(Returning from the video recap, the camera centers in on a ponytail-less Shane Southern taking a breather, sitting on the second turnbuckle.)

BB: Shane Southern is still in the ring following his match with Tom Adler. Both these men are at a disadvantage, coming off that great match that ended moments ago!

SB: Look at Southern, Buckley. He’s like Samson without his hair. And now the real ‘Strongest Arms In The World’ are coming from him with that patented roid rage. Yikes.

BB: And don’t forget that Southern competed in that grueling tag match earlier tonight too. In fact, if he hadn’t worked so hard to pull that one out, Tom Adler wouldn’t be standing there getting ready right now. (The camera cuts to ringside, where Adler is standing, talking to Eric Wright.)

SB: If Adler had been in that tag match, he might not be the US Champ now either. He had the strategy down, Buckley… and now we’ll see if he’s got anything planned for this battle royal.

BB: I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. Let’s get this thing started!

(CUEUP: “Battle of the Belts Anthem” But before we can hear the start of Angel’s vocals again, CHAD MERRITT appears on CSWAvision, from the Presidential skybox above.)

Merritt: I know you’re getting tired of seeing me tonight (crowd responds affirmatively). But, before we get this kicked off, I thought I’d take care of one small thing. This battle royal was set up to determine who will get a shot at the World Title between now and our ANNIVERSARY celebration. To get into to the battle royal, you only had to do one simple thing, and that was to be on a winning team earlier in the night. And that’s where we run into a problem. Because as I look down at the ring, I see one man who won the match for his team, one man who got pinned on that team, and one man who didn’t participate at all. (The crowd starts to react) So that made me wonder, Tommyboy, do you really think you’re going to participate in this match?

(The camera cuts to Adler, who simply stares at CSWAvision. At his side, ‘press agent’ Eric Wright is livid, and is actually talking back to the screen.)

I mean, congrats on the US Title and all, but to get the grade, you’ve got to do the work. So that’s why I’m going to ask referee Patrick Young down there to make sure that only battle royal participants are allowed in the ring. And that means all participants. So Mr. Wright, it looks like you’ve got one more match for the night. Oh, and so that you don’t think you can simply ‘bow out,’ just know that either you participate, or you give up your clearance to be at CSWA events.

(The crowd cheers as the camera focuses on a red-faced Wright, who is clearly not thrilled at the prospect.)

But don’t worry, Tom, I’ve got some special plans for you, just not tonight. But your first match as the new United States Champion will be at PRIMETIME in Phoenix in two weeks. And I’ve got a friend of a friend of yours ready to say hello to you. See ya then. Oh, and Eric, it’s time to get in the ring.

(The “Anthem” cuts back on as the participants are briefly introduced by Rhubarb Jones. As DAN RYAN, KEVIN POWERS, CHRIS LEHEW, GUNS, TROY WINDHAM, NATHAN STORM, CAMERON CRUISE, NATHAN CROSS and JEAN RABESQUE make their way down single-file, Eric Wright continues to hesitate to enter the ring. He waits for stablemate Nathan Storm, who has a quick tet-a-tet with Wright and Adler before Adler is ordered away from ringside by referee Patrick Young. As the bell rings, the referee remains outside to watch the action.)

BB: We’re underway, as Eric Wright crawls into the ring behind Nathan Storm. It looks like he’s got protection… DROPKICK by Shane Southern!! He hit Storm with a picture-perfect dropkick, knocking him into the corner, with Eric Wright BEHIND him!

SB: Eric Wright’s gonna get hurt. And then I’m going to laugh. Hard.

BB: Storm fires out of the corner with a right hand that knocks Southern back, and right into a neckbreaker from the Strongest Arms in the World.

SB: Told ya, Buckley. GUNS is going to end up sending Shane to the third row. He’ll never even remember getting his ponytail cut off.

BB: But there’s Troy! Troy with a kick to the cut on GUNS and a quick DDT. The carnage in the ring has already started! Cameron Cruise has picked Chris Lehew as his target with a big clothesline, but Jean Rabesque turns Cruise around and kicks him right in that face protector! Cruise is down, and he’s hurt! Rabesque follows with a quick kick to the head as he continues to work over Cruise.

