July 12^th aired a 1987 episode of Verne Gagne`s AWA All-Star Wrestling from the Showboat Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas Nevada.

At AWA studio, Larry Nelson aired a replay of Hennig knocking out Wahoo McDaniel with coins in their match. Hennig joined Nelson to say that his fingernail tore to it's base, and that's what the video replay showed. Hennig said that he used the same right fist that knocked out Nick Bockwinkel to gain Hennig the AWA World championship. Nelson mentioned that night, fans had showed him the coings Hennig used, and Hennig said that money is everywhere in Vegas.  

Hennig proclaimed that himself the greatest wrestling champion, having no need to use foreign objects. Hennig said that he could have chosen any sport to go into, but chose wrestling because it provides the toughest competition in the world. Hennig said that fans are complaining about his sweeping the garbage in the AWA under the rug. Hennig claimed he put Nick Bockwinkel out of wrestling, impaired Greg Gagne¢s eye sight by slamming him many times to the ring post, nearly put out DJ Peterson with a back injury, and almost made Wahoo McDaniel lose an eye.  

"Nature Boy" Buddy Landell versus Lance Allen  

Landell falsely complains to referee Robert Warren about a hair pull, after being shoves to the corner twice. Landell mocks the muscular Allen with a double arm pose, and Allen poses back at him. Allen is kneed to the stomach and the head, chopped down, then taken to the mat in a standing dropkick. A fireman`s carry takes Allen to the mat into an arm bar.  

To add extra leverage to his front face lock, Landell places his foot on the middle rope.

Landell lands a leg drop, strikes a cornered Allen, then get a 2 count after hip tosses Allen from the corner. Landell body slams, delivers a corkscrew elbow drop, and wraps up Allen in a figure four leglock. Allen submits for a Landell victory, ending the match after three minutes.  

At AWA studio, Greg Gagne told Larry Nelson that he was getting ready for celebrity softball, the street fight battle royal, and his first wrestling tour of Europe. Gagne responded to AWA world champion Curt Hennig`s comments about effecting Gagne`s vision. Gagne said his eyes are on Hennig, and "sometime I¢m gonna take that title from you!"  

Larry Nelson showed clips of Tommy Rich in a match where he made Tony Leone submit in a step over toe hold. Nelson then replayed Paul E. Dangerously`s (Paul Heyman) interview where Paul said that his protege "Adorable" Adrian Adonis would take care of Rich. He then said that Adonis might get a tag team partner to face Paul¢s other talent the Original Midnight Express, gining the Dangerous Alliance a dandy day by giving Paul the winners` and loses` purse. Then aired a clip of the Original Midnight Express where Dennis Condrey launches Randy Rose off the topr ope onto Lance Allen.  

Larry Nelson wasn¢t sure to believe Adonis` claim of losing forty-two pounds. Nelson then aired a backstage interview where Adonis said that people will say they should have stopped Adonis in Minnesota, as he would be slicing and dicing through the competition. Adonis said that he is talent you pay for, and "you spell wrestling A..D..O..N..I..S!" 

Mike Tolos & ML Williams verus "Mr. Magnificent" Kevin Kelly & Nick Kiniski 

A commentating Greg Gagne mentioned that announcer Mick Karch said that Kelly and Kiniski are accompanied by Madusa Miceli, but she was not there. Williams is kneed in the corner, hip tossed out, then elbow dropped after an overhead slam by Kiniski. After being suplexed, Williams unsuccessfully punched at Kiniski`s stomach, until Kiniski forearm clubbed him on the back. A tagged Tolos is clubbed, chopped, then has his head thrown into Kelly’s boot.

A tagged Kelly knees a cornered Tolos, Irish whips him for a backbreaker, then whips him for a back elbow. Kelly throws Tolos to the corner to tag in Williams. Kelly whips Williams for a clothesline, body slams him, then holds Willaims for clubs by a tagged Kiniski. 

Williams is slammed onto the top rope. Tolos is tagged and dragged in by Kiniski. Tolos takes a kneelift, then is double whipped for a tagged Kelly clothesline, that Tolos unsuccessfully tries to block. Tolos is slammed to Kiniski¢s boot, then a tagged Kiniski whips Tolos with a back elbow. After a Kiniski piledriver, referee Robert Warren counts the 3, closing the match after four minutes.  

