Crew style.

GM:  We're about to find out whether it'll be the upset kids or the big,
bad brothers from Kingsland, Arkansas in the finals.  Let's go up to
Melissa for the introductions!

[The excited buzz of the crowd heightens as Melissa Cannon steps in to
do the introductions.]

MC:  The following contest is set for one fall with a forty-five minute
time limit and it is a semifinal match in the Stampede Cup Tournament!

[The buzz rises to outright cheering for a very brief instant, before
"Trashville" by Hank Williams III sends it all crashing down into boos.]

MC:  Introducing first... heading down the aisle and managed by Cousin
Bo.  They hail from Kingsland, Arkansas and weigh in a total combined
weight of five hundred and sixty-eight pounds...

Duane Henry and Cletus Lee...

THE BISHOP BOYS!

[Duane Henry Bishop is the first one in, stomping out of the entryway
with the typical nasty snarl on his face, pounding his taped fists
together.  Cousin Bo quickly jogs up behind him, puts his hand on his
shoulder, and starts issuing instructions.]

GM: Hrm, what is Cousin Bo doing?

BW: Managing.  You watch this, Gordo, you'll learn ya somethin'.

[Cletus Lee Bishop slowly stalks his way from behind the curtain,
staring maniacally around at the audience.  Cousin Bo stops him as well,
and points down at the aisleway.  Cletus Lee pulls at his beard in a
perplexed manner, as Duane Henry heads off down the wall next to the
entrance... he soon leaves the picture.  Bo assuringly pats Cletus on
the back as Cletus seems to finally understand (or accept, anyway) what
Cousin Bo wants him to do.]

GM: I do not like this, fans!  The Bishops are up to something!

BW: Well, if he had to give Cletus instructions, you at least know they
had to be very, very simple instructions.

GM: A dirty trick doesn't have to be complicated to work.

[The music soon shifts, but Cletus Lee hasn't budged.  He's still
standing about twenty-five feet from the aisle entrance, facing the
curtain.  "Rockin' In The Free World" by Neil Young plays, and the fans
cheer as Bailey Fitzgerald and Corey Lawson emerge from the curtain. 
The two young men are sporting matching colors, as both wear tights that
are mainly a flourescent blue-and-purple color scheme.  Cousin Bo holds
back Cletus, who seems torn between attacking and following Bo's
instructions.  Melissa makes the intro as this scene plays out.]

MC:  And their opponents... from Buffalo, New York and  Greenville,
Tennessee respectively... at a total combined weight of four hundred and
twenty-seven pounds...

BAILEY FITZGERALD and COREY LAWSON!

[The crowd roots Fitzgerald and Lawson on, as they warily approach
Cletus Lee.  Cletus flexes his hands, quickly losing his patience with
Bo's insistence that he simply stand there.  Fortunately, he needn't
stand still much longer.]

GM: OH NO!  NO!

[It seems that, as Bo predicted, Fitzgerald and Lawson were engrossed
with the imminent threat of the giant before them; as such, they missed
Duane Henry entirely, and the smaller Bishop charges from out of
nowhere, smashing Fitzgerald on the back of the head and neck with a
metal garbage can!  Bo steps out of the way, loosing Cletus to the
attack.  He gleefully plows into Lawson, who had turned to face Duane
Henry... the Tennessean goes flying out of the picture!  Boos pour down
from every corner of the arena for this dastardly ambush.]

BW: HA HA!  GENIUS!

GM: This match should be thrown out!  Duane Henry attacked him from
behind with a garbage can!

BW: It's before the bell, neither team has got to the ring yet, an' I
don't think ya can throw out a tournament match like that, Gordo.  Oh,
Cousin Bo, you're so slick ya remind me of me.  Whoo daddy!

[Duane Henry, at Bo's behest, has ditched his weapon and is stomping
away at a downed Fitzgerald in the aisle.  Cletus Lee rushes the back
wall, and avalanches Corey Lawson against it with all three-hundred
twenty-eight pounds.]


"DING!  DING!  DING!"


GM: That is the opening bell, and the referee is applying the count!  I
hope Cousin Bo hasn't outsmarted himself here; if he can't get control
of his team and get them in the ring, they will cost themselves the
Stampede Cup!

BW: If that happens, you'll never see Fitzgerald or Lawson again, I
guarantee it.  They'll never even find th' bodies.  Lotta places ta
stash a body up aroun' Kingsland, Bo tells me.

GM: Too much information!

[Bo seems to realize this, and is telling Duane Henry to bring
Fitzgerald to the ring.  But Duane Henry is uninterested in that sort of
thing, and so he picks up Fitzgerald, and shoves him violently into the
railing!  His brother Cletus is doing much the same, but instead of a
shove, he's pressing Lawson over his head... and instead of the railing,
he's throwing him into the back wall!]

GM: GET CONTROL OF THIS!  Cletus Lee abusing his size and power
advantage, and they're out behind the crowd now!  That is very, very
dangerous!

BW: I'm worried, myself.  Cletus might attack ANYONE.  If he goes after
the fans, AWA is finished!  We'll have so many lawsuits our lawyers'll
hafta hire lawyers!

[And though Bucky has been accused of many faults, lack of foresight
isn't one of them.  A fan throws a half-full glass of we-hope-it's-beer
at Cletus Lee.  Bo, seeing his life (more accurately his life's savings)
flash before his eyes, leaves Duane Henry and rushes towards Cletus. 
The giant forgets all about Corey Lawson, and heads into the crowd. 
"WHO DUN THAT?", he seems to be demanding... and then more junk gets
thrown at him.]

BW: Holy Shasta, Gordo!  How stupid are these redneck fans?!

[Cletus is glaring out into the crowd... but so many people surrounding
him, all screaming, all splitting his attention... the massive Bishop
seems dazed and confused.  He doesn't know who to hit, whether he should
hit all of them, or what any of them are saying or doing.  His fists are
up, but it's like he's trying to remember how to punch... the mass of
humanity is bewildering to a man who lived his life in relative
seclusion.  Bo leaps on his cousin, speaking into his ear.

Even Duane Henry, who was laying punches on Fitzgerald (who is leaning
on the aisle railing) is alarmed, now that he's seen his brother's
predicament.  He takes a few steps in that direction; in so doing, he
gives Fitzgerald the very thing he needed: breathing room.  Bailey pulls
himself up, winds up, and hammers Duane Henry in the back of the head
with a big kick... dropping the Arkansasan flat on his face on the
concrete!  The fans (who aren't in immediate danger from Cletus Lee)
cheer, and Fitzgerald hustles down the aisle towards the ring.]

GM: BAILEY FITZGERALD TOOK ADVANTAGE!

BW: NO!  COUNT THEM OUT, REF!

[Fitzgerald rolls under the ring, but in so doing, shows his
inexperience.  He rolls right into the referee, who admonishes him and
backs him towards a neutral corner.]

BW: You realize?  If Fitzgerald woulda slid in over to the side, th' ref
woulda finished his count!  They woulda won!

GM: Referees do have a tendency not to break a count if someone enters
the ring well away from them, but by the letter of the law, they are
supposed to stop their count when any participant enters the ring.  I
think a tournament match deserves a winner, in the ring, and so I would
not have been thrilled to see the match end so cheaply.

BW: Even for Fitzgerald and Lawson?

GM: Even for them.

BW: Wow, that's real fair-minded, Gordo.  I must be rubbin' off on ya.

GM: Did you just... unbelievable.

[Duane Henry bolts down the aisle towards the ring, dives in, and
launches himself at Fitzgerald, who ducks a rushing elbow shot and
counters by armdragging the overanxious Bishop Boy.  A second armdrag
brings Duane to the mat again, and a flying headscissors takedown greets
Duane's third attempt to rush back to his feet.  The fans applaud this
effort, as Cousin Bo is still intently talking Cletus Lee down in the
back of the arena.]

GM: Fitzgerald using his superior speed and technique to tire out Duane
Henry Bishop!  Bucky, if Duane Henry doesn't adapt soon, he'll be easy
pickings for Fitzgerald's Buffalo Sleeper!

BW: Yer right, dammit, I hate to admit it, but without Bo I don't think
Duane Henry can figure out this sissy style of Fitzgerald.

GM: Sissy style?

[Duane Henry gets up, and this time he doesn't charge in.  He stands
there, and waves Fitzgerald to come to him.]

BW: Now see?  Duane's figured out he has to change his game, so he's
gonna make Fitzgerald man up.  Let's see if he can fight like a man!

[Fitzgerald moves in... but with a shocking burst of speed, Duane Henry
armdrags him, and then rolls on top of him throwing punches!]

GM: Well, I think we both may have spoken too soon, Bucky!  That was a
very impressive burst of quickness from Duane Henry Bishop!

BW: Bo has got them getting better and better, Gordo!  I guess Duane
Henry is gonna be able to take out Fitzgerald no problems after all!

[The two-hundred forty-pound Bishop Boy gets up, knees Bailey in the
face, chops him hard across the pectorals, and whips him to the ropes.
He attempts a back body drop, but the Buffalo native leapfrogs him... as
he does, Corey lawson steps onto the ring apron, and slaps Bailey's back
for a tag!]

BW: Oh, no!  How did HE get back up?!

GM: Duane Henry did not see the tag!  He runs off the ropes himself and
tries to clothesline Fitzgerald... Fitzgerald ducks... AND LAWSON WITH A
SLINGSHOT BACK ELBOW FLATTENS DUANE HENRY!

[The crowd cheers the big time move, as the young veteran from Tennessee
rolls away after smashing Duane Henry in the face with the flying back
elbow... and they cheer even more as Fitzgerald (who never stopped
running off the ropes) follows up with an immediate running kneedrop!
Fitzgerald slides out of the ring as Lawson hops up onto the second
rope, and jumps down with a hard flying fistdrop on the dazed Bishop
Boy!]

GM: Duane Henry is in big trouble!  Lawson going for the pin after the
big Tennessee fistdrop!

BW: BO!  CLETUS!  ONE!  TWO!

GM: No!  They tried to get a surprise pin on Duane Henry, but he's far
too tough to defeat so quickly unless surprise is on your side.  Lawson
applies the reverse chinlock, a tremendous weardown move.

BW: Mistake.

GM: Holds like this are a lost art, Bucky.  They don't look like much,
but...

BW: No, no... normally, sure it's good strategy.  But ya know why it's a
mistake?  Lookit in the aisle, Gordo!  These jokers are 'bout outta
time!

[Indeed, the fans buzz nervously as Cletus Lee Bishop has been refocused
by Cousin Bo.  The six-nine wild-eyed redneck is practically seething
about what he just went through... and we can hear Cousin Bo blaming
Lawson and Fitzgerald for all of it!]

GM: You may be right!  Lawson and Fitzgerald had a short amount of time
in which they outnumbered Duane Henry, but that time is now up! 

BW: An' now they're outnumbered, two ta two!

GM: How is that outnumbered?

BW: Lemme put it this way... two ta two, or five-sixty-eight ta four
twenty-seven.

[Cletus Lee steps up on the apron, steps over the top rope, and marches
straight for Lawson.  Corey, a veteran of sixteen years, knows what to
do... he stands up and backs up into his corner.]

GM: The referee getting in Cletus' way...

BW: Idiot.

GM: If Cletus Lee gets disqualified, and costs them a million dollars,
who's the idiot?

[Cletus just walks forward, and the referee is bumped out of the way.
Fortunately, Cletus doesn't move fast, so it's only a light jostle that
does no damage... but now the ref is outraged as Cletus throws a big
looping haymaker at Lawson.  And misses by a mile.]

GM: Cletus Lee attacking Lawson, but on the apron, Fitzgerald grabbed
his wrist! 

[Bailey jumps down off the apron, snapping Cletus' arm over the top
rope.  The fact that this hurts his arm seems to bewilder and horrify
Cletus, as he's not used to being hurt and can't really grasp what
Fitzgerald did.  Lawson runs up behind him while he's confused, jumps up
on his back, cups his chin, and tries to drive him down with a chinlock
takedown-o-matic whateveryouwanttocallit.]

BW: Good luck with that, dummy.

GM: Corey Lawson tries the chinlock slam, but Cletus barely notices the
attempt!

[Cletus elbows Corey off of him, and goes back after him.  Cousin Bo,
however, realizes that there is a finite amount of times that Cletus can
bump into a referee before he loses his payoff, and he gets up on the
apron to usher Cletus to his corner.]

GM: Cousin Bo explaining to the referee that he needs to be the one to
tell Cletus to get back to the corner... Duane Henry is up...

[But so is Corey Lawson who leaps up, lashing out with both feet in a
jaw-shaking dropkick that sends Duane Henry falling down hard to the
canvas.  The fans roar approval!]

GM: WHAT A DROPKICK!

BW: What a travesty!  C'mon ref, pay attention!

GM: Lawson has a tremendous dropkick, and now he's bringing Duane Henry
to the corner, and there is the tag!  Lawson and Fitzgerald in the ring,
Irish-whipping Duane Henry to the ropes!

BW: They better make these double-teams count, Gordo.  I don't think
their normal moves can put away either of Bo's boys, except Fitzgerald's
illegal water-buffalo-choke.

GM: Tremendous double elbow to Duane Henry, and a double facebuster
follows it up!  And a double elbow drop!  Very fast moves, they all took
place in mere seconds as Corey Lawson exits the ring within the
acceptable time.

BW: Seein' how the ref missed half o' that and had only just started
countin', I guess they ain't gonna make them double-teams count. 
There's a million bucks at stake, daddy!  Work the count, dummies!

GM: Fitzgerald lifts up Duane Henry, and a short-arm clothesline rocks
the Bishop Boy... who fires back with a headbutt!

BW: Shouldn'ta let him up.

GM: Duane Henry Bishop bodyslams Fitzgerald... but Bailey has clamped
onto his leg, and trips the Arkansasan!  That will prevent a quick tag.
Both men up, and Bailey Fitzgerald ducks a standing clothesline...
monkey flips Duane Henry into his corner!

BW: Gotta tag, DH!  Cousin Bo is having to stand on the apron with
Cletus to keep him from just coming in an' gettin' DQed!  I dunno how
long he can watch his brother take this sissy offense 'fore he just
loses it again!

