spaldoni Posted February 17, 2018 Report Share Posted February 17, 2018 I agree, Rain has done an amazing job with the AWA. I love the back scene look he gives us with the Vets training the young guys. The thought process here is genius and like Gene said, if this was going on IRL, the AWA would of been a major force in the 80s. Rain does such an incredible job of building young talent that when they leave for other territories down the road, they're over and established. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawho5 Posted February 18, 2018 Report Share Posted February 18, 2018 I would love to go into specifics about all of the stuff I didn't get to comment on this week. The new pairing is indeed awesome and I need more Fit Finlay in my life. White getting kicked out and then proving himself in a major way is awesome. Snakepit vs. Buzz Sawyer is a feud I would willingly be watching back today if it had happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainmakerrtv Posted February 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2018 AWA All-Star Wrestling on ESPN / TSN , February 21st Rocky Mountain Thunder vs. John Cody & Cliff Robinson There was a fair amount of buzz in the audience before the match as to who Rocky Mountain Thunder would be, but the fans exploded in cheers when it turned out to be a new tag team of Leon White and Too Cold Scorpio. White has really got the fans behind him since he is no longer tied in with Kevin Sullivan and the Varsity Club, while Scorpio’s exciting style has made him a stand out among the AWA rookies. The two old friends worked together like they had been teaming their whole lives, blending White’s power with Scorpio’s high flying as they easily dominated their opponents before White propelled Scorpio in a Rocket Launcher onto Cody for the win. The tag division in the AWA just keeps on getting better. Nord the Barbarian vs. Buzz Sawyer Hoo boy. Buzz Sawyer is clearly holding a grudge against the Snakepit after his match with Cactus Jack last week. Normally, one man facing down three would garner some sort of sympathy from people, but Sawyer has been so obnoxious, people were readily siding with Jake Roberts and his men. Sawyer and Nord went at it fist and fire for several minutes before Sawyer went after Nord with his chain , leading the ref to call for the DQ. He kept on attacking with the chain until Roberts and Cactus charged out and ran him out of the ring. Sawyer dared them to come after him as he swung the chain, but the Snakepit clearly didn’t see the point in that and the stalemate continued until the AWA officials sent them back to the locker room. Kevin Sullivan, Brian Pillman & Ron Simmons vs. Greg Gagne & The Youngbloods This wound up being a clash of differing coaching styles, as it looks like Gagne has taken Wellington and Blackman under his wing and give them the benefit of his guidance. The Youngbloods took well to his leadership, smoothly tagging in and out and working out some double team and combination moves. Sullivan, on the other hand , seemed to believe it was all down to shouting, bellowing orders at both of his men throughout the match. Simmons seemed to pay no mind to it and get on with his match, but Pillman wound up getting the worst of it. It seemed like nothing the former Cincinnatti Bengal could do would satisfy Sullivan, who criticized and nitpicked his every move, even though Pillman showed great technical promise in all of his exchanges with the Youngbloods. Pillman was in the midst of an offensive flurry but it was cut short when he went for a running cross body on Wellington, which wound up being caught and countered with a belly to belly piledriver for the one two three. Wellington helped his opponent up but Sullivan would have none of it, berating the still groggy Pillman while smacking him upside the head. Simmons gave an extremely disapproving look before interposing himself between the two, wrapping his huge arm around Pillman’s shoulder as he helped his partner to the back. Sullivan fell silent but was clearly saving his ire for another time. Marty Jones vs. Norman Smiley Both men’s partners were in their corners for this match, but the ref informed them that he would tolerate no interference from either of them. That being said, this wound up being a purely scientific match, with a lot of counter wrestling and matwork. It was something of a coming out party for Smiley, who has tended to dwell in his partner’s shadow, but clearly had Jones on the defensive for much of the match. Jones, “The Lancashire Lion”, could always work his way out of any predicament, but it seemed like Smiley was steadily starting to catch up with him. It looked like he might finally get him trapped in the Norman Conquest, but Jones was able to block it and counter with a go-behind followed by a straightjacket suplex for the win. A solid victory but the youngsters are clearly closing in on the heels of the veterans. Sgt. Slaughter vs. Doug Somers Sarge