Friday, March 31, 2017
WWF Boston Garden House Show 3/8/86 review
WWF Boston Garden House show 3/8/86 Match #1 Rene Goulet vs Sivi Afi They did all their standard stuff during the bout. Again almost move for move as a the match they had at MSG three weeks earlier. Goulet's top rope comedy spot early. He got control with a knee to the midsection. He put on his "Scorpio" claw hold. Afi made his comeback and hit his top rope flying bodypress for the win. I hope this is the last time I have to see this match.
Match #2 Jose Luis Rivera vs Jake Roberts(This is Jake's WWF Tv debut(for this review blog anyway). This was a very good match for its place on the card. As Rivera started to work on Jake's arm and wrist right off the bat. Jake missed with two elbow drops in succession and Rivera went right back to work on it. Roberts got the upperhand using a stomach breaker. He went to work utilizing a reverse chinlock as his primary rest hold. "Snake" did hit a beauty of a running knee lift as well. Rivera made his comeback and nailed Roberts with a good clothesline(Jake sold this tremendously by getting up and stumbling back through the ropes to the apron). Rivera got him back in and hit a backdrop. Roberts went slithering out under the bottom rope. Rivera went after him, Roberts rolls back in the ring and catches Jose Luis Rivera with a second kneelift as he is coming thru the ropes. Jake then gives the signal for the DDT and slaps it on! (The crowd OOOOOOD for this) After the match Roberts went to retrieve Damien from the bag, but for whatever reason the referee stopped him! A good win for Roberts here!
Match #3 The Crush Gals(Chigusa Nagayo, Lioness Asuka) vs Judy Martin and Donna Christianello The crowd had no clue what to make of the Japanese team(perhaps the most popular ladies duo in the history of that country). The match was mostly the heel Americans having the advantage with the undersized babyfaces showing flashes of hope such as kip ups toe holds and drop kicks. The match had no real flow or crowd heat to speak off. It was good but just felt "off" somehow. The end came when the gals hit a double dropkick on Martin. Then the Lioness hit Christiantello with the longest giant swing I have seen in years and got the pin!
Match #4 Jim Neidhart vs Scott McGee Basic match but serviceable McGee got two very near falls early with a schoolboy rollup and a sunsetflip. Anvil took over when he and McGee were on the floor and he dropped Scotty over the wooden barricade throat 1st. McGee made his comeback by hitting a vertical suplex after blocking Neidhart's attempts at the suplex. Neidhart won when he reversed a whip into the turnbuckle and as McGee came out Anvil scooped him up held him like a small child and pivoted into a jarring powerslam to get his hand raised.
Match #5 Ricky Steamboat vs Bret Hart(the original Mania 2 plan by the way, according to Whatculture Wrestling little know facts about WrestleMania series. They do great work if you have never seen their youtube content well worth your time!) Hart jumped Steamboat from behind as the bell rung. He punched and pummeled him until Ricky reversed a whip into the turnbuckle, and Hart took it face first(a trademark move from him in coming years. Steamboat went to work on the arm hard with knees and armbars and chops. There was a simple but neat spot here as Hart went for an atomic drop Steamboat flipped out of it. He landed on his feet and hit Brett with a back kick to the face. Hart countered a backdrop with a neckbreaker to take over. Dragon knocked Hart down and went for a big splash but Hart got his knees up(Steamboat takes that bump beautifully every time!) Hart hit a bodyslam on the floor then a running powerslam in the ring to get a near fall. Steamboat started his comeback by Moving out of the way of a "hitman" elbow off the middle turnbuckle. The finishing sequence was a thing of beauty as the Ref got bumped after a double reverse and the official was smashed into the turnbuckle. Steamboat went to check on the referee when he turned back around Hart hit a great hook and ladder clothesline. He had the pin for at least ten seconds, but there was no referee to make the count. Steamboat grabs hart whips him in the ropes Hart ducks the chop and comes back with a crossbody, but Steamboat rolls thru and gets the three count as the referee comes back around! This is great booking as Steamboat won clean, but Hart has a legit gripe and can claim victory. This was stellar work by everybody!
Match #6 Randy Savage vs Tito Santana IC title match Savage does the stall job of the century to start off as he takes his sweet time getting his robe off walking around outside yelling at the Referee(Danny Davis this match forshadow's his heel ref into wrestler turn over the next year.) When Savage finally gets in the ring after the bell rings he keeps running to the floor when Santana goes to lock up. Santana grows tired of this and attacks Savage outside throwing him over the wooden barricade. Savage turns the tables by grabbing Santana by the front of his trunks and hurling him to the floor. Santana regains the momentum by nailing Savage in the gut as he comes off the turnbuckles with a double axehandle. Santana then goes nuts everytime Savage tries to escape Tito's figurefour leg lock. Santana tries to grab his tights to prevent the escape.(Davis is trying to make Tito backup because Savage is partially out of the ring.) This happens several times until Tito pushes referee Davis down who calls for the bell and the DQ. Both Santana and Davis are hot yelling at the other. A very subtle nod to the coming heel turn.
Match #7 Dump Masamoto and Bull Nakano vs Velvet Mclntyre and Dawn Marie If the crowd was confused by the Crush Gals them they might have been mortified by "the Devils of Japan"! At least the crowd knew right off the bat to boo them. The heels controlled 95% of the match with Power spots and rule breaking eye gouging and biting! Dump Masamoto was the undeniable star of the match from her ring attire, she came to the ring in full samurai gear! While on the apron she would standup on the turnbuckle screaming at the crowd while giving every rude gesture in the book. When she was in the ring on offense she would knock her opponent down and stomp around the ring like Godzilla looking for tourists. She was something! Not a great match but i'd bet nobody there ever forgot it! All that being said Velvet pinned Nakano with a victory roll out of nowhere!
Match #8 "Iron" Mike Sharpe vs Corporal Kirchner Iron Mike is one of the most underrated workers ever! He carried the Corp to a passible match. Match began with Kirchner hitting three dropkicks in succession sending Sharpe to the floor where he knocked over the wooden barricade and laid there dead for several seconds. They did the test of strength spot where Sharpe got his fingers stomped on. Sharpe got the edge and threw the Corp into the barricade. Kirchner got the comeback via several close near falls. Sharpe held onto the ropes for a dropkick attempt by the Corp. He then began to load his black armband. When he threw Kirchner in the ropes for the clothesline, Corp blocked it kicked Sharpe in the stomach and hit Sharpe in the head with his own arm and got the pin!
Match #9 Ted Arcedi vs Barry O (I'm in hell I have to be. This has to be a punishment for falsifying that book report in 6th grade) Thank God that was very short. Arcedi won with a bearhug! (Now to put on my MIB sunglasses........ That Mike Sharpe had some talent huh???...........
Match #10 Main event the Funks vs JYD/Hulk Hogan This was in large part a comedy match. With Terry fighting the barricade and getting knocked silly on headbutts. He got his feet tangled in the cables outside and fell down. They finally got the heat on Hogan by hitting him across the back with a chair and in the ribs with the branding iron. Dog got the tag and missed a headbutt right away. So they beat on him for a few minutes until Hogan got the tag. Dog came in to break up a double team by the Funks. The turned the tables on JYD and began to hang him on the apron with a long rope. The referee (Danny Davis again) is distracted by Jimmy Hart. Terry has the rope and gets in the ring with the other half still around JYD's neck. Hogan comes in and clotheslines Terry and covers him for three. This was a big damn mess,but my god the crowd loved it and went home happy! In that way a positive Main Event!
Match #2 Jose Luis Rivera vs Jake Roberts(This is Jake's WWF Tv debut(for this review blog anyway). This was a very good match for its place on the card. As Rivera started to work on Jake's arm and wrist right off the bat. Jake missed with two elbow drops in succession and Rivera went right back to work on it. Roberts got the upperhand using a stomach breaker. He went to work utilizing a reverse chinlock as his primary rest hold. "Snake" did hit a beauty of a running knee lift as well. Rivera made his comeback and nailed Roberts with a good clothesline(Jake sold this tremendously by getting up and stumbling back through the ropes to the apron). Rivera got him back in and hit a backdrop. Roberts went slithering out under the bottom rope. Rivera went after him, Roberts rolls back in the ring and catches Jose Luis Rivera with a second kneelift as he is coming thru the ropes. Jake then gives the signal for the DDT and slaps it on! (The crowd OOOOOOD for this) After the match Roberts went to retrieve Damien from the bag, but for whatever reason the referee stopped him! A good win for Roberts here!
Match #3 The Crush Gals(Chigusa Nagayo, Lioness Asuka) vs Judy Martin and Donna Christianello The crowd had no clue what to make of the Japanese team(perhaps the most popular ladies duo in the history of that country). The match was mostly the heel Americans having the advantage with the undersized babyfaces showing flashes of hope such as kip ups toe holds and drop kicks. The match had no real flow or crowd heat to speak off. It was good but just felt "off" somehow. The end came when the gals hit a double dropkick on Martin. Then the Lioness hit Christiantello with the longest giant swing I have seen in years and got the pin!
Match #4 Jim Neidhart vs Scott McGee Basic match but serviceable McGee got two very near falls early with a schoolboy rollup and a sunsetflip. Anvil took over when he and McGee were on the floor and he dropped Scotty over the wooden barricade throat 1st. McGee made his comeback by hitting a vertical suplex after blocking Neidhart's attempts at the suplex. Neidhart won when he reversed a whip into the turnbuckle and as McGee came out Anvil scooped him up held him like a small child and pivoted into a jarring powerslam to get his hand raised.
Match #5 Ricky Steamboat vs Bret Hart(the original Mania 2 plan by the way, according to Whatculture Wrestling little know facts about WrestleMania series. They do great work if you have never seen their youtube content well worth your time!) Hart jumped Steamboat from behind as the bell rung. He punched and pummeled him until Ricky reversed a whip into the turnbuckle, and Hart took it face first(a trademark move from him in coming years. Steamboat went to work on the arm hard with knees and armbars and chops. There was a simple but neat spot here as Hart went for an atomic drop Steamboat flipped out of it. He landed on his feet and hit Brett with a back kick to the face. Hart countered a backdrop with a neckbreaker to take over. Dragon knocked Hart down and went for a big splash but Hart got his knees up(Steamboat takes that bump beautifully every time!) Hart hit a bodyslam on the floor then a running powerslam in the ring to get a near fall. Steamboat started his comeback by Moving out of the way of a "hitman" elbow off the middle turnbuckle. The finishing sequence was a thing of beauty as the Ref got bumped after a double reverse and the official was smashed into the turnbuckle. Steamboat went to check on the referee when he turned back around Hart hit a great hook and ladder clothesline. He had the pin for at least ten seconds, but there was no referee to make the count. Steamboat grabs hart whips him in the ropes Hart ducks the chop and comes back with a crossbody, but Steamboat rolls thru and gets the three count as the referee comes back around! This is great booking as Steamboat won clean, but Hart has a legit gripe and can claim victory. This was stellar work by everybody!
Match #6 Randy Savage vs Tito Santana IC title match Savage does the stall job of the century to start off as he takes his sweet time getting his robe off walking around outside yelling at the Referee(Danny Davis this match forshadow's his heel ref into wrestler turn over the next year.) When Savage finally gets in the ring after the bell rings he keeps running to the floor when Santana goes to lock up. Santana grows tired of this and attacks Savage outside throwing him over the wooden barricade. Savage turns the tables by grabbing Santana by the front of his trunks and hurling him to the floor. Santana regains the momentum by nailing Savage in the gut as he comes off the turnbuckles with a double axehandle. Santana then goes nuts everytime Savage tries to escape Tito's figurefour leg lock. Santana tries to grab his tights to prevent the escape.(Davis is trying to make Tito backup because Savage is partially out of the ring.) This happens several times until Tito pushes referee Davis down who calls for the bell and the DQ. Both Santana and Davis are hot yelling at the other. A very subtle nod to the coming heel turn.
Match #7 Dump Masamoto and Bull Nakano vs Velvet Mclntyre and Dawn Marie If the crowd was confused by the Crush Gals them they might have been mortified by "the Devils of Japan"! At least the crowd knew right off the bat to boo them. The heels controlled 95% of the match with Power spots and rule breaking eye gouging and biting! Dump Masamoto was the undeniable star of the match from her ring attire, she came to the ring in full samurai gear! While on the apron she would standup on the turnbuckle screaming at the crowd while giving every rude gesture in the book. When she was in the ring on offense she would knock her opponent down and stomp around the ring like Godzilla looking for tourists. She was something! Not a great match but i'd bet nobody there ever forgot it! All that being said Velvet pinned Nakano with a victory roll out of nowhere!
Match #8 "Iron" Mike Sharpe vs Corporal Kirchner Iron Mike is one of the most underrated workers ever! He carried the Corp to a passible match. Match began with Kirchner hitting three dropkicks in succession sending Sharpe to the floor where he knocked over the wooden barricade and laid there dead for several seconds. They did the test of strength spot where Sharpe got his fingers stomped on. Sharpe got the edge and threw the Corp into the barricade. Kirchner got the comeback via several close near falls. Sharpe held onto the ropes for a dropkick attempt by the Corp. He then began to load his black armband. When he threw Kirchner in the ropes for the clothesline, Corp blocked it kicked Sharpe in the stomach and hit Sharpe in the head with his own arm and got the pin!
Match #9 Ted Arcedi vs Barry O (I'm in hell I have to be. This has to be a punishment for falsifying that book report in 6th grade) Thank God that was very short. Arcedi won with a bearhug! (Now to put on my MIB sunglasses........ That Mike Sharpe had some talent huh???...........
Match #10 Main event the Funks vs JYD/Hulk Hogan This was in large part a comedy match. With Terry fighting the barricade and getting knocked silly on headbutts. He got his feet tangled in the cables outside and fell down. They finally got the heat on Hogan by hitting him across the back with a chair and in the ribs with the branding iron. Dog got the tag and missed a headbutt right away. So they beat on him for a few minutes until Hogan got the tag. Dog came in to break up a double team by the Funks. The turned the tables on JYD and began to hang him on the apron with a long rope. The referee (Danny Davis again) is distracted by Jimmy Hart. Terry has the rope and gets in the ring with the other half still around JYD's neck. Hogan comes in and clotheslines Terry and covers him for three. This was a big damn mess,but my god the crowd loved it and went home happy! In that way a positive Main Event!
Thursday, March 30, 2017
TV Reviews Memphis and NWA 605 Saturday night show 3/8/86
Memphis TV 3/8/86 Simply put one of the best/most memorable/biggest money angles in the long history of Memphis on this show. I remembered everything about it and I was 7 when it took place. Jeff Jarrett made his TV debut as a referee just out of high school. He was the referee for a Bill Dundee/Buddy Landell squash match. The heel duo was taking liberties the whole match. Not breaking chokes on 5 counts pulling hair/tights. Slamming the poor job guys on the floor hard. Taking clear advantage of the rookie referee. After the match the beating continued has Landell went for his figurefour young Jarrett tried to stop him and Buddy slaps him and knocks him flat. Jerry Jarrett(Jeff's father and the booker) flies out and attacks Dundee. Bill and Buddy double team the Elder Jarrett. They get him down and start digging at his only good eye!(If you recall the Promo Jerry Jarrett had done several weeks prior where he announced his active in ring retirement sighting his partial blindness.) This angle was ultra realistic the announcers started screaming when they were going after Jarrett's eye. They both got up and ran to the ring yelling and begging Bill and Buddy to stop. At this point Jeff comes back around sees what is being done to his dad and tackles Dundee. I think Lance gets the elder Jarrett out of the ring. So it's now 2-on-1, the heels punch and kick Jeff until Dutch Mantell comes out and chases them off. Eddie Marlin(Jeff's grandfather, Jerry's father-in-law and the on air promoter also comes out to help as Mantell scoops up a lifeless Jeff Jarrett and carries him to the back! That's only half the story folks. When they come back from break The announcers are still highly shaken-up and pissed off. The Fantastics come out for their squash. During that match Jerry Jarrett comes out bleeding and crying saying "I don't know what to do!!!" Lance takes him to the back saying "Jerry you did the best you could you don't need to be out here yet!" (Legit tears folks)! Soon after Eddie Marlin comes out and says he has never seen Jerry like this and that Jarrett may not know what to do but he does. He is gonna call Jerry Lawler(who had lost a loser-leave-town match to Dundee the last week of 85, and was supposed to be gone 6 months(Lasted 6 weeks! Marlin Mantell and Russell talk to Lawler on speaker phone(hunched down with their backs to the camera. Lawler Says Dundee/Landell crossed a line today. He Says he and the Jarretts have been close for years and Dundee and Landell can sue if they want,but the "King" and "Dirty Dutch are gonna beat their brains out! This was compelling believable fantastic Pro Wrestling storytelling here. In other action Dutch Mantell did a taped interview with Eddie Marlin talking about his history with Dundee and his distain for Landell) The piece closes with Mantell playing "the Wildwood Flower on guitar! Mantell, Dirty Rhodes, the Fantastics and the Debuting Mod Squad all have squash wins! What a show!
NWA 605 Saturday night show 3/8/86 I have no idea why but the 1st half hour is a "best of"from Feb 7th 86 skip it I did! They showed a clip of Tully Blanchard winning the National Heavyweight Title from Dusty Rhodes. The match took place on an episode of Worldwide Wrestling I will cover in the next week. (I have no idea why that show is after this one,but I'd rather cover the match in full context so I will wait.) The only other major thing on this show was the Rock N Roll Express attacking the Midnight Express when the heels were beating the squash match victims after the bell. Ricky and Robert knocked both midnights outside. Their manager James E Cornette charged at Ricky Morton with his tennis Racket who ducked and hit a back drop on the "Louisville Lip" before he and Robert hit a double dropkick sending Cornette crashing over the top rope! The Midnighters collected their manager and scurried to the dressing room. Besides that squashes and great promo's (normal NWA in other words!)
