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Post by LillaThrilla on Mar 4, 2011 21:40:37 GMT -5
Backlund's finisher is an ATOMIC DROP??? Seriously??? That's actually worse than a double underhook suplex being a finisher... (I forget who in GCW has the Double Arm Suplex finisher) Jumbo is the one to dethrone Harley Race?! Holy batshit, Harley Race quit on you. What an ungrateful cur! Wasn't a 3 year winning streak enough for him? Sums it up better than I could have. I also enjoy the heck out of you using Hansen's lariat as a storyline to write out any who quits. Really helps build up the move.[/quote] Ditto.
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Crpls
Midcarder
Posts: 140
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Post by Crpls on Mar 5, 2011 0:23:02 GMT -5
a double underhook suplex would be a killer finisher in the 70s.
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Post by rey619 on Mar 5, 2011 5:46:17 GMT -5
a double underhook suplex would be a killer finisher in the 70s. I've been trying to find videos of Backlund's Atomic Drop finisher, but all I could find was his chickenwing, which is a legit finisher today as well (Bryan Danielson won the ROH World Title with that move).
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Post by snabbit888 on Mar 8, 2011 15:20:31 GMT -5
March 30, 1977 - Civic Center - Baltimore, MD
Bruiser Brody pinned Dean Ho with the Bombs Away in 0:07:43. Rating: **
We kicked off our show in Baltimore with the dangerous Bruiser Brody taking on Dean Ho. You almost felt bad for Dean Ho a bit. He went into the fight bravely, but Brody is a savage, plain and simple. Ho was overmatched by Brody's brawling and it wasn't long before he ate a face full of the Bombs Away to take the loss.
Interview: Luke & Mike Graham challenge Bruiser Brody & The Grand Wizard.
After Brody's dismantling of Dean Ho, he and The Grand Wizard were confronted by LUKE GRAHAM & MIKE GRAHAM. The Grahams tossed out a challenge, saying that this wasn't over yet and they wanted a match against Bruiser Brody… AND The Grand Wizard! The fans loved the thought of Luke Graham getting his hands on The Grand Wizard, but the flamboyant manager was noncommital as he took Brody to the back.
Dominic DeNucci and Dino Bravo defeated The Russians (Ivan Koloff and Nikolai Volkoff) when Bravo pinned Volkoff after an airplane spin in 0:05:31. Rating: **
It looks like Dino Bravo found his brand new tag team partner, and it's hard to find a better one than one of the greatest tag team wrestlers of all time, DOMINIC DENUCCI! DeNucci is a former 3-time tag team champion, doing so with 3 different partners (Pedro Morales, Victor Rivera, and Tony Garea), and it looks like he wants to make a run at a fourth. Bravo & DeNucci worked in perfect sync, like a team that has been together for years. This is a testament to the skill and experience of DeNucci. The Russians are no pushovers by any means, but Bravo & DeNucci handled them and grabbed the win. Lou Albano was fuming after the loss and says they only didn't win because they had no idea DeNucci would be here. He wants a rematch, and has asked for it on April 16 from Uniondale, NY.
Peter Maivia defeated Billy Graham by disqualification in 0:09:05. Rating: ** 1/4
"Superstar" Billy Graham has taken not being the #1 contender for the World Title well, taking it out on Peter Maivia tonight. Maivia is no pushover, but he couldn't get much momentum going as Graham kept cutting him off with dangerous power moves. Finally Graham stopped listening to the instructions of Tommy Young and got himself disqualified for it. Maivia had to be helped to the back afterwards.
Don Muraco defeated Jimmy Snuka by referee stoppage in 0:12:05. Rating: *** 1/2
Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka was told by doctors that he shouldn't wrestle in this match thanks to his knee injury, but he wanted desperately to get his hands on Don Muraco, the man who caused him the injury in the first place. Not only that, but Muraco deceived Snuka last month to aid Terry Funk, so the Superfly wasn't going to let anything get in his way. Though Snuka has guts, wrestling this match may not have been the best idea. He fought as hard as he could, but Muraco targeted that knee time after time to the point that Snuka couldn't put any pressure on it. Referee Willie Webber had to make a tough call, but he stopped this match to prevent Snuka from suffering a serious injury. Despite these knee problems, Snuka has agreed to face Muraco on April 15 in Uniondale, NY in a streetfight!
Mike Graham defeated Johnny Rodz by disqualification in 0:07:24. Rating: ** 1/4 [Bruiser Brody interfered against Mike Graham.]
It looks like Bruiser Brody & The Grand Wizard answered the challenge of the Grahams in a huge way. A few minutes into Mike Graham's match against Johnny Rodz, Brody jumped in the ring and blasted Graham in the face with a big boot. Graham won the match by DQ, but he had bigger problems as Brody was beaten the hell out of him. Luke Graham eventually made the save, but not before Brody had destroyed Mike with a steel chair. It looks like Mike Graham is going to miss some ring time, and now Luke won't have a partner if Brody & The Grand Wizard accept the challenge.
The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) defeated The Blackjacks (Blackjack Lanza and Blackjack Mulligan) when Jack Brisco defeated Lanza by disqualification in 0:16:36. Rating: * 1/2 (The Blackjacks retained the GCW World Tag Team Titles.) [Tim Woods and Mr. Wrestling II interfered against The Brisco Brothers.]
The Brisco Brothers got screwed out of the World Tag Team Titles! I don't know any other way to put it than that. Jack & Jerry earned a shot at the titles, currently held by the Blackjacks, and they had the titles within their grasp. It was a tough, grueling match, but it seemed a sure thing that the Briscos would win when they had Lanza & Mulligan in stero Figure-Four Leglocks in the middle of the ring, when TIM WOODS and a returning MR. WRESTLING II stormed the ring to break it up, causing the most blatant of disqualifications! It was shocking to see Woods & Wrestling II back together, especially the way that the team originally broke up when Woods was Mr. Wrestling I. They're back on the same page now, and that page apparently is all about beating the trash out of Jack & Jerry Brisco! Officials pulled the reunited team away, but the damage had been done - both physically, and in costing the Briscos championship gold. The battle between Jack Brisco & Tim Woods rages on, and now more are involved.
Bob Backlund pinned Hiro Matsuda with the Atomic Drop in 0:06:20. Rating: *** 3/4 [Arnold Skaaland interfered against Hiro Matsuda.]
Arnold Skaaland showed in this match why he is a great manager for Bob Backlund. Backlund was taking on Hiro Matsuda in a rematch from last show, and Matsuda was determined not to have a repeat performance from last time. Matsuda had a plan, and that plan was to throw salt in the eyes of Backlund to blind him. Only problem was, Skaaland saw what he was trying to do and hit Matsuda's hands back into his face, causing the salt to go in Matsuda's eyes instead! After that, the Atomic Drop was academic. Backlund remains undefeated.
Interview: Stan Hansen calls out Bobby Duncum.
Stan "The Lariat" Hansen came out for an intense interview where he called Bobby Duncum out. Hansen said that the fact that Duncum had to use a cowbell to beat him shows how scared he is of the Lariat. Hansen finished by saying if Duncum was any kind of a man, he would face him again and not resort to such cheap cheating tactics.
