TEAM Epicenter, Episode 3

[TH]

[Cue up "Down," STP. Fade into a metallic looking logo that reads the word "EPICENTER" in all caps on a fiery background.
Cut to: Dan Ryan delivering the Humility Bomb on the equally giant John Adams.
Cut to: Joe Average reversing a superplex into a body press on Ken Cloverleaf.
Cut to: Victor Molotov with the Purifying Scourge on The Mighty Impala.
Cut to: James Irish escaping Corrective Training and nailing the Air Check on The Sergeant.
Cut to: Beast GOREing Alcaeus into the Middle Ages.

Cut to: The Epicenter logo once more, fading into Tom Holzerman and Steve Murray at the Epicenter desk.]

SM: Hello, I'm Steve Murray, and this is my colleague Tom Holzerman. Welcome to TEAM Epicenter.

[Cut over to Holzerman with a Philadelphia regional inset, with all four remaining wrestlers in quarters.]

TH: People say that the West was wild, but it was back East in Philadelphia where the real fireworks shot off, most notably with IrishRed and Hida Yakamo.

[The graphic inset changes to Red/Yakamo]

TH: The two old MBE rivals squared off at the Wachovia Center, and at the end, had the place in standing ovation. But who won?

[Cut to the Wachovia Center ring.]

TH V/O: Early on, Hida was just outwrestling Red, as we see here, arm wringer by Red reversed quite easily.

[Cut to Red kneeling on the canvas.]

TH V/O: Now Red did get the upper hand on Hida, but only momentarily. Hida quickly regained control and here we see a nod to one of Hida's Japanese boys, Tajiri, with the buzzsaw kick, oooh.

[Cut to Hida with Red in a full nelson.]

TH V/O: The brain rocking didn't end there for Red as he would soon enter the Dragon... suplex.

[Cut to Hida on the top rope.]

TH V/O: But now we get to one turning point in the match, Hida Yakamo on the top rope, going for his Yakamo Stomp, and no one's home. Red moves out of the way, but Hida lands on his feet. He turns around, whiffs on the clothesline and Red counters with the neckbreaker. IrishRed back in business.

[Cut to Red with Hida in a fireman's carry.]

TH V/O: Now, here's one of the prettiest lil' moves you'll ever see now. Fireman's carry into a Perfect-plex. He calls it Mafioso Perfecto. I call it holy freakin' awesome.

[Cut to Red on the top.]

TH V/O: More Red here, this time from the top rope with the knee to the kidney, right into the ankle lock, man, and I really hope that Hida didn't have to pee after that, because it would have hurt.

[Cut to Hida and Red both standing.]

TH V/O: Things wouldn't remain as peachy for Red for much longer. Here's where the other turning point in the match took place now. Hida with the thumb to the eye of IrishRed, and then catches him with the Michinoku Driver. Not enough to put Red away, so we go to the Lotus Blossom II. Hida wrenching and wringing, but Red won't tap out or pass out. At one point, Red almost breaks the hold with rocking, but Hida squelches that. The ref comes over to check on Red with the old three arm raises, but Red holds on on the third... only to tap out shortly thereafter. Good fight for IrishRed, but he's ultimately going home. HIda wins. Hida wins. Steve?

[CUt to Shane and Brown in the ring.]

SM V/O: Now before that one took place, Steven Shane and Karl Brown hooked up, and here's how that went. It was all Shane early, as he comes in with the quick lariat right after the bell rings. And then he goes Hollywood, styling and profiling for the cameras and those Philly hotties in attendance.

[Cut to Shane with Brown in a front facelock.]

SM V/O: That's not enough, as Shane takes a page from Keith Scott Zimmerman's playbook and delivers a brainbuster, although KSZ will probably rant about me if I even think about calling it the best in the sport.

[Cut to Brown running the ropes.]

SM V/O: But momentum would shift to Karl Brown, as he reverses this flapjack attempt into a reverse DDT. What quickness from the Englishman. From here, he'd take over.

[Cut to Brown with Shane in the wishbone.]

SM V/O: Shades of the "Hitman" Bret Hart with that wishbone leg split, and I don't think Steven Shane nor any of his groupies after the match appreciated that.

[Cut to Brown with Shane in a front facelock.]

SM V/O: And just check the execution on that snap suplex. Not many people can do it better.

[Cut to Brown running the ropes again.]

SM V/O: Karl Brown running the ropes seemed to hold a lot of match reversing power in this one though. Brown running and leaps for the cross body block, and Shane catches him and improbably hits him with a fallaway slam. Not a move you see out of the smaller Shane, but it worked here.

[Cut to Shane with Brown on the top rope.]

SM V/O: But while Shane thought he was in control, Karl Brown showed he had everything under wraps, cool as a cuke. Shane goes for the superplex, but Brown blocks it and hits the BIG super sunset flip bomb, that lead to the pin that would put him into the second round. Big win for Karl Brown, and now he's on a collision course with The Asian Wonder.

[Cut back to the studio, where Tom Holzerman is standing by with Jess Chapel on split screen in Philadelphia.]

TH: Alright, we're going to bring Jess Chapel onto the show. Jess, good to see you.

