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MCNEILL'S TAKE
McNEILL's NWA Showcase on Dish Network Revue (3/26): Bockwinkled! Apr 17, 2008 - 10:28:17 PM
Welcome to NWA Wrestling Showcase on Colours TV on the Dish Network. Episode Eight begins with David Marquez previewing tonight's show in front of the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas. Tonight, Los Luchas get another shot at the Real American Heroes and the NWA Tag Team Titles. Adam Pearce Defends the NWA World Title And "Special E" Eugene Dinsmore is here to take on Alkatraz. We go to break, and we get an ad for Ring of Honor's "Rising Above" pay-per-view. Still a good show.
Todd Kennely, Ricky O & Kris Kloss have the call from the Plaza Hotel ballroom.
(1) Brent Albright vs. Dallas Murdoch. Ricky O explains the "Rules of the NWA" again, except without the onscreen graphic. Rick Knox is your referee. Albright hits a couple armdrags and works the arm as the announcers talk about Brent's quest to win the NWA World Title. After an awkward exchange, Brent starts tossing Murdoch around. There's a bodyslam. There's a vertical suplex. Albright sets too soon for a dropdown, and Murdoch takes over. Albright surprises Murodch with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex, a Russian legsweep, and then Albright makes Murdoch tap with an octopus style submission hold at 4:00. Ricky O narrates the replay. To the back!
Mark Thompson interviews "Ironman" Rob Conway. In a new twist, they put Conway's height and hometown on the screen during the promo. Conway says to be the man, you have to beat the Ironman. How clever. To the break!
(2) Scott Lost vs. Rob Conway. Tony Rosas (famous for ribs) is your referee. Conway is apparently also chasing the NWA World Title. You may remember Scott Lost from Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. We start with chain wrestling, and Conway gets the better of a series of reversals. Conway gets a near fall off an inside cradle and the announcers talk about New Japan rejoining the NWA. Conway tries to throw Lost into the post, but Scott slides under the bottom rope and lets Conway chase him for a bit. Lost then hits the frustrated Ironman with a series of near falls. Lost works over the arm as the announcers talk up the NWA's move to HD cameras and Blu-Ray DVD releases. Conway catches Lost with a hotshot and fires his opponent into the ringpost. Conway gets a pair of near fall and stomps away. The Ironman gets another near fall from a leg lariat off the second turnbuckle. Lost rallies and gets a near fall off a dropkick. But Conway rallies with a sidewalk slam, and then hits a slingshot neckbreaker ("The Ego Trip") for the pin at 9:54. Very nice. Ricky O breaks down the replay. To the back!
Backstage, Mark Thompson is interviewing Alkatraz. Alkatraz does a generic heel promo while Eugene, standing behind Alkatraz, mocks him while wearing a Groucho Marx outfit. Alkatraz, of course, doesn't know what's happening and threatens the announcer for laughing. To the break!
(3) "Special E" Eugene Dinsmore vs. Alkatraz. The prematch graphics are out of order. Special E's manager for the evening is one of the midget wrestlers. Alkatraz refuses to shake hands, or to give us a clean break in the corner. Alkatraz distracts the ref and tosses Eugene over the top rope. The announcers hype how dangerous Mr. Katraz ia as Alkatraz hits the chinlock. Alkatraz goes for the cover. The midget gets up on the apron to distract Alkatraz, allowing Eugene to pin Alkatraz with a small package in 3:48. Not much of a match. Alkatraz lays out Eugene and the unnamed midget after the match, then leaves. Brent Albright comes out to check on the midget. Albright helps Eugene to the back while the referee tends to the midget. Alkatraz comes back out and attacks Albright. The two men brawl to the back. To the break!
(4) "Scrap Iron" Adam Pearce vs. T.J. Perkins (NWA World Heavyweight Title). Nick Bockwinkle joins the team at ringside, replacing Kris Kloss, as the ring announcer does the introductions in the ring. C. Edward Vanderpyle is managing Ryan, and is out on the floor. Bockwinkle explains the champion's advantage in these matches. Perkins catches Pearce with a nice pair of dropkicks. Perkins gets the armbar, and holds the arm while he circles the prone Pearce. Looks painful. Pearce connects with the bodyslam, but Perkins won't let go of the arm. Perkins works the elbow, then moves up to the wrist. Pearce uses the hair to break the hold, and sends Perkins through the ropes to the floor. Pearce works over Perkins against the guardrail while Vanderpyle distracts the referee. Pearce continues to work Perkins over as the ref tries to move them into the ring. T.J. ducks and Pearce punches the ringpost. Perkins shoves Pearce into the guardrail, and the ref gets bumped. Perkins gets a visual fall, but the ref doesn't come to in time to count it. Perkins hits a 450 splash, and Vanderpyle moves Pearce's foot to the ropes. The referee misses it and counts three. Bockwinkle leaves his chair and points out Pearce's foot on the ropes. The referee agrees with Bockwinkle and restarts the match. Pearce quickly hits the piledriver and scores the pin at 11:13. The announcers raise hell at Bockwinkle for getting involved. Bockwinkle confronts Pearce on his way from the ring and tells the champion "You owe me." Wow. Pearce and Bockwinkle shake hands. Ricky O runs through the replay to cement the segment in everyone's mind. To the back
Backstage, David Marquez interviews the Real American Heroes. Joey Ryan and Karl Anderson gloat about beating down Phoenix Star last week. Anderson calls Marquez a Mexican sympathizer. Ryan predicts a handicap match, because Phoenix Star won't be there. To the break!
(5) Real American Heroes vs. Los Luchas (NWA World Tag Team Titles) We get a "Joined In Progress" graphic. Rick Knox is the referee. Ricky O points out that Ryan hurt his back last week, so the injuries even each other out. Zokre gets a near fall off the lionsault. Anderson and Ryan get Star in the ring and work the bad arm. Anderson gets a near fall off the leg lariat. Ryan gets a near fall off a hammerlock slam. We go to the break!
We return, and Anderson is working the arm. Divorce court armbreaker by Machine Gun. Ryan hits the Northern lights suplex, but opts to keep working the arm. Phoenix Star hits an Olympic slam on Ryan and makes the hot tag to Zokre. Zokre cleans house, and Star gets a very near fall with a Code Red on Ryan. Anderson hits a superplex on Star, but Star kicks out. The Luchas catch Anderson with a sunset flip into a blockbuster. Anderso hits Zokre with the spinebuster, but Zokre kicks out. Ryan accidentally superkicks Anderson. Zokre goes for a reverse rana on Ryan and blows it. Don't worry, they repeat the spot and Zokre hits it. Phoenix Star then hits Ryan with a springboard senton for the pinfall at 11:09 of what was shown. We have NEW NWA World Tag Team Champions. The former champs slink off as Phoenix Star and Zokre embrace in the ring.
And we're out. If I read the spoilers correctly, the new champs will wrestle again next week, and Brent Albright will battle "Sexy" Sonny Sampson.
***
My rating? 6.5 out of a possible 10. The Luchas' title win was a good way to end the show, and you have to be curious where they're headed with the Pearce-Bockwinkle alliance.
The full show can be viewed on the NWA Wrestling website.
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