[BOOT CAMP MATCH]: Loser-Leaves-Town Match: Gorilla Monsoon pinned Sgt. Slaughter after a splash in 0:15:24. Rating: ** 1/4
The rules of the Boot Camp Match were very simple - there were no rules! No countouts, no disqualifications, come dress as you are. If that wasn't dangerous enough, Gorilla Monsoon & Sgt. Slaughter both put their careers on the line, so the loser would have to pack their bags and leave GCW. The hatred between these two men has grown to that, and thus this town wasn't big enough for the both of them. Slaughter showed how ruthless he can be by bloodying Monsoon's face up with a screwdriver of all things, which is just sadistic. Monsoon kept fighting though, not wanting to let this young punk end his career. Monsoon is very much beloved by GCW fans, but long time fans remember that Monsoon started his GCW as one of the most heartless and vicious rulebreakers we've ever had. Monsoon still has that in him, and he showed it here, taking care of Slaughter with a splash. As a result, Slaughter will have to leave GCW immediately, and for his sake, I hope he works on that attitude of his if he ever hopes to return.
Jumbo Tsuruta pinned Dory Funk Jr. with the Jumbo Knee in 0:14:30. Rating: **** 1/4 (Jumbo Tsuruta retained the GCW World Title.)
Jumbo Tsuruta shocked the world in the Garden by ending the lengthy World Title reign of Harley Race and running him out of town, but he had no time to rest on his laurels as he had a huge title defense against Dory Funk Jr., a bonafied superstar in Dory Funk Jr., who has done it all - except win the GCW World Title. Despite not crossing paths in GCW, Jumbo & Dory are quite familiar with each other, as the World champion has trained with Dory Sr. down in Amarillo, TX. Dory had a hand in this training, and it looked early on like he was going to school Jumbo and make the title reign one of the shortest in GCW history. Jumbo showed he learned a few tricks of his own and fought back tooth and nail, wanting to earn the respect of not only Dory Jr., but the wrestling world, many of whom still feel that Tsuruta is an unworthy champion. Jumbo fought hard, but it looked like he was going to fall victim to the Texas Cloverleaf. However, as Dory knocked Jumbo down, he knocked him into referee Dick Kroll, stunning him. During this time, BILLY GRAHAM ran out and blasted Dory in the face with a big boot! After that, Jumbo (who didn't see the attack) recovered and hit the Jumbo Knee to get the 1-2-3. Word has it that when Jumbo found out what Billy Graham had done, he was furious. Regardless, he is still the World champion.
Card rating: ***
Match observations:
Our next show will be in April on the 16th from the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY! Here's what the lineup is looking like thus far:
BATTLE ROYAL - Winner receives a World Title shot on 5/3/77 STREETFIGHT - Jimmy Snuka vs. Don Muraco The Brisco Brothers vs. Tim Woods/Mr. Wrestling II Dino Bravo/Dominic DeNucci vs. The Russians
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Post by rey619 on Mar 10, 2011 16:05:23 GMT -5
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that whoever wins the Battle Royal will defeat Tsuruta. I mean, he probably has great matches, but Japanese wrestlers have never held major belts for long in the US. Of course, the GCW universe may be different
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Post by gentlemanjeff on Mar 11, 2011 9:39:06 GMT -5
Yeah. This inspired me to look up some period videos of Jumbo on Youtube. I found some early 80s stuff. He was a badass, but still--I couldn't imagine Baba or Inoki carrying a company in the U.S. around this time period and they were the most popular ever. It seems like Jumbo should slot into the Chris Benoit role--great worker, occasional title run, mostly makes other main eventers look good.
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Post by LillaThrilla on Mar 11, 2011 12:06:34 GMT -5
It doesn't help that Jumbo is a face right now, which I'd think is a rare thing for a Japanese wrestler in the US in the 1970s.
Looks like Slaughter didn't renew his contract. I hope we'll see him again.
The return of Mr. Wrestling II was a surprise, especially since Mr. Wrestling I had unmasked himself as Tim Woods not too long ago. An Mr. Wrestling II returning likewise unmasked under his "real" name would've seemed more right to me.
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Post by snabbit888 on Mar 11, 2011 14:43:47 GMT -5
It doesn't help that Jumbo is a face right now, which I'd think is a rare thing for a Japanese wrestler in the US in the 1970s. Looks like Slaughter didn't renew his contract. I hope we'll see him again. The return of Mr. Wrestling II was a surprise, especially since Mr. Wrestling I had unmasked himself as Tim Woods not too long ago. An Mr. Wrestling II returning likewise unmasked under his "real" name would've seemed more right to me. From what I have been able to find, Jumbo is about the only Japanese wrestler who worked consistently as a face in the US. Nah. I just had nothing to do for Slaughter right now so I let him go when his contract ran out. He'll be back later, probably, but for now, just didn't know what to do with him. Part of the angle I'm running with Woods/Wrestling II is the disrespect of the Briscos for unmasking Woods, and II came back to help Woods extract revenge.
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Post by snabbit888 on Mar 16, 2011 14:05:55 GMT -5
April 16, 1977 - Nassau Coliseum - Uniondale, NY
Dominic DeNucci and Dino Bravo defeated The Russians (Ivan Koloff and Nikolai Volkoff) when Bravo defeated I. Koloff by disqualification in 0:11:25. Rating: * 1/4 [Lou Albano interfered against Dominic DeNucci.]
Dino Bravo has found his new tag team partner in GCW tag team legend, Dominic DeNucci, and they have already ruffled the feather of Lou Albano and the Russians. The Captain had a purpose tonight, and it wasn't for Ivan Koloff & Nikolai Volkoff to win - it was to teach Bravo & DeNucci a lesson. Albano and his cane made sure that happened. As it looked like Bravo & DeNucci might pull off another win, Albano got in the ring and blasted Bravo in the back of the head with his wooden cane for the disqualification. Koloff & Volkoff left Bravo & DeNucci lying in a heap, message clearly sent. Bravo & DeNucci were not happy, and they want some payback, not just against the Russians, but against Albano too! They have challenged the Russians & Albano to a handicap match on May 3, our debut in Albany, NY!
Interview: Luke Graham still wants the tag match against Bruiser Brody & The Grand Wizard.
Luke Graham was out for an interview and he was as pissed off as ever. Graham said that he would stop at nothing to get his hands on both Bruiser Brody & The Grand Wizard. This brought out Brody & the Wizard, and they told him that Luke needs to stop this madness. Because if he didn't, Mike Graham was going to get another vicious beating. Luke said that was fine, because he had another partner in mind. The Grand Wizard was so anxious to accept, telling Luke he knew nobody was stupid enough to team with "Crazy Luke." The match is on for May 3, and as an added stipulation, The Grand Wizard agreed that if Graham and his partner can somehow win, he would take on Luke Graham one-on-one! The Wizard better have a plan, because that sounds like suicide if you ask me.
Interview: Tim Woods explains his reuniting with Mr. Wrestling II.
Before our next grudge match, Tim Woods & Mr. Wrestling II had an interview. Woods said a lot of people have been asking why he reunited with Wrestling II considering they ended on horrible terms a few years back. Woods said that Wrestling II helped him see the light, that they were being disrespected by everyone - not just the fans, but by the other wrestlers in GCW. Wrestling II added that the Briscos removing Woods' mask is the ultimate form of disrespect, and he was back to put the Briscos in their place.
Tim Woods and Mr. Wrestling II defeated The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) when T. Woods defeated Jerry Brisco when Jerry Brisco passed out in the Sleeperhold in 0:24:12. Rating: *** 3/4
What a misjustice we saw in this match! The tempers were flaring as the Briscos took on the overly angry Tim Woods & Mr. Wrestling II, and Woods & II showed what levels they will stoop to to get some revenge. The match was phenomenal, being very emotionally charged and featuring some great wrestling. As the match was coming to a close, it looked like the Briscos had victory within their grasp as Jerry Brisco had Wrestling II in the Figure-Four Leglock. Referee Willie Webber was on the outside checking on Jack Brisco who had taken a nasty fall to the floor, allowing Woods to slip on a mask and attack Jerry! Woods now looked like Mr. Wrestling II, and he rolled the real II out of the ring and locked Jerry in the Sleeperhold. Jerry had no means of escape, and Webber jumped back in the ring when he saw the hold and called for the bell as Jerry was unconscious. Woods & II are common thieves. This one is surely far from over.
