spaldoni

If Ladd wants Woman's wrestling in Mid South, then building it around Medusa is the way to go. I like this version of Dibiase. He's focused, determined and believes in his talent. It's hard to boo him right now. Looking forward to Williams take on this. Vader goes nuts in the ring and during his promo. This is the beast we've all been waiting for. LOL, the Steiners show Hot Stuff Inc. what they're all about. Damn! What an ending! I was worried we were going to get a JYD heel turn but we get a bloody and beaten up JYD. The Nation really did a number on him. The tag match at Revolution is a must see. Like LST said, the build to Revolution has been great. Just the 4 matches announced will draw big money.

Solid showcases to get this rock'n Mid South crowd going. Jarrett, DWB, Douglas and Gordy all got to show off their finishers. Linda gets chased after out heeling Powers. But hey, Street got to put Rogers to sleep. I'm sure the fans loved that. Well, Dutch tried everything but the Lightning Express prevail. I'm sure Dutch will be in a great mood next TV. Memphis might not have Lawler, but Dundee and Keirn are holding down the fort. The main event was Memphis at its best. The classic Tommy Rich we all love in this game is back in a big way! The old lady swerve was great. Also, how great was it seeing Big Cat show up? Landel will get a rub from this and that will show in his next promo. Slater will be out for Rich's blood! This is going to be one epic summer feud!

A lot going on as WCW heads into American Meltdown. I love how you give everybody something to do. Each segment had some kind of heat. The International scene has taken WCW by storm. It's awesome seeing stars from Europe, Japan and Mexico in the thick of things. Using the RPMs as HTM's roadies is genius. It's a great fit. Jake is so good at being so cryptic. The road to the 6 man titles has been a lot of fun. So many great trios involved. Talk about putting importance on the world title. Steamboat, Savage and Spivey are in the mix as is Bock and Brisco. I think they made the right call having Savage and Spivey battle for the title shot. A lot of things will be determined at American Meltdown.

AWA @ The Kosh Sports Center, Oshkosh WI 6-18-88 'Crippler' Rip Oliver defeated a Local Talent with the piledriver. After the match, Ray Stevens came into the ring and grabbed the house mic. He tapped his watch and told Oliver his time is up at WrestleRock. Synergy defeated Salvatore Bellomo and Gene Ligon with a double dropkick on Ligon. 'The Man of Steel' Tony Atlas w/Greg Gagne defeated 'Big Guy' Duke Myers- Myers was in command when Gagne hopped on the apron. Myers grabbed Gagne by his shirt which allowed Atlas to come from behind with a double axehandle and roll Myers up with a handful of tights for the pin. Dream Machine and The Harris Brothers defeated 'The Wild One' Johnny Rich and The Glamour Boys- Fun see saw match that ended during a pier six brawl when Dream Machine headbutted Rich with a loaded mask. 'Dynamite' DJ Peterson defeated 'Mr. Magnificent' Kevin Kelly w/The Vin Man by DQ- These guys tore into each other! At the end, DJ hit Kelly with a flying shoulder tackle from the top rope but Vinnie interfered causing the DQ. DJ grabbed Vinnie by the hair and hurled him over the top rope. Kelly charged DJ but DJ back dropped him over the top rope. The Unhinged Outlaws defeated The Gunslingers- In the final stages of an epic all out brawl, the Gunslingers hit a double bulldog on Deaton. When the Ref was guiding Mantell back, Barr went to the top rope with a cowbell and came down on Casey's head with it. Deaton rolled over as the Ref came back to count 1..2..3! Casey tried to break it, but Barr hit him with the cowbell. This was no doubt a preview to their upcoming Bunkhouse match at WrestleRock. 'Mad Dog' Buzz Sawyer and Crusher Blackwell w/Greg Gagne defeated Carlos Colon and El Canek- Of course things got crazy in this one. All 4 men ended up fighting on the outside. The Ref was watching Canek and Blackwell go at it. Sawyer threw a wooden chair into the ring. Colon hit Sawyer and hurled him back into the ring. When Colon got back in, Sawyer shattered the chair over Colon's head. The Ref turned around as Sawyer covered for the 1..2..3! On the outside, Gagne hit the back of Canek's head with a loaded towel. Blackwell picked up Canek and rammed him face first into the steel post. Gagne then reached down and raised Canek's head, then slapped him across the face. The fans can only hope Gagne gets his at WrestleRock. 'The Russian Nightmare' Nikita Koloff defeated Cannonball Griz (no Norvell)- Griz put up a fight and rocked Nikita with some heavy shots. Griz attempted a corner avalanche but Nikita moved. Nikita went to town on Griz and finished him off with the Russian Sickle! After a majority of heel wins tonight, Nikita sends the fans home happy.

I liked the opening segment. It put a big spotlight on Baxter and who better to do that than Humperdink. This could get interesting. Bruno gets some momentum going heading into a money making scaffold match. Hmmmmm, I wonder what Knighton really had on his mind. I think Ash is just pissed with Rose constantly on his tail. Solid write up for the TV main event. I was into this match. Damn, the Jonesboro card is stacked!

Mid South always knows how to rock in the Superdome! Eddie and Missy always seem to come out ahead in the end. I have a feeling they have something big planned to get the TV title off Rick. The Nation is here and sounds like they want Reed to see the light. I can't wait for another Barbarians/Outlaws match. I think it's time for an Outlaws title reign. I'll say this, if Dibiase goes back to focusing on his skills he just might regain the Louisianna title. Is it finally going to be Vader time? Rick seems more than ready for Gilbert, but Gordon brought up some great points on who Gilbert's ran out of town. I can see Medusa bringing some serious attention to Woman's wrestling in Mid South. Luger is very confident heading into his loser leaves town match with Vader. Is Luger the future of Mid South or like I said before, is it Vader's time. Big money match! Oh Yea! A Reed/JYD alliance! The Nation get the best of them tonight but JYD and Reed are serious trouble for the Nation. This feud's got the heat!