SB: That guy keeps turning around to find chairs and feet in his face. You’d think he’d figure out to duck!

BB: Lehew takes advantage by giving Rabesque a quick kick, then backs him into the corner. On the other side, Troy Windham is straddling GUNS and punching away, but he gets pulled off hair-first by “Good God.” Powers throws Troy across the ring, and then starts laying the boots into GUNS! And Dan Ryan joins him, hammering on one-third of the Intruders!

SB: They better watch it. GUNS might decide to go tear the GXW down brick by brick. I figure he could do it in one weekend and be back for the next ON TIME.

BB: Shane Southern and Nathan Storm continue to fire away at each other… but LOOK OUT! Eric Wright got behind Southern and just hit him with a forearm to a very, very bad place. Southern drops, and Wright gives him a quick kick to the back of the head as Storm tries to pick him up and maneuver him towards the ropes. But NATHAN CROSS comes off the top rope and hits Storm with a flying body press that sends both of them flying. That gives Southern a chance to get to his feet… but Wright’s waiting for him. Wright comes across with a clothesline, and Southern ducks. Wright turns back around… PARTY’S OVER!!!! ERIC WRIGHT JUST GOT SUPERKICKED OVER THE TOP!

SB: He’s not moving either, is he? You’ve really, really gotta love that.

BB: Ryan and Powers pull GUNS up and send him into the ropes, setting him up for a double back drop… GUNSshot!!! GUNS hits the two with a double Polish hammer and all three men go down! On the other side, Cameron Cruise and Chris Lehew continue to trade punches. Lehew tries to send Cruise into the corner, but gets reversed and sent into the ropes. Lehew comes cross with a flying body block, but Cruise catches him!!! And then just dumps him over the top!! Chris Lehew is ELIMINATED!

SB: And then there were seven. Whoops…SIX!

BB: Jean Rabesque came out of nowhere and just clotheslined Cruise! Cruise goes over the top, but catches himself on the apron! Rabesque goes to push him off the apron, but Cruise gets a shoulder in, knocking him back. Cruise is going to try to dive over the middle over the top rope on Jean… NO! Nathan Storm with a boot to the head, and that sends the already-injured Cruise to the outside and out of this match. We’ve seen some rivalries spark in this one, but in general, it looks like everyone’s looking for opportunities that will get them closer to that shot at the CSWA World Title.

SB: Is GUNS allowed to choke the life out of Troy Windham like that?

BB: The referee hasn’t jumped in, so I assume so! Nathan Storm and Nathan Cross are trading punches and kicks, while Troy Windham tries to get the mass of GUNS off of the top of him. He’s assisted by an unlikely source, as Powers once again goes right after GUNS with the help of Dan Ryan. Jean Rabesque is in the far corner, apparently biding his time, while Shane Southern tries to recover some wind in the opposite corner.

SB: Recover some wind…and some hair.

BB: Storm and Cross collide with a double clothesline! Storm is up first, and he quickly scoops up the other Nathan on his shoulder and tries to dump him over the top as Cross fires away at his head. Cross’s body is almost completely over the top, as Storm tries to hammer as his side to make him let go of his grip and fall to the floor. Jean Rabesque comes flying across the ring!! Flying dropkick to the back of Storm and BOTH men go over!!! Storm tries to hang on, but Cross keeps his grip, pulling the member of the X-Change to the floor as well!!! That leaves us with Dan Ryan, Kevin Powers, GUNS, Troy Windham, Shane Southern and Jean Rabesque!

SB: With Ryan/Powers and Windham/Southern, that leaves GUNS and Rabesque as the odd men out.

BB: You’re right, Sammy. For all the sparks we saw in the GXW/PLR tag team match earlier tonight, it looks like their hatred of GUNS has given Ryan and Powers a joint cause. They have GUNS in the corner, with Powers kicking away as Ryan hammers GUNS with a fist. It looks like they may have opened up a cut on GUNS’ head! Southern and Windham are in the other corner strategizing, and here they come! Southern turns Powers around and levels him with a hard right hand, while Troy clips Ryan’s knee and sends him sprawling. Windham jumps on top of Ryan, while Southern turns to take Powers, but GUNS comes out and drops Southern with a DDT!

SB: Doesn’t everybody in the world know by now not to turn your back on GUNS?