[STREETFIGHT]: No-Countout-No-DQ-Match: Jimmy Snuka pinned Don Muraco with the Superfly Splash in 0:21:12. Rating: *** 1/2
Jimmy Snuka's goal right now is the Intercontinental Title, but first, he had a score to settle with Don Muraco. And what better way to settle a score than in a streetfight! Snuka unlocked something deep within himself for this battle, an inner anger we hadn't seen much from him up to this point. The Superfly showed that he's not a man you should cross, taking Muraco to task turning on him. Muraco wasn't going to go quietly, using his power to put a hurting on Snuka. But this match belonged to the Superfly. Snuka's face was bloodied, but it didn't stop him from hitting the Superfly Splash and getting the 1-2-3. Snuka now looks to get his shot at the IC Title.
[WINNER RECEIVES WORLD TITLE SHOT ON 5/3/77]: 20-Man Battle Royal: Billy Graham won a 20-man Battle Royal: x Lanza threw out L. Graham in 0:01:20 x B. Graham threw out Monsoon in 0:01:31 x B. Graham threw out Maivia in 0:03:18 x Goulet threw out D. Funk Jr. in 0:07:27 x Duncum threw out Hansen in 0:08:50 x T. Funk threw out J. Snuka in 0:10:09 x Rodz threw out M. Graham in 0:12:28 x Goulet threw out Garea in 0:15:07 x Brody threw out Ho in 0:19:10 x B. Graham threw out Duncum after a low blow in 0:22:14 x T. Funk threw out Rodz in 0:25:05 x B. Graham threw out Backlund in 0:28:47 x Goulet threw out Mulligan after a duck-down move in 0:31:17 x Brody threw out Lanza in 0:32:14 x Dusty Rhodes threw out T. Funk in 0:34:05 x Goulet threw out Matsuda in 0:35:25 x B. Graham threw out Brody in 0:37:09 x Dusty Rhodes threw out Goulet in 0:38:35 x B. Graham threw out Dusty Rhodes in 0:40:58 Rating: *** 1/2
Our show had one more match, and that was a big battle royal. Twenty of the top wrestlers in Global Championship Wrestling competed to earn a shot at the World Title on May 3 at our debut in Albany. There were some major stories that took place in this match. First off, we saw the return of "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes in this battle royal, and he did quite well for himself. The eliminations started with Luke Graham, surprisingly enough. Blackjack Lanza was able to dump him thanks to a distraction from The Grand Wizard.
Another important thing coming from this match was the GCW debut of Rene Goulet, who had a great performance on his first night in GCW by eliminating four competitors. It is also important to mention that IC champion Terry Funk eliminated his biggest challenger, Jimmy Snuka. Snuka was still suffering the ill effects from his streetfight with Don Muraco, and Funk took advantage of this.
The final four wrestlers in the ring were Dusty Rhodes, Rene Goulet, Billy Graham, & Bruiser Brody. It looked like a bad situation for Rhodes as the other 3 appeared to be joining forces, but that went out the window when the Superstar surprised Brody and tossed him over the top! From there, the match was a free-for-all. Goulet's chance for a dream debut came to an end as Rhodes dumped him to the floor with a backdrop. Rhodes was on fire, and the crowd was firmly behind him as they wanted to see his return from injury lead to a World Title match. Unfortunately, the American Dream would fall just short. He thought he had won when he got Graham over the top, but didn't realize that the Superstar had hooked the ropes. Rhodes had turned his back, and didn't see Graham get back into the ring to dump him out.
"Superstar" Billy Graham will meet Jumbo Tsuruta for the World Heavyweight Title on May 3!
Card rating: *** 1/2
Match observations:
It is always exciting when we debut in a new city, and we will get that chance on May 3 as we crash the Washington Avenue Armory in Albany, NY! Here is what we have lined up so far:
WORLD TITLE - Jumbo Tsuruta (c) vs. Billy Graham INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE - Terry Funk (c) vs. Jimmy Snuka Luke Graham/Mystery Partner vs. Bruiser Brody/The Grand Wizard HANDICAP MATCH - Dino Bravo/Dominic DeNucci vs. The Russians/Lou Albano Bobby Duncum vs. Stan Hansen The Brisco Brothers vs. Tim Woods/Mr. Wrestling II
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Post by gentlemanjeff on Mar 16, 2011 17:31:12 GMT -5
Billy Graham gettin' the belt. Woot!
Well, probably not immediately. My guess is he wins it in a rematch after a CO or DQ win.
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Post by snabbit888 on Apr 6, 2011 14:35:39 GMT -5
May 3, 1977 - Washington Avenue Armory - Albany, NY
Dusty Rhodes pinned Rene Goulet with the Bionic Elbowdrop in 0:09:29. Rating: ** 1/2
We were extremely excited to make our debut in Albany, NY, and our first match saw "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes making his singles match return against Rene Goulet, making his singles match debut. Goulet wanted this match as he was upset with Rhodes for eliminating him from the battle royal last month, preventing him from making "the greatest debut in GCW history." Rhodes was more than happy to oblige as he wanted to get his return to the ring going on a good note. Goulet is a veteran of the ring, though not of GCW, so many were surprised with how well he represented himself in this contest. However, the match would not be his as the American Dream hit the Bionic Elbowdrop for the 1-2-3.
Peter Maivia and Hiro Matsuda battled to a double countout in 0:03:49. Rating: ** 1/2
**This match between Peter Maivia & Hiro Matsuda never really got a chance to get off the ground as the fight boiled over to the floor early and they never got back into the ring, choosing to pummel each other and get counted out. A rematch may be in the works between these two. **
Handicap-Match: The Russians (Ivan Koloff and Nikolai Volkoff) and Lou Albano defeated Dominic DeNucci and Dino Bravo when Volkoff pinned Bravo after the Iron Curtain in 0:13:16. Rating: * 1/4
Though he hasn't been in the ring for quite some time, Captain Lou Albano was seemingly underestimated by Dino Bravo & Dominic DeNucci in their desire to get their hands on him. Albano used to be a full-time wrestler, and though he's turned his focus to managing, he still showed he could be dangerous in the ring, especially when he's paired up with Ivan Koloff & Nikolai Volkoff. Albano's presence proved to be enough to allow the Russians to hit the Iron Curtain for the 3.
Dory Funk Jr. pinned Johnny Rodz after a backslide in 0:06:51. Rating: *** 1/2
Not much of a match in this one as Dory Funk Jr. didn't have a lot of difficulty getting the better of Johnny Rodz and getting the win. The major thing of note for this was that the unpredictable act of Rodz? He came to the ring on a horse. Yes, on a freaking horse. It took him longer to get the horse under control than it took for Dory to put him away. Only in GCW.
Terry Funk pinned Jimmy Snuka after a sunset flip in 0:17:03. Rating: *** 1/4 (Terry Funk retained the GCW Intercontinental Title.)
Jimmy Snuka finally got his shot at the Intercontinental Title after dispatching of Don Muraco, but he was a little worse for wear. Snuka's taken a lot of punishment in recent shows, and Terry Funk exploited those injuries. Snuka fought hard for this chance though, and he kept fighting back no matter what Funk threw at him. Funk got desperate and when he caught the Superfly in a sunset flip and put his feet up on the ropes for extra leverage to get the cheap 3 count. Funk bailed out of the ring in a hurry before Snuka could get a hold of him. Funk escaped tonight, but he might not be so fortunate on June 2 at Madison Square Garden when they meet in a steel cage match!
