SHOWCASE: SEASON ONE, EPISODE SIX

Saturday, 05 December 2009
ACW (All-Star) Arena
Montreal, Quebec
Canada

Mister Brewster & Vick Victory vs. Malk Al-Haq & Ulf German
720 fans stood on their feet and cheered loudly for the introduction of Mister Brewster and Vick Victory, as the opening match of the evening was about to kick off. Usually, the sight of Joe Bishop in the ring ready to dispense some knowledge about the evening's proceedings was what the fan would usually encounter -- not on this night, however. The executive decision was made to have this match, in the making for some time now, to kick off the episode.

And as the opposing team of Malk Al-Haq and Ulf German marched out to hearty jeers, the call for Bishop to let the wrestlers take over the spotlight for the episode's opener proved to be a masterstroke. All four men kicked off the match with a chaotic brawl, that had the record crowd going nuts over the action. When the referee finally got things under control, it was Vick Victory zipping around the ring like a bunny on crack leaving Malk Al-Haq very frustrated. Even when Malk managed to ground Vick with a high knee-strike, the latter simply wouldn't stay down and squirmed out of a pump handle slam attempt to catch the Arabian with a sit-down neckbreaker. A quick tag to Mister Brewster followed, and the veteran almost won the match with a nicely-executed northern lights suplex.

Malk Al-Haq, however, turned the tide with a powerbomb out of nowhere... and when the cover only garnered a two-count, Malk tagged Ulf into the match. Ulf went to town on Brewster, going so far as letting Brewster get within inches of tagging Vick in, before dragging the veteran back into the middle of the ring and punishing him with elbow-drops. Malk and Ulf got into the routine of frequent tags, laying on the hurt with submission holds and attacks to Brewster's spine.

Finally, Brewster managed to carve out an opening as he squirmed out of another powerbomb attempt by Malk and connected with a ferocious jaw-breaker! The fans roared at Brewster to crawl over to the corner, and simply exploded when Vick got the tag. Malk too managed to get the tag over to Ulf German, but the latter was no match for Vick Victory's simply amazing speed. Victory somehow managed to navigate Ulf German into the corner turnbuckle, and pulled off a quite wicked tornado DDT. The 3-count looked academic, but Malk Al-Haq jumped in for the save. Suffice to say, all hell broke loose once again as Brewster came back into the ring. In midst of the brawl, Vick and Ulf tumbled out of the ring, with Vick continuing to own Ulf with educated strikes to German's right hamstring.

That was, until Jack Johnson (not seen in several weeks) ran out from the back and assaulted Vick Victory with some sort of aerosol spray to the eyes! Needless to say, the referee did not catch that bit of interference, and Ulf German took full advantage by smashing Vick's face into the ring apron. In the ring, Mister Brewster had slipped out of Malk Al-Haq's sleeper attempt, and clotheslined the Arabian out of the ring with such force that Brewster himself ended up on the outside. Ulf rolled Vick Victory into the ring, hit The Efficiency, and successfully pinned the completely out-of-it Vick Victory for the 3-count.

After the match, Jack Johnson joined Malk and Ulf in laying a comprehensive beatdown on Vick and Brewster. The fans, not happy in the slightest at the sight of their favourites being punished, went nuts when hometown boy JP Boudreau ran out from the back and managed to clear the ring of the three antagonists. JP helped Vick and Brewster up, as Malk and Ulf and Johnson looked all smug at ringside for what they'd managed to accomplish so early in the evening.

Winners: Malk Al-Haq & Ulf German

***

The SOBs shared their views about Iceman
Sheamus O'Brien and Selby O'Brien entered the ring, both with smiles on their faces and each had a microphone in their respective grasp. The two brothers thanked the fans for once again coming out despite the cold, and supporting the Academy and all the students involved in what was now being described as Season One of SHOWCASE. Sheamus recapped the last couple of weeks for everyone, saying how both he and his brother had opportunities at challenging Iceman for the ACW Scorpion Fighting Title. Both men came close, but no cigar.

Selby, visibly tired considering he'd competed on the most recent broadcast of ACW's weekly (most of the time) programme Courage, stated that Iceman was one kind of jerk. A man who, had he conducted himself better, may have gotten the respect he craved from the fans. Sheamus went on to reveal that in the main event, The SOBs would be facing Iceman and Jack Harris. And the stipulation laid down by Iceman himself was that if The SOBs were to somehow win... Iceman would defend the ACW Scorpion Fighting Title in a Handicapped Fight on the next episode of SHOWCASE! The fans went nuts for that revelation, and The SOBs concluded that they were going to try their hardest to deliver for not only themselves, but for the fans!

