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Post by JoshiQ on May 26, 2011 23:15:34 GMT -5
I'm hoping that Bravo and Zbyszko both get a nice singles run. Especially Bravo.
That's a huge win for Monsoon and Mike Graham. I'm still hoping that Monsoon gets a title before he retires, and the tag titles look to be the best bet. He deserves it after jobbing to Ali.
Looks like the six man is making the rounds here in GCW. I always like six man tags, so it's all good for me.
Poor Backlund. He gets the submission victory over Race, and Morales is the one to get the shot. Unfair!
And I'm with Liller on this, I have no idea what you are going to do with Colon. He almost has to go over somehow. I imagine somebody dies that night.
Good stuff, and I am already starting to get a more modern feel from your cards. Don't know if that's just because I recognize the roster more or if it's the writeups...but keep up the good work.
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Post by snabbit888 on May 27, 2011 14:35:58 GMT -5
Colon wins or they riot? I mean, seriously, it's Puerto Rico! Amused at Patterson teaming up with the Briscos. Did that happen in real life during their in-ring careers in (W)WWF or only when they were McMahon's stooges in the 90s? Ha ha. Seriously, I hadn't thought of that when Patterson and the Briscos teamed up. Gotta love happy accidents like that (my girlfriend doesn't say the same thing about happy accidents though - heyo!). The Race/Colon match is gonna be fun to write, I will tell you that.
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Post by snabbit888 on May 27, 2011 14:39:51 GMT -5
I'm hoping that Bravo and Zbyszko both get a nice singles run. Especially Bravo. That's a huge win for Monsoon and Mike Graham. I'm still hoping that Monsoon gets a title before he retires, and the tag titles look to be the best bet. He deserves it after jobbing to Ali. Looks like the six man is making the rounds here in GCW. I always like six man tags, so it's all good for me. Poor Backlund. He gets the submission victory over Race, and Morales is the one to get the shot. Unfair! And I'm with Liller on this, I have no idea what you are going to do with Colon. He almost has to go over somehow. I imagine somebody dies that night. Good stuff, and I am already starting to get a more modern feel from your cards. Don't know if that's just because I recognize the roster more or if it's the writeups...but keep up the good work. I'm surprisingly liking Dino Bravo far more than I assumed. I'm going to see if a singles push works for him, but I think he's a guy I plan to keep around for awhile if I can. He has been a great tag team wrestler and I think I've built him up as someone who excels there, so it's not out of the question for him to return to the tag ranks if the singles push doesn't fly. Zbyszko I like more as a singles guy, but have to see where he fits in. Monsoon just can't catch a break. His retirement from in-ring competition is coming up (retires in 1980), so I kinda want him to get a title reign in here too, but I'm not sure if it's going to happen at this point. Yeah, Backlund got the pin, but I really like the chase for him getting his title shot. There's plenty of build left for him that I'm looking forward to writing.
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Post by snabbit888 on May 28, 2011 13:29:17 GMT -5
May 7, 1978 - The Spectrum - Philadelphia, PA
Dino Bravo defeated Johnny Rodz by countout in 0:03:32. Rating: * 1/4
Philadelphia has been the home to some of the greatest action in GCW's history, and we had no reason to believe that tonight's show would be any different. It kicked off with Dino Bravo getting the better of Johnny Rodz, beating him by a countout. The singles career of Dino Bravo? So far, so good.
The Blackjacks (Blackjack Lanza and Blackjack Mulligan) defeated Gorilla Monsoon and Mike Graham when Lanza pinned Graham after an inside cradle in 0:05:45. Rating: **
It looked like Gorilla Monsoon & Mike Graham were on their way to getting a World Tag Team Title shot in the near future, but that hit a major bump in the road as it has been announced that Graham will be leaving GCW for awhile. Monsoon wishes him well, and although he is a little disappointed, he understands that sometimes a young wrestler has to branch out and make his own way. They had one last hurrah against the Blackjacks, and although theywere spirited, it didn't work out the way they wanted to. Graham was pinned by Lanza after he was caught in an inside cradle. Graham was frustrated after the match, but he received a nice ovation and a handshake from Monsoon as a sort of good luck. Now the question remains - what is Gorilla Monsoon's next move?
Peter Maivia pinned Rene Goulet after a powerslam in 0:05:05. Rating: *** 1/2
What more can be said about Rene Goulet? His GCW career simply hasn't taken off the way he had hoped, and that wasn't about to change tonight. He ate a powerslam and a loss from "High Chief" Peter Maivia tonight. Maivia looked great in this match as he looks to get himself in title contention.
Ric Flair defeated Jumbo Tsuruta by disqualification in 0:14:16. Rating: *** 1/4
Jumbo Tsuruta completely lost his cool in this match against "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. We haven't seen much of Flair yet, but we do know one thing - he is cocky. To come out and call himself the Nature Boy takes a lot of guts, as that was the nickname of the first GCW World champion, Buddy Rogers. Flair is no Rogers yet, but this first singles match showed how naturally talented he is in the ring. However, Jumbo is not a happy man these days, feeling that he should still be the World champion right now. Unfortunately for Flair, Jumbo blames him for being instrumental in his title loss and was here to extract some revenge. Flair has learned a lot from Race already, including how to weather a storm and frustrate an opponent. Flair flustered Jumbo to the point that Tsuruta shoved referee John Stanley out of the way to continue beating down the Nature Boy. No matter what the circumstances, touching an official is inexcusable and Jumbo was disqualified and rightfully so. Flair got himself out of the ring before any more damage could be done, and his first singles win under his belt, against the former two-time World champion no less! There's not a chance in hell Tsuruta is done with this, not by a long shot.
