Baron von Raschke comes out with a hat which has a bunch of slips of paper stuffed into them. He says the villians dressing room has voted on who they want to see wrestle Vendetta tonight. It was by secret ballot. Baron takes out the slips one by one, and read them. Terminator Riggs gets one vote....Sheepherder Butch gets one vote...The Derelict gets one vote...Brian Jewel gets one vote...the pattern continues with every wrestler getting one vote. Ron Strong suggests to the Baron that the inevitable has happened and every wrestler has voted for themselves. But there is one slip of paper left in and the Baron finally calls out a name that has already been mentioned once...Terry Orndorff!  Orndorff has two votes, and coincidentally his partner Bryan St. John has no votes. So Orndorff gets the title match tonight.

The Baron lets us know that next week in Moose Jaw it will be the fan favorites voting for who should get the title shot.

And that is all the people need to know.

 

-the Derelicts run in RCW has been less then overwhelming

 

Nick Mercury still wants back into the TV title picture and wants another shot at Rogue. He also wants Knight Rider back on the air.

 

RCW Heavyweight champion Vendetta says he is excited about taking on Terry Orndorff tonight, and promises him the same fate that fell upon his partner Byan St. John last week. Vendetta then spends a minute promoting UNICEF and the work they do for children in impoverished nations, such as his home country Haiti.

 

-Steele proves he is higher on that ladder then the newcomer Starr

 

Jack Steele says he has really been enjoying the cards this summer and all the intrigue and surprise that has occured every week. He hopes to get back to the top of the card again soon.

 

-Riggs dominated the capable Tustin.

 

Terminator Riggs challenges either of the past two wrestlers, Nick Mercury or Jack Steele to a match next week. He says everyone wants to be back at the top, but neither one of them can handle his power.

 

-very competitive and fast paced match, these two teams seemed extremely evenly matched. Bad Company used a bit of cheating with a double team and then the ropes to help them win.

 

Post-Match:

The Top Guns take offense to what happened and it takes RCW officials and security to seperate the two teams.

 

Despite Ron Strong calling them on what happened, Bad Company says the Top Guns are just a couple of pretty boy cry babies, they won fair and square and are on their way to the tag titles. Bad Company tells the fans they are former AWA World Tag champions but that the AWA is all but dead, and they have come to the RCW because this is where the action is now.

 

[end of first hour]

 

[Rogue retained the RCW Television title bout]

-The new champion cheated throughout the match and never really let Lozansky get on track. A big win, and one that seems to put him past the former champion.

 

Rogue speaks more of his gibberish saying that he now is not just happy with his current title but also wants a shot at Vendetta.

 

Bryan St. John & Terry Orndorff are interviewed. Orndorff thanks St. John for voting for him calling it an unselfish act and suggesting that St. John was just making ammends for having lost last week when he had a shot at the title himself. St. John finally gets the mic away from Orndorff and says thats a lie. He says that he and Orndorff were the only ones who followed the rules and voted for someone else. Yes St. John says he voted for Orndorff, but Orndorff was supposed to vote for him, and obviously since he got 2 votes he must have voted for himself. Orndorff says no, there must have been some kind of mix-up or fraud because he says he voted for St. John. Its obvious his partner doesn't believe him. St. John says that for the second straight week they won't be able to exercise their automatic rematch after losing the titles to Benoit & Hart. St. John then leaves fuming as Orndorff sputters that St. John started it all last week by taking the title shot at Vendetta.

 

[The Sheepherders win the RCW Tag Team Titles]

-The 'herders got a little lucky early when Benoit injured his shoulder going too hard into the buckle, when Butch moved out of the way. He was able to tag out to Hart though and the champions controlled the next couple minutes with the shoulder issue being forgotten. But as soon as the 'herders got the advantage they went right back to work on the shoulder of Benoit. Chris managed to tag out to Hart but it was only a matter of time before Benoit had to get back in the ring and when he did the veteran New Zealand team went once again to the shoulder. When they hit their double team finisher battering ram, they smashed head first right into the shoulder of Benoit.

