411's AWA on ESPN Classic Report 05.06.08

Posted by Randy Harrison on 05.07.2008

Adonis and Orton challenge The Midnight Rockers in a tag title main event...


411's AWA On ESPN Classic Report




AWA Championship Wrestling

This show looks to still be from that same batch of fresh hell that was the Minot, ND television tapings, and like last night it sounds like it's going to be Rod Trongard and Donna Gagne calling all the action for us. I shuddered even when I TYPED that.

Larry Nelson welcomes us in and takes us right to the end of last week's main event, which can be read about right here. Nelson calls it a "rugged" match and says that a rematch is almost inevitable between the two of them, while promising a tag-team match featuring "Mr. Magnificent", Kevin Kelly and his partner, Nick Kiniski, right after this short time-out.


Match One:
Kevin Kelly and Nick Kiniski w/Madusa Miceli vs. Darryl Olsen and Mike Smith

I don't even get to hear the jobbers announced or anything, I've just seen them so often at this set of tapings that I've already committed their names to memory. Unfortunately, some other, probably vital, piece of information will end up being shoved out to fit that into my brain. Don't expect a birthday present this year Mom. Madusa wearing a sheer, spandexy deal that has stars covering her naughty bits, which has Rod Trongard nearly drooling all over himself. Thank god that Larry Nelson wasn't out there, he'd have probably had a stroke or something. Kiniski and Olsen lockup and Kiniski gives him a clean break off the ropes. Another lockup and Olsen returns the favor. Kiniski takes over with some knees in the corner but gets reversed on an Irish whip and catches an armdrag takeover. Olsen grabs an armbar as Rod asks Donna to hand over her headset to the "man sitting next to her", who could be anyone at this point and I wouldn't care. She ends up handing off to Shawn Michaels, which could be all kinds of good. Kiniski picks Olsen up for a slam but he can't get him off of that armbar as Michaels says that everyone is gunning for the champs and he's out there to scout Kiniski and Kelly for a possible title defense. Kiniski tags in Kevin Kelly and he grabs a standing arm-wringer on Mike Smith into a hammerlock, while Michaels ogles Madusa. Tag off to Kiniski and he cranks on Smith's arm and flings him out to the floor. Michaels excuses himself from the commentary as Kelly throws Smith back into the ring. Kiniski tags in Kelly now and he hits a HARD forearm shot before distracting the referee to let Kiniski do a little heeling. Kelly throws him into his corner and Smith tags Olsen in, which leads to Kelly picking him up and THROWING him across the ring with a slam before tagging in Kiniski. PILEDRIVER FROM KINISKI!!! Three-count and it's all over.

Winners: Kevin Kelly and Nick Kiniski (pinfall, Kiniski piledriver)

Match Analysis: Extended squash, which actually benefitted from Michaels being on commentary for a moment, if only because it shut Donna up. A good little match to try to get Kiniski and Kelly over as the new threat to the tag belts and having Michaels out there to "scout" only served to add to that. No complaints from me so far.

By the way, Kingpin is on, commercial-free, on ESPN Classic Sunday night and I'd suggest that you check it out since it's a very underrated and quite funny piece of business from both Bill Murray and Woody Harrelson. One of my favorite movies all-time and I know what I'll be doing Sunday night.


Larry Nelson welcomes us back to the AWA studios and he says that the AWA is on tour so you'd better be there live to feel the excitement and that leads to him bringing Wahoo McDaniel in with Wahoo saying that the AWA is where it's at and that he's travelled all over the world, but the top competition is in the AWA. Wahoo says that the only way you can be number one is to be in the AWA. Jesus, I wonder if he's ever thought about selling time-shares, cause he sounded like a salesman there. Wahoo exits and in comes Greg Gagne, talking about how he's gotten calls from all over the US since he's won the International Television title and HE starts talking about the competition and how great it all is. He puts everyone else over and says that he can't forget about Orton and Adonis since they both want a shot at his belt. Two promos, one talking point, no purpose. I get that they needed to put over the competition in the AWA, because they had no stars and had to try to make people believe that there were, but to have two guys cut the exact same promo like that was a little sad. Those weren't "money" interviews that would get anyone in the building, they were just "we don't suck as much as people are saying, please give us a chance" interviews. Sad, sad, sad.


