Held In: Municipal
Auditorium Music Hall
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Date: March 8, 2003
Attendence: 598
Taped for viewing from 12:00 am - 1:00.
The show opens with various clips of CWA stars in action in past federations as a voiceover begins...
VOICE: It's been 8 long months since wrestling has been on TV in Kansas City. That will change TONIGHT!
Cameras show the ring as we see 10 wrestlers in the midst of a battle royal. The voiceover continues...
VOICE: Ladies and gentlemen, I am Kevin Moss, and I will be your host for tonight for the Continental Wrestling Association's very first show - Saturday Night Showdown!
MOSS: What you are seeing now is the beginning of a pinfall battle royal held earlier for the CWA Jr. Heavyweight Title. The wrestlers you are seeing include former WWF stars Billy Kidman, Spike Dudley, Sho Funaki, & K-Kwik. Also there are former WCW competitors Jaime Knoble and Kid Romeo as well as stars off of the independent scene, Mike Quakenbush, former CZW maniac Lobo, Jason Jett, and Shane Eden. Due to time restraints, we won't be able to show you the entire match - but we can show you the highlights.
We move ahead to the seven minute mark and see friendships being made and broken in a matter of seconds. Funaki and Spike team up well against Knoble sending him to the arena floor with a great double dropkick. Kid Romeo and K-Kwik are exchanging chops in one corner as Kidman takes the advantage to jump Funaki with a bulldog. Spike attacks Kidman but falls victim to a Kidman spinebuster. Knoble takes the moment to mount to top turnbuckle and nail Spike with his Guillotine Legdrop to make Spike the first elimination.
MOSS: Also tonight we will have a CWA Midwest Title match as Buff Bagwell squares off with Billy Gunn.
The action moves ahead to around the 18-minute mark and K-Kwik, Funaki, and Quackenbush are taking the brunt of the punishment. Romeo appears to hurt his right leg on a leapfrog attempt and stumbles to recover in one corner. Lobo is going nuts flying off chairs and delivering serious punishment to Jett as well as Quackenbush. Kidman and Knoble work over Funaki with various double team moves as Kwik and Quackenbush go at it. Quack reverses a Kwik irish whip and went for a back body drop, but Kwik caught him with his Hat Rack Crack and scored the pinfall.
MOSS: We have two World Title tournament matches as Hayabusa faces Ultimo Dragon and Booker T squares off against Super Delfin!
Two down, eight more to go as we fast forward the action to the 28-minute mark. Romeo is still favoring that right leg of his but is able to stay on the offensive. Shane Eden has been relatively quiet until know but is pouring in on Lobo with a kendo stick that Lobo brought into the ring. Funaki successfully defended off the attack of Kidman and Knoble then proceeded to attack Kwik, leaving Kidman to battle with Jett and Knoble to work on the leg of Romeo. Lobo managed to drill Eden in the stomach with a chair then, as Eden doubled over, brought the chair up - smashing into Eden's face in the process. Lobo then places the chair onto of Eden's face - went up to the second buckle and delivered a huge elbow drop onto the chair as well as the face of Shane Eden. The 3-count was routine. Afterward, however as Lobo still grimaced from the blow, Funaki caught him and nailed his Fisherman Buster to eliminate Lobo.
Moving ahead eight minutes shows Kidman and Knoble getting into a shoving match and finally coming to blows. Jett is now working on Romeo in the corner as Funaki plants Kwik with a smooth powerslam. Jett whips Romeo into the buckle and charges in but Romeo lifts his knee to stun Jett. As Romeo crumbles holding his knee, Jett stumbles right into a Funaki Fisherman Buster to eliminate him. Funaki celebrates prematurely as Romeo recovers and hits him with his Last Kiss. Romeo barely delivered the move as his weakened knee made it difficult. Kidman and Knoble continue to exchanged moves and counters until Kidman whipped Knoble into the ropes, Knoble countered, then Kidman countered back and nailed a Frankensteiner as Knoble came off the ropes. Kidman locked up the legs and scored the pinfall. With everyone exhausted the next 45 seconds seemed to be a recovery period for the last three men.
