CLASSIC AWA 5/20/08 TV REPORT
- 05/20/2008 (7:46:46 pm)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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May 20th presents a 1988 epsiode of Verne Gagne’s AWA All Star Wrestling from the Showboat Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas Nevada.
Mike Richards versus Ricky Rice
After Richards goes for a ropes break from a trade off of waistlocks, Richards pushes off a headlock to charge down Rice. Richards goes for a hip toss, but Rice reverses the move, then body slams him. Rice takes forearm strikes in the corner, but moves away from a splash when whipped to the opposite corner.
Richards clubs Rice on the ropes, but ducks down too soon for a back body drop attempt, and is taken over with a sunset flip roll up. Richards kicks out and is rolled up again with an inside cradle. After two near falls, an angered Richards opens up on Rice with stomps, a diving headbutt drop and a kneelift.
Rice is body slammed but moves away from Richard’s elbow drop. Richards is whipped into a back body drop, caught with a high dropkick, and then dropped back with a flying cross body. Referee Marty Miller counts the pin, ending the match under four minutes.
Then comments by the AWA tag champions Paul Diamond and Pat Tanaka of Badd Company gave comments. Diamond mentioned teams such as Riki Choshu with Mr. Saito, Rock N’ Roll Express and the Nasty Boys. Diamond said Badd Company will "take care of business" with them and had Tanaka mention that an upcoming surprise in the show with explain what they are talking about.
Riki Ataka & Jim Evans versus AWA tag champions Badd Company
Diamond Dallas Page entered the ring with a blonde sunglasses wearing Diamond Doll in a tight white mini skirt. Page proclaimed himself as "the greatest manager in the universe" and said that his services were recommended to Badd Company by Big K.
Diamond flips Ataka to the mat, but Ataka arm drags an incoming Tanaka. Ataka took Tanaka’s chops on the ropes, before being clotheslines by Tanaka and then Diamond. Tanaka nails Ataka in the corner with chops and a superkick to the stomach, before Ataka is head butted down. Ataka is lifted upside in a mid suplex, and then dropped face first by Diamond. After being body slammed, Ataka is able to move from a Diamond elbow drop to make the tag.
Evans Irish whips Diamond to the ropes for a one legged dropkick. Diamond retaliates with a flying back elbow off the ropes. Diamond then slingshots Evans into a Tanaka DDT. Refere Gary DeRousha counts the pin, ending the match in under four minutes.
Baron Von Raschke gives comments on his upcoming encounter with Soldat Ustinov. Baron said that "The Claw is coming!" and displayed his baseball bat saying that he had this in store for Ustinov’s comrade Teijo Khan, and sang some of "Take me out to the ball game".
Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson of the Rock N’ Roll Express gave comments at ringside. Morton said that his team was proud to be in the AWA, and that they were looking forward to facing Badd Company. Morton added that his team was looking to become "5 time world tag team champions, whoo, Badd Company to shine up the belts because we’re coming!"
Bill Anderson versus Rocky Mountain Thunder
Rocky came to the ring with a bag over his shoulder, reminiscent of Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Commentator Lee Marshall said that when asking Rocky what was in the bag, Rocky responded with "I’m not telling"
Anderson charges Rocky, and Anderson is knocked down in the collision. Rocky throws Anderson’s head into the top tunrbuckle pad, then Anderson falls face first after being whipped to the opposite corner. Anderson is clotheslined down, then Rocky wraps up the match with a suplex. Referee Marty Miller counts the pin, ending the match before two minute mark.
A clip aired of Soldat Ustinov smashing a board over Baron Von Raschke’s head, and then one of Soldat showing no effect on his partner Teijo Khan when smashing him with the board. Baron stood next to former AWA tag champion Ray Stevens, who Marshall announced as Baron’s tag partner for this episode’s main event.
Greg Gagne presents a 1982 match at the St. Paul Civic Center in Minnesota that saw AWA champion Verne Gagne against the 485 lbs Jerry "Crusher" Blackwell. Gagne said that Verne was the longest reigning champion in AWA history, and that night he faced stiff competition for Blackwell, who has held tremendous victories over AWA’s top contenders of the time.