Don Muraco and Great Kabuki defeated Chief Jay Strongbow and Billy White Wolf when Kabuki pinned Strongbow after spewing blue mist in his eyes in 0:07:41. Rating: ** 1/4 [Freddie Blassie interfered against Billy White Wolf.]
"Classy" Freddie Blassie has stormed onto the scene in a big way, and he has made himself a lot of enemies already. On that list are Chief Jay Strongbow & Billy White Wolf, who already had issues with Don Muraco to begin with. Blassie has Muraco filled with confidence now, which doesn't bode well for the rest of GCW. That, coupled with how crazy Great Kabuki is makes this a dangerous tag team combination. Kabuki's blue mist proved instrumental again as he spewed it right in Strongbow's eyes, temporarily blinding him to get the 1-2-3. The proud Native Americans were fuming after the match, and are hoping to get their hands on Blassie's boys on June 2 at Madison Square Garden.
That wasn't all though because as Strongbow was being helped out of the ring, DUSTY RHODES was out in the crowd and he had a microphone with him! He said that he didn't care what he had to do, he wanted to get his hands on Ivan Koloff. Blassie grabbed a microphone as well and said if Rhodes wanted to get beat up so badly, he would get his wish on June 2 - in a steel cage match! Rhodes didn't hesitate to accept, and we will see this take place at our next huge event!
Bob Backlund defeated Roddy Piper via pinfall in 0:09:35. Rating: ** 1/2
Harley Race is doing all that he can to avoid Bob Backlund, and that includes making Backlund run through his lackeys before he'll even consider putting the title on the line. Backlund is a competitor through and through, and has gladly taken on that challenge, starting with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. Much like Ric Flair earlier, this was our first taste of Piper as a singles competitor. Piper is a bit of a wild card in the ring, and his unorthodox style makes him very difficult to prepare for. Backlund is very adept at adapting to any style, and he managed to keep Piper on the mat for much of this mat. Still, when you're a loose cannon like Piper seems to be, it only takes a couple wild shots to turn the tide of the match. Piper seemed to be in control when he caught Backlund with a wild back elbow and a dropkick. He climbed to the top turnbuckle and jumped off for a splash, but Backlund rolled out of the way and quickly cradled Piper for the 1-2-3. That's one win, and now Backlund will take on Flair at MSG.
Larry Zbyszko pinned Bobby Duncum after a small package in 0:08:34. Rating: *** 1/4
Larry Zbyszko is young, brash, and arrogant, and so far it is working out for him. We thought he was going to get a little lesson in respect tonight though as he took on one of the toughest men in GCW history, Bobby Duncum. Duncum doesn't put up with anyone's garbage, and when Zbyszko tried showing him up at the beginning of this match, he simply slapped the taste out of his mouth and went to work. Duncum was in complete control of this match from the opening bell, but Zbyszko showed what kind of person he is in the late part of this match. Duncum looked poised to finish Zbyszko off with the Full Nelson Slam, but Zbyszko hit Duncum with an undetected back kick to the groin, completely missed by referee Mario Savoldi. Zbyszko capitalized with a small package and hooked a handful of tights for extra leverage, picking up what has to be considered an upset win. Duncum is not a happy camper and has vowed to take it out of Zbyszko's hide on June 2 in their rematch.
The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) and Pat Patterson defeated The Gunslingers (Dory Funk Jr., Stan Hansen and Terry Funk) when Jerry Brisco defeated Hansen when Hansen passed out in the Figure-Four Leglock in 0:15:13. Rating: *** 3/4
Our semi-main event was a six-man tag rematch from March pitting the Brisco Brothers & Pat Patterson against the Gunslingers. Though the Gunslingers have thus far gotten the better of Jack, Jerry, & Pat, by no means is this one over. It was an evenly fought match, but this night was Jerry Brisco's time to shine. He looked to be out of it as Stan Hansen went for the Lariat, but Brisco ducked and took Hansen down with a single-leg. He quickly put on the Figure-Four Leglock as the crowd went crazy! The Funks tried to break it up, but they were cut off by Patterson and Jack Brisco. Hansen struggled to escape but could not, passing out in the painful hold as the fan in Philly blew the roof off the Spectrum! Because of this, Jerry Brisco has been granted a shot at the Intercontinental Title, while Jack Brisco & Pat Patterson will wrestle for the tag titles against the Funk Brothers!
Harley Race pinned Pedro Morales with the Piledriver in 0:43:36. Rating: **** (Harley Race retained the GCW World Title.)
