Fargo, North Dakota
Attendance: 10,787
January 12, 2005
Fargo is a place that doesn't often show up on the TWF travel schedule but it was evident that it was a date the fans had circled on their calendars. Uprising started the night with 3 big matches. The Bashams vs. Alex Wright and Glenn Gilberti (invitees) Wright and Gilbertti were once known as the Boogie Knights but they weren't much of a team in this matchup. Doug and Danny put them away in under 3 minutes, finishing it off with a clothesline-russian leg sweep combo on Gilbertti. Victoria vs. Alex Miran Two ladies trying to position themselves for a title shot went at it here. But after escaping the clutches of Victoria and avoiding her spinning sidewalk slam, Miran used a clever rollup to get the 3 count. Rosey w/ Crystal Carmichael vs. Johnny Jeter Jeter tried to take out one half of the Rampage tag team champs with all he had and he nearly succeeded. But interference from Crystal led to a reverse helicopter drop and Rosey pinned Jeter to the mat. "3 MINUTES" BY 2 SKINNY J's PLAYED AS THE SHOT FADED OUT.
AS RAMPAGE COMES ON THE AIR, FOOTAGE IS SHOWN FROM LAST WEEK OF BRADSHAW CHALLENGING DREW BLOOD TO A MEETING OF "MEETING OF THE MINDS". THE IMAGE OF BLOOD BEGINS TO DRIP DOWN ON THE SCREEN AS "ACROSS THE NATION" LEADS INTO THE OPENING VIDEO. JIM ROSS AND JERRY LAWLER MAKE THEIR OPENING STATEMENTS. JIM ROSS MENTIONS IT IS JOE COREY's THIRD OF FOUR NIGHTS IN CONTROL OF THE SHOW AND LAWLER TALKS ABOUT THE MEETING OF THE MINDS BUT SAYS THAT IT HAS NOT BEEN ACCEPTED OR DECLINED BY DREW BLOOD AS OF YET. "TIME TO ROCK N' ROLL" BY LIL' KIM HITS AND TRISH STRATUS COMES OUT WITH HER WOMEN's TITLE AS A REPLAY OF HER BEING ATTACKED BY ALEXIS LAREE AFTER HER MATCH WITH GAIL KIM IS SHOWN FROM LAST WEEK. Mixed Gender Tag Team Match Rob Storm and Trish Stratus vs. Sylvain Grenier and Alexis Laree w/ Jimmy Hart Grenier and Alexis were matched up with the team from Toronto and "Canada's favorite son" was all over his former partner Grenier. After they had it out, Trish pummelled Alexis who didn't even seem to be on the same level as the Women's champ. But she was able to counter the "StratusFaction" into a backdrop suplex and that got her right back into it. She slapped a defenseless Trish across the face twice before sending her to the ropes. But Trish ducked a clothesline and made the tag to Storm and he came back in with Grenier as Trish threw Alexis out of the ring. But while referee Chad Patton was distracted, Grenier got in a low blow on Storm. But when he turned around, Trish blasted him with a Chick Kick and Storm rolled him up as Patton made the 3 count, amusing the crowd. Match Time: 10:50 BOTH THE KING AND J.R. MADE HECKLING COMMENTS ABOUT GRENIER FOR ESSENTIALLY GETTING BEAT BY A WOMAN. BACKSTAGE...... KURT ANGLE SHOWS HIS DISAPPOINTMENT TO KARAM IBRAHIM FOR LOSING TO NEMESIS LAST WEEK. HE TELLS HIM THERE's A SEGMENT IN HIS VIDEO ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE A LOSS THAT HE WANTS HIM TO WATCH. IBRAHIM SAYS HE HAS A MATCH TO PREPARE FOR. COMMERCIAL BREAK....... RETURN FROM BREAK.... BACKSTAGE AREA.... AUSTIN PYROMANIA FINDS JOHN CENA AND TRIES TO CONVINCE HIM TO GIVE UP THE TAG TEAM TITLE SHOT HE EARNED IN THE BATTLE ROYALE LAST WEEK, STATING IT WILL "DRIVE A WEDGE" INTO PYRONOMICS WITH THE HISTORY HE HAS WITH KURT ANGLE. BUT CENA DOESN'T SEEM TO KEEN ON THE IDEA. Karam Ibrahim vs. Sam Wilde Coming off his loss to Nemesis, Karam Ibrahim faced Nemesis' on again, off again acquaintance. But he kept out showing his explosive wrestling skills, looking to get back on the winning track. But he couldn't deal the knockout shot to Wilde and Wilde countered a german suplex with a go behind into a quick backslide