SirEdger

AWA SUNDAY SHOWCASE #1 APRIL 25TH, 1981 CHICAGO, IL Match #1 The Iranian Assassin (w/Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie) beat Tor Kamata in 10:53 Match #2 Lumberjack Match Greg Gagne beat Motoshi Okuma at the 10-minute mark. Contrarily to what was expected in the recent AWA Control Center updates, The Heenan Family stayed rather quiet, knowing what was ahead of them later in the night.... Mean Gene Okerlund had an interview with AWA World Tag Team Champions the East-West Connection. Mean Gene Okerlund: Adrian Adonis, Jesse Ventura, I'm sure that you have a vested interest in the upcoming match we'll see in a matter of moments between the Wild Samoans and the Heenan Family as either of those teams could very well be your next contenders to your titles. Jesse Ventura: Well, Gene, if I'm being honest, as long as it isn't the High Flyers, Adrian and I will be perfectly happy with whoever Wally Korbo decides to name as the #1 contenders. We wiped them out from one end of this country to another and if I hear the name of Greg Gagne or Jim Brunzell one more time, I'm going to puke. I will give credit where credit is due; we're talking about two rough and battle-tested teams...but they're not the East-West Connection. And while I have a tremendous amount of respect for Bobby Heenan, Adrian and I don't need somebody to think for us. We've been good enough to outsmart everyone sent in our way and we will continue to do so in the near future Adrian Adonis: There's a reason why the East-West Connection is the best tag team in the world. Sure, the Wild Samoans are mean and tough...but they ain't us! Sure, Bockwinkel & Stevens are great technical wrestlers...but they ain't us! Until you take those titles away from us, you haven't proven anything in the AWA! So we're gonna thoroughly enjoy seeing those two teams beat the crap out of each other and when the time comes, they'll be ripe for the pickings! (The East-West Connection walks off the backstage set) Match #3 The Heenan Family (Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens, w/Bobby "The Brain" Heenan) beat The Wild Samoans in 34:32 when Bockwinkel rolled up Sika with a handful of tights (Up next, Mean Gene is about to interview Buck Zumhofe & Troy Martin) Mean Gene: Gentlemen, we are moments away from our Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Showcase, featuring the much anticipated debut of British superstar Johnny Saint. But Saint isn't the only one debuting tonight because along with this man, "Rock N' Roll" Buck Zumhofe, this young man by the name of Troy Martin will also make his AWA debut. And I'm sure that Buck Zumhofe, you have prepared this young man for what should be a great tag match Buck Zumhofe: Mean Gene, you know I did my homework, baby, I didn't take this role lightly. I realize how important this match must be for Troy Boy, here. You never have a second chance to make a good first impression and it was key for me to give this kid every tip and advice that I could to not only calm him down but also lead us to victory. With all the hype about the main event tonight, if Tiger Mask can win the NWA Junior Heavyweight title, sky's the limit for all of us! Mean Gene: And as for you, young man, do you concur with your tag team partner here? Troy Martin: I won't lie, sir, there's a lot of jitters for me right now. The thing that matters most for me is to make my trainer Dominic DeNucci proud. He's the one who put in a good word for me to Mr. Verne Gagne so I need to make him proud tonight. Win or lose, this is my intention. Mean Gene: Alright, good luck gentlemen and we're ready for this special tag match! Match #4 JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT TAG TEAM SHOWCASE "Mr. Electricity" Steve Regal & Johnny Saint beat Troy Martin & "Rock N' Roll" Buck Zumhofe in 17:37 after Saint submitted Zumhofe with the Three in One. After the match, as Regal & Saint left the ring, the lights went out but the fans couldn' see exactly what went down but as the lights went back, Buck Zumhofe was a completely bloody mess and was barely moving in the ring. Troy Martin asked for help in the ring as the young kid seemed visibly stunned by what just happened. Who attacked Zumhofe? Match #5 Brad Batten beat "Hangman" Bobby Jaggers in 12:49 MAIN EVENT NWA WORLD JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP In a back and forth battle, Tiger Mask defeated Nelson Royal in 27:04 to win the title after Royal attempted a back suplex but Tiger Mask landed on his feet to then use the Tiger Suplex on Royal! After the match, Nelson Royal personally handed the title to Tiger Mask and shook his hand in respect. Before the show concludes, an announcement is made for another Sunday Showcase next week, featuring the duo of Robert Gibson & Ricky Morton to wrestle "Playboy" Buddy Rose and a partner of his manager Lord Alfred Hayes' choosing. However, to ensure that no other Hayes protégé tries to intervene in the match, it will be contested inside a steel cage!

