* * * * *
[As we come on the air, we are in the office of GCW President Ryan Niemiller. Niemiller is seated behind the desk in his normal attire consisting of a nice suit.]
RN: Hello ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Monday Night Explosion. I know you're all looking forward to an action packed night of wrestling, as am I, but that's why I'm here right now to make an announcement. As a result of the three way tie last week, we are still without a number-one contender for the World Heavyweight Title. I've debated all week, had meetings with members of the GCW Championship Committee, and threw out possibility after possibility of who exactly Chris Benoit's opponent should be. I have decided that it is only fair for Booker T, Kurt Angle, and Brock Lesnar, three highly qualified contenders, to settle this one more time in the ring. That's why tonight in our main event, there will be a triangle match between Booker T, Kurt Angle, and Brock Lesnar. The first man to score a fall will be named the number-one contender and face World Heavyweight champion Chris Benoit for the title at Chaos Reigns. Thank you, and enjoy the show.
[We fade into the opening credits for Monday Night Explosion.]
* * * * *
Global Championship Wrestling has made its first trip to North Carolina as we were live in Charlotte for Monday Night Explosion! A huge double main event tonight as not only did we have the huge triangle match between Booker T, Kurt Angle, and Brock Lesnar for the right to face Chris Benoit at Chaos Reigns, but we also had Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho locking horns in a 2 of 3 falls match! In addition, "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels would be looking for revenge as he took on Steve Bradley of the Sensationals! And World Heavyweight champion Chris Benoit would be in action, but first, tag team competition as the Basham Brothers locked up with Billy Kidman and Paul London!
This was the first match of the Basham Brothers since they split with Shaniqua, and they looked downright scary. Billy Kidman and Paul London are a highly skilled and qualified team, but Doug and Danny Basham simply made them look just the opposite. The Bashams tore through their competition tonight, brutalizing their two smaller opponents. Kidman and London tried to mount some sort of offense, but the Bashams couldn't be stopped tonight. The finish of this one came after the Bashams knocked Kidman off the apron into the guardrail. Doug Basham then nailed London with a piledriver, which was followed by a Danny Basham diving headbutt. London was floored, and the Bashams first match without Shaniqua was a successful one.
The Basham Brothers (Doug Basham and Danny Basham) defeated Billy Kidman and Paul London when Danny Basham pinned London after
a flying headbutt in 0:03:23.
Rating: ** 1/2
The Bashams were a dangerous team with Shaniqua, but could they possibly be even more dangerous without their former master? Perhaps, but from the sounds of Doug Basham saying, "You're gonna get it, Shaniqua," they're not quite finished with her yet. But will Shelton Benjamin be there to save her again?
Two big animals went at it in our second match of the evening, with "The Alpha Male" Monty Brown taking on Sean O'Haire, who had his apparent new leader Christopher Daniels with him, as well as Daniels' female companion, Daffney. This match was a great battle of power versus power, the unstoppable force taking on the immovable object, if you will. O'Haire was dead set on showing he was the more powerful man, challenging Brown to several tests of strength type moves. The former NFL player, who was named to the All-Strength team there, was more than up to the challenge and overpowered O'Haire in each of these exchanges. Eventually O'Haire realized this plan wasn't going to work as he caught Brown with an eye poke and went on the attack.
O'Haire went to work on Brown, using his martial arts background to wear Brown down, hitting him at one point with a brutal side kick that got him a two count. O'Haire added a powerslam, but that wasn't enough to keep the Alpha Male down either. O'Haire got a little frustrated, so he consulted Christopher Daniels for advice. Apparently O'Haire was told to take a risk, so he climbed to the top rope. O'Haire jumped off with an attempt to hit his senton he calls the Seanton Bomb, but Monty Brown rolled out of the way. Brown had his second wind and he started punishing O'Haire with a series of high impact power moves. Monty Brown then called for the Pounce, but when he bounced off the ropes, Christopher Daniels nailed him in the back with his metal cross, causing him to stumble out holding his back, where he was taken down by a Sean O'Haire clothesline. Referee Petey Pluck saw this and called for the bell.
Monty Brown defeated Sean O'Haire by disqualification in 0:05:12.