MOSS: Also we have the team of Matt Borne and Hugh Morrus, known as Tragic Comedy will be facing the team of Hiroshi Hase and Shiro Koshinaka.
K-Kwik went on the offensive first nailing both men with clotheslines then drilling them both with dropkicks - sending Romeo out of the ring and Kidman flying. Kwik then looked to put Kidman away as he hit a standing suplex then a crisp elbow drop for a two count. Kwik signaled to the crowd for the Hat Rack Crack but as he turned around to pick Kidman up, Romeo nailed a high cross body off the top that was enough to eliminate Kwik. Kidman and Romeo then went to shake hands and appeared to set up a nice technical finish when Kidman shook Romeo's hand he went right to the right knee of Romeo. A few moves later to further incapacitate the leg and Kidman was able to finish Romeo with a surprising figure-four to become the CWA's first ever Jr. Heavyweight Champion.
10-Man
Pinfall Battle Royal for the vacant CWA Jr. Heavyweight Title:
Billy Kidman won a 10-man Battle Royal:
x Knoble defeated Spike after the Guillotine Legdrop in 0:08:12
x K-Kwik defeated M. Quackenbush after the Hat Rack Crack in 0:19:33
x Lobo defeated Shane after an elbowdrop from the second turnbuckle in 0:29:06
x Funaki defeated Lobo after the Fisherman's Buster in 0:29:20
x Funaki defeated Jett after the Fisherman's Buster in 0:37:57
x Romeo defeated Funaki after the Last Kiss in 0:38:27
x Kidman defeated Knoble after a Frankensteiner in 0:39:03
x Romeo defeated K-Kwik after a flying cross body press in 0:41:07
x Kidman defeated Romeo after a figure-four leglock in 0:42:13
Rating: *** 1/4
(Billy Kidman won the CWA Jr. Heavyweight Title.)
We switch to a current shot of the ring as the Tragic Comedy / Hase & Koshinaka match is already in progress.
MOSS: Due to this show being only one hour, we had to move ahead in the next match.
Hiroshi
Hase & Shiro Koshinaka v. Tragic Comedy
Overview:
Most fans at the show had no idea who Hase & Koshinaka were so the two
Japanese veterans had to win the crowd over with their skill and
technique. Against a brawl based duo like Hugh Morrus and Matt Borne, this
proved to be even a more difficult task. Morrus and Borne started off
strong - but the wily duo from the Orient slowly began to test the stamina of
their opponents. At the 15-minute mark, Hase was in control after hitting
Morrus with a various assortment of stiff kicks and submission holds.
After making the tag to Koshinaka, they whipped Morrus into the ropes and
attempted a double clothesline which Morrus ducked. Morrus then pulled off
a clothesline on both men then struggled to make the hot tag. Borne tagged
in and quickly knocked Hase outside with a forearm then drilled Koshinaka with
one as well. As he came off the ropes to deliver what looked like a
clothesline, Koshinaka drilled him with a stiff crescent kick. Showing
surprising cockiness, Koshinaka slowly picked Borne up off the mat to for a
neckbreaker, but Borne managed to slip behind and, while Morrus took out Hase,
hit a German suplex that knocked Koshinaka loopy enough for the three count.
Tragic Comedy defeated
Hiroshi Hase and Shiro Koshinaka when M. Borne pinned Koshinaka after a German
suplex in 0:18:17.
Rating: ** 1/2
BACKSTAGE TAPED INTERVIEW
BUFF BAGWELL
Kevin Moss is standing in a backstage hallway alongside Buff Bagwell.
MOSS - Buff, tonight you have a match against Billy Gunn. You two have never fought before - what will be your strategy?
BUFF - Strategy? Against Billy Gunn? Listen, Billy looks real good - he doesn't have "the stuff", but he doesn't look real bad either. I am gonna hate to mess him up. I have the fans behind me all the way so there is nothing I can't do. He can be called "The One", "Mr. Ass", whatever...it doesn't matter - because he doesn't have "the stuff" to match up with Buff Bagwell.
Buff drops to one knee and does his standard double bicep pose.
