[GCW Universe] National Wrestling Federation

[snabbit888]

Strongbow needed a big win to show Raschke that he means business and he did just that. I think Raschke ultimately wins that feud, but still, good way to start.

Bob Orton Jr. is an interesting pick for David's temporary partner. But I kind of dig the pairing. He'll return the tag titles? Ha. Fat chance. Lawler again gets into it with Valentine. Something's gotta give in that feud. May need a cage match to solve this one.

LOL. Bass is so grumpy. No high-flying crap, Rougeau! And you better stay off his lawn too.

Well Akbar got the Thunderbolt Right banned - for a match anyway. I liked how this match here played out. I wonder what else Patterson can find to get past 500 pounds. Think Patterson might get the worst of the next encounter.

Raschke dominates again. You're building him up as quite the monster.

When's Murdoch going to get tired of taking his lumps? I like Tony Atlas. Probably way more than I should really. He should be a future star.

Briscos out of the tag tourney is HUGE. It was a little shady, but really, it was more clean than dirty. Ventura & Adonis are the real deal, and might be my pick for the first tag champs.

Liked the finish to the main event. Graham keeps his title, but more or less screwed Race out of it. Race needs to be built a little more sympathetic, and this will go a long way to doing that. I think this is building to Race eventually winning the title, but for now, the chase is a lot of fun.

[JoshiQ]

Results of NWF - Oklahoma City, OK - 10/13/79:

[Semi-Finals]:
David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. defeated Tony Atlas and Tommy Rich when Orton pinned Rich with the Superplex in 0:13:06.
Rating: ** 3/4

On a night that was going to focus mainly on the tag team scene of the NWF, David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. were able to just barely squeak away with a win over Tommy Rich and Tony Atlas. This match was back and forth with neither team really getting the advantage. Rich finally made a mistake by going up to the top rope without having Orton properly softened up. Orton caught him up there and was able to bring him down with his devastating Superplex. David Von Erich was able to hold Tony Atlas off long enough for Orton to get the three count. After the match, all four men shook hands with one another, apparently holding no hard feelings for anything that occurred during the match. We would be seeing David and Orton again later on in the night in the finals of the tournament to crown new World Tag Team Champions.

[Semi-Finals]:
East-West Connection (Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura) defeated The High Flyers (Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne) when Ventura made Brunzell submit to the Inverted Body Vice in 0:11:21.
Rating: ** ¼

East-West Connection was coming off a huge victory over the Brisco Brothers last month to get to the semi-finals. They tried to use that momentum to steamroll right past the High Flyers, but Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell have too much experience to let that happen. We ended up getting a hotly contested tag team match that both teams came very close to winning. Jesse Ventura and Adrian Adonis started using every cheap shot in the book to try and get the advantage over Gagne and Brunzell. It finally worked when Ventura punched Brunzell in the throat and hooked in him the Inverted Body Vice. Gagne tried to motivate him to escape the hold, but with him having a hard time breathing and the painful submission hold applied, Brunzell was forced to give it up. East-West Connection would move on to face David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. later on tonight in the finals.

Ron Bass pinned Jerry Estrada with the Gourdbuster in 0:07:00.
Rating: * ¾

“Outlaw” Ron Bass’ mean streak continued tonight after Jerry Estrada almost pulled off an upset victory. Bass had Estrada propped up in the corner and went to charge him, but Estrada ducked out of the way. Bass nailed the turnbuckles chest first and staggered right back into a roll up. Bass was barely able to kick out before the count of three, and he was not a happy cowboy when he realized he had almost lost the match. He clobbered Estrada with an open handed slap that must have really rung his bell. Estrada tried to fight back, but Bass kept shrugging it off before planting him with the Gourdbuster. Bass got up in Estrada’s face and told him to never to embarrass him like that again. Bass left Estrada laying in the ring with a hard kick to the ribs.

The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) defeated Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka when Jack Brisco made Tanaka submit to the Figure-Four Leglock in 0:13:27.
Rating: ** ½

The Brisco Brothers were very upset about how they were eliminated from the tag team tournament by the East-West Connection last month in Joplin, Missouri. They were out here tonight to prove that they still had what it takes to be the top tag team in the world. They were up against another tag team that was eliminated surprisingly early in the tournament in Skandor Akbar’s team of Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka. Jack and Jerry Brisco were able to minimize Akbar’s interference long enough for Jack to lock Tanaka in the Figure-Four Leglock and get the submission victory. They have made it clear that they want another shot to win the tag titles, and have challenged whoever wins the titles tonight to a match in Tulsa, OK, on November 14th. As for Fuji and Tanaka, they are going to have to go back to the drawing board with Akbar to get things back on track.

No-DQ-Match:
Jerry Lawler pinned Greg Valentine with the Piledriver in 0:15:11.
Rating: *** ¾

Greg Valentine defeated Jerry Lawler last month with the added help of a pair of brass knuckles. That was just one war these two men have already had with one another, but this match was the first one to turn into a bloodbath. Valentine brought out his brass knuckles again and clobbered Lawler above the right eye with them. This time, however, Lawler was able absorb the blow despite the cut that was opened up. Blood started to leak into his eye, but that seemed to just enrage “The King.” Lawler got back to his feet, dropped the shoulder strap of his singlet, and really went to work on Valentine. Lawler went to his own tights to pull out what looked like a roll of quarters. Lawler nailed Valentine across the jaw with them which sent change flying everywhere and Valentine down to the mat. It was revealed that Valentine was also bleeding from the cheek and his hairline. Somehow, Valentine was able to get back up, and the two men continued to exchange fists. It looked like this match could go on for quite some time, but both men started to wear down. Lawler was finally able to hit his Piledriver, but it didn’t look like he got all of it. Still, after all of that punishment, it was just enough to get the three count. Lawler got his hand raised with blood covering his face while Valentine’s hair looked like it had been dyed red. The referee tried to check up on Valentine, but he pushed him away.

Lawler never saw the attack coming as he tried to regain his composure after the match. Valentine drilled him with a chop block to the back of his knee. Valentine proceeded to drag Lawler to the center of the ring and lock on the Figure-Four Leglock. Lawler tried his best to escape the hold, but Valentine had it cinched on tight. It looked like Lawler would be seriously injured when Thunderbolt Patterson ran down the aisle. Valentine saw him coming and quickly released the hold before Patterson could get his hands on him. Thunderbolt has a match later on tonight, but it was clear that he was not about to sit around in the back and watch a man be injured after the bell was rung. Patterson helped Lawler to his feet, but it was obvious that Lawler was having some trouble standing. After the show, rumor was that Lawler had to be fitted for a cast on his leg, but there was no verification. Lawler will be in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but it looks like he might be held out of competition.

Dick Murdoch pinned Raymond Rougeau with the Gourdbuster in 0:04:49.
Rating: * ¾

Dick Murdoch has not been happy with the recent turn of events where Tommy Rich has been getting the upper hand on him. He decided to take it out on Raymond Rougeau tonight, attacking him before the bell, and not letting up. The Gourdbuster finished Rougeau off. Murdoch will get his wish next month as he will face “Wildfire” Tommy Rich in one on one action.

[Finals]:
Match for the vacant NWF World Tag Team Titles:
David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. defeated East-West Connection (Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura) when D. Von Erich made Ventura submit to the Iron Claw in 0:11:27.
Rating: *** 3/4
(David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. won the NWF World Tag Team Titles.)

What a major upset! David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr., a team that wasn’t originally entered into the tournament at all, have come out of this evening as World Tag Team Champions! East-West Connection did not seem to take them too seriously, but as the match wore on, they knew they were in for a fight. By that point, it was almost too late. Still, Ventura and Adonis were able to make a comeback, and the match was really up in the air until the Brisco Brothers made an appearance in the aisle. They’ve been feuding with the East-West Connection, but it was unclear if they were out there to do them harm or just get a better look at who won the titles. Either way, Ventura became distracted by Jack and Jerry Brisco and started to yell at them from the ring. When Ventura turned back around, he walked right into the Iron Claw! Adonis tried to make the save, but Bob Orton Jr. cut him off with several European Uppercuts. Ventura submitted and we had new Tag Team Champions!

After the match, the Brisco Brothers entered the ring to shake hands with Orton and Von Erich. Von Erich got on the microphone and agreed with the Briscos that they should be their first challengers. This upset the East-West Connection, obviously, who tried to reenter the ring and ambush both teams. All this got them was a couple of dropkicks, one from Jerry Brisco and one from David Von Erich, that sent them back to the outside. They continued to throw a fit as the Brisco Brothers applauded David and Orton as they were handed the tag team titles.

[Thunderbolt Right - Banned]:
Crusher Blackwell pinned Thunderbolt Patterson with the Big Splash in 0:10:11.
Rating: * ¼

Skandor Akbar finally got his wish as Crusher Blackwell would get a match with Thunderbolt Patterson with the Thunderbolt Right banned from being used. We immediately saw that this would be a factor in the match when, after a few minutes, Crusher missed a charge into the corner, turned around, and Thunderbolt had his fist cocked as if he we were going for his Thunderbolt Right. He stopped himself at the last second, but this allowed Blackwell to regain control of the match. Akbar was constantly on the referee’s case, warning him that Thunderbolt was about to use the Thunderbolt Right even when Patterson wasn’t on offense. Thunderbolt was able to avoid most of Crusher’s powerful offensive maneuvers, but he couldn’t come up with anything to put Blackwell down for the three count. Finally, Patterson grabbed a hold of Crusher and nailed him with three consecutive headbutts that knocked Blackwell to the mat. It seemed like that might be the opportunity Patterson was looking for, but things went awry when Greg Valentine ran down the aisle with a big bandage up in his hairline. Patterson saw him coming and was immediately distracted. Patterson went to go after Valentine, but Valentine hopped back off the ring apron to avoid Thunderbolt’s grasp. This allowed Blackwell to get back to his feet. Seconds later, Thunderbolt went for an attempt at a high cross bodyblock, but Crusher caught him and slammed him to the mat with a powerslam that shook the ring. Crusher got back to his feet only to nail Patterson with the Big Splash. Thunderbolt’s legs moved like he wanted to kick out, but there was no force behind it, and Blackwell picked up the big win. After the match, Valentine laid the boots to Thunderbolt, telling him to never get involved in his business again. Akbar shook Valentine’s hand after the beatdown had commenced. Thunderbolt is not going to be happy once he recovers, and he’ll definitely want to get his revenge on the man that possibly cost him the match tonight.

Harley Race and Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Billy Graham and Baron Von Raschke when Strongbow pinned Raschke after a flying Tomahawk in 0:13:01.
Rating: ** ¼

Harley Race has a history with a lot of the talent on the NWF roster and much of it is not pleasant. Chief Jay Strongbow is one of those guys that haven’t always seen eye to eye with Race, but tonight, somehow, they were able to form a pretty solid tag team to do battle with their own respective enemies. “Superstar” Billy Graham and Baron Von Raschke, on the other hand, tried their best, but it was a pretty awkward display of teamwork. Percy Pringle tried to get them both on the same page, but they had troubles in cutting the ring off against their opponents. Part of the problem might have been that Graham, once again, tried to avoid being in the ring at all costs against Race. Graham would continue to ridicule Race throughout the match, but he would not lock up with him. Raschke is a very tough and violent man, but even he can only last so long against a strong pairing like Race and Strongbow. Race waited and waited, but he finally couldn’t take any more of Graham’s taunting, left the ring apron, and pulled Graham down from his corner. Race and Graham proceeded to brawl around ringside while Strongbow and Raschke, the two legal men, continued to do battle inside. Raschke had been successfully worn down throughout the match, however, and this gave Strongbow a huge advantage. A series of Tomahawk Chops bloodied Raschke’s nose, and they were followed by a thunderous flying Tomahawk off the middle turnbuckle. Raschke hit the math just long enough for Strongbow to hook a leg and get the surprising three count!

