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Post by snabbit888 on Dec 8, 2020 5:10:15 GMT -5
8/28/86 - The Big Event - Toronto, ON, CA
Over 60,000 screaming GCW fans jam packed the CNE Stadium in Toronto, ON, CA, in what may be the largest crowd in GCW history for tonight's absolutely massive show, The Big Event! Tonight's announce team of Gorilla Monsoon, Mark Niemiller, and Lord Alfred Hayes welcomed us and ran down the card, one that will shape the landscape of GCW for months to come. After that, we went down to the ring and Howard Finkel for our opening contest.
MATCH #1 TELEVISION TITLE MATCH Bad News Brown (c) vs. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan has been on the receiving end of so many short ends of the stick from Bad News Brown in the past few months, including having the Television Title more or less stolen from him. He had his chance to get his revenge once and for all, and he did just that, beating Brown at his own game. Bad News had grabbed his chain which is how he won the title, but referee Joey Marella saw it thanks to Hacksaw pointing it out. While Marella was removing the weapon, Duggan grabbed his trust 2x4 and whacked Brown in the stomach and then the back. The Three Point Stance followed, and Jim Duggan is the first 2-time TV champion!
Jim Duggan pinned Bad News Brown with the Three Point Stance in 0:08:18. Rating: 1/2* (Jim Duggan won the GCW Television Title.)
MATCH #2 Dos Caras vs. Tully Blanchard (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
Bobby Heenan (and in particular the Four Horsemen), have a huge night ahead of them as Arn Anderson could leave Toronto the World champion. Tully Blanchard got the night off to a good start by picking up a hard fought victory over Dos Caras.
Tully Blanchard pinned Dos Caras with the Slingshot Suplex in 0:11:05. Rating: *** [Bobby Heenan interfered against Dos Caras.]
TED ARCIDI IS INTRODUCED TO THE CROWD
Before our next match, a new signee to GCW was announced to the crowd. "The World's Strongest Man" Ted Arcidi stood and waved to the crowd after being announced by Howard Finkel. Will Arcidi be as successful in GCW as he was in weightlifting? Time will tell.
MATCH #3 Andre the Giant/The Barbarian (w/ Kevin Sullivan) vs. Big John Studd/King Kong Bundy (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
The first notable thing for this tag match was that the team of Andre the Giant & The Barbarian did not come to the ring alone. The Barbarian had a man with him who appears to be his new manager. Before the match officially began, Lord Alfred Hayes got up and interviewed this new man, who introduced himself as KEVIN SULLIVAN, saying he was here to take The Barbarian to new heights and chaos was about to reign in GCW. The match itself here was just a clash of giants, which is to say it was a bowling shoe ugly slugfest. It didn't take long for Bundy to get himself disqualified by using a weapon against Andre, but the fight continued until Andre & Barbarian cleared the ring of The Heenan Family. After this, in what seemed a little strange, instead of staying in the ring and celebrating with Andre, Sullivan immediately instructed The Barbarian to leave the ring and go to the back.
Andre the Giant and The Barbarian defeated The Heenan Family (Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy) when Andre defeated Bundy by disqualification in 0:02:50. Rating: DUD
MATCH #4 BOOT CAMP MATCH The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) vs. Sgt. Slaughter/Stan "The Lariat" Hansen
The Unholy Alliance have been the most terrifying force in GCW's tag division maybe ever, but they finally met their match in The Road Warriors. Hawk & Animal might be the only two men in wrestling who could match intensity and intimidation with Slaughter & Hansen. That's why this Boot Camp Match was necessary to finally settle the score once and for all. A Boot Camp Match is essentially anything goes, and that's what we had here. This was more of a bar fight than a match, but boy was it entertaining. By the end of it, everyone but Animal was bleeding, and had it gone on any longer, we would have ended up bleeding too. The ending came when Slaughter & Hansen had Animal in a bad way, but a miscommunication led to Slaughter accidentally nailing Hansen with his boot he had removed as Animal got out of the way. Hawk caught a disoriented Slaughter with a big flying shoulderblock and this one was history.
[BOOT CAMP MATCH]: No-DQ-Match: The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) defeated Sgt. Slaughter and Stan Hansen when Hawk pinned Slaughter after a flying shoulderblock in 0:13:21. Rating: *** 1/2 [Paul Ellering interfered against Sgt. Slaughter.]
MATCH #5 Ted DiBiase vs. "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan/Barry Windham)
This match was a wrestling purist's dream. Since the Nature Boy has returned, he hasn't truly been tested yet, but that changed tonight when he took on former Intercontinental champion Ted DiBiase. This match was supposed to be for the IC Title, but with Barry Windham's recent knee injury, this match took place instead. Windham was down at ringside on crutches. He wasn't getting physically involved, but his presence was clearly a distraction to DiBiase, who wanted nothing more than to get his hands on Windham for the grief he has caused him over the past several months. A great classic wrestling match up until the end, which is a shame that it had to end the way it did. DiBiase had fought through and finally got the Nature Boy locked in the Cobra Clutch, which is when Bobby Heenan jumped up on the apron to distract referee Tommy Young. Flair was on his last legs, but he had the wherewithal to back up into the ropes which allowed Windham to absolutely BLAST DiBiase in the back with one of his crutches! Flair then brought DiBiase down with a backslide, and the Horsemen were 2-for-2 for the evening.
Ric Flair pinned Ted DiBiase after a backslide in 0:18:09. Rating: *** 1/2 [Barry Windham interfered against Ted DiBiase.]
JIMMY GARVIN ISSUES AN OPEN CHALLENGE
It wasn't scheduled, but "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin decided he didn't like the fact that he was left off of the card and took matters into his own hands, issuing an open challenge to anyone who was man enough to come out and face him. He got his wish in a big way when the man who answered was BOB BACKLUND, returning from an injured elbow that he suffered in a match with Garvin himself. Garvin looked like he had seen a ghost as referee Dick Kroll called for the bell.
MATCH #6 Bob Backlund vs. "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin (w/ Precious)
Garvin never got his bearings as Backlund was all over him from the opening bell. When Backlund wants to be, he can be highly aggressive and overwhelming, and that was the case here. Garvin never got much offense in before he fell to the Crossface Chickenwing. Welcome back, Bob Backlund!
Bob Backlund defeated Jimmy Garvin when Jimmy Garvin passed out in the Crossface Chickenwing in 0:04:48. Rating: ** 1/4 [Precious interfered against Bob Backlund.]
MATCH #7 WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH The Rock 'N Roll Express (c) vs. The Power Company (w/ Jimmy Hart)
The Power Company were a tough test for the World Tag Team champions, The Rock 'N Roll Express. It is well documented that Dino Bravo is the most successful tag team wrestler in GCW history, but he has yet to achieve tag team gold with his current partner, Hercules. They had a huge opportunity to do so this tonight, and on several occasions, they were within an eyelash of doing so. However, Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson are scrappers and tenacious as any team we've seen. They managed to withstand the assault of Bravo & Hercules, Morton made a hot tag to Gibson after being pummeled for awhile, Gibson hit a flying cross body press and this was a successful title defense for the RnR Express.
The Rock 'N Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) defeated The Power Company (Dino Bravo and Hercules) when R. Gibson pinned Hercules after a flying cross body press in 0:08:13. (The Rock 'N Roll Express retained the GCW World Tag Team Titles.) Rating: ** 3/4
MATCH #8 "The Modern Day Warrior" Kerry Von Erich vs. "The Total Package" Lex Luger (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
If you believe the rumors in the locker room, Lex Luger is said to be on thin ice with the Heenan Family. Since the Four Horsemen officially formed, the Brain has been giving almost all of his attention their way, and Luger has been showing some noticeable signs of frustration over this. He had a tough match against his rival Kerry Von Erich, who doesn't care a thing about any problems within the Heenan Family - he just wants to win. Despite the Modern Day Warrior dominating much of the offense, Heenan showed he hadn't given up on Luger completely yet, tripping Von Erich up as he hit the ropes. This allowed Luger to surprise him with a powerslam and keep him down just long enough to get the 1-2-3.
Lex Luger pinned Kerry Von Erich after a powerslam in 0:07:07. Rating: ** [Bobby Heenan interfered against Kerry Von Erich.]
MATCH #9 The First Family (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. Junkyard Dog/"The Birdman" Koko B. Ware/The Rougeau Brothers
The Hart Foundation are primed to wrestle for the World Tag Team Titles on September 6, and they wanted to get some momentum going into that in this 8-man tag team match. A nice showcase for everyone involved, but ultimately Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart showed they are more than ready for their title opportunity when they caught Jacques Rougeau with the Hart Attack to get the win for The First Family.
The First Family (Adrian Adonis, Bret Hart, Honky Tonk Man and Jim Neidhart) defeated The Rougeau Brothers (Jacques Rougeau and Raymond Rougeau), Junkyard Dog and Koko B. Ware when B. Hart pinned J. Rougeau after the Hart Attack in 0:11:01. Rating: ** 3/4
MATCH #10 WORLD TITLE MATCH "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan (c) vs. "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
It was time for our main event, and if the rest of the night was any indication, this could have been a bad time for World champion Hulk Hogan. The Horsemen so far were 2-for-2, and they've already shown that they're not above doing anything to win. The Enforcer of the Horsemen, Arn Anderson, was as focused as he ever has been for this huge opportunity to become the Heavyweight champion of the World. Say what you want about who he is as a person, but Anderson may be the most gifted wrestler in the world today. It didn't hurt that he had Bobby Heenan and the Horsemen in his corner. Hogan, however, is Hogan, and beating the odds is kind of his thing. Early on in the match, the Horsemen would get involved as when Hogan was on the outside, Blanchard leveled him with a clothesline. However, referee Dick Kroll saw this. To Kroll's credit, he knew how big of a match this was and instead of disqualifying Anderson (which he rightfully could have done), he instead threw the Horsemen out of ringside!
Even with that distraction gone, Anderson still went on the attack, trying to work over the Hulkster's leg so that it would neutralize the Big Leg Drop. But again, Hogan is Hogan. Near the end of the contest, the Enforcer planted Hogan with the spinebuster. He got up and indicated that this match was over, but he didn't noticed behind him that Hogan was Hulking up! You can probably guess what happened from here. Punch, punch, big boot, Big Leg Drop, and a successful defense of the World Title.
Hulk Hogan pinned Arn Anderson with the Big Leg Drop in 0:16:38. Rating: ** 1/2 (Hulk Hogan retained the GCW World Title.) [Tully Blanchard interfered against Hulk Hogan.] [Bobby Heenan interfered against Hulk Hogan.]
Hogan barely had a momentum to celebrate before RIC FLAIR and TULLY BLANCHARD were back in the ring, and the beatdown was on. Once Anderson cleared the cobwebs, we had a 3-on-1 attack on our hands. Hogan tried to fight back, but the numbers were overwhelming him. That is, until TED DIBIASE and KERRY VON ERICH hit the ring. The momentum swung the other way, the babyfaces cleared the ring of the Horsemen, and our broadcast came to an end with all three posing to the crowd while Heenan and the Horsemen threw a fit in the aisle.
Card rating: ** 1/2
UPCOMING EVENTS
What a night of action we had tonight! Needless to say, this Event truly was BIG. However, just as GCW always does, there's even more huge wrestling action on the way in 1986! In the post-Big Event press conference, President Jack Tunney announced the next two wrestling megacards, September 26 in Detroit and October 4 in Richfield, OH for Saturday Night Slam Masters! The following matches have already been announced for these epic shows:
9/26/86 - Joe Louis Arena - Detroit, MI
WORLD TITLE - Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Tully Blanchard Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair Ted DiBiase vs. Arn Anderson
10/4/86 - SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS - Richfield Coliseum - Richfield, OH
Hulk Hogan/Ted DiBiase/Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair/Arn Anderson/Tully Blanchard
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Post by snabbit888 on Dec 8, 2020 5:23:11 GMT -5
8/30/86 - GCW Superstars (TAPED: 8/5/86) LOCATION: Mid-Hudson Civic Center - Poughkeepsie, NY
Gorilla Monsoon & Mark Niemiller welcomed everyone to GCW Superstars, the last hour long Superstars before we jump to 90 minutes next week! It was going to be a big show as it will feature Honky Tonk Man in action, as well as the undefeated Barbarian! The Power Company is also here, and we'll hear from both the Four Horsemen and the World champion Hulk Hogan! But first, the Television Title is on the line so off to the ring and Howard Finkel.
MATCH #1 TELEVISION TITLE MATCH "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan (c) vs. Hector Guerrero
Our opening contest saw Jim Duggan making his first title defense of his second TV Title reign against resident jerk Hector Guerrero. Guerrero got under Hacksaw's skin early and had a couple of offensive flurries, but ultimately Duggan's raw power and smashmouth attack was enough to retain the gold. Afterwards, Duggan got on the mic and said his second reign will be even better than his first and he plans on taking on all comers. Niemiller said on commentary that Duggan is even somehow dumbed than he looks, and if he was champion he would avoid defending the title as much as possible. Monsoon called him spineless before throwing it to a pre-taped interview from this past Thursday after The Big Event.
Jim Duggan pinned Hector Guerrero with the Three Point Stance in 0:06:32. Rating: ** 3/4 [Jim Duggan retained the GCW Television Title.]
HULK HOGAN HAS SOME NEW ALLIES TO AID IN HIS BATTLES AGAINST THE HORSEMEN
World champion Hulk Hogan cut a promo in the locker room in Toronto that was filmed right after The Big Event went off the air. He said that those no good jerks, The Four Horsemen, showed exactly what type of scum that they are when they tried to use dirty tactics to end Hulkamania with a dastardly post-match assault. But Hogan said that Heenan and his goons weren't the only group to worry about as he had a couple of good dudes watching his back as well in the form of Ted DiBiase and Kerry Von Erich! They entered the shot and essentially everyone said that they weren't about to let the Horsemen get away with whatever they wanted and as long as the Horsemen were around, they'd be there to stop them.
This then cut to another pre-tape from Toronto, this time with the Horsemen. The energy here was much different as it was essentially Ric Flair absolutely losing his mind as he is prone to do. The gist of the interview was that if Hogan, DiBiase, and Von Erich thought this was over, they were wrong by a country mile and that they would stop at nothing until the World Title was around the waist of a member of the Four Horsemen.
Monsoon & Niemiller let it be known after these videos aired that next week on our first 90-minute Superstars, Ted DiBiase will meet Arn Anderson 1-on-1 in the ring.
MATCH #2 Honky Tonk Man (w/ Jimmy Hart/"Adorable" Adrian Adonis) vs. Les Thornton
Honky Tonk Man came out with the largest piece remaining of his prized guitar Peggy Sue that Andre the Giant had destroyed a couple of weeks ago on Superstars. A quick and easy win for Honky here in the actual match, despite clearly still being distraught about his guitar.
Honky Tonk Man pinned Les Thornton with the Shake Rattle'n'Roll in 0:02:03. Rating: * 1/4
IMPROMPTU EPISODE OF THE FLOWER SHOP
We wish that Honky Tonk Man would do all of his talking in the ring, but we are not that lucky. Honky said we were all going to be treated to an impromptu edition of The Flower Shop. HTM told everyone how much emotional distress he has been in for the last couple of weeks because of what that "big dummy" Andre the Giant did to his beloved Peggy Sue. Jimmy Hart echoed these sentiments, saying that even though Honky is the manliest man in GCW, even he couldn't believe how sad he had been. Honky said though that when he gets sad, he also gets angry, and he wasn't going to let Andre get away with embarrassing him like that. That's why he was officially challenging Andre to a match… against Adrian Adonis. Adonis looked shocked at this and was incredibly terrified by the prospect of having to fight Andre. Jimmy Hart & Honky though manage to convince him he was an animal and that Andre stood no chance.
Niemiller said Andre was in big trouble now, to which Monsoon had to do everything in his power to keep from having a meltdown at this prospect. We've learned that this match will take place in 2 weeks' time on Superstars.
MATCH #3 The Power Company (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. Jimmy Jackson/Tommy Sharp
The Power Company came up a little short from capturing the World Tag Team Titles, but they got back on the winning trail with a solid victory today.
The Power Company (Dino Bravo and Hercules) defeated Jimmy Jackson and Tommy Sharp when Hercules made Jackson submit to the Horizontal Backbreaker in 0:03:52. Rating: DUD
LIVE EVENT REPORT W/ GENE OKERLUND
It's "Mean" Gene time, everyone, my personal favorite time of the week. Okerlund recapped the events of The Big Event, making several puns about its decided Bigness in the process, before hyping up next week's big premiere of the first 90-minute GCW Superstars. After that was out of the way, Okerlund turned his attention to the next two big supercards GCW has planned, starting with September 26 from the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, MI. Already signed for the show is Ted DiBiase vs. Arn Anderson (a match we will also see next week on Superstars), "The Modern Day Warrior" Kerry Von Erich taking on "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, and Hulk Hogan defending the World Title against Tully Blanchard. Okerlund referenced the Horsemen's words earlier about how they will stop at nothing to get the World Title off of the waist of the Hulkster, so Hogan better have eyes in the back of his head in Detroit. Okerlund added that one more match was signed earlier today as Bob Backlund will meet Hector Guerrero.
Not only that, but on October 4, we'll be back on NBC for Saturday Night Slam Masters! They showed a quick promo of Jesse "The Body" Ventura promoting the show from a Hollywood movie set saying he will be back to call the action and carry Gorilla Monsoon through yet another broadcast. So far only one match has been signed for the event, but it's a doozy as World champion Hulk Hogan teams with Ted DiBiase and Kerry Von Erich to take on the Horsemen team of Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, and Tully Blanchard! More matches will be announced in the coming weeks so you won't want to miss a single minute of GCW action.
MATCH #4 The Barbarian (w/ Kevin Sullivan) vs. The Gladiator
Our final bout of the day saw The Barbarian absolutely destroy yet another hapless victim, this time in the form of a man named The Gladiator. Barbarian again was joined by his new manager, Kevin Sullivan, and again, it was hard to get a gauge on exactly what he was thinking. Monsoon said though that he didn't trust him, but Niemiller said that if we all thought The Barbarian was scary before, he was going to be even scarier now.
The Barbarian pinned The Gladiator with the Diving Headbutt in 0:02:07. Rating: *
KEVIN SULLIVAN INTRODUCES EVERYONE TO HIS NEW PROTEGE
We soon found out just how prophetic that statement was as Sullivan grabbed the microphone and chased Howard Finkel out of the ring. Sullivan didn't say much, but he said that he was on a mission to bring pain and suffering to all of those he considered to be unworthy in GCW. The Barbarian was the first piece of the puzzle. The second Sullivan said was this man… THE WARLORD. At that, another huge man came from the back dressed very similarly to The Barbarian. The Warlord wasted no time getting in the ring and planting The Gladiator into the canvas with a massive powerslam. Sullivan ended by saying we were looking at THE POWERS OF PAIN. GCW has officially been put on notice.
And with that, our last episode of Superstars before we go to the 90-minute format was in the books! Be sure to join us next week as we will be coming to you from Providence, RI! The show will be highlighted by Ted DiBiase taking on Arn Anderson, an announcement from President Jack Tunney regarding the Intercontinental Title, and The Hart Foundation will challenge The Rock 'N Roll Express for the World Tag Team Titles! See you next week, everybody!