Rating: ***
O'Haire and Daniels proceeded to give Monty Brown a good beating (heck, even Daffney got a shot in). The throttling ended with O'Haire hitting Brown with the Prophecy and standing over his opponent. Sean O'Haire and Christopher Daniels are proving to be a dangerous duo. But we still don't know how Elix Skipper and Low-Ki feel about this alliance. Well, we were about to find out.
* * * * *
[As "Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels, Sean O'Haire, and Daffney come through the curtain to the backstage area, they are immediately met by Low-Ki and "Primetime" Elix Skipper.]
ES: Chris, what is this? We've been trying to get a hold of you all week, but you all but disappeared. What is going on here? What's with Sean O'Haire?
CD: You will have all the answers you need in due time, Elix. Sean O'Haire's arrival is merely the next step in the process. There will be a reckoning brought upon Global Championship Wrestling, and we need to be prepared. When He comes here and the Prophecy is fulfilled, our army must be strong and willing to fight. Sean O'Haire fits that description. He is the type of man He wants to help lead the movement when the time is right.
[Elix Skipper and Low-Ki take a look at each other and then back at Daniels.]
ES: What the hell are you talking about!?
CD: Patience, young Elix. All of the answers will make themselves abundantly clear when the time is right. That time isn't now. I assure the both of you that Triple X will be a huge part of the movement. I have a match now with that misguided fool, The Hurricane. I want you to pay close attention. Come on, Sean.
[Daniels, O'Haire, and Daffney all start to head back toward the ring. Elix Skipper and Low-Ki begin to follow.]
CD: No, you two stay here. Your presence is not needed at ringside.
[Skipper and Low-Ki look at each other dumbfoundedly as Daniels, O'Haire, and Daffney leave. They look more confused than ever before. Cut to the ring.]
* * * * *
The Cruiserweight Title has certainly been heating up as of late, and The Hurricane and Christopher Daniels have been a major part of it. These two locked up tonight in a match that would go far in determining the number-one contender for the Cruiserweight Title. During this match, we caught a shot of Rey Mysterio Jr., the current Cruiserweight champion, watching this match on a monitor backstage, so we knew he was very interested in the outcome of this match.
A very solid match between these two. The crowd wasn't as into it as they have been in recent matches involving these two as both The Hurricane and Daniels wrestled a more mat-based match, but it was very impressive to see the various innovative moves these two can pull off. The end of this match was certainly strange. The Hurricane had Daniels set up for the Eye of the Hurricane, but the Fallen Angel spun out of it and brought the Man In Green down with an inverted DDT. Daniels then had Hurricane set up for the Angel's Wings when Elix Skipper and Low-Ki started making their way down to ringside. Daniels was infuriated as he released The Hurricane and immediately started yelling at his Triple X partners, telling them to return to the back. This inadvertent distraction gave The Hurricane the window to roll Daniels up and hold his shoulders down for the 3 count!
The Hurricane pinned Christopher Daniels after a roll up in 0:05:05.
Rating: *** 1/2
The Hurricane's celebration time was dramatically cut down though as he was immediately floored by a huge clothesline from Sean O'Haire. As O'Haire continued to beat on The Hurricane, Daniels continued to yell at Elix Skipper and Low-Ki, furious that they accidentally cost him the match. The Hurricane was in a bad way now as Daniels told Elix Skipper and Low-Ki to join in on the beating, which they did. It was a 4-on-1 assault when REY MYSTERIO JR. ran down to make the save, hitting Skipper and Low-Ki with a double springboard dropkick. Daniels grabbed Mysterio in a rear waistlock and tried to German suplex him, but Mysterio reversed it into a bulldog. Mysterio got up and turned around, but it was right into a huge mafia kick from Sean O'Haire that wiped the Cruiserweight champion out. O'Haire lifted Mysterio up and had him set up for the Prophecy, but he was stopped as MONTY BROWN, still obviously upset at what Daniels and O'Haire did to him earlier, ran in and broke it up with a boot to O'Haire's midsection, followed up with the Pounce which knocked the 280-pound O'Haire clear out of the ring! Seeing this, Triple X all made a quick exit out of the ring, not wanting any part of the Alpha Male. We learned after the show that signed for next week on Explosion will be a 6-man tag match featuring Christopher Daniels, Elix Skipper, and Low-Ki taking on Rey Mysterio Jr., The Hurricane, and Monty Brown! Also, in another big announcement, just signed for Chaos Reigns, the Cruiserweight Title will be on the line in an Elimination Fatal Fourway as Rey Mysterio Jr. defends against Christopher Daniels, The Hurricane, and Teddy Hart! What a fantastic contest this one is going to be!