 

The Sheepherders are so pleased at winning the tag titles that they leave the interview after only a few seconds and go to the announce table where they start to smash and break things until security can haul them away.

 

[Vendetta retained the RCW Heavyweight Title]

-Not sure many fans actually thought Orndorff would take the belt tonight. He had his moments but overall Vendetta controlled the match. Orndorff's two best opportunites were squandered. The first time he tried to end the match with a flying shoulderblock, but Vendetta managed to twist out of the way. The second time was after a ref bump when Orndorff trying to get off his knees and recover was waving desperately towards the lockeroom, obviously hoping that St. John was watching, but no one came. By the time Orndorff went to press the advantage it was too late as Vendetta had recovered. The champ hit a Samoan drop, a flying dropkick, a vertical suplex, and then his DDT finisher to win the bout.

 

That's it for another edition of River City Wrestling.

 

See ya next week in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan !!!

 

 

 

 

Baron von Raschke greets the fans of Moose Jaw, and says this is exactly the kind of city that RCW had in mind when it designed this summer tour. He thanks the fans for their overwhelming support and for making it a sell-out tonight.

Baron once again has a hat filled with slips of paper and begins to read out the votes from the fan favorite dressing room. Mike Lozansky...Jack Steele...Owen Hart...Derrick Dukes...Ricky Rice...Jack Steele....Chris Benoit....Mike Lozansky...Rogue...Rogue...the Baron says there are two papers left. He draws out one and smiles...Baron von Raschke...the fans cheer. And the last vote is for Jack Steele! So it will be the man of Steele, the man from the Republic of Texas, Jack Steele getting the title shot tonight against Vendetta.

Next week in Dauphin Manitoba (the fans jeer), the Baron tells us there will be a unique "Reverse Battle Royale" to determine who will get the title shot later that night. 16 men will start outside the ring, Vendetta will be inside the ring. The first wrestler who is able to get over the top rope and land with both feet inside the ring will get the title shot. Now Vendetta can influence things if he wishes by trying to prevent or even help participants but he must do it from the confines inside the ring.

And as if that wasn't enough, not only will you have the first ever RCW Reverse Battle Royale with the winner getting a shot later at the Heavyweight title, you will also see the TV title on the line, and the tag titles also on the line. And as if all that wasn't enough, more midget mayhem as Cowboy Lang returns to take on Sky Low Low!

And that is all the people need to know!

 

Opening Bout:

-squash match

 

Rogue announces that he will be in that Reverse Battle Royale next week and then will go on to beat Vendetta in the main event.

 

-the former partners hooked up one more time, with a familiar result of Galveston being just too much for his more honrable former partner.

 

Troy Galveston also says he will be in the reverse battle royale next week, and will be training hard and strategizing for it all week. Galveston says this is his opportunity to figuratively and literally vault up to the top of RCW. He points out that Cowboy Bob has returned to his ranch for the summer and he hasn't heard from his mentor, and its been a while since he has been in a title hunt. Galveston says that his career will take off again next week.

 

Trailer for "Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master"

 

-Riggs controlled early with brawling and power but then Mercury turned things around with his speed. But he lost his focus after hitting his finisher hot shot only to have Riggs escape by draping a foot over the bottom rope. Mercury went high risk taking his opponent to the top rope for a superplex. The former tag champion though blocked the move, and then drove Mercury to the mat, smashing his knee into his chest as they fell.

 

Terminator Riggs says both he and Rogue are scheduled to be in the reverse battle royale next week, and if their TV title match happens later in the night the fans can expect to see a rough and tough and dirty match like none other. Ron Strong asks about the "if"? Riggs says that he intends to win the royale of course and upgrade his title shot from TV to Heavyweight, and barring that there is also a chance that Riggs will have Rogue in his sights during the Royale and may put him out of action right then and there.

 

This week in RCW history. Back on August 17th, 1985 RCW was from Fargo North Dakota. The main event was a handi-cap match with Chris Lyon & Boby Duncum taking on Dr D David Schultz. Also Corrie England was battling the Red Fox in a strap match, Larry Hennig was taking on Masked Superstar, and Super Destroyer was matched against Brad Rheinghans.

