June 17^th aired a 1988 episode of Verne Gagne’s AWA All-Star Wrestling from the Showboat Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada.  

Houdini & Mike Enos versus Paul Diamond & Sensai Pat Tanaka of Badd Company (accompanied by Diamond Dallas Page & Tonya the Diamond Doll)

Page takes the microphone to say that everybody wants something for nothing, calling tag team contenders the Top Guns as "pop guns" and asking who have they beaten to earn title shots. AWA ladies¢ title contender Magnificent Mimi was shown in the audience. When DDP went outside the ring, he used his cane that looked like an extended rattlesnake to pull the Diamond Doll closer.

Mike Enos  (a.k.a. Blake of the WWF/WWE tag team the Beverly Brothers) was making his AWA debut. Enos charged down Tanaka, reversed a hip toss on Tanaka, then arm dragged Tanaka down for an arm bar. Tanaka chopped and eye raked Enos, and then Enos took down a tagged Diamond with an arm drag. Diamond made a tagged Houdini dive into the top turnbuckle, then lifted Houdini up in mid-suplex and smashed him chest first into the mat.

Diamond then had referee Gary DeRousha back off Enos from entering, as Diamond hung Houdini on the top rope. Diamond held up Houdini’s legs, as Tanaka charged off the ropes to leap frog over Diamond onto Houdini. A tagged Tanaka cover for the 3, ending the match after three minutes. Tanaka then held down Houdini as DDP grabbed his hair and laughed. 

Backstage, a very happy Ricky Rice and Jon Paul (DeMans) rushed in and hugged announcer Larry Nelson. Rice said that he and Paul were anxious to hear "AWA biggest announcement", then mentioned that his team would chase new teams such as the Terminators, Samoan SWAT Team, Rock N¢ Roll RPMs, Michael "P.S." Hayes and Steve Cox to get to Badd Company¢s AWA world tag team titles.

Paul said to fasten the seat belts, as the Top Guns are "reaching supersonic speed". Nelson said that the Top Guns were getting better every week, and said that the AWA world tag team titles are under the gun of the Top Guns, as Rice and Paul put their fists together for a double thumbs up.  

Donna Gagne presented a new question of the week segment. Jesse Lake, a high school wrestler from Kansas City Missouri asked Soldat Ustinov what scheme the Soviets have in winning at wrestling for the 1988 Olympics held in Seoul. Soldat said that the Soviets have dominated Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestling for the past 25 years.

Soldat mentioned that a couple weeks ago, Dennis and Duane Koslowski of the U.S. team said that they were training in Russia. Soldat said that the Soviets will video tape their training, and learn Koslowskis¢ weakness. Soldat then said that he hoped this answered Lake¢s question, and then said Lake was "as stupid as rock"  

Mike Smith versus AWA world champion Jerry "The King" Lawler

While in a headlock, the 6'7 Smith picked up Lawler and tossed him off the hold. Lawler charged off the ropes, and is unable to budge Smith. Lawler shoulder tackles Smith twice, then dropkick Smith down, making Smith exit the ring. Smith locks knuckles with Lawler, knees Lawler and body slammed him. Smith missed with an elbow, and knelt near the downed Smith’s head with punches.

A standing dropkick took down Smith, then Lawler Irish whipped Smith into a back elbow. Lawler body slammed Smith, mounted the middle ropes in the corner, and nailed Smith with a flying fist drop. Referee Marty Miller counted the 3 for Lawler, ending the match after four minute.  

Backstage, the "Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez was interviewed by Larry Nelson. Fernandez said that he all about mayhem, and that he was the greatest. "When you jump on The Bull¢s back, you¢re in for a long hard ride" 

Greg Gagne presented the end of a 1986 match at the Showboat between Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka and Larry Zbyszko. Snuka climbed to the top ropes to perform a Superfly splash on Zbyszko, and from the ring apron, Snuka was pushed to the concrete floor by Colonel DeBeers.

Snuka was lifted up in mid-piledriver position, and DeBeers rammed Snuka face first into the concrete. Security held back a fan who threatened to attack DeBeers with the chain. DeBeers left as Greg Gagne and Curt Hennig had come to ringside to help a bloodied Snuka. 

Brian Costello versus Colonel DeBeers (accompanied by Diamond Dallas Page & Tonya the Diamond Doll)

Page took the microphone to say that DeBeers is a legend in his mind and to millions of others. Page said DeBeers was often imitated but never duplicated, as DeBeers was escorted to the ring by the black skirted Diamond Doll Tonya.

DeBeers took Costello down with a drop toe hold, then a headlock take down. DeBeers dropped Costello with a short arm clothesline, then after knee to the mid section, punched Costello in the corner. Costello was turnbuckle smashed, then stomped. Costello fired back with stomach punches, but DeBeers stopped this with a stomach kick, then rammed Costello’s head into the turnbuckle.

