411's AWA on ESPN Classic Report 08.26.08

Posted by Randy Harrison on 08.31.2008

After an exhausting three-month tournament (that no one actually saw), Johnnie Stewart and Buck Zumhoffe square off with AWA World Light Heavyweight gold on the line!!


411's AWA On ESPN Classic Report





AWA Championship Wrestling

Verne Gagne and Lee Marshall welcome us to Championship Wrestling on ESPN and Lee talks about how it's a treat today for all of the fans as today we get to see a special Team Challenge Series. Verne introduces the "Behing The 8 Ball" concept and Lee talks about how in three weeks, we're going to see the end of the Team Challenge Series, with $1 Million dollars on the line. Lee Marshall talks about the main event with Stewart and Zumhoffe for the AWA World Light Heavyweight Championship. Lee nearly loses his mind trying to shill the program and throws it to a break. No telling how depressing that must have been to do, knowing how bad the company was and that virtually no amount of shill or shuck would work.


Eric Bischoff makes his first appearance of the show, speaking on the newest wild card addition to Larry's Legends, Larry "The Butcher" Cameron. He brings up how Zbyszko brought Mr. Saito in as a wild card pick and how well that worked out for him, before moving to the opening bout of the show, featuring the same Mr. Cameron.


Match One:
Jake Milliman vs. Larry Cameron

Cameron threatens the camera to get out of his face as he makes his way to the ring and jaws with the front row before getting into the ring. He's fucking JACKED to the tits and probably has more juice in him than a Minute Maid plant. I don't like The Milkman's chances against The Butcher, unless he gets a run in from The Baker. Cameron goes to the eyes right off a lockup and hammers away with right hands before choking Milliman against the corner. Hard elbow to the back of the head puts Milliman down to his knees and Cameron follows with a headbutt. Good to know that I'm still on form as not two minutes after I wrote it, Lee Marshall jokes that they have the whole grocery store covered in this match and that they only need the Produce Guy. Cameron chokes Milliman across the top rope as we cut to a crowd reaction from 1986. Cameron slingshots Milliman into the ring and whips him in for a reverse elbow but Milliman ducks it and hits Cameron into the ropes with a flying burrito. Milliman with an Irish whip and he tries a dropkick but Cameron just holds onto the ropes and lets Milliman drop himself. Punch to the kidneys from Cameron makes Milliman scream like a woman and he follows it up with a hip toss that sends Milliman across the ring and out to the floor. Forearm to the chest from Cameron as Milliman gets up on the apron and he hits a big running clothesline as Milliman gets back into the ring. HUGE POWERSLAM BY CAMERON!! 1-2-3 and it's all over!!

Winner: Larry Cameron (pinfall, running powerslam)

Match Analysis: Cameron did what he had to do and beat up the poor, lovable Milkman. He had a great look and if they had more time, they could have built him up into something and let him get some experience, but they just couldn't wait. He wasn't good enough to work at the top, but you can see that they were going to try to push him at the top anyways and he probably would have been one of their bigger stars had the promotion kept going.


Eric Bischoff welcomes us back and runs through the main event before bringing Buck Zumhoffe in for a promo. He says that he's trying to stay calm but he's been working and wrestling everyone he had to wrestle to get his title shot and now it's here. He tells Stewart that he's going to have to deal with all the little rock and rollers at ringside and they're going to drive him crazy. Zumhoffe says that it's been a long time coming, but with the help of the fans he's going to have the AWA World Light Heavyweight Championship belt around his waist. Bear in mind, this is a translation from Zumhoffese to English and he used a lot more words and sounded a whole lot crazier.


After the commercial, Lee Marshall's here with a Team Challenge Series report. We hear about the Snipers voting Col. DeBeers as their new captain and how Larry's Legends picked up a wild card pick in Larry Cameron. We get highlights from a "Meat Grinder" match between DeBeers and Cameron against DJ Peterson with Peterson taking them on in a handicap match.We see that Cameron and DeBeers came out on top, earning four points apiece for their respective teams and the standings show Baron's Blitzers on top with 45 points, DeBeers' Snipers at 38 and Larry's Legends in last place with 37 points. Bischoff speculates that it might be a photo finish for the title of Team Challenge Series champion and he promises that we'll get to the TCS "Behind The 8 Ball" match right after these messages.


