Wrestling Gold #2: The Maim Event
Commentators: Jim Cornette, Dave Meltzer

It’s another set of old school wrestling with the commentary being the big drawing card. Rather than listening to the regular commentary on a bunch of random territory stuff, we have Jim Cornette and Dave Meltzer offering a variety of insights and humor at the sport’s expense. Let’s get to it.

From Memphis, June 25, 1984.

Rock N Roll Express vs. Lanny Poffo/Randy Savage

Angelo Poffo is here with the non-Express. Poffo and Morton start things off as Cornette says he had already managed against the Express when he had the Galaxians (even Meltzer is impressed). Believe it or not, Cornette takes the lead on commentary here as this is the definition of his bread and butter. The Express takes Poffo down to start, followed by the double leg roll into the right hands to Savage in the corner (the Rockers would later steal that).

Morton works on the leg before trying the double roll again, with Savage dropping down. Savage gets back up…and is quickly knocked right back down in a funny bit. Savage comes in and misses a charge into the corner so Poffo can take over on Gibson. Morton is right back in to clean house but gets sent outside so Savage gets in a right hand (with that leg kick of his).

The middle rope elbow misses but Poffo is right back in to keep Morton in trouble. Morton is sent outside for the top rope ax handle from Savage (a big spot back in the day) but Poffo misses a Swanton (a VERY big spot in the day). The big tag brings Gibson back in and NOW the fans are up…and then they’re right back down as Angelo pulls the top rope down to send Gibson outside for the DQ at 6:02.

Rating: C+. This was getting going but it’s Memphis so the idea is to set it up for a rematch down the line. That’s a fine way to go, as these guys were working hard and the ending had the fans going nuts. The Express had a great underdog style and Savage was an all time star, while Lanny could more than hold his own. Give these guys some more time and this would be even better, but what we got was nice enough.

Post match Savage gives Morton a piledriver through the ringside table, which was the mother of all crazy spots.

From San Antonio, Texas, 1983.

Nick Bockwinkel vs. Manny Fernandez

Bockwinkel’s AWA World Title isn’t on the line. Feeling out process to start with Fernandez grabbing a headlock. Bockwinkel slams his way out of that but Fernandez is right back with a headlock takeover. A small package gives Fernandez two and it’s right back to the headlock. This lets commentary give us a history of Fernandez’s career as Bockwinkel fights up and hits a forearm to the ribs.

A knee to the gut drops Fernandez and a knee to the face puts him down again. Fernandez is already busted open and Bockwinkel grabs a bearhug of all things. That’s broken up and Fernandez knocks him down for two, followed by a suplex for the same. The sleeper goes on and Bockwinkel is in trouble but the time limit expires at 7:50 shown.

Rating: C+. I was interested when I saw this announced and I was curious to see where it went. Odds are the whole match went ten minutes and that was a fine way to build up to a rematch down the line. As usual, Bockwinkel can make anyone look good while Fernandez is a brawler who bled a lot. Good stuff here, and I could absolutely go for a longer version.

From (I believe) Detroit, Michigan, February 14, 1976.

United States Title: Mark Lewin vs. The Sheik

Lewin is defending and this is Loser Leaves Town. Lewin backs him up against the ropes to start and they actually break clean. That lasts all of five seconds before Sheik takes him into the corner for biting and choking. Some stabbing with a pencil has Lewin in more trouble as commentary talks about how many people tried to go after Sheik.

Lewin fights up but gets knocked outside, with the blood making it hard to see. Sheik rakes the cut on the head again but this time Lewin goes after Sheik’s manager to start the tug of war. Back in and Lewin hammers away and you can hear the fans over the commentary track. Lewin stabs away with the pencil and, after we get a random closeup of the manager’s face, Lewin stabs him again for two.

The manager comes in for the cheap shot but Lewin stabs away at the Sheik again. Some Mongolian chops have Sheik in trouble and Lewin grabs a sleeper. The manager comes in and gets sleepered as well, allowing Sheik to come up with the fireball. That’s enough for Lewin to fall outside for the countout at 10:26. Apparently Sheik wins the title as well, with his manager’s eyes getting burned being an acceptable situation.

Rating: C-. Ok you don’t have this kind of a match for the sake of their wrestling ability. This was about having two people go out there and do violent stuff to each other and they did it…well ok not very well but by this point the Sheik was mostly ancient. It’s not a good match but it’s quite the spectacle, which is the entire point.

From Fort Worth, Texas (commentary isn’t sure) in the late 1970s.

David Von Erich/Kerry Von Erich vs. Killer Karl Krupp/Gene Yates

David takes Yates (commentary doesn’t know him either) down and then Kerry does it to Krupp. Kerry and Krupp go to the some grappling on the mat until Krupp rams him face first into the mat. David comes in for a dropkick as Cornette gives us a history of the Von Erich Family and explaining why it went so terribly. Yates comes in and gets taken down by his arm, including an armbar. David adds some dropkicks and Yates is sent into Kerry’s boot, followed by a headlock takeover.

Krupp comes back in to kick away, setting up his own claw. Kerry is back in with an armbar but gets reversed into the stomach claw (and yes it still looks dumb). Kerry’s comeback is clipped off to Yates coming back in but getting caught with a terrible dropkick. David comes back in with a sleeper and everything breaks down, with David rolling Yates up for the pin at 9:49 shown.

