CLASSIC AWA 3/15/08 TV REPORT
- 03/15/2008 (11:59:04 pm)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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Shawn Michaels beat "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers under the four minute mark with a top rope splash, on the March 11th 1986 episode from the Showboat in Las Vegas Nevada. While making the ring introduction, Larry Nelson announced Shawn as the Central States Wrestling Association Rookie of the Year for 1985. Commentator Ken Resnick said that if Shawn chose another career that it could be with Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus, because "He is a hire wire act personified." Resnick brought up that Shawn, whose name was posted on as Sean Micheals, was only twenty years old. A commentating Greg Gagne said that "He wants to be where Shawn is, because the women follow Shawn where ever he goes." Somers manager Sherri Martel was conspicuous by her absence, as this was Shawn’s first big match in AWA. After kidney shots, a gut wrench suplex and back suplex couldn’t make this an early night for Somers as Michaels kicked out at the two.
Shawn fired back on one knee to standing position, as he traded punches with Somers.
A forearm to the back and Irish whip by Somers, would gain him a Shawn Michaels leap frog and dropkick, as the crowd cheers loudly. A body slam with a sprung from ropes knee drop would follow. Shawn would try for a butterfly suplex (double underhook), but Somers managed to back himself into the ropes. Somers would back Shawn into the corner, deliver a forearm smash to the chest and whip into opposite corner. When Somers charged, Michaels quickly shot away and Somers ran his left arm into the steel post, to the roar of the crowd. Shawn fired with with lefts and a big right hand punch on a corner bound Somers. Somers would be whipped to the opposite corner, and be met with an excellent high back body drop, as Michaels rapidly seized the opportunity to take to the air. Shawn launched himself off the top rope to further flatten a mat prone Somers, and gain a major pinfall victory to cheers, as referee Robert Warren raised Michaels’ right arm after the three count.
Nelson shook Michaels hand and complimented Shawn’s match by calling it "Sensational", as the audience applauded in their post match in-ring interview. Shawn thanked him, and said that "In order to be someone in the world of professional wrestling, you need to beat the top competitors in the AWA. Doug Somers was one, and I’m going to go through everyone else to the best of my ability, straight to the top." Nelson wondered how he adapted the top rope leap, and said that it looked like Shawn "was going to fly over the ring." Shawn said "To me it is the best maneuver if you can keep the man down, because when you come off with your full body weight, there isn’t anybody who is gonna get up from that."
Nelson still felt it was risky, saying "All he has to do is bring a knee up and it’s all over.", but then went on the praise Shawn’s amateur and rookie honors. Shawn thanked him and said "Amateur background was for his father, and professional was Jose Lothario, Shawn Michaels is now on his own and going to make it the top of the AWA no matter what it takes." Nelson said there is plenty competition to go through, Shawn agreed and said that he "intends to go through the biggest and best, straight to a big man and great champion in Stan Hansen." Nelson said "You heard it, Shawn Michaels a very determined young man, with a big future in the AWA.", as Shawn gave a thumbs up to the cheering fans.
AWA tag champion Curt Hennig & Marty Jannetty defeated Boris Zhukov and Nord The Barbarian when Nord and Boris threw Hennig over the top rope, a little beyond the 8 minute point of the bout. Jannetty came into this match with a blackened right eye, and neither Gagne nor Resnick made mention of it. Hennig shook his thumb to signal to Sheik Adnan to take a hike. Jannetty would absorb two chest clubs from Boris, but would reverse the Irish whip in the opposite corner, and turn that into a hip toss takedown on Boris. An arm drag to an arm twist, then Jannetty held out Boris’s left arm for the newly tagged Hennig to ax handle from the middle rope. Hennig gave an angry look to Nord while he twisted Boris’ arm. Boris would try to slam Hennig from a whip, but Hennig leaped over and got a roll up after pushing Boris into the ropes.
