Brody and Friends talk about the AWA (Brody has no friends)

[alkeiper]

I did a Jerry Blackwell binge and found the AWA ran a program between heel Road Warriors and face Blackwell and King Kong Bundy. And it rocked.

 

[BruiserBrody]

I did a Jerry Blackwell binge and found the AWA ran a program between heel Road Warriors and face Blackwell and King Kong Bundy. And it rocked.

Another weird one with Bundy getting put over in tag battle royals for a month straight, then heading to Japan and jumping to the WWF.

With the bonus fun of Bundy being "Boom Boom" because Brody was already "King Kong" because Dick Afflis is the only Bruiser allowed in the AWA.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1648668127293472772

April 84 is pretty quick on the uptake for Verne.
===

Tried watching the Darsow interview. Literally fell asleep.
He says he was never in AWA despite his efforts because Verne had too many guys from Minnesota already who were buddies and couldn't afford to let a Minnesota Kliq to grab power. (Hennig, Road Warriors, Rude, Nord, Zenk etc). No Rude never appeared, unless he did very early job guy work I'm not recalling.
He goes into his WCW firing w/Dustin. Nothing new there.
Barry and Ax both had real world skills, so the WWF knew the Demos had leverage. Vince loved the Demos and would put them ahead of most of the roster if a meeting was requested.
Smash was the only gimmick that he needed to be in shape for. Hence why he got fat in 91 and beyond.
We get the standard "Kids this days with their flips and diving off balconies!" spiel.
I was amused by Darsow apparently doing this on Zoom or whatever while sitting in his basement on a laptop. He moves the camera around a lot, which is sort of distracting. Most of the shots included his open fuse box above his head.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1649186482546941960

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1650116879191531524

4/22/83 – Milwaukee, WI @ the Arena
Cage Match: Hulk Hogan & Mad Dog Vachon defeated Jesse Ventura & Ken Patera
Baron Von Raschke & Brad Rheingans defeated Jerry Blackwell & Sheik Adnan
Jerry Lawler defeated Bobby Heenan
Joyce Grable & Wendi Richter defeated Judy Martin & Velvet McIntyre (Martin pinned Grable)
Wahoo McDaniel defeated Ed Boulder
Buck Zumhofe defeated John Tolos

---
Now I badly want to see the promos for Lawler vs Heenan. What an odd pairing.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

@BruiserBrody bait (bate?)

 

[BruiserBrody]

Eric Bischoff sends it to promos from Baron and Larry Z.... both fairly generic.

This is probably about the point where Eric isn't getting paid. Must have been fun to tape wrap arounds while hearing that nothing is planned for the future and we are airing 2 month old tapes.

Baron says his team just needs to win the battle royal finale to win it all. That sort of takes the starch out of this week's' main event (only event?)

Texas Hangmen & Destruction Crew vs Johnnie Stewart, Buck Zumhoff, Unknown Soldier & Curtis Hughes (Behind the 8 ball match) Team Challenge Series

Lee Marshall and Verne are on the call. Lee runs down all the scores and points possible, and even Verne is so befuddled he doesn't have a follow up comment.
The teams were allegedly picked via random draw. So Debeers' has faces and heels mixed and Larry successfully had both his teams picked.
The Unknown Soldier was unmasked months ago as Saito. This is not Saito.... Apparently it is Ricky Rice, but he looks thicker than Rice. AWA fans probably would have gotten more out of an unmasked Rice returning, but whatever.
Verne sings Queen's "We will rock you", so that makes this video a win.
Soldier goes for something that may have been like Jarrett's stroke but whatever it was ended up botched horribly and the announcers had to cover by screaming about what a great move it was.
This is a tag match with elimination rules, including battle royal rules - in case anyone cares. No? Ok.
Buck accidentally eliminates Stewart. Johnnie stays at ringside and waits. Buck flies over the top a bit later and since he lost, then confronts Stewart. Buck turns his back on Johnnie and gets posted for his effort, doing a big blade job. Hope the 50 bucks was worth it.
Verne calls Debeers team the Snipers at least twice. We can't quit you Sarge!
Hughes wins with a torture rack into an airplane spin into a slam. Followed by a second rope splash for the 123.
Marshall asks for the producer Mike Shields to get on a headset and update him on the TCS points. They cut Marshall off almost mid sentence to go to commercial. I laughed. No one cares.
Verne, Eric and Lee close out the show. Magically the teams are now only 1 point away from each other. Next week is the finals.
Verne "Can you believe it has come to this?!" You can make your own jokes about that line.
The announcers do not have a line up for the finals. LOL. Awesome.