The World Heavyweight champion "The Crippler" Chris Benoit was looking to keep himself fresh as the entire number-one contender mess was still waiting to be resolved, and he was looking to do that tonight against Perry Saturn. Benoit and Saturn know each other very well, having competed with and against each other many times in the past. But where Benoit's career has continued to skyrocket, Saturn has sort of gotten stuck in neutral. A win over the World Heavyweight champion would be a major boost to his career though. Saturn came out aggressively, nailing Benoit with a T-Bone suplex early. However, Saturn appeared to be too aggressive, thinking he could change his luck in one swoop, and he made some mistakes, and wrestling against the World Heavyweight champion, you simply can't afford to do that. Saturn made one mistake too many, and Benoit capitalized on them, putting Saturn away with the flying headbutt.
Chris Benoit pinned Perry Saturn after a flying headbutt in 0:06:02.
Rating: ** 1/2
After the match, Mario Riviera caught up with Benoit down at ringside.
* * * * *
[Mario Riviera catches Chris Benoit as he is leaving the ringside area after a successful match against Perry Saturn.]
MR: Chris Benoit! Chris Benoit! Chris, we are just 13 days away from Chaos Reigns, and you still don't know who you will be defending the World Heavyweight Title against. Do you have a preference of who you'd rather face?
CB: No, I don't have a preference. I don't know who I'm going to face at Chaos Reigns yet. But what I do know is that I have victories over Brock Lesnar, over Booker T, AND over Kurt Angle, and that I'm walking into Chaos Reigns as the champion, and I'll be leaving Chaos Reigns as the champion! But I want to get a good look at all three wrestlers, so tonight, I'll be sitting right over here with Joey O'Donnell and Brian Wagner to watch the match. What they need to remember is that they're wrestling for the CHANCE to become World Heavyweight champion. They all want to be champion? They have to PROVE ME WRONG.
[Benoit heads to the back as we head to commercial.]
* * * * *
Since developing this new attitude, Rob Van Dam has lost a lot of fan support, but on the same token, has regained a lot of his confidence. He brought that cocky attitude into Charlotte to take on the Bizarre Goldust. The first strange thing about this match was the fact that Goldust came to the ring wearing a Booker T t-shirt. Goldust claims that Booker T is his best friend, but Booker has made little to no mention of any friendship whatsoever with Goldust. A good back and forth match with both wrestlers being able to hit their signature moves. This match just became a case of who would be able to hit their finisher first, and that distinction went to RVD, who after hitting the Rolling Thunder on the Golden One, was able to successfully connect with the Five Star Frog Splash and pick up the duke.
Rob Van Dam pinned Goldust with the Five Star Frog Splash in 0:06:48.
Rating: *** 1/4
Rob Van Dam keeps rolling along, and Goldust continues his recent trend as well. A nice showing by the Whole F'n Show.
* * * * *
[The camera shot starts by showing "Latino Heat" Eddie Guerrero in his locker room, which is met by a huge mixed reaction from the fans in Charlotte. The locker room door swings open violently and in bursts "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, who is anything but happy.]
HBK: Where the hell were you!?
EG: Whoa... take it easy, holmes...
HBK: WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU!? You left me high and dry to get my ass kicked last week! You said you had my back!
EG: I did, didn't I? I did say I had your back, just like I had your back at Super Cade. And what thanks did I get then? You kicked me in the teeth, vato!
HBK: How many times do I have to tell you, that was an accident!
EG: You know what, essa? I don't think it was. I think that world-famous Shawn Michaels ego is kickin' in, and you don't want to share the spotlight with ol' Latino Heat. You afraid the ladies prefer their meat spicy?
HBK: I'm not even going to dignify that with a response, Eddie. You know that's not how it is. Not anymore.
EG: Then what is it, H-B-K?
HBK: EDDIE! It... was... an... accident! I'm starting to sound like a broken record here. Why would I kick you on purpose, Eddie? The Sensationals don't want me here. They work with a gang mentality. I'm the showstopper, the icon, and the main event, but I know I can't take on four men by myself. If we don't join forces, if we don't work together, the Sensationals will take us out. Bottom line.