UPCOMING EVENTS
9/26/86 - Joe Louis Arena - Detroit, MI
WORLD TITLE - Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Tully Blanchard Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair Ted DiBiase vs. Arn Anderson Bob Backlund vs. Hector Guerrero
10/4/86 - SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS - Richfield Coliseum - Richfield, OH
Hulk Hogan/Ted DiBiase/Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair/Arn Anderson/Tully Blanchard
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Post by snabbit888 on Dec 8, 2020 6:06:49 GMT -5
9/6/86 - GCW Superstars (TAPED: 8/26/86) LOCATION: Providence Civic Center - Providence, RI
PRESIDENT JACK TUNNEY ADDRESS THE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE
Before we got to the intro package for GCW Superstars, we were joined by GCW President Jack Tunney from his offices in Toronto, ON, CA. Tunney addressed the current situation with the Intercontinental Title, currently held by Barry Windham. Tunney declared that with Windham's knee injury, he will be unable to meet his contracted title defense and therefore, as of today, September 6, he is hereby stripped of the IC Title. Furthermore, Tunney announced that as a result of Windham's heinous use of a crutch at The Big Event against Ted DiBiase, he is suspended from attending any GCW events until he is cleared by doctors to compete again. As for the Intercontinental Title, an 8-man tournament will take place starting today to crown a new champion and culminating on the September 27 episode of Superstars. The brackets are as follows:
Kerry Von Erich vs. Hector Guerrero Jacques Rougeau vs. Honky Tonk Man Koko B. Ware vs. Jimmy Garvin Ted DiBiase vs. Lex Luger
Gorilla Monsoon & Mark Niemiller welcomed everyone to the very first 90-minute episode of GCW Superstars! Monsoon could barely get through the basic intro before Niemiller was on a rant about how unjust that crook Tunney was for not only stripping Barry Windham of the IC Title, but suspending him as well! Niemiller said he was going to make sure to recommend a good lawyer to Bobby Heenan because this was an outrage. Monsoon said the decision is final, and we could look forward to the first two first round matchups in the tournament to crown a new champion today as Kerry Von Erich squares off against Hector Guerrero and Jacques Rougeau will meet Honky Tonk Man! Not only that, but in our massive main event, the World Tag Team Titles will be on the line as The Rock 'N Roll Express defend against the #1 contenders, The Hart Foundation. Niemiller, of course, predicted new champions. But first, Monsoon threw it to Howard Finkel in the ring for our opening contest, Ted DiBiase taking on Arn Anderson!
MATCH #1 Ted DiBiase vs. "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan/Tully Blanchard)
If you're going to kick off a new era of our flagship television show, this is the type of match you want to do it. There's obviously a lot of animosity between Ted DiBiase and the Horsemen, and that was on full display in our opening contest. These two are no strangers to each other in singles action either as DiBiase narrowly defeated the Enforcer over the summer in the King of the Ring tournament. This match was firing on all cylinders from the word go, and it didn't let up until that slime TULLY BLANCHARD decided to get involved. During the match, Bobby Heenan went over to the announce position and began yelling at Monsoon about how unfair it was that Barry Windham had been stripped of the title and suspended. The Brain was causing such a scene that DiBiase stopped his attack on Anderson, reached through the ropes and grabbed Heenan from behind! While this was happening, Anderson had grabbed the attention of referee Tommy Young so that Young didn't see what happened next. Blanchard clobbered DiBiase with a hard forearm causing him to stumble back into the ring. Unfortunately for him, he stumbled right into the waiting arms of the Enforcer who hit the Gourdbuster and stole the win.
Arn Anderson pinned Ted DiBiase with the Gourdbuster in 0:05:54. Rating: **** 1/4 [Tully Blanchard interfered against Ted DiBiase.]
They weren't done yet though as Blanchard got in the ring and started booting the boots to DiBiase with Anderson until HULK HOGAN ran out to a monstrous ovation and cleared the ring. DiBiase was back up now too and they were both challenging Anderson & Blanchard to get back in the ring! Heenan thought better of it and took his men to the back, but we learned after the commercial break that we will see Hogan & DiBiase team up in a tag team match against Anderson & Blanchard in two weeks here on Superstars!
MATCH #2 INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - FIRST ROUND "The Modern Day Warrior" Kerry Von Erich vs. Hector Guerrero
The first match in the IC Title promised to be a fast paced one as Kerry Von Erich and Hector Guerrero went at it. Guerrero was the speedier of the two, but Von Erich can turn it up when he wants to as well. Guerrero's plan was to throw Von Erich off balance with as many aerial moves as he could, but once Von Erich started utilizing his power arsenal, this one was in the bag. The Discus Punch puts Guerrero away and Von Erich punches his ticket to the semi-finals.
[INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - FIRST ROUND]: Kerry Von Erich pinned Hector Guerrero with the Discus Punch in 0:10:30. Rating: **
COMING SOON TO GLOBAL CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING… MR. PERFECT
We were treated to a video package highlighting the debut of GCW's newest superstar, Mr. Perfect. Perfect claims to be just that - perfect, and in this particular vignette, he showcased his athletic ability by draining a series of shots on the basketball court, culminating with the last one being a made basket thrown blindly over his head. As it swished through the net, he simply said, "And that's PERFECT." I expect big things out of this superstar.
MATCH #3 King Kong Bundy (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan) vs. Tommy Sharp
King Kong Bundy has seemed a little off his game since losing the World Title over the summer, but he looked like his dominant self today as he finished this one off in a mere 28 seconds (even demanding a 5-count from referee Joey Marella after). He may be out of the title picture for now, but Bundy is still a force to be reckoned with in GCW.
King Kong Bundy pinned Tommy Sharp with the Big Splash in 0:00:28.
THE FUNERAL OF PEGGY SUE
Honky Tonk Man was scheduled to compete in his IC Title tournament match next, but before that, he had some of the ring crew bring a small pine box into the ring while Adrian Adonis set up some flowers around it. We didn't know exactly what was happening until Jimmy Hart set up a large picture which said, "PEGGY SUE - 1982-1986." It was a picture of Honky's beloved guitar which was recently destroyed by Andre the Giant. Honky kept asking for a moment of silence from the crowd, who predictably gave him anything but. After the third attempt, Honky snapped, telling the crowd in Providence that they were almost as stupid as Andre the Giant was. Honky kept ranting on Andre until finally the big man had heard enough. Andre got in the ring which caused The First Family to scatter. Unfortunately for Honky, they left the pine box in the ring with the "remains" of Peggy Sue in it. Andre picked it up and at the urging of the fans, tossed it halfway up the aisle (and nearly taking off Jimmy Hart's head in the process). Monsoon cheered this on while Niemiller yelled at him to have a little respect for the dead. Monsoon reminded Niemiller that Adonis will be facing Andre next week, and he might join Peggy Sue if he's not careful.
MATCH #4 INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - FIRST ROUND Jacques Rougeau (w/ Raymond Rougeau) vs. Honky Tonk Man (w/ Jimmy Hart/"Adorable" Adrian Adonis)
Our second tournament match was up next as Jacques Rougeau took on Honky Tonk Man. HTM was definitely off his game early on after what had just went down during the "funeral" right before this match. Niemiller called him "brave" for even following through with this match to begin with. Jacques almost had HTM early with a schoolboy, but once HTM caught Rougeau with a boot when Jacques charged into the corner, he managed to slow the pace down. Shake Rattle'n'Roll wasn't too far off and Honky advances. He now gets Kerry Von Erich in two weeks' time in the semi-finals (if Andre the Giant doesn't eat him first).
[INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - FIRST ROUND]: Honky Tonk Man pinned Jacques Rougeau with the Shake Rattle'n'Roll in 0:06:07. Rating: *** 1/2
MATCH #5 Dos Caras vs. Don Driggers
Dos Caras has been on a bit on a downward slide, but he picked up a nice win here today. We'll see if this is the beginning of what will help propel him to more victories down the line.
Dos Caras pinned Don Driggers after a crucifix in 0:03:09.
MATCH #6 Sgt. Slaughter/Stan "The Lariat" Hansen vs. Terry Gibbs/Roger Kirby
Nothing more than a massacre here.
Sgt. Slaughter and Stan Hansen defeated Terry Gibbs and Roger Kirby when Slaughter defeated Kirby when Kirby passed out in the Cobra Clutch in 0:02:02.
POWERS OF PAIN VIGNETTE
From one powerhouse team to another, we got a training vignette for the newly formed team of The Powers of Pain. Kevin Sullivan was shown pushing Barbarian & Warlord to their limit, both in the weight room, and even in the ring where they were beating the tar out of each other. As the teammates tore into each other in the ring behind him, Sullivan yelled into the camera, "If they will do this to each other, what do you think they're going to do to all of you!?" Well we're going to find out next week as they will make their official debut as a team on Superstars.
LIVE EVENT REPORT W/ GENE OKERLUND
Not a whole lot new to report this week on the Live Event Report, but "Mean" Gene was of course as adorable as ever. He ran down what we already knew of the Detroit show on September 26, but mentioned that The Rougeau Brothers vs. Sgt. Slaughter & Stan Hansen has just been added. Okerlund himself admitted that he didn't have much else to announce yet, but promised next week he would have a lot of news in regards to both Detroit AND Saturday Night Slam Masters.
MATCH #7 WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH The Rock 'N Roll Express (c) vs. The Hart Foundation (w/ Jimmy Hart)
I absolutely cannot believe what I just saw. Our main event for the day was a huge one as The Rock 'N Roll Express defended the World Tag Team Titles against The Hart Foundation. We knew this was going to be a great match and it certainly delivered. From the opening bell, the action was fast and furious. But we were noticing during the match that referee Danny Davis was really letting Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart get away with a lot of bending of the rules. Sure, he would reprimand them, but for instance when Neidhart was blatantly choking Morton, he levied what might be the slowest 5-count break in history. Gibson on the apron was beside himself as this type of thing continued to go on as Monsoon pondered out loud if Davis had been bought off. Niemiller downplayed it, of course, but it was looking more and more suspicious as the match went on, especially when Davis was all over Gibson & Morton for every little perceived infraction.
We would learn though, that Monsoon was right. Late in the match, Morton finally made a hot tag to Gibson who came in a house of fire, bouncing both Hart & Neidhart around. Davis kept pestering Gibson about closed fists during this, threatening to disqualify him. Gibson shrugged him off and went to the middle rope and hit Hart with a big flying fistdrop on the Hitman and made the cover. But Davis refused to count! Davis again told Gibson that closed fists were illegal. At this point, Gibson had enough and got in Davis' face, telling him to do his job and make the count. Gibson turned back to Hart, but then Davis did the unthinkable and hit Gibson from behind with a low blow! Hart caught Gibson in a small package, Davis made the fastest 3 count in history, and we had brand new tag team champions.
The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) defeated The Rock 'N Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) when B. Hart pinned R. Gibson after a small pakcage in 0:19:10. Rating: *** 1/4 (The Hart Foundation won the GCW World Tag Team Titles.)
Davis grabbed the titles and gave them to the Hart Foundation before stomping his way to the back. Morton & Gibson couldn't believe it, and neither could the fans in Providence who were booing mercilessly. Monsoon too was in a tizzy saying that Davis absolutely jobbed the Rock 'N Roll Express and should be fined and suspended. Niemiller said that Gibson was cheating and refused to listen to Davis' commands and they got exactly what they deserved. I'm sure we will hear more about this next week on Superstars.
UPCOMING EVENTS
9/13/86 - Superstars
Andre the Giant vs. Adrian Adonis INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - FIRST ROUND - Koko B. Ware vs. Jimmy Garvin INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - FIRST ROUND - Ted DiBiase vs. Lex Luger
9/20/86 - Superstars
World champion Hulk Hogan/Ted DiBiase vs. Arn Anderson/Tully Blanchard INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - SEMI-FINALS - Kerry Von Erich vs. Honky Tonk Man INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - SEMI-FINALS - TBD vs. TBD
9/26/86 - Joe Louis Arena - Detroit, MI
WORLD TITLE - Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Tully Blanchard Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair Ted DiBiase vs. Arn Anderson Bob Backlund vs. Hector Guerrero The Rougeau Brothers vs. Sgt. Slaughter/Stan Hansen
10/4/86 - SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS - Richfield Coliseum - Richfield, OH
Hulk Hogan/Ted DiBiase/Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair/Arn Anderson/Tully Blanchard
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Post by LillaThrilla on Dec 8, 2020 12:12:07 GMT -5
Good stuff.
A little surreal having a face Ted DiBiase teaming with Hogan. The Million Dollar Man is one of the best and most iconic gimmicks in wrestling history. I know he did quite a bit of work before that gimmick, but I've never seen any of it so it's a bit abstract for me.
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Post by snabbit888 on Dec 8, 2020 20:09:24 GMT -5
Good stuff. A little surreal having a face Ted DiBiase teaming with Hogan. The Million Dollar Man is one of the best and most iconic gimmicks in wrestling history. I know he did quite a bit of work before that gimmick, but I've never seen any of it so it's a bit abstract for me. Thanks! I think it just seems different because I'm using DiBiase before when he came back to WWF for his most famous run. He still has another 7-8 years of in-ring time left so he may be Million Dollar Man at some point, but I've really enjoyed booking him as a major face.
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Post by snabbit888 on Dec 12, 2020 3:39:41 GMT -5
9/13/86 - GCW Superstars (TAPED: 8/26/86) LOCATION: Providence Civic Center - Providence, RI
Gorilla Monsoon & Mark Niemiller introduced another fantastic episode of GCW Superstars! They ran down the card which includes the final two first round matches of the Intercontinental Title tournament, lots of great wrestling action, and much much more! Howard Finkel got us started with the ring introductions for our opening contest.
MATCH #1 The Powers of Pain (w/ Kevin Sullivan) vs. Pete Doherty/Ron Shaw
This was the official in-ring debut of The Warlord and oh goodness, were these two dominant. And with Kevin Sullivan pulling the strings, this team is going to be one to reckon with. During the match, we found out that King Kong Bundy & Big John Studd wanted another crack at The Barbarian, challenging The Powers of Pain to a match for September 26 in Detroit, a challenge Sullivan quickly accepted.
The Powers of Pain (The Barbarian and The Warlord) defeated Pete Doherty and Ron Shaw when Barbarian pinned Doherty with the Diving Headbutt in 0:01:31.
MR. PERFECT ONCE AGAIN SHOWS THAT HE'S A SUPERIOR ATHLETE, THIS TIME ON THE GOLF COURSE
We got another look at Mr. Perfect, who is coming soon to GCW. Last week Perfect showed his skills on the basketball court. This week it was on the links. Perfect spoke about being the Perfect Athlete and how there were a lot of great athletes in GCW, but none of them were perfect. A small montage was then shown of Perfect striking golf balls, all of them landing on the green next to the hole. The final shot he took was a hole-in-one. When we cut back to Monsoon & Niemiller, Niemiller was googoo gaga over Perfect, saying we have finally seen the perfect athlete. Monsoon admitted he has looked impressive on the basketball court and the golf course, but we haven't seen him where it really counts - the wrestling ring.
MATCH #2 INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - FIRST ROUND "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware vs. "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin (w/ Precious)
The Intercontinental Title tournament continued as Koko B. Ware took on "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin. Garvin had Precious with him as always who tried her best to distract Koko. Niemiller made a ridiculous comment about how Frankie should have been doing something to stop Precious if he was a good manager. Monsoon had to remind Niemiller that Frankie is a bird. It looked like this match was potentially going to be stolen from Ware, but Precious wasn't quite as sneaky as she thought she was. While Garvin had referee Joey Marella distracted, Precious raked Koko's eyes on the floor. The problem was, Frankie saw this. Now obviously Frankie didn't physically intervene, but he did start squawking like a maniac, which caused Marella to turn around and see the interference, calling for the DQ.
[INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - FIRST ROUND]: Koko B. Ware defeated Jimmy Garvin by disqualification in 0:06:09. Rating: * 1/2 [Precious interfered against Koko B. Ware.]
Monsoon told Niemiller it looked like Frankie had proved useful after all. Niemiller said he hoped the bird got cooked. Either way, Koko B. Ware moves on to the semi-finals.
THE ROAD WARRIORS WANT SOME COMPETITION
A quick promo from The Road Warriors was next. Hawk & Animal may not be the two most eloquent human beings on the planet, but the message here was clear - they want some competition. I wonder who is going to step up and give them that challenge, or are Hawk & Animal just going to go find it on their own?
MATCH #3 Andre the Giant vs. "Adorable" Adrian Adonis (w/ Jimmy Hart/Honky Tonk Man)
When is Honky Tonk Man going to learn? You would think the last thing anyone would want to do is piss Andre the Giant off, but he continues to find new ways to do it. He was at ringside for his partner's match with Andre, allegedly to lend "moral support." Adonis did everything he could, but he just wasn't going to overcome Andre who knocked the Adorable One loopy with a roundhouse right for the pin.
Andre the Giant pinned Adrian Adonis after a roundhouse right in 0:07:34. Rating: * 3/4 [Honky Tonk Man interfered against Andre the Giant.]
After the match, Andre playfully taunted Honky, telling him to come in the ring. HTM kept pretending he was going to, but ultimately showed his true colors and started heading to the back. Andre laughed at him and then turned around to play to the crowd, which is when HTM struck. Honky ran back to the ring and grabbed a guitar from underneath it, slid into the ring, and smashed it over Andre's back! It stunned Andre enough to bring him to one knee, which is when Honky brought the guitar crashing down over Andre's head! Honky, Adonis, & Hart the made a hasty retreat as they didn't want to be around when Andre regained his bearings. When Andre did get his wits about him, I have never seen him look more angry. He stormed out of the ring and to the back looking for Honky Tonk Man. We got a camera shot in the back of Honky and Adonis getting into their car and speeding away. They escaped today, but when Andre does get ahold of them, it is not going to be pretty.
MATCH #4 Big John Studd (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan) vs. Troy Martin
During this easy victory by Big John Studd, an insert promo aired with Studd & King Kong Bundy promising that The Powers of Pain will be having a very short tenure as a team in GCW.
Big John Studd pinned Troy Martin with the Backbreaker in 0:04:49. [Bobby Heenan interfered against Troy Martin.]
LIVE EVENT REPORT W/ GENE OKERLUND
It's "Mean" Gene time! Okerlund ran down the card so far for Detroit on September 26, noting that The Powers of Pain vs. Big John Studd & King Kong Bundy had been added officially. He then brought in DANNY DAVIS, the man who went rogue last week and cost The Rock 'N Roll Express the World Tag Team Titles. Davis talked about what a brilliant plan it was, and said that he was tired of being overlooked as an official when he had so much more to offer the world of professional wrestling. He also stands by what he did last week, saying that Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson cheat more than anyone in GCW. Okerlund said he had some breaking news for Davis. For starters, he had been suspended as an official in Global Championship Wrestling. Secondly, Okerlund told Davis that if he has such a desire to compete in a wrestling ring, he's going to get his chance in Detroit as a 6-man tag team match has been signed where Davis will team with The Hart Foundation to take on The Rock 'N Roll Express and Junkyard Dog! Davis was not pleased with either of these announcements, but he was too angry to respond and just stormed off instead.
MATCH #5 TELEVISION TITLE MATCH "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan (c) vs. Bad News Brown
Bad News Brown invoked his rematch clause after losing the Television Title back to Jim Duggan at The Big Event, a shot that Monsoon mentioned will be Brown's last. Niemiller added that President Jack Tunney said this feud was getting too intense and this would be the end of it one way or another. As has been the case in their previous bouts, this one was ugly as sin but the fans were really into it. Duggan has slowly become one of the most popular wrestlers in GCW, and the fans have been eating up his reigns as TV champ. They'll get to continue to feast as Duggan won a hard fought match with the Three Point Stance.
Jim Duggan pinned Bad News Brown with the Three Point Stance in 0:08:59. Rating: * (Jim Duggan retained the GCW Television Title.)
THIS IS THE WORLD'S STRONGEST MAN
We got our first real look at newest GCW superstar Ted Arcidi, who is known as the World's Strongest Man. This video package featured Arcidi lifting a tremendous amount of weight many times in a row. There is no doubt that Arcidi is a strong man, but we'll see how he fairs in the ring. No word yet on when Arcidi will officially debut in the ring, but the rumor is it will be soon.
MATCH #6 The Power Company (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. Bob Bradley/Mike Fever
The Power Company keep up their winning ways with an easy win today.
The Power Company (Dino Bravo and Hercules) defeated Bob Bradley and Mike Fever when Bravo pinned Bradley with the Side Suplex in 0:01:58.