was recently coming off a recent match against the World Tag champs, but was now facing Somers in a solo outing. Somers was not alone, however, as “Playboy” Buddy Rose was supporting his partner from ringside by doing everything he could to distract Slaughter. The tandem actually managed to keep the big drill sergeant off balance for much of the match, but Sarge eventually had enough of their shenanigans and sent Rose crashing off the ringside apron with a big boot. Somers looked to take advantage of this distraction by slipping something into his elbow pad and blindsiding Sarge, but Slaughter whipped around and nailed him with the Slaughter Cannon, getting the three count. Sarge was triumphant, but Rose and Somers were swearing vengeance in the ring. AWA Southern Title Match : Mando Guerrero © vs. Pat Tanaka Mando had already defeated Paul Diamond in a Southern Title defense a couple of weeks ago, and now would be defending against the other half of Badd Company on the way to a rematch with Al Perez in Milwaukee. However, there was a significant difference this time out, as the newly returned Sunshine was at ringside to give guidance to her man, along with The Great Kabuki who was watching over Sunshine like a hawk. Her comeback seems to have invigorated her boys, as Tanaka was all over Mando for much of the match, keeping the champ in full scale retreat with fast paced martial arts and flying moves. Mando would take back control of the match and start to grind him down, but Tanaka would keep coming back at him. He finally looked like he would put an end to the challenge when he tried to lock Tanaka in the Gory Special, but Tanaka blocked and countered it with a sunset flip for a two count. Mando reversed it to get another two count, and then picked Tanaka up and whipped him into the ropes for a clothesline. Tanaka ducked at the last possible second, then came back off the ropes with a rolling wheel kick that landed hard on the top of Mando’s head, seemingly knocking him cold. Tanaka went for the cover. One … Two … THREE? Pat Tanaka just won the AWA Southern Title! The crowd exploded as Sunshine and Kabuki rushed in to the ring to celebrate with Tanaka . (Well, Sunshine celebrated, while Kabuki watched her back.) Paul Diamond and Al Perez soon joined in on the celebration, although Perez seemed a bit subdued. He had to be wondering what that meant for his title shot in Milwaukee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordi Posted February 20, 2018 Report Share Posted February 20, 2018 Wow! Huge upset victory, with plenty of intrigue regarding what that means for Al Perez. Great finish for Slaughter, overcoming the numbers game. A nice scientific bout between smiley and Jones. Interesting contrast in coaching styles in the 6-man. How bad-ass do you have to be to get sympathy vs Jake, Nord, and Cactus? Rocky Mountain Thunder is a great name for that team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainmakerrtv Posted February 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2018 Rocky Mountain Thunder is a great name for that team. When I decided that I was going to team them up, I couldn't resist the joke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainmakerrtv Posted February 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2018 Great finish for Slaughter, overcoming the numbers game. It sets up something for which I have long term plans, is also a pay back for Sarge doing the job to Spivey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordi Posted February 20, 2018 Report Share Posted February 20, 2018 Rocky Mountain Thunder is a great name for that team. When I decided that I was going to team them up, I couldn't resist the joke. There are some RMT matches up on YouTube!! He really is one of the goofiest-looking and least talented guys in pro wrestling history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawho5 Posted February 20, 2018 Report Share Posted February 20, 2018 Great TV top to bottom. Smiley and Jones would have been really good. Tanaka pulling the big upset is a nice surprise for the fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainmakerrtv Posted February 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2018 Great TV top to bottom. Smiley and Jones would have been really good. Tanaka pulling the big upset is a nice surprise for the fans. I've been neglecting poor Norman, he has been pretty much Regal's partner and not much else. Figured it was time to redress that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainmakerrtv Posted February 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2018 AWA show from the Mecca, Milwaukee, February 21st (as shown on ESPN / TSN Super Cards) 2/3 Falls Match : The British Bullies vs. British Steel 1st fall : Marty Jones pinned Norman Smiley after a belly to belly piledriver 2nd fall : The Bullies had a long sequence as they worked over Smiley, but he was able to come back and catch Jones in the Norman Conquest and