[GCW Universe] National Wrestling Federation

[JoshiQ]

Results of NWF - Dallas, TX 3/8/80:

Ron Bass pinned Chief Jay Strongbow with the Gourdbuster in 0:07:39.
Rating: *

Chief Jay Strongbow grows older with each day, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t still out there giving it his all every time he competes. “Outlaw” Ron Bass saw that firsthand tonight as Strongbow came close several times to picking up the victory. Bass, however, was able to persevere and drop Strongbow with the Gourdbuster. Bass ran into a brick wall the last couple of months when he faced off against Tony Atlas, but it looks like he’s right back to the mean and surly ways that lead him to the winner’s circle.

The High Flyers (Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne) defeated Raymond Rougeau and David Von Erich when G. Gagne made D. Von Erich submit to the Gagne Sleeper in 0:10:22.
Rating: ***
(Lanny Poffo no-showed.)

We were supposed to see the big rematch between two of the best high flying tag teams the sport has to offer, but Lanny Poffo had issues traveling out of Canada, and so Raymond Rougeau was left without a partner. Tag Team Champion David Von Erich was more than happy to step in and it ended up giving us quite the match. When you have a team with the experience of the High Flyers, though, it is going to be pretty hard for a makeshift tag team to walk away with the victory. The High Flyers proved that tonight by getting the victory with the Gagne Sleeper. After the match, David Von Erich and Raymond Rougeau shook hands with the High Flyers. Rougeau grabbed a microphone and stated that he had the utmost respect for Gagne and Jim Brunzell since they paved the way for guys like him and Lanny Poffo. He hoped that they would eventually be able to meet in the ring again. David Von Erich told him that he’d have to wait until after the next show because with their victory tonight, he thought it only fair to give them a World Tag Team Title shot in St. Louis, MO. The High Flyers were quick to accept.

This led into a small confrontation in the ring when Bob Orton Jr. ran down the aisle. He seemed to question David’s challenge towards the High Flyers. David Von Erich told Orton that he appreciated everything he had done for the Von Erich name, but with Kevin Von Erich back in action tonight, he reminded Orton of his promise to hold the title until Kevin returned. Orton agreed wholeheartedly, saying that was his intent this whole time and he’d be happy to hand the title over to Kevin later on tonight after his match against “Superstar” Billy Graham.

Tony Atlas pinned Buzz Sawyer after a powerslam in 0:09:17.
Rating: ** ¼

“Mad Dog” Buzz Sawyer has shown that he is capable of beating anyone at any time. Tonight he just ran into the bad luck of meeting up against a man that is on an even hotter streak. This was a back and forth encounter that either man could have won, but a thunderous powerslam from Tony Atlas brought the end to the match. With his recent winning streak, it’s been decided that he will be granted a US Title shot in St. Louis. The only problem with that is his best friend, Tommy Rich, currently has possession of that US Title.

The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) battled Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka to a double disqualification in 0:04:06.
Rating: ** ½

We saw a side of the Brisco Brothers that we haven’t seen in a long time here tonight. They didn’t just come out here to wrestle and pick up a victory, it looked like they wanted to hurt Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka. It looked like this feud was winding down, but after tonight that most certainly isn’t the case. Tanaka and Fuji can be just as vicious as anyone, however, and what we got was a pure melee for a short period of time before referee Isaac Madilla threw the match out when Fuji and Jack Brisco both brought chairs into the ring. Things continued to get out of hand when Crusher Blackwell came down to ringside to put things in Devastation Inc.’s favor. With Blackwell, Fuji, and Tanaka grouping up to attack Jack and Jerry Brisco, and Skandor Akbar proving a cheap shot here and there, it was obvious that Devastation Inc. was going to get the upper hand. That was until Jerry Lawler ran down the aisle! The crowd nearly blew the roof off of the arena as Lawler slid into the ring. Lawler was sporting an eye patch on his right eye, but that didn’t seem to affect his aim as he peppered Crusher Blackwell with lefts and rights. This gave Jack and Jerry Brisco the opportunity to clear the ring of Fuji, Tanaka, and Akbar. Nobody expected Lawler back in this ring this quickly, but it’s clear he has a score to settle with Akbar and his men. Lawler will team up with the Brisco Brothers to face Devastation Inc. on March 26th, and Lawler has already promised revenge what they did to him back in Austin, Texas.

Before the next match could begin, Tommy Rich once again made an appearance, saying that he was out here to prove once and for all what kind of champion he is. He issued his open challenge which was quickly accepted by Jesse Ventura. Ventura was not out there alone, he was accompanied by his tag team partner, Adrian Adonis. Ventura told Rich that this open challenge business was nonsense since everyone knew that he had been lucking out since entering the NWF. Ventura promised to bring the US Title back to a real superstar, a man like himself. Despite Ventura’s cocky attitude, he can usually back it up in the ring, so this was not going to be an easy test of Rich’s ability.

Tommy Rich pinned Jesse Ventura with the Piledriver in 0:12:24.
Rating: ***
(Tommy Rich retained the NWF United States Title.)

“Wildfire” Tommy Rich is lucky to have as good of a friend as he does in Tony Atlas. Within seconds of the match beginning, Tony Atlas came down to ringside to keep an eye on Adrian Adonis. Adonis did not look too thrilled when he saw who he’d have to go through if he wanted to interfere. Surprisingly enough, this apparently was enough to keep Adonis in check as Rich and Ventura had a clean back and forth encounter. Well, as clean as a match can be with Jesse Ventura involved. Rich was able to avoid much of Ventura’s powerful offense, and he later caught him telegraphing a back bodydrop which he turned into the Piledriver. The move came out of nowhere, and Adonis did not have a chance of breaking it up. After the match, it looked like Adonis was going to enter the ring to ambush “Wildfire,” but Atlas was there to pull him off the apron and level him with a right hook. Atlas entered the ring to stand side by side with Rich in holding off the East-West Connection. When these two allies meet in St. Louis, it should be a dynamite match.

Greg Valentine pinned Thunderbolt Patterson after a flying kneedrop in 0:14:55.
Rating: ** ¾

Greg Valentine practically stole Thunderbolt Patterson’s shot at the United States Title last month. That night ended with both men brawling around ringside, but tonight things would hopefully be a little more controlled. Valentine has proven to be one of the best wrestlers in the NWF, yet he still seems to fall back on cheap tactics to get his victories. It would be no different here as Valentine removed the turnbuckle pad that protects the steel buckle. Neither the referee nor Thunderbolt saw it happening, so Thunderbolt had no defense when Valentine was able to ram him head first into the steel. Patterson is known for having a pretty tough head, but even a Samoan wouldn’t be able to withstand that type of shot. Once referee Barney Sullivan saw what had happened, it looked like he might call for the disqualification, but since he didn’t see Valentine actually remove the pad, he decided to let the match go. Patterson was out, but that didn’t stop Valentine from going to the middle turnbuckles and coming off with a devastating kneedrop. This win catapulted Valentine up in the rankings and he will get a shot at the World Title coming up in St. Louis. Thunderbolt, on the other hand, might have something to say about the way he was defeated here tonight.

Ole Anderson pinned Jerry Estrada with the Diving Kneedrop in 0:04:21.
Rating: ** ¾

Ole Anderson has had a rough time of it in the NWF. He is so close to breaking out of his slump, but he always falls a bit short. It looked like things might be turning around for him as he was able to easily work his way to victory against Jerry Estrada. Now he just needs to keep that momentum going.

Billy Graham made Kevin Von Erich submit to the Bearhug in 0:09:56.
Rating: ** ½

Kevin Von Erich’s first match back from the injury he suffered at the hands of Crusher Blackwell was against Billy Graham, and that may not have been the best decision. Especially when you consider that Graham is coming off the recent loss of his World Title. Kevin showed a lot of guts for being a youngster in the ring with a former World Champion, but Graham was even more focused than usual. The Bearhug was the deciding factor, a move that not many people can withstand due to the pure strength of Graham. After the match, it looked like Graham wanted to teach Kevin Von Erich a lesson about respect due to what happened last month in the tag title match. Graham tossed Kevin to the outside and rammed him shoulder first into the ringpost. He rammed him into the post once again before David Von Erich sprinted down the aisle. Graham was quick to exit, but it looked like he got his point across. David checked up on his fallen brother, but it was pretty obvious that his shoulder was hurt in some way. Finally, Bob Orton Jr. made his way down the aisle to also check on Kevin. David demanded to know where Orton was, but he didn’t seem to have an answer that satisfied his tag team partner. David helped Kevin to the back while Orton followed after. It doesn’t look like Orton will be handing his tag title over to Kevin Von Erich in the near future.

Harley Race pinned Baron Von Raschke after a double underhook suplex in 0:15:21.
Rating: ** 1/2
(Harley Race retained the NWF World Title.)

Both of these men are on the hottest streaks of their lives. Baron Von Raschke has proven to be one of the most vicious monsters in the NWF while Harley Race has just recently won the World Title off of Billy Graham. Race had to use his ability to absorb punishment for the majority of the match as Raschke acted like a man possessed. Race is the master of using different strategies depending on the wrestler he is facing, and it proved to be one of the keys to this match. It did look like Raschke would walk away with the win and the title when he got Race in the Claw, but Race slowly crawled his way to the ropes to force a break of the hold. Raschke seemed taken aback by this as he started going to his manager, Percy Pringle, for advice more often. Raschke kept going back to try and lock on the Claw, but Race realized that if he was put in the hold again, there was a good chance that he was losing the title. The ending almost came out of nowhere when Raschke was pummeling on Race in the corner, but Race fired back with a knee to the midsection. Race grabbed ahold of Raschke’s arms and brought him over with a suplex. Raschke was slightly stunned but he kicked out at the exact count of three. There was a little bit of confusion until referee Isaac Madilla raised Race’s hand in victory. Raschke and Pringle lost it at the call, but Race quickly grabbed his title and left. Pringle has sworn that this is not over, but he’ll have to wait his turn as Greg Valentine will face off against Race on March 26th.

March 26, 1980 – St. Louis, MO:
WORLD TITLE: Harley Race © vs. Greg Valentine
UNITED STATES TITLE: Tommy Rich © vs. Tony Atlas
WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES: David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. © vs. The High Flyers
Jerry Lawler and the Brisco Brothers vs. Crusher Blackwell, Mr. Fuji, and Toru Tanaka

[rey619]

Another good call on the no-show. It really sucks when the wrestler eating the pin has to be switched out and you're forced to have one-half of the tag champs take the fall, but it also makes sense to give The High Flyers a title shot after this.

Good to see Ole pick up a win. Maybe the title shot gave him an extra boost

Dissension between the tag-team, not unexpectedly. I suspect Orton jr. will lose his partner whenever they lose their titles.

Ooh, the kick-out at exactly three. A really good booking maneuver that is seldom used.

Interesting to see who you chose to put over - Lawler or Crusher. Crusher should probably be next in line for Race's title though.

[snabbit888]

Happy with Ron Bass getting the win. He's not quite at a point where he is a major player, but he has the potential to. This is a good role for Strongbow too. Veteran who can be in a big match when he needs to be but mostly there to put over younger talent.

Sucks that Poffo no-showed, but I like what you did to get around it. You sure do have a lot of no-shows. David Von Erich eating the pin sets up a title shot for the High Flyers, which I am a fan of. And finally see the teased tension with the Von Erichs and Orton Jr. Is Orton going to give the title back like he said he would?

Have enjoyed the slow build for Tony Atlas. He's going to be a major player. I truthfully think he could have been a World champion in real life. So we'll see how far he can go, but so far, so good. Match with Rich should be great.

The double DQ is a good way to extend a feud. And a good way to bring Lawler back into it. Kayfabe wise, if Lawler's eye was damaged by the cigar, putting him in a 6-man makes sense. Should be a heated match. Looking forward to it.

With how big this chip on Tommy Rich's shoulder is, I wouldn't be surprised if this is leading to a heel turn down the line. He seems so determined to prove he belongs that I think the pressure is going to get to him. Either way, that's a good win for Rich going into the defense against his best friend.

Was surprised to see Patterson eat the loss because you have really been pushing him hard in NWF (probably your 1A face right behind Harley Race), but Valentine needs to be pushed harder in NWF, IMO. He was so hated at this time.

OLE ANDERSON GETS A WIN HOLY SHIT!

Kevin Von Erich does not have a successful return from injury, but that's to be expected against the former World champion. Another nice bit to add to the tension between Orton Jr. & and the Von Erichs. This is going to end violently.