GM: Tag made, and Fitzgerald atomic drops Henry right into a flying
punch by Lawson!  Duane doubled over, and Fitzgerald runs and bulldogs
him, and Lawson elbowdrops the back of his head!  What a sequence!

BW: Even real basic moves done quick all in a row like that, Gordo, it's
as good as one big double-team move that just wastes a guy.

GM: Lawson for the cover... ONE!  TWO!

BW: Not yet, sheesh, they must not respect Duane Henry real much ta
think that'd shut him down.

GM: That's not the point.  Lawson is a veteran.  He wants to pressure
Duane Henry Bishop.  The more they make him kick out, the more energy he
expends and the closer Cletus Lee comes to losing all control and
drawing a disqualification.

BW: Oh, real smart, Gordo.  'We'll win by DQ when Cletus Lee Bishop goes
nuts an' kills us.'

[Corey Lawson applies a facelock, and Duane Henry struggles to his feet.
 The smaller Bishop Boy throws some punches to the ribs, and sends his
man off the ropes with a shove.  Cousin Bo tries to knee Corey in the
back, but Lawson slides under the bottom rope and jerks the manager off
the apron.]

GM: No dice!  Cousin Bo tried to interf... OH NO LOOK OUT!

[*THOOM*THUD*SMASH*]

BW: WHAT IN SAM HILL WAS THAT?!

[What that was was Cletus Lee losing it and lunging for Corey Lawson.
Since Cletus was standing on the apron and Corey was standing at
ringside, that would require Cletus to get off the apron.  No, he didn't
want to waste time with that, so he just lunged.  The result?
Three-hundred twenty-eight pounds of Cletus Lee Henry falling off the
apron into two-hundred thirteen pounds of Corey Lawson.  Guess who got
the worst of that?]

GM: CLETUS LEE JUST... I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE IT!  That wasn't an
aerial move off the apron; that was a tackle of sorts, but with no
semblance of control!  Cletus just smashed his body into Lawson, and
both men are on the floor!

BW: Well, no one ELSE can take down Cletus Lee, but he can take himself
down pretty hard I guess!

GM: Cletus Lee trying to get up, but he is dazed!  That was a hard fall
he took, and Corey Lawson is splayed out like he's been shot!

BW: You don't see Cletus in THAT condition real often, but he did it to
himself.  An' ya know what, Gordo?  It was the smart thing ta do!  His
brother was gettin' abused, his manager was about ta get roughed up, so
Cletus did the smart thing an' took one for the team!

GM: That was not his reasoning, that was just instinct and bloodlust.
But the fact remains that Corey Lawson is practically out of it, and
here comes Duane Henry!  Cousin Bo shouting instructions, and Duane
Henry following them!  He's rolling Lawson into the ring, and this could
be bad!

[A new burst of energy seems to power Duane Henry Bishop, as the
two-hundred fourty pounder re-enters the ring with a gleam in his eye.
He stomps Lawson, scoops him up, and hiptosses him towards the Bishop
corner as Cousin Bo pats the mat in said corner to indicate that's where
he wants Duane Henry to go to work.]

BW: Now it's just a matter o' time.  Lawson's a never-was idiot from
Tennessee who had sixteen years ta make a name for hisself, an' he's
made progress on makin' that name, Gordo.  Last year he learned howta
spell it right. 

GM: Duane Henry Bishop on the offense... and running over to punch
Fitzgerald!  There's no call for that!

[Fitzgerald starts to enter the ring, but thinks better of it, and goes
back into his corner.  We can see Bo grit his teeth, unhappy that the
rookie didn't take the bait.  Even so, Lawson is in trouble.  He fires
back on Duane Henry, and the two men briefly exchange punches.]

GM: Corey Lawson is fighting back, but he's not going to be able to
punch it out with Duane Henry.  The Bishop Boy pummelling the
Tennesseean, and Lawson is on rubber-legs street right now.

BW: He's gonna be on rubber-legs street until he goes off the road an'
crashes inta concussion lane, daddy!

GM: Duane scooping Lawson, and a brutal side suplex drives Lawson hard
to the mat!  A tremendous maneuver, and now Duane Henry is pouring it
on.  A jumping leg drop!  Corey Lawson in a world of hurt, and right
there in the Bishops' corner... uh oh!

[Cletus Lee has regained his footing, and he reaches in to make the tag.
 Apparently Cousin Bo's been coaching him on that 'tag' thing.  The
six-nine monster enters the ring as Duane just continues to stomp Lawson
mercilessly.]

BW: Uh oh is an understatement.

[Duane picks up Lawson by the hair, and the Bishops hit a big double
chop that gives Lawson extremely rubbery legs.  The gutsy veteran does
not go down, however... until the Bishops blast him with a double
headbutt.]

GM: Simple effective double team by the Bishop Boys.

BW: And here comes one from way up there, Gordo!  Cletus is pressin' his
own brother over his head, watch this!  WHAM!

GM: Cletus Lee slamming Duane Henry onto Corey Lawson!  Dangerous,
dangerous move, but it connected and drove all the wind out of Corey
Lawson. 

BW: And he's in there with Cletus.  Stop the match, ref!

GM: That would be premature to say the least.  Cletus Lee is choking the
life out of Corey Lawson as Cousin Bo is having to remind Duane Henry to
leave the ring.  Cletus lifting the two-hundred thirteen pounder with
one hand!  And a Gorilla Press!

BW: With ease!  I mean, hey, it ain't no feat ta press Corey Lawson. 
But I still like it!

GM: And driving him down with the knee into the ribcage!  Cletus Lee
with a gutbuster press, and Lawson must get out of the ring or he will
be defeated in short order!  Cletus Lee with two handfuls of hair, and a
headbutt!  Another!  Another!  Another!  Another!  Another!  Six brutal
headbutts, and a clubbing forearm drives Corey to the mat.  He may be
close to finished.

BW: As powerful as Cletus is?  You can pin him now, Gordo.  He's done.

GM: Cletus Lee staring around... he's losing focus because of the fans. 
This crowd is intensely booing him!  Cousin Bo on him quickly, and
Cletus runs to the ropes... off the ropes, and a big elbow drop
connects!  That is almost three-hundred thirty pounds, right to the
sternum.

BW: That's like droppin' a cannonball on a guy.  An' lookit that nice
technical followup.

GM: It was a bootscrape!  Cletus Lee stepped off Lawson's head as he
stood up from the elbow drop!  What was technical about that?

BW: Technically, it was a followup.

GM: Cousin Bo wants to see a tag, and Cletus doesn't like it but he
obeys.  Both Bishops in the ring again... Irish-whip Lawson to the
ropes... LAWSON DUCKS THE DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE!  He rebounds off the far
ropes...

[Duane Henry and Cletus Lee set up a double team move, as Duane ducks
down with Cletus standing behind him.  Maybe he was going to backdrop
him towards Cletus, maybe he was going to flapjack him into Cletus, but
we'll never know.  Lawson steps off of the ducking Duane Henry into a
flying crossbody on Cletus Lee... who staggers...]

GM: WHAT A MOVE, CLETUS LEE IS FALLING!

[...nope.]

BW: Not so fast, Gordo!  Cletus caught him!  And presses him... GOODBYE,
DADDY!

[As the fans look on in awe, Cletus presses Lawson overhead and flings
him at Duane Henry, who bulldogs him on the way down!]

GM: WHAT A MOVE!  That would have to do it, I would think.

BW: Cousin Bo is callin' for a pin.  I don't think Duane Henry hears
him!

[As Bo irately tries to order Duane Henry Bishop to pin Corey Lawson,
the overly-excited Bishop Boy opts instead to pick up Corey Lawson and
dump him in a nearby neutral corner.  He starts punching away at the
ribs of an exposed Lawson, and Cletus walks over to help out by tearing
Lawson's face off.  Cletus fishhooks Lawson as Duane works underneath.
Bo has to run over there to tell Cletus to leave the ring... and the
referee is having none of it as he starts counting in Cletus' face.
Cletus piefaces him away and keeps attacking.]

GM: That was a flagarnt violation!  Flirting with disqualification
there!

BW: Aw, he barely touched him!

GM: I think that's the only reason the match has not been called right
now.  Cousin Bo and the referee herding Cletus Lee to his corner!

BW: See, ya gotta cut Cletus some slack.  He ain't that bright.

GM: Why does that mean you have to... SMALL PACKAGE BY LAWSON!

[Indeed, Duane Henry had pulled Lawson out of the corner, hooked up a
suplex, and Lawson reversed into the small package.  The fans count as
Duane Henry's legs flail uselessly.]

GM: That... that could have been a three count!

BW: Coulda woulda shoulda, Gordo.

[Duane Henry powers out, and in a rage he turns and blasts Lawson with a
stiff axehandle smash to the head.  Corey flops back... and tags Bailey
Fitzgerald to the roar of the crowd!]

GM: DUANE HENRY PUNCHED LAWSON INTO HIS OWN CORNER, AND THE TAG IS MADE!

BW: Ha.

[Fitzgerald darts in between the ropes and lays into Duane Henry with a
knee to the face.  He hits a quick inverted atomic drop, and then hooks
up Duane Henry for a suplex... but the referee pulls him off and orders
him out of the ring!  The fans boo this development lustily.]

BW: I repeat: ha!

GM: The referee did not see the tag!  He was busy getting Cletus Lee
Bishop out of the ring!

[Incredulous, Fitzgerald insists that he had tagged.  And in the middle
of this insistence, Cletus Lee sideswipes him with a vicious forearm to
the head!]

GM: Cousin Bo has turned Cletus Lee loose!  He is not the legal man!

BW: Well neither's Fitzgerald, but I didn't hear you cry when he
ambushed Duane Henry!

GM: I saw the tag, as did you, but that is tangential to the point as
Cletus Lee is out of control!  The referee trying to stop him as he
headbutts Fitzgerald... and what is Cousin Bo doing?!

BW: Settlin' scores.

[Bo has gone around the ring, and is choking Corey Lawson, who is laying
prone on the apron.  He waves over Duane Henry and pulls Lawson off the
apron.  Bo holds Lawson wide open as Duane Henry comes off the apron
with a shoulderblock that drills Lawson into the floor!]

GM: What on Earth is that supposed to mean?!

BW: Bo wrestled in Tennessee way back when.  Lawson wrestled in
Tennessee for sixteen years.  Ya gotta think they're familiar.  Let's
put it that way.

[Taking another shot at a prone Lawson, Bo heads back up on the apron to
wave Cletus off... only to find that Fitzgerald has countered Cletus'
attempt to choke him with an armlock-headscissors combination that is
bending Cletus' neck at an awkward angle!]

GM: Cletus Lee finding that Bailey Fitzgerald has some experience in
facing bigger men, as he was caught in a compromising position!

BW: Yeah, but his experience consists of MAMMOTH Mizusawa crushing him
like a bug.

[Fitzgerald lets go of the hold, and exits the ring.  Cletus starts to
follow him, but Bo orders him back to his corner.]

GM: The Bishop Boys have skirted disqualification so often in this match
that you have to think they are running out of leeway.

BW: Don't matter.  Lawson's done, just you watch.  Ha ha!

GM: Duane Henry rammed him into the ringpost!  That is an abusive
violation of the rules if ever there was one!  

[Duane Henry slides Corey Lawson into the ring, and follows in after
him.  He looks to Bo for direction, but Bo is busy coaxing Cletus out of
the ring.  Shrugging, Duane Henry decides that punching is good, so he
starts doing so.  Bo finally gets Cletus where he should be, and
instructs Duane Henry to tag.]

BW: Bo's havin' trouble managin' both Bishops at once.  He's a great
manager, Gordo, 'cause that has gotta be one hard, HARD job.

GM: I'll agree that wrangling the Bishops has to feel like herding cats.
 Tag is made, and Cletus Lee comes in.  Bo giving the sign, and I
believe I know what is coming!

BW: Pagin' Doc Allan!  We need some o' that Miracle Headache Elixir,
daddy!

GM: Duane Henry hoists Lawson into the backbreaker, and here comes
Cletus Lee... LOOK AT THAT!

[As Cletus barrels towards Lawson, the veteran kicks his feet, frees
them from Duane Henry's grasp, and floats over his back!  He shoves
Duane Henry into Cletus, who absolutely plasters his brother with the
charging big boot!  The fans erupt in cheering as Duane Henry drops like
a rock!]

GM: UNBELIEVABLE!  CLETUS LEE MAY HAVE KNOCKED DUANE HENRY COLD!

BW: NO!  NO!  BO, YA GOTTA DO SOMETHIN'!

[Cletus looks down at his own brother in horror as Corey Lawson dives to
his corner and makes the hot tag!  The fans go crazy as Bailey
Fitzgerald enters the ring, rushing Cletus Lee from behind with a knee
clip to the back of his leg... Cletus looks down with an expression that
just screams "Huh?", and otherwise doesn't budge.]

GM: Fitzgerald in, and Cletus Lee is vulnerable!  He's confused!

BW: So vulnerable that Fitzgerald just plowed into the back o' his knee
an' nothin' happened.  Real vulnerable, Gordo.

GM: Fitzgerald with the rear waistlock, trying to suplex Cletus Lee
Bishop!  Cletus swings his elbow at him, and misses!  The wild-eyed
Bishop Boy is spinning around, trying to get Fitzgerald in front, but
Bailey is riding him!

[Bo is trying to tell Cletus to ram him in the corner.  Cletus stops,
looks at Bo, and nods... hey, he gets the idea!  Unfortunately, the big
slow delay means Fitzgerald gets the idea too.  Bo seems to recognize
what's about to happen before it does, but can do nothing but watch as
Cletus Lee runs back into the turnbuckles, with Fitzgerald bailing out
at the last minute.  The fans cheer the mistake.]

GM: Cletus Lee Bishop is his own worst enemy... he has again dealt
damage to himself!  And Fitzgerald with a dropkick keeping Cletus
planted in the turnbuckles!

BW: Yeah?  Good for him.  It's the same as with Mizusawa, Gordo.  He can
move around, do some things, but in the end he has no way ta beat him! 
So this don't matter!

