The match started off with a series of light wear down holds. Both men seemed to be feeling each other out. Mula locked on an armwringer. Mangler countered with a hammerlock. Mangler eventually locked Mula in a headlock and attempted to ram his head into the turnbuckle, but the move had no effect on Robert Mula's incredibly hard head. Mula snapped Mangler down with a head-and-arm suplex that sent Mangler rolling out of the ring.

Mangler stayed outside until the count of eight, during which the North Carolina wrestling fans got on his case heavily, booing the masked veteran. As the match started up again, Mangler sneakily placed a thumb in the eye of Mula, and then leveled him with a bodyslam, followed up by numerous stomps and elbowdrops, viciously brutalizing the "Angry" one.

Mangler hit a vertical suplex and went for the cover, but only got two. He attempted an Irish whip, but Mula suddenly reversed and nailed The Mangler with a spinebuster! Face pop!

Mangler was hoisted back into the air, as Mula planted him on the mat with a powerbomb! He went for the cover.

1....
2....
Kickout!

Mula was about to continue his assault, when The Memphis Mangler suddenly nailed him with a henious low blow! The crowd booed Mangler, as he rolled Mula up in a small package.

1...
2...
No! Mula manages to escape!

The Mangler seemed frustrated at this, as he threw some punches at the body of Robert Mula. Mula seemed to be absorbing them though... 'hulking up' even. Mangler went for a double axehandle to the head, but Mula laughed maniacally at Mangler and then went on a rampage, headbutting The Mangler repeatedly, until he was nearly out cold!

Robert Mula spun The Memphis Mangler around and locked him in a cobra clutch, and then turned that into a vicious cobra clutch suplex, The Final Fortune! It was all over now!

[Round 1]:
Robert Mula defeated The Memphis Mangler with the Final Fortune in 0:07:22
Rating: *

His opponent, "Dangerous" Dave Trent, is a hardcore brawler, whom has mastered the DDT to perfection. This should be some match!

It started off with Logan taunting Trent. Not a good idea. An angry Dave Trent booted Travis Logan in the gut and nailed him with a DDT from the second the bell rang. Trent immediately got a two count on the young cowboy.

Trent dominated the early going, with a series of power moves that did some serious damage to "The Young Pistol". Trent was preparing for another DDT, but Logan managed to turn the move into a jawbreaker, his first offensive move of the match, and buy himself a little time to recouperate.

Logan went for the legs of Dave Trent, trying to keep the bigger and stronger man down. He dropped a pair of elbows to the left knee of Trent, and then locked on an octopus hold, trying to injure the knee. After half a minute, Trent kicked Logan off by nailing him right in the mush!

The match continued with some back and forth efforts. Trent landed a jumping DDT on Logan, whilst Logan hit a tremendous Russian legsweep from the second turnbuckle which nearly earned him the victory.

Trent went to the outside to grab a chair. He really wanted to punish "The Young Pistol" here. Trent swung for the fences and cracked the chair over Logan's skull!! The match was over, as Trent lifted Logan once more for a DDT down onto the chair to finish the whole thing. However, somehow or another, Logan slipped a leg behind Trent and tripped him, with the back of Trent's head landing very hard on the steel chair!

Logan wasted no time in going to the top rope and executing the Tennessee Jam onto Trent... and the chair! This one -had- to be over!

1...
2...
3!!!

[Round 1]:
Travis Logan pinned Dave Trent with the Tennessee Jam in 0:10:22
Rating: **

Von Erich attempted a lock-up with Death Row, but the criminal simply raked the eyes of his opponent and then drove several hard-hitting forearm shots into the face of "The New Blood". Death Row gave Von Erich some ropeburn by rubbing his eyes and face across the top rope, and then sent the kid down with a crotch slam.

Death Row was stomping a mudhole into Von Erich, as he started choking him with his boot. Referee Robert Taylor attempted to get in between them, but it was to no avail. Death Row left Von Erich alone to stalk Taylor around the ring, who obviously wanted no part of the derranged man, when suddenly... SCHOOLBOY!!!

1...
2...
3... NO! Death Row escapes at the last possible milisecond! Von Erich caught Death Row by surprise there.

And now Von Erich had the momentum in his favor, Death Row got up slowly, still confused about what happened, when Shane caught him in the chest with a fabulous standing dropkick. Death Row stumbled back into the corner, as Von Erich mounted the turnbuckles and went to work punching away at the criminal!

1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9..........10!!!!

Death Row fell to the canvas in a daze as Von Erich climbed the turnbuckles and nailed a flying elbowdrop on Death Row! Robert Taylor made the count...

1...
2...
Kickout! Death Row certainly had the fight left in him.

Von Erich whipped Death Row into the ropes, looking for the backdrop, which was a mistake, as Death Row simply stopped and threw Von Erich down to the canvas viciously by the hair! Death Row lifted Von Erich up with a chokehold on, and then dropped him down again with a chokeslam!!! Amazing display of power!

Still, Death Row made no attempt to cover Von Erich. After a painful achilles tendon hold failed to gain a submission, Death Row went upstairs himself... looking for a diving headbutt down onto Von Erich...

But "The New Blood" rolled away! Death Row hit the canvas hard! He appeared to be out cold! Von Erich took action quickly, lifting Death Row back up and executing a swinging neckbreaker! Von Erich lifted Death Row up and nailed him with a Tornado punch! Shades of the great Kerry Von Erich there! Shane then called for his finisher, the New Wave!

Von Erich hooked Death Row up in fisherman suplex position, and was ready to deliever, but Death Row managed to counter with a straight right hand to the scrotum! All male fans in attendance groaned with displeasure as Von Erich fell straight to the canvas, his face carved with pain. Perhaps the only male in the entire building that didn't see it was the referee, who looked questioningly at Death Row, who growled at him like a rabid dog. The ref said no more.

There was nothing more to be done. Death Row picked Von Erich up and landed The Execution, the full nelson slam on him and rolled him up for the count.