Rating: C. You could see some skill from the Von Erichs but at the same time, both of them looked like they needed to be inflated a bit as they were looking rather tiny. At the same time, the fans were reacting to them and having them beat Krupp (an established heel) and…whomever Yates was made sense. The fans were going to go nuts for anything Von Erich related and those cheers would only get louder.

Post match the brawl continues with the Von Erichs clearing the ring without much trouble.

From Memphis, Tennessee, 1984. Also note that there is an error on the graphics, as the match is listed as the PYT Express, which is a different team than the Pretty Young Things.

Fabulous Ones vs. Pretty Young Things

That would be Stan Lane/Steve Keirn vs. Norvell Austin/Koko Ware. Keirn runs Austin over to start and stomps on his head but we’re clipped to Ware coming back in to clean house. Some backdrops have Lane in trouble and Austin comes in for two. Lane is sent outside so Ware can hammer away as Cornette is having a blast going over the Fabs’ history. Ware chokes with a rope on the floor before Austin hits an ax handle to Lane back inside.

Austin gets in a cheap shot on the floor, followed by a top rope forearm from Ware. Austin’s right hand drops Lane again as Cornette explains that he was supposed to manage the Fabs but they were so popular that it couldn’t happen. Ware tries a knee drop but goes a bit too high and falls over, earning a laugh from Meltzer.

Lane fights up and brings in Keirn but the referee doesn’t see it. Instead it’s Lane knocking Austin down and the Fabs switch, which is enough to break up Cornette and Meltzer’s ranting about how moves matter if you train the audience that they matter (preach it brothers). Keirn comes up to clean house as everything breaks down. A double DDT finishes Ware at 8:03 shown.

Rating: C+. The Fabs are a team who could do just about anything and be seen as huge stars, which is not something you see very often. The Pretty Young Things were a heck of a team in their own right but there is a reason the Fabs were such a big deal. No one, especially at this point, were going to top them. The match itself was good enough, but the crowd reactions were rather interesting.

From Memphis, Tennessee, 1984.

Jerry Lawler/Austin Idol vs. Road Warriors

The Warriors are REALLY young here. Animal hits a big press slam on Lawler to start and it’s already time for a breather on the floor. Hawk comes in for a gorilla press of his own and Lawler is outside again. We’re clipped to Hawk getting annoyed at Lawler’s right hand as commentary talks about how the Warriors are really not very good yet. Hawk charges into a raised boot in the corner but stalks Lawler anyway.

We’re clipped and Lawler pulls the strap down and starts hammering away before handing it off to Idol, who gets to make the comeback. Everything breaks down and Animal powerslams Lawler into the corner. Idol drops Animal and a double cover only gets two, with Animal shoving them away. Paul Ellering has the referee so Lawler and Idol’s rollups only get delayed twos. Animal clotheslines Hawk by mistake and Idol beats up Ellering until Hawk throws the referee out for the DQ at 5:35 shown.

Rating: C. Much like the previous tag match, it was more about the fans getting involved, though it didn’t have much time. Lawler and Idol were a dream team to try to fight off the new monsters. It only worked so well, but that was the case for just about anyone who was facing the Warriors at this time. Or just about any time.

From Memphis, Tennessee, December 12, 1983.

Southern Title: Jerry Lawler vs. Randy Savage

Lawler is defending in a cage and hammers away in the corner to start. This allows Cornette to go into a rather detailed history of Memphis vs. ICW, and of course he can rattle this stuff off with ease. Savage bails away but then spits at Lawler, which is enough to start a brawl. Lawler gets pulled down into a chinlock and Savage cranks away but we’re clipped to Lawler sending him into the cage.

Savage drops to the floor (as there is room between the cage and the ring) to pull out a foreign object. The referee doesn’t approve though so Savage goes after the arm instead. Lawler actually uses the rope to escape but the armbar goes on again and we’re clipped to Lawler fighting out. Savage knocks him into the corner again and kicks him down for two as commentary compares the two of them as being great workers. Savage kicks him down and out to the floor for an ax handle as Cornette explains the idea of getting more out of doing less.

Some choking and stomping lets Savage send him into the cage a few times as commentary talks about the cage being really ugly. Savage keeps up the beating on the floor but Lawler manages to whip him into the cage as well. For some reason Savage looks blinded and the comeback is on. Cornette explains the importance of connecting with human emotions but stops as Savage misses the elbow off the top of the cage (OUCH).

Somehow Savage is able to backdrop his way out of a piledriver attempt and the airplane spin takes us to old school. They’re both dizzy and Lawler’s right hand puts both of them down. Savage ax handles him on the floor again and some rams into the cage almost have the wall falling down. The strap comes down and Lawler UNLOADS on him with lefts and rights. Cue Jos LeDuc to break into the cage though and jump Lawler for the DQ (yeah it was a different time) at 13:36 shown.

Rating: B. I had a great time with this and you could tell how big the match really was for everyone. Lawler and Savage are of course two masters and they knew how to make this work very well, even with the cage being a bit less than what we’re used to seeing. Throw in a weird ending and things are a bit downgraded but this was far ahead of everything else on the set thus far.

Post match the big beatdown is on, including Savage dropping the top rope elbow. Some other wrestlers run in for the save.

From Mid-South Wrestling, 1981.

Mid-South Tag Team Titles: Ted DiBiase/Bob Roop vs. The Samoans

DiBiase/Roop are challenging and the Samoans have Ernie Ladd with them. Roop and Sika (spelled Sica in the graphic) start things off with Roop working on the arm. A right hand staggers Afa on the apron and it’s off to DiBiase for a headlock. It works so well that they do it again but Sika is back up to take over, with Afa coming in for the first time.