I agree with ol' rey - that was a nice touch to end the World Title match. The "just barely a 3 count" finish isn't done nearly enough. Race retains the gold, but it shows that he is vulnerable. His days could be numbered.

Your next show looks huge. Show of the year, perhaps?

[JoshiQ]

Thanks for the comments, guys.

Apparently I'm the master of booking around no-shows. They sure do give me a headache though. I end up cursing at my computer, pacing around my bedroom for several minutes, and finally coming up with an angle to explain it. It usually takes up all my creative juices though.

I think Strongbow is in the decline, but I doubt I ever turn him into the full fledged jobber. And who knows? He might have another run in him.

I don't know if I see Atlas as a World Title contender just yet, but he has been a fun guy to build.

Thunderbolt is my go-to guy for feuding with the heels climbing the ladder. Not sure how he got that role, but I like him there. And Valentine is a favorite of mine. In my youth I only saw him as a boring jobber. I came to appreciate him a lot later in life and then had to find his earlier stuff which is very impressive.

Raschke is going to be back in line for another title shot pretty quickly. The only question will be if it's against Race or Valentine?

It's kind of the show of the year. I haven't really come up with a show that will always headline the year like your year-end show. I don't know if Race/Valentine would main event my supercard of the year.

[JoshiQ]

Results of NWF - St. Louis, MO - 3/26/80:

Thunderbolt Patterson pinned Jerry Estrada with the Thunderbolt Right in 0:05:01.
Rating: **

Thunderbolt Patterson has been on quite a roll in the NWF. Well, he had been until he ran into Greg Valentine earlier this month. Valentine cheated his way to victory and was granted a World Title shot later tonight, and that left Patterson opening the show against Jerry Estrada. Estrada should have probably stayed at home as Patterson was a man on a mission, nailing him with the Thunderbolt Right just minutes into the match. After the match was over, Patterson grabbed a microphone and told Valentine that he’d be watching the World Title match very closely. He reminded everyone that Valentine stole his shot at the US Title back in February, and he wasn’t in a forgiving mood.

East-West Connection (Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura) defeated Canadian Air when Ventura defeated R. Rougeau when R. Rougeau passed out in the Inverted Body Vice in 0:08:45.
Rating: ****

The East-West Connection needed this win badly to get back on track, but Canadian Air is trying to prove themselves as more than a couple of high flying rookies. They pride themselves as the second coming of the High Flyers, taking the art of aerial wrestling into the next generation. Raymond Rougeau and Lanny Poffo were able to show they can put up a tough challenge against the best of them, but Jesse Ventura and Adrian Adonis knew they had to come away with a victory. That’s just what they did when Ventura finally caught Rougeau in a mistake, locked on the Inverted Body Vice, and pulled out the victory. Ventura and Adonis had some disparaging comments towards Tommy Rich and Tony Atlas after the match. This would not be the last we would see of the East-West Connection tonight.

Buzz Sawyer pinned Chief Jay Strongbow after a spinning mule kick in 0:08:35.
Rating: * ¾

“Mad Dog” Buzz Sawyer and Chief Jay Strongbow have both been caught in a bit of limbo land as of late. Both men have been struggling to get past the middle of the card, Sawyer especially since he is only a few months into his NWF run. It still had to be considered a major upset when Sawyer caught Strongbow charging into the corner with a spinning mule kick. The move came out of nowhere, and it was enough to knock the wind out of the veteran and allow Sawyer to get the three count. Strongbow himself was flabbergasted at the loss, but Sawyer was the man that got his hand raised and he might have been the only one in the arena that expected the win.

The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) and Jerry Lawler defeated Devastation, Inc. (Mr. Fuji, Toru Tanaka and Crusher Blackwell) when Lawler pinned Tanaka with the Piledriver in 0:11:09.
Rating: ** ½

Both Jerry Lawler and the Brisco Brothers have a score to settle with Devastation, Inc. and their manager, Skandor Akbar. Lawler, though, has a true bloodlust for Akbar’s crew. He was still sporting his eye patch on his right eye, and it was revealed that the doctors had not cleared him to wrestle tonight. He signed the waivers, however, and he was there to give Jack and Jerry a helping hand. The Brisco Brothers seemed to realize that Lawler wasn’t in the best shape to wrestle as they continually tagged one another into the match. Lawler was obviously growing frustrated as he wanted to get his hands on anyone on the opposite side of the ring. As the match wore on, Jack and Jerry started to wear down, especially when in the ring with Crusher Blackwell. Finally Lawler was able to tag himself in when the Brisco Brothers had no other choice. Lawler came in a house of fire, nailing anything that moved. Things continued this way for some time until Toru Tanaka threw a thumb into Lawler’s bad eye. Lawler howled in pain as the Brisco Brothers stormed back into the ring to get their hands on Tanaka. Blackwell and Fuji cut them off and they brawled to the outside. Back in the ring, Tanaka bowed to Akbar on the outside, and appeared to be gloating as Lawler stumbled around the ring. That is until Lawler pulled his singlet strap down showing just how angry he was. Lawler bombarded the unaware Tanaka with lefts and rights and a huge vertical suplex. The Piledriver followed, and while Jack exchanged fists with Blackwell on the outside, and Jerry brawled up the aisle with Fuji, Lawler was able to win the match for his team.

This was not over in the mindset of Lawler, however. Instead Lawler picked up the limp body of Tanaka and drilled him with another Piledriver! Referee Barney Sullivan tried to separate the two men, but Lawler would have none of it as he chucked Sullivan to the outside. Lawler lifted Tanaka up and nailed him with another Piledriver! Jack and Jerry Brisco were too busy brawling with Fuji and Blackwell to even notice that their partner had turned rabid. Akbar thought about entering the ring, but Lawler yelled at him to stay there or expect to get the same treatment. Lawler finished Tanaka off with one more Piledriver and finally several officials ran down the aisle to break it up. Jack saw what had occurred and grabbed Lawler, pulling him to the back. Jerry Brisco helped out as they dragged Lawler to the back. Akbar, Blackwell, and Fuji all checked up on their fallen partner, but the fans didn’t give him much compassion, knowing that they had tried to end Lawler’s career back in February. A stretcher had to come out for Tanaka, and this put a temporary halt to the show.

Preliminary reports are back and they don’t look good for Toru Tanaka. It looks like he will be traveling back to Japan to be checked out by doctors there, but odds are that he will not be returning to an NWF ring. Akbar has promised that Lawler will not get away with this, and that Lawler should expect vicious revenge for ending the career of Toru Tanaka. Mr. Fuji has also vowed revenge for his partner, and he will take Lawler on in Springfield in April.

While all the carnage was being cleared up from the previous bout, “Superstar” Billy Graham thought it would be a good time to come down and talk about how proud he was of his boys taking care of business earlier tonight, referring to the East-West Connection’s victory earlier on in the night. What he was not happy with was the fact that Greg Valentine was that he held the World Title for six months and yet he was not facing Harley Race tonight. He thought it was preposterous that he wasn’t being given more shots at the title, and he knew it must be because Race was ducking him. This went on for a minute or two until Ole Anderson stepped out. The crowd didn’t know what to make of this, but they quickly started cheering Ole when Anderson said that Graham needed to stop being such a crybaby. Ole said that Graham coming out here and whining was taking time away that could be used for a match. Ole said he was trying his best to work his way to the top of the ladder, and Graham was filling time up with these stupid shenanigans. Graham apologized to Ole and told him that if he wanted a match he could have done. It looked like Graham was going to leave the ring, but instead he nailed Ole with a chop to the throat. Ole gasped for air as Graham demanded the referee ring the bell.

Billy Graham pinned Ole Anderson after a small package in 0:10:27.
Rating: * ¼

Ole Anderson is looking to get back on track in the NWF, but there are easier things than wrestling the former World’s Champion and being ambushed before the bell. Despite that, Ole showed a lot of heart in his match tonight. He was able to hold Graham off until he collected himself, and then really brought the fight to Billy. Ole hasn’t heard the fans cheer for him often, but with their support, he looked like he might pull off a major upset. Graham didn’t become a World Champion by just luck, however, and when he saw an opening he took it pretty quickly. He wrapped Anderson up in a small package, hooking the tights in the process, and secured the victory. Graham quickly exited the ring after the match as Ole was justifiably frustrated by the decision. Graham laughed towards the ring, telling Ole to not mess with people better than him. Ole motioned that he wanted Graham back in the ring, but it was clear “Superstar” was done for the evening.

Tony Atlas battled Tommy Rich to a no-contest in 0:10:15.
Rating: 1/4*
(Tommy Rich retained the NWF United States Title.)

This match had all the makings of being a truly epic encounter between two of the best young up and coming stars in the NWF. You had Tony Atlas, a man on a terrific winning streak, and Tommy Rich, a man fighting hard to prove himself as the real deal. Throw in the fact that they are best friends, and the crowd was on pins and needles waiting for the match to begin. It started out slow as both men tried to feel one another out. Things slowly started to escalate as the match wore on, but it looked like we would be in for the long haul. Things took a major turn when Atlas planted Rich with a spinebuster slam. That move almost put Rich down, but in the process it also seemed to wake up “Wildfire.” Everything was for naught, however, as East-West Connection showed their faces and ambushed both men. The crowd was irate as Adrian Adonis pummeled on Atlas in the corner and Jesse Ventura locked Rich in the Inverted Body Vice. East-West Connection let it be known that they did not appreciate Atlas’ interference in costing Ventura the US Title back on March 8th. Adonis and Ventura ended their attack by spitting on the fallen champion and challenger. Ventura even grabbed the US Title from ringside and raised it over his head much to the chagrin of the crowd. Both Rich and Atlas were furious backstage and have demanded a match against Ventura and Adonis on April 19th which was granted.

David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. defeated Greg Gagne and Raymond Rougeau when Orton pinned G. Gagne with the Superplex in 0:16:27.
Rating: **** 1/4
(David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. retained the NWF World Tag Team Titles.)
(Jim Brunzell no-showed.)

This match was supposed to be given to the High Flyers due to the deciding fall back on March 8th where Greg Gagne caught David Von Erich in the Gagne Sleeper. But much like earlier in the month, issues caused one of the competitors to miss the match. Jim Brunzell sprained his ankle earlier in the week and was unable to compete. David Von Erich was more than happy to choose a different time, but Bob Orton Jr. had the audacity to ask Gagne if he was that much of a coward. Gagne shook his head and demanded that the match take place tonight regardless. Raymond Rougeau did not want to see an injustice take place, however, and he ran out to volunteer to be Gagne’s partner! This was much like when David Von Erich teamed with Raymond against the High Flyers. Despite the confusion as to who was teaming with who, we ended up getting quite the match. Raymond’s more flashy offense paired with Gagne’s more subtle high flying ability provided a pretty good tag team. Still, they were up against the World Tag Team Champions, and that is never going to be an easy task. Gagne’s undoing seemed to be when he kept watching Raymond fly off the turnbuckles. Gagne wanted to show that he still has the ability to go to the air and possibly even match Raymond’s daredevil offense, but when he went up, Orton caught him and crotched him on the top turnbuckle. The Superplex followed, one of the most devastating moves in the sport. There was not going to be any kicking out of that move as the champions retained their titles.

After Rougeau and Gagne left the ring, David Von Erich announced that Kevin Von Erich was going to be able to fully return to the ring on the May 3rd show, and that on April 19th would be the last title defense by David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. Orton did not appear to be too happy with David’s decision, but Orton still reluctantly clapped along with the fans. It looks like David and Kevin will finally be crowned World Tag Team Champions in May! That is if they can get past their challengers on April 19th, in Springfield, MO, as they will be going up against the Brisco Brothers! Also announced is the High Flyers will be going up against Canadian Air for the number one contendership for the tag titles! Big things going down in the tag division!

Harley Race pinned Greg Valentine after a diving headbutt in 0:19:46.
Rating: ** 1/2
(Harley Race retained the NWF World Title.)