Pedro Morales made an unexpected return to GCW in Detroit to aid Bob Backlund & Jumbo Tsuruta in defeating Harley Race, Ric Flair, & Roddy Piper. Because of Morales' history in GCW (one of the all-time greats, no question), he was granted a shot at the World Title. These two men are no strangers to each other, having engaged in a bloody feud back in 1976 that culminated in Morales being unsuccessful in taking the World Title from Race in a steel cage match. There was no cage this time around, but that didn't mean that we weren't going to see an intense battle. For almost 45 minutes, these ring generals gave us a wrestling clinic. Surprisingly, this was an entirely clean match because despite what you may think about Race as a person, once he gets in the ring he can really go. Morales has held the World Title before and at this stage of his career would love to be the champion again, but unfortunately for him, it would not be taking place in Philadelphia. Morales escaped Race's attempts at the Piledriver three separate times, but for Race, the fourth time was the charm as he hit his finisher and retained the title.
Card rating: *** 1/4
Match observations:
As we get closer to summer, you know the action is going to get red hot, especially when we head back to Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 2!
INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE - Stan Hansen (c) vs. Jerry Brisco WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES - The Funk Brothers (c) vs. Jack Brisco/Pat Patterson CAGE MATCH - Dusty Rhodes vs. Ivan Koloff Bobby Duncum vs. Larry Zbyszko Bob Backlund vs. Ric Flair Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Roddy Piper Chief Jay Strongbow/Billy White Wolf vs. Great Kabuki/Don Muraco
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Post by rey619 on May 30, 2011 12:40:22 GMT -5
I've almost caught up now, I just wanted to say I enjoy the added realism you are creating by having Race return and win the world title right away. It would surely have created some ripples backstage, and while I don't like the hotshotting of the title so that it would return to Race, it is probably what would happen.
Can't wait to see Flair and Piper in action too.
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Post by JoshiQ on May 30, 2011 13:08:49 GMT -5
Larry Zbyszko's win over Bobby Duncum is huge. Duncum seems like one of the gatekeepers of the main event picture, so his win here really catapults him in my eyes. Especially if he wins the entire feud. He might be wrestling Rhodes and Backlund before you know it.
It's odd seeing next month's card having Jack team with Patterson and Jerry go after the IC Title. I like it, though, as it does give a nice refreshing look to things instead of the normal Brisco/Funk match.
It's so weird seeing Flair and Piper as the lackeys, but I am really enjoying it. It'll be fun to see them work their way up the ladder. I have a feeling Flair is in for some pain and suffering come the next show.
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Post by jacklarkin on May 30, 2011 14:05:49 GMT -5
Good read again.
I like the young guns in this, and its nice to see old school booking where you don't feel the need to have a young blood v old blood feud across the whole fed, or need a figure head to hold them back. Flair, Piper, etc are just making their own way, the way it was meant to be.
As for what should Gorilla Monsoon's next move be..I suggest retirement.
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Post by snabbit888 on May 30, 2011 14:38:53 GMT -5
Good read again. I like the young guns in this, and its nice to see old school booking where you don't feel the need to have a young blood v old blood feud across the whole fed, or need a figure head to hold them back. Flair, Piper, etc are just making their own way, the way it was meant to be. As for what should Gorilla Monsoon's next move be..I suggest retirement. Monsoon's retirement is forthcoming. He retired in 1980 in real life, and the real life retirement schedule is what I work with. So he has, at most, 2 years left. The only reason I'm not just kicking him to the curb is that he is the last wrestler left who was with me at the very first card who has never left. So he's earned at least that. And he will be my announcer when I go to TV.
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Post by snabbit888 on May 30, 2011 23:26:48 GMT -5
June 2, 1978 - Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
Jumbo Tsuruta pinned Roddy Piper with the Jumbo Knee in 0:11:34. Rating: ** 3/4
The show kicked off here in NYC with the former World champion Jumbo Tsuruta in his second stage of getting revenge against the men instrumental in costing him the title, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. Jumbo managed to keep his emotions in check better this month (a hefty fine for shoving an official will do that to you) but still found Piper's unorthodox style to be a handful. Jumbo was almost put out at one point by Piper's Sleeperhold, but he drove the Rowdy One into the turnbuckle to break it up. He hit the Jumbo Knee right after that, and Piper was out for the count. A great way to kick off our night here in the Garden.
Pedro Morales made Rene Goulet submit to the Boston Crab in 0:04:03. Rating: ***
Pedro Morales didn't win the World Title from Harley Race, but he did get back on the winning track with a resounding victory over Rene Goulet. Morales is showing he still has plenty left in the tank and he still has that fire to compete at a high level.
Stan Hansen pinned Jerry Brisco after a small package in 0:12:44. Rating: *** 1/4 (Stan Hansen retained the GCW Intercontinental Title.)
Jerry Brisco has shown he is an excellent tag team wrestler with his brother Jack, having held the World Tag Team Titles. But in the singles ranks, he's still a bit of an unknown commodity. He had a chance to put himself on the singles division map as he was granted a shot at the Intercontinental Title due to pinning champion Stan Hansen in the 6-man tag match last month. Hansen took the challenge from the younger Brisco very seriously as he has already been pinned once, and he has grown to be a great IC champion (much like his Gunslinger teammates Dory Funk Jr. & Terry Funk were before him). Hansen laid a beating on Brisco from the opening bell, but he couldn't seem to keep the challenger done no matter what he tried. Hansen was clearly aggravated every time Brisco would kick out, and it almost cost him when Brisco had a flurry of offense late. It took Hansen catching Brisco in a small package out of the blue to keep the title around his waist. A close call, but another successful title defense for the Lariat. His next challenge will be huge as he puts the gold up against Pedro Morales in Puerto Rico.