MATCH #7 INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - FIRST ROUND Ted DiBiase vs. "The Total Package" Lex Luger (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
Our main event of the show was our final first round match in the IC Title tourney with former champion Ted DiBiase taking on Lex Luger. Luger is said to be walking on eggshells backstage when it comes to his position in the Heenan Family since Bobby Heenan's involvement with The Horsemen has taken most if not all of his attention. But if The Total Package could walk out of this tournament as the new IC champ, it would be hard to say he hadn't earned his place. Luger is perhaps the hottest prospect in wrestling in years, and he showed what upside he had by taking it to DiBiase. But DiBiase is a wily veteran, and he seemed to always be a step ahead of the youngster. If there's one thing that can steal DiBiase's focus though, it's the presence of THE FOUR HORSEMEN. Flair, Anderson, & Blanchard slowly strolled to the ring, dressed to the nines. DiBiase immediately turned his attention toward them. This allowed Luger to sneak in a low blow and hit a powerslam and score an upset to move onto the semi-finals.
[INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - FIRST ROUND]: Lex Luger pinned Ted DiBiase after a powerslam in 0:09:29. Rating: *** 1/2
DiBiase was down as The Horsemen then entered the ring. Luger looked like he wanted to celebrate along with the Horsemen, but they all made it clear that this wasn't a part Luger was invited to. Heenan instructed Luger to leave as this was Horsemen business. The Horsemen had DiBiase surrounded and were poised to pounce, but before they could, out came HULK HOGAN! Not only that, but Hogan had a steel chair with him! Flair & company wanted no part of that as they bailed from the ring. I doubt this was the plan The Horsemen had for this show to end.
HULK HOGAN & TED DIBIASE HAVE A MESSAGE FOR THE HORSEMEN
After the in-ring portion of our show ended, we cut to an interview that was taped later on after this incident. Lord Alfred Hayes conducted the interview. Hogan & DiBiase were not in a good mood, saying they weren't going to let The Horsemen run wild all over GCW. Hogan said the only thing that will run wild is Hulkamania. DiBiase thanked Hogan for saving him and said he owes him one, but he had another idea in the meantime. How about a little tag team match? DiBiase challenged Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard to take on Hogan and he next week on Superstars! We found out later that this match has been signed by Jack Tunney and we will see it on a must see episode of GCW Superstars! So long, everybody!
UPCOMING EVENTS
9/20/86 - Superstars
World champion Hulk Hogan/Ted DiBiase vs. Arn Anderson/Tully Blanchard INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - SEMI-FINALS - Kerry Von Erich vs. Honky Tonk Man INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - SEMI-FINALS - Koko B. Ware vs. Lex Luger
9/26/86 - Joe Louis Arena - Detroit, MI
WORLD TITLE - Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Tully Blanchard Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair Ted DiBiase vs. Arn Anderson The Rock 'N Roll Express/Junkyard Dog vs. The Hart Foundation/Danny Davis Bob Backlund vs. Hector Guerrero The Rougeau Brothers vs. Sgt. Slaughter/Stan Hansen The Powers of Pain vs. King Kong Bundy/Big John Studd
10/4/86 - SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS - Richfield Coliseum - Richfield, OH
Hulk Hogan/Ted DiBiase/Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair/Arn Anderson/Tully Blanchard WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES - The Hart Foundation (c) vs. The Rock 'N Roll Express
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jlamb
Midcarder
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Post by jlamb on Dec 14, 2020 10:00:12 GMT -5
LOVE the idea of Kevin Sullivan guiding The Powers of Pain. Hoping for an eventual HOSS BATTLE between PoP and The Road Warriors.
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Post by vertigo on Feb 7, 2021 12:07:01 GMT -5
8/28 - Big Event
Getting caught up here and The Big Event is a great starting point!
I always love a good fist fight brawl as an opener and Duggan and Brown are two of my favorites. Good on Duggan winning the belt back!
I imagine an 11 minute match between Caras and Tully is would be tape study material a decade from now. Finish was never in doubt but knowing Tully, Caras got a lot of offense in.
You can never go wrong having the a monster of a human like Arcidi come out and wave at everyone.
Wow! Nice pick up in Sullivan. He'd been in my queue awhile and even declined to sign once. Obviously the story here has nothing to do with what happened in the ring. Things are getting VERY interesting.
Boot Camp Match! The Road Warriors dominance may begins here I think. Also, is there anything more for Slaughter and Hansen as a unit? Seemed like a happy accident pairing them up but they both still have huge upsides as singles.
I love Flair vs. Dibiase, and I absolutely love Windham's involvement. So much unsettled business across the board here.
Yes for Backlund! Funny enough, it was a clip of Backlund I saw earlier today that reminded me that I'm way behind on my GCW and writing! I'm here for it, baby!
If it hasn't been said enough, your tag division absolutely destroys mine currently. And the fact that RnR are the champs amongst a division of goliaths really speaks volumes.
Surprised/not surprised about Luger going over Kerry. If this means you have nothing for Kerry, set him free!
Another fairly easy match to call with the First Family going over. Koko and the Rougeau's seemed to have fallen right where they belong meanwhile the Hart Foundation gets the showcase.
Great main event with all the ingredients and then some for a quality Hogan match. And yes, there's Kerry alongside Dibiase evening the odds. Unbelievable booking all around. You've got some awesome, awesome stuff going on right now.
8/30 - Superstars
Moving to 90 minutes is justified with this roster and the stories going on.
"The Resident Jerk" is a great moniker. Duggan's second reign is off to the races.
Classic promos from Hogan and Flair. This feud is a world wide headliner.
A guitarless Honky is a sad Honky. And a scared Honky, apparently. Great twist there haha! Adonis getting tossed around by Andre will be a thing of beauty.
Wow, Sept 26 is looking like an historical event in the making. Plus, SNSM main event is a ratings shatterer for sure!
OMG, Sullivan uniting the Powers of Pain when your roster is already loaded with powerhouses. This era is INSANE!
9/6 - Superstars
Starting off hot with a suspension of Windham and a tournament announcement for the IC Title! Kerry is the front runner for me, but there are at least 3 others who I could see taking it.
Incredible opener. Dibiase isn't having much luck lately but he's only just barely drawing the short stick every time. Plus, the Horseman are huge dicks and reading these cards in succession really hammers home how opportunistic and dastardly they are. Hogan and Dibiase fighting side-by-side is something but I love it.
Get em, Kerry!
Oh wow! Mr. Perfect is coming in already! Nice!
Bundy has fallen a bit to the background with all the recent additions but he still has a place.
A funeral for a guitar on the same show as Dibiase/Arn is what we're all here for! I love it! Big oaf Andre had an easy job this week and visualizing this was hilarious.
I thought the funeral might throw HTM off his game against Jacques, but HTM is a dark horse to win the IC title. Looking forward to what happens during HTM/Kerry in the second round.
A guy with the skills of Dos Caras will struggle finding a place on this roster so long as all the other "technical" guys are tied up in the upper card.
Yes! Unholy Alliance is still together!
The fact that Sullivan is guiding the Powers of Pain is terrifying.
History making main event!! I love getting Davis involved here and having him really get things rolling opposite of the RnR should be a lot of fun. Now the real question, are the Hart Foundation ready to defend against your gigantic tag division?
9/13 - Superstars
The Powers of Pain are officially ready to tear the tag division apart.
I mean, you don't have to change a thing with these Perfect promos. All time legendary vignettes.
LOL at the absurdity of Frankie tipping off the referee. Koko advancing DQ doesn't exactly convince me he has a shot to win, but who knows, the way this is heading Frankie might win the tournament.
The Road Warriors want some competition? Are they kidding? OPEN YOUR EYES!
Weird how big of a coward HTM man is when he obviously has gigantic balls. I mean, if Andre gets a hold of him he's dead, right? First booked death in our universe for sure.
Studd and Bundy calling out The Powers of Pain? Fortify the ring!
Dastardly Danny Davis will gear up for his first match! Again, a fun little distraction from all the meat and brutality the rest of the tag scene is providing.
I don't know what's taken everyone else so long, but Duggan has always been popular with me! I've enjoyed his GCW run.
Okay, so Arcidi is the World's Strongest Man but come on guy, we've already got a much more talented TED and we absolutely have enough muscle on the roster. We need some depth Arcidi or you're going to get eaten alive by this crew.
Dibiase just can't get a win. He'll fight til the end but I'm seeing him as the weak link of the top babyfaces at the moment. Someones got to lose but some seeds might be getting planted as well.
Ryan, your booking and writeups are top tier. Keep it up!
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Post by snabbit888 on Apr 11, 2021 1:45:20 GMT -5
9/20/86 - GCW Superstars (TAPED: 8/26/86) LOCATION: Providence Civic Center - Providence, RI
AN ALTERCATION IN THE PARKING LOT BEFORE THE SHOW
Before we even got to the opening credits, we got to some footage from earlier today where World champion Hulk Hogan & Ted DiBiase were in a loud argument with The Four Horsemen in the parking lot. Many security guards and officials were on hand to out to keep everyone separated so nothing got too out of hand but it is clear that the tensions are running high in this feud. The main event of today's program is combustible at the very least.
We then got the intro to Superstars, where Gorilla Monsoon & Mark Niemiller discussed what we just saw. Niemiller, of course, thought Hogan & DiBiase were to blame for the confrontation and Hogan should be stripped of the World Title, which Monsoon of course thought was ridiculous. They then went over the card for today, which will feature two semi-final matches in the Intercontinental Title Tournament with Koko B. Ware taking on Lex Luger and Kerry Von Erich meets Honky Tonk Man! Junkyard Dog is here, as well as Sgt. Slaughter & Stan Hansen in action! And of course, our huge main event where World champion Hulk Hogan & Ted DiBiase takes on The Brain Busters! But first up, to the ring and Howard Finkel for our opening contest, Ric Flair vs. Raymond Rougeau!
MATCH #1 Raymond Rougeau (w/ Jacques Rougeau) vs. "Nature Boy" Ric Flair (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
Ric Flair wouldn't be so irritating if he couldn't back up what he says. He's cocky, he's brass, he's arrogant, but he flat out brings it. The former World champion has looked great since returning to GCW, getting a strong victory over Raymond Rougeau to kick off the show. After the match, Flair & Bobby Heenan cut a quick promo essentially saying that the Nature Boy was going to beat Kerry Von Erich in Detroit and then engage in sexual intercourse with Von Erich's woman after (he was a little more creative than this).
Ric Flair pinned Raymond Rougeau with the Figure-Four Leglock in 0:05:31. Rating: *** 1/4
MATCH #2 Junkyard Dog vs. Rick Hunter
Before the match began, DANNY DAVIS came out with Jimmy Hart. Davis was wearing a referee's shirt and tried to usher the assigned referee Joey Marella away, saying he was fully capable of still refereeing. Junkyard Dog had no patience for this and told him he could leave now or he wouldn't be able to leave under his own power. Davis said that JYD needs to respect his authority as a GCW official, to which JYD said, "Respect this!" and clocked him with a headbutt. After Davis and Hart were escorted to the back, JYD had little trouble picking up the win.
Junkyard Dog pinned Rick Hunter with the Thump Powerslam in 0:03:31.
THE POWER COMPANY ARE NOT IMPRESSED WITH TED ARCIDI
We cut back to the locker room area where we see Dino Bravo & Hercules watching the tape from last week showcasing Ted Arcidi's immense strength. They were opening scoffing at everything, commenting that he wasn't lifting THAT much weight and they were way stronger. Bravo was so convinced he was stronger that he went ahead and challenged Arcidi for Detroit - not to a match, but a bench press challenge! We'll see if Arcidi answers the challenge before we go off the air today.
MATCH #3 INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - SEMI-FINALS Koko B. Ware vs. "The Total Package" Lex Luger (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
Lex Luger's doing everything he can to stay in the good graces of Bobby Heenan, and making it to the finals of the Intercontinental Title Tournament would go a long way in doing that. His opponent though is wanting to taste championship gold as well in the form of Koko B. Ware. Like has been happening to Luger recently, he seemed a little distracted by wanting to impress Heenan instead of focusing all his energy on Koko, which is a mistake. Koko almost made him pay for it several times, but the Total Package kept escaping by the skin of his teeth. In the end, Koko went up to the top rope, but Luger caught him, carried him out of the corner to the center of the ring where he dropped him with a Gorilla Press, and picked up a hard fought trip to the finals.
[INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - SEMI-FINALS]: Lex Luger pinned Koko B. Ware after a Gorilla Press in 0:14:10. Rating: *** 1/2
After the match, Luger almost looked to Heenan like he was a puppy wanting approval. The Brain patted him on the back and kept saying, "One more!" Looks like Luger's attempts to impress Heenan are going well thus far.
MR. PERFECT CONTINUES TO IMPRESS
We have seen newcomer Mr. Perfect showing off his skills in a variety of athletic endeavors such as basketball and golf, and we now learned we would be seeing him in the wrestling ring soon. But first, Perfect showed off something else he excelled at, and that's football. We got to see Perfect's skills as a quarterback as he was throwing perfect passes to receivers with pinpoint accuracy. The topper though was on the last throw when he waived the receivers off, threw a long bomb, sprinted under it and caught it himself. Niemiller was over the moon with excitement about what we just saw as Monsoon let us know that Perfect will officially be making his in-ring debut on October 4 on Saturday Night Slam Masters.
MATCH #4 Sgt. Slaughter/Stan "The Lariat" Hansen vs. JJ Jackson/Al Navarro
JJ Jackson & Al Navarro were the victims of a beating so bad that it should have been a crime. Slaughter & Hansen are in such a foul mood since losing the Boot Camp match to The Road Warriors at The Big Event, and they're taking it out on opponents. The Rougeau Brothers will try to slow them down this Friday in Detroit.
Sgt. Slaughter and Stan Hansen defeated JJ Jackson and Al Jackson when Hansen pinned Navarro with the Lariat in 0:02:36.
MATCH #5 The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) vs. Les Thornton/Jack Foley
Speaking of The Road Warriors, they went nuts on Les Thornton & Jack Foley to get an easy win. At this rate, it's hard not to imagine Hawk & Animal getting a World Tag Team Title shot soon.
The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) defeated Les Thornton and Jack Foley when Animal pinned Foley after a power bomb in 0:01:32.
ANDRE THE GIANT HAS SOME STRONG WORDS FOR HONKY TONK MAN
Lord Alfred Hayes interviewed Andre the Giant next, and Andre was strangely quite joyous considering everything that has gone on with Honky Tonk Man, namely Honky destroying a guitar over Andre's head last week. We found out why Andre was in such a good mood - he has a match with HTM at Saturday Night Slam Masters October 4. It was hard to understand him, but the interview ended with the Giant saying that he was going to eat Honky on October 4.
MATCH #6 INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - SEMI-FINALS "The Modern Day Warrior" Kerry Von Erich vs. Honky Tonk Man (w/ Jimmy Hart)
Our next match was the last semi-final match to determine who would wrestle Lex Luger for the vacant Intercontinental Title next week. Honky Tonk Man clearly had heard what Andre just said, because he looked very distracted. Well when you're wrestling Kerry Von Erich, you better be focused. HTMs willingness to cheat as well as the presence of Jimmy Hart at ringside kept him in it, but there was no stopping Von Erich. The Modern Day Warrior wins with the clawhold, and now has a date with his rival Lex Luger to determine the new IC champ!
[INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - SEMI-FINALS]: Kerry Von Erich made Honky Tonk Man submit to a clawhold in 0:09:10. Rating: **
Luger came down to ring to get in Von Erich's face after the match. No blows were exchanged as there were plenty of officials down to keep them apart, but the tension was clear here. Next week, we're going to see a brand new champion!
LIVE EVENT REPORT W/ GENE OKERLUND
"Mean" Gene Okerlund was absolutely beaming as we had the Live Event Report! Okerlund first went over the card for this coming Friday in Detroit, MI, first mentioning a couple of brand new additions to the event. For starters, we got a brief pretape from TED ARCIDI, who formally accepted Dino Bravo's bench press challenge. Also, since Kerry Von Erich will be wrestling Ric Flair ahead of the finals of the Intercontinental Title tournament next week on Superstars, President Jack Tunney has declared the other man in the finals, Lex Luger, will also be in competition in Detroit when he takes on Koko B. Ware. We then cut to an interview with The Four Horsemen. The main beats - Barry Windham vows whoever wins the IC Title next week is just a placeholder who will have to answer to him when he's back from injury, Arn Anderson is going to embarrass Ted DiBiase, Ric Flair will show Kerry Von Erich why he is the best wrestler in the world today, and come this time next week, Tully Blanchard will be holding the World Title when he outclasses Hulk Hogan.
Now onto the other huge event coming up, Saturday Night Slam Masters on October 4 on NBC. We of course will see a massive 6-man tag team match between the Horsemen and Hogan/DiBiase/Von Erich and the Rock 'N Roll Express getting their rematch after having the World Tag Team Titles stolen from them by The Hart Foundation, but we also now know two more matches are signed and ready to deliver. As announced earlier, the slimy Honky Tonk Man will have nowhere to run when he is in the ring against Andre the Giant, and Mr. Perfect will make his official in-ring debut taking on Koko B. Ware. We ended the Live Event Report with an interview with Koko B. Ware. Koko said Perfect talks a big game, but nobody is truly perfect. He doesn't like braggards, and he will shut Mr. Perfect up on NBC.
MATCH #7 "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan (World champion)/Ted DiBiase vs. The Brain Busters (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
This match might not be the best match in Superstars history, it may be the Match of the Year! A preview of two of the matches for Detroit, the crowd was hot from the word go. There was no question that The Brain Busters had way more tag team experience, and they used that to great effectiveness during a large portion of this great contest. Ted DiBiase and World champion Hulk Hogan came out hot, using the momentum of the crowd to push them, but Anderson & Blanchard weathered that storm and isolated DiBiase. It was DiBiase's turn to weather a storm, and even though he took quite a beating, he refused to stay down which served to frustrate Bobby Heenan's charges. Once DiBiase got some separation and made the hot tag to the Hulkster, the complexion of the contest changed greatly, leading to Hogan eventually hitting the Big Leg Drop on the Enforcer to put this one away.
Hulk Hogan and Ted DiBiase defeated The Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard) when Hogan pinned Anderson with the Big Leg Drop in 0:26:40. Rating: **** 1/2 [Bobby Heenan interfered against Ted DiBiase.] [Bobby Heenan interfered against Hulk Hogan.]
Join us next week where we'll have all of the fallout from the big show in Detroit, as well as the finals of the Intercontinental Title tournament! So long, everybody!
UPCOMING EVENTS
9/26/86 - Joe Louis Arena - Detroit, MI
WORLD TITLE - Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Tully Blanchard Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair Ted DiBiase vs. Arn Anderson The Rock 'N Roll Express/Junkyard Dog vs. The Hart Foundation/Danny Davis Bob Backlund vs. Hector Guerrero The Rougeau Brothers vs. Sgt. Slaughter/Stan Hansen The Powers of Pain vs. King Kong Bundy/Big John Studd Koko B. Ware vs. Lex Luger Bench Press Challenge - Ted Arcidi vs. Dino Bravo
9/27/86 - GCW Superstars
INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - FINALS - Kerry Von Erich vs. Lex Luger
10/4/86 - SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS - Richfield Coliseum - Richfield, OH
Hulk Hogan/Ted DiBiase/Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair/Arn Anderson/Tully Blanchard WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES - The Hart Foundation (c) vs. The Rock 'N Roll Express Andre the Giant vs. Honky Tonk Man Koko B. Ware vs. Mr. Perfect
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Post by jacklarkin on Apr 11, 2021 9:41:54 GMT -5
Boy it takes a lot of dedication, patience, and discipline to write this style of 80's fed. Running the occasional jobber match can be fun but so many, and so much detail.
I always wished that the Brain busters had a longer stay and run in the WWF. Loved them, got to see them in NWA/WCW but my access to those programs were much more spotty.
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Post by snabbit888 on Apr 11, 2021 21:23:06 GMT -5
Thanks, jack!
Yes, it is tough which is why it's taking me a bit to get through the 80s. I'm looking forward to the RAW era for sure. Haha
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Post by cardsflyinhigh on Apr 22, 2021 14:55:25 GMT -5
Thanks, jack! Yes, it is tough which is why it's taking me a bit to get through the 80s. I'm looking forward to the RAW era for sure. Haha I give you credit for going through the whole Saturday morning TV jobber match era. You're a better man than I as I took the easy route and skipped over all those shows in my WCW circuit.
