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Post by snabbit888 on Jun 11, 2011 11:40:40 GMT -5
July 22, 1978 - Memorial Auditorium - Lowell, MA
Pat Patterson defeated Rene Goulet when Rene Goulet passed out in a Boston crab in 0:03:01. Rating: ** 1/4
We hadn't been in Lowell, MA in two and a half years, and we came back with a huge event in the middle of summer! The opening contest saw Rene Goulet's losing streak continue against Pat Patterson. Patterson worked on Goulet's back before putting him out with a Boston crab.
The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) defeated The Blackjacks (Blackjack Lanza and Blackjack Mulligan) when Jack Brisco made Lanza submit to the Figure-Four Leglock in 0:08:32. Rating: ****
We followed up with tag team action between two of the best teams in GCW with the Brisco Brothers taking on the Blackjacks. These two teams have had a great rivalry in the past, but that was when the Blackjacks still had Bobby "the Brain" Heenan calling the shots as their manager. Heenan left months ago without as much as a goodbye, and since then, Lanza & Mulligan have been in limbo. They're wrestling good matches, but lack the killer instinct they had with Heenan that made them two-time World Tag Team champions. That trend continued tonight as the Briscos took the match.
Dino Bravo pinned Johnny Rodz with the Side Suplex in 0:02:52. Rating: ** 1/4
Dino Bravo continued his winning ways by picking up an easy victory against Johnny Rodz. Rodz "unpredictably" came out and tried to talk French to the Canadian Bravo, but needless to say his French was way off. Maybe he was trying to talk Bravo out of the match, which would have saved him from taking the Side Suplex and yet another loss.
The Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika) defeated The Gunslingers (Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk) when Sika defeated D. Funk Jr. by disqualification in 0:12:17. Rating: ** 3/4 (The Gunslingers retained the GCW World Tag Team Titles.)
After our trip to Puerto Rico in June, some new wrestlers have joined GCW. Afa & Sika, collectively known as the Wild Samoans, impressed GCW officials with their victory over the reigning World Tag Team champions, the Funk Brothers, in San Juan. The Samoans have been brought to GCW full time and in their very first official match, were given a shot at the titles! Afa & Sika aren't called wild for nothing - they are a couple of wildmen in that squared circle. Dory Jr. & Terry know how to go toe-to-toe with the best of them, but the more they took the fight to the Samoans, the more the Samoans dished it right back! This frustrated the Funks to the point that they each grabbed a World Tag Team Title and blasted the Samoans with them, a clear disqualification. Even this act of treachery seemed to only anger the Samoans, who chased the champions to the back.
Great Kabuki and Don Muraco defeated Chief Jay Strongbow and Billy White Wolf when Muraco pinned Strongbow with the Tombstone in 0:07:04. Rating: * 1/2 [Freddie Blassie interfered against Billy White Wolf.]
Speaking of our tag team division, it continues to prove that it is the best division of its kind in the world. Our next match featured the third match between the teams of Chief Jay Strongbow & Billy White Wolf and Don Muraco & Great Kabuki, a rivalry that has gained steam since the end of 1977. Thus far in the tag team matches, Freddie Blassie's charges have gotten the better of the proud Native Americans, but you know that's not going to stop Strongbow & Wolf. As has been the case in the past, Blassie interfered several times on his charges' behalf, helping Muraco & Kabuki earn another tainted victory. Strongbow & Wolf had finally had enough, and after the match they took a piece out of the hide of Muraco & Kabuki, sending them fleeing to the back like scalded dogs. They may have lost the match, but they were able to walk out of Lowell with their heads held high.
Pedro Morales pinned Stan Hansen after a sunset flip in 0:12:58. Rating: *** 1/2 (Pedro Morales retained the GCW Intercontinental Title.)
Pedro Morales got a measure of revenge against Stan Hansen by taking the Intercontinental Title from him down in his home country of Puerto Rico, but the fiery Morales still had a lot of pent up anger toward the burly Texan. Hansen took a year of his career away by injuring his neck with the Lariat, and Morales still wants to take it out on him. Hansen came after Morales at full blast and for awhile, it looked like Morales' reign as IC champ was going to be short-lived. Hansen was frustrated that he couldn't keep Morales down, repeatedly trying to put his feet on the ropes and pull the tights to get the title back. So it was sweet poetic justice when Morales caught Hansen in a sunset flip and he put his feet on the ropes for the 3 count. Not the cleanest of victories, but given Hansen's tactics, it was what he deserved. These two will go at it again on August 13 in Albany, but it will be contested under 2 out of 3 falls rules.
Interview: Larry Zbyszko gloats about injuring Bobby Duncum.
Before our next contest, we got an in-ring interview with Larry Zbyszko, and to say he was being overbearing would be a vast understatement. Zbyszko went into a lengthy (yet eloquent) spiel about how proud he was about severely injuring Bobby Duncum's shoulder to knock him out of GCW for the foreseeable future. He rambled on and on about this horrible act before JIMMY SNUKA came out. Snuka rambled on as well, but that's more because he's not an eloquent man. But his message was clear - what Zbyszko did was wrong, but not as wrong as gloating about it. Zbyszko backed off as Snuka got in his face, but when Snuka turned to leave, Zbyszko jumped him and sent him crashing shoulder first between the turnbuckles into the ring post before heading to the back with an arrogant smile etched upon his face. What a creep this Zbyszko is. Hopefully Snuka gives him what he has coming.
Ivan Koloff pinned Gorilla Monsoon with the Russian Sickle in 0:04:51. Rating: **
The last time we saw Ivan Koloff, he was on the losing end of a brutal cage match with Dusty Rhodes at Madison Square Garden. He came out wanting to prove a point tonight, and Freddie Blassie had him fired up and ready to go. Gorilla Monsoon has seen it all though and is intimidated by no man. Monsoon took it to Koloff early, but when it was all said and done, the Russian Sickle put him to the mat for the 1-2-3.
Bob Backlund and Jumbo Tsuruta defeated Ric Flair and Roddy Piper when Tsuruta pinned Piper with the Jumbo Knee in 0:25:03. Rating: *** 3/4
Bob Backlund has finally gotten his wish. Based on his in-ring performances, as well as his manager Arnold Skaaland petitioning for the match tirelessly with President Hisashi Shinma, Backlund will get his World Title opportunity on August 13 in Albany, NY. Backlund and his partner Jumbo Tsuruta wanted to take it to Race's henchman, Ric Flair & Roddy Piper, wanting them to take a message to the World champion. Thsi was a tremendous display of tag team wrestling. Backlund & Tsuruta mesh well as a team and have developed a friendship that has helped them in their tag team matches. On the other side, while Flair & Piper may be young and relatively inexperienced, there is no doubt they have a plethora of talent. This was the match of the night and extremely competitive, but really, with his impending World Title shot, there was going to be no stopping Backlund. Backlund took Flair out of the picture so Tsuruta could hit the Jumbo Knee on Piper to get the duke.
Harley Race pinned Dusty Rhodes after a roundhouse right in 0:11:26. Rating: *** 1/4 (Harley Race retained the GCW World Title.) [Ivan Koloff interfered against Dusty Rhodes.]