NWA 605 Saturday night show 3/8/86 I have no idea why but the 1st half hour is a "best of"from Feb 7th 86 skip it I did! They showed a clip of Tully Blanchard winning the National Heavyweight Title from Dusty Rhodes. The match took place on an episode of Worldwide Wrestling I will cover in the next week. (I have no idea why that show is after this one,but I'd rather cover the match in full context so I will wait.) The only other major thing on this show was the Rock N Roll Express attacking the Midnight Express when the heels were beating the squash match victims after the bell. Ricky and Robert knocked both midnights outside. Their manager James E Cornette charged at Ricky Morton with his tennis Racket who ducked and hit a back drop on the "Louisville Lip" before he and Robert hit a double dropkick sending Cornette crashing over the top rope! The Midnighters collected their manager and scurried to the dressing room. Besides that squashes and great promo's (normal NWA in other words!)
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
TV Revuews AWA Championship Wrestling 3/4/86 WWF Philly Spectrum house show (partial)3/7/86
AWA Championship Wrestling 3/4/86 Main event was Jerry Blackwell vs Boris Zhukoff(yay???) Blackwell won with his big splash after ole Boris missed the worst looking headbutt off the ropes I've ever seen! Biggest news coming out of the match was somewhere in the middle of the bout Blackwell got his damn nose broken! it was purple bleeding and misshapen! Blackwell was a great promo he did one post match of the flag waving variety! Basically "AMERICA WE'LL BEAT ALL YOU FOREIGEN A-HOLES! Elsewhere on the show Scott Hall defeated Doug Summers in a competitive bout with a powerslam. Shawn Michaels won a long squash bout(every AWA squash takes a long time.) Plus Larry Z had his interview segment with a piece of wood that looked like Marty Jannetty!
Philly Spectrum WWF house show(partial) 3/7/86 Match #1 Bob Orton"Cowboy" if you like vs Ricky Steamboat! This should be great. Match started super fast as Orton attacked Steamboat while he was turned around talking to fans at ringside. Steamboat quickly reversed the advantage by getting Orton hung upside down in the corner by countering a whip into said corner. Eventually knocking Orton over the top rope to the floor. The Dragon did not keep the momentum long as Orton reversed a whip into the turnbuckle and nailed Steamboat coming out with a nice clothesline. Orton hooked Steamboat in a neck cravat and turned it into(I swear this happened) a RKO/Diamond Cutter! Orton sunk in a reverse chin lock. Then they went to two great near fall spots. The 1st was very simple Steamboat went for a desperation bodyslam but couldn't hold it and Orton landed on top for a close two count. Second one was classic Steamboat as he was whipped into the ropes he slid thru Orton's legs twice came up and in one fluid motion threw Orton in and hit a bodypress, Orton rolled thru pulling the tights and got another near fall!(the crowd thought this was 100% the finish)! Orton then scooped him up and hit a beauty of a running over-the-shoulder powerslam! Orton then goes up top and flies down into a chop from the canvas by Steamboat. Soon after Ricky goes for a splash but Orton gets up his knees. Orton puts Steamboat in the corner for a running shoulder block This time Steamboat gets his knee up and Orton slams into it! The do several quick near falls including Orton barley kicking out of Steamboat's Flying Bodypress from the top rope. Orton manages to hit a Presslam into a backbreaker. The referee makes the three count, before the last count comes down Steamboat drapes hit foot over the bottom rope. The official sees this and waves off the pin, but Orton does not and Steamboat cradles him up from behind for the victory.(playing into and calling back to the sneak attack to start the bout.) Orton to get his heat back, hits the Dragon with jackhammer right hands to the face and executes a piledriver. Steamboat has to be helped up by the ref, who Orton also punched in the head! This was fantastic 2 all-time mat techs here!
Match #2 George Steele vs Adrian Adonis(why God Why Again???)! Not gonna waste much space on this match,if you have seen it once that's one time to many! Adrian won when he distracted animal by ripping up a picture of Elizabeth, George tried to pick up the pieces and Adonis hit him with a knee to the neck and hit a top rope splash to get his hand raised. The crowd loved this dumb shit! Just so you know even at eight years old I thought/knew this was dumb shit!
Match #3 Roddy Piper vs Paul Orndorff This was a quick fast moving crazy brawl! This went to the floor almost right away. Piper got his face bounced off a ringside table. Orndorff got back in the ring and was fighting with Roddy on his hands and knees. Piper still outside grabbed a drink off the table and threw it into Orndorff's face. Paul sold this like he had been hit with a fireball!(Why you ask?....because it's wrestling and we say so!) This continues for a few minutes. Until Paul hooks in a boston crab. At that point " ACE Cowboy" Bob Orton(Piper's bodyguard runs in and gloms Paul with a chair to the back causing a DQ! Orndorff fights both men off until Orton sneaks back in with a chair. The heels prepare to hit Paul in the throat, off the top rope with the chair when Tony Atlas and Corp Kirchner(really???)make the save. The heels hightail it out of the area.
Match #4 Main event Randy Savage IC Title defense against former champ Tito Santana! This match only went about 12-15 minutes, but it was good for the time they had! Match began before the bell rang. Santana hit his flying forearm finish(type that 5 times fast! HA!) the referee wouldn't count the pin because the match was not officially underway. Savage got the advantage by using Santana's trunks to whip him outside. After several minutes of taking a brisk beating Savage grabbed a side-headlock Tito countered in a millisecond with the shinbreaker and then went from there to his figurefour. Savage struggled and used the referees pant leg to hold on to and drag himself to the bottom rope. Hold was broken Savage slipped outside to the floor. Santana was close behind a brawl began as did the count! A double coutout sadly was the outcome, but the match was action packed and entertaining to be sure!
Philly Spectrum WWF house show(partial) 3/7/86 Match #1 Bob Orton"Cowboy" if you like vs Ricky Steamboat! This should be great. Match started super fast as Orton attacked Steamboat while he was turned around talking to fans at ringside. Steamboat quickly reversed the advantage by getting Orton hung upside down in the corner by countering a whip into said corner. Eventually knocking Orton over the top rope to the floor. The Dragon did not keep the momentum long as Orton reversed a whip into the turnbuckle and nailed Steamboat coming out with a nice clothesline. Orton hooked Steamboat in a neck cravat and turned it into(I swear this happened) a RKO/Diamond Cutter! Orton sunk in a reverse chin lock. Then they went to two great near fall spots. The 1st was very simple Steamboat went for a desperation bodyslam but couldn't hold it and Orton landed on top for a close two count. Second one was classic Steamboat as he was whipped into the ropes he slid thru Orton's legs twice came up and in one fluid motion threw Orton in and hit a bodypress, Orton rolled thru pulling the tights and got another near fall!(the crowd thought this was 100% the finish)! Orton then scooped him up and hit a beauty of a running over-the-shoulder powerslam! Orton then goes up top and flies down into a chop from the canvas by Steamboat. Soon after Ricky goes for a splash but Orton gets up his knees. Orton puts Steamboat in the corner for a running shoulder block This time Steamboat gets his knee up and Orton slams into it! The do several quick near falls including Orton barley kicking out of Steamboat's Flying Bodypress from the top rope. Orton manages to hit a Presslam into a backbreaker. The referee makes the three count, before the last count comes down Steamboat drapes hit foot over the bottom rope. The official sees this and waves off the pin, but Orton does not and Steamboat cradles him up from behind for the victory.(playing into and calling back to the sneak attack to start the bout.) Orton to get his heat back, hits the Dragon with jackhammer right hands to the face and executes a piledriver. Steamboat has to be helped up by the ref, who Orton also punched in the head! This was fantastic 2 all-time mat techs here!
Match #2 George Steele vs Adrian Adonis(why God Why Again???)! Not gonna waste much space on this match,if you have seen it once that's one time to many! Adrian won when he distracted animal by ripping up a picture of Elizabeth, George tried to pick up the pieces and Adonis hit him with a knee to the neck and hit a top rope splash to get his hand raised. The crowd loved this dumb shit! Just so you know even at eight years old I thought/knew this was dumb shit!
Match #3 Roddy Piper vs Paul Orndorff This was a quick fast moving crazy brawl! This went to the floor almost right away. Piper got his face bounced off a ringside table. Orndorff got back in the ring and was fighting with Roddy on his hands and knees. Piper still outside grabbed a drink off the table and threw it into Orndorff's face. Paul sold this like he had been hit with a fireball!(Why you ask?....because it's wrestling and we say so!) This continues for a few minutes. Until Paul hooks in a boston crab. At that point " ACE Cowboy" Bob Orton(Piper's bodyguard runs in and gloms Paul with a chair to the back causing a DQ! Orndorff fights both men off until Orton sneaks back in with a chair. The heels prepare to hit Paul in the throat, off the top rope with the chair when Tony Atlas and Corp Kirchner(really???)make the save. The heels hightail it out of the area.
Match #4 Main event Randy Savage IC Title defense against former champ Tito Santana! This match only went about 12-15 minutes, but it was good for the time they had! Match began before the bell rang. Santana hit his flying forearm finish(type that 5 times fast! HA!) the referee wouldn't count the pin because the match was not officially underway. Savage got the advantage by using Santana's trunks to whip him outside. After several minutes of taking a brisk beating Savage grabbed a side-headlock Tito countered in a millisecond with the shinbreaker and then went from there to his figurefour. Savage struggled and used the referees pant leg to hold on to and drag himself to the bottom rope. Hold was broken Savage slipped outside to the floor. Santana was close behind a brawl began as did the count! A double coutout sadly was the outcome, but the match was action packed and entertaining to be sure!
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
All Japan Pro Wrestling 3/4 and 3/10 1986
AJPW 3/4/86 Tiger Mask vs The Great Kabuki Tiger took fast control as he hit a dropkick at the opening bell. Rammed Kabuki's head into the turnbuckle, hit a nice vertical suplex went for a cover got a two count then clamped on a reverse chinlock. This was taken from the weekly tv show, so they went to break. When they come back Kabuki has taken over hitting his trademark uppercut punches. He then puts tiger on the mat and hooks in a short-arm scissors. Tiger rolls thru the hold they get tangled in the ropes and the referee forces a break. Tiger starts to kick Kabuki but the mist maker hits a kick to the side of Tiger's head then one to the chest knocking him down. Then Kabuki puts on a armbar. After several minutes tiger manages to counter the armbar with a fireman's carry into an airplane spin. Then he nails a beauty of a hook N' ladder lariat. He hits a spinning leg lariat, fails to get the pin and goes back to the reverse chinlock. Tiger hits a dropkick that sends Kabuki flying thru the ropes to the floor! Kabuki comes back in and when Tiger whips him into the Turnbuckle Kabuki sprints out and hits a hard lariat on the oncoming Tiger Mask. Kabuki's attempt at a back suplex gets countered by Tiger who hits one of his own. Both men are down center ring! (this is the best singles bout I've seen these two compete in)! Tiger gets to his feet 1st and hits a great Missile dropkick off the top. He smashes Kabuki with another dropkick sending him outside once again. Tiger hits a backsuplex to bring Kabuki back in the hard way. He sprints up and hits a baseball slide to force Kabuki back to the floor. However when Tiger Mask tries for the plancha over the ropes Kabuki hits him in the face with the mist and there's your DQ!!! This match was so well worked i'm not even that upset about the finish!
Match #2 NWA International Tag Title bout Champions Yoshiaki Yatsu/Riki Choshu vs Tenryu/Jumbo Tsuruta. (Fair Warning there is a huge rant coming! I worked on my review of this bout for almost an hour! I love doing this blog! I look forward to it every day! So I started and stopped this match numerous times to get every nuance and sequence perfectly and after all that this great match ends in a double countout "FUCK Finish! This bout was stellar with near falls and crowd heat! My fault for not watching the match 1st I guess! But I didn't want the great wrestling fans who share my passion for wrestling to get invested as I did in a match with that for a finish! I truly am thankful for every single one of you that take time to read this and I value your readership! I must be honest I deleted all that I had written and decided to vent! Will not happen again lesson learned! back to the match tremendous but the ending made me lose it!!!
AJPW 3/10/86 NWA International title bout Terry Gordy vs Champion Jumbo Tsuruta As we join the bout early on I assume, Gordy Takes Tsuruta over in a side headlock and grinds it out for several minutes. Until Tsuruta backs him into the ropes forcing a break. They exchange chops and punches on the break and both circle each other mid-ring fists raised. They do the strike exchange once again(they were laying them in folks make no mistake). Jumbo grabs a side headlock of his own, but very quickly drops that. Instead dropping two elbows to the back of Gordy's neck. Then he begins to chop, elbow, and Euro uppercut Gordy from one side of the ring to the other. Tsuruta whips Terry into the corner and tries to hit his high knee. Gordy moves Jumbo goes into the buckle knee first. Gordy very quickly slaps on a figurefour. After some struggle Tsuruta manages to undo Gordy's legs from the hold and stand up reigning down stomps on Gordy. Jumbo hooks in a reverse chin lock(throwing in a couple site forearms for good measure until Gordy stand up Jumbo transitions to a headlock and Terry counters that with a hard back suplex! Gordy hits a legdrop then after sending Tsuruta into the ropes hooks on a sleeper hold. Jumbo eventually spins into the hold and counters out of it with a hammerlock he then turns into a three quarter nelson pining combination. Gordy gets the advantage again by countering a sunsetflip attempt with a punch to the head. Then hits a piledriver Tsuruta kicks out of the pin and Gordy goes back to the reverse chinlock Jumbo counters once more into a hammerlock and slides that into a standing armbar. Gordy escapes via blatant forearm to underside of ballsack(that moment when you realize what you just wrote!) Both men are down. Tsuruta gets to his feet and hits his flying knee off a whip. But when he tries it in the corner Gordy meets him with a hard lariat. Gordy hits a flying bodypress and gets two. He sends Tsuruta in for a second lariat, Jumbo ducks and hits his own flying bodypress. Gordy somehow manages to catch him, but both go tumbling over the top rope to the outside. Jumbo delivers a back suplex on the floor! As Gordy shakily gets back in the ring Tsuruta is poised on the top rope. He hits his flying knee and gets the pin!!! A solid title bout!
Match #2 NWA International Tag Title bout Champions Yoshiaki Yatsu/Riki Choshu vs Tenryu/Jumbo Tsuruta. (Fair Warning there is a huge rant coming! I worked on my review of this bout for almost an hour! I love doing this blog! I look forward to it every day! So I started and stopped this match numerous times to get every nuance and sequence perfectly and after all that this great match ends in a double countout "FUCK Finish! This bout was stellar with near falls and crowd heat! My fault for not watching the match 1st I guess! But I didn't want the great wrestling fans who share my passion for wrestling to get invested as I did in a match with that for a finish! I truly am thankful for every single one of you that take time to read this and I value your readership! I must be honest I deleted all that I had written and decided to vent! Will not happen again lesson learned! back to the match tremendous but the ending made me lose it!!!
AJPW 3/10/86 NWA International title bout Terry Gordy vs Champion Jumbo Tsuruta As we join the bout early on I assume, Gordy Takes Tsuruta over in a side headlock and grinds it out for several minutes. Until Tsuruta backs him into the ropes forcing a break. They exchange chops and punches on the break and both circle each other mid-ring fists raised. They do the strike exchange once again(they were laying them in folks make no mistake). Jumbo grabs a side headlock of his own, but very quickly drops that. Instead dropping two elbows to the back of Gordy's neck. Then he begins to chop, elbow, and Euro uppercut Gordy from one side of the ring to the other. Tsuruta whips Terry into the corner and tries to hit his high knee. Gordy moves Jumbo goes into the buckle knee first. Gordy very quickly slaps on a figurefour. After some struggle Tsuruta manages to undo Gordy's legs from the hold and stand up reigning down stomps on Gordy. Jumbo hooks in a reverse chin lock(throwing in a couple site forearms for good measure until Gordy stand up Jumbo transitions to a headlock and Terry counters that with a hard back suplex! Gordy hits a legdrop then after sending Tsuruta into the ropes hooks on a sleeper hold. Jumbo eventually spins into the hold and counters out of it with a hammerlock he then turns into a three quarter nelson pining combination. Gordy gets the advantage again by countering a sunsetflip attempt with a punch to the head. Then hits a piledriver Tsuruta kicks out of the pin and Gordy goes back to the reverse chinlock Jumbo counters once more into a hammerlock and slides that into a standing armbar. Gordy escapes via blatant forearm to underside of ballsack(that moment when you realize what you just wrote!) Both men are down. Tsuruta gets to his feet and hits his flying knee off a whip. But when he tries it in the corner Gordy meets him with a hard lariat. Gordy hits a flying bodypress and gets two. He sends Tsuruta in for a second lariat, Jumbo ducks and hits his own flying bodypress. Gordy somehow manages to catch him, but both go tumbling over the top rope to the outside. Jumbo delivers a back suplex on the floor! As Gordy shakily gets back in the ring Tsuruta is poised on the top rope. He hits his flying knee and gets the pin!!! A solid title bout!
Saturday, March 25, 2017
WWF All-Star/Maple Leaf Wrestling, Baltimore Arena house show and two bouts from Saturday Nights Main Event 3-1-86
WWF All-Star Wrestling/Maple Leaf Wrestling(same show two different names) All tag squash bouts with a different set of in-set interviews/promos for a Sacramento show and a Toronto show(a much better show it seems by the card rundown!) If you love one-sided tag matches this is your show!
WWF Baltimore Arena House Show 3/1/86 Match #1 Jim Powers vs Barry O. Better match than you might think! Powers had control early with the side headlock. It is sort of amazing Barry O was not badly injured. When Powers snapped the hiplock over several times to take the side-headlock to the mat, Barry O came very close to landing straight on his head and neck! Barry O hit a nice Backbreaker to counter a flying bodypress attempt by Powers. Jim hit a dropkick to take the advantage back quickly. The big momentum change happened when Barry O Sidestepped Powers and grabbed him by the hair and threw him over the top rope! Powers went sailing over the rope and hit his back hard an the apron(the bump made me wince).The crowd popped a bit as well. Powers got back in after several thwarted attempts by Barry O via a sunset flip and near fall. Barry O hit a nice powerslam after whipping Jim into the turnbuckles for a two count. Powers won the match with a small package out of nowhere following the powerslam spot! Crowd reacted I think due to the suddenness of the pinfall.
