Post by fifthhorseman on Sept 29, 2022 22:50:44 GMT -5
AWA ALL-STAR WRESTLING
EPISODE 28
EPISODE 28
Pyro from Evansville, Indiana, then a 60-second sizzle reel of classic AWA action interspersed with close-ups of and highlights from members of the current AWA roster.
The DYNAMITE KID vs. PRINCE PUMA:
vs.
vs.
Hot open with both men already standing in opposite corners while Lee Marshall made the ring introductions. The Stampede Mid-Heavyweight champion, Chad Gable, strolled out and joined Joey Styles on commentary; he wanted to scout this match as closely as he could. This was extremely fast-paced and acrobatic, and they went 15 exhilarating minutes before the Englishman finished off Puma with a running powerslam. When he walked by Gable, the Kid let him know that he was after his belt.
COMMERCIAL
A pre-taped interview with Christian Cage was shown, and he was tired of the tricks and games. “Killer Kross, I want you at Autumn Bomb.”
A highlight package was next, featuring Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard. The two men did the voice-over, vowing that they would show the world who the best tag-team in the AWA truly was.
AWA SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
MJF (w/Freddie Blassie) vs. LOU THESZ:
vs.
MJF (w/Freddie Blassie) vs. LOU THESZ:
vs.
Friedman wanted to give the “young whippersnapper” Thesz a shot at his gold, and everyone in attendance thought it would be a cakewalk for the champ. However, Thesz's amateur training frustrated MJF early on, and it took the Southern champion much longer than he anticipated – about seven minutes – to finally make his foe submit with his Salt of the Earth armbreaker.
COMMERCIAL
After a short video recap of Scorpio Oro's match was shown (from last week), the masked man cut a pre-recorded promo. His voice was scrambled, and accented, but he made it clear that he was going to become the most famous man in not only the AWA, but the UWA, and soon.
JERRY LAWLER (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. MAD DOG VACHON:
vs.
vs.
Vachon stood impatiently in the ring for his opponent, and after a suspenseful pause, Jimmy Hart walked out onto the stage and, mike in hand, told everybody that Jerry Lawler would not be able to wrestle tonight, having sustained a sprained ankle saving children from a burning orphanage in Memphis that very morning. However, his newest client wanted to take “the King's” place.
AUSTIN THEORY (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. MAD DOG VACHON:
vs.
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Theory put up a good struggle, but Mad Dog took out his frustrations on him. He slung the wrestling prodigy from pillar to post, and won with a tombstone piledriver. The AWA legend shouted into a nearby camera's direction, calling Lawler a liar and a coward.
COMMERCIAL
Joey Styles welcomed Commissioner Stu Hart onto the stage, and the matchmaker had plenty of announcements to make. The main event for AWA Autumn Bomb was set: Barry Windham versus the champion, Don Leo Jonathan, for the AWA World Heavyweight championship.
He also revealed not one, not two, but three matches for next week's edition of AWA All-Star Wrestling: Norman Smiley versus Chris Hero; Bronson Reed and Jacob Fatu would make their debut against 2point0; and the Blond Bombers would square off against Mark and Jay Briscoe!
LEVIATHAN vs. WARDLOW (w/Freddie Blassie):
vs.
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Wardlow wasn't accustomed to being the smaller man, but at nearly 270 pounds, it's not like he was tiny. After assessing how strong the massive rookie was, the Pinnacle's heavyweight took charge and with an incredible show of strength, gave Leviathan a devastating powerbomb to earn the victory.
COMMERCIAL
Another highlight reel, this time for the Midnight Express. Whether it was Eaton and Condrey, or Eaton and Lane, the team was always a well-oiled machine. They narrated over it as if they were talking to Tully and Arn directly; they beat them for the titles and ran them out of the NWA, and they would run them out of the AWA, too.
DUKE ROTUNDA (w/Mike Rotunda) vs. REX STEINER:
vs.
vs.
The referee took charge early on, and told the elder Rotunda to leave ringside after he took a swing at Steiner with his briefcase. After he left, Steiner could focus all of his attention on his bigger opponent, and after a few minutes of see-saw action, Steiner nailed him with a vicious spear to win it. After the match, brother Bo ran out to avenge Duke's loss, but Steiner escaped through the crowd with a determined grin on his face.
COMMERCIAL
Before the main event started, Joey Styles welcomed his new permanent color man to the broadcast table, the always animated Don West. He was obviously excited to be there, and he broke the news that the Killer Kross/Christian Cage match was made official for Autumn Bomb just moments ago.
AWA WORLD TAG-TEAM TITLE MATCH
TULLY BLANCHARD and ARN ANDERSON (w/Freddie Blassie) vs. the MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (w/Jim Cornette):
vs.
TULLY BLANCHARD and ARN ANDERSON (w/Freddie Blassie) vs. the MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (w/Jim Cornette):
vs.
Cornette went with the Eaton/Lane version of the Express on this night; after all, they were the men that defeated the Horsemen for the NWA World tag titles years earlier. During the ring introductions, Blassie angrily sneered last-minute instructions at his men, reminding them that this was their chance to get their win back.
This was as exactly as great as you think it was. Four of the best of all-time, extremely motivated, with two master strategists in their corners. The crowd was reluctantly split down the middle, and neither team changed their style to ingratiate themselves to the Evansville audience. They went 20 minutes, and as the television time wound down, things became even more frantic. Anderson hit Eaton with his patented spinebuster, but the count was broken – by Condrey. The referee called for the bell, and the Express fought three on two against Anderson and Blanchard. Wardlow and MJF ran out, turning it into a four-on-three that saw even Cornette take a tumble from the ring apron to the floor before he and his crew departed, angry, but with the tag-team straps over their shoulders. The crowd wasn't happy with the DQ finish, but the two factions' rivalry was far from over.