for the week ended 12.15.2001

Last Week - "Mr. Wrestling" Nick Dinsmore and the Damaga beat Boland Services (Sean O'Haire and Mr. Black) due to heel miscommunication. Subsequently, there's trouble in Boland's camp. Jim Cornette called out the "Machine" Doug Basham to publicly fire him since he was no longer OVW champ and his dismissal wouldn't devalue the belt. However, Basham produced a magic contract that said he couldn't be fired and that he could also purchase 25% of OVW for the dirt-cheap price of $25,000. This brought out Basham's uncle and OVW founder/owner Danny Davis who took his nephew to the woodshed. The OVW Southern Tag Team Champs, the Suicide Blondes (Jason Lee and Derrick King) and the Disciples of Syn (Damien and Pain) wrestled to a DQ when the returning Shelton Benjamin of the Minnesota Stretching Crew interfered and chaired the Disciples in retaliation for their manager Syn throwing a fireball in his partner, Brock Lesnar's face, costing them a shot at the Blonde's belts. D'Lo Brown beat Mark Henry in a strap match probably the same way you've seen the heel win every other strap match in the last 10 years. Flash Flanagan beat Trailer Park Trash in a brutal, bloody street fight to become #1 contender for the OVW heavyweight title, and Leviathan that title by defeating Bull Buchanan.

Opening match: Prototype (w/the CEO of Boland Services, "King" Kenny Boland and "BS" briefcase) vs. the "Ironman" Rob Conway.

Conway gives his sunglasses (the sun DID set on cool, I suppose), to the referee and we are underway. Feeling out process to start and they trade arm drags. Prototype is slung into the ropes and tries a leapfrog, but Conway manipulates that into an atomic drop and before he can perform a superkick, the Prototype bails to get some advice from Boland. Conway slides out to foolishly continue his assault, but Prototype slides back in the ring while Boland holds onto Conway's leg preventing him from using the ropes to launch himself back on top of Prototype. Lateral press of Conway by Prototype, but it only gets two. Another attempt at the same move, another two count. Blind charge by Prototype into the corner, but is still able to achieve a two count, because as he fell back from the corner, Conway tried to catch and slam him, but didn't have enough leverage to get Prototype up for any type of move. Prototype kicks Conway down in the corner, which pisses off Conway who makes a mini-comeback complete with superkick, which turns out to be for naught because he's too worn out from the comeback to take advantage and try for a pin. Both men back up and a wrestling sequence that sees Conway get a neckbreaker on Prototype ensues. Unfortunately for Conway, as he covers, Boland gets up on the apron to distract the referee who stops his count at two. Prototype, of course, recovers and simply slams Conway for the win.

Winner: Prototype via slam at 4:54

Post match, Conway takes out his frustrations on Prototype and Boland, which brings out the rest of Boland Services. The Damaga and "Mr. Wrestling" Nick Dinsmore come out to make the save and chase Mr. Black and O'Haire off, but Prototype gives a chairshot to the Damaga as we go to a commercial break.

When we come back they show last week's class of Contracts 101 with your professor, Doug Basham. After we've sat thru that we see OVW owner Danny Davis (who's sitting in front of a blue screen that plays the show's opening sequence behind him). He apologizes to the fans and the wrestlers of OVW for getting involved by punking out his nephew last week. He retired 8 years ago to found OVW and he is now a promoter, and TV time is for wrestlers. He also says that his lawyers tell him that because of the contract he signed with Basham 8 years ago (or last week to you and me) he cannot fire the Machine from OVW, however, they will fight the purchase clause in a court of law. He finishes up by looking directly into the camera and saying, "Doug, from me to you, you will never, and I mean never hold one cent of OVW, as long as I'm breathing. Never."

When we come back, we get an update on the Damaga from Nick Dinsmore. The doctor's say he has a concussion and can't wrestle tonight so Dinsmore is in need of a tag team partner for his shot at the Suicide Blonde's belts. He asks Corntette's permission to tag with Rob Conway (He is the Ironman, after all) and Jim agrees. That match will be later tonight.

We're shown footage of last week's tag title match where Syn scalped Sistah Sharmel revealing her to only be Sharmel Sullivan (who knew!?), and Shelton Benjamin ran in and chaired anything that moved.

David Flair and Mark Jindrak vs. Damien and Pain (w/Syn - who is at least wearing pants tonight - and Connie Swayle).

Damien and Jindrak (one half of the Deuce Horsemen?) start out. Damien slings Jindrak into the corner and kicks him down. Cornette furthers the storyline of everyone wanting a shot at David Flair to beat the crap out of him and impress Vince McMahon who's got his problems with the Flair family. Jindrak tags in Flair who takes his beating from Damien. He charges Flair in the corner, but David puts the boot up and then slams him. David continues with some slightly sloppy offense, that shows his continuing progress and knowledge of the moves, but lack of strength. Cheapshot from Pain on the outside on Flair allows them to double-team Flair as the ref is busy keeping Jindrak from coming in to put a stop to it. Long beatdown segment on Flair by the Disciples until they screw up and the hot tag is made to Jindrak. Standing dropkicks to both Disciples, but Damien is able to recover and toss Jindrak to the outside so Syn and Swayle can kick him like a dog while the Disciples but the double beatdown on Flair. DDT, then double powerbomb, or sky-high, but Shelton Benjamin again runs in. Foreign object of the week: Pool cue.

