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Reno Riggins joined Michael Graham on commentary. Graham brought up Riggins short-lived comeback to active competition (defeating Kid Kash for the SAW title). Reno said being at the desk was safer and more enjoyable at this point in his life.
1 – CASSIDY RILEY vs. TAT2
The females were going nuts for Riley and they put him over as a huge star on commentary. Riley overpowered and outwrestled Tat2, who wasted no time resorting to shortcuts. Riley was ready for Tat2’s aerial game and kept him grounded with a series of arm drags. Riley put an exclamation point on the criss-cross with a powerslam for a near fall. Tat2 managed to crotch Riley on the top rope and unleashed his flying arsenal. Tat2 stunned Riley with a corner dropkick and tried for a vertical suplex. Riley reversed it into his slingshot falcon arrow finisher, but Tat2 slipped away and dropkicked Riley in the back of the head. Riley blocked Tat2’s 619, but a ropes-assisted enzuigiri found its mark. Tat2 made an ill-advised trip to the top rope. Riley cut him off and hit a superplex that left both men down. Riley used a handspring back elbow and a BIG clothesline to set up the slingshot falcon arrow for the 1-2-3.
WINNER: Riley in 7:30 with a slingshot falcon arrow.
Beth Brightwell was with Derrick King regarding the three-way main event for the SAW Tag Team Championship. King said his partner, TD, wasn’t there so he was going to find himself a new one.
2 – LUKE GALLOWS vs. PAUL LEE
Lee said he was the real nature boy. Well, at least Lee had the nature boy hair. It was bell to bell decimation. Gallows ended the carnage with the Twelfth Step.
WINNER: Gallows in 1:45 with the Twelfth Step.
Brightwell was with Johnny Bandana and wouldn’t you know it? His partner, Cody Melton, was also MIA. Bandana left and King showed up looking for him. Brightwell’s impulse was to follow King, but she stopped short. C’mon Beth Where’s your sense of adventure?
Jesse Emerson told Brightwell she needed to step it up on the introduction. Emerson said Micah Taylor was an irresponsible whiner just like the criminal he dealt with at the DA’s office (Emerson is legit prosecuter in the DA’s office in Indianapolis). He threatened to twist Taylor up like a pretzel. “J is for justice. J is for Jesse.”
As Emerson made his way to the ring, a video clip showed Emerson doing damage to Micah’s knee in their previous match.
3 – JESSE EMERSON vs. MICAH TAYLOR
Much quieter crowd for this match. Reno was off doing something backstage Graham said Roxy Rossi was missing from Emerson’s corner because she was back in beauty school for the seventh time. Micah attacked Emerson’s knee with a vengeance. Emerson was looking majorly gimpy by the four minute mark. Emerson rocked Micah with a jawbreaker and connected with a picture perfect standing dropkick as we went to a break. Emerson paid the price for running his mouth and Micah hit an elbow drop off the ropes. Both men worse for wear. They traded heavy blows. Micah on the comeback with a dropkick of his own for a long two count. Micah hit a release german suplex and ventured to the top rope. Emerson knocked Micah off his perch. Emerson back with a hanging DDT, but Micah got a foot under the ropes. Emerson pouted. Emerson used ref Jesse Field as a human shield, causing Fields to eat Micah’s dropkick. Emerson clocked Micah with a chain. Tracy Taylor jumped up on the apron to protest. Emerson intimidated her. Micah was dead weight when Emerson tried to scrape him off the mat. Emerson finally got Micah positioned for a vertical suplex, and Micah countered with a small package out of the blue.
WINNER: Taylor in 8:50.
Graham pitched to Brightwell in the locker room with one half of the tag team champions, Jeff “The Crippler” Daniels. His partner was also missing and Daniels said King had something to do with it. Daniels said he still had Dominique in his corner and they would prevail.
