NWA Showcase 1983

[JHawk]

October 16, 1983 – NWA Showcase airing on the USA Network

 

David McLane is in studio welcoming us to the show. McLane tells us this show is designed to focus on all the top matches and talent from the previous week in the NWA. However, in order to familiarize the audience with the top talent in the NWA, the focus in this edition is going to be on the various champions currently in the NWA.

 

First up is a look at the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Harley Race. Footage is shown of Race defeating Ric Flair to regain the title in June, as well as recent defenses against Chavo Guerrero. McLane then introduces a clip from St. Louis where the last few minutes of Race’s successful title defense against Guerrero is shown. Cut to an interview taped after last night’s match, where Race praises Chavo’s heart and determination and says if the time comes for Chavo to get another opportunity, he will be happy to give him one. Race then puts over a series of appearances he has scheduled for Florida this coming week, and the dates and arenas scroll along the bottom of the screen.

 

Next up, McLane mentions that the newest member of the National Wrestling Alliance is Mid-South Wrestling, and two new champions were crowned last night in Houston, Texas. Highlights of the two title changes are shown, first the closing moments of the controversial ending to Don Muraco defeating Mr. Wrestling II to win the Mid-South Television Title tournament:

 

 

 

He goes for the high knee but Muraco ducks and Wrestling II goes flying over the top rope to the floor! Muraco is trying to stop the referee from counting, if it is a count out, it is a 3 way tie! Muraco grabs the referee but all of a sudden someone runs out of the back… who is this guy… IT’S PAUL JONES! He rolls in Wrestling II who is grasping his knee. Muraco hammers but Wrestling II with a roll up 1…2… but Jones pushes Muraco over for the 1…2….3!! MURACO WINS! MURACO FINISHES WITH 30 POINTS AND WINS THE TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP! The crowd can’t believe it! Jones grabs the newly minted Television Championship and gives it to Muraco! The crowd is shocked. Wrestling II is holding his knee and it doesn’t look good.

 

And then the closing moments and postmatch drama from the Mid-South Tag Team Title match:

 

 

Andre and Hansen continue to argue and out of nowhere, all hell breaks loose! Hansen attacks Andre and Andre attacks Hansen! PeeWee Anderson doesn’t know what to do as the Samoans back off. Hansen goes for a lariat on the big man but Andre with a huge BOOT to the mush and Hansen goes down. Andre backs off and then the Samoans POUNCE! We see both Afa and Sika with some vicious headbutts and Hansen is busted wide open. A double body slam followed by one splash and then another for the 1…2…3 and WE HAVE NEW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS! The crowd is shocked right now! The fans can’t believe it as Watts and Ross put it over in a big way. Hansen walks over as Ross and Watts are talking and he grabs the microphone…

Stan Hansen: WATTS! WATTS! You tell that good for nothing piece of sh*t that he doesn’t know what he’s good for! You tell him I carried him and he will never touch gold again! Texas is my state and Andre the Giant… it isn’t big enough for the two of us! Whenever you want it big man, the bad man from Borger is here and he is going to whip you like the good for nothing piece of trash you are!

 

Up next is a video package highlighting some of other talent in the NWA. Highlights include footage of Ric Flair, Mid-South North American Champion Junkyard Dog, Dusty Rhodes, the Fabulous Freebirds, and Missouri Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel. Upcoming dates for the various NWA territories scroll along the bottom of the screen as this package airs.

 

The final segment features a look at the NWA World Tag Team Champions, Nikolai Volkoff and Krusher Khrushchev. McLane mentions they’ve been taking on all contenders, unifying the titles with the WWA Tag Team Title last night, and then we see the following match in its entirety.

 

 

 

NWA World Tag Team Titles - The Russians (Volkoff & Kruschev) defeated The Devil's Duo (Jeff Sword & Doug Vines) when Kruschev pinned Vines with Lenin's Tomb.

 

All three Russians again gave congratulations to their ally, the Iron Sheik and Volkoff in particular, said some insulting words about David Schultz. Kruschev added that with all three Russians laying claim to the titles, there was no way the Freebirds would stand a chance in Greensboro at Halloween Havoc.

 

McLane tells us to make sure to tune next week and every week following for the best the NWA has to offer on the NWA Showcase.

[Beast]

Awesome stuff JHawk.

[LowBlowPodcast]

A simple showcase highlighting some big moments in the week of wrestling. A great piece to set a foundation for the NWA's joint production moving forward.

[rainmakerrtv]

Love it.

[dawho5]

Very good work on building the foundations of the show. I can't wait to see the different feuds you highlight.

[Super Stan]

Fun piece here highlighting the NWA champions. I like it.

 

This might be a dumb question but who are the members of the NWA?

[goc]

As far as I can tell everyone is in the NWA except the three AWA promotions (AWA proper, Southwest & Southeastern) and the two promotions that aren't in either (Memphis & ICW)

[LowBlowPodcast]

Mid South is like it was before going national, like the wwf was, simply an associate and not full member.

[JHawk]

I want to encourage the NWA promotions to try their best to remain caught up as it's easier to put the show together that way. Obviously real life gets in the way and I get that, but promotions that stay active and caught up are going to get featured more often.

 

Also, if you want me to highlight specific angles by showing specific clips and/or airing exclusive promos from your rosters, let me know that as well. Right now with what's already been posted for this weekend I have about half of this week's show already done but I really want to showcase as many groups and angles as possible.

[JHawk]

October 23, 1983 – NWA Showcase airing on the USA Network

 

David McLane welcomes us to the show and says tonight we’ll be highlighting some of the key happenings in the week that was in the NWA.

