August 26^th aired a 1990 episode of Verne Gagne`s AWA All-Star Wrestling. The show opened up with announcer Lee Marshall speaking with AWA founder and former world champion Verne Gagne. Marshall asked Verne for his thoughts on the top young stars that would be on the show.

Verne that "Illustrious" Jonnie Stewart was not liked, but is tough, as he had gone through a lot of wrestlers to be top contender. Verne said that Curtis "The Cat" Hughes is a great athlete with fabulous potential, and expected Hughes would be a world champion.

Verne said that the team of D.J. Peterson and The Trooper were wild, wooly and everything you want to see in a tag team. Though verne thought Trooper was making a mistake switching to tag teams, as he felt Trooper was on the right path as a singles competitor. Verne felt that DJ was better in tag teams than Trooper.

 W.T. Jones versus "Illustrious" Jonnie Stewart

Before the match, Eric Bischoff said that experts had predicted that the light heavyweight tournment would come down to Stewart and "Rock `N` Roll" Buck Zumhofe. They were right, and that match would be a couple of episodes away.

Jones wore sunglasses, a red doo rag, and studded arm bands. Those bands he would remove before the match begun. Technotronic`s song "Pump Up The Jam" played as Stewart walked down the aisle in a blue sequined robe with yellow feathered trim.

Jones picked up a yellow feather that fell from the robe, and blew it at Stewart. Jones went for a lock-up but Stewart kneed him and landed strikes. Stewart knee lifted WT down, then body slammed him. Stewart mule kicked Stewart to the mat, then hip tossed him twice. The referee backe dWT off, as Stewart exited to the floor.

When Stewart returned, WT clubbed him in the corner, then corner whipped him for a driving forearm strike. Stewart kneed WT, then took him down after a series of left fists. WT was body slammed, then Stewart landed an awkward looking knee strike to the back of WT`s heads.

Stewart whipped WT to the ropes for a flying back elbow, but when he tried to whip him for a hip toss, WT blocked and side walk slammed Stewart. WT leaped off the middle rope, but only hit mat with his flying headbutt.

Stewart adjusted his knee pad in the corner, and whipped WT for a flying knee that grazed WT on the side of the head. This was enough for Stewart to secure the 3 count victory, closing the match in under four minutes.

Eric Bischoff interviewed Stewart at ringside, asking him what was on his mind. Stewart responded by speaking of the dissension in his team Sarge`s Snipers. Stewart said that the rumors were not true that his father cut off his trust fund, that he had his car repossessed and it also was not true that his lady left him.

Stewart said he just fine and that the only thing missing was the AWA world light heavyweight champion. Stewart said that he knew Buck Zumhofe had a tingle in his spine, seeing Stewart`s name on the contract for their title match.

Stewart mentioned Ric Flair`s saying "To be the man, you have to beat the man" Stewart told Zumhofe to "look in the mirror and ask himself on the day of our fight, if he is ready to be the man"

 Jaime Magnum versus Curtis "The Cat" Hughes

After being introduced by Donna Gagne, Magnum did a double arm flex for the camera. Then Young MC`s song "Bust a Move" played as Hughes sprinted to the ring. Hughes slapped fan hands around ringside, then chicken danced on the floor, the ring apron and in the ring.

The match began, and Hughes threw Magnum`s arm up, and took him down to the canvas with a waistlock. Hughes released and shoved Magnum to the ropes. Magnum applied a headlock, but shoved Hughes to ropes, and Hughes charged him down.

Hughes went from a headlock to a hammerlock, and Magnum stepped onto the ring apron to have the referee break the hold. Magnum yelled "get him back!", then raked Hughes` eyes and choked him on the top rope.

Hughes ducked Magnum`s clothes, then sprung off the ropes to knockdown Magnum with a dropkick. Hughes headbutted Magnum down, then Irish whipped him for a dropkick. The right foot nailed Magnum hard.

Hughes picked Magnum up by the hair, and hoisted him up for an over the shoulders torture rack. Hughes cranked down, and Magnum immediately submitted. This match was under three minutes.

Hughes does the chicken dance, then went to Bischoff on the floor for an interview. Instead of an interview, the AWA symbol and theme song played before the commercial.

After the commercial, Eric Bischoff presented a letter from Kristen and Katelyn Kostin, who posed a question of what goes through a wrestler`s mind before they head into the biggest match of their career. Bischoff presented an interview he conducted backstage with D.J. Peterson and The Trooper to answer that question.

This interview was a replay from last episode. DJ said that after having many tag partners, but felt that it was The Trooper who would help him finally get to the titles. Trooper said that he was at the epak of his game, and that it was important to take advantage at this moment, after chasing thos "jerks" (Destruction Crew) all over the country.