Match Two: AWA International Television Championship
Mark Wagner vs. Greg Gagne (c)

Gagne's got the belt back from the Orton/Adonis heelery of the other night and the action starts out hot and heavy with Gagne grabbing a hammerlock, getting taken down and kicking Wagner off the ropes. Gagne with a go-behind into a takedown and a body scissors on Wagner, turning it into a mounted two-count, into an armbar. He transitions to a stepover toehold, into a leglock but Wagner goes to the eyes to break the hold. Double axehandle from Wagner and he rams Gagne into the top turnbuckle, stopping to mock him a little before Gagne gets an elbow and a big bodyslam. Irish whip into a back bodydrop and Gagne hits him with a BIG dropkick, following it up with the Gagne sleeper. Wagner's out and the match is over!

Winner: Greg Gagne (submission, Gagne sleeper)

Match Analysis: Short and inoffensive, but it's a Greg Gagne match so really it was already limited before it started. He does everything well, it's just so bland and robotic that it makes it really hard to get behind him.


Once again, Larry Nelson's in the studio and he's got The Nasty Boys with him this time, and Knobbs says that everyone is asking whether the Nasty Boys are crazy or not and Knobbs says they are. He calls everyone at home "losers" and that you should be lookin' at real men! Sags says something about smelling and bad breath before he finishes up saying that they're the baddest team in the land. Nelson asks about the Rockers and Knobbs says that they can run but they can't hide and that the Rockers are THEIRS!! ALL THEIRS!!! I'LL KIDNAP YOU AND PUT YOU IN MY BASEMENT, ROCKERS!!!


Match Three:
Tom Zenk vs. The Nomad

The Nomad is a masked jobber from Death Valley, and it's worth noting that Ray Stevens has re-joined Trongard on commentary, saving my eardrums from the merciless wailing of that harpy, Donna. In the match, Zenk gets a schoolboy off of a lockup for a two-count and Nomad shoves Zenk off of another lockup, getting shoved onto his own ass for his troubles. Standing arm-wringer from Zenk and he takes Nomad over into an armbar, holding it until Nomad gets him pushed into the ropes and he has to break. Nomad with an Irish whip in and Zenk ducks under an elbow but soon enough Nomad takes over with some punches and kicks, finally getting that reverse elbow and a SNAP SUPLEX for a two-count. Zenk is up with a kick to the gut and some forearm shots before he Irish whips Nomad in and hits him with a BIG dropkick for the 1-2-3!! I wonder if Gagne knows that Zenk stole his finisher. You want heat, steal the boss' son's finisher.

Winner: Tom Zenk (pinfall, dropkick)

Match Analysis: Short and decent, like all the matches so far. Nothing terrible, but nothing that makes me jump out of my seat either. The thing that I'm noticing is that all the guys that are being pushed in the AWA, outside of guys that had already been somewhat established like The Rockers, The Nasties, Orton and Adonis, and the like, none of the AWA guys had any personalities. Kiniski barely had a pulse, Kelly had a little bit of charisma, Gagne is a black hole and Zenk is too young and green to worry about anything other than not screwing up a move in the ring. And they wonder why the territory went under.

Zenk is in the AWA studios after his match and he says that he's trying to get a match signed with Curt Hennig for the title, but Curt is stonewalling him on it. He turns his attention to introducing HIS NEW TAG-TEAM PARTNER!! IT'S.....Ricky Rice? Rice comes in and says that he's been working on his high-flying moves with Zenk and they're ready to take on all comers. Zenk says that Hennig needs to look out cause he's got a man in his corner now. No Tom, you have a jobber in your corner, so good luck with that.


Match Four: AWA World Tag Team Championship
Bob Orton and Adrian Adonis vs. The Midnight Rockers (c)

Donna' back on the microphone, just in time to ruin the main event, and it looks like it's going to be Orton and Jannetty starting things out in this main event title match. Check that, it's Adonis and Jannetty, with Adonis getting a side headlock, which Jannetty reverses into a top wristlock. Quick tag to Orton and Jannetty clamps on a headlock until Orton pushes him into the corner. Orton shows why he's still a great worker here, sliding to avoid an Irish whip, eating a Jannetty dropkick and bumping himself headfirst into the top turnbuckle. Great work from Orton and it gets Jannetty a two-count and he tags in Michaels, who side-headlocks Orton over to the mat. Ortron shoots him off the ropes and Michaels leapfrogs over him, catching him in a HUGE atomic drop on the other side before taking him back down with the headlock. Orton rolls him over for a quick two-count but Michaels takes it back over, tagging in Jannetty who continues with the headlock. Adonis is in and Jannetty takes both heels down, headscissoring Adonis as he takes Orton over with the headlock.

