WCWA Christmas Star Wars 1987

by

Taped from Dallas, TX

Airdate: December 25, 1987

Attendance: 2,623

Hosted by Marc Lowrance

Can Kerry supplant Perez by winning the World title in a steel cage? How will Kevin, Adams, and Steve fare against the Freebirds? Who wins the car in the battle royal? Will the Fantastics defeat Tatum and Victory? What else could possibly happen on Christmas night? You will not believe your eyes.

Opening montage.

POINT OF ORDER: During this time, Fritz sold the promotion to Kevin and Kerry Von Erich as well as former booker Ken Mantell. Since Mantell owned Wild West Wrestling, he merged the promotions. Also, the original WCCW theme song returned to the opening of the show.

Match 1: The Missing Link versus “Playboy” Vince Apollo

Highlights:

  • Apollo ambushed Link before the bell, mounted the second turnbuckle, jumped onto his back, and applied a sleeper.
  • With Apollo on his back, Link exited the ring and sandwiched him against the ring post.
  • He dealt Apollo a running head butt followed by an atomic drop.
  • When Link mounted the top turnbuckle, he connected with a flying head butt.
  • 1-2-3.
  • Link won at 1:17.

Rating: *

Summary: Showcase match for Link.

Match 2: The Fantastics versus “Hollywood” John Tatum & Jack Victory

Highlights:

  • Joined in progress, Victory distracted Fulton allowing Tatum to place a knee into the back sending Fulton between the ropes to the concrete floor.
  • Rogers distracted referee John Keaton, so Victory took liberties with Fulton and rammed him shoulder-first into the ring post. SNEAKY!
  • As Rogers continued to distract Keaton, Victory rammed Fulton face-first into the apron. How dastardly!
  • The Dallas faithful chanted “go, Bobby, go,” as Victory tagged in and leveled Fulton with a diving elbow smash for 2.
  • Like The Wizard of Oz, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain as Lowrance spoiled the main event. For your sake, I won’t.  Lowrance…
  • Nevertheless, Tatum suplexed Fulton for another 2.
  • He baited Rogers into the ring allowing the heels to double-team Fulton. Nefarious!
  • When order was restored, Tatum couldn’t get 3.
  • Victory tagged in, but Fulton whipped him into the corner.
  • After Fulton came up empty on his follow-through, he HIT THE POLE with his injured shoulder.
  • Tatum tagged in and prevented Fulton from tagging out with an elbow drop for yet another 2.
  • While Tatum rammed him face-first into the mat, Fulton blocked a second attempt and returned the favor.
  • Hot tag Rogers.
  • He backdropped Victory and hooked a sleeper.
  • Making the save, Tatum clobbered Rogers.
  • All four wrestlers were in the ring, and Tatum distracted Keaton.
  • With Rogers in his arms, Victory knocked down Keaton and dumped Rogers over the top rope to the concrete floor.
  • Victory attempted to suplex Rogers from the apron into the ring, but Fulton tripped him.
  • Since Keaton was preoccupied with putting Fulton back into the babyface corner, Tatum placed Victory atop Rogers. Clever!
  • 1-2-3.
  • Victory and Tatum won at 6:51 shown.

Rating: ***

Summary: Like most matches involving the Fantastics, it’s great entertainment whether they win or lose.

After the match, referee Bronko Lubich arrives from the locker room and confers with Keaton. He convinces Keaton to reverse the decision in yet another Dusty finish. Oh, brother. Tatum and Victory return, and a pier-six brawl erupts. As the Fantastics double-dropkick Victory out of the ring, they stand tall to the delight of the female contingency.

