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What the HECK?/Intro- Missouri and Central States, Spring 1984 - Part 2
..and fans, we're back! It's time for Part Two of the Missouri Central States
compilation. Central States mixed their own footage
with stuff from around the entire NWA.
But with so much going on, let's get down to ringside.
Match 1: Marty Jannetty vs. Scott Ferris
From Central States Wrestling, and I've just realized how small their ring is.
It's probably 2/3 the size of what we're used to. Collar to elbow tie-up to
start and Ferris slams Jannetty, hiptosses him and poses. Ferris tires to slam again,
but Marty reverses to deliver his own slam and hiptoss. Marty goes to an overhead wristlock
and Ferris counters by yanking his hair to the mat. Ferris pounds on Marty, drops an
elbow and delivers an underhook suplex for a 2 count. Ferris counters a front facelock with
a fireman's carry into an armbar. Marty uses a hiptoss to break the hold. Ferris
knees Marty and tosses him outside. Marty sunset flips back in for a 2 count. Marty is whipped to the ropes
and returns with a dropkick. And another. Marty comes off the ropes with a Thesz press
to score the pin.
A Very Special In-ring interview with Ted Oates
Ted challenges Crazy Luke Graham for the Central States Title. Graham enters, looking like
a hybrid of George Steele and Kevin Sullivan. Graham beats the tar out of Oates then decides
to de-pants him. I dunno, but whenever I wanna' punk somebody out, my first thought isn't
"de-pants him". That fucker really IS crazy. Brother Jerry Oates runs in to make the save.
Match 2: NWA World Heavyweight Championship:
Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair (c)
A re-broadcast from the David Von Erich Parade of Champions. JIP'd just in time to see Flair
come off the ropes and into the Iron Claw! Flair escapes with a low-blow, snapmares
and goes up top. Flair up top? Riiight..that trick never works. Kerry is up to
grab him and schedule a personal interview with the canvas. Flair rolls out and
is all "noooooo, nooooo". Which must mean it's time for the Flair flip into the corner!
Flair comes back with a knee to the gut, then snapmares Kerry and goes for the figure four.
Kerry kicks him away twice. Flair tosses him to the rope for a
hiptoss. Kerry reverses into a backslide and the pin! NEW NWA
Champ and the biggest win of Kerry's career.
A Very Special Ringside Interview with Grappler #1
Back to Central States, obviously. Kevin Wall is at ringside with Grap 1,
who confirms the rumors of their new manager- Jimmy Hart! Grap 1, being a
savvy vet, had enough sense to bring along an intro video of Hart. Now roll that footage.
Hart is talking to himself in a mirror and mentions that the Grapplers
invited him to Central States to counteract the influence of the pro-babyface
head honcho, Bob Geigel.
Match 3: Central States Tag Team Championship:
Grapplers (c) vs. Harley Race and Ron Ritchie
JIP again...as Grap 1 nails a reverse atomic drop and slam on Ritchie for 2.
Bearhug time, bitches! But the Grapplers make it fun by doing illegal switcheroos
behind the ref's back. Grap one pounds on Ritchie's back, slams him and attempts
a Boston crab. Race tries to come in, but the ref blocks him. Again, the Graps do
a switch, with #2 taking over the crab. Grap 2 pulls him up for another bearhug,
but Ritchie escapes and makes the HOT TAG to Race. Race punches both Grapplers
and delivers dropkicks. Takes down Grap 1 with an elbowdrop for a 2 count.
Race piledriver for another 2. Grap 2 makes the save and all four guys
enter. In the commotion, Ritchie rolls up Grap 2 but the ref is nowhere around.
Race delivers a
vertical suplex on Grap 1. Grap 2 makes the save and tumbles outside the ring with Race.
Grap 1 loads up his boot and nails Ritchie (blade job!). Grap 1 covers for the victory, while
Race and Grap 2 brawl into the crowd.
Kevin Wall is in the studio with "Nature Boy" Roger Kirby.
Kirby has unkind words for Marty Jannetty, his upcoming opponent at
the Kiel Auditorium. Kirby looks a little like
Blue Oyster Cult's Eric Bloom.