Commentary praises Ladd and DiBiase’s father Mike as Sika misses a headbutt. Roop comes back in to take over but Sika makes the save. A double headbutt drops Roop again and everything breaks down, with Ladd being dragged in. Roop covers Sika but the referee calls for the DQ at 6:19.

Rating: C-. What is with these finishes? Roop is someone I haven’t seen much of over the years and while he was a former Olympian, he was only the most interesting professional. On the other hand you have DiBiase, who is already showing the skill that would move him into a rather awesome future. The Samoans are…well you know who the Samoans are and they were doing their thing here.

From Indianapolis, Indiana, August 25, 1973.

WWA Tag Team Titles. Bruno Sammartino/Dick The Bruiser vs. Ernie Ladd/Baron Von Raschke

Oh my. Raschke and Ladd are challenging and have a VERY young Bobby Heenan with them. Local announcer Sam Menacker is guest referee. The Bruiser grabs Raschke with a headlock and Ladd comes in for an early save. We seem to be clipped to Sammartino coming in to knock Ladd down to a HUGE reaction. A backdrop gives Sammartino two with Raschke making the save. Sammartino punches Ladd out to the floor, followed by the jumping stomps back inside.

Raschke comes in and takes over on Sammartino, only to miss an elbow. It’s back to Bruiser who sends Raschke over the top before all four go outside. Sammartino almost gets to destroy Heenan but it’s back to Bruiser for a backdrop on Raschke. Bruiser covers so Raschke puts the foot on the ropes, only for Menacker to break it up and count three anyway at 4:54 shown. From what I can tell this was a 2/3 falls match so this was either heavily clipped or we don’t see the other two falls (Sammartino/Bruiser won 2-1).

Rating: C. Yeah you can only get so much with this much stuff cut out, but WOW that is a heck of a lineup. It’s the kind of a match that makes your eyebrows go up as there is almost no way this is boring. I absolutely could have gone for more of this and that’s a very nice feeling as the cutting wrecked what could have been an awesome showcase. Also of note: the fans were going NUTS for Sammartino here, which is at least a bit of proof that he could have been something better outside of just the northeast.

Post match Heenan yells at Menacker but can’t get anywhere.

From San Antonio, Texas, 1982.

Tully Blanchard vs. Manny Fernandez

They fight over a lockup to start and go to the ropes, leaving Blanchard to put a finger in Fernandez’s face. Fernandez wrestles him to the ground and grabs an armbar for some cranking. We’re clipped to Fernandez working on the leg before the crash out to the floor as commentary talks about the rather horrible training methods. Cue Gino Hernandez to jump Fernandez for the DQ at about 4:40 shown.

Rating: C+. This is another case where I could have gone for more of it as Fernandez is someone who could have worked well with just about anyone. On the other side you had Blanchard, who was still putting things together but you could see the skills. Blanchard and Hernandez were a heck of a team together and Fernandez getting a partner to fight against them could have gone rather well.

From Memphis, Tennessee, I believe June 11, 1984.

AWA Southern Title: Rick Rude vs. Jerry Lawler

Lawler is defending. We’re joined in progress to start with Rude hammering him down. This allows commentary to talk about the famous Memphis/Mid-South talent trade where Bill Watts completely outsmarted Jerry Jarrett and got the FAR better end of things. Lawler is knocked down so Rude’s manager Angel can get in some choking, followed by a suplex and neckbreaker to give Rude two.

The slow stomping continues but Lawler starts Hulking Up, with the strap coming down. The referee accidentally gets dumped though and Lawler drops Rude, only for….it looked like Jim Neidhart runs in for the save. Lawler hits the fist drop but Angel comes in, allowing Rude to hit an ax handle for the pin at 5:04 shown.

Rating: C+. This is where things get interesting as you have someone like Rude, who was hardly a big deal yet but the skill was absolutely there. Once he got some more of the details of the Ravishing character down, it was off to the races and a lot of that was due to getting to work with someone like Lawler. This was like a preview for the future, and it was a heck of a tease.

Post match Lawler is livid and goes after the villains, including a right hand to Angel, which sends the fans into absolute delirium (this was on some music videos that aired in Memphis and the reaction almost has to be seen to be believed). Tommy Rich and Doug Gilbert run in to help Lawler but the Pretty Young Things come in as well. Rich and Gilbert make the real save with some chairs.

From Indianapolis, Indiana, September 16, 1972.

Dick The Bruiser/The Crusher/Little Bruiser vs. Blackjacks/Bobby Heenan

Little Bruiser is about 3’7 and dropkicks a kneeling Heenan to start before the villains are all cleared out. Bruiser hammers away at Lanza and it’s off to Little Bruiser to hammer on the ribs. The neck crank goes on, with Little Bruiser coming in for some cheap shots of his own. Mulligan and Crusher come in, allowing Little Bruiser to get in another shot.

The hold is broken up and Crusher is taken into the corner as commentary talks about the Bruiser being a weird guy and a big riot in Madison Square Garden. Heenan comes in and get bitten by Little Bruiser, which doesn’t exactly go well. We settle down to Crusher poking Mulligan in the eye and Bruiser sends him into another eye poke. Lanza comes back in with some big forearms to the chest but for some reason it’s back to Heenan, who is promptly pummeled.

