SirEdger

Many really interesting first round matches. Big challenge for Sting right off the bat but he can learn a lot from this confrontation. Won't be original with my final 4 but I'll go with: Choshu Fujinami Jumbo Brody

I got great vibes from World Class with Gary Hart's stable. Every tag team in the WWF should be put on notice!

Fantastic debut for the British Bulldogs. Lots of great matchups possibilities from the start and I'm sure that Bulldogs vs Varsity Club would tear the house down!

June 8th, 1985 Whistler, BC Matinee event -Dutch Mantell beat Billy Robinson (w/Sherri Martel) in 10:02 -The Strong Machines (Super Strong Machine & Strong Machine #2) beat Frenchy's Legion in 26:11 -Steve Strong & Rip Oliver (w/Sherri Martel) beat "Mr. Electricity" Steve Regal & Terry Taylor in 18:28 -Armand Rougeau vs Shawn Michaels ends in a no-contest after interference from The Creatchman Family at 11:55. Michaels got pummeled by kendo stick shots by Lord Humongous while Botswana Beast took care of Armand Rougeau under the guidance of Eddy Creatchman! Main Event #1 - NWA World Television Championship: Tully Blanchard beat Pedro Morales in 22:31 to retain Main Event #2 - NWA Canadian International Tag Team Championship: Rick Martel & NWA Canadian International TV Champion Gino Brito beat The Creatchman Family (The Botswana Beast & Lord Humongous, w/Eddy "The Brain" Creatchman) in 40:18 after interference from Armand Rougeau & Shawn Michaels, who came out to neutralize Eddy Creatchman. The Beast got distracted long enough to allow Rick Martel to pin him with a school boy!

