CLASSIC AWA 4/8/08 TV REPORT
- 04/08/2008 (9:55:55 pm)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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April 8th airs a May 13 1986 epsiode of Verne Gagne’s AWA.
Sally Ruez & Alex Knight versus The Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels)
Larry Nelson announced the Rockers as one of the most exciting teams in the AWA, as the Midnights jog to the ring to their Living After Midnight theme song by Judas Priest. Jannetty escapes a double attempt from Knight’s corner. Jannetty pulls Knight down with a waist lock and hooks the leg for a two count. Commentating Lord James Blears said that Jannetty and Michaels will get scared up when they get older in wrestling, but right now they are young and handsome.
Michaels is tagged. Jannetty whips Knight from the ropes to a drop toe hold, and Michaels comes off the ropes onto Knight’s back with an elbow drop. Shawn wrestles like a much larger wrestler, as he power slams Knight from the corner. Blears said that the Midnights are a good combination because they are individualists like a lot of wrestlers. Knight pushes off the arm bar, ducks down and is leap frogged over by Michaels. Knights turns around and taken down by a high dropkick.
Commentating Rod Trongard described the Rockers as extremely colorful, quick and dynamic. From an arm twist on a tagged Ruez, a freshly tagged Jannetty converts that hold to a hammer lock. Ruez sweeps the legs, applies an ankle lock, Jannetty turns this into a reverse front face lock and pin for a two count. Ruez twist to an over the back amateur wrestling position, but Jannetty quickly twists out to an arm bar, tags Michaels, Irish whips Ruez to the ropes. Riez reverses the whip, and Michaels charges and takes down Ruez with rough looking clothesline.
Blears told the aspiring wrestlers watching to work on having a strong neck, "you aren’t broke until you’re necks’ broke". Shawn body slams Ruez, tag Janntty who comes off the ropes and guerilla pressed slammed by Michaels onto Ruez for a two count. "How Sally Ruez was able to get out of that I don’t know" said Trongard. Jannetty backs Ruez to Knight’s corner, where a tagged Knight sweeps Jannetty’s left leg, works knee drops and drops his weight over it.
Jannetty gets up, drops Knight with a back elbow to the chest, slams Knight and tags Michaels. Jannetty is tagged back, as Mciahels hoists up Knight upside down in mid suplex position, as Jannetty leaps from the top with a flying cross body and referee Scott LeDux’s pin after four minutes of action.
Nelson congratulated Jannetty on behalf of the Rockers’ win. Jannetty thanked him and said that they are moving up the long ladder of competition in the AWA. Jannetty said that their opponents know The Midnight Rockers like to party, but they can also wrestle aswell. Sheik Adnan El Kassey’s Army was brought up, and Jannetty praised them for being big and talented, but that didn’t intimate his team who can "move around, wrestle, do what they need to".
When asked about the tough teams, Michaels said that "Playboy" Buddy Rose and "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers have tried for an upset victory, but they will be next for the Midnight Rockers to go through. Michaels said that neither he nor Jannetty are 6'6 and 300 lbs like Sheik Adnan’s Army, but they "will take it to them like no one has ever taken it to them before." Michaels said that his doesn’t party "until they take care of business", and they will do that with Rose and Somers to the AWA titles.
Next was a segment of Larry Zbyszko’s In This Corner from AWA studio with Larry Nelson.
Zbyszko said this epsiode would unveil a mysery guest, and mentioned previous week’s guest "spud head" Curt Hennig as someone who gets title shots because his father Larry Hennig goes on hunting trips with his buddy Verne Gagne. Zbyszko said that the powers at AWA conspire to dodge on providing title shots out of fear. Zbyszko announced that there would be a music video montage of the most amazing athlete who can do it all better than anyone else. The video showed Zbyszko out wrestling and out fighting a blonde jobber, then Leon White (Vader), Greg Gagne, Scott LeDux and Nick Bockwinkel.