EG: What a lovely story, Shawn. Really touching. But you know what, vato? Until you can think of a better load of CRAP to feed me, I'll take care of business alone, essa.
HBK: If that's the way you want it, Eddie, fine. But you just remember the next time that the Sensationals quadruple team you, that you brought it on yourself... "holmes."
[Shawn Michaels leaves Guerrero's locker room in a hurry. Eddie watches him leave and shakes his head as he starts to tape up one of his wrists. Cut to the ring.]
A confrontation between two accomplished amateur wrestlers was what we saw in our sixth match of the evening as Charlie Haas, one-half of the World Tag Team champions, took on the thus far undefeated Eric Angle. With each passing week, Angle is showing us all more and more that he has all the tools to be successful in Global Championship Wrestling. Eric Angle has yet to taste defeat in a GCW ring, but he had his hands full against the tough Oklahoman Charlie Haas. This match featured a lot of great mat wrestling as you would expect from two athletes of this caliber. For the opening minutes, this was a clinic on counter wrestling. Haas started getting the better of Angle, somehow turning all of Angle's mat wrestling attempts into a fireman's carry. After about the sixth fireman's carry, Angle got frustrated and tried to just slug Haas with a right hand, but Haas hit a beautiful deep armdrag and started working the arm, which garnered a round of applause from Shelton Benjamin at ringside.
As this match waged on with both men exchanging the advantage, the situation took an odd turn when out of nowhere, Shaniqua came running from the back screaming and hid behind Shelton Benjamin. Nobody had any idea what was going on until the Basham Brothers came walking out as well, and they looked angry. Doug Basham tried to get to Shaniqua, but Benjamin nailed him with a right hand before he could. Benjamin and Doug Basham were brawling at ringside, which took the attention of referee Antonio Santangelo, who jumped to the outside to break up this fight. Unfortunately, he lost sight of Danny Basham, who grabbed one of the World's Greatest Tag Team's title belts, jumped in the ring, and nailed Charlie Haas between the eyes with it. Danny Basham then ran to the floor and hit Benjamin with a forearm to the back. The GCW Official Brigade ran out to break up the fight on the floor, which allowed Santangelo to get back into the ring just in time to see Eric Angle hit Haas with the Angle Slam and make the three count.
Eric Angle pinned Charlie Haas with the Angle Slam in 0:11:40.
Rating: *** 1/2
Eric Angle's undefeated streak continues in certainly controversial fashion. The fight was broken up on the floor as Shelton Benjamin got back into the ring as Charlie Haas questioned him as to what just happened. Benjamin tried to calm Haas down, but to no avail. Haas started screaming at Shaniqua who looked awfully scared at ringside, telling her this was all her fault and to stay away from Shelton Benjamin and him. As Haas got into Shaniqua's face, Benjamin stepped between them and got into Haas' face, showing that there was a little tension building here. Shaniqua apologized once more and took this opportunity to scurry to the back as the World Tag Team champions remained in each other's face before cooler heads prevailed. We've since learned that at Chaos Reigns, the World's Greatest Tag Team will defend their World Tag Team Titles against the former champions, the Basham Brothers in what will hopefully settle this feud once and for all.
* * * * *
[Mario Riviera stands backstage with Hardcore Holly. Holly, as one would expect, looks unhappy to be there. This guy looks like he could really use a hug.]
MR: Hardcore Holly, you asked for some interview time tonight and it was granted to you. What is it you need to say?
HH: First of all, you refer to me as the Big Shot, you dumb bastard. I wanted this interview time because I'm getting a little sick and tired of nobody taking me seriously. Well people are going to start taking me seriously after I deliver an ass beating or two. But I don't have time to just start individually whip everyone's ass in GCW. That's why I asked President Niemiller, and after meeting with him, I walked out of his office with this.
[Holly holds up a piece of paper.]
MR: Now what is that?
HH: It's gonna be the last thing you ever see if you interrupt me like that again! What this is is a contract. At Chaos Reigns, it will be the first ever Hardcore Invitational. Now as you can see, I signed my name at the top of the contract. There are seven other slots open. This is an open challenge to those in GCW who think they're hardcore to prove what they're worth. The match is really simple. Eight men, all weapons allowed, anything goes. Wrestlers are eliminated by pinfall or submission. The last man standing is the most hardcore wrestler in Global Championship Wrestling. I'm not just giving lip service when I say I'm the most hardcore bastard in GCW, and this is gonna prove it. How do you like me now!?
