CLASSIC AWA 4/11/08 TV REPORT
- 04/11/2008 (6:53:53 pm)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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April 11th airs a 1986 episode of Verne Gagne’s AWA from the Showboat Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas Nevada. There was no date specified, aside from the year.
Hans DeHass versus Brad Rheingans
Former Olympian Rheingans took down DeHass with a monkey flip to work on his arm. Rheingans went from a wristlock, to a leg drop, to a seated arm stretcher that had one foot on DeHass’ face and the other on his ribs. Verne Gagne mentioned that Jeff Blatnick credited Rheingans’ coaching for his gold medal win at the 1984 Olympics. DeHass would roll out and resort to kicks, punches and forearms.
After being smashed in the turnbuckle, Rheingans delivered a heel kick and turned a front face lock into a Rick Rude style neck breaker. After escaping a few pin covers, DeHass would eye rake to a wristlock with a knee post, as Rheingans on mat. Rheingans rose to flip DeHass with an arm twist, then a head scissors from another seated arm stretcher.
DeHass caught Rheingans off the ropes with a stomach punch, but Rheingans would land an atomic drop. From that move, Rheingans held on and slammed DeHass backwards into a German suplex with a bridge. Referee Scott LeDux counted the pin that closed the match, a little past four minutes.
As announcer Larry Nelson congratulated Rheingans on a sensational match, Nelson was joined in the ring by AWA champion Stan "The Lariat" Hansen, who pounded his bull rope to the mat. Hansen was annoyed that the AWA wanted him to conduct himself like Nick Bockwinkel and Rick Martel.
Hansen said that he doesn’t have a lot of class and manners, but he has a lot of guts and will fight anyone who meets him in the ring. Hansen compared his approach to wrestling like his approach to deer hunting, where he waits for that moment to strike. Then as Nelson tries to wrap up, Hansen shoves him into the ropes.
Alex Knight versus Colonel DeBeers
Knight would reverse a wrist lock, but find himself getting snap mared down and stomped on. Knight head scissored out of a headlock take over, DeBeers escaped to stomp, snap mare and chinlock. Knight tries to roll out but DeBeers rolls with him and turns the hold into a cross body half nelson with an ankle lock.
DeBeers drove knees into the shin and back of Knight. DeBeers would beat down Knight on the apron, then turn a double under hooked of Knight’s arms into a butterfly suplex. After a knee drop, DeBeers covered for a pin, but lifted up Knight before the three.
Stomps, a punch and an elbow would continue DeBeers' assault before repeating his false pin cover attempt. After a turnbuckle smash, Knight lands elbows to DeBeers’ stomach and a headlock punch combo. DeBeers would fire back with a stomach shot, then drive Knight face flat to the mat in a reverse Russian leg sweep fashion.
Knight was then hoisted in mid piledriver position and dropped face first with DeBeers weight on top. Commentator Lord James Blears called this a face driver and it easily earned referee Marty Miller's three count in another match that went just past four minutes. DeBeers then stepped on Knights head twice as he walked around the ring.
Nelson said in the post match interview, that "you may not like his politics, but you must admit that he (Col. DeBeers) has talent" When Nelson brought up AWA’s mega event WrestleRock, DeBeers said that to his understanding, this event is "about a bunch of people sitting around watching wrestling and enjoying dreaded jungle music" Many people in the audience booed.
Nelson asked DeBeers "don’t you have any respect for our country that allows you the freedom to say this?" DeBeers answered that he only respects the Republic of South Africa, where there are real men. DeBeers added that America "has been to the mountain top, to quote one of your lesser individuals, but I’m here to see it on it’s way down"
Anthony "Earthquake" Ferris versus Sargent Slaughter
Ferris jumped around in a boxing robe as he waited for the Sarge, who was walking around the ring, handing out mini USA flags to the fans. Sarge entered, kicked away Ferris’ removed robe and whipped at Ferris with his belt. Ferris wiggled his butt at Sarge, and did a dance when Sarge failed to body slam him. Ferris did the dance again after Sarge couldn’t budge him with an off the ropes charge. After a few more charge attempts, Sarge would bring Ferris to the mat with a dropkick, then take him down again with a right fist.
Ferris exited the ring for a breather, returned to get a Slaughter knee and forearm club while against the ropes. Slaughter Irish whipped Ferris in, but ducked down too low for a back body drop attempt and got kicked down. Ferris then scooped slammed and landed his nearly 400 lb frame on Slaughter with a splash drop.
After kicking out of the pin at 2, Ferris dropped an elbow, then almost slipped off as he mounted to a seated position on the top turnbuckle. Ferris leaped, but missed connecting on the middle rope flying elbow. Sarge rushed to the corner, and hit Ferris with a Slaughter Cannon (Clothesline) from the middle ropes. LeDux counted three and that ended the match in five minutes.
Tim Patterson versus King Kong Brody
Brody marched around ringside with a folded stretcher over his left shoulder, when he comes near the commentator’s table, he kicks it and pointed a Verne Gagne sitting there. As Brody was punishing Patterson with knife edge chops and forearm clubs, Gagne said he was delighted about the stipulation that gave him time in the ring with Brody’s manager Sheik Adnan El Kassey, if Jerry Blackwell and Greg Gagne win at WrestleRock 86.
After leveling Patterson with an off the ropes stomp, many fans chanted "Sheik’s a freak!" Patterson would get Irish whipped to the ropes, and dropped by a lightning quick high Brody boot. Brody would throw Patterson through the ropes, pick him up and slam him against the steel post twice. Referee Marty Miller signaled the bell to disqualify Brody for ignoring his warnings, ending the match in four minutes.