[Bailey jumps on the second turnbuckle, and punches away as the fans
count with him!]

ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
FOUR!
FIVE!
SIX!
SEVEN!
EIGHT!
NINE!
TEN!

GM: Ten punches by Fitzgerald, and a monkey flip out of the cor... no! 
Cletus Lee shoved him off!  He could not take the big man down!

BW: What a surprise.  Two-hundred-nothin' pound Bailey Fitzgerald can't
knock down Cletus Lee Bishop.  Are you as shocked as I am, Gordo?

GM: Here comes Cletus... the big lariat attempt misses!  Fitzgerald runs
to the turnbuckles, up to the second rope, and OFF WITH A FLYING
SPINNING CROSS-CHOP THAT STUNS THE GOLIATH!

[Cletus is nailed right in the neck with that, and he staggers.  Bo is
yelling encouragement, but Cletus Lee is visibly shaken!]

BW: Cletus ain't been right since that incident in the crowd, Gordo!

GM: I'll tell you what it is, Bucky!  Two matches in the past 24 hours!
He's a big man, and he's fatigued!

BW: Come on, Cletus!  Don't let Cousin Bo down!

GM: Fitzgerald tags Lawson, and it might be a bit soon for that, but
both men in the ring!  Lawson Irish-Whips Fitzgerald, reversed by
Fitzgerald, reversed by Lawson... AND A THUNDEROUS SPEAR TO CLETUS'
ABDOMEN DOUBLES HIM OVER!  What momentum they got with the Irish-Whips!
And a double kneelift!  CLETUS IS ROCKING!

BW: NO!  NO!  DON'T LET THESE WALKIN' STICK-FIGURES KNOCK YA DOWN,
CLETUS!

GM: Lawson with an incredible dropkick, right to the face!  Cletus is
still rocking!  The fans are on their feet, as Cletus Lee Bishop may be
about to go down!

BW: If these two knock Cletus down, I'll eat my hat!

GM: Lawson tags Fitzgerald back in, and Lawson climbing the turnbuckles!
 Fitzgerald enters the ring, runs at Cletus with an ear clap!  The quick
stun move has shaken Cletus, and Bailey Fitzgerald to the corner... up
on the second rope!  And Lawson is on the top rope!  What in the
world... OH MY GOODNESS!

[MONSTER POP!]

GM: SUPER ROCKET LAUNCHER!Ê 

BW: NOOOOOO!

GM: ...AND CLETUS LEE IS _STILL_ ON HIS FEET!

[The fans are in awe as Fitzgerald launched Lawson off the top into a
spectacular flying clothesline... and although his upper body bends
waaay back, and for a moment the fall looks inevitable... Cletus
straightens back up.]

BW: He's all man, Gordo!  All man!

GM: DOUBLE DROPKICK...

[HUGE POP!]

GM: ...AND HE'S DOWN TO HIS KNEE! CLETUS LEE BISHOP IS IN MAJOR TROUBLE,
LIKE WE HAVE NEVER SEEN HIM!

BW: But they didn't knock him down!  Sagging to his knee don't count! 
He did that himself ta catch his wind!

[A quick camera shot to Bo sees that he is wide-eyed and mortified at
this turn of events.  More so as Fitzgerald approaches Cletus from
behind, wrenches his right arm behind his head, and applies a
sleeper/shoulderlock combo known as...]

GM: __BUFFALO SLEEPER__!  IT IS LOCKED IN THE CENTER OF THE RING, AND
THERE IS NO WAY THAT CLETUS LEE BISHOP WILL KNOW HOW TO ESCAPE IT!

BW: BO!  BO!  YA GOTTA DO SOMETHIN'!

[And he knows it.  Cousin Bo jumps on the apron and tries to enter the
ring.  The referee cuts him off first, and Corey Lawson cuts him off
second with a running punch to the face that sends Bo hard to the floor!
 Visibly angry at the manager for his earlier attack, Lawson steps out
onto the apron and points down at Cousin Bo...]

GM: CLETUS IS OUT!  I THINK CLETUS HAS BEEN PUT OUT!  I THINK...

BW: I THINK FITZGERALD JUST JOINED HIM IN DREAMLAND, DADDY!

GM: NO!

[To the hateful booing of the fans, a groggy Duane Henry Bishop enters
the ring to hook Fitzgerald around the waist and absolutely demolishes
Bailey Fitzgerald with a released German Suplex, flooring the Buffalo
native.  Then Duane sees that Lawson is focused on Bo, so he jumps out
of the ring to go defend his manager and cousin.

At this time, the referee turns to see that Bailey Fitzgerald is flat on
his back in the middle of the ring, still weakly clutching an unmoving
Cletus Lee Bishop's arm and neck.  The referee drops to his back and
counts as the fans shriek in horror!]

ONE!


[Corey Lawson, still on the apron jawing at Bo, hears the slap on the
mat and turns around... thus missing Duane Henry's arrival completely
which allows Duane Henry to connect with a spinning leg lariat that
knocks Lawson off the apron to the floor.]

BW: An' that one's for Bo, ya puke!

GM: This is a travesty!


TWO!


GM: Not like this... not like...


THREE!


GM: ...this.

BW: YEAH!

[*DING*DING*DING*]

[The fans are irate, as "Trashville" by Hank WIllaims III once again
plays over the PA.  Cletus Lee is still out of it, having been put out
by the Buffalo Sleeper.  Fitzgerald's arms slowly slide off of Cletus'
head and arm to his side as he is semi-conscious and unaware of what is
going on.

Cousin Bo gets up, and proceeds to help Duane Henry lay into a helpless
Corey Lawson on the floor.]

GM: THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!

BW: I thought you said it was a travesty!

GM: IT'S AN OUTRAGEOUS TRAVESTY!

BW: Oooh, good pickup, Gordo, I like that one.  Almost as much as I like
seein' Bo give that chump Lawson what for.

[Bo stops, realizing that there is another match to go.  He stops Duane
Henry and points to his brother in the ring, who is just now weakly
rolling off of Fitzgerald.  Duane Henry goes to the ring and obediently
drags Cletus Lee out of it.]

GM: Cletus Lee Bishop was out!  The Buffalo Sleeper had put him out!

BW: The water-buffalo-illegal-choke, ya mean.  An' it was close, Gordo,
real close.  But Cletus was barely conscious.  Ya gotta remember, he
don't look real conscious on a normal day anyhow.  The ref made the
right call, good job, give him a raise an' let's move on, daddy!

GM:  Move on indeed.  We now know the Bishop Boys will be one of two
teams battling for one million dollars, the Stampede Cup, and a future
shot at the AWA National Tag Team Titles.  But we don't know who they'll
be facing - will it be long-time rivals Rough N Ready or will it be the
current National Tag Team Champions, Calisto Dufresne and Adrian
Freeman?  We'll find out after this break!

[The camera holds on a disappointed Bailey Fitzgerald and Corey Lawson
as they stand in the ring, waving to the cheering fans before we fade to
black.

After a moment, we fade back up on a shot of Jason Dane and Mark
Stegglet in an apparently moving car.]

JD:  Hey, AWA fans - so much of our lives are now spent on-the-go,
wouldn't you love to be able to keep track of your favorite AWA
superstars when you're away from home?

MS:  I know I would, Jason!  And I'd also love to have a place to put
out all those rumors we hear during the week that never make AWA
Saturday Night Wrestling.

JD:  You've got that right.  Wouldn't it be great if we could combine
both of those ideas into one?

[Suddenly, a giant graphic of an iPhone appears between them!]

JD & MS:  NOW WE CAN!

[A voiceover takes over - thank God.]

VO:  Starting today, you can download AWA Access - a great new
application for your iPhone where you can get all the AWA news, rumors,
and happenings before the rest of the world.  And don't forget to check
out the "exclusive" section for matches that never aired!  AWA Access -
coming to an iPhone near you!

[Fade back to black...

...and then back up to live action where Jason Dane is standing in the
locker room area next to a smirking "Agent To The Stars" Ben Waterson.]

JD:  Welcome back to The Stampede Cup, fans.  We've got just a few more
matches left but they're the most anticipated of the night.  We've got
our semifinal showdown between Rough N Ready and Calisto Dufresne with
the winner moving on to the finals to take on The Bishop Boys with so
much on the line.  Plus, Ben Waterson, your man Stevie Scott will be in
non-title action against-

ATTSBW:  That remains to be seen, Dane.

JD:  Well, Stephen Ross said-

[Waterson waves his hand dismissively.]

ATTSBW:  I heard what that pathetic spineless toad in a knockoff suit
had to say.  He's going to suspend the National Champion?  He's going to
strip Stevie of the title?  We'll just see about that.  But that's not
what I'm here to talk about, Jason.

JD:  It's not?  Then why are you here?  Is it to finally address the 
Gary Bright situation?

ATTSBW:  It's not... but that's just because that overinflated ape isn't
worthy of my words.  He was a product of hype and working the press by
me.  The so-called Gold Bomber isn't an issue.

JD:  Is it about Juan Vasquez?

[Waterson scoffs.]

ATTSBW:  Why would I address Juan Vasquez?  I made my feelings towards
Mr. Vasquez perfectly clear on the last Saturday Night Wrestling when I
put a bounty on his head.  The Southern Syndicate is finished dealing
with Juan Vasquez and obviously, since he couldn't be bothered to even
be in the building this weekend, he's finished with us.  Vasquez is a
dead issue too, Dane.

JD:  Well, if it isn't Stevie... it's not Bright... it's not Vasquez. 
Why ARE you out here?

ATTSBW:  Let me make this crystal clear for you, Dane.  I've heard the
buzz over the past couple weeks.  People that think that the removal of
that cyst, Gary Bright, from the Southern Syndicate puts us in a
weakened state.  People who think that the Hotshot and Raphael Rhodes
can not handle the Southern Syndicate's business alone.  That couldn't
be further from the truth, Dane.

However...

[Waterson raises a finger.]

ATTSBW:  Let no one forget my words from the past.  The Southern
Syndicate is always looking for those who take initiative to impress us.
 We're always looking for those who go out of their way to show us that
they want to be a part of the most elite unit in professional sports.

And Dane, we've got our eyes everywhere - not just on the ring in the
building we're in.  We've got people all over this business calling us,
saying they want to be part of the Southern Syndicate... they want to be
a part of the group everyone's talking about...

[Waterson grins.]

ATTSBW:  And sometimes, the feeling is mutual.  I slipped your producers
a little video clip to show, Dane, and I think the time is right to run
that footage.

JD:  You heard the man... let's take a look...

[The shot of Dane and Waterson fades away to nothing but a blackened
screen that sits uncomfortably still for a few moments before...

A familiar voice from yesteryear.]

V:  Ain't here to talk.

[And a familiar face to match. Yep...

It's that same ugly mug beneath a mop of curly brown hair.  It's that
same snaggle-toothed jaw chomping on a wad of chaw. And it's that same
stanky, orange tobacco juice covering those same lips and dripping out
that same mouth and down that same chin, staining that same white
undershirt, littered with stains of old. But most prominently captured
are those same no-nonsense eyes talking business, commanding attention,
and proclaiming fearlessness.

These are the eyes of a "Dying Breed."

These are the eyes of Jack Snyder!]

JS:  Nope.  Here to fight.

[For a moment the only sound is that of his breath moving slowly through
his nose.

In.

Out.

In. 

Out.

Suddenly a snare drum beats four times, and the soul-piercing guitar
riff of AC/DC's "Back in Black" accompanies a scene change to some Jack
Snyder highlights. First we see the hairy grappler in the ring, donning
his traditional black trunks and boots, connecting with a nasty lariat,
sending an unknown opponent over the top rope and to the concrete floor.
He ferociously follows his fallen opponent outside the ring and spits a
hunk of repulsive tobacco juice in his face. As the soundtrack
continues, the following word flashes on the screen:

IRRITABLE!

Then we cut to footage from 2005. The old Huron Valley Wrestling pay-per
view Do or Die.  Grant Stone wheels Snyder down the entrance ramp on a
stretcher and rolls him into the ring.  Licking his lips, Vespasian Reed
grabs Jack by a handful of hair, but the sly and deceptive Snyder,
playing oppossum, rolls Reed up into a small package and gets a three
count. The crowd is sent into uproar as Snyder stands victoriously and
begins stomping on Reed. Fade to:

MEAN!

As the classic rock tune builds into the guitar solo, we see a montage
of the "Dying Breed" landing his patented finisher -the JackBreaker - on
opponent after opponent. First "Priceless" Tim Sanders, then Tripp
Shade, Jeff Kujawa, Kazuki Shimizu, Wilton Stone, Giuseppe Valentine,
The Gremlin, one after another after another... and finally burying Hall
of Famer Chris Courtade into the mat. He hooks the leg and gets a three
count in the center of the squared circle:

AND DOWNRIGHT NASTY!

The music fades and the shot slowly melts back to the initial image of
Snyder standing face to face with the camera. Complete stillness.]

JS: It's time to hoist the black flag and slit some throats.

[His breath:

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

Fade to:

"DYING BREED" JACK SNYDER!...

Coming soon!

Blackout.

...and then back to live action where a jaw-dropped Jason Dane is
standing next to a cackling Ben Waterson.]

JD:  Wait a second... wait a second!  Jack Snyder is coming here?!

ATTSBW:  That's right, Dane.  Jack Synder is coming here... and he's
coming here to be a part of the biggest thing goin' in this business -
the Southern Syndicate!

JD:  Snyder's joining the Southern Syndicate?!

ATTSBW:  Did I stutter, Dane?  Snyder's coming to the AWA!  Snyder's
coming to the Southern Syndicate!  Snyder's coming to be a part of the
biggest thing goin' in the busin...

[Waterson trails off as his eyes come to rest on someone approaching
from off-camera...

...Cousin Bo.]

CB:  Mr. Waterson.

[Waterson nods his head.]

ATTSBW:  Bo.  Nice work out there so far.

[Bo returns the nod.]

CB:  Much obliged, Ben.  I think you and I have... business... to
discuss.

ATTSBW:  I'm not sure I know what you mean.