Trooper was satisfied that this team would get to the top, and that the Destruction Crew were old news. Trooper warned the Destruction Crew "buckle up real tight, it`s gonna be a bumpy ride"

Eric Bischoff announced developments in Sgt. Slaughter`s Snipers team, and aired an interview with Colonel DeBeers at ringside. DeBeers said that Sarge had gone AWOL (absent without leave). DeBeers said that this what he had told the American people, when he looked them straight in eye. DeBeers said that he knew when things got tough, that Sarge would abandon his trooper (Sgt. Slaughter had signed a contract with WWF and soon became the world champion).

DeBeers said that he had been elected by The Snipers, as their new team captain, and that now they have a real leader of men at the helm. DeBeers had changed the name of the team to the Diamond Cutters, like the diamond cutters in his native South Africa.

DeBeers said that his Diamond Cutters will rise to the occasion, and that even African American Curtis Hughes had voted for the pro-apartheid military man as the new team leader.

 Tom Bennett versus Colonel DeBeers

DeBeers walked the aisle to Guns `N` Roses song "Welcome to the Jungle", while twirling his handlebar mustache, and wearing his camouflage flack jacket decorated with military medals. The match began, and Bennett pushed off DeBeers` headlock, only to be charged down.

DeBeers punched down Bennett, pulled on Bennett`s face, then snapmared him for a face stomp. DeBeers rubbed Bennett`s face across the top rope, then knocked Bennett down with a gut kick. DeBeers punched down Bennett.

Bennett smashed DeBeers into the turnbuckle, then clubbed at the cornered DeBeers. Bennett tried for a corner whip, but DeBeers reversed it, forcing Bennett to crash to the corner. DeBeers kept Bennett`s back to the buckles, as DeBeers climbed the ropes and drove Bennett`s face to the mat, with a pressed knee from the top turnbuckle.

DeBeers covered but pulled Bennett up from the pin at 2. DeBeers lifted Bennett upside down, then planted him to the mat with a forward press piledriver. DeBeers covered, allowing referee Gary DeRousha to reach the 3 count. This match was under three minutes.

DeBeers placed his foot on the chest of the downed Bennett as referee DeRousha raised DeBeer`s arm. DeBeers then stepped on Bennet as he went to exit the ring.

Team Challenge Series Report

There were only four weeks to go, and Lee Marshall mentioned how AWA world champion Larry Zbyszko plan for big motivation had produced zero results for his Legends team. Highlights from the match where Magnificent Mimi of Larry`s legends faced AWA ladies` world champion Candi Divine of Baron Von Raschke`s Blitzers aired.

Candi had won the match by disqualification and picked up points for The Blitzers, when Mimi accidently slingshot Candi over the top rope. Marshall had mentioned that The Baron`s wild card wrestlers had adapted well to the specialty matches of The Series

The standings had Baron`s Blitzers in a distant lead at 45 points, Sgt. Slaughter left his team in second place at 34 points to Col. DeBeers and Larry`s Legends stay at 31 points.

The point board had The Trooper (Blizters) with 18 points. Col. DeBeers (Snipers/Diamond Cutters) at 12 points, a five way tie with 8 points for Yukon John Nord (Blitzers), Jake "Milkman" Milliman (Legends), Wayne "The Train" Bloom (Legends), "Mean" Mike Enos (Legends), "Flapjack" Scott Norton (Blizters), Nikita Koloff (Snipers/Diamond Cutters), and at 7 points Candi Divine (Blitzers).

 D.J. Peterson & The Trooper versus AWA world tag team champions Wayne "The Tarin" Bloom & "Mean" Mike Enos

The Destruction Crew walked to ringside wearing bright orange vest, wearing their world tag titles around their waits, and carrying sledgehammers. Queen`s song "We Will Rock" accompanied them to the ring.

D.J. and The Trooper rushed to the ring to DJ`s theme song "TNT" by AC/DC. Bloom yelled "come on!" to DJ on the floor. Bloom then went on to yell "shut up!" to referee Gary DeRousha and the fans. Trooper and Enos engaged in a quick shoving match as DeRousha was giving instructions.

Trooper rallied the fans to clap for his team, then when the match began, he pushed Bloom from off a lock-up to the ropes. No one budged on a second lock-up, but Bloom attacked with a kick and eye rake. Trooper pushed off Bloom`s headlock, and didn`t budge when Bloom hit him with an off ropes charge.

Bloom ran into the ropes, and still did not budge Trooper on a charge. Bloom then challenged Trooper to charge him, and Trooper sprung off the ropes and nknocked Bloom down. Bloom exited, and Trooper charged down an incoming Enos, who also exited to join his partner.

