05/21/2005 – DAVIS ARENA
* A STATEMENT FROM JIM CORNETTE
* BRENT ALBRIGHT & THE START OF THE TV TITLE TOURNAMENT
* TV TITLE MATCH #1: ??? VS. ???
* TV TITLE MATCH #2: SEVEN VS. OSAMA
* TV TITLE MATCH #3: NICK NEMETH VS. PAUL BIRCHELL
* TV TITLE MATCH #4: AARON “THE IDOL” STEVENS VS. ???
* TV TITLE MATCH #5: SETH SKYFIRE VS. BLASTER LASHLEY
* INTERVIEW WITH MATT CAPPOTELLI
* MATT CAPPOTELLI VS. TANK TOLAND
* SPECIAL POST-SHOW MATCH: BRENT ALBRIGHT VS. SIMON DEAN
A STATEMENT FROM JIM CORNETTE
As the show began, Dean told the audience and viewers at home that every match on the show that night would be for challengers to the vacated TV Title, now that Brent Albright had become OVW Champion. Once again Dean welcomed Al Snow behind the announcers’ table with him and the two discussed the chaos created last week on the show after Jim Cornette did not appear.
In response to questions of his whereabouts, Jim Cornette issued a statement which was read on the air by Dean:
“I want all OVW personnel to know the success and prosperity of Ohio Valley Wrestling is the utmost priority to me.
I am not at liberty, due to pending negotiations and potential civil litigations, to reveal the reason of my absence. I can say that I will NOT return to OVW until all challenges to either my full control of OVW matchmaker or my administration and execution of my said position have been adjudicated and found without merit. This I believe is eminent.
During my leave, I urge the fans to turn their attention to the athletes in the ring and the start of the great Summer Sizzler Series at Six Flags. Hope to see you there.
Jim Cornette”
Al Snow asked Dean what Jim Cornette meant about challenges to his control of OVW. Dean retorted that he was not sure, only that he had been given the statement to read. Although fans can not be content in knowing that Jim Cornette did not just disappear mysteriously last week, he has raised more issues than resolved others. Who is trying to wrestle control away from Cornette? Will he ever return? All we can do for now is hope that we DO see him at the Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Summer Sizzler Series.
BRENT ALBRIGHT & THE START OF THE TV TITLE TOURNAMENT
Brent Albright came out to the ring to do what he had planned to do last week before he was so rudely interrupted by Aaron Stevens and Beth Phoenix, which was to retire from the TV title and open up the title for challengers who would be competing that night for a chance to win the title and the weekly $1,000 that comes with it.
Just as Albright wished the challengers good luck, Mike Mondo stormed the ring with Ms. Blue following him close behind. Not as close as she would with Kenny Bolin, but still close behind. Mondo went up to Albright in the ring and demanded to be the first challenger. Surprised, Albright agreed, but told Mike that if he won the match, he was that closer to the title, and if he won the title, “it can set your career.” Pointing out that after only a short matter of weeks, Albright was now the OVW Champion, and poking his finger into Mondo’s chest to drive the point home, Albright reminded Mondo to take the match very, very seriously.
Taking it very seriously, Mondo slapped Albright in the face for poking at him. Recovering from the slap, Albright threw Mondo down and put him into a Crowbar so fierce that it looked as if Brent was ready to just rip Mondo’s arm out of the socket. Mondo finally tapped and Albright let go in order to quickly scurried out of the ring so that Mondo’s opponent in his TV Title Match could begin.
TV TITLE MATCH #1: MIKE MONDO VS. ALEXIS LAREE
REF: Chris Kay
As Mondo looked down from the ring in pain at Albright, his opponent in the TV Title Match zoomed into the ring behind him. The challenger? Alexis Laree. Kay called for the bell to start the match, and that was all that was needed for Alexis to pull Mondo back into a rollup and get the pin. As Mondo screamed “No!” like Darth Vader, Albright held up Alexis’ arm as the winner of the first match in Round One of the TV Title Tournament.
TV TITLE MATCH #2: SEVEN VS. OSAMA
REF: Robert Brisko
Osama came to the ring in his traditional clothing style and waving the flag of Iran. Soon after, Seven came out, dressed in red trunks, a black and white cowboy shirt and a trucker’s cap that he placed on his head backwards. He then motioned for everyone to hold on, as he went into the back and came back out waving an American flag. He post the flag by the entrance way and then entered the ring for the start of the match.
