AWA Championship Wrestling 1/3/1987

AWA Championship Wrestling 1/3/1987

Nick Bockwinkle and Ron Trongard are on commentary.

We open up Lord James Blears and Larry Nelson talking at ringside. James talks about someone from the Honolulu Advertiser going hiking high in the air. He said they had one TV set and said they could pick up ESPN from it. James then wishes the happy holidays. They talk about today's matches. James says the new year is here and Happy New Year.

Leon "Bull Power" White vs Dennis Stamp

Leon is young Big Van Vader. 

DS jumps on his back with a sleeper and Leon throws him off. Leon knocks him over and shoves him. Leon hits some shots and jumping headbutts him. Leon lariats him and DS goes out to recover. DS tries to shoulder him but Leon doesn't budge.

Leon bodyblocks him then back elbows him. Leon drops him with another bodyblock. Leon hits a big powerslam. Leon then hits a big splash and wins.

Thoughts: It was all squash here. Leon didn't do a ton but didn't need to as Stamp just bumped off of him. Leon looked like someone not to mess with.

Leon and Larry Nelson are in the ring after the break. Larry gives him a poem, a bull toy and a hat from fans. We then see a photo of him holding his son in Europe. He says he's no longer Baby Bull because his son now is. Leon says he's here for the AWA Title. He says it'd be a great honor to get in the ring with Nick Bockwinkle and hopes he will fight him for it in Las Vegas.

Larry Nelson does a sitdown interview with Nick Bockwinkle and Curt Hennig. They go over the classic Bockwinkle/Hennig draw they had and show some clips from it. I don't want to recap all of it as they talk for about 12-15 minutes. At the end, Larry calls it one of the best all-time matches and asks Nick if there will be a rematch. Nick says he's leaving it up to the championship committee. He thinks Curt should be given top consideration and says he did one hell of a job. Curt says maybe he's on the same level of Nick and wants another shot down the line. Curt says on any given night, the belt could be his. Larry says it was one fine match and one of the all-time classics.

Larry Zbyszko interrupts the intros the next match saying he wants the spudheads in the crowd to take their signs down. Nelson tells him to talk to the camera man.

Scott Hall and Greg Gagne vs Larry Zbyszko and Super Ninja

 

They say Scott Hall is replacing Jerry Blackwell, who got injured by Col. DeBeers.

Greg tries to hit Larry and Larry stalls in the ropes. They roll on the ropes. They shove each other and get in fighting poses. Larry tells him to get off. Larry stalls more. Greg keeps hitting slaps as Larry won't lock up.

Larry takes him down and is pushed off. Greg backs him up on the ropes and Larry keeps heading to the corner. Ninja holds Greg in the corner, Larry goes for a flying knee and nails Ninja on accident. Larry's head is banged off the buckles and he is flipped over by the arm.

Hall gets in and works Larry's arm. Ninja tags in. He hits Hall in the gut. Hall then bearhugs him. Ninja eye rakes to get out. Ninja clubs his neck and eye rakes him. Ninja then sits on his neck over the middle rope. Larry guillotines Hall but Hall lifts and carries him, taking him to the top rope. Larry jumps at him form the buckles and is put in the bearhug.

Larry rakes the eyes to escape the bearhug. Greg gets in and chops up Larry. Greg misses a dropkick. Ninja gets in and chops Greg down. Greg is dropped throat first on the top rope. Ninja belly to belly suplexes Greg then twists his head.

Greg's head is banged off the buckles. Larry spin kicks Greg in the gut, sending him out. Ninja then knee drops Greg off the apron. Larry backbreakers Greg for 2. Larry abdominal stretches Greg. Greg flips him to get out. Greg suplexes him. Ninja blocks Greg's tag and backbreakers him. Greg upkicks him.

Larry bends over after tagging in and Greg kicks him. Hall is tagged in. He hits punches on Larry and drops him. Hall back elbows him then slams him. Hall bulldogs Larry then torture racks him. Mr. Saito comes in and throws powder in Hall's eyes and Hall's team wins via DQ.

Thoughts: Larry did a bunch of stalling early. Hall and Greg did what they were supposed to and Ninja didn't impress much. It wasn't that good and the finish didn't help this.

Mr. Saito stomps on Greg after and chops him out of the ring. The crowd chants "BS". Larry tries to piledriver Greg on the floor but Nick Bockwinkle stops him. Ninja hits Nick from behind. The heels go for a spike piledriver but Saito falls off the buckles. Various wrestlers come in including Ray Stevens and The Nasty Boys. Ray eventually sends Saito out of the ring. We then get a "Larry Sucks" chant. Ray helps Nick to the back. 

We go to break and return. We are told Gagne and Hall win via DQ. Larry Zbyszko's crew is interviewed in the ring. Larry complains and says the faces broke the rules. Larry claims Nick attacked him on the floor. He says Hall pulled hair and Gagne used fists. Larry says Saito came down when he couldn't handle the injustice anymore. Larry says this society wrongly persecuted Saito. Larry says he beat the system and will make sure Saito does too. He says his destiny is the World Title. Saito says he doesn't care about anyone and says he's better than Gagne and crew. Larry says the people are hypocrites.

Lord James Blears and Larry Nelson talk to close the show. Larry asks the crowd if they liked that and says it was a great night of wrestling. Larry wants know what kind of powder was thrown. James says the orientials have a different kind of pain and it makes it hard to know if they are hurt. James says they won't lose face. They say next week has The Midnight Rockers, Col. Debeers, Don Sutton, Leon White and Zhukov. They say it'll be a great week and to watch the AWA and ESPN.

Overall thoughts: There wasn't much to see here. We only had 2 matches. Leon White won a short squash. We had a long Bockwinkle/Hennig segment where they went over their 1986 draw. The main got the most time but it wasn't anything too special and had a dirty finish. I wouldn't recommend this one and didn't think it was that good.