DeBeers punched down Costello, stomped him in the stomach, then body slammed him. DeBeers grabbed the top rope in the corner, and lifted himself up for a splash drop. Costello fought back with stomach punches, and rammed DeBeer’s head into the mat. DeBeers reversed a whip to the corner, then climbed to the top rope, ramming Costello to the canvas with a knee to the back of the head.

DeBeers covers, but picks Costello up off the referee Gary DeRousha’s pin count at 2. DeBeers then executes his front face pile driver finisher for the 3 count, ending the match in under three minutes. DeBeer’s manager DDP step on Costello in the ring.  

Backstage, Larry Nelson interviews Soldat Ustinov and Teijo Khan. When Nelson asked about the whereabouts of Soldat and Teijo¢s manager Sheik Adnan El Kassey, Soldat said that Adnan was in Baghdad, Iraq. Soldat said that he and Teijo have had many meetings with tehir manager, and became irate when Nelson tried to talk with Teijo. Soldat said that Teijo will speak when instructed by either he or Adnan on what to say.  

Footage replayed of "Ragining Bull" Manny Fernandez’s attack on Chief Wahoo McDaniel. Fernandez was dropped knees from the top rope on his defeated opponent Mike Luca after the match. Fernandez called out McDaniel, who walked to ringside for an interview.

McDaniel told Fernandez to leave, and when McDaniel turned his back, Fernandez turned him around for a chop down. Fernandez then took McDaniel’s Native American headdress, and tore the feathers out of it.  

Larry Nelson interviewed Wahoo McDaniel backstage. McDaniel said that he didn’t want to go into his match against Manny Fernandez over confident. McDaniel said that he had received thousands of letters from fellow Native Americans, urging McDaniel not to let Fernandez get away with his desecration of the Native American culture.

McDaniel said that he was looking to put Fernandez out of wrestling, and if he didn’t do it that night, he was looking to do it at a Denver Colorado show.  

"Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez versus Chief Wahoo McDaniel

Fernandez exits the ring, and then returns to stall. Fernandez backs Wahoo in the corner for a chop. Wahoo puts Fernandez in the corner for a chop. Wahoo reverses Fernandez’s corner whip, then chops him down. Fernandez exits the ring, then headbutts Wahoo against the ropes, whips him for a wild clothesline, but Wahoo ducks and chops down Fernandez.

Fernandez exits, looks at the redness of his chest from the chop, and yells to referee Marty Miller to check Wahoo’s hand for a foreign object. Referee Miller checked Wahoo’s hand, and found that he was clean. Fernandez stalled getting into the ring, then from a wristlock, brought Wahoo to the mat with a hair pull. Fernandez chopped Wahoo, but Wahoo chopped back, dropping Fernandez.

Wahoo then kept Fernandez down with a wristlock. Fernandez headbutted Wahoo in the corner, corner whipped him. Fernandez charged the corner, and both wrestlers bumped heads in the collision. Fernandez missing an elbow drop, and Wahoo re-applied the lock on Fernandez’s left arm. Fernandez chops at Wahoo, whips him to the ropes, but ducks he head down too soon for a back drop attempt. Wahoo punts Fernandez, arm locks Fernandez to his knees and chops him.

Fernandez whips Wahoo to the ropes and nails him with a flying back elbow. Fernandez drops a knee, then referee Miller counts Fernandez off a choke and biting. Fernandez uppercuts with a chop, then whips Wahoo for a clothesline for a 2 count. Fernandez applies a chinlock, then engages in an exchange of chops. Wahoo charges Ferandez down off the ropes, then Fernandez takes down Wahoo with a back elbow.

Fernandez climbs to the middle rope in the corner, and hits Wahoo with a flying knee drop. Ferandez drops another knee, then headbutts a bloodied Wahoo into the corner. Wahoo tomahawk chops out of the corner, and then had Fernandez flip over the top rope from a big chop.

Wahoo follows Fernandez out, chops him, then is caught with a crescent kick to the stomach. Ferandez goes to ram Wahoo into the ring post, and Wahoo pushes off Fernandez into the steel. Referee Miller signaled the bell, ending that match after twelve minutes. Fernandez takes chops, as Wahoo takes a elbows, knees and headbutts.

Fernandez throws Wahoo into the ring, referee Gary DeRosuah joined Miller to try to restore order. Wahoo reverses the Irish whip to chop Fernandez down. Fernandez leaves the ring, and is stopped from taking a chair to the ring by security. Chief Jay Strongbow goes to the ring to aide Wahoo, and Fernandez goes back to the locker room.

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David   www.myspace.com/unrulyghouly