World Class Wrestling Association October 25, 1986

by

Taped from Dallas, TX

Airdate: October 25, 1986 (taped 10/12)

Attendance: 5,835

Hosted by Bill Mercer

What happens when you have a STEEL CAGE and you stick Brody and Abdullah in it? Can Mike defeat a dude named Spike? Get ready for more Cotton Bowl ‘rasslin’!

Opening montage.

Don’t forget that it’s still COLD and WET in the Cotton Bowl!

Match 1: Brian Adias versus Crusher Yurkov (w “Pretty Boy” Larry Sharpe)

Highlights:

  • Although there were no ring introductions due to the weather, Sharpe drowned out the thousands of members of Cotton Bowl faithful with a “Crush-er” chant.
  • Adias planted a pair of knees to the midsection but ate a head butt.
  • When Crusher connected with a back elbow, he fed Adias an elbow smash.
  • Adias dropkicked Crusher and received a “go Brian go” chant from the Cotton Bowl faithful.
  • As they leapfrogged one another, Crusher backdropped Adias.
  • Fed up with getting his hair pulled, Adias attempted a back elbow but bounced off Crusher like a superball.
  • Crusher landed an elbow drop and got 2.
  • After he blocked a back drop attempt, Adias dropkicked Crusher again.
  • Adias missed another one, so Crusher dealt him a diving head butt.
  • While he mounted the top turnbuckle, Crusher launched a flying splash.
  • 1-2-3.
  • Crusher won at 7:54.

 

Rating: ½*

Summary: Adias wasn’t the right opponent to sell everything Crusher had to offer despite being a much better opponent than Zulu. Even though Crusher made some rookie mistakes, the bulk of his potential was quite evident.

Back in the locker room, Mercer interviews Mike and Fritz Von Erich. Mike’s confident he can defeat Johnson although he’s quite nervous. As he will be the special guest referee for the main event, Fritz promises that the “best man will walk out, but the second man…will be carried out.”

Match 2: US Express versus Mark & Chris Youngblood

Highlights:

  • The match began in the rain, and Brad hip-tossed Mark.
  • As Mark returned the favor, Chris tagged in, mounted the top turnbuckle, and lowered the boom onto Brad.
  • Mark tagged in and dropkicked Brad for 1.
  • Due to the rain, many of the Cotton Bowl faithful sought shelter under the overhang of the upper deck.
  • Bart tagged in and backdropped Mark.
  • When he slammed Mark, Bart fed him a knee drop for 2.
  • Brad tagged in, and the US Express double-clotheslined Mark for another 2.
  • After he slammed Mark, Brad mounted the top turnbuckle, scored with a fist drop, but couldn’t get 3.
  • Bart tagged in, but Mark dealt him an inverted atomic drop.
  • While Brad tagged in, he delivered a swinging neckbreaker for another 2.
  • Bart tagged in and suplexed Mark for yet another 2.
  • Rejoining the match, Brad hit what appeared to be a lariat.
  • On the other hand, an exhausted Mark draped himself on the second rope.
  • Bart missed a running guillotine, so Mark made the FREEZING COLD tag to Chris.
  • Dropkicking Bart, Chris sent Brad bouncing through the ropes to the turf.
  • Bart reversed a cross corner whip, but Chris vaulted over him.
  • Hooking a German suplex with a bridge, Chris pinned Bart.
  • The Youngbloods won at 8:05.

 

Rating: **

Summary: Since the US Express is a babyface team, they’re not used to controlling the match; therefore, their elongated heat segment followed by the tag to Chris doesn’t pop the Cotton Bowl faithful very well at all. Conversely, Chris looks incredibly sharp. Bridging German suplexes don’t happen too often in ’86.

Prior to the next match, Mike grabs the microphone and thanks the Cotton Bowl faithful. He claims to have gained 85 pounds due to being 140 at this time last year.

Match 3: Mike Von Erich versus Spike Johnson (w/ Percy Pringle)

Highlights:

  • Mike won a test-of-strength by turning it into a monkey flip.
  • When Mike dropkicked him, Johnson spilled onto a wooden board covering the turf.
  • Johnson returned and fed Mike a lariat.
  • As Johnson missed a leg drop, Mike gave him a cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
  • Johnson slammed him, but Mike countered a back drop with a sunset flip.
  • 1-2-3.
  • Mike won at 5:48.

 

Rating: *

Summary: VERY basic match as neither wrestler had great timing due to their limited experience. There were reasons why Mike was hidden in tag and six-man matches during this era.

Match 4 (steel cage): Bruiser Brody versus Abdullah the Butcher (w/ Gary Hart)

Highlights:

  • Fritz was the special guest referee for this match.
  • As Abdullah gave Brody a cross corner whip, he followed with an avalanche.
  • The Cotton Bowl faithful erupted in a “Bruis-er” chant, and Fritz physically separated the combatants.
  • When Abdullah landed an elbow drop, Brody fed him a series of kicks to the head in the corner.
  • Abdullah was BUSTED OPEN!
  • After Brody introduced him to the steel cage, he booted Abdullah in the head several more times.
  • Hart took great exception to Fritz’s officiating, and Abdullah rammed Brody face-first into the cage.
  • While Brody hammered him with double axe handles, Abdullah fell like a rib joint of cards.
  • Brody mounted the top turnbuckle and nailed Abdullah with a flying fist.
  • Following a clip, Abdullah brandished a foreign object and obliterated Brody with it.
  • Fritz tried to extricate the foreign object from him, but Abdullah blasted him for it.
  • Meanwhile, Brody was BUSTED OPEN.
  • Fritz successfully extracted the object from Abdullah who objected.
  • Showing no fear, Fritz annihilated Abdullah to the glee of the frozen Cotton Bowl faithful.
  • He assisted Brody in making the cover and counted the pin.
  • As a result, Brody won at 8:03 shown.

 

Rating: ***

Summary: Bloody battle with Fritz’s physical involvement leading to the Brody victory.

After the match, Hart inserts himself into the cage to speak his mind to Fritz. He berates Fritz for being biased until Abdullah hammers Fritz from behind. How dastardly!

Fritz absorbs the blow and sends Hart into Abdullah. With what seems like both Brody and Abdullah’s blood all over his white shirt, Fritz decimates Abdulah with the foreign object. Hart tries his best, but Fritz knocks some good old-fashioned sense into him. Referees Rick Hazzard and David Manning jump into the cage to restore order. When Manning tried to intervene, Hart rammed him into the cage. Evil! While Fritz exits the cage, Hart chases Manning who exits over the top of it.

Conclusion:  Since Fritz tried to keep Abdullah strong for his Puerto Rican appearances, he found a way for Brody to beat Abdullah quite creatively. Mike won his first ever match at the Cotton Bowl while Crusher and the Youngbloods gained victories on the rather wet canvas.

Honestly, I wish the weather had been better to gauge how WCWA was doing outside of the Sporatorium. I guess when it’s time for the Thanksgiving and Christmas shows, we’ll find out.

POINT OF ORDER: The only match held at the Cotton Bowl that wasn’t televised was Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat’s victory over Zulu. Since Steamboat was still under contract to the WWF, he was more than likely moonlighting.

Next week, Warrior crosses paths with Borne, and Mike battles Adias.

TV Rating: NONE

Stay tuned for WCCW 11-01-86!

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