CLASSIC AWA 5/16/08 TV REPORT
- 05/17/2008 (12:13:44 am)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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May 16th airs a 1988 episode of Verne Gagne’s AWA All-Star Wrestling form the Showboat Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas Nevada.
Pistol Pete versus Ricky Rice
Pete backed Rice to ropes with a chop, then was flipped to the mat by Rice’s fireman’s carry takeover. Peter eye raked out of an arm bar, taking Rice to the corner for a head smash in the corner. Rice placed his right foot on the middle turnbuckle pad, blocking Pete’s head smash attempt in another corner. Rice slammed Pete’s head into the top turnbuckle, then shot him into the ropes for a back body drop. Referee Jim Bunning made the count when Rice’s dropkick kept Pete down for the 3, closing the match in under four minutes.
In an interview segment, Curt Hennig mentioned his war with Chief Wahoo McDaniel. After McDaniel took 15 stitches over his eye in their recent match, Hennig said that McDaniel would be looking more to put Hennig out of wrestling than to win the title. Hennig brought up the AWA ladies’ champion Madusa Miceli who stood by him.
Hennig said that she would provide another obstacle for McDaniel. When Hennig asked Madusa what she liked about the AWA champion, she said it was his zest, his zeal and his sex appeal. They both smiled, and Hennig said "that’s saying it all, lady!"
Greg Robertson versus AWA champion "Cool" Curt Hennig (accompanied by AWA ladies’ champion Madusa Miceli)
Madusa’s left arm was in a sling as she followed Hennig to the ring. Hennig flaunted Madusa to announcer Rod Trongard, and mentioned Trongard wanting a piece of the action. Trongard said that he wasn’t sure what that was about, that he just always referred to Madusa as a lovely lady. Trongard mentioned Madusa’s injury as being the result of an elbow injury. Hennig shot for a leg take down, and then took Robertson down again with an amateur style take down from the back, to a cross face. Hennig backed Robertson into the corner, pointed at him saying"you want to be a wrestler, boy?!" then slapped Robertson’s face.
Robertson shoves Hennig, but Hennig draggs him down into an arm bar, then to chopps against the ropes. Hennig applies an abdominal stretch with strikes against Robertson’s side, before yanking Robertson backwards. Hennig engaged Robertson in a knuckle lock, then kick away the arm to chop Robertson, who fell after a delayed reaction. Hennig pulled on Robertson’s face against the ropes, but when Hennig turned away, Robert came back with forearm strikes. Robertson then reversed Hennig’s whip to dropkick Hennig out of the ring.
Hennig returned to the ring to be Irish whipped into the corner. Hennig brought his two feet up, bring Robertson from a charge to being laid out on the mat. Hennig picked up Robertson, then secured him in the fisherman’s suplex (Perfectplex). Referee Jim Bunning count the 3, bring the match to close after three minutes.
For AWA’s Mat Classic segment, Greg Gagne presented a December 7th 1984 bout between The Fabulous Ones (Steve Keirn & Stan Lane) with The Crusher in their corner versus Animal & Hawk of The Road Warriors (accompanied by their manager "Precious" Paul Ellering). This match was held at the Winnipeg arena, and Gagne said that 18,000 were in attendance for this AWA card.
This match was joined to about the last three minutes of the bout. Hawk had a seated Lane in a chinlock with a knee posted in the back. A tagged Animal body slammed Lane and sprung off the ropes for a splash, but crashed down on Lane’s raised knees. A tagged Keirn kicked Animal into the corner, then struck Hawk on the apron.
Animal was whipped to the ropes, and the charging Keirn was brought down with a knee lift. Keirn ducked the ropes whip for a clothesline, and knocked Animal down with a flying elbow. Hawk kicked off the pin, then Lane entered to superkick away Hawk and Animal.
Keirn battled Animal in the corner as Lane applied the abdominal stretch on Hawk. Ellering walked up the steps to hit Lane with a chair, but Crusher took away the chair and chased Ellering from the ring. Referee signaled for the bell for the interference.
Crusher Krugnoff & Soldat Ustinov (accompanied by Teijo Khan) versus Chief Wahoo McDaniel & Ricky Morton
After Krugnoff (pronounced Krueger by Nelson, Trongard & Marshall) was taken over and kept in a headlock, Wahoo tagged off to Morton, who stomped on Krugnoff’s chest. Morton picked up the big "Russian" with a body slam, taking him down with a back handed strike and knee lift. Morton held Krugnoff for Wahoo’s rib chop.