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Post by snabbit888 on May 17, 2021 1:35:02 GMT -5
9/26/86 - Joe Louis Arena - Detroit, MI
MATCH #1 Ted DiBiase vs. "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
Joe Louis Arena was sold out and ready to go for a wonderful night of the best wrestling action in the world. Our opening contest was one of our feature matches of the evening as Ted DiBiase took on the Enforcer of the Four Horsemen, Arn Anderson. Anderson is sometimes overlooked in the Horsemen because he is not as flashy and loud as the other members, but he may be the most dangerous. He is methodical, sinister, and sadistic. DiBiase is one of the best in ring technicians in all of GCW, but even he had trouble with Anderson's technical skills. DiBiase had to turn this into more of a fight. Now Anderson can brawl as well, but DiBiase is one of the toughest guys you're ever going to see. In a tightly contested matchup, DiBiase put the Enforcer to sleep with the Cobra Clutch to get the win.
Ted DiBiase defeated Arn Anderson when Arn Anderson passed out in the Cobra Clutch in 0:10:27. Rating: *** 3/4 [Bobby Heenan interfered against Ted DiBiase.]
MATCH #2 The Rougeau Brothers vs. Sgt. Slaughter/Stan "The Lariat" Hansen
The Rougeaus are always out here having a good time, but there are no two less fun guys on the planet than the Unholy Alliance. Jacques & Raymond tried to be playful Slaughter & Hansen, but all that did was make the former tag team champions mad. The only reason this one went as long as it did is because Slaughter & Hansen wanted it to. Just a dominating performance as the Unholy Alliance continues to work toward rebuilding to a tag team title shot.
Sgt. Slaughter and Stan Hansen defeated The Rougeau Brothers (Jacques Rougeau and Raymond Rougeau) when Slaughter defeated R. Rougeau when R. Rougeau passed out in a bearhug in 0:09:20. Rating: *** 1/2
MATCH #3 Non-Title Match "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan (Television champion) vs. Hector Guerrero
Jim Duggan was a last minute replacement in Detroit to take on Hector Guerrero, as Guerrero's original opponent, Bob Backlund, told GCW officials he was not showing up for this event. The Television champion is always ready for a good fight though and volunteered to step in. Since this was a non-televised event the TV Title would not be on the line, but it didn't matter much to Duggan who gets the win with the Three Point Stance. Guerrero is already complaining that the only reason he lost is because he had prepared for Backlund.
Jim Duggan pinned Hector Guerrero with the Three Point Stance in 0:04:13. Rating: * 3/4 (Bob Backlund no-showed.)
MATCH #4 The Rock 'N Roll Express/Junkyard Dog vs. The Hart Foundation (World Tag Team champions)/"Dangerous" Danny Davis (w/ Jimmy Hart)
Well, this one did not last long. Danny Davis did the unthinkable when as a licensed referee, he screwed the Rock 'N Roll Express out of the World Tag Team Titles, essentially handing them to the Hart Foundation and joining Jimmy Hart's First Family. Jack Tunney acted quickly and told Davis if he wanted to play wrestler, he would have his chance by being put in this 6-man match. Davis was oddly confident because I'm assuming he thought the tag champs would be involved more, but Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart had little interested in participating ahead of their big title defense against Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson at Slam Masters. Davis was fed to the wolves, ultimately getting the Thump Powerslam from JYD and the Flying Dropkick from Morton.
The Rock 'N Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) and Junkyard Dog defeated The First Family (Bret Hart, Danny Davis and Jim Neidhart) when R. Morton pinned D. Davis with the Flying Dropkick in 0:03:00. Rating: ** 3/4
TED ARCIDI AND DINO BRAVO ENGAGE IN A BENCH PRESS COMPETITION
The Power Company has taken great offense to the arrival of "The World's Strongest Man" Ted Arcidi as Dino Bravo & Hercules both believe they are way stronger than him. Bravo was so confident about it that he challenged Arcidi to a bench press competition. The rules were simple - each man would have one minute to do as many bench press reps of 300 pounds. Bravo went first because as he said on the microphone beforehand to Lord Alfred Hayes - he wanted to do so many reps that Arcidi would forfeit. Bravo might be a jackass, but he is strong as he showed with his 13 reps in his minute. Then it was Arcidi's turn. Bravo may have been impressive, but Arcidi blew him away, doing 24 reps. Jimmy Hart immediately started complaining, saying that Arcidi cheated by using non-regulation powder for a better grip. Arcidi protested, which let Hercules jump him from behind. This was probably the plan all along, truthfully. The Power Company were putting the boots to Arcidi until JIM DUGGAN ran down to offer an assist, helping Arcidi get the upperhand and clear the ring.
MATCH #5 Dos Caras vs. Bad News Brown
This was a bonus match that saw Bad News Brown take on lucha star Dos Caras. Caras knew he had to use his speed to keep Brown at bay, but once Bad News got his hands on Caras, it was just a matter of time. Brown wins with the Ghetto Blaster.
Bad News Brown pinned Dos Caras with the Ghetto Blaster in 0:06:59. Rating: * 1/2
MATCH #6 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware vs. "The Total Package" Lex Luger (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
Since Kerry Von Erich was scheduled for a match for tonight against Ric Flair, Jack Tunney said Lex Luger should have a match as well so both sides of the Intercontinental Title Tournament finals tomorrow on Superstars are on equal footing. Luger would take on the man he beat in the semi-finals, "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware. You could definitely tell that Luger was looking past Koko to tomorrow, and it almost cost him several times. It took Bobby Heenan yelling at Luger, "Don't you dare screw this up!" for the Total Package to knuckle down and get it together. If Luger wrestles tomorrow like he did the second half of this match, we might be looking at the next Intercontinental champion.
Lex Luger made Koko B. Ware submit to the Torture Rack in 0:10:46. Rating: *** [Bobby Heenan interfered against Koko B. Ware.]
MATCH #7 The Powers of Pain (w/ Kevin Sullivan) vs. Big John Studd/King Kong Bundy (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
The Powers of Pain are scary. Really, really scary. And with Kevin Sullivan playing the puppet master, it's going to be a rough time for the tag teams of Global Championship Wrestling. Take tonight for example. The Barbarian & The Warlord absolutely DOMINATED two of the biggest and toughest men in wrestling, one being a former World champion. This was really something to see. Was this an all-time classic? No, of course not. But watching the Powers of Pain throw around Studd & Bundy was incredibly impressive. Barbarian got the pin after Warlord hit Studd with a big mafia kick which Barbarian followed with the Diving Headbutt.
After the match, Heenan grabbed the microphone and dressed down his charges, telling them that losing like this was unacceptable. Studd & especially Bundy did not like being talked like this, but it could have been because of the means it which they lost tonight. We have since found out that these two teams will meet in a rematch tomorrow on Superstars.
The Powers of Pain (The Barbarian and The Warlord) defeated The Heenan Family (Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy) when Barbarian pinned Studd with the Diving Headbutt in 0:09:11. Rating: 1/2* [Kevin Sullivan and Bobby Heenan interfered against Big John Studd.] [Bobby Heenan interfered against The Barbarian.] [Kevin Sullivan interfered against King Kong Bundy.] [Bobby Heenan interfered against The Warlord.]
MATCH #8 "The Modern Day Warrior" Kerry Von Erich vs. "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
Bobby Heenan had to get his composure back in a hurry as we had ourselves a highly anticipated match between Kerry Von Erich and "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair. Since Flair has come back to GCW, he has caused a lot of strife for everyone, forming the Four Horsemen, sneak attacks, and of course, plenty of running his mouth. Tonight though was an incredibly important match for him, because he had to put up or shut up. On the flipside, it was just as big an opportunity for Von Erich. Tomorrow he has a chance to become the Intercontinental champion, which would be his first championship, and a loss here could adversely affect his momentum going into this match.
This was a fantastic match. You can say what you want about Ric Flair's personality, but he is an absolute master of his craft. The crowd was at a fevered pitch that just increased as the match went on. So much pure emotion as these two were fighting for their lives. Von Erich put a beating on Flair for much of this match, but you could sense the youngster getting frustrated that he couldn't put the Nature Boy away. Flair has a way of getting under your skin because he's so damn resilient. Flair would lure Von Erich in and eventually get the Figure-Four Leglock on. Now it was time for Von Erich to show his resilience as he refused to give up. Von Erich kept firing up and almost breaking the hold. The look of shock on Flair's face as Von Erich kept fighting was classic. The Four Horsemen always have a plan though. Von Erich was close to the ropes when ARN ANDERSON & TULLY BLANCHARD snuck down to ringside, each grabbing one of Von Erich's arms and holding them down. Von Erich's shoulders were on the mat and with the Brain Busters holding him down, he couldn't kick out. The Four Horsemen strike again.
Ric Flair pinned Kerry Von Erich with the Figure-Four Leglock in 0:24:11. Rating: *** 3/4 [Bobby Heenan interfered against Kerry Von Erich.]
MATCH #9 The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) vs. "Adorable" Adrian Adonis/Honky Tonk Man (w/ Jimmy Hart)
Before our main event, we had another special match that was added pitting The Road Warriors against Adrian Adonis & Honky Tonk Man. The word going around the locker room is that Hawk & Animal are looking for more competition, but they wouldn't get that here (mostly because Jimmy Hart's men wanted little to do with this match). When it became obvious that the Road Warriors were just going to beat them up, Adonis & HTM walked to the back, deciding to fight another day.
The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) defeated The First Family (Adrian Adonis and Honky Tonk Man) when Animal defeated Honky Tonk Man by countout in 0:06:35. Rating: *** [Paul Ellering interfered against Honky Tonk Man.] [Paul Ellering interfered against Adrian Adonis.]
MATCH #10 WORLD TITLE MATCH "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Tully Blanchard (W/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
Now one would think that this match would be pretty clearly decided early on. World champion Hulk Hogan is bigger, stronger, and overall more dominant than Tully Blanchard is. But as a member of the Horsemen, you know that Bobby Heenan always has a plan in place. If this stayed a one-on-one encounter, then yes, Hogan is the clear favorite. But it became apparent early on that the Brain's plan was to make this a lopsided affair. It wasn't long into the match before ARN ANDERSON & RIC FLAIR made their way down to ringside, of course claiming they were just there to observe. Once Flair tripped Hogan up from the outside though, we knew that wasn't going to be the case. Hogan had some backup of his own though as TED DIBIASE & KERRY VON ERICH came down to ringside to even the odds!
With the chances for Hogan to be cheated greatly reduced, we then just had a quality match on our hands. Tully is still one of the best in-ring generals in the game, and he was using his speed and technical superiority to keep the Hulkster grounded. Tully would even go as far as to hit the Slingshot Suplex, but shockingly, Hogan Hulked up after it and put a hurting on Tully. Hogan hit the big boot and the Big Leg Drop. Flair & Anderson tried to get into the ring, but DiBiase & Von Erich cut them off, leading to a successful title defense for the Immortal One.
Hulk Hogan pinned Tully Blanchard with the Big Leg Drop in 0:17:03. Rating: ** (Hulk Hogan retained the GCW World Title.) [Bobby Heenan interfered against Hulk Hogan.]
The show came to an end with the fan favorite contingent celebrating in the ring. The 6-man tag involving these men at Saturday Night Slam Masters is going to be great!
Card rating: ** 1/2
UPCOMING EVENTS
9/27/86 - GCW Superstars
INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - FINALS - Kerry Von Erich vs. Lex Luger The Powers of Pain vs. Big John Studd/King Kong Bundy Ted Arcidi vs. Hercules
10/4/86 - SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS - Richfield Coliseum - Richfield, OH
Hulk Hogan/Ted DiBiase/Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair/Arn Anderson/Tully Blanchard WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES - The Hart Foundation (c) vs. The Rock 'N Roll Express Andre the Giant vs. Honky Tonk Man Koko B. Ware vs. Mr. Perfect
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Post by snabbit888 on Jul 20, 2021 5:00:49 GMT -5
9/27/86 - GCW Superstars (TAPED: 9/16/86) LOCATION: Baltimore Arena - Baltimore, MD
WE HEAR FROM THE COMPETITORS IN THE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE MATCH
The broadcast kicked off with some pre-recorded words from the two men in our main event for the vacant Intercontinental Title. Lex Luger went first saying this was the biggest opportunity of his life and he would show the world he's not just full of potential but he is the future of this business. Bobby Heenan chimed in that Luger is primed and ready, and that the Total Package knows that failure is not an option. Kerry Von Erich's promo was far more straight forward, saying there wasn't a chance he was leaving today without the gold around his waist.
Gorilla Monsoon & Mark Niemiller introduced the show, talking about this big main event where we were going to see a new champion crowned as the Intercontinental Title tournament came to a close. A big show today so let's get right to the action and Howard Finkel.
MATCH #1 The Rock 'N Roll Express vs. Jerry Allen/Bob Hastings
The Rock 'N Roll Express are a week away from their rematch for the World Tag Team Titles so they wanted a little tune-up before then. During this quick victory, we had a quick insert promo from the champs, The Hart Foundation (along with Jimmy Hart & Danny Davis), saying the rematch would be exactly like the first match - a Hart Foundation win. Davis was mad that his petition to referee the match had been denied, but Jimmy Hart said that didn't matter because the tag titles weren't going anywhere.
The Rock 'N Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) defeated Jerry Allen and Bob Hastings when R. Morton pinned Allen after the Double Dropkick in 0:01:48.
MATCH #2 Bad News Brown vs. Mike Kelly
This was pretty much legalized assault. Mike Kelly had no chance against Bad News Brown who gets the duke.
Bad News Brown pinned Mike Kelly with the Ghetto Blaster in 0:03:26.
PRE-TAPED COMMENTS FROM TED DIBIASE, KERRY VON ERICH, & WORLD CHAMPION HULK HOGAN
The announce team threw it to an interview taped after last night's show in Detroit with Ted DiBiase, Kerry Von Erich, & World champion Hulk Hogan, one side of the big 6-man tag team match next Saturday night at Slam Masters. This was your classic babyface promo with everyone getting their say, more or less saying that they couldn't wait to get their hands on the Four Horsemen at Slam Masters. We also got word during this interview that next week on Superstars, we'd have a little preview of Saturday night as DiBiase will meet Ric Flair! The segment ended with a "WHATCHA GONNA DO" and some flexing from all three.
Monsoon talked about being excited for next week's featured match between DiBiase & Flair, whereas Niemiller said this was the dumbest decision DiBiase has ever made. When Monsoon asked him to explain, Niemiller said after the Nature Boy breaks DiBiase's leg with the Figure-Four, Hogan & Von Erich will have to take on the Horsemen in a handicap match! When Monsoon brought up that Flair could get hurt too, Niemiller blew it off like it was the stupidest thing he had ever heard.
MATCH #3 The Powers of Pain (w/ Kevin Sullivan) vs. Big John Studd/King Kong Bundy (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
This was a rematch from last night, and it was just as hard-hitting the second time around. Not pretty by any means, but sometimes it's fun to watch four hosses beat the tar out of each other. Bundy in particular was extra aggressive, something Studd wasn't too pleased with. Studd told Bundy to control himself or they were going to lose, leading to an argument between the two. While they were arguing, The Barbarian & The Warlord jumped them, knocking Studd from the ring. They beat down on Bundy, but after Barbarian left the ring, Bundy got himself disqualified by hitting Warlord with a low blow.
The Powers of Pain (The Barbarian and The Warlord) defeated The Heenan Family (Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy) when Warlord defeated Bundy by disqualification in 0:07:28. Rating: 1/4* [Bobby Heenan interfered against The Warlord.]
Studd was none too happy with this as he rolled back into the ring, getting in Bundy's face about costing them the match. The argument was getting heated but the only thing that could stop it was BOBBY HEENAN grabbing the house mic and telling Bundy & Studd they were both FIRED! Heenan has made it clear that he won't tolerate failure in his ranks and this was apparently the last straw for Bundy & Studd. Studd turned his attention away from Bundy to ask Heenan what he was thinking, which left him wide open for Bundy to hit him with the Avalanche in the corner and hit a Big Splash right on Studd's back. Needless to say, this tag team is no more.
MATCH #4 Andre the Giant vs. Bob Bradley
Why on earth did Honky Tonk Man piss Andre the Giant off? Andre easily dispatched of Bob Bradley here as he's lasered focusing on squashing HTM like a bug at Slam Masters.
Andre the Giant pinned Bob Bradley with the Elbowdrop in 0:01:05. Rating: - 3/4**
WE HEAR FROM MR. PERFECT
We heard from Mr. Perfect this week, who up until now we've only seen in a variety of athletic endeavors. In this case, he was being interviewed by Lord Alfred Hayes. We learned two things from this interview - Perfect is very disrespectful (ask Lord Alfred who was repeatedly insulted during this) and Perfect is very confident. Perfect was completely nonchalant, saying he wasn't concerned with Koko B. Ware at Slam Masters, because he is one thing that Koko is not, and that's PERFECT.
MATCH #5 "The World's Strongest Man" Ted Arcidi vs. Hercules (w/ Jimmy Hart & Dino Bravo)
The Power Company cannot handle that there might be someone stronger than them in GCW, but let's be honest - Ted Arcidi is stronger than literally EVERYONE. Hercules insisted on challenging Arcidi to a variety of tests of strengths, and repeatedly he was embarrassed by the massive strength of Arcidi. Once Arcidi got the advantage on a Greco Roman knuckle lock, DINO BRAVO at ringside jumped in and attacked Arcidi from behind, causing the disqualification.
Ted Arcidi defeated Hercules by disqualification in 0:05:45. Rating: ** [Dino Bravo interfered against Ted Arcidi.]
Just like we saw last night in Detroit, the 2-on-1 beatdown of Arcidi was thwarted when JIM DUGGAN ran in for the save, chasing The Power Company off with the 2x4. Arcidi has found a great ally in the Television champion. You have to think a tag team match in on the horizon.
MATCH #6 Sgt. Slaughter/Stan "The Lariat" Hansen vs. Barry O/Butch Cooper
Speaking of tag team matches, the Unholy Alliance nearly murder Barry O & Butch Cooper.
Sgt. Slaughter and Stan Hansen defeated Barry O and Butch Cooper when Hansen pinned Cooper with the Lariat in 0:03:21.
LIVE EVENT REPORT W/ GENE OKERLUND
Time for everyone's favorite part of the show - the Live Event Report! "Mean" Gene Okerlund was as energetic as ever, starting by going over the highlights of last night's big show in Detroit. He then went over the card for next Saturday's big Saturday Night Slam Masters show, which features the debut of Mr. Perfect, Andre the Giant vs. Honky Tonk Man, The Rock 'N Roll Express challenging The Hart Foundation for the World Tag Team Titles, and of course the huge 6-man tag with Hulk Hogan, Kerry Von Erich, & Ted DiBiase taking on Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, & Tully Blanchard. Okerlund did also say there were some rumblings around the offices of President Jack Tunney that more matches may be added to the event. Okerlund ended by announcing the return of an event that debuted last year to great success. On November 1 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Grand 16 will return! Sixteen teams will vie for the honor of winning the prestigious Grand 16 trophy in a one night, single elimination tournament. No teams to announce yet, but Okerlund has said he hopes to have the first entrants next week on Superstars!
MATCH #7 INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - FINALS "The Modern Day Warrior" Kerry Von Erich vs. "The Total Package" Lex Luger (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
Main event time, and you couldn't ask for bigger stakes than this. Kerry Von Erich had to get through Hector Guerrero & Honky Tonk Man to earn his place in the finals, while Lex Luger defeated Ted DiBiase & Koko B. Ware to punch his ticket. And now, today, we would see who would be the next Intercontinental champion. As the match got started, we saw an insert promo from BARRY WINDHAM, the former IC champ who had to relinquish the championship after suffering a knee injury. Windham said he was working hard to come back from the injury, and it didn't matter who won today, he was coming for them and would regain his title.