We hear from The Texas Hangmen about the 8 Ball match and they say that there's no dissension between Larry's Legends. They promise a lot of surprises in store with the million dollars on the line and they'll do whatever it takes. They like to hurt people and Larry's told them that they need to hurt people. From there, we go to The Destruction Crew and Bloom is talking about the million dollars while Enos is freaking out about losing their belts. Bloom keeps taking over and talking over Enos and he says that they REALLY want their belts back and they're hungry for them. He says that when they get Peterson and Trooper in the ring, the feast is on them and DESTRUCTION IS FOR DESSERT!!! That's a great line from Bloom.


Match Two: Team Challenge Series Match: Behind The 8 Ball Match
Baron's Blitzers vs. Larry's Legends

Larry Zbyszko's team features The Texas Hangmen and The Destruction Crew as Baron's Blitzer team is going to be made up of Baron himself, Tommy Jammer, Brad Rheingans and The Trooper. Lee Marshall goes through the convoluted rule structure of the match again and apparently there's no disqualification in this match, with Verne speculating that it's going to get mean and rough. All four guys talk and posture, with Baron losing his shit and trying to attack all four of the Legends team members. Bloom lays the badmouth on some of the eight or ten fans in the front row as Verne says what everyone is thinking by bringing up how old Baron is compared to the rest of his team. Marshall tries to play it off as experience, but really Baron is too old to even be in there really. Psycho and Jammer start the match out and Jammer pushes him into the ropes, giving him a clean break. Side headlock from Jammer now and he gets shot into the ropes, knocking Psycho over with a shoulderblock before going right back to the side headlock. Jammer tries to throw Psycho over the top but Killer gets in there and saves him from going over, though Psycho turns right back into the side headlock again. Psycho goes to the eyes to break it and tags in Mike Enos, but Enos runs right into an armdrag takedown. Enos goes to the eyes to break that hold and tries for a bodyslam but Jammer slips it and gets a roll-up for a two-count before Bloom kicks him in the head. Enos with an Irish whip and Jammer takes him down with a shoulderblock, adding a dropkick in to put Enos down. Irish whip and a BIG back bodydrop from Jammer and he steps back to try for a flying bodypress as Enos just lowbridges and sends Jammer flying over the top!! Jammer is eliminated and we're at 4-3 for the Legends as they pick up the first point of the match.

Baron comes in to lay some punches on Enos but as Enos gets out of the corner, he distracts the referee to let Pyscho work him over in the corner. Bloom clotheslines Baron across the ropes and Enos makes a tag to Psycho to rake at Baron's face. Psycho rams Baron into Killer's knee and then tags him in for some punches. Killer rakes Baron's face across the top rope and nearly knocks him on his ass with a headbutt, leading to some Hangmen double-teaming. They continue to do some choking and cheating behind the referee's back and Killer picks him up for a whip into the ropes. Killer misses a clothesline and BARON'S GOT THE CLAWHOLD!!! KILLER IS FADING FAST!! ALL SEVEN MEN IN THE RING AND BRAWLING!! In the commotion, Psycho knees Baron in the back to break the hold and THROWS HIM OUT TO THE FLOOR!! Another point for the Legends and they've got a 4-2 advantage in terms of manpower!!! Rheingans catches Killer off-guard and hits a WICKED belly to back suplex to get the pinfall on him!! 3-2 advantage for the Legends and Baron's Blitzers have picked up their first point of the bout!!