Strongbow quickly left the ring after the decision was announced, but Raschke was irate as he stormed around the ring, still bleeding from the nose. While Graham and Race were being separated at ringside, Strongbow said Raschke made him pour out his blood back in August, and tonight, he proved that Raschke is not a monster and that he, too, bleeds like the rest of us. The amount of blood he spilled tonight was not going to be enough, however, as he wanted it to flow like a river. Strongbow challenged Raschke to a match in November where the first person to bust the other open would be victorious. Raschke, blood hungry as he is, did not hesitate to accept.

After the show was over, Race petitioned for another title match with Graham since it was obvious he was running scared. Unfortunately for him, the championship committee had already approved a challenger that Graham had recommended, Raymond Rougeau. Race was furious at the decision, but it looks like he is stuck waiting again.

November 14, 1979 – Tulsa, OK:

WORLD TITLE - Billy Graham© vs. Raymond Rougeau
WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES – David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. © vs. The Brisco Brothers
FIRST BLOOD - Chief Jay Strongbow vs. Baron Von Raschke
Dick Murdoch vs. Tommy Rich
Greg Valentine vs. Thunderbolt Patterson

[snabbit888]

Great booking for the tag tournament. I honestly thought it was going to be the East-West Connection walking away with the titles, but was happy with Orton & Von Erich winning. It will lead to interesting stories, especially with Orton Jr. already promising to hand the title over to Kevin once Kevin is healthy. I don't think he will actually do it.

Strong win for Bass. Looks like you're trying to build him up a little.

Briscos will get the first title shot, and rightfully so. Don't think they're going to win though, especially with Ventura & Adonis pissed off about not getting a rematch. Between that and the impending return of Kevin Von Erich, there's a lot of intrigue in your tag division right now.

Really liked the no-DQ match. Lawler gets the win he needs, but Valentine gets his heat back by more or less breaking the King's leg. When will Lawler get his revenge? Not next show I'd bet.

Ray Rougeau gets his head beat in, and then gets a World Title shot? Oh you crafty Billy Graham...

Valentine keeps getting involved in everything, doesn't he? Patterson had to lose that match since the odds were stacked against him. It'll be interesting to see if he finds an alternative move to win matches.

Good main event, and First Blood matches are always great, intense brawls. I don't see this ending well for Chief Jay Strongbow though.

[rey619]

9/15/79

I didn't think of it before, but NWF is the same initials as the wrestling promotion I'm involved with here in Norway - Norwegian Wrestling Federation

Orton Jr. as a partner to von Erich makes sense. They're both Texans, right? You didn't try to hire Gene Anderson, did you?

I also like it that you spread the tournament out over several shows. We tried to put on a tag-team tournament with 8 teams once, and the crowd got kinda burned out on tag-team matches. Variation is a key piece to booking.

I don't quite know what the Rougeau bomb is, but I guess it's very contemporary to have wrestlers like Bass freak out when somebody tries something from the top rope.

Interesting to see if Patterson can defeat Blackwell without the use of the Thunderbolt Right..

Cool way to finish the World Title match and continue the feud!

I think the E-W Connection will reach the finals, but I think a face team will win. Perhaps von Erich and Orton jr? I think your original plan was for the von Erich's to win it, it'll be interesting to see if you'll go with your original plan now that Kerry is injured.

10/13/79

Are you trying to be the cutting edge response to GCW? Instead of front facelocks and Atomic Drops, you have superplexes and top-rope moves? The 1979 Internet smarks must love NWF for all those kewl movez

OK, so I picked the finalists at least, let's see if I picked the right winner. Don't know if you want to put all the power with Graham and his cronies.

Man, Fuji and Tanaka can't get a break in NWF. GOod win for the Briscos if they want to become the first contenders to the champs, whoever they might turn out to be.

Lawler's feud with Valentine continues, and a storyline injury is textbook booking. Maybe we'll even see a Valentine vs Patterson encounter as well?

Wohoo! I was right. But since I posted my predictions after you posted the card, you might all accuse me of cheating I think it's the best decision though, as this can lead to some conflict when Kerry comes back.

Oh yeah, we're definitely going to see Patterson going up against Valentine. Don't know if Patterson/Blackwell is over, but the feud might have ended in some kind of draw, strengthening both men.

Good main event, don't know why Rougeau's getting a title shot, but I guess Graham just wants an easy title defense.

[JoshiQ]

Ryan:

The tag team scene is probably one of my favorite things to write right now. There are a lot of different ways I could go, but I think I have it booked where it should be a pretty fun ride.

Rey:

The Superplex surprised me as Orton's finisher, but I did some research, and according to some results, Orton won his matches with the move quite a bit. The export had it as his finisher, too. I figured the Superplex didn't come into play until the early '80s, but I guess I was wrong.

The same can be said for Raymond Rougeau. I couldn't find hardly anything about the Rougeau Bomb, but it's on Wiki and in his export as his finisher, so I went with it. I know he was considered a high flyer back then despite not doing nearly anything close to what we see now.

BTW, it's Kevin Von Erich, not Kerry.

Thanks for the comments, guys!

[JoshiQ]

Results of NWF - Tulsa, OK - 11/14/79:

Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka defeated The High Flyers (Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne) when Tanaka made Brunzell submit to the Japanese Sleeper in 0:10:35.
Rating: ***

Skandor Akbar has apparently lit a new fire under Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka. Not that they didn’t have some problems with the High Flyers, but they were able to keep their errors to a minimum. Tanaka’s Japanese Sleeper is one of the deadliest holds currently in the NWF, and once he had it applied on Brunzell, it was only a matter of time before he was going goodnight. If Akbar can keep Fuji and Tanaka focused, they have the experience to get right back in the thick of things for the Tag Team Titles.

Ron Bass pinned Tony Atlas with the Gourdbuster in 0:08:27.
Rating: * ½

“Outlaw” Ron Bass has shown quite the temper as of late, but tonight he’d be going up against a guy that wouldn’t be pushed around. Atlas and Bass went right after one another, like the two bulls they are. With as hard as they were hitting each other, it was amazing that the match went on as long as it did. One of those shots would fell a normal man, but they were able to show just how tough they were by absorbing everything the other had to offer. It finally took Bass’ Gourdbuster to get the three count after Atlas telegraphed a back bodydrop. After the match, it looked like Bass was rather upset that Atlas gave him such a tough challenge, but when he went to punish Atlas even further, Atlas pushed him away and nailed him with a clothesline. Bass hit the mat and quickly rolled to the outside, but he appeared to be furious at Atlas. These two men will meet again in St. Louis, MO, on December 1st.

Crusher Blackwell pinned Jerry Estrada with the Big Splash in 0:05:48.
Rating: * 1/4

Crusher Blackwell has been running right through his opponents so far in the NWF. All of them, that is, except Thunderbolt Patterson. Last month, he was finally able to secure a pinfall victory over Thunderbolt, but it wasn’t without some controversy as Greg Valentine was involved with the decision. Crusher Blackwell would face off against Jerry Estrada tonight and Estrada tried his best to handle the much larger man, but there’s only so much you can do to a man that nearly weighs 500 pounds. Blackwell was able to shrug Estrada off for most of the match before nailing him with the Big Splash to put an exclamation mark on the match.

After the match was over, Skandor Akbar got on the ringside microphone and announced on December 1st the NWF had agreed to hold a 15 man battle royal. Not only that, but the NWF was going to crown a new champion. The man that wins the battle royal would represent the United States as that man would be called the United States Champion. Akbar said there was no better person to showcase just what the United States has to offer than Crusher Blackwell. Akbar threw Blackwell’s name into the hat for the battle royal and with him involved, it would be silly to bet on anyone else. Who can throw a nearly 500 pound man over the top rope?

Dick Murdoch pinned Tommy Rich with the Gourdbuster in 0:10:58.
Rating: ***

Dick Murdoch and Tommy Rich have had their troubles as of late. Murdoch continues to feel like he is being disrespected by Rich, but it would seem that Rich just doesn’t want to be ridiculed during their matches. Murdoch learned his lesson from last time as he did not let up once he gained the advantage. Tommy Rich fought right back with the intensity that gave him the nickname “Wildfire.” The match really could have gone either way, but Murdoch was able to catch Tommy Rich going for a high crossbody as he came off the ropes. Murdoch dropped him with a backbreaker and followed that up with the Gourdbuster to get the W. Murdoch did not attempt anything after the match, apparently satisfied that he pinned Rich in the middle of the ring. Rich may not have gotten Murdoch’s respect after the match, he did get the fans’ as they gave him a nice round of applause. Both men will be involved in the US Title battle royal in St. Louis, and it looks like Murdoch might be carrying some momentum going into the match.

Harley Race pinned Ole Anderson with the Piledriver in 0:08:25.
Rating: ** ½

Harley Race was not in the mood to play around. He felt like he should be getting the World Title shot tonight, and he probably should be. The only problem was that “Superstar” Billy Graham had already given the shot to Raymond Rougeau. Ole Anderson is a guy that you can always count on to give you a tough challenge, but Race was in another gear. The diving headbutt probably could have put Ole away, but Race wanted to finish him with the Piledriver.

After the match, Race stuck around ringside. It became clear as to why he was doing this when the next match was announced as the NWF World Champion bout. Billy Graham and Race shared a few words with one another, none of them pleasant, before the bell rang. Graham was not happy that Race was staying at ringside, but with Race in as foul of a mood as he was, nobody was wanting to tell him to leave.

Billy Graham defeated Raymond Rougeau when Raymond Rougeau passed out in the Bearhug in 0:09:05.
Rating: *** 1/4
(Billy Graham retained the NWF World Title.)

Billy Graham had to think that he was going to be in for an easy title defense tonight, but he was wrong. Not only did Race give Graham fits on the outside, but Raymond Rougeau knew this was the opportunity of a lifetime, and he was not going to let it slip by. Rougeau came close several times to stealing the title away from Graham, but Graham was not going to let the title go easily. Things grew harder for Graham when Race let the referee know whenever he was trying something illegal including using the ropes for extra leverage on certain submission holds. Race actually got himself physically involved in the match when Graham bounced off the ropes and Race tripped him from the outside. Rougeau immediately capitalized with a flying clothesline that almost gave him the upset. Graham somehow kicked out, but things looked dire for the World Champion. It took Jesse Ventura and Adrian Adonis, the East-West Connection, stepping out from the entranceway to distract Race long enough for Graham to lock Rougeau in the Bearhug and get the victory. Their job complete, the East-West Connection stuck around to get Billy Graham out of there before any harm could come to him.

Harley Race did not appear to be upset with the result of the match, but he did grab a microphone from ringside. Race told Graham that he would be out there for each and every title defense of his until he granted him a proper rematch. Graham shook his head to say that Race couldn’t do that, but Race said there was no one that would be able to stop him. Graham convened with the East-West Connection before eventually agreeing to give Race his match next month in St. Louis. Race has to be happy, but Graham wouldn’t agree to a match with Race unless he had a plan.

