July 23^rd aired a 1987 episode of Verne Gagne`s AWA All-Star Wrestling from the University of Wisconsin in White Water.

At AWA studio, Larry Nelson announced that Alice Peters is their Fan of the Week for her letter. She receives an issue of the AWA Pro Wrestling Report magazine with autograph pictures from the wrestlers.

 Rick Gantner versus Billy Jack Strong

This is Strong¢s (a.k.a "Strangler" Steve DiSalvo, WCW Minotaur) in-ring debut, and Chief Wahoo McDaniel had accompanied him to the ring.

Gantner complains to referee Gary DeRousha, first about a clenched, then falsely accuses of a hair pull when Strong power shoves Gantner back into the corner. Gantner charges off the ropes into the muscular wall of Strong, and both times, Gantner is knocked down from the collision.

Strong flexes his free arm, then muscles Gantner down with his wristlocked arm. A commentating Verne Gagne mentioned that he had an interest in the Native American culture, and wondered what tribe Strong`s ancestors were from.

Gantner attacked a cornered Strong with strikes, rubbing his face against the top rope and a turnbuckle smash. Strong jarred Gantner by reversing the corner whip and drilling Gantner to the canvas with a clothesline. Gantner was punted down, then DDT¢d and body slammed. Strong back suplexes Gantner, held him in a bridge and receives referee Gary DeRousha`s 3 count in this under four minute match.

Back at the studio, Larry Nelson interviewed Wahoo McDaniel. Nelson brought up that McDaniel was after AWA world champion Curt Hennig`s trail, and would be participating in the main event six man with Tommy "Wildfire" Rich and "Crusher" Jerry Blackwell. McDaniel mentioned that he knew Rich, as they have held tag team gold together, and that he knew Blackwell from their battles. McDaniel mentioned that his team would have an advantage in experience and weight against the Dangerous Alliance, but Adrian Adonis must be weighing around 350 lbs instead of his touted 290. McDaniel warned the Alliance, "if you hurt somebody, you¢re going to have an Indian hot on your trail"

When McDaniel left, Soldat Ustinov burst in wearing a chain. He loudly proclaimed himself "Russia`s greatest athlete", then he proped up a framed picture of former Soviet leader Lennon, and proclaimed him "the greatest leader". Nelson goes to take the picture off the new set, and Ustinov says that the people must stand when that picture is shown at his matches.

 J.T. Southern versus Soldat Ustinov in the international television title tournament

JT walks around ringside greeting fans before entering the ring. JT is backed to the ropes with a bit of a shove, then JT backs Soldat to the corner with a similar shove. JT hip tosses over Soldat twice. The crowd chants "RUSSIA SUCKS!", with one of the male fan wearing a nun`s outfit. JT reverses Soldat`s wristlock that is broken up in the ropes. JT is unable to budge Ustinov with an off the ropes charge. JT spins around when missing a clothesline, and is atomic dropped to the mat, with an elbow dropped on him.

Soldat eyes rakes and forearm clubs JT in the corner, but crashes in the opposite corner, when a whipped JT moves away from the charge. Soldat is arm dragged down, but reverses a wristlock and clubs JT`s arm. Soldat does Mitch Snow`s Jam Slam (hip toss/powerslam combination) and gets a pin count of 2 by referee Marty Miller.

JT is whipped to the ropes for a high boot, but manages to get his shoulder up at the pin count of 2. Verne Gagne mentions that he recently got to watch the Russian Greco Roman wrestling team spring training for the Olympics, and that there is nobody better technique wise. JT elbows out of Soldat`s chinlock. JT ducks a first clothesline, but get covered for 2 after Soldat nails the move on the second attempt.

Soldat body slam JT, but misses an off the ropes leg drop. JT strikes at the stomach, but meets Soldat¢s back club. Soldat whips JT for a back body drop, but JT jumps over for a sunset flip roll-up, getting a 2 on his pin couint. Soldat endured JT`s strike, clubs JT and smashes him to the turnbuckle. Soldat suplexes JT, gets a 2 on his pin cover, then presses JT down on the mat with a two handed choke.