With the pressure Bobby Heenan has been putting on Luger recently, you could tell Luger was hyper focused for this match. He also was scared to make mistakes, and Von Erich was capitalizing on every little mistake Luger made. As the match wore on, Heenan got more and more desperate, trying to distract and interfere whenever he could. Luger did get in his offense, but Von Erich controlled the tempo for most of the contest. At one point, The Brain managed to take off the turnbuckle pad from one of the corners while referee Tommy Young was dealing with the action on the other side of the ring. Young got knocked down late in the match when Luger bodyslammed Von Erich as Von Erich's foot caught him on the way up. Luger was going for the Torture Rack, but Heenan stopped him and told him to smash Von Erich's head into the exposed steel turnbuckle. Luger was hesitant as he thought he had the match in hand, but he went to do what Heenan asked. During the confusion though, Von Erich recovered and blocked the attempt, and instead smashed Luger's head into the steel! Luger was knocked loopy as Von Erich put on the famous Von Erich clawhold. Young had gotten his wits back by this point, and the pain was too much for Luger to take. Luger gave up, and we have a new Intercontinental champion!
[INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TOURNAMENT - FINALS]: Match for the vacant GCW Intercontinental Title: Kerry Von Erich made Lex Luger submit to a clawhold in 0:12:33. Rating: * 1/4 (Kerry Von Erich won the GCW Intercontinental Title.) [Bobby Heenan interfered against Kerry Von Erich.]
This is the Modern Day Warrior's first title reign, and it is quite well deserved! We were desperately out of time as THE HORSEMEN came down to the ring looking to get a jump on Von Erich, but HULK HOGAN & TED DIBIASE ran down to the ring to hold them at bay as we went off the air!
Next week on Superstars, we'll see The Road Warriors, Hector Guerrero, Junkyard Dog, and Jimmy Garvin all in action! Plus Raymond Rougeau meets Honky Tonk Man, Dos Caras takes on Danny Davis, and our huge featured contest between Ted DiBiase on Ric Flair! We'll see you next week!
UPCOMING EVENTS
10/4/86 - GCW Superstars
Ted DiBiase vs. Ric Flair Raymond Rougeau vs. Honky Tonk Man Dos Caras vs. Danny Davis
10/4/86 - SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS - Richfield Coliseum - Richfield, OH
Hulk Hogan/Ted DiBiase/Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair/Arn Anderson/Tully Blanchard WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES - The Hart Foundation (c) vs. The Rock 'N Roll Express Andre the Giant vs. Honky Tonk Man Koko B. Ware vs. Mr. Perfect
11/1/86 - GRAND 16 - Winnipeg Arena - Winnipeg, MB, CA
16-team Grand 16 Tournament - Teams TBA
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Post by snabbit888 on Aug 25, 2021 0:35:20 GMT -5
10/4/86 - GCW Superstars (TAPED: 9/16/86) LOCATION: Baltimore Arena - Baltimore, MD
We might have Slam Masters tonight, but first we have GCW Superstars! Gorilla Monsoon & Mark Niemiller were here as always, and they ran down today's big show, which features an epic encounter between Ted DiBiase & Ric Flair! But first down to the ring with Howard Finkel and our first match.
MATCH #1 Junkyard Dog vs. William Tabb
As this match got going, we learned from Monsoon & Niemiller that JYD will take on Danny Davis tonight on Slam Masters. Monsoon asked if Davis is regretting wanting to play wrestler now. Niemiller said not so fast as he believes Davis is just coming into his own and he is predicting Davis wins tonight. Monsoon thought that was ridiculous, understandably. Either way, JYD with the easy win today.
Junkyard Dog pinned William Tabb with the Thump Powerslam in 0:03:36.
MATCH #2 Raymond Rougeau (w/ Jacques Rougeau) vs. Honky Tonk Man (w/ Jimmy Hart & Adrian Adonis)
Why Honky Tonk Man has decided to anger Andre the Giant is beyond me, but you can tell Andre is in his head. HTM was looking over his shoulder this whole match with Raymond Rougeau, and rightfully so as in the latter stages of this match, Andre came down to ringside. Jimmy Hart sent Adrian Adonis after him, but Adonis was easily dispatched with a big headbutt that sent him sprawling. Honky was looking for an escape, but instead he got caught with the Rougeau Bomb and Raymond scored a huge upset! And think, no Honky has to meet Andre in the ring tonight. I don't think this one is going to be pretty.
Raymond Rougeau pinned Honky Tonk Man with the Rougeau Bomb in 0:05:39. Rating: ** 3/4
BOBBY HEENAN LETS LEX LUGER KNOW HE GOT HIM A TITLE SHOT TONIGHT
We see highlights from last week's feature bout where Kerry Von Erich won the Intercontinental Title in the finals of the tournament, defeating Lex Luger to do so. We then cut to Luger who was with his manager, Bobby Heenan. Heenan told Luger that the Total Package screwed up last week, and that he doesn't like to be embarrassed. Luger tried to apologize, even bringing up how he had Von Erich beat until the Brain told him to throw him into the exposed steel turnbuckle. Heenan cut him off though, letting him know that he did a little negotiating with Jack Tunney and tonight at Saturday Night Slam Masters, he will have another chance at gold against Television champion Jim Duggan. Luger was happy about this, but his demeanor soured when Heenan told him he better not screw up again.
MATCH #3 The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) vs. Mario Mancini/Nick Kiniski
Another day, another dominating performance by Hawk & Animal. After destroying their opponents today, Hawk & Animal were yelling about how they want competition. They may want it, but I'm not entirely sure where they're going to get it. So far, they've been absolutely dominant.
The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) defeated Mario Mancini and Nick Kiniski when Hawk pinned Kiniski after the Doomsday Device in 0:04:43.
BIG JOHN STUDD WANTS A PIECE OF KING KONG BUNDY
Lord Alfred Hayes was back with Big John Studd who had some very strong words for his former tag team partner King Kong Bundy. Studd said he always knew Bobby Heenan was scum, but he thought that Bundy was his friend. Bundy's cowardly attack proved otherwise. Studd said if Bundy wanted to be like that though, he was more than willing to knock his teeth down his throat. We've learned that this confrontation will take place in 2 weeks on GCW Superstars.
MATCH #4 Hector Guerrero vs. Randy Barber
Hector Guerrero picks up a win on Superstars.
Hector Guerrero pinned Randy Barber with the Butterfly Suplex in 0:03:42.
MATCH #5 Dos Caras vs. "Dangerous" Danny Davis (w/ Jimmy Hart)
Do you think Danny Davis wants to stop trying to play wrestler now? He has some inherent skill to him, surprisingly, but it can take years to become a top flight professional grappler. Dos Caras is a top flight professional grappler, and he showed that by countering Davis' attempts at underhanded tactics with speed and skill, taking the win with a flying cross body press. Now he'll have Junkyard Dog to contend with tonight.
Dos Caras pinned Danny Davis after a flying cross body press in 0:07:54. Rating: * 3/4
MR. PERFECT TRAINS FOR HIS DEBUT TONIGHT
We got a nice compilation video of all of Mr. Perfect's exploits as he trains for his GCW debut tonight at Slam Masters. Perfect just makes everything look easy, but we've yet to actually see him in the ring. After this video package, we cut to words from Koko B. Ware, Perfect's opponent tonight, and he echoed the same sentiments. Koko said that nobody is perfect, and he would prove that by spoiling Perfect's debut.
MATCH #6 "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin (w/ Precious) vs. Ron Shaw
Not much difficulty for Jimmy Garvin as the Gorgeous One cruises to a victory.
Jimmy Garvin pinned Ron Shaw with the DDT in 0:05:49.
LIVE EVENT REPORT W/ GENE OKERLUND
"Mean" Gene was happy as a clam to present the Live Event Report. He ran down the card for tonight's Saturday Night Slam Masters, and we had a pre-recorded promo from The Rock 'N Roll Express, who look to recapture the World Tag Team Titles from The Hart Foundation. Nothing monumental here, but Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson are definitely fired up and without a shady referee against them, they could be leaving Richfield, OH as 4-time champs. Speaking of tag teams, the first entrants into this year's Grand 16 were also announced. Four teams are now officially in - The Road Warriors, The Power Company, Sgt. Slaughter & Stan Hansen, and The Rougeau Brothers. We'll be seeing more teams announced soon as we inch closer to the event.
MATCH #7 Ted DiBiase (w/ Hulk Hogan & Kerry Von Erich) vs. "Nature Boy" Ric Flair (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Arn Anderson, & Tully Blanchard)
There was a lot of combustible elements down at ringside for our feature contest of the day, with two parts of our 6-man tag match tonight at Slam Masters squared off with Ted DiBiase meeting Ric Flair. This is a match that could main event anywhere in the world, but with both men having so many people at ringside with them, it was only a matter of time before this one fell apart. As the match went on, Hulk Hogan & Kerry Von Erich got frustrated with Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard trying to interfere in the match, so they went over and took it to them! When Flair saw this, he jumped to the floor and joined in. Obviously DiBiase joined the fray too, and this one ended in a double countout.
Ric Flair and Ted DiBiase battled to a double countout in 0:11:19. Rating: ** 1/4
We went off the air with all six men brawling around the arena and Monsoon & Niemiller desperately yelling to tune into NBC tonight for Saturday Night Slam Masters! See you tonight, folks!
UPCOMING EVENTS
10/4/86 - SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS - Richfield Coliseum - Richfield, OH
Hulk Hogan/Ted DiBiase/Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair/Arn Anderson/Tully Blanchard WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES - The Hart Foundation (c) vs. The Rock 'N Roll Express TV TITLE - Jim Duggan (c) vs. Lex Luger Andre the Giant vs. Honky Tonk Man Koko B. Ware vs. Mr. Perfect Junkyard Dog vs. Danny Davis
10/11/86 - GCW Superstars
Jim Duggan/Ted Arcidi vs. The Power Company
10/18/86 - GCW Superstars
Big John Studd vs. King Kong Bundy
11/1/86 - GRAND 16 - Winnipeg Arena - Winnipeg, MB, CA
Grand 16 Tournament
The Road Warriors The Power Company Sgt. Slaughter/Stan Hansen The Rougeau Brothers
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Post by snabbit888 on Feb 19, 2022 19:59:13 GMT -5
10/4/86 - Saturday Night Slam Masters (taped 9/13/86) LOCATION - Richfield Coliseum - Richfield, OH
Right as we went on the air, we saw some pre-recorded promos in regards to the action we're going to see tonight. First was The Rock 'N Roll Express along with Junkyard Dog saying that there would be no shady referee to screw them over tonight as JYD would make sure that Danny Davis was down for the count. JYD said that with Davis out of the picture, The Hart Foundation's days as World Tag Team champions were over. We then cut to Lex Luger (who was by himself) saying that he may have fallen short of becoming the Intercontinental champion, but he would not do so when he became Television champion tonight. Next to Honky Tonk Man with Jimmy Hart & Adrian Adonis. Honky was doing his best to not look scared, but you could tell he was worried as Hart tried to give him a pep talk. Hart assured him they had a plan to take that big smelly oaf Andre the Giant out. Penultimately we had The Four Horsemen, who didn't look worried at all, saying that they were about to show everyone that they are exactly what they say they are - the best professional wrestling has to offer. And then finally, their opponents - Hulk Hogan, Kerry Von Erich, & Ted DiBiase - said they were to do the world a favor and shut up The Horsemen's "big fat mouths.
The theme song for Slam Masters was next, and then to ringside with GORILLA MONSOON & JESSE "THE BODY" VENTURA welcoming us to the big show. Ventura was as flamboyant as ever as he declared that we were going to see PERFECTION tonight as we got the debut of Mr. Perfect. Monsoon was excited to see the miscarriage of justice righted tonight when he predicted that Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson would regain the tag titles for a 4th time, a notion Ventura blew off. But perhaps the biggest match of them all was actually our opening contest, so it was thrown to Howard Finkel in the ring to get this party started!
MATCH #1 "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan (World champion)/"The Modern Day Warrior" Kerry Von Erich (Intercontinental champion)/Ted DiBiase vs. The Four Horsemen (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
We kicked it off with the big six-man tag, and what an explosive affair it was! Hulk Hogan, Kerry Von Erich, & Ted DiBiase all have come together to face a common enemy, and though the team is unconventional to say the least, they showed they could work together in the ring. However, there may not be a more well-oiled machine than the Four Horsemen, who not only are top flight technical wrestlers, but they're the dirtiest players in the game who will cut any corner to win a match. They were trying everything in their power to do so tonight, but ultimately it was the power of Hulkamania, the savviness of DiBiase, and one big Discus Punch from Von Erich to Arn Anderson's jaw that put this one in the books.
Hulk Hogan, Kerry Von Erich and Ted DiBiase defeated The Four Horsemen (Arn Anderson, Ric Flair and Tully Blanchard) when Kerry Von Erich pinned Anderson with the Discus Punch in 0:10:29. Rating: *** 1/2
After the match, Flair tried to jump Hogan, and that ended up being a mistake as Hogan no-sold a couple of chops, and sent the Nature Boy spilling to the floor. The Horsemen decided to live to fight another day and began to head to the back. While Hogan, Von Erich, & DiBiase were celebrating their victory in the ring, they didn't notice Bobby Heenan sneak back to the ringside area and flat out STEAL the World Title! That title of course belongs to Hulk Hogan. Once Hogan noticed his championship was missing, he was LIVID and stormed to the back looking for the Horsemen.
RIC FLAIR DECLARES HIMSELF THE CHAMPION
After the commercial, we were back in the parking lot with the Four Horsemen at their limo. Bobby Heenan handed Ric Flair the World Title, telling him that it rightfully belonged to him. They said Hogan was a classless fool, more concerned with Hollywood than being the face of GCW. Flair declared himself the REAL World champion and now had the title belt to prove it. At this point, Hogan, Von Erich, & DiBiase hit the scene, but before they could get their hands on the Horsemen, the Horsemen were in the limo as it sped away. Hogan was fuming, a champion without a championship. Back to ringside, Ventura congratulated the "new World champion" which Monsoon vehemently denied. Monsoon said that stealing a title is the most cowardly thing you could do, that Hogan was still champion, and once the Hulkster got a hold of the Nature Boy, Heenan would need a new cash cow.
MATCH #2 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware (w/ Frankie) vs. Mr. Perfect
We had heard a lot about Mr. Perfect in past few weeks leading up to his debut, and no doubt he is an incredible athlete. He surely carries himself like a star, but if he lost his debut match, I'm not sure he could recover from it. Koko B. Ware wanted to make this heralded debut an unsuccessful one. Koko did a lot to try to make that happen, definitely presenting Perfect with a challenge. But Perfect showed he can back up his big words as he would be victorious with a move he calls the Perfect Plex. Monsoon had to admit Perfect was incredibly impressive, and if he can keep his ego in check, will go a long way in GCW. Ventura loved the ego and said that is exactly what would take him to the top.
Mr. Perfect pinned Koko B. Ware with the Perfect Plex in 0:08:00. Rating: *** 1/2
BOB BACKLUND WANTS TO PROVE THAT NO ONE IS PERFECT
After a commercial break, Lord Alfred Hayes was in the locker room with former World champion Bob Backlund. Backlund kept this short and sweet. He said he was impressed by what he just saw from Mr. Perfect, but he knows that no one is truly perfect. Backlund wanted to see firsthand just how perfect Mr. Perfect really is, so he challenged him to a match. We've since found out that match will take place on Superstars next week.
MATCH #3 TELEVISION TITLE MATCH "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan (c) vs. "The Total Package" Lex Luger (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
Lex Luger had a lot of pressure on him during this match. Bobby Heenan (who managed to sneak his way back into the arena) essentially told Luger that after failing in the finals of the Intercontinental Title, he had better not disappoint him again. Heenan got him a Television Title shot against the very popular "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan. This wasn't going to be easy under normal circumstances, let alone with all of this added pressure. Heenan kept barking commands at the Total Package, and it seemed like it was more of a distraction than anything. Luger was second guessing himself as The Brain's threat was in his head. Still, Luger seemed to have this match potentially won after he hit a bone-shaking powerslam on Duggan late and was going to pin, but Heenan told him to put on the Torture Rack. This hesitation let Duggan recover and shove Luger hard into the turnbuckle. Just then, the bell went off, indicating this was a time limit draw.
Lex Luger and Jim Duggan battled to a draw in 0:15:00. Rating: * 1/2 (Jim Duggan retained the GCW Television Title.) [Bobby Heenan interfered against Jim Duggan.]
Jim Duggan is still the Television champion. Heenan was livid and completely dressed Luger down for his "failure," and Luger looked like a sad puppy who was in trouble for peeing on the carpet. Heenan eventually left Luger in the ring by himself, leaving the Total Package to solemnly follow to the back several yards behind.
KERRY VON ERICH OFFERS LEX LUGER A REMATCH FOR THE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE... ON ONE CONDITION
When we got back from commercial, Lex Luger was seen sitting by himself in the locker room. At this point, he received a surprise visitor in the form of KERRY VON ERICH. Luger was ready to fight, but Von Erich told him to relax. Von Erich told Luger he wrestled a great match out there, and that he might be Television champion now if it weren't for Bobby Heenan. Von Erich said that obviously the two of them aren't friends, but gave him some friendly advice - dump Bobby Heenan. Luger was going to protest, but Von Erich cut him off with an offer. "I want to see how good you really are, without that scum Heenan getting in the way. I want to give you a shot at the Intercontinental Title. BUT... on one condition. It's you and me, one-on-one. No nonsense. No Bobby Heenan at ringside. Man to man. What do you say?" Luger thought on in, and after a few moments, simply said, "You got it." The two shared a tense handshake. We found out later that match would take place next week on Superstars!
HONKY TONK MAN CLAIMS HE'S INJURED BEFORE THE MATCH
You knew that Honky Tonk Man was terrified to face Andre the Giant tonight - that was obvious by the way he has been acting the best several weeks. However, we didn't think he would stoop this low. When Honky was introduced, he came out accompanied by Jimmy Hart & Adrian Adonis as usual. But this time, he was also on crutches. Honky got on the microphone and claimed he was "severely injured" this morning during his match with that "no good foreigner" Raymond Rougeau, and thus could not compete tonight. He was about to start hobbling away, but that's when Andre made his entrance. Andre had a big smile on his face, clearly not believing a word of it. There was a confrontation in the ring where Honky tried to send Adonis after Andre, which was a mistake. Andre had Adonis stuck in the corner with a chokehold, which was when Honky unleashed his scheme. He showed he wasn't injured at all, looking to blast Andre with one of the crutches! Thankfully, before he had a chance to do so, THE ROUGEAU BROTHERS intervened, stealing the crutch away from him! Andre dispatched of Adonis, the Rougeaus tossed the crutches out of the ring, and we had our match.
MATCH #4 Andre the Giant vs. Honky Tonk Man (w/ Jimmy Hart & "Adorable" Adrian Adonis)
This was just a glorified mugging. Honky begged off, Andre methodically destroyed him, and it wasn't long before this one was in the books. Maybe this will teach Honky Tonk Man to shut his big mouth (I doubt it, but one can dream).
Andre the Giant pinned Honky Tonk Man with the Elbowdrop in 0:03:50. Rating: * 1/2
MATCH #5 Junkyard Dog vs. "Dangerous" Danny Davis (w/ Jimmy Hart)
Before the match, we got a "training package" showing Danny Davis getting ready for this match with Jimmy Hart. It was... interesting, to say the least. With how this match went though, Davis could have trained for years and it wouldn't have been enough. JYD had a lot of fun picking up an easy victory. Word has it that Davis' wrestling career may already be coming to a close.
Junkyard Dog defeated Danny Davis via pinfall in 0:06:18. Rating: -1/2*
MATCH #6 WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH The Hart Foundation (c) (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. The Rock 'N Roll Express
Our main event might be the best tag team match we've seen in the last 10 years. Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson were practically foaming at the mouth as this match started, wanting to get revenge for how they were outright screwed out of the titles back last month. They controlled the pace early, showing that they were the much quicker of the two teams. Once they get momentum going, they're hard to stop. But say what you want about the Hart Foundation - they're sneaky, crafty, and the World Tag Team champions for a reason. Using some underhanded tactics, Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart got on the offensive, isolating Morton and it was BRUTAL. The focus of the attack was on Morton's knee, and they were relentless in doing it. Morton was desperate to make a tag but every time he'd get excruciatingly close, the Hart Foundation would cut him off in some way. It was getting scary for Morton as there seemed to be some risk at serious injury if he couldn't make a tag. Morton was finally able to get a little separation when he ducked a big flying shoulderblock from the Anvil, but when he got up to make the tag, he collapsed. There had simply been too much damage done to his knee. Referee Tommy Young made the unpopular decision to call the match (though it was probably the right call).
