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Welcome to PWInsider.com's live, ongoing coverage of the Awesome Wrestling Entertainment debut PPV "The Night of Champions."
The PPV featured a 30 minute pre-game show, featuring promos from Finlay, Hacksaw Duggan and The Rock N' Roll Express. The promos and the presentation were old school as you can expect but also entertaining.
Kevin Nash cut a promo on The Rock N' Roll Express, referencing what they did to "Marvin" (promoter Marvin Ward, who was Nash's original partner but was attacked and laid out by the Express) but never explained who Marvin was or why a new viewer should care who about it.
They replayed the promos three times.
AWE NIGHT OF LEGENDS PPV
Former WCW announcer Chris Cruise welcomed everyone to the PPV stating that "AWE is made in America." He was flanked by Dutch Mantel and Larry Zbyszko. They noted that their first match was a bout that was originally scheduled in 1999 but would take place tonight - Dreamer vs. Funk. Zbyszko said that time only fears the pyramids and Terry Funk. They talked about the main event.
Tommy Dreamer vs. Terry Funk - No DQ
Chris Cruise kept referring to Funk as a former NWA champion. I guess the fact these guys were both former ECW champions as well? The announcer claimed that Funk and Dreamer didn't want to wait, which is why this is opening the show.
Funk called for the mic as the bell rang. He was playing heel. Funk said that he wanted to tell Tommy and the fans something. He said that he got a physical from a doctor who told Funk he was too old to wrestle but Terry wanted to come here for Virginia and for Dreamer. He said Dreamer said he's been Funk's friend since he had pimples and greasy hair. Funk said he might be 105 but they say the older you get, the meaner you get and he struck Dreamer with the mic.
Funk tossed Dreamer to the floor and worked him over with right hands, then tossed him into the barricade. Dreamer nailed Funk with a fan's soda and nailed several right hands. He slammed Funk into the ringside table, flipping it over. He tried to whip Funk into the table but Funk reversed it and Dreamer took a flip bump into it on the floor.
Funk started throwing chairs at Dreamer and gave him an atomic drop on the railing. He then chopped Dreamer off the railing. Funk tossed Dreamer back into the ringFunk began peppering him with headbutts. He hurt his own head doing it. He started nailing headbutts on all fours. Dreamer ended up on the outside. Funk followed and tossed Dreamer into the railing again.
Funk argued with fans, allowing Dreamer to get a drink and spray it into Funk's eyes. Several chairs were tossed into the ring. Dreamer tried to send Funk into a chair which fell over. Dreamer fixed it and rebounded off the ropes but it fell again. Dreamer took a step toehold into the chair. Funk began beating Dreamer's leg with the chair. Funk locked on the spinning toehold. Dreamer responded by nailing him in the head with a chair.
Dreamer nailed Funk again and small packaged Funk, pinning him. It looked like the referee screwed up the call.
Your winner, Tommy Dreamer!
Funk attacked the referee and threw him across the ring hard.
Funk threw a chair at Dreamer and walked off.
It was an OK brawl but the finish sucked. Really short and disappointing given all the history involved.
Chris Graham interviewed Jamin Olivencia. He was asked what he had in store for Sonjay Dutt. He said that he beat Dutt the first time they wrestled and Dutt has to cry and whined about it. He said he used to be a loser and complained too but one day, he woke up and realized who he was and after that day, he became a winner. Olivencia cut a good promo. He said that if Dutt wants him tonight, good, he wants that too. Graham called him on cheating last time and he said, forget about the past. He said Dutt is going to wish he was Olivencia tonight. He promised to have the whole world notice and that he would change the atmosphere at any given moment.
They went to Bill Apter, interviewing Sonjay Dutt for his response. He said that Jamin figured it all out and said that he wants to be a liar and a cheater too. He said that he's going to show Jamin that he's fine being him and on the biggest stage of them all, Jamin better have his "A" game ready. Dutt said that he's the best high flying wrestler in the world.
Sonjay Dutt vs. Jamin Olivencia
They had some nice back and forth wrestling early. Olivencia has a really good swagger to his work. Olivencia escaped a side headlock and tackled Dutt. Dutt slapped him and drilled him with a dropkick. He nailed another and Olivencia went to the floor. Dutt went for a dive but Olivencia ran out of the way. He hit the ring and nailed a flying punch on Dutt.
Olivencia worked over Dutt in the corner but Dutt fired back. He went for a springboard move but Dutt's legs were grabbed and he was slammed down hard to the matt. Olivencia covered him for a two count. He worked over Dutt with shots to the chest and the punch.
