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Tag Team Ground Match: Mike Haggar & Jack Slade vs Simply the Best
The story of this match could be that Mike Haggar is standing across the ring from a man that has pinned him three times. Or the story could be that Cody Simmons has stretched his war with Jack Slade to encompass his old friend Mike Haggar. It could even be the rekindled rivalry between Jerry Kent and Jack Slade.
However, what was once a simple grudge match has now become a big question mark. And the question being asked is what is happening with Mike Haggar and Jack Slade.
Slade has consistently flown off the handle over the past few weeks. He's upset that Mike Haggar & Jessica Haggar are withholding information on things that happened with Cody in New York City. He's upset that Mike Haggar doesn't seem to trust him anymore. He's upset that Cody is still up and walking and is now a member of Simply the Best. Jack Slade is an angry young man and that anger has affected his relationship with Mike and Jessica Haggar. Slade cost Mike Haggar a match against Ron Grayson and has constantly terrorized Simply the Best. He came seconds away from hitting his love Jessica with a steel chair when he flew into a fit of rage on one Massacre. Mike Haggar even came right out and said that he needed to trust Jack. Can he?
Add to that the constant taunts of Simply the Best. Cody keeps going below the belt with personal comments about Slade and Jessica, insisting that Jessica stopped Slade from destroying him (Cody) at Back Street Brawl because she still loved him. Rick Clark and Jerry Kent have constantly referred to Slade as Haggar's pawn and"that poor kid." All of this torment has pushed Jack Slade far beyond the breaking point.
There seemed to be somewhat of a reconciliation on Monday, when Jack Slade saved Haggar from an attack by Simply the Best. But how sturdy is their friendship? Can one action change some pretty passionate attitudes? Simply the Best may just be better than Haggar and Slade. They might just win, not only because they're capable, but because there's still a reasonable chance that Slade and Haggar will self-destruct at Proving Ground.
What's on the line?
For Simply the Best, a chance to prove just that - that they are simply the best. Rick Clark already has several wins over Mike Haggar and a tag team win at Proving Ground would likely lead to Clark getting another shot at the World Heavyweight Title. This is Clark's chance to seize the spotlight and cast some very serious doubt on the legitimacy of Mike Haggar's title reign. Jerry Kent has just as much to gain with a win. There really wasn't a decisive winner in their feud earlier in the summer.
Cody would love to brag to both Haggar and Slade about his new friends if Simply the Best won.
If Haggar can pin Rick Clark tonight, he may be able to shut Tricky up and put to rest any doubts about how deserving he is of the World Title. And by beating Simply the Best, Haggar can also prove to Cody how much of a mistake he's made , possibly bringing Jessica's ex-boyfriend back in line. But Jack Slade has more to gain in this match than anybody. A win by himself and Haggar would prove that their friendship is back on solid ground. It may just help Slade regain that piece of mind he's lost ever since Cody appeared at Heatwave. But if Slade loses, the emotional strain may just push him over the edge.
I wouldn't want to be anywhere near Charlotte if that happens.
The War of the Super Powers: Gunloc vs Biff Slamkovich
They were the greatest tag team in the history of the SMWA. Biff Slamkovich and Gunloc wrote the book on tag team wrestling as the Super Powers. But a long feud with the Philadelphia X-Treme Machine changed Gunloc. It made him more obsessive, crazier, more unpredictable. Gunloc's insanity almost led to the end of the Powers at March Madness, but when Biff left him alone against the PXM, something clicked in Gunloc's head. He and Biff once again became the dominant team in the SMWA and regained the tag team titles at Crash Carnival. But the rough ride wasn't over. It was discovered that a sneak attack was what put the Powers into the Four Way Crash at Crash Carnival. A sneak attack against top contenders El Stingray and Titan Tim that was carried out by a man who looked suspiciously like Gunloc. Then the Powers lost the World Tag Team titles one month after Crash Carnival to the newly formed team of Skarzz and Alexander"The Grater".
When Chad Hillsman decided to start a feud with Biff Slamkovich, the foundations for the split were laid. In a shocking turn, Gunloc joined the hated Hillsman at Heatwave, leaving his long-time friend behind and starting a new tag team legacy as one half of the All-Americans. The All-Americans won the first battle at Back Street Brawl, defeating Biff and Akira Wan-Pai in a tag team match. Since then, Biff has found himself a new partner in the form of SMWA great and Hillsman arch foe Zangief. These two Eastern Powers are ready to tear the All-Americans apart.
