Tremendous Tirades: XWF: The Lost Episodes (Disc 1)

The XWF was the very short-lived promotion ran by Jimmy Hart, Brian Knobs and Greg Valentine. It was initially conceived in 2001, and these tapings in fact did happen in 2001 I believe. The idea was for Hulk to be the main star, have a bunch of his friends on the card to draw interest and then get some young guys to carry the workload. They hoped to be a family friendly promotion, and something different from what was on TV then. The promotion never got off the ground as Vince McMahon hired away Curt Hennig, eventually brought Hogan and they couldn’t secure TVl. These are the lost matches of the promotion.

Jimmy Hart and Brian Knobs are our hosts for the special DVD set. They were two of the founding fathers of the company. WCW crumbled and for the first time in a long time, there was only WWE. They created XWF, to be an alternative. Hart says that they wanted to be the past, present and the future. They say that they got laughed at when they started this, but they got a ton of talent and had a ton of potential. We go to Universal Studios where they taped and kick off the DVD.

We start with a Hulk Hogan promo, complete with his old WCW music, which Hart did.

Mean Gene welcomes us to Universal Studios and the XWF.

Dear Lord, Tony Schiavone is the announcer. It’s WCW reborn! His partner is Jerry Lawler, thank the lord that will help things for me.

Mean Gene comes out and brings out the XWF CEO, Rena Mero. She welcomes everyone to the event, and says tonight the birth of a dream takes place. Wrestling had been previously been ran by sleaze and has been’s. The wrestlers always took the backseat, but this will be an even playing field. No politics. Everyone has a chance to make it to the top, but to stay there you have to be the best. Tonight I stand before you as CEO, but to keep order we need to have a strong and professional person to help run things. That person that will be commissioner is Roddy Piper.

He’s been to the top, he has seen the brothers and wrestlers crying and dying for the fans while the promoters take the money and run. The XWF is built for wrestlers with talent. Not through staying next to the boss. He’s been the underdog, he’s fought every promoter. He’s here to put wrestling on track. No more egos here, he sees all of the veterans and he respects them. They are real men, not jacked up want a be’s. This is in your face wrestling. Everyone gets a chance in this company if they work hard. For 30-years I have been a product of wrestling. Now I have the honor of working for this company. Rena will deal with the cash, and he’ll deal with the sleaze. This is wrestling’s independence day.

We see Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley putting over the Demon.

Big Vito vs. Buff Bagwell

Buff flexes and Vito nails him with a boot. Rights to Buff, and then chokes him out. Off the ropes and a take down for Vito. Hip toss by Buff and then a clothesline. Dropkick by Buff and Vito goes to the floor. Back in, Irish whip and an elbow by Vito. Mafia kick to Buff and he’s down. Vito lays the boots to Buff, then delivers a side slam for 2. More boots by Vito now and then he chokes him more. Buff manages a sunset flip for 2. Rights by Buff, off the ropes and a backdrop. Boot and a neck breaker to Vito. Cover gets 2. Buff to the 2nd rope…Vito crotches him and then follows him up. Superplex try…nails it and covers for 2. Irish whip and a boot by Buff. 2nd rope…Blockbuster and that’s all.

Winner: Buff Bagwell @ 4:08 via pin

It was there. Nothing bad, but very bland. *

Backstage a bunch of guys knock on Piper’s door. It’s the Cruiserweights. They want a fair shake, and Piper says they are very talented. They will have a big battle royal for the CW Title tonight.

Marty Jannetty vs. Hail w/Jimmy Hart

Hail is huge, Jannetty is about to die I feel. Lock up and Jannetty tossed away. They lock up and the same. Boot to Jannetty, back breaker and a powerslam by Hail. Big leg drop and that’s all.

Winner: Hail @ 1:00 via pin

Squash. (N-R)

A Maximum Force (Simon Diamond and Johnny Swinger) w/Dawn Marie promo runs. They are there to dominate tag team wrestling.

Horace Hogan vs. Ian Harrison

HH attacks at the bell and tries to beat him down. Powerslam by Harrison. He then tosses HH to the floor. HH battles back, suplexed in by Harrison. Mounted rights by Harrison, then knees to the head. HH chops at him, but Harrison with an overhead belly-to-belly throw. Harrison locks in a shitty looking head scissors on the mat and gets the submission. Ok.

Winner: Ian Harrison @ 1:35 via submission

That was just atrocious. (ASS)

A Johnny B. Badd promo runs.

Knobs and Hart put over the company. They had something for everyone, and we lead into a Cruiserweight battle royal.

A Norman Smiley Promo Runs.