It became pretty clear what Thunderbolt meant when he said he would be watching the World Title match very closely. After both men were introduced, Thunderbolt made his way to ringside where he pulled out a chair and sat down next to the time keeper! It would seem like this would throw Valentine off his game, but on the contrary, Valentine seemed to get more focused. Race is the best wrestler in the world right now, but Valentine hung with him every step of the way. Race even shook his head a couple of times, wondering just what it would take to put away Valentine. Valentine, meanwhile, focused in on his clubbing elbows and huge chops. Wrestlers in the back have started comparing it to being nailed by a hammer every time Valentine nails you with one of his backhanded chops or an elbow to the head. Things continued back and forth for quite some time, but for some reason Valentine decided that he wanted to break the rules to get the victory. It was odd since he had been going toe to toe with Race the entire time and fairing pretty well, but Valentine tried to tell referee Isaac Madilla that his hair had been pulled. As Madilla warned Race, Valentine pulled out a pair of brass knuckles from his trunks. Luckily for Race, Thunderbolt was right there to jump up on the ring apron and tear them out of Valentine’s grip! As Thunderbolt took his seat again, Valentine swore up and down at Patterson. He took his mind completely off the match at hand, and when he turned around he didn’t expect to be backdropped nearly halfway across the ring. Race steamrolled him with several clotheslines and a double underhook suplex before climbing to the top rope and coming off with a diving headbutt! Valentine wasn’t going to kick out of that, and Race had held onto his title once again!

As Race celebrated with his title, Baron Von Raschke and Percy Pringle stepped into the aisle. Pringle grabbed a ringside microphone and told Race to enjoy it while it last because he had been talking to the championship committee, and they agreed Raschke deserved a rematch. He told Race that he would be feeling not just the pain of the Claw but the pain of losing his World Title.

April 19, 1980 – Springfield, MO:
Harley Race and Thunderbolt Patterson vs. Baron Von Raschke and Greg Valentine
WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES: David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. © vs. The Brisco Brothers
#1 CONTENDERSHIP – High Flyers vs. Canadian Air
East-West Connection vs. Tommy Rich and Tony Atlas
Jerry Lawler vs. Mr. Fuji
Plus a special debut!

[snabbit888]

Thunderbolt with the easy win, and nice to see he hasn't forgotten what Valentine did. Thunderbolt has been too big a part of your ongoings to be pushed too far down the card. Expect him to play a major part in the main event.

**** tag match? Hell yeah. Telling you, still really dig Canadian Air. They're such a plucky underdog team. This was a win East-West had to have though... they've been slipping recently so have no problem seeing them get the duke.

Sawyer gets the win which is the right move, but like that you played it off as a minor upset. Have to keep Strongbow strong even though he's essentially a JTTS at this point. Who knows, though... he had a WWF tag title reign in 1982, so stranger things have happened.

6-man tag was great booking. With Tanaka being done for retirement soon anyway, this was a great way to write him out and give Lawler that hardcore edge I think he needs to take the next step. He has snapped, which I guess will happen when someone tries to blind you.

The interview segment with Graham & Ole along with the match was enough to put Ole over as legit. We're getting close to Horsemen time when he was a bad ass, so it's nice to see. And plus he's a former 2-time GCW tag champ, so he deserves more respect! Wonder if Ole will be looking for a rematch...

Kind of disappointed that Rich/Atlas got interrupted, but it makes sense booking wise. I think there's a lot of mileage in an eventual feud between them, and this was a good teaser. Should be a good tag match in Springfield.

Good lord... another no-show. You must be horrible to work for, dude. Gagne and Rougeau made a fairly decent team... wonder if we could be seeing some partner swapping in the future? And no, not the sexy kind. And Orton Jr. continues to show his asshole side. He's going to make the turn next show, methinks.

Atta boy, Patterson. I believe Valentine will be a future World champion, but not while Race still has some gas in the tank. The tag main event in Springfield is going to be interesting.

Can't believe we're already close to a year since you started.

[JoshiQ]

Results of NWF - Springfield, MO 4/19/80:

Number-One-Contendership:
Canadian Air (Raymond Rougeau and Lanny Poffo) defeated The High Flyers (Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne) when R. Rougeau pinned G. Gagne with the Rougeau Bomb in 0:14:36.
Rating: ***

These two teams have been both wrestling with and against one another for a couple of months now. Just last month Raymond Rougeau came to Greg Gagne’s aid in his quest for the World Tag Team Titles after Jim Brunzell was unable to compete due to injury. Not to mention the respect that Canadian Air has for the High Flyers, saying that they paved the way for teams like them. We ended up getting quite the battle between both teams that won the crowd over almost immediately. The crowd seemed to be getting behind Rougeau and Poffo a bit more with the pure amount of risk they were taking with moves off the top rope. In what has to be considered an upset, Canadian Air’s death defying offense proved to be just too much for the High Flyers tonight. Sometimes these types of moves can lead to their demise, but tonight they were hitting everything and Gagne and Brunzell couldn’t find a way to defend against it. Rougeau hit his Rougeau Bomb off the top rope on Gagne, and Brunzell was unable to get into the ring quickly enough to break up the three count. Canadian Air are now the number one contenders for the World Tag Team Titles! What a shocker!

After the match, Lanny Poffo grabbed a microphone and told the High Flyers what an honor it was to meet them in the ring, and finally defeat their heroes. Raymond chimed in that he appreciated everything they had done for them so far, and how amazing it was to take over the torch from the High Flyers. Gagne and Brunzell looked at one another before offering their hands to Rougeau and Poffo. All four men shook hands and Canadian Air went to celebrate. However, in a terrible turn of events, Brunzell and Gagne lambasted Poffo and Rougeau from behind! The High Flyers stomped away at the bodies of the youngsters while Rougeau and Poffo tried to cover up. Brunzell grabbed the microphone and yelled that the High Flyers were not dead! Brunzell said they weren’t hanging up their boots anytime soon so all of this talk about passing a torch was garbage. Gagne told the fallen number one contenders that if they think they are special because they can fly higher than them then they are dead wrong. Gagne claimed that they don’t just flip around like these two punks, they can bring out a violent side when needed. With that, Brunzell lifted Rougeau up as did Gagne with Poffo. Both men lifted their members of Canadian Air up into a vertical suplex before dropping them head first! The High Flyers just dropped Canadian Air with stereo brain busters! Gagne and Brunzell left the ring amidst a torrent of boos from the crowd. Canadian Air might be the number one contenders, but they probably don’t feel like winners right now.

Crusher Blackwell pinned Chief Jay Strongbow with the Big Splash in 0:07:59.
Rating: *

Chief Jay Strongbow was trying to get back into the winner’s circle, but that’s a hard task to accomplish when you are going up against the mountain of a man known as Crusher Blackwell. Strongbow put up a valiant effort, but Crusher was able to shake off most of Strongbow’s offense before planting him with a powerslam that nearly pancaked the Indian chief. The Big Splash followed to end the match. Skandor Akbar was successful in the first match he managed tonight, but later on he would be leading Mr. Fuji into war against Jerry Lawler. Crusher Blackwell has let it be known that he wants a piece of Lawler himself, but tonight is Fuji’s turn.

We then had a special announcement as the ring announcer introduced a new star into the NWF, a man known by many, Paul Orndorff! Paul Orndorff came out to a rousing ovation from the crowd. Orndorff looked as strong as ever and definitely ready for competition. Orndorff thanked the fans and said how great it was to be in the NWF. He reminded everyone that he hasn’t always been a nice guy, but he has seen the error of his ways. He said that he had one of the best mentors the sport has to offer, but that the man had led him astray. He was now ready for the big time in the National Wrestling Federation where he wanted to go on to win the World Title in front of great crowds like this one. This, of course, won him over with the fans. The cheers turned to boos quickly, however, when “Outlaw” Ron Bass stepped into the ring. Bass told Orndorff that he had another thing coming if he expected to just waltz out here and immediately be a contender for the World Title. Bass said that while Orndorff was on vacation, he was out here busting heads every night and he hadn’t gotten so much as a sniff of a World Title shot. Orndorff told Bass that he had no problems starting over and earning his shot in the NWF, and he wouldn’t mind starting that process here tonight against Ron Bass. Bass doesn’t back down from anyone so he quickly accepted the challenge and we had Paul Orndorff’s NWF in-ring debut!

Paul Orndorff pinned Ron Bass after a sunset flip in 0:09:14.
Rating: **

Paul Orndorff showed that he hasn’t lost a step during his hiatus, giving Ron Bass all he could handle and more. Bass is no slouch either, priding himself in just how tough he is. Orndorff would be the one to walk away with the victory in his NWF debut using a sunset flip out of nowhere. Bass complained about a fast count after the match, Orndorff was the man that got his hand raised. Bass has already demanded a rematch, and knowing Paul Orndorff, we are pretty sure he will accept.

East-West Connection (Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura) defeated Tommy Rich and Tony Atlas when Adonis pinned Rich after a flying axhandle in 0:11:10.
Rating: ** ½

East-West Connection has let it be known that they don’t find Tommy Rich worthy of the United States Title. They tried to take the title from Rich in a singles match, but when Adonis’ interference was thwarted by Tony Atlas, they fell short. Then last month they ruined a match between Atlas and Rich to get revenge. Here we are now, both teams despising one another. Rich and Atlas were able to show much more team work than was expected from the two of them, but a slight miscommunication between them led to their downfall. Atlas and Rich collided in the center of the ring by accident when Ventura ducked under a move. Both men were shaken which led to Adonis being tagged in and drilling Rich between the eyes with a flying axhandle to pick up the W.

Before our next match could begin, “Superstar” Billy Graham came down the aisle. Like last month, he congratulated Ventura and Adonis on their victory. Like last month, he complained about not receiving a World Title shot tonight. And like last month, Ole Anderson stepped into the ring and told him to stop his bitching and moaning. Graham told Ole to get out of his ring before he had to teach him the same lesson he taught him last month about interrupting his superiors. Ole told Graham that this time he was going to be the teacher and Graham the pupil. With that, Ole slapped Graham across the face! Graham was stunned, but he quickly shook it off and demanded a match with Ole at that moment. Ole apparently got what he wanted as he let loose a grin as the bell rung.

Ole Anderson pinned Billy Graham after a roll away in 0:09:41.
Rating: * ¼

Nobody gave Ole Anderson much of a shot against Billy Graham last month, but he came extremely close to defeating the former World’s Champion. Tonight the fan base that he gained last month seemed to have grown even larger and that encouragement seemed to keep Ole in this rematch. Graham was able to block out the noise, however, and lock on the Bearhug. It should have been the end of the match. Ole tried to fight through the pain, but it was pretty clear he was fading. Still, he refused to submit. Graham grew frustrated at Ole’s refusal to submit that he finally flung him to the ground. Graham walked around the ring before deciding to go to the middle turnbuckle. This was very out of character for Graham, but he decided to end the match with a diving elbow. Ole apparently was playing a little opossum, however, as he rolled out of the way of the move! Graham hit the mat with a thud and Ole quickly dove on top of him, hooking the leg. Referee Barney Sullivan hit the mat three times and Ole had secured the biggest victory of his career! The crowd nearly exploded as Ole rolled to the outside while Graham stumbled to his feet. He argued with Sullivan, but Ole was announced as the victor. Victories over former World’s Champions don’t come easy, and tonight, Ole proved did just that.

Buzz Sawyer pinned Jerry Estrada with the Powerslam in 0:05:32.
Rating: * ¾

“Mad Dog” Buzz Sawyer continues to impress the NWF with his brawling style. Tonight’s victim, Jerry Estrada, didn’t have much of a chance as Sawyer attacked him before the bell rang and continued that domination into the match. Estrada made one attempt at an offense, but that seemed to just anger the “Mad Dog” even further. The Powerslam put Estrada away to end the match with a bang.

Mr. Fuji defeated Jerry Lawler by disqualification in 0:04:50.
Rating: * ¾

We knew that this was going to be a bloody warfare due to Jerry Lawler’s quest for vengeance after Devastation, Inc.’s attempt to blind him. What we forgot about was Lawler put Mr. Fuji’s partner of nearly a decade on the sidelines by almost breaking his neck last month. It is doubtful Toru Tanaka will ever see the inside of a ring again, and Fuji’s best friend was torn away from him. So while Lawler came out with hatred in his eyes, Fuji returned that glare just as fiercely. Within minutes of the match starting, they were both on the outside brawling, throwing chairs, tossing tables around, and just plain tearing the ring area apart to find things to hammer each other with. Referee Isaac Madilla was trying to let it slide, but when Lawler grabbed a chair, rammed it into Fuji’s gut, and whacked him over the back with it, it was all he could take. He disqualified Lawler and gave Fuji the victory. This mattered little to both men as they continued to brawl around the ring. Fuji tried to tear off Lawler’s eye patch and gouge out Lawler’s eye while Lawler grabbed a beer bottle that had been dropped and tried to break it over Fuji’s head. Skandor Akbar had no control over Fuji at this point, and Lawler may have riled himself up to the point where he could not stop himself. Officials once again had to storm the ring area during a Lawler match to break things up. It took more than usual, but things were finally broken up. We heard after the show that both men were fined $1,000. The NWF Championship Committee knew they had to do come up with an idea to settle this score once and for all, and it looks like that will happen on May 3rd as Jerry Lawler will face off against Mr. Fuji in a street fight, come as you are! This is going to be a bloodbath so leave the wife and children at home!

