All-Star Championship Wrestling

Introduction
One day before the highly-anticated END GAME 2009 SuperShow of ACW's, the ACW (All-Star) Arena saw 863 fans coming in for the penultimate episode of the first season of SHOWCASE. Joe Bishop was in the ring, stating that he just had a few things to say. Firstly, he did a bit of hyping for the night's main event which was the Tag Team Elimination Match. Secondly, he informed everybody that ACW's END GAME 2009 SuperShow that was taking place the next night was definitely not going to disappoint anybody. Finally, Bishop expressed his desire for the fans to really get ready for the final episode of SHOWCASE in just a few weeks, for he was sure that every single fan would enjoy the mayhem that would unfurl. With that, Bishop officially announced the episode was about to get underway for real, and the fans went wild!

Orlando Grant vs. John 'The Hammer' Smith
The opening match of the night just so happened to be John 'The Hammer' Smith taking on Orlando Grant. The former made his way down to the ring a'la a runway model. Whether he intended to come off entirely female or not is anybody's guess. John Smith requested for a microphone, and updated the fans that he had the answer to the question he had been most asked: the query behind his nickname of 'The Hammer'. John explained that he was born different from most men, and therefore, felt the need to stand out from everybody else.
While 99% of the male audience rolled their eyes and jeered John, Orlando Grant came running out from the back and got it on with John Smith, not giving the latter any opportunity to bore the rest of the fans with his ramblings. John couldn't cope with the frenzied offense of Orlando, who was constantly tossing Smith over the top rope and out of the ring. Some sort of message for the Academy Rumblus? Most likely.
John finally got back on equal footing in the match, surprising Orlando with a spinebuster and almost earning the win through that. John decided to slow the pace of the match down by several gears, and decided to work over Grant's neck. After a series of belly-to-back suplexes which saw Orlando land on his neck every single time, John went for a sleeper hold. To his surprise, The OG of ACW squirmed out of the sleeper hold just as it was being applied, and dropped to the canvas in a seated position. Orlando then leaned back and shot both his feet up into the jaw of John Smith, which was followed up with a snazzy kip-up! John Smith was on the backfoot once more, being tossed around like a crash-test dummy by the determined Orlando Grant. Eventually, Orlando countered a side leg-sweep attempt into a diamond cutter of sorts, and within moments, had the fans on their feet for his Big Shit Poppin' finisher. 1-2-3, and Orlando picked up the deserved victory!
After the match, Orlando grabbed a microphone and stated that missing the previous episode gave him ample time to prepare his strategy for the Academy Rumblus. The OG of ACW went on to say that it didn't matter when he entered the match, as victory was to be his at any costs! The fans got behind him strongly, and Orlando left thanking the crowd for their support.
Winner: Orlando Grant

Jack Harris sized up his chances of winning the Academy Rumblus
The fans were then treated to a promotional video, featuring The Pikey Madman himself. Jack Harris said he wasn't going to get into a long spiel over why he would win the Rumblus -- he instead assured everybody that after winning the Rumblus, he would rain all sorts of hell down on the so-called mega-stars of ACW and destroy everybody in his quest for dominance. He shot warnings specifically to Orlando Grant and John Sarsgaard, saying that they had better get ready to accept being runners-up.