Dusty Rhodes has been with GCW for years, and though he has had a World Title match in the past, he was not ready for that kind of opportunity. This time around, there was a different atmosphere surrounding this match. There was something special in the air - not only were people thinking the American Dream could beat the champion, they were practically expecting it. Most importantly, Rhodes was expecting it. Race is crafty though, and he has done this time and time again. An opponent will dominate the early stages of the match and get a false sense of security before Race exploits a tiny mistake and walks away with the win. Rhodes was relentless though, and despite some impressive flurries from Handsome Harley, Rhodes was well on his way to victory. That is, until IVAN KOLOFF walked down to ringside. Rhodes saw Koloff instantly and it took him out of the match as he took the time to yell at the Russian Bear to get the hell out of there. Koloff didn't listen and got on the apron, eating a Bionic Elbow from Rhodes for his troubles. What the Dream didn't see was that Koloff had thrown a roll of quarters into the ring that Race scooped up. When Rhodes went back to Race, he turned right into a quarter-aided roundhouse right from the champ. Rhodes fell like a ton of bricks and Race made the cover for the 1-2-3 and a successful title defense.
After this travesty of justice, President Shinma has granted Dusty Rhodes some interview time in Albany where he will address this situation.
Card rating: ***
Match observations:
Well we finally know when it's going to happen. August 13, Albany, New York. Harley Race vs. Bob Backlund for the World Heavyweight Title. If that wasn't enough, we have several other great matches that are going to make this one heck of a show!
WORLD TITLE - Harley Race (c) Bob Backlund INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE 2/3 FALLS - Pedro Morales (c) vs. Stan Hansen Terry Funk vs. Afa Dory Funk Jr. vs. Sika Jimmy Snuka vs. Larry Zbyszko
Plus, we will hear from Dusty Rhodes concerning his ongoing issues with Ivan Koloff!
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Post by JoshiQ on Jun 12, 2011 12:13:20 GMT -5
For a second there I thought you were going to let Zbyszko take the fall as the guy that injured Snuka in the cage. I think he was around back then, but I'll have to go take a look and double check.
Man, Monsoon suffers another loss. I just don't know if he'll be able to come out of this with enough of a winning streak to capture any gold.
I thought for sure the Rhodes-Koloff feud was done. I'm interested to see what interesting new twist you have to keep it going. Or maybe it's a way to have a Loser Leaves Town match.
Glad to see the Wild Samoans are sticking around. A feud with the Funks would be epic.
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Post by LillaThrilla on Jun 12, 2011 22:09:56 GMT -5
For a second there I thought you were going to let Zbyszko take the fall as the guy that injured Snuka in the cage. Ditto. Had to read that twice.
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Post by snabbit888 on Jun 12, 2011 22:18:12 GMT -5
Truthfully, I haven't decided yet who I want to make the attacker on Snuka. This issue with Zbyszko is just the next feud for both of them. Zbyszko is quickly becoming one of my favorite wrestlers to write for, and I think this feud helps elevate them both. I know this will sound like an odd request, but if anyone has any suggestions for the Snuka attacker angle, private message them to me. I haven't been this stumped on an angle for awhile.
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Post by jacklarkin on Jun 13, 2011 9:13:46 GMT -5
Glad to see the Wild Samoans added to the mix.
Gorilla got squashed by Koloff.
Backlund - Race is one of those matches that just screams EPIC but in real life would probably disapoint. I'm sure you will make it interesting though.
Strongbow & Wolf are not doing so well, but are always eager to try.
Should be interesting to see whether Backlund gets a clean shot at Race. I'm not much for this sort of angle but if the fall out was a Race-Koloff v Rhodes-Backlund match, that would be a lot of fun.
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Post by snabbit888 on Jun 14, 2011 12:48:37 GMT -5
August 13, 1978 - Washington Avenue Armory - Albany, NY
Pat Patterson pinned Johnny Rodz with the Atomic Drop in 0:05:37. Rating: **
This is a huge night, highlighted by Bob Backlund getting his shot at Harley Race and the World Title. The wrestling action kicked off with Pat Patterson taking on Johnny Rodz, who "unpredictably" decided to wrestle the match in a blindfold. …Okay. The blindfold didn't last long as Patterson was beating him thoroughly, but even after he ditched the blindfold, he didn't fair much better. Patterson kicks off the evening with a win.
Terry Funk and Afa battled to a double countout in 0:08:12. Rating: 1/2*
Because of how the World Tag Team Title match ended in Lowell, President Hisashi Shinma ordered for the champions and the #1 contenders to compete in two singles matches in Albany. The first of these matches was Terry Funk vs. Afa, and what a wild affair it was. Of the Funk Brothers, Terry is known more as the wild brawler, which was right up Afa's alley. We're learning a lot about the Wild Samoans every show. They're rough around the edges and will fight with anyone, but it's almost as if they need a handler to keep them in order. Afa may have been able to win this match at one point, but he was having such a good time brawling with Terry Funk that he was content to wrestle to a double countout before the fight was broken up. We'll see how Sika fairs later with Dory Funk Jr.
Jumbo Tsuruta pinned Rene Goulet with the Jumbo Knee in 0:11:09. Rating: ****
It's scary to think that Jumbo Tsuruta has only been wrestling for five years. FIVE. And he already has two World Title reigns under his belt. There is a very good chance we haven't seen anywhere close to the best Jumbo has to offer. He had an excellent amateur career in Japan and transitioned into the pro ranks seamlessly, and if he stays healthy, there's no reason to believe he won't climb to the top of the mountain again. Jumbo kept on winning tonight with a spirited effort against Rene Goulet, who once again came up short in notching his first GCW win.
Interview: The Blackjacks are in the market for a new manager.
Blackjack Lanza & Blackjack Mulligan have struggled since Bobby Heenan inexplicably left town, and they know it. They came out for an interview in Albany and let the world know they are in the market for a new manager, and promised that they will ascend to the top of tag team ranks once again.
Dory Funk Jr. made Sika submit to the Texas Cloverleaf in 0:10:36. Rating: ****
The first match of the Funks/Samoans series went to a double countout and a helluva brawl. The second match didn't get to that point as Dory Funk Jr. managed to ground Sika and prevent him from using any of his wild brawling tactics. Sika had a couple bouts of offense in the match, but Dory grounded him en route to locking on the Texas Cloverleaf and getting the win. Dory was so confident about how he dismantled Sika that he offered to put the tag titles on the line against the Samoans one more time on September 8 from the world famous Madison Square Garden!