1...
2...
3! Death Row had used a dirty tactic to win the match, but he was advancing in the tournament.

[Round 1]:
Death Row defeated Shane Von Erich with The Execution in 0:13:17
Rating: * 3/4

After the match, commentators Michael Greenwood and Sam Reed led us backstage to interviewer Ken Sinclair, who was with Lord Horatio Nelson.

Sinclair: Mr. Nelson, let me ask you...

Nelson: [Interrupting.] It's LORD you halfwit! Oh goodness, look at you, you're a disgrace to the species. Go on with you pathetic question peasant...

Sinclair: Execuse me. -Lord- Nelson, I would like to ask how you feel of your chances in the Battle Royale for the Television Title tonight?

Nelson: [Baffled.] What kind of a question is that? My chances are one hundred percent ON. The bookmakers wouldn't even dream of giving me odds, because they know this silly 'battle' is a no-contest. It's just a matter of me getting in the ring and defeating the peasants. No wrestler would dare strike me... true royalty.

Both men started off with intensity. A furious lock-up sequence saw The Unreal Body back Harley into the corner and then viciously chop at his bare chest. Harley looked enraged as he spun The Unreal Body into the corner and then furiously chopped away at his chest, followed by a hiptoss out of the corner. The Unreal Body landed right on his rear end, and as he screamed out in pain, Blackjack Harley showed no mercy by kicking his opponent directly in the spine!

Harley went to work on UB, hitting a gutwrench suplex, followed up by a powerslam. This didn't look good for The Unreal Body as Harley went for the cover...

But Dario jumped up on the apron and distracted the referee! Harley got up and socked Dario in the mouth, sending him to the arena floor, but as Harley turned around he was caught with a superkick from The Unreal Body! Harley slumped down against the ropes.

Unreal Body picked Harley up and hit an inverted atomic drop, followed up with a snap suplex! After some boots to the midsection, UB picked Harley up and locked him in an abdominal stretch. However, Harley was still too strong at this point, as he simply lifted Unreal Body over his head, and leveled him with a Samoan Drop!

Harley then locked on the old-school Blackjack Claw! Used by the great Blackjack Mulligan! However, one of Unreal Body's female friends jumped up on the apron to distract referee Peter Larson. As this was happening, Dario slid into the ring and nailed Blackjack Harley with some straight right hooks all the way from Italy.

Harley got up and squared up to Dario, as the two brawled away. The Unreal Body snuck up from behind Harley and kicked him right in the kidneys. The strength in numbers paid off, as Dario and The Unreal Body started beating down on Blackjack Harley.

Dario held Harley by the arms in a full-nelson position, as The Unreal Body prepared to deliever another superkick to him... but Blackjack Harley moved away! Dario took the kick in the mush and promptly fell out of the ring! As soon as The Unreal Body turned around, Harley nailed him with a boot to the midsection, followed up by the Blackjack Bomb! A vicious version of the powerbomb, mixed with a hangman's neckbreaker! Peter Larson finally turned around and delievered the inevitable three count! This one was over!

[Round 1]:
Blackjack Harley pinned The Unreal Body with the Blackjack Bomb in 0:05:38
Rating: ** 1/4

So the first round of the tournament is now complete, and we can see what the semi-finals will look like now.

[The graphics return to the screen with the first round results now included. Michael Greenwood and Sam Reed take us over the semi-final matches.

SEMI-FINAL MATCHES:
"Angry" Robert Mula .vs. "The Young Pistol" Travis Logan
Death Row .vs. Blackjack Harley

After a moment the graphics fade.]

Donnie Rhodes is a young up-and-comer, whom has been likened to Brian Pillman during his glory days of "Flyin".

Kid Dynamite is a complete RIPOFF from the Dynamite Kid. He claims he is from Manchester.... Manchester, Kentucky that is. He tries to put over the fact that he is really the Dynamite Kid though. He tells people his real name is John Tillington. He thinks Tom Billington ripped HIM off! Can you believe this guy?

And The Homicidal Threat is the typical 90's Gen-X punk kid, but nevertheless, a huge fan favorite, and a great worker.

The match started with a triple collar-and-elbow tieup. Then the action started. Donnie Rhodes hiptossed The Homicidal Threat, Kid Dynamite hiptossed Donnie Rhodes, The Homicidal Threat got up and hiptossed Kid Dynamite.

Rhodes got up and kicked Threat into the midsection and then whipped him into the ropes. However, The Homicidal Threat came back with a tilt-a-whirl spinning headscissors on the "Golden Boy"!

Kid Dynamite nailed HT with a pair of forearm shots, and the hit a standard bodyslam. Dynamite went to the top and nailed a flying spinning leg lariat on Threat, who fell down and rolled out of the ring.

Rhodes picked himself up off the canvas and attacked Kid Dynamite. However, Dynamite managed to defend himself by raking the eyes of Rhodes, and then chucking him outside the ring on top of The Homicidal Threat! Kid Dynamite prepared himself, and then hit a plancha onto both men!!! A huge pop of respect filled the entire Dorton Arena.

All three men were in a tumble, but Donnie Rhodes picked himself up first. He clambered into the ring and sprung off the ropes, and then nailed Kid Dynamite and The Homicidal Threat with a springboard twisting moonsault! Amazing!

Now it was The Homicidal Threat's turn. He rolled back into the ring, standing by the ropes, and slingshot himself over the ropes, hitting the other two men with a tope con hilo! The results of three amazing dives was a trainwreck of men on the outside of the ring! This was unbelievable!

Senior official Mel Harris was unsure what to do at this point, so eventually he started counting. At six, The Homicidal Threat and Kid Dynamite rolled into the ring, where they started trading punches. Suddenly, Donnie Rhodes was up on the apron and nailed the two men with a slingshot shoulderblock, each men being taken down by one of Rhodes' shoulders.