Olivencia suplexed Dutt and nailed a running splash for another two count. Olivencia scored several two counts but couldn't get the job done. Olivencia slammed his hands down on the mat in frustration. He grabbed a side chinlock. Dutt fought his way out and nailed a rana, sending Jamin to the outside. Dutt hit a springboard moonsault off the top rope to the floor.
Dutt rolled him back in and covered Jamin for a two count. Jamin cut him off and nailed a running splash in the corner. He went for another but was hit with a Yakuza kick. Dutt hit a springboard splash but Olivencia kicked up at the last second.
Olivencia missed a charge in the corner. Dutt nailed a kick using the ropes for leverage. They went back and forth with strikes. Olivencia went for a back suplex and Dutt slipped out, almost being dumped on his head in the process. He struck Olivencia and both were down and nearly counted out by the referee.
They went back and forth with forearm strikes. Dutt went for a sunset flip but Olivencia grabbed the ropes. The ref kicked his arms off and Dutt scored a two count. Olivencia collided with the referee and hit his finisher, the O Drop, scoring the pin.
Your winner, Jamin Olivencia!
Good back and forth athletic match. Nice showing from each man.
Zbyszko and Mantel tried to tell Olivencia that Cruise was burying him.
They showed some replays after the match.
Some guy named Hank came out and said he wanted to watch Perry Saturn. He buried Saturn. They later started calling him Rick Garrison and stated he was the AWE President.
CW Anderson was interviewed backstage. He said that every PPV he's on, he has the match of the night and he's going to do the same thing. Anderson was told the pressure was on him and he asked how that could be since Saturn hasn't been in the business for the last nine years. Anderson said when he was done, Saturn can go back to living under the bridge he was under all this time.
Perry Saturn was interviewed. Saturn acted like he didn't know who Anderson was and joked around. He said that he was going to be serious for a minute. He said that Anderson could kick his ass, "but he's going to have to."
CW Anderson vs. Saturn
Saturn was way heavier than he ever was during his legitimate career. He was running around like a fat Rick Steiner early. Saturn shoulderblocked Anderson and peppered him with punches in the corner. He nailed a T-Bone Tazplex on Anderson.
He nailed a head scissors, sending Anderson to the apron. Saturn nailed him with a punch off the apron. Anderson grabbed a chair. Saturn went for a dive but Anderson cracked him in face with the chair. The shot cut Saturn open hardway above the eye. Anderson brought him back into the ring and nailed a big right hand. He ran Saturn shoulder-first into the turnbuckles.
Anderson began working over Saturn's arm, focusing on it. Saturn fired back but Anderson went right back after the shoulder. He grabbed an armbar and cinched it. Anderson nailed him with a big right and covered him for a two count. Anderson tossed him to the outside again. Anderson used the ringpost to snap Saturn's arm.
Anderson snapped Saturn's arm over the ropes. Saturn went to the floor, hurt but returned to the ring. Anderson grabbed the arm and went back to work on it. Saturn fought back and nailed several right hands. Anderson cut him off with a right his own and covered Saturn for a two count, then went back to the armbar again.
Anderson kept beating on Saturn's armbar. Saturn went to the floor. Anderson slammed Saturn's arm on the stairs. They must have been told not to say ECW on the broadcast as there were some clumsy references to "wrestlers who changed the business" a few times by Chris Cruise. Saturn made a comeback (including blowing right through Anderson's superkick) with a series of rights and a clothesline. He covered Anderson for a two count.
Anderson came back with the spinebuster for a two count. Anderson went for a backdrop but Saturn sunset flipped him into a lousy looking finish.
Your winner, Perry Saturn!
They tried to paint this as some great comeback for Saturn, but the reality was that Anderson carried the entire thing while Saturn showed up in pretty bad shape and his timing was waaaay off even for a pretty basic match. They were probably going too long too. Anderson's work was good.
Chris Graham interviewed Mohammad Akbar. They showed a promo from a previous show where he cut a pretty good promo saying he was made rich by America's addiction to Oil. He then cut a good promo saying America plundered and rape the natural resources of the Middle East for America's benefits and that ends tonight. He said his name means Mohammad the Great and he is the champion of his people's cause. He said AWE is his platform to change things. He said he was going to take out Hacksaw Duggan. He promised we'd all know Akbar means the great.
Bill Apter interviewed Hacksaw Duggan. He said he was on an Akbar hunt. He said he's not an old timer sitting around feeding the ducks. He said he's been fighting tough guys from all over the world. He said when he comes out, there will be thousand of people chanting "USA." He said that he's going to be lacing up his boots and people will be chanting. He said fans ask him if he ever gets tired of fighting in the ring. He said he never does because it's his life's work. He said he was going to kick open the doors and kick Akbar's head in. Duggan can still cut a hell of a promo.
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