AWA on ESPN Results & Reviews (w/ dates)

[CW .org .info .net]

AWA on ESPN
by Randy Harrison

AWA Championship Wrestling (Originally aired on February 14, 1986)

Larry Nelson's already in the ring introducing the competitors for the first match and Roger Kent and Greg Gagne are at ringside set to describe every move and counter, so let's get to the action!


Match One:
The Alaskans vs. Leon White and Buck Zumhoffe

It's BUCK TIME, bitches!! I could care less if he wins or loses, because he was my absolute favorite when I was six years old with that fucking SWANK boom-box he used to carry around with him. This is going to be awesome. Zumhoffe gets the crowd clapping and cheering and he fires up the front row. White locks up with Alaskan #1 and throws him off into the corner as Gagne puts him over on commentary. The commentators discuss how many Alaskans there have been and Roger Kent talks about Yukon Eric getting his ear bitten off in a match once. I wonder if he was wrestling Jerry Blackwell at the time. I'm just saying is all. The real story, of course, is that Killer Kowalski ended up ripping it off with a kneedrop, but I guess Roger was a little senile at this point and having it bitten off sounded much cooler. Anyhow, the Alaskans make a switch and White shoves off Alaskan #2 in the same way he did with the first one. Another lockup and another throw-off and Alaskan #2 is claiming that White pulled the beard. They try the lockup again and the Alaskan tries some forearm strikes but White blocks them while the announcers talk about Alaska and the geographical sites of the state. #2 tries for a slam but White blocks it and delivers a HUGE slam of his own. White tags in Zumhoffe and the crowd is already clapping and cheering behind him. The Alaskan tries a forearm smash against the ropes but Zumhoffe ducks away from it causing an Alaska-sized hissy fit. Zumhoffe has ahold of the Alaskan's beard and turns it into an arm-wringer before letting the hold go as the ref chastises him for the beard pull. The Alaskans tag off and Zumhoffe gets a side headlock on #1, reversing a whip in with another beard pull. This time the referee tries to help by smacking Zumhoffe's arms down. Has this referee not seen The Three Stooges before? Alaskan #1 flails around like his beard was on fire and then makes the tag, bringing in #2. Zumhoffe gets a top wristlock and #2 reverses it, using the hair to take Zumhoffe down to the mat, leading to an armbar. Zumhoffe gets to his feet but gets taken down again by the hair before Alaskan #2 goes to the eyes, dragging Zumhoffe to their corner. Zumhoffe crawls all around the ring, leading #2 on a wild goose chase, before making the tag to White. White in with BIG forearm smashes to both Alaskans and he hits the powerslam on #2. Tag to Zumhoffe and White press slams him onto the prone Alaskan for the 1-2-3!!

Winners: Buck Zumhoffe and Leon White (pinfall, press slam splash)

Match Analysis: Ok, I take back my earlier statement about this being awesome. It was alright, just a LOT of stalling from the Alaskans that took away from the flow and kept the match from hitting any kind of stride. White and Zumhoffe could have had the whole Kane/X-Pac thing going if they had stayed a team, but I don't recall them teaming many more times after this match, if at all. If anyone has any ideas on who that other Alaskan was though, feel free to shout it out, cause I had no clue.

After the match Larry Nelson is with Zumhoffe and White and Buck says it's a privelege and an honor to get into the ring with White. He says that with White behind him and all the people behind his back that they can take on any tag team in the AWA. Poor Buck's helmet falls off from all the excitement and someone better get that thing back on him before he hurts himself. White says that since he's come to the AWA he's had nothing but the best competition and says that people have asked him to compare wrestling to football. He says that wrestlers are ten times tougher and that wrestling is the hardest thing he's ever had to do before Zumhoffe butts in again talking about how priveleged he is to get to tag with White. A weird promo because of how high-pitched White's voice was, and for the unfortunate titty twister that Zumhoffe ended up giving White at the end of it. He may have been my favorite back then, but seeing him now it looks like Zumhoffe was high as a kite. Consider my childhood innocence shattered.


Match Two:
King Kong Brody w/Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie vs. Mike Richards (minus his Amazing Technicolor Ring Robe)

Since Richards doesn't have "The Power of the Robe", and he's facing a legit lunatic in Brody, I don't see this going particularly well for him. HUSS HUSS HUSS!!! Brody chops the piss out of Richards in the corner and Irish whips him into the ropes for a HUGE boot to the face. Brody with another chope/forearm to the chest and he bounces off the ropes to stomp at the back of Richards' head. Richards out to the apron and Brody hits another forearm smash, stomping away at Richards from the apron. More stomps and Brody is back into the ring with a BIG slam on Richards, leading to another Irish whip and a BIG chop. HUSS HUSS HUSS forearm smash to the back and Richards tries to fire off some shots to the gut and some forearm shots to the head, but Brody takes it all and no-sells it. Brody picks up Richards and it's time for a HUSS HUSS HUSS PILEDRIVER!!! One quick three-count and it's all over, with Greg Gagne saying that he hates that Brody is back in the AWA. Brody kicks the referee down and continues the beating on Richards in the corner with more kicks before throwing him out to the floor. BRODY'S GOT A CHAIR!!! HE'S GOT A CHAIR!!! Chairshot to the back of Richards and Brody just takes the chair with him into the crowd and menaces them with it. Security comes and surrounds Brody and they cut to a commercial.

Winner: King Kong Brody (pinfall, HUSS HUSS HUSS piledriver)

Match Analysis: Nobody does crazy like Brody and he did it well again. Awesome to see him back in the AWA shows after his "lengthy suspension", which was probably him moving on to another territory for awhile. Richards had nothing going for him once I realized he didn't have his awesome ring robe. Kind of like Samson and his hair, just that it was a robe...and Richards wasn't Samson. Anyways, good squash for Brody to get him back on TV and I'm a Brody mark so this worked for me.

King Kong Brody and Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie are in the ring with Larry Nelson and Brody shoves Nelson with his shoulder while pacing around the ring. He asks what kind of behavior that was from Brody and Sheik says that it cost him a lot of money and agony but Brody is back. While all of this is going on Brody's in the front row barking and looking genuinely crazy. He says that Brody will destroy anyone in his path while Larry Nelson points out that it sounds an awful lot like a hired assassin. Sheik calls Brody the biggest hero in the ARAB world, while he and Brody turn Nelson into a sandwich, with Brody continually shoving him. Nelson wonders if Sheik has any control over him at all and Sheik says that he pays Brody a lot of money and Brody does exactly what he tells him to do. Brody takes the chair and starts hammering on the top turnbuckle while Sheik says that Brody will take on anyone in the AWA. They end off with Sheik cursing in Arabic (presumably), while Brody takes a knee and HUSSES!! Awesome.


Match Three:
Sgt. Slaughter vs. Rick Gatner

Slaughter comes to the ring with possibly the gayest music in the history of professional wrestling. It's almost a knock-off of the old GI Joe theme song, but it honestly wouldn't sound out of place in Team America: World Police. They announce Slaughter as the "America's Champion" and I can't tell if that's an actual title or if it's just made up like The Rock calling himself "The People's Champ". Scott LeDoux rings the bell and we're underway with this one as Gatner fakes a handshake, spitting on Slaughter's hand and then running like hell to the outside. Gatner is back in the ring and they hit the lockup with Gatner pushing Slaughter into the corner and punching him in the gut on the break.. He struts around like he won the AWA Title then they go back to the lockup, with Gatner actually giving him a clean break. Another lockup into the ropes with Sarge in charge and he forearms Gatner in the chest off the break. They trade forearms in the corner with Slaughter coming out on top, landing a BIG kneelift that puts Gatner onto his back. Slaughter drops him with a couple of bodyslams and Gatner scurries to the floor again. Thank god this thing only has a ten-minute time limit or we'd be here all night. Roger Kent talks about how Sarge is good at golf and does exercises to keep his forearm strength up. That's funny, I do the same kind of exercises, but it has nothing to do with golf. Gatner gets a right hand on the cut that got opened during last episode's six-man tag match and he chokes Slaughter against the ropes before trying an Irish whip into the corner. He charges in and gets a monkey flip on Slaughter, jeering to the crowd like he's the greatest thing in the world before snap maring Slaughter over, hitting a couple of knees to the chest. Gatner heads outside to the top but gets caught and slammed off by Slaughter. Sarge goes to the second rope and hits a flying clothesline for the pin!

Winner: Sgt. Slaughter (pinfall, second rope flying clothesline)

Match Analysis: SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW. So slow I think that I may have actually had time to invent time travel, go back to 1986 and interfere in this match before it was over. Slaughter was OVER ROVER as always, but it didn't really carry over into the match since it was too slow to have any flow to it.

Larry Nelson is in the ring, slobbering all over Sarge and telling him that he can't think of a better title for Slaughter than "America's Champion". Slaughter says he's damn proud of the USA and then talks about guys like Sam Walton (the founder of Wal-Mart), and says that every week he's going to announce his favorite American. He says that Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie goes out and spends a lot of money on the toughest wrestlers in the world and that Brody might be one of the toughest of all-time. He says that everyone remembers the wars between Brody and Jerry Blackwell and Slaughter says he wouldn't be surprised if it kept on today. He also talks about Stan Hansen and says that he's got some matches coming up with him and he can't wait to get his hands on him. He calls Hansen "boy" and a coward and Slaughter says that he can't lose when he wrestles for the American people, so Hansen better be ready to hand over that AWA Championship.


We're back from the commercial break and it's MAIN EVENT TIME!!!


Match Four: AWA World Heavyweight Championship
Curt Hennig vs. Stan Hansen (c)

I'm not terribly enthused because there's only about ten minutes left in the show, so this one might be quick and ugly. Gagne talks about Hennig coming into this one with a back injury from a previous match and worries about his safety against Hansen. The bell rings and we're underway with Hansen pushing Hennig into the corner and missing a forearm smash. Side headlock takeover by Hennig and he works over that headlock, cranking away and taking him over again. Hansen tries to shoot him off but Hennig holds onto it, forcing the champion down to a knee again. Hansen shoots him into the ropes and hits a big reverse elbow but Hennig shrugs it off to deliver a dropkick and takes Hansen back over with the side headlock. Hansen rolls Hennig onto his back and gets behind him to deliver a knee right in the middle of Hennig's back to break the headlock. Hansen with a forearm to that tender back and Hennig comes off the ropes with a chop but Hansen just no-sells it right into a HUGE bodyslam. Stomps from Hansen and he rams Hennig into the top turnbuckle before Irish whipping him in.

Hennig tries for the sunset flip but he can't get Hansen over and gets a double sledge to the head for his troubles. Hansen Irish whips Hennig into the corner and charges, but Hennig gets the sunset flip this time for a two-count. They trade right hands with Hennig getting the better of the exchange and he sends Hansen into the ropes and punches him hard in the gut. A chop from Hennig and an Irish whip in, but Hansen gets a kick to the chest as Hennig sets up for a back bodydrop. Hansen drops a BIG elbow on Hennig and gets a two-count off of it. He gets a gutwrench suplex on Hennig and again it's a long, LONG two-count for Hansen off of that. Hansen rams Hennig into the top buckle again and sets him up for a bulldog, but Hennig pushes him off, sending Hansen into the opposite corner and low-bridging him for a two-count. Hennig goes back to the side headlock, but Hansen just crotches him on the top rope to get out of it. That is a hell of a counter there. Hansen drops some knees to the stomach of Hennig and puts on the clawhold on his stomach, picking Hennig up and putting him right back down with an atomic drop. Hansen with another huge kick to the chest and a turnbuckle smash before Hennig fires back with a couple of right hands.

He can't get anything going though and Hansen snap mares him over, into a Boston crab attempt. He locks it on and Gagne talks about how he won the AWA Championship over Rick Martel with this very move. Hansen lets it go and drops another knee to the small of the back before sending him into the ropes for a BIG back bodydrop. Hansen sends Hennig into the ropes and he gets caught between the top and middle rope in the Hangman. Hansen over and dropping big right hands on him until Scott Hall comes in and makes the save, hitting Hansen with big right hands and a reverse elbow. Hall picks Hansen up for a BIG bodyslam and drops an elbow on him, forcing Hansen to bail while Hall checks on his partner. Hansen sneaks back in to get a couple of shots in on Hall while his back is turned and then tries to circle the ring to get his hands on Hennig again, but Hall boots him away. The crowd boos like hell while the referee makes the decision official at the ringside table.

Winner: Stan Hansen (disqualification, Hall interference)

Match Analysis: This was basically here more for the post-match angle insanity, rather than the actual match. It was a good enough match but it just seemed a little flat and the crowd didn't seem terribly into it as Hansen was in control for most of it with Hennig barely making comebacks. Not the best match between these two but a serviceable main event to be sure.

Larry Nelson tries to get a word with Hennig after the match but he can barely speak after the ropes clamping around his neck, squeaking out that he never gave up. Nelson gets all indignant and yells the same thing. YOU'RE GODDAMN RIGHT CURT HENNIG NEVER GIVES UP!!! MOTHERFUCKERS!!! Scott Hall yells some too, talking about how Hennig never gave up and that Hansen is running roughshod over the AWA, claiming that he'll take Hansen on any time, face to face. He says that Hennig is like a brother to him and that they're the tag team champions and that makes them front of the line for AWA Title shots. Hall yells out "ANYTIME, ANYPLACE" and then promptly drops Hennig on the mat by mistake. Way to look out for your partner there Scott. Larry Nelson wraps up everything that Scott Hall said and that's it for today's episode!!!



Final Thoughts

Not the best show for the AWA, yet still oddly entertaining. The post-match in the main event was pretty cool with Hansen getting the Hangman and doing some damage, drawing Hall out from the back to defend his partner's honor. I finally got to see me some Buck Zumhoffe and that made me happy. Shame that there was no Larry Zbyszko or Nick Bockwinkel though, but I guess they can't be on EVERY show. It was kind of nice to see two shows in a row in chonrological order and it would be REALLY cool if they started showing them that way, but I'm not going to hold my breath. Thumbs in the middle for this show, leaning up just because of the awesomeness of Buck Zumhoffe's boom-box. ROCK AND ROLL WILL NEVER DIE!!!



Fun With Comments

From Silo Sam:
"well...i missed the show. Im bummed I missed another Hall/Somers match. It
sounded like a squash which sucks. as for your comment: "The Hall/Somers
match was probably the best of the bunch, which doesn't say a lot". If it
was a nonsquash i think it would be a perfectly acceptable best match(but then
again i am a big hall and somers mark...)Well...hope everything is going ok in
your life, hang in there man"

It was an alright match, I just figured that when your best match on a show is an extended squash, it doesn't say much for the show. The match was decent, it was just my way of bagging on the show as a whole. Thanks for the support too, every little bit helps.


From the cleverly named GregGagneSucks:
"I read in Gary Cappetta's book(a famous ring announcer who worked in
AWA,NWA,WWF) that Verne was an idiot. When asked one time how he liked the ESPN
show,his reply was that he doesn't watch it because he didn't have cable!! No
wonder all his talent left him because he was a cheapskate.He wouldn't put out
the 10 or so bucks it was back in those days for cable TV. By the way, if any
one is interested Bob Barnett(do a search) has some AWESOME old school dvds for
4 bucks apiece.Get the Ric Flair/Nick Bockwinkle match! 20+ minutes of two of
the best workers in pro wrestling history. And the Georgia stuff and Jim
Cornette's garbage tapes are great.JC actually found boxes of old tapes in the
DUMPSTER of an old TV studio in the Carolinas. This stuff is PRICELESS. Getting
back to AWA, Old time jobber Sonny Rogers still wrestles in the Chicago area
as,get this, "Mr TV Guide"! He comes to the ring with an old beat up
tv guide(ooh scary...lol) He even does that stupid "FIRED UP IN RAGE"
dance that he does on these old shows before getting his ass handed to him by
Zhukov or Barbarian.Also I went to AWA Stars site and they have pictures of the
newest AWA Tag Team champions.....Frankie DeFalco and Jake The Milkman
Miliman!!! It's funny as hell as they are in matching pink & purple
outfits(Did these two come out of the closet? lol)In closing I hope they show
some earlier shows from 84 from the Riviera with the Freebirds,Road
Warriors,Rick Martel,Bockwinkle & stevens & Baron Von Rashche.One can
only hope!"

That new AWA may be the saddest thing that I've ever seen. I love the old wrestling and love the classic stuff so I might have to checking some of those out. I'll never think of the name Bob Barnett and not hear Tom Zenk's impression of him during his classic appearances on Observer Live, but that's neither here nor there. I hope to see some of the older AWA stuff too, but it looks like we'll be getting the shows from 86-88 for the time being. I wonder if Mr. TV Guide is going to get himself a tag-team partner. Maybe he could team up with Mr. Sunday Newspaper Supplementals and they could be the Paper Products Express.


From AndresV:
"Just caught it from the end of the Janetty match on. Not only was it good work
by Hennig & Stomper to continue after the botched drop kick sell, but on
the announcers' trying to sell the "missed" attempt.
Can't wait to read the review on the Friday show since it featured matches from
SuperClash '85 which I was at."

I agree, it was cool to see everyone on the same page like that, which is seemingly rare for the AWA. And your prayers will be answered as the March 27th show is due to be posted later today if all goes according to plan.


From G-Walla:
"Hope everything's well with you. I only caught the tail end of the previous
show, so I was dissapointed not to find a recap."

Things are better so thanks for the well-wishes. I'm sorry for the disappointment of missing the recap, but as stated before there will be a BONUS report posting today with last Friday's episode, so hang tight and I'll hook you up!!




************************************

[CW .org .info .net]

AWA Championship Wrestling (Originally aired on February 23, 1986)

A step back almost an entire year from the previous episode, so it'll be interesting to see where things are.

Roger Kent and Greg Gagne are your announcers for tonight's show.


Match One:
Marty Jannetty vs. Chris Curtis

Jannetty with a HUGE shiner on his right eye as this one gets underway. They lock up a couple of times and they do some chain wrestling, ending off with a standing stalemate. Wow, I guess ECW didn't invent that then. Another lock-up and Jannetty turns it into a hammerlock, with Curtis reversing it and Jannetty reversing that into a drop-toehold. Curtis gets the ropes and the hold is broken. Larry Nelson joins us on color and it turns out that Greg Gagne had business in the back that needed tending to, so he's not going to be on commentary for tonight. Curtis gets a headlock and Jannetty whips him in off the ropes, and hits a backdrop after a criss-cross spot, then follows it with an armdrag. A laying armbar on Curtis from Jannetty and they talk about Edouard Carpentier on the commentary team, making them already infinitely better than Trongard and Blears already. Curtis tries to regain his feet and whips Jannetty off the ropes, with Curtis trying a hip toss which Jannetty reverses into a hip toss of his own, then into another armdrag.

Kent tells us the origins of the beal (hip toss) which is kind of cool, and that makes it 2-0 for Kent over Trongard. Jannetty rolls the armbar over into almost an MMA version of the move, Wow, Nelson is just as terrible on color as Kent is great on PBP. Curtis turns the armbar over for a two count, but Jannetty takes the control back and keeps working the armbar. Kent goes off on an old-man rant about having the best chicken he's ever had at some restaurant in Jannetty's hometown. Jannetty gets a dropkick as Curtis runs the ropes and he's right back to the armdrag and armbar. Curtis slugs out of the armbar and starts in with the right hands to Jannetty's head. Jannetty fires back with rights of his own, slings Curtis into the ropes and hits a reverse elbow before taking him over with snap mare for a one count. Jannetty goes back to the armbar and Curtis pushes him into the corner. Jannetty whips Curtis across to the other corner and locks the armbar back on.

Curtis punches out of it again with right hands and drops an elbow to the back of Jannetty's head before taking him over with a snapmare of his own. Curtis drops a forearm from the ropes for a two count, and hits a chinlock. Jannetty gets out of it with some shots to the gut and charges off the ropes with a shoulderblock, before taking a knee to the gut from Curtis on the second attempt. Curtis goes back to the chinlock and uses the hair to keep Jannetty grounded. Curtis sends Jannetty into the ropes with an Irish whip, and Marty ducks a chop, hitting a sunset flip for two. Jannetty with an Irish whip and he hits the first flying dropkick before he ends up missing the second when Curtis holds onto the top rope. Curtis misses an elbow drop off the ropes, and Jannetty hits him with a suplex, following it up with a running shoulderblock and a high-cross body to get the pin.

Winner: Marty Jannetty (pinfall, high-cross bodyblock)

Match Analysis: Very much an extended squash.Jannetty got to showcase a lot of his moves, and he sold a little too when Curtis got his short bursts of offense. I think it probably ran a little long, even for the extended squash, since it looked like this one got almost ten minutes. Shave two or three minutes off of it and I might not have been so bored at the end.


After the commercial, Larry Nelson is in the ring with Marty Jannetty and he asks Marty about what's coming up for Marty. Marty says that he loves the fans of the AWA and he talks about how he was a tag champion in the Midwest, and that he's looking for a new partner to duplicate that success. I wonder who he could find? The crowd starts to stir and Jannetty makes his way from the ring when he sees who it is that's on his way in. Here comes Larry Zbyszko, with someone in the crowd pegging him perfectly with some trash as he steps through the ropes. Tremendous! Nelson apologizes for something and says that he agrees that Zbysko should be shown respect. It turns out that this is Zbyszko's first appearance back from a suspension and he starts railing already against AWA President Stanley Blackburn, the Gagnes, Nick Bockwinkel, and the peons in the crowd. He says that he thinks the people are fools and that no one can be as stupid as to think that what he did was wrong. He calls Bockwinkel a loser and that Zbyszko is 100% right. Nelson finds it hard to believe that they ever let him back in the AWA. Nelson also says that we're out of time, drawing the ire of Zbyszko and causing poor Nelson to hit the bricks before Zbyszko bitchslaps him.

During the commercial break I see a Free Credit Report commercial. You know the ones, that jackass in the seafood restaurant. Well everytime I see it, all I can focus on is that they're holding instruments, but not playing them. It reminds me of the Dynamic Dudes thing in WCW, where they came to the ring with skateboards, but because they never rode them they looked like toolbags. If you're going to carry an instrument or a skateboard, perhaps you'd better know HOW TO USE THE FUCKING THING!!! Ahem..moving on.


We're back and Larry Nelson can't even get the introductions out of the way before there's a real Pearl Harbor job (thanks Gorilla) and the match is underway.


Match Two:
Boris Zhukov and The Barbarian w/Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie vs. Chris Bassett and Spike Jones

As I said, Zhukov and Barbarian attack before the bell, clubbing away at both jobbers, before Barbarian sends one flying through the ropes to the floor. The heels double-team on someone who I'll guess is Jones, and hit a double-clothesline off an Irish whip. Barbarian sends Jones outside and finally takes off his beaverskin vest. Gagne talks about how King Kong Brody trained the Barbarian and the main event of Brody vs. Blackwell, before saying that next week's AWA show will be the premiere at the Showboat in Las Vegas. It's great to start getting timeframes and points of reference for some of these bigger events in the AWA's later history. Barbarian locks up with Jones and sends him into the corner off of a lock up. Barbarian lays the stomps in and tags to Zhukov, who does the same thing before starting to rake the eyes and drop some elbows. Zhukov tags in Barbarian then holds Jones so he can eat one of Barbarian's big boots to the face. Jones tags out and in comes Bassett to earn his beating...erm..paycheck.

HUSS HUSS HUSS and they lock up, with Barbarian getting an Irish whip into a leapfrog and ending it with a BIG boot to the face of Bassett. Barbarian drops a huge knee for a two count and he stomps away at poor Bassett. Barbarian with a big slam and he tags out to Zhukov, who Irish whips Bassett in and hits a dropkick. More stomps from Zhukov and he starts to work the arm around the top rope. Kent and Gagne discuss Asian geography which sounds somewhat surreal, as Zhukov tags in the big Barbarian. Barbarian keeps stomping on the arm and lifts Bassett up for a HUGE slam. Bassett tags out and Jones comes in to eat a big boot. A slam out of the corner and Barbarian snarls and makes mean faces in celebration. HUSS HUSS HUSS and another big boot to the face of Jones. Barbarian rams Jones' face into the boot of Zhukov and they double-team him in the corner. Zhukov with a snapmare into a neck crank and Zhukov clubs away at Jones' chest with some forearms. Jones turns it around for a moment and gets a bearhug, but Barbarian puts a stop to that with a boot to the back.

They doubleteam Jones again and the Barbarian Irish whips him into the ropes for a DROPKICK. Big Nord getting some air and it loo...HUSS HUSS HUSS. Jones tries to club away at Barbarian, but he can't do it and Barbarian puts him down with a flying shoulderblock off the ropes. A tag in to Zhukov who hits a knee to the gut and runs Jones throat-first into the top rope. MORE stomps from Zhukov and Jones ends up out on the floor. Smell the workrate, people. Jones has red welts all over his body from this beating and Zhukov catches him on the apron with some forearms to the back and chest, sending Jones back down to the floor. Jones finally crawls in through the bottom rope and takes over on Zhukov by going to the eyes, pounding away at Boris in the corner. He makes the mistake of tagging off to Bassett and Zhukov slams him as soon as he's in the ring. Zhukov works the stomps again, seeming like Randy Orton with the chinlocks.

Zhukov clotheslines Jones on the top rope again and the heels double-team again, with Barbarian booting Bassett in the chin. Bassett rolls over and tags to Jones, but Barbarian hammers on him and hip tosses him across the ring. Tag to Zhukov and they keep clubbing away, landing a headbutt on Jones before going up to the second rope. Zhukov hits a clothesline for a two count as he picks Jones up before the three. Another tag to the Barbarian and they keep working over Jones in the corner before Barbarian hits him with a BIG slam. Barbarian drops a Brody-esque knee to the chest and then hits the HUSS HUSS HUSS legdrop for the three count.

Winners: Boris Zhukov and Barbarian (pinfall, legdrop)

Post-match, the heels keep on with the beating, stomping away at both jobbers, with Barbarian picking Bassett up and slamming him back-first against the ring post. Roger Kent sounds disgusted by this turn of events.

Match Analysis: Another REALLLLLLLLY long squash, and this one didn't have someone like Jannetty in it to add in some highspots to keep it interesting. Lots and LOTS of kicky-punchy and power offense, which slowed this match down and made it seem twice as long as it already was. And boy, was it long. I think I need a drink or something.


Back from commercial with Barbarian and Zhukov in the ring with Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie and Larry Nelson calls what they did despicable. El-Kaissie says that it's not his fault that his men had no competition and he challenges the tag team champions. Sheik says his army is ready and they'll capture all the belts of Sheik will buy the AWA. Barbarian starts screaming into the microphone and claims that it's a bunch of bull that they don't have a title shot. Barbarian screams at Larry HUSS HUSS HUSS Nelson and we're off to another commercial.


Match Three:
Earthquake Ferris vs. Scott Hall

Hall is one half of the AWA Tag Team Champions at this point, and we're underway for the match. Hall has some leather fringe on his boots like moccasins, which adds to an interesting look he already has. They lock up and stalemate and then lock up again with Ferris shoving him away with a handful of hair. Another lock up and Hall gets a hip toss off of it, and a BIG dropkick sends Ferris to the outside. Ferris comes back in and they lock up again with Ferris securing a side headlock, cranking it in on Hall. Hall whips him in off the ropes and shoulderblocks Ferris but Ferris doesn't budge. They do it again and on the third attempt, Hall gets a drop toehold into a leg lock. Hall kicks and knees away at the hamstrings and drops the leg right into the "inside of the thigh" of Ferris. Hall locks on a stepover toehold and Ferris kicks him away, following him in with a knee to the gut in the corner and a ton of forearms. Ferris whips Hall into the opposite corner and charges in, with what I presume would be a splash he calls the "Earthquake", but Hall moves out of the way and Ferris slams into the corner. Hall comes off the second rope with an elbowdrop and gets the 1-2-3.

Winner: Scott Hall (pinfall, second rope elbowdrop)

Match Analysis: Finally a squash that didn't take ten minutes to finish. This was only here so that Hall could have some interview time to update us on Curt Hennig, but at least it was passable. Hall really does seem to be on this show every damn night, and you can tell that Verne had big plans for him with all the focus he puts on him, week in and week out.

After the match, Hall gets some promo time and updates us on Curt Hennig's condition. Apparently his neck is swollen two inches above size, and they have no idea what the injury is at this point. He gives Stan Hansen some credit for being big, bad, and a capable wrestler. Hall feels like he and Hennig are both capable wrestlers too and that his Momma and Daddy told him that anytime you're faced with a bully like Hansen, if you stand face to face with them they'll run. Hall gets angry and starts yelling, saying that Hansen took off running when Hall stood up to him. He claims that Hansen tried to cripple a man who is like a brother to him. He keps yelling and finishes with "HANSEN, ANYTIME, ANYPLACE!!!" as Nelson looks meek and afraid.


After the break, Donna joins us for some Ringside Rumors. No last name, just Donna. Kinda like Prince, and since he's from Minnesota, it all connects in some weird six degrees of separation way. She congratulates Hall and Hennig for winning the AWA Tag Team titles from Jimmy Garvin and Steve Regal in Albequerque, New Mexico. She also congratulates Stan Hansen on his title win over Rick Martel in New Jersey. She warns the champs that there are new stars coming to the territory, like David Sammartino (oh joy), "Handsome" Marty Jannetty, and the new South African star, Col. DuBar. Umm Donna, that would be DeBeers...you might want to check your copy. She talks foreign objects and how Scott LeDoux, the newest AWA referee saying that the ring area looks like a Star Wars battle with UFO's flying everywhere, specifically Precious' spray can, Sheik with his chain, Stan Hansen with his cowbell (MORE COWBELL!!), and Larry Zbyszko and his "dumbchucks", LeDoux's words, not mine. She says that LeDoux vows that the next time he sees Zbyszko with them in the ring he'll stick them up his ass. My words, not hers. That's it for the Ringside Rumors, and Donna is probably more than happy that she can stop using her brain and go back to being vapid and looking "beautiful".



Match Four: Main Event
King Kong Brody w/Sheik Adnan El Kaissie vs. Jerry Blackwell

Larry Nelson introduces this one as being a TV time limit which could be a REAL tip-off to the ending of the ma-HUSS HUSS HUSS HUSS-tch. God, I love Brody. Nelson introduces Blackwell and Brody attacks him with a boot to the gut, sending Larry scurrying like a rat. Blackwell and Brody slug away and Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie is in there too pounding away, and the Sheik holds on to Blackwell for Brody to hit him with a BIG boot to the face. Blackwell goes down and El-Kaissie holds Blackwell down to let Brody head outside to grab a chair. CHAIRSHOT to the back and the referee looks like he's trying to get some order together. Gagne says he's nervous everytime Brody is out there because of the injury he caused to Gagne, and Sheik is holding Blackwell's leg against the mat. Brody doesn't care and just keeps chairing Blackwell in his gigantic gut. Brody's lucky he doesn't lose that chair in all of that. Sheik heads out to the apron and starts stomping away at Blackwell some more, as the crowd starts to cheer, and here comes BUCK ZUMHOFFE!!! He's got Leon White with him and referee Scott LeDoux. Gagne calls Brody a menace to society and Brody wanders ringside aimlessly, looking batshit crazy.

Wait a minute, he's not wandering around...HE'S GOT GAGNE!! HE'S GOT GAGNE BY THE HAIR!! Brody flings him into the ring and Gagne fires back with rights and lefts! A big Irish whip puts Brody in the corner and Gagne follows him in with a forearm smash. Nobody puts Brody in a corner. Brody rakes Gagne's eyes and whips him into the ropes but Gagne ducks it and hits Brody with more rights and chops and Brody goes back to the eyes. Another Irish whip from Brody and he misses the big boot, with Gagne scoring more kicks and chops and punches. The crowd is HOT for this. Gagne takes his cowboy boot off and starts FUCKING UP Brody and the Sheik with it. The people are SCREAMING and Gagne just keeps beating him in the head with the boot. Brody absorbs it all and whips Gagne in, FINALLY hitting the big boot. The Sheik is over and holds Gagne's legs down so Brody can drop the leg on him. Brody with ANOTHER leg drop and here comes from the back...here COMES BLACKWELL!! Blackwell is waddling his way down to the ring. He clotheslines the Sheik down and starts going to town on Brody. Headbutts from Blackwell and Gagne is up with his cowboy boot in hand. Blackwell whips him in and Gagne with ANOTHER BOOT SHOT! A double Irish whip and Sheik and Brody knock heads and Brody is outside now with a chair, raging like a crackhead needing a fix. Gagne and Blackwell stand tall in the ring and here comes Larry Nelson.

