CLASSIC AWA AUGUST 28th TV REPORT
- 08/28/2008 (7:40:12 pm)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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August 28th aired a December 25th 1985 episode of Verne Gagne`s AWA All-Star Wrestling from the St. Paul Civic Center, in Minnesota. Larry Nelson introduced this show from AWA studio. Marty Jannetty verus Big Thunder Kiniski Commentators Larry Nelson, Rod Trongard and Ken Resnick said this was Jannetty`s in-ring debut with the AWA. Big Thunder wore a blue ring jacket that read "CANADA", he is the son of former NWA world champion Gene Kiniski, and the older brother of Nick. Kiniski waved away Jannetty`s handshake, then pushed Jannetty off the collar and elbow tie-up. Kiniski backed Jannetty to the rope, and Jannetty dodged the strike, taking Kiniski to the mat with an arm drag. Kiniski arm dragged out of Jannetty`s three quarter nelson. Kiniski pushed off the top wristlock, and charged down Jannetty. Kiniski dropkicked, and then arm dragged him. Backed to the ropes, Jannetty was hit with punched to the stomach and face. Jannetty reversed Kiniski`s corner whip, and Kiniski went to the mat by Jannetty`s arm drag. Kiniski whipped Jannetty off to the ropes, and landed a boot to the stomach. Kiniski slammed Jannetty onto the top rope, and Larry Nelson felt such a move should be an automatic disqualification. Kiniski whipped Jannetty for a knee, body slammed him, then raised his arm yelling "Canada!" Jannetty was whipped for a clothesline, hit with a knee drop, and Kiniski yelled "Canada" again. Kiniski knocked Jannetty back with a headlock punch, then snapmared him to a chinlock. Jannetty got to his feet, but Kiniski pulled him back to the mat with a trunks pull. Jannetty was thrown through the ropes. Kiniski pointed up, then clubbed Jannetty on the ring apron. Jannetty landed a stomach shot, then took himself over Kiniski with a sunset flip. Kiniski punched down so that Jannetty could not complete the roll-up pin attempt. Kiniski then dropped a knee, gut wrench suplexed and pin covered Jannetty for referee Marty Miller`s count of 2. Kiniski snapmared Jannetty, and when he went for the snap again, Jannetty took Kiniski down for 2 in a backslide. Kiniski stomped Jannetty, then snapmared him for a chinlock again. Kiniski put his body weight into the hold, cranked and said to referee Miller "ask him!" Kiniski wenty from a front face chancery to a reverse chinlock, as he pressed into the back of the downed Jannetty. Jannetty got to the ropes, where Kiniski landed knees to the stomach, and elbowed at his back. Kiniski turnbuckle smashed Jannetty, then whipped him to the ropes for a hip toss, then a dropkick. Kiniski covered with a hook, and received a pin count of 2. Jannetty rose from another snapmare/chinlock combination, and as Kiniski went to yank back on the trunks, Jannetty elbowed out. Jannetty charged Kiniski down, but his second charge had Kiniski throw him through the ropes. Jannetty returned to the ring apron, and was pressed down on the top rope, as Kiniski landed a chest club. Jannetty hung on the the top ropes, as referee Miller tried to usher back Kiniski, so that he could issue a count. Kiniski came back and yanked Jannetty`s neck over the top rope, forcing Jannetty to the floor again. Back in the ring, Kiniski whipped Jannetty for a back elbow, suplexed him, then hooked the head and received a pin count of 2. Kiniski complained to referee Miller about a slow count, then shoved Jannetty to the ropes for chest slaps, then to a turnbuckle smash. Kiniski went for another snapmare and chinlock. Kiniski released to whip Jannetty for a body slam, but Jannetty slipped away on the back of Kiniski. Jannetty shoved Kiniski into the ropes, and rolled him. Kiniski kicked out right awya, but was dropkicked down twice. Jannetty landed punches and body slammed Kiniski. Jannetty took to the top turnbuckle and the standing Kiniski was taken to the mat with a flying cross body press. Referee Miller counted the 3 for a Jannetty victory, closing the match before the twelve minute mark. Kiniski through Jannetty through the ropes, and stood on the middle ropes in the corner, as he