Rhodes went into the ropes and was going for a high cross body on Kid Dynamite, but the British...erm... Kentuckian native caught Rhodes and drove him down with a backbreaker across the knee!

Dynamite turned around and caught a knee to the midsection from HT, followed by a belly-to-belly suplex. Threat picked Dynamite up and Irish whipped him into a corner, and quickly followed up with a Stinger Splash!!! Kid Dynamite looked to be out of it as The Homicidal Threat made the cover.

But Donnie Rhodes broke the count! Why you would do so in an elimination style match is anyone's guess, but perhaps it was just instinct.

Rhodes hit The Homicidal Threat with a sidewalk slam and went for the pin, but only got a two count out of it. Threat shrugged the move off and started trading blows with Donnie Rhodes once again. Kid Dynamite took action by spinning both men around and nailing them both with a double DDT! Kid Dynamite layed himself down on both men. Baffled, Mel Harris counted...

1...
2...
Double kickout!

This was anyone's match really. Rhodes and Dynamite paired off with one another, as Kid Dynamite started driving the elbows into the throat of Donnie Rhodes in the corner. Rhodes fought back with some Flair-styled chops, but Kid Dynamite ran a thumb into the eyes of the "Golden Boy".

Dynamite set Rhodes up on the turnbuckle, preparing perhaps for his finisher... the Inverted Superplex, but Rhodes hit a back elbow on Kid Dynamite and then picked him up in bodyslam position! Rhodes launched Kid Dynamite down from the turnbuckles, and across the ring...

... straight into a Homicide Drive '98 from The Homicidal Threat!!! HT covered Kid Dynamite!

1...
2...
3!!!

x - Threat beat Kid Dynamite via the Homicide Drive '98 in 0:11:14

Down to two men for the Junior-Heavyweight Title! Suddenly, Donnie Rhodes flew off the turnbuckles with a flying cross body press on The Homicidal Threat. Rhodes stayed on Threat for the pin attempt!

1...
2...
KICKOUT!

Threat and Rhodes went at it, fighting like boxing pros. Rhodes whipped Threat into the ropes and hit a hurricanrana on his opponent. It looked like this match might be over very soon now for The Homicidal Threat.

Rhodes hit a slingshot splash onto HT and then called for the end of the match! Rhodes went up to the top turnbuckle, but was suddenly caught by The Homicidal Threat!!!!

Threat nailed Rhodes in the gut, and then took him down from the top rope with the Homicide Drive '99!!! Rhodes was out of it!

The Homicidal Threat went up to the top rope, this time he was signaling for the end. Threat launched himself at Rhodes with the Pure Homicide, the redirectional frog splash, and landed the move perfectly! He covered Donnie Rhodes...

1...
2...
3!!! The Homicidal Threat wins the Junior-Heavyweight Title!

x - Threat beat Rhodes via the Pure Homicide in 0:14:57
Rating: *** 3/4
(The Homicidal Threat won the GWA Junior-Heavyweight Title.)

The Homicidal Threat was presented his belt as he went into celebrations. The crowd reaction was huge for The Homicidal Threat as he is the first to wear a belt in the GWA.

Backstage, Ken Sinclair had another interview lined up.

Sinclair: Wrestling fans, I'm standing here with one of the participants in the 20 Man Battle Royale which is coming up next, "The Striker" Lance Thompson, with his manager and mentor, Mario Zandani. Lance, what are your feelings on tonight's Battle Royale?

Thompson: Hey, listen, I'm not here to cut silly babyface interviews with you people, I'm here to compete. I'd like for the fans to cheer me, but if they want to boo me, then I'm not going to change their minds. I'm a competitor, not an actor. I'm going to bring all my intensity to the ring, and then let loose on all other 19 men until only two of us remain. That's all...

And with that said, Lance walked off with Mario Zandani in tow.

Punches and kicks were being thrown left and right. You couldn't see what was going on in there. Billy Ferdinand and The Element were going at it. Killer Bear and Duncan McKracken were trading blows. Rapture was pounding on Eric Copeland in the corner.

Super Augilla and The Great Hido had teamed up and nailed El Caballero with a double clothesline, before Magnum Dragon came in and nailed Augilla and Hido with a double clothesline by himself!

"Magnificent" Mike Smith hit a tremendous power bomb on Venom in the middle of the ring. Being on the canvas in a Twenty Man Battle Royale is not a good thing, as Venom got the crap stomped out of him in the center of the ring by numerous competitors.

Something had to give. After a few more moments of pure brawling, The Element was the first to be eliminated.

x - Stone threw out The Element in 0:02:34

"Greyfox" Alan Stone had made the first elimination. The ring was just a little less crowded now.

The very cowardly Jarvis Rochester, who claims to be "The Nicest Man In Professional Wrestling" was cowering in the corner, screaming like a little girl if anyone came close to him. El Caballero approached Rochester, who suckered him in and nailed him with a low blow and immediately tossed the luchadore out of the match!

x - Rochester threw out Caballero after a low blow in 0:04:45

"The Striker" Lance Thompson was tearing apart "The Low Ryder" Stephen Ryder, until Lord Horatio Nelson decided to help Ryder out. Nelson raked the back of Thompson, and then shot some European uppercuts into the spine of Thompson. Thompson rallied back with a jumping kick, followed up by a barb wire spin kick to the mush! Nelson fell flat on his back!

"The Fury" Robin Banks and The Great Hido were chopping away at each other. Banks booted Hido in the gut and nailed him with a single-armed DDT! Banks got up and was greeted with a big double armed clubbing from Killer Bear, who started tearing the young Canadian apart.