 

[BruiserBrody]

I love that Verne made Eric build his own office at the AWA HQ. Very on brand.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

And someone’s head went through his plywood “wall” on the first day during a shoot backstage brawl.

 

[Valeyard]

A sitcom on the behind-the-scenes operations of a formerly gigantic but now dying wrestling promotion in the late 80s-early 90s run by an out of touch and crusty (yet oddly endearing) former wrestler would work so well. Don't even need to show much wrestling, just the interworkings. Single-cam makes the most sense but man I'm envisioning it WKRP style and it works slightly better.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

In my head, Patrick Warburton is playing the Verne Gagne/Fritz Von Erich character.

Yesterday was the 33rd anniversary of the last major AWA show, SuperClash IV. I kind of wonder why AWA waited until they were literally on their deathbed to try and play the Ric Flair card. Maybe the AWA podcast will cover it next week.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that WCW was so in the dumps by May '90 in its own right that Ric Flair felt like he had nothing better to do than a guest appearance in the territory he got his start in.

 

[Valeyard]

Verne Von Watts is a fine line between Jeffrey Tambor and Lawrence Tierney to me.

 

[BruiserBrody]

And someone’s head went through his plywood “wall” on the first day during a shoot backstage brawl.

I'd be intrigued if he wrote about that one in his book. It sort of sounds like something he made up. I can't imagine Kevin Kelly/Adnan was at AWA HQ and not on the road. Maybe Greg took point at the limited house shows being run and thus this was the only way Kelly could find Verne to complain?

In my head, Patrick Warburton is playing the Verne Gagne/Fritz Von Erich character.

Yesterday was the 33rd anniversary of the last major AWA show, SuperClash IV. I kind of wonder why AWA waited until they were literally on their deathbed to try and play the Ric Flair card. Maybe the AWA podcast will cover it next week.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that WCW was so in the dumps by May '90 in its own right that Ric Flair felt like he had nothing better to do than a guest appearance in the territory he got his start in.

Wasn't this due to Ole "borrowing" Enos/Bloom for WCW?
My notes say the show drew "under 1000"
Plus:
They just sold Super Clash III programs from December of 1988 with a sheet featuring the Super Clash IV card inserted between the pages.

AWA Liquidation sale!
----
4/8/90 St. Paul, MN @ Civic Center SuperClash 4
Special Referee: Nick Bockwinkel
Larry Zbyszko beat Mr Saito to regain the AWA Title
Non Title Cage Match
Paul Diamond & the Trooper beat AWA Tag Team Champions Destruction Crew Mike Enos & Wayne Bloom
Nord The Barbarian beat Kokina Maximus then Kokina turned face and beat Sheik Adnan
Tully Blanchard beat Tommy Jammer
Baron Von Raschke (sub Junkyard Dog) beat Colonel DeBeers COR
Texas Hangmen beat Brad Rheingans & DJ Peterson
Jake Milliman beat Todd Becker

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Oof my bad. The last major AWA card was titled Twin Wars not SuperClash IV.

AWA Twin Wars '90 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database

Internet Wrestling Database

www.cagematch.net

Also I’m listening to the OVP Patreon review of The Colossal Jostle and I was surprised to hear Otto Wanz made a non wrestling appearance. Vince really was trying to steal every AWA star just for the sake of it and/or he needed another fat guy to appear the show.

It’s a blessing for sore eyes that we never got any Otto Wanz matches in ‘85/‘86 WWF (and ensuing Brody posts about Andre & Otto Wanz Vs King Kong Bundy & Big John Studd).

