[2001-02-04-WOW-Unleashed] Riot vs Wendi Wheels (Hardcore)

[GSR]

Lee Marshall and Bobby Heenan are our commentary team for the PPV. The ‘Heavy Metal Maniac’ Riot is introduced first in this hardcore, anything goes, pinfalls count anywhere match. ‘The Brain’ seems rather enamoured with her, although Marshall guarantees that she’s frightened more men than Loretta Bobbitt! Riot cuts a pretty basic promo saying how she’s unbeatable, unbreakable and unstoppable. ‘America’s Favourite Garage Pin Up’ is pushing a shopping cart and doesn’t even make it to the ring as Riot goes out to meet her. Wendi avoids the swinging right hand, dumps Riot into the cart and tips it over. She grabs a mop, but gets clobbered with a serving tray before she gets the chance to use it. Riot asks some ringside fans “what do you want me to do with her?” and then slams her head first into the announcer’s desk. She goes for a piledriver on the floor, but Wendi counters with a backdrop. Flying clothesline from the apron followed by a sunset flip back into the ring. Back elbow smash by Riot, who then drags Wendi over to the corner and hits a ‘Riot Twister’, which is a corkscrew elbow off the top rope. Marshall describes that as phenomenal and he’s not wrong, that looked incredible! Wheels kicks out of the cover (that move should be her finisher), so Riot deposits her through the ropes and back to the outside. Bad move as Wendi grabs that mop from earlier and swings it at Riot as she comes off the apron with a double axe handle. Riot snatches a drink from a fan, emptying it over Wendi, before hosing her down as an excited Heenan starts talking about wet T-shirt contests, however Wendi wallops her with a metal sign to put a stop to any of those notions. They return to the ring where Riot ducks a punch and takes Wheels down. Combination oma plata/crossface! It’s sloppily applied, but is another nice idea out of her. Wendi reaches the ropes although has to be reminded that there are no rules in play so that doesn’t automatically lead to the break. Instead she uses a conveniently placed pizza tray to bash Riot in the head with. She sits her on the top turnbuckle but spends too long playing to the crowd and Riot uses her foot to shove her backwards to the mat. Powerslam on to the pizza tray. Riot dropkicks a garbage can that she’d put over Wendi’s head and finally a delayed powerbomb puts her down for the three.

 

I wanted to watch something from the WOW PPV and there was not a chance it was going to be the Bambi/Peggy Lee Leather main event which according to the YouTube uploads runs for thirty minutes, so it was down to either this or the ‘Hair’ match as they looked the two most interesting. WOW has got production values on a par with WCW, and although there are clearly empty seats in the arena, there’s a sizeable crowd in attendance for this. You know going in that this wasn’t going to be that good, although I came out of it not regretting watching it due to Riot. I’ve no idea where she came from or what she did after that, but the girls got a shed load of potential based on this. Someone really should steal that corkscrew elbow as well, or maybe it’s a case that so few people watched this PPV that hardly anyone has ever seen it?

[GSR]

I'm generally not a fan of gifs (and I won't make a habit of posting them), but here's that corkscrew elbow that made me get up out of my seat.