CLASSIC AWA 4/16/08 TV REPORT
- 04/16/2008 (8:25:35 pm)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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April 16th airs a 1986 episode of Verne Gagne’s AWA from the Showboat Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas Nevada.
Steel Gladiator & Jesse Hernandez versus "Playboy" Buddy Rose & "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers
Rose protested announcer Larry Nelson stating that Rose weighed 271 lbs. Rose claimed he was 217lbs. After the starting bell rang, referee Gary DeRousha laid a count for their manager Sherri Martel to leave the ring, and her men to start from their corner. A commentating Lord James Blears mentioned that tag team wrestling was his favorite style of match, and that along with Gene Kiniski held the world tag titles from 1951 to 1954.
Rose got down and performed five push-ups, four of which were one handed. Rose whipped a quick arm drag on Gladiator, but Gladiator would repond with arm drags to Rose and Somers. Rose and Somers gained back the advantage by persistent tags and brawling, until Rose went for the abdominal stretch. Rose would revert to rulebreaking by choking Gladiator with the tag rope, while Somers distracted the ref.
When Hernandez was tagged, he beat Rose from corner to corner, and took Somers over with a double arm take down. Somers clubbed Hernandez, and Rose snuck in a shot as Somers distracted the ref again. Hernandez shifted his weight to escape a Rose body slam, and a tagged Gladiator hip tossed Rose out of the corner. Gladiator would fall prey to a gut kick, Somers suplex and then put away by a Rose DDT, ending this match a little past seven minutes.
In the post match interview, Rose agreed with Nelson that AWA’s tag competition is ferocious, and that the AWA was the major leagues of professional wrestling. Rose had a sweet deal as Sherri massaged his sweaty back during the interview. Doug Somers was a fine wrestler, but his raspy voice made me wish that he would invest in some Luden’s cough drops. He called out for the top teams to sign a contract so that he and Rose could beat them.
Rose said that Sherri was the most beautiful woman and the greatest lady wrestler. Sherri said that the top teams are ducking her "beautiful men", and she wanted the crowd to shut up while she spoke. Sherri said that "we’re on easy street and got it made avenue, and there is no reason why my men are without title shots." Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo were being called out a lot, as Rose said he would meet them at any place and any time as he clamped hands with Somers.
Harley Davidson versus Nick Bockwinkel
Davidson does a double arm muscle flex, as Bockwinkel enters the ring while cracking his bullwhip. Nelson nervously left the ring, as Bockwinkel slightly whipped at him in joking fashion. Bockwinkel pushes off Davidson’s lock up, for a waist lock. Then grabbed Davidson’s arm while head locking, turning that into a wristlock. Bockwinkel then executed a hammerlock take down, and Davidson fired away at Bockwinkel with forearms. Bockwinkel would body slam Davidson three times, then placed him over the bottom rope for knee drops to the back. Than Bockwinkel planted Davidson in the canvas with a piledriver, gaining referee Scott LeDux 3 count, in this match that was a little over three minutes.
Nelson said in the interview that Bockwinkel has developed a fetish for the bullwhip and he wish he would stop cracking it during their interview. Bockwinkel said that a little old farmer sent him the bullwhip as a gift, adding that he uses it to keep the wild personalities that carry chains, nunchakus and lariats at bay. Nelson brought up Bockwinkel’s draw with Colonel DeBeers the week before, and Bockwinkel said that he only win more important to him would be over AWA champion Stan Hansen. Nick mentioned his own accomplishment of holding the AWA title for over 8 ½ years, and on three different occasions. Bockwinkel said that the end of the bullwhip has sting, but the sting he wanted to give to Hansen was pinning him to the canvas.
After the commercial, Larry Nelson and Greg Gagne were at AWA studio announcing the upcoming matches in the hour. Gagne spoke of Col. DeBeers and said that he didn’t like to see politics in sports, and brought up the 1980 Olympics boycott. The main event would be Mike Rotundo & Curt Hennig against Larry Zbyszko and the in ring debut of his ninja Mr. Go. Gagne said that Hennig’s usual tag partner Scott Hall wouldn’t be there because he had a special appearance to make.
Mike Richards versus Col. DeBeers
The venue for this match wasn’t explained, but one thing is for sure, it wasn’t held at the Showboat. A commentating Nelson told his broadcast partner Verne Gagne, that DeBeers reminded him of Hans Schmidt. DeBeers punished Richards throughout the match with stomps off the rope, a body slam on the top rope and rope burning. DeBeers threw Richards from the ring, then laid a heavy forearm to the chest, as Richards was laid against the top rope.