Match Analysis: WHAT MATCH?? This was nothing but a massive brawl and it was tremendous. It was like watching Memphis television instead of the AWA. The people were SO hot for the entire angle, and this was Gagne's big comeback to the ring after all of the time off due to the ankle injury Brody had caused him eight months back. Brody was the greatest crazy heel I ever saw, and seeing him makes me so happy to get to see him, but so sad to remember how things ended for him. A white-hot finish to a VERY mediocre show.

Nelson says that Sheik and Brody's actions were uncalled for. Blackwell grabs the mike and asks if we've ever seen anything as disgusting in our lives. Um, Jerry, with all due respect, has anyone shown you a mirror? Blackwell says that if they come back out or if they come back anywhere that he'll take Brody out. Blackwell gasses during the interview, wheezing and panting as he yells. Gagne gets the mike and tells Brody that if he wants to go, damn him, he's not afraid of Brody, and he'll take him on cause he's MAD AS HELL AND HE'S NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE!! Greg lets out a "Goddamn" that gets bleeped out and threatens Brody some more before Blackwell gets the mike back. He stumbles over his words and says that he and Greg Slagne are going to kick Brody and The Sheik's asses. I guess he thought Gagne sounded a lot like lasagna and he was starting to get hungry. He says he hates Sheik with every ounce of his body. Wars have been started on less hate than that, I reckon. He threatens to kill Sheik and he says that Brody better remember hard that he and Gagne put a beating on him. He says he wants Brody in a cage and keeps jabbering before Nelson cuts him off to end the show


Final Thoughts

This show SUCKED and the only thing that redeemed it was the brilliantly done angle at the end. It could very well be that the angle seemed so great, only against the backdrop of a terrible show, but the crowd was crazy for it, and I assure you that if I could remember my reaction to this show when I saw it at age 6, I would have been marking HARD for Gagne beating the shit out of Brody with his boot. Thumbs down for this one because of how slow and boring the first 48 minutes were, but it's kind of cool to see Jannetty wrestling as a single in his pre-Rocker days, and you owe it to yourself to check out the hot angle at the end of the show.

****************************

[CW .org .info .net]

AWA Championship Wrestling (Originally aired on March, 4 1986)

Ken Resnick and Greg Gagne are the announcers for the festivities and they're ready to serve us some cake and punch so let's boogie.


Match One:
"Sean" Michaels vs. Buddhakahn

Michaels is billed as the Central States Wrestling rookie of the year and gets an incredibly lukewarm reaction. Buddha talks a little shit before the match starts and they hit the lockup with Kahn ending up armdragged over to the mat. Michaels hits a go-behind and rides Buddha down on the mat as a small "Buddha" chant starts. Michaels with a HARDWAY german suplex, nearly dropping Buddha on his head and they separate to the middle of the ring. Buddha grabs a side headlock and punches Michaels in the face and that fires up "Sean" who comes back with a couple shots of his own. Buddha grabs a headlock and rakes Michaels eyes against the ropes before they lockup again and Buddha gets a roll-up for a series of one-counts. Buddha heels it up, grabbing the trunks to try to keep Michaels down, but it gets reversed into a headscissors that takes Buddha over. Buddha grabs a top wristlock then takes Michaels over to the mat, turning it into a hammerlock, but Michaels hits a drop toehold to reverse it. Buddha grabs the ropes for the break and this match is losing me quickly. Michaels with a standing armbar and some punches to the arm before he takes Buddha over and drops the leg on it. Knees to the elbow now in rapid succession and Buddha turns that standing armbar into a rolling cradle for two, drawing another Buddha chant. Buddha whips Michaels into the ropes and he leapfrogs over Buddha, hitting a dropkick that sends him halfway out through the ropes to the apron. They get back to the action with Michaels laying in some forearm shots before he goes up to the second rope for a ten-count punch spot, doing a backflip off the top rope after the last punch. He backdrops Buddha and SWEET CHIN MUSIC puts Mr.Kahn down long enough for Michaels to perch on the top rope and hit a flying splash for the three.

Winner: "Sean" Michaels (pinfall, top rope splash)

Match Analysis: This was horrible. It looked like Buddha was sandbagging the ENTIRE match, despite apparently being the babyface with the "Buddha" chants that kept breaking out. You could still see the potential in Michaels, but it was severely stifled here by Buddha and his poor in-ring skills. Boo-urns.


Match Two:
Doug Somers vs. Scott Hall w/Curt Hennig

These two big bulls lock horns in the middle of the ring, with Hall pushing Somers back into the corner before giving up a clean break. Somers grabs a top wristlock and Hall just powers his way out of it, throwing Somers to the mat, leaving him to complain about a hairpull that didn't happen. Hall gets a DEEP armdrag and again Somers complains about the hair before they he gets his own takedown with an STO-type move, turning it into an armbar. Hall gets back to his feet and lifts Somers off the mat, carrying him to the corner and sitting him on the top turnbuckle. Hall gets a side headlock and Somers shoots him into the ropes, eating a couple of forearm smashes and a BIG bodyslam before he rolls out of the way of an elbow, sending Hall crashing to the mat. Somers fires back with punches and gets Hall to the mat with a takeover, dropping knees to the chest and face of Hall. Somers and Hall exchange chops in the corner and Somers gets reversed on an Irish whip, leading to a HIGH back bodydrop out of the corner that gets Hall a two-count and puts Somers to the floor afterwards. Somers offers the hand of friendship after coming back into the ring, but Hall is a poor sport and will have none of it. Somers heads out to jaw at Hennig a little and gets ambushed and hiptossed back into the ring, with Hall hitting a big bodyslam and an elbowdrop for a two-count. Somers goes to the stomach with a couple of HARD punches that put Hall down to a knee and Somers hits a belly to back suplex for a one count. Somers immediately slaps on the chinlock and pushes Hall's head to the mat to stomp it. Somers goes to the eyes and takes Hall over to the turnbuckles to ram his head in, with Hall trying to fire back but he can't do it as Somers goes to the eyes again. Snap mare from Somers and he continues to go to the eyes and the face of Hall to gain the advantage. BIG boot to the stomach from Hall and he hits Somers with a big forearm, backing him into the corner before hiptossing him out and Irish whipping him in for a reverse elbow. Hall hits a HUGE bodyslam on Somers but misses the legdrop off the ropes. They trade Irish whips but Hall reverses one into a powerslam and he covers Somers to get the win.

Winner: Scott Hall (pinfall, powerslam)

Match Analysis: Not a bad match for the time it was given, but still not good. It seemed like the beginning of a really good twenty minute match and then all of a sudden we got a pin. Not at all what I had been hoping for, and kind of disappointing actually. Somers and Hall were both good workers at this point in time, it just kind of didn't click for whatever reason.

Hall and Hennig are with Larry Nelson and Hall says that he was in with a veteran and capable wrestler in Somers and he's glad to have the win. Hennig talks about how Stan Hansen injured him and he calls Hansen a wrestler that gets things done any dirty way that he can. He says that winning the belts put them on a pedestal and he says that himself and Hall both want a piece of Hansen, especially after he nearly got taken out. Hennig says that Hansen is human and makes mistakes and Hennig and Hall shake to end the interview.


After the commercial it's time for In This Corner, with Larry Zbyszko and Larry Nelson, and they're talking about Marty Jannetty before throwing it to a highlight package, mainly featuring Jannetty working against Tom Stone. Jannetty looks great in the footage, but the music is absolutely HORRIBLE and really makes me want to fast forward through the whole thing. We see lots of Jannetty's flying style and aerial moves before we're back in the studio talking to Marty. Larry Nelson asks about the high-flying moves and Jannetty says that he and his partner "Sean" Michaels have been working on some moves and that they're going to form a tag team called The US Express. Um, Marty? I think Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda might have something to say about that. Jannetty talks about how big the guys are in the AWA and how they're going to have to use speed and moves to get around that. Zbyszko cuts him off, saying that he can't understand Jannetty's mumbles and that in his TWELVE GLORIOUS YEARS in the business he's found out that moves aren't everything. He bags on Jannetty's clothes and then says that he probably can't wait for all the young girls and that he'll grow out of all of that someday. He brings up the size thing from before and says that he's not big but he has self-respect and DISCIPLINE, which means that when all the pretty moves won't work you have to have a mean streak. He cuts Marty off and tells him to stop mumbling again. Greatness, pure greatness. Marty defends himself by saying that it's the mid-80's and people will dress the way they want to dress and then questions Zbyszko's manhood because he's wearing a pink shirt. OOOOOOOOH that was a.....

SICK BURN!!
Larry Nelson giggles like a twelve year old girl at that one and Jannetty continues on, saying that he's got a vicious streak and that if Zbyszko's not careful, he'll find out firsthand. Again, Zbyszko says he can't understand Marblemouth Marty and Larry Nelson cuts off the segment with Zbyszko STILL jabbering away and telling Jannetty what it's all about. I loves me some Zbyszko!!


The next segment was covered on a previous AWA report, so let's do a little cutting and pasting, shall we?


Match Three:
Jerry Blackwell vs. King Kong Brody

Larry Nelson introduces this one as being a TV time limit which could be a REAL tip-off to the ending of the ma-HUSS HUSS HUSS HUSS-tch. God, I love Brody. Nelson introduces Blackwell and Brody attacks him with a boot to the gut, sending Larry scurrying like a rat. Blackwell and Brody slug away and Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie is in there too pounding away, and the Sheik holds on to Blackwell for Brody to hit him with a BIG boot to the face. Blackwell goes down and El-Kaissie holds Blackwell down to let Brody head outside to grab a chair. CHAIRSHOT to the back and the referee looks like he's trying to get some order together. Gagne says he's nervous everytime Brody is out there because of the injury he caused to Gagne, and Sheik is holding Blackwell's leg against the mat. Brody doesn't care and just keeps chairing Blackwell in his gigantic gut. Brody's lucky he doesn't lose that chair in all of that. Sheik heads out to the apron and starts stomping away at Blackwell some more, as the crowd starts to cheer, and here comes BUCK ZUMHOFFE!!! He's got Leon White with him and referee Scott LeDoux. Gagne calls Brody a menace to society and Brody wanders ringside aimlessly, looking batshit crazy.

Winner: No Contest

Match Analysis: A decent beatdown, but they missed the boat by not showing the best part which was Greg Gagne taking off his cowboy boot and FUCKING UP Brody with it. I was really looking forward to seeing that again, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be.



Match Four:
Jerry Blackwell vs. Boris Zhukov w/Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie

Blackwell runs Sheik and Zhukov out of the ring, even before the introductions can be made. Scott LeDoux is the special guest referee for this one and Zhukov is stalling on the apron before heading out to complain at the front row and their chanting. Zhukov finally gets into the ring and Blackwell heads over to give him and Sheik the old double noggin-knocker before Irish whipping Zhukov into the corner and following him in with a HUGE splash. Backwell hits another shot and Zhukov is out to the floor to confer with the Sheik again. They lockup and Blackwell gets a side headlock with Zhukov shooting him into the ropes. Blackwell hits a BIG shoulderblock that sends Zhukov flying and Blackwell follows with a dropkick to the "chest" before choking Zhukov over the top rope. Blackwell pushes Zhukov into the corner and hits some forearm shots until Zhukov goes to the eyes and takes over. He hammers away on Blackwell in the corner and tries a pair of headbutts but Blackwell no-sells and comes back with right hands, grabbing Zhukov by the beard, making him do the pee-pee dance before just yanking out some of the hairs on Zhukov's chinny-chin-chin. Blackwell hits three HARD right hands that put Zhukov all the way out to the floor and he does a little meet and greet with Sheik before heading back to the ring. They lockup again and Zhukov takes over with punches, working Blackwell over in the corner with chops, knees and other things before biting him. Zhukov whips Blackwell across for the Bret Bump and grinds a forearm into his face before choking him on the second rope. Zhukov distracts the referee and Sheik gets a couple of good punches in before Boris goes back to the choke. Zhukov stomps away at Blackwell in the corner and mocks the crowd before choking him with the sole of his big, Russian boot. Zhukov rakes at the face and snapmares Blackwell over before hitting a chinlock and dropping a couple of hard elbows that lead to a long, LONG two-count. Zhukov with a running kick to the chin an Blackwell's FATTING UP!! He's bleeding from the nose and no-selling everything, firing back with right hands before hitting a HUGE suplex on Zhukov. He covers and gets a two-count before just dropping a right hand to the face. A big chop levels Zhukov and puts him down again as Blackwell measures him for a clothesline, forcing Zhukov to beg off. Blackwell grabs the beard again before Zhukov takes over with headbutts and forearms. Blackwell won't go down, even with a Zhukov dropkick and he's FATTING UP AGAIN!!!!! Blackwell takes all of Zhukov's chops and punishment before firing back with elbows of his own. He Irish whips Zhukov into the corner and tries for a follow-up splash, but Sheik Adnan pushes Zhukov out of the way. Zhukov goes up to the top to try for a splash but Blackwell gets out of the way, hitting his own splash and getting the pinfall on Zhukov. Blackwell has the Sheik cornered for a moment, but he hightails it out of there and back next to Zhukov, safe and sound.

Winner: Jerry Blackwell (pinfall, BIG splash)

Match Analysis: Again, not a bad match, but the Zhukov streak of decent main events ends at two. Blackwell did what he could and Zhukov bumped around really well for him, but as usual it was limited by Blackwell's size and Zhukov's somewhat limited moveset.

Blackwell's with Larry Nelson and he says that he loves to come to Las Vegas to see all the pretty lights and he LOVES to hear all of his fans cheering for him. He says that he stands for the flag and that he'll never let some Arab or some Russian come in and whup on him. Blackwell talks about what happened with Brody and says that he and Gagne kicked the shit out of Brody and Blackwell says that he's like an old dog that's going to be nipping at the heels of the Sheik and his army forever, leading us to the end of the show!!



Final Thoughts

Just bleah. All the way around it was really just a boring show. The only thing that saved it from complete dudsville was the Zbyszko segment. I don't really have much to say besides thumbs down because this show was honestly one of the hardest I've had to do since this run began. Nothing redeeming at all and they cut out the best part of the Blackwell/Brody segment when Greg Gagne came in and beat the piss out Brody with his boot. Thums way, WAY down for this one. I need this hour of my life back. Ah well, on to the comments!!



Fun With Comments

A slow night for comments for this episode, which is probably a reflection on the poor quality of the episodes, I hope, rather than the quality of my reports dipping.....I hope.

Firstly and finally, from Arnold_OldSchool:
"Verne was a skin flint and it cost him when he screwed Hogan on some T-shirt
sales, as well as the Japan payoffs Verne wanted a piece of. Hogan would've
got the title had Verne not demanded a % due to Hulk's stock improving by being
AWA Champ in Japan vs just Hulk Hogan (Which in Japan already meant ALOT in the
early 80's)"

Yeah, that was definitely a problem. Verne was cheap and as soon as someone got too big for their britches he'd send them on their way. If he had held onto all of his talent, I think he'd have made a REALLY good run of it, but again as I said before, he was just too deep in to see the forest for the trees.







****************************

[CW .org .info .net]

AWA Championship Wrestling (Originally aired on March 11, 1986)

Larry Nelson is in the interview area, and he's introducing the first match with Earthquake Ferris and Col. DeBeers. He talks about how much of a following Ferris is gaining in the AWA and that he's one of the best rookies in the world. Nelson starts running down Col. DeBeers and his political beliefs and Nelson sends us out to the ring!


Match One:
Earthquake Ferris vs. Col. DeBeers

At ringside we have Larry Nelson and Greg Gagne calling the action as DeBeers and Ferris lock up. DeBeers takes a headlock and gets whipped in, trying a couple of shoulderblocks that don't even budge Ferris. DeBeers fakes him out the third time, and catches Ferris with some sort of flying snap mare takeover. DeBeers proudly twirls his mustache before they lock up again, this time with DeBeers taking an armbar. Ferris reverses it into a headlock and DeBeers fires him off the ropes, eating a huge shoulderblock from Ferris. The move wasn't huge, I meant Ferris. This guy is massive. Not Blackwell-sized, but still. He continues on, pressing DeBeers up for a big slam, complete with DeBeers scared and panicked facial expressions while he's in the air. Ferris down for the count and only gets a one count and DeBeers thinks that it's time for a breather. They lock up again and Ferris gets that headlock back, cranking on the head and neck of DeBeers. The Col. pushes him into the corner and he knees Ferris in the gut, working him over and trying to whip him across the ring. Ferris holds up so DeBeers puts the boots to him, then tries the whip again but it's reversed with DeBeers tasting the buckles, followed by a big Ferris splash, which gets a two count.

Gagne on commentary continually breaks kayfabe by calling Earthquake Ferris by his given name of Anthony. Boo to you, Mr. Gagne. Ferris goes back to the headlock and DeBeers pushes him back into the corner, forcing a break. They lock up again close to the corner and Ferris hip tosses DeBeers out to the middle of the ring, hitting a BIG slam for another two count. DeBeers kicks him in the head while he's on his own back, then gets up with a boot to the gut. DeBeers starts working Ferris over against the ropes with punches and a headbutt thrown in for good measure. De Beers gets reversed with an Irish whip and Ferris hits him in the gut with a knee then follows it up with a big punch to the gut. Atomic frop from Ferris and another BIG slam gets him another two count. He lifts DeBeers up HIGH and powerslams him for two, but DeBeers gets his foot on the rope before the three count can go down. Ferris tries for another slam but gets reversed into a SLOPPY inside cradle, and DeBeers gets the three count, even with Ferris' feet being outside the ropes.

Winner: Col. DeBeers (pinfall, inside cradle)

Match Analysis: DeBeers wasn't a great worker at this point, and Ferris was too green to end up being the one the match rested on, so this one wasn't really very good. The crowd was behind Ferris, but that was mainly because they hated DeBeers so much. DeBeers had a ton of heat on him from his angle with Scott Hall and that bled over into every match of his, even the glorified squashes.


After the break, Larry Nelson is with Col. DeBeers and he suggest that perhaps the Col. lead a bit of a charmed life, bringing up that Ferris had his feet in the ropes, but DeBeers says that he doesn't know if he had his foot on the ropes, but he DOES know that he holds a victory over another big American. He shuts down the Americans for their lack of intelligence and says that Scott Hall has no brain power. He says that brute strength must be under control to be used properly and calls him a raging bull with no direction. He says that you must have muscles and brains to compete internationally, and he says that if you face the Col. you WILL be disciplined! DeBeers says that there's never been a man on the North American continent that could challenge him, but he appreciates Hall's inquiries into a bout with DeBeers. The Col. twirls his mustache and keeps going on about Hall, but the promo gets interrupted by a commercial.


We're back from commercial with Larry Nelson in the ring with the two combatants for our next bout.


Match Two:
Larry Zbyszko w/o Ninja Go vs. Chuck Torres

I love Zbyszko as he harrasses Nelson again, shadowboxing him and generally freaking him out while he tries to introduce "The Living Legend". Just fantastic. We get thrown down to Lord James Blears and Ron Trongard, and we see that it's a somewhat sparsely filled Showboat Pavilion in Las Vegas for this week's show. The referee does a little extra checking out on Zbyszko, and he seems a little insulted. Zbyszko jaws the referee and the front row, dancing around Torres with his karate nimbleness. This starts out with quite the stall, because it wouldn't be a Zbyszko bout without the stall job. Crowd starts a big "Larry Sucks!" chant, and he's out to yell at Ron Trongard about the fans and their "obscenities" before heading back into the ring. We get a loc....no we don't. Almost, but not quite. He's back to yelling at the referee ABOUT the crowd, then yelling at the crowd about the chanting. Torres tries to pick a single-leg but Zbyszko pushes him away from it. Zbyszko seems to be taunting Torres into a test of strength, but instead he tries to turn it into a fireman's carry, which Torres seems to sandbag a little.

Zbyszko is back to yelling at the crowd, and finally we get a wrestling move as Torres grabs a headlock. A clean break off of the ropes and Zbyszko attacks with a boot to the gut, followed by a body slam and an eyerake. Irish whip off the ropes and a BIG knee to the gut from Zbyszko, followed by another eyerake with the boots. Zbyszko hits a vertical suplex for two and then Torres fires back with some right hands, forcing Zbyszko into the corner. Torres stops to play to the crowd and gets WAFFLED by Zbyszko, who takes over with more right hands, a snap mare and some stomps to put Torres down. Boot to the gut from Zbyszko and Torres acts like it might have been a little low. Zbyszko registers the complaint then tries to remedy it with a backbreaker. I guess your balls don't hurt quite so much, do they Chuckie? Wait, he's still holding his nuts. Zbyszko grabs some sort of submission move that looks like a bit of an S & M thing, but Torres manages to fight out of it. Zbyszko has hiim up and IT'S PILEDRIVIN TIME, BITCHES! Torres spikes off of the mat like some sort of spike, and Zbyszko gets the 1-2-3!!

Winner: Larry Zbyszko (pinfall, piledriver)

Match Analysis: Classic Zbyszko. Every match of his looks almost exactly the same, but they still manage to be WAY more entertaining than they ever should be. Zbyszko was a great talent back in this time frame, and he was on a HUGE hot streak. It's a shame he didn't get the AWA belt until after it was essentially meaningless, because he was a really great heel who deserved a shot with it in this period.


After a TV timeout, Larry Nelson is in the ring with Zbyszko, and he doesn't really look like he wants to be there. Poor Larry, he must be tired of being Zbyszko's plaything, but I guess as long as the checks kept clearing, he'd take the abuse. Nelson looks exasperated as Zbyszko threatens the crowd and challenges them to get into the ring. He keeps talking shit on the front row and that they have no ability or guts. Zbyszko has a hold of the microphone and he's leading Nelson around the ring like he's on a leash. Fantastic. He calls himself a 'do'er and that he doesn't have anyone in the AWA that he trusts, except for Go. He starts yelling about Stan Hansen and curses a little as Nelson tries to yank the mike back from Zbyszko. He essentially tells Nelson to stick it by wrenching the mike from his little girlie hand before yelling that Scott LeDoux is a dead man.


In the interview area, Larry Nelson introduces our third match, which came from a live ESPN special from Oakland, CA. He talks about how frustrating it is to watch Sherri Martel cheat her way to the win, and he really seems upset by the whole thing. This just hasn't been a kind episode to poor Larry so far.


Match Three: AWA Women's Championship
Sherri Martel vs. Candi Devine (c)

We join the bout in progress with Devine holding a headlock into a takeover on Martel for a one count. Buddy Rose is in the corner of Sherri Martel and she takes over with a headscissors but Devine pops out from it and retakes the headlock. Sherri hits the ropes for the break, but ends up right back in the headlock. She hits Devine in the stomach with a right hand and pitches her across the ring, through the ropes to th floor. Sherri starts jawing with the referee and then heads over to grab Candi Devine, who was playing possum on the floor. Devine drags Martel to the floor and hits her with a couple of bodyslams on the hardwood floor before she heads back into the ring, clapping her hands and firing up the crowd. Rose works on Martel's back on the outside before helping her back onto the apron. Devine slingshots Martel back into the ring and slingshots her around the ring, landing Martel on her chest and face time and time again. Devine goes back to the side headlock and hits a shoulderblock off of a Martel whip, and reverses a hiptoss into one of her own.

Martel kicks Devine in the gut and takes over, choking her across the top rope before dropping a BIG legdrop for a two count. Martel goes to the eyes before choking Devine in the corner. They botch an Irish whip reversal and then Martel whips Devine into referee Gary DeRusha. Martel follows with a shoulderblock, slamming Devine into DeRusha again. Martel tries for a headscissors but Devine ducks out of it, leaving DeRusha to take the brunt of the punishment. Devine starts browbeating DeRusha and eats a double sledge to the back from Martel for her complaining. Martel with an Irish whip into the corner and she follows with a couple of shoulderblocks. Martel goes to the well again, but Devine reverses the shoulderblock into a sunset flip out of the corner for a two count. Devine argues the count with the referee and while she's doing so, Sherri sneaks behind and grabs her in a roll-up, grabbing the middle rope and holding Devine down for the three count.

Winner And NEW AWA Women's Champion: Sherri Martel (pinfall, rope-assisted roll-up)

Match Analysis: Pretty good for a women's match, as the women were more concerned with being good workers rather than pretty faces back in those days. Add in the fact that it's a title change being shown on free TV, which was also pretty rare for those days, and it's a pretty decent little match. Martel was a great talent and she's sorely missed.

Devine goes after the referee as he raises Martel's hand and Martel and Rose celebrate her win. Upon closer inspection of the celebrating Martel, someone needs to turn the heat on in that arena, I'm just saying.


We're back with Larry Nelson and Larry Zbyszko in the interview area and Nelson is talking about how Nick Bockwinkel is the AWA Champion for the fourth time. Zbyszko has been on this show so much, he should get a co-hosting credit. He says that Bockwinkel got handed the belt on a silver platter and that it's a belt that deserves to be planned for and fought for, rather than handed to someone. Nelson says that we all know how it went down, he's not going to explain it again, and they don't want to get into how Hansen stiffed them and ran over the belt, making them look bush-league for not being able to control their champion. Well, I added the last part. Anyhow, it's time to look at a special Nick Bockwinkel video. SCORE!!!

A great video package set to "Roll Over Beethoven", with Bockwinkel taking on a who's who like Sge. Slaughter, Jerry Lawler and others, with Bockwinkel doing his best to CHEAT TO WIN! We even see him slamming a young Jerry Sags, who looks weird wrestling in just plain black trunks. We even get to see Bockwinkel getting the better of both of the Gagne's, definitely a rarity. We get an extended sequence at the end of the video of Bockwinkel laying the beats on Zbyszko. I'm sure Larry will love that part.

After the video package, we see that Bockwinkel has joined Zbyszko and Nelson on the set, and Zbyszko shuts Nelson up to yell at Bockwinkel, claiming that he only got the belt because "his nose is the brownest part of his suntan". That's a great line from Zbyszko. Bockwinkel says that Zbyszko is whimpering and whining, and that just sets him off even worse. Zbyszko tells him to take his segment, since he's already taken the belt then storms off the set. Bockwinkel calls himself a professional and says that Stan Hansen was unprofessional and that he could have come up with any excuse, but he decided that he had cold feet and left the building. He says that tells him that Hansen already knew that Bockwinkel was the better man. Bockwinkel says that his credentials and his accomplishments in the past speak for themselves, eight and a half years as the World Champion, three times around. He says that the crowd in Denver applauded because he HAS earned that title, but WAIT, here comes Zbyszko with his nunchuks to yell at Bockwinkel some more. Nelson scurries back behind his stool and Zbyszko compares Bockwinkel to some loser waiting to hit the lottery, looking for a freebie. He calls Bockwinkel a coward and a stooge to Stanley Blackburn, while Bockwinkel insults his nunchuks, calling them chopsticks. The segment ends with Zbyszko yelling and ranting, and Bockwinkel staying calm, cool, and collected.

That was a fantastic segment, and just goes to show that Bockwinkel was the best. He could have easily gone the other way with his explanation of the Hansen incident, but he did it in such a way to give himself the rub and make it seem like he orchestrated it all, instead of Hansen just being an asshole. I remember being into this feud big-time when I was little, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I still am now, seeing it again twenty years later.


We're back with Jerry Blackwell in the ring in street clothes, with Larry Nelson explaining the injury to Blackwell's ankle and how he's had to pull out of the championship match tonight. Blackwell apologizes for the injury and says that he's happy to see that Curt Hennig is going to get the shot at Stan Hansen. And HERE COMES HANSEN!! He claims that Blackwell is a coward and that he prepared for two months for Blackwell, and that it's unfair to have to fight Hennig cause he needs time to think differently about his gameplan. He calls him a piece of "dog" I do believe, which is probably a euphemism for shit, then he ATTACKS BLACKWELL WITH THE BELT! GLORIOUS!! Hansen starts beating the shit out of Blackwell's ankle with the belt and stomping away at him.
The crowd hates Hansen for that one, and out of nowhere HERE'S HENNIG! Big right hands, there's the bell, the title match is ON!


Match Four: AWA World Championship
Curt Hennig vs. Stan Hansen (c)

Hennig Irish whips Hansen into the corner and gets a HUGE hip toss, putting Hansen right on his ass. Another Irish whip into a big dropkick and Hansen takes a powder to the floor. The crowd is WHITE-HOT, eating this up with a spoon. They've been popping huge since Hennig hit the ring and they're ready for this one. Hennig heads out after Hansen, ramming him into the ringpost. He headlocks Hansen and tries to do it again, but Hansen shoves him off, slamming Hennig into the post. Hansen takes off his vest and grabs a chair, forgetting about Hennig and going after Blackwell again instead. Chairshots to the ankle of Blackwell, who's beached in the corner of the ring, before he turns his attention back to Hennig. Hansen flings Hennig back into the ring and boots him hard in the face. Hansen with an Irish whip, but he ducks his head too soon and ends up eating a kick from Hennig. Hansen with another Irish whip, but this one gets reversed and Hennig catches Hansen with a reverse elbow off the ropes, putting Hansen out on the floor again. Hennig with BIG right hands and stomps as Hansen tries to get back into the ring, and Hennig measures him with a HUGE kick to the face that gets a two count on a roll-up.

Hansen fires back with knees to the head and a BIG bodyslam followed up by a hard elbowdrop for a two count. Hansen hits the reverse chinlock and the crowd is going crazy. Hansen lets go of the lock and starts stomping and kicking away at Hennig. Hennig fires back with a WICKED right hand and Hansen is down in the corner. Hennig comes in and follows-up with more right hands before standing on the throat of Hansen. Hennig with a kick to the guy and he follows in to eat an elbow from Hansen. Hennig reverses it to the gut, but Hansen takes over, Irish whipping Hennig into the corner for the Bret Bump. Hansen with a double sledge and a knee across the throat, choking Hennig in the ropes. Hansen chokes Hennig across the top rope and elbows him in the back of the head before ramming him into the turnbuckle. Hansen tries for another turnbuckle smash but Hennig reverses, sending Hansen face first into the steel pin behind the buckle. A big right hand from Hennig and he SLAMS Hansen back inside, from the apron, before going up to the second rope and hitting what almost looked like a frog splash. 1..2...Hansen kicks out, sending Hennig through the ropes to the floor.

Hansen rams Hennig headfirst into the ring steps and now follows him out, bodyslamming Hennig ONTO A ROW OF CHAIRS at ringside. Hansen in the ring to break the count and Hennig catches him in the gut from the floor. Hennig drags Hansen outside the ring and eyerakes him wiht the soles of the boots. Hennig throws Hansen back into the ring, but takes a headbutt to the gut when he follows in. Hansen with a belly to back suplex and we get an announcement for 4 1/2 minutes left in the match. Hansen gets a two count off of the belly to back and then picks Hennig up for the PILEDRIVER! He tries to pin Hennig, but his legs are in the bottom rope, breaking the count at two. Kneedrop by Hansen and he pullls Hennig out for another piledriver, but Hennig reverses it into a back drop. Hennig with a mule kick in the corner, catching Hansen square in the face for 1....2....kickout by Hansen!

Hennig with a monkey flip out of the corner for another two count. Hennig rams Hansen's face into the mat and then they work an Irish whip reversal. Hennig tries the monkey flip again but Hansen holds on, sending Hennig crashing to the mat. They slug it out and Hennig gets a small package for two, but Hansen is in the ropes again. Hennig hammering away with right hands and an Irish whip leads to a big dropkick for Hennig. He gets a couple of two counts off of that and Hansen fights out from underneath. Snap mare from Hansen into a forearm shot and Hennig kicks out at two. Hansen with an Irish whip in and Hennig gets the FLYING BODYPRESS! 1....2...KICKOUT BY HANSEN. The crowd is going nuts here and we're under a minute left in the time limit. Hennig hits a belly to back suplex and tries to roll over for the cover, they lay and trade punches before Hennig hits the kneelift and tries a cradle but only gets a two count as the time limit expires. WHEW, what a match.

