CLASSIC AWA 3/6/08 TV REPORT
- 03/06/2008 (5:15:48 pm)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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March 6th 2008 airing of AWA championship wrestling was an October 12th 1986 episode from the Sports Pavilion at the Showboat hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Nevada.
First match saw Big Scott Hall rushing to the ring to face veteran (AWA & WWF) jobber Tom "Rocky" Stone. During the match, Stone was working aggressively against Hall, implementing punches, hair pulling, rope burn and choking maneuvers. Hall would soon get enough of this, and with easy power displays, would devastate Stone. During the match, commentator Rod Trongard kept lovingly saying that Hall was a hunk of man. Hall secured Stone into his bulldog finisher and referee Gary DeRousha making the three count, ending this match in 4 minutes. A slow motion replay of the match finisher, then an AWA Notebook posted that Hall was voted Most Popular AWA Wrestler in April 1986. After commercials, Larry Nelson gave an in ring interview with Big Scott. Hall gave Stone credit for being tough during the match. Nelson brought up the series of AWA battle royals and Hall’s size and strength giving him an advantage. Hall said that he was fortunate enough to win one in Milwaukee and a big one in St. Paul on Thanksgiving. Hall said the battle royal offer an opportunity for a match against AWA champion Nick Bockwinkel, but also a chance for he and Curt Hennig to settle some score with Buddy Rose, Doug Sommer, and Col. DeBeers (Hall said while mimicking DeBeers mustache twisting).
Even though this next match had a contestant named Mike Richards, and referee Robert Warren sort of looked like the Soup Nazi, this match was not sponsored by the Seinfeld sitcom. This was a tag match for the newly arrived Russian tag team of Alexio Smirnoff and Gordyenko. They would be facing Richards and commonly used jobber at the time in AWA and WWF, Frankie DeFalko. Wrestling legend Lord James Blears commented that he had to give the devil their due, by saying the Russians tend to maintain great physical conditioning. Most of the match, the Russians worked over Richards’ left arm and shoulder. Richards found an opportunity to tag in DeFalko, who tried to raise the tempo of the match with punches, and was soon brought back to the Russian’s slow, methodical pace by Alexio. DeFalko tagged out as soon as he could, and Richards found he’s left armed being punished again, eventually submitting when a combination hammerlock by Alexio, and stomp from the top rope flying Gordyenko clinched the match in 6 minutes. A slow mo finisher replay and AWA’s thanks to the Showboat posted just before the commerical.
When the Midnight Rocker’s theme music cuts in, the audience mood at the Showboat is instant excitement. Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty ran to the ring, while returning cheer to the crowd. Their opponents are Tony Leoni and Dennis Stamp, two familar jobbers of the time. Stamp, not only was from the Funk family’s hometown of Amarillo Texas, but seemed to devote his career in being a poor man’s Terry Funk. Marty Jannetty looked to have recovered from his the injury he sustained at the hands of Rose and Sommers. When Marty removed his white Midnight Rockers t-shirt, his ribs were no longer taped, and at no point in this match did he ever show any weakness there.
Stamp tried to slow down the Midnights’ momentum on Shawn, but when Marty was tagged in, they gave stamp a double suplex and flipped themselves off the match in a synchronized kip up, and back down again on Stamp with a double elbow drop. Lord James Blears commented that watching the Midnight Rockers brought back feelings of when he used to wrestle. Jannetty got Stamp in the headlock, and would back him into his corner where he and Leoni would work over Jannetty. Marty would soon fire back on the freshly tagged Leoni, then tag in Shawn. Marty whipped Leoni into the ropes, dropped down for Leoni to leap over him and be met with a flying dropkick by Michaels. While caught in a chin lock from Michaels, Leoni backed Shawn into Stamp’s corner. Leoni would block the ref’s view, as Stamp used the tag rope to choke Michaels. Stamp would use three corners to punish Michaels, and even after mid ropes double team by Leoni, Shawn would quickly turn the match back in his favor when Leoni was met with a Michaels’ knee lift after telegraphing a back body drop. A freshly tagged Jannetty would deliver a flying back elbow for Leoni’s troubles, and when Stamp tried to enter the ring, Shawn rushed in and knocked Stamp to the concrete floor. Then Leoni found himself the victim of a double super kick as he was repelled off the ropes. Shawn would then pick up Jannetty in a suplex position and drop him forward onto the prone Leoni, scoring a Midnight Rockers’ pin victory after 6 minutes. A slow motion replay of the finisher was followed by an AWA Notebook that posted on screen that the Midnight Rockers may recruit a lady manager, if Sherri Martel continues to interfere in their pursuit of the AWA tag team championships.
