CLASSIC AWA 4/26/08 TV REPORT
- 04/29/2008 (11:21:46 am)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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April 26th aired a 1988 episode of Verne Gagne’s AWA All Star Wrestling from Nashville, Tennessee.
Shaun Baxter & Odyssey versus Badd Company (Sensai Pat Tanaka & Paul Diamond,
accompanied by Diamond Dallas Page & the Diamond Dolls)
After taking judo chops on the rope, Baxter arm drags Tanaka down. A back heel kick from Tanaka in the corner, would cut Baxter’s offense short. Diamond gorilla presses Tanaka up and drops him onto Baxter. Then Tanaka bear hugs Baxter, as Diamond charges off the ropes with a hangman’s clothesline (Hart Foundation’s Hart Attack).
Baxter finds his opportunity to tag, when Diamond crashing into the turnbuckles after whipping Baxter to the corner. Diamond would be subject to Odyssey’s body slam, drop kick and back body drop. Odyssey would leap to the middle rope after a corner, twist into a flying body press, but crash when Diamond moved out of the way. A tagged Tanaka waist locked Odyssey from behind and German suplexed to a bridge, after Diamond delivered a crescent kick. This secured a pinfall victory past the four minute point.
Sonny Street versus "Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez
Street was flipped over in a back drop while Fernandez maintained the arm lock. Fernandez punished Street with knife edge chops, head butts and knee drops. From a dropkick, Fernandez pulled up Street from a pin, and a commentating Verne Gagne didn’t understand this method. He explained to his broadcast partner Lee Marshall, that he was happy to get the win when he could, instead of remaining in their to risk injury.
After applying a sleeperhold on the seated Street, Fernandez planted his foot to Street’s neck for a stepping choke. Street tried to come back with shots the mid section, but he headlock was shoved off, and he collapsed backwards from exhaustion in a collision. Fernandez landed a flying back elbow, then whipped Street into the ropes again, to land his Flying Burrito (an irish whip into a flying body tackle press) finisher. This gained the victory in this four minute match. Fernandez then threw Street under the bottom rope to the concrete floor.
Sid Striker versus Chief Wahoo McDaniel
Wahoo subtly applies a headlock into a take down. Wahoo gets enough of breaking up the collar and elbow tie ups in the ropes, and tomahawk chops Striker in the corner. Striker is then chopped down after being Irish whipped into the corner. Wahoo steps on Striker’s right ankle while twisting the raised left ankle, with knees into the hamstring. Wahoo lands a knee to Striker’s back, then plants a tomahawk chop on the laid out Striker. After a chop off the ropes and another chop drop, Wahoo gains the pin, just past the three minute mark.
Wendi Richter versus AWA Ladies’ Champion Madusa Miceli
Richter arm drags Madusa to a top wrist lock, but is then taken over with a head scissor. Richter rolls to a release, Madusa tells the referee to "get out of my way!", and then bumps him back into the corner. Marshall felt that she had a point, but Verne thought that Madusa may be playing psychology on Richter. Marshall says that Richter landed a knee, but the hit looked like a kick, that took Madusa to the mat. Madusa would escape a pin after being kneed to the head and snap mared. Richter had a front face lock on, but Madusa powered Richter to turn around into the corner. Richter blocked a punch and took Madusa back with a heavy forearm blow.
After another forearm, Richter jammed her shoulder into a ropes prone Madusa. When Madusa extended her hand to shake, Richter took it and both ladies landed boots to the mid section, that Richter. Madusa got the worst of it, was covered for the pin, but Madusa displayed great strength in lifting Richter high off the mat in the kick out at 1. Richter applied a chinlock with a knee to the back of the seated Madusa, saying "ask her, ref!" to try and get a submission. Richter would release to go for a high leg drop, but miss.
Madusa pulled up on Richter’s arms, while standing on her opponent’s hair. Madusa leaped up and scrapped the sides of Richter’s face with her boots. Richter landed a punch to Madusa’s mid section, then pushed her back with a headbutt to the stomach. After a choke on the middle rope, Richter yanked the rope, causing Madusa to be flung backwards. After a Richter body slam and pin attempt, Madusa kicks out at 1 and eyes rakes Richter to the mat. Madusa applies a Boston crab, but Richter turns this into a roll. Madusa escapes to plant Richter down with a forearm to the back. Madusa would then land two knees into Richter’s back, then rub Richter’s face into the canvas.
After stepping on her opponent’s hair, Madusa choked Richter on the top rope, before fling her back with a rope yank. Madusa stepped on the downed Richter and pointed up. Madusa hammered Richter to the ropes, then Irish whipped her in for a kick. Richter caught the foot, spun Madusa around, and hammered her opponent down with a forearm smash. Marshall quoted Diamond Dallas Page saying that she "dropped her like a bad habit", but then called Richter’s ropes a whip back elbow a shoulder tackle. Madusa kicks out again at 1, and Marshall says that Richter should remember to hook the leg when pinning. Richter then turns a body slam into a shoulder breaker, and then takes Madusa back with a knee lift.