raised his arm. After the commercial, Jannetty was welcomed to the AWA and wished a Merry Christmas by Ken Resnick. Jannetty thanked him, saying that it was a pleasure to be here. Jannetty said that he intended to make a name for himself in the territory, adding that Kiniski was a tough opponent. Jannetty went on to sya that he took a beating in there, and explained that he should have known that he would need to work harder. Jannetty thanked Resnick again for complimenting him on a tremendous debut. Jannetty said "I`m looking to make my presence felt here in the AWA" Little persons` tag team match: Cowboy Lang & Little Mr. T versus Lord Littlebrook and Little Tokyo Tokyo backed Lang to the ropes, where Lang patted Tokyo`s back. Tokyo thought referee Marty Miller patted his back, and shoved at him. Tokyo backed Lang to the ropes again, was patted by lang, and Tokyo shoved at referee Miller. Lang had lifted Tokyo, and carried him near the rope for an atomic drop. Tokyo headlocked Lang to the mat, but was pushed off and halted from going near Little Mr. T (Haiti Kid) on the apron. Tokyo turned around and took a shot by Lang. Tokyo backe dLang to Littlebrook`s corner, landing stomach and chest punches. Littlebrook on the ring apron, stepped on Lang`s neck, as Tokyo distracted the ref. Tokyo held Lang for a tagged Littlebrook kick. Littlebrook dropped knee, then kneed the downed Lang in the groin. There was an "Ohhh!" heard from the crowd for that move. Littlebrook held the middle rope and he stepped on Lang`s neck. Lang was moving Littlebrook back to Little T`s corner, as Lang was in a front chancery. Little Tokyo entered the ring to divert referee Miller from seeing Lang`s tag to T. Tokyo entered to headlock Lang, and hold him for Littlebrook`s rib punch. Littlebrook arm barred and kept Lang down with a hair pull. Lang backed Littlebrook to the corner, and again Tokyo distracted the ref from seeing the tag. Tokyo came in with punched and took over the front facelock. Tokyo released the hold to club and then tag Littlebrook. A gut shot, then a groin stomp were Littlebrook`s offense, but Lang took Littlebrook down with a gut shot. Tokyo entered, and was taken down was hit with a kneelift. Tokyo backed Lang from tagging, and Lang punched at Tokyo in the corner. Tokyo was then thrown across the ring by Lang`s hip toss. A tagged Little Mr. T rushed to Littlebrook and headbutted him down on the apron. Tokyo went to tag out, but Littlebrook was down. Tokyo raised Littlebrook up by the hair, and Littlebrook slapped Tokyo`s face. A tagged Littlebrook applied a top wristlock, and T muscled Littlebrook back to the mat. T then did a double bicep flex. A tagged Tokyo, conversed in Littlebrook`s ear. Tokyo applied a full nelson, T wiggled his hips, and knocked Tokyo back with a butt thrust. Tokyo headlock punched T, then knocked him down with a chest shot. Tokyo snapmared T for a chinlock, then pulled him down by the face, for a stomp. A tagged Littlebrook stomped then locked an arm bar. T reversed the arm bar, and headbutted Littlebrook`s shoulder. T put a a double legged arm stretcher on the downed Littlebrook. Lang ran in the ring, stepping on Littlebrook, to back Tokyo from interfering. Again, Lang ran in the ring, stepping on Littlebrook. When Lang got near, he stomped on Tokyo`s bare feet. Referee Miller counted Littlebrook`s shoulder down for a pin of 1. Tokyo grabbed T by the nose, and Lang lifted Tokyo up and walked him across ring like before with an atomic drop. While still in the hold, Littlebrook rose, and almost had T pinned for 3. Tokyo knocked Little Mr. T off the hold, and whipped him to the ropes for a forearm strike. Tokyo stomped, and T punched back, taking Tokyo down with a headbutt. Little T hooked the leg and received a 2 count. T whipped Tokyo to the corner for Lang`s punch. Lang then snapped Tokyo on the middle rope. Lang was not going for a pin when he under hooked Tokyo`s legs, but referee Miller counted 1 before Lang slingshot Tokyo across the ring. Tokyo was confused and looked for a tag in the wrong corner. Lang whipped Tokyo for a backdrop. Tokyo went across the ring on hands and knees to his corner, but Littlebrook