When Boris made a tag to Nord, Hennig broke the arm lock, and Hennig shrugged off a collar and elbow tie up when Nord bared down on him too hard near the ropes. Jannetty patted Nord on the back and almost got caught with a big Barbarian boot from under the top rope. Hennig shrugged off another overbearing Nord tie up, and then from opposite side of the ring, Nord laid two haymaking forearms to Curt, and Hennig answered back with explosively loud slaps to Nord’s chest. Nord would reverse Hennig’s whip into the ropes, and with sudden force, drop Hennig with a quickly lifted high boot. Greg Gagne commented that Nord’s style is attributed to the year’s worth of training from King King (Bruiser) Brody. Nord also reminded me of Road Warrior Hawk style as a rookie.
After being body slammed, Hennig lift up his two feet, kicking away Nord. A stomp then a head slam into Boris’ top rope hanging foot by Nord would follow. As Nord back locked Hennig’s arms, Boris Zhukov landed a boot to the mid section, then after a whip and a back elbow, would slam Hennig’s head into Nord’s top rope hanging boot. Nord would become the legal man, as both he and Zhukov whipped Hennig into the ropes to deliver double back elbows. Hennig moved away from Nord’s high boot attempt, fire head shots, and gained the better of an eye rake exchange to earn him a tag to Jannetty. Marty punched away at Nord than got his right arm in a pretzel twist. Nord put his head under Marty’s left arm, lifted him up easily and placed him seated to the top rope. Marty looked nervous as Nord walked away, then leaped when Nord charged back after shoving away the ref, a stagged Nord back a bit with a dropkick.
Nord came forward and looked that his massive arm might have clotheslined Jannetty, but Marty shifted his body to maintain the arm twist again. With one mighty forearm, Nord broke the hold, then hoist up Marty with a gut wrench from an over the shoulder powerbomb. Greg Gagne commented that he "..had never seen that move before." Zhukov put his right boot over the top rope, but Nord slammed Jannetty into the top turnbuckle pad instead. Nord held Jannetty as Zhukov struck, then after being snapped mared, Jannetty would punch his way out of a head twist. Hennig came in unleashing punches and chops, then knocking down the big Siberian with a double chop, and then covering him after a knock down right. Referee Robert Warren was way out of position, as he had his attentions on Nord.
The ref would make another infraction, as his attention was away when Sheik Adnan tripped Hennig, who was coming off the ropes after having his headlock pushed off. Jannetty rushed down the apron and kicked Sheik Adnan in the shoulder. With Marty’s attention away, Zhukov took Hennig down after a size 10 ½ head butt. As Hennig kicked out at two, Big Scott Hall arrived and had Sheik Adnan running away and around the ring. Zhukov turnbuckle smashed, then held Hennig for a Nord boot, but Hennig bounced back with a punch on Nord. When Nord booted Hennig again, Hennig came back with a kick, and was unable to wrestle Nord down on his first attempt. Nord kept Hennig in a front face lock, as the crowd chanted "USA", and then Hennig found his opening to twist his position into a fireman’s carry that rolled Nord to the mat. Greg Gagne was impressed at the display of wrestling, calling it "a beautiful takedown by Hennig!", and amazed as it was also the first time Nord had been taken to the mat.
Nord and Hennig fired punches back and forth, a grim outcome of that was in the form of a Nord clothesline, but a spring of hope soon occurred when an incoming Zhukov missed an elbow drop. Hennig would hammer away at Zhukov in the corner, then flip Zhukov after he was whipped in the opposite corner. Sheik Adnan would hop to the apron, having Jannetty and the ref go to him, then Nord broke the hold after rushing in with a big high boot. As the ref was working to hold back Jannetty, who was choking and punching Sheik Adnan, Zhukov and Nord would hammer away on Hennig. Referee Robert Warren would ring the bell after spotting Zhukov and Nord throw Hennig over the top rope, as by AWA rules, this was an automatic disqualification.