Tim Woods and Mr. Wrestling II defeated The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) when T. Woods defeated Jerry Brisco by disqualification in 0:08:56. Rating: ** 1/2
The Brisco Brothers showed Tim Woods & Mr. Wrestling II that two can play at their game. The Briscos have been on the receiving end of some beatdowns from the former World Tag Team champions, and tonight they decided to dish it right back. Jack & Jerry have had enough, and showed that by getting themselves disqualified so they could pummel the cowardly heels. Woods & Wrestling II escaped the ring as quickly as they could, but the fiery intensity of the Briscos is back. I wouldn't want to be Woods & II right now.
Bob Backlund pinned Don Muraco with the Atomic Drop in 0:14:45. Rating: ** 3/4
Bob Backlund has been an impressive addition to the GCW roster, and Arnold Skaaland has him getting better every match. Backlund's opponent here was Don Muraco, a guy who could really use a big win at this stage in his career. Backlund had some trouble early with Muraco's notable power, the first time we had really seen Backlund take a lot of punishment. Backlund proved he could take a lot of abuse and stay in the match, coming back to hit the Atomic Drop to get the win. After the match, Backlund showed great sportsmanship by offering Muraco a handshake. Muraco was frustrated, but he did accept Backlund's hand to a nice round of applause. When Backlund turned around though, Muraco nailed him with a low blow before leaving the ring in disgust. What slime.
Gorilla Monsoon and Mike Graham defeated The Blackjacks (Blackjack Lanza and Blackjack Mulligan) when Graham pinned Lanza after an elbowdrop from the second turnbuckle in 0:07:13. Rating: ** 3/4 [Bobby Heenan interfered against Mike Graham.]
The Blackjacks are the cream of the crop in the tag team division, and Bobby Heenan has let that get into their head. Lanza & Mulligan took on Gorilla Monsoon & Mike Graham in a non-title match here in Albany, and to say they were overlooking them would be a vast understatement. The Blackjacks were completely out of sync and it allowed Monsoon & Graham to score a huge upset. Heenan is just lucky the titles weren't on the line! But they will be on June 2 at MSG! If Monsoon & Graham can repeat this performance, they will be perhaps the most unlikely tag team champions in history!
Stan Hansen pinned Bobby Duncum with the Lariat in 0:11:46. Rating: *** 3/4
Stan Hansen has been telling anyone that will listen that Bobby Duncum is scared of him, citing Duncum's use of a cowbell to defeat him as the main proof. Duncum wanted to shut the loudmouthed Hansen up tonight, but it looks like he's going to have to wait for another night. During this hard fought match, the action spilled to the floor. In the ultimate act of hypocrisy, Hansen grabbed Duncum's bullrope and clocked him in the face with it! Duncum was out on his feet as Hansen put him back in the ring. Hansen followed with his brutal Lariat and took the pinfall victory. GCW officials have decided that since these two insist on using the bullrope against each other, they might as well make it legal. So on June 2 at MSG, it will be a Texas Bullrope Match!
Antonio Inoki and Luke Graham defeated Bruiser Brody and The Grand Wizard when L. Graham pinned Brody with the Thumb to the Throat in 0:11:05. Rating: ** 1/2
The Grand Wizard's mouth got the better of him as he was way too anxious to accept this tag match with Bruiser Brody against Luke Graham and his partner, whoever that might be. You could see the regret etched on the Wizard's face when Graham's partner was revealed as ANTONIO INOKI. Graham & Inoki have had some of the most intense battles we've ever seen in GCW, but during those battles, they've developed a level of respect for each other. Brody didn't seem impressed, but he was in a bad spot as he had to wrestle this match by himself. The Grand Wizard never even got in the ring. Brody did what he could, but against two former World champions, he could only do so much. Graham drilled him with the Thumb to the Throat to get the pin. What this means is that Luke Graham will now get a match with The Grand Wizard one-on-one at MSG!
Billy Graham defeated Jumbo Tsuruta by disqualification in 0:09:18. Rating: *** (Jumbo Tsuruta retained the GCW World Title.) [Dory Funk Jr. interfered against Billy Graham.]
Main event time, and it was for the World Heavyweight Title! "Superstar" Billy Graham earned the shot at Jumbo Tsuruta thanks to winning a 20-man battle royal in Uniondale, and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan had him prepared to bring the first World championship into the Heenan Family. With the success that he's had, it's easy to forget just how inexperienced Jumbo is. He wrestled well, but Heenan is a master tactician and had the powerful Graham well prepared. The Superstar looked to have this match firmly in his grasp when he got Jumbo in the Bearhug, but it was broken up when DORY FUNK JR. ran in for the save! Jumbo lost the match, but because of the disqualification, he remains the World champion. Graham & Heenan were steaming mad and vowed revenge against Funk.
Card rating: ***
Match observations:
June 2 will mark the halfway point of the year 1977, and the action in GCW is heating up with the weather!
WORLD TITLE - Jumbo Tsuruta (c) vs. Rene Goulet INTERCONTINENTAL STEEL CAGE MATCH - Terry Funk (c) vs. Jimmy Snuka WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES - The Blackjacks (c) vs. Gorilla Monsoon/Mike Graham TEXAS BULLROPE MATCH - Bobby Duncum vs. Stan Hansen/ ELIMINATION MATCH - The Brisco Brothers/Bob Backlund vs. Tim Woods/Mr. Wrestling II/Don Muraco Dory Funk Jr. vs. Billy Graham Antonio Inoki vs. Bruiser Brody Luke Graham vs. The Grand Wizard Dino Bravo/Dominic DeNucci vs. The Russians Peter Maivia vs. Hiro Matsuda Dusty Rhodes vs. Johnny Rodz
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Post by snabbit888 on Apr 11, 2011 17:17:12 GMT -5
June 2, 1977 - Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
Elimination Match: The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) and Bob Backlund beat Tim Woods, Mr. Wrestling II and Don Muraco 3 falls to 1: x Backlund beat Wrestling II via the Atomic Drop in 0:07:51 x T. Woods beat Jerry Brisco via a bulldog in 0:16:09 x Jack Brisco beat T. Woods via the Figure-Four Leglock in 0:22:06 x Backlund beat Muraco via the Atomic Drop in 0:26:42 Survivors: Jack Brisco, Bob Backlund Rating: **** 1/4
There were two distinct feuds involved in our first match pitting the Brisco Brothers & Bob Backlund against Tim Woods, Mr. Wrestling II, & Don Muraco. We got a GCW first in that this was an elimination match, meaning that all three members of a team had to be defeated before the match was over. The fan favorite team got the early advantage thanks to Backlund catching Mr. Wrestling IIwith the Atomic Drop. Woods & Muraco managed to get some cohesive teamwork in though, and their cheating ways allowed Woods to eliminate Jerry Brisco. We were even up again, but this is when Backlund & Jack Brisco kicked it into high gear. Brisco got a measure of revenge on Woods by making him tap out to the Figure-Four Leglock, leaving Muraco all by himself. Muraco didn't back down, to his credit, and got in some good offense, but the numbers game was too much Another Backlund Atomic Drop put this one in the books.
The Blackjacks (Blackjack Lanza and Blackjack Mulligan) defeated Gorilla Monsoon and Mike Graham when Lanza made Graham submit to the Blackjack Claw in 0:06:24. Rating: ** 1/4 (The Blackjacks retained the GCW World Tag Team Titles.)