Match Analysis: That was a great television main event. You could tell when they started announcing the time remaining where it was going, but it was still a fun ride to get there. Hennig showed his brawling side and held his own with the big, tough Hansen. They botched the ending a tad, with Hennig only getting the two count after the bell had rung, but I'm willing to overlook that with how hot the entire match was before it. A great, great TV main event and you could see from this match that Hennig was going to be a big star in singles.



Final Thoughts

A really good show from start to finish. The main event delivered big time, and was possibly the most enjoyable main event I've seen from this run of shows so far. The only problem that I'm having is that the show seems to be running a little like Groundhog Day, where we see the same guys day in and day out, just in differing combinations. I enjoy that they're keeping the angles progressing, but it wouldn't hurt to focus on some different talent a little bit here and there. Again, a great main event ends a VERY solid show, but I'm hoping to see a couple of different guys maybe, just to spice it up a little.


****************************

[CW .org .info .net]

AWA Championship Wrestling (Originally aired on March 11, 1986)

HUH? Maybe a week later? Before?

Ken Resnick and Greg Gagne are your commentators for all the action.

Match One:
Doug "Summers" vs. "Sean" Michaels

Interesting to see these two in a singles match before their feud as a team had even begun. This looks like it's VERY early in Michaels' career and he looks pretty much like he did as a job guy in WCCW and other areas. He's introduced as the Central States Rookie of the Year for 1985. They lock up and Somers gives Michaels a clean break off the ropes. They lock up again and Michaels goes to the side headlock, whipping Michaels into the ropes and leading into a criss-cross rope running spot. Somers puts a stop to that with a boot to the gut and a BIG bodyslam. He gets a gut wrench suplex into a two count and starts hammering away with right hands on the back. BIG belly to back suplex from Somers into another cover for a two count. Michaels tries to fire back with shots to the gut, but Somers cuts him off and moves to a side headlock. Somers whips Michaels in and ducks for a back bodydrop, but Michaels leapfrogs and hits a nice dropkick into a bodyslam of his own. Michaels off the ropes and he drops the knee to the head of Somers, getting a two count. Michaels tries a suplex but Somers is able to get to the ropes and get a break. They lock up again and Somers pushes Michaels into the corner, chopping him hard and whipping him across to the other side. Somers follows with the charge but misses and ends up going shoulder-first into the ringpost. Michaels follows him in with rights and lefts, whipping Somers into the other corner and hitting a big back bodydrop. Michaels quickly up top to the top rope and he flies off with a HUGE splash and he gets the 1-2-3.

Winner: "Sean" Michaels (pinfall, top rope splash)

Match Analysis: Interesting to see Michaels getting the win over a relatively big name in Somers, this early in his AWA career. You can tell that Verne saw something in him to let him get a win like that and this must have been JUST before the formation of the Midnight Rockers. Also interesting to see that it looks like Jannetty was the one that came up with the look for the team as Michaels was just a boots and tights guy, while Jannetty had that whole Rock n Roll Express knock-off look going for him.

Michaels is in the ring with Larry Nelson and Michaels says that in order to be anybody in professional wrestling, you have to beat the best in the AWA. He says that he's going to go though everybody to get to the top, then Larry asks about the splash off the top. Michaels says that it's the best move to use and that once he comes off the top with his full body weight, no one's going to get up from it. Michaels says again that he's going to make it to the top of the AWA, no matter what it takes and restates that he has to go through the best to be the best, all the way to Stan Hansen.



Match Two:
The Barbarian and Boris Zhukov w/Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie vs. Marty Jannetty and Curt Hennig

Gagne talks about how Barbarian has spent time in New Mexico training with King Kong Brody, possibly as a way to explain why he's stolen the gimmick, and we're set to get underway. Zhukov and Jannetty start out and Zhukov takes over early with some forearms to the chest in the corner. Jannetty turns the tide, taking over with some armdrags, into an armbar, before tagging in Henning who comes off the second rope to the arm. He moves to another armbar and Zhukov whips him off the ropes, trying for a bodyslam, but Hennig reverses into a rollup for a two count. A BIG armdrag from Hennig takes Zhukov over and Zhukov ends up pulling back into his own corner to make the tag.

They lock up and Hennig shoves Barbarian off into the ropes a couple of times before Barbarian pushes him into the ropes and lands some forearm smashes. Hennig firing back with right hands and he Irish whips Barbarian into the ropes and it gets reversed into a HUGE boot from Barbarian. Barbarian floors him with a big bodyslam and Hennig tries to kick him away, but he just eats a couple more boots and then gets slammed into Zhukov's boot in the corner. The heels make the exchange and Barbarian holds Hennig to let Zhukov boot him hard in the gut. Zhukov hits a reverse elbow off the ropes and another heel tag leads to a double reverse elbow. Barbarian with another Irish whip in and he misses the big boot, with Hennig firing back on him with a ton of right hands, dragging Barbarian into his corner and tagging in Jannetty.

Jannetty moves to a standing arm wringer and Barbarian lifts him up to sit him on the top rope. They break cleanly, then Barbarian charges with Jannetty jumping over him and hitting a dropkick to stagger the big man. They somewhat botch an armdrag but cover for it well, and Barbarian reverses an arm wringer into a gut wrench slam, ramming Jannetty to the buckle in his corner and making the tag to Zhukov. Zhukov sends Jannetty to the buckle again before snapmaring him over and moving to a neck crank. Jannetty starts a big comeback with rights and lefts on Zhukov, making the tag over to Hennig who comes in with fire, landing chops and right hands before trying for the pin, but barely getting a one count. Hennig grabs a headlock but gets whipped off by Zhukov, right across to the Sheik, who trips Hennig up off the ropes.

Jannetty comes over to put a boot onto the Shiek, and Zhukov hits a headbutt into a pin attempt that gets two. Big Scott Hall comes out from the back and starts chasing after Sheik. Zhukov holds Hennig for Barbarian to come in and start kicking away at himand Hennig and Barbarian trade punches against the ropes. Hennig reverses a front facelock into a fireman's carry and they trade shots again before Barbarian goes to the eyes and whips Hennig in for a BIG clothesline. Barbarian tags off and Zhukov misses an elbowdrop, letting Hennig fire back with right hands and a big back bodydrop out of the corner. Hennig whips him in and catches an abdominal stretch off of the ropes. Sheik Adnan tries to get involved again but Jannetty cuts him off, bringing the referee over to stop the melee. Barbarian comes in and saves Zhukov from the abdominal stretch and they start to beat Hennig down before pitching him over the top rope, all the way to the floor. The referee sees it and calls for the bell, but the action isn't over yet. Jannetty gets thrown out of the ring on the other side and the face team reconvenes outside, sneaking in to double-dropkick Barbarian out of the ring, then turning to Zhukov, hitting him with a double reverse elbow and a double backdrop, sending the heel team fleeing to saftey.

Winners: Curt Hennig and Marty Jannetty (disqualification, over the top rope rule)

Match Analysis: A really good tag match that didn't seem to have to follow the formula as much as some other matches do. Hennig and Jannetty didn't really seem to have a problem blending as a team, and the Sheik's Army did their thing, acting like the crazy heels and causing the whole match to break down. A very entertaining tag team match between some unexpected competitors.



Match Three:
Larry Zbyszko vs. Leon White

Zbyszko grabs the microphone immediately and demands that Scott LeDoux be sent to the back and another referee be sent down. He jaws with Nelson, yells at the crowd and carries on for another good couple of minutes about the referee situation. Over/under on the first lockup of the bout is four minutes. White is rocking the comb-over on his bald top, which looks REALLY odd for him. The bell rings and Zbyszko bails tot he outside, picking up his karate pajamas and putting them on the table at ringside. They actually lockup, and White pushes Zbyszko against the ropes, finally relenting and giving him a clean break after taunting Zbyszko with the right hand. They lockup again with the same result, but Zbyszko shoves him off, leading White to shove him off the ropes, following with a headlock. Zbyszko tries to throw him off into the ropes but it doesn't happen, and Zbyszko tries to climb over the ropes to break the hold. White drags him back over the top into the middle of the ring, but Zbyszko pushes him into the corner, forcing the break.

Big right hands to the stomach by Zbyszko in the corner and he gets reversed on an Irish whip into the corner with White landing a HUGE powerslam and an elbowdrop to follow, but he misses on a big splash and Zbyszko takes over again in the corner, stomping, punching and choking away at White. Zbyszko holds the choke until four, then stomps away, but White makes a big comeback with rights to the gut, and a BIG headbutt that puts Zbyszko on his ass. White smashes Zbyszko into the top turnbuckles in every corner of the ring and Irish whips him across, following hiim in with a big clothesline. He whips Zbyszko into the corner and takes a three-point stance, hitting a HUGE VADER SPLASH in the corner, sending Zbyszko to the outside. White follows out and keeps up the pounding, ramming Zbyszko's head into the table. He beats him a little more, but Zbyszko gets an eye rake and rolls into the ring before the referee counts him out. White isn't as lucky and gets counted out while he staggers blindly on the floor. White doesn't like it and comes in for a HUGE press slam on Zbyszko, and poor Larry rolls out to the floor to recover.

Winner: Larry Zbyszko (count out)

Match Analysis: Angle advancement all the way. This was just here to give Leon some TV time, give Zbyszko an interview, and further his feud with Scott LeDoux. That being said, it was still more entertaining than pretty much all of the matches from the last couple of episodes, so that's a good thing. Not to mention that it leads to a Zbyszko interview which is ALWAYS worth the price of admission.


Zbyszko interviews with Larry Nelson and continues to claim that LeDoux is biased and that he's Bockwinkel's thug. He says that LeDoux is trying to grab at straws now that his boxing career has tanked, then tells the crowd to shut up. Not surprisingly, they don't listen to him. He says that they can act like idiots if they want to, and that he's proven that he's able to use his intellect rather than bulk to win matches. TWELVE GLORIOUS YEARS!!! He says that he is a winner and has a brain, unlike the people in the crowd. Zbyszko claims that no matter what happens, he'll be the winner. Nelson informs us that our main event is coming up next!


Match Four: AWA World Heavyweight Championship
David Sammartino vs. Stan Hansen (c)

Sammartino looks a lot more like the WWF version of himself, rather than the leaner, blonder UWF version. Hansen still looks like the crazy, Texan version of himself. Gagne talks about how Hansen broke Bruno's neck and how David is out for revenge in this match. They tentatively lockup and Hansen pushes Sammartino into the corner, roughing him up a little before the break. They lockup again and Hansen hits a HARD chop to the chest, with Sammartino firing one back. Hansen pushes Sammartino into the corner and tries to hit a forearm, but Sammartino ducks and armdrags Hansen into the middle of the ring. Sammartino works over the arm, dropping a knee on the elbow and then locking in an armbar. They break and go back to another lockup, with Hansen ending up on the receiving end of another armbar, with knees to the shoulder. Hansen rams Sammartino into the turnbuckle and lands a BIG boot to the face that puts Sammartino to the floor.

Curt Hennig joins the commentary team, saying he wants to get a closer look at Hansen after the battle they had recently, as Hansen drops some boots to Sammartino's head from the apron. Sammartino gets back into the ring and reverses an Irish whip, hitting a hip toss for a one count on Hansen before moving back to the armbar. Hennig says that he's out there to study Hansen and that he's going to end up facing him again and that he wants to know what he can do to get the edge. Hennig puts Sammartino over as well while the action in the ring slows just a little, with Sammartino still working that arm over. Hansen hits a headbutt to break the hold and then drops a knee to the forehead of Sammartino, dropping more kicks on him against the ropes.

Hansen moves to choke Sammartino in the ropes now, pushing his knee across the throat and grinding away at it. Hansen picks Sammartino up for a HUGE bodyslam, and Sammartino tries to keep Hansen away but can't do it. Hansen with chops and a big Irish whip, putting him down for a two count before Hansen moves to the chin lock, stiffing the shit out of David with a BIG chop. Sammartino reverses out of the chin lock and moves to a hammerlock on Hansen. Sammartino cranks the arm against the ropes and yanks it, kicking away at Hansen and hitting a snap mare into another armbar. Sammartino gets a hammerlock takeover and Hansen reverses it into a headscissors on Sammartino, cranking it on against the ropes. Sammartino kicks him away but Hansen just stays on him, pounding him back down to the mat.

Hansen with an Irish whip in, but Sammartino kicks him in the chest when he ducks, dropping Hansen with another armdrag takeover and returning to the armbar. Sammartino is bleeding from the nose, probably from the headscissors, and he pushes his knee into Hansen's face while holding the armbar. Hansen rolls over and tries to get out of it but can't and Sammartino transitions to a hammerlock again. They end up in the ropes and the referee calls for the break. Hansen hits a cheap shot and then starts stomping away on Sammartino, picking him up and ramming him into the top turnbuckle and throwing him out to the floor. Hansen follows him out and slams him into some chairs at ringside before pitching him back into the ring. Hansen tries to choke Sammartino with his feet on the ropes and gets another reverse chinlock.

Gagne breaks kayfabe again (kinda) and says that he thinks that Hansen threw Sammartino to the floor because he was "blown up". Hansen hits a snap mare into a reverse chinlock and starts cranking away at the neck of Sammartino. The crowd starts to really get behind Sammartino, stomping and clapping and Hansen tells them to shut up. Sammartino gets to his feet and hits a knee to the body as they mess up a headlock takeover spot, but cover it well into Hansen taking a half nelson on Sammartino on the mat. Hansen slaps Sammartino on the back of the neck and starts talking some shit on him, getting the referee to ask him about giving it up. Hansen drops a big knee on the neck of Sammartino and Sammartino comes back with a big double kick to the gut and a turnbuckle smash that stuns Hansen into the opposite corner.

Sammartino with another kick to the stomach and a big knee to the head, but Hansen cuts it off with a reverse elbow off the ropes. Hansen Irish whips him into the corner but misses a charge and Sammartino goes down for the rollup and gets 1-2.....and that's it. So close on that exchange and they trade forearms back on their feet. Sammartino ducks too quickly on a back bodydrop and eats a big kick to the chest, with Hansen coming off the ropes and hitting a HUGE splash for two. Sammartino gets a small package but that only gets two, following it up with a big bodyslam. Sammartino gets to the top rope but gets caught and Hansen slams him off the top, following it up with a big dropkick. Hansen with an Irish whip off the ropes and he hits the LARIAT for the three count.

Winner: Stan Hansen (pinfall, lariat)

Match Analysis: A surprisingly strong main event to close out the show. I usually HATE watching David Sammartino in action, but this was a very watchable match. Hansen carried the bulk of the work, which is probably why it was so bearable, and they both seemed to be willing to potato each other through the match to put it over a little more in terms of the importance of the bout, and the anger they both had based off of past histories. A good little TV main event that turns the tide of crap that the AWA had been putting on the past few nights.

Hansen in the post-match interview now and he says that Sammartino's dad would be proud of him, but that he doesn't give a rat's ass about his daddy. Hansen says that anyone that wants the world championship can come and get him. Nelson runs down the list of challengers and Hansen says that he's going to celebrate just a little bit and says that he can finally buy his kids some new shoes cause he won the match. He turns his attention to Hennig and says that he can't understand why him and Hall don't defend their tag team titles instead of coming after his AWA championship all the time. Hansen starts threatening the other guys that are on the list, challenging them all back and saying that he's going to keep the AWA belt for a long, long time and we're done for another hour.


Final Thoughts

A really good show this time out, with a great main event for that timeframe. Hansen and Sammartino worked well together and the match was really entertaining, which is hard to say for most David Sammartino matches. The tag match was great, it was interesting to see Michaels and Jannetty on the same show with no mention of them tagging, and Michaels looked good in his match with Somers. Every match was at least moderately entertaining and there were no real dead spots or boring interviews which makes this one an easy thumbs up for me.

Fun With Comments


From soulpower:
"Other than seeing Larry Hennig, this wasn't that good of a show. Super Ninja has
got to be the most generic ninja ever (Go the Ninja is a close second).

I liked Snuka's promom, nothing over the top, just letting Debeers know that
he's coming for him. And even though he lost to Blackwell, it was good to see a
fellow Puerto Rican on the show."

Yeah, the Ninjas all seemed fairly interchangeable in that period of time, so they all seemed a little generic. The Snuka promo would have been better if he hadn't rambled quite so much, but I guess that's just his style. As for seeing Sanchez on the show, he'll be on it a lot as he was one of Verne's favorite underneath talents.


From Rob:
"I'm beginning to wonder how many more Russian interviews it will take me before
I can figure out what they are talking about 50,100, 150?"

I wonder the same thing, but I don't think there will ever be enough interviews to help figure out what the hell they were saying or where they were trying to go with their promos. I think they'd need at least two or three translations to make sense.


From James:
"All I remember about those Russians is that they had a FRENCH name for their
finisher (the coup de grace...or was that just the announcers using the generic
finish term for it?)

That Snuka angle freaked me out as a kid, BTW."

I don't exactly recall if they ever had a name for that finisher or if it was just the announcers calling it that, and I agree about the Snuka angle being a hot one for me when I was a kid too. I honestly thought that Snuka would never come back and my little six year old brain couldn't even handle watching Snuka bleeding on the floor.


From Joe Bass Jr.:
"Grge Gagne's third time with the SAME guy...It's a repeat!!!"

To an extent it is, but it's mainly that matches get repeated from the same shows, moreso than entire shows being repeated. It'll be interesting to see if that cleans up soon, or if they end up regressing into repeats while other episodes end up going unaired entirely.


From G-Walla:
"No, I'm pretty sure that years and years ago, I caught a midget boxing match,
involving a midget Mr. T and another midget (Mr.t midget lost). I did a short
bit of googling to no avail. I'll try an in depth search, later, if I think of
it.

Gah, those repeated matches are just about killing me. The Larry Hennig match
was good, from a historical context. The Curt Hennig match was accepttable.
Snuka looked like Esteban. That was good stuff.

Watching Blackwell makes me think how there's not a lot of guys in wrestling,
anymore, who are just fat. Still, I've enjoyed what little bit of his work
I've seen.

But, man, that first half just about put me down."

I can't recall the midget matches since most of them had ceased when I was old enough to be able to remember them better, but if you find anything out go ahead and let me know. The repeat matches are killing me too, but at least they're still showing new stuff too. Blackwell was one of the bigger AWA stars, literally and figuratively, but he seems like one of those guys that benefitted from the time period. If he was around today, I don't think he'd be anywhere near as dynamic, while most of the rest of the talent could end up transferring over to today's wrestling and still be somewhat relevant.


From Silo Sam:
"Well, i turned it off after the second repeat match of the night..sigh*, sounds
like i missed the best part(s) of the show. I'm getting sick of these repeats
although I must say that Super Ninja's double underhook suplex looked as sweet
as it did the first time I saw it. Picture perfect execution. and your right
the russians SUCK!!! god, are they hard to watch..i loved(in a hate sort of
way) the promo afterwards about the ref trying to injure him, hahaha.
Hopefully we'll get a good show tonight, a hall match maybe?"

No Hall match, but this was indeed a REALLY good show. Ninja's suplex was a sweet move, but I was still disappointed that he didn't do more ninja-type moves. The Russians suck out loud and I really hope that I don't have to see them for too many more matches and promos because they feel like they take years off of my life every time I sit through them.


From ButchReedMark:
"The midget Mr T. was the Haiti kid wasn't he?

Anyways, is there ayway this is broadcast on the internet for us poor souls
across the pond, mainly me?"

Yes he was, and I don't know of any way to get the show over there, but if any of the readers want to help out, I'd be more than happy to pass the info along.


From JLAJRC:
"The best part of the Jerry Blackwell match was that Jerry pinned him for 2 and
started celebrating, but the referee looks at him with confused eyes because it
wasn't 3. Jerry then rolled his eyes then did the Samoan Drop. I just laughed
at that. I wonder if that was planned or not."

That certainly didn't look planned, and I have to admit that it made me laugh too when I went back to watch it the second time. You've got to love improvisation and dirty looks.


From Arnold_OldSchool:
"Blackwell talked about a brother? I can't recall this angle at all.

Larry the Ax's last match was like 6 months before this was taped, which makes
its inclusion a tad strange, cause it's not like in 1984 when the Ax came back
to team with Curt vs Road Warriors around the Horn."

I don't remember that angle at all either with Blackwell's brother, and I'm not sure if it was meant to be someone entirely new, or someone that they were going to use from another area to get a rub from Blackwell's popularity. I agree about the Larry Hennig match seeming a little odd, but I guess they went far enough back to make it seem like he'd been gone a lot longer.


Finally, from Eric:
"We're still near the end of 1986, and the pickins were slim for TV matches.

For the life of me I can't remember who Jerry Blackwell's 'baby brother' was
supposed to be. The easiest guesses could have been either Leon White or
Earthquake Ferris, but this one stumps me. Let's hope there's some continuity
with some of the episodes so they can jog my memory a little bit.

Again, there was practically nothing on this program that was new...as I've
said before, 1986 was a transition year for the AWA, and pretty much the
beginning of the end for them.

The AWA had a working agreement with Chicago promoter Bob Luce, who, luckily
for us at the time, filmed nearly every show he put on at the old International
Amphitheater from the late 60s through the early 80s. Chicago wrestling fans
were lucky to see the shows - those who didn't make it due to quite a few of
the Amphitheatre shows being sold out - regardless of their semi-amateur
quality.

Luce worked his cards well from top to bottom because he had membership in the
AWA, WWWF, AND Bruiser's WWA promotion. During this time you'd see wrestlers
who would work all three territories come together here. You'd get Verne Gagne,
Nick Bockwinkel, Bobby Heenan, The Valiants, The Blackjacks, Wilbur Snyder,
Pepper Gomez, Dusty Rhodes & Dick Murdoch, the Super Destroyers, Bobo
Brazil, The Sheik (the original one), The Bruiser & The Crusher, King Kong
Brody, and, in a rare appearance, WWWF champion Bruno Sammartino. Bruno came
in a couple of times, sans belt, usually in a tag team situation with someone,
in the mid 70s. Bobby Heenan, who was originally from Chicago, pretty much
managed everyone on TV back in the day.

Yep, that was Larry "The Ax" putting the pounding on the future
Nicolai Volkoff alright. Whenever they have a Flashback segment with
commentary you might say 'hey, there was no audio on the film?'. There wasn't.
Luce would pipe in the audio and then babble over it and do the commentary
himself. He was one of a kind, and just died about a year ago.

And the best thing about hating Heenan back in the day is that you always
rooted for someone to beat the ever-living shit out of him. There were many
times where Heenan would wind up bloodied, and it would be captured for
posterity. Usually the beatdowns were courtest of Bruiser & Crusher. If
you ever look at the Brain's forehead in later years...it resembles Dusty's
relief map style forehead. Or even Jimmy Snuka's.

But back to Luce and Chicago wrestling:

His most famous segments on his shows were the in-studio segments, and the
local commercials. Not a show would go by without three or four Ben's Auto
Sales - 5959 S. Western Avenue in Chicago (it would later move to the north
side of Chicago later), and One Stop - which was a big produce/butcher shop on
the south side where you could get ribs and 'chitlins by the case.' In what
would be considered VERY un-PC back then, the first wrestler to promote it on
TV here was Bobo Brazil. Then someone decided that looked a little racial, so
Dick the Bruiser, with his white man's 'fro at the time, cut a new commercial.
Very amusing shit.

Anyone want to look at their TIVOs and compare Curt Hennig when he lost the tag
belts to what Curt looked like at the end of the year doing commentary with
Larry Nelson on his father's match? Look a little jacked to you? Thought so.
He was also beginning to beef up because he WAS too skinny to be believable in
a heavyweight title run. 1987 would be his year as he'd capture the belt from
Bockwinkel (with a little help from Zbyszko). They were sowing the seeds of
Hennig's rougher attitude and his eventual heel turn. Scott Hall would already
be gone by this point.

Hennig's match against Gatner wasn't too bad: Gatner was one of Gagne's better
TV jobbers. Most of the AWA's jobbers came mainly from the California area
(for the Vegas Showboat tapings) and the Midwest tapings (the ones taped in
Minnesota and Wisconsin) were a mixture of Wisconsin smaller promotion jobbers
and others from Brad Rheingans' wrestling school). So when certain jobbers
show up you'll pretty much know where they came from.

Other than that, Curt was good on the interview segment, definitely better than
Snuka's babbling (you can take that to the bank, Brudda!), so you can see that
Hennig was slowly building into the future co-#1 heel with the promotion. If
they get around to showing some 1987 programs the promotion's stable with even
out a little bit, even with some other wrestlers leaving. You'll get more
development of the tag team division with the addition of the Nasty Boys and
Mike Enos & Wayne Bloom would start teaming (they would start out jobbing
more on TV) as the Destruction Crew. Badd Company would also form soon. Plus
with the return of Sgt. Slaughter, the re-emergence of AWA favorite Baron von
Raschke, Manny Fernandez, and the Rockers....1987 would be a decent year on TV,
even though they were losing house attendance fast to the WWF. "

A ton of great information as usual to close out another edition of the AWA report, and I thank you for all that Eric. Remember, be sure to put a vote in on whether you think the report on the Friday show works better on Saturday, or waiting until the following Monday, and I'll see you all tomorrow for another brand-new AWA report!


****************************

[CW .org .info .net]

AWA Championship Wrestling (Originally aired on March 25, 1986)

Lord James Blears and Verne Gagne are your announcers for all the action tonight. That can't be right can it? Oh lord, I'm going to need a drink or six just to get through this.

Match One:
Buddy Rose w/Sherri Martel vs. Jesse Hernandez

Rose does his usual schtick, argruing with Larry Nelson about the announced weight and we're set to get this one underway. Gagne makes fun of Rose's belly and after much slowpoking with the removal of his robe, we're actually ready to get this underway. Probably. No wait, Rose drops to do some one-armed pushups and NOW, we're set to get this underway. They lock up and Rose gives Hernandez a little paintbrush to the face against the ropes. Another lock up and Rose gets his hair messed up by Hernandez, which bothers him so much he has to head outside to have Sherri comb it for him. Rose hops over the top rope and looks rather proud of himself, and they lock up again with Rose ramming Hernandez into the turnbuckle before choking him across the top rope. He slingshots Hernandez off and then walks into a punch to the gut, with Hernandez ramming him into the turnbuckle, and he's back outside to be comforted by Sherri. Back into the ring and they lock up again with Rose taking a top wristlock, but Hernandez takes him over with an armdrag. Rose doesn't let it go but ends up being reversed by Hernandez into a hammerlock, forcing Rose to make the ropes. Rose with a BIG chop to the chest and another, whipping Hernandez into the ropes and hitting a big reverse elbow, following that with a neckbreaker. Rose picks him up and spikes him with a "piledriver" that is actually a DDT and he gets the three count to a chorus of boos.

Winner: Buddy Rose (pinfall, "piledriver" DDT)

Match Analysis: Rose was always one of my favorite guys at this time because he was just so loud and obnoxious and I guess that when I was six and seven, I liked loud and obnoxious. He looked really good here and did good heel work before the bout and during the bout. This was a really short squash and it let Rose debut his new finisher in fine fashion.

Larry Nelson's in the ring now with Buddy Rose, wondering about Rose's 217 pounds and Rose calls his new move the "Hit The Jackpot" cause it's like hitting the jackpot at Vegas that gives you all the money, this move is going to give him all the money and all the wins. He says that in regards to the 217 pounds, he wonders if any of us could do the one-armed pushups, then proceeds to do more of them. He calls Sherri the most meanest, cruelest, gorgeousest, beautifullest manager in the world. You might get in trouble with those first two there Buddy. He hands the mike over to her and she says that Candi Devine is nothing and a loser and that she deserves the belt and Buddy Rose deserves a belt and that if people don't get out of their way, there's going to be trouble. Rose ends off by saying that they want the Midnight Rockers on next week's show. Yes, PLEASE!


Match Two:
Bill Anderson vs. Col. DeBeers

It had been far too long for me to see DeBeers on my TV, and he's here to fulfill the white, racist quotient of the program. They lockup and DeBeers pushes Anderson into the corner and turns his back on him to give him a clean break. Another lockup and DeBeers hits an armdrag takeover, following up with a mustache twirl. He then moves to a drop toehold, transitioning that to a reverse chinlock and some forearms to the face. He stomps away and snap mares Anderson over, stomping on his face. He picks him up and Irish whips him across, following with a knee to the gut. A BIG bodyslam from DeBeers and an elbowsmash that follows gets a two count. He grabs Anderson like a bulldog hold, but just runs him all the way to the turnbuckle before stomping away again. DeBeers with a big vertical suplex and the good Col. pulls him up at a two count. Anderson tries to fight back but DeBeers puts a stop to that shit with a kick to the head. DeBeers off the ropes and a BIG standing boot to the face followed by an elbowdrop gets another two count, with DeBeers pulling him up again. DeBeers hits a primitive version of Jeff Jarrett's Stroke, then lands his pancake piledriver to finally get the 1-2-3.

Winner: Col. DeBeers (pinfall, pancake piledriver)

Match Analysis: The usual DeBeers squash, just without the interview at the end of it. He got in a few extra mustache twirls and debuted what looked to be a new move with that Stroke at the end of the match. Just there to make DeBeers look as good as possible and it did the job rather well.


Back from the commercial break and we're graced with the presence of the AWA World Heavyweight Champion, Stan Hansen. Larry Nelson mentions that two weeks from this show, Hansen will be defending his title against Leon "Baby Bull" White, and have to go to Japan to defend the belt, then come back to the States to defend his title again at WrestleRock '86. Hansen cuts him off before he can say who the challenger is and says that he beat "Bruno Sammartino Jr." 1-2-3, and that he doesn't mean anything. He starts talking about White and how he has to be careful with him because of his size. Nelson then mentions Nick Bockwinkel, the challenger at WrestleRock '86. Hansen goes crazy and says he's here to fight someone tonight and Nelson throws us to another break.


Match Three:
The Midnight Rockers vs. Hans DeHass and Alex Night

Two weeks after the airdate of the last episode and The Rockers are already a team with a name and have their matching gear. Something seems a little off about that, but who am I to judge. Maybe they formed the team in the week in between. Anyhow, off to the match and Michaels and Night get things underway with a lockup. A clean break off the ropes and another lockup leads to Michaels getting a headlock, getting shot off the ropes and taking Night down with a shoulderblock. They run the ropes again with Michaels getting his backflip into a hiptoss spot, which he still does today to great effect. Night slows the pace a little while the crowd goes crazy. Michaels gets an arm-wringer and tags in Jannetty who comes off the second rope with a shot to the arm. Jannetty follows that up with a fireman's carry and an armbar but he gets pushed into the heel corner. The heel team makes the exchange and DeHass struts around the ring like he's Larry Zbyszko or something. Trust me, he isn't. They lock up and DeHass gets an armbar but Jannetty reverses that into a rollover armdrag takedown and DeHass needs a moment to compose himself, claiming a hairpull. Another lockup and DeHass takes Jannetty down the hard way and Jannetty grabs an arm, but DeHass is in the ropes. A tag from the Rockers leads to a double-team move with a big kneelift from Michaels, followed by a HUGE delayed vertical suplex. Michaels comes off the ropes and drops a knee to the back of DeHass' head, dropping him in their corner with a backbreaker before making the tag to Jannetty. DeHass is begging off against the ropes and runs over to make the tag to Night. Jannetty gets a drop toeheold and hin and Night do a little chain wrestling with Night grabbing a top wristlock. They lock up again and Jannetty makes a tag before Irish whipping Night into the ropes. Jannetty drops down and Michaels comes off the top rope with a sweet-ass flying bodypress for the three count.

Winners: The Midnight Rockers (pinfall, top rope flying bodypress)

Match Analysis: A good match from very, VERY early in the tag career of the Rockers. They already had elements of the double-team moves that they would become famous for later in their career and worked well together, moving fluidly as a team and making timely tags. DeHass was terrible as a jobber and I hope to never see him again on my TV as he was WAY too over the top with his heel mannerisms, to the point of distraction. Plus he bumped like a sack of potatoes. Lucky for the Rockers that Night was the one that took the pin because I would have hated to see DeHass flopping to the mat.


