June 20^th aired a 1988 episode of Verne Gagne’s AWA All-Star Wrestling from Nashville, Tennessee.

 Earl & Justin from Natures¢ Best versus AWA world tag team champions Badd Company (accompanied by Diamond Dallas Page with new Diamond Dolls Jennifer and Torrie)

This was a replay of the match that aired on ESPN Classic on June 18^th. Earl arm drags down a charging Tanaka, then a tagged Justin bounced off the ropes to leapfrog over Earl to land on Tanaka’s arm, that was extended by Earl. Tanaka hair pulls Justin down, then a tagged Diamond gets caught in Justin’s arm lock until Diamond punches Justin down. Diamond snap mared Justin, ripped at his face, then whipped him for a follow down clothesline.

A tagged Tanaka jump up and headbutted down Justin, then picked up Justin in a bear hug for a tagged Diamond’s off the ropes hangman’s clothesline (I believe to mock the Hart Attack by the WWF/WWE¢s Hart Foundation). Diamond covered but pulled Justin up at 2, then twisted a seated Justin’s head. A tagged Tanaka pushed the referee aside, charging off the ropes to nail Justin with an elbow drop, while Justin’s back was over Diamond’s knee (like WWF/WWE Demonlition’s finisher).

Tanaka picked Justin off his pin cover at the 2 count, then both Badd Company whipped Justin for a double clothesline. As Tanaka distracted the ref, Diamond held Justin against the middle rope, for DDP to strike the throat. Diamond attempted a back drop, but Justin surprised him with a sunset flip for a 2 count. Tanaka chopped down Justin, but Diamond would miss a big elbow drop, giving Justin the chance to tag back his partner.

Earl body slammed Diamond, but Diamond held himself back on the ropes to avoid the dropkick. As a tagged Tanaka held Earl in a waistlock, Diamond delivered a superkick, and Tanaka executed a German suplex with bridge for the 3 count. The ring announcer said the time of the match was 4 minutes and 38 seconds, although they actually wrestled past five minutes.

Terry Adonis & The Hangman verus Rocky Morton & Robert Gibson of the Rock N¢ Roll Express

Gibson charges down Hangman, then back elbows him down. Gibson then holds Hangman for a tagged Morton’s mid-section kick. Hangman is Irish whipped to the ropes for a gut punch into a DDT. Hangman is turnbuckle smashes, then held by Morton for a tagged Gibson mid-section kick. Hangman backs Gibson to the corner, but Gibson fights out by knocking Hangman’s head into the tagged Adonis¢ head.

Gibson sit on the top turnbuckle waiting for a Adonis to turn around, then nails him down with a middle rope flying ax double handle strike. Gibson whips Adonis into a tagged Morton’s dropkick. Morton delivers an inverted atomic drop, does a strut, then a tagged Gibson assists in a double dropkick on Adonis. Gibson covers and gets the 3 count, closing the match in under three minutes.

Michael "P.S." Hayes versus World Class Texas champion "Iceman" King Parsons

Iceman wore a gold vest and an Armando Estrada style white hat, while carrying a cane. Hayes rushed to the ring to his Fabulous Freebirds song "Badstreet U.S.A." Iceman talked to Hayes while waving his finger near Hayes¢ face. Hayes blocked a right fist, clubbed Iceman back and whipped him for a flying clothesline.

Iceman left the ring, and Hayes did a jerky strut. Hayes headlocked the returning Iceman, was pushed to the ropes and ducked Iceman’s strikes. Hayes brought Iceman down in a collision, and Hayes does a moonwalk as Iceman flees the ring again. There a man at ringside that looked like TNA announcer Mike Tenay. Hayes stomps the mat and waves the crowd’s claps on as Iceman backs to the corner. Iceman blocks Hayes¢ right strike and headbutts Hayes to the mat.

Iceman pressed down Hayes with a throat grab, then chokes Hayes over the bottom rope. An Iceman overhead left fist has Hayes back to a corner. Hayes is whipped and ducks a back strike, but is taken down with a flying clothesline. Hayes kicks out at referee Frank Morell count of 2, then from a seated position, held in a chinlock. Hayes stands, then elbows and bounces off the ropes to sunset flip Iceman. Iceman does roll back, but punches Hayes off. Iceman then struts away.

Hayes is whipped to the corner, but moves away from a charging Iceman, who jams his shoulder into the top turnbuckle. Iceman goes for a double ax handle, but is kicked, then whipped to the ropes for a back body drop. Iceman sits down in the corner signaling a time out. Hayes stomps at him, Iceman reverses an Irish whip, that has him miss with strikes and crash to the canvas on a flying clothesline attempt.

Hayes climbs to the top rope and lands a flying cross body press on the standing Iceman. When ref Morell’s count reaches 2, SST¢s Samu rushes to the ring to drop an elbow. Hayes rolls off Iceman and away from the elbow, but gets stomped by Samu and his tag team partner Fatu by their manager Buddy "Jack" Roberts¢ instructions. The bell has rung, and Hayes gets triple headbutted down by the SSTs and Iceman.

WCCW world champion Kerry Von Erich and Hayes¢ tag team partner Steve Cox run to the ring, and chase Iceman and the SSTs from the ring. As Von Erich and Cox check to see how a downed Hayes is doing, announcer Michael St. John announces that Iceman is disqualified for interference, and the match victory is awarded to Hayes. This match was under six minutes.

"The Beauty" Terry Garvin versus Steve Cox

Cox punches out of the corner, then German suplexed Garvin. Cox body slams Garvin but misses with an elbow drop. Garvin forearm clubs Cox, and slaps him in the corner. Cox clubs back, and powerslams Garvin for a count of 1. Cox delivers a hangman’s clothesline on Garvin, then slammed him down with a Russian leg sweep. This gains Cox a three count by referee Morell, and the victory for Cox. This match was under three minutes.