Charlotte probably won't be the last battle in this war, but it should be a fierce one.
What's on the line?
Nobody is even presuming to think that this will be the last battle in the war, especially since Zangief has now aligned himself with Biff Slamkovich. But, for the time being, the win in Charlotte will give the winner bragging rights until the next battle can be fought. This isn't going to end until one side destroys the other.
Unstoppable Force vs Immovable Object: Ghost vs Doomsday
Ghost was beaten, bloody and broken at Back Street Brawl, but he was also victorious against the most dominating force in SMWA history. He scored the three count on Doomsday. And Doomsday was none to happy. If Ghost hadn't rolled out of the way after the match, Doomsday would have crushed his skull with a fire extinguisher after the match. Ghost escaped but still sustained substantial damage to his face. The swelling around his right eye still hasn't healed. But even though Ghost was injured and Doomsday nearly killed him, he still wasn't done.
Ghost has continued waging war on Doomsday, a war which has now involved the Philadelphia X-Treme Machine and Major Force, Alexander "The Grater" and Skarzz. And nobody in this war really seems to like Ghost. Ghost has beaten Grater and the PXM, but has been beat down by all three men. Ghost gets another chance to do the impossible at Proving Ground. But who else will get involved?
What's on the line?
For Ghost, it's a chance to put any doubts about his role as the new SMWA destroyer to rest. If he can beat Doomsday twice in a row, he will have done something that only Mike Haggar has been able to do. A win would catapult Ghost into the stratosphere.
Doomsday needs to take this match or his aura will be shot for good. Being pinned at Back Street Brawl after a dominating performance has raised questions of whether or not Doomsday is losing his edge. If he can beat Ghost, Doomsday can regain a bit of his mystique. If he can destroy Ghost, he'll have us wondering why we ever doubted his status in the first place.
SMWA Toughman Finals: El Stingray vs "Sunfire" Naga Yajito
Well, talk about your surprise finalists! The two smallest men in the Toughman Tournament (Stingray is only 5'6", 163 lbs; Naga 5'10", 215 lbs) are the last two standing. Though they have both gotten to the finals in different ways (Naga won his way to the finals while Stingray got enough points in his losses each round to substitute for injured wrestlers) and are now both ready to lay claim to the title of the toughest man in the SMWA by being crowned the first ever SMWA Toughman Champion!!! The match will be fought under toughman rules, where each man wears gloves and points are given for punches and takedowns as each man tries to floor the other.
What's on the line?
The distinction of being the first ever Toughman Champion. Not a bad
distinction.
However, there are also some personal issues each man must conquer. El
Stingray wants to prove that he deserves to be in the finals. He's
constantly been injured in the
Tournament but was always able to be a substitute in the later rounds. A
win would prove that Stingray is more than a substitute.
Naga Yajito has been stalked by Teioh and the mysterious "light" for the
past few weeks. If Naga wins tonight, what would happen with that whole
situation?
Shadow Maxx vs Grant Redstone
Formerly teammates with King Rasta over the summer, problems with Rasta have now brought these two to a head. Shadow Maxx apparently tortured Rasta's mascot, Bobby the Monkey, when Bobby was in the possession of the Sins. When Rasta found out, he went ballistic and attacked Maxx with a passion. Grant Redstone blames Rasta for the restraining order that was put on him by Saul Masters, arguing that Rasta was selfish in the six man tag match at Heatwave that cost Maxx and Redstone their freedom in different ways. Redstone blames Rasta for all his problems. While Rasta has attacked Maxx and Redstone has attacked Rasta, the paths of Maxx and Redstone have crossed and, while Rasta continues to successfully defend his TV Title, these two have been put at odds with one another.
What's on the line?
Maxx struggled with the Sins, while Redstone had some bad breaks because of the Saul Masters situation. A win by either man gets a career up and running again. But a win might also put one of these two men in line for a shot against King Rasta. That would be another war.