Orton shoots Jannetty into the ropes and ducks under, allowing Adonis to get into the ring and grab a hold of him. Heel miscommunication ensues and Adonis eats a high knee from Orton before spilling into the corner. Adonis is furious and the referee tries to get him back to the outside, allowing the Rockers to make the phantom switch and Michaels continues to work Orton over with that headlock. He shoots Michaels in and Orton gets shoulderblocked down before he catches Michaels and hits a HARD backbreaker. Tag to Adonis and he hits a HUGE bulldog before a standing elbow sends Michaels sprawling into the corner. Reversal on the Irish whip from Michaels, but Adonis hits him with a reverse elbow and tags Orton back in. Orton with a DELAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYED VERTICAL SUPLEX!! Beautifully executed by Orton and he looks very proud of himself, as he should be. Orton works Michaels over in the corner a little before a double-underhook suplex gets a long two-count. Bearhug by Orton as he tags in Adonis and a "rock and roll" chant starts up from the crowd. Adonis distracts the referee to let Orton choke Michaels out with the tag rope and the camera cuts to kids in the front row, hanging over the rail and trying to point out the cheating. Never let anyone tell you that the Rockers weren't over in this run, because it's a lie.

Michaels staggers to his feet and takes a snap mare from Adonis and a couple of NASTY kneedrops to the forehead. Adonis covers and gets a two-count and then tags off to Orton, who lands some punches in the corner and a reverse elbow, just MEASURING each shot. Michaels blocks a punch and starts firing away with his own before Orton gets a running clothesline to put Michaels down again. Tag to Adonis and Orton slingshots Michaels RIGHT INTO AN ADONIS CLOTHESLINE!! Hell of a move from the hell team, and executed a lot crisper than Badd Company's attempt at a move like that last week. Michaels bumps it like a Super Ball and Adonis tries for a splash, but Michaels gets the knees up into the ample midsection of Adonis. Michaels is up and near his corner but Adonis kicks the leg out from under his leg and tags Orton back in and Orton gets up on the second rope, nestles his knee against Michaels' chin and drops down in an innovative move for the time. He drops a short forearm down and covers but Jannetty comes in to break it up, allowing the heels to switch without a tag when the referee tries to put him out. Adonis chokes at Michaels and picks him up for a RUNNING POWERSLAM!!

Jannetty breaks up a pin attempt again and Adonis grabs a front facelock, forcing Michaels to drag his weight with him if he wants that tag. Michaels gets the tag but the referee didn't see it and as he's putting Jannetty back out, Adonis sends Michaels over the top to the floor. Adonis distracts the referee and Orton drops an elbow from the apron before ramming Michaels' head into the ringpost. Orton keeps stomping away and hits a TON of rapid-fire rights as the referee is still distracted by all the goings-on with Jannetty and Adonis in the ring. Michaels finally gets back into the ring, just in time for Adonis to whip him into the corner. Michaels ducks away from a charge and Adonis crotches himself on the second buckle, allowing just enough time for Michaels to pick him up for a bodyslam and Michaels tries for a splash instead of making the tag and pays for it as he misses it and hits the mat HARD. Adonis hits a snap belly-to-back suplex and tags Orton back in and he hits a standing neckbreaker before going up to the second rope to walk the rope and drop a fist into Michaels' forehead.

Headbutt from Orton but Michaels reverses an Irish whip into the corner, putting Orton across the top rope and kicking him in the gut before Orton ends up crotched on the top rope. Orton tags in Adonis and HERE'S THE HOT TAG TO JANNETTY!! RIGHT HANDS ON ADONIS!! IRISH WHIP AND ADONIS IS ASS OVER TEAKETTLE!! IRISH WHIP AND ADONIS IS INTO ORTON!! A snap mare and Jannetty gets a pinfall, but Orton drags Jannetty out to the floor and all four men are out there brawling, with Orton taking both faces down with running forearms. The referee is in the ring counting and they all continue to brawl on the floor with Jannetty and Orton finally making it back into the ring and Jannetty hits a reverse elbow. Michaels in as well and they hit a double-crescent kick that puts Orton out backwards through the ropes to the floor. The referee is calling the whole thing off and it sounds like it's a double-countout. Actually, it's a no-contest according to Rod Trongard and Orton and Adonis head to the back to lick their wounds, threatening the Rockers on their way. The Rockers keep the belts and hold them over their heads to the cheers of the crowd and that's it for the show!!