A backdrop gives Heenan a nasty landing and everything breaks down for the brawl on the floor. Back in and Heenan gets beaten up again and we’re clipped to Mulligan getting backdropped. Everything breaks down again and the Blackjacks are sent into each other. Then they’re whipped into Heenan as Cornette tries to remember the referee’s name. Little Bruiser is tossed onto the Blackjacks for two each, followed by a top rope splash to finish Heenan at 11:23.

Rating: B-. I’ve seen this match before and having Little Brutus out there to torment Heenan was great to see again. Heenan really was someone who could do just about anything and make it look good, which is even before you add in everything he could do on the microphone. The other four had a good brawl, but there was only one way this was going to end and that’s exactly what we got.

Post match the brawl stays on with the villains being cleaned out.

Some previews for the last three volumes wrap us up.

Overall Rating: C+. Again, you’re not watching this for the content for the most part (though some of it is good) but rather the commentary, which gives you some amazing stories and a nice background on so many of these people. We’ve heard of so many of them but it’s fascinating to get stories and insights from people who have either studied them for a long time or even worked with them. I’m not sure what the point is in trying to sell you on something like this though, as it’s the kind of thing you know if you’ll like or not right off the bat. I’m having a great time with it though and hopefully that continues.

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Today is the greatest manager and one of the best talkers of all time: Bobby Heenan.

Heenan got his start in the AWA where he was the top manager and occasionally wrestled. I have no idea when this took place but I would assume some point in the mid to late 1970s.

Crusher/Dick the Bruiser/Little Bruiser vs. Blackjacks/Bobby Heenan

Little Bruiser is a midget brought in to neutralize Heenan. We start with the comedy pair as Heenan drops to his knees to fight. Little Bruiser immediately dropkicks him out to the floor and we have a standoff. Big Bruiser comes in to face Mulligan and easily takes him down with a snapmare into a neck crank. Little Bruiser sneaks in for some cheap shots before Dick knees Mulligan in the ribs for two.

Off to the Crusher vs. Lanza with the Blackjacks double teaming Crusher in the corner. Little Bruiser chases Heenan around for a bit, allowing Crusher to get his hands on Heenan. Bobby gets whipped into the Tree of Woe but Little Bruiser gets him down with a kick to the ribs. It’s back to Crusher vs. Lanza with Crusher going to the eyes, unlike the hero he’s supposed to be. Bruiser comes in for some knees to the ribs before going after Lanza’s bad knee.

Mulligan comes in to save his partner as everything breaks down for a little bit. Bruiser takes a beating but ducks Mulligan’s punches to frustrate the big man. For some reason Mulligan tags in Heenan, allowing Bruiser to backdrop him for two. The fight heads to the floor with the Blackjacks being rammed together. Heenan is busted wide open so the good guys pound away at the cut. Oh man he is gushing blood.

The Blackjacks get punched again but finally save their manager from the Bruiser. Back to Crusher as everything breaks down again. The Blackjacks are thrown into Heenan and Little Bruiser is launched onto Mulligan for two. They do the same thing to Lanza for the same but finally Little Bruiser’s top rope splash to Heenan is good for the pin.

Rating: D+. This wasn’t great and the biggest problem was not knowing what kind of a match this was supposed to be. They kept jumping back and forth between a brawl and a comedy match and it became an issue more than once. The match would have been a lot better if it was just a handicap match but it wasn’t terrible.

We’ll jump to the WWF now for a rare singles match at MSG on November 26, 1984.

Salvatore Bellomo vs. Bobby Heenan

This is from 1984 and there’s no story to it. Heenan just used to be a wrestler on occasion. Heenan bails to the apron of course because he’s Bobby Heenan. Bellomo beats on Heenan like he stole something and flips him in the corner. Heenan takes a bunch of dropkicks, including one sending him into the post. Heenan needs a doctor. Back in and Bobby takes even more of a beating.

Bobby actually takes over with a rake to the eyes and a lot of basic stuff. Then again, what are you expecting from Bobby Heenan the Wrestler? They collide and Heenan looks dead. Bellomo drives in some headbutts but Heenan pokes him in the eyes. Out to the floor and Heenan pops him as he comes back in. A guillotine puts Sal on the floor for the third time. Bellomo tries a sunset flip but Heenan punches him in the face, drops on top of him, AND GETS A CLEAN PIN.

Rating: A+. Bobby Heenan got a clean pin. Do you realize what it means for your career when you get pinned clean in Madison Square Garden by BOBBY HEENAN??? The match sucked but totally awesome for surprise value. This is on Heenan’s DVD, mainly because I don’t remember him ever winning another singles match on his own.

Heenan would manage Big John Studd and help him in some tag matches, such as this one at MSG on June 21, 1985.

US Express/George Steele vs. Adrian Adonis/Big John Studd/Bobby Heenan

This is from MSG and this show is a bit more famous because of the debut of Randy Savage on it. No one wants to start with the Animal. Barry and Adonis (not yet gay or in pink) start us off. Let the stalling begin! Before anything happens, Heenan is brought in so Windham tags Steele. Heenan DIVES to the floor to hide and it’s back to Adonis. Now it’s back to Windham before any contact has been made at all.

Off to Studd to meet Windham and Barry is knocked down pretty easily. It isn’t often that Barry has to speed things up but he does it here as he doesn’t have another option. He keeps going for the slam which doesn’t work at all. A cross body gets two. Clipped to Heenan being brought in and Barry beats him down like a world champion beating on a manager.