After tearing at each other for a time, Seven whipped Osama into the ropes to bounce back into a shoulderblock, followed by a bodyslam, a couple of stomps to the body, two elbow-drops to the chest and one to the head. This was enough for Osama to exit the ring, only to have Seven follow him out for a couple of punches to the head.
Throwing Osama back in, Seven maneuvered Osama to his corner. Taking a chance, Osama grabbed his traditional headdress that was there in the corner and threw it over his shoulder into the ring. Brisko, distracted by the scarf, reached down to pick the headdress up and threw it out of the ring. This was enough time for Osama to use his thumb to gouge Seven in the eye and make him back off.
In pain, Seven could hardly avoid two hard elbows to the back by Osama, sending Seven down to the mat. An attempt to pin Seven was quickly averted, however, leading to the two struggling until Osama drew Seven to a corner and let go with a series of punches. Thrown to another corner, Seven managed to hit Osama with an elbow as Osama ran in. Seven followed with another elbow jab and then two punches to the head, topping it all off with a couple of incredible clotheslines.
Whipping Osama to the corner, Seven proceeded with a bodyslam and then a fireman-carry backdrop. After another body slam, Osama was in no position to fight back, giving Seven the pin for the win.
After exiting the ring, Seven took the microphone and told the audience that there was no introduction needed, as he was “the baddest SOB in the Valley.” He went on to say that when, not if, he won the TV Title, he would pass on the $1,000 winning to “each and everyone of you.” With those words floating in the air, Seven went back to the American flag and waved it to the crowd before heading to the back.
Speaking of the back, backstage Maria of WWE’s RAW fame was interviewing Nick Nemeth on his chances in his match against England’s Paul Birchell. Just as he was about to wrap up his thoughts on the matter, he was interrupted by Paul Birchell, who introduced himself and told Nemeth that he was more than ready and prepared to take on Nemeth in the ring.
TV TITLE MATCH #3: NICK NEMETH VS. PAUL BIRCHELL
REF: Ray Ramsey
A lockup allowed Paul to easily move Nick into a corner, where Birchell smacked Nemeth on top of the head. Nemeth did not take the action with humor and ran after Birchell, who had to quickly back up to the other corner and hold on, forcing Nemeth to back off.
Another lockup led to a hiptoss by Nemeth, followed by another, and then Nemeth began working on Birchell’s arm. Struggling to break free of the hold with a variety of positions, Paul eventually got to the ropes and pulled himself half-way through. Because of his position in the ropes, Nemeth had to break the hold. Birchell looked at the crowd and tapped his forehead to inform them how smart he was. Nemeth then kicked him in the gut, as Birchell was still bent over in the ropes, in order to disprove such a notion.
Back in the ring, Nemeth hit Birchell with a crossbody slam that was enough to force Birchell out of the ring. On the floor, Birchell spit at Nemeth, leading to Nemeth coming out of the ring after Birchell. Running around the corner, Birchell dived back into the ring. Nemeth climbed up on the apron and was halfway through the second and third ropes when Birchell kicked him. Stunned by the move, Nemeth was easy picking for Birchell, who twisted Nemeth around and performed a neckbreaker on Nemeth while Nick was still halfway through the second and third rope. After ping-ponging off the ropes, Nemeth fell to the ground and Birchell had to exit the ring in order to throw Nemeth back in. Even after that type of abuse, however, Nemeth still managed to hold off two pin-attempts by Birchell.
After slamming Nemeth to the mat a couple of times, Birchell punched away at Nemeth before grabbing him by the head and flipping him on to his back for another pin-attempt. When that pin failed, Birchell tried for a rollup for another pin, it too failed. A bodyslam by Birchell allowed him to climb to the top ropes for a Shooting Star Press that looked perfect in execution. Too bad Nemeth had scrambled out of the way just in time, leading to Birchell smashing into the mat in pain.
With Birchell trying to fight off the pain, Nemeth punched away at Birchell before throwing Paul into a vicious-looking DDT. Unfortunately for Nemeth, Birchell was close enough to the ropes to put a foot up in order to stop a pin-attempt.
Rising from the mat, Birchell shoved Nemeth and began to climb through the ropes. Nemeth grabbed Birchell and pulled him back for a rollup, which Birchell brushed off. Heading to the opposite ropes, Birchell again tried to climb through, with the same results of Nemeth grabbing him around the waist. This time, though, Birchell threw back an elbow, staggering Nemeth. Paul continued the assault on Nick whipping him into a corner. Hoping to counter Birchell’s moves, Nemeth went for a crossbody. Birchell was ready, however, and turned the move around to get the pin, making Paul Birchell the winner of the match.
