June 13^th aired a 1988 episode of Verne Gagne’s AWA All-Star Wrestling from the Showboat Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Before the matches, Lee Marshall was at ringside with Diamond Dallas Page, Colonel DeBeers and Diamond Doll Tonya. DeBeers said that Page had a great deal to do with his return from the suspension. DeBeers said he came back for three reasons. The first was to claim what he felt was rightfully his in the AWA world championship.

The second reason was to reignite his feud with another return in Jimmy "Superfly"  Snuka, who DeBeers called a wounded soldier who has lost his heart for battle. DeBeers said that he would hold off in giving the third reason. DDP was about to say something, but laughed and took off with his Diamond crew.  

Brian Costello & Wayne "The Train" Bloom versus Ricky Rice & Jon Paul (DeMans) of Top Gun

The Top Guns jogged in greenish brown flight jackets to the ring to Def Leppard’s "Pour Some Sugar On Me" as a theme song. Former AWA champion Verne Gagne joined Lee Marshall on commentary. Gagne and Marshall spoke of the debuting Wayne Bloom (a.k.a. Beau of the WWE/WWF Beverly Brothers) as being a national heavyweight dead lift champion, by pressing 821 lbs at 242 lbs.

Bloom shoved Paul down twice, whipped Paul to the corner, but Bloom jammed his shoulder to the top turnbuckle when Paul moved away. Bloom was arm dragged and hip tossed over, then Paul extended Bloom’s arm for a tagged Rice’s middle rope double ax handle smash from the corner. Rice flipped Bloom to the mat with a grapevine hold of the left arm, then held the arm for a leg drop.  Bloom kneed an escape, and Rice arm dragged down a tagged Costello.

Rice held out Costello’s left arm for a tagged Paul’s groin drop from the middle rope. Paul lost hold of a snap mare, but Paul would twist Costello’s left arm, as a tagged Rice twisted the ring. The Top Guns then Irish whipped Costello into a double back elbow. This was enough to put way Costello for referee Marty Miller’s 3 count, ending the match after two minutes.

Houdini versus "Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez

Commentator Lee Marshall said that the leather vest, bandana wearing Fernandez looked like "a big package of trouble" and Verne Gagne joked that he didn’t think Fernandez liked his mother. Verne went on to say that Fernandez was thrown out of his Japanese wrestling tour for being "too rough". Fernandez took Houdini’s left arm, bringing his shoulder to the mat in an amateur go around take down for a 2 count. Verne said that would earned Fernandez two points in the amateurs. Fernandez then trook Houdini down with a headbutt and knife edge chops.

Fernandez got on Houdini’s back, raking the face, then whipping Houdini to the ropes for a back elbow. Houdini’s left arm was wrapped around and pressured in a hammerlock against Fernandez’s left leg, before Houdini grabbed the ropes for a break. Fernandez landed a devastating high dropkick on Houdini, then Fernandez then used his finisher the Flying Burrito (flying forearm tackle) for referee Gary DeRousha’s 3 count. This match closed before the four minute mark.

Barry Zevan’s debut interview at ringside with Larry Nelson re-aired. Nelson said that Zevan would be brining interviews of Jerry Lewis, Charo and Michael Caine in the coming weeks for a new segment called Celebrity Corner.  

Mike Smith versus international television champion Greg Gagne

Lee Marshall mentioned that Greg and Smith were both collegiate greats in football, with Gagne being a defensive back in Minnesota to quarterback in Wyoming, and Smith being a division 3 All-American. Smith wore sunglasses and spiked shoulder leather biker’s vest. Verne Gagne said that Smith’s being very vocal in the ring, and 6'8 height reminded him of Killer Kowalski.

Smith shoved Greg into one corner, then to the opposite corner. Smith shouted to Gagne about looking for the first string. Gagne pushed off a headlock and was knocked down in a collision. Smith charged and was Gagne took him to the mat with a leg take down. Gagne wrenched back on Smith’s left ankle, until Smith grabbed the ropes for a break.

Smith forearm clubbed Gagne against the ropes, then smashed his head into the turnbuckle before picking him up in a bear hug. As Gagne struggled, fans cheered for him to escape. Gagne eventually broke the hold by smashing the sides of Smith’s head with a clap. From the corner, Gagne chopped Smith to the ropes, Irish whipped him, but got punted in a back body drop attempt. Smith charged for an elbow drop and only hit canvas when Gagne moved away.

Gagne was ax handled, whipped to the ropes, and ducked Smith’s clothesline. Gagne sprung off the ropes, catching Smith in a flying cross body press off for referee Marty Miller’s count of 2. , then delivered three dropkicks. The last two dropkicks did not look to make impact, but Gagne scored the pin with the hook of Smith’s leg, ending the match after four minutes.  

Backstage, AWA ladies¢ world champion Madusa Miceli was in a black bra and opened shirt. Madusa said that Magnificent Mimi was just a broad, and that Wendi Richter had crawled out from under a rock. Madusa went on to say that being champion means that she calls the shots on who gets a title opportunity and when. 

Barry Zevan¢s Celebrity Corner with guest Jerry Lewis re-aired. Lewis said that he had been conducting the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s telethon for 39 years. Lewis talked about a gathering of 2,000 top doctors in Los Angeles all for Muscular Dystrophy research. Zevan asked if Lewis could bring his comedy back to the early days, and Lewis explained that he couldn’t go from being sixty three to his work at nineteen. Lewis joked that he was happy to see Zevan take off height, and was looking better. Then Zevan and Lewis had a comedic moment when they kept offering the wrong hands to shake. 