Don Muraco and Great Kabuki defeated The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) when Muraco pinned Jerry Brisco with the Tombstone in 0:02:13. Rating: ***
What a major upset! Don Muraco & Great Kabuki have been on a roll as a team as Freddie Blassie has lit a fire under them, but no one expected them to beat the Brisco Brothers, especially so decisively! Muraco & Kabuki jumped Jack & Jerry before the bell sounded, and they never let up. So when Muraco lifted Jerry and planted him with the Tombstone, it was so sudden that everyone assumed he would kick out. Well, he didn't. Blassie's men got a gigantic victory over the former tag champions. This has to catapult them up the ladder and a tag title shot can't be too far off
Dino Bravo defeated Roddy Piper by disqualification in 0:09:01. Rating: * 1/4
Roddy Piper is showing that the "Rowdy" nickname he has isn't accidental. He is a wildcard in that ring. If you don't believe me, just ask Dino Bravo who went up against the Scot in our next match. Say what you want about who Piper is aligned with, but he is a fighter and isn't going to back down from anyone - even if they are as strong as Bravo. Piper was crazy enough to try to match strength with Bravo, and he paid for it time and time again. Eventually Piper became upset to the point where he went to the floor and started tossing anything he could get his hands on into the ring. Unfortunately for him, one of the items he threw was a chair, and it hit referee Mario Savoldi. Savoldi (for some strange reason) didn't take kindly to being struck with a chair and disqualified Piper! Piper was enraged and got in Savoldi's face, going as far as to grab him by the shirt! Luckily for Savoldi, Bravo intervened and sent Piper over the top rope to the floor. These two will meet again in New York.
Interview: Dusty Rhodes has the ultimate challenge for Ivan Koloff.
If you thought you've seen "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes pissed off before, you haven't seen anything yet! Rhodes was as passionate as we've ever seen him, commenting on how he was desperately close to fulfilling his dream of being the heavyweight champion of the world, but it was Ivan Koloff that once again caused him great pain. Rhodes said that the issues between the Russian Bear and himself had gone too far, and that if it didn't end soon, who knows what would happen. Rhodes said he only wants one kind of match with Koloff… LOSER LEAVES TOWN. "CLASSY" FREDDIE BLASSIE came out to respond to the challenge, saying that the thought of being rid of Rhodes forever was too tempting and that he accepted. He also told Rhodes to say goodbye to all the fans now, because September 8 would be the last time he ever saw them.
Two-out-of-three-Falls Match: Pedro Morales beat Stan Hansen 2 falls to 0: x Morales beat Hansen via countout in 0:10:14 x Morales beat Hansen via the Boston Crab in 0:19:36 Rating: *** 1/2 (Pedro Morales retained the GCW Intercontinental Title.)
Pedro Morales is giving Stan Hansen several chances to regain the Intercontinental Title, and thus far, Hansen has been unsuccessful in doing so. Tonight's title defense was 2/3 falls, which played into Morales' hands. As the veteran, he knows how to control the tempo and he got the Lariat to wrestle his type of match. Morales took the first fall at about the 10 minute mark when Hansen was so frustrated that he accidentally got himself counted out. In a 1-0 hole, Hansen became even more reckless and it cost him the match. He went up top which is uncharacteristic for him and went for a back splash and came up empty, letting Morales lock in the Boston Crab. Hansen's back was throbbing and he had to submit, giving Morales a 2-0 victory and a successful title defense. After the match, Hansen grabbed the mic and said the only reason he lost is because the 2/3 falls rules benefited Morales, and that if it was a different kind of match he could have won. Morales said Hansen could pick the stipulations for September 8, under the condition that if Hansen loses, it will be his last title shot. Hansen agreed and announced that the match will be a Texas Bullrope Match!
Ric Flair pinned Peter Maivia after a backslide in 0:05:01. Rating: ** 1/4
"Nature Boy" Ric Flair is as arrogant as they come, but really, it's hard to blame him for being so. Not only is he exceptionally talented, but he is aligned with the World champion. Despite how brash this youngster is, he is backing it up in the ring, including tonight with a clever victory over "High Chief" Peter Maivia. Maivia thought he was in control, but Flair ducked a clothesline and caught the High Chief in a backslide. Three seconds later, Flair had scored the victory. Maivia was frustrated and went after Flair, but the Nature Boy ducked to the floor and to the back the victor.
Larry Zbyszko pinned Jimmy Snuka with the Shoulderbreaker in 0:12:04. Rating: *** 3/4
Ever since our last show when Larry Zbyszko tossed Jimmy Snuka shoulder first into the ringpost, the Superfly has been having trouble with his shoulder. He probably shouldn't have taken this match, but he is a proud fighter and wasn't going to back down from Zbyszko. Snuka's passion gave him the upperhand in the opening minutes, but Zbyszko turned the tables when he dropped Snuka with an armbar takedown. Zbyszko's attack on the shoulder that followed was relentless. As much as Snuka tried to fight back, his left arm was all but useless, which let Zbyszko hit the Shoulderbreaker and get the 3 count. After the match, Zbyszko put Snuka in a cross armbreaker and cranked back on it before referee Willie Webber threatened him with reversing the decision to release the hold. Zbyszko is making a habit of leaving some of the best in the world lying flat on their backs. Snuka has vowed that he will get his revenge on Zbyszko on September 8 at MSG.
Interview: Harley Race weasels out of having to defend the World Title.
The atmosphere was electric in the building before the main event for the World Title. But before the match began, World champion Harley Race came out and had President Hisashi Shinma with him. Not only that, but his ribs were heavily taped and he had an obvious grimace of pain etched across his face. Race announced to the crowd that he had been in a car accident earlier this week and he injured his ribs in the crash. He said he was showing how brave he was by going against doctor's orders and wrestling tonight, but because of the circumstances of the injury, President Shinma has made tonight's match non-title (a decision that was NOT popular with the crowd).
Bob Backlund pinned Harley Race with the Atomic Drop in 0:17:18. Rating: ***
Though the wind may have been taken out of the sails of the crowd in Albany expecting to see the World Title on the line, one man who didn't let it bother him was Bob Backlund, the would-be challenger. Backlund wanted the chance to prove he was better than Harley Race, and if this match is any indication, Backlund is the better man. As the match wore on, it became obvious that Race's ribs weren't actually hurt at all and that this was all a sham to get out of defending the World Title. Race did everything he could to pin Backlund's shoulders to the mat, but Arnold Skaaland had Backlund on top of his game. Backlund had all the momentum at the end of the match, and despite Race trying to run out of the ring, Backlund wouldn't allow it and hit the Atomic Drop to get the 3 count! Backlund pinned the World champion! Backlund should be the World champ right now if it wasn't for Race's cowardly way of getting out of the title match. However, President Shinma has released a press release stating that Harley Race will defend the World Title against Bob Backlund at Madison Square Garden on September 8. The release added that if for any reason Race doesn't show up for the match to defend his championship, he will be stripped of the title immediately! Race has been ducking Backlund for months, but he will have nowhere to hide on September 8!
Card rating: ***
Match observations:
A lot of major happenings tonight, which lead us to a tremendous night of action on September 8 at Madison Square Garden!
WORLD TITLE - Harley Race (c) vs. Bob Backlund INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE TEXAS BULLROPE MATCH - Pedro Morales (c) vs. Stan Hansen WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES - The Funk Brothers (c) vs. The Wild Samoans LOSER LEAVES TOWN - Dusty Rhodes vs. Ivan Koloff Jimmy Snuka vs. Larry Zbyszko Dino Bravo vs. Roddy Pipe The Brisco Brothers vs. Great Kabuki/Don Muraco
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Post by LillaThrilla on Jun 14, 2011 18:06:50 GMT -5
Hoping Backlund finally puts down Honky Tonk Harley. Texas Bullrope Match? Hansen better win that. Rhodes vs Koloff 2: Somebody Quit Didn't They? SNUKA~! PIPER~!