Wall intro's a quick video of Stan Hansen, "one of the best wrestlers in the word".
Footage of Stan stomping a mildly damp-hole into Giant Baba over in Japan. Some
Starsky & Hutch-ish music plays to more footage of Stan delivering
lariats.
A quick World Class clip: Chris Adams apologizes for Sunshine no-showing
a recent St. Louis show. Sunshine had a nervous breakdown because of
Jimmy Garvin...so Sunshine's aunt, Stella Mae has arrived to clean house.
Stella gets on the mic and sez "Garvin, it doesn't matter if it
takes a truck or a 2x4, your ass is mine". It's actually
QUITE intimidating! Stella looks like she could eat mudflaps and crap tire irons.
Match 4: Ted & Jerry Oates vs. "Crazy" Luke Graham & T.G. Stone
Jerry and Ted work an armbar on Stone to start. They take him to the mat and
step-down on his shoulder. Jerry with a shoulderblock and an armdrag.
Ted comes in to deliver a kneelift, then goes after Graham. Graham and
Ted go at if for a bit, until Graham forces Ted into the corner.
Heels pound away on Ted, getting a few 2 counts. Ted hits a desperation
gut-wrench suplex on Stone, but Stone manages to hook a leg to prevent
a tag to Jerry. Graham drops Ted on the ropes and chokes.
Ted hits a belly-to-back on Stone and makes a lukewarm tag to Jerry.
Jerry clears the ring and a 4-way brawl errupts. Graham attacks with a foreign
object and dispenses Jerry. Graham holds Ted down while Stone
comes off the top turnbuckle with a knee. Bell sounds for a double
disqualification.
Match 5: Fabulous Ones (Stan Lane & Steve Keirn) vs. Mike Richards and the Iron Duke
AWA time, and it's JIP, of course. Fabs are working on Richards, with
Lane getting a snapmare and an armbar. Duke comes in, but Lane floats around and hooks
a hammerlock into a drop toehold. Keirn delivers backdrop to Duke.
Lane comes in to hit a superkick and score the pin. Duke looked like a large
Bobby Heenan.
 |
| 1984 Rib-Eating Champions |
Ken Resnick is standing by with Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie and
"Ayatollah" Blackwell. Blackwell and Ken Patera have recently lost
the AWA Tag Titles, but with Patera injured, the Sheik has been in contact with the President
of Sudan regarding a replacement. Oh no..Sudan... no...fans, that couldn't mean...it IS:
Abdullah the Butcher! Team Juggbutt lives!
Match 6: Curt Hennig vs. Nacho Barrera
More AWA with Rod Traumgard and Verne Gagne. Hennig starts with a hammerlock,
armdrag, a chickenwing takedown and a crossface. Nacho flips him
over for a quick pin attempt. Nacho pounds and chokes for a bit, until
Hennig gets a knee into his head-bone. Henig with a takedown and a spinning toehold.
More mat sequence, with hooking both arms for 2. They pop up and Hennig
applies a waistlock takedown. Hennig hits a German suplex and bridges to
get the pin.
Resnick is back, this time with the NEW Tag Champs:
Da' Crusher and Baron Von Raschke! They announce their plans to
drink beer and dance in Green Bay.
A Very Special Edition of World Class Championship Wrestling
A fun recap show hosted by Bill Mercer, highlighting the recent feuds between the Von Erichs and the Freebirds, along with Sunshine and Precious. If nothing else, it’s a kick to see the old World Class intro. Slightly out of continuity, as this
program was obviously taped just before Kerry pinned Flair.
Highlights of how the Von Erich/Freebird feud started. Cut to Kerry Von Erich’s NWA title shot against Ric Flair in a steel cage. Michael Hayes is the special extra inside ref, and Terry Gordy is the “gatekeeper” (would that make Hayes the “keymaster”?). Hayes gets fed up with Flair and tears into him. Hayes wants Kerry to cover for the pin, but Kerry, being the Modern Day Warrior (Mean Mean Stride) wants no part of the cheap victory and refuses to cover. Hayes shoves Kerry and tries to walk out. Kerry tries to stop him, until Flair charges with a knee from behind. Hayes is sent tumbling out the door and Gordy, thinking Kerry has attacked Hayes, BLASTS Kerry with the cage door! Kerry is knocked out and Flair covers for the pin.
