Taped from Dallas, TX
Airdate: January 31, 1987 (taped 01/23)
Attendance: unknown
Hosted by Bill Mercer
What happens within a handicap match involving Atlas? Can Casey overtake Gee? Or will Pringle be involved? What are on Kevin, Lance, and Warrior’s minds? Plus, Simpson and Abdullah!
NEW opening montage.
Prior to the opening match, Warrior grabs the microphone and introduces a little Warrior—Joshua. Absolutely precious!
Match 1: Dingo Warrior & Lance Von Erich versus Bob “The Cat” Bradley & the Grappler
Highlights:
- Lance tagged in and dropkicked Bradley for 2.
- When Warrior tagged in, he and Lance fed Bradley a double back elbow.
- Warrior dealt Bradley a shoulder breaker but allowed Grappler to tag in.
- As Grappler avoided walking into an Iron claw, he ate an atomic drop from Warrior.
- The babyfaces pinballed Grappler in their corner, and Lance tagged in.
- After he mounted the top turnbuckle, he lowered the boom onto Grappler.
- Speaking of Grappler, he rebounded with a clothesline for 2.
- He rammed Lance face-first into the mat for another 2.
- While the Dallas faithful chanted “go, Lance, go,” Bradley tagged in and hit their hero with his own back elbow.
- He slammed Lance but missed a diving head butt.
- Tagging in, Warrior backdropped Bradley and followed with a powerslam.
- Lance tagged in, and the babyfaces executed the Doomsday Device onto Bradley for 2.
- With all four wrestlers in the ring, Warrior unloaded a sledgehammer to Grappler.
- 1-2-3.
- Warrior and Lance won at 5:01.
Rating: **
Summary: Solid opener, and the Grappler must’ve run out of quarters this week.
Video airs featuring the impending arrival of Red River Jack. Meanwhile, Bruiser Brody continues to reside on a Puerto Rican beach.
Match 2: Steve Simpson versus “Killer” Tim Brooks
Highlights:
- Immediately following the video, we segued directly into this match.
- Simpson backdropped Brooks but missed an elbow drop.
- As Brooks attempted a splash, he came up empty.
- He fed Simpson a high knee and leveled him with a clothesline.
- When he slammed Simpson, Brooks dealt him a back elbow.
- He delivered a leg drop but missed a second one.
- After Simpson mounted the top turnbuckle, he connected with a cross body block.
- 1-2-3.
- Simpson won at 3:40.
Rating: *
Summary: Showcase match for Simpson. If you ever watched a Randy Savage match from ’95-’96, this was the formula.
At ringside, Mercer interviews Kevin who cuts a promo on Al Madril. The stipulations for the match are Kevin’s belt versus Madril’s $30,000. Warrior is next and cuts a promo on Bradley.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the Texas title tournament occurred on 1/12 in Fort Worth. As you may be aware, “Mad Dog” Buzz Sawyer was Texas champion before getting fired. Nonetheless, Bradley defeated Warrior in the final to become champion.
Afterward, Lance gets his turn and wants another match against Madril and Brian Adias for the World tag team titles.
Match 3: Scott Casey versus Master Gee (w/ Percy Pringle)
Highlights:
- Due to licensed music removal, this match was joined in progress.
- A criss-cross ensued, but Casey slid out to the blue floor to chase away Pringle.
- When Gee summoned his manager to return, Casey applied a full nelson to him.
- Gee made the ropes to escape, so Pringle agitated Casey again.
- As Casey slid out of the ring again, he grabbed a nightstick from a cop and sauntered after Pringle.
- Gee nailed a distracted Casey on the apron returning him to the blue floor.
- After Gee distracted referee Ralph Pulley, Pringle walloped Casey with his walking stick. SNEAKY!
- Gee joined and rammed Casey face-first into Lowrance’s table.
- While three minutes remained in the match, Gee hammered Casey with a chair.
- He bounced Casey’s noggin off a seat in the front row, returned him to the ring, and clobbered him with a double axe handle.
- Clotheslining Casey twice, Gee headbutted him for 2.
- Casey flipped him over and got 2.
- Feeding Gee an atomic drop, Casey inadvertently sent him over the top rope to the blue floor.
- Casey joined and blasted Gee with thirty seconds left.
- Dealing Gee a swinging neckbreaker, Casey got 2.
- Gee thwarted a back drop attempt but missed an elbow drop.
- Once the bell rang, Pulley ruled the bout a time-limit draw at 9:47.
Rating: *
Summary: These guys were milking the clock for the first five minutes but somehow made the match at least somewhat bearable despite the limited amount of contact.
Match 4: Abdullah the Butcher (w/ Gary Hart) versus Roberto Soto
Highlights:
- Abdullah tossed Soto between the ropes onto Lowrance’s table, grabbed the microphone, and CREAMED him.
- As Abdullah returned Soto to Lowrance’s table, he dribbled Soto’s head off it.
- Hart distracted referee Rick Hazzard long enough to enable Abdullah to have time for more nefariousness. How dastardly!
- When Abdullah shoulder-blocked him, he sent Soto between the ropes to the blue floor.
- Abdullah distracted Hazzard, so Hart gave Soto the business. Evil!
- After he headbutted Soto, Abdullah landed an elbow drop.
- 1-2-3.
- Abdullah won at 5:35.
Rating: DUD
Summary: Showcase match for Abdullah as Soto didn’t stand a chance.
Match 5 (handicap): Tony Atlas versus “Maniac” Matt Borne & Percy Pringle
Highlights:
- When the Dallas faithful chanted “we want Percy,” their nemesis was shown wearing a Buckwheat t-shirt.
- Borne fed Atlas a knee lift and distracted referee David Manning.
- As that transpired, Pringle mangled Atlas in the heel corner. Sinister!
- Borne tied Atlas in the ropes and dealt him a shoulder to the midsection.
- Upon a second attempt, Atlas freed himself leading to Borne’s mistaken catapult/tag of Pringle into the ring.
- Atlas slammed and pinned Pringle at 3:42.
Rating: *
Summary: Obvious conclusion aside, the Dallas faithful wanted Atlas to deal Pringle some comeuppance for his previous transgressions.
After the match, Borne and Pringle double team Atlas. Manning tries to intervene, but Pringle shoves him back. As Manning gives Pringle a shot, he raises Atlas’ arm in victory.
Conclusion: Demonstrative victory for Atlas along with Manning’s own comeuppance for Pringle sends the Dallas faithful into a state of glee. Also, Warrior and Lance won in the opener with some inspiration from Joshua. Gee and Casey absorbed a chunk of the episode for their spectacle. Lest we forget, Simpson and Abdullah showed off their wares in completely opposite ways.
Next week, Kevin, Lance, and the Dingo Warrior battle Madril, Adias, and Bradley. Sounds enticing!
TV Rating: NONE
Stay tuned for WCCW 02-07-87!
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