[Bo arches an eyebrow.]

CB:  The last time I checked, my friend... you still owe us.  And I
think... I think it might be time to collect.  Let's chat.

[Cousin Bo drapes an arm over the shoulders of Ben Waterson, walking him
off camera and out of sight leaving Jason Dane behind.]

JD:  The news that Jack Snyder is coming to the AWA and is apparently
looking to join the Southern Syndicate is big enough... but what about
what we just saw?  Cousin Bo looking to collect on a debt!  What in the
world is going on with that?  Let's go up to Melissa for our last
semifinal of the night!

[We cut to the ring where Melissa Cannon is standing.]

MC:  The following contest is our last semifinal of the night!  It is
scheduled for one fall with a forty-five minute time limit with the
winner moving on to the Finals to take on the Bishop Boys!

Introducing first...

[ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" kicks in to a big explosion of jeers from
the AWA faithful.]

MC:  Together, they are the AWA National Tag Team Champions.  They
are...

"Ladykiller" Calisto Dufresne and "Subzero" Adrian Freeman!

[The jeers intensify as the champions emerge from the locker room, the
title belts slung over this shoulders as they make their way down the
aisle.]

GM:  The champs are here!

BW:  And they look ready for a fight.

GM:  A fight is exactly what they've got coming to them, Bucky.  Rough N
Ready has earned their shot at the titles already and they've been
waiting a long, long time to get it.  You can bet a non-title match with
the champions leaves them with something to prove here tonight.

[Dufresne and Freeman hit the ring, still whipping the crowd into jeers
as the music starts to fade and is replaced by the opening strands of
Deep Purple's "Knocking At Your Back Door."  When the drums kick in,
that's when Rough N Ready emerges from the entranceway.]

MC:  And their opponents... 

Dave Cooper... Eric Matthew Somers...

ROUGH N READY!

[A big cheer goes up for Cooper and Somers as they storm into view,
racing down the aisle towards the ring...

...and diving under the bottom rope into the ring, sending Melissa
scurrying as the referee frantically calls for the bell to start the
match!]

GM:  Here we go!  Here we go!

[Cooper and Somers charge their opposition, Cooper tangling with
Dufresne as Somers grabs the much smaller Freeman, blasting him with a
headbutt that knocks Freeman back into the buckles.]

GM:  Good grief!

[Somers immediately leans over to grab the middle rope, slamming his
shoulder into the midsection of Freeman.  He repeats the action - over
and over - to the body of the Australian.  On the other side of the
ring, Cooper and Dufresne are throwing big looping right hands at each
other, trying to topple their opponent.]

GM:  Somers grabs Freeman by the arm... big cross-corner whip...

[The 350 pounder lumbers across the ring as quickly as he can, smashing
Freeman in the buckles with a running clothesline!]

GM:  Ohhh!  What a shot by Somers!

[Somers steps back, allowing Freeman to stagger out against the ropes...

...and Somers throws another big clothesline, this one sending Freeman
over the ropes to the floor just as Cooper corners Dufresne, throwing
big punches to the body of the Ladykiller!]

GM:  One man's out of the ring!  Freeman got sent to the floor!

[Grabbing the wrist, Cooper fires Dufresne out...

...right into a three point stance running shoulderblock from Somers
that knocks Dufresne down to the mat!]

GM:  Good grief!  He pinballed him clear across the ring!

[With the crowd roaring, Cooper pumps a fist, leaning down to drag
Dufresne off the mat.]

GM:  Whip by Cooper... 

[Together, the two members of Rough N Ready send Dufresne sailing
through the air and down to the mat with a sky high double backdrop!]

GM:  Ohhh my!  Dufresne just got launched and- look at this!

[The crowd explodes as Somers gestures to Cooper.  He hauls Dufresne off
the mat, hooking him around the head and neck as Cooper hops up to the
middle rope.]

GM:  Somers LIFTS!

[And PLANTS Dufresne down to the canvas with a bone-rattling Uranage
slam.  As the Ladykiller hits the mat, Cooper leaps off the middle rope
with a kneedrop aimed at the skull of his opponent.]

GM:  ROUGH HOUS- OHHHHHH!

[The crowd gasps in unison as Adrian Freeman reaches under the ropes,
grabbing his partner by the foot and pulls Dufresne clear, causing
Cooper to smash his kneecap into the canvas!]

GM:  Ohhh!  He missed!  He missed the kneedrop!  

BW:  Thanks to Freeman! 

GM:  Adrian Freeman pulled his partner free and he caused Dave Cooper to
miss Rough Housing.  That could have been it, Bucky.

BW:  It WOULD have been it, Gordo.  Freeman just saved the tournament
for he and Dufresne.

[Out on the floor, Dufresne and Freeman are conversing, trying to
regroup and plot strategy...

...when a disgruntled Eric Matthew Somers reaches over the top rope,
smashing their heads together!]

GM:  Double noggin knocker on the champs!  

[The referee screams and shouts at Somers, forcing him from the ring as
Dave Cooper lies on his back, clutching his kneecap.  Out on the floor,
Dufresne, reeling from the nogging knocker reaches under the bottom rope
to grab Cooper by the ankle, tugging him partways under the ropes.]

GM:  Cooper's legs are hanging off the apron and-

[Dufresne lifts Cooper's injured leg in the air...

...and SLAMS it down on corner of the ring apron!]

GM:  Ohhh!  His knee, the knee he smashed into the mat on the missed
kneedrop, gets smacked into the ring apron!  And there's no give on that
ring apron, Bucky.

BW:  That's the frame of the ring.  Wood, metal - something hard.

GM:  Dufresne lifts the leg again... and SMASHES the leg down again!

[Cooper cries out, scooting back into the ring clutching his leg as a
smirking Dufresne pulls himself up onto the ring apron.  Cooper starts
to crawl, dragging his body weight towards the corner where his large
tag team partner is waiting.]

GM:  Somers is ready for the tag and...

[The crowd jeers as Dufresne steps into the ring, dropping an elbow on
the back of Cooper's head, breaking up the crawling tag attempt from
Cooper.  The Ladykiller gets to his feet, shouts an insult punctuated
with "fat boy!" in Somers' direction as then stomps the back of Cooper's
head.]

GM:  Dufresne cuts him off from making the tag and now Calisto Dufresne
is trying to get his team a edge...

[Rolling Cooper into a seated position, Dufresne balls up his fist, and
SLAMS it down into the eye of Cooper!]

GM:  Ohh!  He went to the eye!

[An enraged Somers steps over the ropes into the ring, rushing towards
Dufresne but gets caught by the official.  The referee orders Somers out
of the ring as a smirking Dufresne stomps Cooper's head over and over
again!]

GM:  Get out of there, Eric!

[Somers reluctantly exits the ring as Dufresne smashes Cooper's eye area
with a right hand again.  Grabbing Cooper by the hair, he drags him
across the ring, slapping the hand of Adrian Freeman who tags into the
ring.]

GM:  There's the exchange with Freeman...

[Freeman leans over, hooking Cooper's injured leg under his armpit, and
flips him over into a single-leg Boston Crab!]

GM:  Ohh!  Boston Crab applied on the injured leg of Dave Cooper... just
on the one leg, just a single-leg Crab but look at the pressure he's
putting on that leg.

[Cooper claws at the mat, trying to find a way out as Freeman pulls back
on the leg, trying to bent it further.]

GM:  That knee is torqued waaaaay back.  Somers and Sharpe are screaming
for Dave to make the tag but I don't know if he can get there while
trapped in this Crab.

[Freeman screams for the referee to "check him" as he pulls back even
further on the leg.  The referee drops to a knee, asking Cooper if he
wants to submit...

...but the  veteran's not about to give up, continuing his attempt to
crawl across the ring.]

GM:  Cooper's got that arm stretched out... trying to get the tag...

[Suddenly, Freeman breaks the hold, spinning around and leaping up,
smashing his own knee down on the back of Cooper's head and neck.]

GM:  Ohh!  And that'll cut off the tag for sure.

[Freeman hauls Cooper off the mat by the back of the tights, dragging
him back into the champions' corner where he slaps the hand of Calisto
Dufresne.  Together, they throw Cooper back into their corner where they
repeatedly throw kicks into the body of the veteran.]

GM:  Keeping the fresh man in the ring, working over the dazed Cooper in
the buckles.

[Freeman steps out to the apron as Cooper gets hauled out of the corner
by Dufresne...

...and then spun around, his head smashed into the top turnbuckle!  With
Cooper leaning against the buckles, Dufresne kicks at the injured knee
from a standing position.]

GM:  Dufresne's going for the leg now as well...

[A well-placed boot to the knee knocks Cooper down to a knee on the mat
in the corner...

...and a LUNGING kneesmash to the face knocks Cooper flat on his back in
the corner.]

GM:  Good grief!  What a knee to the jaw!

[Dufresne steps out of the corner, measuring the downed Cooper as he
climbs up the ropes...

...and leaps off, smashing his own knee down on the knee joint of
Cooper!]

GM:  That knee is taking a tremendous amount of punishment, Bucky.

BW:  And if a man can't stand, he can't fight.

GM:  Another tag to Freeman.

[Dufresne holds the injured leg outstretched for a hard kick to the limb
by Freeman before the Ladykiller steps out to the apron.  Grabbing both
legs, Freeman attempts to turn him over...

...but a struggling Cooper fights it, knowing the Deep Freeze is
coming.]

GM:  Cooper's trying to block the Deep Freeze!  He's fighting it off
and-

[The crowd cheers as Cooper pushes off with both legs, causing Freeman
to smash into the buckles!]

GM:  Ohh!  Cooper kicked him off!

[Flipping to his stomach, Cooper is crawling, crawling, crawling as fast
he can towards the outstretched hand of Eric Matthew Somers...

...but Freeman charges across the ring, blasting a waiting Somers with a
right hand that has little effect than to upset Somers who steps over
the top rope, grabbing Freeman by the head and flooring him with a
headbutt!]

GM:  Somers knocks Freeman flat!

[The referee immediately gets in Somers' face, trying to get him out of
the ring...

...which allows Calisto Dufresne to slip into the ring, placing his foot
on the back of Cooper's knee as he lifts Cooper's leg up, and SMASHES
the knee into the mat again!]

GM:  Ohhh!  

BW:  Ha ha!  I love it!  The champs are playing Somers like a friggin'
fiddle, Gordo!

[Somers strains to get around the official, pointing a finger at
Dufresne who points a finger of his own (yep!) at Somers before stepping
back out to the apron.  A slightly-dazed Adrian Freeman gets up off the
mat, dragging Cooper across the ring by the foot...

...and slaps the hand of his partner, bringing Dufresne back into the
ring.]

GM:  In comes the Ladykiller... and STOMPS the kneecap!

[Cooper again writhes in pain on the mat as Somers steps back to the
apron, shouting at his partner to get across the ring and make the tag. 
Dufresne slowly walks around the downed Cooper...

...and stomps the knee again.]

GM:  This is just a brutal assault on the leg of-

[Leaping up, Dufresne smashes both feet down on the leg!]

GM:  Double stomp!  Good grief!

[A smirking Dufresne kneels on the canvas next to Cooper, glaring at the
veteran.]

"You're nothing, old man!  Nothing!"

[He punctuates his insult with a hard slap across the face.]

GM:  What a jerk!  

[Dufresne gets back up, grabbing Cooper by the ankle and dragging him
towards the ropes where he drops the ankle down on the middle rope.  The
Ladykiller steps up to the middle rope...

...and drops all his weight down on the extended leg!]

GM:  Ohhhh!

[Dropping to the mat, Dufresne rolls to the floor and yanks Cooper under
the ropes to join him.  Grabbing Cooper by the arm, Dufresne whips him
towards the steel railing...

...but Cooper's injured knee can't support his weight, collapsing to the
floor a few feet from the barricade.]

GM:  Look at that, Bucky.  His knee gave way on him and- here comes
Dufresne!

[The Ladykiller charges towards him...

...and gets caught in a drop toehold, his head SMASHING into the steel
barricade!]

GM:  OHHHHHH!  COOPER CAUGHT HIM!!

[With the crowd roaring, Cooper grabs the apron, dragging himself off
the floor to his feet where he throws himself under the ropes into the
ring.]

GM:  Here we go, Bucky!  This is his chance to make the tag!  This is
his chance to get all the way across the ring and tag in Eric Matthew
Somers!

[Cooper starts crawling on all fours across the ring while Adrian
Freeman screams at Dufresne to get up off the floor and back inside the
ring.]

GM:  Dufresne pulls himself off the mat...

[The Ladykiller falls into the apron, clutching his skull as he rolls
under the botton rope.]

GM:  Dufresne's back in but Cooper's got a big headstart!  Cooper's more
than halfway across the ring...

[Dufresne is in hot pursuit though, crawling behind Cooper...

...and throwing himself forward, grabbing Cooper by the ankle!]

GM:  He caught him!  Dufresne caught him!

[But Cooper rolls to his back, rearing back with his bad leg, and
SMASHES Dufresne in the skull with his boot!]

GM:  Ohhh!  Hard kick to the head!  

[But with the weakened leg delivering the kick, there's not much behind
it as Cooper tries to free himself...

...but a second kick breaks him free!]

GM:  COOPER KICKS HIM OFF!

[And pushes himself the last bit of distance to Eric Matthew Somers!]

GM:  TAG!

[The crowd ERUPTS as Somers storms into the ring, racing across the ring
where a big right hand knocks Freeman off the apron and down to the
floor!]

GM:  He yanks Dufresne off the mat... irish whip...

[As Dufresne rebounds off, Somers scoops him up in his massive arms,
pivoting...

...and DRIVING Dufresne down to the canvas with a thunderous slam!]

GM:  POWERSLAM!!  POWERSLAM!!

[Somers hooks the rear leg as the referee drops down to the mat.]

GM:  ONE!!  TWO!!  THR- OHHH!  Shoulder up from Dufresne!

[Somers pushes up off the mat, throwing fist after fist after fist to
the skull of a downed Dufresne.  Getting back to his feet, Somers yanks
the Ladykiller up by the hair, firing him into the corner...