 

-on paper Blades & Curtis were the underdogs, but they showed some real teamwork whereas their throw together opponents ended up in an argument that distracted Starr and allowed Blades to nail him from behind and then hit his finisher. The Derelict didnt even attempt to make the save.

 

[end of first hour]

 

-Top Guns controlled more of this match then Bad Company but Tanaka chose the right opportunity to nail Dukes in the back of the head with a Savate kick when he was supposed to be out of the ring having already tagged in to Rice. Diamond then hit the brainbuster to pick up the win.

 

Bad Company isn't too impressed when they are informed by Ron Strong that they might not get their tag shot next week. Depending on what happens next between the Sheepherders and Benoit/Hart, with Orndorff & St.John also still owed their title shot.

 

"The Last Temptation of Christ" the controverisal smash hit movie from Martin Scorsese.

 

[Owen Hart & Chris Benoit won the RCW Tag Team Titles]

-this match showed that Benoit & Hart had an answer for every dirty trick that the New Zealanders tried out. Again and again the challengers refused to be outmanned in the ring, stuck together, used quick tags, and cut the ring in half. The champions became more and more desperate as the match progressed. They even tried to leave and get intentionally counted out but the challengers chased them back down and beat them back into the ring. The 'herders did have a chance to win the match late as they went for the battering ram. But from the apron Owen Hart reached into the ring and pulled Benoit out of the corner. Luke followed through and rammed Butch's head into the buckle. Butch never got on track after that and within two minutes and a couple of quick tags by the challengers, Owen was perched on the top rope. He nailed the flying crossbody press, but their momentum took them over and Butch was on top. But before the ref even got down to count, Owen continued the roll and flipped Butch over onto his back for the 1, 2, 3 !!

 

An ecstatic Owen Hart & Chris Benoit celebrate in the ring with their titles. They say they will be busy as two sets of former champs are now owed a rematch, the Sheepherders and Wonderfully Fabulous.

This brings out Bad Company to remind the champs that they just won a #1 contenders match. Owen tells them that doesn't really mean anything, the other teams actually won something, the tag titles, no one keeps track of who won #1 contender spots. This is as much as Diamond & Tanaka can take though as they launch an attack. The champs though give as well as they recieve and the four men brawl until security and officials are able to break it up.

 

WWF presents "SummerSlam" August 29th at Madison Square Gardens with the Mega Powers: Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage (/w Miss Elizabeth) taking on the Mega Bucks: Ted DiBiase & Andre the Giant (/w Bobby Heenan & Virgil).

 

 

Vendetta (champion)  v  Jack Steele

 

Steele starts strong working over Vendetta's head with a standing headlock, followed by headscissors, and then even a Texas brainbuster submission (ala Blackjack Lanza). Vendetta came back with a sudden spinebuster. After a breather he worked an abdominal stretch, then a bodyscissors. The champ picked up the pace with a German suplex, a pair of flying dropkicks and a scissors kick for a 2 count. He came off the ropes again, but this time Steele ran over to meet him with a knee to the gut as he came off the strands. Steele briefly worked a reverse chinlock before hitting a bodyslam, elbowdrop, then several kneedrops to the sternum. He went for his finisher of a running kneelift but Vendetta had it well scouted and as Steele approached the champ rolled into him, knocking his feet out from under him. Vendetta attacked with a sidekick, followed by a reverse Russian legsweep for a 2 count. The champ nailed a bulldog from the 2nd buckle for another 2 count. He briefly worked over the legs before locking in the Haitian deathlock, only to have Steele reach the bottom rope. Tempers flared briefly as the men exchanged chops and punches. Steele tried for a clothesline after whipping the champ into the ropes, but Vendetta ducked under and then pulled Steele into a pin, for a 1 count. Steele nailed another kick to the gut of the champ though. He went to whip the champ to the buckle but Vendetta held on and reversed, but then so did Steele, and then again Vendetta did it finally sending Steele softly to the buckle. The Texan bounced off and went for a backelbow. But Vendetta moved away from it took the challenger down with a legsweep, then nailed another German suplex, followed by a DDT for the 1, 2, 3 !!