Looks like Dustin is on the road to Rose. I'm really loving Makhan's monster push. Once again, great job with the continuity. Not sure if those were St. Clair's motives but I thought Regal explained his side of the story pretty well. I think we're going to see a Knights resurgence. Hashimoto has already become a serious force on PCW. The Demon is back! Him and Cactus are going to tear it up. It's a pretty big deal if Severn gives his respect. Payne might have found a new ally. Cow Palace, Regal's single's run starts off on the right track. Only a matter of time before he meets St. Clair. Tenryu gets a decisive win over a game Owen. Can't wait for a Pillman/Flowers program. I can watch the Malenkos and Footloose go at it forever. Talk about some tag team classics. Rose always finds a way to win. Having Tina in his corner definitely helps. We all know Bret isn't afraid to fight. Miller gives him just that. Oh no, just as Hall recovers from his injury, Hennig takes a bad fall. Fresno, It might be time to give Anvil a title shot in Fresno. Just like Regal, Brookside is adapting well to solo action. Haynes is giving the NOE some problems. Southern Boys and Stormfront take down the Playboy Club. Backlund goes to plan B to beat Pierre. The FOJ has rapidly got back in title contention. Flowers is a master at heel tactics. He looks so smooth breaking the rules.

AWA TV @ The Hammond Center 6-16-88 Footage from the Treasure Island Casino is shown as Lanny Poffo hits Austin Idol with a chair, follows that with a moonsault, then puts lipstick and glitter all over Idol's face. We then get comments from Idol in the locker room right afterwards. Idol is wiping his face off with a towel, then throws it on the floor. Idol: Poffo! You gutless coward! I've beaten you time and time again and the only way you can ever get the upper hand is with behind the back cheap shots. Let's finish this once and for all, you and me at WrestleRock! I would say man to man but clearly, you're not a man! What you are is a spineless sissy boy, plain and simple! Larry Nelson: Hello fans and welcome to AWA Major League Wrestling. Huge show lined up, including a rematch for the TV title as Brian Adias defends against Chicky Starr.... Boos as Lanny Poffo skips out. Poffo: I heard Austin Idol's empty threats earlier and just couldn't believe it. I give him a much needed makeover and this is his gratitude. And now he wants a match with me? What a neanderthal! Austin Idol, I have told you this is a man's sport, and you have no business in it. If you wish to engage in combat at WrestleRock, it will end with your demise. Commercial Break The Ultimate Warrior vs. Ty Tucker The show starts with a bang as Warrior presses Tucker over his head, drops him, swings off the ropes and hits a body splash for the win. The fans cheer as Warrior shakes the ropes. Wait a minute! Giant Haystacks lumbers into the ring. Warrior turns around. Haystacks lets out a roar and yells "Come on!" Warrior runs in place, shaking his arms. Warrior swings off the ropes and tries a shoulder block but Haystacks doesn't budge. Warrior tries again but the same thing happens. Warrior swings off the ropes and goes for a flying shoulder tackle but Haystacks swats him away! Haystacks picks up Warrior and slams him down. Haystacks then hits a sit down splash! Haystacks sits on a motionless Warrior with his arms folded. Commercial Break AWA TV Title Bout Brian Adias (C) vs. Chicky Starr These two give the fans another fast paced see saw battle. Both men are on their A game tonight. Adias gets in some high flying offense, while Chicky breaks some rules and gets in his hard shots. Both men are slugging it out when once again the 10 minutes expire and we get another draw. A post match shoving match starts, then escalates into a slugfest when the commercial hits. Commercial Break Larry Nelson: (Rolls his eyes) Joining me now is Gagne's Gang. Greg Gagne, The Fortunate Ones, Tony Atlas and Crusher Blackwell. Greg, Crusher Blackwell goes one on one with El Canek tonight. This will be a preview to WrestleRock. Speaking of WrestleRock, are you nervous about getting in that cage with Canek and the AWA world tag champs, Hector and Chavo Guerrero? Gagne: Nervous? Are you for real nerd? Why on earth would I be nervous? I'm the greatest TV champion in AWA history! I have the greatest tag team the Fortunate Ones in my corner, add to that Crusher Blackwell, a human wrecking ball. So nerd, why in the hell would I be nervous? WrestleRock is going to be a night of triumph for Gagne's Gang. Tony Atlas is going to win the WrestleRock Rumble and get a world title shot! (laughs) Then, me and my gang are going to destroy and decimate that masked freak Canek and those grimy Guerreros. And then, the world tag team titles will be in Gagne's Gang! Tonight, will be a preview when Blackwell crushes that masked moron Canek! You know what nerd? I would like to officially dedicate our WrestleRock cage match victory to Mando Guerrero. Without him, none of this would be possible. Gagne's Gang get a good laugh as Nelson looks disgusted. Commercial Break Scott 'Powerhouse' Putski vs. Kokina w/Abbuda Iaukea Putski puts his speed and power to use but thanks to interference by Iaukea, his momentum gets stopped. Kokina looks like a beast as he works over Putski. Every time Putski makes a comeback, Iaukea distracts him and Kokina continues his assault. Kokina goes for a standing leg drop but Putski moves. Putski fires up and pounds away on Kokina. Putski hops on the middle turnbuckles but Iaukea grabs his foot. The fans cheer as NICK BUSICK runs out and nails Iaukea with a forearm blast! The Ref is distracted as he watches Busick pound away on Iaukea. Putski goes to pick up Kokina but CANNONBALL GRIZ hits the ring and clotheslines Putski from behind! Griz exits the ring as the Ref turns around. Kokina picks up Putski and slams him down, then hits a standing leg drop 1..2..3! Kokina stands up and is ready to hit another leg drop, but Busick hits the ring and starts pounding away on Kokina! Busick hammers Kokina to the ropes, swings off the opposite ropes and clotheslines Kokina over the top rope! Kokina lands right beside a fallen Iaukea. The fans are going wild as Busick tends to Putski. Commercial Break We get quick shots and comments from the WrestleRock celebrities. Irene Cara is excited to sing the National Anthem. Randall 'Tex' Cobb holds up the WrestleRock