OVW TV review
August 6, 2005
Taped July 3 in Louisville, Ky.
Exclusive report by Killian, PWTorch.com correspondent

The fifth Paul Heyman written OVW Television show was taped on Wednesday, August 10 at the New Davis Arena in Louisville, Kentucky, and aired locally on The WB at 11 p.m. on Saturday Night, August 13. If there is one must-see episode of television this year, some people may say it's the Shawn Michaels parody of Hulk Hogan on Larry King, and some may say it's this fantastic hour of television. This is a mid year candidate for Best Angle.

The show opened with highlights from last week's episode, starting with Brent Albright taking Johnny Jeter down to the mat with the crowbar. Mr. Ken Anderson and Daniel Puder rush to ringside and pull the referee under the bottom rope. As the referee is throwing Anderson and Puder out of the arena, Jeter taps. Albright releases the hold, daring Anderson and Puder to enter the ring. Jeter, holding his arm, gets to a corner. When Albright turns around, Jeter hits the superkick, and scores the pin. Jeter celebrates, then celebrates ringside with his Thrllseekers partner Matt Capotelli, whose leg is in a cast from an injury. Jeter turns heel by hitting Capotelli with the title belt.

Drowning Pool's "Let The Bodies Hit The Floor" plays, and FINALLY we have some new video in the OVW music video show open. It has been FOREVER! since any clips have been changed. Clips include Jeter hitting Capotelli with the title, The Tolands with Jillian Hall, Daniel Puder with some MMA - UFC style punches on the ground, a great shot of Alexis Laree, and the only old shots kept are Benoit, Angle, and a shot of a board being broken over a head which includes a sound effect. There's also still the scene of Jim Cornette hitting Muhammed Hassan, so Heyman keeps the old song, doesn't take out Cornette, and yet updates the music video.

Dean Hill and Al Snow welcome us to the show and promote tonight's two main events, OVW Champion Johnny Jeter in a rematch against Brent Albright; and a tag team match with Ken Doane and Bobby Lashley vs. Nick Nemeth and Chris Cage. A nice Heyman touch is that when the matches are announced, you see video clips of the wrestlers being talked about. I like that.

(1) Aaron "The Idol" Stevens (w/Beth Phoenix and new valet Shelly) pinned Robbie Dawber with a reverse neckbreaker.  New music for The Idol, who comes out to Rob Zombie's version of "BrickHouse." Idol does an erotic routine with Beth and his new valet Shelly. Live, Stevens did an interview in the ring before the match, which did not air on television.

We cut backstage before the match to WWE Raw Diva Maria Kannelis, who is trying to interview ex-champ Brent Albright, who is standing in a fighting position facing the back door. Maria was funny here, and says puzzled, "uh, Brent? You're staring at a door!" Albright very calmly explained that sometime tonight Johnny Jeter is walking through that door. Albright is going to tell Jeter right to his face that he's going to make Jeter tap in their rematch tonight. After that, Albright is going hunting for Ken Anderson and Daniel Puder, and he'll let his hands do the talking. Sounds weird, but it really was a great character builder for Albright.
Heyman has made Albright contemporary, not your standard scream and shout wrestler. This was the best promo Albright has done to date.

Back to the ring, where The Idol pins Dawber, and then Shelly jumps on Dawber and attacks him for good measure.

[Commercial Break]

(2) Daniel Puder (w/Mr. Ken Anderson) defeated Danny Inferno in an impromptu MMA style match by Tap Out to the Key Lock.  Anderson and Puder barged out of the locker room after the commercial break in gear but with bags in hand. Puder wanted to stay, but Anderson was losing his mind, talking about Albright being a raving lunatic and a danger to society. Anderson was great again. Anderson and Puder went to leave, with Puder not wanting to go, and they were leaving the arena, which was a dark area, and got into a shouting match with someone.  The person arguing with Anderson and Puder is Danny Inferno, who gets into the ring and starts taping up his hand.  Inferno dares Puder to follow suit.  Anderson does the deal where he introduces the opponent and Puder as well, and Puder gets in the ring for the MMA - UFC  style match. It didn't last long, but was a good fight, with Puder getting the Key Lock on Inferno, and Inferno tapping in panic after trying to escape. Puder would not let go, and out came Brent Albright, ready to fight. Anderson dove out of the ring, Puder made a move towards Albright, and Albright took Puder down to the mat. Anderson pulled Puder out of the ring, and Albright was standing there wanting more.