 

[Vendetta retained the RCW Heavyweight Title]

 

Post-Match:

The two men shook hands after the bout.

 

That's it for another edition of River City Wrestling.

 

See ya next week in Dauphin, Manitoba for the first ever Reverse Battle Royale!!!

 

 

 

 

 

-premiere match for two young locals trained by RCW and Vic Gate

 

Baron von Raschke comes out and brings out RCW champion Vendetta with him to remind everyone of the rules for the 16-man Reverse Battle Royale. All 16 men will start outside the ring. To win a competitor must be the first to enter the ring over the top rope. Vendetta has the option of effecting the outcome of the match from the inside if he so desires. The winner will get a title shot at Vendetta in tonight's main event. And that is all the people need to know!

 

 

Mike Lozansky, Ricky Rice, Derrick Dukes, Nick Mercury,

Jack Steele, Shayne Tustin, Bulldog Blades, Horace Curtis,

Terminator Riggs, Rogue, Troy Galveston, The Derelict,

Pat Tanaka, Paul Diamond, CC Starr, Brian Jewel

 

Match had a lot of the quicker guys trying to scramble up and over fast only to be pulled down. Several high flying spots off of the ring apron with wrestlers fighting and then crashing down. At one point Ricky Rice lifted Pat Tanaka up in the air and crotched him on the top rope, and then pulled him all the way down to the floor. Riggs and Mercury stood on top of the announce table trading punches. The Derelict and Steele fought more in the crowd then anywhere close to the ring. And Bad Company and the Top Guns also ended up in the crowd and up the aisle. Terminator Riggs was in the process of climbing into the ring over the top rope when Vendetta got involved for the first time, clocking him in the head and then pushing him back out to prevent him from winning. However, at this point Rogue grabbed the champ by the ankles, pulled him down to the mat and hauled him out of the ring. Rogue, Riggs, and Starr fell upon him like a pack of jackals laying in punches and kicks until Steele, Blades, and Lozansky were able to rescue him, and roll him back into the ring. A couple minutes later we had Rogue attempting to enter the ring over the top after having blasted Mike Lozansky off the apron. But Vendetta still owed him from earlier and nailed him with a big boot to knock him off. Then on the other side of the ring Troy Galveston vaulted himself off the back of Shayne Tustin, landed on the ring apron, and then flipped himself head first over the top rope, tumbling into the ring to win the contest.

 

 

An out of breath but triumphant Troy Galveston says he told everyone he would win and revitalize his career and he just proved he is a man of his word. Galveston says he has been practicing moves like the ones that won him the event all week. He says he will complete his ascent to the top by beating Vendetta tonight.

 

"Heart Turns to Stone" by Foreigner provides the music while RCW shows highlites of tag teams, Top Guns, Hart & Bassarab, Bad Company, and Sheepherders.

 

-always a fan favorite event

 

[end of first hour]

 

RCW Heavyweight champion Vendetta comes to the ring. He says he would rather have seen a man of honor like Jack Steele or Mike Lozansky get a title shot, and that is why he interfered during the reverse battle royale, and said that was allowed and part of the rules. The interview is interrupted by an angry Terminator Riggs who threatens to take out his anger on the champ who is not backing down. Then out comes Rogue, who says pretty much the same thing (we think). RCW security and officials arrive including Baron von Raschke who convinces Vendetta to leave and get ready for his match with Galveston. He then tells Riggs and Rogue that since they have so much left over energy after the battle royale there match is scheduled next!

 

-This match was set up as a result of Riggs winning a #1 contender match last week. A rare battle between two rulebreakers began in a very odd manner. Rogue offered a handshake to Riggs who tried to blow him off. But Rogue was insistent so Riggs accepted, and was ready when Rogue tried to kick him in the gut. Riggs caught his foot spun him around and clotheslined him out of his boots. That was the only spark required to turn this into an all out brawl. In and out of the ring with Rogue on the defensive for much of the bout. But Riggs uncovered a top turnbuckle and that would come back to haunt him a minute later when Rogue reversed a whip to that buckle and sent Riggs head first into the uncovered steel. He then hit his finisher to pick up a huge victory.