Thunderbolt Patterson pinned Greg Valentine with the Thunderbolt Right in 0:12:51.
Rating: ** ½

Things looked pretty bleak for Thunderbolt Patterson right off the bat when Greg Valentine was accompanied to the ring by Crusher Blackwell and Skandor Akbar. They apparently wanted a first row seat in watching Valentine go at it with their arch-rival. Akbar immediately got in the ring and warned the referee about the Thunderbolt Right, but the ref would have none of it as he ordered him back to the outside. Valentine took this opportunity to blindside Patterson, however, giving him the early advantage. Thunderbolt has been embroiled in his feud with Crusher for so long that he was not accustomed to dealing with someone like Valentine. Greg Valentine focused his attack on Thunderbolt’s knee for most of the match which would have been bad enough, but he also had to deal with Akbar and Blackwell interfering on the outside. This went on for quite some time when Jerry Lawler came down to ringside on crutches! His leg was in a cast, apparently broken from Valentine’s attack last month. Blackwell never saw him coming, and most definitely never saw the crutch before it smashed into his back. Blackwell collapsed on the outside as Akbar sprinted away from Lawler. Lawler was unable to chase after him, but he had already done the damage that was needed. Valentine was clearly distracted by Lawler’s presence and was pretty upset that he had disposed of his allies at ringside. When he finally decided to put his head back into the match, he turned around right into the Thunderbolt Right! Patterson scored the pinfall as Lawler slowly made his way into the ring.

Lawler told Valentine that he may have broken his leg last month, but he’s had worse injuries before, and this was not going to stop him. Lawler said when Valentine had him locked in his Figure-Four Leglock all he wanted to do was to quit. But that was not something he would allow himself to do to a piece of horse manure like Greg Valentine. Valentine started to come to as Lawler told him that if he really wanted to find out who the tougher man is then he would meet him in the ring in St. Louis in an I Quit match. Lawler threw the mic at Valentine before leaving the ring. As Lawler hobbled to the back, Valentine told Lawler he was crazy, but if he wanted to wrestle him in an I Quit match with a broken leg, he accepted. He promised to put Lawler out of wrestling. Meanwhile, Thunderbolt Patterson and Crusher Blackwell will have another chance to settle their score as they were both signed to enter the 15 man battle royal for the new United States Title.

First Blood Match:
Baron Von Raschke defeated Chief Jay Strongbow in 0:13:59.
Rating: 1/2*

Both men have been in battles before, but tonight was a totally different scenario. One of these men would be busted open before the night was over, and the overall mood was extremely intense. Percy Pringle had his man, Baron Von Raschke, well prepared for this match as he knew not to go for any normal wrestling maneuvers, instead sticking to strict brawling. Chief Jay Strongbow did not go down easily, firing back with his own Tomahawk Chops. Both men continued to fire away at one another, hoping for that one lucky shot that would break skin. A Tomahawk Chop off the middle turnbuckle was enough to knock Raschke off of his feet at one point, but it looked like Strongbow had been knocked a little loopy as he locked Raschke in the Indian Deathlock. Raschke was in a great deal of pain, but it was not the object of the match. Percy Pringle, seeing the possibility of an injury to his money ticket, quickly grabbed a wooden chair from ringside and slid it into the ring. Pringle looked like he was going to enter the ring, but Strongbow released Raschke, and caught him coming through the ropes with a kick to the midsection. Pringle fell to the outside while Raschke regained his composure and grabbed the chair. When Strongbow turned around, Raschke sent the chair crashing into Strongbow’s head. The wooden chair shattered as Strongbow fell backwards to the mat. Raschke quickly locked in the Claw, a move that has caused many men to have their flesh torn open. Within several seconds of applying the hold, blood started to flow out from where Raschke’s grip was. Once referee Isaac Madilla saw the crimson mask, he immediately called for the bell. Raschke got back to his feet with a bloody hand that he pounded on to his chest, leaving a bloody handprint near his heart. Raschke and Pringle walked to the back with a huge victory as Strongbow was checked out by the medic on duty.

The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) defeated David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. when Jack Brisco defeated Orton by disqualification in 0:12:52.
Rating: ** 1/2
(David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. retained the NWF World Tag Team Titles.)

All four men seem to have a great deal of respect for one another, and it showed before the match as they all shook hands. David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. surprised the world when they came out of the tag team tournament as the champions, but things were not going to get any easier for them when their first challengers were the Briscos, especially in the Brisco’s home state of Oklahoma. Jack and Jerry Brisco gave the champions a bit of a wrestling lesson at the start of the match as they worked Von Erich and Orton over on the mat. This eventually frustrated the champions enough to fire back with their fists. What started out as a friendly affair pretty quickly turned violent. It looked like the Brisco Brothers’ experience would win out in the end when Jack locked Orton in the Figure-Four Leglock. Orton fought with all of his heart, but he was in the center of the ring, and it looked like there was no choice but for him to submit. That is until the East-West Connection stormed the ring. Jesse Ventura quickly took care of Jack with a legdrop while Adrian Adonis pulled Jerry Brisco off the ring apron and nailed him with several uppercuts. Adonis threw Jerry into the guardrail, taking him out of action, while Ventura picked Jack up and locked him in the Inverted Body Vice. David Von Erich saw this happening and tried to make the save, but Adonis had reentered the ring, and he and Ventura double teamed David. Orton was still feeling the effects of Jack’s Figure-Four, but even so, he tried to save his partner. The result was both the Brisco Brothers and the World Tag Team Champions laid out in the center of the ring. The crowd became very rowdy at this point with their state heroes unconscious. They started to throw their drinks, food, and other assorted items at the East-West Connection. Ventura and Adonis decided to get out of there before anything major happened, but they had accomplished their goal.

It appears that since they didn’t win the tag team titles, they don’t want the Briscos winning them either. Not to mention the fact that they must hold a grudge against David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. for defeating them in the finals. Something will have to be done about this and soon.

December 1, 1979 – St. Louis, MO:
WORLD TITLE – Billy Graham © vs. Harley Race
15 MAN BATTLE ROYAL FOR THE UNITED STATES TITLE
I QUIT MATCH – Jerry Lawler vs. Greg Valentine
Tony Atlas vs. Ron Bass

[snabbit888]

Fuji & Tanaka get back on track, which is something I like to see.

Ron Bass with a good win in his own right, but should have quit while he was ahead. Don't think he'll be able to best Atlas twice in a row.

Blackwell wins a squash, and really, I know it's a wrestling cliche to think the biggest man in a battle royal will win it because it rarely works out that way, but with how Crusher has been built up, I wouldn't be shocked to see him him it anyway.

Awww.... Rich loses. Wildfire is really growing on me at this point. This is a good feud to get him some traction. Hopefully he has a good showing in the battle royal.

Race with a solid win over Anderson, and I liked the angle with him being down at ringside for Graham's title defense and threatening to do so until he got his title shot. Creative way to get the Superstar to relent.

Patterson beats Valentine, which Patterson needed to keep his momentum, and since Lawler was involved, it doesn't hurt the Hammer too much. Lawler agreeing to wrestle the match with a broken leg is probably not a good idea though.

Strong way for Raschke to go over. Strongbow fought his heart out, but the Baron was too much, and it puts the Claw over big time.

Though a DQ in the main event is usually not a good thing in my eyes, this one was well done and it put Ventura and Adonis over big time. I think they'll be the team to beat Von Erich and Orton Jr., but the journey is fun so far.

Good stuff, friend.

[JoshiQ]

Results of NWF - St. Louis, MO - 12/1/79:

Buzz Sawyer pinned Raymond Rougeau with the Powerslam in 0:08:11.
Rating: **

“Mad Dog” Buzz Sawyer made his debut here in the NWF tonight, and what a debut it was! Sawyer has only recently started his wrestling career, but it was pretty obvious why he decided to take up the craft. Raymond Rougeau, coming off a loss to World Champion Billy Graham, tried to ruin the debut of Sawyer, but “Mad Dog” was having none of it. Sawyer used his Powerslam to take the air right out of Rougeau’s lungs and get the three count. Sawyer is definitely going to be a threat to any and all members of the roster. Sawyer’s night was not over yet, however, as he had signed his name up for the 15 man over the top battle royal later on in the evening to crown the first ever United States Champion.

Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka defeated The High Flyers (Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne) when Fuji pinned G. Gagne with the Thrust Kick in 0:10:49.
Rating: *** ¼

The High Flyers wanted a rematch against Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka after their loss last month. Tonight they would get it, and it was a hotly contested affair. The High Flyers just haven’t found their groove yet in the NWF, and it showed again here with Fuji and Tanaka picking up another victory with the Thrust Kick. Skandor Akbar finally seems to have Fuji and Tanaka back to where they were when they first entered the NWF.

Baron Von Raschke made Lanny Poffo submit to the Claw in 0:09:08.
Rating: *

“Leaping” Lanny Poffo, like Buzz Sawyer, made his debut in the NWF tonight. Unlike Buzz Sawyer, he had to face one of the top wrestlers in the NWF, Baron Von Raschke. Poffo showed off some nice aerial skills in the beginning of the match to get the crowd on his side, but Raschke was not impressed. Instead, it looked like it just annoyed Raschke, who once he got a hold of Poffo, tried to grind him into dust. Poffo showed some great mat work to escape Raschke’s offense, but in the end, like so many times before, it was the Claw that decided the match. Poffo will have to try again to get his first victory in the NWF, while Raschke continues to dominate everyone that steps into the ring with him.

East-West Connection (Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura) defeated The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) when Adonis pinned Jerry Brisco after a kneedrop in 0:15:51.
Rating: ****

Everybody expected the Brisco Brothers to finally defeat the East-West Connection here and put an end to their feud. What a lot of people didn’t realize was that Jesse Ventura and Adrian Adonis are a really good tag team. Jack and Jerry Brisco learned that firsthand here tonight as they did everything they could, but Ventura and Adonis were able to tag in and out and keep the fresh man in at all times. It looked like Jack Brisco became a little frustrated by his inability to control the match and made an uncharacteristic mistake by following Ventura to the floor to continue the match on the outside. Ventura and Adonis may not be able to outwrestle the Brisco Brothers, but out there on the floor, the East-West Connection has the advantage. Ventura smashed Jack head first into the ringpost and then smashed his back into the guardrail. Jack fought his way back to the inside, but he wasn’t the same for the rest of the match. He made the tag to Jerry Brisco, who came in a house of fire, but that could only last so long before Ventura got him locked in the Inverted Body Vice. He was unable to get the submission, but the move wore him down, and it allowed Adonis to drop a knee across his forehead later on in the match to get the pinfall victory. The East-West Connection celebrated in the ring while the Brisco Brothers dejectedly walked to the back. Ventura made sure to get in a few parting shots, telling the Brisco Brothers that he had told them they were past their prime and to stay out of their ring from now on. Jack and Jerry might have been off their game tonight, but we haven’t heard the last of them.

Tony Atlas defeated Ron Bass after a waistlock suplex in 0:09:30.
Rating: *

“Outlaw” Ron Bass has tried to bully his way through the NWF, but last month he ran into a guy that wasn’t going to take being pushed around. Tony Atlas is arguably the strongest man in the NWF, and when you push a guy like that you can expect to be pushed back. Last month, Atlas suffered defeat due to the Gourdbuster, but this time he had it well scouted and was able to avoid the move. Once the fight went to the outside, Atlas surprised quite a few people by dropping Bass with a big waistlock suplex. Atlas almost had him up to his shoulder by the time he dropped him on his back and on the concrete. Ron Bass is not a small man, and it was definitely impressive how high Atlas got him up there. Atlas quickly rolled Bass in the ring and got the three count while Bass was still seeing stars. These two men would meet up again in the battle royal to crown the new US Champion. That is, if Bass can see straight.