Kage and Venom were teaming up at this point, attempting to get Eric Copeland out of the match. However, Copeland managed to duck out of the way from a Kage side kick and shove Venom out of the ring, who was too stunned to do anything about it.

x - Copeland threw out Venom in 0:08:12

Things were heating up. "Cutting Edge" Cameron Cannon hit a pair of hiptosses on Super Augilla and The Great Hido. Meanwhile, Rapture hit Alan Stone with a jumping elbow thrust to the throat which sent Stone tumbling down. Duncan McKracken was having his way with Billy Ferdinand at this point, and the young upstart from Alabama was tossed out.

x - McKracken threw out Ferdinand after a bodyslam in 0:10:32

The crowd had thinned a little bit now. Stephen Ryder launched an attack on Mike Smith, taking him down and locking on an armbar. A little unusual for a Battle Royale, but everything goes I suppose.

Eric Copeland was fighting it out with The Great Hido at this point, when sneaky Jarvis Rochester approached him and gave him a low blow... boy, this Rochester guy certainly likes giving blows down low... ahem. Anyway, Copeland was writhing in pain, as Rochester chucked him out of the Battle Royale.

x - Rochester threw out Copeland after a low blow in 0:12:41

"The Striker" Lance Thompson had caught Rochester doing this and went over, sensing the kill. Rochester screamed like a little girl, but Thompson didn't fall for it. He brutally pummeled Rochester into the ground with lefts and rights, before chucking the useless piece of trash out of the ring and straight into the clucthes of Eric Copeland, who brawled with Rochester to the back.

x - Thompson threw out Rochester in 0:12:56

Six men have been eliminated now. Remember that the last two will face off in a singles match directly after this.

Killer Bear was stomping away at Magnum Dragon, preparing to eliminate the masked Japanese wrestler, when he was dropkicked in the back by "The Fury" Robin Banks. Being a big man meant that Killer Bear didn't have much dexterity, and he fell over the top rope and out of the ring.

x - Banks threw out Bear after a dropkick in 0:14:16

Wow! One of the big men eliminated already. You have to see the bigger guys as being favorites in Battle Royales, considering most of a Battle Royale is nothing more than a slugfest.

Kage hit Magnum Dragon with a flying karate chop, and then nailed him with a Russian legsweep. Lord Horatio Nelson took over from there, by grabbing Dragon by the mask and chucking him out of the ring.

x - Nelson threw out Dragon in 0:15:39

Super Augilla and The Great Hido had managed to survive a long time in this fight by teaming up together, something the other competitors have not really done. However, their partnership was broken up as Mike Smith tackled Hido down to the canvas, and Duncan McKracken started tearing into Super Augilla. The two men were seperated as the battle raged on.

Rapture nailed his finisher on Cameron Cannon, The Penance, and then eliminated him. Taking the number of men in the ring down even more.

x - Rapture threw out Cannon after The Penance in 0:17:09

Finally, Duncan McKracken was through with pounding on Super Augilla. The Mexican 'rudos' was promptly launched over the top rope and to the floor.

x - McKracken threw out Augilla in 0:17:28

"The Striker" Lance Thompson floored Rapture with a double underhook suplex, but his dominance was cut short, as Kage pounded on the submission wrestler with a series of double axehandle shots to the head and body.

Thompson was helped out by Mike Smith, who hit a legsweep on Kage, and then started putting his efforts into eliminating Rapture.

Kage was dazed, and Thompson raised him up and nailed him with a discuss punch, followed up by an axe kick! Kage was gone!

x - Thompson threw out Kage in 0:20:21

Under a minute later, Robin Banks was ditched out by Duncan "The Scotsman" McKracken, who seemed to be on a roll at this point. Banks had given it his all, but it was not to be his night.

x - McKracken threw out Banks after a straight right in 0:21:05

Mike Smith was pounding on Lord Horatio Nelson in the corner, but The Great Hido made the save for Nelson. Smith didn't like Hido interfering one bit, and gave the Japanese grappler a vicious lariat, sending him crashing to the floor! Meanwhile, Lord Horatio Nelson slinked away.

x - Smith threw out Hido after a lariat in 0:24:13

At this point, it appeared as if Stephen Ryder was finished. Alan Stone flattened him with a piledriver and then tossed him out of the match!

x - Stone threw out Ryder in 0:25:37

"The Striker" Lance Thompson was beating upon Rapture when Lord Horatio Nelson snuck up behind him and tossed him out of the ring. Thompson was furious, as Nelson chuckled an evil laugh.

x - Nelson threw out Thompson in 0:27:01

Five men remained! Two of these men would face off for the GWA Television Title in a matter of moments!

The competitors that remained were the veteran of many, many years, "Greyfox" Alan Stone. The dark and mysterious Rapture. The powerhouse grappler, "Magnificent" Mike Smith. The Scottish brawler, Duncan "The Scotsman" McKracken. And the 'apparent' member of British royalty, Lord Horatio Nelson.

On one side of the ring, Alan Stone and Lord Horatio Nelson were going at it. Stone had been beaten on pretty bad, but he was fairing well now. He hit a couple of succesive hip tosses, and then caught Nelson with a boot to the midsection... followed up by the Butterfly Suplex! Nelson had to be out now. He picked Nelson up to chuck him out, but Nelson caught Stone in the face with a stealthy headbutt to the bridge of the nose! A vicious move! Nelson shoved Stone back, and the veteran went pinwheeling into the ropes and out of the ring! Amazing!

x - Nelson threw out Stone after a headbutt in 0:28:17

McKracken and Mike Smith were battling one another at this point. McKracken nailed Smith with one of the damndest backbreakers seen in a long time. Followed up by a couple of hard-hitting lariats. Mike Smith was too dazed to fight back.

x - McKracken thew out Smith in 0:28:58

Three men remained now, but not for long. Rapture had Duncan McKracken all for the taking after a stealthy low blow. He had just hit a legdrop down onto "The Scotsman, followed up by a lengthy STF placed upon the unfortunate McKracken. Now the dark one had McKracken against the ropes, trying to force the big guy up and over the top.

He couldn't quite get the leverage to dump McKracken over the top, so Rapture waved across the ring for Lord Horatio Nelson to come give his support. A weary Nelson headed over, surveyed the scene for a moment, and then obliged!