Hall tended to Hennig, as Nord threw Jannetty out of the ring. Hennig and Jannetty rushed back in the ring, double dropkicked Nord’s back, which knocked him from the ring. Hennig & Jannetty would whip Zhukov into double back elbows, then with another whip, bounce him off a double back body drop before fleeing the ring. Ref Warren raised Hennig and Jannetty’s arms as the frenzied crowd cheered.
"Living Legend" Larry Zbyszko defeated "The Baby Bull" Leon White (Vader) with a count out after over 4 minutes of action. Larry Nelson announced in match introductions that Larry Zbyszko has just come back from a suspension, this involving an attack that put Nick Bockwinkel out of action. Greg Gagne commented that for over 8 years, no one could touch Bockwinkel as champion, and that he didn’t want to be in Zbyszko’s shoes when Bockwinkel returns. Zbyszko went over to the table where members of the Nevada Athletic State Commission sat, and told them to replace enforcer refereee Scott LeDux for someone impartial. Zbyszko even plead to announcer Larry Nelson. LeDux was calm but admonished Zbyszko to strip the martial arts entrance gear to his wrestling trunks so the match can begin. Greg Gagne talked about White having been an All American in four positions at the University of Colorado, played guard and center for the LA Rams from 1977 to 1981, also having played in the 1979 Super Bowl. Commentator Ken Resnick mentioned that White was still undefeated since turning professional a little over a year ago.
After some stalling and complaining, Zbyszko was backed into the ropes, he shoved White. When White shoved back, Zbyszko bounced off the ropes and got caught in a headlock. Zbyszko would take himself over the top rope onto the apron, but instead of breaking on LeDux’s count, White just pulled Zbyszko back in while maintaining the headlock. Zbyszko would back White into the corner, unleash punches to White’s stomach, then have his Irish whip to the opposite corner reversed into a big White powerslam. White would rock Zbyszko with an elbow drop, but Zbyszko was able to move away when White came off the ropes for a splash.
Zbyszko ax handled White, and then returned him to the corner for more body punches with added kicks and choking. Scott LsDux remained impartial and even opted to get in the way to stop the choke, instead of disqualifying Zbyszko after not releasing after the count of 4. Zbyszko returned with a headlock choke in the corner, broke this time at four, but got caught with a big White right fist to the stomach as Zbyszko approached. Zbyszko kicked, as White punched and then clobbered Zbyszko on the ropes, then knocking him to seated position into the corner after a head butt. Greg Gagne name dropped his friend Jim Carter, former middle linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, as saying that White was awesome when he played for the Rams, but Gagne mentioned that White has almost a 100 lbs more in muscle now than when he was with the NFL.
White would go on to smash Zbyszko’s head into three different top turnbuckle pads, and then drop him with a back elbow after a corner whip. White would do a bit of a hop dance, and then get into a three point football stance, to mash Zbyszko with a corner splash. Zbyszko rolled under the bottom rope, White followed and they traded forearm shots. White kneed Zbyszko’s stomach, slammed his head into the commentator’s table, but Zbyszko would beat the count back to the ring after slowing White down with an eye rake. After LeDux raised Zbyszko’s left hand, White stormed the ring, and lifted Zbyszko up over his head with a guerilla press and slam. Zbyszko rolled out of the ring, showing a good deal of exhaustion and shaking his head, as he kneeled on the floor favoring his back.
In his post match interview in the ring with Nelson, Zbyszko told the people to shut up, and he doesn’t know if these people are dumb enough not to realize that LeDux is a hired thug for Bockwinkel. Zbyszko said that he just proved it’s the science not the brawn that wins matches. Zbyszko said like unlike the fools in the audience, he has a brain, that he has 12 glorious years of experience and determination. The camera showed a woman in the audience with what appeared to be a bobbing phallic wind up toy that she held and down pointed to. Zbyszko said that he, not the wrestlers he faces, have nothing to change as he will come out out on top victorious whether they wrestle like White, or cheat like Bockwinkel.