Match #2 Jose Luis Rivera vs George Wells. Wells did his always(mostly) spot on flying head scissors early. Always works for crowd response when he pulls it off as he did here! Best spot of the short match was when, Wells caught Rivera on a backwards crossbody attempt and by pure strength turned it into a reverse atomic drop! Wells went for a splash off the middle turnbuckle and Rivera got his knees up. The went to the finish right after this. Rivera hit a shoulder tackle came of the ropes again Wells leapfrogged his man and hit his flying shoulder tackle for the victory.
Match #3 Ron Shaw vs Danny Spivey. Spivey took over with armdrags to start the bout. He was very quick for a big man when he was young. Shaw hit a running knee to the midsection to gain momentary control. Spivey took over once again and tried to slingshot him self from the apron of the ring over the top rope and splash Shaw. Who as luck would have it got his knees up. Spivey countered a backdrop with a kick to the sternum. Followed that up with a clothesline in the corner and hit his big bulldog for the pin! (camera angle was great for the finish here.)
Match #4 Rene Goulet vs Sivi Afi. Afi used the headlock and his tremendous leaping(sorry Lanny)ability early. Goulet got the upperhand with a knee to the gut(popular move on this card). He applied his "Scorpio" claw hold twice during the contest. Afi hit a splash, and a flying crossbody and couldn't get the pin, but he landed a flying crossbody from the top and secured the victory! The crowd turned on this match early with boring chants and utter disinterest!
Match #5 Junkyard Dog vs AJ Peturzzi This match took no time, JYD hit his "all fours" headbutts a clothesline and his powerslam and it was over! On one hand the crowd paid money to see this, but on the bright side didn't have to suffer through a long JYD match!!! After the bout JYD got some kids and a security guard to "Juke"with him in the ring! At least he was entertaining!
Match #6 Tony Atlas vs Iron Mike Sharpe This was a solid back and forth affair. With arm drags and punches to the gut, and heads in turnbuckles. However the finish caught me so unaware that I have forgotten most of the bout I just saw! This may be one of the most shocking wrestling sentences you ever see/I ever write. Tony Atlas won this match with a FLYING HEADSCISSORS! (Let that sink in). Atlas sent Sharpe into the ropes leapfrogged him and as he came back hit a head scissors cradled the near leg and got the pin! My jaw is on the floor!
Main Event (I guess) Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff vs CPL Kirchner and George "The Animal" Steele. (Get your VCR's ready folks....... to burn and throw away!) My favorite thing about this match happened before it began. Volkoff is singing the Russian national anthem and amidst all the crowd booing and jeers their is one fan at ringside with an American flag shirt on standing ramrod straight at attention while giving a military salute! (I love pro wrestling)! Their wasn't much to the match itself(thank Allah) Sheik blindsided Corp before the bell. They beat on him for awhile. Steele made the tag he got the same treatment. Sheik put him in the Camel Clutch, Corp ran in and broke it up. Steele makes the tag a brawl begins. While the referee is tied up getting Animal back to the corner, Kirchner hits a fireman's carry drop on Volkoff, Sheik loads up his boot and kicks ole Corp in the head. He puts Volkoff on top(the official clearly sees this)and in his shinning intellect counts the pin anyway! This show was fairly entertaining mid-card madness!
SNME 3/1/86(taped 2/15/86) #1 Bob Orton vs Mr. T Boxing match. They both did pre-match interviews. Piper showed a newspaper clipping of a photo T had taken with Boy George and said "This is what the youth of America is supposed to look up to?" T said that unlike the movie "Rocky III" he was not gonna take a dive! (He does know that we know that was a movie right???) He said he was gonna beat him up and knock him out. By the way, if you think ole Vinnie Mac was a sub par wrestling announcer wait till you hear him do "Boxing"! Rd 1(god this whole thing is dumb as hell!) Orton gets warned about an eye poke, the "doctor" wants to stop it but T won't let them(I thought the Doctor's verdict was law, but how dare I use logic in a fake boxing match!) As the bell sounds to end the rd, Orton hits T with a punch while the ref is between them and both the referee and T go down! Rd 2 Orton is showing off and takes a big punch that staggers him. Piper distracts the official and Orton lands a knee on T. Then Orton holds him while Piper throws a punch. T ducks Orton goes flying gets up and T knocks him over the top rope. Piper fails to get Orton back in the ring before the 10 count. You're official winner Mr. T. Piper then climbs in the ring to challenge T to a boxing match. T moves the referee out of the way. Piper Gets T's back turned then Orton runs in with a knee to the back of T! The heel twosome take out T's corner men. Then Piper takes of his belt while "Cowboy holds T's Arms and Piper lashes him with the belt. On commentary Ventura says "It's like ROOTS 2! He said thin on network TV! T gets up and the heels hit the road! T does a post match promo where he vows to get even with Roddy(setting up their boxing match at Mania 2 oh Joy)
Match #2 The Dream Team(Valentine/Beefcake Champions) vs The British Bulldogs The Bulldogs controlled this match in every way possible besides getting their hands raised! Valentine and Beefcake were headbutted and suplexed by the Brits back to the stone age! Valentine managed to hit Dynamite Kid with a reverse atomic drop and tag Beefcake who had the advantage for a few seconds before Captain Lou Albano and Johnny V the respective managers almost came to blows on the floor. All four men jumped outside and threatened to go at it. That's when the commercial break came along! They come back from break and Valentine and Dynamite are standing just beating each other to death with forearms and chops! Hammer hits an elbow drop off the middle rope for a near fall! He eventually gets shoved off a sideheadlock and he and the Bulldog both go down, but Valentine lands with his leg on top of Davey (I think) and gets the "Lucky fluke" three count for the win! This of course sets up the Bulldogs rematch at Mania 2! PS The 1986 Slammy awards were broadcast on this night on MTV! I didn't cover them because No actual wrestling took place and therefore I could care less! You wanna watch that you do it! I refuse(old man voice!)
WWF Baltimore Arena House Show 3/1/86 Match #1 Jim Powers vs Barry O. Better match than you might think! Powers had control early with the side headlock. It is sort of amazing Barry O was not badly injured. When Powers snapped the hiplock over several times to take the side-headlock to the mat, Barry O came very close to landing straight on his head and neck! Barry O hit a nice Backbreaker to counter a flying bodypress attempt by Powers. Jim hit a dropkick to take the advantage back quickly. The big momentum change happened when Barry O Sidestepped Powers and grabbed him by the hair and threw him over the top rope! Powers went sailing over the rope and hit his back hard an the apron(the bump made me wince).The crowd popped a bit as well. Powers got back in after several thwarted attempts by Barry O via a sunset flip and near fall. Barry O hit a nice powerslam after whipping Jim into the turnbuckles for a two count. Powers won the match with a small package out of nowhere following the powerslam spot! Crowd reacted I think due to the suddenness of the pinfall.
Match #2 Jose Luis Rivera vs George Wells. Wells did his always(mostly) spot on flying head scissors early. Always works for crowd response when he pulls it off as he did here! Best spot of the short match was when, Wells caught Rivera on a backwards crossbody attempt and by pure strength turned it into a reverse atomic drop! Wells went for a splash off the middle turnbuckle and Rivera got his knees up. The went to the finish right after this. Rivera hit a shoulder tackle came of the ropes again Wells leapfrogged his man and hit his flying shoulder tackle for the victory.
Match #3 Ron Shaw vs Danny Spivey. Spivey took over with armdrags to start the bout. He was very quick for a big man when he was young. Shaw hit a running knee to the midsection to gain momentary control. Spivey took over once again and tried to slingshot him self from the apron of the ring over the top rope and splash Shaw. Who as luck would have it got his knees up. Spivey countered a backdrop with a kick to the sternum. Followed that up with a clothesline in the corner and hit his big bulldog for the pin! (camera angle was great for the finish here.)
Match #4 Rene Goulet vs Sivi Afi. Afi used the headlock and his tremendous leaping(sorry Lanny)ability early. Goulet got the upperhand with a knee to the gut(popular move on this card). He applied his "Scorpio" claw hold twice during the contest. Afi hit a splash, and a flying crossbody and couldn't get the pin, but he landed a flying crossbody from the top and secured the victory! The crowd turned on this match early with boring chants and utter disinterest!
Match #5 Junkyard Dog vs AJ Peturzzi This match took no time, JYD hit his "all fours" headbutts a clothesline and his powerslam and it was over! On one hand the crowd paid money to see this, but on the bright side didn't have to suffer through a long JYD match!!! After the bout JYD got some kids and a security guard to "Juke"with him in the ring! At least he was entertaining!
Match #6 Tony Atlas vs Iron Mike Sharpe This was a solid back and forth affair. With arm drags and punches to the gut, and heads in turnbuckles. However the finish caught me so unaware that I have forgotten most of the bout I just saw! This may be one of the most shocking wrestling sentences you ever see/I ever write. Tony Atlas won this match with a FLYING HEADSCISSORS! (Let that sink in). Atlas sent Sharpe into the ropes leapfrogged him and as he came back hit a head scissors cradled the near leg and got the pin! My jaw is on the floor!
Main Event (I guess) Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff vs CPL Kirchner and George "The Animal" Steele. (Get your VCR's ready folks....... to burn and throw away!) My favorite thing about this match happened before it began. Volkoff is singing the Russian national anthem and amidst all the crowd booing and jeers their is one fan at ringside with an American flag shirt on standing ramrod straight at attention while giving a military salute! (I love pro wrestling)! Their wasn't much to the match itself(thank Allah) Sheik blindsided Corp before the bell. They beat on him for awhile. Steele made the tag he got the same treatment. Sheik put him in the Camel Clutch, Corp ran in and broke it up. Steele makes the tag a brawl begins. While the referee is tied up getting Animal back to the corner, Kirchner hits a fireman's carry drop on Volkoff, Sheik loads up his boot and kicks ole Corp in the head. He puts Volkoff on top(the official clearly sees this)and in his shinning intellect counts the pin anyway! This show was fairly entertaining mid-card madness!
SNME 3/1/86(taped 2/15/86) #1 Bob Orton vs Mr. T Boxing match. They both did pre-match interviews. Piper showed a newspaper clipping of a photo T had taken with Boy George and said "This is what the youth of America is supposed to look up to?" T said that unlike the movie "Rocky III" he was not gonna take a dive! (He does know that we know that was a movie right???) He said he was gonna beat him up and knock him out. By the way, if you think ole Vinnie Mac was a sub par wrestling announcer wait till you hear him do "Boxing"! Rd 1(god this whole thing is dumb as hell!) Orton gets warned about an eye poke, the "doctor" wants to stop it but T won't let them(I thought the Doctor's verdict was law, but how dare I use logic in a fake boxing match!) As the bell sounds to end the rd, Orton hits T with a punch while the ref is between them and both the referee and T go down! Rd 2 Orton is showing off and takes a big punch that staggers him. Piper distracts the official and Orton lands a knee on T. Then Orton holds him while Piper throws a punch. T ducks Orton goes flying gets up and T knocks him over the top rope. Piper fails to get Orton back in the ring before the 10 count. You're official winner Mr. T. Piper then climbs in the ring to challenge T to a boxing match. T moves the referee out of the way. Piper Gets T's back turned then Orton runs in with a knee to the back of T! The heel twosome take out T's corner men. Then Piper takes of his belt while "Cowboy holds T's Arms and Piper lashes him with the belt. On commentary Ventura says "It's like ROOTS 2! He said thin on network TV! T gets up and the heels hit the road! T does a post match promo where he vows to get even with Roddy(setting up their boxing match at Mania 2 oh Joy)
Match #2 The Dream Team(Valentine/Beefcake Champions) vs The British Bulldogs The Bulldogs controlled this match in every way possible besides getting their hands raised! Valentine and Beefcake were headbutted and suplexed by the Brits back to the stone age! Valentine managed to hit Dynamite Kid with a reverse atomic drop and tag Beefcake who had the advantage for a few seconds before Captain Lou Albano and Johnny V the respective managers almost came to blows on the floor. All four men jumped outside and threatened to go at it. That's when the commercial break came along! They come back from break and Valentine and Dynamite are standing just beating each other to death with forearms and chops! Hammer hits an elbow drop off the middle rope for a near fall! He eventually gets shoved off a sideheadlock and he and the Bulldog both go down, but Valentine lands with his leg on top of Davey (I think) and gets the "Lucky fluke" three count for the win! This of course sets up the Bulldogs rematch at Mania 2! PS The 1986 Slammy awards were broadcast on this night on MTV! I didn't cover them because No actual wrestling took place and therefore I could care less! You wanna watch that you do it! I refuse(old man voice!)
Thursday, March 23, 2017
All Japan Pro Wrestling 3-1-86 #1 Tiger Jeet Singh vs Jumbo Tsuruta Quick review eight minutes of utter mayhem! A huge crazy brawl(that is every Jeet Singh match ever!) I always found it somewhat confounding and interesting that in Japan they love hard strong style. Yet they have as much respect for crazy Memphis brawls! This match a prime example of the latter! Their are no moves to call. No Ring Psychology to get into! Very simple easy to grasp story, Jeet Singh was nuts and Jumbo fought hard not to get run threw with a sword! At one point they were fighting on the floor and Jumbo managed to get ole Tiger's lance(or whatever the hell you call it) beat him with it and get into the ring holding it aloft! That was a cool visual. Jeet Singh got the DQ when his manager held Tsuruta arms from outside the ring while Tiger pummeled him! Not that it matters nobody ever said after a Jeet Singh match "Hey who won"? you said Sweet God in Heaven that was nuts!"
Match #2 Tenryu vs Terry Gordy Gordy was accompanied to ringside by a mysterious ninja. This match was hot before the bell as Gordy took the ceremonial flowers presented to him and hurled them at Tenryu. Who threw them right back at Gordy's head. Match began with a stalemate for several minutes with Gordy "Wolfing/barking at Tenryu on breaks. Tenryu worked a side-headlock early holding it for some time. Gordy hit a lariat to gain the upperhand. Then put on a somewhat sloppy figurefour twice during the time when he had control. Both times Tenryu countered by unhooking Gordy's top leg from his! On the second attempt Gordy had to fight his way out of a Tenryu leglock counter with stiff punches. Gordy went to the top and hit a flying crossbody, Tenryu rolled thru(not the smoothest counter I ever saw by a long shot!) and got a two count! Tenryu hit his signature headkick. Went to the upstairs and hit a flying "Lou Thez" press. This time it was Terry's turn to do a sloppy roll thru and get a near fall. Doing this the rolled into and got tangled in the bottom rope. The referee separated them and Gordy hit a lariat that knocked Tenryu halfway thru the bottom rope and himself over the top rope! Tenryu falls outside as well and puts Gordy in a headlock who counters by delivering a backsuplex over the guard rail and dumping Tenryu on a table outside the barricade. This frustrates me like crazy but this tough bout ends in a groan inducing double countout! I understand why this was the finish from a logical "Nobody needs to look bad" standpoint but I don't have to like it!
Match #2 Tenryu vs Terry Gordy Gordy was accompanied to ringside by a mysterious ninja. This match was hot before the bell as Gordy took the ceremonial flowers presented to him and hurled them at Tenryu. Who threw them right back at Gordy's head. Match began with a stalemate for several minutes with Gordy "Wolfing/barking at Tenryu on breaks. Tenryu worked a side-headlock early holding it for some time. Gordy hit a lariat to gain the upperhand. Then put on a somewhat sloppy figurefour twice during the time when he had control. Both times Tenryu countered by unhooking Gordy's top leg from his! On the second attempt Gordy had to fight his way out of a Tenryu leglock counter with stiff punches. Gordy went to the top and hit a flying crossbody, Tenryu rolled thru(not the smoothest counter I ever saw by a long shot!) and got a two count! Tenryu hit his signature headkick. Went to the upstairs and hit a flying "Lou Thez" press. This time it was Terry's turn to do a sloppy roll thru and get a near fall. Doing this the rolled into and got tangled in the bottom rope. The referee separated them and Gordy hit a lariat that knocked Tenryu halfway thru the bottom rope and himself over the top rope! Tenryu falls outside as well and puts Gordy in a headlock who counters by delivering a backsuplex over the guard rail and dumping Tenryu on a table outside the barricade. This frustrates me like crazy but this tough bout ends in a groan inducing double countout! I understand why this was the finish from a logical "Nobody needs to look bad" standpoint but I don't have to like it!
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
TV Reviews 3/1/86 (Part One).......Memphis TV 3/1/86 Action show this time around. Show starts with Buddy Landell who was supposed to compete coming out and telling Lance Russell that he was too good to wrestle the jobber he was lined up against! "I won't even break a sweat"! Instead he shows a picture of himself with Ric Flair in the figurefour! He has another where he is holding up the NWA World Title. He Claims to be the uncrowned Champion. Then we get a taped interview with promoter Jerry Jarrett announcing his official retirement from wrestling do to age but mostly a condition he suffers from that has caused partial blindness. He says in the course of this interview that his young son Jeff Jarrett has decided to start training to become a pro wrestler and that he begins that process soon! They show a clip of a match where do Buddy Landell's interference Dutch Mantell loses a bout to Rick Casey. After the match Mantell and Landell get into a shouting match with Landell playing chicken shit heel and begging for forgiveness! Dundee runs out to play peacemaker, but when Dutch turns his back Landell makes like he's gonna nail him from behind. When Mantell turns back around Buddy quickly stops and starts begging again! Landell comes out and says Dutch is late again because he is probably laid up somewhere drunk! Dundee Says they have patched this up and everything is great! Dutch Comes in and Lance wants him to see the end of the tape we just saw where Landell was gonna nail him from behind! Dundee tries to mediate again but fails as Dutch and Buddy start to brawl. Dundee tries to pull Mantell off, so Dutch gets up and blasts him! Dundee goes bonkers and slams Mantell into the announce desk(blade job) they beat on him until Promoter Eddie Marlin runs them away with fine/getting fired threats. Mantell was supposed to wrestle Billy Travis next. Landell comes out and says since Dutch got beat up by him he'll take his place. Dutch runs out head wrapped still bloody and Runs Landell off with a chair! He says he wants a tag match he and Billy Travis vs Landell/Dundee! trademark Intense Memphis booking!