After being thrown from the ring, Krugnoff was massacred in the corner by Wahoo’s tomahawk strikes. Krugnoff would back Morton to Ustinov’s corner, where a tagged Ustinov lifted and gripped Morton with a bear hug.
Morton clapped hands, causing Ustinov to release from the double arm smash to the head. Morton whipped Ustinov in for a double back elbow, asisted by the freshly tagged Wahoo. After a chinlock, Wahoo locked Ustinov’s arm for Morton punch from the apron. Wahoo backed Ustinov in the corner for a double chop to the ribs and over head chop. Wahoo pulled the tagged Krugnoff off his feet for a knee to Krugnoff’s left left, then held the leg for Morton to leap off the ropes with a double knee drop.
Morton then split Krugnoff’s legs with a double leg drop. After applying an ankle lock, Morton tagged Wahoo as he Irish whipped Krugnoff to the ropes. Krugnoff hopped over the dropped down Morton and was knocked to the mat with Wahoo’s big chop. Morton dropkick Ustinov away, as referee Gary DeRousha counted the 3, ending this match in under seven minutes. Krugnoff was turned around and knocked down to the floor by Wahoo’s chop. .
Yesterday’s ringside interview with Morton replayed, where Morton said that he was looking to become 5 times tag team champions with Robert Gibson in the Rock N’ Roll Express.
Big K’s segment then aired, where he said Badd Comapny had listened to his advice, and now they are AWA world tag team champions. A clip was played where Badd Company whipped Midnight Rockers’ Marty Jannetty to the steel post on the outside. Jannetty was busted open, and pinned by Pat Tanaka. Big K also brought again that he was the one who introduced Teijo Khan to Sheik Adnan Kassey, and K said that Baron should just retire in peace instead of pursing a war with Sheik Adnan’s Army.
Teijo Khan (accompanied by Soldat Ustinov) versus Baron Von Rasche in the main event
A robed Baron runs the ropes awaiting his opponent. Teijo charges, but Baron ducks down, taking Teijo over with a back body drop. Teijo exits the ring, and Ustinov goes to attack Baron in the ring. Baron whips Ustinov into the corner for a back body drop.
Teijo returns, back Baron to ropes, but misses a big knife edge chop. Baron than a shot, and reverses Teijo’s wristlock. Baron keeps Khan at bay with a lock on the left arm. Teijo reaches to pull the hair on the bald Baron, and referee Gary DeRousha warns Baron about pulling Teijo’s braided strand of for the second time.
Teijo backs Baron to the corner with a chop, but Baron reverses the corner whip to arm drag Teijo to the mat. Baron twists Teijo’s left wrist, bending the hand backwards, and pressuring the forearm with Baron’s right leg. Teijo backed Baron the corner for a chop, when referee DeRousha backed off Teijo, Ustinov hopped to the ring arpon, choking Baron with the pole of his Soviet flag.
Teijo would approach for another attack, then Ustinov choked Baron on the middle rope when the ref backed off Teijo. The pony tail of Teijo was pulled over Baron’s shoulder. Baron would pull on Teijo’s face from the nostrils. After getting a near fall with a double handed martial arts strikes, Teijo caught Baron in a nerve hold from the shoulders.
Baron elbowed to an escape but was body slammed. Teijo leaped from the middle ropes for a flying headbutt from the corner, but Baron moved and Teijo crashed to the canvas. Teijo is whipped to the ropes for a back body drop, then whipped again for a back elbow.
Baron does the goose step and diplays his Claw, but Teijo stops an approaching Baron with a throat strike. Teijo goes to whip Baron into Ustinov on the apron, but Baron’s reverse has Teijo knock both Ustinov and referee DeRousha out of the ring. Teijo is caught in The Claw.
Ustinov enters the ring and breaks the hold with a strike from the flag pole to Baron’s back. Ustinov places Teijo on top of Baron and leaves. Referee Gary DeRousha counts the 3, bring this match to a close in after eight minutes.
Commentators Rod Trongard and Lee Marshall comment that the flag pole bent to look like a hockey stick. Larry Nelson interviews Baron at ringside, saying that he couldn’t be more angry, motioning to his neck in pain as he yelled.
Baron said that he will find partners to take on Sheik and his army. Nelson said that he understood Baron’s fury, and Lee Marshall joined Lee to say that he has never seen a more cowardly display by Ustinov. Both announcers expressed eagerness in seeing a rematch involving more combatants, and were curious to see the partners The Baron chooses.
Catch the legends of AWA Monday to Friday at 1am est on ESPN Classic.
David
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