JerryvonKramer

Updated these pages for the first time in two years today. Some fun stats: No. of Cards reviewed: 58 Chad, MVP: Flair: 12 (including once as Black Scorpion) Arn: 5 Steamboat: 3 Vader: 3 Tully: 3 Luger: 3 Eaton: 3 Parv, MVP Flair: 7 Arn: 7 Steamboat: 5 Tully: 3 Luger: 3 Cornette: 3 Eaton: 3 Chad, Billy Graham: Billy Graham: 2 Dusty Rhodes: 2 Ranger Ross: 2 PN News: 2 Jimmy Garvin: 2 Mike Graham: 2 Erik Watts: 2 Steve Williams: 2 Steve Austin: 2 Parv, Billy Graham: Jimmy Garvin: 5 Billy Graham: 3 Nikita Koloff: 3 Steve Williams: 3 Sandy Scott: 2 Jack Victory: 2 PN News: 2

Do you remember this? Do you know the whereabouts of this man? Was Sean Mooney really that bad? Tomorrow. On PWO-PTBN. Tune in for this brand new show!

I really liked the Ole segment too.

Yeah, that's now (once again) one of my ultimate grails. Just to see Ted pin Hawk.

It really does exist? Animal said Hawk no showed and they just gave titles to Money Inc, what gives?

I'm fairly convinced this one never actually took place if you mean Feb 92. Been looking for it for years. Animal said in a shoot once that it didn't happen.

Also that legendary Southwest angle with Terry Funk attacking Tully with the claw hammer.

Fuji vs Heenan, August 91, Nassau Not only an uber rare heel vs. heel manager match, but also Heenan's last ever match, and a blow off to a little-known feud.

Coming this Thursday, a brand new show comes to the feed.

Watching it right now, most excited I've ever been, maybe ever.

Was it this guy?

Dusty was pretty good at this in his booking.

Part of it for me is that I've never been a fan of the idea of a lightweight division. Also Pillman has also seemed like he was in no man's land for a while. He should have been tagging with Dustin or Windham but instead was way down the card. Pillman felt like he stood out more in 1990.

I am gonna have to watch this.

Wow, just spotted this, and it's an absolute GOD SEND: MTV Europe were willing to talk to me, and I've managed to get my TV and the Sunday night live MTV show onto it. Of course, in 1991 very very few people could actually watch MTV anywhere in Europe -- their coverage is even smaller than Eurosport's -- but I don't give a shit about that! This means I don't have to run those terrible British cards any more, and every show should give a little increase to popularity in across all of Europe. Pretty happy with that. I've also gone and cancelled my deal with Sports Channel America and signed AWA Championship Wrestling to show on MTV instead. I had to pay Sports Channel America a fine for breaking the contract, but I think it's worth doing in the long-run. So MTV carry both my TV and the Sunday weekly live show in the USA and Europe, and Omni Television carry both of them in Canada. From next week, I can add a new TV show (AWA All Star Wrestling), which I'm hoping to launch on ESPN. This show will have more of a wrestling / matches focus and will be taped on Mondays back-to-back with the other TV show. Hopefully I can get this on the MTV Europe channel too. I will probably make the MTV live show more like a Clash or an SNME now, not every week but a "Special" every month or so and in a Tuesday slot so it doesn't clash with my weekly TV.

Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup, April, Week 4, 91: This might be a contender for weakest PPV match that took place anywhere in 1991. This match pissed off the ENTIRE roster. Most of the more established guys were absolutely furious. But with the locker room at 0%, I figured it couldn't get any lower. Two things: 1. The Crockett Cup is now a singles trophy. 2. This is the Marcus Bagwell mega-push. I mean, he's good-looking, athletic, and could be a Steamboat Jr. Yes, I have Shane Douglas right there, but ... Shane Douglas isn't sexy. Nick Bockwinkel comes out to explain that an injury to Tommy Rogers means that the scheduled match between The Fantastics and The Funk Brothers cannot go ahead as scheduled. The AWA board of directors, however, has decided that the Tag Titles MUST be decided this evening and therefore the Funks will face off against the #3 ranked team, Strike Force, that is Tito Santana and Rick Martel. Since The Fantastics earned the right to be in the final, they will get a shot at the champions as soon as Rogers has recovered from injury. Man, oh man, did this piss me off. All Japan booked some random one-off show on THIS Tuesday of all bloody days, and The Fantastics were in Japan. I was furious. Months building to this match and I had to change the booking ON THE NIGHT. Well, there was *some* truth to Bock's claims here since Rogers has been nursing an L4/L5 disc hernation injury and working through it for the past month. Tito and Martel were the most over faces I could realistically give the titles to. What a shit show. I guess shit happens. I guess the silver lining to the cloud is that Strike Force probably gave me a better match than the Fantastics would have in this spot, just because they are more over. At least the main event was strong. I'd consider this a success overall, despite some really glaring problems. I should be able to ride Steamboat vs. Ted until the next PPV in a month.