He dumped Rapture out!!!!

Ding, ding, ding! The bell rung! This one was over!

x - Nelson threw out Rapture in 0:30:00

Duncan McKracken and Lord Horatio Nelson won a 20-Man Battle Royale in 0:30:00
Rating: * 1/2

Rapture was pissed! He started destroying things at ringside until a fleet of referees and officials guided him back towards the locker rooms.

Logan looked like he didn't want to lock up with Mula. After a beating from one brawler, Trent, he had to face another big man, Robert Mula. After alot of pussyfooting around, Travis Logan finally locked up with Mula. However, Logan immediately backed into the corner and complained to referee Robert Taylor of a hair pull.

Taylor checked in with Mula, who denied it obviously. As Taylor and Mula were talking, Logan launched his attack at Mula, nailing him with a diving forearm shot before taking it to him with lefts and rights to the body. Logan whipped Mula into the ropes and hit him with a side suplex, followed up by a pair of elbowdrops. Logan made the cover on Mula, but only got two.

Logan went for a vertical suplex, but Mula blocked and hit Logan with a brainbuster, knocking the senses out of "The Young Pistol". The crowd cheered for Mula, as he picked Logan up and immediately threw him back down with a fallaway slam! Mula covered Logan, but this time he was the one to only get two.

The match wore on with Mula dominating for the most part. However, as Mula went for one of his signature moves, the flapjack into a gutbuster, Logan was able to hold onto Mula's grasp and hit a swinging DDT out of the air on Robert Mula! Mula tumbled down and into the corner as Travis Logan stomped away at him.

Logan locked on a sleeperhold, trying to send Mula into the dream world. Mula started fading and fading away... until Robert Taylor was forced to come in and check Mula's arm.

Taylor lifts Mula's arm..... it falls!
......
Taylor lifts Mula's arm..... it falls!
......
Taylor lifts Mula's arm.....
......
......
......
......
IT STAYS UP!

Mula was 'hulking up' again, as he elbowed his way out of the hold, and then hit Logan with a Death Valley Driver for added pain! The big man bodyslammed Logan down by the ropes and then went outside the ring and amazingly nailed Logan with a slingshot somersault splash!!! That's about 300 pounds somersaulting down on top of you! Logan was puffing and wheezing for air, whilst writhing in pain at the same time.

Mula picked Travis Logan up and set him on the top turnbuckle, preparing for the finish. However, as he was doing this, it appeared as if Travis Logan was pulling something from his tights. How could that be? It looked like he was out cold!

Mula joined Logan on the turnbuckles, perhaps going for a superplex on "The Young Pistol" he grabbed Logan by the waste, when he was suddenly punched in the face by Logan. Normally, a punch on Mula wouldn't do all that much damage, but this punch rocked Mula, who fell down from the turnbuckle with a treckle of blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. Logan quickly nailed Mula with the Tennessee Jam and went for the cover.

1...
2...
3!!! Travis Logan is going to the finals???

[Semi-Finals]:
Travis Logan defeated Robert Mula with the Tennessee Jam in 0:13:05
Rating: *** 1/4

These two brawling monster met in the center of the ring, slugging each other with jabs, hooks, and body blows. Death Row took the advantage first with a rake to the face, followed up by some stiff boots, and then a bodyslam. Death Row hit some stomps on Blackjack, and then locked on a straight chokehold, trying to take all the air out of Harley's lungs.

Harley fought back with an uppercut into the jaw of Death Row, and then Harley rolled on top of the criminal and started choking him! Harley kicked Death Row out of the ring, under the bottom rope, and then followed him to the outside.

Blackjack Harley shoved Death Row into the guardrail, and the grabbed the timekeeper's ring bell from ringside and introduced it to Death Row's skull!!! Death Row slumped down onto the concrete floor, as Harley got a thunderous face pop from the Durham crowd.

Death Row was shoved back into the ring and nailed with a diving shoulderblock from Harley, who made a cover.

1...
2...
Kickout!

As Harley was picking Death Row up, Death Row shoved Harley back, and then bit him in the forehead! Disgusting! A George "The Animal" Steele tactic! Death Row slammed a pair of fists into Harley's busted open forehead and then took him down with a gutwrench suplex.

Death Row went outside the ring, fetching a steel chair and placing it on top of Blackjack Harley's face... and then... in a near suicidal move, Death Row went to the top rope and hit a flying headbutt down onto Blackjack Harley and the chair!!! Death Row rolled around on the canvas clutching at his face, whilst Blackjack Harley did the exact same thing! This is insane!

Death Row eventually made his way back to his feet, dragging Blackjack Harley up with him. Immediately Blackjack Harley fought back against the criminal, with an elbow to the throat followed up with a reverse neckbreaker. Harley dropped a big elbow on his opponent and then hooked Death Row up in the Blackjack Claw!!!

But Death Row wouldn't give up. He reached into his pocket and procured some sort of foriegn object.... brass knuckles!!! Death Row quickly nailed Harley with the brass knux and then tossed them out of the ring. Harley was out of it! Death Row made the inevitable cover.

1...
2...
3...
NO! Harley kicked out! I'll be damned! What a show of strength and resiliance by Blackjack Harley! Death Row looked murderously at Peter Larson, who instantly backed away from him.

Death Row growled and snorted as he slid out of the ring and procured a table out from underneath the ring and shoved it into the ring. What was he planning? He set the table up in the middle of the ring, and dragged Blackjack Harley up to his feet, getting ready for some move through the table.

Death Row hooked Harley up in full nelson position! Oh no! He was going for The Execution through the table! He prepared to lift Harley, but the Blackjack kicked his legs back and forth to prevent being placed through the table. Harley quickly turned around and vicously booted Death Row in the gut so all the wind instantly exited his lungs.