This match was joined in progress at the last cpuple of minutes of the match. Verne punched out of Blackwell’s bear hug, then took down Blackwell three times with dropkicks. Verne slipped around Blackwell to jump on his back for the Gagne sleeper hold. Blackwell slams Verne’s back into the corner and lands an elbow drop to Verne who was down on the mat.
Blackwell goes for a splash from the bottom rope in the corner, but Verne moves away. The commentator says that it looks like Blackwell is bleeding from the nose or mouth. Blackwell misses a leg drop, then misses a splash in the corner. Verne leaps on Blackwell with a knee drop to gain the pin.
Tom "Rocky" Stone & Samoan Joe (not the TNA wrestler) versus Rock N’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson)
Gibson is charged down by Stone, but then hip tosses Stone to the mat. Gibson Irish whips Stone to the ropes for a Morton dropkick. Morton extended Stone’s left arm and Gibson propells over the top ropes with a knee drop on the arm. Stone makes the tag after taking a Gibson body slam and knee drop. Joe is dropped forward with a leg take down, and then takes shots by Gibson and Morton.
Joe is charged down after pushing Morton to the ropes. Joe lowers his head too soon in a back drop attempt, and is punted down by Morton. Joe lands a groin shot to an incoming Gibson, then Stone whips Gibson to the ropes for a stomach strike. A pain Gibson comes back quickly, taking down Stone with a dropkick.
Stone is whipped to the corner, and take a Morton back body drop. Morton body slams Stone then levels Stone with a top rope dropkick. Stone is whipped to a stomach shot, then Morton knocks Joe off the apron before giving a knee lift to Stone. Morton delivers a fist drop, and Morton tags off to Gibson as Stone whips Morton to the ropes. Morton leap frogs over Stones back drop attempt, and Stone turns around for a Rock N’ Roll Express double drop kick. Referee Gary DeRousha counts the pin, ending the match under four minutes.
Lee Marshall presented the clip of Badd Company opening up Midnight Rockers’ Marty Jannetty with a double whip to the steel post, causing the belts to change hands. Marshall said that Badd Company’s new manger Diamond Dallas Page would not grant the Midnight Rockers a re-match, then aired comments by The Midnight Rockers, Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels.
Michaels said that the Midnight Rockers have been beating teams while chasing the titles for a full year, and they are ready to work their way from the bottom up. Michaels added that sooner or later Badd Company would be facing them. Jannetty said that when the Midnight Rockers told their family and friends that they are the best team, Badd Company made liars out of them.
Jannetty went on to say it’s a big world, that Badd Company can run for a long time, and even hide behind a manager that Jannetty called dandy diamond. Jannetty wanted Badd Company to remember "we gave you a chance, we made you, now we’re gonna break you"
Soldat Ustinov and Teijo Khan versus Baron Von Raschke & Ray "The Crippler" Stevens in the main event grudge match
Stevens knocks Soldat out of the ring, as Baron knocks Teijo out of the ring. Ray and Baron take turns punching Teijo. After an exchange of fists with Soldat, Baron is whipped to the ropes and taken down with a high boot.
Soldat strikes Baron in the corner, and when referee Marty Miller’s attentions away, Teijo chokes Baron with the tag rope. After a bear hug from Soldat, Khan attacks Baron in the corner, then maintains a nerve hold on Baron’s shoulders.
Teijo whips Baron to the ropes, but lowers his head too soon for a back drop attempt, and is punted backwards by Baron. Then a reverse whip to the corner has Teijo flipped to the mat with a hip toss. Teijo rushes in with an elbow drop that stops Baron’s tag as he crawls to his corner. Baron is caught in a bear hug, but manages to reach an arm under to hip toss to an escape.
Baron’s arm is raised by Teijo as Soldat kicks him in the ribs. Soldat body slams the Baron but meets only mat on a leg drop, as Baron moves away. Baron hangs on the top rope, pulling his way to the corner to make the tag to The Crippler.
Stevens rushes in with fists, then a back drop, followed by an atomic drop on Teijo. Baron knocks Soldat out of the ring, but as the ref tries to restain Baron, Soldat returns to break the Boston Crab by striking Stevens in the back with the pole from the Soviet flag. Referee Miller returns to the ring to count Teijo’s pin, ending the match in under nine minutes.
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David
www.myspace.com/unrulyghouly
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