NWA Lutte Internationale TV Taped at CHLT-TV Studios, Sherbrooke, QC Broadcasted June 8th, 1985 (After the opening credits, we go to the broadcast booth where await Guy Hauray & Édouard Carpentier to start the show) Guy Hauray: Good morning, everyone, and welcome to NWA Lutte Internationale TV. Another jampacked episode in store for you, fans, this week as the continuation of the war between L’Alliance Québécoise and the foreigners in Lutte Internationale is taking centerstage. In our main event this week, Alexis Smirnoff will square off with Mad Dog Lefebvre in what should be one hellacious main event. Édouard Carpentier: I think that this will be explosive, Guy. Smirnoff & Lefebvre have been at the heart of this war for a while now and I’m not expecting this to slow down anytime soon. And the question will be if Mad Dog Lefebvre’s main ally will be able to do anything in case things go awry. Guy Hauray: That remains to be seen because later in the show, Richard “Le Magnifique” Charland, Lefebvre’s tag team partner, will square off against the dangerous Japanese star Super Strong Machine. We’ve seen what the Strong Machines are capable of and there’s no doubt that Super Strong Machine will be looking to send a message as well. Édouard Carpentier: When Rusher Kimura spent a few months with us last year, we saw how capable he was of inflicting damage. But Super Strong Machine is on a whole other level. He also has allies; as evil as he is. Just imagine for a moment if the Bolshevik Revolution and the Strong Machines decide to join forces to eradicate L’Alliance Québécoise. Our local guys have a lot of heart. We have champions like Rick Martel, Gino Brito & the Rougeaus. But still, there are so many threats coming from everywhere that no one can say for sure what will happen. Guy Hauray: That’s what we’ll see tonight but to kick us off, this week, one half of the World Tag Team Champions, Raymond Rougeau! Match #1 Butch Miller (w/Luke Williams) vs NWA World Tag Team Champion Raymond Rougeau (w/Jacques Rougeau) Both men showing signs of mutual respect as they shook hands prior to the match. The broadcast team hypes the possibility of seeing The Sheepherders challenging the Rougeaus for the NWA World Tag Team Championship. A rugged & spirited tilt awaits the fans in attendance inside the studio. Raymond is a bit banged up from his match last week against Prince Alofa Fatu. Also in the match, the broadcast team points out the great performance by Butch Miller the night before against NWA World TV Champion Tully Blanchard in Blue Ridge, Alberta. Butch uses Ray’s physical condition to gain momentum. Butch wants to avoid the Savate Kick at all costs and that’s his strategy going forward in the match. However, a badly-timed charge in the corner switches the momentum and allows Raymond Rougeau to come back in the match. Brother Jacques is keeping an eye on Luke Williams but the other Sheepherders steers clear from getting involved. In the end, Butch Miller cannot avoid the Savate Kick and this allows Raymond Rougeau to score another victory. Winner: Raymond Rougeau (As the match ends, both men’s partners climb in the ring and shake hands once again. However, their attention turns to the entrance area as all of a sudden, a casket draped with the Quebec flag is wheeled next to the broadcast booth. A man wearing a Strong Machine mask comes to the broadcast booth and hands over a piece of paper to Guy Hauray. The masked man leaves the ring but the casket remains at ringside. Guy Hauray reads out loud the note he was handed.) In times of war, one must be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. Vanquish or perish. However, one must also know when it is time to retreat. When you’re outnumbered. When you’re weakened. When you realize that you have no chance. He who makes a foolish decision will suffer the backlash and consequences of your delusion. This pine box is here to remind you that this is the fate awaiting anyone who will dare to cross our paths. The Quebec Alliance has seemingly made their choice and now, you all have reached the point of no return. Whether it is from the comrades of the iced land or whether it is from the samurais of the rising sun, the time has come for the Quebec Alliance to meet its quick untimely end. You had the chance to stay away but you chose otherwise. It is now too late. Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win. Which one will you be? S. M. (The Sheepherders and the Rougeaus are looking at the Quebec flag-draped casket and everyone is quite puzzled & perplexed. They eventually leave the ring) Guy Hauray: I’m.....I’m sorry, ladies and gentlemen. I’m quite speechless at what I just read. We will take a break and we will be right back. ********COMMERCIAL BREAK******** Match #2 Richard “Le Magnifique” Charland (w/Frenchy Martin) vs Super Strong Machine As he makes his way to the ring, Richard Charland is quite uneasy as he stares at the casket still at ringside while Frenchy Martin is trying to motivate his friend & client. In the meantime, as Super Strong Machine makes his way to the ring, there is very little to no doubt as to whom was behind that message as Super Strong Machine also eyes the casket and taunts Charland inside the ring. Le Magnifique musters some courage and starts the match strong, taking an early advantage on the Japanese star but his momentum is stopped short when Charland eyes the casket at ringside, allowing Super Strong Machine to jump Charland from behind. Super Strong Machine maintains the advantage for a while but whenever Charland comes back, he seems to be haunted by the casket at ringside. At one point, Charland hits a piledriver on Super Strong Machine but instead of going for the cover, he steps outside the ring to check the casket. Charland is being cautious as he slowly makes his way to the casket but that allows Super Strong Machine to regain his senses. He sneaks behind Charland and he smashes his face in the ring post! Charland has no clue to what just happened as he staggers back in the ring. The only thing Super Strong Machine has left to do is to hit his Machine DDT on Charland and make the cover to scoop the victory. Winner: Super Strong Machine (As the match ends, Super Strong Machine continues his assault on Charland and Frenchy Martin tries to interject himself but the Japanese star sends him flying with his Machine Lariat. Charland briefly recovers and starts swinging at Machine but then, Alexis Smirnoff runs in to attack Charland! It’s now a 2-on-1 attack on Charland and it’s Charland’s turn to be sent outside. Smirnoff & Machine are dragging Charland towards the casket and Smirnoff throws away the Quebec flag that was covering the casket. It looks like they’re gonna lock Charland in the casket! But wait....Mad Dog Lefebvre makes the save and attacks Smirnoff! It’s now a fair fight and Charland and Super Strong Machine fight their way back to the locker room area while Smirnoff & Lefebvre are brawling all around the ring. Bruno Sammartino & Lutte referees come out to get some sort of order in this as we’re going to commercial break!) ********COMMERCIAL BREAK******* MAIN EVENT Match #3 Alexis Smirnoff vs Mad Dog Lefebvre (w/Frenchy Martin) JOINED IN PROGRESS We’re back from the commercial break and the match is well under way inside the ring. Bruno Sammartino has been able to calm things down during the commercial break and we notice that the casket has also been removed from the studio area. Smirnoff and Lefebvre are exchanging bombs left and right and it’s literally a pier-six brawl within the confine of the rules of a normal wrestling match. However, Mad Dog’s emotions seem to get the best of him as his anger cost him dearly, almost hitting the referee. That allows Smirnoff to hit a Russian Leg Sweep on Lefebvre to gain the momentum. For a solid 10 minutes, Smirnoff is in complete control of the match and is neutralizing Mad Dog. Luckily for Mad Dog, it’s a blocked suplex that will change his fortune as he’s able to hit a suplex on his own on Smirnoff. From that moment forward, Mad Dog is in control and he’s on his way to mount a comeback. However, a ducked clothesline from Lefebvre sends referee Adrien Desbois outside the ring and we’re left momentarily without a referee. Alexis Smirnoff seizes the opportunity to hit a low blow on Mad Dog and he goes to pick up Mad Dog’s chain. Smirnoff goes to hit Mad Dog with the chain but Mad Dog kicks him in the gut and the chain goes down. Mad Dog picks up the chain and he wants to hit Smirnoff, who’s down on his keister, begging Mad Dog for mercy. But that’s the same moment that Desbois comes back to his senses and spots Mad Dog with the chain. Seeing that Smirnoff is down in the ring and Mad Dog has a weapon in his hands, the referee calls for the bell! The audience is irate as referee Adrien Desbois raises Smirnoff’s hands, who’s smiling from ear to ear. As Alexis Smirnoff leaves the studio, this week’s episode ends with Mad Dog Lefebvre arguing with the senior official! À LA SEMAINE PROCHAINE SI DIEU LE VEUT!