 

[SuperMachine#1]

In my head, Patrick Warburton is playing the Verne Gagne/Fritz Von Erich character.

Yesterday was the 33rd anniversary of the last major AWA show, SuperClash IV. I kind of wonder why AWA waited until they were literally on their deathbed to try and play the Ric Flair card. Maybe the AWA podcast will cover it next week.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that WCW was so in the dumps by May '90 in its own right that Ric Flair felt like he had nothing better to do than a guest appearance in the territory he got his start in.

Flair wrestled Pillman for the WCW World Title on The SuperClash IV show and Larry Zybysko defended the AWA Title against a mid carder who's name escapes me at the moment. I know DJ Peterson and The Trooper (Del Wilkes The Patriot) won the AWA Tag Belts from The Destruction Crew and were the last tag champs as the company folded a week later.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1655073553455235074

Imagine what was going through Hughes' mind. He spent the last 2 years in empty arenas for Central States and the AWA to this.

And to top it off, your 2 or maybe 3 years of "experience" has to carry a match in a dome against a raw rookie giant.

 

[BruiserBrody]

http://wrestlingclassics.com/.ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=172619;p=1#000000 For years the only copy of this segment online had the "70s porno music" played over it. That same music was used as filler on all the AWA VHS releases in 85 IIRC. People online said they possibly remembered Springsteen's "Glory Days" being played over the segment when it first aired. That would be reasonable considering all the main stream music wrestling used at the time. So with this new upload it appears the original music for Camp Slaughter was.... a slightly different instrumental This has been one of my "White Whales" for the past 20 years when I first found a VHS copy of this and dubbed it in the late 90s. Wish I would have been able to pick up all the AWA VHS tapes when these mom and pop stores around town switched to DVD. From what I recall the little place I found Sarge's at had like 5 or 6 of the tapes. Our "Hollywood Video" had SuperClash on VHS....split between 3 or 4 VHS tapes. I was able to snag a physical copy of "Rock and Roll Wrestling" at another local VHS rental place that went under. That one might be the rarest VHS I own. Other contenders are the yellow box JCP VHS that has a Dusty, Steamboat and Dick Slater(?) vs Long Riders and Tully. I also own some women's wrestling VHS from the early 90s I bought randomly at another liquation sale as VHS went out of style.​

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1656110424260050944

I repeat my favorite Lawler AWA fact: In his book he spent 1 paragraph talking about winning the AWA title.
He spent 2 paragraphs talking about the night he worked Rick Rude in Memphis and piledrove his valet, who was not wearing panties.

Lawler was good for the AWA only in that he was rotating between the AWA, Continental, WCCW and Memphis to make the AWA seem more alive than it was given the 2 or 3 dates a month the AWA was running by 88. He really was not over in Vegas when you watch the tapes, which isn't exactly ideal when you expect him to carry a PPV 6 months later.

,

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1657380871299801088

Jumbo was booked as a tweener (worked both heels and faces) for his run from Feb - May, and here it seems he gets a muted response for his introduction because of it.
We get a ref bump for a finish, because AWA EVERYBODY. Martel tries to hit a stun gun to set up the finish, but it is sort of blown. The fans don't blow for the win, likely because the audience assumes this is another fuck finish like every main event since Bockwinkel won the belt in 1975.
Crowd does pop once they realize it is legit. Stanley Blackburn, Verne and Wally Karbo come to the ring to pose for pictures as the fans sort of stop caring.
I believe it is about 3 months before Meltz starts to report that Verne and the promoters realize their champ can't draw.

 

[alkeiper]

The ref was Leo Nomellini, most famous in wrestling for his own disputed NWA World championship claim.

The AWA just couldn’t help themselves.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Oh man, it is a big night – Verne is with not only Lee Marshall, but also Eric Bischoff!

First order of business – we get a health update on Rapey Zumhofe. I know I was concerned.

They plug the TCS finale Battle Royal. For CRIPES sake, it is now October and Sarge’s Snipers is still listed as the team name. He has been with the WWF since late July!

Marshall mentions he still doesn’t know whether to call them Debeers Diamondbacks or Sarge’s Snipers. How about go with the guy in the promotion yet?