The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) defeated Bob Orton Jr. and David Von Erich when Jack Brisco pinned D. Von Erich after a backbreaker in 0:10:40.
Rating: ** 3/4
(The Brisco Brothers won the NWF World Tag Team Titles.)

Nobody expected David Von Erich and Bob Orton Jr. to become World Tag Champions, but they pulled off the unthinkable when they won the tournament to crown the first NWF Tag Team Champions. They’ve merged into a great team that knows what each other is doing at all times and can pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of one another. That’s what made tonight all the more devastating. Orton had promised to relinquish his title over to Kevin Von Erich after tonight’s title defense, and they just happened to pick one of the toughest teams to defend against. But it wouldn’t be the Brisco’s tag team ability that put them over the top, it was Orton turning his back on his longtime family friend, David Von Erich. It looked like it would be the start of a great back and forth encounter between the two best teams in the NWF, but things changed about midway into the match. Orton and Jerry Brisco had collided in the ring and both men were crawling to make the tag to their partners. Orton tagged in David who quickly entered the ring, but just as he did, Orton kicked him in the groin! David collapsed onto both knees before Orton drilled him with a boot right across the face. Orton left the ring just as Jerry tagged in Jack Brisco. Jack apparently didn’t see anything as he rushed over to David and drilled him with a backbreaker and got the three count! We have new NWF World Tag Team Champions, but what a despicable way it happened!

Bob Orton Jr. was grinning as he backed up the aisle. He kept shouting that David Von Erich was a pansy and a coward. This only lasted so long before Kevin Von Erich tore down the aisle, ripped Orton around, and plastered him with a left hook. Orton and Kevin started firing away at one another while the Brisco’s continued to celebrate their title victory in the ring unaware. Orton finally got clear of Kevin and headed to the back while Kevin went to the ring to check on his brother. The Von Erich Brothers would not get crowned as tag champions tonight and it was all Bob Orton Jr.’s fault. We did hear that Orton will speak on what happened tonight in Chicago, but nonetheless, Jack and Jerry Brisco are our new World Tag Team Champions! Their first defense is going to be a doozy as they go up against Canadian Air.

Baron Von Raschke and Greg Valentine defeated Harley Race and Thunderbolt Patterson when Raschke pinned Race after a side suplex in 0:13:54.
Rating: *** ¼

What an odd couple of pairings we had here tonight. Four of the biggest names in the NWF faced off in a total melee. Baron Von Raschke and Harley Race paired off with one another as did Thunderbolt Patterson and Greg Valentine. Things finally calmed down when Raschke and Valentine were able to cut the ring in half on Thunderbolt and control a majority of the match. Despite having never teamed before, Valentine and Raschke were able to string together quite a few offensive maneuvers that came close to putting Patterson’s shoulders down on the mat. Still, Thunderbolt fought back and made the hot tag to the World Champion. Race came in a house of fire, but that sent in both men from the opposing side. Race is good, but fighting two men like Valentine and Raschke is not going to end with you on the winning side. Luckily for him, Thunderbolt recovered fast and was soon able to take Valentine to the outside with him. Back in the ring, Race tried to nail Raschke with his diving headbutt off the top rope, but Raschke was able to avoid the blow. Race staggered back to his feet, but was quickly taken back down by a side suplex by Raschke. Race didn’t appear to have all of his bearings as he tried to put his foot on a rope to break the count, but he was in the center of the ring. Raschke got the huge pinfall over the World Champion while Thunderbolt and Valentine continued to exchange blows on the outside.

Percy Pringle entered the ring as Raschke stomped around. It looked like Raschke wanted to go ahead and apply the Claw to Race while he was down, but Pringle held him back to refrain from being handed a fine or suspension. Pringle told the fallen Race that he loses the title in Chicago.

May 3, 1980 – Chicago, IL:
WORLD TITLE - Harley Race © vs. Baron Von Raschke
WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES - The Brisco Brothers © vs. Canadian Air
STREET FIGHT – Jerry Lawler vs. Mr. Fuji
Greg Valentine vs. Thunderbolt Patterson
Paul Orndorff vs. Ron Bass
Bob Orton Jr. will speak about turning his back on David Von Erich

[snabbit888]

Top to bottom, this was a damn good show.

I don't know why I didn't see a High Flyers turn in the works, but I'll be damned if it wasn't awesome. With Tanaka being gone, you need a heel team, and this was a great way to do it. Not only did it make Canadian Air seem legit right off the bat, but their reasons made perfect sense. Kudos to a good turn on a midcard feud.

Just getting Crusher on the card. Nothing wrong with that.

Damn you, Orndorff! You could have had it all in GCW, had it all! Either way, liked the reference to Luke Graham, and I like him coming in a face. Bass is a good first foil for him.

Another seed planted in a Rich/Atlas breakup? Methinks so. Even if not, East-West had to win this match. They feel slightly lost in the shuffle, so good to see them getting a little traction. Feel they'll be one of the Briscos' top challengers here soon.

Ole wins! Huge upset there. Graham didn't look too bad in this loss as Ole frustrated him into releasing the Bearhug. I assume this isn't over and Graham will be back looking for revenge.

Buzz wins. Next.

Brutal brawl between Fuji & Lawler. Only thing that threw me was why only Lawler got DQ'ed if Fuji was using weapons too. Either way, doesn't take away from the main point which was this is going to set up the streetfight. Now that everything is legal, I wonder how each man will take it up a notch.

Briscos new tag champs! First team to hold both GCW and NWF tag team titles. Not a clean win (of no fault of their own) as the long-anticipated Orton Jr. turn takes place. It was very well done, and I'm glad it happened before Orton had to hand over the title. One thing I hate in wrestling is titles being awarded or just handed over, so I'm glad you found a way to avoid that. Orton is going to need some backup in this feud now that he's pissed off the Von Erichs.

Main event was good. Fairly predictable result, which is not a bad thing. I like the booking of a champ eating a pin in a tag match. Puts that sliver of doubt that Race may actually lose to Raschke. I don't foresee it happening, but it's Good Booking 101.

[JoshiQ]

Thanks for the comments, Ryan.

I liked the High Flyers turn and the build to it. I tried to be pretty subtle, but if you look back at some of the past cards, there should be a hint here and there.

Orndorff headed to greener pastures. Far greener pastures in Missouri than New York.

[rey619]

St. Louis - 3/26

Even though they lost their tag title shot, I still consider East-West Connection the top contenders for the tag belts. With the current unrest in the Orton/von Erich camp, I think it's only a matter of time before they grab the belts.

You seem to have a few matches where both wrestlers are in limbo, like Sawyer and Strongbow on this show, Anderson and Estrada on the last. The derogative term for that may be "filler match", but I suspect you have a reason for them. I wouldn't recommend losing one of these matches though.

Hehe, the "pull down one strap" gimmick is awesome. You really must be angry then The eye-angle of Lawler can quickly become something you use again and again, the storyline injury looks really severe.

Looks like you're pushing Ole now, a small package win shouldn't be the end for these two.

Seriously, is your no-show setting at 20 or something?

I don't think Orton will relinquish his belt, and I am not really sure he should become a heel by not doing so. It wasn't Kevin that won the belt in the first place.

Good main event, I think Race will stay champ through both Raschke and Blackwell.

Ooh, a special debut! Now I have to read on.

Springfield 4/19

Brainbustah!!! Cleverly worked out storyline, I can see why the High Flyers didn't like Canadian Air's comments. High Flyers ruin Air's title shots and the feud continues. "This airspace isn't big enough for the both of us!"

Paul Orndorff was a semi main-eventer in GCW, I'm sure he'll do great in NWF. Interesting to see what he can do as a face. I guess he was a face in the final months at GCW as well, but that was so brief compared to the time he spent as a heel.

Really big win for Ole here. I wonder which one will feature The IV Horsemen, GCW or NWF.

Lawler has really snapped. The StreetFight will be awesome, and I suspect you're sending Mr. Fuji home to Japan as well (although I have no idea when he retires IRL).

Kevin is upset for not being handed the belt without winning it? OK, kicking his brother in the face may have something to do with it also. He needs a partner though if he's to continue this feud.

Raschke with a big pinfall victory over the world champ. Don't think he'll win their singles encounter though, but it becomes a more open match with this win. Good booking!

[JoshiQ]

I remember you guys thinking my no-show was high in WWF and WCW '92 too. I always keep it the standard way TNM ships. I just think you guys are cheating on your no-shows. Ha!

Fuji has a few more years left in his career before he turns manager.

I realized that it was possible for Orton to look like the face a little too late into the angle. But he did promise from the beginning to hand the title over! Plus, he's been kind of a jerk about some things recently. I think he should be pretty over as the heel in this situation.

If I do the IV Horsemen, it's a few years away. I'd love to be the one to do it, but since Ryan has Flair, it doesn't look good. Of course, Ole, Arn, and Blanchard were a big part of it so maybe if I can sign them, I can create a different guy to play Flair. Or just hope that Flair quits GCW.

As for the filler matches, it's hard for me to book an entire show with guys involved in angles, especially with no PPV to blow off all the angles at once. I'm trying to play a happy medium of having some guys involved in feuds and others not (but still having a bit of a rivalry with someone). It's pretty difficult to do these house shows once a month since I want to keep Ole/Graham feuding for a bit, but you can't just have them face each other every night. But you also can't have them keep interfering in each other's matches. It gets pretty hard in certain situations.

Oh, and thanks for the comments, Rey!

[JoshiQ]

Results of NWF - Chicago, IL 5/3/80:

Jesse Ventura pinned Tony Atlas after a shoulderbreaker in 0:10:37.
Rating: * ¾

Jesse Ventura prides himself in just how big his arms are, but he definitely met his match tonight when he faced off against Tony Atlas. If there’s one man that can match biceps with Ventura, it is Atlas. These two men have no love for one another after the East-West Connection ruined Atlas’ US Title shot against his friend, Tommy Rich. They met up last month in tag team action where Adrian Adonis and Ventura defeated Atlas and Rich. Tonight, Ventura and Atlas squared off in singles action, and Atlas was on his game. The match started out with a test of strength that Atlas dominated much to the crowd’s delight. Ventura claimed there was a hair pull afterwards, but how Atlas could pull his hair when both hands were gripping Ventura’s is beyond me. Atlas pretty much stalked Ventura throughout the match, tossing him here and there while Ventura scampered away. Atlas finally grew weary of chasing Ventura around and tried to charge at him in the corner. Ventura dodged out of the way and Atlas went through the buckles and rammed his shoulder into the ringpost. Ventura grabbed Atlas and threw him back into the ringpost a second time before lifting him up and dropping him with a shoulderbreaker. This was enough to keep Tony Atlas down, and Ventura snuck away with a victory here tonight.

The High Flyers (Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne) defeated Chief Jay Strongbow and Jerry Estrada when Brunzell pinned Estrada with the Brain Buster in 0:07:28.
Rating: **

The High Flyers turned their backs on Canadian Air and the fans last month in a brutal attack after they lost the number one contendership match for the World Tag Team Titles. There was some hope that it was just frustration and they would apologize for their actions tonight, but that would not be the case. Chief Jay Strongbow tried to have a word with them before the match could begin, but Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne instead nailed him with a cheap shot and pounded him into the mat. Jerry Estrada, not the best choice for a partner, tried to make the save and work the majority of the match, but that did not end well for him as Brunzell finished the match off with the new move the High Flyers have picked up, the Brain Buster. Gagne and “Jumping” Jim Brunzell looked like they might continue their attack on Estrada, but Strongbow stood over Estrada to try and protect him. The High Flyers swaggered to the back, but could be overheard saying that they were going to be watching the Tag Team Title match very closely.