Match 3 (battle royal):

Participants: Kerry Von Erich, Steve Simpson, “Wild” Bill Irwin, Buddy Roberts, Percy Pringle, Bobby Fulton, “Maniac” Matt Borne, Jack Victory, “Hollywood” John Tatum, Jeff Raitz, Terry Gordy, Brian Adias, “Blackbird” King Parsons, Sweet Brown Sugar, Missing Link, Frankie Lancaster, Shaun Simpson, Solomon Grundy, Cowboy Tony, Tommy Rogers

Highlights:

  • Winner of the match gets the keys to a 1988 Chevrolet Corvette.
  • When Kerry climbed the pole, someone pulled down his trunks, and a full moon hung over Dallas on Christmas night.
  • Despite Parsons’ efforts, Kerry snagged the keys to win the car at 3:13.

Rating: NONE

Summary: Although almost no one knew about it, a one-legged man just climbed a pole and won a car. Amazing!

Following the match, the owner of Friendly Chevrolet congratulates Kerry on his comeback and victory. Kerry advises the Dallas faithful that he’ll be driving his new car home from Reunion Arena.

Backstage, the Freebirds—Gordy, Roberts, and Parsons—cut a promo on the Von Erichs. Parsons runs down Adams.

Match 4 for the vacant WCWA World Six-Man tag titles (steel cage): Kevin Von Erich, “Gentleman” Chris Adams, & Steve Simpson versus Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy, Buddy “Jack” Roberts, & “Blackbird” King Parsons

Highlights:

  • Gordy slapped Kevin, and the brawl was ON.
  • As Kevin caused him to perform a Gordy flip, he slammed Gordy.
  • Speaking of Gordy, he returned the favor to Kevin and followed with a
  • Roberts tagged in, and Lowrance LIED HIS ASS OFF about tonight’s attendance.
  • When Roberts mounted the top turnbuckle, Adams shook the ropes making him lose his balance.
  • Steve tagged in, and a criss-cross ensued.
  • After he backdropped Roberts, Steve unleashed a series of dropkicks.
  • Adams tagged in, mounted the top turnbuckle, and lowered the boom onto Roberts.
  • While Gordy tagged in, he countered a side head lock with a belly-to-back suplex.
  • Adams returned the favor, but Gordy gave him a cross corner whip.
  • Coming up empty on his follow-through, Gordy got rolled up by Adams for 2.
  • Roberts tagged in, but Adams uncorked an enziguri.
  • Tagging in, Steve mounted the second turnbuckle and lowered even more boom onto Roberts for 2.
  • Adams distracted referee John Keaton, so Parsons took advantage and headbutted Steve.
  • Getting his turn, Gordy snap-suplexed Steve.
  • Parsons tagged in and annihilated Steve with a lariat.
  • Slamming Steve, Parsons tagged out.
  • Kevin tagged in, gave Gordy a cross corner whip, pounded Roberts and Parsons, yet ate boot on his follow-through.
  • Clotheslining Kevin again , Gordy applied an Asian spike and evaded a flying Adams.
  • Kevin retaliated with an Iron claw much to the delight of the Dallas faithful.
  • Rejoining the match, Roberts climbed the turnbuckles, but Kevin followed suit.
  • He stymied Roberts with an Iron claw, but Parsons made the save.
  • With all six wrestlers in the ring, Roberts mounted the top turnbuckle, but heel miscommunication reared its ugly head.
  • Adams obliterated Roberts with a superkick while Kevin mounted the top turnbuckle.
  • Flying with a splash, Kevin pinned Roberts at 12:09.
  • WE HAVE NEW CHAMPIONS!

Rating: ***½

Summary: Now THAT’S the WCCW I used to know and love. Of course, Parsons was heavily protected for reasons that will become evident as we move into 1988.

Prior to the main event, Gordy grabs the microphone claiming this should be his title shot. He runs down Kerry even going as far as to denigrate his motorcycle-riding skills.

Roberts jumps into the cage to double-team Kerry, but Fritz blasts him into 1989. As Fritz applies an Iron claw to Roberts, the Angel of Death and Parsons attack him from behind. Parsons chokes Fritz with his cane while Angel of Death whips him with his belt. Although Kerry tries to help his father, Gordy holds him at bay.

The heels handcuff Fritz to the middle rope, and Parsons demolishes him with his cane. Sprinting from the locker room in a track suit, Kevin joins Kerry to assist their father. An enraged Kevin attacks the heels in the aisle to no avail.