[Commercial Break]

While Albright was in the ring, OVW Champ Johnny Jeter came into the building. Maria told Jeter that Albright was looking for him, but Jeter didn't seem concerned until Albright  came into the picture. If you want to see a locker room confrontation done the right way, watch this one. Albright never raised his voice, but was as threatening as anyone else in wrestling. Albright promises Jeter that no one will hurt Jeter before the main event, because Albright wants to have Jeter at 100% when he takes back the title. Matt Capotelli, with cast on his leg, comes screaming into the dressing room, trying to get to Jeter, throwing his crutches at Jeter, but Albright holds back Capotelli as Jeter starts insulting Capotelli and calling him a cripple. This was a perfect backstage segment.

[Commercial Break]

(3) Nick Nemeth and Chris Cage beat OVW TV Champion Ken Doane and Bobby Lashley when Nemeth scored a pinfall over Doane.  Excellent. Kenny Bolin was accompanied by Dean "The Cooler" Visk as his director of security. Sozay was ringside with Doane.  Lashley was built as a killing machine, as everything he did, he did with big impact. Nemeth and Doane wrestle great against each other. Cage was good, but not nearly as good as Nemeth or Doane. Nemeth kicked out of the RKO, and used a small package to defeat Doane. After the match, Doane and Lashley just started at each other, with Doane sitting in the ring and Lashley staring back from the ring apron The staredown leads into commercial break, and was really well done. It wasn't overdone, like most glares of anger in wrestling. I thought this was very powerful.

[Commercial Break]

Coming back from commercial, the Nemeth pinfall on Doane, and the glare between Doane and Lashley, are repeated, marked "Moments Ago - Nemeth pins Doane."

OVW Champion Johnny Jeter is interviewed by Al Snow. In a good moment, Al says to Jeter, "I was going to ask you if you knew about or had anything to do with Ken Anderson and Daniel Puder, but who knows if you'll tell us the truth, so say what you want to say." I like that Al had scorn for the new heel champion. Jeter cut a really good heel promo, where he asked Vince McMahon to bring him to Raw or Smackdown, "because the only thing worse than being held back and being stuck with a tag team partner like Matt Capotelli is to be stuck here in Louisville." Jeter had a great night. Albright came out, but Capotelli came to ringside. Albright stopped Capotelli from getting involved, and Capotelli sat ringside in a chair.

(4) OVW Heavyweight Champion Johnny Jeter was disqualified in his match against Brent Albright and then bloodied Matt Capotelli with a chair at ringside.  This was both Albright's and Jeter's high point in their careers. A strong match, with nice near falls. The referee, Chris Kay, can be seen starting his now-famous moment of vomiting when Albright hooks Jeter for the slingshot into the corner. You can see Albright's look of shock when he realizes it. Albright sunk in the Crowbar, but Jeter was right there in the ropes. Chris Kay called for the break. Albright broke the hold, and Kay shoved Albright back. Jeter rolled underneath the bottom rope, and started looking under the ring in a panic. Jeter spots Capotelli, which gets Capotelli to rise out of his chair. Jeter kicks Capotelli's crutches, and then hits a superkick. I like how in the second week of Heyman-TV, Albright didn't fall for Anderson's "I will never you jump you from behind" routine (even thought the audience, including myself, did), but Puder caused Albright to have his back to Anderson. Here, this week, Capotelli isn't a sitting duck. But Jeter can still do the damage, but without making the babyface look like an idiot. Jeter grabs Capotelli's chair. Albright is coming out of the ring with his head first, and Jeter hit him hard with the chair. Chris Kay calls for the bell. Jeter turns around and hit Capotelli in the head with the chair. Jeter then went berserk with the chair, just hitting Capotelli over and over again. At this point, Al Snow jumped out of his chair in a panic and grabbed Jeter. It looked like they were legitimately struggling. The dressing room cleared, with some running to Capotelli and some running to Jeter. Deuce Shade had Jeter from behind in a realistic hold around the neck. There was mass confusion and panic. This was so dramatic, and the show faded down into a break. Just the video and audio slowly fading out was so very dramatic.

[Commercial Break]

Medics are tending to Capotelli. The camera is moving, trying to get a clear shot. You only get a few moments of clear shots on Capotelli, and he looks distraught. Dean Hill comes back to the desk, and he's a wreck. He has blood on his hands, shirt, and face. I've never seen so much blood, but a lot of is left to the imagination because you only get glimpses of it on Capotelli. You see it splattered on everything thing, but you can't gauge how bloody Capotelli is. Deans says, "Ladies and gentlemen, I've been doing this a lot of years, and what Johnny Jeter has done here tonight is unforgivable. Unforgivable!"

Dean breaks away from the desk, and goes back to Capotelli. We see the medics with a portable IV and they are feverishly tending to Capotelli. Everyone has a terrified look on their face. The show very slowly fades to black.

My thoughts are this. Bottom line, the best done angle of the year.

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