Paul Orndorff pinned Ron Bass with the Piledriver in 0:11:07.
Rating: *** ½

“Outlaw” Ron Bass seems to think that Paul Orndorff is looking for some preferential treatment since debuting in the NWF last month, but Orndorff has clearly stated that he wants nothing of the kind. Orndorff has only asked that he be given the chance to prove himself in the ring. He did that once again tonight by defeating Ron Bass with the Piledriver. Bass was furious after the match, belting Orndorff with the butt end of his whip to knock Orndorff down. A slight cut opened up above his left eye, but it didn’t seem too serious. Still, as Bass was leaving back up the aisle, we saw the first glimpse of Orndorff’s anger as he kicked the bottom rope several times and demanded that Bass return to the ring. Orndorff rampaged through the locker rooms when he got to the back, looking for Bass, but he was nowhere to be found. These two men will meet once again to try and settle their score where they will put Ron Bass’ whip on a pole and whoever can retrieve it first can use it in the match! Bass better have his climbing boots on or he may be in for some lashes.

Ole Anderson pinned Buzz Sawyer after a back suplex in 0:09:16.
Rating: * ¾

Ole Anderson has been on a mission as of late to prove himself here in the NWF. He had a pretty good track record before coming into the National Wrestling Federation, but he has struggled until just lately. He’s coming off the biggest singles win of his career where he defeated “Superstar” Billy Graham last month. Anderson and Graham are having their differences, neither man show the other much in the way of respect. But Anderson was able to put all of that to the side to face “Mad Dog” Buzz Sawyer. Sawyer is not an easy competitor, but Ole has momentum on his side, and he was able to fight through all of Sawyer’s hard hitting offense to pick up the win with a back suplex. Ole Anderson decided to stick around the arena after his match tonight, and it ended up being a good thing for Tommy Rich and Tony Atlas that he did.

Tommy Rich pinned Adrian Adonis after a bulldog in 0:10:00.
Rating: *** 3/4
(Tommy Rich retained the NWF United States Title.)

Due to Adrian Adonis picking up the pinfall over Tommy Rich in tag team action last month, he was granted a United States Title match tonight. Adonis planned on taking full advantage of it as he put aside a lot of his showboating to focus in on the match. Rich has held onto that US Title for nearly six months, but he almost let it slip through his grasp here, but he was able to catch Adonis out of nowhere with a bulldog to successfully defend the title. As Rich was getting his hand raised by referee Alfreed Neely, Adonis decided he wasn’t through with the champion. Adonis blasted Rich from behind and was soon joined by Jesse Ventura in laying the boots to “Wildfire.” Things looked bleak for the champion until his best friend, Tony Atlas, ran down the aisle to try and even things up. This only lasted so long before Billy Graham came out to turn the tides back into the East-West Connection’s favor. The crowd started to grow restless as Graham, Adonis, and Ventura laid a vicious beating on Rich and Atlas. Just as Graham lifted Rich up and locked him in the Bearhug, the crowd exploded because Ole Anderson was running down the aisle with a chair! Ole Anderson swung it wildly as he cleared the ring of Graham and his henchmen. Graham was shouting that Ole had no business being out there, but I’m sure Atlas and Rich would disagree. Ole helped the US Champion and Atlas to their feet, and all three men looked ready for a fight, but Graham, Adonis, and Ventura decided to wait another day. That day will be June 11th in Aurora, Illinois when these men will meet up in a six-man tag!

Bob Orton Jr. came down to the ring before our next match so he could explain just what happened last month. Orton was on the receiving end of a lot of boos, but he didn’t seem to let them bother him. He told the crowd that David and Kevin Von Erich were a couple of selfish punks. He carried David to the World Tag Team Titles, and the only thanks he got was them demanding that he relinquish his title after he was the one that successfully defended it over the past few months. He claimed that if it weren’t for him, David Von Erich would have never seen championship gold in his life. The Von Erich Brothers could only take so much before they came out to a huge ovation. David said he would have never even competed in the Tag Team Titles tournament if he had known Orton wasn’t okay with the agreement they had made. He said that he was the one that got Orton signed to a contract, and if it weren’t for him, Orton wouldn’t even have a job. It looked like David and Orton were about to come to blows when Kevin stepped in. Kevin said that the Von Erichs were willing to let bygones be bygones and he did not want to ruin a friendship that goes back several generations. Kevin stuck out his hand that Orton reluctantly shook. David still looked angry, but he, too, decided to shake Orton’s hand. David went to leave the ring when Orton low blowed David again! David fell to the mat in pain as Kevin whirled around and nearly took Orton’s head off with a lariat. Kevin mounted Orton and started to wail away when a man jumped over the guardrail and entered the ring! It was “Dirty” Dick Slater! Slater clobbered Kevin from behind and started to put the boots him. Orton soon joined in and before we knew it, both Von Erichs were a bloody mess in the center of the ring. Orton picked up the microphone and told David and Kevin that they should have known better than to mess with a couple of Dirty Cowboys. Orton left an exclamation point by kicking David in the jaw as he left the ring. Slater picked Kevin up and spiked him with a piledriver before joining Orton in the aisle. The crowd really let the team of Orton and Slater, apparently the Dirty Cowboys, have it, but they were too proud of themselves on bloodying up the Von Erichs to care.

Greg Valentine pinned Thunderbolt Patterson after a kneelift in 0:16:43.
Rating: ***

Thunderbolt Patterson and Greg Valentine have been embroiled in a feud the past few months. It all started when Valentine stole Patterson’s US Title shot back in February, but it came to a head last month when Thunderbolt prevented Valentine from cheating in his World Title match. Valentine has gone around this past month claiming that if it weren’t for Thunderbolt, he’d be World Champion right now. These two men tore right into one another as soon as the bell rung, and they didn’t let up for the entire bout. Valentine’s chops and elbows have been compared to being hit with a hammer, and Thunderbolt’s lefts and rights have fallen many a big men. Both of their offense is so brutal, but what really came through tonight was just how much damage both men can take. Unfortunately, the end of the match would end in some controversy as referee Isaac Madilla was knocked down on accident by Thunderbolt Patterson. As Thunderbolt checked up Madilla, Valentine went to the outside and grabbed some sort of kneepad that he attached to his leg. Thunderbolt and Valentine continued their bout without a referee until Patterson put his head down too early and Valentine drilled him with a kneelift, and whatever that kneepad was made of knocked Patterson out as he collapsed to the mat. Referee Madilla finally came to just in time to see Valentine hooking the leg. A slow three count followed, but Patterson was not kicking out. Despite the tactics used, this was a big win for Valentine

The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) defeated Canadian Air (Raymond Rougeau and Lanny Poffo) when Jerry Brisco pinned R. Rougeau after a double underhook suplex in 0:08:59.
Rating: * 3/4
(The Brisco Brothers retained the NWF World Tag Team Titles.)

If things hadn’t gone bad enough for some of the fan favorites here tonight, it got worse when Canadian Air was ambushed coming down the aisle by the High Flyers! “Jumping” Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne put the boots to the men that used to idolize them, but it was thankfully broken up by the Brisco Brothers who chased the High Flyers off. The Brisco Brothers gave Canadian Air the option of a rain check for their World Tag Team Title shot, but Lanny Poffo and Raymond Rougeau refused the offer. Despite not being one hundred percent, they did not want to give up their title shot. It might have been gutsy, but it might not have been the best decision. The Briscos didn’t go out of their way to hurt the youngsters, but they knew that even hurt Canadian Air could pull an upset out of nowhere. Jack and Jerry remained focus and picked up the victory before the ten minute mark. Jack Brisco was not happy after the match, however, claiming that he wanted Canadian Air to get a fair shot at the titles. It looks like the Brisco Brothers will get their chance to handle the High Flyers themselves as they will defend the titles against them in Aurora.

[Street Fight]:
Jerry Lawler pinned Mr. Fuji with the Piledriver in 0:10:32.
Rating: *** ¾

People were warned before the show that this match could get violent, and boy, did it! Both men showed up in jeans and t-shirts, foregoing the typical wrestling gear, but both outfits would be streaked in blood by the time the bout was over. Within minutes both men were brawling on the outside while Skandor Akbar tried to avoid any altercation with Jerry Lawler. Mr. Fuji tried desperately to gouge the eye of Lawler, but Lawler was able to hold Fuji back for the most part. Lawler bloodied Fuji by ramming his head repeatedly into the ringpost while Fuji fired back by nailing Lawler with the ringbell. Lawler and Fuji both wore down quickly from the intense brawl, but Fuji could seem to sense that he was going to fall short. Fuji made a last ditch effort of trying to blow mist into Lawler’s eye, but Lawler saw it coming and covered up his one eye while the other still had the patch on it to protect it! Lawler dropped Fuji with a kick that went pretty low, and followed that up it with the Piledriver. The bloody street fight came to an end, but both men would feel the effects of this match for some time to come.

Harley Race pinned Baron Von Raschke after an inside cradle in 0:18:34.
Rating: ** 1/4
(Harley Race retained the NWF World Title.)

Both men seemed very leery of making the first mistake in this World Title match, so things started out pretty slowly. Harley Race tried to keep Baron Von Raschke on the mat with several amateur style wrestling holds while Raschke wanted to turn the match into a brawl. Race won out, however, and you could tell Raschke was growing frustrated with his inability to wrestle match on his terms. The match continued on with Race slowly but surely wearing Raschke down. Race finally made a mistake, however, and it gave the opening for Raschke to lock on the Claw! Race tried desperately to break the hold, but Raschke had the hold on tight. Before Race fell to his knees, he knew he had to do something or risk losing the World Title. Race somehow found it in himself to roll Raschke up in an inside cradle. Raschke refused to release the hold, but he didn’t appear to know his shoulders were on the mat. Percy Pringle yelled at Raschke to release the Claw but it was too late as Race had found a way to hold onto his World Title once again.

The bell rung to signal the end of the match, but Raschke did not seem to care. He had his Claw on and he was not going to let it go. Pringle entered the ring and held the referee back from trying to break the hold while Race’s body started to grow limp. No one had ever been in the Claw this long, and the effects were starting to show. Race stopped putting up a fight while Raschke’s grip grew tighter. Finally, Thunderbolt Patterson, Tommy Rich, and Chief Jay Strongbow ran down to clear the ring, but Race was severely hurt by this time. Baron Von Raschke was unsuccessful in his attempt to win the World Title, but he put a hurting on Race like we have never seen.

June 11, 1980 – Aurora, IL:
WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES – The Brisco Brothers © vs. The High Flyers
WHIP ON A POLE – Ron Bass vs. Paul Orndorff
Jerry Lawler vs. Crusher Blackwell
David Von Erich vs. Bob Orton Jr.
East-West Connection and Billy Graham vs. Tommy Rich, Tony Atlas, and Ole Anderson

[snabbit888]

And here... we... go!

Was surprised to see Ventura get the clean win on Atlas. Shows that Atlas has a ways to go before he takes the next step to the uppercard. Like what this set up for later though.

I like the new High Flyers gimmick. The heel turn is going over well. I like the use of Brain Buster as a new finisher too. If they can't be the best flyers in NWF, they can sure add some power moves to their arsenal.

Paul Orndorff needs a good feud to get going as you're clearly setting him out to be a big deal in NWF, and Bass is great as a first foil. Orndorff wins, but the bull whip gets used to get Bass' heat back. Figure Orndorff wins this feud but the pole match is a nice touch.

Buzz is kind of in limbo as a rookie right now, which is fine. Ole getting a big win to keep his momentum going. You've built him up strong in a hurry. And as a face, no less.

Liked the angle after he US Title match. Rich needed to hold onto the title, because having the title helps with the chip on his shoulder gimmick. You've done a really good job tying these angles in together. Six-man tag is going to be a big match.

Orton Jr.'s explanation was a great logical explanation for what he did. It's perfect Heel 101 - he believes in his reasoning so it makes him a great villain. The adding of Dick Slater (who coincidentally I forgot you had hired) to join him against the Von Erichs. Awesome angle. Like the Dirty Cowboys as a name too. Unfortunate that you now own the copyright on that name given our previously mentioned arrangement.

Greg Valentine rules. This era Valentine was such an awesome heel. Loaded kneepad! Do I sense career gimmick? Patterson has lost a step a bit, but you built him as a legit guy from the beginning so these wins seem like a big deal.

Oh, such a shit move by the Flyers. You've made them into dicks and in a hurry. Have to admire the gumption of Canadian Air to take the title shot even after being attacked, but tonight was not going to be their night. I honestly think they'll be future tag champs - but not soon. I know the Briscos just won the titles, but I wouldn't be shocked to see the Flyers take the titles. I'm that big a fan of this right now.