Brody knocked Miller down, then threw Patterson back in the ring. Lifted him upside for 5 seconds in mid pile driver position before drilling him into the canvas. Blears urged Verne to maintain self control and not get involved. Brody covered Patterson and slapped the mat three times.
Brody would exit and come back to place Patterson on the stretcher, then stomp away on him. Brody then approaches again on hands and knees as Miller tries to back him off. Much of the crowd chants "USA!" to irritate Sheik Adnan. Brody beats his chest while on the floor, and Miller tries to back him away from the fans. After throwing a chair in the ring, Brody goes in and stands on it before the commercial.
Nelson gives a post match interview, where Adnan claims that he was the reason for Verne Gagne’s retirement. The camera showed Verne with a serious look on his face. Adnan called out to Greg Gagne and Jerry Blackwell, saying that "if you’re looking for action, here is my man!"
As Brody pulled his own hair back, he said that Adnan pays him a lot of money and when Sheik Adnan "wants them on the stretcher, King Kong Brody is going put them on the stretcher!" Brody went on to say that he is going to kick Verne Gagne’s (or Gone yay as he mockingly pronounces) 472 lbs of fat, sloppy pig crony, Blackwell.
Midnight Rockers versus "Playboy" Buddy Rose & "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers in the main event.
Nelson bypassed Rose’ usually shtick of denying the 271 lb, and announced him as "claiming to be 217lbs". Rose would get down and execute 3 one handed push-ups, and challenge Michaels to do the same. Michaels got down and also performed 3 one handed push-ups, then quickly alternated to do two more one handed push-ups with the other hand as the crowd cheers.
Rose pushes off the headlock, charges down Michaels but is flipped over by a Michaels arm drag. Michaels would reverse a wrist lock that would flip over Rose, and Michaels lands on the arm with a leg drop. Rose would display some unexpected agility by kipping up, then flip Michaels with an arm twist to a stomp. A tagged Somers would rush in only to be arm dragged down, then receive a Jannetty elbow on his arm, that was extended by Michaels.
Jannetty continued with arm pressure, tagged Michael who twisted one arm at the same time Jannetty twisted the other. The Rockers would then reverse their double arm twist on Somers the other way, then drop him with double knife edge chops. Somers would escape Michaels’ wristlock with an Irish whip, ducked as Michaels leap frogged over, then caught Michaels with a body slam.
Michaels quickly sprung his legs up and mule kicked Somers down. An arm drag to a Jannetty tag, would have Marty bounce off the ropes with a leaping splash on Somers’ arm, that was extended out by Michaels. Though Somers was arm barred, he backed Jannetty to Rose’ corner, but over shot a forearm smash that blasted Rose to the floor. Sherri Martel rushed to Rose, bended down and hugged him on the floor.
After receiving forearms, and a back body drop, Somers tags out to Rose while in Jannetty’s arm lock. Rose would turnbuckle smash, judo chop and punch Jannetty in the corner. Then Somers snuck in a shot on the apron, then yanked Jannetty's neck on the top rope. Jannetty was whipped to the ropes and hit with a jolting Rose back elbow. Rose then walks near Michaels and spits on him. Michaels rushes in and delivers a forearm club to Rose’ back before referee LeDux ushered him back to his corner.
While LeDux is tending to Michaels, Somers hits Jannetty with a throat shot. Rose would sit up and yell "No!" when Jannetty kicked out at two after a Rose suplex and knee drop. Sherri slapped at the canvas to rally her men on. Michaels clapped his hands on the apron, and got the crowd to clap with him in support of Jannetty.
There would be an exchange of shots in the corner, Somers landed forearms as Jannetty landed fists. Somers’ eye rake put an end to this, and Somers held Jannetty for a tagged Rose strike. Rose would fail on two attempted suplexes, but one suplex attempt would succeed for Jannetty, crashing Rose to the mat.
Jannetty rolls and makes the tag to Michaels who like a house of fire, leaps over the top rope, lands punches and drops Somers with a super kick. Blears could only describe it as Kung Fu. An Irish whipped Somers is nailed with a Michaels flying back elbow. Somers would try to gain back the advantage with a punch to the stomach and face, but find him rolled for a pin in a sunset flip.
Rose ran in and kicked off the pin. Jannetty would run and battle Rose in one corner as Michaels battled Somers in the opposite corner. It looked like Rose and Somers would get whipped together, but they reversed it, causing Jannetty and Michaels to collide.
Somers goes to the corner, climbs to the top rope, but is then pushed to the mat by Michaels on the ring apron. As LeDux gets Rose out of the ring, Jannetty leaps off the top rope with a flying cross body press on Somers. Michaels drop kicked away an entered Rose, and LeDux makes the 3 count in this eight minute match.
Nelson interviews the Rockers and Scott LeDux in the ring, stating it was an impressive match and that the Rockers did a great job, to crowd cheers. Nelson asks LeDux how he felt about facing Larry Zbyszko in LeDux’s first wrestling match being held at WrestleRock. LeDux announced things that Zbyszko didn’t know, being that the match would be contested under European rules (having rounds), they would have to wrestle in boxing gloves (?) , and that he wasn’t just a pro boxer but a street fighter for seventeen years.
When Nelson was asking Jannetty about WrestleRock, Rose entered the ring and try to take a shot. Rose then hides behind Sherri in the corner as The Rockers try to get to him. Rose escapes, and Michaels threatens to slap her. Sherri then runs back the dressing room with Rose, as the Michaels grabs a chair and pursues with Jannetty to ringside.
Nelson calls out "Let’s hear it for the Midnight Rockers!" to loud cheers. An angered Michaels calls out for Rose to "come out here with your fat self, with your girl and we’ll give you the slap of your life" as he slaps his hands together.
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David
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