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Mohammad Akbar vs. Hacksaw Duggan
Akbar started cutting a promo about how he was rich thanks to oil money. Duggan cut him off on the screen and pulled out Old Glory, leading chant of "USA". Duggan stomped to the ring.
Akbar nailed him as he got in the ring but Duggan fired back, backdropped him and chased Akbar out of the ring. Duggan led a "USA" chant. Akbar charged back in but was nailed again. Akbar worked him over in the corner but Duggan fought back and nailed a series of hiptosses. Akbar ran off again.
Back in the ring, Akbar cut off Duggan and choked him on the mat. Akbar locked in a side chinlock. Duggan made a comeback but missed a charge in the corner. Akbar locked on another side chinlock. Akbar tried to slam him into the tunbuckles but Duggan blocked it and started cleaning house.
Duggan nailed a running clothesline and scored the pin.
Your winner, Hacksaw Duggan!
Your basic Hacksaw vs. foreign menace match but it was fine for what it was meant to be.
Backstage, Akbar claimed there was shady officiating and that's why he lost. He said he couldn't believe he lost his PPV debut and promised Duggan hadn't seen the last of him. Duggan, in the ring, responded, "Blah Blah Blah Blah" and led another "USA" chant.
Chris Graham interviewed Alex Silva. He was asked about Finlay. He said he's not really about talking the talk but is more about walking the walk. Silva said he was going to show Finlay what he has in store in the ring. Silva has a good muscular look. His promo was pretty generic.
Bill Apter interviewed Finlay. Finlay said he's heard a lot about Silva and he's really talented but questioned if he really thinks Finlay is going to go home to his family and admit someone put him out of the business. Finlay said he's run across people like him for years that make all those claims but he's still here. Finlay said he's a wrestling ambassador and he's pities Silva. He said Silva is going to have to deal with the best wrestler he'll ever step into the ring with and will have to tell his children that Finlay tore him apart.
Dave Finlay (with Tammy Sytch) vs. Alex Silva
Silva and Sytch each cut short promos. Sytch said she was the original Diva and a 2011 Hall of Famer but she was here to be with the future of the business.
They locked up and Silva backed Finlay into the corner then broke clean. Finlay grabbed a side headlock. They went for test of strength and Finlay began tying him up and working him over. Other than William Regal and Daniel Bryan, I don't think anyone is as good as Finlay mechanically in the ring. It's just so good to watch.
Silva went to the outside but returned to the ring, where Finlay took him down. Silva slipped out and grabbed Finlay in a head scissors. Finlay rolled out and grabbed a side headlock. Finlay shoulderblocked Silva down while rebounding off the ropes but Silva rolled out to break up the momentum.
Finlay snapped him down with a single leg takedown and tied up the leg. Finlay began dropping knees across his shin and ankle. Finlay locked up his leg but Silva grabbed the ropes to break it. Finlay used a waistlock takedown. He covered Silva and nailed a series of European uppercuts.
Finlay used a headlock takeover but Silva reversed it. Nice clinic from Finlay so far. Silva scissored Finlay's head. Finlay tried to bridge his way out of it. They went back and forth. Finlay ended up on the outside. Back in the ring, Finlay used an armdrag and floated over, locking in a rear chinlock. Finlay scored a two count and went back to the rear chinlock, controlling Silva on the mat. Larry Zbyszko actually did a great job explaining what Finlay was doing.
Finlay scored several more near falls but Silva kept kicking out. Finlay nailed a neckbreaker for another two count. Tammy Sytch complained to the referee. Finlay landed on his leg while going up and over in the corner and went down hurt. The referee backed off Silva. Finlay tried to walk on the leg but was limping. The referee backed off Silva and Sytch slapped Finlay while he was on the mat.
Finlay tried to get back on his feet but went back down in the corner. Sytch grabbed at Finlay, choking him. Finlay rolled to the outside, trying to walk it off. Silva went after him on the outside as the referee checked on Finlay but was held back by the ref. Silva grabbed the mic and asked if that was how Finlay was going to do this. He said Finlay was a shark who wasn't scared of anyone but yet, in front of all the fans, he was being a coward. Finlay, who was being walked out, turned around. Silva said if he wants a fight, let's go.
Finlay returned to the ring but Silva took his led out immediately. Silva worked him over, driving the leg into the mat. Finlay went to the floor again, where Sytch slapped him. Silva worked over Finlay in the aisle. Finlay rolled back into the ring, where Silva covered him for a two count and then used a leglock.
Silva locked in an anklelock. He then went to work on Finlay's knee, snapping it. Finlay finally mounted a comeback but was nailed by Silva. Finlay caught Silva inside the curtain of the ring apron and worked him over with a series of body shots. Finlay went to return to the ring and was sent back outside. They battled to the announcing table. Silva kicked at Finlay's leg. Back in the ring, Silva went for a chop block but Finlay stepped away from it and started coming back with shot after shot. One of them bloodied Silva's nose.
Finlay nailed a forward roll for a two count. He mounted a comeback but Sytch nailed a lowblow and Silva rolled him up and scored the pin.
Your winner, Alex Silva!
Match was OK but it seemed like they were building to the fake Finlay injury spot and never got there. Sytch added nothing to the bout. Finlay's work was just awesome in the ring. Silva had a good showing as well.
Silva, with his nose swollen and bloody, cut a promo mocking Finlay and saying he beat him. Finlay went to the back. He cut a promo saying that he's done dirty things too and what comes around, goes around. He said Silva had better have left the building or Finlay is going to drag him back to the ring and beat him across the building.
Short Sleeve Sampson vs. Abo Shongo
They announced Shongo but Sampson came out instead. He cut a promo to get the crowd into it. Shongo is 5'7. He worked over on Sampson in the corner with kicks and punches. Sampson went up and over to avoid and charge and nailed a running headbutt to the corner.
Sampson grabbed Shongo's neck with his legs and sent him to the outside. Sampson teased hitting a dive to the floor but Shongo ducked down. When he went to return to the ring, Sampson crotched him with the rope. Sampson kicked him hard and covered him but was kicked off onto the ref. The ref tossed him back and so on and so on.
Shongo nailed Sampson with a clothesline and slammed him down. He measured Sampson and nailed a running kick to the back. He locked in a cravate and then a Dragon Sleeper. Sampson kicked Shongo away but was caught with a clothesline for two count.
Shongo went back to the Dragon Sleeper, which Zbyszko called "a neck hold." Really. Sampson fired his way out but was caught while attempting a high cross bodyblock. He was nailed with the World's Strongest Slam. Sampson was covered but Shongo pulled him up for a two count. Shongo went for a move but landed on Sampston's shoulders and was dropped down forward on his face.
Sampson nailed an airplane spin. He bulldogged Shongo and went for the Worm but Shongo rolled out of the ring. Sampson nailed a dive to the outside, which the cameras pretty much missed. Shongo went for powder but missed and had it kicked into his face. Sampson hit an X-Factor and nailed a top rope splash for the pin.
Your winner, Short Sleeve Sampson!
Cruiser said he hoped Sampson had a future in the "AWA." Whoops!
For a PPV billed as "wrestling the way it used to be", this really stood out as this stranghe hybrid of midget comedy and Sampson working a competitive bout with someone much larger than him. Not entertaining but you have to respect the effort Sampson put in. They seemed to be out there way too long, just like the previous match so the timing on the PPV got screwed up somewhere.
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