At AWA studio, Chief Wahoo McDaniel told Larry Nelson that no man has knocked him out with one punch, referring to AWA world champion Curt Hennig’s punch with a foreign object. McDaniel said that he can`t always turn the other cheek, as he has had to fight his way up from the bottom. McDaniel warned Hennig "somewhere down the line, you’re gonna make a slip. I’m gonna grab you with these big paws of mine, when I get through with you..maybe just maybe someone in your family will recognize who you are"

Tommy "Wildfire" Rich versus Tom "Rocky" Stone

Stone clubs Rich before the starting bell, and is reverse whipped for a back drop. From a suplex and body slam, referee Gary DeRousha signals the bell. Stone submitted to Rich`s figure four leglock, ending the match before the two minute mark. Before Rich could release himself from the hold, Adrian Adonis charges in and splashed Rich twice. Adonis then throws Stone into the ref, as Paul E. Dangerously emptied out the contents of a bag.  

Adonis puts Rich in a pink dress, then applies lip gloss on him. Adonis leaves the ring with Dangerously, when Lance Allen and Mike Tolos come to Rich’s aide. An angered Rich knocks Rick Gantner off the ring apron. Rich tells Nelson at ringside that "I ain`t had no man, whatever you are, do that to me! If I had a kid, I would tell him to hate you" Rich then said that Adonis was like a cancer, and Rich would be the doctor to cut it out of the AWA.

At AWA studio, Larry Nelson said that was the most disgusting thing he had seen in wrestling. Former AWA world tag team champion Ray "The Crippler" Stevens joined Nelson to say that he had never seen anything like that before. Stevens said he wouldn¢t want to be in the shoes of those sick, devious minds, as they will need to keep looking over the shoulder because Rich is all and wouldn`t take that.  

Paul E. Dangerously then gave comments, saying that Rich was told this would be personal, and take him out of action in 1987. Paul said that Jim and Tammy Faye Baker called to tell him that they need a new make-up queen, since Tammy is no longer on tv. Paul then claimed that Adonis ran "Rowdy" Roddy Piper out of wrestling (Piper left wrestling after defeating Adonis at Wrestlemania 3, to pursue an acting career).  

After the commercial, Larry Nelson explained the point system that the AWA was implementing for the tournament to decide the first ever international television champion. Nelson said that pinfalls and submissions are +5 to the winners, -5 to the losers. To discourage count-out and disqualification wins, the points would +2.5 to the winners, -2.5 to the losers. Matches that result in a draw are awarded .5 to both participants. Nelson said that Al DeRousha would be in charge of the official scoring.  

Jamin¢ Mitch Snow versus "Living Legend" Larry Zbyszko in the international television tournament 

Zbyszko backed Snow to the ropes, Snow backed Zbyszko to the corner, then Zbyszko hip tossed him. A commentating Greg Gagne said that fan asked him to go after Adonis. An intense looking Snow arm dragged Zbyszko, then pushed off the headlock to charge him down. Zbyszko pins for a 2 count from a hip toss, then another 2 count from a snapmare. A hammerlocked Zbyszko backs Snow to the ropes. Both men trade waistlocks, then Zbyszko reverses a hammerlock on Snow, rolls him up for 2.

Snow is punched, turnbuckle smashed, but gets his right shoulder up at 2 from a back suplex. Snow punched at Zbyszko`s stomach, but took an eye rake, and whipped Snow into his knee. Zbyszko whips Snow for a back drop, but gets punted. Snow whips Zbyszko for a dropkick, and gets a 2 count on him. Gagne said that Zbyszko took Snow too lightly coming into the match. Zbyszko and Snow trade punches near the ropes, then Zbyszko gets a 2 after a vertical suplex. 

Gagne said that Snow is a durable young man that was an alternate on the US Olympic wrestling team, as Zbyszko had him in a chinlock. "LARRY SUCKS" chants can be heard from the audience. Snow elbows to an escape, rolls up Zbyszko for 2 in a sunset flip. Zbyszko is brought backwards to the mat for 2 in a backslide, then Snow gets a 2 with an inside cradle.  

Zbyszko backs Snow to the corner and drills him with a spin kick to the stomach, then smashes his head to the turnbuckle. Zbyszko throws Snow through the ropes to the floor, then slams Snow into the steel ring post on the outside. Referee Gary DeRousha signals the bells, disqualifying Zbyszko in this match that was over seven minutes. The chants of "LARRY SUCKS" returned.  

At AWA studio, Larry Nelson said that Snow is awarded 2.5, as Zbyszko will have 2.5 deducted from his score as the tournament continues.  

Catch the legends of the AWA Monday to Friday at 12am est on ESPN Classic. 

David   http://www.mysapce.com/unrulyghouly