Bloom comes in to jump Rheingans and works him over with some HARD knees in the corner before he distracts the referee to let Enos choke Rheingans across the top rope. Tag to Enos and they work the same move in reverse, with Bloom doing the choking. Enos talks some shit and forearms Rheingans in the chest, Irish whipping him in for a back bodydrop. Rheingans gets his usual little amateur roll-up move off of it and he GETS THE THREE-COUNT!! Enos is eliminated and we're down to two men a side!! Wait, apparently Gary DeRusha is calling it only a two-count and Enos is still in the match. Tag to Psycho andhe kicks away at Rheingans, adding some forearms before choking him across the top rope. Turnbuckle smash from Psycho and he lays a tag in to Bloom for a beautiful double underhook suplex that gets a long, LONG two-count. Irish whip in by Bloom and Rheingans reverses it into a gut-wrench suplex for a two-count of his own. Bloom tags Psycho back in and he stomps away at Rheingans before Rheingans gets him in a side headlock. Rheingans takes Psycho down with some forearms and as he tries to hit the ropes for a shoulderblock, Enos drops down and LOWBRIDGES HIM AGAIN!! Rheingans is over the top and to the floor and out of the match!! 3-1 advantage for the Legends as they pick up their third point of the match!!

Trooper is in now and he drops Psycho with a HUGE dropkick following it up with a flying clothesline. Bodyslam from Trooper and he comes off the ropes but misses a big elbowdrop, allowing Psycho to push him into the corner for some hard shots and choking. Psycho rams Trooper into Enos' boot and whips him across into the corner but misses the charge in and hits the turnbuckle. Trooper into a three-point stance and he hits a hard shoulder tackle that puts Psycho through the ropes and to the floor!! 2-1 advantage for the Legends as both members of the Destruction Crew are in there against Trooper. Enos and Bloom level him with a VICIOUS double-clothesline into a double-suplex and Enos just hammers away with double-axehandles. They wail on him and Trooper starts JUICING UP!! HE'S JUICING UP!! LEFT HANDS FROM THE TROOPER!! DOUBLE-NOGGIN KNOCKER ON THE CREW!! BACK BODYDROP AND BLOOM IS OVER THE TOP ROPE TO THE FLOOR!! Enos wants a timeout as Trooper hammers away at him and Trooper whips him in for a powerslam and THERE'S THE NECK MASSAGER!!! Bloom is up on the apron and Trooper lets go of the hold to go punch him off to the floor!! Enos with a tackle from behind and TROOPER'S OVER THE TOP TO THE FLOOR!! Larry's Legends pick up the win and seven points to the Blitzers and their three points!!

Winners: Larry's Legends (Trooper over the top rope)

Match Analysis: Not too shabby as an eight-man as they got rid of Baron early, protected Trooper until the big comeback at the end and let the one guy that could work on Baron's team (Rheingans), do most of the heavy lifting. This was booked about as well as it could be booked and turned out as well as it possibly could have, but that doesn't necessarily mean it was terribly good. It felt like the opening match of a Survivor Series or something, and in this instance I don't mean that in a good way.


Back from commercial and Johnnie Stewart gets some promo time. It's the same promo we got from Stewart earlier in the week about whether Zumhoffe can muster up the balls to be the man in the ring.


Match Three: AWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
Johnnie Stewart vs. Buck Zumhoffe

The end of the three-month long tournament as we finally get to see Zumhoffe and Stewart in the finals. Considering these were the only two guys that had a name and were in the weight class, I can't say I'm shocked by the outcome. Zumhoffe makes his way to the ring in an ABSOLUTELY HIDEOUS looking pink, bedazzled pantsuit/poncho combination. Zumhoffe tries to get the "Stew-rat" chant over with the crowd, but no one bites on it. They stare down over the belt and bad-mouth each other with Zumhoffe threatening a right hand before they separate to take off their respective entrance gears. Zumhoffe riles up the crowd and shows off his boombox as Stewart complains to the referee about something before kneeling in the corner for a little prayer. The bell rings and Zumhoffe is chasing Stewart down, forcing him to bail out to the floor. He tries to get "Stew-rat" going again but again, no one cares or starts to chant. Stewart hits a knee off of a lockup and hits a big bodyslam before trying an elbowdrop that misses. Zumhoffe backs Stewart into the corner and he hits the ropes to get away from Buck. Stewart stalls again out to the apron and thinks things over for a moment, complaining and yelling about the crowd before getting back into the ring.