The Blackjacks were admittedly unprepared for Gorilla Monsoon & Mike Graham last month in Albany. They were fortunate that the titles weren't on the line, but Bobby Heenan had Lanza & Mulligan far better prepared for this title match. Monsoon & Graham brought it as best they could, but the Blackjacks left MSG still the tag team champions.
Dusty Rhodes pinned Johnny Rodz with the Bionic Elbowdrop in 0:03:18. Rating: ***
Not a lot of problems for The American Dream here in the Garden as he made short work of Johnny Rodz.
Dusty Rhodes pinned The Grand Wizard with the Bionic Elbowdrop in 0:10:30. Rating: ** 1/2 (Luke Graham no-showed.)
This was the match that a lot of people were looking for as Luke Graham was going to get his hands on The Grand Wizard. However, when Graham was introduced, he was nowhere to be found. We found out that he was brutally attacked in the back by Bruiser Brody, and so it looked like The Grand Wizard was going to get off scot-free. But before The Grand Wizard could get out of town, he was stopped by DUSTY RHODES! Rhodes didn't want to let the Wizard get away with this, so he took Graham's place. The Wizard was scared out of his mind, but all of his begging didn't save him from Rhodes giving him the beating he so richly deserved. The crowd ate up every minute of it as Rhodes polished off Wizard and sent him packing from GCW.
Jumbo Tsuruta pinned Rene Goulet with the Jumbo Knee in 0:11:53. Rating: *** 1/4 (Jumbo Tsuruta retained the GCW World Title.)
It's rare that someone new to GCW gets a World Title match so soon, but it was Rene Goulet's lucky night. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't THAT lucky as he was wrestling a very angry champion in Jumbo Tsuruta. Jumbo was as aggressive as we've seen him, which was bad news for the Frenchman, who ate the Jumbo Knee and defeat.
Dominic DeNucci and Dino Bravo defeated The Russians (Ivan Koloff and Nikolai Volkoff) when DeNucci pinned I. Koloff after a small package in 0:12:43. Rating: * 3/4 [Lou Albano interfered against Dominic DeNucci.]
Dino Bravo couldn't be any happier with a partner as he is with Dominic DeNucci. The veteran of GCW rings has meshed well with Bravo, and the duo is looking to get a shot at the World Tag Team Titles. To do so, they would first have to get through a team that has given them all kinds of trouble, the Russians. Captain Lou Albano was as highstrung as we've ever seen him, reportedly growing more frustrated that Koloff & Volkoff haven't soundly defeated Bravo & DeNucci to this point. Albano interfered even more than he normally does, trying to make certain that his team was victorious. His interference would end up backfiring as he tried to hit DeNucci with his cane, but DeNucci moved and the cane struck Koloff! Koloff was stunned which led to DeNucci catching him in a small package for the 1-2-3. After the match, Albano was furious as he led Volkoff to the back, leaving Koloff alone in the ring.
We also know that due to their victory here tonight, Bravo & DeNucci have been granted a shot at the World Tag Team Titles on July 5 in Toronto!**
Peter Maivia defeated Hiro Matsuda when Hiro Matsuda passed out in the Stump Puller in 0:10:12. Rating: **** 1/2
Peter Maivia & Hiro Matsuda wrestled to a double countout in Albany, and thus this rematch was signed to determine a winner. Matsuda hasn't had a tremendous amount of success in terms of victories in GCW, but he is one of the most respected wrestlers here and you're almost guaranteed to get a good match out of him. Maivia had his hands full with the Japanese superstar, almost losing early when he was caught in the Japanese Sleeper, but he managed to get out of it. The High Chief fought his way back and got Matsuda locked in the Stump Puller to pick up the big win.
Antonio Inoki pinned Bruiser Brody after an enzuigiri in 0:18:54. Rating: ****
Antonio Inoki made a surprise return to Global Championship Wrestling last month as long time rival Luke Graham's tag team partner to take on Bruiser Brody & The Grand Wizard, and the burly Brody took great offense to this. Brody wanted a piece of Inoki as he blames the former World champion for the demise of The Grand Wizard, who after the beating he took earlier from Dusty Rhodes, we may never see in GCW again. Brody came at Inoki with all guns blazing, hoping to simply beat up the more technically sound Inoki. Inoki is famous for his ability to adapt to any style, bide his time, survive, and make his move. That is precisely what he did here against Brody, taking all the giant could dish out before catching him out of nowhere with an enzuigiri to get a quick victory! Brody quickly recovered, and when he was informed he had lost the match, he didn't take the news very well. Brody tore up the ringside area before security finally led him to the locker room.
Texas Bullrope Match: Bobby Duncum defeated Stan Hansen in 0:18:46. Rating: ***
Bobby Duncum & Stan Hansen have traded wins in recent months, and to settle what is becoming a brutal feud, the two hooked up here in the Garden in a Texas Bullrope Match. To win, you had to incapacitate your enough to drag him and touch all four corners in succession - an act much easier said than done. For the first few minutes of the contest, touching the turnbuckles seemed like the furthest thing from their minds. Duncum & Hansen were content to beat the holy hell out of each other. As you would expect in a match with two wrestlers like this, a lot of blood was shed. They were both wearing the crimson mask before anyone even made an effort to win the match. After as brutal of a match as you could ever wish to see, Duncum finally got the upperhand for good when he wrapped the rope around Hansen's neck to drag him to all four turnbuckles and pick up perhaps the hardest victory of his career.
Cage Match: Terry Funk defeated Jimmy Snuka by escaping the cage in 0:16:58. Rating: **** 1/4 (Terry Funk retained the GCW Intercontinental Title.)
If there's one type of match you don't want to wrestle Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka in, it's the steel cage match. He has shown that in the confines of the cage, no one is better. You have to be a bit crazy to even accept that match, which explains Terry Funk putting up the Intercontinental Title in such a match. When you have a guy who was banned from GCW for almost 5 years for using barbed wire on his own brother, you know you're dealing with someone a little less than stable. After the last match we had, the crowd was thirsty for more blood, and they got their wish. With the way the momentum was going, we looked like we were going to see history made and a new IC champion crowned. Snuka had everything going for him as he put Funk down with a huge headbutt. Snuka made his way toward the door and looked like he was about to escape, when a masked man ran out of the crowd and slammed the door back in Snuka's face, bashing him right between the eyes and knocking him back into the ring! Terry Funk looked as surprised as anybody, but he wasn't about to argue as he crawled to the door and pulled himself out to retain his title in highly controversial fashion. After the loss, Snuka has decided to take some time away from GCW to get his head together. We wish Snuka the best in his time away.
Billy Graham and Dory Funk Jr. battled to a double disqualification in 0:17:17. Rating: **** 1/4 [Jumbo Tsuruta interfered against Billy Graham.] [Bobby Heenan and Jumbo Tsuruta interfered against Dory Funk Jr..]
Our main event featured two of the best in the world who have a lot of gripes with each other in the form of Dory Funk Jr. & "Superstar" Billy Graham. In the past few months, each man has cost the other the World Title, an offense neither man has taken likely. Though it wasn't officially declared such, this match may as well have been viewed as a #1 contenders match as whoever could pull out the decisive victory had to be considered the clear challenger for Jumbo Tsuruta's title. One man who had something to say about that was Jumbo himself, who after 17 minutes of a really good match, ran down and attacked BOTH Funk & Graham! Referee Dick Kroll had no other recourse than to throw this match out, a double disqualification. Jumbo left both men out on the ring with Jumbo Knees before holding the World Title high above his head and going to the back. We hope to find out with Tsuruta did what he did on July 5th in Toronto.
Card rating: *** 1/2
Match observations:
Back to the Great White North on July 5 as Maple Leaf Gardens hosts GCW action!
