World Class Wrestling Association August 29, 1987

by

Taped from Dallas, TX

Airdate: August 29, 1987 (taped 08/21)

Attendance: unknown

Hosted by Marc Lowrance

What is the controversy surrounding the World title? Who will win the World title match in the main event? Also, how will the Simpson brothers and Steamboat fare against the World tag team champions and Apollo? If you’re ready to dig in, here’s some vittles for ya!

Opening montage.

Standing in front of two men, Lowrance begins the program by mentioning that Adias once again knocked Kevin out of competing due to the dreaded Dim Chang. Since Al Perez’s scheduled to face him for the World title, he wins the match by forfeit and becomes World champion. Ring announcer Ralph Pulley joins Lowrance to continue the story with Adias being threatened beyond compare. According to Lowrance, the Dallas faithful is HOSTILE!

POINT OF ORDER: According to Meltzer, Kevin did the ultimate no-no in pro wrestling and no-showed the event. No further information was given, so feel free to speculate as to whether it was a political decision or lack of responsibility on Kevin’s part. Gary Hart, knowing that the Labor Day and Cotton Bowl shows are on the horizon, felt that Kevin should chase Perez for the title to boost ticket sales. Let’s see how it plays out.

Match 1: Al Madril (w/ Manuel Villalobos) versus Joey Jackson

Highlights:

  • Who?
  • For those of us who have only seen sparse quantities of Portland wrestling, Jackson’s entire career save for this match resided there.
  • A-ha! Referee Mullet Warrior had a real name—John Keaton. Perhaps he’s Batman on his days off.
  • Lowrance claimed “the fans are not happy” but blamed it on Adias rather than the Kevin situation.
  • When Madril reversed a cross corner whip, he backdropped Jackson.
  • Madril popped Jackson who may or may not have metamorphosized into Orville Redenbacher.
  • As Madril bounced Jackson like a basketball, Lowrance noted that Kevin would be the #1 contender following tonight’s main event.
  • Jackson reversed an Irish whip, but Madril leapfrogged and bulldozed him with a flying shoulder block.
  • 1-2-3.
  • Madril won at 3:48.

 

Rating: *

Summary: Showcase match for Madril as he gave his opponent every chance to be stepping out.

We head to Fort Worth where Kevin applies the Iron claw to Adias. After he pins Adias, Kevin thwarts a sneak attack by the Ninja. A BUSTED OPEN Adias nails Kevin from behind, and with assistance from Ninja, blasts Kevin with the Dim Chang. Down goes Kevin!

Following a clip, referee Bronko Lubich checks on the fallen Kevin. SBS, Bourne, and Madril arrive to help Kevin. As a disoriented Kevin rises to his feet, the Ft. Worth faithful screams in glee.  Lowrance claims that Kevin’s the first wrestler to “ever get up from” the Dim Chang.

Afterward, Kevin collapses during his return to the locker room. The babyfaces assist him as Kevin will require medical intervention.

Back at the Spprtatorium, Pulley interviews Adias who refutes the banning of Dim Chang out of everyone’s fear.

Match 2: Brian Adias & Ted Arcidi (w/ Percy Pringle & the Ninja) versus The Spoiler & Sweet Brown Sugar

Highlights:

  • Tony Atlas joined the broadcast table for this match.
  • As Arcidi slammed SBS, he missed an elbow drop.
  • Adias tagged in, but SBS leapfrogged him twice before monkey-flipping him.
  • When he slammed Adias, SBS leaped to the second turnbuckle, floated over, leaped to the opposite second turnbuckle, and launched a cross body block for 2.
  • Spoiler tagged in, got roughhoused by the heels, but fed Adias an inverted atomic drop to thwart any late-night shenanigans.
  • After he gave Adias a cross corner whip, Spoiler dealt him a lariat for 2.
  • Arcidi tagged in and clotheslined Spoiler.
  • While he slammed Spoiler, Arcidi missed another elbow drop.
  • Spoiler dealt him a ropewalk shoulder smash and tagged out.
  • Rejoining the match, SBS hammered Adias in the midsection.
  • He suplexed Adias and got 2.
  • Hooking an inside cradle, SBS got another 2.
  • He mounted the second turnbuckle and scored with a flying head butt.
  • Attempting a pin, SBS couldn’t get 3 thanks to Pringle’s timely placement of Adias’ foot on the bottom rope. Crafty!
  • Spoiler manhandled Pringle at ringside while the heels double-teamed SBS in the ring.
  • With Keaton throwing the match out, Ninja blindfolded Spoiler with his scarf.
  • Atlas left the broadcast table to assist SBS, and the Texas tag champs caught Adias with a double-shot to the midsection.
  • As a result, SBS and Spoiler won by DQ at 5:44.

 

Rating: ***

Summary: You can keep the Spoiler and Arcidi on the apron and give me SBS versus Adias any day of the week. The chemistry and velocity with which they grapple is phenomenal.

At ringside, Adias touts Ninja’s skills, and Ninja destroys a watermelon with one strike. After Ninja does the same to another watermelon, Adias gets his turn and follows suit.

FRITZ’S SCRAPBOOK: Fritz reads mail from Mr. Womack from Milwaukee, WI. Remarkably, Womack believes that if you ban the Dim Chang, the Iron claw and piledriver must follow. Fritz doesn’t believe in banning holds. Instead, he feels that building counters makes more sense. Next week, Kevin will join Fritz to discuss a counter for Dim Chang.

The next piece of mail comes from Nancy Bedker in Normal, IL who touts ESPN but wonders whether Lance is really a Von Erich. Without hesitation, Fritz denies that Lance is a member of the Von Erich clan, and his real name is William Vaughan. Fritz continues with “(due to) past recent events, Mr. Vaughan has been officially terminated. He can no longer use the copyright registered name of the Von Erich family.” Fritz doesn’t plan to mention his name anymore.

POINT OF ORDER: It’s one thing to announce in the ring that Lance refused to wrestle, but it’s another to outright fire someone on the air.

Match 3: Vic Steamboat & Steve & Shaun Simpson versus “Flamboyant” Eric Embry, The “Thumper” Frankie Lancaster & “Playboy” Vince Apollo (w/ Cowboy Tony)

Highlights:

  • Who?
  • No, this wasn’t Phil’s brother, nor Rocky Balboa’s opponent. It’s Phil using a tougher name in the rugged WCWA.
  • Steamboat slammed Embry, and Steve tagged in, mounted the top turnbuckle, and lowered the boom onto him.
  • When he gave Embry a cross corner whip, Steve monkey-flipped him.
  • Lancaster tagged in, but Steve fed him a cross body block.
  • As tags were exchanged on both sides, Apollo dealt Shaun a knee lift.
  • Shaun reversed a cross corner whip and backdropped Apollo.
  • After he dropkicked Apollo, Shaun tagged out.
  • Steamboat trapped Apollo in a headscissors, and Lowrance mentioned a new light heavyweight championship originating from South Africa and hopefully coming to the US soon.
  • While Apollo delivered a back elbow, he got 2.
  • Embry tagged in, but Steamboat shivered his timbers with a chop.
  • Rejoining the match, Steve held Embry at bay and tagged in Steamboat.
  • Mounting the top turnbuckle, Steamboat lowered even more boom onto Embry.
  • Speaking of Embry, he unleashed a lariat upon Steamboat.
  • Apollo tagged in and landed a knee drop.
  • Slamming Steamboat, Apollo tagged out.
  • Lancaster suplexed Steamboat and got 2.
  • Like a car crash on I-35, both Steamboat and Lancaster attempted simultaneous cross body blocks but the collision knocked them both out.
  • Tags were exchanged again on both sides, and Steve dropkicked Embry.
  • Taking another turn, Shaun dropkicked Embry, and Lancaster tried to intervene with Cowboy Tony’s whip.
  • The babyfaces double-dropkicked the World tag champs, and all six wrestlers were in the ring.
  • Due to the whip, referee Bronko Lubich disqualified the heels; therefore, Steve, Shaun, and Steamboat won at 7:09.