3/1/86 NWA Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling Nothing Happened solid work and interviews! Single wins by the regulars and a newcomer in Leo Burke!
NWA Worldwide Wrestling 3/1/86 Nothing much to report in ring, but several storyline points! During a interview with Dusty Rhodes they showed footage of the Horsemen trying it re-break Rhodes ankle after a cage match in the Omni in Atlanta! Dusty was in the figurefour and Flair came off the middle turnbuckle with Dusty's boot down across his ankle. Rhodes said they didn't get the job done, plus some Ultimate Warrior level mystical bullshit about standing on a riverbank a 4 am every morning! After several viewings Dusty must have been huffing paint in the back, this was real silly! Magnum said that he signed the contract to wrestle Nikita for the U.S. Title on tv, it was now up to the Kremlin(just picture a room full of stern looking men in three-piece suits and those cute furry hats. Going over line by line a contract for a secondary wrestling title in America......WRESTLING folks!) Paul Jones Army had a tag squash and doing a 5 minute promo during this bout was?......Of course Jimmy damn Valiant! The Barbarian reading the book of Revelations in Hebrew made more sense than this promo! He said something about knowing Jones Army was coming for him(why are the English Professors in real life?). Jimmy did another promo later where he came out with a wooden casket and said he was gonna be Jones Undertaker. Tony Looked Somehow bemused and horrified by this! Cornette did a interview bragging about his boys breaking Ricky Morton's arm. Robert Gibson had a singles match, due to Morton's injury and they said that Ricky was gonna have a cast put on and he would not be out of action long.(Odd thing is on the Mid-Atlantic show I just watched Ricky had the cast already on and wrestled in a match! These shows must have overlapped in many TV Markets! it was just weird!
NWA TBS 605 Saturday Night show 3/1/86 Arn Anderson defended the World's TV Title Against Ron Garvin. Good match with these two(what else is new!) Anderson got the shit beat out of him early! With fists and chops and headbutts. Not to mention Garvin stretching him in ways that would make Gumby squeal! Flair came to ringside to support his fellow horsemen and "cousin." Anderson got the upper hand and used a bearhug as the ware down hold! Being that this was a TV title bout their was a 10 minute time limit(most of them are 20 so you know how it ended! The dreaded Time Limit Draw. As the bell Rang Garvin had AA in an abdominal stretch. After the bell flair ran up and distracted Garvin, that gave AA time to plant a knee in the back and lay Ronnie out with his gourdbuster. In other action Flair won a rare squash match on television. Plus the Midnight Express destroyed two jobbers! Bobby Eaton came off the top four times during this bout. Dedicating each one beforehand to Ric Flair, Tony and David doing commentary, AA and The camera people! Beyond mere talent!
3/1/86 NWA Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling Nothing Happened solid work and interviews! Single wins by the regulars and a newcomer in Leo Burke!
NWA Worldwide Wrestling 3/1/86 Nothing much to report in ring, but several storyline points! During a interview with Dusty Rhodes they showed footage of the Horsemen trying it re-break Rhodes ankle after a cage match in the Omni in Atlanta! Dusty was in the figurefour and Flair came off the middle turnbuckle with Dusty's boot down across his ankle. Rhodes said they didn't get the job done, plus some Ultimate Warrior level mystical bullshit about standing on a riverbank a 4 am every morning! After several viewings Dusty must have been huffing paint in the back, this was real silly! Magnum said that he signed the contract to wrestle Nikita for the U.S. Title on tv, it was now up to the Kremlin(just picture a room full of stern looking men in three-piece suits and those cute furry hats. Going over line by line a contract for a secondary wrestling title in America......WRESTLING folks!) Paul Jones Army had a tag squash and doing a 5 minute promo during this bout was?......Of course Jimmy damn Valiant! The Barbarian reading the book of Revelations in Hebrew made more sense than this promo! He said something about knowing Jones Army was coming for him(why are the English Professors in real life?). Jimmy did another promo later where he came out with a wooden casket and said he was gonna be Jones Undertaker. Tony Looked Somehow bemused and horrified by this! Cornette did a interview bragging about his boys breaking Ricky Morton's arm. Robert Gibson had a singles match, due to Morton's injury and they said that Ricky was gonna have a cast put on and he would not be out of action long.(Odd thing is on the Mid-Atlantic show I just watched Ricky had the cast already on and wrestled in a match! These shows must have overlapped in many TV Markets! it was just weird!
NWA TBS 605 Saturday Night show 3/1/86 Arn Anderson defended the World's TV Title Against Ron Garvin. Good match with these two(what else is new!) Anderson got the shit beat out of him early! With fists and chops and headbutts. Not to mention Garvin stretching him in ways that would make Gumby squeal! Flair came to ringside to support his fellow horsemen and "cousin." Anderson got the upper hand and used a bearhug as the ware down hold! Being that this was a TV title bout their was a 10 minute time limit(most of them are 20 so you know how it ended! The dreaded Time Limit Draw. As the bell Rang Garvin had AA in an abdominal stretch. After the bell flair ran up and distracted Garvin, that gave AA time to plant a knee in the back and lay Ronnie out with his gourdbuster. In other action Flair won a rare squash match on television. Plus the Midnight Express destroyed two jobbers! Bobby Eaton came off the top four times during this bout. Dedicating each one beforehand to Ric Flair, Tony and David doing commentary, AA and The camera people! Beyond mere talent!
Monday, March 13, 2017
TV Reviews 2/23/86
TV Reviews 2/23/86 Mid-South Wrestling Eddie Gilbert started the show off doing an in-ring interview with Jim Ross announcing his "retirement" from active wrestling! Saying he had money and a beautiful new girlfriend. He will now concentrate on managing. (his new big "Russian" debuts in the show a big guy with a bad haircut, furry boots and a Soviet flag.) Dr Death and Ted Dibiase defended the Mid-South Tag Belts against Masked Superstar and Dick Murdoch. Good match Doc ran wild early with football tackles. Murdoch stopped him by hitting him with an elbow to the jaw when Doc tried one to many! Williams made the tag to Dibiase who hits a nice powerslam on Murdoch and locks in his figurefour! Another masked man hits the ring(Ross and Joel Watts god help us) called him a "second Masked Superstar. The three heels lay out the babyfaces with the help of the second Superstar's loaded mask! The main event saw the RNR Express go up against the Fabs! Stan and Steve worked heel complaining to the referee and subtly cheating. Robert took the babyface in peril roll. Shortly after he made the tag to Morton the show ran out of time without showing the finish! KoKo Ware, The Sheepherders, Jim Duggan and the team of Bret Sawyer and DJ Peterson won squashes!
WWF All-American Wrestling 2/23/86 3 big things covered on this show #1 Hulk Hogan came on Piper's Pit and conned "Boxin" Bob Orton into signing a contract to have a boxing match against his good buddy MR T! #2 During a match between JYD and Terry Funk When Funk was tied up in the ropes and Dog was about to use his own branding iron on him. He was jumped from behind by Terry's older brother Dory Funk Jr(for some reason they called him Hoss for most of his WWF run! Beyond Dumb! They did call him Dory here!) While Dog was being held down by the Funks, Jimmy Hart jumped on him and scratched and punched him! By the way Dory hit JYD with his shoe, for some reason wrestlers sell this like they have been shot with a small caliber handgun! #3 They showed Savage beating Santana for the IC title(its been three damn weeks people)! There were a couple squashes matches thrown in!
WWF All-American Wrestling 2/23/86 3 big things covered on this show #1 Hulk Hogan came on Piper's Pit and conned "Boxin" Bob Orton into signing a contract to have a boxing match against his good buddy MR T! #2 During a match between JYD and Terry Funk When Funk was tied up in the ropes and Dog was about to use his own branding iron on him. He was jumped from behind by Terry's older brother Dory Funk Jr(for some reason they called him Hoss for most of his WWF run! Beyond Dumb! They did call him Dory here!) While Dog was being held down by the Funks, Jimmy Hart jumped on him and scratched and punched him! By the way Dory hit JYD with his shoe, for some reason wrestlers sell this like they have been shot with a small caliber handgun! #3 They showed Savage beating Santana for the IC title(its been three damn weeks people)! There were a couple squashes matches thrown in!
AWA Championship Wrestling 2/23/86 The big thing on this show was the Brody/Blackwell-Gagne brawl that I covered in a previous blog! A great angle for pure chaos! There were Squashes by Marty Jannetty, Nord the Barbarian/Boris Zhokoff and a shorter one by Scott Hall! AWA Squashes were infamous for going on for much to long as 2 of these did!
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Tv Reviews 2/22/86
Tv reviews 2/22/86 Memphis For once a rather eventful Memphis Show! Austin Idol was "late" to the studio. He was supposed to wrestle perpetual loser Tony Faulk. Idol comes out in street clothes and apologies for being late. He leaves to go get his gear on and Faulk comes out of the ring and says no time and no excuses he wants to go now! Idol obliges and beats Faulk (of course) with the "Las Vegas LegLock"(his version of the figurefour. While that is going on in ring Buddy Landell comes out and cuts a promo at the desk with Lance. Saying it's a figuefour not a Las Vegas leglock and that he is the master of the hold not Idol.Calls Idol washed up! Landell comes out later for his match and puts the figurefour on a jobber and refuses to let go of the hold. Idol =comes out gets in the ring and tells Landell to break the hold. Landell refuses and spits in Idol's face! That went over real well as Idol takes of his belt and whips Landell like he stole something! Dundee runs in and distracs Idol.Landell knees him in the back and puts him in the figurefour.While Dundee chokes him with his own belt. Dundee goes to the desk to brag to lance and dave. While he does Idol reverses the hold. Dundee sees this and runs back in with a chair and hits Idol with it! The faces come out the heels run away and Idol gets help to the back! Dutch Mantell and Bill Dundee have a match against BillyTravis and Frank Morell.The duo bloody up Travis with a chain and throw powder in the eyes of Morell! The Midnight Rider(guy in a black mask and white duster trench coat) comes out with a cattle prod and chases the heels away. Other things in the show the Mod Squad and Manager JD Costello sent in another taped interview. The fantastics and a horrible newcomer Ken Prince(have no memory of him at all) had squash bouts. Plus they had some taped promos about the "thunderdome(bunkhouse) matches coming to the area.A very solid hour !
NWA Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling 2/22/86 Big news of the show Jim Cornette's lawyers stopped his tennis racquet from being banned by the NWA. In a bout later in the show Cornette uses the racquet to injure Sam Houston as he and Nelson Royal were wrestling the Midnight express. In an interview with Dusty Rhodes and the Rock N' Roll express Rhodes gave them "Betty Lou" (a shark cage) to put Cornette in! The highlight of the show was a in-ring Promo by Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin! He said he was happy to be here in the NWA that Precious his valet, was the only "10" in the world(a baby doll reference) and that Magnum TA used to be a male dancer in San Fran! (this was a tremendous debut promo)! Ivan and Nikita were doing a promo when TA got in the ring on the house mic and challenged him to a match right now! Ivan held him back saying Magnum had not signed the contract yet. Nikita said that he was not dumb that TA' friends would attack him! Another fine program!
NWA Worldwide Wrestling 2/22/86 This was for all practical purposes a one match show, but my God what a Match! Ric Flair and Arn Anderson signed on to wrestle "The Risky Biness Boys"(I spelt it the way Dusty said it). Who turn out to be Dusty Rhodes and Ronnie Garvin! I have been watching Wrestling since I was 2(1980) and I have NEVER LET ME REPEAT THAT NEVER HEARD A CROWD REACTION LIKE THIS!!! These folks in Fayetteville NC lost their damn minds for every bump in this match! Their in no way to convey this properly thru words. If you have not seen it go watch it! I'm not even gonna go over the bout! You need to see this! If you love wrestling as I do it may raise the hairs on the back of your neck! Best thing I'll see all week!
NWA World Championship Wrestling (tbs 605 show 2/22/86 Best match on the show Arn Anderson Tv title defense against World Junior Champ Denny Brown! Flair was out to do commentary. So Dusty came out for a reason I guess!(it was never brought up) AA and Brown had a really good back and forth bout! With Flair putting both guys over strong to the home audience. He said just because Brown was smaller made no difference he was a World Champion and he deserved it!(I miss guys putting their rivals over as tough men to beat!) Denny put his head down on a backdrop attempt to soon and AA snatched him into a gourdbuster to get the win and retain the tv title! The heels acted like they were going to Jump Rhodes post match. Magnum TA hit the ring and they backed off! The RNR express attacked the Midnight express with tennis racquets of their own after a Midnights Squash match! Cornette Said he was not a criminal or a parakeet so he would not be getting in any cage above any ring! In other action Tully Blanchard and (my favorite jobber of all-time) The Alabama Jr Heavyweight Champion Mike Jackson had a good match. As Did the RNR Express vs Thunderfoot and Black Bart(dadgumit!!!) The closing angle was a tremendous pull apart brawl between Magnum and Nikita! The Russians did a promo while Magnum was in the ring. Saying he was a coward for not signing to wrestle Nikita on Television for the US Belt! After the TA Squash Ivan has to hold Nikita back from going in the ring. While this is going on Magnum jumps off the apron and hits Nikita from behind! Then the brawl was on folks! Every wrestler there it looked like spilled out of the dressing room to try and stop the fight! They would get them apart for a few seconds then boom right back at it! That's how the show went off the air! Good wrestling storylines continued well very fun show!
NWA Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling 2/22/86 Big news of the show Jim Cornette's lawyers stopped his tennis racquet from being banned by the NWA. In a bout later in the show Cornette uses the racquet to injure Sam Houston as he and Nelson Royal were wrestling the Midnight express. In an interview with Dusty Rhodes and the Rock N' Roll express Rhodes gave them "Betty Lou" (a shark cage) to put Cornette in! The highlight of the show was a in-ring Promo by Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin! He said he was happy to be here in the NWA that Precious his valet, was the only "10" in the world(a baby doll reference) and that Magnum TA used to be a male dancer in San Fran! (this was a tremendous debut promo)! Ivan and Nikita were doing a promo when TA got in the ring on the house mic and challenged him to a match right now! Ivan held him back saying Magnum had not signed the contract yet. Nikita said that he was not dumb that TA' friends would attack him! Another fine program!
NWA Worldwide Wrestling 2/22/86 This was for all practical purposes a one match show, but my God what a Match! Ric Flair and Arn Anderson signed on to wrestle "The Risky Biness Boys"(I spelt it the way Dusty said it). Who turn out to be Dusty Rhodes and Ronnie Garvin! I have been watching Wrestling since I was 2(1980) and I have NEVER LET ME REPEAT THAT NEVER HEARD A CROWD REACTION LIKE THIS!!! These folks in Fayetteville NC lost their damn minds for every bump in this match! Their in no way to convey this properly thru words. If you have not seen it go watch it! I'm not even gonna go over the bout! You need to see this! If you love wrestling as I do it may raise the hairs on the back of your neck! Best thing I'll see all week!
NWA World Championship Wrestling (tbs 605 show 2/22/86 Best match on the show Arn Anderson Tv title defense against World Junior Champ Denny Brown! Flair was out to do commentary. So Dusty came out for a reason I guess!(it was never brought up) AA and Brown had a really good back and forth bout! With Flair putting both guys over strong to the home audience. He said just because Brown was smaller made no difference he was a World Champion and he deserved it!(I miss guys putting their rivals over as tough men to beat!) Denny put his head down on a backdrop attempt to soon and AA snatched him into a gourdbuster to get the win and retain the tv title! The heels acted like they were going to Jump Rhodes post match. Magnum TA hit the ring and they backed off! The RNR express attacked the Midnight express with tennis racquets of their own after a Midnights Squash match! Cornette Said he was not a criminal or a parakeet so he would not be getting in any cage above any ring! In other action Tully Blanchard and (my favorite jobber of all-time) The Alabama Jr Heavyweight Champion Mike Jackson had a good match. As Did the RNR Express vs Thunderfoot and Black Bart(dadgumit!!!) The closing angle was a tremendous pull apart brawl between Magnum and Nikita! The Russians did a promo while Magnum was in the ring. Saying he was a coward for not signing to wrestle Nikita on Television for the US Belt! After the TA Squash Ivan has to hold Nikita back from going in the ring. While this is going on Magnum jumps off the apron and hits Nikita from behind! Then the brawl was on folks! Every wrestler there it looked like spilled out of the dressing room to try and stop the fight! They would get them apart for a few seconds then boom right back at it! That's how the show went off the air! Good wrestling storylines continued well very fun show!
Saturday, March 11, 2017
AJPW 2/22/86
AJPW 2/22/86 Ashura Hara/Great Kabuki vs Mighty Inoue/Tiger Mask Kabuki/Tiger get into a pre-match shove-a-thon. No one is able to get and maintain an advantage for very long. Until Tiger starts to work on Hara's arm several minutes into the contest. Hara attempts to throw Tiger Mask between the ropes to break the armbar but Tiger holds on to the hold yanking Hara to the floor with him. The camera sadly did not pick this up very well, but I believe Hara landed on top of Tiger Mask! Tiger rams Hara into the ringpost and throws him back in the ring. Hara manages to land two solid headbuts to Tiger and tags Kabuki. He grabs a side headlock Tiger quickly pushes off and hits a beauty of a dropkick. Kabuki gets the momentum back as Tiger follows a whip into the corner and Kabuki meets him with a strong lariat! Tiger counters a back suplex with one of his own. Then climbs to the top and hits a missile drop kick. Kabuki hits a knee to the mid-section and gets a much needed tag to Hara. Tiger mask fights out of a chinlock and tags Inoue. Inoue immediately takes over on Hara with a flying shoulder tackle and a dropkick. Both Inoue and Tiger utilize single leg Boston crabs. Kabuki gets the tag but Inoue goes after the leg with an inside toe hold and then locks in a figure four! Kabuki manages to reverse the hold, but Inoue rolls thru and Kabuki must grab the ropes to break the hold. Tiger takes the tag and clamps on the same hold. Hara runs in and drops a leg across Tiger. Inoue tags back in and spins into an Indian Death Lock(Kabuki's leg is being slowly taken apart!) Tiger gets the tag and slaps on a Boston Crab. Hara runs in again for the save and shoulder blocks Tiger mask. Kabuki fires back with his uppercut blows and tags Hara! Hara takes back suplexes from both his foes! Inoue runs at Hara who sidesteps him and he flies over the top rope. Kabuki goes outside and whips Inoue into the guard rail, Tiger hits Kabuki with a great Plancha on the outside. Inoue sunset flips back in the ring Hara kicks out at two. Inoue attempts a O'Connor roll, Hara blocks by holding on to the rope. Inoue goes down when he comes up Hara hits him with a lariat and gets the pin! Meanwhile Kabuki and Tiger mask continue to brawl!
