Retro: AWA On ESPN Classics: April 22, 2008

AWA Championship Wrestling
On ESPN Classics
April 22, 2008
Doug Maynard

Another week of great AWA action. Yep, that's what we have here. I'm Doug and this is the recap of days gone by. It's the AWA on ESPN Classics. It's the Monday show. And I'm ready to go.

We're from Las Vegas, Nevada at the world famous Showboat Sports Pavilion. The guys at ringside are Lord James "Put De' Lime In De' Coconut" Blears and Rod "Coast To Coast" Trongard. And Larry "Hey Buddy, Can Ya Spare A Dime" Nelson is the man with all the questions and answers.

This is from sometime in 1986...

Bobby Bold Eagle vs. Nord The Barbarian (with Sheik Adnan El Kassey)

Barbarian has a stretcher with him as he comes to the ring. He also has a name. He's "Nord". For this week anyhow. Eventually, that would be dropped and he would be just the Barbarian. Complete squash match. Barbarian attacks with a chop and a big boot to the face. Barbarian tosses Eagle to the floor and follows him to outside the ring. Barbarian picks up Eagle and rams his back into the steel ring post. Some stomps and Barbarian rolls Eagle back into the ring. A slam, a knee and a piledriver to finish things. Huss! Huss! Huss! Nord the Barbarian with the pin.

Winner: Nord the Barbarian (with Sheik Adnan El Kassey)

After the match, Nord rolls Eagle on to the waiting stretcher. He helps the referee carry Eagle to the back on the stretcher.

Larry Nelson gets to talk to Sheik Adnan & The Barbarian. Sheik says that they promised that anyone who faced Barbarian would be carried out on a stretcher and that's exactly what they're doing. Sheik rants about Greg Gagne, Nick Bockwinkel and "that fat slob" Jerry Blackwell and says that they will all end up on that stretcher. Barbarian hollers for a bit about how he played in the USFL and they didn't pay him right. Sheik pays him in money, gold, and women. Barbarian promises Sheik that he'll keep sending the folks out on the stretchers.

We see a couple of the old AWA action figures (Road Warrior Animal, Paul Ellering) as we go to commercial.

Alan West vs. "The Living Legend" Larry Zbyszko

It's time to take that trip to Larry-Land. It's kind of like Oz, but not as many midgets. Just follow the black and blue spud-heads. Larry is arguing and complaining long before he ever gets in the ring and arguing with the fans as well. We see a sign that says "Limp Wrist Larry" in the crowd and Larry is complaining about that. We go almost five minutes of Larry being "Classic Zbyszko" before we ever get any in-ring action. A couple of false-starts as Zbyszko & West lock up and West shoves Larry away, breaking the hold. Finally, Zbyszko does the arm-drag on West. West hits a hip-toss and Zbyszko bails to the floor to complain and stall.

Larry finally gets back in the ring and slams West for a two-count. West comes back with a slam of his own and Larry again bails to the floor to complain. After a little time-out by Zbyszko, they lock up again and West gets a headlock. Larry throws some forearm shots, but West hits a shoulder-block and a sunset flip for two. Back to the headlock by West. Larry manages to get out and we see a test of strength. Larry uses a handful of hair to get the advantage and he locks up the arm of West. West takes back control with an elbow-shot, a slam, and a "Shades of William Regal" knee-lift for a two-count. West misses a dropkick and Larry quickly rolls him up with a handful of tights to get the quick pin.

Winner: Larry Zbyszko

A commercial break and then quickly to the next match.

Boris Zhukov & Ali Khan (with Sheik Adnan El Kassey) vs, Bill Anderson & Jesse Hernandez

Big chants of "Sheik's A Freak" fill the arena as the match begins. Zhukov starts off with Hernandez with a slam, a knee and a had ram into the corner. Khan tags in and we see a double-team slam into the corner. Anderson tags in and Khan immediately assaults him with forearms to the back. Zhukov is back in and throws fists and several headbutts to the back. Khan tags back in and after some punches, locks in a big bear-hug. A tag to Zhukov who comes in with a slam. Hernandez tags in and Zhukov attacks him with headbutts and a slam. A big knee from the second rope and Khan tags in. We see an inverted body-vice, or as I'd call it, a "Shades of Bruno Sammartino beating Buddy Rogers" back-breaker. Jesse submits and the Sheik's army picks up the win.

