AWA Championship Wrestling on ESPN Classic 07.24.09

AWA Championship Wrestling on ESPN Classic

Today’s show is broadcast for the Omaha Civic Center in Omaha, NE. We’re sometime in ‘86. At first I thought it was May because Nelson mentions DeBeers interfering in a Rose/Somers vs. Hall/Hennig tag titles match, which I assumed was the title change. But later on, it’s said that Bockwinkel is champion, so it’s sometime after June.

Current Champions:
AWA World Heavyweight Champion: Nick Bockwinkel
AWA World Tag Team Champions: Buddy Rose and Doug Somers
AWA Light Heavyweight Champion: Title Vacant
AWA Ladies Champion: Sherri Martel

COLONEL DeBEERS vs. PETE SANCHEZ
This the usual methodical DeBeers match, very slow and plodding without any real offense from Sanchez for DeBeers to bump and stooge for. DeBeers just punches and kicks, and uses the turnbuckle. Sanchez tries to come back with forearms, but DeBeers goes to the eyes. Sanchez starts throwing punches to finally get some momentum, but misses a flying body press, and DeBeers swoops in with the front piledriver for the win.

Larry Nelson with Colonel DeBeers. Larry asks him flat out why he interfered in the tag titles match last week, DeBeers retorts by asking why the U.S. interferes with South Africa. Not exactly apples and apples. DeBeers says he did it because Scott Hall is a coward and only has the guts to come to the ring because he uses anabolic steroids. This starts a chant for Hall that dies down quickly, which DeBeers says is proof that the fans really don’t care for him. Larry says we’re out of time, but DeBeers grabs the microphone because he wants to give some political views, but we go to commercial.

GREG GAGNE/JERRY BLACKWELL vs. CHRIS CURTIS/RICK RENSLOW
Renslow is referred to as “The #1 Alaskan” which might explain why Jay York is called the Original Alaskan, or maybe not. This match is sure boring though. Blackwell moves well for his size, but not well in general. Greg is decent here, although he and Curtis screw up a sequence early on, when Greg almost loses him on a monkey flip and then Greg falls down while doing the jumping head scissors and Curtis takes a back bump for no reason. Blackwell just throws his weight around, and when he’s in trouble, the heels double team him in the corner. Blackwell gets worked over for a bit, Renslow does an elbow, and then Blackwell gets right up so that Renslow can try to whip him into the ropes and get blocked. Blackwell tags in Gagne who comes in all fired up and unloads on Curtis and hits the big dropkick. Greg tags Jerry back in for the big splash, and then tags Greg in, who hits a cross body press off the top for the win. Well, they sure killed Blackwell’s splash dead as a finisher.

Larry Nelson with Gagne and Blackwell. Greg says he loves going to Omaha and the fans are great. He and Jerry have one thing in common, hating Sheik Adnan Al Kaisee. Greg talks about the Barbarian and how he and his dad trained him and the Sheik stole him. Then he says Ali Kahn is actually Rick Lince, who played football with Greg. Blackwell says that money talks and bullcrap walks and there’s not enough money for the Sheik to stop Blackwell from coming after him. Blackwell has been working with Greg and he just might come off the top rope too.

BORIS ZUKHOV/THE BARBARIAN vs. RICK RENSLOW/EARTHQUAKE FERRIS
Renslow gets squashed twice in one night! Barbarian mauls Ferris to start, he knocks him silly with the big boot and impressively gets him up for a slam. He throws him to the floor and runs him down the aisle way and into the bleachers. Boris beats on him a bit too, and then Renslow tags in and hits a couple of moves on Boris before running into a boot in the corner. Tag to Barbarian and he finishes Renslow quickly with an elbow off the top.

Larry Nelson with The Sheik and his army. The Sheik wants his men to have shots at both the singles and tag titles. Barbarian cuts a funny promo about how short all the babyfaces are, like Hennig and Gagne, and then calls Nick Bockwinkel the Dick Clark of wrestling, because he’s so old. Boris reiterates what the Sheik said about then wanting title shots, and also tells Hennig to get another partner because Scott Hall is a coward. Wow, this show is turning into a Scott Hall bashing session!

SHERRI MARTEL © vs. PRINCESS JASMIN (AWA Ladies Title)
Jasmin show promise early on, with the way he works over Sherri’s arm, and her step over armbar was awesome, but that the highlight of things. Most of the match is Sherri in control with about as stereotypical woman’s offense as you can get. Choking, hair pulling, etc. It was fun to watch Jasmin hand it back to her, but Sherri just regained control and kept Jasmin at bay. The only good thing out of Sherri was when she knocked Jasmin off the apron and wouldn’t let her back in the ring. Jasmin finally got back and seemed to have control, until she slingshotted Sherri into the ref. When the ref was asking if she did it on purpose, Sherri snuck in with an ugly cradle and grabbed the ropes for the win.

Larry Nelson with Sherri Martel and Buddy Rose. Sherri and Buddy deny that she used the ropes, it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks they saw, she won fair and square. Rose says that everyone complains that they cheat, but they win because they’re better wrestlers, they’re smarter and they’re in better shape (almost sounds like they use the 3 I’s). Buddy says Sherri won with a perfect cradle and anyone can be pinned with it, he’d love to have Brad Rheingans come out to demonstrate how a great wrestler can beat a mediocre one with a simple cradle. Pretty funny actually. That’s all for this week.