We're back from the break and it's time to visit with the number one contender for the AWA Championship, Nick Bockwinkel. Nick looks like a million bucks and they talk about the WrestleRock '86 main event. Bockwinkel says that there are lots of cowboys in this world that let their mouth run hot and heavy. He says that he might be wearing some sophisticated clothes, but that he's just as tough as Hansen is and that he knows all the trails and tricks. He'd like nothing more than to become the Heavyweight Champion of the World for the fourth time. Sadly, that's all the time they give him, but Bockwinkel is still a fantastic interview, even in a minute.


We're back in the interview area with Ken Resnick and Verne Gagne and they're talking about how after the big wrestling card at WrestleRock '86, there's going to be a Waylon Jennings concert. Wow, that'll bring folks into the arena. They send us to a match that was supposed to be Brad Rheingans vs. Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie, but ended up being something different entirely. Things got a little crazy and it ended up drawing the former champ Gagne back into the mix. Let's get right to the videotape!!


Match Four:
The Masked Maurauder w/Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie vs. Brad Rheingans

The bell rings and the masked man is already stomping away at Rheingans, throwing him down to the floor. Sheik and Maurauder ram Rheingans into the ringpost and the referee is throwing it out and ringing the bell as much as he can. Rheingans gets slammed into the ringside table again and again and gets shoved back into the ring for more punishment. Maurauder boots away at Rheingans, and he drops him with a BIG bodyslam before heading outside to grab a chair. He takes the chair and gets ready to hit Rheing..HERE COMES GREG GAGNE!! Rights and lefts and Gagne is boot-beating the SHIT out of the masked man. CHAIRSHOTS FROM GAGNE!!! He throws the referee out of the ring to try to keep tearing at the mask of the Maurauder. He rips the mask off of the giant and it turns out to be none other than King Kong Brody. Gagne keeps on with the boot shots but ends up taking a BIG boot from Brody and BRODY PILEDRIVES GAGNE!! Gagne is twitching on the mat and HERE COMES VERNE!!!! He takes over with rights and lefts on Brody, whipping him across for a shoulderblock. Verne locks THE SLEEPER ON BRODY!! The Sheik tries to stop the beating but Verne THROWS HIS ASS OVER THE TOP ROPE!! Catch ya later, Sheiky baby. Verne back with more right hands to Brody and he WHACKS Brody with the chair, and AGAIN, and AGAIN!!! Verne takes out the REFEREE WITH THE CHAIR!!! Brody takes off running and Verne is on the second rope calling them back for more.

Winner: The Hell If I Know

Match Analysis: This was THE hot angle leading into WrestleRock '86 and it certainly packed one hell of a punch. Brody had enough heel heat and charisma to even make Greg Gagne seem interesting, and I'd have to say that this was probably the one feud that Gagne had that he was entertaining in, in terms of the build. Getting Verne involved was a sure-fire way to make sure the crowd was extra into it, and Verne looked good for an old man. Much like the last show that had the Brody/Gagne angle in it, this was a really great segment of television.


Match Five: AWA World Tag Team Championship
Boris Zhukov and Barbarian w/Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie vs. Curt Hennig and Scott Hall (c)

Hennig takes a run at the Sheik before the match starts and we're ready to get this title bout underway. Hall and Hennig get the crowd going with some clapping and chanting. We start off with Hall and Barbarian and they lockup into a stalemate. Another lockup and Hall gets a big headlock in on Barbarian, cranking away at it. Barbarian runs him into the ropes and they hit a shoulderblock with neither man budging an inch. Hall runs off and hits another shoulderblock with the same result, before trying it again for a third time. The third time is the charm as Barbarian nearly boots his head clean off. Blears on commentary makes me chuckle with "The immovable object and the irresistible force....but that was a shoe." in reference to the big boot from Barbarian. Barbarian hits a BIG bodyslam on Hall and misses the follow-up kneedrop, allowing Hall to get a bodyslam himelf for a two count. Barbarian backs off and they lock up again with Barbarian asking for the test of strength. HUSS HUSS HUSS. They lock knuckles and it looks like Barbarian is going to get the better of it, putting Hall down to his knees after an extended struggle. Hall starts fighting back as the crowd gets louder and louder and Hall monkeyflips Barbarian out of the corner, ducking a charge from Barbarian and then botching what looked to be a backdrop spot. I have no idea cause it ended up really clumsy and ugly-looking.

They end up tangled in the ropes in the far side of the ring and Barbarian grabs a front facelock to tag in Zhukov. Zhukov with the stomps to Hall in the corner and he brings him across to the other side for a turnbuckle smash. That just fires Hall up and he makes a big comeback, beating on Zhukov and pushing him into the corner to make the tag to Hennig. Hennig hits a big chop on Zhukov in the corner then sends him in on the Irish whip, landing a BIG dropkick that sends Zhukov flying. Hennig heads over to lay a little punishment on Barbarian too and cuts Zhukov off as he tries to attack from behind, whipping him in and punching him in the gut. Another BIG dropkick sends Zhukov out to the floor to try to recoup. Hall and Hennig do a little celebrating in the ring while Zhukov and Barbarian try to discuss some strategy on the floor. A HUGE USA chant from the crowd as Zhukov makes his way back into the ring and he and Hennig lock up with Hennig grabbing an arm-wringer, tagging in Hall to drop elbows on the arm. Another tag and Hennig comes off the second rope with a double sledge to that arm. Quick tags from the faces and they continue to work over the arm with kicks and armbars. Zhukov drops Hennig with a big headbutt and holds him in place for Barbarian to kick him SQUARE in the face. Barbarian hits the reverse chinlock as the crowd goes crazy trying to spur Hennig on.

Hennig ducks a big boot from Barbarian and hits a couple of big dropkicks, sending Barbarian ass over teakettle to the floor. Zhukov gets whipped across the ring over the turnbuckles and the Russian is on the floor now too. Another big USA chant and Barbarian finally makes his way back into the HUSS HUSS HUSS ring. Barbarian slams Hennig face-first into the top turnbuckle and tags in Zhukov who snap mares Hennig over and lays some stomps in to the head before hitting a reverse chinlock. Zhukov with an Irish whip but he ducks his head too soon and takes a BIG kick from Hennig. Tag to the Barbarian and he Irish whips Hennig in, missing the clothesline and eating a big crossbody from one half of the Tag Champs. Barbarian kicks out right away, putting Hennig down to the floor and he continues pounding away as Hennig makes it back into the ring. Another Irish whip and another early duck down gives Hennig a chance to kick Barbarian in the face and follow it up with a dropkick. Barbarian tags off to Zhukov and Hennig gets cut off from the tag. Zhukov with an Irish whip, but Hennig reverses it and THERE'S THE HOT TAG!! Hall in with right hands and forearms to Zhukov and a BIG reverse elbow off the ropes. A back bodydrop from Hall and Zhukov rolls over to make the tag to the Barbarian. The two big men lock up and struggle back and forth, leading to Barbarian landing some forearms to the chest. Irish whip in by Barbarian and they hit a double-clothesline spot and they're BOTH DOWN!

Hall tags Hennig and he charges at the Barbarian with a knee and the bell is ringing? Oh man, we've got a time-limit draw and the crowd is not very happy. WAIT, it's a mistake from the timekeeper and the match continues!! Hennig and Barbarian lock up and Barbarian goes to the eyes, whipping Hennig in before eating a kick and some punches. Hennig takes a BIG boot to the face from Barbarian and that gets a long, LONG two count. Barbarian witha BIG bodyslam and he follows it up with a gutwrench into a backbreaker. Zhukov comes off the top rope with a BIG elbowsmash, knocking Hennig senseless and the bell is ringing again. Barbarian is claiming victory, Hall is in to check on Hennig and no one knows what's going on. The crowd boos and throws things at the heel team and it looks like a disqualification for Zhukov coming off the top rope. Gagne and Blears are trying to make something up to figure out why there was the DQ, and they kind of come up with something, but it's not a very good decision.

Winners: Scott Hall and Curt Hennig (disqualification, top rope rule)

Match Analysis: An awesome TV main event that ended up being tainted just ever so slightly by all the nonsense at the end of the match. It seemed like a perfect microcosm for the disorganized way that the AWA was running at the time with all of the confusion coming left,right, and center, and Verne kind of making things up as they went along to try to keep things pieced together. Great work from the wrestlers though, which more than makes up for the sledgehammer of booking disasters at the end.

After the match Hennig and Hall are with Larry Nelson and Hennig says that he caught one in the ribs and that Barbarian was the biggest, strongest, and most dangerous man he's been in the ring with. He talks about Sheik paying them big money to try to hurt himself and Hall, and then the talk turns to The Long Riders at WrestleRock '86. Hennig says that everyone saw The Long Riders try to injure them with steel-toed boots and at WrestleRock, they'll have no boots, no jeans, just regular wrestling gear. Hennig thinks that they've got The Long Riders, exactly where they want them, and that's it for another hour of AWA action!




Final Thoughts

This was another great show, making it two in a row and hopefully the beginning of a long streak of quality programming. The tag match main event was great until the shenanigans at the end, the angle from the house show with the Gagnes and King Kong Brody was fantastic, and even the squashes at the beginning were moderately entertaining. The seeds were sown for the beginning of the feud between the Rockers and Rose and Somers, and all in all, a lot happened in an hour and all of it was good stuff. BIG thumbs up for this episode and I can't wait to see what I get tomorrow!!

****************************

[CW .org .info .net]

March, 1986?

AWA Championship Wrestling (Originally aired on...)

Right to the action with no pissing around, as per the usual for the AWA shows and Rod Trongard and Lord James Blears are your commentators. All this time I've been calling him Ron since that's what I had seen on an old MSG house show he had done for the WWF. Well, I guess I have a month and a half's worth of columns to edit now.....dammit.


Match One:
Larry Zbyszko w/Ninja Go vs. Jesse Hernandez

Oh man, Zbyszko's up first!! This is either an indicator that it's going to be a good show all around, or this show is going to peak in the first five minutes and then ROCKET downhill from there. Zbyszko calmly strolls to the ring in his karate pajamas and Go has himself a kendo stick with him. We get the usual Zbyszko stalling, with him constantly backing away from Hernandez before deciding it's time to jaw with the mouth-breathers in the front row. Larry gets his usual fireman's carry to start out and then mocks Hernandez a little for falling for it. Zbyszko gets a double-leg takedown but chooses to yell at Scott LeDoux at ringside rather than follow up on it. They hit a traditional lockup and Zbyszko pushes Hernandez against the ropes and scores with a nice spinning back kick to the gut, taking over and whipping Hernandez into the ropes for a knee to the midsection. Back to yelling at LeDoux before taking Hernandez over with a nice vertical suplex into a two-count but Zbyszko lifts the shoulder up before the count can reach three. Zbyszko lays a couple of boots in and then holds the ropes open to taunt LeDoux a little more before a spinning neckbreaker gets another two-count. Well, it would have been three but Zbyszko picked him up again to put on a reverse chinlock. MORE badmouthing for LeDoux from Zbyszko and he cranks away at that chinlock. LeDoux sits and broods for his part, looking like a permed James Dean. Hernandez tries to fight back with some shots to the gut but Zbyszko bitchslaps him down and then threatens LeDoux before ramming Hernandez into the turnbuckle. PILEDRIVER TIME!!!! TRIP TO LARRYLAND!!! TWELVE GLORIOUS YEARS!!!! HE stops and has at least a minute's worth of conversation with LeDoux and Hernandez comes back all fired up, landing some punches and getting a side headlock on Zbyszko. Zbyszko cuts that shit off with a boot to the gut and it's PILEDRIVER TIME, THE SEQUEL!!!! That's enough to get the three count, and to draw LeDoux into the ring, or at least onto the apron to talk some shit. Zbyszko backs up to his Ninja and LeDoux is in the ring to make some threats before heading out to the floor. Zbyszko lays one more good boot in on Hernandez and that's it for him now.

Winner: Larry Zbyszko (pinfall, double piledriver)

Match Analysis: Only Zbyszko could have a match and further about three storylines while doing it, AND have the match be decent. Great work with him goading LeDoux onto the apron and then heading back to the safety of his ninja. I love Zbyszko from this time period and I can't say that enough. I'm glad that at least some fans are getting to see it because it really is a joy to watch him do his thing and he was probably the second best heel going in 1986 behind Flair.

Larry Nelson's in the ring with Zbyszko and he says that he's rich and all the fans are ugly and poor because he's busted his ass to be the best. He's not lazy and eating potato chips and drinking beer like all these hillbilly fans. He challenges Scott LeDoux to put his ugly face in the ring and calls him a chicken, a liar and a cheat. Well, then he calls him a coward too. SNAP! He's on tonight. Crowd chants "Go Scott, Go" but Zbyszko fires back with "Scott CAN'T Go!!!" before talking about how LeDoux was nothing and is nothing, he calls Scott LeDoux a bartender and Larry Nelson chooses this time to finally cut him off. That was tremendous.


Match Two:
Stan Hansen vs. Mike Richards

Hansen is the current AWA World Heavyweight Champion, and Richards has no magnificent robe, so I expect an ass-kicking. Larry Nelson and Greg Gagne are on the call for this one and it looks to be from the St.Cloud, MN tapings. Hansen argues with the referee a little bit as he tries to start the match with a horseshoe (always a good idea I figure), but the ref makes him get rid of it and the match is underway. Hansen gets a lockup and pushes Richards into the ropes before Richards gets a quick side headlock. Hansen stops that with a BIG forearm to the back and he snapmares Richards over into a hard kneedrop. Hansen goes straight to the reverse chinlock and then just stomps away at him. He picks Richards up for a huge vertical suplex and drops ANOTHER big knee to the face. Irish whip in and Hansen gets a reverse elbow in before Irish whipping Richards into the corner. Hansen follows with a charge but Richards ducks down and Hansen goes chest-first into the turnbuckle and over the top rope to the floor. Richards starts working the shoulder and arm of Hansen, ramming it into the top turnbuckle and cranking away at an armbar. The crowd starts to get behind him a little bit, but Hansen gets to his feet and gets a boot to the gut and a big kneelift that stops the big comeback. STIFF forearm from Hansen and he rams Richards into the top turnbuckle. Richards tries another little comeback, even getting a standing armbar, into almost a top wristlock, but Hansen again cuts that off and then just flings Richards out of the ring to the floor. Hansen follows him out and SLAMS HIM ON THE FLOOR! He rolls Richards back into the ring and it looks like lariat time. He chops the piss out of Richards against the ropes and Irish whips him into the ropes for the LARIATOOOOOOOOOOOOO. That's about the easiest three-count that Gary DeRusha will ever have to make, that's for sure.

Winner: Stan Hansen (pinfall, lariat)

Match Analysis: Stan Hansen, ass-kicking machine. It was fun to see him sell a little bit in this one too, which was surprising. He was big, mean and nasty and that came through about every way possible including with the monster lariat at the end. JBL's clothesline from Hell looks awesome, but that lariat of Hansen's makes me cringe every time I see it.

Hansen's outside the ring with Larry Nelson and Hansen says that the fans have stolen everything of his, like his horseshoe (which fell off of the ringpost about ten seconds into the match and rolled into the front row), his rope and his bell, and we see someone in the crowd ringing a cowbell. I don't know if it's Hansen's, but if someone was dumb enough to try to take it from him, more power to them. Hansen says that everyone is trying to steal his belt too and then forgets Larry Nelson's name, running through a list of names before calling him "whoever the hell you are". Hansen talks about Bruiser Brody wanting a shot at the belt and how Greg Gagne "all hunnerd and twelve pounds of him" wants a shot at the title. That is just outstanding and is more than worthy....so you all know what's coming, and will continue to come for a long long time, until I get sick of the clip or find something better, but what could be better than a skidding midget...so Stan Hansen, that was a REALLLLLLLLLLLY....


SICK BURN!!!!!!

Hansen goes on about how The Midnight Rockers are out prancing around like studs, wanting a crack at the title, then he spits on the ground because they make him sick. Hansen says that he's not a pretty face, but he's a tough one, and that if he has to use a cowbell, a horseshoe, his lariat, a rope, a pile of manure, a bale of hay, his wad of chewing tabacci, or his assless chaps, he'll stop at nothing to keep the belt. He gets tangled up in Larry Nelson's microphone cord on the way off camera and takes a swing at him just to keep him on his toes. Oh, mine eyes haven't seen the glory, but that would have been damn near a religious experience if he'd have popped Nelson one in the face. Nelson's back in the studio, talking about how even though Hansen scares the piss out of him, he still respects him because he's the champion, and then he talks about how he'd love to see Hansen vs. Bockwinkel. Twenty years later and that match still hasn't happened, so don't hold your breath there Larry.


Back from a commercial break, Scott LeDoux is in the ring with Larry Nelson and he's talking about the Zbyszko nonsense from earlier in the show. LeDoux thinks that Zbyszko has a bit of a mental issue and that the only issue they have is when Larry decides to break the rules. If he follows the rules, LeDoux says he'll leave him alone, but if he doesn't he'll have to deal with the power of LEDOUX!!! LeDoux says that anytime, anyplace, when Larry wants to settle it, he'll settle it. That sounded like a challenge!!! LeDoux tells Zbyszko to sign the dotted line and that he won't like what he gets if he decides to.


Match Three:
Col. DeBeers vs. Chris Curtis

DeBeers charges across at the bell and lays a couple of boots in on Curtis before Irish whipping him into the ropes and hitting a big knee to the gut. DeBeers stomps away and then hits a BIG bodyslam, stomping Curtis right in the face. RUNNING BOOT to the face of a sitting Curtis and he follows it up with an elbowdrop. Knee to the back of the head and DeBeers gets a two-count before picking Curtis up. Belly to back suplex gets another two-count and another pick-up from DeBeers and he rakes at the eyes with the soles of his boots, dragging Curtis up into a side headlock. Reverse elbow off the ropes and a fistdrop gets another near-fall and a DeBeers pick-up. DeBeers goes all the way up to the top rope and comes off with an awkward looking boot to the head that gets the two-cound and DeBeers picks him up again for the PANCAKE PILEDRIVER!!! A cheshire cat grin from DeBeers and he finally picks up the 1-2-3!!

Winner: Col. DeBeers (pinfall, pancake piledriver)

Match Analysis: The usual DeBeers squash and the usual DeBeers promo afterwards I'm sure, but the man knew how to play it to the hilt. Decent if only for the gigantic grin he had at the end after he laid that beatdown on the jobber.

Larry Nelson's ringside with DeBeers and he talks about the attack on Scott Hall from the previous week's show, which of course led to Hall and Hennig losing the AWA Tag Team Championship so it at least gives a small window of perspective for when the show took place. DeBeers simply states that history repeats itself and that there's been many a time on the borders of South Africa that he's been attacked from behind like how Scott Hall attacked him. He says that like all those other times, the Col. stood triumphant while his opponent was laid out on the floor. Nelson goes all fucking Mike Wallace on him, asking if he's trying to justify sneaking up on someone, hitting them with a stick and then piledriving them on a cement floor. DeBeers says that all is fair in love and war and that he had to resort to anything to stay alive. DeBeers wants to move on to more important things and talks about Nick Bockwinkel is suffering from the buffalo syndrome. He tells a story about an Indian waiting for the buffalo to come back and relates it to Bockwinkel waiting for his title to come back, but DeBeers says that he's standing in Bockwinkel's way and that like the buffalo, that title will never come back. He calls himself the greatest one-man army and Larry Nelson cuts him off while he stands there and screams. Give the man credit, he knew how to work a squash and he knows how to cut an incendiary promo.


Match Four:
Shiek Adnan El-Kaissie and Boris Zhukov vs. The Midnight Rockers

This should be good, as it's always nice to see Sheik get a little taste of his own medicine in the ring. It looks like Janetty and Zhukov will be starting this one off as Sheik is taking his time getting out of his robes and headdress and all of his accessories. They lockup and Zhukov goes right into an arm-wringer, but that's reversed just as quickly wiht Jannetty taking control. An Irish whip in and after some rope-running, Zhukov tries a hip toss but Jannetty flips out of it and gets a BIG bodyslam of his own, sneding Zhukov scurrying to a neutral corner. He heads back to his own corner to get some advice from the Sheik on what to do and then he yells at the crowd a little as they start a little chant. Another lockup and Zhukov gets a hammerlock but Jannetty reverses that into a single-leg takedown, running off the ropes and doing a flip over Zhukov's legs into an armdrag. They move to a standing arm-wringer and Jannetty tags in Michaels, leading to a cool spot where Jannetty leapfrogs both Zhukov and Michaels before they turn and double-dropkick the big Russian, forcing Zhukov to take a powder to the floor.

Sheik and Zhukov do a little meeting of the minds on the outside and Shiek grabs a chair on the floor, with Jannetty grabbing his own chair and menacing the Sheik with it. Zhukov and Jannetty lockup on the inside and Michaels decides he wants a piece of the Sheik. Sheik reluctantly tags in and then yells at the front row before raising his arms and yelling, I presume, to Allah. A rather large "Sheik the Freak" chant starts out and the stalling continues as Sheik gets cornered between both Rockers for a moment before literally sprinting across the ring to a neutral corner. They finally lockup and Shiek gets a side heaadlock in, cranking away at Michaels before getting shot into the ropes. Shoulderblock takes down Michaels and Sheik is running the ropes until he gets armdragged down, into an armbar. Standing arm-wringer from Michaels as Jannetty gives him a thumb to the eye from the apron. Michaels goes down and starts stretching that arm out with more pressure, and Sheik grabs the rope but the referee doesn't see it and Jannetty throws it off. Zhukov tries to complain but as he does The Rockers pull the phantom tag and Jannetty is in the ring now, cranking an armbar.

Sheik complains about the switch but it falls on deaf ears and the crowd loves it. Jannetty cranks on the arm again as Trongard talks about VINTAGE TAG TEAM TALENT in the Rockers. Tag in to Michaels and he drops a double-kneedrop onto the arm of Shiek. Michaels goes to an armbar and as Zhukov comes in again to complain they do another illegal switch, much to the approval of the fans again. Sheik finally breaks the hold by going to the eyes and he tags in Zhukov who works Jannetty's arm around the top rope before getting the hammerlock bodyslam. Armbar from Zhukov as the crowd chants "USA USA" and he takes Jannetty down with a handful of hair before tagging in the Sheik. Sheik comes off the second rope with a stomp on the arm of Jannetty, moving to a standing arm-wringer and taking Jannetty down with a handful of trunks. Jannetty fights back but ends up getting cut off and Zhukov comes back in to work over the shoulder, Irish whipping him shoulder-first into the top turnbuckle. Zhukov gets a hammerlock and he RAMS JANNETTY INTO THE RINGPOST!! Out to the floor goes Jannetty and Michaels is over to check on him and try to help him back into the ring. Jannetty barely rolls in but Zhukov grabs him and runs him into the Sheik's boot before Sheik gets the tag.

Sheik pounds away on the shoulder and tags Zhukov back in and the Russian comes off the second rope with a double-axehandle to that arm. Armbar from Zhukov and after a good minute Jannetty is FINALLY able to make the tag over to Michaels, but the referee didn't see it because Sheik was in the ring distracting him. Sheik comes in and they double-team Jannetty before making an illegal switch of their own. Sheik tags Zhukov right back in and he Irish whips Jannetty in but eats a big boot while he tries for a back bodydrop. HOT TAG TO MICHAELS!! FLYING DROPKICK!! BACK BODYDROP!!! TO THE CORNER FOR THE 10 PUNCHES INTO A BACKFLIP!! ANOTHER BACK BODYDROP!!! SHEIK IS IN TO BREAK IT UP!! Jannetty comes flying into the picture with a knee to the back of Zhukov and all four men are brawling. Double Irish whip and Zhukov goes into the Shiek in the middle of the ring. Michaels sends Sheik to the floor and Jannetty gets a BIG dropkick on Zhukov. MICHAELS TO THE TOP ROPE FOR A FLYING BODYPRESS!! 1-2-3!!!

Winners: The Midnight Rockers (pinfall, Michaels top rope splash)

Match Analysis: A great tag-team main event that did well, even with Zhukov and Sheik being the heel team, showing that at this point in time The Rockers could have faced off against just about anyone and they were on a roll tonight. Sheik and Zhukov did well with the heel portion of the match and made sure there was a ton of heat on the tag at the end. Great TV main event and a really awesome tag match that worked on a bunch of levels. The USA vs. Foreign Heel level, the handsome faces vs. ugly heels level, and about ten others. I loves me some Rockers.

Larry Nelson is in the ring with Sheik and Zhukov and Shiek screams "NOOOOOOOOOOOO" when Larry Nelson mentions that The Rockers won the match, claiming that Zhukov wasn't the legal man in the ring. He claims conspiracy and then says that he's going to pay all the money it takes to get Barbarian in the ring next time to tag with Boris Zhukov. He challenges the Rockers to a fight with that team and Zhukov claims that his shoulders were never pinned and that you can never pin a Russian, the only way to beat them is to take them out on a stretcher. Then they reiterate their challenge for next week against the Rockers for the next week's show. Sheik says that if they aren't cowards they'll accept the challenge and then rants a little more, screaming to Allah again as the show fades out.



Final Thoughts

A really good show actually. The Hansen match was pretty fun, if only to see Hansen doing a little selling with his lemon-sucking scowl. The Zbyszko match encompassed all the awesomeness that was Zbyszko in one fell swoop, and the main event was fantastic. Finally after a few duds we get to see a really good AWA show. Thumbs way up for this one and I'm feeling really good about my chances for another one tomorrow. BREAKING NEWS!!! According to reader and fan of the column Jeff, there apparently is no listing for the AWA show to run tonight, so there might not be a review tomorrow. He assures me it returns on Thursday, so I still have a job (which is nice), but just in case there isn't a show and there's no review tomorrow, you'll know why. Thanks for the info Jeff!! On to the comments!!!



Fun With Comments


From soulpower:
"Brody vs Vader.. Damn, that match had so much potential. A decent show, this
time around. The opnening match wasn't all that good to be honest, The Rockers
did what they could, but that wasn't much.

I would have liked an actual finish in the ME, but with the guys involved, it
wouldn't have made much sense to have either guy lose, so I can't complain
about it that much.

Once again, the ME and Larryz Zbysko made this show good, as far as I'm
concerned. And even if it was underwhelming, we did get Vader v Brody and who
doesn't like that?

Good review as usual."

Thanks for the kudos, I really appreciate that you guys are liking what I'm doing with the show. I agree about the potential being awesome for Brody/Vader, but again can understand why they did the injury deal. The Rockers had HORRIBLE luck with jobbers, continually getting some of the worst and most worthless bumpers in the company, which amazes considering how over they got, despite looking like ass sometimes. I guess talent trumps all.


From Silo Sam:
"I agree with soul...the vader/brody match was a let down. The Larry Z stuff was
classic as usual and I the main event was AWESOME! Ya know, we see quite a few
really bad jobbers, that are awkward and have no clue whats going on, So to be
able to watch to ring generals like that in debeers and bockwinkle was a real
treat. The psychology was great. Every move had a purpose and the match flowed
very well . ...plus I loved when Debeers called that female fan a transvestite
after the match...awesome!"

I loved the psychology and the mat generalship (colenolship?) in the DeBeers/Bockwinkel bout and it was a real treat to see two veteran hands lock it up. Agreed on DeBeers transvestite comment being awesome, which again leads me to say that I'm shocked it got through on ESPN. I guess no one really cared about cable back then.


From genericname323:
""It's funny that Nelson gets all indignant about that while COMPLETELY
NO-SELLING THE NINJA SITTING NEXT TO HIM!!!!"

He's a NINJA!!! How's he supposed to know he's sitting there??

Good write-up, btw!"

Again, thanks for the support. You're right about the fact that I had failed to consider the ninja's stealth-like capabilities being a factor in Nelson not noticing him there. I'd rather just assume that Nelson was a bit of a dolt, which it seems to look like the more I watch these shows. Thanks for the comment!


From OB1 Jabroni:
"I love watching Brody going ape-shit in the ring, as a child he honestly scared
the piss out of me. I enjoy looking at the crowds reactions to DeBeers, man he
can generate some heat. Good recap"

The funny thing is that despite Zbyszko being more over and being the more entertaining heel, DeBeers probably got more heat just because of his gimmick. Sure it was cheap as all hell, but it was still white-heat and hatred. Crazy Brody was a god and it's a real shame that he never got more recognition than he did. He was one of the innovators of that gimmick and a really good worker for being such a big man.


Finally from foolkiller:
"You know....I kinda like time limit draws. They are a good way to keep a feud
going without resorting to cheap Dusty finishes. 2 guys couldn't settle it in
15 minutes? Then let's go 60 in a cage or something...just good old-school
booking."

There's never anything wrong with good, old-school booking, and that shows even today when the writers take a step back and book things like they used to, rather than trying to cram eight other things into a story. Look at this past WrestleMania as the Flair/Michaels match was all that was right in terms of simple, straight-forward booking, while JBL/Finlay was an absolute mess of loose threads and unfinished booking thoughts. Sometimes less is more and it would help if the guys writing all the wrestling televison would listen to that sometimes.


That's it for another AWA report folks, thanks for coming in and checking it out, and I'll see you all tomorrow for another brand-new (as new as 1986 can be) episode!!


****************************

[CW .org .info .net]

March, 1986?

AWA Championship Wrestling (Originally aired on)

Lord James Blears and Verne Gagne are your announcers for tonight's show. Really? Ugh, I guess this is going to be one of those shows where I liberally use the mute button.


Match One:
Brad Rheingans vs. Hans DeHass

Hans gives the fans a little love by giving them an obscene gesture when they boo him. Class act. They lockup and DeHass goes to the eyes but Rheingans turns it around pretty quick with a forearm shot to the chest and then a standing arm-wringer. Monkey flip into a legdrop on the arm and Rheingans gets back to the standing arm-wringer, stepping over and getting a rolling takedown. Sitting armbar and DeHass rolls up into a headlock but Rheingans gets him right back into a headscissors, taking him over and rolling with the headscissors around the ring. DeHass and Rheingans trade one-counts out of a bit of a scramble and the crowd is already geting restless, with some boring chants slipping in over the audio. They're back to their feet and DeHass kicks Rheingans in the gut and takes over with some forearms and elbows in the corner. Rheingans takes back control with a boot and he hits a REALLY stiff neckbreaker for a long two-count. Rheingans gets an amateur roll-up for a couple of two counts but DeHass goes to the eyes to break it up and then gets an armbar. Rheingans rolls out of it in a flippy sequence and then gets a standing armbar of his own and then they repeat the armbar, headlock, headscissors spot from earlier in the match. Cause you know, it was SO exciting the first time they did it. Rheingans Irish whips him in and punches him in the gut before lifting him up for an atomic drop. He holds on around the waist and takes him over with a super-stiff german suplex into a bridge for the three-count.

Winner: Brad Rheingans (pinfall, german suplex)

Match Analysis: The crowd at the Showboat had it right. Technically it was a very good match, but Rheingans' moves are so dry that it makes it incredibly difficult to get behind him at all. The crowd turned on the match about when I did, but I had to sit through it until the end while they could go and get popcorn or hit the bathroom or something. Lucky people.


After the match Larry Nelson is in the ring, but since Rheingans has negative charisma he gets no interview time and instead we're going to get to hear from Stan Hansen! This should be good. Hansen cuts Larry Nelson off and says that everyone is trying to make him something that he isn't. He starts screaming about his match with Leon White next week and says that he's frothing at the mouth at the prospect of beating him. He says that he doesn't have a lot of manners or class, but he has a lot of heart and toughness and he'll step in the ring with anyone. Hansen tells a story about deer hunting and equates it to wrestling and then shoves Nelson around when he tries to wrap up the interview. He swings his cowboy hat and the bullrope at him and sends Nelson hot-stepping it out to the floor. Again, if he had connected that would have been tremendous.