Ah, the good ol' tar & feather angle. So effective in that area back then!

Luckily, there are the matinee events to allow talents to travel!

Got the feeling that JJ Dillon definitely wasn't expecting The Crippler & Ace to lose to the Rougeaus on TV this week!

June 7th, 1985 Blue Ridge, AB Matinee event Lumberjack Match: Rip Oliver (w/Sherri Martel) beat Terry Taylor in 11:58 -Lord Humongous (w/Eddy "The Brain" Creatchman) vs Shawn Michaels went to a no-contest after Humongous threw a fireball in Shawn Michaels' face at the :43 mark! -Lone Star Outlaws beat Bob Backlund & NWA World Tag Team Champion Raymond Rougeau in 17:47 when Dory Funk pinned Backlund. -The Botswana Beast (w/Eddy "The Brain" Creatchman) beat The Spoiler in 8:35 -Steve Strong upsets Superstar Billy Graham in 17:29 -Boris Zhukov beat Strong Machine 2 in 5:23 -NWA Canadian International Tag Team Champion Rick Martel vs NWA World Tag Team Champion Jacques Rougeau ends in a no-contest at 9:54 after interference from The Creatchman Family. Gino Brito runs in from the save and they the NWA Canadian International Tag Team Champions challenge The Creatchman Family to a title match tomorrow night in Whistler, BC!!! NWA World Television Championship: Tully Blanchard beat Butch Miller in 38:34 to retain

That show in Knoxville must've been insane. Especially for The King vs Abby!

Some interesting pairings there. Especially Bobby Fulton & Barry Windham. I got that US Express vibe there.

Meltzer would probably disagree with you then. I literally heard him on LAW Radio tonight say that this year's BOSJ was the best he had ever seen live, although he questioned Jushin Thunder Liger's booking in the whole tournament.

Based on this tweet from Austin Aries after the PPV, we might have one final match between he & Neville. And it looks like it's gonna be career vs title: https://twitter.com/AustinAries/status/871549091477684224

Really intrigued with everything surrounding Dirty White Boy aka Tony Anthony. I think I know where this is going and the poop is about to hit the fan in Continental!

Aaaaaaah, that explains everything then. Thanks.

I don't know if it was the case back then but if you look at Japanese wrestling in general nowadays, it's very stable heavy. Rare are the top Japanese stars who aren't in a stable.

I noticed that Phil LaFon isn't the free agent database. Given that he started in 1983, I would gladly take him on my roster if he were to be added to the database. Unless he's already on someone's roster and I haven't noticed yet?

NWA World Tag Team Champions The Fabulous Rougeaus vs The Tiger Masks (Sayama and Misawa) Oooooooooh, rematch from the Johnny Rougeau Memorial Cup! This should be great!

Thanks. Just like everyone else in the game, lots of moving parts in the upcoming weeks & during the summer but it just makes things more fun!

Must say that I really got a kick out of the finish in the Mr. Olympia vs Kabuki match. Kinda of a glimpse in the future for Fonzie in ECW with everyone wanting to beat him up haha

June 2nd, 1985 Pontbriand, QC -The debuting Shawn Michaels (w/Marty Jannetty) upsets NWA World Tag Team Champion Jacques Rougeau (w/Raymond Rougeau) in 15:06 with a 2nd rope Sunset Flip! NWA World TV Championship No DQ Match: Tully Blanchard beat Tom Pritchard to retain. Both men used every piece of furniture they could find at their disposal, including a table and a ladder!!! 3-Way Dance: The Lone Star Outlaws defeated Ron Garvin & Bob Backlund & new Creatchman Family members, the debuting Botswana Beast & Lord Humongous (w/Eddy "The Brain" Creatchman) in 13:41. Garvin & Backlund were first eliminated by The Creatchman Family and some officials had to come out to stop the carnage. Eventually, The Creatchman Family got counted out after fighting with the already eliminated Garvin & Backlund, giving the victory to Dory Funk Jr & Dirty Dutch Mantell. NWA Canadian International Tag Team Championship: Rick Martel & Gino Brito beat The Strong Machines (w/Super Strong Machine) to retain.

Lots of action in such little time. For someone like me who hasn't really never been introduced to wrestling in Porto Rico, this is a fascinating read as well.

Vince Russo tends to forget that first and foremost, his success during the Attitude Era was due to the fact that there was Vince McMahon to filter his ideas. Of course, some of his ideas made it on the air and were questionable at best but when you look at what happened in WCW when he had free reign over everything - remember Oklahoma, specifically created to mock Jim Ross - , we see things would go horribly wrong with the product.

And the plot thickens!

Doing a pretty good job with Lex Luger, I can't tell you that enough. I bet Steamboat made him look really good.