Zumhoffe with a side headlock as Stewart gets back into the ring and he transitions that into a hammerlock. Stewart reverses to a hammerlock of his own and Zumhoffe reaches down for a single-leg that turns into a spinning toehold. Kick-off from Stewart and Zumhoffe gets back to the side headlock, using the ropes to turn it into a takeover, getting a two-count off of it. Stewart shoots Zumhoffe off the ropes but eats a shoulderblock and gets dragged right back into the side headlock. Zumhoffe uses the ropes again and gets another long two-count with Zumhoffe getting on Gary DeRusha about the count. As he argues, Stewart reverses to a headscissors and cranks on the pressure. Zumhoffe pops his head free and goes right back to the headlock, with Stewart pulling the hair to regain the headscissors. Zumhoffe does a headstand to kick free of it and he grabs the side headlock again, getting another two-count. Back to their feet with the headlock still on and Stewart shoots him off into the ropes, missing a reverse elbow before Zumhoffe hits a bodyslam into an armdrag.

Straight armbar from Zumhoffe as Gagne and Marshall debate the place in wrestling for face paint and gaudy robes and earrings and things of that nature, taking not-so-veiled shots at The Ultimate Warrior and the WWF guys. Stewart climbs over the top rope to the apron to try to break the hold, but Zumhoffe just drags him right back into the ring, ramming his arm into the top turnbuckle. Irish whip into the corner by Zumhoffe and he takes Stewart over with a modified armdrag before running him into the buckles again with Stewart taking the Flair bump over the top to the floor. Zumhoffe motions that he wants the belt as Stewart is struggling to try to get back to his feet on the outside. Stewart to the apron and calling for timeout as the referee has the count up to eight before Stewart gets back into the ring. Straight armbar from Stewart now and he runs Zumhoffe into the turnbuckles, laying some chops in before trying an Irish whip. Zumhoffe reverses it and whips Stewart in, ramming his shoulder into the turnbuckle again before crotching Stewart across the top rope as he tries to get to the top rope.

Zumhoffe with the big bodyslam off of the top rope and he drops down for a long two-count on Stewart. Atomic drop from Zumhoffe and Stewart rakes the eyes to break the momentum leading to a slugfest that Zumhoffe wins. Turnbuckle smash from Zumhoffe and he does it again, putting Stewart down to the mat. Bell-ringer by Zumhoffe and Stewart flies up over the top rope to the floor again, headbutting Zumhoffe in the gut as he crawls back into the ring. Turnbuckle smash from Stewart and he hits a HARD chop on Zumhoffe before trying an Irish whip into the corner. Zumhoffe with the reversal and he goes for the "Rock n Roll" splash that gets NOTHING BUT KNEES!! Stewart off the ropes with an elbowsmash but he MISSES IT!! ZUMHOFFE IS ON TOP AND HE GETS THE 1-2-3!!!! Stewart had his shoulder up before the three-count, but Zumhoffe has the belt!!! Stewart ATTACKS HIM FROM BEHIND AND HITS HIM WITH THE BELT!! ZUMHOFFE OVER THE TOP ROPE TO THE FLOOR!!

Winner: Buck Zumhoffe (pinfall, missed elbowdrop)

Match Analysis: Remember how excited I was to see this match? Wow, was that excitement ever misplaced. Lots of stalling in the beginning, no work in the middle and a finish from out of nowhere that is essentially a screw-job to try to build to something down the road. Part of me wonders where it would have went as it's rare to see the face get the screwy win, but this was just getting almst insufferable to sit through the AWA at this point, so I'm fine in not knowing. Kind of a good mircocosm for the AWA at the end as instead of trying to do something new with someone younger and talented, they end up going back to the old retread and trying to recapture something that's been gone for years. If Verne had tried to make a new boom instead of recreating the old one, there might have been something there, but this was just bad all the way around.

Zumhoffe is with Eric Bischoff and he's got his belt and the boom box and he says that he's a fighting champion. He says that anyone that signs a contract can be next in line for the belt. Anyone that thinks they have what it takes, can get into the ring. Zumhoffe calls it "Rockamania" and I guess he really wants to get sued. He says that as long as he has his little rock and rollers, anyone can come to the AWA and he'll handle them. Bischoff goes to the crowd to talk to some of the kids and they're all freaking out and screaming about Buck Zumhoffe. Buck leads a "rock and roll" chant and that's it for the show!!