TEXAS DEATH MATCH - Dory Funk Jr. vs. Billy Graham WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES - The Blackjacks (c) vs. Dino Bravo/Dominic DeNucci Dusty Rhodes vs. Bruiser Brody Gorilla Monsoon/Mike Graham vs. The Russians
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Post by gentlemanjeff on Apr 11, 2011 17:42:03 GMT -5
Wow, Snuka quit on you?
You can't catch a break, man. I figured he'd be world champ by the late 70s. Guess he got tired of jobbing in his "audition" push.
Or he just got wasted on coke and killed a girl.
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Post by snabbit888 on Apr 11, 2011 18:31:24 GMT -5
Wow, Snuka quit on you? You can't catch a break, man. I figured he'd be world champ by the late 70s. Guess he got tired of jobbing in his "audition" push. Or he just got wasted on coke and killed a girl. Yeah. He didn't re-sign. He was supposed to win the IC Title this match, but clearly since he was leaving, didn't make sense. In another side note, I had plans for Luke Graham & Antonio Inoki to get a tag title run, but Luke Graham didn't re-sign either. 1977 hasn't been a great year for me.
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Post by rey619 on Apr 13, 2011 13:51:40 GMT -5
I'm very sad that Luke Graham's quitting, but he's probably quite old by now anyway.
Did Johnny Rodz actually ride in on a horse in real life? Or are you having a ball coming up with ideas for his crazy ideas?
Great work, I'm psyched to see who takes the belt from Tsuruta, I doubt he holds on to it to next year.
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Post by snabbit888 on Apr 13, 2011 14:49:48 GMT -5
I'm very sad that Luke Graham's quitting, but he's probably quite old by now anyway. Did Johnny Rodz actually ride in on a horse in real life? Or are you having a ball coming up with ideas for his crazy ideas? Great work, I'm psyched to see who takes the belt from Tsuruta, I doubt he holds on to it to next year. Luke Graham still had a little mileage left in him, but yeah, his GCW career is probably over at this point. I consider what I did with him to be a huge success. I've mean making up all the Johnny Rodz stuff. It's a fun little side thing. The thought of him awkwardly on a horse made me laugh.
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Post by snabbit888 on Apr 13, 2011 15:45:11 GMT -5
July 5, 1977 - Maple Leaf Gardens - Toronto, ON, CA
Stan Hansen pinned Dean Ho with the Lariat in 0:08:22. Rating: *** 1/2
Even though Stan Hansen came up short against Bobby Duncum, it's made him as surly as ever. Just ask Dean Ho, who is the latest victim of Hansen's devastating Lariat. Ho had to be carted out of the ring on a stretcher, and his GCW career looks to be over for the time being.
Interview: Terry Funk issues an open challenge.
Intercontinental champion Terry Funk is on cloud nine after retaining his title last month by defeating Jimmy Snuka in a cage, and he let that ego get the best of him here by issuing an open challenge for the IC Title against any man who hadn't had a shot at the gold yet. Funk was none too happy when the man who answered was the returning PAT PATTERSON! Patterson was geared up and wanted his return to bring him his first singles title!
Pat Patterson defeated Terry Funk by countout in 0:08:06. Rating: ** (Terry Funk retained the GCW Intercontinental Title.)
To say that Terry Funk was unprepared for Pat Patterson would be the understatement of the century. No matter what Funk tried, Patterson was one step ahead of him. Funk could see the writing on the wall and felt his title slipping away, so instead of eating that loss, he walked out on his own terms, taking his title and heading to the back for the countout. How he can be proud of himself as a champion is beyond me.
The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) defeated Hiro Matsuda and Johnny Rodz when Jack Brisco pinned Rodz after a sunset flip in 0:06:09. Rating: *** 3/4
The Brisco Brothers have had fantastic careers in the wrestling world, but one thing they haven't done is win the GCW World Tag Team Titles, something they have committed themselves to doing in 1977. They turned back the challenge of Tim Woods & Mr. Wrestling II, and stayed hot tonight with a win over Hiro Matsuda & Johnny Rodz.
Bobby Duncum pinned Rene Goulet with the Full Nelson Slam in 0:09:56. Rating: *** 1/4
Rene Goulet seems to think he is being disrespected in his short stint in GCW, saying the fans aren't treating him like the superstar that he is. Well, Rene, for that to happen, it would help if you won some matches. Goulet has been a tough foe for everyone, but has yet to get his hand raised. It wouldn't happen here as he had the unfortunate luck of wrestling Bobby Duncum, perhaps the toughest man in GCW. Goulet, like so many others, fell victim to Duncum and his Full Nelson Slam.
Gorilla Monsoon and Mike Graham defeated The Russians (Ivan Koloff and Nikolai Volkoff) when Monsoon defeated I. Koloff when I. Koloff passed out in the Airplane Spin in 0:07:32. Rating: ** 1/2
You would think by now I would stop being surprised by the things Captain Lou Albano does, but he did it again tonight. His team of the Russians took on Gorilla Monsoon & Mike Graham, and Albano had made no secrets that he blamed "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff for the team's recent struggles. During the match, Koloff looked like he was in control and en route to getting his team back on track when Albano whispered something into Volkoff's ear. Volkoff nodded, entered the ring, and nailed Koloff in the back with a clothesline! Koloff was stunned as Monsoon picked him up and gave him the Airplane Spin. Koloff was out of it from Volkoff's attack and unable to escape, resulting in referee Willie Webber calling for the bell. It looks like the tumultuous relationship of Koloff & Albano is finally over. But if you remember, when the partnership started, Albano more or less blackmailed Koloff by telling him he knew a secret about him. Is Albano now going to divulge that secret?
Bob Backlund pinned Mr. Wrestling II with the Atomic Drop in 0:12:59. Rating: *** 1/2
The ascent of Bob Backlund continued in Toronto, as the young man with the great amateur background continues to show he has the chops to make it in the pro game. He had a tough mountain to climb tonight against Mr. Wrestling II. There aren't a lot of men that can match Backlund on the mat, but Wrestling II is up there. II went hold for hold with Backlund, but Backlund stepped up his game and showed why many are considering him a World champion in the making, catching the Atomic Drop to stay unbeaten.
Jumbo Tsuruta pinned Tim Woods with the Jumbo Knee in 0:09:51. Rating: *** 1/4 (Jumbo Tsuruta retained the GCW World Title.)
Mr. Wrestling II's partner had an even bigger opportunity tonight as Tim Woods was granted a shot at Jumbo Tsuruta and the World Title. Woods came in with uber confidence, but Jumbo is a very pissed off World champ these days. Woods got blitzed by an extra aggressive attack from the champ, leading to the Jumbo Knee and a successful title defense.
Interview: Jumbo Tsuruta explains why he attacked Dory Funk Jr. & Billy Graham.
After the match, a translator joined Tsuruta in the ring so he could explain his involvement in the Dory Funk Jr./Billy Graham last month. Jumbo explained it very simply - he feels the interference of Funk & Graham in his title matches has made a mockery of his title reign, and he wants to be taken seriously. Jumbo said if someone disrespects him, he's going to get even. Jumbo says he is looking forward to wrestling and defeating both Dory Funk Jr. & Billy Graham to cement himself as a great champion.
Don Muraco pinned Peter Maivia after a powerslam in 0:00:33. Rating: *
Many feel that to this point in his career, Don Muraco has underachieved. He has tons of talent, but to this point, he hasn't been able to translate that into success. He has been perceived as a lackey primarily, but he took a huge stride in stepping out of that role here by dominating Peter Maivia - a top level star - in only 33 seconds! If this is any indicator, we may be in line to see a new, more ruthless Don Muraco.