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Post by JoshiQ on Jun 14, 2011 22:08:51 GMT -5
It makes sense that the Funk Brothers would have the upper hand in singles competition. Looking forward to their title defense against the Samoans. I have a hard time believing that the Samoans will take the straps, however, as I think it would really hurt the credibility the Gunslingers have.
I love Piper's crazy side. A short feud with Dino Bravo would be something I'm interested in.
I thought you might go the route of a Loser Leaves Town match for Rhodes/Koloff. I think Koloff has to lose here as he has already done just about everything he can accomplish, and Rhodes fits in great as an upper mid-card face with the occasional main event push. That is unless Rhodes quit...which would suck.
Not very often you see a guy take two straight falls. I'm hoping Hansen finds a way to finally beat Morales in the Bullrope match.
Great heel tactic by Race. What a jerk. Now that we know Backlund can beat Race you'd think it would be a definite that he beats him at MSG in September. But I don't think so. I think Race finds some way to hold on to his belt.
Good build-up card for what looks like an amazing card next month.
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Post by rey619 on Jun 15, 2011 7:57:22 GMT -5
July 22
I like the Samoans coming over. Not sure if they have what it takes to defeat the Gunslingers though. I'm really glad Morales keeps the IC belt, he deserves it after a long and eventful GCW career. Afraid he might drop it back to Hansen in Albany though.
You would think Backlund's in-ring performances would speak for themselves, and that he wouldn't need Skaaland petitioning for it, but I guess Backlund is the one wrestler Race really fears at this point in time. A little strange that it wasn't Backlund who got the pinfall though.
I thought the Koloff-Rhodes feud was settled. Only way you can go from here is a loser-leaves-town match. I wonder if Rhodes will win the big one someday, he's certainly earned it by now.
August 13
Still waiting for "Unpredictable" Johnny Rodz doing the totally unpredictable and win a match..
Wonder who you have in store for the Blackjacks..
Kabuki and Muraco must be right in line behind the Samoans. I'm not sure I want either team to defeat the Gunslingers though.
Loser leaves town all right. I'll put my money on the Russian going back to the Soviet Union. Don't want you to lose Rhodes at this point in time.
Morales, surprisingly to me, won 2-0 and Hansen isn't done yet. A Bullrope Match is his specialty, but I'll go out on a limb and predict that Morales will win again, proving himself the better wrestler.
You're kind of building Flair better than Piper, letting him face weaker opponents and having Piper take the falls in tag-matches. Not wrong, just saying. It would have been weird seeing Flair lose a lot, even though he probably did so to at one point in his career.
What?? Race weasels his way out of the title match? Boooo! He can't weasel his way out of the match in September though. Race is one of the ultimate heels right now on these boards, I really like the way you make us hate him.
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Post by snabbit888 on Jun 15, 2011 13:25:04 GMT -5
September 8, 1978 - Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
Chief Jay Strongbow and Billy White Wolf defeated The Blackjacks (Blackjack Lanza and Blackjack Mulligan) when White Wolf made Lanza submit to the Indian Deathlock in 0:06:19. Rating: ** 3/4
Tonight's show was one of the biggest in recent memory, and it started off with a great tag team match between Chief Jay Strongbow & Billy White Wolf and the Blackjacks. The Blackjacks expressed their want for a new manager last show, but as of yet, the hunt still continues. They still looked a bit out of sorts against the Native Americans, but as former tag team champions, they didn't go down without a fight. However, stereo Indian Deathlocks proved to be too much and that was that. The Blackjacks might want to expedite their managerial search.
Gorilla Monsoon made Rene Goulet submit to the Airplane Spin in 0:03:59. Rating: * 3/4
Gorilla Monsoon didn't have a good night at our last show, but Rene Goulet hasn't had a good career. Goulet has tried everything he can think of to secure a victory in a GCW ring, but he his journey has been fruitless. It didn't change tonight as the Airplane Spin was too much for Goulet to withstand, taking yet another loss.
Dino Bravo pinned Roddy Piper with the Side Suplex in 0:04:14. Rating: ** 3/4
A rematch was signed between Dino Bravo & Roddy Piper due to the Rowdy Scot essentially going crazy during their last match, throwing things into the ring like a madman. Piper hit referee Mario Savoldi with one of those objects, a chair, and was DQ'ed because of it. Savoldi was the referee for this return match, a fact that didn't sit well with Piper. Even before the opening bell, Piper was jawing with Savoldi as Piper blames Savoldi for screwing him over and the subsequent fine that took place because of that match. Piper was far more focused on Savoldi which allowed Bravo to hit the Side Suplex and get the 3 count in just over 4 minutes. The finisher only stunned Piper long enough to get pinned, but not take him out completely. As Bravo celebrated the win, Piper found a length of chain outside the ring and wrapped it around the throat of Bravo, choking him out before officials broke it up. When Bravo regained his bearings in the locker room, he was livid and had a unique challenge for Piper. He said that if Piper wanted to use a chain, he could use a chain too. He challenged Piper to a Dog Collar Match! The rules are simple - both men will wear dog collars with a length of chain binding the two combatants together! This is a highly dangerous concept, but Piper didn't hesitate to accept. The match will take place on October 6 at the Boston Garden!
Ric Flair pinned Pat Patterson after a rolling reverse cradle in 0:06:24. Rating: ** 3/4
While his partner Roddy Piper is going crazy, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair has went with the "cheat to win" method in his matches. Flair used that method to perfection tonight against Pat Patterson. After a good first few minutes of wrestling, Flair caught Patterson in a rolling reverse cradle. Flair, being the opportunist that he is, grabbed a handful of tights for extra leverage and got the 1-2-3. Flair had a huge smile on his face after this ruse, but Patterson got a measure of revenge by hitting him with a few punches before tossing him over the top rope to the floor. You have to wonder if Flair still thinks it was a good move to cheat.
The Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika) defeated The Gunslingers (Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk) when Sika pinned T. Funk with the Samoan Drop in 0:17:41. Rating: *** 1/4 (The Wild Samoans won the GCW World Tag Team Titles.)
Despite the skills as a tag team that the Wild Samoans have, Afa & Sika seemed a bit lost being in the United States by themselves. The World Tag Team champion Funk Brothers had hoped to use this clueless nature to their advantage in this title defense. However, they were in complete shock when the Samoans came down with a manager, CAPTAIN LOU ALBANO! The last time we saw Albano he was 9 months ago at the year-end show in this very building being stretchered out after Ivan Koloff Russian Sickled him. It seems that during his time on the injured list Captain Lou has had a change of heart and a change of philosophy, as he was out to help lead the Samoans! The crowd got behind Albano and his new team, but even with this momentum, they still had to beat the Funks - never an easy task. The match was intense and very evenly matched. Afa & Sika had the slight edge in brawling, so Dory Jr. & Terry did their best to turn this into a technical wrestling match. Even with the guidance of Albano, things looked bleak for the Samoans, but a miscue by the Funks ultimately led to their demise. It looked like Terry Funk could have put Sika away at any point, but he chose to continue the punishment despite his brother urging him to put the match away. Instead, Terry asked Dory to get in the ring while Terry held Sika's arms behind his back. Dory Jr. hit the ropes, but Sika moved and Dory hit his brother instead! Dory Jr. went to help his brother up, but instead got clotheslined out of the ring by Afa! Sika hit the Samoan Drop on Terry and got the pin. MSG exploded into cheers as the Wild Samoans were presented the World Tag Team Titles! No one was cheering more than Lou Albano, who obviously has grown quite fond of the lovable savages. The Wild Samoans have now won the titles, but it's an entirely different beast to keep them.
