June 11^th aired a 1988 episode of Verne Gagne's AWA All-Star Wrestling from the Showboat Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

"Hurricane" Scott Hudson & Vernon Deaton versus Ricky Rice & Jon Paul of the Top Guns

Paul arm dragged Hudson down, then rolled on Hudson back from a wristlock on the left arm to an arm drag on the right. Hudson gestured and called Paul to back off, then went to lock up, and got rolled up for a two count. A tagged Rice, headlocked Hudson to the mat, then charged him when pushed off to the ropes. Rice tried to reverse Hudson¢s hip toss, and on his second unsuccessful lift, Rice rested his right leg on Hudson¢s back for a back flip.

Rice flipped Hudson over with the hip toss, but Hudson moved away before Rice could drop a knee. A tagged Paul twisted Hudson¢s right arm backward as Rice twisted Hudson¢s left arm backwards. Hudson was then whipped into a double back elbow. A tagged Deaton was flipped to the mat from Paul¢s arm grapevine to a guillotine leg drop. A tagged Rice assisted Paul in a double hip toss, then Rice proceeded to work on Deaton¢s left arm with a stretch and a lock.

Both men made tags, and Paul clapped his hands to rally the fans after forearm smashing Hudson against the ropes. Rice Irish whipped Hudson for a flying clothesline, then tagged Paul before powerslamming Hudson to the mat. Paul flew off the top ropes with an elbow drop, and referee Gary DeRousha counted to 3, closing the match past the four minute mark  

While displaying their AWA tag team title, Paul Diamond and Sensai Pat Tanaka backstage joyously proclaimed that it was "great" that their manager Diamond Dallas Page had acquired the services of Colonel DeBeers. Paul Diamond presented a video for everyone, particularly Rock N¢ Roll Express, Top Guns and the Guerrero brothers to remind them what DeBeers is like in action. The video was of DeBeers stepping on the throat, knee dropping, punching, head elbowing and piledriving a wrestler named Handsome Harry.  

Greg Robertson & Mike Somani versus Chief Wahoo McDaniel & Chief Jay Strongbow Jr.

Wahoo forced Somani to the corner, arm dragging, then headlocking him to the mat. Somani tried to break the hold with a hair pull, but referee Gary DeRousha slapped off the pull, and the hold was broken when Somani got his leg on the bottom rope. Wahoo blocked the back elbow, took Somani¢s shoulder jams in the corner, then rocked Somani with three thunderous tomahawk slices before crumbing Somani with a corner whip.

A tagged Strongbow wristlocked Somani¢s right arm, then took forearms against the ropes, before chopping Somani down with one shot. A tagged Robertson tried to double team Strongbow in the corner, but he was whipped to Wahoo¢s corner. Wahoo chopped at Robertson from the ring apron, and was tagged in to continue with corner chops. Refere DeRousha was getting on Wahoo¢s case about the not letting the man out of the corner.

Wahoo sliced and over head chopped Robertson in the corner, and there was light shoving match between Wahoo and DeRousha, as DeRousha warned of disqualification if his count reached five. Robertson¢s punches looked to have no effect, as Robertson was eye raked and Irish whipped to a knock down back chop. Wahoo then Irish whipped Robertson, and he was knocked down by a tagged Strongbow¢s double handed chop. Strongbow covered for the pin victory, ending the match after three minutes. DeRousha and Wahoo then had another heated verbal exchange after the match. 

Backstage, the Top Guns gave comments. Ricky Rice said that his team was not afraid of Diamond Dallas Page, his team Badd Company nor his new acquisition Col. DeBeers. Paul agreed by saying the Top Guns have their "jets are in high gear", that it doesn¢t matter where Badd Company is at, Top Guns will chase them until they get them.

At AWA studio, Pro Wrestling Illustrated senior editor Bill Apter interviewed Soldat Ustinov and Teijo Khan. Soldat was holding a crumpled issue of Wrestling ¡88 sideways to show a trance like Teijo. Soldat said that he would face AWA world champion "Jerry Lauder" anytime, anyplace. Apter tried to get Soldat to pronounce Lawler¢s name correctly. Apter asked Soldat if he had the experience to face Lawler, and the big holds he knows. Soldat questioned if Apter said big holds, saying that Lawler does have many big holds.

Soldat in a mocking voice said that Teijo would of course be at ringside, and said "I don¢t think so" when Apter asked if Teijo would interfere. Soldat asked if he could destroy, Teijo didn¢t answer, looking as if he didn¢t understand English (even Soldat¢s English). Teijo did flash a smile briefly when Soldat patted Teijo¢s mohawked head. Apter and Soldat had another exchange on Lawler¢s name, before Soldat asked "what you talking ¡bout?"

Greg Gagne presented a 1981 match of European champion Billy Robinson versus AWA wolrd champion Nick Bockwinkel (managed by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan) from St. Louis Missouri as the episodes¢ Mat Classic. This match was joined in progress in the last few minutes. Bockwinkel had a front chicken wing lock on Robinson¢s right arm.

Robinson turned this into a butterfly double arm lock. Bockwinkel backed Robsinon to the ropes, and punched him to the floor. Robinson returned to the ring to stomach kick an approaching Bockwinkel, forearm uppercut, give a Rick Rude style neckbreaker and knee drop close to the throat.

Bockwinkel kicked out by the two count, and Robsinson dropped his body over the shoulders of a seated Bockwinkel. A foot on the bottom rope would break Robinson¢s pin at two. Robinson picked up Bockwinkel for what looked to be a back suplex, but twisted Bockwinkel into a backbreaker, gaining a two count. After taking stomach shots and an eye rake, Robinson fired back with punches and chops.