Everything breaks down and Steele rams all three heels into the posts. Rotundo comes in and Heenan’s mouth is bleeding. Mike takes Studd down and works on the arm. Clipped to Adonis beating on Rotundo. Gorilla gives us some analysis of what we’re seeing and the fans chant USA. Windham finally comes in as does Steele, wanting to get his hands on Bobby. There wasn’t a tag and everything breaks down. Steele goes outside and comes back with a chair which he hits the referee with for the DQ.

Rating: D. Pretty boring match here and I really don’t get the point of them giving us what appears to be a focus on Steele and then having him lose his match. Then again I think they did that more than once in this series so it must be a running theme. That doesn’t mean it makes sense but it’s what they’re doing I guess.

Another tag match from The Big Event.

Big Machine/Super Machine/Lou Albano vs. Big John Studd/King Kong Bundy/Bobby Heenan

Ah yes the Machines. Now this was the epitome of a comedy angle that took off for a little while. The idea was that Andre the Giant was suspended for (kayfabe) not showing up for a match. Soon thereafter two new masked guys from Japan appeared: Super Machine (Ax from Demolition) and Giant Machine (duh).

Over the Summer they feuded with Heenan, Studd and Bundy with guest appearances by Piper Machine, Animal Machine and Hulk Machine. It was total tongue in cheek, kind of like Mr. America with Hogan. They were eventually joined by Big Machine who was Blackjack Mulligan when Andre could barely move.

Andre was kind of the manager and only wrestled occasionally. The angle ended about two months after this to set up Mania 3. Anyway let’s get to this. We get a shot from the broadcast booth and the ring is TINY. Studd and Super Machine start us out. The Machines’ strength is freaking impressive.

Ax is by far and away the smallest one. What does that tell you? Gorilla says he’s been over 500 pounds before but at Mania 4 said the biggest he ever wrestled at was 440. I don’t want to live in a world where I can’t trust Gorilla Monsoon! Ok I’m back now I think. With Big Machine down Heenan comes in and goes for the mask. Super Machine is like screw that and drills him. Bundy was just a big fat waste of oxygen. You can tell he was just thrown into Mania. Look where he was just 4 months later. Heenan comes in again and Albano comes in also.

Super Mario beats on him for a bit but a thumb in the eye and the heels beat up Albano. Andre has had enough and just comes in there and starts cleaning house which causes the DQ. He was just freaking terrifying when he got mad. Ax being the smallest guy by far is a freaky sight.

Rating: C-. It was a comedy match so that’s fine. The Machines were just a fun team so this worked fine. Andre was fun when he could move and this was no exception. It was nothing serious and it wasn’t supposed to be. Instead it was a way to make the fans laugh and it succeeded.

More Machines, from September 22, 1986.

Bobby Heenan/Big John Studd/King Kong Bundy vs. Super Machine/Big Machine/Hulk Machine

Super is Ax from Demolition, Big is Blackjack Mulligan and they’re a comedy team that usually had a guest third partner that more often than not was Andre. They’re here because Andre is suspended before he turned heel. Still in MSG here and it’s yet again a fun match to send the fans home happy. Hogan vs. Bundy to start us off here. Slam to Bundy and the fans are exploding already. See what I mean about sending them home happy?

Off to Studd vs. Big Machine now which lasts for a second as it’s back to Bundy. Off to Super now and Studd comes back in for some double teaming. You can tell that’s Ax as he hammers away like he would in Demolition a few years later. They mention a pair of tags so apparently I’m not going crazy. Bundy vs. Mulligan (I think) and we get a front facelock by Bundy to give him control.

Super comes in and gets hammered down quickly as the fans want Heenan in there. Bundy vs. Ax if you’re confused at the moment. The future Demolition guy avoids a splash and hits some shots but winds up back in the corner again. Hey it’s Heenan for a change. He gets caught in the ribs but tries a headbutt which hurts himself. Off to Hogan now who cleans house.

Heenan gets to his corner but Bundy can’t master the concept of slapping hands so Bobby takes more of a beating. It’s off to Bundy and Super Machine now with the masked dude in control. Mulligan has been in here just a bit the entire match now. Bundy takes over with a splash and then he and Studd just change places. Now there’s a tag or something but it’s kind of confusing. The Machines do some masked magic to bring in Hogan. Slam to Studd and the leg drop ends this.

Rating: C. Again this is the same thing as before with nothing special about it but the fans loved it. Can’t really complain but with a two hour tape and about 90 minutes of it being the same stuff over and over again this was a bit much. Either way though this wasn’t bad and at least it’s over now.

One more from the Machines on October 4, 1986.

Big Machine/Super Machine/Piper Machine vs. Big John Studd/King Kong Bundy/Bobby Heenan

Ah the Machines. Now this was a fun concept. They were supposedly a new tag team from Japan but they had zero accents whatsoever. If I remember right Super Machine is Ax from Demolition, Big Machine is Blackjack Mulligan and I think you get the other one. There was usually a third guest partner such as Animal Machine, Piper Machine or Hulk Machine. Yes it’s stupid comedy but it was designed to be stupid comedy, which takes away a lot of the pain in it. This is from 86ish and we’re in Boston.

Gene is just saying it’s Piper and he flashes his face to the crowd. Bundy starts with Super Machine. Bundy pounds him into the corner to start but misses the avalanche. Machine gets a cross body for two and it’s off to Studd and Big Machine. They collide and no one really goes anywhere. Piper wants in and the fans pop big for his tag. He takes the mask off for like the fourth time and pulls it back down. Sunset flip gets two as Piper is cleaning house.