Everyone was wondering just what Jerry Lawler was thinking when he signed up for an I Quit Match against Greg Valentine. Lawler just recently suffered, what rumors were saying, a broken leg in a match against Valentine. Lawler’s leg is still in a cast, and if that wasn’t bad enough, Valentine has far more knowledge of submission holds. Lawler made his way to the ring on crutches, and it looked like Valentine was going to have an easy time of this match. The referee tried to talk Lawler out of competing, but he kept shaking his head that he wanted the match to start. Valentine looked like a wolf, ready to attack his prey. Valentine turned his back for one second to shout some insults to the fans, and that’s when we saw the master plan revealed. Lawler grabbed at the cast on his leg and pulled it apart! Lawler grabbed the cast in his hands as he walked over to Valentine, no limp at all! Valentine turned around and was smashed across the face with the cast! Valentine was in shock as he hit the mat, already with a bloody lip. Lawler stomped his “bad leg” several times on the mat to show that it was in perfectly good shape. It was pretty clear that Lawler never had a broken leg at all. Lawler straddled Valentine and started firing away with fist after fist as the referee called for the bell!

I-Quit Match:
Jerry Lawler defeated Greg Valentine when Greg Valentine said “I Quit!” while in a Boston crab in 0:16:05.
Rating: **

These two men do not like one another, and it was never more obvious than here tonight. The shock of Lawler removing his cast quickly wore off, and Valentine was able to stay even with Lawler. The match might have been an I Quit Match, but neither man seemed to want to win with your ordinary submission holds. Instead, they wanted to pound the words out of the other man. Several times it looked like there would be no way for them to continue, but neither Valentine nor Lawler would give the other man the satisfaction of saying that they quit. Valentine was even able to lock in his Figure-Four Leglock, but Lawler was able to kick and scratch his way to the ropes to break the hold, all the while the referee was sticking the microphone in Lawler’s face to see if he quit. Lawler tried his best with a full nelson and other assorted holds, but he just wasn’t able to apply them with enough force to get Valentine to utter the two words he needed. It finally took Lawler grabbing ahold of a steel chair from ringside that he blasted over the lower back of Valentine. Lawler rained down chair shots to Greg’s lower back and upper legs until Valentine did not have the strength to try and block the blows. Lawler then hooked Valentine in a Boston crab. Valentine tried to crawl towards the ropes, but whenever he was close, Lawler would pull him back to the center of the ring. Valentine held on as long as he could, and that ended up being nearly two minutes, an extraordinary amount of time for being in such a painful hold. But Valentine knew that if he didn’t quit, his career could be over. Valentine made one last push to escape the hold, but when it failed, he screamed into the microphone that he quit. Lawler released the hold immediately to get his hand raised. Hopefully, Lawler has closed the chapter on this feud and can now move on to some bigger and better things.

15-Man Battle Royal:
Tommy Rich won a 15-man Battle Royal:
x Raschke threw out Sawyer in 0:01:06
x Atlas threw out Ron Bass after a clothesline in 0:03:47
x Blackwell threw out Atlas in 0:4:12
x Thunderbolt threw out O. Anderson in 0:04:38
x Raschke threw out L. Poffo in 0:05:04
x Thunderbolt threw out Estrada in 0:06:06
x Thunderbolt threw out Raschke after the Thunderbolt Right in 0:08:04
x Rich threw out Blackwell in 0:12:37
x Rich threw out Murdoch in 0:13:18
x Strongbow threw out Thunderbolt in 0:15:49
x Rich threw out Strongbow after a flying clothesline in 0:16:19
x Rich threw out R. Rougeau in 0:17:14
x Orton threw out D. Von Erich in 0:18:44
x Rich threw out Orton after a side suplex in 0:19:56
Rating: *** ¾
(Tommy Rich won the NWF United States Title.)

The battle royal was full of some of the biggest names the sport has to offer, and they were all there to try and be crowned the new NWF US Champion. Quite a few things happened in this melee including Buzz Sawyer being properly introduced into the NWF by nearly being ripped to shreds by Baron Von Raschke. Raschke focused on him from the beginning, and with Sawyer already being a little tired from his earlier bout, was easy pickings for the monster from the Republic of Germany. Tony Atlas and Ron Bass continued their battle from before with Atlas once again getting the upper hand. Bass was unable to get out of the way of a clothesline that sent him up and over the top rope. Bass is not exactly what you’d call a good sport, and he showed why that is after he was eliminated. Bass hung around long enough to catch Atlas near the ropes and try to pull him to the outside and with Crusher Blackwell’s help on the inside, Atlas was eliminated from the match. Atlas and Bass continued to brawl around ringside while the match continued on.

Crusher Blackwell was by far the favorite going into the match, and instead of people trying to team up to eliminate him, they all seemed to try and avoid him. It might be a clever strategy at the beginning of the match, but it was bound to be more difficult to eliminate him as more and more people were eliminated from the match. Ole Anderson, Lanny Poffo, and Jerry Estrada all made quick exits before the match started to slow down a bit. Thunderbolt Patterson started to gain some momentum in the match as he was responsible for eliminating Anderson and Estrada. During the match, Raschke tried to terrorize the competitors by trying to apply the Claw when they were unaware of his presence, but as he tried to catch Patterson by surprise, Thunderbolt was able to block the attempt. Raschke tried again only to eat a Thunderbolt Right! The force of the blow sent Raschke staggering back and over the top rope to the outside! Skandor Akbar and Percy Pringle threw a fit on the outside, Akbar due to the Thunderbolt Right, Pringle because his man had lost the shot to win the US Title.

At that point, Crusher Blackwell started to dominate the match, pushing his opponents around with his weight. It looked like he might be able to walk away with the title, but the rest of the men still involved in the match realized their predicament. Tommy Rich joined up with Thunderbolt, Chief Jay Strongbow, Raymond Rougeau, David Von Erich, Bob Orton Jr., and even Dick Murdoch got involved in trying to eliminate the giant of a man. It took a lot of effort, but they were all able to somehow lift Crusher up and set him over the top rope and to the floor! Rich was credited with the elimination, but it was nothing but a group effort. Immediately afterwards, Murdoch tried to attack Rich from behind, but “Wildfire” dropped his shoulder and lifted Murdoch up and to the outside! Murdoch stood there in shock; the man that he had no respect for had eliminated him from the match. Meanwhile, Skandor Akbar tripped up Thunderbolt Patterson as he came up against the ropes. Akbar refused to let Thunderbolt’s foot go, and this gave the opening to Chief Jay Strongbow to come up from behind and eliminate another man that had been predicted to win. Patterson went to attack Akbar, but he was cut off by Crusher Blackwell that led to another brawl between the two men. It was announced after the show that Skandor Akbar had tried to petition for an official ban of the Thunderbolt Right from use in the squared circle. It was denied, but Thunderbolt Patterson is so tired of Akbar’s antics that he has demanded and been granted one last match with Crusher Blackwell. Akbar finally agreed to it on the condition that if Patterson loses, he will never be allowed to use the Thunderbolt Right again or he will be disqualified.

After the carnage had been cleared from ringside, it was only seconds before Rich was able to eliminate Chief Jay Strongbow, much to the surprise of the crowd. Tommy Rich really seemed to get fired up at this point, showing the heart and desire that have made him such a fan favorite wherever he goes. Raymond Rougeau was next to be eliminated, but Rich then realized he was alone in the ring with the World Tag Team Champions, Orton and David Von Erich. David told Orton to hold off as he appeared to not want to double team Rich. Instead, he wanted to take the honorable way and wrestle him one on one. Rich and David Von Erich wrestled around the ring until it looked like David was getting the advantage. David had Rich propped up in the corner, and it looked like he was going to try and eliminate him when Bob Orton Jr. came up and tossed David over the top rope! David appeared to be shocked, but Orton said he was sorry, but he wanted the US Title. This left Orton alone with Tommy Rich, and the two men went at it toe to toe. Rich was eventually able to nail Orton with a powerful side suplex that knocked the air out of Orton. With Orton helpless, Rich was able to grab him by the hair and toss him over the top rope and get the win! Tommy Rich was the first ever NWF United States Champion!

While David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. walked away from ringside, Dick Murdoch stepped back out from the entrance way. He joined Tommy Rich in the ring to tell him that he had no idea that Rich had so much spunk. Murdoch wanted to apologize to Tommy for treating him like some young kid because now he can see that he is a talented wrestler. Murdoch offered to strap the US Title around Rich’s waist which Tommy gratefully accepted. In a shocking turn of events, however, when Murdoch went to strap it on Rich’s waist, he instead clobbered him upside the head with it. Murdoch started to lay the boots to him as Rich tried to cover up in vain. Murdoch told Rich that he would stop treating him like some bratty kid, and instead, he’d treat him like an equal. With that, Murdoch took the US Title belt and smashed it across Rich’s face, busting up Tommy’s nose. Murdoch dropped the title as he was nearly booed out of the arena.

Billy Graham pinned Harley Race via pinfall in 0:18:38.
Rating: * 3/4
(Billy Graham retained the NWF World Title.)

In a night that already had so much action, we still had the biggest match of them all, the World Title match between “Superstar” Billy Graham and Harley Race. Race was not only screwed out of the World Title back in July when Graham sabotaged his match in the finals of the World Title tournament, but when Race was finally given his shot at the title in September, Graham was able to pick up a disqualification victory over the man from Missouri. You could tell from the beginning that Graham did not want to be involved in this match as he stalled by flexing his muscles or taking a powder to the outside. Race could only take so much before he pushed past referee Isaac Madilla and tore into Graham. It’s not often that you see “Superstar” Billy Graham backpedal, but that’s what he had to do to escape from Race’s grasp. Race beat Graham from one side of the ring to the other, but Graham was somehow able to stay in the match. Still, Race maintained control of the match, and it looked like it was only a matter of time before Race was able to get the victory and walk away with the World Title. The East-West Connection eventually made an appearance, apparently thinking that their leader’s championship was slipping away. Race did not let them distract him from his match, but he got a little overzealous when he was pounding away at Graham in the corner. Referee Madilla had to pull Race off, and this was the opening that Graham needed. Adonis slipped him a pair of brass knuckles while Race argued with the referee. When Race finally was able to get back to Graham, he was met with a hard shot right to the temple. Race went down hard, but the referee didn’t see anything. Graham quickly hooked a leg and some tights, but it was unnecessary as Race wasn’t kicking out. Graham used the East-West Connection to once again escape with his title. Harley Race tore the locker room apart backstage after the show, but he will get another opportunity, and this time, the East-West Connection will not be allowed to get involved. This time, Harley Race gets his shot at the title in a Steel Cage!

December 26, 1979 – Kansas City, MO:

WORLD TITLE, STEEL CAGE – Billy Graham © vs. Harley Race
UNITED STATES TITLE – Tommy Rich © vs. Dick Murdoch
IF THUNDERBOLT LOSES, THE RIGHT IS BANNED FOREVER – Thunderbolt Patterson vs. Crusher Blackwell
Jesse Ventura vs. David Von Erich
Bob Orton Jr. vs. Adrian Adonis

[snabbit888]

Good debut for Buzz Sawyer. He should be a fun addition to your roster.

Fuji & Tanaka keep kicking all kinds of ass (the Flyers' asses anyway). Any chance they're getting a title shot soon? As they should, really.

And Lanny Poffo does not have the kind of debut that Sawyer did. Then again, Sawyer didn't have to face Baron Von Raschke. Glad Poffo got a little offense in and a chance to shine, but this one was never in doubt. Always nice to get new talents injected into the universe.

East-West Connection with a huge win over the Briscos. It wasn't so much that they won, but that they won cleanly. They're for reals.

Tony Atlas gets the payback win on Bass, and in dangerous fashion too. That's a sick move to hit on the floor. Figure there has to be one more match at least with those two.