Looks like we're getting Ziggler & Roode vs the Mysterios at Wrestlemania Backlash.

AWA is putting Curt Hennig on the trade block.

She posted a few pictures of her with new signing Parker Boudreaux and I'd be damned if I didn't say that this duo doesn't intrigue me.

A rivalry that some might say didn't live up to the hype in WWE back when Jon Moxley was the Lunatic Fringe, Dean Ambrose, but everything changed when both men became the cornerstone of the success that has been AEW since its creation, culminating in a classic bout at AEW Revolution 2020 for the AEW World Championship. This is the thread to talk about everything Chris Jericho vs Jon Moxley!

You're definitely a natural at this, there's no doubt about it. You got your moving pieces right away and from top to bottom, you had some pretty good matchups. For me, the highlight is that you made Zaibatsu a big deal right away by having them steal the NWA World Tag Team titles from Ted Dibiase & Dr. Death. Great main event too between Magnum TA and Dory Funk Jr going Broadway on this one. You couldn't have started better than you did with that show!

The Soul Man getting so close to winning the title had to be devastating for him. Don't know if Harley will want to give him another shot though! I feel like Piper/Steamboat/Flair vs Koloff/Patera/Valentine will be bloody as hell!

SUNDAY SHOWCASE CONTROL CENTER WITH MEAN GENE OKERLUND Mean Gene Okerlund: As we're getting closer to our first edition of Sunday Showcase on April 25, we are seeing this first card build up with a lot of anticipation and one of those matches on this card will definitely cause a lot of buzz as we've been told by AWA President Stanley Blackburn that it is now official, we will see The Wild Samoans square off against the formidable duo of Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens, managed by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan himself and speaking of the devil, here they are. Bobby Heenan: Who are you calling the devil, Gene Okerlund? Us? No, if you should call anyone the devil, it's Verne Gagne. Not only he's holding on to the AWA World Heavyweight Championship like the last piece of chocolate cake in a birthday party but he also stirs the pot and avoids any challengers at all cost. Did you know that Verne had his son Greg booked in a Lumberjack Match against one of those 100 Japanese guys we have here for Sunday Showcase? Mean Gene: I didn't know that, Bobby, but I guess that now I know... Bobby Heenan: You wanna know one other thing, Gene? We know exactly what is going on here. Verne doesn't want in any way, shape or form to see this man, Nick Bockwinkel, near the AWA World title picture. So instead, he goes to Stanley Blackburn and he has Nick & Ray Stevens booked against the Wild Samoans. This is insane! But you know what, we will get the last laugh. Because eventually, the world will see that we are not the bad guys in the whole story. Verne Gagne is. And the day will come when we will pull the wool from people's eyes and they'll see how despicable of a man, Verne Gagne really is! Ray Stevens: Truth be told, Gene, I don't have an issue with this match against the Wild Samoans because every win we can get is one step closer for us to wear gold again. We know how tough they are; we saw how they destroyed Larry Hennig's kid. However, we're not Larry Hennig's kid. We're the best tag team in the world. We're the toughest tag team in the world and we ain't afraid of getting our noses dirty and we're gonna make sure that those Samoans remember exactly just that. Nick Bockwinkel: What my friends have so eloquently said here is that no matter the conspiracy Verne Gagne is preparing to hang on to the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, we will give him a stern reminder that we aren't going anywhere. Everyone in the wrestling world knows that Ray Stevens and myself are the absolute elite of this sport. We are smarter than everyone, we're stronger than everyone and most importantly, we're better than everyone. Verne, you can book your son in a Lumberjack match to avoid us getting involved any way you want but you seem to forget that we are playing chess when you are playing checkers. You can try everything you possibly can but just remember that The Heenan