Taped from Dallas, TX
Airdate: December 26, 1987 (taped 12/25)
Attendance: 2,623
Hosted by Marc Lowrance
Can Kerry win the World title with Fritz in his corner? How will Kevin, Steve, and Adams fare against the Freebirds in a cage? Plus, Pringle has a new client! It’s the holiday season, so what gifts did you get?
Opening montage.
Match 1: Cowboy Tony (w/ Percy Pringle) versus Jeff Raitz
Highlights:
- Raitz reversed a cross corner whip and hip-tossed Tony.
- When he slammed Tony, Raitz missed a leg drop.
- Tony rebounded with a fist drop and connected with a back elbow for 2.
- As Tony missed an elbow drop, Raitz dealt him an elbow smash.
- He backdropped Tony and followed with a vertical suplex.
- When they leapfrogged one another, Raitz powerslammed Tony.
- 1-2-3.
- Raitz won at 4:30.
Rating: *
Summary: Showcase match for Raitz much to Pringle’s dismay.
The rest of the episode has been covered in detail in my Christmas Star Wars ’87 reflection.
The Freebirds claim victory ahead of the six-man tag title match, and Parsons implies that Adams is a turkey.
Match 2 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 clothesline.
- 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?
Lowrance details that Fritz was taken to Baylor Medical Center—a mere eight-minute trip. We head to the hospital where Kevin and Kerry sit in the waiting room while Doris seconds Fritz at this moment. Although Kerry’s ready to exact revenge, Kevin wants to pray for his father’s recovery.
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.
The episode ends with the promise of the match next week.
Conclusion: For those of you who reading this material for the first time, the six-man title match should be on your radar to watch. In case you’re suffering from morbid curiosity, Fritz’s unceremonious exit from pro wrestling happened in an obvious ploy to generate better ratings on ESPN.
Keep in mind that prior to 1990, ESPN only had Sunday night NFL games as major ratings grabbers. So, to fill A LOT of afternoon and evening time slots, WCCW aired albeit weeks behind the syndicated shows. Although I have no information on WCCW’s ratings, I’m betting folks seeing the incredibly empty Sportatorium over the last few months have checked out, so WCCW needed to create buzz to boost viewership. We’ll see what happens when 1988 rolls around.
Next week, Kerry’s title shot against Perez! Can he win the big one for Fritz?
TV Rating: NONE
Stay tuned for WCCW 01-02-88!
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