Piper starts his usual antics and pokes Studd in the eye before slapping Heenan. Studd is like enough of this and goes for the bad knee of Piper. Bundy adds some shows and it’s off to Heenan. Naturally he can’t do much of anything so it’s back to Bundy. Piper ducks underneath the big swings from the bald dude and turns it back to the comedy as he should.

And never mind as Bundy drills him. He tries for the mask and brings in Heenan for no apparent reason. Back to Bundy and/or Studd who destroy Piper for a good while. Another thumb to the eye lets Piper bring in Big Machine. They’re doing the bodyslam challenge for 50 grand still here but apparently Heenan isn’t paying. Wait wasn’t that usually 15,000? Bundy misses a knee drop but they stay on Machine.

Studd gets the chinlock going as this is going way too long now. Back off to Piper which is pretty stupid. Studd meets him coming in so Piper is like screw the mask and rips it off. He manages to slam Studd for two but an accidental elbow drop from Bundy ends it seconds later. That was a big surprise indeed.

Rating: C. The crowd carries this one. It’s not much of a match but the crowd was white hot the entire time. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Machines as they were a straight up fun gimmick. This went on too long but there are times when you need to have a goofy match to give the crowd a laugh and this is a textbook example. I’m overrating it but I had fun with it.

Heenan would also team up with the Islanders at Wrestlemania IV.

Islanders/Bobby Heenan vs. British Bulldogs/Koko B. Ware

There’s actually a story here. Heenan comes to the ring in a dog handlers’ outfit (remember the package from earlier?) because Matilda, the dog mascot of the Bulldogs, is back from being dognapped, presumably by the Islanders. Koko is there because when you need a filler, you call Koko B. Ware. We start with Dynamite vs. Tama but it’s quickly off to Haku vs. Davey Boy for a nice power match.

Davey slams him down a few times and it’s off to a quickly broken chinlock. Back to Tama who is gorilla pressed up and down and it’s back to Haku. Jesse: “Heenan seems to be saving himself.” Gorilla: “Yeah for the senior prom.” Did Gorilla just make a sex joke? I can feel my childhood crumbling as I type this. Koko comes in for some quick shots but it’s back to Dynamite for the clothesline that Benoit copied from him.

The Kid charges into a kick in the corner and here’s Heenan for the first time. He stomps on Dynamite, gets hit once in his padded suit, and runs away. That’s about what I expected. Tama tries a Vader Bomb but hits knees, allowing for another tag to Koko. He pounds on both Islanders but Haku takes him right back down. Tama comes in with a top rope chop and Heenan gets his second tag. Heenan chokes a bit but misses a charge into the post. Everything breaks down and the Islanders drop Heenan onto Koko for the pin.

Rating: C. I told you Koko was worthless in this. The stuff with the tag teams was pretty solid but the rest of it was as dull as you would expect. These six man tags with the Bulldogs in there don’t go that well for them but this was their last try at it. This was basically a comedy match and it was only kind of funny.

Heenan was known as the Weasel and would take part in a series of Weasel Suit matches. It’s a regular match where the loser is put into the suit and humiliated. From Wrestlefest 1988.

Ultimate Warrior vs. Bobby Heenan

This is kind of a famous match. The loser wears a weasel suit. You figure out who wins this one. I’ll give you a hint: he’s crazy. Neither gets an entrance which is weird. We get some of Warrior’s music but that’s it. Heenan runs for his life multiple times but Warrior drops to the floor so Heenan can’t see him and surprises him. Yes, Warrior used his brain and it worked.

Heenan gets a foreign object and pops him with it after calling Warrior a son of a female dog. Wouldn’t an object like that be fine to a guy from Parts Unknown? Heenan hits him with it like five times and can’t drop Warrior. He more or less just jabs it in Warrior’s throat over and over but it doesn’t work at all. Warrior bangs on his chest and I think you can figure the rest out from there.

Warrior puts him out with a sleeper which makes sense here and puts the suit on him. Where does one get a weasel suit? Was there a furry convention in town? You know for being in a sleeper for about 30 seconds, he’s WAY out of it. Warrior bangs on his chest once he gets it done like someone standing over his fallen prey. Ooh that was a good one. Bobby wakes up and realizes he has claws and a tail. This is like Kafka’s worst nightmare.

Rating: N/A. This was for comedy more than anything else. They tried to make the match into nothing at all and that’s what the best answer was. Heenan was always a good sport though and could do just about any kind of comedy so this was perfect for him. This was an idea that had been used in the AWA so having it brought back here makes sense.

Heenan managed the Red Rooster but wound up yelling at him and getting fired. Here’s their showdown at Wrestlemania V.

Red Rooster vs. Bobby Heenan

There’s actually a backstory: Heenan managed Rooster but said he was limited so Rooster dumped Heenan. Bobby is hurt so he brings the Brooklyn Brawler with him. Those sentences take as long to type as the match lasts as Rooster hits him once, Heenan misses a charge into the post, gets whipped into the buckle and the match is over in 30 seconds. To recap, Rooster beat him with an Irish whip.

Tully Blanchard was scheduled to wrestle in the main event of Survivor Series 1989. Cocaine intervened though so Heenan replaced him.