Grumpy’s Bail Jumper of the Week hosted by “Bond Girl” Leah Hulan. This weeks’ featured bail jumper --- Derik Dunkle~! Hulan said Dunkle’s wife just had a baby and his family had just suffered a loss, but he couldn’t be there because he was afraid to face the consequences. Hulan encouraged Dunkle to turn himself in. “It’s never as bad as you think it’s going to be.”
4 – SAW Tag Team Title Match (minus tag partners) – Champion JEFF DANIELS (with Dominique) vs. DERRICK KING (with Sista O’Feelyah) vs. JOHNNY BANDANA
Graham was at a loss to explain the tag title being on the line in a match with no tag partners. The story of the match was the on-again off-again teamwork between King and Daniels. When Bandana slipped out of the ring, King and Daniels tried to roll each other up on the sly. King and Daniels tried to double up on Bandana, but he took them both down with a high crossbody. King and Daniels worked together to wear Bandana down, then broke up each other’s pin attempts. Back from the break, King punched Daniels with a foreign object, sending him out of the ring. King choked Bandana with his wrist tape. A very pregnant O’Feelyah interfered. Graham was freaking out that she got physically involved in the match. King and Bandana knocked noggins, and Daniels crawled back in to cover Bandana for a two count. Bandana had Daniels pinned with a backslide but Dominque distracted the ref. King and Daniels went for tandem backdrop, and Bandana countered with a double DDT. Josephus showed up to take the tag from Daniels. Mass destruction ensued. Josephus choke slammed King, but Bandana jumped on the monster’s back with a sleeper. Ref Joe Williams got bumped. As Josephus went to one knee, Daniels clocked Bandana with the title belt. Bandana kicked out at 2 and ¾. Bandana kicked out a second time. Daniels wanted the belt again, but Drew Haskins (King’s former protégé) ran to ringside, grabbed the belt from Dominique and nailed Daniels with it. Bandana covered Daniels and Haskins broke it up with a belt shot off the top, busting Bandana’s mouth open the hardway. Dominique draped Daniels’ arm across Bandana, but Haskins pulled Daniels out of the ring, giving King the opening he needed to pin Daniels, and we have new tag team champions.
WINNER(S): Derrick King Enterprises (Derrick King & Drew Haskins) to regain the SAW Tag Team Championship in 11 minutes.
Reno was in shock at the sight of Haskins celebrating with King.
Afterthoughts: The trend of better quality wrestling matches continued on this episode. The problem is that the stories lack punch. This show only had the one story– the impromptu captain’s match for the tag titles. SAW needs to be put a moratorium on running MIA wrestler angles. Seems like they do one every other week. One of the hazards of taping four weeks of TV at a stretch is how badly screwed they are by no shows/cancelations/injuries. With that said, the finish of the main was a nice swerve. Happiness is Haskins turning heel again, because he was the pits as a babyface, on purpose I hope. SAW needs to be put a moratorium on running MIA wrestler angles. The show got off to strong start with Riley vs. Tat2. Crowd was hot for it. The work was crisp and they didn’t do too much early on, so the big moves down the stretch stood out. Riley looked very good and he was over. The Gallows squash was the right thing to do to cement the idea that he’s an unstoppable monster. Emerson vs. Taylor was also good, but lacked the heat of the opener. It made perfect sense for Micah to seek revenge by going after Emerson’s knee. Good to see Taylor’s status as a married couple being incorporated into the storyline. However, it was disappointing to see the A-Team story dropped for time being due to the absence of Rudy Charles. Had to laugh out loud at the explanation for Roxy’s absence. The lighting had a pronounced reddish tinge this week, but I’ll take that anyday over the hideous lighting from those halide gym lamps…The return of live commentary was a welcome change. Now if they can only get Reno to stay put for the entire hour. An OK show overall.
SAW has opened a video-on-demand service A HEF=http://www.twnworldwide.com/twnsaw.htm” target=”new”>]here. Episodes 181-194 are currently available for 99 cents per episode. SAW airs at 10pm Saturdays in Nashville on CW58 and streams via America One at wvvh.com - 9pm Fridays.
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