Pop Culture Phenoms vs. The SOBs
The students of industry legend High Flyer, the Pop Culture Phenoms, were in the ring next making their All-Star Academy debut as a tandem. They were already in the ring by the time the promotional video from Jack Harris ended, and Ed didn't look pleased at not getting an entrance.
But when The SOBs came out, the fans were all riled up and went bananas for their favourite Irish duo. Ed and Klein did rock paper scissors; Klein won and decided to stay outside. Ed and Sheamus started the match off, and within seconds, Ed hit a sweet armdrag. Another series of armlocks and hammerlocks until Sheamus hit an armdrag of his own in response. Both men got to their feet and braced themselves for impact... but they then tagged in their partners.
Klein quickly ducked a clothesline from Selby and hit a neckbreaker that had Sheamus worried on the outside. Klein and Selby traded counters and reversals for a while, with Klein always seemingly one step ahead of his adversary. It came to a point where Klein hit a bodyslam, before swiftly picking Selby up and dropped him down with a suplex. Rolling over, Klein looked to lock in a submission move very similar to the Rings of Saturn. Selby fought out of it, got to his feet and got a great round of cheers by dropkicking Klein out of the ring.
As Ed went to help Klein up, Selby -- spurred on by the fans -- charged ahead and hit the Phenoms with a tope. While the fans went bananas once again, Selby went to town on both Ed and Klein before tossing Klein back into the ring. Sheamus jumped down from the apron and beat on Ed for a bit. In the ring, Selby slapped on a side headlock, having a ton of momentum. Klein fought back valiantly, but ate a DDT for his troubles. No 3-count, but it was very close. Selby continued to dominate Klein for a while, just as Sheamus and a battered Ed returned to their respective corners. After sending Klein to the corner and following up with multiple strikes with his fists, Selby tagged his brother in. Sheamus continued the brawling onslaught, which left Klein in a very bad state. Sheamus paused for a bit to play up to the fans, which gave Ed the chance to run around... and spray Sheamus in the eys with gold mist!
Sheamus staggered backwards, blinded, which gave Klein just enough time to nail him with his TKO. Ed, ignoring the referee's admonishment, pulled the confused Selby off the apron. They brawled up the aisle like a pack of wild dogs fighting over the last piece of meat. In the ring, Klein measured Sheamus up and hit a fantastic shooting star press that impressed many a fan. 1-2-3, and the match was over; the Pop Culture Phenoms pulled off the victory in what could be called a slight upset. The action didn't stop there, though. Near the entrance, Selby and Ed were still brawling. Selby hained the upper-hand on Ed and tossed him off the elevated platform that served as a stage through a table! It wasn't a massive drop, but Ed looked to be mighty hurt. Angry, Selby headed back to the ring to check on Sheamus while Klein ran to tend to Ed.
Winners: Pop Culture Phenoms

John Sarsgaard sized up his chances of winning the Academy Rumblus
Once again, the fans had the chance to see a promotional video related to the Academy Rumblus, and this one featured their favourite John Sarsgaard. Sarsgaard took the time to thank the fans for their overwhelming support, and said that he wasn't going to say he was going to win. Which confused a number of the fans. Sargaard went on to speculate about the odds, and said that he had a 1 in 20 chance of winning, same as everyone else in the match. The man known as having hands of steel, however, did state that he was going to give it his all to try to win, and if he and Jack Harris ever crossed path during the Rumblus, The Unit would be in deep trouble. Sarsgaard chuckled, before announcing that he would make sure The Pikey Madman would regret his actions over the past few months, saying that karma was a force of nature. The fans cheered wildly at Sarsgaard's words, who ended his speech by wishing everyone a good Christmas in advance, and promised to do them proud!

Jack Harris vs. Peter Phoenix
Some might have felt that Peter Phoenix taking on Jack Harris was a mismatch, and that Phoenix was doomed to lose. Yet, Peter -- undefeated thus far -- didn't share the sentiment and came out to the ring for the main event looking as confident as ever. Jack Harris was out a short while later, and he made the mistake of jawing with fans along the way, which gave Peter Phoenix the chance to slip out of the ring and lay a trap.
That trap manifested in a spinning heel kick that caught Harris square in the face, and the impact of the surprise attack sent the Pikey Madman crashing into the steel steps! The fans were going crazy, and Peter followed up with a dropkick to Jack's face that again had the result of The Unit's face colliding with steel. As he was rolled back into the ring, Jack Harris realised he was bleeding from the nose and growled like a bear.
That didn't help his cause, for the gung-ho Australian pit-fighter quickly swept Jack's legs from under him and somehow found the ability to lock in a sharpshooter right in the middle of the ring! The atmosphere was extremely toasty with every single fan on their feet, screaming at Jack Harris to tap out. Alas, Jack's superior strength meant that he was able to drag himself AND Phoenix along with him towards the ropes. Peter didn't want to let go despite Peter grabbing the bottom rope, and almost got himself disqualified for that.
Still, it looked to be smooth sailing for The Warrior From Down Under, who managed to pull off his now-trademark shuffle sidekick. It didn't catch Jack cleanly, and thereby only yielded a very close near-fall. Harris was definitely reeling, and dived out of the ring to catch his breath. Peter gave chase, and got raked in the eyes for his troubles before being dropped neck-first onto the ringside barricade! A raised knee-smash to Peter's face sent the Australian pit-fighter flying backwards... and Peter's back crashed against the edge of the ring apron with some force.
It was no wonder that Jack Harris quickly dragged Peter back into the ring and hit three backbreakers in a row before going for the pin. Peter managed to kick out, urged on by the support of the fans. Jack Harris was firmly in the zone now, and dedicated the next few minutes of offense to weakening the back of Peter Phoenix. The valiant Australian pit-fighter simply would not die; not even when it seemed Harris broke his back in a manner resembling Bane breaking Batman's back way back in the 90s. Phoenix just kept on getting his shoulder up, and going back for more. For a while, it even appeared as if Phoenix was mounting a comeback, rolling underneath a big boot attempt from Harris and following up with a flying scissors kick that had many a flashbulb going off in the arena.
Harris was also one resilient competitor, kicking out of that even when the fans thought Phoenix had stole it. From there, The Unit simply continued to wear Peter out with slams and suplexes, finally finishing the Australian pit-fighter off with his Chokeslam/Spinebuster combination. 1-2-3, and a most gruelling contest had ended with Phoenix's undefeated record being scalped by the behemoth that was Jack Harris.
Winner: Jack Harris