TV TITLE MATCH #4: AARON “THE IDOL” STEVENS W/BETH PHOENIX VS. DANNY INFERNO
REF: Chris Kay
Aaron “The Idol” Stevens entered the ring with Beth Phoenix by his side, his shoulder and arm wrapped up from his defeat to the Crowbar the previous week. Even wrapped up, one has to admit that Stevens still looked stylish, though.
Stevens grabbed the microphone and told the audience that he could not go anywhere in the past seven days in “this toilet bowl city” without people asking him “Why did you tap out? You tapped out! You tapped out!” The Idol then explained that he did not tap-out. In reality – or as he explained it, rather – when he was in the Crowbar, his shoulder was separated. This caused a nerve malfunction that caused his hand to twitch.
But that reason behind his …uh … nerve malfunction was not the reason he was there. Instead, The Idol demanded to have a shot at the TV Title and Beth Phoenix had told him that even with his injury, he could still beat anyone there at OVW with only one arm. Therefore, he was ready to face any challenger backstage who wanted to go up against him.
With those words, Stevens’ and Phoenix’s eyes grew large as saucers as Danny Inferno entered the arena with a smile on his face, ready to see The Idol once again let down in his attempt to win the TV Title. That smile soon disappeared, when Danny was attacked from behind by “Mean” Gene Snitsky. As a shocked audience watched the surprise return of the OVW alumni, Snitsky picked up Inferno and bodyslammed him to the ground. Gene picked up the unconscious Inferno and tossed him into the ring.
Now with his enemy and TV Title opponent safely taken care of, Stevens demanded that Chris Kay call for the bell to start the match. Kay refused to do so until Snitsky entered the ring and threatened the cowering Kay to start the match up. With the ring of the bell, Aaron put his foot down on Inferno’s body and Kay reluctantly gave a three-count for the win.
With the win, Beth Phoenix gave Snitsky a thank-you kis – er – lick on the side of the face, actually. Then Stevens and Phoenix celebrated in their unimitatable fashion in the ring.
Before the next match, Dean told viewers about the upcoming matches at the June 3rd Six Flags show, including a newly added Lumberjack match between Danny Inferno and Aaron “The Idol” Stevens. During all this, Al Snow was reading an issue of MUSCLEMAN magazine. When Dean asked why he was doing so, Al pointed out a pictorial in the issue with OVW’s own Melissa Coates.
TV TITLE MATCH #5: SETH SKYFIRE VS. BLASTER LASHLEY W/KENNY BOLIN
REF: Chris Kay
The introductions of the two men to the ring were what we had come to expect from the men – Blaster, slow and menacing, with Seth ready to tear the house down with his 200 MPH style of action. Into the ring, the match started off with Blaster going for his usual beatdown special and led to a whip to the ropes by Blaster. Skyfire bounced back only to smash into Blaster’s elbow so hard that the force sent Skyfire spiraling several times before he hit the mat.
Another elbow to the back sent Seth to his knees and one more sent him back to the mat, allowing Blaster to grab Skyfire by the head. Pulling Seth up to a sitting position, Blaster began twisting Seth’s head. Skyfire managed to stop the hold and get back up on his feet, but Lashley just started beating down on Seth again. Pulling Skyfire up on his shoulder, Blaster began to setup Seth for a drop on to the top ropes. Skyfire, however, managed to push himself off of Lashley’s shoulder, forcing Blaster into the corner. Using the larger man’s momentum, Skyfire, then threw Blaster back and on to the mat for a near-pin.
Throwing Seth off and into the corner, Blaster came running in, but got a boot in the face. Staggering back, Blaster recovered and attempted the move again, this time getting two boots in the face for the unwise decision. With Blaster stumbling back, Skyfire kicked at Lashley’s legs to bring him to his knees. Lashley responded by whipping Skyfire to the corner, where Seth jumped up on the ropes and fell back with a kick to Blaster’s body, sending Lashley to the mat.
Jumping up to the top ropes in a corner, Skyfire was about to perform a finishing move on Blaster when the music hit for M-N-M. The trio came out, making little notice of Skyfire. In his anger, Skyfire leapt from the corner on to Mercury and Nitro, driving them to the ground. Seth’s concentration on beating the stuffing out of Mercury led him defenseless to Blaster’s attack, as Lashley came out of the ring and grabbed Skyfire by the head. Pulling Skyfire up, Lashley then clothesline Seth.