The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) defeated The Rock 'N Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) when Neidhart defeated R. Morton after referee stoppage in 0:24:06. Rating: **** 1/2 (The Hart Foundation retained the GCW World Tag Team Titles.)
To make matters worse for the Rock 'N Roll Express, Gibson was quickly thrown outside the ring and Bret Hart threw him head first into the ringpost. In the ring, Neidhart was still pounding on Morton's injured knee. The Hitman slid back into the ring with a steel chair in tow. Neidhart held Morton prone while the Hitman brought the chair down on Morton's knee over and over again! Luckily this sickening attack came to a close when HAWK & ANIMAL got to the ring and chased the Hart Foundation off. The show came to an end with officials and the medical staff checking on Ricky Morton who was clearly in really bad shape.
UPCOMING EVENTS
10/11/86 - GCW Superstars
INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE - Kerry Von Erich (c) vs. Lex Luger Jim Duggan/Ted Arcidi vs. The Power Company Bob Backlund vs. Mr. Perfect
10/18/86 - GCW Superstars
Big John Studd vs. King Kong Bundy
11/1/86 - GRAND 16 - Winnipeg Arena - Winnipeg, MB, CA
Grand 16 Tournament
The Road Warriors The Power Company Sgt. Slaughter/Stan Hansen The Rougeau Brothers
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Post by snabbit888 on Aug 5, 2022 2:50:47 GMT -5
10/11/86 - GCW Superstars (TAPED: 9/16/86) LOCATION: Baltimore Arena - Baltimore, MD
Gorilla Monsoon & Mark Niemiller were here to welcome us to another episode of GCW Superstars! A packed show tonight, culminating with an Intercontinental Title clash between champion Kerry Von Erich and challenger Lex Luger! Also, we will have more teams to be announced for Grand 16!
First off though, we got some words from World champion HULK HOGAN, though he is currently without his championship.
HULK HOGAN TELLS RIC FLAIR TO WATCH HIS BACK
Hulk Hogan normally has more positivity, but he was all business today. He made his point very clear - Ric Flair was a common thief, and he would make sure the Nature Boy was punished for stealing his World Title. He basically said that a man with honor and dignity earns a championship, and doesn't have to steal it like a coward. He let Flair know that he was going to teach him a lesson when he gets his hands on him.
MATCH #1 The Brain Busters (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan/"The Nature Boy" Ric Flair) vs. Ken Glover/Dan McGuire
If Ric Flair heard Hogan's words, he didn't seem too worried about them (easy to do when he knows the Hulkster isn't here in person today) as he was stylin' and profilin' around ringside as the Brain Busters took their opponents to task in an easy win. After the match, Bobby Heenan declared that Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard were entering Grand 16, and that if Hulk Hogan wanted a chance to become the REAL World champion, he knew where to find him (add in a "WOO!" or two in there as well).
The Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard) defeated Ken Glover and Dan McGuire when Blanchard pinned Glover after the Spike Piledriver in 0:03:23.
INJURY REPORT ON RICKY MORTON
We had Lord Alfred Hayes now to give us an injury update on Ricky Morton. Clips were shown of the brutal assault The Hart Foundation put on Morton's knee last Saturday night on Saturday Night Slam Masters. Hayes said he has spoken to the doctors and Morton will be unable to return to action for several months, and as a result, The Rock 'N Roll Express will now not be a part of Grand 16. After we threw back to ringside, Monsoon & Niemiller pondered what Robert Gibson would now do with his partner on the shelf. Niemiller suggested he pretend he has an injury too so that The Hart Foundation don't hurt him as well.
MATCH #2 "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan (Television champion)/"The World's Strongest Man" Ted Arcidi vs. The Power Company (w/ Jimmy Hart)
The Power Company have tried to show that they are both stronger than Ted Arcidi claims he is, and have failed each time. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan has taken a liking to Arcidi and has been mentoring him as he transitions from strongman contests to professional wrestling. That is all well and good, and Arcidi has already shown improvement, but The Power Company are a well established tag team, with Dino Bravo being possibly the greatest tag team wrestler in history. That, and Jimmy Hart, proved to be the difference. Duggan was all set up for the Three Point Stance clothesline on Hercules when Hart jumped on the apron. Duggan instead grabbed a hold of Hart by the collar, not noticing that Hercules had tagged in Bravo. When Hacksaw turned back around, it was right into the Side Suplex and Bravo had pinned the TV champion!
The Power Company (Dino Bravo and Hercules) defeated Jim Duggan and Ted Arcidi when Bravo pinned Duggan with the Side Suplex in 0:06:21. Rating: * 3/4
MATCH #3 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware (w/ Frankie) vs. Terry Gibbs
Not a lot of resistance today for Koko B. Ware.
Koko B. Ware pinned Terry Gibbs after a side step in 0:02:47.
LIVE EVENT REPORT W/ GENE OKERLUND
It's the Live Event Report, and you knew "Mean" Gene would be just giddy to give us all the scoops on upcoming shows! And we do have a big show coming up on November 1, Grand 16! Sixteen teams will compete in a single-elimination tourney to crown this year's champion. Four teams had previously been announced - The Road Warriors, The Power Company, Sgt. Slaughter & Stan Hansen, and The Rougeau Brothers. Okerlund was able to announce 4 new teams to the mix. The Brain Busters, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan & Ted Arcidi, and the World Tag Team champions, The Hart Foundation were the first three to be announced. Okerlund then dropped the news that we would see the GCW return of an absolute legend of the early days of this company, GIANT BABA! Giant Baba will be a part of this tournament with his partner, the best junior heavyweight in the world, Tiger Mask! Okerlund said there will be more teams announced next week, as well as rumors of a big non-tournament match in the works as well.
MATCH #4 "Adorable" Adrian Adonis (w/ Jimmy Hart/Honky Tonk Man) vs. Allen Martin
Adrian Adonis has had a rough few weeks courtesy of Andre the Giant, but he rebounded today with a dominant win.
Adrian Adonis pinned Allen Martin after a DDT in 0:02:02.
After the match was over, Honky Tonk Man grabbed the microphone from Howard Finkel and said that the only reason he lost to Andre last week at Slam Masters was because The Rougeau Brothers meddled in their business. HTM and Adonis challenged the Rougeaus to a match next week, which we later learned was accepted and has been signed.
MATCH #5 Bob Backlund vs. Mr. Perfect
Bob Backlund said that he wanted to see what Mr. Perfect was made of up close. If there's anyone better to test the mettle of a newcomer here in GCW, I can't think of anyone better than the former 3-time World champion. You know Perfect has a lot of audacity if he is going to declare himself perfect, and Backlund was looking to teach him a wrestling lesson on Superstars. This was a fantastic pure wrestling match. Early on, Perfect was showing that cocky side which has already made the fans dislike him immensely, but when it didn't phase Backlund and Backlund kept getting the better of him in mat exchanges, Perfect got very serious in a hurry. This was back and forth and we thought Perfect's GCW perfection was going to come to an end before it even got going, but he managed to shove Backlund back into the turnbuckle before Backlund could bring him down with the Crossface Chickenwing, quickly hit the Perfect Plex, and get a huge win!
Mr. Perfect pinned Bob Backlund with the Perfect Plex in 0:14:37. Rating: ****
After the match, Backlund seemed to think that Perfect had earned his respect and offered him a handshake. Perfect thought about it, then laughed and left. What a jerk.
MATCH #6 NON-TITLE MATCH The Hart Foundation (World Tag Team champions) (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. Luscious Brown/The Gladiator
The champs looked full of themselves today, picking up an easy victory.
The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) defeated Luscious Brown and The Gladiator when Neidhart pinned Brown with the Anvil Flattener in 0:01:58.
THE HART FOUNDATION RUBS SALT IN THE WOUNDS OF THE ROCK 'N ROLL EXPRESS
As announced during the Live Event Report, The Hart Foundation will be a part of the Grand 16 tournament. They jumped on the microphone to make sure everyone knew they were in the tourney, and that they were going to win. They said they hoped they'd get a chance to meet The Rock 'N Roll Express in the tourney, and then remembered, oh yeah, Ricky Morton is hurt and never coming back! Jimmy Hart said that The Hart Foundation would do what they always do and outclass everyone else in the tag division because no one can hold a candle to them. At this point THE ROAD WARRIORS came out to confront The Hart Foundation, trying to goad them into a fight. Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart thought better of it, taking a powder and heading to the back. This is not a target the champions want on their back.
LEX LUGER TELLS BOBBY HEENAN TO STAY IN THE BACK
Before our feature bout of the show, the challenger Lex Luger was standing by with his manager, Bobby Heenan. The Brain was hyping Luger up (though it was more like belittling than a pep talk) when Luger interrupted him. Luger asked Heenan to stay in the back as this was something he had to do himself. Heenan couldn't even muster a response as Luger left to head to the ring, but The Brain did not look happy.
MATCH #7 INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE MATCH "The Modern Day Warrior" Kerry Von Erich (c) vs. "The Total Package" Lex Luger
Kerry Von Erich and Lex Luger have had many battles in the past, but Luger has fallen short and as a result has disappointed his manager, Bobby Heenan. Von Erich offered The Total Package a shot at the Intercontinental Title, but only if Luger agreed to keep Heenan in the back. Luger did so, and showed why he is one of the hottest prospects in the world today. Without the constant worry of Bobby Heenan's disapproval, Luger showed that he can GO. This was a highly competitive match, and the fans were actually behind both men for a lot of this. Near the end, BOBBY HEENAN came down to the ring after it looked like Luger had Von Erich primed for the Torture Rack. Heenan instantly barked instructions at Luger, telling him to keep on the assault. During this distraction, Von Erich had time to recover, catching Luger by surprise with the Discus Punch and getting the 1-2-3.
Kerry Von Erich pinned Lex Luger with the Discus Punch in 0:13:01. Rating: *** 1/4 (Kerry Von Erich retained the GCW Intercontinental Title.)
Heenan was irate with Luger, completely brow beating him for failing to capture the Intercontinental Title. Heenan was flat out trying to embarrass Luger, but he went too far when he slapped him in the face. When Heenan saw the fury in Luger's eyes, he knew he had made a mistake and tried to apologize immediately. Luger grabbed the Brain by the shirt color as the crowd was begging him to knock Heenan out, but before he could, RIC FLAIR, ARN ANDERSON, & TULLY BLANCHARD jumped him! This was a 3-on-1 and looked bleak until an unexpected save arrived in the form of KERRY VON ERICH! Von Erich was back in the ring to help even the odds and a recovered Luger helped him clear the ring. Not only were the Horsemen furious about that they got bested, but they were even more enraged when Von Erich held out his hand for Luger, and Luger shook it! Luger has earned Von Erich's respect, and it looks like the Total Package has an ally in his new war with the Horsemen.
UPCOMING EVENTS
10/18/86 - GCW Superstars
TELEVISION TITLE - Jim Duggan (c) vs. Dino Bravo Big John Studd vs. King Kong Bundy The Rougeau Brothers vs. Honky Tonk Man/Adrian Adonis
11/1/86 - GRAND 16 - Winnipeg Arena - Winnipeg, MB, CA
Grand 16 Tournament
The Hart Foundation The Road Warriors The Power Company Sgt. Slaughter/Stan Hansen The Rougeau Brothers The Brain Busters Giant Baba/Tiger Mask Jim Duggan/Ted Arcidi
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Post by LillaThrilla on Aug 29, 2022 21:14:30 GMT -5
One show every six months is better than no shows!
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Post by snabbit888 on Sept 5, 2022 3:09:18 GMT -5
I'm trying to get to them when I can. I'm busy too often and I don't like it. Haha.
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Post by snabbit888 on Sept 6, 2022 0:10:24 GMT -5
10/18/86 - GCW Superstars (TAPED: 10/6/86) LOCATION: Onandaga War Memorial - Syracuse, NY
Big day of wrestling action today on Superstars! Gorilla Monsoon & Mark Niemiller ran down today's show, which will be a big one! We'll get more information on the Grand 16 event coming up in a couple of weeks, and in our main event, a defense of the Television Title! But first to the ring and Howard Finkel!
JIMMY HART SAYS THE HART FOUNDATION ARE NOT DUCKING THE ROAD WARRIORS
While Jimmy Hart was leading his men down to the ring for the opening contest, he was met by LORD ALFRED HAYES who asked why The Hart Foundation are seemingly ducking Hawk & Animal. Hart flipped his lid and said that was a ridiculous accusation and that he should sue Hayes for slander. Hart reminded Hayes that The Hart Foundation are the World Tag Team champions and scared of nobody. In fact, he said that in two weeks, one of his men would wrestle one of The Road Warriors on Superstars - as long as the other Road Warrior stays in the back.
MATCH #1 The Rougeau Brothers vs. "Adorable" Adrian Adonis/Honky Tonk Man (w/ Jimmy Hart)
Adrian Adonis & Honky Tonk Man are blaming The Rougeaus for their losses to Andre the Giant (as opposed to, you know, his being a freaking giant). They may not have had a leg to stand on for blaming the Andre losses on them, but they can definitely blame them for this loss. The Rougeaus get the win to kick off the show. Monsoon & Niemiller talked about how Adonis & Honky will need to get themselves right if they're going to have a good run in the Grand 16, which they were just announced for.
The Rougeau Brothers (Jacques Rougeau and Raymond Rougeau) defeated The First Family (Adrian Adonis and Honky Tonk Man) when R. Rougeau pinned Adonis after a flying cross body press in 0:07:16. Rating: ** 3/4
MATCH #2 "Nature Boy" Ric Flair (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
Ric Flair came out with the World Title, but he of course is not the World champion. He sure was acting like it though as he was out here for an easy victory over Tony Parks.
Ric Flair made Tony Parks submit to the Figure-Four Leglock in 0:03:21.
PRESIDENT TUNNEY TELLS RIC FLAIR HE HAS TO GIVE THE WORLD TITLE BACK
Right after the match as Flair asked for Bobby Heenan to give him HIS World Title, we got a rare in person appearance from GCW President Jack Tunney. President Tunney told Flair in no uncertain terms that he was not the World champion, Hulk Hogan was, and if he didn't hand over the World Title right now, he would be suspended. Of course the Nature Boy protested, but Tunney was firm and said that you don't win a championship by stealing it here. He did say, however, that at the request of Hulk Hogan himself, Flair would have an opportunity to win the World Title legitimately on November 1 at Grand 16. Flair & Heenan confirmed on this and Flair eventually did hand the World Title back, saying he better keep it warm because in 2 weeks, it would be coming right back to him.
MATCH #3 The Powers of Pain (w/ Kevin Sullivan) vs. Bob Bradley/Tiger Chung Lee
This match was such dominance, Monsoon & Niemiller barely had time to announce that The Powers of Pain will be in Grand 16. If they compete like they did today, they're going to be your winners.
The Powers of Pain (The Barbarian and The Warlord) defeated Bob Bradley and Tiger Chung Lee when Barbarian pinned Bradley after a flying headbutt in 0:02:20.
MATCH #4 Big John Studd vs. King Kong Bundy
This match never took place as scheduled, as when Big John Studd was announced, he never showed up. King Kong Bundy got on the mic and said Studd made the smartest decision of his life by deciding to quit GCW instead of facing the dominance that is the former World champion. Bundy said he was still in the mood to fight, so if any poor sap wanted to come out and get squished, now was their chance. Well, his challenge was answered, and by a man who knows him very well, BOB BACKLUND! These two have had many battles in the past. In fact, it was Backlund that Bundy beat for the World Title last year. Bundy didn't look happy about his new opponent.
MATCH #4 Bob Backlund vs. King Kong Bundy
These two are so familiar with each other, there was no feeling out process. Just went at it right away. Backlund's strategy was to get Bundy grounded somehow, while Bundy was looking to drive Backlund through the mat. Backlund's strategy seemed to be working better. Backlund is crazy strong was managing to keep Bundy at bay… until he wasn't. Once Backlund made the mistake of overestimating his strength and tried to back suplex Bundy, but instead Bundy crashed down hard on the ribs of the former 3-time World champion. From there, Backlund just couldn't get his breath back. Bundy would crush Backlund in the corner with an avalanche, before coming down hard on him with the Big Splash to get the win.
King Kong Bundy pinned Bob Backlund with the Big Splash in 0:07:02. Rating: * 1/4 (Big John Studd no-showed.)
Unfortunately for Backlund, Bundy wasn't dumb. Bundy would come down on Backlund with not one, not two, but THREE more Big Splashes, before JIM DUGGAN would run out with his 2x4 to chase Bundy off. Backlund was clearly in horrible shape and had to be stretchered out of the building.
JIM DUGGAN HAS SOME STRONG WORDS FOR KING KONG BUNDY
After coming back from break, Lord Alfred Hayes was standing by with Jim Duggan. Duggan was fired up and told Bundy he was a complete piece of garbage. He told Bundy he should try that with him if he thinks he's such a tough guy. Looks like we are on a collision course between these two.
MATCH #5 Junkyard Dog/"The Birdman" Koko B. Ware (w/ Frankie) vs. Rick Hunter/Jerry Allen
Junkyard Dog & Koko B. Ware continued their winning ways today in relatively easy fashion. We also learned during this match that they've thrown their hats into the ring for Grand 16. They could be dark horses to win the whole thing.
Junkyard Dog and Koko B. Ware defeated Rick Hunter and Jerry Allen when K. B. Ware pinned Hunter with the Ghostbuster in 0:02:01.
LEX LUGER THANKS KERRY VON ERICH FOR HELPING HIM
We were back in the locker room of Intercontinental champion Kerry Von Erich when in enters LEX LUGER. Von Erich was a bit wary at first, but the Total Package put him at ease when he said he was coming in to thank Von Erich. He said he knew he didn't deserve it after some of the things he's said and done to the Modern Day Warrior over the past few months, but he thought Von Erich was a standup guy with a lot of integrity. He said he knew he didn't deserve it, but he hoped to prove to Von Erich and the GCW fans that he was manipulated by Bobby Heenan and that's not the man he truly is. Von Erich shook his hand and said he isn't ready to fully trust him, but he knew it took a lot to come in here and say what he did, and he appreciated it. At this point, THE BRAIN BUSTERS entered the ring to mock them. They didn't come to blows thanks to a group of referees and officials keeping them separated, but Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson let them know how pathetic this whole thing was, and how out of The Horsemen's league they were. They rubbed salt into the wounds of Luger too, letting him know Bobby Heenan's plan was always to kick him to the curb because he didn't have what it takes. Luger snapped, trying to get at them. Von Erich was a little calmer, saying that if that's how they felt, why not meet them in a couple of matches next week? It looks like we will see Von Erich vs. Anderson and Luger vs. Blanchard on Superstars next week.
LIVE EVENT REPORT W/ GENE OKERLUND
"Mean" Gene had more names to officially announce for Grand 16, bringing our total to 12 teams. As announced earlier, Adrian Adonis & Honky Tonk Man join the tournament, as have Junkyard Dog & Koko B. Ware. The team that Okerlund called his favorites to win, The Powers of Pain are in. The last team he announced were the two men we just saw, Lex Luger & Intercontinental champion Kerry Von Erich. Okerlund opined that talent wise, they're an amazing unit, but will they be able to overcome all of their past animosity? Okerlund also reiterated that it is signed an official - Hulk Hogan will defend the World Title against Ric Flair!
Lastly, Okerlund announced our next Saturday Night Slam Masters event, which will take place from the Los Angeles Sports Arena in Los Angeles, CA on November 29! No matches to announce at this time, but Okerlund assured us the first place you'll hear is on the Live Event Report.