JC: Hey Tom, always good to see you man.

TH: Alright, you called the action out there in Philly, we've got Karl Brown and we have Hida Yakamo. Starting with Karl, what do you think we learned from him these first two rounds?

JC: Oh, that he's a gifted, gifted professional wrestler. He finds ways to win even when things look bad. I mean the sunset flip bomb he pulled out was just a lifesaver, and it shows that he doesn't need to hit you with that Dragon's Bite to put you down.

TH: Alright, what did we learn about Hida?

JC: Well, that one, ring rust is no problem for him. I mean, say what you want, but he totally waxed Saint and against one of the top stars in the business right now, he came out and it was close, but he pulled it out. I mean, if Hida had ring rust, I think he would have lost that match to Red, but I mean, this guy is good.

TH: Okay, now for the sixty-four dollar question, when these quarterfinals take place in Portland, who do you think comes out on top, Karl Brown or Hida Yakamo?

JC: Hard for me to say, but I'm gonna go with the upset and Karl Brown, at the risk of having Duke smack me for picking against his winner.

TH: Alright Jess, thanks.

JC: Anytime.

[Cut to Dan Ryan and Rocko Daymon locking up in the middle of the ring. Cue up Led Zeppelin, "No Quarter."]

SM V/O: Still plenty left on this edition of Epicenter. Next up, Dan Ryan and Rocko Daymon squared off in Greensboro, and also, find out who didn't show up for their date with destiny. Those highlights, plus St. Louis highlights as well. Stick around!

[Cut to a the LeBrons commercial. Because America can't get enough of King James.]

 

[TH]

[Back to the studio, Steve Murray and a Ryan/Daymon inset.]

SM: Although Dan Ryan makes several promotions his place of residence, one may say that of all the ones he wrestles in, the CSWA is his home. He doesn't wrestle in Empire, so that loophole is gotten. THat's why many people thought of all the wrestlers who'd coast in the first two rounds, The Ego Buster's coasting would be the smoothest. But Rocko Daymon certainly would have something to say about that.

[Cut to the CSWA Auditorium.]

SM V/O: And Daymon comes right out of the gate, catching Ryan off guard with several punches before the bell rings. Ryan got Pearl Harbored. After the match, the Ego Buster would say that he's surprised not many more of his opponents have tried that technique.

[Cut to Daymon with Ryan in a front facelock.]

SM V/O: And that early match dominance would continue. Daymon lifting Ryan up and planting him with the gordbuster. Not many folks who can do that to the big man.

[Cut to Ryan reeling in the middle of the ring.]

SM V/O: Of course, all good things must come to an end, and thusly so must Daymon's run. Rocko comes in with the Hand of God, but Ryan catches it, and ROcko's Modern Life starts to suck. Back suplex.

[Cut to Ryan whipping Daymon into the corner.]

SM V/O: And then after getting thrown into the whipping post with the FORCE, Ryan comes in with a Hornet splash, giving the nod to the man who helped build that auditorium.

[Cut to Ryan with Daymon in a standing headscissors.]

SM V/O: And of course, when Ryan gets you in this position, the only question is how many vertebrae are compacted. Humility Bomb. Game. Set. Match.

[Cut back to Murray in the studio.]

SM V/O: Unfortunately for the Greensboro fans though, they didn't get to see a second match on the card. Andrew Gilkison, James Irish's second round opponent, no-showed the event for reasons unknown to TEAM officials. Sources say he missed his flight from Europe on his A1E Tour. Because of the forfeit, Irish moves onto the quarterfinals unscathed. As for the Greensboro fans, well, they got half-refunds for their trouble.

[Cut to Tom Holzerman with a Boogie/Victor graphic inset.]

TH: Now onto St. Louis, where the blunt smoking, ish-talking, last GXW Champion standing Boogie Smallz took on someone who couldnt' be any more condemning to his style than anyone else he could have faced. Was it The Phantom Republican? Close, but not very close at all. It was Victor Molotov. So, who'd advance? LET'S FIND OUT!

[Cut to the Savvis Center.]

TH V/O: Early on, it's all Victor. The Purifier laying it down with several nerve holds, here with a side headlock with a neck pinch. Would have ruined Boogie's day.

[Cut Victor with Boogie in a rear waistlock.]

TH V/O: Then he just gets excessive. Rolling back body drops, each at a sharper angle than before.

[Cut to Boogie with Victor by the throat.]

TH V/O: Not everything would be going wrong for Mr. Smallz here as Mike Gosling would say. Smallz gets his bearings back, and here, he's got Molotov by the throat and CHOKE-SUH-LAAAM!

[Cut to Boogie with Victor in a reverse facelock.]

TH V/O: And then the reverse DDT. Molotov looking like he was in a bad way here.

[Cut Boogie with Molotov up in the Power Bong.]

TH V/O: But Boogie's dreams of victory would go up in smoke as Molotov rakes the eyes while up at the apex for the Power Bong. He falls on top of Boogie in a Thesz press for the one, two, three. Victor Molotov resourcefully and some would say illegally with the entry into the quarters.