MR: There you have it. A Hardcore Invitational to be held at Chaos Reigns. Who will step up to the plate? We'll let you know as soon as we know! Back to ringside!
HH: God you're a dumb bastard...
MR: What...?
[Cut back to the ring.]
* * * * *
"The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels lost the North American Title last week in that epic ladder match to Randy Orton, but his opponent tonight had a huge part in that. Michaels wants revenge against the Sensationals, and he had a chance to get a little of it in this contest against Steve "Who's Your Daddy?" Bradley. This was easily the match of the night wrestling wise. Even though he's not 22 anymore and he's had a lot of back problems, Shawn Michaels can still go with the best of them. Steve Bradley is by no means a pushover though. Bradley has wrestled in relative obscurity for years, and he has a chip on his shoulder for sure. He feels as though he hasn't been given the opportunities in this business that he deserves, and he's in Global Championship Wrestling to prove his point. Hey, if the guy was hand picked by Kurt Angle to be in the Sensationals, he has to have something going for him.
Michaels came out in this one with a great amount of intensity. HBK almost wrestled with a sense of urgency. I think the fact that he knew that "Latino Heat" Eddie Guerrero wouldn't be there to help him if the Sensationals decided to attack. What this led to was a fast and furious match that kept the fans in Charlotte on the edge of their seat the entire time. This was perhaps Bradley's biggest match to date, and he wrestled like it was, pulling out all the stops against the Showstopper. The Baddest Mofo On The Show had the strength edge over HBK, and he used that strength to wear Michaels down. Bradley wrestled such a solid match that he was even able to hit the Smashmouth on Michaels, but he was too close to the ropes and the Heartbreak Kid got his foot on the bottom rope. Bradley couldn't believe it as he got in referee Jimmy Appleseed's face, claiming that he got the 3 count. Bradley was so furious that he almost nailed Appleseed with a right hand, but he restrained himself just in time.
Bradley lost his cool and it essentially led to him losing the match. When Bradley finally turned his attentions back to Michaels, HBK was ready for him as he brought him down with a double-leg takedown. Michaels hit Bradley with a slingshot that saw Bradley fly up and hit his head on the ringpost. Bradley stumbled out of the corner and right into a flying forearm from the former North American champion. The crowd was on its feet now as Michaels called for the Sweet Chin Music. After tuning up the band, Shawn Michaels connected with that vicious superkick and secured a victory over a member of the Sensationals.
Shawn Michaels pinned Steve Bradley with the Sweet Chin Music in 0:09:36.
Rating: **** 1/4
Almost simultaneously with referee Jimmy Appleseed's hand slapping the mat for the third time, North American champion RANDY ORTON was in the ring and dropped Michaels with a clothesline. CHRIS JERICHO wasn't too far behind Orton and he joined in on the beating of the Heartbreak Kid as well. Michaels was being triple-teamed by the Sensationals, including being nailed by the R.K.O. from Orton. Jericho then locked Michaels in the Walls of Jericho, which finally prompted EDDIE GUERRERO to hit the ring! It looks like Guerrero finally decided to do the right thing as he nailed Jericho from behind to break up the Walls. Bradley came running at Guerrero, but Latino Heat side-stepped it and sent Bradley flying over the top to the floor. Orton went for the R.K.O., but Guerrero shoved him off into the ropes, and then hit Orton with a dropkick that sent him to the outside. Guerrero showed he wasn't there to save Michaels though, but rather to get a piece of the Sensationals himself when he picked Michaels up and threw him out of the ring as well, leaving just himself and Chris Jericho. Referee JD Sanders ran down to the ring and called for the bell, and it our 2 of 3 Falls match was on!
In theory, this match was to finally settle the score between Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho. If either man was going to win this match, it wasn't going to be on a fluke. They were going to have to win two out of the three falls if they wanted to walk away as the victor. Guerrero came out quickly, throwing Jericho all over the ring with armdrags and a beautiful monkey flip. These two have wrestled each other so many times over the years that they don't need scouting reports any more, which led to his match being filled with great counter wrestling. Both Guerrero and Jericho knew how important getting that first fall was, as then their opponent would have to win two straight falls which is no easy task. Guerrero's aggressive way of coming out in this match proved to be very sound strategy as Jericho could never completely get control of things, falling to a brain buster and Frog Splash, giving Guerrero a 1-0 lead.
