CLASSIC AWA 3/12/08 TV REPORT
- 03/12/2008 (6:11:01 pm)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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March 12th Classic ESPN brought this 1986 episode of Verne Gagne’s AWA. The first match had Native American Bobby Bold Eagle and Puerto Rico’s Pete Sanchez where defeated by Leningrad’s Soviet contingent of Alexi Smirnoff and Yuri Gordyenko in under 3 minutes. With fluent tags, Smirnoff & Gordyenko worked over Sanchez’ left arm, then changed their strategy to a simple beat down. A freshly tagged Bold Eagle unleashed a flurry of chops to Smirnoff, but soon was caught in the face with the Russian’s boot. Smirnoff delivered a diving head butt, then Gordyenko scored Gary DeRousha’s pin count after he and Smirnoff dropped Bold Eagle onto the top rope.
Announcer Larry Nelson interviewed the winners in the ring. Gordyenko said that he and his partner are here to control the people’s mind and all the champions here, then said that the fans are spaced and ignorant, denying he and Alexi of respect. Smirnoff only spoke to Gordyenko, as Yuir laughed, saying he and Alexi are the smartest and plan to take the championship back to mother Russia.
Greg Gagne defeated Tony Leone in under 5 minutes with a flying knee drop. While in Leone’s arm bar, Gagne kipped up and delivered a hip toss. When Leone resorts to punching Gagne’s ribs, Greg knocked Leone to the mat with a roundhouse right punch. Leone applied a full nelson, and Gagne while in the hold bent over, causing Leone’s feet to leave the mat for a few seconds. Gagne secured a step over toe hold on Leone, then tied up the legs into an Indian Death Lock (variation of the Figure Four Leg Lock). A standing Gagne would lean back, which applied more pressure to the hold. I thought Leone was going to submit right there, as Greg would add even more to the hold by placing the sole of his on Leone’s left knee. Leone eye raked out of the hold, and tried to burn Gagne’s face against the ropes, but his leg gave away. Gagne would send two dropkicks Leone’s way, but it didn’t connect the way Gagne intended, and Gagne decided to make his finisher for the night a flying knee drop from the middle rope instead for referee Robert Warren’s 3 count.
Gagne mentioned to Nelson in their in ring interview, that he used the knee drop to gain the win, because his dropkick wasn’t connect enough to be the finisher. Nelson was supportive, and I found it funny when he said "whatever" to Greg. Gagne said that he is concerned for his tag partner Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka (who had been injured by Colonel DeBeers), and said that in the mean time, he and Crusher Blackwell are teaming to face anyone. Gagne called Larry Zbyszko "the original spudhead" and Gagne said that he was also looking for a shot at Bockwinkel's AWA World title.
Next up from AWA studio, Larry Nelson introduced video clips of the AWA fans that was put together by EPSN programmer Cathy Shields, to the song Shout by Tears For Fears. They showed fan signs that read "PLAY PIG BUDDY ROSE", "COLONEL DEWIMP" and "SPUDHEAD PUNK JERK". Also wrestlers such as Leon White (Vader) holding up a kid, and then another clip of Shawn Michaels holding a kid, with a sign that read "CAGE", on his shoulder. Fans booing Col. DeBeers and Larry Zbyszko, and clips of Curt Hennig’s top rope missle dropkick on Doug Somers and the Midnight Rockers giving a double superkick to Don Fargo.
Col. DeBeers pinned Mike Richards in under 3 minutes with a forward press piledriver (victim lifted upside down in piledriver position, then having the front of their body forced into the mat with the body weight of the victimizer as added pressure on top). DeBeers’ technique for the match was a bit of wrestling with a hammerlock on Richards, but mostly utilizing brawling through kicks, stomps and an elbow. Commentator Lord James Blears talked to Rod Trongard about DeBeers avoiding suspension, by claiming his pushing Snuka off the top rope onto the floor and causing a serious injury, was an accident. After being punished most of the match, Richards came back with a kick and turnbuckle smash on DeBeers. DeBeers would soon turn the match back in his favor with a kick, then ushered Richard’s head down to easily apply his finisher, as referee DeRousha counted the 3.
Nelson told DeBeers that Snuka was coming back, but DeBeers believed that Snuka’s career had been ended. DeBeers said that Americans are gullible and that they would believe Nelson’s lie, just as they are being folled by their backstabbing government. DeBeers continued on with his point by asking about the Iran situation (America’s involvement in selling arms to Iran) and Nelson said that has nothing to do with Snuka. Nelson said that Jerry Blackwell has thrown forth a challenge to DeBeers, and the Colonel said that "Jerry Fatwell doesn’t have enough gets to get in the ring with me." Before the commerical, a message was posted that said that the views of Col. DeBeers are not that of the AWA nor the station.