AWA Championship Wrestling, April, Week 4, 91: Gordon Solie and Bill Watts open the show by saying the The Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase has a special apperance tonight on Mr. T's Pity the Fool talk show. Apparently, he booked and paid for the slot himself. They also mention that AWA Vice President, Nick Bockwinkel is here, and also has a special announcement. The Alliance Against America has been jobbed out something chronic. Pity the Fool Mr. T: S'up fools, I got a special guest this week. The Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase. *DiBiase swaggers in. He waits to take his seat and looks to Booker T, expecting him to pull the chair for him* DiBiase: Hey, boy, you. *He clicks his fingers* DiBiase: I expect a bit of service! *Booker T glares at him* DiBiase (*more aggressive*): I said I want to sit down. Mr. T: Well sit down then, you leave Booker alone. DiBiase: Pull my chair I said! *Booker T complies. As DiBiase goes to sit down, he pulls the chair away so he falls on his ass. DiBiase erupts and attacks Booker T. Full brawl.* Mr. T: Someone get security here! *DiBiase has got the advantage, he's laying in closed fists. Mr. T goes in himself to break it up.* DiBiase: In the ring! Get this boy in the ring! He's going to be my first match. Referee come here! *David Manning goes over. DiBiase shoves a wad of notes in his pocket.* *DiBiase drags an already dazed Booker T into the ring. Ref calls for the bell and the match begins.* Story of this match is that Booker T gets in more offense than you'd expect, even though he's overmatched. *AWA Vice President Nick Bockwinkel is in the ring. Larry Nelson holds the mic for him.* Bockwinkel: Ladies and Gentlemen, I am here to make a special announcement regarding tomorrow night's Pay-per-view event The Jim Crockett Sr Memorial show. It concerns Ricky Steamboat's AWA Universal title, which has a lineage that of course is dear to my heart ... I have here a contract pre-signed by Steamboat's opponent. But ... Ricky, I'm going to need you to come out to sign it yourself. AWA regulations. *Ricky Steamboat comes out looking a little confused* *He goes over and takes the paper from Bockwinkel and looks at it closely. His eyes betray some consternation.* Steamboat: The Millon Dollar Man?! He has a title shot?! I thought the number #1 contender was Jumbo Tsuruta? *Bockwinkel looks a little shifty* Bockwinkel: The AWA Board of Directors has run a set of algorithms, you see, Mr. Steamboat, and all of those complex calculations say that the challenger tomorrow night will be Ted DiBiase ... *DiBiase's music hits, and he walks down the aisle, still in his wrestling gear after the match with Booker T, with Superstar Graham by his side. They are both laughing. Bockwinkel once again looks shifty.* *Steamboat looks at them both with a hint of outrage* Steamboat: Well something fishy is going on here, but I'm not scared of you DiBiase! I'll see you in the ring tomorrow night! You better bring your wrestling boots! *DiBiase and Graham look at each other as if to suggest they have a plan.*

Landy, while you're here. Do you know if footage of Mr. Fuji vs. Bobby Heenan singles match from August 91 exists? It was a Nassau house show.

Wondering where and when it was that Fuji, Don Muraco, Billy White Wolf and Skandor Akbar were all in the same place at the same time.