...and rushing in, smashing Dufresne against the buckles with a
clothesline!]

GM:  OHHHH!

[As Dufresne stumbles out, Somers wraps his arms around the waist of
Dufresne in a bearhug...

...and HURLS the Ladykiller over his head and down to the mat with a
powerful belly to belly throw!]

GM:  SOMERS IS ON FIRE!!!

[Somers climbs back to his feet, pumping a fist to the cheers of the
crowd as he approaches the downed Dufresne.  The big man leans down to
pull Dufresne off the mat...

...and gets his eyes raked!]

GM:  Ohh!  Cheapshot from Dufresne!

[Somers staggers backwards, wiping at his eyes as Dufresne gets to his
feet.  He rushes forward, leaping high into the air to snare Somers
around the head with his legs...]

GM:  HURRACAN- BLOCKED!

[Somers stands tall, refusing to be taken over in the headscissors...

...and then DRIVES Dufresne down to the mat in a powerbomb, hooking the
leg!]

GM:  ONE!!  TWO!!  THRE- 

[The crowd EXPLODES in disappointment as Freeman makes a lunging save,
breaking up the pin attempt...

...which brings in a hobbling Dave Cooper who flattens Freeman with a
big right hand!]

GM:  Oh yeah!  Rough N Ready are taking it to the champions!

[Somers gets back up, pulling Freeman off the mat for a double Irish
whip.]

GM:  Double whip... 

[As Freeman rebounds, Cooper hooks him around the upper thighs,
rotating, and DRIVING Freeman down to the mat with a thunderous
spinebuster!]

GM:  SPINEBUSTER!  SPINEBUSTER!

[With Freeman down, Somers leaps into the air, smashing a big legdrop
across the throat of the Australian.  Cooper quickly hooks Freeman's
legs, turning him over into a Texas Cloverleaf to the roar of the
crowd!]

GM:  Cloverleaf on Freeman!  Cooper's stretching him!

[On the other side of the ring, Somers approaches Calisto Dufresne who
is down on all fours...

...and ERUPTS from that position, popping Somers in the jaw with a right
hand that seems to completely rock Somers!]

GM:  What the-?

BW:  What a right hand!

GM:  Wait a second!  He hit him with something!

[Turning away from the official, Dufresne pulls a set of brass knucks
off his hand, throwing them to the floor... a move caught in full by our
cameraman but not the referee.]

GM:  He hit him with brass knucks!  You saw it as well as I did, Bucky!

BW:  I saw no such thing.  He's got a big right hand and-

[With Somers kneeling on the mat, Dufresne hooks a front facelock...

...and delivers a thunderous modified version of Wham Bam Thank You
Ma'am!]

GM:  OHHH!  HE SPIKED SOMERS!!

[Dufresne throws himself across the downed Somers.  Dave Cooper is
completely oblivious with his back turned to this action, still holding
Freeman in the Cloverleaf as the referee drops down to count - Sarah
Sharpe screaming at the official!]

GM:  ONE!!  TWO!!  THREE!!


"DING!  DING!  DING!"


[Cooper breaks the hold, pumping his fists in celebration of what he
assumed was a victory...

...and his face drops as he stares at his partner, barely moving.]

GM:  This is a total miscarriage of justice, Bucky.  Calisto Dufresne
hit Somers with a loaded right hand... and Somers was almost unconscious
at that point.  Then Dufresne used that DDT...

BW:  The Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am!

GM:  I refuse to call it that... but he used it to great effect and
Somers was completely out like a light.  Dufresne knocks him out with
the brass knucks and the DDT and that puts the National Tag Team
Champions in the Finals!  

BW:  I love it!  The Bishops versus the champs?  How can we go wrong
with that?

GM:  Somers is still down and Dave Cooper has NO idea what happened. 
Dufresne's dragging Freeman out of here, trying to get out of the arena
before Somers wakes up.  They stole this one from Rough N Ready just
like they stole it from the Outlaws.

BW:  Stole, stole, stole.  That's all I hear from you, Gordo.  The
National Tag Team Champions just continue to prove why they're the best
tag team in the world, daddy.  And now they've only got to win one more
match to prove it.

GM:  Absolutely ridiculous.  Rough N Ready were robbed here tonight but
the comfort I take away from this is that they've already EARNED their
shot at the title.  They'll get another chance at the champions, Bucky,
and you can bet they'll be ready for it.

BW:  We'll see about that, Gordo.  I predict that match will end just
like this one did.

GM:  Fans, we need to take a quick break but we'll be right back with
"Hotshot" Stevie Scott in non-title action!

[We fade out on a still-stunned Rough N Ready...

After a moment, we fade back up on a very long shot of the exterior of a
pretty dingy looking building.]

"Have you ever dreamed of fame?"

[Cut a little closer.]

"Of glory?"

[A little closer.]

"Of your friends and family seeing you on television?"

[And just a little closer, revealing a red, white, and blue sign that
reads "AWA Combat Corner."]

"Well, now you can make all your dreams come true by signing up today at
the AWA Combat Corner - the official training school for the American
Wrestling Alliance!"

[We cut to the interior of the building where we can see lots of
standard gym equipment surrounding a very basic wrestling ring.  There
are people lifting weights, running on treadmills, and of course,
working out in the ring.]

"With the very best trainers in the business, the AWA Combat Corner is
the most-equipped training facility to get you in shape and get you in
the ring in the shortest amount of time!"

[Cut into the ring where Todd Michaelson is barking out instructions.]

"With former World Champion Todd Michaelson leading the classes, you can
guarantee that you will be prepared for in-ring action upon graduation
and with the AWA expanding by the day, you will have a place to work on
Day One!"

[Two young students are grappling on the canvas.]

"So, stop by the Combat Corner today... call our offices... visit our
website... and let them know that you want to be the next AWA Superstar!
 You want to be the future of the business!

You want to wrestle!"

[Fade to a graphic that has all the info on the AWA Combat Corner.  We
freeze there for a moment...

...and then back up to live action where Gordon Myers and Stephen Ross
are standing in the ring.  The ring has been surrounded by AWA
wrestlers.]

GM:  Welcome back to the Stampede Cup, fans... and we are just moments
away now from this non-title match.  Stephen Ross has joined me out here
to draw the name of the man who will face "Hotshot" Stevie Scott in just
a few moments and as you can see, we've got all these great AWA
superstars out here surrounding the ring, just waiting to see who Lady
Luck will smile upon tonight.

[The camera pans around the ringside showing eager competitors like
Kevin Slater, Mark Langseth, the Falcons, Colt Patterson, and more.]

GM:  First, before we draw the name... at this time, ladies and
gentlemen, please welcome to the ring the AWA National Champion!  He is
accompanied to the ring by "Agent To The Stars" Ben Waterson... he is
"Hotshot" Stevie Scott!

[The crowd explodes into jeers as the curtain parts.  After a moment,
Waterson emerges, smirking at the crowd's reaction.  He jerks a thumb
over his shoulder to point at the National Champion as he walks into
view...

...in street clothes.  The duo quickly makes their way down the aisle,
pausing to high five Raphael Rhodes at ringside before stepping into the
ring.]

SR:  Mr. Scott, judging by your... ring attire... I'm guessing you've
decided not to participate in this match.

[Stevie waggles a finger at Stephen Ross.]

HSS:  You're not gettin' rid of me that easy, Ross.  I'm the AWA
National Champion... the best at what I do.  So, yeah... I'm going to
compete tonight.

SR:  But you're in street clothes.

HSS:  Well, looking around at this motley crew you've assembled, I just
have to think that as long as you don't draw Raph's name out of the hat,
I can take any of these guys wearing whatever I want to wear.  

[Scott smirks arrogantly at his would-be challengers.]

HSS:  Now, let's get this farce over with.  Draw the name, Ross.

[Shrugging his shoulders, Stephen Ross hands the mic back to Gordon
Myers as he calls for the shoebox containing several slips of paper in
it.]

GM:  Mr. Ross is about to draw the name of the man who will face Stevie
Scott here tonight.  As we look around ringside, we see a lot of top
flight talent... a lot of guys I'd love to see challenge the National
Champion... men like Pure X... like Mark Langseth... like MAMMOTH
Mizusawa... like...

[Ross pulls the name, unfolding the sheet of paper, leaning over the mic
with a grin on his face.]

SR:  Like... Shane Destiny?

[The crowd erupts in cheers!  Not so much for Shane Destiny himself but
for the possibility of Destiny and Scott beating the tar out of one
another.  In his wrestling clothes, Shane Destiny steps up on the ring
apron, eyeing Stevie Scott who looks less than pleased.  Destiny steps
through the ropes, taking his spot in the corner across the ring from
the Hotshot.]

SR:  Stevie Scott vs Shane Destiny!  Let's get it on!

[Ross and Myers move to exit the ring but just before they do, Ross
grabs the mic one more time.]

SR:  Oh, and one more thing, Mr. Scott... this match is now...

A LUMBERJACK MATCH!

[Big cheer!  Scott looks even more annoyed now, kicking the bottom rope
in frustration.  Waterson quickly shouts at Ross who is grinning as he
makes his exit.]

GM:  Shane Destiny!  Stevie Scott!  A Lumberjack Match!  We'll be right
back, fans!

[And we fade to black...

After a moment, we fade back up on a shot of Jason Dane and Mark
Stegglet in an apparently moving car.]

JD:  Hey, AWA fans - so much of our lives are now spent on-the-go,
wouldn't you love to be able to keep track of your favorite AWA
superstars when you're away from home?

MS:  I know I would, Jason!  And I'd also love to have a place to put
out all those rumors we hear during the week that never make AWA
Saturday Night Wrestling.

JD:  You've got that right.  Wouldn't it be great if we could combine
both of those ideas into one?

[Suddenly, a giant graphic of an iPhone appears between them!]

JD & MS:  NOW WE CAN!

[A voiceover takes over - thank God.]

VO:  Starting today, you can download AWA Access - a great new
application for your iPhone where you can get all the AWA news, rumors,
and happenings before the rest of the world.  And don't forget to check
out the "exclusive" section for matches that never aired!  AWA Access -
coming to an iPhone near you!

[Fade back to black...

...and then back to live action where Stevie Scott is slowly walking to
the middle of the ring where Shane Destiny is already standing.  The
Hotshot comes nose to nose with Destiny, running his mouth the whole
while.]

GM:  Welcome back, fans, and we are-

[The crowd cheers as Destiny has heard enough from Stevie Scott, turning
to his side and uncorking a big chop across the chest of the Hotshot,
knocking him clear off his feet.  Still in his street clothes, the
Hotshot immediately backs off, scooting backwards with a hand raised as
he moves to the corner.]

GM:  Haha!  I don't think the Hotshot wants any part of Shane Destiny,
Bucky.

BW:  Shane Destiny?  That's not fair!  Why couldn't they draw that
Italian goofball Moretti?  Maybe that bum from the Combat Corner -
Preston or Anderson - either one of 'em!  Not Shane Destiny!

GM:  But Shane Destiny it is!

[The crowd jeers as Destiny takes two steps towards the corner but the
referee inserts himself between Destiny and the Hotshot, not letting him
advance.]

GM:  Referee Mickey Meekly is keeping Destiny back... allowing the
champion time to get back to his feet...

[A flustered Stevie Scott undoes the top couple of buttons on his dress
shirt as he glares past the official at Destiny, Waterson a running
stream of commentary from the floor.]

GM:  Here we go again...

[The Hotshot marches out to the middle of the ring, pointing a finger in
the face of Shane Destiny...

...who promptly grabs the wrist, twisting it behind the champion's back,
and cranking upwards in a hammerlock.  Scott immediately cries out,
wrenching his arm behind him, trying to free himself.]

GM:  Destiny caught him in the hammerlock... and this isn't a joke to
Shane Destiny, Bucky!  Stevie Scott might have thought this was all a
joke but to Shane Destiny, this is a chance to get in the ring with the
AWA National Champion!  It's not a title match but if you win here...

BW:  If you win here, the Committee won't have a choice but to give you
a future title match.  Stevie Scott needs to realize that because, like
him or not, Shane Destiny is a world-class wrestler.  He used to be the
biggest free agent the AWA had every signed!  If Stevie's not careful,
Destiny will take him out in a heartbeat.

[Destiny hangs on to the hammerlock, continuing to wrench the arm as the
Hotshot approaches the ropes, grabbing the top rope with his free arm
and demanding a break.]

GM:  The referee calling for the break...

[Destiny waits til the count of four before breaking...

...and catches a hard shove to the chest from the Hotshot!]

GM:  Things are getting a little testy now and-

[Destiny replies by grabbing Scott by the hair, spinning him around and
throwing him through the ropes...

...and into the lion's den!]

GM:  Uh oh!  

[The crowd roars as Scott crashes down at the feet of Soup Bone Samson
and Vernon Riley who waste no time in putting the boots to the Hotshot
before pulling him off the floor, shoving him back under the ropes into
the ring.]

GM:  Stevie didn't like that!

[A frustrated Stevie Scott leans over the ropes, shouting at Samson and
Riley...

...and catches a left hook to the head from Samson, sending him
stumbling back...]

GM:  ROLLUP!

[Destiny catches the off-balance Hotshot, taking him down in a schoolboy
rollup.]

GM:  ONE!  TWO!!  THRE- OHHH!  SO CLOSE!

[The Hotshot just barely gets out of the pinning attempt in time,
quickly rolling under the ropes to the floor on the other side of the
ring...

...where Bling Bling Beaumont wastes no time in popping the champ with a
bellclapper!]

GM:  Oh yeah!

[Shannon Stokes grabs the stunned Stevie Scott, firing him under the
ropes into the ring where Destiny is waiting, yanking the champion back
to his feet and firing him into the ropes...]

GM:  The champ rebounds off...

[And gets caught under the chin with a back elbow that knocks the
Hotshot down to the mat...

...where a leaping kneedrop smashes him squarely in the chest!]

GM:  ONE!  TWO!  Kickout at two!

[Holding Scott by the hair, Destiny pastes him over and over with fists
to the head.  Still clinging to the hair, Destiny yanks him off the mat,
shoving him back to the corner.]

