CLASSIC AWA 6/4/08 TV REPORT
- 06/04/2008 (6:51:08 pm)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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June 4th airs a 1988 episode of Verne Gagne’s AWA All Star Wrestling from the Showboat Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Cousin Luke versus Chris Curtis
Luke arrived to the ring bare foot with another newcomer, Brandi May. After Luke put on his high top sneaker, he took a forearm shot on the ropes, then dropped Curtis with a double fisted sledge. Curtis took strikes, then eye raked and landed knees to Luke in the corner. Luke ducked the clothesline, and took down Curtis with a flying clothesline. Luke whipped Curtis the ropes for a double handed sledge, then finished him with an off the ropes splash for referee Marty Miller’s three count. This match was under four minutes.
Brandi entered the ring and hugged Luke, as announcer Larry Nelson entered the ring for an interview. Brandi said that she had known Luke for a long time, and was proud to be his back-up. Luke said that there are two things country folk do on Saturday nights, one was talk a bath and the other is a ho down. Nelson told Brandi that she looked great, she kissed him on the cheek, then Luke kissed him on the cheek.
For Pro Wrestling Illustrated, senior editor Bill Apter interviews the Ricky Rice and Jon Paul of the Top Guns. Apter called them America’s newest heroes and asked how they met. Rice said that he grew up with Paul, and together they have trained, played hockey and now team in wrestling. Paul said Soldat Ustinov and Teijo Khan are a couple of tough guys who consider the Top Guns pushovers.
Paul said they wrestle crazy, while his team is scientific, but will wrestle anyway to get the job done over them. Rice said that they will challenge the AWA tag champions Badd Company (Paul Diamond & Sensai Pat Tanaka), and Paul pledged that his team would become AWA world tag team champions.
David Koorijian & Tom Bicone versus Soldat Ustinov & Teijo Khan
Koorijian tries to arm drag Khan, but Khan turns that into a chinlock on the ropes. Khan double chopped and headbutted down Koorijian. After Khan delivered diving strikes to his downed opponent, a tagged Ustinov landed boots to the mid section, then a turnbuckle smash. Ustinov prevented Koorijian’s tag with a hair pull, then dropped Koorijian on to the top rope.
Ustinov Irish whipped Koorijian for a hip toss power slam combination. After whipping Koorijian to the ropes, Koorijian hopped over the dropped down Khan and was clobbered him with a forward fall clothesline. Referee Gary DeRousha counted the 3, ending the in under three minutes.
Pete Sanchez & Brian Costello versus Top Guns (Ricky Rice & Jon Paul)
Sanchez made a clean break on the ropes, but then struck Rice when Sanchez was against the ropes. Sanchez ducked down too soon and was punted as Rice came off the ropes. Sanchez tried to punt Rice in a back body drop attempt, but Rice moves away and Sanchez flew backwards from the missed kick. Rice dropkicked Sanchez, and Paul ran into the ring to dropkick away an incoming Costello. Top Guns’ opponents then fled the ring.
Sanchez returned to the ring to have his arm twisted by Rice, and a tagged Paul jumped off the tope rope while holding Sanchez’ left arm into an arm drag. Costello kneed and headbutted Paul in the corner, then whipped Paul for clothesline in the corner. Paul reversed the corner whip, and a tagged Rice caught Costello with a back drop. Rice tagged Paul, then power slammed Costello. Paul leaped off the top rope with a flying elbow smash. Referee Marty Miller counted three, closing the match in under five minutes.
AWA ladies’ world champion Madusa Miceli gave backstage comments about new challenger Magnificent Mimi. Madusa says that Mimi has been bugging the championship committee to grant her a title shot. Madusa said that first Mimi would need crednetials, and said that the closest Mimi could get to her, is if Mimi could find herself a partner to face Madusa and Debbie Combs. Madusa doubted that Mimi could find a partner, since no one has heard of her.
Greg Gagne presented a December 7th 1984 tag team match in Winnipeg Canada, where the Fabulous Ones faced the Legion of Doom: The Road Warriors. 18,000 packed the Winnipeg arena, as this match was joined in the last few minutes. Keirn escaped a sitdown chinlock from Hawk, then whipped to the corner, and moved away from a charging Animal. Lane entered to fend off the Warriors with superkicks. As all four men battled in the ring, L.O.D.’s manager "Precious" Paul Ellering tried to bring a chair in. The Crusher was at ringside, and took away the chair, then helped the Fabulous Ones clear the ring.
In his segment, Big K got off the phone with Diamond Dallas Page, who was scouting talent in Europe. K described newcomer Cousin Luke as "greased lightning" but who truly impressed him was Top Guns. K said they tag wrestled like the old days, where partners wrestled as a unit. K was looking to see the Guns face Teijo Khan and Soldat Ustinov, as K felt that would really bring the people out to see. K then scolded Hennig for not listening to K’s advice against tv champion Greg Gagne, and that’;s why Gagne still has the championship.