made him give up the second fall 3rd fall : The clock was ticking down to the time limit , but Regal was just able to knock out Taylor with the Iron Fist Punch to take the decisive fall Triple Dog Collar Chain Match : The Snakepit vs. Buzz Sawyer & The Sheepherders An incredibly bloody, chaotic brawl that ended when Sawyer hit a chain assisted bulldog on Cactus Jack to take the win Nick Bockwinkel & Larry Zybyszko vs. The Youngbloods Once again, Blackman was able to blindside Larry with a bicycle kick, but neither man noticed that Bock had tagged himself in, and Nick then hit a belly to back suplex for the pinfall. After the match, Larry was upset that Bock hadn’t come in for the save sooner. No pleasing some people. Brian Pillman vs. Greg Gagne The AWA’s other resident fussbudget, Kevin Sullivan, was in Pillman’s corner. An exciting bout that ended when Pillman caught Gagne in a schoolboy rollup, but Gagne reversed it to get the pinfall. Both men shook hands after the match, which made Sullivan even more unhappy (although frankly, pretty much everything does) AWA Southern Title Match : Pat Tanaka © vs. Al Perez It was announced going into this match that, as Al Perez had signed for a Southern Title match prior to Pat Tanaka winning the belt from Mando Guerrero, he would get a shot at the title tonight, only challenging Tanaka instead of Guerrero. As Sunshine managed both men , she stood in a neutral corner for the match and watched with a concerned look on her face. Both men shook hands before the match but gave each other a steely gaze, clearly not about to let friendship stand in the way of their desire to win. The match started out technical but grew more intense as it went along. Perez, determined to take back the title that he had dominated for so long, tried to wear him down with limbwork to try to get either the Indian Leglock or the Oriental Armlock, but Tanaka was always able to find a way out. In turn , Tanaka was able to score a number of knock downs with martial arts kicks and high flying moves, and Perez was just able to make sure he was close to the ropes to avoid a pinfall. As the match wound down, both men kicked it into overdrive to strike the killing blow, with Tanaka struggling mightily to block the German Suplex and the Ally Copter, and Perez just barely able to dodge out of the way of the rolling wheel kick. Perez looked like he would finally hit the German Suplex to take back the title, but Tanaka blocked it and countered with a legsweep into his own leglock. He tried to make Perez submit, but the Latin Heartthrob gritted his teeth and refused to give up, and the bell signaled the time limit draw. Both men helped each other up then embraced, raising each other’s hands as the crowd cheered. AWA World Tag Title match : Buddy Rose & Doug Somers © vs. Black Irish The pairing of David “Fit” Finlay and “Lethal” Larry Cameron is an extremely new entry in the AWA tag team roster, and Playboy After Dark didn’t seem to be taking them very seriously. Big mistake, as the double tough Irishman and the powerful former linebacker came at them with an intense ferocity that caught both them and the audience off guard. Rose and Somers were running scared for most of the match, and even when they had the advantage, it wasn’t for long as Black Irish came raging back at them. They ended up resorting to the cheap tactic of popping the referee, leading to a loss by DQ but retaining their titles. Black Irish may not have taken the belts, but they had served notice that they had truly arrived in the AWA, and Playboy After Dark and the Guerreros could only take them lightly at their peril. Loser Leaves Town AWA World Title Match : Paul Orndorff © vs. Ricky Steamboat This is it. The Big One. This one has been building up for months. The former friends turned hated enemies would square off and by the end, one would be AWA World Champion and the other would be gone from the AWA. Steamboat came out first, taking time to slap palms with his many fans but his face clearly focused on the task ahead of him. Orndorff , on the other hand, came out to a chorus of boos, but wasn’t going to let any of that distract him from defending his title. When the bell rang, he charged right at Steamboat, but the challenger was waiting for him and took him down with an armdrag. From there on, the opening stretch was all Steamboat as he really took it to the champion. The momentum swung back in favour of Orndorff when he caught Steamboat attempting a running cross body block and countered with a power slam. He then proceeded to show why he has been such a dominant World champion, punishing Steamboat with elbow smashes and power moves. As the match wore on, it became a real nail biter, with both sides looking like they could take it at any moment. It looked like Orndorff would finally put an end to the challenge when he got Steamboat in position for a Piledriver, but Steamboat put in a mighty effort to block it, then countered it with a back body drop. Orndorff