GM:  Scott's trapped in the buckles... Destiny on the attack...

[A big chop connects squarely across the shirt-covered chest of Stevie
Scott!]

GM:  Good grief!  We've said it before that Shane Destiny is one of the
hardest hitters in the entire AWA and he's proving it inside the ring
right now with the National Champion!

[Grabbing Scott's shirt by the hands, Destiny rips the shirt apart,
revealing the bare chest of the champion...

...and pops him with another chop across the chest!]

GM:  Goodness!  Destiny's lighting up the champion!

[A bright red welt appears on the chest of the champion as Destiny grabs
him by the wrist, whipping him from corner to corner.]

GM:  Irish whip to the buckles...

[Destiny sprints across the ring, connecting with a big clothesline in
the corner!]

GM:  All impact there...

[Scott staggers out of the corner to Destiny's waiting arms as he hoists
the Hotshot up...

...and drops him down in an inverted atomic drop, immediately drilling
him with a second clothesline after the atomic drop!]

GM:  Ohhh!  Down goes the champion again!

[Destiny leans over, dragging Scott off the mat by the hair...

...and connects with another big chop, this one sending Stevie falling
back into the ropes.]

BW:  You coulda heard that one clear up in Dallas, daddy!

[The Las Vegas resident hits the far ropes, rebounding off...]

GM:  Clothesli- OHHHHH!

[The crowd gasps as Stevie Scott drops down to the mat at the last
moment, pulling the ropes down with him and causing Shane Destiny to
sail over the ropes to the floor...

...where a sea of fan favorites are waiting to put the boots to him -
and a couple not-so-popular guys like the Rhodes brothers as well. 
Raphael drops a knee on Destiny's head before Simon drags him off the
floor, shoving him back in to the National Champion.]

GM:  The Southern Syndicate gets some licks in out there on the floor on
Destiny... and then they feed him back in to the National Champion who
gets to work with a bunch of stomps...

[Pulling Destiny off the mat, Scott applies a double underhook, yanking
Destiny down to the canvas with a butterfly suplex, floating into a pin
attempt.]

GM:  Beautiful execution on that one by the champion... he gets one!  He
gets two!

[But Destiny kicks out with ease as two, not even giving a near fall.]

GM:  Out at two.

[Scott quickly goes from the lateral press into a mount, grabbing
Destiny by the hair, and delivering haymaker after haymaker into the jaw
of his opponent.]

GM:  Scott's all over him - Waterson cheering him on from the floor...

[Dragging Destiny to his feet, Scott hooks in a front facelock, snapping
Destiny over in a suplex, rolling into another pinning position.]

GM:  There's another cover - one!  Two!  Again, the shoulder is up!

[The Hotshot again takes the mount, throwing punches from the top on
Destiny.  He gets up, holding the wrists of Destiny, preventing him from
blocking a series of stomps to the upper body...

...finishing it off with a brutal stomp to the face that leaves Destiny
down on the mat, clutching his face.]

GM:  Good grief.

BW:  The champ's not messing around anymore.

GM:  I guess not.

[Ripping off his dress shirt and whipping it into the crowd, an irate
Hotshot is shouting at the downed Destiny.]

"You think you can go with ME?!"

"You think you can be in here with ME?!"

[A few expletives land on Destiny before a leaping stomp to the chest
connects.  Destiny rolls away from the assault to the ropes...

...where a baseball slide kick knocks him to the floor, right to the
feet of the Rhodes brothers again.  Raphael and Simon launch into the
attack, stomping and kicking on Destiny...]

GM:  Look at this!  They're supposed to put him back in!  They're
supposed to-

[Suddenly, Michael Keening leaps up on the ring apron, quickly scaling
to the middle turnbuckle...

...and backflipping off into a moonsault on both Rhodes brothers, taking
them both down to a huge cheer!]

GM:  OH YEAH!!

[Jason Keening wades through the people at ringside, yanking Destiny off
the floor and shoving him under the ropes.]

GM:  Jason Keening puts Destiny back in!  Keening, always doing the
right thing!

BW:  That guy makes me sick.

GM:  Scott's all over Destiny again!

[The Hotshot is stomping and kicking Destiny relentlessly before
dragging him back to his feet...

...and connecting with a chop of his own that knocks Destiny back to the
buckles.]

GM:  A chop by the champ - not the same amount of mustard on that one as
those that Destiny threw but it's enough to knock Destiny back to the
corner.

[Grabbing Destiny by the wrist, Scott fires him from corner to corner,
sending Destiny crashing hard into the buckles where he stumbles out and
drops to his knees.]

GM:  All impact into the buckles there... OHHH!

[The crowd echoes Gordon's response as the Hotshot sprints across the
ring, driving both feet squarely into the face of his opponent in a low
dropkick.]

GM:  Good grief!  Destiny got knocked flat with that one!

BW:  Don't doubt the skills of the National Champion, even if he's in
street clothes, daddy!

[Popping to his feet, an arrogant Hotshot spreads his arms wide, nodding
his head at the jeering crowd as he taunts all the wrestlers around the
ring.  The Hotshot slowly approaches the downed Destiny, dragging him up
by the hair, scooping him up horizontal to the mat...

...and drops him down in a backbreaker!]

GM:  Ohh!  Backbreaker by the Hotshot... and the champ's going up!

[The crowd starts to buzz as the Hotshot steps up to the second rope,
slowly scaling the buckles.  He continues taunting the crowd as he puts
one foot on the top rope... and loses focus for a bit as he starts
shouting at Pure X from his perch...

...which gives Shane Destiny just enough time to roll to his knees...]

GM:  Scott's up top!  He doesn't even know that Desti-  OHHHHH!

BW:  He does now!

[The crowd erupts as Destiny throws himself at the ropes causing the
Hotshot to lose his footing, crotching himself on the top turnbuckle!]

GM:  I hope the Hotshot didn't have a post-game party planned cause he's
gonna be hurtin' for certain for quite a while after that one!  

BW:  And now it's Destiny who is climbing.

[The Las Vegas resident steps up to the middle rope, looping his arms
around the torso of the Hotshot...

...then steps up to the top rope before hoisting the champion off his
perch, sailing backwards with him, and DRIVING him into the canvas!]

GM:  BELLY TO BACK SUPERPLEX!  HE PLANTED THE CHAMPION!!

BW:  He hurt himself too, Gordo!  He hit the back of his head on the mat
and I think he hurt his head!

GM:  Wait a... what is Waterson doing?!

[The crowd jeers as Waterson leans under the bottom rope, grabbing his
man by the foot and dragging him towards the ropes...]

GM:  He's trying to pull Scott out of the ring!  He's trying to-

[Suddenly, the crowd EXPLODES as all hell breaks loose out on the floor,
every single man throwing blows at one another - some trying to prevent
Waterson's save and some trying to aid it.]

GM:  It's breaking loose out here!  We need to get some control in
there!

[Destiny pulls Scott off the mat, both men barely able to stand...]


"WHAAAAAAAAAAACK!"
"OHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


GM:  HE KICKED THE REF!  HE KICKED THE REF!


"DING!  DING!  DING!"

[At the sound of the bell, Stevie Scott breaks into a dash, exiting the
ring and quickly working his way up the aisle to the locker room.]

GM:  Can you believe that?  Mickey Meekly just ate a Heatseeker because
Stevie Scott didn't want any more of this match.  He didn't want any
more of Shane Destiny or this lumberjack match - these lumberjacks are
still fightin', Bucky!  

BW:  Whoa!  Get away from me!

GM:  Fans... we've got... whoa!  Get security out here - we need to go
to break!

[We quickly cut away from the chaos on the floor...

...and then back up.  It's a shot of a few kids standing outside of a
classroom.  A fourth kid walks up to them, carrying his backpack over
his shoulder.]

4th Kid:  Hey guys... wait til you see what I got from AWAShop.com!

[He whips open the backpack and produces...

...a JUAN VASQUEZ BOBBLEHEAD!]

"Whoa!"

"Wow!"

"That rocks!"

"I want one... now!"

[The 4th kid looks pleased with himself...

...until a fifth kid walks up.]

5th Kid:  Juan Vasquez, huh?  That's not bad... but check this out!

[The 5th kid opens his backpack and reveals...

...a CITY JACK BOBBLEHEAD!]

"WHOA!"

"WOWER!"

"THAT ROCKS MORE!"

"I WANT ONE... NOW!"

[The fifth kid looks proud as the fourth kid looks sad at his Vasquez
bobblehead and we fade to black...

...and then back up to live action where Gordon and Bucky are standing
at ringside.]

GM:  Welcome back, fans... and after two nights of incredible action, it
all comes down to this.  Two teams... four men... and so, so much on the
line.  We've said it over and over but this is for the Stampede Cup
trophy, one million dollars, and a shot at the AWA National Tag Team
Titles.

BW:  Unless the champs win!

GM:  That would be correct.  Plus, perhaps the most important thing is
if you win this tournament, in my opinion, you have earned the right to
call yourselves the best tag team in professional wrestling, Bucky.

BW:  You'd better believe it.  Sixteen of the best teams in the world -
there ain't no better way to prove you're the best at what you do.  

GM:  Two teams... but only one can be the best.  For the final time this
weekend and for 2009, let's go up to Melissa for the introductions!

[We fade to the ring where Melissa Cannon is standing.]

MC:  The following contest is scheduled for one fall with NO time limit.
 It is the final match in the Stampede Cup tournament!  

Introducing first...

[The sounds of ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" fill the air to the jeers of
the AWA fans.]

MC:  They are the #1 seed in this tournament and the current AWA
National Tag Team Champions... they make the finals with wins over The
Outlaws and Rough N Ready... at a total combined weight of 435 pounds...

"Subzero" Adrian Freeman and the "Ladykiller" Calisto Dufresne!

[The jeers intensify as Dufresne and Freeman stride through the curtain.
 The title belts are slung over this shoulders and both men are all
business as they head down the aisle towards the ring, completely
ignoring the fans on both sides of the aisle.]

GM:  You notice these men only beat two teams to make it to the Finals. 
Do not forget, fans, that they shouldn't even be in this thing!  They
lost in the first round to Bailey Fitzgerald and Corey Lawson and
through some kind of chicanery, weaseled their way back into the
tournament against the Outlaws.

BW:  You can berate them all you want for how they got here but the fact
is, Gordo, they still beat the #2 seeds in the tournament in Rough N
Ready and they beat the team many picked to win the whole thing in the
Outlaws.  To me, that means they DESERVE to be in this spot.

GM:  Yes, but HOW did they beat those teams, Bucky?  Through cheating
and underhanding means... like they always do.

[Dufresne and Freeman climb the steps into the squared circle, looking
out over the jeering crowd with a stoic reaction.]

GM:  They certainly look focused tonight... but they're going to need to
be against the opponents they've gotta face.

[Speaking of which, the sounds of ZZ Top die out and are replaced by
"Trashville" by Hank Williams III.] 

MC:  And their opponents... from Kingsland, Arkansas... being
accompanied to the ring by their manager Cousin Bo... weighing in
at 568 pounds... having won their spot in this final match with
victories over the Taylor brothers, the Right Proper Thugs, and the team
of Bailey Fitzgerald and Corey Lawson...

They are Duane Henry and Cletus Lee...

THE BISHOP BOYS!

[Even more jeers pour out for the hillbilly trio as they make their way
through the curtain.  Cousin Bo is all business, his boys in line right
behind him as they stare down the aisle towards the ring.  After a small
smirk by Cousin Bo, he waves his men forward and the trio walks the
aisle together towards the ring.  Cletus Lee and Duane Henry are showing
great restraint, ignoring the ringside fans as they make a quick path
down to the ring, climbing into the squared circle as Cousin Bo takes up
his spot at ringside.]

GM:  These men are all business as well.

BW:  You sound so surprised, Gordo.  Do we need to discuss again what's
on the line tonight?  The money, the cup, the fortune, the glory?  This
is what it's all about for teams who want to be the very best in the
sport like these four men.

GM:  AWA Senior Official Michael Meekly will be the man in the middle
for this one.  He's got words for both teams and you can bet he'll have
his work cut out for him in this one, trying to keep these four men -
plus Cousin Bo on the outside - under control.

[After some words between the two teams, Adrian Freeman decides to stay
in the ring with Duane Henry Bishop.  As the bell rings, Freeman walks
out of the corner with a bit of a swagger, jabbing his finger into the
chest of Duane Henry and doing a little trashtalking...

...which is cut short as Duane Henry wraps both of his hands around the
throat of Freeman!]

GM:  Oh my!  

BW:  And we're starting it all off with a chokehold!  I've got a feeling
I'm going to enjoy this one, daddy.

GM:  Blatant choke by Duane Henry to start things off...

[Freeman immediately goes low, driving a knee up into the midsection to
break the chokehold.  A hooking right hand to the body knocks Duane
Henry back a step and allows Freeman to bully him right back into the
buckles where he immediately grabs him by the wrist for an Irish whip.]

GM:  Whip out of the corner... 

[But Duane Henry easily reverses the whip, sending Freeman crashing into
the buckles.  The ever-aggressive Duane Henry charges in...

...and the ever-strategic Adrian Freeman is waiting for him, raising a
knee into the midsection to cut him off.]

GM:  Ohh!  Nice move by Freeman who had Duane Henry well-scouted there.

[Freeman immediately hops up to the middle rope, raising his arms above
him for a double axehandle blow...

...but Duane Henry reaches up, grabbing Freeman's ankle, and yanking it
out from under him, smacking the back of Freeman's head into the
canvas!]

GM:  Ohh!  And Duane Henry with a good counter of his own!  

BW:  It wasn't pretty.  It wasn't slick.  But it damn sure was effective
and if you don't believe me, ask Duane Henry Bishop who is rolling
around on the mat like his head just got caved in.

[Clutching the back of his skull, Freeman is indeed flopping around a
bit before rolling out to the floor.  Dufresne hops down off the apron,
huddling up with his partner for a bit as they glare up at Duane Henry
who is demanding he get back in there to continue the fight.]

GM:  Duane Henry wants some more... he loves this.

BW:  The kid loves to fight.  