to get the 3 count and keep Ibrahim on his downward spiral. Match Time: 14:04 BACKSTAGE..... SHAWN MICHAELS AND GARRISON CADE ARE HAVING A FRIENDLY CONVERSATION WITH SOME WOMEN WHEN CARLITO COOL COMES UP AND TELLS THEM TO BACK OFF, BECAUSE THEY AREN'T "COOL" ENOUGH TO TALK WITH SUCH ATTRACTIVE FEMALES. BUT BOTH MEN, ESPECIALLY CADE TAKE EXCEPTION TO THIS AND CADE CHALLENGES CARLITO TO A MATCH LATER TONIGHT, A MATCH WHICH CARLITO ACCEPTS. IN ANOTHER PART OF THE BACKSTAGE AREA, JOE COREY GETS IN NEMESIS' FACE AND TELLS HIM HE'LL GET HIS KING OF CABLE TITLE SHOT AT THE ROYAL RUMBLE. BUT TONIGHT, HE's GONNA BE IN A HANDICAP MATCH..... AGAINST THE DEADPOOL! COMMERCIAL BREAK....... RETURN FROM BREAK.... BACKSTAGE..... AS RAMPAGE RETURNS, COREY OPENS A DOOR AND ON THE OTHER SIDE IS DREW BLOOD. A STARTLED COREY JUMPS BACK AS DREW TELLS HIM THAT THE DEADPOOL AREN'T HIS PAWNS AND THEY DON'T NEED HIS MATCH, ALL THEY NEED IS HIM. COREY TELLS HIM THAT RATHER THAN WORRYING ABOUT HIM, HE BETTER WORRY ABOUT BRADSHAW. IN THE RING, CARLITO TELLS EVERYONE HE WILL WIN THIS YEAR's ROYAL RUMBLE, A STATEMENT NEITHER J.R. OR THE KING SEEM TO AGREE WITH. Carlito Caribbean Cool vs. Garrison Cade Much bigger than Carlito, Garrison Cade seemed to have a huge advantage. After a big powerslam and a bulldog, Cade had him reeliing. But me missed his top rope elbow drop as Carlito rolled out of the way and he shook of the cobwebs to hit a swinging leg-o-matic type neckbreaker to get the 3 count. Match Time: 5:26 BACKSTAGE..... TEDDY LONG IS TRYING TO CONVINCE STACY KIEBLER TO WORK FOR UNDER A BROTHA SERVICES BUT AUSTIN PYROMANIA COMES UP AND GETS IN LONG's FACE. THAT BRINGS UP MATT MORGAN AND JOHNNY BLAZE AND THEY ARE READY TO HAND IT TO PYROMANIA WHEN OF ALL PEOPLE, MATT TAYLOR COMES UP AND TELLS THEM TO LET HIM GO. LONG HAS AN IDEA AND CHALLENGES THEM TO A TAG TEAM MATCH, KNOWING THEIR SOUR HISTORY TOGETHER. PYRO LOOKS AT TAYLOR AND THEN ACCEPTS. STANDING WITH TODD GRISHAM IS BRAND NEW RAMPAGE SUPERSTAR MATT CRUZ. HE IS WEARING A TEXAS UNIVERSITY HAT AND GRISHAM QUICKLY RECITES HIS LONG LIST OF ACCOLADES. CRUZ SAYS HE CAN'T WAIT TO SHOWCASE HIS TALENTS IN THE TWF WHEN BOTH STEVEN RICHARDS AND MR. MATURE COME UP AND SAY THEY ARE TIRED OF HEARING THE HYPE SURROUNDING HIM. RICHARDS SAYS HE IS EAGER TO SHOW CRUZ THAT THIS ISN'T THE NCAA. HE TELLS CRUZ HE HAS PAID HIS DUES AND SO HAS OLIVER WORTH AND IF HE GETS IN THEIR WAY, THEY'LL SEND HIM BACK TO THE AMATUER RANKS. Handicap Match Nemesis vs. The DeadPool As always, Nemesis fought his heart out, taking on both Mordecai and Viscera and he even gave fans hope that he could somehow pull the match out. But that hope was trounced when Viscera smashed him with his body in the corner and then hit a big belly to belly suplex. After a chicken wing jawbreaker, the stomping ended with Viscera jumping on Nemesis with a big splash to get the pin. Match Time: 6:28 J.R. COULD ONLY SAY HE HOPED JOE COREY WAS PROUD OF HIMSELF. COMMERCIAL BREAK...... RETURN FROM BREAK..... KURT ANGLE AND JOHN CENA MEET TO TALK ABOUT THEIR TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH. CENA's STRATEGY IS TO USE THE POUND AND GROUND ATTACK BUT ANGLE SAYS HIS STRATEGY IS IN HIS INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO AND HE HANDS CENA A COPY. CENA SEEMS LESS THAN IMPRESSED. Under A Brotha Services w/ Teddy Long vs. Taylor Made and Austin Pyromania w/ Stacy Kiebler Pyromania and Taylor looked like they were gonna be able to get the job done against Long's team but a mishap led to Taylor accidentally hitting Pyromania with a clothesline. Then, Terri and Desire came out and got into it with Stacy, which distracted Taylor. In the ring, Matt Morgan delivered a sit down