Gorilla Monsoon and Peter Maivia defeated The Blackjacks (Blackjack Lanza and Blackjack Mulligan) when Maivia made Mulligan submit to the Stump Puller in 0:07:41. Rating: ** 3/4
Mike Graham has left GCW to pursue his career elsewhere, leaving Gorilla Monsoon in need of a new partner. Step in Peter Maivia, another competitor who has been in GCW for quite some time and is looking to climb the mountain to a championship reign. They teamed up to take on the Blackjacks, a team that is no stranger to success. Many thought that Monsoon & Maivia had little chance against the former two-time champs, but that's why they wrestle the matches. Monsoon & Maivia not only won, but they won convincingly. Maivia's Stump Puller proved to be the difference to help get this new team of old veterans their first win.
Jimmy Snuka defeated Mr. Wrestling II by countout in 0:04:41. Rating: ***
We were all pleasantly surprised by our next match to see the GCW return of JIMMY "SUPERFLY" SNUKA! Snuka was on the brink of superstardom here in GCW before he lost a cage match to Terry Funk thanks to the interference of an unknown attacker from the crowd. Snuka is back to pick up where he left off, and that's to win. He started that path in MSG by getting a countout victory over Mr. Wrestling II. Word as it that Snuka plans to find out who attacked him in that cage match and knocked him out of action for a year.
Larry Zbyszko pinned Bobby Duncum with the Shoulderbreaker in 0:16:45. Rating: **** 3/4
Larry Zbyszko shocked everyone in Philly with a clean pinfall victory over Bobby Duncum. No one was more shocked than Duncum who vowed it wouldn't happen again in this rematch. Perhaps Duncum took Zbyszko lightly last time, but he didn't this time around as he looked highly focused and his wrestling reflected it. Zbyszko was getting beaten like a red-headed stepchild, and the look of sheer terror on his face as he tried to figure out what to do about the onslaught Duncum was hitting him with. Zbyszko found his sanctuary by luck when he was on the floor. Duncum went for a big lariat, but Zbyszko moved and Duncum smashed his shoulder into the steel of the ring post. Zbyszko followed up by tossing that same shoulder into the ring post again and then went to work back in the ring. Duncum was in serious pain and Zbyszko was relentless on the attack, working to soften Duncum up for the Shoulderbreaker. Duncum kept fighting back though and drilled Zbyszko with a hard lariat. He went for the Full Nelson Slam, but his shoulder was too injured to hit the move. Zbyszko scooped Duncum up and hit the Shoulderbreaker and for the second show in a row, pinned Duncum clean in the middle of the ring.
If that wasn't stunning enough, Zbyszko saw how injured Duncum was and pounced on him like a vulture. Zbyszko grabbed a chair from the timekeeper and brought it in the ring. Zbyszko brought it crashing down on Duncum's injured shoulder. Duncum was severely injured, but the worst was yet to come. Zbyszko dragged Duncum over to the corner and positioned him so he was on his stomach with his injured arm wrapped around the ring post. Zbyszko took the chair and in one of the most disgusting acts in GCW history, crushed Duncum's arm on the post. Duncum had to be taken to a hospital and the injury is said to be serious. Despite the horrible attitude and generally being an awful person, Zbyszko has cemented himself firmly as a dangerous man.
Don Muraco and Great Kabuki defeated Chief Jay Strongbow and Billy White Wolf when Muraco pinned White Wolf with the Tombstone in 0:06:09. Rating: * 3/4
Let's be honest here - nobody likes "Classy" Freddie Blassie. Hell, I'd venture a guess that even his charges don't like him that much. But so far since coming to GCW as a manager, he has been tremendously successful. He has a team in the form of Don Muraco & Great Kabuki that have proven to be very formidable. If you don't believe me, ask Chief Jay Strongbow & Billy White Wolf, who again came up short against Blassie's men. Strongbow & Wolf are proud competitors and not done just yet, wanting one more shot at Blassie's goons. It'll take place in Lowell, MA on July 22.
The Gunslingers (Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk) defeated Pat Patterson and Jack Brisco when T. Funk defeated Jack Brisco via pinfall in 0:19:07. Rating: ** 1/2 (The Gunslingers retained the GCW World Tag Team Titles.)
The Funks had to defend their World Tag Team Titles against the unusual team of Jack Brisco & Pat Patterson. Despite an impressive display from the challengers, their lack of tag team experience together would prove to be their downfall. Dory Jr. & Terry cut corner after corner en route to a successful title defense.
