AWA Championship Wrestling on ESPN Classic 07.09.09

AWA Championship Wrestling on ESPN Classic

This is another show from ’86, that takes us to various times and arenas. I actually like these shows a lot better than the ones that are all from the Showboat. The different arenas have different looks to them and gives the show a feeling of variety. You can’t really watch RAW and know just from the look of the place where they are.

EARTHQUAKE FERRIS vs. COLONEL DeBEERS
I think this is from California. Before the match Larry Nelson tells us about how popular Ferris is in his home area, and Ferris is introduced as being from San Francisco. If nothing else, watching this stuff is giving me a new appreciation for DeBeers. Nobody is going to confuse him with Curt Hennig when it comes to having to bounce like a pinball for someone, but he’s pretty good with Ferris here. His exaggerated bumps when Ferris hits the shoulder block are perfect, and the way he goes sailing across the ring is hilarious. Not only that, but DeBeers adds a couple of smart spots, such as the flying snap mare when he can’t take down Ferris with the shoulder blocks. The finish is a bit odd, if DeBeers can’t pick up Ferris, then how can he roll him up with such ease, especially after taking a big powerslam and being saved by the ropes? But that’s what we get, DeBeers cradles Ferris when he attempts another powerslam for the win, despite Ferris’ foot being on the ropes.

Larry Nelson with DeBeers. DeBeers cuts another Backlund-like promo, the gist is that guys like Ferris and Scott Hall are big and strong, but they’re not too bright, like most Americans. South Africans, like him, are also very smart. He’d love to wrestle Scott Hall, and says that after fifteen minutes, Hall would beg for the match to be stopped.

LARRY ZYBYZSKO vs. GUS TORRES
We’re in Las Vegas on 3/11, this is the usual Zybyzsko match, they go to lock up and he decides he’s not ready yet. They go to lock up again and he decides to yell at the fans. They finally do and Larry just goes to town and beats the tar out of him for a few minutes before drilling him with a piledriver.

The two Larrys in the ring for an interview. Zybyzsko is entertaining as always. He runs down the fans in a way that Rick Rude would make famous before taking his robe off, and the fans stand up to take exception and prove him right, one of them is even in the middle of smoking a cigarette. Then it turns into how Larry can’t trust anyone except Go and can’t get a match with Hansen, but referee Scot LeDoux wants him in a match.

CANDI DEVINE © vs. SHERRI MARTEL (AWA Ladies Title)
We’re now in Oakland, CA, the same show as the Hansen/Blackwell match, although Larry Nelson told us that was in Oceanside. This isn’t horrible or anything, they’re not in the same league as the better SHIMMER workers, but this isn’t bad. Sherri is pretty liberal with the shoulder tackle in the corner, and there’s an amusing bit where Candi makes a comeback and culminates in a legdrop, which Sherri almost totally no-sells, a nice shot at the Hulkster, that was. The referee takes a couple of bumps, including a head scissors takedown from Sherri. Devine with a nice sunset flip out of the corner for two and Sherri rolls her up while she’s arguing and grabs the ropes for three.

It’s time for “In This Corner” with Larry Nelson and Larry Zybyzsko. Larry vents about Bockwinkel and how he didn’t earn the title and it was just handed to him. Valid point, no? Then we show a music video of Bockwinkel, featuring clips against Lawler, Slaughter, Verne, Greg, and some others I don’t recognize. Back to the studio and Bockwinkel joins the two Larrys. Zybyzsko accuses Bockwinkel of only getting the title because his nose is the brownest part of his body, and that he should be ashamed to get the title that way. Bockwinkel calls Zybyzsko a crybaby, Larry storms off, and Bockwinkel continues saying that he did earn the title by holding it for eight-and-a-half years before and that nobody in Denver complained about it. Pretty weak argument if you ask me.

Back to the Showboat, now it’s 3/11/86. Jerry Blackwell was supposed to challenge Stan Hansen for the AWA Title, but he’s got an injured ankle, so Curt Hennig takes his place. Hansen isn’t thrilled about it, he accuses Blackwell of being afraid. He attacks Blackwell and Hennig makes the save.

STAN HANSEN © vs. CURT HENNIG (AWA World Heavyweight Title)
Why in the blue hell would a world title match only have a ten-minute time limit? This being a big brawl isn’t much surprise, although it looks odd to see Curt holding his own with Hansen. But Hansen’s stooging is good enough to overcome it and make it look like Curt has a chance. Curt controls early on, and Hansen reverses a whip into the corner that Hennig takes like Bret Hart, and gets control for a bit. Hansen gets a nice near fall from a piledriver and bodyslams Hennig onto a row of chars on the floor, and then yanks one out from under him. As the clock keeps ticking, Curt keeps surprising Hansen with counters for good near falls, such as the dropkick and the body press, and the backdrop suplex counter to Hansen’s headlock. It’s not so much the spots that makes them work as much as it is Hansen’s selling of them the surprise with which Curt pulled them out. The time limit runs out though, but Hennig’s time would come.