Soldat chokes JT on the ropes, then snaps him back to the canvas by yanking the ropes. Soldat body slams and probably should have gotten the pin, as referee Miller delayed for 3. JT then roll-up Soldat with an inside cradle for the 3 count, in this over six minutes match. Soldat gives the screw off arm sign to the fans, then smashes his head to the turnbuckle. This match earns JT earns 5 points, and Soldat has 5 points in the tournament scoring.

Paul E. Dangerously (Paul Heyman) lays down on the new AWA studio set for the interview , and told Larry Nelson that he is so tired from fielding offers for AWA world tag team champions the Original Midnight Express to compete in Japan, Europe, South America and Mexico. Dangerously stood-up and said that his team would answer the challenges of "Mr. Magnificent" Kevin Kelly with Nick Kiniski, or Wahoo McDaniel or Curt Hennig. Dangerously "We back down from no one"

After the commercial, Larry Nelson presented a special tribute to wrestling great "Mad Dog" Vachon. Neslon spoke about Vachon recently losing his leg in surgery after being hit by an automobile while jogging in Des Moines, Iowa. Nelson credited Vachon for being the most unpredictable wrestler of all time, and said that Verne Gagne knows him best, and would be coming out for comments after the Mat Classic tribute.

 "Mad Dog" Vachon & Verne Gagne versus Sheik Adnan El Kassey & "Crusher" Jerry   Blackwell on April 24^th 1983 at the St. Paul Civic Center for Super Sunday

This match is joined in the progress from the point where Vachon is choking Adnan and yanking at his face. Vachon rakes the back of the kneeling Adnan, then bites his head. Adnan`s right arm is in a cast, and he strikes Vachon with it. Adnan knocks Vachon to a ringside table, then stomps at him from the ring apron.

Verne strikes Adnan down on the apron. Vachon throws a microphone stand in the ring, Adnan catches it and hits Vachon with it. Adnan then gets a chair, hitting Vachon with it. Verne wrests away the chair, hitting both Adnan and Blackwell with it. Adnan then strikes down a bloodied Vachon with the cast, bites and double ax handles his back.

Verne lands lefts and rights on Adnan. Blackwell powerslams Verne and gets a 2 on the pin count. Adnan applies an abdominal stretch on Vachon, and Verne punches Adnan off.

Blackwell headbutts down Vachon, who staggered to the wrong corner.

Vachon and Blackwell exchange strikes, then Verne punches Blackwell in the corner. Verne punches down Adnan, then knocks down Blackwell twice with dropkicks. Adnan is shoulder blocked down, but Blackwell punts Verne and powerslammed him for a 2 on a pin cover. Verne moves away from a splash, avoids a corner avalanche, then jumps on Blackwell`s back for a sleeperhold.

Vachon knocks away Adnan, then uses Adnan’s cast to strike Blackwell. Verne delivers a flying knee drive on a cornered Adnan, then Vachon helps Verne rip the cast off. Vachon throws Blackwell out of the ring, then hits Adnan with the removes cast twice. Verne smashes the cast to pieces against the steel ring post, then Vachon strikes Blackwell on the floor with a chair.

Verne gets a 2 on his pin cover after a body slam on Adnan, then slams Adnan`s injured right arm into the turnbuckle. Vachon returns to the ring to wristlock Adnan`s right arm, as Verne hits it with a flying knee from the middle rope. Verne covers and gets the 3 count from referee Larry Losowski. Mean Gene Okerlund enters the ring to announce that the match time was 13:28.

Vachon throws Adnan to the floor, then assists Verne in throwing Blackwell over the top rope. Someone`s drink showers Mean gene in the ring. When asked, Verne told Okerlund that he felt great. Vachonsaid "this proves I am his best friend. It`s dog eat dog..hahaha!"

Verne Gagne joined Larry Nelson at the studio. Verne said that "there is only one Mad Dog Vachon in the whole wide world and thank god" Verne said the accident was tragic, but if there is one guy who can overcome it, it’s Mad Dog.

