Taped from Dallas, TX
Airdate: July 23, 1988 (taped 07/08)
Attendance: unknown
Hosted by Marc Lowrance
Can Casey defeat Embry in a STEEL CAGE and win both the title and $10,000? What happened during last week’s main event? Who’s the new guy? And who’ll be his tag team partner?
Opening montage.
This episode is dedicated to the late Bruiser Brody who perished in Puerto Rico on July 17.
During Lowrance’s introduction, Roberts interrupts to tout his Samoan tag team before Lowrance cuts him off.
Match 1: “Iceman” King Parsons (w/ General Skandor Akbar) versus Bob “The Cat” Bradley
Highlights:
- Bradley scored with a cross body block and got 1.
- When Parsons retaliated with a clothesline, he headbutted Bradley.
- He dealt Bradley a lariat and followed with a butt butt.
- 1-2-3.
- Parsons won at 1:45.
Rating: DUD
Summary: Showcase match for Parsons.
At ringside, Akbar claims the Von Erichs are “hiding” while Parsons cuts a promo on Kerry.
Back from commercial, newcomer Steve “Do It to It” Cox yammers so that Hayes can ambush Fatu from behind. Hayes bulldogs Fatu, and Cox mounts the top turnbuckle. Launching a flying splash, Cox hightails it with Hayes as Samu comes to his partner’s rescue. An adamant Roberts speaks incoherently on the microphone as the Dallas faithful laughs at him.
Match 2: Jimmy Jack Funk versus Tom Jones
Highlights:
- Sorry, 70s music fans, this guy is not THE Tom Jones you’re expecting.
- Cowboys legend Harvey Martin joined the broadcast table for this match.
- As Funk dealt him a kick to the midsection he gave Jones a cross corner whip.
- Funk came up empty on his follow-through, so Jones clotheslined him over the top rope to the floor.
- When Funk caught Jones in a stepover toe hold, he used the ropes behind referee John Keaton’s back. SNEAKY!
- He stymied Jones with a swinging neckbreaker but only got 1.
- After Jones blocked a second attempt, he suplexed Funk.
- Speaking of Funk, he reversed an Irish whip and unloaded a stun gun to Jones.
- He powerslammed and pinned Jones at 5:57.
Rating: *
Summary: Showcase match for Funk.
At ringside, Steve Simpson cuts a promo on Tatum & Victory.
Prior to the next match, Roberts swipes the microphone from ring announcer Ralph Pulley and demands Hayes and Cox RIGHT NOW.
Match 3: Samu (w/ Buddy “Jack” Roberts & Fatu) versus Mike Morrow
Highlights:
- Samu clotheslined Morrow and followed with a standing dropkick.
- When the Dallas faithful chanted “Mi-chael” to chastise Roberts, Samu dumped Morrow across Pulley’s table and onto the floor.
- He joined and suplexed Morrow on the floor. How dastardly!
- As he rammed Morrow face-first into the apron, Samu returned him to the ring before face-planting him into the mat.
- He decimated Morrow with a thrust kick and a sidewalk slam.
- After he mounted the top turnbuckle, Samu launched a diving head butt.
- 1-2-3.
- Samu won at 3:36.
Rating: ½*
Summary: Showcase match for Samu.
At ringside, Hayes cuts a promo on Roberts while promoting his new sidekick.
We revisit last week for the finish to last week’s main event:
Match 4 for the WCWA World title: The “Modern Day Warrior” Kerry Von Erich (champion) versus Kamala (w/ General Skandor Akbar)
Highlights:
- Kamala splashed Kerry but missed a second attempt.
- As Kerry pounded on Kamala, he got 2.
- Kerry tried an Iron claw, but Kamala blocked it.
- Suddenly, both Roberts and Parsons stormed the ring to attack Kerry.
- Referee Bronko Lubich called for the bell, and Kerry won by DQ at 1:07 shown.
Rating: NONE
Summary: THIS is what we were waiting for?
After the match, the heels pummel Kerry until Hayes and “Wild” Bill Irwin arrive. Kerry stymies Parsons with a discus punch while Hayes and Irwin send Kamala packing.
Match 5 (non-title): WCWA Texas & Wild West tag team champions “Hollywood” John Tatum & the “Heartthrob of New Jersey” Jack Victory versus Steve & Shaun Simpson
Highlights:
- Joined in progress, the Dallas faithful clamored for Shaun mid-leapfrog.
- Shaun clobbered Tatum before making the HOT tag.
- When Steve dealt Victory a ten-punch count-along, he also caught an incoming Tatum with a shot to the mush.
- All four wrestlers were in the ring, and the champs caromed the Simpson brothers off one another.
- As Victory mounted the top turnbuckle, he soared with a cross body block.
- Steve used momentum to land on top and scored the pin at 1:15 shown.
Rating: NONE
Following the match, Victory grabs Steve, and Tatum WHACKS him with his boot. Evil! Roberts hands the Freebird hair cream to Tatum who tries but fails to nab Steve again with it. Grabbing a chair, Steve chases the champs away.
At ringside, Tatum and Victory cut a promo on the Simpson brothers.
Match 6 for the WCWA Light Heavyweight title (steel cage): Eric Embry (champion) versus Steve Casey
Highlights:
- Due to Embry’s aggravating style last week, the finale of the three-match series MUST happen in a cage. Winner not only wins the title but also $10,000.
- Casey blocked a shot to the cage and rammed Embry into it.
- As he took Embry on another trip to the cage, Casey got 2.
- Embry was BUSTED OPEN!
- When Embry gave him a taste of the steel, Casey rebounded with a dropkick for 2.
- He hooked a sunset flip for another 2 on Embry.
- After Embry found out the hard way that he couldn’t escape, he climbed the cage.
- Casey yanked him so hard that Embry crotched himself on the top rope. OUCH!
- While Embry fell to the mat, Casey couldn’t get 3.
- Casey rammed him face-first into the mat, but Embry planted him with a knee drop.
- Mounting the top turnbuckle, Embry missed a diving head butt.
- Casey fed him a steady diet of steel, but Embry reversed an Irish whip.
- Leapfrogging Embry twice, Casey inadvertently steamrolled referee John Keaton.
- Embry sought a foreign object from his trunks but WHIFFED when tossing powder at Casey.
- Destroying Embry with a bulldog, Casey could only earn a false pin due to Keaton being OUT COLD.
- Embry sought another foreign object and BLASTED Casey with it. Wicked!
- 1-2-3.
- Embry retained at 6:00.
Rating: ***
Summary: Really? They couldn’t pull the trigger and put the belt on Casey in a feud-ending cage match? Poor Casey.
Conclusion: What a deflating main event! You build Casey up to be this great #1 contender, put him in a three-way series, book the finale as a cage match, and have him lose? Otherwise, the Hayes-Roberts feud is heating up with Hayes’ newest buddy involved to help take down the SST.
POINT OF ORDER: I’m not going to claim to be the biggest Brody fan, but he had a heck of a wrestling career prior to his untimely death. His bloody feuds against Abdullah the Butcher drew many big houses in both Texas and Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, he never stuck around long enough somewhere to be anything more than a big attraction. Methinks he wanted it that way since I don’t believe he was into backstage politics. Rest In Peace Frank Goodish 1946-1988.
Next week, Hayes and Cox battle the SST while Funk squares off against Irwin.
TV Rating: NONE
Stay tuned for WCCW 07-30-88!
Comments? Suggestions? Send them to me at rsg@rockstargary.com and follow me on Twitter (@rockstargary202).