Bob Backlund made Ric Flair submit to an abdominal stretch in 0:15:34. Rating: ** 1/2
Bob Backlund again was forced to wrestle one of Harley Race's partners-in-crime instead of getting the World Title shot that he deserves, taking on "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. The more that we see Ric Flair in the ring, it's very apparent that we have a star in the making. He is smooth in the ring, and with the tutelage of Harley Race, he is only going to get better. Flair more than held his own against the undefeated Backlund, matching him hold for hold like few have done up to this point in Backlund's GCW career. The moment that swayed the momentum for good was when Flair had Backlund set up in the corner, seemingly ripe for the pickings. Flair charged in hard, but Backlund moved and Flair cracked his ribcage hard on the turnbuckle. Backlund floated over right into an abdominal stretch, taking advantage of the injury. Flair held on as long as he could, but was forced to submit to the pain. Backlund stays undefeated, and more importantly, has gotten by Race's second challenge. Logic would dictate that a title shot is next. Backlund's manager, Arnold Skaaland, is already hard at work to get this match signed.
Harley Race pinned Dino Bravo with the Piledriver in 0:12:19. Rating: *** (Harley Race retained the GCW World Title.)
Harley Race was feeling generous (according to him) and wanted to defend the World Title against anyone on the roster who had never wrestled him for the World Title (excluding Backlund, of course). The challenge was answered by Dino Bravo, looking to make a huge name for himself by pulling off a gigantic upset. Bravo is known for being a great tag team wrestler, but in recent months, Bravo has been doing well for himself in the singles division. On paper, Bravo shouldn't have had a snowball's chance in hell at winning, but he took Race to the very brink. There were several moments where I was convinced Bravo was walking away as the new World champion, particularly when he hit the Side Suplex. Referee Willie Webber counted three, but he saw right after that Race had his foot on the bottom rope. Bravo couldn't believe that he hadn't won the title, but he protested too much and it let Race hit him with the Piledriver to retain the title. Race needs to be careful or his second title reign is going to end far more quickly than his first.
Cage Match: Dusty Rhodes defeated Ivan Koloff by escaping the cage in 0:31:29. Rating: *** 1/4 [Freddie Blassie interfered against Dusty Rhodes.]
Our main event was one of the more emotionally charged in GCW history with Dusty Rhodes meeting Ivan Koloff in a steel cage match. There may be no more personal feud ever than the one between the American Dream & the Russian Bear. The original bloody feud had led to a friendship between the two, with Rhodes even helping Koloff become a citizen of the United States so that he wouldn't be deported. And how did Koloff repay him? By stabbing Rhodes in the back. This cage match was Rhodes' time to get his hands on Koloff and in his eyes, take him out once and for all. The sheer violence in this match was off the charts. Rhodes is a lovable guy, no doubt about it, but he can bring the brutality with the best of them. But Koloff is a former World champion, and was a dominant one at that, and he is a bad dude. Rhodes suffered a lot of punishment in this one, Koloff spilling the Dream's blood all over the canvas. It didn't help Rhodes that "Classy" Freddie Blassie continually interfered, making his presence known with many distractions to keep Koloff in control. Rhodes was too motivated to quit though, and his will to get revenge wouldn't let him lose. Rhodes fought back and fought back until he had Koloff down and out in the middle of the ring with a piledriver. Rhodes went for the door to escape, but Blassie was holding the door closed! Blassie thought he had outsmarted Rhodes, but Rhodes kicked the door and sent Blassie crashing into the crowd! The American Dream exited the cage and won a bloody war to end our show.
Card rating: ***
Match observations:
We are honored and excited to be presenting our first GCW show from Puerto Rico on June 14! From Roberto Clemente Stadium, we will see the best of GCW taking on some of the top stars from Puerto Rico! Only two matches have officially been announced, but they are huge matches indeed!
WORLD TITLE - Harley Race (c) vs. Carlos Colon INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE - Stan Hansen (c) vs. Pedro Morales
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Post by JoshiQ on May 31, 2011 9:23:38 GMT -5
I'm surprised that Morales is still around. I figured he was a two cards and done. The Blackjacks sure have fallen. I can't lie, Gorilla Monsoon's run to retirement is one of the more interesting things going on in GCW right now. I am really pulling for him to get that title reign. Yay! We will finally be told who attacked Snuka in the cage! I've been wondering that for weeks now. Glad to see him back. Since it seemed like he was in for a big push when he left, I wonder what you will do with him. The main event scene could be considered a little full at the moment. Wow, Zbyszko really shocked me. I had no idea he was THAT vicious. Can't wait for him to be punished for that. Maybe there is a Rhodes feud for him in the future. Was Zbyszko ever that sadistic in the real world? All I remember him for is the early '90s stuff in the Dangerous Alliance. He did break Windham's hand in a car door, so maybe he was. Man, I would have marked hard had Bravo won the title. Not that it would have made any sense, but it would have been great. Good, bloody win for Rhodes. I'm assuming he's now done with Koloff, but I'm not sure. What Koloff did to Rhodes after what Dusty did to help him...The only logical way to end things would be for Dusty to run Ivan out of the GCW. Don't know if you'd go that far though. Can't wait for Puerto Rico!
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Post by LillaThrilla on May 31, 2011 19:50:05 GMT -5
Wow, Zbyszko really shocked me. I had no idea he was THAT vicious. Can't wait for him to be punished for that. Maybe there is a Rhodes feud for him in the future. Was Zbyszko ever that sadistic in the real world? All I remember him for is the early '90s stuff in the Dangerous Alliance. He did break Windham's hand in a car door, so maybe he was. Never trust a man with that many consonants in his name! ;D
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Post by snabbit888 on May 31, 2011 22:10:08 GMT -5
That angle has singlehandedly made me a big Larry Zbyszko fan in GCW. I wasn't sure what to do with him because he pretty much had to lose the Dino Bravo feud for anyone to ever take Bravo seriously. Duncum not re-signing gave me a good means to get Zbyszko over in a hurry, as well as give Duncum a perfect return angle should I bring him back (I'd like to - he's become one of my favorites).