Bockwinkel ducked, and Robinson¢s momentum took him over the top ropes to the ring apron. Bockwinkel ducked Robinson¢s right fist, clamped on a sleephold, that the announcer said was an oriental sleeper learned in Singapore. Bockwinkel pulled Robinson from the apron, but fell backwards. The referee counted 3, and the crowd cheered. Heenan ran into the ring holding a towel and waving his arms.

Robinson raised his hand but soon learned that Bockwinkel got his shoulder up, leaving Robinson to be pinned. Robinson went after Bockwinkel with forearm shots to the back. Greg Gagne came back on to say that the match had gone forty-two minutes, and he hoped their re-match would soon be on the Mat Classics segment.

Big K (Stanley Kowalski) said that he was the only one who bothered to find out that Colonel DeBeers¢ suspension was up, and that he helped Diamond Dallas Page arrange a meeting with DeBeers. K said that ladies¢ champion contender should listen to Madusa Miceli¢s music album "Don¢t Mess with Madusa. Big K then stood up, pointing to the camera to tell Verne Gagne that his influence won¢t keep Big K from appearing on AWA as much as he wants.  

Dennis Stamp versus Soldat Ustinov (accompanied by Teijo Khan)

Stamp applied a headlock, but Soldat forced a choke on Stamp on the middle rope. Stamp ducked a clothesline and gained referee Marty Miller¢s 2 count, from an off the ropes flying cross body press. Soldat pleaded with Stamp to take it easy, but Stamp delivered kicks, and had Soldat exit the ring, after Irish whipping him to a knock down hammer shot.

Soldat returned to a top wristlock, and pulled Stamp¢s hair for a release. Soldat denied the hair pull to referee Miller, and then Stamp applied a headlock. Soldat delivered kicks in the corner, then rocked Stamp to the opposite corner, gaining a 2 count after a hip toss. Stamp elbowed out of Soldat¢s nerve hold on the shoulder. Soldat pushed off Stamp¢s headlock, and as clobbered Stamp with a forward fall clothesline. Miller counted the 3, ending the match after four minutes.  

Al DeRousha came out on behalf of Verne Gagne, who Al said was heading to Amarillo, Texas. DeRousha said that after being involved with the AWA since 1961, that this would be the biggest announcement in professional wrestling.

He went on to say that there had been three months of negotiations, and all contract were signed, but AWA president Stanley Blackburn had called to stop the announcement due to one little winkle to work out.

Though Larry Nelson said that he had a responsibility to the fans, DeRousha said that this information will be worth waiting for. If this isn¢t an announcement for Super Clash III, then I don¢t know what.  

Mondo & Chavo Guerrero (Sr) versus AWA world tag team champions Paul Diamond & Seansai Pat Tanaka of Badd Company (accompanied by manager Diamond Dallas Page & Diamond Doll Tonya)

Chavo used chain wrestling, going from a headlock, to a hammerlock into a hip toss to take Diamond to the mat. Chavo and Mando would tag back and forth working over Diamond¢s left leg with locks and stretches. With his back on the mat, Chavo strecthed Diamond¢s back over his knees. Diamond would charge down Mondo and Chavo, but both times, would be swept the mat, back into the leg locks. After Chavo was unable to lift Diamond for a surboard, Chavo kept a butterfly lock on Diamond¢s arms.

Tanaka reached out, slapping Diamond¢s hand to tag himself in. Tanaka chopped at Chavo, and then whipped him for a back elbow. Tanaka was whipped down by a European (forearm) uppercut, then kicked out just before the count of three from Chavo¢s gut wrench suplex/powerslam combination.

From a mid backslide position, Mondo stretched out Tanaka¢s arms, while pressuring his head in Tanaka¢s back. Referee Gary DeRousha was out of position when Mondo completed the backslide, and barely got a 2 count. Mondo applied an abdominal stretch to a roll up for 2. Mondo grabbed Tanaka¢s head, gave a standing fall away dropkick, then sommersaulted onto him for 2. Tanaka reversed Mondo¢s corner whip, and Mondo lifted himself up from the top rope and twisted to a sunset roll up for 2.

Both men collapsed to the mat after Tanaka¢s collision off the ropes. Tanaka made the tag, and Diamond turnbuckle smashed Mondo from one corner to the other. Mondo blocked third attempt, to turnbuckle smash Diamond and back roll up for 2. A tagged Chavo got 2 after a back breaker. Mondo was tagged back, both men kicked at the same time, but Diamond recovered faster to punch Mondo back for a tag.

Tanaka hammered Mondo, and then when referee DeRousha¢s attentions where with Diamond, Tanaka threw Mondo over the top rope. Mondo grabbed the top rope and flipped himself back up, to head scissors Tanaka over the top rope. Referee DeRousha caught this and disqualified the Guerreros, ending the match after ten minutes.

Chavo forearmed Diamond down, and Badd Company¢s DDP got dropkicked down by Mondo. Mondo then grabbed the top rope to fling his body onto Tanaka on the floor. Chavo copied Mondo¢s move, but nailed Diamond with it. Both Guerreros picked up DDP and dropped him on Badd Company.

Mondo put the black mini skirted Dimaond Doll Tonya over his knee as both he and Chavo spanked her. Diamond then clocked Mondo with one of the AWA championship belts. Referee DeRousha restrained the Guerreros from returning fire with the chairs, and then they spoke with announcer Larry Nelson at ringside.

Mondo said that he wanted DDP and even the Diamond Doll to put on trunks to wrestle he, Chavo and their brother Hector. Chavo said that he would meet Badd Company as far as Japan, and said that though Badd Comapny knows how to bend the rules, he wanted them in a no-disqualification match.

Catch the legends of AWA Monday to Friday at 1am est on ESPN Classic.

David

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