From here, Eddie Guerrero had Chris Jericho figuratively against the ropes, but he failed to take full advantage of it. Instead of going for the kill, Guerrero fell into a sort of comfort zone with his 1-0 lead, perhaps reserving some energy in case the match went long. This allowed Y2J to get back into the match, which you simply cannot let happen. Guerrero went for a flying dropkick, but Jericho countered it into the Walls of Jericho. Guerrero made one lunge toward the ropes, but Jericho had the hold on tight, and Guerrero tapped out, tying this match at one fall a piece.
We had a whole new match on our hands now as Jericho had the momentum on his side. After the thirty second rest period, Jericho immediately tried to lock the Walls of Jericho back on, but Guerrero reversed it with a small package that got him a 2 and 9/10 count. Jericho came back at Guerrero with a clothesline attempt, but Latino Heat ducked and countered with a backslide for another nearfall. Guerrero seemed to have the momentum going his way on Jericho, wearing him down all over again and looking to be well on his way to victory. Guerrero brought Jericho down with the Three Amigos rolling suplexes and went back up top for the Frog Splash. While he was on the top rope, RANDY ORTON and STEVE BRADLEY ran down to ringside. The Sensationals have been operating under a gang mentality the past couple of weeks, and it has been working wonders for them. However, Latino Heat spotted them at ringside, and dove onto both of them with a huge plancha that brought the crowd to its feet. Guerrero jumped back up on the top rope, but Jericho had ample time to recover and crotched Eddie on the top turnbuckle. Jericho climbed on the turnbuckle with Guerrero and tried for a superplex, but Guerrero countered with some forearm shots and shoved Jericho back down to the canvas. Eddie Guerrero jumped off with the Frog Splash, but Y2J still had the presence of mind to get his knees up. Jericho followed up with a running bulldog and hit the Lionsault, giving the Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rollah the deciding fall.
Two-out-of-three-Falls Match:
Chris Jericho beat Eddie Guerrero 2 falls to 1:
x E. Guerrero beat Jericho via the Frog Splash in 0:07:53
x Jericho beat E. Guerrero via the Walls Of Jericho in 0:13:19
x Jericho beat E. Guerrero via the Lionsault in 0:18:23
Rating: *** 3/4
Chris Jericho has defeated Eddie Guerrero, but would he have been able to do it if Randy Orton and Steve Bradley hadn't come down to ringside to distract him? The Sensationals surely didn't care, and they were looking to finish the job once and for all as Orton and Bradley jumped in the ring and they gave Guerrero a 3-on-1 beating. The question though was the whereabouts of Shawn Michaels. HBK was obviously upset that Guerrero took his time helping earlier, and even tossed Michaels out of the ring. After taking a Smashmouth from Bradley and the R.K.O. from Randy Orton, the three members of the Sensationals stood over Eddie Guerrero as we cut to commercial.
* * * * *
[We come back from commercial break with a camera shot on GCW ring announcer William Buck standing in the center of the ring.]
WB: Ladies and gentlemen, it's my honor at this time to introduce the newest signee to Global Championship Wrestling... DAWN MARIE!
[The crowd gives out a decent sized pop upon the announcement, but that pop becomes huge when Dawn Marie steps out from the back and the crowd sees what she is wearing. Wearing nothing but a short black miniskirt and a skimpy red halter top, Marie skips down to the ring, all smiles. She blows kisses at a couple fans before she gets in the ring and is handed the mic from William Buck. She gives Buck a little wink, to which he replies with a goofy grin before getting out of the ring.]
DM: Now is it just me, or did GCW get a whole lot sexier?
[The crowd pops huge. Marie smiles.]
DM: A lot of you are probably wondering what I'm doing here in Global Championship Wrestling. Over the past few years, you wrestling fans as a whole have been brainwashed to see any female personality as nothing but T and A, dumb bimbos who have no other purpose than to be eye candy.
[Some of the less endearing fans pop for this.]