F-X vs Johnny Proton & Kodiak Marmoset
Johnny Proton returned at Back Street Brawl to save Kodiak Marmoset from a savage double team by F-X. Since then, these two sides have fought with a devastating effect on Kodiak's personality. Undefeated since coming to the SMWA, Kodiak seemed to have great difficulty dealing with his loss to Clone on Massacre. While Proton has tried to calm his partner down, Kodiak's mood has become terrifying. The loss to Clone, plus a crushing defeat in the Toughman Tournament to the Flying Scotsman, has put Kodiak beside himself. It doesn't seem like he can deal with losing.
What's on the line?
Both F-X and Johnny Proton want successful supercard returns. Kodiak, however, has become the focus of this match.Should Kodiak's team be victorious, maybe it will curb some of the insane tendencies that the Cruiserweight champ has shown. But what happens if he loses? If Kodiak gets pinned, I can't see him being any happier then when he lost to the Scotsman and Clone. And what happens if Proton gets pinned? What, if anything, would Kodiak do to him. For Proton and Kodiak, Kodiak's very sanity is on the line.
(Shots of Kodiak Marmoset, Johnny Proton, F-X)
Prove you've still got what it takes
(Shots of El Stingray and Naga Yajito)
Prove you're the toughest
(Shots of Shadow Maxx and Grant Redstone)
Prove yourself worthy
(Shots of Ghost and Doomsday)
Prove you can do the impossible. Prove you are the destroyer.
(Shots of Biff Slamkovich and Gunloc)
Prove who the better man is. Prove who carried who. Prove who holds the
power.
(Shots of Simply the Best, Mike & Jessica Haggar and Jack Slade)
Prove you can do it on your own. Prove you're nobody's pawn. Prove you can
be trusted. Prove you are Simply the Best.
Prove it.
Tonight.
The Slam Masters Wrestling Association Presents...
Slam Masters: Proving Ground
Live from Charlotte, North Carolina
October 24, 1998
A sold out crowd in Charlotte, North Carolina exploded as Slam Masters: Proving Ground opened with explosions and pyrotechnics galore. Tonight, Kodiak Marmoset would try to avenge his loss to Clone and the savage attacks by F-X with Johnny Proton at his side. The first ever SMWA Toughman Champion would be crowned as two unlikely finalists, El Stingray and Naga Yajito duke it out. Grant Redstone and Shadow Maxx will face off to settle personal issues between each other AND to possibly get a crack at King Rasta. Ghost will try to do the impossible and defeat Doomsday twice in a row. Biff Slamkovich and Gunloc would have their first ever one on one encounter.
And in our main event, the beleaguered pair of Mike Haggar and Jack Slade have finally put aside their differences to face off against Rick Clark and Jerry Kent. But can a newly reunited Haggar & Slade defeat a team that just may be what they claim...Simply the Best?
Let's get to the action.
Kodiak Marmoset & Johnny Proton vs F-X
Kodiak suffered his first pinfall loss this Monday to Clone, and the Cruiserweight Champion was none too happy about it. He's been throwing fits ever since he dropped a Toughman match to the Flying Scotsman and is far removed from the kind, subdued, charming Cruiserweight Champion we all knew. But would the aggressive Kodiak be as effective?
Just to piss Kodiak off a little bit more, Clone came out dressed exactly like him, while the Actor was styled to look like Johnny Proton. Before F-X could even get to the ring, Kodiak charged down the aisle and attacked both men. Proton followed soon after.
Kodiak made this match hardcore within the first few seconds, taking a chair to both Clone and the Actor outside of the ring. Rolling Clone into the ring, Kodiak hit a springboard shoulderblock for an early near fall. The Actor swung the momentum briefly in favour of F-X, hitting Kodiak with a spinebuster, but Kodiak tagged out and a fresh Johnny Proton came in to do some damage of his own. A piledriver was followed by Proton setting the Actor up top. The Actor blocked and attempted superplex, tossed Proton off of the buckles and flew off with a Frankensteiner. But the Actor's advantage was short lived when Kodiak stormed the ring and levelled him with a clothesline.
Clone was tagged in but fared no better. Proton and Kodiak laid on a heavy double team which ended with Clone nearly tapping out to a Texas Cloverleaf. Clone fought out, but was groggy. Going for the kill, Kodiak climbed up top and went for a flying cross body block. Clone ducked and Kodiak bounced off of the mat. Two power bombs were followed by a Toka leg trip. Clone then went onto the ring apron and slingshotted himself onto Proton. The ref counted three.
