CLASSIC AWA 5/30/08 TV REPORT
- 05/31/2008 (2:46:43 am)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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May 30th aired a 1988 episode of Verne Gagne’s AWA All Star Wrestling from the Showboat Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada.
David Koorijion versus "Cool" Curt Hennig (accompanied by ladies’ champion Madusa Miceli)
Madusa wore a tight white mini shirt with her hair tied back, as she watched Hennig punish the muscular Koorijian with a knne chop and turnbuckle smash. Hennig back elbowed Koorijian down, but Koorijian reverse whipped Hennig into the corner for a body slam. Koorijian went to motion in celebration to the crowd, when he caught an incoming Hennig with another body slam. Koorijian kneed Hennig in the corner, but when he approached a second time, he knocked down by a double boot to the face. Hennig then cradled Koorijian in a fisherman’s suplex (Perfectplex), earning referee Gary DeRousha’s 3 count, in this under four minute match. Hennig then stomped Koorijian out of the ring.
Standing with Teijo Khan, Soldat Ustinov warned world champion Jerry "The King" Lawler that he would "pay the price when facing Soldat Ustinov and comrade Teijo Khan in the coming future"
Greg Gagne announced the return of Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka with music video highlights. The clips showed Snuka dropkicking Tom "Rocky" Stone over the top rope, nailing Stone with a flying headbutt to a Superfly press and pin. Also displaying Snuka body slamming Rick Gatner, leapfrogging over him for a chopdown, then gaining a Superlfy press and pin.
Pete Sanchez versus Chief Wahoo McDaniel
McDaniel came to the ring in full Native American headdress, and had Sanchez back away in the ropes, attempting to stall. McDaniel broke this up with a kick, backed Sanchez to the corner, then flipped him with a half nelson into a headlock, that had Sanchez screaming. Sanchez placed his foot on thr ropes for a break of the hold, got to the ring apron to yell "shut up!" at the crowd. Sanachez was backed against the ropes, and McDaniel unloaded with chops that had Sanchez do a 360 degree over the top rope.
After yelling at the crowd on the floor, Sanchez returned to be cornered in with kidney punches. Sanchez eye rakes earned with an overhead tomahawk chop by McDaniel. Sanchez was then snapmared into a head twist and face rip. Sanchez was hit with stomach punches, and was knocked down after being Irish whipped into a big McDaniel knife edge chop. McDaniel nailed a dropped chop and referee Marty Miller counted the 3, ending this match before the five minute mark.
Larry Bicone versus "Ragining Bull" Manny Fernandez
Fernandez dropped the Bicone with a charging back elbow, then Bicone was dropped after colliding with Fernandez. Bicone was chopped down, but moved away from a knee drop. Fernandez would break Bicone’s headlock with a waistlock suplex. Then slam Bicone onto the top rope. Bicone reverse whipped Fernandez to the ropes, but Fernandez ducked the clothesline to nail Bicone with the flying burrito (flying forearm). Referee Gary DeRousha counts the 3, ending the match before the four minute point. Fernandez grabbed the microphone to announce that he has been chasing a redneck Indian named Wahoo McDaniel around the country. Fernandez added that devastation incorporated is spelled B-U-L-L, and said that he was raging to get a hold of McDaniel.
Baron Von Raschke gave backstage comments in a business suit. He quoted Teijo Khan in saying that he was finished with Baron, but Baron said that he was like the Minnesota Twins making a mid-season drive to the pennant. Baron presented his baseball bat that he calls the Louisville Sleeper, and said that Teijo would meet it if they end up in the same place.
Magnificent Mimi was welcomed to AWA in a ringside interview with Larry Nelson. Mimi said that she had been wrestling for eight years, being recently trained by Billy Robinson in wrestling and by Gene LeBell in martial arts. Mimi said she was looking for women’s champion Madusa Miceli all over Europe, and even in Madusa’s hometown of Milan Italy. Mimi said that Madusa seemed to be avoiding her there, so that’s why she is in the USA, looking to challenge the champion.
Greg Gagne presented an April 24th 1983 Super Sunday bout where Verne Gagne came out of retirement to team with "Mad Dog" Vachon against Sheik Adnan El Kassey & the nearly 500 lbs Jerry "Crusher" Blackwell.
Gagne moves away, as Blackwell crashes into a corner. Gagne jumps on Blackwell’s back while applying the sleeper hold. A bloody Vachon knocks an incoming Adnan back to the corner, then Vachon slams Adnan’s arm cast over Blackwell’s head. Gagne removes Adnan’s cast, then Vachon holds Adnan to be hit with the cast. Gagne smashes the cast against the ring post, as Vachon pushes the referee to the ropes. On the arena floor, Vachon smashes a chair over Blackwell’s head. Gagne gets a 2 count after a body slam on Adnan, then as Vachon extends Adnan’s right arm as Gagne hits it with a flying knee drop from the second ropes. Gagne covers the bloody Adnan for the 1..2..3
Big K mentioned in his segment about "Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez coming the AWA for a higher purpose than the world title. K said that Fernandez was looking to put Wahoo McDaniel, who K called maybe the greatest Native American wrestling star, out of wrestling. K repeated McDaniel saying that challengers would have to go through him to get to champion Jerry "The King" Lawler, and K said that Fernandez can, and can make McDaniel disappear. K complained about Curt Hennig getting attacked by Lawler, for just attending Lawler’s matches. K wrapped up with saying that he, along with his son Scott, would face Verne and Greg Gagne in any event at the Verne Gagne Roast.
Chris Curtis versus world champion Jerry "The King" Lawler
Curtis is arm dragged off the waist lock, then gets knocked back with an uppercut when bending over for a back drop attempt. Curtis forearm clubbed Lawler on the ropes, but Lawler grabbed Curtis’ foot, and sweeps Curtis’ other foot for a fist drop. Curtis would catch Lawler’s foot, but before he could do anything, he received a Lawler enzuigiri (kick to head). After a Curtis received a back drop, knee drop and body slam, Lawler put away Curtis with a flying fist drop from the second ropes. Referee Marty Miller counted the 3, closing the in under four minutes.
Women’s champion Madusa Miceli gave backstage comments about newcomer Magnificent Mimi. Madusa said that she never heard of Mimi, and she was sure many other lady wrestlers never heard of her either. Madusa scoffed at Mimi’s claims of looking for her in Madusa’s hometown of Milan Italy. Madusa said that she is a superstar there, and her people would laugh Mimi out of the country. Madusa told Mimi to check Playboy magazine if she questioned Madusa being a star.
Robert Gibson & tv champion Greg Gagne versus tag team champions Badd Company (with Diamond Dallas Page & the Diamond Doll)
Page took the microphone to proclaim his team responsible for the expulsion of the Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels), and said that "rock n’ roll is dead!" when his team puts the final nail into the Rock N’ Roll Express. Page then nudged announcer Larry Nelson during the announcement of the opponents. Nelson said that Gibson’s Rock N’ Roll Express partner could not appear due to missing a connecting flight. Page said that his team didn’t sign on to face that chump, when Greg Gagne was announced as Gibson’s substitute tag partner. Gagne and Gibson then cleared their opposition from the ring.
Tanaka was flipped by Gibson’s tip toss and arm drag take down. Diamond came in then fell back to a seated position when Gibson approached. Referee Marty Miller was not buying Page’s calling on a hair pull. After forcing Gibson back to Gagne’s corner, a tagged Gagne took Tanaka to the mat with a headlock. Tanaka head scissors for an escape, and Gagne got to his feet to slap Tanaka down, then slam his head into Gibson’s knee. An Irish whipped Gagne reversed the hip toss on Tanaka, then dropkicked him from the ring.
Tanaka returns to eye rake out of Gagne’s headlock, but a tagged Diamond telegraphed a big elbow drop, causing Gagne to move away. A tagged Gibson whipped Diamond for a dropkick, then nailed Diamond with a better standing drop kick. A tagged Gagne chopped down Diamond, then worked a headlock on him, getting a 2 count. Diamond elbows an escape, but crashed to the mat when Gagne moved away from a Diamond flying cross body.
Diamond returned to beg mercy on his knees. Gagne kicked him in the stomach then knocked Tanaka off the ring apron, when ramming Badd Company’s heads together. Like a pinball, Gagne would punch Diamond into Gibson on the apron, and Gibson fired back Diamond for another Gagne punch. A tagged Gibson hit Diamond with a top rope double ax handle smash, but jammed his left shoulder into the steel post, when Diamond moved away after being corner whipped.
Tanaka chopped at Gibson’s left shoulder, and traded off an arm lock to an untagged Diamond, who pulled Gibson back down with a hair pull. Gibson pushed Diamond back with a hair pull to the corner, and took a Diamond elbow in the chest and shoulder chop by a Tanaka. Gibson almost punched off Diamond’s wristlock, but took a chop by Tanaka instead. From a corner attack, Gibson snuck between Tanaka’s legs for the tag. A fired up Gagne punched Tanaka down, then chopped an incoming Diamond down. Gagne knocked Tanaka back with a knee lift, then earned a 2 count by nailing Tanaka with a dropkick.
Referee Miller forced Gibson to return to the corner, as Gagne pushed Tanaka to the ropes for a roll up. Miller turned to signal for the bell for a disqualification, as he witnessed Diamond throw Gagne over the top rope. The match ended before the twelve minute point. Gibson helped up Gagne, whose left leg was hurting from the fall. Announcer Nelson got words from the winners.
Gagne thanked Gibson for asking him as a partner, adding that Gibson is one of the finest young wrestler sin USA and that he would tag with Gibson anytime he needed a partner. Gibson said that Badd Company’s cheap shots will not hold up, as he and Gagne have been around too long to stop.
Catch the legends of AWA Monday to Friday at 1am est on ESPN Classic.
David
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