Larry Zbyszko beat Eddie Sweat in under 4 minutes with the piledriver. Zbyszko take his time, as his ninja Mr. Go did in leaving the ring. Zbyszko would control the pace of the match by moving around the ring, exiting to the apron and complaining about the crowd as they chanted "LARRY SUCKS!". When Eddie got too close, Zbyszko pushed him into the corner with rapid shot to Sweat’s stomach, then clubs to the back before snapmaring Sweat down. A front face lock would lead to Zbyszko blasted Sweat across the chess with a forearm smash. Zbyszko would toy his opponent by getting Sweat into an inside cradle and deliberately releasing before the three, then making this more apparent with another inside cradle. Lord James Blears commented that Zbyszko let his opponent go twice just to punish him some more. Zbyszko then drilled Sweat with a piledriver with a cover as referee Marty Miller counted to three.
AWA tag champions "Playboy" Buddy Rose & Doug Somers defeated Sonny Rogers & Bobby Bold Eagle in under 7 minutes, when Somers pinned Eagle after a vertical suplex. Sherri Martel was wearing a long black frilled gown as she assisted Rose and Somers. Rose, wiggled his title belt from his waist to his feet to try to emphasize being slim. As Nelson was about to announce "Playboy" Buddy Rose at 271 lbs, Rose interrupted by saying that every week that he weighs 217lbs, and said that he dropped two pounds and is a slim, trim 215lbs. The crowd chants "DOUGHBOY!" as the bell sounds. Rose gives a pose, but gets caught in an arm drag and roll up by Rogers.
Eagle is tagged in, and would last a little longer in his second bout of this episode, nd does some war dancing after catching a freshly tagged Somers in. Eagle gets caught in a Somers’ headlock. As Eagle is whipped into the ropes, he’s hit with a flying back elbow from Rose, which maybe to mock the Midnight Rockers (The flying back elbow is a move Marty Jannetty commonly uses). Rose covers but opts to lift up Eagle for more punishment. During the match, commentator Rod Trongard calls the Native American Billy Bald Eagle instead of Bold Eagle (Another tidbit you didn’t ask for). Pretended to be Rogers, as he put his hand out, and a dazed Eagle tagged him. That tag of course didn’t count, and Rose didn’t even look amused.
Once Rose was tagged in, he would land a series of elbow drops on Eagle, and unsuccessful try to perform a kip up (spring forward motion from back to feet), just goes right into a mocking war dance strut around the ring. Somers tagged would slap the chest of a corner bound Eagle, then get whipped to the other and receive a knee by Somers. When Rose tagged in, his turnbuckle smash was blocked by Eagle, who then smashed Rose’s head into the top corner pad. Eagles tomahawk chopped away at a stunned Rose, then made Rose flying to the mat when Eagle propelled Rose from the ropes into a big knife edge chop. Rogers is now tagged, and hits the a dropkick, hip toss and flying head scissors roll on Rose. Somers is tagged in just before Eagle is tagged back. As Somers puts his arms up to plead for a fired up Eagle to ease up, Eagle chops Somers from corner to corner. Somers would do an eye rake on Eagle, to buy enough time to perform a gut wrench suplex, then a regular suplex for the pin by referee Warren.
"Bull Power" Leon White (Vader) pinned Rick Gatner in under 4 minutes with a powerslam. Trongard commented that White after being pro for only a year, amazing just became the first American to win the Wrestling World Cup in Europe. White accomplished this in a seven week tournament from May to June, by defeating defending champion Otto Wanz at the finals in Germany. White held up a little kid and gave him a kiss on the cheek before giving him back to his smiling dad. Nelson raised his hand and gave White’s devil/metal hand sign as he announced the former LA Ram, White. After clubbing Gatner to the mat, the crowd cheered loudly for White as he gave a yell in a fighting stance pose with a double handed devil sign (This being a precursor to what would become his V hand signs as Vader). Gatner then got bounced off the ropes into a White wall.
Gatner begged White to let him out of the corner, and White allowed this. Gatner applied a front face lock, and then found himself picked and placed on the top rope. Gatner flashed a very nervous smile as White gave his opponent space to regain composure. A failed body slam by an over 100 lbs lighter Gatner, turned into a big success body slam for White. White then clubbed Gatner down and kept him bullied in the corner, whipping and splashing Gatner into the opposite corner. White would get overzealous in his next splash into another corner, when Gatner has just enough to move, and White fell backwards after crashing into the turnbuckles. Knee drop, hoping face scrape, rope burn and punching White in the corner would earn Gatner a reverse whip from White that flipped Gatner into the opposite corner. Gatner got decimated by heavy clubs, a White wall and powerslam with a free hand flashing the White horns as referee Robert Warren would go to slap the canvas for three.
An AWA Notebook message was posted on the screen restating what Trongard said about White’s World Cup Win, but also posted his old nickname of Baby Bull. Nelson interviewed White in the ring, and said that he kept mistakenly calling him by his old nickname. White explained that 6 months ago he gave birth to his first son, who he now calls the Baby Bull.When Nelson brought up the attack of Sheik Adnan El Kassey and his army, White said that he is looking to get the Sheik and his Army, be it one or all, to avenge for them putting him out with a leg that was broken in three places. Nelson and White shook hands and before White left he said that five months away has shown in the greatness of Europe, but that America is the greatest place on Earth.
David
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