 

Rogue promises to do nasty things to the dead body of RCW champion Vendetta for having robbed him of his rightful shot tonight. When Ron Strong asks if Rogue plans on interfering in that match tonight Rogue (in his strange gutteral language) seems to indicate he will not, prefering to wait and take care of Vendetta when he can also take away his gold.

 

[Owen Hart & Chris Benoit retained the RCW Tag Team Titles]

-fairly short match for a title bout of this consequence, the long awaited rematch for the former champs. There was still a lot of disharmony between St.John and Orndorff that worked against them. Benoit hit his finisher after Owen Hart had tossed St. John over the top rope during a four man brawl. Hart also had to pick Benoit up and put him on top of Orndorff for the pin as he was still shaking off the effects of the move himself.

 

Owen Hart & Chris Benoit update the tag title position. They just beat the former champs finally that they won the titles from the first time. However they still owe a rematch to the Sheepherders, but from what they understand the New Zealanders have left RCW. So the tag champs are going to train next for a showdown with Bad Company who won a #1 contender match last week against the Top Guns.

 

[Vendetta retained the RCW Heavyweight Title]

Galveston had his moments but for the most part was outmatched by the champion who has been on such a roll lately.

 

That's it for another edition of River City Wrestling.

 

See ya next week in The Pas, Manitoba !!

 

 

 

 

Baron von Raschke opens the show once again by thanking the good people of The Pas for coming out tonight. He says this is the last of the summer heat tour, as RCW is pre-empted next week for the Labour day long weekend, and will return on the 11th in Brandon, and then on the 18th in Winnipeg for the big annual Battle Royal. Of course whoever wins that battle royal will be rewarded with a title shot, so you can expect wrestlers to come from far and wide to take part in that one.

As for tonight, its "Champion's choice" so he calls out the champion Vendetta, and hands over the mic. The champ says that no one is more deserving of another shot at the title then the great young "Bullet" Mike Lozansky, who recently lost his beloved TV title to that scoundrel Rogue.

So tonight its Vendetta defending his title for the second time this summer against Mike Lozansky. Also, Owen Hart & Chris Benoit will defend their titles against Bad Company, and Rogue will defend his title against Jack Steele. All three men's titles are on the line tonight.

And that is all the people need to know!

 

-squash match. The end came when Rice made the blind tag out to Dukes who vaulted over the top rope to land a shoulderblock on the surprised Gold.

 

The Top Guns realize that Bad Company, and Wonderfully Fabulous are still in the title picture but they want the fans to remember that as former champions they are still here and fighting hard to get back their titles. Later tonight there is a match betwen Blades & Curtis and St.John & Orndorff. The Top Guns challenge the winner of that match to wrestle them on September 11th and hopefully that match will become a #1 contenders match.

 

Boris Zhukov, the big Russian with the hardest head in professsional wrestling, is returning to River City Wrestling, September 1988. Perestroika be damned!

 

-squash match

 

Terminator Riggs really doesn't have much to crow about lately.

 

Jack Steele says he realizes that the reason he's getting the TV title shot tonight against Rogue is because Mike Lozansky was picked to wrestle against Vendetta. Steele says he wishes Vendetta had picked him instead, but plans to make the most of the opportunity given to him tonight to beat the man from the 11th century back in time. Texas Forever!

 

-fairly one sided victory for Mercury

 

Nick Mercury says he has been informed that he will be the #1 contender for the TV title based on this win. So unless Jack Steele wins the belt tonight and makes him wait as Rogue gets a rematch, then the Mercury-man will get his title shot on September 11th.

 

This fall on NBC, Judd Hirsch is John Lacey in the new sit-com "Dear John".

After his wife leaves him for his best friend, John Lacey joins the One Two One Club, a support group for divorced and widowed people.

 

-Blades was able to look impressive through much of this match and Curtis was clearly shown to be the weak link in the team, although Blades took the loss in the end.