Next segment is Bill Mercer interviewing the Birds in their rec. room. Of course, “Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird” is playing in the background. Hayes and Gordy take turn shooting pool and justifying their actions in the cage match. At different times, both guys claim the home is “my house”. Buddy Roberts, the other ‘Bird, walks around for added effect.
A few seconds of a tag-team “country whuppin’”at the Sportatroium is shown. Not to be confused with the Yapapi Indian Strap Match, brother. Basic brawl with leather straps between Kerry & Kevin Von Erich against Hayes and Gordy. Crowd is insane! No winner is shown.
Match 7: Cage Match:
Kerry Von Erich (w/Fritz Von Erich) v. Michael Hayes
The special stip is that the loser must leave Texas. Both guys trade sleepers and toss each other into the cage. Kerry punches Hayes with an ACE BANDAGE. Hayes
sells it like a brick (Logic in Wrestling). Hayes decides to wrestle for once and hits a bulldog, suplex, elbowdrop and fist drop for 2. Hayes hits a
suplex and a piledriver, both for 2. Kerry reverses another suplex for a mild comeback. Buddy Roberts runs down, climbs the cage and tosses a pair of brass knuckles in. Hayes grabs the knucks, but Kerry ducks both of his blows. Fritz and Gordy begin fighting at ringside. Kerry connects with a discus punch, then blasts Hayes with the knucks. Kerry covers Hayes and gets the victory.
In the meantime, Roberts is now on top of the cage and tries to jump off. He wobbles and crotches himself on the top (yow!).
Gordy nails Fritz and enters through the door. Kerry fights him back to the doorway where Fritz blasts Gordy with the door. Fans go nuts! Normally, this would be a good blow-off, but the fun continued...
Cut to the ending of a Christmas Day tag match: Mike and Kevin Von Erich against Buddy Roberts and Terry Gordy. Hayes has been suspended, but runs down to ringside dressed as Santa Claus.... obvious to EVERYONE not named Kevin or Mike. Kevin hits a sunset flip on Gordy to score the pin. “Santa” comes in to raise Mike’s hand...then attacks and delivers a SANTA-driver!! Hayes runs out through the crowd.
A special in-ring interview with Fritz, where he will announce a third “mystery” opponent to join Mike and Kevin in an upcoming Badstreet 6-man Tag Title match against the Freebirds. Fritz rambles on, until Hayes enters the ring, demanding to know who it’ll be. Hayes figures it will be either Bruiser Brody, Brian Adias or Lance Von Erich. Fritz sez: “you’re wrong. It’ll be the next man who blasts you between the eyes!” FRITZ beats the crap out of Hayes and tosses him through the ropes.
Mercer is back in the studio where he interviews Fritz, who will be coming out of retirement for the big 6-man. It’s a one night only affair, and if the Von Erichs win, the NWA has given special consideration allowing Kerry to take Fritz’s place in the team following the victory.
 |
| "The further down the block you went, the badder it got" |
Now it's an on-location promo with the Fabulous Freebirds from Badstreet, USA. Hayes sez’ that Fritz blasted him “while I wudn’t lookin”, then talks about all the imitation teams that have popped up. Specifically ones that have used the “Fabulous” name and their own ring music, alluding to Steve Keirn and Stan Lane. Buddy Roberts then introduces everyone to his belt... which has ten nickels in it (Hayes; “that’s 50 cents for those who can’t multiply!”). Nickels he hopes to pound into the Von Erichs. The two holler back into their house, where Terry Gordy sticks his head out of the window and shows off his boot. Gordy chucks the boot, while Hayes yells “Look out man, he’s comin’ through!”. Gordy breaks through the window and joins his “brothers”. Greatest. Promo. Ever.