MATCH #6 TELEVISION TITLE MATCH "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan (c) (w/ Ted Arcidi) vs. "The Canadian Strongman" Dino Bravo (w/ Hercules & Jimmy Hart)
In our feature bout of the show, Jim Duggan defended his Television Title against Dino Bravo. Commentary was curious about Duggan's focus after his previous confrontation with King Kong Bundy earlier in the show. Niemiller also reminded us that Bravo actually pinned Duggan last week, albeit in a tag team match. Regardless, you figure that had to be in the back of Hacksaw's mind. There were a lot of combustible elements at ringside too, with both Ted Arcidi & Hercules (and as always Jimmy Hart) hanging around at ringside. Later in the match, while Jimmy Hart had referee Earl Hebner distracted, Hercules looked to get involved when he got up on the apron. Before he could do anything though, Arcidi pulled him off the apron and sent him flying into the barricade. This gave Duggan enough of a window to hit the Three Point Stance and retain his championship.
Jim Duggan pinned Dino Bravo with the Three Point Stance in 0:10:58. Rating: * 1/4 (Jim Duggan retained the GCW Television Title.)
We've since learned that Duggan will defend his title again next week, but this time against Hercules!
We'll have another title match too when Kerry Von Erich defends against Arn Anderson! Lex Luger will meet Tully Blanchard, and so much more! We'll see you next week, everyone!
UPCOMING EVENTS
10/18/86 - GCW Superstars
INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE - Kerry Von Erich (c) vs. Arn Anderson TV TITLE - Jim Duggan (c) vs. Hercules Lex Luger vs. Tully Blanchard
10/25/86 - GCW Superstars
Hawk vs. One of Jimmy Hart's men
11/1/86 - GRAND 16 - Winnipeg Arena - Winnipeg, MB, CA
WORLD TITLE - Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Ric Flair
Grand 16 Tournament
The Hart Foundation The Road Warriors The Power Company Sgt. Slaughter/Stan Hansen The Rougeau Brothers The Brain Busters Giant Baba/Tiger Mask Jim Duggan/Ted Arcidi Junkyard Dog/Koko B. Ware Honky Tonk Man/Adrian Adonis The Powers of Pain Kerry Von Erich/Lex Luger
11/29/86 - SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS - Los Angeles Sports Arena - Los Angeles, CA
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Post by snabbit888 on Nov 19, 2022 16:39:00 GMT -5
10/25/86 - GCW Superstars (TAPED: 10/6/86) LOCATION: Onandaga War Memorial - Syracuse, NY
Welcome to another action-packed episode of GCW Superstars! Gorilla Monsoon & Mark Niemiller were at the booth as always, running down what looked to be a fantastic day of wrestling, starting with our first contest. They threw it down to the ring to ring announcer Howard Finkel.
MATCH #1 "The Total Package" Lex Luger (w/ "The Modern Day Warrior" Kerry Von Erich) vs. Tully Blanchard (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan/"The Enforcer" Arn Anderson)
Now that Lex Luger has been booted from The Heenan Family (which really doesn't exist anymore; it's all The Four Horsemen now), he is pissed and has vowed to take down all of Bobby Heenan's men, starting with Tully Blanchard in our opening contest. He also had the Intercontinental champion in his corner to watch his back, which worked well to counter the presence of Arn Anderson in Blanchard's corner. Heenan has insisted that Luger will flounder without his guidance, as he is still a green rookie. Luger did look a little out of sorts at time, but he has so much raw skill and power, he was able to stick in this one. Blanchard got overconfident as he thought this one was in the bag, but he got surprised when he tried to hit the Slingshot Suplex when Luger caught him with a small package to get the upset win!
Lex Luger pinned Tully Blanchard after a small package in 0:11:24. Rating: *** 1/2
Heenan wanted Anderson to jump in the ring and attack, but once Kerry Von Erich jumped in too, the Horsemen thought better of it and bailed, knowing the Enforcer has a shot at the IC Title later on in the show. A tremendous win for the Total Package to kick off our show.
THE HORSEMEN ATTACK HULK HOGAN EARLIER THIS WEEK
Next we were thrown to a video from Tuesday of this week. A cameraman was in the limo of The Four Horsemen (well, three of them anyway), and you could hear him ask why do they have him here. Arn Anderson told him to shut his mouth and to keep filming no matter what. The limo stopped and the window went down a crack, revealing we were in front of a Gold's Gym. After a few moments, World champion HULK HOGAN emerged from the building, having clearly just finished a workout. As he began walking to his car, Anderson, Blanchard, & Ric Flair got out of the limo and brutally assaulted Hogan! The Hulkster tried to fight back, but both the 3-on-1 odds and the element of surprise overwhelmed the champ. They looked like they had more dastardly plans, but once they heard the sirens of oncoming police, the Horsemen jumped back in the limo and sped away.
Back to the arena, Monsoon said this was one of the most heinous things he had ever seen. Niemiller said it was brilliant, and all but guarantees Ric Flair will be walking away from Grand 16 as the new World champion. Monsoon did make a point that Hogan has refused to press any criminal charges as he wants to inflict punishment on the Horsemen himself, but he is banged up and will not be at 100% next week.
MATCH #2 Dos Caras vs. Mike Kelly
Solid win for the luchador.
Dos Caras pinned Mike Kelly after a spinning backbreaker in 0:02:05.
RECAP OF KING KONG BUNDY'S ASSAULT BOB BACKLUND
We next got video highlights of Bob Backlund vs. King Kong Bundy from last week, where Backlund replaced a no-showing Big John Studd to take on his old nemesis. Not only would Bundy get the win, but Bundy would continue his assault on Backlund after the match with three Big Splashes. Monsoon & Niemiller let us know that Backlund's injuries were so severe that he is no longer in GCW. We then cut to a pre-recorded interview with the man who stopped the attack before it got even worse, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan. Duggan said he is all about sticking up for people, and he wasn't going to just let Bundy get away with that. He challenged Bundy to try that with him. Niemiller said Hacksaw is signing his own death certificate by messing with Bundy.
MATCH #3 The Islanders vs. Nick Kiniski/Rudy Diamond
Before our next match, we were shown a small training video of the brand new tag team, The Islanders, making their GCW debut today. They were shown doing some unique training in the Polynesian Islands, and Haku & Tama look like they're going to be a force to be reckoned with in GCW. In fact, it was announced that they will be a part of Grand 16 next week. We don't know a lot about them yet, but they look tough as nails and will be a difficult out in the tournament.
The Islanders (Haku and Tama) defeated Nick Kiniski and Rudy Diamond when Tama pinned Kiniski with the Flying Bodypress in 0:02:13.
MATCH #4 INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE MATCH "The Modern Day Warrior" Kerry Von Erich (c) (w/"The Total Package" Lex Luger) vs. "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan/Tully Blanchard)
Much like Von Erich had did for him earlier, Lex Luger was watching the Intercontinental champion's back for this big title defense against "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson. This was a highly important match as with as influential as the Four Horsemen are, they currently don't hold any championship gold, so Bobby Heenan wasn't going to pull any punches to try to get Anderson the title. Tully Blanchard was at ringside too, but for the most part he was neutralized by Luger's presence in Von Erich's corner. After a back and forth battle, Von Erich looked like he had Anderson primed for the famous Von Erich Iron Claw, which is when Blanchard jumped in the ring for a blatant disqualification.
Kerry Von Erich defeated Arn Anderson by disqualification in 0:12:44. Rating: ** 1/2 (Kerry Von Erich retained the GCW Intercontinental Title.) [Tully Blanchard interfered against Kerry Von Erich.]
He didn't stay in the ring long though, as Luger jumped in and sent him flying over the top rope with a clothesline. Not the day the Horsemen wanted as all their focus shifts to helping Ric Flair win the World Title next week at Grand 16.
MATCH #5 "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin (w/ Precious) vs. Don Driggers
During Jimmy Garvin's rather easy victory today, an insert promo with he and Precious was shown. Precious said she's been talking with the GCW offices this week and said she managed to get Garvin a spot in the Grand 16 tournament. Garvin asked how she did that, and Precious said she could be VERY persuasive. We don't know who is partner will be yet, but we hope to find out next week on Superstars before the big show.
Jimmy Garvin pinned Don Driggers with the DDT in 0:01:21.
MATCH #6 NON-TITLE MATCH The Hart Foundation (World Tag Team champions) (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. Terry Gibbs/Barry O
The Hart Foundation had themselves a little tune up match before next week's Grand 16, and as far as this match went, they had very little trouble. They seemed to be toying with their opponent before putting them away. They weren't done apparently as Jimmy Hart directed them to "send a message" to everyone else in the tournament. Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart did so by continuing their assault on their fallen opponents until ROBERT GIBSON ran in, climbed to the top rope, and nailed Hart with a flying dropkick that sent him sprawling from the ring. The Anvil ran at Gibson, but Gibson low bridged him and sent him crashing over the top to the floor. The World Tag Team champions decided discretion was the better part of valor and didn't get back in the ring.
The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) defeated Terry Gibbs and Barry O when B. Hart pinned Barry O after a German suplex in 0:04:55.
ROBERT GIBSON SAYS HE WILL BE IN GRAND 16
After coming back from a commercial break, Lord Alfred Hayes got a word with Gibson. Gibson was fired up, saying he ran down because he wasn't going to let The Hart Foundation do to those guys what they did to Ricky Morton. Hayes asked about Morton, and Gibson said Morton is still rehabbing his injuries. He's making progress, but he will still need some time to recover. However, Gibson isn't going to sit around and just wait. He's still healthy so he is going to get try to get even with The Hart Foundation himself. He announced he has gotten the go-ahead from President Jack Tunney to enter Grand 16, and his partner will be revealed next week on Superstars.
LIVE EVENT REPORT W/ GENE OKERLUND
Not much in terms of news on this week's Live Event Report (other than a new bowtie from Okerlund) but we did get the run down of the Grand 16 tourney, which now features 14 teams officially announced. The new teams this week are The Islanders, the brand new signed team of Haku & Tama, who we saw make a successful debut earlier in our broadcast. The 14th team will be one from south of the border, as Los Villanos, Villano IV & Villano V, will come to the States hoping to come away with the grand 16 trophy. There are two more teams to be announced, and we know one involves Robert Gibson and the other involves Jimmy Garvin. We will know their partners next week.
The last part of the Live Event Report featured Ted DiBiase do a promo, essentially saying he wanted to test how perfect Mr. Perfect was. DiBiase is one of the best wrestlers in the world, and we now know on Superstars next week, Mr. Perfect is going to have a huge mountain to climb. Should be a hell of a match!
MATCH #7 TELEVISION TITLE MATCH "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan (c) (w/Ted Arcidi) vs. Hercules (w/ Dino Bravo/Jimmy Hart)
Main event time as "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan looked to retain the Television Title against the mighty Hercules. Duggan was able to successfully keep his gold last week against the other member of The Power Company, Dino Bravo, but with so many moving parts at ringside, nothing was guaranteed. Plus Hercules is amongst the strongest men in GCW, so Duggan had to factor that in as well. Hacksaw did take quite a beating in this match, but with Ted Arcidi in his corner, Dino Bravo couldn't get involved and Duggan was able to push through on his way to hitting the Three Point Stance to keep the TV Title to end our show.
Jim Duggan pinned Hercules with the Three Point Stance in 0:09:42. Rating: ** 1/4 (Jim Duggan retained the GCW Television Title.)
Join us next week for the final Superstars before Grand 16! On next week's show, we'll have Hawk of The Road Warriors taking on a member of Jimmy Hart's First Family, and what could be the match of the year with Ted DiBiase taking on the brash newcomer Mr. Perfect! Have a good week, everyone!
UPCOMING EVENTS
10/25/86 - GCW Superstars
Ted DiBiase vs. Mr. Perfect Hawk vs. One of Jimmy Hart's men
11/1/86 - GRAND 16 - Winnipeg Arena - Winnipeg, MB, CA
WORLD TITLE - Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Ric Flair
Grand 16 Tournament
The Hart Foundation The Road Warriors The Power Company Sgt. Slaughter/Stan Hansen The Rougeau Brothers The Brain Busters Giant Baba/Tiger Mask Jim Duggan/Ted Arcidi Junkyard Dog/Koko B. Ware Honky Tonk Man/Adrian Adonis The Powers of Pain Kerry Von Erich/Lex Luger The Islanders Los Villanos
11/29/86 - SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS - Los Angeles Sports Arena - Los Angeles, CA
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Post by snabbit888 on Jan 14, 2023 15:53:06 GMT -5
11/1/86 - GCW Superstars (TAPED: 10/6/86) LOCATION: Onandaga War Memorial - Syracuse, NY
Welcome to the go home episode of GCW Superstars! We're just a few hours away from tonight's huge Grand 16 pay-per-view event, but we had a ton of action on tap today. Gorilla Monsoon & Mark Niemiller talked about the PPV tonight, but mentioned what we had in store for today, including Hawk of the Road Warriors taking on one of Jimmy Hart's men. Not only that, but Mr. Perfect's so far undefeated record will face a huge test when he takes on former Intercontinental champion Ted DiBiase in our main event! But first to the ring with Howard Finkel.
MATCH #1 "The World's Strongest Man" Ted Arcidi vs. Tony Nando
Arcidi gets a warmup win before tonight's Grand 16 tournament.
Ted Arcidi made Tony Nando submit to the Bearhug in 0:03:21.
KING KONG BUNDY HAS A MESSAGE FOR JIM DUGGAN
Lord Alfred Hayes was standing by with King Kong Bundy (well, he was for a second before Bundy scared him off). Bundy said that he heard what Jim Duggan said last week, and told Hacksaw he's not a hard man to find. According to Bundy, Duggan got in his business, and now he will be crushed for it. Bundy ended by telling Duggan his time is coming. Back at ringside, Niemiller smugly said he knew this was coming. You don't mess with the former World champion and get away with it. Monsoon hated to do it, but he had to agree. This could be bad news for the Television champion.
MATCH #2 Andre the Giant vs. Hector Guerrero
Well, Hector Guerrero tried. He came at Andre early, but that just seemed to piss the Giant off. Andre would get the win when he literally just laid on Guerrero.
Andre the Giant defeated Hector Guerrero via pinfall in 0:04:23. Rating: * 1/2
MATCH #3 Sgt. Slaughter/Stan "The Lariat" Hansen vs. Al Navarro/John Nardow
We got an insert promo from Slaughter & Hansen during their dominant win today, declaring they would win the Grand 16 tournament tonight and go back to their rightful place on the top of the tag team mountain. Well, essentially that's what they said. It was a lot louder and in Hansen's case, said through chewing tobacco. This team will be a tough out tonight.
Sgt. Slaughter and Stan Hansen defeated Al Navarro and John Nardow when Hansen pinned Navarro with the Lariat in 0:03:23.
MATCH #4 Hawk (w/ Paul Ellering & Animal) vs. "Maniac" Matt Borne (w/ Jimmy Hart & The Hart Foundation)
The Road Warriors had no idea which one of Jimmy Hart's men that Hawk was going to face today, but it's safe to assume they thought it would be a member of the World Tag Team champion Hart Foundation. They didn't expect it to be Jimmy Hart's newest charge, "MANIAC" MATT BORNE! A man called Maniac has to be a little out there, and it didn't take long for him to live up to the name. He was all over the place and that made him difficult to wrangle for Hawk. Hawk is also primarily a tag team wrestler, so he had a little bit of trouble adjusting to these circumstances. However, raw strength and power kicked in, and he hit the Flying Clothesline to get the win.
Hawk pinned Matt Borne with the Flying Clothesline in 0:09:38. Rating: * 1/2 [Bret Hart interfered against Hawk.] [Paul Ellering interfered against Matt Borne.]
The Hart Foundation teased getting in the ring, but since they weren't in a position of power, they weren't going to jump in the ring to face Hawk & Animal, lending more credence to the opinion that they are ducking The Road Warriors (a point Niemiller vehemently denied on commentary as Monsoon commented on Hart & Neidhart fleeing to the back). They may not be able to avoid them tonight in Grand 16.
LIVE EVENT REPORT W/ GENE OKERLUND
The first thing "Mean" Gene covered during this week's Live Event Report was the health of World champion Hulk Hogan, who was brutally attacked last week at the hands of The Four Horsemen. We cut to a video of Hogan, his ribs taped up and a couple of noticeable cuts and bruises. The Hulkster said he was banged up, but it would take a lot more than a pack of hyenas to stop Hulkamania. Hogan conceded that he will not be 100% going into tonight's World Title match against Ric Flair, but he promised all the little Hulkamaniacs that The Nature Boy would pay for his crimes at Grand 16.
Okerlund went over the tournament of Grand 16, going through the previously announced 14 teams. He added next up Robert Gibson will let us know who his partner is going to be, and gave us word that the 16th team will be the pairing of Jimmy Garvin and newcomer Matt Borne. He also teased some sort of major announcement tonight as well. Finally, he let us know that next week, he hoped to have some more news regarding the upcoming Saturday Night Slam Masters event, taking place November 29 in Los Angeles.
ROBERT GIBSON INTRODUCES HIS PARTNER FOR GRAND 16
Robert Gibson was out in the ring after a commercial, saying as promised, he was announcing who would be his partner tonight in Grand 16 since his regular partner, Ricky Morton, is still on the shelf with a knee injury. His loyalty his to his partner, but in the meantime, he knew he wouldn't be able to get any retribution on The Hart Foundation by himself. So he reached out to a legend, someone who is a former Intercontinental champion. A former World Tag Team champion. And that man is DORY FUNK JR.
MATCH #5 Robert Gibson/Dory Funk Jr. vs. Dave Wagner/Rick Renslow
It was good to see Dory back in action in a GCW ring again. He may have lost a bit of a step, but he showed today he still has some gas in the tank. It will be interesting to see how this makeshift team fares in tonight's tournament.
Robert Gibson and Dory Funk Jr. defeated Dave Wagner and Rick Renslow when R. Gibson made Renslow submit to the Gibson Leglock in 0:02:28.
MATCH #6 Ted DiBiase vs. Mr. Perfect
A hell of a wrestling match to close out today's program. Mr. Perfect was put to the test by Ted DiBiase, who is known as one of the best technical wrestlers in the world. Perfect claims to be the perfect athlete, but there were many times during this match where DiBiase was making him look a little silly. That being said, we saw some great back and forth wrestling, each man having extended stints on the advantage. In the end though, Perfect showed he has a willingness to cheat when DiBiase went for the Cobra Clutch. As he started to put it on, Perfect caught DiBiase low with a back kick that referee Earl Hebner did not see. Perfect quickly rolled DiBiase up and stole a victory.
Mr. Perfect pinned Ted DiBiase with a roll up in 0:13:33. Rating: *** 1/4
Niemiller of course applauded this while Monsoon yelled about a miscarriage of justice. I have a good feeling this will not be the last time we see these two lock horns.
Monsoon & Niemiller took us off the air with one final hype job for tonight's pay-per-view event, and urged everyone to tune into Superstars next week with the fallout of Grand 16.
UPCOMING EVENTS
11/1/86 - GRAND 16 - Winnipeg Arena - Winnipeg, MB, CA
WORLD TITLE - Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Ric Flair
Grand 16 Tournament
The Hart Foundation The Road Warriors The Power Company Sgt. Slaughter/Stan Hansen The Rougeau Brothers The Brain Busters Giant Baba/Tiger Mask Jim Duggan/Ted Arcidi Junkyard Dog/Koko B. Ware Honky Tonk Man/Adrian Adonis The Powers of Pain Kerry Von Erich/Lex Luger The Islanders Los Villanos Robert Gibson/Dory Funk Jr. Jimmy Garvin/Matt Borne
11/29/86 - SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS - Los Angeles Sports Arena - Los Angeles, CA
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Post by snabbit888 on Mar 14, 2023 5:02:09 GMT -5
11/1/86 - Grand 16 LOCATION: Winnipeg Arena - Winnipeg, MB, CA
We had a packed house for this big event live on pay-per-view, the annual Grand 16 tournament! We had a trio of commentators for this one with Gorilla Monsoon, Lord Alfred Hayes, & Gene Okerlund welcomed us to the second annual tag team tournament where 16 teams from all over the globe compete for the coveted trophy and a chance to elevate right to the top of the tag team division. A lot of action to get to, so they threw it straight to the ring with ring announcer Howard Finkel!
