CLASSIC AWA 3/26/08 TV REPORT
- 03/26/2008 (3:08:31 am)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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March 26th aires a September 16th 1986 episode of AWA championship wrestling from the Showboat Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas Nevada.
Ken Glover versus Greg Gagne in the first bout. Glover tried to bully Greg with his size advantage and rulebreaking, but Greg stayed cool and out wrestled Glover. Glover resorted to striking, but Greg fired back. Glover would gain the upper hand with brawling, but after back body drops and a flying head scissor, it was two dropkicks that scored the Scott Ledux’s three count after 5 minutes of action.
Clement Fields & Pablo Crenshaw versus "Playboy" Buddy Rose & "Pretty Boy" Doug Sommers in the second bout. When Larry Nelson announced Rose’s weight at 217lbs, Rose got on the mic and said he weighed 217lbs. Sherri Martel, in a pink sleeveless evening gown, accompanied Rose and Somers. Rose did a few one handed push-ups, but Crenshaw did a few of his own. Crenshaw posed to the crowd’s cheers, then Rose posed to the crowd’s boos. Commentator Lord James Blears said the fans have referred to Rose as the great white whale. His commentating partner Rod Trongard said that the Midnight Rockers were in the back watching the match. Somers works over Crewshaw with a slam and a knee drop. Rose the comes in to have his full nelson slipped out, with Crenshaw slipping behind Rose and mulekicking him forward. A tagged Clement would get caught with a high back body drop by Rose, then get put away with a vertical suplex by Somers for Marty Miller’s count in under five minutes of action. Nelson told Rose in the interview that The Rockers were backstage. Rose felt the feud is done, because of busting open the Rockers in their last encounter.
Eddie Sweat versus Larry Zbyszko in the third bout. Larry wanted a time out, complaining about the crowd’s cheer "Larry Sucks!" Larry stalled for a few minutes, with Larry swatting away a rapidly approaching Eddie Sweat. Larry then catches Sweat with heavy forearms, then catches Sweat twice with an inside cradle, but releases it on his own to toy with Sweat. Zbyszko showed that he could end the match whenever he wanted and did so, as he went right for the piledriver that earned Marty Miller’s pin count after four minutes of action. Zbyszko wanted the crowd to keep their mouths shut during his interview. Zbyszko was upset that AWA handed Bockwinkel the title. Zbyszko said he had been waiting months for his opportunity, and would break knees if he had to in order to get his deserved shot at the title.
Bill Tabb versus Curt Hennig in the fourth bout. Tabb tried to over come Hennig with his power. Hennig would absorb some heavy slams and clotheslines, a chest first turnbuckle whip and leg drop. After getting the better of a rope sprung collision, Hennig took the muscular rookie to the mat with a high knee lift. Hennig then downed Tabb off the ropes with a mid section punch. This got Hennig primed to the top ropes, delivering a missile dropkick and elbow drop for LeDux’s pin count. Closing this match after four minutes. AWA Notebook posted on screen that Curt Hennig has been nicknamed Curt Mayhem by Scott Hall, due to Hennig’s new found aggressive ring style.
Boris Zhukov versus AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel in a world title match main event. An irate Zhukov leaves the ring to talk with his manager Sheik Adnan El Kassey, as Bockwinkel and the crowd chants "USA". Bockwinkel ducks away from Zhukov’s charges, then catches the rushing Siberian with arm drags and hip tosses, before Zhukov exits the ring again. Sheik Adnan threatens to strike commentator Lord James Blears, as Blears warns him not to. Bockwinkel takes Zhukov to the mat with a charge, then maintains a side headlock. Zhukov forearm’s Bockwinkel’s kidneys to break the hold in a standing position. Zhukov tries to hip toss Bockwinkel off the ropes, but Nick side steps and hip tosses Zhukov. Nick finds himself getting pummeled by Boris’s massive forearms in the corner, but a reverse on an Irish whip to the corner has Boris crashing to the turnbuckles.
Outside the ring, Boris slams Bockwinkel’s leg onto the ring apron, then grapevines Nick in a leglock. Zhukov kicks Nick off his feet and stomps on his left knee. Zhukov then exits the ring to slam Bockwinkel’s leg to the steel post. Back in the ring, Nick kicks Boris off the leg twist, but Boris comes back with the hold. Nick punches himself free but then Zhukov applies an Indian Deathlock (variation of the figure four leg lock). Boris releases it, then gets a knee lifted down and then flipped with a knee smash off the ropes. Nick then chokes Boris with his boot, and an upperward choke on the bottom rope. Boris is back body dropped, but gets a near fall when Bockwinkel’s leg gives out for a body slam.
Boris then yanks Nick backwards into the turnbuckles. Headbutt to the back of the head by Boris, then an elbow smash weakens the champ. Nick is then dropped by a size 10 ½ head butt. Boris applied the full nelson, then slams Nick’s head into the tunrbuckles. When Boris tries to repeat this move, Nick raises his legs and pushes on the turnbuckles, forcing Boris backwards to the mat under Bockwinkel’s weight. Scott LeDux slaps the canvas three times, and the champion Nick Bockwinkel retains the title from a fourteen minute match.
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David
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