Match Two:
Col. DeBeers w/whup-ass stick vs. Alex Knight

DeBeers gets an armbar off of a lockup and snap mares Knight over before taking him down with a side headlock. Knight shoots him into the ropes but eats a BIG shoulderblock down and DeBeers takes over with the side headlock again. He gets headscissored but just breaks free of it and stomps on Knight HARD. Another snap mare and a reverse chinlock now by DeBeers and he holds it, even when Knight tries to shoot him over. Crowd boos again and gives out a few more smattered 'boring' chants as DeBeers moves over to work on the knee. Dropping some knees into the legs and lower back of Knight and DeBeers just flings him over to try for a pinfall. One-count but Knight makes it through to the ropes, getting stomped all the way out under the ropes and down to the floor. DeBeers gets out on the apron and drops some stomps down before letting Knight get back into the ring, stepping on his throat and choking him on the apron. DeBeers with a double underhook and he just POWERS Knight up and over, with no help whatsoever from Knight. I guess he doesn't just sandbag for the Rockers, he sandbags for EVERYBODY. DeBeers pins him but picks him up at two and then hits Knight with a kneelift to the body. Jumping stomp to the face and an eyerake with the soles of his boots as he keeps pounding on the terrible jobber. To the throat with a hard shot and DeBeers drops an elbow for another two-count, lifting Knight's shoulder up before the three. DeBeers rams Knight into the top turnbuckle and stops to jaw with the referee, with Knight taking advantage to hit a couple of elbows and try a big comeback. DeBeers cuts that off VERY quickly and hits an UGLY version of that forward russian leg sweep before hitting the PANCAKE PILEDRIVER for the 1-2-3!!!

Winner: Col. DeBeers (pinfall, pancake piledriver)

Match Analysis: The usual from DeBeers, so you know my thoughts on it. It's honestly the same match every time, just with a different jobber. Speaking of, it really looks like Knight is just that awkward in the ring and not just pulling some kind of veteran shit when he's in the ring with The Rockers. He was as co-operative as he needed to be, but still didn't do a whole hell of a lot to help DeBeers look good. Oh well, at least it was a little shorter than most of DeBeers' squashes so it made it a little easier to stomach.

Larry Nelson's in the ring with Col. DeBeers and his whup-ass stick, talking about WrestleRock '86 and DeBeers says that as far as he knows it's going to be a bunch of people sitting around watching wrestling and listening to jungle music. DeBeers says that the impression he'll leave on everyone there will make people ashamed to be Americans. He says that he has no respect for America, only for South Africa because that's where a man is a man, and a man is a MAN!! His words, not mine. The crowd boos the SHIT out of him and he says that the country has been to the mountaintop, but the Col. is going to make sure that it goes DOWN!


Match Three:
Sgt. Slaughter vs. Earthquake Ferris

The pop that Slaughter gets is a VERY good one, and he's handing out flags to all the fans at ringside while his shitty theme music plays in the background. It doesn't seem like this bout is for the America's Championship as there's only a ten minute time limit. Slaughter takes off his belt and NEARLY whips Ferris in the ass with it before the referee gets it out of the ring. They must have taught him that one in the super-secret Marine Corps Wedgie and Swirlie Division. Ferris shakes his ass at Slaughter in a disturbing turn of events and the match finally gets underway. Slaughter tries to slam Ferris right out of the gate but he can't do it and Ferris mocks him a little. Side headlock from Sarge and Ferris shoots him into the ropes and they do a stalemate off of the shoulderblock. Slaughter gets the side headlock again and Ferris shoots him in again, in a repeat of the same spot from before. Slaughter gets another running start but can't budge the big man and they just end up in a lockup. Ferris gets the side headlock now and they start a big USA chant in the crowd. Slaughter BARELY hits a dropkick on Ferris and hits a big right hand that sends Ferris out to the floor. Ferris is back in the ring and they end up pressed against the ropes in a lockup before Slaughter gets a knee to the gut and a big forearm shot. Irish whip from the Sarge and he telegraphs a back bodydrop and pays for it, getting kicked in the face. Ferris gets a big bodyslam and a HUGE splash but can only cover for the two-count. Elbowdrop from Ferris and he goes up to the second rope (after nearly falling off of it and then taking about five tries to get back up), but he misses the big splash when Slaughter rolls out of the way. Slaughter gets up to the second rope himself and hits a BIG flying clothesline for the pin!!

Winner: Sgt. Slaughter (pinfall, flying clothesline)

Match Analysis: Not bad for a big-man match, but Ferris was still REALLY green at this point and you could see it in the finish when he could barely get onto the second rope and then came off with one of the fakest splashes I've ever seen. Slaughter gets a ton of heat no matter what, so this was still entertaining enough, it just needed a little more so that it could have actually been good. Serviceable like everything on this show has been so far.


Match Four:
King Kong Brody w/Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie vs. Tim Patterson

Brody's got a stretcher with him this week so you know he's not fucking around. He HUSSES and menaces the ringside crowd with the stretcher, which is a green, canvas, army-surplus stretcher, not the fancy hospital kind. Brody HUSSES at Patterson and the crowd and anyone that will listen before they hit a lockup and Brody pushes Patterson into the ropes before dropping to a kneee and barking more. HARD chop from Brody and he forearm smashes Patterson a couple of times against the ropes. RUNNING BOOT to Patterson who was sitting against the ropes. Wow, that looked like it hurt a lot. Brody with an Irish whip and a HUGE boot to the face puts Patterson down and out. More stiff forearms from Brody and he flings Patterson out to the floor right in front of Gagne and Blears. He picks Patterson up in a bodyslam and RAMS HIS BACK into the ringpost. HE DOES IT AGAIN!!! DOWN GOES THE REFEREE!!! YOU WANNA DISQUALIFY ME? HUSS HUSS HUSS!! Back into the ring and PILEDRIVER FROM BRODY!! HE COUNTS HIS OWN PIN!!! God I love Brody. Brody's out to get the stretcher and he rolls the limp Patterson onto it. Referee Marty Miller raises the hand of Patterson and Brody gives him another stomp for good measure. There's your victory right there. Brody drops to his knees and HUSS HUSS HUSSES again, crawling around on the mat before heading out of the ring and pounding on his own chest. The EMT's come by Brody on the outside with Patterson on the stretcher and it Brody points at him, either to rub it in, or to make sure that the EMT's don't steal his stretcher. Brody's on his way to the back now and thankfully this is...OH CRAP HE'S GOT A CHAIR!! He throws the chair into the ring and then stands on it in the middle of the ring while we cut to commercial. PLEASE let me see this promo. PLEASE.

Winner: Tim Patterson (disqualification, Brody insanity)

Match Analysis: BRODY RULES YOU! That is all.


YES!!! We're back from commercial and Larry Nelson is in the ring with Sheik and Brody the lunatic. Brody's off the chair, no he's BACK ON THE CHAIR!! Sheik says that everybody knows that Verne Gagne quit wrestling, and then brags about breaking Gagne's ribs. He takes credit for Gagne quitting and Sheik says that if he wants some, to come break him off a piece of BRODY! Brody asks Larry Nelson if he talked to the Gagnes about his money and Larry says that they said no. Brody calls them liars and says that Sheik pays him good money and he'll do whatever Sheik tells him to do. He says that Gagne stole Sheiks money to give to Jerry Blackwell, but Blackwell better save it cause he's going to need it for his hospital bills, calling Blackwell a fat, sloppy pig. Brody climbs on the chair and HUSSES while Sheik screams in Arabic and that's it for the promo. That was all I could have hoped for and more. Brody was on a level all his own, and in this day and age he would have been a huge star.


Match Five:
The Midnight Rockers vs. Buddy Rose and Doug Somers

HELL YES! It's not THAT match, from the first Michaels DVD with all the blood, but it should still be a great match. Larry Nelson disappoints me by not calling Sherri Martel a "manageress", but I suppose. The bell rings and Rose and Michaels are going to start out, but first Rose does a few one-handed push-ups and tries to show off but Michaels goes one better, doing them with BOTH ARMS!! Michaels has had enough bullshit and they lockup with Rose getting a shoulderblock off the ropes and running the ropes again but getting armdragged over by Michaels. Rose gets a standing arm-wringer and Michaels reverses it to one of his own, taking Rose over and dropping a leg on that arm. Rose gets the momentum back and takes Michaels down with an arm-wringer of his own, raking the eyes with his boot and running over to tag Somers in. Somers gets armdragged nearly out of his boots on the way into the ring and then ends up taking an elbow to the arm from Jannetty after Michaels tags out. Jannetty works the arm and tags Michaels back in and they do a double arm-wringer spot to put Somers down. Somers shoots Michaels off the ropes and Michaels gets a leapfrog over Somers but takes a BIG bodyslam. Kick away from Michaels and he gets another armdrag to take Somers down. Tag in to Jannetty and he hits a running splash on the arm of Somers before moving to a standing armbar.

Somers pushes Jannetty into his corner and tries for a big forearm but he misses it and ends up smacking Rose right off the apron to the floor. Jannetty gets a BIG back bodydrop in the ring for a one-count and Rose stretches to make the tag and gets it, coming in and ramming Jannetty into the top turnbuckle before chopping the piss out of him. Referee Scott LeDoux gets distracted and Somers takes advantage before the ref turns around. Rose spits on Michaels and draws him into the ring, allowing the heels to make another illegal switch. Somers with a front facelock and he tags Rose back in with Rose hitting a vertical suplex before dropping a knee. Two-count on that exchange and another tag comes for Somers. Jannetty tries for a comeback and they're trading forearms in the corner until Somers goes to the eyes. Tag in to Rose and he sets up for another suplex but Jannetty blocks it and reverses into one of his own. HOT TAG TO MICHAELS!! ELBOW TO SOMERS!! SWEET CHIN MUSIC!!! REVERSE ELBOW TO SOMERS!! Michaels tags off to Jannetty and he only gets a one-count. Irish whip in and Jannetty gets a sunset flip for a two-count before Rose comes in to break it up. All four men in the ring now and it's BREAKING LOOSE IN LAS VEGAS!! The Rockers get sent into each other on the Irish whip and Michaels ends up on the outside. Somers to the top rope but Michaels has recovered and pushes him off. Jannetty to the top rope for a FLYING BODYPRESS!! 1-2-3!!! IT'S ALL OVER!!!

Winners: The Midnight Rockers (pinfall, Jannetty flying bodypress)

Match Analysis: The beginning of a REALLY good tag match, and if they had ten or fifteen more minutes and hadn't had to cram in the finish, it would have been memorable and on par with their other classic matches. The potential was there, they just had to put too much into too little time. These four had the magic though, and this was no exception. Short but more entertaining than it had a right to be.

After the match Larry Nelson has The Rockers and Scott LeDoux in the ring with him and he's talking to LeDoux first as he says that he's going to wrestle Larry Zbyszko at WrestleRock!! LeDoux says that he's going to make Larry respect the fact that he's a referee and then throws out some funky rules for the match, saying that they're going European and doing things round by round and that they'll also be wearing boxing gloves during the wrestling match. Yeah, that should turn out just fine. LeDoux calls himself a street fighter and says that that's how he's going to take care of Zbyszko. Nelson moves on to the MIDNIGHT ROCKERS!! and screams their name like he's going to have a stroke. Jannetty mumbles through something about there being wrestling and rock bands together and in comes Buddy Rose from the back!! Rose gets in about two words before taking a swing at Michaels and paintbrushing him in the face. He hides behind Sherri in the corner and gets out of the ring, leaving her on her own. A real man's man. Michaels threatens to pimp slap Martel and the crowd is hot for it, but she just makes her way out of the ring. Michaels chases them back to the locker room, even threatening a chair for a moment, before coming back to finish their promo. Michaels tells Rose to get his fat ass back out there and to bring his skank too and they'll both get the slapping of a lifetime. Quite the note to end the show on because we're OUT OF TME!!



Final Thoughts

First half-hour, GIANT STEAMING BOWL OF SUCK. Last half-hour with Brody and then the tag main event, TREMENDOUS! My thumb is firmly in the middle because the first half-hour was godawful, and so bad that there wasn't really any way for the second half to save it, no matter how awesome it ended up being. The potential was there in the tag main event and you could see that these guys were going to do good things together. They just weren't given enough time to have a classic in this episode. Brody was awesome, as Brody usually is and I love seeing that man work. I need to get a Brody DVD from Japan or something because I'm getting hooked on him. Anyhow, I pray that you all avoided the first half of the show and then enjoyed the hell out of the second half. Now it's time for comments!!



Fun With Comments


From TJack:
"My resources indicate that last night episode originally aired on 6/10/1986.

The Zbyszko/Hernandez match wasn't included in my match results, so that might
have been from a different show.

There were reportedly three other matches shown that night, including the
following:

Bockwinkel vs. Gantner
(Nick vs Rick was followed by an undoubtedly entertaining Bockwinkel
interview)

Curt Hennig vs. "Harley Davidson"
(If I'm not mistaken, the trademark scofflaw Davidson went on to become
Hillbilly Jim in the WWF.)

Rose/Somers vs Hall/Hennig
(This was the tag title switch from 5/17/86, which was supposedly shown after
the DeBeers post-match interview).

Of these three matches, Bockwinkel's would have been a typical squash. But,
I've been curious to see "Harley Davidson", and I'm kinda bummed we
didn't get to see that bout.

As for the tag title switch, we already got to see that match from the 7/1/86
episode that airedon ESPN Classic on 3/7/08.

Cheers."

Thanks for the info! I'm not sure if that Harley Davidson was the same guy, but since this match would have happened after Hillbilly Jim was already in the WWF, I'd wager it's a different guy doing a rip-off of the gimmick. I'm trying to think of who in the jobber realm of the AWA at that time could fit the description for a biker gimmick, but I'm coming up dry.


From G-Walla:
"So, I think I'm going to start HUSSing around in my day-to-day life.

I'm certainly glad I'm not the only person who yelled Lariato! at the end of
the Hansen match. Need more of big Stan.

I was totally afraid of Go's "bamboo spear". Scary stuff!

And boo to DeBeers for not calling out any potential trannies. Ruinations!"

I too was sad that there were no DeBeers accusations of trannyism tonight. And no, you're not alone, I yell that EVERY time Hansen hits one, just because it makes me laugh. By the way, let me know how that HUSS deal works out for you. If people are receptive to you chasing them around and barking like a loon, I might adopt it in my own day to day life.


From Silo Sam:
"well, i missed the first half hour so, i'm pissed i missed stan hansen. oh
well. What was up with that fan jawing with debeers that had a
"bert" hand puppet...ok, haha. First time ive seen sheik
wrestle...he was slightly better than i was expecting. Pretty good show
though."

It was a decent show, and I have NO IDEA what that was the DeBeers was arguing with. It was pretty frightening and I think I'm just going to try to block it out of my memory from now on.


From Guest:
"I'd like to point out that Bockwinkle and Hansen did actually meet in the ring.
At the infamous Wrestlerock 86 (look up the promo video on youtube if you
haven't seen it, its more glorious than Larry Zybyzko and Nick Bockwinkle
commenting on Stan Hansen lariating a midget into a headslide), Hansen was DQ'd
I believe in his first match with Bockwinkle."

They did indeed square off at WrestleRock 86 and Hansen was disqualified. That match happened before the show was taped I believe, so the match they were building to with the promo was the match that was supposed to happen in Denver before Hansen quit the company. That match never happened and never came close to happening again, which was why I made the smartass remark about Larry Nelson holding his breath.


From Teijo Kahn:
"Another thing I like about these shows is seeing Stan Hansen. I had barely ever
seen him wrestle other than in WCW in 1990. I'm like that with Brody too, only
seeing his WCCW stuff."

Seeing Hansen and Brody in their primes is a great thing, and I love that aspect of seeing these old AWA shows. So much talent and so much good stuff that it's worth wading through the crap to get to it.


Finally from Arnold_OldSchool:
"Harley Davidson was in the WWF by early 85 if not late 84"

Indeed it was late-84 that Hillbilly Jim made his first appearances on WWF TV as a fan of Hulk Hogan in the front row. Interesting note, Hillbilly Jim has his own show on Sirius Satellite Radio now, doing a country music show and playing classic country songs while telling stories about his days in the WWF.





****************************

[CW .org .info .net]

AWA - May, 1986

AWA Championship Wrestling (Originally aired sometime in 1986)

Larry Nelson and Greg Gagne are your commentators for this episode and at this point all they are saying about the original broadcast date on the ESPN graphics is that it was sometime in 1986. Thanks for the help there guys.


Match One:
Larry Zbyszko w/Ninja Go vs. Larry Clark

As the match is set to get underway, Greg Gagne says that he just received word form the locker room and that the AWA Tag Team Championships have changed hands and that Buddy Rose and Doug Somers had upset Curt Hennig and Scott Hall to take the belts, possibly with the help of Col. DeBeers. That would put the broadcast of this show sometime after May 17, 1986, probably in the beginning of June, if I had to wager a guess.

Zbyszko hits a fireman's carry and then goes back to stalling a little more. MAn, even against the D-level jobbers Zbyszko stalls. They lock up and Zbyszko moves to an armbar and pushes Clark against the ropes, hitting a spinning back kick to the gut instead of breaking clean. Clark goes to the outside and Zbyszko follows him out, throwing him back into the ring and hitting a snapmare into an eyerake. A BIG suplex from Zbyszko and he stops to jaw with the referee. Spinning neckbreaker from Zbyszko and he stops again to yell at the announcers. Another snapmare and a knee to the throat from Zbyszko and he hits the PILEDRIVER for the quick three count.

Winner: Larry Zbyszko (pinfall, piledriver)

Larry Nelson has a microphone and he's outside the ring with Zbyszko, who says that he's sick and tired and insulted by the competition in the AWA. He understands the fear of the stars because of his reputation but he wants the cream of the crop in the AWA. He feels like he wasted his time in the match with Clark and he feels like he's ready and he's had it with the injustices he's had to suffer. Nelson asks if Zbyszko and Go might form a tag team to go after the new champs and Zbyszko turns that into an opportunity to bash Hennig and Hall and calls them both spudheads. Go starts jabbering in his foreign language and Zbyszko says that he's going to do whatever it takes to be recognized as the number-one contender for the AWA Championship. Zbyszko translates as Go keeps jabbering away and then busts out the "twelve glorious years" chestnut as the interview closes out.


The graphic says that this action is from the July 1, 1986 broadcast now. Ron Trongard and Lord James Blears are your commentators.


Match Two:
Marty Jannetty w/Shawn Michaels vs. Alex Knight

Knight attacks Jannetty from behind while Jannetty gets out of his "rocking" gear, and he hammers and chops away at Jannetty before throwing him out to the floor. Knight follows but pays for it as Jannetty rams his head into the apron and then hits a double-axhandle from the top rope all the way to the floor. Jannetty's back into the ring and he locks up with Knight again, with Knight whipping Jannetty off the ropes and they botch a shoulderblock spot. Jannetty with a couple of armdrags and Jnight wants to slow things down a little. A forearm from Jannetty and he gets Knight up for a bodyslam. He turns it into a powerslam and Knight does a cute little sell job of begging off while in the clutches of the move. Jannetty gets two off of the slam and then pushes Knight into the corner, whipping him across to the other corner and dropkicking him right out of the ring.

Knight tries a handshake when he gets back into the ring and Jannetty catches the boot when Knight tries to deep-six him. Jannetty drops a leg to the midsection of Knight and picks him up for a suplex into a front powerslam that gets another two count. Jannetty gets taken down by a single-leg from Knight and Knight goes to work on the knee of Jannetty. Stepover toehold now by Knight and he even gets a one count off of it. Jannetty reverses it into a front facelock and then whips Knight in and catches him with a flying reverse elbow. A two count off of that for Jannetty, but Knight gets his foot under the ropes. They trade some blows and Jannetty slams Knight into the turnbuckles, whipping him into the corner. Knight reverses and Jannetty climbs to the second rope and hits a twisting flying bodypress for the pin.

Winner: Marty Jannetty (pinfall, flying bodypress from the second rope)

Match Analysis: Wow, I don't know who the Rockers pissed off, but they get another jobber that doesn't know how to make the talent look good. This guy Knight was terrible and he bumped terribly. He honestly looked lost more than once and it really detracted from the match. Marty did the best he could to spoonfeed Knight through it, but even that could only go so far.


After the bout Jannetty is with Larry Nelson and Jannetty says that it doesn't matter whether it's singles or tags, the Rockers keep reeling off wins. He calls Somers and Rose "closet champions" and questions their manhood in not putting the belts up against the Rockers. Michaels says that the World Tag Championships are the ultimate goals and that once the Rockers finally get ahold of Rose and Somers that they're going to take the belts. They bring up Sherri Martel and Jannetty says that they might have a surprise in their corner for Sherri Martel if they finally get their shots at the AWA titles.


Back from commercial in the interview area, Larry Nelson talks about King Kong Brody, and his absence from ESPN because he was suspended from Las Vegas which meant that he couldn't be on TV. They have a match featuring Brody from St. Cloud, Minnesota and Nelson goes over what we're going to see. Nelson says that anyone would have to have a lot of courage just to get in the ring with Brody. A-fucking-men, brother.


Match Three:
King Kong Brody w/Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie vs. Pete Sanchez

HERE COMES BRODY!! Interesting side story, for some of you who have wondered why he's King Kong Brody in the AWA and Bruiser Brody everywhere else. The thinking is that with The Bruiser being such a big star in the Midwest and that being the AWA's stomping grounds, they didn't want to have Brody using the name and stealing some luster from it, so anytime he was in a territory that would have featured The Bruiser, he called himself King Kong Brody instead. Brody locks up with Sanchez and beats him down in the corner before laying the boots to him. Irish whip in and he feeds Sanchez a HUGE boot before whipping him out to the floor. HUSS HUSS HUSS HUSS. Brody out to the apron and he puts more boots down onto the head of Sanchez, keeping him down on the floor. Sheik sneaks up from behind and looks like he was going to attack Sanchez, but he just walks away. HUSS HUSS HUSS. Brody picks up Sanchez and drags him back into the ring by the hair, setting him up for the PILEDRIVER!! He holds Sanchez upside down for about twenty seconds to let all the blood rush to his head before dropping him to add to the pain.

Winner: King Kong Brody (pinfall, HUSS HUSS HUSS HUSS piledriver)

Match Analysis: Brody with the squasheroo. He wasn't anywhere near as crazy as he should have been here, but it was still fun to see him doing his thing. Sanchez knew how to bump well, unlike the last guy, so this one was fun, even with it being as short as it was.


Again with Larry Nelson in the interview area and he's talking about how they're going to replay this next match due to overwhelming demand from the fans. You've got to love kayfabe. He talks about how this is the match that led to the AWA Tag Title change and how Col. DeBeers had injured Hall's neck the week before this match happened. Nelson says that DeBeers made himself known in this match as well, and managed to factor into the finish, even if he didn't do anything physically.

Match Three: AWA Tag Team Championships
Doug Somers and Buddy Rose vs. Scott Hall and Curt Hennig (c)

Rose and Somers come out to a Madonna song as their theme music. Good luck doing that today. Rose disputes the weight read by the ring announcer with his usual class and dignity. I love how methodically they're getting to this match, with extra long ring announcements and a little staredown as the referee goes over the final instructions. There's not enough of that in wrestling anymore, and it is a shame because here it serves to make the championship match look that much more important than a regular match.

The bell rings and Hennig and Rose are going to start out. Rose runs the ropes and gets backdropped by Hennig and he clears house, dropkicking both Rose and Somers out to the floor. Rose comes back into the ring and Rose grabs a headlock before they do a rope-running sequence with Hennig armdragging Rose over to the mat. Armbar by Hennig and I have to give it up to Rose for running the ropes as well as he did. Hennig cranks on the arm hard and Rose punches him in the gut before tagging off to Doug Somers. Somers meets the same fate as Rose with Henning hitting a couple of armdrags and working the armbar on Somers. He bring Somers to the corner and tags Scott hall, who whips Somers in and hits a big back elbow to the face. Rose tags in and stalls a little as the crowd starts stomping and clapping to get behind Hall. He hits a BIG bodyslam on Rose and another and gets a two count on Rose before Hall takes him back over with an armdrag. Another armbar and mre work on it by Hall and he tags off to Hennig who comes down off the second rope with a sledge to the arm of Rose.

Hennig takes Rose down to the mat and holds onto the armbar until Rose goes to the hair and tries an Irish whip. Hennig hits a shoulderblock and runs the ropes into a drop toehold from Rose. Hennig reverses it through some chain wrestling into a hammerlock, dropping the knee on the elbow of Rose. More hammerlock work from Hennig and Rose tries to regain his feet and make the tag, but he gets cut off. Rose finally makes the tag to Somers, but he gets taken right back down with another armdrag. Somers breaks it and whips Hennig into the corner, but misses the charge and hits his shoulder on the turnbuckle and ring post. Hennig tags in Hall who starts to go back to work on Somers' arm, dropping elbows to the shoulder joint and cranking a standing armbar. Back to the hammerlock and Rose does a great comedy spot, getting onto the ropes to argue with the referee before falling and crotching himself.

Hall keeps on the hammerlock and rams Somers, shoulder-first, into the top turnbuckle. Hall goes back to the standing armbar and tags to Hennig, who works the arm again. Somers breaks it up with a knee to the stomach and tags out to Rose. Rose comes over with boots to the gut and Rose starts to choke Hennig, as we hear that Col. DeBeers has joined the announce team. He runs down the face team as Rose keeps working over Hennig with some chokes and Rose tags in to Somers who chokes Hennig and tags back out. Rose with some heel moves, stomping on Hennig and spitting at Scott Hall. Somers rams Hennig into Rose's knee and tags him in, holding onto Hennig's trunks to keep him from making the tag. Rose whips him in and Hennig reverses it into a sunset flip but Rose makes the ropes. They do the referee spot where he kicks Rose's arms free and Hennig gets a two count from the sunset flip.

Rose tries for a bodyslam and gets small-packaged for another two count. An Irish whip into the ropes from Rose and Hennig leapfrogs him to make the tag to Hall. Hall with a big knee in the corner and a back bodydrop for Rose. Somers comes in and fares no better, catching a big right hand before exiting the ring again. Hall ties Rose up in the ring ropes and starts to boot him but Somers attacks him from behind. Hall whips Somers into Rose and starts to work over Rose in the corner with some punches. Irish whip from Hall he grabs a double choke on Rose. Sherri Martel hits the apron on the far side, which allows Col. DeBeers to interfere from the near side. He distracts Hall and Somers comes from behind to ram him into the turnbuckle and ringpost while Hall is on the apron. Hall is down on his stomach to the floor and the referee missed it and is counting Hall out. Hennig tries to help Hall back in before the ten count but he can't and Rose and Somers are declared the winners. Referee Marty Miller gives the belts to Rose and Somers and it looks like the titles are going to change hands on a countout.

Winners: And NEW, AWA Tag Team Champions, Buddy Rose and Doug Somers (count out)

Match Analysis: An interesting match for historical purposes but it wasn't exactly good. There was decent work from all four guys and some solid spots, but it seemed like a match that could have used about ten more minutes before the finish with DeBeers intefering. I've never heard of a title being changed on a count out either, but I guess it's the AWA and like Jim Cornette always says, when something happens and you can't figure out why, the answer is "it's wrestling, and we say so".

Post-match we see that hall is busted wide open and the crowd is livid, booing the decision and the new champions. Hall is on his knees looking woozy from the post shot, and Somers and Rose decide that it's a wise move to hightail it out of there. Larry Nelson goes up to try to get an interview with Hennig and Hall to see what the heck is going on. He explains the situation and Hennig says that he doesn't know how this decision could stand. He doesn't think that it's right and that someone is going to pay for what happened. Hall starts yelling at DeBeers and says that if he was trying to get noticed, it's working. He says that all the hard work that he and Hennig have put in has been lost in three seconds. He says that he'll meet DeBeers in the ring, the hallway or the parking lot. Hennig says that he and Hall are going to change something and start to kick some BUTT!

Back in the interview area Nelson says that no one has had a chance to speak with Hall in-depth since the incident but that he will be the guest of Larry Zbyszko in the "In This Corner" segment.


After the break, Nelson and Zbyszko are in the interview area, waiting for Scott Hall, and they talk about the controversy that's surrounded Scott Hall lately. Zbyszko says that it is interesting to have Hall back on the show now that he may have learned a serious lesson about professional wrestling. Nelson figures that he probably did and then he moves on to the feud between Hall and DeBeers and we see a video clip from the beginning of it, where Hall saved Jake "the Milkman" Milliman from some post-match abuse at the hands of DeBeers. Hall beats up DeBeers a little bit and finishes with a HUGE legdrop and an airplane spin on the Col. Hall ends up putting DeBeers out to the floor and he rolls in with the cane and he PIMP CANES Hall in the back before going to the throat. DeBeers starts putting the boots to Hall outside and hits the front piledriver on Hall on the concrete floor.

Nelson says that it was despicable and Zbyszko agrees that what Scott Hall did was despicable. He thinks that Hall stuck his nose in DeBeers business and that Hall attacked him from behind when it was DeBeers's legal right to be in the ring. He thinks that Hall deserved everything he got. We get the highlights from the end of the tag title match they just showed and we come back to see that Hall has joined Nelson and Zbyszko. He says that he's not out here to cry about things that happened in the past and that anytime they get Rose and Somers in the ring, they'll take the belts back. He turns his attention to DeBeers and that it's time for DeBeers to pay for what he did. Zbyszko asks if he's trying to blame the loss on DeBeers, and then gets Hall to admit that he is. Zbyszko talks circles around Hall a little more and Hall says that he's an angry man and that Col. DeBeers seems like the best target for that anger. Zbyszko thinks that Hall has done too much weightlifting and eaten too much tuna fish, then points out that Hall was the one who stuck his nose into DeBeers' business first. Zbyszko says that he's sick of Hall's whining and crying and that Hall is making a fool out of himself. We're out of time and the segment ends with Hall and Zbyszko arguing and shoving Larry Nelson off of his stool.

That's all for the show folks, look for the next episode to be up on Tuesday morning!


Final Thoughts

Two shorter squashes and ton of time on the tag team main event for the titles. This was actually a good show, as it was great to see the title change on TV, at a time when that was a rarity, and the squashes were a lot shorter which made them easier to handle. Zbyszko was still gold on the mike at this point in his career and it was wonderful to see him make Scott Hall look like a goof in the last segment. They're doing a great job of interweaving feuds as you see that a guy like Hall has issues with the tag champs, he has issues with DeBeers, and he has issues with Zbyszko and during the show, all three of the stories were furthered one way or another. A thumbs slightly up episode, but if anyone is looking to write good week-to-week stories with lots of depth and lots of underlying chacters, they should pop on some of this AWA footage, cause it's here in spades.

****************************

[CW .org .info .net]

AWA Championship Wrestling (Originally aired on May 13, 1986)

Ron Trongard and Lord James Blears are our announcers and guides for this trip down memory lane, as it is most times with the AWA. I like these two more and more on commentary if it means less of Larry Nelson and Greg Gagne.


Match One:
The Midnight Rockers vs. Alex Knight and Sally Ruez

Larry Nelson introduces The Rockers as one of the most exciting tag teams in the AWA and I would go so far as to say ONLY exciting team. Here's to hoping that this match turns out better than the last time they faced Alex Knight. Nelson introduces the referee, Scott LeDoux, and mentions that he's the "Director of Fun at Jukebox Saturday Night". That's one hell of a title, that's for sure. Anyhow, Jannetty and Knight start out with a lockup and Jannetty gives him a clean break against the ropes. Another lockup hits and Knight pushes Jannetty into the corner and Ruez holds him, but Knight somewhat misses a forearm shot. Jannetty gets a quick go-behind and takedown into a two-count and he makes the tag to Michaels into a drop-toehold for Knight and Michaels drops an elbow to the back of the head. BIG powerslam from Michaels and he gets a two-count off of it and then moves to a standing armbar. Knight shoots him in off the ropes and Michaels leapfrogs over him and hits a standing dropkick, leading Knight to tag in Ruez. Michaels tags in Jannetty and he gets Ruez in a hammerlock, but Ruez gets the reversal into a leglock. Jannetty reverses that back into an armbar and even gets a two-count off of it. Jannetty ends up whipped into the ropes an Ruez looks a little lost as Jannetty ducks him and tags Michaels, who almost runs into Jannetty and then settles on a clumsy clothesline that takes Ruez down. Tag to Jannetty and Michaels gets a big bodyslam and then press-slams Jannetty onto the prone Ruez. That gets a LONG two-count and probably should have been three. Jannetty shoves Ruez (whose underwear is starting to poke out of the legs of his wrestling tights in a VERY weird and disturbing look) into his corner and he tags in Knight, who promptly gets taken down with a drop toehold. Front facelock by Jannetty and Knight reverses it into a single-leg takedown and starts working on the leg of Jannetty. Jannetty cuts it off quickly and hits a bodyslam and they hit their vertical suplex/top rope splash finisher to get the 1-2-3!!