Everybody else sized up their chances of winning the Academy Rumblus
The final promotional video of the night had snapshots of a variety of other competitors giving their two cents worth. Peter Phoenix held up a piece of paper that had written on it the words 'I WILL WIN'. Haley Mulligan gave a speech about how this was the biggest opportunity of her career so far, and she was going to relish every second of it regardless of the outcome. Malk Al-Haq prophecised he would win just because he had the ability to make the fullest use of the Championship Pass. Zyma Toshiro consulted her teddy bear and sputtered a string of Japanese words that nobody caught. The SOBs joked about how if either one of them won, the other would quit and become a manager for the winner. Mister Brewster reflected on how the Rumblus provided an opportunity for himself to be launched back into the upper-tier of wrestlers he once occupied. And finally, Orlando Grant popped up again to remind everyone what was at stake: the almighty Championship Pass. Suffice to pay, the fans were hyped beyond belief at the end of the video.

Mister Brewster, Vick Victory & JP Boudbreau vs. Malk Al-Haq, Ulf German & Jack Johnson in a Tag Team Elimination Match
At last, it was time for the main event. And the fans were all hyped up for what was sure to be a doozy. It'd been the first time in a long time that someone other than the likes of Jack Harris or Orlando Grant or John Sarsgaard was headlining the episode... and hence, the fans were excited at the prospect of the six individuals that were in the ring tearing it up, especially since there was a ton of history involved amongst all the competitors.
Malk Al-Haq, Ulf German and Jack Johnson were standing in one corner of the ring looking very menacing. Well, Jack Johnson tried and just looked like he was constipated. On the other end of the ring, JP Boudbreau was going over strategy with Mister Brewster and Vick Victory. Once the bell rang, it was Boudbreau and Johnson set to go at it, with Johnson eager to get back at JP for the loss on the previous episode. JP seemed to have Johnson's number, though, parrying his attacks easily and connecting with an impressive neckbreaker that caused Ulf German to storm in and break up the resulting pin attempt. The referee looked a little overwhelmed, sure that he was going to have a hard time.
JP wore Johnson down a while more, halting Jack's comebacks easily. And Johnson's troubles didn't stop there; Vick Victory was tagged in, and the young rookie blitzed the so-called Quickdraw Kid with an array of moves. Malk and Ulf looked frustrated at Johnson's ineptitude, and it was Ulf again to the rescue after Vick pulled off a tornado DDT. The referee's worst fear came true, for Mister Brewster didn't take too kindly to Ulf breaking up the cover again -- and within moments, all six individuals were brawling in the middle of the ring!
Amid all the chaos, Malk Al-Haq took the opportunity to ram his knee into JP's groin, before hitting him with a huge forearm smash that sent him stumbling into Johnson's path. Jack took the opportunity to roll up JP from behind, thinking he'd stolen the first elimination of the match. Boudbreau however had the presence of mind to roll through that and followed Jack with a stiff kick to the face! Vick Victory followed up with a springboard leg-drop (from the apron into the ring), with the brawl still raging on at ringside! 1-2-3, and Jack Johnson was the first man eliminated.
Vick Victory's happiness was shortlived, for Ulf German popped up from nowhere and flattened him with a clothesline! At that time, the referee had finally managed to get a handle on the situation, leaving Ulf and Vick as the two legal men in the ring. Ulf's overpowering strength was just too much for Victory, who desperately needed to make the tag to either Brewster or Boudbreau. Alas, Ulf and Malk -- who managed to keep Victory isolated in their corner and made no less than six tags during the course of two minutes of hell for Victory -- managed to put Vick down for the 1-2-3 after a tandem powerbomb. Ulf was the man who got the pin, and he quickly motioned for either JP or Brewster to get into the ring.
It was Brewster who got in, causing Ulf to tag Malk in. Brewster didn't look scared at the prospect of taking on the Arabian, and the two men wasted little time getting a slugfest going in the middle of the ring. Brewster seemed to be winning, and went for the finishing blow in the form of a discus clothesline. Malk, however, demonstrated he had the ability to think quickly on his feet as he countered into a falling sidewalk slam that got a close near-fall. In a great sequence, Malk reached over to tag Ulf, who quickly climbed to the top of the turnbuckle and allowed himself to be powerslam-ed onto the unsuspecting Brewster... but that too got only another near-fall.
