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AWA Championship Wrestling

On ESPN Classics

April 29, 2008

Doug Maynard

 

Happy Tuesday. It's Doug and I'm back again for another wild week of classic wrestling goodness that is the AWA on ESPN Classics. It's from 1988 and coming from Music City, USA aka Nashville, TN. Will this be a fun week of good times, good matches and pure excitement or will it just totally blow? I'm hoping for the first, but somewhat expecting the latter. 1988 was not a good time for the AWA.

 

Anyhow, lets get right to the action. "Stagger" Lee Marshall is the main guy on commentary and he's joined throughout the evening by numerous others. These first two matches feature Lee listening to the exciting (?) and expert analysis of Verne Gagne.

 

No, Beauty and the Beast isn't a Princess and a wild animal from Disney. Instead, it's Terrance Garvin, who looks and acts like a very sweetened version of Jimmy Garvin and his bigger, yet not more beautiful comrade, The Beast. I'm not sure who this guy is and apparently, neither is Marshall as he just refers to Garvin and his partner as "Beauty" and "Beast". Garvin would later go on to achieve some fame as the color-commentator for World Class Championship Wrestling and as the sometimes-partner of Jerry Lawler.

 

Garvin starts off against Rice and Rice takes control almost immediately with a shoulder, a hip-toss and then to the arm. Paul tags in and after some quick double-teaming on the arm, he scores with a clothesline. Rice is back in and locks up the arm, but Garvin rips at the eyes and tags out to Beast. Rice catches Beast coming in with a couple of arm-drags. Paul tags in and keeps control with a hip-toss and a leg-drop. Beast rips at the eyes, but Paul manages to tag Rice and they do the double-team on Beast. More quick tags by Rice & Paul as they keep the pressure on the arm of the bigger Beast.

 

Beast finally scores with some knees and an elbow and we see Garvin & Beast do some "Shades of Walt Disney" double-teaming as they work over Rice. Beast pounds away at Rice and tags in Garvin, who misses a flying cross-body splash. Crash and burn time. Rice shows him how it's supposed to be done and hits a flying splash for a two-count. Dropkick by Rice and he tags in Paul. Paul with the big splash from the top for the easy pin.

 

After the commercial, we come back and Diamond Dallas Page has entered the ring. He's got a stretcher with him and lays it against the ring on the outside. Anyone who gets in their way will get carried out on a stretcher. He tells the fans to stand at attention and show some respect as he introduces his latest charge, accompanied by the Diamond Doll, it's the mercenary from South Africa, Col. DeBeers.

 

DeBeers immediately attacks Rayburn with punches and stomps. A back-breaker and more punches, knees and kicks. It's just a DeBeers mauling. Facedriver by DeBeers and he gets a two-count, picking the man up before the referee can count three. Another facedriver by DeBeers and the easy squash pin.

 

We now go to Larry Nelson who talks about a recent incident between Madusa Miceli and Wendi Richter. This is from last Friday's show, so I'll just cut and paste the part of that report that covers this clip.

 

"Wendi with the shoulder-breaker for a one-count. A knee and kick and Wendi scores with a sunset-flip for two. Kick and suplex by Wendi for another two. Wendi lifts up Madusa and it's a power-bomb! "Oh my God!" Wendi covers and here comes Badd Company into the ring to attack Wendi. They drop her throat first across the top rope and then it's a three-on-one mugging as Tanaka, Diamond and Madusa continue to stomp away and beat on the fallen Richter. The referee calls for the bell. Finally, here come the Top Guns to make the save!"

 

We go back to Larry Nelson who calls the situation disgusting. And now it's to Wendi Richter who says that she wants Madusa one on one. She has the Top Guns by her side and says that Madusa had better beware because she's coming after her.

 

And now, it's back to the matches. For the next two matches, Lee Marshall was joined by the voice of G.L.O.W. and P.O.W.W. - the one and only David MacLane. If this doesn't prove that the AWA was on their last legs at this point, nothing does. MacLane should never be let anywhere near a legitimate wrestling company ring. Kind of like Mike Adamle...lol.

 

You know it's going to be a major squash when the challengers don't even have names. It's just "Nature's Best 1 & 2", I guess. Lane starts off with # 1 and slams him into the corner. Davis in with a clothesline. Lane in with the elbow and a slam. Davis in with the suplex and an elbow. Lane with the slam and leg-drop. Davis in and he throws N.B. # 1 into his corner for a tag. N.B. # 2 in and Davis with the knee. Lane in and we see a double-clothesline by the RPM's. Stomps by Lane and he tags out. Davis in with a "Shades of Wrestling II" knee-lift.