Rumble trophy and says he knows about toughness and whoever wins this trophy will be the toughest man in the AWA. REO Speedwagon appear together and say they're going to put the rock in WrestleRock. Tatsumi 'The Dragon' Fujinami vs. Guy Owens Fujinami makes his return since Zbyszko laid him out with nun chucks on Memorial Day. Fujinami looks crisp but something interesting happens. During the match, Larry Zbyszko comes out and just circles the ring. He's constantly yelling up and antagonizing Fujinami, but Fujinami stays focus and wins the match with a Dragon Suplex. Fujinami invites Zbyszko into the ring, but Zbyszko holds up his Mid-American title, points to his head, twirls his finger, bows, then leaves. BOOOOOOOO. Commercial Break The Original Midnight Express w/Norvell Austin vs. Sam Smith and Clinton Stitch Norvell applauds as the Midnights hit the double flapjack for the win. Cannonball Griz joins them at ringside. Nelson: Norvell, at WrestleRock, your Midnight Express face Synergy. Whoever wins that match will surely be in title contention. Not only that, but Cannonball Griz will be in the WrestleRock Rumble. Norvell: You saw what my main man Griz did earlier to Punkski. That's just a little sample of what's in store for Punkski and everybody else in the Rumble. As far as Synergy goes, they've been nothing but a nuisance and at WrestleRock, my Midnights are going to show the world why they are the best team going today! Sorry, Synergy! You just don't measure up. Commercial Break El Canek vs. Crusher Blackwell w/Greg Gagne As you would expect, before the bell rings, Blackwell, the Fortunate Ones and Gagne attack Canek. It doesn't last long because here comes Hector and Chavo Guerrero! All hell breaks loose as Gagne trips through the ropes, then sprints out of the building. Canek and Blackwell brawl as the Guerreros and Fortunate Ones fight all around the ring. Hopefully a steel cage can contain these guys. Commercial Break We see Brenda Britton and AWA C.O.O. Gerry Morrow standing in front of a WrestleRock 88 banner. Britton: Hi everybody and welcome to another WrestleRock Report. Gerry, I heard the entire card is finalized. Why don't you fill us in on that. Morrow: HAHAHA! It is finalized indeed. We know Austin Idol will face Lanny Poffo and dat will be intense to say de least. Now, listen to dis. Britton: Oh I'm all ears. Morrow: Brian Adias will defend de AWA TV title against Chicky Starr in a no time limit match. Britton: Well that seems right after their two 10 minute draws. Good call Gerry! Morrow: Oh, dat is not all. It has been confirmed. De one and only Loni Anderson will be at WrestleRock. Britton: Loni Anderson! Wow! Gerry you've outdone yourself! Morrow: For de AWA TV title match, I think it is only fitting dat a big time TV star be de guest ring announcer. So, Loni Anderson will be de very special ring announcer for de TV title match. Britton: Gerry, I know I speak for everyone, I can't wait for WrestleRock! On that note, tooooodles! Commercial Break Nelson: Fans, at WrestleRock, Bad News Brown will defend the AWA world title against my guest at this time, Nikita Koloff! The fans go wild as Nikita comes out wearing jeans and a polo shirt. He looks at all the cheering fans and raises his fist to them. Nelson: Nikita, you look better than ever. I want to ask you about last week's press conference. Things really got out of hand. Nikita: They did. It's not the way I wanted things to go down but Brown disrespected me and put his hands on me. You don't do that to Nikita. There's a commotion as Bad News Brown strolls out. He's wearing black jeans, black T-Shirt and his world title is on his shoulder. Brown: Hold on just a second. Why are you talking to this chump and not the world champ? Nelson: Mr. Brown, you were going to get your chance... Brown: Just keep your mouth shut, you beer belly sharecropper! (Looks at Nikita) Nikita, you pull off this tough guy act pretty well, but you and I both know you're scared. You and I both know you have no chance in hell taking this here title from me. You're scared right now. I can see it in your eyes. You think long and hard about this. I'll see you at WrestleRock chump. Brown slowly walks away. Nikita: Nikita not afraid of nobody! Wham! Brown hits Nikita from behind with a double axehandle! Brown stomps on Nikita, then hurls him into the ring. Brown grabs his world title and gets in the ring. Nikita staggers up as Brown charges him and goes to hit him with the title, but Nikita ducks and hammers Brown with fists. The title falls out of Brown's hands. Nikita swings Brown to the ropes and sets up for the Russian Sickle but Brown frantically grabs the ropes and pulls himself over and out of the ring. Nikita rips off his shirt and does his trap pose with tongue out as Brown looks up with eyes bulging. Nikita picks up the world title and raises it as the fans stand up and cheer. Brown rips his shirt off and starts yelling and pointing up at Nikita. WrestleRock 88 Saturday, July 15th The Metrodome, Minneapolis MN Live on pay per view Final Card AWA World Title Bout Bad News Brown (C) vs. Nikita Koloff STEEL CAGE MATCH! The AWA World Tag Team Titles will be on the line El Canek and The Guerreros (C) vs. Crusher Blackwell/The Fortunate Ones and Greg Gagne AWA Mid-American Title Bout 'The Living Legend' Larry Zbyszko (C) vs. Tatsumi 'The Dragon' Fujinami AWA National Tag Titles Bout Venomous (C) vs. Badd Co. w/Baby Doll AWA TV Title Bout- No Time Limit Special Ring Announcer- Loni Anderson Brian Adias (C) vs. Chicky Starr Carribean Death Match! Carlos Colon vs. 'Mad Dog' Buzz Sawyer 'The Universal Heartthrob' Austin Idol vs. 'Luscious' Lanny Poffo The Ultimate Warrior vs. Giant Haystacks Bunkhouse Match! The Gunslingers vs. The Unhinged Outlaws 'Crippler' Rip Oliver vs. ??? w/Ray Stevens Synergy vs. The Original Midnight Express w/Norvell Austin The WrestleRock Rumble Taped Fist Battle Royal. Pins, submissions and over the top rope count as eliminations. All Managers banned from ringside Winner will receive an AWA World Title Shot. Randall 'Tex' Cobb will present the trophy to the winner. Participants Nick Busick Kokina 'Man of Steel' Tony Atlas 'Big Guy' Duke Myers 'The Wild One' Johnny Rich The Dream Machine The Glamour Boys The Harris Brothers Scott 'Powerhouse' Putski Cannonball Griz 'Mr. Magnificent' Kevin Kelly 'Dynamite' DJ Peterson REO SPEEDWAGON will perform a concert after the event.

