AWA Wrestling Party #18

[goodhelmet]

OK, I have been trying to get Eric R out of his civil servant cocoon for awhile now and he is going to join me and Kris Z for one of the last AWA excursions. We are almost at the finish line and we may even get a visit from Phil for a Segunda Caida reunion. When the show is posted, I'll let you know if Phil pops in or not. As always, everyone is invited.

 

http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkC...6382&cmd=tc

 

 

Here are the matches on the list today...

 

 

Mando Guerrero vs. Pat Tanaka (6/12/88)

Manny Fernandez, Teijho Khan & Soldat Ustinov vs. Robert Gibson & The Top Guns (6/12/88)

Curt Hennig vs. Greg Gagne (6/12/88)

Wahoo McDaniel vs. Manny Fernandez (7/6/88)

Jerry Lawler vs. Curt Hennig (7/16/88)

Wahoo McDaniel vs. Manny Fernandez (10/15/88)

Cactus Jack Manson & The Rock n Roll RPM's vs. Chavo, Hector, & Mando Guerrero (12/13/88)

Sgt. Slaughter vs. Col. DeBeers (Boot Camp Match) (12/13/88)

[goodhelmet]

Phil wasn't able to join us but EricR shook off the podcast cobwebs and starts off immediately with Prince songs about AIDS as appropriate theme music for the set. Great stuff.

 

Anyway, my rankings for this little batch of matches...

 

 

 

Jerry Lawler vs. Curt Hennig (7/16/88)

 

- Eric said this was his favorite Hennig performance maybe ever. I thought it was his 2nd best performance on the set currently sitting in at my #11 spot.

 

 

Wahoo McDaniel vs. Manny Fernandez (10/15/88)

 

- Really great match between these two that will fall in the top third. I remember liking the strap match more but this wasn't far behind.

 

 

Manny Fernandez, Teijho Khan & Soldat Ustinov vs. Robert Gibson & The Top Guns (6/12/88)

 

- Manny was awesome in this and the post-match brawl was one of the best on the sets.

 

 

 

Sgt. Slaughter vs. Col. DeBeers (Boot Camp Match) (12/13/88)

 

- I liked this way more than Eric. I have this in the middle of the pack but enjoyed all of it until the dogshit ending.

 

 

Curt Hennig vs. Greg Gagne (6/12/88)

Wahoo McDaniel vs. Manny Fernandez (7/6/88)

Mando Guerrero vs. Pat Tanaka (6/12/88)

 

Cactus Jack Manson & The Rock n Roll RPM's vs. Chavo, Hector, & Mando Guerrero (12/13/88)

 

- I thought all of these were fun but none were stand-out great for me. Glad I watched them, enjoyed all of them but they are all middle of the pack bottom half picks for me.

 

 

[Johnny Sorrow]

My Two Cents: As I was at Fiddler rehearsal from 2 pm-9:30 pm, and couldn't take part live.

 

~ DAMN, Diamond Doll painted on that dress. Yeah, Mondo/ Tanaka was something. Hey, given the text of the match it wasn't an Oklahoma roll it was an Oklahomo roll. Good match, LOVED the post match beatdown.

 

~ Khan's star did burn too bright Ustinov is like the only Russian who isn't jacked, and he actually looks like a Russian mobster on meth. I loved the ugly redheaded broad who was about to light her smoke but started cheering instead. Rice's dropkick was sweet. Man, Manny was bad ass here. Great six man, and Khan's facials rule. Post match brawl was insane. And Eric is dead fucking on about a match not always being "bell to bell".

 

~ Madusa and her cans in leather are A-OK. ClownMan in a Tux rules. Fuck taxes, go to Phil's wedding.

 

~THE HANDHELD MATCH. Lemme just start by saying that Eric and Kris declaring their love of black children is a needed sentiment in these divisive times.

 

So, I'm not a huge fan of shaky handhelds, just one of my things. And that did annoy me a bit. But the only thing bad about this match was that it ended too soon. This was fucking great while it lasted. Two old vets who've run in the same circles for years just kicking the shit out of each other? Yes, please. And the shitting on the whole "stiff is bad" trend was good stuff. I had forgotten how great Eric is at mocking shit sarcastically.

 

~ "I'm Larry Nelson, bitch. And it's not gonna suck itself." Bikers? That was a Dr. Johnny Fever look-a-like convention there.

 

 

The great punches discussion was good shit. Holy shit, Lawler/ Cool Curt was AWESOME.

 

~ I now think that a Hunter S. Thompson story about him following around Wahoo for a year in the Eighties would have been amazing. "Fear And Loathing In The Squared Circle". Christ, Eric says he wrote that paper, and you two no sell it? Oy vey.

Kris, what happened was they let the hillbillies who were sitting in the cheap seats sit in the front now as they had to fill the seats.

 

 

"Yeah, I killed it, Will. And I'd do it again, see?"

 

Wahoo/ Manny KICKED ASS. And Jay Strongbow JR. got the gig because of his nose. Holy shit, don't do blow with that guy.

