Taped from Dallas, TX
Airdate: June 25, 1988 (taped 06/17)
Attendance: 2,000
Hosted by Marc Lowrance
What happens with Kerry and Lawler in the same ring? Will Taylor defeat the current AWA World champion? What’s the latest between Embry and Casey? Parsons is on a rampage. Can anyone stop him?
Opening montage.
Match 1: “Iceman” King Parsons (w/o General Skandor Akbar) versus Sweet Brown Sugar
Highlights:
- SBS leapfrogged Parsons twice and followed with a dropkick.
- When he leaped to the second turnbuckle, SBS scored with a cross body block for 2.
- Parsons rebounded with a high knee and a vertical suplex for 2.
- As SBS caught him with a shot to the midsection, Parsons somersaulted in anguish.
- He dealt Parsons a gutwrench suplex, slammed him, and hooked an O’Connor roll for 2.
- After Parsons used momentum and the trunks, a full moon shone over Dallas.
- Nevertheless, Parsons pinned SBS while holding the trunks at 3:40.
Rating: **
Summary: Showcase match for Parsons.
At ringside, Ralph Pulley interviews General Skandor Akbar alongside Parsons. Akbar touts Kamala as an opponent to Michael P.S. Hayes and Kerry. Afterward, Parsons is all about the Benjamins.
Match 2: The Samoan SWAT Team versus Jeff Raitz & Rick Hazzard
Highlights:
- Although longtime WCCW fans recognize Hazzard as a wrestler both before and during his tenure as a referee, methinks someone forgot to appear necessitating Hazzard’s insertion.
- Hazzard leapfrogged him, but Samu responded with a clothesline.
- As he dealt Hazzard a standing dropkick, Samu tagged out.
- Fatu clotheslined Hazzard and followed with a head butt.
- When Raitz tagged in, Fatu unfurled a thrust kick.
- Samu tagged in, and the SST double-headbutted Raitz.
- After he connected with a spin kick, Samu hoisted Raitz atop the top turnbuckle.
- He joined Raitz before demolishing him with a belly-to-back superplex. Amazing!
- While Fatu tagged in, he mounted the top turnbuckle and launched a flying splash onto Raitz.
- 1-2-3.
- SST won at 2:22.
Rating: *
Summary: Showcase match for the SST.
At ringside, Pulley interviews Shaun who’s excited that his brother Steve is returning soon. He cuts a promo on Tatum and Victory as well as Roberts.
We head to Fort Worth…
Match 3: “Iceman” King Parsons (w/ General Skandor Akbar) versus John Torres
Highlights:
- When Parsons flattened Torres with a butt butt, referee Bronko Lubich called for the bell.
- Akbar berated Lubich for stopping the match while Parsons brandished a steel chair from ringside.
- As Parsons obliterated Torres with the chair, Akbar tossed down Lubich. Evil!
- Hazzard tried to save Torres’ bacon, but Parsons WHACKED him with the chair.
- After Steve Casey tried to intervene, he also got smacked by the chair.
- Kerry stormed the ring and brawled with Parsons.
- While Taylor joined the fray, he and Parsons double-teamed Kerry. How dastardly!
- Kevin came to Kerry’s aid, and a four-way brawl erupted.
Rating: NONE
Summary: Devastation from Parsons led to chaos between him, Taylor, and the Von Erichs.
Back in Dallas…
At ringside, Pulley interviews Kerry and Hayes. Kerry cuts a promo on Akbar regarding Kamala while Hayes runs down Roberts.
Back in Fort Worth…
Casey grabs the microphone and leads the Ft. Worth faithful in an “Eric-a” chant towards Embry. As Embry enters the ring, Casey douses him with powder to even the score from the house show in Dallas. He pounds Embry into hamburger before cinching an inside cradle. Hazzard transforms himself back into referee mode and counts the “pin.”
Back in Dallas…
Match 4 (non-title): WCWA Light Heavyweight champion Eric Embry versus Jason Sterling
Highlights:
- Sterling leapfrogged atop Embry and stymied him with a pair of dropkicks.
