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What the HECK?/Intro -- AWA Championship Wrestling June 27, 1985
Another WWE 24/7 offering, as it's the ESPN debut of "AWA Champoinship Wrestling". Taped at the
Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. Host Larry Nelson welcomes
everyone to the show, along with Wrestling Legend Verne Gagne. Gagne's been in wrestling since he was 15, had
a spectacular amatuer career, won 12 world championships, is the greatest wrestler in the world, plus he
killed the Lion of Nemea and captured Cerebus!. Nelson immediately blows the show's title as
he calls it "All-Star Wrestling".
Match 1: "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin (w/Precious) vs. Larry Winters
Your basic jobber squash, as called by Doug McCloud and Verne Gagne. This is Garvin's first match since
he's returned from suspension. Or maybe "suspension" was a fancy way of saying "he was working
somewhere else"? Since it's the AWA, the match starts on the mat as they trade waistlocks.
Winters takes over with a series of armdrags and works the wheels. On the mat, Garvin counters with a headscissors
and works a double arm-bar. Garvin picks him up for a throat-first slam on the ropes, irish-whip and
a backdrop. Garvin nails a brainbuster/jackhammer suplex to get the pin. McCloud calls the move (and
everything else), "a smash"!
After the match, Larry Nelson interviews Garvin and Precious. Precious whines about not having her
spray can (this was in the days before dollar stores), while Garvin says he's the best wrestler and
best looking guy around.
Match 2: Greg Gagne vs. Kahlua
Gagne's announced as "direct from Camp Slaughter" and is decked out in camouflage. See, Sgt. Slaughter
had a lil' summer camp for bayface wrestlers, where they could hang out, learn the arm-bar and wear camouflage.
Kahlua is some guy from Hawaii who either inspired, or was inspired by, the famous liquor. Wasitlock exchange again,
then Gagne clears the ring with two hip-tosses, a backdrop and a slam...err, a SMASH. Kahlua bails, then
comes back in for more armbar fun. Kahlua chops his way out and does the AWA Heel Move of the Day-- drops
Gagne, throat-first, onto the top rope. A chinlock happens. Gagne hops out to land a reverse thurst-kick
and a suplex for a 2 count. Gagne misses a flying dropkick, allowing Kahlua to SMASH him, then
climb the turnbuckles. Gagne throws him off, hits two flying dropkicks and applies the Gagne Sleeper
to get the win.
Nelson is bakstage interviewing Larry Zbyszko about the upcoming "In This Corner" segment. Gagne comes
into the set, as Larry sez: "Oh, well excuse me, Rambo" and leaves. Gagne compares his
sleeper to Nick Bockwinkle's. According to Greg, the Gagne Sleeper was formerly used by the
LAPD, but they killed 16 people with it and it's now outlawed.
Quick promo from Nick Bockwinkle and Ray "The Crippler" Stevens. Stevens looks about 60, while
Bockwinkle talks about his sleeper. Fairly blase stuff.
In This Corner with Larry Zbyszko
Not really Zbyszko's show, as Larry Nelson is the moderator. It's a lockerroom interview
with AWA World Champ, Rick Martel. But first, we're shown a gay training video of Martel
doing....sit-ups! Complete with 70's porn music, we also see Martel performing squats with some
guy on his shoulders. Back to the live feed, where Larry questions Martel about his lack of title defenses.
They begin to argue as the segment ends.
Match 3: AWA World Tag Team Championship: Road Warriors (c) (w/Paul Ellering) vs. Long Riders
(The Hawk & The Animal vs. "Wild" Bill Irwin & Scott "Hog" Irwin)
See, you can always tell when the Roadies are in the AWA, since they have "THE" attached to their ring-names.
A special feature match from what appears to be Minneapolis. Brawl to begin, but the match is clipped
after about 30 seconds. Picks up with Bill slamming and knee-dropping The Animal. Irwins work him
over for a good five minutes, then settle things down with a side headlock. The Animal slams
Scott Irwin, hen a 4-way brawl errupts. In the confusion, The Hawk hits a hangman/top-rope
choke on Scott. The Animal follows it up with a big elbwodrop to retain the belts. Match might have
been better in its entirety, but here it was probably thrown in just to say "look, we have the Road
Warriors in the AWA, too!!"