Winners: The Midnight Rockers (pinfall, vertical suplex/top rope splash)

Match Analysis: Squash and not much of one at that, since it seems like The Rockers have THE WORST luck when it comes to the jobbers they end up facing. They got Knight again, though he didn't seem to be sandbagging it as badly, and Ruez, who looked about fifty and bumped horribly for everything. Even his kickouts lacked any energy at all. The Rockers looked as good as they could, but it really wasn't very good. I would also like to state on the record that I am rather proud of myself for not poking fun at Ruez' rather unfortunate first name. I'm sure I could have made a million allusions to the femininity of his name, but I took the high road, so here's to me!!!


Back from the break, Larry Nelson's in the ring with Marty and Shawn and he talks about the roll that they've been on lately. Jannetty says that they've been taking care of business against all the top teams in the AWA and that they've been moving up the ladder. They have a long way to go according to Jannetty, but they're taking wins from every team they can. He talks about how people are bagging on them for partying and having a good time with their fans, but when they get in the ring they take care of their bidniss! He threatens the top teams in the AWA and mentions Sheik's Army, singling out Brody and Barbarian and he says that they're not intimidated. Over to Michaels and he brings up Rose and Somers again, saying that The Rockers are going to go through them and straight to the top. They want the titles and they'll get them no matter what. Michaels says that they'll take it to any of the bigger wrestlers like they've never had it taken to them before. Honestly, it's a variant of the same promo from them every single time they get to talk, which I'm glad that Michaels got out of because it gets a little old after a bit.


The best segment of ANY AWA show, "In This Corner with Larry Zbyszko" returns, and he's got a mystery guest this week. He says that it's a mystery because they had spudhead Curt Hennig on last week and he goes over the whole conspiracy angle again and Zbyszko says he's going to bring out the mystery guest in HIS corner. We get a video package now for someone who has done everything there is to do in wrestling and is a legend in his own time. Larry Nelson asks "A wrestler?" with this goofy look on his face and I nearly lose it. The video package is for.....LARRY ZBYSZKO!!! At least the music is a little better on this package, but not by much. We see Zbyszko cracking coconuts with his nunchuks and whacking the piss out of Greg Gagne with them before moving on to various match highlights against various jobberinos. Then we get to see Zbyszko going after Bockwinkel with the nunchuks and some clips from one of their matches at a house show.

After the video, Nelson is peeved that both times Zbyszko has said that there was a mystery guest, it just ended up being a long-winded and long-running highlight video for Zbyszko. It's funny that Nelson gets all indignant about that while COMPLETELY NO-SELLING THE NINJA SITTING NEXT TO HIM!!!! That is until he casually points over and asks "Who is this?" which causes Larry to just as casually reply that it's Go and that's his ninja from Japan. Nelson tries to ask Go a question but gets the answer in Japanese, so you can imagine how well that works. Zbyszko reiterates that his name is Go and he's from Japan. He says that Go is his training partner and a great wrestler in his own right. Nelson brings up that ninjas tend to be killers which kind of upsets Zbyszko a little bit and Go kind of yells at him in Japanese. Zbyszko says that the point is that Bockwinkel has gotten backup in the form of Scott LeDoux, and Hennig gets title shots because his daddy hunts with Verne Gagne. He says that Go will watch his back and make sure that nothing fishy goes on in the VAST ZBYSZKO CONSPIRACY!! He says that Go will be his second and that they do all their training together and that he's a great wrestler and that Go believes everything that he believes in. Zbyszko goes on and threatens Stan Hansen while Nelson moves a little further away from the ninja. He nervously tells us that there's more wrestling action coming after the break.


Back in the AWA studio Larry Nelson is talking about the AWA feature match, taking place in St. Cloud, MN. He talks about how the suspension for King Kong Brody was only applicable in the state of Nevada and wasn't an AWA suspension. God, I love kayfabe. That little explanation leads up to the next match-up.


Match Two:
King Kong Brody w/Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie vs. Leon White

WOW. How many people would have been salivating over a Brody/Vader feud in the early 90's? Sadly, this is the closest we'll ever get to seeing it. Brody is pacing around ringside, menacing the crowd and HUSS HUSS HUSSING the SHIT out of ring announcer Al DeRusha. DeRusha looks afraid for his life, and frankly I would be too. Brody hits White with a couple of BIG boots as White tries to get into the ring and takes over on him right away. Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie throws a chair into the ring and distracts the referee so that Brody can use it. He WHACKS White on the ankle with the chair and White is limping badly. They trade in the middle of the ring with White landing huge forearms to the chest, but Brody takes over and hits some chops in the corner. White reverses an Irish whip and follows Brody across with a tackle and the action slows momentarily. BIG chop from White and Brody just takes it and no-sells it before charging in and locking up with the limping White. White gets an Irish whip into the corner and tries to follow it up but Brody BOOTS THE SHIT out of him, right in the face. He stomps away at the knee and ankle of White and grounds the big man, who tries to fight back with some chops and another Irish whip into a reverse elbow. Brody with a GREAT sell on the elbow and he gets up to take a couple of headbutts from White.

He Irish whips Brody into the ropes and shoulderblocks him down again before trying another Irish whip into the ropes. Brody kicks him in the chest and chops him but takes another shoulderblock and goes down. White tries to bounce off the ropes but Sheik grabs him on the outside and White is SCREAMING in pain. Sheik twists on that ankle and works it over until Brody can come over and stomp on it some more. It's a stompfest on the knee and ankle and White tries a headbutt to the midsection, but Brody just keeps stomping and kicking away at him. Referee Marty Miller calls for the bell and he awards the match to Brody, I do believe. Here comes the cavalry of all the babyfaces and all of the referees to try to help White out as he's in some rough shape. Sheik has Brody by the hair, trying to control him and he's still trying to keep him under control as they lift White to carry him out of the arena. Brody's got the chair again but White is already gone and on his way to the back.

Winner: King Kong Brody (I think, because White couldn't continue)

Match Analysis: A little disappointing in that it would have been fun to see Brody and White have an all-out match and a total stiff-fest, but with this fitting the timeframe of when White was on his way to Europe, it makes sense in the kayfabe way to have Brody lay him out and chair the piss out of him. Still fun to watch Brody act like a lunatic though.

After the match Larry Nelson is ringside with Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie and Brody is still running wild at ringside. Sheik says that no one needs to worry about Brody and Sheik says that it's just another man that's out of the picture. Sheik says that White will need a cast on his foot after what Brody did to him. Brody drops to his knees in the ring and gnaws on the middle rope like a dog as Sheik challenges Stan Hansen, saying that Brody can be the champion and Barbarian and Zhukov can be the tag team champions. Brody continues to HUSS HUSS HUSS and SLAMS THE CHAIR ON THE RING STEPS RIGHT NEXT TO NELSON! Nelson nearly wets his pants and looks nervous as hell when Brody continues to wield the chair as Sheik again challenges Stan Hansen. Brody drops to his knees and puts his hands together to beg for a title shot HUSS HUSS HUSS HUSS. Nelson throws it to commercial as Brody HUSSES in his face. Tremendous.


Match Three:
Col. DeBeers vs. Nick Bockwinkel

Bockwinkel has a bullwhip with him and cracks it upon entering the ring. He means business, that's for sure. Bockwinkel teases Scott LeDoux with the bullwhip before handing it over and DeBeers heads out to the apron to avoid it at all costs. They hit the lockup and DeBeers pushes Bockwinkel into the corner before breaking and twirling his mustache. That's a signature move for him right there. They lockup again and again Debeers does the mustache trick, which draws a smirk from Bockwinkel. Bockwinkel pushes DeBeers into the corner and then mocks Debeers which draws a big cheer from the crowd. Debeers moves to a headlock on Bockwinkel and then knees Bockwinkel in the gut as he tries to break it. DeBeers goes back to the side headlock with a takeover and does it again, putting Bockwinkel on his back. Bockwinkel gets a crossface a couple of times and almost breaks the hold, but DeBeers just cranks it right back on. Bockwinkel turns the headlock over to a top wristlock but DeBeers gets it right back to the headlock before dropping a knee and taking over, getting a two-count off of it. He slams Bockwinkel into the top turnbuckle and gets a roll-up for two. VINTAGE APARTHEID, according to Ron Trongard.

Bockwinkel takes DeBeers down with a double-leg and then quickly turns it into an Indian deathlock. Bockwinkel forearms the HELL out of DeBeers as he cranks the pressure onto the submission hold, getting a one-count before DeBeers makes the ropes. Bockwinkel hits a kick to the gut off of the break and then goes to town on the leg with kicks and knees to the knee while it's wrapped up in the ropes. He kicks the leg out from under the Col. and DOWN GOES DEBEERS!!! Bockwinkel goes back to a leglock but has to break it almost immediately. He drags DeBeers out of the corner but DeBeers gets a headbutt to the midsection and a shoulderblock, but Bockwinkel gets a drop toehold and goes back to working on the leg with another submission hold. Another reverse leglock and DeBeers makes the ropes, but as Scott LeDoux tries to break the hold, the Col. gets a cheapshot and takes over on Bockwinkel for a moment before Bockwinkel turns it back around, grabbing another leglock. DeBeers rakes the eyes to break that hold and then goes after Bockwinkel with a double axehandle and he flings Bockwinkel out through the ropes to the arena floor.

DeBeers follows him out and stomps down on Bockwinkel from the apron, putting him back down to the floor. A BIG forearm smash from DeBeers as Bockwinkel is on the apron and another that sends Bockwinkel back into the ring under the bottom rope. DeBeers stomps away and picks Bockwinkel up for a right hand and a HUGE slam from DeBeers. He's up on the second rope and hits the VADER SPLASH for a two-count in the corner. A kneelift lands for DeBeers and he hits another slam and tries the splash again but Bockwinkel GETS THE KNEES UP!!!! RIGHT HANDS FROM BOCKWINKEL!!! He rams DeBeers into the turnbuckle and whips him into the ropes for a BIG forearm shot. DeBeers hits Bockwinkel with double knees to the head to break up that pin attempt and whips Bockwinkel into the ropes. DeBeers tries a clothesline but Bockwinkel ducks under and gets a backslide for a two-count. DeBeers takes over with some punches and slams Bockwinkel in the corner, before heading up to the top rope. He hits a cross-body but BOCKWINKEL ROLLS WITH IT. 1-2....NO!!! DeBeers Irish whips Bockwinkel in and they knock heads with Bockwinkel going down flat on his back in the middle of the ring and DeBeers hitting the floor.

Bockwinkel suplexes DeBeers back into the ring and gets a LONG two-count, and they're both on their hands and knees, slowly getting up until DeBeers gets a big dropkick. DeBeers starts working over Bockwinkel with a headbutt but Bockwinkel fires back with a big right hand to the gut. A BIG uppercut from Bockwinkel puts DeBeers down and he gets a two-count off of that one. Bockwinkel with an Irish whip and he knees DeBeers hard in the gut for another long two-count. Trongard calls it VINTAGE PUNISHMENT that both men are handing out and Bockwinkel gets the BOCKWINKEL SLEEPER!!! Down goes Debeers but he smartly latches his leg on the bottom rope to break the hold. Bockwinkel turns it into a side choke but takes a shot to the head and DeBeers gets a big hip toss over. Bockwinkel fires back with one of his own for another LOOONNNNNNG two-count. They both throw big right hands at the same time and both go down. Bockwinkel recovers first and covers for another two-count and they stand there and slug away and Bockwinkel keeps trying for the pin, right up until the bell. It should be noted that the first time I heard Larry Nelson talking about the time in the background I knew it was going to be a draw, but that's the way it was back then with the TV shows.

Winner: None (Time Limit Draw)

Match Analysis: A great TV main event between a great worker in Bockwinkel and a sometimes underrated worker in DeBeers. It's hard to get a feel for it during all of his squash matches, but DeBeers could work a hell of a match when called upon to do so and he did a really good job pulling his weight in this one. Bockwinkel was silky smooth as usual, but it came off even better because he had someone quality to play it all off of. As much as I hate the time-limit draw aspect of the match, it did make me smile a little to remember the old days of matches that were so good or so even they couldn't be settled on TV. A lot of why matches had finishes like that or why cards like the early Wrestlemanias had a ton of double-countouts or double-DQ finishes is that they were still trying to make it seem like a real sport. If you watched fifteen baseball games and every single one of them ended with a 3-2 score, you'd be a little suspicious. By having matches like this they were able to maintain the illusion that the sport was still a sport. Sorry to get off on that little side rant, but this particular time-limit draw made me remember back to all those other old shows full of non-finishes.


Larry Nelson is with Col. DeBeers and he lays out the time-limit draw and says that Bockwinkel was not happy and didn't want to be interviewed, but Col. DeBeers is more than happy to stick around to talk. Nelson says that it looked to him like DeBeers was saved by the bell. You can guess how happy the Col. is about that one. DeBeers says that every American has to have an advantage everytime they get in the ring or get into politics. He calls Bockwinkel gutless for carrying the bullwhip and then says that the people of South Africa are the only people who have any guts at all. Nelson again brings up that DeBeers was saved from defeat and DeBeers says that that's the way Americans are, putting time-limits on everything including marriages and wrestling. He says that REAL MEN in South Africa wrestle until there's a WINNER!! Nelson stirs the shit up again saying that if it had been a South African time-limit, DeBeers would have lost and DeBeers just grabs the microphone and starts yelling about South Africa FOREVER, while taunting the crowd and the go home line for the entire show before the credits you ask? DeBeers saying to someone in the front row "You buddy, are probably a transvestite I presume". WOW! That was crazy to let someone get away with that in 1986 and honestly it causes a stir now when people say it in 2008. They let DeBeers get away with a TON back then. That's it for the show and we're out for another edition of the AWA on EPSN!!


Final Thoughts

Another one of those shows that was nothing really special until the main event kicked in. It was fun to see Brody carrying on with his crazy self, but The Rockers match wasn't terribly good. The Zbyszko interview segment was only one or two kinds of awesome, as opposed to the ten kinds of awesome we're usually used to from the man, which was kind of a shame. The main with DeBeers and Bockwinkel though, was enough to redeem the show all on its own. Two veterans working a snug, old-school wrestling match that told a good story and entertained throughout, without having to resort to over the top violence or crazy, flippy moves. Thumbs in the middle, but they're leaning up for the main event alone. Now onto the overlflow of comments!!!


Fun With Comments


From Teijo Kahn:
"They teased us with the Zumhoffe-Mask match, and said next week would have
Windham and Rotundo. What are the odds we ever get to see that one? I for one
would like to see the U.S. Express on this show."

I would love to see the U.S. Express on this show too, but I'd say that the chances are probably exceedingly rare since they seem to put one episode of the Classic show together out of two hours of the former AWA Championship Wrestling show, so unless they decide to piece together that other hour, I don't see it happening anytime soon.


From FUZEY:
"Was the AWA EVER good? I'd take old WWF or NWA 1,000,000,000 times over AWA
shat."

The AWA was indeed good, even during this current timeframe. It was just a matter of who they decided to focus on during the particular episode. This past episode was a little lame, and when they focus solely on squash matches the show can be a bit unwatchable, but that was the same way for the WWF and NWA at that time too. Hennig/Bockwinkel in their 60-minute classic on ESPN was a great example of how good the AWA could still be, despite the talent losses and financial strain.


From JLAJRC:
"I love they talked about Slaughter's "movie career" when the only
things he did outside of the GI Joe stuff is some movie called "Bad
Guys" and a couple of appearences on The old live action Super Mario
Brothers tv show.

Slaughter has an album? Really?"

Yes, Slaughter had an album. It was called "Sgt. Slaughter and Camoflauge Rocks America" and featured his AWA theme song, a song about his finishing hold, The Cobra Clutch, and also had a spiffy rendition of the Neil Diamond classic, America. Not one of Sarge's finest moments, but he was striking while the iron was hot and trying to become as big a mainstream star as Hogan was, so I can't fault him for it. He really was everywhere as I remember him on a monster truck video from the 1980's where he trained a team of "soldiers" to engage in a tug of war with Bigfoot, and he even joined in on the tugging but his team fell short. I'm pretty sure it's still kicking around my parents house somewhere.


From Arnold_OldSchool:
"The Americas title was a real belt that the AWA had to help push Slaughter. He
lost it to Zybysko at one point..."

I know it was a real title, it was just hard to take it seriously when there was no belt to go along with it and when you knew it's only reason for existence was for Slaughter to win it. If Ted Dibiase had called himself "The Million Dollar Champion" and not had that swank-ass belt, it probably wouldn't have meant half as much. I do recall them getting a belt for the America's Champion at some point, but I'm not sure if it came about before Slaughter left the promotion or the AWA collapsed.


From Guest#7558:
"Zbyszko is awesome. I remember him being the best thing about AWA from what I
saw as a kid (89-90 era) and these shows confirm it. Somebody in WWE or TNA
needs to start ripping off Larry Legend pronto. DeBeers is a great heel too.
I mean I couldn't see ANYBODY cheering that guy."

That's what I meant about DeBeers being underrated. He was a great heel that got a ton of heat, and he was always good for a decent match. I agree about Zbyszko being one of the most entertaining things on wrestling television during that time frame and being BY FAR the best thing about the AWA. It would be awesome to see someone adapt that gimmick to current times and really run with it, but it would probably just end up getting them over enough to turn them face.


From Silo Sam:
"Brad Rheingans in the main event and it wasnt a thumbs down show....there are
miracles. hahha...Just goes to show how valuable a sit down interview with
larry Z really is. That "sick burn" clip is GROSS...but...i
...can't...look AWAY!(kinda like the hayabusa clip *shudders)"

Yeah, I was shocked at it too, but for whatever reason Brad took his extra charisma pills that day and had a really decent match with a little fire in it. And yeah, that awesome Zbyszko segment didn't hurt any either. I LOVE that sick burn clip and again I thank the AWESOME Chris Landsell for allowing me to use it. It might be a little disturbing to watch the little guy skidding on his face, but at least he didn't end up crippled by it. Plus it's funny as shit.


From G-Walla:
"No Slaughter music! Infinitite Thumbs down!

The Pre-Vader match was a decent match-up between two super-heavyweights, but
the finish was kinda underwhelming.

Slaughter was Slaughter, but I just couldn't get in the match without the
music. Bleh!

The interview segment was good. The video, hilarity! The cards looked like
something from the news programs we produced in Middle School. And I loved the
Magnum PI rip-off tune.

Of course the McDaniels/DeBeers affair was a dissapointment, on account of the
over-the-top DQ stuff. Lame!

And I totally tuned out the final match. I just had no interest in watching
either of them.

Either way, bring on next week."

Yeah, I agree on pretty much everything except for the lack of Slaughter music being a thumbs down. That was a godawful song. Period. Though I do note that next year in the 411mania secret Santa, I know that I can get you the copy of Sarge's album and all would be right with the world. Good to know! I loved the interview segment and I agree that it's funny to see how crappy the videos are when at the same time the WWF was producing stuff that was light years ahead.


From OB1 Jabroni:
"I agree with the show being in the middle of the road. I would give it a thumbs
down, but I actually watched it at 2am instead of using the DVR, so it brought
back memories of me watching ECW at 2am MANY years ago. Ah, good times"

I too have memories of watching wrestling in the wee hours of the morning, even before ECW as my city would pick up the network affiliates from wherever in the US, which led to my NBC and CBS being from first Detroit (that news was always fun to watch as the first twenty minutes of a half-hour broadcast inevitably focused on various major and violent crimes), and then from Minneapolis, my ABC affiliate coming from Grand Forks, ND, and my Fox affiliate coming from Rochester, NY of all places. The Rochester Fox affiliate used to show the really old AWF shows (with the wrestling taking place in rounds) late on Saturday nights, around 1 am, and I can recall staying up to watch every single episode of that show, despite being all of maybe ten years old. I agree that there's something fun about seeing a wrestling show and being taken back to another place and a younger time, which is probably why I love doing these AWA shows as much as I do.


From Rob:
"When you think about it, the AWA was the training ground for Scott Hall, Curt
Henning, Vader and Shawn Micheals. It would have been interesting if the AWA
had made it to 2008 to see which wrestlers would have been working for them."

The AWA was a training ground for a TON of talent and if they had been able to hold on to all of it they would have entered into the 90's with Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Curt Hennig, Ric Flair, Sgt. Slaughter, The Road Warriors, Larry Zbyszko, Shawn Michaels, Vader, and an absolute laundry list of other great stars. Granted, some of those guys are from before the ESPN period, but if Verne had been able to hold all of his talent, there would have been no stopping the AWA because Verne could produce talent like no one else ever has in this business, including Vince McMahon.


From bill:
"Did you see Jim Helwig, the Ultimate Warrior, in the Curt Hennig, Scott Hall
video package? Muscled, mustached guy getting thrown around. So AWA between
1980 and 1986 had Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, the Road Warriors, Scott Hall,
Curt Hennig, Vader, Sean (Shawn) Michaels... but Verne Gagne saw main event
talent in his son and Boris Zhukov.
Anyway, will they ever get to the shows that had the 60-minute draws between
Hennig and Bockwinkle? Those were the best."

I actually had to go back and take a peek, but yes that indeed looked like the Ultimate Warrior, who I'm sure was just doing the jobs at that point, since he was still a year or two off from the beginnings of his Dingo Warrior/Ultimate Warrior character that would propel him to the top. As I said before, I have high hopes that they'll get to the Bockwinkel/Hennig match from New Year's Eve in 1986 since that is one of the all-time great matches that I have seen and I haven't seen it in about ten years, so I'd really enjoy it.


From TJacks:
"FYI: According to my resources, tonight's episode originally aired on May 31,
1986.

The complete card was reportedly:
Leon White vs Earthquake Ferris
Sgt. Slaughter vs. Buddha Khan
Nick Bockwinkel vs. Verne Gagne
Col. DeBeers vs. Wahoo McDaniel
Brad Rheingans vs. Boris Zukhov

So, we supposedly only missed the Bockwinkel/Gagne match.



By the way, if ANYONE has a good resource of old AWA show listings or AWA card
listings, please post it here or email me a link ([e-mail]). I've
tried to compile a complete listing from several resources, but it's far, far
from complete."


A reply from Arnold_OldSchool:
"Ask around at Wrestling classics, posters there have decades of results"



Finally from The Ogre:
""Of course the McDaniels/DeBeers affair was a dissapointment, on account of
the
over-the-top DQ stuff. Lame!"

Ah, yes, the good old days when they pretended it was a sport with plenty of
well-defined rules and then actually used those rules every once in a while to
determine the match's end. No over the top, no jumping off the top rope, no
piledrivers, etc., etc... All added to that willing suspension of disbelief
that's pretty much disappeared from today's scene.

And I rather miss the TV time limit matches. It rather annoys that virtially
all matches conveniently end by win/DQ at the end of the show, rather than
sometimes by time running out like it would if it were real..."

I agree and that was why I kind of went off on my little rant at the end of the show in today's show. As much as everyone wants to see every match have a definitive finish, sometimes it's better booking to just let the match run out of time with both men running even, so that they can continue the fight another day. They don't even announce time limits for bouts anymore, and they never stipulate how many falls either, unless it's specifically a two out of three falls match. I can understand why they don't do it anymore, but I guess there's that little part of me that pines for the past.




****************************

[CW .org .info .net]

AWA Championship Wrestling (Originally aired on June 24, 1986)

Ron Trongard and Lord James Blears are your announcers for every punch, kick and bodyslam, and it'll be much more welcome to hear these two than to hear Blears and Gagne perform an assault on the English language.


Match One:
Col. DeBeers vs. Dennis Stamp

As mentioned previously, Stamp is most known for his appearances in Beyond The Mat. DeBeers falls victim to the AWA production goblins with his name coming up as DuBeers on the graphic. They start the match with a handshake and a lockup, with Stamp getting a top wristlock, into a hammerlock, taking DeBeers down tot he mat. DeBeers reverses with a drop toehold, but Stamp takes the hammerlock again, forcing DeBeers into the ropes. They lockup and Stamp grabs that hammerlock again and DeBeers hits a couple of reverse elbows that don't break the hold. He pushes Stamp into the corner and elbows him to the body before grabbing an arm-wringer, but Stamp reverses that into one of his own, putting the hurt on the good Col.. Stamp grabs the top wristlock again into an armbar and drags DeBeers out into the middle of the ring when he makes the ropes. Stamp again grabs the hammerlock and eats an elbow to the head, but he recovers from that, armdragging DeBeers over, snapping on another armbar. DeBeers gets to his feet and grabs Stamp's trunks, clotheslining him across the top rope before laying stomps to the head and midsection. DeBeers grabs a stomach-breaker and gets a two count off of that one. Right hand from DeBeers and a BIG turnbuckle smash into a rollup for another two count. DeBeers lifts Stamp up and hits a big bodyslam on him, ramming him into the corner again and following up with a knee to the gut. Snap mare and a knee to the head as DeBeers takes this one over. A cover and a two count for DeBeers leads to Stamp firing back, ramming DeBeers headfirst into the canvas. Stamp with a couple of turnbuckle smashes and he tries for a cover but ends up getting a noggin-knocker with DeBeers' knees on either side of his head. DeBeers off the ropes with a BIG right hand and Stamp goes down like he's been shot. DeBeers goes up to the second rope and drops a big fist to the back of Stamp's neck, putting him down for another two count. DeBeers tries for a suplex and Stamp blocks it, reversing it to one of his own, putting DeBeers down for a CLOSE two count. Stamp with a BIG right hand and another cover into a two count. DeBeers Irish whips him in and hits a boot to the gut, following with another Irish whip. Stamp catches the boot to the gut this time and an ENZIGUIRI by DeBeers. He grabs Stamp and hits the pancake piledriver for the 1-2-3.

Winner: Col. DeBeers (pinfall, pancake piledriver)

Match Analysis: A really good extended squash where they had me believing that Stamp could actually pull out the win. DeBeers did well working underneath, despite being the talent in the bout and he sold really well for Stamp. Sometimes the top guys have trouble selling for someone they feel are "beneath them" but DeBeers made Stamp look like a world beater. Not that he was going to move up the card at all, but it still made the regular old squash seem a bit more exciting to have Stamp get in as much offense as he did.


Match Two:
Curt Hennig vs. Jay York

They lockup and Hennig ends up pushed into the ropes and gets a clean break. Another lockup and York grabs an arm-wringer, putting Hennig down to the mat with a hammerlock. York cranks away on it and Hennig gets to his feet, ducking under and turning it into a hip toss, putting York onto his ass. They lockup and York grabs a cobra clutch, with Hennig trying to take York over. York holds onto that move and rolls through, holding it until Hennig gets to his feet and makes the ropes, before landing a right hand to the face of Hennig. A big knee from York and he's taking over with a front facelock and a right hand, but Hennig's had enough and hits a HARD chop off the ropes, staggering York. Hennig with a single-leg takedown and a hamstring pull and they're back to a lockup in the middle of the ring. York grabs the arm-wringer again but Hennig reverses it, taking York down and locking in an armbar. York grabs for one of Hennig's legs to try to take him down and makes the ropes to break the hold, throwing in a knee to the ribs for good measure. York takes a front facelock on Hennig and Hennig rolls through with a fireman's carry, back to the armbar. Hennig Irish whips York into the corner and puts him up into the lights with a BIG back bodydrop for a two count. Back to their feet and York goes to the eyes, blinding Hennig before ramming him into the turnbuckle. He Irish whips Hennig into the corner but is too slow following him in, and Hennig moves to the second rope and hits a BEAUTIFUL flying dropkick. He grabs the rollup and gets the pin.

Winner: Curt Hennig (pinfall, second rope flying dropkick)

Match Analysis: Squasheroonie. A fairly entertaining squash though, so all is forgiven. York was a good job guy who made Hennig look like a million bucks and that dropkick spot at the end was a really neat way to finish off the match. Hennig really looked comfortable as a single here and you can tell that he's ready to make that next leap up to the big time and the main events.


Match Three:
Boris Zhukov and Barbarian vs. The Midnight Rockers

Zhukov looks like he's channeling Gorbachev tonight, with a hammer and sickle painted onto the top of his bald dome. Barbarian just looks like his usual lunat..HUSS HUSS HUSS. Goddamn, do I love it when he does that. This should be a great tag match, and it's a shame to see all the empty seats in the Showboat Pavillion, because those people are going to be missing out on something special. Barbarian reaches for Jannetty while still wearing his beaver pelt vest, HUSS HUSS HUSS-ing away the entire time. Michaels gives a FANTASTIC facial expression as he leaves to stand on the apron, an almost "What the fuck is this guy's deal?" while looking at the Barbarian. Just tremendous. Jannetty and Zhukov start out with a lockup and they end up in the corner with Zhukov throwing a right hand and Jannetty blocking it to fire back with rights of his own. Jannetty whips him across to the other corner and hits a big back bodydrop, sending Zhukov out to the floor.

Zhukov makes his way back into the ring and they lockup again, with Zhukov trying to draw Jannetty into the wrong side of the ring. They finally lockup proper and Jannetty grabs a headlock on Zhukov before running up the turnbuckles to take Zhukov over. Zhukov grabs Jannetty's legs and rolls him over for a two count, but Jannetty just holds on to the headlock, grounding the big-headed Russian. Zhukov whips him in off the ropes and eats a shoulderblock before being on the receiving end of a hip toss. Jannetty back to the headlock and he runs the buckles again to take Zhukov over onto the mat, scoring a near-fall. Jannetty gets a tag to Michaels and they hit a double reverse elbow on Zhukov for a two count and Zhukov has had enough, tagging in the big Barbarian. HUSS HUSS HUSS. They lockup and Michaels gets a headlock on the big, crazy Barbarian until he gets tossed off to the other side of the ring. Barbarian with a boot to the gut and a forearm smash to the back, leading to an Irish whip, sending Michaels in and catching him with a BIG backbreaker. Two count for Barbarian on that one and he lifts Michaels up again for another HUGE slam.

Barbarian tries for the kneedrop off the ropes, but Michaels moves, hitting a couple of right hands and tagging in Jannetty. They hit a BIG double back bodydrop and it looks like we have our first instance of clipping on this show ever, as magically Barbarian is now outside the ring tending to his wounds and barking away, getting the crowd to join in even. Ron Trongard tells us that there's a storm outside the Showboat, so apparently it was a power issue and not clipping from the ESPN side of things. Good to know. Back to the action in the ring and Barbarian grabs a headlock, dragging Michaels over to his corner and tagging in Zhukov, who hits Michaels with a shot to the gut before ramming him into the turnbuckle. Michaels blocks a turnbuckle smash and rams Zhukov into what looks like the ringpost and Zhukov takes about five bumps off of it. Michaels rams him again into the ringpost and it gets a two count, with Michaels tagging in Jannetty. Jannetty grabs a side headlock and cranks away at it before tagging in Michaels for some tandem offense.

A GREAT hip toss/leg drop combo from the Rockers and Michaels covers for two, but the Barbarian comes in to break up the count. Michaels goes back to the headlock and tries to pop Zhukov's big head like a watermelon. Michaels moves to a small package and gets a two count again before Barbarian comes in and breaks it up. A tag to Jannetty and he continues to work the headlock on Zhukov until Zhukov hits the belly to back suplex, rolling over to tag Barbarian. Barbarian starts laying the boots in on Jannetty and Jannetty starts firing back with right hands, going up to the second rope to get better leverage on his punches. He tries to jump off with a shoulderblock, but Barbarian catches him in a HUGE bearhug. Jannetty fights it off as long as he can as Barbarian squeezes and he finally fires some right hands to the face of Barbarian, breaking the hold. Barbarian tries the Irish whip into the corner but Jannetty reverses it, following in and EATING A HUGE BOOT from the Barbarian. Extra HUSS HUSS HUSS on that one as Jannetty is in a heap on the mat.