Steve Burg and Tony Denucci vs Tom Bennett and Pete Pestolka

Oh man… Verne and Lee put over the babyfaces. Marshall tries to feed Verne a chance for some color commentary by asking him if any team in history has combined Burg’s size with Denucci’s athletic skills. Verne says yes but is then bumfuddled to name any. Marshall saves him by mentioning Red Bastien and Hercules Cortez, which gives Verne a subject to rattle on about. The faces get a hot finish as Burg hits the powerslam and DeNucci frog splashes his foe for the win. The announcers predict big things ahead for these guys. (This is their only tag match ever?)

Col. DeBeers buries his own team, but promises the victory anyway.

Destruction Crew cut a fiery promo. Now without the belts they have a real gripe and change up their promo to match the mood. Good work.

Larry Zbyszko vs Jamie Magnum

There’s a million dollar match and the World champ is not in it. The battle royal is supposed to be random draws, but it still doesn’t make sense for Larry to put himself out there at a moment like this. Larry stalls. When the match starts, Larry finishes it pretty quick with a piledriver. Magnum worked as both a heel and a face on this final AWA taping. The announcers built up Harley Race for a AWA title re-match.

Baron VR Interview - Baron compares Larry Z and Debeers to Saddam Hussein. All 3 make threats, but when push comes to shove, they will be defeated.

Larry Zbyszko Interview - Larry does not want the US to invade Kuwait, he wants Saddam to get nuked instead. This leads to Larry calling out Sting and “Vince McMahon Jr’s Anabolic Warrior” as being scared of him.

Team Challenge Series Finale – Battle Royal –

Every 30 seconds a new man from a team will enter the ring at random.

Brad Rheingans starts for Baron.

Col. Debeers chooses himself to start for his team. Marshall calls them both Sarge’s Snipers and Debeers Diamondbacks on the P.A.

One of the Texas Hangmen is in for Larry.

Debeers gets dumped in seconds by Brad! Whoa.

The Russian Brute is in next. I don't think he had been on TV for months at this point. He and Ox Baker had broken up over the Nightstalker being Ox’s new charge. That never led to any matches as far as I’m aware. Brute slowly waddles to the ring. So slow, I’m surprised the timer didn’t run out. He tries to clothesline Brad, and apparently Rheingans was supposed to go out, but missed his spot. The heels dump him right after.

Curtis Hughes is in next. The camera pans to a pretty woman looking as bored as can be and hangs on her expression for like 5 seconds. LOL.
Hughes dumps the Hangman as Wayne Bloom comes in. Hughes gets rid of the Russian Brute as DJ Peterson comes in early. DJ tries a slam on Bloom and accidentally dumps himself over the top instead as Bloom hangs on. New tag champ Peterson lasted like 15 seconds.
Johnnie Stewart shoots in next. No count down. He felt like he was early as well. Stewart and Hughes work on Bloom, but Stewart hits Hughes accidentally and he's out. Enos comes in next and the Destruction Crew dump Stewart. They chill and pose.
The Trooper is out next and he just has to survive long enough to get some help. The Unknown Soldier starts down the aisle, and somehow the camera crew totally misses the big high spot and Bloom and Enos are both dumped by the Trooper. They managed to blow their big advantage in less than 90 seconds.
The Unknown Soldier has a familiar mustache suddenly....could it be... Debeers.... ?????
The timer goes off. Debeers dumps Trooper from behind.
The Texas Hangmen drag Jake Milliman to the ring. He doesn't want to fight? Com'n man! Go for the million!
Milliman got a jokey push several months ago, complete with a music video set to "Charlie Brown (He's a clown)", but much like the Brute, it has been months since he got his underdog push.
Debeers mask comes off during a slam. An outraged Debeers lunges at the Milkman. Jake ducks and Debeers goes over the top!!!!
The announcers are confused at first, but then remember the winner's team gets 5 points, so Larry's Legends win the TCS!!
Milliman tries to celebrate with his team, but the heels keep shoving him away. Larry says everybody is getting a cut. Milliman wiggles in to celebrate and is shoved again. He then crawls through their legs to celebrate again. They shove him out of the way.
Verne Gagne is introduced in the ring. Marshall "Verne, a year ago we started with all this talent, and a year later....what do you think of the TCS now!?" LOL Accidental burial?
Bloom cuts off Enos one last time for old times sake.
Marshall "What is going to be said in history about the TCS in 1990?" LOL. All good things Lee.
What an ending to this once great promotion.