Match Analysis: A REALLY great little tag match for the main event. After seeing two days worth of boring wrestling, we finally get to see what happens when four great workers get in the ring against each other. I love getting to watch Orton and Adonis in action and they worked well with the youngsters Michaels and Jannetty. A great TV main event that pretty much saved the entire show.



Final Thoughts

A lackluster show that gets saved by a great main event. It just shows the chasm that existed between guys like Orton, Adonis and the Rockers, and guys like Zenk and Kiniski and Kelly. There wasn't really any mid-card to speak of in the AWA at this point, so it was guys on top that were hot and could work (for the most part) and then guys that had nothing, with no filler between to bridge that gap. A decent show, but it would have been absolutely horrible without that main event tag though.



Fun With Comments


From G-Walla:
"Yeah, I stayed up and watched this show.

And I was saying Boo-urns!

You're spot on with the beat down after the first match being the only good on
this show (aside from the unintentional hilarity of Shawn Michaels' interview).
I certainly miss the late-80s early-90s style.

If I find the time, I'll send you a clip of my nasty boys song. It makes a
great ring-tone"

I love it when folks agree with me! And I'll be looking for that clip in my mailbox sometime soon, cause I agree that it would make a fantastic ringtone, especially at the grocery store or out at some fashionable nightclub.


From Joe K. :
"What was with Nelson and him cutting off guys during their promos? I know 9 out
of 10 of them weren't masterpeices (Larry Z usually the sole exception) but
geez"

My guess is that they constantly "ran out of time" cause they'd try to wedge two guys into about forty-five seconds of interview time and the first guy would always run long. Seems like a really dumb way to do things, but I suppose.


From RandomGuy:
"That Backbreaker is called the Canadian Backbreaker. just so you know."

I'll usually take any excuse to call something Canadian, but I figured since it was a Russian in the match that I'd call it something else. Thanks for the info!


From Adam:
"Squash matches were pretty much the norm on TV for all of the wrestling
promotions in the 80s. Just enough to get you to the arena. I lived in Las
Vegas and was in my early-mid teens when the AWA used to promote cards at the
Showboat. I went all the time from 1983-85. I stopped going regularly during
the Rick Martel title reign. The last matches I can remember going to had to
be in October 1986. I don't remeber any of the matches. All I remember was
that there was a guy there who hated Shawn Michaels. He kept saying what a fag
he was. They annouced the World Series results Mets-Red Sox. That's how I know
that it was September-October 86.

The NWA had squash matches with Magnum T.A. on TV a lot. Also to protect his
limitations and get you to the arena."

Oh I agree completely about the squash matches. I know that they were just trying to bait people into buying tickets, but there's a difference between a good squash and a bad one, and the AWA had LOTS of bad ones. Cool that you got to see some of those live tapings at the Showboat though, that would have been fun in 85-86.


From BurritoFueled:
"Dude...
Dude...
Donna was on color for most of the matches, you sexist, not Ray Stevens.

/Donna sucks"

I agree that she was pretty terrible, and I wasn't being sexist because I actually mentioned in the first line of the first match that it was Donna and not Ray Stevens on color. She's still terrible either way though.


Finally from Guest:
"Ok, is this just me, or did Mike Smith resemble Mike Awesome? The size, the
face, the build, all of it resembles Awesome. The only thing which doesn't
match up is the timeframe, since Awesome should've been shortly into his
training in Florida, so why would he be in North Dakota?"

I think it was just you because seeing him again today he looked nothing like Awesome in the face. Smith was just one of those job guys that Verne liked so he brought back on regular occasion, like Rocky Stone or Jesse Hernandez.


That does it for me for today's report. NO report tomorrow because ESPN Classic is showing some classic Diego Corrales boxing on the one-year anniversary of his tragic death, so I'll be back on Friday with the report for Thursday's show. Try not to miss me too much until then!!!