Jumbo Tsuruta pinned Johnny Rodz after a power bomb in 0:04:54. Rating: *** 1/4
Another match, another dominant win for Jumbo Tsuruta. His victim this month was Johnny Rodz, whose "unpredictable" act was to come out dressed in full karate gear. Not only was it slightly offensive, but it only served to piss Jumbo off. Tsuruta took the win after trying to power bomb Rodz through the canvas.
Great Kabuki and Don Muraco defeated The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) when Kabuki defeated Jerry Brisco when Jerry Brisco passed out in the Spinning Toe Hold in 0:14:45. Rating: *** 1/2 [Freddie Blassie interfered against Jerry Brisco.]
One win for Great Kabuki & Don Muraco over the Briscos can be called a fluke. Two wins in a row is skill. You may not have to like them (and trust me, not a lot of people like them), but Kabuki & Muraco are a great team, and the man you have to thank for that is "Classy" Freddie Blassie. The brash and braggart Blassie has taken to managing like a fish to water, and he has his charges believing in his leadership. This return match was far more competitive than the first one was, but the end result would be the same. While Jack Brisco fought with Muraco on the floor, Jerry Brisco got himself trapped in Kabuki's Spinning Toe Hold. The younger Brisco held on for dear life, but the pain became too much for him as he passed out. Jack jumped in the ring to break it up, but he was a little too late as Kabuki & Muraco were announced as the winners. You have to think with two wins over the Briscos that this dangerous team is in line for a title shot.
Loser-Leaves-Town Match: Ivan Koloff pinned Dusty Rhodes after hitting him with a foreign object in 0:16:21. Rating: *** 1/2 [Freddie Blassie interfered against Dusty Rhodes.]
There was a buzz in the air for the next match as when it was over, one man was going to be gone from GCW! The feud between Dusty Rhodes & Ivan Koloff has gotten to the point where the only way to settle it is for one man to leave GCW as a result of this Loser-Leaves-Town match. As you would expect, the fans were solidly behind the American Dream as there may not be anyone in all of wrestling who connects with the fans more than Rhodes. Freddie Blassie has a lot of money invested in Koloff and doesn't want one of his prize charges to be forced to leave. Blassie interfered early, tripping Rhodes up as he hit the ropes. Referee Tommy Young saw this and made a judgment call. He could have disqualified Koloff on the spot, but knowing the importance of this match, instead he sent Blassie to the locker room! Koloff had to go it alone, and you could tell this wasn't part of the plan. Rhodes felt the momentum build for him after this, going straight at the Russian Bear and never backing down. Rhodes had everything going for him when FREDDIE BLASSIE ran back down to ringside. Tommy Young cut him off on the apron, but while Blassie had Young's attention, he threw in a foreign object to Koloff. Rhodes came over and knocked Blassie off the apron with a big Bionic elbow. When Rhodes turned back to Koloff to finish him off, Koloff clocked him with whatever that object was. Rhodes fell like a ton of bricks as Koloff covered him for the 1…2…3. The crowd fell into a stunned silence as Ivan Koloff had his hand raised in victory. It was dirty, but Dusty Rhodes lost and he will now have to leave GCW. The American Dream spent a few minutes saying goodbye to the fans before heading to the back in a very emotional moment. We wish the best of luck to Rhodes in the future. I for one am hoping that Koloff & Blassie get what's coming to them.
Jimmy Snuka defeated Larry Zbyszko by disqualification in 0:08:33. Rating: ***
Jimmy Snuka is still having trouble with his shoulder thanks to Larry Zbyszko, but the proud Polynesian wasn't here to make excuses - he was here to fight. Zbyszko thought that surely his last attack on the Superfly would have put him away, but here Snuka was, shoulder heavily taped but revved up for a fight. Zbyszko realized that he wasn't going to slow down an angry Snuka tonight, so he took a shortcut and got himself disqualified by grabbed a chair from ringside and smashing Snuka in his injured arm. Snuka was in immense pain as Zbyszko threw him into the ring looking to inflict more damage. Zbyszko went to the top turnbuckle with sadistic visions of dropping a splash on Snuka's injured arm, but Snuka rolled out of the way and Zbyszko crashed hard onto the canvas! Zbyszko was down in the ring as Snuka went to the top and showed him how it was down, crashing down hard on Zbyszko with the Superfly Splash! Rumor has it that Zbyszko had his ribs injured thanks to that splash, finally evening the odds in this feud. Despite the injuries, the feud is going to come to an end one way or another on October 6, as Snuka & Zbyszko will meet in a 15-foot high steel cage!
Texas Bullrope Match: Stan Hansen defeated Pedro Morales in 0:16:30. Rating: ** 1/2 (Stan Hansen won the GCW Intercontinental Title.)
Pedro Morales has been able to outwrestle Stan Hansen at every turn, a big reason why Morales took the Intercontinental Title back in Puerto Rico. Hansen has stated that the only reason Morales has gotten the better of him is because Morales only wants to wrestle him in matches that favorite the fiery Puerto Rican. To ultimately shut Hansen up, Morales let the Lariat pick the match under the stipulation that this would be Hansen's last shot at the gold. Hansen picked a Texas Bullrope match, his specialty. Morales did very well for himself, showing that he could adapt to any type of fight. Morales and Hansen pounded on each other for a good chunk of this match. At one point, Morales got Hansen in the Boston Crab and Hansen tapped out, but you don't win a Texas Bullrope by submission, only by touching all four turnbuckles in succession. Morales tried to do so after applying the Crab, but Hansen is a big guy and is a lot of dead weight. Pedro did drag Hansen around the ring to 3 turnbuckles, but when he went for the fourth, Hansen used the rope to pull Morales into the Lariat. Morales' brains were scrambled which allowed Hansen to touch all four turnbuckles and become the first 2-time IC champion. Morales showed how tough he was by accepting this match, but ultimately, Hansen was too much for him in his specialty match.
Harley Race defeated Bob Backlund by disqualification in 0:34:48. Rating: *** 3/4 (Harley Race retained the GCW World Title.) [Arnold Skaaland interfered against Harley Race.]