The I Quit match was great all the way around. Great angle with Lawler - that's classic stuff with faking the injury. Plus a brutal match to boot. Great stuff, and Lawler moves on... next challenger to the World Title after Race perhaps?

Liked the way the battle royal ended, and LOVE Tommy Rich winning the title. He's a good fiery first champion, and should have a lot of good challengers lined up, starting with Murdoch.

STEEL CAGE MATCH! Graham keeps finding a way to escape by the skin of his teeth with the title, but I think his luck runs out in Kansas City. Race's hometown, and in the cage? New champion.

[JoshiQ]

I booked Atlas to get the win, but didn't really want him to use his finisher. So I booked the time and the winner and let TNM decide what move he used. I was a little surprised to see a waistlock suplex done on the outside. He then rolled him in for the pin. It was so good that I had to use it despite it being pretty dangerous for back then. I'm going to hope it was a waistlock suplex along the lines of a back suplex and not a German.

I think Rich will be a fun US Champion. There are more mid-level heels at this point than faces, so he definitely has some challengers built up.

[JoshiQ]

Results of NWF Kansas City, MO 12/26/79:

Lanny Poffo pinned Jerry Estrada with the Crucifix in 0:08:00.
Rating: ** ¼

“Leaping” Lanny Poffo did not have an overly successful debut earlier in the month, in part because he was matched up with Baron Von Raschke. Tonight was a different story as he went one on one with Jerry Estrada. Estrada hasn’t had much luck since entering the NWF and nothing changed tonight. Poffo was able to show off some of his acrobatic skills to keep Estrada off his game and get the crowd behind him. Poffo used the Crucifix as he was coming off the ropes to surprise Estrada and get the three count. Now that Poffo is a little more comfortable in the NWF ring, big things are expected from him.

Ron Bass pinned Chief Jay Strongbow with the Gourdbuster in 0:09:32.
Rating: * ¾

Chief Jay Strongbow was involved in a brutal affair against Baron Von Raschke back in November, but it wasn’t going to get any easier for him as he was facing the NWF bully, “Outlaw” Ron Bass. Bass has had his problems lately with Tony Atlas including last month when Atlas defeated Bass after suplexing him on the floor. Bass wanted to come back strong, and that’s exactly what he did. Strongbow tried to fight past Bass’ ability to pound an opponent into submission by using his own unique offense, but Bass was still able to nail his Gourdbuster to win the match. It has to be disappointing for Strongbow, but Bass is back to showing why is one of the more formidable foes in the NWF.

Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka defeated The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) when Fuji pinned Jerry Brisco with the Thrust Kick in 0:13:48.
Rating: ** 1/4

The Brisco Brothers were all set to get back on track and back up to the top of the tag team ladder with a victory over Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka. Skandor Akbar had his men ready for the challenge, and we ended up getting a fairly even contest between two teams that have dominated the ‘70s. Akbar was able to become a key part in the finish when he distracted the referee allowing Fuji to blow a blue mist right into Jerry Brisco’s eyes. Jerry was easy pickings for the Thrust Kick. Jack Brisco cleared the ring after the match was over, but Jerry had to get some water to flush out his eyes. Jack was not a happy man when he came to the locker rooms. He complained that the East-West Connection were given free reign over the NWF, and now Akbar and his cronies were doing the same thing. Jack Brisco will get a shot at revenge when he faces Mr. Fuji in singles action in Topeka, KS.

Bob Orton Jr. pinned Adrian Adonis with the Superplex in 0:08:30.
Rating: ** ¼

The decision has been made that the East-West Connection, with their victory over the Brisco Brothers earlier this month, will receive a shot at the World Tag Team Champions in January. Before their shot, however, singles matches were signed to see the champions face their challengers in singles action. Orton would come out on top in this one with the use of his Superplex. David Von Erich and Jesse Ventura will met up later on in the night.

“Wildfire” Tommy Rich came down the aisle with his newly won United States Title. Along with him was good friend Tony Atlas. He was down there to make sure no funny business occurred during Rich’s match with “Dirty” Dick Murdoch. Rich’s face was still healing from Murdoch’s attack on him at the NWF’s last show, but it didn’t look like he had any permanent damage after being nailed with his own US Title. Rich said he was sick and tired of Dick Murdoch acting like he was somehow better than him because he’d been wrestling for a few more years. Rich said the only thing that makes you better in this sport is championship gold, like the United States Title. Rich was going to prove that Murdoch was just a fat, grumpy bastard that would never win something as prestigious as a NWF Title.

Tommy Rich pinned Dick Murdoch with the Piledriver in 0:10:51.
Rating: * 1/2
(Tommy Rich retained the NWF United States Title.)

Tony Atlas was out there to watch over Tommy Rich, but somebody should have been watching his back. Within a minute or two of the match starting, “Outlaw” Ron Bass ran down the aisle and clobbered him with what looked to be the butt end of a whip. Bass pounded on Atlas and you could tell Rich wanted to try and rescue his friend, but every time he made an attempt to leave the ring, Murdoch would use it to his advantage and cheap shot him from behind. Eventually, Bass and Atlas were escorted away from ringside, Bass under his own strength, Atlas being helped by several officials. Bass has a friendship with Dick Murdoch, but it was unclear if he was out there to try and help Murdoch or he just wanted a piece of Tony Atlas after his defeat last month.

Regardless, Dick Murdoch used the distraction to his full advantage. Murdoch can beat anyone at any time, and when you give him something like a distracted opponent, the result is pretty much a definite. That would not be the case here as Rich was somehow able to use the crowd’s support to motivate himself back into the match. Dick Murdoch tried something a bit different when he pulled the turnbuckle pad off one of the corners, obviously trying to go for something to put Rich away. It ended up being a poor decision, however, as when Murdoch locked Rich into a sleeper, Rich was able to push backwards and ram Murdoch’s back into the exposed steel. Dick Murdoch was in a great deal of pain which allowed Tommy Rich to hit a beautiful Piledriver. Rich did not go for the cover, opting instead to lift Murdoch up and nail him with another Piledriver! This time Rich made the cover and got the three count, giving him a successful first title defense. After the match, Rich grabbed his US Title and a microphone. He thanked Murdoch for treating him like an equal, and he would do the same honor to Murdoch. With Murdoch laying on the mat, Rich blasted “Dirty” Dick’s exposed face with the championship belt much to the crowd’s delight! It will be a long time until we see Dick Murdoch in a NWF ring again.

David Von Erich defeated Jesse Ventura by disqualification in 0:11:47.
Rating: *** ¼

The second round of singles matches between the World Tag Team Champions and the East-West Connection took place next with David Von Erich going up against Jesse Ventura. Both men had their partners come down the aisle with them to get a better look. Ventura really wanted to get the win here to give his team a tie in their matches tonight and possibly some momentum going into their title shot in January. David Von Erich had other plans; not allowing Ventura to try any of his underhanded tactics. Ventura finally became frustrated and nailed David with a kick to the groin area right in front of the referee. Ventura tried to plead with the ref that he was trying to kick David’s thigh, but it was no use as the disqualification was called for. Bob Orton Jr. tackled Ventura after the match to try and get some retribution for his partner, but that was cut off by Adrian Adonis. The East-West Connection left the Tag Team Champs lying after a vicious beatdown that ended with Ventura having Von Erich locked in the Inverted Body Vice and Adonis applying the Goodnight Irene to Orton. The East-West Connection may not have come out on top in their matches, but they may now be the favorites going into their title match. It has to be doubtful that the champions will be one hundred percent going into their title defense.

Jerry Lawler pinned Ole Anderson after a sunset flip in 0:11:26.
Rating: ***
(Buzz Sawyer no-showed.)

Buzz Sawyer apparently had some problems getting transportation to the arena. Not a great way to start your NWF career by not appearing in your second show, but luckily for the fans, Ole Anderson was there to challenge Jerry Lawler. Lawler was coming off a huge win against Greg Valentine in an I Quit Match, and he wanted to continue his winning ways. Neither man was quite prepared for this match as they wrestled pretty tentatively at the beginning. The match continued the slow pace until Lawler pulled out a sunset flip out of nowhere that surprise Ole long enough for “The King” to hold him down for the win.

[If Thunderbolt Loses, The Right Is Banned Forever]:
Thunderbolt Patterson pinned Crusher Blackwell with the Thunderbolt Left in 0:12:31.
Rating: 3/4*

Skandor Akbar got a very interesting stipulation added to the match where if Thunderbolt Patterson loses, he will no longer be allowed to use the Thunderbolt Right. This match could be a career changing match for Patterson, and Crusher Blackwell was going to do his best to make it so. Akbar gave Crusher a good strategy for the match as Blackwell focused in on the right hand of Thunderbolt. Someone stomping on your hand is going to hurt, but when that man is nearly 500 pounds, it can do some major damage. Crusher continued his focus on Thunderbolt’s right hand while Thunderbolt tried to push the much larger man away. It looked like things might end badly for Patterson when Crusher Blackwell was able to nail his Big Splash on his completely exposed right hand. Still, while these moves were causing immense pain for Thunderbolt, it wasn’t enough to get him to submit. Blackwell soon changed focus as he tried to go for several pinfall attempts. This allowed Patterson enough time to protect his hand and fire back with several left hands and a clothesline. Crusher saw Thunderbolt taking control of the match, and so he tried something that shocked the crowd. Thunderbolt came off the ropes, and Crusher Blackwell went for a dropkick! The crowd was in shock as a move like that from Crusher Blackwell would certainly injure Thunderbolt Patterson. Luckily, Thunderbolt was focused enough to jump out of the way. Blackwell crashed hard onto the mat, stunned. Akbar yelled at Blackwell to get back to his feet, but it was obvious the attempted dropkick had really taken it out of him. Blackwell slowly got back to his feet as Thunderbolt wound up his right hand before grimacing in pain. He couldn’t use his right hand properly. Crusher started to shake the cobwebs loose and saw that Thunderbolt was unable to use his Thunderbolt Right. Blackwell staggered towards Thunderbolt when Patterson all of a sudden started shaking his left hand. Blackwell walked right into a Thunderbolt Left! Blackwell landed hard on the mat and Patterson made the cover! Skandor Akbar was beside himself on the outside as the referee delivered a slow but emphatic three count.

Akbar entered the ring as soon as the match was over and jumped onto Thunderbolt’s back. Skandor Akbar tried to hammer away at Thunderbolt, but Patterson grabbed him and flipped him over his shoulder. Akbar landed hard on his backside but quickly got back to his feet. This time Thunderbolt did not hesitate as he nailed Akbar with the Thunderbolt Right! Akbar was out like a light as he fell face first onto the mat. Thunderbolt Patterson shook his right hand in pain, but he had a huge smile on his face as he left the ring, clapping hands with the fans on the way to the back.

Cage Match:
Harley Race pinned Billy Graham with the Piledriver in 0:27:06.
Rating: *** 1/4
(Harley Race won the NWF World Title.)