F-X (Clone and The Actor) defeated Kodiak Marmoset and Johnny Proton when Clone pinned Kodiak
Marmoset after a slingshot in 0:06:26.
Rating: *** 1/2
Clone and the Actor quickly fled the ring before Kodiak could get to his feet. When he did, he was once again livid. He started cursing and swearing and kicking the ropes. Proton tried to calm his friend down, but it was all for naught. Kodiak pushed Proton aside and charged into the back.
Clone has now pinned Kodiak twice. This can't be doing much for Kodiak's ego. The boy just doesn't like to lose.
One man is 5'6", 163 lbs and has mostly fought in tag team matches. The other is 5'9", 215 lbs and usually sticks to the Cruiserweight ranks. What El Stingray and Naga Yajito were doing in the Toughman finals was anybody's guess.
A lot of fans were disappointed that these two men made it to the finals. It was up to Stingray and Naga to prove that they belonged there. And a title is on the line, too.
Round One: Lots of takedown attempts, but very little punching. However, with what fisticuffs there were, Naga had the advantage. He hit harder and more often to edge out Stingray in the first round 15-10.
Round Two: Stingray, down by five points, pulled out all the stops. He cranked up the speed to unbelievable levels and kept taking Naga down, while Naga couldn't land a single punch. The round ended with Stingray having scored four takedowns for 20 points, making the score 30-15 for Stingray.
Round Three: Again, Stingray dominated. Too much speed for Naga to
handle and more punches. Stingray picked up 15 points, bringing the total
to 45-15 for Stingray.
Naga had some catching up to do.
Round Four: Naga had nothing to lose, so he went all out. And he got results. Stingray was shut out this round, while Naga was able to hit three takedowns and out punch Stingray to get 20 points, bringing the gap to ten points.
Round Five: Stingray and Naga weren't going to give anything to the other. Stingray was very cautious and merely decided to avoid Naga all round. This strategy didn't win Stingray any points. But it didn't let Naga Yajito win any points either.
With a final score of 45-35, El Stingray became the first ever SMWA Toughman Champion.
Match for the vacant SMWA Toughman Championship:
El Stingray defeated Naga Yajito on points.
Rating: ** 1/4
(El Stingray won the SMWA Toughman Championship.)
R1 |
R2 |
R3 |
R4 |
R5 |
Total Points |
Knockdowns |
|
| Naga Yajito | 15 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
0 |
35 |
0 |
| El Stingray | 10 |
15 |
20 |
0 |
0 |
45 |
0 |
Naga Yajito tore his right triceps. He will be out approximately 7 cards.
El Stingray broke his finger. He will not miss any action.
With a horrible tournament won-loss record, El Stingray came through where it mattered and took the final match. Some people would call it perseverance, others would call it dumb luck, but the bottom line is El Stingray is now the first ever SMWA Toughman Champion.
Stingray left the ring. Naga was about to leave when Akira Wan-Pai briefly appeared in the aisle. The two stared each other down for a moment, then Akira went into the back again. There is some weird stuff happening with Akira Wan-Pai and Naga Yajito, and for now, nobody knows why.
This wasn't going to be a technical match. Sure, they'd use wrestling moves, but the chance of seeing plenty of exchanges and counters in this match were slim and none. This was going to be a fight between two guys who didn't like King Rasta, but weren't too fond of each other, either.
As Grant Redstone came to the ring, Shadow Maxx jumped over the guardrail from the audience!!! These two weren't going to waste any time. Redstone took the early advantage, smacking Maxx with a broom he found near the ring and repeatedly taking him to the guardrail. Rolling Maxx inside, Redstone hit a Dragon Suplex that almost got him a near fall. Maxx wasn't done yet. Redstone whipped him into the ropes, but Maxx sprung off and levelled the big Oz with a flying forearm. Maxx continued to pound on Redstone and eventually drove him to the mat with a Tombstone, followed very neatly with a Texas Cloverleaf which had Redstone writhing in pain - but which Redstone also escaped.
The match again moved outside, Maxx still in control. He found the timekeepers bell and decided to let Redstone know what time it was. He then set Redstone up on a table and went for an Asai moonsault. Redstone moved and Maxx went crashing onto the table, which somehow didn't break.
