CLASSIC AWA 5/27/08 TV REPORT
- 05/27/2008 (11:10:33 pm)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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May 27 aired a 1988 episode of Verne Gagne’s AWA All Star Wrestling for the Showboat Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas Nevada.
Kevin Collins versus Rocky Mountain Thunder
Rocky came to the ring with a bag over his shoulder like Jake "The Snake" Roberts, then tied it to the top turnbuckle connector. Collins struck Rocky into the corner, then eye gouged him before whipping Rocky to the ropes. Collins was dropped in the collision, then was hip tossed out of the corner. Rocky smothered Collins in the corner, then Collins kicked and clubs back. Rocky struck Collins in the stomach, then Irish whipped him into a back breaker. Referee Marty Miller signaled for the bell when Collins submitted while being pressured over Rocky’s right knee, ending the match in under three minutes.
Along with Teijo Khan, Soldat Ustinov commented that he and his partner are two of the greatest athletes ever to arrive in America. Ustinov could not believe that the AWA had to offer a man who carries a bag of rocks to the ring, when talking of Rocky Mountain Thunder. Ustinov said that Jerry Lawler was not a "The King" but just another American pig that Soldat and Teijo will destroy.
Along with the AWA tag champions Badd Company (Paul Diamond & Pat Tanaka) and the Diamond Doll, Diamond Dallas Page said he was sick of the Rock N’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson). Diamond said that his team will prove to The Express why Badd Company are the champions. Page said that The Express will be "beaten like redheaded stepchildren", and said that Company ran the Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) out of the AWA.
Daryl Nickel versus AWA champion Jerry "The King" Lawler
Nickel body slammed then did a double arm pose. Lalwer then body slammed Nickel, as a gum chewing Curt Hennig walked to the ring. Hennig went over to the commentator’s table to say that in every match Lawler does something illegal, and mentioned his head getting slammed into the steel post in his title loss to Lawler. Nickel was headlocked over, pulled the hair, then Lawler stomped him. Nickel pulled Lawler’s hair to escape the chin lock, and Hennig spoke into the microphones again to say that Lawler was choking his opponent and that there should be two referees.
Nickel engaged Lawler in a one handed knuckle lock test of strength that brought Lawler down for a moment. Lawler raised up, his hand was being bitten, and Lawler punched Nickels away. Nickel kicked, clubbed and bit Lawler in the corner. Nickel came back and took a long time to try and deliver an ax handle strike. Lawler punched Nickel down, then slingshotted him into the post, like he did in Hennig’s match. Lawler was about to give a second rope fist drop in the corner, when Hennig got on the arpon to complain to referee Gary DeRousha.
Lawler punched Hennig to his knees, then Hennig entered the ring to be punched in the corner, then over the top rope. Lawler threw Nickel back in the ring, punched him down, then landing a second rope flying fist drop from the corner. DeRousha counted the 3, closing the match before the seven minute mark. Hennig returned to the ring apron, and Lawler held up a non-folding chair in the ring, daring Hennig to eneter.
Lee Marshall interviewed Brandi May at ringside, a new wrestler in the women’s division. Marshall quoted AWA champion Madusa Miceli, in stating that Brandi would have to get past Debbie Combs before getting a title shot. Brandi said she wasn’t concerned with Combs, saying that she wanted to get her hands on the best, calling Madusa the top dog of the moment.
Louis Spiccoli & Houdini versus Mr. Saito & Riki Choshu
Saito tosses Houdini’s headlock off by tossing Houdini into the air. Saito would throw Houdini out of the ring, batter him in the corner, then hip toss him to strike him on the mat. Choshu forced Houdini back into Spiccoli’s corner, but Houdini would stay in to get knocked down by a Choshu’s round house kick, then get thrown from the ring again by Saito.
After a snap mare, Houdini finally tagged out. Saito battered Spiccoli in the corner, then hosited him up with a waistlock suplex, and gaining referee Marty Miller’s 3, ending the match before the four minute point.
Lee Marshall interviewed ladies champion Madusa Miceli and top contender Debbie Combs at ringside. Marshall brought up Brandi May’s challenge and Madusa questioned May’s credentials, asking "who has she beaten?" Combs said that she didn’t mind taking on Brandi, and that Brandi "better plan on packing lunch and supper, because she will be in the ring for awhile with a professional"
In the mat classic segment Greg Gagne spoke of Mad Dog Vachon being a dedicated, hard trainer that would get up at dawn to take his five mile jog. Gagne mentioned Vachon being struck by a car, and losing a leg from that accident. Gagne said that it was 32 below zero, that night for this AWA title opportunity for Vachon, in a 1983 match at the Winnipeg arena in Canada on Christmas week against champion Nick Bockwinkel.
In this match joined in progress, a commentating Rod Trongard said that Bockwinkel dominated the first couple of minutes of the match, but since then it’s been all Vachon. Madd Dog forced Bockwinkel into the corner and bit Bockwinkel’s head. Vachon backed off, and hit the corner when Bockwinkel moved away from the charge. Bockwinkel could not get the piledriver on two attemnpts, and was back body dropped.