Throughout the match, DeBeers would strike Richards, cover him for a pin but pull him up before the 3 count. Nelson said that steamed him, and along with sympathy for Richards, Nelson and Gagne counted nine of these false pin covers. Richards then came back landing forearms on DeBeers, but the tide quickly changed back, when Richards missed a dropkick. DeBeers would crash Richards twice with his patented front face piledriver before the finishing pin counted by Gary DeRousha, in this just over seven minute match.
Mike Rotundo & Curt Hennig versus Larry Zbyszko and Mr. Go in the main event
This may have been the only time Go appeared without his ninja mask, and this Go might have been a different wrestler than the masked one. Go would bow to Rotundo after the collar and elbow tie up was broken in the ropes. Rotundo pushed off Go’s headlock, got charged down, but then catch Go in a hip toss.
Rotundo would be be caught in a wrist lock take over into a head scissors, then a tagged Hennig mule kicked off Go’s two leg sweeps. Hennig then hammerlocked out of Go’s head lock take down. Commentator Rod Trongard mentioned Hennig synching the move into a chicken wing. Blears said that is a vicuous and painful move that is illegal in collegiate wrestling. He added that it shouldn’t be tried by non professionals.
Go escaped with a take down, and was lifted off the mat as he attempted a sleeperhold. Hennig arm dragged Go over, extended his left arm and dropped a knee on it. A forward roll and backward bridge would mean an escape and reverse on Hennig’s wrist lock. Trongard said he was impressed with Go’s ability. Go would absorb Rotundo’s kick, elbow smash and hammerlock out of Rotundo’s head lock take over.
After stalling over his irritatation of the audience, a tagged Zbyszko lulled Rotundo into a stomach kick, land gut shots in the corner, but then has his mouth smashed into the turnbuckles when Rotundo reversed the corner whip. Zbyszko left the ring, and told Trongard that "instead of shooting off your mouth, tell these people to grow up!" As Zbyszko left, Trongard said "You do it in there young man"
Zbyszko was yelling at a fan, and I wish I could have heard the tirade but Blears was talking over it. After some stalling, Zbyszko tricked Rotundo into a fireman’s carry take over from a knucklelock. Zbyszko tried to maintain the arm bar by kicking out Rotundo’s legs, but Rotundo kipped up three times and got a tag to Hennig. A big punch from Hennig had Zbyszko tied up in the ropes, where he became open to Hennig's back kicks and a stomach punch by Rotundo on the floor. The camera turned to the audience when Go entered, and it looked like Hennig knocked him away.
After his ropes release, Zbyszko walked on the floor with Go. Zbyszko would shove off Hennig’s headlock, get shoved down twice and get rolled back by Hennig’s sunset flip. Zbyszko scissors kicked out at 2. Hennig was backed into the ropes and got hit with a hard Zbyszko spinning heel kick, that brought Hennig to the floor. Zbyszko hopped out and smashed Hennig on the ring apron. Go pulled Hennig over the top rope for a chest smash with the forearm, and Zbyszko planted a kick before tossing Hennig in over the ropes.
Rotundo ran to the corner and nailed Zbyszko with a punch. Go would distract ref DeRosuha as Zbyszko choked Hennig with the bottom rope. Hennig was whipped to ropes and spun to the mat after a Go face boot. Hennig blocked Go’s heel kick, traded shots in the corner, and then held up Go’s arm for a tagged Rotundo ribs punch. Rotundo whipped Go to the ropes for back elbow, body slammed him and landed an elbow drop.
Zbyszko ran in and traded punches with Rotundo, as Hennig and go traded punches. Zbyszko shoved down DeRosuha, who would signal the bell for a double disqualification, closing the match in eleven minutes. The four men continue to fight, until Zbyszko left the ring, and Go is knocked to the apron after Rotundo held him for a Hennig haymaker.
Zbyszko slapped the mat in frustration. Rotundo lands a stomp, before Go leaves the ring.
Nelson showed slight annoyance, as Zbyszko told the people to grow up and said that the match wouldn’t have been thrown out if Rotundo and Hennig would stay within the bounds of wrestling. Zbyszko said that his opponents resorted to eye poking, moves that Go wasn’t familiar with, and were treated to favoritism from their friend, referee DeRoshua. Zbyszko said that Go is trained in Ninjitsu along with Karate. Zbyszko added that if Rotundo, Hennig and Hall ever try to mess with them, "You’ll lose!"
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David
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