Todd Becker versus Colonel DeBeers (accompanied by DDP & Tonya)

Diamond Dallas Page told announcer Larry Nelson to take a coffee break, and push back referee Gary DeRousha to say that he found someone as bad as Badd Company from all the way from Johannesburg, South Africa. Page called AWA champion Jerry Lawler a chump, and Page said that his mercenary DeBeers would chase Lawler for the title.

DeBeers walked to the ring, twirling his handlebar mustache while being escorted to the ring by a white mini-skirted Diamond Doll Tonya. DeBeers whipped Becker from corner to corner, dropping him with a back elbow. After whipping Becker to the ropes, DeBeers charged in with a knee. DeBeers lifted and threw Becker by his hair, then dropped him with a right fist, before stepping on Becker’s neck.

DeBeers went for a turnbuckle smash, but Becker blocked it by stepping on the middle turnbuckle. Becker smashed DeBeers into the turnbuckle, then corner whipped him to a knockdown charging clothesline. DeBeers whipped Becker to the ropes, and Becker caught DeBeer’s foot in a kick attempt. DeBeers pleaded for a moment then dropped Becker with an enzuigiri (flying head kick). DeBeers then lifted Becker upside down in mid-pile driver position and dropped him face first to the canavas. Referee DeRousha counted the 3 for DeBeers, ending the match in under three minutes. DeBeers raised his hand while stepping over Becker’s neck. Page stepped over Becker’s next when raising DeBeers’ arm.  

Wearing their pilot jackets, Top Guns gave their comments backstage. Ricky Rice said that his team was living high on dreams, not drugs. Rice said that he wasn’t worried about Col. DeBeers, he was only concerned with AWA tag team champions Badd Company. Jon Paul said that his team was coming along fast in the big leagues of pro wrestling, and that they had what Page couldn’t buy in the unity he has had with Rice since they were kids. Rice then told Badd Company to beware because the "Top Guns are flyin’ high, and coming for the dream, the AWA tag team championship belt" 

Greg Gagne did his impersonation of Milwaukee’s infamous Crusher, by speaking in a rough tone with cigar in mouth, sunglasses on and his head in a barstool. Gagne..I mean Crusher Gagne, presented a no-disqualification match of the nearly 500 lbs Jerry "Crusher" Blackwell versus The Crusher. Crusher Gagne told the audience to pull up a barstool and see the "fatboy Blackwell see who The Real Crusher is!"

Joined in the last few minutes of the match, Blackwell slammed Crusher’s head from one steel ring post on the outside to the other. Blackwell placed Crusher against the steel post, went to charge but Crusher moved. Blackwell’s head was cut up, as Crusher laid punches in before slamming Blackwell into the steel post. Crusher follows Blackwell deep into the crowd, and when he brings Blackwell back to the ring, Blackwell’s manager Sheik Adnan El Kassey nailed Crusher down with shots from his cast wrist. Crusher laid under the bottom rope, as Blackwell covered, gaining referee Marty Miller’s 3 count.

Crusher punched Blackwell and Sheik Adnan out of the ring, then clobbered referee Miller. Crusher followed Blackwell deep into the audience, and traded punches amongst the cluster of fans and security. Crusher Gagne said "No one does that to The Crusher!" and told the TV audience to "grab a beer and come back next week for the Mat Classic!"  

Susan Sexton versus AWA women’s world champion Madusa Miceli

Dressed in a red leather mini skirt, Magnificent Mimi entered the ring to challenge the winner of the match for the AWA women’s championship. Mimi said that Madusa should be called Macaroni Miceli for flipping away from her challenge like a wet noodle. Madusa in a snake skin design one piece refused to shake Mini’s hand, and grabbed the microphone from her.

Mimi gave Madusa a long serious stare, and then Madusa called Mimi a disgrace to the wrestling profession. Madusa said that Mimi might get a title shot when she learns to wrestle. Madusa said that Mimi was not a lady, and wiggled while saying that Mimi was probably bringing more than credentials to the championship committee.

The Australian Sexton wore a white one piece with funky designs, broke Madusa¢s hammerlock by snapmaring Madusa into a chinlock. Madusa breaks this by getting to the ropes, and is dropped with a leg take down. Sexton than sat down with pressure onto Madusa’s ankles. Referee Marty Miller counted Sazton off when she grabbed Madusa’s hair. Madusa shouted to Sexton "Now you’ve got me mad!" and Sexton mockingly said "ooh, I’m scared!"

Madusa broke Sexton’s chicken wing wristlock and brought her to the mat with a hair pull. Sexton applied a hammerlock and had Madusa spin around, down to the mat. Sexton dropped knees on Madusa’s locked left arm, then raised Madusa for knees to the stomach, while still maintaining the hammerlock. Sexton stepped over the Madusa’s left arm and landed a sit down drop on the locked arm. Madusa went to the ropes for a break, then locked up Sexton’s left arm for forearm clubs.

Sexton¢s head was jarred between Madusa’s thighs, as Madusa jumped for a double stomp. Sexton was back dropped, then Madusa stepped on Sexton’s hair, as she pulled Sexton up by the wrists. Sexton wristlocked Madusa, laid heavy forearm smashes to her back, then Irish whipped her for a stomach kick.

Madusa landed face first to the canvas from Sexton’s slingshot. Madusa screamed after receiving a second monkey flip, but a cornered Madusa tripped Sexton off a third attempt, and rolled up Sexton for the pin victory with her foot on the middle rope for added leverage. This match closed after eight minutes.

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

David    www.myspace.com/unrulyghouly