"Show Time Power Hour" TV Taping Number 49 (Week 97)

William Regal: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the finest sixty minutes of pro wrestling in the world, the Show Time Power Hour! I'm your host, William Regal. With me is my hall of fame co-host, Michael Hayes! Michael, we're a couple of days removed from NWA Spring Stampede III, which saw CM Punk retain the Heavyweight Championship amid a heap of controversy, as Braun Strowman appeared out of nowhere and laid waste to Brock Lesnar."

Michael Hayes: "Yes sir, daddy! Braun Strowman is the only man alive that makes Brock Lesnar look normal, and he beat the brakes off him on Sunday! CM Punk is the luckiest man alive, because he was about to lose that Heavyweight Championship, sure as shootin'!"

Regal: "The question remains unanswered as to the agenda of this behemoth. Why did he attack Lesnar, and especially at such a crucial moment?"

Just then, a guttural roar echoed over the PA system:

Braun Strowman came to the ring with a chorus of boos backing him up. He soaked it all in:

Strowman demanded a microphone.

Braun Strowman: "I'm proud of the fact that I sent Brock Lesnar to the hospital! I'm proud of the fact that I ruined his chance to become a champion! I'm proud of the fact that, when Brock Lesnar stands next to me, he looks like a mere mortal, not a beast! You see, there can be but one monster in the sport of wrestling, and it's me! I am the 'Monster Among Men!'"

Then, this video played on the tron:

Ric Flair: "Not so fast, big man! Wooooo! This is not the WWE! You don't walk around here and run roughshod over whoever you please! In fact, you don't even work here! So, I think it's about time you leave this arena!"

Strowman: "I'm not going anywhere until I get Brock Lesnar!"

Flair: "Well, it's not gonna happen, pal! Brock Lesnar is not here because I wouldn't let him come here! The doctors wouldn't clear him, but he's too tough to stay down, so he was gonna show up and call you out! But, he's up in Canada with his family right now. So, you might as well get out of the arena before I have you thrown out!"

Strowman: "Ha! You and what army?! I'm not going anywhere! I want competition!"

Flair: "Once again, big man, you don't seem to understand that you don't work here! I've had enough of you holding up this program! Security, get out here!"

The Security force attempted to remove Braun from the ring, but he swatted down all of them. He once again stood defiantly in center ring. Then, this music played:

The Rock came out to a thunderous ovation. He laid the smack down on Strowman and "Clotheslined" him over the top rope. Strowman landed on his feet and seethed at ringside. The Rock got a microphone.

The Rock: "Come on, jaboni! It's time to take that tail whoopin' like a man!"

Flair: "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Rock! He doesn't work here! We're not signing any matches!"

The Rock: "I don't care where he works! Get a ref down here and ring the bell!"

Flair: "He's not under contract! We're not doing this!"

The Rock: "Then, put that sumb**** under contract! How about this?! Let him go one on one with 'The Great One' right now, unsanctioned! If he wins, he gets a contract! When I win, he walks his candy a** down to I-85 and hits the bricks!"

Flair: "All right! Let's do it! I need a referee right now!"

Regal: "Oh my!"

Hayes: "Heck yeah!"

Match One ~ Unsanctioned ~ The Rock with Eve Torres vs. "Monster Among Men" Braun Strowman

This essentially amounted to a "Street Fight," as there are no rules in an unsanctioned match. They beat each other from pillar to post. The Rock's strength and toughness were evident, but Strowman is other-worldly. His ability to absorb punishment, seemingly unscathed, and to keep marching forward, is uncanny. Braun put The Rock through the barricade, then "Powerslammed" him through the timekeeper's table. Strowman dragged him into the ring and made the cover.

Winner = Braun Strowman by pinfall in 10:42

Regal: "Oh my! Now, the entire roster of NWA: Show Time will have to deal with this monster!"

Hayes: "They ain't ready! None of us are!"

Ric Flair came from the back with a contract in his hand. Strowman quickly signed it, then let out another primal roar.

Regal: "Fans, we need to take a break. we'll be back in a moment."

Regal: "Fans, we're back. You just witnessed the carnage here, as the production crew is piecing back together the ringside barricade. Braun Strowman, who decimated Brock Lesnar on Sunday, is now a member of our roster, after doing the same to The Rock."

Hayes: "He's a scary dude. I don't want any part of him! That's for sure!"

Regal: "You'd better believe it, sunshine! Fans, we are set to go back to the ring for the debut of a strange character indeed--Mordecai the Zealot and his manager The Sinister Minister. Let's see what these gentlemen are all about."

Match Two ~ Mordecai the Zealot with The Sinister Minister vs. "Universal Soldier" Gunner

This was not a highly competitive match. Gunner threw everything he had at Mordecai, but the hulking figure seemed robotic in his mission and systematically dissected Gunner's defenses. He finished Gunner off with the "Pale Rider" ("Greetings from Asbury Park").

Winner = Mordecai by pinfall in 7:29

The Sinister Minister: "Today, you all will bear witness to the dawning of a new era. You see, in this dark world, people often look to the church to absolve their guilt and fill their needs. Well, a new age is upon us. So, it is time for a 'New Church.' So, it begins."

Regal: "Well now. That was a cryptic message if I've ever heard one!"

Hayes: "You got that right!"

Regal: "Okay fans, we have to take another break. we'll be back with a grudge match between 'The Freakshow' and 'The Menagerie.' Stay tuned!"

Regal: "We're back! Let's go to the ring!"