Stan "The Lariat" Hansen pinned David Sammartino in the main event, after a lariat clothesline before the 9 minute mark. Hansen lashes his bull rope at David, as Nelson gives the ring introductions. David was bulky like his father here, but later on in his career, he would drop mass for body tone. Greg Gagne mentioned Hansen’s history with David’s father, former WWWF (WWE) champion Bruno Sammartino, where Bruno sustained a neck injury. To give further insight, on April 26th 1976 at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, Bruno suffered a neck fracture from an improperly executed body slam by Hansen. Greg said Bruno didn’t get another crack at Hansen, but this is incorrect as there was a rematch when Bruno made an early return almost two months to the date.
Hansen bullied David into the corner, then laid a loud thunderous slap against David’s chest as he was held to the ropes. Hansen moved David back into the corner, and delivered an elbow that hit the top turnbuckle pad as David moved. Hansen was then taking to the mat by David’s arm drag, as David worked over Hansen’s arm with a knee drop and arm bar. Greg Gagne mentioned that David Sammartino set the Pennsylvania state bench press record at 510 lbs when he was a senior in high school at 17, and that he was the state wrestling champion in high school. In Japan, Greg Gagne said that he found David to have tremendous repertoire of suplexes and power body slams that could earn him the AWA title that night if he dictates the pace of the match.
Hansen grated his right forearm onto David’s face into a choking front face lock, that referee Robert Warren counted to a break. Hansen had his left armed worked into a hammer lock than a yanking arm twist, after working David into the corner. Curt Hennig joined Gagne and Resnick at the commentator’s table. Greg brought up Curt’s match with Hansen from a couple weeks before, where Curt filled in for an injured Jerry Blackwell to take Hansen to a time limit draw. Hansen now broke from the armlock by smashing David’s head into the top turnbuckle. Hennig said he came out there "to do a little homework, to do a little studying".
As Curt was about to bring up his Hansen match, he goes "Oh Jeez!", as Hansen’s Irish Whip and high knee knocks David out of the ring from under the top rope. Curt said that "Hansen is a great wrestler, but he does things that are uncalled for", Curt’s point was made immediately as Hansen stomped David’s head on the ring apron.
Greg brought up when Curt was trapped in the ropes while being attacked by Hansen, and he knew the fire that burns in him as he watched this match. Hansen’s attempt to whip David into the ropes was reversed, and David flipped Hansen into a combination hip toss and pin for a one count. Hennig said "that’s why he is out there, to learn those weak spots." as David secures Hansen in an arm lock as are both down on the mat. Hennig brought up that David was also a second generation wrestler, and that "Bruno was a great wrestler."
Hansen breaks the hold with a head butt, then lowers his knee pad to expose his knee before dropping it to David’s head. As David lays on the bottom rope, Hansen stomps on him then chokes him with his right knee. Hennig mentioned that Hansen’s style is to stay on his opponent, even when they are down. Hansen then hurls David with a body slam, David fires back to Hansen’s mid section and takes him down by clutching the legs. Hansen quickly gets back up, slaps David the corner, and forces David to crash to the mat after whipping him hard into the opposite corner. David tries to shake away the cobwebs and is met with a Hansen knee and pin at two.
As Hansen grips David in a front chinlock, Greg mentions contenders to thrown such as the last champion Rick Martel, who Greg said is recuperating from a back injury, many of AWA’s top stars of the day, as well as Japan’s Jumbo Tsuruta, Tenryu, Giant Baba, Germany’s Otto Wanz, Englund’s Billy Robinson. After escaping the hold, David works on Hansen’s left arm with a hammerlock, a back wristlock, elbows, kicks and pressure from the rope. With the lock maintained, David drops to the mat, causing Hansen to tumble down but Hansen soon gets David in a head scissors. A push off from the flat of David’s boot to Hansen’s face, breaks the hold. Hansen double ax handles and slaps David to the mat. Hansen ducks down too soon for a back body drop, and off the ropes, David kicks Hansen in the face. Hansen stumbles away and return to charge but is flipped to the mat by David arm drag takedown.