While Perez and Hart exit the cage, Kerry and Kevin check on their beleaguered father. Kerry helps Fritz exit the cage with the latter experiencing significant difficulty. As they escort him toward the locker room, Fritz collapses. Oh, shit.

The Fantastics arrive to check on him, but where’s the doctor? Shortly thereafter, EMTs place Fritz on a gurney and take him to an awaiting ambulance. Fritz remains conscious while they load him inside the rig.

POINT OF ORDER: This was a work, folks, and a terribly ill-conceived one at that. With the deaths of David and Mike Von Erich along with Gino Hernandez, scripting this type of tragedy was the WORST idea WCCW could contrive by this point in its existence. I realize they wanted to generate ratings on ESPN and attendance at their shows, but Fritz wasn’t wrestling by this point.

Instead, this was a rather hideous ploy to keep the audience coming back if only to receive updates on Fritz’s “condition.” After all the real misfortune the Adkisson family had endured up until this point, they made this choice?

Following a commercial break, Kerry’s in the ring and promises the Dallas faithful that he will not only wrestle Perez for the World title tonight but also be victorious.

Match 5 for the WCWA World title (steel cage): Al Perez (champion w/ Gary Hart) versus the “Modern Day Warrior” Kerry Von Erich (w/ Fritz Von Erich)

Highlights:

  • Hart was handcuffed in the corner and supposed to be handcuffed to Fritz.
  • Joined in progress, Kerry decked an already BUSTED OPEN Perez with a discus punch.
  • He dealt Perez a ten-top-turnbuckle count-along and hooked an inside cradle for 2.
  • As Perez rebounded by bouncing him off the steel, he backdropped Kerry.
  • He landed a knee drop for another 2.
  • At the fifteen-minute mark, Kerry pounded Perez and sent him reeling against the cage.
  • Perez tried to escape despite that not being a means to victory, but Kerry joined and applied an Iron claw to him.
  • When Kerry released the hold, he nailed Perez sending him reeling down to the mat.
  • Kerry lost his balance thanks to Hart and crotched himself on the top rope.
  • After Kerry regained his composure, he trapped Perez in a figure-four leg lock.
  • Kerry released the hold and attempted another Iron claw.
  • While Kerry whiffed, he got clocked by Perez.
  • He fed Perez an atomic drop at the 20-minute mark.
  • Giving Perez a cross corner whip, Kerry came up empty on his follow-through.
  • Perez, on his backswing, nailed referee Rick Hazzard. Methinks that wasn’t inadvertent.
  • Nonetheless, Kerry blasted Perez with a pair of discus punches and obliterated a nosy Hart.
  • Perez reversed a cross corner whip sending Kerry directly into Hazzard.
  • Although Hart had been in the ring, he avoided getting steamrolled.
  • Perez whipped Kerry, and Hart clotheslined him with the chain. Evil!
  • 1-2-3.
  • Perez retained at 8:00 shown.

Rating: ***

Summary: Without Fritz to contain Hart, chicanery ensued allowing Perez to retain the World title. Hopefully, Kerry will earn another shot soon in 1988.

Conclusion: Despite the extremely low attendance, this was a very entertaining show. I understand giving the keys to the car to Kerry but not the promotion. The six-man match was extremely worthwhile as well as the Fantastics/Tatum/Victory match. You owe it to yourself to check this show out if only to witness tragedy albeit contrived instead of actual.

In other matches:

  1. The Thing beat Jason Sterling (son of Missing Link).
  2. Brian Adias battled to a double countout against “Wild” Bill Irwin.
  3. “Maniac” Matt Borne retained the WCWA Texas title versus the Iron Sheik.
  4. Jeff Raitz defeated Cowboy Tony.
  5. Eric Embry regained the World Light Heavyweight title against Shaun Simpson.

Next week, fallout from this spectacular event!

TV Rating: NONE

Stay tuned for WCCW 12-26-87!

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