Match Three ~ "The Freakshow"--Sinn Bodhi & Pagano with Karen DeLa Kreep vs. "The Menagerie"--Knox & The Titantic with Crazzy Steve

This was a bizarre match with a particularly bizarre ending. Knox and The Titanic used their size and strength to overwhelm Bodhi and Pagano. They had the match won. Suddenly, the arena lights flickered off. When they came back up, Mordecai was in center ring. He immediately blasted Knox and The Titanic and assisted Bodhi and Pagano in a beat down.

Winners = "The Menagerie" by disqualification in 9:04

Crazzy Steve grabbed a steel chair and hopped into the ring. He stood in the ring looking anxiously at everyone. Mordecai gave a thumbs down signal and Steve then joined the beating on his stable mates. Mordecai, "The Freakshow," all left the ring and walked away with The Sinister Minster, who was laughing maniacally.

Regal: "What are we seeing here?!"

Hayes: "I hate to say this, but it looks like the 'New Church' is gaining some converts."

Regal: "You may be right. I don't like the sound of that. Let's take a break."

After the program went to commercial, the lights went out again. When they came back up, the broken bodies of Knox and The Titanic were nowhere to be found.

Regal: "We're back and things just keep getting more and more macabre. I need a vacation! Fans, our main event is next. It will feature Ricochet defending the Cruiserweight Championship against Johnny Mundo!"

Match Four ~ NWA: Show Time Cruiserweight Championship ~ "King of the Cruiserweights" Ricochet vs. Johnny Mundo with "Empress of the Underground" Catrina

This was a phenomenal contest between two thoroughbred athletes. Mundo came within an eyelash of winning the match. But, Ricochet held on to snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat. He caught Mundo in a "Small Package" and held the bottom rope for leverage outside of the referee's viewpoint.

Winner and STILL NWA: Show Time Cruiserweight Champion = Ricochet by pinfall in 28:48

Regal: "What a match! Ricochet retains, although he took a shortcut to gain victory!"

Hayes: "He's been doing quite a bit of that lately!"

Regal: "I guess he's proving the old adage that it's more difficult to retain the championship than it is to win it in the first place."

Hayes: "He has become obsessed with that title and holding onto it."

Regal: "Fans, we have to take one more commercial break. We'll be back with an in-ring interview of 'The Power Trip.' Stay with us!"

Regal: "All right fans! We're back. 'SoCal' Val is standing by in the ring."

Valerie Wyndham: "Ladies and gentlemen, 'The Power Trip.'"

"Cult of Personality" hit to bring out CM Punk and his crew. Punk was bandaged up and walked with a noticeable limp, wincing with each step made to the ring.

Wyndham: "CM Punk, you certainly look the worse for wear, but you're still the NWA: Show Time Heavyweight Champion, thanks in large part to Braun Strowman."

CM Punk: "Valerie, I am the NWA: Show Time Heavyweight Champion thanks in large part to my skill level and my toughness! You can blame Braun Strowman all you want, but no one will steal my thunder! I'm the best in the world, and I proved it once again!"

Wyndham: "Now, I must ask. Did you orchestrate the interference of Strowman, which seemed to be at the perfect moment?"

Punk: "How dare you accuse me of such a thing! I don't even know that big, hairy ape! I didn't know he was coming out at all, much less when he did!"

Wyndham: "Fair enough. But, since the match was thrown out with no conclusive decision, it stands to reason that Brock Lesnar may be in line for another title shot."

Punk: "Brock Lesnar lost on Sunday. Call it what you will. But, I entered the match as the champion and I walked away from the event as the champion. Like or not, that means I won. And, if I have beaten Brock Lesnar, he needs to step to the back of the line! I am the champion and will remain as such for a long time to come!"

Wyndham: "Let me move on to 'The Revival," if I may. You gentlemen had the upper hand against the World Tag Team Champions, when Matt Hardy's wife came to the ring and caused a huge distraction, which diverted the referee's attention and kept you from gaining what could have been a title-winning pinfall. Ultimately, the 'Broken Hardys' won the match. So, I guess it was not meant to be."

Scott Dawson: "Wasn't meant to be?! We're the greatest tag team of all time! Greatness follows us around and asks for directions! Of course it was meant to be! We had the rug pulled out from underneath us and we demand justice!"

Dash Wilder: "That's right! We deserve a rematch! We had those two fossils beaten in the middle of the ring! Then, Reby Hardy, who had no business in that match, comes to the ring and purposely interferes! As far as I am concerned, the Hardys are paper champions and those belts are ours!"

Steve Austin: "Valerie Wyndham, you need to be doing a better job of conducting this interview! Little lady, why don't you step away from the mike and let someone handle it who knows how to!"

Austin grabbed the microphone from Wyndham and demanded that she leave the ring.

Austin: "'The Power Trip' ain't here to take crap off anybody! We're here to whip a** and make money! We own all the titles that matter in this company and we will keep owning them for as long as we see fit! If you don't like it, we'll stomp a mud hole in your a** and walk it dry! And, that's the bottom line, because 'Stone Cold' said so!"

Punk: "Line them up, and we'll knock them all down!"

Regal: "They sure are standing there triumphant."

Hayes: "They say they're the best, and they have the hardware to prove it."

Regal: "Yes, they do. Fans, we are rapidly running out of time. But, wait! It looks like someone may have taken exception to the words of 'The Power Trip.'"

"War Machine" came to the ring with their newly won NWA North American tag team Championship belts around their waists. They hit the ring and 'The Power Trip' scattered.

Regal: "Fans, again, we're running out of time for this week. Please join us next Tuesday on TBS for more of the Show Time Power Hour! For Michael Hayes, I'm William Regal, saying, ta ta for now!"

The episode went off the air with "War Machine" standing tall in the ring as "The Power Trip" yelled at them from ringside.