[2001-01-20-MPPW-TV] Steve Bradley vs Joey Abs

[GSR]

The new Unified champion (Bradley defeated Spellbinder at ‘Corinth Chaos’ last week) doesn’t think Joey Abs has got much of a chance of beating him for the gold because he likes his belts like he likes his women, two at a time! Victoria then tells Joey that she doesn’t want his grubby little hands anywhere near her perfect body and there is no way he will put ‘the Absolution’ on her.

 

It’s not often that Dave Brown is wrong, however it turns out he is here when he says how he wants everyone to take a close look at these two wrestlers because both are going to be big stars in the WWF in the very near future. Abs with the splash out of the corner but Bradley gets his knees up. Spinning neckbreaker before dragging Joey across to the ropes and choking him over them. As the official reprimands the champ, Victoria chokes him herself behind his back. Nice looking quick fire moonsault off the middle for a two count. Bradley climbs the turnbuckles but is caught up there and Abs lands a superplex. He has him up for ‘the Absolution’ when a swinging leg catches the official in the face. We’ve seen some dreadfully lame ref bumps in Memphis but this may very well take the biscuit with how soft it was. ‘Absolution’ and Victoria is in, grabbing Joey by the hair and pulling him off her man. As Dave reminds everyone how he had promised to put ‘the Absolution’ on her, just as he’s about to, Bradley clocks him with a garbage can lid. That brings out the Spellbinder who enters the ring AND BREAKS A BOTTLE OVER BRADLEY’S head for the DQ. He calmly turns back around to leave and although Dave tries to grab a word, he just looks at him and heads back through the curtain.

 

I suppose at the time when Dave talked about these two going on to be big stars in the WWF, it would’ve been laughable had anyone suggested that neither would even make it there (Abs actually retired less than six months after this match) and that Victoria would be the one to have a long and successful career. Looking back at things now with 2018 eyes, it’s not so clear cut. Plain old ‘Joey Abs’ was going nowhere without a gimmick overhaul, Bradley had all the talent in the world and deserved a shot but there’s just something ‘scuzzy’ about his look, while Victoria is almost like a hybrid of Sherri Martel and Sunny; an attractive looking woman, great body, good gimmick, can talk and gets heat at ringside. Forget about her being a wrestler, if she wanted she could’ve had a career as a manager/valet. The match itself goes less than five minutes and I get the impression from Dave and Corey’s commentary that this week’s episode aired in a later timeslot than usual, which would certainly explain Spellbinder being able to get away with breaking a bottle over Bradley’s head!