Battlebowl! Let's do this! The tag pairings were a lot of fun. Yamada gets the fans fired up with the big finish. Well, with Fuller and the Andersons at ringside, poor Brown didn't stand a chance. Nightmares on opposite sides was a cool visual and I have to admit I laughed when the Nightmare costed his own partner the match. Yea, no way the Garvin's were going to work together. Super D gets the tainted win which I guess worked out well for Prichard. Fullers literally leave Pitbull hanging. The battle royal was well written and easy to follow. Some great spots such as Kaz's feats of strength and Lightfoot attacking Wahoo. Liked Brody's elimination of Anderson LOL. Brody tears it up at the end and gets the 1..2..3 on Taylor! I know Tully's sweating this. Great show that kept the heat on a lot of feuds. Can't wait for the Bash!

Like the attention Knighton is getting. Rip adds to it by getting a match with Michaels signed and now there's a big reason to attend the Jonesboro show. When a match gets all the time in the world, you know it's a big deal. Both teams have brought a big time buzz to IPW. Reno and Wolf get the huge TV win and the series is even. This was a big deal. Cool throwback to a TV time remaining match. Maybe this will lead to something bigger between Lou and Tony.

Zenk looks pretty good against Orton but his night isn't over. HTM arrives and gets instant heat with a guitar blast! HTM will be a solid fixture in the TV title scene. The Clash always delivers on showcases. Jake and Bigelow get theirs. The world title bout gets chaotic! Savage and Steamboat are on the same page. I loved the shot of Spivey wanting both of them. I'm curious to get Bock's thoughts on all this. I'm looking forward to watching what Rotunda does here. Hopefully we get Varsity Club Captain Mike. So far, the 6 man tournament matches have been a lot of fun. A bit of something for everybody. I think the Russians might pull it off. Dusty and Race get the job done. They gave the fans a proper blow off and Dusty got color. Great way to end the show.

The Russians look tuned up and ready for the tournament. Well, I'm hoping Jarrett allows Wright's Devils into the tournament. If Wright says they're legit, good enough for me. If Memphis is looking to attract male viewers, then Powers is definitely helping. Landel is confident heading into his match with Slater. Then again, when isn't Budro confident? Rich finally surfaces and has some protection. Slater seems unfazed and gives Rich one last chance. I know Lance will be relieved when all this is over. Dutch tries and tries and tries but somehow manages to always get caught. Well, maybe Jeff really was cleaning up the locker room to earn extra money to pay off Dutch's fines. Dundee getting a few licks on Dutch with Shoo Baby is a very fitting ending. Stampede has Whalen and Dr. D while Memphis has Lance and Dutch. LOL, great entertainment.

AWA @ The Treasure Island Casino, Red Wing MN 6-11-88 'Big Guy' Duke Myers defeated Gene Ligon with a Rib Breaker 'Mr. Magnificent' Kevin Kelly w/The Vin Man defeated Salvatore Bellomo with a Full Nelson Slam. Vinnie was wearing a T-Shirt that read "Kev crushed DJ's face!" The Harris Brothers defeated The Glamour Boys- At the end of a wild and fun match, the Glamour Boys put Ron Harris down with a double dropkick, but as the Ref was guiding Simpson back to his corner, Don Harris nailed Doll with a leg drop, then rolled Ron over on top for the pin. Nick Busick and Kokina w/Abbuda Iaukea battled to a Double DQ 'The Universal Heartthrob' Austin Idol vs. 'Luscious' Lanny Poffo These two really went at it. Poffo had Idol in trouble a few times but Idol managed to ride the storm and have a fiery comeback. Poffo stopped the momentum with an eye rake then swung Idol into the corner and followed with a high knee but Idol moved. Poffo hit the turnbuckles with his knee. Idol quickly clamped on the Las Vegas Leglock and it was all over. Poffo slid out of the ring. Idol celebrated for a bit. Poffo limped over and grabbed a chair, then slid into the ring and whacked it across Idol's back. Poffo picked up Idol and executed a backbreaker, then climbed the ropes and hit a moonsault! Poffo went to the outside and grabbed a bag he previously took to the ring. He opened the bag and pulled out some lipstick. He colored Idol's face with the lipstick, then pulled out some glitter and threw it down on Idol's face. Poffo then nodded in satisfaction and skipped away. Big time heat for Poffo. Scott 'Powerhouse' Putski/'The Wild One' Johnny Rich and Synergy defeated Cannonball Griz/Dream Machine and The Original Midnight Express w/Norvell Austin- This see saw action packed match had the fans on the edge of their seats for 20 minutes. The end came during a wild pier six brawl when Synergy double back dropped Griz and as Griz staggered up, Putski put him back down with the Polish Hammer to get the 1..2..3!

AWA releases Frenchy Martin AWA picks up Alexis Smirnoff as a manager

The House of Humperdink! IPW will never be the same. Luna and Lock are going to get people talking. What a crazy visual. Renesto's are coming along and gelling well. Rip puts extra spice on the best of seven series. You can bet I'll be tuning in next week. You know, I'm thinking the Renesto's are in a good spot right now. How much will be left of either Reno/Wolf-Tojo/Headhunter after this grueling series? Might be a golden opportunity for the Renesto's. The American and Cuban Assassin has become one of the hottest feuds going in IPW. That's saying a lot with the tag series and Ash/Rose going on. American and Assassin are definitely holding their own.

Eugene, Candido and Lynn fire the crowd up in another great LHW showcase. Lee puts down a fighting Payne. With direction from a different source, Payne could make waves again. I was always fond of the Destruction Crew. Impressive win. One thing's for sure, Death Sentence isn't afraid to use any kind of weapon. A little different ending to the LHW title bout with a 3 on 1 beatdown. I'm sure Cheetah can round up some help. Props to you on the Deseret play on words. Very creative. No doubt about it, there's a storm coming!

Wow! You got me on the Regal turn. Did NOT see that coming. However, I am looking forward to watching British Steel under Backlund's tutelage. Dustin shoots up the ranks after pinning CA Champ Rose. Hart and Pillman work well together and now Pillman is once again a title contender. Jeez, the Blood Syndicate is on the verge of dominating Pacific. A Midnight's/Wild Things program is going to be off the charts. Portland, You know you're in for a good night when Anvil and Yoshi kick things off with 15 minutes of hard hitting action. Malenko's get a big win over Footloose. I really think the Malenko's needed this one. Backlund gets a little dirty to defeat a game Perez. LOL, Rose reminds me of Zbyszko in a way. Both men are masters of the stalling game and it usually works. OH YEA! Tina Ferrari has arrived. Her and the SCS will be magic. Rock'n 6 man tag to end the night and what a visual of Billy Jack powerslamming Singh.