Harley, in nearly a fury, lifted Death Row up and destroyed him with a Blackjack Bomb through the table!!!! Unbelievable!!!!! Blackjack covered Death Row as Peter Larson counted!

1...
2...
3!!!!

[Semi-Finals]:
Blackjack Harley pinned Death Row with the Blackjack Bomb in 0:11:17
Rating: * 1/4

Blackjack Harley would face Travis Logan in the main event tonight for the World Heavyweight Title! Amazing!

The Homicidal Threat is the Junior-Heavyweight Champion, and Lord Horatio Nelson is the Television Champion. However, the tag titles are still to be determined.

We cut to the locker rooms for a series of promos.

[Twisted Youth]

"Dynamite" Devon Danzig and "Turbo" Todd Casey are standing there, with their gamefaces on. Danzig has long black hair, a couple of tatoos, and a nose ring. He dons a blood red muscle t-shirt and a pair of cargo pants. Meanwhile, Todd Casey has short, highlighted blonde hair, with an eyebrow ring. His attire consists of a midnight black muscle shirt and a pair of blue cargo pants. They begin to speak.

Danzig: You know, we've never been big talkers for the time that we've been together, but Twisted Youth has something to say here. In just a few moments, it's game time. A Four Way Dance for those GWA World Tag Team Titles. It's time to put up or shut up!

Casey: All the fans here in North Carolina know who we are. We've been the hottest tag team in the East for a few years now. We represent what the true youth of America is like. We've been raised in a decadent society, and that makes us just a little bit... Twisted.

Danzig: So you other three teams, get ready for the beating of a lifetime, cause you're looking at the best tag team in wrestling today. Hands down.

[Midnight Express 2000]

We start with a shot, scanning up the body of Darian Doring, the manager. He is dressed in similar attire to that of Jarvis Rochester, except not so.... gay.

To his left is "Stunning" Scott Somers, with a short, bleached blonde crewcut, and a pair of shades. To his right is "Beautiful" Bobby Williams, medium length brown hair, no shades, no piercing, just attitude.

Doring: For years far beyond all you fifteen year old wrestling marks, the NWA has been THE original promotion in the sport of professional wrestling. Don't let others trick you, we were the first REAL promotion on the block. And a hallmark of the NWA, especially in it's heyday, was the great tag teams it possessed. Well... actually, the great tag TEAM it possessed. You see, the Midnight Express were the force that got tag team wrestling -over- after years of nothingness. Take this as a shoot if you like, but I only speak the truth. Now after years of darkness, the NWA is clinging to some final speck of hope. These two men standing beside me....

Somers: That's right. MXY2K stands up for the NWA as it rests on it's final legs. We're trying to win something back for the NWA, because it deserves something prestidgious. We're going to go into all the territories we can, and win as many titles as we can for this once great promotion.

Williams: A still great promotion Scott. The NWA came to us and offered us the name Midnight Express, and we gladly took it. We're going to us that name and the force that is NWA to conquer the GWA, and then... the rest of the country. And then Japan, and then Europe, and then Mexico. No place can hold us down.

[The Super Assassins]

The Super Assassins stand there, both dressed in identical outfits. Black masks, with gold trim around the outside. Black singlet tops, with a gold stripe down the left hand side, and black tights, with the word 'Assassins' written in gold down the left leg.

They stand... in silence.

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Suddenly the camera tilts down and we hear, "CUT!" The voice of GWA Executive Producer, Greg Pierce is heard.

Pierce: What in the HELL are you guys doing?!!

Voice: Don't you know talking isn't a part of our gimmick?

[Future Shock]

Keith Cole and David Gray, two of the youngest hot commodities in tag team wrestling. Two rookies who have wrestled just over six months professionally. Talk about a rise to stardom.

Both men are clean cut, young looking guys. They both wear yellow and blue singlet tops with yellow and blue bottoms, with the colors inverted.

Gray: It's the chance of a lifetime, Keith. Here we are, fresh, raw, young talent, and we're already getting a chance for a major title!

Cole: I still can't believe it.

Gray: I mean, I thought we'd be brought into the GWA as wrestlers for the undercard... but no.

Cole: We've been given the opportunity to take those GWA World Tag Team Titles and place them around our waists. Think about it, World Champions!!!

Gray: Assassins, Express, Youth... you guys better get ready for a big shock coming to you, a shock from the future, because the future of wrestling has arrived...

The four teams entered, Twisted Youth and Future Shock being cheered, The Super Assassins and Midnight Express 2000 being booed.

As the referee was explaining the rules, the four teams decided to bypass the small talk and get on with the match! Devon Danzig charged across the ring and nailed one of the Assassins with a charging double axehandle bodyblock, Scott Somers took Keith Cole down with a clothesline, David Gray hit a dropkick on Todd Casey, and the other Assassin blasted Bobby Williams with a charging elbow shot.

Somehow or another, the action spilled to the outside leaving Devon Danzig and one of the Assassins in the ring. Since we can't tell the difference between the two, we'll say this is Assassin # 1.

Danzig gave Assassin # 1 a short arm clothesline, and followed up with a senton splash, but the Assassin fought back with a few roundhouse punches, and then a gutbuster. He went for an early cover but only got the one count on Danzig.

Assassin # 1 whipped Danzig into the ropes, looking for a backdrop, but Danzig did an acrobatic flip over Assassin's back, made a blind tag to his partner Todd Casey, and then nailed Assassin # 1 with a cross body block!

Todd Casey came in with a flying legdrop down upon Assassin # 1, who was taking a beating at this point. Casey made the cover, but Assassin # 2 made the save.

Casey whipped Assassin # 1 into the ropes and nailed him with a spin kick, and then promptly tagged in David Gray of Future Shock. Gray lifted up Assassin # 1 and took him straight back down with a DDT. Gray mounted the turnbuckle, obviously going for some sort of flying move, but Assassin # 1 raised the boot and made a desperation tag to "Stunning" Scott Somers.