Match #2 Jerry "Crusher" Blackwell/Harley Race vs Isamu Teranishi/Killer Khan Joined in Progress The clip showed about 5 minutes of wrestling. Nothing really happened Killer Khan and Race were battling the referee tried to step in and Khan threw him down twice! The Official dq'd Khan so your winners Blackwell and Race!
Match#3 (This is a sentence I never thought I would see much less write) Tenryu vs One Man Gang. Gang coming to the ring looking like he did with that black skull and crossbones flag is a sight to behold! This match was 90% Gang as he just beat the Piss outta Tenryu. Throwing him outside and hitting him with what I think was the ring bell! Tenryu had one brief moment of a comeback when he hit his headkick and a staggered Gang stumbled to the corner. Gang quickly regained the upperhand and hit his 747 splash. He then attempted the same thing from the corner, Tenryu moves and uses the biggest small package ever seen for the win! Gang beat up all the young boys and threw chairs in the ring during his post match hissyfit!
Match #4 Riki Choshu/Yoshiaki Yatsu vs Jumbo Tsuruta/Takashi Ishikawa This was a wild crazy seven minute bout! With almost minute by minute momentum changes! It started by Yatsu being distracted by Tsuruta on the apron. Ishikawa attacked Yatsu threw him out of the ring. Jumbo grabs Yatsu around the waist and holds him up and out as Ishikawa comes off the apron with a huge kneedrop to the throat! Not gonna go move by move it would take twice as long to write as to watch! The finishing sequence saw Tsuruta and Choshu battling outside. Ishikawa hits Yatsu with a superplex in the ring, meanwhile Choshu takes Jumbo to the post. Riki climbs in the ring when Ishikawa gets up Choshu hits his lariat and gets a three count! Quite the show!
Match #2 Jerry "Crusher" Blackwell/Harley Race vs Isamu Teranishi/Killer Khan Joined in Progress The clip showed about 5 minutes of wrestling. Nothing really happened Killer Khan and Race were battling the referee tried to step in and Khan threw him down twice! The Official dq'd Khan so your winners Blackwell and Race!
Match#3 (This is a sentence I never thought I would see much less write) Tenryu vs One Man Gang. Gang coming to the ring looking like he did with that black skull and crossbones flag is a sight to behold! This match was 90% Gang as he just beat the Piss outta Tenryu. Throwing him outside and hitting him with what I think was the ring bell! Tenryu had one brief moment of a comeback when he hit his headkick and a staggered Gang stumbled to the corner. Gang quickly regained the upperhand and hit his 747 splash. He then attempted the same thing from the corner, Tenryu moves and uses the biggest small package ever seen for the win! Gang beat up all the young boys and threw chairs in the ring during his post match hissyfit!
Match #4 Riki Choshu/Yoshiaki Yatsu vs Jumbo Tsuruta/Takashi Ishikawa This was a wild crazy seven minute bout! With almost minute by minute momentum changes! It started by Yatsu being distracted by Tsuruta on the apron. Ishikawa attacked Yatsu threw him out of the ring. Jumbo grabs Yatsu around the waist and holds him up and out as Ishikawa comes off the apron with a huge kneedrop to the throat! Not gonna go move by move it would take twice as long to write as to watch! The finishing sequence saw Tsuruta and Choshu battling outside. Ishikawa hits Yatsu with a superplex in the ring, meanwhile Choshu takes Jumbo to the post. Riki climbs in the ring when Ishikawa gets up Choshu hits his lariat and gets a three count! Quite the show!
Friday, March 10, 2017
WWF MSG house show 2/17/86
WWF MSG House Show 2/17/86 Match #1 Rene Goulet vs Lanny Poffo Solid opener here! The hit each other very hard with chops and right fists! Goulet got the advantage early when Poffo went charging into the corner with a dropkick. Goulet moved and Poffo landed upside down on his head. Goulet and Poffo both utilized the headscissors during the bout. For a while it resembled an MMA contest with ground based hold counter hold. Poffo worked decidedly "heel" in the match. Blatantly choking the Frenchmen several times in clear view of the referee! Poffo picked up a hard fought victory with his signature one footed backflip off the top rope!
Match 2 Les Thornton vs King Tonga(Haku Meng) This was a matchup of two men who belonged to different era! When Men got in the ring and beat each other up! They mat wrestled early. Thornton got the advantage by getting Tonga down and smashing his leg down over the ring apron. Thornton clamped on a rear chin lock and smashed several hard crunching forearms down across Tonga's face. Tonga fought back with stiff knife edge chops in the corner(receipt for the crossface forearms? Thornton fought back against this onslaught with forearms and jarring euro uppercuts. Finish came when Tonga hit a spot on side kick to the face and then hit a flying headbutt off the turnbuckle for the win!
Match #3 The Hart Foundation vs The Killer Bees No need to spend a whole lotta time on this bout. It is almost beat for beat the match these two tremendous teams had in Boston nine days earlier. Except it was a time limit draw. With Brunszell hitting his perfect dropkick and getting a one count as time expired on Bret Hart! Let me be clear this is not a downgrade of the bout it is spectacular tag team work! a joy to watch!
Match #4 George Wells vs King Kong Bundy This was a very quick bout. It did however build Bundy up as a dangerous monster in preparation of him being the challenger for Hogan at Mania 2! He squashed Wells quite literally with his "Avalanche" and a big splash! Wells had to be helped to the back! (he was to big for the stretcher!
Match #5 Ricky Steamboat vs Don Muraco (Martial Arts Match.....my third time seeing it! Saw one from Landover MD And Boston Mass!) The only major difference being that King Tonga accompanied Steamboat to the ring. This again was the same match they ran around the circuit minus the finish. Witch was A referee bump Muraco has Steamboat in a small package, Mr. Fuji gets in the ring to revive the ref. As this is happening Tonga sneaks in on the blindside grabs Muraco's Judo jacket and pulls Steamboat on top. The official slowly counts the fall with Fuji still in the ring celebrating the victory(because you see heels are supposed to be stupid!) Fuji is shocked when Howard Finkel announces that Steamboat won the match. Post match Tonga goes after Fuji so Muraco attacks him from behind. He puts him in the scariest Tombstone piledriver I've ever seen! I cannot tell who botched the move, but Tonga was bent at a very odd angle and dropped on his head! He walked very slowly with Steamboat to the back.
Intermission time as Monsoon went to three different pre-taped interviews he had conducted earlier with George Steele, Sheik and Volkoff and Randy Savage.
Before the next match began Stu Hart was in ring and introduced to the crowd, it was his birthday!
Match #6 Tony Atlas vs Barry O Nothing to this glorified "Squash" Comedy spots with Barry posing. Atlas got sick of that and with a punch to the jaw, a headbutt and a press slam won the match!
Match #7 Adorable Adrian Adonis vs George "the Animal" Steele! (a sure fire mat classic here!) This was all about the pre-match as Adrian and Steele took ages to lock up! Steele screaming YOU and the entire Garden chatting a gay slur at Adonis! Steele kept biting Adrian. Jimmy Hart hit Steele's manager "Captain" Louis Albano in the back with his megaphone. Steele chased Hart around and into the ring where he dropped his megaphone. Adonis tried to use it on George who blocked it. Then he hit Adrian with it several times in the back. The ref saw this and Dq'd Steele giving Adonis the Win. I need to go gargle saltwater to get rid of this match or shower in a hazmat suit!
Match#8 The Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff vs Corp Kirchner/Danny Spivey Basic tag team bout here. Spivey and Kirchner looked very bad here missing spots and being in the wrong place at the wrong time! Tremendous crowd heat as always with Sheiky and Volkoff! Both Spivey and the Corp had to make "hot" tags in the match! Finish took to long to develop. Spivey was out of it facedown on the floor. Kirchner had Sheik up on his back, Sheik had to fight out of that, get down and "load" his boot. So Volkoff distracted Corp, Kirchner turned around and took the Sheik's boot to the gut. He did a full front flip(odd bump to take from a boot even a loaded one. Why not just go down?) Sheik covered him for the win! This bout should have been better!
Match #9 Ted Arcedi vs Terry Gibbs(oh Boy)! Nothing at all Bearhug submission by Arcedi! (How can anybody look that bad in a two minute bout where nothing happened?)
Main event(Thank God because the second half of this card has been dreadful!) WWF World title Lumberjack Match Champion Hulk Hogan vs Randy Savage! This was good but too quick! They did however do an excellent job of building toward Mania 2! Very early Hogan went out on the heel side of the ring. As Muraco held his arms around the ringpost, Bundy gave him the avalanche twice to the back. The other heels stood guard so the faces could not help Hogan. Savage eventually hit his top rope elbow, Hulk Kicks out(of course) and "hulk's up". Savage rakes the eyes grabs a side headlock and the began a crisscross. I believe George Steele(the camera missed it) grabs Savage's ankle he goes down Hogan hits the big leg 123 and the crowd goes home happy! Savage faces Steele at Mania 2 so that gets more layers! 1st half of this was really good, then it fell of a cliff!
Match 2 Les Thornton vs King Tonga(Haku Meng) This was a matchup of two men who belonged to different era! When Men got in the ring and beat each other up! They mat wrestled early. Thornton got the advantage by getting Tonga down and smashing his leg down over the ring apron. Thornton clamped on a rear chin lock and smashed several hard crunching forearms down across Tonga's face. Tonga fought back with stiff knife edge chops in the corner(receipt for the crossface forearms? Thornton fought back against this onslaught with forearms and jarring euro uppercuts. Finish came when Tonga hit a spot on side kick to the face and then hit a flying headbutt off the turnbuckle for the win!
Match #3 The Hart Foundation vs The Killer Bees No need to spend a whole lotta time on this bout. It is almost beat for beat the match these two tremendous teams had in Boston nine days earlier. Except it was a time limit draw. With Brunszell hitting his perfect dropkick and getting a one count as time expired on Bret Hart! Let me be clear this is not a downgrade of the bout it is spectacular tag team work! a joy to watch!
Match #4 George Wells vs King Kong Bundy This was a very quick bout. It did however build Bundy up as a dangerous monster in preparation of him being the challenger for Hogan at Mania 2! He squashed Wells quite literally with his "Avalanche" and a big splash! Wells had to be helped to the back! (he was to big for the stretcher!
Match #5 Ricky Steamboat vs Don Muraco (Martial Arts Match.....my third time seeing it! Saw one from Landover MD And Boston Mass!) The only major difference being that King Tonga accompanied Steamboat to the ring. This again was the same match they ran around the circuit minus the finish. Witch was A referee bump Muraco has Steamboat in a small package, Mr. Fuji gets in the ring to revive the ref. As this is happening Tonga sneaks in on the blindside grabs Muraco's Judo jacket and pulls Steamboat on top. The official slowly counts the fall with Fuji still in the ring celebrating the victory(because you see heels are supposed to be stupid!) Fuji is shocked when Howard Finkel announces that Steamboat won the match. Post match Tonga goes after Fuji so Muraco attacks him from behind. He puts him in the scariest Tombstone piledriver I've ever seen! I cannot tell who botched the move, but Tonga was bent at a very odd angle and dropped on his head! He walked very slowly with Steamboat to the back.
Intermission time as Monsoon went to three different pre-taped interviews he had conducted earlier with George Steele, Sheik and Volkoff and Randy Savage.
Before the next match began Stu Hart was in ring and introduced to the crowd, it was his birthday!
Match #6 Tony Atlas vs Barry O Nothing to this glorified "Squash" Comedy spots with Barry posing. Atlas got sick of that and with a punch to the jaw, a headbutt and a press slam won the match!
Match #7 Adorable Adrian Adonis vs George "the Animal" Steele! (a sure fire mat classic here!) This was all about the pre-match as Adrian and Steele took ages to lock up! Steele screaming YOU and the entire Garden chatting a gay slur at Adonis! Steele kept biting Adrian. Jimmy Hart hit Steele's manager "Captain" Louis Albano in the back with his megaphone. Steele chased Hart around and into the ring where he dropped his megaphone. Adonis tried to use it on George who blocked it. Then he hit Adrian with it several times in the back. The ref saw this and Dq'd Steele giving Adonis the Win. I need to go gargle saltwater to get rid of this match or shower in a hazmat suit!
Match#8 The Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff vs Corp Kirchner/Danny Spivey Basic tag team bout here. Spivey and Kirchner looked very bad here missing spots and being in the wrong place at the wrong time! Tremendous crowd heat as always with Sheiky and Volkoff! Both Spivey and the Corp had to make "hot" tags in the match! Finish took to long to develop. Spivey was out of it facedown on the floor. Kirchner had Sheik up on his back, Sheik had to fight out of that, get down and "load" his boot. So Volkoff distracted Corp, Kirchner turned around and took the Sheik's boot to the gut. He did a full front flip(odd bump to take from a boot even a loaded one. Why not just go down?) Sheik covered him for the win! This bout should have been better!
Match #9 Ted Arcedi vs Terry Gibbs(oh Boy)! Nothing at all Bearhug submission by Arcedi! (How can anybody look that bad in a two minute bout where nothing happened?)
Main event(Thank God because the second half of this card has been dreadful!) WWF World title Lumberjack Match Champion Hulk Hogan vs Randy Savage! This was good but too quick! They did however do an excellent job of building toward Mania 2! Very early Hogan went out on the heel side of the ring. As Muraco held his arms around the ringpost, Bundy gave him the avalanche twice to the back. The other heels stood guard so the faces could not help Hogan. Savage eventually hit his top rope elbow, Hulk Kicks out(of course) and "hulk's up". Savage rakes the eyes grabs a side headlock and the began a crisscross. I believe George Steele(the camera missed it) grabs Savage's ankle he goes down Hogan hits the big leg 123 and the crowd goes home happy! Savage faces Steele at Mania 2 so that gets more layers! 1st half of this was really good, then it fell of a cliff!
Thursday, March 9, 2017
WWF Prime Time Wrestling 2/17/86 review
WWF Prime Time Wrestling 2/17/86 Match #1 Pedro Morales vs Moondog Spot The moondog took much of the match! Pedro took a hard scary looking bump over the top rope! Spot suplexed him back in the ring. Pedro missed a dropkick as Spotty held onto the ropes. Getting a very close two count. Pedro won the match with an O'Connor roll. The crowd hated this match. They went from BORING chants to just simply not caring at all!
Match #2 Danny Spivey vs Rene Goulet A better more competitive bout than I expected. Comedy spots early Goulet got caught on the top rope backwards. He hooked his feet outside the top rope so Spivey dropped him face first to break the hold. Goulet Did a handstand to break a head scissors and Spivey got up went around Goulet(still in the handstand very impressive balance) and kicked Goulet in the mid-section! Goulet put his "Scorpio"Claw hold on Spivey three different times in the match.(by the end the crowd was with the match. Spivey took a hard bump between the ropes to the floor. Danny reversed a whip into the corner, Goulet hit face first. Spivey hooked on his Bulldog headlock and got his hand raised in victory! Crowd cheered loud when he won! Credit to those two for turning the crowd!
Match #3 "Iron" Mike Sharpe vs George Wells This match was great! These two beat the shit out of each other! I think they were told they were the Main Event, because boy they worked like it! Sharpe stalls early Wells hit him with two dynamite dropkicks! Sharpe hurls Wells outside rams him into a barricade head first! hits vicious open handed chops, he unties his signature black wrist protector and uses the laces to choke Wells! Sharpe even nails wells outside with a chair! George looks legit stunned. At one point Sharpe bends back wells on the apron and hits two forearms that rang through MSG. He rammed Wells into the announce desk. Wells fires up and begins to simply ball up his fist and beat up Sharpe! He gets the laces from Sharpe and chokes him almost out! Wells hits a crossbody after he ducked a Sharpe Clothesline. Sharpe kicks out and Wells is sent to the floor from the powerful Canadian's kickout. Sharpe goes to the floor and while the brawl continues the time limit expires! I may never get to but I want to see the rematch!
Match #4 from Feb of 1975 Manuel Soto and Pete Sanchez vs Johnny Rodz and Jack Evans. Not much to the match, minutes of punching and kicking. Match was joined in progress. Sanchez got the hot tag after Soto was eye raked and kicked and just mauled! Rodz came off the top rope with a stomp several times on Soto! Sanchez came in and hit two terrific dropkicks on Evans. Bodyslammed him and tagged in Soto who hit a sunset flip for the win!
Match #5 Tiger Chug Le vs Ted Arcedi (Why did this never main event a Pay-Per-View???.......Oh yeah because people can see!) Arcedi did power spots early,in the middle and at the end(that's all Arcedi could do he makes Stroman look like Dean Malenko!) every time Chung Le hit him he went down like a shot! He paid attention to the "Selling" unit in wrestling school! He put Chung Le in a bearhug and almost fell down! He managed by some utter miracle of physics to stay upright and win the bout via submission using the move!