Ultimate Warriors vs. Heenan Family

Ultimate Warrior, Jim Neidhart, Rockers
Andre the Giant, Arn Anderson, Haku, Bobby Heenan

Andre can barely move and it’s sad to see. Neidhart and the Rockers start before anything happens and Jim is in trouble early. Here’s Warrior without any music (he’s IC Champion here) and a big clothesline puts Andre on the floor, which draws a countout because when the bell rang, Andre was the only Heenan Family member in the ring. We’ve already got the same problem the Hogan match had.

Warrior and Haku get things started for all intents and purposes but it’s quickly off to Anvil vs. Arn. Andre (in blue instead of black) yells incoherently at the Warrior as he leaves. It’s Haku vs. Anvil now with Haku in control. A superkick puts Neidhart down and eliminates him like it’s a squash match. Off to Shawn to make Haku miss him and now it’s off to Jannetty.

Haku tries a double clothesline but only hits Shawn. He picks up Marty but Shawn dropkicks Marty down onto Haku for a near fall. Off to Arn who tries a double suplex with Haku on Jannetty, but Shawn catches his partner in a nice move. Double superkicks put the wrestlers on the other team down and it’s off to Marty vs. Haku. Warrior gets a tag in a few seconds later and Haku immediately goes for the eyes.

Haku backs Warrior into the corner and Heenan points to Arn for the tag in a funny bit. Arn immediately gets taken down and Marty hooks an armbar. Anderson brings Marty to the corner and brings in Heenan for a single punch before it’s back to Haku. Arn knees Marty in the back and Haku superkicks him down so Heenan can drop a knee on Jannetty for the pin. You could loudly hear them calling spots on that sequence for some reason.

Warrior comes in so here’s Anderson again. There’s a bearhug by the Champ and Haku gets one as well. Off to Shawn who gets knocked to the floor with a few shots. Shawn moonsaults out of the corner over Arn and Anderson is in trouble. Warrior and Michaels both punch Anderson at the same time and Arn backs away from Warrior. A splash from Shawn gets two and it’s off to Haku.

That doesn’t last long at all as a cross body eliminates Haku to get us down to Warrior/Shawn vs. Heenan/Anderson. Heenan tries to get in some cheap shots on Shawn which draws in Warrior. Why? Was he that afraid for Shawn’s safety? Arn dumps Shawn to the floor and Heenan goes up….and then regains his sanity and climbs back down. Arn keeps asking for help from Heenan because he’s getting tired so it’s finally back to Bobby who runs at the first sign of trouble.

Shawn rams his head into the back of Arn’s head and both guys are down. They slug it out but Shawn walks into the spinebuster (called the Anderson Drop) for the elimination. Warrior fires off some shoulders but Arn ducks and sends him to the floor. Heenan goes up again but thinks better of it again. Off to Heenan but Warrior quickly Hulks up so we see some more Anderson. Warrior fights him off as well and whips Arn into Heenan to knock Bobby to the floor. The gorilla press and splash get us down to one on one. Warrior sneaks up on Heenan and what do you think happens here? A shoulder block and splash ends this.

Rating: C-. I think it was watching the whole show before this but this was another dull match. Warrior was never in any danger and I think everyone knew it. To be fair, this would have been better with Tully out there and you can’t fault the guys for that. Heenan being in there had to turn it into a comedy match and I can’t hold that against them. Still though, another dull match in a series of them tonight.

One of Heenan’s last in ring feuds was with the Big Boss Man due to Heenan insulting Boss Man’s mother. From November 20, 1990.

Bobby Heenan vs. Big Bossman

This was when they were feuding over Heenan running his mouth about Bossman’s mother. He says he’s sent mom a dozen roses and he has a Hogan wrestling buddy for Bossman. Heenan begs for forgiveness and gets hit in the head with the wrestling buddy. Heenan tries to hit him with the microphone. Bossman hits him with the nightstick a few times and is pinned in seconds.

I think you get the idea here. Heenan was the guy that could talk all day and then take a beating to save his clients for later. No he isn’t a great in ring worker, but he’s a great performer. He knew how to make fans hate him and could always take the beating to make the fans happy. Couple in the great talking and he was invaluable.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of on the History of ECW Pay Per Views at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

And check out my Amazon author page with wrestling books for under $4 at:

WWA Television
Date: September 1965
Location: Southside Armory, Indianapolis, Indiana

God bless Youtube. The WWA is an old territory that actually had two offices: one in Los Angeles and the other in Indianapolis. This show aired sometime in the 1960s but it’s almost impossible to track down the exact date. This might not even be the WWA but there’s only so much research you can do on a show that’s (possibly) nearly fifty years old. Let’s get to it.

Tom Jones vs. Gene Kiniski

Kiniski is world champion (not sure if that’s WWA or NWA) and this is a non-title match. Jones is a plucky little face who grabs a headlock to start but Kiniski takes him into the corner and pounds away on the back. The announcer answers a fan letter about what the ring is made of in great detail which is more interesting than the match itself.

Kiniski kicks him in the face but Jones comes back in with rights and lefts before stomping the champion down in the corner. Kiniski comes back with boots of his own and gets two off a slam. A lot of choking ensues and Kiniski chops him in the chest a few times. Jones finally comes back with a headbutt but gets chopped right back down. Three straight backbreakers (Kiniski’s finisher) are enough to end Jones with relative ease.