 

~ And it all comes around to Mondo's ponytail. THE CIRCLE OF LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!

 

And we need to do group show pic of us as Man O' War.

 

~ I gotta go to bed. I'll check out the Slaughter match tomorrow and then rank.

[Robert S]

Regarding the DeBeers discussion at the end: wasn't there some South African actor doing the manager role for the Truth Commission before Callis?

[Johnny Sorrow]

~ Slaughter/ Debeers was ok. The actor was The Commandant, can't find his name. And Debeers was never the manager of the Truth Commission.

 

 

My rankings:

 

1. Jerry Lawler vs. Curt Hennig (7/16/88)

2. Wahoo McDaniel vs. Manny Fernandez (10/15/88)

3. Wahoo McDaniel vs. Manny Fernandez (7/6/88)

4. Manny Fernandez, Teijho Khan & Soldat Ustinov vs. Robert Gibson & The Top Guns (6/12/88)

5. Sgt. Slaughter vs. Col. DeBeers (Boot Camp Match) (12/13/88)

6. Mando Guerrero vs. Pat Tanaka (6/12/88)

7.Curt Hennig vs. Greg Gagne (6/12/88)

8.Cactus Jack Manson & The Rock n Roll RPM's vs. Chavo, Hector, & Mando Guerrero (12/13/88)

 

Will, ripping off my lines.....Thanks Kris.

[Robert S]

Any plans for the final show(s)?

[goodhelmet]

Yep, testing finished up and I should have more free time for wrestling in the next couple of months. The last month, my wrestling has been confined to filling orders. I am behind on the podcasting (this and the planned PWO Radio) and finishing my next 2 sets (1997 and Lawler). This summer should be fun.

[JerryvonKramer]

What happened with this ep? Where are all the comments? Even Matt D and Soup haven't said anything.

 

Mando vs. Pat Tanaka w/ DDP poncing about

 

Mando is doing a lot of odd dance moves at the start of this. What the hell is this? Is that matador moves?

 

This kick thing out of the test of strength is AWESOME. Mando in 2 minute has just jumped up in my estimation massively. Hilarious.

 

This guy is different. This sort of weird-ass matwork is something I can get into.

 

Tanaka is a great execution guy, a lot of his stuff has been cool in this match.

 

Awesome comeback from Mando. I like this chap.

 

Surfoard and Diamond comes in to break it for the DQ and heel beatdown.

 

This was super duper fun and without being able to see other people's thoughts, I'd guess I'm higher on it than most, possible top 30 finish.

 

B+

[JerryvonKramer]

Manny Fernandez, Teijho Khan & Soldat Ustinov vs. Robert Gibson & The Top Guns

 

Random city here. Who is Ustinov? Khan I remember from the Crockett Cup. This is some scraping the barrel shit in terms of star power.

 

Manny Fernandez has an interesting look in 1988. From afar you wouldn't know it was him. Did he get Wayne-Rooney-style hair implants? Looks more like Hercules here.

 

Cool fistdrop from Khan. Some cool spots from Manny.

 

This was pretty fun.

 

B

[JerryvonKramer]

Greg vs. Curt

 

Very enjoyable first 10 minute match. I don't think Greg's drop off was as big as has been made out, he's had some good performances in 88.

 

I like this for what it was.

 

B-

[Matt D]

The Mando singles match made me want to go find and punch the guy whose Board name is Mando > Eddie

[JerryvonKramer]

Wahoo vs. Manny, handheld

 

This was really an AWA show? Bloody hell, there can't be more than 40 people there. I think there were more people at those UK indy shows I went to earlier this year.

 

Motion-cam is making me giddy.

 

Holy stiffness in this one.

 

I wonder if these kids got free comps to go to this.

 

A lot of cool chop suey to the finish. This was fun to see, but nothing more than that.

 

D+

[JerryvonKramer]

Cool Curt looking very serious vs. Jerry Lawler

 

The crowd seems to consist mainly of empty chairs by this stage. That's got to be it now, there's no way back from this for them.

 

Hennig's trunks at this time are quite interesting.

 

Huge amount of stalling here again.

 

Great elbow from Lawler.

 

This has been rather slow for me so far.

 

Hennig punches Lawler when he's out on the apron and he falls back -- big bump to the concrete floor.

 

Suplex back in. Abdominal stretch. Neckbreaker.

 

Lawler starts making his comeback.

 

I think Hennig in this heel run is the best Hennig I've seen - that's his peak right there 87-8.

 

I am much much less high on this than everyone on the podcast. It's not really my pace, and I'm not seeing what's so great about it.

 

If someone can explain to me why this is so great, then -- as with that Curt vs. Hansen match -- I'll reconsider it. As it is though:

 

B

[JerryvonKramer]

Wahoo vs. Manny, with a proper camera this time

 

Stiff chop suey once again.

 

Wahoo has worked these matches with Manny from underneath, which is interesting because he worked on top vs. Curt.