Soldat Ustinov & Teijo Khan versus Sgt. Slaughter & Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka

Slaughter came out alone, and it looked to be a singles match between Sarge and Soldat. Cornered by Soldat and Teijo, Slaughter left the ring and returned with a tag team partner, Keith Eric. Sarge back elbows Teijo down, then holds Teijo for Eric¢s strike. Eric and Sarge work over Teijo’s left arm with locks.

Eric tries to flip Teijo with a grapevine arm roll but the bigger Teijo easily stands his ground. A tagged Soldat drops Eric with a follow down clothesline, gaining a count fo 2. Soldat suplexes Eric, covers for the pin but picks Eric off the pin at 2.

Soldat holds Eric for a kick by the tagged Teijo. Eric is body slammed and Teijo nailed the downed Eric with a stabbing chop. Teijo holds Eric for a tagged Soldat kick. Soldat leg drops Eric, covers, but picks Eric off the pin at 2. Soldat twisted the head of the seated Eric, then tags Teijo to whip Eric to the ropes for a knockdown double high boot. Teijo lands a knee drop, a chop in the corner, and then rubs Eric’s face against the top rope.

Teijo holds Eric for a tagged Soldat forearm club. Soldat powerslams Eric, cover for the pin, but picks him up at 2. Soldat then slams Eric’s head into Teijo’s boot that is resting on the top rope. Teijo delivers a jumping headbutt, then distracted the ref as Soldat chokes Eric in the corner. Teijo powerslams Eric, covers for the pin but picks him. Teijo lands a flying clothesline, pin cover but picks Eric up at 2.

Eric ducks Teijo’s back elbow, and both men drop each other with a clothesline. Teijo reached for the tag, but fell on his face. Soldat is tagged, and his shove on Eric, helped to get the tag to Slaughter. Soldat is clubbed, then back body dropped. Soldat is then dropped with a Slaughter Cannon clothesline. Sarge then captures Soldat in the Cobra Clutch finisher, but releases the hold when he sees Colonel DeBeers. Slaughter then leaves the ring to chase DeBeers to the locker rooms.

The referee makes the count, and Slaughter doesn’t make it inside the ring in 10 seconds. The referee signals for the bell, awarding the victory to Soldat and Teijo on a count out. This match was under nine minutes. Sarge punches Soldat from the ring. There is some odd editing when they turn to an audience clip at Las Vegas’ Showboat.

Sarge goes to Eric, who is face down on the floor, and tell announcer Lee Marshall that he will give AWA president Stanley Blackburn the Cobra Clutch to get a match with Col. DeBeers. Sarge said that DeBeers injured Snuka two days before, taking Snuka out of this tag match. DeBeers returned with a stretcher, and Sarge yelled for him to "bring it on!" Sarge goes to the ring, waving to DeBeers on the apron, as the crowd chant "U.S.A.!" Sarge lays on the mat to tempt DeBeers more. DeBeers spits on Sarge then rushes away as Sarge goes towards him.

Sarge told Marshall that he wants DeBeers "in the worst kind of match, ends everything", a boot camp match. Sarge mentioned that since being in cub scouts to enlisting in the Marine Corp, he said the pledge of allegiance, and recited it. Sarge said that U.S.A. has always been number 1, adding "DeBeers you¢re dismissed, and it may be sooner than you think!"

"Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez versus Chief Wahoo McDaniel

Fernandez came to the ring to Michael Jackson’s "Bad" A cornered Wahoo pushed off Fernandez, and Fernandez uses a head butt. Wahoo reverses an Irish whip and flips Fernandez with a back body drop. Fernandez exits the ring after Wahoo tomahawk chops him down. Fernandez wristlocks Wahoo and lughs, but Wahoo changes Fernandez’s attitude quick by chopping him down.

Fernandez backs off behind the top rope, and is pulled down by the hair, when going for another wristlock. Wahoo reverses the wristlock and chops Fernandez down twice. Wahoo uses his knee to post Fernandez’s arm against, and Fernandez backs Wahoo into the corner with back of the leg kicks. Fernandez puts Wahoo’s left leg behind the middle rope in the corner, and kicks it. Fernandez uses a headbutt, then trips Wahoo back for an anklelock. Wahoo chops Fernandez, and Fernandez drives his knee into Wahoo’s leg.

Wahoo presses Fernandez back from his ankle lock, and slices down on Fernandez’s chest with the leg. Fernandez chops Wahoos, then whips him to the ropes for a back elbow. Fernandez drops a knee, then chokes Wahoo on the bottom rope. Fernandez corner whips Wahoo for a back elbow. Wahoo is bleeding over his left eye, and Fernandez nails a flying back elbow and picks off Wahoo in a pin cover at 2.

Fernandez headbutts then trades chops with Wahoo. Fernandez is knocked through the ropes by Wahoo’s chop. Fernandez tries to ram Wahoo into the ring post, but wahoo shoves Fernandez off into the steel. Back in the ring, Wahoo Irish whips Fernandez for a knockdown chop, and pins for the count of 2. Fernandez rolls out of the ring, and Wahoo followed to trade chops with Fernandez on the floor. Wahoo chops Fernandez back towards the locker room. Fernandez moves away from Wahoo, waves his arms and leaves to the locker room. The referee rings the bell, ending the match in a double count-out draw in under nine minutes.

Catch the legends of AWA Monday to Friday at 1am est on ESPN Classic.

David     www.myspace.com/unrulyghouly