Dominic DeNucci and Dino Bravo defeated The Blackjacks (Blackjack Lanza and Blackjack Mulligan) when Bravo pinned Mulligan with the Side Suplex in 0:26:15. Rating: *** 1/4 (Dominic DeNucci and Dino Bravo won the GCW World Tag Team Titles.)
History has been made tonight as we saw the crowning of brand new World Tag Team champions! The Blackjacks have been great champions, but if they have one fault, it's that they often underestimate their opponents. We saw another classic case of that here as Dino Bravo & Dominic DeNucci challenged for the gold. Bobby Heenan has to shoulder much of the blame as he should have known that Bravo & DeNucci are amongst the top tag team wrestlers in GCW history, having each had reigns with the straps with different partners in the past. After the opening minutes of the contest, it became clear to Lanza & Mulligan that they were going to have their hands full. The Blackjacks got their act together and dominated much of the middle section of this match, showing the tag team cohesion that led to them becoming 2-time champions in the first place. But if there's any clear advantage that Bravo & DeNucci had over them, it came in the heart department, which they have in spades. A refusal to give in let them find their opening, and a huge Side Suplex from Bravo on Mulligan put this one in the books! With this win, Dino Bravo is now a 3-time tag champion with 3 different partners, while DeNucci is an astounding 4-time champion with 4 different partners. Congratulations to the new champs!
Dusty Rhodes and Bruiser Brody battled to a double countout in 0:04:00. Rating: ** 3/4
Bruiser Brody practically begged for this match with "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes as he blames Rhodes for The Grand Wizard no longer being in GCW. Rhodes is not one to back down from a fight against anyone, so he was more than happy to throw down. And that's exactly what this match was - a throw-down. It was clear from the opening bell that there wouldn't be any wrestling holds. This was a fight from the word go, and the fact that this ended with a double countout as both men brawled on the floor is not shocking. The fight went all the way out to the parking lot before the police came and broke it up. It's obvious how deep-seated Brody's hatred for Rhodes is. He's challenged the American Dream to a streetfight for July 29 in Atlantic City, a match Rhodes didn't hesitate to accept.
Texas Death Match: Billy Graham made Dory Funk Jr. submit to a front facelock in 0:34:21. Rating: *****
Dory Funk Jr. & Billy Graham continued their blood feud in our main event, this time wrestling in one of the more dangerous matches in wrestling, the Texas Death Match. We knew that World champion Jumbo Tsuruta had left the building before this match, so there would be no interference - just two men trying to prove who was the better man. There were many falls in this match as the intensity level warranted it, but neither man was willing to stay down for the 10 count. Each time a fall occured, it seemed almost a sure thing that the match would be over, but Funk & Graham would crawl their way to their feet just in the nick of time. After a particularly close fall by Graham following a powerslam, he seemed to snap and locked Funk in a front facelock, tightening his grip using the biggest biceps in the world that he possesses. Funk tried to get out, but the more he struggled, the tighter Graham's grip got before Funk had to tap out. Funk couldn't get back to his feet after that one due to how brutal the match had been to that point, and in a grueling contest, "Superstar" Billy Graham was declared the winner.
Card rating: *** 1/4
Match observations:
It has been a year and a half since we've been to Atlantic City, so what better way to do so than with a huge card on July 29!
INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE - Terry Funk (c) vs. Pat Patterson WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES - Dino Bravo/Dominic DeNucci (c) vs. The Blackjacks STREETFIGHT - Dusty Rhodes vs. Bruiser Brody Jumbo Tsuruta (World champion)/Bob Backlund vs. Tim Woods/Mr. Wrestling II Dory Funk Jr. vs. Billy Graham
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Post by LillaThrilla on Apr 15, 2011 19:18:28 GMT -5
Who taps out to a front facelock??? Okay, well, if it's Superstar Billy Graham's freakishly huge biceps I guess that's not so unlikely.
Sad to see Snuka leave.
Look forward to Koloff eventually taking Albano's head off. No idea what the secret is. That he's not really Russian?
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Crpls
Midcarder
Posts: 140
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Post by Crpls on Apr 15, 2011 21:21:54 GMT -5
You keep forgetting the era he's running in.
Hell, Misawa was using his stepover facelock as one of his finishers into the very early 90s in AJPW.
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Post by gentlemanjeff on Apr 16, 2011 17:03:14 GMT -5
They're tapping out in 1977?!
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Post by snabbit888 on Apr 17, 2011 11:50:08 GMT -5
They're tapping out in 1977?! I will take whatever liberties with history I want, thank you. You don't seem to be too upset that my grandpa is running shows in MSG, do you?
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Post by snabbit888 on Apr 19, 2011 0:19:03 GMT -5
July 29, 1977 - Convention Hall - Atlantic City, NJ
The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) defeated Johnny Rodz and Rene Goulet when Jack Brisco defeated Rodz via pinfall in 0:11:05. Rating: *** 1/4
The action in Atlantic City kicked off with the Brisco Brothers taking on the team of Rene Goulet & Johnny Rodz. Rodz felt that his choice of partner last match (Hiro Matsuda) against the Briscos cost him, so he chose Goulet for this contest in hopes of doing better. He also, of course, was as unpredictable as ever, deciding to sport an eye patch. …Simply stunning. New partner and eyewear aside, the result was the same, as the Briscos notch another win on their belts.
Nikolai Volkoff pinned Mike Graham after hitting him with the cane in 0:05:58. Rating: 3/4* [Lou Albano interfered against Mike Graham.]
Nikolai Volkoff is back in the singles ranks after Captain Lou Albano & he turned on Ivan Koloff last show. Volkoff took on Mike Graham here, and though Graham was pumped up, he just couldn't overcome Volkoff's size and power. Or Captain Lou's cane for that matter, which ultimately finished Graham off.
Interview: Lou Albano tells Ivan Koloff's secret.
After the match, Captain Lou grabbed the house mic and had some harsh words for Ivan Koloff. Albano said he tried to turn Koloff back into the momster that he was when he was World champion, but the Russian Bear has proven he is soft and doesn't belong here. And by here, he meant America, as Albano revealed that Koloff is an illegal immigrant! Albano stated that the reason Koloff is in this country is because he helped fudge some paperwork, but now, he was going to make sure Koloff was sent out of this country once and for all!
Bobby Duncum pinned Hiro Matsuda with the Full Nelson Slam in 0:08:07. Rating: **** 1/4
Bobby Duncum continues to tear up the ranks of GCW, picking up yet another hard fought win here in Atlantic City against Hiro Matsuda. Duncum does nothing but win these days, and it has a lot of people asking the same question - when will Bobby Duncum get a shot at the World Title?
The Blackjacks (Blackjack Lanza and Blackjack Mulligan) and Dominic DeNucci and Dino Bravo battled to a double countout in 0:06:38. Rating: ** (Dominic DeNucci and Dino Bravo retained the GCW World Tag Team Titles.)
Bobby Heenan has come under a lot of fire this month after his Blackjacks lost the World Tag Team Titles to Dino Bravo & Dominic DeNucci in Toronto, the general feeling being that Lanza & Mulligan dropped the match due to being criminally underprepared. This is not the first time this criticism has been levied against the Brain, but he made sure he had his men ready to go for their rematch for the straps tonight. Dino Bravo has never looked better, and a lot of credit for that has to go to Dominic DeNucci, a GCW veteran and widely considered one of the best tag team wrestlers of the last 15 years. This team is clicking on all cylinders, and they showed they could match the intensity of a motivated Blackjack team. The match ended in a double countout, which means that the champions retain their titles. Heenan demanded the match be restarted, but it wasn't in the cards for him. Not only that, but he's going to have to wait a while longer to get another title shot, as the next challengers for Bravo & DeNucci have been announced as Tim Woods & Mr. Wrestling II, who get their shot on August 26 at Madison Square Garden.