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Post by snabbit888 on Jun 3, 2011 21:21:26 GMT -5
June 14, 1978 - Roberto Clemente Stadium - San Juan, PR
Kengo Kimura pinned Roddy Piper with the Inazuma Leg Lariat in 0:11:40. Rating: * 1/2
The crowd in the Roberto Clemente Stadium was huge and excited to see the stars of GCW locking up with some of the homegrown Puerto Rican stars as GCW made its debut in San Juan! The opening match saw "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, who has been making waves as one of Harley Race's henchmen in the States, taking on the Japanese competitor, Kengo Kimura. As we have established before, Piper is going to be a star in this business, but he had trouble dealing with the Japanese style of Kimura. Piper held his own, but he caught the Inazuma Leg Lariat in the jaw and ate a loss in Puerto Rico.
Jimmy Snuka pinned Manny Fernandez with the Superfly Splash in 0:07:05. Rating: ***
The second match saw Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka taking on "Ragin' Bull" Manny Fernandez. Fernandez is a fiery competitor and fits in well with the Puerto Rican style, but Snuka has come back to GCW a man on a mission. He lost a large chunk of his career thanks to a mysterious masked man slamming a steel cage door in his face, and he's come back to GCW to find out who did that to him. Word has it that Snuka isn't limiting his search to just roster members of GCW as he's aware that it could be anyone in the world. The Superfly was in his element tonight and the fans in Puerto Rico loved him, especially as he came crashing down on Fernandez with the Superfly Splash to get the win.
Invader #1 pinned Don Muraco with the Heart Punch in 0:08:13. Rating: *** 1/2 [Freddie Blassie interfered against Invader #1.]
Don Muraco is proving each and every night what an improved and tough guy he is, but he was up against it against Invader #1. Invader #1 is a very popular star in Puerto Rico and Muraco couldn't get focused enough to not be distracted by the taunts of the fans. Muraco would get the advantage and then take time to jaw with the fans. Freddie Blassie didn't help much as he was probably more distracted by the fans than Muraco was. Invader #1 hit the Heart Punch and got a spirited win in front of his home country fans.
The Wild Samoans defeated The Gunslingers (Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk) when Sika pinned D. Funk Jr. with the Samoan Drop in 0:17:04. Rating: *** 3/4
The Funk Brothers absolutely refused to defend their GCW World Tag Team Titles in Puerto Rico, and it's a lucky thing for them that they didn't. They were taking on the Puerto Rican tag team champions, the Wild Samoans, and this was a wild match to say the least. In fact, as you will find out, we had a lot of wild brawls tonight. The Samoans are unlike any team we currently have under GCW contract, and the Funks aren't used to teams coming at them so aggressively. Dory Jr. & Terry thought they had figured out the savages and had them both down for stereo Spinning Toe Holds, but Afa & Sika kicked the Funks off which caused them to collide in the middle of the ring! The Samoans hit stereo Samoan Drops and picked up the victory. Because of the win here in Puerto Rico, the Wild Samoans have been granted a shot at the titles when we return to the States on July 22 in Lowell, MA!
Bob Backlund defeated Ox Baker by disqualification in 0:03:54. Rating: * 3/4
Bob Backlund was taking a big risk in competing on this show, as a loss here would not only end his undefeated streak, but could adversely affect his chances at earning the World Title shot he's fought so hard for. Backlund would get the win in under 4 minutes, but it wasn't exactly in the fashion he was hoping, as former GCW wrestler Ox Baker got himself disqualified by hitting Backlund with a chair at ringside. Baker is a rough and tumble kind of guy, and it looked like Backlund was in a boatload of trouble as Baker had evil intentions in his eyes. Backlund went into survival mode, and he showed that when he's pushed, he has the ability to get down and dirty. Backlund sent Baker scurrying to the back, a surprised and humbled man. Backlund keeps his undefeated streak alive.
Pedro Morales made Stan Hansen submit to the Boston Crab in 0:11:20. Rating: ** 3/4 (Pedro Morales won the GCW Intercontinental Title.)
We knew that this night was going to be historic, but we didn't know it was going to be THIS historic! Stan Hansen put his Intercontinental Title on the line against Pedro Morales, which was a huge mistake. For starters, Morales is a native Puerto Rican, so the crowd was in a frenzy in support of their hometown hero. Secondly, Morales has been wanting to get his hands on Hansen for a year since the Lariat (deliberately???) broke Morales' neck with his deadly finisher, putting Morales on the shelf for months. Hansen has shown no remorse for injuring several wrestlers, and this was Pedro's chance to teach the brash youngster a lesson. This was Morales' first time getting his hands on Hansen, and he didn't let it go to waste. This was a good old fashioned brawl, and you could tell from the opening bell that there was absolutely nothing Hansen was going to do that was going to keep Morales down. Hansen suffered from being one-dimensional, trying only to hit the Lariat and wanting to injure Morales again. Morales used this one-sided approach to take it to Hansen, eventually putting him in the Boston Crab. Hansen screamed out in pain as he tried in vain to escape before submitting. Pedro Morales had won the Intercontinental Title! With this title victory, Morales is the first man in GCW history to hold the Triple Crown - the World Title, IC Title, and World Tag Team Titles. How is that for revenge?