Lashley threw Seth back in and bodyslammed him. With a victory so close, Seth Skyfire could only see his chances slip away before his vendetta against M-N-M, while Chris Kay counted out the 1-2-3 and gave Blaster the win. Skyfire’s pain was far from over, however, as M-N-M entered the ring to stomp and kick at Seth while Bolin and Lashley stood by and watched. Melina finally signaled for the Snapshot, for which Kay tried to stop. This only met with a swift punch to the face by Mercury that sent Kay flying out of the ring.
As Mercury and Nitro began to setup the Snapshot, Al Snow entered the ring with his baseball bat. M-N-M and Bolin scattered, leaving Al in the ring with the defenseless Skyfire and an angry Blaster. Although Mercury tried to throw a chair into the ring to use, Al managed to hold everyone off and Bolin finally convinced Blaster to step out of the ring so as not to cause any problems.
INTERVIEW WITH MATT CAPPOTELLI
With Johnny Jeter being blinded by Jillian Hall last week at the end of the show, Matt Cappotelli came out to talk to Al Snow (who still had his bat with him). Matt stated that the substance shot into Jeter’s eyes was rubbing alcohol and that the vision in his right eye was only at 50%. Even so, Matt was prepared to win back the Southern Tag Team Belts against the Blonde Bombers at any time in order to avenge his partner.
As they began to discuss the situation and how it would affect the Thrillseekers, the Blonde Bombers came out with Jillian Hall. Chad Toland stumbled towards the ring, mocking Jeter’s blindness, which Jillian Hall’s neckbrace appeared to be on so tight that it had caused some type of swelling in her upper-body. She may want to have that looked at. I mean, by a professional. I mean, a doctor.
As this reviewer wondered to himself if he had over-inflated the car tires that morning, Tank Toland asked Matt why they should wait for such a match until Six Flags? Why not have it right there and then?
Although Matt was ready to take them on, Al Snow interrupted them all by stating that he was the one making the matches that night and the match that would happen would not be two-on-one, but rather one-on-one. Tank Toland against Matt Cappotelli. The stipulation being that if Matt won, he would get the match at Six Flags to go for the Southern Tag Team Belts. The Blonde Bombers agreed. The other stipulation was that Jillian and Chad had to leave the ring. Right there and then.
MATT CAPPOTELLI VS. TANK TOLAND
REF: Robert Brisko
Al forced Chad and Jillian back to the locker-room, leaving Tank alone at the side of the ring. After refusing to come in to start the match, Matt dives out to go after him. After being chased around the ring, Tank dived in and then clobbered Matt on the back as Cappotelli came in. A few stomps to the back from Toland lead to a hard whip to the corner for Matt.
Tank came to the corner, but Cappotelli grabbed him by the throat and threw Toland into the corner. The two beat each other from corner to corner to corner before a chop by Matt sent Toland rolling out of the ring to recover.
Matt followed Tank out and continued with the assault on the ground until Toland rammed Cappotelli back into the apron. Matt collapsed, which would have opened him up to Toland finishing him but Tank’s attention was diverted by Chad trying to sneak back out to ringside to help his fellow Bomber. Tank motioned for him to go back, directing Brisko’s attention to Chad as well. Brisko forced Chad to go back and Tank turned back to Matt just in time to get an eyepoke from the recovered Cappotelli.
Matt grabbed Tank by the head, driving Toland into the apron. As Tank tried to deal with the pain, Matt went over to the entrance way and – like pulling a rabbit out of a hat – Matt reached into the entrance and pulled out Chad by the hair. After decking Chad, Matt turned around just in time to get a steel chair in the gut by Tank, the chair hitting him so hard that it unfolded from the impact.
Tossing Matt in, Tank went for a pin-attempt that Cappotelli was able to stop. Keeping Matt on his back in the center of the ring, Tank thrust his knee into Matt’s gut four times before picking Cappotelli up and whipping him face-first into the corner. Matt stumbled back right into Tank’s arms and into an abdominal stretch, which Matt finally succeeded to get out of and performed a neckbreaker on Toland.
After a few punches were traded back and forth, Matt hit the Atomic Drop on Tank and then a few more punches before getting a near-pin. Matt punches away some more before whipping Tank to a corner for a body press. Tank tried his own whip on Matt, but Matt countered by bouncing back to fly up on to Tank’s shoulder and dropping him to the mat for another nearpin.
Toland rebound enough to get Cappotelli into another pin-attempt, but Matt was able to move out of the hold and then suplexed Toland to the mat. Nipping up, Matt then did his patented Electric Slide Legdrop on Tank, before performing another suplex and then getting the pin for the win.