I'll give that no good Fuller some credit, he is the mastermind of distractions. I think you have something with Jones and the Nightmares. Prichard's fired up tonight but Morgan cools him off quickly with a choke slam. Heck of a TV match. Zero Fighters make a strong statement regarding Battlebowl and the world title. Renegade Warriors get a nice showcase to prove they're still in the hunt. Great TV main event as the Garvin's go toe to toe. What a great feud. Worldwide, Hangman's Neckbreaker, Death Sentence and a powerbomb. Those are some devastating finishers. Foley's helmet is the deciding factor as the Sheepherders get by the Patriots. Whoever this guitar player is, he sure knows how to put on a show.

AWA TV @ The Hammond Center 6-9-88 The camera pans across a room in the Marriot Hotel in Minneapolis. The room is full of reporters. There's a huge WrestleRock banner hanging behind a long table, with a podium at the middle. Seated at the table are AWA owner Verne Gagne, AWA C.O.O. Gerry Morrow, Brenda Britton, various members of the AWA committee and sponsors. On one side of the podium sits Nikita Koloff wearing a nice white suit. On the other sits the AWA World Champ Bad News Brown. Brown's wearing a cool suit, unbuttoned with a couple gold chains showing. The world title sits in front of him. Gagne: As you all know, WrestleRock 88 will take place on Saturday July 15th from the Metrodome in Minneapolis Minnesota. This tremendous event will also be shown live on pay per view. The main event will be Bad News Brown defending his title against the Memorial Day Tournament winner and number one contender Nikita Koloff. Each man will now have a chance to comment. Let's start with Nikita. Nikita stands up and shakes Verne's hand, then steps to the podium. Nikita: A few months ago Nikita come to the AWA with one goal in mind, to win AWA world title. It's been a hard and tough road but Nikita now has his shot. I am in the best shape of my life and have been training non stop. At WrestleRock Nikita will accomplish his goal and become world champion. Nikita sits down. Gagne: Thank you very much Nikita, now we'll hear from the world champ Bad News Brown. Brown sits there a few seconds before standing up. He brushes by Verne and goes right to the podium. Brown: Nikita Koloff talks a big game and thinks he's just going to walk into WrestleRock and beat me for my title. Well Nikita, I have some bad news for you. Not going to happen! I've held this title for a year and have beaten them all! Steamboat, Lawler, Colon, Dick the Bruiser, the list goes on and on and on. Nikita Koloff, you're just the next guy I beat. It's as simple as that. You don't have what it takes. You might have some muscles but I know you're soft and weak. Brown goes and grabs his title. Brown: This here is my title and there's no way in hell a chump like Nikita is going to take it. Nikita stands up and walks up to Brown. They're face to face as cameras flash. Brown is yelling and pointing in Nikita's face. Nikita pushes Brown's hand away. Brown sets his title down and pushes Nikita. Nikita shoves Brown back. The next thing you know, fists are flying! They grab each other and fall through the table! Security, Verne and Morrow are trying to break them up as they roll around on the ground punching each other. Commercial Break Back at the Hammond Center 'Dynamite' DJ Peterson vs. Gale Burgess DJ is wearing a face guard thanks to Kevin Kelly. DJ pinballs his opponent all over the ring before finishing him off with a flying shoulder block from the top rope. Nelson: It's great to have you back DJ. I'm sure you have some words for your former world tag team champ partner Kevin Kelly and of course his manager the Vin Man. DJ: Everyday I look in the mirror I have to think of those two punks and what they did to me. I know a lot of people thought I was crazy to think our partnership would work but I thought holding the world titles would outweigh our rocky history. I thought wrong and now Kelly and Vinnie will feel twice the pain I felt! Commercial Break 'The Man of Steel' Tony Atlas w/Greg Gagne vs. 'Big Guy' Duke Myers Pretty much a back and forth slugfest with both men getting in some hard shots. After a few minutes, trouble starts as Crusher Blackwell and The Fortunate Ones surround the ring. Duke is obviously distracted until the fans are up and cheering when El Canek and The Guerreros storm out! All hell breaks loose as Canek and the Guerreros brawl with Blackwell and the Fortunate Ones. Atlas and Myers end up on the outside as well. The Ref throws the match out. Gagne sprints out of there. After some serious fighting, Blackwell, Atlas and the Fortunate Ones retreat. Nelson: My goodness... wait a sec, Canek, Meyers and the AWA world tag champs Hector and Chavo Guerrero are coming over. Go ahead guys. Chavo: You know Larry Nelson, this should be a happy time for the Guerreros. We have the world titles and should be focused on defending these great titles but instead, we've been in a hospital room with our brother Mando. He's hanging in there but it will be a long road to recovery. Hector: You can rest assured that at WrestleRock, inside that steel cage, we're going to rip Gagne's Gang apart and that includes you too Greg! Yea, these tag titles are on the line and we're more than okay with that because there's no chance we're losing them, not with Canek on our side. Blackwell, Fortunate Ones and especially you Greg, we're doing this for Mando and you all will pay and pay dearly! Commercial Break 'Crippler' Rip Oliver vs. Joe Czack Oliver hits the piledriver and it's all over. Nelson: Great win Rip Oliver. So, what's next on your AWA agenda? Before Rip can answer, RAY STEVENS walks out. Stevens: Well, hello "Crippler" been awhile. What? Did you think I was just going to ride into the sunset? That I was going to just forget about you? Oh no, we're not done, not by a long shot. Oliver: Ray, if you want another match, fine by me. Stevens: I must admit that I am at the tail end of an illustrious career, but I am glad to hear you're up for a match. You see, I'm going to try my hand at managing and after doing some worldwide scouting, I've found someone who's not only a crippler but a bone crushing wrestling machine. If you've got the guts, if you're a real crippler, then you'll agree to face my client at WrestleRock. Nelson: Wait a minute, who is your client? Stevens: Now why would I want to spoil the surprise for all these