then followed through with a sunset flip for a two count, which Steamboat in turn reversed for a two count. When both men got back to their feet, Orndorff came at Steamboat with a lariat, but Steamboat blocked it, countered with a go behind then hit a belly to back suplex. One … two … THREE !!! Ricky Steamboat is the new AWA World Champion! The crowd exploded into cheers and many other AWA wrestlers rushed to the ring to celebrate with him, all while Orndorff quietly made his exit from the AWA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordi Posted February 20, 2018 Report Share Posted February 20, 2018 What a show!! Triple Dog Collar Chain Match! Finlay and Cameron making a statement. Tanaka and Perez taking it to the limit. All kinds of great character work from guys like Sullivan and Zybyszko. And... what a great match, what a great champion. All that build-up pays of perfectly. Well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinmcfl Posted February 20, 2018 Report Share Posted February 20, 2018 Great series of shows! Rocky Mountain Thunder is great! Simmons/Sullivan is fun to watch. Will the coach get his pupil to follow the rules or will the student take out the teacher. Sawyer vs the Snake Pit is fun to watch as anything could happen. As I was reading the Tanaka/Guerrero, I was wondering what would happen if Tanaka won as Al Perez was waiting in the wings. And then we got it... two teammates in the ring with a belt on the line. They both handled it with class .... this time. Wonder if more will come of this. And then the big one. The AWA Title Match. I believe you got this one 100% correct. Steamboat is a great fit to be the AWA Champion and now I can't wait to sse how you set up the pecking order for the challengers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawho5 Posted February 20, 2018 Report Share Posted February 20, 2018 I don't know what to add to the praise here. As well executed as all of the different stories being told could be really. I will say that the Sheepherders are a nice addition to that particular feud. And in a promotion with as much emphasis on teaching, a young brawler could learn a lot from those 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaldoni Posted February 21, 2018 Report Share Posted February 21, 2018 Good grief what a super card! Black Irish makes a huge statement to all the tag teams in the AWA. That triple dog collar match must of been insane. Pillman/Gagne was a fun clean match as was Tanaka/Perez. You just cant win with Larry Z LOL. The World Title match lived up to all the hype and build. Steamboat fits perfectly as the champ. So many challengers for him. I would love to see a Steamboat/Martel match down the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneJackson95 Posted February 21, 2018 Report Share Posted February 21, 2018 Rocky Mtn Thunder is a great team and that name is awesome! Triple Dog Collar match is a fun idea..even more so with these guys involved...loved it! The World title match was everything it had been built up to be...Orndorff had an amazing title reign...and Steamboat is a perfect fit as champion with so many heel challengers waiting in the wings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirEdger Posted February 21, 2018 Report Share Posted February 21, 2018 Oh yeah, a great feel good moment for Ricky Steamboat as the new AWA World Champion. And as I look at our game, all of our major titles are held by REALLY good workers at their peak back then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordi Posted February 21, 2018 Report Share Posted February 21, 2018 And as I look at our game, all of our major titles are held by REALLY good workers at their peak back then. That's so true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainmakerrtv Posted February 21, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2018 AWA show from the International Amphitheatre , Chicago, February 22nd Ron Simmons, Jeff Gaylord & Darryl Peterson vs. Greg Gagne & Rocky Mountain Thunder Simmons pinned Scorpio after a spine buster slam Larry Zbyszko vs. Sgt. Slaughter Yet another cheating attempt by Zbyszko led to him walking into a Slaughter Cannon to give the win to Sarge. Larry threw his traditional hissy fit after the match The Sheepherders vs. The Killer Bees The Sheeps pinned Brunzell after a double stomach breaker Buzz Sawyer vs. Nord The Barbarian A wild match that finally ended in victory for Nord after a running knee drop Ken Patera vs. Dusty Rhodes A very intense battle where Patera attempted a shoulder breaker, but Dusty blocked it, then sent him into the corner turnbuckle, then caught him coming out with a schoolboy rollup for the fast pinfall Masa Saito vs. Chris Adams After multiple near falls, Saito was ultimately able to put Adams away with a Saito Suplex AWA Southern Tag Title Match : Chavo & Hector Guerrero © vs. Black Irish This match went long and Hector was finally able to put a stop to their challenge