Barbarian tags in Zhukov and he hits a BIG headbutt, getting a two count before Michaels makes the save. Zhukov starts hammering away with the forearms and grabs another bearhug on Jannetty. Jannetty breaks free and hip tosses Zhukove over and manages to get the HOT TAG TO MICHAELS. Right hands for Zhukov, an Irish whip into a big back bodydrop, DROPKICK, BODYSLAM, FISTDROP FROM THE SECOND ROPE!! 1-2...KICKOUT from Zhukov. Barbarian in to make the save and all four men are brawling now. Michaels Irish whips Zhukov into the corner, following with a dropkick, and both Michaels and Jannetty whip Barbarian in for a DOUBLE dropkick, sending him out to the floor. Michaels goes up to the top rope now, with Zhukov staggering in the middle of the ring and someone comes running from the back and shoves Michaels off, crotching him on the top rope. Zhukov capitalizes on it, covers Michaels and gets the pin as Buddy Rose runs off in the opposite direction out of the arena. Barbarian rams Jannetty headfirst into the ringpost to add insult to injury. Or is that MORE injury to injury.

Winners: Barbarian and Boris Zhukov (pinfall, outside interference and shenanigans)

Match Analysis: A great TV main event and one that will obviously lead to bigger and better TV main events later on with Rose/Somers and The Rockers continuing their blood feud. All four guys had their working boots on and for once it was nice to not see the Sheik out there with the heel team as it kept the focus on the action in the ring for the entire match. They did enough to protect the Rockers and keep them hot, while letting Barbarian and Zhukov steal a win with heelish chicanery. A really fun, really hot TV match. Again it's a shame that the building was only half-full for it.


We're back from commercial with Larry Nelson in the ring with The Midnight Rockers. Jannetty is angry and says that Buddy Rose has no guts. Um, Marty, you do know you're talking about BUDDY ROSE, right? Just checking. He says that they're scared to put the titles on the line, but they're more than ready to interfere from behind. Michaels figures they must be scared to have to interfere in their match like this and that if they want a piece so badly, they should just get in the ring and have the Rockers slap them around a little. He sounds a LOT like the D-Generation X, 1996 Shawn right there. Jannetty says that everybody knows what kind of champions Rose and Somers are and that they're yellow-bellied, jelly-bellied cowards. Jannetty threatens Rose and Somers one more time and that's it for the show.



Final Thoughts

A down and dirty show that seemed to fly by, probably due to the NIT running late on ESPN Classic. Lots of good stuff on the matches and I think that this was another show that can be added to the thumbs up list making it three in a row. You know that will all these good shows in a row I should be due for a spectacular flameout soon, but I'll just enjoy the ride for now. The main event was a really good tag team match, even with the technical difficulties and it was cool to see the Rose/Somers vs. Rockers feud continue to simmer and build, as that was the REALLY hot program that the AWA seemed to run with during the summer and fall of 86. Another quality show and thumbs WAY up for the three in a row.


****************************

[CW .org .info .net]

AWA Championship Wrestling (Originally aired on June 28, 1986)

We're LIVE from the Kaiser Auditorium in Oakland, California and Ron Trongard and Lord James Blears are the commentators for this big night of action by the Bay. There's no airdate given by ESPN for the show, but since everyone seems to agree that this is the night before Denver and the Stan Hansen incident, I can safely make the assumption on the date.

Match One:
Ali Kahn w/Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie vs. Earthquake Ferris

Ugh. Ferris is all fired up to be in his hometown for this match and Kahn is still scratching his beard on his opium high. They start the match out with a lockup and nothing comes of it. Another lockup and Kahn throws Ferris off into the ropes. A third lockup and this time Ferris sends Kahn across the ring, causing Kahn to claim that he grabbed the trunks. Kahn off the ropes and a BIG back bodydrop sends him onto his ass and out to the floor. Kahn is out conferring with the Sheik and is angry as he can be with all of those powerful narcotics in his system. Kahn boots Ferris to the gut instead of locking up this time, and follows with some of the fakest looking forearm shots to the back that I've ever seen. A knee to the head puts Ferris down and Kahn begins choking him against the bottom rope copiously, hitting him with another forearm shot and a couple of smashes to the turbuckle. A snap mare from Kahn now and he grabs a reverse chinlock on Ferris. A resthold a minute or so into the match, not good. Ferris tries to get to his feet but Kahn grabs the tights to yank him back down to the mat. How the hell is Kahn sweating THAT much after a minute and a half of action? Maybe he's detoxing or something. Knees to the gut from Kahn and he Irish whips Ferris in, missing a clothesline, but hitting a knee to the chest that puts Ferris down to the mat. More stomps from Kahn and more forearms and Kahn gets a sloooowly executed spinning neckbreaker before going right back to the chinlock. Ferris gets to his feet and runs Kahn backwards into the corner, firing back with a right hand and Irish whipping Kahn across to the opposite corner. EARTHQUAKE SPLASH in the corner and Kahn is on the corner of Pancake St. and Discomfort Rd. Earthquake with another Irish whip and another follow, but this time Kahn cuts it off with a couple of knees to the chest and gut. Kahn grabs a headlock that gets reversed into the ropes and they each hit a shoulderblock to no effect. Kahn comes off the ropes again but gets caught in a BIG powerslam and Ferris falls on top of him for the 1-2-3!!!

Winner: Earthquake Ferris (pinfall, powerslam)

Match Analysis: Ferris was still green as all hell and Kahn was still terrible so this was a bit of a chore to sit through. Ferris got the win in his hometown which seems to go against all wrestling protocol, but it was neat to see him get one after being a job guy in so many other matches that I've seen of his. The crowd was really into him as well since he was the hometown boy, so it made it a good choice to put on first for the live show.

Post-match Kahn starts to put the boots to Ferris, slamming him into the ringpost on the floor to get his heat back before heading to the back, soaking in the boos the entire way. I bet that damn Sheik told him to do that. Either that or the hallucinations overtook Kahn and he just went with what the voices told him to do.


Match Two:
Jay York vs. "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka

They lock up with York looking a little tentative and bugging the referee about Snuka's wraps around his wrists and ankles, before attacking Snuka with forearms, right into his version of the shinni no make, again. Snuka tries to throw him over but he rolls with it and NOW we get our first instance of clipping in these matches, as we clip to the end of what looked to be a long sequence with Snuka in the hold. Snuka breaks free and rolls backwards over York, turning it into a bodyscissors with York looking shocked at how he lost sight of Snuka. Snuka adds some strength to the hold, lifting York up to atomic drop his ass a couple of times on the mat before continuing to squeeze with the bodyscissors. York desperately reaches for the bottom rope but he can't get it and Snuka keeps squeezing until York rolls it over, reversing the bodyscissors into a single-leg Boston Crab. Snuka makes the ropes and they separate into a lockup, with York grabbing an armbar and taking Snuka down with a rolling takeover. He stretches Snuka a little on the mat and cranks the arm as Snuka tries to power himself up to his feet but gets put right back down. Snuka finally reverses it to a headlock and gets choked into the ropes before York slingshots him off back into the middle of the ring. York is too slow to follow up though and he eats a BIG dropkick from Superfly and a chop in the corner. Irish whip into the opposite corner and Snuka follows him across with a boot to the stomach. Another Irish whip and York reverses it but Snuka WALKS THE ROPES and comes off with DA SUPAFLY!!! The pinfall naturally comes next, and it's all over.

Winner: Jimmy Snuka (pinfall, superfly splash)

Match Analysis: This one had a real typical third on the card house show match feel. I'm not sure how much got clipped out of this match but I'm reasonably sure it wouldn't have made things any better. Snuka won and did his big move so the crowd ended up happy, but I sure as heck wish that it would have been better to make ME happy. Is that really so much to ask??

After the match we hear from The Superfly and he talks about his tag team with Greg Gagne. At least I think he does, through all the feedback. He says that anytime Gagne needs help, Superfly will be right there with him. Talk turns to Stan Hansen and the World Championship and Snuka says that he has to start from the bottom and work his way up and he thanks the crowd for standing behind him in his return to the ring.


This is a re-review from the first night of AWA action that I covered in February. The match was shown on that episode to explain why Hansen was stripped of the AWA title, but this ends up just being shown as a match as part of the show. To the COPY AND PASTE!!



Match Three: AWA Championship
Jerry Blackwell vs. Stan Hansen (c)

Holy FUCK, I don't remember Blackwell being that fat. Sweet jesus, that's what happens when you haven't seen a show in twenty years I suppose. The crowd boos and throws shit at Hansen on his way to the ring and he looks like he's about to attack someone in the front row. Hansen harrasses Larry Nelson with the belt and forces him out of the ring, then he attacks Blackwell in the corner before the bell. Hansen must have forgotten his anger meds tonight cause he seems especially unbalanced. Boots and right hands as he works over Tubby Blackwell in the corner. Blackwell clubs back with forearms to send Hansen out of the ring. Hansen up on the apron and he gets rammed into the post by Blackwell and Hansen rolls back outside. Blackwell with rights fron inside the ring to Hansen on the floor. Hansen catches a leg and pulls Blackwell under the bottom rope and beats the piss out of him on the apron. Hansen is already bleeding from that shot to the post and he's kneeing Blackwell to the head and face. Hard knee to the gut from Hansen and he misses a charge into the corner. Blackwell works Hansen into the corner and Hansen kicks him in the gut until he gets thrown out of the ring. Blackwell whips Hansen to the corner and charges in to eat Hansen's boots. Not literally of course, but with Blackwell's size I wouldn't have been shocked.

Hansen with HARD right hands to Blackwell's head and Hansen tries a bodyslam but can't get him over, with Blackwell falling onto him for a two count. Blackwell with a bearhug and Hansen makes the ropes quickly, but Blackwell just clamps it back on. Hansen is a bloody mess and he breaks free of the bearhug and gets a double axhandle to the back of Blackwell's head. Back to the bearhug and Hansen again trying for the double sledge but he's starting to fade. Hansen's arm drops twice but he holds on the third time. Blackwell rams Hansen into the corner with the ref behind him for a crushing ref bump. Blackwell gets the BIG FAT SPLASH and he can't get the pin cause there's no ref. Hansen slips off his boot and FATTYWHACKS Blackwell with it four or five times. Blackwell does a shitty bladejob in plain view, not to mention that you can see him stick the blade back in his tights. That's just laziness on his part. Hansen drops the boot down on the referee now and keeps beating the fuck out of Blackwell with it. Another referee comes in and TACKLES Hansen and Hansen fucks him up too. Blackwell has the boot now and puts Hansen to the floor with it. Hansen out of the ring clutching his belt and jeering the crowd as we go to a break.

Winner: None (Double Disqualification)


Match Analysis: A brawl between the two big men that was actually not terrible. They did the best they could considering Blackwell's physical limitations and managed to hook me in at least a little bit. Hansen is great playing the crazy heel cause he's legitimately insane. Sadly, Blackwell was past the point of caring and it showed in his lazy, crappy bladejob. Good to see for the historical perspective but as a match, it was passable at best.


Back from the break and Hansen cuts a crazy promo talking about how kids need to say no to "you know what", then threatens Bockwinkel before their bout the next night in Denver. He essentially calls Blackwell a pussy and then throws out his revisionist history of how BLACKWELL took off the boot and then beat him with it. Tremendous. He then says he's going to kick ass all over the United States, and they don't bleep out the word ass. ESPN was hardcore back in '86, before hardcore was cool, don't you know.



Match Four: Six Man Tag Main Event
Alexis Smirnoff, Buddy Rose and Doug Somers vs. The Midnight Rockers and Curt Hennig

Greg Gagne joins the team on commentary and talks about how AWA President Stanley Blackburn is going to levy the heaviest fine in professional wrestling history on Stan Hansen for his actions in the last match. Rose and Hennig start out running the ropes, with Hennig hitting a BIG back bodydrop and a dropkick that puts Rose out to the floor. Rose crawls back into the ring and tries to calm everything down before they lock up, with Rose grabbing a bodyslam before flexing to the crowd. I never thought I had a weak gag reflex until I saw him do that. Another lockup, another bodyslam, andother flex, and this time he sucks in his gut. Rose tries for a third bodyslam but Hennig reverses it into one of his own, and another and ONE FOR SOMERS, AND SMIRNOFF, and all three heels hit the floor. Rose tags off to Smirnoff and Shawn Michaels moves in for the faces. They lock up and Michaels tries an Irish whip into the corner, but eats a boot from Smirnoff as he charges in. Smirnoff follows up with a big bodyslam and tries to drop a leg across the throat of Michaels but Shawn rolls out of the way and Smirnoff tags off to Somers. Michaels cuts him off with a boot to the gut and Irish whips him in for a BIG back bodydrop. Michaels hits the atomic drop, sending Somers right into a forearm from Jannetty and Michaels covers for a two count.

Jannetty tags in and armdrags Somers over into an armbar, but he gets backed into the corner with the heel team and they try a little skullduggery. Somers tags in Rose and they try a double-team, but Jannetty leapfrogs them both and hits a double sunset flip, bringing Smirnoff in to break up the pin. Somers stays in the ring despite the tag and starts working Jannetty over in the corner, dragging him over to the wrong side of the ring. NOW, we get a tag to Somers and he comes in to work on Jannetty some more with Smirnoff yanking on Jannetty's hair. Rose tags in Smirnoff and he kicks Jannetty hard before hitting a BIG vertical suplex. A diving headbutt from Smirnoff and a snapmare follows, with Smirnoff stomping away. He makes the tag to Somers and Somers snap mares Jannetty over again, dropping a knee to the head. Somers tags to Rose and he Irish whips Jannetty in and gets taken over with a sunset flip for two. Jannetty manages to tag Michaels in and they run the ropes a little, with Michaels flying all around the ring with leapfrogs before hitting a sloppy precursor to Sweet Chin Music on the chest of Rose for a two count.

Michaels tags in Hennig who comes off of the second rope, dropping an elbow onto the shoulder of Rose. Hennig with an elbowsmash and he covers for another two count. Hennig heads over and GETS HIM SOME of the heel team, smacking Somers and Smirnoff around a little before turning back to Rose. Front facelock by Hennig and he tags in Jannetty in turn tags in Michaels for some double-team offense on Rose, ending with a BIG kneelift from Michaels. Michaels gets a two count off of it and starts stomping away at Rose, coming off the ropes for a legdrop, but Rose sits up and Michaels gets nothing but canvas. Rose heads oer to tag in Smirnoff and Michaels gets the tag to Hennig. Hennig grabs a side headlock and gets shot into the ropes by Smirnoff who catches Hennig with a HUGE boot to the face for another long two count. Smirnoff with a bodyslam and he heads up to the top rope but gets cut off by Hennig with a BIG bodyslam from the top. Hennig tries a splash but Smirnoff gets the knees up to block and they're both down!! Smirnoff makes the tag to Somers who gets a stomachbreaker onto the knee and he covers Hennig, but Michaels makes the save. The heels take over and work over Hennig in their corner, with Rose tagging in to set Hennig up on the top rope.

A HUGE right hand from Rose and he's up to try for the superplex but Hennig blocks it. Right hands from Hennig put Rose down to the mat and Hennig tries to go all the way up top for a dropkick but Rose knocks him off, crotching Hennig on the top rope HARD. Rose tags in Somers who stomps away at Hennig's head and a headbutt ot the stomach doubles Hennig over. Somers with another headbutt and Smirnoff starts to work on him in the corner while the referee is distracted. Tag to Smirnoff and he kick Hennig square in the face, putting him down on his back. Smirnoff tries a bodyslam but Hennig reverses into a rollup, with Smirnoff actually thinking to make the tag before he gets taken over for the pin attempt. Hennig doesn't see Somers coming and eats a STIFF boot to the head. Somers hits the stomachbreaker again on Hennig and tries for the pin but only gets a two count. Hennig tries to make a tag but gets cut off by Smirnoff who tagged in for the heel team, hanging on to Hennig's tights and almost ripping them off. Hennig turns the wedgie into an abdominal stretch, but Hennig is still in the wrong corner and he gets attacked by Buddy Rose.

Rose with Irish whips into the ropes, hanging on and following Hennig in with knees to the gut before tagging off to his partner Somers. Somers again to the stomach but Hennig fires back with forearms and chops, Rose comes over to the corner while on the ring apron and Hennig gets a double noggin-knocker, sending both heels sprawling and he's crawling, he's reaching, and it's a HOT TAG TO JANNETTY!! Jannetty with shots for all three heels and he hits a dropkick on Smirnoff before whipping Somers in for a HUGE powerslam. Rose breaks up the pin attempt and that draws everyone into the ring for a brawl. Triple Irish whip from the face team sends all three heels crashing into one another in the middle of the ring. Somers staggering around and he eats a DROPKICK from the top rope by Hennig. Michaels press slams Jannetty on top of Somers then goes flying over the top rope to cross bodyblock Rose!!!. Pin attempt by Jannetty!! ONE, TWO, THREE, IT'S ALL OVER!!! The fight keeps going after the bell with Hennig and Jannetty whipping Smirnoff into a dropkick from Michaels.

Winners: Curt Hennig and The Midnight Rockers (pinfall, double-team press slam pin)

Match Analysis: Whrew. Another awesome main event in a string of them from these AWA shows. This was a really good six-man match and the extended heat sequence on Hennig was great stuff, with all three heels getting in quality offense. The crowd was into it the entire time and it made for a super-hot ending when Hennig finally got the tag and everyone started cleaning house. They really did a good job of building the match slow then really cranking it up for the finish and it was nice to see a clean finish in a main event of this caliber as well.


After the commercial break, all three faces are in the ring and Larry Nelson notes that Hennig's style has become more aggressive as of late. Hennig thanks the fans for showing up and ESPN for broadcasting the event and says that the toughest wrestlers in the world are in the AWA. He says that Rose and Somers are bringing the new attitude out of him and they'd better be ready for it. Michaels grabs a sign from the crowd and kind of dances around with it, looking like he did in the infamous DX sign segment on Raw is War about ten years later. Jannetty says that they've beaten Rose and Somers in singles matches, tag matches, and six-man matches. He says that tomorrow night in Denver, there could be new AWA Tag Champions. Michaels says that now it's going to be for all the money, all the marbles and that Somers and Rose's time as champions is over. The doughboys are goin down and the ROCKERS will be the new world champions!! We're all out of time for another edition of AWA on ESPN Classic!!




Final Thoughts

Boy, oh boy, when the AWA decides to deliver, they sure do in spades. The first two matches were borderline duds, but the Hansen/Blackwell brawl was great to see again, despite seeing it only a couple of weeks previous to this, and the six-man main event was a really entertaining and exciting match. Thumbs going slightly up for this one because of the two slow squash-type bouts, but the great aftertaste left by the last two matches kind of makes me forget about them. Hennig took a great beating in the main event and the clean finish made this a real treat to watch. HUZZAH!! Another great show from the AWA, and I'm hoping that it's the beginning of a real pattern.

****************************

[CW .org .info .net]

AWA Championship Wrestling (Originally aired on July 15, 1986)

Well, not to the RING ring, as Larry Nelson's in the AWA studios and he's sending us to an AWA Tag Team Championship match featuring the new champions, Buddy Rose and Doug Somers. He tells us to expect a main event and something called Wrestle Rap, which I pray makes the final cut of this episode, then sends us out to the ring!


Match One:
Buddy Rose and Doug Somers vs. Jake Milliman and Chad Pardoe

Pardoe looks suspiciously like Billy Suck Eagle, which worries me greatly, and Milliman is one of the more infamous characters in the latter years of the AWA. A solid job guy that actually got a bone every now and again, and he's most famous for winning the Turkey On A Pole match against Col. DeBeers, as well as the battle royal that capped off the Team Challenge Series in 1990. He's got a tough test here with Rose and Somers though, that's for sure. Rose runs through his usual schtick and we get sent down to the announcers who, for this match, are Ron Trongard and Nick Bockwinkel. Bockwinkel discusses his reign with Ray Stevens as AWA Tag Team Champions as Rose and Milliman both play to the crowd with understandably varying results. Rose bails to the floor and slows things down from the fast-paced opening and they circle, finally hooking up and Milliman gets an armdrag takeover, which Rose reverses, leading to him trying to land a right hand. I say trying because referee Scott LeDoux catches the arm and drags him back. The crowd loved that one but Rose didn't. Milliman front rolls and scares Rose back into the corner before they finally hit a lockup, with Rose grabbing a full nelson. Milliman breaks the hold and pushes Rose into the corner, finally giving up a clean break after a moment, which prompts Rose to spit on him. Damn, that's harsh. They lockup again and Rose grabs an armbar, taking a handful of hair to yank Milliman down, but referee LeDoux sees it and yanks Rose down by HIS hair, just to even things up. Both teams switch off and Somers hits a big slam on Pardoe and drops a knee before tagging Rose back in. Rose with a boot to the gut and a turnbuckle smash, followed up by more boots and another quick tag. Somers grabs Pardoe and Rose hits the second rope for a Hart Attack-style double-team move. Somers picks him up for a HUGE suplex and tags in Rose again, who picks up Pardoe and he hits his version of the DDT for the pinfall.

Winners: Buddy Rose and Doug Somers (pinfall, DDT)

Match Analysis: Rose and Somers pretty much dominated this one, and Bockwinkel said it right on commentary that no one takes a beating quite like Jake Milliman. Sadly, the one that did most of the selling was Bryan Eagle Pardoe and he's not a Jake Milliman. Rose and Somers got their point across though that they were the best, since they barely broke a sweat to dispatch these two jobberinos. Well, Rose broke a sweat, but I think he did that just walking to the ring so that probably doesn't count.

After the match we hear from Rose and Somers and Rose says that they're very proud of their AWA Tag Team Belts and that he doesn't think that the Midnight Rockers deserve a title shot. He claims that the Rockers have only four years experience added together, while himself, Somers and Martel have nearly 32 years. He says that his dreams were Scott Hall and Curt Hennig's nightmares because it was his dream to win the tag titles and now he has them, saying that it couldn't have been done without the help of Sherri Martel. Nelson brings up Col. DeBeers and Rose doesn't necessarily appreciate that, saying that DeBeers took care of things the week before and Hall wrestled against doctor's orders. They bury him a little more, calling him "Little" Scott Hall and Rose dismisses any talk of a conspiracy between DeBeers and themselves, following it up by saying that they plan on being the champions for longer than anyone else in AWA history.


We're back at the Showboat Sports Pavilion now and it's time to re-join our announcers, Ron Trongard and Lord James Blears, for all the action.


Match Two:
Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka vs. Dennis Stamp

Snuka gets a good reaction from the crowd on his way down and the match starts with a DEEP lockup, and Stamp grabs a top wristlock that gets reversed into a hammerlock. They trade reversals again and Stamp tries running around in a circle to avoid the hold, finally getting to the corner for a clean break. He tries to shoot in on Snuka's legs and Snuka just steps back, letting Stamp fall on his face. OOOOOOH, score one for Snuka!! Stamp grabs a side headlock and transitions that to a hammerlock of his own as the crowd boos and Snuka manages to reverse it, forcing Stamp to the ropes again as the announcers talk about Snuka's son, who was 14 at the time. I wonder if he ever turned into anything down the line. Stamp grabs the side headlock again and shoulderblocks Snuka down after getting shot into the ropes, going right back to the headlock. Stamp takes Snuka over with the headlock and holds onto it for a bit, finally getting shot into the ropes where he takes Snuka down again with another shoulderblock. Back to the ropes and Snuka drops down before hitting a BIG hip toss followed by a deep armdrag takeover. Snuka works the armbar and Stamp pushes him into the corner, reapplying the headlock. Another shot into the ropes, another shoulderblock takes Snuka down, and they run the ropes again with Snuka doing his patented double leapfrog into a HARD chop to the chest. He grabs Stamp and gives him a big backbreaker before heading up to the top rope. Snuka hits the Superfly Splash and takes Stamp down for the 1-2-3!!!

Winner: Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka (pinfall, Superfly splash)

Match Analysis: Snuka did a lot of selling in this one and I think that it was part of his whole story he seems to be pushing that he had to work from the bottom of the card and move up, so it kind of makes sense that Stamp would give him a little trouble. I guess the whole thing was supposed to put over the AWA being tougher as a whole than the WWF, since Snuka was most famous for his run there. The match kind of felt flat for me and for the crowd in attendance as well, though as always they popped for the splash at the end.

Snuka is with Larry Nelson and he says that he loves the fans for their support and does his "start from the bottom" speech again, straining to remember Buddy Rose's name and calling Col. DeBeers "a Sergeant or Lieutenant or whatever he is". He says that this is serious business..then we kinda lose him a little. Talking about blood, sweat and tears from his soul, and the expression on his face being the one that they're looking at. -shrugging- I got nothing. Nelson tries to wrap it up a little, doing some Superfly to English translation, before bringing up that Snuka and Greg Gagne have been teaming and that they might get a shot at the belts. Snuka's still lost, saying verbatim "If it's meant to be that the match has to be that way, then that's what we're looking forward to." Huh? Even poor Larry Nelson doesn't know what to make of that and just cuts Snuka off, mentioning Nick Bockwinkel again. Snuka says that he just needs to be patient and that he feels like it's his time, thanking the crowd and telling them all that he loves them one more time. That part I actually understood. I do find it funny that the commercial immediately after this interview was for the Rosetta Stone language lessons. I should buy the Superfly set and see if I can learn it before this run of AWA shows is over.


Match Three:
Col. DeBeers vs. Jesse Hernandez

Our special referee for this one is Earthquake Ferris, who checks both guys over before the match begins. DeBeers gets a side headlock and knees Hernandez in the side when he tries to reverse it, picking him up and hitting a backbreaker to boot. DeBeers just stomps away and works over Hernandez against the ropes as the crowd chants USA. DeBeers rams Hernandez' head into the turnbuckles, giving him a couple of good shots in between kicks and stomps. Hernandez throws a few right hands but DeBeers goes to the eyes to put an end to that and stomps away at him some more, even lining up a HUGE kick that sends Hernandez to the floor. Hernandez eats the ringpost on the outside and gets another kick to the gut from Debeers as he tries to get back into the ring. A foreram shot clubs at Hernandez and he ends up tied up in the ropes on the apron. DeBeers with a knee puts Hernandez right back down to the floor and DeBeers poses a little in the ring. Hernandez fires back with some impressive shots upon getting back into the ring, delivering some right hands and smashing DeBeers into the turnbuckle a couple of times, clubbing him with some forearms to the chest and running him across the ring for another TURNBUCKLE SMASH!! More right hands from Hernandez and he hits the ropes to charge at DeBeers but takes a nasty knee to the gut that sends him through the ropes to the apron. DeBeers stomps at him a little for the insolence of trying to lay hands on him and he stops to do a little mustache twirling. DeBeers grabs Hernandez and hits the pancake piledriver, covering Hernandez with a HUGE smile for the pin. Ferris counted that pin like he had a pizza waiting for him backstage. That was three counts in about half a second, so fast that even the announcers have to comment with Blears claiming that he did it to save Hernandez from more punishment.

Winner: Col. DeBeers (pinfall, pancake piledriver

Match Analysis: Another DeBeers squash, and they're all starting to look the same really. The man knows how to work a squash to perfection though, I'll give him that.


Match Four: AWA World Heavyweight Championship
Boris Zhukov w/Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie vs. Nick Bockwinkel (c)

They lockup and we miss whatever happened because the Sheik gets his close-up. Another lockup and they just push each other away before doing it again and ending up in the ropes. Zhukov gives up a clean break and they lockup to trade go-behinds, doing a little chain wrestling. We cut to the Sheik again on the outside and when we return to the ring, Zhukov has a top wristlock on Bockwinkel, cranking away as the crowd chants USA. Bockwinkel hits an armdrag takeover and Zhukov claims that there was a pull of the tights. Zhukov moves to a full nelson and Bockwinkel flexes to power out of it but he can't break the fingers and Zhukov continues to work him over with the hold. Bockwinkel finally gains enough separation to drop down to the mat and kicks Zhukov away. Zhukov gives us a little flex then decides that it's time for a test of strength. The crowd chants USA again and it's almost strange to see Bockwinkel leading the chant and pumping his arm to rile them up even more. Zhukov bails to the outside to avoid the chant and takes a little stroll around the ring to compose hiimself.

Back into the ring and Zhukov wants the test of strength again and he gets it, with Zhukov winning it immediately, putting Bockwinkel down to his knees. Bockwinkel tries to reverse it and blocks a Zhukov kick, landing a couple of his own and turning the tide on Zhukov, putting him down to the mat. Zhukov makes the ropes and Bockwinkel gives him one more stomp to grow on as he relases the hold. Bockwinkel grabs a side headlock takeover, getting a one-count off of it before Zhukov rolls Bockwinkel over for a couple of two-counts with Zhukov holding onto the tights. Bockwinkel talks a little shit while holding the headlock and then shoulderblocks Zhukov down when he's shot off into the ropes before taking him back down with the side headlock. They run through the same spot as before, ending up with Bockwinkel back on top with the side headlock. Zhukov pushes Bockwinkel into the corner and hits some forearms to the chest before trying an Irish whip that Bockwinkel reverses. The champ charges in but Zhukov moves out of the way and Bockwinkel hits nothing but ringpost with his shoulder.

Zhukov's on it like a shark, stomping away at the shoulder and slamming it into the ringpost another couple of times on the outside. Zhukov rolls back into the ring and lays some more stomps in on Bockwinkell before headbutting the shoulder joint. Zhukov gets a hammerlock on the mat and cranks away at it as the crowd tries to stir another USA chant. Zhukov gets the hammerlock bodyslam and stomps at the shoulder and elbow before going right back to the hammerlock again. Bockwinkel tries for the ropes and finally gets them as Zhukov continues to drop boots on the shoulder, moving to slam it into the turnbuckle and continuing to work that arm over in the corner. Zhukov ties it up in the ropes and cranks on it, landing another couple of headbutts as Bockwinkel is SCREAMING in pain. Zhukov runs him across the ring and rams him shoulder-first into the buckle again before wrapping that arm around the ropes again. Zhukov grabs an arm-wringer into a sitting armbar, stretching and tearing at the shoulder of Bockwinkel.

Bockwinkel gets to his feet but Zhukov turns him right back over into the hold before Bockwinkel finally escapes and rolls over Zhukov to a headlock for a two-count. Zhukov and Bockwinkel trade shots and Zhukov Irish whips him in, ducking too soon for the back bodydrop and Bockwinkel PUNTS him in the chest. Right hands from Bockwinkel and he forces Zhukov into the corner with more punches, Irish whipping him in and hitting a BIG back bodydrop. Back in the corner for more right hands and Zhukov clumsily comes off of the bottom rope with a headbutt, putting Bockwinkel down in the corner and allowing Zhukov to try for a roll-up with his feet on the ropes. Not like this, NOT LIKE THIS!!! He only gets a two-count off of it but Zhukov and Sheik both think it was three. They turn their backs on Bockwinkel and the champ dropkicks Zhukov in the back, bouncing him off of the ropes into a Bockwinkel roll-up and that gets the 1-2-3!!!!

Winner: Nick Bockwinkel (pinfall, roll-up)

Match Analysis: Another great main event with Zhukov and Bockwinkel, and it was really cool to see them do the same type of match and yet work in enough different spots that it didn't seem like the same match or that it was at all repetitive. Bockwinkel is the consummate pro and could get a decent match out of anything, but some credit has to go to Zhukov for this one, since he carried the bulk of the match working on the arm of Bockwinkel after the feeling out period. A really, REALLY good TV main event with another inventive finish that is something that I haven't seen in a while that made me happy happy.

We're in the ring with Boris Zhukov and the Sheik and Sheik is PISSED, saying that it's a conspiracy because Zhukov had Bockwinkel down for a three-count. Nelson talks about how he saw the foot on the rope and the referee did as well, which is why the hold was broken. Sheik doesn't want to hear it and goes off on another rant, challenging Nick Bockwinkel, saying that Sheik has given him a beating, The Barbarian has beaten him and Zhukov's beaten him. Sheik says that it's going to be a challenge for Barbarian or Zhukov against Bockwinkel with a referee of the Sheik's choosing from the Arab world and Zhukov goes one better saying he wants a Russian Chain match. Larry Nelson answers for Bockwinkel, basically telling them both to stuff it and we're out of time for today's show!!



Final Thoughts

This was pretty much a carbon-copy of yesterday's show, with boring squashes that get saved by a decent to great main event. I say decent because Boris Zhukov was in the match, but great because Nick Bockwinkel was in it and the crowd was insanely hot for the entire match. The first three matches were just kind of there but it was great to see another coked-out Snuka promo. Thumbs in the middle for this show because while the main event was great, it wasn't quite enough to redeem the first forty minutes of sub-par wrestling. I'm hoping that we can get the great main event as well as undercard matches that don't suck for tomorrow's show, though honestly I'm just happy that the main events have been decent. The lack of Zbyszko on this show didn't help it any though.