Family always gets what they want. On the premiere of Sunday Showcase, we will make a statement and won't give you any other choice. Mean Gene Okerlund: We will see who will prevail between the Wild Samoans and the duo of Bockwinkel & Stevens on Sunday Showcase! TAG TEAM MATCH The Wild Samoans vs The Heenan Family ******** Mean Gene Okerlund: And now, for the last part of our Sunday Showcase Control Center, I welcome once again our esteemed AWA President, Mr. Stanley Blackburn. Mean Gene: Stanley Blackburn, I will reiterate once again that you've been working extremely hard to give us a night to remember on the premiere episode of Sunday Showcase on April 25th, in Chicago and you've been working hard on securing new talents for us in the AWA and I understand that you have a special Junior Heavyweight tag team match in store, featuring 2 new signings to the AWA roster Stanley Blackburn: Indeed, Gene, we've been hard at work to scout new talents to add to our tremendous roster but sometimes, we don't have to look hard as some people will actually reach out to us. In fact, I received a phone call by Mr. Dominic DeNucci, one of the most respected wrestlers I've ever known and he told me about this young kid, who just started and Dominic felt like it would be great to get some experience here. So I'm pleased to announce that this young kid from Pittsburgh by the name of Troy Martin will be part of our roster. He will also continue his training at Verne's wrestling school and hopefully we can get him where he needs to be to have him dominate the sport in the next several years. Mean Gene: I also understand that you made quite the signing from overseas as well. I was absolutely amazed by what I've learned but I don't want to ruin your surprise so Mr. Blackburn, go ahead. Stanley Blackburn: Indeed, we're looking to have the best junior heavyweights in the world and considering the big main event we have for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship for this premiere episode, it's only fitting that we give our fans some of the best in this weight category. And I truly think that we just signed the very best in the world. Right from the United Kingdom, I will proudly announce that we have secured the services of the one and only Johnny Saint! Stanley Blackburn: And I'm proud to announce that we'll have a tag team junior heavyweight showcase as "Mr. Electricity" Steve Regal will team with Johnny Saint to wrestle the duo of young Troy Martin & "Rock N' Roll" Buck Zumhofe! Hopefully, this will be the start of a great era in the AWA with this first Sunday Showcase! JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT TAG TEAM SHOWCASE "Mr. Electricity" Steve Regal & Johnny Saint vs Troy Martin & "Rock N' Roll" Buck Zumhofe ***** FINAL CARD FOR PREMIERE EPISODE OF SUNDAY SHOWCASE MAIN EVENT NWA JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP Nelson Royal (c) vs Tiger Mask The Wild Samoans vs The Heenan Family JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT TAG TEAM SHOWCASE "Mr. Electricity" Steve Regal & Johnny Saint vs Troy Martin & "Rock N' Roll" Buck Zumhofe LUMBERJACK MATCH Motoshi Okuma vs Greg Gagne "Hangman" Bobby Jaggers vs Brad Batten Tor Kamata vs The Iranian Assassin + we will hear from AWA World Tag Team Champions the East-West Connection!

Imagine Harley vs Gino going Broadway and it's not even the main event for that night. That's how you know your card is LOADED.

If I remember correctly, Hangman Page said in a promo on Dynamite a week after Silver's injury that he'd be about 4 to 6 weeks. So that would put him back around Double or Nothing, correct?

Personally, I just want to feel something about the AEW Women's World title in general, which I haven't felt ever since its creation. As much as I love Shida in the ring, I have yet to be invested in a storyline involving her. In hindsight, maybe something with Deonna could accomplish that.

That Cameron Grimes/Ted Dibiase skit on Wednesday night on NXT made me markout, I won't lie. Also, I stan The Way.

Wasn't this week's show taped last week, though?

If there wasn't a better time than this summer to put the title on Britt Baker and maybe pull the trigger on a crossover feud with Deonna Purrazzo from Impact, I don't know when it would be.