great fans. What do you say Oliver? Do you have the guts? Oliver: I do and you of all people know I live up to my crippler name. I'll take on your man at WrestleRock and you better be prepared for another defeat. Stevens: (laughs) Oh we'll see about that. Commercial Break The celebrities are coming out for WrestleRock. Irene Cara will sing the National Anthem. Randall 'Tex' Cobb will present the trophy to the WrestleRock Rumble winner. REO Speedwagon will perform a concert after the event. Be There! AWA National Tag Team Champs Venomous vs. Badd Co. w/Baby Doll If Badd Co. wins they get a National tag title shot at WrestleRock. If Venomous wins, Badd Co. and Baby Doll will leave the AWA. Not a dull moment as these teams go at it with some high octane offense. Both teams are evenly matched and the chemistry is unreal. Venomous excite the crowd with some high flying aerial moves, while Badd Co. comes back with double team stereo maneuvers. Even Baby Doll is on the edge. After a few minutes of see saw action, Venomous takes control. Then something strange happens. Two men in yellow suits and yellow masks come out and stand with their arms folded in the corner of Venomous. Cobra is on the apron and keeps looking down at them. Kat is in the ring with Tanaka but keeps looking over at the mysterious men. Kat tries to stay focused as he hoists Tanaka up for a suplex but Diamond takes advantage of the distractions and clips Kat's knees from behind. Tanaka falls on top as the Ref counts 1..2..3! Thanks to this bizarre distraction, Cobra is a second too late. The mysterious men simply walk to the back. Baby Doll is jumping up and down. Badd Co. slide out of the ring and the 3 hug. They're heading to WrestleRock! Commercial Break Nelson: I can't believe it but I think those two men we just saw are the Killer Bees. I have no idea what they're motives or intentions are but I think they're presence just costed Venomous the match. Not sure what to make of that. Well, Badd Co. will now get a National tag title shot at WrestleRock. Switching gears, this weekend the AWA will be at the Treasure Island Casino in Red Wing Minnesota. You'll see such matches as Austin Idol vs. Lanny Poffo. The Glamour Boys vs. The Harris Brothers. Nick Busick vs. Kokina, Scott Putski vs. Cannonball Griz and plenty more. Let's get back to the ring, this should be a wild one. The Gunslingers vs. The Unhinged Outlaws This one never officially starts because the Ref never gets control. Both teams bring bull ropes to the ring and neither team is afraid to use them. It's chaos as both teams swing away at each other. After a quick exchange, the Outlaws slide out of the ring and grab a mic. Barr: Hey Gunslingers! You boys like to fight do you? Well, so do we! Why don't we find out who the real cowboys are here. How about we go at it in a bunkhouse match at WrestleRock. Unless you two city slickers are afraid to get your hands dirty. Casey grabs the ring announcer's mic. Casey: You want a fight? Boys, you got one! Commercial Break AWA TV Title Bout Brian Adias (C) vs. Chicky Starr Adias controls the opening moments with hip tosses, arm drags and dropkicks. The tide turns when Adias goes for a back drop but Chicky kicks him. Chicky controls the next few minutes with eye rakes, closed fists, slams and knee drops. Chicky goes for an elbow drop but Adias moves. Adias fires up and scores several near falls but can't put Chicky away. Chicky gets back into it with some old fashion rule breaking. The fans pump Adias up and these two start trading blows as the bell rings. The 10 minutes have expired. Both men pause and then start exchanging more punches. Commercial Break Carlos Colon vs. Trent Watkins Colon wins the match with a flying clothesline from the top rope. Colon celebrates but BUZZ SAWYER hits the ring with a chain. Colon turns around as Sawyer goes for a clothesline but Colon ducks. Sawyer turns around as Colon kicks him low! Colon yanks the chain away and starts choking Sawyer with it! Colon wrenches away as Sawyer spits up. Prelim wrestlers hit the ring as Colon chokes Sawyer like a mad man. WrestleRock 88 Saturday, July 15th From the Metrodome, Minneapolis MN Live on Pay Per View Singing the National Anthem- Irene Cara AWA World Title Bout Bad News Brown (C) vs. 'The Russian Nightmare' Nikita Koloff STEEL CAGE MATCH! The AWA World Tag Team Titles will be on the line AWA World Tag Champs The Guerreros and El Canek vs. Crusher Blackwell/The Fortunate Ones and Greg Gagne AWA Mid-American Title Bout 'The Living Legend' Larry Zbyszko (C) vs. Tatsumi 'The Dragon' Fujinami AWA National Tag Team Title Bout Venomous (C) vs. Badd Co. w/Baby Doll Carribean Death Match! Carlos Colon vs. 'Mad Dog' Buzz Sawyer The Ultimate Warrior vs. Giant Haystacks Bunkhouse Match! The Gunslingers vs. The Unhinged Outlaws 'Crippler' Rip Oliver vs. ??? w/Ray Stevens Synergy vs. The Original Midnight Express w/Norvell Austin 2 more matches TBA Special message from AWA C.O.O. Gerry Morrow regarding the WrestleRock Rumble Match Morrow: HAHAHAHA de WrestleRock Rumble Match will be very unique indeed. It will be a taped fist Battle Royal where pins, submissions and over the top rope eliminations will all count. Now, as you all are aware of, there is a lot of bad blood in de AWA. Well, I hope dis match will take care of a lot of it. I'm going to throw them all in there and let them fight. De winner will be presented dis grand trophy by legendary tough guy Randall 'Tex' Cobb. De winner will also receive an AWA world title shot at their convenience. De participants will be, Nick Busick Kokina Johnny Rich Dream Machine Scott Putski Cannonball Griz Tony Atlas Duke Myers The Glamour Boys The Harris Brothers Kevin Kelly DJ Peterson REO Speedwagon will perform a special concert after the wrestling event.

I'm starting to think Bock and Brisco want a certain type as world champ. Spivey can be that guy. However, I don't think beating Steamboat will be as easy as they think. I already see a lot of teams gearing up for the 6 man titles. This will be a lot of fun. Race and Dusty one more time! Texas Death style! LOL, whenever a cake is involved, we all know a manager is going to get it in the face. The Rockers have guts. Orton is a solid choice for Zenk's first title defense. Love the contrast here. Only Jake can be a heelish babyface. Chaos in a lumberjack match, what a surprise. Vega seems to always be one step ahead of Konan. A lot going down in WCW!

