CLASSIC AWA 4/30/08 TV REPORT
- 04/30/2008 (10:42:46 pm)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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April 30th aired a 1988 epsiode of Verne Gagne’s AWA All Star Wrestling from Nashville Tennessee.
Cactus Jack & Gary Young versus Billy Joe Travis & Scott Steiner
After taking forearm shots by Cactus (Mick Foley), Steiner turns him around, hammering him in the corner. Cactus was corner whipped into a back body drop. Steiner dropkicked an incoming Young, then planted a dropkick on Cactus. As Cactus was whipped off the ropes, Steiner leap frogged over and then power slammed him.
A tagged Travis assisted Steiner in a double back elbow on Cactus. A Cactus punch, a body slam and leg drop to the torso gave Young the opening for a tag, but he was arm dragged down. Young pounded Travis in the corner, but Travis reverse Young’s corner whip, to catch him in a hip toss.
Travis hit with forearm shots in the corner, but Young moved after being whipped into the corner, causing Travis to smash his face on the turnbuckle on a splash attempt. Young slammed Travis’ head into Cactus boot, that was rested on the top rope. After receiving a double back elbow, and knee drops, Travis fought out of the corner to tag Steiner.
Steiner punched away at his opponents, then whipped Young into Cactus, as Travis whipped Cactus into Young. While referee Frank Morel was getting Travis back to his corner, Steiner rolled up Cactus.
Downtown Bruno (WWE’s Harvey Wippleman) gave his boot to Young, who smashed it over Steiner’s head, as he had Cactus rolled up for a pin. When the referee turned back, he went and counted Cactus’ pin on Steiner, closing the match in under five minutes.
Mike Enos versus Teijo Khan (accompanied by Soldat Ustinov)
Eno (WWE’s Blake of Beverly Brothers) took a knife edge chop on the ropes, but caught Khan with a flying cross body press, when whipped to the ropes. AWA champion Jerry "The King" Lawler was commentating, and as he told Lee Marshall of Khan adeptness in martial arts, Khan delivered a diving chop to a downed Enos.
Marshall commented that Ustinov and Khan were like witnessing ugly and uglier. Lawler added that Khan was so ugly that as a baby "his mother would sit him in the corner and feed him with a slingshot."
After choking Enos on the top rope, Khan body slammed and then landed a diving punch. Khan released a chinlock to whip Enos in the ropes for a swift powerslam. Enos fired back with shots, after Khan missed an elbow drop. From a corner whip, Khan flew out and clotheslined Enos down, before putting him away with an uppercut chop, in this match exceeding four minutes.
At AWA studio, Greg Gagne presented a replay of World Class champion Kerry Von Erich and AWA champion Jerry Lawler, that aired last night.
Alan Reynolds versus "Hands of Stone" Ronnie Garvin
When whipped to the corner, Reynolds jumped to and from the middle for a body press, but Garvin ducked. The crashed Reynolds fell victim to a Garvin stomp, which are a series of stomps to the biceps, thighs, ankles, stomach and face (WWE’s Randy Orton uses this today). Garvin suplexed an exited Reynolds back in the ring from the apron.
Garvin punished Reynolds with chops, head butts and choking. After punching Reynolds down in the corner, Garvin toyed with a false crucifix pin attempt. After hopping on Reynolds’ stomach with both feet, Garvin caught him in a back body drop off the ropes. Garvin brought the match to an end by knocking Reynolds out with a right fist, and covering him in this match that reached past four minutes.
During the match, Lawler mentioned that a year before Garvin was NWA, defeating "Nature Boy" Ric Flair for the title. Lawler said that he liked Garvin’s cockiness, and he wanted to see the look on Garvin’s face when Lawler is still standing after taking Garvin’s mighty right fist.
Rock ‘n Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) defeated Keith Eric & Hangman in under four minutes.
Soldat Ustinov (w/ Teijo Khan) versus Sgt. Slaughter in the main event
Sarge walked around the ring, shaking hands with his many fans. Ustinov left the ring after being unable to budge Sarge with his charge. Ustinov returned to be headlocked into a hammerlock. Ustinov would then turn a wristlock into a hammerlock on Sarge. Ustinov and Darge would trade charges, budgining neither man. A commentating Verne Gagne said it was like the Sears Tower colliding with the Hancock building.
When Sarge rushed in for another charge, Khan tripped him, but Sarge would move out of the way of Ustinov’s elbow drop. After taking a gut shot and an Irish whip, Sarge dropped Ustinov on the charge, but get a high boot to the face on his second charge. Ustinov punished Sarge with chokes, forearms and kicks, until corner whipping him into a back body drop.
Sarge took a gut shot, but reversed a corner whip to back body drop Ustinov. Sarge took Ustinov down again with a standing dropkick, then a Slaughter Cannon clothesline, before locking in the Cobra Clutch. When Ustinov went to one knee, Khan ran and broke the hold with a double ax handle to Sarge’s back.
Khan drives stabbing throat chops, and then holds Sarges arms as Ustinov rushes to the ropes. Sarge ducks and Ustinov takes out Khan with a clothesline. Sarge lands left fist until dropping Ustinov with a wound up right fist. Ustinov holds on to the ropes from an Irish whip to avoid a second Slaughter Cannon, and exits the ring. Slaughter is declared the winner by disqualification, in this match that was just under seven minutes.
In an in-ring post match interview, Sarge whipped the Soviet flag on the butt of his trunks before handing it back to Ustinov. Sarge said that the USA will do what it has to do in order to stay #1, then laid out a challenge to Von Erich and Lawler for their titles. Sarge said that he would even wrestle them both in one night. Sarge said he was "sick" of Col. DeBeers disrespecting the USA, and said "you’ll be dismissed!"
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David
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