No fake injuries, no excuses. Harley Race had to defend the World Title against the undefeated Bob Backlund, a man that showed in Albany that he could pin the champ in the middle of the ring. Race is obsessed with being the champion and he will stop at nothing to make sure he keeps the gold around his waist. Throughout this match, Handsome Harley used underhanded tactics any chance he could. Eye gouges, hair pulls, grabbing the ropes for extra leverage in submissions. You think of a cheap tactic, Race did it. Backlund never let it frustrate him though. If Backlund has a biggest strength, it's that he never loses his focus in the ring no matter what is thrown at him. Race pulled out every dirty trick he could think of, but Backlund never strayed from the path and stayed on the offense. Race got flustered to the point that he went to the floor and grabbed the ring bell and brought it into the ring to clock Backlund. At this point, Backlund's manager Arnold Skaaland had seen enough and jumped in the ring, grabbing the bell out of Race's hands. Race yelled at Skaaland to get his "old ass out of the ring," which angered Skaaland who blasted Race in the face with the bell! Though the fans exploded into cheers as Race fell to the mat unconscious, Skaaland's loss of temper resulted in Backlund getting disqualified! Not only is Race still the World champion, but Backlund's undefeated streak is over! Skaaland apologized to Backlund for his actions, and the two shook hands. If Backlund gets another shot at the gold, he has shown that he can be the champion.
After the show was over, Harley Race was furious that Arnold Skaaland interfered and knocked him out with the ring bell. Race was so upset that he offered Skaaland a World Title match in Boston just to get his hands on the Golden Boy. Skaaland has accepted the match, and we will see it in the Boston Garden! Skaaland has never been a champion before, and at age 53, what an amazing story this would be if Skaaland can beat Race!
Card rating: *** 1/4
Match observations:
October 6 will be our next show as we return to the Boston Garden for the first time in 10 months! Here is what we have on tap so far:
WORLD TITLE - Harley Race (c) vs. Arnold Skaaland CAGE MATCH - Jimmy Snuka vs. Larry Zbyszko
We also have learned that Dusty Rhodes will be in the house to officially say goodbye to the GCW fans.
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Post by mdale2k on Jun 15, 2011 14:49:00 GMT -5
Wow great show.
I thought Hansen would win, but the end of the Race/Backlund match was great.
Interested to see where that goes.
Good stuff.
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Post by JoshiQ on Jun 15, 2011 14:50:50 GMT -5
I never thought I'd see the day that the Blackjacks would become the whipping boys of the tag division. I'm not sure who you will come up with to manage them, but I'm sure once they get someone they will be right back at the top. Dog collar match? Sounds awesome to me. And at this time period I can only imagine the buckets of blood that will pour. Flair going over is a good choice. A mini-feud with Patterson could be fun. I'm kind of surprised that the Samoans went over. I like you teaming them with Albano. Reminds me of the Head Shrinkers in '94. I just feel like the Gunslingers need something big to happen to get back on track. For a second there I thought you might have a confrontation between Dory and Terry after the match, but I'm glad you held off on it for now. I can not believe that Rhodes is gone. He had to have quit on you. There's no other explanation. It seems like you are running low on upper card faces. Hopefully he comes back at some point to win the title. He was getting close to the peak of his career too. Hansen back with the IC Title is good. And now that Hansen has the title, I think it was pretty nice of you to give Morales a run with the strap. It might have been his last title reign, and he deserved it. Skaaland, you idiot! Doesn't matter if it's in GCW or the WWF, Skaaland is always costing Backlund his matches. Nice to know that Backlund would have probably beaten Race. There are several ways you can go with Race vs. Skaaland, but my favorite one involves a stretcher.
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Post by LillaThrilla on Jun 15, 2011 21:54:57 GMT -5
There are several ways you can go with Race vs. Skaaland, but my favorite one involves a stretcher. Backlund's manager is expendable at this point. And really I want to see how much heel heat can be on Harley Race before he combusts.
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Post by snabbit888 on Jun 16, 2011 1:20:51 GMT -5
Ha ha. I'm really glad everyone is liking this Harley Race title run. I was worried about it. When I was able to re-sign him, given the circumstances of the world I've created, he had to be given the World Title back right away, which I thought would be unpopular. I've had a lot of fun trying to come up with ways to just make Race the most cowardly sonofabitch possible to keep his title. Two lackeys, a fake injury, goading Skaaland into interfering... it's been fun. Now that I know the angle is getting over, let's see what else I can do to make you guys hate Race.
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Post by asover7s on Jun 16, 2011 1:23:52 GMT -5
You've done a great job with Race as I think he's probably the best heel on the board right now by far.
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Post by mdale2k on Jun 16, 2011 7:49:53 GMT -5
Race is cash money.
I hope he gets his come'upins
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epw
Enhancement Talent
Posts: 29
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Post by epw on Jun 19, 2011 16:50:37 GMT -5
Someones gotta stop Race, I really dought Skaaland will do it, or Backlund. I think someone else is goingto have to step up.
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Post by snabbit888 on Jun 20, 2011 20:51:15 GMT -5
October 6, 1978 - Boston Garden - Boston, MA
Peter Maivia defeated Johnny Rodz by countout in 0:03:40. Rating: *** 1/2 (Stan Hansen no-showed.)
Our opening match was scheduled to be Stan Hansen defending his Intercontinental Title against Peter Maivia, but Hansen was unable to make it tonight due to some undisclosed travel issues. Johnny Rodz stepped in to wrestle the High Chief, feeling his stepping in at the last minute to be highly unpredictable. Maivia didn't see it that way as he gets a quick victory when he knocked Rodz to the floor with a big back elbow and got the countout win.
Interview: Dusty Rhodes says goodbye to the fans.
After our opening match, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes came out for an emotional interview, his last in a GCW ring due to his losing to Ivan Koloff in the Loser-Leaves-Town match in New York. Rhodes was very emotional as he thanked the fans for their support over the years, and said it had been one hell of a ride and that he has no regrets. "All good things must come to an end." At this point, he was joined in the ring by CAPTAIN LOU ALBANO, which made for a tense situation indeed. Albano has caused Rhodes more problems than possibly anyone. Albano told Rhodes he wouldn't blame him if he hauled off and punched him in the face, as after all he had done to the Dream, he deserved it. Albano apologized for the torment he caused Rhodes, and even though he never particularly got along with him, he didn't want to see it end like this, especially at the hands of Ivan Koloff. Venom practically spewed out of Albano's mouth as he discussed what a dishonest person the Russian Bear is and that Albano has a big score to settle with Koloff as well. Albano assured the Dream that he was going to take care of Ivan Koloff, as he had a new wrestler coming to GCW that was going to take care of Koloff. Rhodes and Albano shook hands before Rhodes gave one final goodbye to the fans.
At this point, FREDDIE BLASSIE came down to the ring with his trio of terror in tow - Great Kabuki, Don Muraco, and the aforementioned Ivan Koloff. Blassie laughed at Albano thinking he was going to take out Koloff, the dominant former World champion. Blassie was feeling generous though and said that he would give Albano's new wrestler a match with Koloff at our next show on November 3 in Philadelphia, but he wanted something in return - a six-man tag team match right now with Albano teaming with the Wild Samoans to take on Blassie's trio. Albano accepted, and the match was on!