No matter what, it's always a plus having star power like JYD on the card. BOOOOOOO, that no good Eddie Gilbert manages to get one over again. Don't worry, the Steiners will get their day, I'm sure of it. AD put it best, the Barbarians survived. I figured Reed and Snowman would be a wild one. Things have elevated with Snowman bringing in some big time muscle. I think Reed is going to need some backup. This great story continues. It finally happened! Williams has ended Dibiase's reign! This really put Williams over as he fought the odds and outsmarted all the heels. I'm ready for the reign of Dr. Death. Vader didn't win the title but the monster has been unleashed! It's time! It's time! It's Vader time!

Snowman is playing serious mind games with Reed. Psychological warfare at its best. On the flip side, Reed just wants to fight and has strong words of his own for Snowman. This is a well built story and people will pay to see this match. The Steiners are officially a team in our world. Big test coming up in a handicap match. Hot Stuff Inc. seem confident and ready. We'll see. Williams should've known that Dibiase has a lot of paid protection. Can Williams overcome the odds and take Dibiase's prize possession? The Barbarians and Outlaws have given us a lot of classic Mid South brawls, the Lakefront fans might get the biggest one yet. Poor Manny is jumped, but Vader gets his chance and makes the most of it. Luger and Woman might've created a monster. A lot is going to go down in New Orleans. Get your tickets now!

I love how Lance isn't afraid to get jabs in on Dutch. They're chemistry brings so much entertainment to the show. And of course, Dutch and Wright support each other 100%. Will the Christians represent in the tournament? The tag tournament is really shaping up as it goes international with representatives from Japan coming in. Gordy is ready to mow the heels down. Looks like Landel is number one on the hit list. Rich is in big trouble now as Slater's "people" are coming to collect. I can't wait to see how this pans out. I have a feeling the summer of 88 will be a Rich/Slater blood feud. Damn, Street definatley got the best of Dutch in that verbal exchange LOL. Shaska defeats Scorpio in a fun and competitive TV match. Great way to end the show with Shoo Baby in Dundee's hands. Bad night for Dutch.

Fuchi can dish out some serious pain. I can get behind a Taker/Hall feud. Both these guys are young, raw, big and on the verge of superstardom. Bring it on! Flowers is smart by having Miller as his enforcer. Great segment with Anvil and Bret. I respect Anvil's motives and think he can make his mark in solo action. Cactus reminds people how crazy he can get. Brookside goes all the way heel and it looks like Backlund has filled the Anvil vacancy. Vancouver, Footloose has got some serious buzz going. Candido is on the winning track. Since losing his title, Hennig is trying to find his place. Fighting with Death Sentence will keep him busy. Christopher stays focused without Cornette, and shines. This kid's going places. Making a champ tap out keeps Bret in the main event scene. Diamond retains but Pierre once again proves he's one tough dude. Kelowna, Fuchi is on a roll. Nice win over Burke. FOJ looks to get back in the title hunt. I looked at the Payne/Furnas match as a crossroads for both men. Furnas comes out on top and his stock is rising. While Payne might need to regroup. Tenryu has a nice showcase with a win over a very credible Smothers. Satisfying win for Owen. As always, the LHW title match delivers and caps off a night. Every guy that's held the title has had a memorable reign. Cheetah Kid is in the midst of one right now.