The uploader said he has 5 more "new" episodes, so we'll see if any other fresh matches are left from the August TV they are drawing from.

The AWA actually ran a house show a few weeks after this aired, so why not tape more material and drag out the ESPN money to year's end??

(20.10.1990) AWA - Event @ in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, USA

• Tony DeNucci defeats John Palstooka
• Steve Berg defeats Jamie Magnum
• Larry Cameron defeats DJ Peterson by DQ
• AWA World Heavyweight Title: Larry Zbyszko (c) defeats Tommy Jammer
• The Destruction Crew (Mike Enos & Wayne Bloom) defeat Baron von Raschke & Buck Zumhofe

Bring in some jobbers and away we go.

PWI had the final say on the TCS as they revealed Larry stole all the money.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1661448543075463168

*Resists urge to shake fist about Larry Cameron and Curtis Hughes

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Episode 19: Awesome AWA Adventures! - The Outdated Wrestling Hour With Bob Smith

Veteran professional wrestling magazine personality Bob Smith (Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WCW, Wrestling's Main Event) continues to present a singularly unique podcasting flavor with a lighthearted yet informative look back at pro wrestling from the 70s through today. It's a lively podcast...

pca.st

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Episode 70: George Schire - Shut Up and Wrestle with Brian Solomon

Hello, wrestling fans! It’s time for Episode #70 of Shut Up and Wrestle, with Brian R. Solomon! This week, my guest is accomplished wrestling historian and long-time old school wrestling fan, George Schire!

pca.st

@BruiserBrody ope.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Episode 19: Awesome AWA Adventures! - The Outdated Wrestling Hour With Bob Smith

Veteran professional wrestling magazine personality Bob Smith (Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WCW, Wrestling's Main Event) continues to present a singularly unique podcasting flavor with a lighthearted yet informative look back at pro wrestling from the 70s through today. It's a lively podcast...

pca.st

I enjoyed this well enough last week. Obviously it was a broad look, but the host dropped names deep into the midcard from the 70s, so he was very much a legit fan. I believe this was the pod where they were putting over AWA on ESPN as being better than the JCP and WWF offering due to having more actual wrestling. There is certainly some rose colored glasses there. but the AWA was putting on a lot of name vs name matches for that show as compared to the squash fests on other programs.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Episode 70: George Schire - Shut Up and Wrestle with Brian Solomon

Hello, wrestling fans! It’s time for Episode #70 of Shut Up and Wrestle, with Brian R. Solomon! This week, my guest is accomplished wrestling historian and long-time old school wrestling fan, George Schire!

pca.st

@BruiserBrody ope.

George Schire is on Bumps & Thumps this week too talking about old timey wrestling magazine rankings.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1507359911608561670

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1665692158563631106

The women are a mystery.
The Power team was Dave Casper and ????

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Jonnie Stewart just screams late era territory star to me. If he showed up five years earlier (hell maybe even three years earlier), I doubt he’d be anything more than an enhancement guy in AWA.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Jonnie Stewart just screams late era territory star to me. If he showed up five years earlier (hell maybe even three years earlier), I doubt he’d be anything more than an enhancement guy in AWA.

I always forget he was in the Beach Boys in Memphis several years before his AWA stuff.

Surprisingly it appears he never did WCW or WWF job duty, much less Herbo Turbo's UWF. He did a W*ING tour and a little AWF years later.

He wins the Dale Gagne AWA World title in 1996 and his documented matches vanish after that. Then 2 random shots appear a decade later.

I'm assuming he did midwest shindys but who knows.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1666590393675272192

I know times were tough without Hogan but Ol' Buck's run must be from the alternative timeline....

(I know it's about the Lt Hwy title...)