Great Kabuki, Don Muraco and Ivan Koloff defeated The Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika) and Lou Albano when I. Koloff pinned Afa with the Russian Sickle in 0:08:45. Rating: * 3/4
Before this match, one had to wonder why this six man tag match was one of Blassie's condition to allowing Ivan Koloff wrestle Albano's new charge in Philly. We quickly learned it was because he was looking to put Albano back on the shelf again. Albano has wrestled in the past, but he's primarily been a manager for years. Not only that, but he's coming back from a serious neck injury caused by Koloff last year sop he might as well have had a bullseye on him. The Wild Samoans defended their manager relentlessly though, a testament to how important Albano is to them. In the end though, Albano couldn't offer much in terms of physical support making this more or less a handicap match. Koloff caught Afa with the Russian Sickle and that was that.
We know that in Philly, Koloff will take on Albano's new wrestler. But because of this match, it was also announced that Great Kabuki & Don Muraco will get a crack at the Wild Samoans and the World Tag Team Titles!
Ric Flair made Pat Patterson submit to the Figure-Four Leglock in 0:11:43. Rating: ***
Pat Patterson wanted to teach Ric Flair a lesson after Flair's cheap victory over him in MSG where the Nature Boy won with a handful of tights. Patterson took it out of Flair's hide in Boston, bouncing him around the ring like a bleached blonde bouncey ball. Flair survived the onslaught though and found his opening when he clipped the knee of Patterson. Flair locked on the Figure-Four Leglock, a very painful hold indeed. Patterson held on as long as he could, but while the hold was applied, Flair grabbed onto the bottom rope for extra leverage. The pain was too great for Patterson who was forced to submit, giving the Nature Boy yet another tainted victory. Flair is picking up the wins, but he's really making Patterson angry at this point.
Chief Jay Strongbow and Billy White Wolf defeated The Blackjacks (Blackjack Lanza and Blackjack Mulligan) when White Wolf defeated Mulligan by disqualification in 0:07:05. Rating: ** 3/4
The Blackjacks are still without a manager, and boy are they getting desperate. They once again went up against Chief Jay Strongbow & Billy White Wolf, and the desperation in how Lanza & Mulligan wrestled was quite apparent. They are hurting for a win, and that would lead to their loss tonight. Mulligan saw things weren't going well so he pulled out a pair of brass knuckles from his trunks and blasted Wolf in the jaw with them. It looked like this was going to get them the win they needed, except for one thing - Mulligan forgot to take the knux off! John Stanley saw them before he counted the 3 and disqualified Mulligan, awarding the win to the Native Americans. The Blackjacks need to get their act together soon - they are too good of a team to have fallen this far.
Interview: Bob Backlund wants another shot at Harley Race, but meets GCW's newest superstar instead.
Bob Backlund was painfully close to becoming the World champion, but he came up just short. He was out for a short interview tonight, where he said he forgave his manager Arnold Skaaland for getting involved, mentioning that Skaaland was only doing what any good manager would do - standing up for his wrestler. He wished Skaaland luck in his title match later tonight. Backlund added that no matter who won later, he wanted one more shot at the World Title. At this point, Backlund was joined in the ring by a new wrestler, introducing himself as KEN PATERA. Patera told Backlund he had bigger things to worry about now than the World Title - he had to worry about the strongest man in wrestling, Ken Patera. Backlund didn't get a chance to retort as Patera nailed him with a kick to the stomach before locking him in the Swinging Full Nelson! Patera swung Backlund around like he was a rag doll as officials ran down to try to break the hold. By the time Patera finally let Backlund go, the damage had been done. Backlund suffered a neck injury and will need a few weeks rest, but you have to believe he will be back for a piece of Patera quite soon.
Dog Collar Match: Roddy Piper pinned Dino Bravo after a piledriver in 0:17:59. Rating: * 3/4
We all knew that Roddy Piper was a bit off his rocker, but this first ever Dog Collar match with Dino Bravo showed that he is a sick son of a bitch. Bravo & Piper were attached to each other via dog collars and a 15 foot length of chain, and the possibilities for brutality were endless. Bravo has generally been a mild-mannered guy, but he has shown he can mix it up when he needs to. Well he needed to here as Piper was dead set on hurting Bravo, choking, whipping, and punching Bravo with the steel chain. The tide turned for Bravo when he got the chain wrapped around Piper's neck and hung him over the top rope. From there, he tore into the Rowdy Scot with a sinister assault rarely seen in a wrestling ring. Despite this inner rage, Bravo couldn't keep Piper down, and once Piper got the chain wrapped around Bravo's face, it was all but over. Piper went on the attack before wrapping the chain around Bravo's head and hitting a piledriver to get the 1-2-3 in a terrifically bloody war.
Harley Race pinned Arnold Skaaland with the Piledriver in 0:03:19. Rating: ** (Harley Race retained the GCW World Title.)
Arnold Skaaland's best days in the wrestling ring are far behind him, but he showed last month with his attack of World champion Harley Race that he is still a spirited individual. Race was looking to teach the "old man" a lesson and even agreed to put the World Title on the line to do so. In the opening minute, there was a brief glimmer of hope that the upset of the century would take place as Skaaland came out with full guns blazing, but Race cut him off and went to work before putting Skaaland down with the Piledriver. Race could have left well enough alone, but he wanted to teach Skaaland a lesson to not mess with him as RIC FLAIR joined him in the ring. Flair put Skaaland in the Figure-Four Leglock while Race went up top and came crashing down on Skaaland with two diving headbutts. Skaaland had to be stretchered out after this cowardly attack.
Interview: Harley Race's big mouth gets him into some trouble.
Harley Race should have quit while he was ahead, but as we all know by now that is simply not in his personality. Race, still flanked by Ric Flair, grabbed the microphone and bragged about injuring Arnold Skaaland, hoping that this sent a message to Bob Backlund and everyone else that he cannot be beaten and he will retire as the World champion. Race continued to hammer home the point that there wasn't a man alive who could take the World Title from him. Hubris kicked in as he was confronted in the ring by BILLY GRAHAM. We hadn't seen the Superstar in months and he was back right in Race's face! Graham told Race he begged to differ because he could beat the World champ and wanted a title shot! Race tried to back out of it, luring Graham in so Flair could jump him from behind. But Flair's attack was quickly turned back on him as Graham sent the Nature Boy out of the ring. The turned his attention back to Race, but the champ bailed out. Graham is back in GCW, and he has made his intentions clear - he wants to be World champion once again!
The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) defeated The Gunslingers (Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk) when Jerry Brisco pinned T. Funk after a bridging back suplex in 0:26:11. Rating: **** 1/4
The Funk Brothers are - and please, pardon the pun - in a funk. They lost the World Tag Team Titles in Madison Square Garden and there appeared to be some dissension in the ranks of the Gunslingers. The Funks needed to get back on track, and what better way to do that than a match against perhaps their greatest rivals of all-time, the Brisco Brothers. This was a fantastic tag team match between two teams who know each other so well. They always seem to pull out new moves when they wrestle each other, pretty much necessary for teams that have wrestled each other as much as these two have. The Funks looked to be back on track but Terry missed an avalanche attempt in the corner as Jerry Brisco got out of the way. The younger Brisco caught Terry with a bridging back suplex for the win. Dory Jr. & Terry got into a bit of a shoving match after the match, but cooler heads once again prevailed.