The two brawled on the outside and eventually made it back up onto the apron. Maxx was about to knock Redstone off of the apron when Grant wrapped Maxx up and belly-to-belly suplexed him off of the ring apron and through that same table as before. Redstone then tried to follow up with a flying elbowdrop, but Maxx rolled out of the way.
Again, neither man took the advantage into the ring. Redstone finally got the edge, hitting a barrage of suplexes, ending off with a devastating superplex. Redstone, however, managed to stay on the top ropes and then flew at Maxx with a reverse elbowdrop. Maxx rolled out of the way and beat on Redstone as he got up. But Redstone grabbed one of Maxx's kicks and hit him with an Aztecan suplex for a near fall.
It was at this point that Bobby the Monkey scampered down the aisle and jumped onto the back off the referee. Bobby placed his hands over the eyes of the referee, effectively blinding him.
From the crowd, wielding a chair, came an angry looking King Rasta. As Bobby had the ref blinded, Rasta levelled Maxx and Redstone with chair shots to the head and then gave a signal to Bobby. Bobby let go of the ref, Rasta had left the ring and both Maxx and Redstone were out. The ref, obviously adopting a "see no evil" outlook, saw both Maxx and Redstone down. He started his ten count and, at ten, neither man was on his feet.
Grant Redstone and Shadow Maxx battled to no contest in 0:14:45.
Rating: **** 1/4
Grant Redstone injured his left knee. He will be out for approximately 2
cards.
Maxx got up first and, realizing what happened, escaped into the crowd, looking for Rasta. Redstone was soon to follow. Looks like the third and major principle in this feud has decided to take a side - his own!
Again, this would not be fancy. Doomsday has been put down once by Ghost and is now looking for more than blood. Ghost wants to crush the Doomsday legend once and for all. This wasn't going to be pretty.And the man assigned to this match as referee certainly wouldn't tolerate any antics from Extinct or anybody else. The referee for this match would be "Jumbo" Jack Flap.
Doomsday came to the ring first and eagerly awaited Ghost. Ghost came down to the ring with a weapon. A fire extinguisher, to be exact. Ghost certainly hasn't forgotten what happened at Back Street Brawl.
Ghost took the offensive this match. Even though he beat Doomsday last time, he took a lot of punishment in the early going and wasn't going to go down that road again. He floored Doomsday early with a vicious reverse DDT that would have sent any other man to the hospital. It slowed Doomsday down some.
Coming to the ring early were Major Force, the team of Alexander "The Grater" and Skarzz. Ghost whipped Doomsday to the outside at which point Skarzz and Grater hit the Green Monster with a double choke slam. This brought the PXM to the ring to even the odds. Jumbo wasn't going to have any of this.
Going outside, Jumbo ordered both teams back to the dressing room or they'd be fined at the least. Whether the threat was serious or not, the two teams backed off. Saul Masters led Major Force back to the dressing room, while Extinct told the PXM to go back.
The teams did and Extinct resumed his position outside the ring. But not for long, as Jumbo then ordered EXTINCT back to the dressing room!!! Extinct was livid and got right into his old foe's face. But he backed down and joined the PXM in the back. This match would be one on one.
Doomsday had gotten back into the ring and was being beaten down by Ghost. Ghost brought a chair into the ring, walloped Doomsday in the skull and then set the chair up. Springing off of the chair, Ghost went for a DDT. Doomsday simply grabbed Ghost and spiked him into the chair, breaking it in half.Doomsday then tossed Ghost outside and started breaking out the foreign objects. He picked up the ring steps and smashed Ghost in the head, busting the Pale Rider wide open. He then dropped Ghost throat first onto the guardrail. Then, moving to where our announcers were, Doomsday set Ghost up for the Armageddon. And he hit it. Onto a table. And Ghost should be thanking whoever makes tables for Charlotte, because this one didn't break and Ghost didn't suffer the full effects of the Armageddon. But he was still hurting.
Doomsday took it inside and nearly folded Ghost in half with a power bomb. He then lifted Ghost up for a back suplex, but Ghost countered with a beautiful spinning DDT.Doomsday got up and he and Ghost starting trading punches. And even though Ghost gave up 200 pounds, he wasn't backing down. In fact, it looked like he was winning the brawl. He hit Doomsday with another DDT and then set the Monster up for the Final Breath. Doomsday wasn't ready. He tossed Ghost over the ropes with an easy back body drop and followed him outside.
