WCCW 04-27-1985

Can Kerry topple Adams? How will the Midnight Express fare against Adias and Casey? What special announcement does Sunshine have in store for us? And who will join me for this marathon-like episode?

Paul, I completely understand. Don’t forget to call Cledus before you get to Atlanta.

Upon his introduction, Gang distinguished two kinds of people in the world— “punks” and “punk-slappers.” Methinks he’s the latter. He was rather perturbed that ring announcer Marc Lowrance didn’t call Gary Hart by the nickname “Slick.”

Ebony delivered a forearm smash, but Gang rebounded quickly with an elbow smash.
When he sent Ebony to the floor, Gang made him HIT THE POLE.
Back in the ring, Gang SQUISHED him in the corner before returning him to the floor.
He then positioned the wooden steps and slammed Ebony atop them.
As Mercer clarified that the winning team in the 12-man three out of five falls match wins $100,000 while the last man wins the car, Gang clotheslined Ebony.
He then mounted the second turnbuckle and CREAMED Ebony with a flying forearm smash.
1-2-3.
Gang won in 3:24.

In a press conference, Sunshine announces that the Great Kabuki has returned to help Hercules “clean up the sport of professional wrestling.” Kabuki then provides us with a nunchucks demonstration.

HOT TAKE: Perhaps I’m being too literal, but a wrestler whose gimmick involves green mist does a better job of dirtying the sport rather than clean it. A babyface Kabuki? We shall see.

Match 2 (non-title): NWA Texas champion the “Handsome Half-Breed” Gino Hernandez versus Hercules Hernandez (w/ Sunshine)

In case you’re wondering, no, these guys are NOT related.

Hercules ambushed Gino before his jacket or belt could be removed.
As he supplied Gino with a back elbow, Hercules backdropped him.
Hercules then dealt him an atomic drop, but Gino used momentum to send him to the floor.
When Gino whipped him with the Texas title belt, he mounted the top turnbuckle.
Gino leaped but ate a shot to the midsection.
After Hercules scored with another back elbow, he landed a pair of elbow drops.
He then launched a flying shoulder block that would have looked better with a higher camera angle.

Before he could pin Gino, Adams entered the ring and superkicked Hercules.
Referee Rick Hazzard called for the bell to disqualify Gino at 5:42.

Summary: Both wrestlers sold each other’s offenses well as Gino played the clever but cowardly heel to Hercules’ power.

After the match, the Dynamic Duo double-team Hercules until Kabuki arrives to knock Gino into the middle of 1986. Adams jumps into the ring to square off against him, but Kabuki thwarts a possible chair attack with another nunchucks demonstration. Wisely, the Dynamic Duo retreats.

Match 3: The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) versus Brian Adias & Scott Casey

Adias hip-tossed Eaton before leapfrogging him.
When he hooked a sunset flip, Adias got 2.
Next, tags were exchanged on both sides, Casey mounted the second turnbuckle, and he lowered the boom onto Condrey.
Casey then slammed and bulldogged Condrey for 2.
As Casey provided Condrey with a swinging neckbreaker, he got another 2.
Adias tagged in, supplied Condrey with a knee drop, but couldn’t get 3.
After tags were exchanged on both sides again, Casey spat at Cornette.

Casey then reversed a cross corner whip and landed a back elbow.
While Casey slammed him, Eaton punted him for 2.
Condrey tagged in, and the Midnight Express delivered a double back elbow to Casey.
With Casey on the apron, Condrey suplexed him into the ring.
On the other hand, Casey crawled atop Condrey for 1.
When Eaton tagged in, he slammed Casey.
He then hit a flying knee drop for 2.
As Condrey tagged in, he landed a back elbow for another 2.
Casey rebounded by ramming Condrey face-first into the mat.
After Eaton prevented the tag, Condrey tossed Casey down to the floor.
Casey then guillotined Condrey with the top rope and countered a front face lock with an inverted atomic drop.
While Eaton tagged in, Casey made the HOT TAG to Adias.
Upon dropkicking Condrey, Adias launched a cross body block to Eaton.
With all four wrestlers in the ring, Adias hooked a sleeper on Eaton.
Referee Bronko Lubich was distracted with Casey and Condrey, so Cornette jumped in the ring and WHACKED Adias in the back with his tennis racquet. How dastardly!

1-2-3.
The Midnight Express won in 14:47.

Summary: The result’s fascinating to me because I would have thought Casey would take the pin since Adias was a Von Erich family friend. I guess when it comes down to good business, Adias wasn’t afraid to do his job properly. Regardless, this was a fun tune-up match for the Midnight Express before their encounter against the Fantastics at the supershow.

Prior to the main event, Adams, who’s not dressed to wrestle, claims that Kevin “tried to take (his) eye out…with a chair.” He then reveals a wound containing eight stitches. While Adams wants “to wrestle Kerry Von Erich and…to get even with Kevin,” he vows to slice Kevin’s head open much wider than his.

Lubich informs Adams that he cannot wrestle, and Lowrance is ready to award Kerry the match “by default.” However, Cornette enters the ring with Condrey and proposes that Condrey substitute for Adams. Lubich approves the replacement, so we have a NEW main event:

Match 4: The “Modern Day Warrior” Kerry Von Erich (w/ Kevin Von Erich) versus “Gentleman” Chris Adams “Loverboy” Dennis Condrey (w/ Jim Cornette)

Kerry unleashed a series of dropkicks causing Condrey to seek refuge outside the ring.
In doing so, Condrey inadvertently HIT THE POLE.
Another dropkick by Kerry got 2.
As Kerry leapfrogged him, Condrey clotheslined him for 2.
He then reversed a cross corner whip and delivered a second clothesline for another 2-count.
When Kerry countered a hip toss with a backslide, he pinned Condrey at 3:34.

Summary: While it wasn’t a believable main event, giving Kerry a tune-up match in preparation for Gang wasn’t a bad idea.

After the match, Condrey attacks Kerry, and Adams goes after Kevin. Adams then makes Kevin HIT THE POLE. Meanwhile, Gino joins Adams to pummel Kerry. As they double-clothesline Kerry, the Dynamic Duo flees the ring upon Kevin’s return. Ultimately, an enraged Adams vows revenge.

Following a commercial break, Mercer interviews Kevin and Kerry in the ring. While Kevin’s ready for Flair, Kerry’s going to take care of Gang.

Conclusion: Bait and switch aside, this was a very entertaining episode that SOLD the upcoming supershow. In the next episode, we head to Texas Stadium for the first installment of the David Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions 1985. Are you ready, Frog?