You underrate the level of his deviousness at ring side. His crowd psychology was better than Slick's (for example). Being a manager isn't just doing promos and standing by the apron. He knew what he was doing and did it well.

whoops! lol

It's a bit unfair to say he brought NOTHING to the table. He was a very effective worker in the late 70s / early 80s, always had good heat. Was effective at ring-side as a manager, even if he wasn't the best promo. I'd argue pretty integral to the overall Yokozuna package also. Also, about that dog story. I've heard the victim as being Snuka, Prof Tanaka, Harold Sakata and various other people. Changes in almost every source, so it seems like one of those things that is a complete urban myth that has taken on a life of its own over the years. He did some extreme ribs, but that one seems so wildly disparate from shoot to shoot and source to source, that I don't believe it.

They opened by saying they are completely scrapping the modern product wrap-up from the top of the show. Excellent.

Two minor points of business before the next week. First, Dynamite Kid and Honkytonk Man are now blacklisted. They will never work in the AWA again: Second ... I have moved into the realm of merch. Now you can get! Ricky Steamboat: t-shit, cap, poster, action figure, foam hands and stuff like pencil cases! Mr. T: all of the above! Superstar Graham / Miss Elizabeth / Andre: action figure, t-shirt, poster! Collect the entire fabulous AWA toy range of action figures! Including: Bob Backlund, Bobby Fulton, Tommy Rogers, Lord Steven Regal, Marcus Bagwell, Booker T, Bob Orton Jr., Butch Reed, Dick Slater, Doug Somers, Buddy Rose, Gordon Solie*, Greg Valentine, Ivan Koloff, King Kong Bundy, Lord Alfred Hayes*, Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie, Nikolai Volkoff, One Man Gang, Rick Martel, Sal Bellomo, Scott Hall, Steve Williams, Terry Gordy, The Iron Sheik, Tito Santana Yes, you TOO can own a Doug Somers action figure in 1991! Just imagine him sitting next to your brand new Super Nintendo! And in our LEGENDS range: Jack Brisco, Nick Bockwinkel, Cowboy Bill Watts, Ivan Putski, Wahoo McDaniel * Cannot be purchased in store, you can get these special figures by collecting exclusive tokens from the back of Kellogg's Cornflakes boxes. Just cut them out using a scissors, and once you have six of them, send them off in an envelope to The American Wrestling Association, PO Box 1546. Remember to ask your parents' permission to use a scissors!

Okay, let's take a time out. I have decided to switch from the letter grades which rate from A* to F- to number grades that rate from 100 to 0. Why? Because I want to get a more granular view of how my booking is affecting things. Are things working or not? So this is going to be a little review session on how things have been going in the past three months. Steamer, who I have pushed relentlessly: As you can see the "progress" is not quite up-to-date, next month the current figures will slot in under "May", so it's a month behind. Steamboat has become a huge star and this is clear to see from the stats. What about our "has been" celeb Mr. T? He's enjoyed a bit of a popularity boost from being on TV pretty much every week in a featured slot. What about my long-term project hoping to get that rub off him, Booker T? Better progress than you'd think. Slow at first but catching on. What about Bagwell and his week of squashing Honky Tonk Man? Interesting, look he started lower than Booker, but here has gotten over more. He also had not matches or TV appearances in Feb. So the numbers jumped up when he started having more matches and wins under his belt. I think I need to get Booker T in the ring a bit more. Let's have a look at TV show grades converted into the numbers: TV: Feb: Week 1: 51 Week 2: 71 Week 3: 59 Week 4: 56 March: Week 1: 59 Week 2: 58 Week 3: 48 Week 4: 72 April: Week 1: 57 Week 2: 68 Week 3: 63 Old tour show: Feb: Week 2: 75 Week 3: 66 Week 4: 76 March: Week 1: 68 Week 2: 67 MTV Live show: March: Week 3: 66 Week 4: 50 April: Week 1: 67 Week 2: 68 Week 3: 60 World Tour (UK shows): March: Week 4: 55 April: Week 1: 54 Week 2: 59 Week 3: 54 To put that into context, my best card to date has been the one headlined by Wahoo and Greg. And my worst, this one: Yes, the one headlined by Bill Watts coming out of retirement in 91. Who'd have thought. In terms of overall popularity for the promotion, the numbers have just hovered between 60 and 64 for every US region since I started. In Southern England, where I've been running the UK tour shows, it has gone from 10 to 17, which is murderously SLOW progress, but then those cards have been shitty. Incidentally, in the handful of appearances made by "Lord Jerry von Kramer", my personal overness has gone from 0 to 3 in most regions. So a long way to go in that respect.