Winners: Boris Zhukov & Ali Khan (with Sheik Adnan El Kassey)

And now it's time for the main event.

AWA World Tag Team Championship Match
"Pretty Boy" Doug Somers & "Playboy" Buddy Rose (with Sherri Martel) vs. Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels - The Midnight Rockers

Nelson introduces Rose as 271lbs and Buddy forgets to correct him. He's all business tonight. And Sherri looks, dare I say it, "Sensational" . Rose and Michaels start off. Buddy stalls for a bit and then hits a shoulder-block. Shawn with a sunset flip for a quick two. Fists by Shawn. Rose with a kick. Victory roll by Shawn for another two. And then it's a "Shades of Chris Adams" super-kick for another two-count. Rose is upset and distracts the ref as Somers gets in a shot at Shawn from the outside. Shawn is out of the ring and face down on the floor. Somers rolls Shawn back into the ring and Shawn is busted open. Rose with kicks and punches before tagging in Somers. Somers kicks and bites the head of Michaels. More punches by Somers and Rose gets in a kick from the outside. Knee by Somers and Rose tags in with a series of hard punches. A tag out to Somers who hits a backdrop for a two-count. Chinlock by Somers as we go to a commercial break.

(Commercial)

Somers continues to dominate with punches and kicks. Shawn with fists and he attempts to crawl to the corner, but Somers cuts him off and tosses Shawn to the floor. Rose tags in and helps the referee count Shawn out, but Shawn makes it back in at the nine-count. Rose tags out to Somers who comes in and exchanges fists with Michaels. Somers gets in a headbutt, but Michaels manages to level Somers with a wild punch and crawl to the corner for a hot tag to Michaels.

Marty is in with punches and a backdrop to Somers. Somers is whipped hard into the corner and goes face first into the ring post. Somers is busted open. Sherri Martel is up on the ring apron to complain and distract Jannetty. It works and Rose levels Jannetty with a shot from behind. Rose tags in and pounds away at Jannetty. Rose bits the head of Marty and punches away. Jannetty is now busted open as well. Somers tags in and pounds away at Jannetty. Marty is throwing wild punches and levels Buddy Rose on the ring apron. Rose comes in and Jannetty levels him with some wild fists. Jannetty is biting Rose on the head and Rose is now bleeding and busted open as well. Shawn comes into the ring and so does Somers. Everyone is bleeding and busted open. The referee gets laid out in the "OINGO BOINGO" brawl that's taking place in the ring. Another referee is out and calls for the bell.
Double-Disqualifica tion - No Contest

The ref can't restore order and Jannetty is slammed hard to the concrete floor. Rose and Somers are working over Shawn in the ring. Everybody is a bloody mess. And here comes Greg Gagne, Steve Pardee and Alan West from the back to clear Somers & Rose out of the ring. Shawn attacks Rose again on the floor, but is pulled back by Gagne and company as Rose & Somers bail to the back.

After the break, Larry Nelson tries to find a moment of calm amid the chaos. He talks to Greg Gagne. Greg says that Jannetty is yelling that he may have broke some ribs. The doctors are waiting in the back room. He talks about how Rose & Somers are veterans and The Rockers are kids and says that Rose & Somers will pay for this. Greg says that in his thirteen years, he's seen them all and name-drops Brody, Blackwell and Bockwinkle. but the match tonight was something that he's never seen the likes of before. He again says that The Rockers are hurt and if they can't come back, we're (referring to Greg and his friends) will be going after Rose & Somers.

That last match was incredible and I don't know if it's on any of Shawn's DVD sets, but it should be. Everyone was just pouring blood and it was amazing. And the rest of the show. Larry Z. was entertaining as always and Sheik's army had some squash matches to round out things. On paper, it looks bad, but the show actually went by fast and was fun to watch.

Well, that will do it for me today, but I'll be back tomorrow with more classic AWA goodness from ESPN Classics.

Questions and comments can be sent to Doug28352@yahoo. com. Come visit me at MySpace at www.myspace. com/salt_ palace. Add me as a friend. You know you want to.

And that's all folks. I'm Doug and I'm out of here. Have a great day and always be a fan.

Ubuntu!