Jumbo Tsuruta pinned Abdullah the Butcher with the Jumbo Knee in 0:04:44. Rating: ** 1/2
Before we got to the big main event for the World Title, we had the former 2-time World champion Jumbo Tsuruta in action against the Madman From Sudan, Abdullah the Butcher. Long time GCW fans will remember the Butcher for both his violent team and violent feud with The Sheik, and I didn't think it was possible, but he may be even more vicious now. The match itself did not last long, ending in just under 5 minutes when Jumbo hit his Knee to get the official pinfall. The story of the match, however, was the ringside brawl between the two combatants that raged on for nearly 10 minutes before it could be broken up. These two hit each other with everything that wasn't nailed down before Abdullah went to gouge the fork into Tsuruta's head. Jumbo saved his forehead by grabbing the ring bell and blasting the Butcher in the face with it before security broke this up.
Harley Race and Carlos Colon battled to a draw in 0:60:00. Rating: *** (Harley Race retained the GCW World Title.)
It was now time for the big one, and the stars seemed to be lining up to witness the crowning of a new World champion. Harley Race has only been defeated by one wrestler in his GCW career (that being Jumbo Tsuruta), but this match had him distinctly at a disadvantage as he put the gold up for grabs against Carlos Colon. Colon is the most popular wrestler in all of Puerto Rico, and he was the man who helped set up this whole event with GCW promoter Marvin Niemiller. Needless to say, the bloodthirsty crowd was champing at the bit to see their national hero bring the World Title to the island.
Once the opening bell rang, we knew this was going to be a different kind of match. Race had a lot of success early controlling the tempo and not letting Colon access his fiery temper that makes him so hard to keep down. As the match wore on past the 30 minute mark though, Colon turned it into more of a brawl which better suited him in this environment. As you'd expect from a main event in Puerto Rico, the crimson masks were out in full force and as blood was shed, the intensity of the fight only increased. The momentum swung back and forth, back and forth before Race missed a diving headbutt from the top that seemingly has this match in Colon's grasp. Colon had Race in the Figure-Four Leglock, and it looked like Race was destined to tap out when the bell rang. The place exploded as the fans believed that they had just witnessed the crowning of a new champion, but it was not meant to be as the time limit had expired, and thus this match was declared a draw!
Upon hearing this, the crowd got antsy and the tension built until it felt like a full scale riot was going to break out. Colon attacked Race and much like Abdullah the Butcher before him, he pulled out a fork and raked it across Race's head! Race got some distance and with the help of police officers escaped to safety as Colon was announced the new World champion! This pleased the crowd, but note that Colon is NOT the World champion. A chaotic ending to a spectacular night of wrestling.
Card rating: ** 3/4
Match observations:
With this successful debut in Puerto Rico under our belts, we head back to the mainland on July 22 for a big show in Lowell, MA!
WORLD TITLE - Harley Race (c) vs. Dusty Rhodes INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE - Pedro Morales (c) vs. Stan Hansen WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES - The Funk Brothers (c) vs. The Wild Samoans Bob Backlund/Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Ric Flair/Roddy Piper Chief Jay Strongbow/Billy White Wolf vs. Don Muraco/Great Kabuki
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Post by snabbit888 on Jun 3, 2011 22:54:14 GMT -5
Okay, for those of you who have been reading this for awhile, I wanted to ask your help on something. As I build more history (can't believe I'm already 15 years in), I'm wanting to make a list of the moments in GCW history that truly stand out. Think Mankind being thrown off the top of the cage, Snuka's dive onto Don Muraco, Shawn Michaels winning his first WWF Title, etc. Basically I want to know what moments you guys think standout in GCW history, if any really do up to this point. These moments will be easier to make once I get into more modern times, but I want to see what you guys think first.
So, friends, what are the moments that will stand the test of time in GCW?
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Post by JoshiQ on Jun 5, 2011 8:57:38 GMT -5
I loved the show in Puerto Rico. It was a really fun read.
Surprised Morales took the IC Title, but I guess it's a way to make the fans happy since Colon didn't win the strap from Race.
Speaking of which, I liked what you did with Race/Colon. A time limit draw was the right decision, and then announcing Colon as the new world champion was a good way to keep the fans from rioting. Clever writing.
I feel bad for the Gunslingers. When they formed it looked like they might take over the circuit, but instead Race, Piper, and Flair came into GCW. Now it looks like the Gunslingers are going to be left in the mid-card.
I'll be interested to see if you bring in any of these guys onto the GCW roster. I would love to see the Wild Samoans be a fixture in the tag team scene.
I'll respond a little bit later with some of my favorite moments in GCW.
