Taped from Dallas, TX
Airdate: September 13, 1986 (taped 09/05)
Attendance: astonishingly low
Hosted by Bill Mercer
What will happen when Brody and Sawyer tangle in the main event? How will Mike fare on his return to the Sportatorium? Will Warrior conquer Adias? Who are the new tag team champions? Get cozy and enjoy some hard hitting ‘rasslin’!
Opening montage.
Match 1: Jos LeDuc (w/ Percy Pringle) versus Mark Youngblood
Highlights:
- LeDuc placed a knee in the midsection as the Sportatorium looked EMPTY.
- When LeDuc made him HIT THE POLE, Youngblood rebounded with a pair of dropkicks. The second one sent him between the ropes to the floor.
- Youngblood returned LeDuc to the ring via flying headscissors.
- As he gave LeDuc a cross corner whip, Youngblood hip-tossed him.
- Youngblood attempted another flying headscissors, but LeDuc caught and fed him a backbreaker.
- 1-2-3.
- LeDuc won at 8:30.
Rating: *
Summary: LONG showcase match for LeDuc.
For those unaware, here is the breakdown of the WCWA World tag team tournament:
First round:
- Kevin Sullivan & Mark Lewin defeated the US Express
- Mark & Chris Youngblood beat “Ravishing” Rick Rude & Jos LeDuc by DQ
- Dingo & Socko Warrior defeated “Killer” Tim Brooks & the Grappler (I believe that Socko was Mark Miller who, alongside Hellwig, was part of Powerteam USA.
- Buzz Sawyer & Matt Borne beat Kevin & Mike Von Erich by countout
Second round:
- Matt Borne & Buzz Sawyer defeated Mark Lewin & Kevin Sullivan
- Chris & Mark Youngblood beat Ted & Jerry Oates
- Socko & Dingo Warrior defeated Brian Adias & Scott Casey
Semifinals:
- Buzz Sawyer & Matt Borne beat Mark & Chris Youngblood
- Chris Adams & Lance Von Erich defeated Dingo & Socko Warrior
Final:
Matt Borne & Buzz Sawyer beat Lance Von Erich & Chris Adams
At ringside, Mercer interviews Pringle who points out that Rude lost his rematch against Adams for the World title, so Pringle dissolves his relationship with Rude. Holy breaking news, Batman!
To rectify the void in the “Pringle Dynasty,” Pringle adds the NEW World tag team champions— “Maniac” Matt Borne and Sawyer. Pringle declares that the champions will NEVER defend their titles on television. According to Pringle, “no freebies.” Keep that in mind, folks.
Match 2: Dingo Warrior (w/ Gary Hart) versus Brian Adias
Highlights:
- Referee David Manning joined the broadcast table.
- As Adias dropkicked him, Warrior stutter-stepped backwards but didn’t leave his feet.
- Adias leapfrogged him, but Warrior blocked a hip toss before feeding Adias one of his own.
- When Warrior missed a knee drop, Adias escaped a hammerlock and rolled him up for 2.
- Warrior dealt Adias a standing choke while Manning described the ongoing downpour occurring in Dallas. That must have been the reason behind the poor attendance tonight.
- After Warrior military-press-slammed him, he tossed Adias down to the floor.
- He clotheslined Adias and got 2.
- While he scored with a back elbow, Warrior landed a knee drop.
- He slammed Adias but missed another knee drop.
- Delivering his own back elbow, Adias dropkicked Warrior twice finally taking him off his feet.
- Adias charged, but Warrior tossed him over the top rope.
- As a result, referee Bronko Lubich awarded the bout to Adias via DQ at 7:15.
Rating: *
Summary: Clash of styles here with an atrocious finish.
Match 3: Mike Von Erich versus the Grappler
Highlights:
- Mike ducked a clothesline and fed Grappler a pair of dropkicks.
- When the Dallas faithful LOUDLY chanted “go Mike, go,” their hero reversed a cross corner whip and backdropped Grappler.
- Mike leapfrogged Grappler and followed with another dropkick.
- As Grappler rebounded with a clothesline, he dealt Mike a belly-to-back suplex for 2.
- He slammed Mike, landed an elbow drop, and got another 2.
- After Mike launched dropkick #4, Grappler tossed him down to the floor.
- Mike reentered the ring via sunset flip and pinned Grappler at 8:15.
Rating: **
Summary: You can see there’s a bit of rust, but Mike looks stronger and uses his noggin to get the victory.
Match 4 (non-title): WCWA Texas champion “Mad Dog” Buzz Sawyer (w/ Percy Pringle) versus Bruiser Brody
Highlights:
- Before ring announcer Marc Lowrance could offer any particulars, Sawyer ambushed Brody.
- He gave Brody a cross corner whip but ate boot on his follow-through.
- As Brody slammed Sawyer, he got 2.
- Sawyer missed a diving head butt, but Brody didn’t miss a big boot leading to a 2-count.
- When Sawyer tossed him down to the floor, he joined and choked Brody with a camera cable. How dastardly!
- Sawyer reversed an Irish whip and dropkicked Brody for 2.
- After Sawyer got away with putting his foot on the bottom rope for leverage, he tried both feet. SNEAKY!
- Referee Rick Hazzard caught his shenanigans, so Sawyer broke the hold.
- While Brody rebounded with an atomic drop, he missed a leg drop. The subtlety was not lost on me, brother.
- Sawyer climbed atop him and got 2.
- Suplexing Brody, Sawyer got another 2.
- Brody countered all the biting by Sawyer by gnawing on Sawyer’s skull. Please pass the mustard.
- Hooking a belly-to-belly suplex, Sawyer couldn’t get 3.
- He fed Brody a backbreaker for another 2.
- Jumping onto the apron, Pringle not only distracted Hazzard but also tossed the chain into the ring.
- Sawyer tried to blast him with it, but Brody blocked it and annihilated him.
- Disposing the evidence outside the ring, Brody pinned Sawyer at 9:39.
Rating: ***
Summary: Solid main event as Sawyer brought the workrate while Brody shrugged off all his chicanery and got the better of Sawyer.
Following the match, Pringle griped to Hazzard about Brody’s use of the chain but failed miserably.
Conclusion: Much to the delight of the meager Dallas faithful, both Brody and Mike carried home victories. Shockingly, Pringle dumps Rude but picks up the tag champs to compensate.
Nevertheless, Warrior blew his chance against Adias while LeDuc returned wrestling to the 70s during his squash.
Next week, Kevin and Lance battle Borne and Sawyer!
Looking ahead, I see that the September 20 episode is not available. Here are the remaining results from the TV taping:
- Abdullah the Butcher beat Brian Adias
- Steve Simpson and Mark Lewin battled to a draw.
- In a non-title bout, “Gentleman” Chris Adams defeated “Killer” Tim Brooks. This would mark Adams’ last televised match in the WCWA for 14 months.
- “Ravishing” Rick Rude & Dingo Warrior teamed up to beat Perry Jackson & Brian Adias. This would mark Rude’s last televised match in the WCWA as he was headed to Jim Crockett Promotions. During his last tour of duty, Rude lost a pair of matches to Mike Von Erich.
- Abdullah the Butcher destroyed Mike Reed
- Lance & Kevin Von Erich succeeded in victory over Sawyer and Borne, but since Pringle doesn’t let them defend on TV, it was a non-title match. Clever!
Therefore, in the next episode to be reviewed, Black Bart makes his triumphant return to Dallas.
TV Rating: NONE
Stay tuned for WCCW 09-27-86!
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