Vachon choked Bockwinkel over the middle rope, then ran across the slam his weight onto the hanging Bockwinkel. Vachon body slammed then pile drove Bockwinkel. Bockwinkel’s manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan climbed to the top rope in the corner as Vachon covered Bockwinkel. The Crusher then took to the ring apron to shove Heenan off the ropes and into the ring. Referee Jim Mitchell was counting then signaled the bell as the crowd roared.
It was thought that the ref signaled the bell from the count, but Heenan’s interference was ruled a disqualification win for Vachon, but the title stays with Bockwinkel. Heenan and Bockwinkel landed punches on Crushers. Vachon threw in a chair, Bockwinkel grabbed it but missed, hitting the top turnbuckle and falling back from the impact.
Still with cigar in mouth, Crusher took the chair, landing two shots each on Heenan and Bockwinkel, before Vachon whipped Heenan over the top rope. Vachon whipped Bockwinkel into Crusher’s chair shot. Bockwinkel was then double body slammed before both Crusher and Vachon threw him over the top rope.
In a solo interview segment, Curt Hennig said that he would face new AWA champion Jerry "The King" Lawler anywhere in the world, but it would be under Hennig’s stipulations. Hennig said that he is the "new boss" in professional wrestling, and has accomplished everything he said he would. Hennig added that he would go through anyone the AWA sets up for him, and mentioned Wahoo McDaniel, Baron Von Raschke, Teijo Khan and Soldat Ustinov.
In Big K’s segment, he said that of all the Russian athletes that he has teamed with and wrestled against, none are as good as Soldat Ustinov. K said that he brought in Teijo Khan as Soldat’s partner, adding that Khan and Ustinov will be "the guiding force" in professional wrestling. K warned Baron Von Raschke that he may have to eat the baseball bat he brings to ringside, if Soldat and Khan get a hold of him. K brought up "Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez as a 6'2 and bent on destruction. K predicted that Fernandez would put away Wahoo McDaniel.
Mondo & Hector Guerrero versus AWA tag team champions Badd Company (Paul Diamond & Sensai Pat Tanaka)
Badd Company’s manager Diamond Dallas Page entered the ring with the Diamond Doll, and announced that Badd Company was beating teams week after to week, and referred to the Guerreros as taco vendors. Hector then had all of the Badd Company crew flee from the ring when he threatened to use the bullwhip.
Mondo mocked Tanaka by displaying the Crane martial arts stance, then Tanaka turned his attention away and rolled up for a pin attempt. Mondo held Tanaka’s left arm, as a tagged Hector bounced off the ropes, leap frogging over Mondo to land on it. Mondo sprung himself over the top ropes for a splash, then a Russsian leg sweep. Hector gave a middle rope splash onto Tanaka’s left arm, then back flipped out of Tanaka’s back body drop to deliver arm drags on Tanaka. Hector held out Tanaka’s arm for Mondo’s splash, then deliver elbows and arm stretchers.
To signal a tag, Mondo and Hector would clap their hands near referee Gary DeRousha, whose back was turned in restraining Paul Diamond. Hector and Mondo would both crank on Tanaka with arm locks. Tanaka struck to escape, then Mondo arm dragged a charging Diamond into an arm bar. Mondo rolled back with him right leg hooking Diamond’s right arm for a pin attempt. Hector would roll Diamond with a headlock takeovers, then get placed on the ring apron. Hector blocked Diamond’s right fist into an arm lock, then hopped up to head scissor an approaching Tanaka, flipping both men over.
A charging Tanaka was leap frogged over, and then crashed into Diamond when he come off the ropes. Mondo then spung around Tanaka, whipping him into Diamond, then dropkicked Tanaka down as Hector drop kicked down Diamond. Badd Company exited the ring, then Diamond returned to try to fake out Mondo by begging for mercy. Diamond shot in, taking Mondo down by the left leg, and landed punches on the leg and stomach. Diamond pounded on Mondo in the corner, but lost grip on the Irish whip. Mondo reversed that into a whip and leap frog, that had Diamond collide with Tanaka.
Hector flipped into the ring, and Diamond fled the ring. Tanaka then caught turnbuckle smashes on Hector, but had his corner whipped reversed, causing Tanaka to flip onto the apron. Tanaka stalled, calling out Mondo, and Hector flipped Tanaka back in the ring by the hair. Hector forwarded rolled away from Tanaka’s clothesline, to deliver s a middle rope cross body into a headlock. Diamond dropped an elbow to break this. Diamond clotheslined down Hector, then choked him before throwing Mondo through the ropes.
Tanaka spun around to drop Hector with a cross body tackle, but Tanaka’s next ropes whip would be reverse, and Tanaka would be taken over with a high back body drop. Mondo would dropkick Diamond, then trade punches on the apron. Mondo knocked Diamond off the apron, then leaped off the corner post into a flying cross press on Diamond, that also took down Page who was nearby.
Badd Company and the Guerrero s would trade punches from the floor to the ring. Tanaka knocked Hector off an abdominal stretch on Diamond, then Diamond punched off Mondo’s octopus type stretch. Mondo dove onto Tanaka for the pin, but the referee Marty Miller waved off the match as the bell sounded. Hector and Mondo double dropkicked Diamond, then Mondo gave a baseball slide kick to Page, who was on the floor. Larry Nelson announced a time limit draw, but the match was set for sixty minutes, and ended in under fifteen minutes.
Catch the legends of AWA Monday to Friday at 1am est on EPSN Classic.
David
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