Our main event of the evening was something that everybody had been waiting for nearly six months to see. Harley Race was finally going to get his chance at the World Title with no chance of someone interfering or “Superstar” Billy Graham running away from Race as the match would be held within the confines of a steel cage. Race was greeted warmly by his hometown, a bunch of fans that wanted nothing more than to see Race bring the NWF World Title home to Kansas City, Missouri. What a lot of people seemed to have forgotten is that Billy Graham is one of the best wrestlers of this decade. Graham, upon realizing that he would have to do it by himself when this match was signed, refocused himself and came to wrestle tonight. Graham gave Race the toughest match of his life, but Race was completely on his game. He avoided any mistakes, making sure to stay away from Graham’s strength. Nonetheless, Graham was still able to lock Race in his Bearhug in the later stages of the match. Race and Graham had already fought it out for over 24 minutes, and a move like the Bearhug could easily end it as Race was gasping for air. Graham tightened his grip as much as he could, but Race refused to submit. Graham finally released the hold, deciding that he had weakened him enough to try something different. Graham whipped Race into the ropes and looked like he was going for a slam of some sort, but Race came off like a bullet with a high knee to Graham’s jaw. Race picked Graham up and tossed him into all four sides of the cage, tearing Graham’s forehead open. With blood pouring down his face, Graham still tried to swing wildly and connect with Race, but Harley grabbed him and nailed him with a picture perfect Piledriver. Race hooked Graham’s legs as the crowd held their breath. At the count of three the entire arena exploded as Harley Race was announced as the new NWF World Heavyweight Champion!

Harley Race was handed the title and he dropped to his knees in celebration! Harley Race had accomplished what he had come to the NWF to do. The fans continued to applaud him as Race lifted the title above his head. Graham was ushered from the cage and helped to the back by the East-West Connection, who had come down to ringside. Harley Race is the NWF World Champion going into the '80s!

January 12, 1980 – Topeka, KS:

WORLD TITLE – Harley Race © vs. Billy Graham
WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES – David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. © vs. The East-West Connection
UNITED STATES TITLE DEFENSE – Tommy Rich ©
Crusher Blackwell vs. Jerry Lawler
Jack Brisco vs. Mr. Fuji

[snabbit888]

Good to see Poffo could get a win. I was kind of expecting him to just be fodder, but it looks like he'll at least be competitive.

Bass bounces back with a win over Strongbow. At this point, this is probably the best role for Strongbow - putting guys over. He can still be an effective tag wrestler (I believe in real life he had one more tag title reign in WWF in the early 80s).

Briscos eat another loss by nefarious means, and they are getting pissed. Can't seem to blame them. Let's see if they get some revenge on Fuji & Tanaka.

Was surprised that Orton Jr. got such a clean win on Adonis. This team might have more staying power than I thought.

Rich gets a great first title defense and I enjoyed the opening interview as well. I know it sucks that Murdoch gave notice, but that was a great way to write him out and make Rich look like a legitimate threat. Rich is my favorite wrestler in NWF right now.

Ventura takes the loss, but they beat the hell out of the tag team champions. I think the next title shot that Adonis/Ventura get a title shot, they may get the titles.

Not a good career start for Buzz Sawyer. May want to show up there, buddy. Either way, Lawler was probably going to win the match regardless. He stays strong - wonder what's next for him though. With the great Valentine feud done for now, he's in a bit of a holding pattern.

Loved the story of the Patterson/Blackwell match. Right guy went over, the Thunderbolt Left was a nice touch, and Akbar got put in his place. It shocks me how over Patterson is with me right now.

Great main event, and really the only way that this feud could have ended. The match was good, it was Race's home town, and he's the biggest star in this universe, quite frankly. We'll see what challengers emerge now that Race is the champion. But where do you go with Billy Graham at this point?

[JoshiQ]

I haven't decided definitely what to do with Poffo yet. He may end up being nothing in the long run or I might grow into liking him. It's still up in the air.

Murdoch leaving is a pain in the butt since I had plans to continue the feud with Tommy Rich, but I think I tied things up pretty neatly between them. Like you said, it is enjoyable that wrestlers who were assholes in the GCW continue to be that way in the NWF.

Lawler will have to hang around for a little bit now that Race is champion.

I never planned for Thunderbolt to be such a main character, but he kind of lucked his way into the way I was booking the tournament for the World Title and it grew from there.

Graham is getting to the twilight part of his career. He still has a couple of years left, but this could have been his last trip to the top. Not sure.

[rey619]

Just wanted to say that I'm still reading this, you just seem to write up cards faster than I can read them

Loved the Thunderbolt Left!

And Race winning the belt was the right thing to do, even though I'm not sure who you'll put into a program with him now.

On the other hand, this might mean that The E-W Connection'll win the tag titles..

[JoshiQ]

No worries, Rey. I went through some sort of weird writing binge. Besides, I didn't want to be the one responsible for Ryan not posting his GCW cards. I want to be liked on this board, damn it! Counting WrestleMania, I think I posted around 5 cards this week. Now, thankfully, Ryan is working, and I can take a break.

Thunderbolt Left was something I had thought about, but only decided to use it at the last moment.

Once Race deals with his rematch with Graham, if Race is still champion, he should have his hands full.

Thanks for the comments, Rey.

[JoshiQ]

Results of NWF - Topeka, KS 1/12/80:

The High Flyers (Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne) defeated Jerry Estrada and Buzz Sawyer when Brunzell pinned Estrada with the Dropkick in 0:09:46.
Rating: *** ½

“Mad Dog” Buzz Sawyer did not seem too happy that he was paired up with Jerry Estrada. Estrada may be a talented wrestler, but he hasn’t seemed to have found any luck here in the NWF. The same could be said about the High Flyers who have been fighting to get on some sort of winning streak. Sawyer’s disdain for Estrada cost them the match later on when Brunzell nailed Estrada with his perfected Dropkick. Sawyer didn’t try to make the save, and it gives the Flyers a number in the win column.

Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Ole Anderson when Ole Anderson passed out in the Indian Deathlock in 0:08:22.
Rating: ** ½

Chief Jay Strongbow has recently been involved in some bloody battles with Baron Von Raschke. He didn’t end up getting the better of Raschke, but he was able to come out strong tonight with an impressive submission victory over Ole Anderson.

Baron Von Raschke made Jerry Brisco submit to the Claw in 0:09:35.
Rating: *** ¼

Baron Von Raschke has been on quite the roll as of late. He has just been on a different level, but he had his hands full with the tag team expert, Jerry Brisco. Jerry gave Raschke just about everything he could handle, but once Raschke had the Claw hooked on, there was no doubting the ending result. Percy Pringle told the crowd after the match that Baron Von Raschke was going to lead him to the promised land. Pringle knew there was nobody in the NWF that could stand toe to toe with his monster.

United States Champion Tommy Rich came down the aisle with gold in hand. He said he might be young, but he could match anyone in a wrestling match. If you didn’t believe him, ask Dick Murdoch. Rich said that Murdoch was one of the biggest pieces of scum in the wrestling business, and he would smash his face in again if given the opportunity. Rich said he knew the talks in the back were that he was an undeserving champion, but if anybody still believed that after his match with Murdoch then come on down the aisle, and he’d show them what being a true champion is all about. It didn’t take long for Greg Valentine to walk down the aisle. Valentine grabbed the microphone out of Rich’s grasp and told him he was a fool if he felt like he was some sort of top dog in the NWF. Valentine said Rich might be living a dream, but Valentine was going to turn it into a nightmare. Valentine slapped Rich right across the face, but if there’s one thing you don’t do with Tommy Rich, it is to make him angry. Rich grabbed both legs out from under Valentine and started wailing away to start this open challenge for the NWF US Title.

Tommy Rich pinned Greg Valentine after an atomic drop in 0:13:28.
Rating: ** 1/4
(Tommy Rich retained the NWF United States Title.)

The champion issuing an open challenge like this is usually not a smart thing to do. In fact, a lot of times it will cause you to lose the title in the impromptu match. Still, Tommy Rich has been trying desperately to prove himself over the past few months. This match really showcased Rich’s talent and his ability to stay even with the toughest of challengers. Valentine had a well thought out strategy, however, as he worked over the leg of “Wildfire.” It looked like Valentine might be working his way towards victory and the US Title when he went to place Rich in the Figure-Four Leglock. Rich was able to kick him off, though, and sent Valentine face first into the top turnbuckle. Valentine staggered right back into an atomic drop that stunned Valentine just long enough for Rich to get the three count. After the match, it looked like Valentine wanted to keep wrestling, but referee Barney Sullivan was there to break it up immediately. Tommy Rich holds onto his US Title for another night and picks up a big victory in the process. People are going to have to stop taking him as the underdog sooner than later.

Jack Brisco made Mr. Fuji submit to the Figure-Four Leglock in 0:10:20.
Rating: *** ¼

Jack Brisco was furious last month when Mr. Fuji blew mist into his brother’s eyes. He has felt that the East-West Connection and Skandor Akbar’s team of Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka have been running amuck through the NWF tag team scene. Brisco is no stranger to singles action, and this advantage over Fuji was pretty noticeable throughout the match. Brisco picked up the victory despite several attempts by Akbar to distract Jack. Fuji, not the best sport, decided to lay out Brisco with the Thrust Kick after Brisco went after Akbar. Fuji and Akbar may not have been happy with the loss, but they were the ones that left with grins on their faces. Jack Brisco has challenged Fuji and Tanaka to another tag match in February to try and settle their score.

Tony Atlas defeated Ron Bass by disqualification in 0:06:22.
Rating: 3/4*

These men are two bulls that just do not like one another. “Outlaw” Ron Bass has been bullying his way around the NWF, but when he tried to take advantage of Tony Atlas, it was a big mistake. Atlas wouldn’t put up with it, and the result we got was a complete brawl amongst the two powerhouses. Atlas would walk away with the victory when Ron Bass refused to release a choke hold on Atlas in the corner. The two men had to be separated once again after the match. There will be another match to settle the score – a no disqualification match in Austin, TX.

David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. defeated East-West Connection (Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura) when Orton pinned Ventura after a double underhook suplex in 0:13:10.
Rating: ***
(David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. retained the NWF World Tag Team Titles.)

The East-West Connection thought they had it all planned out tonight. They kept David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. desperately trying to stay up with them. It looked like they were the verge of losing their tag titles when the crowd erupted as Kevin Von Erich made his way down the aisle. Kevin Von Erich still had his back taped up from the injury he suffered at the hands of Crusher Blackwell, but he wasn’t out there to get in the ring. Instead, he cheered on his brother and friend, which also distracted Ventura and Adonis. Ventura ended up spending a little too much time shouting insults at Kevin. This gave the champions a much needed distraction that led to Orton planting Ventura with a double underhook suplex to get the win. Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura got on the microphone after the match, complaining that Kevin Von Erich should not have been allowed at ringside since he was not a manager. Their petition was granted, and so they will be receiving another Tag Team Title shot. They were not happy to hear, however, that the NWF also honored Kevin Von Erich with a temporary manager’s license.

Thunderbolt Patterson pinned Toru Tanaka with the Thunderbolt Right in 0:06:15.
Rating: * ½

Skandor Akbar’s feud with Thunderbolt Patterson looked like it had come to an end last month when Thunderbolt defeated Crusher Blackwell and laid out Akbar with his Thunderbolt Right. This match had already been signed, however, and Akbar did not look happy to be out there. Thunderbolt kept motioning for him to enter the ring, but Skandor wanted nothing to do with him. These small distractions kept giving Tanaka a bit of an advantage, but Thunderbolt is so on top of his game right now that he was still able to walk away with the win. Akbar quickly left ringside before Thunderbolt could get his hands on him again.