Bloom yelled to the cameraman "get out of my face!" Bloom entered the ring, as Trooper was on the ring apron. Bloom yanked the Trooper`s neck down on the rope, and flexed his arm with his back to his opponent. Trooper instantly recovered, and when Bloom turned around, he got on one knee and begged Trooper to back off.

Trooper grabbed Bloom by the back of the hair, bringing him across the ring for a turnbuckle smash. Trooper charged down Bloom, then Enos, and The Destruction Crew regroup at ringside. A tagged Eno hopped over the top rope, was backed to the rope, but turned Trooper onto the rope and clubbed at him.

Trooper reversed a whip to the ropes, missed a clothesline, but caught Enos on a slam. Trooper covered and received a pin count of 2. As Trooper capatured Enos in an arm bar, commentator Lee Marshall mentioned that he had never see any one handle Enos this way before.

Trooper held Enos` arm out for a tagged DJ to hit with a flying strike from the middle rope. Enos charged down DJ, but DJ would catch Enos with a hip toss. DJ arm dragged Enos to the mat twice, and hit Enos with a dropkick. Enos almost had his head tied up in the middle and top rope from the force of the dropkick.

A tagged Trooper corner whipped Enos. Trooper got down for a football three finger point stance, but his shoulder met the top turnbuckle, when Enos moved away. Enos double ax handle struck at Trooper`s shoulder, then rammed Trooper`s shoulder into another turnbuckle.

Enos leg swept Trooper, and a tagged Bloom laid down stomps. Trooper was lifted up and given a Bloom shoulder breaker. Bloom landed a strike to the top of the head, clubbed at Trooper`s left arm, then slammed Trooper on that arm.

A tagged Enos picked Trooper up in used Trooper`s shoulder as a battering ram into the turnbuckle. Enos hooked the leg and received a pin of 2. A tagged Bloom choked Trooper on the tope rope, then Enos held Trooper`s legs. Bloom charged off the ropes and leapfrogged over Enos, landing on Trooper`s back.

Bloom clubbed and threw Trooper to the mat-less floor. Enos almost threw Trooper into the fans, as he shoved Trooper into the ringside area divider. Back in the ring, Trooper tried to sunset flip from Bloom`s back drop, but Bloom punched Trooper down.

A tagged Enos took Trooper to the mat with a fireman`s carry takeover, and hooked the leg for a 2 count. Enos cranked on the arm bar as Trooper yelled. Enos held Trooper`s arm out in standing position, as a tagged Bloom flew off the top with a knee to the arm.

Bloom kneed Trooper in the corner, then a tagged Enos went from a front face lock to an arm lock on Trooper. Enos was getting pushed back slowly by Trooper, Bloom came in to take referee Gary DeRousha`s attention away, as Trooper made the tag to DJ.

DeRousha ordered DJ out, and The Crew whipped the Trooper for a double back elbow. Bloom covered, and received a count of 2. A tagged Bloom then assisted in a double back corner whip on the Troopers.

Enos distracted referee DeRousha in the ring, as from the ring apron, Bloom pulled Trooper into the corner by the hair, and clubbed his chest. Enos body slammed Trooper, but a missed leg drop gave enough of an opening for Trooper to get a tag to DJ.

DJ hopped over the top rope as Enos begged DJ back, but DJ whipped him to the ropes for a clothesline. DJ body slammed Eno, suplexed an incoming Bloom, then suplexed Enos. Bloom is whipped for a clothesline, but DJ falls back too.

Trooper entered and clubbed Enos in one corner, as DJ struck at Bloom in the opposite corner. DJ and Trooper Irish whip, but The Crew reverse the whips, causing DJ and Trooper to collide. Enos kicked Trooper out of the ring, then assisted Bloom for a double back body drop and double clothesline on DJ.

Bloom kicked Trooper away from re-entering the ring, as DJ was lifted up by Enos` shoulders. Bloom climbed to the top turnbuckle, and took too much time to strike, as Trooper shoved as Bloom`s ankle. Bloom did a forward flip to the mat, and DJ forward rolled, hooking Enos` legs for the 3 count. In under fifteen minutes, new AWA world tag team champions are crowned..D.J. Peterson and The Trooper.

Eric Bischoff congratulated the new champions at ringside, as The Trooper said that this match was like vigilantism, as he and DJ had to take law into their own hands to kick Destruction Crew`s butt. DJ thanked The Trooper for his part, adding that even after a long journey, the people still stuck with them.

Catch the legends of AWA Monday to Friday at 12am est on ESPN Classic.

David  http://www.mysapce.com/unrulyghouly