CLASSIC AWA 5/28/08 TV REPORT
- 05/29/2008 (3:06:23 am)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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May 28th airs a 1988 episode of Verne Gagne’s AWA All Star Wrestling form the Showboat Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas Nevada.
Handsome Harry & Daryl Nickel versus Ricky Rice & Derrick Dukes
Nickel attacked Rice in one corner, as Harry attacked Dukes in the other. Rice and Dukes would lock arms when whipped into each other, then turn themselves around to dropkick their opponents from the ring. Dukes and Rice ropes whipped Harry into a double flying back elbow. Rice whipped Harry into a ropes propelled flying clothesline from Dukes, then Dukes whipped Harry into a high dropkick by Rice. Dukes knocked Nickel away as referee Gary DeRousha counted the 3, ending the match after 3 minutes.
Along with Teijo Khan, Soldat Ustinov said that his team should be AWA tag champions, and that current champions Badd Company would pay the price. Ustinov then asked "where is The King?" as he was looking for either he or Khan to take Lawler’s world title.
Along with AWA tag champions Badd Company (Paul Diamond & Pat Tanaka) and the Diamond Doll, Diamond Dallas Page said that the Rock N’ Roll Express have nothing on his team. Page added that The Express would be beaten like "red headed stepchildren" and that Badd Company would "drop them like a bad habit"
Kevin Collins versus "Cool" Curt Hennig (accompanied by AWA ladies’ champion Madusa Miceli)
AWA champion joined Rod Trongard for commentary. Madusa approached Lawler with ridicule. From an amateur wrestling style takedown, Hennig punished Collins with knife edge chops and knee lifts. Lawler said that like any true champion, he couldn’t have done it without the people behind him. Hennig hollered when Collins reversed his whip and body slammed him.
After being slammed again, then whipped to the corner, Hennig regained the advantage by bringing his feet up to double kick down a charging Collins. Hennig then cradled Collins to a pin victory with the fisherman’s suplex (Perfectplex), as referee Marty Miller signaled the final bell in this over three minute match.
As Madusa said Lawler couldn’t beat Hennig, Lawler responded with that’s why I have this, as he held up the AWA world title. Lawler promised that was as close as Hennig would ever get to the title again.
Chief Wahoo McDaniel congratulated AWA champ Lawler in a solo interview, then said that Lawler is stepping into a "real raging fire" against Wahoo, Greg Gagne, Manny Fernandez and that Lawler would lose that title.
Greg Robertson & Houdini versus AWA tag team champions Badd Company (accompanied by Diamond Dallas Page & The Diamond Doll)
Page took the microphone to proclaim himself as "the greatest wrestling mind in the universe" and said that Badd Company are "the bad boys that single handedly ran the Midnight Rockers out of the AWA" Tanaka and Diamond would tag back and forth to punish Robertson with chops and stomps. After being body slammed, Robbertson moved away from Diamond’s elbow drop to make a tag to Houdini. Diamond caught Houdini with a flying forearm, then hung Houdini over the top rope, as Tanka leap frogged over Diamond to land on Houdini’s back. Referee Marty Miller counted the pin, ending the match in under four minutes.
Greg Gagne presented "Rock N’ Roll" Buck Zumholfe versus Sgt. Jacques Goulet (Rene
Goulet), a March 15th 1982 match from Omaha Nebraska for the "Mat Classic" of the week. Gagne spoke of Omaha being the site where Verne Gagne’s 1958 victory over NWA champion Edouardo Carpentier started the formation of the AWA.
This match was joined in progress as Goulet was propelled backwards when Zumholfe yanked him against the top rope. Goulet would get nailed with an atomic drop, then a second rope flying elbow in the corner. Zumholfe grabbed the top rope in corner to perform a flapjack press, but his ribs came down on Goulet’s raised knees. Goulet shoulder jammed Zumholfe’s mid-section in the corner, then Irish whipped Zumholfe to the opposite corner. Zumholfe raised his legs and rolled up the charging Goulet for a sunset flip and pin victory.
In an interview segment, Verne Gagne told Larry Nelson that after a trip to Canne, that AWA would be airing on TF 1 in France, and announced that he was working on getting the AWA broadcast to Scandinavian countries.
In Big K’s segment, he said that most young wrestling fans didn’t know him, but the older fans wish to forget. K said that he was international tag team champions with Tiny Mills in Murder Inc, and touted his wrestling acumen as forgetting more about wrestling than others will ever know. K criticized former AWA champion "Cool" Curt Hennig for taking advise from his dad Larry "The Ax" Hennig over that of Big K, who said that his accomplishments were more than that of The Ax. K spoke of his partnerships with Kobachi, Ivan Koloff, and called himself the "guiding force in professional wrestling"
Mr. Saito & Riki Choshu versus AWA world champion Jerry "The King" Lawler & AWA international television champion Greg Gagne
Saito holds Gagne as Choshu comes off the ropes with a kick to the mid section. Saito holds Gagne over his knee as Choshu flies off the middle rope in the corner with an open hand strike. Gagne and Lawler would work over Saito’s left arm with arm twists. Gagne would deliver a flying knee drop on Saito’s arm, as Lawler kept Saito positioned. Choshu and Saito took turns applying a Scorpion leg lock on Lawler, then Saito would apply the Boston Crab. As Saito held him, Lawler tried to duck, but was kicked in the stomach by Choshu. Saito would hold Lawler again, Lawler ducking that time would have Saito accidently clotheslined by Choshu.
A tagged Gagne back dropped Choshu, then whipped him into Saito, who was whipped by Lawler. Referee Marty Miller would get Lawler back to his corner. Saito grabbed Larry Nelson’s chair from under him, then struck Gagne with chair from the ring apron, as Choshu held Gagne. Miller turned around in time to see this, and signaled the bell, ending in fourteen minutes with a disqualification win for Lawler & Gagne. Lawler knocked away Choshu and Saito to protect Gagne.
Catch the legends of AWA Monday to Friday at 1am est on ESPN Classic.
David
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