Match 8: NWA World Heavyweight Championship (2/3 Falls):
Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair(c)
JIP to the end of the first fall. Flair is chopping Kerry into the corner, so Kerry fires
back and accidentally nails referee Alfred Neely. Kerry comes off the ropes with a flying
bodypress then applies a sleeper. New referee David Manning runs in
to countout Flair and raise Kerry's hand. Place goes nuts, but Neely reverses the decision,
awarding the fall, via DQ, to Flair.
Cut to second fall. Kerry applies the Iron Claw, takes Flair to the mat and scores the pin.
Announcer Bill Mercer mentions that Kerry would be champion, now.
Third fall:both guys brawl and it's a lame double disqualification. Clipped highlights
made the match seem worse than it was. Just a way to pump
up interest for the upcoming Parade of Champions show, so it worked.
Highlights of the Sunshine v. Precious feud
Mercer introduces a Sunshine "video", set to the tune of "She Works Hard for the
Money" (by Donna Summer?). Clips of Sunshine helping "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin win
matches with interference and the SPRAY CAN. Also a few clips of Garvin and Sunshine being
forced to work on the Von Erich farm, which included WASHING A DOG.
Interview with Garvin and Sunshine, where Garvin announces a "special gift" for
Sunshine-- he's hired an "assitant valet" to help her out.
Followed immediately
by highlights of Jimmy Garvin vs. Johnny Mantel. "Assitant Valet" tried to grab
Mantel's leg on a Garvin suplex attempt--something Sunshine often did, succesfuly.
The interference backfires, as Mantel rolls through the suplex, scores the surprise
pin on Garvin and becomes the NEW TV Champion. Afterwards, "Assitant Valet" blames
Sunshine for the slip-up. Garvin takes her side and holds up Sunshine so
"Assitant" can get in a few slaps. Refs break things up, until Sunshine runs over
and SLAPS Garvin.
Sunshine press conference. She announces she's left Jimmy Garvin and
taken EVERYTHING he's owned. Including all of his wrestling tapes, which she's
given to Chris Adams. An abused woman who dumped her man and got EVERYTHING. Well, heck,
you can see why Sunshine became immensely popular in Texas!
Bill Mercer is on-location, outside of Garvin's "estate", hoping to get an interview.
Garvin appears with the newly named Precious, badmouths Sunshine and Adams, then
slams the door.
Highlights of the World Class American Heavyweight Championship
"Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin (c w/Precious) vs. Chris Adams (w/Sunshine)
Garvin is attempting to suplex Adams from the ring apron. Precious reaches in and trips
Adams. Sunshine tears off after Precious. Garvin slams Adams then bounces off the ropes.
Sunshine is up to grab his hair, sending him to the canvas. Adams lands a mini-splash,
get the 3 count and the title. Fans go apeshit as Sunshine and Adams celebrate in the ring.
Why'd You Tape This??
I was a little bummed that most of the matches were highlights or clips, especially
when there was no mention of this from the tape's originator. But, most of the clipped
matches I remembered as punchy-kicky/snapmare, so I'm okay with missing them. The good
stuff is included! Seeing Fritz beat
up Hayes is especially fun. The Freebirds "Badstreet"
interview is awesome on so many levels..and I'm not even from Georgia or into Skynyrd.
The World Class stuff is definitely the highlight. Da' Crusher
and Von Raschke interview is a kick, as well. I'm also warming up to the Grapplers.
Sunshine's
stuff is pretty significant because she was one of the first female valets to strike
out on her own. She wasn't trying to bang Chris Adams, either. She was pissed at Garvin
and used one of her friends to get back at him. It was strictly platonic, and I don't
think the two were ever portrayed as a romantic "item". Of course, the girls eventually
had to have a mud-wrestling match....so all the non-sexist stuff was blown out the window.
When was the last time two male wrestlers had to settle their grudge in a mud-pit?
The final portion of this tape includes some WWF stuff from the Chase. Plus a
Tag Title switch, some Flair, and a wild brawl with Hansen and Von Raschke. But that's
all the time we have for now...FANS, WE'VE GOTTA' GO!!
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