Main event ( I use that term loosely) Terry Funk vs Scott McGee. Fair bout, Funk slapped McGee during referee instructions. McGee returned the favor and Funk wound up on his face! Funk went upside down in the corner and looked like he might have hurt his knee! They did the spot where Jimmy Hart tried to trip McGee, Scotty chased him around the ring. Jimmy ran into the ring and Funk hit a clothesline for a near fall. The finish sequence was flawless. Funk hit a sunset flip off the top rope(the fans liked that) McGee kicked out at two. Reversed the hold and stacked Funk on his shoulders for a near fall. Funk got up and clamped on a headlock. McGee countered with a quick back suplex. Went up top and jumped right into Funk's raised knee! Who rolled over and pinned McGee! Postmatch Funk used the branding iron on McGee and got chased out of the ring by Scotty with a chair! Couple very good bouts on this show!
Match #2 Danny Spivey vs Rene Goulet A better more competitive bout than I expected. Comedy spots early Goulet got caught on the top rope backwards. He hooked his feet outside the top rope so Spivey dropped him face first to break the hold. Goulet Did a handstand to break a head scissors and Spivey got up went around Goulet(still in the handstand very impressive balance) and kicked Goulet in the mid-section! Goulet put his "Scorpio"Claw hold on Spivey three different times in the match.(by the end the crowd was with the match. Spivey took a hard bump between the ropes to the floor. Danny reversed a whip into the corner, Goulet hit face first. Spivey hooked on his Bulldog headlock and got his hand raised in victory! Crowd cheered loud when he won! Credit to those two for turning the crowd!
Match #3 "Iron" Mike Sharpe vs George Wells This match was great! These two beat the shit out of each other! I think they were told they were the Main Event, because boy they worked like it! Sharpe stalls early Wells hit him with two dynamite dropkicks! Sharpe hurls Wells outside rams him into a barricade head first! hits vicious open handed chops, he unties his signature black wrist protector and uses the laces to choke Wells! Sharpe even nails wells outside with a chair! George looks legit stunned. At one point Sharpe bends back wells on the apron and hits two forearms that rang through MSG. He rammed Wells into the announce desk. Wells fires up and begins to simply ball up his fist and beat up Sharpe! He gets the laces from Sharpe and chokes him almost out! Wells hits a crossbody after he ducked a Sharpe Clothesline. Sharpe kicks out and Wells is sent to the floor from the powerful Canadian's kickout. Sharpe goes to the floor and while the brawl continues the time limit expires! I may never get to but I want to see the rematch!
Match #4 from Feb of 1975 Manuel Soto and Pete Sanchez vs Johnny Rodz and Jack Evans. Not much to the match, minutes of punching and kicking. Match was joined in progress. Sanchez got the hot tag after Soto was eye raked and kicked and just mauled! Rodz came off the top rope with a stomp several times on Soto! Sanchez came in and hit two terrific dropkicks on Evans. Bodyslammed him and tagged in Soto who hit a sunset flip for the win!
Match #5 Tiger Chug Le vs Ted Arcedi (Why did this never main event a Pay-Per-View???.......Oh yeah because people can see!) Arcedi did power spots early,in the middle and at the end(that's all Arcedi could do he makes Stroman look like Dean Malenko!) every time Chung Le hit him he went down like a shot! He paid attention to the "Selling" unit in wrestling school! He put Chung Le in a bearhug and almost fell down! He managed by some utter miracle of physics to stay upright and win the bout via submission using the move!
Main event ( I use that term loosely) Terry Funk vs Scott McGee. Fair bout, Funk slapped McGee during referee instructions. McGee returned the favor and Funk wound up on his face! Funk went upside down in the corner and looked like he might have hurt his knee! They did the spot where Jimmy Hart tried to trip McGee, Scotty chased him around the ring. Jimmy ran into the ring and Funk hit a clothesline for a near fall. The finish sequence was flawless. Funk hit a sunset flip off the top rope(the fans liked that) McGee kicked out at two. Reversed the hold and stacked Funk on his shoulders for a near fall. Funk got up and clamped on a headlock. McGee countered with a quick back suplex. Went up top and jumped right into Funk's raised knee! Who rolled over and pinned McGee! Postmatch Funk used the branding iron on McGee and got chased out of the ring by Scotty with a chair! Couple very good bouts on this show!
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Tv Reviews 2/15/86
Memphis TV 2/15/86
Easy review nothing of any importance happened! Two separate Austin Idol music videos were shown. As were a Fantastics and a Rick Casey music video(to Merle Haggard's "Natural High" the oddest video choice ever, cause nothing says kick ass wrestler like a mature love ballad!) Jerry Lawler and the Mod Squad and Idol sent in taped interviews, Lawler's in front of a horrible green screen! There were squashes by Abdul Kadaffi, "Thunderbolt" Hamilton, Buddy Landell and Dutch Mantell in a tag match and by Dirty Rhodes and Rick Casey in a two fall expiration of time match! Lance Russell took the week off, I can see why!
WWF All-Star Wrestling 2/15/86 Nothing on this show to speak off! Squashes by Adrian Adonis, Ricky Steamboat, Don Muraco, JYD/George Steele, the Hillbillies and Randy Savage! Best thing on the show two local promos for a Sacramento house show by Bobby Heenan and the Iron Sheik!
NWA Worldwide Wrestling 2/15/86 Finally a show where things happened!There were many squash matches, but It really started with the Koloffs doing an interview where they stated that this week would be Nikita's last match on television until Magnum TA agreed to give him a U.S. Title match on tv So America could watch him get beat. Nikita beat 2 men in a handicapped match with a double Russian Sickle! Magnum said he would happily put the belt up anytime Koloff wanted a shot. They showed the Midnight Express winning the World Tag Team Belts from the Rock' N Roll Express from the TBS special that aired the week prior. NWA official Sandy Scott came out and told Cornette the NWA was levying a fine of five thousand dollars for the use of his tennis racquet during the title bout! Corny told Scott he would have brought the money out right then, but he was worried announcer Bob Caudle would try to steal it!(a great line)! Jim Crockett then came out and said he was having his lawyers look into getting the tennis racquet banned for good! Jimmy was not pleased about this turn of events! JJ Dillion did an interview he said it would only take Tully Blanchard 4 weeks not 6 to beat Dusty for the National Title(they had previously predicted 6 weeks)! The show closing angle was Arn Anderson was defending the World TV Belt against Denny Brown. They had a fine back and forth bout going until double AA threw Brown to the floor and in doing so Brown hurt his knee. Arn went to work on it until Dusty came out and told referee Tommy Young to stop the Match. Dusty got in the ring to check on Denny. AA tried to attack him, Dusty beat him to the punch but Tully came down to get Dusty from behind. They hit Rhodes with Dillion's shoe and were laying the boots to him until Magnum came in and ran them off! Action packed show right there!
Easy review nothing of any importance happened! Two separate Austin Idol music videos were shown. As were a Fantastics and a Rick Casey music video(to Merle Haggard's "Natural High" the oddest video choice ever, cause nothing says kick ass wrestler like a mature love ballad!) Jerry Lawler and the Mod Squad and Idol sent in taped interviews, Lawler's in front of a horrible green screen! There were squashes by Abdul Kadaffi, "Thunderbolt" Hamilton, Buddy Landell and Dutch Mantell in a tag match and by Dirty Rhodes and Rick Casey in a two fall expiration of time match! Lance Russell took the week off, I can see why!
WWF All-Star Wrestling 2/15/86 Nothing on this show to speak off! Squashes by Adrian Adonis, Ricky Steamboat, Don Muraco, JYD/George Steele, the Hillbillies and Randy Savage! Best thing on the show two local promos for a Sacramento house show by Bobby Heenan and the Iron Sheik!
NWA Worldwide Wrestling 2/15/86 Finally a show where things happened!There were many squash matches, but It really started with the Koloffs doing an interview where they stated that this week would be Nikita's last match on television until Magnum TA agreed to give him a U.S. Title match on tv So America could watch him get beat. Nikita beat 2 men in a handicapped match with a double Russian Sickle! Magnum said he would happily put the belt up anytime Koloff wanted a shot. They showed the Midnight Express winning the World Tag Team Belts from the Rock' N Roll Express from the TBS special that aired the week prior. NWA official Sandy Scott came out and told Cornette the NWA was levying a fine of five thousand dollars for the use of his tennis racquet during the title bout! Corny told Scott he would have brought the money out right then, but he was worried announcer Bob Caudle would try to steal it!(a great line)! Jim Crockett then came out and said he was having his lawyers look into getting the tennis racquet banned for good! Jimmy was not pleased about this turn of events! JJ Dillion did an interview he said it would only take Tully Blanchard 4 weeks not 6 to beat Dusty for the National Title(they had previously predicted 6 weeks)! The show closing angle was Arn Anderson was defending the World TV Belt against Denny Brown. They had a fine back and forth bout going until double AA threw Brown to the floor and in doing so Brown hurt his knee. Arn went to work on it until Dusty came out and told referee Tommy Young to stop the Match. Dusty got in the ring to check on Denny. AA tried to attack him, Dusty beat him to the punch but Tully came down to get Dusty from behind. They hit Rhodes with Dillion's shoe and were laying the boots to him until Magnum came in and ran them off! Action packed show right there!
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
NWA/CWF Battle of the Belts 2! 2/14/86 review
NWA/CWF Battle of the Belts 2
Match #1 Bahamas Championship Champion Tyree Pride vs Ron Slinker Not familiar with either man in this contest. Slinker was billed as a martial arts expert. I hope he was because wrestling did not appear to be his strong suit! Very basic bout with Slinker trying kicks and chops. With Pride being quicker at every turn! Pride worked on the arm, Slinker went outside numerous times in a 5 to 6 minute match. Pride won when he ducked a chop and came back off the ropes with a flying body press(very awkward looking because Slinker did not take it anywhere near right! Stiff as a damn board! This show must get better quick.
Match #2 Florida Heavyweight Title bout Champion Kendall Windham vs Rocky "Prince" (no not that one) Iaukea Prince starts out fast hitting a boot to the mid-section, slamming Windham's head in the top turnbuckles and launching the young Texan to the floor. After a fast near fall on a Sunset Flip getting back into the ring. Windham hits a leg dive and puts Iaukea in a leg lace hold. After escaping that hold twice. Prince grabs a headlock, When Kendall tries to shoot him off into the ropes, the Prince grabs a handful of hair. Windham hits a huge backsuplex to break the headlock. He then clamps on a headlock of his own. Iaukea got the upper hand several times, but failed to keep it more than a few seconds. Iaukea whipped Kendall into the turnbuckles, but missed a corner splash. Windham Moved very quickly and delivered a good "bulldog" headlock. Rolled his man over a got the pin! Successfully defending his Florida Heavyweight title! Both the guys were "green" and nervous I bet, but it was a good basic bout!
Match #3 World JR Heavyweight title match, Champion Denny Brown Challenger Keiji Mutoh(The White Ninja)! This is the best wrestling match so far by a wide margin! 4 minutes in and nobody has yet to establish a clear advantage. It has been hold-counter hold Mutoh did hit a spinning roundhouse kick to the stomach. Brown quickly recovered however, Chain wrestling clinic to this point. Brown got Mutoh down by executing a top wrist lock into a beauty of a back heel trip. A sequence that started with a test of strength "spot." Mutoh did deliver two hard full bodyslams. The most impactful move of the bout to this point was a stiff back suplex Mutoh hit to counter a headlock by Brown. Brown gets up and manages to land a nice knee drop and hook in a reverse chinlock. Mutoh gets to his feet and hits a picture postcard dropkick that rocked Brown's head. Mutoh locked on a single-leg crab and made Brown go to the ropes. Mutoh hit a backbreaker then applied a Camel Clutch. Mutoh hit his signature moves that were to become known worldwide. His perfect handspring elbow in the corner followed by the (with apologies to Christopher Daniels) the real best Moonsault ever. Brown kicked out at two. They went right to the finish. Brown was attempting what looked to be a "Lou Thez" press and Mutoh counted by accidentally throwing him over the top rope! Brown keeps his title via DQ! Now that folks is a utter horseshit finish to a great match! What a damn shame!
Match #4 Southern Heavyweight Title Bout, Champion Jessie Barr Challenger former champ Lex Luger(managed by Hiro Matsuda).This was a good bout for as green as Luger was. A great job of building Luger up as a star in Florida paid off here. The crowd was into this from the jump. For the 1st few minutes of the bout they chain wrestled and felt each other out. Luger used a headlock while Barr went after the big man's legs. Luger's power began to were down Barr with Lex utilizing a Boston Crab and Bearhug to great effect. The turn in momentum to Jessie came when he blocked Luger over the shoulder(Jessie Ventura style) backbreaker and countered with a backdrop. Jessie then hit a big shoulderbreaker(his finish But Luger got his foot over the bottom rope at the count of two, breaking up the pin. Barr then went for an O'Connor roll, Lex countered by hanging on to the tope rope. Throwing Barr backwards to the canvas. As Barr got to his feet Luger hit a clothesline(that wouldn't have broken an egg!) He went for the pin and Barr put his foot over the rope, Luger knocked it off before the referee(Bill Alfonzo by the way) saw it and he counted Barr down for the three! Your new Southern Champion Lex Luger!
Match #5 Wahoo McDaniel vs Bruiser Brody(managed by Gary Hart) This match was intense and wild for the 7 or 8 minutes it lasted. One word can describe the whole thing BRAWL! Brody kicked and my God Wahoo CHOPPED! Gary Hart threw the Chief into the ringpost(blade job) Then Wahoo threw Brody into the ringpost(blade job) They battled past the ring barricade into ringside with Brody stepping on chairs around the arena. The match was a double countout as Hart pulled Brody away from the fight. (I gotta tell the truth this card has been for the most part Mutoh vs Brown being the lone bright spot even with a huge screw you finish, a big letdown!)
Match #6 The Road Warriors and BlackJack Muligan vs Kevin Sullivan, Bob Roop and Mark Lewin. Another wild chaotic pier six brawl. Sullivan's gang of moral misfits came out with Luna Vachon and two huge snakes. This thing was bonkers from the outset. Just a damn big fist fight! Blood and stairs and Golden spikes and chairs! Referee got thrown down I think it was a double DQ (Like it matters! If you like this style of wrestling have at it! I pass no judgements(out loud anyway)!
Main Event NWA World Title Ric Flair vs Barry Windham! (Thank you God I have stumbled through the wilderness that is this card, for the Manna and Heaven this match is sure to be! I will not bore you with every hold and counter in a 40 minute bout. That being said this is the very definition of a "Five star" match! The chemistry this two had with each other was off the charts! They wrestled they brawled they bled and they both paid the price! Barry Windham was a truly tremendous worker. He used his Lariat and Flair's own figurefour to almost gain victory! Flair for his part was the consummate champion here surviving on guts and will! Match ended in a double countout.(would I have loved to have seen a clear winner? YES but I understand the draw. It sets up rematches and neither man looks weak! In short a classic, bury this match and in 200 hundred years if they wanna know what great athletic compelling pro wrestling was at it's best show them this match!
Final thoughts: two tremendous bouts in a seven match show is not enough! Only the 1st two contests had clean finishes! I know you need match endings where nobody gets beat but to have that happen in the final three bouts is a huge "screw you" to the paying customer!
Match #1 Bahamas Championship Champion Tyree Pride vs Ron Slinker Not familiar with either man in this contest. Slinker was billed as a martial arts expert. I hope he was because wrestling did not appear to be his strong suit! Very basic bout with Slinker trying kicks and chops. With Pride being quicker at every turn! Pride worked on the arm, Slinker went outside numerous times in a 5 to 6 minute match. Pride won when he ducked a chop and came back off the ropes with a flying body press(very awkward looking because Slinker did not take it anywhere near right! Stiff as a damn board! This show must get better quick.
Match #2 Florida Heavyweight Title bout Champion Kendall Windham vs Rocky "Prince" (no not that one) Iaukea Prince starts out fast hitting a boot to the mid-section, slamming Windham's head in the top turnbuckles and launching the young Texan to the floor. After a fast near fall on a Sunset Flip getting back into the ring. Windham hits a leg dive and puts Iaukea in a leg lace hold. After escaping that hold twice. Prince grabs a headlock, When Kendall tries to shoot him off into the ropes, the Prince grabs a handful of hair. Windham hits a huge backsuplex to break the headlock. He then clamps on a headlock of his own. Iaukea got the upper hand several times, but failed to keep it more than a few seconds. Iaukea whipped Kendall into the turnbuckles, but missed a corner splash. Windham Moved very quickly and delivered a good "bulldog" headlock. Rolled his man over a got the pin! Successfully defending his Florida Heavyweight title! Both the guys were "green" and nervous I bet, but it was a good basic bout!
Match #3 World JR Heavyweight title match, Champion Denny Brown Challenger Keiji Mutoh(The White Ninja)! This is the best wrestling match so far by a wide margin! 4 minutes in and nobody has yet to establish a clear advantage. It has been hold-counter hold Mutoh did hit a spinning roundhouse kick to the stomach. Brown quickly recovered however, Chain wrestling clinic to this point. Brown got Mutoh down by executing a top wrist lock into a beauty of a back heel trip. A sequence that started with a test of strength "spot." Mutoh did deliver two hard full bodyslams. The most impactful move of the bout to this point was a stiff back suplex Mutoh hit to counter a headlock by Brown. Brown gets up and manages to land a nice knee drop and hook in a reverse chinlock. Mutoh gets to his feet and hits a picture postcard dropkick that rocked Brown's head. Mutoh locked on a single-leg crab and made Brown go to the ropes. Mutoh hit a backbreaker then applied a Camel Clutch. Mutoh hit his signature moves that were to become known worldwide. His perfect handspring elbow in the corner followed by the (with apologies to Christopher Daniels) the real best Moonsault ever. Brown kicked out at two. They went right to the finish. Brown was attempting what looked to be a "Lou Thez" press and Mutoh counted by accidentally throwing him over the top rope! Brown keeps his title via DQ! Now that folks is a utter horseshit finish to a great match! What a damn shame!