Somers walked along the apron and posed for some fans before entering the ring, which was a mistake. Gray was up and ready for him, and hit a ropeflip hiptoss on his opponent. Somers got straight back up, only to receive a Mexican hiptoss for his efforts. Somers was infuriated, and immediately complained to referee Bill Nash of a hair pull, when there clearly wasn't one.

Gray got in Somers's face about his whining, but Somers used a crafty tactic and poked Gray in the eye to gain the advantage. He whipped Gray into the ropes and took him down with a backdrop. After a few stomps, he tagged in his partner, Bobby Williams, and the two hit a double team vertical suplex on David Gray, before Williams made the cover.

1...
2...
Kickout!

Williams got up and complained to the ref. Bill Nash was having none of it though. Gray seized the opportunity and took Williams down with a schoolboy.

1...
2...
Kickout!

Williams got up and charged at Gray, but Gray ducked a clothesline and then hit a superkick on his opponent! Gray dragged Williams into the corner and tagged in Keith Cole. Cole immediately whipped Williams into the ropes and then jumped into the ropes himself, landing a springboard DDT on Williams! What a move!

Cole dropped some elbows, and then proceeded to tag in Super Assassin # 2. Assassin # 2 used the old school tactic, and slowed the pace of the match down. He placed Williams in a rear chancery, and applied the pressure from there. As Williams worked his way back up, Assassin # 2 planted an elbow into the back of Williams, nailed a bodyslam, and went straight back to the hold.

Assassin # 2 repeated this twice until Scott Somers came in and blatantly blasted Assassin # 2 with a kick to the mush to get him off of his partner. As Nash shuffled Somers out of the ring, both men were down and needed to make a tag. Assassin crawled slowly, and finally made the tag to # 1, whilst Williams made a diving tag to Todd Casey!

Casey came in on fire and took down Assassin # 1, Assassin # 2, and Scott Somers, who came back into the ring. However, Casey turned around to be scooped up and powerslammed by Assassin # 1. Assassin # 1 and # 2 whipped Casey into the ropes and attempted their finisher, the Double Flapjack... but Casey countered with a pair of DDTs on both men!!! Great counter!

Casey tagged in Devon Danzig, who picked Assassin # 1 up and crumpled him into the canvas with a great double underhook piledriver!!! And then the cover...

1...
2...
3!!!

x - Danzig pinned Assassin # 1 with a double underhook piledriver in 0:08:13

One team down!

Immediately Scott Somers hit a slingshot shoulderblock into the ring on Devon Danzig to stop the momentum from going on for Twisted Youth. He picked Danzig up and viciously raked his fingers across Danzig's back, and threw a couple of shots into his kidneys for good measure, before dropping him with a belly-to-back suplex!

Somers whipped Danzig into the ropes and hit him with a tilt-a-whirl slam. Danzig was getting worked over well here.

Deciding not to waste anymore of his energy, Somers tagged in David Gray, who entered with a series of kicks on Devon Danzig, followed up with a dragon screw legwhip on the hapless opponent.

Gray went upstairs and hit a moonsault on Danzig, and went for the cover, but Danzig miraculously kicked out! Gray tagged in his partner, Keith Cole, as the two went for a double clothesline on Danzig, but "Dynamite" slid underneath the clothesline and nailed both members of Future Shock with a springboard cross body! Danzig rolled into his corner and tagged in Todd Casey!

Casey ran into the ring, and took Keith Cole down with a running shoulderblock, and then did the same to David Gray. Casey lifted Cole back up and dropped him square on his head with a Death Valley Driver! This had to be over!

1...
2...
Gray makes the save!

At this point, Devon Danzig came back into the ring and started brawling with David Gray. Meanwhile, Midnight Express 2000 were sitting on their corner, obnoxiously yawning and chatting with their manager, Darian Doring.

Danzig and Gray's fighting spilled to the outside, as Casey picked Cole back up once more, going for a front Russian legsweep, but Cole composed himself and turned the move into an Oklahoma Roll!

1...
2...
3!!! He got him!

x - Cole pinned Casey with an Oklahoma Roll in 0:11:15

Neither Casey nor Danzig could believe it!

Suddenly, both members of MXY2K hit the ring and started beating Keith Cole down into a pulp. They hoisted him up and layed him out with a double gorilla slam, Cole landing face-first on the canvas. However, perched on the top turnbuckle was David Gray, who hit a missile dropkick into the face of Scott Somers, leaving Williams in the ring with a downed Keith Cole.

Williams mocked Cole as he lifted him back up. Irish whip into the ropes... and Williams planted Cole with a backdrop. Cole was picked up again... and flattened with a backbreaker. Williams dropped some elbows on his fallen opponent. This was getting ugly.

However, Cole managed to fight back! He rose and started slugging it out with Williams. Williams went for a kick on Cole, but Cole caught it. Williams went for the enzuigiri, but Cole ducked, still holding onto Williams' leg, and crushed him with an inverted powerbomb!

Somers reentered the ring, and was ready to go at it with Keith Cole, but suddenly he was sent down via a springboard bulldog by David Gray from behind! Cole and Gray high-fived as they picked Williams up, Cole setting him up in the corner in Splash Mountain position!

Cole threw Williams down in a Splash Mountain powerbomb, and David Gray caught him in an inverted front face driver, pancaking Williams into the mat!!! This one was over!

1...
2...
3!!!! TAG CHAMPS!!!!

x - Gray pinned Williams after the Splash Mountain into an inverted front face driver in 0:15:17

Future Shock won a four way tag team dance in 0:15:17
Rating: ***
[Future Shock won the GWA World Tag Team Titles]

They did it! The youngsters have won the belts! Unbelievable! Keith Cole and David Gray celebrated in the ring together, as Darian Doring yelled and screamed at the referee, arguing over a fast count. Cole and Gray were handed their belts as the Durham crowd errupted for them!