Winners: No contest, DQ for interference at 4:50

When we return Dean Hill is in the ring with the "Machine," Doug Basham (sans S&M mask) and sexy Queen Victoria. Machine is very pleased with himself these days (despite no longer being the OVW champion, I guess). He laughs at Cornette and Davis chewing their nails the past few months trying to find someone to beat him for the OVW title so they could fire him, knowing all the while that they couldn't terminate him contractually. His lawyers are telling him the same thing Davis' are, that he can't be fired, and that the option to purchase 25% of the company will have to be decided in court. He wonders how eager his uncle will be to pop him one once they are sitting together at the conference table and when he knows that he will need his vote to be able to run the company at all. It's all about CONTROL and the Machine is in total control of the situation, apparently. As a token of his appreciation for Victoria's loyalty, he bestows upon her a diamond tiara and says that currently, she is the Queen of the Revolution, but soon, she'll be the Queen of OVW, itself. Victoria is ecstatic, and quite turned on by the coronation, but before they get down and dirty in the ring, cooler heads prevail, and they retire to get it on backstage in front of all the boys, I guess. Opinion: Victoria, who was once one of the Godfather's "ho's" is one hot woman. She seems like a Chyna-lite to me. She's not freakishly huge, either in the chest or the arms, and she looks like she's always been a woman (chuckle). If she's actually training here, and I'm assuming she is, she should be a player in the WWF's women's division (if they continue to try to get Trish over as a legit champion), and will probably be Women's champ at some point, or somebody else's hot valet. Either way.

OVW Southern Tag Team Title Match: "Ironman" Rob Conway and "Mr. Wrestling" Nick Dinsmore vs. the Suicide Blondes (Derrick King and Jason Lee w/Sistah Sharmel - wearing the blonde wig again this week).

Dinsmore and Lee lock up to start, and Cornette is still aghast over Machine and Victoria's display in the ring. Dean Hill spouts history about Dinsmore and Conway having been an up-and-coming OVW tag team when they first started out, but found success individually over the past couple of years, with Dinsmore having been OVW champion at one point. Lee works over Conway, suddenly shedding the cowardly heel role the Blondes usually play, and very viciously takes over the match, kicking Dinsmore down in the corner, and taking a cheap shot at Conway on the apron. Double-teaming and triple teaming (with Sharmel) ensues. Lee tries a Blonde(moon)sault, but Dinsmore moves and is able to tag in Conway. It all breaks loose with Dinsmore and Lee on the outside (distracting the referee), so Sistah Sharmel throws in one of the belts to King who pastes Conway with it. However, the distracted referee works against the champs here also, since the count was slightly delayed allowing the Ironman to kick out at two. Enziguri by King to Conway, knocking him out of the ring. Lee drags Dinsmore back in the ring, but heel miscommunication on a superkick attempt knocks Lee out of the ring, allows Dinsmore to push King into the ropes and, thus Sharmel, who was on the apron, and roll King up for the pin and the tag straps!

Winners and new OVW Southern Tag Team Champs: Dinsmore and Conway at 6:15

We cut to taped comments from Mark Henry sitting with Jim Cornette. While Mark would like another shot at D'Lo, he has some outside business to attend to as Arnold Schwarzeneggar himself has invited Mark Henry to compete in the World's Strongest Man competition in 2002. Mark will be leaving OVW to return to Texas to train with the man who coached him to Olympic glory. He thanks OVW and its fans for their hospitality over the last year and a half and he will do his best to win. Good for him.

OVW Heavyweight Championship: "Flash" Flanagan vs. the dominant and charismatic Demon of the Deep Leviathan (w/Syn).

Flash tries to whip Leviathan out of the corner, but the right hand of Satan holds onto the ropes and takes over on Flash. Flash clips Leviathan's knee to get in some offense, but Leviathan simply shakes it off and continues his assault. Many closed fists to Flash, but only a two count, so more punishment is imminent. Cornette talks about Leviathan's year and a half in OVW and how he is virtually unbeatable. He was beaten by Kane at last year's Christmas Chaos and was surprised by Val Venis in a 6 man tag matchup a couple of months ago (with major help from the Minnesota Stretching Crew), but revenge for that was gained the very next week when he powerbombed him into oblivion. Flash, on the other hand, beat Chris Jericho at the Last Dance at the Louisville Gardens this summer, proving his worth to be OVW champion, since he pinned the man who is now the sport's first modern undisputed heavyweight champion. Flash kicks the guardian of the gates of hell in the gut and goes up to the top rope for the whiplash (Buff Blockbuster), but Leviathan kicks out at two. Flash again performs his finishing maneuver on the demon of the deep, but again, only gets a two count. Flash goes to the well a THIRD time, but Leviathan spears him midair and covers for the three count.

Winner and still OVW Heavyweight Champion: Leviathan via spear at 4:16.

Post match, Syn puts the badmouth on Flash and slaps him. Flash gets up and punches Syn in the mush. Big mistake. Leviathan prepares to powerbomb Flash into oblivion, but Trailer Park Trash runs in with a baseball bat so Leviathan and Syn leave. Flash and Trash make up and hug as we're out.

Conclusion: Good show again this week, which was much better on my second viewing when I wasn't reading about the Neil Gaiman/Todd McFarlane imbroglio at Comics Newsarama while trying to pay attention. I'm sensing a heel turn for the Damaga now that he was cost a possible share of half of the tag team titles by coming out to save the man who replaced him in the match. The guy plays a white thug wannabe after all. The Doug Basham contract situation is shaping up to be slightly more interesting than I would have thought, and Leviathan is still a monster. Again, I'm excited to see what happens next. Unfortunately, however, next won't be until after the holidays. There are apparently no television tapings over the holidays so the boys can spend Christmas with their families, so it sounds like clip shows the next couple of weeks, or we go all Perry Mason and see the court battle over the Machine's option to purchase a portion of OVW. I'm guessing the contract situation will drag out over the next couple of months, so it looks like clip shows. I'm going to be busy at work, so I'll probably hold off on recapping action until they return with all-new action next year. If anything interesting happens, I'll let you know, however. Have a great holiday season and see ya next year!!

Thanks for reading.