As shown by the tv camera, Resnick mentions David’s nose is bleeding as he arm bars Hansen’s left arm, with a knee to his face. The hold is broken in the ropes, the Hansen proceeds to smash David face with the canvas, his stomps and the turnbuckle. David is then throw from the ring under the top rope to the mat less concrete floor. Hansen would follow out, and threw David onto a row of three empty chairs. The audio dropped out for a moment when a screaming woman and Hansen traded obscenities, as Hansen threw David back into the ring. Hansen dived and hung on the middle ropes as he choked David to the ref’s count. Gagne said that you can see why Hansen was called Big Mr. Nasty when he played football for West Texas State (alumnus: Dusty Rhodes, Dick Murdoch, Tully Blachard, Tito Santana, Ted DiBiase).
Hansen clubbed down on David into a front chinlock. David kneed out, and slipped from a Hansen headlock, only to be caught in a face down half nelson. Hansen’s taunted and slapped David’s back while cranking the hold. Hansen would release to give a stomp and then punched back, and then two feet to his face when he cornered David. Turnbuckle smash, kick, leaping knee lift and a knife edge chop from David to a reversed Irish whip and back elbow from Hansen. Gagne thought it might be over, as Resnick commented on the glassy eyed look from David. Hansen would charge after whipping david into the corner, David moved and rolled up Hansen, which had Gagne shout "Oh he may have him!" A kick out at two had Greg point out that David not putting more of his weight into it as why Hansen kicked out. Hennig said that he learned something right there from that move.
Ducking down too soon on a back body drop attempt, earned David a kick to the head and splashed for a two count. Then David caught Hansen in an inside cradle for two. David showed off his great strength by muscling up the over three hundred pound Hansen, but was slap and slam as he tried to leap off the top rope. Hansen then showed his great agility by nailing David as he rebounded off the ropes. Hansen then raised his left hand and yelled, to signal his Lariat clothesline. Greg incorrectly said that move broke Bruno’s neck, when it was actually a botched body slam. Hansen whipped David in the ropes and decimated him with his patented Lariat for a 1 2 3.
Hennig helped David to the locker room as Larry Nelson interviewed the winner, AWA champion Stan "The Lariat" Hansen who yelled to David "I got to give something to you David Sammartino, your daddy would be proud of ya" then Hansen spit and said "but that’s what I think of yer damned daddy" David couldn’t move any further, so Hennig helped lower him to the floor. Hansen’s name was misspelled Hanson when posted on screen, as Shawn Michaels’ was earlier, and also to add that they spelled David’s last name Sanmartino.
Hansen said he will do a little celebrating, and gave a shout out for his little girl Paige back in Texas and his boy John, adding that he can "finally buy him some shoes because he won a match". Hansen said "a couple weeks back, Curt Hennig was out here acting smart, and I damn near put him out of wrestling forever. He’s got that big pumped up blown haired Scott Hall coming down." Hansen asked and Nelson confirmed that they are the tag champions, and Hansen said "Well then why don’t they ever wrestle in tag team, why are they after me all the time?!"
Hansen said "David Sammartino was first, if Curt Hennig wants to be number two, throw your damn name in the pot. Scott Hall, how bout you?!" Then looking at Greg Gagne, saying "Hey Greg Gagne, you can come out too. Whatever the case may be, everybody all over the world knows Stan Hansen. I’m controversial, but I’m damn mean and I’m gonna keep this belt..the world belt!" then gives out a yell as he raises his right hand with the hook and horns, while holding the AWA world title with his cow bell on a rope.
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