GM:  He's waving Freeman back into the ring.  The Australian's letting
that count go a bit, trying to regroup.

[With a nod to the Ladykiller, Freeman rolls under the ropes and takes
up a defensive posture near his own corner, one hand on the top rope
near his corner as he tries to lure Duane Henry in.]

GM:  Freeman out of the corner... circling Duane Henry... looking for an
opening...

[The two men come together in the middle of the ring in a collar and
elbow tieup, each looking for an edge.  Freeman quickly uses his
technical skills, slipping the tieup into a side headlock.  But Duane
Henry just as quickly throws him off to the ropes...]

GM:  Duane Henry throws him off... 

[As Freeman rebounds, Duane Henry winds up...

...and POPS Freeman across the chest with a knife-edge chop that knocks
Freeman down to the mat!]

GM:  Big chop by Duane Henry!

[Freeman springs back to his feet, charging back in, and Duane Henry
grabs his outstretched arm, yanking him down to the mat in an armdrag
takedown.  Freeman is quickly up again...

...and walks right into a standing leaping spinning back kick to the
chest that knocks Freeman flat where he rolls right out of the ring
again.]

GM:  Ohhh my!  Duane Henry with a flurry of offense and I don't think
this is what Adrian Freeman had in mind, Bucky.

BW:  Duane Henry is usually such a wild man, throwing punches, kicks,
elbows, knees... this is a very controlled, focused offense from him and
I think it has caught the champions a little off guard.

GM:  Freeman out to the floor...

[And finds himself face to face with Cousin Bo.  Freeman's got plenty of
words for Cousin Bo before turning to walk away, walking around to the
far side of the ring to get a breather before rolling back into the
ring.]

GM:  Freeman's back in... and there's the tag to Dufresne!

[The Ladykiller has some spring in his step as he enters the ring,
tossing in a little bit of a strut before tying up with Duane Henry...]

GM:  Another tieup there...

[Dufresne uses his size advantage to back Duane Henry down to a neutral
corner...

...but a powerful throwdown sends the Ladykiller sprawling on the mat!]

GM:  Oh my!  Duane Henry's a powerful guy too!  Just like his brother
Cletus Lee and-

[An embarrassed Dufresne climbs back to his feet, charging right back
in...

...and gets levelled with a clothesline from Duane Henry Bishop!]

GM:  Down goes Dufresne again!  The champions are completely overwhelmed
by the Bishops at this stage in the matchup, Bucky!  I'm a little bit
shocked.

BW:  It's still early, Gordo.

GM:  It certainly is that.

[Dufresne rolls under the ropes, eager to avoid any more offense from
the Bishops...

...but Cletus Lee is waiting for him, scooping him up in a big gorilla
press and throwing him THROUGH the ropes back into the ring to a
surprising cheer from the crowd!]

GM:  Cletus Lee brings him back in!  Dufresne thought he was out of the
line of fire but no such luck for the Ladykiller!  

[Upon hitting the canvas, Dufresne immediately rolls back under the
ropes to the floor.  He shakes his head, waving off the ring as he
starts walking back up the aisle...

...which brings Duane Henry through the ropes, charging up the aisle
after him, and blasting him with a right hand!]

GM:  Dufresne looked like he was getting out of town but the Bishops
aren't having any of that!

[With a handful of hair, Duane Henry drags Dufresne back down the aisle,
firing him under the ropes into the ring.  The Bishop rolls back into
the ring as well, climbing to his feet just as Dufresne throws a boot
into the belly.]

GM:  Dufresne caught him coming back in.  An Irish whip by Dufresne...

[The rebounding Duane Henry ducks under a clothesline attempt by the
Ladykiller and leaves his feet on the rebound, connecting with a
spinning leg lariat that knocks Dufresne flat!]

GM:  Oh my!  Big kick by Duane Henry - there's a cover!

[The smaller Bishop reaches back to hook a leg as the count hits one -
two - but that's all as Dufresne fires his shoulder off the canvas
before the three count can fall.]

GM:  Just a two count off the spinning kick by Duane Henry!

[Getting back to his feet, Duane Henry slaps the hand of his
eagerly-waiting big brother.]

GM:  In comes Cletus Lee!

[Grabbing Dufresne under the arm, Cletus Lee powers him up into the air,
throwing him back into a neutral corner.]

GM:  Big whip by Cletus Lee...

[The big man charges across the ring...

...into the raised feet of Calisto Dufresne!]

GM:  Ohh!  Dufresne caught him coming in just like Freeman did earlier!

[Dufresne races to the far ropes, rebounding back towards the stunned
Cletus Lee...

...and gets hoisted off the canvas, rotated through the air, and DRIVEN
down to the mat in a powerslam!]

GM:  POWERSLAM!  HE GOT THE POWERSLAM!!

[Cletus Lee, at Cousin Bo's orders, dives atop Dufresne.]

GM:  We've got one!  We've got two!

[But a desperate yet solid double axehandle to the massive back of
Cletus Lee by Adrian Freeman breaks up the pin attempt.  Freeman quickly
exits the ring, slapping the hand of his partner to enter the fray...

...just as Cletus Lee regains his feet!]

GM:  Uh oh!  That may have been a mistake, Adrian!

[Freeman slips through the ropes, looking anxious as Cletus Lee paces
across the ring towards him...

...and lashes out with a boot into the redneck's midsection, doubling
him up.  A hard European uppercut under the chin sends Cletus Lee
stumbling back into the corner.]

GM:  Back to the buckles they go... whip by- reversed!

[Freeman goes sailing towards the corner, bringing up his boot on the
middle buckle to avoid hitting them.  He quickly spins around, ready to
continue the fight...

...and gets levelled with a running clothesline!]

GM:  Ohhh!  Down goes Freeman again!  The champions are reeling in the
early goings of this one, Bucky.

BW:  They need to get back on track and in a hurry.

[A quick cut to the floor camera shows a grinning Cousin Bo.]

GM:  Cousin Bo certainly likes what he's seeing so far in this one.

BW:  Can you blame him?

GM:  Freeman rolls right out to the floor... trying to regroup once more
alongside his partner... 

[Duane Henry steps up on the middle rope, pointing at a downed Freeman,
and doing the "we want the belts" gesture to a small cheer from some
sections of the crowd.]

GM:  They want the belts... they won't get 'em tonight no matter the
outcome but they might win a shot at them, Bucky.

BW:  Another tag by the Bishops.  Duane Henry coming back in just as
Freeman gets back into the ring as well.  He's leaning in the corner,
trying to get some air into his body as Dufresne gives him some
encouragement.

GM:  Back to a tieup...

[And Freeman goes back to the kneelift to the body.  Another hard
uppercut knocks Duane Henry back into the ropes where Freeman attempts
another whip, again getting reversed...]

GM:  Freeman off the far side...

[As the Australian rebounds (where Dufresne slaps him on the back),
Duane Henry sidesteps, hooking him in a rear waistlock...]

BW:  GERMAN!

[But before Duane Henry can launch him up and over in the suplex,
Dufresne rushes in and blasts Duane Henry in the back of the head with a
forearm smash.  Freeman joins in, a flurry of forearms and kicks
alongside his partner as they batter Duane Henry into a neutral corner
with the referee preventing Cletus Lee from evening the odds.]

GM:  We've got a two on one in the corner... Freeman and Dufresne are
all over Duane Henry...

[Each man grabs an arm as they fire Duane Henry across the ring into the
corner...

...where he charges back out, flooring both men with a double
clothesline!]

GM:  DOWN THEY GO AGAIN!  THE CHAMPS GET FLOORED!

[Freeman immediately rolls out to the floor.  Dufresne looks to do the
same but Duane Henry cuts him off, hauling him to his feet by the hair,
and blitzing him with a right hand between the eyes.]

GM:  Duane Henry's pounding away on Dufresne up against the ropes,
really working him over.  The Bishop Boys are looking good, Bucky.  They
want to win this whole thing right here tonight.

BW:  Just so much on the line.  You've got to be at your best to get it
done and right now, the Bishops look like they're on top of the world.

GM:  Duane Henry drags him to the corner... and there's a tag to Cletus
Lee!

[With Dufresne still on the mat, Duane Henry grabs his legs as Cletus
Lee walks out to the middle of the ring.]

GM:  What's going on here?

[Duane Henry falls back, catapulting Dufresne into the air...

...where he sails into the waiting arms of Cletus Lee who holds him in a
bearhug for a moment before powering him over into a belly-to-belly
throw!]

GM:  OHHHHHHH!

BW:  I've never seen that before!  Never even heard of something like
that!

GM:  Cletus Lee threw Dufresne halfway across the ring, right into the
netural corner.  He's down on the mat now as the referee forces Duane
Henry out to the apron.  

[Cletus Lee shows absolutely no concern as Dufresne backs into his own
corner...

...but comes charging back out, throwing a right hand at Cletus Lee,
then an overhand chop, then a knife-edge chop.  All of which Cletus Lee
simply absorbs before throwing an overhand chop of his own that knocks
Dufresne down to the mat!]

GM:  Cletus Lee took three shots from Dufresne before levelling him with
one of his own!  And what a shot it was - that overhand chop that just
laid the Ladykiller out!

[An angry Dufresne gets right back up...

...and gets knocked right back down with a big forearm shot to the
chest.  He springs up again, fists at the ready, but a straight right
hand sends him back down to the mat!]

GM:  Dufresne's getting up again!  He's letting his temper get the
better of him and-

[Grabbing Dufresne by the hair, Cletus Lee blasts him with a headbutt to
the bridge of the nose.  Hanging on, he throws headbutt after headbutt
after headbutt to Dufresne before tossing him aside to the canvas and
standing tall over him.]

GM:  Good grief!  Cletus Lee using that massive skull as an offensive
weapon to great effect and Calisto Dufresne needs to come up with a new
gameplan cause this one isn't working, folks!

[A crawling Dufresne slaps the waiting hand of Adrian Freeman who looks
pensive as he steps into the fray.]

GM:  Freeman's back in...

[Lunging into a tieup, Freeman quickly applies a side headlock but
Cletus Lee immediately throws him off to the ropes, ducking his head for
a backdrop.  The rebounding Freeman buries a boot in the throat of the
doubled-up Cletus Lee, snagging a front facelock.]

GM:  DD- WHOA!

[The Australian was indeed hoping for a DDT but Cletus Lee simply stands
up, hoisting Freeman over and down to the mat in a huge back drop. 
Freeman quickly gets up, looking to strike again...

...and runs right into a big scoop from Cletus Lee who powers Freeman up
into a full military press!]

GM:  He's got Freeman up!  He's got him high overhead!

[Cletus Lee decides to show off a little, lowering Freeman's stomach
down to the top of his head and pressing him back up once... twice...
three times...

...before throwing Freeman down to the mat in a heap!  Freeman
immediately makes a tag to Dufresne just as Duane Henry tags back in. 
The wildman of the Bishop clan sprints across the ring, bullrushing
Dufresne back into the corner, throwing rights and lefts to the body...]

GM:  He's all over Dufresne!

[Yanking Dufresne out of the corner, Duane Henry positions him to lift
him into a torture rack backbreaker...

...but a lunging Adrian Freeman chopblocks the knee of Duane Henry to
block the attempt!]

GM:  Ohhh!

BW:  Illegal in the NFL but legal here in the AWA, Adrian Freeman puts
the chopblock to great effect on Duane Henry Bishop!

GM:  Duane Henry went down hard, grabbing at the knee.

[Trying to get to the corner, Duane Henry climbs to his feet, barely
able to put weight on the left knee as he falls into the netural corner
where Calisto Dufresne throws a kick into the knee.]

GM:  Dufresne's kicking at the knee.  The champion may smell some blood
in the water, Bucky.

BW:  If there's an injury to exploit, these two will find it and do it.

GM:  Another kick to the leg... and a third...

[Reaching down, Dufresne yanks the leg out from under Duane Henry,
dragging him away from the corner.  Holding the ankle, Dufresne tries to
drag him towards his corner...

...but a hard upkick from Duane Henry catches Dufresne on the chin,
breaking his grip!]

GM:  Duane Henry breaks free!  He's going for a tag and- no!  Dufresne
cuts him off!  Dufresne grabs the ankle to cut him off and drags him
right back across the ring...

[Where he promptly tags in Adrian Freeman.  Dufresne bends the leg up,
straightening it out and exposing it completely for the Australian as he
enters the mix and delivers a boot to the leg.  A second boot to the leg
follows before Freeman crawls out to the floor, dragging Duane Henry
towards the apron.]

GM:  Uh oh... he's dragging Duane Henry to the corner...

[With a leg on each side of the ring post, Freeman grabs the injured
leg...

...and SMASHES it into the steel!]

GM:  OHHHH!  

BW:  That'll tear a knee out in a hurry.  Dufresne and Freeman are
absolutely lethal when it comes to something like this and if Duane
Henry doesn't want to spend the next six months rehabbing from knee
surgery, he needs to get the heck out of the ring.

GM:  Duane Henry rolls right out to the floor... right out there with
Freeman...

[But Freeman rolls under the ropes into the ring for some reason,
immediately moving to argue with the referee...

...while Calisto Dufresne snatches a ringside steel chair away from the
announce table, folding it up and jamming the edge of the seatback into
the knee joint!]

GM:  OHHH!  A steel chair down on the knee from Dufresne!  That should
have been an immediate disqualification but Freeman had the referee tied
up!

BW:  And Duane Henry Bishop is in a lot of pain, clutching that knee out
on the floor.  Cousin Bo is looking very concerned right now.  

GM:  He's shouting at the referee, telling him what happened but he
didn't see it and he can't do anything about it.  

[Dufresne shoves Duane Henry under the ropes into the ring where Freeman
pulls him up...

...and promptly puts him down with a DDT!]

GM:  DDT by Freeman!

[He dives atop Duane Henry, reaching back to hook the healthy leg.]

GM:  ONE!!  TWO!!  

[There's a growing crowd cheer for the Bishops as Duane Henry kicks out
of the pin attempt.  An irate Adrian Freeman pops up, slapping the hand
of Calisto Dufresne.]

GM:  Never much more than an arm's reach away from the corner when
they're on the offense.  The National Tag Team Champions are very
impressive as a unit in there.