Nelson said this is twice that Zbyszko has announced a mystery guest, and shown a long video of himself, as the mystery guest being ninja Mr. Go sat next to Nelson. White holding a kendo stick, Go speaks in Japanese to a frustrated Larry Nelson. Zbyszko introduced Mr. Go from Japan, as his training partner. Zbyszko said that Go is trained in the art of self defense, and Nelson responded by saying a ninja is a cultural killer, an assassin to his understanding.
Zbyszko explained that he had it with putting up with Nick Bockwinkel hiring an ex prized fighter turned bar tender’s thug in Scott LeDux, and the political games of Verne Gagne and Larry Hennig’s nepotism. Zbyszko added that Go will remain in his corner to even the odds, that Go believes as he does in condition, preparation and mediation Zbyszko said that he and Go doesn’t need to go running in the woods to kill a before going into a match. "Stan Hansen..where are you?!" Zbyszko said, then added "Stanley Blackburn (AWA president) where do I sign?!"
After the commercial, Nelson was at AWA studio to announce the feature match of the week. It was from Hallenbeck Hall in St. Cloud Minnesota.
"Baby Bull" Leon White (Vader) versus King King (Bruiser) Brody
Brody stomp to the ring with his notorious yelp. Commentating Greg gagne said that Brody had been suspended by the athletic commission in Nevada, not by the AWA, for his attack on "Crusher" Jerry Blackwell. Before a baseball cap wearing White could get through the ropes, he receives multiple Brody boots to the head. Sheik Adnan hands Brody a chair, distacts referee Marty Miller, and Brody continues to slam the chair into White’s right ankle. Miller bravely struggles to get the chair away from Brody.
White tries to move around the ring without putting much of his weight on his right leg. He gets an eye gouge, fires back with forearms, but is chopped away by Brody in the corner. White reverses the corner whip, then charges Brody to the mat. White chops at Brody, backs him into the corner, whips Brody to the oppsoite corner, but is caught with a high Brody boot to the face.
White’s leg injure adds additional pressure, and White drops back in a seated position. Brody stomps at the White’s right ankle, moves aside an admonishing referee Miller, but White lands stuff shots as Bordy stands solid. Brody is backed in then whipped for a back elbow that takes him down slowly and dramatically.
White delivers a couple of jumping drop headbutts, a knife edge chop, an Irish whip and charge. Brody gets up and is met by White’s shots to the chest and stomach. Greg Gagne said that White can’t apply full pressure due to his hurt leg. White ducks down to soon after a whip, and gets a boot followed by chops. White reverses the whip and takes Brody down with a stiff wall.
White comes off the ropes and Adnan yanks the leg, and twists White’s leg over the bottom rope. Brody stomps to the ankle, White leaps forward to hit Brody with a shoulder to the mid section then a right fist. Brody pushes aside the ref, continues to stomp at a mat bound White. This match closes after four minutes. Nelson said that he heard White refuse the forfeit, but referee Miller made the call that White could not continue.
As Miller tries to get Brody and Sheik Adnan to go back, as Brad Rheingans, Scott LeDux, Jake Milliman and Frankie DeFalco tend to White. Nelson dreaded the news by Greg about having to interview Brody, who yelped while holding the chair, as Adnan held Brody’s hair to try to control him.
Nelson was very worried about Brody who continued to yelp and stalked around the ring. Adnan shook Nelson and told him not to worry. Nelson cringed and yelled out when Brody slammed the chair near him, against the ring apron. Nelson brought up Brody facing AWA champion Stan "The Lariat" Hansen, and breathed "Thank God" when Bordy dropped the chair to get on his knees and mimic a prayer. Adnan wanted to know where Hansen was, that Brody was already champion in the eyes of the Arab people. Adnan issued another challenge on behalf of his other men Boris Zhukov and Nord the Barbarian, by saying that AWA tag champions Curt Hennig and Scott Hall "must be hiding in the closet!"