Match #4 Southern Heavyweight Title Bout, Champion Jessie Barr Challenger former champ Lex Luger(managed by Hiro Matsuda).This was a good bout for as green as Luger was. A great job of building Luger up as a star in Florida paid off here. The crowd was into this from the jump. For the 1st few minutes of the bout they chain wrestled and felt each other out. Luger used a headlock while Barr went after the big man's legs. Luger's power began to were down Barr with Lex utilizing a Boston Crab and Bearhug to great effect. The turn in momentum to Jessie came when he blocked Luger over the shoulder(Jessie Ventura style) backbreaker and countered with a backdrop. Jessie then hit a big shoulderbreaker(his finish But Luger got his foot over the bottom rope at the count of two, breaking up the pin. Barr then went for an O'Connor roll, Lex countered by hanging on to the tope rope. Throwing Barr backwards to the canvas. As Barr got to his feet Luger hit a clothesline(that wouldn't have broken an egg!) He went for the pin and Barr put his foot over the rope, Luger knocked it off before the referee(Bill Alfonzo by the way) saw it and he counted Barr down for the three! Your new Southern Champion Lex Luger!
Match #5 Wahoo McDaniel vs Bruiser Brody(managed by Gary Hart) This match was intense and wild for the 7 or 8 minutes it lasted. One word can describe the whole thing BRAWL! Brody kicked and my God Wahoo CHOPPED! Gary Hart threw the Chief into the ringpost(blade job) Then Wahoo threw Brody into the ringpost(blade job) They battled past the ring barricade into ringside with Brody stepping on chairs around the arena. The match was a double countout as Hart pulled Brody away from the fight. (I gotta tell the truth this card has been for the most part Mutoh vs Brown being the lone bright spot even with a huge screw you finish, a big letdown!)
Match #6 The Road Warriors and BlackJack Muligan vs Kevin Sullivan, Bob Roop and Mark Lewin. Another wild chaotic pier six brawl. Sullivan's gang of moral misfits came out with Luna Vachon and two huge snakes. This thing was bonkers from the outset. Just a damn big fist fight! Blood and stairs and Golden spikes and chairs! Referee got thrown down I think it was a double DQ (Like it matters! If you like this style of wrestling have at it! I pass no judgements(out loud anyway)!
Main Event NWA World Title Ric Flair vs Barry Windham! (Thank you God I have stumbled through the wilderness that is this card, for the Manna and Heaven this match is sure to be! I will not bore you with every hold and counter in a 40 minute bout. That being said this is the very definition of a "Five star" match! The chemistry this two had with each other was off the charts! They wrestled they brawled they bled and they both paid the price! Barry Windham was a truly tremendous worker. He used his Lariat and Flair's own figurefour to almost gain victory! Flair for his part was the consummate champion here surviving on guts and will! Match ended in a double countout.(would I have loved to have seen a clear winner? YES but I understand the draw. It sets up rematches and neither man looks weak! In short a classic, bury this match and in 200 hundred years if they wanna know what great athletic compelling pro wrestling was at it's best show them this match!
Final thoughts: two tremendous bouts in a seven match show is not enough! Only the 1st two contests had clean finishes! I know you need match endings where nobody gets beat but to have that happen in the final three bouts is a huge "screw you" to the paying customer!
Friday, March 3, 2017
WWF Philly Spectrum house show 2/8/86 review
WWF Philly Spectrum house show 2/8/86(The Boston Garden show I reviewed yesterday took place on the same day. Two big shows in two major markets in one day!) Commentators Dick Graham and Lord Alfred Hayes(God help me!)
Match 1 Ron Shaw vs George Skaaland(did I say God help me already!) If your dream match is to see a bland job guy take on the bastard son of Wahoo McDaniel's and a dead piece of wood then you gotta see this! Skaaland the son of WWWF legend "the GOLDEN BOY" Arnold Skaaland was so green and so scared I hesitate to make fun of him! I don't know how long he wrestled before or after this match and I hope he has done wonderful things in his life. Pro wrestling was/should not have been on that list! He hit Shaw with the weakest slap I have seen in a ring in a fight or in a sandbox for that matter! He was stuck in invisible concrete for most of the match. Skaaland won the bout using his dad's "Sunset Flip" move. I blocked the rest out, if you like cringe bad wrestling find and watch this six minute slow ass trainwreck!
Match #2 Pedro Morales vs Rene Goulet Good God Pedro was over in Philly! Before the match Pedro got a sign from ringside that I think had a gay slur on it and pointed at Goulet. Crowd went crazy(1986 folks!) These two wily veterans of the mat know how to work a match and a crowd. Pedro took a huge bump over the top rope to give Goulet the heat. They did Goulet "Scorpion" claw hold as the rest hold Morales fought back and won with a jacked up O'Connor roll pinfall!
Match # 3 Hercules vs Scott McGhee Best match of the card to this point. McGhee began by showing his speed hitting good forearms and great dropkicks. Hercules got the upper hand by moving out of the corner and allowing McGhee to strike the ringpost with his shoulder. Hercules bodyslammed and suplexed his young Scottish foe. He used a bearhug. McGee Broke the hold by shoving on Hercules's chin and face at the same time working his arm down in between their bodies and somehow executing a hiplock take over. McGhee has the advantage until Hercules grabs him by the front of the tights and slings him outside to the floor. When Hercules gets near the ropes McGee grabs his ankle and puts him on his back. He drags him over to the ringpost and bashes his ankle(that must have hurt) into it. McGee gets back in does a bodyslam and delivers a beauty of a Barbarian style headbutt off the top rope. He gets a a very close two count. He Springs off the ropes with a tackle. As McGee hits the ropes a second time Hercules catches him in a nice side backbreaker and covers him for the victory! Very good match for third on the card.
#4 Corporal Kirchner vs The Iron Sheik Crowd made this match, without them a very basic bout. Sheik's crowd heat was incredible(the last thing on earth I'd want would be 17 thousand Philly wresting fans pissed at me. Both men grabbed the house mike before the match, getting even more heat! Match began with Sheik attacking from behind using his turban to choke the Corporal. Kirchner turned it around and used it on Sheik! Sheik used his wrestling skill to get the advantage. Suplex The Corp into next week several times with several different suplexes. He hooked on the Camel Clutch but Kirchner made the ropes. Every time the Sheik had the pin he would pull his man up at the count of two. After the third pull up Sheik goes for a vertical suplex. Kirchner blocks it hits a cradle and wins the bout. Sheik tries to attack after the bell but Corp fights him off and Sheik scurries to the dressing room.
Match #5 Adrian Adonis vs George Wells (merciful God let this be short please!!!!!) Not short enough but Jimmy Hart was with Adonis which makes the gimmick better as he has a brush for Adonis's hair. When he gets in trouble or flustered by an opponent Jimmy brushes his golden locks and makes it alright again. Basic match Wells bonked their heads together. Then pulled Hart in the ring as he was holding on to Adonis arm. George missed his high football tackle in the corner and Adrian hit a very scary DDT(Wells landed right on the top of his head) for the pin!
Match #6 Junkyard Dog vs Terry Funk Comedy match here for the most part. Terry funk was a master and being funny and yet irritating the fans all in one. Funk went after announcer Mel Phillips (something he did all the time) JYD protects him. Funk did the spot where he kept running the crisscross after JYD stopped! He also keeps ramming his head in the turnbuckle after Dog stopped! Funk does the ole backwards punt to the groin of JYD to turn the tide. Funk throws dog to the floor and nails him in the gut with his branding iron. Terry removes the tape from his wrist and chokes JYD. JYD fires back up and chases Jimmy Hart around the ring. While Funk sneaks back in the ring with his branding iron. As JYD chases Hart back in the ring Funk takes a wild swing at him with the branding iron. Dog ducks hits a small package(a wrestling move i'm stunned) and wins. Funk attacks with the iron and brands JYD, but Dog takes the weapon from Funk and chases him from the ring.
Match #7 WWF Tag Title bout as Valentine/Beefcake defend against the British Bulldogs! Am i'm not going over every move/twist and turn of the bout(I would be writing till Monday and you would be reading till Tuesday!) All four men at some point had the heat on them. It was a tremendous old school tag bout but nobody kept a advantage for long enough to have it make sense written! Please watch the match best on this show no doubt. Valentine/beefcake won on the ole partner reverses the cradle behind the ref's back spot!
Match # 8 Dan Spivey vs "iron" Mike Sharpe Nothing much to this really. Very quick bout Spivey hit a good dropkick early. Sharpe countered a backdrop by clubbing the, at this point anyway, cheap Barry Windham clone, on the back of his neck. Nobody"s fault here as Danny was greener than a unripe banana shoved up a toad's ass! Spivey fights back and hits a lackluster Bulldog to pick up the W!
Match #9 WWF World Title bout Hulk Hogan faces the challenge of King Kong Bundy! Bundy did a pre-match interview and said The Spectrum was quiet because it was the funeral for HULK-A-Mania! simple but he made his point! They get into a shoving match to start. Hogan tries a tackle Bundy does not budge. Hogan tries again but this time hits a high knee. Bundy goes down for a two count! Hogan keeps up the pressure with elbow smashes. Hogan keeps the advantage until Bundy counters a backdrop attempt by the champ with a kick to the sternum. Then we get the standard Bundy-Hogan bearhug resthold/heatspot! Bundy hits his corner splash(avalanche). He stands there with Hogan prone on the mat for at least half a minute. Then he tries a pin. guess what happens??? ......Nope wrong Hogan kicks out and has a gran mal seizure (I mean Hulk's Up Brother). Bundy hits the corner splash a 2nd time and Hogan no sells it. Punches, big boot and Leg Drop follow, but Bobby Heenan jumps up on the apron and has a pair of brass knuckles on his hand. Hogan comes over to bash Bobby who takes a swing at him. Hogan grabs Heenan and drags him in the ring. Bundy attacks Hogan from behind and Heenan stars to put the boots to him Bundy throws to referee's down(he might have legit hurt one he was supposed to be thrown outside but hit his neck hard on the second rope and he snapped back in the ring!) Hogan gets up drives Bundy out of the ring and punches Bobby once who took a helluva bump! Hogan wins via DQ thus setting up the main event for WrestleMania 2 for the Spectrum faithful!
Not much great wrestling on this show but a very memorable spectacle to say the least!
Match 1 Ron Shaw vs George Skaaland(did I say God help me already!) If your dream match is to see a bland job guy take on the bastard son of Wahoo McDaniel's and a dead piece of wood then you gotta see this! Skaaland the son of WWWF legend "the GOLDEN BOY" Arnold Skaaland was so green and so scared I hesitate to make fun of him! I don't know how long he wrestled before or after this match and I hope he has done wonderful things in his life. Pro wrestling was/should not have been on that list! He hit Shaw with the weakest slap I have seen in a ring in a fight or in a sandbox for that matter! He was stuck in invisible concrete for most of the match. Skaaland won the bout using his dad's "Sunset Flip" move. I blocked the rest out, if you like cringe bad wrestling find and watch this six minute slow ass trainwreck!
Match #2 Pedro Morales vs Rene Goulet Good God Pedro was over in Philly! Before the match Pedro got a sign from ringside that I think had a gay slur on it and pointed at Goulet. Crowd went crazy(1986 folks!) These two wily veterans of the mat know how to work a match and a crowd. Pedro took a huge bump over the top rope to give Goulet the heat. They did Goulet "Scorpion" claw hold as the rest hold Morales fought back and won with a jacked up O'Connor roll pinfall!
Match # 3 Hercules vs Scott McGhee Best match of the card to this point. McGhee began by showing his speed hitting good forearms and great dropkicks. Hercules got the upper hand by moving out of the corner and allowing McGhee to strike the ringpost with his shoulder. Hercules bodyslammed and suplexed his young Scottish foe. He used a bearhug. McGee Broke the hold by shoving on Hercules's chin and face at the same time working his arm down in between their bodies and somehow executing a hiplock take over. McGhee has the advantage until Hercules grabs him by the front of the tights and slings him outside to the floor. When Hercules gets near the ropes McGee grabs his ankle and puts him on his back. He drags him over to the ringpost and bashes his ankle(that must have hurt) into it. McGee gets back in does a bodyslam and delivers a beauty of a Barbarian style headbutt off the top rope. He gets a a very close two count. He Springs off the ropes with a tackle. As McGee hits the ropes a second time Hercules catches him in a nice side backbreaker and covers him for the victory! Very good match for third on the card.
#4 Corporal Kirchner vs The Iron Sheik Crowd made this match, without them a very basic bout. Sheik's crowd heat was incredible(the last thing on earth I'd want would be 17 thousand Philly wresting fans pissed at me. Both men grabbed the house mike before the match, getting even more heat! Match began with Sheik attacking from behind using his turban to choke the Corporal. Kirchner turned it around and used it on Sheik! Sheik used his wrestling skill to get the advantage. Suplex The Corp into next week several times with several different suplexes. He hooked on the Camel Clutch but Kirchner made the ropes. Every time the Sheik had the pin he would pull his man up at the count of two. After the third pull up Sheik goes for a vertical suplex. Kirchner blocks it hits a cradle and wins the bout. Sheik tries to attack after the bell but Corp fights him off and Sheik scurries to the dressing room.
Match #5 Adrian Adonis vs George Wells (merciful God let this be short please!!!!!) Not short enough but Jimmy Hart was with Adonis which makes the gimmick better as he has a brush for Adonis's hair. When he gets in trouble or flustered by an opponent Jimmy brushes his golden locks and makes it alright again. Basic match Wells bonked their heads together. Then pulled Hart in the ring as he was holding on to Adonis arm. George missed his high football tackle in the corner and Adrian hit a very scary DDT(Wells landed right on the top of his head) for the pin!
Match #6 Junkyard Dog vs Terry Funk Comedy match here for the most part. Terry funk was a master and being funny and yet irritating the fans all in one. Funk went after announcer Mel Phillips (something he did all the time) JYD protects him. Funk did the spot where he kept running the crisscross after JYD stopped! He also keeps ramming his head in the turnbuckle after Dog stopped! Funk does the ole backwards punt to the groin of JYD to turn the tide. Funk throws dog to the floor and nails him in the gut with his branding iron. Terry removes the tape from his wrist and chokes JYD. JYD fires back up and chases Jimmy Hart around the ring. While Funk sneaks back in the ring with his branding iron. As JYD chases Hart back in the ring Funk takes a wild swing at him with the branding iron. Dog ducks hits a small package(a wrestling move i'm stunned) and wins. Funk attacks with the iron and brands JYD, but Dog takes the weapon from Funk and chases him from the ring.
Match #7 WWF Tag Title bout as Valentine/Beefcake defend against the British Bulldogs! Am i'm not going over every move/twist and turn of the bout(I would be writing till Monday and you would be reading till Tuesday!) All four men at some point had the heat on them. It was a tremendous old school tag bout but nobody kept a advantage for long enough to have it make sense written! Please watch the match best on this show no doubt. Valentine/beefcake won on the ole partner reverses the cradle behind the ref's back spot!
Match # 8 Dan Spivey vs "iron" Mike Sharpe Nothing much to this really. Very quick bout Spivey hit a good dropkick early. Sharpe countered a backdrop by clubbing the, at this point anyway, cheap Barry Windham clone, on the back of his neck. Nobody"s fault here as Danny was greener than a unripe banana shoved up a toad's ass! Spivey fights back and hits a lackluster Bulldog to pick up the W!
Match #9 WWF World Title bout Hulk Hogan faces the challenge of King Kong Bundy! Bundy did a pre-match interview and said The Spectrum was quiet because it was the funeral for HULK-A-Mania! simple but he made his point! They get into a shoving match to start. Hogan tries a tackle Bundy does not budge. Hogan tries again but this time hits a high knee. Bundy goes down for a two count! Hogan keeps up the pressure with elbow smashes. Hogan keeps the advantage until Bundy counters a backdrop attempt by the champ with a kick to the sternum. Then we get the standard Bundy-Hogan bearhug resthold/heatspot! Bundy hits his corner splash(avalanche). He stands there with Hogan prone on the mat for at least half a minute. Then he tries a pin. guess what happens??? ......Nope wrong Hogan kicks out and has a gran mal seizure (I mean Hulk's Up Brother). Bundy hits the corner splash a 2nd time and Hogan no sells it. Punches, big boot and Leg Drop follow, but Bobby Heenan jumps up on the apron and has a pair of brass knuckles on his hand. Hogan comes over to bash Bobby who takes a swing at him. Hogan grabs Heenan and drags him in the ring. Bundy attacks Hogan from behind and Heenan stars to put the boots to him Bundy throws to referee's down(he might have legit hurt one he was supposed to be thrown outside but hit his neck hard on the second rope and he snapped back in the ring!) Hogan gets up drives Bundy out of the ring and punches Bobby once who took a helluva bump! Hogan wins via DQ thus setting up the main event for WrestleMania 2 for the Spectrum faithful!
Not much great wrestling on this show but a very memorable spectacle to say the least!
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
WWF Boston Garden House Show 2/8/86 review
WWF Boston Garden House Show 2/8/86 Match #1 Lanny Poffo vs Paul Christy They trade armbars early with Christy using the hair several times to drag Poffo back down to the canvas. Christy gets the upper hand by kicking Poffo in the stomach. Lanny goes between the ropes and falls to the outside! Then they do an old "Heel" Tactic spot. Where Christy refuses to let Poffo back in ring. Kicking at him repeatedly smashing his head into the turnbuckle at one point as well. Poffo finally manages to get back in the ring by snapping Christy's neck over the top rope as Poffo drops to the arena floor. Poffo comes in supercharged. With Punches he also whips Christy hard into the turnbuckles. Paul takes a bump and bounces out. Lanny uses a beal out of the corner, Christy scoots out under the bottom rope. Then comes the "spot" of the match. With Christy outside Poffo leaps up to the middle of the top rope and comes crashing down with a forearm to the back of Christy's neck on the floor! A move 7 or 8 years ahead of it's time. The crowd popped like mad for it. This was 86 in the Northeast nobody did that sort of move! Poffo hits a one-foot dropkick then hits his signature one foot backflip from the top rope on the inside to get the pin! (that finisher looks awesome but you wouldn't break an egg doing it!) Crowd woke up for the last two minutes for sure!