Ghost found his fire extinguisher. And he used it. In fact, he emptied it fending Doomsday off. And as Doomsday was consumed in a cloud of white dust, Ghost climbed the top rope and flew at him with a beautiful plancha. Ghost dove into the cloud of dust and for a second we couldn't see anything. But as the dust cleared, we saw Doomsday standing over a fallen Ghost, who had either missed or been slammed to the ground. Either way, he was hurting. Doomsday then hit a big splash off of the apron and tossed a winded Ghost into the ring. Inside, Doomsday locked on a bearhug. It took everything Ghost had to try to get out of the hold. After nearly a minute, a series of knees to the groin finally broke Ghost free. He hit a Northern lights bomb and then went outside for a chair. He went for another jumping DDT from the chair, only this time he hit it. Ghost then went up top. He flew off of the buckles with a beautiful cross body press.
Doomsday caught Ghost. He then pressed him over his head and dropped
him face first onto the chair set up in the ring. Ghost was nearly knocked
out by the blow. But just for good measure, Doomsday picked Ghost up once
more and hit the Armageddon onto the chair. He covered him and went for the
win.
1....
2.....
3!!!
No-Countout-No-DQ-Match:
Doomsday pinned Ghost with the Armageddon in 0:16:17.
Rating: ****
Doomsday wasn't finished. He made another attempt at Ghost, but Jumbo Jack stopped him. Doomsday shoved Jack into a corner and was about to attack him when Extinct came running to the ring. He ordered Doomsday to stop, which he did.
Extinct didn't want his old foe Jumbo on his back as an official. Paramedics came down to the ring, as Ghost wasn't getting up. Ghost was put onto a spinal board and carried to the back and taken off to a hospital. Looks like round two - and maybe the war - have gone to Doomsday.
The fact that these two were once the greatest tag team of all time makes this match both exciting and tragic. Many fans would trade in this whole feud just to see these two tag once more. That isn't going to happen. Gunloc came to the ring first, again accompanied by his new partner, Chad Hillsman, and again entering to the Star Spangled Banner. To see a crowd both stand up and throw trash during their national anthem is really something to see.
Biff and Zangief came to the ring second, much to their disadvantage. Gunloc jumped Biff as he entered the ring, and the War of the Super Powers continued.
The opening minutes were a back and forth brawl, neither man really getting an edge till Biff hit a savate kick that almost knocked Gunloc's jaw off. Biff then tossed Gunloc outside and went for a baseball slide. Gunloc moved and pulled Biff out, taking him down with a textbook belly-to-belly suplex.
Both Zangief and Chad Hillsman were moving towards the Super Powers, each man trying to help their friend. But Chad and Zangief decided to forgo that and attacked each other, brawling outside the ring. Biff got up and managed to floor Gunloc outside with a beautiful Gut Crush. The action moved back inside, and that's when it got really good. Biff and Gunloc, having teamed for years, put on an awesome counter wrestling display. The defensive strategy employed by both men was beautiful, with neither man able to get a real advantage. Biff finally locked on a clawhold which seemed to neutralize Gunloc, but the hold was swiftly broken with a low blow. Gunloc slammed Biff down and went for a flying headbutt.
Biff moved. He followed up with a beautiful lariat and a Russian
legsweep. Going for the kill, Biff climbed up top for the Hammer Splash.
Referee Ian Stewart never saw Chad Hillsman pulling on the top ropes,
causing Biff to fall onto the top turnbuckle. Gunloc took him off with a
belly-to-belly superplex and took control. He climbed up one corner and hit
a flying axhandle, then repeating the move from another corner. He got a
two count. A power bomb also netted Gunloc a near fall, as did a massive
lariat.
Looking to end it, Gunloc grabbed Biff and executed the Gut Crush.
1...
2....
NO!!! Biff got a shoulder up!!! Amazing!!! Gunloc then whipped Biff
into a corner, but Biff reversed it. Referee Stewart tried to get out of
the way, but he ended up catching part of Gunloc's hand and was writhing on
the mat in pain.