 

He takes over after a while to work on Manny's fingers. Then moves over to the arm.

 

I am not sure how great a lot of this matwork is, some of it is bordering on being resthold-y.

 

That's the story of this match:

 

lacklustre matwork, MASSIVE strikes - rinse, repeat.

 

Wahoo has got colour now and the slugfest portions of this are really great.

 

Double countout, which is disappointing.

 

Some great stiff meaty action here, but it's a little meandering, and the matwork -- aside from the early stuff with the fingers -- smacks of the two guys getting their breath. Not a top 20 contender.

 

B+

[JerryvonKramer]

It's Gareeee Mich-aellll Cappppeettttaa

 

Cactus Jack Manson & The Rock n Roll RPM's vs. Chavo, Hector, & Mando Guerrero

 

RPMs are some real scrub-type guys to be a on a big PPV.

 

Woeful strikes by Manson.

 

Mando with some terrific replies. I have become a Mando mark with these couple of matches.

 

Chavo is getting on in years here.

 

Mando with a great grapevine-type move here.

 

Real nutty stuff now with the Gurreros piling on for triple covers.

 

Very briend FIP segment with Chavo before Hector comes in with the flip and flashy dropkicks.

 

Moonsault by Chavo. Okay for what it was.

 

C-

[JerryvonKramer]

Slaughter vs. DeBeers

 

Looking forward to this. Feel like these two guys have been away for a while.

 

Great bump onto the helmet by DeBeers.

 

Some interesting helmet-based offence here, including some headbutts which DeBeers sells as if cannonballs were smashing his skull.

 

Cobra Clutch! And that's it.

 

Adnan is back! Slaughter gets him into Cobra Clutch.

 

IRON SHEIK! He takes out a ref. Interesting to think these three guys would be maineventing Summerslam in a couple of years.

 

Didn't quite deliver on what I was hoping for, but what there was of it was quite good.

 

C+

[JerryvonKramer]

This period of AWA was fun and kinda sad all rolled into one. A lot of randomness and stuff that is enjoyable in a vacuum.

 

Some stuff was very disappointing for me, not really getting any of the love for the Lawler stuff on here.

 

Disc 10 rankings

 

A-

Adrian Adonis & Bob Orton Jr. vs. Midnight Rockers (January 1988)

 

B+

Mando Guerrero vs. Pat Tanaka (6/12/88)

Wahoo McDaniel vs. Manny Fernandez (10/15/88)

 

B

Jerry Lawler & Greg Gagne vs. Riki Choshu & Mr. Saito (5/14/88)

Original Midnight Express vs. Midnight Rockers (12/27/87)

Jerry Lawler vs. Curt Hennig (7/16/88)

Manny Fernandez, Teijho Khan & Soldat Ustinov vs. Robert Gibson & The Top Guns (6/12/88)

 

B-

Curt Hennig vs. Greg Gagne (6/12/88)

Wahoo McDaniel vs. Curt Hennig (12/27/87)

 

C+

Sgt. Slaughter vs. Col. DeBeers (Boot Camp Match) (12/13/88)

The Nasty Boys vs. Rock n Roll Express (4/16/88)

 

C

Jerry Lawler vs. Curt Hennig (2/19/88)

Badd Company vs. Midnight Rockers (2/19/88)

 

C-

Wahoo McDaniel vs. Curt Hennig (3/19/88)

Cactus Jack Manson & The Rock n Roll RPM's vs. Chavo, Hector, & Mando Guerrero (12/13/88)

 

D+

Wahoo McDaniel vs. Manny Fernandez (7/6/88)

[JerryvonKramer]

Don't know if Eric R reads here, but I'd be very surprised if he didn't still like the Flair-Steamboat matches.

 

Clash 6 is worked like a fucking sprint and they don't let up. It's a 40+ minute match that is worked and feels like a 10 minute match.

 

I don't think you even have to be a big Flair or Steamboat fan to dig those matches. Steamboat in Clash 6 works like he's on crack or something, takes it to next level, some real pyschoness. The spot with the 16+ elbow drops always gets me. You don't see that shit usually.

 

Anyway, I've hit my groove tonight and will finish the AWA set and do 150 rankings TONIGHT.

[Dylan Waco]

I don't hate that Mando v. Tanaka match but I don't think it was very good. Fun sure, but Mando came across like a dick heel, to the point where it felt like babyface justice for Badd Company to try and beat his ass. It will be near the bottom of my ballot, but not in the cellar.

 

I still think that Wahoo v. Manny handheld is clearly the worst match on the set

[JerryvonKramer]

I've probably vastly overrated that Mando match, but every once in a while I'll see some schtick I've never seen before that really tickles me and that's what happened here.

 

The criticisms of Mando seeming more heelish than babyface are completely valid.

 

On the all Japan set I was REALLY entertained by Sheik vs. Steamboat which mostly everyone else hated.

 

Mando vs. Tanaka is my Sheik/Steamboat for this set.