[2000-02-05-MPPW-TV] Battle Royal

[soup23]

This actually looks like the start of the show with Randy coming out and taking charge before being talked down by Mr. Badstreet himself, Brandon Baxter. Baxter is fine but a little sporadic in this role. We cut to the battle royal at the end of the show and Ali still hasn’t shown up. Tracy is out there again, he had a busy day on Power Pro. Ali makes it in and its Seven and Tracy vs. Ali. The crowd is really behind Ali and he has a big chant fire up in his name. Seven is powerslammed and Smothers in press slamed awkwardly on top of Seven. Smothers is able to skin the cat and go to work. Seven knocks Tracy out and Ali clothesline Seven out to win the match and remain the champion. Nothing battle royal. *

[Loss]

This is the start of the show, but since it tied to the battle royal, I thought the two segments should be watched in tandem. Brandon Baxter ends up hijacking the show, pointing to a contract that was never terminated that still gives him matchmaking authority, so he sets up matches on the show for the day, including the battle royal for the title, with Ali in the Roman Reigns position from last year's Royal Rumble defending against everyone. Nothing to the match but Ali remains the champion against all odds instead of Randy Hales' son-in-law coming in last and winning at least.

[Moonsault Marvin]

Watch for the spot where one wrestler rams another wrestler's head into the turnbuckle repeatedly. The guy stops and lets go, but the other continues to knock his own head into the turnbuckle.

[Tim Evans]

The starting angle is interesting cause it features Wolfie D winning the tag titles. If I remember correctly, JC Ice was supposed to be with him but got fired before the show ever started. Vintage Jamie Dundee. As for the match, it was the usual battle royal with the good guy beating 2 heels to win. Scotty Sabre even botches getting eliminated. Also Brandon Baxter is a hell of a promo. I love that he's still coming out to Badstreet USA about 6 months after Michael Hayes left.

[GSR]

At the start of the show Brandon Baxter interrupts a Randy Hales interview and gets the guys in the truck to play some video of where Cory Maclin announced him as the match maker of Memphis Power Pro Wrestling. Maclin says that it’s an old piece of film and that Randy Hales is now the match maker and the one booking everything. Baxter points out that he still has a contract and the only way that contract can be terminated is with 30 days written notice. As of yet he hasn’t received that, and is therefore still match maker. He goes on to say that a lot of people deserve a shot at the MPPW title and Randy Hales hasn’t given them one. Today he is giving everyone in the back a crack in the shape of a Battle Royale. Ali will also be in the Battle Royale, and to retain his title he will have to go through everyone in that dressing room. He has also heard that Ali has yet to make it to the studio, and he would hate it if he didn’t get here on time and lost his title in a match that he wasn’t even in.

 

I think the participants for the Battle Royale are B.J. Payne, Scotty Sabre, Lance Jade, Alan Steel, Tracey Smothers, Derrick King, 2 Falk 4 Sure, Chris Michaels, Bulldog Raines and Seven, with Ali still not have arrived yet. A nothing Battle Royale where the only thing of note early was Seven military pressing King and throwing him over the top rope to the floor. With just three wrestlers remaining Ali finally arrives and Jade eliminates himself rather than taking him on. Double clothesline, a powerslam on Seven and Ali then presses Smothers and throw him onto him. Ali throws Tracey over the top rope, but he holds on and skins the cat. Ali ducks a Seven clothesline and he hits Smothers instead sending him flying over the top to the floor, then a further clothesline to Seven eliminates him and Ali is still the Power Pro champion. A disappointing week in ring wise for MPPW when the match I enjoyed most was Jim Cornette vs Randy Hales.