would not tag. Lang went over, grasped Littlebrook and Tokyo by the wrists, making them tag. Littlebrook fell into the ring, where Lang applied a full nelson. Lang backed off Tokyo, when he turned Littlebrook to face Tokyo on his back strike attempt. Littlebrook was full nelsoned by the tagged Little Mr. T, and being moved towards Lang, who was about to jump on him from the top turnbuckle. Little Mr. T turned Littlebrook around to halt Tokyo from attacking, then Littlebrook slipped out to apply a full nelson on Little Mr. T. Tokyo ran in to strike, but T broke away, and slowly dropped to the mat after a Tokyo strike. T covered for the pin, but referee Miller was ushering Tokyo back to his corner. Lang got to the mat and slapped the canvas fast for 3. Tokyo corner whipped T down and stomped him. Tokyo whipped T back to the other corner, but Lang jumped over the middle turnbuckle, cushioning T`s impact. Little T clubbed down Tokyo, then whipped Tokyo in the corner for stomach and head shots. T was about to whip Tokyo to the opposite corner, when Littlebrook jumped over the middle turnbuckle. T whipped Tokyto away from Littlebrook, and back into their original corner. Little T headbutted Tokyo in the corner, as Lang punched Littlebrook in the opposite corner. Little T whipped Tokyo to the center of the ring, as Lang whipped Littlebrook to the center. Both men fell after the collision. Lang sat on one side of the fallen bodies, as Little T sat on the other side. Lang grabbed Tokyo and Littlebrook`s legs, as Little grabbed their legs from the other side. Lang and Little T then moved the legs like paddles for a rowboat action. Referee Marty Miller got close, and Lang pulled referee Miller down as Tokyo got the ref in a body scissors. Lang threw Littlebrook next to Little T on top of referee Miller. Lang then stood on Littlebrook`s back in the pileup. Littlebrook rang to his corner, as Lang and Little T ran back to theirs, from an irrate Miller. Lang reach out to engage Tokyo in a Greco-Roman knuckle lock, but Tokyo punched at him. Lang stomped on both bare feet of Tokyo. Lang wristlocked Tokyo, then whipped in to the ropes. Both men criss crossed the ring, then Little T and Littlebrook joined in on the crisscross. Tokyo and Little T bounced into each other, but went back to charging the ropes. Lang and Tokyo collided and fell back to the mat. Littlebrook went to check Tokyo`s condition, when referee Marty Miller ushered him back to his corner. Little Mr. T tossed Cowboy lang on top of the downed Little Tokyo. Rferee Miller turned around and pin counted to 3, for a Lang and T victory. This match was just under fifteen minutes. In This Corner with Larry Zbyszko Zbyszko and Larry Nelson spoke of Sheik Adnan El Kassey`s Army. Zbyszko said that Adnan could hire whomever he wanted, and had managed to put together the most dynamic and brutal force that wrestling had ever known. Video highlights with aired of Adnan`s new Army of The Barbarian (John Nord) and the Mongolian Stomper in tag team action. Barbarian used a dropkick and a backbreaker on a jobber wrestler, then assisted The Stomper with a double boot. Stomper knocked down a Jake Milliman with a double cross chop. Barbarian slammed Milliman, then the video stopped with Barbarian on a flying middle rope assault. Nelson said that sinister and evil came to mind when thinking of Sheik Adnan El Kassey. Adnan had joined Zbyszko and Nelson in the interview area. He held a shealthed sword and started speaking in Arabic. Then he said in English, that he had the ultimate surprise in the 6'6, 280 lb. Barbarian. Barbarian yelled as he stormed onto the set. He wore a furry vest and carried a chain. Zbyszko said that in his career, The Barbarian is one of the most impressive men in size and brutality. As Barbarian got more uncontrollable, Zbyszko left the set. Nelson told The Barbarian to calm down. The Barbarian wore black and red paint on his left eye, as Nelson asked Sheik Adnan "do you have any control over this man?" Sheik Adnan answered "If I say attack, The Barbarian attacks. If I say kill, The Barbarian kills!" Barbarian then said "I`m the best because I`m the baddest" and said that he