DM: But that's all about to change. I am a smart, educated, sexy, sophisticated woman, and I'm going to make my mark here in GCW no matter what the costs. And how I'm going to do it... no matter what it takes. And the way I'm going to do it is by finding the most talented wrestler in GCW. Find the man with the most potential. Find the competitor who has all the right tools to become a champion, and do just that: make him a champion. So I...
[Before Marie can continue, she is interrupted by the sounds of "Evolution" by Motorhead. Out from the back comes the GCW North American champion Randy Orton. He has the title belt around his waist as he smirks his way to the ring. The Sensationals have not been strangers to Explosion this week. Before stepping in the ring, he grabs a microphone from ringside, climbs up the ringsteps, and gets in the ring.]
RO: I couldn't help but over hear what you were saying. Dawn Marie, is it? Welcome to GCW.
[Orton takes Marie's hand and kisses it. Marie rolls her eyes as she pulls her hand away.]
RO: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe I heard you say that you were essentially looking for a stud. Well honey, look no further, for Randy Orton has arrived!
[The crowd boos Orton mercilessly. It appears as if Dawn Marie is doing all she can to stop herself from laughing in Orton's face.]
RO: You said you were looking for [Indicates with his hand as he talks] the most talented? Check. The man with the most potential? Check. And the man with the right tools to be a champion. Well, baby, I already am a champion! And to make things even better for you, I'm also the best looking wrestler on the planet today. Thus, your long search is over, babe, because Randy Orton is your man!
[The crowd boos Orton as he smugly smiles at them. Dawn Marie looks Orton up and down.]
DM: Well, that certainly is a very tempting offer. I mean, this is my first official night here. I was just out here to get my name out, let everyone know that I'm here. I didn't expect to get an offer already from someone the caliber of a Randy Orton. I mean, you're a third-generation superstar. A member of the most powerful group in wrestling today, the Sensationals. The two-time and reigning North American champion. All of this at only 24 years old! That's a pretty impressive resume', I must say.
[As Dawn Marie as been talking, you can almost literally see Orton's head getting bigger. He's not even looking at Marie any more.]
DM: As impressive as all of that is, I'd be a fool to say no. But... no.
[The crowd pops huge as Dawn Marie smiles. Randy Orton spins back around and looks at Marie, obviously enraged.]
RO: What do you mean, "No?" No? NO! Listen here, bitch! Nobody, and I mean NOBODY tells Randy Orton no!
[Orton starts backing Marie into the corner so she cannot escape.]
RO: Nobody makes a fool out of me, especially some little SLUT like you!
[Orton throws down the microphone. Dawn Marie tries to slip past him and run, but Orton grabs her by the hair. Orton gets in Marie's face and yells at her, and looks to be setting her up for the R.K.O. when LANCE STORM runs down to the ring to a huge pop. Orton sees Storm and tries to clothesline him as he gets in the ring, but Storm ducks and nails Orton with a couple of right hands. Storm whips the North American champion into the ropes and catches him with a beautiful dropkick in the mouth. Orton quickly rolls out of the ring. Storm remains in a ready-to-fight stance in case Orton makes an attempt to get back into the ring, but the frustrated Orton starts heading to the back, kicking the ringsteps on his way. Storm checks on Dawn Marie to make sure she is okay, which she is, but a little shaken up. Lance Storm and Dawn Marie go way back, and it was a lucky thing for Marie that he was here, because who knows what Randy Orton would have done?]
* * * * *
President Ryan Niemiller guaranteed that after tonight there would be a number-one contender for the World Heavyweight Title, and to ensure that it happened, the President himself sat down at ringside to monitor the triangle match between Booker T, Brock Lesnar, and Kurt Angle. Another intangible in this match was the World Heavyweight champion himself, "The Crippler" Chris Benoit, was down at ringside doing commentary with Joey O'Donnell and Brian Wagner. This match was done with triple threat rules, so all three competitors were in the ring at the same time.
Booker, Lesnar, and Angle started out the match wrestling very tentatively, but once the action picked up, it sure did pick up. All three men tried to get a fall whenever they could, but the problem with a match like this from the wrestler's standpoint is that it's not enough to just take out one opponent, but rather you have to incapacitate both men to prevent the odd man from making the save. You could tell that as this match wore on, Booker T, Brock Lesnar, and Kurt Angle were all getting frustrated, and that led to even more hard-hitting stuff from these three world-class competitors.