Before the main event we are treated to a preview of the GWA's next pay-per-view, A Night To Remember, on Febuary 17, 2001.

Harley wrestled Logan to the ground, but Logan fought his way back up with some boots into the midsection of Blackjack Harley, followed up by an armdrag takedown. Harley got right back up though, and walked into an inverted atomic drop from "The Young Pistol", and then a lariat to the canvas. Logan made the early cover.

1...
2...
Kickout!

There was no way Harley was going to let himself get beaten that easily. Blackjack got back up and started throwing the punches at Logan, who was surprised at Harley's sudden burst of energy. Harley threw Logan into the ropes and caught him with a high-elevation backdrop to the mat. Harley dropped some elbows on Logan and then went for the Blackjack Claw! Sensing the immediate danger, Travis Logan hastily clawed his way to the ropes and held onto them for dear life. Mel Harris forced Blackjack Harley to break the hold.

Harley snorted and let go of the hold as he went back to work on Travis Logan with a side slam. He lifted Logan up in vertical suplex position, but instead hit him with a vertical facebuster! Lateral press...

1...
2... Kickout at 2!

Logan was taking a beating at this point, and he bought some time by rolling out of the ring. Harley was upset by this, and started yelling at Logan by the ropes. Logan reached out and grabbed Harley by the ankle and dragged him to the outside of the ring... not a good move. Harley started brawling with Logan, who stood no chance in a fistfight with the burly Texan. Logan quickly rolled back into the ring.

And started stomping on Harley as he tried to reenter the ring. He lifted Harley up and landed a kneebreaker on the big guy, hoping to keep him off his feet. Logan threw some fists into the midsection of Blackjack Harley and then hit a standard DDT, thumping Harley's head into the mat.

Logan didn't let up though. He dragged Harley up to his feet again and crunched his skull into the canvas with a tremendous piledriver! Blackjack was in some trouble now, as "The Young Pistol" made the cover...

1...
2...
Kickout! Harley was willing to go the distance!

As Harley laid on the canvas trying to catch his breath, Logan mounted the turnbuckles and nailed his opponent with a flying fistdrop into the chest region of the Texan. Logan grabbed Harley's legs and it seemed as if he was going to try a figure-four leglock, but Harley took his left boot and shoved Logan off and into the ropes. As Logan came back, Harley nailed Logan with a monkey flip from his lying position! The fans cheered as Blackjack hopped right back to his feet. He was making a comeback!

Harley dragged Logan back up and whipped him off into the ropes, taking him down with a tilt-a-whirl powerslam! Logan clutched at his back, as Blackjack clutched his opponent by the hair and pulled him up to a vertical base. Blackjack threw a knee into Logan's gut and dropped him with a double underhook backbreaker! Logan looked completely dazed and confused as Blackjack Harley ran his thumb across his throat, calling for the end of the match!

Harley picked Logan up again and prepared for the Blackjack Bomb! He lifted Logan into the air in powerbomb position, and then released him and caught "The Young Pistol" with a hangman's neckbreaker! This match was over! We had a new World Champion! Harley covered Logan...

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No count?!!!

Harley turned around to see senior official Mel Harris slumped over in the corner, nursing his head. Apparently, the boot of Travis Logan must have grazed Harris in the head as Harley swung him around in the air for the Blackjack Bomb!

As Harley was trying to revive Mel Harris, the crowd burst into a chorus of boos, as the cameras caught a shot of Death Row charging down the aisle, with an empty trash can in his hands! Death Row jumped up on the apron and smashed Harley in the head with the trash can! Harley slumped down to the canvas as Death Row laughed maniacally.

Travis Logan slowly rose to his feet and surveyed the scene. A broad, vile looking smile crossed his face as he placed a couple of boots down upon the prone Blackjack Harley. Logan attempted to give Death Row a high five, but Death Row simply shoved him away and told him to pick up Harley for some more punishment. It seemed as if Death Row wasn't done yet.

Logan held Blackjack Harley up by his arms as Death Row swung his trash can from the apron and clobbered Harley in the head with it. A huge dent now decorated the trash can. The crowd were heavily booing Death Row and Travis Logan at this point, as Logan beckoned Death Row to do it again.

Death Row pulled back and swung for the fences, but Blackjack stepped out of the way! Logan caught the trash can in the head, as Harley kicked the trash can out of Death Row's hands, and then charged into him with a driving shoulderblock then sent Death Row falling to the concrete floor below the ring apron!

Harley turned around as Logan attempted a right hand at the big man, but Harley blocked the punch and kicked Logan in the gut... and connected with a SECOND Blackjack Bomb!!! The crowd exploded like fireworks on the 4th of July!!! Harley covered Logan and hooked his leg for good measure as Mel Harris slowly crawled over to count....

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3!!!! A WORLD CHAMPION HAS BEEN CROWNED!!!!!! THE CROWD WENT NUTS!!!!!!!!!

[Finals]:
Blackjack Harley pinned Travis Logan with the Blackjack Bomb in 0:15:29
Rating: ** 1/4
(Blackjack Harley won the GWA World Heavyweight Title.)

Mel Harris handed Blackjack Harley HIS World Heavyweight Title as his music, "Grind" by Alice In Chains, blared throughout the Dorton Arena in Durham, North Carolina. The crowd celebrated, as Blackjack Harley raised his belt for all to see. He hasn't exactly saluted the crowd at all tonight, but that was because he was focused on winning the belt. Now that his job is done, he can finally show his respect for the fans who cheered him all night long.

Three wins in one night is quite some feat. Blackjack Harley is a deserving World Champion, and hopefully his reign is a prosperous one for himself, and the Global Wrestling Association. Certainly we'll hear more about what's going down in the GWA next Friday on Breakdown. Until then....

The last shot we see from Crowning Glory is Blackjack Harley standing on the turnbuckles, holding aloft the GWA World Heavyweight Title...

© 2001 Global Wrestling Association