 

Bryan St. John & Terry Orndorff accept the challenge thrown out earlier tonight by the Top Guns to a match on the 11th. They call it the only smart thing those two bird brains have ever come up with. The only reason they didn't think of it themselves is because it was so simple, it took 2 simpletons to figure it out. St. John says that this will force RCW to sit up and take notice again of Wonderfully Fabulous after they beat the Top Guns.

 

On Tonight's Evening News;

-Accident at annual air show at Ramstein Air Force Base in West Germany

-Series of fatal accidents at air shows in Europe

-Campaign '88: Bush & Dukakis reports

-Stalling of peace talks in Geneva, Switzerland, to settle Iran-Iraq war reported

-Efforts by French aristocracy to deal with high cost of living in large chateaus

 

[end of first hour]

 

Ron Strong tries to get a reaction from the usually upbeat Mike Lozansky about his match tonight against Vendetta, but the youngster is unusually quiet and distant. He ends up saying he will do his best and that is all he can do.

 

Bad Company comes in as Lozansky leaves. They say that is a man who has lost his confidence, but before you are two men who have all the confidence in the world. When they ask Ron Strong why that is, he answers that they are cocky. They say no, they are confident because they are the best, and they know they are the best, and tonight they will prove it by winning the RCW Tag Titles from those two momma's boys Hart & Benoit.

 

[Rogue retained the RCW Television Title]

The champion pulled out every dirty trick in the book, yet Steele kept coming. Rogue made the mistake of thinking he could bully the big Texan by taking the match outside but this proved to be a big mistake. Rogue then played up to the referee Buddy Lane complaining about phantom hairpulls, tightholds, chokes, etc. Lane didn't buy it but it caused a slight reprieve for the champ time and again. Finally Rogue began to play hide and seek, and Steele made the mistake of following him back in the ring too soon. Rogue caught him with a knee to the head, then used the middle strand to choke him, and then bounced himself off the back of Steele as he lay across the ropes. He followed up with a bodyslam, elbowdrop from the 2nd buckle, running legdrop, and then hit the inverted DDT for the win.

 

Rogue laughs at Jack Steele calling him a "jackpudding amongst bencoves". He makes it clear as mud that RCW and Vendetta are trying to keep him from getting a fair title shot, throwing him back in the ring with that "fancypants" Mercury again. But come September 18th Vendetta won't be able to stop him from winning the battle royale and then he will put Vendetta out for "some fresh air".

 

[Vendetta retained the RCW Heavyweight title]

The champ was all over  the challenger to start this match and nailed all his usual moves, flying dropkick, flying shoulderblock, scissors kick, savate kick, and even hit a double underhook suplex for a near fall. Around the 5 minute mark Lozansky finally made an impact by blocking a DDT attempt with a knee to the gut, followed by a waistlock suplex. He then went on the attack with some vicious looking boots to the head, followed by a flying dropkick, and then a missile dropkick from the top rope. He didn't hook the leg though and Vendetta kicked out. They then went through a series of counters and blocks that started on the mat, then on their feet, and ended when Vendetta nailed a German suplex and picked up an abrupt victory.

 

Vendetta says he has enjoyed all the great challenges this summer, and says that while Lozansky was tough he wasn't at his best tonight. He suggests the youngster needs to refocus and come back in September stronger then ever and get back his TV title.

 

[Owen Hart & Chris Benoit retained the RCW Tag Team Titles]

Paul Diamond had a stint playing Ricky Morton early in the bout, and then Benoit had a stint in that role after him. Finally there was some take and give, and tempers flared with both teams taking the action outside where it was assured that all 4 men would get involved. Finally they fought too long and too far away from the ring and referee Buddy Lane allowed both teams to be counted out.

 

Post-Match:

The two teams battle for a good 3 minutes after the bell, fighting off security and fellow wrestlers. They battle around the announce table and into the crowd. Chairs are thrown, as are overpriced concession items. The fight is still going on as the show ends.

 

That's it for another edition of River City Wrestling.

 

See ya in two weeks!!