Vicious streetfight. Lawler's such a silly character now, but it's cool to see him be the bad ass he was. Fuji was never going to win this match, but glad to see he held his own. I wonder what you do with Fuji from here. Mr. Saito perhaps?

Creative ending for the title match. Race keeps escaping by the skin of his teeth. He really needs a decisive win over Raschke if he is going to legitimize his reign.

Good show. Two up for me!

[rey619]

Biceps showdown ! Ah, the "pull my hair" shtick is just great

Oh no, not a pole match! I do like Orndorff though, more as a heel, granted. I don't think I have seen much of his face work.

I'm glad you decided to push Ole. If there'll ever be a IV Horsemen in your universe, he needs to have a solid position within a company.

Six man tag should be great. I suspect Graham could get a small measure of payback by pinning Ole, but he is getting older and probably doesn't need it as much as Ole does.

Dirty Cowboys! Isn't Bob Orton called "Cowboy" Bob Orton? I love cowboy tag teams. I really should make a cowgirl tag team for TNAW.

Loaded kneepad? That's a nice variation of the loaded elbow pad

Brutal street fight, low blow > piledriver combo! Lawler is really getting several nice wins under his belt.

The Claw was applied at the same time as Race did an inside cradle? That's really cool! I'm trying to picture it now, but I really have to try this myself at one point. Great way to continue their feud. I don't really see any other contenders right now, so I'm happy with Rashcke getting another shot. Where was Crusher tonight btw?

[rey619]

Sept 24, 2011 0:20:57 GMT -5 snabbit888 said:

Orton Jr.'s explanation was a great logical explanation for what he did. It's perfect Heel 101 - he believes in his reasoning so it makes him a great villain. The adding of Dick Slater (who coincidentally I forgot you had hired) to join him against the Von Erichs. Awesome angle. Like the Dirty Cowboys as a name too. Unfortunate that you now own the copyright on that name given our previously mentioned arrangement.

It makes sense that you inform each other of who you hire. What agreement? What? I'm curious

There's only six more years until GLOW though, maybe I want in on this universe too

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgeous_Ladies_of_Wrestling

[snabbit888]

As you said, we clearly have to inform each other of who we hire/fire/etc. so we don't end up bringing in someone on the same night. We never give each other spoilers though.

The agreement I speak of is essentially a trademark agreement. To add an extra wrinkle, essentially if one of us uses a gimmick for a wrestler that we made up ourselves or a wrestler didn't carry through to other promotions in real life, the other can't use it. So for example, if I ever use Orton Jr. and Slater as a tag team, I couldn't call them the Dirty Cowboys because Josh "owns" the name. However, once Hulk Hogan gets into the mix, he can be Hulk Hogan in both because he traveled to different circuits with that name in real life. Someone doesn't have to make him Terry Golden in the 90s. Does that make sense?

[gentlemanjeff]

I'm really looking forward to how Hogan is handled in this universe. That's a game-changer.

[rey619]

It sure makes sense!

There's so many debuts I'm looking forward to. I hope there's only a question of time before someone brings in Steamboat, as he's been wrestling for 4 years at this time.

[snabbit888]

Sept 28, 2011 5:18:53 GMT -5 rey619 said:

It sure makes sense!

There's so many debuts I'm looking forward to. I hope there's only a question of time before someone brings in Steamboat, as he's been wrestling for 4 years at this time.

He would have been involved two years ago if he wouldn't reject me every time I try to hire him. It's been like 5 times now. :/

[JoshiQ]

Results of NWF - Aurora, IL - 6/11/80:

Kevin Von Erich defeated Jerry Estrada when Jerry Estrada passed out in the Claw in 0:05:36.
Rating: * 1/2

Kevin Von Erich, the oldest of the Von Erich brothers, is one of those guys you never want to take too lightly. He might have been injured against Crusher Blackwell in the year 1979, but 1980 is an entirely new year where he wanted to prove himself. He did that pretty easily tonight when he defeated Estrdada in a few minutes with his Claw hold. Everybody knew he’d be watching his brother’s match against Bob Orton Jr. later on tonight, and it ended up being a good thing he was being so attentive.

Chief Jay Strongbow made Mr. Fuji submit to the Indian Deathlock in 0:09:06.
Rating: ***

Mr. Fuji had a hard time recovering from his match with Jerry Lawler last month, and it showed here tonight. Fuji put up a good fight, but Strongbow was able to fight back and lock him in the Indian Deathlock eventually to get the submission victory. General Skandor Akbar said he would be looking into getting Fuji a tag partner before too long, but at this point, it looks like Fuji will be continuing to compete in singles action.

Thunderbolt Patterson pinned Buzz Sawyer with the Thunderbolt Right in 0:10:04.
Rating: ** ¼

Thunderbolt Patterson was furious about how his match with Greg Valentine turned out last month. Valentine used a loaded kneepad to knock Patterson out, and he really wanted to get some revenge. He only grew angrier when he was told that Valentine would not be in action tonight as he was touring Japan. Unfortunately for Buzz Sawyer, he would be Patterson’s opponent tonight. “Mad Dog” is a tough competitor and has proven it time and again, but it just wasn’t going to be his night. Sawyer held his own, but Patterson was able to drill him with the Thunderbolt Right for the victory. Patterson will get one last chance at revenge against Valentine in Omaha, Nebraska.

David Von Erich defeated Bob Orton Jr. by disqualification in 0:03:40.
Rating: * ¾

Everybody was anticipating this match to be a vicious brawl between the former World Tag Team Champions, but Bob Orton Jr. had other plans. He wanted nothing to do with David Von Erich once the bell rang as he evaded David’s attempts at locking up and kept going to the ropes to so that David had to back down. David eventually had enough of Orton’s attempts at stalling as he nailed Orton with a dropkick despite him being between the ropes. Orton fell to the floor and immediately started heading back up the aisle. David was not going to let Orton escape that easily as he exited the ring and charged up the aisle as well. Just as he got to the entrance curtain “Dirty” Dick Slater burst through it and drilled David between the eyes with a cowboy boot he had removed from his foot. Orton turned back around and started to taunt David as Slater laid the boot to him. The disqualification was called for, but it didn’t do David much good.

Slater and Orton, the Dirty Cowboys, dragged David back towards the ring where they tossed him into the ringsteps. They got him into the ring when Kevin Von Erich charged down the aisle. Kevin slid into the ring and surprisingly took the advantage. Kevin kept dropping both Slater and Orton with dropkicks before making the fatal mistake of trying to push Slater into the corner and climbed up onto the middle buckle. Kevin fired away with punches to the head as the crowd counted along to ten. They only got to six, however, before Orton came up from behind and low blowed him. David by this time was getting back to his feet, but Orton nailed him with a brutal lariat. We once again saw the Dirty Cowboys completely lay out the Von Erich Brothers before officials were able to break it up. If things continue this way, the only question will be when the Von Erichs make a permanent stay on the disabled list.

[Whip On a Pole]:
Paul Orndorff defeated Ron Bass by disqualification in 0:10:18.
Rating: ** 3/4

What started out as a simple dislike for one another, and Ron Bass accusing Paul Orndorff of getting some unfair favoritism, has turned into quite the hatred for one another by both men. Tonight took it to a whole new level, however. Bass’ whip, the object that Bass used to bust Orndorff open last month, was hung from a pole, and the first man to climb up it would be allowed to use it. Bass definitely had a slight problem with his gut being a little, uhh, tough to climb with. Despite several attempts by Bass, he never could get up all the way and Orndorff would cut him off. Once Orndorff was able to keep Bass on the mat long enough, it would be Orndorff who was able to scale to the top and grab the whip. The crowd couldn’t wait as Orndorff went to nail Bass with the butt of the whip, but Bass saw it coming and pulled referee Alfred Neely into the shot! Orndorff couldn’t believe what had happened as he dropped the whip and went to check on the man. This allowed Bass to grab the whip and nail Orndorff in the back of the head. Orndorff collapsed to the mat, but that wasn’t all Bass had planned. Bass wrapped the whip around Paul’s neck before tying it off in a knot. Nobody quite knew what Bass was going to do, but it became clear when he tossed Paul over the top rope and held onto the end of the whip! Orndorff was being hung by “Outlaw” Ron Bass! Orndorff’s face started growing red as his arms flailed, desperately trying to get some air. Alfred Neely started to come to and saw the predicament that Orndorff was in and immediately called for the bell.

Bass continued to laugh in the ring as he pulled back even harder. Neely finally was able to convince Bass to let Orndorff go, but by this point, Orndorff looked like he was in and out of consciousness. Several medics came out to check on Orndorff while Bass went out and pulled his whip from around Orndorff’s neck. He then did the unthinkable as he cracked his whip across Orndorff’s back! Bass seemed to think this was quite funny as he laughed on the way to the back. Orndorff, meanwhile, had to be taken to the hospital after the match. He was cleared, but he was having troubles talking and his back was bandaged up. At Orndorff’s request, these two will meet up again in a no disqualification match.

Crusher Blackwell pinned Jerry Lawler with the Big Splash in 0:12:43.
Rating: *** ¼

Jerry Lawler has been embroiled in a heated feud with Skandor Akbar’s Devastation, Inc. for quite some time. He has sent Toru Tanaka into retirement and defeated Mr. Fuji in one of the most vicious street fights we have seen. Akbar’s big dog, Crusher Blackwell, was next in line for Lawler, but Blackwell seemed to want the match just as much as Lawler. Blackwell was close friends with Tanaka, and if it weren’t for Fuji demanding he get the matches with Lawler, it might have been Blackwell facing Lawler these past couple of months. Lawler was looking a little worse for wear as he was still wearing the eye patch from when Akbar put his cigar out on his eye, not to mention all the other bruises and cuts he was still trying to recover from. So while Lawler put up a fight against Blackwell, it looked like he was having troubles with many of his moves. Because of this, it was quite the shock when Lawler went to slam Crusher Blackwell. Not many men have the strength to complete such a feat, let alone when they aren’t one hundred percent. This lack of judgment really cost Lawler as his back gave out and Blackwell landed directly on top of him. Lawler somehow kicked out, but Crusher got back to his feet and dropped his near 500 pounds once again on top of Lawler with the Big Splash. Lawler would not be kicking out this time. This was a big win for Blackwell and showed just how dangerous he can be.

Before the next match could begin, Harley Race came down to ringside with his World Title. He didn’t seem to be too jovial as he demanded that Baron Von Raschke and Percy Pringle come down to the ring. Raschke and Pringle soon joined the World Champion, but they decided it would be best to stay on the outside. Race admitted that he had never felt pain like he felt last month while in the Claw. But the worst pain of all was the embarrassment of being laid out by a couple of pieces of trash like them. He wanted another match with Raschke in Omaha, Nebraska, in July. Pringle told him that he would be more than happy to grant him the match, but only if they made it an iron man match! Pringle said the winner would be the man that got the most pinfalls or submissions in 60 minutes. This was the only way to guarantee Race didn’t cheat or sneak his way into another successful title defense. Race said the thought of being able to beat Raschke over and over and over again in one night was too tempting to refuse. What a main event we have in store for Omaha!

East-West Connection (Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura) and Billy Graham defeated Tommy Rich, Tony Atlas and Ole Anderson when B. Graham pinned Rich after a powerslam in 0:24:46.
Rating: * ¾

The East-West Connection form such a natural team with Billy Graham. All three men are pretty similar in skill and attitude. On the other hand, Tommy Rich, Tony Atlas, and Ole Anderson are a few guys that you wouldn’t think would be teaming with one another. But Atlas and Rich are best friends, and Ole has earned the respect of the fans and his distaste for Graham probably puts him on the good side of Atlas and Rich. This match didn’t quite have the intensity that was expected from the six men in the ring, but it looked like it was because each man was afraid of making a mistake and costing his team the win. Rich ended up being in the ring for the majority of the match and was worked over for quite some time, but he finally caught a break when he dodged out of the way of Graham charging into the corner. Rich looked like he was going to make the tag, but then instead thought he saw an opening to win the match himself. Rich pulled Graham to his feet and whipped him into the ropes, but Graham reversed it and he caught Rich on the rebound with a brutal powerslam. Rich had the wind completely knocked out of him, and Atlas and Ole could not get into the ring to break up the pinfall attempt. Graham may not be the World Champion anymore, but he showed tonight why he is still one of the best wrestlers in the world. Rich was extremely disappointed with himself after the match. He still wants the respect from the guys in the back and he apparently thought a pinfall over Graham would help him in that cause, but instead it cost his team the match. Ole and Atlas patted Rich on the back as the East-West Connection and Graham celebrated up the aisle.