BB: GUNS pulls Southern up and then gives him a huge knee lift! Southern drops, but GUNS grabs hold of him, and now he’s benchpressing the former US Champ over his head!!

SB: I told you… he’s not just going to eliminate him…he’s sending him to Third Row, Inc.

BB: But Southern’s not ready to go!!! He’s struggling in GUNS’ grip, and it might just be enough to tip the balance! GUNS goes to drop him instead of throw him, but Southern falls feet-first to the apron! He jumps back over and hooks GUNS’ neck as he comes back in the ring… huge inverted DDT!!!! Both men are down, but Southern’s moving first. After all he’s been through tonight, I can’t believe he’s still got this much fight in him! He pulls GUNS to his feet and sets him against the ropes. Now Southern actually goes through the ropes to the apron…he’s going to try to suplex him to the floor!!! LOOK OUT!!!! Jean Rabesque comes across and tries to knock Southern off with a baseball slide! Southern jumps up, and Rabesque slides out to the floor!!!!

SB: Poor French Canadian…and I thought he was smart until now. It’s not good to eliminate YOURSELF, idiot.

BB: But he’s not eliminated! He didn’t go over the top rope, and after walking around half the ring to dodge any revenge from Southern, Rabesque crawls back in!! Meanwhile, Southern hooks the tights on GUNS and is trying to power him up. GUNS blocks with his leg and goes to reverse, but Southern hooks the ropes. Look at Southern’s back, you can see him trying to use every ounce of power and strength he can produce, but GUNS just won’t go. So Southern quickly lets go… LOW BLOW! AND VERTICAL SUPLEX!!! GUNS IS UP…..

(There’s a huge THUD as Southern lets go and GUNS drops straight to the floor below.)

BB: AND DOWN!!!!! GUNS is ELIMINATED!

SB: A low blow? If this were Craig Miles, you’d be screaming!

BB: After everything The Intruders have done to Southern tonight, I wouldn’t care if Shane chased them with scissors!

SB: Yikes. Shades of Sid Vicious there.

BB: Southern climbs back inside the safety of the ring. Inside, Kevin Powers and Dan Ryan are double-teaming former CSWA World Champion Troy Windham. Southern quickly comes over and hammers on Powers, trying to get the big man’s foot off of Windham’s throat! Jean Rabesque remains the lone wolf, trying to stay under the radar and hold on to win his shot at the title.

SB: I told you the kid was smart. I’m telling you, he’s got some American roots somehow. He CAN’T be a blasted Canadian.

BB: Southern jumps on Powers’ back and hooks in a sleeper hold, pulling him away from Windham. But he can’t take both men at once, and Ryan continues to pound away on Troy. He pulls Troy to his feet, but Troy quickly catches him with an elbow to the head!! And another! And another! Troy backs Dan Ryan into the corner with a series of chops and pulls him out, but Ryan grabs Windham by the hair and throws him to the mat. Ryan stomps Troy in the head and then drops a heavy elbow. And now he picks the smaller man up and it looks like he’s going to try and work him over the top.

SB: It looks like he’s asking Rabesque for some help, while Powers deals with Southern.

BB: Rabesque comes out of the corner, warily, but steps over as Windham tries to fight off Ryan from halfway over the top. Rabesque grabs one of the legs of the fighting Troy and torks it over the top, giving Ryan just enough leverage to dump Troy unceremoniously to the floor. On the other side, Kevin Powers is taking control of the beleaguered Southern… KISS THE CANVAS!!! Southern’s down, and he might not be getting back up.

SB: You almost feel sorry for the little bugger. Then you realize that he’s not worth the pity.

BB: Hold on! Rabesque jumps on Ryan’s back, trying to take advantage of the man who just dumped Troy Windham. He’s trying to get enough leverage to half push and then pull Ryan over, but Ryan flexes back and sends Rabesque hard to the mat. Ryan turns around, chuckling apparently, and starts to advance on Rabesque. Powers does the same, leaving the downed Southern still apparently out on the mat. Rabesque tries to beg off, but Ryan grabs him by the back of the head and sends him into the ropes…as he comes back across, Powers kneels down, but Rabesque rolls over the top, dodging the back body drop!

