CLASSIC AWA 5/3/08 TV REPORT
- 05/05/2008 (10:29:44 pm)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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May 3rd aired a 1988 episode of Verne Gagne’s AWA All Star Wrestling from Minot North Dakota and the Showboat Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas Nevada.
Tom Johnson & Ricky Rice versus The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Saggs) from Minot
As soon as the bell rang, the Nasty Boys attacked Johnson. Rice comes in to try to his partner, but they find themselves thrown from the ring. Johnson takes punches, chokes, a clothesline and back elbow by Knobbs. Saggs is tagged in to body slam Johnson onto the top rope, before tossing him outside for a Knobbs assault. On the apron, Johnson shoulder rams into Sagg’s mid section, then rolls him up for a near fall in a sunset flip. Saggs misses an elbow drop, and Rice is tagged to deliver high dropkicks to Saggs in the ring and Knobbs off the apron.
After taking another high dropkick, Saggs misses with a clothesline, but turns Rice’s flying cross body press off the ropes into a backbreaker. A tag to Knobbs means multiple dropping ax handle blows to Rice’s lower back. A tagged Saggs body slams Rice, then knocks Johnson off the ring apron. Referee Marty Miller counted the three, closing the match after five minute, when Saggs corner whipped Rice into a flying clothesline from Knobbs off the middle rope.
Tim Patterson & Greg Robertson versus Badd Company (Paul Diamond & Sensai Pat Tanaka) at the Showboat
Tanaka falsely accused Patterson of hair pulling when artm dragged down twice by Patterson. Tanaka looks to back off the ropes, but insteads chops Patterson down before tossing him out of the ring. While Tanaka distracts referee Gary DeRousha, Diamond rushed to body slam Patterson on the cement. Patterson would return to the ring to take a devastating running clothesline by Diamond. After being chopped down in the corner, Tanaka whips Patterson to the opposite corner, but crashes to the turnbuckles when Patterson moves away from the charge.
Robertson tries to suplex Tanaka, but Tanaka get Diamond in with the tag. Robertson awkwardly ducks down low enough to duck Diamond’s clothesline, but is hammered on.
Robertson gives another awkward looking duck from Diamond’s back elbow, but is pounded down with fists and big knee to the head, before dropped with a running clothesline. Badd Compnay then brings this match to an end past four minutes, when Diamond slingshots Robertson for Tanaka’s standing DDT. Tanaka stomps Robertson, then Diamond stomps and elbow drops on Robertson after the bell.
AWA Notebook was posted on screen, announcing the top team ranking..
Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) - tag champions
1) Rock ‘n Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson)
2) "Adorable" Adrian Adonis & "Cowboy" Bob Orton Jr.
3) Badd Company
4) Nasty Boys
5) Wahoo McDaniel & Tommy Rich
At AWA studio, the owner and former AWA champion Verne Gagne told announcer Larry Nelson that he disagreed with AWA champion Curt Hennig’s claims that professional athletes are totally superior to Olympic athletes. Verne said that he barely made it skiing down Ajax mountain in Aspen Colorado, and said that he would like to shove Hennig off it, to show him what Olympic athletes can do.
Alan West versus Soldat Ustinov (accompanied by Sheik Adnan El Kassey) in Minot
Ustinov backs West to the corner, but West moves away and Ustinov strikes the turnbuckle connector. Ustinov leaves the ring to talk with Sheik Adnan, and his return would have him engage West in a Greco Roman knuckle lock. Both men didn’t budge in the test of strength, until Ustinov kicked West in the stomach. West then brought Ustinov’s hands down to land the stomp on them. Ustinov is then hip tossed before exiting the ring.
West is unable to back off Ustinov with two charges off the ropes, but takes Ustinov down with a flying dropkick. Ustinov hammers West into the corner, and as he distracts referee Marty Miller, Sheik Adnan pulls on the back of West’s trunks to keep him in the corner. West turns around to confront Adnan, but is smashed to the top turnbuckle pad by Ustinov.
West is taking down with a hip toss, kneed against the ropes, and clotheslined down. Ustinov gets a chinlock with a hidden choke, as the crowd chants "USA!" West elbows to an escape, then goes to take down Ustinov with a dropkick and a back elbow. Adnan points out Ustinov’s foot on the rope, after the ref makes the 2 count. "Two minutes remaining in the match" is announced, as Ustinov then goes to an eye and back rake on West. Ustinov tossed West to the floor, and distracts the ref for Sheik Adnan to slam West’s head against the ring apron.
West catches Ustinov with a flying cross press for 2, as "one minute remaining" is announced. West gets another near fall with an inside cradle. Ustinov body slams and gives an off the ropes leg drop for a two count. After both drop each other with a clothesline from the ropes, West gains a two count from a belly to back suplex. The bell rings for a time limit draw, though the match was under ten minutes. Ustinov clubs West before tossing him to the floor. West then chases Ustinov and Sheik Adnan from the ring.
At AWA studio, Larry Nelson interviewed Tom Zenk who said that Curt Hennig is a great champion, but one that also resorts to bending the rules. Zenk warned Hennig "Remember the name Tom Zenk, because I’m looking for you"
Baron Von Raschke then entered, saying that Zenk is a fine young athlete. Raschke said that of all the great talent in the AWA, he was looking for Sheik Adnan, who Raschke said was hiding behind his big Russian (Ustinov), "but I’m hot on your trail"
"Adorable" Adrian Adonis (accompanied by "Cowboy" Bob Orton versus International TV champion Greg Gagne in Minot
The camera shows a fan holding a sign that says "Adonis makes whales look skinny". Gagne whips Adonis down with two arm drags, and then impressively body slams Adonis. Outside the ring, Adonis gathers with Orton. On Adonis’ return, Gagne’s lock up is shrugged off for a knee lift, but Gagne leaps from Adonis’ body slam attempt, to body slam Adonis twice. Adonis leaves the ring again to consort with Orton, and after his return, Adonis is flipped over by Gagne’s arm twist.
Adonis drops down to exit while still in the hold, tries to whip Gagne, but Adonis knocks down Orton in the reverse whip. Someone tosses Orton’s hat back on his head, as Adonis flipped over again with the arm twist. Gagne alerts the ref to Orton on the apron, as Gagne cinches in the wristlock with a knee, as Adonis is stomach down on the canvas. Adonis rises to corner whip Gagne, but the whip is reversed to a back body drop on Adonis.
A poke in the eye releases Gagne’s abdominal stretch, but Adonis taken down with a drop toe hold, as Gagne tries to shake off the eye poke. Adonis eventually releases the ankle lock with an eye rake. Adonis favors his left leg, then elbows Gagne in the corner, before dropping him with an off the ropes charge. Adonis’ second charge leads to another Gagne drop toe hold. Adonis bounces Gagne’s head off the mat, then Irish whips Gagne for a corner splash.
Gagne’s right foot breaks referee Marty Miller’s count at 2. Adonis rams Gagne’s back to the corner, then trades punches as Gagne is on his knees. Adonis’ back rake breaks this up, and Adonis drops his weight on Gagne, as Gagne hangs over the middle rope. Adonis lands a knee drop off the ropes and gains a 2 count. Adonis bounds off the ropes again, but Gagne’s raises his fist for a throat punch. Gagne tries to body slam Adonis but falls back, gaining a 2 count for Adonis.
Gagne is pulled back into Goodnight Irene, Adonis’ sleeperhold finisher. Gagne’s arms flail as he and Adonis move closer to the corner. Orton signals Adonis to cinch the move in, and with a handful of hair, Gagne rams Adonis’ head into the top turnbuckle pad. Gagne reverses the Irish whip, and Adonis flips to his back as he is thrown into the corner. A fired up Gagne, lands left and right fist, before corner whipping Adonis into a back body drop. Gagne then takes down Adonis with a dropkick, and then clamps on the Gagne sleeperhold.
Adonis struggles, but falls forward to the ropes, causing Gagne to spill to the floor. Orton headlocks Gagne, and cranks out multiple punches. Adonis goes out to headlock ram Gagne to the steel poll, referee Miller sees Gagne push off Adonis to the post and signals the bell, disqualifying Gagne closing the match under thirteen minutes. In disgust of the decision, Gagne throws down the belt and Orton swipes it, as he exits with Adonis.
At AWA studio, Larry Nelson announced the Gessler family as fans of the week. Nelson said that he felt a thirty minute match of West’s speed against Ustinov’s power would likely settle their dispute. Nelson said that he thought Champion Curt Hennig would be wearing down after so many title defenses, but Hennig is actually in peak physical shape, looking stringer than ever.
Catch the legends of AWA Monday to Friday at 1am est on ESPN Classic.
David
www.myspace.com/unrulyghouly
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