AWA TV @ The Hammond Center 6-2-88 Highlights are shown of the Memorial Day Event. The video ends with a split screen shot of Nikita Koloff on one side, raising his arm in victory and Bad News Brown on the other side, raising his fist and world title. Brenda Britton and AWA C.O.O. Gerry Morrow are standing in front of the Metrodome in Minneapolis. There's a huge 'WrestleRock' banner hanging behind them. Britton: Hi everybody! Welcome to our first WrestleRock report. WrestleRock 88 will take place right here in the Metrodome on July 15th. Gerry, I know you have a lot to talk about, so the floor's yours my friend. Morrow: AHHHHH Thank you Brenda. Last weekend we had quite de Memorial Day event. I would like to congratulate Nikita Koloff on winning de tournament. As you know, he will now face Bad News Brown for de AWA world title at WrestleRock. There will be a special press conference next week from de Marriot Hotel. Both Brown and Koloff will be there. Now, back to Memorial Day. Dat night we saw chains, chairs, lead pipes and nun chucks. It was utter chaos and our medical staff worked overtime. A lot of wrestlers were hurt physically and very, very upset. I have heard their complaints and they have been addressed. So, at WrestleRock, de following matches have been set. Larry Zbyszko (C) vs. Tatsumi Fujinami- AWA Mid American title bout Carlos Colon vs. Buzz Sawyer- Carribean Death Match Also, The Ultimate Warrior vs. Giant Haystacks The Original Midnight Express w/Norvell Austin vs. Synergy Britton: Wow! Gerry, what a line up! Morrow: Oh Brenda, dat is only de beginning. More matches will be announced, including a big one later today. Morrow pulls out a golden trophy in the shape of a fist. Morrow: Brenda, at WrestleRock, there will be a WrestleRock Rumble Match. It will be a taped fist battle royal. The winner will receive dis trophy and a guaranteed world title shot in de near future. Participants will be announced in de coming weeks. And, presenting dis trophy to de winner will be Randall 'Tex' Cobb. Oh yes, de stars are coming out for WrestleRock. Brenda, why don't you conclude dis by telling de people who else will be at WrestleRock. Britton: I would love to! The sensational Irene Cara will be singing the National Anthem! Listen to this, after the wrestling event, REO Speedwagon will perform in concert! Gerry, you've outdone yourself! Until next week's press conference, tooooodles! Commercial Break The Ultimate Warrior vs. Ollie Thompson Warrior storms the ring, pounds away on Thompson, presses him up, drops him and hits a body splash for the win! Nelson: Ultimate Warrior, you've taken the AWA by storm and have beaten all in your path. Giant Haystacks issued the challenge and you accepted. That happens at WrestleRock. Are you prepared for a behemoth like Haystacks? Warrior: The bigger they are, the harder they fall! At WrestleRock, Giant Haystacks will fall to the Ultimate Warriorrrrrrrrrr! (Shakes his head and arms) AAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH! Commercial Break 'Mad Dog' Buzz Sawyer vs. Trent Watkins Sawyer tears Watkins to shreds before finishing him off with a powerslam! Nelson: Buzz Sawyer, since you've arrived, you've been causing serious problems for Carlos Colon. Just what is your issue? Sawyer: (Maniacal laugh) I'm just having fun. Nelson: Well, we'll see how much fun you have at WrestleRock, when you face Colon in a Caribbean Death Match. Sawyer: That sounds like a lot of fun! Colon! You think you got me on this, but you fell right into my trap. Now I can beat you up as bad as I want! I can hurt you as much as I want and there's not a damn thing anyone can do about it! Get your affairs in order Colon! Commercial Break Nick Busick and The Gunslingers vs. The Unhinged Outlaws and Kokina w/Abbuda Iaukea We get a wild one here as all 6 men go at it. Busick is still hurting a bit from Kokina's attack a couple weeks ago, but he's going toe to toe with Kokina right now. The Gunslingers and Outlaws are having a serious slugfest. The Ref can't get control and signals for the Double DQ. The bell's ringing but the fists continue to fly into the commercial break. Commercial Break Badd Co. w/Baby Doll vs. Todd Rooney and Ray Glader Obviously Baby Doll has made a quick impact because Badd Co. looks refreshed and focused tonight. Tanaka superkicks Glader into a bridging back suplex by Diamond for the win. Nelson: Well..... Baby Doll: I don't have time for you Nelson. You just saw the resurgence of the very best team in wrestling, Badd Company. Everybody is talking about WrestleRock. Well, I promised my team big things and I always deliver. Next week Badd Co. will face the AWA National tag champs Venomous in a non title match. I have worked out a deal with Gerry Morrow and here it is. If my team loses, all three of us will leave the AWA. However, if we win and we will, my team will get a National tag title shot at WrestleRock. I have faith in Badd Company and therefore I have nothing to worry about. The stars are coming out for WrestleRock and it only makes sense that the biggest stars are there. Commercial Break The Harris Brothers vs. Seth Maxwell and Phil Elliot The Harris Brothers head to the ring. WHAM! They're attacked from behind by the Glamour Boys! The Glamour Boys swing Ron into the steel post and follow with a double dropkick on Don! The Glamour Boys jump down on the Harris Brothers and pound away. Prelim wrestlers run out to break this up. Commercial Break 'The Man of Steel' Tony Atlas w/Greg Gagne vs. Hank Simpson Atlas brutalizes his opponent before finishing him off with 3 consecutive Overhead Suplexes. Crusher Blackwell and the Fortunate Ones join Gagne and Atlas at ringside. Nelson: Well, looks like the gang's all here. I'm sure your all very proud of yourselves after what happened on Memorial Day. Gagne: Watch the sarcasm nerd! First up, I understand Duke Myers has asked for a match with Tony Atlas next week. Tony, tell good old Duker what's in store for him. Atlas: Duke Myers! You're going to pay for letting the great Greg Gagne down. You want me in the ring? Come and get some boy! Gagne: (Smiles) Let's talk about Memorial Day. We finished off that masked freak El Canek and then we not only destroyed Chavo and Hector but we put Mando out of commission. I told you Gagne's Gang rules this place and I was right. Now, the way I see it, my Fortunate Ones should be the world tag team champs. Where's our belts? Go get them nerd, now! Nelson: Funny you should mention the titles. It appears the Guerreros have talked with Gerry Morrow and a match has been signed for WrestleRock. Listen to this. The match will take place inside a steel cage! It will be El Canek teaming with Hector and Chavo Guerrero. Their opponents will be Crusher Blackwell and the Fortunate Ones. And, the world tag titles will be on the line. Gagne: Ok, now you're talking. This is even better! After my boys are done, Canek and the Guerreros can share a hospital room with Mando. Everybody laughs. Nelson: Hold on Gregory, one more thing. YOU will be in the match as well! The fans go wild. Gagne is stunned and shocked and collapses into Blackwell's arms. The Fortunate Ones are yelling at a smirking Larry Nelson. Commercial Break AWA Mid-American Champ Larry Zbyszko vs. Henry Conway Zbyszko irritates the fans with a pre match nun chucks display. Larry gets the win with a swinging neckbreaker. Nelson: Larry, Tatsumi Fujinami wrestled you to a draw in the tournament and then you knocked him out with your nun chucks. Come on, there was no need for that. However, Tatsumi will get a shot at your title at WrestleRock. Zbyszko: You know Nelson, I can't tell you how good it felt to crack Tatsumi's spud head. At WrestleRock, I'm walking in the match with nothing but confidence and I'm walking out with this Mid American title. It's so simple, even an idiot like you can understand. Commercial Break Winner gets an AWA TV Title Shot next week 'The Wild One' Johnny Rich vs. Chicky Starr Starr made it to the finals of the Memorial Day Tournament and looks to carry that momentum to a TV title shot. However, standing in his way is a fired up Johnny Rich. These two go back and forth for a few minutes. Rich goes on a tear with hip tosses, dropkicks and slams. Chicky rakes the eyes and comes back with rake burns, chokes, stomps and knee drops. Chicky delivers a hanging vertical suplex and follows with a standing leg drop 1..2..Kick Out. Chicky swings Johnny to the corner and charges in but Rich lunges forward with a clothesline. Rich fires up and goes to town on Chicky. Rich back drops Chicky and follows with a neck snap 1..2..Kick Out. Rich swings Chicky to the corner but Chicky stumbles into the Ref and the Ref goes down. Rich slams Chicky, then goes to the top rope and crashes down with a flying elbow drop, but the Ref is still down. Boooooos as DREAM MACHINE slides under the ropes with a wooden chair. Rich gets up to check on the Ref as Dream shatters the chair across Rich's back. Dream picks up Rich and drops him with a piledriver. Dream quickly exits. The Ref slowly rises as does Chicky. Chicky swings off the ropes and hits the corkscrew elbow drop 1..2..3! Chicky gets a TV title shot next week. As Nelson closes the show, Dream Machine runs over. Dream: Johnny Boy! You couldn't leave this be. You had to shoot your mouth off last week. You want this to continue? Fine by me babay!