Fun With Comments


From Infamous Male:
"This is slowly leading to the classic Nick Bockwinkle vs Curt Hennig feud over
the AWA World Heavyweight Championship which I completely forgot about until
you mentioned Hennig being better as a heel. As a matter of fact, seeing Larry
Zbyszko, Curt Hennig, & Nick Bockwinkle wrestling in a row like they did on
this show, coupled with your Hennig as a heel comment makes me want to pay
attention even more so than I already was. The future "Mr. Perfect"
is beginning to bloom right before our eyes. On another note, staying up &
watching these shows at 1:00 AM is actually kind of fun. Not only can I relive
classic TV from my childhood, but I'm doing the same thing I did back then,
& that is watch wrestling at awkward times & not mind at all. Did ESPN
run any other promotions or just the AWA & Abrams' UWF?"


And answered by SMYK:
"They had USWA for a small bitafter the SCIII debacle and when Memphis merged
with WCCW. This period featured Lawler in his prime, Late greats like Eddie
Gilbert,Chris Adams, and Eric Embry(may as well be)and future champs like Jeff
Jarrett, Mick Foley and Steve Austin. As well as GWF, which featured early
times of Sean Waltman, Jerry Lynn and Booker T among others.See, Vince doesn't
have EVERYTHING."

From Male's comment, I LOVED the Hennig/Bockwinkel stuff when I was little and I have seen that match on numerous occasions and enjoyed it a lot. I agree that it's fun to be up late to watch wrestling, making it feel almost what it was like for people when ECW was hot (I presume) and they had to stay up until all hours to see the show. To SMYK, they also had some of the old ICW shows as well, as far as I know, so once they get done with their AWA run they might switch over to those shows. With all the footage they have, I think that the AWA shows should be running for a long time.


A reply to a reply from Infamous Male:
"Maybe those will air somewhere down the line. I'm enjoying the AWA though. I
enjoyed the Abrams' UWF in a Cheech & Chong type of way. Meaning that it
was very stupid but I found myself laughing at it anyway."

I liked the UWF shows, more in the Mystery Science Theater 3000 way myself, but I guess as long as we enjoy it on some level it's worth it to check it out. I still nominate Herb Abrams for worst announcer ever, even worse than Coach.


From Arnold_OldSchool:
"IIRC They ran the Greg/Curt angle where Curt ended up looking heelish, but the
fans in the arena cheered him for the move, so Verne put a kabosh on the angle.
Curt was a face going into 1987, IIRC"

I could totally see that happening as Hennig actually had the charisma and Gagne was just kind of dead to the crowd. I will give Verne credit for not putting the big belt on his son, but the main thing I notice looking back on Verne's run is that towards the end, he REALLY forgot about giving the crowd what they wanted and instead tried to give them what he THOUGHT they wanted. If he had listened to the crowd, Hogan probably would have stayed and been champ, the Rockers could have been cross-over superstars and there could still be an AWA today. If they'd been able to get onto CBS like the rumors suggest was a possibility, Verne would have been forced to change, but instead things stayed status quo and we all know how that ended.


From Silo Sam:
"well...again, i dont have much for you my friend...shit show...good main event,
better than I expected it to be...lets hope for some quality matches tonight"

Indeed. Quality matches are my friends and I would love for every show to be great, but of course that's a little unrealistic.




****************************

[CW .org .info .net]

AWA Championship Wrestling (Originally aired on July 22, 1986)


Ron Trongard and Lord James Bliers are your announcers this evening.

Larry Nelson's in the ring introducing the combatants and we've already got one of them in the ring. That's not a good sign for his chances of winning, that's for sure.


Match One:
Curt Hennig vs. Don Fargo

Fargo may well be the ugliest man alive with a huge brown beard and bleached blond hair, with tattoos all over, black spandex leggings and some kind of pelted boots. They look like muskrat but I could be wrong. Hennig gets a decent pop and we hear that Larry "The Ax" Hennig is joining us for commentary. Fargo jaws with the crowd and they lock up, before he stalls and does a little strut, while looking like he might break a hip. Another lockup and Fargo takes Hennig down with the hair. Headlock takeover by Fargo and he rams Hennig into the top turnbuckle. Hennig's all fired up now and Fargo drops to a knee to beg off before attacking Hennig and ramming him again into the buckle. Fargo works him over in the corner with chops and stalls some more before choking Curt in the corner. Right hands in the corner by Fargo and he drops a big elbow on Hennig, following with a kneelift. Hennig starts firing back with chops and Fargo is already begging off again. Hennig with a handful of nasty beard (I think I saw a french fry fall out of it) and a BIG right hand and Fargo's to the floor. He's back in and they lock up with Fargo missing a right hand against the ropes and Hennig landing one, with full comedic oversell by Fargo. Hamstring pull from Curt and a legdrop to the midsection, and out goes Fargo again. Fargo's best offensive move thus far has been stalling. Not good. He's back in again and takes Hennig down by the hair into a chinlock. Fargo shit talks the crowd and turns it into a choke with a handful of hair to boot. Crowd starts chanting for Hennig and Fargo whips him in with a reverse elbow off the ropes. Another whip and Hennig ducks it and gives him THE AX!!! Fargo sells it like he's having a stroke and Hennig's up to the second rope for the big dropkick. An elbowdrop later and it's the 1-2-3.

Winner: Curt Hennig (pinfall, elbowdrop)


Match Analysis: Hennig looked as good as he could carrying Fargo to a decent match. You could tell that Fargo's best days were behind him because he was out there strictly for comedy. Sadly, he couldn't even do that well and he was funniest when it was somewhat unintentional with his overselling. Here lies Don Fargo, world's ugliest jobber. He was 64 years old. His stalling gimmick was 38.




Match Two:
Tim Patterson vs. Boris Zhukov /w Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie

Larry Nelson makes me laugh calling Patterson "Tim Pederson" instead. Ah well, you can't win em all Larry. Zhukov attacks Patterson with some stomps and then flings him out to the floor. He rams Patterson into the steps and then heads back into the ring to soak up the boos. Zhukov cuts him off and drops the big clubbing forearm against the ropes. Patterson gets slammed back into the ring and Zhukov slams his shoulder into the top turnbuckle a couple times. Stomps from Zhukov to the injured arm and a headbutt to the armpit. More headbutts and more stomps as Zhukov brings the workrate this week. Another bodyslam too, with the arm pinned behind the back of Patterson. Stompy-stomp-stomp and Zhukov locks a standing armbar in as Shiek Adnan El-Kaissie starts harrassing the announce team. Patterson makes the comeback with some rights and lefts! He's ON FIRE and he whips Zhukov in and I think he might take this one!! He follows Zhukov into the corner and uhhh...nevermind. BIG boot to the face from Zhukov on the charging Patterson and we're back to the armbar. Zhukov rams Patterson's shoulder into the ringpost and chokes him under the ropes. Another slam and more stomps from Zhukov. The crowd boo's and I think it's cause they've figured out that Zhukov stinks in the ring and can't do more than six moves. A big Irish whip and Zhukov with the flying clothesline into a BODYSLAM!!! Zhukov to the second rope and FUCK, that was ugly. Whatever it was, he connected on it, and the announcers try to sell it as a fistdrop. That was ass. Zhukov gets the three count off of it, perhaps because the jobber was selling the shame of the move.

Winner: Boris Zhukov (pinfall, "fistdrop")

Zhukov does some more pummeling after the bell and the crowd lets him and the Shiek have it. We cut to the crowd and see two of Las Vegas's erm...how do I put this politely...handsomer women, and Zhukov and El-Kaissie leave in triumph.

Match Analysis: Zhukov knows how to do five moves really well and he made sure that they all got PLENTY of airtime in this one. There was some psychology attempted at least with the work on the arm, but it was just terrible on about every level imaginable. The only thing entertaining was Zhukov's Genghis Kahn-esque ponytail.


It's promo time as we're back from commercial with Larry Nelson in the interview area. He's got Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie with him, along with El-Kaissie's new assassin Ali Khan, from Afghanistan. Boris Zhukov and Nord The Barbarian wander aimlessly through the promo as it's going down and Khan is behind everyone scratching his beard. Well, he IS from Afghanistan and opium is a hell of a drug. I'm just saying. They talk about Nord's stretcher and how it was a gift from the Arab people and that he's going to put all of his opponents out on the stretcher. Nelson calls the stretcher sick and Nord gets a great line in about how he, Zhukov, and Kahn are "the guys that make trains take dirt roads" while looking like he's channeling Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Zhukov mumbles his way through some threats to Nick Bockwinkel and Nord tries to stab Nelson with the stretcher to end it.


Back from commercial and Nelson is still in the interview area, putting over the historical significance of the next match. He talks about how Stan Hansen bitched the AWA out and didn't drop the title to Nick Bockwinkel. The next match is his last title defense from Oakland, the night before the great bitch-out. We get sent out to Oakland to see this historic bout.



Match Three: AWA Championship
Jerry Blackwell vs. Stan Hansen (c)

Holy FUCK, I don't remember Blackwell being that fat. Sweet jesus, that's what happens when you haven't seen a show in twenty years I suppose. The crowd boos and throws shit at Hansen on his way to the ring and he looks like he's about to attack someone in the front row. Hansen harrasses Larry Nelson with the belt and forces him out of the ring, then he attacks Blackwell in the corner before the bell. Hansen must have forgotten his anger meds tonight cause he seems especially unbalanced. Boots and right hands as he works over Tubby Blackwell in the corner. Blackwell clubs back with forearms to send Hansen out of the ring. Hansen up on the apron and he gets rammed into the post by Blackwell and Hansen rolls back outside. Blackwell with rights fron inside the ring to Hansen on the floor. Hansen catches a leg and pulls Blackwell under the bottom rope and beats the piss out of him on the apron. Hansen is already bleeding from that shot to the post and he's kneeing Blackwell to the head and face. Hard knee to the gut from Hansen and he misses a charge into the corner. Blackwell works Hansen into the corner and Hansen kicks him in the gut until he gets thrown out of the ring. Blackwell whips Hansen to the corner and charges in to eat Hansen's boots. Not literally of course, but with Blackwell's size I wouldn't have been shocked.

Hansen with HARD right hands to Blackwell's head and Hansen tries a bodyslam but can't get him over, with Blackwell falling onto him for a two count. Blackwell with a bearhug and Hansen makes the ropes quickly, but Blackwell just clamps it back on. Hansen is a bloody mess and he breaks free of the bearhug and gets a double axhandle to the back of Blackwell's head. Back to the bearhug and Hansen again trying for the double sledge but he's starting to fade. Hansen's arm drops twice but he holds on the third time. Blackwell rams Hansen into the corner with the ref behind him for a crushing ref bump. Blackwell gets the BIG FAT SPLASH and he can't get the pin cause there's no ref. Hansen slips off his boot and FATTYWHACKS Blackwell with it four or five times. Blackwell does a shitty bladejob in plain view, not to mention that you can see him stick the blade back in his tights. That's just laziness on his part. Hansen drops the boot down on the referee now and keeps beating the fuck out of Blackwell with it. Another referee comes in and TACKLES Hansen and Hansen fucks him up too. Blackwell has the boot now and puts Hansen to the floor with it. Hansen out of the ring clutching his belt and jeering the crowd as we go to a break.

Winner: None (Double Disqualification)


Match Analysis: A brawl between the two big men that was actually not terrible. They did the best they could considering Blackwell's physical limitations and managed to hook me in at least a little bit. Hansen is great playing the crazy heel cause he's legitimately insane. Sadly, Blackwell was past the point of caring and it showed in his lazy, crappy bladejob. Good to see for the historical perspective but as a match, it was passable at best.


Back from the break and Hansen cuts a crazy promo talking about how kids need to say no to "you know what", then threatens Bockwinkel before their bout the next night in Denver. He essentially calls Blackwell a pussy and then throws out his revisionist history of how BLACKWELL took off the boot and then beat him with it. Tremendous. He then says he's going to kick ass all over the United States, and they don't bleep out the word ass. ESPN was hardcore back in '86, before hardcore was cool, don't you know.



Match Four: Main Event
Brad Rheingans vs. Ali Khan w/ Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie


Kahn, the opium junkie, keeps scratching his beard as they lock up and Rheingans is too quick, making Kahn fall on his face and roll out to the floor. Another lock up and Kahn misses a swing on the break and Rheingans clocks him one and Kahn is back out to the floor. It's gonna be one of THESE matches I see. Back into the ring for ANOTHER lock up and Rheingans get a go-behind and takes Kahn down before he rolls back out of the ring for more instructions from El-Kaissie. Lock up number four gets Kahn a headlock, with Rheingans whipping him into the ropes. A couple of shoulderblocks for Kahn and it's back to the headlock takeover, but Rheingans reverses it into a headscissors.

Kahn makes the ropes to break the hold and Rheingans holds on a couple seconds longer. Yet more stalling from Kahn as he kneels to take directions from El-Kaissie before they lock up again. Rehingans with a quick go-behind into a hammerlock and Kahn sells it like he's being stabbed. A big elbow over the top from Kahn and he comedically chokes Rheingans a la Vince McMahon. Kahn clubs Rheingans on the ropes and gets two off of a headlock takeover. Kahn heels it up and pulls the tights while trying for the pinfalls but still can't get three. Rheingans fights up out of the headlock and gets a drop toehold as Kahn charges off the ropes, into a hammerlock.

Rheingans kneeing the elbow and wrenching on the hammerlock. Rheingans switches to a standing hammerlock and starts working the arm, pulling it over the top rope and softening it up with punches. Arm drag into a legdrop for Rheingans and Kahn goes to the eyes to get out of it. Kahn starts working Rheingans over, as he's tied up in the ropes, with knees to the gut. Kahn with a boot to the midsection and Rheingans is out to the floor in front of the Sheik. Kahn with a boot on the apron and jumps off the apron to land a shot on Rheingans. El-Kaissie rams his head into the apron and Rheingans looks lost, circling around the ring and firing himself up.

Rheingans up on the apron with a shoulder to the gut and he hits a ton of right hands into a back bodydrop. Irish whip into the corner and Kahn reverses it to whip Rheingans into the referee. Kahn with a swing and a miss and Rheingans hits the atomic drop. Rheingans to the second rope with a flying shoulderblock, but the referee is still down. Rheingans tries to help the ref up then goes over to pound on Kahn some more. Rheingans whips him in and ducks for a backdrop but Kahn hits a hard forearm shot. He goes for the pin as the referee rings the bell for the double disqualification. Kahn starts distracting the referee to let the Sheik put the boots to Rheingans. Kahn puts the referee on his ass and joins in the beatdown. The poor ref tries to stop it again but El-Kaissie pimp slaps him a good one and puts him down again. They beat Rheingans some more and send him out to the floor, putting him into the ringpost to boot, and the heels pose and make mean faces to end out the show.

Winner: None (Double Disqulification)

Match Analysis: Kahn couldn't do anything and Rheingans could do everything, but chose not to. This was not the best way to bring in the new heel to the Sheik's Army. Honestly, I would rather watch another Boris Zhukov match than see Ali Kahn wrestle again.


Final Thoughts

Well, this isn't quite the way I remembered the AWA before I took my trip down memory lane and watched this show. Now that it's over though, it really does sadly remind me of what the AWA used to be. Lots of squashes and non-finishes, but hey they're still new to me since I haven't seen them in about twenty years or so, so it's not all bad. Unfortunately, the wrestling is serviceable and/or good, so I can't really rip into this show as much as I did in my guest spot on the UWF show. Thumbs in the middle, leaning down for this show, since the squashes were meh, and the two main events both double DQ's. Here's to hoping the next show is a little better.


********************************

[CW .org .info .net]

AWA Championship Wrestling (Originally aired on August 5, 1986)

Ron Trongard and Lord James Blears are ringside, describing all of the hot and heavy wrestling action, and hopefully not saying anything too stupid.

Match One:
Doug Somers w/Sherri Martel vs. Kurt Gunther

I still laugh every time that Nelson calls Sherri Martel a "manageress". Earthquake Ferris is the special referee for this one and we starts with a lockup and Somers falling to a front facelock into a big stomp to the chest. Somers cranks away at the neck of Gunther and drops a knee to the face before moving to the chinlock. Somers hits another stomp to the face and pushes Gunther against the ropes, chopping him hard before taking him over with a side headlock. He turns Gunther over into a near-choke and then stomps away again. Gunther grabs a bodylock and they end up against the ropes with Somers firing off right hands in succession. Somers hits a BIG suplex off the ropes, though Gunther went up like a sack of shit, and Ferris is down for a quicker count of the 1-2-3. Somers throws a few more stomps for good measure after the bell and the crowd doesn't like it.

Winner: Doug Somers (pinfall, suplex)

Match Analysis: Way too short to mean anything. Somers looked rather put out to be dealing with this guy who didn't look like he knew how to bump, so he kind of took it out on him and ended things rather quickly. Bring back jobbers like Tom Stone and send Gunther to the scrap heap.


We come back to the "In This Corner" segment, featuring Larry Zbyszko and his special guest, Greg Gagne. This should be gold. Zbyszko says that it's great that Gagne is going to be on the show, talks about Scott LeDoux and then spins a wild conspiracy theory about Nick Bockwinkel. Delusion at it's finest right there. Gagne joins Zybszko and Nelson and says that the only reason he's out there at all is because he's a professional unlike Zbyszko. OOOOOOH, sick burn!! Zbyszko says that Gagne is after Bockwinkel just as much and that he wants the title to prove to Verne that he's just as good as him. Zbyszko says that no one is getting in his way, not Gagne, not Scott LeDoux, nobody. Gagne keeps bringing the heat saying that Zbyszko's spent his entire career living in the shadow of Bruno Sammartino, then drops another burn saying that Zbyszko is an EPIC PHAIL!! Nelson steps in before they start giving each other purple nurples and sends us to a video package featuring Greg Gagne.

We get highlights of Gagne in the ring against various jobbers, as well as classic footage of matches he's had against the likes of Larry Zbyszko and some great action from a match between Gagne and Adrian Adonis. It's great to see all of this stuff, as Ken Patera, Jesse Ventura, and a cage match with Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie all roll through the package. Lots of high-flying from Gagne, with dropkicks and flying kneedrops from the top rope aplenty. We even get some tag-match action featuring Gagne and LeDoux vs. Zbyszko and Earthquake Ferris. After that match here comes one of Zbyszko's ninjas!!! SALT TO THE EYES!!! LeDoux tastes the nunchuks and so does Gagne!! Gagne takes a hard shot to the back of the head with the nunchuks and that's the end of the package.

Back to interview segment and Gagne says that it was embarassing for Zbyszko that he needed Ninja Go to help him, while Zbyszko plays an imaginary violin. TREMENDOUS!!! Zbyszko cuts Gagne off and goes off on a HUGE rant about the AWA Championship Committee screwing him by making Ferris his partner instead of Go, and then bags on Gagne for needing to prove something to his old man. Nelson ends up caught in the middle of Zbyszko and Gagne screaming at each other and Greg looks like he's gonna backhand Zbyszko. Greg Gagne ain't no bitch.


Back from the commercial break and Larry Nelson is with Donna asking why she hasn't been doing her "Ringside Rumors" segment as of late. They begin talking about the AWA Women's Championship match with Sherri Martel winning the title from Candi Devine and the disputed decision. No wonder I couldn't peg Donna as a Gagne, she doesn't sound anything like Greg or Verne. They both agree that Candi Devine should and will get a rematch in the future and the talk then turns to when Ringside Rumors is coming back and she says that next week there'll be a new segment for everyone. Crowd seems to be chanting "Bullshit", I'm sure because they have been teased with a new Donna Gagne segment for weeks and are sick of waiting to see her on TV again. She leaves us with one rumor, saying that since Martel has aligned herself with Rose and Somers, she's getting offers from Hollywood to star opposite some very famous leading men. Nelson figures it will be tough, now that she's the champion. I figure it will be tough, considering Sherri's voice is grating enough to take down a ten-pound block of cheddar in about eight seconds flat.


After the break, we're still ringside and Nelson is joined by Nick Bockwinkel now. He's got a big match coming with The Barbarian, and Bockwinkel says that he's a veteran and one of the senior members of the sport. He says he's had the good fortune to stay in shape and learned how to bend the rules and cheat. He says that he won't apologize for any of his actions in the past and that despite the Sheik wanting the World Heavyweight Championship more than anything, but Bockwinkel is going to be the one to stop him by beating Barbarian in their match.


Finally back to the ring for some wrestling action and it looks like it's going to be....an interesting bout.


Match Two:
Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka vs. Don Fargo

Snuka and Fargo lock up and end up in the ropes immediately and Snuka gives him a clean break, but Fargo is complaining about the hair pull. Another lockup and Fargo gets an armbar, putting Snuka down to the mat with some hair pulling of his own, but Snuka gets up to his feet before going down again to a handful of hair. They separate and lockup again, with Fargo getting a cheapshot in the corner and Snuka firing back with a right hand of his own, sending Fargo strutting and scurrying back to the corner. They lockup once more and Fargo gets a go-behind into a full nelson, which Snuka breaks by flexing his back muscles, firing off some chops once he's free of the hold. Fargo takes the low road and heads out to the floor, and Lord James Blears scares me talking about the quality and texture of Jimmy Snuka's hair. Ewwwwww. So much for the announcers not saying anything stupid. Fargo heads back into the ring and they try the old test of strength, with Fargo getting the advantage early on, putting Snuka down to a knee in the middle of the ring. The crowd gets behind Snuka and he turns the tide, sending Fargo down to his back and into the ropes to break the hold. Fargo gets a chinlock off of another lockup and pulls that luxurious hair of Snuka's to get him down to the mat. The crowd tries to will Snuka out of the chinlock again, but Fargo keeps cranking on the pressure. The announcers are speculating that it's a version of a Japanese sleeper as the referee checks on Snuka to make sure he's not passed out asleep. Snuka is NOT asleep though because he's fighting it and getting back to his feet as the crowd rises and stomps and claps again. Snuka takes Fargo over to break the hold, but Fargo rushes over to throw that hold on again, stopping only to smash Snuka's head into the top turnbuckle. Snuka ends up down on his knees and Fargo lets go of the hold to chop away at Snuka's chest. Snuka decides he's had enough, firing back with right hands of his own and a HUGE headbutt, followed by a big bodyslam in the center of the ring. Snuka off the second rope with a FISTDROP, lifting Fargo off the mat to deliver a backbreaker. Snuka heads up to the top and it's DA SUPAFLY!!! 1-2-3, and it's all OVER!! In all honesty, that was one of the sloppiest Superfly splashes I think I've ever seen, and the replay just makes it look worse as Snuka almost missed him entirely.

Winner: Jimmy Snuka (pinfall, Superfly splash)

Match Analysis: A really dead match that spent WAYYYY too much time in a chinlock. Fargo didn't have the wind to be the guy that carried the offense and as such the match dragged a lot. A somewhat hot finish at the end and the crowd was REALLY into Snuka but it's not enough to save this dud.


After the match and a short timeout, Snuka's in the ring with Larry Nelson and he thanks the fans for all the support. He wants to tell the people that it means a lot to climb the ladder to get to the top and that Nick Bockwinkel is at the top and he's going to keep that in mind. He turns his attention to the Sheik and says that there are a couple of Sheik's men that he has to work past to get to the top, and Larry mentions Boris Zhukov and The Barbarian, and Snuka calls them two headaches. He says that he's getting himself in the best shape that he can be and that he's going to get to the top.


Match Three:
The Midnight Rockers vs. Larry Zbyszko and Ninja Go

Ohhhh MAN!! This should be awesome. A HUGE "Larry Sucks" chant from the crowd that the Rockers help to encourage. There's a couple of stand-offs between the two teams and Zbyszko heads out to the apron to scream at someone in the front row. Probably yelling at some Vegas skank or something. Now he turns his attention to the referee, yelling at him while trying to remove his robe. Go heads to the floor and tries to come around on the Rockers from behind, but gets caught and instead bows to Michaels, prompting Michaels to bow back. HA!! Take that, Mr. NINJA-PANTS!! The crowd gets in on Zbyszko again, and he's back out to the apron to jaw with the mouthbreathers. He puts the badmouth on Jannetty and then heads over to confer with Go before fianlly locking up with Jannetty. Trongard notices that it's been about four minutes since a bell rang and yet there's still no action one way or the other. That's the true mark of a Larry Zbyszko match during this time period. The crowd chants at Zbyszko again and he figures it's time to take a powder, claiming one of the fans has no teeth and that another looks like he beat up Willie Nelson. Zbyszko gets back into the ring and yells at the crowd a little more, working up a sweat just from talking shit.

They finally meet in the middle and Zbyszko gets a fireman's carry into an armbar, grounding the high-flyer in Jannetty. Jannetty kips up and grabs a headlock, with Zbyszko firing him off the ropes. Jannetty with a shoulderblock, Zbyszko with a drop toehold, Jannetty with an armdrag takeover and the action has picked up a TON, leading Zbyszko to take another powder to the floor. Another lockup and Zbyszko gets an arm-wringer, but Jannetty reverses it into a takedown again, putting Zbyszko to the mat and forcing him to get a tag to the Ninja. Michaels tags in and they hook it up, with Michaels grabbing an arm-wringer, with Go kicking him away, and they stand-off in the middle of the ring. Another lockup and Go gets a hammerlock this time, cranking on the arm of Michaels until Shawn goes behind to reverse it, grabbing the arm-wringer again and yanking Go out of the ropes on numerous occasions to maintain the hold. Go hits the floor and Michaels heads out after him, holding the arm the entire way. Michaels starts hammering away with right hands to the arm on the floor and they roll back inside.

Go with a whip in and Michaels avoids a couple of ninja moves before flying over with a sunset flip attempt. Michaels gets a two count off of it and they botch an armdrag but cover it well with some chain wrestling, ending up with Go grabbing a front facelock on Michaels and tagging in Zbyszko. The "Larry Sucks" chant starts again and Zbyszko starts mouthing to the announcers. Michaels and Zbyszko square off and Zbyszko SLAPS Michaels in the face. They lockup in the corner and Michaels backs off far enough to paintbrush the SHIT out of Zbyszko. You got my money, BITCH? Zbyszko feels much shame and heads out to the floor to try to soothe his ego. Another lockup and Zbyszko pushes Michaels into the ropes, hitting a spinning back kick to the gut before running Michaels into the corner. Michaels reverses it and sends Zbyszko in for a Bret bump in the corner, really doing a number on the face of Zbyszko. Zbyszko is PISSED and heads over to tag in his Ninja. Michaels makes the switch with Jannetty and Go grabs a headlock, getting sent into the ropes with Jannetty trying a hip toss, but Go reverses it and sends Jannetty down to the mat instead.

Go grabs another side headlock and cranks away on Jannetty's head until he's forced to let it go in the corner. Zbyszko distracts the referee and Go hits Jannetty in the throat before ramming him into the turnbuckles. Go with an Irish whip into the corner but Jannetty reverses, charging in on the Ninja and taking a BIG boot to the face. Go takes over with another turnbuckle smash and an Irish whip, followed by a hard punch to the gut. Go with a backbreaker and he gets a two count off of that before tagging in Zbyszko. Zbyszko with some punches and he whips Jannetty in, connecting with a knee to the stomach before stopping to do a little disco dancing. After TWELVE GLORIOUS SECONDS of the Zbyszko School for Interpretive Dance's master class, Zbyszko rams Jannetty into the turnbuckle and distracts the referee again to let Ninja Go do a little dirty work. Go chokes Jannetty against the middle rope and Michaels is LIVID on the other side of the ring. Zbyszko heads over and stomps Jannetty out to the floor and Go takes over again, ramming Jannetty into the post and HERE COMES MICHAELS!!

Michaels chases off Go and protects Jannetty until he can get back into the ring. Zbyszko grabs Jannetty with a big bodyslam and tags in the Ninja. Zbyszko holds a backbreaker and waits for Go to walk along the second rope to deliver a BIG elbowsmash that gets a two count before Michaels breaks up the pin attempt. Jannetty gets a right hand on Go, but that gets cut off as he eats a big kneelift to the face. Go brings in Zbyszko and they hit a double reverse elbow off the ropes, sending Jannetty sprawling to the mat and Zbyszko stays in the ring, going to the eyes with the soles of his boots. Jannetty with a right hand but Zbyszko cuts it off again. An Irish whip in and Jannetty catches Zbyszko with a knee as he ducks for the back bodydrop. Jannetty staggers over as Go comes in to stop him, Jannetty with the kick and it's time for a HOT TAG TO MICHAELS!!

RIGHT HANDS TO GO!! SWEET CHIN MUSIC TO GO!! SWEET CHIN MUSIC TO ZBYSZKO!!! An Irish whip and a reverse elbow to Go gets a two count but Zbyszko breaks up the pin. A double Irish whip from the Rockers gets reversed and they end up running into each other. Michaels to the floor and Zbyszko and Go get a double clothesline on Jannetty as Ron Trongard tells us that there's thirty seconds left in the match. Michaels catches Go's leg and drags him to the outside as Zbyszko covers Jannetty for a 1-2....KICKOUT!! Michaels runs Go's head into the ringside table and climbs the ropes from the outside, as Jannetty gets a suplex on Zbyszko from the inside. Michaels jumps off the top to the floor but misses Go, landing on his feet and chasing Go around the outside of the ring. Jannetty rolls up Zbyszko on the inside and gets a two count but Go breaks it up and apparently time is up and the bell rings. Jannetty and Zbyszko are still going to town, and I haven't HEARD a bell ring, as Jannetty gets a sunset flip for a two count. Zbyszko Irish whips Jannetty in and he holds the top rope to avoid a dropkick from Zbyszko. ROLLUP BY JANNETTY!! 1-2....GO BREAKS IT UP!! DOUBLE DROPKICK FROM THE ROCKERS. Jannetty with the pin and the referee won't count it because Go is the legal man.

Go suplexes Jannetty and gets a two count before running over to attack Michaels. Jannetty sneaks up behind Go for a rollup and gets another two count. They drag Jannetty over to their corner and attack his knee. Zbyszko tries to get a turnbuckle smash on Jannetty but it's reversed and Zbyszko dines on the top buckle. Side headlock from Jannetty and he's sent in to the ropes and they crack heads, ending up down on the mat. They both stagger to their feet and Jannetty Irish whips Zbyszko to the corner but there's a reversal and Jannetty takes the buckle chest-first. Belly to back suplex from Zbyszko and he crawls over for a bodyslam but his back gives out and Jannetty ends up on top....1-2...GO MAKES THE SAVE!! THE BELL RINGS!! It's all over but the fight is still on!!! Michaels and Go outside the ring, Jannetty and Zbyszko in the ring. MICHAELS RUNS GO INTO THE TABLE OUTSIDE!! Go turns the tide and chokes Michaels out with a ringside cable as Jannetty atomic drops Zbyszko in the ring!!! Zbyszko to the floor, double Irish whip to Ninja Go. ROCKER DOUBLE DROPKICK!! Go is out to the floor and we're completely out of time as Zbyszko and Go head out to regroup and The Rockers celebrate in the ring.

Winners: None (time limit draw)

Match Analysis: It seems like a real pattern is forming with The Rockers and great main events. This was an awesome match and when you add the youth and overness of Jannetty and Michaels with the ring generalship and awesome heelishness of Zbyszko you get a TV main event that was WAY ahead of its time. Sadly, there wasn't a finish, since a match of this quality deserved one, but that's a minor quibble that barely takes away from the match itself.


Final Thoughts

A really weird show that was dragging for forty minutes until the main event picked up the pace at the end and saved it. The interviews were all good, and it's nice to see Zbyszko and Bockwinkel get some time at the mike, but putting them all back to back to back like that REALLY killed the flow of the show. The main event saved things from being a complete disaster, but just barely. It's a testament to just how good the main event was to keep this show from ending up on the scrap heap despite the first forty minutes featuring about five minutes of wrestling and twenty of commercials. Thumbs in the middle, leaning up for this one because of the hot main event and again, the AWA leaves me with a positive thought at the end which colors my thoughts on the entire program and makes the crap much more palatable.

********************************