Matt’s victory was shortlived, however, as Chad came out with Jillian to beat up on Cappotelli. This lead to others running out to help out Matt, followed by even more who wanted to not so much help the Tolands, but help themselves to beating down on some others.
Thus, for a second week in a row, the show had ended in chaos. Will the madness continue next week? We’ll just have to see.
SPECIAL POST-SHOW MATCH
OVW CHAMPION BRENT ALBRIGHT VS. FORMER OVW CHAMPION SIMON DEAN
REF: Ray Ramsey
As stated on the program the previous week, the match between the former OVW Champion Simon Dean and current OVW Champion Brent Albright was not televised on the program. However, this reviewer did attend the show live and has an on-the-spot review of the match, along with some photos of the event.
After earlier taunting fans about how OVW had changed since he was the OVW Champion – pointing out certain fans as well as mentioning Cousin Krazy’s barbershop as one of the flyers posted in the back of the arena – Dean arrived for his match first. He carried with him his gym bag, which he tossed into the ring as he made some comments to Al that could not be heard but were obviously not a simple hello, at least from Al’s reaction.
Brent Albright arrived soon after, getting into the ring as Simon got out in order to warm-up for his match with a few jumping jacks. Feeling smug, Simon soon found himself unable to get back in without Brent threatening him. Eventually Dean dived in and began taunting Albright before hitting him with an elbow and several punches. Albright’s reaction to this was to place Dean in an Atomic Drop and then punch Dean into the corner. When Simon tried to get back out, Brent performed another Atomic Drop on Dean and then threw him into the Crowbar.
Simon managed to just narrowly wiggle out of the Crowbar and bailed. Albright followed, punching Dean a few times before Simon went back in. As Albright slid in, Simon stomped on him.
The two trade more punches until Brent overpowered Dean to the ropes. Even then, with Dean clinging to the ropes, Albright refused to stop the attack until called off by Ramsey. Dean came back on the offense with a knee to the head, and then the back as Albright fell to the mat. Simon then began squeezing Albright’s head with his boot. When called off by Ramsey, Simon punched at Albright and stomped him several times before picking him up for a bodyslam. This was followed by a leg-drop and then Dean began choking Albright while he did push-ups. This all lead to a pin-attempt, but Albright still managed to kick out of it.
Simon put Brent into a headlock on the mat and held it for quite some time before Albright managed to stand up and elbow out of it. Dean hit with his own elbow and, after a few more punches, sent Albright back down for another pin-attempt. When that one failed as well, Dean put Brent into another headlock before commencing with a series of knees to the head.
Albright fought back with a series of punches and a whip into the ropes, followed by a neckbreaker on Simon Dean. This lead to a spear by Albright and then a few more punches before another whip found Dean flying through the air as the result of a backdrop.
After a pin attempt by Albright was kicked out of by Dean, Simon hit Brent with a jawbreaker. Brent retaliated with a suplex and got a near-pin. Dean went out after the pin-attempt and then came back in, whereupon Albright tried to set Dean up for a rollup. Dean, however, had hold of the ropes. Albright got up and managed an armbreaker on Simon, followed by a Crowbar attempt. Dean rolled over Albright to get out of the Crowbar, but Albright reversed and put Dean back into the Crowbar. Simon clutched at the ropes and after finally getting to them, Ramsey broke up the hold.
After Dean gave Brent an eyepoke and Ramsey pulled Brent away, Simon went to his gym bag and pulled out something from his bag to wrap around his hand. When Albright approached, Simon bashed Brent and then went for a pin. Still, Brent refused to give him, kicking out of the pin-attempt.
After reversing a whip, Dean kicked at Albright and then tried to pull Brent down by wrapping himself around Albright, but it only ended in another near-pin. Astounded, Dean was even more so when Albright grabbed him by the arm and put him into the Crowbar. With nowhere to go and no way to stop the pain, Simon Dean finally tapped-out.
As traditional to Albright’s matches, he grabbed the microphone to tell Dean that he had just tapped out to the best wrestler in OVW.
Yet that was not quite the end of the show for that night, as Simon himself grabbed the mic in order to tell everyone that he had been wrong about Albright and willing to admit that he lost to the better man that night.
After shaking hands, Brent Albright held up Simon Dean’s good arm to the cheers of the OVW audience.
Credit: Dale Sherman and OVWrestling.com (for photos of the Albright/Dean match, click on the link to the left!)