Both Chad Hillsman and Zangief saw this as an opportunity. They charged the ring and again, instead of helping their friends, they attacked each other. Gunloc and Biff battled it out on the other side of the ring, Biff gaining a distinct advantage. Referee Stewart got up and saw Zangief and Chad Hillsman brawling and got between the two. Chad backed off, but Zangief pushed ahead.
On the other side of the ring, Biff Slamkovich had just his a vicious back drop driver, but there was no referee to count.
Zangief was furious and Stewart tried to usher him from the ring. This
wasn't much help. As Biff covered Gunloc, Hillsman charged across the ring
and dropped a big spinning elbow on the back of Biff's head. Chad then put
Gunloc on top of Biff and left the ring.
Stewart turned around and counted.
1...
2....
3!!!!
War of the Super Powers: Showdown in Charlotte
Gunloc pinned Biff Slamkovich after outside interference in 0:15:18.
Rating: **** 1/4
Zangief quickly entered the ring and tossed Gunloc out, but the damage had been done. The All-Americans had taken this battle. But Zangief was still standing. Biff got to his feet. This still isn't over.
******** statement from Simply the Best ********
CODY: Well, Haggar, Slade, you two have bitched and moaned and questioned and done everything else you could possibly do to mess up your "friendship" over the past few weeks, but it looks like it didn't quite work. Fine, you're back together for a few days, that's great. You still have to face off against my two buddies here, and I don't care if you two got married over the past few days (and Jessica, I think Jack's the type to consider it), you're not going to get past Simply the Best.
KENT: Slade, you had the chance to make a great career move on Monday. You could have left Mike Haggar to the wolves, but you were just too stupid. You were this close to breaking out of the shadow, but then you just went and thrust yourself back in. Hey, if you want to be an idiot, that's your business. If you want to be an idiot against us, we'll sure as Hell make you pay for it.
CLARK: You know, Jerry, Slade may have made a dumb move by going back to Mike Haggar, but I'll bet Haggar's happy as Hell right now. Why? Because he knows that he can't even come close to beating me one on one, so now he's got help. Well, Mike, I got some guys on my side, too. After we're done with you tonight, you'll have absolutely no choice but to give me another shot at your title and concede once and for all that we are Simply the Best.
******** statement from Mike Haggar, Jack Slade and Jessica Haggar ********
SLADE: Somebody ought to tell Simply the Best to simply shut up, because they have no idea what they're talking about. Me and Mike Haggar have worked through our differences, boys. Jerry, as far as being in a shadow goes, who's the idiot who's teaming with a guy who's gunning for a title shot? Talk about throwing yourself into a shadow! You two Simply Bite, and that's the end of that.
MIKE: Clark, I love it when you talk. The fact that you always seem to make a total ass out of yourself makes my job just that much easier. Simply the Best is going to be second best by the time we're done with them tonight, but Clark, if you still want a title shot, you know who to ask. But after what we do to you tonight, you may not want that shot anymore.
RING ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, the following tag team contest is our main event for Proving Ground.
******** cue Simply the Best's music ********
RA: Coming down the aisle, accompanied by Cody Simmons, who just wants to remind Jessica Haggar that he loves her more than any other human being could possibly love another....weighing in at a total combined weight of four hundred and sixty seven pounds..."Tricky" Rick Clark..."The Rebel" Jerry Kent...they are Simply the Best!!!
Boos, boos, boos. All boos for Simply the Best. Not that StB cared.
******** cue Mike Haggar's music ********
RA: And their opponents...accompagnied by Jessica Haggar....weighing in at a total combined weight of five hundred and fifty one pounds..."The Cruncher" Jack Slade and the Five Time SMWA Heavyweight Champion of the World Mike Haggar!!!
Cheers, cheers, cheers. Everybody seemed very happy to see these two men back together once more. But was the water underneath the bridge, or would old wounds run deep?
We were about to see.
Rick Clark and Jack Slade started this bout with a great display of counter-wrestling. Neither man really had an edge until Slade locked on an armbar and tagged in Haggar.