Match #2 Sivi Afi vs Barry O Nothing out of the ordinary here. A match that was just sorta their. They began by doing several "duck under go behind drop down" spots. That all ended in Barry O being flat on his back in an arm drag. O got the heat by catching Afi on a side bodyblock and dropping him into a backbreaker. You wanna know how great Barry O was, I could not recall one single move he made while he was in charge! I had to go back and look and I had just seen the match! He hit a nice over the shoulder powerslam and that's about it! Avi reverses a vertical suplex hits a bodyslam and hits the ropes for a splash. Barry gets his knees up. Barry O then heads to the top rope for what you ask? I have no idea as Afi gets up slams him of the ropes. Goes upstairs and hits a flying bodypress for the pin! Afi does this goofy looking victory(dance, jig, fit???) where he looks like he should spike a football when he's done!!!).
Match 3 George "The Animal" Steele vs Tiger Chung Le(I love the late great animal but I would rather get my tongue stuck in a belt sander than watch this match......... Oh well, this is what nobody pays me for!) I stand corrected this match was exactly right fun, wild, and blessedly short. Before the introductions Chung Le attacked Steele with his kendo stick. George gets the stick Chases Chung Le out of the ring with it. He breaks the stick in half over his knee. Chung Le pounces while his back is turned and pounds him till George goes outside. Steele takes a section of the wooden barricade and sets it on one end by the ropes. He climbs in the ring, but Chung Le attacks from behind again and slams Steele's head into it. George takes control by jabbing Tiger with the "object"he always had in his tights. With Chung Le on his back George goes to a corner and begins to work on the middle turnbuckle. Tiger goes over while Steele is in the corner and knees him in the back. The Referee makes Chung Le go back to a neutral corner. While no one is looking George moves the pad on the turnbuckle back exposing the bolt. When Tiger comes back George punches him in the gut grabs his head and drives it into said bolt! 123 your winner that crafty crazy cro-magnum man "The Animal" George Steele!
Match #4 Big John Studd Vs Hillbilly Jim Match starts slow(how else with these two?) Hillbilly goes for a bodyslam, Studd goes up about a third of the way and grabs the top rope. After the referee breaks them up, Studd goes outside and takes a slow stroll around ringside to rile up big Jim. That stall tactic is so great because it always gets heat from the crowd. Studd goes back in clubs the back and grabs a wristlock/armbar. After several attempts Jim manages to break the hold using club like forearms. Studd turns him around backs hit in the corner and unloads with some heavy artillery of his own. He delivers a nice full bodyslam to Hillbilly. Stomps follow and a big bear hug. Hillbilly breaks it with more forearms. Studd drives a knee to the mid-section and climbs up to the 2nd turnbuckle on the inside. He wants to come off with another clubbing blow. Hillbilly has other ideas and counters with a punch to the gut as Studd sails off the ropes. Hillbilly goes for another slam Studd grabs the ropes to block and goes outside. Both men battle on the floor With Jim sending Studd into the ringpost and barley beating the count back in! Your winner in a dud of a match Hillbilly Jim!
Match #5 Randy Savage vs Tito Santana For Santana's IC title! (Probably the 1st WWF match I ever loved I recorded it on a episode of Prime Time Wrestling and I watched it over and over! 31 years later their are still spots I can recall crystal clear!) Two great workers here! They start by several stalemates from the collar and elbow position. Savage escapes a go behind by getting to the ropes. He leaps over the top rope to take a breather. Savage grabs a headlock Santana very quickly after the hiplock takeover gets a headscissors Savage makes the ropes. Savage grabs a headlock and gives Tito a thumb to the eye. Savage bails out Tito follows him and hits him. Throws him back inside and prepares to deliver his flying forearm. Savage bails again Tito follows and foot race around ringside starts. Savage gets in the ring before Tito and hits him with a double axehandle blow to get the advantage. Savage whips Tito into the ropes tries for a boot Santana catches it and spins Savage into an atomic drop. Tito goes for the pin Savage puts his foot on the rope at two. When they lock up again Randy rakes the eyes and Tito falls to the canvas rolling in pain. Savage hits a hook N Ladder clothesline and a double axehandle off the top getting near falls on both. Randy throws Tito to the floor and hits his famous double ax to the floor! Santana sold it like a gunshot! Santana fights back to the apron and climbs the turnbuckle on the outside and flies in the ring and nails Savage with a forearm on the top of the skull! Savage puts his foot over the rope to break the three count! Tito rushes in the corner to fast and Randy hits him full force with a knee. Savage goes for a cover Tito Kicks out at two. Savage lands on referee Danny Davis(yes that Danny Davis) who is shaken up and is a few seconds late when Santana lands a flash small package on Macho! So Savages escapes with a very close 2 count. Savage knocks Tito back down and goes for a flying kneedrop, but misses. Hurting his left knee in the process. Softening him up for Tito's figurefour Santana kicks at the back of the leg several times. Drags Savage mid-ring and slaps on the Figurefour! Randy struggles but turns over twice and grabs the bottom rope. He scoots out underneath the bottom rope and stands on the apron. Santana suplexes him back in(I think they may have knocked the wind out of themselves with that one!) Santana goes for his submission again, Savage kicks him off. Savage goes to the apron again Stands with his back to Tito (who is being backed off by the referee) and goes into his tights(Monsoon doing commentary calls it "a piece of cold rolled steel postmatch, but as he might say "I find that highly unlikely") he does have something in his hand no doubt. There is a bit of a botch here in a bad spot, Santana goes to the wrong side of Savage to pick him up for the suplex! He fixes it as fast as he can. Savage takes a wild swing at Santana who ducks. He picks Randy up to backsuplex him in the ring. Savage waits till he is mid-air and punches Tito in the head with the object Santana crumples to the ground a Savage pins him to become the New IC Champion! Right after the count Savage takes the "object" and skids it outside! During the pin you can clearly see Savage and Santana talking to each other,,,,,,About what? My guess Santana going to the wrong side on the backsuplex, but who knows! The announcers did a great job of making the title switch a huge deal. It was just that Santana had two title reigns in two years that together that saw him be champion for 13 months in total!
Match #6 The Hart Foundation vs The Killer Bees The Bees start to work right from the jump on the arm of "Hitman." After several minutes of getting it worked on Bret gets to his corner and tags in Natty's daddy AKA "The Anvil." Jim hits B Brian with a running knee to the abdomen. Anvil pulls the ref away and Bret gets in some cheapshots. Blair gets choked in the corner and a textbook Bret backbreaker before Neidhart locks on a bearhug. After a few minutes of more beating by the Foundation Neidhart attempts a dropkick(why?) and Blair hangs to the ropes. He makes it to his corner where "Jumping" Jim Brunzell makes the "hot" tag. He hits Anvil with an atomic drop, but quickly gets in trouble after being shot off into the ropes by Neidhart and taking a knee to the back from the apron by Bret! The Hart Foundation does one of their signature moves as Anvil has Brunzell across his knee. Bret comes from the ropes with a pinpoint elbow to the throat. Hart gives Brunzell a hard bodyslam on the outside. Bret whips Anvil into a corner shoulderblock on Jim. When Anvil whips Bret in the corner Brunzell moves and Bret hits sternum first. Brunzell moves quickly and tags Blair back in. Blair is a house a fire he sends anvil into the ropes and Bret Hart goes flying off the apron and knocks over the wooden barricade at ringside.(this was scary fans fell over the police came running it really took the heat focus off the bout!) The end came when Neidhart and Blair were both down in the ring. Brunzell tries to impede Hart from coming in, the referee stops Brunzell. Bret goes up top and hits a elbow on Blair and gets the pin(not the legal man by the way as Monsoon points out.) solid tag work!
Don Muraco vs Ricky Steamboat (martial arts match) Not much to say about this match. As I already reviewed it once. From a house show in Landover Maryland. From 1/18/86. WWF house show matches are very similar from show to show so no real need to cover it twice. Quick highlights Muraco used a slingshot on the floor to catapult Steamboat's head into a chair being held by Mr. Fuji. Steamboat won the bout with a O'Connor roll, and Muraco attacked him with Fuji's cane after the match! These two are always good.
Main Event Cage Match "Rowdy" Roddy Piper vs Bruno Sammartino I have seen this bout many times it was on "Inside the Steel Cage" from Coliseum Video (I rented that a whole bunch!) Roddy Piper was a master at being funny glib and getting people to HATE HIM! Prime Example in Boston 13 days after the Bears beat the hell Out of the Pats in SUPERBOWL XX 46-10 he gets in the ring and tapes two Giant Bears Posters to the cage! The cage was for Roddy's safety at this point! Very basic bloody old school cage match. Piper gets thrown all over the cage and gigs the hell out of his head. He bleeds buckets. Sammartino takes one poster and tries to make Piper eat it. He takes the other and tries to shove it up his ass! (odd but sadly true!) They both hit low blows. Side note: WWE/F cage match rules are really dumb! Bruno wins by hitting Roddy twice in the head with a wooden chair while Piper has him by the ankle. Piper lets go Bruno escapes! good show those last four bouts are worth seeing!
Match #2 Sivi Afi vs Barry O Nothing out of the ordinary here. A match that was just sorta their. They began by doing several "duck under go behind drop down" spots. That all ended in Barry O being flat on his back in an arm drag. O got the heat by catching Afi on a side bodyblock and dropping him into a backbreaker. You wanna know how great Barry O was, I could not recall one single move he made while he was in charge! I had to go back and look and I had just seen the match! He hit a nice over the shoulder powerslam and that's about it! Avi reverses a vertical suplex hits a bodyslam and hits the ropes for a splash. Barry gets his knees up. Barry O then heads to the top rope for what you ask? I have no idea as Afi gets up slams him of the ropes. Goes upstairs and hits a flying bodypress for the pin! Afi does this goofy looking victory(dance, jig, fit???) where he looks like he should spike a football when he's done!!!).
Match 3 George "The Animal" Steele vs Tiger Chung Le(I love the late great animal but I would rather get my tongue stuck in a belt sander than watch this match......... Oh well, this is what nobody pays me for!) I stand corrected this match was exactly right fun, wild, and blessedly short. Before the introductions Chung Le attacked Steele with his kendo stick. George gets the stick Chases Chung Le out of the ring with it. He breaks the stick in half over his knee. Chung Le pounces while his back is turned and pounds him till George goes outside. Steele takes a section of the wooden barricade and sets it on one end by the ropes. He climbs in the ring, but Chung Le attacks from behind again and slams Steele's head into it. George takes control by jabbing Tiger with the "object"he always had in his tights. With Chung Le on his back George goes to a corner and begins to work on the middle turnbuckle. Tiger goes over while Steele is in the corner and knees him in the back. The Referee makes Chung Le go back to a neutral corner. While no one is looking George moves the pad on the turnbuckle back exposing the bolt. When Tiger comes back George punches him in the gut grabs his head and drives it into said bolt! 123 your winner that crafty crazy cro-magnum man "The Animal" George Steele!
Match #4 Big John Studd Vs Hillbilly Jim Match starts slow(how else with these two?) Hillbilly goes for a bodyslam, Studd goes up about a third of the way and grabs the top rope. After the referee breaks them up, Studd goes outside and takes a slow stroll around ringside to rile up big Jim. That stall tactic is so great because it always gets heat from the crowd. Studd goes back in clubs the back and grabs a wristlock/armbar. After several attempts Jim manages to break the hold using club like forearms. Studd turns him around backs hit in the corner and unloads with some heavy artillery of his own. He delivers a nice full bodyslam to Hillbilly. Stomps follow and a big bear hug. Hillbilly breaks it with more forearms. Studd drives a knee to the mid-section and climbs up to the 2nd turnbuckle on the inside. He wants to come off with another clubbing blow. Hillbilly has other ideas and counters with a punch to the gut as Studd sails off the ropes. Hillbilly goes for another slam Studd grabs the ropes to block and goes outside. Both men battle on the floor With Jim sending Studd into the ringpost and barley beating the count back in! Your winner in a dud of a match Hillbilly Jim!
Match #5 Randy Savage vs Tito Santana For Santana's IC title! (Probably the 1st WWF match I ever loved I recorded it on a episode of Prime Time Wrestling and I watched it over and over! 31 years later their are still spots I can recall crystal clear!) Two great workers here! They start by several stalemates from the collar and elbow position. Savage escapes a go behind by getting to the ropes. He leaps over the top rope to take a breather. Savage grabs a headlock Santana very quickly after the hiplock takeover gets a headscissors Savage makes the ropes. Savage grabs a headlock and gives Tito a thumb to the eye. Savage bails out Tito follows him and hits him. Throws him back inside and prepares to deliver his flying forearm. Savage bails again Tito follows and foot race around ringside starts. Savage gets in the ring before Tito and hits him with a double axehandle blow to get the advantage. Savage whips Tito into the ropes tries for a boot Santana catches it and spins Savage into an atomic drop. Tito goes for the pin Savage puts his foot on the rope at two. When they lock up again Randy rakes the eyes and Tito falls to the canvas rolling in pain. Savage hits a hook N Ladder clothesline and a double axehandle off the top getting near falls on both. Randy throws Tito to the floor and hits his famous double ax to the floor! Santana sold it like a gunshot! Santana fights back to the apron and climbs the turnbuckle on the outside and flies in the ring and nails Savage with a forearm on the top of the skull! Savage puts his foot over the rope to break the three count! Tito rushes in the corner to fast and Randy hits him full force with a knee. Savage goes for a cover Tito Kicks out at two. Savage lands on referee Danny Davis(yes that Danny Davis) who is shaken up and is a few seconds late when Santana lands a flash small package on Macho! So Savages escapes with a very close 2 count. Savage knocks Tito back down and goes for a flying kneedrop, but misses. Hurting his left knee in the process. Softening him up for Tito's figurefour Santana kicks at the back of the leg several times. Drags Savage mid-ring and slaps on the Figurefour! Randy struggles but turns over twice and grabs the bottom rope. He scoots out underneath the bottom rope and stands on the apron. Santana suplexes him back in(I think they may have knocked the wind out of themselves with that one!) Santana goes for his submission again, Savage kicks him off. Savage goes to the apron again Stands with his back to Tito (who is being backed off by the referee) and goes into his tights(Monsoon doing commentary calls it "a piece of cold rolled steel postmatch, but as he might say "I find that highly unlikely") he does have something in his hand no doubt. There is a bit of a botch here in a bad spot, Santana goes to the wrong side of Savage to pick him up for the suplex! He fixes it as fast as he can. Savage takes a wild swing at Santana who ducks. He picks Randy up to backsuplex him in the ring. Savage waits till he is mid-air and punches Tito in the head with the object Santana crumples to the ground a Savage pins him to become the New IC Champion! Right after the count Savage takes the "object" and skids it outside! During the pin you can clearly see Savage and Santana talking to each other,,,,,,About what? My guess Santana going to the wrong side on the backsuplex, but who knows! The announcers did a great job of making the title switch a huge deal. It was just that Santana had two title reigns in two years that together that saw him be champion for 13 months in total!
Match #6 The Hart Foundation vs The Killer Bees The Bees start to work right from the jump on the arm of "Hitman." After several minutes of getting it worked on Bret gets to his corner and tags in Natty's daddy AKA "The Anvil." Jim hits B Brian with a running knee to the abdomen. Anvil pulls the ref away and Bret gets in some cheapshots. Blair gets choked in the corner and a textbook Bret backbreaker before Neidhart locks on a bearhug. After a few minutes of more beating by the Foundation Neidhart attempts a dropkick(why?) and Blair hangs to the ropes. He makes it to his corner where "Jumping" Jim Brunzell makes the "hot" tag. He hits Anvil with an atomic drop, but quickly gets in trouble after being shot off into the ropes by Neidhart and taking a knee to the back from the apron by Bret! The Hart Foundation does one of their signature moves as Anvil has Brunzell across his knee. Bret comes from the ropes with a pinpoint elbow to the throat. Hart gives Brunzell a hard bodyslam on the outside. Bret whips Anvil into a corner shoulderblock on Jim. When Anvil whips Bret in the corner Brunzell moves and Bret hits sternum first. Brunzell moves quickly and tags Blair back in. Blair is a house a fire he sends anvil into the ropes and Bret Hart goes flying off the apron and knocks over the wooden barricade at ringside.(this was scary fans fell over the police came running it really took the heat focus off the bout!) The end came when Neidhart and Blair were both down in the ring. Brunzell tries to impede Hart from coming in, the referee stops Brunzell. Bret goes up top and hits a elbow on Blair and gets the pin(not the legal man by the way as Monsoon points out.) solid tag work!
Don Muraco vs Ricky Steamboat (martial arts match) Not much to say about this match. As I already reviewed it once. From a house show in Landover Maryland. From 1/18/86. WWF house show matches are very similar from show to show so no real need to cover it twice. Quick highlights Muraco used a slingshot on the floor to catapult Steamboat's head into a chair being held by Mr. Fuji. Steamboat won the bout with a O'Connor roll, and Muraco attacked him with Fuji's cane after the match! These two are always good.
Main Event Cage Match "Rowdy" Roddy Piper vs Bruno Sammartino I have seen this bout many times it was on "Inside the Steel Cage" from Coliseum Video (I rented that a whole bunch!) Roddy Piper was a master at being funny glib and getting people to HATE HIM! Prime Example in Boston 13 days after the Bears beat the hell Out of the Pats in SUPERBOWL XX 46-10 he gets in the ring and tapes two Giant Bears Posters to the cage! The cage was for Roddy's safety at this point! Very basic bloody old school cage match. Piper gets thrown all over the cage and gigs the hell out of his head. He bleeds buckets. Sammartino takes one poster and tries to make Piper eat it. He takes the other and tries to shove it up his ass! (odd but sadly true!) They both hit low blows. Side note: WWE/F cage match rules are really dumb! Bruno wins by hitting Roddy twice in the head with a wooden chair while Piper has him by the ankle. Piper lets go Bruno escapes! good show those last four bouts are worth seeing!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)