[Dufresne slips back into the ring, immediately grabbing the ankle of
Duane Henry, twisting the Bishop's leg around his own.]

GM:  Figure four!  He's going for the figure- INSIDE CRADLE!!  ONE!! 
TWO!!  THR-

[The Ladykiller slips out of the pinning predicament just in time...

...and immediately pins Duane Henry's leg to the canvas, leaping up and
smashing a knee into Duane Henry's knee!]

GM:  Ohh!  And after that near fall, Dufresne puts his team right back
on the offense.  What a painful move that is right there.

[A second knee-on-knee drop causes Duane Henry to cry out in pain,
Cousin Bo slapping the canvas in frustration as he screams encouragement
across the ring.]

GM:  Dufresne still has ahold of the leg, dragging him towards the
corner.  Duane Henry needs to get out of there and he knows it.  He
knows he's in trouble...

[Duane Henry works to his feet as Dufresne is still holding the injured
leg.  A big haymaker from Duane Henry stuns the Ladykiller and a second
has him stumbling...

...but he still reaches back to slap the hand of Adrian Freeman who
races into the ring and slams home a modified European uppercut into the
side of Duane Henry's leg, knocking him back down to the mat!]

GM:  Freeman takes him down again!

[With Duane Henry back down on the mat, Freeman grabs him by the ankle,
executing a spinning toehold.]

GM:  Spinning toehold by Freeman!  And with the technical and submission
skills of Freeman, this becomes a very dangerous-

[There's a pretty good sized cheer as Duane Henry puts his good foot on
Freeman's rear, shoving him off into the turnbuckles!]

GM:  He kicks off Freeman!  He's going for the tag!

[Duane Henry desperately gets his injured limb underneath him, arm
reached out towards his brother...

...when Freeman lunges, grabbing Duane Henry's ankle in his hands,
pulling him off-balance and putting him back down to the mat.  Freeman
rolls to the side, slapping the hand of Dufresne while keeping one hand
on the ankle.]

GM:  Dufresne's back in and- OHHH!

[The crowd jeers the Ladykiller for a big leaping kneedrop on the
injured limb of Duane Henry Bishop.  As Bishop sits up in pain, Dufresne
pops him with a right hand to the side of the head that knocks him back
down.]

GM:  Dufresne's going for it again... and now he's got it!  The figure
four leglock is applied!

[Dufresne drops back, twisting and torquing the injured leg of his
prey.]

GM:  They're in the center of the ring, Bucky, and he's got it locked
in.  And the question becomes how much... how much pressure can he
take... how much pain can he take... how much can he sustain before he
has to give it up?

BW:  And you'd better believe that Dufresne will give him all he can to
try and put him out.

GM:  Dufresne's got the figure four locked in...

[But Cletus Lee can't take any more of it, entering the ring and driving
a big kick to the ribs of Dufresne, breaking the hold.  The referee
reprimands Cletus Lee as he exits the ring which allows Freeman to enter
illegally.]

GM:  The tag champs working together... 

[Each man takes a side of Duane Henry like they're going for a double
back suplex but instead, they bend Duane Henry's knee below him...

...and drop him down on both of their bent knees!]

GM:  Ohh!  A double shinbreaker by the champions!

[Freeman immediately applies a lateral press.]

GM:  One!  Two!  No!  They still can't keep Duane Henry down for a
three.

BW:  The question is - will it be easier to pin him at this point or
make him submit?

GM:  It's a good question.  Freeman with a few stomps to the leg,
hauling him up to his feet...

[Freeman throws a few chops to the chest, knocking Duane Henry back into
the neutral corner.]

GM:  Freeman's got him in the corner... what's he doing here?

[The crowd starts to buzz as Freeman bends over, hoisting Duane Henry up
on the top rope.]

GM:  Freeman's giving up fifty pounds to Duane Henry Bishop so I have no
idea what in the world he may be thinking about doing here, Bucky.  

BW:  A superplex?

GM:  It looks like it!  Can he even get Duane Henry up for a superplex?

[Standing on the middle rope, Freeman blasts Duane Henry with a right
hand to the jaw before slinging Bishop's arm over his neck and
shoulders.]

GM:  He's got Duane Henry hooked!  He's going for a superplex!

[But before he can get Duane Henry in the air, the Bishop boy tries to
fight back, throwing a few short right hands to the ribs.]

GM:  Duane Henry's fighting back!  He's battling back against the
superplex!

[Freeman struggles against the barrage of punches, trying to go for the
superplex anyways...

...which is why Duane Henry had no choice but to bite his opponent's
nose!]

GM:  AHHH!  HE'S BITING HIM!  HE'S BITING HIM!

[The Australian immediately lets go, falling back into the middle of the
ring as Duane Henry repositions himself, trying to steady himself on the
second rope.]

GM:  Freeman can't believe it.  He's checking for missing skin as he
gets back to his fee-

[And as soon as the Australian rises, Duane Henry throws himself off the
middle rope, lashing out with both feet squarely to the face of Freeman
in a dropkick!]

GM:  HE CAUGHT HIM!  HE CAUGHT HIM WITH THE DROPKICK!

[Freeman hits the mat hard, clutching his jaw as Duane Henry again
starts to crawl towards his brother.]

GM:  The leg's a mess but Duane Henry's showing tremendous heart right
now!  He's trying to get to the corner... trying to get to-

[Freeman makes a last ditch grab...

...but it's too late!]

GM:  TAG!

[The crowd - surprisingly - erupts as Cletus Lee steps into the fray,
immediately flooring an incoming Calisto Dufresne with a running
clothesline!  Spinning around, he kicks a charging Freeman in the gut
before firing him off to the ropes...

...and hoisting him up onto his shoulders on the rebound, powering him
back into a Samoan drop!]

GM:  OHHH!  HE CRUSHED HIM!!

[Cletus Lee pops up to his feet, throwing his arms apart with a roar. 
He grabs Dufresne off the mat, tugging him into a standing headscissors.
 With a big lift, he pulls Dufresne up into a powerbomb...

...and charges across the ring, throwing him out in a tossing
powerbomb!]

GM:  WHAT POWER!!  MY GOD, WHAT POWER!!!  

BW:  Dufresne is down!  Freeman is down!  We've got bodies all over the
place!

GM:  Freeman's the legal man... 

[Cletus Lee yanks Adrian Freeman off the mat, firing him into the ropes.
 Duane Henry hobbles back into the ring, barely able to stand as he
grabs his partner by the arm, whipping him into a running clothesline in
the buckles!]

GM:  OHHH!  CLOTHESLINE IN THE CORNER!!

[Cletus Lee throws Freeman down to the mat by the hair...

...and promptly hoists Duane Henry high into the air in a gorilla press,
standing over Freeman, and dropping Duane Henry straight down in a
splash on Freeman!]

GM:  OHHHH!

[Cousin Bo shouts at the referee to count but Michael Meekly waves it
off.]

GM:  Cousin Bo wants a pin but Duane Henry's not the legal man!

[Duane Henry rolls off the downed Freeman as Cletus Lee steps forward,
grabbing the Australian by the legs.]

GM:  What the- wait a second!

[Cletus Lee starts spinning with Freeman, powering the Australian up
into a Giant Swing!]

GM:  GIANT SWING!!

BW:  COUNT 'EM OFF!!

[The crowd counts along with the rotations.]

"ONE!"
"TWO!"
"THREE!"
"FOUR!"
"FIVE!"
"SIX!"
"SEVEN!"
"EIGHT!"
"NINE!"
"TE- OHHHHHHH!"

[On the tenth revolution, Duane Henry takes flight with a sloppy
dropkick to the head of the spinning Adrian Freeman!]

GM:  HE GOT HIM!!  

BW:  Cletus Lee can't cover!  He's dizzy from the Giant Swing!

[Duane Henry crawls out to the apron, screaming at his brother along
with Cousin Bo who is still on the apron...

...until Calisto Dufresne decides otherwise!]

GM:  OHHHHHHHHH!

[A solid superkick to the jaw of Cousin Bo sends the Bishops manager
sailing off the apron, crashing down in a heap on the concrete floor!]

GM:  What in the- why did he take out Cousin Bo?!

BW:  I'm not sure!  I don't see the point of-

[Dufresne grabs the dizzy Cletus Lee, pulling him into a standing front
facelock.]

BW:  Here it comes!  WHAM BAM-

GM:  NO!

[The crowd roars as Cletus Lee straightens up, backdropping Dufresne up
and over the top rope to the concrete floor!]

GM:  OHHHHHHH!  OH MY GOD!!!

BW:  Dufresne's dead!  He went over the top to the floor!  How in the
world can anyone get up from that?

GM:  Cletus Lee's in the corner... he's ready... he's waiting...

[And as soon as Adrian Freeman gets off the mat, Cletus Lee rampages
across the ring...

...and OBLITERATES Freeman with a Charging Big Boot!]

GM:  OHHHHHHH!

BW:  That's it!  Cover him, Cletus!

[Cletus Lee leans on the ropes, roaring with triumph at having delivered
the big boot.  He turns to look at the downed Freeman...

...when suddenly another voice rings out.]

GM:  What the-  what's HE doing out here?!

BW:  Where did he come from?!

[Suddenly, Ben Waterson, steel briefcase in hand is up on the apron,
shouting instructions to both Bishop Boys!]

GM:  He... I think he came out from under the ring!  Has he been out
here the whole time?

BW:  That fracas out here during the lumberjack match!  I think he
crawled under the ring and never came out!  I never saw him again after
that, did you?

GM:  I don't... I'm not sure.  But what in the world is this?

[Cletus Lee nods at the new instructions being given to him, dragging a
limp Freeman off the mat.  The referee is shouting at Waterson, trying
to get him down off the apron but the Agent To The Stars is having none
of it as he argues with the referee.]

GM:  Cletus Lee's got... he's got Freeman up on his shoulders!

[Cletus Lee walks across the ring, approaching the corner where a gimpy
Duane Henry is climbing the ropes.]

GM:  Duane Henry is going up top!  Cletus Lee's got Freeman up on his
shoulders and Duane Henry's going up top!

[The referee is still arguing with Waterson when an out-of-control
Cletus Lee makes a quick turn, accidentally bumping the referee in the
head with Freeman's legs!]

GM:  Ohh!  He caught Meekly!

BW:  I don't think he meant to... and he just barely grazed him but...

[As soon as Duane Henry Bishop reaches the top rope, he points to his
big brother, ready to fly...

...and fly he does, just not as he expected.]


"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


GM:  WHAT THE HELL?!

[The crowd ERUPTS in a shocked reaction as Ben Waterson, freed from
arguing with a dazed official, charges down the apron and DRILLS Duane
Henry Bishop in the knee with the briefcase!  The blow sends Duane Henry
sailing sideways off the top rope, hurtling through the air before he
SLAMS down onto the concrete floor!]

GM:  WHAT DID WATERSON JUST DO?!

[Cletus Lee Bishop is absolutely stunned, looking on in shock at Ben
Waterson...

...his lack of focus allowing Adrian Freeman to slip free, dropping down
behind Bishop and SLAMMING him in the groin with a low blow!]

GM:  LOW BLOW!  LOW BLOW BY FREEMAN!

[With the crowd jeering, Cletus Lee Bishop stands in the middle of the
ring clutching his groin.  Slowly, Adrian Freeman straightens up,
smirking at Ben Waterson who tosses him the steel briefcase which
Freeman grips, raises...

...and SLAMS down over the skull of Cletus Lee Bishop!]

GM:  OHHHHHHHHH!

[But the same blow that felled Kolya Sudakov and snatched the National
Title from his grip...

...only knocks Cletus Lee Bishop to a knee!]

GM:  Oh my god!  Cletus Lee Bishop... that briefcase is dented over his
skull and he's-

[Desperate, Ben Waterson leaps off the apron, grabbing Calisto Dufresne
off the floor and shoving him under the ropes into the ring.]

GM:  Dufresne's in... Freeman's trying to get him up...

[A nodding Dufresne applies the front facelock on the kneeling Cletus
Lee as Freeman positions the briefcase on the mat.  Freeman kneels under
Cletus Lee, pushing up with all his strength to get Cletus Lee
horizontal to the mat...

...and then clears out, allowing Dufresne to SPIKE him facefirst on the
steel briefcase!]

GM:  DOWN!  DOWN TO THE STEEL!

[Freeman tosses the briefcase out of the ring as he drags the referee
over...

...and applies a lateral press.]

GM:  ONE!! 

[The dazed referee takes an eternity to lift his arm again.]

GM:  TWO!!

[Freeman and Waterson look on eagerly, screaming for the referee to
count as Michael Meekly raises his arm once more...

...and hits the canvas.]

GM:  THREE!


"DING!  DING!  DING!"


GM:  I don't believe it!

[As the bell rings, Freeman springs to his feet, pumping his fists in
the air.  Ben Waterson climbs into the ring, rushing into an embrace
with Freeman.  A dazed Dufresne slowly gets up, all grins as he joins
his partner in celebrating.]

MC:  Ladies and gentlemen... your winner of the Stampede Cup...

CALISTO DUFRESNE AND ADRIAN FREEEEMAN!

[The jeers intensify as Waterson raises both men's arms in triumph.]

GM:  Dufresne and Freeman have won the damned Cup, Bucky.

BW:  I love it!  The National Tag Team Champions have proven they're the
best team in wrestling!  They've proven they are the team to beat here
in the AWA!

GM:  They have not!  They've proven they know how to cheat... how to
steal... how to lie... how to manipulate... and now, how to make a deal
with the devil!  Ben Waterson has helped Calisto Dufresne and Adrian
Freeman win the Stampede Cup here in Laredo, Texas!  Unbelievable!

BW:  What a way to end 2009, daddy!

GM:  Fans, we're way out of time!  We've gotta go!  For Mark Stegglet,
Jason Dane, and Bucky Wilde, I'm Gordon Myers and we'll see you in 2010!
 So long everybody!

[The camera holds in the ring where Adrian Freeman, Calisto Dufresne,
and Ben Waterson continue to celebrate...

...as we fade to black.]