SB: I’m telling you, this kid is from New York, or Washington state, maybe Maine. Somewhere close to, but not IN Canada.

BB: Rabesque ducks a clothesline attempt by Powers and comes back across, but this time, both men are waiting for him. DOUBLE BACK BODY DROP!!!! And Rabesque is ELIMINATED!

SB: Good grief, how high did that kid get in the air? Is that a new record? Judges?

BB: Rabesque hit hard outside…he’s going to be feeling that one for a while. Ryan and Powers now turn their attention to Shane Southern, who still hasn’t recovered after that Kiss The Canvas by Kevin Powers. Powers bends down to pull Southern up. RELEASE GERMAN SUPLEX by DAN RYAN! He just took Powers’ head off!!! Powers is trying to shake it off, he’s up to one knee, but Ryan kicks him in the head. He’s going for…look out, he’s trying to get the big man up!

SB: It’s “Good Grief” Kevin Powers now.

BB: The 6’6” Ryan is powering the 6’10” Powers onto his shoulder!!!!! He steps to the ropes…POWERBOMB!!!!!!!! KEVIN POWERS IS OUT! And we’re down to TWO!

SB: Well, one-and-a-half really. I don’t think you can call Southern a man after what The Pros did to him.

BB: I don’t see any of the Intruders still in the ring, Sammy. Ryan goes over to the downed Southern, and grabs him by the hair to pull him to his feet. SOUTHERN POWERS UP!!!! The top of his head hit Ryan’s chin for a jawbreaker!!! Ryan drops, and now Southern starts delivering a series of kicks to the midsection! Ryan grabs hold of his leg and screws Southern down to the mat, allowing him to get back to his feet. The smaller Southern dodges a swipe and hits the ropes, coming off with a dropkick that staggers Ryan into the ropes. Ryan comes off, and another dropkick by Southern pushes him back to the ropes, precariously close to going over the edge!

SB: What is this guy? He’s like some freaking Louisiana vampire that can’t be killed. ‘I want to suck your blood, ya’ll.’

BB: Ryan comes off, and this time Southern comes across with a flying clothesline! NO!!!! Ryan catches him! SPINEBUSTER!!!! (SFX: Huge slam on the mat that shakes the posts) Dan Ryan picks up Shane Southern.. both these men are worn out. Ryan hooks him in a bear hug and starts walking him over to the nearest turnbuckle. He stretches Southern out and tries to force him over, but Southern’s fighting to the last second. He’s taken so much punishment tonight, it’s insane. But he’s still fighting, still trying to come away with the brass ring that will give him a shot at the World Title.

SB: I’m telling you, the man’s some kind of underworldly beast.

BB: A lot of people say that about you, Sammy. Ryan has Southern over the corner, hanging on to his throat, trying to push him over the top so he claim this battle royal victory. Wait… a kick to the head by Southern! He’s trying to come back, and he just staggered Ryan again! Southern has his feet on the mat and is stomping away as he backs Ryan up with a right, and a left, and a right. He backs Ryan into the middle of the ring and then sends him into the ropes one more time as he sets himself up. He gearing for the Lou Thesz press.. .he jumps, and Ryan FALLS!!! SOUTHERN HITS THE ROPES NECK-FIRST!!! He just got hot-shotted by the miss!!!! And now he’s landed halfway across the ropes, in the most precarious position he could be in right now. Ryan is trying to climb to his feet…the big man has shown amazing endurance so far, but nothing comes close to what we’ve seen out of Southern tonight. Southern’s still struggling to pull himself back upright as Ryan approaches. Ryan charges… AND KNOCKS SOUTHERN TO THE FLOOR!!! DAN RYAN wins this battle royal and becomes the co-top contender to the CSWA World Championship along with Eli Flair. What a showing by Dan Ryan, especially in eliminating Kevin Powers, but what an amazing overall night for Shane Southern. He may have lost the US Title, but he showed that he can stand up to The Intruders one-on-one if he has too, and that the veteran from New Orleans has even more heart than most of us give him credit for.

SB: BEAST I TELL YOU!

BB: Shut up, Sammy. Fans, we’ll be right back with the MAIN EVENT for the CSWA World Championship. Right now, please take a look at this short clip on the NEW CSWAwrestling.com, coming in June.