Backstage Soldat Ustinov stood with his tag partner Teijo Khan, to say thst although his team is crazy, that Baron Von Raschke is very crazy for continuing their feud after being smashed and axed. Ustinov said he had a partner in mind for Baron, in Sgt. Slaughter. Ustinov said that Slaughter is nothing more than a Saturday morning cartoon character, and that his team will beat Sarge and Baron across the country.
Mike Luca versus "Ragining Bull" Manny Fernandez
Fernandez attacked Luca in the corner, but reverse whipped to the opposite corner into a back body drop. Fernandez chopped and headbutted Luca down in the corner, whipping him down with a thunderous back chop, and then drilling Luca to the mat with a flying back elbow. Fernandez then Irish whipped Luca to the ropes for a Flying Burrito forearm, that earned referee Marty Miller’s three count, ending the match under three minutes. Fernandez then twice leaped off the middle rope in the corner to smash a downed Luca with a flying knee drop.
Fernandez then took the microphone to say that it’s about pain, dues and agony. Fernandez said he is an awesome wrestling machine who has only faced trash so far. Fernandez then said he has been chasing Chief Wahoo McDaniel for McDaniel’s Indian pride. McDaniel then walked down to ringside.
McDaniel said that he isn’t afraid of Fernandez, and that he has kicked Fernandez’s butt before. McDaniel wanted Fernandez to take off as McDaniel was to be interviewed. When mcDaniel turned his back to Fernandez, he was turned around and chopped and back fisted down. Fernandez picked up McDaniel’s headdress and tore it up over McDaniel who was down on the floor.
Fernandez said that his grandmother made headdress until her fingers bled, and the headdress was handed down to him by his father. Tom Bicone and others carried Luca back to the locker room. McDaniel said that when he gets a hold of Fernandez, that Fernandez will be more torn up than the headdress.
Mondo Guerrero versus ½ AWA tag champion Sensai Pat Tanaka. (Accompanied by Diamond Dallas Page & the Diamond Doll)
Mondo stood on the top rope in the corner, as Page said that his team Badd Company having to have singles matches for being so tough in the tag ranks. Page said that all he could find for Tanaka was a taco vendor chump. Guerrero mocked tanaka with a crane battle stance, then followed Tanaka to the floor and back in the ring. Guerrero caught a wristlock tight against Tanaka, then hip tossed him over. Guerrero held on to outstretch Tanaka’s arms and kick Tanaka from side to side.
Guerrero yanked on Tanaka’s left arm in a sit down double legged arm stretcher, than Guerrero brought down his leg over Tanaka’s chest with guillotine type strikes. Guerrero then hooked up Tanaka and bench pressed him. Tanaka eye raked to an escape, then unleashed open hand strikes to Guerrero in the corner. Guerrero back flipped out of Tanaka’s hammerlock, kipped up and rolled Tanaka for almost a two count before Tanaka threw Guerrero off onto his butt.
Guerrero captured Tanaka in a seat down body scissor, and then had Tanaka roll with him for a near fall. Tanaka’s arms where criss crossed around his neck has Guerrero pulled back on the wrists. Tanaka back kicked to an escape, then whipped Guerrero into a swift body tackle. Guerrero then back suplexed off Tanaka’s side headlock, gave a fall back dropkick then got another near fall in a backslide on Tanaka.
Guerrero reversed the whip in the corner, but jammed his shoulder into the top turnbuckle when Tanaka moved away from the charge. Guerrero rushed to the corner while a headlock, to have Tanaka smash into the turnbuckle. Guerrero landed jabs, struck down Tanaka with a back handed chop, then monkey flipped Tanaka out of the corner. After a standing back drop, Guerrero then lifted up Tanaka in a surfboard.
Paul Diamond entered the ring, stomping off Guerrero’s submission attempt. Diamond whipped Guerrero to the ropes, and Guerrero back flipped from Diamond’s back drop attempt. Guerrero snuck through Diamond’s leg and left the ring.
Badd Company pursued Guererro back in the ring, and Guerrero rushed to the corner and pivoted into a flying cross body on Badd Company getting a two count. Referee Gary DeRousha didn’t ring the bell until Badd Company nailed Guerrero with a double clothesline, ending the match after ten minutes with a disqualification win for Guerrero. Diamond then hung Guerrero on the top rope, as Tanaka leaped frogged over Diamond for a back splash on Guerrero.
Tanaka struck referee DeRousha down, as Tanaka and Diamond tie up Guerrero’s legs in the middle and top ropes. Tanaka then lands strikes on the outside, and Diamond keeps Guerrero’s legs incapacitated. Ricky Rice and Jon Paul of the Top Guns then rush to the ring to chase away Badd Company, and free Guerrero.
Catch the legends of AWA Monday to Friday at 1am est on ESPN Classic.
David
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