powerbomb to Pyromania to get an emphatic 3 count and Taylor made no effort to break it up. Match Time: 7:30 PRIMETIME REPLAY SHOWS SEAN O'HAIRE's MESSAGE TO A GROUP OF SUPERSTARS TO REVOLT AGAINST THE NEW BREED. THAT IS FOLLOWED BY CHARLIE HAAS DEFEATING DYLAN JANSENS IN ROUND ONE OF THE DRAGON's LAIR CHALLENGE. IN THE RING, SHANE HELMS SAYS BURNING THE HURRICANE COSTUME WAS THE BEST MOVE OF HIS CAREER. IT HAS GIVEN HIM SO MUCH CONFIDENCE THAT HE IS MAKING AN OPEN CHALLENGE TO ANYONE IN THE BACK. "AIN'T NO STOPPIN' ME" HITS AND SHELTON BENJAMIN COMES OUT TO ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE. Shane Helms vs. Shelton Benjamin Helms' confidence led him to bite off more than he could chew as Benjamin was just way too much. He avoided the blockbuster neckbreaker and then dropped Helms with the dragon whip kick. Benjamin then locked in a spinning toe hold into a reverse dragon sleeper, a move that looked terribly painful and Helms tapped out. Match Time: 4:56 COMMERCIAL BREAK...... RETURN FROM BREAK...... BACKSTAGE..... TAYLOR MADE GOES TO JOE COREY AND TELLS HIM THAT HE BETTER HAVE HIS FUN BECAUSE WHEN STEPHANIE McMAHON RETURNS, HE's GONNA BE HER FAVORITE. COREY INFORMS HIM THAT NEXT WEEK, HIS LAST IN CHARGE, LIFE IS GONNA BE HELL FOR SOME SUPERSTARS. IN ADDITION TO JOE COREY VS. NEMESIS FOR THE KING OF CABLE TITLE, DREW BLOOD VS. BRADSHAW FOR THE WORLD TITLE AND TRISH STRATUS VS. ALEXIS LAREE FOR THE WOMEN's TITLE ARE OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED FOR THE ROYAL RUMBLE. ALSO, TRAVIS WAKEMAN IS ANNOUNCED AS THE VERY FIRST ENTRANT IN THE ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH ITSELF. BACKSTAGE, CHRISTIAN AND A-TRAIN ARE SHOWN WALKING TO THE RING AND THEY TURN INTO A CORNER WHERE THEY BUMB INTO THE UNDERTAKER. TAKER GRABS CHRISTIAN BY THE THROAT BUT A-TRAIN GRABS A TRASH CAN AND HITS TAKER IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD WITH IT. CHRISTIAN AND A-TRAIN THEN HEAD FOR THE RING. Christian w/ A-Train vs. "High Octane" Damion West High Octane was handling Christian and was well on his way to a victory after drilling Christian with a missile dropkick. But Christian rolled out of the ring to regroup. As West tried to suplex him back in, A-Train tripped him up and Christian landed on him. A-Train then held Octane's feet down as Christian got the 3 count. Match Time: 9:46 But after the match, the lights went out and when they came back on, The Undertaker was in the ring. he put both Christian and A-Train down with chokeslams before giving Octane a long look across the ring and then leaving. COMMERCIAL BREAK....... RETURN FROM BREAK.... RINGSIDE..... AS RAMPAGE RETURNS, BRADSHAW's MUSIC IS PLAYING AND HE IS IN THE RING. THE MEETING OF THE MINDS IS ON. BRADSHAW TALKS ABOUT THE FACT THAT WHEN HE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, HE WAS ON THE HONOR ROLL. HE THEN BECAME A STOCK MARKET GENIUS, WRITING HIS OWN BOOK AND GETTING A SPOT ON SEVERAL NEWS NETWORKS. HE CALLS DREW BLOOD AN IDIOT, ONE WHO USES THE MINDS OF OTHERS TO MAKE UP FOR THE ONE HE DOESN'T HAVE. BRADSHAW SAYS HE ALSO KNOWS THAT DREW BLOOD WON'T SHOW UP TONIGHT BECAUSE IT PROBABLY ALREADY "SLIPPED HIS MIND". HE THEN BEGS DREW TO RESPOND, EVEN ASKING HIM TO DUMP SOMETHING RED FROM ABOVE ON HIM. SUDDENLY, THE MUSIC OF DREW BLOOD BEGINS TO PLAY AND HIS SYMBOL APPEARS ON THE TWF TRON IN A DARK FIELD. ON THE SYMBOL IS A FIGURE AND AS THE CAMERA MOVES IN, THE PERSON STRAPPED TO THE SYMBOL LOOKS STRIKINGLY LIKE BRADSHAW. BRADSHAW IS STUNNED AS A MANIACAL LAUGH IS HEARD OVER THE LOUDSPEAKERS. J.R. MENTIONS THAT BRADSHAW ASKED FOR A MEETING OF THE MINDS AND HE GOT ONE, NOTING THAT DREW BLOOD IS THE MASTER OF THE MIND GAME. OFF AIR......