Match 4: Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts vs. Curt Hennig, Tom Zenk & Buck "Rock n' Roll' Zumhofe
Yay! The Fabulous Freebirds at full strength. Hayes opens with a moonwalk, then gets hammerlocked by Hennig. Doug McCloud
mentions that Hennig has recently returned from Hollywood, where he helped out on the movie "The Bad Guys". Hmm...
never head of that movie, but apparently, it was released (IMDB).
Gordy tags in and gets hit with a flying high-crossbody from Hennig. Gordy is whipped to the corner, but he climbs,
twists and hits his own crossbody for 2. Zenk comes to try a headlock, but gets shoved into the Birds' corner.
They try to whale on him, but Zenk crawls out and makes it to neutral territory. Roberts and Hayes work on Zenk for
a bit, until the HOT TAG to Buck Zumhofe. Zumhofe slugs all 3 Birds, then the bayfaces work on Roberts' legs.
Gordy gets a suplex on Zenk for 2, then brings in Hayes for some doubelteam kickin'. In the midst of this, Verne
mentions the Von Erichs and compares Gordy to a young Dusty Rhodes. Hayes picks up Zenk for a side suplex for another
quick count. GOod gus come back for a bit and triple-team Hayes. All 6 then enter and brawl. While the ref
ushers Hennig and Zenk out, the Birds hit their finisher on Zumhofe-- Roberts and Hayes backdrop Zumhofe into
Gordy for a piledriver and the pin. Freebirds were in top form and this is probably the best match on
the show.
The Freebirds cut a basic promo with Nelson. They mention that they're usually cheered in the South, but
boo'ed up North. Sort'a true, since Hayes was on Jim Crockett's TBS show about a month earlier as
a huge babyface. They quickly mention the Road Warriors, but it's mainly "we're the best tag team in
the world and we're from BadStreet" stuff.
Match 5: AWA America's Championship:
Sgt. Slaughter (c) vs. Boris Zhukov
The America's title was basically a temporary prop, created especially for
the Sarge. I think all of two people (both of whom are in this match) ever
held it. This encounter is probably one of the first salvos in a feud that went on for well over a year.
Major stall job by Zhukov for the first four minutes or so. A funny "Terri-stories", superimposed onto the screen by WWE 24/7,
tells us that Boris Zhukov used to "Pvt. Jim Nelson" in Slaughter's army. Zhukov whips Sarge for
a SMASH (shoulderblock). Again, and Sarge leapfrogs, drop-kicks and slams him. There's your high spot
for this match. Zhukov punchy/kicky's his way back and tosses Sarge into the corner. Sarge does his traditional
oversell and flops onto the post. A Big Slapfest errupts. Sarge nails Zhukvo with
a SMASH (Slaughter Cannon Clothesline), then misses a charge and flies out of the ring. Both guys brawl
to a doube counout. All-Time Weird Looking Referee, Tom Cornini (the chipmunk/Jerry Lewis loking guy) tries to break it up.
Cornini's not enough, so a Horde of Jobbers rush the ring. Amazingly, this is one of the few matches
where the announcers did NOT talk about Zhukov's enormous cranium.
Back from commercial, where Slaughter has Unkind Words for Zhukov. He compares Zhukov to his old foe,
"a guy who used to say Iran was #1..and we know what I did to him". Y'know..I always thought it was funny
that Slaughter used the Cobra Clutch as his finisher, then referred to his fans and allies
as the Cobra Corps. A year later, he appeared as a character in the GI Joe comics and cartoons.
Where he fought....the evil terrorists of Cobra.
Larry Nelson and Verne Gagne wrap things up. But tune in next week for a SPECIAL TREAT.....an
old Verne Gagne match!
Why'd You Tape This??
The AWA was the first pro wrestling I ever saw. On a Sunday morning in 1982, right after I had seen
Iron Maiden's "Run to the Hills" on Channel 12's TeleTunes. If I had never watched TV that day,
my life might have been drastically different. I might actually be doing something worthwhile.
So for that nostalgic reason, the AWA was always special for me. Plus, my Big Brother,
who was was on the wrestling team, seemed to like their use of actual wrestling holds
as compared to the goofy WWF style.
This show's not too bad. The first two matches are stretched out jobber squashes, but the last three
are worth viewing. Even Slaughter-Zhukov, for Sarge's leapfrog!
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