Colonel DeBeers versus Nickbockwinkel in the main event at the Showboat Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas Nevada.
Bockwinkel came to the ring with a bullwhip, cracks it, and had DeBeers back off to the apron to demand referee Scott LeDux take the whip away. Blears said of himself being active in wrestling for 40 sum years when asked by Trongard, and that he would be meeting up soon with other legends at the Cauliflower Alley Club.
Bockwinkel yanks the middle rope for a stretch as the bell rings. Both men engage in a collar and elbow tie up. DeBeers backs Bockwinkel to the corner, does a military type about face and walks away while twirling his handlebar mustache. This would occur again. Bockwinkel backed DeBeers to the corner, turns around like DeBeers, but turns around again quickly in a fighting stance in anticipation of DeBeers’ back attack.
DeBeers cooly backed away with a stache twirl. DeBeers would acquire a headlock, and would stop Bockwinkel from muscling out with a knee to the ribs. DeBeers would use his weight to flip Bockwinkel to the mat, Bockwinkel would try twice to escape with a face clamp, but DeBeers synched in the hold. Bockwinkel would rise and power out of the hold with a test of strength, but taken down into the hold again with a hair pull.
After releasing for a face stomp, DeBeers dropped his body over the shoulders of a seated Bockwinkel. A turnbuckle smash and double leg nelson (as Blears called it) into a roll up pin attempt. Bockwinkel escapes at 2 then sweeps Debeers legs, to a step over toe hold and a seated drop on Debeer’s left leg.
Bockwinkel would twist around, while locking the ankles and synch in an Indian Death lock (opponent’s ankles are crossed Indian style in a tie up with opposing wrestler who sits back on legs to apply pressure). Every time Debeers rises, Bockwinkel drops him with a forearm to the face, and points out that it wasn’t a fist to the official. Debeers eventually rises enough to stop Ledux’s pin count, and eventually twists to the bottom rope for a break. LeDux unlocks the legs, then Bockwinkel stomps DeBeers away with a ribs shot. Bockwinkel would then kick Debeers in the left leg to the corner, drape that leg over the middle rope and land knees into it.
Bockwinkel backs off, Debeers walks to the far away corner, and Bockwinkel kicks DeBeers off his feet. Bockwinkel then performs a seated body drop on DeBeers’ left leg into an ankle lock. DeBeers breaks this with a grab of the bottom rope. Bockwinkel frustratingly throws DeBeers ankle to the mat to release. DeBeers has his leg kicked by Bockwinkel, as he tries to escape to the corner. Debeers holds the top rope rope, Bockwinkel grabs the legs and yanks up, flinging DeBeers to the center of the ring.
Blears referred to Bockwinkel as a gentleman, a scholar and was a true champion. DeBeers shoulder jammed into Bockwinkel’s hip, Bockwinkel pushed off the headlock, and was dropped as DeBeers charged off the ropes. When DeBeers came off the ropes again, Bockwinkel took him down with a drop toe hold, and rolled it into an ankle lock on the left leg. Trongard felt Nick would be champion again. Bockwinkel would synch it up, but DeBeers would over to the bottom rope. LeDux had to unlock the legs again.
DeBeers rose to stomp at Bockwinkel’s stomach, to an off the ropes head stomp, and then a fist. Debeers would whip Bockwinkel to the ropes, try to plant to boot, but Bockwinkel caught the leg and kicked out the right leg. Bockwinkel then dropped his weight down on to DeBeers’s left leg, but DeBeers would eye rake his way out of another ankle lock. DeBeers double ax handled Bockwinkel in the corner, then grabs the trunks from the front, drops back propelling Bockwinkel through the ropes to the floor.