Richter tries to whip Madusa to the corner, it’s reversed, but Richter brings her legs up to knock her foe back. Madusa scissors kicks out of a sunset flip pin attempt at 2. Richter comes back with an elbow to the stomach and face driver to the mat. Madusa is whipped to the ropes for a high boot. Richter turns a body slam into a suplex, but doesn’t hook the leg, and only gets a 1 count on her pin attempt on Madusa. Richter then hoists Madusa up with a powerbomb into a pressing pin. At that moment, Badd Company rushes in and takes Richter off Madusa. Diamond pulled Richter’s hair, as Tanaka punched her back.
Richter fires back with a forearm to Diamond’s chest, and a kick to Tanaka’s stomach. Badd Company then double body slams Richter on to the top rope. Richter is whipped backwards to the mat, where Bad Company stomps on her and Madusa lands punches. The crowd cheers as The Top Guns (Jon Paul & Ricky Rice) rush to the ring, chasing Badd Company and Madusa from the ring. Madusa was disqualified for interference in a match that went past seven minutes.
After tending to Richter, Paul and Rice told Marshall that Badd Company showed their colors as yellow by ganging up on a woman. Richter said "I had Madusa beat, I should be the champion!" Rice called out "Badd Company beware, because the Top Guns are on your trail!"
Next up were interview clips, building up the Sgt. Slaughter and Iron Sheik feud in AWA. Some moments from Sarge on the G.I. Joe cartoon were shown. Along with Sheik Adnan El Kassey, the Iron Sheik said he would face Slaughter anywhere in USA. Sarge said that he would make the Iron Sheik suffer in Cobra Clutch, in the name of all the hostages and their families.
Samoan S.W.A.T. Team (Samu & Fatu, accompanied by Buddy Roberts) versus World Class tag team champions Michael "P.S." Hayes & Steve Cox in the championship main event
After the SST’s huddled with manager Roberts, Samu hammers Hayes in the corner, but Hayes pounds him back. Samu push off Hayes’ headlock to the ropes, jumps up prematurely for a leap frog, and Hayes knocks Samu back with a punch that is followed by a moonwalk. Samu pushes off Hayes headlock again, misses a clothesline, leap frogs over but gets stomped when down on the mat in a monkey flip attempt.
Hayes extends Samu’s left arm for a tagged Cox, to land a forearm drop from the top rope. While in an arm bar, Samu backs Cox to Fatu’s corner. Fatu puts his hand up to stop Samu’s punch when Cox ducked, but Cox would duck again, causing Samu to hit Fatu. Cox reversed Fatu’s wristlock, but Samu lands a forearm to the back to break the hold. Samu returned to his corner, had his leg over the middle rope, and Hayes ran over, yanking the rope up to cause a groin shot on Samu.
Hayes then leaped up and landed an ax handle to Fatu’s shoulder, while held in Cox’s arm bar. Roberts tended to Samu on the floor, as Hayes stomped and clapped to rally the audience. Fatu eye rakes an escape, whipped Cox in, but had his hip toss reversed before being arm dragged down. Fatu whipped Cox in the ropes, and on the floor, Samu tripped Cox to the mat. Samu and Fatu chopped at a corner bound Cox until Roberts called them off, to demonstrate his control.
Samu whipped Cox into the ropes for a hair grab into a face slam. Samu drove a headbutt and got a 2 count. Hayes ran around the ring to chase Roberts back until Fatu stepped forward. After some double teaming, Samu delivered a big clothesline, then dug in the Cox’ shoulder with a nerve hold. Hayes tried rallying the crowd again. Cox elbows out, but gets hair pulled down by Fatu, when rushing to the ropes. Hayes runs over and hammers down Fatu, this has him tied up with the ref, for the SST’s to double team Cox.
Fatu took over for the shoulder nerve hold for a few minutes. Cox elbowed out but a savate kick dropped Cox, then both SST’s whipped Cox in for double crescent kicks. Hayes kicks Samu off the pin. Samu front face locks Cox, then whips him to the corner. Samu over shoots to splash, Cox ducks, and Samu hits steel.
This buys Cox time for the tag. Hayes rushes in with feet, fists, and a back body drop on Fatu. Cox dropkicks Samu down, as Hayes nails Fatu with the bulldog (headlock to a face plant). Hayes covers Fatu, but Samu breaks this with a headbutt drive from the top rope. The referee waves off the match as a no contest after eleven minutes, as SST’s double team with fits on Cox in the corner.
Fatu holds Cox for a Samu clothesline, but Cox misses, causing Fatu to sail from the ring. Hayes then tossed Samu over the top rope, where the battle would continue on the floor. Hayes traded fists with Samu, as Cox traded fists with Fatu. Hayes slammed Samu into a ringside table just as Cox slammed Fatu’s head against the ring apron. Hayes then slammed Samu’s head against the wall, as all four men battle back to the dressing rooms.
Catch the legends of AWA Monday to Friday at 1am est on ESPN Classic
David
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