In offering a background of their history, Gagne said that while training with the U.S. Olympic team in 1948, he first met Vachon on the Canadian Olympic team. Gagne said that Vachon was the most unpredictable wrestler that he has ever encountered, and said he had bitter struggles against him in their matches. Verne remembered that their partnership began when he saved Vachon when two other wrestlers were attacking him in Denver, Colorado.

Gagne said that Vachon was his go to guy when he wanted to give the proper beating to opponents in a tag team match. Gagne said it took two weeks for Vachon to decide on their partnership, but from then his word has always been a bond as good as gold. Gagne credited Vachon as "one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, and a real gentleman, believe it or not"

Gagne recalled a crazy moment where he was traveling with some wrestlers on a twin engine plane from Omaha Nebraska to Minneapolis Minnesota. They felt a bump, and thought the tail of the plane had blown off. They looked to the back and saw Vachon had opened the plane door in mid-air, saying "oh what a beautiful night..what beautiful stars"

 Tommy "Wildfire" Rich, Jerry "Crusher" Blackwell & Chief Wahoo McDaniel versus "Adorable" Adrian Adonis with AWA world tag team champions "Loverboy" Dennis Condrey & "Ravishing" Randy Rose of the Original Midnight Express. ( replay that had an ESPN Classic airing on 7/17)

This venue for the match was not explained, and neither was how the Original Midnight Express became tag team champions. Wahoo chops off Condrey`s wristlock, and from the ring apron, Blackwell strikes a cornered Condrey in the chest. Condrey is held in Wahoo`s wristlock as a tagged Rich lands a gut shot. After taking a knee drop, Condrey eye gouges out of Rich`s armlock

A tagged Rose is body slammed, taken to the mat with a headlock. Rose pushes off Rich to the ropes, but Rich charges him down. Rich comes off the ropes ducking Rose`s chop and clothesline. Rich spring off the rope, catching Rose in a cross body press and gaining referee Marty Mill`s count of 1.

Rose backs Rich to the ropes, and gets clobbered from behind by a tagged Blackwell`s

clothesline. Adonis chops Blackwell in the corner, then charges in with a shoulder tackle. A tagged Condrey assists Adonis in double whipping Blackwell`s back into their corner. This move is repeated when a tagged Rose assists Condrey.

From the corner, Blackwell`s stomach is shoulder jammed by Rose. A tagged Adonis front face locks Blackwell, then tags out to Condrey when Blackwell gets a wristlock on him. A wristlocked Blackwell headbutts Condrey down. Blackwell then headbutts down an incoming Rose. Condrey strikes Blackwell in the corner, then distracts the referee as Adonis chokes Blackwell with the tag rope.

Condrey twists Blackwell`s wrist, then a tagged Adonis uppercuts the twisted arm. Verne Gagne says that actor Ed Asner is a big fan of the six man tag team matches. Adonis attempts to bodyslam the nearly 500 lbs Blackwell, and actually succeeds on his second lift. The Express claps. Adonis falls back to favor his strained back, gets up to splash Blackwell, but crashes when Blackwell moves away.

A tagged Rich charges in with strikes on Adonis, then Irish whips him for a back body drop. Adonis rakes Rich`s eyes, then holds Rich by the leg for a tagged Rose`s clothesline. Rich is body slammed, then Rose grabs the top rope to propel himself for a splash onto Rich from the middle rope. This gains Rose a 2 count on his pin. Rich elbows out of Rose`s chinlock, charges down Rose, but Rich falls to the mat too. Rose covers and gets another 2.

Rose applied another chinlock, then body slams, but Rich moves away as Rose rushes out of the corner for a fist drop. Adonis illegally enters to stomp Rich, then Wahoo comes in to chase Adonis out. Wahoo tomahawk chops Condrey’s head, then chops down both Express. Rich body slams Adonis off the top rope, then Wahoo rolls up Rose in an inside cradle, gaining the 3 count in this over eight minute match.  

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

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