- As he hooked a sunset flip, Sterling got 2.
- He trapped Embry with a backslide for another 2.
- When he caught Embry with an inside cradle, Sterling couldn’t get 3.
- He reversed a cross corner whip and dealt Embry a monkey flip.
- After he unleashed a third dropkick, Sterling monkey-flipped Embry again.
- He dropkicked Embry a fourth time but ate a lariat.
- While Embry piledrove him, he pinned Sterling at 2:44.
Rating: **
Summary: Showcase match for Embry who allowed Sterling to control the match until the fatal flaw transpired.
After the match, Embry grabs the microphone and cuts a promo on Casey. He namedrops Frank Dusek as the booker and claims he gave Dusek $5000. Upon demanding Casey “match” the amount, Embry requests a series of matches against him for the money.
At ringside, Pulley interviews Tatum and Victory. Tatum cuts a promo on the Simpson brothers while he touts Victory’s conditioning.
Match 5: Jimmy Jack Funk versus Mike Reed
Highlights:
- For those of you who follow my Mid-South reflections, Funk was portrayed by none other than Jesse Barr.
- Those of you who followed the WWF in the 80s might not know that Funk left in ’87 due to a backstage altercation with Haku. He’d wrestle in Continental, Portland, and Japan before surfacing in the WCWA.
- When Reed attempted an O’Connor roll, Funk caused him to guillotine himself with the top rope.
- He clotheslined Reed and followed with a knee drop.
- As he powerslammed Reed, Funk mounted the second turnbuckle and destroyed Reed with a flying fist drop.
- 1-2-3.
- Funk won at 1:34.
Rating: ½*
Summary: Showcase match for Funk.
Video airs featuring the Triple Dome of Terror.
Prior to the main event, both Kerry and Dusek enter the ring. Kerry, with the Dallas faithful firmly behind him, grabs the microphone and welcomes Lawler to Dallas. Upon congratulating Lawler for beating Curt Hennig for the AWA World title, Kerry clarifies that he is THE World champion. He subsequently offers a challenge to Lawler to unify the titles.
In response, Lawler gives credit where it’s due but emphasizes that HE is the World champion. Dusek questions both wrestlers, and Lawler remarkably namedrops both Ric Flair and Randy Savage as World champions before touting himself as THE World champion. WE HAVE A CHALLENGE!
Match 6 (non-title): AWA World champion Jerry “The King” Lawler versus WCWA Texas champion Terry Taylor
Highlights:
- Never thought I’d see the AWA World champion in WCCW.
- As we returned from the break, the match was joined in progress.
- A criss-cross ensued, and Taylor hit the brakes before getting nailed.
- When Lowrance announced that Casey accepted Embry’s offer, he also mentioned that Casey must borrow the money to do so. Who’ll be his investor?
- Upon exchanging fisticuffs, Lawler landed a fist drop.
- Taylor responded with a knee to the midsection followed by a knee drop for 2.
- After he scored with an elbow drop, Taylor got another 2.
- Lawler clotheslined Taylor over the top rope to the floor while the Dallas faithful chanted “go, Jerry, go.”
- Despite Lawler’s knee drop, WE’RE OUTTA TIME.
- According to my research, Lawler won.
Rating: NONE
Summary: Obviously, the main event angle was bigger than this match.
Conclusion: Whereas the NWA and UWF never successfully pulled off a World title unification match, a potential AWA/WCWA World title unification appears to be in the works.
In other matches, despite losing the WCWA World title and unsuccessfully uncrowning Lawler from the AWA World title, Parsons attained the services of Akbar to wreak havoc throughout the territory. Also, Funk adds his name to the list of incoming heels. I wonder who he’ll wrestle in the coming weeks. Lastly, the Funk-Casey feud heats up with the $10,000 challenge. What could possibly top all this?
Next week, Kerry battles Kamala!
TV Rating: NONE
Stay tuned for WCCW 07-02-88!
Comments? Suggestions? Send them to me at rsg@rockstargary.com and follow me on Twitter (@rockstargary202).