Skandor Akbar wasn’t gone for long, however, as he accompanied Crusher Blackwell to the ring to discuss some matters. Akbar wanted it known that Crusher was looking for a NWF World Title shot against Harley Race, and he would stop at nothing to get it. Akbar called Blackwell the best wrestler the NWF has ever seen as proven by how he manhandled Thunderbolt Patterson for the past few months. The crowd got a little restless at this obvious lie, but they quickly turned to cheering when Jerry “The King” Lawler stepped down the aisle and into the ring. Lawler told Blackwell that he may want a title shot, but he hadn’t earned one. Lawler mentioned that while Blackwell was getting his head beat in night after night by Thunderbolt Patterson, he was winning his matches against Greg Valentine. Lawler told Akbar and Blackwell that he was next in line for a title shot, and they needed to get to the back of the line. Crusher went to attack Lawler, but Akbar quickly stepped in the way. Lawler wasn’t done, however, as he told Akbar to let the man go. If he wanted a match, Lawler would be more than happy to give him one. Akbar seemed to be thinking about it until Lawler grabbed the cigar that Akbar keeps in his coat pocket and crushed it into dust. A brawl erupted between Crusher and Lawler, and it looked like we had a match on our hands.

Crusher Blackwell pinned Jerry Lawler with the Big Splash in 0:13:23.
Rating: ** 1/2

With both men seeming to think they are first in line for a title shot against Harley Race, they brought everything that had into this match. Crusher is such a big man, but Lawler can handle his own against anyone, and he proved that tonight by hanging in there against Crusher Blackwell. Things were looking good for Lawler until he attempted his Piledriver. He quickly realized that there was no way he was getting a man that size up. Lawler decided to try for something else, but at that point in time Skandor Akbar got up on the ring apron to distract Lawler. Blackwell grabbed the referee to discuss something just as Lawler went to punch Akbar off the apron. Lawler never connected, however, as a fireball blew into Lawler’s face! Lawler went down screaming in pain as Akbar hopped off the ring apron. Crusher quickly nailed Lawler with the Big Splash with the referee having seen none of this. Crusher Blackwell picked up the victory, but even worse than defeat for Lawler, he was suffering immense pain. Several officials ran down the aisle to check on “The King,” but there was little they could do. They quickly soaked some towels in water and put them up against his face, but he would definitely be suffering some burns. Akbar and his member of Devastation, Inc. left the ring, not wanting to get involved with any of the other wrestlers in the ring.

Lanny Poffo defeated Raymond Rougeau with the Crucifix in 0:10:38.
Rating: *** ¼

After the complete chaos that took place in the match prior, it was a welcome site to see these two wrestlers go out there and try to show what talent they have. Both men are known for their aerial skills, and that is what both men used primarily in their match tonight. After Poffo secured the win with his Crucifix, he offered a handshake to Raymond Rougeau. The crowd wanted him to accept it, and so he did. It looks like both men have a mutual respect for one another.

Harley Race pinned Billy Graham after a diving headbutt in 0:17:52.
Rating: ** 3/4
(Harley Race retained the NWF World Title.)

This was the big return match for the NWF World Title where we would finally see who the better man was. Billy Graham decided to stop use the stalling technique and went right after Harley Race instead. Race can withstand a great deal of punishment, however, and so it may not have been the best strategy in the early goings. Graham dominated the early parts of the match, but as the match wore on, you could tell that Graham was starting to wear down a bit. Graham was eventually able to lock Race in the Bearhug, but Race was able to get his arms in between and break the hold. This seemed like it took the spirit out of Graham as he started to fall back on avoiding Race at any cost. Race could smell the blood in the water, and he started circling in for the kill. Graham did come back with the Bearhug again, but this time Race was able to grab him around the waist and bring him over with a belly-to-belly suplex. A diving headbutt followed which was just enough to hold Graham’s shoulders down.

Billy Graham left the ring after the match, obviously upset with himself for losing this opportunity. Harley Race was handed his title when he saw Percy Pringle and Baron Von Raschke enter the ring. Pringle got on the microphone and told Race to enjoy his title while he can because he’s going to have to deal with Raschke sooner or later. Race said he wouldn’t back down from any challenger, especially one managed by a scumbag like Pringle. Raschke went to go after Race, but Pringle held him back and simply told Race “Soon.”

February 6, 1980 – Austin, TX:
WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES – David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. © vs. The East-West Connection
The Brisco Brothers vs. Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka
No DQ - Tony Atlas vs. Ron Bass

[snabbit888]

High Flyers get a win that they desperately needed. Opener also painted a little character for Buzz Sawyer, who so far has just been the rookie who no-showed.

Ole Anderson is really the only of the former GCW guys who hasn't made any kind of noticeable dent. He still has a lot of good years left in him, so curious if he turns that around in NWF.

Raschke gets an impressive victory over Jerry Brisco. Like that you're pushing toward a Race/Raschke program. The Baron makes a great monster heel.

Really loving the Tommy Rich character. He is trying to prove himself worthy of being a champion, and so far, so good. Getting the win over Valentine is huge. Don't think Valentine is going to take that lying down, however.

Jack Brisco beats Mr. Fuji, as he should. Think the Briscos will go over in the tag rematch in Austin.

Atlas/Bass was a bit of a throw away tonight, which is fine because it sets up the no-DQ match in Austin. I think that match could end up being the coming out party for Tony Atlas.

Kevin Von Erich is back from injury, and he played a big part in helping his brother and Orton Jr. retain. Loved how East-West Connection thought they had gotten the once over by getting Kevin banned next match and then find out he received a temporary manager's license. That made me laugh. Wonder if Kevin returning is going to cause any tension with the DVE/Orton Jr. team.

Akbar being scared of Thunderbolt was a nice touch, and Patterson keeps his momentum rolling forward.

Liked the setup for Lawler/Blackwell, and liked Crusher going over in the match. Fireball helps keep Lawler's heat (and was a nice touch since he is the one known for throwing fireballs). This feud should be a good one.

Poffo gets the win. Truthfully I liked Rougeau a little more than Poffo, but nothing wrong with this.

Good main event. Billy Graham had a good strategy, but once he deviated from it Race was able to secure the victory. No way Race was losing the title back so soon, but it was a good match none the less. Raschke confrontation was a great way to end the show too. Have to wonder where Superstar goes from here though...

Good show. Mine should be up tonight.

[JoshiQ]

I actually thought I would use Ole Anderson more than I have. Right now I don't have anything for him, so he'll probably be stuck in this role for a little bit longer.

Kevin isn't quite ready to return (he's fully healed up in TNM, but in storyline he's still injured). But this is a nice way to get him back into the action. Who knows what will happen once he gets back in the ring?

Akbar liked to use the fireball as well. Inferno Match twenty years early? Nah.

I don't know how much of a fan I am of either Rougeau or Poffo at this point. This is the fun part about TNM where you make yourself write them and see if they click.

Graham is stuck in a situation where he can flourish in the uppercard or he might be on his last legs. I'm not sure what will happen with him yet. I've been watching some of his matches around 1980-1984, just a little past his prime. I've always had trouble writing main eventers as they go past their main years. Not to say that Graham won't be World Champion again.

[JoshiQ]

Just thought I'd let everyone know that the NWF now has its own Wikidot! Ryan (Snabbit) gave me the option to completely copy his page, and I love making him do all the work, so that's exactly what I did. I even have my first controversy up!

Anyways, check it out at:

nwf.wikidot.com

[rey619]

I really thought Crusher Blackwell would be first in line for a title shot, especially since it looked like he got rid of Lawler at the first chance. It probably makes more sense with Raschke though, Crusher did come out on the losing end in the feud with Thunderbolt.

[JoshiQ]

Results of NWF - Austin, TX 2/6/80:

The start of tonight’s show began with Jerry “The King” Lawler walking down to ringside. Bandages still covered his face from the fireball that Skandor Akbar threw into his face on last month’s show. Lawler told the fans in attendance that he regretted not being able to perform for them in NWF’s first show in Texas. He wanted everyone to know that he appreciated the letters he received wishing him well. He said he was healing faster than expected, and no matter what Crusher Blackwell or Skandor Akbar said or did, he knew that he was the better man and would be working his way towards a World Title shot. Akbar and Blackwell had other ideas, however, as they lumbered down to the ring. Akbar grabbed Lawler’s microphone and told him that he did him a favor by lighting his face on fire because it sure did look a lot better now all covered up. Lawler said the doctors told him he could not wrestle tonight, but he’d be damned if he let Akbar and Crusher get away with trying to end his career. Lawler cold cocked Akbar with a right hand that sent the crowd into an uproar. Crusher Blackwell tried to attack Lawler, but Jerry held him off with several lefts and rights. It looked like Lawler was going to get the upper hand on Crusher when the rest of Devastation, Inc. entered the ring. Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka grabbed Lawler around the waist and tackled him to the ground. The three men took turns laying the boots to Lawler before Crusher Blackwell put him out with the Big Splash. Skandor Akbar got back to his feet as Fuji ripped the bandages off Lawler’s face. Akbar lit up his cigar that he keeps in his pocket, took a few puffs, and proceeded to put it out on Lawler’s right eye! Lawler kicked out in pain as Blackwell, Tanaka, and Fuji continued to hold him down. Fans looked like they were about to jump the guardrail when finally the Brisco Brothers stormed the ring and cleared it of Devastation, Inc. Despite Jack and Jerry Brisco saving “The King” from any more punishment, he was still rolling around the mat in immense pain. Lawler was checked out by the medical crew after he was taken to the back, but they were extremely hesitant to say when he would be able to return to action. But one thing is for sure, Lawler is not the type of guy to take an attack like this without any form of retaliation. He will be in Dallas, TX, in March, but let’s hope he doesn’t do anything to aggravate the injury.

Buzz Sawyer pinned Jerry Estrada with the Powerslam in 0:06:36.
Rating: ** ¼

Buzz Sawyer was not happy last month when he was forced to team with Jerry Estrada against the High Flyers. That frustration showed tonight early on as he piled on the offense to take Estrada out of the match quickly. His Powerslam is something to behold with how hard he is able to ram his opponent’s back into the mat. It was able to get him the three count, and after the match, he gave Estrada one last kick to the jaw. They don’t call him “Mad Dog” for nothing.

The High Flyers (Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne) defeated Canadian Air (Lanny Poffo and Raymond Rougeau) when Brunzell pinned R. Rougeau after a sunset flip in 0:12:43.
Rating: ***

Lanny Poffo and Raymond Rougeau squared off back in January, but coming out of their match they seemed to form some sort of bond with one another. Both men being from Canada, they do have common heritage, as well as their style of aerial wrestling. No matter what it was, they have formed a friendship and decided to try their hat in the tag team scene. They are going by the name Canadian Air, and they were quite impressive in their debut as a team. Meeting up with a couple of men that helped originate their style of wrestling had to be a thrill for them even if they were on the losing end of it. One thing that was impressive was just how far high flying wrestling has come as Canadian Air tried quite a few more risks than the High Flyers. In the end it would be their downfall as Raymond missed a dropkick attempt off the middle turnbuckles. Rougeau got to his feet a little slow, and Brunzell put him away with a lightning quick sunset flip. After the match, Canadian Air shook hands with the High Flyers. This match was such a hit with the fans that these two teams will lock up again in March.

Harley Race pinned Ole Anderson with the Piledriver in 0:08:13.
Rating: ** 1/4
(Harley Race retained the NWF World Title.)