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Post by LillaThrilla on Jun 5, 2011 12:41:36 GMT -5
I'll be interested to see if you bring in any of these guys onto the GCW roster. I would love to see the Wild Samoans be a fixture in the tag team scene. Ditto. Maybe it's just me but the Wild Samoans stand out a bit because it doesn't seem like GCW has had many tag teams that started as teams, especially not themed teams. Teams seem to be one guy gets in a spot where he needs a partner and either gets helped by someone on the roster or brings in a friend from outside. (Some of these teams do go on to long good runs together.) I'm not sure if that's an era issue (tag teams being more often themed in the 80s/90s than 60s/70s) or a decision on your part to work with your roster?
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Post by snabbit888 on Jun 5, 2011 13:18:21 GMT -5
I'll be interested to see if you bring in any of these guys onto the GCW roster. I would love to see the Wild Samoans be a fixture in the tag team scene. Ditto. Maybe it's just me but the Wild Samoans stand out a bit because it doesn't seem like GCW has had many tag teams that started as teams, especially not themed teams. Teams seem to be one guy gets in a spot where he needs a partner and either gets helped by someone on the roster or brings in a friend from outside. (Some of these teams do go on to long good runs together.) I'm not sure if that's an era issue (tag teams being more often themed in the 80s/90s than 60s/70s) or a decision on your part to work with your roster? It's been more of an era issue. There doesn't seem to be a lot of themed teams as you put it. There were some teams who were together for good runs, but I haven't found a lot that were just a team. That's a big reason why I'm excited for the 80s. I generally am not happy with thrown together teams, even if they end up being successful. It'll help me build a far more compelling division. And so you know, I signed the Samoans, so they'll be around for awhile. They're a team I want to do a lot with.
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Post by rey619 on Jun 7, 2011 5:19:11 GMT -5
Glad to see Morales returning and winning the IC title, thus becoming the first Triple Crown Champion.
Defining moments:
- The riot when Morales won the title from Sammartino - The bloody brawl that caused you to fire the Funks - Jumbo Tsuruta finally defeating Harley Race
Hmm.. I will think of some more.
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Post by mdale2k on Jun 7, 2011 8:06:43 GMT -5
I read this entire entry on the weekend.
Some unreal stuff in here, definately will keep reading.
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Post by jacklarkin on Jun 7, 2011 8:13:58 GMT -5
Incredibly interesting card. Wild match-ups and some suprises for me on who went over. Quite a lot for the home fans to cheer. Would love to see half those PR guys like Manny Fernandez get a shot in GCW. Race must have been something that night to carry Colon 60 minutes.
I can't really help with your request as I haven't been following the circuit all the way back, and my memory isn't very good ~ sorry.
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Post by JoshiQ on Jun 7, 2011 11:17:08 GMT -5
I will probably edit this post as I come up with more memories, but it's hard to get all the exact dates and details correct. But I do agree with all of Rey's. In fact, the riot when Morales won the title is probably my favorite memory.
Another one to add is Ali getting into it with Monsoon on 3/1/75. Their match on 6/12, and I might have even marked out more when Ali came to Monsoon's rescue on 12/2/75. This all leads up to the major moment of Ali knocking Bobby Heenan out on 12/27. I'm not sure which of those is the best moment as they all are parts of something huge.
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Post by snabbit888 on Jun 7, 2011 11:51:02 GMT -5
Thank you for the help, guys. I forgot about Ali knocking out Heenan. It's weird because I write this thing, but I'm always working on the next card, so it's hard to remember what things really stand out. I remembered the riot in Pittsburgh and the Funks getting fired for using barbed wire on each other. But I miss so many fun little details. I can understand on a small scale how WWE can forget about certain storylines now. I do it with stuff I completely wrote by myself. Another moment I really like, and though it's pretty much a copy of something WWF did, is Snuka jumping off the cage with a splash onto Luke Graham. It was the moment that made him a star. Makes me wish I had thought of it myself.
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Post by JoshiQ on Jun 7, 2011 12:26:09 GMT -5
3/13/71: Bobo Brazil breaks his back in a match against the newly turned Peter Maivia.
7/6/69: Inoki winning the Grand Prix of Wrestling by defeating Luke Graham in a five star match. The tournament itself was amazing, lots of backstage stuff going on too, big matches at the time, and ending with the ultimate match.
10/30/70: Baron Mike actually working his way up from basically a jobber to getting a World Title shot against Bruno Sammartino.
12/25/73: Ivan Koloff winning the World Title by defeating Pedro Morales and then nailing Lou Albano with the Russian Sickle.
8/1/74: Crusher and Bruiser being retired by the Texas Outlaws. Great match, and a nice way to see them leave. After the instances where you have people leave the circuit on a stretcher, it was nice to see them lose their match and receive some recognition after the match.
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Post by snabbit888 on Jun 7, 2011 14:18:04 GMT -5
I read this entire entry on the weekend. Some unreal stuff in here, definately will keep reading. Thanks a lot for reading. I'm happy with how this circuit has progressed and can't believe I'm 15 years in TNM time.
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Post by LillaThrilla on Jun 7, 2011 19:59:56 GMT -5
Thanks a lot for reading. I'm happy with how this circuit has progressed and can't believe I'm 15 years in TNM time. I don't know of any other TNM circuit to go into double digit years other than Oliver's WWF. Even you're not booking weekly shows (and neither was Oliver) it's an amazing TNM feat.
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