The High Flyers (Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne) defeated The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) when Brunzell pinned Jerry Brisco with the Brain Buster in 0:12:57.
Rating: ** 1/2
(The High Flyers won the NWF World Tag Team Titles.)

The Brisco Brothers haven’t been Tag Team Champions for long, but they are already trying to prove themselves as fighting champions. They defended them last month against Canadian Air, and were so disgusted by the High Flyers tactics in ambushing Lanny Poffo and Raymond Rougeau before the match, that they demanded a title defense against them tonight. High Flyers have adopted some questionable ways as of late, but you can’t argue with results. The Briscos have been around a long time and they know how to avoid a team’s attempt at cheating, but they never even saw Brunzell pull out a pair of brass knuckles and put them on his hand as Jerry was arguing with referee Isaac Madilla about something. Jerry Brisco maintained control and went for a vertical suplex, but as he had him up, Brunzell sent his fist directly into Jerry’s face. Brunzell landed perfectly on his feet and lifted Jerry up into his own vertical suplex before dropping him with the Brain Buster! Jack Brisco had no idea what had just happened, but he quickly realized he needed to get into the ring. Unfortunately for him, Greg Gagne was there to blast him with a dropkick, and Brunzell scored the three count! The High Flyers won the World Tag Team Titles! What an upset!

The crowd couldn’t believe that the titles had changed hands as the Brisco Brothers had just finally realized their dream of winning those straps a couple of months ago. Jack Brisco went to check on Jerry who was bleeding from the nose. Gagne and Brunzell were handed the titles which they immediately used to crack Jack in the back of the head. Jack fell over his fallen brother while the crowd started to throw trash into the ring. It looked like they wanted to do more damage, but Canadian Air was there to chase them from the ring. Gagne and Brunzell held the titles up over their heads as they yelled at Canadian Air if it looked like they had passed the torch now.

July 5, 1980 – Omaha, NE:
WORLD TITLE IRON MAN MATCH: Harley Race © vs. Baron Von Raschke
WORLD TAG TITLES: The High Flyers © vs. The Brisco Brothers
NO DQ: Paul Orndorff vs. Ron Bass
The Von Erich Brothers vs. The Dirty Cowboys
Greg Valentine vs. Thunderbolt Patterson

[snabbit888]

Yay! New card!

Kevin Von Erich gets a good win. Not over an impressive talent, but after being shelved so long, he needs to get his legs back underneath him, and wins like this are good for that.

Didn't expect Fuji to eat another loss like that, but goes to show he's a tag wrestler first and foremost. He needs to get a tag partner and fast.

I don't think I'd want to be Valentine in Omaha. Thunderbolt was a beast tonight.

Liked the angle with the Von Erichs and the Dirty Cowboys. It was the right call for the Cowboys to be on the advantage again. Kevin & David need to look more vulnerable going into it. I wonder if you'll try to bring Kerry into the mix as well.

I really thought that Orndorff/Bass was going to be a short filler feud, but it has turned into one helluva grudge. Didn't see that coming. It's been good though. You have to figure Orndorff wins the feud, but I'm glad it hasn't been easy for him. No-DQ match should be brutal if the hanging is any indication.

Crusher's a tough out anyway, let alone when you're hurting. Faces always try to be Superman and bodyslam huge wrestlers. Silly King. He needs to think up another strategy to stop Blackwell.

Though I'm not exactly excited about seeing Raschke wrestle for an hour, angle wise this was a great step, and one I didn't really see you doing. It's going to end the feud one way or another, and it's the first Iron Man match in (GCW Universe) history!

Good character progression with Rich. I still think this all leads to a slow burn for his heel turn, but it's been very well done. Makes sense too what happened tonight - a pinfall of Graham would have been huge for his career.

I had a feeling the Flyers would win the tag titles, and what a shithead way they did it too. I have no earthly idea how you made it happen, but you have made Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell the most hated tag team in wrestling. That's pretty damn impressive. Rematch should be great. Briscos are better chasing than as champs.

[JoshiQ]

The High Flyers have really impressed me with how much they've changed. When I signed them at the first, I just thought it was a good way of adding in some former GCW talent, but I figured they'd be jobbed out pretty quickly. Then they stuck around a bit, and then I decided on the heel turn. I didn't figure it would amount to much, but I was completely shocked when I thought about it and realized how much I liked the way they were slowly turning. The title switch is probably just as much of a shock to me as it might be to you guys.

[JoshiQ]

Results of NWF – Omaha, NE - 7/5/80:

Ole Anderson and Tony Atlas defeated East-West Connection (Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura) when O. Anderson pinned Ventura after a spinebuster slam in 0:11:55.
Rating: *** ¾

We are just two days away from the one year anniversary of the National Wrestling Federation, and what better way to start the show than what the NWF seems to specialize in, hard hitting tag team action. Ole Anderson and Tony Atlas have formed an odd friendship due to their joint hatred for the East-West Connection and Billy Graham. Tonight they had their hands full as they were teaming for the first time against a team with a lot more experience in Jesse Ventura and Adrian Adonis. Adonis and Ventura showed this when they consistently switched places in the ring while Atlas was in the ring without tags. They were able to do this after Ole would get so fed up with the East-West Connection’s cheating that he tried to interfere. Atlas, himself, had enough of this when he powered out of their grips and made a diving tag to Ole. Ole came in a house of fire on Ventura and Adonis, and when Atlas rejoined him in the ring, was able to send Ventura crashing into the mat with a spinebuster slam. It nearly shook the ring, and it was enough to keep Ventura’s shoulders down on the mat. A slight upset for Ole and Atlas considering the team they were facing, but it really should give both men some momentum. The East-West Connection was not happy about the decision, but there was little they could do about it.

Jerry Lawler pinned Jerry Estrada with the Piledriver in 0:07:10.
Rating: ** ½

Jerry Estrada was going to have his hands full tonight as he faced off against Jerry “The King” Lawler. Estrada hasn’t been successful so far in the NWF, and things didn’t change here. Lawler put him away pretty easily with the Piledriver. Lawler is still sporting his eye patch, but he seems to have fully recovered from many of his other injuries he has suffered as of late with his battles against Devastation, Inc. It showed in just how well he wrestled tonight. Lawler decided to stick around after the match, and we soon found out why.

Canadian Air (Lanny Poffo and Raymond Rougeau) defeated Mr. Fuji and Crusher Blackwell when L. Poffo pinned Fuji with the Crucifix in 0:12:12.
Rating: *** ½

Jerry Lawler pulled up a chair and watched intently as his hated rivals faced off against this young upstart team of Lanny Poffo and Raymond Rougeau. Canadian Air have been trying to get the respect of the High Flyers, but that all changed a couple of months ago when the High Flyers turned their backs on the fans and Canadian Air. Canadian Air is now trying to climb back up to the top to get their hands on their former heroes. Unfortunately for them, they were going to have to go through the team of Mr. Fuji and Crusher Blackwell. Blackwell and Fuji are part of Skandor Akbar’s Devastation, Inc. but they are not known for teaming together. They sure didn’t show it, however, as they used Fuji’s quickness and Blackwell’s size and strength to control most of the match. Poffo and Rougeau were able to hold their own with Fuji, but when Crusher was in the ring, they had to stick to their hit and run offense. The match ended up being pretty even, but that was just due to Canadian Air’s flurry of offense at certain points throughout the match. But the result was neither because of Air’s speed or Crusher’s size, but because Jerry Lawler picked up his chair while referee Alfred Neely was distracted by Skandor Akbar and crashed it over the back of Fuji. Fuji staggered forward right into Poffo’s Crucifix. Crusher, his inexperience in tag team action showing, went after Lawler instead of trying to break up the pinfall. Neely turned around and delivered the three count while Lawler brawled with Crusher on the outside. This has to be considered Canadian Air’s biggest win to date, even considering how the match was decided. Meanwhile, Lawler is going to have to find himself a partner as he will be facing both Crusher Blackwell and Mr. Fuji in tag action in Lincoln, Nebraska.

No-DQ-Match:
Paul Orndorff pinned Ron Bass with the Piledriver in 0:14:42.
Rating: ** ¼

Paul Orndorff came into the NWF to challenge for the World Title, but instead he has been literally fighting for his life against “Outlaw” Ron Bass. And use of the word literally is not false since Ron Bass nearly suffocated Orndorff last month when he tried to hang him with his whip. Orndorff demanded this match to try and get some retribution and end this once and for all. Bass is no stranger to no disqualification matches as it wasn’t long ago that he was fighting Tony Atlas in one. That match was considered to be one of the most brutal in NWF history, and this one ended up being very comparable. Bass was able to use his whip right out in the open, and he used it to its full advantage as he used the butt end of the whip consistently throughout the match to knock him silly. Orndorff has learned long ago how to withstand a beating, however, and he was able to fight right back. Orndorff is one of the greats when it comes to technical wrestling, but he has no problem turning to brawling when it suits the match. Orndorff and Bass didn’t let the ring confine them either as they brawled around ringside. Bass introduced a chair to the match, and that ended up being his undoing. Bass jabbed Orndorff in the ribs with the chair before tossing it into the ring. Both men ended up back in the ring where when Bass tried to lift Orndorff up, Paul nailed him with a low blow. This was no disqualification so the fans seemed to forgive Orndorff for this, and in fact, they cheered him even more. Orndorff saw the opening and took turns ramming Bass’ head into the turnbuckles around the ring. He did this ten times to each turnbuckle in the ring, and by the end, Bass was seeing stars. Orndorff wasn’t going to let this be the end, however, as he pulled Bass to the center of the ring and planted him with the Piledriver. But not just any Piledriver as he dropped him directly on the chair! The Piledriver is enough to put away any man but adding the impact of a chair and Bass was out.

Bass had to be helped to the back after the match, and after what Orndorff just put him through, it’s doubtful he’ll want another piece of Orndorff any time soon. And Orndorff can now continue on his quest to win the World Title.

The Von Erich Brothers (David Von Erich and Kevin Von Erich) defeated Dirty Cowboys (Bob Orton Jr. and Dick Slater) when Kevin Von Erich pinned Slater after a flying sunset flip in 0:16:07.
Rating: **** ¼

The Von Erich Brothers are normally a couple of guys that enjoy what they are doing, shaking hands with the fans, and generally all smiles. Things have changed lately as when Bob Orton Jr. turned his back on both David and Kevin, they’ve become a lot more focused and silent in the back. The last two shows the NWF have run have ended up with both of them laid out in the center of the ring with Orton and Dick Slater standing over them. They were determined to not let that happen again tonight. This would be the first time these two teams meet in the ring, and both of them wanted to put a hurting on the other. There wasn’t a lot of mat wrestling in this one as each man seemed to take pleasure in inflicting as much punishment on the opposing side. This continued with neither team gaining the advantage for long and we eventually ended up with all four men in the ring brawling it out. Throughout this entire fiasco referee Isaac Madilla tried to get control of the match. He wasn’t having much luck so it was hard to blame him when Kevin flew off the top rope with a flying sunset flip onto Slater that he counted to three despite David being the legal man. This match didn’t end with the bell, however, as they continued to fight in the ring. It took several officials to break it up, but it’s pretty clear that things are not over between these four men.

Before the next match could begin, Tommy Rich walked out with his United States Title. He was pretty angry with himself as he talked about how last month he cost his team a match against the East-West Connection and Billy Graham. He knew that he was more than capable of defeating “Superstar” Billy Graham in the ring, and it was just one second of doubt that cost him the match. He said he had been working night in and night out to earn the respect of the guys in the back, but he knew that some people still had their doubts and that loss just helped to fuel their flames. Rich could not continue as Billy Graham stepped out from the back and entered the ring. Graham called Rich a crybaby and a loser. Graham told Rich that he should be happy when he was throwing out all of those open challenges to defend his US Title that he was busy in a real man’s feud between himself and Harley Race. Otherwise, like was proven last month, Graham would have come out here and taken that title. Rich said if beating Graham is what it was going to take to prove himself in the NWF to ring the bell right now. Graham seemed rather pleased with himself as referee Barney Sullivan ran down to start an impromptu title defense.

Billy Graham defeated Tommy Rich by countout in 0:12:16.
Rating: * 1/2
(Tommy Rich retained the NWF United States Title.)