Returning from commercial, an in the ring interview with Shawn and Marty was taking place. Larry Nelson asked Jannetty about the battle royal series with the $100,000 prize and shot at Bockwinkel’s gold. Marty said that was a great opportunity, but what is most on his mind is getting revenge on Buddy Rose and Doug Sommers. When Nelson mentioned to Shawn about the men weighing over 300 lbs having a battle royal advantage, Shawn said that he and Marty are not worried about big people, battle royals or even the tag titles. Shawn said that titles or no titles, the people already know that the Midnight Rockers are the best. He said that Rose and Sommers can keep their belts, stating "We don’t want anything to do with your belts, we want your ass!" (ESPN censored the word "ass" with an audio drop out).
Next up was Larry Nelson introducing a recent flash back to a live episode of Larry’s (Zbyszko) Corner at Steven’s Point Wisconsin. Here Zbyszko, along with a Shinai (Kendo stick made of Bamboo) welding Mr. Go in camouflage ninja gear, had a local attorney named Jim Lornsdorff on the show with an intent to receive back up to his right to legal recourse against AWA, in denying the Living Legend a shot at the AWA world title. Zbyszko questioned the legitimacy of the AWA bypassing their own rules of granting the title only for pinfall or submission wins, to give Bockwinkel the title on a silver platter.
Instead of answering that, the lawyer claimed that Zbyszko had not qualified yet for that match. Zbyszko’s almost 13 glorious years was his answer to that. Zbyszko claimed that Lornsdorff was in AWA president Stanley Blackburn’s pocket, looking for a legal reason to further keep Zbyszko from his destiny. Lornsdorff said that talk was libelous and grounds for a lawsuit, where Zbyszko countered that he’s suing the AWA for slapping him with two illegal suspensions. An irate Zbyszko said the lawyer should afford a better out outfit (in white pants with large pockets and what looked like a Christmas sweater. Zbyszko’s point made here, even for 1986). Nelson apologized to Lornsdorff on behalf of Zbyszko’s behavior, and the Living Legend said that this lawyer basically just came out and mediated for Nick Bockwinkel and spud head central.
After the commercial and back at the Showboat, Larry Zbyszko interrupted Nelson’s main event announcement saying that those with the spud head signs are just proving that they are a bunch of jerks and slobs, and again interjecting that program director Shields shouldn’t show these signs on television. Zbyszko gets a loud chorus of boos when his name is announced. As Nelson is about to announce his opponent, Zbyszko chimes in again with "if you ever need an example of a spud head, here he is.." and then the camera turns to Curt Hennig coming down the aisle and slapping hands with fans. Zbyszko goes over to the commentators’ table saying "the people here are shouting obscenities and I want it stopped!". Many people in the crowd are chanting "Larry Sucks" and there are signs in the audience stating the same.