Don Muraco pinned Chief Jay Strongbow with the Tombstone in 0:09:13. Rating: **
GCW fans were pleasantly surprised to see the return of Chief Jay Strongbow to the ring in Atlantic City. Strongbow is a former United States & World Tag Team champion, and was one of the cornerstone competitors in Global Championship Wrestling's early days. Strongbow wanted to come back with a bang, but Don Muraco had other ideas. Muraco didn't get the memo from Strongbow, and ruined his return by hitting him with the Tombstone and getting the 1-2-3. I'm not sure if it was ring rust from the Chief, or just another strong performance from Muraco, but either way, Strongbow is 0-1 in his return.
[STREETFIGHT]: No-Countout-No-DQ-Match: Bruiser Brody pinned Dusty Rhodes with the Bombs Away in 0:06:53. Rating: ** 1/2
No one will ever question the guts of "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, but he was fighting one hell of an uphill battle in this streetfight against Bruiser Brody. A match with no rules is right up Brody's alley as there isn't a better brawler in the world for my money. Rhodes is a fighter though - he doesn't know any other way. Rhodes didn't back down an inch, but Brody is ruthless, and used everything that wasn't bolted down to hit Rhodes with before catching him with the Bombs Away to get the win. A valiant effort by Rhodes, but a streetfight with Brody is a fight few will ever win. Rhodes is as stubborn as a mule though and wants one more shot at Brody, but this time in a cage match! You have to be impressed, but this seems like suicide. We'll see if the American Dream can pull it off on August 26.
Stan Hansen pinned Gorilla Monsoon with the Lariat in 0:12:23. Gorilla Monsoon suffered a neck injury. He will be out for approximately 3 months. Rating: **
I am going to make a bold statement right now - there is no more dangerous move in all of wrestling than Stan Hansen's Lariat. He has ended the career of several competitors already, and he nearly did it again tonight. Tonight's victim was Gorilla Monsoon. Monsoon wanted the match with Hansen as he was tired of watching Hansen bully everyone and try to end careers. Monsoon asserted his will early on as Hansen hadn't fought a man of Monsoon's 400-plus pound stature, but Hansen showed he is as tough as he is surly. He avoided Monsoon's big splash and nearly beheading the Manchurian Monster with the Lariat to get the 1-2-3. Monsoon suffered a neck injury from the move, but thankfully due to his size, it protected him from the same fate that countless others have suffered. Monsoon will be on the shelf for a couple of months, but he has vowed to get even when he returns.
Terry Funk defeated Pat Patterson by countout in 0:22:13. Rating: ** 1/4 (Terry Funk retained the GCW Intercontinental Title.)
Pat Patterson came so close to winning the Intercontinental Title! Patterson returned with a mission, and that was to dethrone Terry Funk and end his now 1+ year title reign. Patterson seems to have Funk's number as Funk looks completely out of sorts when he wrestles Patterson. Even so, the match was very competitive and Funk doesn't want his title reign to end that easily. You don't hold a championship for over a year without being a highly skilled wrestler. Funk showed how resourceful he is too by taking a powder to the floor late in the match, feigning being more hurt than he actually was. Patterson became frustrated and went out after him, only for Funk to send him head first into the ring post! The shot left Patterson dazed, letting Funk roll back in the ring to get the countout victory. Other than one mistake, Patterson had wrestled the perfect match and has vowed not to let it happen again at Madison Square Garden.
Tim Woods and Mr. Wrestling II defeated Bob Backlund and Jumbo Tsuruta when T. Woods pinned Backlund after a small package in 0:14:54. Rating: **** 1/4
If this match showed anything, it showed how different singles and tag team action can be. In singles matches, it would be hard to bet against Bob Backlund or the World champion Jumbo Tsuruta. But in a tag team match, the advantage was in the camp of Tim Woods & Mr. Wrestling II. Jumbo & Backlund are too controlling in the ring to work together as well as they should have, and it cost them a victory tonight. Backlund had been in the ring for awhile taking punishment, but he created some separation by moving out of the way in the corner of a charging Mr. Wrestling II. Jumbo wanted in the ring in a bad way, but Backlund refused to make the tag and went to do it himself. Wrestling II made the tag, however, and Woods caught Backlund by surprise while he was arguing with Jumbo. Woods trapped Backlund in a small package, and that was all she wrote. After the match, Jumbo & Backlund had some words, but ultimately shook hands and left the ring peacefully, if not frustrated. This is big momentum for Woods & II going into their tag title match next month.
Billy Graham pinned Dory Funk Jr. after a powerslam in 0:16:25. Rating: *** 3/4 [Bobby Heenan interfered against Dory Funk Jr..]
With every match, the feud between Dory Funk Jr. & "Superstar" Billy Graham gets more and more carried away. The anger and hatred has become so deep seated between these two, that I'm not sure if there's anything that can keep these two in check. Even Graham's manager, Bobby Heenan, is having great difficulty controlling the Superstar. Funk doesn't mind one bit as he is a tough as nails S.O.B. from Amarillo, TX. The match was scrappy from the word go, and it didn't let up until the final bell. Funk worked Graham's leg over, trying to set him up for the Texas Cloverleaf and neutralize Graham's powerful offense, but Graham is just so strong, as the powerslam that drove the air out of Funk's lungs proved. Graham squeaks by with another victory, but it was anything but decisive. There are more battles in the future for these two, but next, Billy Graham will get a World Title shot against Jumbo Tsuruta at the Garden!
Card rating: ***
Match observations:
We love when we return to Madison Square Garden - the wrestlers seem to kick it up a notch for these shows! It doesn't hurt that we always have great lineups, including the one we have in store for August 26!
WORLD TITLE - Jumbo Tsuruta (c) vs. Billy Graham INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE - Terry Funk (c) vs. Pat Patterson WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES - Dino Bravo/Dominic DeNucci (c) vs. Tim Woods/Mr. Wrestling II CAGE MATCH - Dusty Rhodes vs. Bruiser Brody Ivan Koloff vs. Nikolai Volkoff The Brisco Brothers vs. The Blackjacks Chief Jay Strongbow vs. Hiro Matsuda
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Post by rey619 on Apr 19, 2011 8:14:32 GMT -5
What did they do in 1977 then? If they couldn't tap out.
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Crpls
Midcarder
Posts: 140
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Post by Crpls on Apr 19, 2011 18:46:51 GMT -5
The same thing they did before Ken Shamrock went to the WWF and they started the tapping out thing--verbally submit.
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Post by LillaThrilla on Apr 19, 2011 20:40:57 GMT -5
You keep forgetting the era he's running in. Fair enough. I'm not sure I would've enjoyed watching wrestling when just about any move was a possible finisher. I guess a counter-argument could be made about UFC/etc - which is legit and in the 1970s wrestling was still perceived as semi-legit. Albano's got Koloff into the country illegally? Nice. Strongbow comes back and gets put away with a piledriver in his first match back? Ouch. Especially given this is the 70s...OUCH. The same thing they did before Ken Shamrock went to the WWF and they started the tapping out thing--verbally submit. Or got their arm checked and dropped 3 times if they were out cold in a sleeperhold. It's a strange thing for me because other than a very brief period watching WWF Saturday morning show in 1991, I started watching wrestling with the Monday Night Wars right around the time of Shamrock's debut. So it seems to me like it's always been that way even though I know better.
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