Jumbo Tsuruta pinned Pedro Morales with the Jumbo Knee in 0:12:32. Rating: ** 3/4
The crowd was torn in our semi-main event as two of the more popular wrestlers in GCW went one-on-one. Not only that, but we had two former World champions as Jumbo Tsuruta took on the legendary Pedro Morales. You don't get to see many matches like this - two great wrestlers who aren't resorting to cheating or underhanded tactics. Instead, they want to wrestle as hard as they can to see who the better man is. These two are friends, but they wrestle from very different points. Jumbo may be a little faster, stronger, and younger, but Morales has a fiery temper and boatloads of experience. As the match wore on, Morales' temper started to flare and we thought this was going to deteriorate into a full-fledged brawl. Morales got careless and Jumbo caught him with a power bomb for a nearfall. Morales seemed to use his last bit of strength to kick out of the power bomb as he then ate the Jumbo Knee. Jumbo picks up a huge victory. After the match, the two former champs shook hands.
Cage Match: Jimmy Snuka defeated Larry Zbyszko by escaping the cage in 0:15:29. Rating: *** 1/2
A brief intermission took place while the ring crew set up the 15-foot high steel cage for our main event. "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka & Larry Zbyszko have been beating the crap out of each other for a couple months now, and that was illustrated by Snuka's taped up shoulder & Zbyszko's taped up ribs. Despite these injuries, both men felt they had a lot to prove and weren't letting those injuries affect them too much. The crowd was firmly behind the Superfly, wanting to see the cocky Zbyszko get what is coming to him. Zbyszko wasn't going to make it easy as he worked on Snuka's injured shoulder. Snuka's arm was bothering him so much that at one point he tried to climb the cage, but his arm was more or less just dangling. He couldn't get up the cage fast enough and Zbyszko crotched him on the top rope before bringing him into the ring with a superplex! We thought this would be Zbyszko's key to victory, but he couldn't capitalize as Snuka cut him off with a low blow before he got to the door. Snuka hit a bodyslam and then started climbing again, but found it to be too difficult because of the shoulder. However, he did jump off the top turnbuckle and crash onto Zbyszko's wounded ribs with the Superfly Splash! Snuka was hurt, but he had enough in him to get out the door and hit the floor, winning what has become his specialty match.
Card rating: ***
Match observations:
1978 is approaching its end as we are all looking forward to the big year end show from MSG! But we have two more stops on the way, first of all in Philadelphia on November 3! Here is what we have lined up right now:
MAIN EVENT - Billy Graham/Dino Bravo/Pat Patterson vs. Harley Race/Ric Flair/Roddy Piper WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES - The Wild Samoans (c) vs. Don Muraco/Great Kabuki Ivan Koloff vs. Lou Albano's new wrestler Plus, Ken Patera makes his in-ring debut!
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Post by mdale2k on Jun 20, 2011 22:50:49 GMT -5
Great stuff here... Billy Graham to challenge for Thr title i like it
Also interested in albano's new man
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Post by JoshiQ on Jun 21, 2011 0:43:42 GMT -5
Never thought I'd see Albano and Rhodes together. Makes for an odd pairing. Since we are only a card away, I think it's okay to predict that the Midnight Rider makes his GCW debut on the next show? If so, I will mark out. Ken Patera! I haven't thought of him in years. A feud with Backlund is great way to build Patera up immensely, but it's hard to see Backlund already drop back out of the World Title scene. It feels like he just got there. Hopefully, this will just be a small distraction while Race feuds with Graham, and then we will get Backlund versus Race for real. I was beginning to wonder why Backlund didn't come out to rescue Skaaland, but I forgot about the minor neck injury he suffered. Very clever writing. I take it Skaaland is taking a vacation? Graham/Race is a gold mine. There is so much you can do with them, and they are both great as heels. I don't think they did heel/heel stuff very often at this time, but I would definitely be down for it if you kept them both on the rulebreaking side. Oh, and a Flair/Graham match has to be in GCW's future. Don't take this the wrong way, but I really hope we don't see another Funk/Funk feud. It seems like I've seen enough of that feud in the '70s. Snuka/Zbyszko was a fun way to end the show, but Snuka is always fun in the cage. Great card, and I'm really starting to wonder which way you will go for the end show in MSG. You have several options for Race. Graham/Race is a dream match, but it feels like Backlund is the one you have been building up for that spot. Guess I'll just have to wait and see!
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Post by asover7s on Jun 21, 2011 0:52:11 GMT -5
Very intrigued by who Captain Lou's new guy is going to be. I'll be the first to admit that my knowledge of this era aint the best and I've been trying to think about who might be a new young face around this time. Hogan maybe? Andre? A Von Erich?
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Post by snabbit888 on Jun 21, 2011 1:00:28 GMT -5
Patera is a wrestler who I never knew a ton about, but the more I've looked stuff up about him, the more I've got to like him. There was a period in the late 70s/early 80s where he was a greatly despised heel, and I need someone like that.
I'm with you on Funk/Funk. It's more that they need a story while I figure out what to do with them. I need to get them away from the Samoans while Albano feuds with Blassie. And truthfully, I wanted to leave the possibility of the Funk/Funk match open because Terry's contract was up after this card (he thankfully re-signed).
I'm in a really weird spot with Race, at least talking long term. I have four potential wrestlers that could dethrone him, so I'm giving some feuds some runs while I figure out who is the best man for the job. And Graham gives Race a different kind of opponent that he needs to figure out to keep the World Title around his waist.
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Post by rey619 on Jun 21, 2011 4:10:25 GMT -5
Once again I'm falling behind..
September 8
The Blackjacks are on the bottom of the tag team rankings now, surely. But I bet the losing streak will quickly change once you assign them a manager.
Wow, first Dog Collar Match?
Didn't see Albano coming out as a manager for the Samoans. Gunslingers without any belt whatsoever now.
Oh no.. Dusty quit on you, didn't he?
Whoops, the Gunslingers just took back a belt though. Morales held on to that belt a while longer than I anticipated, but it did give us several great matches between the two.
I don't think Race is finished with Backlund, and I still believe he will be the one to dethrone Race. Nice diversion with Skaaland. Something tells me Race will put him on the shelf permanently.
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Post by JoshiQ on Jun 21, 2011 9:44:05 GMT -5
I owned Survivor Series '87 on VHS, and I use to watch it over and over again. That was pretty much the only match I had ever seen of Patera until a few years ago. Looking back at his stuff now, he was pretty awesome.
I think Backlund, Graham, Dusty (if he was still around), and Jumbo could all be good choices to dethrone Race. Maybe even Snuka or Morales. You are definitely not lacking for challengers to Race.
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Post by LillaThrilla on Jun 21, 2011 12:05:45 GMT -5
I am reminded that Hogan was heavily inspired by Billy Graham especially his appearance, but I don't think they were ever in WWF at the same time for that to become relevant. Might interesting to see some kind of Hogan-idolizes-Graham Hogan-comes-to-realize-Graham-is-a-douche Hogan-dethrones-his-idol story arc.
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