Harley Race hadn’t been planned to defend his World Title tonight, but being the fighting champion that he is and wanting to show the fans of Texas what he is capable of, he signed a match with Ole Anderson at the last moment. Ole knew what a great opportunity this was, but he had a little trouble getting out of the gate. Race smothered him for the first few minutes, wearing Anderson down with some crisp mat wrestling. Ole gained some control a little bit later, but Race was able to fight him off and drop Ole with the Piledriver to successfully defend his title. Things got a little interesting after the match, however, as while Race was getting back to his feet, Baron Von Raschke and Percy Pringle entered the ring. Race turned around and Raschke locked the Claw in! Race went down to both knees quickly as Pringle shouted at his man to tighten his grip. Race slowly fell backwards onto the mat as Raschke continued to scream out several unintelligible statements towards the champion. But to the surprise of everyone, Raschke released the hold at the behest of Pringle. Pringle and Raschke exited the ring as Race slowly sat up, shaking his head in obvious pain but trying to regain his composure. Pringle grabbed a ringside microphone and laughingly told Race that Raschke could lock on his Claw anytime he wanted and that would be the end of Race’s title reign. Pringle and Raschke left the ring area while Race seemed shaken by how quickly he was left helpless by the Claw. Pringle is going to get his chance to prove how deadly the Claw is when Baron Von Raschke gets his shot at the World Title in Dallas, Texas, in just a little over a month’s time.

The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) defeated Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka when Jerry Brisco defeated Tanaka when Tanaka passed out in the Figure-Four Leglock in 0:13:32.
Rating: *** ¾

The Brisco Brothers have had their problems as of late with Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka. Jack and Jerry Brisco are sick and tired of tag teams like Fuji and Tanaka and the East-West Connection running rampant through the NWF, not caring about repercussions for their actions. Tonight the Briscos got a little bit of revenge when Tanaka grabbed Jerry Brisco and Fuji went to blow mist in his eyes. Jerry was able to duck under the attack, and Tanaka got the full brunt of the mist directly in his face. Jerry quickly capitalized by locking Tanaka in the Figure-Four Leglock while Jack Brisco knocked Fuji senseless with a clothesline. With nowhere to go and nobody there to save him, Tanaka’s arm dropped three times giving the Brisco Brothers the victory. If they can keep this up, they will be right back in the NWF World Tag Team Title scene. Skandor Akbar has other ideas, however, as he has already demanded a rematch with the Brisco Brothers.

“Wildfire” Tommy Rich came down to the ring with his US Title before our next match. Tommy Rich said he had never felt such an outpouring of support than he has from all the fans throughout every arena he has wrestled in. He said that the surprising thing was he didn’t feel that same support in the back. He knew that Tony Atlas had his back, but everybody else felt like he was some flash in the pan. He knew that he could hang with the best of them and that was proven when he defeated Dick Murdoch and pinned Greg Valentine last month. But he would not stop until every wrestler in the back gave him his due respect. Rich said he would defend his US Title each and every night no matter the challenger. He once again issued an open challenge to someone that thought they could come out here and take his title. The crowd really reacted when Thunderbolt Patterson stepped into the ring. Thunderbolt told Rich to not take this the wrong way, he had all the respect in the world for Rich’s ability, but he would love to get a shot at a NWF Title, especially the title that represents all of the United States. Thunderbolt and Rich shook hands, and referee Alfred Neely entered the ring to start the match. Before he could, however, Greg Valentine slid into the ring and chop blocked Patterson from behind! Thunderbolt collapsed to the mat, clutching at his leg. Valentine grabbed Thunderbolt and hurled him to the outside. Rich was furious as he wanted to go after Valentine, but Valentine picked up the microphone and told Rich that they had unfinished business. He said there was no way that he could be defeated by someone like him, and he could not let it stand. Valentine said Rich had an open challenge and he’d be the one to accept. Rich didn’t let the referee figure things out as he charged Valentine and started battering him in the corner. Alfred Neely was left with no other choice but to call for the bell.

Tommy Rich pinned Greg Valentine after a small package in 0:08:36.
Rating: ** 1/4
(Tommy Rich retained the NWF United States Title.)

If it’s possible, Greg Valentine was even more focused this month than he was in January on dethroning Tommy Rich. Valentine learned not to take Rich too lightly, and because of this, controlled most of the match. He was able to withstand Rich’s flurries of offense, but he always went right back to grounding Rich by driving elbows into Rich’s upper leg or dropping him with a kneebreaker. This was all set up perfectly for Valentine to lock Rich in the Figure-Four Leglock. That is until Thunderbolt Patterson made his way back to ringside. Patterson hopped up on the ring apron while Valentine had Rich’s legs setup for the Figure-Four. As the two men bantered back and forth, Rich reached up and pulled Valentine down in a small package. It totally caught Valentine off guard, and despite his best efforts, he was unable to kickout! Tommy Rich once again retained the US Title by the skin of his teeth! Rich exited the ring just as Thunderbolt was entering. Thunderbolt and Valentine immediately tore into one another, Thunderbolt with lefts and rights, Valentine with chops to the chest. Officials stormed the area to break the two men up, but this won’t be settled until they meet in the ring.

No-DQ-Match:
Tony Atlas made Ron Bass submit to the Bearhug in 0:10:46.
Rating: **

It’s not very often you see two men the size of Tony Atlas and “Outlaw” Ron Bass tear into one another with as much ferocity as they showed here. Knowing that there was no disqualification, both men used anything and everything they were capable of to try to hurt the other man. Things turned bloody pretty fast when Bass turned to his trusted whip that he carries to the ring with him. Bass bludgeoned Atlas over the top of the head several times with it which opened up a bloody gash on Atlas’ forehead. Atlas looked to be in dire straits until Tommy Rich ran down to the ring with a metal chain in hand. Rich slid the chain into the ring where Atlas was able to gain control of it. Atlas then had his fun by wrapping the chain around Bass’ head and raking it back and forth across his face. Bass soon matched Atlas in skin color: red. Due to the intensity of their match, both men started to show the toll that this match was having on them. Bass was able to power through, however, and it looked like he was going to try and hit his Gourdbuster to get the victory. Atlas somehow found the presence of mind to push forward instead, ramming Bass’ back into the turnbuckles. As Bass clutches at his lower back, Atlas grabbed the chain that he had used earlier and wrapped it around Bass’ back. Atlas wrapped it around several times before squeezing as tightly as he could, applying the Bearhug with the chain! Bass’ face showed immense pain, but he fought to escape from the hold. With Atlas’ strength, however, there was no way he was going anywhere. Bass finally had to give it up, giving Atlas this huge victory. Rich quickly entered the ring to check on his friend, Tony Atlas, while Bass slumped to the mat. This was one of the more brutal matches the NWF has seen, and it showed in the faces of both Tony Atlas and Ron Bass.

Before our next match could begin, the East-West Connection revealed that they had heard Kevin Von Erich was given a temporary managerial license, and they were none too happy about it. They said that he gone to the championship committee and demanded that they were given the same rights as Bob Orton Jr. and David Von Erich. With that, they were happy to announce their manager of the evening and the man that should still be NWF World Champion, “Superstar” Billy Graham!

Bob Orton Jr. and David Von Erich defeated East-West Connection (Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura) when D. Von Erich defeated Adonis when Adonis passed out in the Iron Claw in 0:17:49.
Rating: ****
(Bob Orton Jr. and David Von Erich retained the NWF World Tag Team Titles.)

Our main event was one that everyone was dying to watch. The East-West Connection, from the time the NWF started, has looked like a team that is just a step away from becoming champions. David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr., on the other hand, were a makeshift tag team that came out of nowhere to become the first tag team champions. Yet, somehow, they have been able to hold onto those straps for going on four months. Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura were able to control much of the tempo of the match, especially since Billy Graham seemed a lot more willing to subtly interfere in the match than Kevin Von Erich. Kevin grew increasingly frustrated on the outside, but there was little he could do since Graham was simply distracting the referee while Adonis and Ventura would double team one of the champions. It finally grew to be too much for Kevin to stand as he went after Billy Graham on the outside with a chair! Graham slid into the ring to escape, but he walked right into a double dropkick from Orton and David! Adonis and Ventura decided then would be a good time to ambush the champions and a four man melee broke out. During the brawl, Ventura and Orton fell to the outside which sent referee Isaac Madilla after them. Back in the ring, Adonis went into his tights and pulled out what looked to be a pair of brass knuckles. He saw an opportunity to end the match and he was going to use it. Kevin Von Erich quickly entered the ring, though, turned Adonis around and nailed him with a dropkick to the jaw. Adonis turned around and right into the Iron Claw by David! Billy Graham tried to enter the ring, but Kevin Von Erich tackled him to the mat and the two men brawled to the outside. Referee Madilla reentered the ring as Adonis started to fade and so he quickly called for the bell!

With the tag team titles still in their possession, David Von Erich, Bob Orton Jr., and Kevin Von Erich quickly left the ring to slap hands with the fans. Billy Graham entered the ring, furious at what had just gone down. He’ll get his chance to redeem himself in March, however, when he meets up with Kevin Von Erich in Kevin’s first match back from injury!

March 8, 1980 – Dallas, TX:
WORLD TITLE – Harley Race © vs. Baron Von Raschke
Billy Graham vs. Kevin Von Erich
Greg Valentine vs. Thunderbolt Patterson
The High Flyers vs. Canadian Air
The Brisco Brothers vs. Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka

[snabbit888]

Hot angle to kick off the show. Akbar and his men have molten heat right now. When Lawler is back healthy, this is going to be a hell of a feud.

Sawyer gets a win, and shows some of a meanstreak in doing so.

Canadian Air... I like it. They have the chance to be the spunky team, kind of like the High Flyers are. Looking forward to the rematch, I am.

Race retains against Ole which is no surprise. How easily Raschke decimated him though is a bit shocking though. I think Race is going to retain, but it will set up more matches and he's going to get his ass beat.

Good to see Briscos get a win over Fuji/Tanaka. The heel teams have been running rampant recently, so the faces needed to get a measure of revenge.

Tommy Rich continues to be my favorite wrestler you have. A slow build to a heel turn perhaps? Either way, liked Patterson accepting and then getting dispatched by Valentine. Patterson/Valentine should be a good feud too. Who steps up to challenge Rich now? Atlas maybe?

The no-DQ match was vicious, and the Bearhug with the chain finish was very cool. Atlas had to go over, but Bass really didn't look bad in this loss.

Great main event. Liked the touch with Billy Graham getting to be the temporary manager as well. Liked Orton/Von Erich retaining. There's a lot of mileage in that team still. Also good to see Graham be involved in another angle. The Dallas show should be huge!

[LillaThrilla]

First time reading this; looks like my hiatus was ill timed. Excellent counterpart to GCW.

The stuff with Patterson and the Thunderbolt Right (and Thunderbolt Left) was amusing.

WTF Harley Race???

Weird seeing Race go from the uber-heel so long in GCW to being the top face in NWF.

Was Adrian Adonis using "Goodnight, Irene" as his finisher during his early days as a toughguy biker or whatever? I thought that was something he didn't add until later when he got flabby and started acting effeminate...

[rey619]

Holy shit, and I thought I was getting hardcore. Using a cigar to the eye of Lawler would surely blind him permanently! No PG in NWF, that's for sure!

You're like the TNA to GCW, offering high-flying spectacles long before the X-Division ever saw the light of day The booking is better, though!

Not a big fan of giving title shots to wrestlers who doesn't have the track record to deserve it, but you did get Raschke over as a serious threat to Race's reign.

The US title match was pure chaos with all the shenanigans before and after the match. I won't be surprised to see a tag match signed here.

Surprised to see the makeshift team hang on to the titles. You might surprise me by NOT having some internal strife within that trio of wrestlers, but I still think you'll do it. Only question is, will Orton be the odd man out? Or one of the brothers?

Great stuff!

[JoshiQ]

Thanks for all the comments, guys.

The Goodnight, Irene is something I decided to go with. Figured it kind of fit the character I'm using right now, and I didn't want to use the DDT just yet which is what Wiki says his other finisher was.

Being compared to the TNA of GCW is a hard pill to swallow, but since you write TNAW, I'll take it as a compliment, Rey.

Sorry for the delay in posting this next card. Been a rough week.