After referee Gary DeRousha signals for the starting bell, Zbyszko displays the lost art of stalling. He circles the canvas, gets in a fighting stance and reaches for Hennig, then would move around as Hennig demonstrated patience and caution. Trongard and Blears are comparing Curt as a wrestler to his father Larry "The Axe". Blears said that though Curt is smaller, he may have matched power and is definitely faster than his father, with certain greatness for Curt by the time he reaches his father’s current age of 42. Zbyszko would stand on the apron, enter the ring and leave, complaining about Curt approaching with closed fists. Zbyszko gets to the apron, enters the ring near the post and then exits back on to other side of the apron. Curt corners Zbyszko, and though both men are in a stance with closed fists, referee DeRousha waves away at Curt’s to signal him to relent, and warms Zbyszko. Larry extends his arm, looking to engage in a test of strength, Curt’s left hand clamps to Larry’s right in a Greco Roman knuckle lock. Just then, Zbyszko shoots in with a quick fireman’s carry take over on Hennig. Zbyszko demonstrates a cat like martial arts leap from his knees to his feet. Zbyszko taunts Hennig, then Curt backs Larry against the ropes, in a collar and elbow tie up. Zbyszko shoves Hennig, and Curt responds with a shove of his own that forces Zbyszko through the ropes and on to the floor. Zbyszko is clearly livid in his frustration. As Hennig moves onto the ring apron, Larry runs around the ring and behind his black dressed ninja Mr. Go, as he signals for a time out.
The ref issues the count, Zbyszko enters and stalls. Then Larry gets Curt’s left arm into a chicken wing hold, and immediately Curt reverses the hold on to Zbyszko’s left arm, whereas Larry rushes into the ropes for the official to break. Larry goes to the floor frustrated, as Curt shares in his own frustration. As Larry enters, he distracts the ref with his jawing, as Mr. Go ascends to the apron with Kendo stick in hand. Curt immediately spots this occurrence and runs to Mr. Go, knocking him off the ring with a punch. Larry tries to capitalize on the diversion, but Hennig is too fast as he delivers a tornado punch that staggers Zbyszko. A chop, a punch, then Zbyszko pushes Hennig into the ropes from a headlock. Hennig smashes into Zbyszko, knocking him down and then for a second time. Zbyszko then ducks down too soon for the back body drop, and Hennig stops short, raises Larry by the chin and delivers a big time body slam on Zbyszko.
A fired up Hennig knocks Zbyszko into the corner, the crowd wildly cheers, then Hennig whips Zbyszko in the other corner and crashes down to the mat after a back body drop by Hennig. Curt’s knees is where Larry gets put into for a head twist. Curt then grounds Zbyszko with a head lock. Larry pulled Curt’s trunks to gain leverage in turning Curt over for the 2 count pin. Hennig would roll back into original position with the lock. Larry would almost pull Curt’s trunk off on the second pin attempt, and DeRusha caught this after the 1 count. Zbyszko pushed Hennig off into the ropes, attempted a hip toss but Hennig spun around and hip tossed Zybyszko. Another headlock by Hennig, would have Zbyszko pushing him off and ducking down three times for Hennig to leap over. On the third attempt, Hennig stopped, was going for the headlock, but Zbyszko turned that into a back suplex on Hennig. Larry would whip Hennig in the ropes, duck down too soon and get punted by Hennig. Reeling from the kick, Larry gets to his feet, is met with a Hennig’s fist and then eats a Hennig dropkick after being whipped from the ropes.
Zbyszko rolls over the bottom rope, grabs Hennig’s left foot and drags him to the outside floor. Larry punches Curt in the mid section, then is pulled by his trunks off the ring when attempting a return. Larry yanks down on Curts trunks, bringing him back from trying to re-enter. Both men trade punches, with Hennig gaining the upper hand. Curt flys over the bottom rope, and Zbyszko halts that movement by grabbing onto Hennig’s left leg. Gary DeRousha signals the bell for a double count out in this 11 minute encounter.
Following the slow motion replay of the conclusion, Nelson interviews Hennig in the ring. Hennig says he felt, as the world likely felt, that the number 1 contender for Bockwinkel’s title would have been granted to whomever would have won this match. Hennig said that Zbyszko is one of the greatest wrestlers in the AWA, but said that it was made perfectly clear that facing Curt Hennig in a match is no day off. Hennig said that he and Scott Hall have been training hard and studying their opponents, as they geared for a return to active tag team competition. Curt mentioned the great new teams, that the best are making AWA their home. Hennig said that he and Scott are ready for them. Nelson thanked Curt for his time as they shake hands, and Curt waved to the cheering audience.
David
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