 

Rating: ***

Summary: You can’t get more babyface than the Simpsons and Steamboat, and the Dallas faithful squealed for them non-stop.

Lowrance mentions that the two men seen earlier were members of the WCWA Board of Governors ensuring the information he gave was accurate. Methinks they’re Fritz’s creditors.

Next, Pulley interviews fans at ringside, First, he begins with Cindy who’s a big Perez fan, so she’s happy about his new achievement. Second, the next woman Pulley asks is “proud” of Perez. Yeah, they’re hostile alright. Third, Pulley pulls a monkey out of his butt saying folks behind him are fans of Kevin, but you can’t make me believe it.

WORLD CLASS WRESTLER PROFILE: Atlas describes that he’s “changed” since receiving the Dim Chang from Adias. Afterward, we see him stretching his neck in the ring and pantomiming the Incredible Hulk. He cuts a promo on Adias before growling.

Match 4 for the WCWA World title: Al Perez (champion w/ Gary Hart) versus “Maniac” Matt Borne

Highlights:

  • In a fascinating twist, there’s no referee in the ring.
  • Borne fed Perez a belly-to-belly suplex, followed by a backslide, yet there’s no referee to count the pin.
  • As Bronko Lubich FINALLY entered the ring, it was too little too late.
  • Borne suplexed Perez and got 2.
  • To join the Von Erich Fan Club, write to: Post Office Box 57589 Dallas, TX 75202. Excellent timing, no?
  • Pulley, off-camera, informed Lowrance that referee John Keaton was assigned to this match but suffered an ankle injury. Likely story.
  • When Borne cradled Perez, he got 2.
  • Perez gave Borne a cross corner whip but ate a hip toss.
  • After Perez charged, he sailed over the top rope to the floor as Borne evaded him.
  • Borne made Perez HIT THE POLE, and Perez was BUSTED OPEN!
  • While he gave Perez a cross corner whip, Borne dealt him an elbow smash.
  • He landed an elbow drop for 2.
  • Making Perez HIT THE POLE again, Borne delivered a belly-to-back suplex.
  • Do we have a new champion?
  • 1-2-NO!
  • Perez reversed an Irish whip, but Borne attempted an O’Connor roll.
  • Blocking it, Perez rolled up Borne and hooked the trunks.
  • Perez retained at 5:31.

 

Rating: **

Summary: Too short to be anything spectacular but Borne brought the workrate to enhance the match. Perez, as you’d expect, used heel chicanery to steal the victory.

After the match, Borne and Perez shove one another until Hart escorts the World champion back to the locker room.

Conclusion:  Wow! What an enthralling episode! On the one hand, there’s a new World champion. On the other, stripping Kevin in lieu of making him lose even if by DQ is both controversial and a red flag for the promotion. Honestly, Kevin should have laid down for Perez.

During the episode, we see the kayfabe reasoning behind it. Meltzer’s account, however, is quite different reporting that Kevin’s no-show leaves WCWA with no other option.

Besides the World title controversy, the main event is strong although the referee story sounds bogus. The Simpson brothers take over as the real heartthrobs of the promotion. Without any question, this week’s edition of Fritz’s Scrapbook is legendary due to the vitriol he spews toward the former Von Erich.

While the spotlight on Atlas stands out because of his neck strengthening, SBS and Adias continue to show why they’re workhorses. Madril, meanwhile, waits around for the next big heel to challenge.

Next week, Steve and Shaun get their chance at the World tag team titles!

TV Rating: NONE

Stay tuned for WCCW 09-05-87!

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