XWF Cruiserweight Championship Battle Royal: Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles vs. Kid Kash vs. Low Ki vs. Psicosis vs. Juvi vs. The Tongan Prince vs. Billy Fives

They all brawl to begin. Lots of quick shit happening here, kicks and tosses. Bulldog by Juvi. Muscle Buster by Kash in Low Ki. AJ and Fives exchange chops. Sweet overhead belly to belly by Fives, but he gets tossed. Josh Mathews is in the crowd watching on. The Prince and Daniels battle, and Kash and AJ pair off. Juvi and Psicosis eliminate each other. AJ is then tossed. Daniels nails the Prince. Ki with kicks to Kash, he lights his shit up. Headbutts by Ki now, and they then exchange chops. Ki sets Kash up top… Daniels grabs him and Ki then attacks Prince. Ki and Prince go up top…Ki and Kash dive, miss their men and collide mid-air! Daniels and Prince lay each other out. Ki misses a tidal crush and goes all the way to the floor! He’s out. Daniels and Prince double team Kash, but he RANA’s Prince to the floor. Daniels and Kash left. BEST MOONSAULT EVER misses! Off the ropes and a tornado DDT by Kash. Daniels up top…and Kash gets a springboard spinkick to eliminate him to win the title.

Winner: and the first ever XWF Cruiserweight Champion Kid Kash @ 5:29

Fun match, some cool stuff but way too quick and nothing you haven’t seen TNA or ROH do much better move wise. It was very WWE Cruiser stuff. **

After the match Kid Kash goes over to Josh Mathews and says, “you got a raw deal dude, come with me” and takes him backstage.

Alice Cooper puts over the XWF.

Nasty Boys (Knobs and Sags) vs. Shane Twins

Sags and a Shane lock up, knees and rights by Sags and a break. To the corner, Pity City on a Shane. Shoulder block to Sags, suplex and then a belly to belly by Knobs. Powerslam by Shane 2 on Sags. Knobs tags in, boot by Shane 2 and a slam. Shane 1 tags in, double flapjack on Knobs gets 2 as Sags saves him. All 4 brawl, Knobs and Shane 1 in the ring. Sags disposes of Shane 2 for a moment, but gets rammed to the steel. Shane 2 in the ring, lariat to Knobs and that’s all.

Winners: The Shane Twins @ 2:15 via pin

Knobs attacks after the match and the Road Warriors show up! They chase off the Nasties and celebrate with the Shane twins. They grab a mic and say the Nasties have been running from them for years. They will finally get them in the XWF. What a rush.

Nothing to see here, well, a bad match. (N-R)

Willie Nelson is with Hacksaw Jim Duggan. They are chilling in his trailer. Ok.

A Vampiro promo runs.

Bobby Heenan is out to announce Curt Hennig, because the announcer could never do him justice.

Curt Hennig w/Bobby “The Brain” Heenan vs. Vampiro

A spin kick by Vampiro starts us off. Irish whip and a corner clothesline to Curt. Another and that sends Curt to the floor and Hennan checks on him. Vampiro tries to pull him in, hot shot by Curt and he comes in with chops on Vampiro. Irish whip, a shot to the gut by Curt followed by the knee lift. More chops on Vampiro, and a side headlock. Back suplex by Vampiro gets 2. Vampiro up top…spinkick to Curt gets 2. Heenan has some knux, Piper is out to steal them and he then nails Curt. Nail in the Coffin (Michinoku Driver) by Vampiro and that’s all.

Winner: Vampiro @ 2:28 via pin

It was going ok, but was 2-minutes with a screwy ending. *

Piper and Rena Mero are in to raise Vampiro’s hand as Heenan is pissed.

Knobs and Hart put over the episode as a great one, as well as groundbreaking. Knobs says Hawk and Hennig are deeply missed as they aren’t with us anymore. We get an “In Memorial” Screen, and they then thank us for watching.

Extras:

Behind the Scenes: Gene is in an empty ring cutting a promo about how the XWF is the new hotness.

We then get a video package about the promotion with some decent highlights. We get a run down of the roster.

Gene puts over the roster

Willie Nelson and Hacksaw: We see the complete interview with both men in the trailer.

The 411: Well, to be honest there wasn’t much to be excited about here. There wasn’t any good wrestling on this show, and it lacked any excitement. I was hyped for the Cruiserweight battle royal, but in the end was very disappointed. Is just didn’t have that feeling that it was anything important. It also had a very WCW feel to it, maybe former WCW fans will like it. The production is clean, sorry, had to find something nice to say. Let’s hope Disc 2 is better.

Final Score:  1.5   [ Extremely Horrendous ]