CLASSIC AWA 3/27/08 TV REPORT
- 03/27/2008 (2:22:14 am)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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March 27th brings a July 15th 1986 episode of Verne Gagne’s AWA Championship.
Jake "Milk Man" Milliman & Chad Bardot vs. AWA tag team champions "Playboy" Buddy Rose & "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers. Madonna’s Dress You Up plays as Sherri Martel leads her men, the AWA tag team champions to the ring. Disputing announcer Larry Miller’s stating of Rose’s weight being at 271 lbs., "The Playboy" (or "Dough Boy" as commonly called by fans) proclaims his weight as 217 lbs. (Blow Away Diet anyone?) Rose’s attempts at underhanded tactics are foiled when a punch on ropes bound Milliman is blocked by LeDux, then when Rose applies and arm twist on Milliman and pulls the hair to bring him down, LeDux brings Rose to the mat with a hair pull. Rose and Sommers use a variations of the Road Warrior’s Doomsday Device, and a Rose DDT on Bardoux scores the pinfall victory. The match was just under 6 minutes.
Nelson is in the ring for a post match interview with the winner. Rose did all the talking, saying the Midnight Rockers couldn’t compare to combined experience of himself, Somers & Martel. Rose credited their success to Martel, and called previous tag champ Big Scott Hall "Little" for being stupid enough to wrestle against doctor’s orders. Nelson brought up their conspiring with Colonel DeBeers, and Rose said there is no conspiracy between America and South Africa, as he clamped hands with Somers and Sherri.
Dennis Stamp versus Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka in the second match. This one coming from the Showboat in Las Vegas. Snuka kept countering Stamp’s wristlocks and headlocks with a hammerlock. The Terry Funk like Stamp gets the better in an off ropes collisons, and side headlocks Snuka to the mat. Snuka gets knocked down in collision, but catches Stamp in an armbar after a hiptoss and arm drag. Stamp knees Snuka in the corner, but Snuka would leap frog frward and backward over a charging Stamp, before being him crashing down with a Superfly judo chop. After a backbreaker, Snuka would mount the top ropes to deliver a crashing Superfly press onto a mat bound Stamp. Referee Gary DeRousha counts the three after this five minute bout.
Nelson interviews Snuka, who said that he is working himself up to a title shot, and that his blood, sweat and tears will earn him time with DeBeers. Nelson brought up his vying for Rose & Somers, saying saying Snuka didn’t care, that he was going for all the titles. Snuka corrected Nelson, by saying that we all have to care. He added that "challenge is a competition, and competition is a challenge. There was post on screen that said there was a rumor of Greg Gagne training together for a tag title match.
Jesse Hernandez versus Colonel DeBeers in the third match. Hernandez, whose role is often that of referee, absorbed some heavy boots and forearms that left him struggling to get back in the ring. Jesse would come back firing DeBeers with punches and in the corner with a high knee to the back. DeBeers would nail Hernandez with a knee to the mid section, then put Hernandez out with his front face piledriver finisher. Special referee Anthony "Earthquake" Ferris made a quick count of three, that commentator Lord James Blears thought was due to Ferris’ concern for Hernandez’ condition. This match was just under five minutes.
Boris Zhukov versus AWA champion Nick Bockwinkel in the main event championship match. Entering first is the challenger Boris Zhukov, accompanied by Sheik Adnan Alkaissie (as was spelled on screen). Then arrives the champion, Nick Bockwinkel. The referee is Gary DeRousha. During the match, which heard chants of "Sheik’s a freak", Bockwinkel dominated with a headlock on the massive cranium of Zhukov. Eventually Zhukov would break from it and work on Bockwinkel’s arm. Lord James Blears mentioned having lost 13 lbs in an a one hour match he had in 1947. At one point, Zhukov thought he had the pin, but the referee noticed Boris’ foot on the rope for unfair leverage. A premature celebration by the Soviet and Adnan, lead to a dropkick to the back of Zhukov, into the rope and back into a cradle roll up by Bockwinkel for the 1.2.3 win. This match made it to the 15 minute mark.
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David
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