by catching Finlay in the Guerrero Clutch AWA American Title Match : Nick Bockwinkel © vs. Dan Spivey A ferocious battle where Dan Spivey had the title within his grap when he had Bock set up for the Spivey Bomber, but Larry Zbyszko tripped him from the outside, sending him face first to the mat. The ref caught that and called for the DQ, giving the win to Spivey but not the title. This pleased neither Spivey, nor the fans, nor Bockwinkel, who argued with Larry Z all the way back to the locker room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordi Posted February 21, 2018 Report Share Posted February 21, 2018 Jeff Gaylord is definitely in the conversation for worst major-promotion pro wrestler of all time. Rocky Mountain Thunder is named after another guy in that conversation. Greg Gagne is easily one of my least favourite wrestlers ever... ...but I still think I would have enjoyed that opening match. I can only imagine how well Scorp would take a Ron Simmons Spinebuster. I bet that looked awesome. That whole show looks entertaining. Top to bottom. AWA has really been on a tear recently. So much better that the TV shows they put on out of Vegas in the late 80s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawho5 Posted February 21, 2018 Report Share Posted February 21, 2018 I agree another top to bottom great effort. Larry Z is gonna get himself in some real hot water sooner or later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirEdger Posted February 21, 2018 Report Share Posted February 21, 2018 Big fan of Ken Patera vs Dusty Rhodes. I bet the crowd was all over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowBlowPodcast Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 I like seeing Spivey in the main event. He has got a look and some skills just needs the right angle to show his abilities. I am also big on the Patera vs Dusty stuff. That could be some serious money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaldoni Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 Another great card with both brawls and technical showcases. I love how you balance this all out and give something for the entire fanbase. The Saito/Adams match was a gem in this card. Larry Z better watch himself with Bock. Spivey once again showing he belongs in the upper card. Dream and Patera is becoming quite the feud. Fun seeing the Sheepherders amongst your stacked tag team division. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainmakerrtv Posted February 22, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 AWA show at Boylan High School, Rockford, IL, February 23rd Ron Simmons & Brian Pillman vs. The Youngbloods Pillman hit a diving crossbody on Wellington to score the pinfall Masa Saito vs. Mando Guerrero Saito forced Mando to give up to the Scorpion Leglock Jeff Gaylord & Darryl Peterson vs. The Killer Bees Gaylord caught Brunzell with a leaping clothesline for the victory Black Irish vs. The Onyx Express Finlay pinned Brickhouse after a belly to belly piledriver Kevin Sullivan, Mike Rotundo & Doug Furnas vs. Sgt. Slaughter & Rocky Mountain Thunder White crushed Sullivan with a power slam to get the win for his team Larry Zbyszko vs. Danny Spivey Spivey nailed Larry 3 seconds in with the Spivey Bomber and got the one two three. Larry complained that the ref had made a fast count, as you would pretty much expect him to. AWA Southern Title Match : Pat Tanaka © vs. Leo Burke Burke put up a tough challenge, but Tanaka was eventually able to knock him out with the rolling wheel kick to retain the title AWA Southern Tag Team Title Match : Chavo & Hector Guerrero © vs. Paul Diamond & Al Perez In a controversial decision, Perez hit the German Suplex on Hector at the same time that Chavo hit the German Suplex on Diamond, but the ref made the count for the champions and declared them the winners Texas Bullrope Match : Ken Patera vs. Dusty Rhodes In an incredibly bloody match, Dusty was ultimately able to hit all four turnbuckles and got the win. In spite of their cuts and exhaustion, both men continued to slug it out after the final bell. AWA World Tag Team Title Match : Buddy Rose & Doug Somers © vs. British Steel Regal was able to knock out Somers with the Iron Fist punch, but it was right at the 30 minute mark and the decision was a time limit draw AWA American Title Match : Nick Bockwinkel © vs. Jerry Blackwell Bock was able to dodge out of the way of an avalanche in the corner and follow up with a cradle to get the one two three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordi Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 I'll bet that crushing Sullivan was pretty satisfying for Big Leon. That Bullrope Match sounds great. I know Blackwell and Bock teamed up a few times, but I don't think they ever had a title match or even a singles match "in real life." That's another one I'd like to have seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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