Rating: D+. Kiniski is a guy that I’ve never actually seen wrestle before but he was a solid heel in there. He acted like a jerk and choked a lot which had the fans wanting to see him lose but Jones just wasn’t the guy that was going to be able to do it. Jones was decent but there was only so much he could do out there.

House show ad with a main event of Larry Hennig/Harley Race vs. Dick the Bruiser/The Crusher. Those guys would be big deals in the AWA which makes me think this is WWA given how close the territories were to each other. Wildbur Snyder comes in to talk about the tag match and how much the teams hate each other. Snyder was co-owner of the WWA which confirms this as much as anything can. The house show is Saturday November 2, which would put this in 1968, meaning Kiniski is NWA World Champion. I love figuring that stuff out.

Assassins vs. Prince Pullins/Rocky Montero

This is 2/3 falls. The Assassins are masked guys with whips who the announcer says “claim the title of World Tag Team Champions.” That might mean they’re champions, which would confuse things even more because the Assassins last held the WWA Tag Titles in 1965. The announcer now says the Assassins ARE Tag Team Champions, so this is sometime between 1965 and 1968. Pullins vs. Assassin #1, who is the smaller of the two, gets things going. The Prince avoids a right hand as they stall early on.

Prince grabs a headlock and Montero comes in for no apparent reason, allowing #2 to come in and cheat. #1 is put down by a headlock takeover but a knee to the ribs put Prince down and allows the tag off to #2. The announcer talks about how big the wrestlers are as Montero keeps wandering around the ring, even winding up on the wrong corner at one point. Prince slugs away on #1 and tries some headbutts, which the announcer calls a popular move “among young negro wrestlers.” Different times indeed.

More headbutts sent #2 into Montero in the corner as everything breaks down. Montero actually cleans house a bit and sends the Assassins outside until it’s #2 inside again. #1 comes in as well but the good guys pick him up and ram him into #2. Not that it matters as #2 pops back up and hammers on Montero before bringing #1 in again for a slugout. Pullins comes back in again with headbutts and right hands but gets driven back into the corner. #2 slams him down and #1 adds a top rope stomp to Prince’s ribs for the first fall.

Montero and #1 start, which confuses the announcer as the people who ended the previous fall are supposed to start the next. Rocky is sent outside and holds his eye due to some shots from the gauntlet on #1 hand. The match stops almost entirely until it’s back to Pullins who is sent to the floor as well. Monster comes back in and rips at #1’s eyes as everything breaks down yet again.

Prince comes back in and cleans house as the announcer talks about the legal issues of referees getting physical. A dropkick gets one on #2 and it’s back to Montero with no tag. Prince is in almost immediately as Montero walks down the apron, meaning there’s no one for Prince to tag. It breaks down again and the top rope stomp plus a seated senton are enough to pin Montero.

Rating: D-. This was WAY too long and not good in the slightest. Montero was all over the place and looked like he had no idea what he was doing the entire time. The Assassins were just generic heels in masks which made the match pretty dull to sit through. Nothing to see here, other than Montero looking like he was lost in the match.

Danny Dolly vs. Dick the Bruiser

Bruiser owned the company and is a very terrifying looking human being. I looked this up online and was told it was September of 1965, making me think that the house show ad was wrong. Bruiser throws him around to start and fires off some knees in the corner. We hit the neck crank as the announcer talks about how no one has ever submitted to a chinlock. Back to the corner for choking by Dick but Dolly comes back with right hands and a headlock takeover. Bruiser easily comes back with kicks to the ribs before throwing Dolly out to the floor. Dick slams Dolly back inside and goes up for a flying knee drop and the pin.

Rating: D+. Total squash here but it was entertaining to see Bruiser clean house like that. He made a career out of destroying various jobbers and is one of the handful of old names that you’ll see hear every now and then. His look reminds me of Brock Lesnar, which was was even scarier in the 60s.

Moose Cholak vs. Tony Parente

Cholak is a big monster who won’t shake hands with the much smaller Tony. We’re also in a different arena here as there are, I kid you not, less than fifteen fans visible in the crowd. Parente goes for the legs before trying an armbar instead. Cholak goes after the leg before the guys collide in the ring which should have been much more one sided than it was. A dropkick staggers the Moose and they trade forearms with neither getting anywhere.

Something resembling an armdrag puts Parente down but he comes back with a knee to Cholak’s leg. There’s a leg lock as Moose is in a bit of trouble now. Back up and Cholak grabs a bearhug for about two seconds before sending Parente into the buckle. Tony slugs his way out of a wristlock but gets sent into the buckle again to stop his comeback. I don’t know if you can even call it a comeback as neither guy has had a long advantage yet.

Parente takes him down with an armbar and cranks back on the arm Fujiwara style before being thrown outside. Back in and Tony scares Cholak into the corner before firing off some hard right hands. Moose shrugs them off, headbutts Tony down and drops a big splash for the pin.

Rating: D. WAY too much offense from Parente here as Moose looked like he won because he survived rather than being dominant at all. The match made Cholak look like he got lucky rather than being the better man, which isn’t what you would want out of a monster like him. Bad match here but the crowd being so small was far more interesting.

Overall Rating: D-. Well at least it was short. This wasn’t a good show for the most part as the most entertaining matches were the Kiniski and Bruiser squashes. The WWA never was a huge territory and if this is any indication of what their product was like, it’s not hard to see why. Really dull show here with nothing that held my interest at all.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of on the History of Summerslam at Amazon for just $4 at:

And check out my Amazon author page with wrestling books for just $4 at: