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AWA Championship Wrestling

On ESPN Classics

May 16, 2008

Doug Maynard

 

Back again and it's time for another night of action from the world famous Showboat Pavilion. It's the AWA on ESPN. This show is from March, 1988 and brings to you the very finest in great wrestling action. At least that's the tag-line they're giving us. Let's see what's shaking.

Larry Nelson is here. Lee Marshall & Rod Trongard are calling the action. And the Three Stooges are Larry, Moe, Curly, Shemp, Joe & the other Joe. And now that we know who's who, let's get to the action.

 

Nelson and Marshall are at ringside to start and give us a rundown of who we're going to see. Wahoo McDaniel. The Nasty Boys. The AWA World Champion, Curt Hennig. And a main event of Teijo Khan vs. Baron Von Raschke. It sounds decent so far, and maybe if we're really lucky, the Baron will sing for us again. One can only hope.

No commercial break. We go straight to a match.

 

No offense to Rice, but he looks like a 14-year old little punk here. Or like Corey Haim. Take your pick. Pistol Pete has a cool name. I hope he gets more offense in this match than he has the last few times I've seen him wrestle. Heck, he'd have to. I can't see a Ricky Rice match being a total SQUASH like the others have been. But then again, this is the AWA, so who knows for sure.

 

Lock up and they go to the ropes. Rice breaks clean. Another lock up and to the ropes. Pete with a chop. Rice with a quick roll-up, but doesn't get a count. A quick fireman's carry and Rice locks up the arm. Pete reverses the armlock and scores with some punches and an elbow for two. Marshall and Trongard are just totally ignoring the match and talking about a "travesty" that occurred last week (on a show we have yet to see, I might add), where Badd Company defeated The Midnight Rockers to capture the AWA World Tag Team TItles. I guess that Marty got busted up pretty badly and Badd Company did what heels do... and cheated to win the titles. Marshall and Trongard are rambling about that match and totally ignoring the match taking place in front of them. Much like I'm doing right now.

 

A slam to the corner by Pete on Rice and a big slam for a one-count. Another slam to the corner and a whip across the ring by Pete. Rice reverses and we see Rice give Pete five or six head shots to the corner turnbuckle. Rice with a backdrop and then a "Shades of Greg Gagne" dropkick. And he gets the pin. I guess even kids who look like they should be named "Corey" can get squashes too.

 

Larry tells us that the AWA is coming to the Carolinas for a tour that will be featuring the Rock & Roll Express & Wahoo McDaniel. We go to a pre-recorded interview with AWA World Champion Curt Hennig and AWA Ladies Champion Madusa Miceli. Curt tells us to listen up because he's talking. There's been a lot of controversy lately between himself and Wahoo McDaniel. They've had some brutal wars and Curt knows that Wahoo just wants to put him out of professional wrestling. The belt doesn't matter to Wahoo. But Curt had Madusa Miceli in his corner and that will be just one more obstacle for Wahoo to try and overcome.

 

AWA Ladies Champion Madusa still has her arm in the sling as she comes to ringside with her fellow World Champion. Curt is arrogant and has a few words for Rod Trongard at ringside before he climbs into the ring. Lock up and Curt takes down Robertson with a single-leg take-down. An amateur take-down and ride by Hennig and then a chinlock. Curt is just playing with and mocking this kid. Curt talks some trash, asking Robertson, "you wanna be a wrestler, boy!" and gives him a good little slap.

 

Robertson grabs a headlock. Curt to the arm and then a chop. Back to the arm and a kick by Hennig. An abdominal stretch and some fists by Hennig. Another chop and an elbow. Curt rips at the face. Curt walks away from Robertson and Greg gets in some forearm shots to the back and a dropkick. Curt goes to the floor. Robertson gets in some forearm shots as Curt gets back into the ring. Curt with some kicks and a "Absolutely Perfect" fisherman's suplex aka "The Perfect-Plex" to get the easy pin.

 

We go to Larry Nelson, who immediately sends us to Greg Gagne. It's time for the Mat Classic from December 7, 1984. It's from Winnipeg, Canada and it's the legendary Road Warriors versus Steve Keirn & Stan Lane, aka The Fabulous Ones. We join the match in progress.

 

Hawk with a chinlock on Stan Lane. Lane with a borderline low elbow shot to escape. Animal tags in with kicks and stomps for Lane. Animal with a big splash, but Stan gets the knees up. Steve Keirn tags in and goes after Animal with punches and kicks in the corner. He nails Hawk on the ring apron. Keirn charges Animal in the corner, but Animal nails him with a knee to the gut. Animal tries for a clothesline, but Keirn ducks and hits a flying forearm shot. Here comes Lane and Hawk both into the ring to get involved and it's certified OINGO BOINGO as all four men are brawling. Keirn has Hawk locked in a stretch near the corner. Paul Ellering has a chair and is up on the the steps and ready to bash Keirn with the chair. Here is Crusher and he grabs the chair from Ellering's hands. Crusher has the chair and chases Ellering into the ring and to the floor again. Keirn and Lane are still brawling with Hawk & Animal. The ref is waving his arms and calls for the bell.

 

That would have been a fun match to see completely. At least we did get to see the finish. 1984 was a good year for the AWA and I hope that we eventually get to see some shows and tapes from that era. I doubt we will, but one can always hope. To the next match.

 

Wahoo & Krugnoff start. Wahoo with a chop and a headlock. Morton tags in with a double-stomp to the gut, a slam, some punches and a headlock. Krugnoff grabs the hair, but Ricky cinches in with a front facelock. Wahoo tags back in with chops and Krugnoff goes to the floor. After Krugnoff gets back in the ring, it's Wahoo with chops and punches in the corner. Snapmare and a neck-vice and a tag out to Morton. Ricky in with punches and a "Shades of Wrestling II" knee-lift. Krugnoff forces Morton back into his corner and tags in Ustinov.

 

Soldat in with some clubbing blows and a bearhug. He forces Ricky's shoulders down to the mat for a two-count. Ricky is trapped as Soldat cinches in on the bearhug. Ricky boxes the ears to escape and scores with a hip-toss. Wahoo tags in and it's a double-elbow shot from the Morton - Wahoo duo. Wahoo with the snapmare, a stomp and a chinlock. Wahoo moves into a full nelson and Morton gets in an illegal punch from the outside on Ustinov. Wahoo unloads with the chops and Soldat tags out to Krugnoff.

 

Crusher in and Wahoo sweeps the leg, locking in a leglock and keeping Krugnoff on the mat as he delivers a few knees. A tag to Morton who hits a knee from the second rope. A double-legdrop across the shins of Krugnoff by Morton and Crusher sings soprano. Morton locks up the leg. Krugnoff rips at the eyes. Morton fights back with the fists. Wahoo tags in and gets the big chop coming off the ropes. As Ricky comes across the ring and dropkicks Ustinov to keep him from getting involved, Wahoo covers Krugnoff and gets the pin.

 

We go to Larry Nelson with a Ricky Morton promo. It's the same promo from last night. Bah! Cut & paste time.

 

Ricky talks about the current scene in the Carolinas and says that he and Robert are going to be the 5x World Tag Team Champions. The fans know what the Rock & Roll Express can do and are all about. Ricky cuts a little rhyme about "gotta hurry, gotta go, can't be late, got three lovely ladies, can't make them wait" and shakes Nelson's hand before wandering off. Not bad for his first promo in the AWA - Ricky talked about the NWA, the Carolinas and their goals to be the NWA World Tag Team Champs. Makes sense to me. NOT!

 

And now it's time for the "Big Goof" segment, or the "Big K" as he's known as. The guy's name is Stan Kowalski and this is about as useless and lame a segment as ever. He takes credit for telling Badd Company how to beat the Midnight Rockers and capture the World Tag Team Titles. He calls Baron Von Raschke a big crybaby and says he needs to retire before he gets hurt by Sheik Adnan, Ustinov and Teijo Khan. And finally, "The Big K" says that he's responsible for telling Sheik Adnan and Ustinov about Teijo Khan. "Big K" says he'll be back next week with more thoughts and insights. Lord, I hope not! I'd rather sit through an Iron Sheik motivational speech about "humbling B. Brian Blair" than have to see this goof again.

 

To the main event.