 

Lane in with a neck vice and some clubbering. Davis in and he tosses # 2 into his corner so # 1 is back. Davis clubs away and tags out to Lane. Lane with the power-bomb on #1 and Davis gives the assist. Cover and pin by the RPM's.

 

Commercial time as we get reminded to check our credit before we end up selling fish to tourists in t-shirts. And then it's back to the mat action.

 

Brown dances his way to the ring, but the fans don't really seem to care too much. Young & Brown start off by trading fists back and forth. A dropkick by Brown and rather than follow up, he decides to dance. Brown with s shoulder and a slam. Young bails to the floor. Brown with punches, but misses a splash-attempt as Young ducks and Brown slides to the floor. Young takes control as Brown returns to the ring with punches, forearms and a big toss to the air so Brown goes splat! More punches by Young, but Brown fights back with a kick.

 

They're trading punches and kicks at this point. Young rakes the eyes and scores with a backdrop. Brown comes back with punches and a flying headbutt. Bruno reaches in and trips Brown as he comes off the ropes and Gary hits a big elbow. Bruno is up on the apron and Brown grabs Bruno by the throat. Young attacks with a fist and a clothesline. He goes outside and climbs to the top. Flying headbutt by Young, but Brown moves so it's crash & burn for Young. Brown to the top with the "Shades of Rick Steamboat" flying body press for the pin.

 

And now it's time for the main event. Lee Marshall is joined by Ray "The Crippler" Stevens for this match.

 

Kerry starts off by "Flair strutting" and then shoves Lawler to the corner. Lawler with a shove of his own and then we have a long lock-up with neither man able to maintain an advantage. Lawler with a headlock and a shoulder-block and then it's Lawler with some "Fargo-strutting" all his own. Kerry takes control with a kick, a clothesline, another kick and another clothesline. Lawler with a small-package for two. Lawler with the clothesline and Kerry rolls to the floor to escape the ring.

 

Kerry returns to the ring and Lawler and Von Erich trade fists. Kerry with a slam, but misses an elbow drop. Lawler goes up top and jumps right into the Von Erich Iron Claw. Kerry has the claw locked in on Lawler. Jerry elbows and punches his way free and the strap comes down. Lawler and Von Erich just trade punches. The ref gets too close and both men turn and, in a magical moment of in-stereo action, punch the ref. Kerry takes control with more punches as the second referee, Frank Morrell, comes to the ring and calls for the bell. Both men are disqualified.

 

Double Disqualification - No Contest

 

Kerry gets the mic. He didn't come all the way from Texas for a disqualification. He's not leaving that ring until there is a winner. Lawler says OK, so the ref calls for the match to re-start.

 

Lawler and Von Erich are trading punches and the ref gets squashed and bumped in the corner. Von Erich catches Lawler with a big piledriver and the ref is down to count the three-count.

 

Winner: Kerry Von Erich

 

The other ref is up. The piledriver is illegal in TN, so Von Erich is automatically disqualified.

Lawler wins by DQ.

 

Lawler gets on the mic. According to World Class rules, titles change hands on a DQ, so Lawler says that he is also the new World Class Champion.

 

Kerry on the mic. In World Class, they don't have any sissy rules like the piledriver being illegal. So as far as he's concerned, he's the World Champion.

 

The referee's raise Lawler's hand as the announcers explain that the piledriver, while legal in the AWA and World Class, is illegal in the State of TN, by order of the State Athletic Commission, so Kerry's using the piledriver was an automatic DQ.

 

Damn, that was confusing. When did Dusty Rhodes start booking in Nashville? Or was Vince Russo one of their writers? Sure seems like it, doesn't it?

 

And to close out the show, we get one of those Cheesy of the Cheesiest patented AWA "Special Look" videos taking a look-see at the ever-so-popular Sgt. Slaughter.

 

And the show ends.

 

A lot of squash action that shows just how much the AWA had fallen by this point. The Lawler - Von Erich match was confusing, but it's a piece of history and was important in setting up their big match for SuperClash III, so it was worth watching. The rest of it... *sighs*.

 

That's it for me today. I'll be back tomorrow with more classic mat goodness from the AWA and ESPN Classics, so watch for it.

 

Questions and comments can be sent to Doug28352@yahoo.com. If anyone knows who played the role of "The Beast" in the tag team with Terrance Garvin, I'd love to know. And just who was this team of "Nature's Finest"? And why do I even care?

 

Come visit me at MySpace at www.myspace.com/salt_palace. Add me as a friend. You know you want to.

 

And on that, I'm Doug and I'm outta here. Have a great day and always be a fan.

 

Ubuntu!