***

John 'The Hammer' Smith vs. John Sarsgaard
Moments away from taking on perennial fan favourite John Sarsgaard, John Smith stood in the middle of the ring... once again with a microphone in his hand. This time, the man dubbed The Hammer (although nobody really knew why) expressed his concern that people felt Smith was lying about his claims of becoming a Milan runway model on the previous episode. John Smith insisted it was the truth, and revealed that just several days prior, he'd turned down the opportunity to star on a hit television show back in the States that'd showcase his singing and dancing skills. The fans jeered, uninterested in Smith's audacious claims.

The arrival of John Sarsgaard cut off John Smith before he could say anything else, and the Hands of Steel looked eager to get back into the swing of things after taking the previous episode to recuperate from his injuries. Sarsgaard gained control early on in the match, and despite being of similar build to Smith, threw the latter around like a ragdoll in the opening minutes of the match. Smith quickly shook off the cobwebs despite Sarsgaard's dominance, and showed that he was not one to be underestimated as an attempt at a sitout piledriver by Sarsgaard was expertly reversed by Smith into a harsh shoulder-breaker. The Hammer regrettably (to himself and his seven fans) only managed to register a two-count courtesy of a lazy cover.

The two heavyweights continued to traded blows mid-ring for a minute and a half, with John Smith looking as if he was on the cusp of control thanks to an impressive belly-to-back suplex. Smith wasted a little too much time glaring at the fans that were giving him their disapproval, however, which allowed John Sarsgaard to retaliate with a peach of an uppercut to leave Smith reeling and change the whole momentum of the match. About 30 seconds later, the Hands of Steel connected with the Windy City Slice. 1-2-3, and John Sarsgaard had emerged victorious in great style and to much fanfare.

Winner: John Sarsgaard

***

Jack Harris revealed himself in the audience
It was only after Sarsgaard had finished celebrating and made his way to the back that a special somebody in the audience stood up and removed his hoodie. It was none other than Jack Harris, The Unit. Jack explained that he'd been absolutely giddy ever since Bishop's announcement regarding the Academy Rumblus, and guaranteed victory. As such, he felt comfortable watching the episode unfold from what he felt was a unique viewpoint for himself until it was time for the main event. The Unit further commented that Sarsgaard looked shabby in the match that just ended moments prior, and he was very much looking forward to the next match.

***

Orlando Grant vs. Avis Flyfield
Which, of course, happened to feature two heavy fan favourites duking it out. Avis Flyfield was the first man out, and The Wing Commander was definitely feeling the love from the mostly Canadian fans. Orlando Grant come out a few seconds after, still walking a bit gingerly after being defeated by Jack Harris on the previous episode, but his sunny disposition was obvious for everyone to see. Not even the sight of Harris scouting him could dampen Grant's mood.

The match kicked off with a bang, with both men exchanging holds for a few seconds before Orlando Grant whipping Avis into the ropes and going for a dropsault. Avis hung on to the ropes, and as Grant crashed down to the canvas, The Wing Commander connected with a sweet senton leg-drop seemingly in a blink of an eye. Right then and there, the fans knew this was going to be a fantastic tug-of-war. Avis continued to use his predominately high-flying offense to frustrate Orlando, but the OG of ACW -- no slouch himself -- was able to ground Avis after a string of unanswered attacks courtesy of a half-nelson bulldog. The 3-count eluded Orlando on that occasion, though.

Orlando nevertheless pressed on, and used his unique style of brawling to wear Flyfield down before pulling out a diving cross body out of nowhere to catch Flyfield off-guard! Another close call for Orlando, who had to be reminded of Flyfield's trickery when The Wing Commander surprised Orlando with a handspring hurricaranna followed by a La Magistral pinning combination. Grant barely managed to get the shoulder up before three, and the match continued.

Both competitors were now trying everything they could think off at each other, as the match neared the 15-minute mark, and finally it seemed Avis had done enough to wear Orlando down. The Wing Commander, exhausted but clearly loving the challenge, got the OG of ACW in the corner -- Loop A Loop (tornado DDT) time! Only, Orlando was somehow able to slip out of Flyfield's grasp mid-move and went for his Shootout special. Avis had no way to escape the cobra clutch portion of the move, and was equally unable to do anything to prevent the backbreaker portion. 1-2-3, and Orlando Grant finally picked up the victory after a wonderful match! Post-match, both men shook hands in a show of respect for each other. Every single fan stood up to give the two men their due applause; even Jack Harris.