 

The Baron is actually running the ropes as he's introduced. I don't think I've ever seen him do that before. Ustinov and his Russian flag are in the corner of Teijo Khan. Teijo starts by charging in and runs right into a backdrop by the Baron. Teijo quickly bails to the floor as the Baron threatens the claw. Ustinov is in the ring and he charges at the Baron as well and ends up getting back-dropped. The Baron threatens him with the claw too and Ustinov drops to the floor.

 

Teijo tries to sneak up on the Baron, but Raschke turns around and catches him. Teijo misses a chop. Baron with the fist. Teijo to the arm. The Baron reverses and twists the arm. Teijo reaches for a handful of hair on the Baron, but is just S.O.L. (and we all know what that means!) Baron shows him how it's done and grabs Teijo by the braid and pulls him to the mat. Baron has the arm locked up as Teijo again looks for a handful of hair. And again, the Baron grabs him by his hair and pulls him to the mat. Teijo with a punch to escape. The Baron hits an arm-drag and again locks up the arm of Teijo Khan.

 

A stomp and an arm-bar by the Baron. Teijo with a chop. As Teijo distracts the ref, Ustinov reaches in from the outside and chokes the Baron with his flag. Teijo with a choke and Ustinov gets in another shot from the outside as well. Teijo traps Baron in the corner and works him over with punches and rips at the eyes. The Baron rips at Teijo's eyes and slams him to the corner. Punches and clubbing forearms by the Baron and a snapmare into a chinlock. Raschke rips at the nose and face of Teijo Khan.

 

Teijo comes back with punches and a choke. A big thrust to the throat and some chops and Teijo gets two. Teijo locks in a nerve hold on the side of the Baron's neck. The Baron fights free with a series of short elbows. Teijo rips at the eyes and slams Baron to the mat. Teijo goes up to the second rope, but misses the flying headbutt. Crash & burn time. The Baron with fists and a backdrop. More punches and elbows and it's time for the "Shades of Nazis" goose-step. And the fans cheer. That just kills me.

 

But before the Baron can lock in the claw, Teijo hits him with a karate thrust to the throat. Soldat is up on the apron to distract the ref. Baron whips Teijo into the ref, which knocks both the ref and Ustinov out to the floor. The ref is bumped. The Baron has the CLAW on Teijo. Ustinov is in the ring with his flag and crashes the flag across the head of Von Raschke. Ustinov places Khan on top of the fallen Baron before grabbing his bent flag pole and bailing from the ring as the referee recovers and climbs back into the ring. The ref sees Teijo covering the Baron and makes the three-count.

 

Larry Nelson talks to the Baron immediately after the match. The Baron is angry and mad. Ustinov, Sheik Adnan, Teijo... every time he has one of them beat, someone hits him from behind. If they want a war, they've got a war. He'll find a partner and take them on, be it one at a time, two or even three at a time.. he doesn't care. Larry cuts him off to end the interview and brings in Lee Marshall. I'd rather hear the Baron talk more than have to listen to "Stagger Lee". Lee & Larry talk about the action they've just witnessed and Lee says he's hopes that the Baron can find a partner.

 

And there you go. The end. It wasn't a bad show. Wahoo & Ricky Morton made an interesting tag team combination and, believe it or not, I'm starting to actually like Soldat Ustinov. I don't understand it either, but he's growing on me. And a main event with the Baron, plus an appearance by The Road Warriors and The Fabulous Ones. That's not too shabby at all.

 

And then they had to to ruin things with that goof, "The Big K". I don't understand why he's there or what purpose he serves except to take up space as filler. But hell, if they want filler, let the Baron sing some more. Even Donna and her "Hot Rumors" segment she used to do was better than this guy. But I'm learning how to block that goof out. I just pretend he's my Mom telling me what's good for me and what I need to be doing with my life and I've found it goes right on through quickly and I hardly hear a word. Plus we didn't get the Nasty Boys as promised.  And that somewhat sucks!  But then again, at that point of their career, so did they.  No big loss for me.  So the good outweighed the bad and the hour went by quickly.

 

And on that, I'm getting out of here. I've got laundry to do. And a blog to write. And maybe a nap to take. So there you go. Send comments and questions to Doug28352@yahoo.com. Visit me at MySpace at www.myspace.com/salt_palace. Add me as a friend. You know you want to.

 

I'll be back again tomorrow with more classic AWA goodness from the folks at ESPN Classics. I'll be here, so you be here too, OK? Have a great day and always be a fan. Catch ya later!