 

Our first stop this week is Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, where the Iron Sheik has recently won the United States Heavyweight Championship and is now referring to the title as the NWA Iran Title. Sheik put that title on the line on TV this week, only to find out that he has some competition waiting in the wings. Let’s take you to that footage right now.

 

 

 

NWA Iran (United States) Title - The Iron Sheik defeated Billy Two Eagles by making him submit to the Camel Clutch. As Sheik posed to the cameras, David Schultz ran in and nailed Sheik from behind with a clothesline knocking him up and over the top rope to the floor. Sheik stumbled to the dressing room while referees Tommy Young and Sonny Fargo, as well as enhancement talent Bob Bradley and Ben Alexander, held Schultz back.

 

 

David Schultz, still full of pent-up rage and frustration, stopped by the announce table to cut a promo on Sheik and the Russians, ranting about how he was tired of these damn foreign powers keeping the NWA titles hostage. He claimed Sheik was ducking him and refusing to grant him a rematch so he'd he'd been on the phone to Florida and that he'd found the perfect opponent for Sheik. In the meantime, he'd "settle" for Volkoff, Markoff, or Kruschev in Greensboro.

 

(A video bumper highlighting this week’s upcoming MACW events airs)

 

We now move over to Mid-South Wrestling, where the war between Stan Hansen and Andre the Giant has escalated. As you may recall, the two were involved in an altercation after losing the Mid-South Tag Team Titles to the Wild Samoans. Things got even more chaotic between the two of them when…well, take a look for yourself.

 

 

Jim Ross: Fans I am joined by Stan Hansen… Bill Watts has got to the back… we have something happening…

Stan Hansen: You damn right something is happening! You better know that big dumb ape Andre the Giant is nowhere to be found! I am calling him out right now!

Jim Ross: We know Andre the Giant is here but he isn’t scheduled…

Stan Hansen: You write that big goof a letter and tell him Stan Hansen is here and he wants a fight!

{Hansen walks away from Ross and gets into the ring and he is twirling around that bull rope! We have got pure chaos as Andre emerges from behind the curtain and Bill Watts is trying to hold him back but Andre pushes him to the ground! The Giant comes down to the ring and Hansen attempts to hit him with the cowbell but misses the first time and then cracks him the second! Andre is busted but it only makes him angrier! He grabs the rope and pulls Hansen over to the ropes and nails him with a big right hand! Andre is nailing him through the ropes as officials come down. They are trying to pull Andre off and Hansen breaks free and goes to the back! Watts is there with Andre and threatens to take him out and he says he wants Hansen!

 

Those two men are rumored to be facing each other on November 5 in the Superdome in New Orleans, but that match has not been signed as of yet. We’ll be sure to keep you posted, but first, take a look at where the stars of Mid-South Wrestling will be headed.

 

(A video bumper highlighting upcoming Mid-South shows airs.)

 

Now we move on to the Sunshine State of Florida. NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race was in the area this past week and made several successful defenses of his championship. Race will be in Japan this coming week, and should he return with the championship, expect him to make defenses against the best the NWA has to offer. One man Race may have to contend with is the Florida Heavyweight Champion, Dusty Rhodes. We did not receive a copy of the title change prior to this show airing last week, so for those of you who missed it, let’s relive the night Dusty Rhodes regained the Florida Championship.

 

 

End: Dusty hits his Bionic Elbow on Sullivan. He covers Sullivan for the win and the Florida heavyweight title @ 11:22.

 

the fans go wild and scream Dusty, Dusty, Dusty....

 

Promoter Eddie Graham comes down to the ring and presents a tired and exhausted Dusty Rhodes with the Florida Heavyweight title

 

Dusty holds up the belt

 

Dusty: This is a dweem realized once again babays. My sweet babays now have a champion that they can believe in.

Dusty: Kevin Sullivan you don't know babay what it is to have the love of these great people. I love them all no matter what damn color they is.

 

Definitely a feel good moment. We know Rhodes has defeated Race for the NWA World Title on two occasions already, so if that match happens down the line, don’t be surprised to see that happen yet again. That’s all assuming, of course, that Race retains the title long enough for Rhodes to get that shot.

 

(A video bumper highlighting upcoming events in Florida airs)

 

Now we move on to the World Wrestling Association. It was announced this weekend that on December 3, the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, currently Harley Race, would be defending that title against the Missouri Heavyweight Champion, currently Nick Bockwinkel. However, we know Bockwinkel will be defending that champion on at least two occasions prior to that, and as we saw on TV, there are some interesting challengers coming out of the woodwork.

 

 

 

When asked what’s next for Funk, Dillon says there is only one goal for his man to have, and that is to regain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. McLane reminds Dillon that the Missouri Champion gets the next shot, and Dillon says “Well, if that’s how it has to be, let’s just say that even though we respect Mr. Bockwinkel and Mr. Heenan a great deal, we might just have to take that title off of him to get that opportunity!”

 

(A video bumper highlighting upcoming WWA shows airs)

 

Before we leave you tonight, let’s hear some words from Harley Race in an interview conducted in Florida earlier this week.

 

Gordon Solie interviews the champion in a locker room. Solie asks Race how the schedule has been affecting him as of late. Race acknowledges that the schedule is daunting, especially since the champion travels more than anybody else, but that whether he has the title or not, he has wrestled practically every night for more than half his life and doesn’t anticipate that changing anytime soon. Race says he looks forward to facing the best Japan has to offer next week, and he plans on returning to the United States and holding the championship for a long time to come.

 

With that, David McLane signs off and invites us to return next week for another NWA Showcase.