Winner: Orlando Grant

***

Joe Bishop laid down the law for the future
Joe Bishop finally made his appearance, drawing a healthy round of cheers from the fans. Bishop re-iterated his desire to let the students wrestling open up the rest of the episodes for the month, and felt that the opening match he'd seen earlier in the evening appeared to be a very good match. Of course, he wasn't pleased about how it ended, which brought Bishop to his next point: on the next episode, JP Boudreau would take on Jack Johnson, and on the second-to-last episode of SHOWCASE for Season 1, there would be a massive showdown. JP Boudreau, Vick Victory and Mister Brewster would take on Jack Johnson, Ulf German and Malk Al-Haq. Oh, and it'd be Elimination Rules.

The fans definitely loved that, considering all six men had been getting involved with each other rather frequently as of late. Bishop went on to state that on the next episode, Haley Mulligan would square off against two new female students; both of whom were from Asia. Also, Peter Phoenix would be in action against Jack Harris on the second-to-last episode of SHOWCASE (currently scheduled to take place two days before ACW's END GAME SuperShow). Jack Harris, sitting down in the audience with his arms folded, remained emotionless.

Finally, Joe Bishop shed light on the fact that all 2,000 tickets for the final episode of SHOWCASE -- which would feature the Academy Rumblus -- had already been sold out! Bishop thanked everyone for their support, and promised even more developments in the coming weeks.

***

The SOBs vs. Jack Harris & Iceman
The SOBs were the first ones down to the ring, as it was time for the main event. Jack Harris slowly stood up, removed his trenchcoat and hopped over the security barricade. The SOBs challenged The Unit to get into the ring, but Harris didn't flinch. Finally, Iceman made his grand entrance. And as usual, the fans gave him major grief for it. On this night, though, Iceman chose not to respond to the fans' taunts and made a beeline for Jack Harris. The two men talked strategy on the outside, before Iceman surprisingly took a seat near the timekeeper.

The SOBs were confused, but they caught on quick when Jack Harris confidently entered the ring and told both men to bring it. Needless to say, the poor referee had no chance of keeping control of the match. Sheamus and Selby both charged at the Pikey Madman, only to find themselves tossed around like they were absolutely nothing. At ringside, Iceman clutched his title belt tightly and watched on as Jack Harris raised Sheamus over his head in a gorilla press and threw him out of the ring! Selby retaliated with an attempted chop block to the back of of Jack's legs. Harris barely reacted, for he'd simply turned around and dropped his right elbow right down on Selby's head.

With all of that going on, one might have thought Iceman would have continued to stay at ringside. Instead, the ACW Scorpion Fighting Champion finally decided to leave his title belt with the timekeeper and hopped onto the ring apron. Harris bemusedly made the tag to Iceman, who firstly decided to charge out the other side of the ring via a baseball slide; one that connected with the recovering Sheamus in the face. Iceman quickly returned to the ring and connected with his Respect finisher on poor Selby. 1-2-3, and the match was over.

Winners: Jack Harris & Iceman

***

Aftermath
The fans jeered, and Iceman celebrated like he'd won a medal at the Olympics. Jack Harris simply shrugged and made his exit, having done what he needed to do. Until, unfortunately for him, Orlando Grant came charging out from the back and tackled the Pikey Madman to the ground! By this time, Iceman decided to make his exit through the crowd, which proved tricky since the fans were throwing their drinks and popcorn at him. Orlando and Harris, meanwhile, continued to brawl with each other until Joe Bishop and the referees came out to separate them to end the episode.

***

Conclusion
Generally a shorter episode than what everyone had been used to, but Joe Bishop was more than satisfied with how the first of the four planned December episodes had turned out. He expressed his delight at how the opening match hooked the fans, pleased with everybody's contributions in that match. SilverHAWK acknowledged the over-reliance on John Sarsgaard as the top favourite of the Academy, and hence was happy with the improvements of Orlando and The SOBs. SilverHAWK also mentioned Iceman's shenanigans added a very interesting dynamic to the episodes, but revealed that the ACW Scorpion Fighting Champion would not be back until further notice. Joe Bishop confirmed that, but went on to mention that Chris Moliano -- the current Spirit of ACW Champion -- would be a guest on the next episode!

Reported by:
Sally Broxton,
ACW Correspondent
07 December 2009