now worked for the best and baddest in Sheik Adnan El Kassey. Barbarian double flexed his arms, then gave a flex of his right bicep. Zbyszko returned to the set, stating that you have to respect The Barbarian as a devastating fighting machine. Zbyszko then slapped Sheik Adnan on the back, adding that you must respect Sheik Adnan El Kassey. Sheik Adnan then thanked Zbyszko. Stan "The Lariat" Hansen versus AWA world heavyweight champion Rick Martel Hansen boo called, as he raised his right arm for the horn symbol, as Martel jumped like a boxer in pre-bout. The match began with Martel reversing Hansen`s whip for a punch, then body slamming the over 300 lbs Hansen twice. On the floor, Hansen tried to ram Martel to the ring post, but Martel pushed him to the steel. Martel stomped Hansen on the ring apron. Hansen held his head in pain, then threw a red folding chair into the ring. The camera shows former AWA world champion commentating with Larry Nelson, but Rod Trongard was providing the commentary for this match. Hansen smashed Martel to the turnbuckle, then planted a knee to the head. Martel sprung off the ropes with clubs and turnbuckle smashed Hansen. Martel punched him from the ropes to the corner, and whipped Hansen to the corner. Martel charged the corner, but met Hansen`s big boot, causing Martel to crash to the mat. Hansen held the rope, as he drove a knee down on Martel twice. Hansen clubbed the chest on a seated Martel, then chinlocked him. Hansen released and returned to tighten up on the hold. Martel tried to elbow out, but was smashed to the turnbuckle. Hansen kneelifted Martel, who was down on one knee in the corner. Hansen whipped Martel to the ropes and ducked down, but Martel stopped the back body drop by punting Hansen. Martel mirrored Hansen`s attack, by clubbing the chest of a seated Hansen, and knee dropping twice. Martel covered and received a count of 2 on his pin. Martel punched and body slammed Hansen, gaining another 2 count on a pin. Martel focused an attack on Hansen`s left arm, with an elbow strike. Martel got Hansen to his knees, and position himself behind Hansen with an arm bar. Hansen arm dragged Martel off, and Martel flew almost out of the ring, with his head rested on a ringside table. Hansen reached for Martel with a brief choke, then stomped him. Hansen choked Martel on the bottom rope. Hansen whipped Martel to the ropes, and knocked him down with a rough elbow that connected. Hansen lowered his knee pad, dropped the kne to martel`s head, and received a count of 2 on his pin cover. As Martel was on his knees, Hansen struck with his knee. On his knees, Martel punched at Hansen, until Martel stood up with his continued fist assault. Martel punched Hansen down, then Irish whipped him for a hip toss. Martel covered and received a pin count of 2. Martel received a near 3 count after whipping Hansen for back body drop. Hansen exited the ring, pulling Martel out with him. On the floor, Hansen picked up Martel in a body slam position, and rammed Martel`s back into the ring post. Referee Marty Miller signaled for the bell disqualifying Hansen, closing this match in under seven minutes. Hansen rammed Martel`s back into the post again, before slamming Martel to the arena floor. Hansen returned to the ring, then exited to hit the back of a floored Martel, with a cowbell that was connected to a bull rope. Hansen pushed referee Miller away, then gave his boo call with the horns sign. After the commercial, Nick Bockwinkel was interviewed by Ken Resnick at ringside. Resnick asked Bockwinkel how to beat Hansen. Bockwinkel said that it was a tremendous compliment to Martel, that as big, strong and powerful as Hansen is, that he had to resort to wildness and illegal tactics. Bockwinkel said that since Hansen could not beat the man, he busted him up instead. Bockwinkel said though, that Hansen was being very stupid, in short changing himself, because Hansen had a championship opportunity and enough ability to win. Catch the legends of AWA Monday to Friday 12am eastern standard time on ESPN Classic. Please check your listings as time may differ in your area. |
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