DeBeers would stomp Bockwinkel’s head from the apron, then crash forearms against Bockwinkel’s chest as he was against the top rope. DeBeers laid punches, delivered a body slam, climbed to the second rope. DeBeers held on to the top rope, and leaped off with a splash on the mat prone Bockwinkel for a two count. On a second slam and drop combo, Nick raised knees to DeBeers ribs, as The Colonel came down.
Bockwinkel would unleash punches that dropped DeBeers. Nelson announced there being five minutes remaining in the bout. Bockwinkel would take down Debeers with a heavy forearm for a 2 count that DeBeers barely escaped. DeBeers looked to be going for an eye gouge, and when the camera moved away to the audience, Trongard said that he nailed nick with a knees to both sides of the head (I assume that upwards scissors chop). Debeers whips Bockwinkel in for a clothesline, but a duck and arms lock would mean a backslide.
DeBeers escaped the pin, and landed two headbutts to the stomach, and then a body slam. DeBeers then climbed to the top rope and landed a flying cross body press on Bockwinkel.
Bockwinkel rolled this move backwards into a pin on DeBeers. After a kick out after two, Bockwinkel pushes off DeBeers headlock, drops down, and the off ropes collision has Bockwinkel fall back and DeBeers fall through the ropes to the floor. Debeers rises to the apron, Bockwinkel rushes forward on hands and knees for a headbutt to debeers’ stomach ala the Junkyard Dog. Bockwinkel suplex Debeers in, covers him for two, lowers Debeers right arm two times for two more pin attempts, the third time would be broken up with an eye gouge.
Debeers would take Nick down with a drop back dropkick, as Nelson announces three minutes remaining. Debeers crashes Bockwinkel’s head to the canvas, then gives a diving headbutt. Nick’s legs are upwards against the ropes, and he gets to his knees to punch at mid section, to the heart (according to Trongard) and a face punch that throws DeBeers back down to the mat.
After a two count, Nelson announces 2 minutes. Bockwinkel whips debeers and take s him down witha knee to the stomach with a cover for a count of two.
Blears said that it’s been a long time since he’s seen such a hard fought match. Bockwinkel whips DeBeers to the corner, then to the ropes, where Bockwinkel would wrap around DeBeers for the sleeper hold. Trongard says some call the sleeper hold a choke, Blears said that it cuts off the flow of blood to the carotid artery. Debeers tries to roll nick over, but Bockwinkel maintains the hold, but Debeers falls over the bottom rope. DeBeers eye gouges out of the pin cover, as Nelson announces 1 minute left.
DeBeers then flips Nick over with a hip roll. DeBeers goes for another, but Nick blocks and takes over DeBeers with a hip roll. Both men land a right fist to each other’s head. Nick drops to a seated position, followed by DeBeers who lands face forward ala Ric Flair. DeBeers kicks out at two, Bockwinkel takes a shot to the face, ducks the next punch and then drops DeBeers with a right fist for a two count. As Nelson counts down from 10, Bockwinkel covers two more times, and Ledux stops counting on the third cover. This match concluded to the 15 minute time limit.
Bockwinkel goes over to Nelson to wave off an interview as he walks back to the locker room disappointed. Nelson announced that Bockwinkel didn’t want to be interviewed, and told DeBeers that it looked like he was saved by the bell. Nelson added that Bockwinkel must have proved that there is an American who can wrestle. Debeers said that Americans always have to come in with an advantage, be it in world politics or the ring. DeBeers said that Bockwinkel came in to the match with a bullwhip, proving he is gutless unlike the real men in the Republic of South Africa.
Nelson said that Bockwinkel had him down and looked to be winning if the time limit didn’t run out. DeBeers responded by saying it is the American way to have limits, be it in marriage, contracts and in the ring. DeBeers said that South Africa, men wrestle until there is a winner. DeBeers then took the microphone from Nelson with a proclaimation "South Africa forever!". DeBeers flexes his left arm muscle saying "that’s where real men are at." and berating a woman in the audeince by saying "You madame are probably a transvestite I assume."
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David
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