Final Thoughts

Bad, bad, bad show. Not bad in the sense that it's so bad it's good, just bad in the sense that it was boring, the wrestlers were either too old or not very good, and the only decent workers on the show get buried in an eight-man tag disaster. I'm almost glad that the 1990 shows are over because as much as I wanted to see them, they're really getting painful to sit through on a daily basis. Ah well, at least now I've got the final match of the TCS coming up on the menu.





Fun With Comments


From Tiger Mask 69:
"I'm pretty sure Umanga's baffling red tights are a tribute to Yokozuna. "

That would seemingly be the most logical explanation, but that still makes them no less frightening.


From joe:
"describe the badd company clothesline spot? the one where the opponent is put in an elevated wheelbarrow over the top rope and the other tagteam memeber catipults over his partner on to the opponent?

The tag match was really good. four 250+ lbs. men busting ass. and going at a pretty fast pace. Peterson, Enos and Bloom were always underrated workers IMO, I don't know if you feel that way too. Trooper the weakest of the four even held his own. "

You described the Badd Company spot perfectly. I believe that Dunn calls it the "AWA Special", which is as good a name as any and one that I might start using soon, just to make it easier on myself. Enos and Bloom were really underrated as a tag team and I think that if there hadn't been a million good teams around in their WWF run that they might have had a run or two with the belts. Put the Beverlys in the tag team division with The Smoking Gunns and The Kid and Sparky Plugg and they get some title reigns guaranteed.


From Dave:
"Not a bad match? Geez Randy you're being a heck of alot nicer to Jonnie than I was a couple days ago. He just seemed like he and Jones were on different pages and nothing clicked. Of course he screwed up his finisher so badly that even Verne pointed out he completely missed. (Again, I don't know how much of this was because Jonnie was talentless or Verne told the guys to make him look bad.)

As for the last match, it was pretty good. I'm glad they kept Lurtzema the hell away from it. (Since it would basically turned into a 3 on 2 handicap match which would make the challengers look pathetic.) That reminds me, did the Trooper ever actually lose a match in the AWA. (I'm still amazed that he actually had a decent move that could have been his finisher but he continued to use that super fake looking pinch. I mean as soon as they saw him doing the Alabama Slam they should have given it a cute name like "The Slammer" and leave it at that.) "

See, "The Slammer" would have been something that the WWF would have done in a heartbeat, and probably would have had five pieces of merchandise to support it. That's the difference between being able to see the big picture and plan ahead like Vince could, and trying desperately to stay above water, like Verne was.


From the_big_ragu:
"did anyone else take notice of the fact that on these last few shows, DJ Peterson was starting to resemble John C Reily the guy from Stepbrothers and Taladhega Nights? maybe it was just me.

I think these last set of tapings really made it painfully obvious how bad it really was, and really sad that there were almost no guys left on the roster. didn't i see a match with 4 jobbers in it? i still love the awa and it was fun getting to see how it all unfolded. i remember bits and peices of it when it was first on, especially thinking Nikita would win the belt from Larry Z, and my frustration when he never did, but for the most part being 15 and seeing this presented as first run stuff just was not worth watching. i guess what they say is true, hindsight is 20/20. "

Nice catch, Peterson was starting to veer off into that territory with the way his hair looked. Yes, there is a match with four jobbers coming up in the next report, and there really was no roster left at all. They had the same pool of ten or fifteen guys that were on every show and that was pretty much it. Even the quality of their jobbers went WAY down at the end, which is what made it so brutal to watch.


From Guest#1333:
"The Team Challenge Series was the worst thing in wrestling I've ever seen! What the heck was that football thing with Mike Enus and, I forget who, but what the heck was that!??! "

Imagine trying to recap it and report it five nights a week. You will feel your soul being crushed repeatedly, night in and night out.


That's it for the comments and we've only got one show left in the backlog as one of the UWF shows was a repeat hour. The 08.29.08 AWA show is coming soon and we'll see the end of the Team Challenge Series with $1 MILLION DOLLARS on the line!!! See you then folks.