Haggar and Slade whipped Clark to the ropes and hit him with a double clothesline. Then they picked Clark up and hit a double vertical suplex. Looks like Haggar & Slade weren't going to have any troubles. Haggar poured on the power until Kent got a tag in, at which point Hizzoner was levelled by a double flying forearm smash. Clark and Kent then took turns working on the arm of Haggar, and Mike was in trouble. Of course, the advantage of having somebody as impulsive as Jack Slade in your corner is that you're never in trouble too long. Slade entered the ring and took Kent down with a reverse DDT. Haggar made the tag and Slade and him levelled Kent with a double dropkick.
Slade went to work on the Rebel, flooring him with two power bombs and then proceeding to beat the hell out of Kent. Slade went for an atomic drop, but Kent managed a counter and hit a bulldog headlock. A tag to Clark put the match back in StB's favour.Clark and Kent hit some textbook double teaming, keeping Slade in their half of the ring until Clark went for a hiptoss. Slade hit him with a Concussion Bomb bulldog and made the tag.
Kent rolled to Clark and tagged him and Tricky tried to put Haggar down
with a monkey flip. Haggar spike slammed Clark down and he and Slade then
showed StB just what double teaming was all about!!! Haggar was beating the stuffing out of Clark when he finally made a tag
on the fly to Kent. Haggar didn't see the exchange and was probably quite
shocked when Kent hit him with a DDT.Simply the Best then went back to the double team. Haggar was almost
put out by a combination superkick/German suplex by StB. Whenever Cody got
a shot, he'd do whatever damage he could, though Slade was often quick to
chase him off. Kent finally went for the kill. He hit Haggar with a big
Russian legsweep and then the Reb-Driver. He went for the pin.
1...
2...
NO!!!
Jack Slade had run into the ring and broken the pin, saving his team.
Kent was undaunted and climbed to the top ropes for a big splash. Too bad
Haggar's knees were in the way.
Both legends got to their feet and Haggar levelled Kent with a
powerslam. He went for the pin.
1...
2...
CODY PUTS KENT'S FOOT ON THE ROPES!!!
That was enough for Slade, who brawled with Cody outside of the ring. Haggar and Kent then hit each other with clotheslines that knocked each man down. Kent crawled over to his corner to make the tag to Clark. Haggar crawled over to his corner to tag Slade.
But Slade was brawling with Cody on the outside, having just floored him
with a clothesline.
Kent made the tag to Clark.
Slade looked back and saw Haggar waiting for a tag. He quickly jumped
onto the apron.
THE TAG WAS MADE!!!
Slade came into the match a house afire, taking both Clark and Kent
down. He knocked Clark down with a Concussion Bomb and then tried to lock
on the Cruncher Crab. Kent kept that from happening, but Slade simply threw
him over the top ropes. Clark struggled to his feet and then went back down
courtesy of the Spiked DDT!!! Slade went for the pin.
1
2
DAMN CODY PUTS CLARK'S FOOT ON THE ROPES!!!
Haggar had seen
enough and attacked Cody outside. But from behind Haggar came Jerry Kent,
wielding a steel chair. Slade saw this and decided to save Haggar from the
attack. He slide through the ropes and nailed Kent with a baseball slide.
Cody tried to get at Slade in the ring but received a boot in the jaw.
Slade had just saved Haggar a beating.
But he never saw Rick Clark's rollup coming.
1...
2...
3!!!
Simply the Best defeated Mike Haggar and Jack Slade when Clark pinned Slade
after a rolling reverse cradle into a bridge in 0:26:01.
Rating: **** 1/4
StB quickly got the hell out of the ring, Clark barely missing a lariat from Slade. Jack slumped against the ropes and then fell to his knees on the mat. There was a look of total shock and disgust on the face. He watched StB go back to the dressing room, Cody taunting Slade all the way. But this time, Slade didn't follow. He just knelt in the ring. Mike Haggar and Jessica each put a hand on his shoulders, but Jack brushed the hands off. He was pissed. He had let a temporary lapse of concentration cost him the match. That's not something that happens to Slade all that often.
Slade led the way out of the ring, looking exasperated and spent. Jessica and Mike Haggar followed behind.
Slade and Haggar had made up, but Jack wasn't willing to be consoled. They had wrestled as a team, but Simply the Best had still beat them. In the end, Slade and Haggar were outnumbered and, to an extent, outsmarted. And Jack Slade didn't look happy, one way or the other.
Once again, we ask ourselves the question: what is happening with Jack Slade?