[Cut to Beast and Joe AVerage in the ring.]

TH V/O: That other second round match was Cinderella vs. Goliath. Beast and Joe Average and Joe Average with the tomfoolery in the beginning of the match, faking the handshake and going for his finisher early, but Beast shrugs it off.

[Cut to Average trying to get Beast in the Judas Cradle.]

TH V/O: Not much of note here except for Average failing miserably to get Beast's own submission hold applied here. Judas Cradle? More like Judas fall on your face and embarrass yourself on national TV.

[Cut to Beast setting up for the Absolution.]

TH V/O: But give Joe Average some credit here. Every time Beast tried for one of his finishers, Average had a way to circumvent it, even if he didn't have a proper counter. Here he's holding onto his own tights for dear life as Beast was going for the Tiger Driver '91.

[Cut to Average going for his finisher again.]

TH V/O: But the match would end as it began, with Beast countering Average's finisher against him again, only this time, into a super duper pooper scooper powerbomb. Ouch. Joe Average, your clock has struck midnight. Beast wins, Beast wins.

[Cut to Beau Michaels with WildStar in the Testicular Claw. Cue up Led Zeppelin, "No Quarter."]

TH V/O: Coming up, see why this move caused so much controversy in Canada, and watch some highlights from another match, jah? JAH~!

[Cut to commercial for the new X-Box 360 Game FW vs. A1 vs. PTC: TEAM Edition. In stores today!]

 

[TH]

[Back from break, here's Tom Holzerman, Beau Michaels/WildStar graphic inset.]

TH: Well, there's eccentric, there's weird, and then there's Beau Michaels. The man who puts the MEAT in TEAM is definitely one of the crazier characters, and it's not just because he likes to dip his pen in both ink fountains.

SM (off camera): That's gross.

TH: But it's the truth.

[Cut to the Saddledome ring.]

TH V/O: WildStar and Beau Michaels, all Beau early on. Beau with several stinging knife edge chops.

[Cut to Beau with WildStar facing him.]

TH V/O: And then this inverted atomic drop. Not very fun for the testes, lemme tell you.

[Cut to WildStar with Beau in a rear waistlock.]

TH V/O: WildStar makes a comeback though, adn as much as Beau might like this move at first, he definitely hates it on impact. German suplex, all impact, no bridge.

[Cut to WildStar on the top rope.]

TH V/O: And while this isn't exactly the FIVE STAR Frogsplash, WildStar can still fly with the missile dropkick right to Beau's head.

[Cut to WildStar on the top again.]

TH V/O: But Mr. Five Star would go to the well one time too many. This time, the double axehandle from the top that Beau seemlessly counters into a testicular claw, or a ball vise as Roderick McRatrick would call it. The ref gives repeated warnings for Beau to let go, but he doesn't listen. WildStar screaming in pain, the ref calling for the bell. Beau thinks he's won the match by submission, but the ref raises WildStar's hand instead, awarding the match to him by disqualification. Beau's pissed, he takes out the ref and then clotheslines WildStar over the top rope. Not a very good loser, is he Steve?

[Cut to the studio. Steve Murray.]

SM: No he's not, and for his shenanigans, he'll be fined half his second round purse, the proceeds which will go towards an ice pack for WildStar's nads. Anyway, the other match in Calgary was a lot less weird and a lot more competitive. Mr. Entertainment took on Frankie Scott.

[Cut back to the Saddledome.]

SM V/O: In the beginning of the match, Mr. E was chopping Scott's chest red. Like a lumberjack, only not as tackily dressed I'd assume.

[Cut to Scott on the top rope.]

SM V/O: Scott would bounce back in flight, taking out Mr. E with Air Phenomenal, landing in Calgary with no turbulence and minor crashing.

[Cut to Mr. E blocking Scott's lefts.]

SM V/O: See-saw match here, Scott with the lefts blocked and then Mr. E with a big spinning heel kick.

[Cut to Scott on the outside with Mr. E over his shoulder.]

SM V/O: Then in one of the more brutal spots in this whole tournament, Scott delivers his Phenom Drop to MR. E on the outside of the ring on the exposed floor. Not good for Mr. E, but when Scott rolls him into the ring, he can't get the pin. He's livid.

[Cut to Mr. E with Scott in the sharpshooter.]

SM V/O: He can't believe it, and that's why he fails. Mr. E takes the opportunity and locks in the sharpshooter, how a propos for the locale. Scott taps and Mr. Entertainment moves onto the quarterfinals.

[Cut back to the studio, shot of both.]

TH: Alright, due to the matches this week overrunning onto Epicenter, we're gonna have to duck out short. But all our quarterfinal matches are set.

SM: Yep, and in our Last Word, we'll focus in on just one of those matches, that one being James Irish vs. Dan Ryan. Dan Ryan has never lost twice to the same man, except for James Irish, against whom he is oh-and-two. Will he get off the schneid? Only time will tell.

TH: Alright, that'll do it for us. Tune into our quarterfinal extravaganza, live from the Rose Garden in Portland. Until then, this is Tom Holzerman, signing off for Steve Murray and for TEAM.

[Fade to the TEAM logo.]