I think breaking her up from Bray was for the best because finally, they can throw her back in the women's division and not have him just be Bray's sidekick. Not everyone could pull it off the way she does. And goddammit, I knew the jump scare was coming in the segment and I freaking fell for it anyway.

That segment ending with throwing tomatoes in the ring is such beautiful irony about most of RAW.

As a Habs fan, I'm offended that Boston Bruins fans are ranked this high.

I think I've read a few days ago that they were considering Phoenix & Houston as possible locations for Summerslam but nothing set in stone. Obviously, Florida is the most likely possibility, depending on if they choose to start touring right around Summerslam again.

Realistically, Rock vs Roman is big enough in itself that you don't need a title to be at stakes so you can afford to have Big E beat Roman for the title at Summerslam. Roman vs Rock at Wrestlemania in Dallas would certainly garner major buzz.

Just dropping in right now to say that you seem to have a knack for this and I'm already enjoying what you put forward. I think you'll be pretty good at this!

SUNDAY SHOWCASE CONTROL CENTER WITH MEAN GENE OKERLUND Mean Gene: Ladies and gentlemen, there is a lot of excitement in the air as the AWA will present the first edition of Sunday Showcase from Chicago, IL on April 25th and through the next couple of days, we will be unveiling some major news for this card and it's only fitting for this first announcement that I am joined by the esteemed president of the AWA, Mr. Stanley Blackburn. (Stanley Blackburn walks on the set to join Mean Gene Okerlund) Mean Gene: Mr. Blackburn, for this premiere edition of Sunday Showcase, we would all agree that a big main event needed to be signed and I've been privy to a couple of things going on behind the scenes as you and Wally Korbo have been working diligently to not only build this card but to find a special attraction worthy of being put in the main event slot. And after intense hours of negotiation, you are finally able to tell us about this announcement. Stanley Blackburn: You're absolutely right, Gene. As you said, Wally and I have been working extremely hard to find a special attraction to our great fans in Chicago and we've always done everything to make sure that fans get a good show every night. Our relationship with the National Wrestling Alliance has been tremendous and it has allowed us to see already the NWA World Tag Team Champions Paul Jones & The Masked Superstar a few times here already but I definitely am pleased to announce something very exciting about an NWA World title match! Mean Gene: Hold on a second, are we talking about an NWA World Heavyweight Championship match here? Stanley Blackburn: Well, that was in the plans of course but given the busy schedule of the champion Harley Race, we couldn't be guaranteed that he would be able to be there in Chicago. However, one NWA world champion that we could guarantee to be there is the current NWA World Junior Heavyweight champion, Nelson Royal. And Mr. Royal has been looking for a top contender to wrestle and defend his title against and it's with great pride that I can now confirm that the main event for our first Sunday Showcase will an NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship match between Nelson Royal and his challenger, AWA's Japanese sensation Tiger Mask! MAIN EVENT NWA WORLD JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP Nelson Royal (c) vs Tiger Mask Mean Gene: What would it mean for you and the AWA in its whole, Mr. Blackburn, to see Tiger Mask capture this championship on April 25? Stanley Blackburn: It would certainly be a great honor for the entire territory because this would prove without a shadow of a doubt that the AWA is the major league of professional wrestling. Everyone in this locker room is working hard to prove that they are their best and Tiger Mask is certainly no exception to that. Mean Gene: Thank you for this announcement, Mr. Blackburn and we will hear from the champion Nelson Royal in the next few days and Stanley Blackburn will be back here next time to make other announcements about Sunday Showcase! April 25th live on every affiliate!

I don't recall anyone really having bad words about JR when he was head of the Talent Relations. So I guess it is possible to be a good guy in this position.

I honestly don't know which card that I love most. Piper vs Tully is a fantastic main event filled with nuclear heat but then, you can say the same with Piper vs Gino the night before.

I wish I could say that I'm outraged but in reality, I've just become numb to how tone deaf Vince & Bruce can be to the women in WWE.

I can understand why with everything that came to light about him!