This was either an off night for Tommy Rich or Billy Graham is just in a different league. Rich tried his best from the beginning, but Graham seemed to have a counter for each move that Rich attempted. And even the times that Rich did get control, it never lasted long. You could see the frustration mounting on the champion as he started to make more and more mistakes. It looked like it would only be a matter of time before we saw a title change when they both fell to the outside. Graham got back into the ring after a few punches were thrown, but as Rich started to climb up on the apron, he all of a sudden collapsed on the floor. He was holding his ankle, apparently twisting or spraining it trying to hop up on the apron. Graham had his back to it and never even saw the referee continue the count to ten.

Graham went ballistic when he was announced as the winner via countout. As we all know, titles can’t change hands by countout or disqualification, and so despite winning the majority of the match, he would only be getting the winner’s purse of the match but not the title. Several medical crew came out to check on Rich who was explaining how his foot or ankle was injured, but Graham was having none of that. He pushed them out of the way, pulled Rich to his feet, and went to nail him. Rich, though, was ready for him and instead fired away several shots that sent Graham to the floor. Rich hobbled to the back while Graham recollected himself. It’s a shame that Rich hurt himself as Rich cannot have wanted to defend his title by that loophole. Both men had to be happy to hear that there will be a rematch in just a couple of weeks in Lincoln, Nebraska.

As Thunderbolt Patterson was coming to the ring for his match, his opponent, Greg Valentine, decided to take it upon himself to start the match early. Valentine chop blocked Patterson in the aisle, and Thunderbolt never saw him coming. Valentine lifted him up and tossed him into the ringsteps a few times before driving his head into the guardrail. Patterson was pretty clearly out as Valentine entered the ring. Valentine said he was sick and tired of beating up chumps like Thunderbolt Patterson, and he wanted a rightful shot at the World Title. While several officials helped Patterson to the back, Valentine continued his tirade about how unfair it was that he had to sit there and watch as Race continued to defend his title against a bunch of guys that weren’t even close to deserving a World Title shot. Ole Anderson could only take so much before he made his second appearance of the night. Ole said that he had heard all of this before, in fact, just a couple of months ago. He said that Billy Graham came out here and cried about not getting a title shot, and Ole is sick of it. Ole said that he may not like Baron Von Raschke, but he deserved his World Title shot because he goes out there and wins his matches. Ole told Valentine that if he wants a title match so badly why he doesn’t win some of his matches, like one against him right now. Valentine didn’t seem keen on the idea, but referee Isaac Madilla didn’t care since Valentine was responsible for there being no opponent for Greg.

Greg Valentine pinned Ole Anderson after a gutwrench suplex in 0:15:36.
Rating: *** 1/2
(Thunderbolt Patterson no-showed.)

You have to hand it to Ole Anderson. He already competed in a very tough tag team match earlier in the night, and now he practically volunteered himself to face one of the toughest competitors in the NWF, Greg Valentine. It was gutsy, but if Ole wants to rack up some wins to get his own title shot, stunts like this probably aren’t the best idea. Ole held his own, but as the match wore on, you could tell that he was growing pretty tired. It didn’t help matters that Valentine equipped that kneepad that seems to be pretty effective in knocking people out. Referee Alfred Neely didn’t seem to care much about it since a kneepad is legal wrestling gear, but something was obviously wrong with it since a kneelift knocked Ole out on his feet. The gutwrench suplex was enough to put him on the mat, and Ole was unable to kick out. Valentine sure has grown into one of the more formidable foes in the NWF, and a guy you do not want to get into the ring with unless you are well prepared.

Chief Jay Strongbow pinned Buzz Sawyer after an avalanche in 0:09:16.
Rating: ** ¼

Chief Jay Strongbow and Buzz Sawyer have had a few battles with one another so far this year, but this time it would be Strongbow that would come out on top. Strongbow has put on a little weight as his career continues, and that makes moves like an avalanche in the corner all that more effective. After the match, Strongbow threw his name into the hat as a suggestion to Lawler if he wanted a tag team partner for his battle against Devastation, Inc. We found out after the show that Lawler was going to take him up on his offer.

The High Flyers (Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne) defeated The Brisco Brothers (Jerry Brisco and Jack Brisco) when G. Gagne pinned Jack Brisco with the Brain Buster in 0:18:01.
Rating: ***
(The High Flyers retained the NWF World Tag Team Titles.)

Now that Toru Tanaka has retired and is no longer teaming with Mr. Fuji, these two teams have been together longer than any other tag team in the NWF. That doesn’t always mean success, but in these two examples it sure does. The High Flyers are brand new champions, winning the straps from the Briscos just a little under a month ago. Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell have changed their ways so much that they are hardly recognizable anymore. They still go to the air some, but they have focused more on brawling and a mat game, stuff that is far easier to use under handed tactics with than their aerial wrestling. In fact, if you showed a new fan the High Flyers, they’d think their team name was being sarcastic somewhat. The Brisco Brothers game is on the mat as well, and they are far more experienced with it which helped them control a lot of tonight’s match. Jack and Jerry both were plenty leery of letting either Brunzell or Gagne out of their sight for too long as last time that happened Brunzell used some brass knuckles to win the straps. All four men went at the match slowly, but Gagne would make sure to poke Jerry in the eye or use the ropes for leverage on Jack any chance he got. The Brisco Brothers would not let their tempers get the best of him, however, and it was paying off as Gagne and Brunzell looked like they were about to lose the titles after a short reign. It would be Jack Brisco making the mistake that cost them their rematch. All four men ended up in the ring, but Jerry Brisco and Brunzell were put back in their corners without too much argument, but while the ref talked to Jerry, Brunzell grabbed his tag title from the timekeeper. Jack was going for a vertical suplex, but Brunzell from the ringside floor held on to Gagne’s foot to prevent him from being lifted. This distracted Jack which allowed Gagne to quickly lift Jack up just as Brunzell slid the title belt into the ring. Gagne dropped Jack directly on top of the title with the Brain Buster! Gagne floated over and covered and successfully defended their straps!

The High Flyers were given their World Tag Team Titles while Jerry Brisco thought about going after them. Instead, he rolled Jack under the ring ropes to avoid any further attack by the High Flyers. You have to wonder what has gotten into Gagne and Brunzell, but whatever it is, it sure has made them successful. What’s so impressive is not just how well they steal victories, but how fast they can accomplish it. They are using their lightning quickness to keep things out of the ref’s view and it’s proven to be a winning strategy.

Iron Man Match:
Harley Race beat Baron Von Raschke 3 falls to 2:
x Raschke beat Race via a powerslam in 0:12:09
x Raschke beat Race via the Claw in 0:26:24
x Race beat Raschke via a fisherman suplex in 0:38:23
x Race beat Raschke via a diving headbutt in 0:52:08
x Race beat Raschke via the Piledriver in 0:58:18
x time limit expired (Raschke and Race) in 1:00:00
Rating: *** 1/2
(Harley Race retained the NWF World Title.)

This match was something new for most fans, and it was definitely new for both Harley Race and Baron Von Raschke. The object was to get as many pinfalls or submissions in one hour’s time. Percy Pringle was the mastermind behind this match as he thought that Race had stolen a victory over Raschke the last time they had met, but you’d have to think that this match might just favor Race due to his stamina and the way he wrestles. That whole thought went out the window when Raschke caught Race out of nowhere with a powerslam about twelve minutes in and got a flash three count. Half the crowd nearly lost it, thinking that the title had changed hands, but they quickly remembered that this did not signal the end of the match. Race recovered, but he, too, seemed a little stunned by taking the first fall. If this were a regular match, Race would have just lost the World Title. Things grew even worse for Race when Raschke moved out of the way of a diving headbutt before locking in his Claw! Race struggled for several seconds before making an intelligent decision and just giving it up. He knew he would not be able to escape, and if he suffered an injury or was knocked unconscious here, there was no chance he was going to be able to fight back to win the match.

Down 2-0 with just a little over half the match left, things looked bleak for the World Champion. He started to make his slow comeback when he caught Raschke putting his head down too early for a backdrop. Race grabbed him and brought him over with a beautiful fisherman suplex. Raschke normally wouldn’t make such a mistake, but it looked like the length of the match was starting to wear on him. This pinfall, however, awakened him a bit as he really upped his game. Raschke and Race started to tear into one another, but once the ten minutes remaining announcement was made, Race went into another gear. Raschke had burned up nearly everything he had and when Race hit him with the diving headbutt for real this time, he had no strength left to kick out. The match was now tied and the crowd was going wild. Pringle tried to help his man out as much as he could, even attempting to trip Race as he came off the ropes. Race would have none of it, however, as he reached down pulled Pringle onto the ring apron and blasted him with a right hook. Pringle fell backwards onto the floor, but Raschke took that opportunity to lock on the Claw when Race turned around! There was still three minutes left and Race had nowhere to go! But Race was smart enough to grab the ref by his shirt. As the ref was telling Race to release it, Race dropped to his knees and low blowed Raschke! When Raschke locks on his Claw, he does not release it, but these were different circumstances. Raschke let go of the hold and bent over in pain, and the ref did not even see it due to Race having him distracted. Race quickly lifted Raschke up and spiked him with the Piledriver! Race covered and the referee counted to three to give Race a 3-2 lead! Race slowly got back to his feet, but it took Raschke nearly half a minute to get back to his. And by that time there was only about twenty seconds left. Raschke charged at Race, but Race dodged out of the way and avoided Raschke as the time counted down to zero.

Race had retained the title in one of the longest and challenging title defenses in quite some time. Raschke just about collapsed in the ring after the match while Race grabbed his title and lifted it over his head to the pleasure of the crowd.

July 23, 1980 – Lincoln, NE:
20 Man Battle Royal to determine a challenger for the World Title
WORLD TITLE – Harley Race © vs. Winner
US TITLE – Tommy Rich © vs. Billy Graham
Jerry Lawler and Chief Jay Strongbow vs. Mr. Fuji and Crusher Blackwell

[snabbit888]

Screw it. I'm awake. I'll do it now.

Happy 1 year!

Minor upset with Ole & Atlas beating EW. I like how you've built Ole, but similarly, I'm not sure what has happened with Ventura & Adonis. They've lost a step, bu they're still a tough out.

Nice win for Lawler as he continues to heal up. Hopefully he gets some reinforcements soon for this feud with Akbar. The King might lose his other eye!

Even though Canadian Air has more team experience, that win over Fuji & Blackwell is a huge upset if you ask me. Sure, Lawler was involved, but Fuji is one of the best tag wrestlers in the world and you've made Blackwell a monster. Big time win.

You have a lot of guys with the Piledriver as a finisher. Good thing is back in 1980, multiple wrestlers having the same finisher is not uncommon. You figured that Orndorff was getting the win in the no-DQ, but this feud did a great job of getting him out of the blocks and showing he's a big deal. Still mad at him for leaving me. If he becomes a big star, I'll be even madder.

Just the first chapter of matches for the Von Erichs and Dirty Cowboys. Lot of chaos in the match. I liked the bit of the legal man not getting the pin. Shows just how crazy this feud has the potential to get.

Why do I get the feeling that Rich faked that injury to keep his title? It seems pretty convenient that Graham was rocking him and Rich's leg suddenly gives out on him. I smell a rat.

The progression of Valentine has been nice. He's flirted with the main event, but wasn't quite there. I think he's close to being there for good now. Good explanation for the no-show. I wonder if you'll move Ole to a feud with Valentine now.

Strongbow to be Lawler's partner... not sure what I think about that quite yet. I'll let it play out, but against Akbar, seems like Lawler will need a lot more.

The High Flyers are my favorite thing going right now. Two wins in a row over the Briscos is nothing to scoff about. Can't wait to see Canadian Air try to get their revenge.

Main event was great. Nice storytelling for the first Iron Man match in GCW Universe history. Race had to retain, but you did a good job of making it look like it was up in the air. Race still isn't quite all the way there for me as a top face, but as the World champion, he's still a bad ass.

[JoshiQ]

Can't believe it's been a year already.

Ole has come along pretty nicely. I figured he'd be hard to write for, but he is actually pretty simple. East-West Connection were going to be huge stars when I started and they just fizzled out on me. They are far from jobbers and can easily main event, but right now they are just stuck in the middle.

That's one thing I dislike about my circuit. Everybody's finisher is either the Piledriver, the Claw, or the Sleeper it seems.

I figured using the Iron Man match at this time in history wasn't too far of a stretch. I think they were using them or about to in real life around this time. Race is a hard guy to write as a face, he'll always feel kind of like a tweener for me, but since he tours aroudn his home state, I figure he'd get cheered more often than booed.

Thanks for the comments, Ryan.