Match for the
vacant CWA Midwest Title:
Buff Bagwell v. Billy Gunn
Overview: Buff
was definitely out of stuff early as it appeared the gas tank was empty after
only two minutes in. The only thing that seemed to keep the crowd into
this match at all was the comedic aspects of each of them admiring the others
physique. Even the ending was blown, as Gunn had Bags set up for the
Fameasser but when he came off the ropes to hit the move Bagwell nailed a
dropkick. The speed Gunn was carrying on the move made him fall underneath
Bagwell and together they came down in some tangled mess. Gunn's shoulders
were down for the three count however, and Bagwell wins the Midwest Title.
Match for the
vacant CWA Midwest Title:
Buff Bagwell pinned Billy Gunn after a dropkick in
0:07:29.
Rating: 3/4*
(Buff Bagwell won the CWA Midwest Title.)
TAPED INTERVIEW
COMMISSIONER RICHARD CORGAN
CORGAN - Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you have enjoyed the show so far and I hope you will enjoy the following matches that are a part of a tournament to crowd our very first Heavyweight champion. I personally wanted to give you this message of thanks for watching and we shall continue our efforts to give you the finest in wrestling action in the area. Over the next several weeks you will see numerous superstars come through the Kansas City area and we hope that they will stick around and give us a try. Hopefully, in months and years to come, we can expand our horizons as well as our broadcast, but most importantly, our mission is to please you, the fans. Thank you for your time.
BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW
BOOKER T
MOSS - Booker, you have never faced anyone as quick and as fast as Super Delfin. Will you alter your style to adjust to this?
BOOKER - Adjust my style? Since when have know Booker T to adjust to any style sucka? Like my momma always says, "Want some - get some." You see Super Delfin - I respect you - I respect how you wrestle. But see sucka, you gots to come down to earth sometime and when you do - I'll be there to greet ya.
CWA
World Heavyweight Tournament Round 1:
Super Delfin v.
Booker T
Overview: A
serious clash in styles here as Booker brings in solid mat style against the
super fast Delfin. Booker, with a decisive weight advantage, was not able
to use it as he has difficulty countering the hit and run tactics of Delfin.
The match itself was one that had the fans on the edge of their seat through
most of the match, as Delfin amazed them with his aerial style. Delfin
appeared to have Booker dazed, confused, and just plain wore out at the 8-minute
mark when Delfin went for a flying senton outside of the ring. Booker had
his wits about him however, and dodged the attack to gain control of the
match. Delfin would come back briefly, but was drilled with a scissor kick
on an attempted backdrop attempt. A missile dropkick later, and a great
match all-around was over.
CWA
World Heavyweight Tournament Round 1:
Booker T pinned Super Delfin with the Missle Dropkick in 0:11:37.
Rating: ***
CWA
World Heavyweight Tournament Round 1:
Ultimo Dragon v.
Hayabusa
Overview: This
TV Main Event ended up being the one heck of a standard for others to
follow. Dragon and Hayabusa had the crowd on their feet the ENTIRE 15
minutes! Both men were coming off serious injuries in their careers both
their show inside the ring made it seem like they were never gone. The
match had everything, countless near falls, endless counters, and the Dragon
attempting the Dragon Sleeper at least six times. These two seemed as
fresh at the 15-minute mark as they were at the beginning of the match as they
continuously battled back and forth. Hayabusa was in control and prepared
to bodyslam Dragon in preparation for his Firebird Splash. Dragon,
however, had other ideas as he floated behind Hayabusa and finally locked in the
Dragon Sleeper on the way back. With the ropes just out of his grasp,
Hayabusa had no choice but to tap out.
CWA
World Heavyweight Tournament Round 1:
Ultimo Dragon made Hayabusa submit to the Dragon Sleeper in 0:15:04.
Rating: *****
Matches Signed For
Next Week!
K-Kwik battles
Mike Quackenbush!
The Blue Boy will face off with Justin Credible!
Test, Robert Gibson, and Dennis Knight will battle for the TV
Title!
Cyd Killjoy will take on Dustin Rhodes in another World
Heavyweight Tournament match!
The Rock will go to war with the returning Shawn Michaels in the last
first round tournament match!