Brewster's attempts at a second wind got continuously disrupted by Ulf and Malk, who were really intent on showing off their tag team pedigree. JP Boudbreau tried as valiantly as he could to get the crowd to rally behind Brewster, and finally, there seemed to be light at the tunnel as Brewster countered a powerbomb attempt from Malk into a falling snap DDT... and then proceeded to stun the incoming Ulf German with a overhead belly-to-back suplex! Malk managed to get his act together and barely prevented Brewster from making the tag, and to add insult to injury, drove his boot into JP's face to knock him off the apron and down onto the floor.
A few seconds later, Malk Al-Haq laid Brewster out rather emphatically with his Widow's Peak finisher, and the 1-2-3 was never in doubt. Mister Brewster was eliminated, which left JP Boudbreau having to face off against Malk and Ulf. Malk tagged the recovered Ulf in and turned his back to the ring, posturing the crowd. That allowed the seemingly-frightened JP Boudbreau, who deftly rolled underneath a clothesline attempt from Ulf, to dropkick Malk in the back of the head! JP then got the loudest round of cheers (thus far) when he managed to trap Ulf German in a small package pin long enough for the 1-2-3!
And that left JP Boudbreau alone with Malk Al-Haq, the fans truly exhilirated by the action thus far and going absolutely crazy in appreciation. JP and Malk locked eyes, aware of the fact that they were the last man standing for their respective teams. Brewster, Victory, German and Johnson all came out from the back and took up positions on different sides of the ringside area, curious to know what the end result was. There was a lot of electricity in the air, and for two whole minutes, all JP and Malk did was stare at each other. It was surreal.
Finally, the action resumed, and it was the bigger-sized Malk that gained an advantage quickly by flinging the hometown boy into the corner turnbuckle. Malk tried to follow up with a spear, but JP hoisted himself up onto the top of the turnbuckle to evade the attack and countered with a modified sunset flip powerbomb! Malk impressed many by kicking out at the death, and the Arabian got right back on the offensive foot, planting JP with a Samoan drop! Unfortunately for Malk, he couldn't roll over to make the pin, and both men eventually got back to their feet, wondering just what had to be done to get the win.
After a sequence of counters and counter-reversals, it appeared as if Malk had the answer, as he had Boudbreau up for a running crucifix bomb. Just as Malk started up his run, JP squirmed out of the Arabian's grip and countered with a backslide pinning attempt. Malk used momentum to roll through, but found his legs being caught by JP, who promptly locked on a Sharpshooter variant! Although Malk was close to the ropes, he couldn't dig down deep enough to reach for it... and tapped, drawing a massive outpouring of cheers from the fans that eclipsed the moment when JP pinned Ulf earlier on. JP Boudbreau had managed to gain the victory for his team after an immensely tooth-and-nail battle, and the fans loved him for it. JP exited the ring and was swamped by Brewster & Victory who were over the moon, while Malk Al-Haq joined Ulf German and Jack Johnson in looking downtrodden. The episode ended with Mister Brewster and Vick Victory carrying JP Boudbreau on their shoulders and celebrating at ringside like it was 1999. Or perhaps it was 1989. Nobody really knew.
Winners: Mister Brewster, Vick Victory & JP Boudbreau

Conclusion
Joe Bishop was completely gushing with the highest of praise for all the competitors involved in the main event, suggesting that each of them had proved something during the match that would enable Bishop and SilverHAWK to sign off on them as true potential superstars. SilverHAWK agreed, and also stated that the Phoenix/Harris battle was a blast to watch. He expressed an interest in seeing both men get it on again soon. The SOBs and the Pop Culture Phenoms were also lauded for their work, with Bishop mentioning that the two teams had excellent chemistry. All in all, a stellar (if not shorter than usual) episode from start to end, and the fans were thoroughly excited for the upcoming final episode featuring the Academy Rumblus.

Reported by:
Sally Broxton
ACW Correspondent
16 December 2009