Eventually, it took a bit of controversy for this match to end. In the latter stages of the contest, Lesnar whipped Angle into the turnbuckle and charged in with a shoulder to the midsection, but Angle got out of the way and Lesnar's shoulder cracked the ringpost as he fell out of the ring from the sheer force and momentum he had going. With Lesnar seemingly out of the way and referee Jimmy Appleseed temporarily checking on Lesnar's condition on the floor, Angle slipped on a pair of brass knuckles that he pulled from his tights. Angle turned and waffled Booker T with them, knocking him out. Appleseed saw the cover and counted the three count, and Kurt Angle was the number-one contender... or so we thought. President Ryan Niemiller witnessed what had happened and informed Appleseed of Angle's tactics. Appleseed checked Angle and found the brass knuckles hidden in Angle's tights, and demanded that the match restart!
Angle argued with Appleseed, getting right in his face, which allowed a recovered Booker T to roll him up from behind and get a 2 and 9/10 count. At this point, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, and Steve Bradley ran to ringside, but before they could get to the ring, Jimmy Appleseed had jumped to the floor and cut them off, demanding that they head to the locker room. While the referee was once again tied up, GOLDUST, still sporting the Booker T t-shirt, ran in from the crowd and jumped into the ring just as Angle had Booker set up for the Angle Slam (after a low blow, I might add). Goldust kicked Angle in the stomach and then nailed him with the Shock Treatment, laying the former Olympic gold medalist out! Goldust then put Booker T on top of Angle. Appleseed saw the cover and slid into the ring and made the 3 count, making Booker T the number-one contender!
But once again, we spoke too soon. President Niemiller had witnessed this as well, and he told Appleseed of Goldust's involvement in the matchup, which prompted a second restart! At this point, there was so much confusion that we weren't exactly sure what was going on, but one thing we did know is that Brock Lesnar was back up, and he was pissed. Lesnar went over to Chris Benoit at the announce position, picked him up, and tossed him out of his chair and hard onto he floor with a hiptoss! We weren't sure why Lesnar decided to attack Benoit until we saw him fold up Benoit's chair. Lesnar jumped in the ring and cracked Booker T hard in the back with the chair. Angle had just gotten back up to his feet, and he was sent right back from as Lesnar brought the chair crashing down upon his cranium. Jimmy Appleseed had decided this match was out of control and declared it a no contest.
Number-One-Contenders-Triangle Match:
Booker T, Kurt Angle, and Brock Lesnar battled to a no contest in 0:12:31.
Rating: ***
The Charlotte fans booed their disapproval as we were still left without a number-one contender and had a huge mess at ringside. The Sensationals and Goldust were gone from ringside now having been escorted away by the GCW Official Brigade, and what we had left in the ring was Brock Lesnar, a monster to begin with, standing over Kurt Angle and Booker T, holding a steel chair! Not too mention we had an extremely agitated President of Global Championship Wrestling at ringside. One other man still there was World Heavyweight champion Chris Benoit, and he was none too happy as he slid in the ring behind Brock Lesnar, locked him in a rear waistlock, and brought him over with a German suplex! Lesnar dropped the chair on impact, and the champion proceeded to lock him in the Crippler Crossface as the crowd was going nuts! The show came to an end with Benoit pulling back on Lesnar with the Crossface.
With this Explosion, there are still many questions regarding the card at the next pay-per-view event, Chaos Reigns, to be held July 18th from Atlanta, Georgia. We do know, however, that five matches have been officially signed, including one that is being announced first right here! Here's what is signed so far:
World Tag Team Title Match - The Basham Brothers (c) vs. The World's Greatest Tag Team
Cruiserweight Title Match - Rey Mysterio Jr. (c) vs. The Hurricane vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Teddy Hart
Television Title Match - AJ Styles (c) vs. Steve Bradley
Hardcore Invitational featuring Hardcore Holly, and three more names just added - Tommy Dreamer, Sean O'Haire, and Monty Brown, with four more superstars to be announced next week on Explosion
And in a huge match just added, it will be a triangle match between Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, and Shawn Michaels! A lot of emotion involved in that one, so who knows what might happen? Be sure to join us next week on Explosion for more match announcements for Chaos Reigns, including an announcement regarding the World Heavyweight Title!