MATCH #1 Grand 16 - First Round The Rougeau Brothers vs. The Hart Foundation (World Tag Team champions) (w/ Jimmy Hart)
The tournament was important for the World Tag Team champions, as if Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart could run the table, they felt they would not only have the sole claim to the top team in the world, but they wouldn't have any viable challengers for their titles going forward. Unfortunately for them, circumstance made that impossible. They would get a tough victory in our opener against The Rougeau Brothers, but during the contest, The Anvil suffered a neck injury, making their status for the next round a question.
[FIRST ROUND]: The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) defeated The Rougeau Brothers (Jacques Rougeau and Raymond Rougeau) when B. Hart pinned R. Rougeau after the Hart Attack in 0:08:50. Jim Neidhart suffered a neck injury. He will be out for approximately 3 months. Rating: ** 3/4
MATCH #2 Grand 16 - First Round "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan (Television champion)/"The World's Strongest Man" Ted Arcidi vs. Honky Tonk Man/"Adorable" Adrian Adonis (w/ Jimmy Hart)
The Television champion and the World's Strongest Man have forged quite a friendship in a hurry, and would get a big test on if that friendship would translate to in-ring success against the far more established duo of Honky Tonk Man & "Adorable" Adrian Adonis. In most cases, you'd take tag team experience, but sometimes, raw power and smashmouth offense will do the trick. While Jim Duggan was battering HTM on the floor, Ted Arcidi absolutely rattled Adonis' bones with a bodyslam to get the win and move onto the quarterfinals, where presumably they'll meet the World Tag Team champions.
[FIRST ROUND]: Jim Duggan and Ted Arcidi defeated The First Family (Adrian Adonis and Honky Tonk Man) when Arcidi pinned Adonis after a bodyslam in 0:04:41. Rating: ** 1/4
MATCH #3 Grand 16 - First Round The Islanders vs. The Power Company (w/ Jimmy Hart)
Not a great start to the night for Jimmy Hart. The Mouth of the South just lost the last match, won the first but Jim Neidhart may not be able to compete in the rest of the tournament, and now, The Power Company lost to the newcomer team of The Islanders. Haku & Tama are slightly unorthodox, and Dino Bravo & Hercules had no answer for it.
[FIRST ROUND]: The Islanders (Haku and Tama) defeated The Power Company (Dino Bravo and Hercules) when Haku pinned Hercules with the Savate Kick in 0:06:23. Rating: * 1/2
MATCH #4 Grand 16 - First Round "The Modern Day Warrior" Kerry Von Erich (Intercontinental champion)/"The Total Package" Lex Luger vs. The Powers of Pain (w/ Kevin Sullivan)
This one was set to be interesting as even though The Powers of Pain are scary and undefeated, and their opponents were unexperienced as a unit, Lex Luger is a prodigy and Kerry Von Erich is the reigning Intercontinental champion. This was ugly, but we had a great fight on our hands that unfortunately got ruined by ARN ANDERSON & TULLY BLANCHARD. Von Erich looked like he was about to be the first person to pin The Barbarian as he was setup for the Discus Punch, when Anderson pulled Luger off the apron and threw him into the ringpost. Von Erich saw this (but referee Joey Marella didn't). Von Erich went to go after Anderson, but was stopped by Marella. Marella was yelling at The Enforcer on the floor, thus not noticing Blanchard slide into the ring and drop Von Erich with the Slingshot Suplex! The Barbarian followed up with a flying headbutt and this one was all over. The Brain Busters left to the back quite proud of their work, but this wouldn't be the last confrontation we'd see between these two teams.
[FIRST ROUND]: The Powers of Pain (The Barbarian and The Warlord) defeated Kerry Von Erich and Lex Luger when Barbarian pinned Kerry Von Erich after a flying headbutt in 0:08:24. Rating: 3/4* [Arn Anderson interfered against Lex Luger.] [Tully Blanchand interfered against Kerry Von Erich.]
HULK HOGAN IS READY FOR ANYTHING THE HORSEMEN THROW HIS WAY
We cut backstage to the World champion who looked as jacked and intense as ever. Hogan talked about all the lowdown shady things Ric Flair and the Horsemen have tried over the last several weeks to take him out. Sneak attacks at the gym, stealing the GCW World Title from him. He also knows they are going to have sneaky plans for tonight too. Hogan said the power of the Hulkamaniacs and the 24-inch pythons would be more than enough to counter anything the Horsemen bring. Then he asked them what they might do if he was to run wild on them.
MATCH #5 Grand 16 - First Round The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) vs. "Maniac" Matt Borne/Hector Guerrero (w/ Jimmy Hart)
We had a last minute change tonight as newcomer Matt Borne was supposed to team with Jimmy Garvin in the tournament, but Garvin never showed up to the arena today. Rumor is that he thought Borne was a bit too off his rocker to even want to team with. Hector Guerrero stepped up to the plate, but it didn't make much matter against The Road Warriors. Hawk & Animal have been laser focused on getting their hands on the World Tag Team champions who they think are avoiding them. If they win Grand 16, it'll be hard for Hart & Neidhart to avoid them much longer.
[FIRST ROUND]: The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) defeated Hector Guerrero and Matt Borne when Hawk pinned M. Borne after the Doomsday Device in 0:03:47. Rating: * 1/2 (Jimmy Garvin no-showed.)
MATCH #6 Grand 16 - First Round Junkyard Dog/"The Birdman" Koko B. Ware vs. Los Villanos
This was our first look of the team coming in representing Mexico, Los Villanos. Villano IV & V are well known south of the border, but the stars of GCW are widely considered the best in the world. That made it even more impressive when they came in and beat the team of Junkyard Dog & Koko B. Ware. Los Villanos move on to face The Road Warriors in the quarters.
[FIRST ROUND]: Villano IV and Villano V defeated Junkyard Dog and Koko B. Ware when Villano IV pinned K. B. Ware after a Thesz press in 0:05:14. Rating: ** 3/4
MATCH #7 Grand 16 - First Round Giant Baba/Tiger Mask vs. The Brain Busters (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
It had been almost 10 years since we saw Giant Baba in a GCW ring, and he received a wonderful ovation from the GCW faithful tonight for his return, bringing with him Tiger Mask, who is arguably the most exciting wrestler in Japan. They weren't going to have an easy go of it as they took on Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard. We knew after what had happened earlier, we were unlikely to see this match finished without some retaliation from Kerry Von Erich & Lex Luger after The Brain Busters cost them their first round match earlier, and that indeed happened. In almost identical fashion as before, Von Erich pulled Anderson down off the apron and threw HIM into the ringpost! While referee Earl Hebner was distracted by this, The Total Package entered the ring and put Blanchard up in the Torture Rack, but instead of putting him back down in the ring, he dumped him straight over the top rope! With Anderson down and unable to help, Blanchard could not beat the 10 count and Baba & Mask had moved on to the next round.
[FIRST ROUND]: Giant Baba and Tiger Mask defeated The Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard) when Baba defeated Blanchard by countout in 0:13:50. Rating: ** 1/2 [Lex Luger interfered against Tully Blanchard.] [Kerry Von Erich interfered against Arn Anderson.] [Bobby Heenan interfered against Giant Baba.]
THE HORSEMEN ARE NOT HAPPY
We cut back to the locker room where Ric Flair was flat out losing his mind over what just happened to his stablemates in the last match. Anderson, Blanchard, & Bobby Heenan soon joined, The Brain Busters licking their wounds and Heenan blowing almost as big of a gasket as Flair was. Flair said that this was supposed to be The Horsemen's night. Anderson & Blanchard were going to win Grand 16 and the Nature Boy would win the World Title for the second time. Flair said this is a minor setback, because by the end of the night, Hulk Hogan would know it's the Four Horsemen who run Global Championship Wrestling. Flair said he knows Hogan still isn't 100%, and the Nature Boy is not somebody you want to face at less than 100%. After a few lewd comments about the women of Canada, we cut back to the ring.
MATCH #8 Grand 16 - First Round Robert Gibson/Dory Funk Jr. vs. Sgt. Slaughter/Stan "The Lariat" Hansen
Robert Gibson got a chance to join this tourney with a new partner since Ricky Morton was injured, with the goal to somehow meet The Hart Foundation tonight to get some revenge on them for injuring Morton in the first place. He brought in a GCW legend, Dory Funk Jr. to be by his side, but they had a very tough task in the final match of the first round against Sgt. Slaughter & Stan "The Lariat" Hansen. The problem for them wasn't that Gibson & Funk didn't have heart - it's more that they don't have the experience teaming together. Slaughter & Hansen are tough enough no matter who you are, seeing how they are former 2-time tag team champions. Gibson & Funk just couldn't gel enough as Funk ate the Lariat and the first round was over.
[FIRST ROUND]: Sgt. Slaughter and Stan Hansen defeated Dory Funk Jr. and Robert Gibson when Hansen pinned D. Funk Jr. with the Lariat in 0:06:31. Rating: ***
With that, a graphic was shown of the quarterfinals, which was set to be this:
The Hart Foundation vs. Jim Duggan/Ted Arcidi The Islanders vs. The Powers of Pain The Road Warriors vs. Los Villanos Giant Baba/Tiger Mask vs. Sgt. Slaughter/Stan Hansen
But first, we got some word on one of the competitors scheduled in the quarters,
AN UPDATE ON JIM NEIDHART
We were back in the medical office where trainers were looking at The Anvil, who suffered an apparent neck injury in the opening match. We also saw GCW President JACK TUNNEY come in and ask the doctors how Neidhart was doing. The doctor said he had what appeared to be a substantial injury to his neck and as such, could not in good conscience clear him to continue competing tonight. Tunney thanked him and left the room where Jimmy Hart & Bret Hart were waiting. Tunney informed them of what the doctor said and let them know that unfortunately, The Hart Foundation were now eliminated from Grand 16. Jimmy Hart loudly protested, but this was the right call. As a result, Jim Duggan & Ted Arcidi are now in the semi-finals.
[QUARTERFINALS]: Jim Duggan and Ted Arcidi won over The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart/Jim Neidhart) via default.
MATCH #9 Grand 16 - Quarterfinals The Islanders vs. The Powers of Pain (w/ Kevin Sullivan)
Whoever won this match was already going to be at a big disadvantage seeing how they'd meet a well rested Jim Duggan & Ted Arcidi in the semi-finals. They'd also probably be at a big disadvantage as The Islanders & The Powers of Pain were sure to beat the holy hell out of each other. They definitely did beat each other senseless, so much so in fact that at one point, they kind of forgot they were vying for a spot in the semi-finals of Grand 16. When all was said and done, both teams were counted out and both eliminated from Grand 16.
[QUARTERFINALS]: The Powers of Pain (The Barbarian and The Warlord) and The Islanders (Haku and Tama) battled to a double countout in 0:11:20. The Warlord suffered a concussion. He will be out for approximately 2 months. Rating: * 1/2 [Kevin Sullivan interfered against Tama.] [Kevin Sullivan interfered against Haku.]
Thanks to this result, it might seem crazy, but now Jim Duggan & Ted Arcidi after only wrestling one match, are now in the FINALS of Grand 16! Monsoon, Hayes, & Okerlund all talked about how it's hard to not pick them to win the whole thing now as they will be the most rested.
MATCH #10 Grand 16 - Quarterfinals The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) vs. Los Villanos
Our next quarter featured a big contrast in styles but ended up being a great fight between the hard-hitting smashmouth Road Warriors and the high-flying lucha superstar Los Villanos. Normally Hawk & Animal can simply out muscle their opponents, but the technical skills and speed, including the lucha style, really through them for a loop. They were noticeably frustrated through a lot of this match as they couldn't seem to solve that speed problem. That is, until they finally got their hands on them. After that, it didn't take long for Animal to hit the Powerslam on Villano V to get a well earned win and punched their ticket to the semi-finals.
[QUARTERFINALS]: The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) defeated Villano IV and Villano V when Animal pinned Villano V with the Powerslam in 0:15:27. Villano IV suffered an elbow injury. He will be out for approximately 1 month. Rating: *** 1/2
MATCH #11 Grand 16 - Quarterfinals Giant Baba/Tiger Mask vs. Sgt. Slaughter/Stan "The Lariat" Hansen
One more quarterfinal match to determine who would take on The Road Warriors in the semi-finals, and it was another hard-hitting affair. The Japanese contingency of Giant Baba & Tiger Mask took on the former tag champs, Sgt. Slaughter & Stan Hansen. Hansen is always in a sour mood, but he seemed to show an extra amount of disdain towards Baba & Tiger Mask. In fact, Hansen almost got himself disqualified many times because he was so aggressively assaulting his Japanese counterparts. It was so rough, even Sgt. Slaughter was arguing with him to cool out so they didn't get disqualified. During one of these arguments, Tiger Mask surprised Slaughter with the Running Elbowsmash and got what might be considered an upset!
[QUARTERFINALS]: Giant Baba and Tiger Mask defeated Sgt. Slaughter and Stan Hansen when Mask pinned Slaughter with the Running Elbowsmash in 0:10:54. Rating: *** 1/4
After the match, Hansen was not pleased as he and Slaughter got into a bit of a shoving match as they started their way to the back. Meanwhile, Giant Baba & Tiger Mask move on to face The Road Warriors in the semi-finals.
HULK HOGAN GETS WORD THE ODDS WILL BE A LITTLE MORE EVEN FOR TONIGHT'S TITLE MATCH
Before that semi-final match, Gene Okerlund went to the back to interview the GCW World champion Hulk Hogan. Hogan was in a foul mood after everything the Four Horsemen have been pulling in recent weeks, even stealing the World Title. The Hulkster said that he knows he always has to watch his back when those no good stinking Horsemen are around, but he had some good news for the Hulkamaniacs. At this point, GCW President JACK TUNNEY entered and let the champ (and all of us) know that after what they were trying to pull earlier, Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard will be barred from ringside for this championship bout. Hogan was pleased, as were the pythons as he posed the question to Ric Flair about what he was going to do and such.
Before we got to our next match, the announce team went over the brackets, showing officially that Jim Duggan & Ted Arcidi had made their way to the finals thanks to the double countout earlier between The Islands and The Powers of Pain. They were shown backstage watching a monitor in anticipation of the next contest which will determine their opponents in the finals.
[SEMI-FINALS]: Jim Duggan and Ted Arcidi won via default.
MATCH #12 Grand 16 - Semi-Finals The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering) vs. Giant Baba/Tiger Mask
Both of these teams were tired, but being so close to the finals, The Road Warriors and Giant Baba/Tiger Mask were not going to let that be an excuse in this one. They tore into each other with everything they had because being tired for the finals won't matter if you don't even get there. It was the very definition of a back and forth affair, but when it was all said and done, The Road Warriors took it. Giant Baba had nailed Animal with a massive big boot, but he didn't see that Animal had tagged in Hawk just moments before. Baba went for the cover on Animal, but he wasn't the legal man. When he got up and questioned referee Joey Marella about why he wasn't counting, it was just in time to have his head nearly taken off with Hawk's Flying Clothesline. It will now be The Road Warriors taking on Jim Duggan & Ted Arcidi in the finals.
[SEMI-FINALS]: The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) defeated Giant Baba and Tiger Mask when Hawk pinned Baba with the Flying Clothesline in 0:09:18. Rating: ***
The two teams shook hands after the match which is always a nice thing to see.
THE NEXT PAY-PER-VIEW IS ANNOUNCED
As we got ready for the World Title match, the announce team threw it to a promo package unveiling GCW's next pay-per-view event, which with be titled DEADLY DRAW. Taking place on January 23 from the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago, IL, the huge show will feature the debut of a brand new match for GCW, the Deadly Draw match. This innovative concept will feature 30 men competing, starting with 2, and then every 2 minutes, another will enter the ring. Elimination takes place when an individual is thrown over the top rope and both feet touch the floor. After all 30 men have entered, the last man standing will be declared the winner. And to make it an even bigger deal than just bragging rights, the man who wins will get to have a match against any opponent they want at Super Cade III on March 29 from the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, MI! This is huge and could catapult any wrestler to the stratosphere in one night if they can survive the Deadly Draw.
MATCH #13 WORLD TITLE MATCH "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan (c) vs. "Nature Boy" Ric Flair (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan)
It was put up or shut up time for Ric Flair. He has done everything in his power the past few weeks to both get in the head and physically weaken Hulk Hogan before this match. He may be a shady individual, but even with the rest of The Horsemen banned from ring, Flair is one of the best wrestlers to ever lace up the boots. With how underhanded he is, I think a lot of people forget that he is a former World champion. And Hogan was not at 100% coming into this one, but nothing was going to stop him from competing - he doesn't have quit in him. It was looking like that was a bad idea for much of this match as Flair was taking it to him, systematically taking Hogan apart. But nothing he could do was enough to put the Hulkster down for the count. The thing with Hogan is, he has such durability that he is always in it. Eventually he had enough and Hulked up, seemingly being impervious to pain. He had hit the big boot and the Big Leg Drop, but before he could go for the cover, BOBBY HEENAN jumped on the apron… and immediately caught a right hand from Hogan. When he turned back to Flair, it was right into a blatant low blow, resulting in an obvious disqualification.
Hulk Hogan defeated Ric Flair by disqualification in 0:17:51. Rating: *** (Hulk Hogan retained the GCW World Title.) [Bobby Heenan interfered against Hulk Hogan.]
To make matters worse for Hogan, out came ARN ANDERSON & TULLY BLANCHARD to join in the 3-on-1 attack. But luckily for Hogan, KERRY VON ERICH & LEX LUGER were back too, helping him clear the ring of the Horsemen. Hogan is still the champ, but this one is clearly far from over.
MATCH #14 Grand 16 - Finals "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan (Television champion)/"The World's Strongest Man" Ted Arcidi vs. The Road Warriors (w/ Paul Ellering)
With that, it was time for the finals of Grand 16, and it would be hard not to say that Jim Duggan & Ted Arcidi were at a great advantage. Based on an injury to Jim Neidhart and the double countout between The Powers of Pain and The Islanders, they only had to win one match to earn their trip to the finals, that almost 2 and a half hours ago against Honky Tonk Man & Adrian Adonis. Meanwhile, The Road Warriors have had a far more daunting trip to the finals, having to get through Matt Borne & Hector Guerrero, Los Villanos, and Giant Baba & Tiger Mask. They were clearly less fresh, so they knew to have a chance here they were going to have to come out fast and hope they get a quick win. And that's what they did. Duggan & Arcidi got their shots in, but what ultimately happened here was Arcidi's inexperience came into play when he just didn't know how to stop the momentum of the fired up Hawk & Animal. It also didn't help that Jim Duggan was taken out of the picture at this point by a surprise attack by KING KONG BUNDY, who obviously has taken offense to what Duggan has been saying about him recently. Bundy pulled him off the apron behind the back of referee Earl Hebner, slamming him into the ringpost and then hitting him with the Big Splash right on the concrete floor! With him out of it, it wasn't long before Arcidi fell to the Doomsday Device and this tournament was over.
[FINALS]: The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) defeated Jim Duggan and Ted Arcidi when Hawk pinned Arcidi after the Doomsday Device in 0:05:37. Rating: *
Congratulations to The Road Warriors for capturing the 1986 Grand 16! I know they probably were hoping to get their hands on The Hart Foundation at some point during this, but honestly it will be hard for them to dodge a match at this point with this big win. What an event! We'll see you next week on Superstars.
Card rating: ** 1/2
UPCOMING EVENTS
11/29/86 - SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS - Los Angeles Sports Arena - Los Angeles, CA
Card TBA
12/26/86 - Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
Card TBA
1/23/87 - DEADLY DRAW - Rosemont Horizon - Chicago, IL
30-man Deadly Draw Match - Participants TBA
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Post by LillaThrilla on Mar 20, 2023 21:34:45 GMT -5
While I suspect The Road Warriors are the favorites to win any 1980s tag tournament they partake in it's unfortunate this one had three matches marred by injuries.
The Japanese team going over Slaughter & Hansen also feels like a big upset.
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jlamb
Midcarder
Posts: 104
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Post by jlamb on Mar 21, 2023 9:44:47 GMT -5
Baba wasn't going to come back to GCW unless he had a good showing, obviously.
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